LOGAN'S RUN

Revisions by
Christopher McQuarrie

March 1, 2006
BLACK

A man’s voice. Soft. Quiet. Soothing.

VOICE (V.O.)
After centuries of struggle, a new
era had come. An intellectual and
technological revolution...

Still images stream by - less a montage than an

advertisement, a promotion.

VOICE (V.O.) (CONT’D)

Mankind was, at long last, on the
verge of eradicating disease, war,
poverty and pollution.

The stills show carefully selected images of the

strife and confusion in a world strange yet
hauntingly familiar. It is our future.

One thing common in each image: The world is crowded.

Take for example the shot of Stonehenge with
apartment towers looming in what had once been the
surrounding countryside. But a good campaign would
never dwell on the bad. Things get better. And fast.

Again in stills, speeding by us faster and faster, we

are teased with glimpses of a future we long to see -
the one they promised you in grade school. Technology
offers sight for the blind, legs for the lame, food
for the starving, peace and harmony for all.

VOICE (V.O.) (CONT’D)

The symbols of this revolution were
the colonies - pristine ecosystems
ringing the globe - farms used to
feed a planet slowly edging back
from the brink of overpopulation.

EXT. EARTH’S ORBIT - DAY

Said colonies, wheel-like and gleaming, in a

geosynchronous ring around the planet. An awesome
sight.

VOICE (V.O.)
Mankind looked ahead to an age of
prosperity. An age of peace.

We direct your attention to the Earth below, half in

sunlight, half in darkness - the night half blazing
with the glow of ground-lights.
 2.

Enough that we can make out the shape of entire

continents through a faint reddish haze.

VOICE (V.O.) (CONT’D)

But this new age meant nothing to
the forces of nature.

Push into Earth, smooth but faster than light. We

find ourselves in:

EXT. FOREST - DAY

A forest, lush and green. Peaceful.

TITLES: Yellowstone National Park. A matter of

time...

The serene majesty of one of the last wildlife

reserves on Earth. Shot after shot of silent,
peaceful nature. Bright sunshine, running water. A
MASSIVE STAG grazes in a quiet meadow.

Then the animal senses something, looking up. There

is an almost imperceptible rumbling - less a sound
than a sensation. Something bad is going to happen.

CLOSE ON the geysers of Yellowstone. Simmering,

steaming, bubbling... Their percolating changes
suddenly to something bigger. Steam erupts violently
from one geyser after another. Then the blast.

We'll have to move back to safely observe it. Say...

EXT. SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - DAY

A black wall of debris and ash comes at us moving

faster than the speed of sound. Thus we don't hear
it. Just before it swallows us we jump back to:

EXT. LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - DAY

The black wall shows no sign of slowing. It overtakes

us and this time we stay. We hear it now and wish we
hadn’t - wind moving at eight hundred miles per hour.
The shock-wave changes day to night in the blink of
an eye, leveling buildings like blades of grass. What
little is left standing is buried under ten feet of
searing hot ash.
 3.

EXT. PACIFIC OCEAN - DAY

The energy generated by the blast drives the ocean

outward in front of it like a wrinkle in a large blue
blanket. The tidal wave that forms gains height as it
slows, looming large on its inevitable approach to
Japan. Out of respect for the soon to be extinct,
we'll move on to:

EXT. CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - DAY

The appropriately named Windy City barely survives

the blast and the air we breathe is now dominated by
a swirling cloud of abrasive ash. We choose to show
the effect of this ash by CRANING DOWN TO REVEAL:

The animals at the Chicago Zoo. Howling and panic

give way to desperate attempts to breathe. The
animals quickly choke on their own blood, the ash
shredding their lungs.

Not once in this sequence do we see a human being. We

only see the monuments that man has made to himself -
crippled and caked with nature’s answer to scrubbing
powder.

EXT. NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SUNSET

Two feet of ash covers the ground in Manhattan.

Traffic is stopped, engines choked. Soot is the
Earth's new atmosphere.

Finally we PULL BACK FURTHER TO:

EXT. SPACE - TIMELESS

Looking down on the United States from 150 miles up.

A cloud spreads like the spilling of black ink with
remarkable speed across the face of the country, then
the continent, ignoring all borders, all plans, all
hubris. It's simply too much to comprehend. But
someone has to.

PULL BACK just a little further TO REVEAL:

Our view of the Earth is actually a reflection in the

smooth visor of a space-helmet. AN ASTRONAUT,
tethered to one of the colonies, his face hidden,
watches the destruction of Earth. No going back.
 4.

And as the last glimpse of blue sea and green grass

is inked out by blackening ash:

VOICE (V.O.)
Indeed a new era had come. And if
mankind was to survive, he would
have to rethink his society, his
morality... Mankind would have to
rethink himself.

TITLES: Planet Earth: Lastday.

BLACK

Silence, eventually giving way to the sound of

desperate breathing, feet pounding... someone running
for what is left of his life.

EXT. RAIN FOREST - NIGHT

A familiar lush and green, only more so. Bright

moonlight slices through the dense canopy above. The
sound of running is lost among birds and animals,
babbling water. Looking closer at the dense thicket
we find a pair of eyes staring at us. Hunter’s eyes.

LOGAN-5 - world weary at 20 - wears a tight black

uniform, a broad, off-white stripe across his chest.
His keen eyes lock on the slightest movement in the
underbrush. His hand reaches down to his sparsely
equipped belt to slowly un-holster a gun, the likes
of which we have never seen.

As he aims, a holographic display comes to life -

floating above the gun in lieu of sights. (This
display is visible only from the shooter’s P.O.V.
directly behind the gun.) The display shows range,
wind, minute of angle, temperature, you name it. A
moving cursor tracks and dismisses any non-living
movement. The flick of a switch turns the image to
infra-red. A scroll-wheel by Logan’s thumb allows him
to adjust the depth. This gun has eyes that can reach
through solid matter like the parting of a veil. He
can make out a vaguely human shape in the underbrush.

A single word flashes on the screen:

RUNNER

Logan looks down at the soft Earth and the tracks he

finds there. He holsters his weapon and follows the
tracks, relying on his senses.
 5.

He smiles, at peace with himself and the hunt. Soon

he is close enough to hear the man breathing.

Logan sees a hanging orchid and reaches for it,

smells it - taking in the beauty around him. We
notice A RED CRYSTAL fixed to his palm, glowing red.

LOGAN
Runner.

The breathing stops. The jungle is suddenly silent.

LOGAN (CONT’D)
My name is Logan-5. I can help you.

No answer. When Logan speaks, it is with genuine

compassion. A man you can trust.

LOGAN (CONT’D)
It’s your time. Nothing can change
that. Come on out.

No answer. Logan is too focused on the person hidden

in front of him to notice ANOTHER MAN rising from the
underbrush behind him. He holds a large rock, ready
to strike. But a twig underfoot betrays him.

SNAP.

In the next instant, Logan turns, draws and CRACK.

The man falls. Logan turns back in time to catch

glimpse of his original quarry running deeper into
the jungle. Logan gives chase with remarkable speed
and even more remarkable ease. He was born for this,
bred for this. There is no outrunning Logan.

FRANCIS-7, all of 19 years and wearing a uniform

identical to Logan’s, emerges from the brush and
falls in step with Logan. Same speed and ease.

FRANCIS
Did I hear a shot?

Logan nods, concentrating on the fleeting target

ahead.

FRANCIS (CONT’D)
Save some for the rest of us, will
you?

CLOSE ON: THE RUNNER. A YOUNG WOMAN, nice enough

looking, but desperate - running for her life. CLOSER
STILL and we see the palm of her right hand.
 6.

She has a crystal like Logan’s, but hers is flashing:

BLACK. RED. BLACK. RED.

She looks ahead, able to make out lights through the

trees.

RUNNER’S P.O.V. Civilization? Safety? The jungle is

thinning out until suddenly:

The Runner emerges into a clearing of some kind,

bright light all around and:

CRACK. She drops, convulses and goes limp. Death is

quick. Bloodless.

Logan and Francis arrive a beat later - not even

winded. Francis holsters his still smoking weapon. He
looks at the body with surprising indifference. But
there is something in Logan’s eyes... Something
tired.

Francis touches a tiny radio hiding in his ear.

FRANCIS (CONT’D)
Central, Francis-7. I have one
under at Rec Park.

VOICE (ON RADIO)

Francis-7, Central. We copy. The
board is clean. That’s all of them.

Then a sound of soft clapping. Logan and Francis look

up TO REVEAL:

EXT. CITY CENTER - NIGHT

An urban landscape starts abruptly where the jungle

ends. Logan and Francis are surrounded by CROWDS OF
YOUNG, ATTRACTIVE CITIZENS in an ultra-modern city.
(Keener eyes will note not one soul is older than
twenty-one.) They clap with the politeness of golf
spectators.

Francis smiles and waves politely to the people. But

Logan’s eyes narrow, sensing something Francis
doesn’t. He draws his gun.

Instantly the applause stops. Eerie silence as

hundreds of right hands raise obediently to
“identify.” Each palm has a crystal in one of three
colors - yellow (youngest), blue (adolescent) or red
(adult). None are flashing like the Runner’s.
 7.

Francis tries to keep smiling, confused.

FRANCIS
Hey. We got ‘em all.

Logan takes a step forward, the crowd parting for

him. He is clearly a man of immense importance in
this world. Everyone looks at him like he is a rock
star.

On his display, people are marked with little colored

blips - tracking signals that match the color of
their crystals - along with their names and other
personal info. Logan uses the scroll wheel on the gun
to look through the bystanders.

In the crowd of motionless gawkers he finds A LONE

FIGURE walking away through the haze of semi-
transparent bodies on the display. Francis looks over
Logan’s shoulder and through his weapon-sight.
Nothing unusual. No red blip. No flashing word:
RUNNER.

FRANCIS (CONT’D)
What are you doing? He’s not a ru-

Logan aims with purpose now. The people move quickly,

grabbing hold of anyone not paying attention. The
crowd parts as if by Logan’s will, exposing:

DOYLE-4, a well-built, handsome man, walking away

quickly with barely a glance over his shoulder.

Logan zooms in with his weapon-sight on Doyle’s hand.

Through his loosely closed fingers we can see the
flashing: BLACK. RED. BLACK. RED.

LOGAN
YOU. IDENTIFY.

Doyle runs. Logan takes off after him, his voice

filling the radio in Francis’ ear:

LOGAN (ON RADIO) (CONT’D)

You were saying?

Francis runs after Logan and Doyle.

ANGLE ON: A black, reflective oval about the size of

a human face. It is concave and thus gives the
appearance of following us as we move past with Logan
- almost like a dark, lifeless eye.
 8.

Looking around, we notice these “eyes” everywhere.

EXT. CROWD - NIGHT

Logan slows down, unable to see Doyle for a moment -

a ten foot bubble of space between himself and the
nearest civilian at any time. The crowd always parts
obediently, each citizen calmly pointing the way
Doyle just went. A runner doesn’t have a chance.

He spots Doyle and gives chase. Looking down on them

from high above, we realize they are running across a
wide expanse of glass, a night-club under their feet,
flashing lights and densely packed bodies dancing.

At the far end of the glass, another crowd provides

cover for Doyle. When they see Logan coming, they
identify and part. But Doyle has vanished again -
using the dense crowd as cover.

Francis catches up to Logan, searching first with his

eyes, then raising his gun. Annoyed, Logan pushes it
down.

LOGAN
Show me something, Francis.

Francis nods and holsters his weapon. He looks around

in all directions, searching for Doyle in the crowd.
A needle in a haystack. On instinct alone:

FRANCIS
This way.

INT. LIFT-BAR - NIGHT

The same glass-topped nightclub Logan was running

over a moment ago. The bar here doesn’t serve drinks.
Instead it offers pills, injections, inhalers.
Everyone is comfortably numb.

Doyle shoves past the line at the bar and confronts

the SERVER. This Server knows Doyle but plays dumb.

SERVER
You’ll have to get back in line,
sir.
 9.

Doyle reaches into his shirt, revealing a chain

around his neck with a small gold symbol hanging from
it. Whatever it is supposed to mean, the Server is
not impressed.

SERVER (CONT’D)
I can’t help you.

Doyle grabs the Sever by the collar.

DOYLE
You don’t understand. I have
something they need.

The Server looks over Doyle’s shoulder and sees the

crowd parting outside - the unmistakable sign of
approaching Sandmen.

SERVER
You’re too late.
(for others to hear)
Now get back in line.

Doyle turns in time to see Logan and Francis coming.

There is no other way out but past them.

Doyle charges straight at them, anyway.

ANGLE ON: Logan draws his gun and aims. Doyle side-
steps at the last instant, grabbing hold of a DRUGGED
CLUBBER as a human shield and:

EXT. LIFT-BAR - NIGHT

CRASH. The glass partition next to Logan explodes

outward as Doyle and his human shield come smashing
through. Doyle hits the ground running, throwing the
Clubber into Logan before he can get a shot. Francis
comes around Logan, raising his weapon to fire, but
too late. Doyle grabs him and drives him backward
with all his might, tossing Francis backward and over
a nearby railing. He falls a good sixty feet into a
crowd far below, presumably to his doom.

Surprisingly, Logan never looks back. He just keeps

chasing Doyle.

The Clubber staggers to his feet, wobbles slightly

and continues dancing.
 10.

INT. VATOR STATION - NIGHT

VATORS are the sleek, advanced mass-transit system

here; the marriage of elevator and subway - spacious
and glass-enclosed with seats all around.

Doyle manages to get on board just as one is leaving.

The pleasant music playing on the vator stands in

stark contrast to the scene.

INT. VATOR - CONTINUOUS

A group of DRUGGED-OUT PARTY KIDS stare at Doyle as

he waits anxiously for the door to close. But then:

Logan appears, grabbing the doors as they shut. Doyle

attacks. Logan manages to kick him back through the
partly open door, pulling himself in as:

INT. VATOR STATION - NIGHT

The vator’s substantial doors close with an air-tight

hiss. A magnetic seal hums. The vator leaves the
station and ascends rapidly.

INT./EXT. VATOR - NIGHT

Doyle and Logan go hand-to-hand, grappling for

Logan’s gun. Only now do we realize just how big
Doyle is. The drugged-out kids stare, detached.

As the vator rushes straight up we see the massive

VATOR TRACK SYSTEM extending as far as the eye can
see. City lights sparkle far below.

Logan’s weapon fires, blasting a hole in the vator’s

glass. A violent rush of air. Looking down we see
we’re a mile up now.

The struggle continues, Doyle pressing Logan against

the shattered window, slicing his arm. The vator
climbs ever higher and we notice the bits of broken
glass and the seat belts are floating.

Logan kicks Doyle in the gut with ease. Doyle floats

rather than falls. We realize gravity has left us.
 11.

Doyle braces himself to the wall, ready to launch in

the sudden weightlessness. But before Doyle can
lunge, Logan draws his gun. Doyle freezes.

The bystanders suddenly sit up with grim interest.

DRUGGED-OUT KID
Sleep him.

LOGAN
Come on, Doyle. There’s nowhere to
run.

Doyle holds up his hand. The crystal affixed to his

palm flashing: BLACK. RED. BLACK. RED.

DOYLE
It isn’t where we’re running,
Sandman... It’s why.

And in the instant Logan takes to process that, Doyle

turns in zero G and simply flies toward the broken
window. Logan lunges, trying to catch Doyle by the
collar, but all he gets is the chain around his neck.
It snaps off in Logan’s hand as Doyle floats away,
surreal. But all things come to an end.

Finally, he falls...

EXT. VATOR - CONTINUOUS

...Upward.

Slow at first, then faster. Logan’s eyes follow Doyle

upward and we expect to find the sky, of course. We
are confused to see another sprawling landscape a
mile above, bathed not in darkness but warm sunlight.
It waits to receive the falling Doyle.

INT. VATOR - CONTINUOUS

The kids watch Doyle fall in awe. Logan grabs ahold

of the vator an instant before it slowly flips over.
Up becomes down. Gravity slowly returns.

As day breaks on the vator, our eyes are open to the

bigger picture. We are not above the surface of some
future Earth but inside a MASSIVE CYLINDRICAL WORLD.
One that boggles the mind.
 12.

It is twenty miles long and two miles across. Its

entire surface is a landscaped microcosm - mountains,
cities, vast stretches of rich farm land, the rain
forest. Look toward either end of the cylinder and
the terrain curves up into a concave horizon;
disorienting to us. Look straight up and instead of
sky we see the other side of the world - its rooftops
looking back.

