Ronnie Rocket - The Screenplay

Typed (well, scanned actually) by Mike Dunn and Jim Pellmann

RONNIE ROCKET OR The Absurd Mystery of The Strange Forces of Existence Property of: David Lynch Registered with W.G.A. Black . . . fade in a giant stage . . . enormous with black cur- tains--open. The entire stage is filled with a wall of fire 200 feet high. Within the fire are thousands of souls screaming out silently . . . only the roaring of the fire. FADE OUT There is a dark land where mysteries and confusions abound, where fear and terror fly together in troubled cities of absurdities. Black clouds race by over a soot-covered city, where it is dark- est night. Only a few tiny yellow squares of light in the old buildings and factories. Everything is so dark. Very little life is noticed except the tiny dark yellow squares. There are no cars seen from this high angle looking down over the city--no people out this night. A closer look at some of the buildings reveals a thirties style architecture, although quite plain and very massive. Office buildings with heavy industrial factories. A smoke stack pours tons of heavy black smoke slowly and silently into the dark night sky. Hundreds of heavy electrical wires crisscross through the sky and electricity hums come from giant boxes on the poles. The headlights and then a car--it moves slowly below, down a street then turns out of signt. An old neon sign over a diner says "City Diner." A large old hospital and the, front steps. Inside a nurse goes by wheeling a patient on a rolling bed. The corridor is now empty. Moving slowing through the empty corridor. An open steel door. Down now two flights of cement stairs and along a dark and moist corridor off of which sit decaying subterranean hospital rooms. We hear the heavy machinery that keeps the massive building ope- rating. Pipes leak rusted festering water into puddles on the cold floor. Entering one of these small decaying rooms we see an old hospital bed. A dim name tag on the end of the bed bears the name RONALD DE ARTE. In the bed, under the white sheets, lays RONALD DE ARTE who, because of some strange unnamed happening is now here quite dis- figured. There is no human form to him really except he does have arms and legs, but they're under the sheets. The chest and head area are very strangely shaped, but there is a hole for a mouth and a nose. In the mouth there are teeth and a tongue which moves. There are two eyes above the nose hole. The eyes dart back and forth. Suddenly, and quite mysteriously there is a detective now standing in this room. He wears black pants and shoes, a white shirt, a black jacket which is now hanging on a rack over against the cement wall. Over his shirt, he wears leather straps and a shoulder holster which supports a .38 pistol under his arm. He is standing, looking at the hospital bed. Ronald De Arte' is now making some sounds--very high pitched whines and is attempting to reach a piece of paper which lies on a moveable steel tale next to his bed. The Detective moves in closer and hands the paper to Ronald who contorts in order to get his arm over to it. More high pitched whines and a knocking of his hand on the table near a pencil which leaps with every hit lets the Detective know that Ronald now requires a pencil with which to write. Ronald very shakily scribbles out the following symbols and all the while he makes very long, high pitched whines: The Detective takes the paper to a small lamp across thd room and looks the symbols over. He folds the paper and continues to hold it as he turns toward Ronald again. He comes up closer to Ronald. Ronald makes some more noises. The Detective now is very close to Ronald looking into his eyes. Very faintly the big close up of Ronald stays double exposed as the Detective turns, gets his coat and goes quickly out of the room. Putting on his coat he looks suspiciously, left and right down the dark- corridor--no one--he goes down the hall and disappears around the corner. No one is on the street as he crosses it to a large building where he stops and turns back to see if anyone is follow- ing him. He looks carefully all around him. Satisfied with the situation as it is, he turns back again and goes down the street into the darkness. Ronald's CU fades. Now the Detective is in a train station. Several people are boarding a black steel train in a dimly lit passenger loading area. The Detective climbs aboard and finds a seat. Even with the lights on it is still so dimly lit. The cigar and cigarette smoke is very thick. People talk but not too audibly because the train and station sounds are so loud. It is a dull crowd of very poor working-class people. The train begins to move and rumbles through the night. At the first station nearly every- one lets off. An arcing of electricity and on again to the next station which appears to be the last because everyone gets off except the Detective. The people hurry through the underground station than all is deserted. The train continues to make sounds but doesn't move. A conductor appears and finds the Detective still aboard. CONDUCTOR (speaking loudly) Off the train!!! DETECTIVE I want to go deeper into the city. I'm a detective. CONDUCTOR You a detective? DETECTIVE Yes. CONDUCTOR Train doesn't go far into the city . . . can only go one, maybe two, more stations . . . closed up beyond that . . . no one. You want to go, but only one, maybe two, stations. DETECTIVE Can I get another train to go further? CONDUCTOR No more trains ever beyond here never go . . . now three people. (looks up with a "now this is curious" expression) At this, two strange looking people slowly enter the train car from the other end and begin coming toward the Detective and the Conductor. CONDUCTOR CON'T 'Board!!! The Conductor leaves the car and the other two sit down and look at the Detective, then at each other, then down at the floor, then up at the Detective. Outside the Conductor yells something which echoes in the back- ground, then someone way far away yells. The Conductor yells again and the train begins to move very slowly ahead with much grinding metal sounds. Streaking along the train moves into even heavier darkness. Occasionally a light can be seen outside the windows but mostly all is black. The lights in the train dim down lower as a humming sound comes from above the trains. The train slows and enters a station. This station is empty and very old. It looks completely un-used. Papers and dirt are blown through-out, windows are broken, and most of the lights are out. The outside is suddenly lit up considerably by a huge electrical arcing of the wiring on the train. It stops and the lights inside come up slightly. The Conductor walks quickly into the car and as he goes by the three of them: CONDUCTOR Bad repair . . . electrical sparks! Outside the electricity arcs again and the train jumps forward. It moves along slowly and the giant humming sound is now con- tant. The train goes through darkness then comes to an area where there are some lightbulbs strung on wires and then the train slows to a grinding halt. The two across from the Detec- tive leave the train as the Conductor walks in. CONDUCTOR End of the line. DETECTIVE Is this the station? CONDUCTOR No one uses the station . . . all that's left. We have train trouble now . . . a bad place. Get off the train now . . . this is the end of the line. From here on you're on your own, Bub! The Detective steps off the train and the train begins backing up out of sight. The Detective stands near a bulb. Moths fly against the bulb . . . over and over again they hit at it, try- inz, to get at the light. The Detective watches the moths. There are noises, the Detective turns. He is surrounded by snarl- ing black dogs circling him--moving closer. The Detective freezes with fear. Now out of the darkness comes a group of men wearing black woolen overcoats, black hats, gloves and boots. They stamp their feet up and down as they slowly surround and move in closer to the Detective. They join with the dogs and become like the moths around the light bulb. Suddenly like animals they attack and quickly beat the Detective to the ground. One of the men "zaps" the Detective with a huge electrical jolt from an elect- rical hand gun which is shaped like a cattle prod. The Detective doesn't move. They continue to circle. They "zap" him again and the ground begins to smoke. Now laughing they storm off into the night with the dogs. The Detective strains to open his eyes and maintain consciousness. DETECTIVE (outloud to himself) What has happened to this place? Now out of the darkness comes an old man, TERRY. In fact, one of the two people that travelled on the train with the Detective. He is an older man--rather mean looking and wears one pant leg rolled up exposing a gauze bandage. He carries a fly swatter with him and from time, swats his sore leg at the bandage. When the sore is particularly acting up, Terry turns the swatter around and digs under the bandage with the wire handle. Now Terry circles the Detective slowly--eyeing him. TERRY Get up . . . Get up here outa the light . . . I was supposed to meet you but had to get rid of that guy I was travelin with. Now you listen