This screenplay is copyrighted to its author. All rights reserved. This screenplay may not be used or reproduced without the express written permission of the author.
G L A S S S K Y
an original screenplay by
Porter R. Wood
rev 3.0
registered WGAe 1999.01.09
FADE IN:
EXT. HIGH-RISE - DAWN
Sunrise ripples in the glass of a skyscraper. Two
CONSTRUCTION-BOTS work on an upper floor. They assemble wall
sections with bolt-gun equipped arms, then suddenly pause, as
if listening. To the left in an occupied flat, a FIGURE moves
in the window, a silhouette in the reflected dawn...
INT. HIGH-RISE FLAT - DAWN
An OLD MAN in a robe. A VIDEO PROJECTION of the morning news
hovers in his peripheral vision, obscures his face from view.
He works a manual espresso machine in an otherwise sleek,
push-button kitchen. The coffee begins to HISS...
FEMALE NEWSCASTER
- celebrate a century of peace in the
galaxy and honor the day, one hundred
years ago, when the Clans of Earth stood
united against a common enemy. The day we
defeated the Bugs.
Old Man eats, still hidden. The HISS continues...
MALE NEWSCASTER
It was a new dawn for all humanity,
symbolized in President Yamagochi-Wong's
historic decree to reset the Terran
Calendar to Zero.
HISS...
FEMALE NEWSCASTER
Tonight's New Year's Eve climax of the
ninety-ninth Peace Festival will be the
single largest celebration in human
history. Two hundred billion people will
count the stroke of midnight. The eyes of
the entire Hegemony will be turned toward
us, the mother city, Orbital City One.
Old Man gestures, and the news vanishes to reveal his
wizened, Eurasian face. A geometric tattoo covers a bald head
above a brow scrunched in annoyance. HISS... He turns -
The espresso machine lies silent, the coffee brewed. He turns
again as -
A LASER BEAM completes its arc through the far wall. The HISS
stops, a section THUDS to the floor. The Construction-Bots
zip in, grab Old Man and slam him against the window! Dishes
shatter.
Now a MED-BOT, white with a red cross logo, enters. Old Man
watches helplessly as it moves in on him.
Needles and laser scalpels WHIR on a dozen articulated arms.
EXT. HIGH-RISE - DAWN
A spray of blood mists the window as...
EXT. ORBITAL CITY ONE - DAWN
We lose the building in a massive CITY-SCAPE. Multi-level
roadways and green parks cut through mile-high skyscraper
canyons. Farther out - pristine lakes, geometric crop fields,
lush forests. A megalopolis bigger than Hong Kong, Tokyo and
New York combined, but clean and beautiful... Utopian. Just
when the view couldn't possibly get more spectacular...
EXT. SPACE
We pass through the clear bubble encasing it and come to rest
in space. The domed city sits above a long spindle like a
gigantic top, a silhouette against the rising sun. The curve
of a dark planet lies below.
INT. MICHELLE'S BEDROOM
MICHELLE YEN-SMITH, 30's, wakes violently in the dark. Like
everyone else in this future society, her features reflect a
homogenous, blend-of-all-races gene pool - straight black
hair, honey colored skin, epicanthic eyelids.
Her fist tightens around an UNSEEN TRINKET that hangs from a
thin silver chain about her neck. She tucks the necklace back
under her shirt and wipes her face. Something CHIRPS.
MICHELLE
Yen-Smith.
A vid-projection of COMMANDER TOGAWA, a venerable matriarch
with a tattooed forehead, appears before her.
TOGAWA
Michelle, I need you. That delayed
prisoner download has complicated. Six
unrecoverables have escaped and taken
hostages - in a first level crŹche.
You're to lead the insertion unit.
MICHELLE
My team's on leave. Most are off-city.
TOGAWA
You have standbys, greens. A hopper will
be at your rooftop in twelve minutes.
MICHELLE
Yes, Madam.
EXT. ROOFTOP - MORNING
Michelle now wears a tight, black, armored police uniform
that straddles the line between function and fetish. She
boards a black helicopter-like HOPPER, insignia ESWAT.
INT. ESWAT HOPPER - MORNING
Michelle's restraints fasten as the hopper ascends. Six ESWAT
commandos in identical black armor, three male, three female,
surround her. MALE COMMANDO nervously tries to strike up a
conversation.
MALE COMMANDO
Ironic way to start the big day, isn't
it, Madam?
MICHELLE
No.
Not the response he expected.
MALE COMMANDO
But... being called into action... on the
last day of the Peace Celebration? That's
not ironic?
MICHELLE
Coincidental. Ironic if we were up
against the Bugs, sure, but a bunch of
escaped cons? That's just the job.
Male Commando looks sheepish. FEMALE COMMANDO jabs him with
her elbow.
FEMALE COMMANDO
Nothing to wax philosophical over.
EXT. ORBITAL CITY ONE - MORNING
The hopper hurtles between towering glass skyscrapers.
EXT. CRéCHE - MORNING
COPS hold a crowd of distraught parents at bay. A pair of
three-meter tall police MECHAS - piloted, bipedal robots -
stand at the crŹche entrance, where a van-like transport has
crashed through the doorway. A local POLICEMAN confers with
Michelle. He's not happy.
POLICEMAN
With eighty percent of our personnel
diverted to festival security, we're
spread too thin! Who scheduled a bugging
download for today, anyway?
MICHELLE
The shuttle was delayed at jumpgate. What
happened?
POLICEMAN
Hired suits ambushed us, six officers and
a nurse are dead, and now they've taken
the babies hostage!
MICHELLE
Relax, ESWAT will handle it. I just need
to know three things -
(counts on her fingers)
Their number, location, and weaponry.
POLICEMAN
We're scanning now.
INT. CRéCHE LOBBY
Like every other structure in OC1, a showcase of ergonomic
design and good Feng Shui. It would be serene if not for the
broken glass and bloody corpses littering the floor.
Three stoic male SUITS with shades and snub-nosed pistols
guard what's left of the entrance.
Behind the reception desk several frantic NURSES are
corralled, face down, by two NERVOUS MALE CONS who sport
prison uniforms and high-tech machine guns.
The obvious LEADER, a male prisoner armed with a big pistol,
shouts at two unarmed YOUNG CONS - one male, one female - by
the nursery entrance.
LEADER
I don't care, bring 'em out here! They're
no good to us back there!
YOUNG FEMALE CON
You don't know what you're asking.
LEADER
NOW!
The Young Cons scurry through the door toward the nursery.
Leader turns to the others.
LEADER (cont'd)
What good are the buggers if they're not
under our guns? Bargaining power, it's
all about bargaining power!
Nervous Male Cons nod their heads vigorously.
LEADER (cont'd)
You don't want to rot away on Earth, do
you?
Nervous Male Cons shake their heads vigorously.
LEADER (cont'd)
Now that we have their precious babies we
can negotiate transport back. They'll do
whatever we ask - it's Peace Day!
He fumbles with the reception desk vid-phone. The image of
the Policeman outside appears.
LEADER (cont'd)
Where's my hopper?
POLICEMAN
Our negotiator wants to discuss your
terms face to face. It's standard
procedure. She's coming in now, unarmed.
LEADER
What?
Michelle climbs in around the overturned transport, hands
raised. Dressed in a skirt, blouse and jacket, she is calm
and professional. Perky, even.
MICHELLE
Hi! My name is Michelle Yen-Smith, and
I'm going to be your negotiator today!
LEADER
How nice.
(to Suits)
Frisk her!
The three Suits approach, all business-like. MIDDLE SUIT
holsters his gun under his jacket to frisk her, while the two
Flanking Suits keep their pistols trained on her.
The frisk reveals a GUN under Michelle's jacket!
Middle Suit shakes his head - this is her cue. As he reaches
with his right hand into her jacket to grab her gun, she
whips her left hand into his jacket, grabs his gun and PLUGS
him once in the belly, then...
Draws her own weapon with her right hand and, arms akimbo,
simultaneously BLOWS AWAY the two flanking suits as...
The dumbfounded Nervous Cons open fire -
Bullets rip into Middle Suit's back as Michelle slides feet
first between his legs, both guns blazing -
She takes down the two Nervous Cons, then rolls, dodging
three shots from Leader, and dives behind a large planter.
INT. CRéCHE NURSERY
The Young Cons wade a sea of SCREAMING BABIES. Toys and
educational vid-projections cut through the crawling surf.
YOUNG FEMALE CON
You hear something?
INT. CRéCHE LOBBY
Leader dives under the reception desk and fires six more
shoots around the corner at Michelle. The planter explodes
but Michelle leaps over unharmed.
Leader grabs a terrified NURSE and hauls her up, his gun to
her head, just as Michelle flips onto the desk, both her guns
in his face.
LEADER
That's not negotiating! This is
negotiating - DROP YOUR GUNS OR SHE DIES!
Michelle smiles.
MICHELLE
You don't have any bullets left.
Not the response he expected.
LEADER
But... I fired nine rounds!
MICHELLE
Nine just now, but when did you change
clips? Was it before you killed those
cops? After? How many times did you shoot
that nurse, anyway?
Leader glances uncertainly at his gun.
LEADER
Like you'd know.
MICHELLE
It's my job to know.
Leader ponders all this as sweat rolls down his face. His gun
shakes. Nurse swallows, staring straight at Michelle.
INT. CRéCHE HALLWAY
Young Female Con peers around the entrance into the lobby.
Young Male Con stands behind her.
YOUNG FEMALE CON
This is bad.
YOUNG MALE CON
ESWAT, probably, and she's not alone. The
whole place will be swarming with cops in
seconds.
YOUNG FEMALE CON
What do we do?
YOUNG MALE CON
Don't worry, everything's going according
to plan.
With that cryptic remark, he KICKS her through the door!
INT. CRéCHE LOBBY
Leader turns toward the movement and FIRES a single round!
Michelle kicks Nurse out of the way and body-slams Leader.
Everybody hits the floor. Young Female Con is dead, a bullet
hole in her forehead. Nurse is safe, if stunned. Leader and
Michelle lie face to face, gun to head. Leader LAUGHS -
LEADER
No bullets, huh? So what was that?
Michelle smiles again, sweetly.
MICHELLE
I lied. You had one bullet left.
She watches his face as the implication ... slowly... sinks
in. He SCREAMS and pulls the trigger - CLICK CLICK CLICK. She
cold-cocks him.
The commandos enter with Young Male Con in custody as
Michelle helps Nurse to her feet.
MICHELLE (cont'd)
Sorry about that. You okay?
Nurse is still staring at Michelle, dreamily.
NURSE
O...kay...
Michelle removes her jacket and drapes it over Nurse's
shoulders. Male Commando passes with Young Male Con.
MICHELLE
Nice of you to join us.
MALE COMMANDO
Madam! It was the babies! They slowed us
down. He was trying to hide in a play
house.
YOUNG MALE CON
I was just in the same transport, I never
wanted to -
Michelle palms Young Male Con's mouth and cocks a thumb at
Leader unconscious on the floor behind her.
MICHELLE
Get Tweedledee and Tweedledum into
confinement, and then see that those
babies are cared for. Fly in nursemaids,
hypnotists, whatever's needed. These are
their formative years, understand?
MALE COMMANDO
Yes, Madam!
MICHELLE
Dismissed!
(to Nurse)
Greens! Come on, let's get some air.
She helps Nurse out as cops and medics begin mopping up.
NURSE
So... you're a police negotiator?
Nurse is sincere, she doesn't get it. Michelle LAUGHS.
MICHELLE
I haven't had my coffee yet.
EXT. SPACE
A SPACESHIP materializes in the giant ring of a JUMPGATE and
glides silently toward a red PLANET. It descends into orbit.
A grid-work of slender thorns seem to pierce the surface of
the planet. Closer... The thorns are SATELLITES in
geosynchronous orbit, insignia EDF. Closer... The planet
below looks familiar. The oceans have boiled away and massive
craters pockmark the surface, but there is no mistaking it -
future Earth.
Lifeless wasteland below, void of space above, the ship
approaches Orbital City One, suspended between.
FEMALE COMPUTER VOICE
Welcome to Orbital City One Central
Computer.
INT. SPACESHIP CABIN
DETECTIVE MASAMI VALENTINE, 40's, inserts a tiny disc in a
slot by her seat.
VALENTINE
Access OC1 Customs and cross-reference
against file "Kang, Endo" now uploading.
Clearance code seven seven nine,
Detective Valentine, Mars Police Force.
A robot steward refills a tea bowl on the fold-out table
beside her. She waves it off.
FEMALE COMPUTER VOICE
Clearance verified. Cross-referencing
retinal, genetic, and synaptic pattern
records. How far back shall I search?
VALENTINE
Six months.
FEMALE COMPUTER VOICE
No match.
VALENTINE
Okay, two years.
FEMALE COMPUTER VOICE
No match.
VALENTINE
Come on, if Carlos says you're here...
Ten years.
FEMALE COMPUTER VOICE
Working.
Valentine sips her tea.
FEMALE COMPUTER VOICE (cont'd)
No match.
VALENTINE
Bugger. Alright, get me the local police.
EXT. SIDE STREET - MORNING
Quiet and tree-lined. Traffic drives on the left. PAPINA
NAKAMURA WASHINGTON, 20's, writes a ticket on the windshield
of a parked car. She wears a short-skirted police uniform and
pushes a tiny scooter marked OC1 PF. Something CHIRPS.
PAPINA
Washington.
A vid-projection of LIAM, Papina's boyfriend, appears.
LIAM
Konnichiwa!
PAPINA
Liam! I told you not to call while I'm on
duty, you'll get me in trouble!
LIAM
Like you're busy.
PAPINA
The action never lets up.
LIAM
Well, you don't make mecha pilot straight
out of the academy.
PAPINA
I know, but Traffic Enforcement? It's
slow torture!
LIAM
Punishment for your criminal beauty.
Papina rolls her eyes.
PAPINA
I gotta go.
LIAM
At least meet me for lunch! It is a
holiday.
PAPINA
Don't remind me. I can be at Sung Ho's
around 13:00. You remember the place?
LIAM
Sure.
PAPINA
Good boy. Try to remember something else?
DON'T CALL ME AT WORK!
LIAM
Anything you say, officer. Be careful.
PAPINA
'Kay.
The vid-projection disappears and she mounts her scooter.
PAPINA (cont'd)
Like anything exciting is going to happen
to a bugging meter maid!
She guns the little non-combustion motor and takes off.
SUDDENLY - a six-wheeled AMBULANCE, without lights or siren,
blasts through the intersection right on top of her! She
stands on the brakes, pops a wheelie and...
Bounces her front tire off its side!
She skids to a halt as it vanishes around the next corner.
PAPINA (cont'd)
TURN ON YOUR SIREN! Brain-dead moron!
INT. AMBULANCE - MORNING
The driver lies dead across the seats, a hole in his head.
The ambulance takes hair-pin turns without him. Disturbing
GURGLING and SUCKING sounds come from the rear...
Where Med-Bot operates on something unseen.
INT. ESWAT HOPPER - MORNING
Michelle and her team head back. The commandos talk amongst
themselves, but Michelle is silent, elsewhere. She fidgets
with her necklace, clutching the trinket.
She closes her eyes.
INT. DREAM HALLWAY - FLASHBACK
A YOUNG GIRL, five or six, runs down a dark hallway. We see
her from the viewpoint of another child, following behind.
YOUNG GIRL
You can look all the way down! Don't take
so long!
INT. ESWAT HOPPER - THE PRESENT
Michelle snaps open her eyes. Female Commando stares at her.
MICHELLE
What?
FEMALE COMMANDO
I said, you look awfully down. Is
something wrong?
Michelle shakes her head.
FEMALE COMMANDO (cont'd)
You were great, you know, cool as a cuke.
MICHELLE
We endangered those babies.
FEMALE COMMANDO
Madam, we saved those babies. You saved
those babies. You're a hero. And I know
one nursemaid who's going to have wet
dreams about you for the rest of her
life!
Michelle LAUGHS.
MICHELLE
And we got the bad guys.
FEMALE COMMANDO
And we got the bad guys.
Male Commando looks at them jealously.
EXT. DOCKING BAY
Valentine's spaceship docks next to a larger vessel. Her
window reflects the thirty meter tall lettering along its
hull - TERRAN MINING CO-OP. Repair mechas swarm about it,
armed with welding guns.
INT. SPACEPORT
Valentine frowns at a display - 99.12.31 / 08:27:00.
She paces in the center of a vast, bustling concourse. She
waits impatiently. She fidgets. Her fidgeting grows more and
more pronounced. Eventually she bolts toward...
INT. BATHROOM
The public facilities. Spacious, unisex, and replete with
waterfall and meandering brook. Stalls and sinks are half
hidden by lush greenery. ANNOUNCEMENTS punctuate the sound of
SINGING BIRDS. Valentine disappears into a stall. After she
flushes she makes a call.
VALENTINE
Directory Assistance.
MALE COMPUTER VOICE
Individual or cooperative?
VALENTINE
Individual. Longo, Carlos Li.
She listens to the CHIMES of her connecting call.
VALENTINE (cont'd)
You better have a good excuse, friend.
She lets it ring as she leaves the stall and walks to the
sinks. Halfway there she stops... Listens...
CHIRPS, in sync with the CHIMES of her call, echo from a
nearby stall. She approaches... Hesitates... Opens the door.
CARLOS LI LONGO sits slumped on the toilet, dead and bloody.