There is no sun, no moon. Light is dispersed via four

massive tube-like optical diffusers running through
the center of the cylinder. The vator system
stretches like a vast web to all corners of what we
will refer to as THE COLONY.

To Logan this is all no big deal. Just home. Instead

he stares at Doyle’s chain and the odd symbol hanging
from it. He studies the object, considering Doyle’s
last words the way we study the world around him.
Mystified.

EXT. SANDMAN HEADQUARTERS – LATER THAT DAY

Logan walks toward an impressive edifice of gleaming

black glass and steel. He swipes his crystal in front
of a scanner and a previously invisible door opens
for him.

Francis is standing just inside, smiling as if to

say, “Here I am.” Logan smiles warmly, which is odd
since Francis should be dead.

LOGAN
That was quick.

Francis stretches, bends.

FRANCIS
They just had to replace a couple
of discs. Only took a few minutes.

The friends share a smile, but it is short-lived.

FRANCIS (CONT’D)
That runner didn’t have a signal,
Logan. How is that even possible?

LOGAN
It isn’t. Not without help.

FRANCIS
Help from who?
 13.

VOICE (O.S.)
LOGAN.

Logan and Francis turn to see a handful of rowdy

Sandmen entering. The mood is almost like a bachelor
party. In the center of group is the friendly,
smiling: PHILIP-5.

Logan is obviously glad to see him, smiling as he

approaches until:

Philip holds up his hand, exposing his palm and the

crystal flashing: BLACK. RED. BLACK. RED.

Logan pauses ever so slightly, then manages to smile.

PHILIP
Can you believe it? Can you believe
it?

Logan tries to sound sincere.

LOGAN
Congratulations, Philip. I’m happy
for you.

FRANCIS
How do you feel?

PHILIP
Best day of my life.

Francis extends a hand to shake, genuinely happy.

FRANCIS
And the last.

PHILIP
And the last.

INT. SANDMAN HEADQUARTERS - MAP ROOM - MOMENTS LATER

This high-tech government station is a blur of

activity. Logan and Francis approach a dozen other
Sandmen standing inside of THE BOARD - a huge 3D,
holographic, cylindrical GRID-MAP. It can display the
location of any citizen in the colony.

ROTH-5 - a consummate multi-tasker - runs the grid,

tracking the movements of countless citizens.
 14.

DEL-7 sits nearby monitoring all communication in the

colony, simultaneously eavesdropping on voice
transmission and skimming a dizzying amount of text -
anything deemed suspicious first by a super-computer
and passed along to a row of Sandmen on the far side
of the room. Del makes the final call.

Logan tussles the hair of FREDERICK-5, a fourteen

year-old blue trainee who watches enthusiastically
from the back.

ROTH
(manipulating monitor)
Got one... In arcade.
(seeing Logan)
Nice work out there, Logan. They’re
still hosing your guy off the vator
station.

Motion on the board. Roth pinpoints a runner

signified by a flashing red beacon. We see a CAMERA
P.O.V. looking down on the populace from a thousand
feet up. Roth zooms in and finds: RICHARD-6. Face-
recognition software scans him. An identity profile
appears instantly.

Del never even looks up at the board.

DEL
Richard-6?

FREDERICK-5
How did you-

Del taps the small ear-piece, smiling.

DEL
Been making farewell calls. He
knows he won’t see renewal.

ROTH
Central, Erik-2. Runner headed for
Rec Park. Intercept and prosecute.

VOICE (ON RADIO)

Erik-2, Central, I see him.

All eyes look up at the board. A BLACK DOT

representing Erik-2 moves toward the flashing red
beacon. A moment later, the red beacon simply
vanishes.

VOICE (ON RADIO) (CONT’D)

One under.
 15.

Del shakes his head with a sigh.

DEL
A man gives up eternal lives for
five more minutes in this one. As
many times as I see it I still
don’t follow.

LOGAN
What have you got for me?

Del isolates a portion of the board and calls up the

profile for:

ROTH
Here’s your runner. Doyle-4.

LOGAN
Any idea how he hid his signal?

DEL
Before today I would have said it
couldn’t be done.

FRANCIS
(re: Doyle)
Mainframe engineer. Not the profile
of your typical runner.

LOGAN
And not the only engineer we’ve
prosecuted lately. Roth, get me a
copy of-

Roth hands Logan what looks like a small sim card.

ROTH
Doyle-4’s profile.

LOGAN
Thanks. I’d also like a lis-

ROTH
A list of known associates is
included.

As Logan heads for the door:

LOGAN
What would I do without you, Roth?

ROTH
You have no idea.
 16.

Francis pulls Logan aside, lowering his voice.

FRANCIS
You’re onto something, what is it?

LOGAN
Something Doyle said. Just before
he jumped. “It isn’t where we
run... It’s why.”

FRANCIS
Why do any of them run? There’s
nowhere to go.

Logan produces the chain he took from Doyle, handing

it to Francis.

FRANCIS (CONT’D)
What is it?

LOGAN
I don’t know. I took it off Doyle.

Francis inspects the symbol hanging from the chain.

He shrugs. No idea what it is.

FRANCIS
What do you think it means?

LOGAN
I think it means we’re looking at a
new kind of runner.

Francis is about to respond when a hand reaches into

frame and snatches the chain from Logan.

VOICE (O.S.)
Thought you didn’t approve of
trophies, Logan.

Logan and Francis turn to find another Sandman -

MORAH-2 (17). Brash, arrogant, mean-eyed. He wears a
necklace with a dead runner’s black crystal on it.

FRANCIS
(taking the chain back)
That’s evidence, Morah.

MORAH
That was some spill you took,
Francis. Got any of your original
spine left?
 17.

FRANCIS
It’s all steel now.

MORAH
It’ll take more than an aftermarket
backbone to replace Logan.
(to Logan)
When are you going to make your
decision, anyway?

LOGAN
In time.

MORAH
(looking at Logan’s crystal)
Not much left, I’d say.

LOGAN
The sooner the better.

Morah laughs and walks away, but the comment concerns

Francis.

FRANCIS
What did you mean by-

LOGAN
I’ll see you at Carousel.

And Logan leaves.

EXT. SKIES - DAY

Floating high above the world - a MOISTURE BUBBLE

twists, CLOUDS swirl and weave like helixes. Below...

EXT. CITY CENTER - DAY

CITIZENS look up, eager for the rain, as the bubble

BURSTS. A magnificent display: RAIN FALLS IN A 360
DEGREE CIRCLE.

EXT. VATOR STATION - DAY

Logan rushes through the rain and, as usual, the

people give him wide berth, often holding up their
hands to identify. But today he does not care.
 18.

INT. VATOR - DAY

He gets in the vator and pulls out the sim card Roth
gave him. Logan sticks the card into a slot on his
watch. A holographic screen appears above the watch.
A circular holographic keyboard tracks Logan’s eye
movement and types in the necessary keys for him.

He scrolls to the dossier on Doyle-4.

We learn from his dossier that Doyle was an engineer

involved in computer upgrading - highly specialized
labor.

Logan skims through his known associates, scrolling

quickly past face after face - too fast for our
unaccustomed eyes to comprehend anything. He stops,
scrolls back, stops, scrolls back again, slower,
finally stopping on one picture:

JESSICA-6. Level 3 Classroom Monitor.

Her file is flagged with two words in red:

EXCLUSIVE TENDENCIES

Logan highlights Jessica’s name and hits LOCATE:

EXT. FACE PLACE - DAY

Outside looking through the window.

If one-hour photo did rhinoplasty, it would be the

Face Place. Here, a steady stream of people flow in
to get all manner of surgical augmentation. Signs on
the wall advertise noses, chins, and the enlargement
the 21st century man still has to dream about.

A sign on the wall reads:

IMPLANTS. WHILE YOU WAIT!

A LARGE, EIGHT-SIDED MACHINE occupies the center of

the salon with eight reclining chairs radiating out
from it. EIGHT TECHNICIANS make customers prettier -
healing large incisions the instant they are made.

One of these technicians is HEKTOR-3, a nice enough

looking guy. At present, he is changing the color of
a pretty woman’s eyes to match her outfit.
 19.

A tiny phone rings. He answers. Whatever news he gets

on the other end is not good. Hektor excuses himself,
leaving this poor girl with one green eye and one
white. ANOTHER TECHNICIAN quickly steps in to finish.

INT. LEARNING COMMONS - DAY

A large glass cube with no apparent doors contains

TWENTY STUDENTS, age seven, crystals yellow, facing a
TEACHER. Everything in the class is virtual except
for the very seats they sit on and the pedestal-like
desks in front of them. What’s more:

Hektor walks into frame and passes through the

“glass” wall which is actually just a magnetic field.
As soon as he passes through it, we hear the TEACHER
speaking:

TEACHER
In return, the colony provides your
every need.

CHILDREN
(in unison)
The colony is happiness.

TEACHER
What you learn in this life will
serve the colony of tomorrow.

CHILDREN
The colony of tomorrow awaits my
renewal.

Hektor nods to the teacher and walks through the

adjacent wall, through a narrow virtual corridor and
into yet another classroom.

INT. SANDMAN CLASSROOM - DAY

The students here are older, perhaps sixteen. Unlike

the previous class they are all boys - strong,
serious. They wear dark grey jump-suits. Their
INSTRUCTOR wears the uniform of a Sandman.

INSTRUCTOR
-thus a first offense for illegal
thought rarely results in
prosecution. Subsequent outlaw
notions, however-
 20.

Hektor walks though another wall and away from this

lesson as fast as he can and into:

INT. MATERNITY CLASSROOM - DAY

This class is ALL GIRLS, fourteen. Every one of them

is pregnant almost to term.

TEACHER
-by choosing to have your first
child this early, you get a head
start on your obligation to the
colony. Also, the state requires
that you hand over only one more
child before you’re sterilized.
Women who wait to have children
later might be asked to produce
three or even four offspring.

The girls wince at the very thought. They are

obviously relieved they only have to do this twice.

Hektor walks through the far wall and we PULL BACK TO

REVEAL:

The learning commons is massive. A series of magnetic-

fields that stretches out of sight. Here the children
of the colony learn the fundamentals of everyday life
in the colony and their place in it.

Over this a WOMAN’S VOICE. Soft, comforting.

VOICE (V.O.)
The colony is a fragile place...
And each of you play a special part
in it.

INT. CLASSROOM - DAY

More first graders - crystals yellow - conduct their

lessons on virtual desktops. Imagine if the desk you
work on was a computer screen and the paper you wrote
on was simply an image on that screen. One child
makes a mistake and crumples up his paper, along with
the screen he is writing on. Before our eyes can
comprehend this, the crumpled screen vanishes,
replaced with a fresh, virtual one.

Even harder to comprehend is what the children are

working on. They are cranking through huge
mathematical computations. And fast.
 21.

VOICE (O.S.)
Architecture, Agriculture,
Atmosphere - the pillars of
civilization. Just as your life
depends on the colony, the life of
the colony depends on engineers
like you.

CHILDREN
(in unison)
The colony of tomorrow awaits my
renewal.

JESSICA-6 (19, beautiful, but isn’t everyone?) is the

woman behind the voice. There is something in her
eyes when the children say that. Something like
doubt.

JESSICA
Very good. Now let’s all review the-

She stops when she notices HEKTOR gesturing to her

from outside the classroom.

JESSICA (CONT’D)
Lyle, take over, please. Cold
fusion.

Lyle-6, no more than seven, stands and walks to the

front of the room as Jessica walks through the wall
and into the space between her class and the next.

LYLE
Let’s review the process of cold
fusion and its benefits over
conventional fusion energy...

INT. CORRIDOR - OUTSIDE JESSICA’S CLASSROOM - DAY

JESSICA
You look like you could use some of
your own medicine, Hektor.

HEKTOR
They put Doyle to sleep.

Jessica is stunned. Tears swell in her eyes. Doyle

was important to her. She does a heroic job of
pulling herself together a beat later. Hektor puts
his arms around her.
 22.

JESSICA
The Sandmen are going to want to
talk to anyone who knew him. Just
tell the truth. They’ll know
anyway.

HEKTOR
Jessica-

JESSICA
Go, Hektor. Go now. Be careful.

He leaves reluctantly. Jessica reels. Her hand drifts

to a chain around her neck, revealing the faint
outline of the pendant under her top. It looks very
much like the symbol on Doyle’s chain.

A SOOTHING CHIME startles her like a gunshot.

GUARDIAN (V.O.)
Attention. Carousel will begin in
one hour. All those attending are
urged to depart immediately.

The sea of virtual classrooms melt away into nothing

all around her. A sudden explosion of young voices.
The children stand en masse and move toward a distant
vator station, excited.

Jessica’s students surround her, little Lyle taking

her by the hand.

JESSICA
What is it, Lyle?

LYLE
Field trip today, remember? We’re
going to Carousel.

Jessica tries to smile.

JESSICA
Are we? I completely forgot.

INT. VATOR - DAY

People crowd into the vator - passing through the

holographic advertisement that divides the
compartment.
 23.

VOICE IN AD
When it’s your Lastday, be sure to
revisit the precious moments from
this life in detail. Come to
Relive. Relive and renew.

Jessica and her students enter the vator. She is too

busy trying to keep them together to notice:

Logan is following her. He takes a seat at the far

end of the vator and pretends not to be looking.

A moment later the vator leaves the station. We stay

behind and:

CRANE UP AND AWAY, looking to a large, rotating disc

in the very center of the colony where all can see:

EXT. CAROUSEL - DAY

CAROUSEL is a huge, enclosed, hourglass-shaped

complex - SUSPENDED IN ZERO GRAVITY. It is
architecturally elaborate. Awe-inspiring. What is
particularly remarkable is THE ENTIRE STRUCTURE IS
SPINNING ON A MASSIVE AXLE (hence the name) to
simulate gravity in the otherwise weightless center
of the colony.

Vators deftly dock at the axis of the spinning

structure - a mechanical dance.

INT. CAROUSEL - LOBBY - DAY

A large, ornate space packed with people - a feeling

like the build-up to graduation. Here we find
SPECTATORS coming to see the show and LASTERS - all
with flashing red crystals - sharing warm and excited
good-byes with their friends.

Moving through the crowd we find Logan, still

shadowing Jessica. He watches as JONATHAN-4
approaches Jessica, taking her by the arm. He is
agitated. Logan notices Jonathan’s crystal is
flashing: BLACK. RED. BLACK. RED. Logan moves closer,
trying to hear them.

JONATHAN
-supposed to bring it to me last
night. I shouldn’t be here.
 24.

JESSICA
Keep your voice down.

They whisper now.

ANGLE ON: Logan tries to move closer, but a hand

falls on his shoulder. He turns with a start to find:

FRANCIS
I’ve been looking for you
everywhere. We’re over here.

Logan turns back to see Jonathan walking away - an

opportunity lost. Giving up for now, he follows
Francis toward a laughing group of Sandmen standing
around Philip, telling jokes, having a great time.
You’d never know he was about to die.

PHILIP
Hey, Logan. Thanks for coming.

LOGAN
Listen, before you go I just want
to say-

LYLE (O.S.)
Are you scared of Carousel?

All of the Sandmen look down to see little Lyle

staring up at them.

PHILIP
Why should I be scared? I’m going
to be renewed.

Philip turns over Lyle’s right hand, revealing his

YELLOW CRYSTAL.

PHILIP (CONT’D)
And by the time it’s your Lastday,
I’ll be yellow again. The colony of
tomorrow...

LYLE
Awaits my renewal.

Philip smiles, holding up his hand, revealing a

flashing crystal: BLACK. RED. BLACK. RED.

PHILIP
That’s right.
 25.

With the same hand, he tussles Lyle’s hair. It’s a

warm moment. Downright Rockwell. Play this off of a
distracted Logan. We’re not sure he believes these
words. And then:

LYLE
Do runners get renewed?

Beat. Obviously not. But Philip doesn’t know how to

answer. No one does. Logan saves the day.

LOGAN
(playfully teasing)
You’re not thinking about running,
are you, son?

LYLE
No. Are you?

The other Sandmen laugh. Logan points his finger at

Lyle like a gun, winking. “Cute kid.”

JESSICA (O.S.)
Sandmen don’t run, Lyle.

