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every single airport across theplanet. It's starting to worry me.

BANJOAnother reason to take a holiday, eh,Francis?

FRANCISExactly so.

And the woman smiles.

CUT TO:

EXT. HIMALAYAN MOUNTAIN VILLAGE - DAY

DARTH (30) strolls onto small main street in a little village up

the Kaibur Pass.

He sits with an OLD MAN and a VASSILY (10) on a big staircase infront of a reasonably new building. They all stare into thedistance.

DARTH(lighting cigarette)

I'm looking for something...

The elder and the young one exchange glances of curiosity. Thechild leans slightly and smiles a frown.

VASSILYScuse me, but what are you lookingfor?

A hand reaches out to the child from under his orange poncho.

DARTHMy name is Darth. What's yours?

VASSILYVassily.

DARTHVassily, hello. And what is the eldercalled?

VASSILY(shrug)

Grandpa.

The stranger reaches out a hand to the elder, who looks at it insurprise, then he reaches out a well lived-in hand.

VASSILYScuse me, what are you looking for?

DARTHI heard there was something

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interesting around here.

VASSILYWhat?

DARTHSomething really, really good. And i

heard it was in those mountains overthere... And i thought i should comeand see this wonderful thing. So herei am.

OLD MANAh!

The Old Man whispers some sagelike words to the child, who nods.

VASSILYYou need a Guide.

DARTHDo i?

VASSILY(knowingly)

Yes.

DARTHWhere do i find a guide? You?

VASSILY shakes his head as the elder reaches his second handout. He holds a gnarled walking stick, swinging it sharply up-

-to knock gently three times on the door behind him.

The stranger looks up, as though seeing the door for the firsttime.

It opens, hinges moaning. A pale face surrounded by the red hairof the GUIDE (35). A curious smile, which instantly fixes on thestranger.

GUIDEHello. Does someone need a Guide?

DARTHUm, yes. I do. Darth. Who are you?

GUIDE(shrugs)

The Guide. Come in.

INT. GUIDE'S HOUSE - DAY

A small, comfortable house. The pair sit with big cups of

coffee. The day is a bit chilly, yet the man wears light kaftancloth of vivid colours. But both the man and the cloth seemedworn by many years of-

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GUIDE-guiding. That's what i do. When irealized that was what i was born todo, i made my name and my professionthe same thing.

DARTHSo, do you make enough money fromjust showing people round themountains?

GUIDEI'm needed for far more than that.And i get paid in many ways. Thislittle house was left to me bysomeone who found their Way.

DARTH

Which way was that?

GUIDELast i heard he was in Amsterdam,running a nice little shop that sellsplants and such. He had a lot ofexperience with keeping order amongthe locals here, being a priest, ashe was.

DARTHA priest left you his house? And he'sselling pot in Amsterdam?

That was his Way?

GUIDEYep. He didn't have a hope in hell ofconverting anyone around here. And hehas a bit of a problem with the smellof...animal shit. So he decided tochange and do something he'd alwayswanted to do.

DARTHI suppose you got him drunk?

GUIDEHe got himself drunk, actually. Theni carried him back here, where hesucked a hookah pipe all night, whilehe told me his story. I knew himpretty well after that. He asked myopinion, i gave it to him. He agreedwith a few things, questioned others.In the end he threw up all over thefloor, passed out for a day, woke upand didn't say a word for twelvehours...then put all his religious

items in a box, and told me i couldhave the house. He said he would callme when he reached his destination. I

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told him we never reach ourdestination, for there is alwayssomething beyond it. He agreed butsaid he would find somewhereinteresting and enjoyable. He calledtwo months later from Amsterdam. Andhe left the box.

Darth eyes the floor beneath his feet.

GUIDEDon't worry. New carpet.

INT. PLANE - NIGHT

Banjo nervously looks out the window. Francis takes hisheadphones off and sips a wine.

FRANCISAh, the adventure of a lifetime...

BANJOHmmm?

FRANCISHere we are, jetting off into thesunset, eyes wide open and ready foranything.

BANJO

You sound like a bloody infomercial.

FRANCISAnd why not, old friend? We are bothgetting older, but we both want - ithink we both need - the thisexperience.

BANJOFrancis, you don't need to convinceme... Are you trying, perhaps, toconvince yourself of how much youneed to do this?

FRANCISI know that i need to get away frommy old life, at least for a while.

BANJOYou just needed someone to keep youcompany.

FRANCISWell nobody should be alone in astrange land.

BANJOOr anywhere else, for that matter...

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GUIDESo where was it you wanted to find?

Darth sat back in the big cushion, watching the small fire tryto compete with sunset out the window.

DARTHYou might think my reasoning is a bitodd.

GUIDEI bet you i won't. There are a fewmore stories i could tell you, butyou tell me your odd thing first. And

I need another drink.

He pours some mead for the both of them.

DARTHI had this dream...one night afterlearning a few things about thepeople around me. I...didn't want tobe where i wasn't really needed,y'know?

GUIDEFamiliar with it.

DARTHLife in the city... Anyway, i slepton my decision... Waking to memoriesof everything i'd experienced in thedreams. I wrote it all down andremembered. One day...a week later, ilooked at the writing...and i sawwhat it was telling me. But i didn'treally know how to proceed fromthere.

GUIDEAnd your dream told you to come here?Are you certain it was here?

DARTHYes. There was music in the distance.There was a song...that i heard on adocumentary about two weeks later.The same music, made just up theroad. I saw this village, trackeddown the reporter and found out whereit is, and here i am. Lost.

GUIDENo, Darth, you're far from lost. Lostis a long way behind you. You are

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here and you seem to be goingforward. How far are you prepared totravel?

DARTHAs far as i must.

The Guide nods and pours some more mead.

GUIDEWas there any exact place you need tosee? Any buildings or caves or-

DARTHThere was a cave. One cave with atree.

The Guide gags.

GUIDEA tree?

DARTHYeah. A tree at the back of the cave.Big shiny old thing, with brancheslike blobs of silver putty stucktogether. Things were hanging fromit. Like congealing...stuff.

GUIDEA tree?

DARTHWhy does that surprise you?

GUIDEWell, i definitely don't think yourdream is odd. I get a lot of peoplecoming to me because their dreamstold them to come. But nobody evermentioned a tree, because there isn'tone there.

DARTHWhere?

GUIDEThe place i thought you saw in yourdream.

DARTHAnd there's no tree there?

GUIDENo.

DARTH

So there aren't any spiders, either?

GUIDE

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Spiders?

DARTHMore surprise from the Guide.

GUIDEYour cave has spiders?

DARTHYep. Lot's of them. All over theplace. Never quite got a close lookat them...

GUIDEThe place i know hasn't got spiders.But...i've heard a story about aplace that did.

DARTH

Ah. Then i may well be in the rightplace, after all. Can you tell meabout it?

EXT. MOUNTAIN ROAD - DAY

Francis and Banjo jump off an old bus. As the bus rattles away,Francis checks his GPS unit and points into the mountains. Theysling on their packs and head out, cheerfully.


Through the window we see the mountain and setting sun.

GUIDESomewhere in a dark valley in themountain world, there was a placewhere tribesmen from thousands ofyears ago...they saw things likespiders in a cave. The cave was saidto be beautiful. And inside there wasa tree. And from the tree grewspiders and...

DARTHStuff?

GUIDEYes. It was told that a whole malepopulation - and a few women - got socurious about reports of the cave,that they all went there. But onlyone survivor ever came back from theplace. And he was apparently mad, but

very cheerful.So the remaining villagers packed upand moved near to here, and they

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tried to forget what had happened.But the story was remembered, as toldby the survivor. These people havegood memories.

DARTHDo you know where this cave is?

GUIDEI don't. The survivor did.

DARTHNot much good now.

GUIDEHe might be...

DARTHHow can a dead man help us?

GUIDEBecause he might have left a memoryof it.

DARTHWhere?

GUIDEWith someone who is still very muchalive.

DARTH

Are we sober enough to walk there?

GUIDENot one bit likely. The sky isclouding over for a few days...and weneed a bit of rest. I wonder ifyou'll have a clearer dreamtonight...

FADE TO:

INT. GUIDES HOUSE, DARTHS BEDROOM - NIGHT

Darth lies beneath a mass of blankets and watches the rain onthe small window above him.

DISSOLVE TO:

DREAMSCAPE

INT. ZHERACHNA CAVE - NIGHTA massive cave with a GIANT TREE in the background in shadow. A

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small fire burns in the foreground. Small SPIDER-LIKE CREATURESseem to play amongst some children behind the fire.There is a feeling of innocence...

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. HIMALAYAN HIGHLANDS - DAY

FRANCIS and BANJO wander among the rocky paths. Francis carriesa foldable guitar, playing it every so often, singing to themountains...

BANJOTesting for avalanches?

FRANCISYep. You sing from a reasonably

stable position, always knowing whichway is up. Nature takes care of therest.

BANJOI am getting a bit tired of all thismist.

FRANCISCheer up, old man, at least thegentle snow paints a lovely picture.

BANJO

You're too much of a romantic idiot,Francis.

FRANCISThen the folly be mine! For i shallfind all i seek, one of thesemoments. I just have to be patientand wait.

BANJOYou've been waiting for near onthirty years.

FRANCISAh, there's always a little moretime.

They stop to hear the gentle rumble of a distant avalanche.

BANJOThose sounds... Like giants slamminghuge slabs of flint together.

FRANCISBut are they making lightning orfire? And how is it done in the snow

and the cold?

BANJO

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I do not know, Francis. Maybe it'sjust big boulders.

FRANCISI hope they're not above us.

BANJO

I think we'd know by now.

FRANCISMmmm.

BANJOI hope it wasn't your guitar playing.

Francis raises his eyebrows but says nothing.

They both look up. There is a breeze moving through the mist,and the gentle rolling rumble a HOARSE HOWL.

FRANCISA scream?

BANJOMaybe the boulders fell on someone.

