PLASTIC MAN

                         ARGON

          This is our world, Susan, and once

          you realize that, you will

          understand that the only place our

          path can end is on the throne of

          heaven.  Science is the quest for

          divine perfection.

                         SUSAN

          How do you know we're not heading in

          the wrong direction?

                         ARGON

          I look behind us, I look to the

          past, to a world steeped in rot and

          decay.  I think of the Acropolis in

          another century reduced to little

          more than dust.  I see the faces of

          Rushmore eventually losing all

          distinction, and then I look at

          this...

He cradles the plastic bottle of Coca-Cola.

                         ARGON

          And I imagine it in a thousand years

          as perfectly shaped as the day it

          was made.

He smiles at her.

                         ARGON

          I find that thought exceptionally

          reassuring.

Nebbleman burst through the glass doors.

                         NEBBLEMAN

          They're here!  They're here!  We

          have the nanobot.

                         ARGON

          Excellent.  How long until the

          assembler tank is complete?

Nebbleman's glasses steam up from the humidity as he

stumbles toward them.

                         NEBBLEMAN

          Dr. Makeo is working on it now, sir.

          I estimate at least another six

          hours.

                         ARGON

          In the meantime, why don't you find

          something useful for Dr. Bright to

          do.

                         SUSAN

          I swear to you, Argon, if you don't

          stop the meltdown that nanobot will

          be the last one I ever build.

                         ARGON

          Susan, I sense you are having

          difficulty understanding the

          situation you are presently in.  I

          ask that you keep in mind that I am

          ready to reduce an entire city to

          gelatin to get what I want.

Susan notices the guards posted at the door.

                         ARGON

          If I were you, I'd be careful about

          making promises that you will be

          unable to keep.

His smile is as subtle as a knife point.

INT.  HALL GALLERY

O'Brien sneaks ever so silently, edging toward the door at

the opposite end.

The walls are covered with an impressive collection by

artists like Dali, Picasso and Bacon, picture-lit

dramatically.

As he nears the end, he suddenly hears voices moving

toward him.  He jumps back, searching for a place to hide.

Two armed GUARDS enter.

                         GUARD #1

          Who are we supposed to be looking

          for?

                         GUARD #2

          Some guy in red underwear.

They do not notice the bizarre red portrait hanging on the

wall.

                         GUARD #1

          How are we supposed to know the color

          of his underwear?

INT.  HALL

A guard is posted outside Susan's room.

INT.  SUSAN'S ROOM

Scientific equipment is piled in a room that looks like a

guest bedroom.

Awkwardly filling the center of the room is a long

industrial freezer unit.

Nebbleman and Susan are alone.

                         NEBBLEMAN

          These samples were taken from the

          surrounding area.  All the pertinent

          information is on disk.

Nebbleman lifts the lid, cold air puffing out, spilling

over the freezer's edge.

                         NEBBLEMAN

          What we need to know is expansion

          rates, how soon the replicators will

          reach the edge of the compound.

Inside there are several normal-looking objects taken from

the lab, including a metal stool, a microscope and several

glass beakers.

She stares at him numbly.

                         SUSAN

          I don't believe this is happening...

                         NEBBLEMAN

          Susan, Dr. Argon is giving you an

          opportunity here.

                         SUSAN

          Opportunity?

That snaps her up.

                         SUSAN

          There's a guard outside my door!

          I'm a prisoner, Nigel!  Do you

          understand that?

                         NEBBLEMAN

          Dr. Argon would say we are all

          prisoners.

                         SUSAN

          Argon is a lunatic!  I can't believe

          I was stupid enough to believe I

          could control him.  You heard what

          he said, Nigel.  He doesn't care if

          all of Calumet City is turned to

          Jell-O.  How can that not affect

          you?

                         NEBBLEMAN

          Because I am a new man, Susan.  I am

          a man of vision.  Your problem,

          Susan, is that you're always looking

          down.  If you'd just look up you'd

          see the big picture and in the big

          picture men of vision do not dwell

          on what might be lost.  They focus

          on what can be gained.

                         SUSAN

          Is that what Argon told you?

                         NEBBLEMAN

          No!  Well, not those exact words.

                         SUSAN

          Nigel, can't you see he's using you?

                         NEBBLEMAN

          Of course he is, but at least there

          isn't a security guard outside my

          door.

                         SUSAN

          You're afraid of him.

                         NEBBLEMAN

          Who isn't?

Her eyes narrow.

                         SUSAN

          Daniel O'Brien.

INT.  HALL

O'Brien tip-toes past an intersecting hall when he

hears --

                         SECURITY

          Hey...

O'Brien freezes.

                         SECURITY

          Hey, you!

The security man is a hundred feet away, but before he can

even get his gun out --

O'Brien's arm shoots down the hall, a huge hand

reaching --

Covering the security man's entire head before he is able

to scream.

