Metropolis Page #2

INT. VSI CORPORATE BUILDINGS - CONTINUOUS

Halden leads Tanner down the long hall.

Dex, who has traded his dark "assassin's" suit for a VSI

standard issue gray pin-stripe, stands waiting for them.

He keeps his eyes on Halden, as if Tanner wasn't even

there.

DEX:

We just tracked the runner to the

hotel district.

Halden nods as all three of them head into --

INT. CONTROL ROOM

Long rows of programming consoles manned by engineers

wearing wireless 'tele-com' headsets.

Dex directs Halden's attention to one of the high-def

monitors lining the walls. The monitor showing --

INT. SAVOY HOTEL ROOM

Rock music pounds the room as silver confetti drops from

the ceiling.

A KID, sixteen at most, watches excitedly from the bed as

the two Playmates, Barbie-Doll bodies, slow-dance a

striptease.

INT. CONTROL ROOM

Dex finally acknowledges Tanner's presence.

DEX:

Still going through puberty and he

shreds your maze.

(hard)

That's gotta hurt.

Tanner remains silent. Eyes locked on the monitor as

Halden turns to EMMA, VSI's senior security engineer.

HALDEN:

Get some internal police there.

Tell them to run a perimeter.

TANNER:

But have them wait for me 'till they

move in on him.

Halden turns, shooting him a surprised look. But Tanner

ignores it as he heads for the door.

Dex goes to stop him, but something in Tanner's eyes makes

him think twice about it.

A frozen beat, then Halden snaps a silent command to Dex

to let Tanner go.

CUT TO:

INT. INTERFACE ROOM - MOMENTS LATER

Rows and rows of unconscious bodies strapped to interface

seats, the room looks like a warehouse full of people in

comas.

Tanner climbs into an interface seat as a TECHNICIAN

wheels up his medi-cart and starts preparing an IV.

TANNER:

Shouldn't be in that long.

The technician shrugs, returns the IV to his cart and

starts hooking Tanner to a bio-monitor.

Dex strides into the room, staring down at Tanner.

DEX:

Been a while since you've been

inside.

(off Tanner's

silence)

Going to look up old friends?

Tanner meets Dex's stare. A deadly exchange.

DEX:

(grins)

You know she asks about you all the

time --

Tanner plunges his finger into the CONNECT BOX, his eyes

thrusting back in his head, body going slack.

INT. THE NET - CONTINUOUS

Cool silent blackness of the void.

Eternal stretch of nothingness.

Then the blink of a light racing toward us.

Colors so intense you can feel their heat.

DISEMBODIED VOICE (O.S.)

Destination?

TANNER'S DISEMBODIED VOICE (O.S.)

Hotel district.

The faintest sounds can be heard. Almost sounds like

music.

DISEMBODIED VOICE (O.S.)

Security clearance approved.

Welcome Tanner. Enjoy your stay.

Dropping down. Into the lights. Embraced by the colors.

CUT TO:

EXT. NIGHT CITY

It's as if someone took the best parts of the world's

night spots and put them together in one neon-drenched

city.

Only this is the digital world.

Picture-perfect architecture. No pollution or decay. And

colors that are just a little bit more vibrant than the

real world.

Music pounds the air as crowds of people roam the streets,

exploring the countless pubs, casinos and night clubs.

EXT. NIGHT CITY - HOTEL DISTRICT - CONTINUOUS

Tanner heads down a street lined with some of the world's

most famous hotels.

Unlike the partying people all around him, Tanner is all

business, staring straight ahead with laser-like

intensity.

EXT. THE SAVOY

A group of INTERNAL COPS wearing tele-com's and Night City

Police uniforms, stand huddled in the shadows across from

The Savoy.

The SERGEANT greets Tanner with a curt nod.

SERGEANT:

Corp must really want this guy to

have sent the legend himself.

TANNER:

Just didn't want you boys having all

the fun.

The sergeant gives the signal. The cops fan out.

INT. NIGHT CITY - VIRTUAL HOTEL ROOM

The kid's still on the bed, sucking down a beer. One of

the Playmates leans over, lets him unhook her bra.

He smiles at her overly perfect body.

She bites her lip in staged ecstasy, tracing her fingers

down his chest, pulling at his belt as --

The door burst open. The cops and Tanner rush inside.

The kid flies off the bed.

A cop tries to grab him, only the kid grabs a chair and

SMASHES it hard into the cop's face, dropping him hard to

the floor --

INT. VSI CORPORATE BUILDING - INTERFACE ROOM

The cop's real body lies strapped to an interface seat,

twitching as the pain sears through his consciousness --

INT. NIGHT CITY - HOTEL ROOM - CONTINUOUS

The other cops ready to charge, but Tanner gets in front

of them, freezing the kid with a look.

TANNER:

Look, we're going to trace you.

The confetti still swirling through the room.

TANNER:

So be smart about this --

KID:

-- You're the big man. Big f***ing

cop.

He laughs as he makes an imaginary 'gun' with his fingers

and points it at Tanner --

KID:

No guns on the system. That's how

it's programmed, right?

(pulls the 'trigger')

So what are you going to do, huh big

cop? Can't shoot me.

TANNER:

Look, I know you didn't run it. You

had keys.

Kid shakes his head, full of bravado.

KID:

That maze's nothing. I could run it

blind on a sixty-meg board.

SERGEANT (INTO TELE-COM)

(whispers)

This is a waste of time. How about

a little encouragement?

INT. VSI CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS - CONTROL ROOM

Everyone in the room watching the scene playing out in the

hotel.

EMMA (INTO TELE-COM)

Here's something which ought to help

him talk --

Her fingers race over the console.

INT. NIGHT CITY - HOTEL ROOM

Tanner still has the kid pinned with his stare.

TANNER:

Fine, you ran it. That's felony

system fraud. Gets you thirty

years.

(lets that sink-in)

Or you tell us where you got the

keys and we start talking a deal.

Kid's eyes reveal he's thinking this one through, only --

A huge DOBERMAN explodes through the window.

Insane growl, deadly stare, rocketing for the Kid, who

freaks, throwing one of the Virtual Playmates into its

path --

Powerful claws rips through her, flinging her against the

wall. She lies there shredded, but for some reason, not

bleeding.

Kid throws himself out the window. Doberman flies after

him, with Tanner just a heartbeat behind.

EXT. THE SAVOY

The kid races down the crowded street with the Doberman

chasing after him.

TANNER (INTO TELE-COM)

(yells)

Lose the God-Damn dog!

A couple crosses the street, getting between the kid and

the dog --

INT. VSI CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS - CONTROL ROOM

Emma slams in the commands --

EXT. NIGHT CITY - STREET

The Doberman about to tear through the couple, but

flickers, then disappears.

INT. NIGHT CITY - CASINO - CONTINUOUS

Slightly featureless waiters and waitresses deliver

drinks. On stage, a young Billy Holiday belts out a

soulful blues tune.

The kid tears through the room.

EXT. CASINO - CONTINUOUS

The cops rush into the casino. But Tanner stays on the

street, racing around the side of the building.

INT. VSI CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS - CONTROL ROOM

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