diff --git "a/unformated_scripts/Script_Heavy Metal.txt" "b/unformated_scripts/Script_Heavy Metal.txt" new file mode 100644--- /dev/null +++ "b/unformated_scripts/Script_Heavy Metal.txt" @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +THE HEAVY METAL MOVIE- Final Draft - + SCREENPLAY BY Dan Goldberg and Len Blum July 18, 1980 +FADE UP ONA WHEATFIELDA beautiful field of wheat glistens in the morning sun.As the camera skims overtop, titles start to roll. Aheadof us an odd-looking service van comes into view, sputteringalong a dirt road. Getting closer, we can see the driver, athin, bookish man with a neat mustache. This is AUSTIN GRIMALDI.The truck pulls up to a strange Victorian house in the middleof the wheatfield. The house has several futuristic radardevices on the roof that rotate constantly.AUSTIN gets out, opens the van's rear doors, and pulls outtwo large metal boxes. CUT TOTHE ATTIC WINDOWThe curtains part ever so slightly, and a pair of eyes peerdown. CUT BACK TOTHE VANAUSTIN shuts the van's rear doors, and carries the two metalboxes into the house. The titles stop rolling as we; CUT TOINSIDE THE HOUSEAUSTIN is reading a schematic diagram as he sits in front ofthe exposed chassis of a complicated futuristic electroniccontraption, twice his size. There are strange tools allover the floor.Putting down the diagram, he opens one of the metal cases andtakes out a sophisticated-looking glass sphere with electronicreceptacles mounted in the sides.He places this sphere in a space in the middle of the contraption,clamps it down, and plugs some wires into the globe's receptacles.Then he opens the second box. Inside is a glowing green ball.Using a pair of special tongs, AUSTIN carefully lifts the ballout, and inserts it into an opening at the base of the machine,in the back.As soon as the ball is inside, the machine hums to life. Theglass sphere sparkles, and a holographic picture of a greenplanet in space appears inside it. AUSTIN (looking at the holograph) Hmmmm ....He takes a strange tool, and moves out of frame to make anadjustment underneath the machine. Suddenly a wire comesloose from the sphere and begins to spark. AUSTIN (seeing sparks) Uh - oh ....As the camera pulls closer to the holograph screen, thegreen planet begins to silently shake. CUT TOSPACEWith an explosion that rocks the universe, a huge chunk ripsout of the green planet and shoots off into space, leavingthousands of glowing particles in its wake. CUT BACK TOAUSTINNot noticing the silent image on the holograph, he quicklyrepairs the sparkling connection and returns to his otheradjustments. CUT TOA FORESTFrom the forest floor we see the green planetoid fly overhead,dropping balls. We watch as it moves away and disappears beyonda far-off mountain range. The forest rumbles as the planetoidcrashes in the distance.The camera then pans over to a forest patch, where a beautifulgirl approaches, picking mushrooms. CUT TOA GREEN BALL NEAR HER FEETAn ominous note is struck as the girl notices the glowingball, and is drawn to it. Picking the sphere up, she looksat it. Something inside her warns her of its danger, but,unable to resist, she puts it in her basket and continues on. DISSOLVE TOTHE GATES OF KRAANNight falls over this futuristic chromoid city as the beautifulgirl passes through the glass gates and heads home. CUT TOTHE GIRL'S BEDROOMThe girl yawns and gets into bed as the camera pans over toher basket in the corner. Through its side, the green ballbegins to glow brightly.Getting closer, we see a slimy silk-like webbing ooze out ofthe ball and move towards the sleeping girl, pulling the greenball behind it.The ball starts to glow and pulse as the webbing begins tosurround the girl, like a cocoon. Slowly the camera pansup the wall, and moves out through the window, and beyondthe city gates, rising higher and higher. CUT TOTHE OUTLANDSFlying quickly overtop futuristic villages, the cameraheads further and further out into the less civilized sectors,where the rusting pipelines and crumbling utility stations ofa past civilization have been overgrown by scrub-bush and weeds.The camera zooms across this strange landscape toward the distantmountains where the huge planetoid fell. Finally, from highabove the foothills, we begin to come down.In the hills below us, hundreds of blue humanoid barbarians aremoving along, mesmerized, toward a pulsing green glow high inthe mountaintops. Suddenly the mountains begin to rumble. CUT TOTHE LINE OF BARBARIANSAt the front of the line, the largest barbarian - obviouslytheir leader - stops and points. CUT TOTHE MOUNTAINSA strange, green, foamy liquid comes pouring down the mountainstoward the barbarians. CUT TOTHE LINE OF BARBARIANSThe barbarians stand frozen as the foam washes over them and keepson going. One by one, their eyes turn green and they start tochange, becoming hairier, uglier, and stronger.As their transformations are complete, the barbarians gatherbehind their leader into an ever-growing mob of murderouslooking sub-humans. DISSOLVE TOTHE GATES OF KRAANA frightened Kraanian councillor spurs his horse forward throughthe beautiful glass gates, as in the distance we hear the soundof ten thousand approaching footsteps.The camera pans to a hillside overlooking Kraan. In the glowof sunset, the outline of the BARBARIAN LEADER, riding a blackwar-horse, appears at the hillside and stops. Then with athundering of footsteps, the outline of five thousand barbarianscomes into view behind him, filling the horizon. CUT TOTHE BARBARIAN LEADERHe is now wearing a strange medallion around his neck as, wild-eyed, he screams to signal the attack. The bloodthirsty hordecharges down the hill behind him.The camera moves with the barbarians as they crash through thegates of the city, destroying everything in their path. Smokeand flames are everywhere. Ahead of us, terrified Kraaniansrun from the onslaught.As we track up over the burning rooftops, we see the BARBARIANLEADER riding his war-horse in the streets below. Shoutinga command, he waves his men on as they move toward an impressivedoomed building in the middle of the city. CUT TOTHE COUNCIL CHAMBERSAt the far end of this huge glass hall, the Kraanian Councilsits around a marble table. From outside, we hear the battleraging.Pulling closer we can hear the worried voices of the Councilmembers. COUNCILMAN #3 They're killing everyone. We must escape! COUNCILMAN #2 The city is burning! COUNCILMAN #4 (throwing a parchment before the Elder) Even the mountains glow green and an evil slime oozes down! COUNCILMAN #1 Elder, we must arm ourselves! We must fight! ELDER Silence!Everyone gets quiet. Looking at the parchment thrown beforehim, the ancient, withered ELDER rises to his feet. ELDER We are not a race of warriors. We are statesmen, and scientists. From our very beginning it was ordained that the warrior-race of Taarak the Defender would aid us in times of need. This was the Pact! COUNCILMAN #1 Taarak the Defender? His race is dead! They cannot defend anyone! COUNCILMAN #2 Some say that the race is not dead - that one still lives. COUNCILMAN #1 One? What good is one? ELDER One of Taarak's blood can do much.Outside, the sounds of battle grow louder. A boy appears atthe doorway. BOY Elder! They are at the walls! COUNCILMAN #3 Well who is this last Defender? How can he be summoned? ELDER It is Taarna, of the blood of Taarak the Defender - the last of the race. And must be summoned as my forefathers summoned Taarak himself - from within! COUNCILMAN #2 But will this Defender answer? ELDER A Taarakian has no choice. They must answer. It is in their blood.The clattering of armour becomes audible. BOY They are in the halls! They are coming!! ELDER (calmly to the boy) Bar the door. (to the Councilmen) We will summon the Defender together.The Councilmen nod. ELDER (shutting eyes) Taarna ... Taarna ...As the Councilmen take up the chant; CUT TOTHE DOORAs the boy begins to bar the door, it bursts open, flinging himaside. Standing in the doorway, surrounded by his men, isthe BARBARIAN LEADER.With a laugh, he raises a Medieval-looking multiple cross-bowand fires a burst of arrows into the boy's chest, as the crazedtroops rush in around him.The chanting continues as we; CUT TOTHE OUTLANDSWe look down over this uncivilized wilderness with onlydecaying pipelines and the occasional jagged rock structurebreaking the barren uniformity of the land. As the Council'sdistant chanting fades out, all is quiet.Suddenly from behind us, we hear the sound of flapping wingsand a huge rush of air. Just above our heads, TAARNA THEDEFENDER comes flying in, sitting proudly in the saddle ofa giant crimson bird. CUT TOTAARNA'S FACEShe is beautiful, with dark eyes and wild red hair blowingbehind her in the wind.Below her, on the ground, she sees a humanoid running in terror,chased by an ugly, four-legged mutant creature.Spurring her bird forward, TAARNA sweeps down over the uglybeast and lassoes it. She then hoists the creature up intothe air and, tossing her end of the rope over a tall jaggedrock, she leaves the snarling beast hanging helplessly.Flying down to the grateful humanoid, she dismounts. Asshe approaches we see that he has a barbarian medallionon a chain around his neck. HUMANOID I owe you my life. Let me repay you ...He takes off his medallion and places it around her neck.Suddenly he twists the chain tight in his hand, pulling hertowards him. His eyes change to a bright green as he forcesher to the ground and starts ripping at her clothes. As hemolests her, TAARNA is distracted. She hears something - voicesinside her, chanting her name.Quickly she grabs the chain and rips it apart. Then shepowerfully smashes both her hands together around her attacker'sears. As he holds his ringing ears, she gets up, lifts himabove her head, and hurls him mercilessly to the ground.Still hearing the chanting, she jumps on her bird, pulls outa second rope, and lassoes the barbarian's feet. She thenlifts him up and leaves him hanging from the tall, jagged rock,next to the growling creature.As TAARNA flies off, the hanging beast eyes the barbarianhungrily. CUT TOAUSTIN GRIMALDIHe is still sitting on the floor, working on his machine.As the camera pulls closer, we see that AUSTIN is reachingdeep inside the machineworks, trying to solder a small orangediode in place with an odd-style soldering iron. The connectionbreaks, and the diode and some hot solder fall deeper into themachine and start smoking and sputtering. As the smoke growsthicker, the machine starts to buzz loudly. AUSTIN Dammit!AUSTIN pulls his face out of the smoking chassis, grabs a pairof needlenose pliers, and reaches back to retrieve the part.The camera follows AUSTIN'S arm into the chassis, where smokesurrounds it and clouds over everything. The buzzing soundgrows, and changes into the sound of powerful, throbbingengines. Slowly the smoke begins to clear as we hear a voicecrackling over a radiophone. BOMBARDIER (V.O.) Where the hell are we?Suddenly the smoke dissipates and a formation of B-17 bomberscome