The Corruption of Immortality

Premise Telomerase The key to life longevity and cancer Logline Underneath muscle tissues and within the blood cells are hard at work, dividing and reproducing, keeping the body in healthy condition. Within these many individual cells is a biological factory producing enzymes and duplicating chromosomes. The factory is powered by twin mitochondrion engines and it spews out duplicated chromosomes at a steady rate. The chromosomes however begin to lose their telomere length making them more prone to mutation. A glowing telomerase floats down from the darkness and attaches itself to the factory, supercharging it and restoring the telomere length back to normal. The chromosomes start pouring out at a faster rate but then the factory starts to take on too much stress. The engines overheat and then the factory itself mutates into a cancerous form and the chromosomes start deforming and coming out at a sporadic rate. From the outside the cell as a whole warps into an ugly discoloured mass and then splits in two. Cells in the background are also one by one mutating. The factory is then shown again in an eerie slow state of production, throwing out chromosomes with mutated forms. Then finally the lights shut off. Step Outline EXT. VEIN BLOOD STREAM - Cell floating along others through the blood stream. INT. CELL

- A chromosome factory at the nucleus of the cell is duplicating chromosomes that are flying into it. - The twin mitochondria engines rumble floating nearby. - The chromosomes gradually begin to lose their telomeres as theyre duplicating. - The engines begin to overheat and change colour and the factory lets out straining sounds. EXT. CELL - The cell ripples for a second from the stress of the factory. - A glowing telomerase descends onto the cell from the darkness. INT. CELL - The telomerase attaches to the top of the factory and then the chromosomes restore their original telomere length. - The chromosomes start flying out at a really fast pace. - The factory groans in stress once again and the engines start turning red. - The factory starts deforming with bumps and ripples. - The chromosomes that are coming out duplicated are also mutating in form and becoming oddly shaped. EXT. CELL - The cell begins its own deformation starting by changing to a brownish colour and losing its transparency. - The cell splits into two. The two new cells grow out tendril like appendages and grow the texture of mucus. - In the background other cells are also mutating and dividing. INT. CELL

- The factory is in ruins and still steadily spewing out mutated chromosomes. - One mutated chromosome slowly floats underneath a light from above. - The chromosome shatters and the light turns off.