HARSH REALM
"Simulacra (V2x8)"
by Anthony J Fuchs
(justanothervc@hotmail.com)
EXT. GOVERNMENT HOUSE, SANTIAGO CITY (NIGHT) - HARSH REALM
A Republican Guard, LT. BERKELEY, paces before the doors to the building,
keeping watch. After a few moments, he heads slowly away, leaving frame.
>From behind one of the three Humvee's parked along the curb, the face of a
woman with short-cropped hair appears; FLORENCE. With intensity scrawled
across her face and an M16 in her grip, she watches the guard leave, then
gestures the "move in" signal with her right arm.
Seemingly from nowhere, HOBBES appears, armed with a Sig Sauer P220 capped
with a make-shift silencer constructed from a steel pipe padded with
fiberglass. He silently ascends the cement staircase to a support pillar
which affords him some cover. A second later, PINOCCHIO emerges from behind
Florence, quickly making his way to the front doors of the building with a
small duffel bag in tote.
Pinocchio drops to one knee in front of the doors, opening the bag and
extracting a small calculator-sized keypad attached via a fiber-optic cable
to a small keycard. Hobbes checks his watch, then looks around the building
for the guard.
HOBBES
(hushed)
15 seconds...
PINOCCHIO
(without stopping)
I know...
Pinocchio slides the keycard into the swipe-sensor on the door, lodging it
between the lock walls. He flips the switch under his thumb to activate the
keypad, glancing at the display as 23 of the 25 LCD's light up and begin
flashing through code sequences.
PINOCCHIO
Jesus...
He immediately begins punching in sets of numbers, test sequences meant to
hurry the decoding process.
HOBBES
10...
PINOCCHIO
Thank you Swatch, keep it to yourself.
Pinocchio glances at the keypad, seeing that only four of the 23 digits have
locked in.
PINOCCHIO
Come on baby, little quicker...
HOBBES
5 seconds...
Another number locks in.
PINOCCHIO
It's a little slow...
LT. BERKELEY (oc)
Hey!
(into radio)
Perimeter breach! Repeat, perimeter breach!
Unauthorized access...
Suddenly, a muffled SHOT rings out, cutting the guard off mid-sentence.
Hobbes has fired a single round, covering his partner from his vantage
point. The guard is stunned by the impact, dropping the radio as he
DIGITIZES.
Hobbes quickly crosses the front of the building to the radio as Pinocchio
continues to work on the doors.
RADIO GUARD (vo)
(over radio)
Berkeley? Berkeley, come in. What is the sit-
uation? Berkeley, what is your status?
HOBBES
(into radio)
Berkeley here. Shots fired, situation under con-
trol. Just some suicidal trash from outside the
fence on a kamakazi mission.
Pinocchio can't help but let just a tiny grin crack through as Hobbes waits
anxiously to find if he was sufficiently able to imitate the late Lt.
Berkeley. After a moment, the radio guard comes back.
RADIO GUARD
Copy. Good work.
Hobbes breathes a silent sigh of relief, switching the radio off and
clipping it to his vest. He watches the street attentively as Pinocchio
continues his work at the door.
With 16 digits already locked into the keypad, Pinocchio punches in another
set of test codes.
PINOCCHIO
(to himself, impatient)
Come on...
The seven remaining digits on the display flash by as the computer tests the
thousands of numerical combinations within seconds. Two more digits confirm
and lock in.
HOBBES
Hurry up...
PINOCCHIO
Almost there...
After a few more moments, the remaining digits flash by until they stop to
display the proper sequence. The keypad flashes green and beeps softly,
confirming the keycard code. Pinocchio grabs the card, sliding it the rest
of the way through the swipe-sensor, turning the red LED on the door lock
green.
PINOCCHIO
We're in.
Florence dashes from her cover position to fall in behind Pinocchio as he
passes through the door first, followed by his mute companion and finally by
Hobbes, still covering the exterior as Florence scans the lobby.
INT. GOVERNMENT HOUSE LOBBY
The large room is dark and abandoned.
PINOCCHIO
No guards.
HOBBES
Now I'm nervous.
PINOCCHIO
You weren't before?
The trio quickly passes through the lobby, heading down a hallway under a
sign that reads "STAIRWELL."
INT. THE STAIRWELL
Hobbes flies up the staircase, followed by Pinocchio with the keycard unit
still out and finally by Florence, covering the rear.
PINOCCHIO
Third floor, straight to the dead-end, left at the end
of the hall. Two guards at the outer doors.
The team continues quickly up the steps until they reach a door marked by a
foot-tall numeral three. Pinocchio slides the keycard through the
swipe-sensor, activating the lock.
INT. THIRD-FLOOR HALLWAY
In quick continuous tracking shots, we follow Hobbes as he enters the
hallway and covers the front, leading Pinocchio and Florence toward the
council room. He reaches the end of the hall where it dead ends into a
T-junction. He stops just short, gesturing Florence to the wall opposite
him, facing the guards.
Florence moves into position, followed by Pinocchio who is now brandishing a
TEK9 automatic weapon. Hobbes quickly spins into the hallway in plain view
of the guards. He fires a single round before hiting the floor, creating
enough confusion to allow Florence to emerge, gun blazing. The few rounds
that the guards to manage to get off don't do much more than chip the walls
before they are DIGITIZED.
INT. THE COUNCIL ROOM
Santiago, along with his six advisors including Lt. Waters and Inga Fossa,
is quickly out of his seat at the sound of gunfire.
ADVISOR
Protect the General!
Waters hurries to Santiago's side, prompting him toward the emergency exit.
In SLOW MOTION, the front doors suddenly burst open and Pinocchio enters,
unleashing a hellfury of bullets. Three of Santiago's advisors are
DIGITIZED before Pinocchio even has to duck back for cover.
HOBBES
(to Florence)
Lay down cover fire! I'm going after Santiago
now!
Florence nods quickly, then turns into the room, taking one step in and
unloading her weapon.
The shootout that follows is almost completely in slow-motion. Very John
Woo.
Another advisor DIGITIZES. Fossa fires her weapon from behind a set of
filing cabinets.
Hobbes makes a suicidal dash into the room, flying by Pinocchio in pursuit
of Santiago.
Waters is covering Santiago as he hurries him to safety when he feels a
sudden jolt in the back. Santiago turns to see Waters looking down at his
own chest where blood is seeping from a hole in his uniform. Waters looks
up at Santiago with fear in his eyes as he flickers once and DIGITIZES,
disappearing from the game.
Fossa pulls the trigger again and again, spraying the entrance of the room
with bullets.
Florence cotinues her barrage of coverfire until she sudden jars backward,
falling to the floor in agony. She looks to Pinocchio, grabbing the right
side of her neck as blood seeps from the wound. Pinocchio looks on in
horror as his mute compatriot reaches toward him for the second before her
body DIGITIZES.
PINOCCHIO
NO!!!
Pinocchio levels off his weapon and opens fire, beluging the corner where
Fossa is hiding with bullets.
Hobbes rounds the council table, taking a shot at Santiago's leg. In
BULLETTIME SLOW MOTION, the bullet cuts through Santiago's left knee,
dropping him to the floor, immobilized.
Fossa tries to turns to return fire at Pinocchio, but is struck in the chest
with a stream of ammunition before she can even squeeze the trigger once.
She is pummelled back against the wall before DIGITIZING, leaving Pinocchio
emptying a clip into the now empty corner. He does not ease up, continuing
to firie into the wall, screaming in rage at the top of his lungs as the
bullets rip throw the paneling.
Hobbes finally reaches Santiago who is sprawled out on the floor, holding
his bleeding knee, but refusing to show any pain. Hobbes stands over his
victim, pure hatred flashing in his eyes. A moment later, Pinocchio stands
next to him, looking down at the man they were sent to kill.
HOBBES
Would you like the win, or shall I?
PINOCCHIO
He's all yours.
Santiago looks up at his attackers, confusion spelled clearly in his eyes.
GENERAL SANTIAGO
Who are you?
In Santiago's POV, Hobbes and Pinocchio look at each other questioningly.
After a moment of silent consultation, they turn back to Santiago. Hobbes
levels off his gun at Santiago's head and after the briefest moment of
hesistation, pulls the trigger.
FLASH TO WHITE.
INT. HARSH REALM PLAYERS BAY
TIGHT SHOT on the face of Thomas F. Hobbes. His eyes are still closed as he
lays on a steel table, a fiber-optic wire protruding from his left temple.
