INNERSPACE

He loses it on the turn, takes out a peddler's stand.

ON THE CORNICHE

A Hundred mile-an-hour chase. RENE is terrified. So is Joe, but

it's Al's reflexes that are doing the driving. Rene tries to

speak calmly through gritted teeth.

RENE

Done much high-speed driving?

JOE (struggling with the controls)

A bit. Why do you ask?

RENE

Oh...nothing....Why do you

scream on the turns?

A particularly nasty switchback, a truck in the other lane, the

rear end breaks loose...He screams again, then looks at her.

JOE

Oxygen. Good for the brain.

She seems to accept that.

They almost catch up with GRUNER when an obstruction in their

lane forces them off the road...Only great skill and luck enables

them to swerve back on. They round a blind corner. The PORSCHE,

dead in their track. Both cars SLAM TOGETHER, careen off the

road, hit a bank, separate. The PORSCHE rolls, destroying itself,

PRANGS into a tree. The M2 goes through a bush, comes to rest

upright.

RENE - covered with dirt and debris, looks at him, stunned.

RENE

I'll walk from here.

Joe spots GRUNER climbing out of the PORSCHE.

AL

Are you alright?

JOE

Just fine. I'll do the driving

from now on.

RENE

Not with me, you won't. He

does'nt seem to like you either.

GRUNER crawls from his car, homocide on his mind. Joe slams his

shoulder into his door. It swings open dumping him in the mud,

tangled in his seat belt.

JOE'S POV

GRUNER stands over him with a gun. Joe struggles to his feet.

Rene joins him. GRUNER holds the small package in one hand and

the gun in the other. He holds the gun lazily...not really aimed:

arrogance and a challenge.

JOE (to Al)

Do something!

RENE

Who, me?

GRUNER

Do nothing. Just give me the keys.

AL (VO)

Aim just in front of his face.

JOE

Aim what?

GRUNER thinks he means the gun.

GRUNER

At this distance, there's no

aim involved

AL (VO)

Get ready!

JOE

Don't do it!

GRUNER

Just give me the keys.

JOE

Whatever it is, don't do it.

GRUNER (exasperated)

I'm just taking your car.

JOE (to AL)

He's got a gun!

It's said with such conviction, that GRUNER goes for it; His

gaze flicks to the side, At that moment. AL attacks. Joe springs

at him, flips.

GRUNER'S POV

Joe's boots catch him in the face. BOOM! The gun goes off. They

land in a pile. No one can believe it, least of all, Joe. As Joe

looks up, stunned, GRUNER slugs him.

INSIDE - INT. THE POD

Al is stunned by the blow.

OUTSIDE

A fight through the bushes..GRUNER attacks, fiercely. Joe

defends himself, badly at first; Then Al recovers, takes a hand

and smashes GRUNER..too hard.

RENE

He's out. Come on...We don't

want to be found here.

He takes his watch and wallet.

AL (VO)

What about the chip?

Open the package..

OUTSIDE

Joe opens the package...

JOE

Holy...

AL (VO)

...Shit! It's just money.

Joe pries the watch open, exposing the innards. He holds it

close to his eye...

INSIDE - INT. THE POD -

AL scans the chips...

AL

Nothing. It isn't here!

OUTSIDE - Slowly, it dawns:

JOE

He aready made the deal..

AL (VO)

The man we want has the PEM,

and is across the border by now.

JOE

Dieter!

AL (VO)

GRUNER switched the chip to him,

not from him, then he led us

away again...to Chiang Cho.

INSIDE - INT. THE POD

72 Hours Elapsed - Al's situation is becoming grave, battery

power running low...time is essential.

RENE (VO)

Chiang Cho?

JOE (VO)

...across THE BORDER. Come on!

OUTSIDE

RENE

That's not this direction.

It's back the other way.

JOE

You've been there?

RENE

I know the territory.

JOE

You coming along?

AL (VO)

I'm against it.

RENE (VO)

I insist.

JOE

So do I.

A SHADY HOTEL ROOM - ON THE BORDER.

RENE

This going to work?

