Titan By David Polk

TITAN By David Polk

An Original Screenplay

176 Dusty Rose Court Simi Valley, CA 93065 805-428-5775 [email protected]

FADE IN: SATURN - VARIOUS SHOTS The ringed planet. the Solar System.

One of the most magnificent sights in

TITAN - FROM SPACE The large, orange-hued ice moon in orbit around Saturn. A FLASH in the moon’s dense atmosphere as a SPACECRAFT shoots upward and into the far reaches of space... EARTH - FROM SPACE The familiar blue marble. The spacecraft from Titan floats into frame, headed toward Earth. SUPERIMPOSE: 10,000 years ago The spacecraft rockets into Earth’s atmosphere. FADE OUT. FADE UP: EXT. WOODS - DAY SUPERIMPOSE: Norfolk, Virginia.

Today.

Four BOYS move stealthily through thick brush. Each of them sports a toy submachine gun, a special ops radio headset and camouflage face paint. The leader, MATT RAMSAY (11), directs the boys with crisp hand signals. He’s deadly serious. The youngest "soldier" is Matt’s adorable little brother, ZACH (6). He’s bringing up the rear. Suddenly he freezes, frightened by what he sees on the ground. A GARTER SNAKE. ZACH Ahhh! Zach’s yelp crackles in the headsets of the other boys and they react. Matt turns his head, irritated. MATT (sharply) What is it now?!

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (2)

2.

ZACH (loudly) Snake! MATT Shit! Is that all? radio sil --

Team, back to

RAT-TAT-TAT. An enemy force of four OTHER BOYS swoop in on Matt’s team, shouting war cries and blasting away with toy guns. The battle quickly goes hand-to-hand as the boys wrestle and kick and karate chop away. EXT. CLEARING - LATER Matt and his team, dirty and beaten, emerge from the woods. He reams out his little brother as they go. MATT Stealth means quiet, Zach! We’re all dead now because of you! And the worst thing is, thanks to you we failed in the mission! ZACH (near tears) Sorry, Matt. But it was a big snake. STEVIE I told you we shouldn’t have brought him, Matt. He’s just a big baby. A little "Mama’s Boy!" ZACH (defiant) Am not! MATT Shut it, Stevie! Stevie does as he’s told. But he flicks his finger in the back of Zach’s head. The little guy reacts, "Ow!" EXT. NEIGHBORHOOD - SUNSET Modest, well-kept cookie cutter homes line a quiet street. The boys break up to go their separate ways. Zach looks up the block, frowns at what he sees. Matt’s face clouds too, but he quickly covers his emotion.

3.

EXT. RAMSAY HOME - SUNSET A taxi waits out front. MATTHEW RAMSAY (35), in the crisp khakis of a Navy officer, walks toward the car toting a travel bag. He sees Matt and Zach running toward him. Smiles. MATTHEW Boys! MATT/ZACH Dad! Matthew tousles Matt’s hair, looks down with pride at Zach. It’s now we see that he wears the SILVER OAK LEAF of a full commander and the DOLPHIN INSIGNIA of a submariner. MATTHEW Glad you boys made it back before I ship out. MATT But you weren’t due to ship out for another two weeks. A stern look from the commander stifles the boy’s protest. Officers don’t gripe. ZACH Dad, you said we’d go fishing. Matthew kneels, hold’s Zach’s shoulders, looks in his eyes. MATTHEW We’ll go the first day I get back, Skipper, promise... Look, you boys know the drill. While I’m away, snap to when your mom gives an order. And no back talk. She’s got enough to deal with without you two monkeys giving her lip. Matthew glances at the boys’ mother, SANDY (33), in the doorway watching the goodbye scene. She’s blond, blue-eyed, lovely - the very essence of a dutiful Navy wife. Okay, Dad.

MATT/ZACH Sure.

MATTHEW And remember: mission, men, self. Always in that order.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (2)

4.

MATT/ZACH Aye, Captain. Zach flashes a devilishly charming smile. Matthew gives the boys a hug, looks once more at Sandy, who smiles. Then he’s off to the taxi. FADE OUT. FADE UP: INT. C-130 - IN FLIGHT - NIGHT The DRONE of powerful turbine engines. The back of the plane gapes open and we hear the urgent rush of sub-zero winds. SUPERIMPOSE: 24 years later ANGLE ON a SEAL LEADER, his face covered in black-green tiger stripe camouflage paint. A green light flashes and the SEAL leader stands, slides a clear oxygen mask over his face. As he does, WIDEN to show seven other black-clad NAVY SEALs who follow suit and take position at the back of the aircraft. A FLIGHT CREW MEMBER listens for the signal in her headphones. When it comes -FLIGHT CREW MEMBER (points, shouts) Go! Go! The SEALs jump out of the aircraft into the night sky. EXT. SKY - NIGHT The SEALS hurl downward like eight human missiles. WHAT THEY SEE: Earth, a mile below, black and closing fast. Fierce, freezing winds. A terrifying experience for most. EXT. OCEAN - NIGHT ANGLE UP from the calm surface and we can just make out a black parachute against the murky sky. Then another. And another. Moments before impact the SEALs free their chutes.

5.

Four objects hit the water too. The SEALs swim toward them. These are low-profile, high-speed water skiffs. SEALs climb on, one drives, another on his back.

The

EXT. OIL RIG - AERIAL VIEW - NIGHT A massive, multideck structure rising 60 meters above the ocean’s surface. Rig workers go about their business in the defeaning roar of diesel generators and the constant pounding of metal-on-metal. Men with assault rifles seem out of place patrolling decks. INT. CONTROL ROOM - NIGHT A high-tech room crammed with consoles and monitors. Large observation windows look out onto the black sea and sky. No land for 150 miles. Three TERRORISTS oversee six nervous OPERATORS. Though of different races, the terrorists speak Arabic to each other, English to their captives. TERRORIST 1 spots something on a radar screen. TERRORIST 1 Commander, here! Look at this! The TERRORIST LEADER, a powerful, menacing black man, turns from the window and goes to stand with TERRORIST 1 behind a RADAR OPERATOR. TERRORIST LEADER (snarls) What is it? TERRORIST 1 (points) There, an aircraft of some kind. TERRORIST LEADER (to radar operator) Why didn’t you alert us to this?! RADAR OPERATOR (sweating bullets) It wasn’t there a second ago, I swear... It’s eighty kilometers out. Going away from our location. A commercial flight, I’m sure.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (2)

6.

TERRORIST LEADER Lying dog! Before the radar operator can protest, the terrorist leader produces a knife and slits his throat. He falls out of his chair, blood quickly flowing around him on the floor. The terrorist leader wipes his knife clean on the dying man’s shirt. Glowers at another OPERATOR. You.

TERRORIST LEADER Take his place.

The operator leaves his station, sits in the radar operator’s chair, tries to avoid looking down at his murdered coworker. TERRORIST LEADER (to operators) Let this be a lesson. You have only one hope of survival: submit and obey without hesitation. (to Terrorist 2) Alert Vahid to take off and search for submarines. TERRORIST 2 begins speaking into a hand-held radio. EXT. OIL RIG - BASE - NIGHT Six SEALs emerge from the waves and secure themselves to the base of the rig. They strip off their high-altitude jumpsuits, revealing formed-fitted battle suits. EXT. OIL RIG - UPPER DECKS - NIGHT QUICK CUTS of searchlights crisscrossing the sky and sea; terrorists mobilizing - herding rig workers into holding areas and taking positions with shoulder-held antiaircraft missiles; a Seahawk subhunter takes off from the helo pad. INT. CONTROL ROOM - NIGHT The terrorist leader barks into a hand-held radio: TERRORIST LEADER We have radar contact. Nothing on sonar yet but be prepared.

7.

INT. LIVING QUARTERS - NIGHT TERRORIST 3 speaks into his radio. TERRORIST 3 We are prepared. You don’t believe the British would be foolish enough to attempt another rescue, do you? TERRORIST LEADER (V.O.) I do. The Americans and British have stealth aircraft and could be on us any minute. TERRORIST 3 But that would be madness. They would not dare sacrifice -TERRORIST LEADER (V.O.) (interrupts) Are you prepared to act without hesitation?! TERRORIST 3 Yes, of course! We will do as we have sworn to do! He clicks off the radio, looks at another terrorist and nods with conviction. Then he turns to face 50 CAPTIVES, members of the rig crew. They’re all bound together. EXT. OIL RIG - VARIOUS DECKS - NIGHT QUICK CUTS of the six SEALs as they flit through shadows like ghosts. They know every inch of the rig and where to go to avoid detection. As they move they attach magnetized BLACK BOXES to the structure and flick a switch, turning on a red light. They take hidden positions on the rig and wait. EXT. SUPPORT VESSEL #1 - NIGHT A seventh SEAL climbs up the side of the tender, which is moored to the rig.

8.

EXT. SUPPORT VESSEL #2 - NIGHT The eighth SEAL climbs up and slips over the side onto the deck, finds cover behind a launch. INT. CONTROL ROOM - NIGHT The terrorist leader talks into a satellite phone. TERRORIST LEADER No! I warn you, if you have foolishly ignored our demands you will feel our wrath! The blood of these soulless dogs will be on your hands. INT. SITUATION ROOM The British DEFENSE MINISTER is leaning over a speakerphone at a huge conference table. DEFENSE MINISTER I say again, there have been no, I repeat, no Coalition flights over your position. INTERCUT: CONTROL ROOM/SITUATION ROOM TERRORIST LEADER You think we’re fools?! Listen to me clearly, Defense Minister: five have died, all will follow at the first sight of any of your forces. DEFENSE MINISTER What will that prove? That you can murder innocent, unarmed men and women? If you truly wish to be recognized by governments -Click. The Defense Minister looks around the table at the grim FACES of military officers and aides. The terrorist leader slams the phone down. He pulls a CONTROL PAD out from under his jacket. He glares at the other terrorists in the room. They take position, ready to execute the operators when ordered. The operators shit bricks.

9.

EXT. OIL RIG - DECKS/SUPPORT VESSELS - NIGHT The SEAL leader hides in the shadows of a deck and looks at his watch. In his hand is a PDA-like device. He presses a button... ON A BULKHEAD The red light on a magnetized black box TURNS GREEN. RETURN TO SCENE Suddenly, the giant rig and its two support vessels are bathed in an eerie green glow. The SEAL leader taps a button on his tunic, steps into the light and he... vanishes. All we see are the fire bursts from his submachine gun as he opens up. SEALs on the rig and support vessels strike at the same time, disappearing in the green fog and mowing down confused terrorists, who fire on each other in the chaos. INT. SEAHAWK - IN FLIGHT - NIGHT The TERRORIST PILOT and crew are confounded by what they see below. Firefights have broken out all over the rig but there is no sign of the enemy. TERRORIST PILOT (into headset) What is going on?! We’re killing each other! INT. CONTROL ROOM - NIGHT The terrorist leader moves from window to window, looking for signs of the enemy. He shouts into his hand-held radio. TERRORIST LEADER Report! Report! Where are they?! Confirm contact! Report! INT. SEAHAWK - IN FLIGHT - NIGHT The pilot and co-pilot scan instruments, the sky and the sea. Nothing!

TERRORIST PILOT We see nothing!

10.

INT. CONTROL ROOM - NIGHT The terrorist leader grabs the control panel and angrily punches buttons. Nothing happens. Furious, he unholsters his .45 automatic and shoots an operator, killing him instantly. Terrorists 1 and 2 are about to open fire on the other four operators when one of them lunges at the terrorist leader. The operators know its now or never: they rush the terrorists and fight for their lives. Bullets ricochet through the control room. INT. CREW QUARTERS - NIGHT Terrorist 3 and two others are about to massacre the panicked crew members when the windows blow out and hatches blow off hinges. Two uncloaked SEALs rush in, guns blazing. EXT. OIL RIG - AERIAL VIEW - NIGHT As the Seahawk circles, the green haze that covered the rig fades. The SEALs are now visible. EXT. SUPPORT VESSEL #1 - NIGHT A terrorist spots an uncloaked SEAL near the bridge and opens fire. The diminutive, nimble SEAL ducks behind a bulkhead, barely misses being hit. Another terrorist joins in the shooting from the opposite side and they riddle the area with bullets. When the SEAL doesn’t return fire, they stop shooting, signal each other to close in. ANGLE ON the terrorists’ boots as they slowly make their way forward. We hear a WHISK-WHISK, then a pair of boots stop in their tracks. MOVE UP the body of the first terrorist to reveal a Ninja SHURIKEN (throwing star) impaled in his chest. He falls dead to the deck at the same time as the second terrorist, who has taken a shuriken between the eyes. The dimunutive SEAL comes out of hiding and goes below decks. INT. SUPPORT VESSEL #1, BELOW DECKS

- NIGHT

The petite SEAL opens a hatch and enters a cabin where a dozen frightened RIG WORKERS are bound together.

11.

INT. CONTROL ROOM - NIGHT Two more operators lay dead in puddles of blood. The terrorists are about to execute the remaining two when the windows and hatch implode from the force of a concussion grenade. SEALs cut down two terrorists with machine gun fire, but the terrorist leader escapes out the window. He falls to the deck hard, but scrambles to his feet... EXT. TOPSIDE DECK - NIGHT We TRACK with the terrorist leader through the chaos of firefights that are still raging. It becomes clear that he is looking to manually detonate bombs that he was unable to explode with his control panel. INT. SEAHAWK - IN FLIGHT - NIGHT The pilot spots his leader and realizes what he’s trying to do. He brings the gunship around to destroy the rig. EXT./INT. C-130 - IN FLIGHT - NIGHT The aircraft descends from the night sky and levels off. the flight deck, the crew prepares for action.

On

AMERICAN PILOT (into headset) Starfire, this is Rambo One, twenty miles out, ten minutes from extract. STARFIRE (V.O.) Roger that, Rambo One. We copy. Hope they’re good to go. EXT. SUPPORT VESSEL #2 - NIGHT A SEAL shoots the last terrorist on board with a handgun then takes a shoulder-held antiaircraft rocket from another dead terrorist. The SEAL takes aim at the Seahawk. We notice he’s chewing gum.

12.

INT. SEAHAWK - IN FLIGHT - NIGHT The terrorist pilot’s finger is poised above the trigger to fire his missiles. The co-pilot sees the flash from support vessel #2, he points and shouts -EXT. SUPPORT VESSEL #2 - NIGHT WHAT THE GUM CHEWING SEAL SEES. The antiaircraft missile flies straight into the open side door of the Seahawk. The helicopter bursts into a huge fireball. EXT. MID-DECK - NIGHT A SEAL kicks ass in hand-to-hand combat, landing a flying roundhouse kick to the head of a terrorist before flipping him over the side of the rig. The SEAL pauses to watch the splash then turns, too late, to see the terrorist leader. He shoots the SEAL in the thigh with his .45 and keeps running. EXT. TOPSIDE DECK - NIGHT The SEAL leader fires a flare gun skyward. INT. C-130 - IN FLIGHT - NIGHT The pilot and co-pilot see the red flare streaking ahead. The co-pilot flips switches on his console. EXT. C-130 - IN FLIGHT - NIGHT CLOSE ON a metal "V"-shaped grapple that lowers from the nose of the aircraft and locks into position. EXT. SUPPORT VESSEL #1 - NIGHT Rig workers emerge from below deck. They watch as the smallish SEAL walks to the stern. A terrorist who was playing dead gets to his knees just as the SEAL passes him. Before a rig worker can shout a warning, the SEAL without breaking stride - turns, shoots the terrorist dead with a single shot and keeps moving. The rig workers are duly impressed.

13.

At the back of the ship, the SEAL whips out a flat piece of rubber, pulls a ripcord and the rubber instantly inflates into a LARGE BALLOON that quickly rises into the sky. Attached to the balloon is a CABLE. The SEAL hooks it to a chest harness. EXT. TOPSIDE DECK - NIGHT With no sign of living terrorists, the SEALs prepare for extraction. Four of them take position at the extraction spot, MK59 submachine guns ready. The SEAL leader strides across the deck toward them. A chiseled, black, BALD SEAL points and shouts. Skipper!

BALD SEAL The Chief!

