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Rated: 13+ · Other · Sci-fi · #1988182
A bionic man must regain his memory to save a dead world, b4 forgotten enemies silence him
EXT. MOUNTAINS OF TRASH - NIGHT - RAINING

              A MAN IN TATTERED DESERT CLOTHES tops a peak...

              He drags a SACK of his daily scavengings. Face covered with a
              crude gas mask.

              Atop the mound, he stares out, over the landscape. His
              garbage mountain is just one of an immense chain, stretching
              for miles in all directions...

              A city on the horizon. Barren wasteland in between.



              TRASH PILE - DESCENT

              The Desert Man slides and hops his way down...

              Stopping now and then to grab any electronics he finds.



              VALLEY

              Blistered hands shoveling through trash. He grabs an OLD
              PHONE, inspecting it for flaws, turning it over in his hands.
              Tosses it in his Sack.

              A glint of sun reflects off a metal corner. Catching The
              Desert Man's eye...

              He digs around the shiny protrusion. Revealing one side of a
              METAL BOX...

              Rubbing his chin, the Desert Man decides to keep digging. He
              shovels with both hands, motivated by curiosity. Freeing a...

              METAL COFFIN. It slides with trash to the ground. A HUMAN
              HAND emerges after the displacement...

              The Desert Man pulls on the Hand. Nothing...

              Clearing waste around the Hand. He frees it a bit more.
              Pulling harder. With all his weight...

              A NAKED, BIONIC MAN emerges. Limp, unmoving. The Desert Man
              looks closer, intrigued by this unique find...

              The Bionic Man's body is an elegant blend of man and machine.
              A spider-web of synthetic fibers, sparking and damaged.
              Weaving through muscle and skin...

              He is more than human. The next phase.

              The Desert Man checks the Bionic Man's pulse. Nothing. Ear to
              his heart. The Desert Man SNIFFS the body. He's dead.

              Grubby fingers tracing bio-plastic body mods...

              The Desert Man ties the Corpse and his Sack to the Metal
              Coffin. Drags them to..



              EXT. TUNNEL - ENTRANCE - NIGHT

              The Desert Man stops by an OLD BRICK DOOR, hidden amidst
              piling trash. He opens it, and slides his finds inside.



              INT. DESERT MAN'S HOME - NIGHT

              A long forgotten subway system, crumbled and moldy.

              The Desert Man has set up an oil lamp, cot, gallons of water,
              a small fire. He takes off his mask...

              Revealing a SUBHUMAN CREATURE. Puss oozing from open sores
              that consume his face. He inspects the..



              METAL BOX

              The Desert Man's fingers trace the edges. Looking for a way
              in. He finds one. Opening to find...

              A hermetically sealed plastic bag. A BEIGE FORM hidden
              within. The Desert Man SNIFFS, sensing a familiar smell.

              Excited now, he unzips the bag. Revealing...

              A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN, sharp cheekbones and full lips
              complimented by alabaster skin. But she too is unconscious.
              Thin wires connect her to an electronic panel inside the
              Metal Coffin, keeping her alive.

              Scratching his head, the Desert Man is confused, but
              unquestionably pleased...

              He glances back and forth between the Bionic Man and the
              Woman in the Coffin. CLAPPING, bouncing, GRUNTING with joy.

              He hops to the..



              FIRE AT THE CENTER OF THE ROOM

              Mounts a kettle. Stoking the flame. Tossing in moldy and
              rotten vegetables.

              The Desert Man picks up the Bionic Man's Body. Lays it on a..



              TABLE

              He takes a closer look. Puts his nose to the Bionic Man's
              flesh. SNIFFING the corpse. The Bionic Man was a natural
              adonis, and completely devoid of hair.

              Thick braids of blood-red filaments track the Bionic Man's
              spine. Branching out through his limbs...

              The Bionic Man is as manufactured as he is homegrown.

              The Desert Man retrieves a CARVING KNIFE. Licks his lips...

              Cuts into flesh on the Bionic Man's thigh..



              BIONIC MAN'S EYE

              It fires open. His iris a vibrant white-blue. But the pupil
              is not a natural one...