His personal vid-phone still CHIRPS until -
MALE COMPUTER VOICE
No answer.
She kneels, fishes something out of his pocket.
VALENTINE
Yeah. He's not in.
EXT. CENTRAL STRUCTURE - MORNING
A massive round minaret, CENTRAL STRUCTURE towers above the
city that radiates from its axis.
INT. CENTRAL COMMAND
The nerve center of OC1. Commander Togawa moves through the
swarm of people toward her office. Her assistant ALEXI looks
up as she approaches.
ALEXI
Commander! Call for you from a martian
detective, says it's urgent.
TOGAWA
In my office.
INT. TOGAWA'S OFFICE - MORNING
A gently curving glass wall reveals a breathtaking view high
above the city. No desk, but a raised platform where Togawa
sits lotus as vid-projections of data surround her.
TOGAWA
Togawa.
Valentine's face appears.
VALENTINE
Madam. Detective Valentine, MPF. I have
reason to believe that Endo Kang is here,
on Orbital City One.
Togawa's face betrays her shock for a split second, then...
TOGAWA
Do you think he plans to sabotage the
Peace Festival?
VALENTINE
That would be his style.
TOGAWA
You have our full cooperation, Detective.
I'll send my best officer to meet you.
VALENTINE
Thank you, Madam.
Valentine's image vanishes. Togawa rises, walks to the
window, and stares out at the city under her protection.
TOGAWA
Endo Kang... Ancestors help us...
EXT. FLIGHT DECK - MORNING
The ESWAT hopper lands on a flight deck that rings Central
Structure. Michelle steps down, raising a hand against the
sun as her hair whips about in the wind. Beyond her squads of
cops perform their morning T'ai Chi in gentle unison.
INT. MICHELLE'S OFFICE
Michelle slips off her shoulder holster and hangs it over a
traditional Wing Chun practice dummy. CHIRP.
MICHELLE
Yen-Smith.
The image of Alexi appears.
ALEXI
Good morning, Madam. Two messages. The
lab guys called, your prototype is ready.
MICHELLE
Hmph! About time.
ALEXI
And Commander Togawa wants to see you in
her office.
MICHELLE
Am I in trouble?
ALEXI
Does the name Endo Kang mean trouble to
you?
Michelle is shocked to hear the name.
MICHELLE
Endo Kang? Ancestors help us... That name
means trouble to everyone!
EXT. ALLEY - MORNING
The ambulance pulls into a narrow, dark alley. It continues
along until the alley opens into...
EXT. ABANDONED ROBOT FACILITY - MORNING
A derelict loading dock. The ambulance backs up beneath the
sign RETOOLING FACILITY 6246 - NO HUMAN ACCESS. Its rear door
opens and Med-Bot wheels a gurney into the bay. On the gurney
rests a CUBICAL DEVICE.
INT. LOADING BAY - MORNING
A dead end. Med-Bot extends an articulated arm and taps a
keypad hidden in the wall. The floor slowly DESCENDS to...
INT. BASEMENT
A dark, empty basement. Med-Bot rolls over to a featureless
wall and again accesses a hidden keypad. A patch of wall
emits the green light of scanning lasers. Med-Bot lifts the
cubical device into the glow to reveal...
THE SEVERED BUT STILL LIVING HEAD of Old Man! Wired in a
complex array, it floats in a clear fluid, mouthing a silent
scream as the lasers scan its lidless eyes.
A huge hidden door snaps open in a cloud of dust. Med-Bot
switches off the head-device and discards it.
INT. SECRET MILITARY INSTALLATION
Harsh and utilitarian in contrast to the city above. Lights
and monitors sputter to life as systems power up. Med-Bot
moves past sinister equipment and racks of weapons to a tall
CYLINDRICAL DEVICE and inserts an adaptable interface arm
into a socket.
Vapor HISSES as the cylinder flowers open around A FIGURE
shrouded in mist, as if straight from a forge or a freezer.
The mist disperses in ribbons of white to reveal...
THE GIRL, 18. Naked. Eyes closed. Still. Lifeless.
SUDDENLY - her eyes snap open, cat-like nictitating membranes
retract, and pupils dilate with a shutter-like CLICK.
EXT. PARK - MORNING
Papina cuts past elaborate booths and tents on her scooter.
All around revelers gear up for tonight. She stops at an
illegally parked car, takes out her pen...
And scrawls directly on the windshield. Tiny graphics and
legalese appear - a futuristic parking ticket. Halfway
through she screws up and starts to erase it.
SUDDENLY - A CAR SQUEALS around a curve into the wrong lane
and CLIPS the side mirror off the parked car as Papina stands
there gaping.
Papina leaps onto her scooter and zips down the sidewalk in
crazed pursuit. People get out of her way in a hurry.
INT. CAR - MORNING
Two UNSAVORY MALES, obviously celebrating for days now and in
no condition to drive.
UNSAVORY RIDER
You just hit that car?
UNSAVORY DRIVER
Car?
EXT. PARK - MORNING
Unsavory Driver casually hangs his right arm out the window
as they careen around a pond and exit the park, oblivious.
Papina cuts across the grass toward a pedestrian bridge.
The stairs meet the bridge at a right angle. Papina stands
like a mountain biker, bounces up and banks off the low wall
to change direction -
Straight into a startled group of people crossing the bridge!
Papina weaves frantically between them, somehow missing
everybody. She jets down the opposite stair and...
EXT. STREET/CAR - MORNING
Bursts through a wall of bushes to land in the wrong lane
right beside the car!
PAPINA
WEY!
Driver looks over, startled.
UNSAVORY DRIVER
What the bug?
Papina slaps one end of a pair of cuffs around his wrist.
Cars in the right lane HONK and swerve around her.
PAPINA
PULL OVER!
Driver spins the wheel to the left with his free hand.
The car swerves and jerks Papina off her scooter! She grabs
the cuffs with both hands and brings her feet up to slam onto
the car door as her scooter clatters away behind her.
Driver SCREAMS in pain as Papina hangs from his wrist. He
releases the wheel. It snaps back.
The car rolls and takes Papina with it. She lets go of the
cuffs at the top of the arc and catapults through space,
toward certain death against the tarmac...
But instead splashes miraculously through SAND.
The car lands back on its wheels and bounces.
The Unsavories fall back into their seats, terrified.
UNSAVORIES
Waahhhh!
EXT. STREET - MORNING
Papina reaches out, grabs a round rock lying nearby, and
hurls it, smashing the car's rear window. She sticks out her
tongue and tugs an eyelid as the car peels away.
PAPINA
Nyaaa!
Papina hears LAUGHTER and looks up. An amused crowd points at
her from the sidewalk. She looks down and realizes why.
PAPINA (cont'd)
Nice move, Papina. Way to go.
She's ruined a beautiful Zen garden by sliding all the way
across it on her butt.
EXT. ALLEY - MORNING
Papina finds her battered scooter and stands it up, revealing
a non-regulation decal - a big-eyed cartoon squid with the
words PROPERTY OF PAPINA in bubbles coming from its mouth.
PAPINA'S VOICE
There you are.
The scooter HUMS to life on the first kick and Papina jets
down the alley - but the front wheel is bent, forcing her
around a corner.
EXT. ABANDONED ROBOT FACILITY - MORNING
Papina stops, consults a vid-projection map and scratches her
head. Something makes her look back up.
PAPINA
No bugging way!
It's that ambulance, with a big skid mark on the side!
PAPINA (cont'd)
Well hello Mister No-Siren!
(engages kickstand)
Peace Festival or not, nobody tries to
run over Papina Nakamura Washington -
(whips out her pen)
- without getting a ticket!
INT. SECRET MILITARY INSTALLATION
The Girl stands nude before a computer terminal. Her fingers
are literally a blur on the keyboard as data flashes past at
an incomprehensible rate. She stops typing and the display
freezes on a single image -
The teardrop-shaped bottom of the city's spindle.
The Girl glances at Med-Bot, communicating silently. Med-Bot
then rolls over to a rack of explosive devices and begins to
vent oxygen from a respirator attachment. HISS...
INT. AMBULANCE - MORNING
Papina peers in through the blood-spattered windshield.
PAPINA
Oh bugger.
INT. SECRET MILITARY INSTALLATION/BASEMENT
Med-Bot extends an arm into the stream of gas. The tip, a
laser scalpel, begins to glow.
The Girl squats on all fours on the elevator platform.
EXT. ABANDONED ROBOT FACILITY - MORNING
BOOM! The loading bay vanishes, replaced by a geyser of an
explosion that erupts up the elevator shaft. It flips the
tiny ambulance into the air like a toy as...
The Girl shoots straight up, tucked unscathed in a ball,
riding the shock wave!
Papina is thrown on her back as the ambulance turns end-over
end in the air above her. She SCREAMS and scampers backwards
as it slams on its roof mere centimeters from her feet.
The Girl lands like an Olympic gymnast on the overturned
vehicle, squats, and shoots up again, out of sight over an
adjacent building. The ambulance rocks on its roof.
Papina lies on her back, breathless, as the rain of flaming
debris peters out.
PAPINA
Okay... I should report this...
She picks her way through the burning rubble.
PAPINA (cont'd)
This is TE Blue Three Seven Three. I've
got a code - I mean codes - Four-eleven,
Five-twenty-six, and, um, Eight-oh-one.
Location unknown. Run a trace.
INT. CENTRAL COMMAND
A pair of police vid-phone OPERATORS handle the call.
FEMALE OPERATOR
Roger, Blue Three Seven Three, locating.
(aside to co-worker)
Homicide, Bombing, and Public Nudity?
MALE OPERATOR
It's a holiday.
INT. TOGAWA'S OFFICE - MORNING
Togawa and Michelle view a vid-projection mug shot of Endo
Kang. He is old, tall, and genetically augmented.
MICHELLE
And after Titan he vanished.
TOGAWA
Thirteen years without a trace. But the
officer originally involved -
MICHELLE
Valentine.
TOGAWA
Yes, the famous Detective Valentine. Her
partner Longo retired here in 92. Three
days ago he sent for her saying he had
information about Kang. She found him
murdered at the spaceport when she
arrived this morning.
MICHELLE
Has he been questioned?
TOGAWA
Unfortunately he had declined
Installation.
CHIRP. The image of Alexi appears.
ALEXI
Excuse me Madam, but one of our TE
officers just reported an explosion at a
mysterious robot facility.
TOGAWA
Mysterious?
ALEXI
According to Central Computer it doesn't
exist.
Michelle and Togawa look at each other.
ALEXI (cont'd)
It gets better...
EXT. SIDE STREET - MORNING
Two teenage STUDENTS walk along a shady avenue. They wear
traditional sailor-fuku style school uniforms.
FEMALE STUDENT
Biggest holiday ever!
MALE STUDENT
It's only a half-day.
FEMALE STUDENT
It's the principle! Besides, Punctured
Bubble's playing at Jodo's all day. I'll
miss their first set.
MALE STUDENT
They stink like dead Bug. You should come
with me. I've got invitations to an
exclusive party.
FEMALE STUDENT
Right. I'd sooner die than be seen at a
party with you!
Male Student stops and stares at something down the street.
MALE STUDENT
Forget I asked. I'm taking her.
Female Student looks. Walking toward them is The Girl,
completely naked and completely unconcerned about it.
MALE STUDENT (cont'd)
Must have started celebrating early.
FEMALE STUDENT
What's wrong with her?
MALE STUDENT
Wrong with her? She's perfect!
FEMALE STUDENT
She's brain fried. And you're stupid.
The Girl stops before them, looks Female Student up and down.
MALE STUDENT
I think she likes you.
FEMALE STUDENT
Wey, lady, you okay?
The Girl grabs Female Student by the throat.
Male Student moves to intervene, but The Girl kicks him -
first in the knee, snapping his leg backward, then in the
head. He crashes through the windshield of a car parked
across the street.
Female Student's eyes bulge as she tries to scream.
Her feet kick air for a second, then stop.
INT. POLICE CAR - MORNING
Michelle, in her black uniform again, sits behind the wheel
of an ultra-compact cop car and scans the crowd. Suddenly her
face lights up.
EXT. G-RAIL STATION - MORNING
Michelle gets out of the car as Valentine exits the station.
MICHELLE
Lieutenant Commander Yen-Smith. Commander
Togawa sent me.
VALENTINE
Valentine, MPF.
MICHELLE
I... I have to tell you, Madam, this is a
great honor. Your dedication and
resourcefulness are inspirational to me.
Ever since I was a cadet I've followed -
VALENTINE
We're wasting time.
Michelle is miffed at this rude response, then embarrassed by
her own gushiness. She opens the car door in silence.
INT./EXT. POLICE CAR - MORNING
Safety restraints glide into place as Michelle starts the
car. She shoots Valentine a glance and floors it.
They blast through traffic, weaving in and out, SIREN
wailing. Michelle drives like a stuntwoman. Valentine eyes
the speedometer.
VALENTINE
Listen - I was short back there.
MICHELLE
You were right. We have a job to do.
VALENTINE
I was rude and I apologize. I guess I'm
still upset about Carlos.
Now Michelle really feels like a heel. She looks at Valentine
instead of the road.
MICHELLE
I'm so sorry! I wasn't thinking!
Valentine would rather Michelle pay attention to her driving.
VALENTINE
Forget it. Just keep us under seven G's,
okay?
Michelle looks back, smiles, hits the brakes...
MICHELLE
Easy enough, we're here.
And SKIDS the car sideways into a tiny parallel space.
INT. APARTMENT BUILDING LOBBY
Michelle and Valentine flash vid-projection ID's at the cops
in the lobby as they stride through.
INT. ELEVATOR
The doors close. Michelle fidgets with her necklace again.
VALENTINE
You okay?
Michelle selfconsciously clasps her hands behind her back and
the necklace drops out of her collar.
MICHELLE
Fine.
VALENTINE
What's that?
Valentine peers at the trinket - a child's plastic toy KITTY
KAT RING. Michelle stuffs it back beneath her collar,
embarrassed.
MICHELLE
A memento. From my childhood.
INT. HALLWAY
The elevator doors open. Three BOMB-SQUAD COPS have blast
shields set up around Longo's flat.
BOMB-SQUAD COP
Lieutenant Commander! Negative scan!
Michelle and Valentine approach the door.
MICHELLE
The Detective and I will enter alone.
Valentine holds up the key-card.
VALENTINE
Ready?
Michelle draws her gun and nods. Valentine SWIPES the lock.
INT. LONGO'S FLAT
Michelle rolls in ESWAT style, whipping her gun around, as
Valentine enters casually, activates the lights with a
gesture and starts a methodical search. Michelle looks
embarrassed but continues by the book and secures every room.
VALENTINE
I've searched his personal files on
Central Computer, nothing.
MICHELLE
Then the data he left for you must be
here. What media?
VALENTINE
I don't know. A disc, a letter...
Michelle notices some ancient books on a shelf.
MICHELLE
A book?
She pulls one at random - the I Ching.
VALENTINE
He'd want to hide it better than that...
but he'd want me to find it.
Michelle replaces the book, disappointed but determined.
MICHELLE
Does anything look out of place in here?
A detail you would notice, but a stranger
wouldn't?
VALENTINE
I think you're over-thinking this,
Lieutenant Commander.
MICHELLE
Oh. Top-to-Bottom job?
Valentine nods.
VALENTINE
Try not to break anything.
EXT. ABANDONED ROBOT FACILITY - DAY
Police comb the ruins as Togawa steps down from a hopper. She
startles Papina at the mouth of the blast hole.
PAPINA
Commander!
TOGAWA
Relax, officer. Did you see her face?
PAPINA
Yeah, I made her.
An OFFICER lugs over a blackened cube.
OFFICER
Commander! Look at this.
They turn their backs on Papina to examine it.
OFFICER (cont'd)
The missing head from this morning?
TOGAWA
Only missing head I'm aware of.
Papina stands on her toes, trying to get a peek.
PAPINA
Missing head?
ANOTHER OFFICER rushes up.
OTHER OFFICER
Commander! A half K east!
INT. LONGO'S FLAT
VALENTINE
Noodles!
Valentine stands on a stool in the kitchen and triumphantly
produces a pack of instant noodles from an upper cabinet.
Michelle and the Bomb Squad cops stare at her blankly.
VALENTINE (cont'd)
Carlos was an expert chef. We used to
call him God of Cookery. He hated instant
noodles!
She empties the pack on the table. Nestled amid the dry
noodles and flavor packets is a tiny DISC, labeled with a
hand drawn heart.
VALENTINE (cont'd)
Looks like you had the right idea,
Lieutenant Commander.
MICHELLE
Call me Michelle. Commander Togawa!
EXT. SIDE STREET - DAY
Togawa stands beside Male Student's corpse in what is now a
sectioned off crime scene. Michelle's image appears.
TOGAWA
Togawa.
MICHELLE
We found a disc. We're heading back.
TOGAWA
I need you here. There's a... problem.
All we have at this point is a physical
description of the suspect. Washington?
Papina looks up from something on the ground.
PAPINA
Um, female adolescent, height one-sixty,
slender build, wearing a school uniform.
EXT. ORBITAL CITY ONE - DAY
A squadron of police hoppers and SKY-BIKES leave the towers
of Central District behind and swoop low over a great lake.
Beyond the lake is more city. Banners and lights hang above
streets full of revelers. The titanic party is just getting
underway.
EXT. POLICE STATION - DAY
Hoppers land on the roof as sky-bikes swoop down into a
street-level garage.
