"THE OUTER LIMITS" Episode: "Turning Point" WRITTEN BY: CHRIS HOLM August 10 1997 FADE IN: EXT. A BLOCK OF HOUSES We move past some houses, then stop on one NARRATOR (V.O.) There are days where everything seems to go just right. But who could know that in such a day, certain events might change the very way you look at life itself. INT. BEDROOM - DAWN The sun has just come up. FRANK STEELE and his wife CAROLINE are sleeping tight. The time on the clock reads 6:59. It turn to 7:00 and the alarm goes off. Frank turns toward the clock and hits the button to turn off the alarm. FRANK (mumbling sleepily) Damn bell. He turn around toward his wife and kisses her on the cheek. FRANK (CONT'D) Time to rise and shine sweet cheeks She turns to face Frank and returns his kiss gently CAROLINE Mmmm... I wish you could stay here all day FRANK (Laughing) Let's do that tomorrow. Today is a big day, remember. He gets up from the bed. CAROLINE Oh yeah, I really hope you'll get that promotion. You really deserve it honey. Frank puts on his robe and starts walking towards the bathroom FRANK Too bad you're not my boss CAROLINE I'll go wake up Jamie and fix up breakfast, the big day breakfast, right? FRANK I don't know how I could survive without you honey Frank steps in to the bathroom and starts to take shower. Caroline gets up, puts on her robe. Stretches a bit, then starts walking out of the room. INT. UPSTAIRS CORRIDOR - DAWN She walks to another room, opens the door and steps inside. INT. JAMIE'S ROOM Their daughter JAMIE, 9 years old, is sleeping there. A really cute "Lassie - type" dog is sleeping by Jamie's feet. CAROLINE Jamie, time for school. Caroline sits down on Jamie's bed CAROLINE Come on baby, wakiewakie Jamie is barely awake and opens her eyes slowly JAMIE Hi mommy CAROLINE We don't wanna be late, right? The dog, SPARKY, has also woken up and jumps up and starts licking Jamie's face, tail wiggling JAMIE (Laughing) I love you too Sparky CAROLINE You and Sparky come down and we'll make breakfast. It's daddy's big day today Jamie gets up and Caroline leaves the room. INT. BATHROOM Frank is shaving. He look in the mirror with a formal expression. FRANK (Practicing for himself) Good morning sir. How are you today. (Imitates his boss) Hi there Frank, or should I say Vice President Steele. The board has elected you for the job. Congratulations (as himself) Why thank you sir, I assure you they made the right choice He turn off the shaver. He starts to sing his new amusing song FRANK Woohooo yeah, whose the new VP baby..FRANK STEELE, yeah hey, FRANK STEELE. He leaves the bathroom, humming on the tune he started, and starts to get dressed INT. KITCHEN Caroline is making breakfast. Jamie sits at the table. Sparky is sitting next to Caroline, hoping to get something good. Frank comes down the stairs with his suit on, looking really sharp. FRANK (to Jamie) Good morning bunny face JAMIE (giggling) Good morning daddy Sparky runs up to Frank really happy to see him, even though he just saw him last night Frank pats him on the head and kneels down to talk to him FRANK Hey boy, wanna go out in the garden huh, wanna go out in the garden, yeeeeah Sparky is really excited and runs around Franks as he walks to open the garden door. Sparky runs outside. JAMIE Daddy, do you remember my ballet after school today? You promised to take me there. FRANK Hey, you can always count on daddy. Sure I remember. And after that we'll go for some pizza, huh, what do ya say? JAMIE (really excited) Can we mommy, can we CAROLINE Of course, sugar. They finnish off breakfast. Jamie runs upstairs after her schoolbag. Caroline puts her arms around Frank CAROLINE (softly) Good luck Mr. Vice President FRANK Let's not rush into things, but thank you Mrs. Vice President. Caroline gives him a kiss CAROLINE For luck FRANK (smiling) Wow, I feel like the luckiest man on Earth. I didn't even have that dream tonight. CAROLINE That's good honey. I was afraid you would need help for that dream to go away. Frank checks the time FRANK I bet we can manage it together. OK sweetie. Gotta go. I'll go pick up Jamie after school like I said. EXT. FRONT YARD - MORNING Frank goes out to the car in front of the garage. The next door neighbor is cutting the hedges, noticed Frank and shouts. JOHNSON Good morning to you good neighbor. Good luck with the boss Frank looks up as he opens the car door. FRANK Mornin' Johnson. And thanks, Now I think I really have all the luck I need He pulls out of the driveway as he waves to Caroline and Jamie who are standing in the door. EXT. CONTECH CORPORATION MAIN BUILDING - MORNING A tall majestic looking building INT. CONTECH CORP. RECEPTION The Contech corporation is an ultra high tech company. Everything is clean and shining white. Frank comes in through the main entrance. The receptionist looks up smiling RECEPTIONIST Good morning Mr. Steele FRANK Good morning Nina Frank