VERITAS: THE QUEST
1X03: SKULLS
ORIGINAL AIR DATE ON ABC: 02/10/2003
TRANSCRIBED FROM ABC
Written by: JOHN ZINMAN & PATRICK MASSETT
Directed by: ADAM NIMOY
Transcript by Intrepid
Courtesy of http://www.webphilia.com/~anthology/wnp.html
Please do not archive this transcript without permission from the
Transcriptionist
RATING: TV-PG-V
HDTV
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==========================
SUMMARY: When the third crystal skull of the Viracocha legends is found, the
team goes in search of the fourth and final skull hidden away in Hitler's Secret
Bunker to prevent Euro-One, a Fourth Reich, neo-nazi movement, from gaining it
in their possession and tapping into the secrets locked within.
==========================
VERITAS: THE QUEST
1X03: SKULLS
==========================
FADE IN
[EXT. EXCAVATION CAMPSITE - NIGHT]
LEGEND: NIGER, AFRICA
WOMAN: (o.s.) We found it!
BELLA NICHOLSON: (o.s.) Bring it up.
(The workers rouse out of their tents and circle the hole in the center of the
excavation site.)
ASSISTANT (HANK): Saddle up, let's go!
(The worker starts the engine and it pulls up the crate carrying their leader
and her find. She rises up out of the hole with a huge grin on her face,
covered in mud and grime, and standing over a heavy looking chest.)
(The workers help pull her up. She stands there with a grin on her face looking
around at the other workers who aren't as enthused as she is.)
BELLA NICHOLSON: (hard) Are you just going to stand there? Or are you going
to hand a lady a towel?
(A WORKER steps up to her and gives her a towel which she uses to wiper her
face.)
WORKER: Here you go, ma'am.
(The other workers put the chest down. BELLA uses the towel to wipe some of the
mud off of the chest cover. She pulls out a knife and cuts the double diamond
shaped insignia off of the cover. She wipes it, looks at it and smiles.)
BELLA NICHOLSON: Come on ...
(BELLA hands it over to her assistant. He smiles. She then prys the cover off
of the chest. Inside is covered with more mud.)
BELLA NICHOLSON: ... oh, please don't disappoint me.
(She sticks her hands into the mud and digs around inside where she pulls out a
cloth sack.)
BELLA NICHOLSON: Come on, come on.
(She opens the cloth sack and pulls out a skull. The workers around her start
to laugh. BELLA wipes off some of the mud, incredibly pleased with her find.)
BELLA NICHOLSON: Hi. ... Aren't you a handsome devil?
(She leans in and kisses the "mouth" of the skull.)
CUT TO:
[INT -- NIGHT]
(HEINRICH CORDOVA walks down the stairs to meet with BELLA who is already there
cleaned up and waiting for him.)
HEINRICH CORDOVA: Senorita Bella, you always live up to your name.
BELLA NICHOLSON: You know Heinrich, I can never get used to that accent coming
out of that face.
HEINRICH: South America was very kind to my German ancestors.
BELLA NICHOLSON: Mhmm.
HEINRICH CORDOVA: So? Four years of hard work and finally the moment is here.
BELLA NICHOLSON: Well, my hard work. My four years.
HEINRICH CORDOVA: At the risk of seeming indelicate - my money.
(BELLA lifts the cloth and shows the crystal skull underneath it. HEINRICH
CORDOVA gasps and kneels to look at the crystal skull and the light coming from
within it.)
(He gets nearer to it when BELLA throws the cloth over the skull.)
BELLA NICHOLSON: Now ... there still remains the issue of my fee. I am
certainly not in this for the glory, you know.
HEINRICH CORDOVA: Your fee will come out of the proceeds of the sale.
BELLA NICHOLSON: This was a cash-on-delivery transaction, remember? Unless
you're trying to double-cross me.
HEINRICH CORDOVA: Be careful who you accuse, Bella. You don't know who you're
dealing with. Besides, I'm hurt that you don't trust me after all of these
years.
(He lifts her hand to kiss the back, and she pulls away from his grasp.)
BELLA NICHOLSON: No money, no skull, Herr Cordova. Because really, that open
market could prove far more lucrative for me in the long run.
(CORDOVA takes a few steps away from BELLA; his back turned away from her.)
HEINRICH CORDOVA: I warned you, Bella -
(He turns around and pulls a gun on her. She doesn't flinch.)
BELLA NICHOLSON: Oh ... sometimes size really does matter when you're trying
to make an impression on a girl.
(From above, a man in a ski mask jumps down from above and lands on his feet
next to CORDOVA. He holds a semi-automatic weapon on CORDOVA. BELLA stares at
him in surprise.)
MASKED MAN (HANK): Lose the gun.
BELLA NICHOLSON: Who the hell is this guy?
(CORDOVA drops the gun and takes a step back.)
MASKED MAN (HANK): I'll take the skull.
CORDOVA: Give it to him.
(BELLA picks up the skull. She looks at the MASKED MAN, then she looks over at
CORDOVA. She weighs between the two and makes a decision. Turning around, she
makes a break for it. The MASKED MAN fires. He hits BELLA in the back and
across the abdomen. She falls to the ground.)
(CORDOVA looks at BELLA.)
MASKED MAN (HANK): Don't be stupid. Let the woman teach you a lesson.
(CORDOVA takes a few steps back, then runs out of the room. The door slams
shut.)
(As soon as the door closes, BELLA groans and sits up. She looks at the MASKED
MAN.)
BELLA NICHOLSON: Three shots?
MASKED MAN (HANK): What? Too much you think?
BELLA NICHOLSON: Yeah, I think one would have done it.
(The MASKED MAN takes off his ski mask. It's BELLA'S assistant. Sounds of a
helicopter outside can be heard. He look up.)
ASSISTANT (HANK): The chopper.
(BELLA picks up the crystal skull and stares at it gently. She smiles.)
BELLA NICHOLSON: (croons) Hey. Come here, baby. There's our ride.
CUT TO:
[EXT. NEW YORK CITY SKYLINE (STOCK) - DAY]
[EXT. SIDEWALK -- DAY]
(A taxi, N.Y.C. TAXI #3H51, pulls up to the curb and stops.)
NIKKO: (o.s.) Dad, why are we stopping?
SOLOMON: (o.s.) Look, I have something I have to do in here, all right? It'll
just take a minute.
(The door opens. NIKKO and SOLOMON exit the cab.)
SOLOMON: (to the driver) Thanks, keep the change.
(SOLOMON and NIKKO make their way toward the building. NIKKO'S pretty upset
that they're making this stop at all.)
NIKKO: All right, warm ups are in half an hour, okay?
SOLOMON: Look, just a quick stop.
NIKKO: Look, you don't get floor seats and miss the warm-ups. That's the
coolest part.
SOLOMON: I've got to do this, Nikko. We will make the tip-off.
NIKKO: And besides, I thought this was a no-work weekend? And you owe me two
Saturdays of driving lessons. Don't think I'm forgetting.
SOLOMON: Nobody drives in the city, I keep telling you that. We will make the
game. It's the first item up for sale. Come on.
(They walk into the building past a large poster board with the following:
WILLIAMS & OGDEN
Auctioneers and Appraisers
{3-d Image of large crystal skull} )
CUT TO:
[INT. WILLIAMS & OGDEN AUCTION HOUSE - DAY -- CONTINUOUS]
(SOLOMON and NIKKO walk into the main auction room. They look around at the
people. SOLOMON notices BELLA standing in the middle of the room speaking
animatedly with someone. She turns and notices SOLOMON.)
NIKKO: Who's the babe?
