Online Read Free Novel
  • Home
  • Romance & Love
  • Fantasy
  • Science Fiction
  • Mystery & Detective
  • Thrillers & Crime
  • Actions & Adventure
  • History & Fiction
  • Horror
  • Western
  • Humor

    Terry Bisson

    Page 4
    Prev Next


      JOHNER

      Fuck Vriess!

      CUT TO INT. FALL - CONTINUOUS

      Vries enters, looking around. He is getting seriously wigged.

      The lights on the floor still pulse. urging him forward. He obeys.

      Something stirs in the rafters. Coiled about the pipes.

      Vriess stops, still a good thirty feet from the beast. Strains to see.

      It starts MOVING, climbing at him upside down on the pipes. FAST.

      Vriess starts wheeling himself back away but SLOWLY, agonizingly slowly compared to the beast.

      He turns the corner, spins around.

      The hall is fifty feet long. At the far end a few soldiers running through.

      SERGEANT

      Seal off that sector!

      A soldier runs to obey, working the door controls.

      VRIESS

      No!

      The soldier sees him, but the fear on the boy's face telegraphs his-decision.

      Vreiess starts pumping toward the door. He's strong, picking up speed,but

      The alien rounds the corner and bolts after him.

      Vriess can't even look back as the thing gains on him. The door begins to come down,

      the soldier finishing the sequence and running off.

      Vriess rolls, face set -- the alien a few feet behind, reaching for him

      An EXPLOSION far away ROCKS THE SHIP -- the hall tilted momentarily, Vriess gets a

      boost as he rockets downhill, the beast still on him, the door closing, too low for him

      to clear. He gets there and SLAMS a lever, his chair FLATTENS out to a dolly

      position, his head just CLEARS the closing door as the alien SLAMS into it, Vriess spinning

      out and flying off the chair it tilts, landing in a heap next to him.

      Lying still on the ground, He listens as the beast slams against the door a few more times,

      then fades off.

      VRIESS

      Fuck everything....

      He reaches up for the chair and from the back of it he pulls out a shotgun.

      CUT TO: INT. LIFEBOAT BAY 5 - CONTINUOUS

      Perez is trying to maintain order. He is failing. Grabs a corporal.

      PEPEZ

      Muster a squad to search for survivors!

      CORPORAL

      Fuck no! Fuck no! Fuck you!

      Perez slams him to the ground with his fist.

      An ALIEN LEAPS OUT at him from the ceiling. The soldiers scatter, Perez just leaping

      out of the way --

      PEREZ

      Shoot it! Fry it!

      A couple of men fire their burners, to little effect.

      One soldier runs up to the action. His head is bloodied, his expression vengefully grim.

      The soldier whips out a pistol, private.issue, he takes a bead on the thing --

      PEREZ

      NO!

      And the soldier FIRES -- pumps three bullets into the beast sends it flying back

      toward the window.

      Perez is riveted by the sight of: ANGLE: DROPS OF BLOOD

      big ones, hitting the window. Everything seems to move slowly now - the alien,

      struggling as the soldier pumps two more bullets into it, the other soldiers,

      Perez -- the monster falls

      and the BLOOD EATS THROUGH THE WINDOW..

      PEREZ

      Get out! Everyone! Now!

      Soldiers are beginning to get it. . The window CRACKS, begins to SHAKE as the blood is almost

      through it.

      Even the soldier who shot the alien has stoppe d, his face frozen in horror at what

      he's about to accomplish.

      Perez shoves him, herds the rest out, looking back --

      PEREZ

      Clear the sector!.

      at the window, the blood is almost through --

      Men are pouring out of the hall -- some move down a side hall and SLAM the door shut

      behind them, but most are making for the main exit anyway.

      FATHER

      Warning. Potential hullbreach. Clear sector.

      The blood eats a hole in the window -- the nearest soldier is sucked back against the

      window -- he SCREAMS as he is sucked through a hole no bigger than his fist.

      Still men are falling over each other, Perez herding them out.

      A huge CRACKING sound, and Perez shuts his eyes.

