Starship Troopers Page #16

JOHNNY:

Yes, sir !

RASCZAK:

Who's that with you ?

Dizzy shows herself, grinning.

RASCZAK:

Report in ten minutes.

Rasczak slams the door shut on them. They fall back into one anothers arms,

laughing as they resume lovemaking.

DIZZY:

Planet P ? What kind of name is that ?

JOHNNY:

They ran out of names a long time

ago in this part of the galaxy.

133EXTPLANET P - BAD LANDS - DAY - THE ROUGHNECKS

move through canyons of towering wind-carved rock formations.

Gillespie carries the communications package.

GILLESPIE:

I don't understand it, Lieutenant.

It's not getting anything from 4th

Brigade...

not even their transponder.

RASCZAK:

Keep trying, Sergeant.

134EXTCANYON FLOOR - CONTINUING - DAY - THE ROUGHNECKS

walk in a column far below. Something is watching from the above... HOPPERS,

lots of them, moving from rock to rock for better position.

135EXTCANYON FLOOR - CONTINUING - DAY - ACE

sees something out of the corner of his eye.

JOHNNY:

BUGS...!

The hoppers hit. Several Roughnecks go down. Everyone opens up.

Dive-bombing bugs are blown to bits. Roughnecks set them on fire

when they hit the ground.

DIZZY:

Johnny, watch out !

A burning bug hurls itself at Johnny. Johnny jumps out of the way as

Dizzy fires, blowing it apart. The deadly hoppers seem to be everywhere

above them in the rocks.

RASCZAK:

LET'S GO ! ON THE BOUNCE !

136EXTFLAT LANDS - DAY - THE ROUGHNECKS

move out into the open. In the distance they see 4th Brigade HQ, a walled

compound and partially constructed landing pad.

RASCZAK:

Gillespie, put in call for retrieval.

We're off this rock.

Gillespie, do you read me ?

GILLESPIE:

AAAAAAAAAAA !

Two hoppers are pulling Gillespie up into the rocks where other bugs

join to feast.

RASCZAK:

Throw a rifle !

Dizzy tosses her Morita to Rasczak. Gillespie writhes in the hopper's

claws. Rasczak fires, killing Gillespie.

RASCZAK:

I expext any one here to do the same

for me... Rico, Watkins, Flores, Levy

prepare for rear guard action. The rest

of you make for 4th Brigade.

Johnny and the others cover the Roughneck retreat as hoppers soar down

on the flat lands from the canyon walls.

RASCZAK:

FIRE...!

Johnny and the others blast bugs out of the air.

RASCZAK:

FALL BACK 100 METERS...!

A second wave of hoppers come in.

RASCZAK:

AND FIRE...!

For now, the sky is clear.

RASCZAK:

4TH BRIGADE HQ ! ON THE BOUNCE !

137EXT4TH BRIGADE HQ - DAY - THE OUTPOST

is 50 meters by 100, standard issue pre-fab. The Roughnecks land on the

compound wall. Inside, WORKER BUGS graze on the remains of 200

dead cap troopers strewn over the complex.

RASCZAK:

Jeez, Command really humped the bunk

on this one...

Rasczak turns away. Roughnecks engage in the sport of methodically

killing the workers.

RASCZAK:

Rico, you're acting Sergeant now.

My last Sergeant lost the com pack.

Put together a search team and find

the radio shack.

We need retrieval.

JOHNNY:

Yes, sir.

138INT4TH BRIGADE HQ - OFFICE COMPLEX - DAY - JOHNNY

surveys the aftermath of the last stand with Rasczak, insect and human dead

everywhere.

DIZZY (O.S.)

It's here, sir.

139INTCOMMINICATIONS - DAY - RASCZAK AND JOHNNY

enter the radio room. A DEAD MAJOR is slumped over the console with

hole in the back of his head. Johnny checks the equipment.

It' dead, too.

JOHNNY:

Diz, see what you can do.

DIZZY:

I'm on it !

Dizzy goes to work. Rasczak checks the wound in the back of the dead major's

head.

RASCZAK:

What's that look like to you, Rico ?