In a wider shot, we see the room where the soldiers sent into Harsh Realm
lie on gurneys, wires connecting them to the digital reality of the game.
While white-clad nurses tend to some of the others players, a group of four
uniformed officers and one black-suited woman surround the table on which
Hobbes is lain. The same five people Hobbes ate with the night he was sent
into Harsh Realm.
After a moment, Hobbes' eyes slowly slide open.
In Hobbes POV, everything is hazy, out of focus. This pair of eyes has been
out of comission for a while. A face appears above us; long dark hair,
pretty features. Slowly the image sharpens. The face looks up, to someone
else, says something that resembles "He's coming to." Finally, the edges of
the figure start to become clearer and the image takes shape. The shape of
INGA FOSSA.
INGA FOSSA
Welcome to the Real World.
Back to normal perspective, Hobbes lifts his head, straining. A nurse
quickly moves in to help him, bringing him up to a siting position. With a
little more effort, Hobbes slides to his right, dropping his legs off the
table to the floor. The nurse quickly drapes a white terrycloth bathrobe
around him, helping him walk. The party of military personel remains in
formation around Hobbes, escorting him out of the bay.
INT. DINING HALL
Hobbes has been bathed and dressed and is now seated at the head of an
oblong table with a large platter of food in front of him. To Hobbes' left
is the white-haired general that Hobbes first met when he arrived. On
Hobbes' right is the glasses-wearing general, who has been feeding
disinformation to Sophie. To the left of the glasses-wearing general is the
latin general. To the right of the white-haired general is the bald general
who told Hobbes to remove Santiago's virtual character from Harsh Realm.
And seated directly opposite from Hobbes is Inga Fossa.
Hobbes is quickly inhaling the food in front of him, trying to maintain some
degree of manners while still satiating his ungodly hunger. The five
members of the Harsh Realm committee look at him with respect, completely
ignoring his ungentlemanly eating habits. After a moment, he becomes
self-conscious.
HOBBES
(mouth half-full)
Sorry...
They laugh.
GENERAL FITTS
Don't be. You've earned it a hundred-fold.
(Hobbes takes another bite)
You did a hell of a job in there Hobbes. President
Marlowe has announced that you are to be award-
ed the Congressional Medal of Honor.
HOBBES
Thank you, sir.
GENERAL FITTS
(hand extended to shake)
General Gregory Fitts.
Hobbes returns the shake as Fitts gestures to the man to his left.
GENERAL FITTS
This is General William Darius...
(to Fossa)
...you know Ms. Fossa...
(to latin general)
...General Kyle Juantero...
(to glasses-wearing general)
...and General Colin Gilovitch.
HOBBES
Good to finally meet you all.
GENERAL GILOVITCH
Believe me when I say this; the honor is ours.
The group nods in agreement.
GENERAL GILOVITCH
Be proud, Lieutenant. We are.
HOBBES
Yes, sir.
GENERAL JUANTERO
Santiago was located based on information you drew
out of him. Our team stormed his stronghold in nor-
thern Ireland early this morning.
HOBBES
He was...killed?
GENERAL JUANTERO
(beat)
Yes.
HOBBES
(beat)
I guess he lost the game.
Everyone falls silent in respect.
GENERAL DARIUS
Congradulations, Lt. Hobbes. This achievement will
not soon be forgotten.
HOBBES
Thank you, sir.
INGA FOSSA
(gives Hobbes a knowing look)
I'm guessing there's someone you'd like to see.
Hobbes looks to Fossa, gratitude in his eyes.
EXT. FORT DIX, NEW JERSEY
A red GMC pick-up truck rolls quietly down a peaceful suburban avenue.
Hobbes glances out the drivers side window as he passes a playground filled
with children. Some ride a blue merry-go-round while others ride the red
swingset and still others teeter back and forth on a pair of seesaws. As he
continues driving, Hobbes' face melts into a puddle of smiles and laughter.
Passing the playground, he glances out the passenger's side window and sees
a small red-brick church. Suddenly, his laughter stops, but his smile grows
twice as wide. As if to remind himself, he hums quite loudly the first four
notes of the traditional wedding melody. Another deep-seated laugh finds
its way out of his throat, and he welcomes it.
INT. THE HOBBES RESIDENCE
Through the front bay window, we see the pick-up truck pull the to the curb
and stop, Hobbes pouring out of the driver's seat. Nearly sprinting despite
the weight of his duffel bag, Hobbes bursts through the front door and drops
his luggage.
HOBBES
Sophie!! I'm home!!
SOPHIE (oc)
In the bedroom. DON'T come in.
HOBBES
(surprised)
What? Why not?
SOPHIE (oc)
(almost whiny)
'Cause I said so, Tom, now don't.
HOBBES
(confused)
Okay...
Hobbes steps into the living room, examining it as if he expects it to
dissolve into the hollowed out remains he encountered in Harsh Realm. He
looks around the room for a few moments, almost unable to believe that he's
back, when he hears a faint clicking sound like someone drumming their
fingernails on the tile floor.
In POV, low to the ground, we move quickly from the kitchen into the hallway
and into the living room where we see a mammoth Hobbes looming above us.
HOBBES
Dexter!
Back to normal perspective, Dexter dashes into the room and lunges at
Hobbes, who catches him in midair. Dexter begins frantically licking the
face of his owner.
HOBBES
Hey boy! I missed you too you pudgy little mutt!
(to Sophie)
Hey baby-doll, you wouldn't believe what hap-
pened to St. Jerome's inside the game. The place
was a bar! Not a place fit to hold a wedding.
SOPHIE (oc)
Then I won't need the dress...
Sophie appears in the bedroom doorway, holding her white wedding gown
against her body.
SOPHIE
Well...whataya think?
At the sight of his fiancé, Hobbes puts Dexter back on the floor and stares
in awe at the woman he's about to marry.
HOBBES
Sophie...my God...
SOPHIE
Tom?
HOBBES
It's just...been so long, and you are SO beautiful,
and I just...
(realizes dress)
...why do you have that out?
SOPHIE
It's my wedding dress, stupid...
HOBBES
(matter-of-factly)
I've already seen it...
Sophie's face is taken with a look shock. In her mind, the only way Hobbes
could have seen the dress is if he went through her packages to find it.
SOPHIE
Thomas F. Hobbes, I swear, sometimes...
Sophie heads back into the bedroom to repack the dress. Hobbes calls after
her, growing more and more confused as the conversation proceeds.
HOBBES
Don't you remember, hun? The day before I went
in, you paraded it out in front of me and I refused to
look because I said I didn't want to break tradition?
SOPHIE (oc)
Well, tradition and all...
(pops her head around door frame)
...maybe you shouldn't see this either.
Sophie steps into the open doorway, no longer holding the dress. Hobbes'
jaw drops as he sees his fiancé completely naked for the first time in
months.
HOBBES
(barely able to speak)
Well...I guess, I could...overlook...that tradition...
SOPHIE
(seductively)
Ah...you wanna overlook it right now?
HOBBES
Oh...God yes...
Hobbes takes Sophie passionately in his arms, holding onto her as if he
believes he'll lose her again if he lets go. They kiss deeply.
DISSOLVE TO:
EXT. THE HOBBES RESIDENCE, BACK DECK (DUSK)
Laid out on a beach chair, Sophie holds Hobbes, running her fingers through
his hair as he lays his head on her stomach. Hobbes looks into the
backyard, past the house and trees to the sunset.
HOBBES
What do you think of Michael?
SOPHIE
I think it's a wonderful name.
HOBBES
(looks up)
You do?
SOPHIE
Sure. For a BOY.
(indignant)
What if it's a girl?
HOBBES
(smiles, lays back down)
How about Florence?
SOPHIE
(thinks a moment)
I like it.
(taps the top of Hobbes head)
You know my sister's gonna throw a fit if we don't
name our baby girl after her.
HOBBES
(absently)
Becky's always been tempestuous...
Hobbes is cut off mid-sentence by a knock at the front door. He sits up,
looking toward the front door.
SOPHIE
Expecting someone?
Hobbes absently shakes his head no, standing and cutting through the house
to the front door.
INT. THE HOBBES RESIDENCE, FRONT DOOR
He reaches the door, hesitating a moment before opening it as Sophie follows
behind him. He turns to look at her, and she can see the fear clearly
etched into his face. After a moment, he turns back to the door, placing
his hand on the handle.
Hobbes flips the handle, pulling the door open to see the face of a man he
never thought he'd see again. Mike Pinocchio. Hobbes almost laughs out
loud at himself, stepping out of the house and giving Pinocchio a welcoming
hug.
