Arcade Page #9

DIFFORD:

Security camera.

(points to one)

Pulled your files before I came down. Be

careful what you say, kids ... I know where

you live.

Difford laughs and claps Nick on the back.

DIFFORD:

(continuing)

Now what seems to be the problem?

ALEX:

It's the game, ARCADE.

DIFFORD:

You don't like it?

NICK:

That's gotta be the understatement of the

century. It's killing people.

Beat. Difford looks from Alex to Nick, and back again. His smile fades

from his face.

DIFFORD:

If this is a joke, I'm not laughing.

ALEX:

Neither are we. Something's wrong with the

game, Mr. Difford.

DIFFORD:

(clearing his throat)

Why don't we take this into my office.

CUT TO:

INT. DIFFORD'S OFFICE -- DAY

Difford closes the doors behind him. He stares and Alex and Nick for a

moment, assessing, calculating risks...

DIFFORD:

Talk to me.

ALEX:

There's something wrong with ARCADE. The

game's alive somehow...

At this Difford breaks into a smile. Nick sees this and acts quickly to

save the situation.

NICK:

What Alex is trying to say is that it

"seems" like it's alive.

ALEX:

No I'm not...

NICK:

(freezing her with a

stare)

We're not getting very far into the levels

and we kind of thought maybe we could talk

to a programmer, learn some tricks and

stuff...

(beat)

I mean, you don't want us kids running

around school saying your game's too hard,

right?

DIFFORD:

(relieved)

That's what this is all about? Tricks?

Sure, I'd be happy to introduce you to

ARCADE's programmer.

Alex has caught on. She shuts up for the moment.

DIFFORD:

(continuing)

Tell you what, I'll take you down to our

R&D labs right now.

CUT TO:

INT. RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT -- DAY

Hardly what you'd expect. The lab is hopelessly cluttered, as if a

whirlwind had swept inside and thrown everything helter-skelter. Difford

leads Nick and Alex inside.

A MAN sets in front of a stack on monitors. One his head is a helmet-like

instrument...sort of an extension of the stereoscopic goggles. He wears a

lab-coat and a SLIP-STREAM I.D. badge, but aside from that, his appearance

is unkempt. Kind of your 60s drop-out look.

DIFFORD:

This is one of our newest projects. We're

trying to get rid of joy-sticks

altogether ...

NICK:

(nodding)

The Air-Force is working on the same thing.

MAN:

(to screen)

Come on, come on...

He moves his head this way and that...

THE MONITORS:

A computer-animated TURTLE is crawling across the screen. Then the words

"TIME'S UP" flash over. The turtle flips onto it's back and dies, tongue

hanging out.

MAN:

Sh*t.

DIFFORD:

(clearing his throat)

Albert...

ALBERT turns around in his seat and pulls off the helmet.

DIFFORD:

(continuing)

This is Nick and Alex. They'd like to talk

to you about ARCADE. Maybe you can give

them a few programmer's secrets.

ALBERT:

Yeah, sure.

DIFFORD:

(to Nick and Alex)

Then I leave you in capable hands.

Difford exits. Nick points to the helmet in Albert's hands.

NICK:

Does that thing work?

ALBERT:

Getting there. It's more sensitive than a

joy-stick. Your video-character can respond

as fast as you can.

(standing)

But what can I do for you?

ALEX:

We're having some problems with ARCADE...

ALBERT:

Yeah, who isn't.

NICK:

What do you mean?

ALBERT:

It's a tough game. Hard to pin that bastard

down. Keeps on changing the rules.

ALEX:

We vere thinking there might be tricks.

You know, surprises that you'd worked into

the game...

ALBERT:

Sure. Every game's got 'em. I'll start

with the schematics. I can print these up

if you want.

Albert moves back to the wall of monitors, then reaches for a computer

disk and inserts it into a nearby drive. He taps a few buttons and

BINGO...

SCHEMATICS:

of each world/level within the ARCADE game appear on the monitors.

ALBERT:

You've got your ten levels, right? Here

they are... Each level has an exit, only

remember, the exits aren't always what they

seem.

(points to each one)

First one's The Blood Red Sky, then you've

got The Blue Desert, Tower of Ghosts,

Kingdom of the Blind... On each world you

have to find a golden key and you've only

got so much time to do it in. If you're

too late, The Screamer comes.

NICK:

How do you stop The Screamer?

ALBERT:

You can't. He gets you and you're dead.

It's like time catching up with you, you

know? Like Fate. Each level you get

progressively less time to complete. First

half of the game takes place in the Wild

Lands. Then you reach Level 6, and that's

the Sea of Darkness. There's a two-headed

Boatman that'll take you across if you

answer his riddle right. If you don't...

He motions cutting a knife across his throat.

NICK:

What's the riddle?

ALBERT:

If I tell you, then it's no fun.

NICK:

(harder)

Just tell me the f***ing riddle.

ALBERT:

Well...it involves a paradox. You have to

trick The Boatman.

(beat)

Now all the while, you also have to watch

your strength. You can build that back up

by catching FIREFLIES...the little glowing

guys...

Albert hits some keys again and Levels One through Six disappear. Now

they're replaced by Seven through Ten. Only instead of a schematic for

Level Eleven, there's only a question matc.

ALBERT:

(continuing)

The next half of the game takes place in

ARCADE's brain, The City of Truth. It's

urban scenarios, lots of metal and concrete.

Screamer comes faster here. On Level Four

you can get a free life if you wait until

the last possible second before exiting that

world. Gotta time it right though.

ALEX:

What's the question mark?

ALBERT:

Level Ten. That's where you've got to

unlock ARCADE's heart using the keys you've

found.

ALEX:

How do you do that?

ALBERT:

Good question. See, that's where the fun

comes in. ARCADE changes it every time.

He's a machine without a soul. Once you give

him a soul, he stops being a threat.

Alex looks dejected.

ALEX:

But how can it change every time?

ALBERT:

It's the game's logic core. We actually

patterned it after human brainwaves. I

mean, there's a personality in there.

That's what makes it so incredible.

NICK:

How the hell did you do that?

ALBERT:

Well, we're veering into classified info

here, but I'll tell you that it involved a

donor. He was dead of course, so it's not

like anything unethical was happening.

At this, a chill runs down Alex's spine.

ALEX:

Dead?

ALBERT:

Well, brain-dead anyway. Coma patient.

It's really not all that important.

ALEX:

Maybe he's not dead.

ALBERT:

He?

ALEX:

The donor. Maybe he's alive inside the

game.

ALBERT:

(laughs)

And maybe you've been taking too many drugs.

Nick glances at the helmet again.

NICK:

Could you play ARCADE with that?

ALBERT:

Well, technically "yes", but this is only

the prototype.

Nick nods and smiles, offering his hand.

NICK:

Thanks, Albert. Think you could print up

those schematics?

ALBERT:

Sure.

Albert moves back to the computer console. Meanwhile, Nick pulls Alex

aside.

NICK:

(quietly)

Go outside, get your car, and meet me out

front with the engine running. And make it

quick, okay?

ALEX:

What are you going to do?

NICK:

Get that helmet. If we're going to play

ARCADE, I want every advantage possible.

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