SHCHERBINA You'll do it because it must be done.
Shcherbina slowly rises. Fixes his gaze on the men. His old gaze. His old anger and determination. The Ukrainian bull.
SHCHERBINA You'll do it because no one else can, and if you don't, millions will die. And if you tell me that's not enough, I won't believe you.
The Plant Employee sits down. The others listen carefully now, like they're finally hearing their native tongue.
SHCHERBINA This is what has always set our people apart. A thousand years of sacrifice in our veins. And every generation must know its own suffering. I spit on the men who did this. And I curse the price I have to pay. But I am making my peace with it. You make yours. And go into the water. (beat)
Because it must be done. Silence. Then... a MAN in the back rises. 30-years old.
ANANENKO
Ananenko.
A moment, then ANOTHER MAN rises. 40.
BEZPALOV
Bezpalov. Then a THIRD MAN rises. 50.
BARANOV
Baranov.
Three men. Ready to die for what must be done.
Everyone looks at them like they're heroes. Because they already are.
261 EXT. CHERNOBYL - NEAR ADMINISTRATION BUILDING - DAY 261
Pikalov's troops, in full hazard gear, stand by a MAINTENANCE DOOR.
They silently turn, faceless behind their masks, to:
THE THREE MEN: Ananenko, Bezpalov and Baranov-- each dressed in HEAVY DIVING WET SUITS. Soldiers strap DOSIMETERS to the men... one on the chest, one on an ankle.
Pikalov's men prepare the divers, like priests anointing sacrifices. Tightening gloves. Fastening boots.
Then they cover the three men's heads with RESPIRATOR MASKS. Ananenko, Bezpalov and Baranov are now FACELESS.
Ananenko and Bezpalov are given TORCHES and WRENCHES to hold. Baranov is given a DOSIMETER on the end of a TELESCOPING ROD.
It's time. A soldier TAPS on the maintenance door. Ready? The three divers look at each other. Then nod. Ready.
A RISE - ONE HUNDRED METERS AWAY - where Pikalov, Shcherbina and Legasov are watching.
Pikalov's men OPEN THE DOOR. The three divers ENTER.
262 INT. DUCTWAY ENTRANCE - SAME 262
The silhouettes of the three men are stark against the WHITE RECTANGLE OF LIGHT in the opening.
They step into the darkness... and the DOOR SEALS BEHIND THEM with a low, echoey BOOM.
They're sealed in now.
Pitch black. Then: a FLICKER of SPARKS floats down from above, giving us a GLIMPSE of:
A METAL STAIRWAY DOWN INTO THE DEPTHS. Another flicker. It's steep. Narrow. The layers of rustproofing are the color of dried blood.
Then: LIGHT. Two torch beams cut through the air, relflecting in the swirling particles of smoke and dust.
THE THREE - stand at the top of the steps. The light catches enough of the bottom for them to see:
REFLECTIVE WATER AT THE BOTTOM - dark and deathly still.
Baranov holds out the dosimeter. Points it down the stairs. The needle WOBBLES to the right.
No choice. It's the only way.
They head down the stairs.
263 INT. THE DUCTS - MOMENTS LATER 263
LIGHT - ripples on the surface of WATER.
THE THREE - move through the duct. The water comes up to their ANKLES here.
THE PASSAGEWAY - tight. Low. A claustrophic maze of PIPES and ELECTRICAL CABLING. They duck their heads to go by.
No sound but their BREATH... and the occasional GROANING of the building above them...
Ananenko and Bezpalov shine their torches on the seemingly hundreds of interweaving pipes running along the sides of the wall and the ceiling.
There's tiny writing on some of them. Ananenko points to a pipe. "This one." Bezpalov nods. Yes. Follow it.
264 INT. DEEPER DOWN - MOMENTS LATER 264
Light bobs in the darkness as they round a bend, coming toward us. The water is deeper now. Up to their SHINS.
As they pass an opening to a SIDE-TUNNEL, Baranov points his dosimeter at it. The needle ROCKS HARD to the right.
Silently, he pushes the other two from behind. Move faster. Keep going.
They follow the duct... torch lights shining on the PIPES lining the sides... another turn... they're going DOWN now... the water seems darker here... and it's RISING.
Ananenko shines his torch toward the sound, and they see:
WATER - SEEPING IN from cracks in the tunnel wall. It's rising all around them now. Coming up to their KNEES.
Move faster. Keep going.
Their breathing gets heavier as they slosh through the rising water. Ahead, an intersection. Three tunnels.
The pipes are bending and crossing over each other. The men stop. Can't find the one they need.
Which way?
Baranov moves the dosimeter toward the WATER spilling in. The needle rises. The more water... the higher it goes...
He turns back to Ananenko and Bezpalov-- and sees them both MOVING THEIR LIGHTS over the three possible paths to take, trying to make sense of the maze of pipes...
THE WATER RISES
THE DOSIMETER RISES
And then...
ANANENKO'S TORCH GOES DEAD.
They stop. Turn to him. He HITS IT. But it's dead. Fried. Then:
BEZPALOV'S TORCH FLICKERS.
The three men stare at it. We can only see their eyes through the goggles of their masks. That's enough.
Terror.
Please. No.
Their only remaining torch FLICKERS again. Bezpalov hits it. The light comes back on. And then it goes OUT.
And we see nothing now. No walls. No floor. No direction.
Just the sound of three men lost in the rising water—
—and their BREATHING... growing FASTER and LOUDER until it's too much to bear, and:
BLACK
END OF EPISODE TWO
CHERNOBYL
Episode 3 - "Open Wide, O Earth"
Written by Craig Mazin
July 20, 2018
Copyright© 2018 Home Box Office, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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301 INT. DUCTS - WHERE WE WERE AT THE END OF EPISODE 2 301
PANICKED BREATHING. DARKNESS. WATER RUSHING. Then: whir whir whir whir...
A SMALL, DIM LIGHT begins to fade up in the darkness, PULSING brighter and brighter with each whir whir whir...
BEZPALOV - is holding a small hand-powered DYNO TORCH. With every squeeze, the light grows brighter... then starts to dim down...
BARANOV moves the DOSIMETER closer to the meager rising/ falling light. Then signals to Ananenko... look at this... but Ananenko shakes his head. Doesn't matter. Stay calm.
whir whir whirwhirwhirwhirwhir
Ananenko makes gentle movements now with his hand. To both of them. "Slow your breathing. Don't panic."
whir... whir whir
The three men wrestle with their fear. Control their breathing. Then Ananenko grabs Bezpalov by the wrist. Moves Bezpalov's free hand toward the back of his wetsuit.
Grab it.
Bezpalov grabs it. Then Baranov grabs on to him, so that all three are now holding on to each other.
Ananenko holds his hand up to them. Makes a FIST. "Tight." They tighten their grips. If they let go... they are lost. whir whir whir whir...