www.MZP-TV.co.uk MZP

Monster Zero Productions

(c) 2008 TEASER FADE IN: INT. COMPUTER ROOM - EVENING MARSHALL sits close to his PC screen, fingers rapidly rattling across the keys. His face is a mask of focus. He’s in a bright, cluttered computer room of sorts - shelves full of hunks of components and parts fill the closest wall. From the screen, sounds of GUNFIRE and EXPLOSIONS ring out. Commands are barked from soldier to soldier. VOICE (from PC) Where’s that air support, damn it? MARSHALL Uh... coming, coming! Just a second! Fingers a blur, PAN ROUND Marshall as he brings up a drop- down menu of options. He uses the mouse to select something - and moments later the ROAR of jet engines passing overhead rings out. MARSHALL (cont'd) Incoming! EXPLOSIONS sound out, and Marshall flinches from the screen. VOICE (from PC) Alright, second unit, move in! Adopt attack formation CRM one- fourteen! MARSHAL CRM one-fourteen, got it. PAN ROUND further. A better view of the screen shows several MARINES moving through a bombed out town. GUNFIRE rings out, bullets PINGING off the floor, and the marines dive for cover. MARINE (from PC) Sniper! MARSHALL (wide-eyed) Great Caesar’s ghost! Oh... oh, oh, uh, wait, wait... 2.

MARINE (from PC) We’re taking heavy fire! All units, fall back! Get to the - KABOOM! The screen JUDDERS as a huge explosion rips through the city. MARSHALL Guys! Guys? Hello? Guys! Flustered, Marshall rattles at the keyboard again, then opens up some menus with the mouse. And he finally clicks on an option marked ‘Pause.’ The screen freezes. Marshall rolls back on his reclining chair - and the rest of the room is revealed at last. Marshall’s in what was once a small study, the decor betraying its suburban roots, which is now halfway between an IT lab and a gaming room. The box and manuals for ‘Call Of Duty 4’ sit beside the monitor as Marshall wearily rubs his eyes. VOICE (over PC) What’s the matter, JuJu? Had enough? Marshall looks up. An IM box is blinking on the corner of his screen. He scowls, rolling back to his place - and fixing on a headset microphone. MARSHALL Not by a long shot yet, my shadowy nemesis. (French accent) ‘Ow you English say? I one more time, mac, unclog my nose in your direction, sons of a window- dresser! The IM box is labelled ‘Tetch49,’ a pair of LEDs moving in time with the speaker’s voice. Marshall’s IM box is marked ‘Serious JuJu.’ TETCH49 Then would you care to make this interesting? Marshall raises an eyebrow - sneakily unpausing the game. MARSHALL What did you have in mind? 3.

TETCH49 A little wager. My undead Guild versus your Night Elves. Tomorrow night, PvP. Winner takes all. MARSHALL All what? TETCH49 Enough orange weapons and armour to put Lord Kazzak to shame. Marshall’s troops start moving into position - and a set of CROSSHAIRS spring up. MARSHALL Sounds interesting... maybe you’d like to raise the stakes a little? TETCH49 (scoffs) To what? The crosshairs zoom in and line up on another SOLDIER - and BLAM! The guy goes down! TETCH49 (cont'd) Hey! MARSHALL (punches the air) I am Tiger Woods! And the study door opens - to reveal CARRIE. CARRIE Marshall? Startled, his hands fly to the headset, fumbling with it before finally swatting it to the floor. Marshall spins in his chair, blocking the screen and trying to look casual. MARSHALL (slowly) Yes? A beat as Carrie glances round the room. Marshall fixes a Roger Moore-esque grin in place. CARRIE Dinner’s on the table, honey. I thought you might like to see your children at some point today. MARSHALL (still smiling) I would like that very much. 4.

Carrie shoots him a look, then exits the room. Marshall returns to the PC, retrieving his headset. TETCH49 (as volume returns) ... -irty rotten cheating son of a - MARSHALL Sorry, friend, but those are the rules of the war in which we find ourselves. TETCH49 (seething) I’ll see you in Teldrassil, JuJu. Smirking triumphantly, Marshall flicks off the monitor and exits the room, flicking the lights off as he leaves: INT. FLINKMAN HOUSEHOLD - DINING ROOM - NEXT As a TV game show blares in the background, Marshall and Carrie sit around a round dinner table. Marshall is tickling four-year-old MITCHELL, the child giggling happily, while an eighteen-month-old toddler - MARCUS - bangs his spoon on his baby seat. Adjusted to the constant decibel level in the household by now, Carrie stirs her food absently as she speaks: CARRIE ... and anyway, after speaking to Adams and Ryall all afternoon, I figured it was the least they could do to put in a good word or two for me. Marshall looks up at last. MARSHALL Sorry, sweetheart - a good word about what? CARRIE (blinks) About me getting back into intelligence? MARSHALL What? CARRIE Marshall! Have you even been listening? He stammers, nodding towards the two kids. 5.

CARRIE (cont'd) (sighs) Okay, look. Let me go over this again. I’m only thinking part-time for now, because I still have lots to do for the boys every day, but we both know your mother’s more than happy to come over from LA to help out. MARSHALL Well, uh, yeah, I mean, why wouldn’t she, she’s my mom, but, uh, she’s... she’s also my mom. With our children. Are we still sure that’s the best idea? CARRIE All I know is that I’ve spent the last four years taking care of our kids, and I’m way past ready to start getting my life back on track. (beat) And speaking of that... did you speak to Kendall? MARSHALL (beat) About what? CARRIE You know, about the opening in Project Black Hole? The colour drains from Marshall’s face - he either forgot himself or didn’t want her to remember about it. CARRIE (cont'd) I mean, after working with Kendall before I’m sure he’d be willing to put in a good reference for me to Director Winters, so... Marshall realises he’s meant to be taking over the sentence. MARSHALL So! So. So... no. I haven’t. Carrie sags, pouting as she digs her fork into her meal. MARSHALL (cont'd) But I will. I promise. You know, uh, just as soon as I finish that... thing - hey, do we have any more of those potatoes left? 6.

Carrie nods, conceding defeat for now, but Marshall keeps a guilty eye on her as we CUT TO: INT. FLINKMAN HOUSEHOLD - COMPUTER ROOM - NEXT CLOSE IN on the computer screen, blackened out as the system is on standby. The screen suddenly FLICKERS, bringing up Marshall’s desktop - a Van Halen concert shot. The ‘Call Of Duty’ game is still up on screen. Something GLISTENS across the screen - almost like running water - and then also across the keyboard! The game suddenly resumes, the sounds of gunfire and explosions returning. Until another jet passes overhead - and the area around Marshall’s troops is hit by an AIR STRIKE! As the screen fades to a blood red, all of Marshall’s marines sprawled on the floor, a message fades in: ‘Tetch49 Wins!’ The message flashes a few times, before ‘Play Again?’ Appears beneath it, and we: BLACK OUT: 7.

Starring JOSH HOLLOWAY THE

D NONA GAYE SEAN MAHER ROMOLA GARAI

S PETER FACINELLI KEVIN WEISMAN ALBERTA WATSON

R With LINDSAY CROUSE And

TERRY O’QUINN 8.

“NERD/OFF”

Created By A. J. BLACK

Graphic Artist Graphic Artist Graphic Artist

JAY EVERINGTON J. T. VAUGHN LEIGH NGUYEN

Co Producer Producer Producer DINO LEONE BOBBY TORRES CHRIS HAIGH

Executive Producer Executive Producer

ADAM SCOTT A. J. BLACK

Story By A. J. BLACK & LEE. A. CHRIMES

Teleplay By LEE. A. CHRIMES 9.

