Metropolis Page #4

CUT TO:

INT. NIGHT CITY - BLUES BAR - A LITTLE LATER

The crowded joint watching as the late blues legend

'Howling Wolf', lets lose on stage.

Tanner finds a spot at the bar and orders a drink, his

eyes still dark with memories.

The drink arrives. As Tanner picks it up, a drop of blood

falls from his chin, crimson spot smearing through the

amber liquid.

WOMAN'S VOICE (O.S.)

It's good luck. Means your real.

Tanner looks next to him at --

GENA, sexy, chatty, sense of longing. She motions to the

employees.

GENA:

The programs don't bleed.

Tanner nods, waits a polite beat, then turns back around,

taking a hit of his drink, but she's still talking to him.

GENA:

Where you plugged-in from?

TANNER:

(beat)

New York.

GENA:

I'm South Dakota.

She sips from her drink, eyes still on Tanner.

GENA:

That's what you gotta love about

this place. Drink whatever you

want, your real body doesn't gain an

once.

(beat)

But you wanna know what's a drag?

He drains his drink and motions for a refill.

TANNER:

What?

GENA:

The weather.

EXT. THE BAR - CONTINUOUS

Christoph stands outside, watching them through the

window.

INT. BAR

Gena leans in toward Tanner.

GENA:

Always a warm summer night. Which

is a shame, because there's nothing

like making love in the rain.

(flirty)

Don't you agree?

He looks at her, not sure how to respond. She reads the

silence.

GENA:

(disappointed)

What's her name?

TANNER:

Who?

GENA:

The woman you're stuck on.

TANNER:

(quiet)

There is no --

His tele-com buzzing, then Emma's voice in his ear.

EMMA'S VOICE (FROM TELE-COM)

Nailed the trace. Kid's in Memphis.

Tanner talks into the tele-com.

TANNER (INTO TELE-COM)

Good, kick him out.

EMMA'S VOICE (FROM TELE-COM)

You sure? We can handle collection.

CUT TO:

INT. VSI CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS - CONTROL ROOM

Emma is watching Tanner and Gena on a monitor.

EMMA (INTO TELE-COM)

I mean, I don't want to interrupt

anything --

TANNER'S VOICE (FROM TELE-COM)

-- You're not. Kick me out.

Emma shrugs, turns to the console.

CUT TO:

INT. NIGHT CITY - BAR

Tanner motions the bartender to refill Gena's drink,

tossing down credit to cover it.

TANNER:

Take care.

GENA:

Take care? Where the hell are you

going --

He flickers, then disappears into --

INT. THE NET - DARKNESS

The last thing Tanner sees is Gena's insulted face

blurring into the swerve of lights bending into each other

as --

Tanner is pulled out into the blackness of the net.

Eternal silence. Finally --

A shaft of light slices the darkness.

Eerie green glow, the echoing sound of an electronic

heartbeat.

Struggling to make out images. A line smearing up and

down.

INT. VSI CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS - INTERFACE ROOM

Tanner blinking back to consciousness. The weaving line

is on the bio-monitor tracking his vitals.

A bored technician unplugs him from the monitor.

MEDICAL TECHNICIAN

Just lay there a few minutes.

But Tanner forces himself to get up. His chin shows no

sign of the wound received in the digital world.

He looks around groggily at the sea of motionless people

plugged into the system. Place feels like a morgue.

CUT TO:

EXT. NIGHT CITY - BAR - CONTINUOUS

Christoph moves straight for the now-empty seat next to

Gena.

CUT TO:

INT. HOUSE - DAWN

First light streaks peacefully through the windows.

The place is sparsely furnished. Empty beer kegs are used

as chairs and textbooks lie scattered about.

The stillness is shattered as --

The front door explodes open --

Heavily armored MEMPHIS SWAT TEAM rushing in, along with

Dex and a couple of VSI security guys --

Weapons drawn, everybody's dead serious.

Tanner follows them in, watching as they rip through the

place, kicking in doors, searching everything, until

finally --

SWAT TEAM AGENT'S VOICE (O.S.)

(from basement)

Down here!

Everyone rushes down into --

INT. BASEMENT

The kid lies unconscious on a cot, his fingers stuck in a

connect-box wired to an old laptop computer.

Swat team leader starts to pull the kid up off the cot,

but Dex's hand shoots out, stopping him --

DEX:

Bad idea.

Dex whips a mini-cell phone from his pocket. Swat leader

turns a confused eye to Tanner.

TANNER:

Pull him off the system before he's

ejected and he goes brain dead.

DEX (INTO MOBILE PHONE)

We got him. Kick him lose.

CUT TO:

INT. NIGHT CITY - HOLDING CELL - CONTINUOUS

The kid is sitting in the middle of a black cube. He

suddenly flickers, then disappears --

CUT TO:

INT. MEMPHIS HOUSE - BASEMENT

The kid's body twitches. Eyes fluttering open. First

impulse is to run, but as his focus sharpens --

A wall of laser guns trained on his face.

CUT TO:

INT. NIGHT CITY - BAR

Christoph settles into the seat next to Gena. He orders a

drink, then turns his attention to her.

CHRISTOPH:

Might I interest you in a question?

She turns, gives him the once over, then flashes him a

playful smile.

GENA:

As long as it's not 'what's your

sign?'

CHRISTOPH:

If you could meet God, what would

you say to him?

She stares at him. He's serious.

GENA:

That's a strange question. You a

strange man?

CHRISTOPH:

There you are, sitting next to the

creator, what do you say?

GENA:

(amazed laugh)

This is how you pick up women --

CHRISTOPH:

-- No.

The intensity in his stare unsettles her. But something

about it keeps her from moving away. She looks at him,

shrugging.

GENA:

I'd probably say something like

why'd you let the world get so

f***ed-up?

He nods, eyes aching with compassion.

CHRISTOPH:

Your life that bad?

GENA:

No, not me, I've been lucky. But

I've seen what happens to other

people --

CHRISTOPH:

-- If your life's so good up there

Gena, what are you doing down here?

She stares at him.

GENA:

How'd you know my name?

His drink arrives as he calmly meets her stare.

CHRISTOPH:

Do you believe in miracles?

GENA:

I'm serious, how did you know my

name?

He smiles, dangerous charm.

CHRISTOPH:

(toasting)

To miracles.

She's still staring at him, not exactly sure what to make

of this guy, but intrigued enough to join him in the

toast.

CUT TO:

EXT. MANHATTAN SKY - A LITTLE LATER

The storm has finally arrived. The jet-copter slashing

through the dark rain.

INT. JET-COPTER

Tanner is holed up in the back with the kid's laptop

computer. Programs racing down the screen.

He stops on a program, eyes blazing in vindication.

CUT TO:

EXT. NIGHT CITY - THE TERRACE - CONTINUOUS

Flawless gothic architecture complete with Gargoyles

growing down from the roof.

The building is dark and seemingly empty save for the

outdoor glass elevator climbing up its side.

INT. OUTDOOR GLASS ELEVATOR - CONTINUOUS

Gena and Christoph stand next to each other in the

elevator, staring down through the window at the fireworks

raining over --

EXT. THE TIVOLI

Night City's digital carnival.

A roller coaster with no track, cars rocketing through

thin air over a merry-go-around with real horses.

The carnival is surrounded by The Track, where people race

Ferrari's at full speed.

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