The Essential Ellison Part 68

36 REVERSE ANGLE -FROM BLACK.

as Flint dashes away from CAMERA into darkness, getting smaller andsmaller...

37 WITH FLINT.

as he runs out of the darkness, the sound of LAUGHTER OVER. The kindof deranged laughter one hears from the dummy of the fat lady infront of the fun house. He runs and runs as CAMERA FOLLOWS andsuddenly Flint pitches forward, over an invisible edge, down intoblack water. He sinks.

38 UNDER THE WATER.

black as midnight, but with flashes of unearthly light in it,enabling us to see Flint drowning. He struggles, fights, but sinksdeeper and deeper, his hair flowing out around him, bubbles rising.Then suddenly he is wrenched to a halt and starts to rise, just ashe is gasping his last...everything grows hazy, indistinct and we MATCH-CUT TO:.

39 INT. LABORATORY.

MATCH-CUT OUT OF MISTINESS to a pair of black suited hands pullingFlint face-up out of a shallow trough filled with water. Flint isnaked (though the bodies of Calista, Barmeier, 1st V.P. and the 1stBlacksuit obscure the censorable areas with their bulk).The troughis up on a lab table, and the only thing that keeps Flint fromdrowning is a stiff plastic "baggie" around his head, fastened by aring-collar at his neck. It is something like an astronaut'sbreather hood-flexible but non-collapsible as long as air is in it.NOTE: the fantasy of drowning should merge into the reality of Flint in the trough so we get a sense of "paraphrase" in the fantasy thatmatches with what the reality is.

CALISTAThe only thing keeping you alive in that hood is the airpocket, Derek. I wouldn't waste it with cranky words.

DR. BARMEIERA person can drown in less that a foot of water, did you knowthat, Mr. Flint?

1st V.P.

(trying to be ghoulish but sounding wimpish)You would be absolutely stunned by the incidences of drowningin homes with half-filled bathtubs.

Calista gives him a look of weariness. He's such an a.s.s.

CALISTAThat air pocket can't hold out very long.

(2 beats)The black diamond, Derek.

Flint is down in the water again. His face distorted by the plastichood. They stand and watch for a moment.

1st V.P.It's true. They do turn blue.

DR. BARMEIERI told you he wouldn't break under physical torture. Take himout.

CALISTAI think not. Let Derek see we mean business.

CHAIRMAN.

(metallic)We have your ruthlessness quotient on file, Miss Griffen. Weneed no further proof. Take Mr. Flint out of the trough.

The VOICE OF THE CHAIRMAN has issued from a speaker grille, high onone wall of the laboratory. When he speaks, they all go stock deadstill with fear. And when he says frog, they jump! The Blacksuitpulls Flint up, dripping. Calista undoes the hood, and Flint gaspsfor breath, drawing in huge lungfuls. When he can speak, the firstthing he says is: FLINTWho is the Chairman of the Board?

They register shock.

CALISTA.

(to Barmeier)I thought you said he wouldn't be able to integrate what wewere saying while he was under the drugs?

DR. BARMEIER.

(fascinated)A most remarkable man. Even I underestimated him. Now I know Ihave an adversary worthy of my genius.

1st V.P.You'll never learn the answer to that question, Flint. Why,we've never even seen him...he's...

CALISTAShut up! You 're only the Vice President, you idiot, not thehead of Public Relations!

Suddenly the VOICE OF THE CHAIRMAN erupts in the lab again.

CHAIRMANNonetheless, I can second what the Vice President said. I ambeyond your reach, Mr. Flint.

(to Calista)All right. Get on with it.

The Blacksuit drags Flint erect, and off the table. He is unsteadyfrom the drugs. Barmeier approaches with jet-hypo.

DR. BARMEIERLet me give him a booster shot of the hallucinogens. Hisstrength is amazing.

He gives a fast hissing shpritz and they manhandle Flint through adoor that opens at their approach. It is pitch-dark on the otherside.

