"TOTAL RECALL"

Screen Story and Screenplay

by

Ronald Shusett and Dan O'Bannon

Fifth Revision

by

Ronald Shusett and Steven Pressfield

"TOTAL RECALL"

FADE IN:

1	EXT. DESERT - DAY

All we can see, filling the entire frame is a flame-orange sky...almost 
like the
sky from the burning of Atlanta in "Gone with the Wind".

SUPERIMPOSE: Presenter credit.

PAN DOWN lower and lower until we see the terrain below... the desert. 
There is
no vegetation whatever, just sand and odd-shaped rock formations. The air 
is
filled with red dust, which alternately obscures and then reveals the 
image.
CAMERA MOVES FORWARD optically - enlarging the film grain in the process.


SLOW DISOLVE

OPENING CREDITS BEGIN.

ANOTHER SHOT of a barren landscape, once more with bizarre rocks. Dust. 
Sound of
wind. CAMERA MOVES FORWARD again. DISSOLVE.

ANOTHER LANDSCAPE, but this time, in the distance are some enormous 
plastic
domes. Sunlight striking them and reflect- ing causes brilliant rainbows. 
CAMERA
optically tracks toward the dome, seen in tantalizingly indistinct 
fashion
through the red dust. DISSOLVE...

ANOTHER ANGLE, and, in the distance, on the horizon of the arid landscape 
is a
huge SPHINX-LIKE STRUCTURE. (It is reminiscent of the Egyptian sphinx, 
but both
body and face, though gargoyle-like, are different in design.) There are 
some
large pyramids not far from the sphinx. CAMERA MOVES optically FORWARD. 
DISSOLVE.

CAMERA is much closer to the sphinx and is directly in front. It moves
(combination of zoom and optical printer move) towards the eyes, which 
appear to
be red gems.

As CAMERA APPROACHES one of the eyes, it appears to be stained red glass, 
as in a
temple. Suddenly there is a terrific explosion and the glass shatters 
into
millions of fragments which hurtle toward the camera...


2	INT. CATACOMB BELOW "SPHINX" - DAY

A MAN wearing a LIGHTWEIGHT THERMAL SUIT is RUNNING THROUGH THIS 
LABYRINTH of
TUNNELS. The GROUND TREMBLES under him, as if in an earthquake. We cannot 
clearly
make out his face, especially since he wears some kind of BREATHING 
APPARATUS
over a portion of it.

The surface of the tunnel's "walls" is curious; the walls are, again, 
bright
reddish orange, and a composite of two different substances: 
rough-textured,
clay-like material and red quartz, which glistens like crystal.

The man throws a backward glance over his shoulder, fear- fully, as he 
runs. His
HANDS are SPLATTERED with BLOOD. Because of this, the RED GLOW, the air 
of FEAR
to the man, and the GROUND HEAVING and BUCKLING, there is almost a 
SATANIC
suggestion to the scene.

Suddenly, up AHEAD of the man, there appears a BRILLIANT WHITE LIGHT. He 
SEES IT,
and runs even faster towards it.

We are ALMOST UP TO THE LIGHT, and we SEE HANDS REACHING OUT OF THE LIGHT 
TOWARDS
US... that seem to beckon him to SAFETY.

ABRUPTLY, the ENTIRE SCREEN GOES RED, BUT IN REVERSE NEGATIVE; with 
YELLOW
LAYOVERS. (So that all the images we see -- ENTIRE FRAME -- are small 
YELLOW
AREAS diffused on a RED BACKGROUND.) It is much like looking at a tableau 
made
out of molten lava.

SUPERIMPOSE MAIN TITLE:

TOTAL RECALL

HOLD.

DISSOLVE TO:


3	INT. BEDROOM IN SMALL APARTMENT - MORNING

DOUGLAS QUAIL and his wife KRISTEN, are asleep in bed.

Gradually the room lights BRIGHTEN. The CLOCK CHIMES and begins SPEAKING 
in a
soft, feminine voice.

CLOCK (sweetly) Tick, tock, seven o'clock. Time to rise and open your 
eyes.

They don't budge. Shortly, the clock CHIMES again.

CLOCK (continuing) Tick, tock, seven-oh-one. Time to get up, the day had 
begun.

Quail's wife stirs. Maddeningly, the clock CHIMES a third time.

CLOCK (continuing) Tick, tock --

Quail reaches out and shuts the clock off. Then he sits up in bed.

He swings his legs out from under the covers and sits on the edge of the 
bed. He
puts on his glasses and sits, lost in thought.

He is a good-looking but conventional man in his early thirties. He seems 
rather
in awe of his wife, who is attractive and rather off-hand towards him.

Kirsten pulls on her robe, lights a cigarette, sits fishing for her 
slippers.

QUAIL I dreamed about Mars again... it was bizarre, yet is was so real...


KIRSTEN (casual) It's your time of the month again.

Quail looks at her quizzically.

KIRSTEN (continuing; world-weary air) At least once a month. Douglas 
Quail's
obsession. For twelve years you've been talking about Mars.

QUAIL People do go to Mars, you know.

KIRSTEN That's right, Douglas. But not you. Not us.

Quail looks crestfallen.

KIRSTEN (continuing; disdainful) As it is, we can barely scrape by on 
your lousy
ten thousand a week.

She leaves the room. He meditates on what she said, depressed.


4	INT. KITCHENETTE - MORNING

Quail and Kirsten sit at a small table, eating breakfast. On the WALL is
projected the front page of a NEWSPAPER.

Drinking his coffee, Quail studies the wall with the air of a man who had 
his
"node stuck in a newspaper," ignoring his wife.

The newspaper headline reads: "RIOTING ON MARS OVER WATER TAX."

His wife is reading a different article: "Four Women Rape Man in Park."

KIRSTEN (mumbling) What do they expect ... the way men dress these days 
... then
they scream rape.

Quail is absorbed in his own paper and doesn't hear her.

QUAIL You know -- let's really do it.

KIRSTEN Rape men in the park?

QUAIL No. Go to Mars.

KIRSTEN (withering) Go to hell.

QUAIL We can pool our savings and I've got some sick leave coming, 
besides my
regular vacation...

KIRSTEN (interrupting; corrects herself) ...more of a half-wit. For a 
start a war
could break out there any day ...

She gestures toward the TV screen where Martian police are keeping 
protesters
behind a barrier. Some have signs reading "A FREE MARS", "DOWN WITH 
COHAAGEN",
"EARTH - OUT" etc.

QUAIL That's just media talk. They're... (indicating the protesters) 
...just a
minority. They're powerless.

KIRSTEN Well, there's a lot of things we need around here before we waste 
our
money on a trip to Mars. We're broke. I'm just a slave around this dump. 
Now if
you were capable of finding a better job....

The kitchen clock chimes and talks.

CLOCK It's now eight. You'll be late!

QUAIL I'll be late!

He jumps up quickly from the table, picks up his coat and briefcase, 
kisses
KIRSTEN's perfunctorily offered cheek and leaves.


4A	EXT. CITY - EARLY MORNING

CAMERA TRACKS with Quail as he walks along the busy modern street towards 
a
subway station. Modern cars (out of focus) pass noiselessly between the 
camera
and Quail. There is a plaintive tune being played on violin. Quail pauses 
and
gives a wad of notes to the aged violinist, then walks on briskly.


5	INT. SUBWAY STATION - EARLY MORNING

Quail enters the station. Everybody must pass through a weapons check 
before
proceeding to the platforms.

TWO ARMED GUARDS stand at either side, as commuters pass through an 
electronic
beam. On a screen, the entire body of each person is seen in X-ray. All 
of them
are clearly carrying a gun in their inside coat pocket.

GUARD No weapon again, Mr. Quail?

QUAIL I keep forgetting, Herb. They frighten me.

GUARD Yeah? Well, it's the law, Mr. Quail. Has been since 1990 they tell 
me.
Tomorrow - ya carry ya gun or ya get reported.

GUARD gestures to his associate. They've obviously been through this with 
Quail
before.

QUAIL Okay. Herb, okay.

Quail walks on to the track area. The train arrives. Signs above each 
approaching
car say "CAR FULL", "ROOM FOR 10 PERSONS", etc. Quail goes to a carriage 
marked
"NEW CAR".


6	INT. URBAN TRANSIT TRAIN - DAY

The doors open and the crowd surges on. Quail grabs a seat. At intervals
throughout the car are VIDEO MONITORS on which a NEWS BROADCAST is 
showing.

NEWSCASTER (V.O.) -- more violence today from Mars's strike-torn ore 
colonies --

Everyone ignores the broadcast -- except Quail, who perks instantly at 
the word
"Mars."

The NEWSCASTER is a young black man.

NEWSCASTER (continuing) ...but Earth Intelligence Operations Director 
Vilos
Cohaagen, clearly worried about the damage to Mars's all important 
tourist
industry was today dismissive of the dissident groups....

TV scene switches to a press conference. COHAAGEN, sur- rounded by AIDES, 
steps
in front of a podium packed with news network microphones and cameras. 
Cohaagen
is a striking, intense man with an obvious air of power.

COHAAGEN We're dealing with a bunch of extremists and unrepresentative 
lunatics.
Mars is a happy and prosperous protectorate of Earth... and will remain 
so.

The train stops at another station and more people pile on. Quail tries 
to watch
the broadcast through the bodies passing in front of him and 
intermittently
blocking the image.

REPORTER (V.O.) There have been some criticisms, sir....

COHAAGEN I have no further comment.

The news conference ends and a bright looking young man comes on the 
screen.
Quail continues to watch, though not as interested, initially, as he was 
by the
Mars story. Few of the other passengers bother looking at the screen.

ANNOUNCER Good morning, commuters. This portion of your trip is brought 
to you by
Rekall, Inc. Do you have a dream that never came true? Do you aspire - 
but only
perspire? Has the great adventure passed you by? Then come to... REKALL, 
where
what might have been will have been. For the memories of a lifetime... 
REKALL.

Quail watches the commercial through to the end, but doesn't seem to take 
it very
seriously. He glances away as a card comes on the screen with REKALL's 
numbers.


6B	INT. QUAIL'S OFFICE - DAY

Quail is seated at a computer console in a vast beehive of a room. 
Numerous
people are typing information onto the screens. Quail pauses in his 
typing,
thoughtful. He then types in a little more information, then pauses 
again. On the
screen, a sentence types itself...

WHY HAVE YOU STOPPED? REQUEST MORE INFORMATION.

Quail read it and continues.


9	INT. McCLANE'S OFFICE - REKALL - DAY

Scene opens on a CU of McCLANE, a genial, bubbling, enthus- iastic man.

McCLANE We're all dreamers, Douglas. But here at Rekall, dreams are our 
business.

He presses a button on his desk and the chairs on which they are seated 
appear to
be in outer space. Countless stars glitter all around. Startlingly, a 
comet
whizzes by. Quail is amazed. McClane grins and presses the button again. 
The
scene changes to a beautiful underwater coral reef. Multi-colored fish 
swim
around the chairs and desk.

QUAIL But... is the process really that effective? A false memory!?

McCLANE (shaking his head; smiling) We prefer the term "extra- factual 
implant".
Your memory will be complete in every way. You will have gone to Mars. We

guarantee that.

QUAIL Is it in any way dangerous? I mean, the medical techniques?

McCLANE Not when you deal with qualified operators - like us.

He presses the button again and the normal office returns. Quail looks 
around,
impressed.

QUAIL It's just - incredible.

McCLANE And look at our follow-up program!

He puts items on the desk as he talks.

McCLANE (continuing) Space-flight ticket stub... passport... vaccination
certificates... matchbooks from Martian Nouvelle Cuisine Restaurants, 
souvenirs,
post cards... even names of people you met - now back there - who you can 
call
and discuss your trip with... by the way, we plant these things where 
you'll come
across them at random in the future.

QUAIL But... I'll know I hired you. That'll destroy the whole illusion.

McCLANE (smiling; self- satisfied) But you won't remember me, or having 
been
here.

QUAIL I won't?

McCLANE Your money back if you do! We've never paid out yet.

Quail slumps backs in his chair, overwhelmed.

McCLANE (continuing) And we have a special this month, for only 
two-hundred
thousand dollars more.

At the press of a button, a list appears on the wall...

A14 MILLIONAIRE PLAYBOY A15 SPORTS HERO A16 INDUSTRIAL TYCOON A17 
INTELLIGENCE
AGENT

McCLANE (continuing) You can have a new identity for the duration of the 
trip.
Pick one.

Quail's eyes linger on "Intelligence Agent."

QUAIL "Intelligence Agent"... wouldn'tthat be dangerous? I might 
attack....

McCLANE (airily) No. No. You're a retired agent. Mars was your last 
mission and
you're never to break your cover. But you'll have got the girl, killed 
the
baddies, and saved the Universe. Not bad, eh?

QUAIL I don't know... about the whole thing... it's all such a fake. I 
won't
really have gone. I won't really....

McCLANE (kind but firm) Let's face it, Douglas, you, and millions of 
people like
you have no chance of ever getting to Mars and you'd never qualify as a 
secret
agent for EIO. This - REKALL - is the only way to achieve your dream.

He gets up and walks around to Quail's chair.

McCLANE (continuing) Think about it, Douglas. Think, too, what a terrible 
boor a
real holiday is. Lost tickets, endless arguments, lousy hotels, missed
connections, rotten weather... Rekall will supply you with perfect, happy

memories.

Quail is thoughtful, willing to be totally convinced.


9A	INT. QUAIL'S APARTMENT - NIGHT

Quail is sitting, distracted, in an uncomfortable modern chair. Kirsten 
is
watching a near-pornographic film on TV. She casually lights a cigarette.


QUAIL You know that's illegal.

KIRSTEN Yeah? Who's going to report me? You?... wimp....

She watches a torrid love scene on the video.

KIRSTEN (continuing) Screwing around's illegal, too. But just give me 
half a
chance...

Quail looks at her with distaste. His expression changes to one of 
resolve.


10	INT. MEMORY STUDIO - DAY

Quail is stretched out on a plush reclining couch, alongside some 
strange-looking
lab equipment, wearing a hospital-type smock. In the b.g. hovers a 
TECHNICIAN,
adjusting some instrumentation (discreet banks of computers, etc.) -- 
that
apparently relates to the lab equipment next to Quail. The room in a dim,

soothing booth, lit by indirect lighting.

Quail looks a little concerned as he studies all the instrumentation next 
to him
-- as one always does at the dentist's, looking at the drills.

The door opens abruptly, in walks a cute-looking LITTLE OLD LADY, wearing 
a
JOGGING SUIT. (A RUTH GORDON-TYPE.)

OLD LADY Hi, I'm Doctor Sophie Lull. Sorry I'm late. (walks toward coat 
closet)
I'll be right with you.

She dons a white medical smock that covers her jogging suit, then slings 
on
heavy, lead-lined protective vest.

QUAIL (looking at instrument console) This really going to work?

LULL It the Pope Martian?

Lull's assistant, the TECHNICIAN in b.g., who had been steadily working 
on the
instrumentation, now looks over at Lull.

ERNIE (TECHNICIAN) (at machine) Okay -- that's it.

Now, Lull extends a long rubber tube, a hypodermic needle attached to it. 
Quail
eyes it warily. She swabs the back of his hand in preparation, notices 
his
apprehension.

LULL Now, just relax, kid. This ain't gonna hurt. Just a controlled drip 
of
Narkadine. When you're under, I'll just ask ya a few questions, nothin' 
real
personal, just full details of yer private life so's we can tailor the
wish-fulfillment program to your needs.

She injects the needle into his hand as she speaks, tapes it down.

LULL (continuing) See? Painless. I didn't feel a thing. Hey, you're a 
nice kid...
you like a little somethin' extra?

Quail, embarrassed, starting to go under, nods.

LULL (continuing; pleased) Good! Kid -- have I got a girl for you! She's 
gonna
like you. You're good-lookin'. (beat) Gettin' sleepy? (he nods) Good. 
Now, what's
the first thing you think of when you're thinkin' about Mars?

QUAIL (wistfully) Well... I'd like to see the Martian Sphinx...

LULL Okay -- you will, Dougle! I want ya to start counting backwards from 
a
hundred for me.

QUAIL (sleepily) One hundred... ninety-nine... ninety-eight... 
ninety-seven...
ninety-six... ninety-five....

His voice drops off; his eyes close. Lull studies him, adjusts some 
instruments,
then turns to Ernie, glancing briefly at a typed sheet in front of her.

LULL Okay, Ernie, the trip to Mars; number sixty-two... and throw in that

blonde... We'll give him a real good time.

ERNIE Sixty-two... and... the blonde...

He takes two discs and inserts the first one into a machine.

ERNIE Boy, is this one wild. He won't want to come back.

Ernie inserts the second disk.

LULL Dougie? This Sophie Lull. Can ya hear me?

QUAIL ...Sophie....