INT. POLICE STATION
Papina leads Michelle and Valentine through the bustle.
PAPINA
Prelim analysis suggests it was some old
Earth Defense Force lab. All kinds of
captured Bug stuff in it.
VALENTINE
You mean the schoolgirl -
PAPINA
Is an ancient Bug weapon, according to
Togawa. Says this Kang guy found a way to
activate her.
They stop before a huge vid-projection - a schematic of OC1.
It plots a predicted course for The Girl based on the two
previous encounters.
PAPINA (cont'd)
She's headed straight toward Central
District, but we don't know why.
MICHELLE
We'll have to evacuate everyone within
this radius.
PAPINA
That's exactly what Togawa said, before
she left to question the deceased.
VALENTINE
Question the deceased?
MICHELLE
Which deceased?
PAPINA
The head. There was a head. In a box.
VALENTINE
Exactly how do you question a deceased
head in a box?
Papina looks at Valentine like she's stupid.
PAPINA
In City Memory, of course!
MICHELLE
(to Papina)
Detective Madam is from Mars, she
wouldn't know about that.
Papina looks contrite as Michelle explains to Valentine.
MICHELLE (cont'd)
Most adult citizens of OC1 have regular
synaptic imprints taken. Then, when we
die, our last imprint is installed in
City Memory. There our minds, our
thoughts and memories - our souls - live
on forever in the matrix.
PAPINA
Another ghost in the machine.
MICHELLE
It's just our way of honoring our
ancestors. I understand the practice is
uncommon elsewhere in the Hegemony.
VALENTINE
Mars is over-populated. We don't need our
dead hanging around too.
Michelle and Papina smile politely, unsure if that was
supposed to be a joke or not.
MICHELLE
(to Papina)
Where's the target now?
PAPINA
Well, we haven't exactly been able to
locate her with scanners just yet.
MICHELLE
It's only a matter of time. Thank you,
officer.
(to Valentine)
You'll want some body armor. And guns.
VALENTINE
I knew you'd say something like that.
Valentine heads off. Michelle turns to a computer and begins
to scan through data. Papina loiters behind her.
PAPINA
And me?
Michelle turns, surprised to see Papina still there.
MICHELLE
Washington, right?
PAPINA
Yes, Madam! Papina Nakamura Washington,
TE Officer Blue Three Seven Three!
MICHELLE
Good work, Washington. You're a credit to
your department.
PAPINA
Wait. You're sending me home?
Michelle doesn't have time for this.
MICHELLE
This is a matter for ESWAT, not TE. Even
you would agree that -
PAPINA
Commander Togawa seemed to think my -
MICHELLE
Commander Togawa left me in charge. We're
after an alien weapon, officer, not a
double-parked -
PAPINA
But -
Michelle looks like she's going to explode...
MICHELLE
DISMISSED!
And so does Papina. She gives a mocking salute...
PAPINA
Yes, Madam!
And marches off. Michelle rubs her forehead.
MICHELLE
Greens!
EXT. ELEVATED WALKWAY - DAY
A COP looks down on the evacuation - a vast river of people
and cars. A pair of armored TRANSPORTS and POLICE in riot
gear push against the crowd. Several SKY-BIKES streak past.
VOICE
All citizens must evacuate the area
immediately! We apologize for the
inconvenience. All citizens must evacuate
the area immediately!
A shadow falls across Cop's back. He turns -
It's The Girl, in her new sailor blouse, skirt, white socks
and ponytails.
Cop makes the mistake of reaching for his gun.
INT. FIRST POLICE TRANSPORT - DAY
Cop crashes through the windshield from above.
EXT. STREET - DAY
The Girl drops from the walkway, flashing white panties, and
lands on the transport, denting the roof.
ANOTHER COP tumbles out the passenger door, swinging a
machine gun up and around. The Girl flips off the roof, grabs
his head between her legs, twists it completely around and
snatches the gun from his dead hand before she even touches
ground!
The crowd reacts in panic.
The Girl FIRES behind her, without looking, into the open
door of the transport. The DRIVER dies in a hail of bullets.
OTHER COPS scramble to surround her. She spins, still firing,
and they fall in a circle.
She drops the now empty gun.
MORE COPS attack. She crouches like a spider, springs high
into the air and KILLS THEM ALL in an astonishing burst of
kung fu!
INT. SECOND POLICE TRANSPORT - DAY
The PATROL LEADER shouts at a vid-projection as behind him a
FEMALE OFFICER assembles a small missile launcher.
PATROL LEADER
Yes, officers down! It doesn't show up on
the - what is this bugging thing?
INT. POLICE STATION
Valentine, now in ESWAT black, races in as a KLAXON sounds.
Michelle and a TECH address the panicked Patrol Leader.
TECH
Mecha squad en route.
MICHELLE
Backup is on the way!
INT./EXT. SECOND POLICE TRANSPORT/STREET - DAY
Female Officer kicks open the rear door and sees The Girl
kill three more cops with a single blood-splattering move.
FEMALE OFFICER
Duck, sir.
Patrol Leader hits the deck as Female Officer FIRES a missile
out the back door. The recoil blast shatters the windshield.
The Girl moves her torso just enough to dodge the missile. It
EXPLODES a car behind her, engulfing her in smoke.
Patrol Leader peeks over the seat as Female Officer
frantically loads another missile.
The Girl emerges from the smoke, somersaulting closer -
Female Officer jams the missile in and aims -
The Girl leaps high into the air, out of sight -
The ceiling above Female Officer collapses inward -
INT. POLICE STATION
The vid-projection turns to static -
EXT. STREET - DAY
The transport EXPLODES as The Girl leaps from its roof over
the stampeding crowd. She lands on another car - it too
crumples from the impact - and bounces up, in another
incredible arc, to disappear into the unknowing masses far
ahead.
INT. POLICE STATION
The room is stunned silent.
Valentine notices Michelle ball a fist.
VALENTINE
It's not your fault. We didn't know it -
MICHELLE
We don't know anything! We can't even
track it!
VALENTINE
We know it's designed to blend in, the
first thing it did was acquire native
costuming. We know it's still headed
straight toward Central District. If it's
using our evacuation as cover...
Valentine studies the map.
VALENTINE (cont'd)
...it'll take the G-rail across the lake
with everyone else. We intercept here.
She indicates the shore of the lake. The words GRAVITY-RAIL
STATION NEBRASKA appear beneath her finger.
MICHELLE
We can't attack that thing in a crowd, it
would endanger civilians.
VALENTINE
It's a Bug weapon, it's designed to
endanger civilians! We have to stop it
now before it gets to wherever it's going
and does whatever it's going to do when
it gets there!
MICHELLE
Alright! But there's too many people in
the engagement area. First we have to
bring those numbers down, thin the crowd
around it...
Michelle looks at the map, studying the long bridge across
the lake - the gravity rail line.
MICHELLE (cont'd)
We let it board. Then, when it reaches
the middle of the lake we -
VALENTINE
Don't tell me. Blow up the train.
MICHELLE
Basically.
Michelle suddenly slaps her forehead, realizing they still
need -
MICHELLE (cont'd)
Washington!
EXT. POLICE STATION - DAY
A POLICE MECHANIC rolls Papina's scooter out of the garage.
POLICE MECHANIC
(patronizing)
Looks like you took quite a spill there.
PAPINA
(sarcastic)
It was a doozy.
Papina glumly climbs on and drives away.
PAPINA (cont'd)
Stuck up ESWAT know-it-alls. I'll make
quota plus with the whole place
evacuated!
Michelle rushes out as Papina jets past, oblivious.
MICHELLE
Washington! Wait!
Michelle lunges and grabs Papina's arm. Papina's scooter
shoots out from beneath her and slams into a cop car as she
lands on her fanny.
PAPINA
Ow! What the bug?
Michelle helps her up.
MICHELLE
Sorry! Look, we still need you. That
robot's disappeared into the crowd and
you're the only one who can ID it.
Papina brushes herself off.
PAPINA
If I see her jaywalk I promise you'll be
the first to know.
Michelle glares at her.
PAPINA (cont'd)
Lighten up, it's a joke! I'd do anything
to get into one of those cool uniforms!
Papina gives a thumbs-up. Michelle grabs her wrist and pulls
her back into the station.
MICHELLE
Don't be a brat!
PAPINA
What about my scooter?
MICHELLE
Forget the bugging scooter!
INT. CITY MEMORY
Vaulted, white and featureless like a streamlined church, a
wide isle runs between rows of white cubicles. At the altar
end, where a cross or Buddha might sit, a cylinder rises to
the ceiling ten meters above. It GLOWS an undulating blue.
Togawa walks with a CENOBITE, an elderly man dressed halfway
between a clean-room tech and a monk. He reverently carries a
small metal BOX. They stop before a cubicle and the Cenobite
gestures at the door. It opens.
INT. CUBICLE
They face an altar-like control panel with a round
receptacle. The Cenobite ceremoniously kneels and opens the
metal box. He removes a small silver SPHERE and inserts it
into the receptacle. The sphere begins to GLOW blue, then
fades to black as lights on the altar take on the glow.
CENOBITE
May your thoughts forever guide us.
The Cenobite removes the sphere, replaces it in the box and
leaves. Togawa kowtows at the altar.
TOGAWA
Can you hear me?
Silence. Then a VOICE, soft and ghostly -
OLD MAN'S VOICE
... Where am I? ...
TOGAWA
You're in City Memory now. Do you
understand?
Beat...
OLD MAN'S VOICE
... How did I die? ...
TOGAWA
You were murdered. Now listen carefully.
I want you to tell me about the EDF lab.
Tell me about your work there, during the
war. Tell me about the Bug weapon.
OLD MAN'S VOICE
... Murdered? ...
TOGAWA
What is its design? Its objective?
OLD MAN'S VOICE
... I don't know ...
TOGAWA
Listen! Your head was used to gain
access. Your retina scan opened the door.
A Bug robot was activated, a girl.
OLD MAN'S VOICE
... M-Sixty-Six ...
TOGAWA
What?
OLD MAN'S VOICE
... The number ... The serial number on
her neck ... M-66 ... Why would a Bug
weapon have a serial number? ...
EXT. G-RAIL STATION NEBRASKA - DAY
Riot cops and police mechas try to keep the crowd from
trampling itself.
INT. G-RAIL STATION NEBRASKA - DAY
Half-panicked civilians jostle for position on the platform.
Michelle, Valentine and Papina enter in black ESWAT armor.
Michelle also wears a backpack. Three commandos accompany
them as they spread out through the crowd.
MICHELLE
Stay in com, audio only. We're just
assisting with the evac.
Papina scans the people streaming into the station.
PAPINA
She was naked when I saw her.
MICHELLE
Use your imagination.
Papina frowns, looks around and sees -
Several schoolgirls scattered through the crowd -
A schoolgirl pressed against the glass of a train -
What looks to be a schoolgirl from behind but is actually a
woman in a suit.
Papina shakes her head.
MICHELLE (cont'd)
Get away from there!
Michelle YELLS at a gaggle of kids huddled at the end of the
platform, beneath the sign DANGER - EXPOSED SINGULARITY -
KEEP CLEAR! They are tossing small balls down the center of
the track, the object being to spiral one's ball as long as
possible before it's snatched away by the gravitational
force. One LITTLE GIRL throws a good one just before Michelle
yanks her up.
MICHELLE (cont'd)
Brats!
Papina cranes her neck, trying to see what Michelle is doing,
as behind her BUSLOADS OF STUDENTS pour into the station.
The kids scatter. Little Girl squirms in Michelle's grip.
MICHELLE (cont'd)
Why do you monsters always want to play
where you shouldn't? It's dangerous!
LITTLE GIRL
Bug off!
Little Girl wiggles loose and vanishes into the crowd. She
ducks first between the legs of adults, then under the skirt
of a schoolgirl.
Papina realizes she's surrounded by hundreds of students.
Valentine sees Papina looking around in panic, overwhelmed.
VALENTINE
Michelle!
Michelle spins and sees the students moving toward her. The
police usher them ahead through the crowd.
MICHELLE
Washington?
Papina searches frantically as they pass on all sides.
PAPINA
I don't -
Then she sees it, the calm eye in the hurricane of students -
the expressionless face of The Girl.
PAPINA (cont'd)
The one in the center, she stays in the
center!
Michelle and the commandos see The Girl now as well. The
train glides silently to a stop.
MICHELLE
ESWAT, as planned. Valentine, take the
rear car. Washington?
Papina looks excitedly toward the train.
PAPINA
Yes, Madam?
The doors open. Michelle enters the first car.
MICHELLE
Good work. Dismissed.
Papina's face crumbles. She stands dumbstruck as the crowd
flows past her toward the train doors.
Male Commando watches The Girl approach. He nervously
swallows as she brushes past him, then lowers his gun across
the door to block the crowd behind her.
MALE COMMANDO
No more room. Wait for the next train.
There are only about twenty students in the car.
INT. FIRST CAR - DAY
Michelle leans into the DRIVER's cockpit.
MICHELLE
Close the doors.
INT. G-RAIL STATION NEBRASKA - DAY
The commandos step in as the doors close. Papina plops down
on a bench in the crowd, dejected.
EXT. TRAIN - DAY
A series of metal clamps beneath the cars tighten around the
invisible G-rail and the train leaves the station. It picks
up speed to race across an impossibly long bridge fifty
meters above the water.
INT. FIRST CAR - DAY
Michelle observes the cars on the Driver's display - five in
all. The Girl sits in the middle of the third.
MICHELLE
Perfect.
The speedometer nears 150 kph. Michelle turns to the Driver.
MICHELLE (cont'd)
Easy! Slow it down to a crawl.
DRIVER
But there's another train right behind.
MICHELLE
Not anymore. Tell your conductor I'm
ordering them all stopped. ESWAT
emergency.
DRIVER
You're the boss.
Driver makes the call as Michelle studies the monitors.
MICHELLE
Valentine, I need you to help move the
civvies from the fourth car into the
fifth, quietly. Once everyone is in we'll
detach it and you'll evacuate to the
concourse below the track.
INT. G-RAIL STATION NEBRASKA - DAY
Papina slouches on the bench, listening in.
MICHELLE'S VOICE
I'll clear the second car into the first,
and detach it.
VALENTINE'S VOICE
What about the students in the third car?
MICHELLE'S VOICE
Leave that to me.
PAPINA
(under her breath)
Peh! Lousy plan.
INT. FOURTH CAR - DAY
Valentine enters through the connecting door.
VALENTINE
Your attention, please!
INT. THIRD CAR - DAY
Male Commando watches through the rear window as Valentine
clears out the fourth car.
MALE COMMANDO
Madam?
He glances nervously at The Girl, who stares straight ahead.
INT. FIRST CAR - DAY
MICHELLE
Stand by, kid. It's you and me on this
one.
The Driver pokes her head out.
DRIVER
My conductor says he won't stop any
trains during an evacuation.
Michelle's jaw tightens. She walks back and leans over the
Driver. On the display is the fat male CONDUCTOR.
MICHELLE
Stop the trains. Now.
CONDUCTOR
Regulations for civilian evacuation
clearly state -
MICHELLE
ARE YOU BLIND? DO YOU NOT RECOGNIZE THIS
BLACK UNIFORM? ESWAT!!
INT. THIRD CAR - DAY
Male Commando winces as he overhears.
MICHELLE'S VOICE
IN A TACTICAL EMERGENCY OUR ORDERS
OVERRIDE ALL OTHERS, PERIOD!!
INT. G-RAIL STATION NEBRASKA - DAY
From where she sits Papina can see the control room that
overlooks the platform. In the window, the Conductor reels
from Michelle's verbal assault.
MICHELLE'S VOICE
IF ONE OF MY OFFICERS TELLS YOU TO BAKE A
BUGGING CAKE YOU'LL DO IT OR BE SENTENCED
TO EARTH FOR OBSTRUCTING JUSTICE!
INT. FIRST CAR - DAY
MICHELLE
NOW HALT THE TRAINS AND CLEAR THE TRACK
AHEAD OF US, THAT'S AN ORDER!!
Michelle leaves the cockpit and walks huffing toward the
second car.
The passengers watch her in silence, frightened.
INT. G-RAIL CONTROL ROOM - DAY
The visibly shaken Conductor and his assistants stand before
a vid-projection map of the G-rail system.
CONDUCTOR
Better do as she says.
Suddenly Papina kicks the door in!
PAPINA
ESWAT emergency! I need a platform car on
the track!
CONDUCTOR
Now what?
PAPINA
You heard me, old man! MOVE IT!
INT. SECOND CAR - DAY
Michelle clears the last of the civilians from the second car
into the first.
MICHELLE
Valentine, all clear?
INT. FOURTH CAR - DAY
Valentine stands at the rear door. The car is empty.
VALENTINE
Clear.
INT. THIRD CAR - DAY
Male Commando sweats as he listens in.
MICHELLE'S VOICE
Driver, disconnect the rear car.
A slight lurch. Through the empty car behind him, he sees the
last car fall slowly away. Some of the students look up.
STUDENTS
Wey! What's going on?
INT. SECOND CAR - DAY
Michelle sits on the floor with her back to the third car and
snakes out of her backpack.
MICHELLE
You're on, kid.
INT. THIRD CAR - DAY
Male Commando uses his crowd control voice.
MALE COMMANDO
Your attention, please!
