Aliens vs. Predator

Dark Horse Prod. Presents

ALIENS

Vs.

PREDATOR

Screenplay by Peter Briggs

EXT.  DEEP SPACE

We OPEN on TOTAL BLACKNESS, a sea of stars spread across the infinite 
depths of space.  As the TITLES ROLL, we notice that three of these 
specks seem to be moving; one of them picking up acceleration and 
racing toward us.  Our perspective changes, and we catch a quick 
glimpse as it HURTLES past, and into the gravitational pull of a large 
brownish planet.  Kicking up SPARKS of FRICTION as it hits atmosphere.  
It seems to be manmade.  Or at least artificial.

EXT.  PLANET SURFACE - DAY

The planet is dead, barren.  Death Valley on a grand scale.  We watch 
the object plummet through the wispy cloud-cover, emitting a few last 
burning embers before falling to ground way-off in the distance.  A 
BOOMING ECHO resonates across the dusty plains, before settling back 
into an eerie silence.

EXT.  FISSURE CANYON - DAY

We're looking into a deep gorge, dark and sinister.  A howling wind 
whips dust into a sandstorm, reducing visibility to almost zero.  About 
seventy feet down there's a hole in the rock-face that just might be a 
cave entrance, and near is a peculiar SHIMMERING in the air.  We hear a 
mechanical BEEPING and the SHIMMERING disappears, replaced by FIVE 
humanoid SHAPES clinging to the sheer rock - each well over seven feet 
tall.  They are PREDATORS, a race of intergalactic big-game hunters on 
permanent safari; their clothing and weaponry a bizarre mix of 
aborigine and ultra-hi-tech.  In their hands are circular metal discs; 
'smart weapons' which cut into the stone and give them purchase.

PREDATOR-VISION.  

From their P.O.V., we see the fissure reduced to THERMAL HEAT SOURCES.  
The entrance registers as a black gaping void.

INT.  FISSURE NEST TUNNEL

The five hunters climb inside the rim of the tunnel, out of the wind's 
banshee wailing.  The lead PREDATOR reaches up to his headgear, pulling 
at the coupling pipes connecting it to a hidden breathing-apparatus.  
He removes the helmet, clips it to his rear utility pack, and takes a 
deep breath of the air.  A curious speckled pattern runs across his 
wide forehead, marking him 
different to the others; in addition, one of the fangs of his mandibles 
has been sheared away.  We'll call him BROKEN TUSK, he's the leader of 
the hunting party.  He reaches out a hand to caress the wall of the 
tunnel.

Several feet in from the rim, it changes from rock to a textured 
biomechanical surface; a swirling mass of disturbing shapes.  He 
hurries forward in response to the GURGLING-HISS of one of his team who 
has found something.

The other PREDATOR holds a telescopic spear up for scrutiny.  Skewered 
on the end is a shriveled FORM with eight spindly legs and a segmented 
tail; it's a FACEHUGGER, the first stage of the deadly ALIEN lifeform.  
BROKEN TUSK HISSES a caution to his party; they respond by pulling 
spears and elaborately-shaped swords.  Several shoulder-mounted plasma 
cannons slide up to firing position, tracking with their owners' 
helmets.  Thus armed, they move cautiously ahead...taking no chances.  
One helmeted PREDATOR pauses, scanning the area.

PREDATOR-VISION.  

He switches through a variety of different views; infra-red, ultra-
violet, enhanced motion-tracking.  Nothing.

He's so pre-occupied with this task, he totally fails to notice the 
skeletal ALIEN loom up behind him, emerging from the biomechanical 
growth on the floor.  A barbed tail skewers the PREDATOR straight 
through the neck, splashing luminous blood across his chestplate.  A 
gargled DEATH-RATTLE issues from his throat, the band of PREDATORS 
spinning around in time to see him being dragged below the ground.  The 
band of extraterrestrial hunters have no time to come to his aid; they 
themselves are set upon by a half-dozen ALIEN WARRIORS.  The carnage is 
swift and terrifying, a blur of motion.

Steel blades and serrated biomechanical limbs scythe the air, alive 
with the CRIES and HISSES of both adversaries.  One PREDATOR is pinned 
against the tunnel wall, his spear out of range.  The ALIEN claws away 
his face mask, and he finds himself dodging the ALIEN's toothed tongue, 
extended toward him with pile-driver speed.  He reaches down, grasping 
the 'smart-weapon' hanging from his belt and brings it up in an arc 
that terminates at the ALIEN's grinning face.  Big mistake.  The two 
are in such close proximity that the ALIEN's acidic blood sprays across 
the PREDATOR's head.  While their technology seems to be resistant to 
it, their bodies aren't:  the viscous yellow liquid begins burning into 
the PREDATOR's skin.  He kicks the skeletal corpse away with a HIDEOUS 
PIERCING SCREAM, clawing at his seared face. 

It all seems to be over as quickly as it began; there can be no 
question as to who were the victors.  The PREDATORS stand amidst a sea 
of biomechanical limbs strewn around like a charnel house.  As his 
companions begin to carefully decapitate the ALIEN skulls, BROKEN TUSK 
steps over the corpses to examine his fallen comrades.  The first 
PREDATOR to be attacked was killed instantly; he crosses to the other.  
What he finds causes him to react with
pity and disgust.  His fallen comrade is only just alive; mandibles 
clicking frailly, half his head burnt away.  BROKEN TUSK watches the 
ailing PREDATOR slide a steel blade from it's sheath and offer it to 
him.  He takes it, knowing what has to be done.  Rolling the knife 
quickly over the back of his hand - the sort of elaborate trick 
seasoned Green Berets perform - he plunges it downward into the fallen 
hunter.  This unpleasant task accomplished,

BROKEN TUSK straightens up and activates his wrist-computer.  A dark 
shape blots out the light coming from the entrance; a small PREDATOR 
shuttlecraft, sleek and elegant.  It hovers in the air with little more 
than a loud HUM, and extends a ramp.  The surviving PREDATORS leap 
aboard, carrying their trophies with the reserved silence of men 
returning from combat.

One more thing need to be done.  BROKEN TUSK bends down and flips a 
sequence of keys on the dead PREDATOR's wrist.  A countdown is 
displayed in some unknown character-set, accompanied by a HIGH PITCHED 
BEEPING.  He then turns and swiftly boards the craft which takes 
smoothly to the air, it's undergear retracting.

EXT.  PLANET SURFACE - DAY

A white-hot fireball erupts out of the fissure, the result of the 
PREDATOR's suicide-destruct mechanism.  The shuttlecraft pulls quickly 
away, disappearing into the clouds.

EXT.  SPACE

A large spacecraft is suspended in orbit around the planet; the 
PREDATOR Mothership.  The shuttle heads swiftly towards it. 


INT.  PREDATOR MOTHERSHIP - DOCKING BAY

An airlock RUMBLES open and the PREDATORS file NOISILY into the 
Mothership's docking bay.  An OLD PREDATOR crouched against a strut 
takes time out from carving something into a block of wood to briefly 
look up at them.  Like the PREDATORS themselves, the ship is a curious 
mixture of old and new.  An elaborate frieze written in alien script 
runs around the wall, with racks of sophisticated equipment recessed 
into it.  Hatches lead off to various parts of the ship; we see BROKEN 
TUSK carry his ALIEN head off down one of them. 

INT.  PREDATOR MOTHERSHIP - VIEWING GALLERY

The gallery seems to be more mechanical than the rest of the ship.  
BROKEN TUSK enters, pausing next to a kind of readout device:  a 
cylindrical tube containing a substance similar to mercury which 
constantly changes it's mass into shapes and alien text.  He peers over 
the protective railing. 

WHAT HE SEES is magnificent:  a captive QUEEN ALIEN, the nucleus of the 
ALIEN society, fed by giant intravenous pipes.  Each of it's limbs is 
tethered by straining clamps preventing any movement.  To the rear, 
it's giant egg-sac glows and throbs, suspended by a jury-rigged sling.  
A SCANNING MECHANISM hangs above the EGGS the QUEEN lays, seemingly 
defying gravity.  As each EGG is scanned by a blue triangular beam - 
similar to a PREDATOR gun-sight - it becomes translucent, giving us a 
view of the pulsing FACEHUGGER inside.  This done, a manipulator are 
carefully loads several eggs onto a pallet, which then sinks into a 
hatchway in the floor.  It's an assembly-line of almost frightening 
mechanical efficiency.

EXT.  SPACE

We see a pod ejected from the Mothership, rocketing away from the 
planet into deep space.  The inference is obvious; the PREDATORS are 
seeding worlds with ALIENS to hunt.

INT.  PREDATOR MOTHERSHIP - VIEWING GALLERY

The blue beam slides across one of the eggs, and suddenly changes to 
red, BEEPING rapidly.  BROKEN TUSK sees the flowing display-tank alter 
from a rotating simulation of an ALIEN WARRIOR skull to a 
representation of a QUEEN's head.  The manipulator arm swiftly grasps 
the EGG in question and moves it over to a protrusion on the floor.  
The causes the QUEEN to go
berserk, straining at her bonds and SHRIEKING ferociously.  She's 
obviously been through this before and knows what's about to happen.  
The protrusionsplits open, spilling out an intense white light:  an 
energy-filled blast furnace.  The manipulator claw opens, the EGG drops 
in, and is no more.

INT.  PREDATOR MOTHERSHIP - LIVING QUARTERS

An orange light plays across a wall of skulls, casting dark shadows 
into long-empty orbs.  BROKEN TUSK sprawls lizard-like across a flat 
slab of rock in the center of the room, inspecting his formidable 
arsenal of weaponry. Satisfied, he reaches out to run a finger across 
the jaw of his ALIEN trophy in an almost-erotic gesture.  He regards it 
for a long moment as if coming to a decision of some kind, before 
finally getting to his feet. 

INT.  PREDATOR MOTHERSHIP - VIEWING GALLERY

The lights in the gallery are dimmer when BROKEN TUSK enters.  He 
watches the cherry-red beam of the gliding SCANNING MECHANISM lock onto 
one of the EGGS, then runs his hand in sequence over the control board.  
The manipulator arm swings over, seizing the egg and loading it onto a 
waiting pallet. 

BROKEN TUSK points his finger at the QUEEN and makes a guttural 
CLICKING SOUND from deep in his throat.  The effect is not unlike that 
of a child firing an imaginary gun.  As if reading BROKEN TOOTH's 
thoughts, the QUEEN lifts her crested head upwards and emits a venomous 
HISS of contempt.

EXT.  SPACE

In CENTER FRAME, the planet sits still and green, awash with nebulous 
clouds. A hulking METAL FORM ROLLS RIGHT-TO-LEFT across our view, 
sunlight glinting from it's surface.  It's a rectangular satellite-
construction comprised of hundreds of communication dishes in a 
latticework of steel tubing.  We hear FILTERED HUMAN VOICES O.S.  
Subspace chatter.

EXT.  RYUSHI STATION - MIDDAY

Imagine a world where every square mile is covered by a canopy of 
treetop foliage, and you've just drawn yourself a picture of the planet 
Ryushi.

Nestled amongst this lush rainforest is the Yutani-Templin 
Communications Relay Station.  Several inverted-'U'-shaped suspension 
cranes painted bright yellow look down over a collection of 
preassembled buildings and roadways raised above the swamp on 
platforms, much like a truncated oil-rig.  A navigation beacon flashes 
intermittently from a tall gantry tower above, while dominating the 
view is the sloping face of a communications array several storeyes 
high.  Off to one side of the platform is a gigantic many-wheeled 
haulage vehicle.  A flock of bird-like creatures fly past.

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - COMMAND CENTER

We're in the dark womb of a split-level command center alive with 
clusters of video readouts, somewhat reminiscent of a futuristic air-
traffic control tower.  On the upper tier, a large circular holo-
display currently projects an image of the satellite we just saw.  Thin 
trailers of paper flutter gently in the current coming from the air 
conditioning ducks, though beads of sweat still dot the foreheads of 
the people manning the consoled here.  We move in on CASSIE DOLLANDER 
and ROB PARSONS, two monitoring technicians occupying a control bank.  
CASSIE listens carefully to something on her headset. 

CASSIE
Ah, negative on that request commercial freighter 'Nan-Shan'.  I've 
already got an inbound on that approach pending a beacon-fix.  Hold on 
my mark until I get back with some confirmation.  Rimward Traffic 
Control out.

She thumbs a button and leans over to PARSONS.

CASSIE (CONT'D)
How's it looking?

PARSONS worriedly shakes his head.

PARSONS
That's the second time I ran it, and it still reads the same.

CASSIE
Better tell the boss.

PARSONS pulls out a coin.

PARSONS
Toss you for it.

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - EXECUTIVE OFFICE

HIROKO NOGUCHI is sweating heavily, a black forelock of hair falling 
across her Oriental features.  Her eyes flicker warily from side-to-
side as she holds the smooth length of the sword before her, trying to 
assess from where the next attack will come.  She doesn't have to wait 
long; two NINJA SWORDSMEN drop to the floor in front of her, striking 
without hesitation.

She expertly avoid the blows, parrying relentlessly.  A persistent TONE 
begins to intrude O.S., like a telephone RINGING.  She tries to ignore 
it, but her concentration is clearly broken.  A THIRD SWORDSMAN appears 
from out of nowhere, his sword SWISHING towards her chest.  The blade 
plunges deep into her stomach, emerging from her back.  She glances 
down in annoyed disbelief.

HIROKO
Fuck!  Holo off.

The SWORDSMEN immediately flicker and disappear.  She sheathes the 
sword with one precise movement and crosses the wooden paneled floor to 
her desk. Mopping her face with a towel, she thumbs a stud.  The 
RINGING TONE stops, the corporate logo on her flat-screen desk panel 
replaced with a black girl's face.

HIROKO (CONT'D)
Noguchi.

CASSIE  (O.S., onscreen)
Something just came up on Deep Space Tracking.

HIROKO
What kind of 'something'?

CASSIE   (O.S., onscreen)
Easier if you come down and look.

HIROKO
I'm on my way.

EXT.  RYUSHI STATION - MIDDAY

An eight-wheeled articulated crawler rolls noisily through the rain, 
climbing an access ramp leading from the swamp to the outpost's empty 
main-street.  A group of rhinos - brown two-horned quadrupeds 
indigenous to Ryushi - restlessly stir in their corral at it's 
approach.  The crawler's pneumatics HISS gently as it comes to a halt, 
while somewhere off in the distance a dog BARKS.  

DON KAMEN, a lean man in his forties. climbs down from the cab mounted 
five feet above the ground and squints up at the main relay antenna. He 
adjusts the cowboy hat on his head against the drizzle and crosses the 
street towards one of the buildings, ignoring a Pepsi sign CREAKING in 
the gentle breeze.  A glass-paneled door SWISHES automatically open 
before him. 

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - COMMAND CENTER

KAMEN steps into the command center, nodding familiarly to the DUTY 
PERSONNEL.  A long-haired labrador rushes up to KAMEN, wagging it's 
tail. Her name is BREWSTER.  She's the base mascot.  KAMEN reaches down 
and ruffles it's fur.  He climbs the few stairs to the monitoring tier, 
pulling the French-plaited hair of ANNIE URIOSTE, an Italian systems-
mechanic with her hands buried in a disassembled console.

URIOSTE
You didn't wipe your feet coming in.

KAMEN
Well, it's okay.  You didn't tell me it was monsoon season going out.

PARSONS looks up at KAMEN and grins.

PARSONS
Hey, buenos dias, cowboy.  When d'you blow in?

KAMEN places his hat on PARSONS' head and THUMPS it down.

KAMEN
Just got back.  Missed anything?

URIOSTE   (snorts)
Yeah.  We're almost out of beer.

PARSONS
Ahh, don't pay any attention to Urioste. She's still pissed that 
Noguchi wouldn't let her go off on your hunting trip.

KAMEN pours himself a cup of coffee from a BUBBLING percolator.

KAMEN
Wasn't my trip, I just did the driving. 'Sides, freezing my butt off 
out in the wet taking pot-shots at the local wildlife isn't my idea of 
a good time, either.

He sips gingerly from the cup of scalding liquid.

PARSONS
Where'd you leave them?

KAMEN
Camped out by the navi-beacon out on Linson's Range.  They're making 
their own way back tomorrow.

CASSIE
MarsCo went belly-up on the Dow Jones.

KAMEN
Shit.  When?

CASSIE
Yesterday.  We got the Network feed from Gateway; it was the top story 
on 'Sixty Seconds'.  Biggest market crash since twenty-four.

KAMEN looks ill.

KAMEN
Fucking great.  I invested some money in them.

CASSIE
You win some, you loose some.

KAMEN
I lose 'em all, that's why I'm still out here on this rock.  Anything 
else you wanna ruin my day with?

CASSIE
No, but I got something that might interest you.

HIROKO enters, pulling on a leather jacket.

HIROKO
What've you got?

KAMEN nods to her and receives a quick smile for his trouble.  They 
turn to watch the display clear, replaced with a computer simulation of 
the neighboring solar system.

CASSIE
A pair of incomings.  They popped-up on the medium-range about thirteen 
twenty-four local time.

PARSONS
We figured on it being a magnetic anomaly, but we ran a back-trace just 
to make sure.

CASSIE
Yeah.  Turns out they dropped straight out of hyperspace.

The simulation ZOOMS IN, revealing two unidentified objects heading 
towards the planet in the center of the display.  Computer notations 
accompany them.

CASSIE (CONT'D)
Curious thing is, the mass detector says they're too small to carry a 
deep-space drive.

HIROKO
Sounds like a couple of escape shuttles.

PARSONS
That's what we thought.

HIROKO
Have you got an updated Lloyds' Almanac to cross-reff them through?

PARSONS
Done it already.  Nothing matches.

CASSIE
And if you thought that was interesting, watch this...

HIROKO watches the course of the two objects simultaneously change.

KAMEN
Jesus.

PARSONS
Yeah, exactly.  Those're pre-programmed course adjustments you're 
looking at.

KAMEN
Tactical nukes, maybe?

Everybody gives him a quick look, but nobody says anything.  It's 
obviously not an appealing thought.

HIROKO
Where're they headed?

CASSIE
We ran a trajectory simulation.  If they carry on along that path, it's 
possible they'll make intra-orbital insertion.

There's a great exhalation of breath, and everyone swaps significant 
glances. HIROKO seems worried.  She scratches her forehead.

HIROKO
I don't know what to make of this.  Get a copy of the telemetry relayed 
back to Antarctica Traffic Control.  Better alert the nearest RimCorp 
Base, too.

PARSONS nods, suddenly serious.

PARSONS
Fort Powell.  What do we tell 'em?

HIROKO
Just give them the facts.  They can leap to their own conclusions.

EXT.  LINSON'S RANGE - SWAMP - AFTERNOON

Down here in the swamp, the trunks of magnificent trees terminate in 
gnarled roots and disappear into watery murk, much like a Louisiana 
bayou.  A group of attentive LEMUR-TYPE CREATURES suddenly bound for 
cover as a line of bullets THUDS into the wood nearby.  Seconds later, 
a loud HUMMING NOISE intrudes O.S. and a pair of manta-ray-shaped 
hover-bikes with sleek lines and garnish decals SLAMS into FRAME 
suspended two feet above the mire, their powerful turbines kicking-up a 
swirl of spray.  The two BIKERS skid to a halt and watch the CREATURES 
scatter.  ACKLAND and YORK - men who on Earth might be called "good 'ol 
boys" - are both riding one-handed; powerful hi-tech rifles gripped in 
the other.

YORK   (yelling)
You missed 'em, Ackland!

ACKLAND
Little fuckers move too fast.  Let's do a sweep and catch 'em on the 
other side.

YORK nods his head, pulling his goggles down over his eyes.  The two 
bikes ROAR off in pursuit.

EXT.  LINSON'S RANGE - ENCAMPMENT - AFTERNOON

Up on a mud-bank, at the base of a sturdy gantry tower with two 
blinking blue lights atop it, stands the camp.  It looks a little like 
a Bedouin bivouac, but up-close we can see the techno-fitted details.  
A hard-featured woman seated next to a solid-fuel burner sips from a 
mug, while her Vietnamese counterpart is manually loading large-caliber 
bullets into a belt-feed.  They 
watch as ACKLAND and YORK roar past WHOOPING.  MINH scrambles out of 
the way as a beer can lobbed by YORK CLATTERS to the ground near him. 

MINH
Crazy idiots.

BEAUVAIS cups her drink with both hands, assessing him.

BEAUVAIS
Ahhh, they're just letting off some steam; don't let 'em get to you.  
Ackland and York aren't such bad guys when you get to know 'em.  Just a 
couple of weekend warriors...

She peers curiously at the clunky cartridges MINH's thumbing into the 
belt feed.  On the ground next to him is a widebore weapon on an over-
the-shoulder guidance mechanism.

BEAUVAIS (CONT'D)
Nice howitzer you've got there.

MINH
Thanks.

BEAUVAIS
Good argument for gun-control.  What are you going after, rhino?

MINH
Nah.  I just wanna squeeze off a few rounds.  'Sides, they tagged the 
rhinos for the migration project, so they're protected.  They'll dock 
you a month's pay for just mentioning it.

He peers into the belt and blows out some dirt.

MINH (CONT'D)
Sure wish there was something on this planet with a bit of fight in it, 
though.

EXT.  DEEP SPACE

Against a sea of stars, a small metal shape HURTLES towards us, 
followed moments later by it's identical twin.

EXT.  RYUSHI STATION - BIG BERTHA - AFTERNOON

A strand of HIROKO's hair falls forward into her face, slick with rain.  
She brushes up at the miserable weather.  She and KAMEN are standing on 
one of the twelve-feet-in-diameter wheels of the gargantuan haulage 
vehicle we saw outside the base earlier.  Up on the side of the cab is 
painted a Nordic Valkyrie with an impressive bustline, next to which is 
the legend 'BIG BERTHA'.  Two mechanics, JAN GUTTIEREZ and KEVIN 
DILLER, watch KAMEN point something out to HIROKO from the vantage 
point of KAMEN's crawler parked in the swamp nearby.

KAMEN
See that sheathing on the suspension? Eaten away.  Same thing with the 
pumps on the base air purifiers.  The algae out here just isn't good on 
these new plastics.

HIROKO
We haven't used Big Bertha since we relocated the generator module.  
That was four months ago.  I can't ask for them to keep bringing spares 
in on the shuttle, it's already costing too much as it is.

KAMEN shrugs.

KAMEN
If you want these things kept in working condition, that's the only 
choice you've got.

DILLER leans in to murmur quietly to GUTTIEREZ.

DILLER
Maybe she wouldn't be so tetchy if she got laid every once-in-a-while.

GUTTIEREZ
You offering?

A buzzer inside the crawler goes OFF.  DILLER gets up to answer.

