THE IMPERFECTION, PART 8
INT. TUNNELS UNDER SADLER’S BUILDING - DAY
Charlie presses the buzzer. A woman’s voice answers. Its Susan/ boss lady again.
SUSAN
Hello?
AMBER
Hi there, we’re patients of Dr Sadler’s and we’ve been looking for him, he seems to be, uh, missing?
SUSAN
(pause)
You guys had better come inside.
AMBER
Legs, you coming?
LEGS
Oh definitely. I want to SEE this.
INT. SADLER INSTITUTE FOR HUMAN RESEARCH - CONTINUOUS
A door lock buzzes, Amber, Charlie and Legs walk through. The eerie drone of the tunnels is gone, instead New Age muzak plays softly in the background. We hear the footsteps of expensive heels.
SUSAN
Amber, Charlie. I see you brought a friend.
AMBER
Ms Carlisle? What are you-
CHARLIE
(at the same time)
Susan? Is that you--
CHARLIE
Wait, you know her?
AMBER
Yeah, she’s my boss.
CHARLIE
Oh great. She’s my boss too.
AMBER
Ms Carlisle, how are you not freaked out by Legs, here? Did you know that they are giant half-spider half-human centaur things living in the tunnels?
SUSAN
Sure, we know about them. They’re harmless, mostly. Look, I understand this must be a bit confusing.
AMBER
No shit, Susan. What are you doing here? And what is this place? There’s a fancy medical institute hidden 12 stories below Sadler’s office? With fish? Look at the size of that fucking fish tank! I don’t know much about fish, but those look fucking EXPENSIVE. WHO PAYS FOR THE FISH, SUSAN?!!!
SUSAN
I don’t know how you found this place. Lord knows we tried our best to keep it hidden. I’m guessing it has something to do with Marcello?
CHARLIE
You know about Marcello?
LEGS
Who’s Marcello?
SUSAN
He used to be a patient of Sadler’s. He’s very disturbed. Well, that’s not a great word. He’s very confused.
CHARLIE
Not a lot better.
SUSAN
He’s a pain in my ass, is what he is. But, whatever, now that you’re here I guess its time you heard the truth.
CHARLIE
Yeah, I think that’s probably right, Susan.
SUSAN
Come with me. Hey stop that.
AMBER
Legs, did you eat the fish?
LEGS
(mouth full)
Sorry.
They start walking. Slither pitter pat, too.
SUSAN
Oh, I don’t think he should come.
AMBER
He’s with me, got it?
CHARLIE
Yeah, he’s with us.
SUSAN
Alright. Alright, come on.
They walk down a corridor, its busy with people walking around and talking. Nobody seems more surprised by the Legs than they are by seeing Amber and Charlie. There’s some whispering and pointing for sure, though.
CHARLIE
Who are all these people? And why are they looking at us?
SUSAN
They work for the Sadler Institute. Amber? Amber! Stop! Stop it!
AMBER
Gimme that phone!!
Amber has taken the phone off a LAB WORKER passing by and smashed it to pieces on the floor.
CHARLIE
Amber, dude, its alright. Its ok. I got you. Take a breath. Breathe.
(to the Lab Worker)
Sorry about your phone. Its kind of a trigger for her.
SUSAN
Forget the phone. This way.
INT. SADLER INSTITUTE CONTROL ROOM - CONTINUOUS
You hear a card swipe and digital access blip as a door unlocks. They walk into what must be some kind of command center. Multiple people tapping at keyboards, audio information coming in from various sources.
CHARLIE
What the hell is this?
SUSAN
As you can see, we’ve been keeping pretty close tabs on you, on all of sadler’s patients. The condition you suffer from, these hallucinations, they’re... significant. More significant than you know. Treating the condition has ramifications for all of humanity.
CHARLIE
Are we lab rats, Susan?
SUSAN
No, no definitely not. More like... canaries in a coal mine. If we can’t fix you, we may lose everything.
AMBER
That sounds like total bullshit.
CHARLIE
One hundred.
Charlie walks a bit, absorbing what’s going on in the room.
CHARLIE
Hey, look at this! Each of these stations is following one of Sadler’s patients. That’s Pauline. Sue Ellen. Hamish. And...
He’s walking through the busy command center to a particular desk, where a SADLER INSTITUTE WORKER is sitting.