HOBBES
Mike!
Pinocchio returns the hug, but is slightly less enthusiastic about their
reunion. Even though Hobbes can't see it, we can tell that something is
weighing on his mind.
PINOCCHIO
Hey, Hobbes...
SOPHIE (oc)
Tom...
Hobbes releases Pinocchio, remembering that he and Sophie have never met.
Sophie hesitantly steps out of the house to meet their guest.
HOBBES
Oh, sorry, right...Mike, this is my fiancé, Sophie.
You kinda know her. Sophie, this is Mike Pin-
occhio. This is the guy who got me through the
game. He saved my life more times than I can
count. He's a great soldier and a hell of a guy.
SOPHIE
(impressed, reaches to shake hands)
Well, it's an honor to meet you Mr. Pinocchio
PINOCCHIO
(returns the shake)
Mike.
SOPHIE
Mike.
PINOCCHIO
Likewise. Tom's told me a lot about you.
SOPHIE
It's probably all true. Especially the kinky stuff.
PINOCCHIO
(laughs, to Tom)
She's a keeper.
Hobbes laughs as the three of them head back into the house.
EXT. THE HOBBES RESIDENCE, BACK DECK (NIGHT)
Hobbes, Sophie and Pinocchio are sitting in green plastic chairs watching
the stars.
HOBBES
It's been so long since I got a chance to look at
them. I almost forgot they were up there.
(looks to Pinocchio)
So how's it feel?
PINOCCHIO
What?
HOBBES
Freedom.
PINOCCHIO
(sudden austerity)
Great, look...we need to talk...about the game.
Sophie, suddenly realizing she's out of place in this conversation, stands
and heads inside.
SOPHIE
You boys seem to have some reminiscing to do,
so why don't I get us some drinks. Iced tea okay?
HOBBES
Yeah, that'd be great.
PINOCCHIO
Thanks.
Sophie leaves the two former soldiers alone on the deck.
HOBBES
The simplest pleasures we all too soon forget...
PINOCCHIO
Hobbes, there's something you gotta know...
Hobbes isn't really paying attention while he looks through the sliding
glass door at Sophie. She glances back out the door, noticing him watching
and smiling to him.
HOBBES
What's that?
PINOCCHIO
Listen, I know you think we won the game and
we're free of Harsh Realm and Santiago and you
got your girl back and your Medal of Honor, but...
HOBBES
(turns to Pinocchio)
How'd you know about that?
PINOCCHIO
That's my point. How would I know about that?
HOBBES
What are you getting at?
PINOCCHIO
This isn't real, Hobbes.
Hobbes goes dead silent, all emotion drained from his face. His eyes go
stone hard and ice cold.
HOBBES
What are you talking about?
PINOCCHIO
You think we're out, but we're not. We're still in
the game.
HOBBES
No...they told me I won. They told me that San-
tiago had been killed...
PINOCCHIO
Lies, Hobbes. Part of the game. The next level,
maybe; I don't know, but we're not out yet.
Hobbes looks at Pinocchio with a new expression of distrust. He slowly
rises from his seat, backing away from his former comrade.
HOBBES
You're not Mike Pinocchio.
PINOCCHIO
Hobbes, calm down...
HOBBES
YOU'RE NOT HIM!!
Hobbes backs into the sliding glass door, collapsing against it and slumping
to the floor. Tears pour from his eyes, but he's not crying; these are
stress tears, brought on by the overwhelming trauma this man has had to
endure. The look of confusion on his face makes it plain that not even he
understands why these tears are streaming down his face.
Dropping the two glasses of iced tea on the living room carpet, Sophie
rushes to Hobbes, crouching beside him and consoling him.
SOPHIE
Shhh...Tom, it's okay...you're home baby, shhh...
(looks to Pinocchio with scorn)
What did you say to him??
PINOCCHIO
I don't...I don't know...I'm sorry...
SOPHIE
Please, go...
(Pinocchio doesn't move)
Leave us be! Just go!
Not knowing how to help, Pinocchio silently walks off, leaving Sophie to
tend to the emotionally crumbled Hobbes.
FADE TO BLACK.
INT. SANTIAGO'S PLAYERS BAY, GOVERNMENT HOUSE - HARSH REALM
A man in Army fatigues sits in a metal chair with a fiber-optic wire
protruding from his left temple and a thick visor over his eyes. The only
movement he makes is an occasional twitch of his mouth every now and then.
He is secured to the chair with straps around each wrist, each ankle and his
waist. The name above his left pocket reads "MARTINEZ."
Panning right, we see five more men in the exact same predicament; their
namepatches read "SCHELLHORN," "QUIGLEY," "GILBERT," "YERKES," and
"HORVATH." As we continue to pan, though, we find a seventh man, whose
namepatch confirms his identity as "HOBBES."
In a wider shot, we see that each of these seven men is connected to a
computer which is then wired into a wall-sized terminal at which a man in a
white lab coat is working. Next to the man in the lab coat is another metal
chair contianing another man. This man is dressed differently, though; he
wears a black leather jacket and camoflaged pants. It is Pinocchio, also
connected to the computer by a fiber-optic and visor.
Track in until the other man's face enters the frame. This man is staring
intently at the computer monitor, occasionally typing commands into the
keyboard. He wears black-rimmed glasses and a thick beard, and is quickly
recognizable as JOHN FITZGERALD BYERS. His eyes flick back and forth from
display to display as he monitors the eight men currently connected to the
computer. After a moment, the window labeled "UNIDENT" turns green and the
percentage bar begins to decrease from 100% until it finally reaches zero
and beeps.
PINOCCHIO
Damnit!
Pinocchio angrily tears the fiber-optic wire from his skin, pulling the
visor off his face.
PINOCCHIO
He's convinced he's in the Real World.
BYERS
(removes glasses)
Santiago specifically wanted an acceptance factor far
beyond what common sense would allow. I guess it
worked too well.
PINOCCHIO
(as if to say "no shit")
Yeah...
(removes pulsometers)
Can you fix it?
BYERS
It'd be virtually impossible to edit the source code
while the program's running.
PINOCCHIO
Virtually impossible?
BYERS
Well I've never done anything like that; work through
forty billion lines of running code.
(Pinocchio scoffs)
You ever try to fix the engine of a car you're driving?
Pinocchio's expression changes as he understands the analogy.
PINOCCHIO
Can you shut it down and reprogram?
BYERS
(shaking his head negatively)
Santiago would know instantly.
Frustrated, Pinocchio untangles himself from the cords that once connected
him to Santiago's simulation and gets up, storming out of the room.
CUT TO:
EXT. NORTHEASTERN WEST VIRGINIA (DAY)
A quiet forest road stretches off into the distance, occupied by a single
vehicle. A grungy, growling, highly intimidating Suzuki 1200 Bandit tears
down the dirt roadway with its only passenger; a man dressed in a black
vest, black sunglasses, cargo pants, army boots and a long trenchcoat. The
machine he's piloting kicks up a storm of dust in its wake, shrouding the
road behind in a thick cloud of debris.
CLOSE SHOT on the man's vest, where we find a PAUSE DEVICE secured.
CRANE UP to the face of this man, NORRIS, as he attentively watches the road
ahead.
EXT. RUINED LUMBER YARD
Buried deep in the woods and covered by a canopy of trees, we find the
remains of a large lumber yard. After a few moments, Norris on the
motorcycle appears and quietly rolls in through the decimated gate, entering
the yard cautiously.
INT. RUINED LUMBER YARD
He continues through the yard slowly, scanning for signs of habitation.
Eventually, he reaches one of the mills and stops the bike. He climbs off,
dropping the kick-stand and heading carefully into the mill.
EXT. RUINED LUMBER YARD
Outside the rusted chain-link fence, another vehicle slowly rolls up behind
a thick growth of low bushes and vines that provides ample coverage. We
quickly recognize Pinocchio's GTO as it pulls to a stop and the engines dies
down.
INT. THE CAR
>From the backseat, we see a silouhette in the driver's seat. The figure
quickly leans into the passenger's seat to look through the chicken-wired
window into the lumber yard.
EXT. THE CAR
Close up on the passenger's side window, we find Florence looking into the
yard.
REVERSE to Florence's POV as she watches Norris cautiously enter the mill.
INT. THE MILL
>From inside the mill, we see Norris enter slowly, still wearing his
sunglasses, as he quickly scans the interior.
