FADE IN:
EXT.
The camera moves through murky ocean depths, through swaying columns of
seaweed. There is the RASP of underwater breathing along with the release of
bubbles. Two DIVERS in hard yellow pressure suits come into view.
They are loading objects from the sea bottom into a large wire basket
suspended from a cable to the surface. They’re very deep and it's obvious from
the lights on their helmets that they’re working some kind of ship wreck, but we
can't tell what kind of ship it is. One gently lays a large elliptical piece of
polished quartz into the basket.
DIVER
That's got it, skipper. I think that's the piece you were
looking for.
The basket begins to rise into the light, trailing silt as it goes.
EXT. DECK OF THE ARCHEOLOGY SHIP APPREHENSIVE - DAY
Dr. GILBERT ROSS, fifties, grey-hair, tanned, a man of the sea, watches as the
winch cranks the basket out of the water.
TWO DECKHANDS steady the basket down onto the deck of the Apprehensive,
a hundred and fifty foot long research vessel. Deckhand One reaches into the
basket and lifts the heavy lozenge of polished quartz.
DECK HAND ONE
I'd like to solve the puzzle, Vana.
GILBERT ROSS
Bring it.
Behind the doctor, assembled on raised hatch, we see a three-foot tall quartz
pyramid. At each corner of the pyramid is fitted a quartz lozenge exactly like the
one the deckhand is holding.
The other DECKHAND pulls something out of the basket that looks like a huge
burnish bronze helmet with a cruel hawk-like beak.
DECKHAND TWO lowers the helmet down on to his head, it's so huge it could
hold four men's heads.
THE GRIFF 22.
DECK HAND TWO
Must have been hard to fight in this thing.
GILBERT ROSS
Too big for a helmet, probably a ceremonial head
dress, maybe part of a statue.
Ross takes the crystal piece from the Deck Hand and fits it into an empty slot in
the final corner of the pyramid.
Immediately the milky pyramid begins to pulse with light. Ross jumps back.
DECK HAND
Uh-oh. Is that supposed -
GILBERT ROSS
Uh-oh.
DECK HAND
I guess not.
An incredibly intense beam of red light shoots out of the top of the pyramid, into
the sky, through the clouds, and deep into space.
EXT. OUTER SPACE - NIGHT
Space, a black cat with phosphorus dandruff, and there, on the left, is that
familiar blue-green planet. Space shimmers like liquid and a rift opens up in
the blackness to emit a huge triangular ALIEN SHIP.
The bottom of the ship looks like it is covered by liquid metal, mercury perhaps.
As we move in we see that it’s not a single body of metal but thousands and
thousands of metal EGG-LIKE PODS. We hear a young man’s voice -
STEVE (V.O.)
The ship showed up out of nowhere. By the time the
scientists figured out that it wasn't some kind of
asteroid the invasion was already on it's way.
One wave floats away, and the next is extruded from the bottom of the ship.
Wave after wave of them. Totally silent.
As the camera pulls back we see row upon row of the pods, in a long ribbon
that stretches perhaps a thousand miles through space, headed toward the
blue planet.
THE GRIFF 33.
STEVE (V.O.) (cont'd)
They came out of the sky like a rain of meteors and
we had no way to defend against them.
PODS coming through the atmosphere. Layer after layer burning off until the
white fire is gone, then it's yellow, then red. Once the last layer peels off, we
see a dark, pod like shape falling though the night sky.
STEVE (V.O.) (cont'd)
All of our detection and targeted methods depended
on an enemy being in a metal vehicle that produced
a lot of heat. Earth was totally unprepared for an
enemy made of meat.
Suddenly the skin of the pod is not a skin at all, but the huge wings of a
GRIFFIN.
The huge leathery wings open across the night sky like parachutes opening --
reptilian dragonlike creatures the size of mini-vans with the cruel head and
beak of a bird of prey, take wing.
The camera pulls out to see them circling, hundreds of thousands of them,
down on the lights of a familiar city.
INT. COMMERCIAL AIRLINER - NIGHT
Most people on the plane are sleeping. One guy, in a shirt and tie, is still
awake, working on building an impressive collection of empty miniature liquor
bottles on his tray.
The plane seems to be hitting a little turbulence, and as it jostles he looks out
to see the empty shells of pods streaming through the night sky.
There's a THUMP and we see a griffin land on the wing. There's another
thump from the other side of the plane. Our PASSENGER grabs the FLIGHT
ATTENDANT as she passes.
PASSENGER
There's something out on the wing.
FLIGHT ATTENDANT
Sir, I assure you that -
She looks out.
THE GRIFF 44.
FLIGHT ATTENDANT (Cont'd)
-- fuck, there's something out on the wing.
PASSENGER
Told you.
There is a terrible RENDING SOUND and a huge claw comes ripping out of the
overhead luggage compartment. Wind rushes out of the plane as it
depressurizes. ALARMS sound, oxygen masks drop, people are ripped out of
their seats.
EXT. COMMERCIAL AIRLINER - NIGHT
Two griffins perch on either side of a ragged hole in the the top of the airliner,
their claws dug into the aluminum of the skin.
One watches a body as it is sucked out of the opening. The airliner trails off
screen, headed for the ground, leaving us with a nice view of a storm of griffins
descending through the night sky on Los Angeles.
EXT. CLEAR BLUE SKY - DAY
The Griff descend on Earth in numbers of Biblical proportions. The skies are
littered with the remnants of the spent alien shells suspended high in the
stratosphere.
INT. NORAD MILITARY BUNKER - COLORADO - DAY
Advance early warning systems trigger world-wide. Complete chaos as
military men scramble within the confines of the impressive state-of-the-art
communications room.
Two RADAR SPECIALISTS rise out of their seats. The screens before them
are impossibly cluttered with moving targets. The CHIEF PETTY OFFICER
behind them paces, a telephone pressed to his ear.
CHIEF PETTY OFFICER
Give me a goddamn target!
The Radar Specialists are befuddled -
RADAR SPECIALIST
The sky!
THE GRIFF 5. 5.
EXT. U.S. AIRFORCE BASE - DAY
GROUND CREWS rush to help PILOTS into their F-15 fighter jets. An unnatural
shadow spreads across the tarmac with the arrival of the overwhelming griff
invasion.
The first jets ignite their powerful thrusters, gaining speed on the runway. They
smash into and through the curtain of griff. Chunks of reptilian body parts
bounce off the runway.
The jets flip and spin out of control, crashing. They cannot take off safely. The
skies are too congested with Griff.
CONTROLLER
Abort take-off! Repeat, abort take off!
In one of the grounded planes -
INT. F-16 FIGHTER PLANE - SAME
The PILOT flips off the safety for his sidewinder missiles. He turns his plane
among the griff landing on the tarmac.
He thumbs the red button on his control stick. Two missiles ignite and
separate from the plane’s wings.
They streak past the griff and explode into the distant hillside. The pilot’s
mouth drops open in realization.
F-16 PILOT
Fuckin things don’t give off enough heat to attract our
missiles.
The plane rocks under the weight of a griff landing on the nose. It ROARS at
the pilot and rips off the canopy.
EXT. SEA WORLD FLORIDA - DAY
An outdoor stadium ensconcing an oval aquarium where Shamu, the killer
whale performs. A crowd of about a thousand people watches, rapt.
LIZ, early thirties, is an athletic woman in a black and orange wet suit. She
confidently rides the whale’s nose as it cuts through the turquoise water.
Liz is the senior whale trainer at Sea World. She’s a babe.
THE GRIFF 66.
ANNOUNCER
How about a big round of applause for Shamu and
Liz...
Liz circles the enormous pool on Shamu to great APPLAUSE.
Mottled shadows appear on the audience in the stands. A heavy-set TOURIST
casually looks up expecting to see a passing cloud. She SCREAMS.
Thousands of Griff rain down from the skies. People grab children, stampede
toward exits.
The first Griff lands, plucking a SECURITY GUARD from the crowd.
Liz watches awestruck from her foothold on Shamu’s nose. She looks up in
time to see the massive taloned feet of a Griff barrelling toward her.
Before she can summon the breath to scream, the orca intentionally bucks her
off.
The great whale rockets out of the water -- intercepting the diving griff in its
powerful jaws.
The griff SCREECHES horribly. Shamu lands back in the water with the impact
of a school bus -- the Griff still in its mouth.
Underwater, blood clouds from the dead Griff. The killer whale releases the
lifeless body and circles back for its trainer, Liz.
Holding her breath, Liz grabs onto the whale’s dorsal fin and hitches a ride
through an underwater chute into an adjacent holding pen.
A griff flaps its powerful wings just above the surface of the pool. It SQUAWKS
in frustration, unable to get at Liz through the water.
INT. SEA WORLD HOLDING PEN - DAY
Liz breaks the surface with the whale. They’re safe for the moment inside the
windowless industrial marine mammal care facility.
Muffled SCREAMS from outside soon come to an end. Liz struggles to the
edge of the pool and hoists herself from the water. She shakes in abject terror
and confusion.
THE GRIFF 7. 7.
EXT. POLICE STATION - DAY
Dozens of griff touch down like Satan’s own parachutists. Cars crash as
drivers panic to avoid them. The griff SCREECH and ROAR. One of them sees
the Police Station. They methodically surround it.
INT. POLICE STATION - DAY
A griff stalks down the hallway of the POLICE STATION. Cops shoot at it,
bullets sparking off its armor-like chest. The cops soon run out of ammo and
flee for their lives.
Their escape is cut short as the hallway behind them is filled by the hulking
form of another Griff. It narrows its yellow eyes in anticipation of a feast.
EXT. PACIFIC OCEAN - DAY
An impressive battle ship is under siege. KLAXONS sound, SAILORS charge
to their battle stations Anti-aircraft guns pound the sky. Still, the Griff come.
Missiles are launched. They do little good.
Soon, the ship is taken. The Griff roam the massive boat, level by level. A
smattering of useless GUNFIRE and terrified screams are all that greet them.
STEVE (V.O.)
Once the military and the cops were gone, the griff
went for infrastructure, starting with fire and safety...
INT. FIRE STATION - DAY
We see a FIRE CREW scrambling to get on their engines, as an ALARM
sounds around the fire house. They pull on their boots, coats, and hats as they
run.
One hits a big red button as he runs into the main engine garage and as the
huge garage doors open they frame four griff, waiting outside.
STEVE
Then communication and medical...
INT. HOSPITAL - INTENSIVE CARE WARD - DAY
Looking through the glass we see a number of DOCTORS and NURSES
gathered around a PATIENT who is connected by dozens of wires and tubes to
various machinery.
THE GRIFF 88.
The double doors to the ward fly open and the safety glass shatters. The DUTY
NURSE dives under the counter.
MEDICAL STAFF scream as they see whatever is coming at the glass of the
care unit. There's the reflection of a very angry griffin in the window as it
shatters.
INT. INTENSIVE CARE WARD - SAME
SCREAMS sound and are cut short. A NURSE appears for an instant, then is
jerked back into the ward. Equipment flies through the windows. Then it's
relatively quiet. The Duty Nurse peeks up over the counter.
A griff is making his way down the hall, wires and tubes trail from both sides of
his mouth. He is dragging several machines, the EKG is still beeping, albeit
rapidly. The patient has obviously been eaten.
There is a loud CRUNCH and the EKG alarm sounds. The Nurse cringes and
turns away, to see the face of another griffin not six inches from her own.
EXT. BUILDING ROOF - DAY
Two griff work together on the roof to bring down a cell tower and
communications array.
STEVE (V.O.)
Before they took out communications,
some newsman called them the Griff, because they
looked like the Griffins from mythology.
EXT. COURTHOUSE - DAY
An on-site REPORTER is frantically talking into a microphone as PEOPLE
stream around him, screaming and looking over their shoulders. Suddenly
there's a shadow descending on the News Man. He’s yanked out of the picture
from above by two huge talons
STEVE (V.O.)
The news guy was griff snacks but the name stuck.
Within twelve hours they had pulled mankind's teeth
and then the hunting began.
THE GRIFF 99.
EXT. SUBURBS - DAY
From high above, we see many Griffins walking through a suburban
neighborhood. One pauses to drink out of a swimming pool.
STEVE (V.O.)
But pretty soon, from what we could find out on CBs,
Short Wave, and the occasional pirate radio station,
the best strategy was to hide, somewhere dark and
too small for the griff to get in.
We see PEOPLE crawling into closets, peeking out of dumpsters -- sewer
pipes, under cars.
INT. BASEMENT - DAY
A FAMILY cowers in the corner of a basement. The father holds a shotgun
ready to fire.
The door at the top of the steps shatters, the walls by the door crack, and a
huge claw comes down onto the top step.
Before they can scream the cellar doors EXPLODE and a Griff is in front of
them in the basement.
The Father fires point blank at the monster’s outstretched wing. The Griff
ROARS in pain, slashes the man with a claw, sending him crashing against
the opposite wall, dead. The griff pauses to lick the shotgun wound as the
family awaits their fate in the background.
STEVE (V.O.) (cont'd)
But even that didn't work that well. It was pretty
obvious that the Griff were out to kill anyone they
could find.
EXT. BROOKLYN BRIDGE - DAY
Griff running over the tops of cars in a traffic jam, tearing through the roofs of
cars. People flee down the bridge and get swooped upon.
EXT. BROOKLYN BRIDGE SUBWAY LEVEL - DAY
Subway cars pile up on the tracks that run beneath the lower level of the
Brooklyn Bridge. Griff storm the shiny aluminum cars, peeling back the side
panels. People SCREAM.
THE GRIFF 1010.
One man manages to escape out a broken window. His name is CURT
ARMSTRONG. With his chiseled good looks and buzz cut he’d look like a
Marine Corps poster boy if it weren’t for his conservative navy blue suit.
Curt leaps onto a support rail and swings himself below the racks. He finds
shelter beneath support beams and remains there.
The other passengers aren't so lucky.
EXT. SOUTH CENTRAL LOS ANGELES - DAY
Heavily armed GANG BANGERS spray a Griff with a relentless barrage of
bullets. The Griff trudges closer as if walking in a really strong wind. The Gang
Bangers drop their weapons and run like hell.
STEVE (V.O.)
Some people chose to fight... but it didn’t do much
good.
VARIOUS WORLD LANDMARK SHOTS -
Empty streets, burning cities. Abandoned cars. The post apocalyptic
landscape.
STEVE (V.O.)
By the time they were done, six billion people were
dead. Earth was a deserted killing field.
Griff atop the Empire State Building... the Eifel Tower... the Taj Mahal... the
Kremlin... along the Great Wall of China... the golden arches of McDonalds...
STEVE (V.O.) (Cont'd)
So that sucked.
EXT. MANHATTAN - DAY
From a Griff’s eye view, the island of Manhattan appears deserted. Cars and
trucks are abandoned sideways on some of the avenues. The only movement
comes from a few old newspapers blowing down the gutter.
Here and there, on the corners of buildings we see Griff perched, watching the
streets for movement.
A chainsaw, KICK-ASS GUITAR RIFF plays quietly in the background. From
behind one griff we see movement in the street below.
THE GRIFF 1111.
The griff turns his head quickly toward the motion and we see that it's a person
-the chain saw riff up -- STEVE (23), in full rollerblading pads and helmet,
hauling ass down the middle of 5th Avenue.
STEVE (V.O.)
But a few of us survived, including your humble
narrator -
First one, then another griffin dive from their perches toward the street, after the
kamikaze blader.
STEVE (V.O.) (cont’d)
-- a darkly handsome, mysterious hero type.
Steve, neither dark nor mysterious but arguably handsome in a surfer dude
kind of way, has a huge can of Campbell's minestrone soup under his arm like
a football. He tears through the remnants of the once great city.
Three Griff are after him. He does a rail slide down a staircase and just as the
griff makes the attack for him he grabs the rail and swings under it. The griff
bounces off of the railing.
A short sprint, Steve cuts through an abandoned Macy’s department store. The
griff takes out all of the glass on the front of the store as it goes through a
display window after him.
Steve rail slides down a disabled escalator, sprints down the isle. A Griff
comes out of the escalator at full speed, hits the tile floor and slides through a
wall.
Steve leaps glass cosmetic counters, goes into a crouch. The griff looks
around, doesn't spot him immediately.
The griff tries to fly in the low ceiling, acoustic tiles flip as his wings beat. His
claws can't get purchase on the tile.
Steve heads for the exit, a revolving door waiting there like God's own home
plate, but wait, another of the griff is there waiting for him.
The griffin outside tries to come through the revolving door and wedges there,
then shakes itself, destroying all the glass in the door, the frame, and
shattering the display windows on either side. The door frame is lodged on it's
back.
THE GRIFF 1212.
At the last second, Steve veers to one side, takes off from a display counter and
catches major air through the newly broken window. The griff shakes the door
frame away and turns.
Steve goes low under a parked truck, and the two closest griffin hit the truck
and bounce back.
Steve is off down the sidewalk, but the griff have recovered and are taking wing.
He'll never outrun them now.
He looks around frantically and heads down the steps of a subway station. The
griff are right behind him now, but once again they are on tile and losing
purchase.
Steve spots a severed sewer pipe in the wrecked subway station and dives into
it at the last second.
INT. SEWER PIPE - SAME
Inside is a MO (Maureen), a tough talking, twenty-something, short-haired Goth
girl in leather pants and knee-high motorcycle boots who's eye make-up has
gone totally raccoon on her. A video game geek's wet dream come true.
MO
Get out. This is my pipe.
The griff are tearing at Steve's heels. A claw catches one of his skates and
slices it off of him, leaving a gash down his ankle.
STEVE
I'm getting eaten here!
The griff are SNARLING furiously, digging at the concrete to get to Steve.
STEVE (cont’d)
I have soup.
Steve holds up his huge can of minestrone to show Mo. Mo puts on her
headphones and appears to be turning away.
STEVE (cont’d)
You're going to listen to tunes?
MO
Down!
THE GRIFF 13. 13.
She swings back around with an M-16, which is leveled right between Steve's
eyes.
MO (cont’d)
I said down!
Steve ducks, she FIRES, the muzzle about five inches over his head. The noise
is devastating. The Griff SCREECHES and starts to take chunks of concrete
out of the pipe with his beak.
STEVE
My ears!
He covers his ears and rolls, then looks back at the griff.
STEVE (cont’d)
Now you've pissed him off.
MO
Come on, asshole.
She takes off her ear protection and starts down the pipe away from Steve.
