That's when Djana'd trips on a loose stone. She fumbles her rifle and
it discharges. The round tears the top of Breckinridge's head off.
The recruits stare in horror.
JOHNNY
Oh, God... uh... MEDIC !
Zim arrives with Bronski on the bounce.
ZIM
Rico, you are relieved of squad command.
Levy, McIntire you will escort private Rico
to the C.O.'s Office.
The recruits watch Johnny leave, stare aghast at their dead comrade.
No one looks at Djana'd, who stands alone sobbing.
75 INT C.O.'S OFFICE - DAY - JOHNNY
stands before the C.O. braced by Katrina and Ace. Zim and the C.O. are
both saddened by the proceedings.
C.O.
Rico, did you give the recruit permission
to remove his helmet ?
JOHNNY
Sir, yes, sir. Breckinridge reported a
helmet malfunction, and I asked him
to show it to me, sir.
C.O.
Are you rated to repair a Marauder
power suit, Rico ?
JOHNNY
Sir, no, sir.
C.O.
Then why did you order your man to
remove his helmet during a live fire
exercise ?
JOHNNY
Sir, I needed everyone in my squad
operational, sir... I... I wanted to win,
sir.
C.O:
(sigh)
You disobeyed safety regulation 21-404.
You may, of course, demand trial by
court martial.
JOHNNY
Sir, no, sir !
C.O.
Do you freely admit to the charges
made against you ?
JOHNNY
Sir... I guess I do, sir.
Zim looks out the window. Djana'd, dressed for travel, in civilian clothes,
crying as she heads off down Washout Lane.
C.O.
Sergeant, we've lost two recruits
over this incident already...
is there any possibility of salvaging
this man ?
Zim
I believe so, sir.
C.O.
Alright. We'll try administrative
punishment. Until then you are
confined to your quarters, Rico.
76 INT BARRACKS - SUNSET - JOHNNY
looks out the window to the parade ground where a POST has been
erected. The recruits look up as Zim enters.
ZIM
Alright, let's go, Rico.
Johnny takes off his shirt. Ace who now holds the chevrons of squad
leader, watches, feels bad for his pal.
77 EXT PARADE GROUND - SUNSET - THE RECRUITS
stand with recruits from other platoons. Johnny is led to the post and
strung up as the C.O. reads the charge.
C.O.
For incompetence of command, for
failure to abide by safety regulations
in a live fire exercise, for negligence
which contributed to the death of a
teammate...
Zim steps up to Johnny, offers him a red rubber mouthpiece.
ZIM
Bite on this. It helps. I know.
C.O.
... recruit trainee John Rico is sentenced
to administrative punishment. Ten lashes.
Johnny takes it in his mouth. His tear away shirt is torn away. Johnny
stands at the post alone. Corporal Bronski, a big man with an unhappy
task, unrolls his whip.
C.O.
You may carry out the sentence.
BRONSKI
One.
CRACK ! Johnny's face wrenched by pain, spontanous tears, a terrible
sound stifled by the bright red mouthpiece.
BRONSKI
Two.
CRACK ! Again. Dizzy flinches for Johnny.
BRONSKI
Three.
CRACK ! Ace looks away.
BRONSKI
Four.
CRACK ! Zim watches without any apparent emotion.
BRONSKI
Five.
CRACK ! Johnny faints, sagging against his tether.
FADE OUT
78 EXT OUTER SYSTEM - STARSHIP ATHENA
cruises past, 600,000 metric tons of star class destroyer, FIGHTERS
and LANDING BOATS lining her open hangar deck.
79 INT ATHENA - COMMAND AND CONTROL - NIGHT CYCLE - CARMEN
works alone on the empty bridge. She yawns. Zander brings coffee for himself
and Carmen.
CARMEN
Thanks. You read my mind. Third watch
always seems to last forever.
ZANDER
Oh, I don't know... Depends on who you
are spending it with.
He caresses her hair. She kisses his hand. Zander notices the plot map.
ZANDER
Profile's wrong... there.
CARMEN
No, I replotted the course. It's more
efficient this way.
ZANDER
Three weeks aboard a starship and you
know it all, huh ?
CARMEN
Hey, check it.
Zander slides into his chair, runs a check.
ZANDER
You know I was talking to Captain,
Deladier, and she said...
CARMEN
Don't change the subject. Am I right ?
ZANDER
Well, whad'ya know...
CARMEN
Don't mess with the boss. So what'd
the captain say ?
ZANDER
She got a command... and she thinks we
oughta team up officially and crew for her.
She thinks we're good together.
CARMEN
You and me, huh ?
