Arcade Page #11

ON THE SCREEN:

fractals are unfolding. It's mesmerizing.

ALEX:

Stop looking at it.

Nick shuts his eyes, pulling away from the screen. He shakes his head,

trying to clear his thoughts.

NICK:

Sh*t...it's like a trance or something...

(breathes)

Okay. I'm fine. Really.

It's at that moment that Nick and Alex hear the VOICES.

VIDEO SCREENS:

all around them flicker on, static-laced IMAGES fading in. They are the

faces of their friends...Greg, Laurie, and many others. All those that

have disappeared. The VOICES fade in and out, merging with one another,

tinged with the same mechanical edge of ARCADE's voice.

VOICES:

(eerie)

Nick...Alex...save us...

ALEX:

(horrified)

Oh God...

Nick grabs Alex and pulls her into the canter of the room.

NICK:

Put it out of your head, Alex. It's just

trying to psyche us out.

Despite Nick's words, we can tell that the VOICES are having a

disheartening effect on him.

THE ARCADE:

prototype stands in front of them now, and surprisingly, the machine is

not on. The eyes in the leering black face are quite dead.

Around Alex and Nick, the faces of their friends continue to fade in and

out, casting the whole room in a strange shimmering blue light.

Nick moves to the back of the machine and opens the access panel,

revealing the internal circuitry. He pulls a small penlight from his

pocket and flips it on.

ALEX:

What are you looking for?

NICK:

A way to hook this helmet into the game.

I'm sure there are interfaces...

NICK'S P.O.V.

And indeed there are. Parallel interfaces, where you might hook a printer

cable into a computer. Nick takes the cable from the CyberHelmet and

secures it into one of the interfaces.

NICK:

There. Now we're wired in.

He stands and moves around front, pressing the "START" button of the game.

Nothing happens.

He presses it again. Nothing.

ALEX:

Is the game plugged in?

Nick checks. It is.

NICK:

(frustrated)

I don't understand. It wants us to play

the game. It's been taunting us ...

ALEX:

Put in a quarter.

NICK:

It can turn itself on, Alex! It doesn't

need a quarter.

ALEX:

Yes it does. Don't you see? We have to

play by the rules. That's what it wants.

Nick rifles through his pockets. He doesn't have a quarter. Neither does

Alex.

NICK:

Change machine.

Nick moves over to the change machine and picks up a nearby chair. He

SMASHES the chair into the face of the machine again and again,

obliterating the lock. Nick opens the front of the machine and tears out

the coin box, spilling quarters all over the floor. He grabs a handful

and returns.

NICK:

There.

He shoves one in ARCADE's coin-slot and pulls on the CyberGloves.

ALEX:

Two players, Nick. You need to put in

another quarter.

Nick straps the goggles over his eyes.

NICK:

You're not coming, Alex.

ALEX:

Yes I am...

NICK:

(snapping)

I know how to do this! I'm good at these

games. You never play, you'd be nailed in

an instant.

ALEX:

And what if something happens to you? Am I

suppose to go in after you alone?!

NICK:

No. If you're smart, you run like hell.

Alex grabs a second quarter and shoves it in the coin slot.

ALEX:

I'm going.

Nick stares at her a moment, then nods tiredly. She reaches for the

second pair of CyberGloves and pulls them on.

NICK:

You don't get it, do you?

ALEX:

(strapping on goggles)

What?

NICK:

I don't want anything to happen to you. I

care about you.

ALEX:

I already have a boyfriend, Nick.

NICK:

I know.

(beat)

It sucks.

The two of them stand there a moment, looking at one another. After a

moment, Nick laughs tiredly.

NICK:

What can I say?

(pulls on the CyberHelmet)

Tough being a hero, isn't it?

Nick reaches out for the joy-stick and hits the "START" button.

NICK:

(grim)

Here goes nothing.

As before, the screen comes to life. Darkness and sparks. Then we hear

the BREATHING.

ARCADE'S FACE

spins into view, grinning at Alex and Nick.

ARCADE:

NICK. ALEX. I MISSED YOU SO MUCH. ALL

YOUR FRIENDS ARE HERE.

ALEX:

F***-you.

ARCADE:

ANY TIME.

ALEX:

We know what you are.

ARCADE:

A HEARTLESS MONSTER, OF COURSE.

(incredibly evil)

OH SAVE ME, ALEX, SAVE ME FROM MYSELF.

ARCADE laughs and it's not a sound you'd want to hear twice.

THE LIGHTBEAM:

clicks on, playing over their faces and analyzing their features.

ON SCREEN:

ARCADE'S face spins away and computer-generated versions of Alex and Nick

appear. As before, they are suited up in video game armor, each carrying

a thrasher board.

ARCADE:

KISS REALITY GOODBYE.

The video versions of Nick and Alex hop onto their thrasher boards and the

world around them curls in upon itself.

The process is similar to what we've seen before, but even more extreme.

LIGHTS and SOUNDS are pouring out of the ARCADE machine in almost

unbearable intensities. It seems as if the "real" world is going to be

shaken apart.

NICK:

(over noise)

Hold on!

ARCADE:

SEE YOU ON THE OTHER SIDE.

ANOTHER FLASH OF LIGHT AND...

Alex and Nick disappear from the real world completely. Their equipment,

gloves and goggles, fall to the floor, empty. They've been physically

sucked inside the game!

The light from the screen dies down now and everything is oddly quiet.

ON SCREEN:

BOOM! Suddenly a circuit grid is rushing up to meet them!

(Note:
As we move through each level, video legends will appear on the

screen as title cards, enhancing the effect that we are actually inside a

video game.)

The words "LEVEL ONE -- BLOOD RED SKY" flash across the screen and we...

CUT TO:

EXT. LEVEL ONE, THE PLAINS -- DAY

Alex and Nick slam into the ground like twin meteors, splashing up water

and muck.

THE RED SKY:

crackles with LIGHTNING. Smoke obscures everything. Alex and Nick pull

themselves up, a bit dazed.

ALEX:

(looking around)

You feel it? It's different this time.

NICK:

We're actually inside, aren't we?

Alex nods.

NICK:

Okay.

(deep breath)

Give us a kiss?

ALEX:

(after a moment)

One. In case...

NICK:

Don't even say it.

Nick leans over and gently kisses Alex on the lips. It's over in a

moment, but he'll savor it the rest of his life.

NICK:

Thanks. Always wanted to do that.

ALEX:

Yeah, well I figure these are unusual

circumstances.

NICK:

(grins)

That's what I was hoping you'd say.

Nick flips the visor on his helmet down and checks the digital read-out on

his CyberGlove. When he speaks, his VOICE is filtered through a radio

headset. Nick looks good in his armor, tough. Hell, they both do.

NICK:

I'll take the lead and handle the physical

threats. You watch the elapsed time and

look for exits.

ALEX:

Got it.

Nick tosses his thrasher board down and it hovers above the water. He

steps onto it, comfortable. Alex does the same. She's a little shaky, but

she maintains her balance.

NICK:

You steer by pivoting your back foot...

(he demonstrates)

Okay?

Nick turns, looking around. The land seems identical in every direction.

NICK:

Which way do you think Level Two is?

ALEX:

You've got the schematics, check.

Nick panics for a moment, patting his uniform, checking pockets. He can't

find them.

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