ACT ONE FADE IN: INT. BRIEFING ROOM - PROJECT BLACK HOLE - DAY PULL BACK from a monitor showing CCTV footage of the aftermath of something grisly inside a rural BAR: Bodies (and body parts) are scattered left and right, BLOOD sprayed across the screen and most open surfaces. ETHAN turns to the assembled team - JAI, MIA, KENDALL, QUINN, RAYEN, SARA and JULIA - all wearing suitably horrified expressions. ETHAN This is the third wolf attack in as many weeks. Each new disturbance has seen an escalation in size, scale and scope. JAI What’s the body count on that last ‘disturbance’? ETHAN Almost fifty. SARA My goodness... ETHAN The Juneau sheriff’s department contacted the FBI, who forwarded the case for ou attention. QUINN And it’s right that they did. He leans forward, gaining the room’s attention. QUINN (cont'd) Lupan activity in America has been less than minimal for many years now. Classically, this territory was fought over by the Black and White Furs - RAYEN Back up - the who? Guest Starring AMANDA FOREMAN 10.

SARA Rival werewolf clans. Used to be lots of them, now there’s hardly any. They’ve both been quiet for some time. QUINN If the Lupans are attempting to move into vacated Furs territory, then we’re going to have to expend every resource to stop them. ETHAN I’m well aware of what we have to do here, Agent Quinn. JAI Man’s just saying, Ethan. Don’t get all bunched up about it. JULIA Quinn’s right. If attacks like this continue, the existence of werewolves could be exposed to the world at large - and that’s a worst case scenario that we don’t even have a Def Con number for. She rises from her seat, joining Ethan by the screens. JULIA (cont'd) Quinn, you’re team leader on this op. Get out to Juneau, find out what you can. QUINN (nods) I’d like Agent Mendez for this one. She could use a little field experience with the Lupans. ETHAN Agreed. (to Julia) I’d also like to join in. Rayen raises an eyebrow - and Ethan casts a glance her way. QUINN And... All eyes back on him. Quinn looks to Mia and smiles. DJ QUALLS 11.

QUINN (cont'd) Agent Patrick. MIA (smirks) So formal already? He bows his head, the others all casting wry looks at the two of them. JULIA Alright, the rest of you have your assignment - the Davalos case still needs plenty of work. Dismissed. The team rise from their seats as we CUT TO: INT. OPERATIONS CENTRE - PROJECT BLACK HOLE - NEXT Kendall catches up to Sara as she wheels back to her lab. KENDALL Sara? She stops and turns as he joins her, a little out of breath. KENDALL (cont'd) Either you got a head start or I am definitely out of shape... SARA (grins) What can I do for you? KENDALL Have you seen Marshall today? He was meant to be in that briefing. SARA (shakes head) Not yet. And I’m not putting my delicate digits anywhere near that black hole he calls a workstation to see if he left a note, either. Kendall nods, musing on this, as Sara resumes her journey. INT. FLINKMAN RESIDENCE - KITCHEN - DAY And here’s Marshall - in the depths of a panic as he rushes to and fro. And HARRY GROENER 12.

An open briefcase lies on the counter, and Marshall is quickly tossing papers, his phone, even his keys inside. He stops, retrieves the keys, and then grabs a LUNCH BOX from the fridge - only for it to open and spill as he does so! MARSHALL Oh... man! He hears a WAIL off to his side - and darts over to Marcus, who is midway through a diaper change! MARSHALL (cont'd) No, no, it’s okay, Marcus, Daddy’s here. Daddy’s here. He hesitates, his brain trying to remember how to change a diaper - as Carrie enters with Mitchell. She’s wearing a smart, flashy suit and skirt, busily pulling a t-shirt over the struggling Mitchell’s head. CARRIE Shouldn’t you have gone? (glances at clock) Before it became the afternoon? MARSHALL No babysitter! She was meant to - and there’s no - and I just dropped my - and now I can’t find my... He takes the phone from the briefcase, peers at it, then puts it back - and takes another one from his jacket. MARSHALL (cont'd) You look, uh... smart. Did I... did I miss something? CARRIE It’s my interview today. (off blank look) With the NSA? I’m going for an analyst position, see if I can’t set up some kind of stop-gap until that DSR interview comes round. (narrows eyes) You are going to make sure I get an interview, right? Marshall flounders, mouth flapping - but he’s saved by the DOORBELL. MARSHALL Oh, thank God... He moves round the island, but Carrie intercepts him. 13.

CARRIE Marshall. This is important. MARSHALL (off door) I know, but the - CARRIE (stern) Promise me you’ll speak to Kendall. The doorbell RINGS again. Marshall takes a breath. MARSHALL I promise. Carrie lights up with a beaming smile, pulling him close for a KISS. Carrie moves over to finish up Marcus’ diaper change as Marshall reaches the door - just in the next room. He opens it to the BABYSITTER - a perky teenage girl, snapping GUM. MARSHALL (cont'd) Hi! Uh, right. The... and the... and you know where the... She blinks, bemused, as he darts back into the kitchen, grabs his briefcase and heads for the door. The open briefcase - of course - spills its contents over the floor, and as Marshall fusses about trying to pick everything back up, we CUI TO: INT. THE LAB - PROJECT BLACK HOLE - DAY Sara looks up from her books as Marshall bustles into the lab, half TRIPPING over something on the way. MARSHALL I know, I know... Sara just watches as Marshall bounces across several workstations, hurriedly booting things up. MARSHALL (cont'd) There was a thing with the baby, and then... food in the... briefcase... and the babysitter... Marshall stops, looking around his half of the lab. He starts sifting through wads of papers and scraps of equipment. MARSHALL (cont'd) Where’s the Brimstone? 14.

SARA That piece of anti-hacker hardware you still haven’t worked out the specs for? It’s there. She points to a shelf behind her, then gets back to work - she’s translating a thick old volume. MARSHALL (twitches) You... you moved it? From my side of the lab? But... I mean, I thought you made me take an oath that I couldn’t ever - SARA My lab, my rules. (beat) Kendall was asking where you were this morning. MARSHALL (winces) Was he mad? I bet he was mad. Did he look mad? You can always tell, because he does this thing where - KENDALL (O.S.) Where I do what? Marshall spins, mortified, to find Kendall standing in the doorway. Sara can’t resist a smirk. MARSHALL Oh! Oh, uh, nothing, you know, I just... uh, I mean, I didn’t - I - I - how are you? KENDALL On time. Marshall bows his head, admonished. KENDALL (cont'd) I’m sure I don’t need to remind you how important it is for us all to stay on top of our game at the moment. Especially now. MARSHALL No, no, of course not. Sara looks up from her book again, curious, as Kendall starts to leave. 15.

MARSHALL (cont'd) Oh, uh, sir? I mean, uh, Agent Kendall? KENDALL (turns) Yes? MARSHALL Can we, ah, have, maybe, five minutes to talk about that thing with Carrie and - KENDALL (cuts him off) Later. After you’ve caught up. Kendall leaves, and Marshall takes the hint to get back to getting his side of the lab operational. SARA What did he mean? MARSHALL Hmm? SARA Kendall. He said we all need to be on top - ‘especially now.’ MARSHALL (quickly) Did you say the Brimstone was... here, right? He steps past her, locating the item from the shelf - it’s a bulky black box, almost like an XBox. SARA I had to have a tidy up, Marshall. There’s two of us in the same space I used to have to myself now. MARSHALL (V.O.) I wish she wouldn’t just move my stuff... it’s like being back at home! SARA I’m sure it’s not that bad. MARSHALL What? I didn’t say anything. SARA What? Oh... 16.