Mo crawls out of the narrow pipe into a more open conduit, probably a subway
service tunnel. Steve climbs out behind her and limps along on one skate.
STEVE
What? I can't hear anything. I'm deaf.
MO
What were you thinking? Skating down the middle of
the street during the day?
STEVE
I was safe. Full pads. Duh.
Mo turns in disgust and walks away.
STEVE (cont’d)
Wanna hang out?
MO
They'll be circling around this area, trying to block us
off. I've got to get out of here.
THE GRIFF 1414.
Steve limps along, holding up his huge can of soup.
STEVE
Soup...
She pauses.
STEVE (cont’d)
Mmmmmmmm. Soup. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm.
INT. SEA WORLD HOLDING PEN - DAY
Daylight refracts through the underwater chute into the cavernous room. Liz
sits on the edge of the pool, her legs dangling in the water. She’s upset, her
hair tangled and wet.
She strokes the nose of the killer whale. The whale nods its head vigorously
and CHIRPS in whale speak.
LIZ
I know... thank you.
She gently kisses the mammal’s enormous forehead.
Liz finally manages a weak smile and raises herself from the pool’s edge. She
squishes over to the telephone, water streaming from her wetsuit. She lifts the
receiver, the line is dead.
Liz moves to the door, her hand on the industrial lever. She pauses, thinks
better of it and returns to her work area.
She retrieves an enormous tranquilizer gun from a case marked tranquilizer
gun.
She screws a cartridge into place and readies a second. She rummages
through a closet and finds a flashlight.
Gathering her courage, Liz opens the door. She pads quietly out, carefully
closing the door behind her.
INT. SEA WORLD UNDERGROUND TUNNELWAY - DAY
Liz proceeds with a mixture of extreme caution and sheer terror. Each step
could be her last.
THE GRIFF 15. 15.
The scuffle of razor-like talons on the concrete walkway overhead takes her
breath away. She freezes.
The threat seems to pass. She continues, finally comes to a set of stairs. She
ascends in the darkness, a single shaft of daylight lights her way. She shuts
off her flashlight.
Reaching the exit door, Liz cracks it open and peers outside. She gasps
sharply.
Dozens of Griff are perched along various high points across the park. They
keep watch for any kind of activity like gigantic buzzards.
Liz gently closes the door, its latch catching with a CLICK. She quietly heads
back toward the maintenance tunnel.
INT. SEA WORLD COMMISARY - DAY
All is dark. Liz shines her light, its beam sweeping the way before her. Her
fingers rest against the trigger of the tranquilizer gun.
Stainless steel CLATTERS to the floor in the kitchen. Liz’s heart jumps. She
readies her gun.
A flash of dark brown fur catchers her attention. She SCREAMS, fires the gun.
The giant dart hits the concrete wall like a sledge hammer.
VOICE
Fuck!
Liz peers desperately into the darkness. Her flashlight beam falls upon a
middle aged man named OSCAR in a squirrel suit -- thus the brown fur.
His eyes are ringed from sleep deprivation and he has that generally Unhealthy
Guy look about him.
OSCAR
Jesus, lady. You almost killed me.
LIZ
Sorry. I thought...
OSCAR
I know.
THE GRIFF 16. 16.
Still pinned to the wall, Oscar’s fingers fumble around on the floor. He finds
what he’s looking for -- a bent cigarette.
OSCAR (cont'd)
Know what this is?
LIZ
A cigarette?
OSCAR
My good luck charm. Who woulda’ guessed
smoking would save my life?
Liz doesn’t follow.
OSCAR (cont’d)
Up until a few weeks ago, it was a real problem. You
know, kid sees a smoking squirrel, he’s traumatized
for life. Anyhow, I snuck off to the toilet to have a
cigarette. Only reason I’m still here.
Oscar fails to unpin himself from the steel dart projectile. Liz tries to extract it
from the cinderblock wall.
LIZ
Crap, it’s ruined. Now I only have one left.
OSCAR
I don’t know how much good it’s gonna do. The only
safe bet is stayin outta the way. You work at the
World?
She points to the Sea World logo on her wetsuit and raises her eyebrows.
OSCAR (cont'd)
You coulda’ borrowed that. I’m in a squirrel outfit.
LIZ
A borrowed squirrel outfit?
OSCAR
No, but it coulda been.
Liz is amused.
THE GRIFF 1717.
LIZ
I’m Liz. Senior whale trainer.
OSCAR
I’m Oscar. Senior squirrel.
LIZ
Have you found anyone else?
OSCAR
No, I thought I was the only one. We should get outta
here. These things periodically find their way into the
tunnels.
Oscar steps out of the squirrel costume still pinned to the wall. He wears
creased, blue polyester shorts with black socks and black sneakers. A stained
undershirt completes the ensemble to give him that timeless Bukowski loser
quality.
INT. SUBWAY SERVICE TUNNEL - NIGHT
Steve and Mo are eating soup in an underground hovel by firelight. The firelight
softens Mo's features and brings out the purple highlights in her hair. Steve
still wears his one skate. There's a bed roll. Some books, a few CDs, a hand
grenade, a kerosene lamp.
STEVE
So, do you live around here?
MO
I live here. Right here.
STEVE
Right. Nice digs.
MO
I'm working with a mildew and terror motif.
STEVE
It's nice. Cozy. Romantic, you might say.
He raises his eyebrows to see if she’s taking the bait -
MO
Not even if you were the last man on earth.
THE GRIFF 1818.
STEVE
(crestfallen)
Really? That was gonna be my strategy.
MO
Really.
Steve looks around the space, reconsidering.
STEVE
In that case, this place is a shit hole.
MO
Yes it is. How'd you get to be mankind's last chance,
anyway, Rollergirl?
STEVE
Gentle up. I'm sensitive.
MO
Uh huh.
She's not giving an inch.
STEVE
I work for Bandito Skatewear, giving out promotional
schwag. Anyway, I was in the Park doing an event
when they came.
People freaked, didn’t know which way to run. I
snatched the pump off of a mountain bike, ripped out
the guts, then dove in the pond. I laid under water
breathing through the tube ‘til after dark. I was just
lucky they didn’t go in the water.
MO
I can’t believe the pond water alone didn’t kill you.
You're right, you've been lucky.
STEVE
Anyone who's alive has been lucky. I see other
people occasionally, but, you know, we don't team
up.
THE GRIFF 1919.
MO
Yeah, I know. The more organized you seem the
more they home in on you. It's like computer game
AI, they respond to a certain behavior.
STEVE
Yeah... but, the Griff don't seem smart enough to
have pulled this off.
MO
Funny, I was going to say the same thing about you.
STEVE
That's nice. You eat my soup and share my bed and
all I get is disrespect.
MO
I'm not sharing your bed.
STEVE
That's so sad. So how'd you make it, smart girl?
MO
I was at work when they come out of the sky. We
watched from the windows until they started going
through the buildings. Then my team headed for the
roof. That was the last I saw of them.
STEVE
Your team?
MO
I ran a team of game developers, artists,
programers, designers.
STEVE
No kidding? Mo? Short for Maureen? You're not
Maureen Payne? Devil's Dungeon? Volcano?
Empire of Destruction?
She tries to hide a smile.
MO
You've seen my work?
THE GRIFF 2020.
STEVE
Seen it? I've lived it. I once played Volcano for six
days straight until my eyes dried out and my
girlfriend threatened to set me on fire if I didn't stop
and take a shower.
MO
I'm flattered.
STEVE
You're the game goddess. I'm not worthy.
MO
I think we've established that.
STEVE
So how’d you get out of your office?
MO
Ventilation shaft. I crawled in and kept going down
until I got to the basement. From there I made my
way into the storm sewer system.
STEVE
You gotta wonder why more people didn't take the
ventilation system.
MO
I think most people died of denial. They couldn't
accept what reality had sprung on them, so they
couldn't figure out how to react. My job is thinking
outside of normal reality. I just got lucky.
She looks around at her living conditions, at Steve, at the metal cup of soup.
MO (cont’d)
Well, not that lucky.
Mo climbs to her feet, slings the M-16 over her shoulder and shakes off her
melancholy. She fits a headband light on her head and clicks it on.
MO (cont'd)
Look, it's dark by now, I'm going to go out and see if I
can find some food for tomorrow. You coming?
THE GRIFF 2121.
STEVE
I'm invited?
He stands, still on one skate.
MO
Yeah, but you've got to lose that skate and get some
real shoes.
She climbs into a narrow pipe and is gone.
STEVE
'Kay.
INT. SEA WORLD UNDERGROUND TUNNELWAY - DAY
Liz and Oscar sort through an enormous storage area in the commissary.
LIZ
Well, we’ll have enough dried goods and foodstuffs
to live on for some time. Water won’t be a problem,
either. There’s a few thousand bottles here.
OSCAR
And I’ll have more than enough cigarettes to kill me...
if the griff don’t get me first.
Liz slumps into a clerk’s chair.
LIZ
I don’t get it. Why hasn’t someone come to get us?
Where are the police?
OSCAR
What are you talking about? There are no police.
There’s no... nobody. These things landed all over
the planet like some biblical plague or something. I
heard it on the radio til it went dead. C’mon. Lemme
show you something.
He leads her up a set of back stairs. They climb higher to the rooftop level.
There’s a single window reinforced with wire threads on the door leading to the
roof. Oscar gestures for Liz to take a look.
THE GRIFF 2222.
OSCAR (cont'd)
Be my guest.
Liz moves her face to the tiny window. She looks outside. An enormous
SPACESHIP hovers over Orlando. The same one we saw in the opening
sequence.
It’s about the size of the Houston Astrodome though probably not as expensive.
The exterior is tarnished from thousands of light years worth of space travel.
LIZ
Oh, my God.
A line of Griff pour from one of many portals and glide down to the city below.
INT. SUBWAY PLATFORM - NIGHT
Steve and Mo's headlamps bob through the darkness. There is a noise,
something moving in the dark. Mo snaps off her light, then reaches back and
does the same to Steve’s.
She puts on a night vision monocular and aims the M-16 toward the noise.
Through green night-vision we see a big TOM CAT skulking through some
wreckage. Mo pushes up the night vision. Steve nods toward her M-16.
STEVE
You know that thing won't hurt them.
MO
It distracts them. Their bodies seem to be about
level five armor.
STEVE
Level five?
MO
I thought you said you played my games? Level five.
Armored personnel carrier. An anti-tank weapon
would take them out for sure, anti-aircraft probably,
but small arms like this aren't going to hurt it.
STEVE
Oh, right, level five. Sorry.
THE GRIFF 23. 23.
Steve and Mo’s attention is diverted outside by the excited ruckus of a pack of
griff. They crawl to a grate and peer out onto the abandoned streets.
EXT. NEW YORK CITY SUBWAY GRATE - DAY
They see a SOLDIER sprint past in fatigues with a pack full of gear.
STEVE
That dude’s lunch.
One of the griff goes into a dive like a huge bird of prey. The soldier drops, rolls
and counters with a one shot, stinger missile to the animal's head.
It's blown clean off the beast's shoulders. Mo and Steve are impressed,
STEVE (cont'd)
Cool.
The soldier scrambles down a man hole which has been left ajar. Another Griff
attempts to fly in after him. Its SLAMS the pavement with such force the ground
shakes.
The raging griff thrusts its huge head into the manhole. Unable to pursue the
soldier, it SCREECHES horribly. The sound echoes.
Mo and Steve cover their ears. Seconds later, they hear the soldier SLOSHING
toward them.
He collapses in their tiny space, breathing heavily. We see that the soldier is,
in fact, Curt Armstrong who escaped from the subway train earlier.
STEVE (cont'd)
Nice moves back there.
Curt acknowledges him with a nod, still catching his breath.
CURT
A little too close for my taste. Almost fragged myself
back there.
MO
What was that, a Stinger missile?
CURT
Yeah, how’d you know?
THE GRIFF 2424.
MO
Any more where that came from?
CURT
That was my only one. But I know where there might
be some more.
Steve bristles at the apparent chemistry between the intruder and Mo.
STEVE
We should probably get out of here, Mo.
CURT
I’m Curt. Curt Armstrong.
STEVE
Good, guy with a cartoon name.
Curt ignores him.
MO
I’m Mo, this is Steve.
Steve nods begrudgingly. Curt gingerly takes off his combat shirt revealing a
ripped physique. His muscular arm is scraped up pretty good.
Steve is even more threatened than he was a minute ago.
Curt opens his pack and pulls out a medical kit. He unfolds it and begins to
tend to a gash in his forearm. A radio HISSES from inside the pack.
MO (cont'd)
You have a radio?
CURT
Shortwave. Keeps me in touch with survivors around
the world.
Curt tapes up his wound and stuffs the medical kit back into his back brimming
with military goodies. He pulls his shirt on and rises to his haunches in the
cramped space.
CURT (cont'd)
Good to go. You’re welcome to come along if you
like.
THE GRIFF 2525.
MO
Sure. We’ll gather our stuff and meet you in a
minute.
Curt duckwalks down the tunnel to the subway area where he can stand. Mo
hurriedly packs her meager belongings.
STEVE
What can’t join up with him. The Griff target teams,
remember?
MO
We need him.
STEVE
What for?
MO
He has a radio.
STEVE
So, we’re going to team up with this guy because he
has a radio?
MO
Why not? I teamed up with you because you had a
can of soup.
Mo sets off after Curt. With little choice, Steve follows.
INT. SEA WORLD OBSERVATION DECK - NIGHT
Most of the windows remain intact. Chairs and tables lie overturned bearing
testimony to the mad scramble that must’ve taken place during the invasion.
Liz and Oscar dine beneath the light of the glowing spaceship which they’ve
now become accustomed to.
In the distance we see Griff swarming furiously around the ship like angry
bees. Oscar looks over Liz’s shoulder.
OSCAR
Do they seem a little more active tonight than
normal?
THE GRIFF 26. 26.
Without warning, the mighty ship quivers in the sky. Suddenly, it loses altitude
and crudely falters its way earthward.
The great ship crashes with a SONIC BOOM leveling a swath of destruction in
its wake.
Clouds of debris kick up from the powerful impact. A mini dust storm rises
from the crash site.
Oscar and Liz dash to the window and stare agape at the crashed ship. Before
either of them say a word, an intense beam of red light fires out of the alien
ship toward the sky.
Exactly like the signal we saw when the archeologist assembled the pyramid
structure in the beginning.
OSCAR (cont’d)
That’s different.
INT. NEW YORK CITY SUBWAY TUNNEL - DAY
Mo and Steve halt as Curt gives the signal. Steve looks about in panic,
whispers -
STEVE
What?
Curt pulls his earpiece out of the radio. He slips the pack off his shoulder and
turns up the volume on the shortwave. The voice on the radio is obviously not a
professional -
SHORTWAVE VOICE
... the space ship crashed on the outskirts of
Orlando minutes ago. Nobody knows what brought it
down but the rumor is that it was some Airborne
guys out of Fort Benning, Georgia...
CURT
Hoo-hah! Airborne!
MO
He said it was a rumor.
THE GRIFF 2727.
CURT
Rumor my ass. You don’t bring down a ship like that
unless you know what you’re doing. That was a
planned military op. The time to kick some ass has
come. No more of this escape and evade, hiding
bullshit.
Invigorated, Curt quickly loads up.
MO
What, you’re going to join them?
CURT
Affirmative. It’s not much but it’s a start. That’s how
this country was founded. Remember?
STEVE
Oh yeah, like when they threw tea in Boston harbor
to piss off the winged monsters from outer space
Curt goes to lift his radio only to realize Steve is crouching on the strap.
CURT
Excuse me.
Steve moves. Curt starts to leave.
STEVE
Bye.
MO
Wait. Maybe Curt’s right. Maybe this is the beginning
of a resistance. We should be there to do what we
can.
CURT
Strength in numbers.
MO
Steve? What do you think?
He mulls it over with great reservation.
THE GRIFF 2828.
STEVE
Florida? I hate Florida. Last time I was there I went
on a three day binge and woke up on the beach all
crispy and red.
Sunburn, hangover, unprotected sex with wrinkly old
ladies... that’s Florida.
Curt and Mo pause to look at Steve, then -
CURT
Florida’s where the fight is.
MO
And winter’s coming. It’s going to get cold in these
tunnels, Steve. Really cold.
Steve considers the options... acquiesces.
STEVE
Sunscreen. We’ll need lots of sunscreen.
MO
Weapons. We’ll need lots of weapons.
Curt couldn’t agree more.
INT. NEW YORK CITY SUBWAY TUNNEL - NIGHT
Mo, Steve and Curt move stealthily through the abandoned subway tunnels.
They pass wrecked trains, accordianed in their final resting place. Their
flashlight beams bob and weave in the darkness before them. Tension is
high.
CURT
I’ve seen Griff in the tunnels but only on occasion. I
think their hunting abilities are limited at night.
STEVE
Duh.
Steve hops up onto the third rail. The legendary one where thousands of volts
travel to propel the subway cars.
STEVE (cont’d)
I’ve always wanted to walk the third rail.
THE GRIFF 2929.
Curt makes an abrupt hand gesture. It’s a military hand signal to freeze but it’s
lost on Steve and Mo. He shuts off his flashlight. Mo follows suit. Moonlight
filters in through an overhead grate.
MO
What?
Curt makes more hand gestures, first to his eyes then in the direction of what
must be some sort of disturbance. Mo lifts her nightvision goggles and
switches them on. Curt’s impressed.
MO (cont’d)
It’s nothing. Keep moving.
Curt looks at her with uncommon gear envy.
CURT
Mark 4 Nightstalkers, Soviet Union?
MO
Sharper Image, 57th Street.
He nods as she steps past him assuming the lead.
INT. SEA WORLD SECURITY OFFICE - NIGHT
Oscar rummages through the security office. A bank of dead monitors sit
uselessly on the wall behind him. Oscar tries key after key on a large ring of
them.
In the background, Liz reads through an inventory log by the light of a battery
powered maintenance lamp.
Finally, Oscar opens a metal locker.
OSCAR
Got it.
Liz carries the lamp over to see what he’s found. Oscar pulls a gun and holster
from the locker.
LIZ
I don’t know how much good that’s going to do.
Oscar shrugs. He straps the gun holster around his waist.
THE GRIFF 3030.
OSCAR
When I was a kid I was scared of vampires after
watching them on television. My mother gave me a
cross and I went straight to sleep. It probably
wouldn’t have done much good either but it sure
made me feel better.
LIZ
Now you believe in vampires?