              Hundreds of micro-metallic components scrambling in unison.
              Augmenting the human iris. 

              The eye scans the room, terrified, confused..

              The Bionic Man jumps to his feet. Shoves the Desert Man to
              the corner. Takes off into..



              CATACOMBS

              He quickly gets lost in twisting tunnels. A caged animal...

              The Bionic Man glances about, anywhere, everywhere. Turning
              himself in circles.

              The Desert Man catches up. Nears the Bionic Man like he would
              a tranquilized bear. Hands up..

                                  DESERT MAN
                        I don't want to hurt you.



              FROM BIONIC MAN'S POV

              As the Desert Man speaks...

              A semi-transparent holo-screen blinks on, millimeters from
              the Bionic Man's retina. To him, it appears conveniently
              sized for viewing.



              BIONIC MAN'S POV

              He sees - Blinking LED letters.

              The letters read: Language Identified: English. Germanic
              roots.

              The hologram intrigues the Bionic Man, he watches it
              intently.

                                  DESERT MAN
                        I found you. In the Fill Mountains.
                        I'm Bob.

              Each word Bob speaks conjures a mini holo-definition for the
              Bionic Man. Levitating in his vision, but invisible to Bob.

                                  BOB
                        Are you alright?

              The Bionic Man listening to Bob as he watches vivid
              holograms.

              Every word in each holo-definition branches to its own
              meaning, and compounded. Creating a tree that stretches to
              the entire Webster's Dictionary...

              The Bionic Man absorbs it all, learning at the speed of
              light. Mystified. Mouth agape.

                                  BOB (CONT'D)
                        Are you listening?

              The Bionic Man is pulled back to the conversation. Focusing
              on eye contact with Bob.

                                  BIONIC MAN
                        Yes.

              Bob takes a moment, struggling to find the right words.

                                  BOB
                        How'd you get out there?

              The Bionic Man furrows his brow, grasping at this thoughts.
              But he's stumped.

                                  BIONIC MAN
                        Don't know.

                                  BOB
                        You don't remember?

              Bob shakes his head to solidify his point. As the Bionic Man
              looks at him...

              A hologram 'connect-the-dots' maps Bob's facial expression...

              Another hologram appears for the Bionic Man, a list of human
              facial expressions. Scanning the list, he lands upon:
              'NEGATIVE.'

              The Bionic Man mimics Bob's head shaking 'no,' albeit
              awkwardly and a second too late. Bob can't help but CHUCKLE.

                                  BOB (CONT'D)
                        Who are you?

              The Bionic Man's answer is a blank stare, he doesn't
              understand. If Bob didn't know better, he'd assume the Bionic
              Man had never thought about it before.

                                  BOB (CONT'D)
                        I'm Bob. You are...

              A hologram shows the Bionic Man definitions of 'the Self.' A
              holo-nametag for BOB appears, hovering over Bob's shoulder.

                                  BIONIC MAN
                        Who am I?

              He's stumped again. Worrying them both...

              The Bionic Man's head spins. Hand on the table to stabilize
              himself. But it's not working. HYPERVENTILATING...

              The Bionic Man passes out. Bob can't catch him in time. 



              EXT. PYRAMID-ESQUE COMPLEX - NIGHT - RAINING

              Establishing. A SIGN reads:

              'NORTHSHIRE PHARMACEUTICALS.' Accompanied by a chic emblem:
              An artistic rendering of a man operating on himself.



              INT. NORTHSHIRE - PENTHOUSE OFFICE - NIGHT - RAINING

              An aquarium is built into the angular, stone slab structure.
              It continues beneath the floor to an open stream and pond...

              Patches of tropical trees and bush dot the chamber. Ornate
              landscaping connects the arboreal islands.

              Spectacular birds FLUTTER THEIR WINGS. A PARAKEET flies to
              a...



              TOWERING GLASS WALL

              Landing on A LONE MAN gazing out...

              He is tall, wiry, intense. Always the smartest man in the
              room. Too smart for his own good, his wisdom eats at his very
              soul: DR. JULIAN FERRAIRA.

