FACE/OFF

     Hoag sees his terrified assistants -- bound with duct
     tape.

                             HOAG
               What's this about?  What do you
               want?

     Lars shoves Hoag into a towering figure... we ZOOM IN ON
     Hoag's glasses.  And THROUGH the REFLECTION we see...

     MAN WITHOUT FACE

     Hoag reacts in horror at the raw muscle, cartilage and
     bone.  The man lifts a cigarette to his lips... then
     exhales.

                             CASTOR
               What do you think I want?

     INT. PRISON - POPULATION - DAY

     A huge wall-screen plays gentle nature scenes.  Below --
     the inmates engage in their exercise hour.

     Voisine stares at the screen -- while Pollux carefully
     watches his "brother" play basketball.  Archer tosses up
     an air-ball to the jeers of other inmates.

                             POLLUX
               You realize, of course, that
               magnetic humming is designed to
               drive us insane.  If we all don't
               get brain tumors first.

                              VOISINE
               And that same cloying Bambi tape
               -- over and over...

                              POLLUX
               It's like they're begging us to
               riot.  Where the fuck are we,
               anyway?
                      (the game ends)
               Gotta go...

     Pollux trots over to Archer -- passes him his cigarette.
     He studies Archer as he takes a drag -- and nearly gags.

                             POLLUX
               ... I'm worried about you.

                             ARCHER
               Why?

                             POLLUX
               Your jumpshot has no arc.  You
               used to swagger... now you swish.
               You're gumming that butt like a
               Catholic school girl.
                      (notices)
               And why do you keep picking at
               your finger?

     Pollux has caught Archer reflexively tugging at his
     phantom wedding ring.  Archer immediately stops.  He
     takes a drag and holds it -- then exhales right in
     Pollux's face.

                             ARCHER
               I was in a coma...

     Pollux sticks his finger under Archer's eye and pulls
     down like a vet examining a sick dog.  Archer pushes him
     off.

                             ARCHER
               My reflexes, my senses, my
               memory... everything's jumbled.  I
               can't even tell you why Dubov
               jumped me yesterday.

                             POLLUX
               You Pollinated his wife the day he
               was arrested.  How could forget
               that?

                             ARCHER
               I've forgotten plenty.  Look
               around -- we've screwed over half
               the freaks in here.  What's gonna
               happen to us if they think I've
               lost it?

     Pollux contemplates the other inmates -- circling, sizing
     up the brothers like hungry sharks.  Instinctively,
     Pollux moves closer to Archer for protection.

                             ARCHER
               I need you to play big brother for
               once -- till I can fill in a few
               blanks.  Think you can handle
               that?

     Pollux nods grimly -- then Archer pulls up his sleeve,
     exposing the pyramid tattoo.

                             ARCHER
               I know I got this on my tenth
               birthday.  I just can't remember
               why.

                             POLLUX
               Man -- that was the worst day of
               our lives!

     Archer feigns a "struggle" with his memory.  He lights a
     new butt with the old -- chain-style... then "remembers."

                             ARCHER
               Oh, God -- Mom O-D'd at County
               General.

                             POLLUX
               Retching and convulsing while
               those bastards didn't even try to
               save her sorry ass.  You gave her
               mouth to mouth -- man -- even then
               you had some constitution.
                      (a beat)
               Remember what you swore to me at
               the funeral?

                             ARCHER
               Uh -- to kill the doctors?

                             POLLUX
               After that.  You promised you'd
               always take care of me.

                             ARCHER
               And I bet I kept that promise...

                             POLLUX
               Only one you've never broken.

     Pollux curls into Archer -- in need of comfort.  Archer
     puts an affectionate arm around Pollux -- springing the
     trap.

                             ARCHER
               Screw the past.  We've got the
               future to look forward to.
                      (a beat)
               We still have tomorrow.

                             POLLUX
               No shit... five million bucks...
               now those Red Militia crackpots
               get to keep it.

                             ARCHER
               That's not the worst part.

                             POLLUX
               What's worse than losing five
               million bucks?

                             ARCHER
               Being stuck in this rat-hole when
               it blows.  What you built was a
               work of art.  It belongs in the
               Smithsonian.

     Pollux beams with pride -- Archer hangs on every word.

                             POLLUX
               Yeah -- well... the L.A.
               Convention Center will have to
               do...

                             ARCHER
               Thanks, Pollux.

                             POLLUX
               'Thanks'?  I guess they really did
               fuck you up.

     Then Archer smiles -- like Jon Archer.  Without knowing
     exactly why -- a wave of ill-ease overtakes Pollux.

     INT. ARCHER'S CELL - DAY

     Archer paces impatiently... as the door rolls open.
     Walton is looking at him with cool respect.

