Rise of The Kek Screenplay
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.
A trail of mangled stalks sweep beneath them.
INT. LIVING ROOM - STEVE AND JEREMY'S HOUSE - DAY
Steve and Jeremy are sitting on a couch.
STEVE
(to a large wall screen)
Screen activate. Television on.
The screen activates.
Local news fills the space behind four other channels stacked square on top of one another in the right vertical quarter of the screen.
JUDITH BLAKELY is reporting beside a large, intricate web in a wooded area.
DR. LAURA SORENSON stands beside her.
Old man Hutchins is in the background.
JUDITH
...Thank you, Jim. As you can see, we're
standing beside this very large web that
was discovered by Mr. Clive Hutchins who
owns a nearby farm. Several cattle have
disappeared without a trace from Mr.
Hutchins property over the past few
years. Welcome.
OLD MAN HUTCHINS
Thank you.
JUDITH
This morning, Mr. Hutchins decided to
take a look in this small patch of woods
for any evidence of his missing cattle.
She begins rounding the web.
JUDITH (CONT’D)
That's when he discovered this large web.
What can you tell us about it, Doctor
Sorenson?
DR. SORENSON
To be honest, Judy, I've never seen
anything like it. The detail is
magnificent. I don't know of any
arachnid
or insect species that produces such a
large dwelling.
(bending down)
Just look at how wide this opening is.
JUDITH
Could this explain the missing-
A Kek flares out from the opening.
It engulfs Dr. Sorenson. Pulls her inside.
Panic quickly follows.
The camera hits the ground. Scrambling feet fill the screen.
CAMERAMAN (O.C.)
Jesus Christ! Did you see that?
JUDITH (O.C.)
Someone help her!
STEVE
Holy crap!
JEREMY
What the hell was that?
STEVE
It looked like some kind of giant spider.
Those woods are like five miles from
here. I want this house sealed tight.
JEREMY
No argument here.
Steve and Jeremy secure the house.
Jeremy reels a little from the pill he took earlier.
JEREMY (CONT’D)
I need to check my email.
INT. JEREMY'S BEDROOM - DAY
Jeremy closes the door behind him.
He inserts the alien data crystal into his computer.
He opens a program named "ANOMALY SCAN." Scans the crystal.
The results indicate "1,950 DATA FRAGMENTS FOUND"
Jeremy copies all the fragments into a single file.
The data appears to be engineering schematics.
Steve knocks before poking his head in.
STEVE
You busy?
JEREMY
Just checking some email.
Jeremy quickly minimizes the display.
Steve sits on the bed.
STEVE
How would you like to take a trip to the
Kennedy Space Center?
JEREMY
I don't know. There's a lot of stuff I
need to get done.
STEVE
Dude, you need a vacation.
JEREMY
No I don't.
STEVE
When you're not following me around like
a lost puppy, you're locked away in here
on your computer. I'll make all the
arrangements and pay for everything.
Steve picks up a model spacecraft from Jeremy's night stand. He pretends to study it.
JEREMY
I'll admit, I always wanted to check out
Kennedy. I'll let you know by tomorrow.
Steve smiles and leaves the room.
INT. MILWAUKEE RAILCAR STATION - DAY
Dozens of monorails crisscross the station.
Long trains of RAILCARS are arriving, departing, and waiting.
Jeremy climbs into a railcar bound for Florida.
INT. RAILCAR - DAY
Jeremy takes a window seat.
PENNY, early thirties, professionally dressed, takes the seat beside him.
The train departs.
PENNY
Are you going to Florida for a visit or
is it home?
JEREMY
Visiting the Kennedy Space Center.
PENNY
Did you plan on touring MICROCORE, too?
JEREMY
Microcore offers tours?
PENNY
I've seen lots of tours come through. My
name is Penny. I work in the ASTEROID
CRUSHER shop at Microcore.
She dangles her hand in front of him.
Jeremy shakes it.
JEREMY
I'm Jeremy. I don't mean to be rude, but
I was hoping to catch a nap before we
cross into Florida.
PENNY
I understand. You get some sleep. I'll
wake you when we get close.
JEREMY
Thanks, Penny.
Jeremy retrieves a small pillbox from his pocket.
He nearly drops it into the tiny trash receptacle beside his seat but then reconsiders.
He shakes out the last three pills, and then drops the pillbox into the trash.
He takes the pills, then curls up in the seat and closes his eyes.
A small TV at the front of the railcar shows A SATELLITE TV NEWSCASTER reporting beside the excavated web in Wisconsin.
SATELLITE TV NEWSCASTER
The skeletons of at least three cattle
were found alongside the remains of Dr.
Laura Sorenson who was abducted by an
unknown animal earlier this week.
Forensic experts have identified several
distinct bite patterns on the bones,
indicating that more than one...
FADE TO BLACK.
INT. LIVING ROOM - SKYLAR'S HOUSE - DAY
Pitch black.
SKYLAR (O.C.)
Jeremy, you awake?
JEREMY'S POV: SKYLAR's mottled figure emerges from blackness.
It grows more defined through a sliver of vision.
Skylar is 26, muscular, with bright blond hair.
Penny is beside him.
JEREMY
Skylar, right?
SKYLAR
Yeah. You got totally wasted at my party
the other night. You've been sleeping on
my couch for the last two days.
JEREMY
Two days? I remember falling in a pool.
SKYLAR
You fell in the pool several times, and
then broke one of my lamps. Actually, I
was pretty impressed by the way you stood
up to me.