              He surveys the metropolis...

              A brilliant view of hundreds of towering skyscrapers.
              Hologram ads the size of football fields...

              Millions of people a thousand stories below. Ocean on the
              horizon.

              KNOCK AT THE DOOR. An UNDERLING enters.

                                  UNDERLING
                        Mr. Ferraira. There's something you
                        need to see.

                                  FERRAIRA
                        Send it to my Signal Feed.

              The Underling nods. Leaves.

              Ferraira's index finger raises a CONTACT LENS, pulsing the
              color spectrum...

              Calmly places it on his iris.



              FERRAIRA'S POV

              A hologram login confirming Ferraira's retinal print.

              An amorphous 3D hologram appears in front of him. Molding
              itself. Taking shape. Into...

              An HD diorama of Bob pulling the Bionic Man and Metal Coffin
              from the Trash Fill Mountains.

              Ferraira is stunned, doesn't believe what he sees. He closes
              his eyes...

              And reality fades...



              INT. MASSIVE CAVE ATRIUM - VIRTUAL

              Ferraira's pixels materialize in near total darkness.
              Stalactites DRIPPING into pools a hundred feet below.

              He waits amidst the rock formations. Nervous, he flattens the
              virtual creases in his suit. A child seeing the Principal...

              A SHADOWED MAN appears, the one for whom Ferraira waits.

                                  FERRAIRA
                        There has been a disturbing
                        development. He has resurfaced.

                                  SHADOWED MAN
                        He's been dead for years. Now a
                        mutant has found his corpse. It
                        means nothing.

                                  FERRAIRA
                        We underestimated him before.

                                  SHADOWED MAN
                        That was when he was alive.

              Ferraira fails to bite his tongue.

                                  FERRAIRA
                        With everything on the line, the
                        sacrifices we've made-

              The words coming slower, as if Ferraira's fighting to
              suppress painful memories.

                                  FERRAIRA (CONT'D)
                        The lives lost.

              He regains composure.

                                  FERRAIRA (CONT'D)
                        We cannot afford to let this,
                        experiment, get in our way. If he
                        ever told anyone what he knows, it
                        could undo everything-

                                  SHADOWED MAN
                        Then make sure he doesn't. Get to
                        Washington and retrieve those
                        files.

                                  FERRAIRA
                        How will I find him?

                                  SHADOWED MAN
                        Activate the prototype.

              That worries Ferraira. His eyes shoot up, locking with the
              Shadowed Man's gaze for the first time. It took Ferraira a
              lot of courage to do so.

                                  FERRAIRA
                        The project isn't ready for field
                        tests. We only have one prototype.

                                  SHADOWED MAN
                        Is that one prototype functional?

              Ferraira SIGHS, knowing he's lost.

                                  FERRAIRA
                        Yes.

                                  SHADOWED MAN
                        See to it. Personally.

              Ferraira nods, and the virtual cave fades.



              BIONIC MAN'S DREAM - FOREST - TROPICAL - DAY

              The Bionic Man and the Comatose Woman stalking through thick
              underbrush...

              They find what they seek. Looking to each other, excited,
              accomplished, fire in their eyes...

              Palms closing around ODONTOGLOSSUM CRISPUM. A rare orchid.
              Delicate. Like a white satin negligee.

              The scene melting into...

              AN INFERNO. The Comatose Woman's CRIES OF PAIN.



              INT. BOB'S HIDEOUT - NIGHT

              The Bionic Man jumps awake. Strides to the...



              METAL COFFIN - OPEN

              Holograms appear in his vision...

              Simple, 3D images of a 'COFFIN,' as he looks at the physical
              Coffin. Accompanied by relevant information, details, history
              of Coffin use in human cultures...

              Holograms shifting to identify the metal concentrations that
              make up the Coffin itself...

              20% Aluminum. 40% Iron. 15% Titanium. 25% Alkaloids...

              The Bionic Man rubs his hand over the metal. Learning from a
              dozen holograms at once.

              The images shift to a holo- TABLE OF THE ELEMENTS. 3D images
              of the different metals. Chemical structure. Atomic weight.