INT. SECOND CAR - DAY
Michelle opens the backpack and removes a rifle-styled
grenade gun, then two cases of grenades - one labeled
CONCUSSIVE and the other EXPLOSIVE.
MICHELLE
On my mark, driver.
EXT. G-RAIL STATION NEBRASKA - DAY
Papina runs out and shouts to a cop leaning against a mecha.
PAPINA
ESWAT emergency! Wey! Buddy!
INT. THIRD CAR - DAY
Male Commando walks down the aisle.
MALE COMMANDO
Remain seated! You are in no danger. Stay
calm and follow my instructions.
INT. SECOND CAR - DAY
Michelle loads a concussion grenade into the gun.
MICHELLE
Mark.
INT. THIRD CAR - DAY
The train lurches dramatically this time, as the first car
detaches and speeds away.
Some of the students scramble to the windows.
MALE COMMANDO
Remain seated! Once the train has come to
a complete stop, I will assist everyone
out through this door.
A SCHOOLBOY sitting beside The Girl raises his hand.
MALE COMMANDO (cont'd)
No questions! Just sit quietly!
EXT. BRIDGE - DAY
The three stranded train cars glide slowly to a halt.
INT. SECOND CAR - DAY
Michelle fastens an explosive grenade to a clip on her arm.
MALE COMMANDO'S VOICE
Starting with the back section, stand one
at a time and come forward.
INT. THIRD CAR - DAY
The students from the rear queue down the aisle.
MALE COMMANDO
Front and middle sections, stay seated.
One at a time, that's it.
EXT. BRIDGE - DAY
The students step down from the train and make their way to
the stairs several meters ahead.
INT. SECOND CAR - DAY
Michelle waits, her finger beside the trigger.
MALE COMMANDO'S VOICE
Okay. Now the front.
INT. THIRD CAR - DAY
As they wait for the front section to evacuate, Schoolboy
eyes The Girl's figure.
SCHOOLBOY
What a fascist! There's no reason we
can't all just walk out the doors, but it
has to be single-file lockstep to suit
this guy. Still, it's more fun than Pre
Hegemony history class.
The Girl looks at him, nods silently, and looks away.
SCHOOLBOY (cont'd)
Strong and silent type, huh?
Male Commando watches them nervously.
MALE COMMANDO
Now the middle, starting with you.
He indicates the student sitting farthest from them, so The
Girl will be last to exit.
INT. SECOND CAR - DAY
Michelle rolls to a crouch below the rear window.
MALE COMMANDO'S VOICE
That's it. Only seven more. Six...
She releases the safety.
INT. THIRD CAR
Male Commando moves down the aisle toward the middle of the
car. The remaining students stand and file past.
MALE COMMANDO
Five...
Time slows down. He draws closer to The Girl. She stares
straight at him. Schoolboy stands. The next student passes.
MALE COMMANDO (cont'd)
Four...
Almost to The Girl... Their eyes locked...
MALE COMMANDO (cont'd)
Three...
Now she stands...
MALE COMMANDO (cont'd)
Two...
She looks straight into his eyes as...
A bead of nervous sweat trickles down his forehead. He
glances away for a fraction of a second and...
She knows something's up - her third eyelids flick into place
as she switches to combat mode.
Male Commando dives onto the last two students.
MALE COMMANDO (cont'd)
NOW!
INT. SECOND CAR - DAY
Michelle springs to her feet and FIRES the concussion grenade
through the window.
INT. THIRD CAR - DAY
The Girl looks up -
The grenade EXPLODES against her stomach and propels her
backwards as every window shatters. She smashes through the
far end of the third car...
INT. FOURTH CAR - DAY
And into the fourth, collecting several rows of seats behind
her before coming to a stop in the rear.
INT. THIRD CAR - DAY
Michelle leaps in through the window. Male Commando staggers
to his feet as the two students scamper from beneath him.
MICHELLE
Get out!
She snags the other grenade from her arm as...
INT. FOURTH CAR - DAY
The Girl stands up, not a scratch on her.
INT. THIRD CAR - DAY
Michelle loads the grenade and aims - just as Schoolboy
stumbles and falls against her. She shoves him off and aims
again, but it's too late.
The Girl flips back into the car as Male Commando spins and
fires. His shots hit only seat, ceiling, and seat again.
Michelle glances at the two students stumbling to the exit
and lowers her weapon - the explosion would kill everyone.
Male Commando levels and fires straight at The Girl. She
kicks off a seat and soars out the window, grabs the window
edge with one hand, whips back in the adjacent window, and
lands a kick to Male Commando's stomach that blasts him down
the aisle.
His gun sails out another window.
He slams into Michelle and knocks her down. His body armor is
cracked, his chest crushed. Blood gushes from his mouth.
EXT. LAKE - DAY
Male Commando's gun splashes into the water far below.
INT. THIRD CAR - DAY
Michelle squirms under Male Commando's corpse as The Girl
attacks.
MICHELLE
Sorry, kid.
Michelle kicks her dead comrade toward The Girl - who swats
him aside like an insect. It buys Michelle enough time to
flip to her feet and bring the grenade launcher up to block
The Girl's superhuman blow - which bends the weapon.
EXT. BRIDGE - DAY
The last two students jump from the train and haul ass.
INT. THIRD CAR - DAY
The Girl attacks with lightning fast kicks and punches that
Michelle barely manages to block with the grenade launcher.
Michelle drops the battered weapon and dives feet first under
the seats, toward the rear of the car.
The Girl's fist explodes through the seat bottom, narrowly
missing Michelle's face.
Michelle slides into the aisle behind The Girl, drawing her
pistol. The Girl spins and smacks it from her hand.
Michelle SCREAMS in pain as her right arm breaks sickeningly
against the metal edge of the seat.
Her pistol bounces gently on the cushion.
The Girl rears up to deliver a death blow... but is knocked
backward by a sudden BURST of gun fire! Michelle tilts her
head back and sees, upside down -
Valentine enter from the fourth car, pistol blazing!
Michelle snags her gun off the seat with her left hand as
Valentine steps beside her. They empty their weapons at The
Girl, who flips back through the shattered window into the
second car.
Michelle drops her spent pistol and rolls forward to grab the
hopelessly dented grenade launcher. She aims and pulls the
trigger. Nothing happens.
INT. SECOND CAR - DAY
The Girl crouches, then sprints back toward them.
INT. THIRD CAR - DAY
Valentine slaps a fresh clip into her gun and raises it in a
two-handed grip. She squints...
Sights through the window...
At the box of grenades marked EXPLOSIVE on the floor just
before The Girl...
And squeezes the trigger.
EXT. BRIDGE - DAY
KABOOM! The second car explodes, propelling the third and
fourth cars back along the track.
INT. THIRD CAR - DAY
The blast destroys the front end of the car and showers
Michelle and Valentine with flaming debris.
INT. CAUSEWAY - DAY
The last students down the staircase hit the floor as the
entire structure shudders.
EXT. BRIDGE - DAY
The second car is a blazing wreck. The surviving cars come to
a stop several meters away from it.
INT. THIRD CAR - DAY
Valentine helps Michelle to her feet.
MICHELLE
What the bug? Where - uh!
Michelle grimaces in pain as Valentine helps strap her broken
arm to her chest with the clasps of her uniform.
VALENTINE
Ladder outside the fourth car.
MICHELLE
You would have been killed if this had
gone how I planned!
VALENTINE
I thought you might need some help.
MICHELLE
You disobeyed my -
VALENTINE
So I'll bake you a bugging cake! What's
important is we're done here and now we
can go find Kang.
A metallic SCRAPING sound draws their attention. They look
out the hole at the front end of the car and see The Girl
climb from beneath a pile of burning upholstery on the second
car! She leaps straight up and disappears.
A second later the ceiling above them DENTS inward. They turn
and see, through the hole at the rear of the car, the ceiling
of the fourth car dent a second after that. The Girl has
jumped right over them, heading back.
SUDDENLY - the rear of the fourth car BURSTS INWARD and they
are thrown to the floor by...
EXT. BRIDGE - DAY
A CHAIN REACTION COLLISION - the third car separates and
flies forward to collide with the flaming wreckage of the
second car. The second car flips up and crashes askew back on
the track.
One corner dips too close to the G-rail.
INT. THIRD CAR - DAY
Valentine watches in amazement as the second car is UNFURLED
and snatched away by the gravity rail in a flaming spiral!
Michelle witnesses an equally remarkable sight as The Girl
CRASHES through the roof of the fourth car, her leg in the
grip of a POLICE MECHA as it swings its massive arm down to
slam her into the floor!
EXT. BRIDGE - DAY
Michelle and Valentine dive out onto the track. The fourth
car is demolished, the abandoned fifth car sticks out of it,
and a PLATFORM CAR is wedged into that. The Mecha straddles
the train and repeatedly punches The Girl pinned to the
floor, WHAM WHAM WHAM WHAM WHAM!
INT. MECHA COCKPIT
Papina couldn't be happier. Tactical displays gleam in her
wild eyes as she flails away, oblivious.
PAPINA
- and that and that and that and - !
EXT. BRIDGE - DAY
The vibrations knock Michelle over. She hits the walkway on
her right arm, SCREAMS in agony and slips over the side.
Valentine catches her by the left arm just in time.
INT. MECHA COCKPIT
Papina notices pieces of the train beneath The Girl disappear
down the gravity-rail.
PAPINA
- that and that and - huh?
EXT. BRIDGE - DAY
The Mecha pauses, right fist raised. The Girl runs up its
chest, kicking it backwards onto the crumpled fifth car.
INT. MECHA COCKPIT
Papina bonks her head.
PAPINA
Ouch!
EXT. BRIDGE - DAY
Valentine almost goes over herself, but she manages to grab
the edge of the walkway as Michelle swings helplessly in her
grasp.
The Girl leaps into the air. The Mecha flips upright - just
in time to take The Girl's kick in the chest.
INT. MECHA COCKPIT
The displays turn alarmingly red.
PAPINA
Oof!
EXT. BRIDGE - DAY
The Mecha lands on its back on the raised section of track
between the G-rails and skids, shooting sparks.
The Girl leaps again and lands on its chest with a CRUNCH.
INT. MECHA COCKPIT
The displays go black.
PAPINA
Wahhh!
EXT. BRIDGE - DAY
The Girl pounds through the Mecha's armor as Valentine pulls
Michelle back up to the walkway.
MICHELLE
Get out of that mecha!
The Girl's punches drive the Mecha out over the track. Its
right arm falls near the G-rail and is ripped off.
INT. MECHA COCKPIT
Papina SCREAMS, pinned down and terrified.
MICHELLE'S VOICE
Pop the hatch!
EXT. BRIDGE - DAY
The back hatch opens. Papina drops to the bottom of the
track, just missing the G-rail. The Mecha lurches above her
as The Girl leaps high into the air...
And is struck by a missile! The explosion blasts The Girl
into the lake.
An ATTACK HOPPER swoops into view. The ESWAT hopper follows,
trailing a line with a yellow handle. Commander Togawa stands
at the open hatch.
TOGAWA
Grab the line!
Michelle and Valentine grab the motorized handle and are
whisked into the hopper.
Papina, however, is stuck at the bottom of the track beside
the G-rail, under her teetering Mecha. She SCREAMS and curls
into a ball as it topples over....
Onto the gravity-rail. Five tons of metal are miraculously
sucked away mere centimeters from crushing her!
TOGAWA'S VOICE
It's okay! Grab the line!
Papina looks up and sees the hopper, the sky, and no Mecha.
She grabs the line and rides it up. Her left boot swings
precariously near the G-rail.
INT. ESWAT HOPPER - DAY
Papina tumbles in, her left foot bare, toenails painted pink.
PAPINA
I wanna go again!
Michelle gets her first look at the mecha pilot.
MICHELLE
You!
Papina, giddy, takes the seat on Michelle's right.
MICHELLE (cont'd)
No one's following my - I told you to -
You nearly killed us!
PAPINA
But I saved you first! Pow!
She jabs Michelle playfully in the arm. The broken one.
BLACKNESS
Silence. Then the LAUGHTER of a child -
YOUNG GIRL'S VOICE
Shelly!
INT. DREAM HALLWAY - FLASHBACK
The Young Girl runs down the hallway as before, from the
viewpoint of another child, following behind.
YOUNG GIRL
Come on, Shelly! Hurry!
The hallway grows darker and elongates, swallowing her.
YOUNG GIRL'S VOICE
SHEEEEEEELLLLLYYYYYYY!
INT. MED-LAB - THE PRESENT
Michelle jolts awake. She finds herself in her underwear, on
an articulated bed. Long acupuncture needles protrude from
various points. A device, part of the bed itself, encases her
right arm.
She stares at the ceiling, clutching the ring on her necklace
in her left hand. A tear wells up in her eye. She sits up,
yanks out the needles, and tugs against the device. It
doesn't budge. She flops back down, crying.
MICHELLE
Sammy! I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!
The device opens suddenly and retracts.
She sits up and wipes away her tears. She rubs the skin of
her newly healed arm.
INT. CENTRAL COMMAND HALLWAY
Togawa approaches as Michelle bursts through the Med-Lab
door, dressed and determined.
MICHELLE
Where is she?
TOGAWA
Who?
MICHELLE
You know who!
TOGAWA
Officer Washington was first on the
scene. It's as much her case as yours or
Valentine's.
MICHELLE
Bugshit! She disobeyed a direct order!
She stole and destroyed a police mecha!
She nearly killed us! That child is a
menace!
Togawa LAUGHS.
TOGAWA
So were you, ten years ago.
MICHELLE
Wait. You think she's ESWAT material?!
TOGAWA
That remains to be seen. She's quick.
Fearless. Scored top of her class in
every simulator -
MICHELLE
Simulator! She has no real world
experience! She's a... a meter maid!
TOGAWA
Punitive Reassignment. Remember when you
were first brought to me, Michelle? Your
insubordination was legendary. One
infraction short of being kicked off the
force, as I recall.
Michelle studies her boots.
MICHELLE
Two infractions.
TOGAWA
Of course. But your file was flagged.
So's hers. She's in, that's an order.
MICHELLE
Yes, Madam.
Togawa's tone softens.
TOGAWA
It's not her you're upset about. It's
something else.
MICHELLE
No... yes. The nightmare's back.
TOGAWA
You can't let the past control you,
Michelle. Concentrate on the situation at
hand. And help Washington. Teach her, as
Sifu taught you.
She turns to leave, a Commander again.
TOGAWA (cont'd)
Valentine's cracked some of that disc.
The situation's worse than we thought.
Briefing's at 15:00.
As Togawa walks away, Michelle heads in the other direction,
grumbling to herself.
MICHELLE
I never stole a mecha...
Togawa overhears her.
TOGAWA
Tell me about it. Kids these days.
INT. BRIEFING ROOM
Togawa stands before a vid-display. Michelle, Valentine and
Papina sit with the remaining commandos and hundreds of cops.
TOGAWA
During OC1's construction a high-security
lab was built in secret, hidden in the
design of the city itself. Numerous Bug
weapons were smuggled in for study. It
seems they've been here ever since,
dormant and unnoticed until this morning,
when Kang somehow activated this -
The display changes to a schematic of The Girl.
TOGAWA (cont'd)
An M-Class City Killer. Shielded by a
phased graviton field. Impervious to
conventional weapons. Designed to
infiltrate human settlements and then
self-destruct in a location assuring
maximum damage.
The display changes to a schematic of OC1 and Togawa
indicates the bulbous end of the spindle.
TOGAWA (cont'd)
In our case that would be here, within
the gravity motor. If it destroys the
teardrop, the sky will fall, upper levels
will be exposed to space, lower levels
will be without power... Everyone in
Orbital City One will die.
The display coldly illustrates this fact - FATALITY 100%.
TOGAWA (cont'd)
The target is currently crossing the lake
on foot, which puts its ETA at the
teardrop in approximately ten hours.
We've cleared a corridor and set up
artillery batteries and cop-bots in the
hope of slowing it down.
(beat)
I am... open to suggestions.
The audience is silent, stunned.
Papina starts to speak but Michelle unknowingly cuts her off -
MICHELLE
What we need are high gigawatt beam
weapons. Mount them to a few sky-bikes,
and take it out street-level.
TOGAWA
Unfortunately we don't have any beam
weapons, and the nearest heavy cruiser is
seventeen hours from jumpgate.
Papina again opens her mouth to speak, but Valentine
unknowingly cuts her off as well.
VALENTINE
I saw a mining ship under repair at the
spaceport this morning. Should be a
partical drill or two in the hold. They
might penetrate that graviton field.
MICHELLE
Sounds like our best shot.
TOGAWA
Any other ideas?
Papina sulks.
TOGAWA (cont'd)
You, Washington.
PAPINA
(startled)
I was just thinking we could... crush it
with a portable gravity-field generator?
TOGAWA
Yes... Resourceful. Anyone else?
Michelle's steamed because she knows it's a good idea.
Papina's just glad to be done with her public speech.
Valentine looks at them with amusement. The other cops murmur
among themselves but don't have anything better.
TOGAWA (cont'd)
Right. We'll proceed with Washington's
plan while we get those partical drills
rigged. Yen-Smith will coordinate.
Dismissed!
Everyone snaps to their feet and salutes.
ALL
Yes, Madam!
EXT. LAKE SHORE - DAY
A white beach separates the lake from Central District.
Evidence of life is everywhere - towels, abandoned picnics -
but no people...
