FATHOMS
(alt. title: ‘TOMORROW’)
BRENT SALTZMAN
5-6-2004
1 EXT. DEEP UNDERWATER—DAY
All we can see is DARK BLUE, with large, black forms, ROCKS. A DIVER (JAMES) swims along what seems like a small underwater canyon. James in dressed in a red scuba suit, with a large plastic mask and a microphone hooked up.
We hear a VOICE (DR. DAVID CONNORS) over James’ radio in his mask.
DAVID
How’re we doing down there, James?
James ADJUST his mask and grabs hold of a rock formation.
JAMES
Um, were fine, were fine. Hey is it just me or is it getting hot down here?
2 EXT. DAVID’S BOAT—WATER’S SURFACE—SAME TIME
The SUN is shining as DR. DAVID CONNORS sits at an onboard DESK. The BOAT is large, like a charter boat, with a top level and large platform-like deck. On the platform is a desk with several video monitors and different wires protruding out the back.
David is not too old, but not too young, more middle-aged, with brown parted hair and a slightly rugged face. He is dressed in a blue-collared shirt and beige khakis.
He STANDS up from the desk and types on a white KEYBOARD.
FOCUS ON:
ONE MONITOR shows a BAR GRAPH.
FOCUS ON:
One graph is about three inches high and a greenish-orange color. A small number next to the bar reads 68º.
David presses a button on a SMALL microphone laying on the desk. He speaks into it.
DAVID
No, just a few degrees above normal. It’s a hot day, the sun’ll warm up the water a bit.
3 EXT. DEEP UNDERWATER
James responds.
JAMES
Just checking.
4 EXT. DAVID’S BOAT
Connors walks off screen.
FOCUS ON:
The BAR on the graph showing 68º rises by a PIXEL. The number changes to 72º. SUDDENLY, the bar rises again and the number changes to 74º. The temperature begins to rise even faster.
Connors walks back over to the monitor.
He looks at the rising thermometer and hits the screen, thinking it has to be a mistake.
DAVID
What the…?
The bar is turning a bright red and the number reads 118º and continues to rise.
David SLAMS down on the microphone button and yells into the receiver.
DAVID
James, surface, now!
He releases the button and listens to nothing but STATIC whisper over the speaker.
He presses the button again and yells back into the microphone.
DAVID
James! James can you hear me? James!
We hear a SPLASH off screen.
David RUNS over to the edge of the deck and looks down into the water,
FOCUS ON:
The temperature on the monitor reads 223º.
DAVID’S P.O.V.
The water is BUBBLING UP in a small space about ten feet from the boat.
We hear ANOTHER SPLASH.
David looks over to see another circle of bubbling water.
Then another, and ANOTHER.
PAN—WIDE SHOT
5 EXT. PACIFIC OCEAN
We see David’s boat sitting in the ocean. Surrounding it are hundreds of small bubbling circles, like boiling water.
Stretching for farther than we can see, THOUSANDS of circles of boiling water can be seen.
We hear DAVID.
DAVID
(to himself)
My god.
CUT TO:
6 EXT. LOS ANGELES STREETS—DAY
The L.A. streets are bustling with people. Tourists wearing Hawaiian shirts and khaki shorts walk around snapping pictures. The HOLLYWOOD SIGN casts a shadow upon the green hill. Venders stand in front of concession stands and souvenir carts wildly shouting at tourists trying to sell their goods.
Los Angeles is truly the city of angels.
7 EXT./INT. MARIO’S PIZZA—DAY
On one side of the many streets is a small PIZZA SHOP on the bottom of a TALL BUILDING, with a cartoon chef painted on the large glass window.
The inside is small, a few tables to sit down, and a large counter top for ordering.
There is hardly any business today.
An OLDER MAN (MARIO) stands behind the counter. He is wearing a plain white shirt and apron. He watches a SMALL TELEVISION hanging from the ceiling in one corner.
FOCUS ON:
The TELEVISION shows a basketball game involving the LOS ANGELES LAKERS.
A YOUNG MAN (JOHN) comes running out from the kitchen, which can be seen behind the counter, as a cluttered array of ovens and racks.
John is wearing the same getup as Mario, only he is younger, with brown thick hair.
He too looks up at the screen.
JOHN
(referring to Lakers)
How they doin’?
MARIO
How’re they always doin’? The next time the Lakers lose, give me a call.
John laughs, then takes off his apron and throws it on a rack. He puts a red polo shirt over his flour-stained white t-shirt.
JOHN
Hey, Mario, you owe me a paycheck.
Mario grunts, then walks behind the cash register and opens it.
MARIO
(as he counts money)
You’ve worked here for five years, since you were eleven. You never worried about getting paid before, why the change all the sudden?
JOHN
Well, me and my older brother, as soon as I graduate were catchin’ a train to Manhattan, you know, start our own business or somethin’.
