Arcade Page #8

The HUMMING stops altogether, quiet now. And then, from everywhere at

once...

ARCADE:

SEE YOU ON THE OTHER SIDE.

With a final ROAR, the energy behind the walls whips around and around,

then rushes away.

OUTSIDE,

Nick catches a quick glimpse of SPARKS racing across the telephone wires

suspended above the back yard.

Total silence for a moment. Alex and Nick are too stunned to speak. Then

Alex looks at Laurie.

LAURIE:

lies on the ground, unconscious. Glass scattered all around her.

ALEX:

Laurie...

Alex drops to her side, trying to find a pulse...anything.

NICK:

Is she breathing?

Alex nods.

NICK:

Then leave her.

ALEX:

We can't...

NICK:

We'll call 911. Look around Alex. We broke

in, smashed the t.v., no one's going to

believe what happened here!

Alex glances around. The room is a mess. All the outlet are singed. And

now she notices that everything electronic...t.v., clock, thermostat...all

of them have exploded open.

NICK:

(continuing)

I believe you now. I don't know what the

f*** just happened, but it did. Now let's

get the hell out of here.

Alex slowly rises, reluctant to leave Laurie's side.

ALEX:

Where do we go?

NICK:

My house. I want to try something.

CUT TO:

EXT. NICK'S HOUSE -- DAY

As Alex and Nick pull up, the streetlights BUZZ on and off even though

it's still daylight. This doesn't escape Nick's notice.

Alex parks the car and the two of them jump out.

NICK:

Around back.

EXT. NICK'S BACKYARD -- DAY

Nick leads Alex to a cellar door and down inside.

INT. NICK'S CELLAR -- DAY

Rear the doorway is an old, paint-caked fuse box. Nick pries it open and

begins unscrewing fuses.

NICK:

I'm not taking any chances.

Nick steps back.

NICK:

Okay. I'm going inside. If I'm not back

out in, say, two minutes, you get the hell

out of here.

Alex nods. She lifts her digital watch up and sets her timer with a BEEP.

ALEX:

Meet you by the car.

CUT TO:

EXT. NICK'S HOUSE -- DAY

Alex sits on the hood of the Skylark watching the streetlight above with a

wary eye. She glances at her watch. About a minute and a half has

elapsed and...

Here's Nick now, carrying a lap-top computer and a modem hook-up. Nick

sets the equipment in the back seat.

NICK:

We need to find a pay-phone.

CUT TO:

EXT. SHOPPING MALL, PAY-PHONE -- DAY

Nick sets up his lab-top inside the phone booth as Alex watches. He hooks

up the modem to the phone receiver and turns the machine on.

THE SMALL SCREEN

warms up, and in black and white, we see the same FRACTALS. Nick flips off

the lap-top and sighs.

NICK:

That's what I thought.

ALEX:

What?

NICK:

It's not just the cable system. It's in

the phone system as well, the electronic

net. It's everywhere.

ALEX:

Nick, what is it.

NICK:

Maybe it is alive in a way...some sort of

electronic intelligence. It's like a

computer virus that developed a personality

or something. It's self-replicating...it

mimics life.

ALEX:

Like the fractals?

Nick nods. He grabs his skateboard out of the back seat and sits on the

curb, spinning a wheel with his finger. He stares at the wheel a moment.

NICK:

It's growing. Getting stronger. Maybe it's

only localized now...

ALEX:

(catching his drift)

...but then it hits the relay stations...

NICK:

Right. And then communication satellites,

and then anywhere.

Alex looks up into the sky despite herself.

ALEX:

(disbelief)

Anywhere.

(beat)

We have to stop it from getting out.

NICK:

(shakes his head)

It's already out.

ALEX:

The Police, then...

NICK:

Give me a break, Alex. What are we going

to tell them? Excuse me, officer, but

there's some sort of electronic monster

loose in the phone lines. I'd think twice

about calling any of those 976 numbers...

ALEX:

(angry)

Then where do we go?!

NICK:

I don't know.

Alex stalks off a few paces. Thinking. Thinking...

ALEX:

SLIP-STREAM.

NICK:

What?

ALEX:

They made ARCADE. It's still a game,

right? It thinks like a game. Maybe it

still has to play by the rules. Someone had

to program it in the first place, didn't

they?.

At this, Nick perks up.

NICK:

You mean we learn the rules...

ALEX:

And beat it at it's own game.

NICK:

You realize that in order to do that, we'd

actually have to play the game.

ALEX:

I was afraid you'd say that.

CUT TO:

EXT. SLIP-STREAM, INC. -- DAY

The SLIP-STREAM compound comprises a cluster of mirrored,

antiseptic-looking buildings. Carefully maintained greens surround the

compound, dotted with perfectly positioned trees. The whole effect,

greenery included, seems prefabricated and sterile. We move with the

camera, sweeping in and dropping low, across the main concourse and up the

stone steps to the main lobby...

INT. SLIP-STREAM LOBBY -- DAY

Alex and Nick are moving across the lobby. Nick is still carrying his

skateboard. The two of them look extremely out of place, being that the

rest of the people bustling around them are "dressed for success".

THEIR P.O.V.

as they approach a prefab RECEPTIONIST sitting behind and enormous desk.

The guy's smile is so perfect he must've had it tattooed on. He wears one

of those obnoxious phone/headsets.

RECEPTIONIST:

May I help you?

ALEX:

We need to see Mr. Difford.

RECEPTIONIST:

I see. And do you have an appointment?

NICK:

No, but it's important and if you'd...

RECEPTIONIST:

(cutting him off)

I'm sorry, but if you don't have an

appointment, I won't be able to help you.

If you'd like, you can call his office from

our courtesy phone outside and schedule

one ...

Nick reaches across the desk and snags the receptionist by his shirt,

jerking him forward.

NICK:

(menacing)

If Difford's not out here it one minute

we're calling the news and informing them

that your f***ing games are whispering in

our ears and telling us to commit suicide.

I'm talking public relations nightmare

here, buddy. Satanism, virgin sacrifices,

backward messages, the whole bit.

The receptionist glances at Alex who puts on a stern face and nods.

Nick releases his grip. The receptionist smooths out his shirt and

smiles.

RECEPTIONIST:

One moment please...

(punches in extension)

Rachel, would you be kind enough to tell

Mr. Difford that we have a situation in the

lobby which requires his immediate attention?

(beat)

Thank-you.

The receptionist clasps his hands together and looks back up.

RECEPTIONIST:

(continuing)

Mr. Difford will be right with you.

ALEX:

Why thank-you.

Alex and Nick move away from the reception desk, having caused quite a

scene. The rest of the VISITORS watch them with curiosity.

ALEX:

Virgin sacrifices?

NICK:

(shrugs)

Drives 'em crazy every time.

Nick casts his eyes over the walls where graphics from various SLIP-STREAM

games are displayed. He stops on one display in particular, a triptych of

sorts featuring the haunting face of ARCADE.

BING!

Alex and Nick turn at the sound, just in time to see Difford exiting an

elevator and briskly making his way towards them.

DIFFORD:

Nick, Alex, how are we today?

ALEX:

How'd you know it was us?

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