DR. BARMEIER (CONT'D)Now we separate him from his own ident.i.ty, weaken his resolve,snap his spirit...plumb his libido and suck out his id.

(beat)In moments he'll be begging to give us the diamond.

The Blacksuit roughly shoves Flint through the doorway, alone, andthe door snaps back into place as we SMASH-CUT TO:.

40 INT. MIRROR ROOM ON FLINT.

as lights suddenly flare and Flint finds himself in a room that ismirrors. All mirrors. Walls, ceiling, floor.

41 ANOTHER ANGLE ON FLINT.

as he turns and turns. He stares into one mirror and CAMERA ZOOMS INto show us his reflection without a face! CAMERA PULLS BACK andFlint looks into another mirror. CAMERA ZOOMS IN AGAIN and againanother reflection without a face. No matter where he turns, none ofthe reflections have faces.

42 WHIP-PANS.

around and around as Flint tries to find an image with his face init. There are none. Then, as if he were going mad, he begins flailing at the mirrors, all of this SHOT IN WILD FRENETIC SWEEPS.He lashes out, throwing himself around the room. This goes on and onin a torrent of impotent violence till finally Flint smashes one ofthe mirrors, only to find...

Mirrors behind the mirrors! And still, no face, no Flint, noident.i.ty.

He begins to scream in a madman's voice, throwing himself at onemirror after another, until finally he grabs a long shard of gla.s.sand seems about to slash his wrists with it when the sliding doorcrashes open and the Blacksuit runs in, the others behind him, andslugs Flint, taking the shard of gla.s.s away from him. The Blacksuitdrags Flint to his feet as CAMERA COMES IN SMOOTHLY ON FLINT'S FACEand he smiles a winsome smile.

FLINT(innocent)Do I really strike you as the suicide type?

43 ON CALISTA.

furious at being duped by Flint. He was faking the madness.

CALISTATake him!

And Flint is bullied ahead of them as we

HARD CUT TO :.

44 THE WHITE ROOM-ON FLINT.

as he is hurled through the sliding door that closes behind him. Heturns and finds himself in a room of solid, unbroken white. Blazingwhite walls, ceiling, floor, no windows, no doors, nothing but thewhiteness. He blinks, heels into his eyes, the white is dazzling.CAMERA IN CLOSE on Flint's eyes as he blinks twice, dropping filtersover his eyeb.a.l.l.s. His eyes go three shades darker.

Suddenly the VOICE of the CHAIRMAN, sepulchral, metallic, buthypnotic, emerges from the wall. Flint looks but cannot find asource: the sound comes from all around him.

CHAIRMANYou are no one, you have always been no one, you will alwaysbe no one...you have no name, no place, no face, you arenothing...nothing...nothing...

It goes on and on in this vein, hypnotic, beguiling, and a grayspiral begins to pulse in one of the walls. Going around and around,drawing Flint's attention, holding him like a cobra with a mongoose.Around and around while that voice intones...over and over...you arenothing!

45 FLINT.

as he feels the hypnotic state overtaking him. Suddenly he shakes.h.i.+s head, gets a beatific look on his face, and slowly sinks to the floor, falling instantly into a karmatic lotus position, handsfolded sedately. He closes his eyes and immediately goes into a yogatrance.

CUT TO:.

46 INT. LABORATORY.

ON CALISTA & BARMEIER as she consults her wrist watch.

CALISTAThat's two hours in the white room. Time enough?

Barmeier nods, and they go to another sliding door in the lab. Thedoor slides open and they look through into the white room.

47 SHOOTING FROM DOORWAY-WHAT THEY SEE.

Flint, still quietly in his lotus position. The room has failed. Asthe door opens, he looks up. Smiles again.

FLINTSo soon? And I was just reaching the ninth plateau.

CUT TO:.

48 INT. ANTEROOM.

ON FLINT & CALISTA. Flint is in a chair, manacled. They areobviously waiting. Calista leans in to him.