OSCAR
Lately I’ve been trying to keep an open mind when it
comes to the existence of monsters.
He presses bullets into the cylinder of the pistol, snaps it shut and holsters it.
Liz watches him, mildly amused.
EXT. ARMORY - NIGHT
In green night vision, we see an old concrete relief sign on the side of a
building that reads, 10TH STREET ARMORY.
MO
Looks clear.
Mo is wearing her night vision goggles. Mo, Steve, and Curt make a mad dash
across a darkened street to a huge double metal door with massive deadbolts
and brass lever like one might find on an old safe. Curt digs in a daypack.
CURT
I don’t have any C-4 but I did manage to find some
blasting caps at a construction site downtown.
Mo reaches around Curt and pulls the brass lever. There’s a loud CLICK and
the door swings open an inch.
MO
Someone may have thought of this before us. With
the end of the world and all -
Curt looks sort of sheepish then pulls an army flashlight from his belt and
leads the way through the doors. Mo clicks on her headlamp .
THE GRIFF 3131.
INT. ARMORY - NIGHT
They pry open army crates to find tank shells, claymore mines, some useless
spare parts for jeeps and trucks. Someone has obviously been here before
them and picked through things.
Steve unearths a couple of full M-16 magazines in the picked over refuse of the
armory. He hands one to Curt who checks his ammo and slams the fresh
mag into his weapon.
Mo takes the second mag from Steve and slips it into her shoulder bag. Steve
realizes that he’s the only one without a weapon.
STEVE
What about me?
Mo reaches into the debris and comes up with a silver WHISTLE on a cord.
Steve admires his whistle and nods.
STEVE (cont’d)
Cool.
Steve gives his whistle a test TOOT. Mo throws aside several empty crates,
kicks away an empty jerry can, then pries the top off of a long crate. She stands
back and sighs as she shines her headlamp back and forth.
MO
Oh, baby. Oh, daddy, give it to me.
Curt and Steve stop what they are doing and look over. Mo is visibly swooning
over the crate.
STEVE
What?
CURT
What?
MO
You’re so big. Oh, yes. Yes! Yes!
Mo has thrown back her head in ecstasy and is gyrating over the crate. Steve
runs to her and she catches him, looks into his eyes, and with a delighted,
crazed grin whispers --
THE GRIFF
32.
MO (cont’d)
B.F.G.
Steve looks into the crate.
STEVE
(in awe)
B.F.G.
He turns to Curt.
STEVE (cont'd)
B.F.G.
CURT
What? What in the hell is BFG?
MO
Haven’t you ever played video games?
CURT
No?
She reaches into the crate.
MO
Big -Brushes
aside some packing material.
MO (cont'd)
Fucking -Stands
up holding a huge .50 caliber sniper rifle.
MO (cont’d)
Gun.
She grins, standing next to Steve, who is also grinning.
Curt grins back.
STEVE
B.F.G.
THE GRIFF 3333.
MO
B.F.G. Armor piercing. Goes right through level five
armor.
STEVE
Which the Griff are, is, er have.
STEVE (cont’d)
(to Mo)
You come?
Mo walks off into the darkness of the armory, the BFG cradled in her arms.
Already it’s getting heavy for her, which doesn’t stop her from talking to it. In the
background -
MO
Say my name. Say my name. Come on dog. Say my
name!
Curt looks at Steve, completely perplexed. Steve stares into the dark after Mo.
They are obviously reacting differently to this event. Steve puts his arm around
Curt’s shoulders.
STEVE
My friend, we may have, amid all the destruction and
tragedy, encountered God’s most perfect creature.
CURT
I thought girls liked flowers.
INT. ARMORY - NIGHT
Time has passed. They are inside the armory sitting around a campfire of
broken up crates. All around them are no smoking signs, no open flame, etc.
Steve has set two plastic bowls on a crate beside him and is digging in his
pack for something.
Mo sits with the BFG lying across her lap, stroking it like a kitten. Curt opens a
military ready to eat meal.
MO
Yuck. What is that?
THE GRIFF 3434.
CURT
An M--R--E. Most of them have been taken already.
He takes a bite, fights grimacing, and manages a smile
CURT (cont’d)
Thirty grams of protein, seventy of carbs, twenty of
fat. Vitamins, minerals, electrolytes. Everything a
soldier needs to get through an entire day.
Steve pulls out a box of Lucky Charms and pours them into the bowls.
STEVE
Yellow moons. Green clovers. Pink hearts.
MO
Magically delicious.
Mo opens a carton of super-pasturized milk and pours it over the cereal, nearly
dumping the BFG on the floor.
STEVE
(nodding)
Yeah.
MO
(nodding)
Yeah.
CURT
That gun’s too big for you.
MO
I’ll grow into it.
CURT
You going to be able to manage that all the way to
Florida?
STEVE
How are we going to get to Florida? All the roads’ll
be blocked. I’m guessing the trains, too. If we walk
we can only travel by night, and even then we’ll have
to be in the open the whole time.
THE GRIFF 3535.
MO
Well, I’ve been thinking about that. I’m thinking we
should go by water.
CURT
Which means we can get killed on a boat instead of
out in the open.
MO
Maybe not. Going under water saved Steve’s life.
Maybe it can protect us.
STEVE
Fabulous. We’re going to snorkel to Florida.
INT. SEA WORLD DOLPHIN PEN - DAY
An indoor aquarium lit primarily by small emergency, back-up lights. Oscar,
wearing elbow-high industrial rubber gloves pours a bucket of silvery fish into
the dolphin pool. Liz plucks the cigarette from his mouth.
The power goes out.
LIZ
Shit. I knew this was going to happen. The auxiliary
generators need to be fueled up.
Liz sets down her bucket and marches off into an adjoining room.
INT. SEA WORLD GENERATOR ROOM - DAY
Oscar examines the main backup generator. Liz opens several fuel cans, each
one apparently empty.
LIZ
Great. We need to find some diesel fuel.
OSCAR
There’s a fuel truck outside on the service bridge
coming into the park. Don’t know if it’s diesel or not.
Liz walks to a narrow window. She peers out in frustration.
LIZ
Only one way to find out.
THE GRIFF 3636.
OSCAR
You can’t go out there. You won’t last a minute. The
only reason we’re still alive is the griff don’t know
we’re here.
LIZ
Without these backup generators, I lose my freezers.
Without my freezers, I lose my food stores and my
animals die.
Oscar taps a cigarette free from its pack. It dangles from his lip as he speaks -
OSCAR
They’re gonna die anyway. We’re gonna die, they’re
gonnna die, face the facts. It’s just a matter of time.
What difference does it make?
LIZ
I’ve raised a lot of these animals from infancy.
OSCAR
You make it sound like they’re your children. They’re
fish, and seals and walruses and shit.
LIZ
They rely on me.
OSCAR
Oh, Christ...
Liz heads for the door.
LIZ
Don’t worry, I’m not going to ask for your help. You
take care of yourself, Oscar. It’s what your best at.
She leaves. Oscar exhales, exasperated, goes after her -
OSCAR
If I was good at taking care of myself, would I look
like this?
THE GRIFF 3737.
EXT. WHARF - NIGHT
The waterfront is littered with wrecked trucks and forklifts, trashed cargo nets,
shipping containers dropped from cranes.
Mo, Curt and Steve make their way commando style from hiding place to hiding
place. They pull up by a large boathouse. Mo has her M-16 in hand, the BFG
slung across her back. The big gun is awkward and nearly trips her as she
runs.
CURT
(whispering)
Do you even know how to load that thing?
She hands her M-16 to Steve.
MO
I read the manual. I have the ammo. I’ll load it.
She fumbles with some huge shells and a box magazine. Mo nods toward the
boat house.
MO (cont’d)
It’s in there.
CURT
And you know about this thing how?
MO
The curator of the aquarium took my whole team on
a tour. We needed to know how the controls worked
so we could simulate it for the Deep Death game.
CURT
Of course.
Curt and Steve move cautiously toward the building leaving Mo behind loading
her weapon.
Curt swings open a huge but dilapidated wooden door while Steve scans the
night sky for movement.
MO
Guys, wait up.
THE GRIFF 3838.
Mo gives up on loading the weapon and hurries to join them as they disappear
into the boathouse. Steve pulls the door shut and it SQUEAKS like a mashed
mouse.
A griff standing watch on a warehouse rooftop hears the squeak, turns, then
swoops down to the wharf to investigate.
INT. BOATHOUSE - NIGHT
There’s just enough light coming in through high windows and cracks in the
rotten wood to see the top of a bright yellow SUBMARINE, perhaps fifty-feet
long, floating in the middle of the boathouse.
Through the light of their flashlights, our heroes see overturned crates, rusted
equipment, tangled ropes, and other nautical crap surrounding the sub.
They’re startled by the WHOOSH of wings behind them and the scratch of
claws as a griff lands outside the door.
STEVE
Shit!
They kill their flashlights and scatter in three different directions. The door
CREAKS and the griff noses his way into the boathouse and sniffs the air.
Steve is crouched among some crates near the door. Sweat drips from his
nose. The Griff approaches his hiding place.
The griff is about to discover Steve. In a panic, Mo shouts from her hiding place
at the far end of the boathouse -
MO
Marco!
The griff wheels around and heads toward the sound of her voice. Curt has
picked up her que. As the griff approaches her hiding place -
CURT
Polo!
The griffin wheels and charges toward Curt. Mo is fumbling in her daypack for
the BFG shells.
STEVE
Marco!
THE GRIFF 39. 39.
The griff is on top of the sub, he turns and heads back toward Steve. Mo has
finally forced one of the big shells into the box magazine, dropping two others
and scrambling for them.
MO
Polo!
The griffin is almost upon Mo when -
CURT
Marco!
STEVE
Polo!
This time the griff holds his ground. It looks around from the deck of the sub.
His claws SCREECH on the metal as he moves. Mo tries to work the
magazine into the BFG. Curt steps out into plain view.
CURT
Marco!
The griffin heads after Curt, who dives back into his hiding place as Mo steps
into view. The griff sees her and turns, she dives behind the crates.
The griffin is right on the other side of a crate from her. He shatters it with his
beak. They are face to face as Mo jacks a shell into the chamber of the BFG.
MO
Polo, bitch!
She FIRES. There’s a huge explosion and the griff’s head is instantly
converted to meaty spray.
EXT. BOATHOUSE - NIGHT
By the gibbous moon we see Mo’s petite body blasted through the rotten
wooden wall by the recoil of the BFG, after which she makes an impressive
splash in the East River.
INT. BOATHOUSE - DAWN
Mo is drying off near the submarine. Steve is fussing on the submarine in the
background. Curt pours water out of the barrel of the BFG.
THE GRIFF 4040.
CURT
This is going to require a field stripping.
MO
Works pretty well, though, huh?
CURT
You really shouldn’t have fired it before I cleaned it.
There are gas checks to help reduce the recoil. The
packing grease had them blocked. You’re lucky it
didn’t blow up in your face.
She rubs her shoulder.
MO
So, worked pretty well, don’t you think?
STEVE
Ta-da.
Steve steps back from the sub. He has crossed out the name Discover and
spray painted on the name “Sea Monkee”.
CURT
(Forlornly)
Sea Monkee’s were one of the greatest
disappointments of my childhood.
Mo has recovered. She takes the BFG from him and leaps onto the deck of the
submarine.
MO
Then you had a great childhood. Get the door, stud,
we’re launching.
STEVE
Woo-hoo!
EXT. NEW YORK HARBOR - DAY
We see the Sea Monkee steaming into New York harbor among abandoned
ships and barges, diesel smoke rises from an exhaust at the rear.
A griff atop the torch on the Statue of Liberty and another on her crown turn
toward the movement of the bright yellow submarine.
THE GRIFF 41. 41.
INT. SUBMARINE - DAY
Mo sits at the controls of the sub in front of a plexiglass window that is half
submerged. Steve and Curt look over her shoulders.
MO
This thing’s supposed to be able to cruise for at
least sixteen hours under battery power, indefinitely
under diesel. We’ll use the diesels at night on the
surface to recharge the batteries and travel
underwater during the daylight hours.
STEVE
What about air?
MO
It’s set up for a crew of seven scientists to be able to
stay under for a week with the oxygen on board. The
problem is that I don’t know how to check to make
sure the CO-2 scrubbers are working and I don’t
know how to replace the chemicals.
CURT
That’s kind of important to know, isn’t it?
MO
Well it wasn’t for the game we were designing, but
yeah, I guess it is now.
CURT
I’ll see if I can find a manual or something.
Curt begins to look in different compartments. Steve clears his throat.
STEVE
I’m no military expert, but you might try looking in
there.
He points to an aluminum compartment next to Mo’s seat. The word
“MANUALS” is stenciled across the top in three-inch red letters.
As Curt is about to comment, a THUMP is heard above them and the familiar
SCRAPE of claws on metal.
THE GRIFF 4242.
STEVE (cont’d)
Uh-oh.
MO
Prepare to dive.
STEVE
How do we do that?
MO
Well, you could check and make sure the hatches
are closed, stuff like that.
CURT
On it.
He heads for the hatch in the conning tower.
STEVE
(mocking)
On it...
EXT. SUBMARINE - DAY
The Sea Monkee begins to dive. As water covers the deck the griffin climb onto
the conning tower and tear at the hatch. One seems to have caught his claw in
a brace. He tears at the porthole.
INT. SUBMARINE - DAY
Curt and Steve stand transfixed as the griffin bites at the porthole.
CURT
Get this thing under, Mo. If they break the seal on that
hatch, we’re just canned meat in here.
MO
Going to electric. Cutting diesel.
STEVE
But it took us an hour to get that running.
CURT
Diesel can’t run under water. It needs air.
THE GRIFF 4343.
STEVE
Oh. Right. I knew that.
One of the griff seems to have flown off, but the other one is pulled under as he
jackhammers the porthole with his beak.
STEVE (cont’d)
It’s not working, Mo. Go deeper.
Mo reads from the gauge -
MO
Two atmospheres.
CURT
Why isn’t it drowning?
There is a furious SCREECHING and TEARING at the metal.
MO
I’m going to go back up. You guys blow that thing
away and we’ll dive again.
STEVE AND CURT
No!
CURT
Keep diving.
MO
Three hundred feet. Ten atmospheres.
The hull begins to CREAK. The griffin still thrashes. Steve and Curt look at
each other worried.
STEVE
What’s an atmosphere?
CURT
Is it supposed to make that sound?
MO
Chill, you guys. This thing is supposed to be good to
a thousand feet. It’s just tightening up from the
pressure.
THE GRIFF 44. 44.
The griff at the window is thrashing unnaturally fast. Mo checks a gauge.
MO (cont’d)
Fifteen atmospheres.
CURT
Uh -There’s
a big WHUMP! as the griff’s face at the porthole implodes in on itself.
Curt hits a light switch for the outside but all that’s out there is red water.
CURT (cont’d)
Never mind
STEVE
You got him.
MO
He’s off the submarine?
STEVE
The moving pieces, yes.
MO
I’m taking her up to fifty feet.
STEVE
(to Curt, whispering)
What’s an atmosphere?
EXT. SUBMARINE - DAWN
The Sea Monkee makes it’s way out of a bay into the open ocean. As the sun
breaks over the horizon, the sub plows back beneath the surface.
INT. SEA WORLD RESTAURANT OBSERVATION DECK - DAY
Liz and Oscar sneak up to gaze out at the panoramic view of the park. Griff dot
the horizon line, perched like gigantic reptilian gargoyles.
Oscar gestures to a fuel truck wedged firmly in abandoned traffic over a bridge
leading into the Sea World park.
OSCAR
See, I told ya. We’ll never get it out of that jam.
THE GRIFF 4545.
Thinking -
LIZ
We’re not going to have to...
Liz crawls away from the window toward the stairs. Oscar reluctantly follows.
EXT. SEA WORLD FLORIDA - DAY
A length of fire hose is coiled behind an emergency glass display next to a
hydrant. Liz slips around the corner, opens the panel and steals the hose
away.
A GRIFF
sits atop its perch. It scratches its head with its claw and doesn’t notice as
another fire hose uncoils and disappears around a corner below it.
INT. SEA WORLD MAINTENANCE BUILDING - DAY
Fire hoses have been collected from all over the park. Liz snaps the coupling
joints to form one continuous section of hose.
LIZ
That should give us a little over two hundred yards.
Oscar stands next to the haystack size pile of fire hose, impressed.
OSCAR
Okay, now how’re we gonna get them to the fuel
truck?
Liz peeks out the crack of the door to the man-made canal that circles the park.
The fuel truck on the bridge gleams in the afternoon sun.
Her brow furrows in concentration.
INT. SUBMARINE - DAY
Mo is at the helm, Curt sits nearby, monitoring a sonar screen. Behind them,
Steve rifles though a plastic cooler picking up foil envelopes of dehydrated food
and tossing them aside.
THE GRIFF 4646.
STEVE
Tuna noodle casserole. Tuna noodle casserole.
Tuna noodle casserole. Great, my mom packed the
sub. Hey you guys, this boat isn’t equipped for a long
trip. We are going to need some food.
MO
Yeah, and diesel too. Are we near any small towns
with harbors? It’ll be dark in a couple of hours. We
can surface then and dock somewhere.
EXT. SUBMARINE - NIGHT
The Sea Monkee cuts a path over the surface of a calm, moonlit bay, her bow
waves draw a chevron that spreads over the gunmetal water.
EXT. FUELING DOCK - NIGHT
Curt tends to the bow line on the foredeck. Steve stands in the conning tower
shouting instructions to Mo who is below driving.
Curt jumps to the dock and ties off the sub. He immediately goes to a diesel
fuel pump and disengages the hose.
CURT
We’re going to need to find a manual pump. There
should be one inside.
Steve leaps to the dock and heads for the fuel station on the dock, the nautical
equivalent of an abandoned 7-11. There’s a rusted sign advertising doughnuts
and hot coffee.
INT. FUELING STATION - NIGHT
Alone, Steve pans his flashlight around the interior of the building. There are
empty potato chip racks, candy racks, and a few artificial lures displayed
behind the counter.
Steve leaps over the counter and starts rustling through the stuff down there
when he hears a noise behind him and whips around with the light. Another
noise, closer, on the other side.
THE GRIFF 4747.
STEVE
(whispering to himself)
Fuck.
He switches off his flashlight. Some definite noises. Steve is up and over the
counter, dashing out the door and down the dock. Blowing his WHISTLE,
waving for Mo and Curt to get back in the sub.
