Siren 1x01 - Pilot
Siren 1x01 - Pilot
Siren 1x01 - Pilot
"Pilot"
Written by
Eric Wald
Story by
03.02.2016
TEASER
ON THE BRIDGE
CAPT. SEAN
Crank the nets! Everything up.
ON THE DECK
The winches drag in the trawl net. The men pull a massive
haul of FISH. They’re led by first mate XANDER McCLURE, 24,
bearded, son of the Captain. If he wasn’t working his dad’s
fishing boat, he might make a pretty good offensive lineman
for the Huskies. Tons of cod spill onto the hold.
ON THE BRIDGE
Sean wrestles with the wheel. Through the wipers, he can see
a commotion on the deck. Xander lumbers in, pushes back his
hood. He shouts.
XANDER
Dad! There’s something we caught, I
don’t know what it is. It got
Chris, he’s messed up bad.
CAPT. SEAN
Shark?
XANDER
That thing’s no shark.
ON THE DECK
CREWMAN
What the hell--?
IN THE GALLEY
The men carry Chris inside. They clear space and lay him
down. Open up his survival suit. A nasty gash, soaked with
blood. The boat creaks and moans as it pushes through the
violent sea.
CREW MEMBER #1
He’s lost a lot of blood.
CAPT. SEAN
Tamp it down. Get your fingers in
there good and tight.
The Captain looks at Chris’ young face. His eyes loll and
close, passing out from the pain and blood loss.
3.
CAPT. SEAN
Hang in there, son, think of your
family, gonna call in evac. We’re
gonna get you out of here.
CALVIN
What is that thing, Cap?
Sean shakes his head and ducks out through the door.
ON THE BRIDGE
Sean gets on his radio. The wipers sweep back and forth.
There are snapshots of Sean’s family taped to the window.
CAPT. SEAN
(into radio)
This is Captain Sean McClure of The
North Star, vessel #534221.
Position 57 25 North, 176 33 West,
with a bearing of 228 degrees. We
have a crew member in need of
immediate medical evacuation. Over.
CAPT. SEAN
(into radio)
A bite to the abdomen. Severe blood
loss. Over.
CAPT. SEAN
(beat, into radio)
Something I’ve never seen before.
CAPT. SEAN
(into radio)
Altering course to 126 degrees, 12
knots. Confirm rendez-vous. Over.
At the edge of the storm, calmer seas, but still in the midst
of an inky dark ocean. The fishing trawler powers through the
night. An eery banging inside the hull.
And then, suddenly, it stops. All is quiet but for the sound
of Chris wheezing in his bunk.
CALVIN
What is that?
The men walk onto the deck, drawn by the enchanting sounds.
Captain Sean joins them. They head to the fish hold, standing
over it, mesmerized. Xander reaches down toward the lock.
CAPT. SEAN
Xander, no.
Before Xander can open it, a BLINDING LIGHT cuts down from
above, a building ROAR of turbine engines. The men look up.
NAVY SEALS drop like spiders onto the deck. At least half a
dozen of them. They’re armed.
DECKER
Let’s see what you caught tonight,
Captain.
CAPT. SEAN
What I caught is none of your
business. You came for my injured
crewman.
5.
DECKER
Of course, where are my manners?
We’ll be needing him as well.
One of the Crewmen has carried Chris onto the deck. Decker
nods to two NAVY SEALS who quickly attend to him. They put an
oxygen mask over his mouth.
DECKER
Now then, Captain.
CAPT. SEAN
I’m entitled to my catch. That’s
the law.
DECKER
I’m sorry, Captain, but at this
moment, I am the law.
CAPT. SEAN
Hey!
Two Seals train their weapons on him. Decker peers into the
hold. What he sees has a great impact on him. Decker signals
a Navy Seal, who loads a TRANQUILIZER cartridge into a rifle.
He takes aim. POP!
CAPT. SEAN
That’s my goddamn catch! That
belongs to me!
DECKER
You’ve done a fine job, Captain.
We’ll take it from here.
END OF TEASER
7.
ACT ONE
The local high school MARCHING BAND plays down main street.
It’s a parade. But not just any parade.
COLLEGE GIRL
What is all this stuff?