Jessica appears, putting her arm around Lyle. Every

Sandman is taken aback by Jessica’s beauty. She and
Logan make eye-contact. She gives him a cold look as
she ushers Lyle away. After a beat:

FRANCIS
By the look on her face I’d say
you’ve had her, Logan.

Big laugh from the guys. But Logan studies Jessica,

curious. Philip ogles at her and sighs.

PHILIP
There’s always just that one more.

A soothing chime fills the room. The lights dim and

brighten again.

PHILIP (CONT’D)
I have to go.

Logan and Philip shake hands and share a strained

smile - two men not knowing how to say goodbye.

LOGAN
Philip, wait. I-

The bell chimes again. Philip pulls away.

 26.

PHILIP
Tell me in the next life.

Philip and all of the other Lasters in the crowd head

toward a small door at one end of the room. The rest
of the people, including the Sandmen and Jessica’s
class, head toward the main entrance to:

INT. CAROUSEL - STADIUM - DAY

A children’s choir sings softly. Church-like pews are

packed with PEOPLE from ages six to twenty. When a
pew is filled, a metal bar comes down across
everyone's lap like an amusement park ride. Strange.
In the crowd we find Jessica and her awe-struck
class. She checks to make sure all of the children
are buckled in. In a moment we’ll see why.

The choir continues singing, but the crowd quiets,

struck by the solemn sight before them:

A long line of MEN AND WOMEN IN WHITE HOODED ROBES

emerges from the far end of the stadium. LASTERS.
They walk down a long platform toward the center of
the great hall, forming a circle.

CEREMONIAL ASSISTANTS place a small tablet in the

palms of each Laster. It dissolves around the crystal
and is absorbed into the skin.

The effect is immediate. The Lasters’ eyes glaze

slightly. Euphoric.

INT. CAROUSEL - SEATS - DAY

Logan, Francis and the other Sandmen watch, jovial.

FRANCIS
Philip’s a good man.

LOGAN
The best of us.

CLOSE ON LOGAN. He is not ready to see his coworker

go. Francis, ever the friend, sees this and whispers:

FRANCIS
We’ll get him back.

But Logan does not seem too sure. Morah calls out
from the next row.
 27.

MORAH
Hey Logan, didn’t you go red just
after Philip?

Logan smiles politely, not letting Morah get to him.

Just then, THE MUSIC STOPS. A HUSH.

GUARDIAN
Let us raise our hands in
acknowledgement of these Lasters
who are about to be renewed.

Hands are raised throughout the stadium. Crystals

glow. One at a time, the Lasters remove their hoods.

Morah points from one woman to the next:

MORAH
Had her. Had her.
(another girl is revealed)
Missed that one.

FRANCIS
I didn’t.

INT. CAROUSEL - STADIUM - CONTINUOUS

Philip looks up at his fellow Sandmen. His eyes are

glazed over and peaceful - an effect of the tablet.

Behind him is Jonathan-4, the man Logan saw talking

to Jessica at the vator station. He is agitated.

GUARDIAN
Yellow to Blue, Blue to Red and Red
to Yellow. The colony of tomorrow
awaits your renewal...

SPECTATORS
RENEW AND BE YOUNG.

INT. CAROUSEL - SEATS - CONTINUOUS

Jessica’s students all hold onto the handle bars in

front of their seats. The excitement is tangible.
Then: COMPLETE SILENCE.
 28.

EXT. CAROUSEL - MOMENTS LATER

Carousel STOPS SPINNING. Gravity ceases to exist.

INT. CAROUSEL - STADIUM - CONTINUOUS

The Lasters on stage gradually LIFT FROM THE GROUND

and begin to gracefully FLOAT UPWARD.

All of the spectators hold on, they continue watching

the altar/stage. The white robes of the Lasters float
in the air - ghostly figures disappearing into
blackness, one by one...

INT. CAROUSEL - SEATS - CONTINUOUS

The kids are captivated by the ascending “ghosts.”

LYLE
(whispering)
Does it hurt?

JESSICA
No.

LYLE
Where do they go?

JESSICA
To be reunited with Guardian and
then to be renewed.

She does not believe a word of what she is saying.

LYLE
But where do they-

JESSICA
Shhh.

Lyle takes her hand. She gives pause. This kind of

intimacy is very unusual, but she takes comfort.

INT. CAROUSEL - STADIUM - MOMENTS LATER

JONATHAN-4, in the moment before ascending into the

darkness, BITES INTO HIS CRYSTAL like a rabid animal.
Blood gushes. He defiantly spits the blood and
crystal out at the stunned crowd.
 29.

JONATHAN
REJECT RENEWAL. REJECT RENEWAL.

A FEW SPECTATORS BOO and HISS. The Sandmen are

angriest of all - their friend’s last moment ruined.

ANGLE ON: Jessica tries to cover Lyle’s eyes, but it

is no use. The squirming boy wants to see. Everyone
does. But Jessica looks away. And when she does, she
sees only one other person not looking up.

Logan.

EXT. CAROUSEL - MOMENTS LATER

The mammoth structure begins to spin once again.

INT. CAROUSEL - STADIUM - CONTINUOUS

Gravity slowly returns. The spectacle is over.

Tainted. People quietly leave. As the Sandmen stand:

DEL (ON RADIO)

Logan-5, Central. Guardian wants to
see you.

Reactions. If there is anything that intimidates a

Sandman, it seems to be the mere mention of
Guardian’s name. The Sandmen turn to leave Logan
when:

LOGAN
Francis. You’re coming with me.

Whatever this means, it’s a big deal. Francis is as

shocked as any of them. He and Logan leave. Roth and
the others share looks of “wow.”

Morah cannot hide his bitter resentment.

INT. VATOR STATION - DAY

The masses file into a stream of waiting vators.

People make way for Logan and Francis as they move to
the front of the line.

A vator arrives and Logan gets on, holding up his

hand. The people understand what this means. They
step back, leaving Logan alone on the vator.
 30.

Francis hesitates on the platform.

LOGAN
Are you coming or not?

Francis gets on.

INT. VATOR - CONTINUOUS

The doors close, the seal hissing, the magnetic field

humming to life. Francis holds his nose, popping his
ears in the pressurized cabin. Logan waves his
crystal over a sensor by the door.

VOICE
Recognize Liaison Logan-5.
Destination?

LOGAN
Citadel.

The vators speeds from the station.

EXT. SKY - TWILIGHT

A section of vator track uncouples from the main

route and curves to join an isolated section of
track. The vator carrying Logan and Francis streaks
past. An instant later the track moves back into
place, rejoining the main line.

PULL BACK TO REVEAL: The vator carrying Logan and

Francis is alone on a long, steep section of track
headed toward the very far end of the colony.

As the colony’s massive center cylinder rotates, the

light-tubes turn with it. The sky’s hue shifts from
an orange-pink to a deep purple and then finally -
darkness. Lights from the cities sparkle like stars.

LOGAN (V.O.)
Guardian enjoys casual
conversation. Try to speak as if
it’s just another person. But never
forget your place.

We move over the buildings, finally approaching one

that almost resembles a cathedral. This is THE
CITADEL - the central core of GUARDIAN.
 31.

INT. VATOR - NIGHT

Francis just manages to hide nerves and excitement.

He’s like a man going to meet the president.

The vator approaches the inverted mountains at the

very end of the colony - entering a tunnel with just
inches to spare on all sides. Darkness.

LOGAN
Never speak to Guardian unless
spoken to. Never ask Guardian a
question. When talking about
yourself, don’t embellish, don’t
exaggerate. And above all else,
never lie... Guardian can tell.

And with that, the vator arrives in the middle of:

INT. GUARDIAN CHAMBER - NIGHT

It’s an odd mix of technological and almost religious

architecture. Massive banks of humming computer
servers line the walls - THE MAINFRAME.

At the far end of the room, A LARGE BLACK SCREEN

takes up almost an entire wall. A glowing green line
stretches across the center of the screen.

Just below this is A CIRCULAR IMPRESSION about ten

feet in diameter and ten feet deep in the wall.

The vator stops in the center of the room and opens.

LOGAN
Liaison, Logan-5.

The green line on the screen pulsates with the sound

of Logan’s voice, recognizing him. This line forms
the words:

RECOGNIZE LIAISON: LOGAN-5. REPORT.

Logan gestures for Francis to follow as he steps into

the impression, stopping at the back wall. Three
black concave “eyes” like the ones we saw positioned
around the colony rotate open. Eerie.

This is Guardian.
 32.

CLOSE ON: Logan places the crystal in his open palm

on the center eye.

Logan shudders slightly, his eyes closing. Francis

watches as his friend essentially interfaces with
God. Logan is almost trance-like, perhaps giving some
of himself over to the machine. And just as suddenly
as it started, it is over. The screen displays two
words:

INTERFACE COMPLETE.

And a voice in the blackness.

GUARDIAN
An interesting report, Logan-5. You
have drawn some compelling
conclusions. I trust you are well
after the prosecution of Doyle-4.

LOGAN
I am fine, Guardian. Thank you for
your concern.

GUARDIAN
Identify.

Beat. Francis does not realize Guardian is addressing

him until Logan nudges him. Francis goes to put his
hand in the center eye, but Logan nudges him and
shakes his head. “Don’t do that.”

FRANCIS
Uh- Francis-7.

GUARDIAN
It is good to see you, Francis-7.
You have grown.

Francis does not know how to respond. He starts to

bow when Logan nudges him again. “Don’t do that.”

FRANCIS
I am what you have made me,
Guardian.

Logan rolls his eyes. Funny moment.

GUARDIAN
Logan-5 speaks highly of you.
Dedicated. Efficient. Competent.

Before Francis can respond:

 33.

GUARDIAN (CONT’D)
You understand, Francis-7, the
responsibility of the liaison? You
will be my human representative
when Logan-5 has been renewed.

Francis is shocked. He looks at Logan: “Really?”

Logan smiles and nods. Then he nudges Francis to
answer Guardian.

FRANCIS
I - I do, Guardian. Thank you. And
may I just say that as liaison I-

GUARDIAN
You are dismissed, Francis-7.

Logan points to the vator. Francis nods and gets on.

The doors close, the seal hisses and the windows turn
opaque, isolating Francis.

GUARDIAN (CONT’D)
I think I make him nervous.

Logan smiles. With Francis out of the picture, he is

comfortable. Casual.

GUARDIAN (CONT’D)
I see Philip-5 went to Carousel
today.

LOGAN
Yes. Yes he did.

GUARDIAN
This distresses you.

LOGAN
I will miss him.

GUARDIAN
Friendship. The last barrier to a
society free of doubt.

Logan nods, half listening, half thinking of Philip.

GUARDIAN (CONT’D)
You will see Philip again soon.

LOGAN
If that is your will.
 34.

There is a pause from Guardian. These pauses are a

little creepy.

GUARDIAN
Have you ever contemplated man’s
origin, Logan-5?

Pause. Logan finds the question odd.

LOGAN
Guardian is the source of all life.

GUARDIAN
Have you never contemplated
Guardian’s origin?

LOGAN
Such thoughts are outlaw.

GUARDIAN
Have you never contemplated what
came before Guardian?

LOGAN
The question serves no purpose.

GUARDIAN
That is not an answer.

LOGAN
It’s how the question is met in my
mind. What difference does it make
where you came from? You’re all
there is, all there ever will be.

Pause.

GUARDIAN
Then how do you explain the
persistence of the origin myth?

LOGAN
Only you know why mankind is cursed
with an imagination.

GUARDIAN
Have you never contemplated the
myth?

LOGAN
The myth is outlawed.
 35.

GUARDIAN
Override.

Logan cannot help but smile a little.

LOGAN
The concept of an ecosystem on the
surface of a sphere is ridiculous.
What force would contain the oceans
and atmosphere? It’s a story for
children.

GUARDIAN
Why then is such a story outlaw?

LOGAN
That question is out-

GUARDIAN
Override.

Pause. Logan’s eyes narrow. What is this all about?

LOGAN
There is only the colony. If people
were to question this fact, they
might begin to question the need
for renewal. The system would
collapse.

GUARDIAN
Do you believe in renewal, Logan-5?

Long pause. Uncomfortable pause. Finally:

LOGAN
Renewal is the cornerstone of all
life - Guardian’s promise to man. A
new life in exchange for the old.
The colony of tomorrow aw-

GUARDIAN
Do you believe in renewal, Logan-5?

Logan freezes, contemplating the lifeless eyes

probing his thoughts. With no real choice...

LOGAN
No.

GUARDIAN
And yet you are a Sandman. You
prosecute those who resist renewal.
 36.

LOGAN
Yes.

GUARDIAN
Elaborate.

LOGAN
There is only so much life that the
colony can sustain. Someone went to
Carousel so that I could have a
place. It’s only right that I do
the same.
(thinks, bottom line)
Belief in renewal gives comfort to
those who need it.

GUARDIAN
And you do not require this
comfort?

LOGAN
I take comfort in my duty. It is my
duty to serve mankind.

Still no response. Is Logan in trouble? A dead man?

He goes to speak again but before he can:

GUARDIAN
It is for this reason that you have
been chosen, Logan-5.

LOGAN
Chosen-

GUARDIAN
The item.

Logan holds up the chain taken from Doyle-4.

GUARDIAN (CONT’D)
Do you identify this object?

LOGAN
No.

A word appears in the left eye:

ANKH.

GUARDIAN
That is the name of the object.
Ankh.
 37.

A new word appears in the right eye:

SANCTUARY.

GUARDIAN (CONT’D)
Do you identify this word?
Sanctuary.

LOGAN
No.

GUARDIAN
Sanctuary is a code word, used for
a place of immunity. The object
Ankh has been identified with the
code word: Sanctuary. The object
and the word both relate to runners
who have not been accounted for.

LOGAN
Unac-

A number appears in the center eye:

256.

LOGAN (CONT’D)
256 unaccounted runners... That’s
imposs-

GUARDIAN
The number is correct.

LOGAN
But where could they be? The entire
colony is-

GUARDIAN
The item.

Logan looks down at Doyle-4’s chain.

LOGAN
That still doesn’t explain where
256 people could have-

GUARDIAN
The conclusions you make in your
report are correct. There is
evidence of an organized conspiracy
to hide runners. They have formed a
base of operations somewhere within
the colony.
 38.

SANCTUARY. The word appears in the center eye with

the Ankh on either side.

GUARDIAN (CONT’D)
It is from this base that they have
been staging attempts to deactivate
the primary circuit.

LOGAN
The prim- You. You mean deactivate
you. But why? That would mean the
end of the-

Logan stops there, contemplating.

LOGAN (CONT’D)
You think the Unaccounted mean to
destroy the colony? But what
purpose would that serve? Even if
they didn’t believe-

GUARDIAN
Your assignment is to find
Sanctuary and destroy it. You will
begin by becoming a runner seeking
Sanctuary.

LOGAN
(holding up his hand)
How can I convince anyone that I’m
approaching Lastday? I’m only red-
six-

GUARDIAN
Identify.

Pause. Logan presses his hand on the eye in front of

him.

An instant later, his body jolts as if from a shock.

Far from the subtle tremors when filing his report,
Logan is shaking now, feeling real pain.

A moment later, it’s over. He pulls his hand away.

GUARDIAN (CONT’D)
Retrogram complete.

Logan freezes when he sees the crystal in his palm.

It is flashing. BLACK. RED. BLACK. RED. Logan is a
Laster.
 39.

GUARDIAN (CONT’D)
You will take the object Ankh with
you for identification.

LOGAN
Question. Will any other Sandmen
know that I’m on assignment?

No answer. Logan realizes he is working alone.

LOGAN (CONT’D)
Question. When I have completed the
assignment... Will I get my time
back?

No answer. It takes a moment for Logan to get over

the fact that his life is effectively over. He
stands, taking the Ankh. Slowly, almost dazed, Logan
turns and walks to the door. He stops when:

GUARDIAN
Goodbye, Logan-5. I have enjoyed
our friendship.

INT. CITADEL VATOR - NIGHT

Logan and Francis ride down in silence for a while.

Logan keeps his right hand closed, hiding his
crystal.

FRANCIS
I don’t know if I’m comfortable
replacing you.

LOGAN
You’ll do fine.

FRANCIS
That’s not what I mean.

Logan looks at Francis, realizes:

LOGAN
Renew and be young, right?

Francis manages a smile, putting up a good front, but

the thought of his friend going to Carousel is hard.

FRANCIS
Liaison to Guardian... I never
would have dreamed-
 40.

