BRECKINRIDGE Sir, yes, sir. It's my arm. I think it's broken, sir. ZIM MEDIC ! A MEDIC charges up, checks Breckinridge's arm, grins. MEDIC Clean break... Doc'll have him back on active duty by tomorrow. ZIM Good. Who's next ? Shujumi steps up, assumes a fighting stance. Zim looks him over. There's not not much to him. Shujumi attacks Zim, counters his counter, dances out of range. DJANA'D Lookit the little guy go ! Now Zim attacks. Shujumi flip kicks Zim in the head. JOHNNY He's good alright. KATRINA I'll bet he makes squad leader. ACE He'll have to get past me. The recruits check Ace out. Zim sweeps Shujumi's legs, puts a knee in the little man's throat. Shujumi passes out. ZIM MEDIC ! 51 EXT OBSTACLE COURSE - DAY - THE RECRUITES tumble a brutal obstacle course using JUMP BOOTS. ZIM (V.O.) Some of you may not īmake it. Djana'd hits a tower and falls to the deck hard, dropping her rifle. She holds her knee, hurt. Zim races over to her. ZIM WHY IS THAT WEAPON ON THE GROUND ? YOUR WEAPON IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN YOU ARE ! PICK IT UP ! PICK IT UP ! Zim begins to kick her because she doesn't move fast enough. ZIM (V.O.) You might think I am unfair. 52 EXT ZERO GRAVITY COMBAT - DAY - THE RECRUITES watch poor Kitten Smith spar with Zim. Kitten Smith whacks Zim across the jaw. Zim doesn't even flinch. ZIM Is that all you got ? You hit like kitten, Smith ! This is a punch. WHAM ! Zim knocks Kitten Smith for a loop. ZIM (V.O.) You will not like me. 53 INT HYPERPHYSICAL TRAINING ENVIRONMENTS - DAY - ZIM watches the recruits face simulated 3-D OFF-WORLD FOES. In one room, CYCLOPS SOLDIERS of Antilles, in another, red DEATH WALKERS, and in a third, screeching ARACHNID WARRIORS. ZIM (V.O.) But if you survive you will thank me because you will be born again hard. You will be a new person. You will be a Cap Trooper. And then, MAYBE, you'll be good enough... 54 EXT COMBAT KNIFE PRACTICE - DAY - ZIM throws a knife, buries the point in a narrow post. ZIM (V.O.) ...to serve in my family. ACE Sir, I don't understands who needs a knife in a nuke fight anyway... All you gotta do is push a button, sir ! Zim yanks the knife out of the post. ZIM Put your hand on the post, private. Ace obeys. Zim throws, sticks his hand to the post. ACE AWK ! ZIM The enemy cannot push a button if you disable his hand. MEDIC ! Zim pays no attention to Ace who remains stuck to the post. A recruit trots up. Johnny stares, surprised. It's Dizzy. DIZZY Sir, recruit Flores, reporting for duty , sir. She snaps Zim a salute and hands him her orders. ZIM I see you specifically requested transfer from Fort Cronkite to this training group... Dizzy grins self-consciously at Johnny. DIZZY Sir, I heard it was the best, sir ! ZIM It is the best... BUT WHAT MAKES YOU THINK YOU'RE GOOD ENOUGH ? ON YOUR BELLY AND GIVE ME FIFTY, RECRUIT ! Dizzy hits the deck and starts doing push-ups, counting off as MEDICS arrive and go to work on Ace's hand. 55 INT MESS HALL - DAY - THE RECRUITES line up for mess piled four-square together on a single plate, meat on the bottom, ice cream on top. ACE I'd like to disable Zim...! KATRINA Improper Attitude ! They'll kick you out for talking like that... DJANA'D They can kick you out for anything. Improper Conduct, Unsatisfactory Performance... KITTEN SMITH Off you go down Washout Lane, bye-bye ! Ace cuts into the front off the mess line. ACE Aw, you either got what it takes or you don't. DJANA'D C'mon Ace, wait your turn ! ACE At ease, soldier. It's all the same muck. JOHNNY Better get in line like everyone else, Ace. Silence. There could be a fight. Zim, standing nearby, watches with interest. Ace opens his hand. ACE You got some guts for a rich kid. I guess you and me could be buddies. JOHNNY What an honor... ACE Hey, don't laugh. Everyone oughta have a friend like me ! Ace makes a big friendly show of trading places with Johnny. BRECKINRIDGE Come on, Ace, back off the