JOE

Maybe they're expecting Gruner.

I'm gonna be him.

RENE

He's Dutch. You can't even

speak Dutch.

JOE (Dutch)

Sdkjfls fjslkdjl;

INSIDE - INT. THE POD

Al looks up, annoyed.

AL (VO)

Quit showing off.

OUTSIDE

Rene looks at him with new...(maybe even) respect.

JOE

There's a lot you don't know.

AL (VO)

And don't let her know, either.

INT. BATHROOM

Joe looks in the mirror.

INSIDE - INT. THE POD

Al works the computer...zapping various...nerves...

AL

This may hurt.

JOE (VO)

Well, don't let it. What are

you doing?

OUTSIDE

Joe's face swells until it has the same general configuration as

GRUNER's.

AL

Retention of fluids...The rest

is...

INT. BEDROOM - A FEW MOMENTS LATER

Joe catches her looking at him, in awe at his physical

transformation...

JOE (lamely)

...Muscle control...

INSIDE - INT. THE POD

Al is busy downloading GRUNER's Dossier.

THE BORDER - LATER - JOE

undergoing a skin search. JOE yawns, as if bored by the whole

thing.

GUARD

We know who you are, GRUNER.

JOE

I've got a permit for the cash.

GUARD

We'll just make sure.

EXT. BORDER POST

Free to go, they walk a few meters; unsure . A huge black car

SCREECHES UP, DOOR OPENS. RENE pulls back.

INT. THE CAR

An Oriental man. He squints at the daylight and beckons them in.

Joe and Rene enter. The car pulls away. Under his robe, the man

has a gun. He looks suspicious. When he speaks we are startled to

hear a familiar BURR.

BURR

You didn't tell us you were coming?

JOE

Then how did you know?

BURR snorts derisively. Rene starts to sweat it...

JOE

Is something wrong?

BURR looks at him oddly, finally speaks his suspicion.

BURR

(guessing)

You've cut your hair?

JOE

I dyed it. We're all getting old.

BURR (unsure, suspicious)

Some more than others.

BURR accepts RENE's presence at face value.

BURR

Why are you here?

Joe, thinking fast, shows him his watch. He cracks it open,

shows him a chip; not the chip, but how is BURR to know?

JOE

PEM115!

BURR

**?!! (CHINESE EXCLAMATION)

JOE

Newer, more powerful design.

BURR gets excited. He pats the driver, speaks rapid Cantonese.

Joe looks over, smiles broadly at Rene, touches her knee.

JOE

What's happening?

She smiles, but it is Al who answers.

INSIDE - INT. THE POD - AL

AL

We're onto something.

**?!! is Cantonese for Lab.

OUTSIDE - INT. CAR

Joe seems to be commenting on Rene's smile.

JOE

About time.

LANDING PAD

The car pulls up near a familiar-looking Black Helicopter.

EXT. HIGH TECH COMPLEX - LATER

The chopper lands. They exit.-

INT. RESEARCH LAB

Nearly identical to U.S.T. Guards greet them. One speaks to BURR

in Chinese as RENE and GRUNER/JOE are escorted to the lab.

JOE

Pretty advanced, isn't it?

AL (VO)

Ought to be, they stole everything

and reverse-engineered it. Looks

like all they need is the chip.

INT. LAB

A BLACK COVERALLED figure appears. As he moves, we recognize him

as the LEADER of the INTRUDERS. He turns to them, it's Dieter.

He glances at Gruner/Joe, surprised, He speaks to Joe in rapid

Dutch.

DIETER

(What are you doing here?

Where's Joe?)

Joe responds: in dialect...Then watches for approval.

JOE

(He had another chip.)

Dieter nods and turns away. He speaks softly and rapidly to

another technician in Cantonese.

INSIDE - INT. THE POD

Al picks the sound up, runs it through a translation program. It

starts to read out.

OUTSIDE - Joe HEARS the translation.

AL (VO)

He's up to something.

I have the real chip.

Slowly, Joe backs away. The chip is inserted, programming

starts. The tech speaks to the guards who edge toward Joe...They

grab him.