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Description
int. underground tunnel

Stephan is waiting for her with a sly grin on his face.

STEPHAN

I knew you couldn't resist.

EVIE

(pulling out a pistol)

I'm just here to keep you from a grisly death. Are you armed?

STEPHAN

(pulls out his gun)

I am from the army.

EVIE

Maybe you're not hopeless.

Stephan leads the way down the tunnel. There is light coming from a strange goo on the walls. There are many turnoffs and a bend in the road up ahead. There are no signs of the professor.

STEPHAN

How long did you say the professor was gone?

EVIE

Two weeks. Why?

STEPHAN

Just wondering if we're going to find a corpse.

EVIE

Comforting.

Stephan looks in every turnoff , but doesn't go in them. They're all dark. He comes to the bend and peaks around the corner. At the end is a large opening leading into a dark area. He goes around carefully and listens by the opening. There are no sounds. He goes in, gun up. In one corner surrounded by the light goo, is a man. Stephan and Evie rush over to him. He's sleeping.

EVIE

(gently)

Professor?

He jerks awake. He squints at her.

Professor

Evie? What? How?

STEPHAN

How do we get you out of here?

PROFESSOR

You can't. You need a micro-orbicular syrum to strip away the paste.

STEPHAN

Where do we get that?

PROFESSOR

Well, I had some, but it must have been destroyed in the explosion. Evie, you have to get out of here. If the Ibnienin comes back, you're dead.

STEPHAN

I'm not that easy to kill, Professor. We'll get you out of here.

PROFESSOR

You can't! Without the syrum-

STEPHAN

(holding up the vial)

This?

PROFESSOR

Where did you-

STEPHAN

No time for questions.

He pours a thin stream on one side of the Professor, then the other. Evie watches out for trouble. Stephan strips away enough of the goo to pull the Professor out. The Professor stumbles against him, very weak.

PROFESSOR

You're very resourceful, whoever you are.

STEPHAN

That's the first compliment I've had all day. Let's get out of here. Evie, take point.

Evie takes point as they walk towards the door. There's is a strange sound of shuffling claws coming from the tunnel in front of them.

STEPHAN

(whispering)

Retreat.

They go back into the cave and find an opening. The go in and see bones. They hide behind an outcropping, squeezing themselves against the wall. The sound comes closer and stops.

STEPHAN

(whispering)

Do you think we got away with it?

Suddenly the monster roars, ringing through the passages. It is answered by at least three other roars.

EVIE

(whispering)

I guess not.

PROFESSOR

(whispering)

The Ibnienin are reptilian life forms. They can't hear but they smell with their tongue and can see movement.

STEPHAN

(whispering)

So we don't move until we have a clear shot.

PROFESSOR

(whispering)

I already told you. Bullets can't penetrate their scales.

STEPHAN

(whispering; cocking his pistol)

I'll settle for pissing it off. Evie, you take the Professor out of here. I'll draw them away from you.

EVIE

(whispering)

You can't-

STEPHAN

(whispering emphatically)

That's an order!

Stephan sighs and rushes into the cave. He runs straight past the Ibnienin and into one of the tunnels, leading it away from the exit.

Evie helps the Professor walk. She peaks around the corner and sees nothing.

EVIE

Come on. Let's go.

int. tunnels

Stephen keeps running with the monster right behind him. He comes to a dead end.

STEPHAN

Shit.

The monster roars behind him. He turns around and points his gun. The creature stands in front of him, its tongue hanging out. The thing whips its tongue out. Stephan ducks, falling to the ground. Instinctively, he fires three times, hitting the Ibnien in the shoulder, leg and head. It falls to the ground. He stands up slowly and goes over to look at it. He nudges it with a toe. It doesn't react. Its dead. He sighs and starts running back the way he came.

He turns a few random corners, not recognizing where he is. He's lost. He turns around and turns another corner, only to run straight into another Ibnien. He shoots it once in the head. It doesn't fall. He shoots it again in the heart. This time it fells. He kneels down and inspects it much closer. There is a patch of scales less dense than the others over where a human heart would be. It's the one weak spot. Armed with this knowledge he tries to find his way out.