              The Bionic Man's focus shifts to the..



              COMATOSE WOMAN

              The Bionic Man scanning the Woman's too-flawless skin. Too
              symmetrical bone structure...

              The holo-images change to display the definitions of
              'FEMALE.' Anatomical images, chromosomal data...

              The Bionic Man is captivated. Concentrating on the holo-data
              and images. Explaining the world to him...

              The Bionic Man's holograms shift focus to the Woman herself.
              Age, height, weight, vital signs, genetic code. All at once.

              His fingers stretch cautiously to her face. When they
              touch...



              MEMORY FLASHES OF THE BIONIC MAN WITH THE COMATOSE WOMAN -
              VARIOUS SHOTS

              BATHROOM: Her brushing her teeth. Him behind, arms at her
              hips, kissing her neck.

              GROTTO: She dives after him into deep blue water, surrounded
              by beautiful cliffs.

              IN BED: Their eyes locked. And they can't wait a second
              longer. Pouncing on each other.



              BOB'S HIDEOUT - PRESENT

              Startled, the Bionic Man falls to his ass...

              The fragmented memories have taken hold of him. Standing, his
              gaze locked on the Woman, ominous and confused...

              The Bionic Man shakes the Woman, but she won't wake. He
              brushes hair from her closed eye. Appreciating her beauty...

              Index finger tracing sharp cheekbones, soft lips...

              He plants a tear-filled, passionate kiss on her forehead.



              IN THE OTHER ROOM

              Bob hears the COMMOTION. Joins the Bionic Man at the...



              COMATOSE WOMAN'S SIDE

              Startling the Bionic Man, he jumps to a defensive position..

              Bob throws his hands up, slows his roll.

                                  BOB
                        I don't want to hurt you.

              The Bionic Man shows Bob the cut on his thigh.

                                  BOB (CONT'D)
                        These are the wastes. A man must
                        survive.

              That doesn't relax the Bionic Man, who still learns new words
              and phrases as they speak. Accompanied by relevant images.

                                  BOB (CONT'D)
                        I thought you were already dead. I
                        am not a killer. Just hungry. Not
                        that I could kill you. You're some
                        kind of cyborg, aren't you?

              Holo-data about 'CYBORG' flashing in the Bionic Man's vision.
              Definitions, images, political essays.

                                  BOB (CONT'D)
                        Aren't you?

              The Bionic Man's face twists into a concerned realization,
              mouth curling at the sides, almost ready to vomit.

              The Bionic Man's gaze fires to the Woman...

                                  BIONIC MAN
                        She knows.

                                  BOB
                        What?

                                  BIONIC MAN
                        She knows.

                                  BOB
                        She knows what? Who you are? Yes?

              Bob nodding. The Bionic Man scanning his expression,
              referencing the list of human emotions, landing on,
              'AFFIRMATIVE.'

              The Bionic Man mimics Bob's nod, as awkwardly late as last
              time.

                                  BOB (CONT'D)
                        But you don't know who you are? How
                        can you not know?

              The Bionic Man turns away, unwilling to accept it. Bob eases
              off the gas, mercifully.

                                  BOB (CONT'D)
                        That's okay. It must be coming
                        back.

                                  BIONIC MAN
                        Fragments.

                                  BOB
                        Tortoise not the hare, right?

              Bob CHUCKLES to himself. The Bionic Man face-mapping
              'LAUGHTER.'

              The Bionic Man doesn't get the reference, but LAUGHS because
              he was supposed to. Though he does so unnaturally, and much
              too loud.

              Bob thinks it's strange, but moves on.

                                  BOB (CONT'D)
                        I'm taking my salvage into the city
                        today. You'll be able to find your
                        answers there.



              INT. SUBWAY TUNNELS - NIGHT

              Bob leading the Bionic Man through dank catacombs...

              The Bionic Man carries the Woman's Coffin like it were a
              stack of firewood.



              EXT. TRASH FILL MOUNTAINS - NIGHT - RAINING

              A HOVERCRAFT landing. The door opens, and Ferraira gets out.

                                  FERRAIRA
                        GABRIEL PROTOTYPE. Activate.



              INSIDE THE HOVERCRAFT

              MACHINERY WHURRING. A SHADOWED FIGURE stands:

              GABRIEL. Walking out of the dark. To reveal...

              A Cyborg, far more modified than the Bionic Man. Gabriel's
              synthetic parts have consumed any humanity....

              His face shines with synthetic upgrades. But it's not really
              a face. A creepy, unresponsive gelatin mold is as close as
              Gabriel comes to flesh.

              With limited movement angles for facial 'muscles,' Gabriel
              has a finite number of combinations. His expressions are a
              series of over-exaggerated, pre-set emotions.

                                  GABRIEL
                        What is my directive?

              His voice REVERBERATES through muffled steel.

                                  FERRAIRA
                        Find, "Adam." You have samples of
                        his DNA installed on your hard
                        drive. Track the source.

              Gabriel streaks into the trash piles like a missile.



              INT. SUBWAY TUNNELS - NIGHT

              Bob creeping through darkness, the Bionic Man copying his
              every step.

              CLACK! Some bricks are dislodged. EERIE LAUGHTER ECHOING...

              Bob pulls them to a halt...

                                  BIONIC MAN
                        What?

              Bob SHUSHES him...

              GAH! A SUBHUMAN CREATURE dives from the shadows. Lunging at
              Bob...

              The Bionic Man drops the Coffin. Grabs the Creature's throat
              mid-air. Flings it to a wall.

              But he and Bob are surrounded. By...

              A DOZEN CREATURES. They attack in unison. SCREECHES of more
              coming...

              The Bionic Man reacts on instinct. Faster than any human...

              Compared to him, the Creatures move in slow-mo, helpless to
              the Bionic Man's inhuman speeds...

              CRUNCH! Left hook to a Creature's jaw.

              SNAP! Elbow to the nose.

              WHAM! Kicks another in the chest. Launching him. Rams a
              fourth's head into brick.

              They can't track his too-fast reflexes. By the time they
              attack, he's darted behind for the kill....

              He stomps the final Creature's neck. KRSCHK!

              The Bionic Man calms his breathing, coming down from an
              adrenaline high. Returning from a trance...

              He looks around him, watching life leave the Creature's
              bodies...

              Which disturbs him, deeply, he has to look away. Getting
              dizzy...

              The Bionic Man throws up.



              ON THE GROUND

              Bob was wounded. And MORE CREATURES are crawling out of the
              walls. Storming down the tunnel. Dozens...

                                  BOB
                        Please, you have to help me!

              The Bionic Man picks Bob up, sprinting down the tunnel,
              carrying the Coffin under one arm and Bob under the other.

              But there are too many Creatures, surrounding them.

                                  BOB (CONT'D)
                        You have to drop the box!

                                  BIONIC MAN
                        But she knows!

                                  BOB
                        She's dead!

              And the Creatures are upon them...

              The Bionic Man running...

              Creatures grab at Bob. The Bionic Man fights the first wave
              off, but they are getting swarmed...

              A Creature pulls Bob from the Bionic Man, dragging him to the
              ground.

                                  BOB (CONT'D)
                        Help!

              The Creatures tear at Bob's flesh. The Bionic Man tries to
              save him, but there are too many. But the feast is
              distracting the Creatures. Clearing a path...

              The Bionic Man grits his teeth. Forces himself to turn away.
              And takes off.

                                  BOB (CONT'D)
                        No!

              CRUNCH! SQUISH! The Creatures consume Bob alive. The Bionic
              Man sprints away, trying not to hear. But his hyper-senses
              make that impossible.



              INT. BOB'S HIDEOUT - NIGHT

              The Cyborg Gabriel scans the empty room...

              His vision stopping on a drop of the Bionic Man's blood, from
              Bob's CARVING KNIFE. A hologram confirms it's a match.

                                  GABRIEL
                            (into comm)
                        I've found him.



              INT. SUBWAY TUNNEL - NIGHT

              The Bionic Man nears a LIGHT AHEAD, following it outside...