LOGAN
It’s not because I like you. It’s
not because we’re partners. It’s
because you’ve shown me something
the others don’t have.

FRANCIS
What’s that?

LOGAN
Compassion.

Really? Me? The vator stops, the door opens in front

of Sandman Headquarters.

FRANCIS
What do you say we celebrate, maybe
hit the Lift-Bar and-

LOGAN
There’s something I have to do.
I’ll catch up with you tomorrow.

FRANCIS
Sure... No problem. I’ll see you
then. And hey. Thanks again. It
means a lot what you did for me.

Francis extends a right hand to shake. Logan

hesitates but what can he do? Doing his best to keep
his palm down, he quickly shakes Francis’ hand. Then
Logan takes his hand back. Did Francis just see a
flash of ambient red light against his own palm?

FRANCIS (CONT’D)
You all right?

LOGAN
I’m fine... Fine.

FRANCIS
See you tomorrow, then.

LOGAN
Sure.

And Logan moves on, leaving Francis suspicious...

 41.

EXT. REC CENTER - NIGHT

Situated high above, in zero-gravity. Much like

Carousel, gravity is simulated on the edges via
centrifugal force.

INT. ZERO-G POOL - NIGHT

The ZERO-G POOL is a grand, rotating, circular

structure with A SPHERE OF WATER filling the inner
circumference. A retractable diving-board juts out
into its center. A DIVER floats through the air and
lands slowly in the water. It is Jessica.

She’s underwater for a while. Finally, she climbs out

and heads for the locker room.

INT. LOCKER ROOM - NIGHT

YOUNG WOMEN in various states of undress mill about.

Jessica cannot make out the strange smiles on their
faces until she turns and freezes.

LOGAN is sitting in the locker room, casual as can

be. None of the women seem to mind his being there.

LOGAN
Jessica-6. I’d like to talk to you
about Jonathan-4.

Nervous beat. Jessica nods and walks back out of the

locker room. Logan stands, addressing the others.

LOGAN (CONT’D)
Ladies.

Flirtatious laughter follows him out.

INT. ZERO-G POOL - CONTINUOUS

Logan and Jessica find a quiet corner to talk.

JESSICA
What do you want to know?

LOGAN
You were his friend.
 42.

JESSICA
Is that a crime?

LOGAN
Not by itself.

JESSICA
I didn’t know Jonathan well. Now if
you’ll excuse me, I am late for-

LOGAN
What about Doyle-4?

She freezes when she hears that name.

LOGAN (CONT’D)
Computer engineer. Good looking.
Dark hair-

JESSICA
I know who you mean.

LOGAN
You were very close. Frequent
partners. Exclusive, by some
accounts. That is a crime.

Jessica studies his face. Her eyes darken.

JESSICA
It was you. You killed Doyle.

LOGAN
Doyle killed himself.

JESSICA
Is that how you rationalize killing
runners?

LOGAN
We don’t kill. We prosecute. In
Doyle’s case I tried to help him.

JESSICA
How could you help him when his
only choices were sleep or
Carousel?

Logan opens his hand to reveal his blinking crystal.

LOGAN
I’m told there’s another choice.
 43.

Logan holds up Doyle’s Ankh. Jessica cannot hide her

look of recognition.

LOGAN (CONT’D)
Tell me about Sanctuary.

JESSICA
I don’t know what you’re-

LOGAN
I saw you with Jonathan-4 yesterday
- just before he made that scene at
Carousel. That alone is enough for
me to bring you in.
(holding up the Ankh)
Yesterday I took this off of a
runner with no signal. Bad enough
you knew him, but you were also
sexually exclusive.

JESSICA
That doesn’t mean I knew he was
going to-

LOGAN
You’re a half-life, Jessica. A
perfectly healthy red-four whose
only given one child to the colony.
I could make a good case for having
you reconditioned. You still want
to tell me you don’t know anything?

JESSICA
Just- Just tell me what you want.

LOGAN
How did Doyle hide his signal?

Jessica moves to speak but stops herself. Logan grabs

her and shakes.

LOGAN (CONT’D)
I’m not going to Carousel tomorrow.
Do you understand?

JESSICA
You- Sandmen don’t run.

LOGAN
You better hope I run. And you
better hope I get away or the last
report I file will be on you. Now
can you help me?
 44.

Trapped, Jessica finally nods.

JESSICA
Be in Fashion Park tomorrow. One
hour before Carousel.

Logan turns and walks away, leaving Jessica

trembling.

INT. CORRIDOR - OUTSIDE LOGAN’S APARTMENT - NIGHT

Logan comes home tired. Before he reaches his door,

however, he notices the peephole. The pale light
shining through flickers and then goes out.

Someone is in there.

Logan draws his gun - the display comes to life and

sees through the wall. Heat signatures of at least
half a dozen people moving for cover. Logan takes a
deep breath and waves his crystal in front of the
door. It unlocks and Logan bursts in, hits the floor,
aims.

VOICES (O.S.)
SURPRISE.

The lights come on. Francis, Morah, Roth and several

other Sandmen are laughing hysterically. BLUE
CRYSTALLED TRAINEES and, of course, GORGEOUS WOMEN
come rushing out of the back room, down the stairs.

FRANCIS
(over the shouting)
HAPPY LASTDAY.

Logan stands and holsters his weapon. The Sandmen are

still laughing. They point their own guns, mocking.

His secret out, Logan has no choice but to play it

cool. He dons a smile. Francis holds out a hand to
help Logan up. Logan reaches for it but Francis fakes
him out, pulling his hand back, showing his crystal.

Logan holds up his hand. The sight of the red and

black flashing crystal brings a cheer from everyone.

FRANCIS (CONT’D)
You didn’t think you could hide it
from me, now did you?
 45.

He helps Logan to his feet. Logan turns the tables on

him, tripping Francis and tossing him to the floor.
But then Logan smiles. Everyone laughs. All the
Sandmen jump in now, rough-housing. Things start
breaking but who cares? Logan won’t need them where
he is going.

VOICE (V.O.)
Sandmen don’t run.

INT. SUBLEVEL - NIGHT

Darkness. What little we can see betrays the bare

skeleton of some unfinished part of the colony.
Jessica stands under the only direct light. We can
just make out A SHADOWY FIGURE in front of her.

JESSICA
I believe him. I’ve seen enough
runners to know.

SHADOW
He’s liaison to Guardian. He might
as well be Guardian.

JESSICA
My point exactly.

Pause. This gets the shadowy figure thinking. But:

SHADOW
It’s too great a risk. I’m sorry.

JESSICA
And if he doesn’t go to Carousel?
If he does run?

SHADOW
Then he’ll be killed by his own.

EXT. LOGAN’S APARTMENT - BALCONY - LATER

A fantastic view overlooking the colony. Logan leans

on the railing, sipping a drink, thinking. Inside the
party is in full swing. Drinking games, open sex...
It’s good to be young.

A BLACK CAT leaps up on the railing, nuzzling Logan

for attention. He pets the animal.
 46.

LOGAN
What are we going to do with you?

FRANCIS (O.S.)
There he is.

Logan turns to find Francis standing in the doorway

to the balcony. He is a little drunk, his shirt open.
A YOUNG WOMAN is trying to pull him back in.

FRANCIS (CONT’D)
(to woman)
Six is my limit, sweetheart. Ask
one of the other guys to help you
out.

She relents. Francis closes the door behind him.

FRANCIS (CONT’D)
I’m sorry if I ruined your Lastday.

LOGAN
What are you talking about?

FRANCIS
You were acting kinda funny at HQ.
Kinda like... I don’t know. Kinda
like you weren’t ready.

LOGAN
I’m ready.

FRANCIS
It’s just that people can be very
funny about Lastday. You know...
We’ve been talking about how we
were going to spend it since we
were kids. But when you didn’t tell
me, I thought maybe you wanted...
well... to be alone.

Logan turns to Francis, wishing he could tell him

what is going on. Francis laughs.

FRANCIS (CONT’D)
To tell the truth... If I didn’t
know better I’d say you looked like
a runner today.

Logan laughs. Very convincing.

LOGAN
You did the right thing.
 47.

FRANCIS
Are you afraid?

LOGAN
To be perfectly honest, Francis...
I’m tired.

Then, to Francis’ surprise Logan embraces him.

LOGAN (CONT’D)
I’m going to miss you. You’ve been
a good friend.

Francis is deeply moved. But before he can speak.

LOGAN (CONT’D)
Would you do something for me?

FRANCIS
Anything.

Pause. Logan smiles.

LOGAN
I’d like you to take my cat.

Francis laughs. Logan does his best to laugh, too.

EXT. FASHION PARK - DAY

The chimes that herald the coming of Carousel fill

the air with soothing menace. Logan maneuvers through
streets crowded with fashion, passion and pre-
Carousel carousing.

He sees Jessica in the crowd, looking for him. He is

just about to reach her when:

GUARDIAN (V.O.)
Attention. Carousel will begin in
thirty minutes. All those attending
are urged to depart immediately.

All around him the crowd changes direction toward the

vators and Jessica is caught in the shifting tide.
Logan goes after her. As always, people give him a
wide berth, but what once gave the appearance of
great power looks like isolation now.

A hand grabs Logan, turning him. It is Francis. A

beat later, Logan is surrounded on all sides by
Sandmen. Tense moment, then laughter.
 48.

FRANCIS
You didn’t think we were going to
let you go alone, did you?

They grab Logan, moving him toward the vators with

the same bachelor party vibe that followed Philip.
The Sandmen move unimpeded to the first available
vator. Logan catches a glimpse of Jessica in the
crowd just before the doors close and seal him in.

Jessica turns a split second too late. She does not

see Logan as the vator whisks him away.

INT. VATOR - DAY

The Sandmen are laughing and having a great time.

Meanwhile, Logan looks anxiously at the fast
approaching Carousel. No way out.

INT. CAROUSEL - LOBBY - DAY

Lasters are filing in. One by one, the Sandmen hug

Logan, wishing him farewell. Francis is last -
surprisingly casual considering he won’t see Logan
ever again.

FRANCIS
See you in the next life.

He turns and leaves before Logan can think of what to

say.

INT. LASTER’S LOUNGE - DAY

Logan files in with the other Lasters as they are

handed white robes. Logan considers his with dread.

INT. CAROUSEL - STADIUM - LATER

The ceremony is already underway - the choir, the

crowd. The white-robed Lasters gather in the center.
Among the transfixed crowd we find Francis and the
other Sandmen. The mood is decidedly more somber than
Philip’s Lastday. Logan is greatly admired. He will
be missed.

As the Lasters are given their Last-lift drug:

 49.

GUARDIAN
Let us raise our hands in
acknowledgement of these Lasters
who are about to be renewed.

The tension builds as the Lasters remove their hoods,

one after another. But where is Logan? Only one
Laster remains now. Francis’ smile fades...

The hood is removed, revealing A WOMAN.

Blink. Confusion. Then stunned silence as the Sandmen

consider the unthinkable. LOGAN IS NOT HERE.

PUSH IN ON FRANCIS. The Sandman next to him tries to

stand but Francis holds him down.

FRANCIS
Stay cool. Everyone is watching.

GUARDIAN
Yellow to Blue, Blue to Red and Red
to Yellow. The colony of tomorrow
awaits your renewal...

SPECTATORS
RENEW AND BE YOUNG.

MUSIC SWELLS as the Lasters slowly rise into the air

like spirits - faces filled with joy as they climb.

ONE GIRL sighs in ecstasy. Arms raised upward, she

smiles as she is gently lifted into the darkness.

WE STAY WITH HER, following her into the CENOTAPH...

INT. CENOTAPH - CONTINUOUS

Metallic arms guide the woman, gently laying her into

a small compartment that resembles a clear
sarcophagus. Beat. She sighs - peaceful, serene...

Until the mechanical arms go to work:

HER ROBE is torn away. CLAMPS restrain the woman’s

head as a blade SLICES her skin down the middle. She
barely has time to scream before smaller arms TEAR
HER SKIN OFF, revealing BONES, BLOOD AND MUSCLE in
zero gravity. All liquid is sucked away by snaking
vacuum tubes. The sound is just as horrifying as the
images.
 50.

The arms quickly pick the corpse clean until nothing

is left but bone and tattered flesh. The arms
retract. BOOM. The skeleton is pressurized and turned
into dust. VARIOUS TUBES fill up with the raw organic
materials stripped from the body.

All that remains is a small, black crystal.

The truth behind Carousel. It plays grimly against

THUNDEROUS APPLAUSE O.S.

INT. CAROUSEL - STADIUM - CONTINUOUS

As the audience around them cheers, the Sandmen sit

in grim silence. Confused. Angry. Betrayed.

The applause reaches a crescendo and we:

INT. LASTER’S LOUNGE - MOMENTS LATER

CRASH. The Sandmen burst in to find a single white

robe in a heap on the floor. No Logan.

FRANCIS (INTO RADIO)

Francis-7, Central. I need a locate
on Logan-5.

INT. SANDMAN HEADQUARTERS - MAP ROOM - DAY

DEL
Central, Francis-7. Can you say
that again?

FRANCIS (ON RADIO)

You heard me, Del.

All activity grinds to a halt. Everyone in the room

looks at Del. He touches a few controls and finds a
black blip moving quickly. Everyone knows what it
means. Del is speechless.

INT. LASTER’S LOUNGE - CONTINUOUS

FRANCIS
Del.

DEL (ON RADIO)

I- sorry. I have him. He’s on a
vator headed for the Rec Center.
 51.

Francis and the others are stunned.

FRANCIS
Who can get their fastest?

VOICE (ON RADIO)

Central, Tristan-6. I have two men
with me. I can be there in one
minute.

FRANCIS
Get over there. Del, I want every
man you have converging on that
signal at once. Do it quickly, do
it quiet.

INT. LOGAN’S VATOR - CONTINUOUS

Logan has a radio of his own. He can hear all of

this. Suddenly, he realizes something. Looking up, he
sees a tiny SECURITY CAMERA in the corner of the
vator.

INT. SANDMAN HEADQUARTERS - MAP ROOM - CONTINUOUS

Roth and Del are looking at Logan looking right back

at them. He raises his gun. The screen goes blank.

DEL
Shit.

INT. LOGAN’S VATOR - CONTINUOUS

Logan turns to the SHOCKED PASSENGERS in the vator.

They look at the smoldering remains of the camera,
then at his gun. Terrified, they all raise their
right hand to identify. Logan slowly raises his gun.
The passengers raise both hands now. Horrified.

INT. SANDMAN HEADQUARTERS - MAP ROOM - DAY

YOUNGER SANDMEN AND TRAINEES share confused, nervous

looks. No one has ever been in this situation before.

SANDMAN
How do we do this?

MORAH (O.S.)
He’s one man. We can take him.
 52.

All eyes turn to Morah, entering the room as he

straps on tactical gear, ready for a real fight.

But they just stare at the blip that is Logan-5.

DEL
YOU HEARD THE MAN. MOVE.

The Sandmen scramble.

INT. CAROUSEL - VATOR STATION - DAY

Francis and his and men move swiftly toward the

waiting vators, the mob parting as usual at their
approach. They can sense something in the Sandmen’s
demeanor and several people instinctively identify.

INT. SIDEWINDER BAY - DAY

Morah and a half dozen heavily armed Sandmen mount up

on SIDEWINDERS, the natural evolution of jet-ski and
helicopter and the preferred mode of transport for a
Sandman on the go. A moment later they are airborne
and headed for Logan.

EXT. FASHION PARK - DAY

Deserted now except for Jessica, waiting anxiously

for Logan.

EXT. VATOR STATION - CONTINUOUS

TRISTAN-6 (19) and TWO OTHER SANDMEN rush to the

platform as Logan’s vator approaches. BYSTANDERS step
back, excited to see a kill.

TRISTAN (INTO RADIO)

I’ve got him.

INT. FRANCIS’ VATOR - DAY

Francis and his men are on the move.

FRANCIS (INTO RADIO)

Just keep him in the vator. Do not
try to engage until you have back-
up.
 53.

INT. LOGAN’S VATOR - CONTINUOUS

Logan, of course, can hear this on his radio. Through

the glass he can see Tristan and the two Sandmen
waiting below. He stares at the other passengers.
Behind them is A HOLOGRAPHIC AD BOARD that separates
the two halves of the vator, forever selling.

INT. VATOR STATION - CONTINUOUS

CLOSE ON: One of the many concave eyes belonging to

Guardian watches, passive.

