Desert Scene
By Gene Alexander
EXT. RED SEA URN DIG - NIGHT
SUPER: "Al Qunfudhah, Saudi Arabia".
The dig site is a massive collection of trailers, digging equipment, satellite dishes, temporary power lines and tunnel entrances. CHAD FUERTES (36), dressed in hiking boots, khakis, rolled-up shirt-sleeves, and quilted vest, stands outside an armored trailer. Chad is tall, lean, handsome, with boyish good looks that turn fierce in an instant. A traditionally dressed ARABIC MAN approaches carrying a small urn.
ARABIC MAN
The very last of the urns, zaeim.
Fuertes accepts the mud-encrusted vessel with no recognition of the dig boss' words, just a long distant look at the area around the dig site. As he turns to walk back into his trailer, he looks back at Arabic Man.
FUERTES
You're certain this is the very last urn? Number two-fifty-sixth?
ARABIC MAN
Yes, zaeim. We have scanned and LIDARed the entire complex. We catalogued every twist and turn and have found every artifact. There is nothing else down there.
FUERTES
Very well. We'll have an all-hands scrum in the main cavern. Assemble everyone.
ARABIC MAN
Zaeim, can we not meet up here, to celebrate our success?
Fuertes turns, and walks back to within inches of Arabic Man's face, staring into his eyes menacingly, through him, saying nothing.
ARABIC MAN
Of course zaeim.
(into walkie-talkie)
All-hands scrum in main cavern, now! All-hands.
FUERTES walks distractedly back to his trailer, holding the last urn with one hand while gesturing with the other.
FUERTES
I rightly accept this award for the most important discovery in the history of humanity....no, no, I really need to work harder on sincerely faking humility. I thank the Academy for this award....
Entering his trailer, FUERTES carefully places the urn in its padded receptacle, closing the lid and locking the case with a thumbprint.
He then turns to his surveillance suite, a network of cameras and mini-drones and personnel badges capped off by a multi-source LIDAR system that provides a real-time 3D model of the entire complex, including all of the people and equipment within it.
On the LIDAR screen, Fuertes can see everyone moving into the cave complex. He picks up his satellite phone and hits a recall number.
FUERTES
Scenario A.
Picking up a cheap burner phone, Fuertes sweeps once more across the surveillance system and sees that all of the dig team is down in the caves. The sound of a Sikorsky Skycrane begins to intrude, and after a moment and a massive thud, the Skycrane captures the trailer and begins the heavy lift.
After gaining a few meters of altitude, Fuertes places a last call on the burner phone, dialing a number and hitting send.
Below, strategically-placed shaped charges began to EXPLODE, dropping the entire cave complex onto itself, burying men and equipment under hundreds of tons of rubble and dried mud, and returning the secrets of the Urns to the desert. Dust roils into the air as the Sikorsky, trailer, and Fuertes fly off into the rising sun.
Story Content
The dig site is a massive collection of trailers, digging equipment, satellite dishes, temporary power lines and tunnel entrances.
Fuertes accepts the mud-encrusted vessel with no recognition of the dig boss' words, just a long distant look at the area around the dig site. As he turns to walk back into his trailer, he looks back at Arabic Man.
FUERTES
You're certain this is the very last urn? Number two-fifty-sixth?
ARABIC MAN
Yes, zaeim. We have scanned and LIDARed the entire complex. We catalogued every twist and turn and have found every artifact. There is nothing else down there.
FUERTES
Very well. We'll have an all-hands scrum in the main cavern. Assemble everyone.
ARABIC MAN
Zaeim, can we not meet up here, to celebrate our success?
Fuertes turns, and walks back to within inches of Arabic Man's face, staring into his eyes menacingly, through him, saying nothing.
ARABIC MAN
Of course zaeim.
(into walkie-talkie)
All-hands scrum in main cavern, now! All-hands.
FUERTES walks distractedly back to his trailer, holding the last urn with one hand while gesturing with the other.
FUERTES
I rightly accept this award for the most important discovery in the history of humanity....no, no, I really need to work harder on sincerely faking humility. I thank the Academy for this award....
Entering his trailer, FUERTES carefully places the urn in its padded receptacle, closing the lid and locking the case with a thumbprint.
He then turns to his surveillance suite, a network of cameras and mini-drones and personnel badges capped off by a multi-source LIDAR system that provides a real-time 3D model of the entire complex, including all of the people and equipment within it.
On the LIDAR screen, Fuertes can see everyone moving into the cave complex.
He picks up his satellite phone and hits a recall number.
FUERTES
Scenario A.
Picking up a cheap burner phone, Fuertes sweeps once more across the surveillance system and sees that all of the dig team is down in the caves.
The sound of a Sikorsky Skycrane begins to intrude, and after a moment and a massive thud, the Skycrane captures the trailer and begins the heavy lift.
After gaining a few meters of altitude, Fuertes places a last call on the burner phone, dialing a number and hitting send.
Below, strategically-placed shaped charges began to EXPLODE, dropping the entire cave complex onto itself, burying men and equipment under hundreds of tons of rubble and dried mud, and returning the secrets of the Urns to the desert.
Dust roils into the air as the Sikorsky, trailer, and Fuertes fly off into the rising sun.
