Paradise Read online

  I'm sorry.

  SEBASTIAN

  It doesn't matter.

  HOPE

  Are you angry at me?

  Sebastian looks at her and sees she's upset.

  SEBASTIAN

  No, I'm not angry. I just worry. I can't let

  anything happen to you.

  Hope looks down at the fire.

  HOPE

  (low)

  Because I remind you of mama.

  Sebastian looks at her, almost hurt.

  SEBASTIAN

  No. Because I love you.

  Hope smiles.

  Sebastian puts his arm around her and holds her close. Hope rests her head on his shoulder.

  HOPE

  I don't remember what she looks like

  anymore. She was pretty wasn't she?

  SEBASTIAN

  She was beautiful.

  HOPE

  Do I look like her?

  SEBASTIAN

  More and more every day.

  Hope smiles again. Sebastian kisses the top of her head.

  SEBASTIAN (CONT'D)

  Get some sleep. We have to be up early

  tomorrow.

  Hope nods, closing her eyes.

  HOPE

  (beat)

  Papa?

  SEBASTIAN

  Yes sweetheart.

  HOPE

  I love you too.

  CUT TO.

  EXT. LAKE - CLEARING - NIGHT

  The ripples settle. Sebastian lifts the cupped water in his hands and slowly drinks.

  He looks down at his reflection and touches his cheek. Wrinkles are visible around his eyes. His beard gray in places.

  (... Music plays..)

  Sebastian slowly turns around.

  The music gets louder, Chopin's Nocturne, B-flat minor, Op. 9 No. 1.

  He slowly looks down at his reflection again.

  Voices are now heard, casual chatter.

  Sebastian closes his eyes.

  CUT TO.

  INT. MUSEUM - MAIN FLOOR - NIGHT (FLASHBACK)

  A lavish party. Men and women smartly dressed, mingling and drinking champagne.

  Sebastian laughs, wearing a black tuxedo, two beautiful women beside him. He sips some champagne and looks aside, the man in front of him chatting away.

  Through the crowd he glimpses the back of a young woman.

  She's wearing a slim white dress, her hair straight and black.

  Alana (aged 19) stands alone, her blue eyes locked on Magritte's Castle on the Pyrenees.

  Sebastian stops beside her, cool and relaxed, both looking at the painting on the wall.

  SEBASTIAN (O.S)

  (beat)

  I don't get it.

  ALANA

  You're not supposed to. It's meant to show

  the dream state. The world in a different

  light, a new perspective. You recognize the

  pieces but not the whole. It's like

  experiencing childhood again. Everything

  is new.

  (smiles)

  I suppose it can makes a person feel young

  again.

  Sebastian grins and sips his champagne.

  SEBASTIAN

  That's one way of looking at it. Glad I

  bought it now.

  Alana looks at him and stops.

  SEBASTIAN (CONT'D)

  I take it you work here at the museum?

  ALANA

  (flustered)

  No I ah, I work in research.

  SEBASTIAN

  Oh yeah, which field?

  ALANA

  Bio, bio medicine.

  SEBASTIAN

  (smiles)

  Bio medicine? Thought all those guys had

  gray hair and white coats.

  Alana forces a smile and looks aside, quickly sipping her drink.

  ALANA

  I graduated early. Under a WilderCorp

  scholarship.

  SEBASTIAN

  Is that so, I hear those scholarships are

  quite hard to come by. You must be pretty

  special.

  Alana smiles again, flattered but also nervous.

  ALANA

  I'm not really.

  WOMAN (O.S)

  -Sebastian, there you are!

  A woman takes his arm.

  WOMAN (CONT'D)

  Where have you been hiding? I have

  someone who's just dying to speak with

  you.

  She pulls him away.

  SEBASTIAN

  (to Alana)

  I'm sorry I didn't get your name.

  Alana forces another smile.

  ALANA

  Alana.

  SEBASTIAN

  Alana, a pleasure meeting you.

  Alana politely nods.

  ALANA

  You too.

  Sebastian disappears into the crowds as he's led away.

  CUT TO.

  EXT. HILL - FOREST - DAY

  Hope and Sebastian slowly make their way downhill, Hope a short distance ahead.

  Sebastian balances against the trees, stopping himself from slipping.

  SEBASTIAN

  Stay close.

  HOPE (O.S)

  I will.

  He slowly looks around. The tree are thick, shadows everywhere.

  SEBASTIAN

  Let's take a break.

