I, Robot Page #6

Spooner.s car races down a RAMP and the roadway becomes a 16-

lane underground tunnel system. A river of HEADLIGHTS

stretches forever in either direction.

A CONTROL BEAM locks onto the car, guiding it to a merge with

TRAFFIC. Spooner hits the OVERRIDE BUTTON -- and switches to

manual. Calvin watches him take the wheel. Shakes her head.

CALVIN:

That should be outlawed once and

for all.

SPOONER:

That.ll be the day I stop driving.

Spooner jams the GAS PEDAL and the tunnel becomes a BLUR.

Calvin holds onto the dashboard. Looking a little pale.

CALVIN:

I can recommend a behavior

modification program, you know --

if you want to overcome your robophobia.

SPOONER:

I.m not afraid of robots. I just

don.t like them.

CALVIN:

Why? Because they make every

aspect of our lives more

convenient?

SPOONER:

Exactly. They do our dirty work.

Ever do hard labor, Doctor? Gets

pretty old, pretty fast. Nobody

can do someone else.s dirty work

without coming to hate them. I

don.t want to be around when your

robots decide they.ve taken their

last order.

31.

CALVIN:

That day will never come,

Detective. Robots aren.t like

human beings -- they don.t question

their existence.

Spooner cranks the gear shift. Throwing her a look.

SPOONER:

Spoken like a true robo-phile.

38 EXT. U.S. ROBOTICS PLANT - NIGHT 38

The car comes to a stop in a vast INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT.

Spooner and Calvin get out, looking up at the imposing facade

of a U.S. Robotics Assembly Plant. A long STEEL GATE -- too

high to see over -- protects the unmarked complex.

39 EXT. MAIN GATE - NIGHT 39

Calvin looks anxious as the DOOR MECHANISM scans her U.S.R.

ID. She shoots a look at Spooner. They wait. Then, slowly,

the gate begins to open.

40 INT. HALLWAY - NIGHT 40

A NIGHT FOREMAN leads them down a hallway. Shaking his head.

NIGHT FOREMAN:

Head-Office already ordered a

system-wide inventory check. Don.t

know about a missing NS-2...

Looks back at Spooner.

NIGHT FOREMAN:

What.d you say you did?

SPOONER:

Research and Development.

As Spooner pushes past him into...

41 INT. CONTROL BOOTH - CONTINUOUS 41

...the Control Booth. Overlooking the pristine Factory

Floor. The Foreman starts working the controls of a central

computer.

CALVIN:

All Nestors accounted for?

32.

The SCREEN scrolls with INVENTORY FIGURES.

NIGHT FOREMAN:

(gesturing)

As you can see, all properly

catalogued. Your robot just isn.t

here.

Calvin turns to say something to Spooner. But he isn.t

there. She looks around. Then sees the Foreman reacting.

Looks out the window at...

SPOONER. Walking out onto the factory floor.

42 INT. FACTORY FLOOR - NIGHT 42

Spooner trots alongside an ASSEMBLY LINE BELT. Lined with NS-

2 LEGS. New. Gleaming. Heading towards the assembly room.

Calvin and the Foreman. Catching up. Over the noise:

NIGHT FOREMAN:

Like I said, sir -- we have one

hundred fully assembled NS-2s

housed here. That.s our capacity.

Last week we had one hundred.

Yesterday we had one hundred --

Spooner, slowing. Finally spotting what he was looking for.

Points at:

A GAP. On the assembly belt. ONE LEG MISSING.

SPOONER:

Well today you have one-hundred and

one.

43 INT. FACTORY FLOOR - NIGHT 43

A STORAGE COMPARTMENT opens and 101 NS-2s march out in tight

formation. Every step and swing of the arm in unison. The

sound of METAL FOOTSTEPS reverberating through the plant as

101 Robots organise themselves into long straight lines.

Spooner and Calvin look up and down the formation. They all

look alike. Spooner. Throws up his hands.

SPOONER:

(to Calvin)

You.re the robot shrink.

The Robots stand motionless. A strange tableau. Calvin.

Takes a step forward.

33.

CALVIN:

There is a robot in this formation

that does not belong. Identify it.

101 robots answer in unison. Their mechanical VOICES

resounding:

101 ROBOTS

ONE OF US.

CALVIN:

Which one?

101 ROBOTS

ONE OF US.

CALVIN:

That is not a satisfactory answer!

101 ROBOTS

ONE OF US.

SPOONER:

That.s helpful.

CALVIN:

I could always interview each one

individually and cross-reference

their responses to detect any

anomalies.

SPOONER:

How long would that take?

CALVIN:

About three weeks.

They share a look. Clearly not an option. Then. Calvin.

Gets an idea. Turns to Spooner...

CALVIN:

Or...

...and GRABS his GUN from his holster. He jumps back.

CALVIN:

We have one hundred robots here

that cannot allow a human being to

come to harm...

Their eyes lock. Spooner, getting what she.s doing.

34.

SPOONER:

And one that can.

She raises the gun to Spooner.s head. Hand, unsteady.

CALVIN:

Am I holding this right?

SPOONER:

More or less.

Calvin. Swallows. Looks over at the robots. Then C*CKS the

gun...

AND THE ROBOTS COME THUNDERING TOWARDS THEM. Like a row of

linebackers. Arms straight out. Their footsteps DEAFENING.

Coming CLOSER and CLOSER...

When CALVIN. Lowers the gun. The Robots. All stop in

unison. Immediately returning to their resting positions.

Spooner and Calvin stare out. EVERY ONE OF THE ROBOTS MOVED.

Standing right in front of them, like metal statues.

Spooner. Has had enough. Takes the gun back from Calvin...

SPOONER:

Enough game-playing.

...And BAM! Blows the head off of the nearest Robot. Its

body crumples to the ground.

SPOONER:

Guess that wasn.t it.

Calvin. Cannot believe what he just did. Rushes over to the

destroyed Robot.

CALVIN:

What are you doing?!

Spooner walks down the row, holding his gun in plain view.

SPOONER:

(calling out)

This is a self-preservation field

test! DO NOT attempt to save

yourselves. Any of you. That.s an

order!

FROM THE CONTROL BOOTH the Night Foreman screams over the

P.A.:

35.

NIGHT FOREMAN:

Are you crazy? Those are eight

hundred thousand dollar machines!

Spooner randomly stops at another Robot. Raises his gun.

SPOONER:

You hear that? You.re worth more

than I.ll make in my entire life...

His finger tightening on the trigger when Calvin suddenly

grabs his arm.

CALVIN:

You can.t just destroy them!

Spooner. Looking down at her. WHEN SUDDENLY something

catches his eye. A MOVEMENT. Down the line. Almost.

Imperceptible.

He jerks his head. Locking eyes with a ROBOT. A couple feet

away. It.s him!

SPOONER:

Gotcha.

The Robot Suspect LEAPS forward. Grabbing onto the RAILING

of an OVERHEAD CATWALK. His movements almost balletic as he

swings himself up...

Spooner drops to his knee...taking aim...but misses as the

Robot launches himself THROUGH THE CONTROL BOOTH WINDOW with

a terrific CRASH...

44 INT. CONTROL BOOTH - NIGHT 44

Spooner and Calvin rush in to find the Night Foreman hiding

under his desk. Glass everywhere. An ALARM SCREAMING. The

door on the other side, barely hanging off a hinge.

Spooner hurries forward. Then stops. Turning to Calvin.

Reaches down for his back-up gun and presses it into her

hand.

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