tearing out into the moonlit night. CUT TOTHE GROUND BELOWThe sound of jungle night creatures fills the air. We seepalm trees silhouetted against the moon bright sky. Thescene is almost serene. The camera pans and suddenly thenose of a large parked bomber fills the screen, and as thecamera continues panning, we pass a large red rising sun onthe bomber's fuselage. The pan stops at the tail of theaircraft, and we see a Japanese soldier - a guard.There is a moment of tranquillity, as jungle sounds fill theair. The soldier almost dozes ... suddenly the cacophony ofsound stops, and for a brief moment there is complete silence... then with an agonizing wail an air raid siren shattersthe silence and the guard looks skyward, startled.Instantly all hell breaks loose as we hear pounding feet.Silhouetted figures rush by. CUT TOA GUN EMPLACEMENTJapanese soldiers crank the barrel of an anti-aircraft gunskyward. We begin to hear the sound of approaching engines. CUT TOCLOSEUP OF A SHELLIt is thrust into a breech. CUT TOTHE B-17 FORMATIONAs the bombers press on, the camera moves in to the leadaircraft. In the moonlight we see her name, "Pacific Pearl". CUT TOINT. - THE "PACIFIC PEARL" NAVIGATOR We're there Stepek, right on target ... Rabual dead ahead!Suddenly a cacophony of explosions split the air as anti-aircraftshells explode ahead of the aircraft, lighting the inside withelectric blue flashes. BOMBARDIER Gee! Thanks for telling me, Holden. I thought it was Cleveland. CUT TOTHE GROUNDAckack guns blast shells skyward. The gun blasts light upthe palm tree background, causing momentary silhouettes. CUT TOTHE BOMBARDIER BOMBARDIER For Christ sake, hold her steady! CUT TOTHE BELLYGUNNERHe can be seen from outside the plane as the shell flasheslight up his turret. BELLYGUNNER Quit yer bitching Stepek, just drop 'em and let's get outta here! CUT BACK TOTHE BOMBARDIER BOMBARDIER Keep your shirts on guys, tonight I'm gonna hit something. (he settles over the bomb sight) Left two degrees ... steady ... steady ... CUT TOTHE BELLYGUNNERThe flak is severe, with electric blue flashes lighting upthe fuselage interior. BELLYGUNNER Hey kid, how ya doing back there? CUT TOTHE TAILGUNNERTailgunner momentarily lit with a shell burst, he's scaredshitless. He looks nervously back behind the aircraft atthe flak puffs behind the tail. TAILGUNNER Gulp, ah ... I'm ah ... okay ... I think. PILOT (V.O.) Button it up, we're almost there. CUT TOTHE BOMBARDIERHe is crouched over his bomb-sights, concentrating. NAVIGATOR (V.O.) C'mon Stepek, there's the whole island of Rabaul down there, you can't miss! BOMBARDIER Screw you ... CUT TOTHE PILOT'S COMPARTMENTSuddenly a shell explodes almost on the windshield and thepilot rears back with the blast. The right windshield isshattered. PILOT We took a hit ...The co-pilot sags forward, held back only by his shoulderstraps. His eyes stare. Blood runs from under his helmet.We know he is dead. PILOT Shit. Elkhorn just bought it. BELLYGUNNER (V.O.) We took one back here too. C'mon Stepek, blast 'em! CUT TOTHE BOMBARDIER BOMBARDIER (hand on the release button) Steady ... steady ... bombs away! Let's get the hell outta here! CUT TOTHE GROUNDWe hear the shriek of descending bombs. The explosions walkacross the airfield, and in the light of the explosions wesee devastation. The last bomb hits a fuel dump, causing anenormous ball of fire. BOMBARDIER (V.O.) Yahoo! Bullseye! CUT BACK TOTHE PACIFIC PEARL PILOT (exhilarated) Nice shooting Stepek, how are the rest of you guys? FLIGHT ENGINEER (V.O.) Flight Engineer okay. RADIO OPERATOR (V.O.) Radio okay. NAVIGATOR (V.O.) Navigator check. BELLYGUNNER (V.O.) Belly okay. TAILGUNNER (V.O.) Ah ... tail okay ...There is abrupt silence. PILOT Bellson ... Lewis?Still silence, no reply from either name. PILOT Kid, check the waist positions, see if they're okay. CUT TOTHE TAILGUNNER TAILGUNNER Yeah ... will do, skipper.TAILGUNNER crosses himself, then exits back into the body ofthe machine. CUT TOTHE PILOT PILOT (wearily) Let's go home.We hear jumbled comments from all positions. Everyone ishappy. CREW (V.O.) Cheers and whoops.The mood of high spirits is stopped abruptly as the tailgunnerreports back. TAILGUNNER (V.O.) Skipper, Bellson and Lewis are both dead.This is the first time the kid's voice is not scared, justpuzzled. PILOT Dammit! BOMBARDIER (V.O.) Well kid, now you got a real bombing mission under your belt. CUT TOTHE BOMBARDIERHe removes his oxygen mask and takes a long swig from abottle. CUT TOEXT. - THE "PACIFIC PEARL"She rejoins the rest of the group. The formation is notquite as tight as before. As the formation flies along,puffs of cloud pass by, occasionally obscuring a machine. CUT TOLOW VIEW OF THE "PACIFIC PEARL"Under the "Pacific Pearl's" belly, we see the bellygunnersuspended in his small glass pod. A red glow brightens upas he drags on a cigar. The rest of the formation arevisible stretched to the side and behind as puffs of cloudwaft past. We begin to feel as if the weather might bechanging. CUT TOTHE NOSE OF THE "PACIFIC PEARL"The BOMBARDIER is relaxing inside as he swigs from the bottleand sings raucously. From the front we look in on the pilotwith the dead co-pilot sagging in his seat next to him. BELLYGUNNER (V.O.) Sorry about Elkhorn, skip. What happened? PILOT I dunno. The shell exploded and he collapsed. I think he took it in the head. BELLYGUNNER (V.O.) Are ya sure he's dead, Skipper? PILOT He's dead. BOMBARDIER (sings drunkenly) Oh I put my finger in a woodpecker's hole and the woodpecker said God bless my soul; take it out, take it out, take it out, remove it ... TAILGUNNER (bolder) Hey Stepek, just shut up, okay? BOMBARDIER Up yours kid, wassa matter, you don't like my voice?While all this banter has been going on the cloud has beenthickening. Suddenly a serious voice cuts in on the smalltalk. It's the NAVIGATOR. NAVIGATOR (V.O.) Something's wrong! CUT TOTHE NAVIGATORHe is frantically tapping the compass. PILOT (V.O.) You got a problem, Holden? BOMBARDIER (V.O.) Naw, the kid's the one with the problem. He don't like my voice! PILOT (V.O.) Button it up Stepek. What's the problem, Holden? NAVIGATOR I must have a malfunction, my compass says we're heading north! CUT TOPILOTHe looks at his compass. PILOT Mine says east. NAVIGATOR (V.O.) Hey, can you guys see the rest of the squadron? BELLYGUNNER (V.O.) Negative, there's too much cloud.A sudden flash of lightning illuminates the whole inside ofthe plane. CUT TOTHE COCKPITThe dead co-pilot's pale face is momentarily electric blue,lit by the lightning flash. We pan past him to the compass inthe instrument panel. It is spinning madly. PILOT What the hell ...He reaches forward to tap the compass. PILOT Hey Holden, now my compass has gone crazy. It's spinning like a son of a bitch! NAVIGATOR (V.O.) Mine too, we must have hit a magnetic field or something !! CUT TOOUTSIDE THE PLANEWe see a dull glow coming from all crew positions from theon-board lights. Suddenly a curtain of rain lashes the machine. PILOT (V.O.) Christ, now they're all doing it!! CUT TOTHE INSTRUMENT PANELAll the dials are going haywire. Above the instrument panelwe see the windshield is spattered with rain. BOMBARDIER (V.O.) You guys quit talking business? I'm trying to sing here! Oh I put my finger in a woodpecker's ... PILOT (irritably) Can it Stepek, we got real problems.Just then through the rain, a strange green glow is seenin the distance. It begins to curve toward the aircraft. CUT TOOUTSIDE THE PLANE - NEAR BELLY TURRETThe turret swings as the gunner spots the glow. BELLYGUNNER Jesus! Look at that!!From under the starboard wing, we see the object approaching. PILOT (V.O.) Look at what ... look at what!!? BELLYGUNNER It's out there, just look at it ... PILOT (V.O.) For Christ sake, give us a position! BELLYGUNNER It's about four o'clock, just below ... Holy Shit, it's coming right at us!The glow suddenly zooms at the plane with great speed and hitsthe starboard inner engine. CUT TOPILOT'S POVHe has to push the dead co-pilot back to peer out thebroken starboard window ... the number three prop is bentand windmilling wildly. It has a strange green luminescenceabout it ... the whole machine shakes. PILOT Damn.The PILOT tries to fly the plane and do the co-pilot's job offeathering the bad engine. Suddenly it's too late as the propwobbles loose and cartwheels over the wing. CUT TOOUTSIDE THE PLANEThe prop flies back and slices a great gash in the aircraft'sskin, near the TAILGUNNER'S position. CUT TOTHE PILOT PILOT We lost the goddamned prop ... Did it do any damage? Kid, check the tail.Silence. PILOT Come in kid ... kid are you okay?Silence. PILOT Travis; go check the back. BELLYGUNNER (V.O.) Will do, skipper. CUT TOINSIDE HATCHTRAVIS' turret opens and TRAVIS pulls himself up into the fuselage. CUT TOTHE PILOTThe gauges are now settled except for the oil pressure toNo. 2 engine. The pressure drops. The engine heat gaugeclimbs rapidly. A red warning light begins to flash. PILOT (to himself) Goddamn it, now what?He glances out of his window just in time to see a strange,claw-like feeler coming out of the engine casing. It detachesone of the cooling gills, then another, and another. They blowaway in the slipstream. PILOT Gremlins! (rubbing his eyes) Jesus, I must be getting tired. CUT TOTHE BELLYGUNNERHe looks in to the kid's reargun compartment. All that is leftof him is a tattered skeleton.TRAVIS turns, horror frozen on his face. Quick as a flash,from seemingly nowhere, something flies at him and grabs histhroat. The mask on his face falls off, and we get a splitsecond look of abject horror as he falls out of frame. PILOT (V.O.) Travis, what's goin' on back there? CUT TOTRAVISHis eyes are open but he is obviously dead. Through his helmetheadphone, we hear his name. CUT TOTHE PILOT PILOT Holden, how far to base? NAVIGATOR (V.O.) Skip, with everything screwed up here, I'd, I'd guess about two hundred miles.All the time the engine pops and bangs wildly. PILOT For Christ's sake, find us a place I can put her down! CUT TOTHE NAVIGATOR NAVIGATOR It's all ocean down there, skip! CUT TOTHE PILOT PILOT Mack, can you get us a radio fix? CUT TOTHE RADIO OPERATOR RADIO OPERATOR Negative skip, too much interference. CUT TOTHE PILOTHe is fighting the controls. PILOT Shit! I've gotta put her down! CUT TOTHE BOMBARDIER BOMBARDIER Hey Holden ... ya old stuff shirt ... ya wanna snort? PILOT (V.O.) For God sakes Stepek, shut up!STEPEK takes another swig from his bottle. He is lying onhis back partly propped up by the curving nose of the aircraft.He is about to make another smart ass reply, when he hears astrange scratching and chirping noise above his head. Helooks up in time to see sharp teeth and claws start to appearthrough the lining above his head. He blinks in disbelief andthrows his bottle away as if the image came from the whiskey. BOMBARDIER Oh my God, there's ... there's ... ahh ... keep away ... keep away ... (struggles) ... hey no ... hey somebody ... (screams) NAVIGATOR (V.O.) Stepek, you stupid