THE LONG RUN: A Tale of the Continuing Time by Daniel Keys Moran Copyright 1989, 1992, 1994 by Daniel Keys Moran. All rights reserved. Work is an adaptation of "The Long Run," published by Bantam Books in 1989, ISBN# 0-553-28144-5. STATEMENT OF RIGHTS: I, Daniel Keys Moran, the Author, hereby release this work to the public for reading purposes. It may be transmitted AS A TEXT FILE anywhere in this or any other universe or dimension, without reservation, so long as the work's text is not altered IN ANY WAY. No fee may be charged for such transmission, save handling fees comparable to those charged for shareware programs. This is the ONLY use of this work that is released to the public. THIS WORK MAY NOT BE PRINTED, PUBLISHED, COLLECTED, PRODUCED, PERFORMED, ADAPTED OR REPRODUCED VIA ANY MEDIUM NOW EXISTING OR WHICH MAY IN THE FUTURE COME INTO EXISTENCE WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION FROM THE AUTHOR. THIS WORK IS LICENSED FOR READING General notes: This screenplay was begun in 1989, not long after the publication of the novel by Bantam Books. It was my first screenplay, and it shows; it was nearly 180 pages long in its first draft. It's not much shorter today; if shot as written it would run a good three hours. D.C. Fontana read it and made invaluable suggestions; so did Jonathan Zimmerman. Consensus seems to be that it's roughly a $100 million movie, using live actors. The odds are, of course, that it never will be shot. I have hopes; most particularly, I think it might make a thorougly excellent computer-animated feature. But that's pure speculation. If you're one of the thousand-odd people who's contacted me looking for old copies of and -- as of today, September 11, 1994, the rights to those novels are in the hands of Bantam Doubleday. They may or may not be reprinted any time soon. For what it's worth, I don't recommend this as an introduction to my writing; if you've never read anything of mine before, this is probably not the place to start. *************************************************************** THE LONG RUN A TALE OF THE CONTINUING TIME If you can keep your head while all those about you are losing theirs, then perhaps you have misunderstood the situation. --Graffiti on the side of the Flushing Street Temple of Eris in New York FADE IN: INT. LIMBO--A BLACK EMPTINESS--MEDIUM DISTANCE A man sits in the blackness, in half lotus, the only object in a black universe. He is clothed in white: cloak, gloves, boots, a hood; mist crawls where his face should be. On his chest is a pattern of nine circles enclosing a starburst. Touching the third circle out from the starburst are two small, solidly colored spheres, one blue, one white. STORYTELLER I am Chai'Ell November, the Name Storyteller. It is Spring of the year 2062. Forty-five years ago the Earth and most of Luna were conquered by the Unification and its Peace Keeping Force. America fought against the Unification, and was occupied. Today only the Asteroid Belt, the SpaceFarers Collective, and Free Luna continue to resist. The Storyteller gestures; abruptly the motionless image of CARL CASTANAVERAS appears. Carl is a black-haired, pale- skinned man of about 30, with brilliant green eyes. STORYTELLER Thirty years ago, the Unification designed the Castanaveras genies-- genetically engineered humans, telepaths of frightening skill. And today the Peace Keeping Force frightened. For thirty years the Castanaveras have been slaves to the Unification; today they have come of age, and are demanding the same freedom other humans are accorded-- and they are prepared to fight for it... DISSOLVE TO: EXT. LOWER MANHATTAN SKYLINE (MODEL SHOT)--DAY A skyline considerably different from today's. Since our day this area's been fought over, nuked, and reclaimed; now it's an expensive residential area. EXT.--EST. THE CHANDLER COMPLEX--DAY A mansion in lower Manhattan. Three kids sit under a tree on the Complex lawn. They are the 9-year old twins DAVID and DENICE CASTANAVERAS, and the 11-year old TRENT. David and Denice are pale, with glossy black hair and emerald eyes; Trent is a self-possessed boy with blue eyes and sandy blond hair. Trent and Denice sit over a handheld computer, Playing in the InfoNet, while David reads a book a few meters away. DENICE I don't know why you work so hard at it. TRENT I'm a Player. It's what I . DENICE (frustrated) I wish I could read your mind. TRENT In year or two you'll be able to. DENICE Trent, I want to understand . Plugged into the handheld is an infochip about the size of a credit card, labeled . A diode on its surface lights and a 1/6TH-SCALE HOLO APPEARS: Ralf, Trent's Image in the InfoNet. Ralf is an adult in dark, flowing robes, with features reminiscent of Trent's. His voice is deep: RALF Denice, life can be described-- surprisingly well--in terms of information content. DENICE (petulantly) What do know? You're just an Image. TRENT Ralf is right. DENICE You're just saying that 'cause you wrote him. Trent and Ralf look at one another, shrugging; could be. TRENT As a Player you...expand your sensory bandwidth by an order of magnitude; you can do the things an AI can do--control hardware with a thought, find answers to any question in instants.... Denice stares at him. Trent decides to simplify. TRENT It makes things faster, okay? DENICE So what's the ? So you can find data faster than anybody else in the world except an AI or another Player. Really, I just don't it. Trent turns his head slightly, finds the serious green eyes looking into his own. TRENT The Crystal Wind is the greatest source of data the world has ever seen. Data is not information and information is not truth; but in data you can truth. The girl studies him, grave-faced. Trent stares back. The corners of her mouth twitch, and she fights it, then abruptly loses it, laughing; it trails off into giggles and she leans back, resting her head on Trent's shoulder. DENICE (quiet, detached voice) You're the craziest thing I ever saw. TRENT Really? DENICE (quickly) It's okay. I like you anyway. BLACK SCREEN "Four Months Later: July 3, 2062" appears in glowing emerald; it DISSOLVES TO: EXT. THE CHANDLER COMPLEX--LIGHT RAIN--LATE AFTERNOON A WIDE-ANGLE SHOT of the entrance to the chain-link fenced Complex. The Complex's white monocrystal walls glow wet beneath arc lamps. A huge crowd in an ugly mood, its members gaudy with dramasuits and holosigns, surrounds the Complex. One holosign says: . A private force, SECURITY SERVICES, lines the fence, masers trained on the crowd. The CROWD'S CHANTING is barely audible above the SOUND OF THE WIND. CROWD Put the genies...! Put the genies...! NEW ANGLE--CAR APPROACHING FROM BEHIND THE CROWD The gates open. Stunners light up in banks, like ballpark lights. Rioters fall; two riot sleds with mounted stunners move out to clear a path, and escort the car into the Complex. INT. CAR--DAY--AS IT MOVES FORWARD THROUGH CROWD Inside are MALKO KALHARRI, SUZANNE MONTIGNET, and Trent. Suzanne is elderly, but fit; Malko is a big, broad- shouldered ex-soldier, about 70. Trent sits in the back seat, working with his handheld. MALKO I've never seen it so bad. SUZANNE And no Peaceforcers. MALKO Might be a few off-duty...in the crowd. WIDE ANGLE--INTERIOR COURTYARD A DOUBLE-S OFFICER watches as teens between the ages of 11 and 15 unload a crate of materiel. Masers get handed out to everyone, regardless of age. An interesting thing about the children: though they do not otherwise appear related (they are white, black, Asian and Latino) they all have brilliant green reflective eyes. HEATHER CASTANAVERAS, 15, lifts a jumpsuit from the crate. With Heather is WILLI, also 15. WILLI Laser-resistant? SECURITY OFFICER Heat and impact. HEATHER (to others) Get them on! INT. CAR--DAY--SLOWING TO A STOP NEARBY--ON MALKO, WATCHING MALKO Carl must be scared. TRENT Wouldn't you be? INT. CHANDLER COMPLEX--COMMAND CENTER--DAY A media room. Holos are everywhere; maps of Manhattan, images of the gates, of the Complex's approaches. A window looks down on the courtyard. Carl Castanaveras stands with his back TO THE CAMERA. He is the oldest of the genegineered telepaths, after whom the others were named; pale-skinned, with black hair and burning green eyes. He holds himself with smouldering rage, watching the rioters. With him are JANY, 25, (David and Denice's mother); ANDY, a 20 year old telepath, and Security Services Captain TODD DEAVERS. Malko, Suzanne and Trent enter. Carl does not look around. CARL I think you got here just in time. CAPTAIN DEAVERS Yes. Monitors 5 and 9; PKF troops. MONTAGE SHOTS--PEACEFORCERS TAKING UP STATIONS They move with professional competence; no goddamn Imperial Stormtroopers, these people. They what they shoot at. INT. CHANDLER COMPLEX--COMMAND CENTER--DAY--SCENE RESUMES CARL I wonder if they'd have let you through.... Somehow I don't think they're here to protect us. MALKO Hello, Carl. Carl turns to face them. He glances at Malko, then Suzanne; at his expression both look away. Only Trent meets his gaze. TRENT Hello, Carl. CARL Hello, Trent. You should not have come. And you should not stay. TRENT We heard about the twins. CARL Malko, go home. Take Trent and go. Don't come back until this is over. MALKO Carl, you're not doing me any favors keeping me out of this fight. CARL (losing it) . This is the use I have for you! MALKO (struggling and angry) . Carl holds his gaze a moment, then nods. CARL It's better this way, Malko. TRENT What about Denice and David? COMPUTER VOICE Unification Councilor Jerrill Carson on Line Three. A beat -- and a life-size holo of UNIFICATION COUNCILOR JERRILL CARSON appears. Carson is 60ish, gaunt and bony. Carl moves into range for the phone cameras; Trent turns to a systerm, grabs a traceset, licks the trodes and sticks them to his temple. His eyes close, his hands fly across the keyboard. Carl stares, enraged, at Carson's image. CARSON (shaking voice) I have your children. You've caused me problems, Carl. (voice gains strength) If you wish to see them alive you'll . Carl closes his eyes. Carson jerks, goes rigid. He and Carl hold the tableau for a moment, and then Carl's eyes open. Carson jerks like a puppet whose strings have been released. CARSON (harshly, panting) Fool. You think I've known you...this long...without learning anything? There are... of minds all around me, and millions more in the distance between us. . ON TRENT--CLOSING HIS EYES IN THE INFONET--THE SHINING WORLD OF THE CRYSTAL WIND BG SOUND of a tinkling wind. A gateway appears; Trent steps through, morphing into Ralf the Wise and Powerful. A dark window opens: text beneath the window says INTERFACE WINDOW: . In the window WE SEE the ready room; things in it happen very slowly. Ralf studies Carson's image; then taps the window's edge. The window flips around; its other side is labeled INTERFACE WINDOW: . A SINGLE COMM CIRCUIT GLOWS; Ralf touches a finger to that circuit and is SUCKED INTO the schematic at that spot. INSIDE THE LASERCABLE--A GLOWING WHITE TUNNEL Laser pulses--Carson's phone transmission--move slowly past Ralf. He follows the pulse down the tunnel to its source-- INT. COMMAND CENTER--DAY--SCENE RESUMES A map holo appears in the air next to Trent as Carson talks, holding a map of Manhattan. Trent whispers, eyes closed: TRENT Tracing. Keep him talking. CARSON --the Unification you telepaths. And if you're honest with yourselves, you know you need us to survive. You genies are not popular with the public. Jany Are we supposed to think you didn't have something to do with this crap outside our front door? CARSON (smiles) Of course we did. We paid some of the people out there...But we didn't pay most of them. CARL What do you want of me? CARSON You telepaths are too dangerous to be left uncontrolled; you need to be back under Peaceforcer control. Do you want your children back, Jany? JANY You know I do. CARSON (to Jany; gestures at Carl) Then this is what you have the madman do. He tells the newsdancers that the Peace Keeping Force recovered your children from the kidnappers; that as a token of your gratitude you've agreed to renew your service with the PKF. You see you've been selfish, and realize that your skills are needed in the service of the Unification. The map next to Trent zooms in on the eastern shore of Manhattan, where Roosevelt Island bisects the East River. CARL When do we get the twins back? CARSON Make the announcement, Jany. Carson vanishes; a spot BLINKS RED on the map. CARL Where is he? TRENT 210 East 76th street. The Eastgate Hotel is at that address. I didn't get the room, but there are Peaceforcers in the lobby. CARL (to Malko) You need to go now. I'll get you a PKF escort. MALKO What about you? CARL (eyeing PKF on monitors) I'll take the MetalSmith as soon as it's dark. EXT. STREET--DUSK--EST. SHOT OF MOHAMMED VANCE MOHAMMED VANCE is a Peaceforcer Elite, a cyborg. Like most PKF and all Elite, he is French. 35, Vance is tall and heavily muscled. The cyborg differentiation is subtle; his false eyes are black and glassy, with abnormally large pupils. His facial skin is stiff and expressionless. A laser is buried in his right fist. In all, he looks like a recruiting poster. On another day, in someone else's movie, he would be the hero. Today he stands motionless in the street, in the rain, squads of PKF behind him, watching the near-riot going on outside the Complex. An AIDE approaches. PKF #1 Elite Sergeant? VANCE (a hard, deep voice) Yes? PKF #1 M. Castanaveras would like an escort through the crowds--Kalharri, Montignet, a child named Trent. VANCE Trent? PKF #1 A genie, but not a telepath. Botched job, according to his file. He hasn't lived here for three months. VANCE Let them pass. EXT. FRONT GATES--DUSK--ON MALKO'S CAR Suzanne is driving. She, Malko and Trent are escorted to the gates by Double-S, and through the crowds by PKF. Their car halts at the PKF security perimeter. INT. CAR--DUSK--PULLING TO A STOP TRENT (abruptly realizing) We have to go back. MALKO What? TRENT I left my handheld. We were in such a hurry-- SUZANNE (exasperated) You can use mine. TRENT (almost panicked) You don't understand! I left ! My ! MALKO We'll come back for him. EXT. CAR--DUSK Vance approaches the passenger side; Malko dilates the window. Vance looks inside, eyes sweeping the interior, taking in Malko with the autoshot, Suzanne and Trent. Vance and Trent lock eyes for a long moment; two legends whose lives are going to be intertwined for the next 40 years, meeting for the first time: Trent the Uncatchable and the patriotic, brilliant, and relentless Mohammed Vance. Trent does not look away; Vance shakes himself, as though realizing he's trading stares with a child. He takes Malko's autoshot, stands back and waves the car on. VANCE Drive safely. They drive away. Vance taps his earphone, speaks aloud: VANCE Commander BreillŠune, the car has left the Complex. BREILLEUNE (radio V.O.) Very good. VANCE I do not like this, Commander. We promised passage. BREILLEUNE (radio V.O.) Be strong. All will be resolved, and shortly. Oh, and Mohammed--Weather Control received a request for a storm tonight--from us? VANCE I was ordered to control the crowds, to help protect the telepaths. Rain is a good tool for crowd control. BREILLEUNE (radio V.O.) Elite Sergeant--relax. . Vance nods grimly, suspicions confirmed. He is there to protect the telepaths from the crowds--or anyone else. EXT. A SURFACE STREET--NIGHT--ON MALKO'S CAR The car glides down the street; a spotlight strikes them. They halt. Two PKF AeroSmiths come down out of the sky-- ANGLE ON TRENT Hiding his traceset's trodes and throat mike in his shoes. ON FIRST AEROSMI Descending, somewhat closer than the second. WE SEE PKF with their weapons ready-- ANGLE ON MALKO MALKO Fuck . Malko pulls an autoshot from under the seat, and rolls from the car as the canopy swings up. The first AeroSmith lands; Malko thrusts the autoshot against the canopy and FIRES. The canopy shatters; the repeating shotgun blasts shred the PKF inside. An Elite bursts from the second AeroSmith; the laser in his fist pierces Malko's shoulder from behind. Malko turns from the ruins of the first AeroSmith, still firing, brings the autoshot around on the Elite. Blood sprays from the Elite's blurred form, but the wound is not mortal, and the cyborg does not slow. The laser in his fist sweeps across Malko's face. TWO SHOT--SUZANNE & TRENT--PKF APPROACHING She kills one with a maser she's concealed. The Peaceforcer behind the one she kills shoots her, fries her where she sits. In the cold air, steam rises from the cooked meat. Trent, in the back seat, raises his hands as three agitated PKF point weapons at him. INT. A PKF STATION--TRENT & TWO ELITE--NIGHT They escort Trent past an admittance desk, to an empty, harshly lit holding cell. They search him, coming up empty. ELITE COMMANDER BREILLEUNE, commander of all PKF on Earth, enters. BREILLEUNE Your guardians were killed, I'm told. Unfortunate. I've wanted to prosecute them for treason for a very long time...A lost opportunity. He exits, leaving Trent alone in the cell. INT. CONTROL CENTER--THE COMPLEX--NIGHT Carl is now wearing fatigues like the others, though he's got considerably more military hardware hung on him. INSERT--A MONITOR A blurry dot, moving closer, changing from a featureless blur to an aircraft. INT. CONTROL CENTER--NIGHT--RESUMES CAPTAIN DEAVERS We might have an aerial attack here. Carl steps forward to the monitor. CARL Let's warn the roof--no. (pause; realization) It's a kamikaze! INT. PKF AEROSMITH--NIGHT--ON MOHAMMED VANCE Watching the rising storm; a DRONING SOUND overrides the wind. Turning, Vance sees the approaching airplane. EXT. AEROSMITH--NIGHT--ON VANCE He cracks the canopy and moves forward with his troops. The craft strikes the Complex's front gate; the gate and fence go down in a shower of sparks. The crowd surges forward. From the Complex's windows and doors, scores of masers strike into the crowd. The carnage is terrific, people flaming up like candles as the masers touch them. INT. COMMAND CENTER--NIGHT--ON MAIN WINDOW Carl and the others smash the window, and stand with their rifles, firing down at the approaching wave of humanity. THE FRONT LAWN OF THE COMPLEX--NIGHT--WIDE ANGLE The children lie in a row, firing; their rifle stocks sizzle where the rain touches them. Rioters fall by the hundreds. The firing goes on and on--and then briefly stops. The crowd breaks and turns back; but a suicidal few continue, charge toward the armed children, and the children cut them down. Then it ends for real. Those few rioters still on their feet flee in a panic, trampling the fallen as they flee. The wounded scream briefly; then Double-S's men turn the gate stunners inward on the injured rioters. INT. COMMAND ROOM The barrels of their rifles, untouched by rain, glow cherry red. CARL ? CAPTAIN DEAVERS (scanning on monitor) Your people are OK; I lost officers at the gate. I need to go down there. Carl nods. Deavers exits. EXT. FRONT LAWN--NIGHT--WIDE ANGLE PKF in combat armor approach, moving relentlessly through the carnage; Vance leads them. Heather blocks their way, flanked by Willi and the other armed children. VANCE (loudly over wind) I must speak to M. Castanaveras! HEATHER No. You don't pass here. Vance makes a restraining motion to the PKF behind him. VANCE I've received instructions to evacuate the Complex. Vehicles will be arriving shortly to remove your people to a safer location. ! WILLI Not a chance. Street's way-- Willi gestures with his maser. The Peaceforcer behind Vance misreads the gesture, and lifts his autoshot and fires. SLOW MOTION Things happen all at once. Willi disintegrates in a shower of flesh and blood and bone. Scattershot touches Heather and, expressionlessly, she brings her maser up to slice in half the Peaceforcer who killed Willi. The battle computer at the base of Vance's skull takes over, sends him rolling across the lawn, laser in his fist flickering out to kill one after another of the telepath children. Heather dies first, in a wash of laser fire. The children stand motionless, masers up, firing at the PKF with a profound lack of any human hesitation. Vance is moving far too fast for them; none of them come close to putting a maser on him before he has reached his feet. NORMAL MOTION RESUMES Perhaps a full two seconds have passed. All of Vance's squad are dead, and all of the children. Telepaths are looking at him, out of the windows on the 1st and 2nd floors; Vance turns and runs at Elite speed, zig-zagging away from the Complex. INT. COMMAND CENTER--NIGHT--ON CARL AT WINDOW Rifle up, Carl tries to track the zig-zagging blur. ON THE OTHER COMMAND CENTER TELEPATHS They are trembling, shaking, dropping their weapons-- EXT. FRONT LAWN--NIGHT--ON THE DEAD CHILDREN INT. COMMAND CENTER--NIGHT--ON THE OTHER TELEPATHS Jany McConnell speaks in a deep, inhuman voice. JANY (THE VOICE) I have been . MONTAGE SHOTS--NIGHT Throughout the Complex, INTERCUT W/DEAD CHILDREN on the lawn; everyone speaks in the same inhuman voice. 