Except for The Girl walking surrealistically from the water.
INT. GARAGE
Michelle, Valentine, Papina and the commandos sprint between
rows of police mechas.
MICHELLE
Have either of you two used the Zed?
VALENTINE
Of course.
PAPINA
At the Academy.
MICHELLE
In the Sim?
PAPINA
No, we had real ones... Are they what you
guys use?
They stop before a huge double door marked ESWAT ARMORY.
MICHELLE
No.
Michelle palms the lock. Green lasers play across her face
and the doors slide apart. Valentine and Papina stand frozen
in awe as Michelle and the commandos continue past them.
FEMALE COMMANDO
Our stuff is better!
INT. ESWAT ARMORY
Shiny black gear and sleek, exotic weaponry surround them.
Michelle introduces the ultra-compact ESWAT mecha.
MICHELLE
This is the Series Nine powersuit,
specially designed for ESWAT.
She straddles the NINE, which looks like a big black beetle.
As she steps in the leg sections snap closed.
MICHELLE (cont'd)
Just step in and squat. It fastens
directly to your body armor.
Another section swings up and clamps over her pelvis, then
the main body locks into place. She slides her hands into the
control gloves and stands, now piloting the armored
exoskeleton.
Papina and Valentine climb into theirs. Papina reaches into
her breast pocket and slaps something on the mecha's shell
before sliding her arms in.
MICHELLE (cont'd)
If you've piloted the Z-Type, you'll have
no problem. Remember, "it's just like
walking -
PAPINA
- only more so." I remember.
Papina flexes her fingers in the control gloves and the big
fingers of the Nine flex in tandem. She raises a fist to
reveal the fresh PROPERTY OF PAPINA decal.
EXT. STREET - DAY
The Girl walks calmly down the center line, still dripping.
Suddenly a wave of missiles EXPLODE against the street. She
jumps up and lands in a crouch in the foreground, unscathed.
INT. ESWAT ARMORY
Michelle tosses Valentine and Papina each a huge GUN,
designed for the enhanced grip of the Nine.
MICHELLE
Forty millimeter, a thousand rounds per
minute cyclic. Two thousand round mag
above, another below. Launcher here, with
ten multi-function grenades. Keep it slung when you're not using it, or you'll
lose your balance.
She whips hers into its holster built into the back of the
Nine - KACHUNK.
EXT. STREET - DAY
The Girl tosses a compact car at a police artillery unit,
knocking it over just as it fires another round. The missiles
shoot straight up, then careen wildly.
INT. GARAGE
Team ESWAT rides a six-wheeled cart toward the flight deck.
MICHELLE
Keep your distance from the target. Your
armor won't last forever in hand-to-hand
combat against it, and it won't get tired
- you will.
EXT. STREET - DAY
The Girl walks again down the middle of the street as the
rogue missiles explode against skyscraper walls high above.
EXT. FLIGHT DECK - DAY
The transport cart arrives at the ESWAT hopper.
MICHELLE
Its straight path will bring it through
the Oshika-Brown Arts Collective. Red and
Yellow teams are assembling the gravity
field generators there now.
EXT. STREET - DAY
As glass and debris rain down, a swarm of black, spider-like
COP-BOTS attack The Girl.
INT. ESWAT HOPPER - DAY
Powersuits fastened to locks along the cabin wall, ESWAT
watches as a vid-projection illustrates Michelle's strategy.
MICHELLE
Our job is to drive it down into the sub
levels, east or west, where it will have
to cross one of the grav-gens.
EXT. STREET - DAY
The Girl jumps up through the glass wall of the building
behind her. It explodes under a new round of missiles.
She drops into the cop-Bots. They spin, she leaps, and they
shoot each other instead. Another wave of missiles destroys
what's left of them.
INT. ESWAT HOPPER - DAY
Papina slaps her forehead - a dramatic and dangerous gesture
in a powersuit, denting the cabin panel above her head.
MICHELLE
Yes, Washington?
Papina notices everyone staring at her.
PAPINA
Sorry! It's nothing. I just remembered...
It's not important.
INT. SUNG HO'S RESTAURANT
Liam, sitting alone in the crowded restaurant, absently walks
his chopsticks across the table.
INT. ESWAT HOPPER - DAY
PAPINA
Nice move, Papina. Way to go.
EXT. STREET - DAY
The Girl lands on the other artillery battery - SCRUNCH.
VIDEO IMAGE
This morning's action on the bridge, shot from a distant
vantage point.
MALE NEWSCASTER'S VOICE
Police officials have refused to comment,
and have so far offered no explanation
for the evacuation.
FEMALE NEWSCASTER'S VOICE
This unauthorized video raises even more
questions.
INT. SUNG HO'S RESTAURANT
The image is on a vid-projection above the bar. No one
watches. Liam sips a beer and glances at it just as...
Papina rides the line up to the hopper.
Liam chokes, knocking over bottles.
EXT. OSHIKA-BROWN ARTS COLLECTIVE - DAY
The main thoroughfare flows around the upper level of a
gently sloping, horse-shoe shaped structure. Between the two
wings lies a wooded park. The entrance is blocked off by
police barriers, transports, and hoppers.
EXT. MAIN ESCALATOR - DAY
A huge bank of escalators leads down into the open-air
valley. Our team descends. It's a long ride.
VALENTINE
After this we find Kang.
MICHELLE
I doubt he's still here with his doomsday
machine running around.
VALENTINE
I know Kang. He's here. Watching.
PAPINA
(to Valentine)
What'd he do again?
Michelle is shocked at Papina's ignorance.
MICHELLE
Titan? '86?
Papina looks puzzled, then remembers.
PAPINA
Oh, Kang! I remember that on the news,
when I was a kid. And that movie, Moon on
Fire, that's one of my favorites! Wey,
that means the detective's that actress,
you know, what's her name? With the hair?
As Papina rambles on, Michelle notices Valentine turn and
stare silently out over the banister.
EXT. OSHIKA-BROWN ARTS COLLECTIVE - DAY
The distant BOOM of explosions grows louder as TROOPERS
behind the barricade await The Girl.
One raises the equivalent of a pair of binoculars and...
THROUGH THE VIEWER - DAY
Zooms in on smoldering wreckage down the street as The Girl
drops into view. Pavement splinters.
BINOCULAR TROOPER'S VOICE
There she is. Kinda cute.
The Girl squats low, strafed from above, then springs up to
crash through the windshield of an airborn attack hopper! The
hopper wobbles, spins in place a moment, and then...
Accelerates forward.
EXT. OSHIKA-BROWN ARTS COLLECTIVE - DAY
Binocular Trooper drops his binoculars.
BINOCULAR TROOPER
INCOMING!
The injured hopper comes in low and fast. It strikes the
pavement a few meters before the barricades, bounces over the
first line of transports, smashes into a parked hopper, flips
end over end into the entrance...
EXT. MAIN ESCALATOR - DAY
And comes to a stop upside down at the top of the escalator.
From halfway down, team ESWAT stares up in amazement as the
crashed hopper begins to slide down the escalator! They turn
and run as it picks up speed and tumbles toward them.
Debris shreds the mechanism and the stairs lurch to a stop.
Everyone stumbles. Papina falls over onto the railing and
slides face-first down the banister, passing Michelle.
MICHELLE
SLIDE!
Michelle, Valentine, and the commandos leap to the banisters
feet-first, like an Olympic luge team, as...
The hopper tumbles ever closer!
EXT. CAFE - DAY
Papina SCREAMS as she sails off the banister into an outdoor
cafe, crashes through tables and splashes into a fountain.
Everyone else lands gracefully and clears to either side.
Papina struggles to her feet as the hopper smashes into the
floor and skids through the tables toward her. She mecha
JUMPS over it and tumbles back to the escalator.
The hopper comes to rest in the fountain like an abstract
sculpture. Michelle runs out to Papina and helps her up.
MICHELLE
Nice move, Papina! Way to go!
PAPINA
Huh?
MICHELLE
Blue team! What's happening up there?
Where's the target?
There is no reply, but Michelle gets her answer anyway - a
metallic CLANG from inside the hopper. Another CLANG as the
hatch bulges.
Michelle and the commandos unholster their guns in perfect
unison.
Michelle hauls Papina behind the escalator as the hopper's
hatch shoots off with another CLANG and crashes into the bar
across the cafe.
A single, size six Oxford has kicked it. Smoke pours from the
cockpit as The Girl slinks out to face them, her uniform now
singed and riddled with bullet holes.
PAPINA
You have to admit, she makes a dramatic
entrance.
The Girl looks straight at them. No one moves, or breathes.
The Girl turns and heads toward the promenade beyond the
cafe. They follow at a distance, the commandos in front.
MICHELLE
Red team, is your generator in position?
INT. SUB-LEVEL THREE
Red team scurries about a PORTABLE GRAV-GEN which covers the
floor in front of a wide elevator.
RED TEAM LEADER
Just packing up. What was that noise?
EXT. PROMENADE - DAY
The Girl approaches a split - the path forks to follow the
two wings of the horseshoe. She chooses the path to her left,
the west wing. ESWAT follows.
MICHELLE
Our guest, ahead of schedule. I suggest
you hurry. Yellow team?
YELLOW TEAM VOICE
Yellow is clear.
The Girl comes to another set of escalators - left up out of
the valley or ahead down to sub-level one. She turns left.
Michelle fires THREE RAPID GRENADE SHOTS and the left-hand
escalator EXPLODES along its length.
The Girl spins and everybody opens fire, knocking her down
the escalator.
INT. SUB-LEVEL ONE
The Girl tumbles down as everything around her is ripped
apart by high-caliber rounds. She hits the floor and dives
around a corner.
The five commandos follow and skid around the corner after
her as Michelle, Valentine and Papina leap down.
Papina lands on her face and drops her gun -
The second clip dislodges and clatters away.
Valentine helps Papina up as Michelle grabs her weapon.
INT. CORRIDOR
The commandos enter ESWAT style, but by the time they see The
Girl drop from the ceiling it's too late anyway.
She lands on one, snags his weapon, backflips down the hall,
FIRES off a volley of rounds, and dives around the corner.
Two commandos fall dead!
INT. SUB-LEVEL ONE
Michelle looks up at the sound of GUNFIRE and...
INT. CORRIDOR
Races in, her own weapon in one mecha-grip and Papina's in
the other. The three surviving commandos fall in line behind
her as she passes.
Around the corner another escalator leads down. The Girl is
almost to it.
Michelle crunches into the wall as she slides around the
corner, firing both guns.
Several hundred rounds hit The Girl in the back and knock her
forward down the escalator. She flips and slides down like
Michelle did earlier, but then she adds a new twist - she
tucks up her knees, spins around, and fires between her
raised legs back up at Michelle.
Michelle dives as rounds explode against the ceiling. The
Girl slides down, still firing, and at the last instant...
INT. SUB-LEVEL TWO
She flips and lands perfectly on her feet. The floor around
The Girl erupts as Michelle opens fire from mid-dive down the
escalator. Michelle hits the floor on her side.
The Girl lands gracefully and swings her weapon around before
Michelle can move - but is knocked back by gunfire as the
three remaining commandos jump down the escalator.
The Girl makes an acrobatic retreat down the right corridor
with Michelle and the commandos in pursuit.
A beat later, Papina and Valentine hop carefully down. Papina
runs the wrong way and Valentine follows her.
INT. RIGHT CORRIDOR
The Girl runs. Without looking down she ejects a grenade into
the air, catches it, twists the delay and tosses it up.
It sticks to the ceiling.
MICHELLE
GRENADE!
Michelle's momentum carries her past, but the commandos are
directly beneath as it goes off - and are blown to pieces.
Michelle slides along the floor as flaming chunks of armor
flip down the corridor.
INT. WRONG CORRIDOR
Valentine and Papina hear the BLAST, look at each other, turn
around and run back.
VALENTINE
Michelle?
INT. RIGHT CORRIDOR
Lights flicker as Michelle pushes debris off herself. She
glimpses The Girl backtrack past her as a KLAXON sounds and
fire-retarding FOAM spews from the ceiling.
MICHELLE
It's headed back!
INT. SUB-LEVEL TWO
Valentine drops to one knee at the foot of the escalator. She
ejects grenades from her gun and sets them on the floor.
VALENTINE
Get to the elevator, Michelle. I'll seal
this end.
PAPINA
What are you -
VALENTINE
Up the stairs, Washington! Go!
Papina hustles up the escalator. Valentine leaves four
grenades on the floor and follows her. At the top she twists
the delay on a fifth grenade and tosses it over her shoulder.
It clatters and bounces down -
INT. RIGHT CORRIDOR
The Girl walks back through the smoke filled corridor -
INT. SUB-LEVEL TWO
The grenade loses momentum against the rising steps -
INT. SUB-LEVEL ONE
Valentine hauls ass as Papina bounds the escalator ahead -
INT. SUB-LEVEL TWO
The grenade almost doesn't roll off the bottom step -
INT. RIGHT CORRIDOR
Michelle runs through the foam toward sub-level three -
INT. SUB-LEVEL TWO
The grenade CLACKS into its brothers, knocking them away like
billiard balls -
INT. SUB-LEVEL ONE
KABLOOIE! Valentine goes sailing as smoke and flames belch
down the corridor -
INT. SUB-LEVEL THREE
Michelle leaps down the escalator, shielded from the blast -
INT. RIGHT CORRIDOR
The explosions knock The Girl back down the corridor. The
ceiling collapses. The lights flicker and die.
The Girl stands and looks back at the destruction - the
corridor is sealed with rubble. She checks her weapon -
dented and jammed. She drops it.
INT. SUB-LEVEL ONE
Daylight streams down the escalator. Valentine lies against
the still and broken steps. Papina shouts down -
PAPINA
Madam! Detective! Valentine!
Valentine stirs, dazed but uninjured.
VALENTINE
Michelle!
INT. SUB-LEVEL THREE
Michelle stands in darkness before a wide elevator door. Her
powersuit's head lamps cut through thick smoke to illuminate
the grav-gen on the floor before her.
MICHELLE
It worked. The only way back up is the
lift behind me.
VALENTINE'S VOICE
Then get out of there!
Michelle studies the blinking interface on the grav-gen.
MICHELLE
No, this grav-gen's buggered. I'll have
to trigger it manually.
VALENTINE'S VOICE
We're on our way to the elevator, you
need backup!
Michelle nods in agreement as...
The Girl steps through the smoke into view before her.
Michelle stands with one gun drawn and one slung, her left
foot poised to kick a big red BUTTON on her side of the grav
gen the instant The Girl comes across.
The Girl looks at her, looks at the grav-gen, fakes right and
bounces off the wall to the left. Michelle somersaults
straight across and they trade places. Michelle spins around,
her left mecha-hand behind her back.
The Girl claws at the elevator doors, her back to Michelle.
MICHELLE
Over here!
The Girl ignores her, forcing the doors apart. Michelle gets
the robot's attention with a short burst of gunfire.
MICHELLE (cont'd)
Come on!
Michelle motions with the gun, one-handed.
Behind Michelle's back, the big fingers of her Nine's left
hand twitch and tap strangely.
The Girl looks at her, then at the grav-gen, analyzing.
Sweat trickles down Michelle's face.
The mecha fingers wiggle behind her back as...
Her own fingers, in the control gloves behind the armor,
juggle a GRENADE. She turns it over and around, feeling
along...
For a certain button. She presses it - CLICK. She drops the
grenade, rolling down the back of her leg.
The Girl advances counter-clockwise around the grav-gen.
Michelle and The Girl circle the generator.
The grenade rolls down the corridor, hidden in the smoke. The
button Michelle pressed pulses red as...
On her gun, a tiny light pulses in time.
They circle back to where they started. Michelle drops into a
tuck and presses the remote trigger.
The grenade EXPLODES, blasting The Girl across the grav-gen.
Michelle kicks at the button - but is intercepted as The Girl
leaps over the grav-gen and kicks Michelle's leg back up!
Michelle smashes back into the elevator door. She ducks and
spins as The Girl punctures the door with a fist.
Her back now to the grav-gen, Michelle sweeps a low kick. The
Girl skip-ropes over. Michelle swings her gun. The Girl
blocks and twists the gun from Michelle's grasp...
Then whips it around and fires point blank at her chest!
Michelle lands gasping on the grav-gen. Her Nine's chestplate
is nearly destroyed, but her body armor is intact.
The Girl looks down at the control panel and...
Kicks the button!
Michelle backflips off the grav-gen just as it activates.
Debris rises into the air, encased in a shrinking, invisible
bubble, as a low frequency HUM reverberates through the
corridor. In seconds the contents of the bubble are
pulverized and the machine cuts off.
A handful of dust falls silently from a point in the air.
Michelle sees the elevator door is open and The Girl is gone.
MICHELLE (cont'd)
It got past! It's coming up the shaft!
EXT. WEST WING ELEVATOR - DAY
Valentine and Papina arrive at the elevator.
VALENTINE
The other grav-gen, Washington! Go!
Papina takes off across the park as Valentine crouches behind
a low wall across from the elevator.
INT. SUB-LEVEL THREE
Michelle stands before the open elevator shaft, suddenly
unable to approach. She squeezes shut her eyes.
INT. DREAM HALLWAY - FLASHBACK
Young Girl races down the hallway ahead of another child.
YOUNG GIRL
Come on, Shelly! Hurry!
The other child, SHELLY, is a preteen Michelle.
SHELLY
Sammy, wait!
