Episode Ten
Sleeper
Part One
THE SHOW OPENS. WE SEE SHARP, SNOW-COVERED MOUNTAIN PEAKS. SUPERIMPOSED IS OUR LOCATION, “Alaskan Tundra--above the Arctic Circle”. A SMALL CEMETERY SITS AT THE BASE OF SOME RUGGED HILLS. THE GRAVE MARKERS ARE OLD, SITTING AT ODD ANGLES. MEN IN UNFLATTERING WHITE BIOHAZARD SUITS WALK SLOWLY DOWN THE ROWS, CARRYING SCANNING EQUIPMENT. SOME OF THE GRAVES ARE BEING DUG UP.
BEHIND THE CEMETERY AN ENCAMPMENT IS SET UP, WHITE NYLON COVERING DOME-SHAPED TENTS. WE SEE DR. IAN COPELAND LOOKING AT THE SCAN RESULTS ON A COMPUTER SCREEN. HE WALKS OVER TO ANOTHER MAN WHO SPRAYS HIM DOWN, DISINFECTING HIM. COPELAND REMOVES HIS BIOSUIT HOOD.
CUT TO NIGHTTIME AT THE CAMP. FROM THE INSIDE OF ONE OF THE TENTS WE SEE ARMED GUARDS WALK PAST. COPELAND PEEKS THROUGH THE WINDOW, THEN ENTERS.
WE SEE ED, UNCONSCIOUS AND LYING ON A COT, HANDCUFFED. COPELAND GIVES A SMUG SMILE AND WALKS OUT.
NEXT SCENE
AT THE BIO LAB. IN ATTWOOD’S OFFICE. SLOAN STANDS TALKING TO ATTWOOD, WHILE TOM WAITS IN THE BACKGROUND, PENSIVE. HE’S WEARING A GREY V-NECK T-SHIRT AND A BLACK, LONG-SLEEVE RIBBED SHIRT OVER TOP. HE LOOKS PRETTY SPIFFY.
Attwood: Sloan, take it easy, we’ll find him.
Sloan: (frantically) How? You've gotta pull out all the stops, Walter, you gotta bring in every agency--
Attwood: I’ve already spoken to every contact, I've alerted every government agency that can possibly help.
Sloan: (turning to Tom) What can we do? What about that kid Shane? He tipped us off that Copeland was behind those juice boxes, maybe he knows what else he’s been up to.
Tom: We can’t contact Shane, it’s too dangerous for him.
Sloan: It’s too dangerous for Ed not to. Do you know where Shane is?
Tom: (nodding) I can reach him.
Sloan: We have to talk to him, Tom.
NEXT SCENE
AT THE ALASKAN ENCAMPMENT. IN ED’S CONFINEMENT TENT. ED STILL LAYS ON THE COT, HANDCUFFED. HE WAKES AND LOOKS AROUND. HE’S VERY WOOZY, GROGGY. HE LOOKS DOWN AT THE HANDCUFFS QUIZZICALLY. COPELAND ENTERS WITH TWO OTHER MEN BEHIND HIM, GUARDS.
Copeland: Sleep well?
Ed: How long have I been out?
Copeland: Almost a day. Are you still bothered by my...betrayal? Don’t be so sentimental Ed. If you were me you’d be doing exactly the same thing.
Ed: (who probably really really has to pee...) Why have you brought me here?
COPELAND LOOKS BACK AT ONE OF THE GUARDS, WHO WALKS OVER AND PUTS A COAT AROUND ED’S SHOULDERS.
Copeland: Come with me.
CUT TO COPELAND, ED AND THE GUARDS ENTERING ANOTHER TENT. SNOW BLOWS IN BEHIND THEM FROM OUTSIDE.
Ed: Where are we?
ED LOOKS AROUND THE ROOM. IT IS FILLED WITH EQUIPMENT.
Ed: (amazed) My God.
PEOPLE BUSTLE ABOUT IN THE UNATTRACTIVE BIOHAZARD SUITS, DOING EXPERIMENTS, CHECKING EQUIPMENT.
Ed: Ian, what are you doing here?
Copeland: Something your scientists have only theorized about. And when you see what I’m about to pull off, you’ll have to join us.
Ed: You...you think that I would betray my friends? My own species?
Copeland: The scientist in you won’t be able to resist.