line ! Bacl off the line ! Now everyone's laughing, pushing Ace to the back of the line. Johnny has his grub. Dizzy comes up with her tray. DIZZY Hey, amigo, come chow with me. JOHNNY No thanks, Diz. DIZZY What's your malfunction, Rico ? JOHNNY You are. I joined up to get out on my own. And you had to tag along. DIZZY What ? You think I joined the Mobile Infantery because of you ? JOHNNY You saying you didn't ? Johnny turns away. Dizzy watches him go, hurt. 56 EXT OBSTACLE COURSE - DAY - THE RECRUITS tumble down the difficult course in their power suits. At the head of the pack , breathing hard, Johnny and Ace race. ACE What makes you think... you'll make... squad leader, Rico ? JOHNNY Something... I've got...you don't. ACE You rich kids... are all the same ! JOHNNY It isn't about rich... It's about who's best...! They come to a trap, prepare to leap. DIZZY Coming through ! Dizzy jumps over them from behind. Johnny and Ace tumble into the mud. They watch, chagrined, as Dizzy reaches the end of the course effortlessly. ZIM C'mon, move it, you apes ! 57 INT SHOWERS - NIGHT - DIZZY enters as the recruits scrub down. KITTEN SMITH We all have one thing in common. We were all stupid enough to sign up for Mobile Infanterie. What's your excuse, Breckinridge ? BRECKINRIDGE Well, my family is all farmers. I hate farming. Mobile Infantery's pure picnic by comparison. KITTEN SMITH So the grow 'em big and dumb on the farm planet, eh ? Djana'd ? DJANA'D I'm going in for politics. You gotta be a citizen for that. So here I am. KITTEN SMITH C'mon, keep it going... Katrina ! KATRINA I wanna be a mom. It's easier to get a licence if you've served. ACE I'm going career... officer's training. That's why I wanna be squad leader. They look for that. JOHNNY Wanting it doesn't make you the best one for the job. ACE Oh, yeah ? I don't see anyone else here with the chops to lead. JOHNNY Well, maybe you better look again. SHUJUMI Federation's gonna give me a scholarship when my hitch is up. I wanna be a neurologist, study brain chemisty and associated stimulus... Dizzy dresses down. Johnny and all the other guys check her out. She has a fabulous body. Dizzy cathes Johnny looking. He turns his back as she steps into the shower next to him. KITTEN SMITH Your turn, Rico ! JOHNNY Aw, who asked you to be so nosey ? KITTEN SMITH Me, I got plans to be writer, and a writer's got a right to be nosey. Flores, you know Rico from Buenos Aires... What's his story ? Dizzy uses her hand to divert the shower spray towards Johnny's crotch. DIZZY Well, some say he turned his back on the family fortune to be a citizen, others say he did it for a girl... missed a spot there, bucko... which is funny because Johnny says I joined up to be with him, but why would I do that ? He doesn't even like me. BRECKINRIDGE Don't look that way to me. Everyone look down at Johnny's crotch, laughing. Johnny blushes, grabs a towel and exits the shower. 58 INT BARRACKS - NIGHT - INTO CAMERA - JOHNNY pans the barracks with a little handcam, neat bunks in a row, other recruits lounging around in their skivvies. JOHNNY I know it's not much, but it's home. Over there's my bunk where I dream about you every night... Ace, Kitten Smith, Shujumi and Breckinridge dance around and moon the camera. JOHNNY Hey, do you mind ? Johnny moves the camera away from the guys. Katrina walks by from the shower with Dizzy, mugs into frame. KATRINA Hey, what's going on ? DIZZY I bet it's that girl I was talking about... Her name's Carmen, I think. ACE AND THE OTHERS Carmen ! Ooh la la, Carmencita ! KATRINA Hi, Carmen ! Johnny heads for the door. ACE AND THE OTHERS Hey, where you going ? Come back...! He's getting awy... Grab him...! The picture goes all screwy, comes up again on: 59 EXT BARRACKS - NIGHT - INTO CAMERA - JOHNNY talk quietly now outside the barracks door. JOHNNY Boot's pretty tough, and sometimes I think I won't make it, but then I imagine you're watching