CHARLIE
...This one is me.
(to the worker)
Hi. I’m Charlie.
S.I. WORKER ENRIQUE
Uh, hello.
CHARLIE
What’s your name?
S.I. WORKER ENRIQUE
I’m Enrique.
CHARLIE
(Oozing sarcasm)
Great, great. Nice to meet you, Enrique. I see you have some really nice shots up here on your screens, all... fifteen of them. Let’s see- that’s my apartment... that’s my apartment, too. That one’s my bathroom! Wow you guys are thorough.
S.I. WORKER ENRIQUE
Its important that we capture every detail of your life. Even the most mundane act is a brilliant gem of possible understanding.
CHARLIE
Who talks like that?
S.I. WORKER ENRIQUE
That’s what Dr Sadler says.
AMBER
Yeah well he’s not here right now, and as far as I can tell your just a high-tech panty-thief who likes watching my boy do his business in the bathroom. Legs, eat him.
LEGS
Really? Can I?
CHARLIE
No!
SUSAN
No!
AMBER
Ok, Enrique, you get a pass today. But watch yourself.
Charlie turns to Susan.
CHARLIE
This is super fucked up, Susan. You can’t do this. That’s my life- my PRIVATE LIFE. And... There’s just not much to see!! WHY? Why are you watching us?
SUSAN
Dr Sadler will explain. Come on.
CHARLIE
That’s not good enough, I need some fucking answers- wait, what?
SUSAN
Let’s go talk to Dr Sadler.
CHARLIE
We can talk to him?
AMBER
The man is AWOL, Ms Carlisle! Él no está aquí!
SUSAN
Come on, through here.
AMBER
We’re not done, Enrique.
INT. SADLER INSTITUTE INNER SANCTUM - CONTINUOUS
SFX of a card swipe and digital access to a door that swooshes open. They exit the busy room and come into a quiet chamber.
SUSAN
Look, you can’t be in the same room with the Dr. He’s been sick, for a long time, and his immune system is severely compromised. He’s in a clean room on the other side of this glass...
She opens a shade, and addresses Sadler. His voice comes through speakers, piped in from the other side of the double paned glass in the clean room. SFX of hospital machines, heart rate monitor etc.
SUSAN
Dr Sadler? Are you up?
DR SADLER
Yes, Susan, I’m here.
SUSAN
Doctor, two of your patients are here, Amber and Charlie.
DR SADLER
Good, great, glad to hear it. Hi guys.
SUSAN
And also, a specimen, is here, with them.
DR SADLER
Oh. That’s probably confusing. Its unfortunate that you came to be aware.
AMBER
Dr Sadler, are you ok?
DR SADLER
Well, you know its not protocol for me to talk about myself, Amber. But I suppose we’ve kind of gone off the rails a bit, as far as usual decorum goes, huh? But no, I’m not well. I’m sick.
AMBER
Yeah, the twenty machines you’re plugged into kind of gave that way.
CHARLIE
Dr Sadler, there’s a lot we don’t understand right now...
DR SADLER
I know that, Charlie. I do. And I hate that this is how you’re discovering that, well, that there’s more to our work together than perhaps you were aware of.
(to Susan)
Susan, can you give us the room, please?
SUSAN
Are you sure, Doctor?
DR SADLER
I think its best.
SUSAN
Of course. Charlie, Amber, I’ll be right outside.
She leaves the room with a swoosh.
DR SADLER
When I found out you were coming, I suggested that we get the rest of the patients in here too. It only seems fair that they hear the situation first hand. But we can’t seem to find them right now. The Arena has interfered with our systems substantially. I have to say, though, I really like the way you guys have supported each other through... my absence.
CHARLIE
That’s great, Dr Sadler, but why didn’t you contact us? We would’ve have understood, and none of this would have happened. Everything would be... normal.
DR SADLER
You know we don’t like that word, Charlie.
AMBER
Look I’m all about positive languaging but for real, Dr Sadler!
DR SADLER
You’re right. We’re past that now. Like I said, I wanted to tell everyone at the same time. But that’s not realistic. Too many variables.
CHARLIE
Its not a math equation.
DR SADLER
To you its not. But to me there’s a statistical angle to this whole problem that can’t be ignored. And when Marcello and the Arena sabotaged us, and confined me, that threw a very delicate procedure off kilter. I don’t know if we can recover. But I need your help.
