Metropolis Page #17

A program explodes. The program that controls the

waiters.

The guards who are reprogrammed waiters disappear.

Tanner fires into another program.

The guards who are reprogrammed busboys disappear.

Tanner keeps firing. Destroying the employee programs.

INT. STAIRS

The last of the guards flicker, then are gone.

Dex is the only one left on the stairs as he races up to

the catwalk.

INT. GROUND FLOOR

Christoph stares up as Tanner rips open the core program

and throws in the access card.

FIFTH FLOOR CATWALK

Data whips across the screen, reflecting off Tanner's

face.

Tanner suddenly spins.

Dex is up on the catwalk, laser trained on Tanner.

Tanner reaches for his gun, but he is too late.

The HISSING of a laser.

Small neat hole burned through Dex's forehead.

He crumples to the ground, bloodless face frozen in death.

Tanner whirls around. Katie stands behind him, laser in

hand. She is staring at Dex's body. First time she has

killed.

A buzzing breaks the silence --

DISEMBODIED VOICE (FROM PROGRAM)

Access approved --

GROUND FLOOR:

Christoph yells up at Tanner --

CHRISTOPH:

One thing you need to know!

(beat)

There is no Katie out there!

(intense)

Halden really did have her killed.

(explains)

That's why the digital one is

allowed to stay in here --

CATWALK:

Christoph's warning echoing around Tanner and Katie.

She slowly lowers the gun, her eyes shaking as she looks

up at Tanner.

An anguished silence, broken by Christoph's yelling --

CHRISTOPH'S VOICE (O.S.)

You hear me, Tanner?! She only

lives in here!

Katie stares at Tanner, struggling for the words, but they

won't come.

So she leans over and kisses him. Both of their bodies

trembling.

KATIE:

(tortured whisper)

I'm already dead...

Her eyes wet, she kisses him again, knowing it will be the

last time.

He forces himself to turn back to the program panel,

slamming in the eject sequence.

Christoph materializes on the catwalk --

CHRISTOPH:

NO --

He hurls Tanner away from the program panel. Only he's

too late --

That god-awful noise. Louder and louder.

Christoph's face wracked with realization. Last thing he

will do is turn to Tanner --

CHRISTOPH:

Life is too precious --

The Nexus Center's walls fade away --

EXT. NIGHT CITY - STREETS - CONTINUOUS

The buildings are all gone.

The LIGHT sweeps down for the people --

INT. NEXUS CENTER - CONTINUOUS

Katie's eyes locked on Tanner.

The light explodes through, ripping them all into

nothingness --

INT. THE NET - DARKNESS

Tanner is thrown out into the darkness, spinning

helplessly through the blackness.

The faintest of light. Growing brighter and brighter,

as --

CUT TO:

INT. VSI CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS - INTERFACE ROOM

Tanner's eyes flutter open, struggling for focus.

Several blurry shapes. Tanner pushes himself to sit.

The shapes are people. Halden's bodyguards. One of them

grabs the disk from the chair's interface.

TANNER:

I need to see Halden --

WOMAN'S VOICE (O.S.)

-- I'm sorry.

Tanner turns. It is EMMA. She looks tortured by what she

must do.

EMMA:

He's not taking visitors.

She motions to the bodyguards, who hustle Tanner to his

feet and out the door.

EXT. STREET - MOMENTS LATER

The rain has slowed to a drizzle. A mud gray day.

Emma wishes she didn't have to be the one who had to do

this.

EMMA:

F.C.O. regulations require all

system providers to test their

emergency eject sequence at least

once a year.

(quietly)

Our records will show that's exactly

what transpired.

Before Tanner can respond, she disappears back inside.

The sidewalk's crowded, people brushing against Tanner,

but he stands there not moving, staring up at the top of

the building.

CUT TO:

INT. VSI BUILDING - HALDEN'S OFFICE - MOMENTS LATER

Halden sits behind his desk staring out the window.

Emma heads inside, laying the disk on the desk.

Halden's eyes remain silently out the window.

Emma leaves, shutting the door behind her.

Halden looks down at the disk. Smallest flicker of guilt.

CUT TO:

EXT. HELL'S KITCHEN - WAREHOUSE - THAT DAY

A beat-up taxi drops Tanner out front.

INT. TANNER'S LOFT - CONTINUOUS

The place is dark. Tanner hits the switch.

The monitor snaps alive, bathing the room in eerie blue

light.

TANNER:

Display program received from

uplink.

Clicking sound as the program drips down the screen.

TANNER:

Program name?

SYNTHETIC VOICE:

Resurrection.

Tanner nods, making himself a drink.

TANNER:

Connect to public access.

SYNTHETIC VOICE:

(buzzes)

Access established.

TANNER:

Select uplink for Federal

Communications Office. Department

of Enforcement.

SYNTHETIC VOICE:

(beat)

Uplink selected.

Tanner settles into a chair, taking a hit of his drink.

TANNER:

Uplink Resurrection program.

Tanner sits there in the darkness listening to the

machines talking to each other.

SYNTHETIC VOICE:

(buzzes)

Uplink received.

He nods, a flutter of satisfaction.

A NOISE from the bedroom. Sounds like a woman's voice

calling out for him.

He downs the drink, grabbing his gun and moving into --

INT. BEDROOM

It is empty. The noise is just the wind howling against

the window.

He stares at the bed. Several long beats. He doesn't

move.

CUT TO:

INT. VSI TIMES SQUARE - INTERFACE CENTER - THAT DAY

The aftermath of the system being ejected.

VSI interface attendants passing out credit vouchers as

fast as they can to the crush of complaining customers.

Tanner squeezes his way inside.

His eyes spinning to the back toward Katie, but she's not

there.

He moves through the crowd trying to find her. Finally

makes his way to the front desk.

TANNER:

I'm looking for Katie Hall.

The SECURITY GUARD at the desk looks at him like he's

crazy.

SECURITY GUARD:

You expect me to find someone in

this crowd --

TANNER:

-- Not a customer. An employee.

SECURITY GUARD:

(shakes his head)

No Katie works here.

TANNER:

Are you sure?

SECURITY GUARD:

I've been here since we opened.

Never been a Katie.

Long beat. Realization ripping through Tanner.

He stands there frozen for several dark moments. Then

finally turns and heads out the door.

Almost outside when he hears the voice.

He spins.

Katie.

In the back, passing out vouchers. But then the crowd

shifts, blocking his view.

He cuts a path to her, his eyes tense, was he imagining

her?

But he's now standing right next to her. Can feel her

breath.

KATIE:

Can I please have your debit card.

He's staring at her. Fierce intensity.

KATIE:

Sir, your debit --

He looks down at her name tag. It reads 'Katherine'. He

nods, of course.

TANNER:

They changed your name.

KATHERINE:

Who did?

He stares at her, needs to know. He reaches out with

lightning speed and plucks off her name tag.

Before she can react, he grabs her arm, nicking it with

the pin from the name tag.

She spins, yelling to the security guard --

KATHERINE:

FRANK --

The security guard, Frank, hurries over.

Tanner watches her arm. Thin ribbon of blood rising to

the cut. Flicker of relief shudders through him.

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