Metropolis Page #14

For a still heartbeat, Katie's face is visible --

Before it smears into the silent blackness of the net

as --

Tanner is hurled into the darkness, spinning toward the

blink of cold colors.

CUT TO:

EXT. MANHATTAN - GLOOMY AFTERNOON

The rain hasn't let up. Blanketing the city in wet

darkness.

INT. INTERFACE ROOM - CONTINUOUS

Tanner's eyes fighting open.

The room is full of shadows. Very eerie.

The sound of rain slamming against windows.

Tanner forces himself to sit.

The shadows come into focus.

They are empty interface chairs. Tanner is alone. He

reaches down, ejecting the mini-disk from the chair.

EXT. HALLWAY - MOMENTS LATER

Tanner uses the wall for balance as he pushes himself down

the hallway.

INT. ELEVATOR - MOMENTS LATER

He hits the button for the top floor. His eyes starting

to clear as the rage burns through the fog.

INT. HALDEN'S OFFICE - CONTINUOUS

The room is dark.

Halden is behind his desk, staring out the window at the

storm.

The faintest of sounds. Halden doesn't look surprised.

Tanner is in the doorway. Dead silence.

Halden's face erupts in one continual grin.

HALDEN:

There was never a doubt, buddy!

Tanner steps into the office, slamming shut the door

behind him.

Halden keeps that grin plastered on his lips.

HALDEN:

Tanner comes through!

Tanner heads straight for him. Smell of violence.

Still smiling, Halden's on his feet. A laser trained on

Tanner.

HALDEN:

I just need the disk back, then we

can put this whole thing behind

us --

Tanner rips away the weapon with savage speed, then grabs

Halden by the wind-pipe and slams him back against the

wall.

TANNER:

She was real!

Halden trying to say something, but all that comes out is

some awful garbled noise.

TANNER:

You son-of-a-b*tch!

Halden's face turning weird shades of red. Then touches

of blue. Eyes going slack.

Tanner finally lets go. Halden collapses, hacking for

air. A while to suck in enough to get out words.

HALDEN:

What did he tell you?

TANNER:

The truth.

HALDEN:

(shakes his head)

Not his style.

TANNER:

Katie was digitized.

Halden nods. Tanner stares down at him.

TANNER:

Then you had her killed.

HALDEN:

Why would I do that?

TANNER:

To hide the evidence.

Halden climbs to his feet, struggling to regain some

semblance of authority.

HALDEN:

We drugged her. So she wouldn't

remember.

TANNER:

Try harder.

HALDEN:

There was no need to kill her.

TANNER:

Then where is she?

HALDEN:

Come on Tanner, think this through.

Tanner levels the laser on him.

HALDEN:

She has no memory of it. She won't

know who you are.

Tanner's face tightens.

TANNER:

Last time I ask. Where is she?

Halden stares at Tanner. Tanner will pull the trigger.

Halden blurts --

HALDEN:

An interface attendant.

TANNER:

Where?

HALDEN:

Times Square.

Tanner nods, then fires the laser, again and again into --

The window. Blows out the glass. Tanner hurls the gun

out into the storm.

EXT. HALLWAY

Tanner hurries for the elevator. Halden charging after

him.

HALDEN:

One last piece of business.

Tanner doesn't stop. Elevator doors opening.

HALDEN:

Need the disk back!

TANNER:

Insurance.

HALDEN:

Insurance?

TANNER:

(holds up the disk)

If she's alive, you get it back.

He zips the disk into his jacket pocket as he steps

into --

INT. ELEVATOR

Tanner jabs at the button. The doors sliding shut.

Last thing Tanner sees is Halden's smiling face.

HALDEN:

Don't forget, Tanner.

(amused)

She won't know who the hell you

are --

Door close. Tanner is alone. Halden's words echoing

around him.

CUT TO:

EXT. VSI CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS - MOMENTS LATER

A solid sheet of rain drenching the world.

EXT. TIMES SQUARE - THAT DAY

The rain seems even worse, pounding the neon-strobed hell

hole.

It's a mob scene outside of the VSI Interface Center.

Aftermath of the system being ejected.

Tanner slices through the crowd, fighting his way inside.

INT. VSI INTERFACE STATION

A small handful of overwhelmed VSI employees passing out

credit vouchers to a crush of angry customers.

Tanner moves through the crowd, searching, but not

finding.

Working his way to the center, looking everywhere, and

finally --

Katie.

In the back corner. Managing to keep a professional calm

as she hands out vouchers.

Tanner is so close now he could touch her. She turns to

him. Waiting for something. Then finally...

KATIE:

I'm sorry sir, we need your debit

card before we can issue a

credit --

TANNER:

(quiet intensity)

-- Katie.

His eyes burning into her's. She looks at him, confused.

KATIE:

Do I know you?

Long beat. Truth tearing at him. Finally...

TANNER:

Lance Stanworth. His father's

station wagon and sixteen year-old

promises.

She tenses, studying his face.

KATIE:

You went to my high-school?

TANNER:

No.

KATIE:

Then how do you know about --

TANNER:

-- You told me.

KATIE:

What are you talking about?

The patrons thrusting debit cards in her face. He

practically has to yell to be heard.

TANNER:

Your mother told you your father

died in a car crash.

(beat)

Wasn't until you left for college

that your uncle finally told you the

truth.

She's staring at him. No longer noticing anyone else.

TANNER:

Most nights you wake up crying.

Never knowing why.

KATIE:

Who are you?!

He motions toward the back. Away from the people.

INT. BACK OF THE BUILDING - MOMENTS LATER

Katie and Tanner stand alone in the open doorway.

Outside, the storm smothers the empty alley.

TANNER:

We worked together on the inside.

You were on my programming team --

KATIE:

-- The inside?

TANNER:

Night City.

She stares at him like he's crazy.

KATIE:

I've never been inside.

He looks at her.

KATIE:

My synapses wouldn't connect. They

say it happens with some people.

A still silence as he's suddenly not sure he should tell

her.

KATIE:

What?

He eyes the ground. Rivulets of light reflected off the

black water.

Her voice pounds into him. Needs to know.

KATIE:

Tell me --

He grabs her arm, pulling her out into --

INT. BACK ALLEY - CONTINUOUS

Dark storm battering them as he leads her into --

INT. KINKO'S - CONTINUOUS

Antiseptic light drips down onto the newest

telecommunications toys. Salaried men and women crowd the

terminals.

Tanner leads Katie to the back. Old fashioned color Xerox

machine in the corner. He grabs a price list.

TANNER:

They took you.

Slams the paper into the machine. Punches the button.

Machine kicks out the Xerox.

TANNER:

And made a copy.

Holds up the two pieces of paper, side by side.

TANNER:

Identical. One's you. One's

digital.

KATIE:

That's not possible. No one can do

that.

TANNER:

Corporation can.

This hangs there. Katie fighting back believing.

TANNER:

That's why they told you you can't

go inside.

(beat)

They can't have you running into

her.

KATIE:

Her?

He holds up the Xerox.

TANNER:

You.

Katie stares at it, trembling, barely holding on.

CUT TO:

INT. BAR - MOMENT LATER

Tanner and Katie in the back. She's still struggling to

understand.

KATIE:

You said we were on the same

programming team.

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