Young Girl Sammy darts around a corner. Shelly follows.
Sammy disappears over a yellow barrier marked DANGER in front
of an OPEN ELEVATOR SHAFT!
INT. SUB-LEVEL THREE - THE PRESENT
Michelle stands transfixed at the open door as her sister's
final SCREAM seems to echo up the shaft -
SAMMY'S VOICE
SHEEEEEEELLLLLYYYYYYY!
She grits her teeth and forces herself up the ladder.
EXT. WEST WING ELEVATOR - DAY
A new door is perforated out of the elevator and thuds to the
ground as The Girl leaps down from the cable.
Valentine pops up from behind the wall and fires...
Knocking The Girl's feet out from under her. The Girl lands
on her chest and fires back.
Valentine leaps toward The Girl as the wall bursts apart.
The Girl springs impossibly to her feet and brings her gun to
Valentine's head - CLICK, out of ammo. The Girl tilts her gun
to examine it -
The second clip is missing, and a cartoon squid exclaims
PROPERTY OF PAPINA.
Valentine kicks the gun from The Girl's hand. It sails into
the park.
EXT. EAST WING ELEVATOR - DAY
Papina bursts through greenery, crashes into the elevator on
the opposite side of the park, and reaches for the control.
She's just broken it.
PAPINA
Hmph!
She crams her powersuit fingers between the doors and forces
them open. She leaps down the shaft and...
INT. ELEVATOR
Crashes through the elevator cab's ceiling.
EXT. EAST WING ELEVATOR - DAY
The doors glide back shut.
EXT. WEST WING ELEVATOR - DAY
The Girl attacks Valentine with rapid punches. Valentine's
armor cracks beneath the blows.
Michelle fires from the elevator, blasting The Girl into the
park.
EXT. WOODED PARK - DAY
The Girl lands in front of Papina's gun and grabs it.
INT. EAST WING ELEVATOR
The elevator doors DING open and Papina tumbles out to face
the OTHER GRAV-GEN.
EXT. WOODED PARK - DAY
Michelle and Valentine attack The Girl from both flanks,
driving her across the park with spurts of gunfire.
VALENTINE
Washington, are you in position?
INT. ELEVATOR
Papina strains with all her energy against something, her
face contorted and flushed.
PAPINA
Urghughawaahh!
EXT. WOODED PARK - DAY
The Girl springs from tree to tree, using limbs as parallel
bars, never touching ground. She fires off a grenade that
detonates behind Michelle and Valentine. A tree narrowly
misses them.
VALENTINE
Washington?!
INT. ELEVATOR
A big mecha finger clumsily punches from above at a button on
the elevator control panel, accidently lighting several.
PAPINA'S VOICE
Uh!
EXT. EAST WING ELEVATOR - DAY
Michelle and Valentine chase The Girl from the park as...
MICHELLE
Now, Washington, NOW!!
The elevator doors DING open to reveal the other grav-gen on
the floor inside. They drive The Girl in by sheer force of
will - and a few thousand rounds of ammo.
The grav-gen activates, trapping The Girl in its bubble!
VALENTINE
Washington, it worked! Where are you?
INT. ELEVATOR SHAFT
Papina clings to the side ladder, looking down on The Girl
two floors below through the hole in the cab's roof.
PAPINA
Hanging around.
EXT. EAST WING ELEVATOR - DAY
In the bubble, The Girl straddles the huge gun in a fetal
position. As the bubble shrinks and the gravitational
pressure increases, her hair and clothes press against her
skin... her shoes collapse against her feet... and her
uniform splits along the seams.
Then the metal of her gun CRINKLES.
INT. ELEVATOR SHAFT
Papina frowns...
EXT. EAST WING ELEVATOR - DAY
As do Michelle and Valentine. Before the elevator doors
close, they just glimpse the gun SPLINTER into pieces,
covering the Girl with it's contents -
GRENADES!
INT. ELEVATOR SHAFT
Papina scrambles up the ladder, tearing through rungs.
PAPINA
No fair!
EXT. EAST WING ELEVATOR - DAY
Valentine and Michelle back slowly away.
VALENTINE
What do you think?
MICHELLE
Run.
INT. ELEVATOR
The floor indicator cycles upwards as the elevator climbs.
The grenades RUPTURE and consume The Girl in an inferno. The
bubble expands, the HUM rising to a SCREECH as the grav-gen
strains to contain the explosions.
INT. ELEVATOR SHAFT
Papina pries open the doors three floors above as the
elevator rapidly approaches.
INT. ELEVATOR
The grav-gen fails and unleashes the pent-up blast -
WHA-BLAM-O!
INT. CORRIDOR
Papina is propelled into the corridor by the explosion.
EXT. EAST WING ELEVATOR - DAY
The doors blow out and Michelle and Valentine are showered - yet again - with flaming debris.
MICHELLE
Washington!
VALENTINE
Washington?
The image of Papina, covered in soot, appears.
PAPINA
Present. Did we get her?
MICHELLE
I was going to ask you.
INT. CORRIDOR
Papina lies on the floor, exhausted, her Nine blackened.
PAPINA
Son of a bug!
She begins to crawl back to the elevator shaft when a bare,
smoking foot steps before her!
EXT. EAST WING ELEVATOR - DAY
Papina's vid-projection vanishes in a burst of static.
MICHELLE
Washington!
INT. STAIRWELL
Michelle races up the stairs, followed by Valentine.
INT. CORRIDOR
Fragments of Papina's Nine litter the floor. Papina lies
crumpled in a corner, stripped of her uniform. Michelle and
Valentine rush over. Valentine checks Papina's vitals.
VALENTINE
She's alive!
Michelle leaves them and races down the corridor. She stops
before another elevator, breathless.
The display reads ROOFTOP.
EXT. ROOFTOP - DAY
The Girl - now wearing Papina's black uniform - strides from
the elevator and off the edge of the building. She glides
down the slope of glass like a snowboader.
INT. MED-LAB
Papina lies on a bed, her legs encased in healing devices. IV
lines and acupuncture needles protrude from her body.
Michelle and a POLICE NURSE watch her.
POLICE NURSE
A pair of broken legs, a slight
concussion. Nothing serious. She'll be
back on her feet in no time.
MICHELLE
She's lucky.
CHIRP. The image of Alexi appears.
ALEXI
Madam. Your sky-bikes are ready.
MICHELLE
On my way.
POLICE NURSE
What are you girls up to, anyway?
MICHELLE
Festival security. Party crasher.
INT. TOGAWA'S OFFICE - LATE AFTERNOON
Togawa sits on her platform as Valentine paces the floor.
VALENTINE
Why all these layers of ice?
Togawa ejects the disc and looks at the heart.
TOGAWA
He left it for you, so he expected you to
know the password. Something personal
between you and him.
VALENTINE
Yes, but this - this isn't like him.
Valentine takes the disc. The afternoon sun refracts through
it and rainbows across her face as she realizes -
VALENTINE (cont'd)
It's not from Carlos... It's from Kang!
She sits next to Togawa and reinserts the disc.
VALENTINE (cont'd)
He said something strange to me on Titan,
some morbid line about a heart, and a
bird... "Take thy beak from out my heart,
and take thy form from off my door."
TOGAWA
That's an ancient nursery rhyme, "Quoth
the Raven -
VALENTINE
- Nevermore."
The vid-display suddenly surrounds them with new data.
TOGAWA
Open sez-me!
Togawa is impressed, but Valentine looks distraught.
VALENTINE
It's all a game to him. Even Carlos'
death! Kang let him have this disc, just
to taunt me!
TOGAWA
Focus, Detective. Now what do we have?
Valentine takes a deep breath and studies the data.
VALENTINE
Medical reports.
(reads)
"Subject one-forty-eight, twenty-four
hours post-imprintation. Synaptic flux
nominal. Restructuring... permanent."
They stare at a before-and-after brain scan. The two synaptic
patterns are as dissimilar as two snowflakes.
TOGAWA
Synaptic reconfiguration? Is that even
possible?
VALENTINE
That must be what he was doing on
Titan... replacing minds...
They look at each other, reeling from the implications.
VALENTINE (cont'd)
He has followers, understand? Fanatics!
TOGAWA
Yes, I know, listen -
VALENTINE
He could be anybody. Walk right through a
retinal scan, DNA analysis, anything
short of a -
TOGAWA
A synaptic pattern check, yes, I
understand. Listen -
VALENTINE
But I checked synaptic records. Isn't
everyone screened at customs?
TOGAWA
That's what I'm trying to tell you! The
unrecoverables that come through, the
downloads to Earth. They've lost the
right to Installation.
VALENTINE
Installation. You mean in City Memory?
TOGAWA
Right. We can't have violent throwbacks
messing up the afterlife for our
ancestors, so their pattern files are
deleted -
Valentine catches on.
VALENTINE
- before they arrive -
TOGAWA
- to avoid trouble.
VALENTINE
No pattern on file to check against -
TOGAWA
- so it would be a waste of time to scan.
They don't even go through customs.
INT. DETENTION BLOCK
Armored doors slice open as Valentine and Togawa enter,
accompanied by a pair of GUARDS. They approach a spacious
cell. Behind the bars Young Male Con sits on a bunk, his back
to them, as Leader looks up.
Valentine stares into Leader's eyes. Is it him?
LEADER
What? You a friend of hers?
Not him. Valentine shifts her gaze down.
VALENTINE
Gig's up, Kang.
As Young Male Con turns, his entire continence changes. A new
malevolence rises to the surface -
Enter ENDO KANG.
KANG (YOUNG MALE CON)
Masami. You're late.
Leader looks between the two of them, confused.
VALENTINE
Call off your little playmate, Kang.
LEADER
I don't even know him, lady!
Kang gives Leader a withering look. Leader backs away and
Kang smiles at Valentine.
KANG
He still thinks that prison break
nonsense was his idea.
VALENTINE
If The Girl destroys the city, you'll die
too.
Kang LAUGHS.
KANG
Please. "When," not "if." And you no
doubt realize that a man in my position
can afford to... indulge... in the
occasional suicide mission.
VALENTINE
You're not yourself today.
Kang approaches the bars.
KANG
I know, this body doesn't do me justice.
But I have to back up my data, right?
What better way... An army of me!
VALENTINE
Not the body. Something's off.
Kang ignores her, determined to finish his prepared speech.
KANG
Once I learned of the M-66 hidden here,
it was easy - commit a few senseless
murders and wait for my police escort.
Thirty seconds at a public terminal to
upload my hack and the city's service
robots took care of the rest. I even had
them arrange a greeting for you, at the
spaceport. Did you get it?
Valentine coldly stares at him but speaks to Togawa.
VALENTINE
The original didn't babble on like this.
I think there's been some degradation
from the source code.
KANG
It won't work, Masami. Torture me, kill
me, I'm still out there. Somewhere.
Everywhere. And don't think you can use
this me to find the others. I have
secrets even from myself.
Valentine looks him up and down, shaking her head.
VALENTINE
Obviously second-generation.
Kang grabs the bars and HISSES in her face -
KANG
You'll die screaming like Carlos and
everyone else, only you'll know why!
The guards ZAP him back with their stun rods.
Togawa says nothing, studying Valentine, who stares
unblinking at Kang as spittle runs down her face.
VALENTINE
How?
Kang smiles and rubs his head, hardly phased.
KANG
Ask the raven.
EXT. STREETS - DUSK/NIGHT
The sun sets over evacuated streets as three sky-bikes whoosh
past, flown by Michelle, MALE PILOT and FEMALE PILOT. Each
has a particle drill shock-mounted beneath it, mecha-sized
pistol grips extended sideways.
ALEXI'S VOICE
Commander Togawa asks that you don't blow
up any more buildings, Madam.
MICHELLE
I'll try.
They each press a control. An electrical WHINE begins to rise
in pitch. Male and Female Pilots take up the lead, dipping
under banners and lights.
FEMALE PILOT
Watch out for the party decorations.
At six seconds the WHINE rises to inaudibility and controls
indicate the particle drills are charged.
They glide over deserted streets, racing their long shadows
under walkways and around buildings, until...
The Girl rushes into view ahead.
MALE PILOT
Target acquired!
FEMALE PILOT
Fire!
Two short rounds of CRACKLING energy bursts from the drills,
which recoil into the shock-mounts.
The Girl leaps up as the street below her ripples and flies
apart.
Female Pilot pulls up as Male Pilot swoops directly into the
conflagration and Michelle banks hard left, crashing through
the glass wall of a building.
The Girl lands at the edge of the smoking blast hole.
Male Pilot shoots sideways down the street, breaking
furiously a meter above the ground, on fire.
Female Pilot pulls around as her WHINE rises in pitch.
Michelle rides her arc through the corner of the building and
smashes unharmed out a window on the other side.
The Girl darts down a side street. Female Pilot rounds the
corner after her.
The street dead-ends against a glass-fronted skyscraper. The
Girl is nowhere in sight...
Until she drops from above, on a string of lights!
Michelle takes the corner, just above the pavement, as The
Girl tosses Female Pilot to her death from the sky-bike.
Michelle fires and misses, blasting the street. The Girl and
sky-bike tumble to a stop before the high-rise entrance.
Michelle pulls up hard, dangerously near the skyscraper. She
skims the vertical surface, centimeters from the glass.
Down below, The Girl stands up.
Michelle pulls into a loop and leaves the building behind.
The Girl rips the particle drill free of the wreckage.
Michelle deftly flips upright, like a kayaker.
The Girl brandishes the huge, fully charged particle drill as
if it were an ordinary gun.
Michelle hits the button and her WHINE begins its rise.
The Girl adjusts her footing, digging in her heel.
Michelle swings around to attack again as Male Pilot suddenly
hurtles around the corner just ahead of her.
The Girl swings the particle drill up as they appear.
Male Pilot pulls up - Michelle dives - The Girl FIRES.
The particle beam VAPORIZES Male Pilot as...
The recoil scoots The Girl backwards on her feet through the
glass wall behind her and...
The over-shoot EXPLODES against a distant high-rise.
Michelle's sky-bike slams into the street, throwing her off.
She lands on her back and skids across the pavement.
In the quiet that follows, the dark sky RUMBLES. The sun is
now set. Michelle stirs and looks to the building.
Lights flicker in the damaged lobby. Movement. A WHINE rising
in pitch.
Michelle scampers back to her sky-bike. It lies on its side,
pointed away from the building.
The Girl steps into the light.
Michelle pushes against the front of her sky-bike. It scrapes
against the pavement, slowly turning as...
The Girl lines up a shot.
Michelle strains harder, pushing her sky-bike around as...
The WHINE disappears into inaudibility. They fire
SIMULTANEOUSLY, SPLIT-SCREEN. A blinding ball of energy
consumes the frame.
After the blast subsides, Michelle peers over her sky-bike,
turning on the headlight to illuminate the devastated lobby.
She can see all the way through the building - every wall has
been disintegrated. The night sky RUMBLES again as stray
energy CRACKLES along the support columns.
The Girl stands - in the street on the other side of the
building - and turns to leave!
Michelle throws off her helmet in fury and stomps forward. A
loud CREAKING stops her in her tracks. She looks up as...
The over-hanging outer wall of the building gives away and
thirty stories DROP like a glass waterfall to the pavement!
Michelle stands transfixed as an expanding mist of glass
fragments rises, shimmering hypnotically in the headlight. It
stops just short of engulfing her.
The Girl is gone.
It slowly begins to RAIN.
INT. TOGAWA'S OFFICE - NIGHT
Togawa and Valentine stare silently out the window as the
rain-distorted city lights play across them. Kang's disc juts
from a slot on the platform behind them. On the display above
hover the words PROJECT #R-VN.
Eventually Togawa speaks.
TOGAWA
Sometimes it's better not to know.
Suddenly a phantom face appears in the glass. They turn -
Michelle is in the doorway, her face covered in tiny cuts,
her hair and uniform wet, a wild look in her eyes.
MICHELLE
Tell me you found him.
INT. DETENTION BLOCK
Michelle storms in, chased by Togawa and Valentine. Kang lies
on a bunk. Leader is as far away from him as possible.
VALENTINE
Wait!
In one rapid movement - Michelle palms the cell lock, the
door shoots open, she crosses to Kang, grabs him by the neck,
and slams him into the wall. The door locks behind her.
MICHELLE
SHUT IT OFF!
Kang chokes. Leader huddles terrified in the corner.
TOGAWA
Let him go, Yen-Smith!
Michelle releases her grip. Kang struggles for a breath.
KANG
Have we met?
MICHELLE
I don't like to repeat myself.
KANG
Once it's activated there's no way to
deactivate it - one of its features.
MICHELLE
Why are you doing this?
KANG
Revenge, of course.
Kang eyes her holstered pistol and snaps his fingers.
KANG (cont'd)
This morning, at the crŹche! I like your
style. Devious.
MICHELLE
Revenge? Against thirty million innocent
people?
KANG
Revenge against thirty million TERRANS!
He spits out the word. Michelle turns, shaking her head. The
gun on her hip waves within his reach.
MICHELLE
For what crime?
His eyes follow her gun. He smiles.
KANG
Haven't you told her Masami? Shall I?
VALENTINE
Don't do this, Kang!
TOGAWA
You haven't been briefed, Michelle. Come
out here now.
KANG
No, she wants in on this too, don't you
Michelle?
Kang's tongue lingers obscenely over her name, violating her
somehow by pronunciation alone. She spins to face him.