Francis looks at the GPS. Banjo is very seriously looking at thehorizon he can't see.

FRANCISLet's keep walking along the valley.We still have five hours before dark.

Let's go investigate.

BANJOAlright Francis.

They pass into the fog...

FADE IN:

EXT. HIMALAYAN HIGHLANDS - LATER - DAY

Across from the small peak the cloud opens, releasing glidingbeams of light which ripple like the projections of an aurora.On the ground, bright waves and rings in many colours, lookinglike the patterns of light on the bottom of his giantfishtank...

BANJOThere!

A naked shape moves slowly along between four hills and thebeautiful lights. The figure glows in the fluorescence. Francistakes out the small binoculars.

BANJOBloody hell, i'm hallucinating.

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FRANCISNo you're not.

BANJOPerhaps we both are...

FRANCISQuick!

(grabbing at a pocket inBanjo's pack)

The camera! Damn!

The naked woman walks beyond their peak. They try running tocatch up, but the low oxygen and rocky slopes inhibit speedyprogress. They puff and pant to a halt many times.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. GUIDES HOUSE - DAY

Darth lays in bed, Guide delivers steaming mugs of chocolate.

GUIDESo, did you learn anything new?

DARTHI...still don't know where it is. Butit is in a valley.

GUIDEHmm. The Valley of IlbegottenThoughts.

DARTHNo, Guide, it was a good place. Theonly fear in the place was what ibrought in.

GUIDEMight've been a trick.

DARTHNo.

GUIDEAlright. Did anyone talk to you?

DARTHIn my dream?

GUIDEYes.

DARTH

No.

GUIDE

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Damn.

The storm rages in the morning. They watch the world go bythrough wide windows and clouds of sweet smelling smoke.

GUIDESo the spiders weren't aggressive?

DARTHNo, didn't do anything harmfu-

GUIDEHesitation?

DARTHYes. I remember...children playing?No, not playing. Maybe fighting...

GUIDE

Play fighting? Who with?

DARTHThe spiders. The arachnids were amongthem, but they had no fear.

GUIDEWho?

DARTHThe...people there.

GUIDE

Do you know if it was a memory of thevillagers who never returned?

DARTH(comprehends slowly)

I know what you mean but i don't knowif it was. I do know it was nearer. Icould tell it was much nearer.

GUIDEDid you recognize any of themountains when you arrived?

DARTH(thinks long and hard)

No. Not that i could tell. I don'tremember seeing any actual peaks.

GUIDEDid you see outside the cave?

DARTHYe- No. I... Yes, i think so. Butthere was snow. And jagged...

GUIDEStuff?

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DARTHCliffs.

(long pause)

DARTHAre you going to be surprised about

me mentioning cliffs?

GUIDENo. There are a few places i know of.

DARTHGood. Can we look for them?

GUIDEWhen the storm clears.

DARTH

Obviously.

GUIDEWhen it does, our first stop is to myfriend and teacher. Over there in thesouth. She will know something aboutyour puzzle.

DARTHPuzzle?

GUIDEYour dreams are certainly a puzzle.

Just as life is a puzzle. When youfit the last piece, you go on to thenext puzzle. That one singular lastpiece only has one thing on it. Itshows the place you travel through onyour way to the next puzzle... Thedoor. But you only see the door whenyou are about to go through it andnever look back. Some people get tothe door and do look back, thusreturning to life on the operatingtable or the beach where they'rebeing resuscitated... And theirpuzzle has changed slightly, but thelast piece remains the same... Oncethrough, the door closes like asphincter.

DARTHNot a normal door, then?

GUIDENot at all. I think anyone who reallywent beyond and saw how it allworks...then came back to their old

life...they would be very differentpeople. Some might go mad. Some mightbecome great leaders and then go mad.

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Others might have a life of happinessuntil death. But the old life isalways left behind because you haveno choice.

DARTHDo you really believe that?

GUIDEYes. Why not? Good as any theory wewon't ever truly know about until wedie. I like to believe in it, thoughi would not kill someone whodisagreed with it.

DARTHBut i have the choice to go back tomy old life. I just don't want tochoose it.

GUIDEExactly. So it might as well notexist. You know it's there, but youtry to ignore it. So banish ittotally from your thoughts. You havesomething to achieve before you leavethis land. I just can't work out whatit is. But we will figure it out, newfriend.

Darth smiles and sits back to watch the rain.

EXT. HIMALAYAN HIGHLAND VALLEY - AFTERNOON

Fog, rock and a bit of snow all over. Banjo works the electroniccompass in the device, pointing it in the direction of thevision.

BANJONorth east, heading south.

FRANCISWe'll sling up here tonight. No sensegetting cold.

BANJOYou saw her, didn't you?

FRANCISIndeed. Binoculars didn't lie...

BANJONaked.

FRANCIS

Like a newborn.

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EXT. HIMALAYAN HIGHLANDS/CAMPSITE 1 - LATER

They pitch their hammock-tent between some boulders

CUT TO:

INT. FOUR MAN TENT - SUNSET

BANJOTell me again why we're here,Francis. I seem to be vagueing outagain in the thin air.

FRANCISThe reason for our journey is simple,old Banjo.

(strumming a few soft chordson the lightweight foldableguitar. )

We are trying to rekindle the onewonderful thing that seems to bemissing from human society today: Thesense of adventure... Yes; we go toseek adventure. I wish us simple folkwere able to go to the moon andbeyond, but we can't. We must settlefor climbing steppes which areseveral kilometers high. We come tolook at a place which only a small

percent of the population have seenwith their naked eye.

BANJO(tries to smile)

And we're seeing fog.

FRANCISAnd the fog will go, my old friend.And we might see some amazing things.

BANJOI think we just saw one, Francis.But...

(shrug)

Francis starts to fiddle with the GPS.

BANJOCan you get a message out on thatthing?

FRANCISNot yet. there's a bit ofinterference.

A heart wrenching scream on the breeze, building up then echoingaway, exhaling pain into the universe.

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The two men are wide eyed, neither daring to say anything oropen the tent.

BANJOI don't suppose you recorded that?

A distant rumble.

BANJOAvalanche?

FRANCISMaybe something else sings to thesnow...

BANJOThe woman?

FRANCISWhat could cause her such pain?

BANJOAh, Francis, you're getting cluckyover a ghost.

FRANCISShe looked real enough to me.

BANJOMaybe she got eaten by something...?

FRANCISBanj, seriously. You seem to

disregard the strangeness of a nakedwoman, confidently wandering througha freezing mountain pass.

BANJOHmm. Yes, i don't suppose they haveuniversity students out here...

(giggle tiredly to self)

FRANCISAnd she didn't look too worried aboutgetting frostbite, did she?

BANJONo. Quite casual.

FRANCISSo she might know the wildlife, such as itis around here.

BANJOBears?

FRANCISMaybe. But the woman...she must live

somewhere near.

BANJO

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I wonder does she get out at night?(quickly asleep)

Francis continues to mutter.

FRANCISCan't leave the torches on all night.

Need to acclimatize to darkness... Ifsomething comes...i'll hear it... Ifa thing can howl like that...itdoesn't necessarily mean it'sharmful. And just because there issomeone walking naked around these...freezing mountains...doesn't mean weshould over-react... Oh, my head'sgetting a bit light. Gosh, she wasnice, wasn't she? I jolly well thinkso... But what is she doinghere...naked?

He falls asleep.

FADE OUT.

FADE IN:

INT. LOUNGE ROOM GUIDES HOUSE - DAY

The storm continues.

GUIDEI have to know a few things beforeyou go to sleep tonight.

DARTHSuch as?

GUIDEAre you prepared to go into thingsyou might've once called fantasy...in your past life?

DARTHYes i am.

GUIDECan you be trusted?

DARTHMy...past life was working for peoplewho moved a lot of money and otherthings. Also i had a lot of peoplewho called me a friend, and they gaveme their secrets. I still have mostof them. Some were discovered over

time...

GUIDE

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Alright. Then tell me...how scared doyou think you'll be out there?

DARTHNot afraid of snow. Nor cold, norpain, nor -

GUIDESpiders?

DARTHNot scared. Just timid.

GUIDEAlright. Here's a tough one. Wouldyou ever sacrifice yourself to savesomeone innocent?

DARTH

Yes.

GUIDEYou don't need to think about thatfor a bit longer?

DARTHNo. If i realize someone is innocent,i protect. Always have felt that way,probably because of my little sisterand two little brothers...

The Guide smiles.

GUIDEI was going to go there alone. But ithink you can come along. We packtomorrow. The storm may take a fewdays longer, but we can be ready togo quickly.I have to ask...if you have anyenemies that you know of who might befollowing you?

DARTHEnemies? No.

GUIDEGood. I just like to check. Somepeople have come here... and had notso-friendlies close behind them.

DARTHI don't have any heavies after me, ordebt collectors, or ex wives.

GUIDEGood to hear. One woman came here to

find a way to my teacher. She had herex husband following her. She wasquite calm. He was a raging lunatic.

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There was a bit of a fight in thevillage when we were away. He went tothe pub and picked a fight with twoporters and a visiting Mongolianfootball team... Not pretty.

Darth is nearly asleep. All of a sudden the hunched form

breathes in sharply and turns wide eyes to the Guide.

DARTHI just saw something. Shit! It was awhole city...in a series of caves,going down into the world. Allnaturally made, but lived in...by thepeople and creatures...

GUIDEWere there things other than spiders?

DARTHYes. But they were shadows. Icouldn't see clearly. I was in one ofthe lower caverns, where there liveda family of...shadows. They livedon...the spiders. They were in aconstant state of hallucination...and they never saw light, except somebits of moss on the ceiling.

The Guide only nods...

DARTH (cont'd)

I was there, watching them in theshadows... Some small people camedown through one of the littletunnels. They brought something new.Kindling and flint. And they madefire in the centre of the shadows.They could see each other clearly fora few moments, then the flames burnedtheir delicate senses. They began toscream and howl, in pain... The noisewas incredible. It shook the walls.They rang like a bell.