      The window explodes outward, the air blowing everything int space. Debris, vehicles,

      men, all tangled and dead as they blown out into the black.

      ANGLE: THE SECTOR DOORS

      SLAM shut instantly one cutting right through a soldier halfway out.

      ANGLE: AIR VENTS

      Gates slam down here as well.

      ANGLE: ELECTRICAL DUCTS

      Foam SHOOTS into them, hardening instantly, sealing the breached sector.

      FATHER

      Breach contained. Sector five nonfunctional.

      CUT TO: INT. HALL - CONTINUOUS

      As the crew moves quickly through. They come to a shut door, red lights along it

      indicating it's locked.

      ELGYN (to DiStephano)

      Open it.

      DISTEPHMO

      I can't.

      Johner puts his gun to the soldier's head.

      WREN

      He can't! The sector's closed. The hull's been breached!

      ELGYN

      Okay, which way?

      WREN

      We'll have to go through the holding cells. Here.

      ELGYN

      All right.

      They turn left, entering

      INT. CHAMBER - CONTINUOUS

      that leads to the holding cells. The room is big, a railing at one end looking over

      another chamber two flights down.

      A shut door separates the chamber from the cells.

      ELGYN

      Can you get that one open?

      It comes from the rafters, dropping down on Elgyn in a heartbeat. He barely has time to

      scream before it shoots its tongue through the back of his skull.

      Hillard has time. She SCREAMS as her lover's brains come out his mouth.

      The beast leaps at the group, scattering them like bowling pins as it claws into one

      of the guards. Everybody else is scrambling for cover.

      St Just tries to escape by running past the beast --its tail lashes out, tangling his feet

      and tripping him up, his head smashing against a pipe.

      Another guard hits it with the burner -- it shrieks and lands on him. Johner shoots at it

      but is far too panicked to hit it.

      Call has backed to the far wall -- she desperately works the controls to open the door.

      It starts to rise.

      CALL

      Christie! Hillard! Come on!

      The door rises fully. Ripley stands behind it.

      Call starts back, not sure what the woman will do.

      Ripley surveys the scene.

      The Alien, burrowing its head into the belly of the guard, stops. Looks up.

      Everyone watches as the two creatures sense each other. Th alien hisses. rears back.

      Ripley looks away, contemplative We see a gamut of emotions cross her face, but her posture

      passive, sacrificial. She does not move.

      Everyone watches, too afraid to breathe.

      The alien LUNGES at her, leaping across the room in two bounds. It's on her -- and she

      SPINS, GPABBING IT, and HURLS IT AWAY.

      It lands in a tangle but is up again in a microsecond, jumps at her, knocks her back into

      the room, on her, its claws digging into her skin, piston tongue at her face, inches away.

      She locks an arm around its slick, long head and pulls back we hear its tendons strain, snap.

      CALL (to a guard)

      Shoot it! Shoot them both!

      She grabs his gun and BURNS them both. Two less-than-human SCREAMS fill the room as they

      briefly disentangle, thrown apart.

     
    ; The beast recovers first, dodging the next blast and going for Ripley again.

      Ripley, on her back, reaches behind her, grabs a table leg and with inhuman strength

      brings the table down on the monster's head.

      She dives at it as it comes out from under....

      Call shoots as Ripley hits the alien, they're both fried as Ripley's momentum sends them

      over a railing and they FALL TWENTY FEET -- the Alien lands with a spine snapping crunch,

      Ripley only slightly better.

      A few crew members rush to look over the railing. Christie starts down the spiral staircase

      to that level.

      JOHNER

      Where are you going?

      The creature rolls back onto Ripley, grabbing her with its dying strength. Her face is

      rigid with pain and anger as she holds it off...

      its jaws open, dripping shaking...

      The tongue SHOOTS OUT and Ripley GRABS IT. HOLDS IT.

      A scream wells up in her throat. A totally animal killshriek that she SCREAMS, victorious,

      as she RIPS THE ALIEN'S TONGUE OUT OF ITS FACE.