Confused, Marshall takes the device back to his desk. Sara’s hand reaches for her necklace - her mother’s pendant - as we CUT TO: INT. YOUNG MARSHALL’S ROOM - DAY An eight-year-old MARSHALL is concentrating hard as he plays on a vintage Atari 2600 games console, a six-year-old boy beside him with his nose in a Batman comic book.

1978

The room’s like Marshall’s modern day games room, thirty years back in time. Marshall turns to his friend, nodding towards the screen. MARSHALL Come on, Kyle, you wanna try this? KYLE (shrugs) Nah. MARSHALL Come on! It’s ‘Adventure.’ It’s, like... the best thing since ever. And check this out! He nods to the screen - where a yellow square is moving round a labyrinth, chased by a blocky yellow dragon. MARSHALL (cont'd) I figured out that it doesn’t matter which end you hold the sword from, it still kills the dragons. And he proves his point, attacking the dragon with a chorus of BEEPS. KYLE Yeah, but Batman’s just about to totally take the Mad Hatter down for good this time. This Steve Englehart guy rocks. WOMAN’S VOICE (O.S.) Boys? Dinner’s ready! MARSHALL (yells) Just a minute, mom! Marshall’s still busy playing - until the door opens and Marshall’s dad MARVIN enters (early 40’s, air of a salesman). 17.

MARVIN Boys, you heard your mother. MARSHALL Yeah, but I’m almost - Marvin steps across the cluttered room, reaches for the ‘reset’ button on the console and pushes it. Marshall sags as the screen turns to STATIC, and Marvin follows up by hitting the power switch. MARVIN Now. Your mother’s spent all afternoon on this casserole, and we are going to enjoy it. (beat; grins) Even if it tastes just like the last one. MARSHALL (pouting) Okay... Marvin ruffles his hair and exits. Kyle shuffles over. KYLE (holds up comic) Wanna know what’s great about these? No reset button. Marshall pulls a face at his friend as he leaves the room. Kyle, however, steps back over to the Atari, holding his hand above it - and the console RESTARTS by itself! Kyle grins, perfectly natural, and we CUT TO: INT. THE LAB - PROJECT BLACK HOLE - DAY Marshall has his phone to one ear as he types with the other. Sara isn’t in the room. MARSHALL (into phone) So then I just had to say ‘hey, woman! You don’t touch my stuff unless I say you can, you hear?’ INTERCUT WITH: INT. BRINEY HOUSEHOLD - KYLE’S ROOM - DAY And reclining in his seat is KYLE BRINEY, Marshall’s childhood friend all growed up. A generic action movie plays on a TV, and Kyle’s room is very much that of a bachelor. 18.

KYLE (scoffs) She was probably more like ‘Marshall, this conversation can serve no purpose any more. Goodbye.’ MARSHALL Dude, I might have! You haven’t seen me at work. I’m all - KYLE You’re all ‘oh, sorry, sir, if I could just stop mumbling and changing the subject for two seconds I’m sure I’d get some work done!’ MARSHALL (grins) Nerf herder. KYLE Koochoo. I’m telling you, you’re wasting your life away at that bank. MARSHALL Yeah, I know, but it pays the bills. Keeps Carrie in new Radley purses. KYLE Wives serve. Brothers inherit. The gospel according to Quark. MARSHALL It never hurts to suck up to the boss. KYLE Touche. Anyway, back to the subject at hand. You’re up to six names for Jabba The Hutt’s band. Shooting for nine to equal the record. MARSHALL Okay, uh... Doda Bodonawieedo... Marshall doesn’t notice Sara wheeling back into the office behind him. MARSHALL (cont'd) Sy Snootles, Joh Yowza, Barquin - 19.

SARA Marshall? END INTERCUT: MARSHALL Woah! His phone flies from his hands as the startled Marshall jumps half a mile. SARA What on Earth were you talking about? MARSHALL Um... important... password- protected... stuff. He locates his phone - but in his fluster he ended the call. He sighs and hops down off his chair. He exits, Sara arriving back at her desk and watching him with a disapproving stare. As she gets back to work, however, she doesn’t notice Marshall’s computer come back to life - with ‘Call Of Duty 4’ ready to play once again! The same FLICKERING effect last seen on his home PC shimmers across the terminal - the keyboard GLISTENING too! As an IM pops up on the monitor reading ‘Tetch49 says: TETCH49 Revenge is a dish best served immediately... BLACK OUT:

END OF ACT ONE 20.

ACT TWO FADE IN: INT. JULIA’S OFFICE - PROJECT BLACK HOLE - EVENING Focus on the door as someone KNOCKS. JULIA (O.S.) Come in. The door opens and Marshall heads inside. MARSHALL Sorry to bother you, Director, but - He stops - CARSON EVANS is sitting in the chair before Julia’s desk, both women looking towards him. JULIA Can this wait, Marshall? I’m a little busy. MARSHALL Oh, uh, yeah, I see that, and - and hello, Agent Evans, by the way, or, er, is it ‘Doctor’ now? Anyway - JULIA What is it, Marshall? MARSHALL It’s, uh, it’s about Sara and I sharing a lab? I don’t think it’s working out, and, er, I was just wondering if there was any way - JULIA I’m sure the two of you can resolve any issues you may be encountering regarding sharing a workspace environment, Marshall. If you’re still having problems after you’ve spoken to Sara, then you can come and speak to me about it. MARSHALL Um... JULIA That’ll be all, Marshall. (checks watch) Shouldn’t you be going home now? Marshall hesitates a moment longer, then finally turns and leaves the office, a little disappointed, as we CUT TO: 21.

EXT. SCHOOL PLAYGROUND - DAY Marshall is now fifteen, Kyle is thirteen. Thick-lensed glasses, slicked down hairdos - Kyle has braces. Both boys are dressed like their moms picked out their clothes.

1986

PULL BACK to find the two boys are sitting together on the steps of one of the high school buildings, everyone else enjoying themselves far away from them. Kyle is working his way through another Batman comic - this time featuring the Mad Hatter - while Marshall speaks: MARSHALL So, with this ‘Duck Hunt’ game, you get an actual light gun, which you just point and shoot at the screen with, right? But get this - I’ve managed to figure out how to hack into the R.O.B. Unit I’ve got so I can use it to help me play, and - RANDY (O.S.) Aw, look at the two nerds doing their mating dance! The boys look up - and are dwarfed as the towering form of RANDY steps into frame, two flunkies at his back. Randy is a horrific mix of Judd Nelson (circa ‘Breakfast Club’) and Nelson (The Simpsons). RANDY (cont'd) Whatcha got there, poindexter? He SWIPES Kyle’s comic book from his hands. MARSHALL Hey! Give that back!

Marshall rises - but Randy just PUSHES him back down. RANDY Comics? Comics are for little kids and wussies! (to gang) Which one do we reckon they are? FLUNKY #1 Uh... both? MARSHALL You know, you really ought to give that back. 22.