He stopped breathing, hearing the sound again.

DARTH (cont'd)The walls cracked and the tunnel wasclosed as the rock slid down a metreor so... They were trapped. I triedto tell them to put out the fire, butthey couldn't hear me over the cryingcreatures. Soon the air was gone andthe fire died. The creatures stoppedcrying. They all layed down with thelast memory probably being...what

they really looked like. And I thinkit really happened. And there wereother caves, all different sizes and

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shapes... I wonder if they went, too?

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. ZHERACHNA CAVE - DREAMSCAPE

The CAVE does not have the TREE this time. There is a STONEPILLAR in the centre of the cavern.

EXTREME CLOSEUP ON THE FACE OF FRANCIS.

FRANCISSpiders? Why would i dream aboutthings i don't like? And why doesthere seem to be so many of them?

ZOOM BACK TO SEE THE PILLAR AND THE HORDES OF ARACHNIDS.

He jumps up on a stone pinnacle and looks around for Banjo. Thespiders mass at the base of his pillar, but they don't seem toknow how to climb. He checks his breathing and searches somemore. No Banjo.

FRANCISSo if this is a dream...perhaps icould make things...

He looks to a small plateau, trying to shape something pleasing.All he makes are fractures in the earth which let lava bubblesout.

FRANCISDamn. Perhaps i should wake up? Don'tseem to be able to at the moment.DAMN IT ALL!!!

The spiders make a wider space around the pillar.

FRANCISSo, you don't like it when i YELL!

They make a wider space.

FRANCISDoes that mean you are nothing to beafraid of, or do you just havesensitive ears? Not talking, eh?Right, well, i want to see the peoplewho run this place! How dare theyleave frightening creatures at theirdoorstep without leaving some kind of

sign to warn people!

The spiders clear a space up to the staircase leading to the

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great castle. Francis hadn't seen the castle before...

FRANCISHow interesting. Looks like some ofit was hit by something fairly BIG!

He slowly floats down from the pillar, sailing gently between

the rows of crawling creatures. They twitch but none moveforward. He walks up the massive steps, seeing vibrantlycoloured plants in the moonlight. A lot of fallen rubble.

DEEP VOICE (V.O.)Come in

FRANCIS(confident)

Don't mind if i do.

INT. GUIDES HOUSE - NIGHT

Darth and the Guide sit by the fire, sipping from big tankardsand Darth rolling the occasional very large joint. The stormrages, walls shake during the big lightning strikes.

GUIDEDon't usually get this much.

Outside, a couple of drunks wander through the maze of waterahead of them, both happy to be soaked to the bone. They swigfrom their bottles and sing a strange song.

DARTHGuide, i have a few worries.

GUIDEI thought you might find someeventually.

DARTHWell, these aren't huge but theytickle a few nerves.

GUIDEWhich is the most intense?

DARTHUm, I am following my dreams andleaving my old life behind.

GUIDEYes. And you chose to leave it.

DARTHI did. But...what am i getting into?I mean, you make it sound like some

sort of magyc, but you sometimes getall scientific and you soundconvincing.

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GUIDEThe truth usually is.

DARTHBut this Dreaming business really islike something from a fantasy novel.

GUIDEYet it can be explainedscientifically, but is very difficultto prove. Though, with a bit morepractice and some more time, we canget it refined enough to be totallysafe for the masses. And we can alldo it.

DARTHBecause we have one tiny bit of our

ancestral memory that remembers howto do it all?

GUIDEYes. And some people can tap into itwhenever they want. That makes themvaluable, elusive, and occasionallydangerous.

DARTHHow can it be dangerous?

GUIDE

Imagine if you had someone sharingyour memories during your dream.Imagine if that someone could findeverything relating to - say - yourdaughter. Imagine if that someonetook all the memories of yourdaughter...and erased them totally.Imagine waking up and not rememberingyour daughter, but you remember allthe rest of your life. Imagine that.

DARTHThat would be frightening.

GUIDEAlright. Now imagine that andmultiply it five hundred times.Imagine waking up and having fivehundred fairly basic things erasedfrom your memory. You can't rememberwhat your car looks like. You have noidea how to use a credit card. You'venever heard of your accountant...etcetera.

DARTHThat could really fuck up a life.

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GUIDEIt certainly could. So the ones whoupset the cart have to be tracked andconvinced to stop.

DARTHWhat happens if-

GUIDEYou don't want to know.

DARTHYou take their memories away?

GUIDEYou learn fast. Believe me, Darth,these people can be dangerous if theyuse their abilities for bad things.

DARTHJust like everything.

GUIDEIndeed. And there are a few dozen ofus around the world. We search fortraces of dangerous dreams. Wesometimes go hunting.

DARTHLike vampire-hunting?

GUIDE

Listen, we are looking for humanbeings. Not aliens or vampires ormummies or ghosts. I suppose they area bit like ghosts. But these ones arethe products of living people. Peoplewho wake from their wanderings andcontinue living. But what they cando...is not fantasy. They have burnedinto people i have known... And itwas real.

EXT. HIMALAYAN HIGHLAND VALLEY - MORNING

Crystal blue sky and not a sound. Banjo and Francis stand tosurvey the scene.

FRANCISWell, old fellow, it looks like ourpath is clear.

BANJOMaybe...the woman called the snow soshe could show us the way to her...

FRANCISAnd maybe the cows have come home.

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They walk in silence, occasionally listening for the sound ofnaked feet on stone.

Banjo remembers the device. He pulls it out quickly and beginstapping, calling up the satellite link.

BANJOThey are not going to believe us.

FRANCISSend it anyway.

EXT. HIMALAYAN HIGHLAND VALLEY - EVENING

They make their way around a pinnacle of stone rising from thepowder, and walk into a larger valley with three rivers of snow

flowing out of it. Rock walls have dark areas all over them;haunting shadows in the daytime.

BANJONice place.

FRANCISWe can camp here. I hadn't realisedhow late it's getting.

Light snow begins to fall. They slowly put the shelter up, theirbodies dragging through the thickening air.

The GPS beeps.

BANJOOh look, Francis. They think we'rehallucinating on the local mushrooms.How charming.

FRANCISTo hell with them, Banjo, I believewe have found an adventure.

BANJOI don't know if i can handle it.

FRANCISOh, you're a doctor, you should beable to handle a little intensity.

BANJOFrancis, I'm a vet. I work in an airconditioned building in a smallsuburb of a big city. My bigadventures happen on weekends, when ican put my feet up and tell everyoneto...fuck off.

FRANCISSuch language.

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BANJOSeriously though, you talked me intocoming.

FRANCISYou came voluntarily, i thought.

BANJOBut you said there wouldn't beanything dangerous out here.

FRANCISAnd some people think wars don't havecasualties.

BANJOPlease explain that one, Francis.

FRANCISWe are walking along the back of theHimalayan ranges, Banjo. A place thatcan kill us just by being cold. I hadto believe we can get out of almostany situation, otherwise i wouldn'thave bothered cimong. All we have todo is not get into any reallydangerous situations.

BANJOWhat if we're already in one?

FRANCISI'm sure that a naked woman walkingthrough the mountains is nothing toworry about. She has just made usrealize we are in a giant jigsawpuzzle. All we have to do is figureout what the picture is...

BANJOI... I think we should send out adistress signal, Francis.

FRANCISWhat if there is no distress? If weget someone coming out here-

BANJOThen they can take us safely out.

FRANCISIt will cost a lot.

BANJOI'll pay for it.

FRANCISI might not want to go.

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BANJOThat is your choice, Francis. But ineed to feel...protected.

FRANCISThat is your choice, Banjo. And ithink that is part of your problem.

BANJOWhat?

FRANCISBanjo, you know your family helpedyou every step of the way, with eachfinger up every animal, in your questto become the best.

BANJOI am a damn good vet, Francis.

FRANCISI don't doubt it. But what else areyou, old fella? Don't worry. There istime to decide.

BANJOCan i send the distress signal?

FRANCISIf you must. (looks at watch)But you'll have to do it later. Lookat the compass.

The compass on the device spins insanely.

BANJOI have to say it, Francis.

FRANCISWhat's that?

BANJOI... I hope i don't hear that screamagain.

Francis looks up, seeing his friend, unmoving, holding a ropeand looking worried.

FRANCISOld friend, just think that you won'tbe as surprised if there is a nextone. And it'll be even easier thethird time.

Francis tries to laugh. Banjo shivers.

INT. CAMPSITE 2 HIMALAYAN VALLEY - NIGHT

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They looked out of the unzipped shelter. All is dark except forthe snowflakes dancing down. Silence.

BANJOI don't know if i can handle this,Francis. You were always the one whoenjoyed adventures, from when we were

little kids.

FRANCISWe don't know what is happening,Banjo. The scream could've been oneof the local tribesmen having a jokewith us.

BANJOAh. Yes. Local humour. And the womancould be a local too. She would beaccustomed to short hops around with

nothin' on, wouldn't she.

FRANCIS...Of course...she didn't look likeany of the locals i've seen aroundthese areas. Not that i've seen manynaked, mind you...

Banjo sighs, breathing shallow, lying down.

BANJOFrancis. That scream was not entirelyhuman, was it?

FRANCISNo, not...entirely. I had to wonderas to her anatomy. She seemed so paleas to shine...

They both see something behind the snow in the distance.

FRANCISCan you see that?

BANJOYes, Francis. I can see something...

FRANCISDare we put the light out?

Banjo did the deed, not entirely confident.

In the pitch darkness they see a deeper glow in a cliff face.

FRANCISWhat a lovely shade of green.

BANJO

Indeed. But what could it be?

FRANCIS

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Bigger than a person. Maybe a cave?

BANJOGlowing?

FRANCISPhosphorescent algae and moss and such,

growing in the cave...

BANJOOr...it could be someone's emergencylighting.