STEVE (cont’d)
Cast off! Go, go, go! Prepare to dive!
Mo and Curt stand next to the diesel pump and watch as Steve makes an
impressive leap to the submarine, slips and lands on his face. When he turns
around they are still standing on the dock.
STEVE (cont’d)
Come on you guys!
Mo points over her shoulder to the doorway of the fuel station. Two women,
SUSAN and MELANIE,one forty, the other twenty, obviously mother and
daughter, are standing in the doorway.
Both are in dark clothes and have long, unkept, blond hair. They were both
probably attractive before the Griff, now they just look tired. The older woman,
Susan, is holding a heavy hand crank fuel pump.
SUSAN
You’re going to need this.
EXT. ROAD - NIGHT
Susan leads the group along a narrow road, they move single file to get by the
abandoned cars. Steve has fallen back and is chatting up Melanie who brings
up the rear.
SUSAN
They aren’t as concentrated as they were right after
the attack. I guess they think everyone is dead. Mel
and I survived by hiding under the dock at first. They
don’t seem to like water.
Further down the column of travelers, Steve is chatting up Melanie. She’s
looking around furtively and doesn’t seem particularly interested in what he has
to say.
THE GRIFF 4848.
STEVE
Well, Mo is like a sister to me, and Curt is -- what’s
the term you’re supposed to use? -- uh, challenged,
but I feel responsible for him after saving his life
MELANIE
The moon is really bright tonight.
STEVE
Romantic, isn’t it? I’ve always thought --
Not a sound, well maybe a slight whistling like a light breeze through trees --
moon-lit claws sail into the frame from behind Melanie and whisk her away.
Not a sound.
STEVE (cont’d)
-- that the proper way to view the soul of a lover is by
moonlight. What do you think?
He looks over his shoulder, doesn’t see her and turns.
STEVE (cont’d)
Melanie? Melanie? Hey guys.
Steve is looking behind an abandoned van. The group turns and starts back
toward him. Talons sweep across the frame and snatch Susan into the air.
This time there’s an audible CRUNCH and they all turn. But see nothing.
MO
Susan? C’mon, guys. Don’t mess with us...
Curt is carrying the BFG, he jacks a shell into the chamber and looks around.
CURT
Susan! Melanie!
(to Steve and Mo)
What’re they trying to pull?
Steve is still a couple of car lengths away from them.
STEVE
She was just here.
Something drops out of the sky and on to the hood of a car by Steve. He picks it
up. It’s one off Melanie’s sneakers, bloody. He tosses it away, horrified.
THE GRIFF 4949.
CURT
Move! Back to the sub!
Curt squints, trying to see in the night, his weapon ready.
MO
Maybe they’ve all gone.
CURT
That’s what they thought.
Steve and Mo hurry back to the dock.
EXT. SUBMARINE - DAY
The Sea Monkee putters out of the harbor.
INT. SUBMARINE - DAY
Mo is at the control console. Steve watches the sonar screen. Curt sits in the
back, looking at a map.
CURT
I’ve never seen them hunt at night before. Have you
guys ever seen that before?
MO
We shouldn’t have gotten back alive. We shouldn’t
have gotten away. It was too easy.
CURT
It didn’t seem easy to me.
MO
No, think about it. Do you ever remember seeing the
griff attack someone then just give up like that?
Steve and Curt consider it and shake their heads.
MO (cont’d)
Something’s changed.
STEVE
That’s a good thing, isn’t it? I mean, not for Susan
and Melanie, but in general, I mean.
THE GRIFF 5050.
CURT
Hey, I saw a movie once where the aliens were
defeated by a common cold virus. Maybe the Griff
have caught some kind of virus that makes them
stupid or something.
MO
Actually, we may have some evidence that there’s
such a thing as a stupidity virus.
She looks over her shoulder at Steve, and grins.
STEVE
You know, one day, if we live long enough, your hair
dye will have all washed out and your eye liner will
have dried up and all of your evil power will be gone,
and when that happens, I’ll be there, waiting.
CURT
That’s not dye, it’s just a rinse, and she’s not
wearing eye liner, just mascara.
Both Steve and Mo turn slowly in their seats to look at Curt.
MO
Something you learned in paratrooper school?
EXT. CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA - DUSK
The Sea Monkee is tethered to a dock on the edge of the coastal town. There’s
an abandoned warehouse nearby -- firelight flickers orange through the dirty
and broken windows.
CURT (O.C.)
I worked the make-up counter at Macy’s for five
years. They moved me over from housewares in a
pinch and I found out I was good at it.
INT. WAREHOUSE - SAME
Our Heroes are gathered around a campfire drinking coffee. Cans and metal
dishes from dinner are spread around. The BFG lays across Curt’s lap.
THE GRIFF 5151.
CURT
They made me a department head. I took a lot of
crap from my high school football buddies, but hell, I
had kids to support and no other skills. It was a
good job.
STEVE
Where did you learn all that military stuff?
CURT
I’ve always been interested in the military. I probably
would have joined up but I had to get married right
out of high-school. I kept up on the military stuff as a
hobby. When the griff came, well...
MO
You led us on. You’re not a soldier, you’re a makeup
counter girl.
CURT
None of us are who were in the past, because there
is no past. That world's gone. We are who we are
now. You’re not a game goddess and Steve’s not a
schwag whore anymore.
STEVE
I wasn’t a schwag whore.
CURT
Yes, you were.
STEVE
No I wasn’t.
MO
Yes, you were.
STEVE
Yes I was.
CURT
When I went back to my house to look for my family
and couldn’t find enough of them to bury in a coffee
(MORE)
THE GRIFF 5252.
CURT (cont'd)
can, well, I became a soldier. That’s who I need to
be.
MO
But in an emergency, you could still do my highlights
if I needed you to.
CURT
Of course.
Steve stands up and takes the BFG from Curt’s lap.
STEVE
Well, Captain Landcomb, we’d better see if we can
find some supplies and get back before dawn.
MO
I’ll go, too. Curt, you keep a lookout on the Sea
Monkee?
She gets up and slings an AK-47 over her shoulder.
CURT
I think Steve and I should go and you stay with the
sub.
MO
Why because I’m a girl?
CURT
Well... yeah.
MO
Like you said, we are who we need to be. I got my
honorary penis the day the griff hit.
STEVE
Ew, you guys are creeping me out. I’m gone.
Steve heads out the warehouse door and Mo follows.
EXT. WAREHOUSE - NIGHT
Steve and Mo scan the sky as they move up the street. Curt appears in the
warehouse door behind them.
THE GRIFF 5353.
CURT
And Pop Tarts! Bring back some Pop Tarts.
Steve waves back in acknowledgement.
CURT (cont’d)
Brown sugar cinnamon or raspberry! Not the
chocolate ones.
STEVE
Jeeze, when did he develop such a discerning
palate?
EXT. SEA WORLD BRIDGE - DAY
The fuel truck lies abandoned on the crowded bridge. Cars with their doors
open tightly surround it.
A griff sitting high on a building notices a cheesy fiberglass PIRATE GALLEON,
about twenty feet long, quietly floating down river. It doesn't pay much attention
to it.
INT. FIBERGLASS PIRATE GALLEON - SAME
Oscar and Liz use the boat to float the stack of hose down the riverway. They
swim quietly in the water using the galleon to hide behind. Oscar nervously
scans the sky for danger.
Suddenly the boat bumps to a stop.
OSCAR
(loud whisper)
What is it?
Liz doesn’t know. They push the boat but it stays where it is. Liz slips her
mask on, takes a deep breath and dips below the surface.
UNDERWATER --
Liz finds a concrete abutement used to channel the water. The fiberglass boat
can’t clear it. She surfaces and glides through the water back to Oscar, careful
to remain hidden from the Griff.
LIZ
There’s some kind of concrete barrier down there.
THE GRIFF
54.
They glance to the bridge.
It’s a good fifty yards away.
OSCAR
Now what?
Liz grins.
UNDERWATER -Liz
breathes through a scuba tank and regulator as she passes over the
concrete abutement just four feet below the water’s surface. The hose trails
out behind her.
INT. FIBERGLASS PIRATE GALLEON - DAY
Oscar pays out the hose as Liz swims closer to the bridge.
EXT. SEA WORLD BRIDGE - DAY
Liz climbs the bridge support, trailing the hose and arrives beneath the fuel
truck. So far, so good.
A GRIFF
watches the hose snake up the bridge and disappear underneath the shiny
fuel truck. A second griff lands nearby. They SCREECH at one another, then
settle in quietly.
EXT. SEA WORLD BRIDGE - SAME
Liz freezes at the horrible sound of the griff shriek. She pauses, catches her
breath and steals a glimpse. The two griffin remain at their post high above the
park.
Liz returns to her task at hand. She examines the underbelly of the tanker truck.
It’s a confusing array of tubes and valves.
She finally determines which valve opens to allow the fuel to flow and jerry-rigs
the fire hose to it.
It’s now a simple matter of opening the valve but it won’t budge. Liz tries
repeatedly but without success.
Frustrated, she crawls over to the bridge rail and signals for Oscar to come
help.
THE GRIFF 55. 55.
Oscar reluctantly puts out his cigarette, takes several lung fulls of air and dips
below the stagnant river surface.
Oscar joins Liz on the bridge, water streaming off his body.
OSCAR
What’s the matter?
LIZ
I can’t open it.
Oscar gives it the ol’ college try but it still won’t budge. He quietly slinks up into
the abandoned truck cab.
Seconds later, Oscar returns with a brass wrench that he uses to pry the valve
loose.
The hose instantly swells with the flow of diesel.
Diesel sprays from the connection between truck and hose. Oscar strains to
tighten it. The wrench slips from his grasp and CLANGS loudly off the
pavement.
OSCAR
Shit.
The griff spreads its mighty wings and plummets off its perch. It soars toward
the bridge with remarkable speed on course with the fuel truck.
Liz sees the attacking griff and leaps off the bridge into the water. The griff
SLAMS into the fuel truck, rocking it up on its side and nearly tipping it over.
Oscar YELPS in fright and desperately jumps into the water.
Oscar comes up sputtering as the griff are about to decapitate him.
A hand drags him under. A regulator is shoved into his mouth in a cloud of
bubbles. Liz calms him and they swim deeper.
The griff hover over the river, SCREECHING and clawing the water’s surface as
Liz and Oscar escape.
THE GRIFF 56. 56.
INT. SEA WORLD MAINTENANCE BUILDING - LATER
Oscar trembles so bad he can’t light a cigarette that hangs sadly from his
mouth. Liz squeezes the water schmegma out of her hair.
The auxiliary generator is running again.
LIZ
That wasn’t so bad, was it?
Before Oscar can answer, they hear the distinct sound of a griff approaching...
EXT. CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA - LATER
Steve and Mo move from building to building with the readiness and stealth of
trained combatants. They slip into a charming old world building that has thin
tendrils of steam rising from cracks in one of the broken windows.
STEVE
What’s with the steam?
Mo points at a sign that says, CHARLESTON HEALTH AND BEAUTY.
NATURAL HOT SPRINGS. Mo raises an eyebrow --
MO
Are you thinking what I’m thinking?
STEVE
Not unless you’re thinking of juggling nude on a
unicycle.
She shakes her head, no, and dips into the open doorway.
STEVE (cont'd)
Wait, where you going?
He follows.
INT. SPA HOT SPRINGS - DUSK
Picture windows look out onto the ocean. A carefully designed oasis of ferns
and arranged rocks create an idyllic setting around the steaming hot springs.
Mo ventures forward. She dips her hand into the water.
THE GRIFF 5757.
MO
God, that feels great. I don’t remember the last time I
had hot water.
Mo begins to remove her knee-high motorcycle boots. Steve’s face blushes as
his pulse skyrockets.
STEVE
We shouldn’t keep Curt waiting.
MO
Since when do you care about him?
STEVE
Okay. Good point.
Mo peels back her leather pants. She wears skimpy black panties. Steve turns
in embarrassment.
STEVE (cont’d)
I’ll keep an eye out. Make sure we’re okay.
MO
You can turn back now.
Steve does. Mo sinks into the mineral hot springs with a deep sense of relief.
MO (cont’d)
Oh, my...
Steve is rendered helpless. All he can do is stare.
MO (cont’d)
C’mon in.
Steve pulls off his shoes. Mo is in her own world, her eyes lidded with the
warm, dulling pleasure of the hot springs.
Steve stands on the edge of the pool in his whitey tighties. Mo smiles, covers
her eyes. Steve loses the underwear and gets in.
STEVE
Ah, it’s hot. Hot.
THE GRIFF 5858.
MO
I think I’m going to live the rest of my days right here
in this room.
The setting sun casts Mo in a warm and flattering light. Steve is completely
mesmerized by her. Her face tightens in response -
MO (cont’d)
Stop looking at me like you just got out of jail, you
perv.
STEVE
Jeeze, can’t you be a normal girl for once?
Mo smiles and caresses her arms under the silky mineral bath. Steve remains
riveted by Mo’s relaxed demeanor which only makes her even more attractive.
STEVE (cont’d)
So, tell me about yourself...
She snaps out of her reverie.
MO
You’ve got to be kidding.
STEVE
No, I want to know.
MO
What do you want to know? That I’m from Atlanta, my
father was an alcoholic who beat me up when he
was drunk. That I was in and out of foster homes
after my mom left?
STEVE
I am so sorry.
She looks at his sad face in the dim light. Mo seems genuinely moved by the
depth of his caring. Then -
MO
I’m goofing on you. You are so naive.
THE GRIFF 5959.
STEVE
Hey! You abused my sympathy. Anyone would’ve felt
bad for you. That was a tragic story.
MO
Oh, yeah? How ‘bout this one? Everyone I know,
every family member, every friend, every co-worker
has been killed and probably eaten by monsters
from outer space. I’m probably going to die young in
a violent and painful way and I haven’t even had time
out from being afraid to grieve for the dead.
STEVE
I’m sorry you had to go through that.
MO
That’s your story, too, doofus. Makes having an
alcoholic father sound like a fairy tale, huh?
Steve nods in agreement.
Mo goes under water, surfaces, smooths her hair back, wipes the water out of
her eyes. Her face is again calm, her demeanor serene as if the mineral bath
temporarily washed away her worries.
She catches Steve staring at her again.
STEVE
You’re beautiful, you know.
MO
You want a punch in the nuts?
Steve finally smiles and shakes his head in resignation.
INT. SEA WORLD MAINTENANCE BUILDING - NIGHT
Liz and Oscar charge out of the industrial room after hearing the griff. They
burst through a set of double doors.
They see a griff hunched over, shoulders scraping as it struggles down the
tight hallway toward them.
LIZ
This way!
THE GRIFF 6060.
They change direction, run down a hallway, now in the park proper, past
exhibits with underwater views into enormous aquariums.
Another griff comes their way, they evade him, turning down the plexiglass
underwater walkway beneath the -
INT. SEA WORLD SHARK TANK - SAME
The first griff appears at one end of the plexiglass tunnel. They sprint to escape
but their path is blocked by the second griff.
Nowhere to go. Oscar pulls out his pistol and FIRES at the closest griff. The
bullet deflects harmlessly off its organic body armor...
He fires at the second griff... the bullet ricochets loudly.
OSCAR
Fuck!
The two griff force themselves through the tight confines of the underwater
tunnel from either direction.
Unabated, their anger and killer instincts are aroused more than ever. With
each labored step, they squeeze closer to Oscar and Liz.
Liz and Oscar start to panic... Oscar aims the gun at the plexiglass tunnel wall
before them. He tenses up as if anticipating a punch and pulls the trigger...
BLAM!
The bullet chinks the plexiglass with a spiderweb of cracks... the sharks
outside in the aquarium dart away from the sharp noise.
The griff move closer still... their raspy breathing filling the tunnel. They’re less
than ten feet from Oscar and Liz.
Oscar FIRES again... blows a gaping hole in the plexiglass. Water explodes
through the opening filling the tunnel in seconds.
Oscar and Liz tumble underwater toward the flailing griff. Oscar and Liz swim
desperately toward the opening, leaving the griff behind to drown.
They break the surface of the aquarium which has dropped ten feet or so and
climb onto what used to be an underwater reef. Oscar and Liz breathe deeply,
catching their breath.
THE GRIFF 6161.
OSCAR (cont'd)
(sarcastic)
I think that went well, don’t you?
A shark fin goes by.
EXT. SAVANNAH HARBOR - DAY
The See Monkee steams into the harbor spewing black smoke.
INT. SEE MONKEE - DAY
Mo is at the helm. We hear the hideous CLANKING of a malfunctioning diesel
engine.
MO
What’s wrong?
Steve and Curt are hunched over the open engine as it RATTLES away on its
final legs. Steve and Curt look at one another, clearly neither of them knows
shit.
STEVE
I think it’s broke!
MO
Well, fix it!
STEVE
‘Kay!
Steve tentatively pokes the engine with a wrench then hops back.
EXT. GEORGIA - AFTERNOON
On foot now, Mo, Steve and Curt push ahead. They walk in loose formation,
weapons at the ready. Steve takes the point, his finger nervously caressing the
trigger of the BFG.
They come to a set of railway tracks. Steve sees something down the tracks
and wells with hope.
STEVE
Hey, I think we got ourselves a ride.
THE GRIFF 62. 62.
Steve picks up his pace. Curt and Mo follow, running awkwardly beneath the
weight of their weapons and supplies.
As they run, it comes into view: An AMTRAK MAINTENANCE VEHICLE -- a little
larger than a big SUV, it’s sturdily constructed -- not unlike a rail engine.
They stop upon reaching it, out of breath. Steve sets his gun down and climbs
inside.
Mo and Curt keep watch, guns pointed to the sky. Steve rummages around
inside.
MO
Well?
STEVE
Hang on. I can’t tell yet.
CURT
We’re pushing our luck -The
engine COUGHS to life. Steve pops his head out the window, grinning.
STEVE
All aboard.
They clamber inside.
EXT. GEORGIA COUNTRYSIDE - LATER
The Amtrack vehicle hums along on its track.
INT. AMTRAK VEHICLE - SAME
Steve sits at the controls, wearing a striped conductor hat. He quietly sings
MIDNIGHT TRAIN TO GEORGIA, doing both the Pips AND Glady’s Night’s parts
with total disregard for both rhythm and blues.
Pastoral scenery flashes past the window in a blur. Mo has the rear door open.