DILLER
Nah.  Freeze my dick off.

HIROKO shakes her head dubiously at KAMEN's comment.

HIROKO
I don't know.  I think we'll have to run it on a rota; one month down, 
one month operational.

DILLER leans out of the crawler's cab and calls across.

DILLER
Miss Noguchi!  You're wanted in admin.

HIROKO
Thanks.

She turns back to KAMEN.

HIROKO (CONT'D)
Let me sort this out and we'll go over the logistics in my office.

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - COMMAND CENTER

HIROKO peers at the display with undisguised concern.  A sense of 
urgency buzzes around the room.

HIROKO (CONT'D)
When?

CASSIE
Seven minutes ago, the third course change in an hour.  Those incomings 
are going to skim past the communications platform just a little too 
close for comfort.

HIROKO
Can we move it to a different orbit in time?

PARSONS looks up from his board in harassment.

PARSONS
Already working on it.

HIROKO
Get off an all-bands emergency distress, and put it on a repeater.

She meets KAMEN's eyes.

HIROKO (CONT'D)
Looks like you were right.  Someone's lobbed a pair of smart-missiles 
at us.

KAMEN shakes his head.

KAMEN
Relay station like us out in the middle of the boonies; why bother?  
All you're gonna do is punch a temporary hole in the traffic control 
net.  That'd be small potatoes even for terrorists.

PARSONS and CASSIE are all-business at the control board.

PARSONS
Can you patch me a temporary loop on DCMGS?

CASSIE
Okay, give me the numbers.

She flips a switch.  A nearby screen changes to display an orbital path 
sketched out in rectangular neon blocks.

EXT.  SPACE

A cluster of thruster rockets on one corner of the relay frame ignites, 
and the darkened bulk of the satellite begins to move.

EXT.  DEEP SPACE

The two pods ROAR towards us at immense speed.

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - COMMAND CENTER

The two blips on the holo-board representing the pods make a marked 
alteration in their course.

PARSONS
They've changed their heading again.

HIROKO
Compensate!

PARSONS
Punch me in a solution for their delta-vee.

CASSIE
What do you need?

PARSONS
A three-second burn to port, on my mark.

CASSIE
It's on the board.

EXT.  SPACE

Framed against the green backdrop of Ryushi, the PREDATOR pods rocket 
towards the communications platform.

CASSIE
Picking up velocity.

HIROKO
Match it!

A bead of sweat trickles down PARSONS' temple.

PARSONS
Not gonna make it...

EXT.  DEEP SPACE

The pod speeds THUNDEROUSLY into CAMERA, blotting out our view.

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - COMMAND CENTER

One of the two blips on the holo-display vanishes, and three-quarters 
of the monitors abruptly turn to static.  PARSONS curses.

PARSONS
Goddammit!

He pulls off his headset with weary resignation.

PARSONS (CONT'D)
We've lost the downlink.  It's gone.

EXT.  SPACE

The mass of the satellite tumbles end-over-end.  A gaping rent is torn  
through it; something sparks and flashes within.  The second pod 
accelerates off curving into the atmosphere.

EXT.  LINSON'S RANGE - RIVERBANK - DUSK

A SONIC THUNDERCRACK BOOMS overhead; YORK looks up in time to see an 
object sear across the dusk sky.  He pulls his bike to a stationary 
hover.

YORK
Shit!  What's that?

ACKLAND has already dismounted as he watches the fireball hurtle to the 
ground.  A BOOMING ECHO resonates across the forest, followed by a few 
plaintive SCREECHES from the planet's indigenous lifeforms, before 
settling back into an eerie silence.

ACKLAND
Meteor, I guess.

He raises a set of compact field binoculars to his face.  THROUGH THEM 
he sees a thin haze of smoke rising from the treetops.

ACKLAND
D'you feel any impact shock?

YORK   (uncertain)
Not really.

He lowers the binoculars and frowns.

ACKLAND
Me either.  I tell you, I used to be with a mining outfit on Callisto, 
and when something like that hits... believe me, you know about it.

YORK
Do you wanna head back and call it in?

ACKLAND   (hesitant)
I dunno... I dunno.  Something about this feels funny.

He looks across at the plume of smoke snaking off into the sky.

ACKLAND (CONT'D)
That is the damndest impact I've ever saw...

EXT.  LINSON'S RANGE - IMPACT SIGHT - DUSK

The earth around the crater-rim is charred and cracked; some of the 
surrounding brush still aflame.  A SCORPION scuttles inquisitively to 
the edge of the pit and stops, it's stinger twitching hesitantly.  We 
HEAR a LOW HUM, and the SOUND of METAL-ON-METAL.  Before the SCORPION 
can decide what to do, it's fate is sealed.  A large METAL CLAW comes 
down, crushing it in an instant.  A SECOND CLAW emerges, and a MACHINE 
heaves itself out of the hole, it's surface smoking with heat.  It 
pauses for a BEAT like some giant tarantula seeking prey, them moves 
purposely outwards about twenty yards before halting.  A hatch on the 
underside opens, and a complex delivery mechanism extends.  After a 
moment there's a LOW CLUNK, and the mechanism retracts.  In it's place 
is an ALIEN EGG.  The MACHINE crawls off, vanishing into the long 
reeds.

EXT.  RYUSHI STATION - NIGHT

HIROKO sits on the front wheel of KAMEN's crawler, her knees pulled up 
to her chin, staring off into a thin mist that makes the night 
impenetrable.  Behind and above, the lights of the cranes and the 
communications array strobe on-and-off.  Above the bar on the main 
street is a flicking neon sign erected after-the-fact, emblazoned with 
the words "TORCHY'S".  The MUFFLED SOUNDS of MERRY-MAKING from within 
become momentarily louder, and HIROKO glances over to see it's 
pressure-door CRASH back, disgorging several drunken people. KAMEN 
follows them through.  He spots HIROKO and heads over.

KAMEN
Hey, boss.  Wondered where you'd gotten to.

HIROKO
I just... wanted to be put on my own for a while.  Clear my head.

KAMEN
Didn't feel like whoopin' it up with the rest of us blue collars, huh?

She shakes her head, and manages a smile.

HIROKO
I've got a lot of thinking to do.  'Sides, the room was getting too 
crowded for me.

KAMEN
Not too much of the socializing type, then?

HIROKO
No, not really.  More sort of the  'claustrophobic' type.

KAMEN LAUGHS.  HIROKO is straight-faced.

HIROKO (CONT'D)
I'm serious.  That's why I switched from orbiting to planetary 
installations.

KAMEN
Is that a fact.

HIROKO
Uh-huh.  Used to get it pretty bad.  I'd wake up in a cold sweat and 
want to claw open a vacuum hatch.

KAMEN
How long you been out here for now, anyway?  Three months?

HIROKO
Four.

KAMEN
And before that?

HIROKO
Six month stint on Datus.

KAMEN
Only six?

HIROKO
What is this?  'Twenty Questions'?

KAMEN
Just curious.  There's a lot of talk goes around.

HIROKO shrugs.  Thinks about it.

HIROKO
I don't know.  I guess I've just never found anywhere I really felt at 
home.

She hugs her knees again, and suddenly looks a whole lot more at ease.  
KAMEN spots a square glass balanced on one of the tire's wide treads.

KAMEN
What is that?

HIROKO
Real man' drink.

She offers the glass to him.  He takes it and sniff cautiously.

KAMEN
Seltzer?

HIROKO
Want some?

KAMEN hands the glass back and raises his own bottle.

KAMEN
I'll stick with my own.

He sits with her and stares into the darkness.

HIROKO
Any luck raising Ackland's party?

KAMEN
Nothing.  With the satellite down, we can't transmit over the mountain 
range. He's most likely sitting there wondering why he can't raise us.

HIROKO
First light, we'll take a chopper out there and tell them to head back.

KAMEN
'We'?  You wanna fly out there with me?

HIROKO
Sure.  Do me good to stretch my legs.

HIROKO takes a sip of her drink, her brow furrowing.

HIROKO (CONT'D)
This whole thing's got me spooked.

KAMEN hops off the wheel.

KAMEN
Don't worry about it.  If the Network goes by the book, like everyone 
figures they will, a Marine gunboat from Powell'll drop-by for a look-
see in four-or-five days.  They can go poke around out there and find 
whatever it was hit us.  All we've gotta do is sit tight.

HIROKO
Do you think Ackland'll sit tight?

KAMEN
There'd have to be a helluva good reason for him not to.

EXT.  SPACE

A peculiar blue scanning beam plays over the rotating mass of the 
incapacitated satellite, examining every section.  it comes to the rent 
torn through it, and pauses.

FROM THE SCANNER'S P.O.V., we see the structure of the satellite made 
up from a series of blue geodesic shapes.  The damage registers as a 
cold, black mass.

The beam switches off and the hovering PREDATOR shuttle turns smoothly 
on it's axis, thrusting towards the planet. 

EXT.  LINSON'S RANGE - IMPACT SITE - NIGHT

Shafts of torch-light fan out above the thick foliage in the darkness.  
YORK and ACKLAND wade through the chin-high reeds, cursing.

ACKLAND
Found anything?

YORK looks down at his data-stick, a handheld torch with a multi-
purpose readout screen.

YORK
Nada. No radiation... no movement... nothing.

ACKLAND
Well, just keep looking.  It's gotta be... whoa, Jesus!

ACKLAND falls toward onto something, and YORK comes running.

YORK
What is it?

ACKLAND steadies himself, and the two men shine their torches at the 
rhythmically-breathing SHAPE on the ground.

ACKLAND
It's a rhino.

YORK
Is it dead?

ACKLAND
No, it's still breathing.  Kinda clammy though.  Are you sure your 
stick's not broken.

YORK looks at the data-stick again.

YORK
Yeah, it's fine.

ACKLAND
God, I hope that thing didn't bring down a virus.

YORK
I told you we... what's that?

Their torch beams PAN ACROSS a three-foot high ovular shape.

ACKLAND
Looks like a spore.  Fungus of some kind, maybe?

YORK
Bloody big if it is.  Top's open.

ACKLAND steps cautiously forward to shine his torch inside.

YORK (CONT'D)
Careful...

There's nothing inside.  ACKLAND looks disappointed.

ACKLAND
It's hollow.  Think our rhino must've ate something that didn't agree 
with him.

A heavy gust of air blows unexpectedly across the clearing with a 
BANSHEE HOWL, ruffling their hair.

YORK
Let's get back and call this in.

ACKLAND
Wait a minute.

YORK reluctantly follows ACKLAND as he thrashes through the thinn ing 
foliage, coming out at the rim of the impact crater.  It's beginning to 
partially collapse, water seeping in.  YORK runs his beam over 
something at the bottom of the shallow pit.

YORK
What is that... is that metal fragments?

ACKLAND's maybe getting a little nervous now.

ACKLAND
This is very fucking weird.

He sees the churned earth, and the muddy trail leading off into the 
broken foliage.

ACKLAND (CONT'D)
It's like something came out of the crater and went that way...

There's a TINY CLICK, and ACKLAND looks over to see YORK taking the 
safety off his rifle.  ACKLAND wordlessly unshoulders his too.  They 
step around the crater and warily follow the ragged path to...

YORK
Another one?

ACKLAND prods this SECOND EGG with his gun.

ACKLAND
Yeah.  This's closed.

There's a CRACKLING NOISE, and the top of the EGG peels neatly open in 
four sections.  The two men jump back in alarm, and YORK LAUGHS 
nervously. Something organic is pulsing inside.  ACKLAND cranes his 
neck forward for a better look...

There's an EXPLOSION of MOVEMENT.  A spindly shape with a long 
segmented tail launches itself jack-in-a-box-style at ACKLAND.  It's a 
FACEHUGGER.  ACKLAND trips backwards, caught off-balance.  His finger 
involuntarily squeezes the trigger of his rifle as he falls.  A volley 
of shots describe and arc and  light up the night with a PERCUSSIVE 
BOOM, and we...

CUT TO
...A SHORT DISTANCE ACROSS THE CLEARING.  SOMETHING is watching them 
from the trees; something with a heat-vision P.O.V.  A PREDATOR.  We 
see the flare of ACKLAND's gunshots, then SNAP IN to see the multi-
colored from of his body toppling over, trailing a purplish FACEHUGGER, 
before we... 

CUT BACK TO
...One of ACKLAND's bullets taking a meaty chunk out of YORK's thigh as 
he races forward to help his friend.  The HUGGER's tail is already 
around ACKLAND's throat, it's fingers scrabbling for purchase.  YORK 
pulls at one set of digits, and manages to raise them for just an 
instant.  What we see is horrific; the look of terror on ACKLAND's 
face, and the questing tendril on
the HUGGER's underside trying to force it's way between ACKLAND's lips.  
In a second, it's all over; the FACEHUGGER struggles free of YORK's 
grasp, and clamps itself firmly on ACKLAND's face with a faint SUCKING 
SOUND.  YORK shivers, then uses his good leg to propel himself a few 
feet away.  He watches the hapless Teamster go rigid, then stop moving 
altogether.

YORK
Oh, God; oh, shit; oh, God.

The FACEHUGGER's tail slithers tighter around ACKLAND's neck; and as 
YORK quickly retrieves his rifle, we...

CUT TO
A PREDATOR-VISION SHOT, watching the color-bloom of YORK dragging 
ACKLAND's body away from the crater.  It CLOSES IN on the FACEHUGGER, 
giving us a muted X-ray-type VIEW of circulatory fluid pumping around 
the HUGGER and into ACKLAND.

YORK's limping badly, a dark stain blossoming on his baggy fatigue 
trousers. ACKLAND's not a small man, and the physical effort of hauling 
him through the reeds makes him sweat profusely.  There's movement on 
the ground, and YORK sees why; one of the LEMURS has fallen victim to 
another FACEHUGGER, which dwarfs it's small furry body.  The HUGGER's 
fingers all ripple simultaneously as it strengthens it's hold; the 
movement akin to somebody drumming their
fingers on a table-top.

EXT.  LINSON'S RANGE - RIVER BANK - NIGHT

As YORK hauls ACKLAND onto one of the bikes, he hears a TICKING SOUND 
from the trees, like an engine cooling on a warm summer's day.  YORK 
clutches his rifle and stares upward.  There seems to be a VAGUE 
SHIMMERING FORM in the bough of a tree.  Although it might be a trick 
of the light, he isn't sticking around to find out.  YORK guns the bike 
to life and ROARS off above the swamp.

EXT.  LINSON'S RANGE - IMPACT SITE - NIGHT

PREDATOR-VISION.  
We're looking at the site in colours:  the cold blue of empty ALIEN 
EGGS, and the warm reds of just-breathing ANIMALS rendered inert the 
FACEHUGGER parasites.

A group of PREDATORS appear in three-dimensional solidity, their 
camouflage cloaks deactivated.  The LEAD PREDATOR SPLASHES across to 
the exposed roots of a tree and kneels down to examine an ANIMAL CORPSE 
curled up there.  Most of it has been madly mutilated by something 
erupting from inside it's body. The PREDATOR looks up and scans the 
swamp, ignoring the swarm of FLIES buzzing in the air.

PREDATOR-VISION.  
This time, an oscillating line appears to the left of our view, and a 
band sweeps quickly ACROSS the screen synchronous to us hearing 
different levels of SOUND STATIC.  This abruptly stops as the 
oscillating line begins to moves in peaks and valleys.  The PREDATOR is 
picking up radio
waves.  A HUMAN VOICE; albeit grossly-distorted.

EXT.  LINSON'S RANGE - ENCAMPMENT - NIGHT

We hear a RAPID BEEPING; movement-sensors set up on tripods to warn 
against intruding animals.  The sound brings BEAUVAIS out of her tent, 
bleary-eyed and fumbling with her pistol.  She's suddenly wide awake 
when she sees YORK's hover-bike, lit by the sensors' flashing red 
strobe.  It skids to a halt against a mud-bank, sending up a spray of 
silt.  YORK climbs off the bike and stumbles, then starts to unfasten 
the straps holding ACKLAND's body.

BEAUVAIS
Jesus Christ!  What happened?

YORK
Give me a hand with Ack.

She races over to help YORK ease ACKLAND up.

BEAUVAIS
How bad is... oh my God.

As ACKLAND is turned over, BEAUVIAS gets her first look at a 
FACEHUGGER. She shies away, repulsed. 

BEAUVAIS
What is that?

YORK
Don't... uuh... don't know.  Help me... uuh... help me get him inside.  
Shit!

YORK grits his teeth, but the leg injury is too painful.  He slumps 
slowly to the floor.

BEAUVAIS   (yelling)
Minh!  Minh, get out here!

INT.  TENT - NIGHT

A portable neon light in the tent flickers, casting staccato bluish 
light over ACKLAND and the FACEHUGGER.  MINH and BEAUVAIS stare at it 
in horrified fascination, while YORK pulls a tourniquet around his 
thigh.  He winces. 

BEAUVAIS
Have you tried prising it off?

YORK shakes his head.

YORK
I wanted to get him back here; get him back to base.

MINH
Forget it.  We lost the satellite link. It's dead.

There's a long pause while everyone considers the options.

BEAUVAIS
We've got no option.  We're gonna have to get it off.

MINH
Oh man...

YORK
Get real, Beauvais!  That thing might chew his fucking face off for all 
be know!

The motion sensor outside begins BEEPING again.  MINH catches BEAUVAIS' 
head-jerk.

BEAUVAIS
Minh...

MINH
Yep...

MINH hefts his 'howitzer' and leaves the tent.  BEAUVAIS rounds on 
YORK, continuing.

BEAUVAIS
How do you know it's not already?

YORK
I don't, but I think we should just wait and let the Doc take a look...

EXT.  LINSON'S RANGE - ENCAMPMENT - NIGHT

MINH walks towards a line of flashing red strobes at the perimeter of 
the camp, the barrel of his weapon pointing casually forward.  He 
studies the surrounding darkness.  There's nothing out there.  He 
shakes his head in 
disgust.

MINH   (muttering)
Take a goddamn wrench to those things...

He thumbs a stud on the top of the 'howitzer'.  There's a gentle WHINE, 
and the HISS of hydraulic cylinders as the harness mechanism lifts the 
weapon up. It darts quickly to-and-fro; a mechanical snake seeking a 
target.  We see MINH's hand in CLOSE UP.  In addition to the firing 
trigger, there's also a thumb button.  He squeezes it...

The gun swings sharply around in a blinding movement, tracking 
something automatically.  There's a THUNDEROUS RUMBLE as it fires-off 
three shots in rapid succession.  Something that was only yards from 
MINH APPEARS and is blown backwards to CRASH against a tree bole, a 
mass of luminous green liquid and motion.

MINH (CONT'D)  (dumbstruck)
God.

MINH watches the helmeted PREDATOR fall face down into the water with a 
SPLASH, then lie motionless.  YORK and BEAUVAIS are out of the tent in 
an instant.

PREDATOR-VISION. 
Three humans; in motion and 'hot'.  The triangular mechanism of the 
PREDATOR's gun locks onto MINH.

A BLAST of plasma-energy rips a gaping hole through MINH's body, 
spraying blood across YORK.  He topples dead to the ground, a look of 
pained surprise on his face.  BEAUVAIS is there immediately, racing 
across and scrabbling for the 'howitzer'.  She doesn't have time to 
take the harness off - she just slides her finger through the trigger 
guard and starts squeezing off random shots.  The air shimmers as an 
unseen shape races at her.  There's a loud

SWISH of sliding metal, and a telescopic spear appears out of thin air.  
It SLAMS through BEAUVAIS' body, lifting her off the ground and 
impaling her against a tree.

YORK watches in horror as BEAUVAIS' arms thrash around.  A moment later 
her struggles cease, and she'd dropped to the floor like a broken 
marionette. There's a CRACKLING SOUND, and the hazy air around BEAUVAIS 
disappears.  In it's place is a PREDATOR, a luminous green patch 
trickling from a wound on it's arm.  It's head flicks around as it 
zeroes-in on YORK, the three red dots of the PREDATOR's cannon 
following suit.  YORK's quick though, already up and running when the 
plasma bolt EXPLODES into the tree despite the pain in his leg.

His options are limited.  The hover-bike is nearby.  He sprints for 
that and his luck holds...the key's still in the ignition.  He flips 
it.  The engine COUGHS and then dies.  YORK looks up.  The wounded 
PREDATOR bounds across the clearing at frightened speed.  YORK turns 
the key again, but the PREDATOR's almost upon him.  The creature WHIPS 
an ornately-shaped lance from it's back and thrusts it...JUST AS THE 
ENGINE ROARS TO LIFE AND THE HOVER-BIKE RISES FROM THE MUD!  The blade 
slices into the bike's body and jams there, while one of it's manta-
wings SMACKS into the PREDATOR's jaw, sending it reeling backwards into 
the swamp.

YORK swivels the bike on it's axis as another plasma-bolt rips into the 
rear, melting away a sizable chunk of the bodywork.  He sees a PREDATOR 
handing from a tree, and the SHIMMERING of two more PREDATORS in their 
camouflage nearby.  He's not sticking around to argue though.  YORK 
jams the throttle hard and the bike shoots off into the bayou as more 
cannon-blasts blossom around him.

The group of PREDATORS appear in the camp and cautiously survey the 
area. The LEAD PREDATOR - the one with the distinctive armor - crosses 
to the tent and opens the entry flap.

INT.  TENT - NIGHT

PREDATOR-VISION. 
The extraterrestrial hunter scrutinizes the pulsing FACEHUGGER on 
ACKLAND for a long moment, but takes no further action.

EXT.  LINSON'S RANGE - ENCAMPMENT - NIGHT

We PAN SLOWLY ACROSS the deserted campsite.  There isn't a soul there, 
human or otherwise.  The wind whistles eerily through the tree-boughs. 

EXT.  RAINFOREST AIRSPACE - DAWN

First light the next day, the sun rising on the horizon.  A 'chopper' - 
actually a twin-turbine heli-jet - flies in low above the veil of mist 
hanging over the treetops.

INT.  CHOPPER - DAWN

The cockpit is small, a two-seater with room for cargo in the back.  
KAMEN's in the pilot seat, and HIROKO's riding shotgun.  The controls 
moving by themselves, on autopilot.  A REPETITIVE BEEPING causes KAMEN 
to look up from his magazine.

KAMEN'S P.O.V.
From out of the window of the 'chopper', we see the twin blue lights of 
the navigation beacon blinking on-and-off above the trees.

KAMEN nudges HIROKO awake.

KAMEN
Wake up.  We're at the beacon.

He switches the controls over to manual and takes the chopper down.  
HIROKO rubs the sleep from her eyes.

EXT.  LINSON'S RANGE - ENCAMPMENT - DAWN

Twin searchlights on the underside of the descending chopper sweep 
across the clearing.  The encampment has been wrecked, much of is 
reduced to a twisted tangle of smoking debris.  All-terrain gear lowers 
from the chopper, as it makes a watery landing in the swamp.

