Lex, Sebastian, Miller, ALBRECHT (a scientist)and two teams *
of SCIENTISTS and ROUGHNECKS are assembled in the briefing *
area surrounded by different pieces ofTHERMAL DIGGING
EQUIPMENT. Standing beside the equipment is QUINN,a muscular
Texan. Three other Weyland employees stand next toMax: *
SABRINA JAMISON (mid 20's, sexy, smart, tough and toned); *
VINCENZO (Italian, bodybuilder-type); and CONNORS (bearded *
outdoorsman who looks like a chiseled version of the
Unabomber) • *
Standing between TWO OF QUINN'S ROUGHNECKS, Miller is dwarfed *
in height and size. He offers Quinn his camera to take his *
picture. *
AVP Dra:ft September26,2003 12.
1"7• CONTINUED: 17.
MILLER *
Would you mind? *
QUINN *
You're kiddingme? *
Miller jumps inside the cab of one of Quinn's large drilling *
machines. He begins to press buttons like a kid. *
QUINN (CONT'D) *
Get offmy equipment *
Miller looks at him. Lex approaches. In a bid to impress *
Lex, Miller foolishly doesn't back down. *
QUINN (CONT'D) *
(flat) * Get off or you' 11 be wearing your * ass for a hat. *
Miller quickly moves. *
MILLER *
My mistake. *
QUINN *
(to Max) *
Keep the beakers away from my gear. *
MILLER *
(whispering to Lex) *
What's a beaker? *
~x *
(whispering back)' *
·It's what they call scientists out *
here. You know ••• beaker? Like in *
the Muppet Show. *
MILLER *
Beaker •••!like that. *
Max looks around the room to make sure everyone is here. *
MAX *
Everybody, please, your attention. *
The room falls quiet. *
MAX (CONT'D) *
Mr. Weyland.
{CONTINUED)
12. ·
AvP Draft September26,2003 13.
CONTINUED: (2) 17.
A MAN emerges from the shadows behind Max -CHARLES BISHOP *
WEYLAND. Weyland, in his forties, looksmore like a big game *
hunter than the billionaire that he is . *
An ASSISTANT hands A FILE FOLDER to everyone in the room as *
Weyland nods to Max to fire up a digital projector, *
illuminating a large square of the peeling metal wall behind *
Weyland. ~
WEYLAND
Three weeks ago one of my * satellites was hunting for mineral * deposits using thermal photography * when a sudden heat bloom beneath * the earth outlined this • . • *
An image comes up on the wall behind Weyland. We've seen it *
before. A PATTERN OF INTERLOCKING SQUARE SHAPES.An intense *
ripple of excitement spreads through the room. *
WEYLAND (CONT' D) *
The red lines indicate solid walls. * My experts tellme it's a pyramid. * What they ~an't agree on is who *· built it and when. *
MILLER *
What caused the heat bloom? *
WEYLAND *
We don't know. *
Sebastian flipsthrough the photographs in his file. *
WEYLAND (CONT' D) *
(snaps slide) * one expert tells me that this looks * like the skull-adorned,double- * staircase of the Aztecs. * (snaps slide) * Another tells me that this * resembles the five towers unicunx * of Cambodian temples. * (snaps slide) * But everyone agrees that the smooth * side extends to five hundred feet, * exactly like the Egyptian pyramids. *
Sebastian steps closer to the wall,examining the pictures *
closely and comparing them with the pictures in his file. *
AvP Draft September 26,2003 14.
CONTINUED: ( 3) 17.
SEBASTIAN *
I think your experts are right. *
WEYLAND *
Which one? *
SEBASTIAN *
All of them. This pyramid contains *
the features of all three cultures. *
WEYLAND *
There is no proof of any connection *
between these cultures. *
SEBASTIAN *
Until these photos. *
(to theroom) *
The Egyptians, the Cambodians and *
the Aztecs all built pyramids. *
Three separate cultures that lived *
thousands of miles apartwith no *
communicationbet~een them yet what *
they built was almostidentica~. *
LEX *
Meaningwhat exactly? *
SEBASTIAN *
This might be the first pyramid *
ever built. *
MILLER *
Built by whom? *
SE.BASTIAN *
By the first civilization. *
Sebastian looks around theroom, barely able to contain his *
excitement. *
SEBASTIAN (CONT'D} *
The master culture from which all * others are derived. *
Everyone in the room is stunned. *
MILLER *
Why would anyone build a pyramid in *
Antarctica? *
(CONTJ:NUED)
AvP Ora.ft September26,2003 15.
CONTINUED: (4) 17.
SEBASTIAN *
Ancient maps show Antarctica free
of ice. It's likely that the
continent was once habitable.
WEYLAND *
Let's assume you're right and that
the pyramid does contain features
from all three. If it could be the
first, it could also be the last.
An amalgamation of all of the
pyramids that came before it.
MILLER
(interjecting)
Um ... I can't tell you who builtit
but if I could take a sample from
it I could tell you how old it is.
MAX
Within how many years,Professor? *
MILLER
Actually, it's Doctor. And I'll
give you the exact year.
WEYLAND
Well Doctor Miller,I'm offering to
put you right next to this thing.
LEX *
Where exact~yon the ice is this?
WEYLAND
Bouvetoya Island.But it's not on
the ice. It'stwo thousand feet
under it.
(a beat}
Mr. Quinn.
QUINN
You're looking at thebast drillers
in the world. We'11 chew through
two thousand feet of ice in seven
days.
LEX
And add three weekson top of that
to train everyone here.
AvP Draft September26,2003 16.
CONTINUED: (5) 17.
WEYLAND *
We don't have that kind of time, *
Ms. Kline. I'm not the only one *
with a satellite over Antarctica. *
Others will be here soon. *
~x *
Maybe I wasn't clear. No one in *
this room is ready for this trip. *
WEYLAND *
That's why Iasked you here. *
LEX *
Bouvetoya is one of the most *
isolated islands in the world. The *
nearest land isa thousand miles *
away. There's no help if we get in *
trouble. *
WEYLAND *
(looking around) *
I think I speak for everyone in *
this room -- *
(points to amazing imagery of *
pyramid) *
This is worth the risk. *
Lex looks around as a CHORUSOF EXCITEMENT is heard. Their *
minds are made up. She turns to Weyland. *
LEX *
Find another guide. *
And she walks out. *
17A. SCENE 17A,HAS BEEN DELETED. 17A.
NB. THERE ISNO SCENE NUMBER 17B. NB.