      She stands, bellows another warrior cry. The crew has gathered near. They watch her, awed,

      wary. Ripley walks slowly up to them -- up to Call. Ripley looks a tad pissed.

      Call tenses, maybe wishing she hadn't shot Ripley as well.

      Ripley takes Call's hand, puts the tongue in it. walks on.

      Call looks at the dripping souvenier. The pincers at the end still twitching.

      CHRISTIE

      What the FUCK is going on here?

      RANE

      What was that thing? Are there more of that thing?

      JOHNER (to Call)

      Make a hell of a necklace...

      ANGLE: HILLARD

      on the upper level, kneeling by Elgyn's body. No tears, but terribly quiet.

      What do we do?

      CHRISTIE

      Same thing we were doing. We get the fuck.

      RANE

      What if there's more? Let's stay here and let the army guys deal. Someone will come... I mean, where are the fucking army guys?

      St Just is very calmly looking up at the rafters, guns drawn

      CHRISTIE

      Doctor. You know what that thing is?

      WREN

      I do.

      CHRISTIE

      And there's others. How many?

      The doctor looks around, almost guiltily.

      WREN

      Thirty.

      JOHNER

      Thirty! We are fucked in our pink bottoms if there's thirty of those things.

      RIPLEY

      There'll be more.

      Everyone looks around at her. She is squatting in the corner facing away from them.

      RIPLEY

      They'll breed. In a few hours there'll be twice that number.

      (she stands, approaches them)

      So who do I have to fuck to get off this boat?

      CHRISTIE

      You bought your ticket when you killed that thing. welcome aboard.

      CALL.

      Are you fucking crazy? She doesn't care if we....

      CHRISTIE (fiercely)

      You got no authority here, Call!- Now secure it!

      It's the first time Christie has raised his voice, and it has the desired effect.

      After a silent moment, Call starts again softly.

      CALL

      Christie, she's not human. Wren cloned her because she was carrying an alien in her.

      She could turn --

      JOHNER

      Nobody cares about your opinion, you bitch, you fucking mole --

      CALL

      She'll turn on us! Just like that!

      CHRISTIE I don't give a syphallitic fuck whether you people can get along or not. If we've got

      a wish to live then we work together, and that includes bug-lady.

      CALL

      You can't trust her.

      CHRISTIE

      I don't trust anyone.

      CUT TO: INT. CHAMBER/CELLBLOCK - A BIT LATER

      The group is still in the adjoining chamber, but looking here into the cellblock where

      Ripley had been. DiStephano and St Just come first, guns ready, looking about them.

      They are followed by Christie and Wren.

      WREN

      There's a console in the guards, station. We can punch up a diagnostic of the ship and

      plan a route. To your ship.

      CHRISTIE

      That likes me fine.

      He signals for the others to follow, everyone moving cautiously.

      ANGLE: HILLARD

      Gently lays her coat over Elgyn's face. Johner looks down a moment.

      JOHNER

      Via con Dios, man.

      Hillard stands. Call puts ahand on her shoulder but Hillard moves away, a distrustful

      look on her face.

      Ripley, bringing up the rear, watches the whole group with a sort of fascinated detatchment.

      Call looks back at her. Ripley smiles, coldly.

      ANGLE: IN THE CELLBLOCK

      The group makes their way slowly, quietly. They approach a bank of elevators, but Wren

      points down an adjoining doorway. They are about to go there when the elevator door

      lights up, indicating arrival.

      The group backs up, spreads out. Those who can find cover take it. guns drawn.

      The elevator doors open. It is too dark inside to see:

      Suddenly sparks fly from the broken overhead in the elevator and a figure appears in the light.

      Everyone jolts, about to fire. before they realize it is

      VRIESS

      Who sits in his chair, a shotgun in each hand, eyes wide. twitchier than they.

      JOHNER

      Oh, fuck...

      CALL

      vriess!

      VRIESS (mock casual)

      Hey, whatchyou guys doing? Hey, Annalee.

      CHRISTIE

      Thought you were toast for certain.

