ALIEN HOMEWORLD

 by 

 Jack Bullions

INT. OPENING MONTAGE

A veil of arctic black.

FADE IN:

DEEP SPACE - THE DISTANT FUTURE

A giant blue planet, surrounded by billions of stars like 
hard pinpricks against the deadblack curtain, glittering like 
diamonds caught in a laser beam. 

SUPER: COLONY LV-230 OUTER RIM

A massive TRANSPORT SHIP moves into frame. We see a DROP-
SHIP, shooting out of the transport, plummeting into the 
atmosphere. We FOLLOW, in full pursuit. Winds SCREAMING 
past us as we --

 SMASH CUT TO:

INT. HALLWAY - OUTER RIM

Silence. TRACKING along the cold, empty corridors, the 
metallic bowels of the settlement. Flashing emergency lights 
illuminating the walls in red. The background klaxon 
becoming audible, louder, and LOUDER. We stop at the end of 
the hallway, staring at the foot of a steel stairwell when 
suddenly -- 
 
BOOM! Military boots jump INTO FRAME.

 CUT UP TO:

A MARINE'S FACE grime with sweat. We see frantic eyes, in 
complete terror. He looks left and right, scanning, looking 
down at his --

MOTION TRACKER

The device is going crazy at him. BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. On 
the screen dozens of blips, converging. Range counting down 
fast. 

 MARINE
 Oh shit...

The marine swings his tracker and his pulse rifle to his 
right, looks down on his screen. We SEE the screen again, it 
spins with him into more signals, also rapidly converging.

 MARINE
 Oh shit...

He swings to his left, daring to look down again.

 MARINE
 Oh shit... Oh Jesus...

We PAN BACK SLOWLY to see the marine now. Private JASON 
COLBERT, too young 20s, solid built right out of boot camp.
GUNFIRE ERUPTS in the b.g. as more MARINES stream down the 
stairwell, names like JONES, QUINN, MASSEY. One of them is 
Corporal DAVEY WILKS, late twenties, and more seasoned. We 
see him cradling a little girl in one arm, BILLIE, and his 
carbine in the other.

 WILKS
 Talk to me, Colbert!

 COLBERT
 We've got a shitload of incoming from all 
 sides. They've trapped us. The fucking 
 animals herded us and trapped us!

 QUINN
 Wilks! What the fuck are these things!

 JONES
 Where's Top?! Where's the rest of the 
 platoon?

 MASSEY
 We don't have a platoon left, man!

 WILKS
 Maintain your field of fire, marines!

The girl is crying her eyes out, clutching Wilks in a tight 
grip.

 WILKS
 (soothing)
 Easy, honey. We're gonna be fine. We're 
 going back to the ship, everything is 
 gonna be okay.

Her powerful screams mingling with the gunfire, klaxon, and 
suddenly, someone else SCREAMS over their headsets.

 COLBERT
 Top?! 

 WILKS
 Sarge? Sarge, do you copy?

 QUINN
 (off screen, freaked)
 Oh shit, Top!

Nothing is fine. Massey unloads a searing BLAST of fire from 
his flamethrower, engulfing an entire hallway. We hear 
horrible SCREECHES from something beyond.

 WHIP PAN TO:

On the adjoining hallway, CLAWS appear between one of the 
partially closed doors. It wrenches it open ferociously. An 
ALIEN steps through, screaming at the marines.

Colbert spins, points - FLASH! - CRACK! - blasting it away. 
More of the things are coming. More gunfire. 

ON WILKS

He's looking left and right, panicking. Something needs to 
be done -- fast.

 COLBERT
 What are we gonna do, Wilks!?

 QUINN
 Buddha, we're gonna die just like the 
 others!
 
 WILKS 
 Shut the fuck up, Quinn! 
 (to headphone)
 Fox Platoon! We are moving to the next 
 floor! Haul ass!

He spins, heads down the stairs. Colbert following behind.

INT. BOTTOM FLOOR

Wilks appears down the stairway, scans the hallway. He SEES 
a closed pressure door at the other end. Colbert moves on 
ahead, keeping his eyes on the tracker.

 COMPUTER 
 Attention. Emergency. All personnel 
 must evacuate immediately. You now have 
 seventeen minutes to reach minimum safe 
 distance.
 
 WILKS
 Fuckin' A!
 
Colbert reaches the door. He looks down at the tracker. No 
movement. He nods to Wilks as Quinn and the others catch up.

 QUINN
 They keep coming, man! Our AP rounds are 
 doing shit!

 WILKS
 Keep your fire, Quinn!
 (to the platoon)
 Shoot for targets. Use triplets only! 
 We don't have enough ammo to waste on 
 full auto suppressive fire. Go! 

Wilks tries opening the door. The key panel won't respond.

 WILKS
 Fuck! Jasper, hold the kid!

A large black marine moves in as Wilks hands Billie off, but 
the little girl resists.
 
 BILLIE
 No! Don't leave me!

 WILKS
 I gotta open the door. Jasper will take 
 care of you.

Billie finally relents. Jasper grabs hold of the girl, and 
she quickly clutches him like a baby monkey to its mother.

Wilks snaps a PLASMA CUTTER off his belt and cuts into the 
lock. Molten droplets dripping from the lock like water. 
FLASHES of pulse rifle fire behind him. Inhuman SCREECHES 
filling his ears. 

He finishes. Slams the controls. The door slides open 
slowly to reveal something big and black waiting, clutching 
the pipes of the ceiling. It leaps at him in a blur, sleek 
black skin with teeth.

Wilks spins his body, swinging his plasma cutter up 
reflexively. The fire line catches the creature by the neck, 
decapitating it. It SCREAMS, alerting Colbert. He spins, 
fires POINT-BLANK. The rest of the creature is hurled back 
through the door. 

 WILKS
 Move out, people! Now!

Marines scream en masse as the steel grate floors cave in, 
and CLAWED ARMS shoot out lightning fast, dragging them down. 
Jasper disappears into the crawlway. A bunch of carbines 
open FIRE in all directions. 

Colbert ducks in time to avoid rounds SPLATTERING against 
steel, inches from his face. He tries to drag Massey out 
from the floor with the things clinging to him. 

 WILKS
 Seal the door, goddammit!

 COLBERT
 What the hell are you doing?

 WILKS
 We can't help them, Colbert!

Massey shoots his rifle frantically beneath him, manages to 
climb up. Billie SCREAMS.

 BILLIE (O.S.)
 Help! Oh, please, help!

Aliens are crawling out from the subfloor crawlway. Colbert 
BLASTS one back underneath. 

He SEES one of the things holding the little girl in its 
arms, hauling her away. Colbert snaps his carbine up, aiming 
for it. Wilks is slamming the controls.

 WILKS
 Colbert! 

 COLBERT
 I see her!

 WILKS
 Colbert, we gotta move!

He tries to adjust aim. No avail. The door SLIDES SHUT. 
Colbert's eyes is transfixed to the door, his carbine 
trained. Wilks drags him down the hall.

 WILKS
 We'll find a way, man! 

The door buckles from clanging impact. Another crash, the 
SQUEAL of tortured metal. Colbert, Wilks and Massey make 
tracks down the hall when suddenly the door is ripped open. 
One of the aliens charges through like a locomotive. 

The marines turn, SEE the thing leap at them. Its hideous 
spiky body covering our view like a giant ugly ink blot as we 
--

 SMASH CUT TO:

INT. COLBERT'S BEDROOM - DAY

TIGHT ON COLBERT, snapping up INTO FRAME, sweaty and panting.

SUPER: NEW ANNAPOLIS NAVAL BASE, VIRGINIA PROVINCE - PRESENT 
DAY

A stunning blonde wakes up next to him. Dog tags between her 
breasts. This is SAMMIE BROOKS.

 BROOKS
 Jason? Are you all right?

He's still disoriented.

 BROOKS (CONT'D)
 You were dreaming again.

Colbert comes back to reality, swings his legs out from under 
his covers and sits on the edge of the bed. Brooks stretches 
across, grabbing a watch, checks the time.

 BROOKS
 This is several nights now. You sure you 
 don't want to check with Medical?

 COLBERT
 What more can they do? They've already 
 placed me on a dozen different 
 prescriptions.

He picks up a small orange bottle from nearby, finds it 
empty. 

 COLBERT (CONT'D)
 I'm getting sick of the pills.

 BROOKS
 You can't go on like this. What about 
 extended leave?

 COLBERT
 I'm fine. It's just, uh, routine I need 
 to go through... to clear my head.

Colbert pats a bare thigh. She doesn't believe him for a 
second. She wants him to look her in the eye and say it, but 
he won't.

 BROOKS
 Was it those aliens again? The ones you 
 told me about?

 COLBERT
 No. They're history.

He gets up, fumbles for his clothes.

 BROOKS
 You can tell me what's going on, Jason. 
 I do care.