sonovabitch, will you lay off the booze, you've got the D.T.'s ...STEPEK is wide-eyed and scared silly as the sound now beginsunder his feet and pincers begin to snip through the floor.He suddenly realizes that the whole floor is giving way beneathhim, and he grabs for a handful of cables as the floor collapses. CUT TOOUTSIDE THE AIRCRAFTThe lower half of STEPEK is hanging in the slipstream, kickingmadly. We see that his legs are covered in wriggling creatures. CUT BACK TOSTEPEKHe is losing his grip with one hand, but still desperatelyclinging on to a bunch of cables with the other. Suddenlyan ugly pincer cuts the cables and STEPEK is gone ... outinto the night. CUT TOTHE PLANESuddenly the No. 2 engine begins to backfire, blasting backlarge gobs of orange flame. The oil, heat and manifold gaugesare off the dial and red lights frantically flash. Desperatelythe PILOT looks out of the window.Pieces begin flying off the engine. The cowling disintegratesrevealing the bare engine beneath. Small figures are franticallybusy ripping the engine to pieces. CUT TOTHE PILOTHe is scared. PILOT Holden, for God's sake get up here on the double. NAVIGATOR (V.O.) What's the problem, skip? PILOT Just get up here!The NAVIGATOR grimaces as he pushes past the dead co-pilot. NAVIGATOR What is it, skip? (looking out windows) JESUS H. CHRIST! PILOT Hold 'em off. I'm taking her down.He peers out at the incredible sight of the creatures rippingoff the wing skin and tearing huge plates from the cowlings.The camera pans down to his feet as the hatch door handle twistsand then bursts open. A dozen bat-like creatures swarm in.The NAVIGATOR panics and reaches up, grabbing the flare gunfrom its rack. He screams as the creatures attack and shootsright through the creatures, bathing the aircraft with a brightruby glow. NAVIGATOR (struggling) Okay you little bastards ... shit ... (screams) CUT TOTHE RADIO OPERATORThe flare shoots down the fuselage and smashes into him.Wreathed in flames, he falls back into the fuselage. CUT TOOUTSIDE THE AIRCRAFTCreatures swarm all over the plane. The ball turret fallsoff. A wheel suddenly lowers, then falls off. A flap fluttersfree and blows away. Oil streams back into the slipstream andsections of the skin of the plane come away, revealing theskeleton framework of the fuselage. CUT TOTHE PILOTHe is fighting the controls. Creatures are now in the cockpit,plucking out the instruments. The PILOT reaches to the throttleonly to grab a creature that locks on to his gloved hand.Flying the plane with his good hand, he strikes and pummelsat the attacking creatures with the other. CUT TOOUTSIDE THE AIRCRAFTIt is now almost a flying skeleton. For the first time, wesee that it is heading for an island. A figure detaches itselffrom the machine and plummets away. CUT TOTHE PILOTHe falls, terror-stricken, through space. Finally his chuteopens. A slimy creature still clings to his gloved hand. He ripsoff the glove and throws it and the creature away. PILOT (struggling) Jesus H. Christ! CUT TOTHE ISLANDThe approaching smoking plane bellies onto the sea, bounces,then skims along the wave tops, careening up onto the beach,where it twists around crazily before coming to a lopsidedstop. The machine faces us head-on and we see a glow comingfrom what's left of No. 3 engine. The camera zooms in rapidlyto a green ball stuck in engine No. 3. CUT TOTHE PILOTHe has landed, and is undoing his parachute harness. He looksaround incredulously. The island is a junkyard - a veritablegraveyard of aircrafts. There are many aircrafts, both oldwrecks and futuristic-looking ones lying everywhere. Skeletalcorpses are still left in some of the wrecks. The camera pansto the remains of one machine. It is an old American LockheedElectra. It glints dull in the half light of dawn. Paintedon its side are two names; "Amelia Earhart" and "Fred Noonan".The camera continues to move through this panorama of metallicjunk until it stops on a long chrome rod sticking up out ofa pile of scrap.Tilting up to the sky we see the clouds part as two gargantuanmetal arms emerge and descend down toward the junkpile. Themetal arms reach the chrome rod, grip it tightly, and begin tolift it up.WWe follow as the cylinder is pulled higher and higher, finallycoming to a stop in front of a giant eyeball. The camera pullsback to reveal that the eyeball belongs to AUSTIN GRIMALDI,who carefully scrutinizes the orange diode held tightly in hisneedlenose pliers. AUSTIN Got it.Satisfied that this is the piece he had lost in the machine,he begins to re-solder it in place. Behind him, a LITTLEGIRL with red hair comes into the room and walks up to him. LITTLE GIRL It's broken again, isn't it Daddy? AUSTIN (concentrating) Yes dear. But Daddy's fixing it. (hums) LITTLE GIRL (watching) How come it's always breaking? AUSTIN I don't know, sweetheart. Mmmmhmm. LITTLE GIRL When it's fixed, will you make more funny pictures for me? AUSTIN Honey, why don't you go play with your toys and let Daddy finish his work, okay? Mmmm ... LITTLE GIRL Okay.The LITTLE GIRL wanders around to the other side of the machine,as AUSTIN flips a switch. Once again the glass sphere sparklesand the holographic screen lights up. AUSTIN uses a tool tofine-tune the holograph and an image begins to materialize;the glass gates of Kraan.As the image becomes clearer, the camera pulls closer and closerto the holograph screen. CUT TOTHE GATES OF KRAANThe Council's voices still ringing in her head, TAARNA fliesin over the demolished gates. Below her, the once-beautifulcity lies in ruins.Gliding overtop the deserted streets, she sees a column ofsmoke rising through the wrecked dome of the building in thetown's center. As she watches the smoke rise, she pulls hardon the reins, and heads her bird up.The camera follows as she rides in through the shattered domedown to the Council Chambers below.Corpses of the Councilmen are strewn everywhere. In thecenter of the room, a large pile of ancient books andmanuscripts lie smouldering. Reaching the floor, TAARNAdismounts and starts to look around. At the head ofthe marble table sits the ELDER - dead. In front of him,a roll of parchment lies on the table. TAARNA opens it.Carefully painted on the parchment is a circle of mountains,their tops glowing green.TAARNA looks at it, and puts it in her sack. Then she noticesthat the ELDER is clutching something in his hand. Pryinghis stiff fingers apart, she finds a blood-stained medallionjust like the one her attacker wore on his chain.Looking at the dead ELDER, TAARNA grips the medallion tightlyin her hand. CUT TOOUTSIDE THE COUNCIL BUILDINGTAARNA flies back out through the shattered dome and surveysthe city below. All is quiet and dark, except for a green glowcoming from a second-floor window. Curious, she flies over,pulls up beside the window, and climbs in. CUT TOGIRL'S BEDROOMEntering, TAARNA sees the slimy silk-like cocoon on the bed.The basket of fruit still sits on the floor. Fromwithin the webbing, the green ball is glowing brightly.TAARNA looks at the parchment in her sack, then at the glowcoming from the cocoon. Cautiously, she approaches the cocoon,sword drawn.Suddenly a hand from within the cocoon grabs the ball andshoots forward, ripping through the webbing and holding theball up to TAARNA's face. The hand belongs to a hideouslyugly witch, who emerges from the cocoon, cackling throughsnake-like fangs. WITCH Behold! The Sphere of Uluhtec! Look upon it, Taarna. Look upon it with fear. For in its glow lies the end of heaven - the beginning of hell. Take it Taarna. Feel death in your hands. For death is upon you. And as you perish ... so dies your race!The witch's eyes go green. WITCH (screaming) Take it !!She hurls tha ball at TAARNA, who dodges it. The ball sailspast her, out the window. Then TAARNA, sword raised, leapsat the WITCH, slicing through her in rapid strokes.The WITCH cackles and crumbles into dust, but her green eyesstay suspended in the air, and her cackle echoes throughthe room.TAARNA backs away, climbing out the window, onto her bird. Asshe flies off, she sees the WITCH'S green ball high above her,rising into the clouds and disappearing. CUT TOSPACEThe WITCH'S green ball zooms through space, as Earth appearsin the distance. Then another object comes into sight. Gettingcloser we see that is is a modern winged rocketplane of nodeterminable nationality, soaring high above Earth. The greenmeteorite passes, briefly bathing the rocketplane in its glow.The rocketplane banks sharply, then stabilizes. Slowly thehatch-doors in its belly open up, revealing the underside ofan automobile suspended in the open hatch.Hydraulic metal arms emerge, lowering the automobile out fromthe belly of the cruising rocketplane. We can see nowthat the car is a white, '59 Corvette convertible.With a "thunk", the metal arms release the car, andas the rocketplane blasts away, the Corvette begins itsfree-fall to Earth.As the car falls gracefully through space, the driver playswith the wheel, causing the Corvette to bank smoothly oneway, then the other.Once his direction is stable, the driver clicks on the carradio and adjusts it through various channels, until he settleson one.With the music playing, the car falls closer and closer toEarth, entering and emerging from the cloud cover over theatmosphere. In the heat of entry the vehicle's paint startsburning up.As he heads down over a deserted area, the driver begins hisapproach. Touching down at breakneck speed, the smokingCorvette bounces violently, every part straining at therepeated impact.The driver's face is expressionless as he jams the car intohigh gear and floors it, spinning the wheels in an attemptto translate downward momentum into forward motion. Thenhe pops his drag chute to help slow down.TThis accomplished, the expressionless driver releases thechute, and speeds off down the road in a cloud of dust. CUT TOEXT. THE PENTAGON - AERIAL SHOTFrom high above the building we see a crowd of reportersand T.V. newsmen waiting on the front steps.The '59 Corvette pulls up at the curb below, and seeingit, the reporters all start to run over.The camera zooms down and into the car. Inside, the driverreaches over, unplugs a rubber hose, and loosens the twolarge hex-nuts which connect him to the car. As he gets out,the reporters come running up. FEMALE REPORTER (to driver) Doctor Anrak, six more mutants were sighted in Arizona this morning. Do you still say this has nothing to do with the green radiation from space.The driver walks on without speaking. T.V. NEWSMAN (walking alongside) Doctor, is it true that the President himself pulled you off the Jupiter Six Project so that you could investigate those mutations? Doctor, answer me that.He ignores the question, and walks past the guard into thePentagon. CUT TOINT. PENTAGON - MEETING ROOMAround a large table sit the Joint Chiefs of Staff, members ofthe Cabinet, and a pretty secretary wearing a tight skirt.An argument is in progress as the expressionless DOCTOR ANRAKenters. The camera follows him as he sits down next