      VRIESS

      You've seen that fucking thing?

      WREN (suspiciously)

      Where were you?

      VRIESS

      I was down by -- what do you mean? I was in maintenance, checking out your oxidation systems.

      JOHNER

      Doc's got a bug up his ass 'cause Call's a mole and he thinks we're a conspiracy.

      VRIESS (looking at Call)

      She's a what?

      JOHNER

      A mole. A fucking spy.

      Vriess looks hit harder by that information than anyone.

      CHRISTIE

      We got'a mission here, people. Let's keep moving.

      They do.

      CUT TO: INT. GUARDS, STATION - MOMENTS LATER

      ANGLE: THE CONSOLE

      A hologram of the ship appears above the screen. It looks a solid as the ship itself,

      except that parts of it occasional break themselves down to show interiors.

      The group looks it over. Parts of the ship are simply not there, the sections around

      those holes red. Wren points them out.

      WREN

      We've had hull breach by the lifeboats, here on level five, and down -- Jesus, right

      by the engine room. We're very lucky.

      ST JUST (sarcastically)

      Lucky we.

      CHRISTIE

      What about the Betty? Our ship.

      WREN

      The dock seems to be intact.

      CHRISTIE

      Then we head for it.

      JOHNER

      Can we track tho se fucking things?

      WREN

      No.

      JOHNER

      We could get to the Betty and they could be all over it!

      RANE

      Are you toting a better fucking idea?

      WREN

      All of the activity seems'to have been in the aft-sector, by the barracks.

      There's no reason to suppose they'd move

      RIPLEY

      They won't.

     
    Everybody looks at her.

      RIPLEY

      They're breeding. They've got new bodies to work on. They'll stay close. If they send

      anybody out, it'll be here. Where the... meat is.

      CALL

      'The meat' . Jesus.

      ST JUST

      They're breeding. How long does that take?

      RIPLEY

      Hours.

      WREN

      Or less. The process has accelerated, something to do with the cloned cells.

      CHRISTIE

      Faster we get from here to there, the better.

      ST JUST

      With all the devils of hell in between.

      JOHNER

      Well, if we want to make decent time I say we ditch the cripple.

      (to Vriess)

      No offense.

      VRIESS (giving him the finger)

      None taken.

      HILLARD

      Nobody's left behind, Johner. Not even you.

      Her voice is quiet, mourning still thick in it. Nobody backtalks her.

      CHRISTIE

      So what's our route?

      WREN

      I'm trying to figure it. we can cut through the labs, but we're blocked on both sides here,

      I'm not sure

      DISTEPHMO

      Sir? There is the lift.

      WREN

      Show me.

      DiStephano works the console and the hologram splits, the route he's indicating revealed.

      DISTEPHMO

      The lifts. They run straight from the top of the ship down to engineering. No stops, but

      if we can get in the shaft, there's a maintenece access tunnel here

      (points to the center of the shaft)

      that runs above level one deck. Take us right to the dock.

      CHRISTIE

      Sounds reasonable.

      DISTEPHANO

      I don't have the code for the access tunnel door.

      WREN

      I can override.

      DISTEPHMO

      (indicating the route)

      Then we head through the labs, then down to the kitchen. To the bottom of the shaft.

      Up, through the tunnel, and onto the ship. Home free.

      ANGLE: VRIESS

      Is unloading additional ammo from inside his chair. He toss one of his shotguns to Hillard.

      VRIESS

      They never check the chair...

      He pulls out a grenade launcher. It's so compact it's almost cute, cradled one handed like

      an uzi.

      VRIESS

      Call.

      She looks around and he tosses it to her. The gesture is not acconmpanied by

      any show of warmth.

      VRIESS

      Try not to shoot your foot off.

      WREN

      You people should know --

      ST JUST

      We.won't shoot at the windows, Doc.

      WREN

      No. The aliens, they bleed molecular acid.

      CHRISTIE

      That's right, I saw that.

      VRIESS

      So did I.

     


    Prev Next
Online Read Free Novel Copyright 2016 - 2026