Total Recall Page #2

QUAIL I keep forgetting, Herb. They frighten me.

GUARD Yeah? Well, it's the law, Mr. Quail. Has been since 1990 they

tell me. Tomorrow - ya carry ya gun or ya get reported.

GUARD gestures to his associate. They've obviously been through this

with Quail before.

QUAIL Okay. Herb, okay.

Quail walks on to the track area. The train arrives. Signs above each

approaching car say "CAR FULL", "ROOM FOR 10 PERSONS", etc. Quail goes

to a carriage marked "NEW CAR".

6INT. URBAN TRANSIT TRAIN - DAY

The doors open and the crowd surges on. Quail grabs a seat. At

intervals throughout the car are VIDEO MONITORS on which a NEWS

BROADCAST is showing.

NEWSCASTER (V.O.) -- more violence today from Mars's strike-torn ore

colonies --

Everyone ignores the broadcast -- except Quail, who perks instantly at

the word "Mars."

The NEWSCASTER is a young black man.

NEWSCASTER (continuing) ...but Earth Intelligence Operations Director

Vilos Cohaagen, clearly worried about the damage to Mars's all

important tourist industry was today dismissive of the dissident

groups....

TV scene switches to a press conference. COHAAGEN, sur- rounded by

AIDES, steps in front of a podium packed with news network microphones

and cameras. Cohaagen is a striking, intense man with an obvious air

of power.

COHAAGEN We're dealing with a bunch of extremists and unrepresentative

lunatics. Mars is a happy and prosperous protectorate of Earth... and

will remain so.

The train stops at another station and more people pile on. Quail tries

to watch the broadcast through the bodies passing in front of him and

intermittently blocking the image.

REPORTER (V.O.) There have been some criticisms, sir....

COHAAGEN I have no further comment.

The news conference ends and a bright looking young man comes on the

screen. Quail continues to watch, though not as interested, initially,

as he was by the Mars story. Few of the other passengers bother

looking at the screen.

ANNOUNCER Good morning, commuters. This portion of your trip is brought

to you by Rekall, Inc. Do you have a dream that never came true? Do you

aspire - but only perspire? Has the great adventure passed you by?

Then come to... REKALL, where what might have been will have been. For

the memories of a lifetime... REKALL.

Quail watches the commercial through to the end, but doesn't seem to

take it very seriously. He glances away as a card comes on the screen

with REKALL's numbers.

6BINT. QUAIL'S OFFICE - DAY

Quail is seated at a computer console in a vast beehive of a room.

Numerous people are typing information onto the screens. Quail pauses

in his typing, thoughtful. He then types in a little more information,

then pauses again. On the screen, a sentence types itself...

WHY HAVE YOU STOPPED? REQUEST MORE INFORMATION.

Quail read it and continues.

9INT. McCLANE'S OFFICE - REKALL - DAY

Scene opens on a CU of McCLANE, a genial, bubbling, enthus- iastic man.

McCLANE We're all dreamers, Douglas. But here at Rekall, dreams are our

business.

He presses a button on his desk and the chairs on which they are seated

appear to be in outer space. Countless stars glitter all around.

Startlingly, a comet whizzes by. Quail is amazed. McClane grins and

presses the button again. The scene changes to a beautiful underwater

coral reef. Multi-colored fish swim around the chairs and desk.

QUAIL But... is the process really that effective? A false memory!?

McCLANE (shaking his head; smiling) We prefer the term "extra- factual

implant". Your memory will be complete in every way. You will have gone

to Mars. We

guarantee that.

QUAIL Is it in any way dangerous? I mean, the medical techniques?

McCLANE Not when you deal with qualified operators - like us.

He presses the button again and the normal office returns. Quail looks

around, impressed.

QUAIL It's just - incredible.

McCLANE And look at our follow-up program!

He puts items on the desk as he talks.

McCLANE (continuing) Space-flight ticket stub... passport...

vaccination certificates... matchbooks from Martian Nouvelle Cuisine

Restaurants, souvenirs, post cards... even names of people you met -

now back there - who you can call and discuss your trip with... by the

way, we plant these things where you'll come across them at random in

the future.

QUAIL But... I'll know I hired you. That'll destroy the whole illusion.

McCLANE (smiling; self- satisfied) But you won't remember me, or having

been here.

QUAIL I won't?

McCLANE Your money back if you do! We've never paid out yet.

Quail slumps backs in his chair, overwhelmed.

McCLANE (continuing) And we have a special this month, for only two-

hundred thousand dollars more.

At the press of a button, a list appears on the wall...

A14 MILLIONAIRE PLAYBOY A15 SPORTS HERO A16 INDUSTRIAL TYCOON A17

INTELLIGENCE AGENT

McCLANE (continuing) You can have a new identity for the duration of

the trip. Pick one.

Quail's eyes linger on "Intelligence Agent."

QUAIL "Intelligence Agent"... wouldn'tthat be dangerous? I might

attack....

McCLANE (airily) No. No. You're a retired agent. Mars was your last

mission and you're never to break your cover. But you'll have got the

girl, killed the baddies, and saved the Universe. Not bad, eh?

QUAIL I don't know... about the whole thing... it's all such a fake. I

won't really have gone. I won't really....

McCLANE (kind but firm) Let's face it, Douglas, you, and millions of

people like you have no chance of ever getting to Mars and you'd never

qualify as a secret agent for EIO. This - REKALL - is the only way to

achieve your dream.

He gets up and walks around to Quail's chair.

McCLANE (continuing) Think about it, Douglas. Think, too, what a

terrible boor a real holiday is. Lost tickets, endless arguments,

lousy hotels, missed connections, rotten weather... Rekall will supply

you with perfect, happy

memories.

Quail is thoughtful, willing to be totally convinced.

9AINT. QUAIL'S APARTMENT - NIGHT

Quail is sitting, distracted, in an uncomfortable modern chair. Kirsten

is watching a near-pornographic film on TV. She casually lights a

cigarette.

QUAIL You know that's illegal.

KIRSTEN Yeah? Who's going to report me? You?... wimp....

She watches a torrid love scene on the video.

KIRSTEN (continuing) Screwing around's illegal, too. But just give me

half a chance...

Quail looks at her with distaste. His expression changes to one of

resolve.

10INT. MEMORY STUDIO - DAY

Quail is stretched out on a plush reclining couch, alongside some

strange-looking lab equipment, wearing a hospital-type smock. In the

b.g. hovers a TECHNICIAN, adjusting some instrumentation (discreet

banks of computers, etc.) -- that apparently relates to the lab

equipment next to Quail. The room in a dim,

soothing booth, lit by indirect lighting.

Quail looks a little concerned as he studies all the instrumentation

next to him -- as one always does at the dentist's, looking at the

drills.

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