Ares Page #10

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Evan swallows. This was his greatest fear.

CHLOE:

We’re finding him and then you’re on

your own.

They sit in furious silence. His eyes grow distant.

Suddenly -- he floats into the air. Losing gravity. He fliestoward the backseat, which merges seamlessly into:

INT. SPACE SHUTTLE’S “KITCHEN” - FLASHBACK

47.

Evan floating up to the shuttle’s oven, which looks like a

high-tech briefcase. Evan tears open his meal -- a little tray

of chicken wings covered with plastic wrap. He starts eating.

DANNY (O.S.)

Dad, why are you eating out of asuitcase?

Evan looks over at DANNY (10), standing on the “floor” of theshuttle, pointing to the briefcase-like oven. What the hell is

he doing there?

DANNY:

(touching a chicken wing)

This is still frozen. Dad... You’re

eating raw frozen chicken.

Danny gapes at Evan a moment. Then he runs off, yelling.

DANNY:

MOM! C’mere quick!

He exits Evan’s POV. Evan continues to eat on the shuttle.

Suddenly -- a loud BEEP -- BEEP -- BEEP.

The shuttle’s MASTER ALARM goes off. As Evan floats toward the

navigation console to investigate the problem -

CUT TO:

EVAN’S EYES SNAP OPEN - FLASHBACK

He sees a HEART MONITOR. BEEP -- BEEP -- BEEP.

Danny leans in close.

DANNY:

Mom! Look! He’s awake.

Chloe (35 now) darts forward. Evan realizes he’s in a HOSPITAL

BED. Chloe brushes her hand through his hair.

CHLOE:

How you feeling, sweetie?

EVAN:

What’s happening?

CHLOE:

The doctor said it’s delirium

tremens. When did you last have adrink?

48.

EVAN:

Delirium what?

CHLOE:

You were seeing things, Ev. They saidit’s a symptom of withdrawal.

DANNY:

(pushing forward)

You were standing naked in yourbedroom eating raw frozen chicken outof a piece of carry-on luggage.

Evan takes in their worried faces. Sees his wife and son’s

image of him is in jeopardy. He tries to preserve his dignity.

EVAN:

I must’ve been sleepwalking or

something.

Chloe squeezes Evan’s hand. Her face taut with emotion.

BACK TO:

Chloe’s expression is similarly tense as she guns

THE STOLEN SEDAN

Through countryside. Evan peers suspiciously out the window.

CHLOE:

I think I know where Danny is. Ioverheard his friend talking about aplace they go when they ditch class.

EVAN:

How come his school is way out here?

CHLOE:

It’s a boarding school.

EVAN:

Boarding school? You sent him toboarding school? How often do you see

him?

CHLOE:

(hard and fast)

How often do you see him?

Evan squirms.

49.

EVAN:

Chloe, I have something important.

Something the American governmentwill pay a lot to get their hands

on...

CHLOE:

What? Stolen minerals?

EVAN:

There’ll be enough money to go backto the States. Get our lives back.

Chloe looks at him a moment. Surprised this is what he wants.

She laughs.

CHLOE:

You think I've just been waiting foryou to come back? I’ve spent three

years building a life here. I’m notgoing to throw it away. Especiallynot for you.

EVAN:

(taken aback)

You said all you wanted was a family.

CHLOE:

When would I have said that?

Evan’s surprised. She’s changed so much, she doesn’t even

remember who she used to be.

EVAN:

At the bar that first night. That’sall you wanted. This time, we can doit right.

For a second she looks like she wishes she could believe him.

CHLOE:

I have two hundred people working onmy projects. Building homes foralmost a hundred thousand. FinallyI’m my own Goddamn hero. I need to

stay here. Big picture.

Sweating, she punches the air conditioner. It’s broken.

She unbuttons several buttons of her formal shirt.

Evan glances sidelong. Catches a glimpse of her breast andbra... Then, on her fingers, an ENGAGEMENT AND WEDDING BAND.

50.

EVAN:

(dumb-founded)

You’ve re-married?

CHLOE:

(nods)

I finally found someone who puts meand Danny first.

EVAN:

But we’re still married!

She looks at him. Years of anger and pain coming out.

CHLOE:

On paper, maybe. But when I thinkabout you, I feel like there's a sockin my throat.

This crushes him. He stares out the window.

The barren landscape on the outskirts of Addis becomes...

THE BARREN LANDSCAPE OUTSIDE HOUSTON.

We’re at EVAN’S LITTLE RANCH HOUSE

Evan fixes the radio of his PROP PLANE. The wires inside the

cockpit’s dashboard look like a bowl of spaghetti.

CHLOE pulls her car into the drive. Seeing Evan, she hops outand hurries toward him, carrying papers. Big smile.

CHLOE:

They offered me the Addis project.

She thrusts the contract toward him. He flips through it.

CHLOE:

Eight years. Transforming a quarterof the city.

Evan looks at the contract, clearly not into it.

EVAN:

What am I gonna do in Africa?

CHLOE:

(annoyed)

I don’t know, Ev. What are you doing

here?

EVAN:

Getting the mission reinstated.

51.

It drives her crazy that he won’t recognize reality.

EVAN:

You want me to give up.

CHLOE:

I want you to grow up.

EVAN:

It’s sad you think they’re the same

thing.

She starts walking back toward the house.

CHLOE:

I’m gonna go make some calls. You

have fun with Danny.

EVAN:

That’s it for me now, huh? You go to

work, I have fun with Danny? Youbuild a city, I baby-sit?

She stops. Looks back. Sees how lost he is.

EVAN:

I was supposed to be someone, Chloe.

Not just a husband. Not just a dad.

She steps toward him. Puts an arm around him. He resistsmomentarily. Then lets her get closer.

CHLOE:

Come to Addis. Let’s start over.

He looks at her. A chunk of hair from her messy blond braidhas fallen over her face. He tucks it back behind her ear.

She leans in. About to kiss him...

Then, just as fast, she pulls away. Emotion floods her face.

EVAN:

What?

CHLOE:

You promised you’d quit.

Evan turns away, caught.

CHLOE:

Do you seriously need to get fuckedup to spend time with your son?

52.

EVAN:

I don’t know. Maybe I need it for

when you get home.

Chloe stares Evan down. He stares back, not giving a sh*t.

She’s about to say something when-

DANNY (11) arrives carrying a toolbox from the house. Chloeangrily marches past him toward her car. Evan takes the toolsfrom Danny and goes back to repairing the radio.

DANNY:

Can we go flying?

EVAN:

Mom says no.

DANNY:

Yeah but... she’s leaving.

Evan notices Chloe’s driving off. She guns her car down the

highway. A hint of remorse in Evan’s eyes.

INT. TINY PROP PLANE IN EVAN’S BARN - MOMENTS LATER

Evan steers onto the driveway. Danny buckled in beside him.

They wear headsets so they can talk over the roaring engine.

EVAN:

OK, so last time you were havingtrouble lining up with the runway...

Evan slurs his words a little. It’s unnerving, but Danny

doesn’t pick up on it.

DANNY:

(excited)

Can we fly all the way to Africa?

Evan stops the plane. Turns to Danny.

EVAN:

Why Africa?

DANNY:

Mom said we’re gonna move there.

EVAN:

When did she say that?

Danny flushes. Knows he said something he wasn’t supposed to.

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