SOLOMON: She's no babe. She's business.
NIKKO: Yeah.
SOLOMON: Give me a minute.
NIKKO: Yes, sir.
(SOLOMON hands NIKKO the auction program and walks toward BELLA. She holds out
both hands to him which he takes.)
SOLOMON: You look great for a corpse.
BELLA NICHOLSON: Well, the rumors of my demise have been greatly exaggerated.
(She kisses him on both cheeks.)
SOLOMON: Gutsy move - holding a public auction after you double-crossed your
partner.
BELLA NICHOLSON: Actually, you got that part backwards.
SOLOMON: Really?
BELLA NICHOLSON: It was Cordova double-crossed me.
SOLOMON: Uh ...
BELLA NICHOLSON: So now he can pay Premium for what he wants. And really, the
open market is my best protection. Because he can't lay a hand on me now that
I've been credited with the find. Let him take it out on the new owner.
SOLOMON: Don't do this, Bella. Call off the sale.
(BELLA looks at SOLOMON.)
BELLA NICHOLSON: Some women actually have to work for a living, Solomon.
SOLOMON: Two of these skulls have already been lost to anonymous collectors.
And legend says that only four were ever made. Now, the one you just found
should be in the hands of qualified researchers.
BELLA NICHOLSON: (nods) Right, right. Well, like you said, it is a public
auction. You're free to bid.
(BELLA walks past SOLOMON. He turns and chases after her.)
SOLOMON: All right, listen to me - the skulls were constructed molecule by
molecule. A process that would take three hundred years using current state-of-
the-art equipment.
(They stop walking.)
SOLOMON: Bella, there is a knowledge based away in these skulls. Now, if we
can crack it, it could revolutionize molecular science.
(BELLA looks at SOLOMON. Around her neck, she's wearing the double-diamond
shaped amulet that was found on the crystal skull chest.)
BELLA NICHOLSON: (unimpressed) Wow.
SOLOMON: "Wow" is right.
BELLA NICHOLSON: Then I'd say that the bidding should be quite spirited. Now,
if you'll excuse me, I have serious buyers to talk to.
(BELLA tries to walk past SOLOMON. He stops her.)
SOLOMON: Just - This could be the only chance. Now, as a scientist, you can
not let this opportunity pass.
BELLA NICHOLSON: Oh, I have no intention of letting this opportunity pass. As
a capitalist, I intend to make the very best of it.
(In the background, the auction bell rings to get everyone's attention.)
ANNOUNCER: (o.s.) Ladies and gentlemen, please take your seats.
BELLA NICHOLSON: Oh, show time. Hope you brought your checkbook.
(She smiles at him, turns and walks away.)
SHORT TIME CUT TO:
[INT. WILLIAMS &OGDEN AUCTION HOUSE - MAIN AUCTION ROOM - DAY -- CONTINUOUS]
(The Auctioneer stands in front of the next item up for auction. NIKKO and
SOLOMON sit in the audience.)
AUCTIONEER: Item number four - a sterling tea set attributed to the Boston
silversmith and patriot Paul Revere.
NIKKO: (whispers) I thought you said it was first up.
SOLOMON: Sometimes they change the order, I don't know. This is -
NIKKO: Important? Yeah, work always is, isn't it?
SOLOMON: Come on ...
NIKKO: Thanks for the game, dad.
(NIKKO stands up to leave the room.)
SOLOMON: Where are you going? Nikko? Nikko!
(SOLOMON stands up.)
SOLOMON: Nikko.
(NIKKO stops and looks at SOLOMON.)
SOLOMON: (urging) Come on, sit down.
(NIKKO turns and walks out the front door.)
AUCTIONEER: (b.g.) One-fifty, thank you very much. Do I hear one-sixty?
(SOLOMON stands there staring at NIKKO retreating back.)
CUT TO:
[EXT. SIDEWALK - DAY -- CONTINUOUS]
(NIKKO walks out of the auction house. He looks around the sidewalk and takes a
couple of steps toward the side. The image of the crystal skull poster in the
window catches his eye. Through the window reflection, a man wearing a red cap
stands next to NIKKO and looks at the skull.)
MOONDAWG: They're gonna get it.
(Turns to look at MOONDAWG.)
NIKKO: Are you talking to me?
MOONDAWG: Who else?
NIKKO: Do I know you?
MOONDAWG: See - see they're putting it together. Because they know.
NIKKO: What? They know what?
MOONDAWG: The Truth. Now they're getting another one.
NIKKO: Wait a second. No. No, buddy ...
MOONDAWG: Hey, hey, take a look at this.
(He pulls out a folded photograph and points to the picture. It's a photo of a
dark-haired man who looks like Adolf Hitler sitting on the edge of Albert
Speer's desk.)
MOONDAWG: Look ... See? See, he knew. He knew the truth. He knew all about
it. He put it together.
NIKKO: Look, do you need some money or something? Because I don't -
(NIKKO reaches into his pocket and pulls out the tickets.)
NIKKO: All right, look here. I got Knicks tickets, okay? They're floor
seats. You can tell Spike Lee all about it.
(The man shakes his head in some disappointment and some frustration.)
NIKKO: Come on man, you can sell these things for like a thousand dollars a
piece. You can get off the streets. Look, I don't need them, okay?
(NIKKO tries to give the man the tickets, but he doesn't want them.)
MOONDAWG: I already know. Eighty-seven, eighty-five. No. Eighty-seven,
eighty-five.
(NIKKO stares at the man for a long moment unable to make sense out of him. The
man seems completely rational and serious. NIKKO turns around to leave.)
NIKKO: All right, look, I'm gonna go, okay?
MOONDAWG: No, no, it's true.
NIKKO: Hey, hey, hey, what?
(The man stops him.)
(He takes the photograph and gives it to NIKKO.)
MOONDAWG: (serious) It's all true. And it's going on right now - in there.
(He points to the Auction House. NIKKO stares at him. He still doesn't believe
him and can't make any sense of what he's saying.)
NIKKO: Look, just take it easy, okay?
(NIKKO tries to give the man his photograph back, but the man doesn't want it.)
MOONDAWG: No, no, keep it. You keep it.
(He gently pushes the photograph at NIKKO and takes a step back.)
MOONDAWG: It's the truth. It's the truth.
(The man turns around and leaves NIKKO standing in the sidewalk.)
CUT TO:
[INT. WILLIAMS & OGDEN AUCTION HOUSE - MAIN AUCTION ROOM - DAY -- CONTINUOUS]
(The crystal skull is on the table as the bidding continues.)
AUCTIONEER: Thank you. Do I have two million two hundred thousand I have two
million, two hundred thousand.
(The sign #161 goes up and down. Sitting at the back of the room, BELLA
NICHOLSON watches the bidding with anticipation at the prices she's hearing.)
AUCTIONEER: In front, two million two ...
(The woman on the phone gets the bid. The bidding continues.)
AUCTIONEER: Two million, two fifty on the phone, do I hear two million, three?
Two million? Two hundred and fifty -
(SOLOMON looks nervously out the open door for NIKKO. He turns around and
raises his card, #42, to get the bid.)
AUCTIONEER: Two million three hundred thousand. Thank you.
(The woman on the phone gets the bid. The bidding continues.)
AUCTIONEER: Two million three fifty on the phone.
(SOLOMON raises his card.)
AUCTIONEER: I have two million four hundred thousand from the floor.
(The bidding continues.)
AUCTIONEER: May I hear two million four fifty, please? Two million four fifty?
(The AUCTIONEER turns to look at the woman on the phone. She speaks for a
moment, then signals for the MALE EMPLOYEE to her. She whispers something to
him and he heads for the front of the room. He whispers to the AUCTIONEER.)
