face to face with an alien aboard his
spaceship.
KRISTIN
Alien, as in extraterrestrial?
ALEC
Yes. He took me into space for what
seemed like less than five minutes. After
that, he gave me this box and said it was
a gift for the future. I came back to the
house and that's when I saw you looking
at me through the window.
KRISTIN
I must admit, that's quite a story, even
for you. You honestly believe that you've
only been gone a half hour?
ALEC
I'm telling you this just happened. I
must have experienced time dilation. It's
the only explanation. Look at me. Do I
look three and a half years older to you?
KRISTIN
No, actually. In fact it was the first
thing I noticed when I saw you.
ALEC
I'm just as baffled as you, baby.
Whatever this thing is, it must be pretty
important.
Kristin picks up the Neutrino Drive. Examines it more closely.
She looks at Alec through the hole in its center.
KRISTIN
It's nothing but a block of metal with a
hole in it.
ALEC
He also gave me a data crystal. It'll
probably explain what it is.
Kristin starts to cry.
ALEC (CONT’D)
The last few years must have been hell
for you. I'm so sorry you had to go
through that.
KRISTIN
I had to file a missing persons report.
And then OLD MAN HUTCHINS' cattle started
disappearing. No one knew what to think.
They searched for your body for weeks.
ALEC
I've got to put this away.
Alec grabs the Neutrino Drive and moves into the bedroom.
INT. BEDROOM - ALEC'S HOUSE - NIGHT
Alec puts the Neutrino Drive in the closet.
Kristin is standing in the doorway.
ALEC
I can understand why you thought I left
you when they didn't find my body.
Kristin moves off. Then quickly returns.
She reaches inside Alec's robe, and then draws the elastic band of his briefs outward.
KRISTIN
It looks like I'm the one who found your
body.
ALEC
That's really creepy, Kristin.
She gently tucks the spider plant leaf into his briefs while flashing him a forgiving look.
Her eyes grow wide as she pulls two leaves out.
She immediately notices the cigarette burn on the second leaf.
KRISTIN
What's this?
ALEC
It's from the night of the party.
Remember?
KRISTIN
I can't even think right now. Please
Alec, don't ever leave me again.
ALEC
I never left you baby.
They kiss passionately and then drop onto the bed.
INT. GARAGE - ALEC'S HOUSE - DAY
Alec and Jeremy are studying a series of images on a computer.
The images are laid out like the panels in a comic book.
They show the Neutrino Drive being attached to a small vessel.
Several equations accompany the images.
JEREMY
Propulsion seems to be its only function.
It's an engine.
ALEC
That's what I thought. What are those
dots in the corner?
JEREMY
I'm pretty sure that's the constellation
Eridanus, and the highlighted star is 58
Eridani. It looks like this thing is pre-
programmed to go there once it's
activated.
ALEC
Seriously?
JEREMY
The instructions are pretty
straightforward. Attach this thing to an
airtight vessel, line it up on the
highlighted star, activate it, and bam,
you're off.
ALEC
Off to another star. Sure, no problem. I
was thinking about taking an interstellar
road trip anyway.
JEREMY
If I understand this correctly, you'll
accelerate to over ninety nine percent
the speed of light almost instantly.
ALEC
Wouldn't that kind of acceleration crush
me instantly?
JEREMY
The engine emits some kind of energy
field that cancels out the g-forces.
ALEC
What would I use for a ship?
JEREMY
I think a one man submersible would work.
You know, a SOLO SUBMARINE.
ALEC
Are you sure you understand all this
correctly?
JEREMY
Pretty sure, yeah.
ALEC
I wonder how much a solo submarine costs?
Alec opens a web browser, and then searches for solo submarine.
MONTAGE:
Alec and Jeremy compare various subs on the computer.
A sleek, ten foot long sub is delivered into Alec's garage.
Alec stocks it with food, water, and a change of clothes.
Jeremy and Kristin paint galaxies and planets on its hull.
Steve attaches a bracket to the side of the sub.
Alec secures the Neutrino Drive onto the bracket.
Jeremy covertly switches the alien data crystal with a crystal from his pocket.
INT. GARAGE - NIGHT
Alec, Kristin, Steve, and Jeremy are present.
STEVE
Do you really think this thing will fly?
ALEC
I think the engine will fly. Whether it
tears out of the bracket and sends my sub
hurtling into field is another matter.
STEVE
I doubled the torque requirement. It'll
hold.
JEREMY
Let's get this thing into the yard. We've
got clear skies and 58 Eridani is above
the horizon.
EXT. BACKYARD - NIGHT
Alec, Steve, and Jeremy drag the sub into the yard.
They rest it upright on a wooden ramp.
Kristin looks at it with amusement.
Alec retrieves the data crystal from the garage.
He tosses the crystal into the sub, and then lines up the Neutrino Drive's hole on 58 Eridani.
Steve pops off a small plate from a corner of the Drive with a squeeze of his thumb and index finger. A pull tab is revealed beneath it.
ALEC
Don't pull the activation tab until I
knock on the side three times.
STEVE
Don't worry, Alec. I'm just as nervous
about pulling the freakin' thing.
ALEC
Are you sure you don't want to come
along, Kristin?
KRISTIN
No thanks.
Alec kisses her passionately, then climbs into the sub.
He seals the hatch.
Kristin is giggling.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.
Steve yanks out the tab.
The sub shoots into the sky.
Kristin is horrified.
INT. AIRCAR - DAWN
Steve struggles with the joystick.
Jeremy is in the passenger seat.
They're flying just a few feet above a cornfield.
The speedometer reads 80 mph.
Jeremy covertly produces a pill from his pocket and swallows it.
JEREMY
Kristin was pretty freaked out when the
sub disappeared. We talked until four in
the morning before she finally fell
asleep. I hope she's okay.
Steve is oblivious to Jeremy's concern for Kristin.
He retrieves a notebook from between the seats.
STEVE
Alec gave me permission to publish the
journal he kept since the encounter. I
can probably make some money with it.
Steve begins pulling the vehicle into long sweeps, clipping corn and accelerating to 100 mph.