The Illusion
By Solomon Rothman
FADE IN SLOWLY
EXT> DEEP SPACE
Deep space melts onto the screen. No music; no sound is heard; only stillness, a perfect hypnotic silence. Stars as in a pleasant dream, lulling the viewer into reverie. Suddenly, a piercing, high-pitched sound assaults the ear. Debris flies in all directions; back into space and out into the CAMERA. A flash of blinding light envelops the entire frame for a second. Then, nothing but blackness. The utter quiet now seems even more intense. Stars slowly appear; at the edges of the frame, a few planets; later some meteors fly by -- all moving in a continuous flow.
VOICE OVER
(no accompanying music, just a
deep resonant, VOICE):
Far away from our
Everyday lives, there are
Strange, fantastic worlds
Beyond our wildest imaginings.
Our story begins somewhere in
Another universe, another
dimension, where intelligent
beings much like ourselves,
have infected their universe
with the belief that they are
beyond the laws of nature.
They forgot they are part of that
natural process and when they
destroy nature they destroy
themselves.
Only a few survive this cosmic
Catastrophe. They escape from
their universe into another,
using their knowledge of the
muti-vibrational nature of
all dimensions: By changing
the vibration of their sound
pattern to resonate in sympathy
with the pattern of the next
universe, they slide into this
new dimension.
They vow that, in their new
home, the cosmic destruction
they caused will never happen
again.
END OF VOICE OVER
All is quiet again. Planets roll by. The feel of their tremendous weight is conveyed by a heavy crunching sound that travels with them. The VIEW slowly moves in on a star not far in the distance. Its corona becomes visible, giving off great explosions that spew hot gases into space.
The star fills the left corner of the frame as the VIEW travels closer. From out of the silence of space, a single sound is heard: a low rumbling noise which gradually dominates. Explosions shoot out across the frame and as the VIEW moves into the corona, a mighty, bellowing roar sends out a powerful reverberating sound. (The sound moves with VIEW, first in front of us, then upon us, and finally behind us.)
Bursts of flames leap out into space and through the inferno the VIEW catches glimpses of planets. The third planet comes in VIEW, and, as the VIEW slowly continues to close, it becomes recognizable. It is Earth! (Throughout these scenes, only sounds are employed for effect, no music.)
FADE OUT
FADE IN
DAWN ON EARTH
With the slow rising of the sun, MUSIC rises in a slow, eerie melody; an adaptation of growing crystalline sounds.
EXT. NOMAD CAMP AT THE FOOT OF A SHEER
CLIFF, EDGE OF DESERT
LONG SHOT of small figures on the horizon, walking to foreground over the sinuous contours of three-dimensional TITLES, computer designed in perspective to simulate the shapes of the desert dunes. The figures grow larger until they fill the frame and pass by stationary VIEW.
END OF TITLES
LEGEND
(superimposed over scene):
EGYPT 10,00 B.C.
EXT. OASIS
MED. BACKSHOT of a small, primitive tribe of NOMADS, bringing water from the oasis to their tent encampment. The NOMADS notice a spot on the sun. They shad their eyes and watch as the spot grows in size until it seems to devour the sun. Their entire sky is almost filled with the image of a space ship of vibrating, multi-colored crystals.
The crystals are in a constant flux of shrinking and growing, forming new shapes which seem to breathe with the changing patterns of light.
DISSOLVE TO
EXT. BASE OF ROUGH STONE STRUCTURE,
MOON-LIT NIGHT
VIEW surveys from bottom of structure up to its majestic top as music slowly builds. The ALIENS, with hooded capes flowing about them in the wind, work high at the structure’s top, silhouetted against the bright, night sky. Their limbs flail out of the solid, black mass of workers like some huge and glorious animal-god.
DISSOLVE TO
EXT. DESERT PYRAMID, TWILIGHT, NEXT DAY
The TRIBESPEOPLE gaze up at the mighty spectacle, as the ALIENS and their mysterious machinery complete the construction of the very first pyramid.
Each ALIEN wears a glowing amulet, shaped to match the individual’s unique vibrations. The amulets act as receivers, gathering and storing the revitalizing cosmic energy, without which they would die.