1ST CHILD TELEPATH (THE VOICE) There is . 2ND CHILD TELEPATH (THE VOICE) I have been . ON CARL--LEADING VANCE'S ZIG-ZAG RUN He FIRES. The beam strikes directly in Vance's path -- RETURN TO MONTAGE 3RD CHILD TELEPATH (THE VOICE) Parts of Me have been . A SHOT OF THE COMPLEX --with a difference. Walls and furniture are hazy, ghostly; flesh is slightly more solid; human neural nets shine through flesh, bright blue, haloing at the skulls. Abruptly a solid bar of light leaps from one nerve system to another, and then to another, and then another, from telepath to telepath until every neural system shown is connected-- NORMAL ACTION RESUMES--ANGLE ON CARL --except Carl's He struggles to keep the rifle on Vance-- THE VOICE Join me. CARL My ! THE VOICE Join me! JOIN ME! Carl spasms as though a bolt of lightning has struck him,and crumples to the floor, still struggling with it. The voice speaks more gently: THE VOICE Join me. CARL I can't. THE VOICE Then rest. You will have need of rest. Carl shudders and lays still. ANGLE ON THE TELEPATHS Their eyes shine brilliant green, far brighter than before. JANY (THE VOICE) They have killed Me. The Me that was Heather, and Willi, Tomas, Allie, Mari, Mandi and Theodore. ANDY (THE VOICE) I will kill them back. EXT. THE COMPLEX--NIGHT --gleaming in the rain. Silence. A beat-- THE PKF TROOPS-- --withdrawing from the Complex. In silence. A beat-- A SHOT OF THE MANHATTAN 2062 SKYLINE Silence. A beat-- EXT. THE EASTGATE HOTEL--NIGHT INT. HOTEL ROOM--THE EASTGATE HOTEL--NIGHT Carson sits with autoshot in his lap, looking unwell. The twins kneel on the floor before him, hands snakechained behind their backs, mouths taped shut. A beat-- EXT. THE COMPLEX--NIGHT A SOUND RISES, dull and harsh, the scrape of steel on stone, a vicious, chilling scream of hatred and rage-- INT. THE COMPLEX--NIGHT ON THE telepaths. They stand rigid, in strikingly similar poses, heads tilted back, screaming up toward the sky. INT. AEROSMITH--NIGHT--THE PKF RETREAT--ON VANCE His jaw clamps tightly; PKF around him stumble and fall screaming, echoing the telepath scream. Only Vance, in a remarkable display of willpower, does not scream. INT. HOTEL ROOM, EASTGATE HOTEL As Councilor Carson screams. ON THE TWINS THE VOICE Be strong. Carl is coming. INT. THE JAIL CELL--NIGHT--ON TRENT Trent looks up as the SOUND OF DISTANT SCREAMING penetrates his cell. He clearly feels nothing. After a moment he kicks his shoes off, pulls free the trodes hidden in one shoe, and the throat mike in the other. Trent licks the trodes and sticks them to his temples, clips the throat mike to his collar. He closes his eyes and folds into full lotus. TRENT (whispers) On. Up. Frequency in use...frequency in use...frequency open. Out... Access 102808-CC12. THE GLOW OF THE INFONET A data packet makes its cautious way through the swirling storm of the Crystal Wind. INT. THE COMPLEX--NIGHT--COMMAND ROOM The station Trent worked at earlier. His handheld sits on the desktop, Ralf's credit-card shaped Image coprocessor plugged into it. Abruptly the coprocessor shimmers-- INT. THE JAIL CELL--NIGHT--TRENT LOOKS UP IN EXCITEMENT RALF (V.O. infovoice) You are held by the Peaceforcers. TRENT Yes. Free me. A brief pause. RALF (V.O. infovoice) I can disable power to the entire station. Will this suffice? TRENT Open the door to the cell first. RALF (V.O. infovoice) I cannot do that. The security computer runs Maxtor-Briggs software. It is sophisticated. TRENT Try the AL-405 decryption routine. RALF (V.O. infovoice) There are 3.5 x 10 to the 8th power combinations the lock to your door might accept. It will take some time to try them all. Please abide. TRENT . RALF (V.O. infovoice) I only have one speed, Boss. EXT. THE COMPLEX--NIGHT Utter desolation. The rain lashes down on the dead. The stunners have worn off, and nobody has reapplied them. WE HEAR the growing storm, and then, in a brief lull, the SCREAMS OF THE WOUNDED. In the distance, to the north, the city is burning, the skyline flickering with fire. EXT. STREET--FACING COMPLEX--NIGHT 20 Elite assemble, preparing an assault; they stand silently in the rain, staring at the Complex. Vance watches as they are distributed monstrously large repeating mortars. VANCE They've killed PKF. Kill them all. The Elite slip off into the windy night. INT. COMPLEX--NIGHT--ON THE TELEPATHS Watching. Their eyes glow brighter-- EXT. COMPLEX--NIGHT--ANGLE ON THE ADVANCING ELITE Suddenly they , as though a great hand has struck them down. Elite and mortars hit the wet ferrocrete, slide and tumble for meters before stopping. Vance watches the disaster unfold; the Elite lay in the wet streets, unmoving. Vance beckons; PKF #1 approaches. VANCE Dispatch the robots to retrieve our fallen. When this is done we will retreat a kilometer north...and then contact Space Force. PKF #1 (stares; then salutes) Yes, Elite Sergeant. EXT. GARDEN, CENTER OF COMPLEX--NIGHT The garden is open to the sky, but with buildings all around blocking it from view of the street. In the center of the garden is a Chandler MetalSmith Mark IV, the fastest flying car ever built. Carl and Jany are alone. JANY (THE VOICE) Your best chance of avoiding PKF patrols is over the East River. Carl nods. Cracking the MetalSmith's canopy, he settles in the driver's seat, dropping an autoshot and maser rifle beside him; brings the fans up to speed and fires the rear jets. CARL Stand back. The jets get hot. JANY (THE VOICE) I shall. The fans almost drown out her final words, in her own voice: JANY Be careful, baby. Carl stares at her, then yanks the canopy savagely closed and hits the fans. The car lifts straight up until it has cleared the building, and then, lights extinguished, Carl lights the rear jets. The car leaps forward into the storm. EXT. THE METALSMITH--NIGHT The car flies out over the East River, and then heads north. INT. THE METALSMITH--NIGHT A control BEEPS. PKF VOICE #1 You are violating PKF airspace-- Carl taps the control, cutting the voice off. He flies through the night sky in majestic silence broken only by the rain drumming on the car. The city looks horrible. Fires blaze everywhere; the streets are full of rioters and wrecked vehicles. Power is out over much of the city. A holo of Manhattan shows the MetalSmith's flight as a bright dot. When the dot comes parallel to E. 76th Street, Carl banks in a slow glide. EXT. THE METALSMITH--NIGHT Carl brings the car in from the river, high above traffic, bringing the MetalSmith to a dead halt, fans roaring with the effort to keep it hovering motionlessly in the powerful wind, high above the roof of the Eastgate Hotel. He hovers, watching the roof-- EXT. THE ROOF--NIGHT A shape detaches itself from the shadows, moves cautiously to the roof's edge and looks down. EXT. THE METALSMITH--NIGHT Carl cuts fans. The MetalSmith dives in deadly silence; the front fender hits the Peaceforcer in the back at 150 kph. The Peaceforcer falls from the roof in two different pieces. Carl brings the fans back up, banks the MetalSmith, and lands gently on the roof. He cracks the canopy, and carrying his weapons, descends into the hotel. INT. PKF AEROSMITH--NIGHT--ON MOHAMMED VANCE A holo of a Space Force Colonel floats in front of Vance. VANCE I want a tacnuke strike on the Complex. I take full responsibility; you may clear it with Elite Commander BreillŠune. COLONEL We're ready now. VANCE How long have you been in position? COLONEL (suddenly cautious) Since morning, Elite Sergeant. VANCE (slowly) It was never intended that these people should be allowed to live. INT. THE JAIL--NIGHT RALF (V.O. infovoice) I have found the access code. Trent comes to his feet, tense and excited; instants later, the walls of Trent's cell shake. TRENT What was that? RALF (V.O. infovoice) A diversion to aid in your escape. TRENT ? RALF (V.O. infovoice) I crashed a cab through a wall of the station. TRENT Did you--was anyone in the cab? RALF (V.O. infovoice) No...That would be inhuman. (Trent shows relief) Abide; I shall open the door shortly. INT. HOTEL MAGLEV ELEVATOR--NIGHT Carl lies belly down on the floor. He has punched every floor. 10th floor, 9th--when the doors open at the 8th floor, the Peaceforcer is simply standing there, autoshot leveled to cover the maglev at waist height. Carl kills him with a single maser burst. INT. THE HALLWAY--NIGHT--GUARDS' POV Two PKF guard Carson's hotel room. WE SEE Carl extend his left arm out through the maglev door, holding the autoshot. He fires twice down the hall, buckshot scoring the walls, but he's picked the wrong direction; the PKF at the hotel room door FIRE. Maser fire washes Carl's arm, cooks it instantly. Carl knows where they are now; he rolls forward into the hallway, grabbing the autoshot with his good right hand and firing as he rolls, killing the two PKF at the door. Carl stands slowly, staggering. He walks down the hall, blackened arm hanging at his side. He trips, gets up again. At the door he switches from the autoshot to the maser rifle; more accurate, and the twins are inside. He stands just to the side of the doorway, catching his breath and marshaling his strength. Finally he comes around to stand before the door--and at the door. The door EXPLODES INWARD. INT. THE JAIL--NIGHT--ON TRENT--TRACKING The door BEEPS and curls open. Trent stands in the doorway, listening. In the distance is a HYSTERICAL BABBLE OF VOICES, in both French and English. Trent takes a step into the hall. PKF mill about off to his left; to his right is the empty admittance desk. Trent walks calmly past the admittance desk, past an open door; inside a mad Peaceforcer in uniform, PKF #2, is being comforted by TWO CIVILIANS. PKF #2 ! Stop it! Trent walks by-- CIVILIAN Boy! Trent turns and faces the man, who has come after him. TRENT Yes? CIVILIAN What are you doing in here? TRENT I--I'm looking for the bathroom. CIVILIAN How the hell did you get in here? TRENT (mind racing) ...the door was open, sir? CIVILIAN (staring at Trent) God . Come on. (leads Trent, muttering) No wonder the city's burning, we can't even keep little boys out of Operations. They come to a large doorway; the man's palm is scanned. The door curls open, out into a bright, crowded lobby. CIVILIAN Over there, public restrooms. The waiting rooms are back the other way. You here with your parents? TRENT Yes, sir. CIVILIAN (gently) Don't get lost again. This is a bad night to be out wandering around. He goes back inside; Trent walks through the lobby, from the building, and into the night rain. He crosses the block without haste, turns a corner, and runs for his life. WE HOLD THAT IMAGE: A boy running, fading into the rain, as a bright mushroom cloud climbs into the sky above him. INT. MOHAMMED VANCE'S AEROSMITH--NIGHT--ON VANCE A glow behind him. He sits erect and does not look back. EXT. THE FORMER CHANDLER COMPLEX--NIGHT The brilliant fireball climbs toward the sky. INT. CARSON'S HOTEL ROOM--NIGHT The door explodes inward. At that moment, on a holofield to one side of the room, an image of the Complex is replaced by an awful glare, briefly lighting the room in unreal colors. Carl appears in the doorway, a grinning with emerald eyes--and hesitates at the sight of the twins being used as a shield for Carson. Carson's autoshot blast takes Carl in the chest, lifts and slams him out into the hall. Carl fires in midair, the beam slicing between Denice and her brother, reaching past them to cut Carson's skull in two. Carl hits the wall hard; slumps where he stands, sliding down to the floor, leaving a long trail of blood where he touches the wall. David is on the ground, bringing his bound hands from behind him, down under his feet and around to the front. He rips the tape from his mouth. DAVID Turn around. Denice does. David pushes Carson's dead hand up against the snakechain thumblock; the chain releases Denice. She works the tape from her mouth and then frees David the same way. Carl is motionless, dying. He touches their thoughts: CARL (telepathy) David, get the lasers. David picks up the maser one of the PKF guards used to fry Carl's arm; Carl releases his own bloody rifle. CARL (telepathy) Take it, Denice. Denice scoops the maser up off the floor. Carl's telepathic voice is faint, fading. CARL (telepathy) There are Peaceforcers downstairs. I can't kill them, so you have to. DAVID (nodding) We will, Father. CARL (telepathy) (eyes closing) They'll hesitate before they shoot children. Tears track down Denice's cheeks. DENICE We won't hesitate, Daddy. CARL (telepathy) Good. Remember that you're tougher than they are. (lips curl in pain) . The children jerk with the force of the thought, of Carl's pain and life-long rage imprinting itself upon them. DENICE We'll remember. David punches for the maglev. Denice hugs Carl fiercely; blood covers her when she lets go. The maglev comes-- DENICE Good-bye, Daddy. WE TRACK THE TWINS: Denice runs to the maglev. The doors uncurl to shut; Denice wipes Carl's blood off her rifle. CARL (telepathy V.O.) . DAVID We will. PINT. LIMBO--BLACKNESS--MEDIUM LONG SHOT--ON STORYTELLER STORYTELLER They did. In the seven years that followed that day, the PKF did not find the boy; did not find the twins....In later years it was estimated that a quarter of the population of New York state was rendered insane in the moments when the Castanaveras struck back with their full strength. In the city, the proportion was near one half. (long pause) Seven years is the blink of an eye. On the surface, a world cannot change much in so short a span. Inertia alone prevents it. But in detail... MONTAGE: EXT. MANHATTAN--DAY--THE WALLS GOING UP-- --wire mesh, electrified, with razor barb wire atop. SHOTS OF SLUMS far worse than any today, of PEOPLE BEING SHOT as they try to make their way into the safer Patrol Sectors. STORYTELLER (V.O., CONT.) The Patrol Sectors were designed as an interim measure to maintain order during the riots that followed the destruction of the Castanaveras telepaths. But the PKF found the Patrol Sectors useful, and instead of restoring patrol service to the entire city, concentrated on Capitol City in Manhattan, and left the rest of New York City to decay into the Fringe, patrolled by underfunded, under-equipped American police. INT. LIMBO--MEDIUM SHOT--THE STORYTELLER STORYTELLER (CONT.) Seven years...A story may begin many times, in many places. But there must somewhere be a true beginning. At the beginning of it all, there was an enigma...A boy named Trent who became a thief, and grew toward manhood-- CU THE NAME STORYTELLER STORYTELLER (CONT.) And did not forget. BLACK SCREEN "Monday, July 1, 2069," appears in emerald, then fades. INT. DOWN PLAZA MAGLEV ELEVATOR--DAY--ON TRENT As it descends into the Down Plaza, a subsurface mall in the Brooklyn Patrol Sectors, in relative quiet. Trent, now 18, stands toward the rear; a conservatively dressed young man in a gray jacket and black pants, and a long-sleeved white silk shirt. He wears immaculately clean white running shoes; a single flat ruby stud shines in the lobe of his left ear. His hair is sandy blond, cut short: he wears flat black sunglasses. A handheld--a good bit smaller than the handhelds of seven years prior--is clipped at his belt. People get on and off at every level. The maglev platform tower thrusts up through the center of the Plaza; shops are placed in a rectangle around the tower. Hanging walkways connect the tower to the each level; skywalks connect the levels to each other. INT. LEVEL EIGHT--DAY--TRACKING ON TRENT The platform stops last at Level Eight, bottom level; Trent gets off with the rest. Eight is a riot of color; glittering adholo, neon and neonlaser and glowpaint: picture the biggest, noisiest mall you've ever seen, and multiply by ten. Gang kids, wearing colors, mix among the crowd at the far end of the Plaza. A young blonde girl, JODI, talks with them. Four cops--NYPD Officers--sit at a Plaza coffee shop, watching the crowd through glassite walls. Trent moves through the crowd, stops next to an elderly black contortionist, BONES. Three teenage girls stand nearby, talking together. One stands with her BACK TO THE CAMERA; she wears a green leather dress, black ankle boots and pale green nylons. Her hair is black, straight and long. A glowing scarlet zipper begins just over her right thigh and spirals up around her buttocks, waist, and breasts. She carries a handbag by its top. BONES Peaceforcers, Trent. TRENT Where? When? BONES Three hours ago. Haven't seen `em since...This is not good, Trent. You should get you a job. TRENT I already have a job. BONES Boosting's no job, boy.... You're young enough to get out of here. WE HEAR, with Trent, a FILTERED INFOVOICE; the voice of JOHNNY, Trent's Image. Obviously only Trent hears Johnny. JOHNNY (V.O. INFOVOICE) Boss, somebody's messed with Plaza security. TRENT (faint smile; to Bones) I spent six years just getting out of the Fringe, Bones. I the Patrol Sectors...'Scuse me. Trent closes his eyes and goes Inside. THE INFONET--DOWN PLAZA ANALOG A computer generated simulation of the Plaza; Trent steps though a glowing gateway, morphing into the shape of his Image, JOHNNY. BG SOUND is of the Crystal Wind. Johnny appears as a pleasant young man dressed in jeans, cowboy boots and a t-shirt; he glances at a pair of security holocams overlooking Level Eight-- THE INFONET--INSIDE THE HOLOCAMS--JOHNNY'S POV We look down into Realtime, on Trent and Bones. Johnny turns away and melts into the lasercable leading away from the holocams, and abruptly we are-- THE INFONET--INSIDE THE LASERCABLE Flowing as a pulse of scarlet laser light to-- INT. REALTIME SECURITY CONTROL--DAY Six PKF are inside, watching Trent on the holocams. A holocam high on the wall, watching the Peaceforcers, comes alive for an instant, as Johnny looks over-- REALTIME SCENE RESUMES--INT. LEVEL EIGHT--DAY--ON TRENT Mere seconds have passed. JIMMY RAMIREZ, 20, appears out of the crowd, a tall, handsome fellow with muscles on his muscles, watching Trent with a cool, reserved look he saves for times when he is truly pissed. Jodi is on her way across the Plaza, striding angrily through the crowd; the cops at watch as she and Jimmy approach Trent. JIMMY You're late again. TRENT Sorry but I got this call-- JIMMY About? Jodi closes, radiating anger. JODI What the hell's going on? I've