NEXT SCENE
AT SLOAN’S APARTMENT. SLOAN GOES TO THE DOOR AND PEERS THROUGH THE PEEPHOLE. SHE OPENS IT TO REVEAL TOM, WHO GUIDES SHANE INSIDE. (TOM LOOKS GOOOD!)
Sloan: Any trouble?
Tom: No, I don’t think we were spotted.
Sloan: Great.
THEY WALK INTO HER LIVING ROOM AREA. SHE TURNS TO SHANE.
Sloan: (to Shane) Thanks for coming.
Shane: Tom explained it was important. I just wanna help you guys any way I can.
Tom: We need to know more about the guy behind the juice boxes.
(NICE GREY PANTS TOM IS WEARING THERE. CHECK ‘EM OUT WHEN HE PUTS HIS HANDS IN HIS POCKETS.)
Shane: Copeland, yeah. ‘Cept I already told you everything I know about that.
Sloan: Do you know if Copeland was working on any other projects?
Shane: Not really. I mean, there were these rumors, you know?
Tom: About what?
Shane: Something bigger than the juice box thing. Something worse.
Tom: Can you remember anything at all about that?
Shane: I think it had something to do with Alaska.
Tom: Any idea what part?
Shane: Just that there was a secret project up there....I’m sorry.
Sloan: What kind of project?
Shane: I don’t know. But they used the word ‘Holocaust’.
NEXT SCENE
AT THE ALASKAN ENCAMPMENT. A GUARD ENTERS ED’S TENT CARRYING A TRAY OF FOOD. HE LOOKS AROUND BUT DOESN’T SEE THE LANKY SCIENTIST, ONLY A HEAP OF BLANKETS ON THE FLOOR AT THE FOOT OF THE COT. THE GUARD SETS THE TRAY DOWN AND GRABS HIS GUN. HE MOVES CAUTIOUSLY OVER TO THE BLANKETS. ED JUMPS HIM FROM BEHIND, PINNING HIM TO THE FLOOR. ED WRESTLES THE GUN AWAY, SHOOTING THE GUARD IN THE PROCESS. ED LEAPS UP AND POSITIONS HIMSELF BESIDE THE DOORWAY.
ANOTHER GUARD, HEARING THE SHOT, ENTERS, BUT DOESN’T SEE ED HIDDEN BEHIND THE DOOR. ED PISTOL-WHIPS THE SECOND GUARD AND THE MAN FALLS TO THE FLOOR WITH A GROAN, UNCONSCIOUS. ED GRABS THE COAT OFF THE SECOND GUARD, PUTS IT AROUND HIS SHOULDERS, AND SPRINTS FROM THE CAMP. HE’S COUGHING TERRIBLY THOUGH.
NEXT SCENE
A DIMLY LIT OFFICE AREA. ATTWOOD AND RAY WALK DOWN A HALLWAY.
Attwood: (to Ray) Copeland got out of his office in a hurry.
ATTWOOD STARTS CHECKING THE FILE CABINETS, WHICH ECHO HOLLOWLY.
Ray: Typical. We’re not gonna find anything.
Attwood: Don’t be so sure.
ATTWOOD STRIDES INTO ANOTHER OFFICE AND STARTS OPENING DESK DRAWERS. RAY PICKS UP THE PHONE.
Ray: Disconnected.
ATTWOOD SITS AT THE DESK BEFORE A COMPUTER. HE TURNS IT ON AND STARTS TYPING.
Ray: What’s that going to do?
Attwood: It’ll print out the originating numbers on the last twenty incoming faxes.
RAY BENDS OVER THE PRINTER AND RETRIEVES A PAPER. HE LOOKS AT IT.
Attwood: What’ve we got?
Ray: A list of phone numbers.
Attwood: Let me see.
RAY HANDS ATTWOOD THE READOUT.
Ray: Where is area code Nine-oh-seven?
NEXT SCENE
AT THE BIO LAB. ATTWOOD, TOM AND SLOAN ENTER THE OUTER DOORS TO THE BIO LAB.
Sloan: Alaska.
Attwood: We have Shane’s information plus the fact that five of Copeland’s recent faxes came from there.
Tom: Were you able to trace any of the numbers?
Attwood: Two of the faxes came from a car rental agency in Wainwright.
Tom: That’s on the North coast.
THE TRIO ENTER THE LAB.
Attwood: They confirm that Copeland picked up a vehicle there.
