GLASS EATERS – Teleplay Draft

CREATURE DOSSIER — Silica-Swarm™

Classification: Artificially engineered silica nanomachine cluster
Origin: Bio-inspired by Euplectella (glass sponge) genetics, refined via DNA-origami at Spicule Labs
Physical Form: • Microscopic hexagonal “spicules” assemble into fluid, sand-like colonies • Visible as a dark, oily granular mist before activation
Mechanism of Action: • Catalytically dissolves SiO₂ in tempered glass, concrete admixtures, fiber optics • Re-polymerizes silica into sacrificial scaffolds for self-replication
Capabilities: • “Glass-eating” at >1 m²/min rate on commercial glazing • Penetrates seals & gaskets—undetectable until structural failure • Self-healing: nanocapsules release repair monomers on damage
Weaknesses: • Thermal Shock – sudden ΔT ≥ 600 °C followed by cryo-spray causes fracturing • High-Salinity Exposure – >20 % NaCl solution denatures silica-binding proteins • UV-C Irradiation – at 254 nm for >5 min deactivates surface catalysts
Status: • All field samples neutralized; surveillance drones recovered residual powder • Project site abandoned; remaining prototype units under Pentagon lock-down

THE X‑FILES "GLASS EATERS" (Unproduced Episode) Teleplay by: YOUR NAME & ChatGPT Draft date : 12 May 2025 Runtime : 45 min (Network Hour) ================================================================= TEASER EXT. MIAMI BEACH BOARDWALK – PRE‑DAWN AFTER A HURRICANE Dark clouds still roil offshore. Emergency CREWS sweep debris. A CITY WORKER (late‑20s) brushes a drift of BLACKISH SAND. WORKER Nasty color for sand… Suddenly the sand *flows* up a tempered‑glass HANDRAIL — the panel hisses and disintegrates into powder. The worker SCREAMS as the boardwalk lamp POST silently buckles. WIDER: the façade of a NEARBY GLASS TOWER collapses in total silence—every pane gone. Nature’s breath. SMASH CUT TO: MAIN TITLES ================================================================= ACT ONE INT. X‑FILES BASEMENT OFFICE – MORNING Mulder finishes a slideshow: “Glassless high‑rises, fiber‑optic blackouts, 17 Hz sonar pulse off Key Largo.” MULDER All within twelve hours of Hurricane Reyna. Scully side‑eyes a photo: ultraviolet close‑up of coral‑like filigree on black sand. SCULLY Coral patterns? In construction glass? Skinner enters, stern. SKINNER Miami‑Dade wants answers before Spring Break. You’re on the next flight south. CUT TO: EXT. COLLAPSED HIGH‑RISE – DAY Steel skeleton intact; lobby marble etched with MICRO‑GROOVES. Mulder sprinkles sand under a UV wand — coral lattice fluoresces. MULDER This isn’t erosion… it’s consumption. Nearby, CITY ENGINEER reports plugs of shattered fiber conduit— *optic cables dissolved from inside*. ================================================================= ACT TWO INT. UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI MARINE LAB – NIGHT Microscope view: fractal hexagons of SILICA. Scully annotates. SCULLY (recorder) Synthetic codons in peptide hubs… someone printed these nano‑sponges. Lab tech patches in live NOAA ROV feed— EXT. ATLANTIC TRENCH – ROV CAM (MONITORS) A milky “SAND‑FALL” pours into darkness. Sonar masks a VOID. ROV audio crackles: a 17 Hz PULSE, like a distant heart. Sudden STATIC. Feed dies. Fiber link *cut*. ================================================================= ACT THREE INT. MIAMI‑DADE EMERGENCY OPS CENTER – DAWN Power grid failing. Mulder pitches *Operation GLASS BREAKER*. MULDER Laser‑barges super‑heat the dunes, then Fire‑Rescue helicopters rain liquid nitrogen. Thermal shock will pulverize the lattice. Commissioners argue. A DHS SUIT drops a black folder: “Unacknowledged Maritime Contact – Minimize Collateral”. EXT. VIZCAYA GARDENS – AFTERNOON Black sand flows like surf, climbing stained‑glass ORANGERIES. Scully films MICRO video: sponges form translucent **EGGS** around shards — deliberate harvesting. SCULLY It’s not random. Someone’s gathering raw silica. ================================================================= ACT FOUR – COUNTDOWN (LIVE CLOCK) EXT. VIRGINIA KEY SHIPPING CHANNEL – DUSK Two container CRANES retro‑fitted with 1.2 MW INDUSTRIAL LASERS. Fire‑Rescue CH‑47s hover overhead, tanks of LN₂‑sea‑slurry. 00:05:00 – LASERS IGNITE. Dunes glow SCARLET. 00:04:00 – Black sand rears like a TSUNAMI, slamming the seawall. INT. COMMAND BARGE HUD shows surface temp 1250 °C. Mulder radios Scully in LH‑92. MULDER Your turn to chill ‘em, Scully. 00:02:00 – Helos douse the dune. A piercing “CHIME.” Sand turns to glittering POWDER, collapsing. Suddenly all instruments spike—A MASSIVE SONAR SHADOW rises beneath a CARGO SHIP, then vanishes. Low‑freq pulse FRIES boards. ================================================================= ACT FIVE INT. PORTMIAMI QUARANTINE HANGAR – MORNING Buckets of inert WHITE POWDER. Scully: lattice fractured. Coast Guard radar shows UNMARKED BARGE hauling crates offshore— then blink **OFF SCOPE**. INT. MIAMI INTL AIRPORT – EVENING Mulder plays cleaned audio—prime number pulses. Timestamps MISS. MULDER Someone scrubbed the source. SCULLY Or… something. ================================================================= TAG EXT. MIAMI BEACH – NIGHT A CHILD builds a sandcastle with leftover “snow.” Wind gust. Camera PUSHES IN: within a turret, a TINY WEBBED FINGER twitches. Castle collapses. Low sea‑rumble rolls across the beach. FADE OUT. ================================================================= END OF EPISODE