AMBER
Our help?! Are you fucking joking? Clarence is dead. We almost ran out of meds. All because you wouldn’t pick up the phone?
DR SADLER
Its not that simple! The Arena thought about all of that-- that’s why I haven’t been in contact, I have no line of communication with the outside world from in here. Of course I would’ve called, of course I would have phoned in prescriptions, if I could have I would have.
CHARLIE
Well I’m not very convinced, Dr Sadler. I just walked through a room with about a million dollars worth of surveillance equipment, so I’m pretty sure you could’ve sent an email! And goddamn it, we’ve been running around for two weeks looking for you! I have a life, you know! For a change. It was hard to get here, but goddamn man, it is a life! I have a job so I can pay my fucking bills, and... and take a girl on a date! I fought hard for that! I had a grip on reality, and all the crazy that follows me around, I could put in a bucket and sort through it for the insane, broken, unnecessary shit that it is!
A door opens, Susan comes back in.
SUSAN
There’s a situation developing.
DR SADLER
Charlie was just having a breakthrough.
SUSAN
Oh am I interrupting?
DR SADLER
Its ok. Go on, Charlie.
CHARLIE
Oh fuck you, Sadler. Just fuck you.
DR SADLER
I think the moment has passed. Susan, I’m aware of the situation.
AMBER
Can you please stop all the bullshit and tell us what is going on?
DR SADLER
Acute Dementia from Hypo Occular Cyclothymia. This is the condition that you have, that you all have, and we’ve talked about that, how it degrades your senses at the same time as it disrupts the pathways that we use to negotiate the difference between reality and non reality. Its so smart, its so clever, the way it unbuckles you from reality.
CHARLIE
Blah blah yes, we know this. It doesn’t explain what’s going on here, with all this.
DR SADLER
Right, right, I’m getting to that. What we didn’t tell you is that this disorder is not so rare, and its not a disorder. Technically speaking, its viral.
CHARLIE
Its a virus? Is it contagious?
DR SADLER
Worse than contagious, Charlie. Everyone is already infected. Every single human being on the planet already has the virus present in their amygdala, in their hippocampus, its already there.
SUSAN
When this was discovered, the CDC set up a task force, funded by multiple governments. Right now, the team is led by Dr Sadler. Our mandate is to find a cure.
DR SADLER
Or a mitigation, a way to keep the virus dormant. Because if this virus wakes up in the general population... can you imagine? Charlie, Amber? Can you even imagine the global breakdown that would ensue? Amber, how many phones have you smashed this year?
AMBER
Fourteen so far.
DR SADLER
So just imagine: multiply those disruptions, those misunderstandings and confusion by the entire population of the planet, and what are you left with? The utter and complete disintegration of modern society.
SUSAN
I know it seems like a terrible invasion of your privacy, and that you’ve been lied to, and violated in ways that must have a terrible impact on you... but we are literally trying to save the world.
AMBER
Why couldn’t you tell us? We would’ve helped!
DR SADLER
Imagine if that information got out, Amber. If the whole population of the planet found out they were infected with a dormant virus that causes you to lose grip on reality... That’s almost as bad as having the virus become active.
CHARLIE
I can see that. Its crazy enough out there. But what about Legs here?
LEGS
Whoa I don’t have anything to do with this.
CHARLIE
I’m finding that hard to believe.
DR SADLER
We’ve known about this virus since the 50’s, the heart of the cold war. But we didn’t know what it was or how to handle it, or how to test for it. By the mid 90’s, when we were starting to understand genetics, some of my predecessors noticed that the weakest part of human DNA- the part most susceptible to the virus- was very strong in certain spiders.
AMBER
So Legs here is a government experiment?
CHARLIE
I could’ve told you that.
AMBER
Yeah now that I’m saying it out loud it seems pretty fucking obvious.
LEGS
Not to me. I’m just a guy, you know? Living my life, doing spider stuff. You know, totally normal.
AMBER
This is probably a pretty heavy moment for you, huh Legs?
LEGS
Well, yeah. Honestly I’m kind of pissed. My people have a whole history, a proud history! But I guess its all just a lie...
Legs is getting bummed out about being a leftover experiment.