RANDY (laughs) Because of what? MARSHALL Well, uh, otherwise, Kyle could, you know, take this traumatic moment to strike up a life of vengeance against crime, like a young Bruce Wayne, only, only slightly older, and, uh... Randy shoots a bemused glance at his gang - then turns and SOCKS Marshall right in the face, forcing a SMASH CUT TO: INT. OPERATIONS CENTRE - PROJECT BLACK HOLE - EVENING Kendall looks up from his desk and sees Carson leaving Julia’s office. He rises and moves to intercept. KENDALL Leaving without saying goodbye? Or hello, for that matter? CARSON Sorry, Joseph. I’ve just got a lot on my mind. The two start walking together. CARSON (cont'd) Julia explained how I’m here liaising over the current Lupan situation, didn’t she? KENDALL She mentioned she was bringing someone in from Washington, yes. How are you finding her? CARSON Julia? Shouldn’t I be asking you those kinds of questions? Kendall glances towards Julia’s office. Her door is open and she’s on the phone. KENDALL Given the circumstances... we’re doing well. CARSON Good. Glad to hear it. She realises Kendall is still watching Julia. 23.

CARSON (cont'd) Just be careful, Joseph. KENDALL Careful about what? CARSON About the issues that caused you two to be apart in the first place. Don’t get so close again that those issues become a professional problem as well. Kendall looks down, nods, then lifts his head with a grin. KENDAL I’ll watch my step. Carson returns the smile as we CUT TO: INT. FLINKMAN RESIDENCE - KITCHEN - NIGHT Marshall enters the kitchen, sets his briefcase down and moves in to give Carrie a quick hug and kiss. She doesn’t reciprocate. Carrie is preparing the dinner - but she’s putting some force into clanging pots and pans around. Marshall keeps back. MARSHALL How did the NSA interview... CARRIE Oh, it was unbelievable! Marshall jerks back as she SLAMS the oven door closed. CARRIE (cont'd) You know, even if the misogynist pig I had for an interviewer hadn’t been one of the most odious, obnoxious men I’ve ever had the misfortune to meet - and let’s not forget where I used to work... MARSHALL Uh-huh... CARRIE ... they may as well have just put a line through my application the second I told them I had two kids. Seems the NSA isn’t as ‘family friendly’ as it’d like to make out. She starts furiously stirring a bowl of something. 24.

MARSHALL Oh, honey, that’s... I... CARRIE (sighs) Still, at least I have that interview with Kendall to keep my hopes alive. You did speak to him... didn’t you? A beat - before Marshall beams brightly. MARSHALL Absolutely. All set up. I just need to, ah, confirm the details, and then - Carrie suddenly EMBRACES him. CARRIE Thank you. After today, I... well, I about gave up. I knew you’d come through for me. She KISSES him at last, returning to her cooking with an obvious weight lifted from her shoulders. Thing is, it seems to have transferred to Marshall, who slouches away as we CUT TO: INT. SCHOOL NURSE’S OFFICE - DAY Back with teenage Marshall, as his bloody nose is wadded up by the matronly NURSE. A TEACHER hovers nearby, ready to speak to Marshall once he’s patched up - as Marvin appears in the office doorway. MARVIN Marshall? Marshall! MARSHALL (bunged up) Hey, dab. MARVIN Are you alright? What happened? (to teacher) You said there’d been a fight? TEACHER That’s what we’re trying to establish. Although perhaps ‘fight’ wasn’t the best choice of words... Marvin hurries over to Marshall as the nurse finishes up. 25.

MARVIN Alright, son, you need to tell your teachers who did this. MARSHALL Nobody. Tripped and fell. MARVIN You tripped, fell and punched yourself in the face on the way down? Come on, Marshall. Nobody’s mad at you. You’re not in trouble. TEACHER Mr. Flinkman - He holds up a hand to cut her off. This is father/son time. MARVIN Who hit you, Marshall? Marshall meets his father’s gaze - but looks away. He knows the schoolyard rules. Marvin sighs, rising and turning to the teachers, starting an angry exchange with them. Marshall looks out through the window - and sees Kyle, who holds up his Batman comic book and gives him the thumbs-up. Puzzled, Marshall can only watch as Kyle scampers away, and as Marvin continues his tirade we DISSOLVE TO: INT. SCHOOL DINING HALL - DAY Randy sits with his gang in the crowded dinner hall, laughing as they flick food at other, smaller kids. PULL BACK to find Kyle glaring at them. He glances up at the ceiling, then reaches out for a light switch and shuts his eyes... Every light in the room starts to FLICKER. The assembled kids look up, confused. And the lights start to SHORT OUT as ELECTRICITY crackles along them, SPARKS raining down! Kids SCREAM and run for cover - and the energy seems to be converging on the light right above Randy! There’s a loud BANG as the fitting breaks, the light fixture plummeting straight towards him: CUT AWAY to Kyle, hearing the off-screen SMASH and HOWLS of pain as Kyle grins, oblivious to the mayhem all around as we CUT TO: 26.

INT. OPERATIONS CENTRE - PROJECT BLACK HOLE - NIGHT It’s late in the day now, and a grumpy Sara wheels out of her lab, heading for one terminal after another and rattling away at their keyboards. KENDALL (O.S.) Is there a problem? Sara jumps as Kendall appears, a paper bag in his hand. SARA Goodness! I thought I was the only one here. KENDALL Likewise. Is something affecting the network? Sara frowns as she approaches another PC. SARA That’s what I’d like to know. Marshall’s supposed to have dozens of programs running to keep our servers online, but obviously he’s left something switched off! The PC BEEPS, and a frustrated Sara leans back. SARA (cont'd) There’s some kind of virus in the servers. Nothing dangerous or damaging, but it’s eating up all the processor speed and slowing things right down. KENDALL Well, there’s no-one else here, as you said. Maybe this’ll resolve itself by the morning, or maybe Marshall just needs to restart a piece of software. No sense tearing your hair out here all night trying to fix it. SARA I suppose... KENDALL (grins) Go home, Sara. She looks up, then wheels away from the desk and disappears back into her lab. 27.

Kendall scoops up his coat and starts for the exit - pausing as he sees Julia still at work inside her office. He hesitates, looking in - but then tears his gaze away and keeps walking. ON HIS PC as the screen flicks back on, the CIA logo starting to FLICKER with interference. The keyboard GLISTENS, and ‘Call Of Duty 4’ pops up on the terminal out of nowhere! An IM pops up from Tetch49: TETCH49 For it is the doom of men that they forget... The monitor blinks off again, and we CUT TO: INT. JULIA’S OFFICE - PROJECT BLACK HOLE - NIGHT Julia is still up to her armpits in paperwork when there’s a KNOCK at her door. JULIA Come in. She looks up as Kendall enters. JULIA (cont'd) Joseph? I didn’t realise anyone was still here. KENDALL There isn’t. I sent Sara home a half hour ago. JULIA And yet, here you are. (beat) What’s in the bag? Kendall grins, approaching the desk. KENDALL Two portions of General Tso’s chicken, side of chow mein and a few prawn crackers. Oh, and... He dips into the bag - and takes out two FORTUNE COOKIES. JULIA (grins) You appear to be speaking my language. Take a seat. 28.

Kendall sits, fishing the various takeaway packets out of the bag and arranging the feast. Julia clears away her papers. JULIA (cont'd) What’s the occasion? KENDALL I was hungry. JULIA So why are we eating? KENDALL Because you get hungry too. She eyes him - but that’s all she’s getting. As Kendall cracks open the first few steaming cartons, she leans back. Kendall watches her eat for a moment. KENDALL (cont'd) Can I ask how you’re feeling to be in charge around here? She nods, scooping some rice and noodles into her carton. JULIA Considering I never set out to run this department, everything seems to be running smoothly so far. The transfer of offices is working out, the staff appear to be in harmony... She looks up, meeting his gaze. JULIA (cont'd) ... and I appreciated your legacy with this office. I knew you’d rather see the DSR run by someone else than shut down. KENDALL And at the very least, someone whom I actually approved of. JULIA (teasing) ‘Approve’? Strong words, Joseph. KENDALL (grins) There’s no animosity here, Julia. You’re doing a good job. I couldn’t have done any better. JULIA But... 29.