JEREMY
I feel like I got hit by a truck. Is my
present condition the result of you
beating the crap out of me?
SKYLAR
I didn't touch you. You beat yourself up
without anyone's help.
Skylar moves off, then returns with a large glass of water.
Jeremy accepts it. Guzzles it down.
JEREMY
Thanks.
SKYLAR
I'm on my way out. No offense, but I
expect you to be gone when I get back.
Penny can show you where the railcar
station is.
JEREMY
Thanks for letting me crash here. Sorry
for the inconvenience.
Skylar pulls his baseball cap down over his eyes, then exits with no response.
PENNY
Remember me?
JEREMY
Of course. Penny from Microcore.
PENNY
You were acting kind of weird after I
woke you on the train so I got off at
your stop to keep an eye on you; to keep
you out of trouble.
JEREMY
Didn't do a very good job, did you? Where
are we?
PENNY
Fort Lauderdale. You said your hotel was
here.
JEREMY
My hotel is on Satellite Beach.
PENNY
That makes a little more sense. I
remember that you came down to visit the
Kennedy Space Center. Anyway, you managed
to find a Skylar's party somehow.
JEREMY
All I remember is falling in the pool. Do
you mind if I grab a quick shower?
PENNY
That would probably be a good idea.
Jeremy enters the bathroom. The sound of the shower can be heard.
Penny turns on the news. A FLORIDA NEWSCASTER is reporting on the search for the creature that captured Dr. Sorenson.
Jeremy returns with wet hair.
PENNY (CONT’D)
Do you want to go get a drink somewhere?
JEREMY
Hair of the dog?
PENNY
Exactly.
JEREMY r />
You're quite the partier for someone who
works at Microcore.
PENNY
Actually, I'm pretty dull and boring most
of the time. This is just a rare
opportunity for me to let my hair down.
JEREMY
In that case, I'd love to go out for a
drink. Apparently I haven't had one in
two days.
INT. NEIGHBORHOOD BAR - DAY
Penny and Jeremy enter. Penny spots Skylar on her first sweep of the room.
Skylar waves them over to his table. He is sitting with a friend, 23, overweight and slovenly dressed. He is KOONTZ.
SKYLAR
I didn't expect to see you two here.
JEREMY
Likewise. We made sure to lock your
apartment, by the way.
Skylar orders a round of beers.
KOONTZ
Hey Skylar, remember the guy that kept
falling in the pool at your party?
SKYLAR
No, I don't remember that.
Jeremy quickly finishes off his beer.
JEREMY
Actually, I really need to get going. I
haven't even checked into my hotel yet.
SKYLAR
Maybe our next encounter will be a little
less uncomfortable.
JEREMY
I'll admit, you didn't exactly catch me
on my best day. Thanks again, everyone. I
can find the rail station myself.
Jeremy slips out.
INT. KENNEDY SPACE CENTER - DAY
Jeremy is wandering around, bored.
He stumbles upon an aging Apollo flight simulator.
INT. APOLLO FLIGHT SIMULATOR - DAY
The simulator's display offers a mystery prize for each month's high score. It prompts the user to enter their social security number.
Jeremy enters his number.
He quickly gets a feel for the controls.
He circles the moon numerous times, then learns to rendezvous and dock with the lunar lander before finally touching down on the moon's surface.
His final score displays as the second highest.
EXT. BEACH - MORNING
Huge ships pass far offshore.
Diamond shaped aircraft ferry back and forth across the Atlantic.
Jeremy is sitting in the sand reading.
Tara comes up behind him.
TARA
What are you reading?
JEREMY
(arching backward)
Excuse me?
TARA
I was wondering what you were reading.
JEREMY
It's a book on carbon dioxide filtration.
TARA
You mean like in trees?
The response catches Jeremy by surprise.
He twists around so that her head blocks the sun from his eyes.
JEREMY
Spacecraft, actually. But yes, like in
trees.
By now, he has the optimum angle. Her head is bathed in an aura of bright sunlight.
He studies her face.
JEREMY (CONT’D)
Do I know you?
TARA
It's Tara. We met at Alec's party.
JEREMY
Alec Strickland's party? The last party
at Alec's house was almost four years
ago.
TARA
That was it.
JEREMY
What a coincidence. How have you been?
TARA
Pretty good. It's weird that Alec
disappeared that night, and now Kristin
is gone. Even her phone is disconnected.
JEREMY
She'll turn up.
TARA
I hope so. I heard rumors that Alec came
back a few weeks ago. Maybe they ran off
together.
JEREMY
It's possible.
TARA
Actually, it's not such a coincidence
that I'm here. Your brother paid for my
trip down. We've kept in touch over the
past few years.
JEREMY
My brother paid for your trip to Florida?
TARA
Yeah. He told me that you moved here. I
hope you don't mind that he told me how
to find you.
JEREMY
Not at all. It's good to see you. Have a
seat.
She plops down in the sand next to him.
TARA
Steve told me that he got some article
published in a national magazine.
JEREMY
Good for him.
TARA
When I couldn't get hold of Kristin, I
gave him a call. He mentioned that you
were in Florida and thought you might
like to see a familiar face. One thing
led to another and here I am.
JEREMY
How long are you in town?
TARA
I'm flying out tomorrow.
JEREMY
My apartment's right across the street.
Do you want to come up for some lunch?
TARA
Sounds great.
INT. JEREMY'S A