Sloan: Was Ed with them?
Attwood: Not that anyone saw.
THEY ENTER ATTWOOD’S OFFICE.
Sloan: What kind of project could Copeland be running above the Arctic circle?
Attwood: I don’t know. Plenty of oil wells up there, maybe sabotage.
Tom: Doesn’t sound like Copeland’s kind of mission.
Sloan: How quickly can you get us a plane?
Attwood: It’ll be ready in an hour. I’ll provide the necessary clothing and equipment. You can leave straight from here.
Sloan: Great.
Attwood: I’ll come up later. I want to see if I can find anything else out about Copeland’s expedition.
TOM AND SLOAN TURN TO LEAVE.
Attwood: Sloan.
SLOAN TURNS BACK. SHE SEES ATTWOOD HOLD OUT A CELL PHONE TO HER.
Sloan: Oh, I’ve already got a cell phone.
Attwood: Not like this, you don’t. Works anywhere. Keep it with you at all times.
SLOAN ACCEPTS THE PHONE AND SHE AND TOM EXIT.
NEXT SCENE
AT THE ALASKAN ENCAMPMENT. A PRETTY GOOD-LOOKING 1.6ER OPENS THE DOOR TO ED’S TENT. (THERE SEEM TO BE AN INORDINATE NUMBER OF ATTRACTIVE 1.6ERS, COPELAND NOT WITHSTANDING. HE’S NOT UGLY, JUST KINDA OLD. IS THIS A TRAIT OF THE SPECIES OR ARE THEY ALL ‘CALIFORNIA 1.6ERS’? YOU KNOW, MORE ATTRACTIVE THAN THE REST OF THE COUNTRY. FOOD FOR THOUGHT...) ANYWAY, HANDSOME MAN LOOKS AROUND THE TENT, SEES THE OVERTURNED FOOD TRAY AND THE BODIES LAYING ON THE FLOOR. HE EXITS THE TENT AND SLAMS THE DOOR SHUT BEHIND HIM.
Handsome: Guards!
GUARDS COME RUNNING.
Handsome: He’s escaped. Track him down. Go! Go!
THE GUARDS RUSH OFF AND SO DOES HANDSOME.
CUT TO ED, STUMBLING HIS WAY THROUGH THE BRUSH. A HEAVY SNOW IS FALLING, AS IS ED. HE SLOWLY RISES, COUGHING, AND STUMBLES A FEW MORE FEET BEFORE COLLAPSING ON THE GROUND, UNCONSCIOUS.
NEXT SCENE
DAYTIME. ALASKA. AN OLD TRUCK SCREECHES TO A HALT IN FRONT OF ED’S UNCONSCIOUS FORM, LYING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. TWO GUYS JUMP OUT OF THE VEHICLE AND RUN OVER TO HIM. ONE MAN FEELS FOR A PULSE THEN THEY LIFT ED.
NEXT SCENE
ON AN AIRPLANE. SLOAN STARES OUT A WINDOW WITH A WORRIED EXPRESSION ON HER FACE. TOM BRUSHES A STRAND OF HAIR BEHIND HER EAR AND SHE TURNS TO LOOK AT HIM. HE’S SEATED NEXT TO HER, WEARING A CHARCOAL GREY TURTLENECK SWEATER. (GET USED TO IT, IT’S THE ONLY THING HE WEARS THIS EP.)
Tom: He’s alive. I know it.
Sloan: Even if he is, what have they done to him?
Tom: Don’t. He’ll be alright.
TOM SQUEEZES HER HAND.
NEXT SCENE
DAYTIME. ALASKA. AN SUV TRAVELS DOWN A RUGGED ROAD.
CUT TO THE INTERIOR. TOM IS DRIVING. SLOAN SITS IN THE PASSENGER SEAT.
Tom: How much further?
SLOAN CONSULTS A PIECE OF PAPER.
Sloan: Should be just ahead.
Tom: Doesn’t make any sense. What would Copeland be doing out here?
Sloan: I don’t know. The car rental guy said a bush pilot spotted his SUV turning off this road just ahead. There, that must be it.
SLOAN POINTS.
Tom: Is there anything at the end of that?
Sloan: A cemetery.
Tom: We’d better leave the car here.
TOM PULLS OVER AND PARKS.
