Total Recall Page #4

QUAIL How did I get here?

Camera now cuts to a shot in front of the driver. He is a fairly

human-like robot.

DRIVER I don not understand the question, sir or madam.

QUAIL How did I get into this cab?

DRIVER You stepped into it in the normal manner, sir or madam.

15INT. CORRIDOR OF QUAIL'S APARTMENT - DAY

The reception area and hallway leading to the elevators is smart and

clean, though not lavish. A uniformed and armed DOORMAN is standing by

the entrance door.

Filmed from the elevator end of the area, we see the cab pull up and

Quail alight and enter the building. He nods to the doorman and

approaches the elevators. As he reaches them a MAN steps out from

behind the camera. A 2ND MAN enters from a door opposite the

elevators. Quail looks at them and becomes quite panicky.

1ST AGENT Aren't you the man from Mars?

He takes a modern, lethal gun from his pocket. Quail turns, but the

other man is behind him.

2ND AGENT Don't give us a reason to kill you.

Quail looks toward the doorman, who is paying little attention to the

events. As the two men edge Quail towards the door, he call out...

QUAIL Mr. Zimmer...Mr. Zimmer... help me... they're...

But the doorman turns calmly away.

16INT. BASEMENT CAR PARK - DAY

The two men lead Quail past a number of cars to their own vehicle.

QUAIL Where are you taking me?

1ST AGENT You told everyone at Rekall about you trip to Mars. Where you

went, who you worked for, what you did --

QUAIL But I didn't... Are you telling me... I did go to Mars? I don't

remember?

1ST AGENT You've remembered too much. The Sphinx Project, for a

start....

QUAIL (confused; remembers only fragments) Sphinx?... No, no, I don't,

I... What about the people at Rekall? I don't recall Rekall but you

said if they know what I did? Why don't you ask them? They'll tell you

I didn't...

1ST AGENT They've been taken care of.

QUAIL What do you mean?

Neither man bothers answering. They arrive at their car and open the

door for Quail. He hesitates.

QUAIL (continuing) What are you going to do with me?

1ST AGENT Get in the car.

He slaps Quail hard across the face. Quail is terrified. He is tearful

with fear.

QUAIL My God! No! You're going to kill me!

He cringes. His hands across his face.

1ST AGENT No one's going to kill you if [you do what you're told.]

We're visiting E.I.O. for some new tests. Now get in, or do we start

playing rough?

QUAIL No! It's not my fault! You can't do it!

They start to force him into the car physically.

Suddenly, Quail stops cringing. the FEAR DISAPPEARS FROM HIS FACE, and

is

replaced by an odd, thoughtful expression.

QUAIL (continuing) Wait a minute, I remember --

1ST AGENT What, Quail? What do you remember?

QUAIL On Mars... they tried to kill me... And....

QUAIL TRANSFORMS INTO A HIGHLY SKILLED KILLING MACHINE.

In an instant, he karate-chops both agents across the windpipe, and

they crumple to the ground.

Quail steps back. He stares at the two bodies, incredulous; then stares

at his own deadly HANDS. It is as though they belong to someone else.

Then, leaving the two agents sprawled across the alley, he races back

into the basement door of his building.

18INT. QUAIL'S APARTMENT - EVENING

Kirsten is watching another pornographic video when Quail bursts in. He

is still disoriented.

QUAIL Did you know I've been to Mars?

Kirsten gets up and turns off the movie.

KIRSTEN What! This stupid obsess...

QUAIL (interrupting) I think I've been. I vaguely recall...

KIRSTEN Doug, you've got to forget...

QUAIL (interrupting) Forget? Remembering is the problem I must've been

to one of those artificial memory places...

KIRSTEN Oh my God...

QUAIL But something went wrong... something about a real memory... and

then those men... tried to kill me.

KIRSTEN What men? Doug, you're crazy.

She starts to mix a drink from a well-stocked cabinet.

KIRSTEN (continuing) You're here now. They didn't kill you.

QUAIL No. That's what's so amazing. I killed them. I think...

Kirsten stops pouring her drink and look at him sharply.

KIRSTEN Where? Where are they?

Quail points down with his finger.

KIRSTEN (continuing) Doug! It's something they put into your mind at

the memory place. Fantasies.That's their business.

She sips her drink.

KIRSTEN (continuing) You're a computer operator. You're a bore. You're

a wimp. You're not a killer.

QUAIL I'm involved somehow with E.I.O. It's true. It's no fantasy.

He walks around the apartment drawing curtains and putting out the

lights.

KIRSTEN Doug, I want you to see a doctor. Now Alec and Shirley Turnbull

have a good man. He helped Alec through his breakdown.

QUAIL For f***'s sake, this is no breakdown!

Kirsten is taken aback at his use of language. He strides into the

bathroom and slams the door. She turns on one lamp, goes to a telephone

and dials.

19INT. BATHROOM - TWILIGHT

Quail takes a washcloth, turns the hot water up full and soaks the

cloth under the steaming water. Using it as a compress, he presses it

against his face and his neck, to drain off some of the tension.

He turns off the water. Towelling his head dry, he opens the bathroom

door.

The instant he does this, a blinding white BURST OF LIGHT comes arcing

into the bathroom, and the back wall crinkles and CHARS into a swatch

of blackness.

QUAIL DIVES OUT THE DOOR, just as ANOTHER BOLT incinerates the spot

where he was standing.

20INT. LIVING ROOM - TWILIGHT

THE ROOM IS IN TOTAL DARKNESS. The only thing visible is the pale

rectangle of the balcony window, with the curtains drawn over it.

QUAIL and his ASSAILANT cannot be seen -- but they can be HEARD. There

is the sound of a SCUFFLE -- the meaty THUD of a FIST CONNECTING WITH

FLESH -- and a painful GRUNT as someone's breath whooshes out.

The LIGHT COMES ON. Quail is standing with one hand on the lamp, and

the other twisting KIRSTEN's arm up behind her back. A pistol lies on

the floor. Quail is totally stunned. He releases her arm, shoving her

away from him, at the same time scooping up the pistol.

QUAIL My God! Did you say I need a psychiatrist?

KIRSTEN (coolly) I haven't seen you move that fast since I've known

you.

QUAIL (outraged) How could you do it? After eight years!

KIRSTEN I'm not your wife, Quail.

QUAIL Not my wife! You are out of your mind.

KIRSTEN (indifferent; nursing her arm) It's a false memory implant. I

never saw you before six weeks ago.

Quail is totally disoriented.

QUAIL Why are you lying like this?

KIRSTEN No, Quail. It's true. You work for E.I.O. So do I.

As she speaks, she walks to a picture on the wall and from behind it

pulls out a small wallet. She flips it open to show him her E.I.O.

badge. He looks down uncomprehendingly at the holographic lettering

"Earth Intelligence Organisation".

QUAIL (indicating their surroundings) But why all of this?

KIRSTEN (shrugging) We had to watchdog you...make sure the erasure

took. A wife seemed like a good idea.

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