One ALIEN’s crystal start to dim, as if losing its life. The more its color fades the weaker its wearer becomes, until the ALIEN falls to the ground, helpless. The others rush to their companion’s side and hasten him into the pyramid.
The NOMADS watch and wait. Than, from out of the silence of the desert, an eerie sound vibrates across the heavens, building almost to deafening proportions. As it reaches down for the pyramid, another sound, matched in vibration, emanates from the mighty stone structure. As the sounds converge, the pyramid welcomes the cosmic energy, concentrates it and resonates in sympathy, creating a magnificent aurora that radiates across the sky.
The NOMADS are stunned at the spectacle. Slowly the sound begins to recede and a lone figure steps from the pyramid. It is the afflicted ALIEN, now as strong and well as the others who emerge behind him, his crystal once more as vibrant as theirs.
EXT. DESERT, PYRAMID, NIGHT
Now that their work is done, the ALIENS depart, leaving behind two brothers, SUTEKH and IMHOTEP as caretakers to the people of this planet. SUTEKH and IMHOTEP split the tribes between them, each taking on responsibility for those people.
DISSOLVE TO
A SERIES OF QUICK CUTS to show passage of time and SUTEKH’s growing cruelty to the people he is responsible for. The people come to fear him as a great evil.
By comparison, IMHOTEP’s generosity and fairness with the people, cause them to look upon him as a god.
EXT. TOP STEP PYRAMID, NIGHT
IMHOTEP catches SUTEKH torturing a nomad.
IMHOTEP
(shouts):
Stop!
The NOMAD escapes from SUTEKH’s hold.
IMHOTEP:
What are you doing?
SUTEKH has no answer.
THE NOMAD
(trembling):
He is the King of Darkness.
IMHOTEP:
What does this mean? How could you?
You’re my brother.
SUTEKH
(interrupts):
My brother…(sarcastic laugh) You’re
not my brother, you’re a fool! And a fool
can not be my brother.
IMHOTEP:
The old ways are what destroyed us in the
First place.
SUTEKH
(pushes IMHOTEP aside):
You’re wrong and they were wrong.
What is needed is more control, more power.
They were afraid to go all the way. Well,
I’m not.
IMHOTEP grabs SUTEKH as he tries to walk away and a terrible battle begins between the two.
During the battle, SUTEKH rips the amulet from his brother’s neck and flings it away. It slides into a crevice. At last IMHOTEP overpowers and subdues SUTEKH, standing over him threateningly.
SUTEKH:
Go ahead, do it! Because, little Brother, if
you don’t I will destroy you.
IMHOTEP:
No…You’re going to be judged by our
PEOPLE when they return.
IMHOTEP begins to bind SUTEKH’s hands.
SUTEKH
(screams in terror):
No, no! Please kill me now! You’re my
brother, remember? My brother!
INT> MAZE OF TUNNELS
IMHOTEP takes the bound SUTEKH into a maze of tunnels. Once there, he places him into a trance of suspended animation, imprisoning his evil soul to fester until the ALIENS return.
EXT.TOP OF PYRAMID, SAME NIGHT
IMHOTEP searches in vain for his amulet. Without it he cannot be rejuvenated. He slowly
loses his life energy and dies.
INT> PYRAMID BURIAL CHAMBER
The NOMADS, remembering the pyramid’s mystical powers, mummify the body of their cherished god IMHOTEP. They find his amulet and place it with him in the pyramid and close the huge stone door to the tomb, sealing IMHOTEP’s lifeless body in the pitch black chamber.
INT. PYRAMID CHAMBER, TEN THOUSAND
YEARS LATER (1910 A,D.)
The grating sound of metal against stone shatters the silence. Then, a slow grinding. Sharp, thin rays of light stream in, intruding on the blackness. Now a sliver of light outlines the shape of a stone door. Suddenly, it gives way, opening too quickly. Screams are heard from outside.
FIRST VOICE:
I can’t hold it! Watch it! Watch it!
The door crashes to the ground.
SECOND VOICE:
Is everyone alright?
INT. CHAMBER
Torches and lanterns reflect off five men who start to probe the darkness.
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© 2003 Sol Rothman