Arcade

INT.  DIFFORD'S OFFICE -- DAY

Difford closes the doors behind him.  He stares and Alex and Nick for a
moment, assessing, calculating risks...

    DIFFORD
  Talk to me.

    ALEX
  There's something wrong with ARCADE. The
  game's alive somehow...

At this Difford breaks into a smile.  Nick sees this and acts quickly to
save the situation.

    NICK
  What Alex is trying to say is that it
  "seems" like it's alive.

    ALEX
  No I'm not...

    NICK
   (freezing her with a
   stare)
  We're not getting very far into the levels
  and we kind of thought maybe we could talk
  to a programmer, learn some tricks and
  stuff...
   (beat)
  I mean, you don't want us kids running
  around school saying your game's too hard,
  right?

    DIFFORD
   (relieved)
  That's what this is all about? Tricks?
  Sure, I'd be happy to introduce you to
  ARCADE's programmer.

Alex has caught on.  She shuts up for the moment.

    DIFFORD
   (continuing)
  Tell you what, I'll take you down to our
  R&D labs right now.

        CUT TO:

INT.  RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT -- DAY

Hardly what you'd expect.  The lab is hopelessly cluttered, as if a
whirlwind had swept inside and thrown everything helter-skelter.  Difford
leads Nick and Alex inside.

A MAN sets in front of a stack on monitors.  One his head is a helmet-like
instrument...sort of an extension of the stereoscopic goggles.  He wears a
lab-coat and a SLIP-STREAM I.D. badge, but aside from that, his appearance
is unkempt.  Kind of your 60s drop-out look.

    DIFFORD
  This is one of our newest projects. We're
  trying to get rid of joy-sticks
  altogether ...

    NICK
   (nodding)
  The Air-Force is working on the same thing.

    MAN
   (to screen)
  Come on, come on...

He moves his head this way and that...

THE MONITORS

A computer-animated TURTLE is crawling across the screen. Then the words
"TIME'S UP" flash over.  The turtle flips onto it's back and dies, tongue
hanging out.

    MAN
  Shit.

    DIFFORD
   (clearing his throat)
  Albert...

ALBERT turns around in his seat and pulls off the helmet.

    DIFFORD
   (continuing)
  This is Nick and Alex.  They'd like to talk
  to you about ARCADE.  Maybe you can give
  them a few programmer's secrets.

    ALBERT
  Yeah, sure.

    DIFFORD
   (to Nick and Alex)
  Then I leave you in capable hands.

Difford exits.  Nick points to the helmet in Albert's hands.

    NICK
  Does that thing work?

    ALBERT
  Getting there.  It's more sensitive than a
  joy-stick.  Your video-character can respond
  as fast as you can.
   (standing)
  But what can I do for you?

    ALEX
  We're having some problems with ARCADE...

    ALBERT
  Yeah, who isn't.

    NICK
  What do you mean?

    ALBERT
  It's a tough game.  Hard to pin that bastard
  down.  Keeps on changing the rules.

    ALEX
  We vere thinking there might be tricks.
  You know, surprises that you'd worked into
  the game...

    ALBERT
  Sure.  Every game's got 'em.  I'll start
  with the schematics.  I can print these up
  if you want.

Albert moves back to the wall of monitors, then reaches for a computer
disk and inserts it into a nearby drive.  He taps a few buttons and
BINGO...

SCHEMATICS

of each world/level within the ARCADE game appear on the monitors.

    ALBERT
  You've got your ten levels, right? Here
  they are...  Each level has an exit, only
  remember, the exits aren't always what they
  seem.
   (points to each one)
  First one's The Blood Red Sky, then you've
  got The Blue Desert, Tower of Ghosts,
  Kingdom of the Blind...  On each world you
  have to find a golden key and you've only
  got so much time to do it in.  If you're
  too late, The Screamer comes.

    NICK
  How do you stop The Screamer?

    ALBERT
  You can't.  He gets you and you're dead.
  It's like time catching up with you, you
  know?  Like Fate.  Each level you get
  progressively less time to complete.  First
  half of the game takes place in the Wild
  Lands.  Then you reach Level 6, and that's
  the Sea of Darkness.  There's a two-headed
  Boatman that'll take you across if you
  answer his riddle right.  If you don't...