LULL Good! ... I'm gonna ask ya a few more questions now. Ya think you'll 
be able
to answer 'em?

QUAIL ...Yes....

LULL Attaboy! To begin with, I wanna ask ya; -- You sex life. How many 
orgasms a
week?


11	INT. McCLANE'S OFFICE - DAY

McClane has several file drawers open and is removing diverse objects and 
placing
them on his desk.

These items apparently are objects Rekall, Inc. intends to "plant" for 
some
client of theirs to find (perhaps even Quail) -- as part of his fantasy.

While he is putting these things on his desk, the PHONE BUZZES. He 
answers it.

McCLANE Yes?

LULL (V.O.) (filtered; tense) Howie? Listen, you'd better get in here.

McCLANE (not too concerned) Not another schizoid embolism.

LULL (V.O.) (filtered) You'd better get in here.


12	INT. MEMORY STUDIO - DAY

McClane come quickly in, brushing the swinging door open.

Lull and Ernie look up as he enters. Quail lies on the couch, breathing 
slowly
and regularly, his eyes closed. McClane looks queryingly at Lull, who 
motions him
to silence.

LULL (bends over Quail) Quail? Dougie, can you hear me?

QUAIL Yes.

LULL Tell McClane what you told us.

McClane glances sharply at Lull, then turns to Quail.

Quail's eyes open and scan the room. They settle on McClane. These eyes 
have
changed: they have become cold and steely. In fact, Quail's entire 
personality
seems to have changed -- his face has acquired a flint- edged hardness. 
He is
chillingly menacing.

QUAIL (a deadly voice) All of you in this room are dead.

McCLANE (not quite taking it seriously) What's he talking about?

QUAIL You've broken my cover.

McCLANE What is this?...

McClane's eyes flash angrily at Lull.

LULL The Narkadine cracked a memory cap. Mars -- (she's scared) He's 
really been
there.

There is a chilly silence in the room as McClane digests this.

McCLANE Forced suppression?

ERNIE With spontaneous breakthrough.

McCLANE Holy shit.

They stare at Quail as if he's a ticking bomb.

QUAIL (coldly) You've compromised the Sphinx Project. You'll have to be 
silenced.

Now they're all panicked.

McCLANE Wait a minute. Quail --

QUAIL My name isn't Quail.

McCLANE Listen... whoever you are... sir.... (almost pleading) ...This is 
all an
accident. We'll destroy all the records. No one will know. I swear it. 
Believe
me.

QUAIL I believe you, but that won't stop E.T.O. from killing you.

The Rekall people stare at each other in quiet horror.

QUAIL (continuing) Killing you... killing you... killing you....

His voice trails off, his eyes close.

LULL (intensely) He wants a false memory implanted -- of a trip he really 
took.
(pause) Someone at Earth Intelligence Operations erased his memory. All 
he know
was going to Mars meant something special to him.

ERNIE What do we do? Graft a false memory pattern over the real memory of 
the
same thing?

LULL (shaking her head) Uh-uh... That could promote a partial 
breakthrough of the
real trip.

McCLANE (overlapping) Revive him without any false memory implantation 
and get
him out of here.

LULL Why don't we just wipe out the memory of his visit here?

McCLANE (nodding; relieved) Yes. Good. I'll destroy his file and cancel 
his fee.
I have a feeling that the longer he doesn't know who he is, where he's 
been,
where he's going and who we are, the better off we'll all be. I'm taking 
a
holiday. A real one.

He leaves. The others stare after him, looking very grim.


12A	INT. RECEPTION AREA OF REKALL - DAY

A dazed and disoriented Douglas Quail comes out of an inner door and 
walks
through the lobby towards the exit door.

An attractive RECEPTIONIST, her bare breasts visible through a clear 
plastic
blouse, watches him; she then looks toward McClane who has half-opened 
the door
to view Quail's progress.


12B	INT. ELEVATOR - DAY

Quail travels down. Uncomprehendingly, he looks out at the city.


12C	INT. BUILDING FOYER - DAY

Quail stumbles through the fairly crowded foyer, oblivious to anything 
around
him. A red-headed man may or may not be watching him. He makes a phone 
call from
a pocket phone.


12D	INT. ROBOT TAXI CAB - AFTERNOON

Scene open on Quail, in the back of the cab; he looks around, slowly 
coming to
his senses.

QUAIL Where am I?

DRIVER Travelling south along Third Avenue, passing Fourty-third street.

Although the driver's voice is a little mechanical (flat in tone) he is 
filmed
from Quail's POV, and it isn't obvious he is anything other than an 
ordinary cab
driver.

QUAIL Where am I going?

DRIVER Thirty-three thirteen "G" Street, Sector "L", Twin Towers, 
Apartment
six-thirty- five.

QUAIL How did I get here?

Camera now cuts to a shot in front of the driver. He is a fairly 
human-like
robot.

DRIVER I don not understand the question, sir or madam.

QUAIL How did I get into this cab?

DRIVER You stepped into it in the normal manner, sir or madam.


15	INT. CORRIDOR OF QUAIL'S APARTMENT - DAY

The reception area and hallway leading to the elevators is smart and 
clean,
though not lavish. A uniformed and armed DOORMAN is standing by the 
entrance
door.

Filmed from the elevator end of the area, we see the cab pull up and 
Quail alight
and enter the building. He nods to the doorman and approaches the 
elevators. As
he reaches them a MAN steps out from behind the camera. A 2ND MAN enters 
from a
door opposite the elevators. Quail looks at them and becomes quite 
panicky.

1ST AGENT Aren't you the man from Mars?

He takes a modern, lethal gun from his pocket. Quail turns, but the other 
man is
behind him.

2ND AGENT Don't give us a reason to kill you.

Quail looks toward the doorman, who is paying little attention to the 
events. As
the two men edge Quail towards the door, he call out...

QUAIL Mr. Zimmer...Mr. Zimmer... help me... they're...

But the doorman turns calmly away.


16	INT. BASEMENT CAR PARK - DAY

The two men lead Quail past a number of cars to their own vehicle.

QUAIL Where are you taking me?

1ST AGENT You told everyone at Rekall about you trip to Mars. Where you 
went, who
you worked for, what you did --

QUAIL But I didn't... Are you telling me... I did go to Mars? I don't 
remember?

1ST AGENT You've remembered too much. The Sphinx Project, for a start....


QUAIL (confused; remembers only fragments) Sphinx?... No, no, I don't, 
I... What
about the people at Rekall? I don't recall Rekall but you said if they 
know what
I did? Why don't you ask them? They'll tell you I didn't...

1ST AGENT They've been taken care of.

QUAIL What do you mean?

Neither man bothers answering. They arrive at their car and open the door 
for
Quail. He hesitates.

QUAIL (continuing) What are you going to do with me?

1ST AGENT Get in the car.

He slaps Quail hard across the face. Quail is terrified. He is tearful 
with fear.

QUAIL My God! No! You're going to kill me!

He cringes. His hands across his face.

1ST AGENT No one's going to kill you if [you do what you're told.] We're 
visiting
E.I.O. for some new tests. Now get in, or do we start playing rough?

QUAIL No! It's not my fault! You can't do it!

They start to force him into the car physically.

Suddenly, Quail stops cringing. the FEAR DISAPPEARS FROM HIS FACE, and is

replaced by an odd, thoughtful expression.

QUAIL (continuing) Wait a minute, I remember --

1ST AGENT What, Quail? What do you remember?

QUAIL On Mars... they tried to kill me... And....

QUAIL TRANSFORMS INTO A HIGHLY SKILLED KILLING MACHINE.

In an instant, he karate-chops both agents across the windpipe, and they 
crumple
to the ground.

Quail steps back. He stares at the two bodies, incredulous; then stares 
at his
own deadly HANDS. It is as though they belong to someone else.

Then, leaving the two agents sprawled across the alley, he races back 
into the
basement door of his building.


18	INT. QUAIL'S APARTMENT - EVENING

Kirsten is watching another pornographic video when Quail bursts in. He 
is still
disoriented.

QUAIL Did you know I've been to Mars?

Kirsten gets up and turns off the movie.

KIRSTEN What! This stupid obsess...

QUAIL (interrupting) I think I've been. I vaguely recall...

KIRSTEN Doug, you've got to forget...

QUAIL (interrupting) Forget? Remembering is the problem I must've been to 
one of
those artificial memory places...

KIRSTEN Oh my God...

QUAIL But something went wrong... something about a real memory... and 
then those
men... tried to kill me.

KIRSTEN What men? Doug, you're crazy.

She starts to mix a drink from a well-stocked cabinet.

KIRSTEN (continuing) You're here now. They didn't kill you.

QUAIL No. That's what's so amazing. I killed them. I think...

Kirsten stops pouring her drink and look at him sharply.

KIRSTEN Where? Where are they?

Quail points down with his finger.

KIRSTEN (continuing) Doug! It's something they put into your mind at the 
memory
place. Fantasies.That's their business.

She sips her drink.

KIRSTEN (continuing) You're a computer operator. You're a bore. You're a 
wimp.
You're not a killer.

QUAIL I'm involved somehow with E.I.O. It's true. It's no fantasy.

He walks around the apartment drawing curtains and putting out the 
lights.

KIRSTEN Doug, I want you to see a doctor. Now Alec and Shirley Turnbull 
have a
good man. He helped Alec through his breakdown.

QUAIL For fuck's sake, this is no breakdown!

Kirsten is taken aback at his use of language. He strides into the 
bathroom and
slams the door. She turns on one lamp, goes to a telephone and dials.


19	INT. BATHROOM - TWILIGHT

Quail takes a washcloth, turns the hot water up full and soaks the cloth 
under
the steaming water. Using it as a compress, he presses it against his 
face and
his neck, to drain off some of the tension.

He turns off the water. Towelling his head dry, he opens the bathroom 
door.

The instant he does this, a blinding white BURST OF LIGHT comes arcing 
into the
bathroom, and the back wall crinkles and CHARS into a swatch of 
blackness.

QUAIL DIVES OUT THE DOOR, just as ANOTHER BOLT incinerates the spot where 
he was
standing.


20	INT. LIVING ROOM - TWILIGHT

THE ROOM IS IN TOTAL DARKNESS. The only thing visible is the pale 
rectangle of
the balcony window, with the curtains drawn over it.

QUAIL and his ASSAILANT cannot be seen -- but they can be HEARD. There is 
the
sound of a SCUFFLE -- the meaty THUD of a FIST CONNECTING WITH FLESH -- 
and a
painful GRUNT as someone's breath whooshes out.

The LIGHT COMES ON. Quail is standing with one hand on the lamp, and the 
other
twisting KIRSTEN's arm up behind her back. A pistol lies on the floor. 
Quail is
totally stunned. He releases her arm, shoving her away from him, at the 
same time
scooping up the pistol.

QUAIL My God! Did you say I need a psychiatrist?

KIRSTEN (coolly) I haven't seen you move that fast since I've known you.

QUAIL (outraged) How could you do it? After eight years!

KIRSTEN I'm not your wife, Quail.

QUAIL Not my wife! You are out of your mind.

KIRSTEN (indifferent; nursing her arm) It's a false memory implant. I 
never saw
you before six weeks ago.

Quail is totally disoriented.

QUAIL Why are you lying like this?

KIRSTEN No, Quail. It's true. You work for E.I.O. So do I.

As she speaks, she walks to a picture on the wall and from behind it 
pulls out a
small wallet. She flips it open to show him her E.I.O. badge. He looks 
down
uncomprehendingly at the holographic lettering "Earth Intelligence 
Organisation".

QUAIL (indicating their surroundings) But why all of this?

KIRSTEN (shrugging) We had to watchdog you...make sure the erasure took. 
A wife
seemed like a good idea.

QUAIL But I remember it! All of it!... Us!

KIRSTEN All implanted.

QUAIL Our friends... my work... eight years.

KIRSTEN The job's real -- you've had is six weeks -- since you got back 
from
Mars.

He sits down, holds his hand to his head.

KIRSTEN (continuing) It's all a fabrication, Quail. Everything you know.

QUAIL This is crazy! If all my memories are false, who am I? What am I? 
Jesus...
it's like I don't exist.

KIRSTEN You exist, all right. (very cold) That's the problem.

A pause as Quail mentally gropes frantically, for what to do next.

QUAIL Why did you try to kill me? Why does E.I.O. want me dead?

KIRSTEN They don't particularly. That was my idea. This assignment was 
boring me
to death. The personality they gave you wasn't too thrilling.

QUAIL Well, what did I do on Mars that they have to keep me from telling?


KIRSTEN I've no idea. I just work here.

QUAIL All right... I'm leaving. Don't try and follow me --

KIRSTEN I don't have to follow you. You can't get away from E.I.O. Nobody 
does.

Quail looks at her as if seeing her for the first time.

QUAIL No wonder you got the role as my bitchy wife -- type casting.

He leaves. Kirsten smiles secretively. She goes to a drawer, opens it and 
removes
a tiny instrument that looks like a TV channel-changer. There is a very 
small
light on the instrument, which begins flashing on and off, as the 
instrument
begins to make BEEPING SOUNDS.


21	EXT. STREET OUTSIDE QUAIL'S APARTMENT - NIGHT

Quail walks briskly out onto the street, controlling his paces, trying 
not to
look suspicious. After a beat, he heads for the nearest subway entrance.


22	INT. SUBWAY STATION - NIGHT

Now underground, Quail tries to blend in with the other subway people. He 
heads
toward the weapons check.


23	EXT. STREET SUBWAY ENTRANCE - NIGHT

An OFFICIAL VEHICLE slams to a halt next to the subway entrance and a 
whole load
of INTENSE MEN pours out of it.


24	INT. SUBWAY - NIGHT

Quail now shuffles along in a lineup of people waiting to get through the 
WEAPONS
CHECK. He tries to control his nervousness. He passes. The guard smiles 
at him,
pleased to see he has remembered his gun.


25	INT. SUBWAY - NIGHT

All the men with guns drawn come pouring down the subway stairs. The 
SUBWAY COPS
and WEAPONS CHECK are stunned to see four large men brandishing guns push 
their
way through the weapons check gate without seeming to notice them. One 
gunman
flashes a HOLOGRAPHIC BADGE ENCASED IN PLASTIC at them.

The gunman reach the bottom of the stairs and race closer to the subway 
train,
which is just departing. The men halt abruptly.

FIRST GUNMAN Fuck it!

The second gunman adjusts a small plug - a radio receiver - in his ear.

SECOND GUNMAN (EARPLUG WEARER) We won't be able to track him again until 
he comes
up above ground!


26	INT. SUBWAY CAR - NIGHT

Quail sits in the subway car as it barrels through the night, not knowing 
exactly
where he will go. He is confused, distraught. A commercial comes onto the 
video.

TV AS VOICE OVER Tired? Exhausted? Need a vacation? Don't settle for 
memories,
experience the real thing. Daily departures on the space shuttle to Mars. 
Visit
the wonders of....


27	EXT. SUBWAY STOP - NIGHT

Quail emerges from underground and looks around. The streets are almost 
deserted.


28	INT. MOVING OFFICAL VEHICLE - NIGHT

THE GUNMEN SIT IN THE OV. The one with the ear plug [suddenly talks.]

EARPLUG WEARER Coming in again. Loud and clear.

He looks down at an illuminated street map built into the car's 
dashboard.


28A	EXT. SUBWAY STOP - NIGHT

A cab comes into view. Quail quickly hails it and jumps in. Cab moves 
off.


28B	INT. CAB - NIGHT

Quail is still pondering what to do next. He glances out one window, 
though not
at anything in particular. Suddenly, the silence is shattered as bullets 
rip
through the window on the other side. Quail ducks to the floor.


28C	EXT. CAB - NIGHT

A wide shot shows that the cab is being fired on by a man leaning from 
the window
of an official patrol vehicle. He is aiming at the tires and driver, 
rather than
directly at Quail.


28D	INT. CAB - NIGHT

Bullets are still pouring in.

ROBOT DRIVER (unemotionally) You are being fired on, sir or madam, please 
leave
the cab at once.

From the floor, Quail pushes the door handle and rolls out onto the 
street. The
pursuing car occupants fail to notice his exit.


28E	EXT. STREETS - NIGHT

Cars continue, as Quail picks himself up from the gutter and moves off 
down a
narrow side street.


28F	INT. CAB - NIGHT

ROBOT DRIVER [Please....]

Bullets rip into the robot driver's neck, severing the head from the 
body. The
head hits the window then bounces back onto the front seat. It continues 
talking.

ROBOT DRIVER (continuing) ...leave the cab as bullets are hitting the 
vehicle in
considerable quantities.


28G	EXT. STREETS - NIGHT

The taxi mounts the footpath and smashes through the display window of a 
store.
Clothes models are scattered and broken. When the noise abates, the 
severed head
of the robot driver is lying among the dummies.