Zander turns his chair so they are very close, moves a finger along
her hand, up her arm and playfully around her breasts.
ZANDER
I have a feeling about us. We're good
together, way ahead of the curve in
every department. I seem to be able to
anticipate your needs.
You know what I want...
Carmen grabs him between his legs.
CARMEN
No, what do you want ?
Zander pulls her to him and they kiss passionately. She brteaks it off,
gets serious for amoment.
CARMEN
I want to be part of the best flight team
in the Fleet...
ZANDER
Me, too... Day and Night-Cycle.
They start to caress again when suddenly ALARMS sound. Captain
Deladier appears on the hot screen, still waking up.
DELADIER
Report.
ZANDER
Captain, we are in the path of an unidentified
object moving at near light speed...
Carmen and Zander frantically check their displays.
CARMEN
WHERE IS IT ?
ZANDER
THERE ! GRAVITY FIELD... IT'S BIG !
CARMEN
It looks like an... asteroid.
DELADIER
In this part of the system ?
Carmen and Zander see it through the front screens: A huge
ASTEROID tumbles directly towards them at terrific speed.
ZANDER
Sweet Jesus...!
Carmen breaks glass that reads EMERGENCY RETROS, arms the switch
within and fires the rockets.
80 EXT OUTER SYSTEM - STARSHIP ATHENA
torques to one side. The asteroid grazes the ship, cutting ahuge gash
in Athena's hull. Ice and rock travelling in ist wake shreds
COMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT.
81 INT COMMAND AND CONTROL - NIGHT CYCLE - CARMEN AND
Zander brace themseves as diamond hard particles pound the front screens.
The ship continues to tumble.
82 EXT ATHENA - FLIGHT DECK - A FIGHTER
loses it's mooring, tumbling into other craft, explosions ripping the deck.
83 INT ATHENA -VARIOUS - NIGHT CYCLE - CREWMEN
are sucked into space. Others hang on frantically as automatic doors
seal Athena's wound and their fates.
84 INT COMMAND AND CONTROL - NIGHT CYCLE - CAPTAIN
Deladier arrives on the bridge, now crowded as other FLIGHT OFFICERS
rush to their stations. Zander's going through star charts.
DELADIER
Where'd it come from ?
ZANDER
Trajectory indicates it came out of
the Arachnid Quarantine Zone.
DELADIER
Number 4, contact Fleet and tell 'em
there's a loose asteroid headed their way.
COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER
Communications are down, ma'am.
DELADIER
Engineering. Damage assessment.
ENGINEERING OFFICER
Hull's compromised.
We're lucky to be alive, ma'am.
Deladier notices Carmen staring at a monitor, stunned. A DEAD
CAP TROOPER trails in the wreckage of the flight deck.
DELADIER
Good work, Number 1. You'll do.
CARMEN
Thank you, ma'am.
85 INT BARRACK'S - DAY - JOHNNY
wears his civilian clothes, pcks as the other recruits get ready for the
day's training. No one says anything. He moves stiffly, careful of his
back.
DIZZY
It stinks, you goin.
JOHNNY
I don't stay where I'm not wanted.
DIZZY
If they didn't want you, they woulda
kicked you out, amigo.
JOHNNY
Hey, they humiliated me in front of
everyone ! I'm just supposed to take
it, huh ? Well, I'm not gonna, and I
guess that proves I just can't cut it.
Corporal Bronski leans in, impassive.
BRONSKI
Your call's going through, Rico.
Take it there.
A nearby VU-PHONE lights up. The screen flashes: RINGING
His mother appears when she picks up the other end.
MOTHER
Hello... Oh, Johnny...!
JOHNNY
Hi, mom.
MOTHER
Bill... pick up... it's Johnny ! You
little rat. You haven't called, you
haven't written. It's been so lonely
here without you...
The screen splits as Johnny's father activates an extension.
FATHER
Johnny ! Where's your uniform...?
Johnny's mother makes a face to shut him up.
FATHER
Well, it's just good to hear from you.
What's up, son ?
JOHNNY
It's not really working out for me here,
dad. I was thinking... I was hoping it
would be alright if I came home.
MOTHER
Well, of course you should come home
immedietly !
JOHNNY
I've made a mess of things. I've been
so stupid...
FATHER
Don't talk like that. Get yourself home
as fast as you can.
MOTHER
We'll all have dinner. I'll fix your favorite.
FATHER
Yeah ! We'll talk it out and have a good
glass of wine ... and... well, we love you,
son.
The sky in Buenos Aires seems to darken perceptively. Johnny's
mother looks out the window.
MOTHER
Oh, my, what's that ?
FATHER
Looks like rain.