me, and that gives me someting... I try harder. Thanks to you, I think I might have a shot at squad leader. The barracks lights go out. Taps plays over the public address. Johnny lowers his voice. JOHNNY Uh-oh, I gotta pack it in. I hope you're having fun, hope you're careful. No training accidents for you, eh ? (leaning into camera) I want to kiss you so badly. I want to feel you next to me, I- Behind him , someone begins to sing , badly. ACE I love you truly, so truly, dear...! Ace, the singer, and the other guys peer down from the transom over the door, giggling, delighted with themselves. PULLBACK TO REVEAL: 60 INT TERESHKOVA FLIGHT ACADEMY - DAY - CARMEN watches the end of Johnny's letter. Ace continues to sing. ACE Our love will grow, dear, year by year... JOHNNY Bye ! Write me ! I'm gonna kill you guys ! The letter ends. Carmen smiles. A BALD CADET PILOT smacks her on the arm as she runs by in a sleek blue pressure suit. BALD CADET Orbit in five, Ibanez ! First one there gets to fly ! Grinning, Carmen grabs her duffel, takes off after her. 61 INT BOARDING CORRIDOR - DAY - CARMEN and the bald cadet race for the hatch past other recruits. 62 INT BOAT - DAY CYCLE-CARMEN gets there first, jumps into the pilot seat. The Bald Pilot takes second seat. CARMEN Looking it down ! Two LATE CADETS duck in through the closing hatch door. LATE CADET Oh no, not Ibanez again, she's crazy ! CARMEN On my mark, in three, two, one... 63 EXT LUNAR ORBIT - THE BOAT straeks upward from the lunar floor past orbitting training platforms where CADETS in brightly colored pressure suits float against the Earth which hangs beyond the horizon. CARMEN (O.S.) ...GO ! 64 INT BOAT - LUNAR ORBIT - CARMEN blasts past a DESTROYER orbiting in dock, zips between CORVETTES and other slower fleet traffic in the crowded space lanes of Luna. The two late cadets are terrified. BALD CADET Geez, I thought I liked to fly fast ! CARMEN This is nothing. Today, I get to fly that ! She points. Now visible from behind a host of smaller ships, STARSHIP ATHENA, of older design, but impressive. 65 INT ATHENA - COMMAND AND CONTROL - DAY CYCLE - CARMEN arrives on the bridge, dark, cramped, all-business. She salutes the instructor, CAPTAIN DELADIER, 40s. CARMEN Pilot Trainee Ibanez reporting for duty, ma'am. DELADIER Take the number one chair, Ibanez. Follow all instructions of you supervisor. CARMEN Yes, ma'am ! Carmen turns for her station, but stops in her tracks. Her supervisor is Zander Barcalow, now a 2nd Lieutenant. CARMEN Hey ! What are you doing here ? ZANDER I'm the guy who's gonna teach you to fly this crate. Carmen logs on. The ship recognizes her as a pilot trainee. CARMEN Assistant insructor... You must be some kind of a hot stick. Should I call you "sir" ? ZANDER Only when I give you an order. DELADIER Prepare for departure. Carmen and Zander go to work. CARMEN It's amazing, us running into each other like this. Maybe it's fate. ZANDER Maybe not. I heard about this crazy girl coming through the academy, solid math, a little wild on the stick, but a natural. When it turned out it was you, I made sure we'd run into each other... DELADIER Alright, take her out, Ibanez. CARMEN Yes, ma'am. All eyes are on carmen as she grabs the stick. The ship shudders under her hand. She winks at Zander. CARMEN In simulation, my supervisors could never keep up. ZANDER This isn't simulation anymore. Take'er out easy, cadet. CARMEN Oh, yes, sir. Vector ? ZANDER Twenty-five by five, roll seven. And don't exceed port speed. Carmen rocks the stick, and the view from the bridge spins smoothly away from the dense orbiting yards os Luna toward the outer system. CARMEN Or...? ZANDER They revoke our flight status. CARMEN Oh, I see... teamwork. Carmen jogs past lumbering freighters. Zander's impressed. DELADIER Steady as she goes, number one. Prepare for warp. Number two, design for Jupiter orbit. ZANDER Yes, ma'am. Star drive in three... two... one... Space appears to bend. Zander and Carmen share a smile. They blur together, becoming one, then: WHAM ! 