HELEN
Real artifacts. Not the nonsense in
that ridiculous parade. You could
spend a little money, if you like.
The Girls don’t know what to make of it. Their FRIENDS, also
dressed in silly mermaid gear, stumble up with drinks.
FRIEND
Hey, y’all, look what we found--
Mergaritas! Woo-hoo!
8.
The Girls take their drinks and head off. Helen can only roll
her eyes as she watches them leave.
NARRATOR
It was more than a hundred and
fifty years ago, that local fishing
captain, Charles H. Pownall fell in
love with a mermaid in these very
waters, enchanted by her beautiful
siren song.
NARRATOR
They spent every day together.
YOUNG MERMAID
I love you, fisherman.
YOUNG CHARLES
I love you, mermaid.
NARRATOR
But one day, he went out in the
bay, and his mermaid was gone. He
pined for his lost siren, going to
the same rock overlooking the
water, hoping to see her again. But
she was gone, back to her home in
the sea, never to return.
NARRATOR
And that is how, thanks to Charles
H. Pownall, Bristol Cove became the
Mermaid Capital of the World.
9.
TED
Thank you, and thank you to the
fifth graders in Ms. Salazar’s
class at Seaview Elementary for
that charming performance. That’s
my great-great-great grandfather
depicted up there, so as you can
see, our family goes back a long
ways in Bristol Cove. And that is
why, in the shadow of the cannery
built by my father, it is my honor
that I present to you the latest
Pownall family venture.
TED
This has been a passion project for
our entire family, so please allow
me to introduce my beautiful wife
Elaine, and our two wonderful sons,
Doug and Ben.
TED
It seems, uh, Ben got caught in the
parade traffic, but I assure you,
he is here in spirit.
TED
To all the good people of Bristol
Cove, and the thousands who visit
us each year, it’s our great
pleasure to welcome you to the
brand new, Charles H. Pownall Park!
PHOTOGRAPHER
Ted, can we get a shot of you and
your family?
TED
Where the hell is Ben?
Jerry helps the diver on board. He takes off his tanks and
mask, and we get our first glimpse at marine biologist BEN
POWNALL, 25, as he peels off his wetsuit. He’s handsome even
with saltwater dripping all over him.
JERRY
How’s the crabbin’, boss?
BEN
Perfect day for it.
JERRY
Yeah, not sure your dad’s gonna
agree with that, yo.
BEN
Add it to the list of things we
don’t agree on.
BEN
I had to come out today, we’re so
close to finishing this grid.
JERRY
Yeah, totally. I hear that. Grid’s
gotta be finished. Crabs gotta be
counted, or whatever, right?
BEN
Dude, these guys right here,
they’re ground zero, the
scavengers, once they go, and
according to our research their
numbers are dwindling, the whole
food chain implodes. We’re already
seeing entire populations of top
level predators migrating to new
hunting grounds.
JERRY
Whoa. Crabbageddon.
BEN
Full on.
BEN
Maddie didn’t come up yet?
JERRY
Not yet. Is that bad?
JERRY
Uh, I don’t think there’s enough
air in there for you, man--
Too late, Ben plunges back into the water and begins a
frenzied descent.
Using a dive KNIFE, he cuts the fin off, freeing it from the
rocks, then puts an arm around the Diver and makes the
arduous swim upward.
JERRY
You got a crazy set of lungs, bro.
Jerry helps them onboard. They rip off the diver’s mask to
reveal a young woman, research assistant MADDIE BISHOP (24).
She’s breathing and alive.
BEN
You okay?
Maddie rips off the cut scuba fin and throws it down.
MADDIE
No, I’m not okay. Total stupid
rookie mistake.
BEN
We made it, you’re all right,
that’s all that matters.
MADDIE
(angry)
I should have known better than to
traverse that rock fall down there.
BEN
Hey, Maddie, we’re good.
He gently strokes the back of her neck. They sit there, face
to face, adrenaline pumping, saltwater dripping. Maddie leans
in and kisses him. It’s passionate, deep, sexy.
MADDIE
You realize you’re never gonna be
able to top that?
BEN
What do you mean?
MADDIE
You did a crash dive through a kelp
forest, slashed my fin, performed a
controlled rescue ascent with no
air, and somehow didn’t go hypoxic.
