ALIENS Vs.PREDATOR

Steeling herself, she takes a deep breath and plunges headfirst into the

water once more...

HIROKO's P.O.V. Everything goes to blackness again. The head-up-display

presents a view of the unseen tunnel in cheerful candy-apple hues.

COMPUTER VOICE

(O.S., on speakers)

Entering venturi duct, en route to

secondary overflow sump DS oh four slash

eleven...

YORK watches HIROKO's feet disappear into the shaft.

PARSONS

Seal it.

The heavy sealing-plug is dragged across the grating and positioned over the

hole. YORK shakes his head.

YORK

Suicide run, man. Fuckin' suicide run.

INT. RYUSHI STATION - SEWER SYSTEM - VENTURI DUCT

CASSIE wasn't kidding about the venturi-duct. It's only about half-again as

wide as HIROKO. The only illumination comes from the hazy circle above. As

the plug reseals the hole, even that's gone.

Something flickers. Two weak fluorescent tubes come on, lighting the murk

with a faint orange haze.

CASSIE

(O.S. on speakers)

All the comforts of home.

HIROKO

Thanks, Cassie.

CASSIE

(O.S., on speakers)

Don't mention it.

She inches her way through the narrow space towards us, breathing heavily.

The CLICKING of the motion-tracker in her helmet is overwhelming in the

silence...

EXT. RYUSHI STATION - ANTENNA ARRAY - NIGHT

The station's massive antenna array is being transformed. Otherworldly

shapes comprised of surreal creatures and protrusions are starting to cover

it's surface. ALIENS drop from dizzying heights, exuding streams of

gelatinous gunk from the four 'exhaust' pipes on their backs. They're

building a nest of staggering proportions.

Unnoticed by the busy biomechanoids, faint sparks flicker from the crane

catwalk high above...

EXT. RYUSHI STATION - CRANE CATWALK - NIGHT

BROKEN TUSK sits on the catwalk floor, a small shower of sparks lighting his

face. He's attempting to repair his broken wrist computer with an intricate

tool. He removes it and presses a switch. The display glows briefly, then

fades. He inserts it again. Electrical sparks CRACKLE across the computer's

fascia, before burning out. BROKEN TUSK throws the ruined machine away in

disgust.

INT. RYUSHI STATION - AUTO-SHOP

From our P.O.V. high up near the roof of the auto-shop we see THOMAS sitting

on the raised hydraulic platform. He GRUNTS as he pulls a valve on the

crawler's underside.

Across the room, the second crawler RUMBLES out of the far bay. One of the

GREASE MONKEYS walks slowly backwards, waving it on.

GREASE MONKEY

Okay. Back. Back. Little bit more...

He steps into a pool of slippery residue and loses his footing.

GREASE MONKEY (CONT'D)

Whoa...shit!

The man crouches and runs a finger through the colorless goo on the floor.

Scowls first, then frowns. It's sticky.

Over near the doors, MATT exhales deeply on a cigarette. DE VRIES is nearby,

listening attentively as GUTTIEREZ gets a message on his helmet.

GUTTIEREZ

She just set off!

MATT claps his hands together - just once - to get everybody's attention.

MATT

Okay, people. Let's hustle...

There's a SCREAM from behind. They wheel around in time to see the GREASE

MONKEY being tugged into the maintenance opening. THOMAS yells down from the

platform.

THOMAS

They're comin' up through the pit!

A box with two large buttons - one green, one red - dangles from the ceiling

on the end of a cable. MATT forces down the red control, making the platform

lower. Several tons of machinery and crawler bring about the demise of the

ALIENS as they reach the lip of the opening, CRUSHING their chitinous limbs

to smithereens.

An ALIEN rolls out of the pit in time, scrambling for the safety of the

nearby shadows. DE VRIES sights it.

DE VRIES

Over there!