She sits with her .50 cal BFG propped up and ready for action.
Curt works to open a sunroof panel. Finally, the panel pops and frisbees off
the speeding vehicle.
THE GRIFF 6363.
STEVE
Great. What if it rains?
CURT
We get wet.
Curt uses the sunroof opening as another post. He positions himself with his
M-16.
Curt reaches down to grab the extra ammunition mags. When he rises back
up through the roof top opening, he sees a cluster of griff descending toward
them.
Curt opens fire with an automatic burst from his M-16. The Griff ROARS as the
bullets shred its wing membrane’s. It crashes onto the back of the Amtrack
vehicle and rolls off.
It bounces on the tracks behind them. Mo raises her weapon. She lines
another attacking Griff up in her sights. She opens up. Misses. Changes
magazines.
MO
Steve! Grab a gun. We’re gonna need some help.
Three griff swoop and dive on the speeding vehicle. Mo and Curt maintain a
steady barrage, spent shell casings as wide as a thumb PLINKING off the
steel deck.
Steve abandons his post in a panic and takes up arms. He loads the other M16
and pokes the barrel through the small side window.
A griff glides along next to them. It SCREECHES as it veers closer.
Steve answers with a well placed barrage to the beast’s head. It snaps to the
side as if hit by some unseen hammer of God. The griff tumbles through the
tall grass like a downed war plane.
CURT
Nice work!
The vehicle dips under the immense weight of an attacking griff landing on the
roof.
THE GRIFF 6464.
Curt is forced from the roof opening and falls onto his back. Lying on the metal
floor, he slaps another magazine into the weapon and aims through the
sunroof.
He fires a staccato burst. Fragments of insulation rain down from the vehicle’s
roof like confetti as the bullets chew it to shreds.
Somehow, the griff moved in time. Suddenly, the windshield implodes in a
shower of glass as a deadly claw breaks through.
Steve turns his head in the spray of shards. He looks back in time to see -- a
train wreck on the tracks just ahead.
The griff on the roof CHIRPS and SCREECHES. Steve dives for the brake lever
He pulls it back with both hands.
The steel wheels lock up in a horrible, piercing HOWL of metal on metal.
Sparks light up the vehicle’s undercarriage.
The vehicle slows but the train wreck seems to fly toward them as if they were
standing still.
STEVE
Hang on!
The Amtrack Vehicle collides with the wreck. It wrenches free from the tracks
and rolls to a stop, upside down, in the nearby field.
All is quiet. The wheels spin loudly, warbling off kilter. Steve stirs. He
manages to right himself. Mo raises her head.
STEVE (cont’d)
You okay?
MO
I think so. How about you, Curt?
CURT
Good to go.
Curt disentangles himself from the wreck. He ejects the clip and checks on his
ammo.
CURT (cont'd)
Shit, one round left. What do you have?
THE GRIFF 6565.
Steve checks his weapon.
STEVE
I’m out. Mo?
The breach of her BFG yawns open -- empty. She shakes her head.
EXT. GEORGIA COUNTRYSIDE - DUSK
Steve, Mo and Curt wiggle from the overturned wreck. Mo hands Curt the
loaded BFG.
Curt keeps an eye out while the others emerge into the cool dusk.
CURT
(whisper)
Where are they?
STEVE
Maybe they left.
MO
I doubt it. They know we’re here.
Curt strains to listen.
CURT
You hear that?
STEVE
What?
It’s quiet again. They’re out in the open with nowhere to go for a hundred yards
in each direction.
CURT
There’s a town about five clicks to the south of here. I
say we -
A griff touches down right in front of them. It’s outstretched wings span a good
forty feet and blot out the setting sun. No one dares to speak.
A second Griff lands behind them, kicking up a cloud of dust on the dry Georgia
plain.
THE GRIFF 66. 66.
A third Griff hovers closeby. It lands, snorts and shakes its horrible head.
They’re surrounded. Mo and Steve instinctively inch closer to Curt and his one
shot rifle...
INT. INDOOR FRIDGE ROOM - DAY
The room is lined with stainless steel counters and sinks as well as huge
stainless steel doors to the freezers where the cases of frozen whole fish are
kept for the marine mammals.
Oscar, sitting on the counter by a sink, dries off from his adventure in the shark
tank. We hear Liz rummaging in one of the freezers. Steam streams out of the
open door into the room
LIZ
You’ll feel better after you eat something.
She peeks out of the freeze, a whole frozen fish held up in each hand. She’s
out of her wet suit, in combat pants and an orca sweatshirt, but her hair is still
wet.
LIZ (cont’d)
Herring... or cod?
Oscar has seen enough fish for the day. He goes green and does the rainbow
yawn into the sink. Liz drops her fishes and runs to him. She wipes his face
with a towel.
OSCAR
I feel like hell.
LIZ
You didn’t swallow any of that canal water, did you?
OSCAR
About four gallons.
Liz winces. Continues to fuss over him. Finds a cut on his arm from the shark
tank, wraps the towel around it.
LIZ
That’s going to need some attention.
She pulls a first aid kit off the wall and starts tending to Oscar’s wound.
THE GRIFF 6767.
LIZ (cont’d)
I’m sorry, Oscar. I know you didn’t have to do that
stuff, risk your life like that. I really appreciate it. If you
hadn’t been there...I mean, I thought it was over
when those two came after us in the tunnel.
OSCAR
So where are the rest of them?
LIZ
What do you mean?
OSCAR
Well, two attacked us at the truck. Two came down
the tunnel. Where are the rest of ‘em? I watched the
first attack. When one of ‘em knew something, they
all knew it. It’s not that way now.
LIZ
So what’s changed?
OSCAR
Since the ship crashed they started, I don’t know...
acting like animals or something.
LIZ
I suppose I should have been the one to notice that.
Liz finishes up his bandage, then looks in his eyes, puts a hand to his
forehead. Sweat is beading up there.
LIZ (cont’d)
You have a fever, Oscar. There’s no telling what kind
of bacteria was living in that canal water. We need to
get you some antibiotics. I know there’s some in the
infirmary, but it’s all the way across the park.
OSCAR
Don’t we have a map of the tunnels? In the movies
someone always has a full blueprint of everything
just laying around.
LIZ
I have a fun map.
THE GRIFF 68. 68.
She pulls a map out of the leg pocket of her combat pants. It has clowns and
cartoon critters on it. Oscar slides off of the counter.
OSCAR
Oh good, let’s go find some fun.
He stops, thinks for a moment, then turns and heaves into the sink.
EXT. GEORGIA COUNTRYSIDE - DUSK
Steve, Mo, and Curt huddle in the center of the field surrounded by three griff in
the twilight
The closest griff rears its head and ROARS, sending chills to the bone. It
CHIRPS at the other two griff and they begin to move in as one.
The closest griff opens its frightening maw in anticipation when -- KABOOM!!! --
its head turns to pink mist.
The four ton, headless body tips over and thunders to the ground. Mo, Steve
and Curt turn their attention to a nearby rise in the field.
A deep RUMBLING is heard. A search light crests the rise, engulfing them.
The second and third griff SHRIEK in outrage and take flight. The vehicle
rumbles into view.
It’s an Abrams M1A2 tank. Seventy tons of state of the art warfare packed into
one formidable machine. A head pops out of the driver’s hatch.
DRIVER
Get in!
Our heroes need no further encouragement. They sprint across the field and
climb up onto the tank.
INT. ABRAMS TANK - SAME
The Tank Driver helps them into the turret space. Once in, he battens down the
hatch and breathes a sigh of relief. He appears extraordinarily young.
DRIVER
Y’all are safe now. Private First Class, Carmel
Dickens, 3rd Armored Cavalry, at your service.
THE GRIFF 6969.
Curt shakes his hand.
CURT
Sergeant Curtis Armstrong, 504th Parachute Infantry
Regiment, 82nd Airborne.
MO
Nice work back there, Tank Boy. You old enough to
even have your license?
TANK BOY
Yes, ma’am. Nineteen next month. Y’all are
welcome to ride along if you like.
Tank Boy’s face eases into a wide smile. There’s a definite youthfulness to
him with his easy-going Southern charm, blond buzz cut and smallish size.
MO
Why thank you.
Mo affects her best Southern Belle smile. It’s interrupted by the sound of griff
talons on the outside armor. That horrible fingernails on a chalk board-like
sound.
TANK BOY
Not very smart, these things. They’ve been trying to
get through since day one. Abrams Tank’s probably
the only thing they can’t take.
Tank Boy matter of factly hits several toggle switches on a bank of monitors in
the turret. Several images light up that show the griff gouging at the tank. Tank
Boy sighs as if he’s about to wipe some ants out of the kitchen sink.
TANK BOY (cont’d)
Hold on, now.
EXT. ABRAMS TANK - NIGHT
One of the griff stands on the rear deck of the Abrams. The other flaps its
wings over the turret, swiping its claws at the hatches.
The turret spins with alarming speed and the 120mm cannon barrel swats the
Griff clean off the rear deck and onto the ground.
Tank Boy slams it into reverse and crunches over the dazed beast, killing it.
THE GRIFF 70. 70.
The other griff flaps skyward, SCREECHING.
INT. ABRAMS TANK - SAME
Curt sees the hovering griff in the tank machine gun sights. He squeezes the
trigger.
EXT. ABRAMS TANK - SAME
The hovering griff is tapped backward with each successive armor piercing
bullet that strikes it. It HOWLS horribly and crashes to the earth in a twisted
heap.
The tank turbines power up, the Abrams spins on a dime and rumbles away.
INT. MOVING ABRAMS TANK - NIGHT
Tank Boy drives using the tank’s handle-bar like steering and looks through a
night time thermal viewing system.
STEVE
This thing is awesome.
TANK BOY
Modified it myself. That crazy-lookin’ shooter
outside’s a 20mm gattling gun I hooked up.
Borrowed it from a downed Black Hawk.
STEVE
Dude, you’re invincible in this thing.
TANK BOY
Well, not exactly. This baby burns through gas pretty
good. She’s got a 490 gallon fuel capacity which
comes out to a range of about 250 miles.
MO
That can’t be good for the environment.
Tank Boy hands Mo a Road Atlas.
TANK BOY
Gotta plan my routes around filling stations.
THE GRIFF 7171.
MO
What happened to your crew?
Tank Boy shifts uncomfortably.
TANK BOY
Same thing that happened to most everyone else.
Luck wasn’t with ‘em, I guess. I always sleep inside
the tank on maneuvers. Boys preferred their cots.
We’d been up all night and were caught deep
asleep when they hit. Wasn’t much of a fight, really.
But y’all know how that goes, being survivors
yourselves.
The others nod solemnly.
INT. TUNNELS, SEA WORLD - DAY
Liz and Oscar wander through the tunnels with a flashlight. Oscar is sweating
profusely and looks as if he might pass out any second. They pause and Liz
consults the fun map by flashlight.
LIZ
I think we must be close. I know the infirmary was
somewhere under the wild dolphin ride. I could hear
the squeaking when I was down there getting
stitched up from a penguin bite.
She catches Oscar starting at her as if she might be nuts.
LIZ (cont’d)
Don’t ask.
OSCAR
Liz.
Oscar is pointing his thumb to a large red and white sign over their heads that
reads INFIRMARY. Liz grins and leads through down a long hallway and
through a set of double doors.
INT. SEA WORLD INFIRMARY - DAY
Steam hangs thickly in the air. Once inside, they pause in the dark. Oscar
covers his mouth as if he’s going to hurl.
THE GRIFF 7272.
OSCAR
What’s that smell?
LIZ
(whispering)
Oh, shit.
Liz pans the flashlight over what is obviously a very, very large nest constructed
of fast food packages, amusement park promo items, assorted tatters of cloth,
and bones, some human.
Twenty or so EGGS about twice the size of basketballs lay half-covered by
debris in the nest.
OSCAR
(whispering)
Oh, shit!
A SCRAPING NOISE. Claws on cement floor. We’ve heard it before at the
shark tunnel. They look to the doors.
LIZ
Oh, shit.
Liz whips the flashlight beam around the room. A wrecked infirmary. Glimpses
of half-eaten meaty things lie around the room, but there are no other doors.
There’s a ventilation grate, though, and they run to it. Oscar stops and catches
Liz by the shoulders.
OSCAR
No. Hide. I’ll get this.
LIZ
Not now, Oscar.
Oscar’s not hearing it. He grabs her by the arm and pulls her to the nest. He
picks up one of the eggs and nods to the space underneath it.
OSCAR
Get in.
LIZ
But -
THE GRIFF 7373.
OSCAR
I’ll get the grate. Then you come. Or break for the
door if you can.
A SCRAPE on the door, right outside.
OSCAR (cont’d)
Please.
Tears stream down Liz’s cheeks. She dives into the compost. Oscar tucks the
egg and piles of offal in on top of her when the double doors burst open and
the mother Griff ROARS.
Oscar dashes to the ventilation grate as the mother Griff puts herself between
him and the nest. He yanks at the grate, one corner comes lose but the rest
doesn’t budge.
Oscar turns and pulls his gun from his pants as the griff approaches him.
OSCAR (cont’d)
Come and get it, mama.
The griff moves up on him slowly, he puts the gun just inches from her open
mouth and pulls the trigger. CLICK. Oscar flips the revolver’s cylinder open.
It’s empty.
OSCAR (cont’d)
Oops.
ON LIZ --
There’s a horrible SCREAMING and suddenly silence. Liz shudders under the
eggs as she listens to Oscar being torn apart.
It’s quiet, just the breathing of the mother griff. She returns to the nest, nudges
the egg Oscar moved.
Blood drips from her beak onto the egg’s surface and runs down it, dripping
onto Liz’s face underneath. The mother griff GROWLS.
EXT. GEORGIA COUNTRYSIDE - MORNING
The Abrams rolls over the gentle countryside. An Exxon filling station can be
seen in the distance near a highway overpass.
THE GRIFF 74. 74.
The Abrams turns toward it, ploughing through a barb wire fence. It dips into a
grassy ditch next to the road and breaches the rise.
The Abrams slows and finally stops about 200 yards short of the Exxon filling
station.
STEVE
Why’re we stopping?
Tank Boy checks digital read-outs in a panic then slumps in realization.
TANK BOY
Son of a gun. We’re outta gas.
INT. ABRAMS TANK - SAME
The turbine engine whines down, only the hydraulics and electric systems whir
quietly.
Tank Boy shuts them down, too. They stare at the gas station in the distance.
The wind whistles softly. A ball of tumbleweed bounces past.
TANK BOY
Guess this’ll have to be close enough.
MO
We’ll draw straws to see who goes.
CURT
I’ll go.
TANK BOY
No, it’s my tank. My responsibility. I won’t hear
another thing about it.
Tank Boy checks outside for griff. With the coast clear, he opens the
commander’s hatch and rises through the opening.
EXT. ABRAMS TANK - MORNING
Tank Boy stretches atop the impressive turret. Curt, Steve and Mo assume
positions, manning the weapons.
Tank Boy gathers two empty jerry cans, a hand pump and a crow bar. He
breathes deeply like an athlete before a race.
THE GRIFF 7575.
TANK BOY
Wish me luck.
MO
Luck? You don’t need luck. You have us covering
your ass.
Tank Boy hopes that’s enough and takes off, sprinting to the gas station.
Curt follows him with the .50 cal BFG, Mo mans the .20mm Gatling. Steve
scours the sky with binoculars.
Tank Boy covers the distance with reasonable speed. He reaches the steel
cap in the pavement where the fuel truck fills up the gas pumps.
He pops off the lock with a crow bar and stuffs in a hose attached to the hand
crank pump.
Once in place, Tank Boy works the pump with the urgency of a Formula One pit
crew.
He fills the first gas can then stabs the hose in the mouth of the second.
He continues to pump desperately, his eyes nervously looking about. Finally,
both fuel cans are full.
He tightens down the caps and lumbers back toward the tank burdened with
the two five gallon cans.
Back at the tank, Mo stiffens at the sound of the Griff flapping their wings.
She turns in time to see several griff tearing through the sky with Tank Boy in
their sights.
Curt squeezes the trigger hitting the closest griff. It takes the slug in its
armored chest and literally changes direction mid-air.
Mo opens up using the gatling gun. She shreds the wings of another griff
sending it spiraling to the ground in a broken heap.
A third Griff grabs onto Tank Boy with its talons. He SCREAMS.
Tank Boy is lifted off his feet into the air. The griff’s talons have pierced his
heavy tanker coat.
THE GRIFF 76. 76.
Curt follows him calmly through the sights of the sniper scope. He waits for a
clear shot... waits...
CURT
C’mon... c’mon...
The griff flaps higher. Curt has the shot he’s been waiting for -- he FIRES.
A chunk blows off the griff's head. Tank Boy is released, he plummets eight
feet to the ground.
The four ton body of the dead griff SLAMS to earth only inches away.
Dazed, Tank Boy rises and gathers the fuel cans. He resumes his path back to
his beloved tank.
MO
Hurry!
Mo, Curt and Steve cheer him on. They keep up a steady fusillade against the
attacking griff buying Tank Boy just enough time to reach the tank.
Mo takes the fuel cans as Steve helps him scramble into the loader's hatch.
With everyone safe, the hatches are tightened down. The griff dive and swoop
on the tank, screeching.
Finally, they go away. Quiet is restored.
INT. ABRAMS TANK - DAY
Mo daubs disinfectant on Tank Boy’s back. He winces in pain.
TANK BOY
Ouch! That hurts...
MO
It’s the disinfectant working.
TANK BOY
You got any morphine in there? Let’s see how that
works.
THE GRIFF 7777.
STEVE
(Monty Python accent)
It’s only a flesh wound...
He peeks at the three gouges. Cringes.
STEVE (cont’d)
Sheesh...
CURT
You guys here that?
STEVE
What?
They quiet. Listen. An animal bellows outside. A cow perhaps. Curt hoists
the BFG and opens the commander’s hatch.
EXT. ABRAMS TANK - SAME
Our heroes peer out at one of the fallen griff, the source of the noise. It writhes
in the Georgia dirt, bleeding and in pain.
TANK BOY
Let the sumbitch bleed.
STEVE
Let’s poke him with sharp sticks.
Curt pulls back the bolt on the BFG, chambering a round out of a fresh clip.
CURT
There’s no point in prolonging its suffering.
Curt raises the weapon, closes one eye, squinting down the weapon’s sight.
The others cover their ears.
Curt fires. The griff jerks as the bullet pierces its armored hide. It slumps back
and cries no more. Mo looks at Curt with admiration.
