PRAYING MANTIS
screenplay by
Vladan Stoyanovich
Based on the story
by Slobodan Curcic
WGA reg: 1172514
EXT. COSMOS
We are in cosmos. In a long distance, we see magenta planet.
LEGEND APPEARS:
THERE ARE NOT SO MANY PLACES IN UNIVERSE WHERE HUMAN RACE DIDN’T COLONIZE. NEW MADE UNION OF COLONIZED PLANETS THREATENS PEACE, CLAIMING FOR THEIR INDEPENDENTGOVERNMENTSFROMEARTH. UNTILBOTH SIDES DESPERATELY TRYING TO AVOID WAR, THE MOST POWERFUL ORGANIZATION ON EARTH, CALLED “AGENCY”, IN SECRET MISSION, SENDS THREE CYBORGS TO DESTROY ENERGY POWER UNITS ON PLANET COPTOS, AND ACCUSE UNION FOR IT. ONE OF CYBORGS IS THE MOST EXPENSIVE PROJECT MADE ON EARTH, UNIQUE IN UNIVERSE.
WHEN LEGEND DISSAPEARS three battleships are passing in our view, heading for magenta planet.
EXT. THE SKY – DAY
The same ships fit the sky of magenta planet. The ships are not just for one pilot. One ship is bigger than the others. LEGEND APPEARS on the bottom of the screen:
PLANET COPTOS, ARGENA GALAXY
EXT. THE SKY – DAY
We are closer to the ships, pilots start to communicate.
MAXWELL(v.o.)
Velocity 55,5, prime power 83%,air pressure nominal, do you see a target, Lara?
We are in Lara’s ship, graphic computer screen is flickering from line and color moving. All of them wear helmets, so we can’t see their faces clear.
LARA
Yes, it’s located on 538 and 36
p.o. coordinates. Harr, pleaseconfirm.
We are in Harr’s ship now.
HARR
Confirmed. Preparing for lunchinggrenades.
EXT. COPTOS ENERGY FACILITY – DAY
With clink of metal, gapes are opening on the roof of facility and three futuristic torpedoes are in the air immediately.
EXT. THE SKY – DAY
We are in Maxwell’s ship. Screen on his ship starts to beep.
MAXWELL
What a hell...? I can’t believe...!We are under attack!
HARR
(v.o.)
I can see it too. Self-guiding PCRtorpedoes. They said nothingabout defense system! What’s goingon?
MAXWELL
Somebody screwed up. Begin evading flying!
We are in Lara’s ship.
LARA
These torpedoes are not from theEarth. I think they didn’t know for it.
MAXWELL(v.o.)
That’s human being in you speaks for you. They are closer, movingextremely fast. Let’s go to these mountains!
Their ships change direction of flying, but torpedoes are closing really fast. Soon one of torpedoes is not far from Maxwell’s ship. We are in a moment in Maxwell’s ship, beeping is all over, he desperately moves cubical command wheel.Next seconds his ship is hit, explosion on the sky, and debris are falling down.
We are in Lara’s ship.
LARA
No! No! Harr, begin spinningflying. Turn on PCR radar spoof.
HARR(v.o.)
It’s already turned on, butit’s not working, it’s notworking!
Two ships start to revolve around axe in the air, but Harr’s ship is already hit by the side. Another explosion. Half of hovercraft, what left, goes down.
Lara looks back to see what’s happening, but there is no time for mourning, because last left torpedo follows her, approaching. She heads for vertical slope of dark magenta mountain, like she want to crash on it directly. Torpedo follows, as Lara is in the eyes of crashing.
LARA’S POV: We see command window of the hovercraft, approaching to mountain wall, some small graphic equalizers are left and right in a view, on the top it’s written CYBORG MODE ACTIVATED. On the front is counting: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 ...