TIGHT SHOT on his feet as he slowly steps into the mill. He exits frame,
however, as we see a red dot appear on the ground. A LASER SIGHT. The
sight glides across the dirt floor of the mill until it reaches Norris's
feet again, slipping up his coat until it reaches the back of his head.
TIGHT SHOT on Norris's face as he suddenly hears a hard click. The sound of
a HAMMER being pulled back. He freezes.
PAN slightly left to REVEAL a teenager named KRAGEN behind him, holding a
Glock handgun to the base of the his skull.
KRAGEN
Move, and you're a digitial blur.
NORRIS
I'm here to see Kragen.
KRAGEN
No such man.
NORRIS
(sigh)
Shame...
With that single syllable, the image drops into SLOW-MOTION as Norris spins
around to his left with blinding speed and leans backward.
Two shots ring out simultaneously. The sniper covering Norris from above
fires, but misses. The Teenager pulls his trigger, but Norris's spin threw
his aim off, and he misses as well.
Norris drops his left hand to the floor beneath him, pulling a gun from his
belt with his right hand. As he continues spinning, his right leg whips up
in a vicious roundhouse kick to dislodge the weapon from the Teenager's
hand.
Norris spins further until he is nearly facing the floor, an arms length
above it. His right are whips underneath of his body, turned upward toward
the sniper in the rafters. He pulls the trigger twice as his right leg
comes around and slips underneath of him to the floor.
The Teenager turns and chases after his gun.
The sniper in the rafters is hit and topples over from his perch. He
DIGITIZES in the air, leaving only his rifle to drop to the floor.
Back at NORMAL SPEED, Norris spins the rest of the way around, pivoting on
his right foot and coming back to a standing position. He takes two long
steps to put his gun in contact with the Teenager's neck, behind his right
ear.
The Teenager, on his knee, only feet from his weapon, stops moving.
NORRIS
Up.
The Teenager stands.
NORRIS
I said I was looking for Kragen.
KRAGEN
(no fear in his voice)
You're pointing a gun at him.
Norris holds Kragen at gunpoint for a moment before pulling his gun back.
The Teenager hears the pop of the hammer being released and turns around to
see Norris holdster his weapon. For the first time, he removes his
sunglasses, revealing a jagged scar tracing from the bridge of his nose,
across his forehead to nearly the opposite side of his left eye.
NORRIS
Nice to meet you. Norris.
EXT. THE MILL
In the lumber yard outside the mill, Florence silently approaches the
building, her automatic rifle in tote. She quickly crosses the yard to the
entrance of the mill, slowly
INT. THE MILL
>From inside the mill, we see Florence turn into the door, then quickly spin
back out, obviously not expecting to see Norris and Kragen. Fortunately,
neither of the men saw her.
KRAGEN
I've been expecting you.
(sees rifle on the ground)
You fried my best sniper.
NORRIS
He shot at me.
KRAGEN
(smirk)
So did I.
Norris appraises the young man before him, trying to figure out if his
brazen attitude stems from courage or stupidity. After a moment, he cracks
a slight grin in return.
NORRIS
I'm looking for a man.
KRAGEN
Everyone is...
NORRIS
A soldier.
Kragen gives a patronized expression that clearly says "that doesn't help."
NORRIS
He served under Santiago in the Republican Guard
before he lost the faith. He's a deserter. A danger
to Santiago's rule.
Kragen rolls his eyes and turns his back on Norris, heading away. Suddenly,
he hears the click of a HAMMER being pulled back into position. He stops
dead in his tracks, not even needing to turn around to know that Norris is
holding him at gunpoint again.
NORRIS
I killed your sniper. And he was armed.
Kragen lets a sigh escape before speaking.
KRAGEN
What's his name?
NORRIS
John Cabot. He's traveling with a woman...
KRAGEN
A healer.
EXT. THE MILL
Florence perks when she hears the word.
KRAGEN (O.S.)
The one that speaks. Who saved his life.
Florence looks away for a moment, surprised, thinking. Could the rumors be
true?
INT. THE MILL
Back in the mill, Norris turns defensive.
NORRIS
I meant to kill him.
KRAGEN
I don't doubt it. But the fact remains that you didn't.
NORRIS
(threatening)
I don't make the same mistake twice.
KRAGEN
I can only tell you what I know. I've been told they
passed through here last night on their way to Mar-
tinsburg. What's left of it.
Kragen waits for a response, but none comes.
KRAGEN
Norris?
He turns around to face an empty room.
EXT. RUINED LUMBER YARD
A huge dust cloud marks the departure of Norris. After a moment, the GTO
rolls out into the roadway, following slowly behind the fleeing
bounty-hunter.
FADE TO BLACK.
FADE IN ON...
INT. THE HOBBES RESIDENCE, BEDROOM (NIGHT)
Tom Hobbes lies in bed, sleeping, as Sophie lightly dabs at his forehead
with a damp towel. Suddenly, Hobbes wakes up in a panicked start.
HOBBES
Sophie??
SOPHIE
I'm here hun. I'm here.
HOBBES
(rambling)
...thought I was...thought I was in Harsh Realm...
SOPHIE
Shh...Tom, you're alright. You're right here in Fort
Dix, New Jersey, and I'm not letting anyone change
that.
Hobbes swallows hard as he lays his head back down on the pillow.
HOBBES
(more to himself)
Thank God...
(to Sophie)
...I have the worst memories. A string of harrowing
nightmares, only more intense. Flashbacks...
FLASHBACK:
INT. SOLDIER'S RESIDENCE, HALLWAY - HARSH REALM
In SLOW MOTION, Hobbes, Pinocchio, Florence and Sophie run down a long
hallway. Behind them, Mel Waters levels off his weapon and pulls the
trigger.
Sophie drops to her knees and begins to DIGITIZE as Hobbes watches in
helpless horror.
BACK TO SCENE:
Hobbes lays in bed, his eyes closed. After a moment, he opens them, turning
to look at his fiancé.
HOBBES
They took you from me.
Sophie lays down next to Hobbes, her head on his shoulder.
SOPHIE
No one's taking me away from you.
HOBBES
(holds Sophie)
It was so real...
FLASHBACK:
INT. CAVES - HARSH REALM UNDERWORLD
Sophie is on the ground with Hobbes by her side. Pinocchio and Gretchen
Molry accompany them.
SOPHIE
Get away from me!
BACK TO SCENE:
Hobbes holds Sophie in his arms.
HOBBES
You didn't even know me there.
SOPHIE
What place was this?
HOBBES
Harsh Realm...the most perverse imitation of reality.
Nine ungodly months in that foxhole of a world...
Hobbes trails off, realizing something.
PINOCCHIO (V.O.)
...it's not real, Hobbes...
Hobbes turns to Sophie, covering his urgency from her and sounding
non-chalant.
HOBBES
When did you find out we were pregnant?
SOPHIE
A week ago. I wanted to wait until our marriage
license came to tell you.
Sophie nessles into Hobbes' arms, not noticing that Hobbes is staring off
out the window, a realization gnawing at his mind.
INT. SUBWAY SERVICE TUNNEL, BELOW GOVERNMENT HOUSE
Pinocchio lays on a cot in a cramped room adjacent to the service tunnel,
eating a pear and staring at the ceiling. A table sits next to the cot with
a telephone sitting on it, the cord running up the wall and disappearing
into the ceiling. He takes another bite, looking at the remainder of pear
inquisitively, as if it might give him some insight into the situation at
hand.
After a few moments of staring at the pear, he suddenly throws his right
fist against the wall next to him without looking. He takes another bite of
the pear, bringing his fist in front of his face to examine it.
TIGHT SHOT on Pinocchio's fist, where we find the crushed remains of a
daddy-long-leg spider. Pinocchio looks at the smashed bug.
PINOCCHIO
(Robert de Niro impression)
You talking to me?
Back in wide shot, Pinocchio looks at the dead insect for a moment before it
suddenly DIGITIZES.
Pinocchio sighs heavily. He takes another bite of the pear when there is an
urgent knock on the door. In a flash, the mostly-eaten pear is on the
ground and his gun is drawn. He slowly inches toward the door, twisting the
handle and pulling it open to reveal Byers. Pinocchio holdsters his weapon,
turning back to the pear.
PINOCCHIO
You made me waste my dinner.
BYERS
(urgent)
Come with me.
Pinocchio hears the urgency in Byers words and follows him without question.
INT. ELEVATOR to GOVERNMENT HOUSE
Pinocchio and Byers stand side-by-side, watching the display tell them which
floor they're at.