KENDALL But... well, I’ll admit it’s been a tricky adjustment. In my mind, I feel like I’ve replaced Anton. (off her look) Agent Cochrane. He was the elder statesman of the team until last year. JULIA (nods) I remember now. A fine agent, by all accounts. Tragic what happened to him. Kendall stays quiet, not wishing to head down that road. JULIA (cont'd) How about working under me? Kendall looks up, and Julia offers a small shrug. JULIA (cont'd) Has that been a ‘tricky adjustment’ too? Kendall doesn’t answer - but a smile creeps across his features. Julia can’t help but return it as we CUT TO: INT. FLINKMAN RESIDENCE - LANDING - NIGHT Marshall emerges from the bathroom as Carrie shuts the door to a small side room. Both are dressed for bed. MARSHALL Marcus alright? CARRIE (yawns) He’s fine. He’s turning into a much sounder sleeper than Mitchell ever was. Which is good news for us all. She glances towards his games room - and sees the light is on. Marshall follows her gaze. MARSHALL I’ll just go... He steps past her, heading into: INT. FLINKMAN RESIDENCE - GAMES ROOM - NEXT Marshall reaches for the light switch - then sees that the monitor is on, ‘Call Of Duty’ still running. 30.

Frowning he approaches the PC and reaches for the power button - and then notices the IMs from Tetch49. He glances over his shoulder - then pulls up his chair, pulling the keyboard out and typing: MARSHALL Didn’t we finish this already? TETCH49 Borag Thungg, Serious JuJu. There are always more battles to be fought and won. Choose your terrain, grexnix. MARSHALL Dude, seriously - I don’t know what time zone you’re in, but over here it’s late, and I need to get to sleep. TETCH49 Trust me - you’ll want to play this next game. Marshall shakes his head - then hears: CARRIE (O.S.) Marshall? You done in there? MARSHALL Just a sec, honey! CARRIE (O.S.) You know I can hear typing... MARSHALL Just, uh, just powering down! Be right out! Back on the keyboard: MARSHALL (cont'd) Some other time, man. Marshall shuts the game down and hits the power switch. The PC goes dark as Marshall rises and heads for the door: But then the monitor clicks back to life, ‘Call Of Duty’ ready to play once again! Marshall approaches the PC and switches it off again, this time waiting a few seconds before walking away: And once again, the PC returns to life, ‘Call Of Duty’ followed by an IM from Tetch49 blinking on screen: 31.

TETCH49 Time for a little filly, droog, spot of the old ultraviolence! That’s the horrorshow... Marshall stares at the screen, jaw hanging, as we: BLACK OUT:

END OF ACT TWO 32.

ACT THREE FADE IN: INT. SARA’S HOUSE - BEDROOM - NIGHT Sara is fast asleep in bed - until the phone RINGS. She shifts round a few times before waking. Clicking on the bedside lamp, she squints at the alarm clock before fumbling to answer the phone. SARA (bleary) Mmhello? INTERCUT WITH: INT. FLINKMAN RESIDENCE - GAMES ROOM - NIGHT Carrie stands over Marshall’s shoulder as he frantically tries to get the PC to shut down. His phone is cradled against his shoulder. MARSHALL Sara? Hey, it’s Marshall. Uh, Marshall from--- SARA Yes, I know who you are, Marshall. You’ve got ten seconds to tell me how big an emergency this is before I hang up. MARSHALL Virus. At least, I think it’s a virus. It started on one of my home computers and now it’s managed to track back down the secured remote access line to my terminal in the office. Sara sits up in bed, alarmed. SARA Who’s behind it? MARSHALL Honestly? Not sure yet. But he’s locked me out of my own terminal so I can’t shut it down. SARA We’d better get back to PBH, then. Come and pick me up, it’ll be faster. I’ll be ready. 33.

She hangs up, throwing back the covers and hauling her legs round out of bed. END INTERCUT: Marshall lets the phone drop, his fingers a blur as he tries command after command to shut the PC down. CARRIE Can you stop it? MARSHALL Uh... maybe... I - CARRIE I’ll come with you. She heads for the door. Marshall works on - then twigs what that means and spins round. MARSHALL No! She stops, raising an eyebrow. MARSHALL (cont'd) (nervous smile) I mean... no, thank you. CARRIE What’s the problem? Marshall, I don’t exactly need a manual to tell me how to use Windows. MARSHALL I know, I know, but... it’s, well, it’s work, they... they kind of get a little twitchy about non-staff coming in, and... She folds her arms, not buying this for a second. MARSHALL (cont'd) I mean, not that I don’t, or, I wouldn’t want your help, but - CARRIE You can drive. She exits, the defeated Marshall sagging before turning to look at the screen again, as we CUT TO: INT. OPERATIONS CENTRE - PROJECT BLACK HOLE - NIGHT Julia is locking her office, Kendall waiting nearby. 34.

JULIA So... thank you for dinner, Joseph. KENDALL No problem. As I said - I was hungry. She grins - and the lift doors PING open as Marshall exits. JULIA You’re a little early for work, aren’t you, Marshall? He barely registers them - because right behind him is Sara, her wheelchair pushed into the ops centre by Carrie. SARA (grins) Welcome to the black hole, Carrie. Carrie stares in wide-eyed disbelief around the ops centre. Julia and Kendall exchange a surprised look as Marshall finally bustles over to them. MARSHALL We have... (glances at Carrie) ... several problems. Julia raises an eyebrow as we CUT TO: INT. THE LAB - PROJECT BLACK HOLE - NEXT All systems go - Sara and Marshall are both at terminals, Carrie hovering nearby. Julia and Kendall wait for answers. JULIA So just let me see if I understand this - someone you play online games with at home has hacked into the DSR servers? MARSHALL That’s. Uh, that’s it. Yes. Carrie HUMPHS loudly. MARSHALL (cont'd) Honey? CARRIE I told you you spent too long on those things. 35.

JULIA (to Carrie) And you are... KENDALL Carrie Flinkman--- CARRIE Bowman, actually. (shrugs) I kept my... name... KENDALL (after a beat) Former NSA. She worked for me in Los Angeles back in ‘03. And she’s Marshall’s wife. CARRIE And mother to his two children. KENDALL Carrie, I know these aren’t the best circumstances to meet again under, but - CARRIE Yeah, I think my interview would’ve been much better. KENDALL Interview? Carrie blinks - then turns a withering glare on Marshall. CARRIE I should have known... Kendall’s phone RINGS, and he takes the opportunity to slip outside. MARSHALL I’m, I’m sorry, pumpkin, but, uh... I kind of need to work on the - She SMACKS him on the arm. Bemused looks from the others. CARRIE Hurry up and fix this so I can thrash you within an inch of your life - and then get working on that last inch! Carrie realises she’s yelling, and glances at Julia. She then fixes on a friendly smile and extends her hand. 36.