BEN
Jump in there with some sharks next
time and I’ll see what I can do.
13.
JERRY
Sharks. Awesome.
Ben and Maddie carry the crab tanks up the dock. They load
them into a pickup truck.
BEN
I’ll take these back to the lab.
MADDIE
Twelve degrees celsius.
BEN
Straight seawater on mild
filtration.
MADDIE
I love it when you talk salination
levels.
She gives him a sexy kiss, grabs his ass. Ben grins.
BEN
You wanna come over later? I could
show you my tide log.
MADDIE
I can’t. I told my dad I’d make him
dinner.
BEN
Maddie, you can’t always--
MADDIE
The man can’t cook ramen. I’m
serious. It’s disturbing.
The kitchen door opens, and Will enters. He’s a proud Haida
man who walks like he carries a weight on his shoulders.
MADDIE
Hey, Dad, good day at the office?
WILL
Oh, let’s see, some tourists had
their car broken into, stole two
mermaid sculptures outta the trunk.
And the bench outside Melanie’s
shop got tagged with graffiti.
MADDIE
Sounds like another busy day of
crime in Bristol Cove.
She brings the stew to the table and serves it in bowls. They
both sit down and join hands.
WILL
Creator, for the food, and for You,
we thank you.
WILL
And for Susan, may she find peace
on her journey and within herself
and find her way back home.
MADDIE
It’s been eight months since we’ve
heard from her, might be time to
start dropping her from the
blessings.
WILL
I believe your mother is being
guided.
MADDIE
She’s gone, Dad. And no Haida
spirit voodoo is gonna bring her
back. It’s okay. We’re better off
without her. You’re forgetting what
it was like when she was here.
Will eats a clam from the stew. Maddie regards him, upset.
15.
OWNER
Bear, knock it off!
The dog won’t stop. It senses something out there in the dark
and quiet water. And perhaps we glimpse a shape slither
across the surface at the far end of the harbor.
BEN
Hey, Valerie, a Widmer when you get
the chance.
BARMAID
You got it, honey.
XANDER
Hey, man, I’ve been looking for
you.
BEN
I thought you guys were going out
past Bowers Ridge? You’re back
early.
XANDER
Yeah, I, uh, need to talk to you
about something. Come here.
CALVIN
We said we keep this between us,
don’t tell anybody.
16.
XANDER
Ben knows about this stuff, he can
help us. He’s one of us.
ANOTHER CREWMAN
He wasn’t on the boat. He doesn’t
fish with us no more.
XANDER
We caught something out there,
something we’ve never seen before.
It attacked Chris, he was airlifted
out. Big ass military commando
helicopter.
OTHER CREWMAN
Navy Seals, the whole deal.
CALVIN
The CG says they have no record of
the evac. Like it never happened.
XANDER
Chris is just gone.
BEN
And you don’t know what attacked
him?
BEN
A mermaid?
OTHER CREWMAN
Only it didn’t look like that, it
was a predator.
CAPT. SEAN
It’s worth a fortune. It’s the holy
grail. And it belongs to me.
BEN
Okay, this was a good one. Very
well done. Maybe they’ll let you in
the parade next year.
CALVIN
I told you.
XANDER
Dude, this is real. Why else would
they take it away from us? Look--
BEN
Xander, man, seriously, this could
be anything.
BEN
I don’t know what you caught, but
trust me, it’s not what you think
it is.
ARMY GENERAL
Son of a gun. All these years,
Agent Decker, chasing after every
nut job who ever dropped a line in
the water, claiming they pulled up
some alien sea monster from down
below.
DECKER
We followed the signs. First those
Japanese fishermen reported seeing a
strange sea creature off the Kuril
Islands, then those dolphin carcasses
with the odd bite marks that washed
ashore in Alaska, and finally the
NOAA research vessel that picked up
strange frequencies coming from
points in the Bering Strait. We knew
something was out there.
ARMY GENERAL
Why now?
DECKER
Your guess is as good as mine.
Something’s forced them closer to
the surface, we don’t know what it
is.
ARMY GENERAL
Is it sleeping?
19.
DECKER
She’s been in a dormant state since
the tranquilizers wore off.
ARMY GENERAL
It attacked one of the fishermen
who caught it?