FRANCISCould be. Shall we go and look?

BANJONot just yet, Francis. If it is someonein trouble, at least they are

reasonably safe for the night...We know where it is. Let's looktomorrow. I would feel safer.

FRANCISWe have about eight days rations left,Banj. Two days here and six to trekback down on. How's that sound? Anothernight here wouldn't be so bad, wouldit? We might be able to camp in thecave...

BANJO

With all the fluorescent green moss.

FRANCISHopefully. And we could have a nicelong game of chess to calm our nerves.

BANJOOh joy.

Suddenly they are drawn closer to the light. A cave. The greatcrevice had sealed at the top, creating a beautiful arch into acathedral dome. There is something inside...something living...It looked like the shadow of a tree. And there were bodies onthe floor!

ZHERACHNA (V.O.)There is great sadness here...

The scream rose again, slicing the silence. The sound resonatesin the fabric of the shelter. Snowflakes vibrate, shivering.

ZHERACHNA (V.O.)Trust me.

They pass out. Everything goes quiet again.

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INT. GUIDES HOUSE - SUNRISE

There is a lovely glow throughout the house. The guide comes inwith some things to put in the packs laying on the floor.

GUIDEYou ready? The clouds are going. We

follow them to the cave of theOracle.

DARTHThe cave without the tree.

GUIDEThat's the one.

DARTHWhat happens if the Oracles cave hascollapsed?

GUIDE(startled then calm)

I would know, instantly. The teacherand i have a connection. I...don'twant to think about it.

DARTHMy cave might've-

GUIDEYou would've felt it. Let's not worryourselves without facts.

DARTHBut we are dealing with dreams.

GUIDEDreams can contain the truth. Dreamscan show many different realitieswhich could also be real. Pick whichone you want. But don't read thingsthat aren't clearly written.

DARTHMy coming here was clear enough.

GUIDEYes. And your finding me was meant tobe.

DARTHSo, as a result, i was meant to seethe Oracle?

GUIDELooks like it.

EXT. GUIDES HOUSE & PATH - DAY

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The front steps of the house.

The child and the elder are sitting on the steps, watching theclouds roll away. They smile as Darth and the Guide move offdown a narrow alley between the buildings.

They walked along the winding path.

GUIDEIf you have not been told the name ofthe Oracle, i will not tell you.

DARTHWhere would i hear the name?

GUIDEIn your dreams. You are told if youneed to know.

DARTHHang on. If the Oracle didn't tellme, do i really need to see-

GUIDEYou will see what you see. The Oraclemight have been showing you only theimportant bits. A lot of energy isused to create dreams. You becameaware of the most important keys; thevillage and the music. It was only amatter of time before you come close

enough to hear of the Oracle.

DARTHBut if i am being told of a differentcave...

GUIDEThe Oracle might know how to getthere.

EXT. PATH TO THE HUT OF THE ORACLE - NIGHT

There is snow in the calm night. Ahead there is nothing butunmoving darkness.

DARTHWhere the hell are we?

GUIDEWe're here.

Darth is about to make a sarcastic comment, when, through thesnowflakes...a tiny door opens, releasing golden light. The door

grows bigger and clearer as they move up a slight slope. Thenthe door is ahead of them, and they were inside the light.

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INT. ORACLE HUT - NIGHT

The Guide takes his coat off, smiling as Darth closes the door.

GUIDE

By the way, i lied about it being acave. But 'the Hut of the Oracle'isn't quite as impressive.

Darth is stunned. On the small table there is a nearly finishedjigsaw puzzle of Mount Everest. Books all over, old furniturethat match the beams in the roof, and the ORACLE sitting infront of the fire. She grins but doesn't get up. Her rockingchair creaks. Her dark skin has dozens of tones streaked throughit, and her smile glows like the fire. She takes a long time totake a breath, assessing the stranger.

ORACLEWhat would you do to keep your mostvalued possession?

DARTHI'd... I'd keep it safe.

ORACLEWho would you tell?

DARTHNobody.

ORACLEBut, if this possession helped you be abetter person, would they not see thechanges in you, and wonder whathappened to you?

DARTHI would tell them it was just me.

ORACLEBut one of them would become curious,then adventurous, then your possessionwould be discovered. What would you do?

DARTHI could hide it somewhere else...

ORACLECan a creature search again to findwhat it knows exists?

DARTH... yes. But they can promise not totell...

ORACLESomething which only speaks thelanguage of Nature...it makes no

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promises. Evolution is the testing ofnew ideas; breathing new life into theworld. The language of Nature tellsthings to multiply, so they multiply.When a small creature is just like allthe other small creatures, it tries tofind a way to be different, stronger,

better. The more memories a creaturehas, the more things it remembers notto do. So it sees better the best wayto move forward......and it protects its memories, itspossessions, so valuable. It collectsthem, builds a bigger shrine forthem, develops a better body to carrythem, and tries to use the memoriesto answer its questions. As memorygrows so more questions appear.

DARTHI...do have some questions.

ORACLE(smile)

I thought you might.

INT. ORACLE HUT - NIGHT

They sit around the fire with food and drink.

DARTHI saw a cave...with a big silver treein it. And spiders growing from thetree. And i need to go there, todiscover what it is they need to tellme.

ORACLEA tree? Ah. You have seen the past.

DARTHBut it felt like it was happening asi was seeing it...

ORACLEThe past was happening as you wereseeing it. And you have remembered itwith such vividness that you know itto be real.

DARTHSo... Are you saying the cave didcollapse?

ORACLE

What i am saying has not yet beensaid. I know which cave you saw. Ibelieve it still remains. But the

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inhabitants are long dead, i believe.

DARTHHave you seen them?

ORACLEYes. They never left the cave, but

they have visited dreams. They havevisited you. If their memories arecalling, you must go to them.

DARTHThat's what i thought. So...wherewould this cave be?

ORACLEThe way to the cave is through therock.

DARTHPardon?

ORACLEThe rock has openings. Water flowsthrough, feeding...the tree. I am notsmall enough to get through. And Icannot leave this place. You...are notdestined to stay here. And...what youseek lies through the rock.

DARTHWhich way is it?

ORACLEUp the stair, across the cave, behindthe ka-moolgu, down the chatka, anddirectly to the last piece of yourpuzzle...

DARTH(nodding like he knows)

Good.

The Guide smiles as his new friend puts on his coat.

GUIDEYou want to go right now?

DARTHCan we?

GUIDESome rest might be good. We will bewalking for several days.

Darth puffs out a breath, realizing how heavy his coat isbecoming.

DARTHFair enough.

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ORACLEWe can talk. I see something behindyou.

Darth looks quickly. The Oracle doesn't smile.

ORACLE (cont'd)You have something behind you...unfriendly...which is eating throughyou. You have tried to outrun it, yetit is destined to consume you.

DARTHWhat? W...What is it?

ORACLEYou already know.

DARTH...Does it have anything to dowith...me being sick?

ORACLEYour health has been your downfall,has it not?

DARTHSometimes... During the most importanttimes of my life, i suppose. But...ithought it was gone?

ORACLENothing that was, is ever truly gone.

DARTHSo...

ORACLESo you are called, to completesomething...before it catches you.

Darth becomes suddenly tired. He falls on the mattress by thefar wall, going directly to sleep. The Guide walks over and sitsby the Oracle.

GUIDEDo you want me to watch him?

ORACLEYou should stay awake to watch over usboth, my apprentice. He may findsomething he cannot escape which isnot meant for him.

FADE TO BLACK.

BANJO (V.O.)... you were wrong, Francis... Youwere so very wrong...

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FADE IN:

I/E. TENT/ZHERACHNA VALLEY - NIGHT

Banjo is pale. They lay still, gasping for air and sanity. Thetent is slightly open, both men stare out.

FRANCISWhat about?

BANJOThe second time was not easier thanthe first. Quite the contrary, i'mafraid.

FRANCIS

Can you still see the light, old man?

BANJOYes. But there's something smallstanding in front of it.

FRANCISCould it be her?

BANJOPerhaps an apparition.

FRANCIS

Are we dreaming?

BANJODo you want me to pinch you?

FRANCISNo. I believe i am awake. But my headhurts.

BANJOLook.

And the pale glow comes a bit closer, walking slowly around thesilhouette of an edge of rock. They can make out the shape. Hername is ZHERACHNA. There are no words said, both men are beingspoken to in their minds.

FRANCISDefinitely her.

Zherachna kneels ten metres from the tent. She places her handon her stomach, then motions to the men, then to the cave.

They are curious, dazzled and shocked.

Zherachna tilts her head, looking back to the cave. The men nod.

She stands and walks back into the dark green light, as Banjo

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and Francis pass out.

INT. CAVE OF THE LOST ONES - DAY

The Guide leads Darth through the small room covering the top of

the stairs. He points his dim torch to the ground. They enterthe cave and stay near the wall.

There is fog, silhouettes of LARGE CARVED FACES around thewalls, reaching up into the mist. The cave is a giant cylinder.In the BACKGROUND we can vaguely see TWO HUMAN SHAPES sittingback to back, floating high up at the centre.

The Guide leads Darth by the arm. Darth wants to look around.

DARTHGuide. Shine your light around a bit

more.

GUIDEI can't. We cannot stay here.

DARTHWhy not?

GUIDEThose who live here...won't like it.Ask me later. Try to keep the noisedown.

They make their way to a pitch black shadow in the wall behind alarge stone. The Guide goes directly to it and the light and himsoon disappear. Darth swallows his fear and enters the shadow.

INT. TUNNEL ONE/UNDERGROUND - NIGHT

A well carved walkway, the walls close in at odd angles aroundtheir heads and feet.

GUIDEThis path is through the spacesbetween mountains.

DARTHCan we get all the way through?

GUIDEIf the Oracle says we can, we can.Mind your head on this next bit.We're heading northwest at themoment. It should be interesting tosee how much water we get throughhere. I doubt if this is the only way

through, but the Oracle said it wasthe safest.There isn't much warm air moving up

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from down there. But...I swear i cansmell...