CHARLIE
Aw, its ok buddy. Really, we’re lab rats too. And you know what, just because that’s where you came from...
AMBER
...that doesn’t mean that’s who you are.
LEGS
(quietly sobbing)
I can’t believe I’m just an experiment that didn’t work...
An alarm goes off in the background.
DR SADLER
Susan, we have a problem.
SUSAN
I’m on it. Stay here, guys, I’ll be right back.
She leaves, we hear the card swipe and door lock.
DR SADLER
Early on in the trials, as we discovered the virus and how it was manifesting, we had a few more patients than we have now. One of them discovered how closely they were being monitored and reacted... well, they didn’t like it.
CHARLIE
No shit.
AMBER
The Arena.
DR SADLER
Exactly. One patient in particular, he couldn’t be consoled, he couldn’t get his head around the idea that we had a mission that was bigger than him. So he broke away from the study, and brought a few of the other patients with them. Mind you, these are sick people, with a tenuous grasp on reality, so... We didn’t think they posed much of a threat.
AMBER
Well that’s a little condescending.
CHARLIE
Ok so you have a few sick patients who think you guys have done them wrong, and they want to help us, the other patients, get free of the trial, the study, whatever you call it.
DR SADLER
Right. But when they broke off, we didn’t know yet how dangerous, how pervasive this virus is. Which means they don’t know, either. So they’ve been coming for us, trying to expose us and shut us down. But that’s because they think is this just some big Pharma experiment or human trial or something. Which sounds nefarious and terrible- if it was even a little bit true, I’d be on their side! But they don’t understand what’s really at stake! If they succeed, then the whole planet may pay the price.
SFX of gunshots outside the door, screams and general mayhem. The door bleeps and unlocks and Susan comes back in.
SUSAN
Shut the door! Help me goddamn it!
LEGS
I got it.
There’s noises as Legs helps her shut the door.
AMBER
Susan, you’re bleeding! Have you been shot?
SUSAN
Its nothing, don’t worry about it. Dr Sadler, we need to move. Are you uploading the data?
DR SADLER
Yes, we’re 80% there. We began the recovery protocol as soon as there was a breech.
A voice comes over the speakers in room.
MARCELLO
Charlie? Amber? Guys, its Marcello. I know you’re in there.
INT. TUNNELS UNDER SADLER'S BUILDING - SAME TIME
Hamish and Pauline are following the tunnels from in back of the Chinese restaurant.
PAULINE
These tunnels are filthy! Doesn’t anyone tidy up down here?
HAMISH
Doesn’t look like they’ve been used much.
PAULINE
Well, I see footprints in the dust- look.
HAMISH
Oh, yeah. Look at that. Good eye, Pauline. Stan Smiths, I’d know that sole pattern anywhwere!
PAULINE
So there’s either another tennis pro down here, or there’s a hipster somewhere up ahead.
HAMISH
Wow. You’re like Sherlock Holmes, but hotter.
They keep walking, slowly, talking quietly.
PAULINE
I used to play tennis, you know. When I was a teenager. I was pretty good.
HAMISH
I never took you for jock.
PAULINE
Well, I don’t know about ‘jock. And, you know, it doesn’t really show anymore. But I do like to win.
HAMISH
Yeah you do.
PAULINE
Plus, look at these guns.
She’s pulling up her sleeves and showing her biceps (or so we infer).
HAMISH
Damn! Toned. You lift?
PAULINE
Pilates.
HAMISH
Ahh. Good workout.
PAULINE
And diet- you got to watch what you eat!
HAMISH
I’m on tennis courts 6 hours a day. You could literally replace my blood with corn syrup and I wouldn’t gain a pound.
There’s the sound of a man singing Bollywood jams coming from the distance.
PAULINE
(whispering)
Do you hear that?
HAMISH
Yeah. Up ahead.
PAULINE
Come on.
They creep ahead in the tunnel. The sound of the man singing gets a bit louder.
PAULINE
Excuse me- don’t run! I don’t mean scare you!
MAHMOUD
You! What are you doing down here?!
PAULINE
Mahmoud? From the Pharmacy? Is that you?
MAHMOUD
Oh god its you. You guys are really hell bent on ruining my life, aren’t you?
HAMISH
What are you talking about?
(to Pauline)
Do you know what he’s talking about?