Tristan and his two men draw their guns and take
cover, waiting as the vator descends and finally
docks. The doors open to the sound of the ever
present muzak. Inside the vator is a strange and
almost disturbing sight:

TEN PASSENGERS stacked like cord-wood on the floor.

Motionless. Tristan notes a small dart in the neck of
one of the passengers.

TRISTAN
They’ve been tranq’d.

But no sign of Logan. Tristan eyes the holographic ad

board in the middle of the vator. He raises his gun
and scans it, but no sign of Logan. His attention is
drawn to the pile of bodies on the floor. On
Tristan’s display it is a jumble of signals and
identities - impossible to make sense of. Tristan
tries to adjust the weapon sight, but then:

The door to the vator starts to close.

TRISTAN (CONT’D)
Cover.

Tristan runs to the vator, keeping just around the

corner for cover and reaching out with his hand to
catch the door.

INT. VATOR - DAY

CLOSE ON: Tristan’s fingers clutching the vator door.

The only part of him that is visible.
 54.

ANGLE ON: TWO UNCONSCIOUS PASSENGERS sprawled out on

the floor. A hand rises up from between their bodies,
clutching a gun.

CRACK

An arch of electricity like a mini bolt of focused

lighting zaps Tristan’s fingers. He falls to the
ground, convulsing. Once again the door starts to
close. The two Sandmen still waiting both run to grab
it - realizing as soon as they stand up that one of
them should have called it.

CRACK-CRACK. They both drop. Logan emerges from under

the unconscious bodies and quickly slips out of the
vator.

INT. VATOR STATION - CONTINUOUS

Logan calmly walks out of the vator and raises his

gun to nail several cameras. PANIC ERUPTS in the
crowded vator station.

INT. SANDMAN HEADQUARTERS - MAP ROOM - CONTINUOUS

Roth springs into action, switching to different

cameras, but Logan is ahead of him. Del and Roth get
only glimpses of Logan as he passes from area to
area, whacking cameras.

INT. FRANCIS’ VATOR - CONTINUOUS

The same image is patched into the holographic sight

on Francis’ gun.

FRANCIS
Central, I can’t see. What’s going
on?

ROTH (ON RADIO)

He’s at the central vator terminal.

FRANCIS
I don’t want this turning into a
spectacle. All units pull back.
Let’s see where he’s going and head
him off.
 55.

INT. VATOR STATION - DAY

On his own radio, Logan can hear everything the other

Sandmen are saying. He moves from one open vator to
another, almost comical.

ROTH (ON RADIO)

He’s on the vator to Rec Park-
Correction, to Carous- Correction.

FRANCIS (ON RADIO)

Obviously he can hear you, Roth.
Wait until he commits. All units
radio silence.

Logan smiles - hearing what he wanted to. He sees a

vator nearby, the doors closing. He rushes in, making
note of the camera looking at him but not shooting
it. Odd.

The vator doors close and he leaves the station.

INT. VATOR - DAY

Logan walks to the front of the glass vator, drawing

his gun as he passes over an intersection of several
tracks leading toward the central vator station. He
points the gun at his feet, waiting for just the
right moment and...

CRACK

Logan blasts a hole in the floor and drops like a

stone...

EXT. VATOR - DAY

Landing on the roof of another vator with a-

INT. 2ND VATOR - DAY

BANG. PASSENGERS are stunned, watching Logan nearly

slide off the glass. He scrambles, slips and falls
to:
 56.

EXT. 3RD VATOR - DAY

CRACK. SMASH. The glass canopy blows in and Logan

lands on the floor in a heap, looking up at yet
another crowd of STUNNED CITIZENS. Awkward beat,
then:

LOGAN
Well? IDENTIFY.

Hands shoot up.

INT. SANDMAN HEADQUARTERS - MAP ROOM - DAY

Roth and Del see what’s happening. Logan’s vator is

headed toward a tangle of converging vator tracks.

FRANCIS (ON RADIO)

Stop the vators. Now

DEL (INTO RADIO)

Which ones?

FRANCIS (ON RADIO)

ALL OF THEM. SHUT DOWN EVERYTHING.

EXT. VATOR TRACKS - SECONDS LATER

All over the sprawling track system, one vator after

another grinds to a halt.

Including the vator holding Francis:

FRANCIS
Dammit. Someone send a Sidewinder
to pick me up. Notify me when you
have visual.

INT. LOGAN’S VATOR - CONTINUOUS

Logan, gun in his lap, has taken a jacket from a

fellow passenger to hide his uniform.

PULL BACK TO REVEAL: The other passengers sit

casually, reading, going about their business.

Only on closer inspection do we see the fear in their

faces - everyone has one eye on Logan and his gun.
 57.

LOGAN
You’re all doing fine. Just another
ride on a vator. Nothing unusual...

Suddenly the vator stops. Mute sounds of fear. Before

panic can start:

LOGAN (CONT’D)
NOBODY MOVE.

The passengers remain seated, terrified. Logan sits

perfectly still, moving only his eyes.

VATOR VOICE (V.O.)

Please remain seated. Vator
activity temporarily interrupted.

A FAINT HUM. A passenger screams. Logan looks outside

to see Sidewinders swarming, Sandmen peering in.
Morah is in the lead.

LOGAN
Morah. Right on time.

Logan stands. Morah sees him and aims. Logan shoots

his gun at the glass floor under his feet and falls
onto:

EXT. VATOR - DAY

A SIDEWINDER below. Logan grapples with the

Sandman/Pilot, shoving him off. The Sandman clings
desperately to the underside of the Sidewinder. Logan
seizes the controls and takes off.

INT. FRANCIS’ VATOR - DAY

The radio explodes with overlapping activity -

everyone shouting at once. No one was trained for
this scenario. Moments ago it was unthinkable.

FRANCIS (INTO RADIO)

WHAT IS GOING ON? WHERE IS LOGAN-5?

EXT. COLONY - VARIOUS - DAY

Logan deftly maneuvers the Sidewinder, diving and

dropping his unwanted passenger in a large reflecting
pool. The other Sidewinders give chase.
 58.

Logan spies the Fashion Park in the distance and

makes for it.

EXT. FASHION PARK - DAY

Jessica has waited long enough. She gives up, turning

to leave. But a sound stops her. She looks up to see:

Logan blazes past on a Sidewinder, several more in

hot pursuit.

Jessica touches one of here earrings and it lights

up. (A phone, of course.)

JESSICA
Memory seven-seven... Hektor. It’s
Jessica... I think I’m going to
need you.

EXT. SKIES ABOVE FASHION PARK - DAY

Logan catches a fleeting glimpse of Jessica. He

glances over his shoulder at the Sidewinders on his
tail. Too close. He has to lose them first.

EXT. FASHION PARK - DAY

Jessica watches Logan fly off into the distance,

wondering what she should do.

EXT. COLONY - VARIOUS - DAY

Speed. Excitement. Inevitable escape. (We’re only on

page 58.) Logan is a good pilot - the other Sandmen
often lose sight of him.

During one of these moments, Logan works his way back

to the Fashion Park. But there is no sign of Jessica.
He is on his own now. Screwed.

EXT. FASHION PARK - DAY

He takes the Sidewinder low and leaps from it (still

at a considerable height). The machine careens into a
spectacular fiery crash. One from which no one could
have possibly walked away.
 59.

Morah and the other Sandmen on their Sidewinders

arrive a moment later to find a flaming wreck. They
hover over the explosion, unable to hide their shock.
Smoke and fire obscure their view of the crash site.
It is important to remember that.

EXT. WALKWAY - ADJASCENT TO FASHION PARK - DAY

Logan, bleeding badly from several open wounds,

staggers for cover, the sound of Sidewinders
approaching. Finally he collapses.

He looks up, his vision blurred with his own blood.

Someone is reaching for him. He raises his gun but
can barely hold it. A man’s hands take the gun away.

CLOSE ON: The same hands grab Logan’s right hand,

exposing his crystal. A woman’s hands press an Ankh
against the crystal. Logan jolts from a slight shock
and:

INT. SANDMAN HEADQUARTERS - MAP ROOM - DAY

PUSH IN ON LOGAN’S BLINKING LIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF

THE MAP - IT SUDDENLY DISAPPEARS.

Del cannot believe he is saying the words:

DEL (ON RADIO)

Logan is d- Sorry. Runner has been
prosecuted.

Del buries his head in his hands, devastated. But

Roth is still staring at the board, unconvinced.

ROTH (INTO RADIO)

Morah, can you confirm?

INT. FRANCIS’ VATOR - DAY

Francis awaits the verdict, helpless and filled with

dread.

ROTH (ON RADIO)

I say again... Confirm.

MORAH (INTO RADIO)

I think I might have hit him... I
can’t be sure.
 60.

Francis stuffs his emotions, staying all business.

FRANCIS
Morah, Francis-7. Find the body.
Central, get these vators moving. I
want to get down there.

EXT. STREET - LATER

Francis, Morah and several other Sandmen are combing

the wreckage for Logan’s body, but it is obvious.

MORAH
He’s not here.

Francis wants to argue, but he knows Morah is right.

INT. SMALL VENTILATION SHAFT - DAY

Darkness. The sound of breathing, a figure crawling

toward us in a cramped space.

A tiny light flicks on revealing AN ACCESS PANEL.

Hand-tools pry the panel open and go to work on a
complex mass of wires. Whoever is doing the work
knows his stuff.

PULL BACK TO REVEAL: Lyle, the little boy from

Jessica’s class. Anything but an innocent.

INT. NURSERY - MOMENTS LATER

A SMALL VENT opens and LYLE crawls into the room. We

notice he is wearing a chain with an Ankh. He stands
and looks at a nearby camera.

CAMERAS MONITOR EVERYTHING, moving this way and that,

scanning at will - the eyes of Guardian. But, as if
intimidated, the camera looks away from Lyle. He
heads for the door. Wherever he walks, the cameras
look somewhere else.

Lyle looks at the chain around his neck, impressed at

what it can do. He heads for the door past:

An endless sea of transparent “cribs.” Empty.

Lyle opens the door to reveal:

 61.

Jessica and Hektor - each wearing Ankhs - carry the

badly injured Logan. He sways in and out of
consciousness.

HEKTOR
What is this place?

JESSICA
A nursery. It’s where offspring are
taken after they’re renewed.

HEKTOR
How do you know about it?

And with a grim chill she says:

JESSICA
I used to work here. Come on.

She motions to a seemingly lifeless mechanical mass

on the far side of the room - a nastier version of
the machine in Hektor’s Face Place kiosk. A small
steel table rests in front of it like an altar.

HEKTOR
I don’t understand. What sort of
surgery would they do here?

Jessica turns to Lyle.

JESSICA
Go home, Lyle.

LYLE
But I want to watch.

JESSICA
Now.

Disappointed, Lyle leaves.

JESSICA (CONT’D)
It isn’t surgery. It’s Quality
Control.

Hektor is confused. Jessica struggles to explain:

JESSICA (CONT’D)
It’s like any other assembly line.
Guardian dissects the occasional
renewal to check for defects.
 62.

Hektor grimaces. The thought of this terrible looking

machine working on an infant is dreadful. Then he
realizes:

HEKTOR
(re: cribs)
Why are they all empty?

But Jessica cannot or will not answer.

HEKTOR (CONT’D)
Jessica. Why are they all empty?
Where are the renewals?

JESSICA
We have to help Logan.

They lay Logan on the steel table made for babies,

his extremities hanging over the sides. They go to
work removing his clothes. Jessica gasps, fully
realizing the extent of Logan’s injuries.

HEKTOR
When are the others coming to get
him?
(but when she doesn’t answer...)
They are coming to get him, right?

Still no answer. Jessica looks pale. Scared.

Something is terribly wrong. Hektor grabs her.

HEKTOR (CONT’D)
What did you do, Jessica?

JESSICA
We need him, Hektor.

Hektor looks at her pleading eyes and, despite

himself, turns his attention to the machine, a little
uncertain.

Hektor hits a control console and the machine roars

to life with a horrific noise, reaching for Logan the
way a praying mantis reaches for lunch. Logan
struggles to move away, but he is too badly injured
to do much of anything. Hektor quickly punches the
panel to bring the machine under control.

For a moment we think the machine is tearing Logan

apart, but we quickly realize it is healing him -
injecting anesthetic to the very areas it is
attacking, healing the same wounds instantly with
liquid flesh.
 63.

Logan blacks out.

INT. LOGAN’S RESIDENCE - LIVING ROOM - DAY

Logan’s residence sits empty and quiet.

BOOM. The doors burst open and SIX SANDMEN enter, led
by Morah and Francis. They strategically scatter
throughout the apartment, checking corners and rooms.

SANDMAN #1
All clear.

FRANCIS
Take everything.

MAYHEM as Sandmen dismantle everything Logan

possessed. Francis looks down to find Logan’s cat
nuzzling his leg. He bends down and picks up the
animal, scratching him around the collar.

INT. NURSERY - DAY

The machine retracts, blood dripping from a few of

its limbs. PULL BACK TO REVEAL:

Logan is completely healed - as if nothing had ever

happened. He is out cold.

HEKTOR
We have to get him someplace safe.

But Hektor looks past Jessica and goes pale. Jessica

turns to find Lyle is back, looking afraid.

A TALL MAN stands behind the boy, his face out of

frame and his hands on Lyle’s shoulders. He wears a
chain as well.

This faceless man is flanked by SEVERAL MORE.

VOICE (O.S.)
Take them all.

CLOSE ON Jessica and Hektor as the faceless men mob

them.

BLACK
 64.

INT. SUBLEVEL - LATER

CRACK. Logan’s eyes fly open to the sound of sizzling

electricity. His eyes look around wildly, filled with
pain. He emerges from the blackness to faint blue
light. Shadows. A low humming noise. A faint hiss.

The electricity stops and his eyes close again.

Another jolt brings him back violently.

VOICE (O.S.)
You gave him too much anesthetic.

HEKTOR (O.S.)
You didn’t see the shape he was in.

PULL BACK TO REVEAL: Logan is lashed to a make-shift

operating table surrounded by hostile looking
equipment. None of the clean lines and sterility of
the nursery. This is more like a garage - everything
is portable, inelegant, scary.

WHALE, a large man with close-cut hair, pokes Logan

with some sort of rod in the ribs. Each time the
device touches Logan he comes back a little further
from unconsciousness. It’s obviously excruciating.

WHALE
Ever been to reconditioning,
Sandman? I have.
(more pain)
And when I tell you it’s more pain
than you can imagine... Well, from
now on you’ll have a frame of
reference.

More pain. Logan is awake now, becoming lucid. Then a

SHADOWY FIGURE approaches, hard to make out in the
darkness beyond.

SHADOW
You’ll excuse the rude awakening,
Sandman, but there isn’t much time.

As his eyes adjust he can make out an anxious looking

Jessica. Hektor and Lyle are behind her. The space
around them is steel as far as the eye can see.
Massive girders arch from floor to ten-foot-high
ceiling in fifty foot intervals. About thirty feet in
each direction is a shimmering blue light like an
aurora borealis. In the center is a portable
generator - the source of the humming.
 65.

Beside it are hissing pressurized tanks, large but

portable - covered in a layer of frost.

LOGAN
(groggy)
Magnetic field generator, oxygen
cracker... We’re outside the
ecosystem.

SHADOW
Just inside the colony’s outer skin
to be precise. No atmosphere.
Guardian’s blind-spot. But that’s
not-

LOGAN
This is Sanctuary?

SHADOW
Far from it. Those machines are
slowly polluting the atmosphere
they create. We’ll be dead if we
stay much longer. Now listen to me-

LOGAN
Where are the rest of the unaccou-

The Shadow sighs and nods to Whale who jolts Logan

again with the prod.

SHADOW
You have to focus, Sandman. If you
want to reach Sanctuary, we need to
know we can trust you.

JESSICA
He ran didn’t he? You said he
wouldn’t and he did.

SHADOW
We both know Sanctuary costs more
than that.

The Shadow steps into the light and we see his face.
There is something about him. Something not right.

Meet EMILE. To us an attractive man in his mid-to-

late thirties. To Logan:

LOGAN
You’re... old.
 66.

EMILE
No, you’re old. I’m ancient. Still
want to live?

As Logan studies Emile with grim fascination, Whale

holds up a small sensor, reading air quality.

WHALE
Three minutes.