been stalling but-- TRENT It's a drop. Jodi's a pro; she turns and fades. Trent doesn't look at Jimmy. TRENT Walk. I just got warned not to boost CalleyTronics-- JIMMY You're kidding-- TRENT --and the Peaceforcers are watching us A cop at points out the scene to the others; the girl in the green dress is walking away with her friends. Trent follows. Two cops come onto the Plaza floor; Trent threads his way through the crowd, gaining on the girls; the girl in the green dress holds her purse by its clasped top. An adholo flares and Trent swerves to pass through it- - INSIDE THE ADHOLO Trent pulls an emblade (a knife with a 1 molecule wide edge) from behind his belt buckle and turns it on. The blade appears, Trent steps out of the adholo-- INT. DOWN PLAZA--SCENE RESUMES--TWO SHOT TRENT AND GIRL Trent walks by the girl, flicks the blade up to cut the purse open, reaches through the open flap and pulls the wallet free; turns the emblade off, drops the haft and kicks it and is turning away when a delicate hand closes around his forearm. GIRL I'd like my wallet returned. The crowd clears away from them. She is 16, with clean simple features framed by long, straight black hair, with bright green eyes. TRENT Sure. (hands wallet back) How did you know I took it? She studies him, puzzled; behind Trent a DEEP VOICE BOOMS: COP Ma'am, stand away! TRENT Really, I did that . COP ! TRENT If you're not going to answer, you better back off, or he'll stun you too. It's not pleasant, trust me. She nods slowly, steps backward, wallet in hand. Her eyes never leave Trent--her eyes. TRENT Oh. Bright green eyes, like Carl's, or Jany's...emerald eyes. TRENT Denice? Denice's eyes widen in shock. Then the cops shoot him. INT. NYPD PROCESSING AREA--ON TRENT--NIGHT TWO COPS are stripping Trent of his valuables. Trent does not resist as they take his belt, watch, earring, wallet and shoes. When they're done he stands in his socks as they run a GLOWING BAR OF LIGHT over him, front and back, rather like a modern metal detector. A HOLOGRAPH OF TRENT'S BODY appears as they do this, showing Trent's internal organs and outlines of his bones. INSERT--HOLOGRAPH--TIGHT ON TRENT'S SKULL The holo shows a thin, flat object INSIDE Trent's skull. COP #1 (V.O.) What the hell is that? TRENT (V.O.) An inskin InfoNet link. RETURN TO SCENE--INT. PROCESSING AREA--NIGHT--THREE SHOT COP #1 I don't see a socket. TRENT It's a radio inskin. There is no socket. COP #2 There's progress for you. C'mon. TRACKING SHOT--THROUGH THE POLICE STATION Grungy equipment everywhere, in need of cleaning and repair, mixed with grungy criminals and cops. The cops lead Trent through the waiting area; too many people in too small a space, speaking in voices that are too loud. Denice Castanaveras, still in the green dress, is in a glassite- walled soundproof cubicle; a red-faced lady cop is speaking to her. Denice does not glance aside as Trent is led by. In a chair just outside of Police Chief MAC DEVLIN's office sits EMILE GARON, a stiff-faced man in black and silver: PKF Elite. Cyborg. An inskin InfoNet link is socketed at his skull. Trent pauses under the weight of Garon's frozen glare-- COP Come on. He shoves Trent contemptuously forward. INT. MAXWELL DEVLIN'S OFFICE--NIGHT-- --a mix of gray leather and chrome. A painting hangs to Devlin's left: a glowing violet Easter egg in a scarlet desert sits on the divider line of a two-lane highway. The ceiling sunpaint is off; a small lamp at Devlin's right elbow provides the office's only illumination. Trent and Devlin hang suspended in dimness, two images at the edges of the light. A miniature antique cannon, on a small end- table to Devlin's left, points directly at Trent. Trent drinks a cup of coffee, right-handed, as they speak. DEVLIN What were your people doing tonight? TRENT We were going to boost CalleyTronics and then go dancing and drink coffee... actually, Jimmy was probably going to get drunk and fight somebody, but he would have had coffee with us. DEVLIN Why were you boosting Calley, Trent? TRENT (are you ?) Mac, I was getting . DEVLIN (hides smile) Excuse me. Stupid question. Look, this is my problem. With this-- (glances at holofield) --Denice Daimara's testimony, I can put you into Public Labor; we found the emblade you used, we have a solid weapons charge. Or I can hand you over to the PKF. TRENT Send me to Public Labor. Please? DEVLIN Why do I have a Peaceforcer Elite camped out in my office over a small time thief like you, Trent? TRENT You know what I do. DEVLIN You steal from thieves. Mostly. TRENT A month ago, a man hired me to boost 15 terabytes of RAM from CalleyTronics--said Calley had stolen it from , and he just wanted it back. He was convincing. I checked him out... Mac, I am possibly the best Player you'll ever meet. The man who hired me to boost Calley was who he said he was--or the PKF DataWatch constructed his background. His records were . DEVLIN Then? TRENT I told him we'd do it. Today--half an hour before we're supposed to do the deed--I got a message from this Player. I don't know this Player, never heard of him before, but he was . He might not even have been a Player; he could have been an Artificial Intelligence. This person says, don't do the job. DEVLIN An AI called you about a robbery? TRENT I know, why would an AI ? But this--person-- things, Mac. About the client, the target, all of it. It was too weird. I headed to the Plaza, found PKF watching me-- (shrugs) I called it off. DEVLIN (grins) So the PKF set you up, and you decided to let the police rescue you from them. Trent glances at his left wrist; WE SEE for the first time it has been snakechained to his chair. TRENT If you want to put it that way. DEVLIN You've got balls, Trent. TRENT I was desperate. There's a difference. DEVLIN Yes. I don't suppose you've eaten? TRENT ...I beg your pardon? DEVLIN You want dinner? I know a good place. TRENT Yes...thank you. DEVLIN , chain off. : Janice, tell Elite Sergeant Garon we're going to charge the boy ourselves. TRENT ? DEVLIN Heard of him? TRENT (shaken, he has; lies badly) No. Never. INT. RESTAURANT--PRIVATE BOOTH--NIGHT--TWO SHOT Trent and Devlin. The glowpaint is dim, aided by gentle white spotlights. As their dinners are being served, Devlin's EARPHONE BEEPS. Trent has fries, scallops and coffee; throughout this scene, whenever he's not talking, he's eating. DEVLIN Excuse me. (touches spot beneath ear) Yes...what is it? ? (suddenly stares at Trent) Exactly ... okay. Acknowledged. (removes finger; real anger) How did you do that? TRENT (swallowing) Do what? DEVLIN Five minutes after I tell the PKF we're charging you, our witness changes her mind. She's not going to testify against you. She didn't see you with the emblade, she's not sure you're the one who cut her purse. How did you get to her? TRENT Mac, I've been in --maybe Jimmy did, I don't know. DEVLIN (almost aggressively) Ever considered becoming a cop? TRENT (almost offended) That's not even a bit funny. DEVLIN I'm not joking. I think you'd be good. TRENT I'd be good at a lot of things I don't want to do. No offense, but jumping two meters every time the PKF sneezes is not my idea of . DEVLIN (nods) hate working with the PKF. TRENT Mac, I don't hate the Peaceforcers. I don't hate the Unification--even if I do hate what it's done to Occupied America. But we can't afford another war, Mac, so we need either the Unification or something like it. And we can't trust individual countries to keep the peace, so we need the Peace Keeping Force, or something very like it, to administer those things. DEVLIN We need the Unification, and we need the PKF. Okay. But they do not have to be the Unification or the PKF that we have today. TRENT (eating fries quickly) You're talking like a Reb. Do you think we can get rid of the "current" PKF without violence? DEVLIN The tree of Liberty must from time to time be refreshed with the blood of patriots. Jefferson said that. TRENT Mac? DEVLIN Yes? TRENT Killing is wrong. DEVLIN Yeah, tell it to the Peaceforcers. Devlin's eyes widen; WE SEE Denice being led to a table near them. Devlin's eyes follow her; the hostess seats Denice, and when the hostess leaves, Denice at Devlin. Devlin's eyes lose focus; his gaze wanders back to Trent. DEVLIN Uh...what were we talking about? Trent eats his last scallops, drinks the last of his coffee. Devlin's barely touched his own food. TRENT I was saying I had to leave. My people are going to be wondering what's happened to me, Mac. DEVLIN This has been a very odd day. TRENT (rising) You don't even know. EXT. A CITY STREET IN THE RAIN--NIGHT Trent and Denice walk close together through the quiet drumming of the rain. TRENT Is David alive? DENICE I don't know. We were separated in the riots. I ended up in Public Labor. Nobody's ever really guessed what I am. You know there's rumors some telepaths survived? TRENT Yes. Some of the documentaries show Carl taking the MetalSmith up out of the Complex before it was nuked. DENICE There's recordings of that? I've never seen them. TRENT I have them on file at home. I'll play them for you if you like. DENICE I would...Trent? TRENT Yeah. DENICE I don't know where to start. It's been seven years. I don't even know if you're the same person any more. TRENT Neither do I. I spent six years in the Fringe. DENICE (visibly shaken) I'm sorry, Trent. I'm really sorry. TRENT (blinking) Well, it wasn't bad. At least not after I met Jimmy Ramirez it wasn't. The Fringe brutal, violent place. It turned me into a pacifist--about the tenth time I got beaten half to death. A believer in non-violence. DENICE I bet. TRENT But I'm basically still the same person. I still tell bad jokes. Good ones, too. Sometimes. About lawyers mostly, and Peaceforcers, `cause they're easy targets. These two lawyers are watching a girl in a park, and one of them says-- DENICE (quietly) You're trying too hard. TRENT Oh? All right. (pause) Can we still hold hands when we walk? DENICE I don't know. (shakes head slowly) I don't think so. TRENT (holds hand out) Try. Denice freezes, stands still in the rain, and then silently, swiftly shakes her head . TRENT Please? DENICE (trace of panic) Trent...I...I can't. I'm sorry, I can't. Trent reaches up and lays his hand flat against her cheek. Denice makes no move to stop him. Her breath came in quick, short gasps; her eyes close-- TRENT Does it hurt? Does it hurt when I touch you? A long pause. Denice shivers, and her hand creeps up to cover Trent's. DENICE (barest whisper) It's really you. Oh, God, it's really you. TRENT Yes. DENICE I guess you can hold my hand if you want. (opens her eyes) Oh, Trent. Of course I still love you. EXT. FLUSHING STREET, BROOKLYN PATROL SECTORS--NIGHT Kandel Microlectrics Sales and Repair is a tiny shop on a corner; the buildings are old and shabby. A PKF AeroSmith patrols overhead, shining a spotlight down on the street as Trent and Denice walk by the building next door to Kandel Microlectrics--the Flushing Street TEMPLE OF ERIS. It's well past closing; but the door to Kandel Microlectrics is open. Trent and Denice enter. INT. KANDEL MICROLECTRICS SALES AND REPAIR--NIGHT The only light comes from the neon-laser sign flashing the shop's name, and the display holographs showing off pieces of stock. They are waiting for Trent inside, sitting in a circle drinking beer and wine. OLD JACK KANDEL sits behind the parts counter, keeping an eye on everyone. Jimmy, Jodi, and BIRD, a 14-year old boy, are sitting together. Bird is the first to notice them: BIRD (nudging Jimmy) Now a pair of nice high big ones. Suddenly everybody is talking at once; what happened to you, etc; we need not hear the dialogue clearly. Only Jimmy is quiet, and only for a moment. JIMMY ! Instant silence, Denice looks at Bird-- DENICE Nice high big ones? BIRD (flushing red) Oh I didn't, I mean, I mean, that's not what I . Your . DENICE (laughs) Biosculpture. JIMMY Bro? TRENT Yes, Jimmy? JIMMY Last time I saw this chick you were boosting her wallet. Who is she? TRENT Someone I used to know. JIMMY (looking slapped) From before the Troubles? TRENT We were raised together. In a way that makes her my sister. JIMMY (standing slowly) I'm going home, bro. See you in the morning. TRENT Tomorrow morning at the Temple coffee shop. 8 o'clock. I'll tell you what I know. OLD JACK Going to bed myself. Had a couple of pieces of hardware I couldn't get running today. If you could take a look at them, I'd appreciate it. TRENT Sure, Jack. I'll handle it. JIMMY Someday I'll figure you out, my man. TRENT Not tonight, Jimmy. JIMMY (coming forward) What's your name, girl? DENICE Denice. JIMMY What do you do? DENICE I'm a dancer. JIMMY You're his sister? DENICE Close enough. JIMMY ...nice to meet you. Any sister of Trent's is okay by me. DENICE Okay? Just okay? (cool smile) Jimmy Ramirez, I'm the . INT. HALLWAY--2ND FLOOR--NIGHT Stairs visible in the BG. Trent opens the door to a room. DENICE You here? TRENT Sort of. Her reaction is understandable; the shabby room holds a twin bed and a small desk with cheap, amateur computer equipment. A bazooka is half visible in the bathroom's shower cubicle. DENICE What is that? TRENT A bazooka. DENICE It's ? TRENT It was here when I moved in. , lights off. A pressure pad the size of a hand glows in the darkness, high up on the wall. TRENT Be careful; if you touch that spot while the lights are on, a fadeaway bomb goes off. DENICE What's a fadeaway bomb? TRENT Liquid Peaceforcer drug, developed for crowd control. Knocks you out. DENICE Why not sonics? TRENT Sonics won't stop a PKF Elite. Put your hand on the pressure pad..., authorize Denice. JOHNNY Denice is authorized. Sudden brightness: an entire section of the wall slides backward nearly a meter, showing an ascending stairway. A squirt gun is clipped to the stairwell wall. TRENT (on Denice's reaction) Fadeaway again. You can't use needlers on Elite; the slivers won't break the skin. But the skin is permeable to liquid; a squirt gun gets enough on one to put him down. Denice looks at Trent without expression. Trent sighs. TRENT Let's go upstairs. INT. TRENT'S APARTMENT--SIMULATED DAY Denice stands in the brilliant sunshine, watching the waves crash on the beach. Trent's voice comes from below her. TRENT You're blocking the stairwell. She steps up, further into the immensity. A bright blue tropical ocean covers the far wall--a holo of astonishing fidelity. A kilometer or so out dolphins leap across the waves. Denice looks up at the image of the sun. DENICE It's . TRENT It's practically real; it'll even give you a tan. WE SEE the room from Denice's POV; a huge bed in one corner, with a late model waitbot nearby. Real paper books sit on a shelf; a desk piled with esoteric computer equipment sits next to the books. In the center of the room is a clear still pool of water; four meters across, a meter deep--a bathing pond. An entire wall of the apartment is one-way glassite, overlooking the Fringe. Denice wanders around, silently, looking, as Trent strips off his wet clothing. He has interesting scars. He gives the wet clothes to the waitbot, dries himself with a towel and dons a white terry-cloth robe. Denice turns back to Trent. DENICE (gesturing at apartment) How did you do this? TRENT I stole most of it. DENICE You stole it? TRENT I'm a thief. It's what I do. Steal things. Mostly from other thieves. I bought the rest with Credit I made from things I stole. DENICE This must have cost--an amazing-- TRENT 200,000 Credits, about. Want a robe to wear? DENICE You spent 200,000 Credits on a TRENT I'm a really thief. DENICE I'll take the robe...Thank you. TRENT Johnny, get Denice a robe. The waitbot at the side of the bed rolls away. JOHNNY Coming up, Boss. DENICE That voice, that's your Image? TRENT Yes. DENICE That's not Ralf's voice. TRENT Ralf the Wise and Powerful was at the Complex when it got nuked. If he'd found new hardware, I'd have heard from him--he's dead. (shrugs) It's hard to be a Player without an Image. Impossible. So I wrote Johnny. Johnny...grew on me. I was grieving for Ralf when I started coding Johnny; all I wanted was an Image that would filter the InfoNet, keep my face hidden. But we got to be friends. He's more alive in some ways than Ralf ever was. JOHNNY Gee, thanks, Boss. TRENT We've done some really great boosts together. DENICE (taking robe from `bot) You things. TRENT I don't steal from my friends, Denice. I just take things that other people have too much of. DENICE And you decide what's too much? TRENT Comes with the job. Look, it's not even theft so much as DENICE Oh? TRENT Words are not real. I can something to you, Denice, but cause the effect, based on how you interpret what I say. But when I something that belongs to a Player whose behavior I find inappropriate, or a businessman who's harming the people he deals with, or when I steal from an ecstasy peddler, I've that person. They ignore what I'm saying to them. DENICE So you things--so people will listen to you? TRENT No, no. Don't be silly. Nobody ever listens anyhow. Mostly I steal because I get paid for it. (grins) But isn't that a explanation? DENICE Oh, Trent. I never did know when to believe you. TRENT Believe everything I say. Or nothing. The results are the same. DENICE What results? TRENT Chaos usually. But only because the people I hang out with have no sense of humor. Last week I wanted to dress up as Clowns from Mars and go to mass at the Temple next door, but nobody would. They're all afraid of Reverend Andy. Just because he once killed a mugger with one mighty blow. DENICE But you're not afraid of him? TRENT Well, I wouldn't have worn the big clown feet or anything. Nothing that would slow me down if I had to run away. DENICE (laughs) You always were such a liar. Trent looks away, looks back, manner growing serious. TRENT Denice...I care about Jimmy. And Bird, and Jodi. I came out of the Fringe with them and I care about them a lot. But-- DENICE I know. TRENT --in my entire life you're the only person I ever loved. I don't know if I still love you. You're not the person I loved when I was eleven and I'm not the person who loved that girl. But I would have done to keep her from being hurt. DENICE Trent...It wasn't your fault. TRENT Of course it wasn't. I'm not crazy. (looks slightly away) Denice? DENICE (coming closer) I know. TRENT I took my friends, Jimmy and Jodi and Bird, who were successes as the Fringe judges success, and we left the Fringe in the back of an Erisian temple bus--because I wanted to come look in the Patrol Sectors. For you. DENICE For seven years I've thought you were dead. TRENT I'm not. DENICE (nods; a long pause as she decides; then) Prove it. She moves forward into his embrace. INT. TRENT'S BEDROOM--LATER The wallholo shows a TROPICAL SUNSET, scarlet and orange through the shadows of the palm trees. Trent lies on his back, Denice cuddles up to him. DENICE Now we can look for David. FADE OUT: INT. TEMPLES OF ERIS COFFEE SHOP--EARLY EVENING The shop is closed. Trent sits with REVEREND ANDY. Reverend Andy is a huge black man, an ex-professional football player. TRENT It worries me, Reverend Andy. REVEREND ANDY Why? TRENT The Peaceforcers went to a lot of trouble to take me into the Down Plaza--and then it blew up on them-- and since then, . REVEREND ANDY Were they regular PKF, or DataWatch? TRENT That's the weird thing. If it was DataWatch I'd understand--but it's The fellow who set that operation up is named Emile Garon; the guy's normally assigned to rebs and terrorists. Threats to the Unification-- Players. REVEREND ANDY All that preparation--and then no follow up. Peaceforcers don't usually give up that easily. TRENT It's been two weeks. EXT. THE