to me . . . and listen carefully . . . answer my questions too . . . You're new in this part of the city . . . right sucker? DETECTIVE Yes. TERRY Yes . . . Jut what I thought . . . what a mess you seem to be too. I meet a lot of people and I can tell a few things about em . . . I can see that you are a mess. DETECTIVE Settle down . . . What do you . . . TERRY Don't try to tell me . . . I'll tell you . . . I can tell you that too. believe me . . . DETECTIVE Well tell me then . . . TERRY You want to go further into the city. To the inner city. DETECTIVE Yes. TERRY Can you hold a thought? DETECTIVE What? TERRY Can you hold a thought? DETECTIVE I can think if that's what you mean? TERRY My God, we're going to have trouble. Let me ask you a question. Where did you get that ugly fresh face? (silence) Let me say it another way . . . How is it that you came to an arrangement of, features such as that which you are expos- ing to me now? Can you answer that? DETECTIVE No. TERRY This is unbelievable Are you a detec- tive? DETECTIVE Yes! TERRY OK smart guy . . . what are the three rules of a detective then? DETECTIVE --stay alert --concentrate --stay clean TERRY Right! Now . . . there's new rules in this part of the City see? NEW rules . . . say new rules. DETECTIVE New rules. TERRY That's right . . . It's hard to under- stand . . . HARD to concentrate . . . I don't know if you heard me? DETECTIVE Yes I heard you. TERRY What did I say? DETECTIVE You said it is hard to concentrate. TERRY Where? DETECTIVE In this part of the city. TERRY . . . that's right . . . now where you want to go . . the inner city . . . it's impossible to concentrate see? huh Buddy do you comprehend what I'm telling ya? DETECTIVE Yes. TERRY So . . .? DETECTIVE So tell me what I have to do. TERRY Hell I suppose you want me to do it for ya too . . . You don't even KNOW? DETECTIVE Yes I know some things but not everything . . . TERRY God help us . . we are rally gonna need it . . . Look at this Detective . HEY!! Let's get in off the street . . . this is going to take some time to explain. Terry takes the Detective along a street lined with old cheap hotels. He leads the Detective to one of them. Outsidse the door a mangy black dog growls. The Detective jumps back. TERRY Hey, it's a dog is all. DETECTIVE I . . . I'm afraid of dogs . . . and they know it. Inside, behind the desk, there is a clerk who's sleeping. The Detective rings the bell and the clerk awakens slowly as if he may have been drinking a lot. DETECTIVE How much is a room here? CLERK Three and a half a night, hot shot? DETECTIVE Oh yeah? CLERK (staring defiantly at the Detective) Yeah . . . and you'll have to share the room with some knitters. DETECTIVE Knitters?!? Terry quickly places his hand over the detective's hand as a signal for him to be quiet. TERRY That'll be fine . . . we'll share the room with the knitters. CLERK Who's rentin this room? . . . You or him? TERRY He's payin' for it and I'm makin' the arrangements . . . OK? . . . Is that OK by you? CLERK Yeah maybe so . . . You're in 5B . . . top of the stairs . . . turn left. That's three and a half in advance. The Detective gives him the money and the clerk hands him the key to 5B. At the top of the stairs, he and Terry turn left and go to the door of 5B--open it--and enter a tiny hotel room. Old wallpaper, some floor lamps, and old iron bed and two filthy old women sitting in chairs at opposing walls . . . the knitters. One knitter is actually knitting. The other is sewing a button on a dirty old sweater. Terry digs into his wound with his fly swatter then looks closer at the sewing of the button . He smiles a curious smile at the detective . The knitters are talking while this is happening. KNITTER #1 I feel terrible . . . I just have no energy and I feel nauseous. KNITTER #2 I have a terrible cold . . . It's gone in the back of my throat now and in my ear. KNITTER #3 Ahhh! Now you know how I felt . . . I felt horrible . . . remember I had two colds . . . the second one last week was the worst . . . I never felt so bad . . . Now it's in my chest . . . just wait till your's goes into your chest then you'll maybe know how drained I feel . . . just drained . . . KNITTER #2 I guess I never told you about my back? TERRY (still leaning over near Knitter #1) . . . close to the button. As Terry speaks the knitters shut-up). See . . . the button? DETECTIVE Yeah? TERRY See? DETECTIVE Yes . . . I see the button. TERRY See the needle . . . the thread . . . DETECTIVE Yeah . . . TERRY (speaking as if any minute the detective will suddenly "understand") the needle goes in and