to oneof the Generals. FAT POLITICIAN ... well what I wanna know is, what's the Army doing about this? Hell! My constiuents are turning green! They're growing arms on their backs. There's something or someone up there in space and the voters have a right to know about it! GENERAL Senator, we have no proof that these mutations are the result of interference from outer space. In fact, Doctor Anrak has just come in, so let's hear what he has to say ... Doctor?The room goes silent as the DOCTOR stands up. DOCTOR First of all, there is no cause for alarm. As for the theories of interference by alien beings, it is my firm opinion that we on Earth are the only intelligent, technically advanced civilization present in the universe. CUT TOOUTSIDE THE PENTAGONAn enormous round spaceship the size of Pittsburg hoversoverhead. CUT BACK TOTHE MEETING ROOM DOCTOR ... and whatever is causing these mutations is not from outer space. it's more likely just an isolated biological pheno ... pheno ... ph ... ph ... ph ...Suddenly the DOCTOR'S head starts to jerk from side to side.Everyone looks on, not knowing how to react. As the DOCTORbegins to move in short bursts, like a broken robot, hefixes his gaze upon the pretty secretary across the table. CUT TOOUTSIDE THE PENTAGONFrom the bottom of the huge spacecraft, a metal tube emerges andstarts to drill through the roof of the Pentagon. CUT BACK TOTHE MEETING ROOMThe DOCTOR starts to shake violently as he stares at the prettysecretary. DOCTOR Pretty ... pretty ... p ... p ...Suddenly he lunges at her, sliding across the table.As the DOCTOR struggles with the terrified girl, the camerapans up to the ceiling, where the metal tube from the spaceshipdrills through. Descending upon them, it sucks them up instantly. DOCTOR Aaarrgghh! SECRETARY Eeeeeek! CUT TOINSIDE THE SPACECRAFT - CONTROL ROOMA metallic robot holding a clipboard, is standing in front ofa large glass receiving jar, as DOCTOR ANRAK comes throughthe tube and lands in the jar. As soon as the DOCTOR'S feethit the bottom of the jar, the DOCTOR breaks into a lot ofsmall metallic parts. ROBOT (Mechanical voice) Oh, nice job. How am I supposed to fix this guy? He's fucked.ZEKE and EDSEL, two alien space-pilots, are standing nearby,at the control console. They look like big furry orange headson stilts, with arms coming out of the sider. ZEKE (to Edsel) I guess we turned it up a little too high. EDSEL (to Robot) Sorry, man. ROBOT You're sorry? What about me? I've gotta put this asshole back together.Suddenly the pretty secretary comes through the tube and landsin the jar. She's a little mussed up, but okay. GLORIA (gasp) Where am I? ROBOT (staring) Hey, who's the chick? GLORIA Well look at my clothes! Who's gonna pay for the dry cleaning? And where am I? I demand that you return me to my office immediately. ROBOT Too late - molecular instability zone around spacecraft. You cannot leave. GLORIA (to Zeke) What?! Is he kidding? ZEKE Uh ...He looks at the ROBOT, who winks at him. ZEKE ... oh yeah. Instability zone. You're stuck here.ZEKE and EDSEL try to keep straight faces. GLORIA (stunned) But I have to be at my parents for dinner tonight. And my gynecologist appointment is on Wednesday. ROBOT Not anymore. Would you, ah, like a drink? (leading her away) You'll feel better after a glass of fresh blo-aak.They disappear down a corridor. GLORIA (V.O.) Do you have any diet soda? CUT TOCONTROL CONSOLE EDSEL (to Zeke) Ah, typical robot. The first Earth-chick we see in ten years, and he's gotta make a play for her.EDSEL jams the gearshift into 'D' for Drive, and the shiplifts away from Earth. ZEKE Hey, do we have any of that Plutonian Nyborg left? EDSEL Uh, yeah. Just one bag. Uh, it's in the transmitter compartment. ZEKE Uh, thanks man.ZEKE opens a hatch and pulls out a double-spouted plasticbag on wheels the size of a steamer-trunk. It is full ofwhite powder.He pours two fifteen-foot lines of powder onto the floor.Then, he pauses. ZEKE (surveying the lines) Oh great. Think this is enough? EDSEL (thinking) Uhh ... nah. Go for broke. ZEKE Good thinking, man.As he resumes pouring, ZEKE begins singing to himself in analien tongue. When the lines are poured, they both stand atthe start of the trail of white powder, and part their hairto reveal nostrils hidden in their foreheads. ZEKE & EDSEL Nose dive!They both start to criss-cross the room, inhaling the whitepowder like vaccuum cleaners. As they happily snort theNyborg, the camera pans back to the glass receiving jar, andmoves down through the broken pieces of DOCTOR ANRAK. Reachinghis lifeless face, the camera moves around to the back of thehead. Through the shattered metal we can see a green ball,glowing inside ANRAK'S skullpiece. DISSOLVE TOSPACE - ZEKE AND EDSEL'S P.O.V.As the round spaceship moves through space, a group ofasteroids approach and whip past. Up ahead, a red sunturns white and goes super-nova. EDSEL (V.O.) Oh, wow ... good Nyborg! CUT TOINSIDE THE SPACECRAFT - ROBOT'S BEDROOMGLORIA PEARLMAN and the ROBOT are lying in bed, naked.They have just finished making love. She is smoking a cigarette. GLORIA (glazed) That was incredible. I've never felt anything like it. ROBOT Oh great. I have been programmed to be fully proficient in sexual activities. Do you want to go steady? GLORIA Gee, I don't know. I already have a boyfriend. ROBOT Ah, what he does not know will not hurt him. CUT TOCONTROL CONSOLEZEKE and EDSEL are sitting at the controls, staring wide-eyedout into space. They are obviously stoned. Suddenly a bellrings and the communicator screen lights up. A serious officer'sface appears on it. OFFICER ON SCREEN Mothership calling starcruiser Alpha ... Mothership calling starcruiser Alpha ...ZEKE looks over at the screen and then shouts into it. ZEKE Whaddyawant, man? OFFICER ON SCREEN Mothership calling Starcruiser Alpha ... EDSEL (to Zeke) You gotta use the microphone. ZEKE Oh yeah. (shouts into microphone) Whaddyawant man? OFFICER Now listen, idiot. Do I have to tell you eight hundred times? You don't call me "man"! You call me "Com-Op Officer Blix". Now is that perfectly clear? ZEKE (into mike) Yeah, sure. Whaddyawant, man? OFFICER (disgruntled) You are to return immediately to the Mother Ship and pick up a humanoid civilian. Your orders are to escort him to the Interplanetary Tribunal Courtroom so that he can testify at the trial of Lincoln Sternn. And make it snappy!The screen goes blank. EDSEL Wow! They finally got Sternn. ZEKE It's about time. Hang on, man. Here we go.ZEKE jams the gearshift into hyper-drive. CUT TOSPACEThe round spaceship blasts forward at ten times the speedof light. DISSOLVE TOSPACE - LATERZEKE and EDSEL'S round spacecraft looks like an appleheading toward a freight train as it approaches theenormous mother-ship. CUT TOINSIDE SPACECRAFT - CONTROL CONSOLEAn ashtray full of roaches sits on the console. ZEKE isat the controls with a joint in his mouth. He is swayingback and forth, eyes glazed. Beside him, EDSEL watchesthe mothership getting closer. EDSEL (to Zeke) You okay to land this thing? ZEKE No problem, man. CUT TOMOTHERSHIP'S LANDING AREAHuge red arrows point the way through the ten-mile widelanding area as the round spaceship glides in. EDSEL (V.O.) I think you're goin' a little high, man. ZEKE (V.O.) It's okay, man. If there's one thing I know, it's how to drive when I'm stoned. It's like, you know your perspective's fucked, so you just gotta let your hands work the controls as if you're straight.The round ship rams directly into a wall, and crashes down,skidding to a stop in front of the loading bay. EDSEL (V.O.) Oh, wow, good landing, man. ZEKE (V.O.) Thanks. CUT TOINSIDE SPACECRAFT - ENTRANCE HATCHZEKE and EDSEL press a button to open the hatch doors.As the door opens we see two metallic Regolian guardswaiting on the other side. Between them stands a small,shabbily-dressed humanoid with a crooked jaw andcauliflower ears. This is HANOVER FISTE. REGOLIAN GUARD (to Zeke and Edsel) This man is to be delivered to the, clik, Interplanetary Tribunal, Courtroom #3, clik, Galaxy versus Lincoln Sternn. Thenk yew. Clik.The guards wheel away. FISTE (meekly) Ah, hello. CUT TOCORRIDOR IN SPACESHIPZEKE and EDSEL escort FISTE down the corridor. EDSEL (to Fiste) Umm, you're gonna testify at Sternn's trial?FISTE nods. ZEKE They gotta give him at least, like, life. FISTE Lincoln Sternn is a kind and honourable man. (camera pulls close to Fiste's face) He will be freed. CUT TOSPACE - LATERAs the round spaceship journeys through space it passes througha fantastic space-scape of disembodied rock statues, and pasta magnificent graffiti-covered robot chained to an asteroid. EDSEL (V.O.) Y'know, I wish they'd clean this place up, man. ZEKE (V.O.) Yeah. It's like pig city out here. EDSEL (V.O.) Yeah. CUT TOROBOT'S BEDROOMGLORIA is getting dressed as the ROBOT re-charges his energy-paks. ROBOT ... but I don't understand. We laugh together. We care for each other. We have highly proficient sex. Why can't we get married? GLORIA Look, we're different, okay? Let's leave it at that. CUT TOCONTROL ROOMThe hatch opens, and GLORIA and the ROBOT walk through,still talking. GLORIA ... but mixed marriages just don't work. What if you get tired of me and run off with a vibrator or something?As they move through the room, and out the other side, theypass FISTE, who is sitting quietly near the receiving jar,hands folded. Looking around, FISTE notices a green glowcoming from the bottom of the jar. He gets up, quietly opensthe jar, and pokes through the scrap robot parts.Finding the small green ball in ANRAK'S head, he pulls itout and looks at it. CUT TOCONTROL CONSOLEZEKE and EDSEL are sitting at the controls, driving carefully.FISTE, carrying the green ball, comes up and sits down besidethem. ZEKE There it is, man. I'm gonna hang a louie here. EDSEL (to Fiste) Yeah, well it won't be long now. Are you sure you're gonna testify for Sternn.FISTE says nothing. He just clutches the green ball and staresinto space.ZEKE and EDSEL look at each other and shrug. CUT TOOUTSIDE THE SPACESHIPAn enormous, brightly-lit, multi-level space station/courthousefloats into view, completely filling the screen. ZEKE andEDSEL'S round spaceship is just a speck as it enters the frame,approaching the mammoth structure. CUT TOSPACE-STATION LANDING DOCKThe ship locks into the dock, and the exit hatch opens.GLORIA and the ROBOT come through first, ahead of ZEKE, EDSEL,and FISTE. GLORIA ... alright, alright. I'll marry you - but on one condition ... I want a Jewish wedding. ROBOT A Jewish wedding!?!!! But this is space. 