ROBOT DRIVER This company, sir or madam, will institute legal action for
damages...


29	EXT. STREET - "END OF THE LINE" HOTEL - NIGHT

Quail emerges from the side street and sees "End of the Line" Hotel. It 
is clean,
bland, middle class. He quickly crosses the road and enters.


29A	INT. "END OF THE LINE" HOTEL LOBBY - NIGHT

The foyer is brightly lit and empty. Quail approaches the DESK CLERK, who 
is
reading a book. "Dr. No", marked, in flowing script, "from the classic 
series".

DESK CLERK (without looking up) Help you, sir?

QUAIL (handing over money) A room for the night.

DESK CLERK (reluctantly putting down the book) ID.

QUAIL (handing over money) Here's ten thousand. Forget the ID.

DESK CLERK looks up at him, with interest. His hand hovers over the 
money.

QUAIL (continuing) I have a liaison with a lady... and I'm married...

DESK CLERK I understand, sir. Nothing like a bit on the side, eh? Bit of 
fugitive
flesh. The greatest aphrodisiac is a new body, wouldn't you say, sir?

Quail looks at him with distaste but is only anxious to be given the key 
to his
room. He says nothing.


30	INT. "END OF THE LINE" HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT

Quail unlocks the door and enters. No sooner does he relock the door then 
THE
PHONE RINGS. He freezes, stares at it for three rings, then picks it up.

QUAIL (into receiver) I told you, I don't want to be disturbed.

TELEPHONE VOICE (filtered) If you want to live, don't hand up.

Quail is stunned. He says nothing, but doesn't hang up.

TELEPHONE VOICE (continuing; filtered) They've got you bugged... They're 
gonna
find you. Faster than you can say "Back Rodgers". (quickly) And don't 
bother
shaking down your clothes -- the monitor is embedded in your skull.

QUAIL (reeling) Who are you? What the hell is this?


30A	INT. BAR BASEMENT - NIGHT

The man telephoning Quail is calling from a bar. Occasion- ally people 
pass him
on their way to the toilets. He is youngish and conservatively dressed. 
He speaks
rapidly and urgently.

TELEPHONE VOICE Take a wet towel and wrap it around your head. That will 
deaden
the signal. It'll take longer for them to pinpoint you.


30B	INT QUAIL'S ROOM - NIGHT

QUAIL Why should I trust you?

TELEPHONE VOICE (filtered) There's a real old saying - "Beggars can't be
choosers". Go and soak your head!

Quail puts the phone down and rushes to the bathroom.


30B1 INT. PATROL CAR - NIGHT

The earphone wearer and driver are moving in on the signal generated by 
Quail's
bug. Suddenly, the small illuminated cross on the dashboard map cuts out.


EARPHONE WEARER Shit!

DRIVER Cut the language, will ya?

EARPHONE WEARER It's gone! Some...malfunction...

Unscientifically, he prod the screen.

DRIVER (world-weary air) Toldya the Martian assembled [stuff don't work.]



30B2 INT. QUAIL'S ROOM - NIGHT

Quail rushes back into the room with a wet towel, turban-like, wrapped 
around his
head. He rapidly picks up the phone.

QUAIL Keep talking.

TELEPHONE VOICE (filtered) Head over to Skid Row -- to the Lucky Stub 
Pawnshop --
corner of Park Avenue and Fifty-eighth. Tell the man you're Mr. 
Hotchkiss; you
came for your Grecian candlesticks.

QUAIL (infuriated) What do I want with Grecian candlesticks!


30C	INT. BAR BASEMENT - NIGHT

The man on the phone looks around anxiously.

TELEPHONE VOICE Just do it! This is no time for small talk.

QUAIL (V.O.) (filtered; not quite convinced) How did you know where to 
find me?

TELEPHONE VOICE I've been tailing you since you get back from Mars.


30D	INT. QUAIL'S ROOM - NIGHT

QUAIL You're E.I.O. You're on the other team.

TELEPHONE VOICE (filtered) I'm E.I.O. But I was your best friend. Scott 
Stevens -
we arranged this...

QUAIL (trying to recall) I can't remember - only bits...

TELEPHONE VOICE (filtered; overlapping) I was your fail-safe -- if and 
when the
shooting started. Good luck. Look me up if you remember me.


30E	INT. BAR BASEMENT - NIGHT

Scott Stevens hangs up the phone. He looks around cautiously, then walks 
a few
steps to the mens room.


30F	INT. MENS ROOM - NIGHT

Scott Stevens walks to the row of troughs and begins to urinate. The room 
is
empty. He hears a noise and looks around. Two EIO men are standing there 
aiming
lethal-looking high-velocity weapons at him. One of them is the 
red-headed man
we've already seen.

1ST MAN (RED-HEADED) Well, look at that. He's really got his hands full.

2ND MAN Not so full, so I've heard.

Still urinating, the frustrated Scott Stevens can only look back over his

shoulder. Laughing, both men open fire, riddling him with bullets. He 
collapses
in an undignified heap, his head in the water at the base of the trough.


31	INT. "END OF THE LINE" CORRIDOR - NIGHT

Quail, with towel around his head, glances up and down the corridor -- 
spots a
sign that says "FIRE EXIT". He races towards it.


32	EXT. "END OF THE LINE" FRONT ENTRANCE - NIGHT

The OV slams up in front of the hotel and a carload of MEN tear out of it 
and
barge into the hotel.


32A	INT. "END OF THE LINE" HOTEL LOBBY - NIGHT

The startled clerk jumps to his feet as the group of armed men enter 
rapidly.

EARPHONE WEARER Quick. The guy who checked in fifteen minutes ago.

CLERK (nervous) Room...thirty-six.

Most of the armed men instantly head off up the stairs, their weapons at 
the
ready. Clerk watches, astonished.

CLERK (continuing) He was only meeting a lady... Aren't you guys 
overdoing it a
bit?


32B	EXT. STREET - NIGHT

Quail is walking along briskly, still with the towel around his head. A 
few
passers-by look at him curiously. He puts his hand together and greets 
them
Indian-style.


33	EXT. PARK AVENUE - NIGHT - CLOSE ON STREET SIGN

which reads: "PARK AVENUE / 58TH STREET".

PULL BACK to reveal "The Lucky Stub Pawnshop". WINOS lurk on the corner. 
Park
Avenue has deteriorated into a slum.

QUAIL ENTERS FRAME, and approaching the pawnshop, stepping over a BUM in 
a
doorway.


34	INT. PAWNSHOP - NIGHT

Quail is just entering; an old-fashioned BELL overhead, tripped by the 
door
opening, announces his entrance.

At once, an immense FAT MAN emerges from the back room.

PAWNBROKER You wanta camera? I got some good, top-quality ones. You want 
silk
rugs? Handmade last century in Iran...all perfect. You want videos? Old 
movies...
classics...all those Vietnam war ones...real quaint stuff... you want...

QUAIL (interrupting; awkwardly) I'm Hotchkiss...I came for the...Grecian
candlesticks...

The Fat Man studies him warily for a long moment; then he disappears 
through the
curtain.

In a brief moment, he emerges again, carrying a small, "makeup-sized" 
case, as
well as two large candelabra.

The Pawnbroker puts the case on the counter. Quail looks at the case with

curiosity.

QUAIL(continuing) I wonder if you could tell me...

They both look around as someone enters.

PAWNBROKER I trust these will look well in you... mosque.


35	INT. FLOP HOUSE - NIGHT - CLOSE ON HANDS

Opening up the small case.

PULL BACK to reveal they are Quail's hands. The hotel room he's now in is

obviously a different one than the last one we saw him in. The room is 
large but
run-down, the walls are peeling, the architecture is much older, etc.

Quail examines the contents of the case: there are CREDIT CARDS and also 
MONEY,
several stacks of bills, neatly tied -- some of it the conventional 
green, but
most of it red.


CLOSE ON RED MONEY

On the face of it is printed: "MARS FEDERAL COLONY".

QUAIL (mutters) Martian money....

Quail thumbs through the money, and whistles softly to himself as he sees 
how
much there is.

Also in the case are: TWO PASSPORTS; a small CASSETTE RECORDER; a 
rolled-up
LEATHER POUCH and a spray can of some sort; and a strange thing that 
looks like a
silver mask. He examines the face mask, studies BLACK LETTERS WRITTEN 
ACROSS IT
(which we are not close enough to read) and then puts it aside. Another 
item now
catches his eye: a wristwatch. He sees a conspicuous red button on the 
side of
the watch, and PRESSES IT. INSTANTLY, TO HIS SHOCK, QUAIL SEES A MAN 
MANIFEST
HIMSELF HIMSELF OUT OF THIN AIR AND STAND THERE IN THE ROOM A FEW FEET 
AWAY FROM
QUAIL: he's an EXACT HOLOGRAPHIC DUPLICATE of Quail -- down to the 
clothes Quail
is wearing now.

The image stands and watches Quail.

QUAIL (continuing) What the hell...?

Quail smiles, presses the red button again. There is a HUMMING SOUND -- 
and the
man FADES INTO THIN AIR -- like a television set being turned off.

Quail looks bemused.

Now he unrolls the leather pouch and looks inside. There he finds what 
look like
SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS; a sponge, a long piece of wire doubled over, with 
some
attachments and a tiny METAL HEAD on one end, and some tubes of salve.

He turns on the cassette recorder.

The VOICE he hears on the cassette TAPE is HIS OWN!

CASSETTE VOICE (V.O.) (Quail's voice) "Hauser, this is Hauser -- or 
whatever you
think your name is now. If you're listening to this, I'm talking to 
myself. Your
memory's been erased and you've got a wet towel around your head. (he 
does) "The
first thing you've got to do is get rid of that bug in your head."


36	INT. HOTEL BATHROOM - NIGHT

The sound of the tape continues as Quail follows instructions - pushing 
the wire
up into a bloody portion of his neck, just below the ear.

CASSETTE VOICE (V.O.) The monitoring device is located in your left 
maxillary
sinus cavity. Make a small incision in your neck just below the left ear, 
and
insert the wire up into the sinus. The head is self-guiding. Just shove.

Quail makes a face.

CASSETTE VOICE (V.O.) (continuing) You won't feel a thing. The spray 
cartridge
contains a local anesthetic and a blood coagulant. Careful, it's my neck, 
too.

Holding the wet towel against his neck, Quail slowly withdraws the wire. 
On the
end of it is a tiny, metal bead, the Transmitter.


37	INT. MOVING OFFICIAL VEHICLE - NIGHT

The man with the ear plug suddenly reacts.

EARPLUG WEARER It's come on again.

DRIVER Where?

The 1st man quickly check the map-grid in the dashboard. A small bright 
'x' is
flashing.

EARPLUG WEARER He's in that old flophouse. Plaza Hotel. Central Park 
South.


37A	INT. HOTEL BEDROOM - NIGHT

Quail is anxious to get rid of the transmitter. He looks around and 
notices a rat
trap near a rat hole in the skirting board.

He carefully - avoiding springing the trap - removes the piece of cheese 
and
pushes the transmitter inside. He then throws the cheese into the rat 
hole.


38	INT. MOVING OFFICIAL VEHICLE - NIGHT

The car is moving swiftly through the streets.

EARPLUG WEARER Boy, he's really moving around.

A CU of the screen shows the small 'x' moving in circles.


38A	EXT. HOTEL SIDE ENTRANCE - NIGHT

The car pulls up. Another follows it. Armed men leap out from both. The 
EARPLUG
WEARER indicates they should go down an alley at the side of a service 
door. They
advance cautiously, guns at the ready. They see no one. The EARPLUG 
WEARER
indicates another, even narrower, alley leading off to one side. Two of 
the men
sneak cautiously up to it, their guns at the ready.

A large rat scurries out from behind overfull garbage bins. Furious, they 
fire.
The bullets rip the bins to shreds, scattering refuse everywhere. The rat 
is
killed. They all stare in disbelief.

EARPLUG WEARER Ya dirty rat!


40	INT. E.I.O. HEADQUARTERS - MEMORY LAB - NIGHT

OPENING CLOSE on a MONITOR SCREEN slated "HAUSER/QUAIL" followed by a 
serial
number and some dates. The slate vanishes, replaced by a scene of Quail 
--
undergoing some KIND OF MILITARY TRAINING.

PAN to OTHER MONITORS, all depicting Quail in other action scenes -- on 
some kind
of mission, driving a car, etc.

TECHNICIANS man the monitors, scrolling through them in fast-forward and 
fast
reverse as if searching files.

The technicians turn as Cohaagen and his aides enter.

COHAAGEN (demands) Anything?

SUPERVISOR We're running every one of his memory tapes for the past 
fifteen
years. Nothing yet, sir.

COHAAGEN There must be something -- some place he would go, some friend 
he would
run to.

The red-haired E.I.O. man joins them.

RED-HEADED MAN (to Cohaagen; quietly) They lost him.

COHAAGEN Again?!

The red-headed man nods.

COHAAGEN (continuing) Are you sure the original suppression took?

SUPERVISOR Absolutely, sir. He thinks he's Quail, a computer...

COHAAGEN (interrupting) Then how do you explain what he's doing?

SUPERVISOR Just his instincts. He was well trained by E.I.O.... Maybe the 
memory
cap's fractured. Portions of his prior identity could be leaking through.


COHAAGEN (very anxious) He'll remember Mars? The Sphinx Project?

SUPERVISOR Fragments. Nothing more. Nothing he could piece together. I 
did advise
terminating him, rather than implanting an identify alternative.

COHAAGEN What do you think I am? A barbarian? We're not living in the 
twentieth
century!

He looks at the video screen again. An image has flashed onto it of an 
attractive
Eurasian girl.

COHAAGEN (continuing) Hold it there.

He studies the picture, which changes to show the same girl from 
different
angles.


42	INT. SPACE PORT - DAY

Passengers are boarding a COMMERCIAL SPACECRAFT. In addition to the 
STEWARDESSES
checking their tickets, there are two PLAINCLOTHES MEN checking every 
passenger.
They carry some kind of small, portable ELECTRONIC DEVICE that they shine 
in the
face of each passenger going through. (It gives off a BLUE BEAM and 
HUMS.)

The passengers are a diverse group - businessmen, officials, government 
people,
etc. There is also a large tour group consisting of a predominately 
middle-aged
and determinedly jolly crowd, many of them carrying duty-free bags. They 
are
being marshaled by an harassed TOUR ORGANIZER, who is carrying aloft a
hand-painted sign... "MARTIAN TOUR GROUP".

The last of the passengers board the spacecraft. The chief PLAINCLOTHES 
MAN nods
to an official and the door begins to close.

PLAINCLOTHES MAN #1 If he had to travel to Mars with that bunch, I'd be 
sorry for
him.

PLAINCLOTHES MAN #2 We couldn't have missed him?

PLAINCLOTHES MAN #1 No way. Let's get a coffee before the next shuttle.


43	INT. SPACELINER - IN FLIGHT

One of the PASSENGERS -- a middle-aged WOMAN - unbuckles her seat belt 
and heads
for the restroom, carrying her handbag, and some clothes on a hanger.


44	INT. LAVATORY - IN FLIGHT

The woman locks the door and turns to the mirror. She opens her bag, 
takes out a
spray container, SPRAYS HER FACE with it, and takes out -- the SILVER 
FACE MASK
we saw in Quail's emergency kit.

She holds the mask to her face. There is a SIZZLING NOISE, and SMOKE 
rises from
behind the mask.

She lowers the mask. Her face is now that of QUAIL. He tears up a 
passport and
drops it down a chute.

He reaches inside his dress, starts to REMOVE his "FALSIES."

CLOSE ON MASK

We can read the BLACK LETTERING written across it now: "LASER FACIAL".


45	INT. SPACELINER - IN FLIGHT

Quail exits from the lavatory and glances toward the ebullient tour 
crowd. He
turns and looks in the other direction and sees a video theater 
advertising
"ROCKY 36" with Sylvester Stallone III, Jnr. He isn't too excited, but 
heads
towards it. He pauses a little when an announcement comes over the 
intercom.

A LITTLE BELL sounds, followed by INTERCOM STATIC. Quail looks up.

CAPTAIN'S VOICE (V.O.) Ladies and gentlemen, if you'll glance out the 
starboard
viewports, you'll behold an indeed awesome sight --

Quail goes to a viewport and PEERS, transfixed. He is seeing... at 
last... the
object of his obsession.


46	EXT. SPACELINER - IN ORBIT AROUND MARS

The SPACELINER -- which we have deliberately not seen before this moment 
for
dramatic effect -- banks and turns, suddenly bringing into view -- MARS.

AN IMMENSE ORANGE GLOBE -- so close it looks like it's going to fall on 
us. It
dwarfs the spaceliner.

CAPTAIN'S VOICE (V.O.) Those long gorges you see, clearly are the 
legendary
canals of Mars....

The liner drops toward the surface of Mars. Below: a NETWORK OF 
INTERSECTING
LINES crisscross the planet.

