Because I forgot to start posting these last Christmas. :)
Don't forget to leave comments.
“PILOT”
PROLOGUE
FROM BLACK:
DARIUS (V.O.)
Our
world is not how most people see it. And there are those among you, who are not
what they seem.
1. EXT. ECHO CITY STREETS
– DAY
People of various types walk
along a busy street. A blonde woman passes by the camera and her eyes flash an
iridescent color. A man walking the other way too looks at the camera and his
eyes flash an iridescent color.
DARIUS (V.O.)
What
Scientists won’t tell you, what the government will not admit, is here in this
world there are places and people that live among you not visible with your
human eye.
2. EXT. ECHO CITY STREETS
– DAY
While some are walking
along the sidewalk minding their own business a young girl holding a bow walks
along the streets. A fade of jungle background is seen clearer as she walks on.
She then passes through a man walking on the street and neither of them are
aware of the experience.
FADE CUT TO:
DARIUS (V.O.)
Many
years ago there were two nations.
3. EXT. OPEN PLAINS – DUSK
A mountain-surrounded
valley is seen with two castles, one at either end on top mountains.
DARIUS (V.O.)
Each
kingdom claimed they deserved the entire world for themselves and so in their
greed, wars broke out among them.
4. EXT. OPEN PLAINS –
NIGHT
Armies of people run to
each other at full forces, swords in hand.
DARIUS (V.O.)
In
their selfishness all they gained was death.
A young boy is seen dead
on the ground.
DARIUS (V.O.)
Death
of family...
An older man dead next to
him…
DARIUS (V.O.)
Death
of friends...
5. INT. SMALL COTTAGE –
NIGHT
Soldiers burst in and take
captive a mother and her daughter. They kick and scream in fear of what may
happen to them.
DARIUS (V.O.)
Death
of all those they loved.
FADE CUT TO:
6. INT. WEST KING’S THRONE
ROOM – NIGHT
The King sits upon his
throne, tired and worn and his wife stands beside him.
DARIUS (V.O.)
Until one day during a loss filled with such great
sorrow,
A soldier brings to the
King in his arms the King’s dead son. The queen begins to mourn.
DARIUS (V.O.)
The King of the West sought out a different option.
This King had heard rumors of a powerful force that had lived far beyond his
own kingdom a force that could achieve the unimaginable, and so he decided to
go in search of it.
7. EXT. MOUNTAIN – DAY
The king is seen climbing
to the top of the mountain on a horse and peers over the edge to see the top is
a sunk-in valley filled with trees.
DARIUS (V.O.)
When
the King reached his destination he found nothing of value, a vacant land, and
decided to abandon the empty legend.
8. EXT. DARKEST PART OF
THE FOREST – DAY
The King looks around, a
torch in his hand but see’s nothing and turns to leave. As he turns, he see’s a
12-year-old girl standing before him.
DARIUS (V.O.)
On
his way to leave however a girl stood in his way.
KING
Just
as I suspected, there will never be a solution to the problems my kingdom
bears.
The King walks past the
girl but stops at the sound of her voice.
GIRL
A
man has come in search for a solution, to live in this world with another man
in peace. Is that not why you have sought me out?
The king turns to face the
girl whose back he can only see.
KING
I
have tried every tactic, even begged to live as friendly nations but my enemy
will not stop until he has killed every one in my family, and everyone in my
kingdom. I assure you there is nothing more I can do.
The Girl turns to face the
King.
GIRL
A solution is possible, but it is one with great
despair.
KING
I
will do anything so long as my family is not harmed.
GIRL
Your
family will survive and both kingdoms will live peacefully in the world as long
as I shall live.
KING
But what can you do? You are just a girl.
The
Girl lowered her head and winds began to rush past the two of them. A loud
ringing caused The King to fall to his knee’s in pain. The girl lifts her head,
her eyes completely black.
KING (Whisper)
The Mighty force, it is her.
GIRL
There is nothing I can’t do. Do you accept what
must be done for peace to be achieved?
KING
I do.
