Patient Zero

Sci Fi/Suspense 00:10:00

 

Logline: A stranger has 5 minutes to convince a woman to kill herself to save mankind.

Director: Forest Olinger

Writer: Joshua A. Cohen

Producer: Joshua A. Cohen

 

 

Produced for the Almost Famous Film Festival 2008.

The film was a Top 20 finalist, and Amanda Ouest won a Best Acting award.

 

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FADE IN

 

EXT. CONDO - DAY

 

PAM ZENDRA exits a condo with BRAD FORNETTI, post-coital. They kiss.

 

SALLY McGEE storms up to them.

 

               SALLY

          Brad!  How could you?

 

Brad and Pam are surprised.

 

               BRAD

          Who the f --

 

               SALLY

          -- After everything we've been

          through!

 

               BRAD

              (to Pam)

          Baby, I don't know who this psycho

          -

 

BAM!  Sally shoots him in the head.

 

Pam SCREAMS.

 

Sally turns the gun on Pam, who runs around the corner.

 

FRANK BROWN drives by.

 

               PAM

          Help!  Please help me!

 

Frank SCREECHES to a halt.

 

               FRANK

          Get in!

 

She gets in.  They drive off.

 

               PAM

          Oh, thank you...

 

               FRANK

          You're welcome, Pam.

 

               PAM

          Wh... how do you know my name?

 

Frank gives her a handgun.

 

               FRANK

          Everyone knows your name.

 

               PAM

          Will you please let me out?

 

               FRANK

          I can't.  Not yet.

 

               PAM

          What the hell is going on here?

 

               FRANK

          My name is Frank Brown.  I've come

          to save a lot of people.

 

They stop at a light.  Frank locks the door.

 

               PAM

          I have no idea what you're talking

          about.  Let me out.

 

               FRANK

          The man you just slept with was

          Brad Fornetti.  You two just

          created a super-virus that will

          eventually kill 2 billion women.

 

Pam points the gun at him.

 

               PAM

          You're insane.  Let me out!

 

               FRANK

          The world spent half a trillion

          dollars to send me back to this

          moment.  We traced the virus to

          you.  It was created right there in

          that bedroom.  There is no

          ambiguity.  There is no question.

 

She COCKS the gun.

 

               PAM

          You have 3 seconds.

 

               FRANK

          No, I have several minutes.

 

She lowers the gun a little.

 

               PAM

          Can you prove any of this?

 

He reaches in the back seat and hands her a back pack.  She opens in and sees a screen inside.

 

               FRANK

          Men are carriers, but it's women

          that are killed by it.  The virus

          was just created in your cervex,

          and you'll become infectious in

          less than 5 minutes.

 

She closes the back pack.

 

               PAM

          So what do you want from me?

 

               FRANK

          It's not what I want.  It's what we

          all need.  We need you to die.

 

Pam points the gun at him again.

 

               PAM

          I have a good life!  I have

          friends!  I haven't hurt anyone!  I

          don't deserve this!

 

               FRANK

          I know.  But neither did those 2

          billion women.  You owe it to them.

 

 

 

EXT. DESERT - SAME

 

They continue driving.

 

               PAM

          What if I don't let you kill me?

 

               FRANK

          I'm not going to kill you.  You're

          going to kill yourself.

 

Beat.

 

               PAM

          You can't make me.

 

               FRANK

          I know.  You have to make the

          decision yourself.

 

               PAM

          Why couldn't you have just told me

          to use protection?  Or deuche? Or

          not have sex with anyone for the

          rest of my life? 

 

               FRANK

          We've calculated every possible

          past and future.  This is the only

          way.  You killed all those women...

          and you're the only one who can

          save them.

 

He pulls to a stop. 

 

               PAM (CONT'D)

          What are you doing?

 

He exits the car, grabs a tank of gas from the trunk.

 

               FRANK

          I've been in a hermetically sealed

          environment my entire life.

          Meeting you means I've been

          infected.

 

He douses himself in gasoline.

 

               FRANK (CONT'D)

          I know you'll do the right thing,

          Pam.

 

He lights himself on fire, SCREAMS.

 

Pam GASPS, starts shaking and crying. 

 

               PAM

          This changes everything.

 

She looks at the keys in the ignition. She looks in the back pack again, then out to Frank's body.

 

With great sadness and resignation, she exits the car, walks to the fire, puts the gun to her head.

 

  FADE OUT.

 

 

 

                    BANG.

 

 

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In Production:

 

 

Completed: