INNERSPACE

JOE (a pause)

I'm fine, never better.

I'll get us some drinks...

Excuse me.

Steps away.

AL (VO)

What is it, your charm?

JOE

This just won't work.

AL (VO)

You're doing great with her.

JOE

Not her. You!

AL (VO)

What is it?

JOE

You can't listen.

You can't watch either.

AL (VO) (outraged)

Why not?.

JOE

It's embarrassing.

AL (VO)

What if she says something important?

JOE

I'll be right here. I'll keep

it in mind. I'll get a lot more

from her without you butting in.

AL (VO)

What am I supposed to do?

JOE

You got any books in there?

AL (VO)

Oh come on.

JOE

You shut down your sensors.

AL

Joe! It's 56 hours!

JOE

I mean it. You watch old tapes of

the ballgame, I'll fill you in...

later. I mean it.

He(they) look over at her. She is looking in Joe's direction

curiously. Al thinks it over.

AL (VO)

...Okay...okay. Just...don't

take all night!

ANGLE - RENE

She turns, he's returned with the drinks.

RENE

Promise me something.

JOE

Okay, no more poems.

She laughs.

JOE

Promise you what?

RENE

That you're not crazy.

JOE

I promise you that. I am

not crazy. Course, if I was,

I'd be the last to know.

Why do you ask?

RENE

You talk to yourself.

JOE

But I don't listen...then

I'd be crazy.

RENE

Why do you do it?

JOE

If I was with you, I wouldn't

RENE

You did.

JOE

That was then. This is now.

Who am I talking to?

RENE

You're talking to me.

JOE

And how'm I doing?

RENE

You're doing...Okay.

JOE

Just Okay...

All of a sudden, you can see it in her eyes. More than Okay. Joe

can't quite believe it, but he's not going to deny it. He is,

after all, a secret agent and she's got some wonderful secrets.

He moves closer...She eases back into the Bougainvillea. They go

through the dialogue, but their minds are on something else.

RENE

...Ummm, you really work

for the foreign service?

JOE

...Naw. Made that up.

RENE

Who do you work for?

JOE

No one. No one at all.

I'm unemployed. Who do you?

RENE

Trans Ocean Travel.

JOE

Is that Ryuji?

RENE

No. Ryuji just hires us.

JOE

Hires you for what?

RENE

To organize things. Meetings

and travel...Whenever they come

here, I handle details.

JOE

How often they come here?

RENE

He likes the quiet. They were

here last week.

JOE

And you, what do you like?

RENE

That depends...

They can't hold out a second longer. Joe cannot believe his good

luck...her beauty, his attraction...when they kiss.

ON THE BEACH. MORNING

JOE WAKES AT A VOICE YELLING IN HIS EAR.

AL (VO)

Wake up. Time to wake up.

Sixty four hours...Shit!

Joe sits up, groggy. Looks around, no one.

AL (VO)

What Happened?

JOE

I don't know!

AL (VO)

What she say. What'd you

get out of her?

Half asleep...pleasantly dazed, he just grins and mumbles to

himself.

JOE

Ahhh...works...Ryuji...

travel...just business...She's..

Fine Arts, University of Tokyo..

AL (VO)

Is that all?

JOE

Oh, you were right. They've

all been here before...

met just last week.

INSIDE - INT. THE POD

AL is excitedly irate.

AL (VO)

Anything else!

OUTSIDE

Joe thinks...finally...

JOE

She's got the most beautiful...s

AL (VO)

Shit! You're in love.

JOE (not convincing)

I'm not in love.

INSIDE - INT. THE POD - AL

pissed.

AL

And on my time.

JOE(VO)

It's not your time. I get time off.

AL

You get time off to sleep.

OUTSIDE -

JOE

That's what I was doing..mostly.

INSIDE - INT. THE POD - AL

The frustration's getting to him. Or is something else? He's

starting to rant.

AL (VO)

I've got twenty hours left.

I could die in here. And

you're falling in love.

OUTSIDE -

JOE

It's not love. It's like. It's real

strong like. And I got your

information. Now, get off my back!

INSIDE - INT. THE POD - AL

AL

Some friend you are! You know what

I hope?

JOE (VO)

No. What do you hope?

AL (VO)

I hope. I just hope. That someday,

you're real small, and you've got

no time. And you got no one to help

you. And you depend on me. And you

know what I'll do?

JOE

No. What will you do.

AL

I...I'll got to the movies.

That's what I'll do!

Joe just stares ahead. He holds his head. Then he shakes it to

clear it. He gets up, and walks up the beach. Joe's in love. Al

is disgusted. And RENE is gone.

HOTEL DESK - SHORT TIME LATER

CLERK

Sorry sir, they checked out.

JOE

Forwarding address?

CLERK

Sorry, sir. Nothing.

INT. JOE'S ROOM

Joe enters, stops short. All his clothes have been scrambled...

INSIDE - INT. THE POD - AL

AL

You been had. We have.

JOE

It wasn't like that.

LANAI - LATER

Joe sits alone. Brooding. Holding a phone to his ear. He winces

at the WHISTLE of data transmission. Finally he can speak to Al

as if to someone on the phone.

AL (VO)

Some agent you are.

JOE (VO)

Why don't you get out of my face.

Al runs the data...They get into the airline's computer and find

passenger lists leaving GOTO...A name pops out. R. OBE. His

destination: Osaka,

AL

Bingo.

JOE (VO)

You found her.

AL

Better. I found Ryuji.

OUTSIDE - JOE.

JOE

That's good. It's not better. Where?

AL (VO)

Osaka.

JOE

Osaka?

AL (VO)

Fountainhead of High-Tech.

OSAKA - LATER - MERCANTILE, INDUSTRIAL CENTER

Home of Matsushita, Panasonic, Technics, Sharp etc. JOE jogs

down the street, listening to his walkman and apparently singing

along with it. He towers a foot taller than everyone else.

JOE (VO)

Don't you think I stand out like this.

AL (VO)

We are trying to stand out. Right near

his address. Easier to get them to

come to us, than to try and find them.

..now keep your eyes open,

something might present itself.

JOE

I'm running in circles in the middle

of some foreign country. I don't speak

their language, they don't speak mine.

I don't even know where I am. What's

going to present itse........

A Sportscar cuts across his path. The driver is RENE.

JOE

What do I do?

AL (VO)

Follow her.

JOE

On what?

AL (VO)

Run, stupid!

He follows her, running.

AL (VO)

Come on, she's getting away.

JOE

I can't keep up.

He collapses in exhaustion and she gets away.

AL (VO)(disgusted)

Your body sucks. You're out of shape.

JOE

I gotta sit down.

Joe collapses into a chair at a sidewalk cafe.

AL (VO)

I'm putting you on a training

regimen...right now.

The waiter comes.

JOE

Beer. And cakes...cookies

..anything bad.

AL (VO)

That's not funny.

The waiter has no idea what Joe wants.

JOE

Sapporo..(waiter nods, walks off)

AL (VO)

Just stay here and rest.

JOE

Where are you going?

AL (VO)

Down to your heart. I'm gonna clean

some fat out before you drop on me.

JOE

Wait a minute. Wait a minute.

Al, you leave my heart alone...

Another customer looks over at him...Joe points to his walkman

and nods like he's hearing a country song.

AL

While I'm away, just do something

safe and calm....

INSIDE - INT. THE POD - LATER

AL blasts some of the fat from the veins around the heart.

OUTSIDE

Joe sits in the Plaza drinking coffee. He notices suspicious

characters...tattood toughs; slicked hair, mean looks.

JOE

Al...can you hear me, Suspicious

characters. Al!!! Shit!

They are surrounding him and moving in. The waiter has dis-

appeared. He's alone. Joe gets up. He calmly walks away.

SIDE STREET - EMPTY.

They follow him.