CHECKPOINT (WORKING TITLE)

Written by Craig McInnes

INT. PRISON - TESTING LAB - NEAR FUTURE Sterile room. Blinding white. Cameras everywhere. A skinny bald CONVICT in an orange jumpsuit is secured to a gurney with straps. Sweaty, terrified- he strains to get free. His vital signs are BEEPING rapidly on a monitor in front of him. Door HISS open. A DOCTOR dressed in a green surgical smock enters holding a large knife. Cameras WHIR as they follow him. A loud speaker CLICKS. The voice is indifferent. SPEAKER Feeds coming in clear. Proceed. He walks to the gurney slowly. This is routine. The convict bucks like a bronco, his eyes wide. CONVICT No! No! Not again! Not again! Please! Please! The convict sobs, staring at the doctor. Nose running, drool drips from his mouth. CONVICT Please... Please dont do this. The doctor raises the blade. DOCTOR (Whispering) Im sorry. The convict SCREAMS. With a powerful thrust, the blade enters the convict. Guttural, terrified SCREAMS fill the room as the cameras watch. Vital signs spike. Rended flesh SQUELCHES as the Doctor stabs repeatedly. Blood sprays. The green smock is now a Jackson Pollack. The vital signs flatline. He is dead. The speaker CLICKS. SPEAKER Subject 16 deceased. Time of death: 2107. Good work, Doctor. Solemn and disturbed, the Doctor looks at his bloody hands and drops the knife. It CLATTERS.

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EXT. CITY STREETS - NIGHT RICK JACKSON,(30s) sprints after an ASSAILANT (30s). Determined, Rick weaves in an out of startled pedestrians in a cluttered, busy marketplace. Think Bangkok at night. Rick smiles to himself. He loves the chase. The assailant is YURI. White hair. Neck tatoos. Fast, but not agile, he CRASHES into people left and right- SMASHING over stands and people like a bull as he charges forward. Yuri looks back: Rick is gaining ground. Rapidly changing course, he ducks into an alleyway, SPLASHING through a puddle that soaks a BUM. BUM Watch it! Some of are trying to sleep here! God dammit, you messed up my blankets... The Bum shakes water off his cardboard shanty angrily mithering to himself. Seconds later, Rick arrives. The Homeless man flinches, expecting to get wet. Rick vaults the puddle like a track star. Upon landing, Rick unholsters his side arm. Yuri faces a dead end. Steam venting and mustard tone lighting from yard lights. He kicks a dumpster in frustration. It CLANGS. He wipes sweat from his brow. FOOTSTEPS. Rick- his side arm raised- draws down on Yuri, who grins and raises his hands. Russian. His accent is thick like molasses. YURI I give up, Mr Policeman. (Beat) You are quite persistent. Rick closes in. Aware. Focused. With one hand, he tosses electronic cuffs on the wet asphalt in front of Yuri. Rick nods to them. RICK Put them on. Yuri shows his palms to Rick and slowly approaches the cuffs. Rick touches an earpiece- his gun trained on Yuri. RICK Badge number 227 requesting evac with suspect, Yuri Ardankin. Suspect is unarmed.

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Ricks earpiece glows blue and beeps. A young woman chimes in his EARPIECE. EARPIECE Roger 227. Evac in twenty. Stand by. Yuri SNAPS his cuffs on. Rick approaches and pushes a red button on them. They WHIR and tighten. Yuri winces and chuckles. YURI I enjoy this game we play, you and I... Rick huffs. His jaw clenching. RICK Its not a game, Yuri. Now get down on your knees. Rick pushes Yuri on the shoulder, his gun at Yuris head. YURI Is that what you say to all your guy friends? Yuri chuckles deeply, and Rick stomps the back of his knees. Yuri drops to the asphalt, laughing. Rick glances to the sky, looking for the evac team. YURI (In Russian) You know, I am going to kill you and your entire family when I get out. Yuri smiles warmly up at Rick. But Rick understands, and grins back. With lightning speed, he THWACKS Yuri in the face with his side arm. RICK (In Russian) My Grandparents were from Minsk. And you arent going anywhere. Yuri takes the hit, and glares at Rick with murderous rage. He SPITS a gob of blood onto Rick and grins. Red teeth. Wild eyes. All maniac. Rick clenches his jaw and swallows rage.

