Watchmen Page #13

INT. HOLLIS MASON'S APARTMENT - NIGHT

Hollis opens the door for Dan--

HOLLIS:

You're late.

DAN:

I know, you won't believe it--

HOLLIS:

You missed it--Dr. Manhattan just lost it

on live TV.

(CONTINUED)

48.

CONTINUED:

DAN:

Wait, what?

Dan turns to the TV, which replays the clip of Dr. Manhattan

being accosted and then teleporting everyone to the roof.

DAN (CONT'D)

I was just with Laurie. She doesn't know.

HOLLIS:

She'll know soon enough. The whole world

will know.

INT. CAB (MOVING) - NIGHT

Laurie rides in back, staring out at the street, calming

down. The cab stops at a red light; The CABBIE takes outa

ZIPPO,lights a cigarette. Laurie stares at the FLAME

INT. WATCHMEN HEADQUARTERS - NIGHT (FLASHBACK - 15 YEARS AGO)

like she stares at the flame here, as Adrian's display

burns. Laurie glances around as everyone leaves, apologizing

to Adrian.

EXT. WATCHMEN HEADQUARTERS - NIGHT (FLASHBACK - 15 YEARS AGO)

Outside Watchmen HQ, Dan's Owl Ship rises out of view.

Rorschach skulks off into the shadows. Dr. Manhattan and

Janey Slater get into a Town Car as young Laurie watches from

around the corner.

BLAKE (O.S.)

Laurel? Laurel Jane?

Startled, Laurie turns. Blake steps out of the shadows.

BLAKE (CONT'D)

You're Sally Jupiter's kid.

LAURIE:

You're the Comedian, right? You were

pretty cool in there.

Blake lights a smoke, looks her over.

BLAKE:

You got your mom's eyes. Even that funny

little mole.

LAURIE:

Got another smoke?

(CONTINUED)

49.

CONTINUED:

BLAKE:

She was one of the all-time champion

beauties, your mom. She talk about me

much?

LAURIE:

No. Not really.

As Blake gives her a light, Laurie touches his hand to cover

the lighter from the wind. She looks up at him, sly.

SALLY (O.S.)

TAKE YOUR HANDS OFF HER.

Laurie nearly jumps out of her skin. A younger Sally marches

toward them from a LIMO, waiting at the sidewalk.

BLAKE:

Hey Doll. Long time no see.

SALLY:

Not long enough in my book, Eddie.

She eyes Laurie with cool death.

SALLY (CONT'D)

Put that out. Get in the car.

INSIDE THE LIMO:
Laurie cracks her window an inch. Her

mother's harsh, low tone drifts clearly back.

SALLY (CONT'D)

Are there no depths you won't sink to?

BLAKE:

Christ, we were just talking! Can't a guy

talk to his, y'know, friend's daughter?

What the hell do you think I am?

SALLY:

I know what you are, Eddie. I've always

known. Don't ever forget that.

Driving off, Laurie watches Blake through the window--

INT. CAB (STOPPED) - NIGHT

--like she watches through the window in the present. The

light turns green--

--when a BLACK SUV pulls in front of the cab, BLOCKING its

path.

(CONTINUED)

50.

CONTINUED:

The Cabbie honks his horn as a team of SECRET SERVICE AGENTS

get out of the SUV. Agent Forbes knocks on Laurie's window.

AGENT FORBES:

Ms. Jupiter, you need to come with us now.

INT. ROCKEFELLER BASE - COMMUNICATIONS ROOM - NIGHT

Agent Forbes escorts her into the room.

LAURIE:

I don't understand, what do you mean,

Jon's gone?

AGENT FORBES:

I mean he snapped and disappeared during

the interview. Now our trackers can't

detect him anywhere on the planet. If we

want to find him you're our only hope.

A TECHNICIAN wires Laurie up; GRAPHS record Laurie's neural

responses, MONITORS show satellite images.

TECHNICIAN 1

Miss Jupiter, we need you to visualize

Dr. Manhattan. Do you need a prompt?

LAURIE:

No.

TECHNICIAN 2

Neurotransmissions tracking.

TECHNICIAN 3

Transmitting on all frequencies.

TECHNICIAN 1

We're ready Miss Jupiter. We need you to

try and talk to him.

Laurie, wired like a porcupine, seems embarrassed.

LAURIE:

Jon? Jon, can you hear me?

The GRAPH-NEEDLES jump and tick, searching

. when a high, clear TONE rings through the room.

Needles fly. Technicians dash to lock it down. Agent Forbes

hurries to the graph, looking over their shoulders.

AGENT FORBES:

Have you got him?

(CONTINUED)

51.

CONTINUED:

TECHNICIAN 1

We've located his signal, yes.

AGENT FORBES:

Well? Where the hell is he?

The Technician looks up, not happy about the answer.

TECHNICIAN 1

He's on Mars.

EXT. REMOTE SATELLITE STATION - NIGHT

HUGE DISHES scan the skies. We hear the high, clear tone,

above all the RADIO CHATTER, NEWS REPORTS and MILITARY

FREQUENCIES, the endless, echoing chaff of the world...

NEWS REPORTER 1 (V.0.)

--massive mobilization of troops in

KASHMIR--

NEWS REPORTER 2 (V.0.)

--unconfirmed reports of a gunfire

exchange in Tehran--

NEWS REPORTER 3 (V.0.)

--prompting the President to call an

emergency meeting with his National

Security Advisors--

LAURIE (V.0.)

Jon. Can you hear me, Jon?

But these VOICES get progressively QUIETER, as we--

ZOOM BACK:
Up, out of the atmosphere, at a blinding rate--

EXT. MARS - NIGHT

--landing on A VAST MARTIAN PLAIN, and the tiny BLUE FIGURE,

walking across it, RED DUST BILLOWING behind him. The peace

and quiet after the cacophony of Earth is soothing.

Dr. Manhattan stops, looking over the landscape. He holds the

photo of him and Janey Slater in his hand, when he was human.

He stares at the photo a moment and closes his eyes--

--and we FLASHBACK to the moment that photo was taken. He and

Janey are at a CARNIVAL. After the flash, Janey turns to him.

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