EXT. FOREST NEAR MOTEL - MORNING
CHARLIE MORRISON: What are we going to do now?
SYLVIA: This ankle of mine isn’t getting any better. We’re not far from the road, here. I say we hitchhike.
CHARLIE MORRISON: Isn’t that dangerous?
SYLVIA: Anything we do from now on is going to be dangerous. I say we take our chances.
Charlie and Sylvia make their way towards the roadway.
They spend half an hour at the side of the road, with vehicle after vehicle passing them by.
Eventually a minibus stops
CALUM HOLMES: Where are you headed?
CHARLIE MORRISON: Anywhere but here
CALUM HOLMES: Climb aboard.
Charlie and Sylvia climb onto the bus where they are warmly greeted by several smiling faces. All except one.
Charlie and Sylvia sit down in their seats.
DEBBIE: Hi I’m Debbie. I’ve got just the thing for that ankle of yours
Debbie hands Sylvia an ice pack.
SYLVIA: Thank you.
DIEGO: My name is Diego. We recognised the two of you from the news last night. You’re on the run from the Reapers. Any enemy of the Reapers are friends of ours.
YOSHIDA: You look hungry my friend. Do you want the rest of my sandwich?
Charlie looked at the half eaten prawn sandwich.
JEFF: Of course, he doesn’t want a half eaten sandwich. Who in their right minds would eat a half-eaten sandwich?
Charlie fell asleep in his seat. When he awoke he was greeted by Debbie.
DEBBIE: You look hungry. Would you like a BLT?
CHARLIE MORRISON: Sure.
SYLVIA: I’m not hungry actually
DEBBIE: You don’t have to be polite on my account. You must be starving.
SYLVIA: Oh, Ok.
CHARLIE MORRISON: If you’re not friends of the Reapers, then who are you?
The others looked at each other as if they were unsure how to answer.
CALUM HOLMES: It can’t do any harm Diego to tell them. They’re fugitives as much as we are.
CHARLIE MORRISON: Tell us what?
DIEGO: I will start at the beginning. The Changelings that you have heard of in the media come from a planet known as Kyton. The planet was always divided into two different groups. One of these groups accounted for eighty per cent of the population. They were known as Kylons. The Kylons, wanted to infiltrate the universe. They planned to travel in large numbers to some habitable planets like Earth and live quietly among them by taking human form. Over the course of time they believed that they would rise to power. Of course, the problem for changelings was that quite often they wouldn’t be able to tell changelings from humans and Kylons from Kylots. Kylots were the smaller group from the planet Kyton who wanted to live peacefully. There was a war among the Kylots and Kylons which forced the Kylots to move to a safer planet. The planet shall remain nameless for your safety. Some of the Kylots on this planet wanted to continue opposing the Kylons throughout the universe by foiling their schemes. These efforts had varying degrees of success. We seven individuals are part of a group from the Kylot planet who seek to defy the Kylons and we have been here on earth for the last five hundred years. I should say that our ancestors were here for hundreds of years. Changelings only live slightly longer than humans on average. In some cases Changelings can shorten their life expectancy by taking an unnatural form. Every Changeling has a natural human likeness, but to repeatedly change into an unnatural one can lead to illness and possibly an early death. There is no difference between Kylons and Kylots physically. Our only difference is in what we believe in.
CHARLIE MORRISON: Are you telling us that all six of you can change form?
DIEGO: Well yes.
CHARLIE MORRISON: Can you change into a woman?
DIEGO: Again,that is more difficult and dangerous. If a male Kylot or a Kylon were to change into a female for a substantial period of time it could affect their health. They could die from it. But yes we can change into animals or just about any living object you can think of. Changing size is also dangerous. I could become ten foot tall or one foot tall but it also would be bad for my health.
CHARLIE MORRISON: What is your planet like?
DIEGO: It is not as inhabitable as Kyton but we have made some modifications which make it liveable. We have overcome gravity and oxygen difficulties. We recycle our water and grow our own food in special sections of our city. For the most part it is a Kylot-made city and no Kylot would survive on the surface of the planet for more than six hours.
JEFF: Oh, tell them absolutely everything why don’t you.
CHARLIE MORRISON: So you say that you are the good Kylots and that you are here to help us. How do we know that you’re on the level and you’re not going to trick us? How can we trust you?
DIEGO: We don’t know for sure that we can trust you no more than you can trust us. Most people who ask for our help are Kylons in disguise. Every time we try to help someone, we take risks.
CHARLIE MORRISON: Is there any way at all of telling Kylots from Kylons or changelings from humans? There must be something, however small.
DIEGO: Biologically, possibly. The only other thing you can go on are signals but these can be mimicked so they're pretty useless.