INT.  CHOPPER - DAWN

KAMEN and HIROKO stare at the site in disbelief.  KAMEN hauls an 
automatic pulse-rifle from the rear. 

KAMEN
Looks like trouble.

KAMEN reaches under the pilot's seat and pulls out a hand-pistol.  
Passes it to her.

KAMEN (CONT'D)
Used one of these before?

HIROKO coolly examines it.

HIROKO
Fabrique Nationale tactical autoloader. Uses twelve mill hollow 'O' 
rounds, with through the barrel smart laser-sighting. Sure, I can 
handle this.

HIROKO's show-boating and KAMEN knows it, but he still can't help being 
a little bit impressed.

KAMEN
Okay.  Watch were you point it...

EXT.  LINSON'S RANGE - ENCAMPMENT - DAWN

The two of them pick their way across mangled tripods and charred 
canvas. Part of the bivouac has collapsed - one of the guide ropes has 
burned through.

HIROKO   (quietly)
Somebody picked an argument.

KAMEN
Yeah.  Somebody won.

HIROKO
Check out the tent.

KAMEN nods and heads off that way, while HIROKO carefully inspects the 
wreckage dotted around the perimeter.

INT.  TENT - DAWN

KAMEN opens the tent flap and peers inside.  ACKLAND's on the cot, 
sweating heavily.  There is no sign of the FACEHUGGER.

EXT.  LINSON'S RANGE - ENCAMPMENT - DAWN

Across the clearing, HIROKO turns a piece of charred plating over in 
her hands before discarding it.

Her foot slips on an object sunk into the soft mud.  It's MINH's 
'howitzer'. A dark slippery patch coats the metal.  She crouches down 
and rubs her fingers through it.  Blood.  KAMEN's VOICE intrudes, O.S.

KAMEN   (O.S.)
I've found Ackland!

HIROKO
Hold on...

She begins to cross the camp, and her foot catches on a taut length of 
rope. SOMETHING swings down from the trees, hitting her squarely in the 
face and knocking her off her feet.  HIROKO CRIES OUT in fear and 
surprise, then freezes at what she sees.

Two bloodied bodies dangle head-first from the bough overhead; BEAUVAIS 
and MINH.  Each has been skinned and is beyond recognition.  KAMEN 
hears her exclamation and is out of the tent in an instant.  He stops 
in his tracks.

KAMEN
Jesus palomino...

EXT.  RYUSHI STATION - HELI-JET PAD - MORNING

It's raining again at the base.  Under cover of an overhang, HIROKO 
watches as ACKLAND is trundled away from the 'chopper' on a paramedic 
trolley by GUTTIEREZ and DOC REVNA, an Indian woman in her late 
thirties.  As KAMEN slams the 'chopper's side door, we see that HIROKO 
has left her leather jacket on the passenger seat.  KAMEN runs after 
REVNA clutching a clear plastic bag.

KAMEN
Wait a minute, Doc...

He hands the bag over to REVNA.  She peers at the contents curiously.  
The FACEHUGGER is inside, stiff and shriveled. 

REVNA
Is this it?

KAMEN
Yeah.  Found it curled up in a corner of the tent.  Any idea?

REVNA shakes her head.

REVNA
Never come across one of these before. Maybe the original survey team 
did.  I'll run it through records and see what comes up.

GUTTIEREZ checks that ACKLAND's body's secure on the trolley.  KAMEN 
raps him on the back to get his attention.

KAMEN
Hey, Jan.  See if you can get someone to check out the chopper.

GUTTIEREZ
What's the problem?

KAMEN
She was running a little sluggish on the way back.  Think the turbines 
might be playing up.

GUTTIEREZ
Give me twenty minutes and I'll do it myself.

KAMEN
Appreciate that.

REVNA interrupts.

REVNA
Where're the bodies?

HIROKO
Bagged and in the back.  They're not a pretty sight.

ACKLAND is wheeled into a freight elevator.  As KAMEN and HIROKO walk 
away across the rain-swept platform, a SHIMMERING FROM detaches itself 
from the rear of the chopper and lowers itself to the heli-jet pad. 

PREDATOR-VISION.
A newly-arrived PREDATOR scans the towers and modules of the relay-
station with great interest.  An oscillating red line appears to the 
LEFT of the SHOT as the PREDATOR analyses HIROKO's voice-pattern.

PREDATOR   (O.S., distorted)
Not a pretty sight.  Not a pretty sight...

He reaches down to his wrist computer and activates it.

EXT.  LINSON'S RANGE - IMPACT SIGHT - DAY

Under the cathedral-like light filtering through the trees above, a row 
of metal spikes have been driven into the earth.  Four are topped with 
still-smoking ALIEN skulls.  Two and empty.

PREDATOR-VISION.  
A newly decapitated ALIEN head is turned around in another PREDATOR's 
hands in admiration.  This PREDATOR thrusts his trophy onto the next 
spike, then stares at the vacant one for a long moment.  His wrist 
computer BLEEPS for attention...

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - COMMAND CENTER

With nothing to do, most of the screens are out and the remaining 
personnel bored.  PARSONS is reading a magazine with his feet up on the 
console, uninterested in HIROKO and KAMEN's conversation nearby. 

HIROKO
I'm going to need you to co-sign the report.  Until we come up with 
something, this'll be treated as first degree murder.

KAMEN
Agreed.

HIROKO
When we get the link back, and I send this in, I.C.C.'ll throw a fit.

KAMEN
Ah, don't worry about I.C.C.  They're the least of your problems right 
now.

HIROKO
What do you mean?

URIOSTE walks up, very serious.  She interrupts.

URIOSTE
Sorry.  Can I have a word?

HIROKO
Sure.  What's up?

URIOSTE
Three-Pump failed a half-hour ago.  The algae must have clogged up an 
intake duct.

KAMEN
Think I spoke too soon...

HIROKO
Again?  How long before we start noticing the difference?

URIOSTE
I reckon it'll be another day before the smell gets unbearable.  
Beauvais usually fixes it, but... ah...

HIROKO knows what she means.  BEAUVAIS is dead.

HIROKO
Can you handle it?

URIOSTE
Sure, I can manage.  But I'm not going into the Pit on my own.

HIROKO   (to Urioste)
Alright, get somebody from the auto-shop.   (to Kamen)   Is that 
alright?

KAMEN
Yeah, no problem.  Ask Diller, he's good with his hands.

URIOSTE exchanges a grin with CASSIE.

CASSIE
I'll go along with that.

A SHRILL TRILLING from his console communicator makes PARSONS leap up 
to answer.

PARSONS
Parsons.   (long beat)   Yeah.  Hold on.

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - INFIRMARY

A CLOSE UP of an eye, bright blue and dilated.  DOC REVNA's shining a 
hand- held light into ACKLAND's face.  ACKLAND's regained 
consciousness, but is far from happy.  He's sitting on the edge of a 
cot in the base Infirmary, an antiseptic room full of automated medical 
equipment.  The Autodoc is suspended from the ceiling nearby, a 
circular cluster of sophisticated manipulator arms tipped with cutting 
blades and surgical paraphernalia.

ACKLAND
Hey, c'mon Doc, I feel fine.  Really.

REVNA flicks off the probe.

REVNA
Headache?  Dehydration?

ACKLAND
The head's okay, but I could sink a six-pack.

REVNA
Forget that.  I want you off alcohol for at least seventy-two hours.  
I've got some toxin build-up tests still to run.

REVNA shakes her head and turns to KAMEN.

REVNA (CONT'D)
He's broken a fever that would kill a mule, but if he says he's alright 
I'm prepared to believe him.  He's all yours.

HIROKO enters.  She watches from behind KAMEN.

KAMEN
What happened out there, Ack?

ACKLAND   (consternated)
What do you mean, 'what happened'?  What am I doing back here?  Where's 
York?

HIROKO   (insistent)
What's the last thing you can remember?

ACKLAND thinks hard.

ACKLAND
We... watched a meteor hit over Linson's.

HIROKO and KAMEN exchange significant glances.

HIROKO
A meteor?

ACKLAND
Yeah, it impacted really off.  We went out to the crash-site... and... 
uh... that's... that's all.

KAMEN
Nothing else?

ACKLAND
No.

KAMEN turns to REVNA.

KAMEN
Show him 'Fido'.

REVNA pulls out a cylindrical glass stasis tube from a wall rack.  She 
hands it to ACKLAND.  He studies the dead FACEHUGGER floating inside 
with morbid fascination.

REVNA
Ring any bells?

ACKLAND tries hard to think, but it's as if a wall's slammed down hard 
on his mind.

ACKLAND
Not really, no.  Ugly little sonuvabitch. What is it?

KAMEN
We thought you might be able to tell us. I found it by your cot at the 
camp.  You were out cold.

ACKLAND
What did York say?

HIROKO
York's vanished.

ACKLAND
Vanished?

HIROKO
Beauvais and Minh are dead, Ackland.  York's gone awol, unless you can 
help us go some way toward disproving our suspicion, he's the prime 
suspect right now.

The news hits ACKLAND hard.  He falters and leans back, addressing 
REVNA.

ACKLAND
Can I... um... have some water?  Please?

REVNA
Sure.

She goes to fetch a cup.

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - COMMISSARY

It's lunchtime, and the SOUND of machinery STEAMING food mixes with the 
CHATTER of the twenty-or-so personnel eating there.  HIROKO and KAMEN 
are deep in conversation across a table.

KAMEN
Do you believe him?

HIROKO
Ackland?  I don't know him well enough to say.  If we were back on 
Earth we could run him though an Aldhoven test and find out for sure.  
There's not much we can do out here.

KAMEN stares hard at her.  That's not much of an answer, and HIROKO 
knows it. She capitulates.

HIROKO (CONT'D)
Alright then, For what it's worth... yes, I do.

KAMEN digs appreciatively into a container of food with his fork.

KAMEN
You should try this seasoned stuff.  It's good.

GUTTIEREZ approaches the table carrying something.

GUTTIEREZ
Got a present for you.

He hands HIROKO's leather jacket over to her.

HIROKO
Oh, I've been looking for this!  Where was it?

GUTTIEREZ
You left it in the chopper.  Oh, and before I forget, Don?  I ran that 
test you wanted on the turbines.

KAMEN
And...?

GUTTIEREZ
And, nothing.  They checked out just fine.

EXT.  RYUSHI STATION - PLATFORM - AFTERNOON

A metal rail surrounds the perimeter of the platform.  DILLER leans 
against it down by the access ramp, smoking a cigarette and idly 
blowing rings into the air.  BREWSTER pricks up her years and begins to 
quietly SNARL.  DILLER glances down at her curiously.

DILLER
What's the matter, girl?  You smell something?

Now the rhino are restless too.  CASSIE walks across the concrete 
roadway to join them.

CASSIE
Rhinos look a little antsy,

BREWSTER stops SNARLS and progresses onwards to full-fledged BARKING.

DILLER
Yeah.  Never seem 'em act like this before.

PREDATOR-VISION.  
CASSIE and DILLER are 'warm', but the rhinos are BREWSTER are 'hotter' 
still.  Their VOICES and BREWSTER's BARKS are filtered to the point of 
unrecognizability, eerily distorted.

CASSIE's the first to hear the SOUND.

CASSIE
Do you hear that?

DILLER straightens up, looking out into the surrounding trees.  It's a 
FAINT HUM, getting LOUDER every second.

DILLER
Yeah...

A hoverbike appears, trailing smoke from one of it's turbine intakes as 
it hurtles towards the base.  Halfway between the trees and the ramp, 
it clips a fallen log and spins end-over-end.  It's rider flies through 
the air and hits the swamp face-first.  DILLER and CASSIE race down the 
ramp with BREWSTER YELPING excitedly in the lead.

CASSIE
I don't believe it.

DILLER splashes through the swamp and pulls the limp body out of the 
mire. It's YORK.  Blood has caked around his wounded leg.

DILLER
He looks in a bad way.  Help me get him up to Infirmary.

CASSIE
Wait a minute...

Something else has caught CASSIE's eye.  A "something" almost two 
metres in length protruding from the rear of the wrecked hoverbike.  
Grasping the haft firmly, she works it free.  CASSIE examines the 
PREDATOR spear, and slowly shakes her head.

CASSIE (CONT'D)
Holy Mary...

PREDATOR-VISION.
The concealed hunter watches as the colorised human curiously turns the 
weapon over in her hands.

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - INFIRMARY

REVNA sits at a desk and peers into a microscope.  Every so often she 
GRUNTS in satisfaction and types something into her computer terminal.  
The stasis tube containing the dead FACEHUGGER stands to one side of 
the computer screen.  The Infirmary is very quiet, and only the gentle 
THROB of the air-conditioning intrudes.  ACKLAND tosses uncomfortably 
on his cot.  He finally sits up and massages his chest.

ACKLAND
Oh.  Oh God...

REVNA lowers her pen and looks across.

REVNA
What is it?

ACKLAND
It's nothing, Doc.  Just a... touch of indigestion... something.

REVNA
Do you want a tablet?

ACKLAND winces in pain.  His breathing's getting heavy.  He nods.

ACKLAND
Uh-huh.

REVNA gets up swiftly and crosses to an automated pharmacy.  ACKLAND's 
beginning to COUGH now.

REVNA
That sounds nasty.  I'll give you a couple of Demazine.

ACKLAND nods again.  His COUGHING has deepened, and now he's banging 
his chest with a balled fist.  REVNA hurries over with three red 
tablets and a disposable cup of water.  ACKLAND takes them gratefully 
and gulps them down. The effect is almost immediate; ACKLAND quietens 
and an appreciative smile comes to his pale lips.

REVNA (CONT'D)
Better?

ACKLAND
Yeah...

Before he has a chance to elaborate, ACKLAND COUGHS once more.  A thin 
spray of blood and saliva dots REVNA's white smock and speckles her 
cheek. ACKLAND's scrabbling fingers grab her lapels as he begins to 
hyperventilate. She pulls away, dragging him from the bed in the 
process.  He falls to the floor, his MOANS growing in volume.

REVNA
Hold on, it's alright.  I'm gonna give  you a shot...

Her fingers tremble as she clumsily examines a tray of surgical 
instruments. She finds a pneumatic spray-injector, fully charged with a 
vial of amber liquid attached.  ACKLAND SCREAMS and fall backwards onto 
the floor, his hands clawing at the air.  REVNA fumbles with the 
injector control and gives him a blast in his upper arm.  ACKLAND 
convulses once then goes still, his eyes staring fixedly at the 
ceiling.  The Infirmary is deathly quiet once again.

We hear a gentle CRACKING, like twigs being snapped.  REVNA watches in 
horrified fascination as a pool of blood spreads swiftly outward across 
the floor from below ACKLAND's corpse.  REVNA shudders as the body 
moves a little, then is rolled over by something underneath it.

WHAT SHE SEES.  ACKLAND's body slumps forward onto it's front, 
revealing a gaping cavity in his back.  Bits of spine and ribcage are 
just visible.  A CHESTBURSTER - the second stage of the ALIEN lifeform 
- pulls itself clear and wipes red gunk from it's body with a pair of 
still-underdeveloped arms.

Around it's head is a distinctive nascent crest.  It kicks away from 
ACKLAND with a powerful push from it's legs, quickly gaining balance.  
After a moment appraising it's new environment, it stalks off behind a 
table.  REVNA thinks quickly.  She leaps forward and THUMPS a large red 
stud next to the pressure-door, which promptly RUMBLES closed.

The room is bathed in pools of shadows.  Plenty of hiding space for the 
creature.  REVNA hears breaking glass, making her start.  She 
cautiously edges over to the Autodoc and looks up into the forest of 
probe-arms. 

There's a wicked looking blade there, the kind used in major surgery.  
REVNA reaches up and twists the base; it detaches easily.  Now she's 
armed. Stooped over, she begins to stalk the CHESTBURSTER...

There's a flurry of movement, and suddenly the hunter becomes the 
hunted. The CHESTBURSTER vaults from the table at her with a SHRILL 
SHRIEK, and REVNA blindly swings her make-shift knife in defense.  We 
hear a SIZZLE like frying bacon...

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - INFIRMARY CORRIDOR

HIROKO sprints down the corridor and reaches the Infirmary.  DILLER, 
CASSIE, and a few others are crowded around outside.  YORK lays 
unconscious on one of the medical trolleys next to the door, making 
access difficult.  Above them, a hinged flap on the wall lies open 
revealing a circular mechanism beneath.  BREWSTER scratches at the 
bulkhead and WHINES.  MUFFLED THUMPS come from within.

HIROKO
What happened?

DILLER
York just turned up outside.  We're trying to get him into Infirmary.

HIROKO   (astonished)
York...

HIROKO leans over to examine him, but a particularly loud CRASH from 
within the Infirmary distracts her.

HIROKO (CONT'D)
What's going on?

CASSIE
The door's sealed from inside.  Doc Revna's in there, and it sounds 
like Ackland's going nuts.

HIROKO
Force the door.

DILLER
Can't.  It's pressure sealed.

GUTTIEREZ races up and hands DILLER a wrench with a shaped tip.

GUTTIEREZ
Here...

DILLER
Thanks.

He inserts the end into the open flap and pulls hard, the physical 
effort showing on his face.  The door grinds open about eight inches... 

The bloodied CHESTBURSTER forces itself through the narrow gap, HISSING 
vehemently.  Yellow fluid wells from a wound in it's crested skull, 
dissolving everything it comes into contact with.  The small group 
gathered around fall back in panic, jarring YORK's trolley and knocking 
HIROKO to the floor.  BREWSTER BARKS at the CHESTBURSTER, which tenses 
as if to leap.
DILLER brings the wrench down, but the CHESTBURSTER evades his blow and 
takes flight.  It strikes at HIROKO, who reflexively draws her head 
back and escapes with nothing more than a light scratch to the cheek.  
The ALIEN disappears down the corridor, leaving a trail of smeared 
blood and a series of acidic pits which melt the grillework flooring.  
GUTTIEREZ bends down and
helps HIROKO to her feet.  Shocked, she MUTTERS something to herself in 
JAPANESE, and regains some of her composure.

HIROKO
Get after it, don't let it get away!

DILLER stands there with the metal bar.  Does she think he's nuts?

HIROKO (CONT'D)
Go on!

This galvanises DILLER.  He races off in pursuit.

HIROKO (CONT'D)
Jan, give me a hand over here.

HIROKO AND GUTTIEREZ try to force the door, but DILLER was right - it 
won't budge.  HIROKO slips her arm through the gap and fumbles around 
blindly.  She must have hit the control knob, because the door slides 
back.  CASSIE looks inside.

CASSIE
Oh my God...

She turns away and retches.  HIROKO steps through and goes pale.  There 
are blood-smears over everything, and it's all GUTTIEREZ can do to stop 
BREWSTER from getting in there.

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - COMMAND CENTER

PARSONS' finger traces a path along a set of computer schematics 
displayed on a suspended glass screen.

PARSONS
It left a melted trail on the deck all the way down to here...

HIROKO
What is that?

DILLER
Secondary fluidic shunt for the sewage system.  I found the grating 
ripped right off.  The little fucker was strong.

HIROKO
Where does that lead to?

PARSONS
Central Pumping.  All the waste gets  treated, broken-down, and flushed 
out into the swamp.  If it wanted a quick exit then it really lucked-
out.

HIROKO
You've checked that end?

GUTTIEREZ
Not yet, no.

HIROKO
Do it.  I don't want that thing on my installation.  I want it caught 
and destroyed.

KAMEN
Cornering it shouldn't be a problem.  Each part of this station is 
basically a self-sufficient deep-space transport module running off 
external couplers.  If we disconnect them and seal off every section, 
we've got a ceiling of about thirty-six hours on internal power.  That 
should give us ample time to find it.

HIROKO
Alright.  Pull some trackers and headsets out of stores, and I'll sign 
a release for the weapons.  Cassie, organise a team roster and put it 
on the board.

CASSIE nods soberly.  HIROKO looks at everybody, and her words are 
carefully chosen.

HIROKO (CONT'D)
I don't care how you kill this thing, just be careful not to get in 
it's way when it bleeds.  You all saw what happened to Doc Revna.

There are nods of agreement and general enthusiasm all round.

HIROKO (CONT'D)
Nobody wander off on their own until it's found.  Keep in pairs.  
Diller, once the first team's done their sweep I want you to go down 
with Annie to Three-Pump while she replaces it.

DILLER
Okay.

HIROKO
One final point.  Killing this sonuvabitch ought to be a reward in 
itself.  However, just to add a little incentive... I'm authorizing a 
hefty bonus in the next pay-packet for whoever does.

This seems to appeal to those assembled there.  There's a palpable buzz 
in the air.

HIROKO (CONT'D)
Alright, let's get to it.  New York rules apply.

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - EXECUTIVE OFFICE

YORK is recounting his story to KAMEN and HIROKO in a hushed voice.  
Small beads of sweat stand out on his forehead and his eyes are haunted 
by remembrance.  The man's a mess.

YORK
...I mean, these... these mothers were... were huge.  They look like 
bushmen, but they had all this hi-tech shit strapped all over 'em.  
They must've wasted Beauvais and Minh inside thirty seconds.  Minh got 
off a couple of shots from that cannon of his, but he might as well 
have been using a B-B gun.  I don't know how the hell I made it out of 
there alive.

He nods toward the PREDATOR spear in HIROKO's hands.

YORK (CONT'D)
The one I clipped with the hoverbike shoved that at me.  Whatever it's 
made of, it went straight through a double-layer of honeycomb polyalloy 
composite like it was butter.

YORK shakes his head in fear.

YORK (CONT'D)
I don't wanna ever come up against those things again.  Ever.

KAMEN claps the man on the shoulder to reassure him.

KAMEN
Don't worry about it, Yorkie.  You're safe now.  Go get come rest.

YORK nods.  He gets to his feet and leaves the room.  HIROKO waits 
until the door slides shut behind him.

HIROKO
So, what do you think?

KAMEN
What do I think?  I think if those Marines from Powell don't shift 
their butts getting here, we're gonna get caught up to our necks in the 
middle of something we shouldn't.

EXT.  RYUSHI STATION - PLATFORM - DUSK

It's late, and the base's exterior lighting casts yellow pools of light 
across the metal and concrete thoroughfares.  GUTTIEREZ and DE VRIES - 
a tough-looking Afrikaan woman with a think accent - looks uneasily 
about them. Another GROUP of PEOPLE with trackers and guns are 
searching around in the BACKGROUND.  Nearby, the vertical yellow column 
of a suspension-crane gantry towers high above.

DE VRIES
C'mon, man.  One more sweep.

GUTTIEREZ
One more sweep... one more sweep.  I'm getting tired of one more 
fuckin' sweep. We're been lookin' for this thing for three days now, 
and found zip.