walks up to the elevator door. Pushes the button... gets in and pushes the button for the top floor. INT. CONTECH CORP. MANAGEMENT FLOOR The elevator bell sounds. The doors open and Frank steps out. The management level is even more fancy looking than the rest of the building. Frank starts walking toward the big door at the end of the hall. There is a secretary sitting at a desk next to the door. SECRETARY Mr. Steele. Good morning, they have been expecting you. FRANK (smiling) Good morning. I have too been expecting this for a while now SECRETARY (smiling) I know how you must feel. I'll let them know you have arrived. She picks up a phone and presses a button. SECRETARY (using phone) Mr. Steele is here. Shall I send him in?... Very well sir. Puts down phone SECRETARY (to Frank) Go right in. And good luck FRANK (laughing) Thanks, with all this luck wishing, I should have nothing to worry about. Frank steps up to the door which opens automatically as he comes near. INT. PRESIDENT'S OFFICE The president's office is a very large round office with detailed schematics and maps of the corporation's world wide structure. There is a large table in the middle around which the top management is assembled. Everyone sitting at the table looks up at Frank and the President stands up. PRESIDENT MACCALL Frank, welcome. We were expecting you. Please take a seat. FRANK Thank you Mr. President. Frank sits down at the empty chair next to the president. The president sits down right after and looks Frank in the eye PRESIDENT MACCALL Please, call me John, At least you have the proper authority to do so now that you are Vice President. FRANK (surprised) What. You're serious? I was elected? PRESIDENT MACCALL Exactly. It was the unanimous decision of the board. You are now the new Vice President of The Contech Corporation. Congratulations. MEMBERS OF THE BOARD Congratulations Frank. You're on the team now FRANK (still a little surprised) Oh my, I don't know what to say... PRESIDENT MACCALL Come now, you don't have to give a speech now Frank. Now you just have to get your new office and you can start being V.P. The office next door is made ready for you. Susan will show you around. The President pushes a button on the intercom device. PRESIDENT MACCALL (to intercom) Susan, will you show Vice President Steele to his new office. INT. CONTECH CORP. FRANK'S OFFICE - DAY Frank is sitting at his new desk looking out the huge window behind the desk. He has already settled in. He turns around and picks up the phone FRANK (using phone) Susan, would you get me my home number please. A couple of seconds pass FRANK (CONT'D) (very happily) Hi Caroline, this is Vice President Steele talking. INT. STEELE'S HOME - LIVING ROOM CAROLINE (happy) You made it?? Yess. Oh honey I'm so proud of you. FRANK (V.O.) I thought I'd make reservations to the Golden Chateau for tonight. How does that sound? CAROLINE Oh yes. FRANK (V.O.) How about if you went out and got yourself a new dress, surprise me. The credit card is now unlimited. CAROLINE (very excited) All right Mr. Vice President. I'll see you later. Love you INT. CONTECH CORP. - FRANK'S OFFICE FRANK Love you too. Bye bye Mrs. Vice President He turns toward the window again. FRANK Susan, could you please get me a table at the Golden Chateau for tonight. SECRETARY (V.O.) A table for two I bet. FRANK (laughing) Yes please. SECRETARY (V.O.) All right sir FRANK Thank you Susan, and please, Frank SECRETARY (V.O.) (slightly laughing) All right Frank. For what time shall I make the reservation? Frank is looking out the window at the big city. Suddenly for just a brief second it looks like the city just vanishes. Everything goes black. He sees a blurred shape move on the right side of him. Frank blinks his eyes and when he opens them everything is normal again. He gets a very puzzled look on his face. SECRETARY (CONT'D) Frank, hello, are you alright FRANK (puzzled) Ah, yes. SECRETARY (V.O.) For what time shall make the reservation? FRANK For 20:00 please. Frank puts down the phone and stares out the window DISSOLVE TO: FLASHBACK: EXT. A RIVER IN THE FOREST Frank is 10 years old with a friend in the forest playing by the river. They are playing hide and seek. Frank is the one seeking. PAULIE, the other kid is hiding behind a big rock. FRANK AS A KID 100. I'm gonna find you Paulie. Frank runs along the river looking for Paulie. Paulie moves further behind the rock so Frank wouldn't see him. FRANK AS A KID Come out come out where ever you are. Frank stops and looks behind another big rock. He walks around it and looks at the forest behind it. Suddenly it looks like the forest vanishes. It's black as night, just like in the office. He stares at the darkness and then suddenly, just as quickly as it disappeared, ther forest comes back. Paulie has come out of hiding and gone after Frank to see what he's up to. PAULIE Hey Frankie. What are you doing