One of the MEN has seen it. His head snaps up to a mammoth engine-block

suspended from a winch high above. He LEAPS for the release-catch as the

ALIEN passes underneath. Pulls hard on the grip. Chains RATTLE noisily as

the block THUNDERS down. The ALIEN begins to look up, just a second too

late. The heavy piece of machinery SMASHES into the creature, flattening it

instantly.

Unseen by anybody, another ALIEN has escaped to the roof of the platform-

bound crawler. It wraps it's long, bony fingers around the face of the MAN,

stifling his CRIES and pulling him off the deck. The LOUD CLATTERING of his

chainsaw bouncing off the floor-grating gets THOMAS' attention.

THOMAS

Mother-_fucker_!

THOMAS retrieves the fallen tool and jams the 'on' switch hard. The ALIEN's

tongue shoots through the GREASE MONKEY's skull, showering THOMAS with a

faint speckling of blood. The ALIEN discards the body and lunges at THOMAS,

who counters bringing the chainsaw up.

The blade slices into the creature's throat, and up through it's head.

THOMAS draws out the chainsaw quickly. Something happens to the PITCH of

the blade, a peculiar sound...

The acid eats through the links of the chainsaw band. Like a metallic snake,

it WHIPS off it's supporting frame.

Straight at THOMAS.

INT. RYUSHI STATION - SEWER SYSTEM - VENTURI DUCT

HIROKO elbows her way further through the cramped water-filled duct. A wide

grille directly in her path blocks further headway.

HIROKO'S P.O.V. Green neon flashes in her display, with accompanying

notations.

COMPUTER VOICE

(O.S., on speakers)

Progress to secondary overflow sump DS

oh-four slash eleven impeded. Grating

_must_ be removed to facilitate entry...

HIROKO

(into headset)

Okay, I'm at the first access grate.

CASSIE's VOICE is a little less clear now, with traces of STATIC drifting

in...

CASSIE

(O.S., on speakers)

Copy that. Be careful, now.

HIROKO

You betcha.

She places the tip of her power-tool over the first of the grille's anchoring

bolts. The complex mechanism WHINES as it selects the correct wrench-tip for

the job...

INT. RYUSHI STATION - COMMAND CENTER

PARSONS races up to the GIRL manning the communication console.

PARSONS

What is it?

GIRL

Auto-shop.

INT. RYUSHI STATION - AUTO-SHOP- CRAWLER CABIN

THOMAS is laid-out in the back seat of the crawler's cab, with DE VRIES and

MATT trying to staunch the wounds from the chainsaw band's impact to his

chest. GUTTIEREZ speaks into his headset mike.

GUTTIEREZ

Rob? We got problems.

INT. RYUSHI STATION - SEWER SYSTEM - SUMP CHAMBER

THUMP. THUMP. SLAM! The grille in knocked out of it's housing and floats

lazily off into the water. HIROKO passes through the newly-created hole.

HIROKO'S P.O.V. She finds herself in an upright cylindrical chamber, about

five feet in height. Massive extractor fans churn dangerously where both the

floor and ceiling ought to be. Kicking up a swirl of particles. Pale blue

light filters down from above.

COMPUTER VOICE

(O.S., on speakers)

Caution! Entering secondary overflow sump

DS oh-four slash eleven. Grating _must_

be removed to facilitate entry to Central

Reservoir...

HIROKO

(annoyed)

Yeah, yeah, yeah...

With difficulty, she straddles the floor turbine. A vortex of water swirls

around her as she brings the power-tool up once more.

INT. RYUSHI STATION - COMMAND CENTER

PARSONS listens attentively. He CLICKS his fingers at CASSIE.

PARSONS

Where is she?

CASSIE

Comin' up the Central Reservoir.

PARSONS

Quick! Run a trace on the culvert leading

off the auto-shop maintenance pit.

CASSIE's all-business, immediately calling-up the base floor-plan files on a

monitor.

PARSONS (CONT'D)

(into headset)

Is Thomas gonna make it?