95% of the population are robots. GLORIA Well, find me a robot-rabbi! ROBOT Okay, okay! EDSEL I give them six months, man. ZEKE He doesn't even look Jewish!GLORIA and the ROBOT disappear around a corner as ZEKE and EDSELescort FISTE through the hatch. FISTE is carrying the smallgreen ball.As they lead FISTE away, the camera pulls back, out througha space-port, and moves along the outside of the slowlyrotating space-station. At the top, the camera zooms downthrough a massive glass-domed ceiling and into a hugeinter-galactic courtroom.Voices echo below us. PROSECUTOR Are you Captain Lincoln F. Sternn? STERNN I am.As we move down, we see square-jawed CAPTAIN STERNN, hisshifty-eyed lawyer, and the cold Prosecutor all standingbefore the Judge.STERNN is smirking confidently as the Prosecutor reads froma long page of charges. PROSECUTOR Lincoln Sternn - you stand here accused of twelve counts of murder in the first degree ... fourteen counts of armed theft of Federation property ... CUT TOTHE GALLERYThe hostile humanoid and alien faces all stare at STERNN withhateful, accusing eyes. PROSECUTOR (V.O.) ... twenty-two counts of piracy in high space ... eighteen counts of fraud ... CUT TOSTERNN'S LAWYERMopping his brow, he looks nervously over to STERNN. PROSECUTOR (V.O.) ... thirty-seven counts of rape, and one moving violation. How do you plead? CUT TOCAPTAIN STERNNSmiling to himself, he nods, then gets serious. STERNN Not guilty! LAWYER (whispers to Sternn) Not guilty?!? Are you nuts?!? STERNN (whispers to lawyer) It's okay, Charlie. I got an angle. JUDGE (to Prosecutor) Call the first witness!STERNN and his lawyer move to their seats. LAWYER (to Sternn) But the Prosecutor's gotcha cold! Yer as guilty as a cat in a goldfish bowl. CUT TOTHE COURTROOM DOORSZEKE and EDSEL enter with FISTE, and push their way to thefront. PROSECUTOR The Prosecution calls Hanover Fiste. GUARD #1 Calling Hanover Fiste! GUARD #2 Calling Hanover Fiste! GUARD #3 Calling Hanover Fiste! GUARD #4 Hanover Fiste!ZEKE and EDSEL sit down, while HANOVER FISTE, small andshabby, walks up to the witness stand, nervously clutchingthe small green ball in his hand. As he passes, STERNN andhis lawyer continue to argue. LAWYER (pleading) Lissen Sternn ... change the plea to guilty. Throw yerself on the mercy of the court. STERNN I told you, Charlie. I got an angle.HANOVER FISTE is sworn in, as Sternn's lawyer begs. LAWYER But the most we can hope for is to get ya buried in secrecy so yer grave don't get violated! Plead guilty! STERNN Shut up, Charlie. I got an angle. LAWYER What angle? STERNN (pointing to Fiste) Him! CUT TOWITNESS STAND PROSECUTOR State your name for the record. FISTE (fidgeting nervously with the green ball) I am Hanover Fiste. CUT TOSTERNN STERNN (winking to lawyer) I promised him thirty-five thousand zuleks to testify on my behalf. CUT BACK TOWITNESS STAND PROSECUTOR You know the defendant, (pointing) Captain Sternn? FISTE Yes, I know Captain Sternn. And never did there live a kinder, more generous man. He is an overflowing cup, filled with the very cream of human goodness ... CUT TOSTERNN AND HIS LAWYER STERNN (to lawyer) See? CUT BACK TOWITNESS STAND FISTE ... in all the time I've known him, he's never done anything immoral ... (thinking) unless maybe the Pre-Schooler's Prostitute ring ... CUT TOSTERNN AND HIS LAWYERThey look at each other, shocked. STERNN & LAWYER Huh?!? CUT BACK TOWITNESS STAND FISTE (speaking gently) ... and he's ah, never done anything illegal ... (turning sharply) ... unless you count all the times he sold dope disguised as a nun!! (reverting to meekness) He's always been a good, law-abiding citizen ... (shouting at himself) Awww, gimme a break!! (gentle again) ... of the Federation, and, and ... (going schizo) Shut Up! Shut Up! Shut Up! (gentle, but starting to sweat) ... a community-concious individual, ah, ah ... (rising in crazed anger) STERNN!!! (pointing as he screams) He's nothin' but a low-down, double-dealin', back-stabbin', larcenous, perverted worm!!STERNN and his lawyer look on, horrified, as FISTE'S bodystarts to grow. FISTE Hangin's too good for him!!New muscles tear through FISTE'S shabby clothes. FISTE Burnin's too good for him!!Growing larger, he starts foaming at the mouth. STERNN Hanover ... FISTE He should be torn into little bitsy pieces and buried alive!!!FISTE rams his hands down onto the Witness Stand, shatteringit completely. STERNN Hanover ... FISTE I'll kill him!He hurls the Prosecutor aside, and moves towards STERNN withthundering footsteps. FISTE KII - ILLL!!!Still growing, he rips apart the Judge's bench as he passesit. Finally he stands towering in rage over the terrifiedSTERNN. STERNN (to Fiste) H-h-hey, Hanover ... n-now take it easy, Hanover, I'm sure we can talk this ov ...Instinctively, STERNN leaps back as FISTE'S giant hands comesmashing down in the spot where STERNN stood. The galleryscatters screaming as STERNN runs for the door. Slavering,FISTE thunders after him. STERNN runs through the exit,bolting the door behind him. FISTE follows, tearing thedoor apart, and bringing the entire courtroom wall down inthe process. CUT TOSTERNNRunning down a hallway, STERNN passes a group of Regoliancops, who raise their weapons in an attempt to block therampaging FISTE. REGOLIAN #1 Halt, clik, in the name of the Federation, clik. Where is your corridor pass? (to other Regolians) Unco-operative humanoid, clik, blast him.They open fire, but FISTE is unstoppable. Still growing,he grabs the Regolians's weapons, crunches them up and eatsthem. REGOLIAN #1 You are now in violation of Code 103-N-17, clik, paragraph A-64 ... unauthorized consumption of Federation property. Please come quietly, clik, ... thenk yew.With a single clap of his enormous hands, FISTE crushes theRegolian's metal skulls together into an accordian the thicknessof a dime. CUT TOSTERNNHe races through a metallic hallway, and ducks into a boilerroom, then down a long dark tunnel. At the end of the tunnel,STERNN comes to a dead-end, and stops to rest. STERNN Oh, this looks good. FISTE (growls) STERNN Oh, duck under here ... FISTE I'll get you!! STERNN I think I'll turn here! (runs, gasping) Come on feet, don't fail me now! FISTE Sternn!!! STERNN Uh oh ... (runs) Ah, gasp, ah whew, lost him! FISTE STERNN!! STERNN Okay, Hanover, you've had this coming!Taking a deep breath, STERNN reaches into his pocket, pullsout a wad of bills, and counts them out as he hands them toFISTE. STERNN Let's see, thirty-three, thirty- four, thirty-five thousand zuleks. Thanks Hanover. FISTE (taking money) S'nothin, boss.Counting his money, FISTE starts shrinking back to hisnormal size. STERNN And Hanover ... FISTE Yes? STERNN Goodbye.STERNN pulls a lever, which opens up the floor below FISTE,who screams, falling out into space. As FISTE slides out,STERNN grabs the money from FISTE'S hand and smiles. CUT TOTHE OUTLANDSAll is quiet across this vast expanse of rusted pipes andbarren desert. The silence is broken by a whistling sound whichgets louder and louder. Then, thud!A green ball lands in the dirt in front of us. Fluttering downaround it are HANOVER FISTE'S tattered clothes. Then theburnt ashes of Hanover's body land in a small pile beside hisclothes. Panning up we see TAARNA flying on her bird in thedistance. CUT TOTAARNAShe swoops down and flies through a maze of rusting pipes andcables which look like the ramnants of an ancient power station.Then she steers her bird through a hidden opening in the rottingfloor, and enters a magnificent secret hideaway cut deep intothe rock. CUT TOINSIDE TAARNA'S HIDEAWAYLanding her bird on a circular slab of gleaming marble, TAARNAdismounts and walks over to a shimmering pool. Here she disrobes,and picking up a small gold pitcher, she pours an ancient oilover herself. It shines and sparkles as it touches her skin.Then she steps into the water, where her body seems to sparkleeven brighter.Finishing her sacred bath, she steps out and walks to a stonewall. When she touches it, a rock panel slides away to reveala gold chest. TAARNA opens it.Inside the chest lies a glistening set of armoured garments,so bright that TAARNA must shield her eyes for a moment. Then,as she looks down at the armour, the voice of TAARAK THEDEFENDER comes into her head. TAARAK (V.O.) To defend - this is the Pact. but when life loses its value, and it taken for nought, then the Pact is ... to avenge!!Through a series of dissolves we see TAARNA'S hands sensuouslyfitting the various metallic pieces over her firm body. Finallywe pull back to see her fully.Standing before us, glistening in the torch-light, she looksmagnificent. Reaching once more into the chest, TAARNA pullsout a golden sword. As she holds it, it seems to vibrate,almost buzzing in her hands. Suddenly she swings it, slicingcleanly through one of the stone torches on the rock wall. Asthe burning torch falls to the ground, TAARNA leaves. CUT TOTHE SKYFrom over our heads, TAARNA comes soaring past, her armourgleaming in the rays of the setting sun. Below her, shesees a metallic holiday-town filled with barbarian soldiers.Drunken blue men fight in the streets, strange animals runaround loose, and dead or drunken bodies lie in the gutters.Looking down, amidst the melee, she sees three winged creaturestied up in front of a bar. The camera zooms in on one of thecreature's saddlebags. It has a silver medallion set into theleather, identical to the one which TAARNA pried from theElder's fingers. CUT TOINSIDE THE BARROOMBarbarian honky-tonk music fills the crowded room, asvarious barbarian soldiers sit drinking and fondling thebar-girls who are dressed in cheap, flashy metal outfits.Three of the blue barbarians are particularly drunk androwdy as they push a non-barbarian down, dump a drink on hishead, laugh and kick him. CUT TOTHE BARROOM DOORTAARNA walks in through the swinging silver and plexiglassdoors, past the three soldiers kicking their victim. She sitsdown at the bar.The three brutish blue soldiers finish stomping the man andwalk over to the bar, crowding close around TAARNA. BARBARIAN #1 Hey, look. A new one. (to Taarna) Where you from, baby?TAARNA ignores him. BARBARIAN #2 Doesn't talk much, does she ? BARBARIAN #3 She doesn't have to talk for what I want to do with her. CUT TOTAARNA'S HANDIt slowly moves down to her sword, and unclips the safety strap. CUT BACK TOTHE BARBARIANS BARBARIAN #3 (running his hand across her breastplate) C'mon baby, let's see what's under there. BARBARIAN #1 (starting to undo her breastplate) Yeah, let's have a look.Taarna slowly stands up, pushing their hands away, and takesa step back. BARBARIAN #2 Heey, she's tough. BARBARIAN #3 Maybe she wants to fight?They all laugh. BARBARIAN #1 ... or maybe she wants to take us all on?Still laughing, they move towards her.In a blinding flash, TAARNA draws her golden sword, and wieldingit like a Samurai master, slices off all three of their heads.In an instant, the sword is back in its sheath.The barbarian's heads stop laughing as they fall to the ground.The music stops, and everyone in the bar stares at TAARNA.Stepping over the bodies, TAARNA walks up to the bartender,pulls out the parchment picture of the glowing mountains, andshows it to him. The bartender looks at it carefully, thenpoints out the window. BARTENDER Beyond the oasis.TAARNA nods and leaves. CUT BACK TOTHE BARTENDERHis eyes start to turn green. The camera gets closer andcloser to his glowing eyes, until the green glow turns intothe image of a