The girl lifts her hands
to the sky and wind and light shoot from her body. Seven beams burst from with
in her and the forest no longer seems dark.
DARIUS (V.O.)
So
the girl did as the King asked and she divided the world into seven realms.
What was left of the King’s family was split apart among these realms.
9. INT. WEST KING’S THRONE
ROOM – DAY
The king’s wife and
daughter are seen together. The beam of light comes through and they disappear
to each other but both exist within the castle. In other words, they are alone
but exist in the same space at the same time.
DARIUS (V.O.)
The kingdoms finally lived in peace.
10. EXT. OPEN PLAINS – DAY
The King wanders the open
valley and wails in sorrow.
DARIUS (V.O.)
As time went on the King wept in the loss of his
family.
KING
What
good is reining alone? All I want is my family by my side.
DARIUS (V.O.)
And
so he sought out the girl in revenge.
11. EXT. DARKEST PART OF
THE FOREST – DAY
The king holds a dagger
(the same on Jon gets from his Nancy) and stomps through the forest.
DARIUS (V.O.)
When he found her...
The king takes the dagger
and stabs her, pinning her up to a tree. The girl is older now, 19 maybe.
DARIUS (V.O.)
He killed her in hopes the spell she cast would
finally be broken. On the girls dying breath she knew the peace among men would
surely end.
GIRL
Let it be on this day that a balance rises up to
fight for peace and to veer off any evil that may come. So my death shall be
their safe haven.
As the girl breathes her
last breath he body melts into the tree and becomes a glass mirror and the CORE
SYMBOL glistens in the reflection. The King stands back in amazement and the
dagger moves forward as a lock forms across the mirror.
DARIUS (V.O.)
And
so it was, evil rose up in the realms breaking the peace among men, just as the
girl had said and a balance of good rose up to fight for peace.
12. EXT. OPEN PLAINS – DAY
Great heroic figures with
the CORE SYMBOL on them fight using great abilities and vanquish the evil
cloaked in black with a gold staff.
DARIUS (V.O.)
And
they called themselves The Core.
These selected few were given the ability to pass through the walls that
separated mankind.
13. EXT. DARKETS PART OF
THE FOREST – DAY
The Heroic figures are
seen turning the dagger over the mirror and unlocking. Then one at a time they
pass through into the mirror room.
14. INT. MIRROR ROOM – DAY
They each come through and
the seven mirrors are revealed. Each mirror, unique to its realm.
DARIUS (V.O.)
And
they vanquished the greatest evils that would arise. But when evil would hide
in the far corners of the earth, the chosen ones to protect it faded away,
The heroic figures
literally fade away, the room becomes dusty and filled with cob webs.
DARIUS (V.O.)
...until the next time evil would come back to
destroy. Each realm evolved at their own pace, making them seem as different
worlds
CUT TO:
CUTS OF:
1. Sunny beach becoming
frozen over with ice.
2. A volcano erupting in
the middle of a forest and turning it into a valley of molten lava.
3. Tree’s burst up through
planes of grass.
4. Water flooding over
islands and main lands.
5. A gas or fog flooding
through a forest and killing anything living forcing the “futuristic” living up
above the trees. (Some have wings and fly up.)
6. A sand storm completely
covering over any form of lively hood creating a world of sand. Crossover
between these cuts could look like some kind of wall, or force field that the
camera is passing though.
DARIUS (V.O.)
And
as the realms evolved, so did the people...
CUT TO:
15. EXT. SOCCER FIELD -
DAY
YOUNG MICHAEL kicking a
ball in a soccer field. YOUNG JON comes up and steals the ball from YOUNG
MICHAEL.
YOUNG JON
You gotta kick the ball if you want to be on the team!
You gotta kick the ball if you want to be on the team!
YOUNG MICHAEL runs away to
behind the bleachers. As YOUNG MICHAEL cried storm clouds formed over the
soccer field and lighting struck a near by tree. The P.E. coach rushes the kids
off the field.
COACH
Soccer
is over for now. We’ll have to continue class inside the gym.
YOUNG JON
But
soccer is my favorite sport.