GUTTIEREZ

(O.S., on speakers)

Uh...difficult to say. I think...

INT. RYUSHI STATION - AUTO-SHOP

GUTTIEREZ looks on as MATT ties-off a bandage.

GUTTIEREZ (CONT'D)

...The chainsaw band might have punctured

his lungs.

INT. RYUSHI STATION - COMMAND CENTER

CASSIE looks up, worriedly.

CASSIE

I found it...

PARSONS

And?

CASSIE

Drains right into the Central Reservoir.

PARSONS

Get her on-line. Now!

INT. RYUSHI STATION - SEWER SYSTEM - SUMP CENTER

HIROKO's pulls her third bolt free. It drifts slowly downward, slipping

between the vanes of the floor turbine.

A fragmented VOICE comes through on her headset, distorted beyond

recognition. HIROKO's forehead knits together in concentration and

annoyance.

HIROKO

What was that? I don't copy.

CLICK. CLICK. _BEEP_! The routine sound of the motion tracker changes

suddenly. HIROKO turns her attention from the task-in-hand to study the

tracker's helmet readout. THREE NEBULOUS BLOBS have appeared from off-

screen. Heading straight for her position.

INT. RYUSHI STATION - COMMAND CENTER

CASSIE turns to PARSONS in frustration.

CASSIE

I can't reach her. Too much signal

break-up.

PARSONS

Keep trying!

INT. RYUSHI STATION - SEWER SYSTEM - SUMP CHAMBER

BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. The signals pick-up speed the closer they get. CASSIE's

garbled VOICE isn't helping ease HIROKO's panic. She looks wildly around the

chamber. The only way out the way she came in...

COMPUTER VOICE

(O.S., on speakers)

Attention. Removal of restraining bolts

it necessary to facilitate access to...

HIROKO stabs the exterior helmet control. The COMPUTER VOICE ceases, while

the BEEPING from the tracker rises in both pitch and volume. Whatever the

signals are, they're almost on top of her...

HIROKO turns to the narrow entry duct. It's position makes it virtually

impossible to get back into. She tries anyhow.

BEEPBEEPBEEP_BEEP_! A rush of displaced water flood into the chamber,

flattening her against the wall. DARK SHAPES THUNDER past the other side of

the grille like express trains in the night...going away from HIROKO. She

twitches in fear and disbelief as the BLOBS on the monitor screen recede and

finally disappear. The tracker's pitch returns to it's hollow CLICKING.

EXT. RYUSHI STATION - PLATFORM - NIGHT

BROKEN TUSK tries to be as unobtrusive as possible as he picks through the

aftermath of the battle down by the now-empty rhino pen. He finds something.

A PREDATOR face-mask, with a massive crack down one side. He turns it

carefully over in his hands.

INT. RYUSHI STATION - SEWER SYSTEM - CENTRAL RESERVOIR

HIROKO emerges from the water, a thin membrane of surface slime adhering to

her helmet. Blinded, she raises a gloved hand and wipes the mucus away...

HIROKO'S P.O.V. She's inside the Central Reservoir, a long cylindrical

concrete tunnel some eighteen feet in diameter. The water-level comes up

about half-way. What fills the remainder freezes her with revulsion...

She's found the main offshoot of the ALIENS' nest. Glued into the curved

walls by a secretive resin as BODIES. HUMANS, RHINOS, LEMURS. Other

ANIMALS. Most are dead, their innards blown open. The rest are comatose,

twitching occasionally. Every square inch not containing bodies is filled

with ALIEN EGGS. It's like Hell for real.

HIROKO reaches slowly up and reactivates her helmet readout.

COMPUTER VOICE

(O.S., on speakers)

...Brrzzt. Traversing Central Reservoir

en route to platform venturi dust DS two-

six.

HIROKO's P.O.V. She looks around and finds the exit point on the display.