DE VRIES
Ah, quit griping.  Keeps you in shape doesn't it?

GUTTIEREZ
Hey!  I was in shape before we started doing this.

DE VRIES pauses, listening to the sound from the surrounding forest.

DE VRIES
Listen to that...

GUTTIEREZ cocks his head and listens.  He has no idea what she means.

GUTTIEREZ
Listen to what?

DE VRIES
That's what I mean.  This is the quietest I've ever heard it.  It's 
unnatural.

GUTTIEREZ shivers in the wind as he looks out into the impenetrable 
blackness beyond the confines of the base.

GUTTIEREZ
De Vries?

DE VRIES
Yeah?

GUTTIEREZ
Next time you have a thought like that? Keep it to yourself.

BREWSTER the dog stares in fascination at the rhinos through the 
meshwork fence of their pens.  The animals move around in agitation.  
Not at her, but at something else...

DE VRIES
Something spooking the rhinos?

GUTTIEREZ
I dunno.

EXT.  RYUSHI STATION - SWAMP LEVEL - DUSK

PREDATOR-VISION. 
The rhino's, the dog, and the two humans can be seen way above on the 
platform's edge, bright red.

Indistinct inside their camouflage cloaks, the small group of PREDATORS 
wade carefully through the water towards the base of the installation.

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - PUMP ROOM

DARKNESS.  DILLER and URIOSTE's VOICES heard O.S. in HUSHED TONES.  The 
scraping of METAL-ON-METAL.

DILLER
What is that...is that it?

URIOSTE
No.  I... think that's a regulator valve. Hold on.

There's more NOISE.

URIOSTE (CONT'D)
Ah, got it...!

About a dozen fluorescent strips ringing the small circular chamber 
illuminate.  Three others flicker erratically, one of them remaining 
unlit. DILLER waves the tracker cautiously around and keeps his pulse-
rifle level. He enters, followed by URIOSTE.  She's carrying a portable 
- but bulky - piece of machinery.

URIOSTE
Are you getting anything?

DILLER   (sarcastic)
Yeah, eyestrain.  What's with the lights?

URIOSTE
They're always like that.  Head-Office are real cheap when it comes to 
spares.  Wave that thing in the corner...

DILLER sweeps the tracker carefully around.  The small screen registers 
nothing.

DILLER
The room's clean.

URIOSTE
Great.

URIOSTE pulls at a two-piece hexagonal grating set in the center of the 
floor.  It's heavy and thick with grease, but she doesn't seem to mind. 
Below it is what looks like a round metal plug.  Recessed into its 
surface is a lever next to a central pressure valve, with handholds on 
either side.  She turns the lever.  There's a loud CLUNK, and a plume 
of steam JETS out of the valve.

URIOSTE (CONT'D)
Give me a hand with this.

GRUNTING, the two of them pull the thick metal plug clear of the pit.  
Murky water sloshes around below.  URIOSTE pulls a second lever, and 
hidden pumps make the water level drop rapidly.

URIOSTE (CONT'D)
Pass me over that tripod, will you?

Leaning against the wall behind DILLER is a sturdy metal tripod topped 
with a block-and-tackle arrangement.  A hook dangles below this, it's 
thick metal cabling going up through the block-and-tackle and 
connecting to the drum of a small industrial winch attached securely to 
the wall.  DILLER hands the tripod over to URIOSTE.  She splays the 
legs apart and inserts their tips into matching holes around the open 
pit.

EXT.  RYUSHI STATION - PLATFORM - DUSK

GUTTIEREZ and DE VRIES walk over to the rhino pen, BREWSTER pulling at 
her leash.  GUTTIEREZ frowns at what he sees.  All the rhinos are 
nervously huddled together in the far corner.

GUTTIEREZ
That's real peculiar behavior.

DE VRIES fingers a rough metal edge.

DE VRIES
Hey, Guttierez?

GUTTIEREZ
What?

DE VRIES
Take a look at this.

GUTTIEREZ moves over for a closer look.  There's a torn hole in the 
meshwork, just big enough for a rhino to squeeze through.  Blood and 
fragments of skin coat the edge of the gap.

GUTTIEREZ
One of 'em must have escaped.

DE VRIES
That's impossible, man.  This fence is high-tensile.  The breaking 
tolerance'd stand up to the strain of a rhino, easy. I know, I put it 
up.

GUTTIEREZ shines the flashlight along the deck.  A trail of smeared 
blood runs all the way to the perimeter.  The surrounding fence has 
been buckled and twisted.  They cross to it and look down at the swamp.  
The torch beam sparkles on the murky water far below.

GUTTIEREZ
There's no way a rhino'd survive that drop.

DE VRIES
Goldsmith's gonna be plenty pissed at losing one of her babies.

GUTTIEREZ
That's a fact.

GUTTIEREZ' tracker starts to BLEEP.  He raises it excitedly.

GUTTIEREZ (CONT'D)
Whoa, wait a minute...

DE VRIES
What?

GUTTIEREZ
Just got a reading...

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - COMMAND CENTER

Most of the lights in Admin are off, and the room's deserted.  PARSONS 
is seated away from his usual station at a console topped by ten 
monitor screens, each displaying a securi-cam picture.  He looks tired.  
KAMEN comes up behind him carrying two mugs of coffee.

KAMEN
How's it going?

PARSONS
Yeah, 'Good Evening' to you, too.

He takes the coffee gratefully and sips at it.

PARSONS (CONT'D)
Today's party's finished their sweep, the relief team's out there now.  
Everybody else is either asleep or running shift in the auto-shop.

KAMEN
You should hit the sack, too.

PARSONS
Nah, I'll stick it out for another hour or so.

KAMEN
What time's sundown?

PARSONS
'Bout five minutes.

KAMEN
Give me a yell is something happens.

PARSONS
You got it, cowboy.

EXT.  RYUSHI STATION - PLATFORM - DUSK

GUTTIEREZ sweeps the tracker slowly around, and BREWSTER begins to 
gently SNARL.  
DE VRIES pulls on the dog's leash to quieten her.

GUTTIEREZ
It's up there somewhere...

He shoulders his rifle.

GUTTIEREZ (CONT'D)
Come on.

A metal ladder runs up the side of one of the base buildings.  
GUTTIEREZ crosses to it and starts to climb the first few rungs.

DE VRIES
What?  Are you nuts?  Just the two of us?

GUTTIEREZ
I've seen this mother, De Vries.  We can bag it, no problem.

DE VRIES
Forget it, man.

GUTTIEREZ
C'mon De Vries.  Think of the bonus.

DE VRIES
Fuck the bonus.  I hate heights.  You wouldn't get me up there even if 
it wasn't night.

GUTTIEREZ starts to climb the ladder.

DE VRIES
What the hell are you doing?

GUTTIEREZ
Hey, fair enough.  If you won't come, I'll handle it myself.

DE VRIES runs her fingers through her hair in frustration.  Comes to a 
decision counter to what she wants to do...

DE VRIES
Wait a minute!

GUTTIEREZ stops climbing.

DE VRIES (CONT'D)
Alright, okay.  Look...

GUTTIEREZ
What?

DE VRIES
I'll come with you.

BREWSTER BARKS.  She drags the dog over to a metal stanchion and ties 
the leash around it.

DE VRIES (CONT'D)
But I'm going first...

GUTTIEREZ
Anything you say, Mammacitta.

She climbs around GUTTIEREZ and begins to ascend the ladder.  BREWSTER 
WHIMPERS and plaintively BARKS after them.

EXT.  RYUSHI STATION - ROOFTOP LEVEL - DUSK

The rooftop is dark, mysterious.  Pieces of retrofitted junk can be 
seen in silhouette, edged in light from way below.  DE VRIES and 
GUTTIEREZ carefully step over the threshold.  They speak in WHISPERS.

DE VRIES
Careful of that edging there...

GUTTIEREZ
Yeah, I got it.

Although we have an outstanding VIEW of the night lights of the base up 
here, the immediate gloom is impenetrable. 

DE VRIES
Where's that flashlight?

By way of an answer, a powerful ray cuts a swathe through the air.  DE 
VRIES takes the torch from him and shines it on the ground.  Circular 
extractor fans rotate quietly in the gloom.

DE VRIES (CONT'D)
Still got him?

GUTTIEREZ
It's moving slow.  About... eleven metres. On the left.

DE VRIES plays the flashlight across the rooftop.

GUTTIEREZ (CONT'D)
Little bit further...

The beam comes to rest on a protruding piece of apparatus.  A short-
range antennae, about seven feet wide.

GUTTIEREZ (CONT'D)
Yeah, yeah, yeah.  Right there, right behind the antennae.  I think 
we're got it cornered...

EXT.  RYUSHI STATION - PLATFORM - DUSK

HIROKO bends down to inspect a small plastic grating fitted flush with 
the roadway.  The broken grillework is melted outwards.  KAMEN and two 
other men - CALDWELL and THOMAS - stand behind.

THOMAS
The door to the food storage locker was smashed open.  It must have 
come straight out of here.

HIROKO yawns.

HIROKO
Alright.  Keep your eyes peeled.

She voices her concern to KAMEN.

HIROKO (CONT'D)
If it got out of the systems, it could be anywhere.

EXT.  RYUSHI STATION - ROOFTOP LEVEL - DUSK

It's very quiet, and we can hear the NERVOUS BREATHING of GUTTIEREZ and 
DE VRIES as they cautiously stalk forward.

GUTTIEREZ
Hold it, hold it...

DE VRIES
What's wrong?

GUTTIEREZ
I'm picking up another signal.

DE VRIES looks around, unnerved.

DE VRIES
What?  Where?

GUTTIEREZ
Just behind us, over to the right.

DE VRIES shines her beam over the surface of the yellow crane to their 
rear, shifting her attention to-and-fro from it and the antennae.

DE VRIES
Can't see a thing.  Are you sure?

GUTTIEREZ
Yeah, I...

The second blip on the small screen abruptly vanishes.

GUTTIEREZ (CONT'D)
Wait.  Lost it.

DE VRIES
How?

GUTTIEREZ
I dunno.  Might be a glitch.

From behind the metal disc there comes a SHUFFLING SOUND, followed by a 
METALLIC THUNK.  This gets their attention.  The two of them halt in 
their tracks.

DE VRIES
Oh, man.  That's no glitch!

GUTTIEREZ
It's alright, it's cool...

DE VRIES
Is it still moving?

GUTTIEREZ
No, he's stopped; he's totally still. Just take it nice and easy, babe.  
Nice and easy...

A small many-limbed SHAPE hurls itself from the confines of it's hiding 
place with a FERAL SHRIEK.  DE VRIES YELPS in surprise, and looses off 
a spray of bullets.

EXT.  RYUSHI STATION - PLATFORM - DUSK

HIROKO looks up, startled by the sound of GUNFIRE.  She sees the 
rooftop of one of the building modules lit by tracer fire.  BREWSTER's 
tethered nearby, BARKING furiously.

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - PUMP ROOM - PUMP SHAFT

A think metal cable connected to her jacket harness suspends URIOSTE in 
the gloom of the Pump Shaft.  In front of her is a machine-part we saw 
her carry earlier.  With the strap of a flashlight clenched in her 
mouth, she's just finishing up bolting the part to the larger piece of 
machinery in an alcove, with simultaneously doing her best not to touch 
the walls which are covered by a thin layer of gunge.

The REPORT of DE VRIES' weapon can be heard even down here, perhaps 
more startling in the confined space.  URIOSTE jumps, dropping the 
flashlight into the water in the process.

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - PUMP ROOM

DILLER turns away from the winch and peers into and beyond the access 
tunnel leading outside.  URIOSTE's VOICE floats up out of the shaft. 

URIOSTE   (O.S., muffled)
What was that?

DILLER   (raising his voice)
Something outside...

EXT.  RYUSHI STATION - ROOFTOP LEVEL - DUSK

The wind whips at GUTTIEREZ as he blinks away his shock.

GUTTIEREZ
Holy shit...

DE VRIES keeps her torch beam on the moving shape.  It halts by the 
edge of the roof, and stares at them.

DE VRIES
Oh, nice going, man!  It was a lemur! A goddamn lemur!

GUTTIEREZ' radio headset CRACKLES to life.

HIROKO   (O.S., on headset)
Guttierez, what the hell's going on up there?

GUTTIEREZ
Uh... sorry about that, boss.  Everything's fine.  False alarm, that's 
all.

DE VRIES glances around the rooftop, annoyed.

DE VRIES
Hey, look; let's forget it.  There's nothing up here.

PREDATOR-VISION.  
DE VRIES in CLOSE-UP, glowing brightly.  Her VOICE replayed and 
distorted.

PREDATOR   (O.S.)
Nothing up here.  Nothing up here.

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - PUMP ROOM - PUMP SHAFT

URIOSTE's flashlight bobs up-and-down on the water below, still lit and 
well out of reach.

URIOSTE    (disgustedly)
Shit.

DILLER   (O.S., muffled)
What's the matter?

URIOSTE
I've dropped my torch into the water. Give me about... uh... a meter-
and-a-half's worth of slack.

DILLER   (O.S., muffled)
Okay.

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - PUMP ROOM

DILLER crosses to the wall-mounted winch.  On the mechanism's side is a 
luminous digital counter giving the current cable depth in meters.  He 
pulls a throw-switch, and the display slowly changes from "8" to "9.5" 
as the cable feeds out.

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - PUMP ROOM - PUMP SHAFT

URIOSTE descends the dingy shaft, partially abseiling off the walls.  
Her feet almost tread water.  She's down as far as she can go.

URIOSTE (CONT'D)
Whoa, whoa...

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - PUMP ROOM

URIOSTE's VOICE echoes up out of the pit.

URIOSTE (CONT'D)  (O.S., muffled)
That's enough.

DILLER locks the winch-switch back into it's 'up' position.  The WHINE 
of the cable-feed stops immediately.

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - PUMP ROOM - PUMP SHAFT

URIOSTE stretches out to the floating lamp, flexing her fingers.  
It's... just... about... in... reach...

Six slender fingers EXPLODE from beneath the water's surface and clamp 
like a vise around URIOSTE's wrist.  A sleek eyeless head follows, 
trailing a body straight out of a charnel-house nightmare.  A SCREAM 
forms in her throat, rapidly cut-off as the ALIEN's other hand clamps 
firmly over her mouth, jerking her downwards.

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - PUMP ROOM

DILLER whirls in response to the CHOKED CRY from below.  He sees the 
winch tripod above the shaft RATTLE, the cable going taut as an 
angler's line. The wall-mounted drum is yanked so hard the lever leaps 
from it's 'clamped' position, freely unspooling cable at a frightening 
rate.  The digital counter flickers rapidly; 
"11...11.5...12...12.5...13..."  DILLER watches the tripod's tubular 
legs buckle and collapse under the tremendous strain.  He scrambles for 
the winch-lever and only just manages to lock it firmly into place; the 
over-stressed cable vibrating with a LOW METALLIC TWANG as it hits the 
shaft's edge.  DILLER's moment of satisfaction is short-lived; the 
deep-sunk bolts attaching the mechanism to the wall are pull outward by 
the colossal force from below.  He leaps aside, avoiding the heavy 
piece of machinery as it HURTLES towards him.  Watches it disappear 
noisily into the conduit.

DILLER
Annie!

DILLER's quivering fingers grope for his flashlight.

DILLER (CONT'D)
Annie!

He feverishly reaches the shaft's edge and peers into the darkness.

WHAT HE SEES.  The torchbeam picks out the biomechanical form of the 
ALIEN emerging from the sewage and effortlessly climbing the shaft 
walls towards him.  Recoiling in horror, he makes a run for the door.  
Half-way there he remembers his pulse-rifle and dives to the floor, 
grasping it just as the ALIEN reaches the top.  DILLER fumbles with the 
safety and give the creature a full BLAST on rock-and-roll, BLASTING it 
back into the pit.

EXT.  RYUSHI STATION - ROOFTOP LEVEL - DUSK

GUTTIEREZ and DE VRIES hear the gunfire from below.

GUTTIEREZ
The hell was that?

PREDATOR-VISION.  
The PREDATOR's gaze SNAPS away from the two humans and down onto the 
platform below.  He watches the infra-red shapes of other people 
running towards the source of the shots...

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - PUMP ROOM

DILLER's on his feet and shakily heading for the exit as ANOTHER 
ALIEN's claws emerge from the exposed hole.  He races across the 
threshold and SLAMS the thin inner door closed.

EXT.  RYUSHI STATION - PLATFORM - DUSK

In a HAND-HELD SHOT we're running with HIROKO's group along the narrow 
catwalk bridging the roadway to the Pump Room, KAMEN taking the lead.  
DILLER sprints out of the building like a bat out of hell and collides 
with him. 

KAMEN
Kev, wha...?

DILLER breaks free of the other man's grasp.  He looks as if he's about 
to say something, but never gets the chance.

There's a sound of TEARING METAL, and a HISSING seven-foot express 
train of teeth and biomechanical limbs ERUPTS from the shadows.

EXT.  RYUSHI STATION - ROOFTOP LEVEL - DUSK

PREDATOR-VISION.  
Gazing down at the platform, an unseen hunter watches the swift black 
SHAPE of the ALIEN in amongst the group of humans...

From the corner of her eye, DE VRIES sees something moving nearby.  She 
violently pulls GUTTIEREZ out of the path of the shimmering FORM that 
barges past them, launching itself from the rooftop. 

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - COMMAND CENTER

PARSONS sits bolt upright in his chair as the scene outside is relayed 
to his bank of screens by an exterior securi-cam. 

PARSONS
Oh my God...

EXT.  RYUSHI STATION - PLATFORM - DUSK

With superhuman strength, the ALIEN brutally back-hands DILLER, 
splintering his skull and killing him instantly.  His body caromes into 
THOMAS, knocking the man to the floor.  The ALIEN turns to KAMEN, it's 
questing fingers closing around his throat and hauling him off the 
ground.  The space on the catwalk it limited; there's so many people 
it's impossible to get a clean 
shot...

HIROKO
Move!  Get out of the way!

HIROKO draws a bead on the ALIEN.  She flips off the safety on her 
rifle. It's the tiniest CLICK, but the ALIEN somehow senses danger.  
It's skeletal tail lashes out, sending both her and the weapon flying.  
CALDWELL gets in for his shot, but the tail's there in a second.  It 
strikes like a snake. Once.  Twice.  The stinger punctures CALDWELL's 
chest and throat.  Nobody could survive something like that...

The ALIEN flicks it's skull back around to KAMEN.  The man's head is 
inches away from it's eyeless face...a row of burnished metal teeth 
open...the toothed inner tongue ready to strike...

WHOOMPH.  Something lands heavily close-up, jarring the catwalk.  The 
ALIEN drops KAMEN and WHIRLS.  A spear wielded by an INVISIBLE FORM 
appears out of nowhere and PIERCES the ALIEN's midriff, spraying acidic 
fluid.  The creature emits a OUTRAGED SHRIEK and flails around, it's 
ubiquitous tail arcing toward the camouflaged assailant.  The STINGER 
makes contact:  there's a SPUTTERING SOUND as the PREDATOR's cloaking 
device begins to flicker spasmodically, giving us peek-a-boo glimpses 
of it's natural form.  Electrical sparks dance around the PREDATOR's 
ruin wrist-computer, luminous green blood welling from a wound in his 
arm...

From out of the Pump Room comes more NOISE, like metal being trashed in 
a compactor.  HIROKO SCREAMS at KAMEN, who's COUGHING painfully next to 
the door panel.

HIROKO
Get the door!

KAMEN hastily slaps the 'close' button and both halves of the exterior 
pressure bulkhead RUMBLE together.  A SECOND ALIEN appears from the 
shadows within and prises it's fingers into the dwindling gap, 
struggling for purchase.  Despite the ALIEN's best efforts, the door 
motors are too powerful and the opening seals with a satisfying solid 
CLUNK.  MUFFLED POUNDING comes from the other side.

Nearby, THOMAS has retrieved CALDWELL's weapon in the heat of the fight 
and is bringing it to bear on the PREDATOR.  At the last possible 
moment HIROKO sees what he's about to do...

HIROKO
No!

Reflexively, she knocks the barrel away as THOMAS looses a volley of 
shots.

PREDATOR-VISION. 
The PREDATOR's speech analyser plays back her vocal patterns as white-
hot bullets sear the night.

PREDATOR
No!

PREDATOR-VISION.  
SNAPPING IN for a closer look at her.

PREDATOR (CONT'D)
No!

One of the ALIEN's hands clamps firmly onto the PREDATOR's mask and 
wrenches it off.  HIROKO stares at the PREDATOR's face in fascination.  
From the distinctive features, we see that it's BROKEN TUSK.  The 
PREDATOR's good hand flashes down to his thigh, almost too quick to 
follow.  In one rapid movement a circular 'smart-weapon' is brought up, 
slicing the front of the ALIEN skull away from it's head.  In a feat of 
strength, the PREDATOR lifts his opponent's corpse on the end of the 
spear and hurls it over the catwalk railing...

Not wasting a second, BROKEN TUSK performs an almost-vertical bound of 
some twenty feet with astounding grace.  He grips a pipe running down 
the side of one of the building modules, then clambers over the roof's 
edge and finally disappears from view.  BREWSTER continues to BARK 
frenetically. 

HIROKO's headset has been knocked to the floor and a FRANTIC MUTED 
VOICE is coming from it.  She picks it up, and presses the 'transmit' 
switch. 

HIROKO   (into headset)
It's alright, Rob...

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - COMMAND CENTER

PARSONS listens to HIROKO, suddenly wide awake.  The morning shifts are 
starting to filter in, and it's obvious to them something's wrong...

HIROKO (CONT'D)   (O.S., on speaker)
Everything's under control.  Wait a second.

EXT.  RYUSHI STATION - PLATFORM - DUSK

THOMAS is moving from DILLER to CALDWELL, checking them for signs of 
life. HIROKO catches his eye.

HIROKO (CONT'D)
Well?

THOMAS shakes his head.  GUTTIEREZ and DE VRIES race across the 
platform to join the stunned survivors of the skirmish.  GUTTIEREZ 
bends down by DILLER's body.  THOMAS lays a hand on GUTTIEREZ' arm.

THOMAS
Come on, man.  Leave it alone.

GUTTIEREZ
Oh, God.  Dear Lord Jesus...

DE VRIES
This is like a bad dream, man.  A bad fucking dream.

HIROKO thinks quickly, and comes to a decision.  She speaks into her 
radio headset.

HIROKO
Rob?  I want you to evac everybody from the non-connective modules into 
admin. That goes double for anybody...

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - COMMAND CENTER

HIROKO (CONT'D)  (O.S., on speaker)
...already out here.  We're going to lock every bulkhead and seal the 
base.