ROOF--KANDEL MICROLECTRICS--NEAR SUNSET A hanging ladder leads from Trent's 3rd floor apartment to the roof. The building is three stories tall, open on three sides to the street; on the fourth side the next-door Temple of Eris rises up another several stories. Spacecraft track across the sky above them, toward Unification Spaceport. A warm evening. Trent and Denice sit drinking wine. Trent is holopainting: an image of the HOFFMAN SPACESCRAPER. Jimmy stands watching, drunk and openly hostile. THE UNCOMPLETED HOFFMAN SPACESCRAPER--LONG SHOT (MATTE) Eight blocks north, dominating the skyline. The upper third of the building lacks exterior walls; WE SEE through the interior, a twisted spiderweb of structural girders, with PINK-AND-BABY-BLUE SKY VISIBLE on the far side. The bottom two-thirds of the spacescraper is faced in black marble. The setting sun's reflection GLOWS SCARLET against the black marble. ON THE ROOF--THREE SHOT, FAVORING TRENT WORKING TRENT I sort of hope they don't actually finish it. I love painting this image. JIMMY He's done three others. DENICE I wish I could paint. TRENT Probably could. Holopainting's not hard, not like oil or electrolytes. No penalty for mistakes; just erase and start over. FAVORING DENICE The sun drops swiftly; the red glow on her cheeks, the scarlet tinge on her white cotton shirt and shorts fade as we watch her. After a beat the roof lights come on. DENICE Art is nice. But I think sometimes it's not very important. TRENT (quietly) I've seen you dance. DENICE It's not a calling, not something I do because there's nothing else. JIMMY So why do it? Aside from it's . DENICE I don't entirely know. I was in Public Labor for four years after the Troubles; the Gleygavass Dance Troupe got me out when I was thirteen. It's not as bad as being in the Fringe--Public Labor, I mean- -but dancing beats hell out of a Labor Battalion work gang. And I good at it. TRENT I'd be sorry to see you stop. DENICE It's not , you know. It's just entertainment. (intensely) I want to do something real. When I'm finally dead, people are going to know I was here. me. Dancing is--just dancing. JIMMY What will you do if you don't dance? DENICE Change the world. It's why God put us here. To make things better, so the people after us have a better life than the people who came before us. JIMMY Girl, you're Or crazy, I don't know. TRENT No. She's right. JIMMY (laughs derisively) So two street kids, a crazy dancer and a thief, gon' to change the world. Thank you for sharing with me. (gets in Denice's face) ? Denice's features darken; for an instant her resemblance to her mad father is striking. TRENT Denice, don't. Empty bottles of wine and beer litter the roof; they EXPLODE violently. Denice sits trembling, hands clasped together, pinheads of blood coalescing on her skin where the glassite struck. Jimmy backs away in a startled blur of motion. TRENT I can't stop you. Nobody can. JIMMY She's--she's-- TRENT Shut up, Jimmy. THE TABLEAU HOLDS; and then Denice meets Jimmy's stare. DENICE So. Now you know. INT. TRENT'S BEDROOM--DAY The bathing pool has become a jacuzzi; water bubbles white around Trent and Jimmy Ramirez. Jimmy is drinking a beer, laying back in the water, staring up at the ceiling. Trent sits upright, a cup of coffee in one hand. The hanging ladder that leads to the roof is visible in the BG. JIMMY All this time we been friends I never did figure it out. She's a Castanaveras telepath. TRENT Yeah. JIMMY Are you? TRENT No. JIMMY You're a genie, though. TRENT Yes. JIMMY How come you never me? TRENT (slowly) At first I didn't trust you, man. I was eleven and I was afraid of everything. Including you. Later I found out you lost your mother in the Troubles, and there was another reason not to tell you. Eventually I trust you, and by then we'd been together a year or two, it didn't seem so important what happened before we met. (Cont.) TRENT (CONT.) (shrugs) We had something that , Jimmy. I didn't want to mess it up. I know you're prejudiced against genies; don't try to tell me you're not. JIMMY I know, I know all the things I said. It's just--all those years. You were always at You hit harder than I do, you're smarter than I am, and my man, I never in my entire life saw could move as fast as you do. I work out two hours a day, you work out two a and you're-- TRENT Perfect. I a genie. Suzanne Montignet, the best genegineer the world ever saw, designed me. They botched the implementation. I was to be a Castanaveras. I was raised with them. But the gene complex that controls telepathy, I don't have it. But --I am genetically perfect. (Jimmy looks away) And it's . Nobody asked me how I wanted to be born. Nobody asked Denice either, or parents, or anyone I grew up with. JIMMY My mother because of you people. TRENT The Gift is only active in adults; Denice wasn't a telepath when it happened, and I'm not....I lie to you and it means I don't trust you. I tell you the truth and I'm one of the people you hate so bad you can taste it. Come on, Jimmy, you tell me. ? JIMMY (flat challenge) Tell me. Tell me everything, always. . Trent hauls himself up out of the pool of water, stands dripping with his coffee held loosely in one hand. He waves to the waitbot for a towel-- TRENT (smiles crookedly at Jimmy) Okay. Good thing I bought beer today. This will take a while. INT. TRENT'S BEDROOM--LATER--NIGHT They're both dressed and dry. TRENT This clip has been censored so thoroughly most people aren't even aware it exists. In the wall holofield, WE SEE a shot of Carl's MetalSmith, taken from a great distance, rising away from the Complex. TRENT Denice says that was Carl. The Troubles had begun at this point; the telepaths were fighting back. JIMMY Carl died? TRENT Denice says so. About forty-five minutes later-- The HOLOFIELD DARKENS, returns showing the Complex. It holds steady: abruptly the HOLOFIELD BLAZES, a brilliant glare that makes Jimmy cry out and turn his eyes away. Trent stares unblinking into the awful brightness, watching as it fades into a mushroom cloud, climbing into the darkened sky. Trent speaks in a dreamy voice: TRENT The Boards said at first that an Elite named Mohammed Vance ordered this. Later they said he had not. I'd give a lot to know. JIMMY You've mentioned him. TRENT Yeah. The PKF knows I'm alive; they know David and Denice escaped. It's been seven years and we're still free. We don't know what's happened to David. JIMMY So when we got set up at Calley's-- TRENT (explodes) I don't ! The PKF are so scared of the Castanaveras--they really know who I am, or they'd have come for me with tanks, not six guys in a sting. If they thought I was a Player--which I - -DataWatch would be handling it, not this idiot Garon... JIMMY So what if they do come after you? TRENT I've handled some of it. I got into Bureau of Biotech records almost two years ago, altered the gene maps on record for all the Castanaveras. They'd have a hard time proving in court that Denice or I are genies. JIMMY The PKF doesn't worry much about the courts. TRENT If it comes to that-- (shrugs) There is no problem so large it cannot be run away from. INT. KANDEL MICROLECTRICS WORKSHOP--MORNING Trent walks downstairs, thermos of coffee in one hand. Old Jack sits at a workbench, diagnosing a failed systerm. OLD JACK Morning, Trent. TRENT Good morning, Jack. OLD JACK Left a dead traceset on your bench. Trent glances out front, at the utterly empty street. TRENT Okay. Anything else? OLD JACK Not really. Denice didn't come home last night? TRENT (looking at empty street; answers absently) No. She spent the night with a friend over in the village. She has early practice today...Jack? OLD JACK Yes? TRENT (steps backward) You think you can handle things yourself this morning? OLD JACK Why? TRENT Uh, I'm going to take the day off. ANGLE ON FRONT DOOR The Peaceforcer hovercar drops silently out of the sky, comes to a stop hovering, facing the storefront. The vehicle's autoshots fire; the front door EXPLODES. OLD JACK What? TRENT Peaceforcers. Here they come. Peaceforcers in riot armor pour through the shattered entrance, firing needlers-- ANGLE ON TRENT AND OLD JACK-- --as anaesthetic slivers riddle them. They slump and fall. INT. PKF HOLDING CELL--CAPITOL CITY (MANHATTAN)--DAY Trent sits in full lotus on the floor, hands upon his knees, eyes closed. The door curls open, and Garon enters, wearing an immaculately tailored black and silver full dress PKF Elite uniform. Two men in detention center uniforms follow him in. TRENT You're Emile Garon. GARON I've been looking forward to talking to you. TRENT You could have called. I'm in the Directory...How long have I been in here? I've lost track of time. GARON Three days. TRENT I want my lawyer. GARON To be sure. As soon as you are charged with a crime, you will be given access to a lawyer. TRENT (like that, is it?) What do you want? GARON You are Trent Castanaveras, a genegineered human born May 9, 2051 at the Unification Advanced Biotechnology Research Facility. You were raised with 250 telepathic children, and may be a telepath yourself. You were the Player who went by the name of Ralf the Wise and Powerful between mid-2060 and 2062, during which time, in the person of Ralf the Wise and Powerful, you engaged in various unlawful acts. TRENT (realization dawns) You used to be DataWatch. Before you became an Elite. GARON I've--what is the Americanism--gone out on a limb. My superiors do not believe you are who I . Therefore, M. Trent, I have submitted a request to the court for permission to braindrain you. Have you ever seen someone to whom this has been done? TRENT I've audited descriptions. GARON It is not a pleasant procedure; it leaves little behind of the original personality. There is sufficient evidence you are the Player who called himself Ralf the Wise and Powerful that I think a judge will grant the braindrain...Of course, if you cooperate we can avoid that. TRENT What have I been charged with? GAR0N The charges theft, data cracking, illegal use of Information Network resources and conspiracy to incite others to attempt the same. If it is proved you are a Castanaveras, the Prosecutor General will add the charges of crimes against humanity. TRENT You're completely bugfuck. GARON You deny it? TRENT Of course. If I was a telepath--or even a Player--what the would I be doing working six days a week in a computer repair shop? (shrugs) But, if it comes to braindrain, I'll confess to anything you want. GARON That may not be necessary. Have you heard of a man named Mohammed Vance? TRENT Nope. GARON He is a Commissionaire of the PKF, and knows your people well. I've sent for him--and he will be here Wednesday. INT. DETENTION CELL--NIGHT The door opens. A black American Peaceforcer, PKF #3, carrying an unholstered needler, throws a snakechain to Trent. PKF #3 Get it on. Your attorney's here. TRENT It's late. PKF #3 No shit. Trent fastens the snake on his wrists, steps out into a short hall. The glowpaint is dim; things are quiet. PKF #3 follows Trent. They pass through a check station separating the visitor areas and the detention cells, come to a door of a conference room; the door curls open. ANGLE ON DOORWAY Denice sits at the conference table, in a black suit, hair swept up in a bun. She fixes glittering eyes on PKF #3. DENICE Please come in here. The muscles around PKF #3's eyes relax; he steps into the conference room. With Trent's squirt gun, Jimmy appears and squirts him with fadeaway, then drags him forward through the closing door. Trent stands blankly on the other side. The door opens again a second later. JIMMY Why are you just standing there? We're here to rescue you! Trent steps inside the conference room, looking around. TRENT What? DENICE We're here to-- JIMMY They're gonna braindrain you-- TRENT What are you doing? DENICE (brief silence) We told them Jimmy was your lawyer and we came to rescue you. TRENT (utter horror) You're ? JIMMY Rescuing you? TRENT (incipient hysteria) I don't to be rescued. That's why I an attorney! JIMMY Tonight your attorney. And we're getting you out. TRENT (looking back and forth) Oh, Lord, Lord, please no. You can't be doing this. Do you know what you're doing? (shouts at them) I was two to one to walk on this. Until you broke in here they had nothing on me. ! JIMMY Are...you sure? DENICE We talked to the lawyer; she said they wanted to brain-drain you. She said Mohammed Vance was coming. TRENT Drain requires a court order, and that can be appealed. The appeal process can take up to nine months. The last time Vance saw me I was . He's going to identify me ? Oh my God I'm . DENICE Wait, wait--we can just . Wait until this guy wakes up, I tell him we were never here, have him walk you back to your cell, and Jimmy and I just . TRENT We are three floors down in a PKF Detention Center in the middle of Capitol City. You've been holographed eight or nine times getting here. Every checkpoint you through choked on your ID! DENICE I told them to let us by. They did. TRENT Tomorrow the PKF goes through reports, and there's going to be a chain of stations where Daimara and Ramirez fail admittance. How does it happen that somebody failing admittance at the first checkpoint even it to the second? They drag in the watch officers and interrogate them and suddenly it becomes clear that none of them remember things the way they You left them a , Denice! Denice and Jimmy both look utterly grim. TRENT (fighting for control) I appreciate what you've tried to do. But you've just shot everything to hell...And it looks like you get to rescue me as soon as I'm done rescuing you. Jimmy, help me get this guy's thumbprint on the snake. INT. OPERATIONS ROOM--DETENTION CENTER--NIGHT A glassite-walled room where prisoners are checked through. Trent, in his prisoner's jumpsuit, stands well away from the glassite door while Denice knocks. There are two civilians inside; call them TED and CAROL. Ted, a young man, opens the door as an Carol, an older woman, objects. A sensible objection. Denice barely seems to touch Ted, a hand to his wishbone and a toe to his ankle; he crashes backward. Carol touches a stud, and the alarms go off. Trent moves inside, takes over one of the systerms while Jimmy covers Carol. Ted is unconscious. Denice moves out in the hall, eyes closed, doing with her telepathic gift. Trent's hands fly across the keyboard. In the field WE SEE messages moving by at great speed-- INTERFACE ESTABLISHED; OUTSIDE RESOURCES; 1150005-TRNT; INTERFACE ESTABLISHED; WAITING; CONNECTED; PASSWORD? Trent types, . Denice ducks back inside, followed by BUZZING SONICS, the FLASH of laser light. DENICE Jimmy! Company! Jimmy fires the anaesthetic needler into Carol's neck, and throws the needler to Denice. Denice plucks it from the air, sticks her hand outside the door frame and fans the hall. The weapons fire CEASES ABRUPTLY; Denice and Jimmy move out into the hallway. INT. THE HALLWAY OUTSIDE--NIGHT Denice and Jimmy harvest weapons from the fallen PKF. The SIRENS SHRILL. INT. THE OPERATIONS ROOM--NIGHT Johnny's image appears in front of Trent. JOHNNY Boss! Jimmy appears in the doorway, autoshot cradled in his arms. JIMMY It's going up, man! We gotta move. TRENT Hang in there, I won't be long. JOHNNY I've been scared, Boss. TRENT They blocked my inskin, Johnny, I couldn't call. You know where I am? JOHNNY (checking; impressed) Capitol City, Boss. PKF Boards. JIMMY ! TRENT (yells back) ! Johnny, can you find any pictures of Denice, or Jimmy, any mention of them in the PKF Boards, and erase them? JOHNNY I think so, Boss. TRENT How badly can you damage the Boards here? JOHNNY (holo glances around) From this location? With the security clearances this location has? You must be kidding. They won't know what hit them. Want me to take it all down, Boss? JIMMY As your attorney, I advise you to ! TRENT Johnny, I'm coming to get you. If I don't make it there, melt the Image coprocessor and go replicant. There is another round of firing, which ceases abruptly. DENICE (V.O. TELEPATHY) They're coming from the level above us, at least fifteen Peaceforcers and they're all armed. Lasers, Trent, and I stop all of them. We have three floors to go before we make it to the surface; we have to go. . CLOSE SHOT--ON TRENT In the ABRUPT SILENCE Trent looks around the nearly empty room, at the unconscious civilians, staring about himself with an expression of wonder. From the novel: "It seemed to him that he stood at a juncture, a myriad of paths falling away from that moment, from him; that he had reached a place that was both departure and homecoming all in one. He was distantly aware of Jimmy Ramirez, felt the hot touch of Denice's thoughts hovering at the edge of his mind, and he felt suddenly, in that instant, very calm and fine, as though he had, at long last, reached the destination and the purpose for which he had always been meant." Trent looks at Johnny. TRENT Trash the place. He turns and runs. INT. DETENTION CENTER--A MAZE OF CORRIDORS & STAIRS NIGHT--A SERIES OF SHOTS They run down long corridors, trading fire with PKF. Johnny's holo appears at various points, guiding their choice of direction. At the 2nd floor the stairwell doors are locked; Jimmy blows them open with an autoshot. Trent enters, a needler in one hand; Jimmy follows, and Denice, carrying a laser, brings up the rear. Two PKF intercept them in the stairwell; Trent shoots the first, but the second is wearing armor and the anesthetic needles bounce off him. The Peaceforcer carries a hand laser; he fires down on them, catching Jimmy's right arm just below the elbow, shearing it cleanly off. At this point Trent does what all stupid criminals do; he throws his gun. . It hits the Peaceforcer in the face like a brick, staggering him backward. Denice flows up the stairs, breaks the man's kneecap and sends him over the rail to the floor below. Jimmy sits staring at his cauterized stump. Trent hauls him to his feet, pulls Jimmy's left arm around his shoulder, and they proceed. INT. MAIN LOBBY--DETENTION CENTER 1ST FLOOR--NIGHT Sirens howl, emergency lights flash on and off. An Elite stands in the lobby, waiting. The door at the far end of the lobby bursts open, and Denice comes through, now carrying her laser and Jimmy's autoshot; she is followed by Trent, helping Jimmy. They slow at the sight of the Elite; unlike the Elite, who takes the opportunity to shoot at them with the laser in his fist. Denice drops the autoshot and hits the floor, firing with the laser; it has no effect aside from leaving glowing tracks on the Elite's uniform. Trent throws Jimmy to one side as the Elite's laser sweeps through the space where they stand; Trent dives under the beam, rolls, coming up with the autoshot. He flicks it to full auto and walks forward firing, hammering the Elite with round after round. The first impact knocks the Elite off balance; his laser slashes a wild line across the walls. Trent advances, firing, and the Elite is hammered to his knees. Behind Trent, Denice has Jimmy in a fireman's carry. The Elite gets his hand up again, and Trent shifts aim; the next autoshot blasts mangles the Elite's hand, and the laser inside it. Trent closes, flicks the autoshot off full auto, firing only to keep the Elite off his feet. Trent fires the last two times like Rambo, holding the autoshot with one hand, reaching behind his back with the other--and comes out with the squirt gun filled with fadeaway. The Elite looks up at Trent, clearly expecting a shotgun blast to the face-- TRENT Sleep tight. He squirts the man; the Elite's eyes close, and he falls. EXT. THE DETENTION CENTER--NIGHT A pair of double doors explode open--they're supposed to . Trent and Denice run through, carrying Jimmy between them, and across the wide swath of dew-dampened grass that separates the Detention Center from the street. ANGLE ON STREET Five cabs, two PKF AeroSmiths, and a black Chandler sedan are parked on the street. Trent and Denice run toward the sedan. The front left seat is reclined; Bird sits up, rubs his eyes. BIRD What took you so long? EXT. CHANDLER SEDAN--MANHATTAN 2069--EARLY MORNING Moving through morning traffic. The windows are darkened. INT. CHANDLER SEDAN--DARKENED WINDOWS The holocams transmit images of the streets outside. Trent sits in the front seat with Bird, working on the car's onboard InfoNet terminal. He cycles through InfoNet channels; finally he switches it off, turns to Denice in the back seat. TRENT A lot of stuff on PKF Boards, but none of them seem to know where we are. I called my Image, but he's not answering the phone; he either shut down, or DataWatch got him. (looks at Jimmy) How's Jimmy? DENICE Sedated. He needs medical help. TRENT We'll take him to the Red Line Hotel. Trent stares at the holo of the outside world; at the maze of spacescrapers, elevated streets and skywalks, the pre- dawn pedestrians, cars and cabs and buses. Trent SAYS SOMETHING: DENICE What? TRENT I need my Image. EXT. THE HOTEL--EARLY MORNING--ESTABLISHING INT. HOTEL--A TWO ROOM SUITE--EARLY MORNING Jodi and DOCTOR JANE are waiting inside as Trent and Denice carry Jimmy in. Doctor Jane takes one look at Jimmy-- DOCTOR JANE Double for this, triple if the Peaceforcers did it. On the bed! The doctor slices Jimmy's shirt off and goes to work; Trent watches briefly, goes into the next room. Jodi follows him. INT. SECOND ROOM--EARLY MORNING JODI How bad is it? Trent undresses, wads up the blue prison jumpsuit and tosses it to Jodi. TRENT Burn this. (heads into bathroom, into shower; CAMERA FOLLOWS) If you mean Jimmy, he'll be okay. He needs a new hand cloned. Can you get me clothes? JODI (V.O.) What do you need? TRENT A suit. Conservative cut, it needs to hang loose. Shoes I can run in. (runs water) And an emblade. JODI (V.O.) Maybe. I'll check. TRENT How about an Image coprocessor? ON JODI She's punching orders into a systerm--WE SEE images of clothing, shoes, computer equipment, knives. JODI At 6 A.M? Not a chance. TRENT (V.O.) Bird should be OK; he was in the car the whole time. Jimmy and Denice--it depends on wether my Image wiped the Peaceforcer records from yesterday. JODI When will we know if he got them? TRENT (V.O.) If they don't come looking for Jimmy and Denice by evening, he did. JODI What about you? Trent steps out of the shower and starts drying himself with one of the hotel towels. TRENT What about me? A service `bot trundles into the room with a suit and shoes; it places an emblade next to the shoes. JODI What are you going to do? TRENT They had me almost four days. They have my prints, my face, my retinal scan, all in secure offline storage. They have my gene map; until a couple hours ago I don't think anybody believed Garon that I was a genie. Biosculpture can take care of what they do have on me. Right now my Image isn't answering when I call him and even if he was I don't have hardware for him to come over to. I have to go get him. Trent brushes by Jodi, into the main room. INT. MAIN ROOM--EARLY MORNING DENICE Where are you going? TRENT You know. DENICE (fighting exhaustion) That's the one place they're to be expecting you. TRENT I lost Ralf the Wise and Powerful. I'm not losing Johnny. DENICE Trent, he's just a . TRENT (voice soft and even) So are you. ALLEYWAY BEHIND THE TEMPLE OF ERIS--REAR DOOR--DAY Trent knocks; Reverend Andy opens the door, not looking surprised to see Trent. REVEREND ANDY Come on inside. Reverend Andy ushers Trent into his office, closes the door and drops into an overstuffed leather chair behind his desk. TRENT How's Old Jack? REVEREND ANDY Staying with us. Peaceforcers sealed the shop, but they don't seem interested in him. He'd be asleep right now; it's been a tough week for the poor guy, he ain't young no more...You know I run a clean Temple, no politics, no contact with the Claw. TRENT I know. REVEREND ANDY What they say about you, being a genie, it's true? TRENT Yes. REVEREND ANDY (disturbed) OK. You read minds? TRENT No. REVEREND ANDY (relieved) Thank the Good Lord and his Prophet Harry. I've got secrets, matters of the confessional and the Tax Boards, I wouldn't want to see spread around.... What'd you come back for, Trent? TRENT My Image coprocessor, Reverend. They're watching the entrance to the shop. But we have walls in common. REVEREND ANDY You owe me one, Trent. TRENT You got me out of the Fringe, man. I owe you for things I'm never going to be able to pay back. REVEREND ANDY (standing) You don't pay it back, little brother. You pay it forward. INT. TEMPLE KITCHEN--BASE OF THE WALL--DAY Trent cuts through with the emblade, stores it and lowers the chunk of wall to the ground. He waits for a response-- nothing. He crouches and crawls through the hole. INT. KANDEL MICROLECTRICS--1ST FLOOR--DAY--UNDER WORK BENCH Trent comes out underneath a bench. He balances on his hands, listening. Nothing. He moves into the walkway; the stairs are to his right, the entrance to his left. TRENT'S POV--THE 1ST FLOOR ENTRANCE A PKF hovercar is across the street, watching the shop. ANGLE ON TRENT HE BACKS TOWARD THE STAIRWAY, STILL STOOPING, WHEN WE HEAR A QUIET METALLIC CLATTERING, THE SOUND OF STEEL ON TILE. Picture a SCARY metal scorpion about three meters long, one high, with lots of sharp edges; a PKF HUNTING WALDO. It scrabbles like an alligator toward Trent-- ON TRENT--TRACKING SHOT Trent turns and sprints to the rear of the shop, up the stairs and cuts left into the small bedroom with the hidden stairway, into the bathroom and comes up with the bazooka in the shower--safety . ON THE HUNTING WALDO It scrambles up the stairs. ON TRENT--2ND FLOOR BATHROOM Trent kneels with the bazooka; the sight pops up and Trent waits until he sees the movement in the doorway-- --and depresses the firing stud. THUNDER. The recoil slams Trent into the wall behind him at the same moment the shell strikes the waldo and EXPLODES. Flame blasts into the bathroom, washes over Trent. He comes to his feet the instant the flame subsides: there is nothing left in the hallway, including the hallway. ANGLE ON 1ST TO 2ND FLOOR STAIRWAY Well, what's left of it. A gaping hole, two meters around, looks directly down into the shop, through the clearing smoke; WE SEE the upturned features of Emile Garon. Their eyes meet and then Trent is on his feet-- TRENT ! In the darkness, Trent slaps the glowing pressure pad on the wall, sprints up the stairs as the wall seals itself closed. TRENT Johnny, blow the fadeaway! ANGLE ON 2ND FLOOR BEDROOM As a chunk of the wall explodes outward, inundating the room with a spray of fadeaway. INT. 3RD FLOOR APARTMENT--DAY--ON TRENT At the large tub, Trent lays down on his stomach, reaches in with his right arm and pulls a handle in the side of the tub. The bottom of the tub falls away, pouring the small pool down into the stairwell, filling it completely. JOHNNY Welcome home, Boss. Trent rises, runs to the workstation. His handheld is plugged in; the small image co-processor holding Johnny is plugged into the handheld. Trent rips it free, pushes it into a coat pocket. Johnny's voice comes from the pocket: JOHNNY The records wipe on your voice command, Boss. Say, "Kwazy Wabbit." A bright thin red beam reaches up from the floor immediately before Trent's eyes. Trent stares at it-- TRENT Kwazy Wabbit. --the laser beam tracks in a rough circle around Trent. TRENT (screams toward floor) This floor is real wood! He reaches up, grabs the cord hanging from the ceiling, and pulls down the folding stairs which leads to the roof, as-- ANGLE ON 3RD STORY FLOOR --the floor beneath him falls entirely away, and WE SEE Garon, standing on the 2nd floor stairs, looking up. EXT. THE ROOF OF THE BUILDING--DAY--ANGLE ON SKYLIGHT EXIT Trent scrambles up onto the roof, turns to look down: Garon leaps STRAIGHT UP, from the 2nd floor stairs, through the hole in the 3rd story floor, and catches hold of the bottom rung of the folding stairs. Trent pulls his emblade free, turns it on, and just before Garon reaches him cuts the stairs free. Garon and the stairs fall together in COMPLETE SILENCE, 15 meters down to the 2nd floor. ANGLE ON TRENT--TRACKING Trent comes to his feet; his arm is still dripping wet. JOHNNY (from pocket) Is this as bad as I think, Boss? Trent walks around the edges of the roof, looking down. On the north side of the building two PKF cars are parked; the west side is also covered by a PKF vehicle. The south side overlooks the small dead-end alleyway, out behind the shop; a PKF squad car is parked at the entrance to the alleyway, but the alley itself is empty. The east side of the building is the Temple, rising up another two stories: Trent is three stories up with no way down. Trent turns back as Garon pulls himself up onto the roof. He's actually been injured in the fall; blood trickles down his cheek. His hair and uniform are pale with plaster dust. TWO SHOT--GARON & TRENT AT OPPOSITE SIDES OF FRAME In the BG, someone, probably Trent, has graffitied the Temple wall: "If you can keep your head while all about you people are losing theirs, then perhaps you have misunderstood the situation." TRENT You're hurt. GARON (looking warily around) Elite cyborgs are heavy, M. Trent. We do not fall well and we do not like heights. TRENT (taking a slow step back) I suppose you want me to surrender? GARON I do not want to hurt you. You are a very precious thing and I would not see your skills wasted. TRENT (another step backward) I don't doubt it. I was a slave through most of my childhood because of the Unification's appreciation for our unique skills. Trent comes to a halt, his heels touching the small rise that runs around the roof edge. GARON It you I chased, seven years ago, in the InfoNet. So young, to have done so much. TRENT There are advantages to being young. GARON (takes a step forward) Oh? TRENT Agility. And I'm told we heal fast. Garon takes several quick steps forward, stops-- GARON We are three stories up, child. Please don't. Trent looks up at the high gray dome of the sky. His eyes come back down from heaven; he stares at the PKF Elite. TRENT (softly) Catch me if you can. The cyborg moves toward Trent in a blur of motion so fast WE BARELY SEE it. Trent pushes backward, out over the edge. TRACKING SHOT--ON TRENT He turns as he falls, strikes the ground and rolls into the fall like something made of rubber, and comes out of the roll moving. For an impossible instant it looks good, and far end of the alleyway, become aware of Trent. Trent struggles back to his feet and hobbles run toward a garage at the alley's dead-end. He does not look back, though WE SEE the PKF vehicle moving forward. NEW ANGLE--FROM BEHIND TRENT Trent reaches the garage, slaps the pad so fast it has no time to ID his palm, waits a moment and then, furious, touches it The door curls open from the ground up; Trent drops, wriggles through under the opening door-- INT. THE GARAGE--DAY The car is a `61 Chandler MetalSmith Mark III; the model Carl owned, sleek and fast. Trent pops the canopy and slides into the seat before the garage door is halfway up. Ignition; the MetalSmith rocks once and then lifts smoothly, hovering. The rear turbines come up with a deep- throated hum. The garage door is almost open. WE SEE a pair of stun rifles protrude from the AeroSmith's shell--and Trent punches the throttle. The MetalSmith lunges forward, hammers into the PKF vehicle, pushing it back, twisting it so the vehicle's front fender smashes tightly into the side of the alley, and the car blocks Trent's passage. Trent lights the Metalsmith's jets at redline; the Metalsmith hangs on the PKF vehicle for just a second, jets roaring, and then leaps up like a living thing and shoves its way straight up and over the top of the AeroSmith. EXT. THE METALSMITH--DAY--TRACKING Trent zooms down the alley, hits the street at 70 kph, and tries to turn left. The MetalSmith yaws, climbs up onto the slidewalk and smashes into a beauty parlor. In a PKF AeroSmith across the street, a Peaceforcer looks startled. Trent uses the nose jets, pulls away from the shop and back onto the street. The Peaceforcer behind Trent, making an excited U-turn to follow, smashes into a cab instantly. Trent reaches Flushing, turns right onto Flushing and joins the flow of vehicles moving evenly down the street. INT. METALSMITH--DAY--ON DASHBOARD HOLO, REAR CAMERA VIEW Two Aerosmiths hover high over the flow of traffic, gaining on Trent. They haven't spotted Trent yet, but it's just a matter of time. The rear CAMERA ZOOMS IN on one AeroSmith: Garon is driving it. TRENT I don't like this I don't this. Trent looks through the windshield; WE SEE, eight blocks away, the incomplete Hoffman Spacescraper. ON TRENT TRENT "We do not fall well and we do not like heights." Trent touches the MetalSmith's controls; the flight wings snap open and the car surges forward and up. EXT. THE METALSMITH AND PKF PURSUERS--DAY A long, dizzying climb almost straight up, toward the towering shell of the spacescraper. Two AeroSmiths are close to Trent, but a small fleet follow the lead pair. The two close to Trent fire their sonics at him; the sonics make the canopy and car vibrate. The spacescraper grows swiftly, to a towering monolith that blocks out half the sky. Tiny squares on the spacescraper's sides become huge offices; people inside flock to the windows to watch the pursuit. INT. THE METALSMITH--DAY--COMING CLOSE TO SPACESCRAPER TRENT We're too low, Johnny, and this car won't go straight up. We're going to have to circle. EXT. THE METALSMITH--DAY They're a good kilometer beneath the uncompleted sections of the spacescraper; Trent circles around the two square block-wide spacescraper, rising, lazy loops that take the MetalSmith up 300 meters per circuit. The AeroSmiths, more aircraft than car to begin with, have no such limitation; they catch Trent and all 15-odd focus their sonics-- INT. THE METALSMITH--DAY Trent yawns, the stunners taking their toll; abruptly the spacescraper's exterior walls are gone. The MetalSmith makes one very wide loop, and then, smiling dreamily, Trent flies the MetalSmith at 150 kph STRAIGHT INTO THE SUPERSTRUCTURE. TRENT'S POV-- BLACKNESS--SOUND COMES UP SLOWLY AS TRENT AWAKENS JOHNNY (from pocket) ... Boss! Damn it, Boss, what's happening? I'm stuck in the goddamn handheld and I can't see a thing! EXT. THE METALSMITH--DAY--ON TRENT The car is jammed on its side between a pair of twisted girders. All that is left of the canopy are jagged shards. JOHNNY (from pocket) Boss? Talk to me, I'm -- Trent's eyes open slowly. His voice is blurry: TRENT Be quiet. Johnny falls silent. Trent pulls his injured right leg out from under the dashboard. It's hard; the dashboard has crumpled in on him. He gets it free, climbs up through the shattered canopy. He is three kilometers above the world, balanced in fierce, cold winds. The MetalSmith has penetrated 20 meters into the spacescraper. There is no floor, only the intersecting beams and girders, and a drop of ten stories to the last finished floor of construction. WIDE SHOT--TRENT IN FG, GARON'S AEROSMITH IN BG-- --hovering outside the hole Trent tore in the spacescraper. Garon FIRES STUNNERS. Trent struggles off the car, onto a girder; hangs by his hands and drops to the next floor down. He smashes into a rough plastisteel beam like a sack of bricks. TRACKING--ON TRENT He lays there, unmoving, almost unconscious. After a long pause he raises his head, slowly, looks through the maze of structural plastisteel--there's a long column of some sort in the center of construction. He pushes himself up and begins crawling. Behind Trent we HEAR A METAL SCRAPING SOUND; the CAMERA STAYS ON TRENT. Trent nears the center; the narrow beam he is on intersects a wider beam, and he hauls himself to his feet. He walks down the beam, right knee shaky, freezing with each gust of wind. He comes to a shaft 30 meters on a side; the wide beam runs completely around the shaft. A control next to Trent says UP--DOWN--STOP. Trent looks down-- TRENT'S POV--SHOT OF THE MAGLEV PLATFORM The maglev platform is nine floors beneath Trent. Trent pushes the UP button; the maglev starts up-- WIDE SHOT--TRENT AND GARON Trent looks up again and Garon is standing on the other side of the maglev shaft. Trent is shocked; he sways, grabs at the nearest girder and holds tightly to it. Garon grins at Trent, stiff face creased in an unnatural position. GARON You are under arrest. TRENT You got out of the car--in this wind- -to make an ? You're the craziest thing I've ever seen. The maglev platform is now two stories below them; Trent realizes what a horrible mistake he's making, and jabs at the DOWN button. Garon shrugs, starts walking around the long shaft, toward Trent. GARON M. Trent, this is pointless. Will you not surrender? Trent looks closely at the girder he holds; small ridges are cut into the surface of the plastisteel. Trent tests with his fingertips; shallow, but he can get a grip; he reaches up, digs his fingernails in, and starts climbing. ON GARON Garon stares; then the laser flicks out from his fist. ON TRENT--CLIMBING The laser touches plastisteel near Trent's hand. Trent climbs around to another side of the girder; the girder is now between him and Garon. Garon's laser waves around him some more, but does not strike him, and stops-- ON GARON--CLIMBING Climbing after Trent, and having difficulty with it because of his weight. Plastisteel beams crumble when his hands dig into them. ON TRENT--TRACKING He climbs up onto the floor he crashed on. He makes good speed through the tunnel of snapped girders and beams in which he crashed. Garon's AeroSmith is precariously perched just inside the tunnel, wobbling in the wind. Swaying with exhaustion, Trent glances down-- ON GARON--TRENT'S POV--CLIMBING Garon is half done with the climb. 