ball, lying in the ground, in AUSTIN'S holograph. CUT TOAUSTINAUSTIN is crouched over the machine turning several knobs,trying to make the ball move. Nothing happens. AUSTIN (to himself) Hmmm ... must be jammed.Frustrated, AUSTIN picks up a flashlight, opens up a compartmentunderneath the control knobs, and takes a look inside. WhileAUSTIN fiddles inside the machine, we see two hands appear onthe holograph screen and pick up the green ball. AUSTIN looksover to the holograph and notices. AUSTIN Where'd it go? CUT TOTHE HANDSAs the hands cradle the green ball, the camera pulls backto reveal a skinny, unco-ordinated boy wearing thick eyeglasses,carrying the sphere across his backyard. This is DAN. DAN (V.O.) It all started when I found the green meteorite. I read in Farraday's "Life of the Planets" that smaller ones like this are supposed to burn up when they enter the atmosphere, but for some reason this one didn't ...DAN carries the ball into a typical small-town house. DISSOLVE TOT.V. ANTENNA ON ROOF - STORMY NIGHTAs the narration continues, we follow two red wires downfrom the T.V. antenna, along the roof, and into DAN'S atticwindow. The wires run through a bucket of water and are hookedup to some electronic parts on DAN'S desk. DAN (V.O.) ... so I brought it up to my room, stuck it in my rock collection and forgot about it. I was experimenting with natural electricity ...The camera pans around the room to show various displays ofDAN'S scientific tinkering - blue-ribbon science projects,transparent models of a man and a woman showing all internalorgans, and many books.In the corner, the green ball sits in DAN'S rock collection.At his desk, DAN impatiently shuffles through the dusty pagesof an old scientific journal. DAN (V.O.) ... and with the storm warnings up, I figured maybe tonight I'd hit the jackpot. All I needed was a little juice.He looks out the window at the gathering storm. CUT TOTHE STORMCrackling from the sky, a bolt of lightning strikes thetelevision antenna and surges along the wires into the attic. CUT TODAN'S ATTIC ROOMThe lightning flashes into DAN'S apparatus, lighting it upbrightly. DAN It works!Suddenly, an electric arc jumps from the bucket of waterand crosses the room to join with thw ball on his shelf.Caught in the middle, DAN begins to glow green. DAN (looking at his green arms) Oh Jesus!The electrical field opens up a shimmering gateway into anotheruniverse and DAN de-materializes. CUT TOTHE TRANSFORMATIONWe float in darkness for a moment as black shapeless imageszoom past. DAN (V.O.) I felt like I was nothing - just atoms floating in the darkness ...Then, tiny beams of light join to form a glow in the cornerof the screen. The glow gets brighter and starts moving slowlyaround the screen. Now, we can make out some of the imageswhipping past - a half-formed hand, pages of a book, a crumblingpyramid, a green ball. DAN (V.O.) Then, a body started to re-form around me. Only it wasn't my body - this one had muscles.Sturdy muscular parts begin to materialize around the movinglight. They join up with each other to form a powerfully builthuman figure.Finally a man's face takes shape, and as it forms, eveythinggets brighter and clearer. DAN (V.O.) It was a great body, but I wasn't too crazy about the face.The powerful figure, DEN, turns slowly as he floats and beginsto look at his hands and arms. Moving his mouth, he speaks ina new voice - deep and powerful. DEN (feeling head) Hmmm ... no hair.Suddenly, the background explodes into fields of radiant coloursas the body accelerates away from us and passes through a secondshimmering gateway. CUT TOTHE NEVERWHERE PYRAMIDDEN, strong, masculine and hairless, materializes cradled inthe hand of a huge stone idol. He is naked and unconsciousAbove him, the glowing green ball is held in the idol's otherhand.The camera pulls back to show that the idol is standing on thedeck, stop a huge, truncated pyramid. The deck forms a walkwayaround a swirling pool of green water.Kneeling all around the seething pool, are lizard-men, wearingpriest's robes. Two of them stand beside a glass coffin. Insidethe coffin, lies a naked girl, bound and gagged. PRIESTS (chanting softly) Uluhtec, Ulutec ...Directly in fron of the idol, a regal-looking QUEEN, wearinga revealing velvet cloak, is praying to the raging water. QUEEN By the powers of the glowing Loc-Nar placed in your idol's hand, I demand you come forth, Uluhtec!The waters of the sacrifical pool rage more violently anda low rumble is heard far below. CUT TOTHE IDOL'S HANDSThe green ball, (Loc-Nar), glows brightly as DEN opens his eyes,looks down and notices his enormous genitals. DEN Hmmm ... big!Seeing an animal-skin hanging from the idol, he rips off apiece and wraps it around himself. DAN (V.O.) There was no way I was gonna walk around this place with my dork hangin' out!Suitably covered, he surveys the ritual taking place below him. DAN (V.O.) Wow! This looked like something right out of the Ten Commandments. CUT TOEDGE OF RAGING POOLThe QUEEN is kneeling before the seething water. QUEEN Grant me your strength in return for a living mortal sacrifice! It has been ordained. Come forth Uluhtec! I demand it!Two lizard priests remove the terrified girl from the glasscase and hold her out over the swirling water. The QUEENnods and the two priests drop her in. CUT TOTHE IDOL'S WATERSeeing the girl struggle in the water, DEN'S eyes grow wide. DAN (V.O.) What'd they do that for?He stands and dives into the raging pool, swimming powerfullytowards the drowning girl. CUT TOUNDER WATERReaching her, DEN grabs the girl's bound ankles, hooks themover his head and drags her through a decayed hole in theunderwater wall. Inside a stone tunnel, they are swept alongby the current. DAN (V.O.) Normally, I'd be dead by now. I kept thinking I was going to run out of air, but my new body worked great. I just hoped her body was working as good as mine. CUT TOEXT. FIELD OF LILIES - DAYDEN and the girl are washed out into a pond at the center ofa beautiful field of lilies. He pulls her out of the water,unconscious. As he unties her, she begins to stir. GIRL Thank you.She takes DEN'S hand and lies back in the flower, herbeautiful breasts exposed in the sunlight. DAN (V.O.) She had the most beautiful eyes. I wanted to make some conversation but I found my new self asking the same old stupid questions. DEN Are you from around here? GIRL Well, you may not believe this, but I'm from another world - from a place called Earth. DEN Earth? I too am from Earth. How did you get here? GIRL My name is Katherine Wells, and I'm from the British colony of Gibraltar. Time makes no diff- erence here, but there it was the summer of 1892. It was evening - I'd gone for a walk on the cliffs when suddenly a sphere fell from the sky. Following its glow, I came to a shining gate made out of light. Unable to resist, I stepped through it and awoke in this world. There I was thin and weakly, fit only to stay indoors. (she stands up) But here, somehow I am stronger, more alive, (she stretches seductively) ... more fully a woman. DAN (V.O.) You're not kidding. DEN (standing) I, too seem better equipped on this world. (he holds out his arm) My arms are more powerful. (strecthes his fingers) Even my fingers seem to hold great strength.KATHERINE walks up close to DEN, takes his hand and touchesthe fingers to her breast. KATHERINE You saved my life. I have no reward to give you, but if any part of me pleases your senses - I would give it willingly.She circles her nipple with his baby finger. DAN (V.O.) Wow! This was great! There was no way I'd get a chick like this back on Earth. I mean, look at her!!Taking KATHERINE in his arms, DEN lays her down on a bed offlowers and begins to tenderly make love to her. DAN (V.O.) There was only one problem ...A spiked boot appears in the frame. The camera pans up toshow a large, ugly hairy beast-man standing over DEN andKATHERINE.The camera then pulls back to reveal the entwined couple,completely surrounded by a horde of grim, bestial warriors. DAN (V.O. I don't know who these jerks were, but they sure picked a bad time to show up ...The ugly beast-men grab DEN and KATHERINE as we; DISSOLVE TOARD'S THRONE ROOMThe beast-Captain keeps his machine gun trained on DEN asthe soldiers lead him into the cavernous room. DAN (V.O.) They split us up and took me to this weird castle-type place. I wanted to find out where they'd taken Katherine, but none of these guys seemed to speak English.In the middle of the room there is a round stone pedestalwith a throne carved into it. On the throne sits ARD, achild-like ruler with a sadistic glint in his eye. ARD They tell me you are Den of Earth, the one who dared to steal the female sacrifice from the Queen. DAN (V.O.) This guy was a shrimp so I figured I'd play it tough. DEN Where is the girl? ARD I am Ard - supreme leader of the revolution and the next ruler of the world. DEN (tougher) The girl!! ARD Well, aren't we fierce? If you are truly as tough as you seem, then you will serve me well. But first, a test. Guards! Castrate him! DAN (V.O.) Uh oh.Two bestial guards approach from behind, brandishing curvedshort-swords. DEN turns instinctively, dodges the first thrustand delivers a bone-shattering elbow to the beast's head,crushing his skull.Spinning with his own momentum, DEN throws a rock-hard fistinto the second guard's chest, snapping his rib-cage andsending him flying across the room.Without pausing, the bald muscleman grabs the nearby beast-Captain and lifts him into the air by his machine-gun. TheCaptain hangs on as DEN twists the gun, butts it into thecreature's groin and then drives the weapon through theCaptain's jaw.The creature crumples, leaving DEN with the gun. DAN (V.O.) Boy! I was pretty good at this stuff. ARD Excellent. You are worthy to serve me. DEN (aiming machine-gun at him) Give me the girl or die. ARD (taking it lightly) Well, if I have a choice, I'll take death. DEN So be it.DEN fires, spraying a row of bullets across ARD'S body. Thebullets blast big yellow holes in ARD'S chest, but there isno blood. ARD looks up and laughs. ARD Ha ha ha! You'll have to do better than that.As DEN looks on, ARD'S wounds miraculously close up and healthemselves over. DAN (V.O.) I could see why they made this guy their leader. ARD (standing up) ... but if you're really interested in the girl; I've had her encased in glass.ARD pulls the velvet covering off of a glass box to revealKATHERINE, unconscious, sealed inside. DEN She's dead. ARD Actually no. She's sleeping, but only I can awaken her. DEN What do you want of me? ARD I want you to steal the sacred Loc-Nar. DEN What is this Loc-Nar? ARD The Queen's glowing sphere, you fool. The sacrifice to Uluhtec can only be performed by the possessor of the sacret Loc-Nar. (calling out) Norl!NORL, a huge gorilla-man, in a purple cloak, steps forward. ARD (to Den) This is Norl, my bravest warrior. You will go with him to the Queen's castle and steal the Loc-Nar. Then I will give you the girl. DEN And if I refuse? ARD