It's several feet away. Under the surface. She wades swiftly through the

water, passing beneath something that gives her cause to pause. A large

PULSATING BAG, about ten feet long and roughly ovular in shape. It might

be translucent, but in this light it's hard to tell.

HIROKO submerges. Sure enough, there's the grille. She raises the power-

tool and starts extracting the bolts. BZZZZ! There's the first one, no

problem. BZZZZ...BZZZZ! The second and third are just as easy. She goes

for the fourth. BZZZ...CHUNK. Nothing happens.

HIROKO

Come on...

She bears down on the trigger again. The motor's not running. A tiny green

LED flashes on the machine's side. It's locked solid. A malfunction.

COMPUTER VOICE

(O.S., on speakers)

Attention. Removal of restraining bolts

is necessary to facilitate access to

venturi ducts.

There's only one recourse left to her. She jams down the thumb button...

KER-SLAM! The force of the rivet-gun propels her backwards, her internal

suit-pressure making her rise to the surface. She wipes the slime from her

helmet yet again...

...And finds herself staring at an ALIEN EGG, it's top cracking open in four

neat sections. The FACEHUGGER leaps straight as her faceplate...

...And misses, it's fingers failing to gain purchase on the slippery dome.

HIROKO kicks away from the spindly creature as it orientates itself on the

water's surface, it's powerful tail propelling itself back toward her. It

contracts on itself, preparing to leap. HIROKO raises the power-tool,

reflexively squeezing the trigger again and again. Fat rivets RIP through

the FACEHUGGER's body. It writhes around on the water's surface, a cloud of

yellow acid billowing outward from it. HIROKO dives into the water again.

She rams the power-tool at the final bolt.

BZZZZ! It's out! She levers-off the grille. Forces herself into the

confined space beyond...

INT. RYUSHI STATION - SEWER SYSTEM - VENTURI DUCT

Another poorly-lit shaft filled with murky water, though this one goes

upwards on a diagonal slope. HIROKO braces herself against the walls and

begins to climb.

COMPUTER VOICE

(O.S., on speaker)

Traversing venturi duct en route to

platform surface.

WHAM! An ALIEN's head squeezes through the opening behind her. It's claw

snakes in, groping blindly just inches from her feet. She grits her teeth

and puts more effort into her ascent.

WALLPO! It's hand closes around her leg, yanking her back. She tries

frantically to gain purchase on anything. She fails. The ALIEN draws her

nearer, it's other hand closing on the helmet's visor. Fracture lines appear

on the glass, followed by cracks. Polluted water starts to flood in, while

air-bubbles expand outward from the broken glass.

HIROKO drives the power-tool at the ALIEN and mashes the trigger. Rivets

penetrate the creature's endoskeleton, making it draw back. A haze of yellow

blood spills out into the duct. HIROKO pushes upward, coughing. She closes

her fist around a lever above. Pulls on it with all her might.

EXT. RYUSHI STATION - PLATFORM - NIGHT

Internal pressure forces the metallic plug out like a champagne cork. It

hits the platform with a loud CLUNK. HIROKO hauls herself from the shaft,

trailing a cloud of smoke as the acid eats into her suit. She throws the

helmet to the ground, SHATTERING the visor. Yanks desperately at the suit's

release clamps, kicking the ruined garment off.

As promised, the yellow-and-black hoverbike is nearby. HIROKO starts towards

it, then remembers the keys are in the sleeve pocket of the ruined pressure-

suit. She drops to he knees and gingerly pokes through the smoking pile of

cloth. Finds the flap, RIPS it open, and withdraws the keys.

SLAP! A glistening wet claw emerges from the open hole. HIROKO scrambles to

her feet as the injured ALIEN pulls itself out. She tears across to the bike

and rams the key into the ignition. The turbines ROAR to life, and it lifts

smoothly into the air. HIROKO pivots the powerful machine around, avoiding

the creature's questing grasp. Losing it's balance, the ALIEN SMASHES into

the deck.