Transcript for “The Guardian”Episode 2x13Originally Aired: 02/17/01 Writer: Stacey KaserDirector: Michael PattinsonTranscribed by Carol Murdock for "TWIZ TV.COM" - www.twiztv.comFeedback: murdockcarol@twiztv.com Transcript for “The Guardian” [Scene: The jungle – Challenger, Marguerite and Veronica are collecting plants to take back to the treehouse.] Challenger: It looks like Sage but it’s not. Marguerite: Well, it smells like sage to me. Challenger: No, Summer Savory I think. You know, there are about seven hundred varieties of the mint family? Veronica: Seven hundred? Challenger: Oh maybe more, the plant world is evolving all the time like everything else on this beautiful planet of ours. Marguerite: We’re never going to finish this list. Challenger: Oh, of course we are. And don’t you forget the benefits of a well stocked medicine cabinet. Marguerite: Anything on here for sore feet? Challenger: Yeah, your oil of cloves is good for that I think. Marguerite: Which of course we don’t have yet. Challenger: No, you just rest. I’ll go and look around. Veronica: I’ll fill these canteens. Don’t wander too far. Challenger: I’ll stay on my guard. Marguerite: If we didn’t go around beating ourselves up every day we wouldn’t need all these lotions and potions. [Challenger spots a flower] Challenger: Sage - the wisest of all plants. [As he approaches the plant his foot steps on a tripwire. A cage comes crashing down on him from above. A wild boar runs from behind a tree and past the unconscious Challenger. Two boys and a girl, who were chasing the boar, stop at the cage. ] Tomu: How bad is he hurt? Pakim: Bad enough. He’s old; we have to take him. Tomu: No. Pakim. Pakim: What? Tomu: We still have time. Pakim: No we don’t. It’s getting late. Let’s reset the trap and go. We don’t have a choice Tomu. We cannot go back empty handed. Tomu: We still have tomorrow. Pakim: And if we fail again tomorrow? **** Begin Intro**** At the dawn of the last century A band of explorers searched for a prehistoric world Driven by ambition Secret desires A thirst for adventure And seeking the ultimate story They are befriended by an untamed beauty Stranded in a strange and savage land Each day is a desperate search for a way out - of the Lost World ****End Intro**** Marguerite: Any sign of him? Veronica: Didn’t you hear the screaming? Marguerite: Just the pleasant chatter of this babbling brook. Veronica: Come on, get your gear…let’s go. [Veronica and Marguerite go searching for Challenger] Veronica: Challenger! Marguerite: Damn him, if he doesn’t stop wandering off like this. [Veronica bends to check the trail] What? Veronica: Someone’s been here. [Marguerite steps forward and almost steps on the tripwire, Veronica stops her.] Veronica: That’s close enough. [They look up and see the cage dangling above them.] Marguerite: How nice. You see something? Veronica: No I think we’re alone. Marguerite: That cage isn’t big enough for a person. Veronica: Which means whoever set it was hunting smaller game. Challenger was here all right. Marguerite: Yeah, and something definitely attacked him. Veronica: Three people - and it doesn’t look like he walked away. Marguerite: Over here. [Marguerite has discovered tracks which show something or someone being dragged.] [Scene: The jungle – The two boys and the girl are dragging a stretcher with an unconscious Challenger.] Tomu: Why do you keep looking back? Pakim: I don’t Tomu: Yes you do. You’re afraid this man has friends and they’ll come looking for him. This is wrong, Pakim. This man is not a savage. Pakim: Neither are we. [They come to the trail which leads to their village. Pakim runs her hand in a bubbling basin of smoky liquid. They enter the compound. The villagers, who are children, run to greet them. Challenger awakes.] [Scene: The jungle – Marguerite and Veronica follow Challenger’s trail.] Veronica: They can’t be that far ahead of us. Marguerite: I hope he’s still alive. [Veronica and Marguerite come to the trail which leads to