DARTHWhat?

GUIDE

Woman.

DARTHDo you have a hormone imbalance orsomething?"

GUIDENo, i...have a good nose. I can smellsuch faint traces of warmth...andthis tunnel is about to get verysmall.

They stand at the top of a thin triangular tube some twokilometers long, going at a 45 degree angle.

DARTHYou've gotta be fucken joking.

GUIDENope.

DARTHI can't go down there.

GUIDE

Whatever happened to not having anyfear? It's a nice slide down, goodangle. There is a nice breeze, soit's connected to the outside-

DARTHWhat if i can't move my arms?

GUIDEYou'll be able to pick your nose inthis one, Darth. Trust the Oracle andyou'll be fine, just like the tunnel.

The Guide ties his pack to his ankle then crawls head first intothe tunnel. The pack follows him down.

DARTHIf the Oracle says it's fine, it'sfine.

GUIDE (O.S.)(hearty laugh)

Haha! A very fast learner!

So in crawls Darth.

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INT. UNDERGROUND ROOM ONE

They emerge in a large space between four massive stones.

The Guide slides gracefully into the strange room with no rightangles. He sets up the light and helps Darth come through.

GUIDEA diamond shaped room. Very nice.

He inflates a large insulated mat and they sit on it and eat alittle energy food.

DARTHDo you mind if i sleep for a while,Guide? I'm stuffed.

GUIDESleeping might tell us whether we're

on the right track or not?

DARTHBut...after what you said about thosepeople...

GUIDEThey are not here. You are probablycloser to the end of the puzzle thanyou ever were. They won't be here.

DARTHI'll believe you if you grab me a

blanket. Doesn't this place worryyou?

GUIDEWhy should it?

DARTHWell it's a pretty shitty place toend.

GUIDEIs it? I find it fairly peaceful.Yes, it would be nasty to be pinnedif one of the tunnels shrink aroundus, but we won't have much choice inthe matter, so let's only worry aboutit if it happens. Are you scared ofthis place, Darth?

DARTHNo. Not really. Maybe at thebeginning. But now...i treat it likeit's an unmoving path which will notbe upset by my little footsteps...

The Guide smiles.

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I/E. TENT/ZHERACHNA VALLEY - DAY

Banjo wakes with Francis standing outside the tent.

FRANCISMorning, laddie.

BANJOAre we alive?

FRANCISLooks that way.

BANJOFrancis, did we have a conversationwith the apparition of a naked womanlast night?

FRANCISIndeed we did.

BANJOAnd...did she say anything aboutcreating...babies?

FRANCISIndeed she did.

BANJOI see.

FRANCISShall we go for a stroll?

BANJOYeah.

(exit tent quickly, holdsGPS)

We should tell them where we are andwhat's happening.

FRANCISWhy not? But I don't really fancymore abusive correspondence. If theydon't hear any more from us, at leastthey'll know where we last were.

They leave most of the gear in the tent. Banjo types as theywalk, hitting send then throwing the GPS in the carry bag.

I/E. ZHERACHNA CAVE ENTRANCE - DAY

Banjo and Francis see Zherachna sitting with her back to theentrance. They stop to admire the strong muscular lines beneath

the pale skin.

ZHERACHNA (V.O.)

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What you see is only a shell. Insidethere are many, yet all have the faceof one...

BANJOShe can speak English. And very welltoo, i might say.

Francis moves forward, carrying equal amounts of hesitation andcuriosity.

FRANCISPerhaps we could introduce ourselves.Um, i am Francis, this-

She turns. Francis stops talking. She remains seated, focusingher dark eyes on the pair. They try to be gentlemen and look ather face.

ZHERACHNAI know who you are. You told me...

They give each other a quick look of incomprehension.

ZHERACHNAI am alone. There are many things youneed to see. But you must trust me.Ban-jo. I see something in you whichi have never known. You call it...fear.

BANJO

(shiver)What?

ZHERACHNAWhy are you so...afraid?

BANJOI'm only human, y'know. This takes abit of getting used to, all thisrunning around chasing ghosts...whoturn out to be real.

ZHERACHNAI am as real as you. We need you.

BANJO(shiver again)

FRANCIS(moving closer)

We? Are there more people here?

ZHERACHNAPee-pull?

(turns to them)

No. Not like us. But there are...others.

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Banjo pulls Francis away from close proximity to Zherachna.

BANJOFrancis...what sort of others couldshe mean?

FRANCIS

Banjo, don't be-

The woman stands quickly, ever so gently frightening the two bigtough men. She moves closer to them, neither touching them norraising her arms.

ZHERACHNAIt rises again in you. Fear. Wheredoes it come from?

BANJOI... Old memories, maybe. From

childhood. They just stay with me.Maybe fear is a tool we use forsurvival... I have no fear of you,though...

ZHERACHNANot even...a little?

Banjo returns the gaze. Then he falls, unconscious. Franciscatches him as he falls, then drags him just inside the cavemouth.

FRANCIS

He loses oxygen and has to rest for awhile.

...taking a little air mattress out of the small pack, unrollingit, letting it inflate itself...

BANJOHe might sleep for an hour or two.

ZHERACHNAAn hour...?

FRANCISA, er, measurement of time. Um, can iask you a lot of questions?

...puts Banjo on mattress,the little thermal blanket over him.

ZHERACHNAYes, Fran-cis. I have some questions,also.

They stand close to each other.

FRANCIS

We don't remember telling you ournames.

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ZHERACHNAYou did not need to tell me. Ihave...ears.

FRANCISYou heard us talking together?

ZHERACHNAYes. I found you and...followed you.When i was certain of you, i let youbecome aware of me. Now you are here,and i must ask you what your answerwill be.

FRANCISAh. Yes. Did you say...somethingabout children?

ZHERACHNA

Yes, Fran-cis

FRANCISAnd...your question was,essentially...about our...sperm?

ZHERACHNASpe-e-errm. Yes.

FRANCIS(jocular)

Um. Well, i'd gladly offer you mine.I just - ahhaha - have to know what

you plan to use them for.

ZHERACHNAThey will feed what is inside me.

FRANCIS(totally serious)

Wh... What is inside you?

ZHERACHNAYes.

FRANCISI mean what do you have inside you?

ZHERACHNA(point inside cave)

Them.

They both turn to the million year old willow in the back of thecave, the naked branches only have tufts of shimmering emeraldgreen foliage at their ends. And there were things hanging offthe shiny branches...

Francis has to investigate. Slowly walking to the tree...

FRANCISCoccoons! That's what they are. But

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bugs, butterflies, birds or bats? Ohdear lord, let me guess...

Close shot of Francis, taking in the branches above him as hemoves closer. He looks up the mighty trunk, not for a momentworried about the fact that he is surrounded from above by thebranches.

FRANCISHmmm. The bark glows like rice paper,and it looks like the roots found afew alloys to bond with.

(sniff)Strange aroma... Very nice work. Butthose pods...

Then his paranoia notices its vulnerable position.

FRANCIS (cont'd)

Stand away from the tree, laddie. Nosense taking the chance of gettingsplattered before finding the answersto the riddle.

He moves back, halting beyond the branches next to Zherachna

FRANCISWhat are they?

ZHERACHNAThe things hang-ing from the tree?

FRANCISYes.

ZHERACHNAThe things hang-ing from the treewill hatch, fall-ing to the ground.Some parts will shred, creating legsand...fin-gers. Once...mo-men-tum isfound, it crawls to the waiting form,usually...pe-pole, quietly sitting onthe cave floor...

(sadly turn away)They give of themselves, so that wemay live.

DREAMSCAPE - ZHERACHNA CAVE

Elder on ground being eaten by spiders!

CUT TO:

Francis shakes himself and nearly falls over.

CUT TO:

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INT. TUNNEL THREE

The guide drops his gear on the angled floor of the curvedtunnel in front of a smooth, small opening.

GUIDE

Righto Darth, you take this end ofthe rope and tie it to our packs.I'll go in and check it out.

DARTHWhat happens if it leads nowhere?

GUIDE(examining entrance)

It's been used recently.

DARTH

By who?

GUIDEDon't know, but they're not biggerthan us. The slight phosphorescenttints in some places have been wornaway.

DARTHAny claw marks?

GUIDEGood question. Can't see any. I've

been looking...

DARTHHey, i can see the end of it.

GUIDEGreat. How can you tell?

DARTHA dark patch in the shadows...

GUIDEWe may be coming up on another ofthese cathedrals. These mountains arelittered with large spaces.

DARTHI hope we don't see any of the...inhabitants.

GUIDE(homourless)

If we do...i'll use the light, but iwon't shine it directly at them.

The guide goes hands-first down the gentle tube.

DARTH

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Hey guide.

GUIDE (O.S.)Yep.

DARTHI've been looking at the marks at the

opening.

GUIDE (O.S.)What do you find?

DARTHI reckon there's been a lot of watergoing through over the years. Anddraining out your way.

GUIDE (O.S.)What makes you say that?

DARTHSmooth curves from debris getting...

(turns nervously)... washed through the tube, orshattered outside it...

GUIDE (O.S.)Very observant.

DARTHYeah, but, when we left your place...it was after a gigantic rainstorm...

which means there will be water-

GUIDENow don't get paranoid until you needto.You noticed those big balls ofgranite in the last cathedral?

DARTHYeah.

GUIDEI'd say we are in part of a fuckinggreat washing machine.

DARTH(smirk to self)

Diiing. Mountain laundry. Hello?

Suddenly the Guide grunts, the rope goes taut, dragging Darthinto the entrance, but he braces himself and leans backconfidently, staying in position and trying to be calm.

DARTHY' alright? Guide? Are you okay?

GUIDE (O.S.)Yep. Good rope work Darth. I think we

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found the cathedral. Just let me getsome breath back.

DARTHRighto. The rope's holding. Is thetunnel unsafe?