AUCTIONEER: (mumbles) The bid is five million dollars on the phone.
(The audience gasps. BELLA'S eyes widen. SOLOMON visually groans at the
price.)
AUCTIONEER: Five million going once ...
(SOLOMON raises his card to up the bid.)
AUCTIONEER: ... twice - sold.
(But he is ignored. The gavel hits the auction block. SOLOMON surges to his
feet. The AUCTIONEER looks visibly sick at what he just had to do.)
(The audience claps lightly and stands as they disburse. The auction is over.)
SOLOMON: Hey.
(The AUCTIONEER sees SOLOMON and yet, can't bring himself to look at him.
SOLOMON puts his card down and looks around. He turns back to the front of the
auction just in time to see the black cloth placed over the crystal skull.)
SHORT TIME CUT TO:
[INT. WILLIAMS & OGDEN AUCTION HOUSE - LOBBY - DAY -- CONTINUOUS]
(The door opens and the woman who was on the phone exits the main hall into the
lobby. SOLOMON follows her.)
SOLOMON: Excuse me, who was the buyer?
WOMAN: (turns around) I'm sorry, sir. It was an anonymous bid.
SOLOMON: I was just shut out of the bid. I think I have a right to know who
was on the other end of that call.
(BELLA interrupts and draws SOLOMON'S attention. The WOMAN leaves.)
BELLA NICHOLSON: Well, I certainly hope it was Cordova. I'd love to think it's
his money I'm spending.
SOLOMON: Look, when do you have to deliver? Just give me two weeks with it.
BELLA NICHOLSON: Oh, I can't.
SOLOMON: Why?
BELLA NICHOLSON: Well, because the money's being wired and a courier is
delivering the skull later today.
(Disgusted, SOLOMON turns to walk away.)
BELLA NICHOLSON: (calls out) Oh, Solon! If you really want to study a skull,
then why not find the last one for yourself? That is what you do, isn't it?
(SOLOMON turns around and saunters back to BELLA.)
SOLOMON: The fourth skull.
BELLA NICHOLSON: Oh, yeah.
SOLOMON: You know where it is?
BELLA NICHOLSON: Oh, wouldn't you like to know?
SOLOMON: Yeah, I would.
BELLA NICHOLSON: Well, why don't we find it together? It'll be fun.
SOLOMON: I don't think you and I share the same ideas about fun.
BELLA NICHOLSON: Oh, I think we do.
(She holds out her card. He takes it.)
BELLA NICHOLSON: Eight o'clock. My apartment. (beat) I'll cook.
(BELLA turns and walks away. SOLOMON'S left standing there. He smiles.)
FADE TO BLACK
ROLL TITLE CREDITS
(COMMERCIAL SET)
FADE IN.
[EXT. TRUTH FOUNDATION -- NIGHT
[INT. TRUTH FOUNDATION - LIVING ROOM -- NIGHT]
(NIKKO is drinking a soft drink and watching the sports news on television.)
SPORTS REPORTER: New York and Philly the back and forth affair that turned in
the final seconds. Allen Iverson needing to hit a three to win. And nothing,
not even the rim, Iverson's heartbreaking air ball at the buzzer gives the
Knicks an 87-85 victory over the sagging 76'ers.
(NIKKO freezes at the score.)
SPORTS REPORTER: 87-85 victory over the sagging 76'ers.
(NIKKO puts his drink down and turns around as it occurs to him.)
SPORTS REPORTER: We'll have more from a busy night in the NBA including
complete highlights ...
(The score is exactly what the man in the red hat told him it would be that
afternoon.)
NIKKO: (mumbles) 87-85. He was right.
(NIKKO pushes his chair back toward the desk and digs into the trash can for the
folded photograph that the man gave him that afternoon. He turns on the desk
lamp and looks at it carefully. He uses the wet glass cup as a magnifier on the
photo and finds something astonishing.)
(In the photo on Hitler's desk is the crystal skull.)
SHORT TIME CUT TO:
[LATER]
(NIKKO shows his dad the photo. SOLOMON looks up from examining the photo.)
SOLOMON: (sighs) Look, if I had a dollar for every hoax somebody tried to pull
on me, I wouldn't be so mad about you giving away those tickets.
NIKKO: Well, it's not like you were gonna go, anyways.
SOLOMON: Look, you know how easy it is to doctor a photograph? This guy could
have downloaded this off the internet.
NIKKO: That's what I thought, but -
(NIKKO stumbles and sighs.)
SOLOMON: All right, I'll tell you what. Just to make sure - I'll have one of
the technicians check it out.
(SOLOMON buttons his cuffs and moves to put his jacket on.)
NIKKO: And this guy was - he was mumbling off these numbers okay? And I know
this might sound crazy, but I think it was the score of the Knicks game.
(SOLOMON stops at that, finding it unusual.)
NIKKO: It was like he knew what was going to happen before it happened, dad.
It was weird.
SOLOMON: Yeah, well, you know what? I wouldn't lose any sleep over it. Look,
I'm running late. I've gotta go.
NIKKO: What do you mean, "you've gotta go?" Where are you going?
SOLOMON: Um, I'm having dinner with Bella, from the auction.
NIKKO: "Bella?" Oh? Well, I thought she was just 'business'.
SOLOMON: She is just business.
NIKKO: Right.
SOLOMON: What?
NIKKO: It's stupid I just -
SOLOMON: What?
NIKKO: I never really pictured you dating again.
SOLOMON: Oh. Right. Well, um ...
NIKKO: But you know, it's okay. Because ten years is one hell of a dry spell,
dad.
SOLOMON: (laughs) Dry spell?
NIKKO: Yep.
SOLOMON: I guess you know all about that sort of thing?
NIKKO: Well, no. No, not really. I don't really a problem with that.
SOLOMON: Oh no, not you personally. You're a regular Casanova I would think.
NIKKO: I know a thing or three about the ladies.
SOLOMON: You do? Really?
(NIKKO laughs quietly.)
(SOLOMON looks at NIKKO, then moves to take the seat next to him.)
SOLOMON: Look - um ... all right, look. I don't know I - I think it's always
going to be a bit of a dry spell for me. Even if it's raining.
NIKKO: Yeah.
SOLOMON: Besides, it's not a date.
NIKKO: 'Kay. (sniffs) Is that cologne?
SOLOMON: (hurriedly) I gotta go.
(SOLOMON quickly leaves the room.)
NIKKO: (calls out) I won't wait up!
CUT TO:
[INT. BELLA'S APARTMENT -- NIGHT]
(By candlelight, SOLOMON and BELLA sit on the couch.)
SOLOMON: Oh, man. It doesn't get any better than this.
BELLA NICHOLSON: Sure it does.
(BELLA reaches for the small glass.)
BELLA NICHOLSON: Take a sip.
(He takes a sip.)
SOLOMON: ... mmm ...
BELLA NICHOLSON: It's good?
SOLOMON: ... That's nice.
BELLA NICHOLSON: Well ... here we go.
(BELLA reaches over and gets a spoonful of something. She holds it out to
SOLOMON and tries to coax him into eating it.)
BELLA NICHOLSON: There. Take a bite. Take a bite. Come on! Come on! Take a
bite.
(SOLOMON bites.)
SOLOMON: It does get better, hmm?
BELLA NICHOLSON: Everything can.
SOLOMON: Hey Bella ...
BELLA NICHOLSON: Yes?
SOLOMON: You want to play connect the dots?
(They laugh.)
BELLA NICHOLSON: Yes, I do. Very much.