the village. The air is permeated with a smoky toxic gas.] Veronica: Ugh. What is that smell? Marguerite: Smells like ammonia. Veronica: It’s coming from the plants. [As they follow the trail the smoke gets heavier.] Marguerite: I wonder if Challenger got a cutting of these for his medicine chest? Veronica: They went right through it. Marguerite: Well if they did they can’t be human. Veronica: Or they held their breath. [The smoke gets heavier] Marguerite: Oh! Are you crazy? We’ve gotta go back! Veronica: Come on! [Veronica turns around] It goes on forever; no one could survive in this. Marguerite: Now I’m never gonna get the smell out of my hair. [They head back to the entrance.] [Scene: The windmill – Malone and Roxton are making repairs.] Roxton: You know maybe it wasn’t the best place for Challenger to build a windmill. Malone: We keep building it and the wind keeps knocking it down. Roxton: I gotta say - it’s better than a two day botany lesson from the old boy. Malone: I’ll grant you that and Marguerite did say she’d stop singing if we got her phonograph fixed again. Roxton: What more could you ask for. [They admire the view of the landscape.] Malone: Sure is beautiful. Roxton: Yep and peaceful. Malone: Well I guess we know who makes all the noise around here. [Scene: The village. The boy Tomu is tending to Challenger.] Challenger: Who are you? Tomu: It’s alright; you’re safe. You were knocked unconscious by a trap. Challenger: Where am I? Tomu: We brought you to our village. Challenger: What about my friends? Where are they? Tomu: Friends? Pakim: We thought you were traveling alone. Challenger: No, I was with two women. How long have I been unconscious? Tomu: Not long. Your friends can’t be far away. Pakim: Don’t worry, we’ll send someone out to find them. We’ll bring them to you. Rest…rest. [Tomu and Pakim leave Challenger and go to the center of the village.] Pakim: This is the only way we know how to survive. Tomu: No…it isn’t. He looks like a wise man; maybe he can help us find another way. Pakim: There is no other way. Don’t you remember…remember what it’s like out there? The savages and animals will kill us all in no time. Tomu: And staying here is better? Pakim: Yes. Tomu: We may live a little longer but we’re all eventually going to die. [Scene: The entrance to the village. It’s densely thick with the gas.] Marguerite: Maybe Challenger isn’t even in there. Veronica: What are you talking about? Marguerite: Well maybe he escaped. Maybe he never was with them in the first place. Veronica: He’s in there. I know he is. [Veronica runs back into the gaseous fog to find Challenger.] Marguerite: Not again. Veronica! Veronica! [Veronica doesn’t get far before she runs back out. She runs toward the pool of water and dips her handkerchief in it. The gaseous fog begins to dissipate.] Marguerite: You don’t suppose? Veronica: Care to take another walk? Marguerite: It’s certainly an improvement. Veronica: At least we can see the trail again. Marguerite: I just wish I knew where it was taking us. [Scene: The village – Tomu is showing Challenger the protection the gaseous fog gives them.] Tomu: And here we are safe, but if you get to close to the jungle [he demonstrates and the plants give off the gas] Challenger: It’s ammonia. Pakim: The poison keeps all the predators out. This is the perfect place to live. Challenger: It must be a hybrid of the Strapelia Genus. The sap is poisonous and the gas is toxic to everything except the insects required for pollination. Pakim: It’s a gift to everyone who lives here. Challenger: Your people and mine - we have something in common. Pakim: We do? Challenger: We both use the jungle for protection. Tomu: What do you mean? Challenger: We live in a tree…in a tree house. Tomu: That sounds like a great idea. Challenger: Well it’s not as foolproof as this but, well it does the trick. How - how do you get out of here? [Veronica and Marguerite enter the village] Challenger: And how did they get in? Marguerite…Veronica. [The