GUIDE (O.S.)Only the last bit. Can you hear that,Darth?

DARTHNot a thing.

GUIDE (O.S.)Groaning... It could be the mountainmoving.

INT. ZHERACHNA CAVE ENTRANCE - DAY

Banjo wakes, lays still to get his bearings.

BANJO(to self)

Okay. I'm alright. They are overthere by the...glowing tree. Right.So she's still naked and his bodylanguage is telling me something.Damn i'm hungry. Where's thatchocolate?

Sits up quickly. His brain remains laying down. The body isquickly dragged back.

Francis runs to Banjo, Zherachna follows slowly

ZHERACHNAHe does not live as you do.

FRANCISNo, he is a little bit more...delicate. But we have been through alot together. I know he can survive.

ZHERACHNASurvival is a good thing. Do youthink we will survive?

FRANCISIndividuals die. Societies continueand evolve.

ZHERACHNAWe are a...so-ci-ety. We are smallernow...

FRANCISYou will need to rebuild. Can your

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friends be carried safely from here?

ZHERACHNAThey cannot leave the tree...

FRANCISCan you?

ZHERACHNA(stands beside Francis)

If i leave, they have no one at allto be with.

FRANCISThey have each other.

ZHERACHNABut all of them feel the same things.They each know the senses of those

who wander from the tree. They senseit all together. They have lived withus because we make each otherstronger.

FRANCISBut aren't you people justreceptacles for their young? Youdon't really have a say in yourlives, do you? They have beenevolving you for so long...

ZHERACHNA

...No. We came here when we heardthem call. We listened to what theyhad to say. Those who did not want tostay with us did leave. The restbegan learning the ways of theancient creatures.I am the product of my...an-ces-try.I remember my past and do not fear myfuture. But i have never thought ofbeing without...them. If i go too farbeyond...i will lose them forever.

FRANCIS(stand, look to tree)

So you do know fear.

As he stands, he reaches up to touch her hip. He had taken hisgloves off to help Banjo, so his skin touches hers. A gentletouch but his hand is caught in some kind of magnetism. He can'tmove his hand. It seems to be burning into her, she inhalesslowly, shuddering, arching her back...speaking a mantra...

Heat escapes, draws him in. He can't scream, he has no air.

INT. TUNNEL FOUR

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Light makes a silhouette of a tense man sitting on the edge.Can't see anything beyond except fractured end of tunnel and agreat open space.

GUIDEBreathing. Living things breathing.

DARTHAre you going to shine your torchdown?

GUIDEUm... I don't want to.

DARTHOkay. How can we find a path acrossor...down?

GUIDE

I... I have to shine my light around.

DARTHAh. A no win situation.

GUIDEYep. Here goes.

INT. CATHEDRAL TWO

The Guide shines his torch around slowly, not wanting to look

down. The upper walls of the cathedral are like a gothic castle,rippling and twisting in solid waves, all helping to balance...the enormous round thing which makes the roof.

GUIDEThis was once one big slab, but a biground thing split it open and ranfractures down the walls, lettingwater run in. Ball drops a bit moreand seals this room off, except forlittle tunnels.

(to self)Floods? Do they come in and help themountains collapse? Or are they moreuseful for the traveller?

DARTHWhat?

GUIDEI'm coming back.

INT. TUNNEL THREE

They sit and prepare some ropes and pulleys and a few otherdevices.

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GUIDEThe far wall is about four metresaway, but it widens out a fair waybelow. The opening we are looking foris easy to see. I can scale round,attach a rope and swing you across.

DARTHOkay, that's fine. Did you look down?Did you see what was breathing?

GUIDEUm. No.

DARTHWhy not?

GUIDE

Because i don't want to see.

DARTHSo you don't want me to look either?

GUIDEWhat you do with your light and yourconscience is up to you.

DARTHFair enough.

The Guide attaches a small transceiver to Darths helmet,

switching on his unit then turning away.

GUIDEHey there sports fans, and welcome tothe competitive game of climbing inholes for fun. Does that work?

DARTHYeah fine!

GUIDEOw. No need to yell. These things arepretty sensitive.

INT. TUNNEL THREE/FOUR

The Guide crawls out into the cathedral. Darth braces himselfagainst the tunnel mouth.

GUIDE (INTERCOM)Yep. You can see where water has comeout of a couple of other cracks. Outand down, wearing away at a few other

tubes by the looks of the far wall.Just going round a fairly large tubeno-

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Nothing on the line, not even breathing.

DARTHGuide? What's happening?

INT. CATHEDRAL TWO

Guide clutches the rope, having a wide-eyed, slow breathingmoment of contemplation while hanging from the wall.. Left ofscreen is a jagged crevice which we can't see into. But there issomething softly...breathing in there.

GUIDE(softly)

...i'm alright.

DARTH (INTERCOM)What happened? Guide?

GUIDEJust a little slip. I'll get going ina second.

DARTH (INTERCOM)You sure?

GUIDEYep

(to self)

You'll never believe me...

DARTH (INTERCOM)Never believe what?

GUIDEI'll tell you later.

He takes out the little pen size camera on a string around hisneck. Slowly holding it out from the crevice, he shuts his eyesand hits the button. Instantly the breathing becomes loudergurgling.

GUIDEOh shit. They're not happy.

DARTH (INTERCOM)Who isn't? Shit!

GUIDEWhat's up, Darth?

DARTH (INTERCOM)There is water seeping in to thischamber. Not fast...but i reckon it's

not going to stop.

Guide looks to see an increasing trickle falling from the end of

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TUNNEL FOUR.

GUIDEO-kay.

The Guide braces himself, finds the hold just below the creviceentrance.

GUIDENow or never.

(deep breath)

Almost casually he swings an arm out, grabs the first hold,swings a second to grab the next, and within three breaths he ison the ledge and checking the rock. He decided to move quickly.

GUIDEI'm across.

DARTHAny problems?

GUIDENo. Do you think the water is stillrising?

DARTHDefinitely

GUIDEOkay. Hook the packs on the line andget ready to send them first. I'll be

at the next tunnel in thirty seconds.

INT. CATHEDRAL TWO

Guide at entrance to TUNNEL FIVE, PACKS moving quickly to him.

DARTHOh shit, i have very cold flood watercoming in above the ankles.

GUIDEThen swing on up and slide on down!

INT. TUNNEL FOUR/ CATHEDRAL TWO

Darth moves head-first, water flows through quicker.

DARTHGuide, pull like a maniac! Water'scomin'!

The sudden water pressure pushes Darth out and he bounces intothe far wall before dropping into darkness.

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He falls two metres and hangs suspended upside down, threemetres from the floor of the cathedral, water gushing from thetunnel exit. The light from his helmet illuminates the floor.

He looks in shock at the things. Wormlike, squat, conical headsand blind, opaque eyes turning from the light.

DARTH(mutter)

They've already seen the light.

The guide silently hauls him up as he watches ten thousandlitres of water make a lake at one corner of the cathedral, thenslowly begin to drain away through the cracks.

The things moan and writhe among the decaying corpses, somebroken on the journey into the cathedral, some partially eatenby their comrades in darkness. They have no arms, only scrawnylittle legs and strange beaks with long tongues...

GUIDEDarth, i think i've discovered thereason for their blindness. Turn offyour light and look up.

The moaning softens. Darth leans from the tunnel mouth.

Above them is a faint sliver of light in the rock.

DARTHI can see it. Pretty faint. How couldthat blind them?

GUIDEI have the feeling it's morning,Darth. Change your cloth's and dryoff. Then let's eat and test atheory.

DARTHI don't much feel like eating for afew months, Guide. The smell isputting me off.

Guide pulls a small jar from his pack.

GUIDEHere. Put this on your top lip. It'llcover the smell.

INT. ZHERACHNA CAVE - DAY

Francis wakes by the small fire, only his bemused face exposed.Banjo places some food beside him.

BANJOMornin' buddy.

(distant stare, holding up

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little piece of silver bark)Isn't it amazing how this petrifiedbark burns so well?

FRANCISDid that just happen?

BANJOWhich bit?

FRANCISI touched her... Where did she go?

BANJOYou're not going to believe this.

FRANCISI will if it's the truth, old fellow.

BANJOYou were wrong again.(shiver)

FRANCISDid she...?

BANJO(pained)

Oh yeah. I was... I was awake again,and you were asleep on the dirt, so iput you on the mattress and tuckedyou in... Ate something. Then i went -

slowly - to have a look around.Stretch my legs. She was over by thatother wall on the left of the tree.Looked like it caved in a long timeago. I went closer. She was there,kneeling in front of the collapse.Moaning. All of a sudden i gotworried, thinking she was going toscream. Then i calmed down and put myhands over my ears.

FRANCISGood thinking.

BANJOThanks. But it wasn't... It wasn'tenough. Being outside the cave wasone thing. Being in it...is somethingi can't explain. Except to saythat...I didn't let fear get to me.

FRANCISWell done Banjo. What happened afterthe scream?

BANJOI woke up on my knees, looking at thecollapse, and she was nowhere to be

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found.

Francis moved around in the bed, finding an unexplainedirritation. He pulls his hand from the blanket.

BANJO(slight smile)

Oh, and i bandaged your hand before iwent wandering.

FRANCISWhat happened to it?

BANJOBurnt. Scalded fairly badly. What didyou do?

FRANCISNow you're not going to believe me.

BANJOTry me, Francis. My story isn't over,but tell me how you wounded yourself.I can't figure anything out at themoment.

From the tree we hear the soft voices of Banjo and Francis inthe background. One of the pods on the tree begins to vibrate...

INT. CATHEDRAL TWO - DAY

PAN DOWN from thin light beams in ceiling, to the pair asleep inthe entrance to tunnel five.All around is the sound of running water and moaning creatures.

Guide wakes, looks about then wakes Darth, who immediatelyfrowns in disgust at the smell.

GUIDETheory proved. It looks like they aretrapped in this area until the floodwaters lift them up to these largertunnels where they can escape.