SYLVIA: In other words the answer is no.
DIEGO: Yes
SYLVIA: Where are we going?
DEBBIE: We can’t tell you exactly but it is our plan at the moment to return to our planet. You don’t have to come with us if you don’t want to.
CHARLIE MORRISON: How long does it take to get there?
DEBBIE: In a space shuttle owned by your government it would take ten years. In our space shuttle it will take thirty-six hours.
JEFF: We’ve only just met them. How do we know we can trust them? You put other people through rigorous tests to determine if they’re genuine. These guys just get on our bus and you tell them everything. Give them a couple of AK-47s why don’t you?
DIEGO: Sometimes Jeff you have to trust your instincts and offer a helping hand.
JEFF: It’s those instincts which now have us on the run. I’m putting it on the record that I do not trust these two weeds.
DEBBIE: We can put it to the vote if you like. I don’t hear anyone else backing you up.
An hour later, Calum parked the bus on the side of the road
CALUM HOLMES: It looks like there is a road block, half a mile up this road.
CHARLIE MORRISON: How can you tell?
CALUM HOLMES: Kylothian technology kid. From here on in we walk and travel light.
The group of eight disembarked, climbed over a fence and made their way into a heavily wooded area.
JEFF: Great, just great. We gave up the luxury of sleeping in a comfortable bus to mingling with bears and ants.
DEBBIE: What’s wrong Jeff? Are you a scaredy cat? I wouldn’t have put you down to be scared of ants or bears for that matter.
For a moment Jeff was speechless.
CALUM HOLMES: Tonight we won’t be able to light campfires for fear of detection.
JEFF: Great just great.
DIEGO: Don’t worry Jeff, you can wear my polka-dot jammies if you want.
This time Jeff just sneered in an unfriendly manner.
Charlie and the group weaved between evergreens with a dry uneven rocky terrain underfoot and throughout warm weather.
A helicopter could be heard and they quickly take cover. They wait long enough until they are sure they had not been spotted.
CALUM HOLMES: We’d better rest here. There’s no point in going further. One of us might twist an ankle in the dark. We’ll rest here until daylight.
Calum handed everyone a tin of sardines. Charlie devoured it in haste.
DIEGO: Jeff, have you got any of your stories to put us to sleep?
JEFF: Sod off Diego and keep that Teddy bear out of my sight.
DIEGO: What?Did you have a bad experience with a Teddy bear when you were little? Did it make you smile or something?”
JEFF: Almost
CALUM HOLMES: We better conserve as much energy as we can by getting some rest. We’ve a long way to go.
EXT. REMOTE FOREST PARK - FOLLOWING MORNING
SYLVIA: You look like you’ve done ten rounds with Rocky Balboa
CHARLIE MORRISON: Thanks
CALUM HOLMES: Alright you lot, sardines for breakfast
JEFF: Oh not again. Have we run out of caviar?
At noon however, Charlie hears a humming noise. It doesn’t sound loud enough to be a helicopter.
CHARLIE MORRISON: What’s that?
CALUM HOLMES: I don’t know. Everybody better take cover. Hide!
The group conceal themselves deep within the trees so that they can not be seen. The humming noise becomes louder and louder.
It comes into view. It is a spherical object that floats in the air like a sophisticated drone.
Eventually the object moves away. Calum waits before signalling that it is ok to get up.
DIEGO: Do you think it saw us?
CALUM HOLMES: I don’t know, but there could be more of them so we’d better stay undercover as much as possible.
Later that night, Charlie can not sleep once more. He stands up and goes toward the nearby river.
After a while Sylvia approaches.
SYLVIA: Can’t sleep eh?
CHARLIE: No. How did you know I was awake.
SYLVIA: I have an inbuilt radar for things like this. It comes in really handy.
CHARLIE MORRISON: Sylvia, I think you and everyone else are better off without me.
SYLVIA: Don’t talk nonsense. These are good people. If you leave now, they would only waste time trying to find you. It’s me slowing everyone down with my ankle.
CHARLIE: I thought you didn’t like them. You’ve been so quiet.
SYLVIA: Well, no matter what I’ve thought or said, I wouldn’t want to lose you on account of some stupid ideas you have in your head.
CHARLIE MORRISON: Did you ever have any doubts about me? Like the time Derren produced a video of me as a changeling. Did you ever doubt that it was a hoax?
SYLVIA: Trust me. If you were a changeling, I’d know.
CHARLIE MORRISON: But would it bother you if I was? Maybe changelings don’t know themselves and then one day they realise they can change shape and colour.
SYLVIA: If you ever realise you’re a changeling, can you turn into Cary Grant only with a tad more muscle and maybe Bob Hope’s personality and Bobby Darin’s singing voice?