MICHELLE
Lieutenant Commander Yen-Smith! You call
me Madam!
KANG
Do you know how the Bug War started,
Madam?
MICHELLE
Of course.
(by rote)
The exploration vessel NausicaŠ was
destroyed by a Bug ship in the -
KANG
Wrong.
MICHELLE
Every schoolgirl knows -
KANG
And every schoolgirl is wrong. You've
been lied to. For over a century now.
MICHELLE
The NausicaŠ was destroyed by -
Kang pounds his fist on the bunk.
KANG
I WAS ON BOARD THE NAUSICA€! That Bug
ship was a relic, adrift. Infinitely
beyond our technology, yes, but ancient
and empty. Lifeless. The so-called Bugs
died out aeons ago in some distant corner
of the galaxy.
Michelle is incredulous.
KANG (cont'd)
The Terran Hegemony wanted the technology
from that ghost ship. The NausicaŠ was
destroyed by one of her own crew, a
Terran spy. I was in a repair mecha when
it happened and am the sole survivor.
MICHELLE
The Bugs wiped out seventy -
KANG
No, the Terran Hegemony wiped out seventy
eight percent of mankind. The colonies
were destroyed -
MICHELLE
By Bug weapons! Like your Girl!
KANG
By Terran weapons. Bug technology, Terran
design. Like your Girl.
Michelle looks at Togawa and Valentine, confused by their
solemn expressions. Kang speaks softly and precisely -
KANG (cont'd)
There was no Bug War. The Terran Hegemony
destroyed the non-aligned Clans under the
pretense of an alien invasion. It was
called the Raven Project.
MICHELLE
But... the Earth...
KANG
Had great symbolic power.
Suddenly Michelle's gun is at Kang's head.
VALENTINE
It's true, Michelle! It's all on the
disc, thousands of files!
TOGAWA
Put away the gun! THAT'S AN ORDER!
KANG
Go ahead, pull the trigger. We'll all be
dead in six hours anyway.
Michelle stares furiously at Kang. A cut above her left eye
reopens. A trickle of blood runs down her forehead... across
her brow... and onto an eyelash. She blinks...
And leaves the cell as abruptly as she entered, palm scan
repeated on the inside lock. She shoves past Valentine and
Togawa and out the door. Togawa goes after her. Valentine
glares at Kang.
VALENTINE
Why not just upload your disc to the net?
Wouldn't that cause enough damage?
KANG
In time. This is only the beginning,
Masami, and I am but one head of the
Hydra.
VALENTINE
Humph! One dickhead!
She turns to leave. Leader timidly calls from the corner.
LEADER
Madam? Can I get another cell?
INT. CORRIDOR
Togawa catches up to Michelle and grabs her shoulder.
TOGAWA
That's reckless, barging in with a -
Michelle shows her the gun.
MICHELLE
Empty. I wanted him to grab it -
TOGAWA
So you could break his neck? That's worse
than reckless!
MICHELLE
I don't care! An entire squad of kids
under my command is dead! The whole
city's doomed! Now he tells me everything
I ever believed is a lie?
TOGAWA
Look. The past is past... it's what we
make of the present that matters. That we
improve, evolve. And we've come so far!
Think about it, Michelle - a century of
peace!
MICHELLE
Built on lies! Betrayal! Genocide!
She shoves past.
TOGAWA
Where are you going?
MICHELLE
To see Sifu!
INT. CITY MEMORY
Silent and still.
INT. CUBICAL
Michelle kowtows before the pulsing altar. After a moment of
silence -
SIFU'S VOICE
... Michelle ...
MICHELLE
Sifu! I'm all out of tricks. I've done
all I can, and I can't beat it.
SIFU'S VOICE
... You can't beat your guilt ...
MICHELLE
No, The Girl.
SIFU'S VOICE
... Your sister ...
MICHELLE
No! The Bug weapon. What must I do to
defeat it?
SIFU'S VOICE
... You must confront your guilt,
Michelle ... You must remember ...
MICHELLE
I DON'T WANT TO REMEMBER!
Her cry echoes through the vaulted space. Sifu waits for
Michelle to regain her composure.
SIFU'S VOICE
... "Facing danger, persevere ... Then
there is no blame ... Do not complain
about this truth ... Enjoy whatever
fortune you possess" ...
MICHELLE
"Defy the Dragon. Defy the Leopard. Defy
the Panther."
SIFU'S VOICE
... So, you remember your lessons ... You
have forgotten much, but not everything
... You must expand your sphere of
awareness, Michelle ... And you must
accept the true face of the past ... You
can do it ... I have faith in you ...
Michelle presses her hands against the altar.
MICHELLE
Sifu! Do they know? In City Memory, do
they know the truth?
SIFU'S VOICE
... Good luck, little Shelly ...
MICHELLE
Are they with you? The ones who did it?
Are they there too? Sifu?
Silence. Sifu is gone. Michelle kowtows again.
MICHELLE (cont'd)
I won't let you down.
EXT. STREET - NIGHT
Liam pushes his way through the crowd toward Central
Structure in the distance. A vid-projection hovers above the
street, distorted by the rain.
FEMALE NEWSCASTER
- apologized for the unscheduled rain,
caused, she said, by plasma induced
ionization -
INT. MED-LAB
Papina GROANS and tosses in her sleep.
INT. TOGAWA'S OFFICE - NIGHT
Valentine slowly turns the disc around in her hand as behind
her Togawa gazes out into the rainy night.
INT. MICHELLE'S OFFICE
Michelle stares at a vid-projection schematic of OC1. It
cycles slowly through random views of the city.
MICHELLE
Expand my sphere of awareness...
She seems to go into a trance as the images cycle faster and
faster. Then, just like The Girl did before, she freezes the
display on -
The image of the teardrop-shaped bottom of the city's
spindle.
MICHELLE (cont'd)
Expand...
The image pulls back to reveal the entire city in profile.
MICHELLE (cont'd)
Expand...
We slowly CIRCLE Michelle...
MICHELLE (cont'd)
Expand...
Leaving the expanding image behind...
MICHELLE (cont'd)
Expand...
Until we see only her expression - Eureka!
INT. TOGAWA'S OFFICE - NIGHT
The image of OC1 in orbit looms behind Michelle as she
confers with Togawa and Valentine.
TOGAWA
Too risky. If we hit the mainline -
MICHELLE
I'll maneuver the robot into position
away from it. We're dead anyway, if we
don't try, so nothing's too risky.
TOGAWA
Alright. Who's our sniper?
MICHELLE
Just a second. Alexi!
The image of Alexi appears.
MICHELLE (cont'd)
Do you have that list?
ALEXI
Not much of a list, I'm afraid. Of the
top ten percentile, minus those
transferred, retired, deceased -
MICHELLE
How many names?
ALEXI
One.
INT. MED-LAB
Papina sits naked on the bed, her legs free and healed, as
Police Nurse removes the final needle.
PAPINA
Ow! Watch it!
POLICE NURSE
Last one.
PAPINA
So can I get a gown or something now?
Police Nurse hands her a gown as Michelle enters. Papina
hurries into it, embarrassed.
MICHELLE
Relax, I've seen it. How do you feel?
PAPINA
Hmmm, let me think. Like I've been -
(counts on her fingers)
- run over by an ambulance, thrown from a
car, kicked through a train, dropped down
an elevator shaft, blasted back up said
elevator shaft, and publicly humiliated
by a stupid robot!
(stares at six fingers)
Wait, I think I forgot one.
MICHELLE
Publicly humiliated?
PAPINA
She stole my clothes!
Michelle tosses her a bundled ESWAT uniform.
MICHELLE
Unlimited supply, basic black only.
You're back on duty.
PAPINA
Oh no - I'm beat. Count me out.
MICHELLE
It's not an invitation.
Papina stares at her lap and scratches her leg.
PAPINA
Look. I'm just a meter maid, okay? I'm
not cut out for this ESWAT stuff, I
realize that now. And I'm sorry for all
the trouble I've caused. Now I have to
report to physical therapy or something,
so if you'll excuse me -
MICHELLE
Washington - Papina. Why did you join the
force? To write out parking tickets? Or
to get the bad guys and be a hero?
PAPINA
To - wh - I'm just not suited!
MICHELLE
Central Computer says you are.
PAPINA
Hmph! Right.
MICHELLE
Believe it or not, TE Blue Three Seven
Three is the best shot under the dome
right now. Officer, we need you to run
trigger on that robot.
PAPINA
That so.
(beat)
What am I shooting?
Michelle grins.
EXT. SPACE
The slender thorn of an EDF satellite silently opens like a
metallic flower.
PAPINA'S VOICE
Whoa mamma!
INT. SIMULATOR CONTROL ROOM
Papina gawks at a vid-projection of the blossoming satellite
as Michelle and a TECH work a control panel.
PAPINA
Wait'll I tell Liam about this!
MICHELLE
Later. Now you practice.
The door to the simulator opens in front of Papina.
PAPINA
On the sim?
MICHELLE
Your forte. Interfaced directly to the
old EDF defense grid.
INT. SIMULATOR
Papina enters the white, orb-shaped room. A walkway extends
to an articulated chair in the middle. She sits.
Locks fasten into her body-armor, the walkway retracts, and
the chair disappears into the concave floor.
Papina floats like a puppet from slender supports.
A rifle slides out of a panel on the wall. She grabs it.
The lights fade and suddenly she drifts in space, surrounded
by stars. Disoriented, she spins and tumbles.
PAPINA
Whoa! Give me some ground! A grassy
knoll, anything!
A flat, featureless plane appears below her. She stands.
PAPINA (cont'd)
Thanks. Where's the target?
MICHELLE'S VOICE
Behind you.
Papina turns. In the distance drifts an ancient satellite,
the battered and forgotten Hubble.
She drops, lines up a shot, and squeezes the trigger.
EXT. SPACE
The EDF satellite silently fires its invisible beam. The
target remains untouched.
INT. SIMULATOR CONTROL ROOM
Michelle buries her head in her hands.
MICHELLE
I thought you never miss.
PAPINA'S VOICE
This ancient EDF thing's clumsy!
MICHELLE
That ancient EDF thing can carve the
Terran Constitution on the head of a pin
from orbit! You're subconsciously
compensating for gravity that's not
there. Practice.
(to Tech)
We do have enough space junk for her to
practice on?
Tech shrugs.
MICHELLE (cont'd)
Well keep her at it. I have to see a man
about a suit.
INT. SIMULATOR
Papina squints and pokes out her tongue to help line up
another shot.
INT. LAB
Double doors whoosh open as Michelle marches in. The lab is a
maze of equipment and cables.
MICHELLE
Anybody home?
LAB GUY'S VOICE
Back here!
Michelle navigates her way toward the voice to find three
pale, nerdy LAB GUYS fussing over an unidentifiable machine.
MICHELLE
What's that?
LAB GUY
Lateral stabilizer from an L Series
repair mecha. We've increased the
rotation manifold's contact area by about
ten percent, overall torque by -
MICHELLE
What about my prototype?
LAB GUY
Oh right, the Ten. Follow me.
Michelle follows him deeper into the maze.
MICHELLE
Do you even know what's going on up
there?
LAB GUY
Please, we're not total hermits. It's the
big Peace - Ah, here we are!
They come to a POD SHAPED DEVICE, a half meter long, with a
convoluted surface. It looks like the white egg the black
Series Nine mecha would lay.
MICHELLE
Pack it up.
EXT. STREET - NIGHT
Liam pushes through the crowd, squeezing between pressed
bodies, lost in a sea of strangers. Then a barricade.
The cross street is totally clear as far as he can see in
either direction. Police keep the multitudes back as if along
a parade route. Everyone is strangely hushed, waiting. Then a
MURMUR works its way through the crowd as...
The Girl walks calmly up the center of the street. Liam
watches in amazement as she silently passes...
A familiar little decal on her uniform.
INT. SIMULATOR
Papina has lined up a shot when - CHIRP! - she jumps and
misses.
PAPINA
Argh! Washington!
Liam appears on the vid-projection.
LIAM
Papina! Wha -
PAPINA
Can't talk now tell you later sorry 'bout
lunch I'M KINDA BUSY RIGHT NOW GOODBYE!
EXT. STREET - NIGHT
Papina's image vanishes, leaving Liam alone in the crowd in
the rain. He shakes his head and slogs onward.
INT. SIMULATOR
Papina squints and lines up another shot.
PAPINA
I swear he has the worst timing!
Sometimes I could just -
She pulls the trigger and...
EXT. SPACE
Nails the satellite dead center. It vaporizes.
INT. SIMULATOR
Papina's mood suddenly brightens.
PAPINA
That's more like it!
INT. SPINDLE ACCESS
A huge, ring-shaped chamber at the heart of OC1. Michelle and
Lab Guy have unloaded the Ten from a cart into one of the
dozen turbo-lifts that encircle the center column.
VALENTINE'S VOICE
Michelle. Good luck.
INT. TURBO-LIFT
Valentine's image hovers before Michelle.
MICHELLE
Thank you, Madam.
VALENTINE
Call me Masami.
Michelle smiles.
MICHELLE
Masami. When I get back, I want that
cake. Chocolate.
Valentine LAUGHS. The vid-projection vanishes and Michelle
turns to Lab Guy.
MICHELLE (cont'd)
Okay, how do I suit up?
Lab Guy looks around nervously, pulls a squeeze-tube from a
pack of gear on the cart and hands it to her.
MICHELLE (cont'd)
What's this?
He can't seem to look her in the face.
LAB GUY
Super-conductive jelly.
MICHELLE
And why do I need it?
LAB GUY
Because the Ten utilizes a next
generation full-body biofeedback
interface.
MICHELLE And what does that mean?
LAB GUY
It means you have to... disrobe... and
apply this jelly all... over.
Michelle frowns. Lab Guy turns red.
LAB GUY (cont'd)
Then just touch the Ten anywhere, it's
coded to your DNA, it'll recognize you
and open.
MICHELLE
I see. Anything else I should know?
LAB GUY
Just remember the boost curve. You don't
want to unconsciously scratch your nose
and rip your face off.
MICHELLE
I'll keep that in mind. You've been a
great help. Bye.
She jabs the button and the door closes between them.
MICHELLE (cont'd)
Pervert!
INT. SIMULATOR
Papina blasts another piece of space junk.
MICHELLE'S VOICE
How you doing, Papina?
PAPINA
Six in a row!
MICHELLE'S VOICE
I hope seven's your lucky number. Next is
for real.
PAPINA
Wey, how am I supposed to hit the brat
when she's invisible to the scanners?
INT. TURBO-LIFT
Michelle winces as she squirts the cold jelly onto her arms.
MICHELLE
Ugh! You'll be targeting your ESWAT
uniform. Universal locator woven in.
INT. SIMULATOR
Papina CHUCKLES to herself.
PAPINA
Steal my clothes, why don't ya!
EXT. CENTRAL STRUCTURE - NIGHT
The Girl approaches Central Structure, moving past the crowd
toward a cleared area at the base of the tower. As if on cue,
the rain drizzles to a stop.
INT. CENTRAL COMMAND
Togawa, Valentine, Alexi and everyone else watch The Girl's
approach on the main vid-projection.
VALENTINE
This could work.
TOGAWA
Central Computer puts the odds of success
at point-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-eight percent.
Valentine frowns.
INT. TURBO-LIFT
Michelle finishes applying the jelly and steps over to the
Ten. She reaches out to touch it.
Centimeters from its surface, her hand stops.
Michelle listens intently to the rhythmic WHOOSH of receding
levels. Another sound rises above this... a ghostly VOICE -
SAMMY'S VOICE
... Shelly ...
Michelle backs away, shivering. She slides down the wall into
a curl, overwhelmed by...
INT. DREAM HALLWAY - FLASHBACK
The memory. As before, Shelly sees Sammy clamber over the
barrier in front of the open elevator shaft.
SHELLY
Get away from there!
She races forward, but Sammy is already perched on the edge.
SAMMY
Shinji said this is where the Bugs are
buried. And look!
Sammy points excitedly down the shaft. Shelly reaches over
the barricade, her full weight on it.
SHELLY
Come here now, you little brat!
The corner of the barricade SLIPS.
INT. TURBO-LIFT - THE PRESENT
DING! The display flashes LOCKED as the doors open and the
power shuts off.
Michelle stands. Her bare feet step slowly up to the pod,
illuminated by dappled light through the open door.
She touches it.
It springs open with a soft WHIR and in a single, complex
movement envelops her.
INT. SPINDLE MIDPOINT
Michelle steps from the turbo-lift onto a walkway that
extends spoke-like to a catwalk encircling the shaft. The
white Ten she now wears is sleek and compact, only slightly
bulkier than her normal ESWAT uniform.
She grasps the railing and it SNAPS under her enhanced grip.
She looks down at the piece of metal in her armored hand,
then over the edge of the walkway.
MICHELLE
Easy, girl.
The shaft recedes for hundreds of kilometers below her.
Suspended down the center is the mainline, a massive cylinder
covered in vines. The vines grow outward on a complex lattice
that corkscrews around the spindle. Water trickles down along
the vines, and a current of air ruffles Michelle's hair as
she leans over the railing. At regular intervals down the
shaft, a ring of turbo-lift doors access another level of
catwalks.
The same view extends to a vanishing point above her as well.
INT. SPINDLE ACCESS
The entrance seals shut behind The Girl. A single operating
turbo-lift waits with open doors.