COACH
We’re
going to play hockey inside instead.
FADE TO BLACK:
DARIUS (V.O.)
Though
in all the evil that rose up over the years, none was as great as the evil the
approaches even now. And as luck would have it, the fates and lives of the
people of earth rest in the unlikely of places...
CUTS OF:
JON, STELLA, and MICHAEL
growing up from young to present.
TITLE “THE CORE” Appears
and fades into the distance.
END OF PROLOGUE
ACT I
FROM BLACK:
16. EXT. – CAMPGROUND
ENTRANCE – DAY
Sign reads “Camp
Wood-Acer” and creeks in the breeze.
FADE TO:
Seventeen year-old
JONATHAN SCOTT leans against the camps entrance gate. Hands in his pockets,
wearing mostly black. Hair is long, blowing in the breeze. He pulls his
sunglasses down and squints in the hot desert sun.
SUV makes it’s way down
long and narrow road kicking dirt up behind it and pulling into the dirt lot in
front of the camp. OPERA MUSIC confined in the SUV is stopped when the engine
is turned off.
SAMUEL SCOTT steps out of
the SUV. JON places his sunglasses back on and picks up a duffle bag to put it
in the SUV.
JON
Is she not back yet?
SAM reaches in the SUV and
pulls out a fedora.
SAM
She’s
back; she’s just at home, exhausted. It was a long trip you know.
SAM tosses the fedora to
Jon who drops his duffle bag to catch it.
SAM
This
should complete your death ensemble.
JON
You
won’t believe how much I missed this.
JON places the fedora atop
his head and climbs into the SUV with his duffle bag.
FADE TO:
AN OCEAN of TREES in
Washington stretch over hills and mountains. Flocks of birds disperse. SUV
makes it’s way down a paved road. Camera pans to a sign on the side of the
road.
“Echo City – 30 miles”
CUT TO:
17. INT. SUV – DAY
SAM drives along mouthing
the words to the opera being played. JON is reclined in the passenger seat, ear
buds in and his fedora placed over his face. SAM pulls one of JON’s ear buds out.
SAM
So,
in the world of Emo, did you have a good time at camp?
JON
Same
old, same old.
SAM
Be
prepared to talk about it. I won’t nag you, but Nancy just might.
JON pulls his seat up and
pulls a camp shirt out of his bag to put on.
JON
Don’t worry, I’ll tell them I had a grand time.
SAM
Bitter much?
JON
Well when you’ve had a headache for two weeks and
you aren’t anywhere near home I would think you have the right to be upset.
SAM
So camp wasn’t the most thrilling way to spend your
summer. It’s better than Juvey.
JON
At least in Juvey I would have expected to start
fights.
SAM
You got into fights at the camp? Jon!
JON
No, of course not. But it doesn’t mean I didn’t
want kick someone.
SAM
Where did you get your temper?
JON
Don’t worry, I’ll be an angel when we get home.
JON reclines his seat back and puts the Fedora back over his face.
CUT TO:
18. EXT. ECHO CITY – DAY
ECHO City is in view as
they drive down the road. Sun is shinning… flowers blooming…
19. EXT. SWIFT APARTMENT BIULDING
– DAY
20. INT. SWIFT LOBBY – DAY
Elevator dings open. SAM
and JON enter and press floor 14. Un-noticeably there is no button for floor
13.
21. INT. ELEVATOR – DAY
SAM and JON stand
uncomfortably as the elevator music plays.
SAM
So,
Vaughn Academy?
JON
It
has uniforms. How exciting can it be?
SAM
New
school, new start, you’d be surprised.
JON
Shouldn’t
you be in California? I thought school for you started last week?
SAM
I
canceled the early class. Thought I could use the extra time to spend with
Nancy since she’s back.
JON
Right.
Back from the depths of Africa.
SAM
The
stories she must have.
JON
It’s
been so long since I’ve seen her. You think she looks any different?
SAM
Nah,
old people never change. They always look exactly the same.
JON
Did
I miss anything good while I was gone though?
SAM
Kendra
got married.
JON
What?
SAM
(laughs)
You fall for that every time.