MARIO
Kid, you live in Los Angeles, what would make you wanna leave?
JOHN
Well, Heather came back.
Mario hands him a handful of folded bills. John pockets them.
MARIO
Your sister, I thought she walked out on you guys?
JOHN
She did, and now, after eleven months of not callin’ or writin’ and never comin’ to visit, she comes back ‘cause she got in a fight with her mom. Now her and her friends come over and act like they own the place. My room gets raided, my money goes missing, and my dad loves it. You see, he wanted a daughter when Chris was born, and was disappointed again when I was came along. So ten years ago when he got Heather, she’s royalty and me and Chris are two homeless guys moochin’ off him.
MARIO
(sighs)
I’ve known your father for a long time, kid. I know he aint the easiest man to talk to.
He sighs and reaches back into the cash register, he pulls out a slip of bills and hands them to John.
MARIO
Put that in your stash.
John smiles.
He pockets the money and heads towards the door.
JOHN
Thank-you, sir. Hey, I’ll see you in the mornin’.
Mario POINTS at him.
MARIO
First thing.
JOHN
Gotcha!
John exits the small pizza shop, we hear a LITTLE BELL which hangs above the door.
FOCUS ON:
Mario LAUGHS.
8 INT. COURTHOUSE CORRIDOR—DAY
TITLE: WASHINGTON D.C.
The CORRIDOR of the courthouse bustles with scurrying men in business suits and carrying briefcases. The corridor itself is labeled with marbled floors, intricate wooden walls, and beautifully crafted doors leading to the different rooms. SECURITY GUARDS walk around with black pants and blue shirts, there badges glimmering.
DAVID CONNORS walks down on one side of the corridor, a WOMAN (ROSE) walks next to him. He is dressed in a blue suit with deep red tie. ROSE wears a woman’s business suit.
They both STOP in front of a door. They face each other.
DAVID
I wish there were no such thing as second thoughts.
ROSE
Yeah, well, within these walls the only thing you don’t have seconds in is chances.
DAVID
Rose, what if I’m wrong?
ROSE
David, what if you’re right?
David NODS in silent agreement.
9 INT. BOARDROOM—COURT HOUSE
The boardroom is about mid-sized, with a large circular table. MEN sit around the table, of different ethnicities and all wearing beautifully crafted business suits. There is a small FLAG in front of each man, the flag depicts which country they represent.
A PODIUM stands along the circle.
A small MAN dressed in a business suit walks up to the podium and addresses the EMBASSADORS.
MAN
Okay, ladies and gentlemen, next on the agenda is the president’s science advisor Mr. David Connors, who also serves as an ocean geologist and just got back from a trip to the coast of Yokohama.
The man looks over at David, who SITS patiently in a corner of the room in a chair.
MAN
Dr. Connors?
The man steps down from the podium.
David gets up from his seat and walks over to it.
The ambassadors APPLAUD.
David sighs and SPEAKS.
DAVID
Thank you, for lending me your time, it truly is, an honor, to speak before the representatives of various ambassadors.
(a beat)
Um, as was mentioned earlier, I just recently returned from the Yokohama coastline. I was approximately-
He abruptly STOPS mid-sentence.
The lights in the boardroom GO OUT and a PROJECTION of a map of the globe appears on the back wall of the boardroom. Heads turn in the room to look at the map.
David produces a LASER POINTER.
FOCUS ON:
A small RED DOT of the laser pointer appears to be encircling an area of the Pacific near Japan.
DAVID
I was just about here. 200 miles from the coast of Yokohama. It was there, that me and my assistant, Mr. James Parker, God rest his soul, discovered a large string of underwater volcanoes.
Chatter starts to fill the room as ambassadors start to talk about. One GERMAN AMBASSADOR raises his hand as the room goes silent.
GERMAN AMBASSADOR
(with accent)
Dr. Connors, we are not all scientific scholars here, but isn’t this a common occurrence?
DAVID
Not like this-
David is interrupted mid-speech by the AMERICAN AMBASSADOR.
AMERICAN AMBASSADOR
What makes these occurrences so important, Dr. Connors?
David stops for a second, staring at the map. He points the laser pointer at the Philippines, and then drags it slowly up to the northern tip of Japan.
DAVID
We are looking at an 800 mile of volcanoes ready to erupt and possibly the shape of our planet. The magma flow and the hardening by the water will form a continent running from the Philippines to Japan, that is, if they’re still around.
The room ERUPTS in chatter, like reporters at a press conference. One AMBASSADOR stands up, his face evident of confusion.
AMBASSADOR
Dr. Connors, I don’t understand. How do you know that these volcanoes are active?
DAVID
Not only are they active, but they are ready to erupt.
Now the room really EXPLODES. The faces of some ambassadors look angry, others frustrated, some looking confused. The American Ambassador doesn’t seem too effected.