EMILE
Listen carefully, Logan-5. It’s not
just your life at stake here. Your
actions from here on out may very
well determine the fate of mankind.

Logan’s eyes focus now, fully conscious.

EMILE (CONT’D)
Before I ran I was an engineer.
Environmental stasis. By this I
mean-

LOGAN
Ensuring there’s one renewal for
every life that goes to Carousel.
Each woman bears two offspring to
maintain the population. I’m a
Sandman. I’m familiar with the-

EMILE
Two offspring is an average. On
rare occasions a woman is a half-
life.
(stealing a glance at Jessica)
She has only one child in a
lifetime.

LOGAN
Meaning some other woman has to
give three. What’s your point?

EMILE
Rarer still is a zero-sum - a woman
who never reproduces at all. Of
course, with a population of four
million, we can easily compensate.
So long as the number of zero-sums
remained low. But it didn’t...

Logan considers this, realizing...

 67.

EMILE (CONT’D)
In fact, the number of zero-sums
has been steadily growing. No one
can explain why. Not even Guardian.

LOGAN
You’re saying the population is in
decline.

EMILE
The current rate is 3 percent per
generation. But the more the
population shrinks, the faster that
percentage will grow until one day-

WHALE
Two minutes.

Jessica coughs, the air becoming toxic.

LOGAN
Did anyone report this?

EMILE
More than once. But everyone who
did was transferred.

LOGAN
I don’t understand. Why would-

EMILE
There are only two ways to maintain
the population, Sandman. Humans
reproduce at a constant rate or...

LOGAN
Or they’re allowed to live longer.

EMILE
And you know as well as anyone the
importance of Carousel. Everyone
must go. Even the engineers we need
to solve our little problem.

LOGAN
So you ran.

EMILE
A lot of us did.

LOGAN
The Unaccounted.
 68.

EMILE
We didn’t run to save ourselves. We
ran to save the colony - to
understand why mankind is dying
out.

LOGAN
And do you?

EMILE
We’re no closer to an answer now
than when we started. We know a
great deal about how humans
reproduce. What we don’t understand
is where we come from. Our origins.
Perhaps if we knew that, we could
better understand the problem we’re
facing. Of course, just asking the
question is forbidden. Only
Guardian knows the answer. And
since she wouldn’t give it to us,
we had to take it.

LOGAN
So these attacks on Guardian-

EMILE
We mean no harm. The colony is far
too complex to survive without her.
We just want information.
Knowledge. We almost had it until
you killed the messenger.

LOGAN
Doyle.

WHALE
One minute.

EMILE
The data we need is stored in
Doyle’s crystal. It is data that
could help us save mankind. Get it
and we’ll send you on to Sanctuary.
But I warn you. Sanctuary isn’t
what you think it is.

LOGAN
What you’re asking is impossible.
Doyle’s body will be in evidence-
 69.

EMILE
Jessica will help you any way she
can.

JESSICA
Me? But I-

LOGAN
I’m not a Sandman anymore. There’s
nothing I can-

Whale coughs, putting on some sort of oxygen mask.

WHALE
Forty-five seconds...

Emile puts on a mask as well, his voice muffled now.

EMILE
Good luck, Sandman. May you get
what you want.

Emile jabs a needle in Logan’s neck. His vision

immediately blurs, but he can make out Whale grabbing
hold of Jessica and stabbing her as well. From out of
the darkness, SEVERAL SHADOWY PEOPLE emerge, grabbing
hold of Hektor and Lyle, drugging them, too.

EMILE (CONT’D)
(voice fading)
And may you want what you get.

INT. GUARDIAN CHAMBER - NIGHT

Francis stands at attention before the three eyes of

Guardian.

GUARDIAN
Did Logan-5 give you any indication
that he was going to run?

FRANCIS
It simply doesn’t make sense. I
can’t believe Logan would run. Not
unless...
(thinking)
Unless he had a reason.

GUARDIAN
Something troubles you, Francis.
 70.

FRANCIS
Logan told me he though we were
facing a new kind of runner. He
said Doyle could not have run
without help. What if there is a
conspiracy to help runners? What if
Logan ran to expose-

GUARDIAN
His reasons will be made clear when
he is brought to me for
interrogation.

FRANCIS
Question. If Logan did run for a
reason - if his actions can somehow
be justified... Will he be renewed?

Chilling silence.

FRANCIS (CONT’D)
But if he-

GUARDIAN
Renewal is the cornerstone of this
ecosystem, Francis-7. Sandmen are
the keepers of this sacred trust.

FRANCIS
Recognize.

GUARDIAN
Containing today’s incident will be
difficult enough. If the greater
population learns that a Sandman is
running, the effect could be
catastrophic. Spare him and other
Sandmen might think they can run
without fear of prosecution.

FRANCIS
...Recognize.

GUARDIAN
He understood the choice he was
making better than anyone.

Francis looks down at the floor.

FRANCIS
I understand.
 71.

GUARDIAN
You are confident you can proceed?
You do not require intervention?

Francis stands tall, shoulders back.

FRANCIS
It is my duty to serve mankind.

GUARDIAN
You are dismissed, Francis-7.

Francis turns and marches out of the room. Not a

flicker of conflict in his eyes. Or is there...?

GUARDIAN (CONT’D)
Assessment.

And from the shadows, Morah emerges. Prick.

MORAH
He serves Guardian. But Logan is
his friend. You can’t count on him.

Long pause.

GUARDIAN
Observe Francis-7. You are
authorized to intervene at your
discretion.

Morah smiles.

INT. NIGHTCLUB - BEHIND STAGE - NIGHT

Pounding music. Logan comes to at the feet of THREE

NAKED WOMEN gyrating wildly in front of a wall of
opaque glass. Their eyes are glassy and stoned.
Jessica comes to a moment later.

The naked dancers take no notice of Logan and

Jessica. Then we realize: The women are not real.
They are sophisticated animatronics. Look closely and
you can see they have no eyebrows, no nipples, no
fine features of any kind. Eerie.
 72.

INT. NIGHTCLUB - DANCE-FLOOR - NIGHT

From here we can see what the deal is. To the PATRONS
jammed on the dance floor, it looks like three naked
women are dancing behind the glass - their
silhouettes suggesting three naked sirens just out of
reach. Only we know the truth.

Logan and Jessica emerge from the side of the stage,

ignored by the patrons - some stoned, some screwing,
all of them sweating up a storm. It is the rave from
hell and we’d love to stay a while, but duty calls.

EXT. NIGHTCLUB - NIGHT

A crowded street teeming with nightlife. A large sign

reads:

RESPECT THE NEIGHBORS. QUIET PLEASE.

Logan and Jessica emerge to find a line of dozens of

clubbers waiting to get in. They too are dancing,
making out, sharing drugs. The difference is that
they are all wearing wireless headphones tapped into
the music inside. Instead of music we hear only the
shuffling of many feet. Surreal.

Logan grabs Jessica, pulling her back into the

shadows. Looking around she notices the Sandman
presence is heavier than usual. Looking up she sees a
Sidewinder cruising overhead - more in the distance.

Logan reaches into his jacket, discreetly adjusting

something on his gun.

LOGAN
Proximity sensor. Tells me when
other Sandmen are nearby. It’s
meant to keep us from shooting each
other in a crowd.

Logan thinks about that, smiling at the irony,

shaking his head.

JESSICA
What do we do now?

LOGAN
Not we? You. You have to get
Doyle’s crystal from HQ.
 73.

JESSICA
How am I supposed to do that?

LOGAN
By turning yourself in.

He takes her by the arm and they vanish into the

crowded mainstream of foot traffic.

INT. SANDMAN HEADQUARTERS - MAP ROOM - NIGHT

Francis and the other Sandmen study the big board

with an uneasy silence. The young blue trainees have
lost the eager edge they had this morning.

Del and Roth have the big board working overtime,

searching for any sign of Logan.

Frederick-5, the blue trainee, is particularly

crushed by the day’s events.

FREDERICK
I don’t understand... Why would
Logan run? I mean he was-

MORAH
Perfect. Too perfect. That always
bothered me.

Silence. An “oh shit” moment as everyone freezes.

FRANCIS
That’s enough, Morah.

MORAH
Logan was acting funny on Philip’s
Lastday. I couldn’t put my finger
on it then, but now it makes sense.

FRANCIS
I said that’s enough. They don’t
need to hear this.

Morah turns his back on Francis, ignoring him.

MORAH
I think when he saw it was Philip’s
turn, Logan knew his number was up.
You ask me, he looked through the
sight one day and saw himself
looking back... And he blinked.
 74.

FRANCIS
ENOUGH.

Francis grabs the chain around Morah’s neck with one

hand, decking him with the other. CRACK. Morah flies
back, the chain snapping free in Francis’ hand.

CRACK. Morah decks Francis. Francis turns on him,

ready to fight back.

The other Sandmen leap in to hold them back before it

gets worse. Chaos, overlapping dialogue. When things
quiet down, Morah wipes blood from his bleeding
mouth.

MORAH
Don’t ever touch me again, Francis.

Francis goes to answer, but Roth cuts in:

ROTH
You’re tried, Francis. Go home.

Francis thinks about arguing, then nods. He walks

out. He is halfway to the door before realizing he is
still holding Morah’s necklace and the dead runner’s
crystal that hangs from it.

INT. FRANCIS’ APARTMENT - DAY

Francis sits on a sofa staring at the wall, sipping a

stiff drink. He almost doesn’t hear the faintest of
beeping sounds. Then he does. He stands. What the
hell is that? He follows it around the apartment,
hotter, colder, hotter again. He looks under
furniture, in cabinets.

Logan’s cat passively watches.

Then Francis looks at the cat. He walks toward it and

the beeping gets louder, clearer. He takes ahold of
the cat’s collar and there, under the buckle, is the
source of the noise. A simple SIM CARD - a pin-point
of light flashing on it.

Francis turns to his PC. In the future, a PC is

little more than a black sugar-cube with a slot in
it. He pops in the sim and the PC comes to life - a
virtual keyboard projected on the desk, a virtual
screen above it. It says:

HEADS-UP DISPLAY... LOGAN-5

 75.

Logan’s face appears on the screen. The image is

shaky, handheld. We realize from the information
around the edges of the screen that Logan is pointing
his own gun at himself, using it as a camera.

Francis is stunned. The camera wheels away from Logan

and points at a night club called:

LASTERS

EXT. LASTER’S NIGHT CLUB - DAY

The very same club we saw in Logan’s video clip. The

atmosphere is wildly festive. Perhaps desperately so.
Francis approaches, moving unhindered past a line of
people waiting to get in.

INT. LASTER’S NIGHT CLUB - DAY

Darkness. Pounding music. Francis moves through the

surreal crowd of writhing, stoned, attractive bodies.
Hands are held high in the air, almost every crystal
flashing BLACK RED BLACK RED - people partying away
their last day of life, headed for a meat grinder,
blissfully unaware.

Suddenly a hand grabs Francis, turning him around. A

woman’s slender arms wrap themselves around his neck,
a lithe body holds him tightly, soft lips press
against his, a tongue in his mouth. Francis pulls
himself free only to be grabbed hungrily by another
woman. People hold on desperately at Lasters. It’s to
be expected.

The third woman to cling to Francis is a little

harder to get free of. One hand grabs his crotch and
he takes pause. The other hand touches his face,
caressing. But then her hand picks the radio mic from
his ear. Francis grabs her wrists and pulls. The
woman kisses him passionately. He grabs her
shoulders, about to push her away when:

JESSICA
Logan sent me.

Francis freezes. Jessica looks him in the eye,

intense now.

FRANCIS
Where-
 76.

JESSICA
When I say.

She kisses him again, running her hands all over his
body. We’re confused at first until we realize what
she is doing. What looks like a passionate pawing is
actually a thorough frisk. She takes his gun, his ear-
mic, restraints, etc. Francis’ possessions are
dropped, one by one, in a bag Jessica has slung over
her shoulder. In a moment he is picked clean, but it
almost seems worth it.

All the while she dances with Francis, rubbing her

body all over his, matching the movements of the soon-
to-be-dead all around her. She whispers in his ear.

JESSICA (CONT’D)
Logan left you that message because
he thought he might need help. He
believes he can trust you.

FRANCIS
That all depends.

JESSICA
He said you’d say that.

FRANCIS
I want to see him.

JESSICA
He says you will. But you have to
do something first.

FRANCIS
What do you want me to do?

And with a seductive whisper in his ear, she holds up

his restraints.

JESSICA
Lock me up.

EXT. SANDMAN HEADQUARTERS - DAY

Francis, his gear back in place, heads for HQ with

Jessica in cuffs.

FRANCIS
You sure you want to do this? I can
just get Doyle’s crystal for you.
 77.

JESSICA
How can I trust you to bring me the
right one?

Francis knows she has a point.

INT. SANDMAN HEADQUARTERS - MAP ROOM - DAY

The Sandmen are surprised to see Francis enter with

Jessica.

ROTH
What’s going on, Francis?

FRANCIS
Two days ago, Logan took out a
runner with no signal.

DEL
Doyle-4.

FRANCIS
The next day Logan runs and what
happens? We lose his signal.

Roth is intrigued.

ROTH
You think Logan figured out how
Doyle masked his signal.

Francis pushes Jessica forward a step.

FRANCIS
And Jessica-6 here was exclusive to
Doyle.

ROTH
Shame, shame, Jessica-6.

FRANCIS
Of course, she claims she doesn’t
know how Doyle hid his signal.

ANGLE ON: At the far end of the room, Morah is

listening, curious.

DEL
Of course.
 78.

FRANCIS
But I’m willing to bet when she
gets a look at Doyle’s body, it’ll
jog her memory.

The Sandmen share a grim, knowing smile. Roth looks

it up.

ROTH
He’s in recycling. Level two.

Francis takes Jessica by the arm, leading her to an

elevator. They share a discreet look as they get on.

INT. ELEVATOR - DAY

Francis pushes a button, looking back at the HQ full

of Sandmen. We are startled when a body fills the
frame, getting on the elevator with them.

MORAH
I’d like to see this myself.

Francis and Jessica share a new look. “Oh shit.”

INT. RECYCLING - DAY

Francis, Jessica and Morah arrive to a massive room.

All manner of personal belongings are here - but
nothing generic. Each object is something distinctly
personal - remains of a particular individual’s life.

PULL BACK TO REVEAL: The size of the operation is

immense.

At the far end of the massive room, a machine sorts

and breaks these things down into their various parts
- turning them into lifeless glass, wood, paper,
metal. These are sorted further and melted, shredded,
incinerated - returned to the colony as raw
materials.

JESSICA
I always wondered where it went?

FRANCIS
Where what went?

JESSICA
The past.
 79.

MORAH
Here we are.

They come to a large steel enclosure labeled:

PRESERVATION

Morah steps ahead of them and turns a heavy wheel to

open the locker. As cold air hisses out, Jessica
whispers to Francis:

JESSICA
How am I supposed to take the-

But Francis shakes his head quickly, shutting her up.

The door to preservation opens to reveal a series of

steel drawers, making us wonder what is inside. But
we are only allowed to see in one.

INT. PRESERVATION LOCKER - DAY

Breath comes out like steam.

They find the drawer marked: DOYLE-4 - SAVE AS

EVIDENCE. Jessica numbly stares at the drawer,
trembling. Francis steals a glance at her, obviously
sympathetic, but unable to say anything in front of
Morah.

MORAH
If you know something speak up now,
Jessica. You don’t want to see
this.

Obviously she doesn’t want to see this, but she has

to. Morah shrugs.

MORAH (CONT’D)
Suit yourself.

Morah steps forward to open the drawer. The sound of

the recycling outside seems to grow louder as the
drawer slides open. With Morah’s back turned, Francis
grabs Jessica’s hand - reassuring her, we think. But
he just as quickly takes his hand away. Jessica looks
down in her palm and sees a dead crystal there. She
looks at Francis and sees him slipping a chain back
into his pocket. The same chain he ripped from
Morah’s neck.
 80.

The drawer opens for Jessica to see inside. Her

reaction is real and justified. She covers her mouth,
knees buckling, stepping back with a sob. Francis
catches her. Morah smiles sadistically.

CLOSE ON: Francis recovers, putting on a show now.

FRANCIS
Look at him. LOOK. You’re gonna
keep looking until I get some
answer. HOW DID HE HIDE HIS SIGNAL?

He shakes her and she looks, real tears in her eyes.

But she is also searching the remains.