DECKER
He’s still in critical condition,
we have him confined, she did quite
a lot of damage.
ARMY GENERAL
Not exactly The Little Mermaid, is
it?
ARMY GENERAL
What the hell was that?
DECKER
Sonar.
DECKER
We think it might be some sort of
distress call.
ARMY GENERAL
We’re buried a hundred feet in the
ground, in a bunker with five foot
thick concrete walls, it ain’t
gonna do a whole lot of good.
DECKER
You’re missing the point, General.
She’s trying to signal others of
her kind.
(faces General, giddy)
If there’s one, there’s more.
ACT TWO
MADDIE
I feel like we’re being watched.
BEN
Are you having a flashback to high
school?
MADDIE
Yeah, like how much it sucked being
the weird punk rock Haida girl.
BEN
I wouldn’t know, since I was pretty
much Mr. Golden Boy.
MADDIE
We never would have dated back
then.
BEN
No. I wasn’t nearly evolved enough.
BEN
You know what I’d do most days
after school? I’d come here and
free dive out past the break. I’d
close my eyes, and just let the
water surround me.
MADDIE
Sounds delightful.
BEN
It was the one place I couldn’t
hear my parents fighting. My own
private world. It was perfect.
21.
MADDIE
Until Pownall Seafood buys up every
last fish left in the ocean.
BEN
Yeah. But hey, he built a new park
for the town, so who cares what he
does to the ocean?
MADDIE
Well, I think it’s awesome you’re
standing up to him.
MADDIE
Someone’s gotta stick up for the
fishies.
Ben puffs out his cheeks, makes a funny fish face. Maddie
cracks up. They kiss like young lovers.
MADDIE
What’s up with Xander?
BEN
I better go talk to him.
BEN
Hey, how’s it going?
BEN
Come on, you’re not really pissed
at me, are you?
XANDER
I shouldn’t have told you. I
shoulda known better.
BEN
Think about what you’re asking me
to believe.
22.
XANDER
I get it, you weren’t there. You
don’t come out on the boat with us
anymore.
BEN
What you’re talking about... it’s
mythology.
XANDER
So you’re saying you know
everything there is to know?
BEN
No, of course not.
XANDER
Then look me in the eyes and tell
me it’s possible.
BEN
Xander--
XANDER
Just do it.
BEN
Okay, sure, ninety-five percent of
the oceans remain unexplored.
XANDER
So it could happen.
BEN
Xander, man, I love you, you know
that. And as your friend, I’m
tellin’ you, you gotta stop talking
like this.
XANDER
What’s it gonna take, huh, for you
to believe me?
BEN
I’d need to see one.
23.
XANDER
Yeah, that’s it, that’s exactly
right. We gotta catch another one.
SISTER
Lucas, get back here! It’s not safe
out there.
And then, once it’s nearly upon him, we see the open jaws of
a MAKO SHARK.
KID
Shark! Shark!
Others swim over to help. They pull him to the shore. The boy
is panicked. A crowd gathers at the water’s edge.
GUY #1
Look.
GIRL #1
That’s like the most disgusting
thing ever.
GIRL #2
It’s so freaky.
GUY #1
What did it?
GUY #2
Probably a killer whale, they hunt
sharks.
Ben kneels down beside the shark head. Maddie is next to him.
BEN
You up for a late night autopsy?
MADDIE
Thought you’d never ask.
BEN
This damage was not inflicted by an
orca. The bite radius is too small.
MADDIE
So what then?
BEN
Well, it’s not another shark.
MADDIE
Maybe some fishermen caught it,
their dogs got to it?
None of these theories adds up and Ben knows it. He lifts his
glasses and stares at the severed head, his mind racing. The
events of the past day and his friend Xander’s story weighing
on him.
MADDIE
What are you thinking?
25.
BEN
What if there’s a new predator out
there, one we haven’t seen before?
MADDIE
And it can rip the head clean off a
mako shark? Then I might have to
cancel my scuba trip next weekend.
23 OMITTED 23
Ben’s truck drives down the desolate road. On one side is the
rocky beach, on the other side is forest.
He gets out, sees the girl running away into the forest.
BEN
Hey, wait!
BEN
Are you okay?
BEN
Were you at the party? Where are
you from?
