INT. THE TANKER COCKPIT - CONTINUOUS
As the startled PILOT wrestles to stabilize his suddenly
buffeted plane, we SEE something: a small, grey, metallic CRAFT, rise deliberately past his window...very close.
TANKER PILOT
What the fuck is that?
INT. THE C-5 – CONTINUOUS
CU Omura. He gapes out from behind a small window.
OMURA
(almost a whisper)
It's them. They've found us.
EXT. OPEN SKY - CONTIUOUS
The second F-18 breaks formation and swings out well aft of his partner.
PILOT TWO
(V.O.)
No shot, Wolf Eye One. Bogie is too close.
Repeat, no shot.
PILOT ONE
(V.O.)
Roger. Stand by, Wolf Eye Two.
ANOTHER ANGLE
The craft, a sleek, smaller version of the 'Bulldog', circles the tanker vertically, in a maneuver of gut-wrenching precision. It then drops back until it is level with the re-fueling hose. Suddenly, from somewhere on the side of the craft, a tiny blue projectile shoots out and severs the hose. Fuel spews out, splashing the cockpit of the F-18.
PILOT ONE
(V.O.)
Holy Shit! Breaking right. Wolf Eye
Two, come aboard left.
We SEE the two F-18s pull back and maintain that station.
INT. C-5 COCKPIT - CONTINUOUS
Pg. 42
Schollander is there with the pilot, CAPTAIN BABBITT, (name on uniform) and the COCKPIT CREW. Omura ENTERS as...
TANKER PILOT
(O.S. on radio)
Jesus Christ, Wolf Eye One. Somebody
get this bastard off my tail.
BABBITT
(to radio)
Tanker, this is Babbitt. Stand by.
He eyes Omura and Schollander.
SCHOLLANDER
Be my guest, Major.
OMURA
(to Babbitt)
Get them out of here. The fighters, too.
Back to Offutt. Without fuel they're no good
to us anyway.
(to Schollander)
They’ve disarmed us. That was the whole
point.
(O.S., calls)
Mitch!
INT. THE PERSONNEL SECTION - CONTINUOUS
OMURA'S POV
The craft is tight alongside, mere feet away. Without actually opening, a CIRCULAR PANEL near the nose 'clears'. A helmeted Predator turns its head to accompanying (O.S.) GASPS.
CU OMURA
OMURA
(under his breath)
What the hell are you?
ON THE CRAFT
Pg. 43
as it peels away in a diving arc, then shoots straight up and is gone.
Another flatbed truck in another, less imposing-looking convoy passes through an unobtrusive CHECKPOINT.
AERIAL SHOT
of the convoy from the rear as we CLIMB and PAN forward to SEE their destination: a ramshackle smattering of tumbledown, poorly lit AIRCRAFT HANGARS in the DISTANCE.
INT. 'SITE UNSEEN' BRIEFING ROOM - LATER
The principals are there: Omura, Schollander, Messina , MacTavish, Lansing
Dru is a no-nonsense soldier, late fifties, professional, though still a little put out by having this situation thrust upon him. A bulky muscular man, only now beginning to show some fat. Standing, he drops several file folders onto the table.
DRU
Sirs. Ma'am. Gentlemen. I've done
some reading in the last forty-eight
hours, and have been briefed about your
flight here. Allow me to bring myself
up to speed, and you can jump in to
correct me if I get anything wrong.
SCHOLLANDER
Please, Colonel.
DRU
We're here.
(taps table)
There are...aliens...up there.
(thumbs skyward.)
Each knows that the other knows. What's
the next move?
SCHOLLANDER
I must admit to being at a bit of a
loss on that one myself.
Pg. 44
MacTAVISH
Well, I think that, given a wee bit of
time, myself and Dr. Lansing could come
up with a transmittable code which...
DRU
Come again, Son?
OMURA
We don't have time, Lachlan .
(to all)
They're watching. Waiting for a sign,
an invitation.
SCHOLLANDER
And just how do you say to a band of
marauding, inter-galactic killing machines
'Come on down'?
A little smile touches Omura's mouth.
OMURA
Just like Dutch did before. We'll leave a
light on.
From around the table puzzled looks are turned in his direction.
EXT. NEAR A HANGAR - NIGHT
A huge bonfire roars up into the night sky. Unarmed SERVICE MEN keep it going with scrap wood, old tyres, worn mattresses, anything that will burn. Again, all the principals are gathered, as well as AIDES and various station PERSONNEL. No one speaks, all wait, gazing up at the stars.
THEIR POV
of the night sky. Suddenly we NOTICE that a 'star' is moving. It grows quickly and we SEE a SHIP, almost identical to the ‘Bulldog’.
RESUME SCENE - WIDER ANGLE
Mumbling now, pointing, and instinctually retreating a step or two, the humans watch the silent craft slow to hover and then settle noiselessly to the desert floor.
ON FURLONG AND MacTAVISH.
Pg. 45
FURLONG
(to MacTavish, whispering)
Did you see that? Not a grain of sand
disturbed. Incredible.