here. You couldn't find me so I won, naa naa. FRANK AS A KID The forest just went away Paulie. I saw it PAULIE What are you talking about, disappeared to where, it's still there. FRANK AS A KID I don't know, it just went away, but then it came back PAULIE You've had too much candy Frankie, now come on, let's go check out that anthill over there FRANK AS A KID Yeah, I guess you're right. Last one there's a sucker They run off toward the forest. END FLASHBACK DISSOLVE TO: INT. CONTECH CORP. - LOBBY - 15:00 Frank is leaving. He stops at Susan's desk FRANK Well Susan, Thank you for today. I'm off to take my daughter to the ballet. I'll see you tomorrow SECRETARY All right Frank. See you tomorrow. Have a nice evening at the Golden Chateau FRANK (smiling) I will, believe me. Well, bye now Frank steps in to the elevator and goes down. He can't stop thinking about that vanishing city he saw. But he's not worried. It's probably just the excitement of the day that was playing tricks on him EXT. SMALL ACRES ELEMENTARY SCHOOL - YARD Frank has parked the car at the parking lot and comes up the yard to wait for Jamie. The school bell rings and the kids start coming out. In a while Jamie comes out and when she sees Frank she really light up and starts running towards him. JAMIE Daddy, you came. FRANK Of course bunny face. Now let's get this little bunny to the ballet He lifts her up JAMIE (giggling) heeheehee. They walk to the car and drive out from the school yard EXT. STREET - CROSSING They come to a red light and stop FRANK'S P.O.V: Frank looks out the windshield. Suddenly there's a bright flash and everything goes black. The blurry shape is a little sharper now. We barely have time to make out some kind of humanoid form in front of him. Another bright flash returns the normal view. INT. FRANK'S CAR Jamie is looking at Frank worried. JAMIE Daddy, what's wrong daddy FRANK (catches his breath) Nothing baby, daddy's just a little tired that's all. EXT. OUTSIDE PIZZA PLACE - 18:00 Frank and Jamie come out from the pizza place. They are walking toward the car JAMIE That was the best pizza I've ever had daddy FRANK (smiling) From now on you can have pizza anytime you want (whispering) Just don't tell mommy (laughs) JAMIE (laughing) Promise FRANK Now we should get home, mommy is waiting for us. Kimmie is coming to look after you. You like Kimmie right? They get in the car. JAMIE She's OK. FRANK She'll bring Poochie with her, so Sparky gets happy too. JAMIE Yeeaaah. EXT. OUTSIDE FRANK'S HOUSE. Frank parks the car in the usual place. Jamie runs inside. Frank gets his briefcase from the trunk. Johnson is on the other side of the hedge as usual. JOHNSON Hey there neighbor Vice President FRANK You heard huh? Looks like I finally made it. JOHNSON Congratulations. And have fun tonight FRANK Thanks, Caroline has been babbling on to you I guess. JOHNSON It's OK. See you later good neighbor Frank walks inside the house FRANK (shouting) Honey, I'm home He walks in to the living room. FRANK (CONT'D) Sweetie, anybody going to the Golden Chateau tonight? Still no answer. FRANK (flirtatious) Caroline, I'm coming for you Frank runs upstairs to the bedroom. But it's empty. Where is she? He goes back downstairs. FRANK (shouting) Jamie. Where did you go. Sparky, Sparky, here boy. No one answers to his calls. This is starting to feel just a little bit strange. FRANK (CONT'D) (for himself) She's probably still out buying that dress. And looks like Jamie took Sparky out for a walk. He walks out to the backyard, to talk to Johnson. FRANK (shouting) Hey Johnson. You seen Caroline? He looks into Johnson's garden where he usually always is working with his plants, but he's not there now. FRANK (CONT'D) JOHNSON. Great, when I finally need him he's not home. Frank walks back into the house. He sits down on the couch. FRANK (for himself) I might as well sit here and wait for her to come back. Frank picks up the TV guide and starts browsing through it. He picks the remote and turns on the TV. Some soap is on. FRANK (CONT'D) I wonder who watches this crap anyway He clicks through a few channels. Then suddenly in a bright flash everything goes black before his eyes. He barely manages to make out that humanoid shape before him again... Then in another flash everything comes back FRANK (shocked) Huhhhh.... Damn it, am I losing my mind or what the hell is going on... He stands up and screams FRANK (CONT'D) CAROLINE, JAMIE, where are you EXT. THE STREET - NIGHT He runs out the front door to see if he might see them. But he sees nobody, nobody at all in the street. It's completely empty. Not a soul. He runs to his car. He backs out on he street and starts driving along the block to see if anyone is there. Block after block he drives but not a single soul anywhere. FRANK (for himself) Damn it Frank, you can't be losing it now. Where has everybody gone? He drives into town, but the same thing