200 kilos moving upward on his fingers and toes; something the Elite designers clearly never anticipated. ON TRENT--CLIMBING TRENT Goddam fanatics, I fanatics. Trent moves on, skirting the wreck of the MetalSmith. TRENT'S POV--OUTSIDE THE SPACESCRAPER 20 or 30 scarlet AeroSmiths circle the spacescraper. ON TRENT He has nearly reached Garon's AeroSmith. He looks back-- TRENT'S POV--ON GARON Garon comes up on the wrong side of the wrecked tunnel; he gains on Trent, not realizing he cannot cross the empty space to the side Trent and the AeroSmith are on. TWO SHOT--AT THE AEROSMITH They both reach the AeroSmith at the same moment; except that Trent's on the right side of the wrecked tunnel, and Garon's not. Garon stands motionless, arm extended and rigid, glowing cherry laser in his fist pointed at Trent. GARON If you move I will kill you. TRENT Did you lock the car behind you? Trent touches the pad; Garon fires, and the canopy swings up, directly into the beam, and darkens instantly as it distributes the laser's heat away from the point of contact. Trent looks at the cyborg through the smoky gray canopy: TRENT Emile? I'm leaving now. Good-bye. The laser ceases. Through the clearing canopy, WE SEE Garon's fist drop; then Garon SCREAMS, a wordless sound, an expression of elemental rage--and leaps. SLOW MOTION Ten meters across a gaping chasm. We have time to watch the dark gray streaks fading from the canopy, to watch Garon float across the chasm, above the drop of three kilometers, to come down solidly upon the surface of the AeroSmith; time to watch the rage on Garon's features flicker slightly, as the AeroSmith tips, slides, and falls a single story with Garon's fingers tearing into the vehicle's surface in a desperate attempt to get a hold. The AeroSmith drops one floor, nose-down, comes to a screaming stop against one of the large vertical beams, its rear-mounted engine smashing down into the passenger compartment. Garon's fall never slows. He strikes the same beam as the AeroSmith and bounces, a surprised look frozen on his features, bounces off still reaching for some hold, out into the empty air and the long drop to the distant Earth. NORMAL MOTION RESUMES--ON TRENT Standing in the wind, watching Garon fall. EXT. HOFFMAN SPACESCRAPER--DAY The top floor of finished construction. The maglev comes to a halt, and Trent steps off; in shape. He staggers among vertical beams, toward a pair of maglev elevators against a far wall. The elevator opens; he steps inside and nearly collapses to the floor. TRENT , street level. The elevator drops. A brief silence-- JOHNNY (from pocket) Is it safe to talk? TRENT (totally out of it) Why not. JOHNNY We're in the Hoffman Spacescraper. I've got access to the InfoNet through their radio packet service. TRENT Call Denice. Have her send me a cab. INT. SPACESCRAPER MAINTENANCE AREA--DAY--A LONG HALLWAY The elevator doors open. Trent staggers out. TWO JANITORS play chess not far away; they stare at him but do nothing. Trent limps down the hallway, to a door; the door won't open to his palmprint. An optical jack sits beneath the pressure pad; Trent jacks in his handheld and lets Johnny talk to the door. After a beat the door opens. Trent removes his handheld-- EXT. SURFACE STREET--DAY--TRACKING SHOT Ordinary morning traffic, pedestrians in the city. Trent joins the flow of pedestrians and, grimacing with effort, walks without limping to the corner. The streetholos say BEDFORD and BROADWAY. Trent looks aimlessly around-- EXT. SURFACE STREET--A BLOCK AWAY--DAY Five PKF patrol vehicles surround a disturbance, a smashed area where came down out of the sky in a hurry. ON TRENT--CORNER OF STREET A Peugeot hovercab pulls up in front of Trent as a PKF AeroSmith rounds the corner and begins a sweep down Bedford. The cab's rear door opens outward-- DENICE Get in! Trent does his best to comply; he collapses forward. INT. SUITE--THE HOTEL--OUTER ROOM--NIGHT Jimmy sleeps; Trent stands looking at him. Jimmy's stump is bandaged; Trent wears shorts and his right knee is heavily bandaged. TRENT It's been good, man. INT. INNER ROOM--NIGHT Denice is in bed, sheets drawn up to cover herself. Trent enters from the outer room; his handheld is on the dresser. DENICE I really hate saying goodbye to people. I'm not good at it. TRENT (shrugs, sits on bed) No PKF bulletins on you and Jimmy; no reason for you to run. DENICE I talked to Johnny while you were being operated on....He's a real person. He hurts about things. TRENT I know. DENICE You were right to go get him. TRENT I know. Johnny? JOHNNY (from handheld) Yes? TRENT Shut yourself off for a while. INT. INNER ROOM--LATER--NIGHT Trent and Denice lie together, only half awake. INSERT--SHOT OF WINDOW PKF hovercars and spyeyes search over the city in a massive manhunt, their lights smeared by condensation on the window. INT. INNER ROOM--NIGHT DENICE When will you go? TRENT Soon. Not yet. DENICE Where? TRENT They need to be drawn away from you. If I die it's just me. But David's probably dead; if you die then there's nothing left of what they were, and the Unification has won. DENICE Where? TRENT Free Luna, Mars, the Belt CityStates- -somewhere outside PKF control. They'll never stop hunting me now. DENICE I wish we hadn't rescued you. TRENT It's okay. Look out for Jimmy when I'm gone. He's impulsive. Don't let him --he wouldn't like that. DENICE Be careful. You're all I have left. DISSOLVE TO: INT. A BEDROOM IN PARIS--NIGHT Mohammed Vance, now seven years older, sits at the side of his bed, on the phone with Capitol City. His wife sleeps by him. PKF #4 (PhoneHolo) Sir, you are directed to report for duty in Capitol City by ten hundred hours today. VANCE What the hell for? PKF #4 (PhoneHolo) We have an Elite killed here. VANCE Killed? PKF #4 (PhoneHolo) His body was dumped from the top of the Hoffman Spacescraper. VANCE Names? PKF #4 (PhoneHolo) Sir? VANCE The murderer and the Elite, idiot. PKF #4 (PhoneHolo) Yes, sir. PKF Elite Sergeant Emile Garon. The murderer is a minor New York area thief or Player; he escaped PKF custody early Monday. VANCE (obviously moved) Emile is dead? PKF #4 (PhoneHolo) Yes, sir. VANCE And the thief/Player/murderer's name, if I might inquire? PKF #4 (PhoneHolo) Sir? Trent. VANCE Trent what? PKF #4 (PhoneHolo) It's all we have, sir. Just Trent. INT. HOVERCAB--AT GEORGE WASHINGTON BRIDGE--DAY Trent sits alone, eyes closed. His hair is dyed black, his features are subtly different--and he's wearing a dress PKF uniform. A briefcase sits next to him. The RADIO IS ON. EXT. BRIDGE--DAY--ON COPS APPROACHING TRENT'S CAB Cops search the cars as they cross into Manhattan. Inside, Trent's eyes stay shut. A cop checks a cab readout-- COP PKF business! Priority routing! The cab pulls out of the line and proceeds forward. INT. HOVERCAB--DAY--ON TRENT RADIO ANNOUNCER --hunt continues. Elite Commissioner Vance assures the public that the murderer will be caught shortly. TRENT I don't think so. INT. UNIFICATION SPACEPORT--INTERPLANETARY CUSTOMS--DAY Something along the lines of LAX or O'Hare; the problems of herding vast numbers of people around don't change just because you're going to the moon instead of London. A long line of people are waiting to get through customs; Trent breezes up, briefcase in hand, and cuts into the line. Nobody protests; they're clearly used to this from PKF. CUSTOMS INSPECTOR Name? TRENT (gives her his handheld) Captain Vance. I'm late, so let's it, okay? The woman plugs Trent's handheld into her scanner; a official-looking military holo of Trent appears, labeled VANCE, MOHAMMED, CAPTAIN DATAWATCH, SB03-031254. PASSPORT CURRENT. Ticket information flashes by then, and stabilizes. PORT OF EXIT: UNIFICATION SPACEPORT; ARRIVAL: FREE LUNA. The last item startles the woman; she looks at Trent oddly. CUSTOMS INSPECTOR ? TRENT Yes indeed.... CUSTOMS INSPECTOR (returns handheld reluctantly) Pad Eight. Have a nice day. TRENT One seventh of your life will be spent on Mondays. EXT. --DAY This is a shuttle the way the was a boat. A BIG ship, a scyscraper with landing fins. SpaceFarers Collective LT. SIDNEY ZINTH, Trent's age and size, waits as a limo with the plate UNIFICATION COUNCILOR glides up. Trent gets out. Zinth's look tells Trent that he is the greater of two evils, any two evils. A REALLY BIG maser is holstered at Zinth's hip. ZINTH You're Vance. TRENT Yes. Oh yes of course. ZINTH Captain, you are . We had to hold this ship for you. TRENT I stole that car to be here on time. That should count for . ZINTH With due respect, sir, you're obviously a powerful downsider...but the SpaceFarer's Collective is not a part of the Unification, and you have no authority. Now you will seat yourself--quickly. INT. PASSENGER BAY--THE --DAY There are fifty acceleration couches, all in use but the one Trent is strapping into. MELISSA DU BOIS, gorgeous and 23, is strapped into the seat beside him. The other passengers are mostly male; all are young and extremely fit. TRENT Hi. Hi there. Name's Mohammed Vance, DataWatch. Is there anything I can steal for you? MELISSA (French accent) That is funny. TRENT (instantly) No? Then how about this? He tucks his thumbs into the corners of his mouth and stretches his cheeks, eyes bugging out, tongue lolling. MELISSA (with an effort) No. That is not funny either. TRENT (wiping fingers dry on shirt) Is something wrong? MELISSA You are late. INTERCOM VOICE (in French) Acceleration, two minutes. TRENT It wasn't my fault. MELISSA Okay. TRENT Are you sure I can't steal anything for you? MELISSA Is this a Robin Hood procedure? No, wait, Robin Hood routine, . TRENT Don't be silly. I'm a capitalist. I Merry Men once, but I got rid of them. Gloomy bastards didn't laugh at my jokes. MELISSA You were late for lift. TRENT People keep telling me that. MELISSA (reaching hand out) My name is Melissa du Bois. What is your name? TRENT Mohammed-- MELISSA (withdrawing hand) I that was not funny. You are hardly Commissionaire Vance. INTERCOM VOICE (in French) Acceleration, one minute. TRENT What? What? MELISSA I said-- TRENT You know Commissioner Vance? MELISSA We've met. Trent has to open his mouth twice before the words come out. TRENT You're a Peaceforcer. MELISSA Well, of course. Trent stares around like a frenzied, doomed rat. TRENT You're-- (strangling sound) --? MELISSA We are all headed for the Elite conversion facility at L-5; it is a stopover before Luna. We are in the top one twentieth of one percent of all the PKF on Earth...It surprised us all that you got a seat. We chartered this ship a month ago. You must have pull; you bumped an officer from the seat you are in. INTERCOM VOICE (in French) Ten...nine...eight... TRENT (laying back) Oh no. Oh my God no. MELISSA Are you all right? TRENT (screaming) Fine! Just fine! You-- His voice is drowned out in the THUNDER OF ACCELERATION. EXT. SPACE --as the boosts into space. INT. PASSENGER BAY--LATER--ON TRENT Under one gee acceleration. Trent's handheld is on his lap. JOHNNY (infovoice) It's not my fault. You said get a ticket. I . TRENT (infovoice) I didn't want a ship full of PKF! JOHNNY (infovoice) You should have said so! I tell the spaceline computer you're Mohammed Vance, of course it put you on a PKF flight! TRENT (infovoice) You're brain-damaged, you know that? JOHNNY (infovoice) And just who wrote me? TRENT (infovoice) ...okay, that's a point. MELISSA Aren't you a little young to be a Captain? TRENT DataWatch is a young man's game. MELISSA What is your name? TRENT (big smile) Johnny. Johnny Smith. MELISSA It's a pleasure to meet you, Johnny. INT. LIMBO--AN EMPTY BLACKNESS Chai'ell November, The Name Storyteller. STORYTELLER A thousand years later, when the second largest religion in the Continuing Time was the Church of His Return, children and adults, human and otherwise, on millions of worlds, read Melissa du Bois' account of her first meeting with Trent. The Storyteller gestures, and an image appears next to him; Melissa du Bois, in middle age. It is clearly a recording from an interview, and not a live person: MELISSA He no equals, save in some ways Mohammed Vance, the man who hunted him all those years. The meticulous preparation for which he later became known was not so evident when I first met him--not surprisingly, of course; he was running for his life, from us. (pause) I think I did not know the meaning of the word humility, then. I was one of the best of the PKF; and before Trent I had never failed at . EXT. THE --DECELERATING TOWARD L-5 L-5 is visible at the far edge of the frame. The ship approaches it ass-backward, very slowly. L-5 is a space station that Stanley Kubrick would recognize; a double donut around a cylinder. The approaches the non- rotating central cylinder. INT. PASSENGER COMPARTMENT--LATER--FREE FALL The lights are dimmed. Most of the PKF sleep. A few read or watch movies on their handhelds; the fields glow in midair. A cabin wall shows a holo of the approach to L-5. MELISSA It's lovely, isn't it? TRENT Yes. Yes, it is. MELISSA When I was very young, I thought I would be an astronomer. My parents indulged me, bought me a telescope and set it up on the balcony. (sighs) I had no skill for it, not the math, and not really the inclination. My father is PKF Elite; after my brother died he wanted very much for me to follow him in the service...You listen well. TRENT Did you ever regret joining the PKF? MELISSA No. I know it's different for you, because America fought against the Unification, and was occupied. I suppose you lost friends when you joined? TRENT ...it happens. MELISSA It is easier for us. Many in my family fought in the Unification. TRENT On the side that won. MELISSA Yes--you know, I've been thinking. TRENT Is that unusual? MELISSA I was wondering....I would like to see you when I am back downside. It cannot be soon, I will be on restricted duty at L-5 for the next six months. But when I do...well, some people are prejudiced against Elite. And you are a nice boy... TRENT ? MELISSA Nice. TRENT (what to do, what to do) ...all right. MELISSA (genuinely pleased) Good. I can reach you through Capitol City DataWatch? TRENT Oh. Yes, certainly of course. Sure. MELISSA Good. Something to look forward to. TRENT Sure. A gentle shiver is transmitted through the hull. MELISSA We must be docked at L-5. INTERCOM VOICE (in French) Debarking will be delayed; we will be quarantined until a chase ship from Earth arrives. TRENT (infovoice) Johnny? Did that say what I think-- JOHNNY (infovoice) Yes. A chase ship is coming from Earth. Trent smiles at Melissa, unstrapping himself. He puts his handheld in his briefcase, and, hooking his foot into the grips on the deck, gets out of his seat. MELISSA (flat cop voice) Where are you going with your luggage? TRENT (frozen smile) To find out what's going on. Don't worry, stay here, I'll be back. INT. --CORRIDOR--FREE FALL Trent floats in mid-corridor, the hatch to the passenger bay shutting behind him. ZINTH Vance! Trent turns. Zinth's head pokes upside-down into the corridor from the deck above. ZINTH The Captain wants you! ! What the have you quarantined our ship for? TRENT Right. I'm Vance and the quarantine order has my name on it. And there's a chase ship coming from Earth. Well, I quarantined your ship because of ! Trent points down the corridor behind Zinth. Zinth turns to look; Trent slugs his upside-down chin. Zinth's head bounces against the side of the access-way. Trent grabs Zinth and pulls the SpaceFarer down into the corridor with him. TRENT Man, I think you broke my hand. INT. THE --A BATHROOM--FREE FALL Trent is mostly done changing clothes with Zinth; Zinth's underwear is bright scarlet. TRENT I don't usually do this on the first date. He puts on Zinth's magnet-soled boots; the boots snap to the deck with a loud . Trent takes Zinth's maser from its holster and turns it over in his hands. Finally he finds a slot on the butt; he pushes, and the power supply ejects. He tosses the power supply and holsters the weapon, picks up his briefcase and leaves. CARGO BAY--AT THE COUPLING RINGS--FREE FALL Trent enters from the deck above. The bay is huge; it occupies the entire deck over the engines. There are already three crew at the coupling rings, their feet anchored to the deck by magnetic slippers. Two of the three are women; one woman--her uniform name patch says CAPTAIN SAUNDERS--is quite old. SAUNDERS Lieutenant, what-- Trent aims the useless maser at them. Saunders takes it in- - SAUNDERS What have you done to Lt. Zinth? TRENT I told him to look behind himself and he did so I slugged him. Don't SpaceFarer kids learn that trick? SAUNDERS -- TRENT He's tied up in the john on Deck Two. Alive. Move away from the coupling rings. SAUNDERS (as they comply) What are you going to do? TRENT I thought about trying to steal the , but it's too big. So I figured I'd steal a Peaceforcer ship instead. It's not like they're not already pissed at me. SAUNDERS What do they want-- Trent pulls his squirt gun free and shoots them all in the face, shutting Saunders up. He pushes their unconscious bodies into a corner of the cargo bay. He looks at his briefcase a moment--flips it open, takes his handheld, a tiny spool of some material, an emblade, and stows them all, with the squirt gun, in Zinth's slightly overlarge coat. He tosses the briefcase away, and steps up to the coupling rings. The rings cycle. INT. L-5 ENTRY STATION--ANGLE ON TRENT--FREE FALL Trent walks through. Three PKF await him; two, GALLOIS and CHANTON, are in uniform. The third wears pajamas--a PKF Elite, ROGR COLBERT. The two in uniforms point lasers at Trent. TRENT Lt. Zinth of the . What is the meaning of this? COLBERT Elite First Sergeant Rog‚r Colbert. Why are you ignoring our quarantine? TRENT The SpaceFarer's Collective is not signatory to your damn Unification, cyborg, and your quarantine's not worth spitting on. Who's your C.O.? COLBERT I report directly to Commander G‚ricault. TRENT I must request that you allow me to see Commander G‚ricault. Otherwise our ship will head on for Luna; and you can send your own ship to pick up your trainees--wherever we choose to dump them. COLBERT (thinks it over; decides) Gallois, Chanton. No one else comes through. Kill them if you must. (smiles at Trent) Come with me, Lieutenant, and I will take you to Commander G‚ricault. INT. A CORRIDOR--FREE FALL--ON TRENT AND COLBERT--TRACKING The few EXTRAS in the corridors are dressed evenly in PKF uniforms and civilian clothing; some walk, some "fly." Colbert heads toward a bank of elevators. TRENT Where are we going? COLBERT Commander G‚ricault's offices are in the North Donut. He likes his gravity. This had better be good, Lt. Zinth. We're on Capitol City time here, not Greenwich, and it's the middle of night. They reach the line of elevators that lead from the central cylinder down to the North Donut; a door opens, and they enter together. (The elevator walls are transparent glassite. Right now all they show are the walls of L-5's central cylinder.) The door closes and the elevator starts to descend; Trent pulls his squirt gun free and shoots Colbert in the head. Colbert does not fall immediately; as he staggers, the laser in his fist comes alive. Trent ducks; laser light flares through the space Trent has just been, carving a line in the elevator wall. Colbert lapses into unconsciousness and Trent punches for STOP--the elevator hesitates, then returns to the central cylinder. The door opens; Trent stands in front of the elevator, waiting, watching people go by. A couple of them look at him curiously. A YOUNG MAN in uniform, Trent's height, comes by-- TRENT Excuse me--could you come here? The man does; Trent squirts him, pulls him into the elevator as the door closes. LATER--THE ELEVATORS--FREE FALL--ON TRENT Stepping out of the elevator, wearing a PKF uniform. INT. THE ELEVATOR--ON THE CONTROL PANEL The button marked DOWN has been pushed; the elevator descends into the North Donut....the elevator leaves the central cylinder, and travels down one of the spokes toward the North Donut. Starlight and Earthlight blaze in on the unconscious Peaceforcers inside. INT. L-5--A LONG CORRIDOR--FREE FALL--ON TRENT Trent walks, stopping at doors, glancing inside. We're not sure what he's looking for-- EXT. L-5--ON THE ELEVATOR A quarter of the way to its destination. INT. L-5--A LONG CORRIDOR--FREE FALL--ON TRENT He glances into a room labeled --and there, in a corner, is a systerm like those we have seen before. Trent seats himself, jacks his handheld in, and closes his eyes. COMPUTER SPACE Johnny is already there; A dark window appears, and Trent's image appears in it. JOHNNY (infovoice) This is very bad. TRENT (infovoice) Tell me about it. Where am I? JOHNNY (infovoice) Hold on a second...here we go. A schematic of L-5 appears, floating three-dimensionally in front of Trent. A long fat cylinder enclosed by a pair of counterspinning wide fat donuts. A bright RED SPARK APPEARS at the bottom of the image, marked JOHNNY (infovoice) The is here, at the South Bay. You're here, not far from South Bay; the Peaceforcers keep their ships here, up at North Bay. You're going to steal a ship? TRENT (infovoice) That's the idea. JOHNNY (infovoice) Bad idea. They'll shoot you dead, Boss. Weapons emplacement, here. A GREEN SPOT