She detours in last split second, so does torpedo, which still hits ship on small rear part, but basically missing her. Explosion of torpedo is huge and Lara’s ship is pushed vehemently, because it’s too close to explosion. Lara tries to control vessel, but it’s impossible. Her ship has own route of flying, or we should say falling down. Ship is losing height, more and more, and in horizontal position, she is closer and closer to the ground. She again tries to control any command in the ship, but as she falling down, we understand there is no much things she can do. The first touch with the solid, rocky ground is not so strong, but the next ones are not pleasant. Larais pushing different kinds of buttons in the ship, but it’s obvious she hasn’t control of the ship. Rocks and small pieces of ground and crags are in the air, but ship endures through this mess and destruction.Ship slides on and on. Inertia of Lara’s ship is still strong, like she rides under the solid ground, but crashes and dusts still repulsive of ship, which obviously has persistent shell.With crashes of the rocks and some volcanic hoards, her ship finally stops.
EXT.MAGENTADESERT, GROUND – DAY
She gets outside right away and starts switch buttons on small displays around his arms, which are like big hand watches. Helmet is still on her head. We hear beeping and she begins to run. Her running is equally, like mathematically calculated. Soon, in the long distance, we see Harr. Until she’s still running, CAMERA CLOSE on to her eye and we hear whirr.
LARA’S POV: Same graphic equalizers left and right we saw before, on top CYBORG MODE ACTIVATED. Harr is in view, long away and it’s vague, but whirr continues and image sharpens, like zoom on camera. Now we can see Harr clearly and he is without left arm.
They meet in a minute. Harr is wounded, from his wounds we see silver metal, from shoulder he lost arm, there are cables, flailing.
LARA
I’ve got nothing from Maxwell.
HARR
Me neither.
LARA
Your ship?
Harr shakes head.
LARA
Let’s find Maxwell.
EXT.MAGENTADESERT, GROUND – LATER – DAY
They found Maxwell’s wreck, Lara hastily goes inside.
INT. MAXWELL’S HOVERCRAFT – DAY
All cabin is demolished, and Maxwell’s body too, mixture of human tissue and electronics. She finds his head which is still with his shoulders, but shoulders are torn apart from the rest of Maxwell’s body. Lara takes off micro sonar from his ear. Then crash it with her leg. Harr is in there soon. She goes outside.
EXT.MAGENTADESERT, GROUND – DAY
Harr goes out from the wreck.
LARA
Let’s go to my ship.
EXT.MAGENTADESERT, GROUND – LATER – DAY
They are at Lara’s hovercraft, which seems pretty much preserved, except slight damage on rear part. Lara goes in. Her ship is not small at all.
INT. LARA’S HOVERCRAFT – DAY
She sits in cockpit and triesstarting the engine, typing buttons. Some lights are turning on, but we hear artificial, clinically cold male voice:
VOICE
There is no data of the flight.
LARA
Prepare ship for soar.
VOICE
There is no data of the flight.
LARA
Find some data, use memory.
VOICE
There is no data of the flight.
After seconds she realizes it’s purposeless.
VOICE
There is no data of the flight.
Harr is here.
HARR
Useless?
LARA
Yes.
HARR
What about transformation room?
LARA
Let’s see.
They go in rear part of the ship and find something like capsule for one man in vertical position. Lara pushes some buttons on it, and door opens. Small white fog goes out. Now Lara touches buttons inside the capsule.
LARA
It’s undamaged. Working.
EXT.MAGENTADESERT, GROUND – LATER – DAY
Harr goes out of the wreck behind Lara. Lara is already outside. They look lost.
HARR
There is no way back. We are stickhere. For long time.
LARA
Target is not destroyed. My missionis not succeed.
HARR
Are you in human mode now?
LARA
What’s wrong with you? Do you seethat radiation is deadly for humans here?
HARR
I don’t know, you look different
to me.
LARA
To end like this...
HARR
(interrupting)
What you expected? Androids haveno meaning for them. They can make us numerous. Like in real war, weare just pawns for them, we aremachines. Use and destroy. You aresomething new. Woman-Cyborg!
LARA
I never heard you speak like this. How you know all that?