CARRIE (cont'd) Hello. Carrie Bowman. You must be Director Winters? Julia hesitates before shaking her hand - and the entire operations centre is plunged into darkness! MARSHALL Oh, no... He punches at keys - no response. Kendall steps back inside. KENDALL What’s happening now? SARA Total blackout. The system’s shut down to reboot because of the strain on the servers. CARRIE But if this virus is still running... MARSHALL ... then the servers won’t be able to reboot. (to Julia) We’re stuck. But one monitor blinks back to life - flashing up an IM from Tetch49. Everyone turns to the softly beeping screen, Marshall GULPING loudly as he approaches. TETCH49 I am the beginning and the end. I bring order into chaos. Face me... or the DSR, your headless blunder of an organisation operating under the illusion of a master plan... will be no more! Marshall’s head sinks into his hands as we CUT TO: INT. OPERATIONS CENTRE - PROJECT BLACK HOLE - NIGHT Julia is trying to call the lift, while Kendall tests the emergency exits - all locked. KENDALL Looks like the server shutdown also initiated emergency lockdown protocols. We’re trapped. 37.

WHAM! Something SLAMS into a fire door across the room, the duo whirling round. Kendall draws his HANDGUN - instinctively stepping before Julia to protect her. WHAM! The fire door rattles again - before a third hit BLASTS it open. Kendall takes aim - but it’s JAI SHAW who steps inside, looking pretty pissed off as red emergency lighting from outside floods the room. JAI The hell’s going on in here? I had to climb thirty flights of stairs to get up here! Whole damn building’s shut down! Relieved, Kendall holsters his weapon as Jai approaches. KENDALL A computer virus has attacked our system and locked everything down. JAI Isn’t it Marshall and Sara’s job to stop that from happening? Kendall glances into the Lab: INT. THE LAB - PROJECT BLACK HOLE - NEXT Where Sara, Marshall and Carrie are working by flashlights. SARA So who the hell is this ‘Tetch49’? MARSHALL (sighs) He’s... he’s my friend Kyle. (off looks) I only just worked it out. I’ve been playing online with this ‘Tetch49’ guy for about a year, but I’ve also been speaking to Kyle, so I never figured that the two were the same person until tonight. SARA What changed? MARSHALL I finally worked out where I’d heard his username before. ‘Tetch49’? That’s Jervis Tetch, alias of the Mad Hatter. (MORE) 38.

MARSHALL (cont'd) (off looks) You know, from ‘Batman’? With the... hat? And the... thing that... anyway, ‘49’ is the number of the ‘Batman’ comic book issue that he first appeared in. CARRIE So how does that lead to Kyle? MARSHALL Mad Hatter was his favourite villain. CARRIE So we’re being hacked into... by a nerd? Carrie throws up her arms in despair as Julia and Kendall re- enter - with Jai. JAI Heard you were having a spot of computer trouble, Marshall. SARA You don’t know the half of it, Jai. One of Marshall’s childhood ‘friends,’ using the term very loosely, has hacked into the DSR servers and is keeping our entire system offline. JAI What does he want? MARSHALL (’WarGames’ voice) Do you want to play a game? (off looks) That’s what he wants. We have this... professional rivalry, going back to when we were kids. Kyle always thought he was better at games than me, and we never really proved it one way or the other. JULIA (to Sara) Is there any way to bypass what the virus is doing? Flush it out? SARA Absolutely not. Any backup system I link to the DSR’s will get infected before I can do anything. 39.

The screen BEEPS again, and everyone turns - but there’s just one line of text. TETCH49 What do you call eigensheep? CARRIE (squints) What do you call... what does that mean? SARA I have absolutely no idea. Marshall stares at the line, frowning. KENDALL Jai, take a team and find Kyle’s location. Shut him down any way you can. He glances at Julia, realising she’s staring at him. KENDALL (cont'd) (bows head) Sorry. JULIA That’s alright. (to Jai) Do what he said. It’ll save me the effort of repeating it. JAI Yes, ma’am. Jai exits as Julia turns to the others. JULIA If we can’t get back online, we can’t make contact with Ethan’s team in Juneau and organise the backup they need. They’re as good as - MARSHALL (blurts) Lamb-das! Beat. Marshall scurries over to the keyboard and types in ‘lamb-das.’ Hits ‘Enter.’ CARRIE Marshall, have you lost your mind? The screen BEEPS - and ‘Correct’ appears in red lettering. 40.

MARSHALL This is it! This is the game. (to others) Geek jokes. KENDALL (catching on) He’s testing your knowledge. Seeing if you can guess the punchlines. JULIA Can you beat him? MARSHALL No problem. I invented - And a TIMER appears on the screen. The text ‘Time To Server Deletion’ appears next to a countdown. MARSHALL (cont'd) (face falls) Frell! The next question appears: TETCH49 Why did the mathematician call his dog Cauchy? Sara GROANS, Marshall and Carrie both staring at the screen. JULIA So unless we answer all his questions within the time limit... MARSHALL ... then we’ve got front row tickets to the end of the world! Marshall runs his hands through his hair as we CUT TO: INT. DSR VAN - NIGHT Jai is in the back of a large squad vehicle, suiting up and checking his machine gun along with several TROOPERS. He looks up as another agent passes him a cell phone, Jai holding it to his ear: JAI Shaw. KENDALL (filtered; through phone) Did you triangulate the GPS signal we were able to send? (MORE) 41.

KENDALL (cont'd) Sara says her laptop was corrupted within seconds after she connected it to our network, but it should have been enough time for her data pulse on Kyle’s location to get out. JAI We got something. Not a concrete fix, but we’re whittlin’ it down through local power usage, reception area, stuff like that. Should have a location soon. KENDALL Alright, keep us posted. Jai tucks the phone away as we CUT TO: INT. THE LAB - PROJECT BLACK HOLE - NIGHT Kendall re-enters the lab, phone in hand. SARA Well? Did it work? KENDALL (nods) Jai says they got enough to start figuring out the details. JULIA That’s something, at least. She looks towards Marshall’s PC - where he and Carrie are trying to puzzle out the next question. On screen is: TETCH49 What do you get when you cross a mountain-climber with a house-fly? MARSHALL Mountain climber... Mountain... summit... peak... peak energy? CARRIE No, no, think puns. Think what’d make you laugh. What’s a house fly? MARSHALL A bug. CARRIE (patient) Yes, but what else? What is it in technical terms? 42.

MARSHALL Uh... SARA A vector? (off looks) As in flight? MARSHALL (snaps fingers) Scaler! (quickly types) Nothing. You can’t cross a scaler and a vector! TETCH49 (beat) Correct. CARRIE Yes! TETCH49 How do you burn 1? CARRIE (deflated) What? SARA How much time do we have? MARSHALL (off screen) Not enough for this to be easy. KENDALL Keep at it. Keep him distracted asking questions, Jai should be at his location shortly. Marshall nods, thinking - then spots the HEADSET. MARSHALL I know... I know what to do! He fumbles with the cable, plugging it in. MARSHALL (cont'd) (into headset) Kyle? Dude, you there? The others wait as we CUT TO: 43.

INT. KYLE’S LAB - NIGHT And there’s KYLE again, sitting up and squinting at the screen. His PC is a monster set up - a double widescreen monitor, huge central tower unit and plenty of peripherals connected by miles of trailing cables. Marshall’s voice comes from his PC speakers as he turns them up, listening: MARSHALL Kyle, I know you can hear me. Come on, man. At least have the decency to talk to me if you’re gonna do this. Kyle hesitates - then gestures towards a WEBCAM mounted on his monitor. It lights up, aiming itself at him. INT. THE LAB - PROJECT BLACK HOLE - NIGHT Marshall reacts as Kyle’s face appears in a small window on the screen, hovering over the question. KYLE Hey, hey! Klaatu barada nikto. Zarjaz to see you at last, dude. Thought you were gonna hide behind your screen all night. And as the others react at the sight of this skinny, unassuming nerd, we: BLACK OUT:

END OF ACT THREE 44.