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RICK Yuri Ardankin, you are under arrest Under Justice Code 4372, you are advised that anything you say during your incarceration will be used against you, and your memories will serve as your trial. Do you understand? Yuri sneers at Rick and nods once. From above, a futuristic squad car SWOOPS in, sirens WHOOPING and lights flashing. Flame blue thrusters BLASTING, it lands behind Rick- air jets ruffle his clothes. With a HISS, doors slide open and two ROBOTIC OFFICERS jump out with plasma rifles, landing with a powerful THUD. Servos WHIRRING, and metal feet CLICKING, they coldly grab Yuri and MARCH him to the cruiser. Rick gives them a comical salute. RICK Thank you boys. Get him out of here Yuri looks back at Rick, who has holstered his side arm. Yuri glares at Rick, unblinking. YURI I will return for you. (In Russian) A man is only as good as his promise! Yuri is forced inside the cruiser. The doors HISS closed. Engines RUMBLE and the cruiser takes off, lights flashing. A BEEP. FRAME FREEZES. INT. POLICE OFFICE - DAY Arms folded. Sour look. Rick sits in a dark room- hungover. Dimmed lights. Smart glass windows. Sleek design. A video feed is paused on a futuristic opaque flat screen. Police cruiser mid air. Lights flashing. CAPTAIN RAYLAN sits at his desk. We see his contempt for Rick through the screen. Tall. Lean. Black. Crisp suit. He sighs, leaning forward.

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RAYLAN That was not self defence. Rick shrugs this off, apathetic. He sighs. RICK Cap, heRaylan smacks the table angrily. Rick jumps. RAYLAN Thats not how we do things here, Lieutenant! (Beat) We do thingsRick rolls his eyes and joins in. RICK + RAYLAN By the book. Raylan nods, hands in a pyramid by his jaw. He smirks. A HUFF of air escapes his nose. RAYLAN Right. Rick leans into the table. Raylan shuts the monitor off. It WHIRS down into the desk. Rick talks with his hands. RICK I know, Cap. I know. Ive been afterRaylans nostrils flare and his eyes widen. RAYLAN I am well aware of the case history, Lieutenant. And I am sorry for your loss. But you do not get to police like that. Not anymore. Memcon like this could bury us if he gets a good lawyer. Rick scoffs and waves dismissively. Raylens stare is cold and fixed. He fixes his tie and stands up. RAYLEN One week. Leave your badge and gun on my desk. Sober up while you are at it.

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Raylen leaves. Rick, now slumped in his chair clenches his jaw. He kicks a nearby garbage can. It CLANGS and dents, contents spilling. With a HUFF, Rick springs up. Badge and Gun SLAM onto Raylens desk. He YANKS the door open and SLAMS it behind him. INT. PRISON - TESTING LAB Doors HISS as an unconscious CONVICT is wheeled into the room on a gurney by two ORDERLIES. They leave. Same convict from before. Different jumpsuit. The speaker CLICKS. Cameras WHIR as they focus and sterile lights HUM. The voice in the speaker sounds bored, talking with subdued inflections. SPEAKER Subject 16, test 17. Administer 500 Milligrams epinephrine and prep. The doctor preps a needle and gives the convict the shot. With a JUMP he wakes, screaming. Breathing heavy, he looks around. He knows this place. CONVICT No! No! Not again! Please not again! (Beat) I did this! I dreamed this! It was real! It was real! The Doctor opens a metal case. Inside it is a polished plasma service pistol. Standard police issue. He preps it, and it WHINES as it charges. The Speaker CLICKS. SPEAKER Feeds are clear. Proceed. The convict cries and blubbers to himself. CONVICT I did this... I did this... The doctor raises the weapon to the convict. DOCTOR (Whispering) Im sorry.