DARTHSo we have to expect them ahead ofus?

GUIDENot for a while. The floods won't bebig enough yet. We will be out ofhere long before they are.

DARTHSo can we go now?

GUIDEI think it's a good idea.

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EXT. HIMALAYAN HIGHLAND VALLEY - DAY

Zherachna walks around in the snow, searching...

INT. ZHERACHNA CAVE - DAYA soft thump on ground.

The two men turn from their conversation. They stand and walk tothe tree, watching the ground between the little pools.Something gently shakes its thin tentacles out, then slowlypushes its bloated body up.

BANJO(sarcastic)

A tree of spiders. Tee-rrific.

It walks like an arachnid, with its four pairs of knees raisedhigh above the body. It wobbles along, only having to worryabout the larger rocks in its way.

BANJOIt doesn't look well.

FRANCISNewborns are like that.

BANJO

And it is getting closer.

FRANCISMmmm.

BANJOCan you see any fangs or stingingdevices?

FRANCISUm... No. I don't believe so. But theclaws might be fairly tough...

They move apart in expectation of a surprise attack. Banjo hashis boots on, ready to crush the thing.

The spider-thing stops and raises its front section, whichrattles and releases a THIN CHIME. The sound resonates in thecathedral, slowly gaining weight. Banjo covers his ears andwalks to the side of the creature. It turns to face him, stillchiming. When it turns back to look at Francis, Banjo raises theboot. The head swings around to Banjo. He holds his boot ready.

FRANCISDon't do it, old man. If it runs

across at you, stomp it. If it jumpsat you, kick it. Otherwise wait andsee.

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BANJOBut i can't be this excited for long,Francis. If i pass out and the thingcomes for me... I know how much youhate violence, Francis.

FRANCISIt's not doing anything, Banjo. Standback.

As he lowers his foot, the creature turns its entire self tohim. The sound intensified as the thing lowered its head.

BANJOIt's gonna strike, Francis.

FRANCISWait. But if that bloody noise keeps

going, i'm going to stomp on it,myself.

Zherachna walks quietly into shot near Francis.

ZHERACHNAOh. You are preparing...break-fast?

BANJONo thanks, we just ate.

She stops and frowns, looking from the men to the spider.

They raise their eyebrows with horror, shaking their heads atthe insectoid.

ZHERACHNAIt felt you were in need of...nutrition. It gives itself to you.

FRANCISYou mean it wants us to eat it?

ZHERACHNAYes.

She casually wanders over beside the spider, reaches down toplace her hands on the front two sections, then gently pulls thecreature apart. The chime stops. The legs twitch for a fewseconds then fall limp. She offers the head to the men. OnlyFrancis reaches out a hesitant hand.

He watches her skillfully peel away the shell of the midsection,revealing the pink and green interior. The green bits look likeveins. He finds the task quite easy. Soon enough he holds ablob. Banjo watches the woman slide her teeth along the meat,scraping off small bits at a time. She appears to be enjoyingthe experience.

FRANCISHoney.

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BANJOYes, darling?

FRANCISNo, Banjo, it smells like honey.Here, sniff.

BANJO(drawn out hesitation)

You're right, it is very like honey.But what does it taste like?

FRANCIS(smile and shrug)

Trust it.

After calmly eating most of what he was holding, Francis feelswoozy and sinks cheerfully to the ground.

FRANCISHa! Fermented, i think.

Soon enough he is in a dream.

INT. DREAMSCAPE/ZHERACHNA CAVE - NIGHT

The cave is not the same. There is a tribe living in it. NoBanjo. Francis stands before the tree, it fills the screen.

FRANCIS...These are the memories of thetree, told to the spider, given tothe DNA to remember until it finds abrain that can translate it... Pain.It is going to show me...pain. Thepain of eternally growing in aconfined space...Don't get worried, man. It's only adream! Just watch. And wait. No fear.

His body-mind walks around the cathedral. The tree has a lot ofpods hanging from it. But the wall behind it is different. Awedge is open in the solid stone, making a rectangular entrancesome ten metres wide, four high and thirty deep. Like the wholerock had tipped back, splitting but not collapsing. The uppersection merges with another huge slab, keeping the tension onthe roof.

FRANCISLooks stable enough. Hmm, i didn'tnotice the people sleeping in there.And who is that?

Zherachna kneels five metres from the wedge, watching those

asleep, at conversation or mating. A peaceful scene. Francisstands beside her.

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FRANCISSo you saw it happen?

ZHERACHNA(not turning)

Yes. I see it every day. The treesees it every day. The tree sees what

remains.

FRANCISOf them?

ZHERACHNAYes.

FRANCISWhen will it happen?

ZHERACHNA

(sadly turns)Unexpectedly.

They watch a while longer. These creatures are so peaceful, butknowing they are about to meet their doom is like...

FRANCIS(to self)

Like waiting at an intersection for acar to swerve out of control and...No, i don't want to think like this.I can't get too emotional about it,otherwise i might lose control of

everything. But, damnit, i wishsomething would happen! Even though idon't, because i think i know whatwill...

Children play in the trees, running nimbly across thebranches... stopping a small kind of bat from chewing at thepods.

FRANCISSo that's how they got exercise: Sexand protecting the spiders. Look atthe way the kids move betweenbranches. And the wood hardlymoves...

Suddenly a LIGHTNING FLASH ignites the entrance to thecathedral. The children run for the shelter in the slab. No morelightning. All is still.

Francis looks to the far left corner of the opening. There issomeone using a stone tool to chip away bits of...flint from theupper slab. The elder turns back to his chipping. After thesecond tap, a small square falls from the ceiling, followed bytwo small splinters which open a tiny fracture in the upper

rock. The stone-cutter grunts at the tiny fracture, leaningcloser to it.

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Francis hears a SOFT CRACKING SOUND. It stop. Some of the peoplelook around. There comes another sound, slightly louder. Morepeople awake.

It all takes about four seconds.

The upper section of the wedge moves down, closing itself from

back to front. Those standing have their heads knocked forwardbut the rock catches their feet and crushes them, all the way tothe head. Those who are sleeping are spared the agony.

The wedge slams shut. Two torso's are left half hanging. Onetorso tries to bend up to show his calm face to the woman. Butthe best he can do is raise his head, so she can just see hiseyes. He writhes out of focus, snakelike and in pain. Slowly herests forward.

Zherachna watches, gently shaking with grief.

FRANCISPlease don't scream.

ZHERACHNAThere is no need. For this place issadness. This is where i keep it all.My body screams...to callthe...spirits of those in the stone.

FRANCISGhosts?

ZHERACHNA

Life. Chains... of mem-ory. What theyall were...is in the stone, held bythe stone. The memories did notescape. They remain. I scream to helpdraw them to me. It hurts, but i cantake them in.

FRANCISInto your head?

Francis watches steam float out from her body, moving on anunknown breeze. It sends its tendrils this way and that, slowlymoving nearer to the two half-bodies. They are releasing steamof their own, which makes its way closer-

They touch. Lightning arcs from one torso to the other, makingits way to Zherachna. Each bolt moves towards her body, at thelast instant moving directly up to the eyes. Each time sheshudders.

When it all becomes too much for Francis, he covers his eyes

Extreme closeup on Francis' face with closed eyes.


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BANJO (O.S.)Good nosh, then?

Francis lays on the bed, Banjo sitting close to the fire.

FRANCISNot bad...

BANJOI decided not to eat it so i couldwatch over the two of you. She cameout of it quickly, but you took a fewhours longer.

FRANCISEat the meat, Banjo. You might findit enlightening.

BANJO

Why?

FRANCISI think i've figured out another partof the riddle.

TREE fills the screen, shadows play on the walls behind.

Soft voices echo. We look across the closed wall section behindthe tree, passing two not entirely human skeletons, mostlypowdered, wedged in the crack.


Banjo lays back, chewing on the remains of the abdomen he holdsin his hand. Very quickly he is asleep, gentle spasms shakingthrough him.

Zherachna enters, kneeling in panic.

ZHERACHNANo! The creature has to be fresh. Heshould have eaten when we did.

FRANCISWhat? Are you saying it's turned topoison?

ZHERACHNAPoi-son? Yes. It will not make Ban-jowell. He has only had a small amount,but it will affect him.

FRANCISWill he live?

ZHERACHNAWe shall see.

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INT. TUNNEL FIVE

Guide uses the compass, Darth crawls behind.

DARTH

Only one way to go.

GUIDENot necessarily. There is air movingthrough here.

Guide turns to a crack in the wall. Darth crawls close and looksinto the shadow. The guide smiles and drags his pack behind ashe disappears.

DARTHGreat.

(follows tiredly)

INT. ZHERACHNA CAVE - SUNSET

Banjo yawns and sees Francis sitting alone at the entrance. Hequickly drags himself up and cheerfully stretches, then wandersto the entrance.

FRANCIS(turns at the sound)

Ah, the sleeper awakes!

BANJOMuch the better for it, too.

FRANCISYou didn't seem to be suffering.

BANJONo... Is she...?

FRANCIS(points to valley)

Somewhere out there.

BANJOFrancis, we need to talk.

FRANCISI thought you might need to.

BANJOShe... She wants us to give her oursperm...

FRANCIS

Apparently...to fertilize

BANJO

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-or feed-

FRANCIS- the eggs which are already there,inside a sack in her stomach...

BANJO

... which these spider things havehelped humans develop over...

FRANCIS...millions of years, from what i cangather.

BANJOAnd the humans have lived around thishere cave...

FRANCIS

...protected by the locals...

BANJO...and they eat the elder spiders...

FRANCIS...which grow from a tree...

BANJO...after they are taken from the sackin the stomach of the girl in thecave...

FRANCISAnd...she got pregnant because one ofthe spiders crawled...

Neither man wants to complete that sentence. Both shiver.

Zherachna walks from the background, to stand between them,quietly scanning their thoughts.