INT. SPINDLE MIDPOINT
Michelle walks around the catwalk that circles the shaft.
TOGAWA'S VOICE
She's on her way.
MICHELLE
It's on the way.
Michelle paces, nervous and distracted. She wriggles her nose
- an itch.
MICHELLE (cont'd)
Get a grip, Michelle.
She breathes deeply and begins a T'ai Chi routine.
MICHELLE (cont'd)
You can do it, no sweat...
INT. TURBO-LIFT
The Girl stands impassively as levels WHOOSH past.
INT. SPINDLE MIDPOINT
Michelle moves faster. T'ai Chi becomes Wing Chun.
MICHELLE
You're invincible...
INT. TURBO-LIFT SHAFT
The lift rockets down the endless shaft.
INT. SPINDLE MIDPOINT
Now Michelle kicks, fast and powerful. The catwalk shudders.
MICHELLE
You're Superman...
She flips into the air and lands in a familiar, heroic pose.
MICHELLE (cont'd)
You're Wong Fei Hung!
An equally familiar, heroic MELODY swells until...
DING! The other turbo-lift arrives. The Girl looks out at
Michelle across the walkway.
Michelle stands back and motions to the encircling catwalk.
MICHELLE (cont'd)
Sorry, lift's out of order. This way.
The Girl steps out onto the walkway. She looks around, then
down over the edge.
MICHELLE (cont'd)
Forget it, you'd get tangled in the
scrubber vines. The stairs, this way.
INT. SIMULATOR
Papina squints at a computer-enhanced image of the spindle.
She has a clear shot across the walkway and The Girl is
stepping right into it.
PAPINA
Too easy.
INT. SPINDLE MIDPOINT
The Girl moves closer...
MICHELLE
Sorry for the inconvenience. It's only
another five hundred kilometers.
And steps into position.
INT. SIMULATOR
Papina's finger tightens on the trigger as...
The Girl suddenly leaps up. Papina aborts the shot.
INT. SPINDLE MIDPOINT
Michelle jumps after The Girl, grabs her ankle and throws her
back down onto the walkway.
INT. SIMULATOR
Papina hustles up another shot.
INT. SPINDLE MIDPOINT
Michelle drops toward The Girl. The Girl springs aside and
Michelle lands in her place.
INT. SIMULATOR
Papina almost shoots Michelle by mistake.
PAPINA
Waaa!
INT. SPINDLE MIDPOINT
Michelle and The Girl FIGHT, equally matched. Michelle kicks
and The Girl leaps over. Michelle's leg tears through railing
as she spins around. Backed against the open turbo-lift, she
punches The Girl right in the face.
The Girl arcs back, recovers in mid-air and lands on her feet
at the opposite end of the walkway.
MICHELLE
You're pretty good.
They rush each other. The Girl attacks low. Michelle leaps up
and over, and kicks her into the turbo-lift.
INT. TURBO-LIFT
The Girl springs to her feet and blocks Michelle's kick with
her leg. Michelle backs her against the far wall...
Their ankles crossed between their faces.
MICHELLE
Teach me.
The Girl punches, Michelle blocks, and in a half dozen moves
they're back on the walkway.
INT. SPINDLE MIDPOINT
Every countered blow knocks Michelle back, every dodged kick
destroys more of the walkway.
Michelle dives under the railing and onto the catwalk as The
Girl moves once again into position.
INT. SIMULATOR
Before Papina can fire The Girl kicks off the railing and
leaps at Michelle.
PAPINA
Come on...
INT. SPINDLE MIDPOINT
Michelle springs up and she and The Girl kick each other in
mid air! They fly in opposite directions along the catwalk,
sliding backwards on their feet.
Michelle smiles and beckons with an upturned palm.
The Girl attacks. Michelle rips up a section of railing to
use as a long staff. In seconds The Girl has broken it into
several pieces, one of which she hurls at Michelle.
Michelle moves her head just enough to avoid being impaled!
INT. DETENTION BLOCK
Leader reclines on a bunk as Kang paces the cell.
KANG
It should have happened by now...
LEADER
What should have happened?
KANG
You really are an idiot.
Kang punches Leader in the face! Blood gushes from Leader's
broken nose as he staggers to the bars.
LEADER
Wha - guards! GUARDS!
Kang spins him around and slugs him again.
INT. GUARD'S STATION
The two guards are distracted by a vid-projection of Michelle
fighting The Girl. Female Guard glances at the cell monitor.
FEMALE GUARD
He's killing him!
INT. DETENTION BLOCK
Kang savagely beats Leader against the bars. The guards rush
up with their stun rods.
Kang drops to the floor and Leader is ZAPPED instead. Kang
grabs Female Guard's arm and yanks -
KONKS her head against the cell bar -
Catches her stun rod and ZAPS Male Guard with it.
Then he twists her arm around, CRACKING bones, and SLAPS her
palm flat against the inner lock.
INT. SPINDLE - MIDPOINT
The Girl crashes back onto the walkway, taking out more of
the railing.
Several large bolts attaching the walkway to the center
column bend and pop loose.
Michelle kicks off the wall and flies into The Girl. The Girl
blocks and punches Michelle in the stomach.
Michelle flies back and smashes into the outer wall, crushing
several pipes that run up the spindle. They HISS hot vapor as
Michelle falls back to the walkway.
Blood drips from her mouth.
INT. SIMULATOR
The Girl moves past the target position again.
PAPINA
Stand still!
INT. SPINDLE MIDPOINT
Michelle rolls to avoid The Girl's punches, which puncture
the floor. She twists to her feet and kicks The Girl back
onto the walkway.
The walkway CREAKS and shudders, held by a single bolt.
Michelle attacks, but The Girl drives her back toward the
catwalk, into the expanding cloud of vapor. The Girl is
relentless and Michelle is tiring.
INT. CENTRAL COMMAND
Valentine and Togawa can see that Michelle is losing.
VALENTINE
Come on, Michelle.
TOGAWA
Washington, take the shot!
INT. SIMULATOR
Papina watches helplessly as The Girl beats Michelle to a
bloody pulp.
PAPINA
Wait, she's in the way!
TOGAWA'S VOICE
You know you have to do it!
PAPINA
GIVE HER A CHANCE!
INT. SPINDLE MIDPOINT
Michelle lashes out with the last of her strength and knocks
The Girl back, then collapses face down on the catwalk.
The Girl slams onto the walkway...
The remaining bolt twists...
And as The Girl leaps toward Michelle the walkway breaks away
from the turbo-lift.
The Girl slams into the catwalk, partly on Michelle, who
instinctively grabs hold of her as she starts to slide off.
The Girl swings by her right wrist from Michelle's grasp as
the walkway crashes through vines far below.
Michelle looks groggily down at The Girl.
The Girl looks up at Michelle - with Sammy's face!
INT. ELEVATOR SHAFT - FLASHBACK
Sammy swings by her right wrist from Shelly's grasp.
SAMMY
AYIEEEE!
SHELLY
Hang on! I've got you!
SAMMY
Shelly!
SHELLY
Give me your other hand!
Sammy panics, kicking air.
SAMMY
I'm slipping!
SHELLY
I've got you! Give me your other hand!
Shelly tries to pull her up, but doesn't have the strength.
SAMMY
DON'T LET GO, SHELLY! DON'T -
INT. SIMULATOR - THE PRESENT
PAPINA
- LET GO, MICHELLE! LET GO!
TOGAWA'S VOICE
Take the shot NOW, that's an order!
INT. ELEVATOR SHAFT - FLASHBACK
Sammy's wrist slides through Shelly's grasp. Shelly catches
Sammy's hand, squeezing tight.
SAMMY
DON'T LET GO!
SHELLY
I won't, Sammy! I promise!
But even as she says it, she feels Sammy's hand slip away.
SAMMY
SHEEEEEEELLLLLYYYYYYY!
Sammy is gone. Shelly curls up in a ball on the floor.
Her fist opens, knuckles still white. In her hand is the
kitty-kat ring, slipped from Sammy's finger, clenched so
tightly it drew blood.
PAPINA'S VOICE
MICHELLE!
INT. SPINDLE MIDPOINT - THE PRESENT
Michelle finds herself still holding onto The Girl.
PAPINA'S VOICE
LET GO!
She lets go.
The Girl falls.
INT. SIMULATOR
Papina squeezes the trigger.
EXT. SPACE
The EDF satellite fires.
INT. GUARD'S STATION
Kang's face blanches as he peers at the vid-projection.
INT. SPINDLE MIDPOINT
The Girl drops onto a BEAM OF ENERGY that pierces the spindle
ten meters below. She vaporizes in a blinding flash!
The beam vanishes, leaving two platter-sized holes in the
spindle. Air WHOOSHES out into space.
Michelle clings to the floor as the holes slowly reseal
themselves.
Then all is still and silent. Dreamlike. The vines and
catwalk are frosted, the broken pipes flash-frozen, and the
vapor that clouded the air is now SNOW.
The snow drifts slowly down, melting instantly against
Michelle's over-heated powersuit. She stands and looks to the
turbo-lift.
There, through the snow, she can just glimpse... Sammy.
SAMMY
... Stop blaming yourself ...
MICHELLE
I dropped you.
SAMMY
... No, I fell ... Remember? ... You
tried to save me ... Just like you try to
save everyone ... You're a hero ...
MICHELLE
Sammy -
SAMMY
... Goodbye, Shelly ... You have a new
little sister now ...
Sammy vanishes into the snow.
Michelle stands alone, clutching her necklace.
She snaps it from her neck and stares at the ring in her
palm, then slowly turns her hand and lets it drop.
MICHELLE
Goodbye, Sammy.
SOUND returns as the final snowflakes follow the necklace
down the spindle.
VOICES
Yeah! We did it!
INT. CENTRAL COMMAND
Everyone CHEERS, ecstatic.
INT. SIMULATOR
Papina jumps up and down on the featureless plane.
PAPINA
YES YES YES YES YES YES YES!
EXT. ORBITAL CITY ONE - NIGHT
Millions of people rejoice.
INT. SPINDLE MIDPOINT
Michelle staggers to the other lift as the power returns.
PAPINA'S VOICE I got her! I got her! I got her!
MICHELLE
I know. Nice shot.
She leans exhausted against the lift as the door closes.
Far below, Sammy's ring lies nestled in the scrubber vines.
INT. SIMULATOR
Papina is still jumping up and down when the door to the sim
opens behind her.
INT. CENTRAL COMMAND
Above the CHEERING of the cops can just be heard -
PAPINA'S VOICE
Who the bug are you?
Valentine spins toward the monitor, alarmed.
VALENTINE
Where's the feed from the sim?
ALEXI
The signal just went out.
VALENTINE
The detention cell?
The vid-projection changes to a view of the cell.
Valentine bolts from the room.
VALENTINE (cont'd)
Michelle, Kang's in the sim!
Alexi looks up from a display, puzzled.
ALEXI
Commander Togawa, the defense grid is re
energizing!
TOGAWA
Get it off-line! NOW!
INT. SIMULATOR
Kang's torso pokes up from the virtual floor. He wears a
guard's uniform. Behind him lies Papina, unconscious. He
raises the rifle, aims, and pulls the trigger.
EXT. SPACE
The EDF satellite fires straight into the giant dome of OC1!
EXT. ORBITAL CITY ONE - NIGHT
The beam refracts across the city at an extreme angle.
Skyscrapers, sliced in half, collapse!
INT. TURBO-LIFT
A low RUMBLE shakes the lift as Michelle rides up.
EXT. ORBITAL CITY ONE - NIGHT
Crowds trample each other as buildings fall on them!
INT. CENTRAL COMMAND
Alexi sweats over a keyboard. Sparks shoot across.
ALEXI
I'm locked out!
INT. SIMULATOR
Kang LAUGHS insanely as he fires again and again and again!
EXT. ORBITAL CITY ONE - NIGHT
The beams shoot randomly through the dome. One slices across
the lake to create a hundred meter-high wall of hot steam.
Another sears right through the center of a skyscraper,
incinerating a park on the other side.
EXT. CENTRAL STRUCTURE - NIGHT
The third beam slices RIGHT IN FRONT OF A WIDE-EYED LIAM and
into the base of Central Structure.
INT. SPINDLE ACCESS
Michelle's lift opens and she rushes out. Central Structure
GROANS and RUMBLES.
EXT. CENTRAL STRUCTURE - NIGHT
Gyros ringing the top spin overtime to correct its balance.
INT. CENTRAL COMMAND HALLWAY
Valentine races toward the simulator, followed at a distance
by several cops. The hallway tilts and lurches.
Michelle runs from the opposite direction. Her Ten cracks the
floor with each step.
INT. SIMULATOR
Papina opens her eyes and sees...
Kang firing away at OC1 in the virtual distance, LAUGHING.
She jumps on his back, spinning him around.
EXT. SPACE
The EDF satellite fires wildly in random directions.
INT. SIMULATOR CONTROL ROOM
Valentine moves the dead Tech aside as Michelle SMASHES the
simulator controls with one punch.
EXT. SPACE
The satellite stops firing.
INT. SIMULATOR
The orb-shaped room returns in a burst of static.
MICHELLE AND VALENTINE
(in unison)
Freeze, Kang!
They stand in the doorway, Valentine leveling a gun. Papina
cranes her neck around.
PAPINA
Guys! Bring me some cuffs, I got him!
Papina hangs above the concave floor, wrapped around Kang.
Without the sim running to feedback her actions, however, she
can only move her arms and legs. Kang easily pulls free and
aims a pistol at her head.
PAPINA (cont'd)
Uh, guys...
VALENTINE
Drop the gun, Kang!
KANG
Go ahead, shoot.
He presses the muzzle of his gun to Papina's forehead.
KANG (cont'd) The little one will die, but I'll still
be out there.
Papina struggles in the harness.
PAPINA
Wey!
KANG
No matter what you do, Masami, everyone
you know will cease to exist. I'll see to
it you'll always be alone.
PAPINA
Michelle?
VALENTINE
Am I going to have to count backwards?
PAPINA
MADAM! How do I get out of this thing?
MICHELLE
Hit the release button.
Papina looks down, slaps the button and drops instantly out
of the harness - much to Kang's surprise.
Valentine SHOOTS Kang four times - right shoulder, left knee,
left shoulder, right knee - before Papina hits the floor!
Kang falls crippled against the wall. Valentine walks over
and stands above him. Although writhing in pain, he LAUGHS
maniacally -
KANG
I am Legion! Do you understand? You can
never kill me, Masami! NEVER!
Valentine levels her gun to his head.
VALENTINE
Wrong. I get to kill you again and again
and again.
Kang stops laughing. His expression changes from insane
triumph - to fear.
BAM! Blood splatters the white wall of the sim.
Michelle and Papina look away silently.
Valentine calmly holsters her gun, turns, and walks back to
the door. As she nears Michelle and Papina, she stumbles.
They catch her gently...
And the three of them exit arm in arm, the heroic trio. The
moment is broken by Papina -
PAPINA
Wait. If that was Kang, shouldn't he have
been older?
MICHELLE
Forget about it, kid.
VALENTINE
Sometimes it's better not to know.
EXT. STREET - DAWN
Confetti fills the air. The crowd CHEERS as our heroines pass
on the six-wheeled ESWAT cart, at the end of a long parade of
lion dancers, acrobats, and drummers.
MICHELLE
What do you think, Papina? Is being a
hero better than writing out tickets?
PAPINA
I could get used to it.
MICHELLE
Good. Because you start tomorrow at
05:00.
PAPINA
Start what?
MICHELLE
ESWAT basic training.
Papina's eyes bug.
PAPINA
I'm in?
MICHELLE
If you pass the training.
PAPINA
Madam!
MICHELLE
It was Togawa's idea, not mine. And from
now on, you should call me Sifu.
Papina is dumbstruck. She kowtows.
PAPINA
Sifu!
Valentine smiles at this touching display.
VALENTINE
Good luck, Washington.
MICHELLE
Something tells me I'm the one who needs
the luck.
Valentine LAUGHS.
MICHELLE (cont'd)
Masami, I meant what I said before -
you've always been my hero. It was a
great honor to work with you.
VALENTINE
Come back with me to Mars. We could use a
cop like you.
Michelle glances at Papina, waving furiously at the crowd.
MICHELLE
I have family here. Responsibilities.
VALENTINE
I understand. And I envy you.
Ahead of them along the parade route a group of meter maids
SCREAM and wave signs - WE LOVE YOU PAPINA! and TE #1!
MICHELLE
Looks like you've got a fan club.
PAPINA
Cool!
Michelle and Valentine LAUGH as Papina jumps off the
transport and starts signing autographs like a pro. Suddenly
she stops.
PAPINA (cont'd)
No bugging way.
She takes one of the meter maid's ticket pens...
And steps over to a familiar car - with a broken rear window
and a rock in the back seat!
Papina writes the ticket with a mock demonic LAUGH as the
parade leaves her behind.
PAPINA (cont'd)
Bwahahaha!
MICHELLE
Washington, come on!
Papina runs and leaps back onto the transport - just as Liam
struggles through the crowd.
LIAM
Papina! Papina!
Papina is already out of range. Excited and proud, Liam tugs
the arm of a stranger beside him.
LIAM (cont'd)
That's my girlfriend!
The parade moves away into the sunrise as we PULL BACK, over
the vast city and through the dome, until...
EXT. SPACE
Orbital City One is once again a silhouette against the
rising sun.
FADE TO BLACK
Return to SimplyScripts.com