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He pulls the trigger. A BLAST. A blue bolt of energy RIPS through the convicts chest with a THUD. The gurney slams into the wall. He slumps, dead in an instant. Smoke rises from charred SIZZLING flesh. The Speaker CLICKS. SPEAKER Subject 16 deceased. Time of death: 2115. Upload complete. Prep for regen. Good work, Doctor. The doors HISS. The two ORDERLIES return and wheel the corpse away. INT. REGEN CENTRE - NIGHT Close up of convicts face. Terror. Pain. Eyes open. Chest open. Using scissors, ORDERLY 1 cuts off the jumpsuit. He drops it down a chute marked INCINERATOR. Large room. Loud. Full of pumps, hoses and stainless steel pipes and vessel. Almost looks like a brewery. Unfazed, ORDERLY 1 and 2 pick up the body. With a THUD, they drop it onto a RUMBLING conveyor belt and leave. The body moves on, entering what looks like a mulcher. It CRUNCHES, CRACKS and reduces to pulp. NEWSREEL A young, well-made up female ANCHOR reads the news. ANCHOR Ardankin was sentenced today in federal court, after being found guilty today of over several hundred charges, most notably the hostage situation and eventual bombing of the Los Angeles City Hall two years ago, killing 187 people that day. Footage cuts to the city hall in rubble and flames. Fire trucks blast water at the inferno. Survivors crying. ANCHOR (V.O) The trial lasted little but an hour, with a unanimous verdict, thanks to a controversial but highly effective technique:

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Footage cuts to a black screen with a holographic map of a human brain. Then another. Then another. 10 brains now showing. Each one has a video playing above it. A small car going around a figure 8 track. It loops. ANCHOR (V.O) Known as Memcon from Cortek Industries, data can be extracted to reconstruct scenes in a supercomputer. Live or dead, Memcon works. A green data stream from each brain joins to form a larger one. It connects to a graphic of a supercomputer, producing the car video loop as the result. Footage cuts back to the studio. ANCHOR Police are beginning to use the technology in larger areas, in the hopes of reducing the turnaround time in the US Justice System. (Beat) In related news, critics are questioning the behavior of Police Lieutenant Rick JaAn empty glass CRASHES on the screen. The picture flickers. We pan out. INT. EMPTY BAR - AFTER LAST CALL Rick hits the floor, one eye shut. Drunk. Sweaty. LENNY, the diminutive fatherly bartender, throws his towel on the bar and walks around to help Rick up. Thick New Jersey accent. LENNY Alright supercop. Youve had enough. Lenny HEAVES as he pries Rick off the floor. Rick grins, drooling as he tries to maintain balance. His voice is tired, sad. RICK Youre my only friend, Lenny. You know that? Pathetic, aint it? Lennys face falls solemn. He sighs and shakes his head. LENNY Im sorry, kid.

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Ricks eyes sink. He looks hurt, and shrugs Lennys grip off angrily. RICK Kid? Who you calling a kid? Lenny holds his hands out peacefully. His warms eyes smile. LENNY I didnt mean no disrespect, Ricky. You know that. (Beat) Im old. Everyone is a kid to me. Rick grins, stumbling, and pretends to jab Lenny- who flinches slightly but plays along. Rick chuckles, and its cut short by a HICCUP. Lenny points him to the door, smiling warmly. He pats Rick on the shoulder and pulls open the door. LENNY Go on, sleep it off. The bar door closes, and Lenny CLICKS the lock shut. EXT. STREETS - NIGHT Hot. Humid. Steam, smoke, noise and neon lights. Its night time but you wouldnt know it. Rick stumbles through all walks of life- all of them staring. He is no longer graceful- grazing shoulders and rolling his ankles. Rick trips and falls to the street. He MOANS, then vomits. Rick rolls away from the pool and gets up, lighting a smoke. Drool on his face. He TRUDGES on. INT. SARAHS APARTMENT - NIGHT Its dark. Two shadows appear under the door. Three KNOCKS. DOORBELL. DOORBELL. We hear a bedroom door YANK open and a SIGH, as SARAH (30s) STOMPS over. Blonde. Feisty. She knows who is behind it. Booty call. The light flicks on. Tired, but awake with adrenaline, she RIPS the door open. Rick leans in the doorway, stained in vomit. He PUCKERS his lips sloppily for a kiss and falls in on Sarah.

