Alien Nation Page #14

JETSON:

We all did.

SYKES:

Where did he get it? Was there any

of it on the ship?

JETSON:

No... I am sure not. That is why I

am so concerned... someone must now

be producing it here.

(emphatically)

But none of my people know how to

make it. The process was carefully

guarded.

SYKES:

(as the enormity

sinks in)

Jesus, this is major.

(then)

Why didn't you tell me sooner?

Why'd you hold out on me?

JETSON:

Your people don't know about this

part of out past. And they can't

know -- It would threaten our entire

existence here.

The voltage runs out of Sykes. He seems to understand

Jetson's dilemma.

SYKES:

George... look me in the eye...

George, you don't ever lie to me

again.

JETSON:

I must trust you, Matthew. I cannot

stop this without you.

Sykes stare at Jetson... absorbing the enormity of the

earth-shattering secret this alien has asked him to keep.

CUT TO:

EXT. COUNTY MORGUE - NIGHT

Sykes and Jetson move quickly to the slug-mobile. Sykes

reaches for the driver's door handle with his punching

hand. He winces in pain... the son-of-a-b*tch still

hurts. He looks across at Jetson opening the passenger

door.

SYKES:

George? How about you drive...

Jetson looks over at him... gently reacting to this vote

of confidence. They walk quickly around to the opposite

doors, climb in.

INT. CORRIDOR - BUREAU OF NEWCOMER AFFAIRS - NIGHT

Sykes and Jetson move down this government-building

corridor.

SYKES:

There's gotta be some other

connection.

They enter a door marked BUREAU OF NEWCOMER AFFAIRS.

INT. BUREAU OF NEWCOMER AFFAIRS - NIGHT

HIGH SHOT showing the maze of partitioned cubicles filling

this huge room. It's all but deserted. Sykes and Jetson

are off to one side with a heavyset woman (human) COMPUTER

OPERATOR, who they're shanghaied into helping them after

hours.

CLOSER - AT COMPUTER OPERATOR'S DESK

She sits at her computer terminal. Sykes and Jetson stand

behind her as she types in commands and information.

She types:
Hubley, Warren. The computer screen flashes

past various information, then settles on a screen full of

information of HUBLEY, WARREN.

OPERATOR:

Here's Hubley.

(scanning it)

Left Quarantine on November

thirtieth, relocated first to

Riverside, then moved to Los Angeles

early in February the following

year. Field of expertise: chemical

manufacturing. Looks like he passed

up several other better paying jobs

waiting for that one at the

refinery.

SYKES:

Try Joshua Strader, will ya,

darlin'?

OPERATOR:

For you, anything.

The Operator punches up STRADER, JOSHUA. The screen fills

with information.

OPERATOR:

(continuing, reading

from screen)

Released on November twenty-ninth.

Came immediately to L.A. Ten weeks

after arriving he took over the

abandoned club which is now

Encounters.

JETSON:

(to Operator)

Now the store owner, please. Cecil

Porter.

She types it in.

OPERATOR:

Released December one. He and his

wife moved first to Modesto, then

Coalinga, California -- wherever

that is -- settled in L.A. in

April. Field of expertise:

organic chemical engineering. He

and his wife have one child, a son.

SYKES:

Yeah -- we met him. Wonderful

boy... close personal friend of

George's here.

OPERATOR:

I'm sorry, Matt. Nothing here seems

to be matching up...

But Sykes wasn't listening. He's starting off... an idea

forming. He stands there a moment, considering it, his

face looking like he's chewing something sour. It's so

off-the-wall it takes a moment for him to assimilate it.

Then--

SYKES:

Holy sh*t...

(to Jetson)

Look what we're staring at: three

Newcomers with nothing in common,

right? What if it's just one other

guy who killed these three?

(Jetson looks at him

blankly)

Three and one make four. Four

Newcomers... of totally different

backgrounds...

(Jetson still doesn't

get it)

You and the store owner's son --

that punker!

Suddenly the realization hits Jetson, too. He looks at

Sykes.

JETSON:

... Quarantine.

Sykes spins to the Operator, excited.

SYKES:

Can you dig up their Quarantine

records in this thing?

OPERATOR:

Sure. Just a minute.

She moves up a screen to the top of Porter's information.

OPERATOR:

(to herself)

Porter was in Lodge seven seven two.

She rapidly types in additional information. The screen

shifts as she jumps files. Finally she gets a line that

reads:
ENTER LODGE NUMBER: She types: 7-7-2.

Sykes and Jetson lean in as the screen goes blank... then

information flashes past as the computer searches... then,

finally:
Occupants, Quarantine Lodge 772: HUBLEY,

WARREN......... STRADER, JOSHUA.........

Sykes and Jetson react -- their hunch is coming true.

On the computer screen: .........PORTER, CECIL.........

Sykes and Jetson, their faces bathed in the green kick of

the screen, stare without blinking, waiting for that forth

name.

On the computer screen: .........HARCOURT, WILLIAM.

CLOSE ON - SYKES AND JETSON

reacting to the name.

CUT TO:

EXT. ENCOUNTERS - NIGHT

CLOSE on a limousine door as it opens and a tall figure

rises from the back seat. We TILT UP to reveal William

Harcourt.

We MOVE with him as he walks to the n.d. van (from the

beach scene) parked in front of the limousine. Kipling is

just sliding out of the passenger side of the cab. Quint

exits the driver door. Kipling slides open the van's side

panel, reaches in for--

-- a large black suitcase. He slides it out. Harcourt

nods. He and Kipling start into the club, followed by

Quint.

INT. ENCOUNTERS - NIGHT

The club is deserted tonight as Harcourt and entourage

move toward the back.

EXT. SECOND FLOOR CORRIDOR - NIGHT

Harcourt and the others move up the stairs to the second

floor. Cassandra, wearing a slinky dress, is at the top

of the stairs waiting for them. She's very uncomfortable

dealing with Harcourt. Kipling and Quint continue on

toward the office door. Harcourt pauses with Cassandra.

He touches her neckline of her dress, letting his fingers

linger against her flesh.

HARCOURT:

Quite lovely...

(best)

What is your name again?

CASSANDRA:

(flinching

involuntarily at

his touch)

Cassandra.

HARCOURT:

(a chilling smile)

I will have to remember that...

He continues down toward the office door. Cassandra

watches him go.

CUT TO:

INT. SLUG-MOBILE - MOVING - NIGHT

JETSON:

They had months in quarantine to

develop the plan. Porter, with his

chemistry background, must have

somehow come up with the formula for

the drug. Hubley manufactured it --

at the refinery. Strader, through

the nightclub, established a

distribution network. And

Harcourt--

SYKES:

Harcourt was the brain who brought

it all together.

EXT. REFINERY - ESTABLISHING SHOT - NIGHT

EXT. REFINERY - NIGHT

The slug-mobile skids to a stop at the loading dock

entrance. Sykes and Jetson climb out. They hop up onto

the loading platform and move purposefully into the well-

lit interior through the open door.

INT. REFINERY - NIGHT

It is Saturday night, the plant is barely operational --

only a few WORKERS around. Sykes and Jetson move

purposefully toward the back.

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