Pitch Black Page #7

Her. She flies back into the spire. Something's still got the

chain.

The others grab at flailing limbs. It's a tug-of-war now, human

hands on one end, unseen "hands" on the other -- and the humans

are losing. Until...

Imam unsheathes his blade...

And slices through Fry's belt.

INT. SPIRE - DAY

As the chain falls down the spire. Without Fry.

INT./EXT. CRASH SHIP - DAY

FAST SHOTS:
Survivors packing up O2, liquor, umbrellas, the

Koran -- whatever qualifies as "essential" on this planet. Amid

the activity, Audrey pauses to look at...

The spired hills.

INT. BATTERY BAY - CRASH SHIP - DAY

Fry and Imam pull a power cell from the ship's battery bay,

THUMPING it down on the deck.

IMAM:

One is all?

FRY:

For now.

INT. CARGO HOLD - DAY

At his personal locker, Johns digs out a box of shotgun shells.

He bypasses the blue-metal shells for a red-metal one. There's

something special about it -- though what, we can't be sure.

INT. MAIN CABIN - CRASH SHIP - DAY

A shadow falls over Riddick. He doesn't look up.

RIDDICK:

Found somethin' worse than me, huh?

JOHNS:

We're movin'. And I'm just wondering if

I shouldn't lighten the load right now.

Now their eyes meet. Johns RATCHETS HIS SHOTGUN and points it

at Riddick's head.

RIDDICK:

Woof, woof.

The SHOTGUN EXPLODES. CAMERA PANS off of Johns to show

Riddick still alive. The shotgun discharged next to his head and

blew off his wrist chains.

JOHNS:

Want you to remember this moment, Riddick.

The way it coulda gone and didn't.

RIDDICK:

(deaf)

Say that again.

JOHNS:

Here's the deal. You work without the

chains, without the bit -- without the

shivs. You help us get off this rock....

RIDDICK:

For what? The honor of goin' back to some

a**hole of a cell?

JOHNS:

Truth is, Riddick, I'm tired of this

head-up sh*t. I wanna be free of you as

much as you wanna be free of me.

A beat. The future rearranges in Riddick's head.

RIDDICK:

You'd cut me loose, Boss?

JOHNS:

Only if we both get outta this alive.

And there may be a way.

He offers a hand to help Riddick up, to seal the deal.

RIDDICK:

(staring at hand)

My recommendation: Do me. Don't take

the chance that I'll get shiv-happy on

your wannabe ass. Ghost me, Riddick.

Would if I were you.

JOHNS:

If you were me, I'd kill us both. C'mon,

you wanna sit at the grown-up table or not?

A beat. Riddick reaches out for the hand -- and grabs the

shotgun with his off-hand. A blur of movement. Suddenly Johns

is staring at the eyes of his own shotgun.

RIDDICK:

Want you to remember this moment.

He pumps shotgun, spitting blue shells over Johns. He drops the

emptied gun and walks away.

EXT. PLANET - DAY

EXTREMELY WIDE:
Blue sun setting, yellow and red sun rising.

The survivors trek for the settlement. Fry and Imam lug the

power cell between them, but the real load is shouldered by...

Riddick. Promoted from murderous monster to beast of burden,

he tows a drag-sled heavy with cargo.

PARIS:

(to Johns)

So just like that. Wave your little wand

and he's one of us now.

JOHNS:

Didn't say that. But least this way I

don't have to worry about falling asleep

and not wakin' up.

IMAM:

Well, I feel we owe Mr. Riddick amends.

SHAZZA:

Oh, right. Let's all line up and beg his

forgiveness. Right you are.

IMAM:

At least give the man some oxygen....

JOHNS:

He's happy just bein' vertical. Leave him

be.

AUDREY:

So I can talk to him now?

JOHNS/SHAZZA

(in unison)

No.

Paris drops a wine bottle. Trailing, Riddick collects it.

PARIS:

Paris P. Ogilvie. Antiquities dealer,

entrepreneur.

