Total Recall Page #30

The smoke is getting worse.

INT. BLUE CONSOURSE

Another of the white-tiled traffic-tunnels, this one identified by a

wide band of blue along either side. A small vehicle has overturned,

amid blood and torn clothing. Jackson and her party are skirting the

wreck as Hicks catches up with them. Jackson whirls at the SOUND of

running feet, bringing up the pistol.

HICKS Easy, Jackson!

JACKSON Where y'been?

A distant EXPLOSION shakes the tunnel, jarring loose several tiles.

HICKS (low, so the others won't hear) They're following us. Left 'em

something to slow 'em down.

JACKSON Might as well. Just try not to put a hole in the hull, okay?

(coughs) Remember the air-scrubber...

HICKS Let's move.

INT. FREIGHT ELEVATOR

Bishop on his knees, running his hands delicately over the ribbed

plastic

flooring. The Queen HISSES, BASHES the door. He finds a seam, levers up

with his nails, gets a grip. Pulls. Sense of his android strength as

the flooring comes up on pale streamers of super-glue. The elevator

shakes with the Queen's fury. He finds a section of the floor that can

be removed. Forces the glue-caked catches. Slams down with the heel of

his hand -- the panel falls away, tumbling through smoke toward a

point of fire-glow at the shaft's distant foot.

INT. SHAFT

Bishop lowers himself through the opening, dangles. An emergency

service- ladder is recessed in one wall. He tries to reach one of the

rungs with his foot, but the toe of his boot slips. Too far. He begins

to swing back and forth like a gymnast, building momentum -- and lets

go. Falls six feet before he manages to get a grip.

He begins to descend the ladder. It's a long way down.

INT. BLUE CONSOURSE

The lifeboat party emerges, coughing, from a wall of acrid smoke.

REACTION SHOT:

dismay and amazement.

The tunnel has been sealed with a plug of Alien resin. Human bones,

weapons, and Marine helmets protrude from the biomech convolutions of

the resin-wall. Another of the six-wheeled military vehicles carriers

is skewed across the tunnel in a pool of blood.

ROSETTI It doesn't want us to get out...

HICKS Bugs. Just f***ing bugs... C'mon. (he climbs into the driver's

seat of the carrier) We're taking the bus. Which way, Ops?

JACKSON (getting in beside him) Way we came, unless you think of

something better.

HALLIDAY What's he mean, "bugs"? What is that thing? (pointing at the

resin-plug) Where's Tom? Where's Tom?

SPENCE (taking her arm; leading her to the carrier) It'll be okay.

Here, get up... There was an experiment. It got out of control. We

have to go...

TATSUMI What kind of experiment?

HICKS (throwing the carrier into gear; cutting off their questions)

Come on!

INT. BLUE CONCOURSE

TRACKING on carrier, CLOSE on Hicks and Jackson. She takes a flat

gadget from her jacket and flips it open; a miniature computer-map on

anchorpoint, like a pocket video game.

As she wiggles a tiny joystick, EXTREME CLOSEUP on miniature color

screen; she's looking for an alternate route to the lifeboats.

JACKSON (still studying the map) Left at B-83. We'll cut through

Aquaculture, up to level to Aeroponics. We can get into Residential

from there, then it's up a service tunnel behind the central

mainframe...

HICKS Sounds complicated.

JACKSON Quickest way.

Flips the map shut. Spence is trying to comfort Halliday.

INT. AQUACULTURE FARM

An automated fish farm; factory space ranged with dozens of waist-high

round white vats of dark green water. Low ceiling, dim light. Sweeps

rotate slowly across the water in some vats; others are still, with

floating green vegetation.

Hicks leads the party along a narrow aisle between the vats. Jackson

pauses to check her map and watch; Hicks light a cigarette, leans his

elbow against the nearest vat.

JACKSON We're doing okay...

The surface of the water behind Hicks' elbow erupts as the fish go into

a feed frenzy. He yelps and jumps back, dropping his cigarette.

SPENCE Bass. They're just hungry... Ready to be harvested.

HICKS Sure. Let's get out of here, okay?

The others follow, keeping their distance from the vats.

INT. ELEVATOR SHAFT

Bishop jumps down, dodges a dangling power cable, squints through the

smoke. Finds a manual emergency level that opens the shaft's door.

INT. TUNNEL

A blast of air fans the flames behind him as he steps out. The carrier

is there, among the scattered crates, where Hicks left it. Bishop

climbs in, tries the power. A feeble whine. Touches another button.

The dash flashes "BATTERY RECHARGE." He climbs down an sets off along

the tunnel at a jog.

INT. AEROPONICS FARM

State of the art. Epcot-style soilless cultivation. Tall A-frame

structures of white styrofoam are studded with hundreds of precisely

spaced plants, their roots watered by periodic bursts of high-pressure

mist. Vegetables sprout from the sides of tapering styrofoam columns.

All of the wreathed in mist under brilliant halogen lamps.

Hicks scans the chamber, gun ready, as the party emerges from a hatch

in the white deck behind him. Spence has to help Halliday, whose

cheeks are streaked with tears. Rosetti's up last, clutching his

pulse-rifle a bit too tightly, eyes darting around the chamber.

HICKS Keep the safety on, Colonel. You could hurt somebody.

He kneels beside the hatch, takes plastique and a grenade from his

harness, and slaps together another bomb.

ROSETTI What are you doing?

HICKS They may be following us.

He closes the hatch over the charge and locks it. Halliday starts to

weep

hysterically in Spence's arms; goes to her knees, the tries to curl

into a fetal position on the white deck, shuddering, crying like a

child. Rosetti rushes over as Spence is trying to get her to her feet.

ROSETTI They'll hear you!

Rosetti slaps Halliday's face, hard; eliciting a piercing scream.

Spence -- no hesitation -- punches him solidly in the face; his head

snaps back and he's down, reaching for his rifle.

Tableau:
Spence furious, ready to kick ass; Halliday wide-eyed, stunned

into silence by Spence's move; Rosetti with blood on his mouth and his

hand on his gun.

JACKSON (to Rosetti; cocking her gun) Try it.

Hicks breaks the spell:

HICKS (drill sergeant bellow) Two minute fuse! Hall ass people!

The Lab Tech grabs Halliday, throws her over his shoulder, and runs.

The others scramble after him, including Rosetti, whose drive to self-

preservation is paramount. Hicks and Spence take up the rear.

Hicks shoots her a grin as they run.

LONG SHOT down the aisle of aeroponic greenery, high-tech Hanging

Gardens of Babylon, the lifeboat party approaching. Behind them, the

hatch lifts off its hinges with the EXPLOSION, CRASHES back in a

tangle of metal. Several of the party are thrown to the deck.

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