EXT.  RYUSHI STATION - PLATFORM - DUSK

HIROKO turns her headset off and watches numerous rotating coloured 
lights dotted around the platform start to blink on-and-off.  KAMEN 
COUGHS a few more times.

HIROKO
Are you okay?

KAMEN rubs his throat.  He nods.

KAMEN
I'll survive.

BREWSTER's BARKS cease, replaced instead with a TERRIFIED LOW WHINING.

DE VRIES
What's with the dog?

GUTTIEREZ jogs over to BREWSTER.  Lowers his rifle to the ground and 
fumbles with the knot tying the dog to the pipe.

GUTTIEREZ
Hey; c'mon now, girl.  It's alright.  Let's just get this knot 
undone...

A spray of plastic shards EXPLODES not three feet away from GUTTIEREZ.  
The rifle goes skittering away out of reach, and he scrambles away as 
an ALIEN half-pulls itself out of the sewer overflow, wet and 
glistening...

KAMEN
Jan!

BREWSTER's a mass of fur, totally out of control.  When the ALIEN 
lashes out to grab the HOWLING animal, there's nothing GUTTIEREZ can 
do.  BREWSTER's legs are the last thing we see, thrashing helplessly as 
she's dragged down into the splinter-edged gap.

DE VRIES
Get out of there, man!

THOMAS grabs CALDWELL's rifle from the deck.  He races towards 
GUTTIEREZ, with 
DE VRIES close behind... 

THOMAS
Catch this!

From behind comes the SOUND of more rupturing plastic as biomechanoid 
limbs struggle up out of newly-broken ducts.  THOMAS heaves the rifle 
over the heads of the emerging ALIENS.  Although GUTTIEREZ snags it 
awkwardly, he quickly turns the barrel on the relentless creatures.

GUTTIEREZ
Chew on this!

DE VRIES races up to join them, SCREAMING as she fires.  KAMEN glances 
down at this tracker's tiny screen.  It shows clusters of signals, lots 
of them.

KAMEN   (hollering)
They're all around, they're in the drainage system!

DE VRIES reacts swiftly, loosing a round of shots at the emerging 
ALIENS. GUTTIEREZ yells across to KAMEN.

GUTTIEREZ
Get your ass out of here, boss!

ALIENS are appearing everywhere.  From the overflow ducts; over the 
platform edges; along overhead cable supports.  Having taken on the 
genetic characteristics of their hosts, many of them are non-humanoid.  
All of them are living nightmares.

HIROKO
Oh my God...

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - LIVING QUARTERS

CASSIE brushes her teeth in front of the wall-mounted mirror of her 
tiny bathroom-cubicle.  A raucous emergency klaxon GOES OFF in the 
corridor outside.

CASSIE
Shit.

EXT.  RYUSHI STATION - PLATFORM FAR SIDE - DUSK

THOMAS, GUTTIEREZ, and DE VRIES are cut-off.  As they race swiftly down 
the street, GUTTIEREZ tries hard to interpret his tracker's signals.  A 
particularly loud BLEEP registers from a source immediately behind 
them.  He glances over his shoulder and sees an ALIEN crawling down the 
outside of a module towards them.

GUTTIEREZ
De Vries!

DE VRIES' head turns.  She sees the ALIEN and nails it with a rapid 
burst. It falls onto the concrete nearby, writhing in it's death 
throes. 

The group round the corner of a building.  Across the street from them 
is parked KAMEN's crawler.

GUTTIEREZ (CONT'D)
Inside, inside!

They scramble up into the cab.  GUTTIEREZ throws himself into the 
driver's seat.  An ALIEN sprints at the crawler with bared teeth.  
THOMAS looses a shot, blasting it backward into a Pepsi sign.

THOMAS
Yo' momma, boneface!

DE VRIES   (to Guttierez)
C'mon, man; punch this cow!

GUTTIEREZ fumbles at the ignition.  They keys are there.  He flips 
them, and the engine GROWLS to life.

EXT.  RYUSHI STATION - CRANE CATWALK - DUSK

PREDATOR-VISION.
From way up here, we've got an outstanding view of the humans running 
across the platform...

Crouching on a bright-yellow catwalk, BROKEN TUSK presses closed a 
panel on the small container balanced on his knee.  Inside it are rows 
of metal instruments with a pristine surgical quality about them.  
BROKEN TUSK flexes his hand experimentally.  Satisfied, he clips the 
medical kit onto his back before getting to his feet.

Standing around him are several other PREDATORS.  All but one have 
their camouflage cloaks activated.  The SOUND of GUNFIRE way across the 
station draws their attention...

EXT.  RYUSHI STATION - PLATFORM - DUSK

HIROKO and KAMEN bolt towards an external hatch, with KAMEN laying down 
a field of covering fire on full-automatic.  The blaze of light from 
the rifle's barrel abruptly stops.

HIROKO
What?

KAMEN
I'm out of ammo.  Get inside, get inside!

HIROKO hears a HORRIBLE NOISE nearby.  A field of cows being 
slaughtered by machetes would sound like this.

HIROKO
They're in with the rhino!

EXT.  RYUSHI STATION - RHINO PEN - DUSK

An ALIEN is SMASHED sideways into the one solid wall of the pen, 
broadsided and instantly crushed by a ton of FRENZIED rhino.  It's 
yellow blood eats into the weighty quadruped, eliciting ANGUISHED 
BELLOWS of pain from the hapless creature.

ALIEN stingers slice through the air.  Rhinos try to bolt but are 
intercepted by inhumanly powerful forces.  It's wholesale carnage.

PREDATOR-VISION.
We're moving swiftly along the rooftops and surveying the melee below, 
lessening the distance with each second...

Several indefinable FIGURES plunge into the fray, creating anarchy 
within the ALIENS' ranks.  The biomechanoids HISS with fury as the 
PREDATORS join battle against them...

EXT.  RYUSHI STATION - PLATFORM - DUSK

An ALIEN hurls itself through the air and onto the speeding crawler's 
roof.

INT.  CRAWLER - DUSK

KER-CHUNK!  The cab's occupants react as the thin roof buckles 
slightly. Skeletal fingers SLICE through, RIPPING at the metal like a 
can-opener.

DE VRIES
Jesus!

THOMAS raises his rifle and looses a fusillade of shots through the 
roof. One of them RICOCHETS off the interior, SHATTERING the 
windscreen.  There's a THUMP from outside...

DE VRIES (CONT'D)
You got 'im!

Their triumph is short-lived.  Globules of yellow acid perforate the 
roof like Swiss cheese, dripping down on them.  GUTTIEREZ floors the 
brakes.  The crawler swings through ninety degrees before SCREECHING to 
a halt. 

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - COMMAND CENTER

CASSIE enters admin at a run.  Before, it was empty.  Now it's sheer 
chaos. She shoves her way through dozens of grim-faced people.  PARSONS 
is standing at a console, YELLING into his headset.

PARSONS
Seal everything now!

CASSIE
What's happening?

PARSONS
Cassie, thank Christ!  We're under attack.

CASSIE
We're what!?

York races in, SHOUTING above the clamor.

YORK
The son-of-bitches got into 'E' wing! They're ripping it apart!

PARSONS
Fuck!  Somebody get over there with some guns!  Now!

CASSIE watches the scene unfolding on the banks of monitors.  PEOPLE 
mouthing unheard words into camera.  Bursts of STATIC.  Fleeting 
glimpses of nightmarish SHAPES darting across the picture...

CASSIE
How many of them are there?

PARSONS
Too many.

EXT.  RYUSHI STATION - PLATFORM FAR SIDE - DUSK

GUTTIEREZ' group hurriedly exits the crawler.  A cloud of acrid smoke 
rapidly fills the cabin.

DE VRIES   (coughing)
Move it, man!

The dead ALIEN's corpse tumbles through the acid-eaten hole, falling 
into the cab's rear seat and promptly burning through that as well. Not 
far away across the platform, the massive doors to the auto-shop hanger 
are RUMBLING slowly closed...

GUTTIEREZ   (shouting)
Hold the doors, hold the doors!

They don't hear him.  The doors seal with a BOOM of finality.

DE VRIES
Over there, on the right!

THOMAS sees the two ALIENS nimbly climbing the platform's edge.  He 
squeezes off about five shots, managing to kill the FIRST ALIEN...

THOMAS
These bastards ain't so tough!

***************************

***** PAGE 70 MISSING *****

***************************

THOMAS looks concernedly at GUTTIEREZ.

THOMAS
Is that thing working?

GUTTIEREZ takes off the headset and scrutinises it closely.

GUTTIEREZ
Shit!  The casing's cracked!

DE VRIES rips her headset off and urgently passes it to him.

DE VRIES
Use mine.  Channel twenty-six.


EXT.  RYUSHI STATION - PLATFORM - DUSK

Despite their ferocity and weapons, it's clear that the small group of 
PREDATORS are being overrun by the ALIEN horde. 

BROKEN TUSK's shoulder cannon swivels automatically, blowing away 
another attacker.  Hearing a distinctive SCREAM, he looks across the 
platform.  One of the PREDATORS, it's camouflage cloak flickering 
intermittently, is trying to resist being dragged down into a duct.  
The two ALIENS in either side plunge their tail-stingers into the 
PREDATOR's body, making it CRY OUT in agony.

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - CORRIDORS

Pumped up with adrenalin, KAMEN reaches an intersection and encounters 
a harrowing tableau.  An ALIEN blocks his way on the other side of a 
corridor bulkhead, holding a STRUGGLING MAN above the floor.  It's 
piston-like tongue shoots into the MAN's skull, spraying gore.

The ALIEN sees KAMEN, and it's mouth twists into a bloody SNARL.  Both 
KAMEN and the ALIEN lunge forward together, but KAMEN's got the edge by 
a split-second.  He STRIKES a bright red switch and the overhead 
pressure bulkhead SLAMS down and locks into place.  His breathing is 
heavy as he slowly backs away from the hatch...

EXT.  RYUSHI STATION - PLATFORM FAR SIDE - DUSK

The two ALIENS THOMAS killed must have been the scout party.  Others 
appear, more cautiously this time...

DE VRIES
Hurry up and figure that thing out, man!

GUTTIEREZ is desperately trying to operate the tiny plastic 
microswitches on the headset with his fingernails.

GUTTIEREZ
What?

THOMAS
We've got company!

THOMAS brings his weapon to bear and pulls on the trigger.  He gets off 
one shot, then nothing more happens.  He looks at the counter on the 
side.  It reads 'zero'.

THOMAS (CONT'D)
Shit, I'm dry!  You're up!

DE VRIES raises her rifle.  She aims, and...

CLICK.

DE VRIES
I'm jammed!

THOMAS
You're what?!

She works the manual slide.

DE VRIES
It's locked solid...

THOMAS
Quick, give me the clip!

DE VRIES fumbles the ammunition clip from her rifle.  It falls from her 
hands onto a plastic overflow grate.  THOMAS leaps after it...about a 
second too late.  It slips through the narrow gap, gone for good.

THOMAS (CONT'D)
Oh, Lord!  Please, no!  Not now!

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - EXECUTIVE OFFICE

HIROKO enters her office at a run.  She crosses to an inset control box 
on the far wall and presses a button.  Two exterior panels begin to 
slide closed behind the polycarbonate window.

KERSMASH!  Fracture lines appear on the toughened plastic as it comes 
under assault from the razor-edge tip of an ALIEN's tail.  In shock, 
HIROKO reflexively falls backwards onto the floor, scrambling away.  
She watches the creature precariously balancing on the this ledge 
outside, fighting against the closing shutters with simultaneously 
raining repeated blows on the window with it's tail.

The ALIEN leaps through the gap as the window gives way under the 
onslaught, showering splinters across the room.  The twin shutters 
secure behind it, closing on the creatures tail in the process.  It 
HISSES in indignation and thrashes about.  Like a lizard, the segmented 
tail SNAPS in two.  The freed ALIEN staggers a little before gaining 
balance, blood dripping from the laceration and penetrating the wooden 
floorboards.  It sights HIROKO and hurls itself in her direction, an 
unstoppable killing machine...

HIROKO
Holo on!

Her VOICE quavers so badly with fear and panic, it's a wonder the 
computer can recognize it.  FOUR NINJA SWORDSMEN promptly appear, 
forming a semi-circle between HIROKO and the ALIEN.  The ALIEN halts, 
confused by this intrusion. It swipes at the pre-programmed holograms, 
bewildered by the lack of contact as it's claws pass through them.

Gaining on a few seconds of bought time, HIROKO flings herself towards 
the PREDATOR spear lying forgotten nearby.  The ALIEN locks in on this 
sudden movement and charges through the holograms at her.  HIROKO 
GRUNTS, swinging the spear with her full strength...

She's no super-athlete, but the cutting edge's advanced metallurgy does 
the job.  It slices half-way through the ALIEN's skull and sticks 
there, spewing yellow fluid everywhere.  HIROKO beats a hasty retreat 
as the dying biomechanoid falls to the floor, fumbling at the lodged 
weapon...

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - CORRIDORS

HIROKO reels into the outside corridor.  She SHRIEKS as her shoulders 
are seized from behind...

KAMEN
Come on!

HIROKO looks at KAMEN confusedly as he continues along the corridor.

HIROKO
That's the wrong way!

KAMEN
Detour.  Other way's blocked...

EXT.  RYUSHI STATION - PLATFORM FAR SIDE - DUSK

Back outside, the ALIENS have sensed that something's amiss.  DE VRIES 
turns desperately to GUTTIEREZ.

DE VRIES
You got any slugs left?

GUTTIEREZ looks down at the counter on his slung weapon.

GUTTIEREZ
Yeah.  Uh...

DE VRIES rips the weapon off his shoulder.  GUTTIEREZ completes his 
sentence.

GUTTIEREZ (CONT'D)
...Seven.

BLAM!  BLAM!  BLAM!  DE VRIES tries to make each shot count.  She 
sights an ALIEN crawling across the top of a group of cylindrical 
storage containers. Draws a bead on the metal tank and fires...

A molten ball EXPLODES outward, transforming the immediate vicinity 
into a blazing inferno.  The ALIEN's body twists end-over-end, 
remaining immobile as it hits the deck.  A curtain of fire ripples 
across the platform...

THOMAS
Yes!

Their victory is short-lived.  The other ALIENS crawl cautiously 
forward, flames licking their faces but leaving them unharmed.  We can 
clearly hear the HISSING of their internal jaws.

DE VRIES
Try again, man...

The headset in GUTTIEREZ' hand BLEEPS as it turns into the correct 
channel. He YELLS into it...

GUTTIEREZ
Matt!  Open these damn doors right now, I'll ream your ass so bad these 
things out here'll seem like the Easter Bunny in comparison!  Swear to 
God!

THOMAS turns and hammers on the impenetrable plate metal.

THOMAS
Open the doors!  Open the goddamned fucking doors!

BLAM!  BLAM!  BLAM!  CLICK.  GUTTIEREZ' bullets are gone.

DE VRIES
That's it!  We're dead!

The first of the ALIENS rushes at them.  This is the end.  DE VRIES 
SCREAMS...

There's a blinding flash, and most of the ALIEN's head vaporises.  
GUTTIEREZ blinks is disbelief as hazy SHAPES comprised of refracted 
fire suddenly occupy the killing ground between the HUMAN and ALIEN 
antagonists.  Intense bursts of light illuminate the platform as hi-
tech PREDATOR weaponry far in advance of the humans' sears the air...

GUTTIEREZ turns at the SOUND of the huge metal doors GRINDING slowly 
open. Just enough for them to get through.

GUTTIEREZ
Move!

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - AUTO-SHOP

THOMAS pushes DE VRIES through the opening, with GUTTIEREZ hurriedly 
following.

The Auto-shop is a large spacious workshop with three bays lining one 
wall. The front of a crawler pokes from one of them, while in the 
center of the room another crawler is raised above a maintenance-pit on 
a hydraulic platform.  A handful of GREASE MONKEYS stands around the 
doorway, brandishing power-tools in lieu of firearms.  A blonde surfer-
type with long straggly
hair rushes over to them.  This is MATT, their savior.

MATT
Close it up, close it up!

GUTTIEREZ stares through the narrow opening as the doors seal back up.  
In the midst of the flames, the ALIENS are fighting a pitched battle 
tooth-and-nail with their unseen opponents.  It's like a scene out of 
Hell.

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - CORRIDORS

Clusters of rotating emergency lights wig-wag above HIROKO and KAMEN as 
they flee through the maze of long corridors leading to the Command 
Center.  KAMEN is falling behind as they approach a junction.

HIROKO
Hurry it up.

KAMEN
Don't wait for me!

HIROKO and KAMEN race along the final corridor leading to the Command 
Center. Halfway down, KAMEN turns in response to a JARRING SOUND from 
the rear.  The metal grating making up the floor is SMASHED violently 
from beneath.

KAMEN
Run!

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - COMMAND CENTER

The PANDEMONIUM from the outside corridors gets the attention of YORK 
and everybody else in admin.  He crosses to the bulkhead doorframe, and 
what he sees makes his eyes bug.

YORK
Jesus Christ!

He SHOUTS back into the crowded room.

YORK (CONT'D)
They're inside, inside the corridor!

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - CORRIDOR

HIROKO and KAMEN try to outrun the tidal wave of twisted and broken 
steel that emerges in their wake.  KAMEN YELLS with fright as an ALIEN 
claw pinions his ankle.  He trashes about, clutching at anything to 
prevent himself being dragged beneath the floor.  CRYING OUT is pain as 
slivers of edged metal slice into his hands...

HIROKO  (anguished)
No!

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - COMMAND CENTER

YORK stands frozen at the bulkhead frame, staring down the corridor in 
horror.  CASSIE races up and pushes him out of the way...

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - CORRIDOR

HIROKO looks furiously around.  Spying an emergency axe in it's wall 
housing, she SMASHES the glass with her elbow, cutting herself in the 
process.  HIROKO hefts the heavy tool, swinging it down onto the 
disappearing ALIEN's carapace with all her might...

HIROKO (CONT'D)
Bastard!

The blade bites deep, and yellow blood bursts from the threshing 
ALIEN's wound.  Speckles of it dot KAMEN's leg, eating through the 
material of his trousers and into the skin and muscle beneath.  He 
SCREAMS, a sound of pure intense pain...

HIROKO hurls the axe aside.  She begins pulling KAMEN out of the hole 
as the caustic liquid seeps into the nearby electrical conduit.  
There's a SPARKING, followed by a FLASH and a SHEET OF FLAME.  CASSIE 
steps through into the corridor, just as valves evenly-spaced along the 
length of the tunnel open up, jetting white high-density foam under 
extreme pressure.  The hatch to the Command Center at the far end 
begins to close...

HIROKO
Cassie...!

CASSIE's head shoots around.

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - COMMAND CENTER

YORK seizes a metal chair from behind a nearby console and wedges it 
into the narrowing divide.  CASSIE squeezes through the gap and 
urgently HOLLERS to HIROKO...

CASSIE
It you don't... uh!... move your ass, you're gonna need a helluva diet 
to get through here!

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - COMMAND CENTER

from CASSIE's P.O.V. we watch HIROKO supporting KAMEN and stumbling him 
along.  Foam fills three-quarters of the corridor to their rear and is 
nearly up to their knees everywhere else.  The chair's frame CREAKS 
ominously in protest...

YORK
Hurry up, we're losing it!

CASSIE's eyes widen in terror...

CASSIE
Behind you!

HIROKO turns to see the long, phallic head of an ALIEN emerge 
momentarily from out of the foam.  Something yanks at KAMEN and he 
disappears beneath the surface with an expression of pained surprise...

HIROKO
Kamen!

HIROKO starts to thrash at the foam, but CASSIE reaches out and drags 
her away.

CASSIE
It's too late!

HIROKO
Nooooo!

The chair begins to buckle, collapsing in on itself...

YORK
It's going!

With a supreme effort, CASSIE yanks HIROKO through the gap.  YORK 
vaults clear as the chair SNAPS in two, leaving the bulkhead to THUNDER 
closed. The two women collapse in a heap on the floor.

EXT.  RYUSHI STATION - PLATFORM - DUSK

The battle outside is going badly for the PREDATORS.  There's only 
three of them left, and one is BROKEN TUSK.

A projectile WHISTLES through the air towards an ALIEN, expanding in 
flight into a wire capture net.  Barbed tips on each corner bite into 
the wall of a base module, trapping the enraged creature.  Small motors 
WHINE as the thin metal pulls inward, slicing into the ALIEN's body...
 
The PREDATOR savors the scene for just a second...which is a second too 
long. ALIENS are all over him, clawing and ripping at his body.  The 
shoulder-mounted plasma-cannon is unceremoniously yanked away and 
CLATTERS to the floor.

The PREDATOR goes down, groping for the self-destruct system on his 
wrist. He manages to stroke a fingernail across the activation bar, but 
gets no further.  An ALIEN pounces at him, it's tail descending.  The 
PREDATOR raises his arm in reflex, but the stinger SMASHES straight 
through the buries it in his face-plate, taking out the wrist-computer 
in the process.

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - COMMAND CENTER

HIROKO stares at the closed bulkhead with an expression of dazed 
disbelief.

PARSONS
Miss Noguchi?

No reaction.  He tries again.

PARSONS (CONT'D)
Miss Noguchi!

HIROKO snaps out of it.  She crosses over to the bank of monitoring 
screens.

HIROKO
What's the story?

PARSONS runs through each of the screens.

PARSONS
Everything on this module is locked and sealed.  We've lost 'B', 'C', 
and 'E' wings, but 'E' was the only one we didn't manage to totally 
evacuate.

HIROKO
How many... how many people are missing?

CASSIE
Unconfirmed reports of eighteen or so far, but the numbers are all over 
the place.

HIROKO
What's our weapons situation?

DRISCOLL - a big guy with a beard - LAUGHS curtly.

DRISCOLL
Shit!  Our armory's a big blue box from the back shelf of stores.  We 
got about two clips left for an autoloader, and that's it.

HIROKO
Auto-shop?

CASSIE
Auto-shop's sealed, but those boys are cut-off.

HIROKO
Has anybody talked to them?

CASSIE
Not yet.

HIROKO
Do it.

EXT.  RYUSHI STATION - ROOFTOPS - DUSK

BROKEN TUSK and the other PREDATOR scramble up onto the rooftop in a 
bid to escape their unstoppable opponents.  Back-to-back, they take up 
fighting positions.  A few seconds later, the first of the ALIENS 
arrives.

Both the PREDATORS' shoulder cannons blaze, firing volley-after-volley. 
Still the ALIENS keep on coming, finally reaching the point where it's 
hand-to-hand...and nothing else.