MO
You did the right thing.
Steve silently mouths Mo’s words, mimicking her, jealous of Curt.
THE GRIFF 7878.
INT. SEA WORLD INFIRMARY - DAY
The mother griffin looms over the eggs where Liz is hiding below. Sure that all
is well with the nest, the mother griff lumbers out through the double doors.
Liz tentatively peeks her head out of the nest, then not seeing the mother,
climbs out and goes to the vent. She pulls but it doesn’t budge except for the
corner Oscar tore away.
She rifles through the remains of the infirmary drawers until she finds a tool
box, pulls out a big screwdriver and goes at the grate with it.
Behind her, one of the eggs crack. Then another. She’s prying furiously at the
grate as the first baby griff emerges and starts PEEPING. Then another.
LIZ
Shhhhhh. You guys. Shhhhhhhh.
At the sound of Liz’s voice, the baby griffins roll out of the nest and awkwardly
start toward her.
They are all hatching and peeping and the room is quickly filling with beagle-
sized peeping griffins gathering around Liz. She tries to shoo them back into
the nest.
LIZ (cont’d)
Go away. Go. Go away. Go. Go. Go.
They peep more frantically and come at her looking more hungry. From down
the hall we hear the sound of the mother returning...
EXT. GEORGIA FOREST - NIGHT
Tank Boy, Steve, and Curt are all sitting around a campfire beside the tank,
eating MREs. Mo is also eating, but sits behind the .50 Caliber machine gun
on the tank, on guard, sort'a.
Steve squeezes some sort of substance up out of the foil pouch, pokes it with a
spoon as if it will bite, then throws it in the fire.
STEVE
I can't eat this stuff any more, it's not real food. I need
food. Meat.
THE GRIFF 79. 79.
Tank Boy squeezes his foil packet and some unlikely looking goo oozes up
and he eats it.
TANK BOY
I kinda like the pouch pizza.
Curt squeezes up an identical gob of glop and gives it a taste.
CURT
This Roast Turkey with gravy, stuffing and mash
potato paste has meat in it, sort'a.
TANK BOY
That's not turkey dinner paste, that's Hawaiian Luau
Lunch, pork and poi. I thought you were a Ranger,
you don't even know your Ready to Eats?
Curt looks to Steve, he know's he's busted, he doesn't say anything. Tank Boy,
suspiciously, looks to Mo, who sits on a tank.
STEVE
I don't know what they train you guys on in the tank
corps, but Curt was living on shoe leather and
testosterone when he found us. Thank God
someone knew about weapons.
Curt looks at Steve, amazed that he's been bailed out.
MO
I saw the black beret and the uniform with a chest
full of medals when we all hooked up. We made him
leave that crap in the submarine. Pretentious
soldier-boy bullshit anyway.
TANK BOY
Medals? Well I apologize, sir. I had no idea.
CURT
Don't call me sir, Corporal. I'm not a fucking officer.
TANK BOY
Yes sir.
THE GRIFF 8080.
STEVE
Well, all that's beside the point. You guys can eat
grunt food all you want, but I'm going to get some
meat.
He goes to the tank, picks up the BFG and makes sure there's ammo in the
clip.
TANK BOY
Where you going?
STEVE
There were some cattle in that field about a quarter
of a mile back. I'm going to go get a steak.
MO
The mighty hunter. Careful, I hear they charge when
they're wounded. Many a hunter has fallen under the
horns and bell of a vicious Flossie.
STEVE
So you're not coming?
She holds up her MRE pouch.
MO
And give up squeezable nachos? No way.
EXT. PASTURE - NIGHT
Steve creeps to the edge of a pasture where a lone cow stands, maybe
sleeping, maybe not. He sets the BFG on its bipod and sites on the cow.
We see the cross hairs come down on the face of your basic goofy Holstein.
She moos. Steve takes a deep breath and lets it out. Sings softly to himself -
STEVE
"Hold the pickles, hold the lettuce..."
The cow chews away, looking innocently at Steve. Steve sighs, lowering the
weapon. He can’t kill it in cold blood.
A shadow crosses the moon. A Griffin swoops down out of the sky toward the
cow. Steve looks through the scope. Flossie is still chewing away.
THE GRIFF 8181.
STEVE (Cont’d)
My cow, you bastard. My cow.
The griffin comes down out of the sky, through the scope we see it's face
appear and BLAM.
EXT. GEORGIA FOREST - NIGHT
They are around the campfire again, but this time eating huge hunks of roast
meat.
MO
Not bad. It's a little tough.
TANK BOY
But it's got a good flavor. Tastes a little like
rattlesnake.
CURT
Going with your word on that one, Corporal.
Curt bites down and grimaces. He reaches into his mouth and extracts a
small, charred, computer chip-looking thing. He holds it up. Mo snatches it out
of his hand and examines it.
MO
Some kind of chip? A tracking device maybe.
Standing behind Mo is Flossie the cow, calmly chewing her cud. Mo is still
examining the chip, trying to figure it out.
MO (cont'd)
Would you quit chewing in my ear?
EXT. HIGHWAY I-95 - DAY
The Abrams tank rolls down the berm of I-95, past abandoned and wrecked
cars. It comes to a stop at the St. Mary's River. There's a bridge that is blocked
by cars and has been partially destroyed. Tank boy pops up out of the hatch
and shakes his head.
TANK BOY
No way I'm gonna get her over that.
THE GRIFF 8282.
EXT. RIVERBANK - DAY
Now they are all outside of the tank, Curt has a map unfolded and is searching
for a route.
CURT
Here, there's another bridge about forty miles west
of here at Folkston. We can give that a try.
TANK BOY
And if that one's blocked, how far to the next one?
Curt traces his finger on the map and comes up not looking happy.
CURT
A ways. Quite a ways.
Tank Boy nods.
MO
Well, we just have to hump it on foot for a while.
TANK BOY
I don't think so.
MO
Why? We can make it across on top of the wrecked
cars if nothing else. We'll find some kind of
transportation on the other side.
TANK BOY
But it won't be a tank, will it?
MO
Well...
TANK BOY
I'll stay here, maybe head west until I see some kind
of crossing. But y'all need to get to Orlando and find
out who put that ship down.
STEVE
But, you -
THE GRIFF 8383.
TANK BOY
I can't go. If I don't have my tank I ain't Tank Boy any
more, am I? I'm no one.
Mo jumps over to him and grabs his shoulder. He turns away.
MO
Don't be stupid. You'll be Tank Boy if you want. You
can be whoever you want.
Curt puts his arm around Mo and pulls her away, helps her to the ground, then
turns back to Tank Boy
CURT
Carry on Corporal.
He salutes.
TANK BOY
Yes sir, Sergeant. Since when do we start saluting
noncoms?
CURT
Since right now, Corporal. Cover us until we make
across, would you?
TANK BOY
Yes sir.
Mo jumps back up on the tank and gives Tank Boy a big hug and a kiss. They
make their way down to the bridge as Tank Boy waves to them from above.
EXT. JACKSONVILLE MARINA - DAY
Mo, Curt, and Steve are paused by one of the slips. Curt is reading the map.
There's a fast-looking forty-foot cigarette boat moored nearby. Steve jumps
down into it and starts thrashing around under the dash, in the glove
compartment, under the seats.
CURT
From here there's water all the way to Orlando.
MO
I don't suppose there's a chance we'll find another
submarine.
THE GRIFF 84. 84.
Behind them, we hear the roar of a pair of 500 horse power marine engines
firing up. Steve grins as if he just discovered sex.
STEVE
(shouting)
They left the keys under the back seats. Can you
believe it?
Mo jumps down into the cigarette boat. Curt shrugs and follows her.
EXT. ST. JOHN'S RIVER - DAY
The cigarette boat screams down the river, leaving waves big enough to surf in
it's wake.
Two Griff, who are perched on the top of an abandoned Art Deco mansion on
the shore, take wing.
Mo spots the Griff and signals to Steve, who is driving the boat. He pushes the
throttle even further forward.
MO
We can't outrun them.
There's a bridge ahead. Steve sees it, slows down, let's the Griff get closer,
then takes off. The Griffin are right at the back of the boat now, Curt reaches for
the BFG but Mo hands him an M-16. The Griff scream as he lets loose on
them.
As they get to the bridge there's not quite enough room for everyone to get
under it. The boat goes under, one griff soars skyward, the other hits the
bridge with a sickening CRUNCH. We see concrete crumble off the other side
from the impact.
CURT
That had to hurt.
Mo scans the sky.
MO
Where's the other one?
The boat goes through a series of S curves and suddenly a Griffin lands on the
long front deck of the boat, it's claws shattering the windscreen.
THE GRIFF 85. 85.
Steve lets go of the wheel. He leaps back as the Griffin snaps at his face and
instead snatches the whistle around his neck.
Then there' s a huge EXPLOSION and the griffin jerks taking a slug high in the
shoulder. Curt leaps forward, whips the wheel, and the boat turns abruptly,
throwing the griff off into the river.
It’s wings beat against the water in an effort to take off. The griff opens his
mouth to scream at them and instead, we hear THE WHISTLE.
EXT. LAKE MONROE - ORLANDO - DAY
The cigarette boat moves slowly across a calm lake, abandoned cars,
amusement parks. Mo, Curt, and Steve are awestruck by the enormity of the
crashed ship. Not for one second they take their eyes from it.
STEVE
It’s bigger than it looks on radio.
CURT
Where's all the military?
MO
I was going to ask you that.
STEVE
We're going to have to go over there, aren't we?
CURT
Yes.
MO
No.
STEVE
I vote, no.
EXT. ORLANDO INDUSTRIAL SECTION - DAY
An industrial section of Orlando. The hulking ship lies dormant not far away.
Steve, Mo and Curt survey the best way to the ship across an open section of a
construction site.
A crane lies dormant next to gigantic racks of concrete piping in forty foot
sections.
THE GRIFF 8686.
MO
I can make it to the concrete pipes if you cover me.
STEVE
I’ll go with you.
MO
One at a time, Cowboy. That’s the rule.
STEVE
Since when?
MO
Since now.
(to Curt)
You ready?
CURT
Affirmative.
Mo hands Curt the .50 cal. Curt is a little surprised.
MO
Cover me.
Mo forces a smile and pats Curt’s arm reassuringly as if to say, I’m counting on
you.
STEVE
I don’t like this. Why don’t we wait --
Mo sprints across clearing. A Griff notices her. It flaps its wings from its perch
ready to dive. Curt follows it in his sights... he shoots. The griff convulses in
mid-air, the bullet penetrating its body armor.
Curt chambers the next round. Another Griff appears. It targets Mo. She runs,
passes the pipes, en route to the crane.
Curt follows the beast. He fires... MISSES. Mo reaches the crane, climbs up.
The Griff swoops down on her, she makes it into the cab but loses her M-16
along the way -- it falls between the tracks of the crane, out of sight.
The Griff sees Mo inside the cramped cab -- it ROARS.
THE GRIFF 87. 87.
Steve and Curt panic. They're out of ammo. Curt pats his pockets, checks his
rucksack, then in realization --
CURT
She’s got all the ammo!!!
Steve rises from hiding, concerned only for Mo.
The Griff breaks the glass, it's head pushes into the cab --it strains its neck to
reach Mo -- she's pressed against the back of the space nowhere to go -- the
Griff's jaws snapping, gnashing inches from her...
The Griff's shoulders are caught on steel braces in the crane's cab -- how long
can they hold?
Steve runs from his hiding place.
CURT (cont'd)
Steve! Come back!
Steve grabs a fire extinguisher from the construction site, climbs up to the cab.
STEVE
Over here!!!
The Griff stops -- it's head rears out of the crane cab, turns to Steve -- he
unleashes the compressed chemicals in the fire extinguisher right into the
Griff's eyes.
The beast is blinded, sending it into an uncontrollable rage... it flails its wings,
tosses its head wildly, snapping its powerful beak at nothing in particular --
Steve gingerly moves around it, frees Mo and they run like hell. They return to
the cover of the huge concrete pipes. No other griff come.
MO
That was fucking stupid!
STEVE
I know.
Mo is stunned. They catch their breath... Mo’s anger subsides. There’s a
glimmer in her eye. A hint of shift in their relationship dynamic. An unspoken
appreciation. Steve looks away, uncomfortable with Mo looking into his face.
THE GRIFF 88. 88.
EXT. SPACESHIP - LATER THAT DAY
Mo, Steve and Curt stand by a crack in the hull of the huge ship. We can only
see a portion of the ship and the crack they are entering is perhaps a hundred
feet tall.
MO
Remind me what we're doing here.
CURT
Taking the fight to the Griff.
STEVE
Yeah, because they'd just hang back an wait for us if
we didn't come after them.
INT. SPACESHIP - DAY
The interior of the ship looks organic, like a network of huge tunnels with ribs
and walls that look as if they are made of flesh.
They stand at the floor of an outer passage way about the size of a sports
arena. There's a dim light coming from the walls and the floor.
CURT
There's no mechanics here, this can't be all there is.
Tunnels and stuff. Where are the engines, the
electronics?
STEVE
Have you seen the Griff use any electronics?
MO
Haven't you wondered about that? I mean, if they
could build something like this? Why -
STEVE
Why do they act like animals?
Curt sees some sort of passage in the side of the tunnel, but it's closed by a
membrane. Close to the floor there is a gold colored nodule, something like a
water balloon.
CURT
Door?
THE GRIFF 8989.
STEVE
Door knob
Mo reaches past them and squeezes the water balloon, the membrane over
the passage opens like a heart valve. Steve looks in. It's a narrow
passageway with ribbing that appears to be stairs going up into the center of
the ship.
STEVE (Cont’d)
They look like steps.
MO
What do the Griff need steps for?
CURT
Good point. Go on in.
They go into the passage and climb for a long time. Steve notices claw marks
on the walls and points them out to Mo.
STEVE
Seems like they'd build a ship that could stand up to
their claws, wouldn't you?
MO
Where the hell are they?
CURT
No bodies. This ship crashed, but there are no
bodies.
The move into a much wider, open chamber. This section looks less organic,
less living, more mechanical, but still very alien. The metal has a rainbow
caste like annealed steel.
There's a puddle of goo on the floor in front of what is obviously a door,
something small and grey laying in it. Steve pokes it with his rifle.
STEVE
Pet?
MO
Could be.
THE GRIFF 90. 90.
Mo squeezes another door knob balloon, this again close to the floor. A huge
heart valve opens, this one made of metal, onto a large open space the size of
a small stadium.
There are blinking lights and huge round screens everywhere. Here and there
are scattered what look like rows of seed pods lined up.
Most are broken, in one there is a small grey being, light bulb-headed,
obviously dead.
All around the vast room are small piles of grey in puddles of goo. Mo reaches
into one and rolls one of the little light bulb heads over. The living creature
couldn't have been more than 30 inches tall.
MO (Cont’d)
This is not a Griff.
CURT
Nope.
Steve examines deep claw marks in one of the pods.
STEVE
But the Griff did this.
Mo looks at all of the controls around the room. We see a pyramid of
opalescent crystal with four crystal lozenges, just like the one on the
archeological ship at the beginning of the film. It's on a platform very low to the
ground.
MO
News flash, guys.
CURT
What?
MO
The Griff didn't invade Earth. These little grey guys
did. Look at all the controls. There's nothing here the
size of a Griff.
STEVE
Great, the human race wiped out by puddles of
beanie babies.
THE GRIFF 9191.
CURT
If the Griff aren't the invaders, then what are they?
Steve looks around at what must be a thousand dead little grey guys littering
the floors. There's a familiar growl from the passage where they entered.
STEVE
We need to get out of here, you guys.
They start to run. There are perhaps fifty doorways in the huge room. Mo leads
them to the nearest one and squeezes the balloon-knob.
The valve opens and they are through it and starting down the passageway
when they hear claws below. They turn and run back into the control room.
The next passage, half-way in they hear a ROAR.
STEVE (Cont’d)
Fuck!
They run across the control room and through another valve-door. Griffins are
starting to come into the control room through the doors they left open.
CURT
We should have closed those things.
MO
Yeah, and you think if a locked door would have kept
them out that these little gray guys would all be
dead?
Curt braces himself and fires off five rounds with the BFG, changing targets
each time. He hits one griff coming through a distant passage but as it falls
another comes in behind it.
The room is big enough that another takes wing and starts flying toward them.
Others follow. Curt empties the gun and reaches for more ammo, there's
none.
Mo and Steve catch him by the epaulets and drag him backwards through and
open door. Once through Mo squeezes the knob and the valve shuts just as
the griff hits the door. It flexes like latex and a single claw comes through.
STEVE
This way.
THE GRIFF 92. 92.
He leads them down another rib/staircase. They move so fast they lose their
footing and start to tumble down it. They come out into a widened chamber
with a valve door.
There's SCREECHING coming from the passage behind them. Mo leaps for
the balloon/knob and the valve opens.
A Griffin stands in the doorway, it's beak not inches from Mo's face. Both Steve
and Curt fire their weapons but the firing pins fall on empty chambers with a
CLICK.
The Griffin rears back as if to strike and Liz steps out from under it's wing.
LIZ
Hi. You guys might want to come with me.
INT. SEA WORLD TUNNELS - DAY
Liz, Curt, Mo, follow Liz and her pet griffin through the tunnels of Sea World.
Curt, Mo and Steve are looking decidedly nervous. Liz talks to them as they go
along.
LIZ
I've been watching the ship, thinking someone might
hear about it and come.
CURT
And we're it. No military, no one.
LIZ
No, there were some others, but I didn't get to them
in time.
Mo winces.
STEVE
And this guy is not eating us because...?
LIZ
I raised him from infancy...
INT. SEA WORLD INFIRMARY - FLASHBACK - DAY
The continuation of the earlier scene. Liz pries the grate the rest of the way off
and ducks into the three foot high ventilation shaft.
THE GRIFF 93. 93.
As she disappears into the shaft we see a herd of baby griff toddling after her
into the shaft.
LIZ (V.O.)
I was the first thing they saw after they hatched. It’s
called imprinting.
INT. SEA WORLD TUNNELS - DAY
Liz, Curt, Mo, follow Liz and her pet griffin through the tunnels of Sea World.
Curt, Mo and Steve are looking decidedly nervous.
STEVE
So these guys think you’re their mother?
Liz nods.
CURT
And this was how long ago?
LIZ
Maybe five weeks.
MO
They’ve grown this much in five weeks?