children surround the women. Marguerite tries to separate herself from the kids when they see Challenger.] Marguerite: [to the little boy] Isn’t your mother looking for you? Tomu: They must have touched the water. Challenger: I’m sorry I didn’t mean to worry you. Marguerite: Worried, we thought you’d been dragged off and eaten by savages. But no, we weren’t worried in the least. Veronica: Who are your friends? Are you all right? Challenger: Well, apart from a bump on the head. Pakim and Tomu this is Veronica and Marguerite. [A grumble can be heard.] Marguerite: What is that? Little Boy: It’s feeding time. Marguerite: Feeding time for what? Pakim: The most amazing flower you’ve ever seen. Challenger: Now we’re here perhaps we’ve got time to stop and smell the roses. Veronica: I hope it smells better than what we just went through. [They approach a humongous plant.] Challenger: My God. Veronica: That’s what I call a daisy. Marguerite: Biggest daisy I’ve ever seen. Challenger: I have never seen a flower like that. Pakim: There is no other like her. Marguerite: How do you know it’s a her? Challenger: Well the perfume. Can’t you smell it? Tomu: Yeah, it’s hard to believe it’s even related to the jungle all around us. Challenger: What do you mean? Pakim: Well, the flower in the jungle that protects us is all one plant. Challenger: One plant? Pakim: And just as she protects us, we feed and care for her flower. Veronica: How long have you been here? Pakim: Our parents came here when we were very young. Challenger: What happened to them? Tomu: They…..died. Pakim: They were chased across the Plateau by cannibals and dinosaurs, every savage you can imagine. But they made it here and left us safe from the horrible things outside. Tomu: It has to be fed once a day. Marguerite: Oh, how very demanding of her. [A squealing pig is lifted above the flower for feeding.] Challenger: Oh, you’re not serious? Pakim: We’re vegetarians, but the flower needs meat. Marguerite: Live meat? Tomu: That’s why we catch them in a trap. [The pig is thrown into the mouth of the flower.] Veronica: Ohhhhh! Marguerite: I don’t even want to think about what you feed it for dessert. Veronica: I’ve seen enough. Marguerite: Coming Challenger? Pakim: You’re more than welcome to stay. Challenger: Maybe we should. I mean, it’ll be getting dark soon. Pakim: You’ll be safe here. Challenger: We can continue our excursion tomorrow. Veronica: I suppose it wouldn’t hurt. We’re not expected back to the treehouse until tomorrow night. Marguerite: Which means Roxton and Malone won’t even be worried about us yet. [Challenger, Marguerite and Challenger walk away.] Tomu: How are you going to keep them here tomorrow? Pakim: I’ll think of something. Well we both know they can never leave. [Fade Out] [Scene: Morning - the village. The group spent the night in one of the huts.] Marguerite: Wake up. Rise and shine. Those little hooligans have taken our weapons. Veronica: Well you shouldn’t sleep without them. Challenger: I’m sure there’s no reason for concern. Marguerite: Really? Yesterday they had pointed sticks; today they have guns. [Pakim hugs Tomu and two other boys who are leaving the village to hunt.] Pakim: Good luck. Make sure you look after each other okay? [to Tomu] If you fail again we have nothing left to feed the flower. Tomu: Don’t do anything until we get back. Pakim: Alright. Tomu: The hunt will be good today. [Marguerite, Veronica and Challenger approach.] Veronica: Marguerite calm down. Pakim: [to the hunters] Hurry! Marguerite: Children shouldn’t play with guns. Hand them over. Pakim: You’re right; there’re a lot of children around. You can have your weapons back when you leave. Challenger: We gotta get going. Pakim: But it’s been so nice having elders around. Marguerite: Yes, especially when they have things that you can steal. Hand over the hardware. Pakim: I’m sorry, the plant only lets out three a day and the hunters have just left. Challenger: I don’t understand, the