66 EXT LUNA - STARSHIP ATHENA disappears in a flash of blinding light. 67 EXT WAR GAMES COURSE - DAY - THE RECRUITS have been divided into two teams. RED TEAM includes Ace, Katrina, Breckinridge, and Djana'd. Johnny, Shujumi, Kitten Smith, and Dizzy are part of BLUE TEAM. ZIM The object of this exercise is to capture your enemy's flag before your enemy captures yours. Bronski passes out Morita SmartRifles. ZIM These weapons have been modified for this exercise. If your enemy hits you, your suit will fail. You will be unable to move. You will be as good as dead. 68 EXT WAR GAMES COURSE - LATER - DJANA'D bumps the magnification of her heads up display to survey Blue Team's flag guarded by two recruits. She jumps down to joining other Red Team members on the move. DJANA'D It's right over the next ridge... Only two guards. Johnny, Kitten Smith, and Dizzy open fire from athicket as they pass. Djana'd and the others collapse as their suits fail, Djana'd laughing because playing at war seems funny. KITTEN SMITH You are now prisoners of the Blue Team. Tell us your plans or die ! DJANA'D Oh no ! Name, rank, and mind your own business is all you get from me ! 69 EXT RED TEAM FLAG - DAY - RED TEAM opens fire as the Blue Team appears. Shujumi and other Blue Team members go down in an ambush led by Breckinridge. Johnny dives for cover, and finds himself sharing it with Dizzy. KITTEN SMITH I'm going in ! Let's go ! Kitten Smith makes arun for the flag with a rifle team. Ace and Katrina open fire from two new hidden Red Team positions, taking Kitten and his team down with a cross fire. JOHNNY Man, they're defended... no way in. DIZZY Flip six, three hole. JOHNNY What ? DIZZY High school... remember ? Run a flip six, three hole play, and you might score... Johnny looks at the course in a new way, nods. JOHNNY Cover me. DIZZY You got it. Johnny tumbles open ground, vaults into the air. Dizzy takes out Breckinridge as he rises to fire. Johnny lands, knocks out Katrina, then Ace. He picks up Ace's fallen Morita. JOHNNY Thanks, pal. 70 EXT OBSERVATION TOWER - DAY - ZIM AND CORPORAL BRONSKI watch Johnny firing both Moritas simultanously and taking out the remaining Red Team defenders. He grabs the Red Team flag and hurls it into the air like spear. ZIM Kid's got some moves... 71 INT AIRBORNE SKIMMER - DAY - THE RECRUITS line up in the door of a SKIMMER, the military's standard utility aircraft, to practice drops from altitude. ZIM Smith, GO ! McIntire, GO ! Flores, GO ! Rico, I'm making you sqaud leader ! JOHNNY Sir, thank you, sir ! ZIM Don't stand there dumb... GO ! Johnny jumps, plummeting toward the earth. JOHNNY YEEEE-Haaaaaaaaaaaaa...! Next in line, Ace scowls. 72 INT BARRACKS - NIGHT - THE RECRUITS have some free time. Johnny makes a big show of polishing the chevrons that designate him as Squad Leader. KITTEN SMITH Look at him. Do you think anyone has ever been so pleased with himself ? ACE Zim hadda choose someone to be his brown nose, I guess. JOHNNY I just want you guys to know that I'll never do anything that I haven't asked you to do first. Johnny approaches Dizzy. JOHNNY Couldn't've done it without you, Diz. Friends ? Dizzy smiles, shakes. DIZZY Yeah, sure... friends. Bronski walks through with the mail. BRONSKI Levy... Shujumi... Rico. Johnny grabs the E-disk, pops it into his handcam. The Fleet Mail logo appears: APPROVED MESSAGE JOHNNY Bet it's from my girl. Johnny's pals gather for a look. Carmen appears, dressed down to skivvies, in her quarters aboard starship Athena. CARMEN Hi, Johnny, I would've written sooner, but they've really got us going every moment here. ACE Yeow, Rico, you don't deserve that ! JOHNNY Shhhh...! CARMEN I'm glad you're doing so well. If they haven't made you squad leader by now, I'm sure you will. Johnny holds up his squad leader