Emma
The snakes got loose.
Emma
On top of the filing cabinet…
Emma
With your baseball bat.
James
What color are they?
James
WHAT COLOR ARE THE SNAKES??
James
You need to get out NOW.
Emma
I can’t! I'm scared.
James
Em, listen. There's something I haven't told you...
Emma
What are you talking about?
James
How do you think they got out?
Emma
The cage was open when I got here.
Emma
James, what do I do!? They’re everywhere!!!
James
And look for a way out.
James
Then I'll explain everything, I promise.
James
Breathe, Em. And think…
Emma
The air vents! I can reach a vent from here.
Emma
Do you think I can crawl through?
James
Wait, are you still standing on the filing cabinet?
James
Can you reach the top drawer?
James
Open it. You’ll see a ring of keys.
James
Look inside. You’ll see a ring of keys.
James
The small green one should open the vent.
Emma
How did you know these were here?
James
It doesn’t matter. Just get to safety.
Emma
I’m afraid to turn my back to the snakes.
Emma
Like they’re on fire or something!!
James
Listen. Just knock them back with the bat.
Emma
I don’t want to hurt them.
James
Em, are you crazy? They’re killers!
James
If they bite you, you die. Believe me.
Emma
Something’s not right…
Emma
I’ve never seen the snakes act like this before.
James
GET. IN. THE. VENT.
James
Then I will tell you what’s going on.
Emma
What’s wrong with you?
Emma
And why aren’t you in the lab today?
James
Did you unlock the vent?
Emma
Okay, okay - I’m reaching behind me…
Emma
Got it! I just crawled inside.
James
Head straight to the back - it should get you to the maintenance room.
Emma
Alright, I’m on my way. Now tell me what's going on.
Emma
Something is seriously wrong.
Emma
I've never seen the snakes act like this before.
Emma
I've been working with these snakes for two years.
Emma
I've never seen them like this.
James
Emma…these aren’t the snakes you know
James
Two years ago…they were a different beast…
James
It was a different time.
Emma
What are you talking about?
James
The lab was collecting venom to produce pain relief medication.
Emma
I know, James. I've worked here longer than you have.
James
Back then, we were editing genes to make the snakes more docile.
James
To reduce risk to the handlers.
Emma
I spend all day handling the snakes.
Emma
And I've never ONCE been attacked or bit.
Emma
Sometimes, they even wrap their tail around my arm...
Emma
It’s like a little snake hug.
James
I know. I've seen how you are with them.
James
It's what made me fall for you, Em.
Emma
These snakes would NEVER hurt anyone.
James
I know. But there's something I didn't tell you...
James
The project changed.
James
Since last year, I've been working with Daria on gene editing.
James
And we found that when you change one gene, other changes follow.
Emma
Like how the more docile snakes also became smarter.
Emma
They can navigate mazes, solve puzzles.
Emma
They even relate to humans.
James
But there was another change.
James
The docile snakes also produced weaker venom.
James
So Daria's investors weren't happy.
James
And we had to change the experiment.
Emma
Change HOW, exactly?
James
We started engineering snakes with more powerful venom.
James
So we could make more powerful drugs.
James
We inserted a gene for neon green scales, so we could identify them.
James
And we kept them in a locked room.
James
Only Daria and I have the key.
Emma
How long have you been doing this?
Emma
And you never told me??
James
Daria made me sign a contract.
Emma
This is the “old James” all over again…
Emma
Sneaking off, keeping secrets.
Emma
I thought the cigarettes were bad…
Emma
How can I trust you?
James
There's something else.
Emma
I can hear something behind me.
James
Are you still in the vent?
Emma
I’m crawling, but it’s hard.
Emma
And there’s this sound behind me…
James
Can you see anything?
Emma
I think something’s glowing?
Emma
It’s like, a faint green light…
Emma
I think it’s one of the snakes.
Emma
And it’s coming this way.
James
I can’t lose you. Not like this.
Emma
My elbows are all scraped up.
Emma
It’s so cramped in here!
James
If you don’t get out of there, I’ll never forgive myself.
Emma
James. It’s not your fault.
Emma
The snake just hissed.
Emma
I’ve never heard them do that.
James
These snakes are different.
Emma
I can see the end of the vent!
Emma
I don’t know if I can make it…
James
DON’T. GIVE. UP. You’re stronger than that.
James
I know you can make it.
Emma
I’m in the maintenance room.
Emma
But before I go back into that hallway…
Emma
You have to tell me everything.
James
When we changed the venom…
James
Something else changed too.
James
The snakes were still smart, but they became...
Emma
And these are the snakes that escaped?
James
And if you don't leave the facility, they will find you.
James
They've already unlocked their cage.
James
That means they can unlock doors.
James
Even the maintenance room isn’t safe. They’ll come for you.
Emma
Why didn't you stop the experiment once you saw the side effects?
James
Look, Daria is close to a deal with a drug company.
James
The profits could be huge.
Emma
But you're making the snakes suffer.
Emma
You haven’t seen what I just saw back there..
Emma
They were squirming and thrashing...
Emma
Like they were in pain.
James
I don't know what to tell you, Em.
Emma
How about the truth?
Emma
Why did you lie to me?
James
I just didn't say anything.
James
But I’m telling you the truth now.
James
And if you don’t leave the facility ASAP...
James
I promise you, bad things are going to happen.
Emma
Alright. I'm in the main corridor.
James
Let me know as soon as you're safe outside.
James
Then I'll call Daria.
Emma
I can't let you do that.
Emma
If I leave the facility, the snakes die.
Emma
Someone will come to exterminate them.
James
But if you stay, YOU die!
Emma
There has to be a way to fix this…
Emma
I don't want blood on my hands.
Emma
The snakes don't deserve this.
James
I'm going to call the police.
Emma
I can hear something outside the door.
James
You mean… outside the facility?
Emma
There's someone trying to get in.
James
I didn't call anyone!
Emma
I'm looking through the window...
James
The snakes must have tripped an alarm.
James
She probably got notified as soon as they escaped their cage.
Emma
Then why does she have a GUN?
Emma
She's banging on the door and yelling.
Emma
But I can't hear what she’s saying.
James
What are you waiting for?
Emma
Something doesn't feel right...
Emma
Hang on. It's gone quiet.
Daria
Emma, is that you in there?
Daria
Open the goddamn door.
Daria
Or there’s gonna be trouble.