ACT FOUR FADE IN: INT. THE LAB - PROJECT BLACK HOLE - NIGHT As Kyle speaks, Kendall leans over to Sara and Carrie: KENDALL (whispers) Get down to the server rooms. Try to isolate the virus into one of the main banks so we can manually blow it if Marshall fails. SARA We’re on it. Carrie looks to Marshall, who holds her gaze as she and Sara exit the room. KYLE Marshall? Marshall! (clicks fingers) Come on! Never mind the devotchkas, you’ve got work to do yet! MARSHALL Why are you doing this? How are you doing this? INTERCUT: KYLE Isn’t it obvious? I’m proving once and for all that I’m the winner out of the two of us! MARSHALL Kyle, this is serious! Do you have any idea what’s going to happen if you destroy what we do here? KYLE Actually, yeah, I do. I mean, I’m still trying to figure out some of the terms here - who are the ‘Lupans’? Marshall throws a worried look at Julia. JULIA Just keep working, Marshall. KYLE Who’s that? Is that your boss? Hey there! Do you know who I am? 45.

Julia approaches the screen, arms folded. JULIA Sadly, by now yes, I do. KYLE You’ll have to forgive me, I’ve got audio but no visual here. Marshall, is she hot? Marshall freezes, and Julia gives him a stern look. MARSHALL Maybe... we should just... get back to the game, huh? I mean, that’s what this is, right? A game? KYLE Absolutely. MARSHALL Can’t we play something else? Battleships? Clue? Twister? That NFL Super Bowl Electronic Football game I used to have? KYLE No point. After all, you’re the winner at everything else. MARSHALL What do you mean? KYLE Come on, man! You got the wife, the kids, the job in intelligence - I got a back room in my mom’s new place and a job flipping burgers for minimum wage. Deep regret, man. MARSHALL Really? What happened - I mean, you were at Cal Tech, right? KYLE Yeah, but after you dropped out I kinda lost my head of steam a little. ‘Course, now I know you didn’t so much ‘drop out’ as ditch me to go be a spook! MARSHALL That’s not - it wasn’t - KYLE So I figured, what am I to Marshall Flinkman now? A friend? (MORE) 46.

KYLE (cont'd) Someone he just got bored with? Left behind? And then it hit me. (grins) I’m your arch nemesis. MARSHALL My what? KYLE Think about it! I’m the Joker to your Batman. The Sinestro to your Hal Jordan. The Magneto to your Professor X. You made me. MARSHALL It doesn’t have to be like this, Kyle! KYLE (snarls) This is exactly how it has to be! You didn’t give me a choice! Ever since I killed Randy for you! Marshall gapes at the screen, jaw hanging. KYLE (cont'd) That’s right. I did it. MARSHALL But... but how? KYLE Watch and learn. Kyle leans back, eyes closed - and raises his hands. On Marshall’s side, every computer in the lab suddenly goes wild! Data FLASHES on screens, printers WHIRR and the light rapidly flicker on and off! Kyle lowers his hands, the madness subsiding as he opens his eyes. MARSHALL Did... how did... was that you? KYLE Remember how I was always breaking anything electrical as a kid? You only had to sit me by a toaster and it’d blow a fuse. Turns out... I’ve got a superpower. I can do this... He SNAPS his fingers - and after the keyboard SHIMMERS with energy, the keys start rapidly moving by themselves! 47.

The phrase ‘All work and no play makes Marshall a dull boy’ appears on screen, over and over again. KYLE (cont'd) I blew those lights out and made sure the one over Randy was the one that fell. MARSHALL But... but you killed him! KYLE I did it for us, dude! I did it for every geek that pituitary retard and his gang of chromosome defects made high school a living hell for! The screen goes black - and Kyle’s video reappears with a fresh question beneath it, along with the countdown. KYLE (cont'd) Now get back to work, before I sic General Order Twenty-Four on you! Marshall looks suitably helpless as we CUT TO: EXT. SUBURB - NIGHT PAN DOWN on a quiet Virginian suburb. Nobody’s up at this late hour. Just as well, as two BLACK VANS speed into frame, pulling up sharply by the roadside. INT. DSR VAN - NEXT Inside one of the van’s, Jai looks round the assembled fully armed agents. JAI Alright, guys, let’s go grab ourselves a nerd. The agents don their helmets and goggles, LOADING weapons with a series of loud CLICKS as we CUT TO: INT. BRINEY HOUSEHOLD - NIGHT A cluttered, small working class suburban home. Garish wallpaper, mismatched furniture. And SNORING. Courtesy of MRS BRINEY, an obese woman fast asleep on the couch as Oprah plays on the TV. She continues to snore as the DSR agents enter the house, black-clad and silent as they sweep with laser-sighted guns. 48.

One nods to Jai, recognisable even under all the gear, and he sends one pair of agents upstairs as he sweeps the house with the others, before we CUT TO: INT. SERVER ROOM - PROJECT BLACK HOLE - NIGHT Down in the server room, floodlit by red emergency lighting, Sara and Carrie have laptops hooked up to the large, black tower units, working quickly. CARRIE This thing’s re-seeding itself faster than I can put a patch down on it! I’ve never seen a virus like it... SARA Sadly, neither have I, which means we’re double buggered at the moment. CARRIE So, you, uh... you normally have this much trouble? SARA From near-sentient computer viruses? Not that often. But life- threatening danger tends to follow us around, yes. CARRIE Oh. (beat) And Marshall, does he... I mean, does he always get into this kind of trouble, or is this just, you know... like a one-off? Sara hesitates, turning to Carrie. SARA Look, I’d rather not get into this now, but Marshall... he’s good at what he does. Great, even. But that’s not going to matter unless we help slow this virus down, so... CARRIE Right, right. The girls get back to work as we CUT TO: INT. BRINEY HOUSEHOLD - KITCHEN - NIGHT Jai’s team are turning up empty - until one of them catches their boot on the rug, dragging it a few feet. 49.

And revealing a hidden TRAPDOOR. The agents fan out, covering one another as Jai reaches for the ring-pull handle, and we CUT TO: INT. THE LAB - PROJECT BLACK HOLE - NIGHT Marshall at the PC. Julia and Kendall behind. TETCH49 What is purple and commutes? JULIA ‘Purple and commutes’? MARSHALL (types) An abelian grape. (to Julia) It’s a math joke. Abelian sets have the commutative property and grapes are purple, ergo humor. JULIA (blinks) I’m just going to carry on letting you type, I think. TETCH49 Morpheus: Neo, the Matrix doesn’t tell you who you are. Marshall frowns, rubbing his chin. Kendall nervously eyes the ever-decreasing countdown. KENDALL Marshall... MARSHALL Just a sec, just a sec... matrix... who you are... identity... ah! (types) Neo: Unless it’s the identity matrix! TETCH49 What do you get when you cross a rabbit and an elephant? Marshall massages his temples, trying to stay focused - but Kyle pops up again in his video screen. KYLE You know, they say the distance between insanity and genius is measured only by success. 50.