plant won’t allow us to leave? Pakim: No one else can leave until the flower has been fed again. Marguerite: Yeah right, we know where your little secret is. Coming you two? [Marguerite leads the way to the exit] Pakim: I promise you the flower won’t let you leave. Marguerite: If you think I’m staying in this demented vegetable patch a moment longer you are hallucinating. [Marguerite puts her hand in the pool of water. The fog gets thick.] Veronica: Marguerite we already tried that. Pakim: No one has ever made it. Marguerite: Well I will and so can you. [Marguerite covers her face and runs into the gaseous fog.] Challenger: Marguerite - wait! Veronica: Great! Now we have to go after her. [Challenger hands Veronica a handkerchief] Challenger: Put that over your mouth and nose. Pakim: No…please….no. Challenger: Go…go. [Challenger and Veronica run into the gas. Marguerite, coughing, is struggling to see though the fog. Veronica calls out to her.] Veronica: Marguerite! Challenger: We’re never going to find her. We have to turn back. Veronica: Not until we find her. [She sees Marguerite unconscious on the ground.] Here! Marguerite! Challenger: We have to get her out of here. [They drag her back to the village. Challenger tries to resuscitate Marguerite.] Challenger: Breathe, damn you! [Marguerite starts to cough] Marguerite: Did we make it? Veronica: [angrily] No. You try that again - you die where you fall. Challenger: We’re trapped. Marguerite: Until tomorrow anyhow. [Scene: The windmill] Malone: It’s a good idea using canvas this time instead of palm fronds. Roxton: Weaving was never my strong suit, Ned. Malone: I just hope we have enough. Roxton: Maybe not enough to fix the hot air balloon but we should have enough for this job. Malone: Have you seen the material Challenger’s working on for the new balloon? Roxton: Yes, some new synthetic rubber. Malone: The man is a genius. Roxton: He is indeed. [Roxton begins to help Malone lace the canvas to the sails.] Malone: Ah -I think you’re stretching it a little too tight there. Roxton: It’s gotta be tight. Too much slack the wind will catch it – rip it to pieces. Malone: But too much tension the wind will split it wide open. Roxton: Since when are you an expert? Malone: It stands to reason, that’s all. Roxton: What about practical experience? You ever heard of trim the sails? Malone: You ever hear of snug but not too tight? Roxton: Yeah, but in an entirely different context. Malone: Okay, you do it your way and I’ll do it mine. Roxton: Fine, two sails left; one apiece. [Scene: The village – Marguerite storms into Pakim’s hut.] Marguerite: Tomorrow all three of us are walking out of here through the magic tunnel. Challenger: Marguerite perhaps I should handle this. Pakim: We have to go hunting every day. Only a hunting party can leave. Marguerite: Take a day off. Pakim: We can’t; our stocks are low. Challenger: How low? Pakim: Our lives depend on feeding the flower. If only two of our hunters go out then maybe one of you can leave a day. Marguerite: All of us….tomorrow. Challenger: Now just a second Marguerite; it sounds like a workable solution. Well, we can’t just leave them high and dry. So Marguerite leaves tomorrow and Veronica the day after. Veronica: Challenger, I don’t know about this. Pakim: Please, we’re not strong enough to fight you. We need your help. Challenger: Then you shall have it. [Later - walking through the village] Challenger: These people aren’t hurting anyone Marguerite; they’re scarcely children. [The children are playing ball and Marguerite catches it as it flies by her.] Veronica: Well throw it back. It’s not going to kill you. Marguerite: I’m not looking to adopt a family, thank you very much. And what exactly happened to their parents again? Challenger: They died saving the children. Marguerite: Yeah that’s right they died, but Pakim didn’t say how. Challenger: Oh Marguerite, you’re not really suggesting they fed their parents to the flower, are you? [Scene: The jungle – Tomu and the other hunters catch a pig in a trap.] Tomu: We got one! [Scene: The village – Challenger, Marguerite and Veronica are in their hut.] Veronica: If we’re not back by tonight Roxton and Malone will start to worry. Challenger: They’ll never find us here. Marguerite: I still think that we should leave tomorrow. How are they going to stop us? Challenger: Well they’ve got our guns for starters. Veronica: And pointy little sticks. Marguerite: All we’ve got is a bunch of dead plants. [She stomps her foot on the ground in frustration] Damn it, I knew I should have helped Roxton with the windmill. [She feels that the ground underneath her is bouncy] Veronica: What are you doing? Marguerite: It feels a little soft right here. [Marguerite falls straight through the hut floor into a tunnel ten feet below.] Veronica: Oh my God! Marguerite: Oh. Ow. Challenger: It’s a tunnel. Marguerite: I’m fine; don’t worry about me. [Scene: Challenger, Veronica and Marguerite are walking through the tunnel with torches.] Veronica: Who dug this? Marguerite: Not Pakim, this is her Garden of Eden. Challenger: My guess is there were other people here before the children and they tried to dig their way out. Marguerite: I hope they made it. Veronica: Why bury the entrance? Challenger: Oh, I think that was a cave-in. Marguerite: Which means there could be more cave-ins along the way. Veronica: We must be past the edge of the village by now. Challenger: Half way across the poison jungle by my calculations. This tunnel could go all the way. Marguerite: I sure hope so. Isn’t a faster way out of here to dig in a straight line? Challenger: They seem to have worked around the roots for some reason. I mean, this root system is – it’s massive. [They come across a human skeleton.] Marguerite: Oh that’s a good sign. Challenger: These people are dressed entirely different to our friends upstairs. Veronica: Which means you’re right, there were other people here before them. Marguerite: Lord knows how long this Venus Flytrap has been luring its victims here. Veronica: End of the line. Marguerite: That’d be right. [Scene: The jungle – The three hunters are taking the pig back to the village.] Tomu: Let’s move [They hear the roar of a T-Rex.] It’s coming. [The T-Rex appears and knocks Tomu out of the way, wounding him, as it zeros in on the pig. The T-Rex runs after the pig and away from the hunters.] Hurry, we must get back to the village. [Scene: The tunnel] Challenger: Fifteen…thirty feet. Veronica: The three of us could dig it out in a couple of days. Marguerite: Digging around underground like little rodents. [The ground begins to shake.] What? Another little piggy gone to market? Challenger: This may not be the best place to be right now. [They leave the tunnel.] [Scene: The village – Challenger, Marguerite and Veronica are walking through the village.] Challenger: We have to tell them about the tunnel. Marguerite: We can’t. It might be the only way we can get out of here. Veronica: Where’s the evening meal? [Two boys grab Challenger from behind.] Challenger: What is this! Pakim: The hunters haven’t returned and the flower must be fed. Challenger: I’m sure they’ll be back in a minute. Pakim: It can’t wait. She’ll go into shock and attack the village. Challenger: What do you mean attack? Pakim: First the injured then the old. [The boys take Challenger toward the flower for feeding.] Challenger: This is barbaric! Pakim: Throw him in! Challenger: This is what happened to your parents Pakim? [Fade out] [Scene: The village – Challenger is being edged toward the flower.] Challenger: This is no solution! Veronica: Let him go! Marguerite: Take one of your own! Tomu: Stop! [The injured Tomu limps forward. He’s bleeding from the head.] We were attacked. The pig escaped. I told you to wait until we got back. Pakim: I couldn’t wait. Tomu: Let him go! Pakim: No…Tomu you can’t. Tomu: I have to. Pakim: Please! No Tomu: I’m the oldest Pakim and I’m injured. Pakim: No! No! Tomu: Those are