SOLOMON: Me too. Okay.
BELLA NICHOLSON: Okay.
SOLOMON: Come here.
(SOLOMON stands up and grabs her hand. He heads in one direction, she in the
other.)
BELLA NICHOLSON: Solomon ...
SOLOMON: This way, Bella.
(SOLOMON takes her over to the dining room table where the map is spread out on.
He hands her a pen. Their eyes meet.)
(She takes the pen.)
BELLA NICHOLSON: This is really not what I thought we'd be connecting right
about now.
SOLOMON: Oh, come on ... this will be fun. All right, the first skull was
found just outside of London.
(He leans over the map and puts a black "X" on the spot.)
SOLOMON: The second skull was found on a sunken atoll in the Indian Ocean.
The third skull was found by you -
(He nudges her with his shoulder.)
SOLOMON: ... in Niger.
BELLA NICHOLSON: (together) mm-hmmm ... in Niger.
(He adds the third "X" to the map, then connects the "X's".)
BELLA NICHOLSON: Well, that's a triangle. There were four skulls. We should
be looking for a square, right?
SOLOMON: Right. All right, what else do we know about these things? I mean,
come on.
BELLA NICHOLSON: Well, the only written reference that we have is basically
folklore of Pre-Incan South American Tribes.
(She stands up and moves away toward the bookshelves in the back where she picks
up a book and leafs through it to find the passage she needs.)
BELLA NICHOLSON: Um ... here.
(She starts walking back toward SOLOMON and reads out loud)
BELLA NICHOLSON: The Viracocha legends. "The Viracocha were said to be gods -
immortals who came from across the seas bearing the gifts of knowledge. Their
holy relics were the "four skulls of wisdom." When brought together in
ceremonial rites, these four skulls delivered enlightenment to the worthy. And
they also used the power to vanquish their enemies by bringing fire from the
sky."
(The drawing on the page of the book she's reading has the picture of three
blonde long-haired men holding four skulls. The title of the chapter is "Dawn
of the Gods". In the background of the picture is an Incan Pyramid.)
SOLOMON: That's pretty heavy stuff.
BELLA NICHOLSON: Well, yeah, I mean if you believe in that sort of thing.
(SOLOMON stands there thinking. He turns back to the map, suddenly all movement
as he begins to formulate a theory.)
SOLOMON: Seventy-five degrees east. Seventy-five degrees west longitude.
(SOLOMON draws additional X's on the map.)
BELLA NICHOLSON: What? What are you thinking?
SOLOMON: The people of South America - they believed in that sort of thing.
(He connects the X's together and looks at the shape.)
SOLOMON: It's not a triangle. It's a pyramid. Right here - Peru.
BELLA NICHOLSON: Of course, it all makes sense. In 1938, Hitler sent his chief
archeologist to Peru on a massive expedition and nobody ever knew what he found.
(SOLOMON thinks again ... definitely not liking this connection.)
SOLOMON: Hitler?
BELLA NICHOLSON: Yeah.
(He steps back, a concerned look on his face. Things are clicking into place.
BELLA picks up on it immediately.)
BELLA NICHOLSON: What are you not telling me, Solomon?
(He hesitates.)
SOLOMON: All right. If we find the skull - I get to study it for two years.
After that, we sell it to the museum with the highest bid.
(She holds out her hand. They shake on it.)
BELLA NICHOLSON: Deal. What've you got?
(She sits down. SOLOMON reaches into his shirt pocket and takes out the folded
photograph he got from NIKKO earlier that night. He shows it to BELLA.)
SOLOMON: If this photo is real, Hitler's already found it.
(She looks at the photo and sees the skull on the desk.)
BELLA NICHOLSON: Look at that. So, what did he do with it? I mean, where was
the safest place that Hitler had?
SOLOMON: In his bunkers. Under Berlin.
BELLA NICHOLSON: Right. But those have all been found.
SOLOMON: Unless -
BELLA NICHOLSON: Oh ... you mean?
SOLOMON: (smiles) What?
(They look at each other, neither one willing to say what's on their minds.
BELLA leans back in her seat and chuckles.)
BELLA NICHOLSON: I'm sensing some trust issues here.
(SOLOMON doesn't say anything. She suddenly sits up.)
BELLA NICHOLSON: Okay, tell you what - you write down what you're thinking on
your napkin and I'll write down what I'm thinking on mine.
SOLOMON scoffs.
BELLA NICHOLSON: (laughs) Why? It's a fair trade, isn't it? Come on.
SOLOMON: All right.
(They each grab a pen and some paper. SOLOMON leans over to try to get a look
at what she's writing.)
BELLA NICHOLSON: Solomon.
(They finish.)
BELLA NICHOLSON: There.
(They cap their pens.)
BELLA NICHOLSON: All right.
(She reaches for her glass. He picks up his.)
BELLA NICHOLSON: To a fruitful coupling.
(They toast and drink. Or rather, he drinks. And she watches him drink with a
half-smile on her face. SOLOMON finishes the glass and puts it down. She puts
her glass down.)
BELLA NICHOLSON: Okay, you show me yours and I'll show you mine.
SOLOMON: Albert Speer. The architect of Hitler's entire Berlin bunker complex.
And he was rumored to have built a bunker of his own. Besides, if you were, you
know, paying attention you would have noticed that it is his nameplate ...
(SOLOMON stops for a moment as if trying to think of what he was saying ... then
remembers and finishes.)
SOLOMON: ... on the desk in the office.
(SOLOMON blinks his eyes. Something's wrong.)
BELLA NICHOLSON: That is a very, very interesting line of reasoning.
SOLOMON: All right. I showed you mine, you show -
(SOLOMON falls back on the couch. BELLA watches ... amused.)
SOLOMON: That stuff really packs a punch.
(BELLA doesn't say anything, but smiles at him. SOLOMON holds BELLA'S paper in
his hand.)
SOLOMON: (weakly) You - you didn't ...
BELLA NICHOLSON: And if you had been paying attention, you would have noticed
that I wasn't drinking.
(SOLOMON looks down at what BELLA wrote. Though the words are wavey, it's clear
that he reads: NIGHTY, NIGHT. SOLOMON.
BELLA NICHOLSON: Don't hate me because I'm smarter than you.
(She laughs and gets up. She drapes a sparkly green shawl over him.)
BELLA NICHOLSON: Here you go. There. Sweet dreams, Solomon.
(She leans in and kisses him as he passes out.)
FADE TO BLACK.
(COMMERCIAL SET)
FADE IN.
[INT. TRUTH FOUNDATION -- MORNING]
(SOLOMON sits at the table looking incredibly hung over. JULIET holds out some
tablets which he takes from her and pops into his mouth. He downs them with a
sip of water.)
(As she gets up to leave, SOLOMON holds out his mug.)
SOLOMON: More coffee please.
JULIET: I'll make a fresh pot.
(She takes the mug and leaves. NIKKO and VINCENT walk into the room, both
wearing half-smirks on their faces. They lean on the table and look at
SOLOMON.)
NIKKO: Dad. What's happening?
SOLOMON: She slipped me something.
VINCENT: Right.
SOLOMON: Some form of phenobarbital, probably.
VINCENT: It's hard to tell without a blood test.
SOLOMON: When you mix it with other things -
NIKKO: Yeah, dad, look, you don't have to explain yourself to us. Okay. You're
a big guy, you can ...
(VINCENT chuckles and stands up. NIKKO also stands and SOLOMON pushes him out
and away from him.)
SOLOMON: Go away.
(CALVIN walks into the room holding a piece of paper.)
