SAVIOR

 story 

 by 

 Jana Klein


 screenplay 

 by 

 Jack Bullions


 based on 

 James Cameron's world of Dark Angel

FADE IN:

INT. CELL - TIMELESS

In a DIMLY LIT room with padded walls...glossy floor tiles... 
a LONE FIGURE on a bed under covers.

ANGLE ON SLEEPING EYES -- the lids flutter the slightest.

 CUT TO:

EXT. TRAIN TRACKS - DAWN

On the ground. Old ones, half-covered by weeds. In the b.g. 
rusted steel spires and smoke stacks of a long dead 
industrial district soar into the gray sky. Suddenly, we 
hear a low rumble. It increases in volume then --

A FREIGHT TRAIN -- engine, several boxcars (carrying various 
chemical materials), and a caboose - roars from under the 
screen into view. The thunderous sound is deafening --

CUT BACK ON THE SAME EYES

at the cell, they look more agitated now.

INT. TRAIN ENGINE - DAWN

The chief ENGINEER with hands on both brake and accelerator 
controls, stares blankly out the window. A TAC-OPS OFFICER 
enters.

 TAC-OPS OFFICER
 How much longer?

 ENGINEER
 Nine minutes. We'll be out of Amboy and 
 back inside a secure zone.

The Tac-Ops Officer nods, lights up a cigarette.

EXT. TRAIN ENGINE AREA - DAWN

Behind the engineer's compartment is the engine itself, with 
walkways along either side.

Four TAC-OPS TROOPERS, two on each side, black suits, with 
heavy automatic rifles keep careful watch.

The train hurtles under a bridge-pass.

EXT. BRIDGE - DAWN

On the other side and up above,

A FIGURE leaps off the edge and lands right onto the rooftops 
of the passing freight cars with extraordinary grace and 
precision.

EXT. TOP OF TRAIN - DAWN

The face of TAL snaps INTO FRAME. About mid 20s, sullen 
expression. He's crouched on all fours, scanning up and down 
the train. He darts off quickly like a black blur.

FOLLOWING BEHIND TAL as he begins to jump from one boxcar to 
the next. His movements are so clean, gliding in and out of 
each jump. We also recognize the curious looking bar-code on 
the back of his neck.

EXT. TRAIN ENGINE AREA - DAWN

Tal jumps the gap between two more freight boxcars, his long 
black coat flying open like the wings of a manta ray. He 
whips out dual Beretta Elites from under his coat.

 WHIP PAN TO:

THE TAC-OPS TROOPERS

as they spin to behind them just as Tal comes over the top, 
fingers pumping both handguns furiously.

They all go down fast.

Tal hops down onto the walkway.

INT. TRAIN ENGINE - DAWN

The Tac-Ops Officer slings up his rifle. Tal behind the 
door, SHOOTS THROUGH the glass, and plugs a bullet into the 
skull of the Officer. 

The Engineer snaps his head back. Tal opens the door and 
strides into the compartment, barrel of the gun trained on 
the Engineer's forehead.

 TAL
 You want to live, stop the train.

The Engineer hesitates. Tal pulls back the hammer.

 TAL
 Believe it.

The Engineer grips the brake lever, throws it down.

EXT. TRAIN - DAWN

EXTREME CLOSE UP - Brakes LOCK into the TRAIN AXLE. Steel 
grinds against steel, SCREECHING LOUDLY just as --

INT. CELL - NIGHT

THE EYES -- they snap open and dart about in confusion.

ON ROMAN, in skivvies, as he sits up into the light. Covers 
tossed off. He swings his legs over the side of the cot. 

We get a profile of Roman. He looks to be about Tal's age, 
early 20s, dark featured, pained expression. His neck aches 
from the horrible sleep.

HIS P.O.V. - looking around the room. A sterile self-
contained high-tech living quarter of bland white with 
everything included -- bathroom, kitchen, closets, and the 
Entertainment Set.

Roman shivers, cold. He picks up the clothes lying on the 
floor and puts them on. Loose sweat pants, a plain shirt, 
slippers.

Now he stands up, with some effort, and staggers from the 
bed.

FLASH CUT --

Blurry, fast-paced and surreal images seen in EXTREME CLOSE 
UP.

ABSTRACT FIGURES, SMALL, no faces, in hospital gowns, walking 
towards us. We think they might be children.