If you refuse, you die, she dies, everybody dies. DAN (V.O.) Sounded reasonable to me.DEN looks down at KATHERINE'S motionless body. DISSOLVE TORIVER BANKS NEAR THE QUEEN'S CASTLEIn the moonlight, DEN and NORL lead a squad of beast-warriors,armed with automatic weapons, along the river towards the Queen'scastle. NORL (to Den) Ssh. Guard post ahead. We must go underground.NORL lifts a rock to reveal an underground passageway. DAN (V.O.) This guy Norl seemed to know what he was doing. And, for a gorilla, his English wasn't half bad.DEN and the warriors enter the underground passage. CUT TOUNDERGROUND TUNNELThe group, carrying torches, moves along the dark tunnel. Theypass a bubble-window with shark-faced eels swimming on the otherside. NORL (to Den) We're underneath the castle moat.DEN nods. An ugly growl echoes through the tunnel up ahead.the warriors freeze and murmur to each other in their ownlanguages. DEN (to Norl) What are they saying? NORL They talk of the savage beast who prowls these catacombs with a fierce hunger and sharp teeth ... (gestures) six inches long.A dog-faced warrior shakes his head and says something to NORL. NORL Sorry ... (indicating) ... sixteen inches long.Suddenly, a savage beast appears and chomps his long, razor-sharpteeth into one of the warriors at the end of the line. DEN, NORL,and the remaining warriors run on through the tunnel as, behindthem, the monster pulls his victim apart. CUT TODOORWAY IN CATACOMBSDEN, NORL, and the remaining warriors arrive at a door in therock wall. NORL (to Den) Now we separate. You and Korg take this door into the Queen's quarters. The rest of us will move through the walls and enter her chamber from the other side. Whoever gets the Loc-Nar first will return it to Ard. Good luck, Den.DEN nods, puts out his torch and carefully opens the door asNORL moves off. CUT TODARK ROOMDEN and KORG silently enter. Across the dark room, theglow of the green ball casts a pale light. KORG (whispers and points) Loc-Nar. DAN (V.O.) Wow! It was just like the ball I dug up in my back yard.They tip-toe towards it. DAN (V.O.) As I saw the Loc-Nar's glow I had this real funny feeling. All by themselves, my hands reached forward to touch it. But the Loc-Nar moved out of the way. Instead, my hands felt something else - warm flesh. Then the lights came on.In the brightly lit room, DEN is standing before the beautifulsemi-clad QUEEN, and holding her firm, naked breasts in his hands.Looking around, he sees that he and KONG are surrounded by abrigade of the Queen's ugly guards, swords raised. DAN (V.O.) Talk about embarassing! QUEEN (smiling) Kill them.The Queen's guards attack with battle-axes, clubs and swords.As DEN knees one in the groin and swings his gun into another'sface, four of the guards surround KORG and club his brains out.But DEN, still going strong, throws two guards into the walland heaves a third out the window. As the QUEEN watches withglee, more guards rush into the room and DEN is finally over-powered and held down. The Captain of the guards places a longknife against Den's throat. CAPTAIN Can I slit his throat, your Majesty?The QUEEN, eyeing Den's magnificent body, sighs. QUEEN Yes, slit his throat. CAPTAIN Thank you, your Majesty.As the Captain presses his knife against Den's flesh, theQUEEN suddenly raises her hand. QUEEN (smiling) Stop! I have, ah, something better in mind.She takes Den's hand and leads him into an adjoining room, asthe guards grumble to one another. GUARD #1 Jeez, not again. GUARD #2 This always happens. CAPTAIN Look, she's the Queen. She can do whatever she wants. GUARD #2 Yeah, sure. GUARD #1 Sure. CUT TOTHE QUEEN'S BOUDOIRThe QUEEN stands before DEN, hands on her hips and a funny lookin her eye. QUEEN If you please me, I may let you live.She smiles, and approaches DEN. DAN (V.O.) Uh oh. DEN What must I do? QUEEN Satisfy my appetites.The QUEEN lets her cloak drop to the floor as she gets closer.She is naked underneath. DAN (V.O.) Wow! Eighteen years of nuthin' and now, twice in one day. What a place! QUEEN Come with me. DEN Mmmm.She steps forward and takes his hand, leading him towards thebed. DISSOLVE TOTHE QUEEN'S BEDDEN and the QUEEN are lying undressed on the enormous bed.The QUEEN has a very contented look on her face. DEN looksexhausted. As the Neverwhere moon rises outside the chamberwindow, the QUEEN slowly runs her hand over DEN'S bulgingmuscles. QUEEN (softly) The rising moon climaxes our love, Den. Is is a sign, a new beginning. DEN Yes, a sign. DAN (V.O.) I had no idea what she was talking about. QUEEN (stroking him) Neverwhere is a troubled land, but together we could calm it. We could rule side by side. Your strength has brought great peace to my restless body. It could bring great peace to all the troubled people of this land. DAN (V.O.) I knew I was good, but I didn't know I was that good.Suddenly the Captain and his guards burst through the door. CAPTAIN Your Majesty! The Loc-Nar is missing - stolen!The QUEEN jumps to her feet in a rage and points to DEN. QUEEN (screaming) Fiend! You make love to me while your accomplices steal the magic sphere! Guards! Take him!The guards grab DEN as the QUEEN snatches one of their bigspiked clubs. QUEEN (to guards) Hold him still! I will kill him myself! DAN (V.O.) Boy, was she pissed off!Heaving the guards aside, DEN breaks free and jumps out thechamber window. CUT TOTHE CASTLE WALLDEN falls down, down into the swirling waters of the castlemoat. (CUT TO)THE QUEENShe is livid. QUEEN Prepare the flying lizards. I want his head! CUT TOOUTSIDE THE CASTLEPulling himself out of the moat, DEN knocks a guard off hisleopard/horse and rides off. CUT TOTHE NEVERWHERE PYRAMIDARD is kneeling at the edge of the sacrificial pool. Besidehim sits a long glass case wrapped in chains. Through thechains we see KATHERINE trapped inside - fully conscious andterrified. Ard's bestial warriors stand all around carryingtorches and spears.Above them, the Loc-Nar sits glowing in the stone idol's hand. ARD By the power of the magic Loc-Nar placed in your idol's hands, I command you - come forth Uluhtec!The green water in the pool immediately begins to churnviolently and leap into the air. A bolt of lightningcrackles in the sky. CUT TOTHE NEVERWHERE DESERTDEN is racing across the barren desert on his leopard/horse.Visible in the distance is the outline of the huge, truncatedpyramid where he first saved KATHERINE.As he rides, he sees the green glow of the Loc-Nar, sparklingin the glass surfaces of the coffin in front of it. DEN (to himself) Katherine!He spurs his leopard/horse on into the night. CUT TOANOTHER PART OF THE NEVERWHERE DESERTThe QUEEN, riding a flying lizard, leads her army in pursuitof DEN. SOLDIER (pointing) There he is, your Majesty! CUT TOQUEEN'S P.O.V.Up ahead, silhouetted in the moonlight, she sees DEN, riding upthe steps of the pyramid. The camera pans to the green glowatop the torch-lit pyramid. QUEEN (V.O.) The Loc-Nar! CUT TOTHE QUEEN QUEEN (shouting to her men) Faster! To the pyramid!She whips her lizard harder. CUT TOTHE NEVERWHERE PYRAMIDARD is incanting to the raging water while two hooded monksstand beside him, holding the struggling KATHERINE out overthe pool. ARD Here is your sacrifice, Uluhtec. Now, give me your power! (to monks) Throw her in.Chanting the name "Uluhtec", the two monks start to throwthe girl in when suddenly a third monk leaps forward andgrabs her, kicking the other two monks into the water.The intruder's hood falls away and his bald head gleams in themoonlight. DEN Katherine! KATHERINE Den! ARD No! You'll ruin everything!ARD jumps up and runs toward the Loc-Nar, perched in the stoneidol's hand. Grabbing it, ARD holds the glowing ball above him. ARD (to his guards) Kill them! Kill them both!Suddenly, a hand leaps out of the darkness, gripping theLoc-Nar just above Ard's hand - it is the QUEEN. QUEEN The Loc-Nar is mine! ARD (struggling) Stupid bitch! Get away from me!As ARD and the QUEEN fight over the Loc-Nar, the Queen's troopspour in and battle with Ard's soldiers. Thunder roars overhead. CUT TODENHolding KATHERINE in one arm, DEN smashes a nearby soldier andgrabs the beast's spear. With the battle raging all aroundhim, DEN looks up at the sky. CUT TOTHE SKYLightning crackles, illuminating the night with electricity. CUT BACK TODENDEN reaches down, picks up the long chain that was wrapped aroundthe glass case and attaches one end to his spear. He kicks theother end into the raging water, then heaves the spearwith all his might into the head of the stone idol.In the same instant, a bolt of lightning fires down from the sky,striking the idol full force. The lightning bolt travels throughthe spear and down the chain, into the water. Suddenly, theelectrical energy arcs across to join with the Loc-Nar.Holding onto the Loc-Nar, ARD and the QUEEN begin to glow green,then de-materialize into a shimmering dimensional warp. Thetroops stop fighting and look on in amazement, until allthat remains is the glowing Loc-Nar, hanging in mid-air. KATHERINE (to Den) Where did they go? DEN They are gone. That is all that matters. DAN (V.O.) They probably went back to Earth. Boy, will Mom be surprised.Suddenly, the Loc-Nar falls to the ground at Den's feet. KATHERINE (looking down) The Loc-Nar ... you could have the power of Uluhtec. You could be ruler over all these people. DEN (looking over the throng) Forget it.In a single powerful leap, DEN, carrying KATHERINE, bounds uponto the Queen's flying lizard and they fly off. The amazed troopswatch for a moment, then shrug and resume fighting. CUT TODEN'S FLYING LIZARDKATHERINE clings to DEN as they fly. KATHERINE Oh, but Den, with the Loc-Nar you could have returned to Earth. DEN I like it better here.The lizard banks sharply away from us and carries them into thedistance. DAN (V.O.) On Earth, I'm nobody. But here, I am DEN. CUT TOTHE NEVERWHERE PYRAMIDThe camera pans down the stone statue to the glowing sphere,which lies abandoned on the ground. The soldiers are gone. Aswe watch, time begins to accelerate and the Neverwhere Pyramidages and crumbles all around the green ball. The earth heavesand shifts, and dense vegetarian grows up through the cracks inthe ground.A prehistoric man walks up and sees the glowing ball under a fern.Fascinated, he picks it up and looks at it, as the foot of aTyrannosaurus Rex comes down, crushing him.Time advances again as the dinosaur becomes a skeleton, anda Biblical tent-community grows up around the ball. In thefire-light, the Nomadic tribesmen are watering their animals,when one of the camels paws at the ground, uncovering the glowingball. Scared, the camel struggles and trys to break its ropes.Out of nowhere a Roman Legion attacks, slaughtering the tribesmen.Time accelerates again, and the conquering Romans build a temple,placing the green ball in the head of a golden idol. Then theRomans grow fat and debauched, while slave-girls feed them grapes.As the ball glows, the temple crashes down around the debauchedRomans, covering them and the green ball in