Passenger 57 Page #19

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Priest turns to Marti, his hands going slack on the yoke. On his face, a sad rictus smile.

PRIEST:

Gotta go now...

Priest slumps dead across the yoke, causing the plane to go into a steep dive. Screams and pandemonium. Everyone and everything is thrown forward.

Before Marti can act, a powerful hand grabs Priest and pulls him off the yoke and out of the pilot's seat. It's Cutter. He slides behind the controls, grabs the yoke and, with a mighty effort, straightens out the plane.

MARTI:

(relieved)

Where have you been?

CUTTER:

I had to throw out the trash.

They share a smile. Then, back to the problem at hand.

MARTI:

Can you land one of these?

Cutter stares at the intimidating lights and gauges of the control console.

CUT TO:

220 INT. LAKE LUCILLE CONTROL TOWER 220

Where everyone is tensely assembled -- Frank and Nora Alien, Henderson, the FBI, police and emergency personnel. They're all glued to the windows.

FRANK:

(into the microphone)

T.P. 694, this is Lake Lucille Tower. Acknowledge. Please acknowledge.

A burst of STATIC, then...

CUTTER (V.O.)

Tower, this is Cutter.

FRANK:

(with excitement)

Cutter's got the plane!

A huge cheer goes up. But the loudest cheering comes from someone in the back of the room -- Chief Biggs. When everyone turns to look at him. Biggs scowls back.

BIGGS:

What the hell are you looking at? I'm the one who put him up there.

A burst of RADIO STATIC.

CUTTER:

Yo, guys, I hate to spoil the party but we've got a problem. I don't exactly know how to land this beast.

FRANK:

(into his headset)

Don't worry. I'm gonna talk you down. So sit back, relax and leave the driving to me. You see the four throttles to your right? Those are the thrust levers...

220A EXT. NIGHT SKY 220A

The 747 plunging through layer after layer of clouds. Down, down, down. ON the SOUNDTRACK we hear Frank Alien's calm but urgent instructions.

221 INT. 747 - FLIGHT DECK 221

Cutter, doing as Frank tells him, fighting the big bird, bringing it down. He bites his lip. Marti bites hers. We CUT FROM the fierce ROAR of the ENGINES TO...

222 thru 224 OMITTED

225 EXT. TERMINAL 225

Abolute silence. Ground crews and rescue personnel wait tensely on the tarmac, staring up at the dark sky for a sign. Then, like a miracle, a beacon light breaks through the clouds.

226 INT. 747 - FLIGHT DECK 226

THROUGH the windscreen, clouds separate majestically and the landing lights of Lake Lucille Airfield come INTO VIEW.

MARTI:

(thrilled)

Way... to... go.

CUTTER:

I just remembered.

MARTI:

What?

CUTTER:

(almost laughing)

I'm afraid to fly.

They share a smile. Cutter turns back to the controls and speaks into his headset.

CUTTER:

Let's do it.

FRANK (V.O.)

Flaps 20... now.

227 EXT. NIGHT SKY 227

The 747 drops out of the sky like a HOWLING BANSHEE.

228 EXT. RUNWAY 228

Wheels touch down on the tarmac. A TIRE BLOWS OUT as the big bird SKIDS to a stop in front of the terminal. Rescue crews rush out as the forward passenger door pops open and the chute comes down, carrying the flood of passengers.

Another sudden POP! and we...

CUT TO:

228A INT. TRANS PACIFIC BOARDROOM - CLOSE ON CHAMPAGNE - NIGHT 228A

flowing from a bottle into papercups. The cups are passed around as staff celebrates the good news. It's like a New Year's party. Sly is in the center of the merriment, being congratulated.

SLY:

Hey, I'm just the guy's friend. But okay, it's true. I taught him everything he knows.

This gets a big laugh. Sly raises his cup.

SLY:

A toast to John Cutter. May he be on board all our hi-jacked planes.

228B RAMSAY AND CALE 228B

They watch the celebration from the other side of the room.

CALE:

You'll want to drop those charges against Cutter.

RAMSAY:

Drop them? They never existed. As soon as the news crews arrive, I'm going to announce that Cutter's heading up our new anti-terrorism unit.

CALE:

(deciding)

I think it would be more appropriate if Sly made that announcement.

Ramsay looks like he's just been hit in the face with a bag of sh*t.

RAMSAY:

Sly? But he's just a Vice President...

But Ramsay can already see the future. Cale has turned away from him and is smiling in Sly's direction with fatherly fondness.

CALE:

I've always liked Sly.

228C SLY 228C

An ASSISTANT brings him a phone.

ASSISTANT:

Here's your call. Sly.

SLY:

(into the phone)

Hello?

INTERCUTTING WITH:

229 INT. LAKE LUCILLE AIRFIELD TERMINAL - NIGHT 229

Chief Biggs has one ear to a phone. He's plugging the other ear with a finger to hear above the noise of the CELEBRATION going on there in Lake Lucille.

BIGGS:

This is Chief Biggs.

SLY:

Congratulations, Chief. I can barely hear you. Where's Cutter? Put him on.

BIGGS:

I would but I can't find him. I saw him get off the plane but it seems he's disappeared.

(disappointed)

And I was gonna have him over to the house for dinner.

SLY:

Where could he go?

ON Sly's puzzled look...

CUT TO:

229A EXT. FAIRGROUNDS NIGHT 229A

It's late and there are only a few stragglers on the midway, mostly couples with their arms around each other. Cutter and Marti ENTER FRAME, happily chowing down on pecan pie. CAMERA TRACKS IN FRONT of them as they walk.

MARTI:

This pie is fantastic.

CUTTER:

(laughing)

It better be. It cost me four hundred bucks.

MARTI:

Worth every penny.

Cutter lifts his hand to brush some pie crust off Marti's face.

MARTI:

(noticing)

Lose your wedding ring?

CUTTER:

(a little sad)

I took it off. It was time.

Then Cutter sees something up ahead. He takes Marti's arm and they hurry along.

CUTTER:

Come on.

MARTI:

(when she sees where they're going)

Wait a minute. Are you sure you want to do this? After what you went through tonight...

Cutter hands some cash to a ride operator. He and Marti settle into a seat on the Ferris wheel.

CUTTER:

(happy)

After tonight...

The safety bar clangs down in front of them.

CUTTER:

... I'll have to get some new fears.

The Ferris wheel starts up. Cutter and Marti are lifted into the dazzling night sky.

MUSIC UP and ROLL CREDITS. When the CREDITS are over...

CUT TO:

230 EXT. LOUISIANA DELTA - DAY 230

Water laps against a barren, sandy shore. In the wet sand we see footprints leading into the surrounding tall grass. ON the SOUNDTRACK, somebody begins to whistle "PACK UP YOUR TROUBLES."

FADE OUT.

THE END:

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