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Sarah curls her lip in disgust, holding him at arms length. She looks over her shoulder to the hallway, then turns back to Rick. She pushes him back. He falls backward, but holds onto the door frame, grinning. RICK Nice try. Sarah bares her teeth, leaning into Rick. SARAH (Whispering) Rick, its 3 a.m! And you stink like liquor and puke! Rick pulls his shirt up to his face and SNIFFS. RICK I dont smell anything. (Beat) I miss you... Rick leans in, smiling. Sarah deflects Ricks slow, tired advances. She huffs bitterly. SARAH Weve been through this. You shouldnt even be here. RICK (Mumbling) Come on, baby... (Beat) Itll better this time, I swear. Rick insists, and gropes her behind. Sarah pries him off her. SARAH I said no, Rick! She punches Rick hard in the nose. He clasps it, yowling. RICK That hurt! Sarah- afraid and angry- clenches her jaw and fists, ready to defend herself. Rick just sways in the doorway, sobbing. She sighs through her nose, hands to her hips. Anger melts away and motherly instinct kicks in. She reaches out to Rick. Rick smacks her hand away, wincing and cupping a bleeding nose.

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RICK Dont touch me! Thinned blood trickles down his scuffed arm and onto the floor. Sarah sighs. SARAH Shit, youre getting blood all over the place! Just... wait there. Ill get some towels. INT. KITCHEN - NIGHT The light flicks on. Sarah grabs paper towels and a bowl of water and creeps back out to the front door. INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT Sarah leads Rick inside and closes the door. He BURPS, swaying by Sarah, who grimaces. Sarah soaks a paper towel and gently wipes blood off Rick. He smiles warmly. RICK That feels nice... Ricks hands reach out to Sarah, who steps aside and wrenches his hose. Rick yelps, eyes watering. RICK Ow! Okay, okay! Sarah releases her grip. Rick sighs and hangs his head, still swaying. Half asleep. RICK Im sorry... Sarah continues to clean Rick, and gives him a dry paper towel. SARAH Here. Hold this on your nose. Rick obeys, clumsily. SARAH Youre a mess, Rick. Rick laughs softly. RICK I know.

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Sarah puts her hand on his jaw. Rick closes his eyes, embracing her touch. Leaning into her hand. Sarah allows it. SARAH Come on. Chin up. Sarah pushes hard on his skin. Venting her rage onto it. Rick allows it. SARAH Why do you do this to yourself? Rick says nothing. He is asleep standing up. Sarah smacks his face lightly and leads him to a couch. SARAH (Tenderly) Come on, Rick. Sarah tugs at Ricks blood-stained jacket. SARAH Take off your jacket. Come on. Ricks arms are heavy. Tired. Sarah helps. The jacket peels off and Rick YAWNS deeply. Sarah gently presses him down onto the couch. Rick EXHALES. Sarah covers Rick in a blanket and tucks him in. Half asleep, Rick holds Sarahs hand tenderly. Her first reaction is to pull away, but it fades fast. Rick smiles warmly. Eyes closed. RICK (Drowsily) Thank you. SARAH Dont mention it. Rick passes out. He goes limp and Sarah sneaks her hand back. She cleans up quietly and stares at Rick with longing and hate, before heading back into her room.