Alien

Dallas turns on his helmet light. Flips switch on throat mike.

DALLAS

Do you receive me. Ripley. Parker. Lambert.

INT. EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE AREA

The hum of vast cooling plants.

Large air shafts run off in different directions.

Parker and Lambert stand ready by a duct.

Lambert hits the wall amp button.

LAMBERT

We're in position. I'll try and pick you up on the tracker.

Parker hefts his flamethrower.

DALLAS (V.O.)

Parker, if it tries to come out by you, make sure you drive it back in. I'll push it forward.

PARKER

Right.

INT. AIR LOCK VESTIBULE

Near the starboard air lock.

Ripley pops open the hatch.

The air lock now open and ready.

She moves to the air duct opening.

RIPLEY

Air lock open.

DALLAS (V.O.)

Ready.

RIPLEY

Ready.

INT. AIR SHAFT

Dallas begins to crawl forward.

The tunnel is narrow... Only a foot or two wider than his shoulders.

DALLAS

I'm under way.

Turns a corner. Several more tight turns. Instinctively Dallas pulls back. Raises the flamethrower. Fires a blast around the corner into the darkness.

It roars loudly in the confined tube.

Smoke drifts back into his face.

INT. MAINTENANCE LEVEL

A large rectangular duct in one wall.

PARKER

That's where it's got to come out, if it leaves the main shaft.

He throws a switch.

A metal pane rises and seals off the opening.

LAMBERT

Let's keep it open. I'd like to know if anything's coming.

Reluctantly, Parker again throws the switch and raises the metal pane.

INT. AIR LOCK VESTIBULE

Ripley waiting.

INT. AIR SHAFT

Dallas still crawling on hands and knees.

Ahead the shaft takes an abrupt downward turn.

He moves toward the corner. Fires another blast from the flamethrower. Then starts crawling down, head first.

INT. EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE AREA

Lambert sees something on the tracker.

LAMBERT

Beginning to get a reading on you.

INT. AIR SHAFT

The shaft makes yet another turn. Puts Dallas into an almost immobilized position.

INT. FOOD STORAGE LOCKER NUMBER 12

Ash staring at the ventilator opening.

INT. AIR SHAFT

Dallas against a wall of the shaft. Clutching his flamethrower. Whispers into his throat mike.

DALLAS

Ripley.

INT. AIR LOCK VESTIBULE

RIPLEY

Read you clear.

INT. AIR SHAFT

DALLAS

I don't think this shaft goes much further... It's getting hot in here.

He readies the flamethrower.

INT. EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE AREA

Parker readies his weapon.

INT. AIR SHAFT – DOUBLE-TIERED PASSAGEWAY

The air shaft tributary opens into a larger two-tier air tunnel.

Dallas crawls out and stands. Moves to a catwalk floor. Looks about. Moves forward. Reaches a repair junction. Sits. His feet dangle beneath the catwalk floor to the next level.

DALLAS

Lambert, what kind of reading are you getting.

INT. MAINTENANCE LEVEL

Lambert huddled over her tracker. Puzzled.

LAMBERT

I'm not sure. There seems to be some kind of double image.

INT. AIR SHAFT DOUBLE-TIERED PASSAGEWAY

Dallas sitting. His feet still dangling in the dark beneath the catwalk.

DALLAS

It may be interference. I'll push on ahead.

Dallas begins to rise.

From below, a gentle movement toward the hanging feet.

A hand reaches up.

Misses his leg as Dallas moves ahead. Further on.

DALLAS

Lambert, am I coming in any clearer.

LAMBERT (V.O.)

It's clear all right, but I'm still getting two blips.

(pause)

I'm not sure which one is which.

Dallas stops. Turns around. Looks back down through the catwalk. Lowers the nose of the flamethrower, his finger on the trigger.

From behind him, the hand reaches up.

The Alien is the front signal.

INT. AIR LOCK VESTIBULE

Ripley bends forward. Hears the sounds of the struggle...

And Dallas' screams.

She cries out.

RIPLEY

Dallas... Dallas...

INT. EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE AREA

Lambert and Parker. Hearing it all.

RIPLEY (V.O.)

Oh my God.

Then silence.

INT. MESS

Dallas' flamethrower on the table surface.

PARKER (V.O.)

We just found it laying there. No sign of him. Only a hole torn through to the central cooling complex.

The remaining crew standing at the table.

RIPLEY

This puts me in command.

PARKER

Okay.

For the first time he's dropped his bullshit.

RIPLEY

Unless someone's got a better idea about dealing with the Alien, we'll continue with the last plan.

Silence.

RIPLEY

How are our weapons.

PARKER

They're working fine... We could use more fuel for that one.

Indicating Dallas' flamethrower.

RIPLEY

Get it.

PARKER

Right.