MacTavish begins to whistle the greeting notes from 'CLOSE ENCOUNTERS'.
RESUME SCENE
Nothing happens. Seconds tick by.
OMURA
Spread out. Raise your arms, palms out.
Like this.
Supporting himself on his cane as best he can, Omura demonstrates. The others follow his lead. A DOOR opens and TWO PREDATORS, fully armed, step out and stand motionless. Then another long moment of nothing.
Schollander finds some courage and takes cautious steps forward. He raises his arms higher and opens his mouth to speak, but stops himself when...
SCHOLLANDER'S POV
he SEES an almost invisible wavering haze around the aliens.
RESUME SCENE
SCHOLLANDER
(over his shoulder,
a harsh whisper)
Major Omura.
Omura steps past Schollander, hesitates, peers closer, then raises his cane. Slowly he passes the cane, side to side, through the body of the closest alien.
OMURA
Hologram.
Detected, the trickery fades. Suddenly, there is SOUND and MOVEMENT all around. The humans whip their heads this way
and that and, retreat back into a tight cluster as four true
LANDING CRAFT, and a DOZEN flesh and yellow blood ALIENS, materialize around them. The Leader - we RECOGNIZE his uniform - steps forward and removes his helmet...to
Pg. 46
accompanying human gasps. He refers to his FOREARM COMPUTER
LEADER
(guttural, inhuman)
We'll...fight them on...the...beaches.
The humans stare, slack-jawed. The Leader goes to his computer again.
LEADER
One...small...step for...man, manman...
(a beat)
Ich bin...ein...Ber..lin..er.
There is a smattering of uncertain LAUGHTER. The Leader gives his head one violent shake, spits an alien CURSE, and refers to his computer one more time.
LEADER
What the hell...are you?
CU on Omura. Startled, he takes a quick step forward.
RESUME SCENE
OMURA
I'm one ugly mother fucker.
The Leader's head snaps around. Several other Predators also react to the statement. The Leader strides forward to tower over Omura who steels himself. The Leader lays a huge clawed hand on Omura's shoulder.
LEADER
My...son.
A BEAT. Someone CLAPS. A deluge of relief becomes full blown APPLAUSE. People smile. Someone WHISTLES.
LEADER
Where is...my son?
The revelation brings the euphoria to a ragged, staggering SILENCE. (DIRECTOR: Quick INTERCUTS of various facial reactions) A BEAT. ANOTHER.
ON MacTAVISH
MacTAVISH
Oh, SHITE!
Pg. 47
RESUME SCENE
OMURA
He's dead.
Everything happens. The claws on Omura's shoulder latch around his neck. The other Predators snap into combat stances, WEAPONS bristling. A contingent of HUMAN SOLDIERS, hitherto concealed within two adjacent hangars, stream out and target the aliens, half of whom promptly engage their light-bending camouflage and DISAPPEAR.
Being dragged to the nearest landing craft, Omura manages a strangled cry to the troops.
OMURA
Wait! Wait!
Schollander and Dru, also frantic, are likewise trying to keep a lid on things. From both sides weapons point and pan around, but there is no firing.
Omura is forced to his knees as the Leader demands and receives a sinister looking wire CONTRAPTION from a SUBORDINATE. Snapping his own helmet back into place and attaching one end of the apparatus to a temple, he fixes the other end to Omura's temple. It adheres there.
LEADER
Tell me.
CU on Omura, grasping at the immovable claw around his neck. ECU his eyes.
(DIRECTOR: FAST MONTAGE: The final confrontation and Predator death from 'PREDATOR', blood pumping through veins, exploding molecules, the ashen death mask of a human child.)
The Leader pulls the device from Omura's head and lets him fall. Messina
LEADER
My son...did this to...you.
Massaging his neck, Omura cannot answer, but he shakes his head.
A BEAT. The Leader also shakes his head.
Pg. 48
LEADER
No. Not you. Another.
He points to Omura’s legs.
LEADER
How?
Omura is still rubbing his neck: coughs, clears his throat.
OMURA
Terrorism. Injuries. Blood to blood.
From the one who killed your son.
The Leader cocks his head to one side, turns to the Subordinate.
LEADER
(questions Subordinate,
own language)
The Subordinate punches keys on this forearm computer. Quickly scans the results.
SUBORDINATE
(replies to Leader, own
language)
The Leader turns to Omura.
LEADER
And now… a child. Your… daughter.
OMURA
(a beat, frowning)
Yes. My daughter.
The Leader turns to his nearest CREW MEMBERS, utters ALIEN WORDS. They, in turn, MURMUR and nod to one another.
LEADER
(to Omura)
My son's...ship.
The human soldiers stand down; the 'missing' Predators reappear, as Schollander steps forward. Fawning, he addresses the Leader.
SCHOLLANDER
Um, this way, er, Sir.
Pg. 49
With a glance at Omura and then a barked command to the Subordinate, the Leader allows himself and the Subordinate to be ushered towards the hangar. Omura, aided by Messina
Suddenly...an EXPLOSION (O.S). ALL REACT, ducking and looking behind.