JOHNNY:

Looks like a bug was in his brain, sir.

ACE (O.S.)

Lieutenant, I think you're gonna

wanna see this, sir.

140INTMESS HALL - DAY - A BUG HOLE

in the middle of the floor is surrounded by carnage.

ACE:

Dirty bugs came in right when they

were having chow !

RASCZAK:

Gas that hole and seal it.

Then they hear a sound. Tap tap tap. Rasczak signals for quiet. Tap tap tap tap.

It's coming from the kitchen.

141INTKITCHEN - DAY - THE ROUGHNECKS

enter cautiously. The noise is coming from a freezer. Ace stands ready to fire.

Johnny levers open the door, jumps back as GENERAL OWEN, 60, tumbles out

face first.

ACE:

Officer on the deck, sir.

RASCZAK:

Pick up the general !

Roughnecks prop him up. General Owen tries to talk, but no words come out.

Rasczak bends down to listen.

GENERAL OWEN:

Get out... you gotta get me out...!

RASCZAK:

General Owen, sir ?

The old man grins, hugely relieved.

GENERAL OWEN:

At ease, Lieutenant. Thank God for you,

for all of you...this is grand...

so where's the boat ?

142INTCOMMUNICATIONS - HALLWAY - DAY - JOHNNY AND RASCZAK

help the old General, now wrapped in a blanket, rambling.

GENERAL OWEN:

I was forced to hide, of course. The security

of the Federation in this theater of operations

was at stake !

JOHNNY:

Diz, what's with the uplink ?

Dizzy lokks up from where she is working on the radio controls.

DIZZY:

Workin on it...!

GENERAL OWEN:

They get in your mind... they make you do

things ! Look here... They did it to Farley...!

He points at the hole of the dead major's head.

RASCZAK:

The distress call... The bugs wanted us

to rescue you...!

GENERAL OWEN:

Oh, you can be sure of it ! They were

biding their time... waiting for the most

opportune moment !

Rasczak's lost interest in the general. He's on the com.

RASCZAK:

To all Roughnecks, this is Rasczak.

Prepare for attack. Repeat. We are

going to be attacked...!

GENERAL OWEN:

They weren't gonna do it to me.

Oh no ! I know too many secrets !

Rasczak looks at General Owen with contempt.

SUGAR WATKINS (O.S.)

Fire in the hole !

An explosion in the mess hall closes the bug hole.

143EXTOFFICE COMPLEX - DAY - GENERAL OWEN

blinks as he steps out into the light. Roughnecks snap to attention.

General Owen looks at the carnage that was once his command and

begins to keen, collapsing to his knees.

GENERAL OWEN:

Oh God...! My soldiers...! All of my

boys and girls...!

The Roughnecks are shocked. They've never seen a general break down before.

Lieutenant Rasczak slaps Owen hard.

LT. RASCZAK

Shut up ! Your soldier's dead and

you're not !

GENERAL OWEN:

I know... I wish you'd shoot me...

LT. RASCZAK

I oughta !

And it looks like Rasczak just might, but just then Ace touches down

next to Johnny and Rasczak.

ACE:

Lieutenant, we got trouble !

144EXTRAMPARTS - DAY - RASCZAK

and Johnny join other stunned Roughnecks to see THOUSANDS OF BUGS on

the march from every direction. Bug batteries open up in the distance.

RASCZAK:

Warm it all up ! Everything you got !

Levy, collect the big guns from the

towers. Watkins, put General Owen

with the wounded. Rico, where's my

communications ?

JOHNNY:

What's going on, Diz ?

DIZZY (O.S.)

I got power ! Gimme a minute !

Johnny runs for the communications room.

JOHNNY:

We don't have a minute !

145INTCOMMUNICATIONS - DAY - DIZZY

has the board up. Outside the battle has begun. Nukes go WOMP ! and

pulse guns chatter.

DIZZY:

What frequency ?

JOHNNY:

All bands.

DIZZY:

Roughneck patrol to battle group...

Roughneck patrol to battle group...

RODGER YOUNG (O.S.)

This is Rodger Young... What's going

on down there ? We're taking plasma !

We have Orion P-11 as clear !

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