PINOCCHIO
How far down are we?
BYERS
Forty-two feet. Nearly five floors.
PINOCCHIO
Isn't there anywhere else I can stay? I've had bad
experiences with tunnels.
BYERS
Sorry.
INT. HALLWAY, GOVERNMENT HOUSE
>From the right side of the frame, Byers pops his head out into the hallway,
checking both ways to make sure it's clear. He turns back and gestures with
his head for Pinocchio to follow as he enters the hallway and hurries down
it. Pinocchio follows close behind, bundled in a Republican Guard standard
issue coat.
The pair hurries around a corner and reaches a door. Byers stops in front
of the door, leaning down to let the retinal scanner read his eye. The
words "RET SCAN PASS" appear on the display screen, then disappear, replaced
by the words "VOICE CONFIRMATION."
BYERS
John F. Byers.
A tense moment passes before the door beeps and Byers pushes the handle
open, gesturing Pinocchio through and quickly following after him.
INT. SANTIAGO'S PLAYERS BAY, GOVERNMENT HOUSE
Inside the room, Pinocchio rips the Republican Guard coat off, throwing it
to the floor.
PINOCCHIO
Hate those things...
Byers isn't paying attention. He's already seated in front of the terminal,
punching keys at lightening speed. Pinocchio notices and crosses to the
terminal to see what Byers is doing.
PINOCCHIO
Whatayou have?
BYERS
On the outside...
(looks back to Pinocchio)
...the Out-Outside...
(back to the monitor)
...we had to test the simulation by sending our own
programmers into the game space. When we start-
ed, we'd create relatively simple activities; fixing a
car, hunting a deer, you know what I mean.
(Pinocchio nods)
We had to make sure the game was an exact replica
of reality. But in case of a system failure, we wrote in
a kill switch ~ usually a word or phrase ~ that would
automatically end the game and release the players.
PINOCCHIO
What are you saying?
BYERS
(turns back to Pinocchio)
I may have found a way to get him out.
Byers and Pinocchio look at Hobbes, still prisoner to Santiago's simulation.
INT. SANTIAGO'S PLAYERS BAY, GOVERNMENT HOUSE - HARSH REALM
Seated in the seat directly next to the computer terminal, Pinocchio has
once again doned the thick black visor that will insert him into the game.
A moment later, Byers attaches the fiber-optic wire to his left temple.
Byers returns to the computer terminal, punching keys. A player profile
opens on the screen, labelled "UNIDENT."
BYERS
Ready?
PINOCCHIO
(breath)
Plug me in.
Byers hits the ENTER key, to which the bar in the UNIDENT window starts to
climb, quickly reaching 100%.
DIGITAL WIPE TO:
INT. ST. JEROME'S CHURCH, FORT DIX - SANTIAGO'S SIMULATION
Most of the community is convened for Sunday mass. In the midst of the
congregation are Tom Hobbes and Sophie Green.
PRIEST
Please rise for the Lord's Prayer...
The congregations stands.
CONGREGATION
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed by thy
name. Thy kingdom come...
As we PAN through the congregation, we come to Sophie and Hobbes. Sophie is
reciting along with the rest of the church-goers, but Hobbes seems
preoccupied.
CONGREGATION (Cont'd)
...thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven...
INT. ST. JEROME'S CHURCH, LOBBY
Outside the main church hall is a small lobby with a table containing
Candles of Intention, about half of which are lit.
In SLOW-MOTION, a match is struck.
The flame flickers for a second, then steadies.
The match moves slowly toward a candle.
The flame comes in contact with the wick, lighting it after an extended
moment.
The match is quickly blown out.
CUT TO:
INT. ST. JEROME'S CHURCH, LOBBY
The congregation files out of the main church hall as mass has ended. The
priest is in the lobby, talking to several parishoners.
After a few moments, Hobbes and Sophie exit the main hall and head out of
the building. They are met at the door by Mike Pinocchio, dressed in a
black suit with a tan shirt.
HOBBES
Mike...
PINOCCHIO
Tom. I want to apologize.
HOBBES
(knowing look)
No need. Everything's alright.
SOPHIE
(to Pinocchio)
I should apologize as well. For the way I acted.
It wasn't your fault.
PINOCCHIO
Don't worry, ma'am. You were only protecting
the one you love.
Sophie smiles, agreeing with Pinocchio. Hobbes, though, has a pained look
that only Pinocchio can see.
CUT TO:
EXT. MEMORIAL PARK
Across the street from the Hobbes residence, Pinocchio and Hobbes sit on a
bench, watching as several children climb on the large jungle gym.
TIGHT SHOT on the children in SLOW-MOTION, as they laugh and play.
Back at NORMAL SPEED, Hobbes looks around the park. Eventually, his gaze is
drawn to his own house, where he sees Sophie in the front yard, tending to
the garden that wraps around the front of the house.
HOBBES
How can this be happening?
Pinocchio doesn't answer. Doesn't know how.
HOBBES
After all that time, all those months, I finally get
back to her...
(looks at Pinocchio)
...and now you want to tell me that it isn't real?
PINOCCHIO
Trust me, Hobbes, I don't want to tell you...
Pinocchio glances at his wristwatch; the time reads 10:18 a.m.
PINOCCHIO
...but I can prove it to you.
HOBBES
How?
PINOCCHIO
(looks up from his watch)
At exactly 10:19, a 6-foot-tall bearded man driv-
ing a maroon Chrysler New Yorker is going to
knick the backend of baby blue Ford Taurus,
driven by a pregnant woman with black hair.
Hobbes just looks at Pinocchio, not knowing what to think.
Pinocchio glances at his watch again; 20 seconds to impact. He looks up,
past Hobbes, down the street. After a moment, he nods for Hobbes to look as
well. Hobbes turns around to see a maroon Chrysler New Yorker driving down
the street toward them.
Hobbes turns back around to face Pinocchio, but his expression changes
instantly to disbelief. Pinocchio turns around to see what Hobbes is
looking at, finding a baby blue Ford Taurus headed down the street toward
them as well.
Hobbes looks back to see the Chrysler New Yorker bearing down as he hears
Pinocchio's voice.
PINOCCHIO
Seven...six...five...four...
Hobbes turns back to the Ford Taurus as Pinocchio finishes the countdown.
PINOCCHIO (Cont'd)
...three...two...one...
At that instant, the two cars cross paths in SLOW-MOTION in front of Hobbes
and Pinocchio.
TIGHT SHOT of Pinocchio's watch, as the time clicks from 10:18:59 to
10:19:00.
The vehicle pass within inches.
The New Yorker sweeps by the Taurus, catching the rear fender.
A shower of sparks sprays across the roadway.
The two cars slam on their breaks.
A tall man exits the New Yorker, jogging to the driver's side of the Taurus
with a worried look.
Back at NORMAL SPEED, the man glances around nervously, giving Hobbes the
chance to notice the thick beard he sports. The man reaches the other car
and helps the driver out.
Hobbes is stunned as a woman, at least six-months pregnant, exit the vehicle
in SLOW-MOTION. Her long black hair drapes around her pale face.
Back at NORMAL SPEED, Hobbes turns to Pinocchio with a stunned expression,
not knowing what to say.
PINOCCHIO
Welcome to Santiago's Realm.
CUT TO:
INT. DAY'S EASE DINER (AFTERNOON)
Pinocchio and Hobbes are seated at a window-side booth.
PINOCCHIO
What do you remember?
HOBBES
I remember stopping at the farmhouse to get gas...
finding a tank in the barn...leaving straight from there
for Santiago City, storming the Government House
and taking out Santiago. You, me and Florence.
Florence killed Waters, Inga Fossa killed Florence
and you killed Inga.
Pinocchio sighs, trying to figure out how to explain what really happened.
PINOCCHIO
Hobbes...you were paused...
Pinocchio cuts himself off as a waitress approaches the table with two
coffees.
PINOCCHIO
Thank you.
The waitress nods and leaves, allowing Pinocchio to continue.
PINOCCHIO
Pausing erases the last few minutes of memory; that's
why you don't remember it happening. It's designed
that way.
HOBBES
Then why am I still alive?
PINOCCHIO
Someone got rich off you. A bounty hunter collect-
ed the price on your head. Turned your paused ass
over to Santiago. You're only alive because he need-
ed a lab rat to test out his new project. A simulation
within the simulation, that he could plug captured
soldiers into to convince them they'd been returned
home. Just like you did.
Hobbes nods slowly, beginning to understand.
