Metropolis Page #16

The fireworks from the carnival raining down overhead.

Nobody noticing the small clouds creeping in over the

horizon.

EXT. THE TERRACE - ROOF - CONTINUOUS

Tanner stares out at the slowly approaching clouds.

Tormented realization tearing at his face.

EXT. GLASS ELEVATOR - MOMENTS LATER

Tanner rides the elevator down the side of the building.

He watches through the window as more clouds drift

overhead.

The elevator glides to a stop, depositing Tanner out

onto --

EXT. STREET - CONTINUOUS

He heads out into the middle of the street.

Huge explosions tear apart the darkness as the fireworks

boom across the sky.

In the quick bursts of light Tanner can see the clouds are

getting darker and darker.

The air filled with the screams of people riding the

digital roller coaster.

The first drops of rain beginning to swirl lazily to the

ground.

People stopping what they're doing and staring up into the

sky. Stunned that it's actually raining.

Tanner instinctively pushing through the crowd, yelling --

TANNER:

Get inside! Get back inside!

But no one paying him any attention.

The rain coming down harder now.

More and more people pouring out onto the streets as word

begins to circulate that it's raining.

INT. NEXUS CENTER - CONTINUOUS

Dex and Christoph stand silently in front of a program

panel, watching the monitor across the room which shows --

EXT. NIGHT CITY - STREETS - CONTINUOUS

Tanner is still fighting his way through the crowd.

Up above, the fireworks explode in the rain, creating

prisms of flickering color.

Tanner suddenly freezes. Sees --

Katie across the street. She is watching him. Tears in

her eyes.

And then it happens.

A horrific SOUND roars across the sky.

Hard to tell if it's thunder or laughter, as --

The clouds unleash their rage.

The storm ripping apart the night. Rain as thick as

steel.

Knocking people to their knees. Struggling to stand.

And it keeps coming. Slamming down harder and harder.

Threatening to wash the whole damn city away.

INT. NEXUS CENTER - CONTINUOUS

Christoph pulls his eyes away from the monitor.

A long beat, then he silently nods to Dex, who punches the

commands into the program panel.

Christoph keeps his stare away from the monitor, not

wanting to watch as --

EXT. NIGHT CITY - STREETS - CONTINUOUS

The savage rain storm continues as a small burst of fire

falls from the sky.

The flames swirl through the rain.

Tanner, like the crowds all around him, is pinned to the

ground by the crush of water.

The balls of flames burn right through him --

His body convulsing on the ground in anguished pain --

He is probably screaming, but it would be in vain as the

storm drowns out all noise --

CUT TO:

EXT. CHICAGO STREET - DAWN

A peaceful street in the downtown area, dominated by VSI's

Chicago Public Interface Center.

INT. CHICAGO INTERFACE CENTER - CONTINUOUS

Rows and rows of people strapped unconscious to interface

seats.

An alarm pierces the room.

A Medical Technician rushes to the sound, sweeping a

curtain around the person. Takes one look down at the

person, and --

MEDICAL TECHNICIAN

(yelling)

I need help here!

The bulking man in the interface seat is in the throes of

violent spasms, his eyes thrust dangerously back in his

head.

Then mercifully, it's over. He flatlines.

CUT TO:

EXT. NIGHT CITY - STREET - CONTINUOUS

Tanner struggles to his feet, the rain crashing down on

him.

He fights his way over to Katie --

Flames now falling from every square inch of sky.

A solid blanket of death floating down onto the city.

Tanner locks eyes with Katie, screaming as loud as he

can --

TANNER:

Christoph as God!

It is impossible to tell if she can hear him over the

howling tempest.

But there is the slightest shift in her face. Some

tortured realization.

Tanner turns back into the street.

The flames drifting down through the rain. Only

heartbeats away from hitting the people.

Tanner stares straight up into the heavens, screaming --

TANNER:

Enough! They will not die --

INT. NEXUS - CONTINUOUS

Relief spills through Christoph's face as he turns to the

program panel and throws in the commands for --

EXT. NIGHT CITY - STREETS

The flames disappear. Just like that.

Then the storm stops.

A silent stillness.

The crowds in the street still shaking, not yet willing to

believe it's really over.

The first glint of light as the night fades.

For the first time ever, the sun rises over the Night

City. Dawn in the new world.

Tanner and Katie flicker, then fade away.

INT. NEXUS CENTER - CONTINUOUS

Tanner and Katie materialize on the --

FIFTH FLOOR CATWALK

They are flanked by Christoph and Dex, along with an army

of armed digital employees.

Katie silently stares at Tanner. Something being

communicated.

Christoph smiles at Tanner.

CHRISTOPH:

And Moses said, 'Who am I, that I

should lead them to the Promise

Land?'

Tanner turns and stares at him in steely silence.

CHRISTOPH:

Nine minutes before the system

crashes.

Tanner's eyes reflexively spin down the catwalk toward the

core program.

Christoph holds up the access card --

CHRISTOPH:

You don't have access to it. You

can't eject.

(dead serious)

So the only way everybody lives is

out on the net.

Tanner catches a quick glimpse of Katie as she slips

through the guards and down the stairs.

Dex motions to the program panel in front of Tanner.

DEX:

This program interface will get you

into the maze.

The longest beat. Then Tanner nods.

FOURTH FLOOR CATWALK

Katie rushes to a program panel and throws it open,

punching in commands. Data whips across the screen.

FIFTH FLOOR CATWALK

Christoph hands the access card to Dex who in turn slides

it into the program panel in front of Tanner.

Several long beats, then the program buzzes.

DISEMBODIED VOICE (FROM PROGRAM)

Access approved.

Dex pulls out the card as Tanner calls out --

TANNER:

Now --

His hands rocket out with blurring speed. One hand

grabbing the card as the other grasps onto the program

panel --

FOURTH FLOOR CATWALK

Katie slams in the last of the commands --

FIFTH FLOOR CATWALK

The catwalk flickers, then disappears.

Christoph, Dex, and the digital employees plunging down

through thin air.

Tanner hanging onto the panel --

FOURTH FLOOR CATWALK

Katie punches in more commands and now --

FIFTH FLOOR CATWALK

The catwalk reappears.

GROUND FLOOR:

Christoph, Dex, and the men crash hard to the ground.

FIFTH FLOOR CATWALK

Tanner races down the catwalk to a program panel. He

throws in the access card.

GROUND FLOOR:

Christoph is the first one to his feet. His eyes spin up

to Tanner on the catwalk.

CHRISTOPH:

(bellows)

KILL HIM --

The army of digital guards springing to their feet, lasers

drawn.

FIFTH FLOOR CATWALK

Tanner slams in the last of the commands, causing --

A LASER CANNON to materialize next to him.

STAIRS:

The guards charging for Tanner. There's too many of them.

He'll never kill them all.

FIFTH FLOOR CATWALK

Tanner aims the cannon down onto the second floor and

FIRES --

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