CALVIN: All right, well, bidders may be anonymous, but money never is. It took
two front row tickets to the next David Hasselhoff concert, but the skull was
bought by a philanthropic group called Euro-One.
SOLOMON: Euro-one? I never heard of them. Are they buying for a specific
museum?
CALVIN: Not exactly. Here's a list of organizations under their umbrella -
(reading) Deutschland Freedom Party, Aryan Brotherhood, Aryan Youth Camp.
VINCENT: Neo-nazis?
CALVIN: Yeah.
SOLOMON: I'll bet if you trace the sale of the other skulls --
CALVIN: No, I already did. Euro-one's got 'em all.
VINCENT: Hitler's quest lives on.
NIKKO: What? These guys think they can rule the world by putting four sparkly
skulls together?
SOLOMON: No one really knows what these things are capable of. They could be
ancient atom splitters for all we know.
NIKKO: Dad, come on, you don't actually believe that four of these new age
doorstops in one place could actually give these Nazi guys nuclear capability?
SOLOMON: Let's not find out.
(JULIET comes back and hands SOLOMON a cup of coffee.)
SOLOMON: Thank you. What else do we know about Euro-One?
CALVIN: Just that their mission is to raise the Fourth Reich where the Third
one left off. Anyone care to wager a guess as to who their chairman is?
SOLOMON: Give us a hint.
CALVIN: Um ... Sauerkraut Taquitos.
SOLOMON: Heinrich Cordova. I wonder if Bella knows who she really double-
crossed.
CALVIN: Um, speaking of the she-devil, she is booked on a morning flight to
Berlin with a layover in Paris.
MAGGIE: I ran a title search and two properties came up. The first building is
right on the Wilhelm Strasse. The top floor is Speer's secret Berlin apartment.
NIKKO: Albert Speer? Hitler's architect.
(Everyone stops and looks up slowly at NIKKO. He notices.)
NIKKO: What? It's the History Channel. I mean what else is there to watch at
three in the morning?
(CALVIN smiles at the comment.)
MAGGIE: The other one is a villa. Located on the out-skirts of Berlin. It's
abandoned now, but it used to be Speer's weekend place, a top-level nazi
getaway.
SOLOMON: All right, Vincent and I will take Speer's city apartment. Calvin?
You and Maggie take the villa.
(Everyone stands with their assignments. NIKKO stands and looks at JULIET being
as they're they only ones who didn't get any assignments.)
NIKKO: Hey, you know, I've heard the clubs in Berlin are off the hook, so,
maybe we could -
(SOLOMON walks up to them.)
SOLOMON: When we get to Berlin, you and Juliet can help update our datase on
Albert Speer.
JULIET: (smiles) Kafka, Brecht, Toller. If there's down time, I could
introduce you to German expressionism.
NIKKO: Well, I am, I'm so stoked for that. That's -
(He closes his eyes and sighs.)
CUT TO:
[EXT. BERLIN -- DAY]
LEGEND: BERLIN
[INT. SPEER'S VILLA - DAY]
(BELLA and her crew walk into the villa.)
BELLA NICHOLSON: Say what you will about Albert Speer, that guy could design a
sweet little villa.
HANK: If this place could talk.
BELLA NICHOLSON: Let's hope it spills its guts.
(BELLA takes off the cloth from one of the paintings on the wall. It's a
picture of the villa with a swastika on it. She turns around, thinking.)
BELLA NICHOLSON: Let's start in the basement, in case he built the damn bunker
right here.
(The group heads for the basement, passing by a window with a swastika design in
its frame.)
CUT TO:
[INT. LIBRARY -- DAY]
(Camera opens on a photograph of a swastika on a flag put out on display.
JULIET turns the book around for NIKKO to look at.)
JULIET: Here. Notice the uniformity of design, the repetition of motif. It's
all about power on display.
NIKKO: Yeah, subtle as a death camp.
JULIET: Nikko ...
NIKKO: What? This whole nazi thing just freaks me out.
JULIET: Okay, then let's just get what we need and get out of here.
NIKKO: All right, I'll go find the books.
(NIKKO stands up and heads for the aisle. He turns and looks on the book shelf.
He reaches up and takes out some books.)
(Behind the books on the other side of the shelf is the man in the red hat.
NIKKO starts with surprise.)
MOONDAWG: Willkommen!
CUT TO:
[INT. SPEER'S BERLIN APARTMENT -- DAY]
(SOLOMON knocks on door #307.)
SOLOMON: (to VINCENT) Maggie said it's only changed hands only twice since the
Speer family vacated.
(The door opens and an old man stands there.)
SOLOMON: Guten tag. Ich bin Dr. Solomon Zond, und dieses ist mein kollege -
VINCENT: ... hein kommen?
(A black gloved hand grabs the old man and pulls him back. Two men wearing
black and carrying guns step forward.
VINCENT: Perhaps we'll come back later?
(SOLOMON and VINCENT turn to leave when they're blocked by a blonde-haired man
in black carrying a gun.)
SOLOMON: Heinrich Cordova, I presume?
HEINRICH CORDOVA: Did you think you were the only ones who knew about Albert
Speer?
(He takes a step toward SOLOMON.)
HEINRICH CORDOVA: Where's Bella?
CUT TO:
[EXT. VILLA -- DAY]
(CALVIN and MAGGIE watch from the bushes as BELLA'S men exit the truck carrying
equipment.)
CALVIN: Hey, we've got activity. Looks like they're moving a bunch of gear
into the villa.
(He hands MAGGIE the binoculars.)
MAGGIE: Something's up.
CALVIN: Yeah.
MAGGIE: Call him.
CALVIN: Okay
(CALVIN reaches for his phone.)
CUT TO:
[INT. SPEER'S BERLIN APARTMENT]
(The phone rings. VINCENT and SOLOMON try to ignore the ringing. The phone
continues to ring ... and ring ... and ring ... )
HEINRICH CORDOVA: (irritated) Answer it!
(SOLOMON reaches for his phone.)
CUT TO:
[INT. LIBRARY -- DAY]
(NIKKO stares at MOONDAWG, the man in the red hat.)
NIKKO: What are you doing here?
MOONDAWG: That's not the question, what am I doing here?
NIKKO: I just asked you that.
MOONDAWG: No, wrong person. Totally wrong person. Ask yourself. Definitely,
yourself.
NIKKO: All right, look buddy, you should find the nearest hospital immediately,
okay? They'll give you a bunch of pharmaceuticals and that should stop the
voices.
MOONDAWG: I'll tell you why you're here. Skulls. Everybody wants the skulls.
There's only one left. One bad boy. They've got three of them now. That's
quite the collection. And honestly, I'm getting very nervous.
NIKKO: What are you talking about? Who's got three what?
(There's a noise behind him and NIKKO turns to watch an old woman look at him
strangely as she walks by. After she passes, he turns to MOONDAWG.)
NIKKO: Hey ...
(He's not there. NIKKO walks around the shelf, but he's gone.)
CUT TO:
[INT. VILLA]
(BELLA pulls off another cloth covering a painting.)
HANK: We took the wine cellar apart. Nothing but mud and rats behind those
bricks. We're running out of rooms.
(She pulls off another clothe covered painting and it appears to be a portrait
of a man with a swastika band on his arm and a roll of blueprints in his hand.)
BELLA NICHOLSON: This has got to be Speer, right? I mean, who else would pose
with a set of blueprints in his hand?
(She takes the painting down from the wall.)
BELLA NICHOLSON: Come on. Let's just see what's on the other side of Al!
(BELLA takes out a knife.)
HANK: Shouldn't take more than an hour, maybe two, just to make sure we
preserve the historic integrity of the find.