BACK TO PRESENT

ANGLE - A LIGHT SWITCH. Roman's hand ENTERS FRAME, slides a 
finger up the SENSITIVE-PAD halfway. WHITE LIGHT gradually 
fills the room to half intensity.

ON HIS REFLECTION in a bathroom wall mirror. He moves to the 
mirror and looks at himself a la the Dark Angel pilot. Our 
first clear impression of this young man now. What we see is 
an ice-cold professional: lean, grim, dangerous eyes, bred to 
kill. No innocence about him.

MOVE CLOSER IN on his eyes. O.S. sourceless whispers.

ANOTHER FLASH CUT --

Young Roman, twelve years old, standing alone in a hallway. 
A din of DISTORTED VOICES surround him -- PA speakers, 
megaphone, the burble of children all overlapping in jumbled 
discord. He looks over his shoulder.

The same SMALL FIGURES, about his size, moving towards him. 
Features more clear. Pale skin. Different color hair. We 
still can't see their faces. 

Young Roman reacts, terrified and --

WHAM! The bathroom mirror slams shut.

Roman looking at himself, then glances down at his hand, 
which is holding an empty orange prescription bottle. He 
crushes it inside a tight fist and then bends to splash cold 
water on his face.

 CUT TO:

INT. CONFERENCE ROOM - NIGHT

Overhead lamps cast pools of LIGHT down onto A CONFERENCE 
TABLE, onto the CORPORATE BOARD MEMBERS gathered to observe 
the LARGE VIDEO SCREEN. Expensive suits, expensive 
accessories, grim faces, which indicate wealth, power, and a 
military presence.

ON THE VIDEO featuring footage taken inside one the BOXCARS 
of the hijacked train. Tal turns and stares into the camera, 
fires his Beretta. The screen cuts to static.

 VOICE IN THE ROOM (O.S.)
 ...most of the security were killed, the 
 rest bound and gagged in one of the 
 empty freight cars. 

EDWARD MULCAHY, the ultimate company man, late 50s, steeples 
his fingers. The LEATHER CREAKS as he leans back, facing his 
board members.

 MULCAHY
 The entire Metheglin supply was taken.

 CORPORATE TRUSTEE
 He couldn't have acted alone. Do we 
 have an I-D on this individual?

Mulcahy nods to Director DOUGLAS RANSOM, early 40s.

 RANSOM
 This is Tal, formerly X-Five-One-Zero-
 Four. One of the two X-Five's brought 
 from the Gillette facility to the East. 
 Escaped seven years ago. He has himself 
 a crew now.

Everyone REACTS with startled silence.

 BOARD MEMBER
 You are certain this is one of ours?

As if on cue, a COMPUTER TECH appears and goes to work on the 
computer console near the video screen. He types in a 
command, the video REWINDS. STOPS. He hits a few more keys, 
then fiddles with the MOUSE.

The video blows up the profile of Tal until we notice the 
bar-code at the nape of his neck.

 RANSOM
 Without question.

 CORPORATE TRUSTEE
 What has been done?

 RANSOM
 We have an informant inside, but he 
 tells us everything is being kept 
 covert, mouths shut on the matter. We 
 do know for several weeks, they've been 
 attempting to contact various Medical 
 Distributors and research teams from 
 overseas. 

 BOARD MEMBER
 And yet your informant failed to mention 
 this escapade of theirs?

 RANSOM
 Like I told you, covert. Tal doesn't 
 talk scores to anyone he doesn't trust 
 with his life.

 CORPORATE TRUSTEE
 What do they want?

The FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) Representative 
(FEMA REP) looks over.

 FEMA REPRESENTATIVE
 Is it obvious?

 RANSOM (CONT'D.)
 We have been monitoring several 
 groups... ones with histories of working 
 underground. Our best guess they would 
 try to contact one of them. There is 
 one group coming in tonight, here in New 
 York City.

 CORPORATE TRUSTEE
 The recovery of the Metheglin is 
 paramount, at all costs.

 MULCAHY
 If one of our own is involved, we need 
 to proceed with careful calculation.

Heads nod around the table.

 RANSOM
 I have Lieutenant Towner with more 
 units on stand-by and ready...

 MULCAHY
 Make a call to Boston.
 (off Mulcahy's look)
 Bring the other one here to assist your 
 operation.

 RANSOM
 I don't believe that is necessary. I 
 can handle one of my own.

 MULCAHY
 Lydecker shared the exact same sentiment 
 as well in Seattle.

 RANSOM
 Sir, with all due respect, this isn't 
 Seattle. 

