Brazil Page #7

SAM:

There's no way they can approach us

without being seen. You're safe here.

He anchors the hawser holding the cage and takes off his

wings. Just as he starts climbing up to the cage a

terrific cracking noise is heard. SAM freezes.

A dead straight crack is bisecting the sky from somewhere

beyond the horizon - running right up the sky and over the

camera. SAM follows it as it continues over the GIRL and

down to the opposite horizon. Another crackling noise is

heard. Another crack appears. Then another. And another.

All these cracks are emanating from a vanishing point over

the horizon. Soon the sky is covered with these cracks

from horizon to foreground. Then cracks begin appearing at

right angles to them. Very quickly the sky is covered with

a mammoth grid. Once it is complete, another noise is

heard. Something like massive blocks of stone sliding

against one another. One of the squares formed by the grid

pattern begins to slide upwards as if being pulled out

from the back side of the sky. A square hole is left in

its place. We can see the sides of the hole as it extends

upwards into blackness. As soon as this first block of sky

is withdrawn, another begins to slide up and away. SAM is

frozen in position as this terrifying spectacle goes on

above him. The eyeballs are madly looking this way and

that. The grinding noises are deafening as block after

block of sky is removed. With each successive loss the

light decreases. The GIRL is crying out for SAM to save

her. Frantically SAM tries to haul the cage down to the

platform but it's too late.

Where the sky was is now pitch black. Only one block of

sky remains. Slowly that final bit of sky is pulled up and

out of shot. Total blackness. A maniacal laughter can be

heard. A beam of light is switched on. SAM has a

searchlight in his hand and is searching the darkness. The

laughter continues. Suddenly the beam catches something

black and moving. it's the same black, flapping cloth that

appeared at the end of the previous dream. The horrible

flapping thing comes thundering down on SAM.

He is engulfed in the black awfulness.

30 INT. SAM'S BEDROOM NIGHT 30

SAM is in bed, grappling with the bedclothes. He is

dripping with sweat and screaming. The room is

oppressively hot. He gets up and looks at the thermostat.

It reads 99. He fumbles with it, but to no avail. It's

stuck.

CUT to SAM coming into the sitting room. He rushes over to

the window and tries to open it. But it wasn't designed to

be opened. Screws hold it firmly shut. SAM heads to the

kitchen He finds a knife which he uses to unscrew the

window. He swings the window open and takes a deep breath.

GAG! COUGH! HACK! A terrible greeny-brown smog pours in

through the window. Desperately SAM shuts the window and

madly tightens up the screws. Swinging a newspaper, he

tries clearing a path through the clouded atmosphere. He

makes it to the front door and staggers out into the hall

gasping for air.

CUT to telephone being lifted from its cradle. Pull back

as SAM with opened telephone directory in front of him

dials. He is seated in his kitchen. In front of his open

refrigerator. The phone rings at the other end.

SAM:

(into phone)

Hello - Central Services - I'm at

579B Block l9, Northwestern Section D

- that's exit 1 on Green Pastures

Highway at the Orange Blossom Flyover

- and I've got trouble with the air-

conditioning

PHONE VOICE:

Thank you or calling Central

Services. am sorry, due to temporary

staff shortage, Central Services

cannot take service calls centrally

between 2300 and 0900 hours - have a

nice day - this has not been a

recording, incident-

SAM:

This is an emergency!

PHONE VOICE:

Thank you for calling Central

Services. I am sorry, due -

SAM:

Yes, but. I've got to have a heating

engineer

PHONE VOICE:

Thank you for calling Cen -

SAM slams the phone down.

CUT to SAM sitting in front of the refrigerator. The door

is open and he has wedged a chair into the gap in a

desperate bid to keep cool. He is nodding off. As his head

slumps against one of the shelves, a jar of pickled onions

falls to the floor. The onions scattering everywhere.

31 EXT. DARKNESS NIGHT 31

The milky white spheres tumble everywhere. But they are

not onions, they are the giant eyeballs burtling through

space. SAM is clinging desperately to one. He grabs the

pupil for a better handhold and it opens like a hatch

cover. SAM manages to pull himself inside. Once out of the

intergalactic maelstrom, SAM turns to survey the cramped

and dark space inside the eyeball. It seems to be bisected

by a dividing wall, from which a thin sliver of light is

escaping. Pushing on the wall in the area of the slit, SAM

is able to move a section. More light shaftes into the

tiny space from around the edges of what appears to be a

small hatch. SAM scrunches down and really puts his

shoulder to the hatch. with a metallic rasp it gives way

and SAM crashes through.

CUT to other side of opening as SAM topples through. He

catches himself in the nick of time as the camera zooms

back revealing his close call with disaster. He is high on

a vast wall of what looks like filing cabinets. The hatch

he came through was the front of one of the millions of

files-drawers composing this wall. As he scrambles back

into the opening we can see that the wall drops away for

hundreds of feet, disappear into a steaming mist. Other

walls of files enclose this vast space. From where SAM is

it looks like the view from the 50th storey of the Time

Life building in NYC. These millions of files are being

tended by MEN arising themselves up and down, as well as

sideways, on modern skyscraper window-cleaners' platforms.

The attendants are seen putting PEOPLE in different period

costumes into drawers. SAM's attention is distracted by a

sound overhead. Looking up he sees a window washer

platform being lowered in his direction. Leaning over the

side is a JOLLY GENT, who happens to look like MR HELPMANN

(as seen on TV).

GENT:

Ah ha ... there you are, Sam.

SAM:

What? How do you know my name?

GENT:

We know everything here. This is the

Storeroom of Knowledge.

SAM:

(climbing onto the

platform)

Then perhaps you can help me. I've

lost someone who ...

GENT:

(interrupting)

We know that too. You've come to the

right place.

The platform carries them along the files.

GENT:

Oh, yes. We've got everything here.

Every bit of knowledge, wisdom,

learning ... every experience, every

thought neatly filed away.

SAM:

(incredulous)

What? You mean you've got ...

GENT:

Well not exactly. But, if you help us

we'll help you. The Forces Of

Darkness have won the day ... but,

tomorrow is another one

SAM:

What do I have to do.

GENT:

You must save the day.

The platform has stopped. The GENT pulls out a drawer. He

reaches inside.

The GENT pulls out a wonderful sword and helmet.

GENT:

This is the Sword Of Truth ... and

this the Helmet Of Justice.

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