Ares Page #7

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A jolt of fear as he glimpses OUT THE WINDOW -

POLICE walking toward the internet cafe with the Tour Guide,

who clutches a WANTED flyer, like the one Novak gave the Saba.

Evan’s f***ed. Has to stop recording now. He hits UPLOAD and -

Runs out the back door as POLICE come in the main entrance.

EXT. EMPTY ALLEY

Evan pulls on his BURKA. Sprints round the corner and back

INTO THE CHAOTIC MARKET.

Changing pace so no one will suspect him. He tries to burrowthrough the human traffic -- trying to look small --

INTERCUT THE NASA CELEBRATION AT THE SPACE CENTER

The blood thumping through Evan’s ears in Harar giving way tothe thumping, celebratory music.

Evan weaves through the NASA party. Standing tall. Lapping upattention from every direction.

Evan has Danny on his shoulders and Chloe on his arm. Her hair

has fallen out of place. He tenderly tucks it back behind her

ear.

EVAN:

Ground Control to Shoulders 1, pleasestate your destination.

Danny spots a buffet table, laden with desserts.

DANNY:

Shoulders 1 to Ground Control.

Steering to cookies, over.

32.

EVAN:

(following his son’s gaze)

Roger that.

He heads toward the desserts, but Congressmen and journalistsstop him for autographs and photos. Everyone wants a piece ofthe man who will make history. One man lowers his bald headfor Evan to sign. The FLASH FLASH FLASH of cameras -

BACK TO:

A BRIGHT LIGHT BEAMED OVER THE HARAR NIGHT MARKET

Evan looks back. Sh*t, there’s a COP following him -- beaming

a SUPER HIGH POWER FLASHLIGHT over the crowd -- sayingsomething into his radio -Evan,

increasingly panicked, quickens his pace --

He checks again. The POLICE OFFICER ducks down another street.

Evan turns onto an alley. Lined with cars. No one in sight.

Using the HANDGUN from the Saba, he smashes the window of abeat-to-sh*t SEDAN. This sets off a nearby DOG barking.

Evan unlocks the door. Gets in.

Through the SIDE-MIRROR -- he sees POLICE searching furtherdown the street near the barking DOG.

EVAN traces the battery and starter WIRES. Strips the rubber

off them with his teeth. Twists the bare wires together.

SPARKS cascade over his hands. The CAR’S LIGHTS GO ON.

-- illuminating A HUGE MAN screaming and wielding a crow bar,

who rushes toward Evan from down the alley. The SEDAN’S OWNER.

Evan, trying to stay focused, darts out. Tears open the hood.

It is a strange sight: A “woman” in a burka, shouldering a

purse, frantically hotwiring a car. Pumping the throttle...

The SEDAN’S OWNER is only ten feet away as -The

ENGINE finally roars to life. Evan leaps inside as the

SEDAN’S OWNER raises the crow bar -Evan

slams the door shut behind him and -The

crowbar HITS THE DOOR. Blowing a huge dent in it.

33.

It gets worse -- other NEIGHBORS rush out in front of the car.

Evan can’t drive forward -- they’re blocking his way.

The OWNER opens the door. Grabs Evan. About to pull him fromthe car when -

Evan THROWS the car in reverse. The Owner is left just holdinga RIPPED PIECE OF BURKA as Evan guns the car back. The CROWDand COPS rush after him. TOO LATE. He tears round a corner -

INSIDE THE CAR:

Going flat out. Pedal to the floor.

Evan’s beaming. Ecstatic to have gotten away.

But then he notices TOYS on the dash. Clearly belonging to the

OWNER’S KIDS. A flash of guilt in his eyes.

EVAN:

Big picture.

Evan tosses the toys into the back. Out of sight.

MATCH CUT from the night sky out the windows to -

THE STARS OUT THE WINDOW OF A SPACE SHUTTLE - FLASHBACK

Evan (40), naked, sings as he takes a space shower. It seems

as if he’s in deep space until we cut outside to:

INT. MASSIVE NASA HANGAR - HOUSTON - SIMULTANEOUS

The NASA Mars Czar JOE DERRINGER (54, obese) and CHLOE (33)

stride toward the docked SPACE SHUTTLE. Visibly upset.

Video screens simulate stars outside the shuttle’s windows.

Derringer tears past the obstructions blocking the shuttle’s

entrance. A huge sign reads: “ISOLATION TEST. DO NOT ENTER.

Days remaining:
43.”

He opens the shuttle door and they enter

INT. SPACE SHUTTLE - CONTINUOUS

Evan gasps and tries to hide his naked ass from his boss.

EVAN:

You guys -- get out! I’ve got a month

left in here!

34.

Chloe looks raw. Like something horrible has happened andshe’s afraid to tell him. She steps toward him.

CHLOE:

The budget vote was today. Theywanted you to hear it from me.

It doesn’t sink in for Evan. Denial hits first.

EVAN:

Am I gonna have to start isolationall over again? I’ve already done 97

days -

Then he sees tears in Derringer's eyes.

DERRINGER:

Evan. No one’s going to Mars. It’s

over.

Evan’s body sags under the weight of disappointment. His eyesscrewing shut, his knees caving. Chloe goes to hold him.

Derringer FLICKS a switch outside the door and THE SIMULATIONOF OUTER SPACE -- its endless sparkling stars -- GOES DARK.

INT. STOLEN SEDAN -- STREETS OF ADDIS ABABA - EARLY MORNING

Evan careens past goats, motorbikes, people in suits. He takesin the chaos from behind the anonymity of his burka.

He Googles “Bechtel Addis” on the phone from the STOLEN PURSE.

CUT TO:

EXT. SLEEK BECHTEL OFFICES - ADDIS - MINUTES LATER

Evan, still in his burka, waits outside in the stolen sedan.

He watches the building intently.

He notices a MAN (mid-40s) crossing the street, speaking on aphone in Russian. He looks very ordinary, but his face istaught with worry.

Evan’s eyes lock on the man. A sense of time slowing down.

EVAN:

(murmurs)

You f***er. You knew I’d come here...

Keeping his gun hidden inside the purse, he c*cks it. Stepsout of the car. Follows the man.

35.

Evan glances around -- the street is crowded --Can he shoot a

man in broad daylight? --suddenly he sees -

CHLOE (39 now). Exiting the Bechtel offices.

No longer the harried mother from Houston, she’s the image ofsuccess. A suit and pearls. Her face is turned away as shelaughs about something with her TWO ASSISTANTS.

Through the burka’s eyehole, we see in Evan’s eyes -- longing.

Regret. And fear.

Chloe enters a CHAUFFEURED TOWN CAR, which quickly drives off.

Evan turns back to the RUSSIAN. He’s already getting in a

JEEP. It peels off to tail CHLOE’S CAR.

Evan darts back to the stolen sedan. He nearly mows down aWOMAN in his desperation not to lose sight of CHLOE’S CAR.

CUT TO:

EVAN trailing Chloe’s car and the Russian’s Jeep. They stop

OUTSIDE A MASSIVE SKY-SCRAPER CONSTRUCTION SITE

Chloe emerges from her car in a hard hat. Evan can onlyrecognize her by the BLOND BRAID poking out.

FLASH IMAGE:
Evan’s hands braiding Chloe’s hair -- just the

top part, then Chloe takes over. Their morning routine.

Chloe speaks through a megaphone in Amharic, organizing the

army of construction workers. Big smile. She loves this.

Evan looks around. Unsure how to reach her without the Russian

seeing from his JEEP parked outside the construction site.

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