He motions cutting a knife across his throat.

    NICK
  What's the riddle?

    ALBERT
  If I tell you, then it's no fun.

    NICK
   (harder)
  Just tell me the fucking riddle.

    ALBERT
  Well...it involves a paradox.  You have to
  trick The Boatman.
   (beat)
  Now all the while, you also have to watch
  your strength.  You can build that back up
  by catching FIREFLIES...the little glowing
  guys...

Albert hits some keys again and Levels One through Six disappear.  Now
they're replaced by Seven through Ten. Only instead of a schematic for
Level Eleven, there's only a question matc.

    ALBERT
   (continuing)
  The next half of the game takes place in
  ARCADE's brain, The City of Truth. It's
  urban scenarios, lots of metal and concrete.
  Screamer comes faster here.  On Level Four
  you can get a free life if you wait until
  the last possible second before exiting that
  world.  Gotta time it right though.

    ALEX
  What's the question mark?

    ALBERT
  Level Ten.  That's where you've got to
  unlock ARCADE's heart using the keys you've
  found.

    ALEX
  How do you do that?

    ALBERT
  Good question.  See, that's where the fun
  comes in.  ARCADE changes it every time.
  He's a machine without a soul. Once you give
  him a soul, he stops being a threat.

Alex looks dejected.

    ALEX
  But how can it change every time?

    ALBERT
  It's the game's logic core.  We actually
  patterned it after human brainwaves.  I
  mean, there's a personality in there.
  That's what makes it so incredible.

    NICK
  How the hell did you do that?

    ALBERT
  Well, we're veering into classified info
  here, but I'll tell you that it involved a
  donor.  He was dead of course, so it's not
  like anything unethical was happening.

At this, a chill runs down Alex's spine.

    ALEX
  Dead?

    ALBERT
  Well, brain-dead anyway.  Coma patient.
  It's really not all that important.

    ALEX
  Maybe he's not dead.

    ALBERT
  He?

    ALEX
  The donor.  Maybe he's alive inside the
  game.

    ALBERT
   (laughs)
  And maybe you've been taking too many drugs.

Nick glances at the helmet again.

    NICK
  Could you play ARCADE with that?

    ALBERT
  Well, technically "yes", but this is only
  the prototype.

Nick nods and smiles, offering his hand.

    NICK
  Thanks, Albert.  Think you could print up
  those schematics?

    ALBERT
  Sure.

Albert moves back to the computer console.  Meanwhile, Nick pulls Alex
aside.

    NICK
   (quietly)
  Go outside, get your car, and meet me out
  front with the engine running. And make it
  quick, okay?

    ALEX
  What are you going to do?

    NICK
  Get that helmet.  If we're going to play
  ARCADE, I want every advantage possible.

ACROSS THE LAB,

Albert is oblivious to their conversation.

Alex backs towards the lab doors, turns, and opens them.

        CUT TO:

INT. SLIP-STREAM HALLWAY - DAY

Alex makes her way quickly down the hall, turning a corner and passing a
SECURITY GUARD.  She waves at him, her smile fading as soon as she's
passed.

        CUT TO:

INT. R&D LAB - DAY

Albert is just pulling the last printed copy of the schematics from a
laser printer.  He turns and hands them to Nick.

    ALBERT
  Here you go.  Happy hunting.

Nick takes the schematics and tucks them inside his jacket.

    NICK
  Thanks again.

And with that, Nick pulls back his fist and punches Albert square in the
face.

Albert goes down, more stunned than hurt, and Nick springs into action.
He scoops up the CyberHelmet in his free hand, kicks open the doors, and
tosses his skateboard into the hallway...

INT. SLIP-STREAM HALLWAY - DAY

Nick leaps on the board and starts pumping his foot like a bandit, picking
up speed like mad...

He's racing down the hallway, maneuvering between startled EMPLOYEES.  And
here comes a MAN with a mail cart...

WHOOSH!  Nick zips by him.  And now an ALARM is ringing.

    NICK
  Shit...

INT. ANOTHER HALLWAY - DAY

Nick comes SCREECHING around the corner, narrowly missing a collision with
two SECURITY GUARDS.

    GUARD #1
  That's him!