MARSHALL No, Elliot Carver said that in ‘Tomorrow Never Dies.’ (types) Rabbit-elephant sin theta n>. KYLE Good! I’m impressed. Clearly, Qui- Gon has taught you well. MARSHALL Qui-Gon didn’t teach me anything, Kyle. I just paid attention when I needed to - and I did the right thing. TETCH49 Why did the derivative favour its own kind? MARSHALL (types) Because it was partial. Marshall’s rattling off the answers quickly now - he’s back on track at last. MARSHALL (cont'd) Stop the virus, Kyle. This isn’t who you are. KYLE This is who I am now. This is what you made me when you left. MARSHALL Dude, why is this my fault? KYLE (scoffs) Please. You, landing a job in intelligence over me, when I can make computers work just by thinking about them? Compared to me, you’re just like a trained ape, only without the training. TETCH49 Why did theta sit out in the sun? MARSHALL (types) Because it wanted a tan. TETCH49 What do you do with a dead chemist? 51.

Marshall stares at the screen. The countdown timer has only seconds left. JULIA Marshall? No answer. Kyle SNICKERS from the screen. KYLE Tick tock! Gotta love time. There’s both so little and so much of it. More of the former, in your case. And Marshall gets the answer. MARSHALL (types) Barium. Success! The countdown stops - and Kyle registers shock. MARSHALL (cont'd) Yes! Let them eat static! Marshall punches the air as Julia and Kendall sigh with relief. KYLE Wow. You... you totally beat me, dude. (beat) So it’s almost a shame I have to do... this. Kyle CLAPS his hands - and the countdown restarts! Sixty seconds are now remaining. MARSHALL What?!? KYLE (laughs) I told you to read more comic books! Since when does the villain ever throw down in a fair fight? Kendall’s phone RINGS and he answers: KENDALL Hello? INTERCUT WITH: INT. SERVER ROOM - PROJECT BLACK HOLE - NEXT As ALARMS beep from the servers and Sara types as fast as she can, Carrie speaks into her phone: 52.

CARRIE The virus has activated a new subroutine - it’s going to transfer every byte of classified data to an untraceable server! KYLE All good villains have a back up plan. Even if you guys arrest me now, to get your precious data back you’re gonna have to set me free again - and I’ll still have the power to sell it to whoever pays the most! I’ll be a legend... the guy who brought down the DSR! Julia GRABS the phone from Kendall: JULIA Whatever you have to do to stop that virus, do it! Blow up the damn servers if you have to! CARRIE But that’ll - (gasps) I’ve got it! Carrie NUDGES Sara aside and starts typing. SARA What are you doing? CARRIE Something Marshall taught me... ON MARSHALL’S SCREEN, the timer ticks down: three... two... one... zero! IN THE SERVER ROOM, Carrie hits ‘Enter’ at the same moment. Kyle’s face suddenly falls. Marshall holds his breath - and the lights flick back on all round the ops centre! KYLE No... no! Now I’ll never know if I was right! END INTERCUT: INT. BRINEY HOUSEHOLD - BASEMENT - NIGHT And Kyle spins as the door to his basement is KICKED OPEN, Jai leading a team of agents inside. 53.

KYLE (shocked) Belgium! JAI Get away from the keyboard, Spock! Jai GRABS Kyle and pulls him to the floor, another agent securing his wrists with plasticuffs. KYLE You don’t know who you’re dealing with... you have no idea what I can do! Kyle grits his teeth - and everything in the room starts to SHUDDER, power circuits FUSING and SPARKS flying! The agents recoil, but Jai just raises his gun - and CRACKS it across Kyle’s jaw. Kyle goes limp, out cold, and the electrical overload he was causing stops in its tracks. JAI Geek. He rises, letting two agents haul the unconscious Kyle away as we DISSOLVE TO: INT. PRISON CELL - DAY PULL BACK from Kyle, now dressed in a plain orange prisoner’s outfit. He’s inside an insulated cell, shackled to the floor and staring listlessly into space. JULIA (PRELAP) Kyle Briney will be spending a very long time in a secure Trust facility, while he awaits a full psychiatric evaluation, pending a formal trial for cyber terrorism. INT. BRIEFING ROOM - PROJECT BLACK HOLE - DAY Julia addresses the assembled team - Marshall, Sara, Jai and Kendall. Marshall looks noticeably downcast. JULIA According to Sara, he’s what’s known as a ‘technopath,’ someone with unique brain chemistry who can hack into the frequencies used by electronics and machinery. Almost like jamming a phone signal. (MORE) 54.

JULIA (cont'd) Once we’ve assessed the limits of his ability, then we’ll have a better idea on how to suppress it so he can’t ever use it against us again. MARSHALL I thought that hairy beast would be the end of me. (off looks) Uh... sorry. Julia shuts her folder, and the team start filing out through the doors. Marshall stays - and Sara wheels over. SARA It wasn’t your fault. MARSHALL Wasn’t it? I did leave him behind. I promised him I’d always look out for him. SARA You managed to stop him from wiping our entire database. MARSHALL Technically, that was Carrie. She accessed the virus at the exact moment it connected to our database and fried it on the spot. SARA (smiles) Funny, I could’ve sworn she said that was one of your old tricks. Still smiling, Sara wheels out of the office. JULIA (O.S.) Marshall? He turns as Julia re-enters the room. JULIA (cont'd) I just wanted to tell you how impressed I was with Carrie. She kept a cool head in a crisis and saved the day for all of us. MARSHALL (proud) Yeah, she’s... she’s really something. 55.

JULIA Joseph mentioned she was looking for an analyst position here, so you can tell her from me, if she wants the part-time spot, it’s hers. MARSHALL Really? You’d... you’d do that? Julia smiles, exiting. A grin starts to spread across Marshall’s face as we CUT TO: INT. FLINKMAN RESIDENCE - DINING ROOM - NIGHT Back round the table for the family evening meal. Carrie picks at her food as Marshall rambles: MARSHALL ... and that’s when Director Winters came back in, and she told me that you’d done such a good job today - well, you know, executing one of my old plans, but still - that she wanted to offer you the analyst job you wanted, so there... there you go! Marshall realises she’s not really listening. MARSHALL (cont'd) Sugar plum? Everything... everything okay? Carrie looks up, a thoughtful expression in place. CARRIE I don’t want it. MARSHALL You... really? But - I mean, I thought you were all - CARRIE I thought I did, but then actually being there, seeing what you do, even doing some of what you do... (sighs) The DSR is a dream assignment. I’d be lucky to have it. But it’s not where I’m meant to be. It’s where you’re meant to be. Marshall frowns, not following. 56.

CARRIE (cont'd) The NSA got back to me, offered me a part-time job at Virginia. I’m... I think I’m going to take it. MARSHALL That’s... that’s great! Way to go! He smiles, but she can see he’s disappointed also. CARRIE Seeing how personal that job got, with you and Kyle... it’s not for me. I want my career back, sure, but I also want to come home to my boys. I want to be able to leave my job at the office and just come home as a mom. I need to keep them both separate, you know? MARSHALL (nods) I understand. This is why women score ten more than men in all age brackets. He rises, making his way round the table to KISS her. CARRIE You always do. That’s why you’re not Kyle. Carrie KISSES him back as we DISSOLVE TO: INT. FLINKMAN RESIDENCE - GAMES ROOM - LATER Marshall enters the room, reaching to turn the lights out - and sees that the monitor is still on. He approaches, Kyle’s last IM still flashing on screen: TETCH49 Time for a little filly, droog, spot of the old ultraviolence! That’s the horrorshow... Marshall stares at the message for a beat - then reaches out to shut the monitor off, and we: BLACK OUT: 57.

Dsr