HARR
Maybe we are not so none intelligentlike they think we are. Though we areproduct of laboratory, we arenottotally without feeling and wehavecertain autonomy in behavior.But howwe know that we are notdoomed to beshut down in specifictime, maybeour heads will explodeby push ofthe button...
LARA
(now she interrupts him)
Stop it! Just stop it!
HARR
I am going now.
He is already leaving.
LARA
But where? Outside is death.
HARR
Here is better, you think?
LARA
Where you’re going?
HARR
Try to find new arm.
Lara looks at him not approving. She finally takes off her helmet. Her black hair is crisped around neck to replenish helmet, but we can see that she is a beautiful woman, simply beautiful, no wrinkles on her face. She takes off micro sonar from her ear and destroys it by leg, in her hidden rampage.
EXT. THE COSMOS
We see big spaceship moving toward us.
INT. THE SPACESHIP – THE COCKPIT
In vast, luxury cockpit, we see two people. ZILER is looking like very important and intelligent man, in forties, like FBI agent of the future. Chubby man is XUND who is younger and shorter than Ziler, in his thirties, very fat man, looking fine for sneering. Until Ziler navigates the ship, Xund has small hygienic pouch and he’s vomiting in it.
ZILER
I can’t understand you, Xund. Whyyou persistently refuse to take pills and save yourself of thesethroes?
XUND
(pause in vomiting)
Never! I told you – never! Idon’t want to swallow thatdevilish contrivance.
ZILER
Like drugs you are taking inyour séances and orgies arebetter? It’s disgusting, nowyou make me nausea.
XUND
I’ll tell you what’s disgusting.
Jumping from planet to planet,not sleeping in human bed formonths and believe your operativewho tricked us so many times, that’s really disgusting.
ZILER
You really think so?
XUND
Yes! How much time he lied to usfor finding the mercenary? Howmany times, just say it!
ZILER
Listen up! Amert is maybe lock head, but he is a mole, our mole and very good mole.He hashard moments, this is real testfor him too. I’m sure he’s notlying this time. Our man is there,on that Snake Pit or whatever theycall that part of city. Costs arepaying now for Agency.
XUND
Yes, yes. Agency never shots on empty.
From their sits we see they are approaching the magenta planet.
XUND
Is that it? Our destination?
ZILER
Yes. It’s Coptos. Recourse ofmutants, refugees, androids and allscamps of the universe. They maintain some status quo, balancing between Federation and Union, but profit from both sides. In a way, they arevery clever. But we have no doubtsthat eventually, they’ll stand toUnion side.
Xund takes new small pouch and vomits again.
ZILER
Don’t forget, Amert is a goodmole. He informed us about moves of mercenary in details,and risked the lives of hisoperatives.
Dialog continues when Xund have recovered from vomiting.
XUND
What’s his name?
ZILER
Maden. If you mean onmercenary?
XUND
Of course I mean. -- So, youthink he is the only person who can do the job?
ZILER
At least he can try to. And afterall, he can reject the job.
XUND
But...
ZILER
I know, I know what you going to say.But I have a plan. I doubt he canabort assignment. You know why?
Xund takes away look, he doesn’t’ know.
ZILER
He is marked!
XUND
What? He is banished from the Earth!?
ZILER
Yes, and believe me when I say, Imet plenty of them. He’ll do anything to erase that mark on hischeek.
XUND
So, you believe only he can catch her?
ZILER
Yes. The only thing left is topersuade him.
XUND
But... What about me? Why I am
here?
ZILER
You are technician. You work inbackground and prepare everythingabout accomplishment the mission.
You were druggy when I told youthis before?
XUND
(shrugs, like acceptance)
Maybe.
EXT. PLANET COPTOS – THE LANDING DOCK – DAY
In vertical position, with steamy thrusters, Ziler’s ship slowly goes towards the ground. When the ship is stable, we hear engine stops, metal doors open. Two men go outside. On the dock we see one soldier in futuristic suit and behind him four sentries.
SOLDIER
Follow me, sieres.
INT. LANDING DOCK CAFÉ – DAY
Ziler and Xund are sitting by the table, some green drinks on it. Xund is apparently nervous. Outside it’s raining.