out. The needle goes in . . . comes out . . . it turns around and then (very loud) IT GOES BACK IN AGAIN!! DETECTIVE (jumping back) Yeah? TERRY Damn it! It's a symbol . . . Don't you understand a damn thing? Symbols . . . numbers . . . parables . . . mysteries This is what I am tryin' to tell you about. DETECTIVE What's with the button, Terry? TERRY It's a process, see . . . of steps . . . a rhythm . . . involving a continuum i.e., the THREAD you idiot!! and the needle . . . Now what do you suppose the needle stands for? DETECTIVE. I don't know. TERRY You don't know . . . well can you guess? DETECTIVE Well . . . possibly it's a TERRY Yes? DETECTIVE Well possibly it's a TERRY YES?! DETECTIVE I don't know. Terry collapses. TERRY My God . . . DETECTIVE Well you tell me. Terry walks over to Knitter #2. TERRY Look at this . . . a knitter . . . Look . . . two needles working . . . See? Look . . . yarn. . . a continuum . . .the fabric . . . the form. DETECTIVE Terry! What are you trying to tell me? TERRY I don't go around explainin' the unex- plainable, Buddy. DETECTIVE Oh yeah. Well tell me Terry what we have to do . . . try to tell me in a realistic way . . . using words. TERRY It's not so easy. DETECTIVE Try . . . TERRY It's a man named Hank Bartells. DETECTIVE (stepping closer to Terry) Yes? TERRY He's the problem. DETECTIVE (stepping very close to Terry) Yeah . . . how so? TERRY He got all the electricity see? DETECTIVE Yeah? TERRY And he's got the electricity fouled up, reversed or somethin' so's its around the wrong way and all the power is suckin up light . . . he's making darkness as fast as you can pee your pants and with this darkness buddy comes confusion and this confusion gets stronger as you get close to him, i.e., Hank Bartells, which you've got to do but you can't do so if you did though you wouldn't even remem- bear your own name . . . see? DETECTIVE If I lose consciousness . . . I die. TERRY Hey . . . It's the same with everybody here. So are you beginning to see a picture forming on the old Litmus paper. (points to his head). DETECTIVE Not really Terry . . . TERRY Look here's a map see? Of the city. (The detective looks down.with Terry to study a map of the city). . . . this here's the inner city where Hank is but no one's allowed to go there see? So's my friend or so called friend Bill see . . . he maybe was going to take you in there but now he won't so's anyway . . . he was that guy that was with me on the train and hey watch out for him, man, cause he's mean as hell . . . he'll kill ya . . . I gotta tell you. DETECTIVE He will? TERRY He sure as hell will. DETECTIVE Is it safe to talk here? (referring to the knitters) TERRY (he walks over next to Knitter #2 and holds the top of her head) You know what's inside here? . . . If you had a power drill you'd burn the damn thing out before you drilled even one half inch into this head. This is rock man . . . solid rock . . . Hell yes it's safe to talk here . . . Terry comes back to the map and the detective. TERRY (con't) What's on your mind? DETECTIVE How do we get into the inner city and find Hank Bartells . . . and stop him? TERRY Well . . . the inner city's locked up pretty tight like I told you but more and more its . . . well . . . more people is coming out of it . . . a lotta the electric trucks are coming out . . . the trucks pipe out the bad electricity . . . see so's . . . and like the donut men . . . they're comin' out DETECTIVE The donut men? TERRY Yeah . . . and those men with those black coats . . . you know . . . the one's that zap you . . . so' if they are coming out there's got to be a way in . . . Bill knows one of the gates . . . he knows Hank supposedly . . . It's bad I'll tell ya . . . One way though is the dangerous way but it's . . . it's goin backwards. DETECTIVE Backwards. TERRY Yeah . . . memory lane stuff . . . scary dangerous stuff . . . DETECTIVE Whatya mean . . . Memory Lane. TERRY You know . . . starting with his parents and working our way back . . . and some- where back there is that gate to the old inner city. DETECTIVE Oh yeah? . . . TERRY Yeah . . . So you think you can handle this kinda job Boy-o? DETECTIVE I can stand on one leg. TERRY Bull. DETECTIVE I can stand on one leg and give you the Detectives' Motto. TERRY This I gotta see. The Detective stands up and then raises one foot so he can hold it with one of his hands. Across the room one of the knitters looks over. KNITTER #1 My God look at that . . . He's standing on one leg . . . imagine. DETECTIVE The detectives' motto Stay alert Concentrate Stay clean. TERRY (amazed) People here can't hardly