Alien

THEIR POV – DAY

A gargantuan construction rising from the rock.

Clearly of nonhuman manufacture.

EXT. PLANET – DAY

Noise still at shrill pitch.

All members of the party shouting into their voice-amps.

KANE

Some kind of spaceship.

LAMBERT

Are you sure. It's weird...

DALLAS

Ash, can you see this.

INT. ASH'S BLISTER – DAY

Ash looking at the craft on a screen.

ASH

Yeah. Never seen one like it.

Neither has Mother.

DALLAS (V.O.)

Keep checking for enhancement.

ASH

Whatever the transmission is, it's inside that.

KANE (V.O.)

I'll go in and have a look.

DALLAS (V.O.)

Hold on. Ash, I don't see any lights or movements. Do you?

ASH

I can't get any reading.

EXT. PLANET – DAY

ASH (V.O.)

It's putting out so much power, I just can't get any reading.

Dallas shuts off his receiver.

Sudden quiet.

A long moment.

DALLAS

It looks pretty dead from here. We'll approach the base.

They move toward the ship.

INT. BLISTER – DAY

Ash still adjusting image of form in rock. It suddenly resolves. A skeleton. Fifteen feet long.

He enlarges the image.

DALLAS (V.O.)

There's only one thing I can...

Dallas' voice fades in and out.

As do their images on the screen.

ASH

Dallas...

(frantically punches buttons on console)

Dallas... do you read me.

No reply.

INT. BRIDGE – DAY

Ripley is running the transmission through ECIU.

Over the speakers Dallas' voice fades in.

DALLAS (V.O.)

No sign of life. No lights... no movement...

She studies a long series of binary programs...

DALLAS (V.O.)

We're beneath the base.

His voice fades into static. Disappears.

CUT TO:

EXT. STRUCTURE – DAY

The lower part of the entrance filled with dust and pumice.

KANE

Looks like an entrance.

DALLAS

Yeah... let's move inside...

They climb up to one of the apertures and enter.

INT. CHAMBER – DAY

They move into a high-ceilinged chamber.

Walls covered with shadowy lattices.

Ghostly light filters dust-filled air.

A few meters in an opening appears.

Dallas leans over and looks into the hole.

Only blackness.

He unclips the light from his belt. Shines it down into the hole.

DALLAS

It just goes down... smooth walls. I can't see the bottom, light won't reach.

Kane and Lambert come over.

Dallas begins unclipping gear from his belt.

DALLAS

Let's take a look around here first.

Kane and Lambert exchange a glance.

Dallas shines his light about, sees...

... a large, glossy urn, tan coloration. Round opening at the rop, empty within.

Then Dallas shines his light on nearby lattice... moves closer.

DALLAS

Over here.

They approach. Train their lights along the floor.

A machine. On the mechanism, a small bar moves steadily back and forth. Sliding noiselessly in the grooves.

KANE

Still functioning.

Lambert looks down at her direction finder.

LAMBERT

Automatic recording.

Dallas snaps it off.

DALLAS

Now for a look down below.

(looks at Kane)

This is your big chance.

KANE

Okay.

DALLAS

Don't unhook yourself from the cable. Be out in less than ten minutes. Read me.

KANE

Aye aye.

Dallas rigs a tripod over the opening in the floor. Unspools a couple of feet of wire.

Kane attaches the end of it to his chest unit. Climbs over the lip and drops it into the hole. Now hanging by the wire... head and shoulders out of the opening. He activates the climbing unit. Lowers himself into the fissure.

INT. STRUCTURE OPENING

Kane braces his feet against the wall of the vertical shaft. Switches on his light, points it into the depths.

The beam penetrates only thirty feet or so, then is lost in darkness.

KANE

Hotter in here. Warm air rising from below.

He starts down, playing out the line. Descending in short leaps. Stops to catch his breath. Breathing rasping loudly in his helmet.

A little sunlight filters from above.

Looking up, Kane can see the mouth of the hole... a glowing spot of light.

DALLAS (V.O.)

You okay in there.

KANE

Haven't hit bottom yet. This is work. Can't talk now.

He kicks off and continues down. Taking longer and longer hops as he gains confidence. Pausing for a moment to regain his breath, he shines the light on his instruments.

KANE

I'm below ground level.

INT. BRIDGE

Ripley at her console, still working on transmission. Gets a readout. Looks worried. Speaks into communicator.

RIPLEY

Ash, tell Dallas Mother speculates that the noise is some kind of warning.

ASH (V.O.)

I can't tell him anything. I've lost contact. The transmission around the ship is killing all communications.

Pause.

RIPLEY

I'm going out after them.

ASH (V.O.)

I don't think so. We can't spare the personnel. We've got minimum takeoff capability right now. That's why Dallas left us on board.

RIPLEY

I still think we should go after them.

ASH (V.O.)

What's the point. In the time it take to get there. They'll know if it's a warning.

Ripley looks steadily at Ash on her monitor.

His screen, not visible to her, shows blowup of helmeted, skeletal head. Not human.

INT. STRUCTURE

Kane resumes his downward climb. Suddenly, his feet lose their purchase as the walls of the shaft disappear.

The tunnel has reached its end.

Below him is a dark, cavernous space. Deep breaths due to his violent exertion.

DALLAS (V.O.)

See anything?

KANE

No... tunnel's gone. Cave or something below me. Feels like the goddamn tropics in here...

He consults his instruments.

Helmet instrumentation strobing softly in the darkness.

KANE

... high nitrogen content, no oxygen...

Still puffing, he releases his purchase on the stone walls. Begins to lower himself on power. Now Kane is dangling free in darkness. Spinning slowly on the wire as the chest unit unwinds. Then his feet hit bottom.