XUND
How long we’ll wait here? Weare...
ZILER
We are nothing! To hell, whythey gave me you to follow, you fat brat?How can you be so stupid? Canyou comprehend anything?
XUND
Okay, okay. But what am I supposed to do? To jump of merriment forholding us three hours here. Let’s fuck them with their fucking control. Everybody come and go, just left us to waiting.
ZILER
That’s exactly why we’ll be perfectly calm. This is not Earth, you stupid moron! Nobody likes Agency and Earth here. It’s out of season, raining outside and they know we are no tourists, they are not idiots. Just shut up!
XUND
If you have leadership, you don’t have right to...
ZILER
Shut up, you dirty pig, I don’t let that one druggy idiot like you ruin months and months of preparations! I can harm you, don’t forget it.
Xund humbly stands back and continues with lower tone of voice.
XUND
Okay. You are the boss. Just this waiting drives me nuts.
ZILER
That’s their purpose. They probably know we are from Agency, but can’t prove it. Our documents are fine.
XUND
Let’s skip the whole thing. Iadmit, I’m nervous. And this rain makes me nuts. I hope Alert will be in place on time.
ZILER
Don’t worry. He will be.
XUND
Just tell me one thing, until we’re waiting. Why you so sure the mercenary will take the job?
ZILER
Because I know psychology of mercenary. I studied Maden for a long time. I analyzed by computer all details about him. And Agency has a lot of files. He was working for us. Mostly hunting.
XUND
Men?
ZILER
No! Androids. Maden can travel through Union territory, where Agency has no right to search for anything.
XUND
And he has mercenary services...
ZILER
And we use them. He did his jobs flawless. He sent all androids back, no one could recognize us behind all of it.
XUND
Hell of a guy, a?
ZILER
Crude and tough. Animal instinct. Genetically born without approving, his parents banished from Earth for that. Old type of hunter.
XUND
Is there anything positive about him?
ZILER
What you can expect from breeder. Runaway androids were fear of him. I saw it when we’ve been erasing their memory.
XUND
Interesting type. No refined technique like Agency.
ZILER
That’s right. You see, you can be bright too.
XUND
So, Agency loves Maden?
ZILER
Of course not. But on this planet of tolerance, we have no power and we must use people like Maden. At the end, he is the best. He just worked for us and we paid. But never what he asked.
XUND
And that is...
ZILER
Maybe only thing he has not. Ingress to Earth and inner worlds of Federation.
XUND
And you will give it on platter?
ZILER
Agency will remove embargo and erase him from genetically born. But before that, he will do the job. We must get back Lara to the Earth. Nobody can catch her before us.
INT. LANDING DOCK CAFÉ – LATER – DAY
One man in uniform from the service office goes to Ziler and Xund. There are some plastic cards in his hands.
CUSTOM MAN
You waited long, sieres, but our service is small and slow. Sometimes technology fails, it happens, you know.
They take the cards.
ZILER
Yeah, sure. No need to apologize. Service is a service.
CUSTOM MAN
How long you stay?
He shows no attention to leave, while Ziler and Xund take some bags.
XUND
(stuttering)
Well... I like to travel... really... Coptos is a fine planet... really... locality we saw... and climate... wonderful...
CUSTOM MAN
So, you are first time here?
ZILER
Oh, yes. The very first time.
CUSTOM MAN
Are you from Agency?
But direct, not proclaimed question didn’t surprise Ziler, like he is expecting this, he answers fast.
ZILER
Oh, no, no, no. We are not interesting for politics. And I don’t believe we’ll see the end of the rain season.
Custom man wants to ask again, but he feels inconvenient.
CUSTOM MAN
All right, sieres. You can go. I wish you good hore in our city, on our Coptos.
They are leaving. But custom man just stares at them, like he wants to do something, but he can’t.
ZILER
Thank you.
They are soon at the door with personal things without custom man.
XUND
What is hore?
ZILER
Good stay, I think.