 MULCAHY
 I hate to be pragmatic, Douglas, but you 
 and I both know we bred these soldiers 
 to be good, and they are very good.

 RANSOM
 I understand that, Sir, but we separated 
 them for a reason. Sending Roman could 
 trigger unneeded complications.

 MULCAHY
 A risk we can accept. Losing the 
 Metheglin is something we will not 
 accept.

 CORPORATE TRUSTEE
 Our latest series has yet to be field 
 tested. Roman is the only option. Make 
 the call.

Ransom gets up from his seat slowly, and leaves.

 CUT TO:

INT. ROMAN'S CELL - NIGHT

Roman sits at a table in the dining alcove contemplating the 
smoke rising from his cup of coffee. 

 CUT TO:

INT. ISOLATION SECURITY CHECKPOINT - MANTICORE MEDICAL 
RESEARCH INSTITUTE - BOSTON - NIGHT

A small room before a short SALLY-PORT corridor designed to 
prevent anything from leaving the deeper recesses of the 
facility. There are doors at each end. The first one is 
barred like a jail-cell door, and the second is a steel fire 
door. The security officers have a video monitor with which 
they can see the corridor on the other side of the doors.

INSIDE THE ISOLATION WARD, the station looks like a cage, 
walled in by heavy metal mesh and plexi-glass. The SECURITY 
OFFICERS look up to see a tall black man, GIDEON, mid 20s, 
approach the glass. He's carrying a file in hand, reaches 
into his coat and pulls his ID.

He flips it open, presses it up to the glass.

CLOSE ON the ID card. Gideon's photo, official-looking 
graphics. It calls him a "Manticore Investigator."

One of the Security clicks on the intercom.

 SECURITY OFFICER
 Early visit today, eh?

Gideon nods as the other officer triggers the doors to slide 
open. 

 CUT TO:

INT. ROMAN'S CELL - NIGHT

Roman is now busy field-stripping and cleaning a M-4A1 
Assault Carbine. He flips the safety. Retracts the cocking 
handle. Snaps open the rifle. CLICK-CLACK. His movements 
very methodical.

A variety of guns lay spread out in front of him.

 CUT TO:

INT. ISOLATION CORRIDOR - NIGHT

Gideon looks up at the SECURITY CAMS just as the heavy steel 
gate CLANGS shut behind him. The bolt shoots home.

We DOLLY on Gideon as crosses through the long crowded 
corridor. Guards, men in white lab coats, doctors, discuss 
charts, or pass by. A P.A. broadcasts occasional messages.

PROFILE

Gideon crosses another steel gate. Two more SECURITY GUARDS, 
armed, snap to attention there. Without breaking his stride, 
Gideon moves on down the hallway.

 CUT TO:

INT. ROMAN'S CELL - NIGHT 

Roman sits, staring down at the M-4A1 Carbine in his hands. 
The weapon fully re-assembled and cleaned now. He sets it 
down and picks up another weapon when --

A door HUM.

Roman looks away from his work. His cell door slides open TO 
REVEAL Gideon. 

 GIDEON
 How you feeling?

Roman looks at him.

 ROMAN
 I think I'm going mad. I dreamed again.

 GIDEON
 Same one?

 ROMAN
 This was more intense.

Gideon walks in, pulls a chair, and sits next to him.

 ROMAN
 You want any coffee?

 GIDEON
 No. It's okay.

Roman goes back to his cleaning.

 GIDEON
 You've been taking the medications like 
 I told you to?

 ROMAN
 Yeah... every night. It's not helping.

 GIDEON
 Awright. It sounds pretty bad. I'll 
 talk to the doctors again.

 ROMAN
 I've been doing some thinking.

 GIDEON
 About what?

 ROMAN
 About the dreams. I've been trying to 
 figure out things, about it... You know, 
 try to make some sense out of it.

He stops his work momentarily, and stares at the weapon. 
Gideon folds his hand over the file.

 ROMAN (CONT'D.)
 Do you remember the children I told you 
 about? When I was twelve, I lived with 
 a large group of them in a place, just 
 like this.

Gideon nods.

 ROMAN (CONT'D.)
 They... none of them had faces.

 GIDEON
 You never lived with a group of 
 children, Roman. I've been telling them 
 to move you out of this place. Being 
 holed up in a world like this... it does 
 things to your head.

 ROMAN
 Yeah, I guess. 