stand up anymore let alone go for a period on one leg believe me. We do stand on one leg for a moment when we walk. As one foot swings TERRY (cont'd.) forward on the stride the other remains on the ground and for that moment we are technically speaking on one foot. However, we are in motion, not station- ary. The balance is there but are we sure? Because in the next moment the other foot will be on the ground to save us from falling. It's not the same thing with you. You can maintain balance for possibly even minutes let alone seconds and this is remarkable. It's unbelievable in this part of the city. Or really, in any part of the city. Of course I've seen people stand on one foot while hold- ing on to something with their hands. MAIN CITY - NIGHT Meanwhile, at the hospital, two men, DR. DAN PINK, and DR. BOB PLATINUM, sneak down to the hospital basement and look into each room, searching. When they find Ronald's room they enter. They move toward Ronald and he starts a high scream. They muffle him with their gloved hands, unhook his electrical apparatus, scoop him up and steal him away from the hospital. They carry Ronald in an old sedan through dark streets to an old building. They go to a service elevator and travel to one of the top floors to a laboratory which the two of them maintain. It is equipped with black massive electrical appliances and gadgets. The walls are a yellow-green and all is lit by blue glowing fluorescent lights giving the place a scientific eeri- ness. They sit Ronald in a very special electrical chair which has several tiers behind the back of the place Ronald sits. Each tier has new dials and cords and antennae and symbols. They take a blood test and spin the blood in a special jar. They check his tongue and eyes. They throw levers, turn dials and mumble things to themselves as they work. They work very quickly. Suddenly, something begins to smoke on one of the levels of the chair and Ronald begins to bounce up and down. There is a shud- dering noise . . . the fluorescent lights waiver . . . then a small poof explosion and Ronald's head droops down. Quickly the doctors analyze the situation and brings thing under control. Ronald's head comes back up and he looks around . . . dazed. The doctors study his eyes again. After studying for a while they turn to each other. DAN Bob, we made it . . . this is a specimen. BOB (excited) Let's have a malted. DAN A malted??? BOB (surprised) Yes. DAN WHAT? Dan stands up. He leaps and punches his friend hard on the jaw, smacking him hard and knocking him down to the floor. DAN CON'T Malteds before we even hardly get a look at this!!! After all we've been through? We're going to work!!! BOB I meant to celebrate. DAN Hell no!! BOB I guess so, but why'd you hit me so hard? (he pushes Dan back against a machine) Don't hit me so hard. DAN All right, but let's get a look at this specimen. BOB Okay, let's get a look at this specimen what a beauty! You know, we can rally do something with this. Get the chart out. They both go to the wall and Dan pulls down a wall chart entitled "The Average Handsome Man." Arrows point to specific features such as straight nose, clear eyes, ears not large, strong chin, good jaw, clear complexion, etc. BOB It's going to be some work. DAN We just have to take our time and think it through . . . NO MISTAKES THIS TIME, BOB!! BOB Whadda mean, Bob?! What happened last time? Whaddya mean, Bob? Scalpels, boy! We'll do it okay, just don't dwell in the past. The past is past. DAN Look, look, look . . . we'll do it! We'll just take our time and get it per- fect! You know I'm a PERFECTIONIST! (slams his fist into his hand) I can't stand these mistakes and then you wanted a malted right away. What is it?!! You understand, right Bob, we're surgeons! BOB We're surgeons . . . I meant to cele- brate. You really get to me. You want me to quit? I will . . . . I've had it . . . no malteds, okay. No malteds, but stop dwelling in the past. Are we in the past? No!! Hell no, I'm not going to quit . . . we're in the present. Why go where you're not. It's gone. DAN Alright. BOB You can't bring it back, Dan. Face it . . . you can't change what's . . . DAN ALRIGHT!!! BOB . . . already happened. DAN Shut up. Just you be quiet. Look at this chart, okay? We're in the present . . . we're going to operate. (Suddenly Dan has realized he has urinated in his pants. He looks down at the wetness.) DAN (cont'd.) Damn! (he looks back up at Bob) Let's get some sort of idea where we stand with this specimen, Ronald De Arte'. Then we'll fix some malteds . . . alright Bob, alright?? Now, we're start- ing