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awakened him.

He is made up of odd patchwork items: burlap, a thick zipper,

big round gas-mask eyes (which we recognize as what we saw

before, in the title sequence).

We pull around to see the number "9" painted on his back.

We pull back further to see...

7.

SEQ. 020 - INT. RUINED WORKSHOP - EERIE, INDETERMINATE

DAYLIGHT:

...he is on the tabletop in the RUINS OF A SMALL ROOM.

Splintered BITS OF WALL jut up to the open sky. Rotted

FLOORBOARDS are BENT and WARPED. The room is full of years

of DUST and ROT. Dust hangs in the feeble rays of dirty

sunlight.

The table and floor are covered with the same kinds of scraps

and raw materials from which “9” is made: burlap, hinges,

bits of Machinery.

"9" blinks and turns around, his head darting this way and

that, trying to make sense of his surroundings.

He walks over to the edge of the tabletop. He peers over, and

sees...

...the SCIENTIST LYING DEAD ON THE FLOOR.

Slumped on the floor, we clearly see: the scientist’s

skeletal hand is clutching a tiny box.

He hears a clattering sound and turns to see

A loose window shutter. He goes over to the window.

He pushes opens the window to see-

SEQ. 020 - EXT. STREET - INDETERMINATE DAYLIGHT

...AN APOCALYPTIC WASTELAND.

Rusting machine carcasses, bombed-out ruins, and emptiness

stretch as far as he can see.

Terrible, life-ending destruction.

There is no other living being anywhere.

9 stares in disbelief and horror and fear. He can’t make any

sense of it... or the room... or the endless miles of

lifeless wasteland stretching out in front of him.

He seems to be completely alone.

9 sees a glint of something, a possible sign of life. He

moves to go outside.

8.

He stops and is strangely drawn to the TALISMAN. He turns

and takes it, stowing it inside his zippered chest before heheads out.

CUT TO:

...........................................................

SEQ. 029 - 9 Meets 2

SEQ. 029 - EXT. WASTELAND - DAY

9 moves warily in the dusty, grim light, along the desertedRUINS of the outside streets. It is the remains of war.

Pulverized HULKS of BUILDINGS, torn-open suitcases, scatteredclothes, rusting cars and the grim debris of humancivilization surround him.

He sees a dead body slouched next to a suitcase in the frontseat of a car.

Banners hang on the buildings with a three prong symbol onthem.

Machines lie deserted on the sides of roads.

Distracted by the spectacle, 9 stumbles and lands on a raggedold flyer: REVOLT! He looks back at the War Machines and

Dictator flags. He sees a vandalized poster of what appearsto be a dictator/leader.

9 looks around him, trying to piece together what happened.

Suddenly there is a clanking sound in front of him.

9 sees a light flicker on in the shattered hulk of a warMachine.

CLOSE on 9 as the light crosses his face.

Scared, he ducks behind a huge piece of debris. 9 grabs apiece of metal lying in front of him.

The shadow moves closer, 9 shakes nervously. The figureemerges with spear in hand and 9 swings the weapon at himwith all his might.

9 hits him square in the chest. It is another ragdoll: 2. 2is propelled backwards and falls to the ground on the debrisbehind him. 9 quickly tries to hide.

9.

But 2 is looking at 9 with surprise. He struggles to get up,

speaking with urgency to 9.

2

(firmly, kindly, almosteagerly; like trying tosoothe a wild animal)

Wait... I am a friend.

ALT:

2 (cont’d)

(gently)

Friend... I am a friend.

9 now sees he has hit a ragdoll, similar to himself. He

hesitates, not sure what to make of this. 2 extends his

hand, calmly, eagerly. 9 hesitates again, then, still timid,

but showing a little bravery, drops his weapon and goes tohelp 2 up.

We see that 2 is much older, much more decrepit, much moreprimitively constructed: he is made from patchwork bits ofOLD LEATHER SHOES. A SHOELACE stitches up his front and istied in a bow at his neck. Bits of leather FRAY off him.

His feet are primitive small HINGES. Half of a pair ofeyeglasses, like an enormous MONOCLE, is attached to 2's hat.

9 helps straighten 2’s monocle. 2 smiles at him. We see

that 2 is like a wise mentor, a kindly professor with acontagious eagerness and imaginativeness.

2 peers eagerly at 9. He circles 9 and spots the number onhis back.

2 (cont’d)

(eagerly, excited, like an

intrigued scholar)

Yes... yes... I always thought

there’d be one more.

He nods and smiles. He extends his hand to shake 9’s hand.

While doing this, he takes 9’s hand and studies it, noddingwith eager excitement. We see that 9’s hand is more

sophisticated than 2’s.

2 (cont’d)

The details... how exciting.

(fascinated)

Carved wood... steel bolts...

molded copper...

10.

2 turns slightly, and 9 sees his number and tries to say it.

But no sound comes out of his mouth.

2 looks at him, nodding, again, the kind mentor. He’s

interested, observing without judging; curious, kindly andready to help.

2 (cont’d)

You can’t speak.

With a friendly, disarming smile, he taps 9’s zipper. 9

unzips himself and 2 peers in. 2 looks up, happy that he canhelp.

2 (cont’d)

Yes, yes...

2 looks around nervously and hurries over to his roller-skatecart covered with detritus - odds and ends, a broken chinadoll.

2 (cont’d)

...come with me.

9 follows, looking around curiously.

2 finds the china doll.

2 (cont’d)

Here!

As 2 rummages through the chest of the china doll 9 picks upa bullet casing from 2's cart and starts tapping it. 2 turns

with the doll's voice box in his hand.

2 (cont’d)

(sees 9 with the bullet;

whispers sharply)

No! Stop!

2 eases the bullet away from 9, then smiles gently at 9,

explaining:

2 (cont’d)

(quietly)

Some things in this world are

better left where they lie.

He puts the bullet to one side and kneels, prying into 9'schest. 2 begins to connect the doll's voice box.

11.

2 (cont’d)

But if you know where to look,

these ruins are full of riches.

2 concentrates, a look of pleasure on his face as he twists afew more wires. Static and unclear sound come out at first,

but as 2 tunes the voice further...

9

(as his voice is “tunedin”.. starting with purestatic, then slowlymoving into a voice)

Chhhhhhh.....chhhhehhhh...

2

Wait..

(tunes him in)

...almost there...

9 gets a little panicky look on his face at the strangesounds coming out of him. 2 puts a calm hand on hisshoulder. 9 calms down and tries again.

9

Friend? Friend?

2

(beaming)

Friend.

9

(more and more normal

sounding)

Are we alone?

2

(reassuring)

No. There are others.

9 and 2 stare at each other. 9 looks at 2 in wonderment,

then reaches out and touches 2’s chest where he hit it.

2 beams at 9, happy 9 can speak, happy he was able to help,

and happy that 9, with his first words, is concerned aboutothers.

A glow beams from within 9's chest. 2 stares. 9 removes the

TALISMAN from his chest.

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