  Hope turns around, waiting for him to catch up.

  Sebastian drops next to a tree and takes out a coconut-container of water.

  SEBASTIAN (CONT'D)

  Thirsty?

  Hope shakes her head.

  Sebastian knocks back some water and wipes his mouth.

  He looks at her as she takes in their surroundings. Everything new and unfamiliar.

  Hope approaches some purple pear-like fruit and pauses.

  SEBASTIAN (CONT'D)

  Try some.

  HOPE

  Is it safe?

  SEBASTIAN

  Go ahead, we used to eat them.

  Hope hesitates then picks one off the branch. She analyzes the fruit closely then takes a cautious bite.

  HOPE

  (slowly chewing)

  It's different.

  SEBASTIAN

  Good different or bad different?

  She looks down at the fruit.

  HOPE

  Just different.

  Sebastian smiles.

  Hope takes another bite and continues to look around, a curious expression on her face...

  ALANA (O.S)

  “It's fascinating.”

  CUT TO.

  INT. PRIVATE STUDY - NIGHT (FLASHBACK)

  Monitor: Alana stands in an observation room, a curious expression on her face.

  Sebastian leans forward.

  Monitor: two researchers are behind her, making notes.

  RESEARCHER #1 (O.S)

  “It hits fast. He was stable just five hours

  ago.”

  The lights in Sebastian's study are dim. He sits alone by a large desk, a glass of bourbon in hand.

  RESEARCHER #2 (O.S)

  “How long was he out?”

  RESEARCHER #1 (O.S)

  “Just under a month. Perfect stasis.”

  Sebastian sips his drink and zooms in.

  Alana's dressed in plain white lab clothes, her long hair tied back. There's a low “thump” off-screen, someone or something falling over.

  RESEARCHER #2 (O.S)

  “He's a goner.”

  RESEARCHER #1 (O.S)

  “Get the T-61.”

  ALANA

  “Wait.”

  RESEARCHER #2 (O.S)

  “He's not gonna make it.”

  Alana cocks her head, preoccupied.

  ALANA

  “I know.”

  Monitor: a white haired ape crawls on the floor. He looks like he's over a hundred years old.

  ALANA (O.S) (CONT'D)

  “I wanna know how long this one lasts.” />
  The ape vomits blood, unable to stand.

  “Click”, the image freezes.

  Sebastian opens a profile.

  NAME: ALANA ELIN

  AGE: 19

  GENDER: FEMALE

  PARTNER / SPOUSE: NONE

  SEXUAL ORIENTATION: HETEROSEXUAL

  He cycles down a long list of academic achievements (ending on “WilderCorp Graduate Scholarship - HDS R&D”) and continues to read.

  BIOLOGICAL MOTHER: UNKNOWN

  BIOLOGICAL FATHER: UNKNOWN

  DATE OF BIRTH: REGISTERED 07/03/76

  LOCATION OF BIRTH: UNKNOWN

  He slowly leans back in his chair.

  On the monitor we see another photo of Alana, aged 11. She's looking straight at the camera. Her face blank.

  HOPE (O.S)

  What is it?

  CUT TO.

  EXT. CAMP - FOREST - EVENING

  Sebastian comes about. Hope is sitting opposite.

  SEBASTIAN

  Nothing, I was just...

  (forces a smile)

  Just thinking.

  Hope nods and returns to her dinner.

  Sebastian sits up and looks down at the fire.

  DISSOLVE TO.

  EXT. CAMP - FOREST - NIGHT

  Moonlight cuts down from between the branches. Several bat-like creatures are up in the trees, one turns its head a full 360.

  Hope rolls over in her sleep.

  Sebastian is sat up against a tree, still staring at the fire.

  A “thunderclap” is heard...

  CUT TO.

  EXT. HIGH STREET - CITY - CLOUDY DAY (FLASHBACK)

  Heavy rain pounds the pavement. Men and woman hurry by, some carrying umbrellas. Alana crosses the street, covering herself with a folder. She stops outside a small cafe and quickly wipes rainwater from the folder.

  Across the street the wheel of a limousine rolls to a stop.

  INT. CAFE

  Alana eats a sandwich by the window, going through her papers.

  SEBASTIAN (O.S)

  Thought I recognized you.

  Alana looks up.

  ALANA

  (surprised)

  Mr Wilder?

  Sebastian smiles.

  SEBASTIAN

  Please, call me Sebastian, “Mr Wilder”

  was my old man.