CAPTAIN'S VOICE (V.O.) (continuing) Of course, they are not manmade 
canals, but
vast natural chasms ...many deeper and larger than the Grand Canyon. 
Though
utterly without moisture now, scientists have determined that they were 
formed by
massive flooding millions of years ago.


47	INT. SPACELINER

Quail stares, his brow furrowing as if with some deep hidden memory he 
can't
quite recall.

CAPTAIN'S VOICE (V.O.) (continuing) Surface temperatures at the Martian 
equator
is minus one-hundred and twenty degrees Centigrade -- in winter. 
Fortunately,
this time of year it's slightly more seasonable: Sixty degrees, 
Fahrenheit,
outside the domes. (beat) Please remember, folks, that outside the domes 
you'll
need to carry your own personal oxygen supply at all times. The 
atmosphere of
Mars is almost a vacuum. Thank you for flying with Interstellar and we 
hope your
stay will be a pleasant one.


48	EXT. MARS - OUTER SPACE

CAMERA follows the spaceliner until the ENTIRE FRAME is filled with the
RED-ORANGE sands of MARS.


49	EXT. MARTIAN DESERT - DAY

An endless expanse of boulder-studded red sand, under a red-orange sky.

The desert is cut by a ROAD, which snakes across the rocky terrain. Some 
surface
TRAFFIC moves along the road (all pressurized vehicles since the 
atmosphere of
Mars is almost a pure vacuum) - including the MARSPORT BUS.

PAN WITH THE BUS - TO REVEAL

A CITY UNDER A DOME.

In the midst of the stark, trackless landscape -- it's midday, scorching 
-- rises
a huge weatherbeaten GEODESIC STRUCTURE, its glass surface scarred by 
sandstorm
damage. Its feeling is like an old Western, when Clint Eastwood rides 
into
Tombstone -- the raw, forbidding vistas, with a tough town carved out of 
the
wilderness.


50	INT. MARSPORT - DAY

Quail is looking out at the desolate landscape. The TOUR ORGANISER, an 
amiable
middle-aged man sits beside him. It is possible he is not a married man.

QUAIL It's no Garden of Eden.

TOUR ORGANISER No. Quite a bit to see, though. The canyons, the old 
Sphinx...

QUAIL What do you know about that?

TOUR ORANISER Not much, really. Millions of years old. Bit like the one 
that used
to be in Egypt, you know...

QUAIL Yeah. Got destroyed in the Arab wars... What about this 
independence
movement?

TOUR ORGANISER (dismissive) Not worth worrying about. Mostly descendants 
of the
original colonists from Earth. Now they want self-rule so they can sell 
us all
the minerals... I don't think we've met. You with our group? Takes me a 
while to
know everyone.

QUAIL Sure. Douglas Quail.

TOUR ORGANISER Richard Toltz. (they shake hands) Well, Doug, I hope we'll 
see a
lot more of each other.


55	EXT. CITY (UNDER THE DOOM) - DAY

The bus pulls up outside a modern tourist hotel. The buildings 
surrounding it
have a much more improvised, temporary look. Most are pre-fabricated 
structures.
The streets are crowded and there is a "frontier-town" atmosphere. Stalls 
sell
fruit and vegetables, also water and air containers.

A lot of greenery is evident - this is to absorb CO2 and emit oxygen, 
thus
helping with the air supply under the dome.

Some small, ragged boys look at QUAIL as he looks around before going 
inside the
hotel. Suddenly, one of them throws a small sack at him. It hits his 
chest and
leaves a yellow stain. The hotel DOORMAN chases the boys away....

BOY Smogpsucker!

From the other side of the street, a gang of URCHINS with a harmonica 
start
singing some kind of defiant PATRIOTIC SONG.

DOORMAN You know how it is, sir. Some of these red-asses are a bit 
prejudiced.

QUAIL Prejudiced? Against what?

DOORMAN Earthmen.

The street song has swelled, adult MINERS and CITIZENS joining the 
belligerent
chorus.

QUAIL What are they singing?

DOORMAN The Martian National Anthem.

Quail tips the doorman, enter the hotel.


57	INT. MARS HILTON LOBBY - DAY

Quail passes several kiosks -- a magazine stand, currency exchange, 
clothing
store, shoeshine stand. A SHOESHINE BOY looks up at Quail.

Quail walks past, enters the main lobby. The atrium entryway is 
absolutely
fabulous; a complete contrast to the dirty, Casbah-like streets. 
AFFLUENT-LOOKING
PEOPLE in spotless linen fill the lobby.

Quail stops to examine a large ROTATING DISPLAY sitting on a table in the 
middle
of the lobby. It is a stand-up model of a SPHINX. Across the top is 
written "THE
FIRST WONDER OF MARS". A recorded VOICE repeats a canned speech --

CANNED VOICE "...the Martian Sphinx... only evidence of non-human 
civilization
ever discovered ...age estimated at over eighteen million years...


CLOSE - SHOESHINE BOY

He stares at Quail.

BACK TO SCENE

Quail approaches the Registration Desk.

CLERK Nice to have you back with us, Mr. Hauser.

Quail is startled to be recognized -- particularly by this name. He tries 
to stay
casual.

QUAIL Nice to be back. (pick up pen) I'm flattered you remember me.

CLERK Part of my job, sir.

QUAIL (starts to sign; hesitates) Do you remember my first name, too?

CLERK Charles. Charles Hauser, right?

QUAIL I'm impressed. (now he signs) Listen. I need transportation to 
the... uh...
the Sphinx. Can you arrange it for me?

CLERK I'm sorry, sir. But Earth government has sealed off the excavation 
site
completely. No one but survey teams and archaeologists are allowed closer 
than
twenty miles.

The Clerk taps a few keys on a computer.

CLERK Oh... (spots something on the computer) Do you want the item you 
left with
us?

QUAIL What item? Oh... yes, please.

The Clerk turns to the safe, retrieves an envelope. He hands it -- and an

ELECTRONIC ROOM KEY -- to Quail.


58	P.O.V. - THROUGH BINOCULARS - THE SPHINX

Far in the distance, a dusty red structure squats amid barren dunes. We 
see
vehicles, scaffolding, a fortified perimeter.


59	INT. QUAIL'S HOTEL ROOM - DAY

Quail stands at the window, looking through binoculars. He lowers them 
irritably,
tosses them on the bed.

Quail tugs the envelope from his pocket, tears it open. Inside is a 
single slip
of paper, on which is written in longhand:

"MELINA NOEL Last Chance Air Station Kilometer 61 Gird Square T9"


60	EXT. MARS HILTON - SUNSET

It is now sunset on Mars and it's literally of inearthlybeauty. The sun 
is bold
and blood red; the foggy, drip- ping glass of the Dome tints the light 
into
strange colors.

Quail emerges from the hotel, properly attired now in a white tropical 
suit, and
starts for the taxi stand.

Behind him, also emerging from the hotel, is the Shoeshine Boy. He keeps 
out of
sight -- but is definitely tailing Quail.

As Quail nears the first solar-powered taxi in line, he is approached by 
an
amiable-looking CALYPSO GUY wearing a West Indian shirt and bright straw 
hat.

CALYPSO GUY (BENNIE) Need a cab, boss mon?

Quail hesitates, unsure of the protocol.

BENNIE (continuing) Mine's right around the corner.

QUAIL (indicating first cab in line) That one's closer.

BENNIE But I out-hustle him, right?

QUAIL (smiling) Right.

TWO CABBIES exchange curses as Quail, wary, follows the Calypso Guy 
around a
corner, climbs into the small solar car.


62	EXT. CITY DOME - AIR LOCK - SUNSET

An AIR LOCK whooshes open underneath a Checker Cab sign. Bennie and Quail 
emerge
in the solar-powered car -- set off into the desert.


63	EXT. DESERT - SUNSET

The taxi traverses the same type desert that Quail crossed a few hours 
ago. Only
now is looks completely different. The late light tints everything in 
pastel
shades, Quail is awed by the grandeur of the Lawrence-of-Arabia-like 
setting.


68	EXT. DESERT TRUCK STOP - NIGHT

Quail and Bennie's taxi approaches a brightly-lit oasis in the middle of 
the
desert. There's a cafe, repair facilities and a huge parking lot -- all 
under a
garish neon sign: "LAST CHANCE AIR STATION AND ASLOON - EAT HERE AND GET 
GAS".

Quail and Bennie's taxi pulls in and parks. In the lot is a collection of 
strange
and colorful vehicles: huge ore trucks that pull eight trailers, mountain

prospecting jeeps, Grapes-of-Wrath jalopies. Quail and Bennie disembark, 
wear-
ing breathing masks, and enter the main building.


69	INT. LAST CHANCE AIR STATION - NIGHT

The joint is a combination saloon/cathouse/casino. There are slot 
machines,
HOOKERS, MINERS and HOMESTEADERS; it is like a Nevada brothel -- packed 
with wild
and woolly indi- vidualists, the equivalent of Old West trappers, 
prospectors and
cowboys -- but with a space-age look.

Quail and Bennie elbow their way to the bar. Fragments of conversation 
are
overheard.

MINER #1 ...if that intergalactic little Napoleon thinks I'm sellin' and 
clearin'
outta here, he can think again!

MINER #2 (with a laugh) ...watcha gonna do when he cuts off the air, 
Luke?

MINER #3 ...you'll be breathin' red dust and shittin' bricks.

Bennie and Quail pass another group.

MINER #4 ...my wife ain't goin' on one of those space shuttles... she 
hates
flyin'...

MINER #5 ...aw, come on... flyin's safer'n crossin' the road...

MINER #6 ...yeah, there ain't been a real disaster since that collision 
off
Phobos, nigh on twenty years ago...

MINER #4 (alarmed) ...well, that killed twelve thousand...

QUAIL What is this, Bennie... Tombstone?

BENNIE Sorta. Bunch of miners out here got their own claims, from way 
back.
Cohaagen's buyin' em all up, says he's gonna cut off the air an' water if 
they
won't sell...

Quail attracts the attention of the BARTENDER.

QUAIL I'm looking for Melina Noel.

BARTENDER You've found her.

His nod indicates an area behind Quail. He turns to see an attractive 
waitress
placing drinks on tables. She doesn't notice Quail. He walks toward her 
through
the crowd. Bennie watches, then tactfully slips away.

MELINA turns to return to the bar and runs straight into Quail. She 
stops,
obviously astonished to see him.

MELINA You bastard!

Almost in tears, she pushes her way through the crowd to a billiard room, 
which
is separated from the main bar by swinging doors.

There are no occupants and it is almost in darkness. Quail, bewildered, 
follows
her. Inside the billiard room he turns on the lights which illuminates 
the area
of the table.

(NOTE: As Quail and Melina speak, the activity in the outside bar can be 
seen
above the swinging doors.)

Melina is still fighting back tears. Quail stops in front of her, unsure 
about
what to do. He has no recollection of how well he might have known this 
woman.

Suddenly, she slaps him hard across the face.

MELINA (quietly) You bastard...

He rubs his painful cheek.

MELINA (continuing) That's new -- the innocent look. (bitter sarcasm) You 
didn't
have that one before. (beat) Well?

Quail is speechless.

QUAIL Well, uh... I...

MELINA All right, I'll say it for you.

He looks relieved (but tries to cover).

MELINA (continuing) Don't worry. I got the note. You discharged your 
obligation.

QUAIL What note?

MELINA Oh, the usual one. "Must return immediately to Earth... the wife 
needs
me..."

QUAIL I don't have a wife. Well, I do - but not a real wife. (getting 
desperate)
Hell... look... someone else sent that note. Someone who --

MELINA What are you here for?!

QUAIL For you! I don't even know why --

Melina bursts into tears. Quail rather tentatively puts his arms around 
her. She
welcomes this at first, but then pushes him away.

QUAIL (continuing) Whoever I was, I must have been a helluva guy.

MELINA "Whoever you were"???

QUAIL Listen. I've for to tell you something. I beg you to believe me... 
help me
--

All Melina's suspicions come rushing back.

QUAIL (continuing) Something happened to my mind. Memory suppression, 
false
implant, I don't know what --

Melina backs off. Quail grows more desperate.

QUAIL (continuing) What I'm saying is... I don't remember you. I don't 
remember
us. I don't remember me --

Melina's expression grows dead hard.

MELINA [And I thought...]

QUAIL Who is us?

MELINA (ignoring the question) Memory erasure is what they use on agents. 
Go
away.

QUAIL Wait... I was an agent -- I'm not now -- just tell me who I am! How 
did we
know each other? Why are they trying to kill me?!

He takes a step toward her, nearly frantic.

MELINA I'm not trusting you again.

QUAIL You loved me once, you must have --

MELINA That you was a liar. Who you are now I don't even know.

QUAIL Please, Melina --

MELINA (tears starting) Get out!

QUAIL I need your help --

MELINA (crying quietly) Get out! Get the hell away from me!

Quail gives up; goes through the doors and leaves. Melina slumps her 
shoulder
against the table and cries.


77	INT. LAST CHANCE AIR STATION GARAGE - NIGHT

Quail enters from the cafe. Bennie is kneeling beside his taxi, repairing 
a tire.
He look up, sees Quail approach.

On his right hand, Bennie has a mechanical device capable of spinning 360

degrees. He uses it to twirl a lug nut tight on his tire. As Quail 
approaches,
Bennie removes the TOOL ATTACHMENT from his HAND, tosses it into a kit 
beside the
taxi.

BENNIE You don't look so good, boss. All over the Universe, women is an 
awful
curse.

He opens the door for Quail, beams.


80	INT. SOLAR-POWERED CAR - NIGHT - MOVING - DESERT BACKGROUND

Quail still broods, Bennie tries to cheer him up.

BENNIE It's a tough planet, boss.

QUAIL Yeah, right.

BENNIE Some guy really screwed her - screwed her up real good. Some 
Earthman.
Just hopped on a space shuttle.

Bennie bright tone isn't improving Quail's mood.

QUAIL Listen, Bennie. You're pretty well informed?

BENNIE If that means I know it all, you're right, boss.

QUAIL What do you know about the Sphinx?

BENNIE I don't know nothin'. Not about the Sphinx. That's out of the ball 
park.

QUAIL I have to get there. Can't you help me?

BENNIE No can do, mon. You want women, cigarettes, red-market money, 
booze, even
air or water... Bennie's your man. But the Sphinx... that's E.I.O. --


80A	INT. CITY UNDER THE DOME - NIGHT

The solar car is moving through the crowd, when suddenly SIRENS approach 
on a
cross street. Bennie brakes and stops. He and Quail watch as POLICE 
MOTORCYCLES
clear a path for a huge, GAS-POWERED LIMO. MINERS on the sidewalks shout 
CURSES,
OBSCENITIES --

BENNIE Well... look at that one, eh?

QUAIL What?

BENNIE Big cheese in town. Big smelly cheese.

QUAIL Cohaagen? But isn't he often here?

BENNIE No way. That cat just cheat the Martian workers without ever 
leavin' his
place in Beverly Hills. Somethin' must be cookin'.

Quail keeps his face in shadow and watches Cohaagen with curiosity as he 
passes.
Cohaagen is lit up briefly by a street lamp. His face makes an impression 
on
Quail, who perhaps faintly remembers him in the past.


82	INT. QUAIL'S HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT

Quail enters, turns on the lights, locks the door. He checks all the 
rooms. Then
he crosses to the dresser, studies himself in the mirror. He looks 
haggard.

Quail opens a drawer, takes out his "emergency case," sets it on top and 
opens
it. He removes a shoulder holster and pistol, sets them aside. He takes 
out a
tape recorder.

He sets the recorder down gingerly, as if somewhere in there were 
contained the
answers to all his questions. He's just about to activate it, when he 
hears a
KNOCK at the door.

Quail freezes. Another KNOCK.

VOICE (O.S.) (through door) Mr. Hauser...

QUAIL Who is it?

VOICE (O.S.) Mr. Hauser, I want to talk to you... about Douglas Quail.

Quail ditches the recorder and the "emergency case" into the drawer -- 
everything
except the PISTOL.

Quail approaches the door very cautiously (from the side -- out of the 
line of
fire).

QUAIL (tensely) Who are you?

VOICE (O.S.) My name is George Edgemar. I work for Rekall, Incorporated.

QUAIL (stunned; incredulous) Rekall??

VOICE (O.S.) Yes. It's difficult to explain... Could you open the door, 
please?
I'm not armed.

Quail opens it carefully, his gun at the ready, but out of view of the 
person at
the door.

A dignified-looking GENTLEMAN stands there, calm and pleasant, wearing an

Earth-style business suit.

EDGEMAR Hello, Mr. Quail. May I come in? I won't be offended if you 
prefer to
keep the gun you're holding trained on me.

He can't see the gun, but somehow knows.

QUAIL All right... come in.

