INNERSPACE

OUTSIDE

JOE

I was afraid of that.

RENE

What?

JOE

He plays it all the time.

RENE AT THE BAR

The waiter brings GRUNER's drink for a refill. Rene loads it

with Vodka when the waiter turns away.

BELOW DECK LOUNGE

Filled with Japanese tourists...Joe stands uneasy...Looking

sweaty and fearful.

JOE

You sure this will work?

INSIDE - INT. THE POD - AL

AL

Not sure at all.

OUTSIDE

JOE

Well at least talk it up, then.

I feel like an idiot.

AL (VO)

Just say the words. Just like I

told you.

Joe gets up his courage and blurts out:

JOE

(Japanese phrase...)

Everyone turns to him with interest.

JOE

What was it? What'd I say?

INSIDE - INT. THE POD - AL

AL

You said 100,000 yen

for the right Sony Walkman.

The people sit, frozen...

AL (VO)

haka xuki.

OUTSIDE -

JOE

haka xuki. What's that mean?

INSIDE - INT. THE POD - AL

AL

Cash.

OUTSIDE

They rush him. He is mobbed. Each Japanese waves his

walkman...explaining in rapid Japanese the merits of their own

model. Walkmans wave before his face like a field of corn.

TOPSIDE - AT THE BAR - THE WAITER AND RENE

WAITER

...It's Thrirrer, Micaer Jaksin.

She hands him a big tip.

ANOTHER SLAP of cash in a hand. A CASSETTE OF "THRILLER" is

passed back.

INT. PASSAGEWAY

A teenager takes off with his profit, but Joe's got the Music.

DECK - UNDER THE BLAZING SUN

GRUNER's nodded off. The walkman plays on the deck beside

him...Joe has eased up behind him...lying on the deck, apparently

sunning...Rene is with him, in sunglasses and big hat...She

covers his actions with erotic sun oil spreading of her own.

Joe's got his cassette with the music rolling... and two

headsets...He puts his identical walkman next to GRUNER'S. He

plugs one headset into his walkman. The other, he eases into the

B headset port in GRUNERS...

HEAR the two tapes, out of sync. Rapidly jockeying, Joe matches

cassettes so the tapes play in sync. He nods to Rene. She gets

up, walks to the Bar entrance, knocks over a tray as she exit.

AT THE CRASH, Joe switches plugs on the walkmans, rolls over,

out of the way and feigns sleep, all in one motion.

GRUNER rouses for a moment, looks around: nothing. He grabs

(his) walkman, holds it on his belly and slumps down again.

INT. SHIP - JOE'S CABIN

They stare at the Walkman.

RENE

Now what?

JOE

We figure out if it's in here.

RENE

How?

JOE

Why don't you get us some food.

This may take some time.

She's pissed, but she takes some cash and leaves.

JOE

How?

INT. PASSAGEWAY - OUTSIDE THE DOOR

RENE listens for a moment, hears nothing, departs.

INT. CABIN - LATER

The walkman lies in hundreds of pieces. Rene finishes dinner

while Joe stares at the main circuit board.

INSIDE - INT. THE POD

AL's sensors scan a technological terrain; the walkman circuits.

He gives Joe instructions.

AL

Left...The one with

the red dot.

OUTSIDE - JOE

JOE

Well...?

AL (VO)

It's not the one...Wait...

there's a label.

Joe's eye fixes on a circuit,

INSIDE - INT. THE POD

Al scans in on it. It looks promising... Then he sees it on the

casing... microetching... letters...a message; in Dutch. Al

translates:

AL

So Long, Suckers!

OUTSIDE

JOE jumps up, darts out the door. Rene follows.

JOE

We been had.

TOPSIDE - NIGHT

A speedboats wake fades in the distance. Rene questions a

deckhand, turns to Joe.

RENE

That must be him. Water taxi.

JOE

Get us one.

RENE

Too late, they won't come back

out till morning.