PINOCCHIO
This simulation is running off the original source code,
before the game objective was programmed in.
HOBBES
Then how do I get out?
PINOCCHIO
I don't know that yet. We're working on it from the
outside, but without a program objective...
Pinocchio trails off, letting his silence finishes his sentence.
HOBBES
Can't you just pull the plug?
PINOCCHIO
(shaking his head negatively)
No more than they can pull Harsh Realm's plug
in the Real World. The trauma would perma-
nently seperate your mind from your body, trap-
ping your consciousness here. You'd be rend-
ered vegatative in Harsh Realm, not to mention
what would happen to you in the Real World.
Hobbes remains silent for a long moment, assimilating all this new
information.
HOBBES
I don't know which is worse. Harsh Realm, or
this place.
(looks around)
This is so real, but now you're telling me it's not.
The most sickening perversion of reality is the one
you believe is real. I have Sophie back. I almost
don't want to leave...
Suddenly, Hobbes is stricken with a horrifying revelation.
HOBBES
...Sophie...
(extended beat)
She's not real?
PINOCCHIO
She's less than not real. She's a virtually created
virtual character.
Hobbes is torn. He has the chance to be with Sophie, albeit a virtual
recreation of her, here. But he knows his heart truly belongs to the real
Sophie, in another world.
After a long moment of deliberation, Hobbes has made his decision.
HOBBES
How do I get out?
PINOCCHIO
There was an automated kill switch built into the ori-
ginal program in case something went wrong. San-
tiago had it deleted from the outside when he took
over Harsh Realm, but this version might still contain
it. I know Santiago's top programmer, John Byers,
from before I went on the run. I worked with him.
HOBBES
How confident are you that he can do it?
PINOCCHIO
If it's there, he'll find it. If it's not...
(sees Hobbes' distress)
...he'll make one.
DIGITAL WIPE TO:
EXT. JUST OUTSIDE MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA (DAY) - HARSH REALM
An open rural road plays host to a single pick-up truck, heading toward a
town visible off in the distance.
INT. THE TRUCK
Inside the truck are two passengers. The driver is readily recognizable as
John Cabot. The passenger, however, is a young girl, no more than 16, who
we've never met.
CABOT
What'd you say your name was?
DOROTHY
Dorothy.
CABOT
(to himself)
Dorothy...
DOROTHY
I'm sorry about what happened.
Cabot looks at her, not speaking.
FLASHBACK:
EXT. PITTSBURGH ENCAMPMENT (DAY)
The street is clogged with the customary ragged inhabitants that occupy most
all of the encampments outside the fence. Among them, though, we see John
Cabot, browsing from tent to tent, looking at the many things being sold.
Cabot doesn't notice her, but the attentive viewer might notice Dorothy in
the background, watching him.
He stops at one tent to look at crates filled with canned goods, most of
which are without labels.
CABOT
Any idea what's in `em?
MERCHANT
None.
Cabot shakes his head, starting to reach into his pocket when he hears his
named bellowed from far away.
NORRIS
CABOT!!!
Cabot drops the can, instinctively ducking down to grab the pistol from his
ankle. He dives behind a display that affords him some cover as the first
shots are fired.
Cabot reaches above the display and squeezes off a few rounds before ducking
back.
CABOT
Whatayou want???
NORRIS
Just the price on your head!
Norris fires again.
CABOT
You'd have an easier time killing me!
NORRIS
That's fine too!
Norris fires another round, then ducks back. As soon as Cabot hears the
silence from Norris' end, he leans out to fire a few rounds of his own, not
realizing that Norris is ready to shoot.
Cabot realizes the setup too late, getting the chance to fire only one round
before Norris has fired a bullet into his chest.
In SLOW-MOTION, the bullet from Cabot's gun grazes Norris across the
forehead, opening a bloody wound from the bridge of his nose to the opposite
side of his left eye.
Behind the display, Cabot topples over backward, holding his chest where the
bullet penetrated.
Cabot is sprawled out on the ground, ready to die, when a young woman
approaches.
In Cabot's POV, we see the face of a girl no older than 16. It is Dorothy.
In a wider shot, Dorothy doesn't say a word as she pulls CABOT to safety in
an alleway
EXT. ALLEYWAY
Back at NORMAL SPEED, Dorothy rips open the bloodsoaked section of Cabot's
shirt. Cabot looks at her in a moment of confusion before realizing who and
what she is. She places her hands over the wound for a moment, until the
blood dries out and the bullethole closes up and heals unnoticably.
BACK TO SCENE:
Cabot still looks at Dorothy, but we can see in his eyes that he holds no
malice toward her for what she's apologizing for.
CABOT
Don't apologize. You're not responsible for his
actions
DOROTHY
He'll be coming after us, you know.
CABOT
I know...
(wanting to change the subject)
...so...how is it you can speak? None of the others
can...
DOROTHY
My mother was one of the Sisters, but my father
was from the Real World.
CABOT
You know about that place?
DOROTHY
Vaguely. I know enough to know I can't go there.
Cabot is silent in apology.
CABOT
So you're the one they talk about. You can heal
and speak.
DOROTHY
Some have said.
(beat)
My father was one of the first soldiers sent in after
General Santiago. He nearly defeated him.
CABOT
Wolf? You're Lieutenant Wolf's little girl?
Dorothy nods affirmatively.
CABOT
Your father was a good man. A great soldier.
We might still have a chance if he was around.
Dorothy looks at Cabot for a moment, deciding whether or not to say what she
wants to say. Finally, she makes up her mind, looking back out the front
windshield.
DOROTHY
He is.
Cabot only glances at Dorothy again as the truck passes a sign reading
"MARTINSBURG, NEXT RIGHT."
CUT TO:
INT. SANTIAGO'S PLAYERS BAY, GOVERNMENT HOUSE
On the computer terminal, the bar in the window labelled "UNIDENT." drops
quickly from 100% until it reaches zero and beeps. Pinocchio pulls the
fiber-optic off and removes the visor.
PINOCCHIO
He understands.
BYERS
Okay. Half the battle's won.
PINOCCHIO
How long before you can pull him out?
BYERS
At 30-thousand pages of code per second, it's
still going to take about seven hours to find it, if
it's even there.
PINOCCHIO
And if it's not?
BYERS
Then I have to program a jump port and cover it
up with something that looks like it killed him.
PINOCCHIO
You have to kill him to get him out?
BYERS
In Santiago's game...yes. It's the only way to do
it without being obvious.
PINOCCHIO
Can you just skip the search and enter it...
BYERS
I can't risk that. If there already is one, the com-
puter would read a redundancy error and go to
default shutdown. It'd be like pulling the plug on
him.
Pinocchio nods begrudgedly, looking to a countdown clock that Byers has set
up. The time is dropping steadily from 6:54.
FADE TO BLACK.
INT. PATHMARK SUPERMARKET, FORT DIX (DAY) - SANTIAGO'S SIMULATION
In SLOW-MOTION, Sophie is pushing a shopping cart obliviously as Hobbes
looks around, only barely hiding his growing paranoia.
HOBBES (V.O.)
All too often, we take for granted for the world
which we inhabit. So blindly we accept what we
are given, never assuming for a moment that what
we cal Real is nothing more than an electronic blip.
The things we see, the sounds we hear...
Sophie turns around, glancing back at Hobbes. Smiles. She turns back
around.
Hobbes casts his eyes down, closing them, pained.
HOBBES (V.O.)
The people we think we know. The life we try to
exert so much carefully calculated control over,
but which we eventually come to learn has always
been controlling us.
As Sophie and Hobbes continue down the aisle, they pass another woman
pushing a cart.
Hobbes glances not at the woman, but at the girl sitting in the cart.
A young girl of seven, with blonde hair and blue eyes. For an instant,
Hobbes recognizes her, but as quickly as he senses it, it's gone again.
The woman and her daughter pass as Sophie stops to look at the merchandise
on display. Hobbes, though, is disconcerted, and looks back.
The girl in the cart looks at him. Into his eyes. She recognizes him as
well.
A childish smiles takes her face, and she waves.
Back to Hobbes, who looks at her, remembering.
DIGITAL WIPE TO:
EXT. MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA (EVENING) - HARSH REALM
A street cluttered with gutted cars and battle debris.
Parked along the curb, we find Cabot's pick-up in front of a building
bearing a sign that once read "CAPITOL MOTEL." Most of the letters have
been burned away.