MOTHER
This time of the year...?
The transmission ends abruptly. A phone company logo appears:
TRANSMISSION TERMINATED.
VU-PHONE VOICE
Your transmission has been terminated due
to atmospheric interference. Please try your
call again later.
Johnny zips his duffel, hefts it gingerly over his shoulder.
JOHNNY
Well, see ya.
DIZZY
You take the stroll down Washout Lane,
you're only proving one thing, Johnny.
JOHNNY
What's that, Diz ?
DIZZY
That you don't have what it takes
to be acitizen !
Dizzy turns on her heel and marches away.
86 INT THE C.O.'S OFFICE - DAY - JOHNNY
signs form 1240/A. Zim stands as witness.
C.O.
Now you, Sergeant.
Zim signs bitterly. The C.O. sighs.
C.O.
That's it, son. You can go.
The C.O. and Zim turn to other things. Johnny picks up his duffel and heads
out the door.
87 EXT PARADE GROUND - DAY - JOHNNY
walks alone, sad. A skimmer hums by overhead and he looks after it.
Out across the parade ground he sees the glint of Marauder power
suits as recruits tumble the obstacle course.
88 EXT WASHOUT LANE -- DAY - JOHNNY
reaches the little white fence that leads to the transporter. He turns
back for one last look and notices people running to the
Comminications shack. Kitten Smith runs by.
JOHNNY
Hey, Kitten, what's going on ?
KITTEN
It's war !
89 EXT COMMUNICATION - DAY - JOHNNY
joins others to see what's on the Federal Net. Recruits, non-coms, and officers gather without any sense of military decorum. People cry openly, among them Corporal
Bronski.
OFFICIAL VOICE
... early estimates. Millions dead, a city in
ruins...
On screen, the smoldering ruins of what was once a huge city.
JOHNNY
Oh, jeez, is that Geneva ?
KATRINA
Goddam bugs whacked us, Johnny.
OFFICIAL VOICE
... Buenos Aires has been wiped of the Earth.
Nothing lives in what was once called the
Latin Paradise...
Johnny is horrified. Dizzy is suddenly standing next to him.
DIZZY
Aw, Johnny, geez... It's home.
OFFICIAL VOICE
The Federal Court met moments ago and
voted unanimously for mobilization to
destroy the Arachnid threat.
Johnny sets his jaw, turns and runs for the C.O.'s office.
90 INT C.O.'S OFFICE -DAY - THE C.O: AND ZIM
and other staffers watch the grim news unfold. Animation
illustrates the insect treachery.
OFFICIAL VOICE
The meteor derived from here, near Klendathu,
in the Arachnid's home system...
ZIM
I'm serious, sir. I'll go anywhere.
I want combat.
C.O.
Forget it, Zim. We're gonna need you
here. The only way you'll get a combat
assignment is if you bust yourself to
private. You get me ?
ZIM
Yes, sir, I get you.
C.O.
What can I do for you, Rico ?
JOHNNY
Sir, I wish to reconsider my request
to drop out, sir.
C.O.
Sorry, son. I can't do it. You signed
the 1240/A. It would be illegal.
JOHNNY
Sir, i know it was wrong. I didn't
learn from one mistake and I made
another, sir.
(then)
Sir, my family... my whole family was
in Buenos Aires, sir.
Zim picks up Johnny's 1240/A off the C.O.'s desk.
ZIM
Is that your signature, Rico ?
JOHNNY
Sir, yes it is, sir.
ZIM
Doesn't look like it to me.
Zim gives the C.O. a look. The C.O. shrugs, turns away, watching the news
of the coming war. Zim tears up the 1240/A.
ZIM
Get outa here, private.
91 FROM THE FEDERAL NET - HUMANKIND GOES TO WAR !
Actual pictures of Buenos Aires: SURVIVORS pick through rubble,
people wail, kids play tag in the ruins.
OFFICIAL VOICE
Out of the ashes of Buenos Aires comes first
sorrow, then ANGER !
ANGRY PERSON
The only good bug is a dead bug !
OFFICIAL VOICE
Would you like to know more ?
92 COMBAT - VICTORY ON DANTANA !
A wounded CAP TROOPER, grim smile, flashes "V" for victory as his
weary comrades carry him off the field.
OFFICIAL VOICE
Cap Troopers establish a foothold on Dantana,
a planet system at the outer edge of the
Arachnid Quarantine Zone. Casualties are high,
but casualties won't stop the Mobile Infantery !
Would you like to know more ?
93 HOME FRONT - KIDS KILL BUGS AND MOM IS GLAD !
MOM smiles as her CUTE KIDS stomp insects in the garden.