26.
BEN
Here, take my jacket.
But her legs can’t carry her far. She tumbles into a small
ravine, passed out. Ben climbs down to get her.
BEN
Sorry, it’s all I had.
27.
Her eyes dart about the room. She picks up a SHELL on the
side table, sniffs it.
BEN
Littleneck clam. From Malakh Bay.
BEN
You gonna say something?
BEN
I can help you. If you need to get
back somewhere.
Po looks deep into Ben’s eyes, sizing him up. She begins to
sing a SONG, the same ethereal melody we heard from the
mermaid in the opening scene on The North Star.
BEN
That, uh, must be the doctor, I
better go check.
DR. ABBOTT
Good evening, Benjamin. So how is
the naked overdosed damsel?
BEN
She’s inside. And kind of weird.
BEN
I don’t know where she went.
DR. ABBOTT
A slippery one, huh?
ACT THREE
BEN
Mom? What are you doing here? What
time is it?
ELAINE
Good morning, dear. Your father is
terribly angry with you.
BEN
Good morning to you, too.
ELAINE
You can step outside, Anthony.
The Aide exits. She waits until he’s gone. Then faces Ben.
ELAINE
I don’t give a rat’s ass that he’s
angry. A lot of things make him
angry. The fact that a woman who
can’t walk insists on buying six
hundred dollar shoes.
ELAINE
You know what he called me the
other day? Bitch on wheels.
BEN
That’s actually pretty funny.
ELAINE
I thought so, too. And you know why
it was okay? Because it was behind
closed doors.
30.
ELAINE
Family rule. Say whatever the hell
awful thing you want in private,
but in public--
ELAINE
This is the face that keeps mommy
in her nice shoes.
BEN
I get it.
ELAINE
No, I don’t think you do. Because
if you did, you’d show up, you’d
flash that famous Pownall charm,
you wouldn’t leave your father up
on stage with his dick in his hand.
BEN
I’ll tell him I’m sorry.
ELAINE
A little late for that. I need this
family to keep working. I’m not
willing to suffer for nothing.
BEN
Okay.
Ben pulls a shirt over his head. His mother isn’t finished
just yet.
ELAINE
Doug tells me you’ve been hot and
heavy with Maddie Bishop.
BEN
Yeah, Mom. We’re dating. Remember?
ELAINE
You’ve always had a thing for the
wild girls.
31.
The dead rat is flung from the boat. Po emerges, wiping her
mouth clean. She shivers in the chill morning air. Over the
fence, she sees some clothes hanging on a line.
HELEN
Come inside, have a look. The only
real artifacts in town. Maybe buy
something while you’re--
Po’s presence gives Helen pause. The two women stare at each
other. Po cocks her head, sensing something.
A BLARE OF HORNS as the pickup cuts off another car. Ben hops
out of his truck. The other DRIVER curses at him.
DRIVER
Watch where you’re going!
BEN
Sorry!
BEN
Ms. Hubbell, there was a girl just
here.
HELEN
You saw her?
BEN
Yes, it looked like you were
talking to her.
HELEN
I didn’t see anyone.
The blonde mermaid left behind can only watch in horror. And
from her face--
NURSE
We have nobody by that name in our
system.
XANDER
And you’re sure you haven’t seen
him?
NURSE
No, sorry.
CALVIN
We’ve called every hospital in the
area, nobody knows where he is.
The Nurse shrugs. The Guys, dejected, start to head out. The
Nurse regards them, sympathetically.
NURSE
Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll find
him, he’s gotta be somewhere.
CHRIS
Water... Water.
The Nurse exits the room. She walks down a TOMB-LIKE CONCRETE
CORRIDOR, through a security level. Clearly this is no
ordinary hospital. She passes the now familiar research lab
that houses the mermaid. It’s all part of the same complex.
Then, the creature slowly OPENS HER EYES and looks straight
at him. It’s an oddly intimate moment between them.
Her lips begin moving, and ever so faintly, she emits the
ETHEREAL SIREN SONG. Their eyes are locked together as Decker
touches his fingers to the tank, entranced by her.
SCIENTIST
Heart rate and respiration have
been steadily decreasing over the
past eight hours. Core temperature
has gone down as well.
35.