  Alana politely nods.

  Sebastian looks to the seat opposite.

  SEBASTIAN (CONT'D)

  May I?

  ALANA

  Yeah, of course.

  SEBASTIAN

  (sitting down)

  I was visiting the university.

  (to waitress)

  Coffee please.

  (to Alana, smiling)

  Saw you passing by.

  Alana nods, trying to appear relaxed.

  ALANA

  Well it's... a pleasure meeting you again.

  Sebastian smiles and looks around. The tiny cafe is clearly not his scene.

  SEBASTIAN

  This is nice... Very, cosy

  ALANA

  It's all right. It's quiet, but I like quiet.

  Hard enough to concentrate in the lab.

  Sebastian notices the folder on the table. He turns his head and reads some of the text.

  SEBASTIAN

  “HDS”?

  (smiles)

  Sounds like an disease.

  Alana smiles back.

  ALANA

  High Duration Stasis.

  SEBASTIAN

  “High Duration Stasis”?

  Alana nods, drinking some of her tea.

  ALANA

  It's what I'm working on, well what

  “we're” working on.

  SEBASTIAN

  Interesting... so what's “High Duration

  Stasis”?

  Alana smiles again, loosening up.

  ALANA

  I figured you'd know, you're funding it.

  The waitress sets down a coffee.

  SEBASTIAN

  Thank you.

  (to Alana)

  WilderCorp might be funding it, I'm just

  the face and name. Which probably makes

  me the world's most over glorified and

  under qualified PR guy.

  ALANA

  (laughs)

  That's quite a shame. What else would you

  rather do in life?

  SEBASTIAN

  Oh I don't know... Maybe something in the

  art scene. People tell me I'm quite the

  expert.

  Alana laughs, shaking her head.

  ALANA

  Is that a fact?

  Sebastian grins, sipping his coffee.

  SEBASTIAN

  So what do the ISO think of all this? I'm

  guessing this kind of technology is being

  developed for Solar travel, right?

  Alana nods.

  ALANA

  That right.

  SEBASTIAN

  No interest?

  Alana shakes her head, disappointed.

  ALANA

  They think it's a waste of time.

  She flips several pages.

  ALANA (CONT'D)

  That's what happens when people can only

  see what isn't working rather than what

  can.

  SEBASTIAN

  What isn't working?

  Alana taps the folder and forces a smile.

  ALANA

  Nothing that time can't fix.

  Sebastian looks aside and considers a moment.

  SEBASTIAN

  (beat)

  What if I double your grant.

  ALANA

  Sorry?

  SEBASTIAN

  In fact triple it.

  ALANA

  (surprised)

  Why would you do that?

  Sebastian smiles.

  SEBASTIAN

  I don't believe in wasting time.

  He stirs some sugar into his coffee.

  SEBASTIAN (CONT'D)

  Or an opportunity.

  Alana draws back.

  SEBASTIAN (O.S) (CONT'D)

  How about we meet up sometime. What's

  your schedule looking like for this

  weekend?

  Alana looks out the window. Two black suited bodyguards are waiting by the limo.

  She looks back at Sebastian and lowers her eyes, feeling uncomfortable.

  ALANA

  Mr Wilder that's very generous, but I

  don't want to give you the wrong

  impression.

  SEBASTIAN

  (smiles)

  Wrong impression?

  ALANA

  (nervous)

  I'm not like that.

  SEBASTIAN

  (laughs)

  Like what?

  Alana looks at her watch and quickly closes her folder.

  ALANA

  I'm sorry I gotta go.

  She gets up.

  SEBASTIAN

  (confused)

  Did I say something wrong?

  ALANA

  (forcing a smile)

  -It was very nice seeing you again.

  She swipes her pay-card and hurries out. Sebastian watches her go, confused.

  CUT TO.

  INT. CAMP - FOREST - NIGHT

  Sebastian's eyes open. The fire is out.

  He turns his head.

  Hope is still asleep.

  He rubs his face and gathers some firewood when a branch “snaps” nearby.

  He slowly looks up.

  A short distance away a black shape is creeping forward. We see two glowing red eyes.

  Another branch “snaps”. Hope wakes. She sees the black shape and jumps up, startled.

  HOPE

  Papa?

  Sebastian grabs his spear and holds it ready.

  SEBASTIAN

  Stay behind me.

  The black shape circles the two, slowly.

  SEBASTIAN (CONT'D) />
  Get in the tree. Get to the top.