the rules we live by. [Tomu walks toward the flower.] How many of us have died for this flower Pakim? Challenger: No Tomu, we have found another way. Tomu: It’s too late; too late for all of us. [Tomu jumps into the flowers mouth. The flower devours him.] [Scene: The windmill – Roxton and Ned watch the windmill spin waiting to see whose work holds.] Roxton: You’re flapping in the wind Malone. Malone: Ah, you’re wound up tighter than a cheap watch. Roxton: I guess you’re buying the drinks. [Roxton’s sail starts to tear.] Malone: Well, I guess you spoke too soon. Roxton: Damn. It must be the canvas. Malone: You know what? A cold beer would go really well right now. Roxton: Yep, well we could always drop down the local pub or the dancehall, huh - chat up the girls. Malone: Now you’re talking. Roxton: There’s always the local Trogs. The conversation’s not too stimulating, but uh -. Malone: Yeah, like you care. Roxton: Hey easy, boy-oh. [Scene: The village – Marguerite emerges from the tunnel into their hut. She looks out of the opening of the hut and sees guards posted.] Marguerite: Gee what a surprise. [Three boys leave the village to go hunting. Pakim gives them a hug as they leave. Pakim: Take care. [Pakim walks by the hut.] Marguerite: Well I guess the hunting party left without us, huh? Pakim: Our supplies are low, maybe in a few days. Marguerite: I bet you say that to all the guests. Pakim: We’re all in this together now. Marguerite: Yeah, one big happy family. [Marguerite goes back into the hole.] [Scene: The treehouse. The men are getting their gear together.] Malone: You’re awake Roxton: Oh yeah, been awake most of the night. Malone: So have I. Roxton: Time to go look for Challenger’s botany class. Malone: They said they were heading east. Roxton: Let’s hope they didn’t get distracted. [Scene: The tunnel] Marguerite: Think we’re past the jungle yet? Challenger: Another day at least. Marguerite: We’ll I hope you’re ready to face a hungry plant again. Sorry Challenger but you’re still first in line if the hunting party comes back empty handed again today. Challenger: Thanks for the encouragement Marguerite - very motivational. Veronica: If all three of us get back to work on this we might be able to save everybody in the village. Marguerite: Why do you even care about those filthy little urchins? They just look at us like we’re plant food. Veronica: Do you ever get tired of looking out for number one? Marguerite: Not really, it’s pretty much a full time job. [Scene: The trail] Malone: They probably got more plants then they know what to do with. Roxton: Knowing Challenger that wouldn’t surprise me. Malone: Hey look. [Malone trips the cage hanging above them.] Roxton: Malone, look out! [Roxton runs and pushes them out of the way of the falling cage.] Malone: Thanks, I didn’t see that. Roxton: I wonder if you’re not the first. [They hear movement in the jungle.] Malone: What is it? Roxton: Shh... [Roxton and Malone see the hunters. The hunters run; Roxton and Malone give chase.] Roxton: They’re just kids! Malone: Wait! We won’t hurt you! Roxton: [to himself] Unless you don’t stop now. [The hunters get to the entrance of their village. One boy runs his hand into the water and they continue on. Malone and Roxton run past the water and the fog gets thick.] Roxton: Ammonia. Malone: This stuff can kill you. Roxton: I think that’s the idea. There’s gotta be a way around this. Malone: Something we missed along the way. [Scene: The tunnel – Marguerite, Veronica and Challenger are digging.] Marguerite: I guess Roxton and Malone are still waiting for us back at the treehouse. Challenger: Let’s hope they never find this quaint little garden. [Marguerite hits a root in the wall and ammonia gas starts seeping out.] Marguerite: Oh no, not again. Challenger: Now I know why they avoided the roots. [They run] [Scene: The entrance to the village.] Malone: This is where they stopped. [They see the water.] Roxton: One of them touched something. Malone: This? [Malone puts his hand in the water. The fog dissipates.] Roxton: First prize, Ned Malone. Malone: I wonder what’s on the other side. Roxton: Could be something good. Malone: When was the last time that happened? Roxton: Yeah. [The hunters enter the village empty handed.] Pakim: The hunters have returned with nothing. [Pakim and the boys enter the hut as Challenger, Marguerite and Veronica climb out of the tunnel.] Pakim: Step aside! You’re trying to dig your way out. Challenger: We found a tunnel. It’s almost all the way through. Veronica: There’s enough room for all of us. We can all get out of here. Pakim: Take them! [Veronica, Challenger and Marguerite try to fight them off. A boy holds a spear to Marguerite’s throat.] Pakim: Stop! Or she dies. [They stop struggling] [The group leaves the hut.] Pakim: If we don’t feed her now she’ll go into shock and gas us all. Veronica: Pakim listen to me - if you help us finish the tunnel we can all get out of here. Challenger: You and your people are just being slaves to this terrible flower. Pakim: She’s our guardian, she watches over us, protects us. We don’t stand a chance outside this village. Marguerite: Eventually she’ll kill you all. Pakim: For now she’ll settle for you. [The boys grab Marguerite and take her toward the flower.] Marguerite: What - me? I thought we were starting to like each other! Challenger: Pakim! Take me! I am the oldest! [Roxton and Malone enter the village. Roxton fires a shot from his rifle in the air.] Roxton: Move away! Marguerite: Roxton! Pakim: Throw her in! [Marguerite is at the end of the plank.] Roxton: [to Challenger] What kind of petunia is that? [Roxton hands Challenger his rifle and walks out to Marguerite and the flower.] Pakim: You cannot destroy her. [Roxton and Malone get to where Marguerite is standing.] Roxton: Move away from the edge Marguerite. [He un-holsters his Webleys.] Time for chopped salad. [Roxton and Malone begin firing into the flower.] Pakim: No! Roxton: [to Marguerite] I thought you went looking for herbs and spices? [Gas begins to come from the flower.] Marguerite: Is that spicy enough for you? Challenger: Run! Run! [The village is in a panic running everywhere.] Pakim: [to herself] Now she’s going to kill us all. [Fade Out] Challenger: Get away! Get away! Everyone get away! Marguerite: Why did you shoot it? Roxton: What did you want me to do, Marguerite? [A boy walks to the flower.] Challenger: Oh my God. Roxton: What the hell’s going on? Pakim: He’s trying to stop the gas but it’s too late. [The boy jumps into the plant and is eaten up.] Pakim: Get out of here. Haven’t you already done enough? Go! [Everyone starts to run] Malone: We’re never gonna get out of here. Marguerite: Yes we will. There’s a tunnel. Malone: You dug a tunnel? Marguerite: Well I had a little help. Veronica: Yeah, it’s filling up with gas, remember? You cut a root. Challenger: We can’t abandon the children. We have to find a way to kill that thing. Malone: It’s not a thing, it’s a whole jungle. Veronica: No, it’s all one plant. Roxton: One plant? Marguerite: Yeah, one very big ugly weed. Challenger: That’s it. One plant - one tap root - running straight down through the earth right underneath the flower. Marguerite: Who cares about the bloody tap root? Roxton: You cut off the supply of nutrients and the plant dies. Challenger: [to Roxton and Malone] You come with me. [to Marguerite and Veronica] You two, round everyone up get them into the huts and onto the floor. Marguerite: Do I look like Florence Nightingale to you? Veronica: Come on. [Marguerite grabs a boy and pulls him along with her.] Marguerite: Come on. This way. [Scene: The tunnel. Challenger is counting his steps.] Challenger: One…two…three. Alright we start digging here. Roxton: How Far? Challenger: Five or six feet if we’re lucky. [Gas is seeping from the tunnel walls.] Malone: We better start getting lucky soon. [They begin to dig.] [Scene: The village – Marguerite is dipping rags in the water and handing