The SEAL leader looks to his right, sees the the CHIEF - the ass-kicking SEAL who was shot in the thigh - struggling up a ladder from a lower deck. INT. C-130 - IN FLIGHT - NIGHT Through cockpit windows we see the oil rig in the distance. EXT. TOPSIDE DECK - NIGHT The SEAL leader races across the deck to the Chief. When he gets there, the Chief looks up and we realize she’s a woman. CHIEF I can make it! I don’t need help! SEAL LEADER And I’m Mahatma Ghandi. He pulls her up from the ladder. The four SEALs at the extraction point release their balloons. ANOTHER SEAL (shouts) Skipper! Trains-a-comin’! The SEAL leader hoists the Chief onto his shoulder firefighter style, pulls the rip cord on his balloon and sends it aloft. He holds the Chief’s thighs tightly. She curses in pain, looks up, sees the terrorist leader on the ladder taking aim at them with his .45 -We hear the ROAR of approaching aircraft engines overhead -(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (2)

14.

In one swift motion, the Chief grabs the SEAL leader’s SIG 9mm and shoots the terrorist between the eyes -At that exact moment the SEALs at the extraction spot are whisked off the deck, their balloon cables snagged by the C-130’s "V"-grapple. An instant later the SEAL leader and the Chief are swept away with them. Rescued rig workers watch in astonishment as all eight Navy SEALs fly off into the night sky, dangling behind the C-130. INT. C-130 - IN FLIGHT - NIGHT An AIRMAN slams the side door, shutting out the violent wind. The SEALs sit on benches, unfastening gear and dropping it on the floor of the plane. A MEDIC tends to the Chief, who is grimacing in pain on a cot. MEDIC You’re a lucky duck, Chief. Another inch to the left and it would’ve hit the artery. SEAL LEADER Maybe you should start running a tab, huh, Chief? The Chief smirks. The other SEALs chuckle. The SEAL leader flashes a devilishly charming smile and we realize that he is ZACH RAMSAY (30). DISSOLVE TO: EXT. O’AHU, VARIOUS SHOTS - DAY Establishing the Hawaiian island, over which we hear children playing. EXT. RAMSAY HOME, BACKYARD - DAY A child’s birthday party is in full swing. Eight-year-olds watch excitedly as a clown fashions balloon animals. INT. RAMSAY HOME, FAMILY ROOM - DAY ON TV a BBC REPORTER talks gravely at the CAMERA:

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (2)

15.

BBC REPORTER (V.O.) Survivors of the four-day ordeal say the assault on the oil rig - some two hundred miles off the coast of Oman - was swift and brutal, ending less than twenty minutes after it began. And when it was over, all twenty-five Red Siege terrorists were dead. Nine oil rig crew died, five of them at the hands of terrorists in the days before the rescue assault began... VIDEO FOOTAGE of the survivors being evacuated and the oil rig in the aftermath of the assault. BBC REPORTER (V.O.) The remaining one hundred twenty crew members were safely evacuated. Miraculously, the rig was undamaged in the assault. A far different result from a month ago, when a rescue attempt on an oil rig by Russian commandos ended in tragedy. In that failed attempt, one hundred twenty rig workers and twenty commandos died, the rig completely destroyed in horrific explosions. So far Russia, Britain and the U.S. have remained mum as to who is behind this successful rescue for fear of worsening already tense Middle East relations. Reporting from the Arabian Sea, this is Wilhelmina Scott-Davies. My God.

MAN 1 (O.S.) Two rigs in two months.

A group of MEN and WOMEN (late 20s, early 30s) sit around the room watching television. These are parents of the children attending the party outside. MAN 2 At least this one didn’t blow up with everybody on board. WOMAN Still, it’s horrible. Nine innocent people killed. And for what?

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (3)

16.

MAN 3 I’ll tell you for what. Asia and Western Europe are starving for oil. If we don’t stop the terrorists over there, we’ll be staging rescues in the Gulf of Mexico. WOMAN 2 I’ve heard that in some cities people wait in gas lines for hours. MAN 1 They say that’s what it was like way back in the nineteen seventies. SANDY (O.S.) Alright, enough of this! The young parents turn to face SANDY RAMSAY (57). Still as lovely as when we first saw her in the doorway of her home, but very annoyed at the moment. SANDY This is my granddaughter’s birthday party, not a press conference. It’s time for cake and candles. WOMAN 2 Sorry, Mrs. Ramsay. Sandy turns off the television with the remote control. The young parents file past her and out the sliding glass door to the backyard. Before Sandy follows, she pauses to look at a curio cabinet full of FAMILY PHOTOS, including: a handsome young Naval officer being fed wedding cake by a beautiful brunette; the same man and woman with an adorable little girl; the man smiling with an Annapolis cadet who’s flashing a devilish grin... HOLD on a portrait of the young Ramsay family as we remember them in our opening scenes: Matthew in uniform, Sandy, 11-year-old Matt and 6-year-old Zach. EXT. RAMSAY HOME, BACKYARD - DAY CLOSE ON - BIRTHDAY CAKE "Happy Birthday Maggie" is surrounded by 8 candles.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (2)

17.

PULL BACK to show party GUESTS gathered around the cake and the birthday girl, MAGGIE RAMSAY (8), smiling and cute as can be. A woman we recognize as the beautiful brunette in the photos lights the candles. This is MADELINE RAMSAY (33), known to her family and friends as "Maddy". MADDY Okay, everybody. Happy Birthday! ... ...to you!

EVERYBODY Happy Birth --

ZACH (O.S.) (booming) DAY TO YOU! Everybody turns house. He’s in carrying a huge his. Sandy and with delight at most thrilled.

to see Zach coming from inside the the dress whites of a Navy Lieutenant, GIFT, smiling that rakish smile of Maddy beam and the 8-year-old girls giggle the dreamy officer, but it’s Maggie who’s

MAGGIE Uncle Zach! Uncle Zach! She runs to him and he scoops her in his arms, kisses her. ZACH Magpie! MAGGIE I knew you’d make it! I knew you wouldn’t miss my birthday! ZACH You can always count on me, Kid. INT. RAMSAY HOME, FAMILY ROOM - NIGHT The party is over. Sandy, Maddy and Zach talk as Maggie plays with a beautiful DOLL HOUSE. MADDY Zach, you being here means so much to Maggie, especially since Matt couldn’t be. (re: Maggie playing) And it looks like you hit the jackpot again.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (2)

18.

MAGGIE Oh I love it, Uncle Zach! How did you know it’s just what I wanted? SANDY (humored skepticism) Yes, Zach, just how did you know? ZACH Oh, I don’t know, Mom, I guess I’m just a modern, sensitive guy who knows what women really want. Maddy and Sandy rolls their eyes. Navy SEAL is a ladies’ man.

They know the dashing

MADDY Maggie, honey, it’s getting close to your bedtime. Better go up and brush your teeth. MAGGIE Aw, Mom! I hardly got a chance to talk to Uncle Zach. MADDY Go ahead, honey. Besides, it’s getting pretty deep in here and I wouldn’t want you to drown. MAGGIE Huh? ZACH Go on and brush those pearly whites, Magpie. I’ll be up later to say goodnight. Okay.

MAGGIE Goodnight, Grandma.

She goes to Sandy and kisses her. SANDY Goodnight, dear. After the child exits, Sandy and Maddy fall into what has obviously become a routine. MADDY You know, Zach, for a guy who "knows what women really want," it’s taking you an awfully long (MORE) (CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (3)

19.

MADDY (CONT’D.) time to settle down with one of them. SANDY Both your father and brother were married with a family by the time they were your age. ZACH That’s because Dad and Matt got the two best girls in the world, so there’s no one left for me. Trust me, I know. MADDY You ought to, you’ve sampled enough. ZACH (grins) Now, Maddy, don’t hate. Maddy shakes her head disapprovingly but even she can’t help but love her sexy-adorable bother-in-law. SANDY You don’t have to look very far to find the perfect girl, Zach. ZACH (reacts) Mom, not that again. I thought we put a fork in this one already. SANDY Tess adores you, and she understands you better than anyone. You said so yourself. MADDY More importantly, she has enough dirt on you to keep you from prowling around at night. ZACH Yeah, that’s just what I want, the old ball and chain that can land me in Fort Leavenworth with one phone call... Anyway, you both know the Navy forbids relationships between officers and sailors.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (4)

20.

SANDY I also know Tess would resign from the Navy the second she thought you were serious about giving you and her a chance. ZACH That’s where you’re wrong, Mom. I know her a lot better than you do, and Contessa Cortez is a lifer. Before Sandy can disagree, she’s seized by a strange feeling. Zach and Sandy both clock this and react, concerned. ZACH Mom? MADDY Mom, are you alright? Sandy looks at Zach and Maddy then shifts her focus to the family photos in the curio cabinet. She stares at one of her with her husband Matthew. Then her eyes drift to the PHOTO next to it - a Navy portrait of her son, Matt. SANDY (prescient) Oh... My... EXT. OCEAN/UNDERWATER The sleek black hull of a Seawolf-class nuclear attack submarine materializes from the cobalt twilight, glides past us 900 feet below the ocean’s surface. INT. USS JIMMY CARTER, CAPTAIN’S QUARTERS CLOSE ON a framed DIGITAL PHOTO of Maddy and Maggie, smiling prettily. The photo morphs to just Maddy, lovely as ever. ANOTHER ANGLE and we see Commander MATT RAMSAY (35), handsome as his younger brother but more serious, sitting at his desk typing on a small laptop computer. He glances at the image of his wife and smiles to himself. He continues typing an e-mail that we somehow know is for her. Pinned to the wall above the desk is a SNAPSHOT of Matt and Zach taken about five years earlier. They’re on a deep sea fishing boat, showing off a swordfish caught by one of them.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (2)

21.

X.O.’S VOICE (V.O.) Captain, unidentified sonar contact. It’s unusual, sir. MATT (presses intercom button) On my way. He’s about to close the laptop but stops, considers. Beat. He hits the "send" button then closes the computer. INT. USS JIMMY CARTER, PASSAGEWAYS Matt moves casually but with purpose through his sub, returning the crisp salutes of crew members with easy ones of his own. INT. USS JIMMY CARTER, CONTROL CENTER The control and attack center is bathed in a warm red light. The COMMAND CREW focuses intently on their work. CREWMAN (O.S.) Captain on deck! Matt appears and the men are briefly at attention before -MATT As you were. Sit rep. X.O. Sir, unidentified vessel, bearing two-one-four, one thousand feet. MATT Russian? SONARMAN Negative, sir. And not Chinese. MATT Propulsion? X.O. (nods) No screws, sir. MATT (intrigued) Speed?

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (2)

22.

SONARMAN Thirty-five knots, sir. Matt and his X.O. (Executive Officer) exchange a look. From this point on, we see that Matt is a masterful skipper calm, confident and supremely capable in command. MATT Raise the ESM. stand by.

Have the ROV go to

X.O. Aye, sir. He repeats the orders into a handset.

As he does --

MATT Helm, put me on her tailpipe. HELMSMAN Aye-aye, Captain. Coming around to two-one-four. MATT Communications, signal our position to CINCPAC. Let them know we’ve got something unusual on the grid. COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER Yes, sir. He repeats the command to a SEAMAN sitting at a workstation. INT. USS JIMMY CARTER, CREW QUARTERS A glimpse of life for Jimmy Carter’s off duty crew. Shooting the shit, listening to music, writing letters and e-mails home, playing cards, video games, etc. INT. USS JIMMY CARTER, CONTROL CENTER We are looking at Matt through a large glass chart - the Electronic Position Board - which depicts a graphic representation of the underwater world. The NAVIGATOR is beside him, gesturing to the chart. NAVIGATOR She’s headed for the Marianas Trench, sir.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (2)

23.

MATT ETA? NAVIGATOR Twenty-five minutes at their present course and speed. MATT (to X.O.) Action stations. X.O. Aye, sir. (lifts microphone) All hands, this is the X.O. stations. Action stations.

Action

INT. USS JIMMY CARTER, VARIOUS SHOTS All through the ship the crew hurries to action stations. EXT. OCEAN/UNDERWATER An enormous, translucent ALIEN VESSEL slices past us. INT. USS JIMMY CARTER, CONTROL CENTER Matt and his X.O. are directly behind the SONARMAN now. Seeing what he sees. SONARMAN I’ve never seen anything like this, sir. It’s got a unique signature no reactor noise at all and no trace of cavitation. But it’s there. I know.

MATT I see it.

SONARMAN (suddenly) Whoa! She’s diving, sir!

24. EXT. OCEAN/UNDERWATER The alien vessel turns over and noses downward with remarkable agility, like a dolphin at play. INT. USS JIMMY CARTER, CONTROL CENTER Matt, the sonarman and the X.O. watch the sonar, astonished. X.O. Sixty knots?! That’s not possible. Is it?! SONARMAN Aye, sir. And she’s changed heading to two-one-niner. Diving thirty degrees to two thousand feet! X.O. She’s going for cover in the Trench. MATT Helm, stay with her. HELMSMAN Aye-aye, Captain. Right on her. Tension in the control center builds as the sub surges in pursuit of the unknown foe. SAME SCENE - LATER The command crew are sweating, fixed to their workstations. SONARMAN Contact now bearing two-six-oh. She’s coming about, sir. (looks at Matt) She’s circling back toward us, sir. MATT Open outer doors. Point-to-point firing procedures. X.O. Aye, sir. (to crewman) Open outer doors. Firing package Bravo six-six-zero-niner. Lots of back-and-forth between crew carrying out orders.

25. EXT. ALIEN VESSEL A brilliant flash of light is emitted from the front of the ship, sending reverberations through the depths. INT. USS JIMMY CARTER, CONTROL CENTER An ALARM blares. SONARMAN They’ve fired at us, sir! MATT Open tubes four and six! X.O. Tubes four and six open! SONARMAN Single bogey, bearing two-zero-two, twelve hundred yards and closing fast... nine hundred yards, seven hundred yards... A beat as Matt waits for it. MATT Fire four and six! The FIRE CONTROL OFFICER punches buttons... EXT. USS JIMMY CARTER Two torpedoes shoot from the nose of the sub. INT. USS JIMMY CARTER, CONTROL CENTER The sonarman and the X.O. watch the sonar. X.O. Collision warning! could get rough!

Another ALARM.

Hold on, this

MATT Hard left rudder! Up five degrees! HELMSMAN Answering left rudder, up five degrees! The crew sways as the sub makes the sharp maneuver.

26.

EXT. OCEAN/UNDERWATER The powerful light source from the alien ship and the torpedoes from the Jimmy Carter collide and explode in an incredible fireball, setting off massive shock waves. INT. USS JIMMY CARTER, VARIOUS SHOTS Throughout the sub lights go dim, men and supplies are tossed about; small amounts of seawater bursts through pipes and electrical systems pop and fizzle. INT. USS JIMMY CARTER, CONTROL CENTER Warning SIRENS blare. Matt and the command crew struggle to stay on their feet as the sub is buffeted violently. MATT Damage control, report! Lots of people talk at once into microphones and to each other. The X.O. takes it in then turns to Matt. X.O. Flooding in the port torpedo room. Switching to auxiliary power on decks two and three. Life support normal. Hydraulics normal. Reactor normal. MATT (to sonarman) Get me a bearing on that son of a bitch. The sonarman works his magic, furiously typing and turning knobs on his workstation. MATT (to X.O.) Spin up ten and twelve with Deltas. The X.O.’s look tells us that Deltas are nuclear torpedoes. X.O. Yes, sir! Load tubes ten and twelve with Deltas.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (2)

27.

The fire control officer repeats the command in his headset and punches a code on his workstation. As he does, Matt uses a KEY around his neck to unlock a small safe above the Captain’s console. He pulls out two RED ENVELOPES, hands one to the X.O., rips his own open and pulls out a CARD. SONARMAN Enemy bearing two-two-seven. ten thousand yards, sir.

Range

FIRE CONTROL OFFICER (to X.O., reading screen) Alpha-alpha nine-oh-seven-charlie. X.O. (reads his card to Matt) Alpha-alpha nine-oh-seven-charlie. Captain, do you concur? Matt looks up from his card, a grim but determined expression on his face. I concur. twelve.

MATT Open tubes ten and

X.O. Open tubes ten and twelve, aye. SONARMAN Bogey bearing two-two-oh and accelerating, sir. Range eight thousand yards and closing. MATT Port five degrees.

All ahead full.

HELMSMAN Aye-aye, sir. Port five degrees. Answering all ahead full. SONARMAN Bearing two-two-oh, range six thousand. X.O. Mark! MATT Fire tubes ten and twelve.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (3)

28.