off. It's going to be one of our finest projects . . . . There is a knocking at the door. The Doctors turn as the door opens. In comes DEBORAH very small, very finely dressed and heavily made-up woman. The doctors obviously know her and have been expecting her. BOB AND DAN (in unison) Hi Deborah. DEBORAH (excited) Hello boys, let's see him. The Doctors take her over to Ronald on the chair. DEBORAH (cont'd) Oh, Sweeties . . . an awful lot of work for you . . . oh. DAN Don't worry about what he looks like now. DEBORAH He'll be all ours, won't he? DAN Yes, he will. BOB Yes, he will. DEBORAH Please come up to dinner now. I've been waiting dinner in my apartment for you, will you come now? DAN Deborah, we're just barely started. DEBORAH You have to eat, don't you DAN Yes, but . . . BOB I can't work on an empty stomach, Dan. I'm going to start shaking. DAN (disgusted) Shaking, shaking, shaking . . . let's eat then! I'm going to take off my light, (takes off forehead light) and I'm going to pull three light plugs (pulls plug) and I'm going to put on my coat . . . DEBORAH Sweetie, (she goes to Dan and takes him by the arm, then referring back to Bob) Come, Bobby. They exit after Bob struggles into his coat. (His lining of his coat was torn and his hand stuck in it.) Upstairs, Deborah's apartment is extremely elegant. She has a big poodle dog and big vases of flowers. The poodle spends the entire time laying on its back under the dinner table, pant- ing. Deborah has an older women in a uniform serving the dinner. The dish this evening is a strange looking vegetable with clusters of leaves on it. They begin eating by breaking the leaves off and floating them in a bowl of water which sits in front of them. With special spoons, they spoon in small round balls which dis- solve and make the water thicker. They then cut off parts of the remaining vegetable and dip it into the thickened water bowl and eat it. It has a spicy hot taste and they all breathe funny after eating each mouth full. The conversation during dinner is dominated by Deborah, and the older uniformed lady listens to all of it from behind the kitchen door. DEBORAH . . . A little tickle, you know where, I mean now . . . oh, you can bounce too, Sweetie, and roll and bounce . . . oh, that's good! I have a tongue, you know, and right away I start using it, don't I? Right away I start using it because this is the way I believe. I have DEBORAH (cont'.) fingers, too, and right away I start using them because this is the way I believe. I take my time, hmm? And I have a breath . . . this breath . . . I breathe so quietly and softly on the neck. The poodle continues panting under the table, DEBORAH (cont'd.) This is done over and over . . . and now I breathe all around . . . this is why I am breathing . . . because it makes a softness . . . the hair stands and the skin gets funny . . . you know . . . The whole thing is so pretty, like picture . . . like a furniture. Now the rubbing . . . (they both turn to her) Behind the kitchen door the uniformed lady presses herself harder to the door to hear better. DEBORAH (cont'd.) The rubbing is something that I do because this is the way I believe. The rubbing for me is beautiful . . . I am an artist, rubbing and rubbing. Sometimes I rub hard, sometimes I rub softly . . . some- times my little fingers rub, rub, rub so softly . . . so tenderly. Bobby, you look tired, I think Dan will stay tonight. BOB But, he stayed last night. DEBORAH You will stay tomorrow night, Sweet, I promise. Downstairs, Ronald sits in his chair in the laboratory. He looks lonely in this strange green room, many electrical sounds humming Moving closer to Ronald De Arte' at night in the labora- tory. His eyes, confused . . . staring . . . BACK IN THE DEEP CITY Terry is still talking. The Detective is still standing on one leg. The knitters are knitting. TERRY . . . there have been stories of people standing on their hands but both of their hands . . . never only one. There's a man around the corner who supports himself on one hand and one leg . . . maybe you'll see him when we go get some- thing to eat because he's usually out front of the diner. I knew a man once who could get out of bed without using his hands but then he'd usually fall over or get sick ya know? Nowadays with Hank reversing the electricity most people like to sit down or lie down. A lot of people have diseases now . . . you know . . . diseases? . . . physical disorders . . . Even if they are feelin' good sometimes after the trucks come, around they act funny from then on . . . In other words they get permanently changed