rubble.Over the ruins of the temple, a succession of primitive mud andclay huts evolve into the thatched-roof cottages of a Medievalvillage.A Medieval stone-cutter finds the ball, and mortars it in withhis stones as he builds a water well in the centre of the village.Satisfied with his work, he lowers the bucket to draw himselfa drink. Behind him, an ox-cart comes roaring around a corner.The axle breaks and a heavy wooden wheel careens along, strikingthe stone-cutter in the back and knocking him into the well.Time advances once more as the Medieval village grows andtransforms into a Victorian-style town. It is evening, andthe stone well now sits under a gazebo at the centre of a gas-lit village green.A fancy carriage carrying a Victorian gentleman passes by andcircles the green.Moving in through a window across the street, we see a seductive-looking woman dressing herself in black garters and lace. Thisis intercut with the carriage circling the green, until thewoman, who looks like a high-class harlot, finishes dressing andleaves her room. Crossing the street, she walks up to the gazeboand leans provocatively up against the well.The gentleman gets out of his carriage, approaches the womanand propositions her. She smiles, touches, and teases him. Wepan down their legs to the green ball glowing in the well-wall.Suddenly red blood begins to drip over the ball, and the woman'sbody falls to the ground. The camera pans up to the well-bucket,where the gentleman is washing the blood from his hands.As time begins to move forward again, the man ages and hobblesaway, as the well crumbles and cheap turn-of-the-century row-housing grows up, covering the green ball. The town becomesdirtier and blacker, and smokestacks blow soot into the morningsky. Almost on cue, the doors of the houses open, and grimcoal-miners emerge, shuffling through the filthy streets ontheir way to work.The camera pans down to a drain in the gutter. A rat appears.Panning back up, the street is now empty. A bell is heardringing, and a horse-drawn Red Cross cart pulls around a cornerand into view. Masked workers follow the cart. One ringsthe bell, while the others pull corpses from the doorways andload them into the cart. The gutters and windowsills are nowfull of rats. Time advances again and the buildings becomedeserted derelicts. Their decaying timbers groan under theweight.A support snaps, and one of the buildings starts to collapse.Falling amidst the crumbling plaster and rotting wood is theglowing green ball. As the ball hits the ground, it is coveredover by rubble.The rubble becomes bleached by the hot sun and the landscapegrows drier. Sand blows all around, covering over everything.As the sandstorm clears, the entire terrain is nothing butdesert. In the distance we can see a group of people walking. CUT TOPEOPLEThe people appears to be a band of aboriginal workmen, carryingfuturistic laser-shovels over their shoulders. They are led bya goateed archaeologist with an elaborate metal detector. Ashe walks, his detector starts bleeping. He points to a spoton the ground, and the natives start digging with their laser-shovels.One of the workers finds something. WORKER Kuma! Kuma! Kuma!The archaeologist waves the workers away and directs a tread-driven shovel-sifter up to the spot. The shovel-sifter digsin and pulls up a large chunk of desert. When the sand hassifted out, we see the tarnished Loc-Nar in the machine's grip.It is not glowing. The machine swivels, and a native foremanplucks the Loc-Nar from the shovel-sifter's teeth.As the foreman touches it, the Loc-Nar starts glowing brightly.The foreman's hands turn green. He looks at his green hands,then he looks over to the archaeologist. Suddenly the foreman'sentire body glows green, and crumbles into dust.The archaeologist and the natives stare in horror at theglowing Loc-Nar, lying in the pile of green dust. DISSOLVE TONEW YORK - AERIAL SHOT - DAYThe camera comes down from high above the city. The generalshape and outline of New York looks familiar, but as we getcloser we sense that something is different. Fires areburning in various locations below us, and intermittentgunshots become audible as the narration begins. HARRY (V.O.) Yeah, New York, big deal. Scum-centre of the world.Moving down through the skyscrapers, the city gets dirtier andslummier. We pass a dead man hanging from a tenement clothesline.Below us, scruffy children dodge traffic as they play gyro-ballin the garbage-filled street. HARRY (V.O.) ... and now they're talking about letting in low-lifes from other planets, too.Under the narration, the camera turns a corner and zooms downthrough the roof of a parked taxicab. It stops full frame onthe newspaper held in the cabdriver's hands. A slow pan acrossthe front page reveals that the paper is the New York Times,July 6, 2031One headline reads: "400,000 Traffic Deaths Over Holiday Weekend".Another reads: "Venus Declared 73rd State".The camera stops on a headline reading: "Professor DiscoversAncient Relic --- to be shown in N.Y. Museum".There is an accompanying photo of the goateed archaeologist andhis beautiful daughter standing beside a glass and metal casecontaining the Loc-Nar.A knocking is heard on the cab's window, and the driver throwsdown the newspaper. YOUNG MAN (from outside) You free? HARRY Yeah. Get in. (V.O.) My name's Harry Canyon. I drive a cab.He flips a switch which unlocks the rear door. CUT TOOUTSIDE CABThe young man climbs into the back seat and closes the door.Harry's yellow Checker cab pulls out into traffic. Thevehicle looks pretty normal except for some vaguely futuristicchrome panels cut into the sides, and thicker, deeper bumpers. CUT TOINSIDE CABHarry slides open the plexiglass shields separating him fromhis passenger. HARRY Where to, pal? YOUNG MAN The U.N. Building. HARRY The U.N. Building. What a joke. Used to be a nice place until they turned it into low rent housing. Now it's a dump. I wouldn't live there if you paid me.He switches on the car radio. The music plays as Harry'scab passes various time-altered New York landmarks; a graffiti-covered Empire State Building - windows all boarded up, adecrepit Lincoln Centre, the marquis reading "Continuous LiveSex Show, Also Inter-Planetary Mud-Wrestling", new ultra-techbuildings crammed between half-destroyed Wall Street officebuildings, garbage everywhere.Inside the cab, the YOUNG MAN pulls a gun out of his jacket,sticks his arm through the opening in the plexi-glass shield,and holds the gun to Harry's head. YOUNG MAN Okay sucker, hand over your cash, now! HARRY (V.O.) This city is really going to the dogs.Harry's foot stretches forward and pushes a footswitch.A buzzing is heard, and the young man's body suddenlydematerializes. The gun which he held at Harry's headfalls to the seat beside HARRY, who picks it up and tosses itinto the glove compartment, beside all sorts of other futuristicguns and weapons. HARRY (V.O.) Stupid asshole. Nobody touches me unless I want 'em to.CUT TOEXT. METROPOLITIAN MUSEUM - NIGHTThe camera is close-up on the illustrated banner over the mainentrance. The banner reads; "Treasures of the Loc-Nar - ComingJuly 8th".We pan down to the museum doors, as a man's body comes crashingthrough the plate glass and sprawls forward, cut and bleeding.It is the goateed professor from the desert. His daughterruns out behind him, ripping her clothes on the broken glass.GIRLFather!PROFESSORRun!The girl takes off down the museum stairs as men with laserguns come out and start firing. A fat, evil-looking man (RUDNICK)bends down and grabs the professor's head, jerking it up.RUDNICK(to henchmen)He's dead. Get the girl!The girl, clothes torn, runs out into the street, just asHarry's cab comes cruising by. She runs alongside, poundingon the window.GIRL(to Harry)Help me, please!!A laser shot narrowly misses her and blasts Harry's side-mirror.HARRY flips the switch, unlocking the passenger door, and wavesher in.HARRY(V.O.)Normally my rule is "Don'tget involved", but somethingabout this dame got to me.She dives in the back and HARRY floors it. The cab screamsaway as Laser-shots land all around.GIRL(in shock, breathless)The Loc-Nar ... they wantedit ... but my father wouldn'ttell them ... now I'm the onlyone ...CUT TOHARRYHARRY(interupting)Relax sister. There's a copstation up here. You can ...HARRY looks at her in the rear-view mirror. The girl has fainted.HARRY(V.O.)Just what I needed ... guessI'm a sucker for a pretty face.CUT TOPOLICE STATIONThe police station is an all-metal building with no windows.A plaque on thr front reads "N.Y. POLICE - 52nd DIVISION".Harry's cab pulls up. He gets out, carries the unconsciousGIRL up to the front door, and pushes a buzzer.VOICE(over intercom)Police. Whaddya want?HARRYI wanna report a murder.VOICE(over intercom)So what else is new?HARRYYou gonna let me in or what?A buzzer sounds and the door slides open. HARRY carries theGIRL in and heads across the room toward the main desk. Ashe walks he passes cops using a strange metal detector/vaccuumcleaner to suck dangerous weapons from a pair of suspects. Pilesof weapons can be seen in the machine's transparent belly.COP #1Okay, this guy's clean - next.HARRY comes up to the front desk and starts to lay the girldown in a chair.DESK SERGEANT(to Harry)Before you go any further pal, Igotta tell you, it's cash up front. Athousand bucks a day for a full investigation.Another thousand if the assailant is caught.Got it?HARRYYeah thanks ...He picks up the girl and turns to leave.HARRY... for nuthin'!DESK SERGEANT(shouting after Harry)You think you can do better?Join one of the vigilante groups.There's a list of 'em outside.CUT TOEXT. POLICE STATIONHARRY, carrying the GIRL, comes out of the police station, asa patrol car screeches to a halt in front of him. Two copsemerge, dragging a green alien with four arms.GREEN ALIENI tell you I'm an American citizen.I just lost my papers.COP(to himself)Goddamn illegal aliens.HARRY heads toward his cab.HARRY(V.O.)So here I was, stuck with this beautifulgirl. I knew she was gonna be nuthin'but trouble ...He looks around at the sleazy neighbourhood. Every doorwayand alley seems to have a rapist or thug lurking.HARRY(V.O.)... but I didn't feel right justleaving her for the sickos. Idunno, maybe I'm gettin' sentimentalor something ...DISSOLVE TOINT. HARRY'S APARTMENTThis futuristic bachelor pad is constructed entirely of brightlycoloured molden plastic. Bowling trophies sit on a shelfunderneath a neon "Buweiser" clock. The place is a mess.HARRY carries the GIRL in, pushes the light button to "On",and lays her down on the sofa. As he takes off his jackethe looks down at the unconscious figure - her clothes tornin all the right places. She moans and starts to come to.GIRLWhere am I?HARRYMy place ...Walking over to a hi-tech plastic bar, HARRY pushes a buttonand a machine pours and mixes a drink. He hands the GIRL theglass. She sits up and drinks.GIRL(looking at Harry)They'd have killed me if itwasn't for you.HARRYWhat'd they want to snuff youfor?- - -[Page 99/120.]