The hand is like a plastic bag over his head that he can't

get free of until he finally blacks out.

O'Brien lays him down gently.  His arm snaps back and he

tip-toes away.

INT.  SUSAN'S ROOM

Nebbleman smirks, cleaning his glasses.

                         NEBBLEMAN

          I'm not interested in being a hero,

          Susan.  I'm not interested in self-

          delusion and romantic sentiment.

He puts his glasses back on.

                         NEBBLEMAN

          I'm a scientist.  I have lived my

          whole life by the diagnostic

          application of fact and the fact is,

          Argon is going to get whatever he

          wants, so if I were you, I'd give it

          to him.

                         SUSAN

          You mean the designs for the

          nanobot?  You think after this I'm

          going to give them to him?

                         NEBBLEMAN

          I think that either you're going to

          give them to him or he's going to

          make you give them to him.

                         SUSAN

          Make me?  How?  You think he's going

          to torture me?

Nebbleman shrugs.

                         NEBBLEMAN

          I would.

He smiles and that makes it worse.

                         SUSAN

          Get out.  Get out now before I hurt

          you.

Nebbleman stammers before scurrying for the door.

INT.  HALL

O'Brien is searching different rooms, stuffing his head

between door and jamb, calling, "Susan," in a hushed

voice.

The elevator at the end of the hall opens and he hears the

ELECTRIC WHINE of Argon's WHEELCHAIR together with the TAP

of Poppy's STILETTO HEELS.

He presses himself flat against the nearest door.

                         POPPY

          Do you think she will give us the

          designs?

                         ARGON

          Eventually.  These things are always

          a matter of leverage.

                         POPPY

          And you think O'Brien is that

          leverage?

                         ARGON

          That remains to be seen.

O'Brien peeks out and sees that they are heading straight

at him.

                         POPPY

          And you still believe he's going to

          come here?

                         ARGON

          Based on what we know of him, that

          would seem inevitable.

                         POPPY

          Do you think she loves him?

                         ARGON

          She must feel something for him.

          After all, she and I did create him.

It seems they are about to see him but when they reach the

double doors, O'Brien is gone.

She throws open the door and he follows her into --

INT.  POPPY'S BEDROOM

Everything is red; PVC gleaming like patent leather.

                         POPPY

          Do you think she loves him like I

          love you?

It is a woman's question and it annoys him.

                         ARGON

          Poppy, are you in one of your moods

          again?

                         POPPY

          No, Icky, this is real.

She closes the doors behind them.

                         POPPY

          I've been thinking a lot since this

          all started.  Thinking about us.

Uninterested in the direction of the conversation, Argon

notices that there are two identical ottomans.

                         POPPY

          You know how I feel about you.  You

          know how much I need you.  How much

          I trust you.  I would do anything

          for you.

                         ARGON

          Why are there two ottomans?

                         POPPY

          Icarus, please!  This is important!

She sees him staring at the ottoman and steps up onto it,

heels gouging into the padding.

The OTTOMAN GURGLES.

                         POPPY

          Look at me, Icarus!  Look at my

          body.  I've done everything, changed

          anything you asked me to.  'We will

          always love most that which we

          create.'  Is that still true?

                         ARGON

          Yes.  Yes, of course it is.

                         POPPY

          Then you still love me?

                         ARGON

          Poppy, please, just tell me what you

          want.

She steps down and kneels close to the wheelchair.

                         POPPY

          I want to know what will happen if

          the nanobot works on you become like

          O'Brien, a plastic man.  What will

          happen to me?

He realizes what she is asking.

                         ARGON

          You want to be polymerized?

Timidly, she looks up into his eyes.

                         POPPY

          Plastic means forever, doesn't it?

His smile is like a razor-cut, lips slowly widening.

                         ARGON

          That it does, my dear.  That it

          does.

She smiles until he pulls away and begins wheeling out.

                         POPPY

          Icarus?

                         ARGON

          I promise, my dear, I will give the

          matter some consideration.

                         POPPY

          Consideration?

                         ARGON

          If you honestly trust me, then

          you'll have to trust me.

He closes the door.

Angry, she turns away looking for something to hit.  She

picks up a hairbrush instead and begins violently brushing

her hair in the vanity mirror.

Behind her, in the mirror, we see the ottoman scurry

mouse-like to the closest door.

INT.  BATHROOM

O'Brien stands up in agony, holding his back where her

heels dug in.

A CLATTERING noise draws him to the door.  He peeks out

just as she pulls down the zipper on her dress.

Shrugging out of the sleeves, she walks toward the

bathroom.

O'Brien searches the room; where the bedroom was red, the

bathroom is completely white.

There is nowhere to hide except --

The toilet.  He climbs in as the door opens.  She drops

her dress and kicks off her shoes.

As she moves to the tub, O'Brien's hand reaches up and

pulls the flush.