              EXT. OLD TOWN - D.C. - NIGHT - RAINING

              The Bionic emerges to see...

              The City has been bombed into oblivion. It is partially
              rebuilt, but the repairs are makeshift...

              Rusted office buildings and cheap apartments. Twisting metal.
              Dank corners.

              3D holograms hawk insurance, cars, underwear. Crowding the
              sky. Suffocating the air.

              The Bionic Man wanders through urban decay. Eyes scanning
              each windowed, concrete cube with awe only a child knows.

              As the Bionic Man looks at different buildings, holo-screens
              appear, detailing that building's address, the company that
              owns it, what occurs inside, etc.



              INT. SUBWAY TUNNELS - NIGHT

              Gabriel dusting himself off after killing DOZENS OF
              CANNIBALS.

              He examines Bob's remains, confirming that that is not his
              target. Gabriel finds some of the Bionic Man's skin cells,
              and follows the trail.



              EXT. NATIONAL MALL MARKETPLACE - NIGHT - RAINING

              The Bionic Man carrying the Metal Coffin amidst SHOULDER-TO
              SHOULDER CROWDS. Marching through the National Mall...

              The Monuments have deteriorated. Lincoln is headless,
              handless, the remains of his left leg lie in a heap at the
              base...

              THE MALL has been repurposed as a hectic bazaar. THOUSANDS OF
              CUSTOMERS flood the marketplace.

              The Bionic Man enters the fray, curious but intimidated. He
              passes through..



              ROWS OF CHEAP TENTS

              Out of which:

              IMPOVERISHED MASSES sell products from food and furniture, to
              futuristic trinkets and jewelry out of makeshift shops...

              PROSTITUTES entice from the shadows. THUGS, GRANDMAS, and
              CHILDREN pedal weapons and ammo.

              Thousands of holo-ads illuminate the MALL in flashing neon...

              Some a hundred feet across, other ads are life-sized scenes
              and human-esque, hologram pitch men.

              But one hologram holds dominion:



              GIANT HOLOGRAM BUST OF AN INTENSE MAN

              Powerful, calculating, covered with war medals. RICHARD
              LESCHER.

              The hologram bust of Lescher lords over the marketplace, a
              thousand smaller copies paint the buildings.

                                  LESCHER HOLOGRAM
                        Times are tough. War is Hard. God
                        Bless America.



              TENTSHOPS

              The Bionic Man carries the Coffin through crowded alleys,
              perusing different stores. Holograms appear, detailing info
              on various objects he sees: Typewriter, Cat, Rifle.



              FROM THE SHADOWS

              Gabriel watches the Market, looking for his mark. Scanning
              all he sees, he locates the Bionic Man.

                                  GABRIEL
                            (into comm)
                        Eyes on target.

                                  FERRAIRA
                        Don't let him get away. I'll be
                        right there.



              EXT. NATIONAL MALL MARKETPLACE - NIGHT - RAINING

              The Bionic Man shoving through thickening crowds...

              HUNDREDS SHOUTING IN THE DISTANCE! Behind him, a PROTEST
              HUNDREDS STRONG marches right at him...

              But the crowd is too dense to escape. The Protest hits the
              Bionic Man like a wave. Knocking him off balance...

              He drops the Coffin. It tumbles into the...



              GUTTERS

              The Coffin SPLASHING in yellow-green sewage, twenty feet
              below. The Bionic Man chases after it, readying himself to
              jump...

              But A MAN'S HAND grabs his shoulder, stopping him. The Bionic
              Man turns, too fast for a human, startling the Man who
              stopped him...

              The Man is a battle-worn veteran, perhaps too worn, something
              inside him never came back. A scar stretches over a synthetic
              eye, though it is much less advanced than the Bionic Man's.

              The interloper blinks surprise, as if he's 'refreshing' his
              vision, to make sure he was correct. The Man regains his
              composure, intrigued.

                                  MAN
                        I served in the War. Fought from
                        Cairo to the Urals. Saw a lotta
                        fucked up shit, man. Lotta guys got
                        hurt, lot of them patched up with
                        these Frankenstein upgrades.

              He points to his eye.