chevrons victoriously. JOHNNY All it takes is the love of a good woman... The image changes abrupltly. Now Carmen's wearing a trim blue flight suit. She stands the camera on Athena's gunnery deck. Outside , the rings of Saturn sparkle in bright solar light. CARMEN Look at that. Isn't it beautiful ? I had to show you. It's great to be out here on my own. I'm just not some little girl from Buenos Aires anymore. I'm gonna be a starship pilot, and I'm gonna see the universe... (she sighs) And that's also the problem because I don't really want to get married, Johnny. I don't want to have kids. I want a command, a ship of my own, and you know, I don't think that's gonna leave a lot of room for you and me. Johnny is stunned. All the other recruits suddenly seem to have something else to do. CARMEN I know that's not what you wanted to hear... but I have to follow my heart. I'm sorry. I'm afraid you'll hate me, and I couldn't stand that. Write me, alright ? Write me, so I'll know that we'll always be friends. The Fleet Mail logo appears again: END OF MESSAGE. Johnny shuts the handcam off. Ace puts a hand on his shoulder. ACE Funny how they always want to be your friends after they kick your guts out. JOHNNY It's what I deserve. ACE Whad'ya talkin about ? JOHNNY I joined up for her. I wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for her. I'm a fool. ACE You made squad leader on your own, and, hey, you still got me to kick around. Johnny smiles in spite of himself. JOHNNY Thanks, Ace. Johnny turns for the door, flipping the chevrons like a coin. Dizzy watches him leave. She'd so like to comfort him. 73 EXT LIVE FIRE COMBAT RANGE - DAY - THE RECRUITS arm their Marauder power suits. Zim and Bronski wear Command model suits with rank designations. Johnny checks weapons, scans the electronics on each squad member's power suit. ZIM With the Marauder's visual capabilities, all you have to do is look at something to hit it, so you will exercise EXTREME CARE on my firing line. Do you get me ? RECRUITS Sir, yes, sir ! ZIM The live firing combat range is the closest simulation of actual combat we can provide. If you do not hit your target, it will shoot you... Fifty blackened AUTOMATED TARGET DRONES fitted with pulse guns are presently visible along a gauntlet of low walls, gullies, and three-story building facades. ZIM The Marauder power suit will prevent serious injury, but if you are hit, you will be non-operational and your team score will suffer accordingly. Rico, has each member of your squad completed a weapons safety check ? JOHNNY Sir, yes, sir ! On a signal from Zim, the Live Fire Combat Range comes to life as the target drones take cover and disappear from view. ZIM Perfect score for this exercise is 300. B company came through last week with 285. I expect you to do better. 74 EXT LIVE FIRE COMBAT RANGE - DAY - THE RECRUITS take out the target drones as they appear. Halfway through the course, a recruit takes a hit and goes down, immobilized. Djana'd has a clear shot, but Breckinridge gets in her way. DJANA'D You're in my line of fire, Breckinridge Before the others can react, a second drone appears. JOHNNY CROSSFIRE ! EVERYBODY DOWN ! Everyone kisses dirt. Pulses from the two drones fly thick overhead. Shujumi rises to fire, a round slams him back to the ground. Johnny and Djana'd knock out the two drones. JOHNNY Alright, no more screw ups. Ace takes point. Diz, you and Kitten Smith cover the flanks. Djana'd, you're rear guard. Move out. The squad resumes ist advance. Breckinridge bangs on his helmet. There is something wrong with his "head up" display. JOHNNY What's the problem ? BRECKINRIDGE Dunno. Display's fritzed. DJANA'D Lose another rifle, we're gonna mess up our score... JOHNNY Let me see. Breckinridge takes off helmet, hands it to Johnny. Djana'd turns on Breckinridge. Her "head up" zeroes him. DJANA'D How come when something goes wrong, it's always you, Breckinridge ?