JON
You’ve
never used that one on Kendra, it’s always you.
SAM
Don’t
worry. Kendra is still fourteen and still single.
JON
Good.
I don’t want our younger sister to be the first of us to get married.
SAM
Oh,
did I mention I was engaged?
JON
Yeah,
I’m not falling for it this time.
SAM
(laughs.)
SMASH CUT TO:
22. INT. APARTMENT 14B
(SCOTT APARTMENT) - DAY
PAUL SCOTT cooking in the
kitchen, still in work suit. NANCY SCOTT reading a book in the living room.
EMILY SCOTT playing with toys off in one corner. SAM and JON walk in the front
door.
EMILY
Jon,
you’re home!
EMILY runs up to hug JON.
Nancy get’s up to greet him.
NANCY
Jon,
I’m so glad you made it home safe.
JON
Mom,(hugs
her tight) how are feeling?
NANCY
Today
is a good day. (pulls away)
JON
Have
the doctors told you any good news lately?
NANCY
Only
bad news, son. It looks like I won’t be going to Africa again for quite
sometime. But don’t worry about me. How was your summer?
JON
I
had a great time. My rabbit hunting has improved greatly.
NANCY
So,
no fights I should know about?
JON
I
am 90 days fight free. It won’t happen again mom, I promise.
(beat)
I
should unpack.
NANCY
Oh
before you go and do that I have something I brought back for you.
NANCY hurries into another
room to grab a wooden box and brings it to JON.
NANCY
I
saw these and just knew they would belonged in your possession. (Hands JON the
box.) I had to bribe the seller with my camel to get those for you.
JON opens the box to see
Egyptian Mummy Daggers. Camera zooms in on the CORE SYMBOL etched on the
handle. JON shows expression of uncertainty.
NANCY
Luckily
though he took payment with gold jewelry instead. I was able to get to town
without having to give up my ride.
JON
Thanks
mom. It’s a, weird gift, but collecting knives could be fun.
NANCY
I
know it’s not the newest iPhone or video game you’ve wanted, but the area’s I
stayed in were lacking in new technology.
JON
We’ll
I’m glad your home safe mom.
PAUL walks into the living
room.
PAUL
Is
that my son’s voice I hear?
JON
Hey dad. I’m gonna unpack.
PAUL
Okay,
dinners almost done.
JON
Okay.
23. INT. JON and SAM’s
Bedroom – DAY
SAM is reading a book
while lying on the bottom bunk. JON sets his duffle bag on a near by chair.
JON
Is
there something wrong with your room?
SAM
I
packed all my stuff up and put it in storage. I’ll be sleeping here until I
leave.
JON
And
the floor of the empty bedroom won’t work for you because…
SAM
It’s
Kendra’s room now. Aren’t you excited? Everyone get’s their own room now.
JON
Except me. Is this for one of your classes? (pulls
the book out of SAM’s hands.
SAM
Actually
it’s for one of yours. I pulled it off the top of those.
SAM points to a two-foot
tall pile books on Jon’s desk.
JON
Great.
Let the sentence begin.
SAM
Private
schools aren’t all that bad.
JON
How would you know? You’ve never been to one.
SAM
Yeah
but you got rich pretty girls. You’ll fit right in with this long hair you’ve
got going for ya.
JON
Maybe
you should go too. Those plaid skirts will flatter your figure.
SAM rolls his eyes and
heads out the door.
SAM
I’ll
see you at the dinner table.
JON
(to
himself while examining the book.) Brothers.
(beat)
Man,
I’ve already read this book.
CUT TO:
24. INT. SCOTT KITCHEN –
MORNING
PAUL is in his robe
pouring milk into oatmeal. EMILY is waiting on the barstool. PAUL hands EMILY
the oatmeal and JON walks into the kitchen in a rush.
PAUL
I
thought school didn’t start until tomorrow for you?
JON
Football
tryouts are today.
PAUL
That’s
not your sport.
JON
New school,
new sport, dad. Wasn’t it you who said if I fall into the same routine, I’ll
get into the same trouble?