 COLBERT
 It's not open for discussion, Sammie. I 
 told you. Better off if we don't talk 
 about it. Now get dressed.

Brooks stares at him.

 BROOKS
 You're right. We should just fuck.

 COLBERT
 That's not what I meant.
 (beat)
 You'd better get dressed.

He leaves. Brooks watches him go, draws up her knees to her 
chin, feeling horrible. Another attempt at closure gone bad.

INT. COLBERT'S BATHROOM - DAY

The bathroom lights BRIGHTEN. Colbert appears through the 
doorway. The frame lights up neon blue, chimes, and begins 
SPEAKING in a soft, feminine voice. 

 RECORDING VOICE (V.O.)
 Good morning, Colonel. The temperature 
 outside is currently 71 degrees. 
 Forecast includes cloudy skies, and mild 
 sunshine.

Colbert taps a shelf on the bathroom sink. It slides out, 
filled with water. He scoops a handful and splashes his 
face. 

CLOSE ON COLBERT looking up at the mirror, gazing at his 
reflection. He sees Brooks passing by the door with her 
clothes. A longing moment between them, then she moves off 
in silence.
 
EXT. DEEP SPACE - HOMEWORLD PLANET

Light-years away. A corporate science vessel ROARS by us, 
heading towards Homeworld. 

EXT. SCIENCE VESSEL - OUTSKIRTS

We DESCEND with the ship to a dark oceanic world. A giant 
ball of water, mist, and volcanic rocks, seemingly barren and 
devoid of life. 

EXT. BIONATIONAL LAB

The ship approaches the FACILITY, b.g., the only piece of 
technology on the planet. Forty-two inch thick reinforced 
concrete walls, interspersed with watchtowers and giant 
floodlights, form the perimeters of the facility. A 
nightmarish penitentiary island sitting in the dark waters. 

EXT. WATCHTOWER

Each of the towers are self-guided weapon platforms. TWIN 
GIANT GATLING-LIKE CANNONS mounted on a turret top. They 
move, tracking the passing science vessel like sentries.

EXT. SCIENCE VESSEL 

The ship passes over some buildings, all connected by tunnels 
and conduits. Multi-level, concrete and steel reinforced 
walls. There are large BIO-DOMES, specifically constructed 
to contain any one type of natural habitat. We can SEE 
through the thick plexi-glass shrubbery, trees, artificial 
sunlight generated by the overhead sunlamps. 

INT. BIO-DOME

A woman is sitting on an iron-wrought bench, reading a novel. 
We see the title clearly, Pearl Buck's The Good Earth. Way 
up top, through the glass, the ship passes.

EXT. SCIENCE VESSEL

The ship pivots towards a central complex. On top is a 
saucer type tower which serves as OPERATIONS/OPS. Landing 
beacons light up around one of the giant bay doors. The 
vessel descends towards the landing bay, into --

INT. DOCKING BAY

The expansive hold is busy. Technicians and mechanics moving 
to and from places, machinery everywhere. Loaders moving 
cargo. 

SUPER: HOMEWORLD BIONATIONAL LABORATORY

The vessel lands on a marked pad as the bay doors close 
behind. 

INT. DOCKING BAY - SCIENCE VESSEL

A loading ramp descends from the rear of the ship. The 
pilot, a smoking loafer, LIKOWSKI, is on it holding an 
electronic manifest. He is greeted by Doctor TOBIAS DRYNER, 
aging, balding, serious, and head of the Medical and Research 
Department. 

 LIKOWSKI
 You Dryner?

 DRYNER
 Yes. Has the ship been prepared? 

Likowski takes a drag from his cigarette, looks over the 
manifest, enumerating some things.

 LIKOWSKI
 Yeah, cargo hold's got the works. 
 Temperature stabilizers for food, new 
 reinforced walls... 

 DRYNER
 They have been coated with the polymer 
 resin I specified?

 LIKOWSKI
 Yeah, we got Nyalic all over it. You 
 don't gotta worry about a thing. This 
 ship's never had a problem with leaks. 
 Nothing is gonna eat through that even if 
 it did. 
 (off Dryner's nod)
 I need your identification codes here.

He hands the manifest off to Dryner, looks behind the doctor, 
notices the techs wheeling in their package to deliver.

 WHIP PAN TO:

The entourage. DOLLY AHEAD OF TECHS escorting a detached 
self-powered hypersleep capsule. They reach the loading ramp 
of the ship. Likowski shrugs, lights up another cigarette. 
Dryner returns the manifest, checks on the capsule.