(BELLA looks at HANK.)
BELLA NICHOLSON: The find? Give me a break, it's just a crappy vanity piece.
Sorry, Al. But you can't buy beach front property in St. Tropez with historical
integrity.
(She cuts open the back of the painting to find a set of blueprints. She
smiles, extremely pleased.)
CUT TO:
[INT. LIBRARY -- DAY]
(NIKKO walks through the aisles looking for MOONDAWG. Finally, he spots him
talking with the Librarian.)
MOONDAWG: Nicht. I don't have a library card. But you see, I'm god.
LIBRARY: Ein gott.
MOONDAWG: Yeah. Did I make that clear? I thought I did. No, I did.
NIKKO: Hey!
(The LIBRARIAN grabs the book from MOONDAWG and leaves. NIKKO rushes up to
MOONDAWG.)
MOONDAWG: There you are. Can you focus for a minute?
NIKKO: Yeah, but what are you doing here? That's what I want to know.
MOONDAWG: This is important.
(MOONDAWG puts a chain with an amulet around NIKKO'S neck.)
MOONDAWG: You have to have this if you want to open it.
NIKKO: Open what?
MOONDAWG: Just trust me. Nobody can have all the skulls. It's too much power
for little brains. It's fire from the sky, end of days - you understand me?
NIKKO: No.
MOONDAWG: The Viracochas. We could handle it - we knew what we were doing.
But you can't handle it. You don't want it.
NIKKO: Okay, what I want to know is how did you know the Knicks game score?
MOONDAWG: (laughs) That was nothing. The skulls. That's the real trick - and
they shouldn't have 'em. They can't have 'em. And you gotta stop em. And you
can, you know?
(MOONDAWG suddenly stops and looks at NIKKO.)
MOONDAWG: You have kind eyes, like your mom.
NIKKO: My mom? What do you know about -
(MOONDAWG turns to leave, but he stops as he remembers something.)
MOONDAWG: Oh - tell your dad that he's right.
NIKKO: About what?
MOONDAWG: Everything.
(MOONDAWG leaves. NIKKO looks down at the double diamond-shaped amulet on the
chain around his neck.)
CUT TO:
[INT. VILLA -- NIGHT]
(BELLA and HANK look at the map.)
BELLA NICHOLSON: This is going lead us right to the fourth skull. I love it.
HANK: Life is good today.
BELLA NICHOLSON: It doesn't get any better.
HEINRICH CORDOVA: (o.s.) I disagree, Senorita.
(They turn around to find HEINRICH CORDOVA standing in the doorway.
HEINRICH CORDOVA: I get the skull. That would be infinitely better.
(He steps forward and takes the map from her.
BELLA NICHOLSON: You don't know what you've got there, Heinrich.
Of course I do. You've served your purpose, Bella. You led me to the fourth
skull. Now be a good girl and go home.
BELLA NICHOLSON: You really expect me to believe that you're gonna let me walk
out of here scott free after what I did to you in Niger?
HEINRICH CORDOVA: Hard to believe it myself.
But that's the deal I made.
BELLA NICHOLSON: The deal? With who?
HEINRICH CORDOVA: Your replacement.
BELLA NICHOLSON: My replacement?
HEINRICH CORDOVA: Si.
BELLA NICHOLSON: (scoffs) Nobody does this better than me.
SOLOMON: (o.s.) Except me.
(BELLA turns around to see SOLOMON standing in the doorway. He waves at her.)
SOLOMON: Don't hate me because I'm smarter than you.
(Camera holds on BELLA'S surprised look.)
FADE OUT.
(COMMERCIAL SET)
FADE IN.
[INT. VILLA -- DAY]
(SOLOMON reaches into his kit and puts on latex gloves. VINCENT cleans and
wipes the table surface. CALVIN sprinkles powder over the cleaned surface.
SOLOMON holds the map and puts it gently over the table.)
SOLOMON: Here we go. Blueprints are like celluloid. They decompose over time.
(CORDOVA wants to touch the map, but SOLOMON bats his hand away.)
SOLOMON: We take every precaution.
(SOLOMON nods at and VINCENT takes out the magnifying glass which he holds over
the map for SOLOMON while he looks through it.)
SOLOMON: Uh! There it is. We find this bunker, and the skull is ours.
(CORDOVA wants to see it too, but VINCENT pulls the magnifying glass away.)
HEINRICH CORDOVA: Where is it?
SOLOMON: Get the hydrochloric.
(CALVIN measures out the acid and pours it into the glass.)
SOLOMON: Try three to one.
HEINRICH CORDOVA: (worried) What's wrong?
SOLOMON: Shh! Paint it.
(VINCENT pours the liquid mixture over the blueprint.)
HEINRICH CORDOVA: (alarmed) What the hell are you doing?
CALVIN: Relax.
(CALVIN leans over and starts spreading the mixture on the blueprint. He
explains.)
CALVIN: You see, prior to 1968, all blueprints were made on a paper stock that
had actual silver. But with the advent of micro-technology developed by NASA,
blueprint paper was radically redesigned. So you see, if the paper has silver
in it, the hydrochloric won't penetrate it. If not, well -
(They step back and the acid eats through the blueprint. It fizzles. CORDOVA
reaches out, VINCENT grabs his hand.)
HEINRICH CORDOVA: You're destroying it!
SOLOMON: It doesn't matter. It's a fake.
HEINRICH CORDOVA: I don't understand!
SOLOMON: This map was created after 1968. It's not authentic. It's
worthless.
(SOLOMON grabs the map and crumples it up. He tosses it into the blazing fire.
The two men turn to watch it burn.)
HEINRICH CORDOVA: Are you sure?
SOLOMON: Would I have destroyed it if I wasn't sure?
HEINRICH CORDOVA: Bella, she made a switch.
SOLOMON: Wouldn't put it past her.
HEINRICH CORDOVA: She won't do this to me twice.
(CORDOVA and his men leave the room.)
(After they leave, MAGGIE walks out.)
MAGGIE: NASA? Nice touch.
CALVIN: That was good, right?
(CALVIN and SOLOMON knock fists in triumph.)
VINCENT: Yeah. Nazis will buy anything as long as you dress up the technology.
MAGGIE: What about Bella?
SOLOMON: She's a big girl, she can take care herself.
(SOLOMON and CALVIN wipe off the powder from the table. MAGGIE unrolls a clean
sheet of blueprint paper. She opens a container and holds it out to CALVIN. He
picks out a square of lead.)
SOLOMON: Hit it.
(CALVIN starts to rub the blueprint back into the paper. He whistles as he
goes. When he's done, they're left with an exact duplicate of the original
blueprint.)
CALVIN: Beautiful.
SHORT TIME CUT TO:
[INT. VILLA]
(SOLOMON stands behind the monitor as MAGGIE works on it.)
MAGGIE: I've scanned the blueprint into the computer. I'm now cross
referencing with 1940's Berlin.
(The computer monitor shows a search on a Berlin map, Sector 229, Map 221.)
VINCENT: So where do you hide a bunker for sixty years?
(MAGGIE smiles. They have a match.)
MAGGIE: Under a hundred tons of concrete. It's the foundation for Speer's
unbuilt masterpiece, the great hall of the Aryan people.
VINCENT: I guess losing the war put a pin in that project.
MAGGIE: The structure was so massive they couldn't demolish it, so they just
left it there and put a park over it.
(The square shadow starts to flash on the monitor right above ARNOLD ZWEIG
PARK.)
SOLOMON: Speer was good. The bunker would've been impossible to detect through
the concrete walls unless you knew that it was there.
(NIKKO and JULIET burst into the room.)