NEXT SCENE
TOM AND SLOAN CRAWL THROUGH SOME WAIST-HIGH BRUSH. SLOAN CLUTCHES A PAIR OF BINOCULARS. THEY STOP AND CROUCH IN THE BRUSH, LOOKING DOWN AT COPELAND’S ENCAMPMENT BELOW. MEN IN UNATTRACTIVE WHITE BIOHAZARD SUITS SCURRY ABOUT. SLOAN LOOKS THROUGH THE BINOCULARS.
Sloan: What in God’s name are they doing?
SHE HANDS THE BINOCULARS TO TOM.
Sloan: They’re wearing biohazard suits.
Tom: They seem to be working some excavation. Looks like ground imaging equipment.
Sloan: Any sign of Copeland?
Tom: It’s hard to tell.
Sloan: We’ve got to check out those tents.
Tom: When work stops for the night, we’ll go down and find Ed.
NEXT SCENE
A BUSY HOSPITAL HALLWAY. ED IS BEING WHEELED ON A GURNEY DOWN THE HALL. VIOLENT COUGHS RACK HIS BODY. HE’S WHEELED INTO A ROOM AND A DOCTOR PREPARES TO EXAMINE HIM. ED LIFTS HIS HEAD OFF THE PILLOW.
Ed: (wheezing) I have to make a call.
Doctor: That’ll have to wait.
Ed: This is urgent.
Doctor: So is this.
Ed: Look, I’m a doctor myself--
Doctor: Then you’ll understand. You’ve had a brutal night, and we need to get on top of this.
ED’S COUGHING ENDS ANY MORE PROTEST.
NEXT SCENE
NIGHTTIME. AT THE ENCAMPMENT. TOM SURVEYS THE CAMP BELOW WITH THE BINOCULARS. SLOAN IS CROUCHED IN THE BRUSH A FEW FEET AWAY. HER CELL PHONE RINGS. SHE HURRIEDLY ANSWERS IT.
Sloan: Hello?
CUT TO ATTWOOD, ON AN AIRPLANE.
Attwood: Sloan, it’s Walter. Ed’s turned up in a hospital in Wainwright. Apparently he was with Copeland at some sort of encampment and then he escaped.
Sloan: We’re there now. Is Ed okay?
Attwood: Not really. He’s suffering from exposure and frostbite, and he’s got a hell of a cough.
Sloan: Does he have a fever?
Attwood: Yes, and shortness of breath. I’m afraid it might be pneumonia. They’re running a battery of tests now.
Sloan: You’d better run his DNA too.
Attwood: I’ve already ordered it.
Sloan: Did Ed say what Copeland is doing here?
Attwood: No, they kept him in the dark. But I think we're dealing with more than even pneumonia.
Sloan: I’ll call you when I can.
Attwood: Yeah.
THEY HANG UP. SLOAN TURNS TO TOM.
Sloan: Let’s go.
THEY SCAMPER DOWN THE HILL AND MAKE THEIR WAY TOWARDS THE CAMP. SLOAN’S BIG FEET AGAIN GET IN THE WAY AND SHE TRIPS AND FALLS, LANDING WITH A GROAN. TOM TURNS BACK TO CHECK ON HER.
Tom: You alright?
Sloan: Yeah. Did anyone hear me?
TOM TURNS TO LOOK TOWARDS THE GUARDS PATROLLING.
Tom: I don’t think so.
Sloan: What did I trip over?
SHE LOOKS AROUND TO SEE AND TOM FLICKS THE FLASHLIGHT BRIEFLY OVER THE OBJECT THAT TRIPPED HER.
Sloan: Oh, my God.
Tom: What is that?
THE BEAM FROM THE FLASHLIGHT REVEALS A SKELETON LYING IN THE BRUSH.
Tom: Come on. I’ll do my best to mask us.
TOM AND SLOAN CREEP THROUGH THE CEMETERY, USING THE GRAVESTONES AS COVER AS THEY MAKE THEIR WAY CLOSER TO THE CAMP.
Sloan: Tom, let me see the light a second.
SHE SHINES IT ON THE FACES OF A SERIES OF GRAVE MARKERS IN FRONT OF THEM.
Tom: They all died the same week.
Sloan: (nodding) And they were all in their twenties. Why would Copeland exhume these bodies?
SLOAN LOOKS UP TOWARDS THE ENCAMPMENT AS THE GUARDS’ VOICES GET LOUDER. THE GUARDS GO AROUND THE SIDE OF A TENT AND TOM AND SLOAN MAKE A BREAK FOR IT.