They slump into deck chairs.

JOE

He hung us up dry.

AL (VO)

While he makes the run.

JOE

Where?

RENE

Where what?

JOE

Where would you go to sell a chip?

AL (VO)

We've ruined his market in Japan..

Where's Dieter?

RENE

Dieter?

JOE

If Gruner led us away, Who'd

he lead us away from?

RENE

Hong Kong.

JOE

What?

RENE

Dieter's gone to shoot a

still job. Hong Kong.

HONG KONG. DAY

Joe and Rene rush up the main street. Suddenly Joe gets a

thought. He grabs Rene.

JOE

Wait a minute! How'd you know

Dieter was coming here?

RENE

I asked him.

JOE

Oh.

AL (VO)

See...I don't trust her.

Stops her again.

JOE

Why'd you ask him.

RENE

He's a client of mine! What's the

matter. You can't suspect Dieter.

He's a famous photographer.

He makes millions.

JOE

Maybe I'm wrong. Then GRUNER won't

be here.

STREET

They turn the corner into an area blocked off for a still shoot.

Lights are set covering a car: the famous BMW M2 prototype, RENE

walks in ahead. Joe lurks in the B.G.

RENE walks up to Dieter and is greeted and hugged.

DIETER

What are you doing here,

where've you been?

RENE

I have a new client.

DIETER

That crazy guy?

RENE

Yes. Joe.

Joe watches her walk away with Dieter.

AL (VO)

She thinks a lot of you.

DIETER

Where is he now?

RENE

Oh...I came on ahead.

They set the scene.

DIETER

Well, I'm glad to see you.

Sorry things broke up like that.

RENE

It's just money.

DIETER

Hey, sit in the car. I'll get you

a fee. Make up for what you lost

on the tour.

IN THE CROWD

Joe spots someone in the B.G.

JOE'S POV - GRUNER

He scans the scene...Joe pulls back into the shadows, unseen.

GRUNER moves to Dieter. They shake hands, say a few things we

don't get. Dieter hands him a small package.

INSIDE - INT. THE POD

AL enhances the audio. We hear one phrase. Sounds like "Chiang

Cho".

DIETER

You know Rene.

He moves, revealing Rene in the passengers seat. GRUNER'S

surprised. He pulls Dieter away.

GRUNER

There was a mixup. I got your

wristwatch.

DIETER

I knew it wasn't mine. Must have

switched them swimming.

They exchange wristwatches. As Dieter straps his on, his

assistant approaches him with the camera...He takes it and starts

to go to work. Joe watches Gruner back out of the lights.

AL (VO)

It's in the watch. He lead us

on that chase while Dieter

brought the chip into Hong Kong.

JOE

And Dieter?

AL (VO)

He must not know. GRUNER just

made the switch back.

Suddenly, GRUNER senses something. He looks directly at them.

JOE

Then, why'd he lead us here.

AL (VO)

He didn't. He left us that

walkman chip to confuse us.

Would have kept most people

busy. We were too fast for him.

Suddenly, GRUNER's gone...into the shadows.

AL (VO)

...Until now.

They take off in pursuit.

From an alley, a Porsche blasts past - GRUNER. Joe looks

around. Nothing to chase it in, just the M2.

AL (VO)

Do it.

JOE

I can't handle that thing.

AL

Don't worry, I can.

Joe knocks over the male model, hops in the M2. Starts it up,

Blasts it out through the set, through the lights and falling

backdrops, and out onto the crowded, narrow street. He careens

from side, to side...out of control; Al yelling in his head...

INSIDE - INT. THE POD

Al working feedback motor controls...

AL (VO)

Don't fight me. Just relax...

OUTSIDE

Joe careening down the street...out of control.

JOE

RELAX?!!!

RENE emerges from the pile of haut couture into which she was

thrown by his takeoff and adds her screams to his.

RENE

What?

JOE

I said just relax. I'm in full

control.