NIKKO: Dad! I saw that guy that gave me that picture.
SOLOMON: Here in Berlin?
NIKKO: Yeah, at the library.
JULIET: I didn't see anyone.
NIKKO: Well, because he didn't want you to see him, okay? He - he's a little
paranoid. Bu- but, he was right about the picture, wasn't he?
SOLOMON: What did he want?
NIKKO: He um ... he kept talking about the power of the skulls and these veri-
something's guys, I don't know.
SOLOMON: Viracochas.
NIKKO: Yeah, that was them.
SOLOMON: If this nut has stalked you all the way to Berlin -
NIKKO: Look, yes, maybe he's wacked, okay? But he doesn't want to hurt me.
SOLOMON: How do you know?
NIKKO: Because he said he wanted to help me. And then he gave me this. He
said it opened something.
(NIKKO hands the amulet to SOLOMON. He takes it and looks at it ... and
remembers seeing something similar around BELLA'S neck.)
SOLOMON: This won't help anyone.
NIKKO: Why not?
SOLOMON: Because the other half is around Bella's neck.
CUT TO:
[EXT. HOTEL SIDEWALK -- DAY]
(BELLA walks out of the hotel and speaks on the phone with someone.)
BELLA NICHOLSON: (on phone) What do you mean you lost Cordova? How hard is it
to find a black Mercedes in Berlin? Okay, yes, it is hard, but you better find
his ass if you want your seven percent. Yes, I know I said ten, but I'm not the
one who lost our little snotzi, now am I?
(She hangs up. SOLOMON'S car stops along the curb and he gets out of the car.)
SOLOMON: Get in, Cordova's looking for you.
BELLA NICHOLSON: Why?
SOLOMON: Because I sent him. Prematurely. I'll explain on the way to the
bunker.
BELLA NICHOLSON: You found the bunker. Why'd you come back for me? I don't
get it.
SOLOMON: Do you get this?
(He holds up the amulet. She smiles.)
BELLA NICHOLSON: Fifty-fifty. Nothing less.
(A black mercedes screeches as it makes the turn onto the street behind them.)
VINCENT: Solomon now!
(SOLOMON grabs BELLA and pushes her into the open car door. They both tumble
inside while VINCENT hits the gas.)
(The black mercedes stops along side the curb; HEINRICH CORDOVA gets out of the
car.)
BELLA NICHOLSON: You know, you didn't have to go to all this trouble just to be
on top.
CUT TO:
[INT. BUNKER VENT -- DAY]
(The vent explodes. VINCENT crawls in first; SOLOMON follows.)
VINCENT: This vent leads to Speer's bunker.
(VINCENT crawls in and takes the grating off of the vent. He looks inside.)
VINCENT: Belly of the beast.
(Cut to: BELLA looks around inside the bunker.)
BELLA NICHOLSON: Unbelievable! It's like walking into 1945.
(VINCENT turns around to see CALVIN leafing through a stack of vinyl albums.)
CALVIN: Wagner, Wagner, the best of Wagner ...
SOLOMON: (o.s.) Hey guys, I found something. Look at this.
(SOLOMON is standing against the far wall looking at something on the wall.)
SOLOMON: The German's must have brought this back from Peru with them with the
skull.
BELLA NICHOLSON: The original lock. Nice touch.
(He reaches into his pocket and takes out NIKKO'S amulet.)
SOLOMON: Let's see if it fits.
(He puts it in the square.)
SOLOMON: All right partner, it's your turn.
(BELLA puts her amulet in the square to have both amulets together show a
swastika sign.)
VINCENT: Nazis - so predictable.
SOLOMON: Go for it.
(BELLA reaches out and turns the lock. The wall on the side opens to reveal a
smaller room filled with various valuables.)
SOLOMON: What do you think?
BELLA NICHOLSON: I think we're going to need a bigger van.
(NIKKO sees something.)
NIKKO: Dad ...
(He reaches out and picks up the fourth crystal skull.)
NIKKO: Dad, have a look at this.
(NIKKO hands it to SOLOMON who takes it out of BELLA'S hands when she reaches
for it.)
BELLA NICHOLSON: What? You still don't trust me?
SOLOMON: What's not to trust?
(He turns to CALVIN as he opens the metal carrying case.)
SOLOMON: (softly) Calvin, I want to get Juliet and Maggie to the jet right
away. I want to be in the air in a moment's notice.
FADE OUT.
(COMMERCIAL SET)
FADE IN.
[EXT. BERLIN -- DAY]
[INT. VAN (MOVING) -- DAY
(As they drive out with the stuff in the back of the van, two black mercedes
drives up directly to them, blocking their way and forcing them to stop.)
(Men with guns get out of on car; HEINRICH CORDOVA gets out of the other.)
NIKKO: Hey, what the hell's going on?
HEINRICH CORDOVA: Get out! Now!
(He pulls a gun on them.)
(Cut to: The blue van with all the stuff in it drives away leaving the gang and
two of CORDOVA'S thugs with guns on them behind.)
NIKKO: There goes the loot.
(SOLOMON looks at the two thugs.)
SOLOMON: Got a game plan?
VINCENT: That's what I live for.
BELLA NICHOLSON: What is that like a code or something? And are you guys gonna
share?
VINCENT: Just be ready. Nikko, when the show starts, you take cover.
(One of the two thugs starts to talk to them in german.)
(SOLOMON steps forward and says something in German. VINCENT also takes a step
forward. The thug responds in German. SOLOMON again repeats what he says in
German.)
SOLOMON: I'm just saying you look like somebody -
(SOLOMON reaches out, pushes the thug's gun aside and pushes the thug down;
BELLA kicks him in the face. He goes down.)
(VINCENT steps up and disarms the second thug. The first thug gets up and
reaches for his gun; BELLA kicks him again, knocking him out.)
(NIKKO ducks near the car and gets a shock when he sees MOONDAWG, the man with
the red hap in the back seat of the black mercedes.)
NIKKO: Oh, Jeez. What is wrong with you?
MOONDAWG: Want to go for a spin? Huh?
(NIKKO gets up and heads for the front of the car.)
(Cut to: SOLOMON rounds the corner and sees the traffic in front of him. He
starts running between the cars.)
(Cut to: NIKKO is behind the steering wheel.)
NIKKO: I can't drive!
MOONDAWG: You're doing great.
NIKKO: Look, I don't know how, okay?
(Cut to: SOLOMON runs between the cars trying to catch up with the blue van.
He reaches the van doors, quietly opens them and crawls in. He closes the doors
behind him.)
(The driver turns to look absently behind him.)
(Cut to: NIKKO'S continues to drive.)
NIKKO: This is crazy!
(Cut to: The blue van doors open and SOLOMON with his metal case comes flying
out. He hits the front of the car behind him. The driver of the van follows
SOLOMON and stands over him.)
(The two fight.)
(HEINRICH CORDOVA drives up to them and gets out of the car to pick up the metal
case left on the road.)
(He grabs the case and heads back to the car while SOLOMON fights with THE
DRIVER.)
(He gets in the car and drives off. SOLOMON sees HEINRICH CORDOVA leave. He
slams the driver into the open van door. The driver falls to the road.)
(SOLOMON holds his wrist and takes off after the black mercedes.)
(Cut to: NIKKO continues to drive through the alleyway.)
NIKKO: Thanks for teaching me how to drive, dad!
(They bump into a stack of boxes as they leave the alley. He turns into the
main road and sees HEINRICH CORDOVA'S black mercedes round the corner in front
of them, the two cars heading straight for each other.)
MOONDAWG: That's the guy.
NIKKO: What guy?
