John Burhop - Rise of The Kek Screenplay

INT. SCOUTSHIP

Images of Earth's technological advancements flood onto the screen as the EARTH chronometer rapidly advances to 2018.

The scoutship arrives in Earth orbit.

Piren taps into a satellite signal. He conducts a query.

An image of a book appears. It reads: "THE E.T. SIGNAL OF 2018 BY ALEC STRICKLAND."

The COMPUTER begins reading it aloud:

COMPUTER

Little is known about the transmission

received from 58 Eridani...

EXT. ALEC'S HOUSE - DAY

CAPTION: Southern Wisconsin, April 14, 2018

Springtime.

The house is small, rustic. It sits on a long, dirt road. Vast fields of young corn surround it.

An AIRCAR hovers clumsily into the end of its long, gravel driveway. Its four

turbofans WHINE unnervingly.

Rocks pelt the front of the house.

INT. LIVING ROOM - ALEC'S HOUSE - DAY

ALEC STRICKLAND, 21, handsome, healthy, spots the aircar through the living room window.

ALEC

STEVE's here.

Alec spies Steve, 20, stocky, beer belly, through a slit in blinds.

KRISTIN, 19, athletic, brunette, enters the living room.

She places a snack tray and an ashtray on the glass top coffee table.

Alec flings the front door open just as Steve is preparing to knock.

ALEC (CONT’D)

Can I help you?

STEVE

There are rumors of a wild party at this

locale, sir. I'll need to inspect the

premises for beautiful women.

Steve pushes politely past Alec into the house.

He pulls a bottle of JACK DANIELS from a paper sack in his hand, and then drops down on the couch. He takes a long drink from the bottle.

ALEC

I still can't believe you bought that

thing. Didn't anyone you that aircars

were banned from public roads in 2016?

STEVE

Let's see. They're loud, dangerous, and

illegal. Sounds perfect to me.

KRISTIN

I've got to hand it to you Steve, at

least you're consistent.

Steve lights a cigarette.

He slumps forward and begins sampling from the snack tray.

Alec moves into the kitchen.

ALEC

Hey Steve. Think fast.

Alec tosses a bottle of beer to Steve. It sails over the coffee table.

Kristin watches in horror.

Steve catches it smoothly before guzzling half of it down in one long gulp. He then belches loudly.

ALEC (CONT’D)

Another?

Kristin shoots Alec a glance.

Steve finishes the beer, then nods to Alec.

STEVE

Hit me.

Alec retrieves two more beers and a pours a glass of wine for Kristin.

He rejoins them in the living room.

STEVE (CONT’D)

So, ten million copies, huh? I still

can't believe it.

ALEC

Either can I. There's nothing like

turning an old research paper into a best

selling book in three days. Thank god for

eBooks. It definitely pays to be first.

KRISTIN

The alien signal totally dominated the

news. Talk about free publicity.

ALEC

Most of my book is about the history and

evolution of radio astronomy. Very little

of it actually covers the signal itself.

The government hasn't told us anything

about its content.

KRISTIN

Yeah. Tell the world that we've received

an intelligent, extraterrestrial signal

and then try to bury it.

ALEC

They claim to still be

(quoting with four fingers)

deciphering it.

STEVE

Our government at work. Hiding the truth

as usual.

ALEC

It's pretty weird that the signal was

transmitted on a secure government

frequency. I mean, how would they know?

STEVE

How would who know? Where did it come

from?

ALEC

58 Eridani. It's a star about forty three

light years away.

STEVE

(raising his beer)

To The E.T. Signal of 2018 by Alec

Strickland.

They clink clumsily. Race to the bottoms of their drinks.

Kristin wins. She rises victoriously. Moves into the kitchen.

KRISTIN

(with an exaggerated slur)

Another round, boys?

STEVE

Sure.

Kristin reenters the living room. Hands them each a beer, then drops into a recliner.

Steve grabs his beer and stands up.

STEVE (CONT’D)

Come on. I want to show you two the

aircar.

KRISTIN

You guys go ahead. I'm pretty comfy at

the moment.

Alec and Steve head outside.

EXT. DRIVEWAY - ALEC'S HOUSE - DAY

A 1975 CADILLAC pulls in behind the sloppily parked aircar lying at the top of the driveway.

The Cadillac's driver side window lowers. The driver is a scrawny, red headed, pale, freckled faced girl. She is TARA.

TARA

(to Steve)

You bought an aircar?

STEVE

Look whose talking, Miss gas guzzler.

TARA

Where's your little brother?

STEVE

JEREMY will be by later.

ALEC

I didn't expect to see you here tonight?

TARA

Kristin invited me.

ALEC

You're driving a Cadillac? I thought you

were an environmentalist?

TARA

I think I've earned a little leeway.

They all enter the house.

INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT

The party is in full swing. Fifteen guests are present.

Jeremy, 18, small build, is conversing with Tara.

Alec scowls as he eyes Tara from across the room.

Steve is standing next to Alec.

TARA

The International Reforestation Coalition

has done more to improve the planet than

all the governments combined.

JEREMY

How do you figure?

TARA

In the last five years, we've planted

nearly a billion trees. Those trees

convert several million tons of carbon

dioxide into oxygen every year.

Tara notices Alec's displeasure. She smiles insincerely.

ALEC

I can't believe your brother is

interested in Tara. All she ever talks

about is the INRC.

STEVE

She's easy and he's eighteen. It ain't

rocket science, Alec.

JEREMY

How much carbon dioxide is released into

the atmosphere by a single tree?

TARA

Trees filter carbon dioxide out of the

atmosphere, not into it. Other plants

help, but trees do the most.

JEREMY

I thought that plankton and oceanic

absorption filtered out most of the

carbon dioxide.

TARA

Well, the ocean does act as a sink for

carbon dioxide...

JEREMY

I'm just messing with you, Tara.

Tara's eyes shift. Something triggers in her brain. She looks at Jeremy with a sudden flare of contempt.

TARA

You're mocking me!

JEREMY

Come on Tara, I was just having a little

fun. Without you guys, there would be a

billion less trees in the world.

TARA

Don't patronize me. Do you realize that

carbon dioxide now constitutes nearly two

percent of our present atmosphere? It's

supposed to be less than one.

JEREMY

Listen Tara, the INRC's great, we all

know that, but everyone in the world is

sick of hearing about them. I realize

you're a first year member and all, but

give it a rest, already.

Tara looks over at Alec who is still scowling at her.

TARA

You're right, Jeremy. Thank you for being

so honest.

Tara leans in and kisses Jeremy.

Jeremy glances over at Alec.

Alec glances back, obviously impressed.

FADE OUT.

FADE IN to darkened living room. The party's over.

Alec is standing in his open bathrobe.

Kristin is cleaning up.

She notices a cigarette burn on the leaf of a potted spider plant. She grimaces at the burn before tearing the leaf from the plant.

She shuffles over to Alec. Kisses him softly on the lips. Runs her finger down his chest.

She slips the leaf inside the front of his briefs, then stumbles into the bedroom.