X.O. Fire! FIRE CONTROL OFFICER (pushing buttons) Ten and twelve away! MATT Left full rudder, up ten degrees! EXT. USS JIMMY CARTER Torpedoes shoot out of the sub. We follow them through the depths as they hunt for their target. INT. USS JIMMY CARTER, CONTROL CENTER The command crew waits, their faces sweating in the red glow. SONARMAN Running straight, hot and true. Two thousand yards to contact. EXT. ALIEN VESSEL Another near-blinding light "torpedo" shoots from the vessel and whooshes past us. EXT. USS JIMMY CARTER The alien torpedo slams into the Jimmy Carter and seems to electrocute it. INT. USS JIMMY CARTER, VARIOUS Pure chaos. Torrents of seawater blasts in on passageways. Crewmen struggle to save the sub. INT. USS JIMMY CARTER, CONTROL CENTER The room looks like it’s been hit by a mortar. Workstations spark and flash. Crew members are sprawled against consoles and on the floor. The electronic positioning chart has shattered.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (2)

29.

Matt struggles to his feet, helped by the navigator. The X.O. is out cold on the floor. A seaman kneeling next to him looks up at Matt and gravely nods his head. MATT Helm, all stop! NAVIGATOR Sir, we’ve lost all hydraulics. The maneuvering room is taking water fast... Rear tanks ruptured... HELMSMAN Passing twenty-five hundred feet. We can’t hold her, sir. EXT. OCEAN/UNDERWATER The Delta torpedoes pursue their target. The alien sub turns nimbly and evades one of them. But the second Delta has locked on and chases the alien relentlessly into the murky depths. We lose sight of both in the blackness, then... KA-BOOM! A nuclear explosion as the Delta catches its prey. INT. USS JIMMY CARTER, CONTROL CENTER The sonarman is staring at his screen, muttering to himself something that sounds like "come on." Then his eyes widen. SONARMAN BULLS-EYE! We got him!

We got --

The aftershock of the nuclear blast violently rocks the command crew. Matt gets to his feet and gets his bearings. Blood streams from his forehead. All back!

MATT Full reverse!

HELMSMAN Answering full reverse! MATT Blow main tanks!

BLOW EVERYTHING!

NAVIGATOR Blowing all tanks, sir!

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (2)

30.

HELMSMAN Twenty-six-hundred feet! NAVIGATOR Fires amidships and aft, heavy flooding on all decks! INT. USS JIMMY CARTER, VARIOUS SHOTS The crew fights in vain against seawater and fires. INT. USS JIMMY CARTER, CONTROL CENTER Matt glances around, knows his ship is dead and his men with her. We read his resignation but also his pride in his crew, who continue to do their jobs valiantly. Matt finds the CHIEF OF THE BOAT (40s), a squat, rock solid black man. MATT Chief of the boat! CHIEF OF THE BOAT Aye, Captain! MATT (beat) Launch the buoy! The Chief of the boat and Matt look at each other. We sense that there is great respect, even affection, between them. CHIEF OF THE BOAT Aye-aye, sir! The chief lifts a small glass door on a console and punches a button. A bright red light comes on. EXT. USS JIMMY CARTER, THE SAIL The buoy, a small transmitter, is ejected from the top of the sub. From a POV above we watch as the buoy speeds upward and, in the b.g., the Jimmy Carter continues its descent toward the ocean floor. On the side of the sail we can make out the hull classification symbol, "SSN-23".

31.

INT. USS JIMMY CARTER, VARIOUS SHOTS Seawater explodes throughout the sub.

Men die horribly.

INT. USS JIMMY CARTER, CAPTAIN’S QUARTERS Water floods in. We HOLD on the snapshot of Matt and Zach with the swordfish until there is nothing left to see. DISSOLVE TO: EXT. ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY - DAY A military funeral service attended by dozens of mourners, military and civilian. CLOSE ON Maggie, trying to be brave. WIDEN and we see she’s sitting between Maddy and Sandy, who look on enduringly as an HONOR GUARD removes the flag from Matt’s coffin and folds it ceremonially. A NAVY OFFICER presents the flag to Maddy. NAVY OFFICER As a representative of the United States Navy, it is my high privilege to present you this flag. Let it be a symbol of the grateful appreciation this nation feels for the distinguished service rendered to our country by your loved one. Maddy accepts the flag. A RIFLE PARTY fires a three-volley salute. Maddy flinches and Zach puts his arm around her shoulder to steady her. EXT. CEMETERY WALKWAY - LATER Maddy, Maggie, Sandy and Zach are walking toward a line of waiting sedans. With them is ADMIRAL KELLY (58), black, imposing, distinguished. As they approach, a vaguely familiar woman in the uniform of a Chief Warrant Officer comes forward: this is Tess Cortez (26), Cuban-American, beautiful, if a bit tough-looking in a military way. We recognize her as the Chief from the oil rig rescue. The Ramsays stop. After saluting the Admiral, the Chief reaches out to Maddy. They hold hands.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (2)

32.

CHIEF Mrs. Ramsay, I’m so very sorry for your loss. Commander Ramsay was admired and respected by all of us. MADDY Thank you, Chief. much for coming.

And thank you so

Sandy and the Chief share a long embrace. to cheek and Sandy looks into her eyes.

They kiss cheek

SANDY Tess, dear. You’ll come to the house later, won’t you? CHIEF Yes, of course, Mrs. Ramsay. Sandy shifts her gaze to Zach. ZACH Mom, Maddy, I’ll just be a minute. The Ramsay women, Maggie and Admiral Kelly move along. Zach looks at the Chief. They try to keep their emotions in check. ZACH Thank you for coming, Chief. It means a lot to Maddy and Mom... And to me. CHIEF It means a lot to me too, Skipper. Your brother was a hell of an officer. One of the best in the Navy. Like your dad. (beat) How are you holding up, sir? ZACH (sighs, beat) We all know it’s possible, hell, damn likely the way the world turns these days. But I always figured it’d be me, not Matt. Not Matt... She reaches out, touches his sleeve in a gesture of sympathy... and guarded affection.

33.

EXT. THE WHITE HOUSE - DAY Establishing, over which we hear voices in heated debate... INT. THE WHITE HOUSE, BRIEFING ROOM - DAY We join a tense meeting that includes the heads of the C.I.A., N.S.A., F.B.I., N.A.S.A., etc., and the JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF, including Admiral Kelly. PRESIDENT RENEE PHELPS (50), self-assured and attractive, listens stoically as her National Security Adviser CECIL BAKER gets to the heart of the matter. BAKER What I’m saying is that the Jimmy Carter was attacked by an alien spacecraft. ADMIRAL KELLY (testily) One that you’ve known about for decades! The same one that sank the Dallas almost twenty-five years ago! BAKER Yes, Admiral. We believe so. GENERAL BROWNING JUDAS F. PRIEST! And nobody in the administration thought to share this tidbit of information with the military?! Chairman of the Joint Chiefs General OWEN BROWNING (53), a pit bull of a man, slams his fist onto the table. BAKER General, I appreciate your disappointment in not being kept in the loop, but -GENERAL BROWNING (fuming) I seriously doubt you’re anywhere close to appreciating my disappointment, Mr. Baker! BAKER Be that as it may, General, occasionally there is information deemed so sensitive that even the (MORE) (CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (2)

34.

BAKER (CONT’D.) military isn’t briefed until absolutely necessary. GENERAL BROWNING Absolutely necessary being after two $4 billion nuclear subs and 260 men end up on the bottom of the ocean?! PRESIDENT PHELPS Gentlemen, please. Browning and Baker remember where they are and calm down. PRESIDENT PHELPS As tragic as the losses of the Dallas and the Carter were, those of us who have served know the price for defending our national interests can be high. Exorbitant. However, the issue we face today is more daunting than the loss of nuclear submarines and their crews, or even the news that we are not alone in the universe. The issue we face today is how to ensure the survival of a species - our own. I think it’s time we turned our energy to that... Dr. Pettigrew, if you please. VANESSA PETTIGREW (35) stands and walks to the front of the room. She’s British, black and stunningly beautiful. Once we get past her looks, the quality that strikes us most is her innate brilliance. VANESSA Thank you, Madame President. She nods to an assistant in the back of room. Lights dim. VANESSA My name is Dr. Vanessa Pettigrew, special assistant to the Prime Minister on Science, Technology and Space Exploration. What you’re about to hear and see will seem fantastical, but I assure you, ladies and gentlemen, it’s all true. A slide presentation begins on a WALL SCREEN behind her. (CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (3)

35.

VANESSA (O.S.) In 1955, two years before the Soviets launched Sputnik One, a Russian trawler made a startling catch in the frozen waters of the Barents Sea. ON THE SCREEN: a grainy black and white PHOTO of a space-suited reptilian humanoid sprawled on the deck of a trawler. Two Russian fishermen kneeling next to the dead alien make it clear the creature is easily eight feet tall. Whispers circle the room like wildfire. VANESSA (O.S.) Needless to say, the Space Race took on an even greater sense of urgency. F.B.I. DIRECTOR Forgive me, Doctor, but I find it hard to believe such a discovery, if authentic, could be kept quiet for long, even in the super secretive Soviet Union of the fifties. VANESSA Director Bixby, the trawler that made this "catch" was "lost at sea" the next day with all hands. And of course the sinking of the Dallas and the Carter were not the result of "training accidents." The Russians aren’t the only ones who will go to extremes to keep secrets. (she pauses for effect) Your government learned of the aliens when C.I.A. operatives came across these photos whilst gathering information on the Soviet space program. Our government was informed several years later when MI-6 intercepted your communiques. Autopsy photos of the dead alien appear on screen. Then a transition to images of the U.S. and Soviet space programs. VANESSA (O.S.) As the U.S. and Soviets sent more hardware into orbit, there was sporadic contact with the aliens (MORE) (CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (4)

36.

VANESSA (O.S.) (CONT’D.) celestial aberrations, confirmed UFO sightings, things of that nature... But in 1960 there was direct communication with them. VIDEO FOOTAGE of government suits trying to decipher strange GUTTURAL SOUNDS from outer space. C.I.A. DIRECTOR You mean they actually spoke to us? VANESSA Yes, they did. It was then that the U.S. looked to my government for assistance. Our advances in code-breaking and linguistics recognition combined with your space technology sped our progress in decoding the alien language exponentially. It took nearly ten years but we eventually determined that our visitors are from Titan. N.A.S.A. DIRECTOR The Saturn moon? VANESSA Yes, Director Dennison.

Titanians.

Vanessa motions and the presentation transitions to various images of Saturn and Titan, the orange-tinted moon. VANESSA (O.S.) Titan is the largest of Saturn’s moons - bigger than Mercury - the only moon in the Solar System with an atmosphere and the only place other than Earth with stable bodies of surface liquids. N.A.S.A. DIRECTOR (O.S.) But Titan’s a frozen wasteland. Surface temperatures are two hundred ninety degrees below zero. BAKER (O.S.) Which explains why the aliens have been so busy working to kick start another Ice Age here on Earth.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (5)

37.

N.S.A. DIRECTOR (incredulous) Say what?! PRESIDENT PHELPS Ladies and gentlemen, we have incontrovertible evidence that the Titanians are well along in a plan to cause the next Ice Age on Earth, wiping out the human race so that they can colonize the planet. There is an audible hush in the already subdued room. ADMIRAL KELLY Forgive me, Madame President, but after learning that not one, but three governments have kept the existence of an intelligent alien species a secret for the past eighty years, I’m afraid I’ll have to ask what, exactly, constitutes "incontrovertible evidence?" President Phelps looks to Vanessa. VANESSA While Director Dennison’s assessment of the climate on Titan is correct based on the Cassini-Huygens mission to Titan thirty years ago, in the last ten years we’ve intercepted communications by Titanian explorers in which they speak of rapidly deteriorating conditions on their world. Titan is warming up fast and the Titanians need a new home. They’ve chosen Earth. They all look at one another as Vanessa’s words sink. BAKER Titanians have entrenched themselves deep in our oceans, where they’ve used advanced technology to speed global warming over the past forty years. As you know, global warming could cause catastrophic climate change, leading to another Ice Age. They’re on track to cause such a phenomenon within a hundred years.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (6)

38.

GENERAL BROWNING Wait a minute. If these "Titanians" are smart enough to travel to Earth and have the technology to spur drastic climate change, why not just invade and wipe us out? BAKER Earth’s too warm for them, General. They’d melt in our atmosphere. VANESSA "Melt" may be a bit of an exaggeration. But essentially, Mr. Baker is correct. Outside of the Poles and the extreme depths of our oceans, the Titanians couldn’t tolerate Earth’s temperate climates. Their plan is to freeze us out before they come. F.B.I. DIRECTOR The Jimmy Carter nuked one of their ships in the Pacific. Why not focus all of our fleets on hunting down the rest and taking them out? ADMIRAL KELLY We know more about what’s in deep space than we do about what’s in our deepest oceans. Even with our technology it could take decades to find them down there. C.I.A. DIRECTOR And even if we could find them, we’d be doing their work for them if we nuked the seas. President Phelps, Baker and Vanessa all exchange a look. PRESIDENT PHELPS Ladies and gentlemen, I have carefully considered what’s at stake here - the very survival of the human race. It’s clear to me that we have only one choice: we must launch a preemptive strike on Titan and destroy their home world before they can bring about the destruction of our own.

39.

EXT. MOSCOW - DAY Establishing, over which we hear a a reporter’s voice. CNN ANNOUNCER (V.O.) President Phelps and Russian Prime Minister Vladmir Perminov met today to discuss the growing global energy crisis... NEWS FOOTAGE of President Phelps and the Russian leader shaking hands and posing for pictures at the Kremlin... INT. KREMLIN - DAY VLADMIR PERMINOV (55), dour and taciturn, answers a reporter’s question in heavily accented English. PERMINOV Our resolve against terrorists is unshaken. And our determination to protect the world’s energy resources knows no limits. REPORTER (O.S.) Greenpeace just published a report claiming the world’s oil reserves are at their lowest point in eighty years. As two of the world’s largest energy users, along with China, have you considered stronger conservation measures? PRESIDENT PHELPS I can assure you that the world’s oil reserves are more than sufficient. Unfortunately, our friends at Greenpeace have fallen prey to the propaganda of terrorists who would use misinformation and murder to force their agenda onto the world stage. INT. PRIME MINISTER’S OFFICE - SUNSET Prime Minister Perminov and President Phelps sit across from each other on sofas. An aide pours each of them an aperitif then exits. President Phelps takes a sip and reacts.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (2)

40.

PRESIDENT PHELPS Very good, Vladmir. Strong, but very good. PERMINOV It is as it must be, Renee. must be. Yes?

As we

PRESIDENT PHELPS Da. EXT. RUSSIAN DEFENSE MINISTRY - DAY To establish. INT. RUSSIAN DEFENSE MINISTRY, BRIEFING ROOM - DAY Colonel ALEXI SILAYEV (35), Spetsnaz GRU (Russian Special Forces), piercing blue eyes, scar on his left cheek, stands at the front of a darkened room. A large lighted map of Titan’s surface is behind him. His English is perfect, with only the slightest hint of an accent. SILAYEV After we’ve secured base positions, two strike teams will launch two U.S. Peacekeeper MIRVs - or multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles. Each Peacekeeper carries ten, three hundred kiloton nuclear warheads - twenty times the power of the bomb dropped on Hiroshima. At only forty percent the size of Earth, Titan will be uninhabitable within days of detonation. Our delivery spacecraft will orbit Titan for two days to destroy any Titanian ships attempting escape from the surface. MAN’S VOICE (O.S.) Why do you have to land? Why not simply drop the nukes from orbit? ED VILLAGRA (30), Whiz Kid American astrophysicist, answers. VILLAGRA Titan’s atmosphere is so thick that most meteors burn up before they hit the surface. The only way to be sure our nukes do the job is to launch them from the ground. (CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (2)

41.

BRIGADIER COLLEEN SMYTHE (45), a Brit, flips through her briefing book. She’s puzzled. BRIGADIER SMYTHE Colonel, I don’t see a plan for extraction of your ground force. SILAYEV Extraction will not be possible, Brigadier. GENERAL CHEN (accented English) Colonel, are we to understand that you propose sending our most elite troops on a suicide mission? Silayev locks eyes with the Chinese general. SILAYEV I propose "leading" them on that mission, General. The lights come up and we see there are a DOZEN PEOPLE of different nationalities in the room, civilian and military. Cecil Baker is among them. BAKER We’re all professionals here, accustomed to making life and death decisions. The hard fact is, fifty souls is a pittance to pay to ensure the survival of the human race. The people in the room exchange looks; they know Baker is right. The RUSSIAN DEFENSE MINISTER speaks up. RUSSIAN DEFENSE MINISTER You’ve identified "volunteers" from the Coalition’s Special Forces units for this mission, Colonel? SILAYEV Yes, I have. INT. SHOOTERS BAR - NIGHT A raucous place where off duty military men and women go to blow off steam and hook up with the locals.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (2)

42.

CARLY (25), a cool, sexy redhead, crosses the crowded bar carrying pitchers of beer and a bottle of Tequila on a tray. She comes to a table where Zach and six rowdy military types are already tossing back cold ones and having a great time. These are members of the SEAL TEAM who rescued the oil rig workers: gum-chewing FRANK BOGGS (22); petite KEIKO MATSUI (25); bald, muscular KAREEM HONEYCUTT (27); BRANDON SORKIN (24), PHIL BLISS (25) and CURT LOUDEN (23). Carly puts the tray on the table. CARLY You guys aren’t wasting any time tonight are you? ZACH Do we ever? Zach and Carly exchange smiles; they’re digging each other. CARLY So who’s birthday is it? BOGGS (chewing gum) The Skipper got his gold oak leafs. CARLY Congrats, Lieutenant Commander! Zach lifts his shot glass, gestures around the table. ZACH I owe it all to the little people beneath me! The SEALs react, giving their leader shit. HONEYCUTT Now that you’re moving up in the world - and getting old - it’s just a matter of time before they give you a desk and cram a keyboard up your ass... Sir. ZACH What the hell are you talking about, "old"? You’re about the same age as me, Honeycutt.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (3)

43.

HONEYCUTT "About" ain’t the same thing as being, sir. CARLY Say, where’s the Chief? Shouldn’t she be celebrating with you? EXT. SHELL STATION - NIGHT The Chief is gassing up her classic INDIAN MOTORCYCLE, looking pretty hot in low riders and a short leather jacket. A GUY gassing up a sports car at the next pump checks her and the bike out. Mostly her. GUY Sweet chassis. The Chief nods a cool "Thanks", pulls the pump out of the gas tank and replaces it. GUY How’s the ride? She climbs on and fires up the throaty engine, looks at him, knows it’s not the bike he’s asking about. CHIEF Better than you could ever imagine. GUY (smiles) That’s a lot of power between your legs. Sure you can handle it? CHIEF (coquettish smile) What do you think? She REVS it for show and pulls off. The guy bites his lip as he watches her go. Behind him, a long line of cars waits to come into the gas station. INT. SHOOTERS BAR - NIGHT Zach runs into Carly on his way out of the Men’s room. CARLY Any plans for celebrating tonight besides getting wasted?

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (2)

44.

ZACH I try not to think too far ahead. But I’m open to suggestions. He flashes the smile.

She gives him a scolding look.

CARLY You never called, Sailor! Just blew out of my bed like a bat out of hell! And now you’re looking at me with those eyes and that smile. ZACH Sorry, Carly, but you know how it is. When duty calls... CARLY Yeah, "Duty." Is that the name of the blond I saw you with two weeks later? He pulls her to him.

She pouts prettily.

ZACH What can I do to make it up to you? Just name it. She’s played angry long enough. CARLY Make me breakfast tomorrow. ZACH (smiles) How do you like your eggs? The Chief enters the bar and makes her way through the crowd. Zach sees her as he’s parting with Carly. ZACH (calling out) Chief! Hey, Chief! Skipper.

CHIEF Sorry I’m late.

ZACH We’re over here. They go to the table together.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (3)

45.

KEIKO What happened, Chief? Hook up with a clinger? I swear, there’s nothing worse than a guy who won’t take a hint and go home after he’s shot his last round. CHIEF Tell me about it. was gas lines.

But this time it

LOUDEN You wouldn’t have that problem if you went electric, Chief. CHIEF I’ve got better uses for my batteries, Louden. Keiko and the Chief exchange a look. Just then, Zach catches sight of Carly near the exit, smiling at him. Well, I’d drink all you mooks places to

ZACH love to stick around and night - especially since are buying - but I’ve got go and things to do.

SORKIN Don’t you mean redheads to do, Skip? The Chief catches a glimpse of Carly smiling at Zach. CHIEF It’s not like you to hit the same target twice, Skipper. ZACH Whatever it takes to achieve mission success, Chief. Later... Zach heads off through the crowd. Honeycutt pours the Chief a beer and drops a shot glass of Tequila into it. HONEYCUTT Here ya go, Chief. Lots of catching up to do. The Chief downs her boilermaker.

46.

INT. ZACH’S APARTMENT - LATER Zach and Carly burst into the apartment, going at it hot and heavy, tearing their own and each other’s clothes off; INTERCUT: SHOOTERS BAR/ZACH’S APARTMENT The Tequila boilermakers continue to flow as the SEALs keep the party going without the guest of honor. A HUNK checks the Chief out and she eye fucks him from across the crowded bar. Zach and Carly have hot sex all over his apartment; Boggs, Sorkin and Louden hit the dance floor with sexy local girls; Honeycutt and Keiko slip out of the bar, holding hands; The Chief and the hunk find a spot to get amorous; Zach and Carly collapse on the bed, absolutely spent. INT. ZACH’S APARTMENT - DAY A loud BANGING on the door. Zach, seriously hung over, crosses the apartment in his boxer shorts. Hold on!

ZACH Jesus!

He flings the door open. uniform.

The Chief is there in khaki

CHIEF ’Morning, sir. ZACH Hey, Chief. Where’s the fire? CHIEF We’ve been called in. What?!

ZACH Nobody called me!

The Chief steps inside. CHIEF About that. Captain’s been trying to reach you for an hour. I figured I better come over and get (MORE) (CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (2)

47.

CHIEF (CONT’D.) you myself before he sent out the Shore Patrol. Zach goes to the coffee table, picks up his cell phone. Power’s off. Carly comes out of the bedroom in Zach’s shirt. CARLY (smiles) Hi, Chief. CHIEF Carly. As Carly crosses to Zach, she and the Chief exchange a look. Feminine instinct tells them they’re rivals. CARLY (kisses Zach) ’Morning, Tiger. ZACH Did you turn off my phone? CARLY (innocent) I don’t know. Maybe? ZACH Carly, you never, ever turn off my phone! CARLY Sorry... Zach makes a bee line to the bathroom. ZACH Ready in five, Chief! CHIEF Aye-aye, Skipper. The bathroom door slams. each other.

Beat.

The Chief and Carly look at

CARLY Duty? CHIEF (nods "Yes") I’ll just wait outside.

48.

INT. MUSTANG COBRA - MOVING - DAY Zach weaves through traffic like a NASCAR driver. is unfazed by the near accidents.

The Chief

ZACH I know it’s South America this time. Damn! Why’s it always got to be a place that’s crawling with snakes?! I hate snakes! The Chief’s expression says, "Big baby." CHIEF A bill says it’s the Middle East. ZACH You know me, Chief. I only bet on sure things. CHIEF Like redheads with big tits and tiny I.Q.s? He turns to her and grins. ZACH Exactly. INT. CAPTAIN ORTON’S OFFICE - DAY CAPTAIN ORTON (40), hard, lean, a Navy SEAL most of his career, sits reading a file. A KNOCK on the door. CAPTAIN ORTON Enter. Zach comes in, stands at attention and salutes. Family and Naval Academy training have taught him there is no excuse for being late and that "sorry" doesn’t cut it. ZACH Captain. CAPTAIN ORTON (returns salute) Glad you could make it, Commander. Captain Orton closes the file and looks gravely at Zach. WIDEN ANGLE and we see Silayev standing off to the side.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (2)

49.

CAPTAIN ORTON Zach, this is Colonel Alexi Silayev, Russian Army Special Forces, Spetsnaz GRU. ZACH Colonel. COLONEL SILAYEV Commander Ramsay. Zach and Silayev shake hands. CAPTAIN ORTON Zach, Colonel Silayev has a proposal for you and your team. EXT. PENTAGON - DAY Establishing, over which we hear a file SLAP onto a desk. INT. ADMIRAL KELLY’S OFFICE - DAY Admiral Kelly is irate.

COMMANDER CAINE takes his ire.

COMMANDER CAINE But, Admiral, I don’t understand. Admiral Kelly picks the file up from his desk, shoves it at Caine. ADMIRAL KELLY Did you really expect me to authorize this?! (off Caine’s puzzlement) Well, look at it, Commander! Caine opens the file.

Reads it.

Again.

INSERT - FILE "LCDR - 0-4 - Zachary T. Ramsay" is at the top of the list, followed immediately by other members of his SEAL team. RETURN TO SCENE COMMANDER CAINE Sir, your orders were to provide a list of our best special ops units to Colonel Silayev. We followed those orders to the letter, Admiral. (CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (2)

50.

ADMIRAL KELLY (regains composure) Zach Ramsay’s brother, Matt, was the skipper of the Jimmy Carter. Yes, sir.

COMMANDER CAINE I know, sir.

ADMIRAL KELLY Their father, Matt senior, was the skipper of the Dallas, sunk in the Barents Sea twenty five years ago. We were roommates at the Academy... Matt junior’s first tour at sea was under my command... Sandy Ramsay was with my Elizabeth when she died of breast cancer. I was on patrol in the Atlantic and couldn’t get home in time to be with her. COMMANDER CAINE I’m sorry, Admiral, I didn’t know. ADMIRAL KELLY I won’t be responsible for taking the last Ramsay man from that family. Scratch Zach Ramsay from the mission. COMMANDER CAINE (beat) Admiral, it’s a volunteer mission. Commander Ramsay has already volunteered, sir. OFF Admiral Kelly... EXT. ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY - DAY ANGLE ON Zach’s face, staring down at the gravestone of his father, communing with the spirit of a man he barely knew. INT. DOCTOR’S OFFICE - DAY Vanessa sits across a desk from a female DOCTOR (30s) who’s expression is sympathetic. DOCTOR (English accent) There are new experimental therapies that are in human (MORE) (CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (2)

51.

DOCTOR (CONT’D.) clinical trials. They’re fairly aggressive, but I recommend we consider them. Vanessa stares at her with a poised, neutral expression. INT. HOSPITAL CORRIDOR - DAY Vanessa walks down the corridor, making her way forward by will alone. She stops at an elevator, presses the button and waits. When the doors open, she steps inside. INT. ELEVATOR Two NURSES talk casually behind Vanessa. The elevator stops and they get off, leaving her alone. The doors close, Vanessa leans against the elevator wall and breaks down in tears. EXT. LONDON, VARIOUS SHOTS - DAY To establish. EXT./INT. 10 DOWNING STREET - DAY Vanessa approaches the familiar door of 10 Downing Street. She’s dressed in a smart, sexy business suit. A uniformed POLICE OFFICER nods a welcome. Vanessa smiles "Hello." The door opens. Inside, Vanessa is greeted with familiarity by an AIDE who ushers her in to see PRIME MINISTER HUTCHINS (53), bright and charismatic. PRIME MINISTER HUTCHINS ’Nessa, how pleasant to see you! They embrace. VANESSA Prime Minister. Thank you for making time for me on such short notice. PRIME MINISTER HUTCHINS What sensible man would turn down an audience with a beautiful woman?

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (2) VANESSA (smiles) You see Pat every day. tide you over, sir.

52.

That should

PRIME MINISTER HUTCHINS Haven’t you read the papers? My wife’s too busy running the country to spend time with an old stick in the mud like me. They share a laugh. The Prime Minister signals for the aide to leave them and they sit across from each other on sofas. PRIME MINISTER HUTCHINS So, you wouldn’t ask for an urgent meeting without good reason. Are there new developments with the Titanians? VANESSA Not exactly, sir. But it does have to do with them. I have a theory. PRIME MINISTER HUTCHINS Those four words from your mouth always hold great promise... And usually cost a great deal of money. VANESSA It’s a long shot, but if I’m right there is a great deal of promise. And the best thing - at least for your poll numbers - there’s no money involved. (off his intrigue) But it does entail you doing me an enormous favor, Jerry. EXT. OVER ANTARCTICA - TWILIGHT We have a sense of vastness above and below. Suddenly, a C-130 Hercules THUNDERS into view, then a second. INT. C-130 - IN FLIGHT - TWILIGHT ANGLE ON Vanessa’s face. She’s looking out the window into the icy darkness. PULL BACK and we see she’s strapped into her seat, next to a sleeping BRITISH SOLDIER. On the flight deck the PILOT and CO-PILOT go through their pre-landing checklist. (CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (2)

53.

PILOT Ragnar Base this is Hawkeye, on final approach for landing. RAGNAR BASE (V.O.) Hawkeye, Ragnar Base. Take Angels right, two-three-zero. Your vector two-two-four, clear for landing. PILOT Roger, Ragnar Base.

Flaps.

CO-PILOT (lowers flaps) Flaps. Strapped in his seat below the flight deck, Ed Villagra, the American astrophysicist, feels the plane dip, looks out a window and frowns. VILLAGRA (apprehensive) We’re landing? ZHANG (O.S.) It would appear so. Villagra looks at the attractive Chinese woman strapped in next to him. She is DR. ZHANG CHEUNG (30). VILLAGRA But where? I don’t see the field. I don’t see anything. ZHANG We have long suspected the Americans had a secret, underground base on Antarctica. Now it seems we know for sure. He follows her eyes to CHINESE SOLDIERS peering out windows. On the flight deck, the pilot and co-pilot view the world below through heads up displays (HUD) in their helmets. WHAT THEY SEE: A military airfield clearly visible in Night Vision green.

54.

EXT. HIDDEN AIRFIELD - TWILIGHT The C-130s land and taxi. EXT. RAGNAR BASE - TWILIGHT The two C-130s sit with propellers running. Their huge rear doors lower and 50 of the world’s best Special Ops troops come out in SLO-MO: 46 men and four no-nonsense women. SUPERIMPOSE: RAGNAR BASE, ANTARCTICA Silayev steps off a C-130 and takes a look around, his eyes cutting through the twilight like ice blue lasers. Zach and his SEAL team step off the other transport. it’s twilight, Zach wears sunglasses.

Though

BLISS Shit, Skipper. It’s colder than a witch’s tit down here. HONEYCUTT Enjoy it while it lasts. Compared to Titan this is the damn Sahara. BOGGS (chewing gum) Your tits really this cold, Chief? CHIEF Keep your trap shut, Boggs, or that gum’ll freeze and choke you. BOGGS (chewing gum) You wish. Villagra and Zhang follow troops to an ice hill that is actually the entrance to the underground base camouflaged by high-tech wizardry. Finally, Vanessa steps off a transport, takes in the scene and breathes in deeply. Then she follows the others. INT. RAGNAR BASE, BRIEFING ROOM U.S. Navy SEALs and Green Berets, Russian Spetsnaz GRU, Chinese PLA Special Ops and British SAS sit quietly waiting.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (2)

55.

SOLDIER’S VOICE (O.S.) Atten-HUT! The troops rise as one when Silayev walks in. Zach comes in too, stands next to him at the front of the room. SILAYEV Welcome to Ragnar. I hope you all slept well last night. There won’t be anymore time for rest now that we’ve arrived. Over the next month we will train in Antartica’s harshest conditions, and in the simulated conditions of Titan, to acclimate ourselves for accomplishing our mission on the ice moon. We will also become experts in the most advanced warfighting technology ever created... Lieutenant Commander Ramsay of the U.S. Navy SEALs will serve as second in command. (Zach nods) Each of you is a valiant warrior who has dedicated your life to protecting your country. Now you have committed to making the ultimate sacrifice to save our world. I salute you for accepting this mission... Commander Ramsay. ZACH (stepping forward) Starting this morning, we’ll train as we will deploy on Titan, in two teams - Alpha and Omega. Colonel Silayev will lead Alpha, I will lead Omega... DISSOLVE TO: EXT. PACK ICE - TWILIGHT Icy wasteland.

Winds HOWL, snow SWIRLS.

No sign of life.