MOONDAWG: The guy you have to stop.
NIKKO: I can't do this.
MOONDAWG: You never know unless you try.
(They both swerve at the last moment. CORDOVA'S car hits the boxes and flips
over. NIKKO stops the car. He turns around and MOONDAWG isn't there.)
(CORDOVA crawls out of the window from his car and onto the roadway. He's cut
and bleeding and pulls himself toward the metal case. SOLOMON reaches and grabs
it out of his reach.)
(He turns and walks over to check on NIKKO.)
SOLOMON: Are you all right?
NIKKO: Yeah, I'm fine.
CUT TO:
[EXT. CUSTOMS -- DAY]
(SOLOMON pulls the blue van up the side of the curb.)
SOLOMON: I've arranged for some help with customs. I'm gonna grab some papers
and we're out of here.
(He gives her the metal case. She smiles.)
SOLOMON: We're cool, right?
(BELLA reaches over and kisses SOLOMON.)
(SOLOMON walks out of the van and toward the car behind. NIKKO exits the car.)
NIKKO: Hey, what's going on?
SOLOMON: It's cool, don't worry.
NIKKO: She's gonna split!
SOLOMON: Relax, know what I'm doing.
(The blue van pulls out and turns around. As she passes by them, BELLA looks
out at SOLOMON and presses a kiss to the closed window. She smiles.)
NIKKO: Dad, look, she's going to take everything. This is -
SOLOMON: Not everything.
VINCENT: I wonder how much the gang at Williams and Ogden will pay her for a
pink, twelve pound, European regulation bowling ball
SOLOMON: Frosted?
VINCENT: Of course. I spared no expense.
NIKKO: I guess you do know a thing or three about the ladies, huh?
CUT TO:
[INT. TRUTH FOUNDATION -- DAY]
BELLA NICHOLSON: (on tv) Of course, yes, I can't say that it wasn't dangerous.
But ultimately - it was worth the risk. Because to uncover the lost treasures
and make them available to the museums around the world. Well, at the risk of
sounding a little corny, it is the reason that I do this. Oh, in addition, part
of the proceeds from the sales will go to the victims who were plundered by the
Third Reich.
(SOLOMON turns the tv off.)
SOLOMON: That girl is a piece of work.
MAGGIE: Solomon - I have something.
(SOLOMON goes to stand behind MAGGIE.)
MAGGIE: No one knows how these things were made, right?
SOLOMON: Yeah.
MAGGIE: Well, what if they weren't "made". What if ... it's a real skull,
crystallized by some geological event - like petrified wood.
SOLOMON: What are you getting at?
(She turns to the computer.)
MAGGIE: I'm running a facial reconstruction model on the computer, layering
computerized flesh on to the crystal skull, I'm adding hair and beard from the
period. And I've compared it to the photo in Bella's book.
(The program finishes and a real face stares back at them.)
SOLOMON: Viracochas - the ancient gods.
(NIKKO swallows as this face suddenly seems very familiar to him.)
NIKKO: Wait a second. Can you um - can you shave this guy right here? You
know, like give him a hair cut?
MAGGIE: Sure.
SOLOMON: What is it?
(MAGGIE makes the modifications.)
NIKKO: I don't believe it. Dad, why do Viracochas live forever?
SOLOMON: No one really knows.
(NIKKO stands up.)
NIKKO: I do. To protect the skulls.
(Staring back at him on the monitor is MOONDAWG, the man in the red hat.)
NIKKO: That's why he was following me.
(NIKKO turns to look at SOLOMON who turns to look at the crystal skull.)
FADE OUT.
========================
THE END
========================
Note: These episodes are shorter than normal being that the network asked that
additional time be cut from the program to allow for special news reports due to
the war coverage, should there be any. Being that there were none, the extra
time was filled by airing more commercials. These transcripts are from the
original show airings.
Courtesy of http://www.webphilia.com/~anthology/wnp.html
Contact the Transcriptionist at (intrepidly002@yahoo.com)
Please do not archive this transcript without permission from the
Transcriptionist.
========================
BEGINNING/TITLE CREDITS
========================
VERITAS: THE QUEST
1X03: SKULLS
ORIGINAL AIR DATE: 02/10/2003
TRANSCRIBED FROM ABC
Starring
ALEX CARTER as Dr. Solomon Zond
RYAN MERRIMAN as Nicholas "Nikko" Zond
COBIE SMULDERS as Juliet Droil
ERIC BALFOUR as Calvin Banks
CYNTHIA MARTELLS as Maggie (Hayes)
and
ARNOLD VOSLOO as Vincent Siminou
Created by: PATRICK MASSET & JOHN ZINMAN
Guest Starring
LIZ VASSEY as Bella Nicholson
PAUL ESSIEMBRE as Herr Heinrich Cordova
CONRAD DUNN/GEORGE JENESKY as Moondawg
Producer: I.C. RAPOPORT
Co-Executive Producer: THANIA ST. JOHN
Co-Executive Producer: RICK KELLARD
Produced by: IAIN PATERSON
Executive Producer: CRAIG ZADAN
Executive Producer: NEIL MERON
Executive Producer: PATRICK MASSETT
Executive Producer: JOHN ZINMAN
Written by: PATRICK MASSETT & JOHN ZINMAN
Directed by: ADAM NIMOY
========================
END CREDITS
========================
Massett/Zinman Productions
Storyline Entertainment
Touchstone Television
Consulting Producer: BRYAN SPICER
Co-Producers: GABRIELLE STANTON
Co-Producers: HARRY WERKSMAN, JR.
Co-Starring
HAKAN COSKUMER as Hank/Assistant
SUGITH VARUGHESE as Auctioneer
KELLY KING as Woman at Auction
LIZ GORDON as Librarian
STEFAN ROLLPILLER as German Thug
Directory of Photograph: DAVID MAXNESS, C.S.C.
Production Designer: MICHAEL NOVALNY
Edited by: MIKE LEE
Production Manager: SUSAN MURDOCH
First Assistant Director: MICHAEL CRAIN
Second Assistant Director: KEVIN WALKER
Casting by: TINA GERUSSI
Original Casting by: SHARON BIALY
Music by: JOHN NORDSTROM
Costume Designer: JOANNE HANSEN
Make-Up Artist: PATRICIA KEIGHRAN
Hair Stylist: CATHY SHIBLEY
Chief Lighting Technician: MICHAEL McDONALD
Key Grip: JONATHAN BILLINGS
Set Decorators: CAROLINE GEE
Property Master: ALAN MACMINN
Script Supervisor: DUG ROTSTEIN
Special Effects Coordinator: KAZ KOBIELSKI
Stunt Coordinator: MATT BIRMAN
Production Coordinator: JANET GAYFORD
Art Director: KENNETH WATKINS
Location Manager: HANK MALINS
Transportation Coordinator: GREG O'HARA
Post Production Supervisor: DOUGLAS WILKINSON
Visual Fx Supervisor: JON COMPFONS
Post Production Coordinators: DEANNA STRONG
Post Production Coordinators: BENJAMIN RAPAPORT
Music Supervisors: KEVIN EDELMAN / JUSTIN GOLDBERG
Production Sound Mixer: THOMAS HIDDERLEY
Sound Editors: STEPHEN BARDEN / CRAIG HENNIGAN
Re-Recording Mixers: ALLEN OMERAD / MIKE WAROMIUK
Music Editor: MOIRA MARGUIS
Video Post Production: Mania DSP
ACTRA
(c) 2003 Touchstone Television. All Rights Reserved.
Dated:07/13/2003~lky
http://www.webphilia.com/~anthology/wnp.html