Starship Troopers Page #7

DIZZY:

Sir, recruit Flores, reporting for duty , sir.

She snaps Zim a salute and hands him her orders.

ZIM:

I see you specifically requested transfer

from Fort Cronkite to this training group...

Dizzy grins self-consciously at Johnny.

DIZZY:

Sir, I heard it was the best, sir !

ZIM:

It is the best... BUT WHAT MAKES YOU

THINK YOU'RE GOOD ENOUGH ?

ON YOUR BELLY AND GIVE ME

FIFTY, RECRUIT !

Dizzy hits the deck and starts doing push-ups, counting off as

MEDICS arrive and go to work on Ace's hand.

55INTMESS HALL - DAY - THE RECRUITES

line up for mess piled four-square together on a single plate,

meat on the bottom, ice cream on top.

ACE:

I'd like to disable Zim...!

KATRINA:

Improper Attitude ! They'll kick you out

for talking like that...

DJANA'D

They can kick you out for anything.

Improper Conduct, Unsatisfactory

Performance...

KITTEN SMITH:

Off you go down Washout Lane, bye-bye !

Ace cuts into the front off the mess line.

ACE:

Aw, you either got what it takes

or you don't.

DJANA'D

C'mon Ace, wait your turn !

ACE:

At ease, soldier. It's all the same muck.

JOHNNY:

Better get in line like everyone else, Ace.

Silence. There could be a fight. Zim, standing nearby, watches

with interest. Ace opens his hand.

ACE:

You got some guts for a rich kid.

I guess you and me could be buddies.

JOHNNY:

What an honor...

ACE:

Hey, don't laugh. Everyone oughta have

a friend like me !

Ace makes a big friendly show of trading places with Johnny.

BRECKINRIDGE:

Come on, Ace, back off the line !

Bacl off the line !

Now everyone's laughing, pushing Ace to the back of the line.

Johnny has his grub. Dizzy comes up with her tray.

DIZZY:

Hey, amigo, come chow with me.

JOHNNY:

No thanks, Diz.

DIZZY:

What's your malfunction, Rico ?

JOHNNY:

You are. I joined up to get out on my

own. And you had to tag along.

DIZZY:

What ? You think I joined the Mobile

Infantery because of you ?

JOHNNY:

You saying you didn't ?

Johnny turns away. Dizzy watches him go, hurt.

56EXTOBSTACLE COURSE - DAY - THE RECRUITS

tumble down the difficult course in their power suits. At the head of

the pack , breathing hard, Johnny and Ace race.

ACE:

What makes you think... you'll make...

squad leader, Rico ?

JOHNNY:

Something... I've got...you don't.

ACE:

You rich kids... are all the same !

JOHNNY:

It isn't about rich... It's about

who's best...!

They come to a trap, prepare to leap.

DIZZY:

Coming through !

Dizzy jumps over them from behind. Johnny and Ace tumble into the mud.

They watch, chagrined, as Dizzy reaches the end of the course effortlessly.

ZIM:

C'mon, move it, you apes !

57INTSHOWERS - NIGHT - DIZZY

enters as the recruits scrub down.

KITTEN SMITH:

We all have one thing in common. We were

all stupid enough to sign up for Mobile

Infanterie. What's your excuse,

Breckinridge ?

BRECKINRIDGE:

Well, my family is all farmers. I hate farming.

Mobile Infantery's pure picnic by comparison.

KITTEN SMITH:

So the grow 'em big and dumb on the farm

planet, eh ?Djana'd ?

DJANA'D

I'm going in for politics. You gotta be a

citizen for that. So here I am.

KITTEN SMITH:

C'mon, keep it going... Katrina !

KATRINA:

I wanna be a mom. It's easier to get

a licence if you've served.

ACE:

I'm going career... officer's training.

That's why I wanna be squad leader.

They look for that.

JOHNNY:

Wanting it doesn't make you the best

one for the job.

ACE:

Oh, yeah ? I don't see anyone else here

with the chops to lead.