MAHMOUD
Look, I tried to help you guys out, and now they’re after me! I have to hide down here!
PAULINE
Who’s after you?
MAHMOUD
The Arena! And those guys are hardcore man.
PAULINE
Don’t you have an apartment? Or friends you can stay with?
MAHMOUD
No! Of course not! I had a factory stall, where I kept some stuff, but if I go back there...
PAULINE
I’m sorry, but I really don’t understand- what did you do to try and help us? You were kind of an asshole.
MAHMOUD
Well, that’s because Charlie is just a dick.
HAMISH
Hey now- he’s nice guy. And he always smells good.
PAULINE
I’m with Hamish on this one, Mahmoud. Charlie’s a good person. A little tense, but whatever.
MAHMOUD
It was Marcello. Fucking guy. So convincing.
PAULINE
Marcello? The leader of the Arena?
MAHMOUD
Yeah, the Arena. Fuck. Why do I always fall for arrogant guys with issues?!
PAULINE
Tell me about it.
HAMISH
What kind of issues are you talking about?
MAHMOUD
Uh, he’s batshit. Like a hundred percent crazypants. But he’s charming, you know? He’s got that smile, and those eyebrows...
PAULINE
I’m a sucker for good eyebrows.
MAHMOUD
I know!!
HAMISH
I think we’re in hurry. We have to help our friends.
PAULINE
Hamish’s right, we don’t have a lot of time.
MAHMOUD
What are you doing down here, anyways?
PAULINE
Well, Charlie and Amber went in to the Inventor’s Basement.
MAHMOUD
Oh shit.
PAULINE
We don’t think they’re safe down there, and we need to get in.
MAHMOUD
Huh. Not a good idea.
PAULINE
What do you mean?
MAHMOUD
I mean the Arena are going in. They want to take out Sadler for good.
PAULINE
What?!
MAHMOUD
Marcello was using Charlie to get inside. Its the only way he can turn Sadler off!
HAMISH
What do you mean turn him off?
MAHMOUD
Kill him. Terminate. You get it.
PAULINE
Well that sounds bad on a ton of levels.
HAMISH
Pauline, its go time.
PAULINE
Mahmoud, we can’t let Charlie and Amber get caught in the crossfire here!. I KNOW there’s a way into the Inventor’s Basement from here, and you’re going to show us. Let’s go.
MAHMOUD
There’s a way in, I’m sure there is, but I don’t know what it is. This is where they sent to the drugs from, to the pharmacy. Sometimes I’d meet them at the Chinese restaurant to pick up.
PAULINE
You were getting our meds directly from Sadler?
MAHMOUD
Yeah! That’s why when Marcello contacted me, I slipped in placebos for the new meds. To get you guys off that shit!
HAMISH
Wait. What?
MAHMOUD
Marcello told me Sadler was using the drugs to keep you guys crazy, so you’d be easier to control.
PAULINE
Fuck me.
HAMISH
Let’s move, Pauline.
PAULINE
Mahmoud, you’re coming with us.
MAHMOUD
The fuck I am. You guys are on your own. I’m staying away from you- you’re bad for my long term plans, man. I have goals.
PAULINE
Fuck you. Hamish, let’s go.
HAMISH
Mahmoud, one day you’re going to look back at this moment and you’ll know, truly deeply know, that you’re a spineless bottom feeding piece of shit.
MAHMOUD
Ok great- you enjoy being a sanctimonious prick for the 18 minutes of your life you have left before those Arena guys shoot you in the face.
HAMISH
You know what, Mahmoud? Your sneakers are stupid.
They walk off, further down the tunnel.
INT. SADLER INSTITUTE INNER SANCTUM - SAME TIME
A voice comes over the speakers in room.
MARCELLO
Charlie? Amber? Guys, its Marcello. I know you’re in there.
CHARLIE
Oh shit.
LEGS
Who’s Marcello?
SUSAN
He’s the leader of the Arena.
CHARLIE
He’s the line cook from Red Lobster.
LEGS
Can he get me some more fish?
AMBER
Susan, you’re really bleeding dude! How are you still standing? Here sit down.
SUSAN
I’m fine, really. It doesn’t even hurt. Dr Sadler, we need to initiate exfiltration procedures.
AMBER
What are you, fucking Seal Team Six?
DR SADLER
The upload is complete, Susan. I’ll meet you at the rendezvous. You’re good to go.