PAUL
I’m
proud of you. This fresh start could really turn into something.
JON grabs a bagel popped
from the toaster and rushes out.
JON
Bye
dad.
PAUL
Oh
son.
JON
Yeah?
(pops his head back into he kitchen.)
PAUL
If
you have time after tryouts, would you mind helping me out at the lab? I’ve got
plenty of paper work and cleaning beakers I can pay you for.
JON
Sure,
I’ll be there at eight.
(Beat)
Dad,
what happens if I go to this school and the kids don’t like me.
PAUL
I
never thought at your age this would be a problem.
JON
Well,
at Echo High I was known, popular, but now-
PAUL
You
know when I was in high school I wasn’t popular at all and look how I turned
out.
JON
Dad,
your only friends are co-workers.
PAUL
And
what’s wrong with that?
JON
Did
you play football too?
PAUL
Actually
I did.
JON
Great,
I’m turning into you.
PAUL leans in and places
his hand on JON’s shoulder.
PAUL
High
school is such a small part of your life. If you don’t want to be just like me,
you have the whole rest of your life to make sure you aren’t at all anything
like me- at all.
JON
Aw,
you really mean it dad? (Sarcastically)
PAUL
You
better get going. Don’t want to be late for those try-outs right?
JON
See
you later dad.
25. EXT. VAUGHN ACADEMY –
FRONT STEPS – DAY
JON is surprised at the
sight of all the kids already at the school the day before it starts. SEBASTIAN
comes running through crashing into JON on the front steps of the school.
SEBASTIAN drops all of his books and glasses.
SEBASTIAN
Man.
I’m sorry. I didn’t see you there.
JON
My bad man, this place is so overwhelming. I don’t
even know where to go.
SEBASTIAN
What
electives are you signing up for? (puts his glasses on.)
JON
Football. Do you know where tryouts are?
SEBASTIAN
Are
you sure you don’t want to wait until basketball season comes around? You’re so
tall,-.
JON
I just wanted to try something new.
SEBASTIAN
Okay,
but Evan will kill you. Come with me.
SEBASTIAN leads JON
through the crowds of students.
SEBASTIAN
‘Xcuse
me, coming through.
CUT TO:
26. EXT. FOOTBALL
STADIUM/BLEACHERS – DAY
JON and SEBASTIAN stare at
the big guys on the field.
JON
You’re
right. I just might die. Who’s Evan?
SEBASTIAN
You
see the guy who’s about the same height as you, bleach blonde hair, also kind
of like you, and about to- oh
JON
and SEBASTIAN watch as EVAN runs into another guy and knocks him down to the
ground.
JON
No.
SEBASTIAN
That’s
him.
JON
He’s
gotta be-
SEBASTIAN
240.
JON
Wow,
that’s a lot of muscle!
SEBASTAIN
I’m
Sebastian by the way.
JON
Jon.
SEBASTIAN
Jon.
Weird. It doesn’t sound like a dead man’s name.
JON
Wait,
do I have to play against him to get on the team?
SEBASTIAN
No, usually
he’s just giving orders and staying on the sidelines. That must have been a
demonstration.
JON
And
how might I avoid a demonstration.
SEBASTIAN
Try
out for a different sport entirely. That’s my opinion. It was nice meeting you.
But don’t expect me to stick around for your funeral.
JON
Thanks
for the support.
SEBASTIAN
Shoot,
I’ve gotta sign up for the chess club before all the spots are taken. See ya
later, or not.
JON takes a deep breath
and walks up to a table where guys are signing up. JON gets to the front of the
line where STELLA in cheer outfit is holding a clipboard.
STELLA
You’re
new, what’s your name?
JON
I’m
Jonathan Scott. Is this the line to sign up for football?
STELLA
Really?
Football?
(beat)
You
don’t really seem the type.
JON
I
might not be any good but I’d like to try.
STELLA
Well
then, sign away.
(beat)
I’m
Stella.
JON
Nice
to meet you Stella.
STELLA
Thank
you. If you make the team the first practice is tomorrow morning. Five am.
