Alien

ASH

The other ship did.

DALLAS

That's what I mean.

Studies the print-out.

ASH

It's big enough. Can't see any reason why not.

CUT TO:

EXT. NOSTROMO AND REFINERY APPROACHING THE STAR / PLANET SYSTEM

INT. BRIDGE

Dallas at his console speaking to Ash.

DALLAS

We're coming into range of the planet. What kind of orbit do you plan for the cargo.

ASH

Z local vertical mode.

DALLAS

You figure it will hold that.

ASH

You worried about redundancy management disabling CMGS control.

DALLAS

Yeah.

ASH

CMG control is inhibited via DAS/DCS. We'll augment with TACS and monitor through ATMDC and computer interface.

(pause)

Feel better?

DALLAS

A lot.

EXT. NOSTROMO

Moving within range of the planet.

INT. BRIDGE

The crew strap themselves to their seats.

DALLAS

Prepare for separation and orbital insertion of the cargo.

Much preparation for separation, etc.

DALLAS

Give me an EC Pressure reading.

ASH

3.45 n/c m² squared (5 psia)

DALLAS

Shout if it changes. Deactivate probe retract system.

KANE

What about the pressure seal.

Dallas hits appropriate switches.

DALLAS

Now the probe retract system.

Kane hits other equally appropriate switches.

KANE

Okay.

DALLAS

Release captive hatches and disengage probe.

Kane working switches and buttons.

KANE

Disengaged.

Dallas punches buttons of his own.

EXT. NOSTROMO

The Refinery separates from Nostromo.

INT. BRIDGE

Dallas watches the refinery moving away on a viewscreen.

KANE

All free and clear.

DALLAS

Ash.

ASH

Orbital insertion complete.

DALLAS

Okay. The money's safe. Let's take it down.

EXT. NOSTROMO

Engines coughing to life.

Nostromo begins its descent.

Below night's tide rolls across the planet's surface.

INT. BRIDGE

The viewscreen shimmers.

RIPLEY

Turbulence.

EXT. NOSTROMO

Tug-module hydroplaning downward.

A set of brilliant lights switch on.

Cut through the thick atmosphere.

INT. ENGINE ROOM – CUBICLE

Parker and Brett strapped in their seats.

Begin rocking from the sudden, extreme turbulence.

PARKER

Chirst. Overloading. What the hell are we going through.

BRETT

Dust fritzing the compressor.

PARKER

There goes the conversion stabilizer.

BRETT

I don't know if the digital solenoid...

PARKER

Forget it. If we don't crash, dollars to your aunt's cherry we get an electrical fire...

INT. BRIDGE

The turbulence continues unabated.

Lambert's eyes follow cross-plot gauges.

LAMBERT

Drop begins... now. Fifteen kilometers and descending... twelve... ten... eight and slowing. Five. Three. Two. One kilometer and slowing.

DALLAS

Lock tractor breams.

A loud electrical hum.

KANE

Locked.

DALLAS

Kill drive engines.

The engines fall silent.

LAMBERT 

Nine hundred meters and dropping. Eight hundred. Seven hundred.

EXT. PLANET – NIGHT

Storm blowing across the night-shrouded surface.

The Nostromo hovers on glowing beams of light.

Landing struts unfold like insect legs.

The ship slams down.

Rocks heavily on massive shock absorbers.

INT. BRIDGE – NIGHT

RIPLEY

We're down.

An enormous vibration.

The panels in the room flash simultaneously.

Lights go out.

KANE

Lost it. Lost it.

INT. ENGINE ROOM

Another huge vibration.

An electrical fire breaks out along three control panels.

INT. OILY CORRIDOR

Huge flash fire whips along corridor.

INT. ENGINE ROOM – CUBICLE

Parker and Brett see the pandemonium below.

Brett hits the secondary generator switch.

A pressure valve blows.

Another conduit breaks loose.

All lights go out.

They grab hand lights from wall.

INT. BRIDGE

Still in darkness.

LAMBERT

Secondary generator should kick over.

KANE

Where is it.

Moments. Nothing. Kane grabs emergency headlamp from facia. Followed by Dallas and Lambert.

DALLAS

What happened?

Ripley hits the voice-amp.

RIPLEY

Engine room, what happened.

PARKER (V.O.)

God damn electrical fire, that's what happened.

BRETT (V.O.)

It's big.

INT. ENGINE ROOM

Parker fighting an electrical fire on one of his panels.

Brett shouting into his voice-amp.

BRETT

The intakes are clogged. We overheated and burned out a whole cell...Christ, it's really breaking loose down here...

INT. BRIDGE

DALLAS 

Somebody give me a simple answer, has the hull been breached.

Ripley scans her gauges.

RIPLEY

I don't see anything. We've still got pressure.

A beep from the communicator.

DALLAS

Hit the screen.

Kane snaps three toggles.

The screens flicker, but remain black.

KANE

Nothing.

EXT. SHIP – NIGHT

The wind sounds.

Storm continues to blow around the craft.

A few glittering lights distinguish the Nostromo from absolute darkness.

INT. ENGINE ROOM CUBICLE

Parker on the communicator to the bridge.

PARKER

4 panel is totally shot, the secondary load sharing unit is out, at least three cells on 12 module are gone.

INT. BRIDGE

Ripley listening to Parker. Dallas standing over her.

No images on any screens.

RIPLEY

Is that it.

PARKER (V.O.)

Couldn't fix it out here anyway. And we need to reroute a couple of these ducts. Can't really fix them without a whole drydock...

DALLAS

What else.

PARKER (V.O.)

We lost a cell. Some fragments caked up and blew the whole system. We've got to clean it all out and repressurize.

BRETT (V.O.)

Right.

RIPLEY

Get started on 4 panel. I'll be down in five minutes.

She shuts off her voice communicator.

DALLAS

How long before we're functional.

RIPLEY

Fifteen to twenty hours...

DALLAS

Stay on it. What about the auxiliaries.

RIPLEY

Working on it.

EXT. SHIP – NIGHT

Bridge lights come to life.

Illuminate nothing but a patch of featureless ground.

The wind and storm now at a higher pitch.

INT. BRIDGE

Dallas, Kane, Lambert, and Ash. Slouched around the bridge. Drinking coffee. Occasionally staring at the opaque screens.

DALLAS

Any response yet.

ASH

Nothing but the same transmission every thirty-two seconds. All the other channels are dead.