SUSAN
Sounds good.
SFX of a body falling to the floor.
AMBER
Susan? Susan?! Shit, guys, I think she’s dead!
Charlie comes over, inspects the body.
CHARLIE
Shit. No pulse. She is, she’s dead.
AMBER
Did she just die on command?!
SFX squawk from the PA.
MARCELLO
Guys! Guys!! Listen up. We’re outside, but the room is locked down. We can’t get in unless you let us in. But you need to know- what Sadler’s telling you isn’t the truth. It may seem rational, it may seem like the pieces fit- but I swear to you, he has another agenda entirely.
DR SADLER
Don’t listen to him. I can get you out of here. We can get the study back on track and maybe, just maybe, we can save the world!
AMBER
Doctor, you’ve been good to us. Well, I think you have, its pretty hard to say right now. But for the most part you’ve been solid.
DR SADLER
Thanks, Amber.
AMBER
Cool, cool. But right now, we’re in the crossfire of some kind of big pharma corporate gang war, and I’m not down, man! I don’t know what you were doing with the hidden cameras and the facial recognition hoo ha and all that shit, but we 1 have pressing, immediate concerns. Like getting the fuck out of here.
CHARLIE
She’s right, Doc. We can figure out the truth later, but right now...
MARCELLO
There’s no later, Charlie. You have to make a choice right now. Who do you believe is on your side? Sadler, the man, who’s been lying to you, drugging you, telling you you’re crazy for years? Or us, who guided you towards the truth? Open the door the Charlie.
AMBER
Door. Door door door. Wait a fucking second.
LEGS
What? What is it?
AMBER
Dr Sadler, how did you get in that room?
DR SADLER
What do you mean?
AMBER
I mean I’m looking through this glass window at you, right? Hi! That’s me I’m waiving.
She taps on the glass.
DR SADLER
Hi?
CHARLIE
But there’s no door. You’re lying on a bed in a hospital room with no door.
DR SADLER
(lying)
There’s a door. You just can’t see it.
CHARLIE
No, no we can see the whole room except for the wall that has the window, which means if there was a door on it, it would lead to this room!
AMBER
All I do all goddamn day is sit and watch a door, Dr Sadler. I know doors. I’m like the worlds leading motherfucking authority on all things door-related. Legs, you got spidey-senses or whatever. Is there a room over there?
LEGS
Nope.
AMBER
Legs, hand me...
She looks around for a second.
AMBER
Hand me Susan’s phone right there.
LEGS
Here you go.
AMBER
Charlie, stand back bro.
CHARLIE
Do it.
There’s a crashing sound as Amber smashes the window with Susan’s phone.
AMBER
Well fuck me.
CHARLIE
(awe-struck)
It wasn’t a window, it was a screen! A tv screen! It looked like he was in the next room, but it was just...
MARCELLO
It was just more tricks. More lies. I knew you could see through that bullshit. I knew you could.
DR SADLER
(over the PA speakers)
I’m sorry I can’t be there with you, Amber, Charlie. Its just... not possible right now. I thought if you could see me, it might help you put your trust in me, in the Institue. I hoped it might help you make the right choice.
CHARLIE
Trust is something we value, Sadler. I think we value trust more than we value our sanity.
MARCELLO
Sadler hasn’t told you the truth, not once, not for one fucking second. And we can fight back. We know how. We have a plan. And you can help the Arena take the Institute down for good!
CHARLIE
Amber, I’m not much of a team sports kind of guy.
AMBER
Yeah, me neither.
LEGS
What are sports?
CHARLIE
Don’t worry about it. Oh man, are you peeing?
LEGS
No! No, I’m not peeing. I’m sending a message to my family.
CHARLIE
What kind of message?
LEGS
It means: hey I’m in danger, and I could really use a hand.
AMBER
That’s cool. I wish I could pee and do and that.
LEGS
Its not pee, man! Come on.
MARCELLO
Guys. Open up. Let’s talk.
CHARLIE
Well, is there another way out of this room?
AMBER
I don’t see any thing.
CHARLIE
Legs?
LEGS
Well, I smell something from this wall over here. But, its solid. And there’s a lot of those Arena guys out there. Like, a LOT.
AMBER
So we’re fucked?
CHARLIE
Totally.