THX 1138 Page #10

The supervisor is greatly alarmed by this information.

SUPERVISOR:

Priority shift, repeat, priority

shift. The situation here is

critical. 1138 involved in

critical mass maneuver. DELAY

MINDLOCK, DELAY MINDLOCK situation

white, repeat, situation white.

HOLD...HOLD.....

A high whining Anthem-like piece of music is heard in THX's

operating cell. The sound staggers him , and he freezes

at the controls of his panel. The component THX was

guiding, continues to creep slowly closer to the chrome

man.

CLOSE ANGLE:

The supervisor slams s series of relays in disgust, and

reports into the computer.

SUPERVISOR:

Who permitted this priority???

This shouldn't happen. (pause)

Immediate transfer of disaster

responsibility to control officer

626, as of time mark: 12/32/581.

Repeat; official obligation of

responsibility.....

He reaches for more sedatives in a bottle near his panel.

MED ANGLE:

The critical mass component enters the open skull of the

chrome man. Sparks fly, and the gages are now in the danger

zone.

The intercom voice is alive with panicked dialogue.

VOICE:

Clear....Clear....4444,4445,

4446....EJECT...EJECT...EJECT....

All of the men in the operating room evacuate; leaving THX

alone, frozen at the controls. THX is aware of the

situation, and struggles to break the power of the mindlock

and stop the component.

VOICE:

Near destruct....Near destruct.

CONTROL CENTER:

The observers are switching relays as the control officer

trues to get the situation under control.

CONTROL OFFICER:

.....MINDLOCK! release MINDLOCK!

relapse to command monitor. Release

MINDLOCK. Transfer obligation for

responsibility to central monitor

898. This center received no

evaluation of stasis. Control

center 626 holds no

responsibility.....

The MINDLOCK Anthem is replaced by the voice of OMM.

OPERATING ROOM:

The component is at the point of destruction as THX is

released from the mindlock.

OMM:

Everything is going to be all right.

You are in my hands. I will protect

you. Everything is going to be

all right. Cooperate, stay calm,

I am here to help you.

(Pause)

Everything is going to be......

THX carefully operates the controls, and returns the

critical mass to it's container.

CONTROL VOICE:

Relax your controls. Relax your

controls. Report to Con 5

immediately. Relax your

controls.....

The voice of OMM and controller blend in an hypnotic double

talk. THX sits quietly in shock as the voices on the

intercom die off.

CITY PASSAGEWAY:

The supervisor, and all the other workers from THX's unit

are standing around in the passageway. A door opens and

THX emerges accompanied by a Chrome policeman. They pass

silently through the crowd of workers, who watch them

disappear down the corridor. The workers start to file

back into the operating cell.

INTERIOR TRAM:

The interior of the tram looks much like the interior of a

very modern jet liner. There are about 50 people sitting

in high backed seats. A few are talking to themselves.

THX is seated next to the policeman, still in shock.

CLOSE ANGLE:

Slowly THX begins to tremble and then suddenly stops.

THX:

LUH!

He looks wildly around the tram, and at the policeman. No

one is paying any attention to him. He jumps up and runs

for the emergency door at the end of the aisle. The

policeman slowly get ups and walks down the aisle to THX

trapping him against the door.

FULL ANGLE:

THX suddenly slams open the escape hatch. The tram is

moving at supersonic speeds through a vacuum tube. THX is

sucked out into the tube. The open escape hatch seals

itself immediately.

CLOSE ANGLE:

THX is caught in a loud rush of sound and air as he floats

in free fall through the vacuum gravity-free tube. He

begins to slow down. As he does, amber lights on the side

of the tube become more visible. Suddenly THX is sucked

into a smaller tube.

OBSERVATION CELL

A control observer is monitoring the interior of the tram.

People are confused, hysterical. A chrome-policeman tries

to calm them.

The policeman reports the situation, which is typed by a

computer. More information appears on the readout, and is

relayed by the observer.

OBSERVER:

1138 prefix THX on warrant. Drug

evasion. Fled tram in transit.

Surmise destroyed.

DEBRIS RECEPTACLE

TV monitors light up rooms filled with scrap metal and

other waste product from the tram tube. The monitor scans

room 444, then moves on, leaving the room lit only by a

few blue guide lights.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes