PITCH BLACK

                              JOHNS
               May've noticed chains don't work on this
               guy. Only way we're truly safe is if he
               believes he's goin' free. But if he stops
               believin' --

                              FRY
               You mean, if he learns that you're gonna
               royally fuck him over.

                              JOHNS (CONT'D)
               -- we need a fail-safe. Bring the cells
               over at the last possible minute -- when
               the wings are ready, when we know we're
               ready to launch.

     Fry looks at him with new eyes.

                              FRY
               You know, he hasn't harmed any of us.
               Far as I can tell, he hasn't even lied
               to us. Just stick to the deal, Johns.
               Let him go if that's what it --

                              JOHNS
               He's a murderer. The law says he's gotta
               do his bid.

     Shaking her head, she looks off.

                              FRY
               Dancin' on razor blades here...

                              JOHNS
               I won't give him a chance to grab another
               ship -- or to slash another pilot's throat.

     EXT. SKIFF - SETTLEMENT - DAY

     Johns descends the gangway -- and finds Riddick erecting a field
     table in the shade of the skiff. He seems out of earshot. Now,
     anyway. As they trade looks, another flu-like shiver runs
     through Johns.

                              RIDDICK
               Bad sign. Shakin' like that in this heat.

     Johns moves on. The Chrislams appear, shouldering a roll of
     Vectran (wing-fabric material). They drop it on the table.
     Ready to cut bindings, Imam pats his hip for the knife that was
     just there.

                              RIDDICK
                         (looking after Johns)
               I'll cut.

     He has the knife.

     EXT. SETTLEMENT - DAY

     As Shazza and Audrey repair the sand-cat.

     EXT. SKIFF - DAY

     CLOSE on the knife slicing through the Vectran.

     Riddick hands the trim to Pilgrim #1. CAMERA FOLLOWS as he
     scampers onto the skiff...balance-beams over wing-struts...and
     delivers the piece to Imam, who stitches the fabric like an old
     Berber rug-weaver. Pilgrim #1 pauses to check on...

     The setting blue sun. Nothing unusual. Yet.

     INT. SKIFF - DAY

     The hatch closes, seals.

     CLOSE on a monitor. A "HULL INTEGRITY TEST" is underway. Fry
     scans rising pressure gauges.

                              RIDDICK (O.S.)
               Looks like we're a few shy....

     Fry whirls. Riddick is aboard, staring at the depleted battery
     bay. And he has Imam's blade.

                              RIDDICK (CONT'D)
               Power cells.

                              FRY
               They're coming.

                              RIDDICK
               Strange, not doin' a run-up on the main
               drive yet.
                         (half-beat)
               Strange unless he told you the particulars
               of my escape.

                              FRY
               I got the quick-and-ugly version.

                              RIDDICK
               An' now you're worried about a repeat of
               history?

                              FRY
               Entered our minds.

                              RIDDICK
               I asked what you thought.

                              FRY
               You scare me, Riddick. That's what you
               wanna hear, isn't it? There, I admit it,
               Can I get back to work now?

     She finds the courage to turn her back on him. Riddick moves
     closer -- and takes a beat to scan the controls. The cabin
     pressure builds.

                              RIDDICK
               Think Johns is an do-right man? You
               think I can trust him to cut me loose?

     A beat. Does Riddick already know? Is he testing her?

                              FRY
               Why, what'd you hear?

                              RIDDICK
               Well, guess if it was trickeration he'd
               just do me, huh? Then again...I am worth
               twice as much alive.
                         (reading her face)
               Didn't know? Johns ain't a cop. Oh, he's
               got that shiny badge an' all, but nah --
               he's just a merc and I'm just a payday.
               That's why he won't kill me. The creed is
               greed.

     It knocks her off stride, but...

                              FRY
               Save it, Riddick. We aren't gonna turn on
               each other -- no matter how hard you try.

     Riddick moves right up behind her.

                              RIDDICK
               I don't truly know what's gonna happen
               when the lights go out, Carolyn -- but I
               do know that once the dyin' starts, this
               little psycho family of ours is gonna rip
               itself apart. So you better find out the
               truth. Come nightfall, you better know
               exactly who's standing behind you.

     A monitor chirps the news: "HULL INTEGRITY --100%." EXHALING
     GASSES, the hatch opens automatically.

                              RIDDICK
               Oh, ask him 'bout those shakes. And ask
               why your crew-pal had to scream like that
               'fore he died.

     INT. PRIVATE ROOM - SETTLEMENT - DAY

     CLOSEUPS: Hands select a red-metal shotgun shell from a box...
     pull the shell open...remove a glass ampule hidden inside...drop
     the ampule into a injection syringe. The syringe touches an
     eager arm vein.

                              FRY (O.S.)
               Who are you? Really?

     Shirt off, Johns looks up. She's in the doorway.

                              FRY (CONT'D)
               You're not a real cop, are you? Just some
               mercenary who goes around talkin' about
               the law like --

                              JOHNS
               I never said I was.

                              FRY
               Never said you were a hype, either.

     She moves closer. Rummages through his stuff brazenly. Finds a
     shitload of red shells with the hidden ampules.

                              JOHNS
               You have a little caffeine in the morning,
               I have a little morphine. So what?

                              FRY
               And here you got two mornings every day.
               Wow, were you born lucky?

                              JOHNS
               Not a problem unless you're gonna make --

                              FRY
                         (lashing)
               You made it a problem when you let Owens
               die like that. When you had enough drugs
               to knock out a fucking mule-team.

                              JOHNS
               Owens was already dead. His brain just
               hadn't caught on to that fact.

                              FRY
               Anything else we should know about you,
               Johns? Christ, here I am lettin' you play
               games with our lives when --

     He catches her hands -- and moves them around his body, forcing
     her into an embrace. We understand why when we see a CLOSEUP
     of her hands: They find a jagged purple scar beside his spine.

                              JOHNS
               My first run-in with Riddick. Went for
               the sweet-spot and missed. They had to
               leave a piece of the shiv in there. I can
               feel it, sometimes, pressing against the
               cord.
                         (giving her hands back)
               So maybe the care and feeding of my
               nerve-endings is my business.

                              FRY
               You coulda helped. And you didn't.

     O.S., we hear the Chrislams JABBERING ARABIC and calling for
     "Captain, Captain...."

                              JOHNS
               Yeah, well, look to thine own ass first.
               Right, "captain"?

     It cuts deep.

     EXT. SETTLEMENT - DAY

     Fry and Johns move outside. The others have gathered, all eyes
     gang-locked on...

     An arch in the sky. Luminous, ominous, it grows from the horizon.

                              PARIS
               What do my eyes see?

                              FRY
               It's starting....

     They watch hypnotically as the arch rises, inching toward the two
     suns. Shazza shakes out of the trance first.

                              SHAZZA
                         (to Fry)
               If we need anything from the crash ship --
               I suggest we kick on. That sand-cat's
               solar.

     EXT. SETTLEMENT - DAY

     MULTIPLE SHOTS: Shazza cranking the sand-cat...hands snatching
     up lights, water, ropes...Chrislams piling aboard the sand-cat.

                              FRY
               LET'S GET THOSE CELLS!

     Sand-cat moving...Riddick jumping onto the rear bed....Paris and
     Audrey running, catching up.

                              SHAZZA
               We stay together! C'mon!

     INT. PRIVATE ROOM - SETTLEMENT - DAY

     Johns doubles back, grabs his shotgun shells, swings out the
     door...

     EXT. INCINERATOR - SETTLEMENT - DAY

     ...and catches up to the sand-cat. Riddick reels him aboard.

                              RIDDICK
               Don't wanna miss this.

                              AUDREY
               Lookit. Lookit!

     They turn back to see the rim of a giant planet. It's cresting
     over the horizon. The luminous arch is the planet's rings.

     EXT. RIBCAGE - THE GAUNTLET - DAY

     The sand-cat storms through the canyon. As it passes through the
     massive ribcage...

     The ROLL CAGE SMASHES OUT some low-bridge bones.

     EXT. CRASH SHIP - DAY

     The sand-cat reaches the crash ship. Bodies leap off. Paris
     steals a look at...

     The rising planet. It threatens to blot out suns, sky, universe.

     INT. BATTERY BAY - CRASH SHIP - DAY

     Johns yanks the first power cell and starts dragging it over the
     deck. Riddick yanks a second cell and, carrying it on his
     shoulder, passes Johns with a suck-my-ass grin. Johns shoulders
     his cell and stumbles after.

     EXT. CRASH SHIP - DAY

     Shazza wheels the sand-cat around, getting clearance between it
     and the ship.

     The Chrislams lash a scrap-metal sled to the sand-cat.

     Riddick drops the first cell onto the sled, Johns the second.
     They're racing the eclipse and each other.

     EXT. SKY - DAY TO DUSK

     As the rings of the planet eclipse the yellow sun.

     EXT. CRASH SHIP - DUSK

     It's like God just closed a blind: Daylight dims. The change in
     light brings a GROWING HIGH-PITCHED SOUND.

                              FRY
               Don't stop, don't stop....

     But Paris can't help himself. He squints to see...

     EXT. SPIRED HILLS - DUSK

     The spires. THE SOUND seems to come from there.

     EXT. SKY - DUSK

     As the rings eclipse the red sun.