CHARLIE MORRISON: That isn’t what I meant. Don’t you worry that one day you wake up and across the room is this alien creature in my place?
SYLVIA: Do you hear that?
Charlie listens carefully. There is a low humming noise that can be heard above the flow of the river.
CHARLIE MORRISON: It has to be another drone. We must warn the others.
They both move back to where the others were located. Charlie shakes Calum and whispers to him that drones were nearby. He sits up and listens intently.
CALUM HOLMES: There’s two of them. They must have infra-red sensors because they are heading this way fast. Wake everyone up. We have to move quickly.
The group had packed up all their vital belongings but three drones are now overhead. Calum removes a gun and silencer from his belongings and shoots down three of them.
CALUM HOLMES: Come on, quick. The Reapers can’t be too far behind.
Calum directs them along the river’s edge. Far ahead is a waterfall. It is 5am in the morning. Calum slowly leads them down the slippery rocks towards the waterfall
DIEGO: He’s crazy
Erica and the others follow him into a a cave concealed underneath the waterfall.
INT. INSIDE CAVE BEHIND WATERFALL - 5AM
CALUM HOLMES: A while ago I came camping here, and a friend of mine showed me this cave. I don’t think they’ll find us here. We’ll have to wait it out.
The group listen intently but all they can hear is the sound of falling water.
Callum checks his watch. It is now 8:20am.
JEFF: I’m freezing. We can’t stay here forever. I’m going out there.
CALUM HOLMES: You’re right.
DEBBIE: That’s a first.
CALUM HOLMES: One of us will have to go and check. It might as well be you. Come back within five minutes. If you’re not back in five we will assume that there is something wrong.
Jeff makes his way out of the cave and disappears through the water.
CALUM HOLMES: The five minutes have passed.
ERICA: What do we do now?
After a short period of time Jeff emerges.
JEFF: Come on. it seems safe to me.
EXT. BESIDE RIVER IN LARGE RURAL PARK - 8:30
The individuals make their way out from behind the waterfall and can’t see any sign of the Reapers or any drones. The group continue walking down by the riverside
EXT. CLEARING IN A FOREST IN LARGE RURAL PARK - 12:00
DEBBIE: What can we eat?
CALUM HOLMES: Myself, Diego and Yoshida will look for food. The rest of you can take cover in those woods over there.
DIEGO: Don’t we need training, to catch animals in the wild with our bare hands. I know Jeff can use his death stare, but I’m a bit short on skills myself.
CALUM HOLMES: Come on, I’ll give you all the training you need.
CHARLIE MORRISON: Would you like to go for a walk Sylvia?
ERICA: Don’t you think that’s a little risky given the circumstances? I think everyone should do exactly as Calum says. He has gotten us this far. Besides, we’re not the worst company in the world now are we?
CHARLIE: No
EXT. CLEARING IN A FOREST IN LARGE RURAL PARK 12:50PM
The three hunters return with some dead animals and fish. They prepare a campfire and cook the food on a spit. They consisted of four trout and three rabbits.
CHARLIE MORRISON: I thought, we weren’t supposed to have camp fires?
CALUM HOLMES: Circumstances have changed.
JEFF: So where are we headed anyway?
CALUM HOLMES: That’s for me to know. You will find out eventually.
JEFF: What happens if you get killed? What will we do then?
CALUM HOLMES: If that happens, you’re fucked.
EXT. FAR SIDE OF FOREST IN LARGE RURAL PARK - 11PM
The group are finished their meal and are about to retire for the night.
DIEGO: I have to say, that fried rabbit tasted delicious. What did you think Jeff?
Jeff didn’t respond.
DIEGO: To be honest, I thought you would be moaning a lot more, what with sleeping on the hard ground, eating food that you wouldn’t give to a dog, wearing the same clothes for days. It’s Jeff heaven.
JEFF: Look here Diego. Things are bad enough without you reminding me about them.
EXT. EDGE OF THE FOREST LARGE RURAL PARK - 1:30AM
Charlie believes he sees Calum striding towards him but isn’t sure if he is dreaming. He has a gun in his hand. Calum fires three shots into the head of the person lying behind him, who is Jeff. Once dead, the man most believe to be Jeff transforms into the body of a man no one recognises.
IMPOSTER: 32, SIX FEET TWO INCHES, BROAD, STRONG, FULL HEAD OF DARK HAIR, BROWN EYES AND A LARGE HEAD.
CALUM HOLMES: Come on. We have to move quickly. They could come for us at any moment.
Quietly and quickly, the group climb to their feet. They gather their belongings and follow Calum’s lead.