JOHNNY:

Well, maybe you better look again.

SHUJUMI:

Federation's gonna give me a scholarship

when my hitch is up. I wanna be a

neurologist, study brain chemisty and

associated stimulus...

Dizzy dresses down. Johnny and all the other guys check her out.

She has a fabulous body. Dizzy cathes Johnny looking. He turns

his back as she steps into the shower next to him.

KITTEN SMITH:

Your turn, Rico !

JOHNNY:

Aw, who asked you to be so nosey ?

KITTEN SMITH:

Me, I got plans to be writer, and a writer's

got a right to be nosey. Flores, you know

Rico from Buenos Aires... What's his story ?

Dizzy uses her hand to divert the shower spray towards Johnny's crotch.

DIZZY:

Well, some say he turned his back on the family

fortune to be a citizen, others say he did it for

a girl... missed a spot there, bucko... which is

funny because Johnny says I joined up to be

with him, but why would I do that ?

He doesn't even like me.

BRECKINRIDGE:

Don't look that way to me.

Everyone look down at Johnny's crotch, laughing. Johnny

blushes, grabs a towel and exits the shower.

58INT BARRACKS - NIGHT - INTO CAMERA - JOHNNY

pans the barracks with a little handcam, neat bunks in a row, other recruits

lounging around in their skivvies.

JOHNNY:

I know it's not much, but it's home. Over

there's my bunk where I dream about you

every night...

Ace, Kitten Smith, Shujumi and Breckinridge dance around and moon the

camera.

JOHNNY:

Hey, do you mind ?

Johnny moves the camera away from the guys. Katrina walks by from the

shower with Dizzy, mugs into frame.

KATRINA:

Hey, what's going on ?

DIZZY:

I bet it's that girl I was talking about...

Her name's Carmen, I think.

ACE AND THE OTHERS

Carmen ! Ooh la la, Carmencita !

KATRINA:

Hi, Carmen !

Johnny heads for the door.

ACE AND THE OTHERS

Hey, where you going ? Come back...! He's

getting awy... Grab him...!

The picture goes all screwy, comes up again on:

59EXTBARRACKS - NIGHT - INTO CAMERA - JOHNNY

talk quietly now outside the barracks door.

JOHNNY:

Boot's pretty tough, and sometimes

I think I won't make it, but then I

imagine you're watching me, and that

gives me someting... I try harder.

Thanks to you, I think I might have

a shot at squad leader.

The barracks lights go out. Taps plays over the public address.

Johnny lowers his voice.

JOHNNY:

Uh-oh, I gotta pack it in. I hope you're

having fun, hope you're careful.

No training accidents for you, eh ?

(leaning into camera)

I want to kiss you so badly. I want

to feel you next to me, I-

Behind him , someone begins to sing , badly.

ACE:

I love you truly, so truly, dear...!

Ace, the singer, and the other guys peer down from the transom

over the door, giggling, delighted with themselves.

PULLBACK TO REVEAL:

60INTTERESHKOVA FLIGHT ACADEMY - DAY - CARMEN

watches the end of Johnny's letter. Ace continues to sing.

ACE:

Our love will grow, dear, year by year...

JOHNNY:

Bye ! Write me ! I'm gonna kill you guys !

The letter ends. Carmen smiles. A BALD CADET PILOT smacks her on the

arm as she runs by in a sleek blue pressure suit.

BALD CADET:

Orbit in five, Ibanez ! First one there gets

to fly !

Grinning, Carmen grabs her duffel, takes off after her.

61INTBOARDING CORRIDOR - DAY - CARMEN

and the bald cadet race for the hatch past other recruits.

62INTBOAT - DAY CYCLE-CARMEN

gets there first, jumps into the pilot seat. The Bald Pilot takes

second seat.

CARMEN:

Looking it down !

Two LATE CADETS duck in through the closing hatch door.

LATE CADET:

Oh no, not Ibanez again, she's crazy !

CARMEN:

On my mark, in three, two, one...

63EXTLUNAR ORBIT - THE BOAT

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