RIDDICK:

(shaking hands)

Richard B. Riddick. Escaped convict,

murderer.

Instead of returning the bottle, Riddick opens it and drinks.

Paris hurries to catch up to the others.

PARIS:

You know, if I owned Hell and this

planet...I believe I'd rent this out and

live in Hell.

EXT. THE GAUNTLET - DAY

FRY'S POV:
Of spires high above us.

The group falls silent as they transit the canyon, all eyes on

the spires. Fry stops short, hearing...

CLICKITY-CLICK.

Neck hairs rise -- but soon the sound vanishes. The group starts

moving again, faster.

CLICKITY-CLICKITY-CLICK.

Are they being stalked? Nervously, Fry traces the sound back

to...

Beads dangling from the belt of Pilgrim #1. Whenever he moves,

the STRINGS CLACK together.

EXT. SKIFF - DAY

PARIS:

I mean, usually I can appreciate antiques,

but, uh....

The survivors have reached the settlement. Fry is trying to get

the power cell aboard the skiff as the others walk its exterior.

JOHNS:

Little ratty-ass.

FRY:

Nothing we can't repair -- so long as the

electrical adapts.

SHAZZA:

Not a star-jumper.

RIDDICK:

Doesn't need to be. Use this to get back

up to the Sol-Track Shipping Lanes, stick

out a thumb. You'll get picked up.

(to Fry)

Right?

Fry looks from Riddick to Johns. "How did he know that?"

FRY:

Little help here?

They muscle the power cell aboard. Riddick starts to follow, but

Johns blocks. He doesn't want Riddick inside.

JOHNS:

Check those containers for me. See what

we can patch wings with.

EXT. SETTLEMENT - DAY

With religious fervor, the Chrislams are repairing the moisture-

recovery unit -- the machine Allah led them to.

INT. SKIFF - DAY

START on the battery bay. Hands are adapting the power cell to

the skiffs older electrical system. Soon...

Lights wink on throughout the ship.

FRY:

Okay, that should buy us a sys-check.

But we'll need more cells.

JOHNS:

How many?

FRY:

15 6-gigs here...90 gigs total...other

ship carries 20-gig cells, so...five.

Five total to launch.

JOHNS:

25 kilos each, huh?

SHAZZA:

Old sand-cat outside. See if I can't get

it up and chuggin'.

JOHNS:

Do it. And if you need an extra hand,

tap our problem child out....

(looking out)

Where's Riddick?

EXT. SETTLEMENT - DAY

He's walking the ghost town, finding dead gardens...upended

chairs and furniture...broken skylights. Behind his back...

Audrey and Pilgrim #3 (the youngest Chrislam) scurry through

FRAME, stalking this curious monster in their midst.

EXT. MOISTURE-RECOVERY UNIT - SETTLEMENT - DAY

CLOSE on the other Chrislams, faces charged with anticipation

while awaiting...

The first drop of water. It appears at the bottom of a pipette.

Tongues fight for it. Another drop forms in its place. Now

another and another. It brings CHEERS.

INT. MAIN ROOM - SETTLEMENT - DAY

CLOSE on Paris' hands. Getting ready to celebrate, he unwraps

crystal goblets...dusts off the refectory table...and rehangs an

old Christmas garland. INTERCUT WITH...

EXT. CORING ROOM - SETTLEMENT - DAY

Hands digging in dirt.

Covertly, Audrey and Pilgrim #3 watch Riddick digging near the

entrance of a tall windowless structure.

He excavates a pair of broken eyeglasses... a shattered light...

and a child's tin robot, timeless. Riddick thumbs a solar panel

clean. The robot's language program warbles to life:

ROBOT:

"...to all intruders. I am the guardian

of this land. I will protect my masters

at all cost. Death to all intruders..."

Riddick stands and tries the doors. Locked. He peers through a

small filthy window. Is there something moving inside? Nothing

now. Riddick removes some windblown trash from a doorside sign.

"Coring Room."

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