EXT. SPACE –- CONTINUOUS

The Glory comes to a slow stop over the planet. Fighters
spill out of its belly and then a shining orb streaks out of
its maw – it hurtles through space toward the distant but
fast-approaching Corporate fleet and, seconds after it
passes out of reckoning, there is a distant tiny explosion.

INT. CEO’S OFFICE – NIGHT

The CEO stands in his dark office looking at the city
outside; projected inches in front of him, reflecting upon
him, is a strategic battle map. An ‘X’ flashes across one
vessel; both presently disappear. The attendant then enters
his office breathless and begins to cross the floor to him.

                          ATTENDANT
          Sir, we’ve gotta go.
          
                           THE CEO
          No.

One word, quiet, firm, commanding. The attendant stops in
his tracks.

                           THE CEO
          You go.
               (Turning back to the
          strategic diagram)
          I’ll stay.

The attendant regards this man, suddenly grown nobler,
before turning without argument and leaving. The CEO closes
his eyes as the door is once again shut.

EXT. SPACE

The forward elements of each force meet and lock in furious
battle, decimating each other. Space is torn by an
undulating sea of flame.

OUTSIDE THE GEMINI, an enemy vessel pulls up slowly beside
Dawson’s flagship and opens fire point blank.

INT. GEMINI - HANGAR

The hangar doors slowly open. What they reveal beyond is
another starship perilously close – blocking view of all
that lies beyond it – searing the Gemini with fire. Even as
fighters and gunships inside the hangar begin to make their
way up and out, laser fire streaks into the room and hits
some, seriously damaging them; it sears the walls and
ceiling.

INT./EXT. DAVIES’S GUNSHIP – MOVING

Davies pilots his vessel off the floor and toward the entry.
Lasers streak past from all directions already.

                           JOHNSON
          How the hell do we even get out of
          here?
               
                           DAVIES
          Luck.
               
                           JOHNSON
          Last time your luck nearly got us
          killed.

The fighter beside them explodes, but somehow Davies and
Johnson make it outside the Gemini unscathed.

EXT. SPACE - CONTINUOUS

They turn and pick up speed. Now they are moving through a
corridor of death – the Gemini to their left; an enemy ship
to their right; both locked in violent battle all around
Davies’s fighter. The smaller ship maneuvers between the
laser blasts and down, away from the two ships and toward
the planet below. And then they’re free of the barrage, and
picking up speed quickly.

INT. DAVIES’S GUNSHIP - CONTINUOUS

Johnson heaves a sigh of relief. Davies’s hands still grip
the controls, shaking slightly.

EXT. SPACE - CONTINUOUS

The gunship flies away from the Gemini just as Dawson’s
flagship utterly destroys its attacker. The enemy ship
explodes in a brilliant blast of fire and light.

INT. GEMINI – BRIDGE - CONTINUOUS

A great cheer goes up as the vessel explodes; Joggins smiles
like a child.

INT. GEMINI – STRATEGIC PLANNING ROOM - CONTINUOUS

Dawson watches the battle unfold on his large circular
display, his features determined.

EXT. MAGNAPOLIS – CONTINUOUS

Already the battle has begun in the city. Fighters on both
sides are engaged in battle over and between the buildings,
replacing the usual steady traffic through the United
Capital. Bombs are dropped; buildings explode. Amidst all of
this a single gunship flies without making a single shot.

INT. STEVE’S GUNSHIP – MOVING

Willem checks a display in the cockpit as he pilots the
vessel over the buildings. Very near ahead stands the
Corporate Tower, dwarfing all those buildings around it. As
the gunship flies past and over the wide expanse of park
between the Corporate Tower and the remains of the
Presidential Tower, Willem leans back to Steve.

                           WILLEM
          We’re first down. You ready?
          
                            STEVE
          Hell, yeah.

He shifts in his seat and grabs hold of the arms as Willem
smiles and reaches down to press buttons on the equipment
around him.

                           WILLEM
          You do this before?
          
                            STEVE
          No.
          
                           WILLEM
          It’s fun.

There is a beeping and a flashing and then a FEMALE VOICE
says:

                        VOICE (V.O.)
          Auto-destruct in sixty seconds.

Willem pulls another lever and suddenly—

EXT. MAGNAPOLIS - CONTINUOUS

He is shooting through the air on his seat, high through the
air, and his gunship disappears below him, and the lights of
the city disappear below him, and the wind pounds against
him, and then he reaches the top of his arc and his seat,
which has rocketed underneath him, falls away, and Willem
falls with it though in a different direction, and he looks
down as he falls down to see his gunship fall far below and
the ground much much further below but closer by the
millisecond.

NOT FAR AWAY Steve’s experience is little different, except
he seems to feel very little of the exhilaration Willem
does:

                            STEVE
          HOOOOOOLLLLLLLLYYYYYYY
          SHIIIIIIIIIIIITTTTTT!!!!!!!!!!!

AS WILLEM FALLS, his parachute suddenly opens, and he is
jerked, and then he begins to float leisurely down as battle
rages all around. The gunship explodes below him as Steve’s
parachute unfurls above him. Willem reaches into his pocket
and pulls out a communicator that looks similar to the one
Dawson gave Davies earlier.

                           WILLEM
          Steve? Steve?

STEVE places his own communicator into his ear.

                            STEVE
          Jesus Christ.

WILLEM smiles.

                    STEVE (O.S.) (CONT’D)
          You call that fun?

4/11/2003 10:27:44 PM
(Updated: 4/12/2003 5:55:03 PM)

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