Kane grunts in surprise, almost loses his balance. He flashes his suit lights.

The beams reveal that he is in a large hold.

Row after row of extrusions stretch from floor to ceiling.

KANE

This is weird.

DALLAS (V.O.)

What do you mean.

KANE

There's something all over the walls.

Kane walks across the chamber. Examines the organic protrusions.

INT. CHAMBER ABOVE

Dallas and Lambert.

DALLAS

How long till sunset.

LAMBERT

Twenty minutes.

A look from Lambert.

INT. HOLD

Kane approaches the center of the room.

On the floor are rows of leathery ovoid shapes.

He walks around them.

Shines his light on one.

KANE

It's like some kind of storage area. Is anybody there. Do you read me?

DALLAS (V.O.)

Loud and clear.

KANE

The place is full of leathery things sealed... soft to the touch.

DALLAS (V.O.)

Can you see what's in them.

KANE

I'll give it a look.

He tries to open one of them. It won't open.

KANE

Strange feeling to it.

DALLAS (V.O.)

Don't open it. You don't know what's in it.

Kane peers closely at the leathery ovoids. Turns away.

Raised areas begin to appear where he touched it.

He moves his light along the rows. Turns back to the one he was examining.

Something has changed.

The opaque surface begins to clear.

Object becoming visible within.

Kane shines his light on the floor at the base of it. He studies it.

KANE

Jesus...

DALLAS (V.O.)

What?

Viscera and mandible now visible.

The interior surface spongy and irregular.

Kane shines the light inside.

With shocking violence, a small creature smashes outward. Fixes itself to his mask.

Sizzling sound.

The creature melts through the mask. Attaches itself to Kane's face.

Kane tears at the thing with his hands. His mouth forced open. He falls backward.

INT. CHAMBER ABOVE

DALLAS

Kane... Kane can you hear me?

LAMBERT

What's the matter.

DALLAS

We better haul him out.

LAMBERT

It'll yank him right off his feet if he's not expecting it.

DALLAS

Try him again.

LAMBERT

Kane... Kane... Goddamn it. Answer me.

Dallas begins to fiddle with the wench mechanism.

DALLAS

The line's slack.

Pause.

LAMBERT

He doesn't answer.

(pause)

Do you think he could have unhooked himself.

Dallas switches on the winch motor.

With a whine, it begins to reel the line in.

After a moment the line tightens with a jerk.

The motor slows, laboring under added weight.

DALLAS

It caught.

LAMBERT

Is it hooked on something.

DALLAS

No, it's coming.

LAMBERT

I can't see anything.

Dallas shines his light down into the hole. Shakes his head.

DALLAS

Line's still moving.

A long moment.

Dallas shines his light again.

DALLAS

Here he comes.

The winch labors heavily.

DALLAS

Get ready to grab him.

Kane appears at the top of the opening. Dangles limply from the wire.

Dallas reaches for him, then recoils.

DALLAS

Look out. There's something on his face.

Lambert attempts to help.

LAMBERT

What is it.

Kane appears to be completely unconscious.

The life form is still wrapped motionless around his face.

LAMBERT

Oh Jesus.

DALLAS

Don't touch it.

They grapple with Kane's limp body. Lift him from the hole.

INT. ENTRANCE TO DERELICT – SUNSET

Kane is now pinioned between Dallas and Lambert.

The storm raging through and beyond the entrance...

Dallas begins to assemble travois.

EXT. THE NOSTROMO – SUNSET

Atmosphere turning the color of blood. And the sun is down.

The ring of floodlights on the ship comes to life.

Feebly combating the darkness and continuing storm.

INT. BRIDGE

Jones the cat staring through a port opening at the storm.

Ripley waiting on the bridge.

Ash stares at his inactive monitors.

Suddenly:

ASH

We've got them. They're back on the screens.

RIPLEY

How many.

ASH

Three blips. They're coming this way.

Ripley presses transmitter.

RIPLEY

Dallas, Lambert. Can you read me.

DALLAS (V.O.)

We hear you. We're coming back... Kane's injured... We'll need some help getting him in.

Ripley stares at the screen.

ASH

I'll go.

Ash moves from the room.

Ripley remains seated at her console.

EXT. LANDING LEG – NIGHT

Dallas and Lambert dragging Kane on a travois towards landing leg.

INT. PASSAGEWAY NEAR AIR LOCK

Ash comes down the steps. Hurries to the inner door lock. Presses the wall voice-amp.

ASH

Ripley, I'm by the inner lock hatch.

RIPLEY (V.O.)

Okay.

EXT. LANDING LEG – NIGHT

Dallas and Lambert drag Kane onto lift platform.

INT. PASSAGEWAY NEAR AIR LOCK

Parker comes running up.

PARKER

What's going on.

ASH

Kane got hurt somehow.

PARKER

How bad.

Ash shrugs.

Brett appears at the top of the companionway.

Puzzled look on his face.

INT. BRIDGE

Ripley seated alone in the room.

Dallas appears as a huge image on all screens.

Lambert behind him.

Kane pinioned to Dallas.

DALLAS (V.O.)

Ripley, are you there.

RIPLEY

Right here.

DALLAS (V.O.)

We're coming up. Open the lock.

RIPLEY

What happened to Kane. I need a clear definition.

DALLAS (V.O.)

Some kind of organism. It's attached itself to him. Let us in.

(long moment)

You hear me. Open the lock.

RIPLEY

If we let it in, the ship could be infected.

DALLAS (V.O.)

Goddamn it. Open the hatch.

RIPLEY

We're already broken every rule or quarantine. If we bring an organism on board, we won't have a single layer of defense left.

LAMBERT (V.O.)

Open the God damn hatch. We have to get him inside.