                             WALTON
               You have a visitor.

     Archer smiles to himself -- pleased at Brodie's
     timeliness.

     INT. INTERROGATION ROOM - DAY

     Archer's boots lock down -- as the guillotine door rises.
     But his confidence evaporates into unspeakable horror. 
     Because he finds himself staring into the blue eyes of --

     Jon Archer.  This man has Archer's face -- his real face.

                             IMPOSTOR
               What's the matter?  Don't you like
               the new me?

     Archer studies the image of his former self -- trying to
     understand.  Then he recognizes the smirk on the face,
     the mocking twinkle in the eyes and he says what he
     cannot say...

                             ARCHER
               -- Castor...?

                             CASTOR
               Not anymore.

                             ARCHER
               It can't be.  It's impossible.

                             CASTOR
               I believe the phrase Dr. Hoag used
               was 'titanically remote'.  Who
               knows?  Maybe the trauma of having
               my face cut off pulled me out.  Or
               maybe God really is on my side
               after all.
                      (starts pacing)
               By the way, I know you don't get
               the papers in here.

     Continuing to circle, he displays the current LA Times:

         "INFERNO AT HOAG INSTITUTE -- Malcolm Hoag Dead"

                             CASTOR
               Terrible tragedy.
               Hoag was such a genius -- but
               selfish with his artistry.  I
               actually had to torture his
               assistants to convince him to
               perform the same surgery on me.

                             ARCHER
               You killed them?

                             CASTOR
               Of course I killed them, you dumb
               fuck.  Hoag, his staff...

     FLASH ON Hoag's body -- on the floor of the burning lab.
     Two more burned bodies adjoin Hoag's.

                             CASTOR
               Miller and Brodie --

     FLASH ON Brodie and Miller -- dead in a mangled car
     wreck.

                             CASTOR
               I even paid a visit to your buddy
               Tito.

                             ARCHER
               He doesn't know anything about
               this!

                             CASTOR
               Come on, Jon.  I think I know you
               better than that.  I only wish you
               could have been there to see the
               look on his face --

     FLASH ON Tito... he smiles, then recoils in shock as
     Castor lifts a pistol and shoots him... then he picks up
     Archer's wedding band off the counter...

     INT. EREWHON PRISON (PRESENT)

     Archer stares -- thunderstruck -- at the wedding band now
     on Castor's finger.

                             CASTOR
               -- then again, I guess you were
               there.
                      (a beat)
               I torched every shred of evidence
               that proves who you are.  So
               swallow this -- you are going to
               be in here for the rest of your
               life.

                             ARCHER
               Castor, don't do this --

                             CASTOR
               No discussion, Jon -- no deals.
               Now if you'll excuse me, I've got
               an important government job to
               abuse, and a beautiful wife to
               fuck.  Excuse me -- I mean 'make
               love to.'

     Archer freaks out.  He screams, flails -- unable to reach
     Castor.  Castor opens the door and guards rush in --
     clubbing Archer and shocking him senseless.

                             WALTON
               Sorry, sir.

                             CASTOR
               It's quite all right.  You never
               know what to expect from a
               psychopathic criminal...

     INT. CELL BLOCK - DAY

     The guards dump Archer into his cell.

                             WALTON
               Better be nice, Castor.  You could
               get mighty lonely now that Pollux
               is gone.

                             ARCHER
               Pollux is -- what?

                             WALTON
               Archer cut him a deal for turning
               state's evidence.  He's been
               released...

                             ARCHER
               Walton, you have to listen to me
               -- right now!

                             WALTON
               Or what?  You'll have me fired?
                      (pushes a button)
               You're confined until I say
               otherwise...

     The steel panels shut - silencing Archer's pleading
     voice.

     INT. ARCHER'S CAR - MOVING - DAY

     Sipping a beer, Castor cruises past the suburban bliss:
     men on hammocks; women chatting; kids playing tag.

                             CASTOR
                      (sickened)
               Jesus, what a life.

     Castor tries to catch a street address and rolls past...

     ARCHER'S HOUSE

     Dressed for work, Eve watches blandly as the car goes by.
     A moment later, it backs up and parks.

     Hiding the beer can, Castor forces a sheepish smile --
     and gets out.  She doesn't smile back.

                             EVE
               I suppose it was only a matter of
               time before you forgot where we
               lived.

                             CASTOR
               Sorry -- the job's been murder
               lately.

     Castor looks her over -- she's much sexier than he
     expected.

                             EVE
               So what happened to your
               'important' assignment?

                             CASTOR
               What do you know about it?

                             EVE
               I know exactly what you always
               tell me:  Absolutely nothing.

                             CASTOR
               It didn't work out the way
               everyone thought it would.  Where
               are you off to?