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Description
int. tunnels

Evie and the Professor are limping along. She has her gun in front of her. An Ibnien comes out of a side tunnel.

PROFESSOR

Run!

They turn and run as fast as possible. The Ibnien catches up easily, tripping up the Professor. Evie turns around and fires to no effect. She engages in hand to hand combat. The Ibnien throws her around, concentrating on her. It slams her into a wall and licks her cheek with its tongue.

The Professor watches, in pain and unable to move. An Ibnien comes up from the tunnel behind him. He turns around petrified.

EVIE

(screaming)

Professor!

He tries to get away, pulling himself along with his arms. The Ibnien takes its time to come up on him. It flicks out with its tongue, missing narrowly. There's a sound like chuckling deep in the creatures throat. The Professor whimpers.

Out of nowhere, Stephan comes hurtling behind the Ibnien that's going for the Professor. He grapples with it, shooting it point blank in the heart. He stands up and takes aim at the Ibnien that has Evie.

STEPHAN

Evie! Don't move.

He shots, she screams. He hits the creature in the side of the head, distracting it. Evie ducks away, falling to the side. The creature faces Stephan with a roar and flicks its tongue out. He lets it wrap around his arm like a whip and yanks it forward. The creature stumbles, spreading its arms out to hit the floor. Stephan fires rapidly. The creature falls to the ground and doesn't move. Stephan shrugs the tongue off and foes forward, pointing his gun. This creature is dead, too.

STEPHAN

(calmly)

Everyone alright?

EVIE

Sure. Just fine.

PROFESSOR

How did you do that?

STEPHAN

Chink in the armor. Literally.

PROFESSOR

I never noticed before.

STEPHAN

You didn't look tactically.

There is a distant roar.

STEPHAN

Come on, before any more come.

He helps the Professor and Evie up and they limp out of there.

ext. lot - later

Stephan, Evie and the Professor come up out of the hole. Stephan pulls the Professor up. Nobs pulls up in a Jeep.

NOBS

Professor!

PROFESSOR

Nobby!

STEPHAN

Just in time. Help me with him.

They pull him up and carry him to the Jeep. Stephan goes back and helps Evie out.

STEPHAN

Well, done, Miss Norman.

EVIE

(breathless)

Thank you.

NOBS

I got the proximity device to work. It had all three of your signals on it.

STEPHAN

Excellent. Nobs, after we get the Professor to hospital, I want you to come back and construct a plug for that hole. I don't want anything to be able to come through it. Do you understand?

NOBS

Yes, sir. What happened down there?

STEPHAN

Nothing I want to ever do again.

int. infirmary - later

The Professor is sitting up in bed, propped up by many pillows. He's connected to an IV. Nobs has just finished bandaging Stephan's arm where the tongue wrapped around it. He moves on to Evie's face where she was licked. The spot is now full of a rash, turning very red.

PROFESSOR

(from the bed)

The Ibnienin's tongue has a toxin in it the causes pain to its prey. Its a mechanism to slow them down and make them easier to find. Put some lotion on it and keep it covered, its agravated by sunlight. You should recover in a couple weeks.

STEPHAN

That's good. What about you?

PROFESSOR

Ah. Just some dehydration and weight loss. I should be fine in a few days.

EVIE

We're glad you're alright.

Stephan raises a skeptical eyebrow at that statement, unseen by the others.

PROFESSOR

I was just lucky you found me when you did.

STEPHAN

Yeah, whatever. Why were they holding you? Why didn't they just kill and eat you?

PROFESSOR

That's not their way. They don't like the fatty part of the meat, so they starve their prey long enough to avoid fatty tissue. I was almost perfect.

STEPHAN

Hm. Nobs, have you patched that hole?

NOBS

I put up a temporary patch. Reinforced steel. It will hold until I have time to fix it properly.

STEPHAN

Do that as soon as possible.

NOBS

Righto.

EVIE

(irked)

Any orders for me, sir?

STEPHAN

You did good work. Take a day off.

Evie sighs frustratedly.

STEPHAN

Well, I'm off home. I need a bath.

PROFESSOR

Uh, Captain, can I ask you a question?

STEPHAN

Yes.

PROFESSOR

What was the chink in the armor?

STEPHAN

Thin scales over the heart. A tactical deficiency made up for by the fact that most enemies would never get close enough to see it. That tongue of theirs is quite a weapon.

PROFESSOR

How did you see it?

STEPHAN

I was a marksman in the army. It was my job to see things like that. Now if you don't mind, I can't miss dinner tonight.

EVIE

(as he's leaving)

Hot date?

STEPHAN

Yes.