Brazil Page #11

45 INT. STAIRCASEDAY 45

SAM rushes down the stairs.

46 EXT. BLOCK OF FLATSDAY 46

SAM charges out into the open air. JILL has disappeared.

The Messerchmidt, however, is in flames. SAM doesn't know

which way to turn. Spotting an old mattress lying by the

building he grabs it and throws it over the car in an

attempt to smother the flames. The group of CHILDREN watch

him silently. Suddenly with a great roar, JILL's lorry

comes round the corner at speed. SAM sees that JILL is at

the wheel. SAM runs after the lorry.

SAM:

(shouting)

Wait! It was nothing to do with me!

The lorry roars away. SAM dashes back to his smoldering

three-wheeler. He flings himself into it and starts it up.

He also roars away, except that he doesn't move... all

three wheels have been removed. He turns round in despair

and sees the group of CHILDREN regarding him

expressionlessly.

They include the little GIRL BUTTLE.

Defeated, he slumps down against his charred vehicle. A

shadow passes across his face. Looking up he sees GIRL

BUTTLE standing over him.

SAM:

Go away.

GIRL BUTTLE:

Her name is Jill.

SAM:

What? ...Jill? Jill who? Jill who?

GIRL BUTTLE:

Layton.

SAM:

Jill Layton ...

(getting up)

You're a very good little girl. What

are you doing here?

GIRL BUTTLE:

I'm waiting for my daddy.

SAM:

(uncomprehending)

He will be pleased when he comes

home.

GIRL BUTTLE doesn't answer and SAM starts to walk away.

After a few yards, the thought strikes him: he turns back

to look at the little GIRL BUTTLE who stands alone

patiently in the vandalised wilderness.

47 INT. RECORD CLERKS POOL DAY 47

It is the end of the work day. The CLERKS are busily

getting their coats and leaving the office. As the last

one goes MR. KURTZMAN comes out of his private office with

his hat and coat on. He turns out the office light. He

sees SAM isolated in the empty room, still working at his

computer console. Totally absorbed in what he is doing.

KURTZMAN:

Oh ... Sam. I've had the transport

pool onto me ... You don't know

anything about a personnel

transporter gone missing do you?

SAM doesn't seem to hear him. On the computer screen is a

front and side view picture of JILL. Her name and code

number is at the top of the screen. SAM is punching up

personal dossier information like "age", "height",

"weight", "colour of hair", "colour of eyes",

"distinguishing marks" etc.

SAM:

(preoccupied)

A "personnel" transporter? They've

got it wrong. I had a personal

transporter. I'll do the paperwork

tomorrow -

SAM punches up a few more categories for JILL's dossier.

KURTZMAN:

Is it all right about Mrs Buttle's

cheque?

SAM:

I delivered it.

KURTZMAN:

Can I forget it?

SAM:

Yes.

SAM punches a few more buttons on the computer.

KURTZMAN:

What a relief!

(on reflection)

I shall probably have nightmares.

At this point the word "Classified" superimposes itself

over most of the screen and "IRQ/3" starts agitating at

the bottom

SAM:

Damn! Blast!

KURTZMAN:

What's the matter?

SAM:

You don't happen to know how I can

get around an IRQ/3 do you?

KURTZMAN:

All information on 3rd Level Suspects

is classified.

SAM:

I know that.

KURTZMAN:

All enquiries to Information

Retrieval. Which is hopeless, of

course. They never tell you anything.

But come the time they want something

from us ...

Throughout this verbal wallpaper SAM has been punching

keys cancelling the CLASSIFIED overprint. He then punches

in the code for a hard-copy print-out. JILL's two-view

computer portrait rolls out as SAM ponders his options.

SAM:

(cutting off Kurtzman)

I've go to accept that promotion to

get behind this, haven't I?

KURTZMAN:

Yes.

(realising what he's

suggesting)

NO! You can't! You've only just

turned it down!

(thinking Sam is joking)

SAM:

I never signed the form.

KURTZMAN:

I did it for you.

SAM:

What! Sh*t!

KURTZMAN:

It's what you wanted isn't it?

SAM:

Yes ... No ... I don't, know.

KURTZMAN picks up JILL's print-out and glances at it. He

grimaces and drops it back on the desk with a shudder.

KURTZMAN:

Come on, before they turn the lights

out.

SAM nods. He turns off the machine. He stands up and

follows KURTZMAN towards the door. The door is some

distance away, and before they get there all the lights go

out. KURTZMAN bumps into a desk and curses.

48 INT. TRANSPORT CAGEEVENING48

Packed tightly between other passengers SAM is busy

drawing long flowing hair with a pencil on the computer

print-out of JILL turning her into the DREAM GIRL. The

transport cage rattles through its elevated tube towards a

tower block.

49 INT. SAM'S CORRIDOREVENING49

The transport cage arrives at the platform forming the end

of SAM's corridor. Passengers disembark and head for

various doors along the corridor. SAM almost fails to get

off in time - so concentrated on JILL's picture is he.

Looking as if he's trying to make up his mind about

something he heads for his own front door.

50 INT. SAM'S FLATEVENING50

SAM enters. The place is in a state of turmoil. Servicing

panels are off the walls. Conduit, ducting, pipes, unknown

mechanical horrors spew from the wall as if the place was

disemboweled. SPOOR stands in the middle of it all trying

to direct two other WORKMEN who are poring over wiring

plans which seem to make little sense to them. DOWSER is

not visible but there is a great deal of clunking and

banging going on somewhere behind the wall.

SAM:

What the - ? How did you - ?

SPOOR:

Emergency procedures.

DOWSER (O.S.)

(muffled)

...ergency procedures.

SAM:

(angrily)

I haven't got an emergency. Get out

of here.

For reply SPOOR whips a small tape-recorder out of his bag

and plays back SAM's original phone call to Central

Services, claiming "an emergency". SPOOR shuts off his

machine, puts back into his bag and comes out with what

looks like a quite thin phone hook with carbon paper

between each page. SPOOR indicates the bottom of page 1.

SPOOR:

Sign here please.

SAM:

What is it?

SPOOR:

(surprised)

It's a 27B/6, what did you think it

was?

SAM takes out KURTZMAN's old-fashioned fountain pen from

his pocket, signs where indicated. SPOOR registers that

SAM's signature has hardly penetrated through he first

carbon let alone the other 43

SPOOR:

(sourly)

Haven't you got a ballpoint?

SAM resignedly starts signing all the other pages one by

one. SPOOR realises that DOWSER's echo has gone missing.

SPOOR:

Now where's he got to?

(shouts)

Dowser!

DOWSER bursts through a panel in the wall. This is the

panel which TUTTLE had removed and replaced. A few of the

flat's intestines have come out with DOWSER. DOWSER has

made a find - TUTTLE's spare part.

SPOOR:

What have you got there?

DOWSER:

(highly excited)

Got there!

DOWSER points to TUTTLE's spare part which is hanging out

of the wall attached to rubber tube. SPOOR examines this

closely. SAM watches alarmed. The TWO MEN go into a

mumbling huddle.

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