INNERSPACE

JOE

(under his breath)

Do something.

AL (VO)

What exactly?

JOE

I don't know.

As Joe is hustled out, he struggles, stalls...

JOE

(weird Chinese double-talk)

Whatever that means, it freezes them for a moment. They look to

Dieter. Joe goes BERSERK. HE goes for the chip, but they tackle

him. They slam him against the console, immobilizing him. One

guard reaches for restraints.

INSIDE - EXT. THE POD - IN JOE'S EYE

INSIDE - INT. THE POD

Al sees his chance. The POD'S LASER swings round...

THE CONSOLE

open near the PEM114. The laser sweeps over the microcircuitry

fusing new connections.

INSIDE

Al works frantically, surgically...one final sweep.

THE CIRCUIT BOARD

POP! - An electrical surge BLASTS through.

THE LAB

SCREAMING AND SHOUTING. Dieter lunges at Joe. An electrical

chain reaction sparks. The techs kill the power.

IT GOES BLACK - In the confusion, Joe tears the chip from the

console. He grabs Rene, slips out.

EXT. THE CHOPPER

They run across the tarmac, hop in.

RENE

Can you fly this?

AL (VO)

Don't worry.

JOE

Why not?

RENE

Can you?

JOE

Sure I can, can't I?

AL (VO)

Sure.

He starts it. The pursuers are coming fast. They lift off just

as the pursuers reach them. They swing over the lab and off

toward the border.

INSIDE - INT. THE POD

Al flies, but the laser has drained him, he loses power..THE

MISSION CLOCK FLASHES 90 HOURS PLUS...

OUTSIDE

Suddenly, Joe loses coordination. The chopper plunges...Al's

voice is fading.

AL (VO)

Hang on!..

Joe goes limp. Then recovers, tries to coordinate flight. The

chopper swoops all over the sky, out of control.

JOE

What happened?

INSIDE - INT. THE POD - AL

AL

Losing power. The laser

drained it.

THE CIRCUITS FAIL.

OUTSIDE

Al no longer controls it; the chopper stalls.

RENE

What happened?

JOE

I can't fly it.

RENE

What'd...you forget?

They CRASH within sight of the lab. Joe barely manages to get it

down without killing them. RENE is confounded by his Jeckyl/Hyde

characteristic.

RENE (VO)

What is wrong with you?

INSIDE - EXT. THE POD

Barely under power, Al grapples the POD to a junction in a vein.

He turns his rudders to angle the props into the fast flowing

blood stream...The props spin in the flow.

INSIDE - INT. THE POD - THE MONITOR

The batteries charge.

OUTSIDE

Joe and Rene, struggling to escape the wreckage.

INSIDE - EXT. THE POD

The physical activity increases the blood flow and aids

recharging. But they are easily captured...

INT. RESEARCH CENTER

Dieter's men separate them and throw Joe in a cell.

JOE (VO)

I'll tell you nothing.

GUARD

Who asked?

They slam the door, it's dark and scary. Joe calls after them.

JOE

Don't you want to torture me?.

GUARD

Later.

AL (VO)

Be quiet.

JOE

Where've you been?

AL (VO)

Never mind that, where are we now.

JOE

We are in a dungeon. How do we

get out?

AL (VO)

Gimme a minute.

JOE

Looks like you can have all

you want.

LATER - Joe sits brooding in the semi-darkness.

JOE (VO)

I can always flush you

down the toilet.

AL (VO)

Keep thinking.

JOE

I have been... I think you're

right.

AL (VO)

About what?

JOE

Dieter asked where I was.

He expected me here. Maybe

someone was assigned to bring

me here.

AL (VO)

Rene?

JOE

She works for them.

AL

Now, you're too suspicious.

JOE(VO)

You were the one who was always

suspicious of her!

AL (VO)

I was wrong. She tried to help

us get away.

JOE

No. She just stayed with us.

Like she did all along.

WHANG! The door slams open. They throw RENE in. She hits the

floor hard...

RENE

You let me out of here!!

You son of a...

WHANG! The door slams shut, cutting her off. She picks herself

up, looks at Joe...He glares back at her, suspicious. She's just

a bit hurt...expected a bigger reception than this.