GLOWS on the map, very near North Bay. JOHNNY (infovoice) Lasers, a mass driver gun, fusion missiles. TRENT (infovoice) Show me the pilot's locker. JOHNNY (infovoice) Here. A SPOT GLOWS BLUE, also near North Bay. INT. L-5--PHYSICAL THERAPY ROOM--FREE FALL As Trent unjacks from the systerm and leaves. EXT. L-5--ON THE ELEVATOR As it leaves the spoke, dropping into the North Donut. INT. L-5--CENTRAL CYLINDER MAIN CORRIDOR--FREE FALL This passage runs the length of the central cylinder. It seems to go on forever. It's 15 meters in diameter, 5- sided; PKF in magboots walk on every surface; a few fly. Traffic gets sparser as Trent moves north. Other walkways branch out from this one in all directions, up and down and to the sides. It's disorienting: nothing in the architectural layout gives any sense of up or down. INT. L-5--NORTH DONUT ELEVATOR BANKS--GRAVITY PKF #5 takes a step toward the opening elevator doors--sees the bodies inside, and immediately sprints to a communication panel on the corridor wall. PKF #5 (in French) Emergency at Lift 13! INT. L-5--CENTRAL CORRIDOR--FREE FALL--ON TRENT PKF VOICE #2 ALERT, ALERT! Trent jerks to a stop, looking around--in his surprise, he's managed to detach himself from the deck. He finds himself drifting, nobody near him, out of reach of any grips. PKF VOICE #2 ALIEN IN THE INSTALLATION; ALL PERSONNEL RETREAT TO SECURED AREAS. LOCKDOWN . PERSONNEL IN CORRIDORS WILL BE SHOT WITHOUT WARNING. REPEAT, LOCKDOWN . Trent rips off one of his boots, throws it away from him as hard as he can. It pushes him back down to the floor; he braces himself and kicks off down the corridor, "flying" fast. ON TRENT Flying down the corridor. He is moving at a fair clip when WE SEE the next Peaceforcer, walking down the corridor, watching Trent fly toward him. ON PEACEFORCER Showing growing alarm. ON TRENT-- --pulling the useless maser from its holster-- ON PEACEFORCER Showing great alarm. ON TRENT--COLLIDING WITH PEACEFORCER-- --in a tangle of arms and legs. With the maser in his left hand Trent swings at the Peaceforcer, smashes it against his temple; the reaction sends Trent tumbling slowly backward to fetch up against the "ceiling." The Peaceforcer's head bounces AUDIBLY off the bulkhead; he hangs limp in midair, unmoving, beads of blood forming in the air beside his skull. Trent kicks back over to the man, checks his pulse--and relaxes. TRENT (to no one in particular) Thank you. He pulls the Peaceforcer to the nearest doorway, opens it, and shoves the man in. Then THE LIGHTS GO OUT. TRENT (beat; in utter blackness) What a bad day. INT. CORRIDOR--LOW LIGHT--FREE FALL--ON TRENT Trent makes his way slowly along the corridor, lit only by the glow of occasional tell-tales, trying door after door. Most don't open; the ones that do are darkened storage rooms and the like. He's nearing the end of the extremely long central corridor; he be near North Bay. He tries another door-- INT. BRIGHTLY LIT PILOT'S LOCKER--FREE FALL Three men are inside, waiting out the lockdown. As the three men turn to look at the opening door, Trent pushes through, maser in hand. TRENT ! (all three freeze) Turn away from me. The one Peaceforcer who is looking straight at Trent looks at the maser in his left hand, then turns very carefully away. TRENT Do anything stupid and I'll cut you clean in half. Transferring the maser to his broken right hand, Trent pulls his squirt gun from his coat and squirts each of the three. No problem on the first two--on the third man, the squirt gun barely squirts, and Trent has to hit him. Then, for the first time, Trent looks around. There are lockers along the bulkheads, pressure suits hanging next to the lockers, helmets hanging next to the p-suits; what a pleasant surprise. INT. PILOT'S LOCKER--LATER--FREE FALL--ON TRENT Trent is wearing a form-fitting PKF p-suit, helmet in one hand. A holster on the right hip of the p-suit has a PKF laser tucked into it. Trent takes the laser out, looks at it with obvious distaste, and replaces it with Lt. Zinth's maser--the maser without a charge cartridge. The helmet hangs on a snap just over his back, so that he can reach back and pull it forward and closed in a single movement. The suit's gloves snap onto his hip belt, opposite the holstered maser. One of the three unconscious PKF has begun snoring. TRENT Pleasant dreams. Trent goes to the door at the other end of the room, opens it and looks out. TRENT'S POV--NORTH FLIGHT BAY A wide, broad circular area, 40 meters wide, 5 high. Airlocks are arrayed around the perimeter; green lights over some airlocks, red lights over others. TIGHT ON TRENT--MOVING FORWARD --into the flight bay. Two steps forward, three-- CU ON THE MASER A hand snakes forward, lifts the maser from Trent's holster. ON TRENT A foot smashes him in the ribs; the impact lifts one of Trent's feet from the floor. He re-attaches it to the deck, and turns to look into Lieutenant Zinth's maser. MELISSA DU BOIS Hello, Trent. TRENT Uh...uh.. MELISSA Fifteen minutes ago I found out who you were. Thirteen minutes ago I finished reading your dossier; a fascinating document. Ten minutes ago I located a systerm, found North Bay, and headed here. TRENT Uh...Melissa... MELISSA Technically I am AWOL. They would not give me a weapon either...Thank you for the loan. (smiles humorlessly) You are an intriguing man, Johnny Smith. TRENT Melissa, you're making-- MELISSA A mistake. I know, Johnny Smith, you are innocent. You did not do it. TRENT I , he . Really. Killing is . (touches ribs gingerly) I think you broke a rib. MELISSA It is curious; you have made me feel stupid. And I am not a stupid woman. My superiors did not expect you to make it to North Bay. How could he even find it, they said...I have great respect for you, Trent. I shall be present at your execution. TRENT You really liked me, didn't you? MELISSA (stares; in disbelief) You incredible egomaniac. Do you realize what you have to me? I will be known for the rest of my life as the Elite candidate Trent spent 4-1/2 hours sitting next to while a Level Three alert was on for him. My name is a joke! ! TRENT I'm going to steal a spaceship now. MELISSA No, you are not. TRENT You're not going to shoot me. Trent heads for the airlocks, turns back as she speaks: MELISSA Trent....I am truly sorry. She pulls the trigger. There is a gentle, quiet . Trent smiles at her. TRENT There's no charge cartridge. Melissa stares at him, then at the maser, then at him again. TRENT (CONT.) I pulled the charge. I didn't want to hurt anybody. Soft, meaningless noises issue from her throat. TRENT (CONT.) I understand how you feel, but there's this spaceship-- Melissa SCREAMS and launches herself at him. Trent ducks, grabbing her by the ankles as she sails by overhead. He pulls off her magboots and then her shoes, pushing her lightly away, away from any possible grip. Trent turns away as she struggles in midair, heading on. At one of the green- lit airlocks, he turns-- TRENT (CONT.) Melissa! She looks in his direction. TRENT (CONT.) Air circulation should take you to the wall in a few minutes, but if you're really in a hurry, take off your clothes and them; . For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Melissa begins ripping her shirt off; Trent turns back, cycling through the airlock. TRENT (CONT.) I'd stand around and react if I had time. INT. ROLLS ROYCE YACHT--TRACKING TRENT A two-person yacht. Just inside the airlock, it says: . Trent goes forward into the pilot's cabin, seats himself in the left-hand seat. In the right hand-seat is a handsome, elderly man, reading on his handheld. The name patch on his p-suit says . Webster barely glances at Trent; through the following, Trent at Webster. WEBSTER You're late, pilot. TRENT (studying controls; snaps) I've heard that one before. WEBSTER ...you're not my pilot. TRENT I'm not anybody's pilot. WEBSTER What the hell does the PKF think it's up to? TRENT I don't think anybody but Melissa really knows. Trent finds an access panel on the deck at his feet, and yanks it open. WEBSTER Are you under the impression, young man, that being a Peaceforcer gives you-- TRENT I'm not a Peaceforcer. Inside the panel WE SEE a mass of circuits; Trent pulls a flat plug free from its fitting and exposes a standard optical handheld jack. He plugs his handheld in-- WEBSTER You're not...you're... TRENT I'm a thief. WEBSTER A th-- TRENT A thief. Trent the thief. The control panel comes alive, displays lighting up. JOHNNY (from handheld) Oh, great. A yacht. You couldn't find slower? WEBSTER Who is that? TRENT (finally facing Webster) Colonel, you're wasting my time, and I don't have much. You're old, you don't have a weapon...uh, do you? WEBSTER Well, no, but... TRENT You don't have a weapon. I'm strong, smart, young, and I have a attitude problem. I know kung fu, karate, aikido, shotokan, judo, and lots of other Asian words, so would you shut up? JOHNNY (from handheld) Good autopilot, we're in luck .... A HOLLOW CLANG as the airlock disconnects. JOHNNY (from handheld) Airlock disconnected. This vehicle, Rolls-Royce Yacht 2066, Inventory #312, tells me it's "unarmed." Green "communications" laser of 4.4 megajoules capacity-- TRENT ! (to Webster) You have a communications laser for what, talking to Alpha Centauri? WEBSTER This is a military-- TRENT Oh, shut up. JOHNNY (from handheld) Drive is proton-boron fission, non- radiative, produces a sustainable top acceleration of 8 gees, initiated by antimatter. Oh .... Boss, the antimatter can be used as a particle weapon. TRENT (real horror--to Webster) Where do they people like you? WEBSTER Where-- TRENT Shut up. JOHNNY I need help, Boss. TRENT (closing eyes to go Inside) Be right with you. (Webster tenses) Don't do that. Webster swings his handheld at Trent. Trent does not even open his eyes; with his swollen right hand he slaps Webster's arm away, punches Webster solidly. TRENT Please don't do that. THE INFONET Trent steps through a gateway, morphing into Johnny. A schematic of the Rolls appears. Cameras, mounted in various spots on the Rolls, are highlighted-- JOHNNY (infovoice) Navigation cameras -- YACHT'S FORWARD CAMERA VIEW OF NORTH BAY--REALTIME The Rolls is the only one of its type; the rest are slipships, single-occupant fighter craft. Schematics appear for the ships, with the fuel tanks highlighted in red-- JOHNNY (infovoice) Fuel lines -- EXT. NORTH BAY--REALTIME The Rolls' attitude rockets light, and it pulls away from the launching bay, out into clear space. A ridiculously outsized laser--the "communications" laser--points at a cluster of five slipships. The laser pulses once. The entire North Bay explodes. COMPUTER SPACE WE WATCH it as Johnny watches it, in a slow Realtime window. Fuel sweeps out from the shot slipship in a wash of flame. The flame rips into nearby slipships, tearing through hullmetal; the chain reaction, slipship after slipship exploding, is awesome. The flame touches a refueling tank; the resulting majestic explosion sends the Rolls tumbling out into space. The Rolls' attitude rockets slow the tumble-- INT. ROLLS--REALTIME--TWO SHOT Trent opens his eyes, his expression one of horror; the Rolls is still tumbling, though far less so, and slowing with every instant. WEBSTER ...shall become in him a fountain of water, springing up unto life everlasting. Receive their souls, Lord. The flame clears; amazingly, the flight bay is still pressurized. TRENT Do you see that? The flight bay is still pressurized. I probably didn't kill anyone. ? WEBSTER That's a miracle. TRENT No, actually it's , they probably designed the flight bay to withstand this sort of thing, the PKF is terribly damn insecure. WEBSTER Really? TRENT Really. I'm not sure why. JOHNNY (from handheld) There's still the weapons emplacement, Boss. TRENT Can't use the laser-- JOHNNY (from handheld) We might set off a fusion missile. TRENT I wouldn't mind nuking L-5-- JOHNNY (from handheld) But there are people. TRENT Killing is . JOHNNY (from handheld) Even if they're PKF who deserve it. TRENT Right. Fortunately we still have our fineline. (to Webster) I'm sorry, but my squirt gun is empty. Can I have your handheld? Webster hesitantly gives his handheld to Trent. TRENT (CONT.) I am so very sorry my squirt gun is empty. WEBSTER Why are you sorry? TRENT It was filled with fadeaway. If it wasn't empty I could shoot you with it and say, "Old soldiers never die, they simply fadeaway." Colonel Webster doesn't laugh. Trent's smile vanishes, and he slugs Webster in the side of the head with the handheld. Webster slumps, unconscious. TRENT Your problem is you have no sense of humor. EXT. WEAPONS EMPLACEMENT The Rolls drifts nearby. Trent stands in the open airlock, suited up, with the roll of fineline in one hand. He leaps across empty space to the weapons emplacement. Unreeling the fineline, he begins weaving a web of fineline over the laser tracking mirrors; WE SEE the fineline actually slicing into the metal. There are four clusters of missiles; Trent gives them the same treatment. When he is done it looks as though they're webbed in shining spider silk; Trent leaps back to the yacht. EXT. ROLLS--IN SPACE, ACCELERATING TOWARD MOON INT. ROLLS--UNDER TWO GEES ACCELERATION--ON TRENT He is in his p-suit, helmet off, sweating, struggling to breathe. Next to him Webster is suited up, helmet closed, tied into his seat. Abruptly there comes a BEEPING SOUND-- TRENT Johnny...cut...acceleration. The rockets die back; abruptly Trent breathes more easily. JOHNNY (from handheld) Incoming call, Boss. Wide-beam laser from L-5. Answering now. TRENT Hi. Hi there. Trent pulls Webster's helmet off, checks the unconscious man's respiration and heartbeat, pupil dilation--all OK. Abruptly a HOLO OF MOHAMMED VANCE appears over the control panel; INTERCUT between Trent and Vance's holo as needed. VANCE Trent. TRENT That's a guess. You must be-- VANCE Commissionaire Mohammed Vance. TRENT So tell me, Vance, where'd I screw up? VANCE A bit too much flashiness, Trent. It's a common mistake among the young. You shouldn't have stolen the Unification Councilor's car. TRENT (mutters) I was late. VANCE He called it in. We were looking for travel-related crimes, assuming you might be fleeing; and it was the work of a moment for me to realize that the Mohammed Vance who boarded the was not myself. TRENT Thanks. I was curious. What now? VANCE I presume you are not interested in surrendering yourself for trial and subsequent execution? TRENT What a cyborg. VANCE I thought not. Well, then, we can spend the next... seventeen minutes and fifteen seconds or so discussing psychology, negotiating, what-have- you. Seventeen minutes is the time I have left before you enter Lunar orbit, and I must send the missiles to destroy you. TRENT Psychology? VANCE Psychology. I have been studying you, and I've made myself a wager. As I see it, you have two alternatives, and I think I know which one you'll choose. TRENT That's one more alternative than I can think of. VANCE First, you can take Webster to the airlock, seal his suit, activate his beacon, and push him away, so he'll have a chance of surviving when we destroy the ship. TRENT And the other alternative? VANCE Drag him to your death with you. TRENT This is a subtle way of letting me know he's of no use as a hostage, is it?...How are you betting? VANCE I think that you'll let him live. Your behavior throughout this event has been most interesting. TRENT (Vance has him cold) How do you turn on the beacon? VANCE It's a small, bright red button, on both the inner and outer surfaces of the helmet's collar. Press it once and then don't press it again. TRENT (does so) Thanks. I'll be right back. INT. AIRLOCK--TWO SHOT TRENT AND WEBSTER Trent hooks up a spare air bottle for Webster. Webster is awake, shouting at Trent; helmet closed, we BARELY HEAR HIM. Trent seals his own helmet, closes the inner airlock door and starts evacuation. A red holograph blinks: DEPRESSURIZING. Their p-suits inflate slightly due to the pressure differential. Trent chins his helmet radio bar-- WEBSTER (radio voice) -- TRENT ! Surprisingly, Webster does. The airlock status holo blinks: DEATH PRESSURE VACUUM. The outer airlock door cycles open. TRENT Look, I'm pushing you out and the Peaceforcers are going to come get you after they blow me up. Okay? I'm throwing you away so you'll be safe. WEBSTER (radio voice) (eyes wide) You're throwing me away? TRENT So you'll be safe. Look on it as an Experience, like something Winnie the Pooh might get involved in; Floating in Space while Awaiting Rescue. Like that. WEBSTER (radio voice) Winnie the what? TRENT (stares) Oh, my. Trent kicks Webster; he tumbles out into space. Trent touches a control; the lock holo blinks, REPRESSURIZING. TRENT I hope you make it, you poor, desperate fool....Winnie the what indeed. INT. ROLLS--PILOT'S CABIN --as Trent straps himself back in. The rear-camera holo floats over the control panel, showing L-5, and, far to the rear, the chase ship carrying Vance. JOHNNY (from handheld) What can you handle, Boss? TRENT Try three gees. The acceleration presses Trent back into his seat. VANCE'S IMAGE REAPPEARS in the comm holo. Trent speaks with some difficulty through the next exchange: VANCE Thank you for releasing your hostage. TRENT Maybe I tossed an empty pressure suit out the airlock. VANCE We've made radio contact with him. TRENT Oh. VANCE Good try, though. TRENT Damn. Look, I have one more thing I'm going to try. VANCE Really. TRENT Okay. While everybody over at L-5 was shook up from the explosion at North Bay, I tied up the weapons emplacement in monomolecular fineline. You can't aim the lasers; the instant a missile starts to move, you won't have a missile any more; just pieces of missile tangled up in fineline. Some of the pieces have fuel in them. . A big one, I think. VANCE This is a better bluff. TRENT It's not a bluff. VANCE I have no time to get an officer in there to check it out. TRENT That's why I waited until now to tell you. But you have time to pull your people clear before firing. VANCE This is very likely simply another ploy to gain time. TRENT (real alarm) Vance, I'm telling the truth. On the rear cameras, displayed in the holo floating before Trent's eyes, WE SEE the entire north end of L-5 unfold in silent, brilliant light. After a pause-- VANCE I see you were telling the truth. TRENT 0h my god...evil. You are an evil son of a bitch, Vance. VANCE I am an officer of the PKF. TRENT That's what I said. ? VANCE I gave an order. JOHNNY (from handheld) Boss? TRENT ? JOHNNY (from handheld) I need you...A missile is chasing us. COMPUTER SPACE Trent's image appears in INTERFACE WINDOW: . A moment later a second window appears, titled INTERFACE WINDOW: . In the Realtime-2 window, the missile chasing them shows as a faint violet spark against black interplanetary space. TRENT (infovoice) How is this possible? JOHNNY (infovoice) Melting temperature. (graphic appears, illustrating) He fired an entire cluster of missiles; all were destroyed. But the heat melted the fineline around the other missiles. Shock waves took out several of the missiles; flak killed the rest. One got through. TRENT (infovoice) Vance thought this through in twenty seconds of Realtime. JOHNNY (infovoice) Smart man. TRENT (infovoice) Laser first. JOHNNY (infovoice) Agreed. A map appears, showing Luna; the Rolls; Colonel Webster far off to one side; the missile chasing the Rolls; L-5, still in flames; and Vance's chase ship, approaching L-5. EXT. SPACE--LOOKING DIRECTLY INTO YACHT'S LASER--REALTIME The lens of the laser abruptly blazes red. (There is beam effect; without an atmosphere to create an ionization trail, lasers are visible