DECKER
Are you not well? Are you sick?
Tell me what it is you need.
SCIENTIST
We ran some DNA analysis.
SCIENTIST
It’s very early stage, but there’s
some interesting data presented, an
abundance of glial cells in the
cerebral cortex--
DECKER
You’re the one in the white coat,
Doctor, not me.
SCIENTIST
Well, it would suggest a highly
advanced and adaptive mind, an
extraordinary ability to process
information and to learn quickly.
DECKER
(to mermaid, a crooked
smile)
I wouldn’t have expected anything
less of you.
SCIENTIST
Not only that, these glia also
contain a clustering of pattern
formation genes, neoblasts. We’ve
seen it in species that have the
ability to regenerate limbs, newts,
salamanders, though never in a
higher level vertebrate like this.
Not in this density.
DECKER
You’re saying she could grow new
tissue?
SCIENTIST
Yes, potentially.
36.
DECKER
The medical implications... her
DNA... helping the crippled walk
again... amputees growing new
limbs... giving sight to the blind.
(touches the tank)
You’re more special than we ever
imagined, aren’t you?
ACT FOUR
They both climax loudly. Ben rolls off her and collapses onto
the pillow. They’re breathing hard. Maddie looks over.
MADDIE
What got into you, tiger?
PO
I. Am. Po.
TODDLER
Hello, Po.
38.
MOTHER (O.S.)
Tyler?
We can hear his mother coming from the other room. Po swiftly
ducks out of the way.
MOTHER
Were you talking to someone?
TODDLER
I talk to Po.
The Guy lowers the hood of his car and notices Po standing
across from him. He wipes his greasy hands with a rag.
GUY
Hey, little miss, didn’t see you
there.
She’s staring at his hat. The Navy insignia. The same symbol
on the helicopter that took her sister away.
PO
I. Am. Po.
GUY
Not from around here, are you?
GUY
What’re you, like Russian or
something?
Her eyes remain fixed on the Navy hat. She points at it.
GUY
My hat?
GUY
Did a coupla tours. Can’t say we
liked the Russians much, but shit,
that ain’t your fault. If they all
looked pretty like you, mighta
liked ‘em better.
GUY
So you need a ride, huh?
(beat)
Okay. I’m headed down to Aberdeen.
How ‘bout you, little lady?
GUY
Not much of a talker, huh?
GUY
That’s okay. It’s still nice to
have company. Sometimes I’ll pick
up a hitcher, but it’s mostly
dudes, not a pretty thing like you.
GUY
Brought your toys with ya, eh?
The Impala pulls off the main road, onto a secluded dirt road
surrounded by forest. It rolls to a stop. The Guy gets out
and urinates in the bushes.
GUY
You’re like a little girl. A pretty
little girl who doesn’t know how to
talk.
GUY
Now I bet your momma told you not
to get in cars with strangers. But
you didn’t listen to her. A little
rebel, huh?
GUY
Your skin is dry, you oughta put
some cream on that, make it nice
and soft.
GUY
You don’t need to get out.
GUY
Isn’t that what you’re lookin’ for?
Adventure. Little girl running away
from home. Gettin’ in a big man’s
car.
GUY
Go on, yeah, see how it feels.
The Impala rocks back and forth on its springs. The windows
are fogging up. Then there’s a sudden HISS. The car jolts.
Bodies thrash inside. BLOOD splatters across the windows.
The door opens and Po climbs out. She surveys the damage.
She’s breathing heavily. She runs away down the dirt road,
ducks into the forest, and disappears.
Po moves along the road by the beach. She stares down at the
rocky coastline and the ocean beyond.
41.
She comes upon a SIGN at the roadside. It’s for the Marine
Mammal Center. Po looks at the t-shirt she’s wearing. The
symbol matches. Po stares at the sign, thinking.
TEACHER
Stay with your partners. Quiet,
please.
VOLUNTEER
Sorry, Miss, all visitors this way.
MADDIE
This is not a zoo. This is a
working hospital and research
center for the many species of
marine mammals that inhabit our
region. Our patients include seals,
otters, sea lions, and we have
tanks for the short-term
rehabilitation of small whales and
dolphins.
MADDIE
When an injured animal is brought
to the center, this is where it
goes first. We’re able to offer
veterinary care, perform surgical
procedures, and administer
medication.
