Alien

LAMBERT

We run out of food and oxygen.

DALLAS

All right, that's what we've got. A week. It's plenty of time.

PARKER

I say we put on our pressure suits and blow all the air out of the ship. That might kill it.

LAMBERT

What a swell idea.

PARKER

What's wrong with it.

ASH

We've got forty-eight hours of air in our pressure suits and it takes six months to get home.

LAMBERT

Other than that... A swell idea.

Parker won't give up on this idea.

PARKER

Maybe we could out some kind of special lines to the tanks. Brett and I are pretty good practical engineers... We got us back up you know.

RIPLEY

All by yourselves.

ASH

I hate to point this out but it might be better off without oxygen. It lived that way long enough.

RIPLEY

There's another problem. How do we find it. There's no visual communication on B and C decks. All the screens are out.

DALLAS

We're going to have to flush it out.

ASH

Sounds great... but how.

DALLAS

Room by room, corridor by corridor.

One of those suggestions that nobody likes.

LAMBERT

And what do we do when we find it.

RIPLEY

Trap it somehow.

BRETT

If we had a really strong piece of net, we could bag it... I could put something together. A long metal rod with a battery in it. Only take a few hours.

LAMBERT

Why do we listen to this meathead.

Dallas turns it over.

DALLAS

He might be right...

EXT. OUTER SPACE

The Nostromo continues through the vortex.

INT. INFIRMARY

Dallas enters.

Ash working at a read-out section.

DALLAS

I want to talk.

ASH

I'm a little busy at the moment.

Pause.

DALLAS

I don't care.

Pause.

ASH

All right, go ahead.

DALLAS

Why did you let the Alien survive inside Kane.

ASH

I'm not sure you're getting through to me.

DALLAS

Mother was monitoring his body. You were monitoring Mother. You must have had some idea of what was going on.

ASH

What are you trying to say.

A long moment.

DALLAS

You want the Alien to stay alive... I figure you have a reason.

ASH

Name one.

DALLAS

Look, we both work for the same company. I just want to know what's going on.

ASH

I don't know what the hell you're talking about. And I don't like any of the insinuations. The Alien is a dangerous form of life... I don't want it to stay alive any more than you do.

DALLAS

You're sure?

ASH

Yeah, I'm sure. You should be too.

Dallas walks out.

Ash watches him go.

Stares in his direction a long while...

INT. NARCISSUS

Dallas seated in the shuttle craft. Staring at the myriad lights of outer space.

Ripley climbs beside him.

RIPLEY

I thought I'd find you here.

Dallas continues to stare.

DALLAS

Are the nets finished.

Pause.

RIPLEY

We've got an hour... Look I need some relief.

DALLAS

Why did you wait until now.

Ripley leans forward.

RIPLEY

Let me tell you something. You keep staring out there long enough, they'll be peeling you off the wall.

Ripley begins taking off her boots.

DALLAS

We're the new pioneers, Ripley. We even get to have our own special disease.

RIPLEY

I'm tired of talking.

She rises and removes her upper garments.

DALLAS

You waited too long.

RIPLEY

Give it a try anyway.

Clothing removed.

His arms move around her.

INT. BRIDGE

The crew has assembled.

Brett unfolds several yards of asbestos netting. Hands out five thin rods. Each of them like metal broom handles.

BRETT

I put portable generators in each of these. They're insulated down here. Just be goddamn careful not to get your hand on the end.

He touches the tip to a metal object.

A blue spark leaps.

BRETT

It won't damage the little bastard unless its skin is a lot thinner than ours... It'll just give it a little incentive.

LAMBERT

Now if we could only find it.

Ash picks up a portable unit.

ASH

I've taken care of that... tracking device. You set it to search for a moving object... It hasn't much range but when you get within a certain distance it starts beeping.

Ripley takes the tracker from Ash's hand.

RIPLEY

What's it key on.

ASH

Micro changes in air density. Keep it pointed ahead of you.

DALLAS 

We'll break into two teams. Whoever finds it first catches it in the net and ejects it from the nearest air lock.

(pause)

For starters, let's make sure the bridge is safe.

Parker turns on his unit. Scans it around the room.

LAMBERT

We seem to be okay... If this damn thing works.

DALLAS

Ash and myself will go with Lambert. Brett and Parker will make up the second team. Ripley, you command it.

They start doling out the equipment.

DALLAS

Channels are open on all decks. We'll be in constant touch.

INT. PASSAGEWAY – "A" LEVEL

Lambert and Dallas carry the net.

Ash walks directly behind, carrying the tracking device. He continually scans from side to side.

Lambert stops by a stairwell.

LAMBERT

Anything down there.

INT. ANOTHER PASSAGEWAY – "B" LEVEL

Parker and Ripley move silently along.

Ripley ahead of them with the tracker by the stairwell.

RIPLEY

Nothing.

The move on.

A small light flashes.

RIPLEY

Hold it. I've got something.

Parker and Brett grow tense. Start looking around.

BRETT

Where's it coming from.

Ripley peers closely at the tracker.

RIPLEY

Machine's screwed up. I can't tell. Needle's spinning all over the dial.

BRETT

Goddamn, malfunction.

Ripley turns the tracker on its side.

The needles stabilize.

RIPLEY

No, just confused. It's coming from below us.

They all look down at their feet.

INT. MAINTENANCE – "C" LEVEL

Ripley, Parker and Brett come down ladder onto an endless oily corridor. They stop at the foot of the companionway... They move down corridor into darkness.

RIPLEY

Okay.

Looks at the tracker. Nods down the passageway. Stops.

RIPLEY

Back this way.

They begin to walk in that direction. Entering drab section of the ship. Surrounded by deep shadows. Footsteps clanging on the metal deck.

RIPLEY

I thought you fixed 12 module.

BRETT

We did.

PARKER

Circuits must have burned out.

They switch on lights. Move around two turns.

RIPLEY

Wait.

They stop quickly, almost stumbling.

RIPLEY

It's within five meters.

Parker and Brett heft the net.

Ripley has the prod in one hand, tracker in the other. Moves with great care. Almost in a half-crouch, ready to leap back. Prod extended, Ripley constantly glances at her tracker.

The device leads her up to a small hatch in the bulkhead.

Perspiration rivers down her face. She sets aside the tracker. Raises the prod, grasps the hatch handle. Yanks it open. Jams the electric prod inside.

A nerve-shattering squall.

Then a small creature comes flying out of the locker. Eyes glaring, claws flashing.

Instinctively, they throw the net over it. Very annoyed. They open the net and release the captive.

Which happens to be the cat. Hissing and spitting, it scampers away.

RIPLEY

God damn it... hold it.

PARKER

We should have killed it... Now we might pick it up on the tracker again.

RIPLEY

Go get it. We'll go on.

BRETT

Right.

Ripley and Parker move down the passageway.

Brett follows the direction taken by the cat. Moves across passageway into equipment maintenance area.

INT. EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE AREA – "C" LEVEL

Brett walking between rows of shadowed equipment. Looking for the cat. Nervous.

BRETT

Jones... Here kitty... Jones... Goddamn it Jones.