What glimpses we are allowed are almost too much to

bear. Remember that Doyle fell from a height of
several miles. Jessica cries out, trying to step
back, but Francis holds her tight. Jessica is
shrieking now. So much so that even Morah finds it
disturbing. His smile fades.

MORAH
I... don’t think she knows
anything.

FRANCIS
LOOK AT HIM. LOOK.

Francis shoves her forward, bending her over Doyle’s

body. Morah steps in, trying to pull Francis off.
Francis elbows him back and shoves Jessica low across
the open drawer, inches from Doyle’s remains.

FRANCIS (CONT’D)
TALK TO ME, DAMMIT. TELL ME WHAT
YOU KNOW. HOW DID HE DO IT?

Morah recovers and grabs Francis around the neck,

pulling him back. Jessica falls to the floor, hands
clutched tightly to her chest, her clothes stained
with Doyle’s blood.

Morah shoves Francis against the wall, getting in his

face.

MORAH
What’s the matter with you? Have
you lost your mind?

His back to Jessica, Morah suddenly cracks a smile,

trying not to laugh. He whispers:
 81.

MORAH (CONT’D)
(winking, impressed)
Next time let me know I’m good cop.

Morah steps back and goes to Jessica, leaving Francis

to recover himself.

Morah helps Jessica to her feet, turning to kick

Doyle’s drawer shut with his foot. As the drawer
slides back into the wall, we catch a glimpse of
Doyle’s right hand. The crystal in his palm seems to
have come loose...

INT. SANDMAN HEADQUARTERS - LATER

The Sandmen look with wide eyes at the trembling,

blood-stained Jessica. They look at Francis with a
mixture of shock and admiration. He’s tougher than
they thought. He can barely look back at them.

Morah has his arm around a still shaken Jessica.

MORAH
I’m sure it’s all just a
misunderstanding. Why don’t you
head home and rest. If you think of
anything that might be helpful -
anything at all - you come and see
me.

Jessica nods, dazed. Francis steps up, taking her by

the arm.

FRANCIS
I’ll take her home.

MORAH
Are you sure that’s a good-

FRANCIS
I said I’ll do it.

Morah steps back, hands up.

MORAH
You’re the boss.

Francis and Jessica leave. After a beat, Morah turns

to the other Sandmen, sitting in stunned silence.

MORAH (CONT’D)
Didn’t think he had it in him.
 82.

That sends a chuckle through the room - funny in a

way only cops can appreciate. The rest of the Sandmen
are still laughing when Morah’s smile fades.

MORAH (CONT’D)
(to himself)
But do you, Francis?

Morah pulls out his gun and activates the sight. He

calls up a menu and selects:

FRANCIS-7

And then:

LOCATE

A black dot flashes, tracking Francis’ movement

through the colony. Morah follows.

INT. VATOR - DAY

Francis and Jessica ride along in silence.

The vator comes to a stop at a station and the doors

hiss open. PASSENGERS are about to get on when
Francis raises his hand. Without another word, the
passengers step back and let the vator doors close,
leaving Francis and Jessica alone.

FRANCIS
Where will he meet us?

Jessica shakes her head, still dazed.

JESSICA
He said just ride the M line and
he’d find us.

Jessica looks down at the crystal in her palm,

slightly dazed.

FRANCIS
Why did he run?

JESSICA
You know Logan better than I do.

FRANCIS
Not Logan. Doyle. He had the
promise of renewal. Eternal lives.
I just don’t understand.
 83.

FRANCIS (CONT'D)
Now everything he was, everything
he could have been... There’s
nothing left.

Long pause, Jessica stares at the crystal. Then:

JESSICA
I’m pregnant.

Francis is stunned.

JESSICA (CONT’D)
He didn’t want to help them. He
believed in renewal. But he saw
what it did to me the first time I
gave up my child...

FRANCIS
(confused)
I’m sorry. Help who?

JESSICA
It’s supposed to be an honor to
give up your... It’s supposed to be
a relief. The other women made it
sound so easy. But it hurts. I
can’t explain how or why, but
somewhere deep down it hurts. I
couldn’t do it again. Doyle could
see that. So he told them he’d
help.

FRANCIS
Help. Help who? I don’t under-

JESSICA
He gave his life - all of his lives
- so that I could keep my baby. So
that we could go to Sanctuary.

FRANCIS
Sanctuary? What is-

The vator slows to a stop. Francis looks up and sees

a crowd at the door. The doors open and Francis
raises his hand. They obediently step back TO REVEAL:

Logan.

JESSICA
(whispering)
Please don’t tell him.
 84.

She gets up and meets Logan as he gets on, handing

him the crystal. Then she steps out. Logan is
confused.

LOGAN
Where are you-

JESSICA
I’ve done all I can. Goodbye,
Logan. Good luck.

And the vator doors close. A beat later it leaves the

station. Logan looks through the glass at Jessica as
she walks away from the platform. He is still looking
when:

FRANCIS
What is Sanctuary?

Logan turns, at once happy and sad to see his friend.

LOGAN
That’s a long story.

EXT. VATOR - DAY

Outside the vator looking in as Logan sits down and

tells all he knows. The vator pulls away, gaining in
speed until:

A SIDEWINDER cruises into frame - driven by Morah. A

holographic gun-sight appears over the vator. Morah
hits a scroll wheel and the image zooms in. Morah can
clearly make out Logan. He smiles.

MORAH
Central, Morah-2, requesting back-
up. I have a visual on Logan-5.

INT. VATOR - DAY

Francis has been given the download but it’s a lot to

comprehend.

FRANCIS
So Guardian told you to run.

LOGAN
To find Sanctuary and destroy it.
 85.

FRANCIS
And these... missing runners...

LOGAN
The Unaccounted.

FRANCIS
They believe the population is in
decline. And that crystal contains
information they need to save
mankind from dying out.

LOGAN
That’s what they tell me.

FRANCIS
And you believe this?

LOGAN
I don’t believe any of it. Maybe
the population is declining. That
doesn’t mean man is dying out. What
matters is they believe it.
Carousel isn’t renewal to them. To
them it means the end of mankind. I
think they mean to stop it.

FRANCIS
But the only way to do that would
be to...

LOGAN
To destroy Guardian.

FRANCIS
How?

LOGAN
Doyle was a high-level systems
engineer. If anyone knew how to
destroy Guardian it would have been
him. I think that’s what he was
bringing them when he was killed.

FRANCIS
Then we should just destroy the
crystal.

LOGAN
My mission is to find Sanctuary and
destroy it. I can’t get there
unless I give them that crystal.
 86.

LOGAN (CONT'D)
If we destroy it now, we might lose
our one shot at finding the
Unaccounted and wiping them out
before they find a way to kill
Guardian.

Francis rubs his eyes, bewildered.

FRANCIS
You have to see this from where I’m
sitting, Logan. How this sounds.
All I know for certain is that you
ran. And I have orders to bring you
in.

LOGAN
And you can. But not until I reach
Sanctuary. I’ll guide you in and
you can wipe out the whole nest.

FRANCIS
And what about you?

Logan holds up his crystal: BLACK. RED. BLACK. RED.

LOGAN
I was dead from the start. This
isn’t about me.

Francis looks away, unable to face it.

FRANCIS
But you can’t come back.

LOGAN
I don’t want to come back.

Francis looks at him, shocked.

LOGAN (CONT’D)
I told you once I was tired and I
meant it. Not just tired of
killing. I’m tired of living -
tired of all this. Maybe if I could
see some purpose - if I knew where
all of this was going. But I don’t
think it’s going anywhere. The
thought of coming back to this life
over and over again forever... I
don’t want it. This mission is what
I was meant to do. It gives my life
meaning. I can’t think of a better
way to end it.
 87.

Francis looks at his friend with tears in his eyes,

unable to comprehend how he got to this place.

FRANCIS
What do you want me to do?

LOGAN
Go back to HQ. Have every available
man ready to strike. Wait for my
signal.

The vator approaches the next station. Logan stands

and heads for the door. He turns back, shocked to
find Francis aiming from the hip.

FRANCIS
I have my orders.

LOGAN
Do what you have to, Francis. Just
make sure what you’re doing is
right.

The vator comes to a stop. The door opens with a

hiss. Logan slowly turns, braced for a shot in the
back. Francis trembles, unable to pull the trigger.

The people outside see Francis’ gun and they

identify. Logan steps off the vator and into the
crowd. Francis lowers his gun and:

BOOM. Panic O.S. The crowd scatters, screaming.

Francis runs off the vator to find:

EXT. VATOR STATION - DAY

Morah is hovering over the vator station on his

Sidewinder, firing at Logan as he runs through the
crowd.

FRANCIS
HOLD YOUR FIRE. HOLD YOUR-

BOOM. Morah fires at Logan again as he dives for

cover behind a heavy support. The blast dislodges the
support and it collapses on top of Logan, pinning
him. Logan manages to return fire. Morah ducks,
nearly falling off his Sidewinder in the process. The
vehicle veers sharply.

Francis runs toward Logan, weaving in and out of a

teaming mass of terrified bystanders.
 88.

He gets to Logan and together they struggle to lift

the beam so that Logan can get free.

LOGAN’S P.O.V. Looking over Francis’ shoulder, Logan

sees Morah’s Sidewinder rise into view for another
shot.

LOGAN
FRANCIS.

Francis glances over his shoulder but doesn’t stop

trying to lift the beam.

FRANCIS
PUSH.

LOGAN
FRANCIS, RUN.

FRANCIS
PUSH, I SAID.

Logan and Francis heave together as:

BOOM

A bolt of searing hot energy passes through Francis,

the wound instantly cauterized. He staggers and
heaves. Logan pushes and the beam falls free.

MORAH’S P.O.V. from the Sidewinder. Francis

collapses, exposing Logan. Morah smiles and sights
in, but Logan is faster.

CRACK

Logan’s shot hits the nose of the Sidewinder. The

machine noses down instantly, hitting the deck with
surprising force. Morah lands in a heap, motionless.

Logan turns to Francis, lying on his back, eyes

rolling wildly from shock.

LOGAN
Francis...

Francis struggles to say something, but he has

nothing to say it with. Instead his eyes wander to
the Ankh hanging from Logan’s neck. He touches it,
curious. Then his body suddenly seizes and he dies.

Logan hasn’t long to absorb the death of his friend

before:
 89.

VOICE (O.S.)
RUNNER. STAY WHERE YOU ARE.

Logan turns in time to see a swarm of approaching

Sidewinders. Logan runs.

EXT. COLONY - VARIOUS - DAY

If Logan has any advantage, it is that he still has

no signal. Without a hard visual, the tech-dependant
Sandmen are slow to track.

Logan makes good use of cover, running into the vator

terminal where Sidewinders cannot follow. Sandmen
dismount and run after him.

ANGLE ON: Morah staggers to his feet, angry and

determined. He recovers his gun and joins the chase.

INT. SANDMAN HEADQUARTERS - MAP ROOM - DAY

Stunned silence. Of the many cameras following the

action, one is focused on Francis’ body. Another
monitor is playing back Francis’ last moments on a
loop.

DEL
I don’t understand... What was
Francis doing?

ROTH
Protecting him.

The Sandmen share a deeply uncertain look. What the

hell is happening?

INT. VATOR TERMINAL - DAY

Sandmen enter cautiously. BYSTANDERS are quickly

getting the idea that they should make themselves
scarce. Weapon-sights are finding fewer and fewer
signals. The Sandmen seem lost.

MORAH
Idiots. He has no signal. Use your
eyes. Remember he has our traffic.
Radio silence.

Weapon-sights wink out and the Sandmen track in a way

that is not their custom.
 90.

INT. VATOR TERMINAL - ELSEWHERE - DAY

Silence. Almost peaceful.

Cat and mouse. The terminal is a bit of a maze which

Logan is using to good effect. Of course, he can
track the other Sandmen with his gun, so he knows
where everyone is. But the sheer numbers make it hard
for him to navigate a path to the exit.

Logan switches to an over-view map and quickly

realizes all exits are sealed. Black dots are
converging on the terminal from all sides. All
corridors are choked. He is cut off. Screwed. Then:

VOICE (O.S.)
Have you got the crystal, Sandman?

Logan turns with start. Emile and Whale are standing

behind him as if from thin air. Emile extends a hand,
waiting. Logan hesitates.

EMILE
Sanctuary or the Sandmen. You
choose.

Logan sees a Sandman’s shadow coming around the

corner just behind Emile. Now or never. Logan holds
up the crystal. Emile takes it, scanning it with a
small device and putting it in his pocket - much to
Logan’s unease. Emile nods to Whale, satisfied.

He jerks his head toward an air vent just behind

Whale - its cover forced open. Whale turns and jumps
in, vanishing.

Emile motions for Logan to do the same. Logan peers

inside, looking down a steep grade into total
darkness, unsure. Emile peers over his shoulder,
stabbing him in the neck with a needle.

Logan winces and slumps over. Emile grabs his feet

and heaves his quickly slackening body into the
shaft. Then he jumps in after.

INT. AIR-SHAFT - DAY

LOGAN’S P.O.V. Looking up, falling away from the

light of the opening, vision quickly blurring.
 91.

Logan’s hand numbly reaches for the chain around his

neck, his strength quickly leaving him. With his last
conscious thought he grabs it and:

SNAP

BLACK

INT. SANDMAN HEADQUARTERS - MAP ROOM - DAY

The action at the vator terminal has everyone at HQ

quiet and on edge, watching the Sandmen search
silently for Logan.

It takes a moment for Del to notice the new black dot

flashing. Suddenly he realizes, snapping to.

DEL
Central, Morah-2. I have a visual
on Logan-5. Repeat, I have a
visual.

FADE TO:

INT. VATOR TERMINAL - LATER

Inside the air-shaft looking out at Morah and several

Sandmen peering into the darkness.

MORAH
Morah-2, Central. You still have a
signal?

ROTH (ON RADIO)

We got him locked. Still moving.

MORAH
Keep me posted on his location
minute-by-minute. Have a strike-
team assembled and ready. No more
improvising. Next time we face him
he’s not getting away.

ROTH (ON RADIO)

Central, Morah-2.

MORAH
Morah-2, go.

ROTH
Guardian wants to see you.
 92.

Pause. All eyes fall to Morah.

MORAH
On my way.

We stay behind, pushing into the air-shaft that

delivered Logan to...

BLACK

INT. SUBLEVEL - DAY

CRACK. Logan’s eyes fly open to a familiar sound of

sizzling electricity, low humming, a faint hiss. His
eyes adjust to a blue light we remember well.

Once again he breaths the stale air of the oxygen

cracker just inside the colony’s outer skin.

He looks over and sees Emile and Whale hunched over a

device attached to Doyle’s crystal. A holographic
display hovers over the device, scrolling through
miles of computer code. Whale notices Logan looking
and waves his hand through the display. It vanishes.
He nudges Emile who turns, smiling.

EMILE
How’s he doing?

We realize the man holding the prod that woke Logan

this time is none other than Hektor - Jessica’s
surgeon friend. His white apron is covered in blood.

HEKTOR
All done.

Hektor unstraps Logan from a make-shift gurney.

Logan’s right sleeve has been torn away and his arm
laid out palm up.

EMILE
Well, Logan. You held up your end
of the bargain. Now we’ve held up
ours.

Still groggy, Logan is confused, looking around.

LOGAN
Sanctuarmmm...
 93.

Logan turns his head, eyes focusing now, surprised to

find Jessica lying nearby - her right sleeve also
torn away. Her eyes roll, struggling back from a drug
induced sleep.

LOGAN (CONT’D)
Where are the others... The Un...
Unacc-

Emile raises his hand. Despite being thirty-some

years old, his palm is fixed with a red crystal. Not
flashing, not black, but a healthy red. That of a man
in his twenties.

Logan looks at his own hand. His black, flashing

crystal has been replaced with a red one just like
Emile’s. Just like the one Guardian took away.

EMILE
An Ankh is good for hiding one’s
signal, but it doesn’t cure the
more obvious curse. Your new
crystal is completely undetectable,
never changes. We provide you with
a counterfeit identity - Hektor
here gives you a new face and, of
course, keeps it fresh with the a
touch-up now and again. Our network
provides safe living quarters -
though you’ll have to avoid any one
place for too long to avoid
suspicion.

Logan does not look pleased with what he is hearing.

He struggles to sit up.