Quail does keep his gun trained on the man. The man enters, holding in 
his
outstretched hand -- a business card.

EDGEMAR My card, Mr. Quail.

Quail frisks him, then takes the card, glances at it.

QUAIL Okay -- so you're Doctor George Edgemar of 'Rekall, Inc.' So?

EDGEMAR As I said... this is going to be very difficult -- for both of 
us.

QUAIL I'm listening.

EDGEMAR Mr. Quail... I'm afraid you're not really standing here at this 
moment.

QUAIL Sat that again.

EDGEMAR I said, you're not really here. Neither am I. We're both in the 
Memory
Studio -- in the offices of Rekall, Inc. On Earth.

Long pause.

QUAIL Are you trying to tell me that this is all part of some... 
artificially
injected fantasy? That I never really left Earth?

EDGEMAR No, not quite. We didn't give you this. You're creating it 
yourself --
(pauses, choosing his words) Remember the option we offered you? 
Intelligence
agent? Something inside you liked that idea, fastened on it. What you're
experiencing now is a free-form delusion that you yourself are 
fabricating.

QUAIL What is this shit you're giving me?

EDGEMAR This is not -- shit, Mr. Quail. It's the truth. (beat) I know 
it's very
hard for you to accept, but you're having a schizophrenic reaction... we 
can't
snap you out of the Narkadine. You're in a world of your own fantasy.

QUAIL Then how the hell can you be in my dream -- if you know it's just a 
dream?

EDGEMAR I've been artificially implanted -- like the first part of your 
fantasy.
I'm actually monitoring your dream at a psychoprobe console. This is a 
last
resort. When somebody gets stuck in their own fantasy, we send in someone 
after
them. A specialist, like myself.

QUAIL I don't believe a word you're saying.

EDGEMAR I was afraid you'd think that. I'm sorry to have to do this, but 
you
really are stuck. (calls out) Doctor Noel, would you come in now please?

The door starts to open. Quail pivots and points his gun at the opening 
door.

MELINA walks in, carrying a CLIPBOARD. She looks at Quail with 
professional
detachment.

MELINA Yes, Mr. Quail, I'm afraid it's all true.

Quail is staggered.

MELINA (continuing) I tried to break through to you earlier, but you just 
molded
me into your fantasy. Sometimes it takes Dr. Edgemar to get through to a 
client
as tough as you.

QUAIL (wavering) So what's supposed to happen now?

EDGEMAR Just do exactly as we tell you.

QUAIL (stares at him coldly) Somehow that doesn't appeal to me.

MELINA Please, Mr. Quail... try to cooperate. You're having a 
schizophrenic
embolism.

EDGEMAR If we can't get you out now... you may never come out of it. Your 
wife
calls every day --


CLOSE - QUAIL

Even more suspicious.


TWO SHOT - QUAIL AND EDGEMAR

QUAIL If this is a fantasy, there'll be no real consequences when I pull 
this
trigger.

EDGEMAR But there will by consequences inside your mind. Consequences 
that won't
hurt me... but could be fatal to you. (beat) If you shoot me, you'll wipe 
me out
of your fantasy -- I can't come back again. Because to you, I'll be dead. 
I can't
help you get back to reality. You'll be stuck in permanent psychosis.


CLOSE - QUAIL

Trembling, holding the gun point blank in Edgemar's face.


CLOSE - EDGEMAR

Showing no fear of tension whatever.

EDGEMAR You're going to lower the gun, Mr. Quail. You're going to hand it 
to me
--


CLOSE - QUAILStraining desperately to find the true "reality."


EXTREME CLOSEUP - TRIGGER OF GUN

Quail's finger on it.


TWO SHOT - QUAIL AND EDGEMAR

EDGEMAR You're going to do exactly what I tell you --

Quail PULLS THE TRIGGER!


REVERSE ANGLE - BACK OF EDGEMAR'S HEAD

We SEE the results of the gunshot from this angle only, and so BRIEFLY as 
to
produce an almost SUBLIMINAL effect: the back of Edgemar's head blows off 
--

He collapses to the floor.

Melina LEAPS at Edgemar's falling form and CLAMPS HER HANDS over 
Edgemar's RIGHT
HAND!

MELINA Watch out, Charles! There's more of them in the hall!

Quail spins toward the door just as it BURSTS OPEN. A man enters, firing, 
but
Quail has fallen to the floor and returns the fire. He staggers back out 
into the
corridor and slams against the wall, dead.

VOICE (O.S.) (from hall) You've had it, Hauser! Throw out your weapon if 
you want
a past!

Melina is still crouched by Edgemar's body, holding his HAND for some 
reason. Her
CLIPBOARD dangles by her side.

MELINA (whispering) There's an explosive in the clipboard! He has a 
dead-man
switch in his hand!

Squeezing Edgemar's hand shut with one of hers, she holds up her other 
wrist --
to show that the CLIPBOARD IS BOUND TO HER WRIST BY A CHAIN!

VOICE (O.S.) What do you say, Hauser? We haven't got all night! Hauser?

Quail (Hauser) SHOOTS OFF the chain.

QUAIL What happens it I come out?

Quail takes the CLIPBOARD from Melina and eases himself to the side of 
the
doorway.

VOICE (O.S.) We'll put in a word with the big boys. Maybe you'll just get 
exile
to Venus.

QUAIL All right. Here comes the weapon.

Quail reaches around the corner and SAILS THE CLIPBOARD into the hallway. 
Melina
lets go of Edgemar's hand --

There is a TREMENDOUS EXPLOSION in the hallway,


83	INT. HALLWAY - NIGHT

Quail comes out in crouch, ready to shoot. On the floor lies a DEAD MAN 
and the
body of the Shoeshine Boy, sprawled grotesquely. The hallway is filled 
with
smoke. The floor covered with debris. Plaster falling from the ceiling.

All over the hotel, ALARMS begin BLARING.


84	INT. QUAIL'S ROOM - NIGHT

Quail strides back in, icy-furious. He seizes Melina by the wrist and 
drags her
after him into the corridor.


84A	INT. CORRIDOR - NIGHT

Two more E.I.O. men appear but Quail shoots them while dragging Melina 
down the
hall in the opposite direction. He pushes open the door leading to the 
staircase.


84B	INT. STAIRCASE - NIGHT

Quail and Melina run down the stairs. On the next landing is a service 
elevator,
from which a waiter is emerging carefully carrying a tray with hors 
d'oeuvres and
champagne.

QUAIL Back in, quick!

WAITER Wouldn't you prefer your order in your room, sir?

QUAIL In!

Quail bundles the waiter unceremoniously back inside the elevator.


84C	INT. LIFT - NIGHT

Quail presses the basement button. As he talks to Melina he opens the 
champagne
and pours two glasses. The waiter is too frightened to protest.

QUAIL Okay. Answers! Now!

MELINA They kidnapped me. Said they'd kill you if I didn't cooperate. I 
told them
I didn't care, but then when I realized they meant it...

QUAIL I don't know why they're after me, but what's your connection with 
all
this?

MELINA We were together before.

QUAIL Believe me, I'm really sorry I can't recall the details of that 
encounter.

The elevator has reached the basement. They rush out.


85	EXT. ALLEY BEHIND HILTON - NIGHT

Quail and Melina run from a basement door into an alley.

A solar car whips out in front of them. Quail and Melina leap aboard.

MELINA Go, Bennie, for God's sake!


86	INT. BENNIE'S SOLAR CAR - NIGHT

Bennie weaves as fast as he can in and out of the traffic, Quail and 
Melina
ducking out of view in the passenger seat.

BENNIE (glances in mirror) Bad news, boss lady.

MELINA What?

BENNIE Black cruiser just pull out behind us.


86A	EXT. CITY STREET - NIGHT

A large gas-powered official-looking car is pushing its way through the 
crowds
and traffic behind them.


86B	INT. BENNIE'S CAR - NIGHT

Quail is aiming his gun at the following car.

BENNIE Forget the shooter, boss. I lose 'em for you.

QUAIL Lose them? In this?

BENNIE Hang on!

Bennie reaches down, grasps a KNOB. He yanks it, like someone starting an

outboard motor -- and an ear-splitting LOUD ENGINE roars to life.

Bennie opens the throttle and the solar car HURTLES DOWN THE STREET. 
Quail and
Melina are thrown back in the seat.


87	EXT. STREETS - NIGHT

GUNFIRE blazes all around the car. Quail FIRES back at the pursuing car.

QUAIL (shouts over GUNFIRE) You're gonna get a ticket for that engine, 
Bennie --

BENNIE Yutani 650 -- you like it, boss? Nothing like the old gas when you 
want a
bit of speed.

BULLETS from the cruiser rip through the car.

MELINA You better have two aces, Bennie. (glances behind) There's a 
second
cruiser -- and it's gaining --


87A	EXT. CITY STREETS - NIGHT

Bennie's car hurtles through the crowds with the official car gaining on 
it.
Bennie takes a corner sharply near a huge water selling stand. The 
official car
brakes to make the same turn, but clips the side of the water stand. The 
water
container tips and empties water through the open roof (i.e. through 
which one of
the Agents has been firing) so that the car completely fills. The driver
continues the chase, but the occupants are now submerged. They frantic- 
ally open
the windows while continuing to follow Bennie's car.


88	EXT. ALLEY - NIGHT

The solar car rushes down what appears to be a dead-end street, with the 
official
vehicle (water pouring out of the windows) in pursuit.

At the end of the street, however, Bennie doesn't stop but continues 
going into a
large opening. It is an abandoned mine. The bigger car follows him, but 
won't
fit. The roof is smashed to pieces as the vehicle is wedged into the 
narrow
opening.

The second official car pulls up behind. A chauffeur jumps out and opens 
the rear
door. Cohaagen steps out. He sur- veys the scene. The four men in the 
wrecked car
clamber their way backwards out of the wreckage. They are covered in 
blood and
their clothes are in shreds.

COHAAGEN I take it, then, you've failed to get him again.

Cohaagen turns to an associate, EMILE, a youngish, well-dressed executive 
type.

COHAAGEN (continuing) Proceed with Operation Sphinx.

EMILE But, sir...

COHAAGEN With him... (gestures toward the mine) ...on the lose, I'm not 
taking
any more chances. Operation Sphinx will flush him out.



93	INT. OLD MINE - NIGHT

The solar car proceeds along the tunnel. It enters an area full of smoke. 
Dozens
of men are sitting around smoking cigarettes, pipes and cigars. Quail 
looks at
them in amazement.

QUAIL What's all this?

BENNIE Nothin', boss. Just old smokies. Only place they can come for a 
puff. It's
all banned topside.

They have now climbed out of the car. Quail looks searchingly at Melina 
and
Bennie.

QUAIL So you two are into something a bit more serious than the taxi and
truck-stop business.

BENNIE That's right, boss.

He unzips his jacket to reveal a T-shirt with "MARTIAN LIBERATION FRONT" 
(and an
appropriate symbol) emblazoned on it.

QUAIL My God!... T-shirts. They died out on Earth years ago.

BENNIE (hurt) Well, maybe we ain't fashion leaders, boss.

MELINA No. But we still believe in a free Mars.

They walk as they talk - into a room off the main tunnel. It is adorned 
with
"FREE MARS" and "MARTIAN LIBERATION FRONT" posters. A group of people are

printing T-shirts and leaflets. They exchange greetings with Melina and 
Bennie.

QUAIL So where did I fit into all this?

MELINA You - when you were Charles Hauser with E.I.O - infiltrated our 
group. I
guess Cohaagen didn't trust you any more when you and I...

Her gesture suggests their liaison.

QUAIL Yeah. And I can't even remember it. We'll have to arrange a return 
bout.

MELINA ...so he had your memory wiped and fixed you up with a new 
identity.

QUAIL But - the Sphinx. Why is that stuck in my mind? Why's it so 
important?

MELINA I don't know.

BENNIE Just an ole heap o' stone, boss.

QUAIL It's more than that, Bennie, I know it's more. Somehow it's 
connected.

He slumps into a chair with frustration.

MELINA (reflecting) Maybe there's a way you can get your memory back.

QUAIL How? What? Where? When?

MELINA A bit of Martian Wisdom. We're not all stupid colonists.


99	EXT. CITY - NIGHT

Bennie, Quail and Melina are walking in a crowded area of town. Water 
sellers and
food stalls are everywhere. An ARMORED LOUDSPEAKER VEHICLE appears, 
broadcasting
to the crowd. It is also swinging a powerful searchlight along the 
footpaths and
streets.

VOICE FROM LOUDSPEAKER ...all residents are to report to their nearest
space-travel agent within twelve hours, all residents will be departing 
on
shuttles within twenty-four hours. Air and water supplies will be cut off 
at that
time. I repeat...

MELINA He's doing it!

QUAIL What? Why?

MELINA Clearing everyone out! It's been rumored for months...

The searchlight approaches Bennie, Quail and Melina. Bennie ducks into a 
doorway,
while Quail grabs Melina and kisses her passionately. The light sees only 
the
back of his head. She responds warmly to his kiss.

QUAIL Wow. I can see why I was willing to betray E.I.O.

MELINA I though you believed in our cause?

QUAIL Yes. Of course. That, too.

They move into the crowd. The message on the loudspeaker is repeated.


101	INT. KUATO'S SANCTUARY - NIGHT

The interior of the room is an amazing contrast to its ghetto exterior. 
The decor
is a baroque combination of Middle Eastern opulence and 21st century 
flash. It
looks like something out of "The Arabian Nights".

A man enters from another room. Although the man's features are East 
Indian, he
is very much a Peter Lorre type; he wears a small fez cap and a white 
linen robe
with a cowl draped around the back of his neck.

STRANGE MAN (nodding to Quail) Your servant, Fahreem Kuato. I greet you 
by the
twenty-seven names that still remain, praying that you cast jewels into 
the
darkness and given them to glow with the colors of life.

As Kuato speaks, Quail, unimpressed, talks, sotto voce, to Melina.

QUAIL What use is this weirdo?

MELINA Ssssh...there are skills on mars that Earth has forgotten.

KUATO No need to introduce yourself, Mr. Quail. (smiles at Quail's 
surprise)
Tolerate my presumption, but it does not tax my powers to know that you 
are the
most sought-after man on two worlds.

From the street the sound of loudspeakers giving information about Quail 
and Co.
can be heard. Searchlight beams occasionally sweep past the windows.

KUATO (continuing) This way, my dear man. We have much to accomplish --
(ominously) -- and very little time.


102	INT. KUATO'S INNER SANCTUM - NIGHT

A Bysantine salon filled with enormous Oriental pillows.

(NOTE: In the scenes inside Kuato's sanctum, the loudspeaker vans in the 
outside
streets can be heard from time to to time. They are repeating the 
evacuation
message from scene 99, but alternating it with a call for the 
apprehension of
Quail and Melina...

VOICE FROM LOUDSPEAKER ...for information leading to these arrests, 
first-class
travel to Earth will be provided plus a weekend at the Leningrad 
Disneyworld, all
expenses paid. I repeat, an Oriental girl and Earthman, possibly to be 
found in
the company of a black taxi driver. These are dangerous subversives and 
sworn
enemies of the glorious Peoples Republic of Mars...)

KUATO The turbulence you hear outside is but a reflection of the turmoil 
within
you. You have brought it to Mars in your search for yourself.

Kuato takes a seat on the pillows, invites the others to join him. Quail
hesitates.

QUAIL And you're going to help me by reading my mind?

KUATO Indubitably. There is only small matter of a fee.

THREE RESPONSES COME TOGETHER.

QUAIL A fee!

KAUTO Naturally.

MELINA This is for our cause!

KUATO (soothingly) Income before ideals. Shall we say 
five-hundred-thousand
dollars?

QUAIL (appalled) Five-hundred-thousand Martian dollars, that's... (think,

calculating the exchange rate)

KUATO Not Martian dollars, Mr. Quail - Earth dollars.

MELINA That's interplanetary robbery!

QUAIL With today's exchange rate... that's over two million Martian 
dollars!

KUATO (suave) What price do you put, Mr. Quail, on the future of the 
solar
system?

BENNIE Aw, come off it, man. Just for a bit of mumbo-jumbo with a crystal 
ball.

KUATO (his manner slipping) Listen, buster, we're talking heavy stuff 
here. You
try and work out what's with this guy!

He jerks his thumb toward Quail.

QUAIL Okay! Okay! I'll pay it, but the Interstellar Trade Practices 
Commission
might be interested in this.

Everyone calms down.

Kuato smiles. He extinguishes all the lights save one small blue one, 
which
illuminates the room eerily, like a seance.

KUATO Retrieving the past is like walking backwards along a perilous 
road. The
half-recalled, the half-forgotten, the repressed, the fantasies, the 
triumphs,
joys, failures, betrayals...

He closes his eyes and concentrates.