LIZ
Well, like you just figured out. They were designed to
be weapons. They have to be ready to fight quickly.
You should see these guys put away fish.
MO
And you, uh, you’re sure they won’t hurt us?
LIZ
I trained animals for a living. It’s what I do.
STEVE
And there’s how many?
Liz leads them up a wide set of steps and throws open the door to the
sheltered portion of the orca tank.
Around the water, illuminated from sun coming in from the outdoor tank, are
THIRTEEN OTHER GRIFFINS.
THE GRIFF 9494.
LIZ
You need to meet the rest of the kids.
She walks around the circle of griffins, petting and patting each one.
LIZ (cont’d)
You’ve met Doc. This is Happy, Dopey, Sleazy,
Koolaid, Comet, Cupid, Donner and Blitzen,
Chevrolet, Flopsy, Mopsy, Cottontail,and Oprah.
MO
I loved Oprah.
CURT
So the Griff are just weapons. The little grey guys are
really the invaders?
LIZ
That's the way it looks. And for some reason, the
Griff turned on their masters. That's what brought the
ship down.
MO
That explains the change in their behavior. When the
ship went down, that's when the Griff started acting
like animals, not invaders.
STEVE
But why use the Griff? Why not use some death ray
that would nuke the whole planet or something?
Mo rises and walks as she brainstorms -
MO
No, it's perfect. You send the Griff in, they take out the
only threat, the dominant species, and most of the
infrastructure is preserved.
CURT
If they can build ships like that, why do they need our
crappy infrastructure?
THE GRIFF 9595.
MO
They're pioneers. The guys are looking to settle a
new land.
STEVE
One question? If these guys are such super beings,
world settlers and all, how is it that they let the Griff
take them out?
Mo and Curt look at Liz as if to say, "good question." Liz shrugs.
MO
Maybe they just fucked-up. We almost destroyed
ourselves with an out of control weapon during the
Cold War. Maybe the Griff are just their Cuban
Missile crisis gone wrong.
STEVE
What's a Cuban Missile?
EXT. SEAL TANK - NIGHT
Steve and Mo are feeding frozen herring to the seals, who BARK and beg as
the process goes on. Nearby, Curt uses a squeegee to clean the area around
the pool.
Liz feeds a baby walrus handfuls of oozing oysters from a bucket as the animal
makes disgusting sucking noises. Around the seal area, the trained griff are
lined up guarding them. Mo scans the night sky, not trusting the trained griff.
Steve looks at the slime-slurping baby walrus.
STEVE
Oh, so to do that you need an advanced degree in
marine biology? Good to know.
LIZ
I forgot how much work this was. It’s nice to have
help.
CURT
It’s amazing that you’ve kept them all alive this long.
What are you going to do when the food runs out?
THE GRIFF 9696.
LIZ
I have an idea, but I’m going to need some help.
CURT
What can we do?
STEVE
(overly sincere)
I believe, since there’s no way to fight the griff
collectively, and since the mother ship is down, that
the only responsible thing we can do is to try and
repopulate the planet as quickly as possible.
He takes Mo’s hand and places it over his heart. She cracks up and pulls it
away, not as cynical as we’ve seen her in the past.
MO
What’s the plan?
EXT. OBSERVATION DECK - NIGHT
Liz points to a moonlit park, the others are gathered around her, listening.
LIZ
You see that canal that runs by the orca pool? About
a half-mile away it comes within fifty yards of the
Jessup river. From there you can go by water all the
way to the sea. If I can get the animals over that fifty
yards I can set them free.
STEVE
Shopping carts? Wheelbarrows.
MO
Steve, the orcas weigh eight tons.
STEVE
Well, yeah, you’d need to make more than one trip.
LIZ
I want to build a canal.
Curt who has been looking carefully at the problem steps up, nodding.
THE GRIFF 9797.
CURT
We can do that.
MO
We can?
LIZ
Really?
CURT
Sure. We don’t want to be out in the open on a
bulldozer or something. I’m thinking explosives, lots
of them.
STEVE
You’re kind of always thinking that, aren’t you?
Curt is thinking out loud -
CURT
Your Griff can guard us while we plant the charges.
There’s an airforce base about fifteen miles from
here. Steve and I can probably find enough
explosives there.
Steve does a double-take as his name is mentioned. Liz throws her arms
around Curt and gives him a big hug while Mo rolls her eyes.
LIZ
Thank you. Thank you so much.
Curt stands there looking awkward, but finally returns her embrace.
EXT. HIGHWAY I-95 SOUTH - DAY
A lime green Humvee emblazoned with the words, BOB’S HOUSE OF
ALLIGATOR WRESTLING, barrels down the shoulder of the highway, blazing
past a never ending line of abandoned cars.
Carefully gripping the roof of the Humvee is one of the domesticated griff. Its
wings are tucked and it keeps a vigilant watch over its human charges driving
below.
The Humvee dips into the grassy median. The griff catches air, flaps its wings
once and softly settles back atop the speeding vehicle.
THE GRIFF 98. 98.
INT. MOVING HUMVEE - SAME
Curt is at the wheel, steering around the occasional stray car on the roadside.
Steve sits high in the passenger seat, nervously watching the trained griff just
above him.
A shadow flutters past, high in the sky above them. Steve’s face clouds in
worry. He raises the BFG, ready.
CURT
We got company?
STEVE
Company are people your parents invite over to the
house for Canasta.
Steve climbs into the back, ready to shoot.
STEVE (cont’d)
What we’ve got is a fucking monster from outer
space.
Their guardian griff lifts off to meet the intruder griff.
EXT. SEAL TANK - DAY
Mo is at the edge of the pool, feeding a couple of seals in the water while
another sneaks up behind her to a rack of bicycle horns. He is so going to
honk her, but she turns and busts him a second before.
MO
Right there, buddy. Don’t move.
She aims a dead herring at him like a pistol.
MO (cont’d)
That’s it. Back in the water. Nice and easy and no
one gets hurt.
The alleged honker hangs his head and slithers back into the pool, but
something in the sky catches Mo’s eye and she drops the fish she is holding.
MO (cont’d)
Oh shit. Liz! Liz! Oh shit.
THE GRIFF 99. 99.
Liz comes running out of one of the tunnels. Mo points to the sky, and we see A
SECOND ALIEN SHIP sliding across the sky toward the spot where the first
one went down.
INT./EXT. MOVING HUMVEE - DAY
The radio in the dash crackles and we hear Liz’s voice coming through the
speaker.
LIZ (O.C.)
Guys. Can you hear me?
Steve tries to balance himself in the moving vehicle while grabbing the mic.
STEVE
(into mic)
One moment please, while I connect you.
He gazes up to see what’s going on in the sky above them -
The guardian griff intercepts the attacking griff. They clash in the air in a flurry of
talons, snapping beaks and SHRIEKS.
The attacking griff is violently thrown sideways through the supports of the
concrete awning over a filling station. The roof collapses, covering the bad griff
completely.
STEVE (cont’d)
(to Curt)
Oh... that’s gotta hurt his chances of going to the
finals, Bob.
The guardian griff circles territorially over the racing Humvee and, once the
threat has subsided, it returns to its place on the vehicle’s roof.
STEVE (cont'd)
(into mic)
We can hear you, Liz. Go ahead. We had a little
problem of our own.
INT. SECURITY OFFICE - DAY
Liz and Mo stand by the radio. Liz has the mic.
THE GRIFF 100100.
LIZ
There’s a second ship. Another ship just arrived, it’s
hovering over where the last one went down.
Mo pulls the mic over so she can talk.
MO
Be careful guys. The griff may get organized again all
of a sudden.
STEVE (O.C.)
What about our griff? Will they turn on us?
MO
They shouldn’t. They don’t have the control chip thing
in them.
STEVE (O.C.)
Control chip?
MO
That thing Curt found in his Griff burger.
INT. MOVING HUMVEE - DAY
Steve looks at the trained griff’s claws just over the edge of the windshield. He
looks at Curt, who exchanges a look of “uh-oh” with him.
CURT
We go to plan B.
STEVE
(into mic)
It’s okay. We’re going to plan B, you guys.
LIZ (O.C.)
Roger, plan B.
STEVE
Right, Plan B.
Steve hangs up the mic and looks at Curt. He looks at Curt with a raised
eyebrow as if to say, “well?”
THE GRIFF 101101.
CURT
I’m thinking of it. Give me a minute.
INT. SECURITY OFFICE - DAY
Liz puts the mic down, shaking her head, she turns to Mo.
LIZ
Why now? Why the second ship?
MO
Maybe they didn’t come until there was no chance of
a counterstrike.
LIZ
Or maybe the first ship called them?
MO
Called them?
LIZ
When Oscar and I saw the first ship go down, some
kind of beam shot out of it for about an hour. Maybe
that was a distress signal or something.
EXT. PATRICK AIRFORCE BASE - AFTERNOON
The guardian griff remains atop the humvee. It scans the sky like some
prehistoric anti-aircraft weapon.
The base is littered with the remnants of a last stand against the initial griff
invasion. Fighter jets lie broken and abandoned, their cockpits torn open.
Curt latches a trailer to the Humvee. Steve struggles to carry over a box of .50
caliber ammunition. For a little guy, he’s doing pretty well.
Curt returns lugging a crate. He sets it down in the trailer with a grunt.
STEVE
What’cha got there?
CURT
Plan B -- Stinger, Surface to Air, missile. The choice
of professionals the world over.
THE GRIFF 102102.
STEVE
Probably more effective than my whistle.
EXT. PATRICK AIRFORCE BASE - LATER
Steve finishes loading the last of the Stinger missile crates. The humvee and
trailer are filled to capacity. Steve looks about and doesn’t immediately see
Curt.
He walks back to the munitions building and notices Curt crouched over the
nose of a twelve foot bomb resting in the cradle of a loading cart.
Curt gingerly disassembles the nose cone and hands Steve a chunk of
complex-looking wiring engulfing a metal plunger-like device.
CURT
Here. That’s the detonator. Don’t drop it or there’ll be
pieces of us raining down for three blocks in every
direction.
STEVE
Great. Just what I need to hear from a guy who used
to work the make up counter at Macy’s.
Curt slowly pulls a two and a half foot tube out from inside the aircraft bomb.
He holds it up proudly.
CURT
This bad boy’ll clear a chunk of real estate the size of
Disney Land.
BACK AT THE HUMVEE --
Curt finishes strapping down their weapons cargo. Steve is on the radio with
Mo.
MO (O.C.)
The mother ship hasn’t gone anywhere. In fact, I
think it may have come in closer.
Doing a bad John Wayne -
THE GRIFF 103103.
STEVE
Don’t you worry your pretty little head, miss. We’re
packing enough ordinance to alleviate all of your
household alien problems.
MO (O.C.)
I like it when you talk big, soldier.
You boys load up and hurry home, now. There’s
work to be done.
CURT
(to Steve)
She likes you.
Steve nods in agreement. Static hisses, cutting through their transmission.
SUB COMMANDER (O.C.)
This is Commander Walter Houston of the USS
Seawolf. We copy your transmission, over -
Curt snaps the radio mic from Steve.
CURT
Acknowledge, Commander Houston. This is
Sergeant Curtis Armstrong, 82nd Airborne, go
ahead, sir.
SUB COMMANDER (O.C.)
I am pleased to hear your voice, sergeant. We’ve
been at sea since the invasion with almost no
communication. How many men at your disposal?
Over -
CURT
Actually, sir, just myself and a male civilian.
STEVE
And a couple of ass-kicking babes.
SUB COMMANDER (O.C.)
We overheard your transmission and would like to
coordinate our efforts. We’re about thirty clicks miles
due east off Cape Canaveral. We’re host to a Seal
(MORE)
THE GRIFF 104104.
SUB COMMANDER (O.C.) (cont'd)
Team just itching to take a shot at that alien ship.
Our Seals could use a little recon.
STEVE
We have a seal team, too...
Curt frowns at Steve while speaking into the microphone.
CURT
Commander Houston, I’m happy to share all intel
and assist in whatever way I can. I suggest we
rendezvous after night fall, sir. The griff seem less of
a threat then. Over.
SUB COMMANDER (O.C.)
Roger that, Sergeant. Rendezvous at the southeast
break off Cape Canaveral, twenty-one hundred
hours.
CURT
Affirmative, sir. We’ll be waiting to guide your men
inland.
The transmission ends. Curt enthusiastically high-fives Steve. Mo comes
back on over the radio -
MO (O.C.)
Looks like we can all sit back and let the pros
handle it from here on in. You guys might as well
stay put, we’ll be joining you shortly. Wouldn’t want to
miss this for anything.
Curt wells with purpose and confidence. Steve remains pensive and confused.
STEVE
Why didn’t you just tell them where the mother ship
is?
CURT
A sub like that carries about twelve nuclear
warheads apiece. They probably woulda’ nuked the
aliens and written us off as collateral damage.
Steve sits stewing over the grim realization.
THE GRIFF 105105.
EXT. CAPE CANAVERAL - NIGHT
A full moon lights the night. Waves break softly on the beach head, then hiss in
retreat. Curt scans the water with binoculars. He listens to the radio through
an ear piece.
Mo keeps an eye out for the Griff with her .50 cal., scanning the skies and
abandoned beaches.
Liz waits nervously, stroking the awesome beak of her trained griff. Steve shifts
away from the trained griff, quite uncomfortable being that close.
STEVE
Geeze, I can feel that thing’s hot stinky breath right
through my jacket.
MO
Ssshhh. He’s probably thinking the same thing
about you.
Steve’s brow furrows in concern. He cups his hand over his nose and mouth
and exhales. He sniffs for bad breath.
MO (cont’d)
I was kidding.
Curt raises his hand, silencing everyone. He keys in his radio -
CURT
Go ahead, Commander Houston.
Curt listens, nodding.
CURT (cont’d)
You’re all clear, sir. One word of caution -- we have
two friendly griff in our possession, it’s a long story,
but we ask that your men hold their fire -
Curt winces, pulls the ear piece out and switches the radio to standard for all to
hear -
SUB COMMANDER
-- after what’s happened, I cannot issue that order!
Have your griff vacate the LZ immediately or the
landing will be aborted.
THE GRIFF 106106.
Liz nods, leading the two griff away.
CURT
Sir, the animals are being moved as we speak. The
LZ will be clear and secure in five.
Out of the inky blue depths, the black submarine conning tower appears.
Water rolls off its massive sides as it quietly breaches the ocean surface. The
sub’s length is almost incomprehensible at 1300 feet.
In seconds, NAVAL PERSONNEL appear on the bridge, armed with binoculars
and an assortment of small arms.
SUB COMMANDER
Identify your location, sergeant.
Curt taps out a few flashes from his military issue flash light.
SUB COMMANDER (cont’d)
We have a visual, Seal Team preparing to
disembark.
CURT
Roger that, sir. I’m moving in to meet them.
Curt abandons his post at the radio. He hands the microphone to Steve and
slings two Stinger missiles over his shoulders.
CURT (cont’d)
Keep me covered. If Commander Houston requests
anything, talk to him.
By the light of the moon, Curt journeys down to the beach head the first Stinger
ready for action.
On the sprawling submarine deck, two NAVY SEALS appear with an inflatable
zodiac like raft.
Mo watches with bated breath... she feels a chill down her spine. Instinctively
she turns. Behind her the night sky is mottled with dozens of flapping griff.
They bare down on the sub. Steve raises the mic -
STEVE
Commander, Griffins coming your way!
THE GRIFF 107107.
SUB COMMANDER
Copy that, enemy in sight.
A spotter in the conning tower sees the griff and SHOUTS out in warning. A
smattering of GUNFIRE flashes in the night.
Still, the griff come. Navy Seals run back to the sub tower. One dives into the
water to escape the beasts.
The Griff pounce on the vulnerable sub. Men SCREAM. More GUNSHOTS.
Curt runs back up the beach, a griff swooping right for him, its talons spread
wide for the kill. Curt stands his ground, he lines the diving beast up in his
sights and squeezes the trigger.
The Stinger flashes and SCREAMS off into the night, a phosphorescent comet
tail illuminating its path. It strikes the griff head on, obliterating it on impact.
Curt discards the spent missile tube and reaches over his shoulder for the
second.
MO
Curt!!!
He looks up the beach by a drift berm and sees Mo aiming right at him with the
.50 cal. He hits the deck as a gunshot rings out.
A griff crashes into the sand right next to him, wounded from Mo’s shot. It
BELLOWS in pain and flails violently, spraying sand.
Curt struggles back to his feet. He’s slammed forward by the gigantic wing of
the thrashing griff. Curt’s up again, running for his life.
BACK ON THE SUBMARINE DECK -
One of the Griff tears the shit out of the conning tower nest and manages to get
inside. A cacophony of SCREAMS, SHOUTS and gunshots echo from within
the boat.
A griff plucks the Navy Seal from the water and flaps higher into the night sky.
The sub's KLAXON sounds. It plunges back beneath the ocean surface, the
water churning in its wake.
THE GRIFF 108108.
Liz’s griff have taken to the skies engaged in aerial interference with the
attacking griff. Soon, the attacking griff retreat and Liz’s griff land nearby. She
runs across the sand and tends to a wound on one of them.
Steve manages to raise the Sub Commander on the radio -
SUB COMMANDER
We’ve managed to seal the griff in a pressurized
chamber in the conning tower. We’re diving to
depth... if that doesn’t work... Lord help us.
STEVE
It’ll work! These things suck at holding their breath.
SUB COMMANDER
I hope you’re right, son. Good luck to you and the
others. Commander Houston, out.
Mo rises, shaking with upset and disbelief.
MO
That’s it? They’re giving up? What about the Seal
guys? Aren’t they supposed to be some kind of hot
shit?
Steve takes her hand to soothe her. She pulls it away and starts to lose it. Curt
limps over to the Humvees.
CURT
Let’s get outta here before these things come back.
EXT. SEAL TANK - DAWN
Steve and Mo sit in the front of the bleachers eating MREs as the sun comes
up over the seal pool. Mo is on the edge of panic.
In the background we can see the mother ship in the sky. Curt storms out of
one of the service tunnels with a stinger missile over his shoulder. A seal
pops his head out of the water and watches him.
CURT
Fuck!
STEVE AND CURT
What?
THE GRIFF 109109.
CURT
Plan B. It won’t work.
STEVE
Why?
Curt unfolds the sights on the stinger, drops to one knee, aims at the mother
ship and fires. The missile spirals off into the sky, harmlessly bypassing the
spaceship.
