Top Gun Page #10

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He moves over to face Maverick. There is a SILENCE like

after a train wreck; nothing but the POPPING of sprung metal

and the low GASP of escaping steam. Viper speaks quietly,

like a funeral director consoling the living. Makes you want

to scream.

VIPER:

Well....That about covers the

flyby.

Jester almost breaks into a grin.

VIPER:

Now...in addition...you broke two

major rules of engagement. And...

That's ...not good.

Maverick gives no response. Viper continues.

VIPER:

Lieutenant Candela lost sight of

you, and called "no joy". You

failed to respond.

He stops and looks at Maverick... A beat. Maverick finally

nods

VIPER:

Why?

Maverick is exhausted. It's been a long, rough day. His

voice is a horse whisper.

MAVERICK:

I had him in view. I was peeling

over the egg, into a dive. He saw

me when I moved in for the kill.

There wasn't any danger...

VIPER:

(to Goose)

Is that how you remember it?

GOOSE:

Yes, sir. By the time we could

respond, we were diving right into

his view.

Viper is not satisfied with the answer, but he moves on.

VIPER:

The hard deck for this hop was ten

thousand feet. Jester, at what

point did you call off the fight?

JESTER:

Just below ten thousand.

VIPER:

But you continued to fight.

Another pause, another grudging nod.

VIPER:

Why?

MAVERICK:

We weren't below for more than ten

seconds. There was no danger. I had

the shot. I took it.

VIPER:

The rules of engagement are not

flexible. They exist for your

safety. You will obey them.

Is that clear?

Maverick thinks about continuing the discussion, but the

thought is momentary. He quickly cuts his losses, gives Viper

what he thinks he wants...He is just on the cusp of too

sincere.

MAVERICK:

Yes sir, perfectly clear. I guess

we were ...I was... just a little

over enthusiastic.

Viper measures him for a moment, then lets it go.

VIPER:

I guess you were. Dismissed.

Maverick and Goose leave the room. Viper looks at Jester,

picks up Maverick's fitness report. Doesn't read it, looks

back at Jester.

JESTER:

I don't know what to tell you,

Skip.

VIPER:

Tell me one thing.

Jester waits.

VIPER:

...If you had to go into combat,

would you want him with you?

Jester turns, walks slowly around the room. The walls are

lined with pictures; planes and pilots...history. There are

MiG killers, attack squadrons, ground personnel...There's one

picture of a Phantom in flight with the backseater mooning

the camera. Other pictures show carriers, famous flyers,

previous CO's. Finally Jester replys.

JESTER:

Yep.

Viper slaps shut the fitness report.

JESTER:

He's seat of the pants...

Completely unpredictable -- nothing

by the book. All over the sky. But

I don't know, Skip, he's really got

something.

VIPER:

Yeah, we get one of these guys

every damn class. (laughs)

"Maverick!"

He throws the report on the desk.

JESTER:

Yup, a wild pony.

55. OMITTED

56. INT. COCKPIT - NIGHT

Wind ROAR, jet WHINE. Hollywood and Wolfman are being thrown

about as Hollywood fights the stick.

WOLFMAN:

No. No. Look out, you lost it.

They depart flight. Tumble. The horizon swings wildly as

they go into flat spin.

WOLFMAN:

We're dead!

A face appears at 12,000 feet, right in front of their

canopy. Goose's eyes bug at them.

GOOSE:

Man, you guys gooned it. Your laser

butts are scattered across KANSAS.

HOLLYWOOD:

(disgusted with himself)

Come on. I died enough for one

night.

56A. EXT. COCKPIT

They climb out of the simulator - A cockpit sprung on

moveable rams, surrounded by a dome on which video images are

projected.

As they climb down, Maverick and Goose climb up into the

cockpit to take their place.

GOOSE:

Have you guys ever considered

career counseling?

57. OMITTED

56B. SIMULATOR CONTROL ROOM - Filled with computers, tape

transports and video screen representations of computer

generated combat. Now Maverick flies it as Charlie and other

techs watch.

56C. COCKPIT

Maverick flys the heck out of it. It's real. It lurches and

bumps, the NOISES and sights look real. He gets on the tail

of a MiG. It breaks, he breaks, then what he does is just too

fast to follow. It screams around in a turn. Suddenly, there

is a WHUMMP...ALARMS...the lights come on.

GOOSE:

What happened.

TECH (V.O. FILTERED)

What did you do in there?

GOOSE:

What did you do? You broke it!

58. COMPUTER ANALYSIS ROOM

Maverick and Goose enter. The techs cluster around the

keyboards trying to reprogram, to figure out what went wrong.

CHARLIE:

You flew it off the template.

Nobody ever did that before.

GOOSE:

That's what she said last night.

She stares at Goose until he grins and moves off to give the

others his valuable opinions on how to reprogram the

computers.

CHARLIE:

What is it about you?

He just shrugs at her and smiles.

MAVERICK:

What would you say, too fast...too

quick...

CHARLIE:

And far too aggressive.

MAVERICK:

It is combat. Every second counts.

CHARLIE:

The hottest moves in the world

aren't gonna help you if you wind

up alone. Your wingman's got to be

able to follow you. Trust you. Know

that he can depend on you. It's

more than just fancy flying.

MAVERICK:

Well, what you need...what you have

to keep looking for...what you want

to get is a wingman who can stay up

with you. Who can match you move

for move. Then you've got

something. I'm sorry.

CHARLIE:

For what?

MAVERICK:

That stuff about the MiG. I was out

of line.

CHARLIE:

Apology acknowledged.

MAVERICK:

Is that all?

CHARLIE:

What else do you want?

MAVERICK:

Um. You.

CHARLIE:

There you go with those moves

again.

MAVERICK:

Too aggressive?

CHARLIE:

I don't mix with the boys. I work

here. Let's keep it professional.

MAVERICK:

I'm special.

CHARLIE:

(laughs)

Yes. I'll give you that!

MAVERICK:

Give me a break, I'm asking you

out.

CHARLIE:

I can't.

MAVERICK:

I thought there was something...

That night in the club...

CHARLIE:

Lieutenant...

MAVERICK:

Evan... or Maverick.

CHARLIE:

Maverick...you know the rules of

engagement.

MAVERICK:

(can't believe it.)

The what?

CHARLIE:

Some one comes up hot on your six,

what do you do?

MAVERICK:

What are you talking about?

CHARLIE:

You turn into him, check him out,

identify friend or foe.

MAVERICK:

I'm not your foe.

CHARLIE:

And if he's harmless, you

disengage.

MAVERICK:

Harmless!

CHARLIE:

Uh hum.

MAVERICK:

What if he's not?

CHARLIE:

You have to shoot him down....If

he's smart, he'll turn away before

that happens.

MAVERICK:

Harmless. Nobody ever called me

harmless before...

CHARLIE:

And probably never again. It's

nothing personal. It's just...I

know a lot of pilots. Maybe I'm

immune...

MAVERICK:

Don't worry, I'm a new strain. And

I don't give up. Everything I've

ever wanted I've had to work like

hell for. Well, how about it?

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