KUATO (continuing) Yes... I can feel it... a wall. Erasure techniques are 
so
brutal. (frowns; scans harder) Blocks. Side channels. Future and past all

jumbled. I shall have to enter deep trance to break through. (rising) I 
will be
scanning you through the Oracle Head.

Kauto turns around and sits down with back toward Quail. He reaches up 
and lowers
his cowl, REVEALING:

A TINY LITTLE HEAD GROWING OUT OF THE BACK OF HIS NECK!

The head's eyes are closed in sleep. It is utterly hairless and looks 
like one of
those dolls made from dried apples; a shriveled, ancient-looking yellow 
little
ball.

The LITTLE FACE TWITCHED, YAWNS and OPENS ITS EYES, BLINKS. It looks at 
Melina,
then at Quail.

It opens its toothless little mouth and SPEAKS.

ORACLE HEAD Do not fear me. I need your openness...

ZOOM IN ON QUAIL'S EYES.

ORACLE HEAD (continuing) Open you thoughts to my presence...CONTINUE ZOOM 
UNTIL
ENTIRE FRAME is filled by QUAIL'S EYE.

ORACLE HEAD (continuing) Open...

DISSOLVE TO:


BLACKNESS BROKEN BY PULSES OF WHITE LIGHT

The alternations between dark (ACTION) and white (LIGHT) are RHYTHMICAL 
so as to
create a hypnotic, dream-like feeling.


103	WHITE LIGHT

Fades to reveal a dramatic CLOSE UP of the SPHINX. We see its face, 
shoulders and
behind it the red Martian sky --


103A PULL BACK

to reveal the Sphinx is a PROJECTION on a screen in a windowless briefing 
room.
Quail is seated across from Cohaagen and other SENIOR E.I.O. OFFICERS. On 
the
walls are numerous satellite photos, recon maps and excavation drawings 
-- all
relating to the Sphinx.


107	EXT. MARTIAN SPHINX - SUNSET

Scaffolding and excavation works cover a wall of the Sphinx; the Sphinx's 
huge
CARVED FACE visible in the background.

Quail and several other E.I.O. agents stand poised, wearing breathing 
masks and
protective gear, as a powerful excavation device prizes back a huge 
stone,
revealing an ENTRANCE TO SOME KIND OF HIDDEN CHAMBER.

The other agents are fearful, don't want to proceed. Quail ignores them, 
enters
the chamber --


107A CLOSE - QUAIL'S FACE

As he enters. We read awe, shock and fascination on his features. He 
approaches
something we can't see. His hand reaches out.

Suddenly, a bolt of incredible powerful energy flashes out, striking 
Quail like a
bolt of lightning.

WHITE LIGHT.


105	INT. LAST CHANCE SALOON - NIGHT

Quail and Melina are dancing. The faceted mirror ball on the ceiling 
become the
--

WHITE LIGHT.


106	INT. BEDROOM - DAY

Melina watches from the bed as Quail dresses. She rises, with only the 
sheet
around her, tries desperately to make Quail stay. Plainly he wants to, 
but he
can't. They kiss lingeringly; then Quail, as if "called to duty," exits.

WHITE LIGHT.


108	INT. DETENTION CELL - WINDOWLESS

Quail alone, hands bound, in a holding chamber. Suddenly, the door opens 
and
THREE BEEFY E.I.O. AGENTS enter. They grab Quail to haul him out. Quail 
battles
them with amazing skill and resourcefulness. With his bound hands he 
SLUGS ONE
MAN, hurling him into a wall; he RABBIT- PUNCHES a second man with a 
two-handed
blow and KNOCKS HIM UNCONSCIOUS. The third man sneaks around behind Quail 
and
DROPS HIM WITH A BLACKJACK to the back of the head.

WHITE LIGHT.


109	INT. HOSPITAL ROOM - WINDOWLESS

Quail on his back, all four limbs pinned by some futuristic version of 
"the
rack," his head held imobile by a FEARSOME DEVICE similar to the one we 
glimpsed
on Earth, in the van the two agents tried to shove him into.

Several DOCTORS stand over him. INTO FRAME moves... Cohaagen!

Cohaagen orders the doctors to attach electrodes to PROBES already 
inserted into
Quail's brain. As they turn up the power, Quail's face contorts in a 
grimace of
agony --

ORACLE HEAD'S VOICE You have seen your past. Now read the future...

WHITE LIGHT.


110	INT. SURREAL TUNNEL - DAY OR NIGHT

The same scene we saw during the film's OPENING SEQUENCE.

A man wearing a LIGHT-WEIGHT THERMAL SUIT races through a LABYRINTH OF 
TUNNELS.
The GROUND TREMBLES beneath him, as if in an earthquake. EXPLOSIONS 
rumble deep
in the ground below him. Suddenly we realize -- the man is Quail


INSERT - CLOSE - QUAIL

He throws a backward glance over his shoulder, fearfully, as he runs. 
Suddenly a
BRILLIANT WHITE LIGHT floods in from ahead of him; he puts up his hands 
to
protect his eyes -- and sees his hands are SPLATTERED WITH BLOOD!

Quail runs even faster -- ahead the BRILLIANT LIGHT seems to promise 
safety. He
battles toward it. SOUNDS OF EXPLOSIONS increase, building urgency. Up 
ahead,
emerging from the light, HANDS REACH OUT TO HELP QUAIL. He seems almost 
to
safety. But just as he REACHES THE HANDS --

TWO GUNSHOTS RING OUT!

SHOCK CUT TO:


111	INT. KUATO'S INNER SANCTUM - NIGHT

Quail awakens with a jolt. White as a sheet... sweating like he's just 
run ten
miles. Then: a transformation seems to come over him. He LOOKS -- and 
SEES:

KUATO slumped across the cushions -- MELINA beside Kuato -- BENNIE 
standing
holding a smoking GUN trained on Kuato.

MELINA (rushes to Quail) Charles! Are you all right?

Quail stares at her, as if an entire bank of lost memories were suddenly 
clicking
back into place --

MELINA (continuing) He kept dragging you deeper and deeper into the 
trance! We
couldn't wake either of you!

BENNIE You stopped breathing!

Quail gives Bennie that same eerie look, then turns to Kuato, who is 
sprawled
motionless across the pillows, a curl of smoke rising from two entry 
wounds in
his spine.

QUAIL Why did you kill him? It was the next bit I really...

BENNIE No choice, boss. It was him or you.

Quail lunges across the pillows to Kuato's unbreathing form. Quail shakes 
the
ancient mystic, trying to find a last flicker of life.

Kuato's body is dead white. Quail releases his grip; he about to give up 
when --

A MUFFLED CHOCKED SOUND comes from behind Kuato's neck. It's the Oracle 
Head!
Quail instantly rolls Kuato's body over. The Head is still alive!

Quail bends closer, kneeling.

ORACLE HEAD (whispers) -- the vengence you seek... and the salvation of 
Mars...
are waiting for you in the crown of the Sphinx. (sags, gasping)

The Oracle Head lets out a LONG SIGH and goes limp, a small trickle of 
blood
oozing from the corner of its mouth.

BENNIE Phobos and Demos! What was that all about?

Quail ignores him, still kneeling -- deep in thought -- over the Oracle 
Head.

MELINA Are you okay?... Charles? Doug? Whoever?

Quail reaches out and closes the Oracle Head's tiny eyelids. Melina and 
Bennie
exchange a glance. Then:


QUAIL

Stands. For a moment his back is to Melina and Bennie. Then he turns.

He has become a different man. His eyes gleam. He is forceful, 
purposeful,
contained. Once again the ace E.I.O. agent. Melina senses immediately 
that this
is the man she knew before

QUAIL (even his voice has changed) I'm fine... only I'm not Doug -- I'm 
Charles
Hauser... and I know everything Hauser knew.

He turns to Bennie

QUAIL (continuing) Bennie, where's your depot?

BENNIE (working it out) Well... you go outta here... take a left, then 
down past
the first... no second... water bureau you...

QUAIL (briskly) Can you get us there?

BENNIE No problem.

MELINA But why?

QUAIL We're going to the Sphinx.

He strides off. The others follow, still full of questions.

BENNIE Impossible, man. Guards everywhere.

MELINA The Oracle... what did you learn?

QUAIL Only everything. I've got total recall.

They are now heading down the stairs toward the street.


114	EXT. STREET - EARLY MORNING

Quail, Melina and Bennie make their way through the crowds to Bennie's 
depot. The
streets are even busier then before - people are now beginning to 
evacuate the
city. Everyone is carrying their possessions - bundles, suitcases, pets, 
etc.,
etc. The loudspeaker vans are still touring and broad- casting the same 
message.

Bennie indicates a building on their left.


115	INT. CAR POOL - EARLY MORNING

Bennie and Melina follow Quail as he walks up and down the rows of 
vehicles in
the vast building. There are bull- dozers and ore haulers as well as 
solar taxis.

BENNIE We'll never get near the Sphinx! They'll blow us apart!

Quail ignores him as he continues to mumble to himself. He rapidly but 
carefully
inspects each vehicle as they pass. Camera tracks rapidly with them.

MELINA What are we doing, Charles? For God's sake, tell us.

QUAIL The Sphinx... it's not some useless artifact, it's a machine built 
by some
alien race eighteen millions years ago. The same race that built the on 
one
Earth... for the same purpose.

He stops in front of a large, odd-shaped vehicle with a large scoop or 
propeller
on the front.

QUAIL (continuing) This is what we need.

He begins to climb in; the others follow.

BENNIE (referring to the Sphinx) It's a hunk of old stone, man.

MELINA (ditto) Purpose? What purpose?

Bennie starts the engine.

QUAIL Come on, Bennie, move it. (then, to Melina) Have you heard the 
word,
"terriform"?

Melina shakes her head. The vehicle moves off.


115A EXT. AIR LOCK - MORNING

GUARDS are carefully checking every vehicle leaving the city, though this 
has to
be done fairly rapidly because of the inhabitants leaving for the Space 
Ports.

The vehicle with Bennie, Quail and Melina arrives.


115B INT. VEHICLE - AIR LOCK - MORNING

Bennie is nervous. Melina and Quail are in the back, but cannot be seen. 
Guards
are checking all vehicles exiting, looking for Quail and Melina.

BENNIE (calling to Guards) Just deliverin' some old junk to the mine out 
at
Apidalia Planitia. Got them people you're lookin' for in the back as 
well.

The Guards laugh and signal him on.

Once through the second door of the air lock (i.e. to the area outside 
the city),
Quail and Melina emerge and sit up on the rear seats.

QUAIL The machine in the Sphinx is tapped straight down to the molten 
core of
this planet. There are tunnels and ducts everywhere, all powered by 
fusion
generators...

BENNIE You sure the little man didn't fry your brain, Quail?

MELINA (overlapping) For what? To do what?

QUAIL To combine elements in the Martian core and release them as oxygen,

hydrogen and nitrogen.

BENNIE That's air!


116B EXT. DESERT - MORNING

In a wide shot, the vehicle is traversing the desert. The domed city is 
some
distance in the background. Voices are heard in false perspective. 
Emphasis is on
the dry and hostile natural landscape of Mars.

QUAIL That's right. Air and water. Terriforming will create a permanent 
livable
environment for Mars. No more pressurized cities, no more containers in 
the
desert. There'll be rivers, vegetation - life - the same as Earth.

MELINA (baffled) So why is Cohaagen shipping everyone out?

QUAIL Don't you see?! From being a pile of red dirt with minerals, Mars 
is going
to change into a chunk of priceless real estate.

MELINA And Cohaagen's going to own it all!

QUAIL Right! He can start selling it off to well-heeled investors from 
Earth.
Beach condos, ski resorts, you name it.

MELINA No wonder he wanted you to... penetrate... out group.

QUAIL (nods) Once word of this gets out, the whole planet will support 
you.


117	EXT. DESERT - DAY

The vehicle is now approaching the Sphinx. Both it and the pyramids can 
be seen
some distance away.

Voice are heard in CU perspective.

MELINA So what can we do?

QUAIL Ruin his little scheme by terriforming ahead of schedule - while 
the
inhabitants are still here.

Melina is amazed.

MELINA But who'll work the machine? Do you know how?

QUAIL I'm the only one who does. Why do you think Cohaagen's left me 
alone all
this time?


118	EXT. DESERT - DAY

The vehicle is even closer to the Sphinx.

QUAIL I was the first one inside when they cracked the riddle of the 
Sphinx. It
must've been programmed. Some kind of...force...shot into me.

MELINA But Cohaagen wiped your memory!!!

QUAIL (smoothly) Just a way of putting me on ice. He'd of reversed it 
once the
planet was evacuated.

BENNIE Man! This is real complicated. Go over it again, real slow.


119	INT. VEHICLE - DAY

QUAIL (ignoring Bennie's aside) What he hadn't counted on was your effect 
on me.

MELINA (smiling) And all without the marvels of modern science!

Quail looks out the back window, his attention attracted by two patrol 
vehicles.
They are some distance away, but approaching steadily.


119A EXT. DESERT - DAY

A wide shot shows a total of four patrol vehicles approach- ing the 
vehicle with
Quail, Melina and Bennie. Suddenly, it stops moving.


120	INT. VEHICLE - DAY

The vehicle had just stopped.

QUAIL Bennie, don't stop now, take it...

He turns to see Bennie is covering him and Melina with a pistol.

MELINA You bastard.

BENNIE Like I said. It's a tough planet. I'm a baddie, not a goodie.

QUAIL I should have known, you were just too helpful.

BENNIE EIO Rule One, man. Trust Nobody. Now you can do your terriforming 
stuff
right when those space shuttles are gone.

MELINA But what about the Martian people? Out cause? I thought you 
believed in
it.

BENNIE Your cause? That bunch of dead beat radicals! When I hand in this 
little
number... (flicks his gun in Quail's face) ...I'll get real estate rights 
on the
whole of Chryse Planitia...

At that instant, Melina lunges, PUNCHES A RED EMERGENCY BUTTON. The VENT 
beside
Bennie's hand BLOWS OPEN, [causing] a powerful suction caused by Mars's 
vacuum
atmosphere. Bennie's gun hand is PLANTED AGAINST THE VENT [OPENING.]

Simultaneously, the air in the vehicle starts rushing out! All three 
parties
begin choking. As Bennie's mechanical hand claws for the lever that seals 
the
vent, Quail has a moment to jump him. He pounds Bennie's gun hand, the 
PISTOL IS
SUCKED, CLATTERING, OUT THE VENT!

Quail delivers a roundhouse punch to Bennie, knocking him clear across 
the bus.

Melina seals the vent, REPRESSURIZES THE CABIN.

Bennie gets up off the floor, shaking off Quail's punch--


121	EXT. DESERT - DAY

The E.I.O. vehicle are a half mile off -- and closing in.


122	INT. SAND MOLE - DAY

Quail glances at the vehicles, turns to Bennie -- ready to jump him. But 
stops
short at what he sees Bennie doing.

Bennie is clipping on his MECHANICAL ARM. It sprouts several rows of
vicious-looking STEEL BLADES --

BENNIE This makes Bennie a cut above anyone else.

Bennie presses another button and the BLADES START SPINNING. Bennie's 
mechanical
arm is in effect now a BUZZ SAW!

The fight begins. Bennie attacks Quail with his buzz-saw arm; Quail 
dodges.
Bennie's arm shreds various articles in the cabin -- and keeps Melina at 
bay with
well-timed swipes. Finally Bennie gets in a roundhouse punch to Quail's 
jaw with
his real hand. Quail sprawls, dazed.

Now Bennie goes for the kill. But Melina leaps onto him. Bennie grabs her 
by the
hair and moves his SPINNING HAND in for the quick kill. Melina clutches 
the
terrifying appendage with both hands, desperately keeping it at bay. But 
her
strength is no match for Bennie; the whirring blades are just about to 
bite into
Melina's neck when --

Quail comes back, lands a ferocious rabbit punch to Bennie's spine. Quail 
lunges
at him, grabs the blade weapon; he and Bennie crash into the cabin wall 
and --

The BLADE RIPS CLEAR THROUGH THE MOLE'S WALL! Alarms sound as a GAPING 
HOLE IS
BLOWN IN THE SIDE OF THE CABIN! ALL THE AIR IS SUCKED OUT BY MARS'S 
EXTERNAL
VACUUM!

Now no one can breathe. They all claw for their masks, [still] in place. 
Bennie
is first; he recovers, lunges with his SPINNING ARM for Quail. Quail 
barely
dodges, grabs the arm, muscles it back toward Bennie --

The SPINNING BLADES SEVER BENNIE'S OWN OXYGEN LINE! Gasp- ing, he 
falters. Quail
aims a titanic blow, PUNCHES BENNIE out through the hole in the mole's 
wall!

Quail and Melina, masks on, stare out as Bennie claws desperately at his 
severed
air line. The Martian vacuum pulls the oxygen from Bennie's lungs, he 
chokes,
staggers --


122AA EXT. DESERT - DAY

Bennie is beside the vehicle. He implodes like a balloon with all its air 
gone.