ZACH (V.O.) Chief, Romanov, report. The Chief is crouched behind a snow drift. She peers over at an abandoned whaling station - ancient buildings frozen by decades of ice and snow.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (2)

56.

CHIEF Clear on the left, Skipper. ANTON ROMANOV (26) is on his stomach, surrounded by flat, rugged terrain. He’s looking at the whaling station from the right side. ROMANOV (thick Russian accent) Clear on right, Commander. Ready to move in on your command. ZACH (V.O.) Red and Blue squads, move to beta position on my mark... Mark. VIEW THROUGH HIGH-TECH BINOCULARS It’s twilight but the binoculars make it midday. Eight camouflaged soldiers run toward the whaling station from front and rear. They stop and take cover by lying flat. SOLDIER 1 (V.O.) Strike One in position. SOLDIER 2 (V.O.) Strike Two in position. RETURN TO SCENE Zach is flat on the ground looking through the binoculars. A handful of soldiers lay hidden near him, guns ready. All are equipped with special ops com-links. ZACH I don’t like it. It’s too easy. Chief, you sure nothing’s there? CHIEF (V.O.) Sure enough, Skipper. No one’s been in that place since God was a boy. ZACH Romanov, what about your side? Is it clear to move? ROMANOV (V.O.) (thick Russian accent) Roger, Omega leader. Moving in. Romanov gets up and begins moving in on the whaling station. (CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (3)

57.

ZACH looks through his binoculars. No!

He reacts, pissed off.

ZACH Ramonov, get back in position!

Too late. "Enemy" soldiers hidden under the snow all around Romanov’s position pop up and "fire" on the Strike squads, "killing" them, and Romanov, with harmless blue light beams. At the same time, enemy soldiers attack Zach’s position from behind, wiping out Omega. Only the Chief survives on the left flank. After the shooting stops, a figure walks up to Zach, who looks up at his vanquisher. Silayev pushes his hood back, lifts his snow goggles. We see those piercing blue eyes. SILAYEV It will be difficult to accomplish our mission with only half our force, Commander. EXT. WHALING STATION - LATER Zach and his troops are regrouping after the disasterous ambush. He approaches Romanov and grabs him by the parka. ZACH (furious) You stupid, deaf son of a bitch! You just got half our force wiped out! All dead because of you! ROMANOV (thick Russian accent) I’m sorry, Commander -ZACH (furious) Sorry! Sorry won’t cut it up there with those slimy bastards! You get your head out of your ass and snapped on on straight, trooper, ’cause if you screw up on this mission I swear to God I’ll end you myself! Do you read me?! ROMANOV (thick Russian accent) Loud and clear, sir!

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (2)

58.

The Chief, Honeycutt and Sorkin look on, taken aback by Zach’s reaming out of the Russian. ZACH Chief! Move ’em out! CHIEF Aye-aye, Skipper. (to troops) Alright, ladies. Let’s move. INT. RAGNAR BASE, CORRIDOR Silayev and Zach, in cool winter camouflage uniforms, walk down the corridor. Zach still fumes from the Romanov snafu. SILAYEV Forget about the ambush. We’ve made good progress. The simulator will be the real test of our readiness. ZACH Ready or not, we’re going up. SILAYEV Yes, we are... I’m impressed with your handling of Omega, Commander. Not many Americans could win the respect of Russian and Chinese special forces so quickly. ZACH Thanks, Colonel. You’ve done well with the Brits, and our Green Berets are tough hombres too. SILAYEV Tough is what we need, Commander. Funny how when the world is really at stake we bury old differences. ZACH (thoughful) We all have our motivations, Colonel. They stop. Silayev looks at Zach, knows he volunteered for a suicide mission for very personal reasons. SILAYEV Good night, Commander.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (2)

59.

ZACH Colonel. Silayev turns and goes into his room. Zach continues down the corridor. He rounds the corner, comes face to face with Vanessa. Commander.

VANESSA Good evening.

ZACH Miss Pettigrew. Doctor.

VANESSA It’s Doctor Pettigrew.

ZACH Sorry, Doctor. VANESSA Your training is going well? ZACH As well as can be expected, I think. And what about you? VANESSA Me? Yes, you. well?

ZACH Your training going

VANESSA Yes... As well as can be expected. ZACH And what, exactly, is it you’re training for, if you don’t mind my asking, Doctor Pettigrew? VANESSA (disarming smile) What is it you special ops types say, Commander: "I could tell you but then I’d have to kill you?" He’s surprised - and impressed - by her humor. They share a look that makes them both wonder, "Is there a connection here?"

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (3)

60.

ZACH (smiles) Well, that’d suck. VANESSA Right. Well then, goodnight, Commander Ramsay. ZACH Doctor Pettigrew. Beat. Then an awkward moment as they bump when they try to pass one another. They part. ON THEIR FACES as they walk away from each other: a bit of curiosity. INT. ZACH’S ROOM Zach is sitting up in his bunk, reading a palm-sized COMPUTER. On it we see RENDERINGS of Titanian anatomy. He’s studying the enemy. A KNOCK on the door. ZACH Enter. The Chief comes in. CHIEF Skipper, got a minute? Sure.

ZACH Come in.

Grab a seat.

CHIEF Thanks, but this shouldn’t take long. ZACH (senses something’s wrong) What is it? CHIEF Skipper, what happened out there with Romanov, that could’ve happened to any of us. It has happened in drills back home. ZACH You think I was too hard on him, is that it?

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (2)

61.

CHIEF I do. Romanov bought a one-way ticket just like the rest of us. He doesn’t deserved to be spoken to like that. This isn’t boot camp and he’s a seasoned operator. Zach gets off the bunk.

Stands face to face with her.

ZACH (vitriol rising) Tess... those slimy, ice-chewing lizards killed my father and my brother. I’ve got one thing left to do in this life, that’s to send them and their whole goddamn world to hell. I won’t let foul ups like Romanov or anyone else stop me from completing that mission. You read me?! Beat. CHIEF I thought our mission was to try and save the world, Zach. That’s why I’m here. I’m pretty sure that’s the only reason Keiko and the boys signed up too. That and knowing you would be right there in front of us. A long look between them. There’s so much they haven’t said over the years, so much they can’t say now. She turns and leaves the room. He just stares at the door. INT. SILAYEV’S ROOM Silayev sits at a small desk. He stares at a SNAPSHOT of his WIFE and DAUGHTER, both of them smiling, pretty. He puts the photo away and turns out the desk lamp. The room goes black. INT. MESS HALL Zach is having breakfast with Lieutenant LIN SHIHONG (29), intelligent, good-looking and Omega team’s second in command, and Flight Lieutenant TONY FITZHUME (27), a handsome, aristocratic Brit.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (2)

62.

LIN Colonel Silayev is correct, of course. The simulator will be our true test. We all have trained in harsh environments, but they’ve been of this world. Zach is only half-listening. He’s more interested in Vanessa, who is having breakfast with Villagra and Zhang. ZACH What do you know about Dr. Pettigrew? LIN (looks over at her, serious) Besides that she’s here to spy for the British and Americans? FITZHUME Actually, old chap, I have it on good authority that she’s a linguist. Speaks the alien language. Educated at Oxford, Cambridge, MIT. A Rhodes Scholar. LIN You know her personally? FITZHUME We rubbed elbows at a few functions years ago. I hardly think she remembers me. She was dating my cousin at the time. (off their reaction, "Who?") The Prince of Wales. Beat. ZACH (thinking) Why the hell do we need to talk with them? We’re just going to nuke the filthy snakes to Kingdom Come. FITZHUME (shrugs) Beats the bloody hell out of me.

63.

INT. BARRACKS Keiko is on her cot, sharpening her shruiken stars. She’s HUMMING a tune, though we can barely hear because it’s so low. Honeycutt comes in and sits on a cot across from her. HONEYCUTT Doubt you’ll have much use for those on Titan. KEIKO I just feel better having them. Beat. He watches her as she carefully, almost lovingly, wipes the deadly blades with a cloth. He glances around; for the moment they’re alone in the barracks. HONEYCUTT Listen, Keiko... I know this is probably not a good time. I mean, you know, with what we’re doing. (she looks at him) But I didn’t want to wait till we’re deployed. I didn’t want you to think I was being over-dramatic because of the situation... Keiko, I -KEIKO (interrupts) I know, Kareem...

So do I.

They share a small, knowing, loving smile. Other troops come in and Keiko goes back to polishing the killing star. INT. WEAPONS ROOM The troops look on as a Russian ARMS EXPERT demonstrates a futuristic ASSAULT RIFLE. ARMS EXPERT Ladies and gentlemen, the X-AK-57 Photon Combat rifle. Gas-operated, magazine-fed, direct impingement gas actuation. Fires a thousand high intensity pulse photon rounds a minute, with "smart-round" tracking available by pushing a button. "X" means experimental. Only one hundred of these beauties exist on the planet.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (2)

64.

MICKY YARDLEY (26) and GEOFF ROWE (25), British SAS, exercise every soldier’s right to bitch. YARDLEY (sotto) Just what we need, another Russian engineering marvel. ROWE (sotto) Just pray the American nukes work. When the expert cocks the rifle it powers up with a cool-sounding surge. He aims at a target thirty yards away. ARMS EXPERT This baby will drop a charging elephant cold at a hundred yards. The photon round BURSTS out of the muzzle. An instant later all that’s left of the target and the wall behind it is a smoking crater. Yardley and Rowe exchange a look.

They’re impressed.

INT. OUTFITTING ROOM Boggs, Bliss and Louden, in front row seats, marvel at the Chief. She’s modeling a sleek SPACESUIT. A British TECHNICIAN describes the suit’s many features. TECHNICIAN The Extraterrestial Battle Suit, or EBS, is the world’s most advanced, self contained warrior suit. Each suit has been customized to meet your unique biological needs. It continuously monitors your vital signs and auto-adjusts for optimum survivability... For example, if you have a heart attack, it’ll give you CPR or a shot of adrenaline, whatever’s needed. The EBS provides an assortment of personal weaponory to complement your AK-57, including wrist-mounted miniguns, a pop up, shoulder-mounted mini-RPG, grappling gear, and my personal favorite: twin bayonets for close-in combat. The Chief turns away, looks over her shoulder like a runway model and smiles. (CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (2)

65.

CHIEF (to Boggs, Bliss and Louden) Well guys, what do you think: does my ass look big in this? Before anyone can answer, she clenches her fists and three-foot-long, razor-sharp bayonets slide out of each sleeve. Boggs, Louden and Sorkin react. "Gulp." LOUDEN (covers his balls) No way, Chief... You look great. TECHNICIAN All systems of the EBS are voice activated. You tell it what to do and it does it. Chief, put this on. He hands the Chief a HELMET and she slides it on with a CLICK. A holographic HUD pops up inside her visor and we see the room from the Chief’s POV. TECHNICIAN Chief, please say "Minigun ready." CHIEF Minigun ready! A gun barrel opens on her right wrist. She aims at Boggs and the HUD "locks" onto him. He starts to sweat. The Chief smiles mischieviously. "This is awesome?" TECHNICIAN A radar-aided, multi-targeting fire control system integrates with your AK-57 and virtually guarantees a bulls-eye on every shot. Identification Friend-or-Foe prevents friendly fire casualties. The Chief frowns. Sounds suit. to the bloody

Boggs exhales, relieved. BRITISH SOLDIER like a blooming wonder Tell me, if I catch a round chest will it evac me the hell outta there?

The troops laugh at the Brit’s gallows humor. TECHNICIAN I’m glad you asked that, soldier.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (3)

66.

The technician casually walks away and picks up an M-16 from a rifle stand. BAM!-BAM!-BAM! He opens up on the Chief, firing four rounds in her torso and face. Bullets bounce off the EBS, knocking the Chief off her feet. Soldiers hit the deck. When they look up, the technician is standing over the Chief. She looks up at him; sees the HUD scrolling information on her condition, weapons status, etc. CHIEF (to herself) Awesome. TECHNICIAN This space suit will keep you live long enough to save the human race. INT. SIMULATOR A vast, post-apocalyptic landscape that looks as much like the surface of Titan as can be imagined by those who’ve never been there. Wind HOWLS. A blinding strike of LIGHTENING and we glimpse Zach, the Chief, Honeycutt and a Chinese soldier crouching in EBSs, AK-57s at the ready. Suddenly, Silayev and other troops glide down from a dune, firing their AK-57s. A pitched, mock battle ensues. Time passes and other troops play war games in the brutal conditions of the Titan simulator. Over this -VILLAGRA (V.O.) Titan’s atmosphere is ninety-eight percent nitrogen, compared to the eighty-twenty nitrogen-oxygen mixture on Earth. The atmosphere is so thick and the gravity so low that humans could fly short distances by flapping their arms... The surface is smooth but there are mountains and ice volcanoes. Radar images show that Titan has vast hydrocarbon lakes, filled with methane. The icy moon has seasonal weather patterns, including wind and methane rain, that have created dunes and shorelines like those on Earth. In fact, except for it’s extremely low temperatures, Titan is very much like an early Earth... DISSOLVE TO:

67. EXT. BAIKONUR COSMODROME, KAZAKHSTAN - SUNSET The world’s largest manned space launch facility. Two giant SOYUZ ROCKETS wait on sister launch pads. Attached to them are American space shuttles - ALPHA and OMEGA. The spacecraft are silhouetted before a spectacular setting sun. MISSION CONTROL (V.O.) (in Russian) Commencing final pre-launch systems check. Exhaust seeps out of the rockets. We hear the VOICES of flight techs who run checks of thousands of systems. INT. KREMLIN, PRIME MINISTER’S OFFICE - SUNSET Prime Minister Perminov sits, lost in thought. MISSION CONTROL (V.O.) (in Russian) Alpha flight; Omega flight. You are clear for lift off. T-minus twenty seconds. Nineteen, eighteen, seventeen... EXT. BAIKONUR COSMODROME, KAZAKHSTAN - SUNSET A rolling RUMBLE shakes the ground. INT. THE WHITE HOUSE, OVAL OFFICE - NIGHT President Phelps stands at the window, staring out at the Rose Garden. MISSION CONTROL (V.O.) (in Russian) ...ten, nine, eight... EXT. BAIKONUR COSMODROME, KAZAKHSTAN - SUNSET A RUMBLING like a serious EARTHQUAKE. the Soyus boosters.

Exhaust BILLOWS from

MISSION CONTROL (V.O.) (in Russian) ...five -- fire primary ignition -The boosters IGNITE thunderously.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (2)

68.

MISSION CONTROL (V.O.) (in Russian) ...four, three, two, one. Lift off. Alpha and Omega BLAST OFF. EXT. UPPER ATMOSPHERE The shuttles storm past us on their way to... EXT. VIKING 1 A massive spacecraft, the main hull of which is an elliptic cylinder with three large rotating windmill-like arms, floating high above Earth. SUPERIMPOSE: Viking 1 Deep Space Explorer Shuttles Alpha and Omega approach Viking 1 and dock on opposite sides of the spacecraft. Time passes and the shuttles disengage. Viking 1 fires its thrusters and begins the journey into deep space. Over this -ZHANG (V.O.) Traveling at 36 kilometers per second, our journey to Titan will take one year, ten months and fourteen days... INT. VIKING 1, CRYO ROOM A long room bathed in warm red light like a submarine. Lining the walls, cryogenic chambers. Inside each clear case is a naked special ops soldier in frozen sleep. ZHANG (V.O.) For eighteen months of our journey, the assault team will remain in cryogenic sleep. Their vitals will be maintained and nutrients administered by the ship’s surgeon. A hatch slides open and Zhang enters the room, dressed in military shorts and a t-shirt. She sits at a workstation and begins typing. A monitor displays holographic images of each soldier and their vital signs.

