Serpent

(OVER RECORDING) You have four new messages.

First message...

I'm in our usual room, 504, so...

Message deleted.

Next message...

Don't do this.

- (BEEPS) Message deleted.

- Next message. Voice mail again.

I can do this all weekend. You know I...

- (PHONE BEEPS) Message deleted.

Next message.

Hey, uh, it's me.

Um, yeah, dinner's on the go.

Uh, look forward to seeing you at home.

Okay. Love you. Bye.

Hello, you.

Can't decide what to wear.

That's just the fallout.

It'll be like you never left.

How's the real world?

Mm. Just want to shower it all off.

- Guess what. - What?

We got the grant.

- Really? - Mm-hmm.

Dr. Kealey.

It will mean more time away.

God, we had this ridiculous team-building exercise today,

- ...but I... - (SIZZLING)

What are you burning?

Oh, shit.

Okay.

I thought this was a recipe book.

You should see this place, hmm?

Full of all the creepy-crawly nature stuff?

No, thank you.

No phone reception, for a start.

That sounds awful.

How long till we eat?

Mm...

Oh, Adam, gross.

Not by the food.

Lookit...

I know that this has been hard on us.

Yeah, but...

...we're almost out on the other side, 'kay?

I am proud of you.

What you do matters.

It's real.

No, you do not leave that stove.

I'm starving.

Hello.

So I have to call from another number...

- ...just to get to... - (PHONE BEEPS)

- (SIZZLING) - (UTENSIL CLATTERS)

Take me with you...

...just you and me.

What's going on?

Pete and I have been working on this for months.

It's a big deal.

When I get back,

...you know, we'll... We'll...

We'll go away.

Please. Come on. This isn't the kind of trip

- ...you can just... - Don't!

Take me.

Take me to this world you've been hiding.

Pete.

You know I'd never...

Ah, shit.

Need to talk about this trip.

Something's come up.

You bet. Are you driving?

No, you better come down.

- (PHONE RINGS) - Yeah, now's good.

Sorry. Sorry. Hang on a second, Pete.

- (PHONE RINGS) - Shannon.

Look, I don't really think that...

One second.

Sorry. Where were we?

- Hi, Shan. Hi.

We're on for Saturday, right?

Have you forgotten?

The dress.

Hey, if Adam's going in the morning,

...why don't you stay with me for the weekend?

Forget it. You seem...

Shannon, sorry.

I'm going with Adam.

You know, I'll call you later. Promise.

Why have you never given them to me?

I don't know.

Won't the firm fall apart without you?

It's quite a leap...

...this...

...going from boycotting...

...anything to do with shoes like these to...

Well, to where we're headed.

It's isolated.

And I know.

I want to be part of this.

Well, that's our lead, Scarabaeoidea Coleoptera.

Some locals stumbled across it,

...and if it is a whole new species,

...then we're gonna have to move fast to protect it.

Hello.

It's Pete.

I'm gonna need to deal with this face to face.

- You wait for me. - Yeah.

We'll eat together.

Last chance to go girly on me.

No going back from here.

He says in reverse.

Here.

- What's this? - Watertight and shockproof...

- ...for the urban addict. - Aw, he loves me.

Yeah, he knows you.

- It's cute. I like it. - In nature,

...that color is an alarm,

...means, "Leave me the fuck alone. I'm poisonous."

So, do we, like, have a matching pair or something?

No.

No, I've, uh, got a spare phone in my bag.

You know, if it wasn't for this tiny, little stag beetle,

...we wouldn't even be allowed in there.

Come on!

There's a lot riding on this, you know?

But they are there.

I'm sure of it.

I like that,

...something flourishing, despite us.

Not feeling well?

Roll the window down. Get yourself some air.

(OVERLAPPING CHATTER, TRAFFIC NOISE INCREASES)

Hey, babe, I just really suck at being a passenger.

Do you mind if I drive?

I'll get the med bag for you,

...see if we got anything in there, eh?

I'll be fine if...

If you're not behind the wheel.

Thanks.

You might be in luck.

That looks serious.

Yeah. Pete's brother brought her back from Baghdad.

She comes on every trip. It's our lucky bag.

She?

Matilda.

Right.

Tape, bandages, sterile, atropine.

What's that?

Huh?

That is our comedown in case of chemical warfare,

...but we keep it in case of a snakebite.

Or we could take it and watch the stars.

I'll be keeping that away from you, then.

Anyway, there's only enough for one of us.

Mm, doesn't look like we've got anything.

So who would get to take it, then?

Oh, me of course.

See the sign for Suicide Gorge?

- Yeah. - Follow that sign.

Are you serious?

It's only gonna be found here in the gorge.

Their ecosystem is that small.

Thank you.

I don't like what I did to Pete.

I like what you did for us.

Thanks.

It's already so hot.

Yeah.

All right...

...shouldn't take any longer than a couple of hours...

...to hike up to the summit.

We descend from there.

Don't we need more stuff?

There's a research hut on the other side of the gorge.

It's got supplies in it.

You got Nemo?

- Huh? - Your phone.