122AB INT/EXT. VEHICLE - DAY

Melina hides her face in horror. At that instant --


122A EXT. DESERT - DAY

Bullets dig into the sand all around the vehicle. The patrol cars are 
only a few
hundred yards away! Loud- speakers call for Quail's surrender.


122B INT. VEHICLE - DAY

Quail lunges for the vehicle controls. Presses a buttonmarked "Dive". The 
vehicle
tilts.


122C EXT. DESERT - DAY

The vehicle burrows powerfully into the sand. As the patrol cars close in 
and
rake the desert with gunfire, the vehicle vanishes from sight. In the 
distance,
the Sphinx looms ominously.

A driver in one of the patrol vehicles (filmed from outside the 
windscreen) is
speaking into a microphone. He can't be heard but can only be radioing a 
report.


123	INT. SAND MOLE - MOVING - UNDERGROUND

The little mining vehicle moves powerfully, propelled by its BORER NOSE.

Quail mans the controls while Melina struggles to shore up the gaping 
hole in the
side, into which SAND is POURING as the mole moves forward. Quail looks 
at a
compass in the control panel. He makes a correction.

QUAIL (shouts over engine noise) Hope I've got this direction right.

Sand pours over him from bullet holes resulting from the encounter with 
patrol
cars.

CU speedometer: 22 MPH. Every other gauge is overheating, flashing 
WARNING LIGHTS
--


124	INT. SPHINX CONTROL ROOM - DAY

Cohaagen and a number of his associates, plus scientists and heavily arms 
troops
are present.

COHAAGEN The air supply is off under the domes?

EMILE Yes, sir. In a couple of hours it'll be all gone.

COHAAGEN Any trouble with the rabble?

EMILE Not much, sir. A lot of complaining. But they're all heading 
towards the
shuttle areas.

On some of the video screens a number of space shuttles can be seen, 
ready for
departure to Earth.


123	INT. TUNNEL BENEATH SPHINX

The Mole bores through a sand wall, emerges into a cramped horizontal 
tunnel.
Quail and Melina leap out. The poor Mole is smoking like an overheated 
drill bit.
Its nose is worn to a nub.

MELINA We got in with this thing, but we'll never get back out.

QUAIL A shame. Such a pleasant trip.

There's a lighted area at the end of the tunnel. Quail and Melina hurry 
toward
it, moving silently, close to the wall.


126B INT. MAIN DOWNSHAFT

They draw up an abyss -- where their tunnel intersects the MAIN 
DOWNSHAFT. Melina
gasps at the colossal scale of the drilling, hundreds of yards across, 
deeper
than the eye can see, and crisscrossed by catwalks, buttresses and
super-sophisticated technology.

Quail and Melina are forty feet below the upper end of the main 
downshaft. They
can look up the shaft and see the first interior level of the Sphinx 
itself.

QUAIL (points down shaft) This is the main tap -- straight down to the 
core of
Mars. When we trigger the mechanism, fusion reactors will detonate down 
there --
four hundred miles deep.

MELINA Remind me not to slip.

QUAIL The new elements will come booming up through this shaft -- and six

thousand others all around the planet.

He's right at home -- and full of confidence.

Quail climbs onto the ladder, which links various top levels.

He starts to climb. Melina follows him. They are tiny figures. The space 
around
them plummets down to infinity.


127	INT. CORRIDOR AT TOP OF SHAFT - LOWEST MANNED LEVEL (LEVEL ONE)

A patrol of NINE HEAVILY-ARMED GUARDS appear from a corridor in Level One 
--
directly above where Quail and Melina are climbing.


128	ON THE WALL OF THE SHAFT

Quail and Melina's heads inch into view at floor level. They take one 
peek at
these formidable warriors and duck back swiftly out of sight.


129	INT. TOP OF SHAFT - LOWEST MANNED LEVEL (LEVEL ONE)

GUARD LEADER (to two of his men) Stay in contact. I want to hear from 
this
checkpoint every four minutes.

Seven of the Guards move off, two remain in position.

We HEAR the FOOTSTEPS of the seven guards recede.

The two remaining guards realize their isolation; they glance tensely to 
one
another.

GUARD #1 Did you hear something?

GUARD #2 No. Where?

GUARD #1 Over there.

The First Guard points to the edge of the main shaft -- right where Quail 
and
Melina are hiding. The Guards cock their weapons, start cautiously 
forward. Just
as they're about to peer over the brink, guns at the ready:

QUAIL'S VOICE (O.S.) (from behind the guards) I'm not there, boys. I'm 
here.

The guards spin around, weapons poised. Standing in the shadows, near the

corridor, is Quail! (Still with no gun)

Both guards walk quickly toward Quail, covering him with their weapons.

GUARD #1 (to Guard #2) Watch him. He was EIO trained. They're all full of 
tricks.

GUARD #2 Yeah? Like...who was that guy? -- Fred Bond?? (to Quail) Keep 
'em up,
Fred, keep 'em up.

Quail has his arms raised high. Just as the Guards reach him, he fizzes
electronically, emitting a humming sound, then disappears.

GUARD #1 A hologram!

Before either Guard can react, the real Quail appears -- one foot behind 
them.
With two LIGHTNING BLOWS, he dispatches the Guards. (Apparently Quail has 
climbed
out of the shaft while the Guards were distracted.)

Quail snatches both Guards' weapons, grenades and ammo belts. Melina 
climbs out
of the shaft. Quail tosses her one of the Guard's guns.


130	INT. CORRIDOR - LEVEL ONE

ALARMS go off everywhere. Quail -- carrying a gun and all the grenades 
and ammo
belts -- and Melina (just carrying a gun) bolt down a corridor past a 
sign:
"LEVEL ONE".

MELINA (running) Where'd you get that little trick?

QUAIL (running) Mail-order company. It's a great one for fooling the 
wife.


131	INT. CONTROL ROOM (LEVEL THIRTEEN)

Cohaagen and his Aides hear the ALARMS, see Quail and Melina on MONITORS 
as they
race down the corridor on Level One.

COHAAGEN How the hell did they get in?

SECURITY AIDE Up the fusion core.

COHAAGEN Up the fusion core??

He exhibits begrudging admiration for Quail.

SECURITY AIDE (studies monitor more carefully) They're on Level One.

A wall sign behind Cohaagen reads: "LEVEL THIRTEEN".

COHAAGEN Seal all upper levels.

A button is pressed and huge doors slide across in front of the 
formidable doors
already closing the Control Room off from the outside corridors.


133	INT. LEVEL ONE CORRIDOR

Quail and Melina are still racing through the corridors. He passes her a 
fresh
ammo belt.

QUAIL (indicates weapons) Know how to use one of these?

Melina expertly ejects her spent clip (that Guards fired at Quail), slams 
in a
fresh clip and cocks the gun.

Quail has a half-second to react, impressed, then -- FOUR GUARDS pound 
into view
at the end of the corridor.

Melina opens fire, nails two. Quail heaves a grenade; as it EXPLODES, he 
and
Melina bolt down a side corridor --


134	INT. VARIOUS CORRIDORS, CATWALKS, STAIRS

ALARMS continue as Quail and Melina dash down the side passageway. MORE 
GUARDS
cut them off; Melina's machine gun sends them scattering --

Quail pauses at a corner. He looks around quickly and sees that an 
elevator is
arriving. He motions Melina back. The doors of the elevator begin to 
open. Very
quickly, Quail bobs his head and arm around the corner. He calls out, 
loudly...

QUAIL Catch! He hurls something toward the armed men in the elevator.
Instinctively one of them reaches for the thrown object. It is an 
explosive
device of some sort. Quail and Melina press themselves against the wall 
just
around a corner from the elevator. There is a tremendous explosion.

Quail, followed by Melina, rounds a corner. The elevator is in ruins; 
bodies are
scattered everywhere.

MELINA Great stuff, but how do we get up?

She points toward the upper levels.


135	INT. CONTROL ROOM (LEVEL THIRTEEN)

Melina and Quail can be seen on the security monitor from a high angle. 
Quail
looks up, spots the monitor, and shoots is to pieces. The image on the 
screen
goes black.

COHAAGEN Forget them. We'll pick up Quail once the shuttles have left for 
Earth.


137	INT. CORRIDOR

Quail spots a large WINDOWED AIR LOCK at the end of the corridor. He and 
Melina
race to it. Quail starts to open the inner door of the air lock.

QUAIL If you're afraid of the heights, you better get over it real quick.


He is pulling Melina through the inner air lock door just as --

GUARDS stampede around the corner of the corridor toward them.

Quail is out of sight, but they see Melina poised near the window. She 
waves and
smiles to them, hiding her gun behind her body. They slow down and 
approach less
cautiously, beguiled by her manner and attractiveness. As they get close, 
she
suddenly lifts her gun and opens fire, mowing them down.


140	EXT. SPHINX'S FACE - DAY

Quail and Melina climb through the outer air lock door. They are at the 
Sphinx's
shoulder, with a dizzying drop beneath them. Melina looks down. She's 
sorry she
did: the fall is at least 200 feet. (Both are wearing their breathing 
apparatus.)

Quail and Melina start to climb. Up the Sphinx's shoulder, along its
Egyptian-like headdress --


141	INT. CONTROL ROOM - DAY

Cohaagen's chief aide, Emile, addresses him quietly.

EMILE If Quail's the only one who can operate all this... (gestures 
toward
Sphinx's controls) ...then he can call all the shots.

COHAAGEN We'll tell him the computer's worked out the operational details 
so we
don't really need him. We're just doing him a favor.

EMILE And if that doesn't work?

COHAAGEN We offer him rewards.

EMILE What if that doesn't work?

COHAAGEN We'll torture him. You don't think I got this far by being a 
nice guy?


142	EXT. SPHINX'S FACE - DAY

Quail and Melina traverse across the cheekbones, haul themselves up at 
the base
of the red translucent eyes --


142A INT. CONTROL ROOM - DAY

The video monitors show the space shuttles. An operator, with earphones, 
turns to
Cohaagen.

OPERATOR First of the shuttles ready for departure, sir. Two minute 
countdown.


142B EXT. SPHINX - DAY

Quail jams THREE GRENADES against the glass of the eyes, pulls Melina 
back behind
the stone cheeks --


143	INT. SPHINX CONTROL ROOM

A MUFFLED EXPLOSION (due to the thin Martian atmosphere) detonates 
overhead. THE
SPHINX'S RIGHT EYE BLOWS IN a storm of shards and shrapnell.

Instantly, the room turns into a hurricane as the Martian vacuum sucks 
out all
air! Everyone panics, grabbing their

COHAAGEN Seal the breach! Repressurize!

An aide dives for an EMERGENCY SWITCH. But now --

Quail and Melina, wearing breather masks, bursts in onto an overhead 
catwalk.
They OPEN FIRE on the Guards, who are choking, struggling with their 
masks.

An EMERGENCY PRESSURE SEAL powers into place, sealing the breach in the 
eye.
REPRESSURIZATION comes up, the internal atmosphere stabilizes --

None of the men inside the control room still moves. The victors tug off 
their
masks, spring down to the main level. Melina hurries to the main control 
panel.

Melina looks towards the video monitors showing half a dozen huge space 
shuttles
lined up for departure.

MELINA Those shuttles are starting up any minute. If you know how to work 
this
thing, you better do it now.

Quail tentatively approaches the imposingly complex machinery.

QUAIL Yes...

He hesitates.

MELINA Don't you know how?

Transfixed, mesmerized, Quail moves closer to the control panel.

QUAIL Yes... there's a vital connection missing...

He approaches even closer. He begins to raise his arm towards a blank 
area a
little above his head.

QUAIL (continuing) ...me...

COHAAGEN Wait!

MELINA Don't wait!

COHAAGEN If you activate the mechanism you'll die...there were glimpses 
of it in
your memory.

QUAIL Wrong, Cohaagen, there's a long tunnel, a brilliant white light, 
hands
reaching for me...

COHAAGEN (assured) That's your death. That's what it looks like. That's 
what is
always looks like.

Quail looks around him, half-convinced.

MELINA (looking toward space shuttles on video screens) Charles - for 
Mars's
sake....

Quail hesitates. He looks from Melina to Cohaagen.

COHAAGEN It's not too late. Join us again. U've a lot to offer. A whole 
world.

Quail continues to look at him, thoughtfully.

QUAIL You don't deserve a new world, you and people like you made too big 
a mess
of the old one. Time someone else had a chance.

He turns back to the machine and slowly raises his arm again. His fingers 
reach
towards the blank section on the panel. Slowly, through the panel, a 
luminous
hand reaches toward Quail's fingers. Gently, the fingers of the two hands 
touch.

The entire control room begins to rumble and shudder. As Quail reaches 
for
Melina, Cohaagen suddenly dives on him. They grapple amid the shuddering 
Sphinx
and can be seen only intermittently as debris crashes around them.

The fight ends as Cohaagen is hurled backwards and disappears when a 
section of
floor collapses underneath him.


144	INT. SURREAL TUNNEL

A reprise of the sequence that opened the movie.

Quail RUNS THROUGH A LABYRINTH OF TUNNELS. THE GROUND HEAVES BENEATH HIM 
... HUGE
STONE BLOCKS CRASH DONW ON ALL SIDES! We hear an EXPLOSION and ANOTHER 
and
ANOTHER, each one SOUNDING CLOSER than the last --

Quail clamps him breathing mask on as he runs. Is this his own death? 
Where is
Melina?

The tunnel walls are just like the ones in Quail's original nightmare -- 
bright
reddish-orange, clay and quartz.

Quail throws a backward glance fearfully over his shoulder. The 
EXPLOSIONS are
closer. Suddenly --

Up ahead appears a BRILLIANT WHITE LIGHT. Quail sees it, but it only 
terrifies
him more. Is it death he's running to? He hurries on with all his 
strength, but
--

Just as he nears the white light, HE FALLS. On his knees, too weak to 
move. He
struggles --

HANDS ARE REACHING OUT TO HIM, from out of the brilliant light. Quail 
stretches
for them, just as --

A FINAL EXPLOSION blows him forward -- straight into the WHITE LIGHT! The 
HANDS
SEIZE HIM, pull him upward to --


145	EXT. MARTIAN DESERT - DAY

The hands belong to breather-masked MINERS, dismounting rapidly from an
overloaded transport vehicle which was taking them to the Space Port. 
Quail looks
from them to Melina, who is walking towards the group.


QUAIL'S P.O.V. - MINERS' MASKED FACES

The miners' desert garb, shield goggles and breathers add to the surreal
nightmare quality of Quail's tortured perspective --


BACK TO QUAIL

In terror, lost, disoriented totally.

QUAIL Am I dying?

MASKED MINER I won't lie to you, pal. You are.

MINER (from Melina's bar) I'd say in about forty years... (he and others 
help
Quail to his feet) ...come on, we've gotta get to the Space Port. That
Intergalactic Napoleon's switched off the air.

2ND MINER Shippin' us all out. Mars is finished.

A MINER'S WIFE watches them. She is crying.

Quail looks up at the sky. Melina follows his glance. So do the others.

Slowly, but perceptibly, the color is changing from yellow to blue.

MELINA It's happening.

MINER What is it?

All the miners are puzzled, apprehensive. Quail reaches toward the one 
who spoke
to him before and pulls off his breathing apparatus. At first the man is 
shocked,
then realizes he can breathe without it. Quail takes off his own, then 
Melina's

All the miners watch in amazement. They all remove their breathing masks.


QUAIL That's just the start. Next there'll be rain and growth and ... 
life.

Melina embraces him.

QUAIL (continuing) Rekall could never have come up with anything like 
this.

Melina looks oddly at him, smiling, mysterious.

As the sky becomes more and more blue, more of the Miners descend from 
the bus.
Softly at first, then with more and more confidence, they begin singing 
the
Martian National Anthem.

The music swells. Quail puts his arm around Melina. They both join in the 
chorus.

It reaches an impassioned crescendo as the FRAME FREEZES and the END 
CREDITS ROLL
UP the screen.


THE END

Alien 3:


"A L I E N I I I"


by

William Gibson


Revised first draft screenplay

from a story by David Giler and Walter Hill


_________________________________________________________________________
_____

FADE IN:

DEEP SPACE - THE FUTURE

The silent field of stars -- eclipsed by the dark bulk of an approaching 
ship.
CLOSER.

ANGLE ON THE HULL

A towering cliff of metal, Sulaco.

INT. SULACO -- HYPERSLEEP VAULT

TRACKING down the line of empty, open capsules. Frozen twilight. The 
final four
capsules are sealed, lids in place.

ANGLE -- INSIDE CAPSULE

NEWT, then RIPLEY. HICKS next, his head and chest bandaged. Then BISHOP 
in his
caul of plastic. But the lid of Bishop's capsule is misted with hothouse
condensation.