69. JUPITER - FROM SPACE Enormous, majestic. And very close. A speck moves across the gas giant. SLOW ZOOM TO REVEAL the speck is Viking 1. INT. VIKING 1, VARIOUS SHOTS The spacecraft has the amenities of a modern military vessel - living quarters, galley, mess, sick bay, gym, etc. Zhang walks down a passageway, nods as she passes two CREW MEMBERS, then stops to look out a portal at Jupiter. INT. VIKING 1, FLIGHT DECK U.S. Air Force Colonel RICK STOVALL (40), sharp, serious, combat fighter pilot, is the man in control. Russian Air Force Captain KATARINA KAROPOVICH (30), a calming presence, is in the right seat. Royal Air Force Lieutenant JEFF WINTERS (28), flight engineer. And Ed Villagra maintains the navigation systems. ZHANG (V.O.) While the soldiers sleep, the ten-member crew of the Viking will live and work together for the duration of the voyage to ensure we make it across the galaxy safely. A hatch slides open and Zhang comes onto the flight deck. She stands behind Villagra, rests a hand on his shoulder and discreetly runs her fingers along the nape of his neck. INT. VIKING 1, CRYO ROOM Zhang and two MEDICS enter and immediately go to work pushing buttons and flicking switches on the cryo chambers. ZHANG (V.O.) Shortly before we arrive in Titan’s orbit, we will awaken the assault team. They will have four months in space to acclimate themselves. As the cryo chambers slide open we see thawing FACES of the soldiers. Zhang and the medics give each of them a shot with an INJECTION GUN. (CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (2)

70.

ANGLE ON Zach"s face as his chamber opens. Zhang gives him a shot and his eyes flutter open. He steps out, dazed. He looks at Zhang then at the injection gun. He reacts. ZHANG Adrenalin, Commander. She smiles to help him understand.

He does.

ZACH (garbled, groggy) Wha r wa -ZHANG It will take several minutes for you to orient yourself, Commander. For now, please take this and sit. She hands him a hospital smock, helps him into a fold down seat in his cryo chamber and walks across the room. Zach notices other soldiers - Sorkin, Boggs, Keiko, Honeycutt, Lin, Silayev, the Chief - waking from their deep freeze. Then he sees Vanessa’s chamber slide open. Zhang gives her a shot and she wakes. As Zhang speaks to her, Vanessa’a eyes meet Zach’s. He offers a comforting smile. She stares. INT. VIKING 1, GYM Ten soldiers work out. a sweat on treadmills.

The Chief and Louden have worked up

LOUDEN I don’t know how they do it, Chief. CHIEF How who does what? LOUDEN The guys on submarines. They go six months cooped up in those floating sardine cans. What’s it been for us up here, four months since cryo? Jesus, I can’t wait to get off this crate. The Chief looks at him, considers what it really means "to get off this crate."

71.

INT. VIKING 1, PASSAGEWAY ANGLE ON a spectacular STARFIELD in the vast reaches of space. Then we notice Vanessa’s reflection. She’s staring pensively at the starfield through a portal. She doesn’t notice Zach coming down the passageway toward her. ZACH Dr. Pettigrew.

Hello.

VANESSA Oh, hello, Commander Ramsay. He looks out the portal.

Beat.

ZACH I never dreamt of becoming an astronaut, but here I am with a front row seat to the stars... Magnificent, isn’t it? VANESSA Yes, it is. ZACH (looks at her) I’m not what you’d call a religious man - not by a long shot. But every time I look out there I can’t help thinking we’re that much closer to God. Beat. VANESSA You’re a very brave man, Commander. All of you are... Incredibly brave. ZACH In special ops you know every job could be a one-way ticket. This time we know it is. But none of us is here just because we’re brave or because we want to be heroes. We’re here because we know what’s at stake, and there’s nobody on Earth better prepared to get the job done. A long beat.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (2)

72.

VANESSA Thank you, Commander. ZACH Tell me something, Doctor. here?

Why are

VANESSA I did dream of being an astronaut, Commander. But we Brits never fancied having a space program. The closest I could get was becoming the PM’s advisor for space exploration. ZACH That explains why you flew a billion miles across the galaxy. But it doesn’t explain why a linguist with enough degrees to stuff a rhino is on a military mission. Or why you went into cryo. They look at each other for a long beat and he realizes that there is much more to her than meets the eye. VANESSA Like you, Commander, I have a job to do, and there is nobody on Earth better prepared to do it than me. INT. VIKING 1, CARGO BAY The largest part of the ship, the cargo bay is the size of a small aircraft hangar. In it are two sleek landing ships ALPHA OSPREY and OMEGA OSPREY - and field weaponry for the assault - HUMVEES, SCOUT BIKES, two MIRV MISSILES, etc. Lin Shihong and his Alpha team counterpart, Green Beret Lieutenant BEV SHARPTON (26), black, sharp-edged and gung-ho, supervise four Viking CREW MEMBERS who are loading the landing craft. SHARPTON Hey, you! Look smart when you’re securing the thermonuclear warheads! SERGEANT (defending the crew) I think we’ve got it under control, Lieutenant.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (2)

73.

SHARPTON I don’t want to "think" it’s under control, Sargeant, I want to know! You read me?! SERGEANT Yes, Ma’am! Loud and clear, Ma’am! The SERGEANT turns to her subordinates and stresses that they be extra diligent. LIN Lieutenant, it does appear that everything is in order here. The nukes are harmless until they’re electronically armed. SHARPTON We drop in five days. We still don’t know what, if any, resistance we’re going to face. What we do know is we have one shot to save our world. If we fail, it won’t be because somebody forgot to tighten a bolt in the cargo bay. INT. VIKING 1, COMMON AREA Soldiers relax. Some play cards, others listen to music in their headphones or talk quietly. The mood is sober. These are people counting the hours left in their lives. INT. VIKING 1, COMMUNICATION STATION Directly below the flight deck. Silayev, Zach, Lin, Sharpton, Stovall and Vanessa have a tense conversation. SILAYEV These signals you’ve received -STOVALL I wouldn’t call them signals, exactly. More like static or noise. SILAYEV Very well, "noise." How certain are you that it’s not from Titan? STOVALL One hundred percent. We did a full refractive scan and came up empty from nine million kilometers out. (CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (2)

74.

Silayev looks at Vanessa. She refers to an oscillating, three-dimensional IMAGE on a monitor that graphs the "noise." VANESSA Everything we know about Titanian communication patterns suggests that this is far too primative for them. If it were a form of communication it would be analogous to an Earth caveman grunting. SHARPTON That grunting eventually became thousands of human languages, Dr. Pettigrew. VANESSA Six thousand, nine hundred and thirty-five languages at last count, Lieutenant. Your point? ZACH I believe the Lieutenant’s point is that even if it is primitive, it could still be a form of communication. And if so, it could mean they’re monitoring us. Zach and Vanessa exchange a look. his attempt at "diplomacy."

She doesn’t appreciate

LIN With the message from the Presidents and the Prime Ministers already enroute to us, their transmission would certainly be intercepted. VANESSA None of them would say anything to jeopardize the mission. SHARPTON (cynical) Said the Prime Minister’s advisor. Vanessa cuts her a look. ZACH Look, we’re way past the point of no return here. We’re going through with the insertion whether (MORE) (CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (3)

75.

ZACH (CONT’D.) they know we’re coming or not, right, Colonel? SILAYEV Correct, Commander. But we need to take every precaution so that Colonel Stovall and his crew can return to Earth safely with Doctors Pettigrew, Cheung and Villagra. Vanessa reacts. Now is the time to show her hand. Partially. VANESSA Colonel, I’m not returning with the Viking. I’m going to the surface with the assault team. All but Stovall look at her like she’s crazy. SILAYEV Doctor, that’s simply not possible. You of all people know we have no room for error on this mission. And no hope of return once we leave this ship. VANESSA Colonel Stovall. Colonel Silayev and Zach look to the flight commander. STOVALL It’s true. I have direct orders from the Presidents of the United States and China and the Prime Ministers of Russia and Great Britain authorizing Dr. Pettigrew to land on Titan with you, Colonel. SILAYEV But why? VANESSA I’m sorry, but I can only tell you that once we’re on the surface of the moon, Colonel. OFF plenty of confused faces...

76.

INT. VIKING 1, PASSAGEWAY The meeting has ended and Vanessa is walking down the passageway. Zach catches up to her. ZACH Dr. Pettigrew, wait. She turns.

Looks him in the eyes. ZACH What the hell do you think you’re doing? We’re all going to die down there. VANESSA Yes, Commander Ramsay, we are. And what I’m doing is my job. Just like you... Good night, Commander.

She turns away and continues down the passageway. watches her go.

He just

EXT. VIKING 1 Moving through space.

Saturn comes into view.

INT. VIKING 1, VARIOUS SHOTS The Viking crew and assault troops listen solemnly as an address by the leaders of their respective countries is piped through the ship. As the leaders speak, we see the reaction of our characters. Their words are different, but the leaders’ message is the same... PRESIDENT PHELPS (V.O.) In a matter of days you will embark upon the most important endeavor since the Allies landed on the beaches of Normandy. At stake then was the future of the world whether we would live as free people or under the yoke of totalitarian tyranny. Today, our enemies are not of this world and what is at stake is not just our way of life, but life on Earth itself. As when the Allies stormed the beaches of Normandy and fought to push Darkness from the world, we once again have banded together, (MORE) (CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (2)

77.

PRESIDENT PHELPS (V.O.) (CONT’D.) putting aside political, national and cultural differences, to defeat a common enemy. And now, as then, we send our very best to save the world. (beat) Nearly a century ago, at the height of the Battle of Britain, Winston Churchill said, "Never was so much owed by so many to so few." There are no more eloquent words to express what you gallant few have sacrificed. We will forever be grateful. Our thoughts, our love and our prayers go with you. May God bless you and keep you all. Zach and the Chief sit across from each other at a table. Their eyes meet and we see something is their stare, something that’s been there for years but that they never dared to acknowledge until this very moment. And now that they have... INT. VIKING 1, CARGO BAY Deathly quiet and dark, except for accent lighting on the two Ospreys. In a bay window, Zach and the Chief sit side-by-side, looking out at a billion stars. After a long silence they turn to face one another. He caresses her face. ZACH Tess. CHIEF Yes, Zach. ZACH I’m sorry...for never telling you how I feel about you. CHIEF I’ve always known, Zach. (a smile off his reaction) What? ZACH Mom always said I didn’t have to look far to find the perfect girl. I just had to fly a billion miles to figure out she’s been right by my side for three years.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (2)

78.

CHIEF Well, now that you know where I am... They kiss, tentatively at first, then deeply and passionately. They make love in the bay window amongst the stars. INT. VANESSA’S BERTH - DAY OF ASSAULT Vanessa is sitting on her bunk in her jumpsuit, eyes closed, hands in her lap. Like a school girl. An alarm BUZZES. KARAPOVICH (V.O.) Assault teams, report to the cargo bay for insertion. I say again, report to the cargo bay for insertion. Vanessa’s eyes open.

She’s at peace.

INT. READY ROOM - DAY OF ASSAULT Soldiers help each other into their EBSs. We FIND the Chief and Keiko, still in their jumpsuits, embracing tightly. When they part, they look into each other’s eyes and share a smile for courage. Then the Chief looks over Keiko’s shoulder at Honeycutt, and at Bliss, Boggs, Louden and Sorkin. She embraces them all. INT. VIKING 1, COMMUNICATION STATION, DAY OF ASSAULT Silayev, Zach, Lin, Sharpton, Stovall and Villagra look at a projected holographic map of Titan’s surface. VILLAGRA Titan’s atmosphere rotates much faster than its surface, so your pilots could become disoriented during descent. Insertion points have been programmed into the Ospreys’ computers, so you’ll be fine if the pilots trust their instruments. SILAYEV Under current weather conditions, how long should the decsent take?

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (2)

79.

VILLAGRA You’ll be landing here, in the equatorial Xanadu region in the middle of Titan’s winter. Methane rain clouds are present, so that will slow the descent. I’d say ten minutes from atmosphere to surface. SILAYEV And still no sign of the Titanians? STOVALL Negative. Probes we sent around Saturn before we entered Titan’s orbit should be returning data shortly. So far, scans of the surface and around the moon are blank. Silayev and his officers share a look. now but get on with it.

Nothing left to do

SILAYEV Thank you, Colonel. They shake hands. Stovall shakes hands with each of them then he stands at attention and formally salutes. The assault team leaders snap to and return his salute. INT. VIKING 1, PASSAGEWAY Silayev and Zach, now in EBSs but without helmets, join up with their outfitted troops. No words need to be spoken. Zach and the Chief exchange a look. INT. VIKING 1, CARGO BAY - DAY OF ASSAULT QUICK CUTS of activity as the Viking crew hurries to ready the Ospreys for deployment. Villagra and Zhang watch from a landing above the cargo floor. They look at each other meaningfully then hold hands. The assualt troops file into the cargo bay and the buzz dies down. The crew stands at ease alongside the Ospreys. Lieutenant Winters approaches Silayev, salutes crisply. Silayev returns it. Sir.

WINTERS Ospreys ready for insertion.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (2)

80.

SILAYEV Thank you, Lieutenant. As the troops begin to file into the Ospreys, all hands of the Viking crew come to attention and salute. The soldiers pause to take it in, appreciate it. Boggs, Honeycutt, Keiko and the Chief board Omega Osprey; Louden, Bliss and Sorkin board Alpha Osprey with Sharpton. Vanessa, in her EBS, comes up to Silayev. SILAYEV (gestures) Doctor, after you. VANESSA Colonel, I know I was assigned to Alpha, but if you don’t mind, I would like to land with Omega. Zach reacts. SILAYEV Certainly, Dr. Pettigrew. wish.

As you

She shakes Silayev’s hand firmly, looks him in the eyes. VANESSA God bless you, Colonel. He nods and she walks past Zach into Omega Osprey. Silayev and Zach remain. They look at each other.

Only

ZACH (salutes) I’ll see you on the surface, sir. SILAYEV (returns salute) Commander. When they are both aboard their Ospreys with hatches closed, the Viking crew end their salute. WINTERS (V.O.) Clear the cargo bay and prepare to launch Ospreys. The crew evacuates the cargo bay as it transforms into a launch bay.

81.

EXT. TITAN ORBIT The Ospreys speed toward Titan. INT. ALPHA OSPREY - IN ORBIT Silayev rides shotgun. His pilot, Flight Lieutenant Fitzhume, reads his instruments. FITZHUME Approaching terminus. It’s going to get quite bumpy in a minute, sir. We’d better put our lids on. Silayev pushes a button on the console. In the main cabin, yellow LIGHTS flash and the soldiers put their helmets on just as the turbulance starts. INT. OMEGA OSPREY - IN FLIGHT - TERMINUS The ride is rough. Soldiers are fastening their helmets. Boggs clicks his helmet on and, chomping his gum, looks up at the Chief. She grins at him. CHIEF Where’s it go when you’re done with it? Boggs stops chomping. Looks down inside his helmet. didn’t think about that.

He

Vanessa is nervous as hell now, has a hard time with her helmet. Keiko helps her. KEIKO There you go, Ma’am. VANESSA Thank you. KEIKO Stick with the Skipper and us SEALs. We’ll look out for you as much as we can.

82.

EXT. TITAN, VARIOUS SHOTS - TWILIGHT Cold. Quiescent. No sign of life as we made of ice stretch farther than the eye what little we see through the smog - is haze-obscured Saturn looms like a giant, enough to touch. BOOM!

know it. Dunes can see. The sky orange. A seemingly close

A sonic explosion as an Osprey enters the atmosphere.

INT. ALPHA OSPREY - IN FLIGHT - TWILIGHT Fitzhume looks to his left, to his right. Thick orange clouds shroud the cockpit windows. He looks to his INSTRUMENTS. FITZHUME Descending at twelve hundred knots. Altitude one hundred twenty miles. Zero visibility. We hear another sonic BOOM. Fitzhume looks at his radar and smiles. The Omega Osprey is on his tail. FITZHUME Omega, glad you could make it. HERZL (V.O.) Glad to be here, Alpha. On your six. EXT. TITAN SKY - TWILIGHT The Ospreys streak through the clouds like birds of prey. INT. ALPHA OSPREY - IN FLIGHT - TWILIGHT Suddenly, ALARMS blare and red LIGHTS flash in the cockpit. FITZHUME Omega, I’ve got a bogey! Bearing zero-nine-zero! Going to evasive maneuvers! Silayev looks at Fitzhume. SILAYEV Get us the hell out of here, Flight Lieutenant.

83.

EXT. TITAN SKY - TWILIGHT A partially seen ALIEN AIRSHIP skates through the clouds and opens fire with powerful energy bursts. The Ospreys begin a series of aerial stunts to avoid being shot down. INT. OMEGA OSPREY - IN FLIGHT - TWILIGHT ALARMS are going off HERZL (26), Spetsnaz Zach is next to him, CUTS of the cabin to

like crazy in the cockpit. THEODOR GRU, cool and assured, is at the helm. pulling some serious G-forces. QUICK see the soldiers and Vanessa are too.