RENE

Well, thanks. Nice to be

here too!

He tries to be angry with her, then seems to weaken.

JOE

Are you alright?

RENE

Yes. No. I'm...okay. They can't

do this. They can't hold us here.

JOE

Looks like they can.

What did they do?

RENE

They asked about you.

JOE

What did you tell them?

RENE

That I really don't know.

JOE

Now what?

RENE

They'll listen to what

we say in here.

RENE, lovely in a single shaft from a crack in the casement.

AL (VO)

She is beautiful.

JOE

You've changed your mind.

She turns to him.

RENE

What? Oh, about Dieter, Yes.

It was him. Gruner works for him.

JOE

Why?

She shrugs but Al answers him.

AL (VO)

Not really. Truth is...I was

..jealous. Of you.

INSIDE - INT. THE POD - AL

AL

Thing is...I think I'm

in love with her.

OUTSIDE - JOE

JOE

Oh no!

RENE

What?

She turns, crosses to him.

JOE

What a mess.

RENE

You can say that again.

What do we do?

JOE

Nothing we can do.

INSIDE - INT. THE POD - AL

AL

I know it's no good. I've

no right to be jealous.

OUTSIDE

AL (VO)

She's in love with you.

Anyone can see that.

OUTSIDE - JOE

JOE

They can?

RENE

What?

JOE

They can hold us here forever.

Nobody knows about us.

RENE

Can't you do something?

AL (VO)

It's a real mess. I'm sorry

I got you into this.

Joe - trying to assimilate it all and master the tripartite

conversation, just repeats Al's thoughts.

JOE

I'm sorry I got you into this.

RENE

It was my choice.

AL (VO)

You're a lucky man.

JOE

Yeah, sure.

RENE

Don't blame yourself, I didn't

have to come along.

JOE

Why did you, then?

RENE

For you.

AL (VO)

She's so lovely. It's all

my fault...I was wrong.

JOE

You're lovely.

RENE

I'm...scared.

AL (VO)

Look, I don't know how we're

gonna get out of this.

JOE

I don't know how we're

gonna get out of this, but

we will, somehow.

AL (VO)

I want you to know how much I

appreciate what you've done.

JOE

I want to thank you for what

you've done.

RENE

I didn't do anything.

AL (VO)

I know we fight, but I don't mean

it. You're quite a guy. No one else

could have dealt with this.

JOE

Awwww...

AL (VO)

I mean it! No one else would have

helped. I take it all back,

everything I've said about you.

RENE

I encouraged you to come here.

My fault as much as yours.

JOE

I was...crazy...desperate. I took

it out on you. I didn't mean it. I know

what she sees in you. You're kind and

you're brave. If I ever get out of you,

I'll be glad to call you my friend.

JOE

I've learned a lot. I don't

regret a thing. If it ends

here, with you that's okay with me.

RENE (holds him)

It's okay with me too.

AL (VO)

Don't worry, I owe you a lot.

I'm not gonna let us rot here.

I'm gonna find us a way out.

JOE

I'll get us out of here.

AL (VO)

Don't worry about me. You take this

time for your own, you two.....

RENE

How?

JOE

What?

INSIDE - INT. THE POD - AL

AL

Take her hand.

OUTSIDE - Joe does.

JOE

Now what?

RENE

I've never met anyone like you.

AL (VO)

Kiss her.

He does, gently.

AL (VO)

In a way, we're like brothers...

I can't have her. I want you to.

JOE

That's nice.

RENE

Nice?

AL (VO)

In my own way...I want you to know

that...I love you.

JOE

Uh...wonderful. I know I'm strange,

but in my own way, I love you

RENE

(softens)

I love you too.

She slides into his arms. The kiss.

JOE

Could we be alone?

She looks up and giggles at him.

RENE

If this isn't alone, I don't

know what is.

INSIDE - INT. THE POD

AL turns off his circuits.

OUTSIDE

Joe seems just a touch confused; preoccupied. She takes matters

in hand. He resists only momentarily when she seduces him. In the

dark, they make love.