ANGLE ON DRYNER punching a few buttons. There's a monitoring 
system for the patient's heartbeat...BEEP...BEEP...BEEP...in 
a steady rhythm. We SEE through the fiberglass of the canopy 
frozen air swirling inside the capsule.

 LIKOWSKI
 Sending one of yours back to Earth?

 DRYNER
 Yes.

 LIKOWSKI
 All this for him? Must have done 
 something right.

 DRYNER
 This patient is special. 

Likowski looks over the capsule, notices the smoke clearing 
to show the body of the patient inside in deep slumber. In 
fact the torso is all we see. No limbs. No head. The chest 
cavity moves as if it were breathing. It's alive.
 
ON LIKOWSKI, shocked, cigarette dangling from his lips now. 
Dryner appears, punches some more buttons. A covering slides 
over the canopy, locking it inside. 

 DRYNER
 Have you never seen a clone before? Just 
 remember, follow the directions 
 precisely. The room temperature is most 
 important, it needs to be stable. One of 
 our synthetics will accompany back to 
 Earth to watch over, around the clock. 
 Just in case. Understand?

Likowski can only nod, stepping aside as the techs load the 
capsule into the ship. 

 DRYNER
 Good. 

INT. BIOLAB - LATER
 
A huge high-tech chamber of dark steel. TECHNICIANS and 
MEDICAL OPS moving across catwalks, some observing below. 
PAN UP to reveal a gigantic aquarium set in the center. 
INSIDE, are multiple stasis tubes, liquid-filled, each with 
an alien inside.

PUSH CLOSER,

The aliens are unlike we've ever seen, thanks to some genetic 
manipulations. One of them has a pallor exoskeleton, and we 
think we see actual eyes. Another a brutish form, stockier 
frame, with spikes. Another a complete abomination. None of 
them move.

Surrounding the aquarium, are machinery, computers analyzing 
bio-readouts. People in biohazard suits taking note of the 
data. More with EXOTIC RIFLES, standing guard.
Up above, more LABCOATS watch from a glass-paned window.

DOORS SLIDE OPEN

Dryner steps in, walking across the Lab. 

ANGLE ON A STASIS TUBE - THE PALLOR ALIEN

The pupils follow Dryner passing by.

INSIDE THE AQUARIUM

A huge STEEL CONTAINER is brought in from an open bay, lifted 
by hydraulics from a lift. As soon as it is lowered to the 
ground, SOMETHING BIG inside bangs at the box with bone-
jarring impacts.

Dryner stops, glances through the glass.

BACK INSIDE, armed GUARDS with helmets rush in, surrounding 
the cage.

 GUARD CAPTAIN
 (filtered)
 Increase to maximum frequency.

Just as each of the guards start adjusting their TUNING FORK-
like PISTOLS, an ALIEN bursts through, sending the cage door 
clanging to the floor.

The guards trigger their weapons en masse, sending a WHIRRING 
SOUND. The alien is struck back by some unseen physical 
force, reeling in pain. Using the sound, the guards force 
the alien up into an empty stasis tube.

Dryner watches all this impassively.

 DRYNER
 Was that container magnetically sealed?

 LAB-TECH
 No, sir. We thought...

 DRYNER
 Do not think. Follow the instructions. 
 One mistake, can kill all of us. 

 LAB-TECH
 Yes, sir. It won't happen again.

Dryner eyes him, and LEAVES.

INT. OPERATIONS/OPS

The heart and nerve center of the entire facility. A giant 
screen covers one wall serving as the visual monitor. 
Multiple tables with individual screens for holographic maps 
and projections of the lab.

Dryner ENTERS the room. One of the Op-Techs brings up visual 
on the big screen. 

HIS POV: He sees the outer bay doors of the hold opening and 
the science vessel emerging slowly, thrusters roaring. It 
picks up speed, starting the journey back to Earth with its 
special cargo.

 REINE (O.S.)
 One small step for man, another giant 
 leap for mankind. Don't you think?

Doctor LOUIS REINE, shorter and jollier than his colleague 
and the head honcho who runs the Lab here. He joins Dryner, 
elated.

 DRYNER
 Yes.

 REINE
 Your work here will be etched upon the 
 commandments of science for centuries to 
 come. You should be proud.

 DRYNER
 Oppenheimer, Fermi, Ruthford, Graecus, 
 and dare I say even Monsanto. Could they 
 have known what their research would lead 
 to?