JON
They
do a lot of running.
STELLA
It’s
foot ball. As in feet. As in you use them to run.
JON
You
use feet in hockey and you never have to run that much.
STELLA
Your
going to die out there, aren’t you?
JON
I’ll
will you my music collection if I don’t make it.
STELLA
Ha,
good luck.
CUT TO:
27. EXT. FOOTBALL FIELD –
DAY
EVAN, team captain, yells
commands out at the teenagers dressed in full gear. JON is doing less than
average, exhausted by the weight of the gear and the bearing sun down him. The
heat clearly making him feel weaker than usual.
EVAN
You
have a problem keeping up (looks at his clipboard) Mr. Scott?
JON
Sorry,
football is new to me.
EVAN
You’re in your junior
year and now you decide to jump into
football. You’re lagging behind. I doubt you’ll make the cut. Stick to
something you know please, and stop wasting my time.
JON frustrated pulls his
helmet off and walks over to get a drink. STELLA hands JON a cup of Gatorade.
STELLA
Here,
you look half dead.
JON
Thank
you. Heat is killing me today.
STELLA
It’s
like seventy-two degree’s out.
JON
Really?
It feel’s hotter. Like a’hundred ‘n twenty.
STELLA
I’d
say football isn’t the athletic activity for you
JON
Pft.
That Evan guy could go easier on me.
STELLA
But
then we wouldn’t be champions four times running, besides Evan is... perfect.
JON
Perfect?
STELLA
He’s
got the decent looks, jock title, perfect girlfriend, nice car, wealthy dad…
You couldn’t ask for more.
JON
He’s a real winner.
(beat)
Does this school have a hockey team?
STELLA
Yes
but tryouts aren’t for a while and you probably don’t want to join hockey.
JON
Why’s that?
STELLA
Evan
enjoys football, but he conquers hockey. Not to mention, he is friends with
practically the whole team. If you thought today was bad, joining the hockey
team would be hell. Literally – but on ice, I guess.
JON
Maybe
he’d respect me after seeing my skating skills.
STELLA
No
one could possibly be that good on the ice. Evan is talented, and his friends
can’t even compare to his talent out there.
JON
No
one guy can be that perfect.
STELLA
Well
Evan is.
JON
So
how come you aren’t his girlfriend?
STELLA
I
take it you haven’t met Sierra.
JON
No.
STELLA
Sierra
is Evan’s perfect counterpart. If they ever have kids, their offspring will
rule this planet. Beautifully.
JON
So
who around here isn’t perfect?
STELLA
Just
about everyone else, including you I’m sure.
JON
I
guess that will be a goal.
STELLA
What
will?
JON
Showing
up that jerk.
STELLA
It’ll
be a cold day in Hell.
JON
Just
the way I like it.
STELLA
So
are you done here?
JON
Yeah,
if I can’t handle one day in the heat, I doubt I can handle a whole season of
this.
STELLA
I can’t imagine hockey and football being all that different.
JON
Well
if you ever try both sports, you can let me know what you think.
STELLA
Right.
(beat)
Hey
are you doing anything tonight?
JON
Just
some reading for a class tomorrow.
STELLA
What class?
JON
English
with Ms. Elbat.
STELLA
Oh
she’s never serious about the pre reading for her class. Why don’t you meet me
at my boyfriend’s house? He’s hosting a big back to school party. Practically
the whole school is invited. This could be your chance to meet and greet.
JON
Sounds
fun. What time is it?
STELLA
The
party starts at 7.
JON
Great,
I’ll be there.
STELLA
Here’s
the address. (hands JON a flyer) It’s themed, where the official color of the
year. Silver, incase you didn’t know.
JON
Thanks,
hey how serious is the dress code here? Or should I ask, how much discipline
will I get for not wearing the uniform.
STELLA
Don’t
get caught without a tie or button up shirt. Other than that, you can where
jeans on Fridays and only have to wear your blazer on fields trips.
JON
Thank
you. So I guess I’ll see you tonight?
STELLA smiles and walks
toward the school with a little bit of skip.
END OF ACT I