ZHERACHNAThose on the tree have no name. Theylived before us, using othercreatures to help them live.

BANJOBut that's what bemuses me, y'see,miss. Why, in all this time, haven'tthey gone further than this cave?

ZHERACHNAThe world has changed a lot sincethey were young. They protect theirthoughts because they are delicate.They are not...frightened, but theyare very...cau-tious. Others have

gone far from the cave, but they havenever returned, and we have feltnothing from them. We remained here.

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A shadow sets over the world. Zherachna looks out at thetwilight then walks into the cave to lay by the tree.

BANJO(whispering)

Okay, Francis, you want me to be as

logical as you? Okay, then. To beperfectly honest, i have thought ofsomething pretty nasty which couldvery well be possible.

FRANCISRighto, tell me.

BANJOThey grow their young in a sack inher stomach. Not womb. Stomach. Thismakes me think they can grow their

young in the stomach of...a male.

FRANCIS...Ah.

BANJOYes, aaah. And i find it to be quitepossible - though i stress it doesnot make it likely - that the spidersmight need our juice to give them thestrength to overpower and impregnateus. We would be tired, they would bestronger. They might be able to crawl

up our asses to save cutting us open.

FRANCISBanjo!

BANJOLook, man, we've eaten them. Thembugs is hallucinogenic. They couldtrip us out so we are relaxed andwe...

(looks around suddenly)We wouldn't feel them doing it.

FRANCISAh. And we have been out of it a fewtimes already, haven't we?

BANJOYes.

FRANCISSo, Banjo, you think it is reallypossible they could lay eggs in...us?

BANJOI do. They might need an enzyme orDNA piece from the female, then they

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put that into us... They could workout how to do it. They know how to dothings...instinctively...

FRANCISAre you afraid of them?

BANJONo. Not as afraid as i could be.

FRANCISSee, old man, you are becomingstronger.

BANJO(smirk)

But...you want to...donate...don'tyou?

FRANCISI can't stop myself.

BANJOShe might be drawing you towards therocks with her syren song.

FRANCISShe needs...companionship.

BANJOWell bring her to Malibu. I'm sureshe'd love it.

FRANCISShe can't leave. Not just yet.

BANJOWhy not?

FRANCISShe has some collecting to do.

BANJOWhat? Butterflies?

FRANCISNo. Souls.

Banjo lowers his head and breathes slowly.

BANJOAlright, i won't ask you to explainthat.So she does her collecting, you get ashag, I sit back and see if you beginto gestate. How's that for a plan?

FRANCISSounds good to me.

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BANJOYou look nervous. You a bit worriedabout performance?

FRANCISNo at all. I'm worried about...flammability.

BANJOThe same thing that burnt your hand?

FRANCISIndeed. Imagine what she could do tomy...

Both men grimace.

FRANCISShe keeps the heat in. But when i get

near, she lets a little bit out. Whenthe climactic moment arrives...imight be connected to that heat.Like lightning... And if i can't getout in time...

BANJOFrancis. Please don't ask me to pullyou off a woman in mid stroke!

FRANCISHa! Even though it might come tothat.

BANJOWell i will say you got a lottaspunk.

Francis grins.

INT. ZHERACHNA CAVE - NIGHT

Zherachna uses a stick to draw pictures in the dirt.

ZHERACHNAThis is me. This is where the youngare. These are...ten-tacles. These gofrom the sac that protects the young,to the place where you enter me and-

FRANCISYes, um, what i want to know is howyou know all this. And how can you dosomething like this picture?

ZHERACHNA

I do it because you can do it. Iwatch your...thoughts. I learn how.Pictures are good for play and

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information. And you do goodpictures.

FRANCISThank you, but...how-

ZHERACHNA

I can see your thoughts. Those on thetree...spi-ders as you call them,they taught me. They taught all ofus...

She looks sadly to the place where the cave roof fell in.

LATER:Soft groaning

Banjo wakes quietly, alone and listening. He kneels, puts somebark on the fire, then goes to investigate the noise.

He looks over a boulder on the right of the tree.

Zherachna lays on Francis, neither move much...except for theoccasional ripple which moves their bodies in unison...andgentle gasps.

Banjo tries to look away but can't.

BANJO(to self)

Doesn't look so bad.

He goes off to use the GPS device to send a message.

EXT. ZHERACHNA CAVE ENTRANCE - NIGHT

Clear skies. Banjo sits on a rock using one ungloved hand topress the keys. He soon stares disbelievingly at the littlescreen.

BANJOSeven days? I can only rememberthree... Or is it four?

CUT TO:

INT. ZHERACHNA CAVE - NIGHT

By the fire Banjo waits with the GPS beside him. Francis limpsover and sits heavily, taking a fruit bar and gnawing itheartily.

FRANCIS

What news, Banjo?

BANJO

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We've been missing for a week.

FRANCISA week? Really?

BANJOMmm. They are sending someone to come

get us, but it will take a couple ofdays.

FRANCIS(uninterested)

Really?

BANJOMmm. So. What was it like?

FRANCISCan you give me time to wake up

first?

BANJOAlright.

(beat)Are you awake yet?

FRANCISIt was fabulous! Alright? I had to dopractically nothing- not even move myarms. She drove the bus all the wayhome.

(sit up, slap knees)

Well look at that. I'm sounding likeyou, Banjo.

BANJOVery funny. So nothing melted?

FRANCISOnly my fears and hesitation.

BANJOSo you will be doing it again soon?

FRANCISPerhaps. Maybe you should have aturn...

BANJOI can't believe we are talking aboutusing this totally innocent woman inthis way.

FRANCISNow you're talking like me!

BANJO

Again, very amusing. But i can't evenbring myself to look her in the eye.

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FRANCISYou don't have to. She wants what youhave.Giving it to her requires no efforton your part, and you will get aNirvana experience for your trouble.

BANJOI don't know if Nirv-

FRANCISIt's a state of mind, Banjo.

BANJOSo's the food.


Francis watches Zherachna's stomach. Something moves within. Heis as fascinated as any parent. He strolls out, leavingZherachna laying on the bed beneath the tree.

CUT TO:

INT. HUT OF THE ORACLE - DAY

She stands at the door, looking to the clear sky. She can seesomething troubling...

I/E. ZHERACHNA CAVE ENTRANCE - DAY

Banjo sits outside the cave, looking down one of the littlerivers of snow. He has a look of horror on his face.

Francis walks up, sees the expression, and immediately shedssome of his happiness.

FRANCISSo what kind of bad news is it?

BANJOI sent a message out...while you werebusy. The reply said the tracking isgiving a false reading.

FRANCISTelling them we're somewhere else?

BANJOYes. The people who went to rescueus...were dropped on the side of a

mountain. They couldn't see us.They were on top of...a hugeunderground cavern... which caved-in,

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throwing all of them down two hundredmetres...buried in rock and snow...All dead. They say they are notlaunching any more rescue parties forus until they sort out the problem.

FRANCIS

Fair enough, i suppose.

BANJOBut we only have a week at most leftin the batteries. And if the thing isfaulty, i say we keep sendingmessages so they might get a fix onus.

FRANCISIf it's faulty, they never will.

BANJOPlease indulge me, Francis. I amstarting to believe this is all adream...and i want to wake up.

INT. CATHEDRAL FOUR

One candle burns in the small room with rippled walls, leaningin the slight breeze through a seam in the rock. Darth sits nearthe flame, uncomfortable, wrapped in his sleeping bag.

DARTHGuide.

GUIDEMmm?

DARTHI've been trying to make a map in myhead.

GUIDEMmm?

DARTHWe are moving around huge slabs ofrock, aren't we?

GUIDEMmm.

DARTHAnd the huge slabs were once muchlarger, but they've cracked and madesome of these freaky tunnels.

GUIDEMmm.

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DARTHAny greater chance of collapse atthese intersections?

GUIDEMmm...

DARTHCan we go soon? Like in a couple ofhours?

GUIDEMm.

DARTHGood. I really don't want to be stuckin a mountain much longer. Not thatit's a crap mountain... I think it'sa great mountain. It's just that i

need a landscape that doesn't looklike an Escher drawing. Y'know?

GUIDEMmm.

DARTHNice talkin' to ya.

GUIDEMmm.

MONTAGE

INT. ZHERACHNA CAVE - TIME SKIPS

-Banjo sleeps, Francis lays with Zherachna under the tree.

-Francis sleeps, Banjo stands with Zherachna under the tree, hetouches her skin, but they don't do anything more.

-Banjo sits at the entrance, unable to get a signal. And thecompass still isn't working.

-Francis touches Zherachna's stomach, things inside bulge theskin.

-Banjo watches from the shadows as Zherachna and Francis aredoing it under the tree. Banjo sees one or two arachnids movingaround the midsections of the humans, delicately using the frontlegs to gather moisture or...

-GPS device with the words LOW POWER fading slowly.

BANJO (V.O.)It's hardly been any time at all.

FADE TO:

8/6/2019 Zherachna

72/90

EXT. ZHERACHNA CAVE ENTRANCE - DAY

Banjo sits on a large rock fifty metres away from the entrance,holding a pen and note book, reading merrily to himself.

BANJOSo, if this is the last chance i haveto write before our jaunt back acrossthe tableland, i should say what i amabout to do.I am going to tell Francis i want toleave, and by frikken hell, with orwithout him, i'm going to do it.The woman seems to've become heavilypregnant. So soon. But she is notcarrying one baby. And i think theyare not exactly human babies, either.

And Francis seems to want to stay. Iaccept his choice, but i want toleave. So i am going to say so...But, for the moment, i do likelooking at the sky. All this time ina cave has made me love the threewalls of windows at my house thatmuch more...But it's hardly been any time atall...

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. ZHERACHNA TREE - DAY

Zherachna on ground near the tree, Francis kneeling by her,Banjo walks up.

BANJOFrancis, what's going on?

ZHE

Date post:	07-Apr-2018
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Zherachna

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