                                  MAN (CONT'D)
                        But I never seen mods like yours,
                        man. These are high-tech! These
                        don't exist, fiction stuff.

              He looks at the Bionic Man, almost too interested.

                                  MAN (CONT'D)
                        Where'd ya get 'em?

              The Bionic Man looks away, bashful.

                                  MAN (CONT'D)
                        No worries. Any friend of the
                        revolution is a friend of mine. I'm
                        Don.

              Don reaches out his hand, it hovers between the two men,
              unanswered...

              The Bionic Man stares at Don's hand, then back at Don. The
              Bionic Man lifts his own hand, inspecting his palm.

              Don grasps the Bionic Man's hand with a firm shake.
              Judgemental confusion painted on his face.

              He pats the Bionic Man's shoulder, getting their feet moving,
              blending within the Protest.

                                  DON
                        You are a friend to the revolution?

              The Bionic Man's answer is a blank, quizzical stare.

                                  DON (CONT'D)
                        That's why we're here.

                                  PROTEST
                        Signal is control!

              Don throws up his arms, basking in the CHANTS. Joining in.

              He looks back to the Bionic Man, as if he's sharing a guarded
              secret.

                                  DON
                        They monitor it, you know. They
                        read it. They tell us what to think
                        with it, subliminal, brain waves,
                        gamma rays, microwaves.

              That piques the Bionic Man's interest. Half his focus on the
              seemingly random data holograms conjured by Don's ranting.

                                  BIONIC MAN
                        What do they watch? Who is they?
                        Don't understand.

              Don's caught off guard, frozen momentarily. It transforms to
              excitement, that he gets to expound his ideas.

                                  DON
                        The all-eternal they, man. Them-

              Don throws a few quick nods to the sky.

                                  DON (CONT'D)
                        Up, up, up top.

              The Bionic Man doesn't follow.

                                  DON (CONT'D)
                        Corporations, Government, Churches,
                        everything. Not all of them are
                        goners but the machine keeps
                        churning. Watching and
                        indoctrinating. Indoctrinating and
                        watching. The Signal itself is
                        their toy, their voice, their ear,
                        their eyes and noses.

              The Bionic Man can't keep up. His hologram feed is a frenzied
              mess. Taking a moment to collect his thoughts..

                                  BIONIC MAN
                        What is the Signal?

              Don CHUCKLES, thinks its a lame joke. Stares at the Bionic
              Man, whose curious look tells Don he's not kidding.

                                  DON
                        The Signal, man. Google and data
                        and news and Facebook. Signal
                        controls it all. They own the
                        servers, they own the internet.

              As Don speaks, the Bionic Man watches holograms detailing the
              Signal Corporation, based in Shanghai. Signal Corp controls
              98% of internet traffic.

              Other holograms detail the nature of the internet, its
              origins and stock prices.

                                  DON (CONT'D)
                        They see it all, they hear it all,
                        they say it all. It is theirs as we
                        are ours as they are them and
                        everywhere.

              The Bionic Man is more confused than before.

              ANGRY SHOUTING AHEAD! The Bionic Man leans about to see why.
              But Don already knows..

                                  DON (CONT'D)
                        Rothschild. Fucking Frankensteins.

              That scares the Bionic Man, who conjures holograms about
              ROTHSCHILD PRIVATE SECURITY. A corporate military operation.

              The Protest marches toward a..



              RIOT SHIELD PHALANX - MIDDLE OF NATIONAL MALL MARKETPLACE

              The Riot Shields are held by A SQUAD OF ROTHSCHILD COMMANDOS.
              Marching in too-perfect unison. Each of them stoic as a rock.

                                  ROTHSCHILD COMMANDO
                        Disperse. Return to your homes.

                                  DON
                        Oink, oink! Piggy squeal!
                        REEEEEERRRRRR! REEEEERRRRRR!

              Don LAUGHS. The Bionic Man is offput, but forces LAUGHTER
              anyway, because he knows he's supposed to.

              The Protest tosses rocks and bottles at the Riot Shield
              Phalanx, but the Protest's momentum is halted with twenty
              yards to spare.