FITZHUME (V.O.) He’s on my tail, firing again!! HERZL Alpha, no visual contact and can’t get radar lock. Viking, radar’s for shit in these methane clouds. Can you intercept? Over. INT. VIKING 1, FLIGHT DECK Stovall and Karapovich are working like crazy to pick up the enemy airship on their instruments. STOVALL We’re on it. Give us a minute. FITZHUME (V.O.) We don’t have a bloody minute, Viking! KARAPOVICH How far before you clear the clouds? FITZHUME (V.O.) Fifty-five miles. Coming up fast. EXT. TITAN SKY - TWILIGHT The Ospreys break through the clouds and streak across the sky. The alien aircraft bursts out of the clouds too, blasting away. The alien equivalent of a fighter jet, it resembles a mechanical pterodactyl.

84.

INT. OMEGA OSPREY - IN FLIGHT - TWILIGHT Zach catches a glimpse of the Titan surface. Even in the chaos of an air battle, he’s taken aback by WHAT HE SEES: a dark, strange, utterly forbidding world. What he sees next snaps him back. FLASHES from the ground followed by powerful energy bursts in the sky all around the Osprey. An antiaircraft barrage. HERZL Great! They’re firing at us from the ground too! INT. ALPHA OSPREY - IN FLIGHT - TWILIGHT A loud TONE.

Fitzhume has radar lock.

FITZHUME I’ve got tone! Firing! EXT. TITAN SKY - TWILIGHT The missile fires ahead of the Alpha Osprey then circles around in pursuit of the alien ship. It’s a direct hit. The mechanical pterodactyl explodes! INT. VIKING 1, FLIGHT DECK Stovall and Karapovich see the hit on their radar screen. They high five each other. Then a BUZZING in the cockpit. STOVALL What the f--?! WINTERS Colonel, incoming! From the far side of the moon! ETA to impact, five minutes, sir! OFF Stoval and Karapovich’s expressions... INT. VIKING 1, COMMON AREA Zhang and Villagra are having tea. their attention.

A ship-wide ALARM gets

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (2)

85.

KARAPOVICH (V.O.) (calm but forceful) Collision alert. Collision alert. All crew immediately to safe zones. Zhang and Villagra are on their feet, moving quickly. INT. VIKING 1, PASSAGEWAY Villagra follows Zhang. VILLAGRA Safe zone?! What the hell is a safe zone up here?! Hurry, Ed.

ZHANG Please.

VILLAGRA Hurry where? It takes three weeks for a message to reach Earth and two years for them to get here after they receive it. Zhang stops at a locker, opens it and pulls out a SPACE SUIT. She shoves it at him. ZHANG Please, Ed! Just put it on and let’s go! INT. OMEGA OSPREY - IN FLIGHT - TWILIGHT Herzl and Zach look at Alpha Osprey flying off their wing. HERZL Good shooting, Fitz! FITZHUME (V.O.) Thanks, old chap, just -Suddenly, a flash in the sky where the Alpha Osprey is flying. We’re hit!

FITZHUME (V.O.) We’re hit!

Herzl and Zach look over just as another round of antiaircraft fire hits Alpha. The Osprey flips over and dives toward the Titan surface. Zach and Herzl watch in horror as Alpha Osprey plummets, engulfed in flames.

86.

INT. ALPHA OSPREY - IN FLIGHT - TWILIGHT QUICK CUTS of the horrific scene as Alpha dives. EXT. TITAN - TWILIGHT Alpha Osprey slams into an ice hill and explodes in a spectacular fireball! INT. VIKING 1, FLIGHT DECK Collision ALARMS wail. Stovall, Karapovich and Winters work feverishly to prepare for the attack. But they pause in utter disbelief at the sound of Alpha Osprey’s destruction. WINTERS (stunned) Oh my God. HERZL (V.O.) Alpha’s down! I say again, Alpha’s down! Omega under heavy ground fire! EXT./INT. OMEGA OSPREY - IN FLIGHT - TWILIGHT The aircraft banks and flips and weaves, avoiding thunderous energy bolts of Titanian ack-ack. ZACH Get us on the ground, Lieutenant! HERZL I’m trying, sir! But we’re a thousand miles off course! ZACH I don’t give a shit where we land! Just get us down! Now! HERZL Yes, sir! Herzl flies like an ace, and as he does we glimpse more of Titan - vast ethane lakes, mountains, erupting ice volcanoes, frozen canyons.

87. EXT. TITAN ORBIT An alien power pulse missile races toward the Viking 1. INT. VIKING 1, FLIGHT DECK We hear a loud, steady BUZZING tone. and Winters are in spacesuits.

Stovall, Karapovich

KARAPOVICH We have radar lock on incoming bogey. Impact in one minute, thirty seconds, twenty-nine... STOVALL Fire! Karapovich pulls a trigger on her control stick. EXT. VIKING 1 A missile launches from a battery atop the spacecraft. It collides with the incoming alien projectile and explodes. But the alien weapon splits in two and continues hurling toward the Viking, hitting in two places. Two explosions rip into the ship, fore and aft. Fires ignite along the hull. As it’s space and a vacuum, there is no sound. EXT. CANYON, LANDING ZONE - TWILIGHT We hear the WAIL of Omega Osprey’s engines before we SEE her coming in for a landing. She hits the ground hard. Hatches open and soldiers pile out, led by the Chief. CHIEF (hell on wheels) Let’s go! Move! Move! Move! Set a picket fifty meters out! You and you, fire up that Humvee! Yardley, Rowe, Boggs, secure the MIRV! Honeycutt and Keiko come out last with Vanessa between them. Vanessa’s rattled but holding it together. KEIKO (points) Ma’am, take cover over there, between those boulders, until one of us says different. Understand? (CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (2)

88.

Vanessa looks at the boulders. Sees the frenetic activity all around her. Stares at Keiko’s serious face. For the first time in her life Vanessa feels completely helpless. VANESSA (weakly) Okay. She wanders off toward the boulders. Zach stands next to the Osprey with Lin and Herzl. going over the area on a handheld holographic map.

They’re

ZACH How far are we from Xanadu? HERZL (looks at map) Seven, eight hundred miles. LIN They were obviously expecting us. Being eight hundred miles off target may buy us time to set up and launch the MIRV, depending on their location and speed. Zach looks around for clues on how to use the foreign, forbidding landscape to his advantage. ZACH It’ll take at least an hour to set up the MIRV and lay in coordinates for launch. We’ll have to defend our position for at least that long... Chief, Honeycutt! They come to him. CHIEF We’ve set up a perimeter and are unloading the Osprey. Radar’ll be up in less than five, Skipper. ZACH Good. I want eyes up there in those foothills. We need cover long enough to get the MIRV powered up and programmed. CHIEF So we’re going to fire it from here, sir?

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (3)

89.

ZACH This is as good a place as any to send those coldblooded monsters to hell. Get a squad - Cherninko, Leong, Mao, Romanov - and get ’em up in those hills. CHIEF Romanov is dead. the descent. Beat.

Broke his neck in

Zach feels a bit of remorse then -ZACH Dr. Pettigrew?!

Where is she?!

HONEYCUTT Back over there, by those boulders. Zach sees her, leaning against a boulder collecting her wits. Satisfied that she’s okay -ZACH (to Honeycutt) Take the Humvee and drop six scouts five clicks past the perimeter. (to Lin) Hail Viking One and confirm that Alpha is scratched. Tell them if we haven’t launched our MIRV in an hour and thirty minutes, we’re not going to and that they should haul ass back to Earth. Honeycutt takes off, barking out names. Lin looks at Zach grimly and nods. He heads back to the Osprey to get on the line with Viking. Zach looks at Vanessa. INT. VIKING 1, FLIGHT DECK Stovall, Karapovich and Winters are hunched over their stations, dead. Systems are fried. Panels POP and SIZZLE. LIN (V.O.) (concern in his voice) Viking One this is Omega, do you read? Come in, Viking One. Where are you? A COMPUTER VOICE announces various onboard system failures.

90.

INT. VIKING 1, VARIOUS SHOTS Crew members - some in spacesuits, others still in their jumpsuits - lay dead in various parts of the ship. INT. VIKING 1, SAFE ZONE An area that doesn’t look very safe anymore. Badly damaged from the alien strike, walls are buckled, lights flicker and spark, smoke seeps from equipment. Another dead crew member lay on the deck. COMPUTER VOICE (V.O.) Hull breach in sections two, three, five and eight. Navigation off line. Life support, forty percent. Recommend abandon ship. A hatch is forced open and Zhang and Villagra, in spacesuits and helmets, enter the safe zone. They make their way to an ESCAPE POD, about the size of a Gemini capsule. Zhang punches a code on a PANEL and the pod hatch opens. VILLAGRA Zhang, this is crazy. noplace to go.

There’s

ZHANG Ed, we can’t stay here. Everyone is dead. It’s our only hope. VILLAGRA Hope?! I don’t want to float around aimlessly in space in a deep freeze forever. I’d rather just die now and be done with it. She turns, looks at him with compassionate eyes. ZHANG I don’t want to die either, Ed. But we can’t give up. As long as we’re alive - even if we’re in cryo sleep - there is hope. They embrace then look into one another’s eyes. VILLAGRA I suppose the worse thing that can happen is we’ll spend eternity together in the stars.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (2)

91.

ZHANG (sad smile) And I won’t have to tell my parents about the White American Devil I’ve fallen in love with. They step into the pod, sit down and hook themselves up to tubes before strapping themselves in. Zhang flips switches and pushes buttons, beginning the cryo process, while Villagra punches coordinates into the navigation system. VILLAGRA It’ll be like finding a needle in a haystack, but if someone does get the Viking’s distress call and comes looking for us, we’ll be in their flight path. ZHANG Cryo sequence will initiate thirty minutes after launch. They assumed that anyone needing the escape pod would want to go into cryo sleep as soon as possible, due to injury or trauma. VILLAGRA The board is green. All systems go for pod launch. Launch in thirty seconds, starting... (pushes ignition button) now. The countdown clock starts. Zhang looks over at him, squeezes his gloved hand in hers. VILLAGRA You’re in love with me? (beat, she nods) I love you too, Zhang. EXT. VIKING 1 The escape pod jettisons from underneath the space ship. EXT. CANYON, LANDING ZONE - TWILIGHT Vanessa is sitting on a boulder.

Zach stands over her.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (2)

92.

VANESSA I can’t believe it. Colonel Silayev and all those soldiers. And I was supposed to land with them... ZACH Listen, Dr. Pettigrew. There’s no point in fretting: they’re gone and that’s that. We’ve got a mission and that’s all that matters now. We traveled over a billion miles to end these bastards and that’s just what I intend to do. VANESSA Yes, of course, Commander. I know. It’s just... I never thought... ZACH Nobody ever does, Doctor. Now this mission of yours; considering the total "cluster" we’re in right now, I’d say it’s time for you to cough up why you’re here. She looks up into his battle ready eyes, knows there is no point in playing diplomacy games. VANESSA By the late sixties, Britain, the U.S. and Russia had established ongoing diplomatic discussions with the Titanians. They shared space exploration technology with us in exchange for the right to peacefully explore our deep oceans. Zach reacts, anger rising. ZACH You mean we knew they were down there?! Matt and my father and their men were killed by an enemy we gave refuge to! Zach is so furious he has to turn away. VANESSA I’m so very sorry, Commander. Believe me, I am... Everything we knew about the Titanians’ Earth explorations indicated they were (MORE) (CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (3)

93.

VANESSA (CONT’D.) peace-loving and diplomatic beings. But that changed after Pioneer Eleven. He faces her again, back in mission mode.

She stands.

ZACH What about Pioneer Eleven? VANESSA The Titanians shared their technology with us on the condition that we not send probes to Saturn or any of her moons. Pioneer Eleven made the first flyby of Saturn in 1979. A year later, Voyager One made a close flyby of Titan. Communications with the Titanians broke down after that and by the mid-eighties we were convinced they were becoming hostile toward us. ZACH Hostile in what way? VANESSA (beat) The Space Shuttle Challenger didn’t explode due to a faulty oh-ring, Commander. ZACH (disgusted) My God... CHIEF (O.S.) INCOMING! We hear a sickening WHISTLING SOUND. Zach turns just as Lin steps out of the Osprey and an alien mortar EXPLODES into it, BLOWING the craft and Lin to pieces. Zach grabs Vanessa and throws her between two boulders. Stay here!

ZACH Don’t move!

He leaves her to command his troops in what turns out to be a fantastic battle.

94. EXT. CANYON, THE BATTLE - TWILIGHT Alien mortars rain down on the Omega team, killing several soldiers instantly. EXPLOSIONS everywhere. Omega troops take defensive positions and fire away. Lots of CHATTER on com-links as the Omegas call out targets, etc. It’s a sensational, otherworldly fireworks display! INTERCUT the Omega team fighting for their lives (Note: all POV is through helmet heads-up-display, HUD) THE CHIEF takes aim with her AK-57. Her POV: three obscured aliens hide behind different rock formations about 200 meters away. HUD targets each as a "Foe". "Locks" on. She fires three shots. In an instant "Kill" "Kill" "Kill" shows on her HUD. ZACH takes aim.

His POV: "Foe" 300 meters away. ZACH Magnify!

His POV: like a high-powered camera, his HUD zooms in and for the first time we see a living, breathing Titanian! TITANIAN SOLDIER body armor, eight-feet tall, muscular, with transluscent skin, purple dreadlocks and large, black, lidless reptillian eyes. He looks sraight INTO CAMERA an instant before a photon round from Zach’s AK-57 blows him to bits. ZACH looking for another "Foe", finding one and firing. ZACH Boggs, how we doing with the MIRV?! BOGGS BOGGS (chewing gum) Almost there, Skipper! Boggs. Yardley and Rowe work to set up the MIRV launcher. In the icy canyon foothills above them, two Chinese soldiers fire away at aliens. One of them, MAO (26), looks up.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (2)

Incoming!

95. MAO Aircraft!

Mao’s POV: a ptarodactyl aircraft zeroing in on the MIRV launcher. It opens fire. MAO Ready RPG! A mini-rocket propelled grenade launcher flips out of the left shoulder of his EBS. Mao’s HUD locks onto the "Foe." MAO Fire RPG! The RPG streaks into the sky and blows the alien ship away. MIRV LAUNCH SITE the missile launcher is unhit, but Boggs is dead on the ground, a slushy red hole the size of a softball through his chest. His gum now stuck to the inside of his bloody visor. Yardley and Rowe continue preparing the MIRV for launch. ZACH moves to another position. As he does, he takes note of Vanessa - terrified but still alive - and of the Chief she’s sending aliens to alien hell. He looks around, finds Keiko, who’s targeting foes and firing away. ZACH Honeycutt, come in!

Sit rep!

EXT. HONEYCUTT’S POSITION - TWILIGHT Honeycutt is hunkered down behind the Humvee with KOCHINKO (25). They’re taking a lot more fire than they can return. HONEYCUTT In a word, FUBAR, Skip! Me and Kochinko are pinned down, two clicks from your position. He looks at Kochinko, blasting away like a Russian Rambo. INTERCUT: ZACH/HONEYCUTT ZACH (a code between them) How they treating you?!

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (2)

96.

HONEYCUTT Like a baby treats a diaper! we’re way low on baby wipes! Beat.

And

The silence between them is telling.

Zach looks across at Keiko. com-link and looks at Zach.

She hears the exchange via her

ZACH Send them to hell, Kareem. And I’ll see you when I get there. HONEYCUTT Not if I see you first, Zach. Zach and Keiko continue to look at each other. She fights back tears. Then she flicks a mental switch, turns toward the enemy and starts blasting. EXT. HONEYCUTT’S POSITION - TWILIGHT Titanians close in on the Humvee. Honeycutt and Kochinko are firing away. Kochinko takes an alien round to the face and is killed instantly. Honeycutt glances at him then goes back to shooting. CLICK-CLICK. His AK-57 is empty. He starts firing his wrist minigun, killing more Titanians. Honeycutt’s POV: more enemy troops than his HUD can lock on to. He keeps shooting until an alien round blows a hole in his chest. He hits the ground. Dead. Titanians move past him on their way to the main fight. EXT. CANYON, THE BATTLE - TWILIGHT TITANIANS hundreds of them, move in from all directions, raining ordnance as they encircle the Earthling invaders. VANESSA can’t take cowering any longer. She musters her courage and runs to a fallen soldier, grabs his AK-57. She’s horrified by the dead man’s remains: his visor is cracked and his face is covered in a frozen death mask of his own blood. She turns and is terrified by WHAT SHE SEES: a Titanian soldier, silhouetted by the orange sky and falling toward her, SHRIEKING a battle cry. He lands on both feet with a THUMP, raises his hand to strike her. She’s too frightened to scream. Just stares, facinated by his strange features. (CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (2)

97.