CLOSER

A tear of fluid streaks the condensation.

An alarm SOUNDS.

A monitor begins to scroll data.

TIGHT ON MONITOR

TROOP TRANSPORT SULACO CMC 846A/BETA MISSION/LV-426/RETURN STATUS RED 
TREATY
VIOLATION REF: #99AG558L5 CAUSE: NAVIGATIONAL ERROR

Bland feminine voice of the ship's computer, as the alarm continues to 
SOUND.

COMPUTER Attention. Due to failure of navigational circuitry, Sulaco has 
entered
a sector claimed by the Union of Progressive Peoples. Auxiliary systems 
are now
on line. Course corrected. Hardwired protocols prevent, repeat, prevent 
arming of
nuclear warheads in the absence of Diplomatic Override, Decryption 
Standard
Charlie Nine. On present course, Sulaco will exit the U.P.P. sector at 
nineteen
hundred hours fifty three point eight minutes.

EXT. SULACO

The ship slides past beneath us. A U.P.P. interceptor descends INTO 
FRAME,
matching course and speed with Sulaco. The interceptor settles on Sulaco 
like a
wasp.

INT. INTERCEPTOR

Three commandos climb into spacesuits. The Leader opens a hatch in the 
deck,
revealing one of Sulaco's airlocks. FIRST COMMANDO, a young Vietnamese 
woman,
scrambles down and attaches magnetic units to the airlock. SECOND 
COMMANDO
studies a monitor, tapping out a sequence on a keyboard. First Commando 
gestures
from hatch: no good. Second Commando tries again. A grating SOUND as 
Sulaco's
airlock begins to open.

INT. SULACO -- CARGO LOCK

Darkness. Armed commandos climb through opening and descend a ladder. 
Reaching
the deck, they fan out, weapons ready. Their leader examines the damaged
dropship. First Commando gestures urgently. She's found something.

Bishop's legs, broken, grotesquely twisted, still in fatigues, the white 
android
blood clotted into powder. First and Second Commandos exchange looks 
through
their faceplates.

COMPUTER Attention. Integrity breach, Cargo Lock 3. Security alert. 
Integrity
breach, B Deck...

INT. HYPERSLEEP VAULT -- LEADER'S POV

The chilly aisle of capsules.

Commandos move down the line, guns poised. They peer in at Newt, Ripley, 
and
Hicks, but the lid of Bishop's capsule is pearl-white. The Leader tries 
the
controls at the foot of the capsule, where green and red indicators glow. 
Nothing
happens. He opens a panel, finds an emergency lever, tries it. The green
indicators wink off. The lid rises. A dense pale mist flows out, spilling 
over
the edges of the capsule, revealing the ovoid of a gray Alien egg. Rooted 
in the
center of Bishop's synthetic entrails, the egg instantly ejaculates a
Face-hugger, which strikes the leader's faceplate in a spray of acid. He 
screams,
blinded by the acid, grappling with the thing as it begins to force its 
way into
his helmet, its tail lashing furiously. Clawing at it, he plunges blindly 
back
down the aisle, stumbling, smashing into the empty capsules. He vanishes 
through
the entranceway, his screams giving way to frenzied gagging SOUNDS.

The First Commando scrambles after him.

INT. CARGO LOCK

The Leader writhes on the deck beside the main cargo lock. First Commando 
rushes
in, crouches beside him, takes careful two-handed aim with her sidearm -- 
she
FIRES, attempting to kill the face-hugger without hitting the Leader. The

face-hugger EXPLODES in a gout of acid; ragged holes burn through the 
side of his
helmet. First Commando frantically works the lock controls. As the inner 
lock
opens, she shoves the leader over the edge with her foot.

EXT. SULACO

Helmetless, headless, trailing a cloud of blood and acid, the Leader 
tumbles
through space.

INT. CARGO LOCK

Eyes of the First Commando through her faceplate. Beat. Something moves, 
behind
her. She spins, bringing up her gun. Backlit in the entrance to the 
vault, a
black, multi-armed figure. The beam from her lamp finds it -- the Second
Commando, with Bishop in his arms.

DISSOLVE TO:

IN DEEP SPACE -- VARIOUS ANGLES

A station the size of a small moon, and growing; unfinished sections of 
hull are
open to vacuum. A vast, irregular structure, the result of the shifting 
goals of
successive administrations.

MOVE IN on hundreds of windows -- most of them dark. A light comes on in 
one of
the windows.

INT. ANCHORPOINT -- TULLY'S SLEEPING CUBICLE

A phone is RINGING. The cubicle, terminally sloppy, resembles the nest of 
a
high-tech hamster, not much larger than a berth of a train. The walls are

plastered with a wistful collage of posters, ads, photos torn from 
magazines:
beaches, desert, the Grand Canyon, redwoods, blue sky -- a hedge against
claustrophobia and the emptiness of space.

TULLY, sitting up in bed, knuckling sleep from his eyes, wincing at the 
light; he
slaps the phone console and the glum face of OPERATIONS OFFICER JACKSON 
(female)
appears. She wears a nylon baseball cap with a computer light-pen 
attached to the
bill.

JACKSON 'Morning, Tully.

TULLY Morning? Jesus, Jackson, it's the middle of my downtime...

CLOSE ON THE CONSOLE SCREEN

ANGLE

The room behind Jackson is Achorpoint's nerve-center, the Ops Room.

JACKSON None of us up here in the Ops Room have seen downtime for a 
while, Tully.
A Marine transport came in on automatic sixteen hours ago.

She bobs her head as she speaks, using the pen on her cap to move a 
cursor on a
screen in front of her.

JACKSON (continuing) The Sulaco. Departed gateway four years ago with a
compliment of fifteen. A dozen marines, an android, a company 
representative, and
the former warrant officer of a merchant vessel...

TULLY So?

JACKSON So, the bio-readout gives us the warrant officer, one -- count 
him --
marine, and a nine-year-old girl. Makes you wonder what happened out 
there,
doesn't it?

TULLY So ask 'em. Wake 'em up and ask 'em. Them, not me.

JACKSON But that's the good news, Tully. Three hours before Sulaco turned 
up, we
docked a priority shuttle out of Gateway. Two passengers. Milisci, Tully. 
Weapons
Division.

TULLY That the bad news?

JACKSON They want the ship pulled in, with full biohazard precautions, by

oh-eight-hundred hours. BioLab techs are priority for the deck squad. 
That's you
Tully.

The phone screen goes blank.

TULLY (heartfelt) Shit.

He begins to fumble through his sleeping bag, looking for his clothes --
disturbing SPENCE, a young technician, who sits up groggily, hugging the 
bag to
her breasts.

SPENCE What? What is it?

TULLY It's called the military-industrial complex; it's called my ass out 
of bed;
it's called jerking me around... Any way you wanna call it, it's the same

bullshit...

INT. CORRIDOR

Tully, groggy and irritated, emerges from his cubicle, wearing a battered 
leather
flight jacket, its sleeves plastered with embroidered logo-patches for 
various
products. His photo, name, job description, and number are slotted on the 
door in
a transparent envelope -- TULLY, CHARLES A. TECH-5, TISSUE CULTURE LAB.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. ANCHORPOINT -- DRY DOCK

A plain of gray steel, the size of several carrier decks, walls lost in 
dark and
distance. Service vehicles lumber past in the b.g. Massive floods on 
towers of
raw scaffolding backlight twenty waiting figures, the Deck Squad. Their
spacesuits are white, clinical; over these they wear disposable Biohazard

Envelopes of filmy translucent plastic. Some are Colonial Marines, armed 
with
pulse-rifles or flame-throwers. Others are scientists and technicians, 
carrying
recording and sampling gear. Their voice, over helmet- radio are furred 
with
STATIC. Something CLANGS and BOOMS overhead, metal thunder.

OFFICER (V.O.) Deck Squad brace for pressure drop. She's in the cradle. 
She's
coming in.

A sudden WIND rushes across the deck, then dies. RUMBLE overhead as a 
monstrous
hanger door rolls slowly open, revealing the naked stars. The dark hull 
of Sulaco
blots out the stars as it descends.

OFFICER (V.O.) (continuing) Entry team to secondary cargo lock.

A cherry-picker vehicle, with extended boom, WHINES up to Sulaco.

The lock SIGHS open on darkness.

BUZZ of static, indistinct RADIO exchanges, as a half-dozen lights play 
over the
drop-ship, the walls of the lock. Tully enters, stares around, eyes wide 
through
his faceplate. Beside his is a MARINE with a pulse-rifle -- obviously 
psyched for
combat.

TULLY Lights, how come they got no lights?

MARINE Hey, man...

He shines his light on a blackened scar on the bulkhead.

MARINE (continuing) Lookit that. Been some action in here...

TULLY Action?

MARINE Man, what the fuck you supposed to be doing here?

TULLY Forging a new home for mankind in the depths of space.

The Marine isn't amused. Tully raises an instrument; it makes a SUCKING 
noise.

TULLY (continuing) Collecting atmosphere samples.

MARINE So just do it, right.

He move away.

TULLY Sure.

But he doesn't want to be alone; hustles after the Marine.

OFFICER (V.O.) Technician Tully to the hypersleep vault, atmosphere 
sample...

MARINE Sounds like you.

TULLY Yeah.

MARINE Let's not keep the man waiting.

INT. ENTERANCE TO HYPERSLEEP VAULT

The Marine OFFICER holds up a tracker -- one of the small motion-sensors 
familiar
from the previous film. Beside him are TWO MORE MARINES. The Officer 
raises the
tracker and scans the face of the door.

EXTREME CLOSEUP

of tracker screen: zero.

ANGLE

OFFICER One sample, here.

SOUND of Tully's device sucking air.

OFFICER (continuing) Get another on the way in. Have they patched line in 
yet?

SECOND MARINE Yessir. Lights on in there.

The Officer presses a button.

The door slides open. Bright, white. The aisle. Empty. The row of 
capsules.
Tully's Marine is first through the door, gun ready, slow, careful. Tully 
steps
in after him, raises his instrument, takes a sample.

INT. HYPERSLEEP VAULT

The other two Marines move past Tully. Soft SCUFF of their boots on the 
deck.
Tully doesn't know quite what to do. Lowers his sampler, hesitates. The 
first
Marine reaches Newt's capsule. He lowers his rifle.

MARINE (something startled, almost gentle in his voice) They're here...

Eight inches of razor-sharp serrated tail plunges out through the back of 
his
suit as he's lifted off his feet by something we can't see. Ugly RIPPING 
noise as
the ALIEN withdraws its stinger -- blood tidily contained by the 
translucent
membrane of the biohazard envelope.

The stinger of a second Alien whips around the neck of one of the other 
two
Marines; the Alien is clinging to the ceiling. He screams. Tully's Marine 
sags
against the foot of Ripley's capsule, his arm across the controls -- the 
green
indicator lights go out -- as the first Alien lunges up INTO VIEW.

CLOSE

On the jaws.

ANGLE ON RIPLEY

Her eyes snap open.

RIPLEY'S POV

As the beast mounts her coffin, terminal nightmare.

ANGLE

RIPLEY No-ooooooooooooooooooooo!

Her hands claw frantically at the smooth curve of the plastic canopy.

The remaining Marine, crazy with adrenaline and terror, unleashes his 
flame
thrower. The first Alien and Ripley's capsule vanish in a napalm 
fireball. The
Marine spins, screaming incoherently, and liquid fire hoses the second 
Alien,
which drops its victim and falls burning into the deck.

The vault is an inferno. Ripley's capsule is sagging, melting.

DISSOLVE TO:

A scorched hypersleep capsule is wheeled in under brilliant lamps. The 
waiting
crisis team plug bio-monitor leads and a HISSING air-supply line into 
sockets on
the capsule. A technician with a small hand-held power saw begins to cut 
away the
heat-crazed canopy. Hands in surgical gloves lift the canopy away.

Ripley lies curled in a tight fetal knot.

INT. ANCHORPOINT -- MEDLAB QUARANTINE

A small white room, a white bed surrounded by medical gear. Hicks, in his

underwear, is hunched on the edge of the bed, impatiently smoking a 
cigarette.
The dressing on his head and shoulders have been changed. Spence enters. 
She
wears a biohazard envelope over coveralls, bubble-goggles, a transparent
filter-mask.

SPENCE (lightly) You know you can't smoke in here?

HICKS Yes, ma'am.

He takes a puff.

SPENCE I'm Spence. I'm not a medic, I'm from the tissue culture lab. I 
have to
get a sample.

She opens a small white case and takes out a gleaming cylinder.

SPENCE (continuing) Uh, just stick your thumb in here.

Hicks gives her a hard look, inserts his thumb; she touches a stud -- 
SNIK! -- he
winces, look ruefully at his thumb.

SPENCE (continuing) Sorry. (putting the tissue- sampler away) You're the 
last
one...

HICKS (grabs her wrist) The others. Ripley, Newt -- they came through 
okay?

SPENCE Who's Newt?

HICKS The kid.

SPENCE Rebecca. Rebecca's fine.

HICKS Ripley?

SPENCE (hesitates) Ripley's fine, Hicks.

HICKS Bishop. Where's Bishop?

SPENCE (puzzled) Bishop?

HICKS The android.

SPENCE (carefully, worried that she's gotten in over her head) There were 
three
of you. Three that I know of, anyway. Maybe you should try to sleep now. 
You want
the nurse? They can give you something...

HICKS (leaning forward, still gripping Spence's wrists) Why haven't I 
been
debriefed? Where's the brass?

SPENCE All I know is, we've all been sleeping short hours since your ship 
came
in, soldier.

A CRASH from the corridor, a pained BELLOW, and Newt scuttles in, wearing 
a
hospital gown. She backs into a corner as a large ORDERLY rushes in, 
clutching
his right hand. Like Spence, he wears biohazard gear.

ORDERLY Goddamn it! She bit me!

He starts for Newt. Hicks comes off the bed like he's mounted on springs, 
hand
cocked for a trained blow. The Orderly backs off.

NEWT (near hysteria) Where's Ripley? Where is she?

HICKS (straightens out of hand- to-hand crouch without losing any of the 
threat)
She's asking you a question.

ORDERLY You looking to get yourself sedated, Corporal?

NEWT Where is she?

HICKS Now I'm asking you the question...

Spence yanks her mask down in a reflexive, very human gesture. Move 
slowly toward
Newt, extending her hand.

SPENCE Rebecca... Newt. Honey. It's okay. Ripley's going to be okay. 
C'mon now,
I'll take you, you can see her...

ORDERLY Spence, there's no way --

He moves to stop them, but Hicks takes a very deliberate step forward.

INT. MEDLAB -- ANOTHER ROOM

Ripley lies in a coma, monitored by assorted white consoles. Her forehead 
is
taped with half a dozen small electrodes. Newt, expressionless, walks 
slowly to
the bedside as Hicks and Spence look on.

SPENCE She's sleeping. (she and Hicks exchange glances) Sometimes people 
need to
sleep... To get over things...

Newt looks up at a monitor that display's Ripley's EEG. Watches the 
jitter of
peaks and valleys.

NEWT Is Ripley dreaming?

SPENCE I don't know honey.

NEWT It's better not to.

EXT. RODINA, THE U.P.P. STATION -- VARIOUS ANGLES

Smaller than Anchorpoint.

INT. RODINA - CYBERNETICS LAB

CLOSE on Bishop. He stares straight ahead, the corner of his mouth 
twitching
mechanically. PULL BACK. Bishop's torso is mounted in the center of a 
large
square platform; tubes are wires snake from his ruined lower ribcage. The 
walls
of the labs are lined with monitor screens and printers.

Information is being reamed out of the android at high speed, printouts 
of
measurements, graphs, formulas. COLONEL-DOCTOR SUSLOV is beside the 
Vietnamese
Commando, who wears a sleeveless fatigue-blouse revealing regimental 
tattoos: a
yin-yang, hashmarks, an ID marker like a supermarket bar-code. They watch 
as a
graphics program generates a detailed anatomical drawing of a face-hugger 
on a
large monitor. She says something short and emphatic in Vietnamese, 
repeats it:
yes.

SUSLOV And this?

He taps a keypad and the face-hugger vanishes. The screen begins to draft 
an
Alien in side and frontal projections.

FIRST COMMANDO (eyes fixed on the screen in horror and fascination) No...


On the slab, the robotic tic still works the corner of Bishop's mouth.

INT. SULACO -- CARGO LOCK

Two TECHNICIANS in biohazard gear squat on either side of Bishop's legs. 
An
electronic microscope has been set up on a low tripod. A small monitor 
displays
magnified skin and a few dark gobules. One Technician extracts an 
ultra-fine
probe from its sterile package and leans forward.

TECH WITH PROBE You getting tape of this, Miller?

SECOND TECH You bet your ass. Orders.

TECH WITH PROBE That's good because I'd swear I just saw a piece of this 
shit
move...On the monito