INT. CAPITOL MOTEL HALLWAY
Cabot walks down the hallway carefully, caring a brown paper bag. He stops
quickly for a moment, looking behind himself before continuing to the first
room on the right.
INT. CAPITOL MOTEL ROOM
Cabot enters the room to find Dorothy routing through her duffel bag.
Dorothy reacts instantly, grabbing the handgun off the bed and pointing the
barrel at Cabot before realizing who he is. She quickly drops the weapon,
sighing out as much tension as she can without becoming comfortable.
Cabot crosses the room to her, putting the bag down on the bed and reaching
into it. He withdraws his hands with chunks of bread in his grasp. Dorothy
looks up at him in shock.
CABOT
I found this in the kitchen. Most of it was mold-
ridden, but I cut away the garbage to find some
edible remains.
Dorothy hungrily digs into the bag, producing a fair-sized chunk and biting
into it greedily.
CABOT
You'll be okay on your own?
Dorothy shakes her head affirmatively.
CABOT
There was a bolted door in the kitchen. I'm gonna
find out what's behind it.
Cabot heads out of the room as Dorothy dives into the bread in her hand.
EXT. ROUTE 37, OUTSIDE MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA
The road lays abandoned for a moment before the peaceful scene is shattered
by Norris tearing down the roadway on his motorcycle, passing by the sign
reading "MARTINSBURG, NEXT RIGHT."
We pan back down the road, in the opposite direciton that Norris was
traveling, to see the GTO a way off in the distance, only now visible as it
turns the corner from behind a section of forest.
INT. SANTIAGO'S PLAYERS BAY, GOVERNMENT HOUSE
Byers is still seated at the computer terminal, this time with a telephone
to his ear.
BYERS
No...no, I can't. I can't get you back in.
(beat)
But I can get him out.
(beat)
Yes. I still have to upload the program code, but
in a matter of minutes, he should be out.
(beat)
Yes, I'll bring him down myself.
(beat)
Alright.
Byers turns back to the screen, his eyes flitting from the monitor to the
door and back again. He purses his lips, squeezing his eyes shut for a
second as if not seeing what he's about to do will exonerate him from its
consequences, and before giving himself a chance to reconsider, strikes the
ENTER key.
On the screen, a small dialogue box pops opens with the title "UPLOAD IN
PROGRESS." Byers watches as the percentage bar slowly creeps toward 100%
until finally the entire bar is red and the computer beeps softly.
A barely audible sigh escapes Byers as the words "UPLOAD COMPLETE" flash
across the screen.
DIGITAL WIPE TO:
EXT. PATHMARK SUPERMARKET, FORT DIX (DAY) - SANTIAGO'S SIMULATION
>From outside the building, we see the glass doors slide open in SLOW-MOTION
as Sophie and Hobbes emerge from the supermarket. Hobbes squints in the
sunlight, looking around the parking lot.
EXT. PATHMARK PARKING LOT
Back at NORMAL SPEED, as Sophie and Hobbes reach their red pick-up and
Hobbes lifts the first bag out of the cart. Sophie takes the second bag and
they climb into the cab, settling the bags in the small area behind the
seats.
EXT. SUBURBAN ROAD, FORT DIX
The red pick-up rolls down the street until it reaches a red light and slows
to a stop.
INT. THE TRUCK
Sophie is holding Hobbes' right hand while he drives with his left. But she
notices that her fiancé is upset about something.
SOPHIE
Tom, what is it?
Hobbes is silent for a long moment, deciding whether or not he can even
answer that question.
HOBBES
(extended beat)
There's no way for you to understand.
SOPHIE
Try me.
HOBBES
I can't...
Hobbes' gaze wanders slightly and he catches a glance at the
windshield-mounted rear-view mirror. In it, he sees the face of Mike
Pinocchio.
Surprised, he snaps his head around to look behind him. In the flatbed of
the truck, he finds nothing. No Pinocchio.
SOPHIE
(upset)
Tom, what's wrong??
Hobbes looks back in the mirror, and just as before, Pinocchio is clearly
visible. As Hobbes continues to look, though, the image of Pinocchio
flickers ever so slightly. Hobbes suddenly realizing that it is not his
friend, but only a projection of him.
PINOCCHIO
She can't see me or hear me, Hobbes.
HOBBES
(to Sophie)
Nothing, hun...I just...thought I saw a kid run into
the street.
Sophie looks back out the back of the truck, seeing nothing.
Hobbes looks in the mirror again, still seeing Pinocchio.
DIGITAL WIPE TO:
EXT. MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA (EVENING) - HARSH REALM
The abandoned street again, where only Cabot's pick-up claims residence.
After a few moments, we see a moving object in the distance, which we
recognize as Norris on his motorcycle, slowly rolling down the street.
Norris sees Cabot's pick-up truck parked in front of the Capitol Motel and
pulls to the curb, climbing off the bike.
INT. CAPITOL MOTEL BASEMENT
Amidst dozens of crates, some of which are opened, Cabot pries open the box
in front of him. Inside, he finds assorted handguns. He picks up one, a
Beretta 92FS, and drops the clip. It's full. A wide smile spreads across
his face.
INT. CAPITOL MOTEL BASEMENT STEPS
Cabot quickly ascends the staircase back to the first floor.
CABOT
Dorothy! Dorothy, you'll never believe this...
INT. CAPITOL MOTEL KITCHEN
Cabot sprints through the door that he formerly referred to as locked and
dashes through the kitchen back to the room that Dorothy is in.
CABOT
You'll never believe what I found...
INT. CAPITOL MOTEL LOBBY
As Cabot exits the kitchen, he spots a figure in the doorway.
Instinctively, he skids to a stop, arching his back to lean his head back.
Gunfire thunders. A single round.
In BULLETTIME SLOW-MOTION, the bullet rips through the air toward Cabot.
Tearing through space toward its destination, the bullet sailing
perpendicular to Cabot's face, only inches from his eyes. Had Cabot not
leaned back precisely when he did, his head would have been right in the
path of the bullet.
The single round of ammunition rockets past his eyes.
Back at NORMAL SPEED, Cabot falls back behind the counter, pulling his own
gun as he props himself back against the counter.
CABOT
DOROTHY!
INT. CAPITOL MOTEL ROOM
Hearing Cabot, Dorothy is up, a handgun in each fist, darting toward the
door.
INT. CAPITOL MOTEL LOBBY
Norris steps into the lobby toward Cabot.
NORRIS
I told you I wanted the price on your head. You
should know, you're far to valuable to let you get
away...
Before he can take another step, though, he is under attack. He is forced
to dive for cover as bullets chip the floor around his feet.
INT. CAPITOL MOTEL HALLWAY
Dorothy leans out the door of her room into the hallway, squeezing off a
stream of rounds. She stops for a moment, looking across the hallway. In a
flash, she is up and running again, this time across the hallway to the
opposite side where she shoulder slams a door, jarring it open. She ducks
into the room, finding a better vantage point from which to cover Cabot.
INT. CAPITOL MOTEL LOBBY
Cabot kneels out from behind his cover to fire a few rounds.
CABOT
You killed my family!!!
NORRIS
Casualties of war, Cabot. Every battle has them.
CABOT
My daughter was only five!!!
Cabot leans out and takes another shot.
The wooden panel only inches from Norris' face shatters off into a hundred
splintered shards.
Norris turns his head to look at the bullethole. He looks at it for a
moment before moving quickly, heading from his cover across the lobby.
In SLOW-MOTION, Norris makes a dash across the lobby, stepping right into
Dorothy's line of sight. Dorothy opens fire, chipping the floor and wall
behind Norris, shattering furniture and windows, but not making contact.
Norris dives forward into a shoulder roll, spinning around on his back to
come up with it to the far wall.
Back at NORMAL SPEED, Norris takes a shot at Dorothy, forcing her back into
the room as the bullet tears the trim off the door. He then takes a shot at
Cabot, forcing him to the floor to avoid being killed.
CABOT
Who the hell are you???
NORRIS
James T. Norris. 396-01733-42.
DOROTHY
Who do you work for?
NORRIS
Central Intelligence wetworks. Black bag oper-
ations.
CABOT
You're an assassin...
DOROTHY
Who's your target...
NORRIS
(smirk)
James T. Norris. 396-0173...
Norris is cut off midword, though, as a bullet slams his right shoulder in
SLOW-MOTION.
At NORMAL SPEED, Norris turns toward the door where he finds Florence, M16
in hand, finger squeezing the trigger. In a flash, Norris whips his gun
toward the front door, unleashing a clip at his new attacker.