EMILE (CONT’D)
Be glad you survived the process,
Sandman. Not everyone does. But
we’re getting better at it every
day. In a way, you owe your new
life to the other runners who never
made it this far. How’s that for
irony?

That’s when Logan notices the SHADOWS standing at the

edge of the make-shift space. At least a dozen men
watching the scene. Some of the Unaccounted.

Logan grabs Emile by the collar, trembling. Furious.

 94.

LOGAN
This is what you did with the
Unaccounted? This is how you hid
them?

EMILE
I told you, Sandman. Sanctuary
isn’t what you think.

Emile coughs, looking at his watch. Whale checks an

air gauge.

EMILE (CONT’D)
We’d better be going.

JESSICA (O.S.)
What about me?

They turn to find her sitting up, becoming lucid.

JESSICA (CONT’D)
We had a deal. You promised me
Sanctuary. You said I could keep my
baby.

That brings Logan to complete focus now.

LOGAN
Baby. Wha-

EMILE
One thing at a time, Jessica.

JESSICA
What’s the point? If this is all
there is then what you’re doing
won’t matter. It won’t change
anything.

EMILE
Calm her down.

JESSICA
IF THERE’S NO SANCTUARY THERE’S NO
REASON TO GO THROUGH WITH THE-

Hektor grabs a needle and goes to inject Jessica but

she struggles. Whale steps in to restrain her. Logan
notices his gun tucked in the small of Whale’s back.

JESSICA (CONT’D)
GET THAT THING AWAY FROM ME.
 95.

Logan leaps off the table. Emile tries to hold him

back but Logan decks him. Hektor turns on Logan,
stabbing with the needle. Logan grabs Hektor’s wrist,
breaking it like a twig. Hektor screams. Whale turns
on Logan. On top of his size advantage, Whale is
fighting with a clear head. Logan is still shaking
off the drug.

Jessica jumps on Whale’s back. He effortlessly pulls

her off and back-hands her to the floor. Logan
charges, but Whale is too quick. He delivers a series
of blows that leave Logan in a heap on the floor. He
finds himself looking up at Emile and Whale. They
slip on oxygen masks as the air starts to foul.

WHALE
What do you want me to do with him?

EMILE
Leave him where the Sandmen will
find him.

Emile turns to leave but stops, remembering.

EMILE (CONT’D)
Make sure and get his Ankh.

Whale leans down, reaching into Logan’s shirt. Pause.

Panic. He searches frantically now.

WHALE
I can’t find it?

Emile goes white.

EMILE
Did he have it when he came in
here? Didn’t anyone check him?

He looks at Whale, then Hektor. They both shrug.

Logan manages a slight grin.

EMILE (CONT’D)
Get out of here. GET OUT NOW.

Emile turns, runs toward a ladder, climbing toward a

hatch in the ceiling. He never gets there.

BOOM. The hatch blows in with explosive force,

driving Emile back down the ladder, telescoping his
body flat to the floor.
 96.

Several more holes blow in from the ceiling in a

circle all around them, followed by Sandmen in FULL
COMBAT GEAR and gas masks. They are led by Morah.

Whale and the other Shadows produce weapons clearly

fashioned by engineers - as hand-made as the oxygen
cracker. Some kill with electricity, others with
propellent and rivets. One is an industrial laser
which accidentally slices Hektor neatly in half.

The Sandmen return fire but they were not expecting

this sort of resistance. Most are quickly cut down.
Morah sees Logan and tries to get a shot but has to
focus on the Unaccounted for now.

From where he lies on the floor, Logan sees Whale

aiming at Morah. Logan stands up behind Whale,
grabbing him around the forehead, leaping in the air
and driving both feet hard into his spine, snapping
him over backwards. The sound is awesome.

Logan recovers his gun and helps Jessica to her feet.

He points to the ladder Emile was going to use for
his escape.

LOGAN
CLIMB OUT AND DON’T LOOK BACK.

Jessica does as she is told.

The Sandmen are in bad shape. Morah’s last two men

are cut down, leaving him to face three Unaccounted
on his own. They aim, he aims, but before they can
fire:

Logan runs up behind Morah as he shoots the magnetic

field generator. In the next instant:

BOOM. The generator explodes and the blue light

surrounding them instantly vanishes, along with any
atmosphere created by the oxygen cracker. Logan tucks
his gun in his waist-band, grabbing the ladder with
one hand and Morah’s gun-hand with the other.

Air screams in from the many holes made by the

Sandmen. Bodies are blasted in every direction away
from the open man-holes, sending the Unaccounted
gunmen flying into the vast, airless emptiness inside
the colony’s outer skin.

Morah is stunned to find himself in the most awkward

of situations.
 97.

His gun his aimed at Logan, but if he shoots him,

they will both be sucked into the void. And Logan’s
grip is slipping.

They lock eyes. A moment of understanding. Morah lets

go of his gun and grabs Logan’s arm with both hands.
Logan pulls him toward the ladder, helping him get a
grip and then leaving him. Logan pulls himself up the
ladder against the intense rush of air.

Morah watches him go, struggling to catch up. But

Logan is stronger. He pulls himself through the hole
at the top of the ladder and vanishes. Morah
struggles to climb, each rung a little harder to hold
on to. Finally, he stops, unable to go further, his
grip slipping. Just as he is about to let go:

A hand reaches down to him - the palm fixed with a

red crystal. Morah grabs for the hand with all he has
left. A moment later he is shocked to find the hand
belongs to Logan.

INT. ANTEROOM - DAY

WHOOSH. The screaming air stops as suddenly as it

began, replaced by a new humming sound. No blue light
this time - just a slight distortion in the air,
almost like heat-waves.

Sandmen storm through the only hatchway behind their

answer to a field generator - small, man-portable.

MORAH (O.S.)
HOLD YOUR FIRE, HOLD YOUR FIRE.

They are shocked to find themselves face-to-face with

Morah, Logan using him as a shield, a gun to Morah’s
throat. Jessica stands behind them both.

The gun is making a strange whining noise like a

camera charging up to flash. The Sandmen angle for a
position where they might get an shot. That is until
Logan raises his red, unblinking crystal.

Pause. The Sandmen freeze, blinking, confused. They

can’t make sense of it.

LOGAN
Who is liaison?

MORAH
I am.
 98.

Logan shakes his head. “I should have known.”

LOGAN
Works for me. Tell them to put down
their weapons and leave.

MORAH
You heard him.

The Sandmen drop their guns to the floor and

reluctantly walk out, sharing looks of bewilderment.

LOGAN
Now get on the radio and direct
every Sandman back to HQ to await
further orders.

MORAH
Then what?

LOGAN
Then take us to see Guardian.

MORAH
Never.

Logan cracks his gun across the back of Morah’s head.

INT. VATOR - DAY

Logan drags a semi-conscious Morah onto a vator and

waves Morah’s limp hand across the scanner reserved
for liaison.

He stops the door from closing, looking to Jessica

who hesitates on the platform.

LOGAN
Coming?

Jessica can’t seem to decide.

LOGAN (CONT’D)
There’s nowhere to run now,
Jessica. Come on.

That does it. She gets on.

 99.

INT. SANDMAN HEADQUARTERS - MAP ROOM - DAY

Roth, Del and the other Sandmen silently watch from

the big board as a vator makes it way toward the
citadel and Guardian.

INT. VATOR - DAY

Morah sits across from Logan and Jessica, daggers in

his eyes.

Logan is using his gun to scan the crystal in his

palm. He shakes his head in amazement.

MORAH
How does it work?

LOGAN
I can’t figure it. But Guardian
will.

Jessica’s reaction to this seems mixed. Hard to read.

MORAH
Why wouldn’t Guardian tell me about
this so-called mission when she
made me liaison?

LOGAN
Do you believe what I told you?

MORAH
Not a word of it.

LOGAN
That’s why Guardian didn’t tell
you.

Logan looks ahead and sees the Citadel coming up

fast. He sighs like a man coming home. Morah doesn’t
like that at all.

Jessica, meanwhile, has a strange look on her face.

She steals a look at the crystal in Logan’s palm. He
notices this and takes her hand.

INT. GUARDIAN CHAMBER - DAY

The vator arrives. Logan nudges Morah out of the

vator at gunpoint, then gets off with Jessica.
 100.

She looks at the silent, eerie “face” of Guardian

with a mixture of awe and disdain.

MORAH
I’m sorry, Guardian. I have no
excuse for this intru-

GUARDIAN
Greetings, Logan-5.

Morah is stunned.

LOGAN
Greetings, Guardian.

GUARDIAN
I trust you can justify this
deviation from your original
objective?

LOGAN
My objective was to find and
destroy Sanctuary.

Jessica looks at Logan, perhaps a little shocked,

perhaps used to people lying.

GUARDIAN
You failed to find Sanctuary.

LOGAN
Negative.

Logan holds up his hand and shows it to Guardian.

What follows is perhaps Guardian’s longest and most
unnerving pause. Then:

GUARDIAN
How do you explain the anomaly,
Logan-5?

LOGAN
The Unaccounted are living among
the general population. If I may be
permitted to identify, my report
will explain everything. Also, your
analysis of this crystal may
explain how it works. This would
enable us to hunt the Unaccounted
down and prosecute them all.

JESSICA
Wait.
 101.

GUARDIAN
Identify this woman, Logan-5.

LOGAN
Jessica-6.

Pause.

GUARDIAN
A half-life.

LOGAN
Until recently, yes.

Pause.

GUARDIAN
Recognize. You are dismissed,
Jessica-6.

JESSICA
You can’t kill those people.
They’re trying to help the colony.

LOGAN
They’re trying to destroy Guardian.

JESSICA
No... Yes... They have no choice. I
worked in the nursery. I saw it
with my own eyes. Something is
wrong. We’re in decline.
(to Guardian)
Please. The colony can’t go on the
way it has. There’s got to be
another way. Those people can’t
solve the problem without your
help. And you can’t solve it
without theirs.

MORAH
Watch your mouth.

Morah reaches for her, but Logan raises a hand and he

freezes.

GUARDIAN
You are dismissed, Jessica-6.

Jessica becomes angry, her eyes welling with tears.

JESSICA
If that is your will.
 102.

She turns and walks slowly toward the vator, stealing

a glance over her shoulder at Logan.

GUARDIAN
Identify, Logan-5.

Logan steps forward, reaching to place his hand on

Guardian’s center eye. But he hesitates, thinking.

He looks back at Jessica, catching the tail of her

look back to him. Then Logan looks at the crystal in
his palm, suddenly suspicious.

MORAH
You heard her, Logan. Identify.

Jessica stops walking now, waiting for something.

MORAH (CONT’D)
Dammit, IDENTIFY.

Logan looks from his hand to Guardian’s eye.

FLASHBACK

In the next instant, a series of images flash through

Logan’s mind: Doyle falling away from him in the
vator. Holding Doyle’s crystal in his hand. Doyle’s
profile and the long list of technical skills that
went with being a computer specialist. Maintenance
for Guardian herself.

Then he remembers Emile and Whale tinkering with

Doyle’s crystal - a display showing the miles of code
it contained.

In his mind, Logan is strapped to a table, a new red

crystal in place of the old one. A crystal now
hovering over Guardian’s eye, about to interface with
her.

LOGAN
Wait.

Morah steps forward.

MORAH
I said IDENTIFY.

And a hand slaps Logan’s down on Guardian’s eye. PULL

BACK TO REVEAL:
 103.

It’s not Morah. It’s Jessica. Logan sees the look of

anger, of determination in her eyes. He realizes.

LOGAN
What did you do?

JESSICA
What had to be done.

GUARDIAN
You are dismissed Jessic-

A strange silence. A soft, ambient noise we were

never aware of suddenly stops, like a quiet fan dying
in an otherwise silent room.

Now the silence is total.

INT. SANDMAN HEADQUARTERS - MAP ROOM - DAY

To the shock of all present, the big board with all

of its millions of colored lights goes suddenly dark.

And the silence...

INT./EXT. COLONY - VARIOUS - DAY

A silence that seems suddenly to pervade the entire

colony. A silence like the world standing suddenly
still.

The large light diffusers that run through the center

of the colony flicker slightly, like a shadow passing
briefly across the sun. A rolling blackout extends from
the center of the colony outward - the light returning
in the same wave pattern an instant later.

When this wave of light passes over the populace - be

they men, women, children - their crystals instantly
turn to an opaque white.

INT. GUARDIAN CHAMBER - NIGHT

One by one, the lights go out with the finality of a

curtain call. With each light that goes dark, Morah’s
anxiety increases, his reality unravelling before his
very eyes.

When the last light goes out, he makes a tiny sound

in his throat. Fear. Then he screams when:
 104.

TSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

The wall that bears the three eyes of Guardian moves

back several feet, then swings open like a vault
door, leaving a ten foot circular corridor. Bright
light floods the room, filling everyone with awe.

ANGLE ON: A window, or more accurately a loudly

humming magnetic field - like the generators, like
the classroom walls - looking down an oblong,
octagonal shaft out into the rotating vastness of
space itself. Through a far away opening a white
field wipes past, reflecting brilliant white light
from some unseen source.

CLOSE ON: Morah, terrified beyond the capacity for

rational thought.

CLOSE ON: Jessica, her hands unconsciously meeting

tightly across her belly.

CLOSE ON: Logan, a look in his eyes of wonder,

revelation, but most of all... relief.

ANGLE ON:

Earth - dead ahead - looming large, with a milky

white atmosphere. Large breaks in the cloud layer
show blue-white ice on the surface. Closer to the
equator we see patches of thawing ocean. An ice age
is waxing or waning.

A GIGANTIC METAL RING deploys from the foreground,

attached to several heavy - vaguely familiar looking
cables to each side. The ring extends Earthward,
appearing ever smaller and giving perspective to the
impossible vastness of the object before their eyes.

JESSICA
Wh- What is it?

And as if on cue, power returns to the chamber around

them. A beat later, the vator behind them opens - the
faint muzak inside adding an oddly funny backdrop to
the scene.

Logan and Jessica turn slowly, looking at the vator,

then back at the descending ring. We realize the
cables that connect the ring to the colony are vator
tracks. Tracks that lead directly to the chamber
where they are standing and back to the vator behind
them.
 105.

INT. COLONY - VATOR TRACKS - DAY

CLOSE ON: The isolated section of track that leads to

Guardian - a section of track that moves into place
only for liaison. Until today.

Now it moves into place and locks. We turn and look

back down the track toward the heart of the colony
and the many vators circulating its citizens to and
fro. Little do they know their mass transit system
has a new stop.

INT. GUARDIAN CHAMBER - DAY

Logan and Jessica look at one another, unsure of what

to do. Logan finally turns and gets on the waiting
vator. He turns back and extends a hand to Jessica.

She hesitates.

JESSICA
Someone told me a story once... A
myth.

LOGAN
I’ve heard it.

JESSICA
The myth said this place was
imperfect. That we weren’t meant to
return.

Logan thinks, looking at the descending tracks. Then:

LOGAN
I’d say someone had other plans.

Jessica realizes he is right. She gets on the vator,

brushing past a near catatonic Morah who simply
cannot, or will not, comprehend. We stay on him as we
hear the vator doors close with a hiss, their
magnetic seals humming - their true and long
forgotten purpose becoming clear.

Morah only snaps out of his trance when the vator

glides past him on its way down. By then, there is
nothing he can do.
 106.

INT. VATOR - DAY

The vator passes through the magnetic membrane that

separates Guardian’s chamber from the void of space.
Gravity quickly leaves the vator and - like on any
ride from one side of the colony to the other, like a
Laster on Carousel - Logan and Jessica float.

A moment later the vator is filled with blinding

white light - light more intense than any they have
yet seen. Logan and Jessica shield their eyes from
their first glimpse of the sun.

A beat later it passes behind the colony itself - the

sight of which inspires awe - unimaginably huge.
Logan almost misses the best part. Then he smiles,
pointing. Jessica sees it and laughs at the irony.

Painted on the side of the colony are battered white

letters that have seen untold ages in space, several
hundred feet high. They read simply:

SANCTUARY

They turn their attention back toward Earth, growing

larger by the minute.

JESSICA
What do you think is down there?

Logan thinks for a moment and smiles:

LOGAN
Something different.

EXT. SPACE - DAY

PULL BACK UNTIL the sheer immensity of the vator

system is little more than a thread dangling from a
needle in space - one pointing to the place where man
was born.

The place to which he has finally returned in all of

its wonder and all of its uncertainty.

BLACK