The seal’s gaze follows the spiral of the missile’s path. Curt tosses the empty
missile tube aside and storms back by Steve and Mo.
CURT
They don’t work. No heat and no radar signature
from that thing. The only reason I was able to take
out that griff at Canaveral is I had a short, straight
line of site.
Curt storms off down the tunnel, the seal’s gaze follows him.
STEVE
I wish he’d stop trying to cheer us up all of the time.
Mo is not amused. She’s losing it.
MO
We can’t take that thing down without help from
those Navy guys, and even if we did, what then?
STEVE
Well, we might be able to take it down.
Mo gets up and begins to pace back and forth in front of the bleachers, the
edge of a sob in her voice. She doesn’t see it, but the seal who almost honked
her earlier slips onto the concrete behind her.
MO
To what end?! The fucking world is gone!
The seal paces behind Mo. When she turns, he turns. When she stops to
make a point, he stops. She’s crying now. Steve starts to grin.
THE GRIFF 110110.
MO (cont’d)
Goddammit, don’t laugh at me, we’re all going to
die!
STEVE
I’m sorry.
He points to the seal behind her. She wheels around and is face to face with
the pinniped. He BARKS and she totally breaks down. Steve goes to her and
takes her in his arms.
STEVE (cont’d)
It’s going to be okay. I promise, Mo. It’ll be okay.
With his free hand Steve gestures for the seal to get lost and after a forlorn
look, the seal slides back into the pool. Mo nuzzles into Steve’s chest and he
holds her tighter. Maybe a tear there in his eye. A totally non-wussy, manly
tear.
Mo’s eyes open wide as she realizes what she’s doing. She pushes away
from him, holds him at arms length and looks in his eyes, then finding there
what she was looking for, she pulls him close again.
They kiss.
When Steve looks up again he looks at the mother ship, then at a very tall roller
coaster on the ground below it.
STEVE (cont’d)
I think I have a plan.
MO
Hold me.
STEVE
Good plan.
INT. INDOOR FRIDGE ROOM - DAY
Mo, Steve, Curt, and Liz are having a meeting.
CURT
There’s no way it’s going to work.
THE GRIFF 111111.
STEVE
You said they would work by line of sight.
MO
Why not give it a try? What have we got to lose.
Curt looks at Liz and she shrugs.
LIZ
We can’t get these animals out of here while that
ship’s out there, and I’m not going anywhere without
them. I say give it a try.
EXT. FUNWORLD ROLLER COASTER PLATFORM - NIGHT
Trained Griff guard the perimeter of the platform. Mo and Steve run wires from
forty Stinger missiles attached to a roller coaster with duct tape, hose clamps,
etc.
Mo then connects the missile triggers to a large spool of wire on the platform.
Steve picks up the spool by a broomstick through the middle so the wire can
spool out. Curt and Liz are in the roller coaster control booth.
CURT
This will never work.
Liz shrugs.
Mo runs to the edge of the platform so she can see the tallest hill of the
coaster. She gives the thumbs up.
Steve passes the thumbs up to the booth. Curt pushes the levers forward.
Slowly the roller coaster moves forward, and up the tall hill. Wire pays out from
Steve’s spool.
As the roller coaster reaches the apex of the hill, all of the Stingers are pointed
directly at the bottom of the mothership.
Mo gives the signal. Steve passes the signal back. Curt throws the levers and
stops the coaster.
Mo connects the wires to a switch. They all move to the edge of the platform so
they can see the launch.
THE GRIFF 112112.
MO
Ready?
They all nod.
CURT
Do it.
Mo hits the button and a hell storm of forty stinger missiles scream off into the
sky. They strike the bottom of the mother ship.
The missiles detonate in a huge flash and EXPLOSION. Our heroes turn and
shield their faces. When they turn back the sky is full of smoke.
They squint at the sky, trying to see through the smoke when they hear the
SCREECHING of what sounds like a thousand griff.
MO
Uh-oh.
The first few griff swoop out of the smoke.
STEVE
Uh-oh.
We see that behind the attacking griff, the mother ship is unharmed.
CURT
Uh-oh.
Liz grabs Mo and Steve’s shoulders and pulls them away.
LIZ
Come one. Let’s go.
Two guard griff come to the edge of the platform, GROWLING, as Liz is pushing
Mo, Steve and Curt toward an exit door.
LIZ (cont’d)
Flopsy! Oprah! Not now. Come on. Come on boys,
come with us.
The beasts turn and reluctantly run after Liz and the others.
THE GRIFF 113113.
EXT. ROLLER COASTER PLATFORM - NIGHT
Hundreds of Griff stream into the covered train platform where our heroes just
vacated.
EXT. FUNWORLD - NIGHT
Mo, Curt and Steve run like hell. Liz and the trained Griff bring up the rear.
LIZ
Tunnel! Left!
Curt takes an abrupt left past a whirligig stand through open steel double-
doors.
CURT
Go! Go! Go!
As Flopsy makes it through the doors, Curt pulls them shut, looking up just
long enough to see that the griff are only fifty feet or so behind them.
He turns to run and is only a few feet down the tunnel when the doors nearly
buckle inward with a huge impact. A claw rips through the metal.
Liz is at a second set of doors down the hall, ready to slam them after Curt gets
through.
LIZ
Come on.
Curt rounds the corner and Liz slams the doors in our face.
INT. INDOOR FRIDGE ROOM - NIGHT
Our heroes are all out of breath, at the edge of exhaustion, leaning on various
counters and over sinks. Liz unconsciously is feeding a herring to Oprah.
STEVE
So, that didn’t work.
Curt looks up from his panting long enough to glare at Steve.
MO
Some kind of force field or something? I couldn’t
see. Whatever it was, it stopped the missiles.
THE GRIFF 114114.
CURT
Forty stingers? Nothing can get through that thing’s
defenses.
Everyone looks depressed. Liz looks over her shoulder at the munching Griff.
LIZ
Maybe not.
Steve looks up, gets an inkling of what Liz’s thinking.
STEVE
You know, we shredders have super-human
balance.
EXT. SEA WORLD MAIN MEZZANINE - NIGHT
Steve tumbles off the back of a griff onto the concrete. He pushes up from a
pile of military equipment he had on his body.
STEVE
Maybe some practice first? What do you think?
Liz, Curt and Mo sit unsteadily atop their griff mounts on the open mezzanine.
They brandish weapons and appear both contemplative and serious about the
grim task ahead.
We hear the sound of industrial tape being unwound from a large roll. It’s
Steve and he’s using an enormous amount of duct tape to jerry-rig a makeshift
saddle. The others begin to show signs of impatience.
CURT
(mocking)
We shredders have super-human balance.
STEVE
We do. But it doesn’t necessarily apply to giant flying
lizardy things.
Liz dismounts and helps Steve up onto his griff. He flushes with
embarrassment.
THE GRIFF 115115.
LIZ
Keep your heels down and your legs tight. And hold
onto the reins. It’s no harder than riding a killer
whale.
STEVE
Oh, right. Of course. Got it.
Curt steadies Liz’ griff as she climbs back up onto its back. She smiles. Curt
smiles back.
LIZ
Thanks.
CURT
You’re welcome.
Mo and Steve look at one another acknowledging the fledgling attraction
between Curt and Liz.
EXT. SEA WORLD - NIGHT
Liz, Mo, Steve and Curt take flight on the backs of the trained griff. There’s a
palpable excitement and tension as the griff flap higher and higher toward the
ship.
All of Liz’s griff fly along with them, the riderless griff have makeshift
saddlebags slung over their necks.
A line of the evil griff filter from the mother ship and glide closer to our heroes.
Liz takes the lead, lying down tightly against her mount. The others follow suit.
The griff fly past without much more than a glance. Steve finally sits up and
looks back over his shoulder.
STEVE
That was close.
One of the bad griff perks up at the sound of a human voice. It breaks
formation from its troop and circles back, on course for our group. The griff
notices the human hitchhikers and SCREECHES at the closest -- Liz’s griff.
The trained Griff SCREECHES back, protectively, and snaps at the other griff in
warning. Nothing else is exchanged and the bad griff turns off and rejoins his
own group.
THE GRIFF 116. 116.
The mother ship looms closer. Its overwhelming size becomes more apparent
as they near the main griff portal.
Our heroes fly into the ship amid dozens of griff who are flying in and out of the
ship.
INT. MOTHER SHIP OUTER CORRIDOR - NIGHT
This is the Griff area of the ship, huge rounded corridors large enough to
accommodate a jumbo jet. The griff fly back and forth above them. We’ve seen
this before in the crashed ship, it’s all much more impressive with live griff
flying through.
Liz’s trained griffins shield our heroes from view of the other griff. She’s
slipping them fish out of a satchel slung over her shoulder as they form the
canopy over their head.
We hear the sound of a WHISTLE TOOTING with each breath (Steve’s whistle
still lodged in the throat of the griff who attacked him). It comes from high in the
corridor amid the flying enemy griff. Steve grins in recognition.
STEVE
Hey, we know that guy. He tried to eat us.
MO
Ssshhh.
STEVE
But that’s my whistle.
They climb off of their mounts and Curt signals for everyone to head for one of
the low heart-valve doors which lead to the interior of the ship. Once they are in
the door, Liz pulls Curt to the side.
LIZ
Let him go first.
She points to one of her griff.
CURT
Why?
LIZ
He’s bigger.
THE GRIFF 117117.
CURT
Good point.
Led by the trained Griff, they make their way through the scalloped tunnel using
the ridges like steps. Walls of the tunnel glow, allowing them to see in the
enclosed space.
They reach the heart valve door at the far end of the tunnel and pause in the
widened area. Liz nods and hand gestures for the griff to continue and the
door opens.
Inside, the Grays (the light bulb heads) scurry around looking busy. In life they
don’t look quite so benign. The walls of the command chamber scroll with
strange symbols.
When an alien approaches a wall, a strange organic-looking control console
materializes as needed.
None of the Grays notice our heroes until they hear a high pitched, almost birdlike
PEEPING. Right inside the door, behind them, stands an alien, peeping
the alarm.
The other aliens reach into the walls, pull out devices that must be weapons,
and approach our heroes.
Steve snatches up the nearest alien by the throat and puts the barrel of his
.9mm Beretta to it’s head.
STEVE
Nobody move! Back! Now!
The Grays pause, their large black eyes blinking in question. Mo looks at Steve
like he’s lost his mind.
MO
Like these guys speak English.
STEVE
Oh. Sorry. Nadie se mueve! Parte posteriora! Ahora!
Está Manuel en la biblioteca? El Oh, sí, Manuel está
en la biblioteca?
THE GRIFF 118. 118.
Curt shakes his head and grabs the alien out of Steve’s hand. As he does
there’s a snap and the alien goes limp. Curt wiggles the guy back and forth.
He’s dead.
CURT
Fuck.
Curt looks embarassed and freaked. Panicked now, Steve grabs another
alien.
STEVE
Get back!
Steve pushes his gun barrel into the temple of the alien and it unexpectedly
penetrates its skull. Gelatinous blue goo spurts out of the alien’s head and he
goes limp in Steve’s grip, dead.
STEVE (cont’d)
Damn. These guys suck as hostages.
Steve tosses the body aside. The aliens have lined the huge room. Some have
their weapons trained on our group. Mo steps in front of Steve and Curt and
let’s loose with her assault rifle, splattering blue goo up the walls as the others
follow suit.
The aliens return fire, some sort of beam weapons, but they aren’t the best
fighters and they quickly run out the opposing doors.
Our heroes venture further into the cavernous control room. In the center, the
crystal pyramid begins to pulse. The whole ship shudders.
CURT
We’d better get out of here.
STEVE
‘Kay.
Heart valve doors around the perimeter open and hostile griff appear. Mo
points to the crystal pyramid as it starts to pulsate with light.
MO
This thing’s gotta be important.
STEVE
How do you know? It could be a drinking fountain.
THE GRIFF 119. 119.
The pyramid projects a hologram of the earth, the solar system and a three
dimensional star map into the cavern above them. Mo looks at Steve as if to
say, I told you so.
STEVE (cont’d)
Okay, not a drinking fountain.
Our heroes pull cylinders of plastic explosives off the trained griffin’s backs and
stack them against the crystal pyramid.
LIZ
Hurry.
Liz forms the trained griff into a perimeter around them. The hostile griff don’t
quite know what to do.
From above, we see groups of the hostile griffin creeping toward our heroes
from three sides.
Mo pulls the BFG out of a makeshift saddle sling on one of the griffin’s backs
and lets loose at one of the approaching griff.
The crack of the rifle shot and the SHRIEK of a mortally wounded griff send the
bad griff into a frenzy.
Curt pushes the detonator into the plastique and cranks a very primitive, eggtimer-
looking thing attached to a dry cell batter.
CURT
Done. Go, go, go!
LIZ/CURT
How long?
CURT
Ninety seconds.
STEVE
What? Are you nuts?
The hostile griff charge. From above, we see them converge on the group of
heroes. A few take to the air in the huge room.
THE GRIFF 120. 120.
Liz gestures and a couple of the trained griff take off to intercept the hostile griff.
They meet claw to claw in the air as our heroes run back through the heart-
valve door from whence they came.
Inside the door -- coming up their escape tunnel is a hostile griffin. Mo steps
up and lets off two quick shots with the BFG, knocking herself back into Steve,
who catches her and sets her on her feet.
In no time, they are back in the huge perimeter corridor. The ship is obviously
spooling up to take off or something. The walls are pulsating with light.
LIZ
Mount up!
Our heroes get on the backs of their griff and take off. They are pursued by
griffin who are streaming from both ends of the corridor.
They fly out of the ship and into the dawn. The sky around them darkens with
pursuing griff.
STEVE
We’re hosed.
As they make a suicidal dive away from the ship, the bomb goes off. There’s
no immediate evidence of damage to the ship, but the spooling-up noise
sputters, then stops.
There’s a spark at one end of the ship, then another. Slowly the light that was
pulsing over the ship stops and the huge ship begins to slide sideways in the
sky.
A fantastic explosion rips through the alien craft. The ship slides edge first into
the already crashed ship below it, folding in on itself with the impact.
The pursuing griff disperse, spread out in all directions. Our heroes look
around in disbelief.
STEVE (cont’d)
They’re going away.
LIZ
No control.
Flying behind Liz we see one of her trained Griff with a light-bulb head hanging
in his jaws. Liz sees Steve looking at it and turns on her mount.
THE GRIFF 121121.
LIZ (cont’d)
Put that down, Flopsy. Down, that’s nasty.
The griffin gives her one last “can I keep it” look, but she’s unwavering, pointing
to the ground.
LIZ (cont’d)
Down.
The griffin drops the dead alien and flies off into legend as the huge alien ship
burns in the distance.
STEVE (V.O.)
So that worked... kinda...
DISSOLVE TO:
EXT. FLORIDA KEYS - DAY
The camera flies over the turquoise water of South Florida. There are dolphins
in the water and, strangely enough, Orcas.
STEVE (V.O.)
Well, it wasn’t like we were going to rid the world of
the Griff and save mankind from all evil -
The camera settles on a dock at the edge of an island, and we see a figure on
the dock. It’s Liz, and she’s throwing some fish to an orca.
Behind her sits one of the trained griff and she tosses a fish over her shoulder
to him. Curt is stretched out, leaning against the griff, watching.
CURT
You should really wear a hat. The sun is going to
destroy your hair.
STEVE (V.O.)
But it’s been six months, and another ship hasn’t
come, so it’s just like living on an island surrounded
by a planet of vicious man-eating animals.
Mo lies on the beach near where Steve is teasing one of the trained griff. She
has a little sun on her face, and looks slightly bemused by Steve’s actions.
The griff frisks like a puppy in front of Steve.
THE GRIFF 122122.
STEVE (V.O.) (cont'd)
But at least now we have a few on our side.
Steve waves a stick in front of the young griff -
STEVE (cont'd)
Come on boy. Get the stick. Get the stick.
Steve does the complete fake throw and the griff falls for it, bounding down the
beach after nothing.
STEVE (V.O.)(cont’d)
Although we may not have gotten the brightest ones
in the bunch.
MO
Yeah, no kidding.
Mo giggles. Camera pulls out as Steve tosses the stick away, runs and
pounces on Mo. They wrestle in the sand, laughing.
As the camera pulls out further, we see the island, Liz, guardian griff
everywhere. The island eventually becomes a dot off to the side of the Florida
keys and we are off into space.
We see the view of a familiar blue planet and a red beam shoots up into space.
THE END.
Most excellent music up. Run Credits...
OVER THE END CREDITS: OUTTAKES
A griff menaces Steve at the sewer pipe where MO is hiding. MO fires on the
Griff. Steve says, “Now you’ve pissed him off.” The griff freezes, then goes,
“Line?” Steve goes “Grrrr, Grrrr, Grrrr, Grrrr.” “Oh yeah,” says the Griff. Falls out
of frame laughing.
A Griffin reaches into the cab of the crane through the window. We see his
claw nearly miss MO, and on it’s wrist is a big wristwatch. “CUT!” The griff face
comes into the frame looking sheepish. "Sorry".
THE GRIFF 123. 123.
After the submarine submerges and the Griffin on the outside implodes, Steve
turns to MO and Curt and says, “Luca Bratzi sleeps with the fishes.” The griff
face appears at the porthole and says, “DO NOT”. They all crack up.
The hatchery: Mother Griff is menacing the eggs, under which Liz hides. We
hear the Director saying, “Scarier, scarier!” Then suddenly Liz pops out of the
eggs and growls at the griff. The griff screams like a little girl and they all crack
up. “Cut!”
As LIZ is leaving the hatchery and the little griff are following her, making puppy
noises, one of them says “nice ass” and they all crack up.
Just before MO blasts the Griff in the Marco Polo game, the gun jams, Mo fights
it, the griff says MARCO! MO cracks up. Cut!
During the chase scene through the department store one of the griff chasing
Steve spin out on a section of linoleum and goes right though a group of
displays, exposing the furniture section, where Mo, sheets pulled up to her
chest, but obviously naked lays side by side in a display bed with a griffin. Both
are enjoying a post-coital cigarette. “CUT!”
In the corridor of the Alien ship, Steve accidentally gets hit on the chin by a griff
wing, “Cut!” Steve, "Hey watch your wing tips!" Pan down the the griff's feet. It's
wearing size 37 brown on white wing tip shoes. Griff, “Oops.”