(OO! I LOVE IT WHEN HE RUNS! SO MANLY!) THEY REACH THE SAFETY OF COVER BETWEEN TWO SUVS, THEN DUCK INTO A TENT. TOM AND SLOAN LOOK AROUND. IT IS THE LAB TENT, EMPTY AT THE MOMENT.
Sloan: (ogling the equipment) You guys always have the best toys. Look at that!
WE SEE A CONTAINER IN COLD STORAGE.
Tom: What is it?
Sloan: A cryogenic container. If they’re taking all these precautions it must be holding something pretty lethal. I wonder why they brought it all the way up here?
Tom: Maybe they didn’t bring it, maybe they found it here.
Sloan: But what could--
Tom: What’re you thinking?
Sloan: Those grave markers, they're all from 1918.
TOM NODS.
Sloan: Those men wearing biohazard suits, the ground imaging equipment...the hole saw drills...could it be? Spanish influenza? It killed thirty million people.
SLOAN UNZIPS HER COAT POCKET.
Tom: What’re you doing?
Sloan: I’m calling Walter. He’s gotta send in troops now. He’s gotta quarantine Wainwright, he’s gotta close the airport...
Copeland: Don’t do that.
TOM AND SLOAN LOOK UP TO SEE COPELAND HAS ENTERED WITH A NUMBER OF GUARDS AND THE HANDSOME MAN. TWO GUARDS RUSH FORWARD. ONE GRABS SLOAN AND TOM TRIES TO PUSH THE GUARD OFF, BUT THE SECOND GUARD WRAPS TOM UP FROM BEHIND. THEY TAKE THE CELL PHONE AWAY FROM SLOAN.
NEXT SCENE
AT THE HOSPITAL. A NURSE MOPS ED’S BROW. THE DOCTOR FROM BEFORE ENTERS THE ROOM READING A CHART.
Doctor: (to Ed) Hi.
Ed: What’d you find?
Doctor: Well, I’m not quite sure yet. One thing it looks like you got a bad case of the flu.
NEXT SCENE
AT THE ENCAMPMENT. TOM AND SLOAN ARE IN THE TENT THAT FORMERLY HELD ED. SLOAN SITS IN A CHAIR; TOM STANDS LOOKING THROUGH THE OPAQUE WHITE NYLON AT THE GUARDS WALKING BY OUTSIDE.
Sloan: Any way out?
Tom: (shaking his head) No. Guards are circling the tent.
TOM CROUCHES IN FRONT OF HER. (HEEHEE. HE’S WEARING A REALLY SWELL SCARF.)
Tom: You alright?
Sloan: Copeland’s gonna infect us with the flu. They extracted a sample of the live virus, and now they’re gonna release it.
Tom: Look, Copeland would’ve come up with a vaccine first. To make sure they wouldn't get infected.
THE DOOR OPENS AND SLOAN LOOKS UP. TOM TURNS. THE HANDSOME MAN HAS ENTERED WITH TWO GUARDS. TOM STANDS.
Handsome: Change into these. Dr. Copeland needs to examine you both.
Tom: Why?
Handsome: Just get undressed.
A GUARD STEPS FORWARD AND HANDS THEM BOTH A WHITE GOWN. ONE OF THE MEN WHISPERS SOMETHING TO HANDSOME AND HE LOOKS BACK AT TOM AND SLOAN, THEN HE AND THE GUARDS FILE OUT. (HEY THINK ABOUT IT, THEY HAD TO GET NEKKID IN FRONT OF EACH OTHER. SHAME THEY DIDN’T SHOW THAT!)
NEXT SCENE
AT THE HOSPITAL. A NURSE MOPS ED’S BROW AGAIN. A MAN ON A GURNEY IS WHEELED PAST ED’S ROOM AND THE NURSE GOES OUT TO CHECK ON THE MAN. WE SEE ED’S DOCTOR CHECKING ON ANOTHER MAN, PUTTING AN OXYGEN MASK OVER HIS NOSE AND MOUTH. BOTH MEN ARE RACKED WITH COUGHING. THE DOCTOR DIRECTS THE PATIENTS INTO ROOMS, THEN STARTS COUGHING HERSELF.
Part Two
Return to Main Transcript Page