them to the children.] Marguerite: Over here! Cover your nose and mouth. Stay on the floor. [Scene: The digging continues in the tunnel.] [Scene: The village] Marguerite: Stay on the floor. [Veronica catches up to a boy and girl. She lifts the girl in her arms.] Veronica: Come on, back to the huts. [Marguerite sees the boy and moves to reach him.] Veronica: Take her, I’ll go after him. Marguerite: No, damn it - I will. [Scene: The digging continues in the tunnel.] [Scene: The village - Marguerite goes after the little boy who runs into the dense gas.] Marguerite: Wait! [Scene: The digging continues in the tunnel.] [Scene: The village – Marguerite is looking for the little boy in the fog.] Marguerite: Come back! [Scene: The digging continues in the tunnel.] [Scene: The village – The little boy collapses.] Marguerite: Where are you? [Scene: The tunnel] Roxton: I think we found the buried treasure. Hand me the axe. Pruning time. [ammonia erupts as the axe cuts into the root] Challenger: [hands out rags] Here, cover your face. Cover your mouth and nose [Scene: The village – Marguerite is still looking for the little boy.] Marguerite: I’m sorry I didn’t play with you! [She runs to the little boy; he’s lying on the ground.] I’m sorry…I’m sorry. [She picks him up and carries him back to the village.] [Pakim is walking toward the mouth of the flower.] Veronica: Marguerite? [She sees Pakim] Pakim! No! [Scene: The tunnel – The men are hacking away at the root.] Roxton: We’re halfway through. It’s got to be doing something. Challenger: It’s calling out for food. [Scene: The village – Pakim stands before the flower.] Pakim: You don’t scare me anymore. [Before Veronica can reach her, Pakim jumps into the mouth of the flower.] Veronica: No! [Veronica grabs Pakim’s arm.] [Scene: The tunnel] Malone: I’m pretty sure it’s going to have a hard time swallowing. [Scene: The village – Veronica is struggling to hold onto Pakim’s arm.] Veronica: Fight Pakim, fight! Pakim: Let go of me! Veronica: You can’t give up! [Scene: The tunnel] Roxton: Keep going; we’re almost through. [Scene: The village – Marguerite leads the little boy to the hut.] Marguerite: Go on inside. [She turns to leave but the little boy won’t let go of her hand.] I promise I won’t leave without you. Okay? [Veronica is losing her grip on Pakim] Veronica: No, no, no! [Marguerite approaches and grabs on to Pakim’s arm. They both lose their grip and Pakim is swallowed up by the flower.] [Scene: The tunnel – The men stop chopping] Roxton: We’re through. [Scene: The village] Veronica: I think it’s dying. Marguerite: I’m all choked up. [As the flower dies its petals open up and they see Pakim is still alive inside] She’s alive. [Veronica and Marguerite reach down and pull Pakim up.] [Later] Malone: It really is dead. Roxton: What will happen to them? Marguerite: Well, they’ll have to find another hobby. Challenger: And another place to live. Pakim: How will we manage now? Challenger: There are dangers, but you’ll survive if you stick together. Pakim: How? Where will we go? Challenger: Well I don’t think you should give up on plants just yet. Veronica: What do you mean? Challenger: Tree houses. Perhaps we could teach you how to make a tree house. Little Boy: We can live in the trees like monkeys. Marguerite: Yes and just like us. [Epilogue] [Scene: The broken windmill] Marguerite: This is what you were doing while our lives were in peril. Roxton: The wind must have kicked up; tore it to pieces. Malone: Maybe a Pterodactyl hit it - a couple of times. [Roxton and Malone chuckle] Challenger: I fail to see the humor; no electricity. Marguerite: No phonograph. Veronica: No perimeter fence. Roxton: Well I guess we’ll be closer to nature for a while. Marguerite: Don’t even mention that word. Malone: Come on Marguerite, it won’t be that bad. Challenger: We certainly won’t miss the phonograph with your wonderful singing voice. Roxton: In that case, we best get started on the windmill tomorrow. [End of episode.]