He speaks as the crowd goes SILENT.
AMERICAN AMBASSADOR
What evidence do you have to suggest that these volcanoes are ready to erupt?
All heads turn towards Connors.
He speaks softly.
DAVID
During my excursion to the Yokohama coastline, my assistant James decided to take a seismic reading underwater.
(a beat)
He never came back up.
(another beat)
While he was down there, the water temperature rose from 68º to nearly 500º, and who knows what it’s risen to now.
Those volcanoes are ready to go off, and when they do, that’ll be the least of our problems.
RANDOM AMBASSADOR
I am confused.
DAVID
When these volcanoes erupt, we will undoubtedly have a new continent on our hands. And when that happens…
David WALKS OFF the podium. He travel over to the projection of the global map and sways his hand over the area between the Philippines and Japan.
DAVID
We are looking at water displacement on a global scale.
RANDOM AMBASSADOR
What does that mean, Dr. Connors?
David closes his eyes, when he reopens them, he slightly slams his fist on the waters between the Philippines and Japan, then swipes his hand across the map until it reaches the west coast of the United States.
DAVID
All that water that is now over there, will come over here.
(silence)
We are looking at a new world here. When this thing’s through, the west coast of the United States will cease to exist.
The crowd erupts in chatter and arguing. Some are questioning. An ISRAELI AMBASSADOR stands up and speaks in an angry Israeli accent as he slams his balled fist on his desk.
ISRAELI AMBASSADOR
Dr. Connors, it is an embarrassment to us that you bring this science fiction into this room.
The American ambassador remains sitting; he speaks calmly, but seems slightly annoyed.
AMERICAN AMBASSADOR
Did you go to the press with this, Dr. Connors?
DAVID
No, I-
AMERICAN AMBASSADOR
(interrupts)
Good. You are to remain that way or will be punished under full extent of the law.
FOCUS ON:
David looks down in disappointment as the boardroom attendees begin to chat nearly endlessly.
FADE TO:
BLACK
10 EXT. PACIFIC OCEAN—NIGHT--RAINING
Out in the Pacific, near Japan, a large CARGO SHIP cuts gently through the calm waters. The RAIN beats down heavily upon the deck, which is loaded with large metal crates. A CRANE sits upon the end of the deck.
11 INT. ENGINE ROOM—CARGO SHIP
The engine room is bustling with JAPANESE WORKERS walking around with undershirts on and jeans, all sweating profusely. The engine room is large, with several catwalks and consoles surrounding titanic-sized humming engines. The engines are encased in large metal fames, we cannot see the actually mechanics of the pendulums and such.
FOCUS ON: a THERMOMETER along one wall rises slowly, but can be seen.
FOCUS ON: A WORKER on a platform takes his shirt off, the heat in the room is evident.
The workers YELL at each other in Japanese.
WORKERS
(in Japanese)
damn, it’s hot.
One worker wipes the sweat off his forehead and walks over to a railing. He leans on it and we immediately hear a SIZZLE. The worker JUMPS and looks at the metal railing.
ABRUPTLY, all over the room, we hear SIZZLING as steam begins to vent from several workers’ shoes. It is a hellish scene, as workers SCREAM with the coming heat, as there shoes begin to MELT, and several consoles EXPLODE.
FOCUS ON: The THERMOMETER breaks as the mercury splashes out.
12 PACIFIC OCEAN—NIGHT—RAINING
The water around the cargo ship BUBBLES and boils all around.
FOCUS ON: The WORKER sitting in the crane’s cabin looks down at the scene.
He speaks to himself.
CRANE WORKER
(to self)
(in Japanese)
What the hell?
Suddenly, we hear a loud WHOOPING ALARM SOUND, like an emergency alarm.
In drones, workers come running out of the ship and onto the deck.
FOCUS ON: One worker GRABS the railing of the deck.
We hear a loud SIZZLE as the worker SCREAMS and looks down at his hands as he draws them back quickly.
FOCUS ON: His hands look like they had just been struck with a hot iron, they are black as some cracks glow with a bright orange.
We hear a loud SCREECH as the bough of the ship obviously begins to dip down into the water.
The crane worker jumps out, but the ship JOLTS and he falls into the boiling water below. Steam BELLOWS quickly as his screams from striking the water diminish after a few instances.
13 INT. BRIDGE—CARGO SHIP INT. BRIDGE—CARGO SHIP
The BRIDGE is large, with a wall of glass allowing all inside to see the entire span of the deck. Consoles and sonar can be seen surrounding the room, men in uniform scurry about in a panicky fashion.
The CAPTAIN can be seen wearing a heavy jacket with a captain’s hat and badge on his breast. His eyes WIDEN as he looks out the windows.
POV—CAPTAIN
We can see the water, churning with white, climbing up the bough as the ship continues to slowly dip down into the water. The neck of the crane can barely be seen over the surface.