              The commotion is too much for the Bionic Man's hyper-senses.
              Covering his ears. SHOUTING OVER EVERYTHING. He falls to his
              knees.

              Rothschild Troops fire water hoses into the crowd. Creating
              chaos. The Protest disperses. CIVILIANS SCREAMING!

              The Bionic Man on the ground. He reaches critical mass. Eyes
              rolling to the back of his head. He collapses...

              WHAM! SPARKS!

              Electricity for three blocks goes out. Startling everyone in
              the Market. Catching a CLOAKED OBSERVER'S interest.

              Lights flickering back to life. But the Bionic Man is still
              unconscious.

              Rothschild Troops move toward the Bionic Man. But the Cloaked
              Observer intervenes. Dragging him to..



              REFLECTION POOL - DRY

              The empty pool is filled with neon dressed PARTYERS. A DJ on
              stage, surrounded by SEXY DANCERS...

              The Cloaked Observer pulls the Bionic Man, who slowly comes
              to, through the crowd...

              Everyone in the Crowd stands awkwardly still and quiet, with
              no direction for their energy. Until...

              Electricity reboots. BASS BUMPING BACK ON. CHEERS FROM THE
              CROWD.

              The pool explodes with motion, like a switch was flipped. The
              Observer that saved the Bionic Man joins in, instinctively.

              But the Bionic Man is just trying not to bump into people.

              The Observer sees Rothschild Troops nearing. Pulls the Bionic
              Man deeper into..



              THE CROWD

              Gyrating bodies. Pulsing with the MUSIC. A sweaty, carnal
              mosh pit.

              The Observer guiding him, the Bionic Man in a panic-induced
              haze. BREATHING HEAVILY. She pulls him to a stop. Whirls
              around...

              She is a BEAUTIFUL WOMAN. Mid-thirties. Flashing a perfectly
              groomed smile, yanking the Bionic Man to full attention.

                                  WOMAN
                        Relax, baby. I'm Dana.

              She dances effortlessly against him. Thighs lightly rubbing
              his...

              He melts under her power. She whispers in his ear..

                                  DANA
                        This is Old Town. If you don't know
                        how to party, you don't belong.

              The Bionic Man calms down, trying to catch the rhythm. But
              failing miserably. So bad, Dana thinks its cute.

              Even still, the Bionic Man is having fun. Forgetting that
              people are chasing him. But she quickly gets serious.

                                  DANA (CONT'D)
                        How'd you do that?

              Pulling the Bionic Man from his intense dance focus.

                                  BIONIC MAN
                        What? This?

              He re-does a cheesy dance move. She LAUGHS, shaking her head.

                                  DANA
                        You just short-circuited power for
                        the entire market.

              His face drains of any happiness. His motion freezes.

                                  BIONIC MAN
                        I don't know what you're talking
                        about.

                                  DANA
                        Save it.

              She inspects him closer, circling him. Eyes and fingers
              exploring his extensive body mods.

                                  DANA (CONT'D)
                        I've never seen mods like these...
                        these aren't market. These don't
                        exist. You're some kind of test
                        subject, aren't you?

              That upsets the Bionic Man, like a grade-schooler getting
              bullied.

                                  BIONIC MAN
                        I don't feel like a test subject.

              She barely hears him.

                                  DANA
                        Have to be Government.

              BEHIND HIM: Dana sees them first. THREE ROTHSCHILD TROOPS,
              searching through the crowd...

              The Troops pass by, but one catches sight of the Bionic Man.
              They surround him. Shove Dana aside. One puts his hand on the
              Bionic man...

              Who reacts on instinct. Squeezing the Commando's wrist bones
              to pieces. KURKHE!

              The Bionic Man lunges to the next, red-shifting from Commando
              to Commando...

              They're all on the ground before they knew he took a step. He
              raises his eyebrows to Dana, palms up. She GIGGLES in spite
              of herself.

              But MORE TROOPS are coming. The Bionic Man must run.



              ABOVE THE POOL

              Ferraira and Gabriel watch the commotion. Ferraira nods to
              his dog. Gabriel springs to action...
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