 GIDEON
 Don't worry about it. I'll talk to 
 them again, and get you something better 
 for your dreams.

A beat between them. Gideon seems reluctant what he is about 
to say next.

 ROMAN
 Well, I know you're not here to shoot 
 the breeze with me, being it isn't the 
 weekend. Something you need to tell me?

 GIDEON
 We're sending you out again.

 ROMAN
 (a look)
 I just did two weeks in the Middle East.

 GIDEON
 I know. They want you back out. We 
 have a real problem.

Gideon opens up his file, pulls out several 8" by 10" 
glossies, and slides them to Roman. Each of them 
TOPOGRAPHICAL MAPS of the Northeastern U.S. coast. Gideon 
indicates a set of COORDINATES and MARKS on each map.

 GIDEON
 A train shipment of Metheglin leaving 
 Annapolis to Boston was hijacked outside 
 of Amboy six hours ago. We've zeroed in 
 on their location in Manhattan.

 ROMAN
 Metheglin?

 GIDEON
 It's a vaccine to the plague that's been 
 spreading around the New England area.

 ROMAN
 I know about the plague. I didn't know 
 a vaccine was discovered.

He looks at Gideon. Gideon avoids eye contact, pulls a photo 
from the file, and puts it over the maps.

 GIDEON
 Recognize him?

Roman looks down again. It's a dossier of a man with a mug 
shot. 

INSERT ON THE PHOTO

a handsome young man. We meet Tal again.

Roman takes the photo, stares.

 ROMAN
 No. Who is he?

 GIDEON
 We'll talk on the way. Get dressed. We 
 have a flight to catch.

Gideon gets up, and leaves. Off Roman --

 DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. EAST RIVER - NIGHT

Extreme close-up of dark rolling waters. Drizzling...cold...
thunder RUMBLING. We tilt up to reveal --

WIDE ANGLE LENS on the East River while New York City is 
spread out in all its glory in the background under the gray 
sky. A tiny chip of technology breaks from the clouds. It 
moves slowly towards us. 

Continuing to approach, the object resolves into a MILITARY 
ASSAULT HELICOPTER. Drawing closer, the SOUND of powerful 
TURBINES, throbbing in the cold air, becomes dominant, 
overpowering.

Its silhouette gliding against the river underneath as the 
chopper BURSTS INTO VIEW. Then suddenly it lifts into the 
view of... looming huge: the MANHATTAN BRIDGE.

Impossibly close, the chopper soars over the bridge, and we 
get a startling sight of barricades, barbed wire, RUSTING 
CARS -- all scattered about like a child's toys.

The chopper passes over the BROOKLYN BRIDGE now and we see 
the same barricades. The island of Manhattan is locked in.

The chopper dips and banks sharply towards Liberty Island and 
the famous Statue.

The PILOT'S VOICE is heard, coordinating their approach.

 PILOT
 (voice over, filtered)
 Liberty Command, this is Halo One.

 LIBERTY COMMAND
 (voice over, filtered)
 Go ahead.

INT. COCKPIT - NIGHT

In the cockpit, PILOT and CO-PILOT are surrounded by an array 
of dimly lit GAUGES and SWITCHES. Before the Co-Pilot is a 
red TOPOGRAPHICAL MAP of New York on which the Statue of 
Liberty and Ellis Island appear as giant gray blips.

 PILOT
 We are inbound south, five, five, zero. 
 ETA in about three minutes. Over.

 LIBERTY COMMAND
 (voice over, filtered)
 Roger, Halo One. We have you on map, 
 five by five. Adjust course to 
 coordinates two, two, zero, mark four by 
 zero. Over.

 PILOT
 Roger your insert coord.

INT. HELICOPTER - NIGHT

TIGHT CLOSE-UP of Roman's FACE illuminated by the eerie red 
glow of NIGHT LIGHTS, as he stares out at the city. Seated 
around him are Gideon, and a DR. SAM PARKER, wiry blonde man 
in glasses and tie. 

The compartment reverberates with the NOISE of the THUMPING 
ROTORS.

 GIDEON (O.S.)
 Give us your tired, your poor...

Roman looks away to Gideon who is looking out the window with 
him. Both he and Gideon are dressed in matching black with 
leather long-coats.

 GIDEON (CONT'D.)
 ... your huddled masses yearning to 
 breathe free.

 PARKER
 It ain't what it used to be.
 (to Roman)
 Hey, I need you to give me one more 
 rundown before we land!

He gestures a clipboard at him.