EXT. FRONT OF THE CAPITOL MOTEL
>From outside the building in SLOW-MOTION, Florence is suddenly under attack.
The flurry of bullets blast everything around her until suddenly she is
slammed back onto the pavement by a shot that strikes her in the chest.
Blood seeps from the wound, but she musters the energy to drag herself away.
INT. CAPITOL MOTEL LOBBY
Norris is hurt and in pain, but it's a wound he'll survive. It will hamper
his fighting at the moment, though, and escape is the best option.
He passes the gun off to his left hand, his weaker shot, and aims toward the
hallway. He squeezes the trigger again and again, spraying bullets in the
general direction of the hall and the counter to keep Cabot and Dorothy at
bay while he attempts his escape.
On his feet and covering his escape, Norris makes a mad dash for the door.
EXT. FRONT OF THE CAPITOL MOTEL
Norris exits the building through the shattered doors, still covering
himself with a shower of bullets. He quickly scans the street for Florence.
She's no where to be found.
Frustrated, he holdsters his weapon and jumps on his motorcycle, forcing the
kickstart and peeling away down the street.
INT. CAPITOL MOTEL LOBBY
No longer under attack, Cabot leans cautiously out of his cover position to
survey the damage. He looks back down the hallway to see Dorothy poke her
head out of the room as well. Cabot slowly stands, gun still drawn, heading
out of the building.
EXT. FRONT OF THE CAPITOL MOTEL
Cabot exits the building carefully, eyes flitting quickly around the street
in search of his enemy. He slowly makes his way to his pick-up truck, where
he is surprised to find Florence, laying in the flat-bed, bleeding from a
gaping chest wound.
CABOT
Dorothy!!
Dorothy quickly emerges from the motel, running to the truck. As soon as
she reaches the vehicle, she sees why Cabot called her.
CABOT
Can you save her??
Dorothy doesn't answer before climbing quickly into the flat-bed with
Florence.
Florence looks up at Dorothy. Eyes lock. No words are exchanged because
they are unnecessary.
Dorothy places her hands over Florence's wound. She shuts her eyes,
concentrating hard.
A light blue glow emanates from the wound as the torn flesh digitizes,
slowly healing over itself to repair the wound.
The glow dies away and Dorothy slumps over. Cabot quickly catches her, his
eyes catching Florence. Her wound is gone, leaving only her bullet-torn
vest. Florence sits up in the flat-bed, placing her hand on Dorothy's face.
After a moment, she breathes a slight sigh of relief, shaking her head
"yes" to say that Dorothy will be okay.
DIGITAL WIPE TO:
EXT. SUBURBAN ROAD, FORT DIX (DAY) - SANTIAGO'S SIMULATION
Hobbes' red pick-up truck still sits at the red-light, which now turns
green. The truck rolls forward.
INT. THE TRUCK
Hobbes looks over at Sophie, who is completely oblivious to the image of
Pinocchio in the rear-view mirror.
PINOCCHIO
Hobbes, we can get you out. But you have to do
exactly what I say. I'm a programmed help guide,
to give you instructions. I can't answer questions.
(beat)
Four blocks up, make a right. Two blocks from
there is an accident. That's your jump port. You
have to drive head-on into it.
Hobbes' eyes flick to the rear-view mirror.
PINOCCHIO
Trust me, Hobbes. It's your only way out.
The image in the mirror suddenly flickers once, then PIXELLATES.
Hobbes looks at the mirror once more, now seeing only the road stretching
out behind him.
As he continues down the road, he realizes that his hand is still in
Sophie's. He squeezes her hand softly, looking at her with an apologetic
smile.
SOPHIE
Tom, are you going to tell me what's bothering you?
HOBBES
(eyes growing misty)
No...you don't need that now...the only thing that I
am going to tell you is that I love you so dearly...
Hobbes tries to force out more words, but they won't come out.
The truck approaches a light, turning right.
Up ahead, Sophie spots the accident; a six car pile-up caused by an
overturned oil tanker.
SOPHIE
My God...
Hobbes looks at Sophie once more, tears ready to pour, before looking out
the windshield and punching the gas, bearing down on the accident.
SOPHIE
Tom, what are you doing??
HOBBES
Know always; this was for us.
Hobbes snaps the steering into cruise control mode and buries his knee into
the wheel to keep the vehicle on course.
HOBBES
I'm sorry...
Hobbes takes Sophie's face in his hands quickly and kisses her hard, keeping
his lips locked to hers as they tear down the street into the intersection.
Suddenly, fire rips through the cab and the screen PIXELLATES.
FLASH TO WHITE.
FADE TO BLACK
FADE IN ON...
INT. SANTIAGO'S PLAYERS BAY, GOVERNMENT HOUSE - HARSH REALM
Byers' eyes are locked on the computer terminal, as the window labeled "T.
HOBB" suddenly goes green and the bar begins to drop from 100% to zero.
When it does, the computer beeps and Byers is up in a flash.
He rushes to Hobbes, removing the fiber-optic from his left temple and
sliding the visor off his face. Hobbes' head flops over and Byers quickly
brings it back up. Byers produces a small syringe filled with a blue
liquid. He flicks it once and plunges it into the side of Hobbes' neck,
injecting the serum.
Having administered the serum, Byers pats Hobbes' face, trying to revive
him. Hobbes does not respond.
Byers tries again, but with the same results. Panic suddenly flashes across
Byers' face as he considers that his jump port might not have worked.
Suddenly, Hobbes coughs, hard. Byers' face is taken with relief as he takes
Hobbes by the shoulders, helping him sit up straight. Hobbes' eyes slide
open heavily. He blinks blearily, but he is alive and conscious, and that
combination is enough to satisfy Byers.
BYERS
...alright...you're okay...we have to move...
Byers helps Hobbes stand and starts out of the room with him.
INT. SUBWAY SERVICE TUNNEL, BELOW GOVERNMENT HOUSE
Pinocchio stands at the junction of the service tunnel and a passage-tunnel
that leads to the subway. After a moment, the elevator doors slide open and
Byers and Hobbes emerge.
Byers hands Pinocchio a pair of ID chips, one of which he passes off to
Hobbes. They both put the chips in the right chest pocket of their coats.
BYERS
Down this tunnel, you'll come out on the subway
platform. Take it all the way to the end of the line.
You'll be near the city perimeter.
Pinocchio starts down the tunnel, but Hobbes stops, shaking Byers hand.
HOBBES
Thank you.
Byers nods, then gestures for Hobbes to follow Pinocchio.
EXT. SANTIAGO CITY, PERIMETER FENCE (NIGHT)
Trudging across the field is the tired pair of Hobbes and Pinocchio, no
longer wearing the Republican Guard coats. Up ahead, Pinocchio sees the
fence approaching.
Through the fence, Hobbes sees the grungy GTO roll up and skid to a stop.
Following behind it is the pick-up, piloted by Cabot and carrying Dorothy.
CLOSE UP on Florence through the windshield of the GTO as she watches
Pinocchio and Hobbes.
Inside the fence, Pinocchio comes within feet and stops walking, leaning
down to pick up a stone. He looks to Hobbes, then back to the fence.
Pinocchio tosses the stone into the fence. The sailing rock reaches the
fence, but instead of bursting into a dozen flaming fragments, it pulls
space with it until it snaps through the glitch and emerges on the other
side.
Pinocchio looks back to Hobbes.
PINOCCHIO
Freedom.
Pinocchio starts forward again, stepping through the fence and emerging on
the other side. He looks back to Hobbes, who hesistates just a split second
before following suit. His words are heard as we watch him and Pinocchio
pile into the GTO, Pinocchio taking the wheel.
HOBBES (vo)
In all the worlds, through all the wars, by all the
wandering souls lost in this perverse imitation of
reality, only one thing remains the same. A love
beyond all definition that will never perish, never
flicker out and die. My trials prove me right; for
if not for you in my heart, I would have been lost
long ago.
(beat)
A man could quickly lose his mind in a place like
this, where everything is a mirrored reflection of
something else, and nothing is what it tries to ap-
pear to be.
(beat)
You've been taken from me so many times now,
my dearest darling, and every time, my conviction
to return to you grows ever stronger. You are my
touchstone, my beacon in a world of shadows, my
truth behind a patchwork of lies. I will come back
to you, dearest Sophie. I will defeat Santiago. I
WILL conquer Harsh Realm.
The GTO pulls away from the fence, followed by the pick-up.
FADE TO BLACK.
THE END