Suddenly, he’s BLOWN backward by a photon blast, his dark turquoise-colored blood splattering on Vanessa’s EBS. The Chief grabs Vanessa’s arm, hauls her to her feet. CHIEF You alright, Doctor?! Y-Yes.

VANESSA I think so.

CHIEF (ref the AK-57) You know how to use that?! VANESSA I believe -(sees something) CHIEF! The Chief has already seen the alien’s REFLECTION in Vanessa’s visor. She squeezes her fists at the same time that she turns, and her sleeve bayonets slide out -The eight-foot Titanian is sushi before he even knows what hit him. As he falls to his knees, the Chief finishes the job by slashing a bayonet across his neck, decapitating him. Vanessa goes lightheaded at the sight of the gore. The Chief retracts the bayonets, turns to Vanessa. She grabs her arm roughly to steady her. CHIEF (ref. the AK-57) Just keep shooting! Understand?! Don’t think. Shoot! MIRV LAUNCH SITE Zach is at the MIRV launch console, typing in coordinates. Yardley, Rowe, Mao and the other Chinese soldier in the foothill location are covering him, gunning down Titanians left and right. Zach punches in a six-digit code then presses a red button. The LAUNCH SEQUENCE starts. The COUNTDOWN CLOCK starts at 30:00:00. Zach leaves the console to take a defensive position to protect the MIRV launcher. Incoming!

ROWE Another aircraft!

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (3)

98.

Zach looks up at the pterodactyl swooping in. It opens up, this time with a powerful laser-like beam that hits the icy ground, cutting a terrible swath toward the MIRV. The beam SLICES two soldiers in half. ZACH sees the beam coming right at him. It blows up a boulder and a huge chunk slams into him, knocking him 20 feet. He hits a rock formation before slamming to the ground. YARDLEY & ROWE right in front of the MIRV and in the path of the beam, open up with their AK-57s, firing everything they’ve got at the ptreodactyl. It works! The aircraft explodes and the laser beam stops inches away from the two relieved Brits. ROWE (looks at AK-57) Bloody Russian engineering. THE CHIEF sees that Zach is down. Keiko!

CHIEF The Skipper’s down!

Keiko looks over at her. She’s fighting side-by-side with Vanessa, who has gotten the hang of targeting and shooting her AK-57. Keiko nods at the Chief, "Go to him!" The Chief heads toward Zach’s position, miraculously dodging enemy fire as she "bounds" large distances in the dense Titanian air. She reaches Zach, tosses down her rifle and turns him over. A blinking yellow LIGHT inside his helmet shows he’s alive, just out cold. CHIEF Skipper! Skipper! (panic rising) Zach, please! YARDLEY (O.S.) Chief, behind you! She turns. Her POV: five Titanians moving in fast for the kill. She stands. CHIEF Minigun ready!

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (4)

99.

She points her right arm at the "Foes" and opens fire. They fall. We hear the ZOOM of a pterodactyl engine overhead. It shoots powerful energy bursts at the Chief and the prone Zach. Misses. The Chief turns to Zach, still out. She watches as the alien aircraft circles back. It’s after them and only them. She stands over Zach, ready to defend him to the end. The pterodactyl swoops in for the kill. INT. PTERODACTYL COCKPIT - TWILIGHT ANGLE ON the PILOT’S HANDS gripping the controls of this alien equivalent of a fighter jet. Three clawed "fingers" on each hand. PTERODACTYL PILOT’S POV - THE CHIEF Her image as seen on the pilot’s targeting screen. She’s in the bulls-eye. Alien script flashes. We can’t read it but we’re pretty sure it says "Target Locked." The "target" raises her right arm and fiery rounds streak toward the pterodactyl. EXT. CANYON, THE BATTLE - TWILIGHT THE CHIEF her minigun fires away CLICK-CLICK that means fists and the bayonets the "Foe" that is only lover.

at the pterodactyl. Then we hear the she’s out of ammo. She squeezes her pop out. She SCREAMS WITH RAGE at seconds from killing her and her

SUDDENLY, the pterodactyl EXPLODES. A FRIENDLY PTERODACTYL has intercepted, blowing the foe out of the sky. The Chief looks around. Friendly Titanian aircraft are strafing foes! The foes begin to retreat. EXT. CANYON, VARIOUS SHOTS - TWILIGHT Bodies litter the canyon: dozens of Titanians, their transluscent skin covered in blue-green blood. And Earthlings, their bodies frozen hard as granite. CAMERA PANS a dozen familiar faces - Boggs, Honeycutt, etc.

100.

EXT. CANYON, LANDING ZONE - TWILIGHT An eerie return to quiet after the cacophony of battle. Surviving Omega soldiers can hardly believe what’s happened. Aren’t sure what to do next. The Chief and Keiko tend to Zach, who is still unconscious. A thin DATA CABLE runs from Zach’s EBS to the Chief’s. Her POV: Zach’s VITAL SIGNS register on her HUD. He’s fading. Morphine is being administered via his EBS. Vanessa stands over them, concerned. Herzl, the pilot, is the first to see the ALIEN TRACKER rolling slowly up a canyon passage. About 50 Titanian foot soldiers march alongside. Chief!

HERZL Chief!

The Chief goes to Herzl. Vanessa is right behind her. Omega troops gear up for another firefight. CHIEF Well, Doctor, you’re the expert. What the hell’s going on here? Vanessa peers at the Titanians. "Foes" scrolls on her HUD.

Her POV: data about the

VANESSA Magnify. Her POV: unlike their attackers, these Titanians wear no uniform body armor. They’re ragtag, they’re -VANESSA Rebels. CHIEF Come again? VANESSA They’re rebels, Chief. (almost to herself) There may still be a chance after all. CHIEF A chance for what?

101.

EXT. REBEL MEETING - TWILIGHT The Chief, Keiko, Herzl, Yardley and Vanessa approach us, stern expressions on their faces. They stop. Their eyes rise up. REVERSE ANGLE and we see six REBEL TITANIANS, their black eyes scrutinizing these strange "alien beings." The REBEL LEADER, the most imposing of them all, steps forward. Vanessa steps up from the Earthlings. When they speak, it’s in gobbledy-gook that is translated for us in subtitles. REBEL LEADER I am Xri, spawn of Xal, leader of the Grull. What dost they calleth thou? This is a moment that Vanessa has only dreamt about. To be the first human to speak face-to-face with an alien life form. She maintains her poise, is the consummate diplomat. VANESSA I am called Doctor Vanessa Pettigrew, envoy for the leaders of my world, which we call Earth. REBEL LEADER And hast thou cometh to our world, Hagenaw, to help the Grull? Or are the Vang correct - that thou hast cometh to destroy us all? Beat. VANESSA We cometh to help the Grull. Beat.

The rebel leader studies her with unblinking eyes. REBEL LEADER Welcome to our world, Doctor Vanessa Pettigrew.

SAME SCENE - MOMENTS LATER Vanessa, the Chief, Keiko and Herzl talk in tense, hushed tones while the Brits keep an eye on the rebels. CHIEF Civil war. What the hell are you talking about?

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (2)

102.

VANESSA Two factions of Titans have been at war for at least a fifty years: those who want to colonize Earth, and those who want to reestablish diplomatic relations with us. KEIKO And these Grull are the good guys? VANESSA Yes. They believe we can work out a mutual solution to our problems. HERZL Mutual problems? Our only problem is them trying to put us on ice! The Chief grabs Vanessa’s arm.

She smells a rat.

CHIEF What gives, Doctor Pettigrew?! Why are we really here?! The rebel leader sees them and reacts. Vanessa’s eyes signal to the Chief to chill in front of the extra terrestrials. She releases her arm. VANESSA It’s true that the Vang Titanians have been on Earth, deep in our oceans causing climate change to bring about another Ice Age. (beat) What you don’t know is that will take another six hundred years. And we don’t have that much time. KEIKO What do you mean "we don’t have that much time?" VANESSA Look around. What do you see? Methane, ethane and who knows what else. Titan is literally made of hydrocarbons, enough to fuel the Earth for another billion years. HERZL (pissed off) Are you saying we did all of this because we’re running low on gas?!

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (3)

103.

CHIEF Shut it, Herzl! (to Vanessa, pointedly) Is that true, Doctor? Is it?! VANESSA We’re not just running low. We’ve run out. Within a hundred years, Earth will be completely devoid of fossil fuels. The troops react, incredulous. KEIKO What about the reserves. There has to be enough there until we find new sources on Earth? HERZL Yeah, what about drilling deeper wells. Alaska, Siberia -VANESSA We did that fifty years ago; it’s all been used up. Our voracious appetite for oil has left the world dry. Totally parched. CHIEF So we didn’t come here to stop them from taking over our world, we came to wipe them out and take theirs! Jesus H. Christ! Why not just tell us what this was all about in the beginning?! KEIKO Would you have volunteered for a suicide mission just to make gas lines shorter? VANESSA We knew it was a long shot, a very long shot. But if we could connect with the Grull, we might be able to tilt the balance of the civil war in their favor, and negotiate a way for them to live peacefully in our oceans in exchange for our mining their world for hydrocarbons... And if that didn’t happen. Well, we’d still need to stop the Vang’s plan to colonize Earth. (CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (4)

104.

Yardley hears the conversation via com-link. He eases back toward the group, keeping his eyes on the rebels, who are getting restless. YARDLEY So now we don’t want to nuke the bastards? VANESSA (turning to him) No, we don’t. YARDLEY Then we got a problem, Doc. EXT. MIRV LAUNCH SITE - TWILIGHT ANGLE ON the countdown clock: 00:02:04 and counting. Rowe is at the console punching in codes to stop the launch. Omega soldiers watch anxiously, Titanian rebels with unknowing curiosity. CHIEF Come on, don’t you know the code?! ROWE If I knew would I be shitting my spacesuit now, Chief?! CHIEF (to Yardley) You didn’t see the Skipper put it in?! YARDLEY We were kinda busy at the time, Chief. Vanessa is explaining the situation to the rebel leader. She covers her anxiety very well. A born diplomat. VANESSA It is a weapon intended for use on the Vang if we were overrun. REBEL LEADER (suspicious) Hmmmm. I would like to know more of this weapon.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (2)

105.

VANESSA (smiles, covering) Yes, of course. When it’s turned off. The Chief can’t take it any more. She shoves Rowe aside and starts punching in random codes. The clock: 00:00:51 and counting... She looks at Zach, lying on the ground in the near distance. QUICK MONTAGE - MEMORIES The Chief thinks hard, trying to piece together events, words, objects - anything about Zach that would give her a clue to what the code is. FLASHES of faces, places, missions, bar outings, his mother, his brother, girls he’s dated, girl’s he’s loved... Maggie Ramsay. END MONTAGE The clock is at 00:00:9. The Chief punches in 07-25-28 and the countdown continues, 00:00:07... The Chief blinks, confused and stunned that Maggie’s birthday wasn’t the code. She looks at Zach. Beat. Then she punches in 11-30-12. The countdown clock STOPS. 00:00:02. Omega exhale, powerfully relieved.

The Chief and all of FADE OUT.

FADE UP: EXT. SPACE A Titanian SPACECRAFT, like the one we saw in our opening scenes, floats through space. In its path is a tiny SPACE CAPSULE: the Viking One escape pod. DISSOLVE TO: INT. TITANIAN SPACECRAFT, SICK BAY CLOSE ON Zach’s face, eyes closed, unshaven. His eyes open. WHAT HE SEES: the ceiling and walls are an organic, oozing, gel-like substance. CHIEF (O.S.) Zach.

Hi.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (2)

106.

Zach’s eyes move to the Chief’s voice. PULL BACK and we see her, coming toward him in a jumpsuit, her black hair longer than Navy regulation. He sits up, stiff and in some pain. ZACH (groggy) Tess, what the hell. Where are we? CHIEF On an alien ship. Going home. To Earth. Zhang steps into frame. ZHANG You should take it easy, Commander. The oxygen here is much thinner than our own. Here, chew these. They help with oxygen absorption. She hands him two pills. Zach pops them. Then he sees a space-suited Titanian behind Zhang and the Chief. He appears to be quality checking the walls. Zach’s at a loss for words. ZHANG The walls generate oxygen. The Titanians modified this ship so that we could survive the journey home. CHIEF Go figure, huh. They live in three hundred below temperatures but can’t make a cryo chamber. The team?

ZACH Where are they?

INT. TITANIAN SPACECRAFT, MORGUE The 10 surviving members of Omega, along with Zhang and Villagra, stand behind Zach and the Chief. On tables in front of them are the bodies of their fellow soldiers, each draped in the equivalent of a ceremonial Grull flag. Zach steps up to one of them and pulls back the cloth. Vanessa appears to be sleeping peacefully, as beautiful in death as she was in life. As Zach stares at her FACE --

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (2)

107.

CHIEF (O.S.) She had ovarian cancer. Less than a year to live when we left Earth. It’s why she went into cryo. She wanted to live long enough to reach the surface, just on the off chance we came across the rebels before we blew the place to hell. The Chief steps up and stands next to Zach. down at Vanessa.

They both look

CHIEF A billion to one shot that she’d be able to do it, but she did. (Zach looks at the Chief) Now everybody gets what they needed; they get a home, we get more fuel than we can ever use... And she got to save the world before she died. OFF Vanessa’s face... INT. TITANIAN SPACECRAFT, OBSERVATION DECK Zach and the Chief (Tess) stand together, gazing at the stars through a large observation window. ZACH You know, Tess... Dr. Pettigrew may have cut a good deal, but it was you who saved our asses on the surface. How’d you figure out the code to stop the MIRV launch anyway? She looks at him.

Squeezes his hand affectionately.

CHIEF (loving smile) Like I don’t know my own birthday. DISSOLVE TO: EXT. RAMSAY HOME, BACKYARD - DAY A birthday party is in full swing. A group of 12-year-old GIRLS busy themselves making CRAFTS at a table. Maddy comes out of the house holding a BIRTHDAY CAKE. is behind her with the parents of the girls in tow.

Sandy

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (2)

108.

MADDY Alright, girls. and candles.

It’s time for cake

The girls make a space for the cake on the table. Maddy puts it down and lights a candle shaped like a "12". Birthday girl Maggie forces a smile. She’s not happy even though she tries to put on a brave face. MADDY Alright, everybody... Happy Birthday! ...to you!

EVERYBODY Happy Birth...

ZACH (O.S.) (booming) DAY TO YOU! Maggie turns and smiles big and pretty. She runs to Zach and they embrace. The 12-year-old girls nearly swoon. MAGGIE (thrilled) Uncle Zach! I knew you’d make it! ZACH (that devilish smile) You can always count on me, Kid. Tess (the Chief), in a pretty dress, joins Maddy and Sandy looking at Zach and Maggie’s reunion. A PHOTOGRAPHER sees the chance for a great shot. PHOTOGRAPHER Mrs. Ramsay... TESS/MADDY/SANDY Yes. PHOTOGRAPHER Do you mind if I get a picture? She SNAPS the photo. FREEZE on the image of the three lovely Ramsay women, Navy wives...

109.

INT. RAMSAY HOME, FAMILY ROOM - DAY We hear the PARTY going on outside.

The television is on.

ON TV: BBC REPORTER (V.O.) The revelation earlier this week that aliens from Titan - a moon of Saturn - have come to Earth, continued to rock all four corners of the globe. In a press conference from the White House where she was joined by the leaders of Russia, China and Great Britain, President Phelps today assured the world that the "Titanians" come in peace... Over President Phelps’ remarks CAMERA PANS the photos on the curio cabinet. HOLD on a now familiar portrait of the young Ramsay family, Matthew in uniform, Sandy, 11-year-old Matt and 6-year-old Zach, as we... FADE TO BLACK. THE END