GIRL
When you were a kid did you know
you wanted to work here?
MADDIE
Actually, it was when I was a
teenager and saw a video about a
baby dolphin that had washed
ashore. Instead of helping it, the
people on the beach passed it
around taking their picture with
it. Even after it died, they kept
taking selfies. That video made me
sad and I wanted to do something.
So I came here to volunteer. Now
it’s become my job. I do everything
from assisting marine biologists
with their research projects and
doing animal rescues to handling
paperwork to feeding the animals
and cleaning out their cages.
MADDIE
Speaking of which, you might be
wondering what our animals like to
eat. This is our kitchen where we
prepare one of their favorite
treats.
MADDIE
Our fish shake. Today it’s a
delicious blend of herring and cod,
with various nutrients mixed in as
well.
MADDIE
Would anyone like a taste?
TEACHER
Come, children, this way.
MADDIE
Once our animals have received the
medical care they need, they come
out here to recover and prepare for
their journey back to the wild.
TEACHER
What’s going on?
MADDIE
I’m not sure.
TEACHER
Okay, everyone back inside. Now.
One of the KIDS notices a seal cowering away from Po. Ben and
the other researchers rush into the area to check on the
commotion. Barking. Squealing. Thrashing.
KID
It was her, she did it.
BEN
(to Po)
Come with me.
She thinks for a moment, then follows him through the tunnel
of noise. As soon as she’s gone, things settle down.
MADDIE
That was weird.
BEN
We meet again. You gonna tell me
who you are this time?
BEN
It’s okay, I’m not going to hurt
you.
BEN
I can help you. My name is Ben.
(points to his chest)
Friend.
Her eyes look wan and sickly, the corners of her mouth are
chapped and dry. She stares at him, trust slowly building.
PO
I am Po.
BEN
Po. Okay. Nice to meet you. Where
are you from?
She starts COUGHING. Her lungs sound dry and wheezy. Ben
notices the fissures all along the inside of her arm.
BEN
Are you sick?
BEN
We have medication here. We can
help you.
BEN
The night we met, you sang a song.
I can’t get it out of my head.
Everywhere I go, I hear it.
MADDIE
Oh, hey. Um, everything’s back to
normal out there, not sure what
that was all about--
BEN
This is Po. She’s a visitor here.
She doesn’t really speak English.
MADDIE
Is she okay?
BEN
I’m not sure.
MADDIE
I think we need to call a doctor.
BEN
I’ll do it. I’ll take care of her.
Why don’t you finish closing things
up out there and head home.
MADDIE
(gently)
Dude, are you okay?
BEN
Yeah, I’m good.
Maddie looks to Po. Then she gives Ben a deep, sexy kiss,
like a she-wolf marking her territory.
MADDIE
I want you to come over, my dad’s
got night shift, so I’ll be alone.
BEN
Okay, sounds good.
BEN
I’m gonna call the doctor for you.
46.
As she opens the car door, Maddie pauses, looks back at the
building. She’s considering going back in there. But she
doesn’t want to be THAT girlfriend. She gets in the car.
BEN
The doctor will be here soon. I’ll
get some clobetasol, it’s an
ointment, we use it on our animals,
it will help your skin, too. Just
wait here, I’ll be right back.
Stay.
- Her legs FUSE together with the sound of cracking bones and
melding flesh.
And then, just like that, it’s over. And all is calm. The
mermaid submerges peacefully in the tank.
The monster grabs him and pulls him into the water. In full
predator mode. Aggressive. Wild. Transformed.
She drags him to the bottom of the tank, drowning him. The
seals and sea lions in other pens bark wildly.
Ben grabs a cleaning net from the edge of the tank and
hopelessly attempts to fend her off.
She comes at him with open jaws. At the last second, he holds
up the net, which she bites in half. It gives him just enough
time to make a final, desperate lunge for safety.
ACT FIVE
BEN
What happened?
DR. ABBOTT
Apparently one of the sea lions
didn’t like the herring you served
him for dinner and decided to
attack.
BEN
No, it wasn’t a sea lion.
DR. ABBOTT
Seal, sea lion, I can never tell
the difference.
BEN
Where is she? Po. The girl.