It's a vicious, fast, and bloody on both sides.  BROKEN TUSK takes 
flight; his companion is not as lucky.  The other PREDATOR kicks an 
ALIEN from him and over the roof's edge.  The ALIEN lashes out with 
lightning-fast reflexes, pulling the PREDATOR with it.  Both creatures 
hurtle downward and hit a nest of cabling stretched across from one of 
the modules.  Caught like flies in a spider's web.  Both thrash about, 
severing cables as they do.  Electrical sparks CRACKLE through the 
air...

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - COMMAND CENTER

Everything electrical in the Command Center flickers momentarily, and 
the bank of monitors turn to static.  There's an instant of silence 
collective concerns amongst those gathered there.

DRISCOLL
What the hell...?

PARSONS
Don't panic, people.  We've just switched over to internals.

HIROKO
They knocked out the external feeds.

PARSONS
Looks like it.

CASSIE
Thirty six hours?

PARSONS nods.

PARSONS
Give or take.

CASSIE
We're not gonna make it, are we?

HIROKO
Get the auto-shop on-line.

PARSONS shakes his head.

PARSONS
Communications to auto-shop go through an F.O. link off the main trunk.  
That's down with the other feeds.

HIROKO
Well... try the headset.

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - AUTO-SHOP

Spirits are low in the auto-shop.

MATT
I'm tellin' you, it's impossible.  Nothing can grow and reproduce this 
fast.

THOMAS
Yeah.  Right.  You wanna go outside and tell them that?

DE VRIES
What's keeping those fucking Marines, man? They should'a been here by 
now!

THOMAS lashes out at an empty can, kicking it noisily across the floor.

THOMAS
Maybe they ain't coming.  Maybe they don't even know we've got 
problems...

GUTTIEREZ
I don't wanna hear that kind of crap, Thomas.  They're coming.  Just a 
matter of time, that's all...

GUTTIEREZ' headset lies nearby.  PARSONS muted VOICE comes out of it.  
One of the GREASE MONKEY's snatches it up and listens.

GREASE MONKEY
Yo!  Guttierez!

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - COMMAND CENTER

PARSONS
Through now.

HIROKO
Jan, it's Hiroko.  What sort of shape are you in down there?

GUTTIEREZ   (O.S., on speaker)
Pretty damn good shape, considering.  You can tell Don Kamen from me 
his people have got balls of steel.

HIROKO
Kamen didn't make it, Jan.

There's a pregnant PAUSE from the speakers.

HIROKO (CONT'D)
Jan?

GUTTIEREZ   (O.S., on speakers)
Yeah.  I... we're still here.  We're all... uh... all sorry to hear 
that.

HIROKO
Can you make it back?

GUTTIEREZ   (O.S., on speakers)
Uh... I'd say that was a negative.  If we open the doors, those things 
are gonna swarm inside.  There's another problem, too.

HIROKO
What's that?

GUTTIEREZ   (O.S., on speakers)
De Vries put a round through the storage tanks over by the west pier on 
the way in here.  Right now, the stuff sprayin' out is just burnin' up, 
but if we get a blow-back, a good part of the station could go with it.

CASSIE
Oh, man...

HIROKO
Alright, let's keep calm.  We've got to have an option of some sort... 
there's got to be a way out of this.

YORK
Oh yeah?  Like what?

YORK's kept quiet, but everyone turns to him now.  His tone is scathing 
and cuts to the marrow.

CASSIE
Well, what about those other things outside; those warriors?  Maybe we 
can cut some kind of deal...

YORK looks around at them in incredulous disbelief.

***************************

***** PAGE 84 MISSING *****

***************************

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - AUTO-SHOP

MATT walks nervously around, holding the headset.  Everybody's eyes are 
on him.

MATT
Well, it occurred to me that we could use the overhead crane to load 
the admin module onto the back of Big Bertha.  That way we could put a 
bit of distance...

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - COMMAND CENTER

MATT (CONT'D)   (O.S., on speakers)
...Between us and the station.  Least 'till the guys from Fort Powell 
arrive.

HIROKO
That sounds promising.  Can we operate the crane from here?

DRISCOLL
Nah.  It's got programmable facilities, but it was never rigged for 
remote operation.  Someone'd have to go up to the cab to get it up and 
running.

HIROKO
Which mean physically going outside.

DRISCOLL looks around uneasily.

DRISCOLL
Yeah.

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - COMMAND CENTER - LOWER DECK

A small group of people, most of whom we saw in the Command Center, are 
clustered around a section of the poorly-lit maintenance corridor.  
HIROKO's wearing a black hi-tech catsuit, a fetishist's dream.  Across 
her shoulder is a pistol in a slung bandolier holster.  She nods at a 
pile of clothing in DRISCOLL's hands.

HIROKO
Is this the suit?

DRISCOLL
Uh-huh.

She takes it from him.  Slides her legs into the bottom half and pulls 
it up.  YORK watches with an expression of incredulity etched on his 
face.

YORK
This is fuckin' lunacy!  You're not gonna make it across the platform 
on foot!

CASSIE
Shut up, York.

HIROKO
No, he's right.  Has anyone got a bike near here?

A REDHEADED GIRL looks around hesitantly, then raises her voice.

REDHEADED GIRL
I have.

HIROKO
Let me have the keys.

The GIRL rummages in her pockets and throws the keys over.  HIROKO puts 
them in a pocket on the suit's sleeve.

HIROKO (CONT'D)
Which one is it?

REDHEADED GIRL
Uh... the Hyundai racer.  Yellow and black stripes.

YORK
Oh, yeah.  Real inconspicuous...

HIROKO
Listen, I don't care if it's pink and purple polka-dots as long as it 
gets me there in one piece.  Somebody loan me a headset.

CASSIE pulls off hers and hands it over.  DRISCOLL's watching HIROKO 
fasten up the suit.  He spots a mistake.

DRISCOLL
No, go back.  Second clasp from the bottom.

HIROKO finds the offending clasp and locks it.

HIROKO
How much air-time have I got?

CASSIE
About thirty minutes.  Those are slimmed-down tanks, so no stopping to 
admire the scenery.

HIROKO
Deal.

CASSIE
We've dumped the whole data-base from one of the cleaning remotes into 
the helmet. It'll project the route through the sewer system onto the 
inside of the glass as you go.

DRISCOLL
Yeah, I stripped down a motion tracker and hardwired it through to the 
helmet pick-ups, too.  That's also on the display.

HIROKO
Sounds great.

PARSONS
It's not all good news.  We had to take off the helmet lights.  You'll 
be going in blind.

HIROKO
What?  Why?

DRISCOLL
We had to.  They were just too cumbersome for some of the conduits 
you're gonna have to negotiate.  Besides, all the crap floating around 
reduces visibility to the extent where I doubt having helmet lights 
would have make that much difference, anyway.  Maintenance lights down 
there oughta be enough to do the trick.

HIROKO
How tight are these shafts?

CASSIE and DRISCOLL exchange worried looks.

CASSIE
Tight.  We chose a route we felt would reduce the chance of you running 
into any Aliens.

HIROKO takes a deep breath.  Beads of perspiration dot her forehead.  
PARSONS nods.

PARSONS
There's still time to back-out.

HIROKO
Forget it.  I wouldn't ask somebody to do something I wouldn't do 
myself.  Where's the disk?

PARSONS hands over a vinyl-wrapped packet.

PARSONS
Don't lose it.

HIROKO slips it into a breast-pocket and secures the flap.

HIROKO
Don't worry.  I won't.

DRISCOLL hands several metallic objects to HIROKO.

DRISCOLL
Here.  If you got to use 'em, make 'em count.

They're magazines for her gun.  She slots them into the bandolier.

HIROKO
Thanks.

PARSONS
Let's just run through it one more time so I know you've got it 
straight.

HIROKO
Okay, I pull the access panel off of the console.  Insert the disk, and 
press the green enabling button...

PARSONS   (interrupting)
No.  There's two of them.

She pulls on the zip and begins locking the harness clasps into place.

HIROKO
Sorry.  Two green enabling buttons...

PARSONS
Right.  When you've done that, don't waste any time getting out of 
there.  Once that crane starts moving...well, it's bound to provoke 
some kind of response.

YORK hands over a sophisticated-looking power-tool.

YORK
You'll need this for the gratings. Trigger finger to operate, thumb 
button to switch over to the rivet gun.  The sensors'll choose blade or 
socket heads automatically.

HIROKO
Right.   (long beat)   Okay, I'm set.

YORK and DRISCOLL lower the massive dome-fronted helmet over HIROKO's 
head. Auto-clasps lock into place as it brackets with the collar.  
PARSONS clips the slimline air-tank to her back, and DRISCOLL makes the 
connections. 

PARSONS
Alright, let's open her up.  Carefully, now...

CASSIE and the others hold their weapons and motion-trackers steadily 
at a fixed point on the ground.  Two ONLOOKERS bend down to the 
pressure-hatch beneath the floor-grating.  It's identical to the one 
DILLER and URIOSTE removed earlier.  A plume of pressurised gas jets 
into the air, and they pull the metal sealing-plug free.  CASSIE 
scrutinizes her tracker...

CASSIE
All clear...

HIROKO reaches up to her helmet and presses a chunky button on one 
side.

HIROKO's P.O.V.
We're looking through the transparent bowl of the helmet at the open 
shaft, braken water SLOSHING around it's rim.  Superimposed lines of 
glowing neon appear on the visor's surface, a precisely overlaid 
duplication of the scene in computer-graphic form.  A flatly-
synthesised male

COMPUTER VOICE comes over the helmet speakers, O.S.

COMPUTER VOICE   (O.S., on speakers)
Approaching 'A' module lower level venturiduct DS Oh-four...

HIROKO gets down on her hands and knees and crawls towards the opening.  
She stares at the murky water with mounting apprehension.  Tries to 
reassure herself.

HIROKO
Okay.  Okay.

She looks around at the impassive, staring faces.  Summoning up her 
courage, she submerges the helmet...

HIROKO'S P.O.V.
The pale illumination of the lower level deck-lights gives way to 
absolute nothingness; a stygian nightmare.  She SHUDDERS with horror 
and pulls her head free.

HIROKO (CONT'D)
Oh...!  Oh, God...

She WIPES frenetically at the slickly-coated visor, breathing heavily. 
Worried hands grab her.

CASSIE
Are you alright?

PARSONS
What?  What's wrong?  What is it?

HIROKO's eyes dart around, speaking volumes.  She swallows hard and 
calms down.

HIROKO
It's alright.  I'm okay.

Steeling herself, she takes a deep breath and plunges headfirst into 
the water once more...

HIROKO's P.O.V.
Everything goes to blackness again.  The head-up-display presents a 
view of the unseen tunnel in cheerful candy-apple hues.

COMPUTER VOICE   (O.S., on speakers)
Entering venturi duct, en route to secondary overflow sump DS oh four 
slash eleven...

YORK watches HIROKO's feet disappear into the shaft.

PARSONS
Seal it.

The heavy sealing-plug is dragged across the grating and positioned 
over the hole.  YORK shakes his head.

YORK
Suicide run, man.  Fuckin' suicide run.

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - SEWER SYSTEM - VENTURI DUCT

CASSIE wasn't kidding about the venturi-duct.  It's only about half-
again as wide as HIROKO.  The only illumination comes from the hazy 
circle above.  As the plug reseals the hole, even that's gone.

Something flickers.  Two weak fluorescent tubes come on, lighting the 
murk with a faint orange haze.

CASSIE   (O.S. on speakers)
All the comforts of home.

HIROKO
Thanks, Cassie.

CASSIE   (O.S., on speakers)
Don't mention it.

She inches her way through the narrow space towards us, breathing 
heavily. The CLICKING of the motion-tracker in her helmet is 
overwhelming in the  silence...

EXT.  RYUSHI STATION - ANTENNA ARRAY - NIGHT

The station's massive antenna array is being transformed.  Otherworldly 
shapes comprised of surreal creatures and protrusions are starting to 
cover it's surface.  ALIENS drop from dizzying heights, exuding streams 
of gelatinous gunk from the four 'exhaust' pipes on their backs.  
They're building a nest of staggering proportions.

Unnoticed by the busy biomechanoids, faint sparks flicker from the 
crane catwalk high above...

EXT.  RYUSHI STATION - CRANE CATWALK - NIGHT

BROKEN TUSK sits on the catwalk floor, a small shower of sparks 
lighting his face.  He's attempting to repair his broken wrist computer 
with an intricate tool.  He removes it and presses a switch.  The 
display glows briefly, then fades.  He inserts it again.  Electrical 
sparks CRACKLE across the computer's fascia, before burning out.  
BROKEN TUSK throws the ruined machine away in disgust.

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - AUTO-SHOP

From our P.O.V. high up near the roof of the auto-shop we see THOMAS 
sitting on the raised hydraulic platform.  He GRUNTS as he pulls a 
valve on the crawler's underside.

Across the room, the second crawler RUMBLES out of the far bay.  One of 
the GREASE MONKEYS walks slowly backwards, waving it on.

GREASE MONKEY
Okay.  Back.  Back.  Little bit more...

He steps into a pool of slippery residue and loses his footing.

GREASE MONKEY (CONT'D)
Whoa...shit!

The man crouches and runs a finger through the colorless goo on the 
floor. Scowls first, then frowns.  It's sticky.

Over near the doors, MATT exhales deeply on a cigarette.  DE VRIES is 
nearby, listening attentively as GUTTIEREZ gets a message on his 
helmet.

GUTTIEREZ
She just set off!

MATT claps his hands together - just once - to get everybody's 
attention.

MATT
Okay, people.  Let's hustle...

There's a SCREAM from behind.  They wheel around in time to see the 
GREASE MONKEY being tugged into the maintenance opening.  THOMAS yells 
down from the platform.

THOMAS
They're comin' up through the pit!

A box with two large buttons - one green, one red - dangles from the 
ceiling on the end of a cable.  MATT forces down the red control, 
making the platform lower.  Several tons of machinery and crawler bring 
about the demise of the ALIENS as they reach the lip of the opening, 
CRUSHING their chitinous limbs to smithereens.

An ALIEN rolls out of the pit in time, scrambling for the safety of the 
nearby shadows.  DE VRIES sights it.

DE VRIES
Over there!

One of the MEN has seen it.  His head snaps up to a mammoth engine-
block suspended from a winch high above.  He LEAPS for the release-
catch as the ALIEN passes underneath.  Pulls hard on the grip.  Chains 
RATTLE noisily as the block THUNDERS down.  The ALIEN begins to look 
up, just a second too late.  The heavy piece of machinery SMASHES into 
the creature, flattening it instantly.

Unseen by anybody, another ALIEN has escaped to the roof of the 
platform-bound crawler.  It wraps it's long, bony fingers around the 
face of the MAN, stifling his CRIES and pulling him off the deck.  The 
LOUD CLATTERING of his chainsaw bouncing off the floor-grating gets 
THOMAS' attention.

THOMAS
Mother-fucker!

THOMAS retrieves the fallen tool and jams the 'on' switch hard.  The 
ALIEN's tongue shoots through the GREASE MONKEY's skull, showering 
THOMAS with a faint speckling of blood.  The ALIEN discards the body 
and lunges at THOMAS, who counters bringing the chainsaw up.

The blade slices into the creature's throat, and up through it's head. 
THOMAS draws out the chainsaw quickly.  Something happens to the PITCH 
of the blade, a peculiar sound...

The acid eats through the links of the chainsaw band.  Like a metallic 
snake, it WHIPS off it's supporting frame.

Straight at THOMAS.

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - SEWER SYSTEM - VENTURI DUCT

HIROKO elbows her way further through the cramped water-filled duct.  A 
wide grille directly in her path blocks further headway.

HIROKO'S P.O.V.  Green neon flashes in her display, with accompanying 
notations.

COMPUTER VOICE   (O.S., on speakers)
Progress to secondary overflow sump DS oh-four slash eleven impeded.  
Grating must be removed to facilitate entry...

HIROKO   (into headset)
Okay, I'm at the first access grate.

CASSIE's VOICE is a little less clear now, with traces of STATIC 
drifting in...

CASSIE  (O.S., on speakers)
Copy that.  Be careful, now.

HIROKO
You betcha.

She places the tip of her power-tool over the first of the grille's 
anchoring bolts.  The complex mechanism WHINES as it selects the 
correct wrench-tip for the job...

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - COMMAND CENTER

PARSONS races up to the GIRL manning the communication console.

PARSONS
What is it?

GIRL
Auto-shop.

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - AUTO-SHOP- CRAWLER CABIN

THOMAS is laid-out in the back seat of the crawler's cab, with DE VRIES 
and MATT trying to staunch the wounds from the chainsaw band's impact 
to his chest.  GUTTIEREZ speaks into his headset mike.

GUTTIEREZ
Rob?  We got problems.

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - SEWER SYSTEM - SUMP CHAMBER

THUMP.  THUMP.  SLAM!  The grille in knocked out of it's housing and 
floats lazily off into the water.  HIROKO passes through the newly-
created hole.

HIROKO'S P.O.V.  
She finds herself in an upright cylindrical chamber, about five feet in 
height.  Massive extractor fans churn dangerously where both the floor 
and ceiling ought to be.  Kicking up a swirl of particles.  Pale blue 
light filters down from above.

COMPUTER VOICE   (O.S., on speakers)
Caution!  Entering secondary overflow sump DS oh-four slash eleven.  
Grating must be removed to facilitate entry to Central Reservoir...

HIROKO   (annoyed)
Yeah, yeah, yeah...

With difficulty, she straddles the floor turbine.  A vortex of water 
swirls around her as she brings the power-tool up once more.

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - COMMAND CENTER

PARSONS listens attentively.  He CLICKS his fingers at CASSIE.

PARSONS
Where is she?

CASSIE
Comin' up the Central Reservoir.

PARSONS
Quick!  Run a trace on the culvert leading off the auto-shop 
maintenance pit.

CASSIE's all-business, immediately calling-up the base floor-plan files 
on a monitor.

PARSONS (CONT'D)  (into headset)
Is Thomas gonna make it?

GUTTIEREZ   (O.S., on speakers)
Uh...difficult to say.  I think...

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - AUTO-SHOP

GUTTIEREZ looks on as MATT ties-off a bandage.

GUTTIEREZ (CONT'D)
...The chainsaw band might have punctured his lungs.

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - COMMAND CENTER

CASSIE looks up, worriedly.

CASSIE
I found it...

PARSONS
And?

CASSIE
Drains right into the Central Reservoir.

PARSONS
Get her on-line.  Now!

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - SEWER SYSTEM - SUMP CENTER

HIROKO's pulls her third bolt free.  It drifts slowly downward, 
slipping between the vanes of the floor turbine.

A fragmented VOICE comes through on her headset, distorted beyond 
recognition.  HIROKO's forehead knits together in concentration and 
annoyance.

HIROKO
What was that?  I don't copy.

CLICK.  CLICK.  BEEP!  The routine sound of the motion tracker changes 
suddenly.  HIROKO turns her attention from the task-in-hand to study 
the tracker's helmet readout.  THREE NEBULOUS BLOBS have appeared from 
off-screen.  Heading straight for her position.

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - COMMAND CENTER

CASSIE turns to PARSONS in frustration.

CASSIE
I can't reach her.  Too much signal break-up.

PARSONS
Keep trying!

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - SEWER SYSTEM - SUMP CHAMBER

BEEP.  BEEP.  BEEP.  The signals pick-up speed the closer they get.  
CASSIE's garbled VOICE isn't helping ease HIROKO's panic.  She looks 
wildly around the chamber.  The only way out the way she came in...

COMPUTER VOICE   (O.S., on speakers)
Attention.  Removal of restraining bolts it necessary to facilitate 
access to...

HIROKO stabs the exterior helmet control.  The COMPUTER VOICE ceases, 
while the BEEPING from the tracker rises in both pitch and volume.  
Whatever the signals are, they're almost on top of her...

HIROKO turns to the narrow entry duct.  It's position makes it 
virtually impossible to get back into.  She tries anyhow.

BEEPBEEPBEEPBEEP!  A rush of displaced water flood into the chamber, 
flattening her against the wall.  DARK SHAPES THUNDER past the other 
side of the grille like express trains in the night...going away from 
HIROKO.  She twitches in fear and disbelief as the BLOBS on the monitor 
screen recede and finally disappear.  The tracker's pitch returns to 
it's hollow CLICKING.

EXT.  RYUSHI STATION - PLATFORM - NIGHT

BROKEN TUSK tries to be as unobtrusive as possible as he picks through 
the aftermath of the battle down by the now-empty rhino pen.  He finds 
something. A PREDATOR face-mask, with a massive crack down one side.  
He turns it carefully over in his hands.

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - SEWER SYSTEM - CENTRAL RESERVOIR

HIROKO emerges from the water, a thin membrane of surface slime 
adhering to her helmet.  Blinded, she raises a gloved hand and wipes 
the mucus away...

HIROKO'S P.O.V.  
She's inside the Central Reservoir, a long cylindrical concrete tunnel 
some eighteen feet in diameter.  The water-level comes up about half-
way.  What fills the remainder freezes her with revulsion...

She's found the main offshoot of the ALIENS' nest.  Glued into the 
curved walls by a secretive resin as BODIES.  HUMANS, RHINOS, LEMURS.  
Other ANIMALS.  Most are dead, their innards blown open.  The rest are 
comatose, twitching occasionally.  Every square inch not containing 
bodies is filled with ALIEN EGGS.  It's like Hell for real.

HIROKO reaches slowly up and reactivates her helmet readout. 

COMPUTER VOICE   (O.S., on speakers)
...Brrzzt.  Traversing Central Reservoir en route to platform venturi 
dust DS two-six.

HIROKO's P.O.V.
She looks around and finds the exit point on the display. It's several 
feet away.  Under the surface.  She wades swiftly through the water, 
passing beneath something that gives her cause to pause.  A large 
PULSATING BAG, about ten feet long and roughly ovular in shape.  It 
might be translucent, but in this light it's hard to tell.

HIROKO submerges.  Sure enough, there's the grille.  She raises the 
power-tool and starts extracting the bolts.  BZZZZ!  There's the first 
one, no problem.  BZZZZ...BZZZZ!  The second and third are just as 
easy.  She goes for the fourth.  BZZZ...CHUNK.  Nothing happens.

HIROKO
Come on...

She bears down on the trigger again.  The motor's not running.  A tiny 
green LED flashes on the machine's side.  It's locked solid.  A 
malfunction.

COMPUTER VOICE  (O.S., on speakers)
Attention.  Removal of restraining bolts is necessary to facilitate 
access to  venturi ducts.

There's only one recourse left to her.  She jams down the thumb 
button...

KER-SLAM!  The force of the rivet-gun propels her backwards, her 
internal suit-pressure making her rise to the surface.  She wipes the 
slime from her helmet yet again...

...And finds herself staring at an ALIEN EGG, it's top cracking open in 
four neat sections.  The FACEHUGGER leaps straight as her faceplate... 