there. No one is there. Finally he stops his car on the bridge and gets out. He stands by the railing and looks out on the city. FRANK'S P.O.V: Suddenly the whole city starts flashing before his eyes. Everything goes black. Again he can make out the humanoid form before him. As the blur clears a little we can make out it's big dark eyes. FRANK (screaming) What is happening, where am I? INT. FRANK'S LIVING ROOM - NIGHT Frank is sleeping on the couch, he's twisting and turning. Caroline is standing beside him and shaking him. Frank is talking in his sleep FRANK (in his sleep) where am I, nooo CAROLINE Frank. Frank, wake up Frank, you're having that dream again Frank wakes up quickly and sits up. He hugs Caroline in great relief. FRANK (beat) This time it felt so real. I was all alone, and I saw that thing again. CAROLINE Well, your safely home now honey. FRANK It's getting worse Caroline. I had that dream in the office, and in the car today, with Jamie. I never even realized I was falling asleep. It felt so awfully real. CAROLINE Let's not worry about that no. Let's concentrate on real life, You'll feel better when we get out. FRANK You're right honey. Let's go. He lets go of her and they start walking out to the car. Kimmie is with Jamie in the backyard, waving to them as they leave. EXT. FRANK'S CAR - NIGHT They're driving through the city. They arrive at the restaurant Golden Chateau. INT. GOLDEN CHATEAU - LOBBY - NIGHT Frank and Caroline enter and approach the HEAD WAITER. HEAD WAITER Good evening. Welcome to the Golden Chateau. Do you have a reservation? FRANK Yes, name is Steele. The head waiter looks through his list HEAD WAITER Yes, Vice President Steele, Contech Corporation. Maurice will show you to your table. A waiter, MAURICE, arrives and Frank and Caroline walk after him to their table. They sit down and Maurice gives them the wine list FRANK We'll have the Dom Perignon please CAROLINE (to Frank) Oh, honey, Dom Perignon. This is the first time we've had that. FRANK Well, now we really can afford it The band starts to play in the background and some people start dancing. Caroline looks at Frank CAROLINE Let's dance FRANK (laughing) I thought you'd never ask They go to dance floor and start dancing. EXT. OUTSIDE THE GOLDEN CHATEAU - 23.30 Frank and Caroline are walking out of the restaurant. They walk to the parking lot where they left the car. CAROLINE Oh Frank, this night was fantastic. Frank winks at her FRANK The night is still young sweetie Frank opens the door for Caroline and walks around to the driver's side. He opens the door and steps in while he's talking. FRANK What would you say if we got ourselves a room at the Ritz? He sits down and he notices Caroline is not in the car, even though she just got in. FRANK (CONT'D) Honey? He bends over to look out the side window. No sign of her. He opens the door and gets out himself and yells FRANK Caroline. Where did you go? EXT. PARKING LOT He starts running back to the restaurant. There is no one in the parking lot as he runs across it. He runs in through the main entrance INT. GOLDEN CHATEAU LOBBY As he runs in we see nothing but empty tables. Everyone is gone. Frank puts his hands to his head FRANK Oh no, not again. He walks out again. He stops in the middle of the parking lot and looks at the empty city. FRANKS P.O.V: As he is looking at the city it starts flashing before his eyes, disappearing and reappearing until it goes dark, all he can see is darkness in front of him. Gradually the darkness clears up a little. It looks like some kind of strange room. Then as from nowhere a humanoid creature walks up in front of him and and touches something on his head. INT. ALIEN LABORATORY - NORMAL VIEW Frank is entangled in some kind of force field with wires in his head. Around him are several gray humanoid creatures. The room looks like some kind of laboratory. In the room are several others different creatures attached to similar devices as Frank. All with wires in their heads. The creatures move as though they are having some kind of experience we cannot see. The gray humanoids are monitoring vital signs beside them. There are various display screens over each creature's device. One reads the following message: "HYPOTHETICAL LIFE FORM SIMULATION, CODE NAME MALARAN, SIMULATION IN PROGRESS, MATRIX STABLE" The following one reads: "HYPOTHETICAL LIFE FORM SIMULATION, CODE NAME VAGAN, SIMULATION IN PROGRESS, MATRIX STABLE" We see many similar messages until we reach Frank's display which reads: "HYPOTHETICAL LIFE FORM SIMULATION, CODE NAME HUMAN, SIMULATION TERMINATED, MATRIX MALFUNCTIONING, DISCARD ORGANISM AND RESET DEVICE" Frank falls like a limp body as the gray humanoids disconnect the forcefield and start carrying him away up the corridor. PULL BACK NARRATOR (V.O.) They say that we all create our own reality. But what if someone else really is creating yours? FADE OUT. THE END