DR. ABBOTT
Ah yes, your mystery date. First
she appears naked out of the ether.
Then you call me a few days later
saying she’s in dire need of
medical attention.
DR. ABBOTT
Ben, I’ve known you and your family
for a long time. There have been
challenges. You and your father
have not always seen eye to eye. I
guess that’s to be expected. I’ve
always found you to be a focused,
passionate young man.
DR. ABBOTT
But if you’re having visions,
thoughts, flights of fancy,
whatever this is, there are
professionals you can talk to, who
can help you. And if you’re not,
well, then I suggest you stop
playing these kinds of games.
BEN
I have to find her.
Ben hurries out into the parking lot. The rain sprinkles
down. He looks around in all directions. There’s no sign of
her anywhere.
Ben drives along the beach road. He stops and gets out. The
cold, infinite ocean stretches out before him. Ben hurls a
rock into the water, screaming into the night--
BEN
Where did you go?!
HELEN’S ANTIQUITIES.
50.
BEN
Hello? Ms. Hubbell? Hello?!
BEN
That girl yesterday. I know you saw
her. You said you didn’t, but you
did. You knew something about her.
HELEN
Come in out of the rain.
HELEN
What is it you think I know?
BEN
That she’s one of them. I saw it
tonight.
HELEN
What exactly did you see?
BEN
Lower half, cetacean, powerfully
built, triangulated teeth. A top
level predator.
BEN
Just like this.
BEN
When I was a kid, we’d come in here
and you’d tell us stories about the
mermaids. We were always told they
were just tall tales. Not to
believe you. But they weren’t made
up, were they? They were true.
HELEN
So all these years you laughed at
me, and ridiculed me--and now you
come here seeking answers?
HELEN
No. I owe you nothing.
BEN
I don’t get it. You want people to
know the truth. It’s here. What are
you afraid of all of a sudden?
HELEN
(pained)
Why don’t you ask your wonderful
family that question?
Ben, soaking wet, takes something out from under his jacket.
It’s the tome--THE HISTORY OF MERMAIDS.
As the deer move quietly through the wet forest, they pass
what appears to be chunks of MOLTED FLESH. Further along,
half-buried in the mud, lies the mermaid’s disembodied TAIL.
And there is Po, back in human form, curled naked amongst the
mossy roots of a tree. Her skin is rosy and luminous, coated
in an amniotic sheen. She’s gorgeous, radiant, re-born.
The SIREN SONG emanates gently from her lips. It fills the
verdant forest like a birdsong.
WILL
What’s wrong, Mads?
MADDIE
Nothing. I’ve just been trying to
get a hold of Ben. I don’t know why
he’s not calling me back.
WILL
Don’t you worry. I’m sure he’s just
busy with stuff.
WILL
See, there you go.
MADDIE
(into phone)
Hello?... Yeah. He’s here, hang on.
53.
MADDIE
For you. It’s Clarence.
WILL
(into phone)
Hey, Clarence, what’s up?...
Okay... Where at?... All right,
I’ll be there.
MADDIE
What’s going on?
WILL
They found a body, some guy
attacked in his car. Out by Stinson
Lane. I gotta run.
XANDER
Dad, you don’t have to go out with
me. This could get ugly, you know.
CAPT. SEAN
You kidding? I’m not going out with
you. You’re going out with me.
CAPT. SEAN
Anchors aweigh, ya little pisser.
Got us a fish to catch.
Xander releases the lines holding the boat. The North Star
chugs out of the marina, rears up, and powers out toward the
open ocean.
54.
The water in the tank has grown cloudy. The creature is not
moving. Machines BEEP and CHIRP, monitoring her condition.
DECKER
Please, please, my dear. Be strong.
DECKER
I’m going to take good care of you.
I won’t let anyone hurt you.
Sean pilots his boat. His fish finder sonar starts beeping.
He looks at the colorful monitor alight with curved lines
indicating fish. Sean pushes his hat back as he regards it.
CAPT. SEAN
Xander! Get in here!
CAPT. SEAN
It’s big. And there’s a lot of
them.
XANDER
They’re moving fast.
CAPT. SEAN
Show yourselves, you lousy
bastards! You cowards! I know
you’re out there!
END OF PILOT