...And misses, it's fingers failing to gain purchase on the slippery 
dome. HIROKO kicks away from the spindly creature as it orientates 
itself on the water's surface, it's powerful tail propelling itself 
back toward her.  It contracts on itself, preparing to leap.  HIROKO 
raises the power-tool,
reflexively squeezing the trigger again and again.  Fat rivets RIP 
through the FACEHUGGER's body.  It writhes around on the water's 
surface, a cloud ofyellow acid billowing outward from it.  HIROKO dives 
into the water again. She rams the power-tool at the final bolt.

BZZZZ!  It's out!  She levers-off the grille.  Forces herself into the 
confined space beyond...

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - SEWER SYSTEM - VENTURI DUCT

Another poorly-lit shaft filled with murky water, though this one goes 
upwards on a diagonal slope.  HIROKO braces herself against the walls 
and begins to climb.

COMPUTER VOICE   (O.S., on speaker)
Traversing venturi duct en route to platform surface.

WHAM!  An ALIEN's head squeezes through the opening behind her.  It's 
claw snakes in, groping blindly just inches from her feet.  She grits 
her teeth and puts more effort into her ascent.
 
WALLPO!  It's hand closes around her leg, yanking her back.  She tries 
frantically to gain purchase on anything.  She fails.  The ALIEN draws 
her nearer, it's other hand closing on the helmet's visor.  Fracture 
lines appear on the glass, followed by cracks.  Polluted water starts 
to flood in, while air-bubbles expand outward from the broken glass.

HIROKO drives the power-tool at the ALIEN and mashes the trigger.  
Rivets penetrate the creature's endoskeleton, making it draw back.  A 
haze of yellow blood spills out into the duct.  HIROKO pushes upward, 
coughing.  She closes her fist around a lever above.  Pulls on it with 
all her might.

EXT.  RYUSHI STATION - PLATFORM - NIGHT

Internal pressure forces the metallic plug out like a champagne cork.  
It hits the platform with a loud CLUNK.  HIROKO hauls herself from the 
shaft, trailing a cloud of smoke as the acid eats into her suit.  She 
throws the helmet to the ground, SHATTERING the visor.  Yanks 
desperately at the suit's release clamps, kicking the ruined garment 
off.

As promised, the yellow-and-black hoverbike is nearby.  HIROKO starts 
towards it, then remembers the keys are in the sleeve pocket of the 
ruined pressure-suit.  She drops to he knees and gingerly pokes through 
the smoking pile of cloth.  Finds the flap, RIPS it open, and withdraws 
the keys.

SLAP!  A glistening wet claw emerges from the open hole.  HIROKO 
scrambles to her feet as the injured ALIEN pulls itself out.  She tears 
across to the bike and rams the key into the ignition.  The turbines 
ROAR to life, and it lifts smoothly into the air.  HIROKO pivots the 
powerful machine around, avoiding the creature's questing grasp.  
Losing it's balance, the ALIEN SMASHES into the deck.

HIROKO's guns the bike away, speeding along the platform.  The fire 
over by the auto-shop rages out of control, a column of black-and-
orange smoke rising into the air.
 
A DARK FORM hurls itself at her from an overhead cable-support.  Yet 
another ALIEN.  It lands awkwardly on the protruding front cowl of the 
hoverbike, gaining balance in an instant.
 
HIROKO twists on her controls, trying to dislodge the creature by see-
sawing the bike side-to-side.  The ALIEN's got a firm hold though, 
crawling hand-over-hand towards her.  HIROKO releases her grip on both 
throttles simultaneously.  Air-brakes cut in, and the bike SLAMS to a 
halt.  The breath WHOOSHES out of HIROKO as her chest impacts with the 
surrounding roll-bar. The ALIEN is even less fortunate; momentum hurls 
it back onto the concrete. HIROKO guns the engine again, and the 
leading-edge of the manta-shaped machine's aerofoil catches the rising 
creature, neatly decapitating it. 

EXT.  RYUSHI STATION - CRANE BASE - NIGHT

The hoverbike GROWLS to a halt by the base of the crane.  HIROKO 
dismounts and draws her pistol.  Takes in the sheer height of the 
ladder she's going to have to scale.  Thumbs her headset. 

HIROKO
Okay, I make it to the crane.  You...

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - COMMAND CENTER

Everybody in admin registers astonishment as her voice comes over the 
speakers.

HIROKO (CONT'D)  (O.S., on speakers)
...Can all uncross your fingers.

A WHOOP goes up.  Various hands are SLAPPED.

PARSONS
We copy, boss.  Nice going.

EXT.  RYUSHI STATION - CRANE LADDER - NIGHT

HIROKO's climbing the ladder.  She stops to catch her breath.

HIROKO
Yeah, well don't get too carried away; we're only halfway home.  
Talk...

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - COMMAND CENTER

HIROKO (CONT'D)   (O.S., on speakers)
...To you shortly.  Noguchi out.

PARSONS clicks his fingers to DRISCOLL.

PARSONS
Driscoll; you're up.

DRISCOLL's moving even as PARSONS speaks.

DRISCOLL
I hear you...

EXT.  RHUSHI STATION - CRANE CATWALK - NIGHT

HIROKO reaches the top and sprints along the catwalk towards the 
Control Cab. She narrowly misses something metallic near the base of 
the handrail.  If she'd taken the time to stop and look, she would have 
seen BROKEN TUSK's ruined wrist computer.

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - COMMAND CENTER - LADDER WELL

DRISCOLL flips open an access flap on one wall of the ladder-well.  
Printed on the inside is a set of instructions, with the following 
printed boldly in red;

CAUTION!  EXPLOSIVE BOLTS - READ CAREFULLY!

He traces his finger along a line of text.

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - CRANE CAB - NIGHT

HIROKO enters the cab at a run.  She flips a row of switches, and the 
control board comes to life.

HIROKO
Access panel... access panel...

She finds it.  Gets her fingers in the groove and slides it out.  
Beneath is a mini-disk drive with two buttons.

HIROKO (CONT'D)
Bingo.

She pulls the vinyl-wrapped packet from her catsuit pocket.  Carefully 
withdraws the disk and slides it home.  Thumbs the first button, which 
glows an emerald green.

The board's flatscreen monitor lights up immediately.  HIROKO studies 
it for a moment, then presses her headset link.

HIROKO (CONT'D)
Okay, we're in business.

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - COMMAND CENTER

PARSONS
Right.  Auto-shop, you all set?

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - AUTO-SHOP - CRAWLER CAB

Everybody from Auto-shop is crammed into the two articulated vehicles. 
GUTTIEREZ sits in the driver's seat of the first crawler.  He glances 
out of the side window.  MATT gives him a 'thumbs-up' from the cab of 
the second crawler.

GUTTIEREZ   (into headset)
Say the word, and you won't see our asses for dust.

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - CRANE CAB - NIGHT

HIROKO wipes a trickle of sweat from her forehead.  She poises her 
finger over the second drive-button.

HIROKO
Alright.  Here we go...

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - COMMAND CENTER

Everybody in admin looks tense.

HIROKO (CONT'D)   (O.S., on speakers)
Three...

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - AUTO-SHOP - CRAWLER CAB

GUTTIEREZ leans forward.

HIROKO (CONT'D)   (O.S., on headset)
Two...

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - CRANE CAB - NIGHT

HIROKO blinks as the sweat drains into her eyes.

HIROKO (CONT'D)
One...mark!

She stabs the drive switch.

EXT.  RYUSHI STATION - CRANE - NIGHT

Smoothly maintained engineering comes to life.  The enormous yellow 
crane starts to move on it's track-rails.

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - CRANE CAB - NIGHT

The control board monitor is suddenly awash with information and 
schematics...

HIROKO
Okay, I'm out of here!

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - COMMAND CENTER

PARSONS
Blow those suckers, Driscoll!

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - COMMAND CENTER - LADDER WELL

DRISCOLL raises a black device shaped like a cylinder with a handgrip 
on the end.  Slots it into the mechanism beneath the flap and carefully 
turns it.  A tiny red LED comes on.

EXT.  RYUSHI STATION - COMMAND CENTER MODULE

Complex mechanical assemblies attach the module to it's supporting 
pier-platforms.  There are a number of LOUD BANGS, similar to car 
engines misfiring.  Explosive bolts release the tethers.

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - COMMAND CENTER - LADDER WELL

DRISCOLL reports into his headset.

DRISCOLL
Bolts blown!

EXT.  RYUSHI STATION - CRANE CATWALK - NIGHT

HIROKO runs back across the catwalk.  She might have missed the 
PREDATOR's damaged computer before, but she doesn't this time.  Her 
foot comes down on it and she slips.  The gun goes flying from her 
hand.  HIROKO watches in horror as it teeters on the catwalk's edge for 
a moment...

HIROKO
No!

...Then goes over.  She drops to all fours and peers over the side.  
Luckily it's only fallen about four feet onto a dirty ledge.  She 
reaches out for it...

INT.  FIRST CRAWLER CAB

GUTTIEREZ pushes forward on the crawler's controls.  The head-up 
display projected on the cab windscreen changes from 'NEUTRAL' to 
'DRIVE'.

EXT.  RYUSHI STATION - PLATFORM FAR SIDE - NIGHT

The two crawlers TEAR OUT of the auto-shop's opening doors, headlights 
blazing.

INT.  FIRST CRAWLER CAB - NIGHT

GUTTIEREZ braces himself as they speed on a collision course towards 
the ditched crawler they left outside auto-shop earlier.

GUTTIEREZ
Shit!

EXT.  RYUSHI STATION - PLATFORM FAR SIDE - NIGHT

KER-SMASM!  GUTTIEREZ' crawler rams the other vehicle off the roadway 
and through the platform safety barrier.  It balances precariously for 
a second, until finally it's weight sends it plunging into the swamp in 
a CACOPHONY of STRESSED METAL and CRUMBLING CONCRETE.

INT.  SECOND CRAWLER CAB - NIGHT

MATT
Yee-haa!  Demolition derby, baby!

EXT.  RYUSHI STATION - ROOFTOP LEVEL - NIGHT

Holding the cracked mask to his face, BROKEN TUSK looks up at the 
gigantic crane moving against the night sky.

PREDATOR VISION.  
Although the helmet's nightsight is malfunctioning, it's still good 
enough to register the 'hot' infra-red shape of HIROKO on the catwalk.

The sound of the two crawlers hurtling across the platform gets BROKEN 
TUSK's attention.

EXT.  RYUSHI STATION - CRANE CATWALK - NIGHT

HIROKO gets a firm grasp on one of the railing rungs, anchoring 
herself. Stretches for the pistol with renewed determination.  She 
brushes the barrel. Not good enough.  Tries again.  Success!  Her 
fingers curl around the weapon, and she tugs it upwards.

EXT.  RYUSHI STATION - PLATFORM - NIGHT

The two crawlers plunge into the curtain of flames spreading across the 
platform.

INT.  FIRST CRAWLER CAB - NIGHT

DE VRIES YELLS at GUTTIEREZ over the ROAR of the flames.

DE VRIES
Hotter 'n hell out there!

EXT.  RYUSHI STATION - CRANE BASE - NIGHT

HIROKO leaps the last few rungs from the moving crane onto the 
platform.  She dashes towards the hoverbike, some thirty feet away.  
With no time to loose, she slides her boots into the foot-supports, 
which automatically WHIRR closed.  Gropes for the ignition key...

Before she's even located it, the hoverbike moves.  SCRAPING across the 
concrete.  ALIEN claws appear around the edge of one of the bike's 
manta wings.  She's parked the bike over a drainage exit!

HIROKO SPINS the key and guns the engine.  The white-hot downblast from 
the turbine exhaust SPLASHES across the SCREECHING ALIENS.  The vehicle 
tilts and KICKS forward.

EXT.  RYUSHI STATION - PLATFORM - NIGHT

The two crawlers emerge from the conflagration, scorched and trailing 
fire. In the BACKGROUND, the crane-hoist centers over the admin module.

CATWALK P.O.V., 
looking straight down.  Four lasers scan quickly around the module's 
edges.

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - CRANE CAB - NIGHT

A blinking message on the crane's monitor screen:
POSITIVE MATCH.  COMMENCE LIFTING OPERATION.

EXT.  RYUSHI STATION - PLATFORM FAR SIDE - NIGHT

The sound of SHREDDING METAL makes HIROKO look down.  An ALIEN is 
hanging on the underside of the bike!  She twists the throttle, 
reducing acceleration and causing the vehicle to drop several inches.  
Sparks shower the ground from where the creature makes contact with the 
roadway.  The ALIEN's determination is astounding.  It's tail SLAMS up 
through the alloy 'wing', anchoring it.

The biomechanoid starts to pulls itself up, shifting the bike's center 
of gravity.  She fights the controls, but finds herself swerving.  One-
handed, she takes aim.  BLAM!  BLAM!  She misses the ALIEN, rupturing a 
fuel pipe instead.

EXT.  RYUSHI STATION - PLATFORM - NIGHT

The crane's clamping mechanism closes around the admin module, locking 
into place.

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - COMMAND CENTER

CLANG!  Everybody reacts as the SOUND penetrates through the walls and 
ECHOES around admin.

PARSONS
Okay, people.  Hold on tight...

EXT.  RYUSHI STATION - PLATFORM - NIGHT

The crane hoists the module aloft, free of it's umbilicals.

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - COMMAND CENTER

Pencils, disposable cups, and anything else not bolted down all roll 
from table-tops.  Most are grabbed by their owners.

EXT.  RYUSHI STATION - PLATFORM FAR SIDE - NIGHT

HIROKO's bike veers blindly around the corner of a building, with 
HIROKO still SHOOTING.  She looks up and her eyes widen.  Ahead is the 
out-of-control blaze.  A tongue of flame licks out across the platform, 
directly in her path.

HIROKO slides the gun quickly into her shoulder-holster and ducks for 
cover behind the bike's windshield.  The ALIEN's head twists around, 
and they plunge into the inferno...

WHOOMPH!  The liquid from the breached pipe ignites, trailing a plume 
of yellow flame.  HIROKO jams down on the foot-release and wrenches the 
steering bar hard to the right.  She leaps for safety as the burning 
bike with it's ALIEN passenger crashes through the station's safety-
rail and plummets into the swamp.

EXT.  RYUSHI STATION - PLATFORM RAMP - NIGHT

The two crawlers THUNDER down the ramp.  GUTTIEREZ' vehicle pulls into 
a tight right turn, while MATT's continues on it's course.  The crane 
with it's underslug module continues to RUMBLE slowly forward. 

EXT.  RYUSHI STATION - PLATFORM FAR SIDE - NIGHT

HIROKO mechanically tries to get up from the concrete roadway.  Winces. 
Something hurts.  She looks down at the back of her left hand.  The 
skin has been scraped away. 

A DISTANT NOISE, something else being broken.  HIROKO turns.  Through 
the conflagration, ALIENS are advancing.

EXT.  RYUSHI STATION - BIG BERTHA - NIGHT

GUTTIEREZ' smoldering crawler pulls-up alongside Big Bertha's titanic 
wheels.

INT. FIRST CRAWLER - NIGHT

GUTTIEREZ turns his head to one of the guys in the rear. 

GUTTIEREZ
Take the wheel, Roy!

EXT.  RYUSHI STATION - BIG BERTHA - NIGHT

GUTTIEREZ and DE VRIES exit the crawler in a big hurry.  The moment 
they're clear, the vehicle starts up and is gone.  DE VRIES is alert, 
the tip of her rifle probing their surroundings.

DE VRIES
C'mon, man!  Let's shag it!

GUTTIEREZ begins climbing the tall ladder running up to the Bertha's 
cab.

EXT.  RYUSHI STATION - PLATFORM - NIGHT

HIROKO's running along the platform, pistol clenched firmly in hand.  
She thumbs her headset.

HIROKO
Rob, it's Hiroko.  Come in.

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - COMMAND CENTER

CASSIE answers, holding on to the edge of her console.

CASSIE
Hiroko, it's Cassie.  What's...

HIROKO's VOICE interrupts.

HIROKO   (O.S., on speakers)
I've lost the bike and I'm cut-off.

EXT.  RYUSHI STATION - PLATFORM - NIGHT

HIROKO spins around the corner, pointing her gun cop-stance.

HIROKO (CONT'D)
If I can get to the chopper, I'll meet you at the rendezvous.  Don't 
wait for me.

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - COMMAND CENTER

CASSIE
But...

EXT. RYUSHI STATION - PLATFORM - NIGHT

The heli-jet pad's just up ahead.  The relief on HIROKO's face is 
enormous.

HIROKO
No 'buts'.  Just do it.  Noguchi out.

INT.  BIG BERTHA - NIGHT

GUTTIEREZ and DE VRIES pile inside the surprisingly cramped driver's 
cab. There's a seat up-front, with another behind a small control 
fascia pointing out-back.  DE VRIES hands over her rifle and slides 
into the rear.  She flicks on an overhead light.  Taped to one side is 
a black-and-white magazine cut-out of a naked male body-builder.
 
DE VRIES
Nice buns...

She gives the control board a cursory once-over.  GUTTIEREZ calls back 
from his vantage point at the doorway.

GUTTIEREZ
Can you handle it?

DE VRIES powers-up the console.

DE VRIES
Piece of cake.

EXT.  RYUSHI STATION - HELI-JET PAD - NIGHT

HIROKO runs towards the waiting heli-jet.  The flicker of an 
andrenalin-fueled smile plays on her face...the disappears.

Like a scorpion scuttling over a rock, the ALIEN climbs up on top of 
the grounded machine.  It's head turn towards her.  HIROKO starts to 
raise her pistol... then stops.  Other ALIENS are descending the nearby 
navigation tower... straight for her.

HIROKO turns tail.  She races over to a ladder running up the side of a 
building and begins to climb.

EXT.  RYUSHI STATION - BIG BERTHA - NIGHT

The shadow of the crane and it's cargo falls over Big Bertha's rear 
flatbed. Flashing warning strobes illuminate the twin hydraulic arms 
which rise up to meet it.

INT.  BIG BERTHA - NIGHT

DE VRIES twists on the 'waldo' controls operating the manipulator 
hands. 

EXT.  SWAMP - NIGHT

ALIENS rise up out of the swamp below, and start to scale Bertha's 
balloon tires.

INT.  BIG BERTHA - NIGHT

GUTTIEREZ fires a barrage down at the oncoming creatures.  He HOLLERS 
back to DE VRIES.

GUTTIEREZ
Move it baby, or they're gonna be chewin' on my cojones!

DE VRIES
Couple more seconds!

EXT.  RYUSHI STATION - ROOFTOP LEVEL - NIGHT

HIROKO takes flight across the rooftops with the ALIENS in pursuit like 
a pack of dogs.  She vaults extractor intakes and retrofitted junk with 
ease. So do the ALIENS.

She cuts across a conduit overpass bridging two buildings across the 
main street, trying not to lose her footing.  Just before reaching the 
other side, HIROKO slips and falls to her knees.  Her headset drops 
thirty feet onto the concrete roadway.  Her hand rests on something 
red.  It's the cover for the explosive bolts connecting the conduit to 
the building.  She scrambles onto the rooftop and flips over the hatch.  
Glances up.  The ALIENS are already starting across.  She pulls the 
primer cylinder out by it's handle.  Jams it into the detonator, and 
turns...

She's practically on top of the bolts.  The EXPLOSION is DEAFENING.  
With the clamp on this side free, the conduit falls into the street 
with a SCREECH of twisted metal.  One of the ALIENS is pulverized by 
the falling debris, but the others survive.  All HIROKO's managed to do 
is buy herself some breathing space...

She races across the building's roof.  Reaches the other 
side...straight into a dead end.

EXT.  RYUSHI STATION - BIG BERTHA - NIGHT

The admin module locks onto Bertha's manipulator arms with a satisfying 
CLUNK.  Autocouplers slot into place, and the crane releases it's load.

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - COMMAND CENTER

The connecting jolt is even greater then before.  Several larger 
objects CRASH to the deck.

INT.  BIG BERTHA - NIGHT

DE VRIES
That's it!  We've got it!  Get us out of here.

GUTTIEREZ looses one last volley at the ALIENS.  He pulls the cab door 
shut, and throws himself into the driver's seat.

GUTTIEREZ
C'mon sweetheart.  Do your stuff...

EXT.  SWAMP - NIGHT

Bertha's wheels GRIND to life, spilling ALIENS and crushing them under 
it's treads...

EXT.  RYUSHI STATION - ROOFTOP LEVEL - NIGHT

HIROKO's P.O.V.  It's a straight drop thirty feet onto concrete, with 
no ladders or any other way down.  She looks desperately around for 
another avenue of escape.

The leering face of an ALIEN comes up over the roof's edge.  HIROKO 
swings her pistol over and fires.  It falls away...only to be replaced 
seconds later by two others.

Her gun goes dry.  Quick as a flash, she ejects the spent magazine.  
She slaps the spare in and continues firing.

INT.  BIG BERTHA - NIGHT

Big Bertha's heading away from the base into the surrounding trees. 
GUTTIEREZ grits his teeth as they plunge towards the high branches. 

GUTTIEREZ
Get down!

DE VRIES hits the floor.  The thick boughs impact with the cab, 
SHATTERING the safety glass.

EXT.  RYUSHI STATION - ROOFTOP LEVEL - NIGHT

BANG!  BANG!  BANG!  BANG!  CLICK.  HIROKO's gun's empty.  She reaches 
for another clip on her bandolier...then realises that was her last 
one.

The encircling ALIENS HISS triumphantly and close in.  With no place to 
go, and no means of defending herself, HIROKO's a goner.  The lead 
ALIEN's lethal double-barrel teeth open.  It's almost on her.  HIROKO 
CRIES OUT...

WHOOSH!  The ALIEN's face is severed in half.  A circular metal object 
blurs through the air and loops back on itself, almost faster then the 
human eye can follow.  A massive form SLAMS down in front of HIROKO, 
pushing her out of the way.  She hits the deck hard and gasps.  BROKEN 
TUSK is standing before her.  He skillfully catches the frisbee-like 
'smart weapon', then
throws it again.

HIROKO watches with awe as the PREDATOR joins battle against the 
ALIENS. HISSING ALIEN jaws are silenced by BROKEN TUSK's formidable 
fighting  technique.  Questing limbs are BLASTED and HACKED away by 
advanced PREDATOR weaponry.  Acidic blood flows freely.  The skirmish 
is surprisingly brief.

BROKEN TUSK and HIROKO stare at one another.  BROKEN TUSK pulls a slung 
metal rod from his shoulder.  Two barbed tips SCHNICK outwards, forming 
a spear. The PREDATOR looks at her, and his lip curls.  It takes a 
second for HIROKO to realise he's offering it to her.  Bewildered, she 
accepts it, pulling herself up.