THEIR POV
of the sky. Two Predator FIGHTERS are swooping through the sky, firing at the ground. A Predator LANDING CRAFT is in flames, two aliens lie dead. Another EXPLOSION, another destroyed LANDING CRAFT, more aliens down. One fighter targets the scattering humans.
RESUME SCENE
Omura pushes away from Messina
More EXPLOSIONS, SCREAMS, SHOUTING (O.S.)
ON DRU AND THE HUMAN SOLDIERS
who have produced a shoulder mounted missile launcher. They take out one fighter.
ON THE FIGHTER
as it falls and ploughs into an adjacent hanger. FIREBALL.
ON THE SECOND FIGHTER
which peels away only to be challenged by a newly arrived THIRD FIGHTER. This craft, though smoking and seemingly damaged, proves too much for the SECOND, and promptly blows it from the sky. But the rescuer, himself, is now out of control and comes in for a crash landing.
OUTSIDE THE HANGAR
the Predator Subordinate and several human soldiers race out past the massacred landing party. We FOLLOW them as they rush to the burning rescuer. We SEE the injured Predator, a PILOT, struggle out of the craft and fall to the ground.
Pg. 50
IN THE HANGAR
Omura finds himself lying, face to face, on top of the Leader...who promptly lifts him bodily and tosses him aside. The LEADER stands up, dusts himself off.
OMURA
You're welcome.
A SCREAM (O.S.)
Omura scrambles to his feet, hobbles outside
OUTSIDE THE HANGAR
where Helena Lansing, trying to scrabble backwards in the dust, SCREAMS again. There is a bullet-riddled body draped over her. Two SOLDIERS roll the BLOOD-SOAKED body off and over. Lieutenant Robert Messina is dead.
CU Omura's horrified reaction. HOLD.
INT. A LARGE CHAMBER IN 'SITE UNSEEN' - DAY
Omura sits dejectedly, his head in his hands, on a work
bench close to the 'Bulldog'. His eyes are heavy, he is unshaven. In the BG a few RESEARCH TEAM MEMBERS go about their business. And the omnipresent CIA AGENTS silently ring the craft.
Omura slides his face out of his hands and we FOLLOW his P.O.V. as it passes the backs of Furlong and MacTavish, standing together near the open hatch of the 'Bulldog', and into the craft itself where the three Predators are working. Console components and alien conduits and wiring are strewn everywhere.
ON OMURA
OMURA
(with effort)
What are they doing now, Tom?
WIDER ANGLE
Furlong turns, looks up from the NOTEBOOK COMPUTER he is fiddling with.
FURLONG
Same as the last two days, Mitch. Best
Pg. 51
guess we can come up with is that they're
trying to recharge its...I don't know...
power batteries or cells or something...
OMURA
MacTAVISH
Well, aye, I suppose. But God only knows
how they...oh, Tom, what the hell? Look,
they've linked that...thing...
They are not talking to Omura any more.
FURLONG
Well, whaddya know? That's the exact thing
I said they wouldn't do.
He punches a few more keys on his notebook. Omura is about to interrupt again when a hand on his shoulder makes him start. He looks up to see Hindman.
HINDMAN
Michael.
OMURA
(rises with energy)
Albert. Something from Gockel?
HINDMAN
(shakes his head)
The only thing I have to report is that
I still have nothing to report. But I'm
more concerned with you, my boy. You haven't slept, haven't eaten. You need some rest.
He places a comforting hand on Omura's arm. Omura shrugs him off.
OMURA
(irate)
Rest? Sorry, but I'm a little preoccupied
right now, Doc. Teams of good men are dead
because they were blindly led against these
...predators. My best friend is dead because
I led him, too. Another friend’s daughter
is dying because of some damn bug which
came from them. And nothing I or any of
you, you...
(waves vaguely at Furlong,
Pg. 52
MacTavish, Hindman, et al.)
experts can do makes one damn bit of
difference.
Furlong and MacTavish have turned to look.
HINDMAN
(trying to soothe)
This isn't like you, Michael.
Omura takes a few breaths, seems to gather himself.
OMURA
You know something, Albert? You're right.
As usual. It isn't like me to sit on my
ass and wait for help.
He limps away from Hindman, pushes between Furlong and MacTavish, and raps angrily with his cane on the 'Bulldog's' hatch.
OMURA
Leader. Hey! LEADER!
IN THE 'BULLDOG'
The Subordinate turns. He touches his forearm computer: the hatch begins to close.
ON OMURA
OMURA
Hey! HEY!
He grabs the sliding door but can't stop it. He whips around, grabs Furlong's notepad away from the scientist, and holds it horizontal in the diminishing space. The door connects and begins to crush the computer, but is stalled.
FURLONG
Wha...?
Through the remaining space in the doorway we SEE the Subordinate stride forward and, with a fist, SMASH the obstruction to the floor. The door CLANGS shut. Omura slaps the door with his open palms, gives up, then takes a step back. He tries another approach.
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