only when one hits you in the eye. And then only for a moment.) COMPUTER SPACE In the map, a red beam reaches forward, wavering and shifting as it tries to keep focus on the missile; the missile varies boost irregularly, trying to evade the laser. JOHNNY (infovoice) Antimatter? TRENT (infovoice) Backup for the laser. JOHNNY (infovoice) If the missile hits the antimatter, there'll be a hell of an explosion. TRENT (infovoice) I don't see a choice. The laser might not get it. JOHNNY (infovoice) Antimatter it is. EXT. SPACE--ON YACHT ENGINES--REALTIME They FLARE BRIGHT BLUE. Something like a smoke ring is emitted, falling backward from the Rolls, toward the oncoming missile, thinning as it goes. INT. YACHT--PILOT'S CABIN--ON TRENT Trent reaches for his helmet, pulls it on and seals it. JOHNNY (from handheld) We're going to hit eight gees getting out of here, Boss. Sorry about your ribs. TRENT Just do it. EXT. YACHT--OUTER SPACE The glow of the engines GETS BRIGHTER AND BRIGHTER-- INT. YACHT--ON TRENT Struggling for breath, fighting; sweat pours down his face. EXT. SPACE--MISSILE IN FG, YACHT IN BG The missile approaches the cloud of antimatter; the antimatter GLOWS BLUE from interaction with the solar wind. EXT. YACHT--OUTER SPACE At full acceleration now, engines brighter than last shot. INT. YACHT--ON TRENT--HEAVY ACCELERATION Breathing in little whistling screams. We HOLD THIS SHOT for a long moment. EXT. SPACE--WIDE SHOT --including the yacht, antimatter cloud, and the missile. The missile touches the cloud-- EXT. SPACE--EXTREME WIDE SHOT --including L-5 and Luna at opposite ends of the frame. In the center of the flame, a small sun blooms. We HOLD THIS SHOT, WATCHING THE EXPLOSION grow-- EXT. SPACE--ON THE YACHT The yacht zooms TOWARD THE CAMERA, racing with the expanding fiery wavefront of the missile's explosion; zooms PAST THE CAMERA, and then THE FRAME IS FILLED with yellow fire-- DISSOLVE TO: INT. YACHT--ON TRENT--ENGINES DEAD COMPLETE, TOTAL SILENCE. Trent is motionless, pale and waxen. FLASHBACK--COMPLEX GARDEN--EXT. NIGHT--SPRING 2062 Carl and Trent face one another beneath a tree. Trent, age 11 again, is barefoot, in old jeans and t-shirt; Carl is almost alien by comparison, dressed formally in a black suit. TRENT Gene tests came back today. CARL I'm so sorry. I don't know what to say. TRENT Me too...Me neither. This has been such a bad day. I always thought I was one of us--of you. (to himself) Jesus, my should have told me. CARL How can I help? TRENT I've been thinking about that. (shivers) I have to leave. I have to leave here. Doctor Montignet will take me. CARL Leave? The Complex? ? TRENT I'm not a telepath and . CARL Trent, why? TRENT I think a day will come when you, telepaths, will be normal, and the rest of us will be out in the cold because we can't compete. For most people it's going to be a while before that happens...But if I stay here that happens to me now. (meets Carl's eyes) I've Played in Capitol City's InfoNet. They don't touch me, you know. When I get an inskin, I don't think there's anybody on Earth who can touch me. If I stay here I'm nothing. I love you all but I do not choose to be nothing. CARL Trent-- TRENT I don't here. Let me go. ANGLE ON CARL Wind swirls around him, and he speaks with the hollow echo of prophecy. CARL I think you are right. You do not belong here. I think you will never belong anywhere. INT. THE YACHT--2069--TIGHT ON TRENT IN P-SUIT--FREE FALL TRENT (stirs, looking around) Johnny? JOHNNY (on suit radio) Hi, Boss. TRENT We're alive again. JOHNNY (on suit radio) No, still. But we've got problems. TRENT I can see, Johnny. JOHNNY (on suit radio) We've lost structural integrity, Boss. TRENT I can see, Johnny. EXT. ROLLS The Rolls is crossing over Lunar Farside on a high trajectory, moving fast. It's in shape, hull torn half apart; bizarrely, a section of the detached hull floats forty meters from the yacht, on the same trajectory, tumbling slowly. Parts of the yacht are melted. INT. ROLLS--(SO TO SPEAK) TRENT What still works? JOHNNY (on suit radio) Airplant, engines, comm laser, and the autopilot all still function. Given the lack of a hull, the airplant is sort of a mixed blessing, actually. TRENT Johnny, don't joke when things are this bad. JOHNNY (on suit radio) You do. TRENT I'm allowed. Can we land this bitch? JOHNNY (on suit radio) Checking...given our relative velocity to the Lunar surface, and the absence of the #3 landing strut, a soft touchdown attempt is inadvisable. TRENT No landing strut? JOHNNY (on suit radio) #1 landing strut is weakened; #2 is tentatively rated in good condition; #3 is gone. Boss? TRENT Yeah, Johnny? JOHNNY (on suit radio) Are we going to die, Boss? TRENT Probably, Johnny. JOHNNY (on suit radio) Oh....Boss, I've enjoyed working for you. TRENT (obviously moved; quietly) Thanks, Johnny. Take us down. JOHNNY (on suit radio) I'll do my best, Boss. TRENT I know. JOHNNY (on suit radio) Four gees.... EXT. SPACE--ON THE ROLLS, APPROACHING LUNA It loses height rapidly, rockets firing parallel to the surface. It sweeps over nearside, losing altitude and speed, engines blazing, dropping ever lower-- INT. YACHT In the front holo, a mountain range looms-- JOHNNY (suit radio) My map says this is the Caucasus mountain range, Boss. Checking radar...and we're not going to make it over the peaks. Sorry about this, Boss. I'll try not to kill you. A ROAR OF ROCKETS-- EXT. SPACE--THE YACHT--DECELERATING AT EIGHT GEES The engines GLARE WHITE. The yacht slows, slows--and crashes. It bounces off the side of a peak and then smashes down onto a wide, flat ledge, high on the mountain. The rockets die as they crash; the yacht rolls to a stop, upside down at the ledge's edge. INT. THE YACHT--1/6TH GRAVITY--ON TRENT (NOTE: In the Lunar sequence, all scenes are shot in 1/6th gee. Further, the Lunar "day" is two weeks long; even in scenes marked "Night," the Sun is shining on the Lunar surface.) Trent hangs upside down, strapped into his seat, unconscious again for the zillionth time in recent history. Cracked ribs, broken hand, radiation damage--he's one sick puppy. After a while his eyes flutter open again. WE HEAR Johnny's voice as Trent does--a distant yammering wordless annoying noise. Like a drunk, one-handed, Trent manages to undo the straps holding him in place. In gentle slow motion he falls to the yacht's ceiling. He stands slowly, reaches up and carefully pulls his handheld from where it is jacked in on the floor above him. TRENT I'm still alive again. He steps into the passageway that leads to the airlock--the yacht shifts beneath him. He stops, apparently thinking it over, and then takes another step forward-- EXT. THE YACHT--IN SUNLIGHT--HIGH ON THE MOUNTAIN --at first, anyway. It slides, off the ledge, down to the surface. An out-jutting spar, a hundred meters down, breaks it into halves, and the two pieces continue their tumble, a quarter kilometer down the mountainside. CU TRENT--EXT. LUNAR DESERT--IN SUNLIGHT He staggers along in his p-suit. WE PULL BACK to see that he is in the foothills of the great Caucasus mountain chain. He falls, again and again. Each time he gets back up and walks on. TRENT'S POV--THE WORLD AROUND HIM A strange place, gray and white; the shadows are sharply defined and utterly black. The sky is black, and both the stars and sun are in it at the same time. EXT. LUNAR SURFACE--DAY--ON TRENT Finally he falls, and does not rise again. INT. EIGHT-SIDED TEMPLE OF ERIS--DAY Rows of pews expand outward in rings from a central circle. A RAINBOW FALLS from stained glass windows, high on the eight inner walls, showing scenes from the life of the Prophet Harry. Near the center of the circle, where the Reverend would preach, Trent lies on a soft pallet, wearing a pair of shorts. His knee has been splinted, his hand bandaged, his ribs taped. CALLIA SIERRAN, 24, kneels opposite Trent, praying. Weapons surround her; an autoshot lays on the Temple floor to her left, a sheathed knife to her right, and a maser before her. Her eyes are closed, her head bowed. Her hair is short, a soft blonde brush cut. She is barefoot, wearing a t-shirt and the bottom half of a blue gi, loosely tied at her waist with a black belt. She takes long, slow breaths. She and Trent open their eyes at the same moment. TRENT You are the second loveliest woman I've ever seen. CALLIA You'll live. Callia rises, seats herself on a pew and pulls a pair of running shoes from a satchel near her. She speaks to Trent as she puts her shoes on. CALLIA How do you feel? TRENT You don't like a Peaceforcer. CALLIA (pause) I'd hope not. I'm Callia Sierran; and you're Trent the Uncatchable. TRENT Who? CALLIA It's what the newsdancers have been calling you. Trent the Uncatchable. TRENT You're kidding. CALLIA I'm not. TRENT I think I like it. Callia shrugs to say, . Trent sits up, wincing with the movement. TRENT What day is it? What time? CALLIA Wednesday. About 10:30 P.M. TRENT Where am I? CALLIA Luna. TRENT That's not funny. CALLIA Western foot of the Caucasus mountain chain. In Jackson Town. They're sympathetic to Free Luna here--but this is Unification territory. TRENT How far am I from Free Luna? CALLIA A good bit. The nearest enclave is in Serenitatis Crater. Damn near 750 kilometers southeast, over the Caucasus mountains. Two days by rolligon. TRENT How long ago did I crash? CALLIA Eight hours. They say any landing you walk away from is a good one-- (shakes head) Stupid saying. I your landing. We found you lying in the sun an hour or so after the crash, picked you up, headed here. TRENT You were looking for me. CALLIA We were hoping. TRENT Are you Johnny Rebs? CALLIA Erisian Claw. TRENT Same difference. CALLIA I won't argue the point. The ship you crashed--military? TRENT (looking around for something) Space Force. I stole it. CALLIA Yeah. Antimatter pulse beam, right? Trent nods, still looking-- CALLIA (CONT.) Containment went about half an hour after we picked you up. That whole section of the mountain is glowing.... You're a lucky man. TRENT Where's my handheld? CALLIA Your what? TRENT My handheld. ? CALLIA You didn't have one with you. Why? TRENT The only copy of my Image was in the handheld. CALLIA That's right, the Boards said you were a Player. TRENT (very agitated now) I've . Callia does not rise; she speaks very quietly: CALLIA I'm afraid that's not possible. You have to understand--the antimatter containment . Anything you left at the crash site is . TRENT (numbly; staring blankly) Oh, God. Oh, Johnny. I'm so sorry. CALLIA We are talking about an <--a you wrote to be your front end to the InfoNet? TRENT He was my friend. MEDIUM SHOT--TRENT AND CALLIA IN PROFILE--SILENCE Trent leans forward, puts his face in his hands to hide his grief. WE HOLD THE SHOT: EXT. SURFACE--A PARKLIKE AREA BENEATH AN ATMOSPHERE DOME Jackson Town's surface is given over to greenery ranging from wilderness to sculptured lawns; buildings in Luna are underground. The LIGHT IS NORMAL, though the dome shows an odd-looking sky; black, with sun and stars. Trent, now in pants and shirt, and Callia walk along a pathway, moving by impossibly thin trees, shrubs and flowers that reach Trent's chest. Trent moves slowly, limping. EXTRAS, Jackson Town residents, glance at Trent as they pass Trent on the path; they clearly have some idea he's something out of the ordinary. TRENT Is this safe? CALLIA For now. There's no Peaceforcers stationed at Jackson Town; but they'll be here soon. Nobody will the PKF anything; but we can't hide or protect you when they come. And they come. TRENT What happened to my knee? I wrecked it--Monday--but it was almost better- - (pauses; faces Callia) Did I----down the mountain? CALLIA The ship did. I don't know if you were in it. TRENT I remember...I....never mind. INT. A BRIGHTLY LIT CONFERENCE ROOM It could be a boardroom on present-day Earth, except for the delicacy of the 1/6th gee furnishings; a window shows the Lunar surface. Facing Trent across a table are Callia Sierran, her brother LAN, and DOMINO TERRENCIA, an Italian woman in her 40s. Lan is 17, thin and pretty, his long brown hair drawn into a pony tail. On the wall behind them is an old oil painting; a beautiful kitten sits on a black and white tile floor, with a blond Barbie doll in its teeth. Blood oozes from the doll, dripping to the tile. It's signed TRENT That's good. A little sick, but-- CALLIA (introducing) Trent: Domino Terrencia, and my brother Lan. DOMINO How did this happen? TRENT Want to sell that painting? LAN The Prophet Harry painted it. You couldn't afford it even-- DOMINO ? TRENT They think I killed a Peaceforcer. DOMINO Other people have killed Peaceforcers. None of them triggered a Level Three Earth-Luna alert. TRENT He was a Peaceforcer Elite. DOMINO stop looking for you. TRENT Vance won't. DOMINO We can't keep you here; Peaceforcers are due at Jackson Town within 24 hours if they stick to their current search pattern. We can't get you off planet; Space Force is boarding every ship at every port of call in Unification Luna. We can't even get you to Free Luna; they're searching all rolligons leaving this area. I'd hate to give up to the PKF- -but I'm not sure I have a choice. TRENT I need an InfoNet systerm. INT. LARGE COMPUTER ROOM--DARKNESS--WIDE ANGLE Trent stands motionless in the center of the room. His features are dark and brooding, cast in shadow. Domino enters, joins Lan at the far end of the room. They whisper to each other: DOMINO What's he doing? LAN Hell if I know. Been like that for . DOMINO Reports are he's a Player. LAN Big deal. You don't Play in the Lunar InfoNet. No way, no day. CU--TRENT As he turns on them abruptly, blazing with anger; for Johnny, for himself, for what he's let the PKF do to him. TRENT What am I doing? . You claim to be ? GROUP SHOT Trent gestures--a holo FLARES INTO EXISTENCE around them. They are STILL VISIBLE within it; the holo shows Jackson Town; nearby are the Caucasus mountains; to the south is an installation marked LUNAR DATAWATCH HEADQUARTERS. A mass driver--a long, BIG magnetic railgun which fires payloads into orbit--runs alongside it. TRENT Here's your opportunity to prove it. This is Lunar DataWatch Headquarters- -and it's not far from here. LAN We that. So? TRENT They're looking for me to run away; so I'm going to run the other way, straight to them. But I need your help. LAN What's in it for us? TRENT Unlike Earth, Luna doesn't have Players. The Lunar DataWatch has created a security program, an AI named Watchdog, that makes it impossible for Players like me to work. Watchdog hinders your intelligence gathering, disrupts your espionage, prevents you from sending propaganda into Unification Luna. DOMINO (slowly) It is a great drawback. TRENT We'll need to have copies of Earth's InfoNet protocols transmitted up to us. I had copies in my handheld, but- -never mind. The bottom line is this: if I get inside the Lunar DataWatch with the correct software and the correct hardware, I'll kill Watchdog, and I will take the Lunar InfoNet . EXT. LUNAR SURFACE--DAY--WIDE ANGLE In FG two figures in camouflage p-suits lie on a rise overlooking the PKF DataWatch HQ. In BG WE SEE HQ itself, and the mass driver. The mass driver CYCLES AS WE WATCH, the loaded capsule accelerating down the long row of maglev rings and being boosted into orbit. CLOSE TWO SHOT--TRENT AND CALLIA We can see their faces through their helmets. Trent's skin and eyes are ; his hair is jet black; and he looks Mexican. TRENT (radio voice) According to the Orbital Eye I tapped, their overland traffic comes in via that route. INSERT--ANGLE ON A RAVINE LEADING TOWARD THE INSTALLATION RETURN TO SCENE CALLIA (radio voice) How many PKF are going to be on this transport? TRENT (radio voice) Eight, nine...can I ask you a question? CALLIA (radio voice) My life is an open Board. TRENT (radio voice) You're Claw. You've promised your life to overthrow the Unification. CALLIA (radio voice) Is that a problem? TRENT (radio voice) I've never known anyone in the Claw, but one of my closest friends is a Reverend of a Temple in New York-- are you Erisian first or Claw first? CALLIA (radio voice) That's a meaningless question. TRENT (radio voice) The Temples teach life is sacred. CALLIA (radio voice) The Claw believes the same, Trent. Our lives as much so as those of our enemies. When our lives are threatened----we are entitled to defend them. TRENT (radio voice) I need a promise from you. CALLIA (radio voice) Done. TRENT (radio voice) You don't want to know what it is? CALLIA (radio voice) I would like to, yes. Trent grins despite himself. TRENT (radio voice) All right. You can't kill anyone on this job. Not even Peaceforcers. CALLIA (radio voice) ...Okay--Lan will want to know we are not to kill Peaceforcers. TRENT (radio voice) But it doesn't matter to you? CALLIA (radio voice) It matters to me. But not as much as doing what Domino has told me to do. TRENT (radio voice) Which is? CALLIA (radio voice) Domino told me to do whatever told me to do. INT. COMPUTER ROOM--JACKSON TOWN Trent and Callia pass through. Lan sits at one of the systerms, at work. He doesn't look up. LAN Peaceforcers tore this entire dome apart while you were out on the surface. They're going to be back in the morning to do it again. (looks up again) You need to get out of here . TRENT (as he leaves) I'll go tonight. INT. A SMALL BEDROOM--NIGHT--ANGLE ON TRENT He sits in lotus, meditating. Domino enters. DOMINO Passage has been arranged with the SpaceFarer ship ; pickup is 9 A.M. tomorrow. Trent nods; she leaves. Eyes still closed, Trent speaks aloud: TRENT , record and print. COMPUTER VOICE Recording. TRENT Denice...by the time you receive this, you'll know if what I'm about to attempt has succeeded. The letter will take a while to reach you; it's going to be delivered Federal Express, as I am not sure that any of my mailboards are still secure from DataWatch. If I'm alive in a week, I'll be at Mars; and you can join me there. I would like that. COMPUTER VOICE Will that be all? TRENT I stopped praying a long time ago. Please ask Reverend Andy to say a prayer for the soul of the Image Johnny. He died on August 14, 2069. (pause) I love you..., send it. EXT. LUNAR SURFACE--ABOVE RAVINE--DAY--ON TRENT Wearing a PKF p-suit that looks like hell; parts of it are as though by heat damage. He sits at the edge of the ravine, in the shade of a boulder. A device about the size and shape of a football sits at his feet, labeled FADEAWAY--1 LITER. IN THE RAVINE--DAY--ON THE ROLLIGON The Peaceforcer rolligon rolls by beneath Trent-- ON TRENT--LEAPING ONTO TOP OF ROLLIGON --and slamming the football-shaped fadeaway bomb down atop it. CU--ON FADEAWAY BOMB With a red flash, it fuses itself to the roof-- INT. ROLLIGON--DAY--WIDE VIEW Eight men in PKF p-suits, helmets off; abruptly a spike shoves down through the roof, spraying fadeaway everywhere. EXT. ROLLIGON--DAY--WIDE SHOT Trent clings to the surface of the rolligon, as the vehicle rolls forward, not slowing at all, not veering, not even when the road does. Trent leaps to the surface while the rolligon tries to drive through the side of a hill. INT. A DIFFERENT, CAMOUFLAGED ROLLIGON--DAY Trent, Callia and Lan are in their p-suits. Peaceforcers, stripped nude, snore on the deck, p-suits stacked by the airlock. One of them is a Mexican, Benny Gutierrez; Trent looks at Gutierrez, feels his own altered face. The match is striking. Lan looks at the unconscious men, clearly thinking-- TRENT You kill them. CALLIA They'll be released as we agreed. TRENT Killing is wrong. LAN I've heard you say that. A lot. But if we don't kill them now, we just have to kill them later. CALLIA There's no