Independence Day Page #6

HOLLYWOOD SIGN (FORMERLY SC. 72) - SAME

In Los Angeles. The SHADOW slowly covers the sign.

EXT. WHITE HOUSE - WINDOW - SAME

The President and his daughter cautiously approach the window

staring in awe at the amazing sight above them. Several

others approach from behind.

Cautiously some people begin to walk outside, staring up at

the leviathan, mouths agape.

INT. OVAL OFFICE - SAME

Slowly staff members approach, gazing out the window.

Constance steps up behind the President.

CONSTANCE:

What do we do now?

PRESIDENT WHITMORE

Address the nation. There are a

lot of very frightened people out

there right now.

CONSTANCE:

Yeah. I'm one of them.

EXT. WASHINGTON D.C. - ALIEN CRAFT - SAME

All of Washington is under the shadow of this gargantuan alien

craft. A stunning tableau.

CUT TO:

INT. JASMINE'S DEBROW'S BEDROOM - SAME

The man sleeping next to Jasmine's beagle BOOMER drops

Steven's tennis shoes on top of him, waking him.

JASMINE:

He's trying to impress you.

STEVE:

He's doing a good job.

He pats the dog on the head and takes the shoes. Steven gets

up and makes his way to the bathroom.

INT. BATHROOM - CONTINUOUS

As Steve takes a pee, he SEES out the window a family packing

up their car, others standing around staring at something in

the distance. A HELICOPTER flies overhead.

STEVE:

Neighbors are moving. I think

they're tired of earthquakes.

He finished and flushes.

INT. LIVING ROOM - CONTINUOUS

Steve enters the living room. The television is playing a

news broadcast.

NEWSCASTER:

...with little damage reported to

the southland area. People are

advised not to panic...

STEVE:

Hon, something's on the table 'bout

the quake.

Jasmine sits up in bed, yelling out to Steve.

JASMINE:

Dylan out there?

Steve turns, looking for Dylan when the doggie door pops open

and Dylan crawls through.

STEVE:

What have you been up to, Sport?

DYLAN:

(holding his gun)

Shooting aliens.

Steve musses up the boy's hair, smiling.

JASMINE:

(entering)

Coffee?

Steve mumbles an affirmative as he exits.

EXT. JASMINE'S HOUSE - CONTINUOUS

Steve picks up the morning paper and opens it. He doesn't

notice the DOZENS of neighbors quickly packing up and rushing

to get away as he reads the paper oblivious.

JASMINE (O.S.)

You want milk with your coffee?

Jasmine appears behind him, her view, too, obscured by the

open newspaper. Suddenly another HELICOPTER room overhead.

Annoyed, Steve lowers his paper.

STEVE AND JASMINE'S POV

As the paper is lowered we SEE the helicopter SWOOP down. As

it flies away we SEE...

THE ALIEN CRAFT:

Covering all of Los Angeles. This is the first time we see

the entire craft. It is stupendous. Steve's jaw hits the

floor. The milk goes CRASHING as Jasmine SCREAMS.

CUT TO:

INT. STAIRWELL - DAY

Running for all he's worth, David sprints down the stairs.

INT. COMPACT CABLE OFFICE - CONTINUOUS

Dashing off the stairs, David stops seeing that the room is

now completely empty. The wall of monitors play for no one.

David walks up to one, adjusting the volume.

T.V. - CNN BROADCAST - (DISTORTED BROADCAST SIGNAL)

A space ship logo spins next to the words VISITORS: CONTACT OR

CRISIS. Wolf Blitzer comes on screen live from the Pentagon.

WOLF BLITZER:

Pentagon officials are reporting

more ships have just arrived over

the capitals of India, England and

Germany.

As he speaks we get quick glimpses of the other ships.

MARTY (O.S.)

I know, babycakes. Calm down.

David spins around at the sound of the voice but the room is

still empty. David leans down and looks under a desk where he

finds Marty still on the phone with his wife.

DAVID:

Tell her to get the kids and leave

town.

MARTY:

What happened?

DAVID:

(yells)

Just do it!

Marty realizes David is dead serious.

MARTY:

Babycakes, pack the kids up and

take them to your mother's. Don't

ask. Go.

Mary hangs up, crawls out from under the table.

MARTY (cont'd)

Okay, why did I just send my

family to Atlanta?

DAVID:

Remember I told you that the

signal hidden within our satellite

signal is slowly recycling down to

extinction.

MARTY:

Not really...

DAVID:

That signal. It's a countdown.

MARTY:

(confused)

A countdown to what?

DAVID:

Think. It's like in chess. First

you strategically position your

pieces. Then, when the timing's

right. You strike.

David motions to the television.

BLITZER:

...there are additional

unconfirmed sightings over Japan,

the Mediterranean, and China...

DAVID:

They are positioning themselves

all over the world and using this

one signal to synchronize their

efforts. In approximately six

hours the signal will disappear

and the countdown will be over.

MARTY:

Then what?

DAVID:

Checkmate.

Marty takes a beat to digest. Then, grabbing the phone....

MARTY:

I gotta call my brother, my

bookie, my lawyer... f*** my

lawyer...

David also grabs a phone. Suddenly the bank of monitors

synchronize into one enormous image across the entire video

wall; the President addressing the nation.

INT. PRESS ROOM, WHITE HOUSE - SAME

The President stands at the podium giving his address.

PRESIDENT WHITMORE

My fellow Americans, a historic

and unprecedented event has taken

place. The question as to whether

or not we are alone in the

universe has been answered...

ANGLE - SIDE ENTRANCE TO PRESS ROOM

As Constance watches the President, she unconsciously mouths

the words of his speech, after all, she did write them. A

PRESS AIDE tugs on her sleeve. She tries to wave her off.

PRESS AIDE:

He says he's your husband.

Her expression drops. She takes the phone from her.

CONSTANCE:

What do you want?

DAVID:

(filtered)

You have to leave the White House.

CONSTANCE:

This is not the time or the place

to have this same old discussion.

INT. COMPACT CABLE OFFICES - SAME

DAVID:

You don't understand. You have to

leave Washington.

INT. SIDE OFFICE, WHITE HOUSE - DAY

Impatient, Constance tries to get off the phone.

CONSTANCE:

In case you haven't noticed, we're

in a little bit of a crisis here.

DAVID:

(filtered)

I've worked with embedded loading.

They're communicating with a

hidden signal. They're going to

attack...

CONSTANCE:

You're being paranoid.

DAVID:

(filtered)

It's not paranoia. The embedding

is very subtle. It's probably

been overlooked...

Constance hangs up. Her face betrays mixed emotions.

INT. COMPACT CABLE OFFICES - SAME

David stares at the phone, pissed. Something on T.V.

catches his attention. Through the snowy image he SEES...

PRESIDENT WHITMORE

(filtered)

...My staff and I are remaining

here at the White House while we

attempt to establish

communication...

Hanging up the phone, David sprints for the exit.

PRESIDENT WHITMORE (cont'd)

...so remain calm. If you are

compelled to leave these cities,

please do so in a safe and orderly

fashion.

SMASH CUT TO:

CABS SLAMMING TOGETHER - NEW YORK CITY STREETS

The rush to get away creeps slowly as cars jam the streets in

total grid-lock. David pedals his bike furiously through

traffic.

EXT. GEORGE WASHINGTON BRIDGE - NEW YORK - DAY

The mass exodus has reached the bridge. Total congestion.

David fights his way through.

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