A bright orange ball of flame mushrooms up behind, getting both of 
their attentions.  BROKEN TUSK regards her.  His mandibles CLICK-CLACK 
nervously... 

HIROKO
Look.  Don't take this the wrong way, but when I imagined the cavalry 
coming to my rescue... they never looked like you.

The PREDATOR turns away, seemingly uninterested.

EXT.  RYUSHI STATION - PLATFORM - NIGHT

Another gout of flame BELCHES out of the churning mass in the middle of 
the station.

EXT.  RYUSHI STATION - ROOFTOP LEVEL - NIGHT

HIROKO turns her recovered headset over in her hands. 

HIROKO (CONT'D)
Broken.  Useless!

She throws it aside.  BROKEN TUSK stands beside her, keeping guard.  
Another DETONATION goes off behind, even LOUDER.

HIROKO (CONT'D)
Jesus.  I.C.C.'re gonna have to close the book on this place.

She SLAPS BROKEN TUSK on the arm.

HIROKO (CONT'D)
Come on, Butch.  Let's go.

She begins to walk away.  BROKEN TUSK crosses to the safety barrier, 
peering over the side...

HIROKO (CONT'D)
Hey!  I said come on!

The PREDATOR turns a deaf ear to her.  He gauges the distance below, 
then throws himself off the platform's edge.

HIROKO (CONT'D)
What...?

She races across to the rail and gazes downward.

HIROKO'S P.O.V.
The PREDATOR wades through the swamp towards something she cannot see.  
HIROKO looks around the platform.  She's suddenly very alone.

HIROKO (CONT'D)
Shit!

She crosses to a maintenance ladder and begins to descend.

EXT.  RYUSHI STATION - SWAMP LEVEL - NIGHT

HIROKO SPLASHES through the swamp towards the PREDATOR.  BROKEN TUSK 
has paused before a culvert nestled within the shadows of the platform 
piers, running directly out into the swamp.  Most of the drain is 
underwater, with only about eight inches protruding from the water.  
The thick metal grille covering it is mangled and twisted.  Broken from 
within.

HIROKO (CONT'D)
You've got to be joking.  No way am I going back in there!

No joke.  BROKEN TUSK starts submerging to get across inside.

HIROKO (CONT'D)
Hey!

BROKEN TUSK pauses for a moment.  He gives her a look, then disappears 
into the blackness.  HIROKO looks around.  It's no fun being the last 
person left alive here.

HIROKO (CONT'D)
Goddammit!

She takes several deep breaths, then reluctantly follows...

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - SEWER SYSTEM - CULVERT

HIROKO emerges within an air pocket inside the drain.  She shivers.  
It's just as dirty and cramped as she remembers.  Several of the 
maintenance lights down here are broken, and visibility is minimal. 

HIROKO (CONT'D)   (quietly)
Wha...?

BROKEN TUSK whirls, and clamps a hand across her mouth.  She gets the 
message.

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - SEWER SYSTEM - CENTRAL RESERVOIR

They exit the culvert through another smashed grate.  HIROKO finds 
herself back in the Central Reservoir again.  She wades through the 
water behind BROKEN TUSK, holding the spear above her head.  The two of 
them look very vulnerable in here.  They pass beneath the PULSATING SAC 
HIROKO saw earlier. It looks riper now, ready to burst.  An INSIDIOUS 
PULSING NOISE - like a heartbeat - gains in volume the further they 
travel.

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - SEWER SYSTEM - PUMP CHAMBER

They come out in a chamber some forty feet in height and dominated by 
an enormous pump.  ALIEN gunk covers everything.

HIROKO gasps.  High above it a QUEEN ALIEN, nesting on top of the vast 
mechanism.  It's EGG SAC drapes around the pump; spiraling down around 
it. She seems to be asleep.

BROKEN TUSK ignores the QUEEN.  His eyes are searching the multitude of 
forms - human and otherwise - cocooned into the walls.  He finds what 
he's looking for.  Up on one wall is another PREDATOR.  Dead.  It's 
stomach blown open.

HIROKO holds her spear tightly.  FACEHUGGERS pulse malignantly, wrapped 
around several trapped victims.  A number of empty EGGS are scattered 
here-and-there.

BROKEN TUSK looks around.  No ALIENS.  He begins climbing the organic 
fresco, watching the QUEEN ALIEN carefully for signs of awareness.  The 
bellows-like SOUND of her BREATHING is overwhelming.  He reaches the 
entrapped PREDATOR. It's left arm is encased in a solidified mass of 
secreted resin.  BROKEN TUSK raises his 'smart weapon' and activates 
it.

The SPLINTERING NOISE makes HIROKO wince.  She glances up at the QUEEN.  
It's breathing start to change, and it's head moves...

BROKEN TUSK sees it too.  He hesitates for a moment.  The QUEEN 
settles, and her breathing goes back to normal.  BROKEN TUSK resumes 
his work, chipping off the final chunk of coating.  He sheathes the 
'smart weapon', and flips open the other PREDATOR's wrist device.  He 
withdraws the small manipulator device we saw earlier, and goes to 
work...

DOWN BELOW, HIROKO's backing away.  She doesn't see the arm coated in 
slime that grasps at her hair.  She shudders, stifling a SCREAM.  Her 
eyes are wide as she turns...

It's KAMEN.  He's been embedded into the biomechanical frieze.  When he 
speaks, his voice is wracked with pain and suffering.

KAMEN
Hiroko...

HIROKO fearfully says something beneath her breath in JAPANESE.

UP ON THE WALL, BROKEN TUSK has finished his task.  He slides the tip 
of a claw across the self-destruct mechanism.  It's readout display 
illuminates with alien characters.  He activates a button, and the 
readout begins to blink...

BELOW, KAMEN is talking to a sickened HIROKO.

KAMEN (CONT'D)
They...they snapped my legs to fit... fit me in here.  I 
don't...remember what happened next.

HIROKO
What can I do?

KAMEN
I can... feel it moving around inside me. You've got to kill me.

HIROKO
I... I can't!

KAMEN
You have to...

HIROKO
No!

BROKEN TUSK appears as HIROKO's shoulder.  He raises his right arm.  
SCHNICK! 
The wrist knives slice outwards.  Red blood SPATTERS HIROKO's pale 
face. BROKEN TUSK grabs her arm roughly and pulls her away.

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - SEWER SYSTEM - CENTRAL RESERVOIR

BROKEN TUSK pushes HIROKO through the reservoir.  An ALIEN EGG on a 
nearby wall PEELS OPEN.  Before the FACEHUGGER even has a chance to 
spring, BROKEN TUSK swings his wrist-blades in a wide arc, cutting 
through the EGG and it's writhing contents.

The two of them reach the deep end and have to wade.  HIROKO pushes 
herself along the biomechanical outcropping.  Ahead of them is the 
PULSING SAC. Before they're even passed beneath it, they hear 
SOMETHING.  A SOUND like water-filled balloons hitting wet concrete.
 
The SAC ruptures, spattering thick gloopy matter.  A form comprised of  
slender limbs emerges from within.  An IMMATURE QUEEN ALIEN.  Though 
just-born, it's reflexes are razor-sharp.  It lashes out at HIROKO and 
BROKEN TUSK.  HIROKO ducks, and the QUEEN's claws embed themselves in 
BROKEN TUSK's shoulder, destroying his automatic cannon.

EXT.  RYUSHI STATION - PLATFORM - PRE-DAWN

A VAST EXPLOSION rips through the base, broiling clouds of flame 
rolling across the platform and seeping into the drainage ducts. 

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - SEWER SYSTEM - PUMP CHAMBER

Columns of fire jet from fissures and openings inside the Pump Chamber, 
rippling across the adult QUEEN ALIEN and her hapless victims.  She 
begins to SCREAM, flailing around atop her metal throne... 

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - SEWER SYSTEM - CENTRAL RESERVOIR

The adult QUEEN's SHRIEK echoes through the reservoir, accompanied by a 
ball of fire that travels part of the way down.  The IMMATURE QUEEN 
turns her head in reply, answering with her own YOWL.

BROKEN TUSK HISSES with hate, and brings his 'smart weapon' SLICING 
down through her arm, severing it at the wrist.  HIROKO simultanesouly 
DRIVES her spear into the ALIEN's chest.  She grabs the injured 
PREDATOR and pulls him away from the thrashing creature.

HIROKO
Come on!  Come on!

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - SEWER SYSTEM - PUMP CHAMBER

The alien numbers on the PREDATOR self-destruct readout inexorably 
count down...

EXT.  RYUSHI STATION - PLATFORM - PRE-DAWN

The metal plug HIROKO blew during her earlier escape still lies to one 
side of the duct HIROKO and BROKEN TUSK crawl hastily out of.  
Fireballs are erupting all around now, making their situation 
precarious. 

EXT.  RYUSHI STATION - CRANE CATWALK - PRE-DAWN

From a vantage point high above, we see HIROKO and BROKEN TUSK racing 
across the platform towards the heli-jet pad. 

EXT.  RYUSHI STATION - PLATFORM - PRE-DAWN

BROKEN TUSK stumbles and falls.  HIROKO bends down to help him up, but 
the PREDATOR shoves her away.  He doesn't want her assistance.

HIROKO
If you don't move your ugly butt, we're gonna end up barbecued!  Come 
on!

EXT.  RYUSHI STATION - HELI-JET PAD - PRE-DAWN
 
HIROKO runs towards the waiting heli-jet, with the PREDATOR close 
behind. The landing pad is made up of an intricate series of grilles 
designed to deflect downward exhaust gases.  HIROKO's feet CLATTER 
across the metal...

KER-SMASH!  The metal is SMASHED from beneath, right in front of her.  
The IMMATURE ALIEN QUEEN has made is out of the sewer system and has 
got the jump on them.  HIROKO's forward momentum won't allow her to 
stop running...she's too close.  Almost at the last moment, she jumps.  
claws brush her trouser leg, but close on thin air.  She hits the deck 
and quickly closes the last few feet to the chopper.

BROKEN TUSK stops.  ALIENS are appearing all over the pad and out of 
nearby drainage ducts.

INT.  CHOPPER - PRE-DAWN

HIROKO slips into the chopper's pilot seat.  She flips a bunch of 
switches and the turbines RISE in VOLUME from a LOW WHINE to a DULL 
ROAR. 

EXT.  RYUSHI STATION - HELI-JET PAD - PRE-DAWN

An orange ball of flame mushrooms up behind BROKEN TUSK.  With the 
ALIENS blocking his path, there's no refuge for him. Almost.  The 
Navigation Tower looms overhead, nearby.  BROKEN TUSK takes a 
calculated risk and LEAPS for it.

INT.  CHOPPER - PRE-DAWN

The heli-jet flies pretty much like a standard helicopter.  HIROKO 
pulls-back on the collective, and the turbines' pitch changes from a 
THROATY GROWL to a HIGH-PITCHED WHINE.

EXT.  RYUSHI STATION - HELI-JET PAD - PRE-DAWN

The heli-jet rises, a little unsteadily.  The wash from the turbines 
plays across the SHRIEKING ALIENS.

INT.  CHOPPER - PRE-DAWN

HIROKO'S P.O.V.  Through the canopy dome, we see BROKEN TUSK climbing 
the Navigation Tower, with the ALIENS close behind.

HIROKO
Okay, Butch.  I can play cavalry, too...

EXT.  RYUSHI STATION - NAVIGATION TOWER - PRE-DAWN

BROKEN TUSK scales the ladder as quickly as he can.  As the top of the 
tower is a gallery catwalk surrounding the flashing beacon array.

The IMMATURE QUEEN, accompanied by a phalanx of warrior ALIENS, is 
almost upon him.  The PREDATOR drives his wrist knives into the throat 
of a grasping ALIEN, which falls downward, writhing.  It CRASHES into 
the QUEEN, who almost loses her grip on the skeletal metalwork.  She 
HISSES, lashing out at the creature.  Sends it hurtling to the ground.

EXT.  RYUSHI STATION - TOWER CATWALK - PRE-DAWN

BROKEN TUSK makes it to the top.  There's not much space on the catwalk 
to maneuver.  He looks around, then down.  This is his last stand. 
Instinctively, he reaches down to his wrist for the self-destruct 
computer. Of course, it's not there.

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - SEWER SYSTEM - PUMP CHAMBER

The third row of digits on the alien destruct mechanism disappear.  
Time's running out...fast.

EXT.  RYUSHI STATION - TOWER CATWALK - PRE-DAWN

BROKEN TUSK SMASHES his foot hard into the face of an ALIEN.  A BLAST 
of displaced air hits him like a sledgehammer.  He turns...

HIROKO's heli-jet hovers stationary just a few feet away from the 
tower, the door on the co-pilot's side flapping open.  She HOLLERS at 
the PREDATOR over the ROAR of the engines.

HIROKO
C'mon!  Jump!

BROKEN TUSK looks down.  It's a long drop...but it's the best option 
available to him.  He jumps.

THWACK!  His hands grip the door frame.  The heli-jet wobbles slightly, 
it's center of gravity shifting.  BROKEN TUSK hauls himself up and 
through the door as...

...KER-BLAM!  A massive explosion mushrooms up from the base as the 
storage tanks below ignite.  The shock wave buffets the chopper against 
the tower.

INT.  CHOPPER - PRE-DAWN

BROKEN TUSK's P.O.V.
The grinning face of the young QUEEN gets suddenly closer as the heli-
jet is propelled towards the metal structure.

EXT.  RYUSHI STATION - NAVIGATION TOWER - PRE-DAWN

CRUNCH!  The chopper hits, knocking several ALIENS from their 
handholds.  One of the QUEEN's arms SHOOTS OUT, wrapping itself around 
the port engine mount.

INT.  CHOPPER - PRE-DAWN

HIROKO pushes on the stick.  The heli-jet pulls away...then tilts 
violently to one side, engines desperately trying to compensate.

EXT.  RYUSHI STATION - PRE-DAWN

The QUEEN is hanging from the beleaguered craft, it's weight drawing it 
slowly down.  In the BACKGROUND, the Navigation Tower begins to slowly 
collapse.

INT.  CHOPPER - PRE-DAWN

HIROKO wrestles the overtaxed controls.

HIROKO
Shit!

BROKEN TUSK turns towards her.

HIROKO (CONT'D)
In the back!  In the back!

The PREDATOR may not understand her words, but he can follow the 
frantic jerking of her hand.  He twists around to look in the chopper's 
rear.

EXT.  RYUSHI STATION - PRE-DAWN

HIROKO pilots the heli-jet over the station's storage tanks.  The 
conflagration below has gotten completely out-of-hand.

EXT.  CHOPPER - PRE-DAWN

The QUEEN is starting to struggle up, it's arms flailing for purchase.

INT.  CHOPPER - PRE-DAWN

BROKEN TUSK pulls out a pulse-rifle from the rear.  He quickly takes 
stock of it.

HIROKO
Watch your shots!  If you hit the engine you'll blow us both to hell!

BROKEN TUSK goes for the trigger.  His index finger won't slide into 
the trigger guard...it's too big!  He takes the guard in both hands and 
exerts pressure.  SNAP.  Problem solved.

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - SEWER SYSTEM - PUMP CHAMBER

BLEEP!  There's only one set of digits left on the destruct device's 
display counter.

EXT.  CHOPPER - PRE-DAWN

A red dot of light runs across the QUEEN's head.  She must sense it 
somehow. Her head comes round to bear...

BROKEN TUSK's got the pulse-rifle trained right on her.

BROKEN TUSK
Chew...on...this...!

BLAM!  A round open a nice, neat hole in the QUEEN's head.  She YOWLS.  
BLAM! A second round does the job.  The QUEEN relinquishes her grip and 
falls, SCREECHING all the way down into the raging inferno below.

INT.  RYUSHI STATION - SEWER SYSTEM - PUMP CHAMBER

The last segment of the destruct mechanism's display disappears.  We 
hear a

HIGH-PITCHED TONE.

INT.  CHOPPER - PRE-DAWN

HIROKO throws the joystick forward.

EXT.  RYUSHI STATION - PRE-DAWN

The heli-jet accelerates hell-for-leather away.  An incandescent BALL 
OF ENERGY expands outward, vaporising the station and most of the 
surrounding bayou for about a mile's radius.

EXT.  LINSON'S RANGE - ENCAMPMENT - PRE-DAWN

Big Bertha's parked by the blinking blue beacon tower, site of the ill-
fated hunting expedition.  About a dozen or so people are milling 
around, smoking cigarettes or talking.

MATT and DE VRIES are leaning against the wheels of MATT's crawler.  
They feel the concussive shock-wave, and look upward.

Their P.O.V. 
Above the treetops, a blinding white-light BLURS OUT the horizon...

MATT
Holy shit!

INT.  CHOPPER - PRE-DAWN

Gauges and other instruments are going crazy as the heli-jet rides the 
turbulence out.

EXT.  CHOPPER - PRE-DAWN

A chunk of metal is propelled through the air and RIPS into the 
chopper's starboard engine.  There's a BURST of flame, then the 
extinguishers cut in.

INT.  CHOPPER - PRE-DAWN

The heli-jet's bucking like a bronco now, and they're losing height 
rapidly.

HIROKO
We've lost the starboard engine!  We're going down!  Hold on!

EXT.  CHOPPER - PRE-DAWN

The chopper clips the tree boughs, and bounces.

INT.  CHOPPER - PRE-DAWN

HIROKO and BROKEN TUSK are hurled around the cockpit like rag dolls.  
The glass cracks with the impact.

HIROKO'S P.O.V.  
Leaves, twigs, and branches rush past as the heli-jet breaks through 
the canopy of foliage.

EXT.  SWAMP - PRE-DAWN

The heli-jet PLOUGHS into the swamp floor with a sickening CRUNCH, 
spraying mud all around.

INT.  CHOPPER - PRE-DAWN

The canopy implodes.  A hail of glass shards RIP through the cockpit, 
spraying across HIROKO and cutting her skin.  She SCREAMS.

EXT.  SWAMP - PRE-DAWN

The chopper comes to rest in the swamp.  The SQUAWKING of the local 
WILDLIFE O.S. gradually dies down.

INT.  CHOPPER - PRE-DAWN

HIROKO moves her head, and GROANS.  There's a nasty gash across her 
forehead. She turns to BROKEN TUSK.  The door frame on his side is 
buckled and twisted. Part of the metal has sheared off, it's sharp end 
impaling him through the shoulder.  The PREDATOR coughs luminous green 
blood.

HIROKO
We've gotta get you out of here.

EXT.  SWAMP - DAWN

The sun begins to rise as HIROKO exits the heli-jet and goes around to 
the other side.  She manages to get the mangled door open.  BROKEN 
TUSK's wound looks even worse up-close.

HIROKO (CONT'D)
Hold on.  This is gonna hurt some.

HIROKO gets her arm under BROKEN TUSK's shoulder.  The PREDATOR braces 
himself, and starts to move.  The agony is excruciating; his mandibles 
open and he lets out a LEONINE ROAR.

HIROKO helps him out of the seat.  The PREDATOR gets unsteadily to his 
feet. What happens next is totally unexpected.

BROKEN TUSK's throat BURSTS, fountaining green blood.  Shocked, HIROKO 
gets out of the path of the PREDATOR's tumbling mass.  She looks up.

The ALIEN stowaway on the roof of the chopper retracts it's 
sledgehammer tongue, it's head following her movements.

The PREDATOR's 'smart' weapon has dropped to the floor and is laying 
blade-down in the mire.  HIROKO scoops up, activating it and scrambling 
away.  She gets to her feet and holds the HUMMING disc before her.

The ALIEN climbs warily down from the heli-jet, and the two opponents 
face each other like sumo wrestlers.  HIROKO assumes a defensive 
stance, holding the disc ready to strike.  The ALIEN hisses, it's tail 
stinger coming around. It leaps for her, and battle is joined.  The 
ALIEN lashes out, but HIROKO counters by swinging the weapon time and 
time again.  With each thrust, surgically thin wounds open up on the 
biomechanoid's body.  One of the ALIEN's attacks sends her reeling to 
the floor, it's stinger arching towards her.  She parries, slicing the 
tail in half and struggling to her feet.

The ALIEN strikes again.  HIROKO feints, then thrusts, lopping off one 
of it's hands.  The ALIEN HOWLS with pain, blinding lashing out at her 
and sending the 'smart' weapon flying from her grip.

She's lost, and the creature knows it.  It's lips curl into a SNARL.

KER-POW!  KER-POW!  The ALIEN's head DETONATES, and it's skeletal body 
slumps forward to SPLASH into the swamp...revealing BROKEN TUSK 
pointing the pulse
rifle.

The dying PREDATOR GURGLES, his head drooping.  HIROKO stumbles across 
to him.  BROKEN TUSK's in a bad way, green gore is pulsing freely from 
it's throat.  It gazes up at HIROKO.

BROKEN TUSK
Not...a pretty...sight...

And with that, the PREDATOR dies.

HIROKO look around.  The sun is rising above the treetops, and the 
setting is serene.  Somehow beautiful.

The speakers in the heli-jet cabin CRACKLE to life, jarring her.

VOICE   (O.S., on speakers)
Rimward Tracking Station, this is the one thirty-second Rim Corp 
Battalion operating out of the cruiser Tartarus from Fort Powell.  
Please respond.  Over.

There's a sound O.S., like a THUNDERCLAP.  HIROKO surveys the horizon.

HIROKO's P.O.V.  
A pair of MARINE DROPSHIPS float above the distant rainforest, their 
weapons arms unfurled like exotic armed insects. Searchlights probe the 
ground far below.

A shadow falls over HIROKO, blocking out the sun.  A monstrous SHAPE 
occupies the air above, delineated only by a telltale vibration.  The 
PREDATOR shuttlecraft lowers it's cloaking device, extending landing 
gear and a ramp. It touches down in the bayou with scarcely a whisper.

HIROKO watches the PREDATORS file slowly out.  BROKEN TUSK's body is 
borne aloft and carried back inside.  The LEAD PREDATOR turns to 
HIROKO.  He crosses to her.  HIROKO's face is reflected in the faceted 
eyepieces of the PREDATOR's helmet.

The extraterrestrial hunter pulls out his telescopic spear.  KER-CHUNK!  
The tips lock into place.  The PREDATOR offers it to HIROKO.  She 
accepts, a little confused.

There's a long moment.  The PREDATOR is still standing there.  Waiting. 
HIROKO's eyes narrow.  Her mind is working furiously.  What do they 
want?

She realises.  It suddenly becomes clear.  She smiles.

HIROKO
Yeah.  Why not.

HIROKO glances back at the hovering DROPSHIPS, then walks around the 
waiting PREDATOR and into the shuttlecraft without looking back.

The PREDATOR follows her.  The ramp SLAMS closed, as we...

CUT TO BLACK
THE END

Back to IMSDb