Escape from L.A. Page #4

UTOPIA:

Today is Day One of a brand new world. The

days of the empire are finished.

(beat)

To the President - my father, you know

what this is.

She holds up the anodized box with the red button and thrusts it

at the camcorder.

UTOPIA:

You know what it will do. Unless you

abdicate your throne by tomorrow night, I

will use it - on you.

CONGRESSMAN:

Utopia, please. Give us the prototype. If

something should happen -

UTOPIA:

It will be in my hands - and the hands of

my lover.

She says "lover" with all the drama a 17-year-old virgin can

muster. The others are shocked.

UTOPIA:

Yes, my lover. My man. The only real man

I've ever known. I'm on my way to his

arms.

She moves to the rear of the main cabin, bends down, opens a small

hatch in the floor, scrambles down...

WHAM! The VR image suddenly disappears and Plissken is again

standing inside the concrete cell. Malloy and Brazen stand in

front of him.

MALLOY:

Somehow during the tour, she came into

possession of a prototype transmitting

device. We don't know how.

BRAZEN:

Utopia became depressed after her mother's

suicide, began to withdraw into her

virtual reality simulator. She'd punch up

her own little world in cyberspace and

stay in it for days at a time.

(hits a button)

Somebody else was in there with her.

AN IMAGE APPEARS

In front of Plissken: A computer-rendered VR picture of clouds and

sunshine, green grass and happy animals frolicking. A Garden of

Eden. There, coming toward us, is CUERVO JONES. South American

terrorist. Fiercest warrior of the Third World. He wears a

gleaming ancient Aztec battle helmet. Bandoliers strapped around

him.

MALLOY:

Cuervo Jones. Shining Path. Peruvian

terrorist. Runs the biggest baddest gang

in L.A.

Cuervo Jones takes off the helmet He is blindingly handsome,

charismatic. He smiles, reaches out his arms to camera as if to

embrace it. The image suddenly pops back to the beginning - it's

on a loop. The image disappears.

The lights in the cell come up.

BRAZEN:

Utopia made tapes of her VR experiences,

then tried to erase them. She missed this

fragment on the end of her last tape.

Cuervo Jones must have tapped into the VR

master data bank - and then went prowling

around for innocent blood, someone

vulnerable to corrupt. Utopia was lonely,

looking for something to believe in.

PLISSKEN:

Sad story. You got a cigarette?

MALLOY:

Shut up, Plissken.

PLISSKEN:

What's the little black box do?

MALLOY:

Top secret. Only on a need to know.

PLISSKEN:

And I don't need to know. So f*** you, I'm

goin' to Hollywood.

MALLOY:

That's right, big shot. Unless you do what

we want you're not coming back.

PLISSKEN:

So what's the deal, huh? Go into L.A.,

find the President's daughter, secure the

box, and bring 'em both out - and I'm

free?

MALLOY:

That's the deal.

PLISSKEN:

Tell the President to adopt. I think I'll

like L.A.

After a couple of beats, the 3rd Man appears next to Malloy and

Brazen. He stares at Plissken for a moment, holds up some papers.

3RD MAN

If you bring out the prototype, you'll

receive a full pardon for every immoral

act you have ever committed in the United

States. Just like in '97. Remember New

York, Plissken?

PLISSKEN:

(looks at him)

Who are you?

MALLOY:

It's the President, for Christ's sake!

PRESIDENT:

I give you my word. Put the prototype into

my hands, and you're a free man.

PLISSKEN:

I can see you're real concerned about your

daughter.

PRESIDENT:

Utopia is lost to me. My daughter is gone.

PLISSKEN:

Well, I'll think it over.

PRESIDENT:

You're running out of time.

PLISSKEN:

I've been doin' that all my life. Might as

well do it in L.A. Everybody else there

is.

MALLOY:

Well, enjoy it, war hero, cause you got 10

hours to live.

Malloy, Brazen, and the President turn to leave...

PLISSKEN:

Wait a minute, what are you talkin' about?

MALLOY:

Having second thoughts?

PLISSKEN:

Maybe. But you're not putting any sh*t in

me this time.

MALLOY:

You don't understand. It's already in you.

PLISSKEN'S FACE

As an image of the cigarette girl in New Las Vegas flashes

suddenly. Her fingernail scratches his arm. He tightens.

MALLOY:

The cigarette girl in New Vegas was an

undercover cop. She injected you with

incentive toxin. Right now it's swimming

in your bloodstream. It'll start to take

effect in 9 hours.

BRAZEN:

It's a strain of the Plutoxin 7 virus.

Genetically engineered. 100% pure death.

Complete nervous system shutdown. You

crash and bleed out like a stuck pig. Not

a pretty sight.

Plissken takes a step toward him. Malloy holds up a large

hypodermic.

MALLOY:

Of course there's an anti-toxin.

Neutralizes the virus immediately upon

injection.

(beat)

We'll give it to you, but you have to do

us this little favor.

TWO BEATS...

...and then Plissken attacks the President, hurls himself across

the room, throwing the chain around the President's neck...

Plissken passes right through the President, causing his image to

waver slightly, then falls on his ass.

PRESIDENT:

Didn't think we were that stupid, did you?

INT. SURVEILLANCE ROOM

The real Malloy, Brazen, and President stand in front of a laser

camera in a small room offering a view of the cell through a

transparent portion of the wall.

MALLOY:

We're holographs.

INSIDE THE CELL:

Plissken stares at the three images in front of him, then at the

camera lens on the wall...

PLISSKEN:

Get this crap out of me.

MALLOY:

I guess we have a deal. Nice to be working

with you, Plissken.

PLISSKEN:

(beat)

Call me Snake.

INT. BRIEFING ROOM - COMMAND HQ - NIGHT

Plissken checks through various tactical survival items and

weapons laid out on a table. Brazen watches as Malloy show shim a

high tech submachine gun.

BRAZEN:

Very sweet little weapon. Core burner.

Magnesium ammo. 500 extra rounds.

(moves on)

Two 9mm handguns.

(holds up a silver pill)

Oral projectile. Mouth dart. Hold it in

your mouth for ten seconds, the coating

dissolves, it becomes a weapon.

Malloy breaks open the silver pill. Inside is s small, lethal

looking dart.

BRAZEN:

Urolite. It'll stun the enemy for several

seconds.

Plissken picks up a small, computerized compass.

MALLOY:

Tracer. Utopia has a kidnap chip implanted

in her arm. You can locate her with this.

Brazen hands Plissken a large black clip.

BRAZEN:

This clips right onto your 9mm. Ammo

enhancers. Like miniaturized grenades.

Blows through anything.

Plissken snaps the clip onto his pistol, then unsnaps it.

EXT. POLICE COMPLEX - NIGHT

Plissken suits up. Submachine gun, handguns, six-guns. He, Brazen

and Malloy walk quickly across the complex.

MALLOY:

L.A. is in a constant state of warfare.

Gangs fighting for the right to rule.

BRAZEN:

Heavy Third World connections. They get

weapons, drugs, fuel, choppers -

everything is pumped into the island from

the south.

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