you know . . . but you bein' able to stand on one foot is damned near unbelievable . . . damn good. MAIN CITY - BOB AND DAN'S LABORATORY - DAY It is foggy outside the Lab windows. Distant factory sounds are heard. The doctors have opened Ronald up and are putting electrical components inside of him. After closing him, they leave a tube through the skin onto which they hook an electrical device that Ronald will always have to wear on his chest. Out of the device comes another tube and at the end of it there is a rubber bag and a small needle which is again inserted back into Ronald's skin and taped over with adhesive tape. They use electricity in several foreign manners to carve Ronald's face and graft on new features. Unfortunately, these doctors aren't the artist they think they are. Their hearts are in the right place, and they have tremendous energy, but the results are far and away from handsome. The doctors are very serious while they work. They concentrate very hard and their faces contort in funny ways. It's now break time and Bob is bringing the malteds over to where Dan is by Ronald. As they drink their malteds they discuss their work. BOB What are you thinking? DAN I'm thinking that the ears will have to be really done well this time, Bob. BOB (sensing something) I agree with that. DAN (carefully) They're complicated. And always before we seem to hurry through the ears. BOB You want to divide up the work as usual? I'll take the ears and you do the nose or something? DAN (going around the bush) Maybe . . . (he reaches over slowly and turns a dial and Ronald moves some and opens his mouth. Inside the mouth the tongue starts flapping. He turns the dial down some.) That mouth is going to be a problem. BOB Well, do you want to talk it through? Shall we start on it? DAN There's something else that we haven't thought about, Bob. And, that is hair. BOB I was going to say . . . yes, I know, hair, that is something to think about. DAN Hair . . .(he downs the rest of his malted and stands up, pauses--moves close to Ronald) . . . I'd like to do the ears, Bob. BOB You've been leading up to this! I knew it!! I know they weren't quite right last time. You want the ears? Well, I want the ears, too! (he stands up) I grafted them high last time . . . but, this isn't the point. I'm the ear spec- ialist!!! . . . you've got no right taking the ears. You've only done one ear! I want the ears (he's trembling). You've been trying to think of a way to get the ears. I know you. You've been lying awake nights thinking of how you could manipulate me into giving you the ears . . . and on THIS project! I've seen you planning . . . I knew you were trying to get them from me, I knew it. Bob strikes cut and smashes Dan in the face. A short fist fight follows and then . . . DAN All right! . . . You keep the damn ears! BOB (bleeding & panting) No . . . You take the ears. It's not worth it. I'll work on something else. Maybe the hair or something. DAN (panting) No . . . I'm sorry, Bob. We'll both work on everything. That way it'll be perfect. You take an ear and I'll take an ear. We just have to keep good mea- surements. . WE'VE GOT TO KEEP GOOD MEASUREMENTS!! (He buckles over and slams his fist into his hand for emphasis) The laboratory is now lit for precision work and the chart of "The Average Handsome Man" has been moved in closer to the doctor's work area. They are each working an Ronald's head. The process involves a light foam over the skin and electrical instruments hooked here and there. Small electrical tools are used by the doctors to reform Ronald's skin. The foam hides most of the work. Dan is now putting the nose into place. Bob is assisting. Dan lifts the nose off the table (where he has been fashioning it). The area for the nose has now been cleared. Dan is just starting to place the nose. BOB That looks good. DAN If I can place it now, let's have the opening. BOB All right. (He pulls some skin apart) DAN (placing the nose) This is about the best nose we've ever done. BOB It is. DAN Hand me the cotter and then let's stitch this. BOB Hold it . . . let me plug it in (as he plugs the cotter in Ronald begins to make a strange noise. Bob adjusts a dial and the noise stops. He hands Dan the cotter) DAN Good. (he begins a delicate burn all around the seam of the note and head, Bob begins a stitching process.) . . . the ears will be next . . . Later, Deborah is standing looking at Ronald and his new nose. The rest of Ronald's head is covered with foam except for the mouth which looks like it always has. DEBORAH This nose reminds me of a small pillow it's so soft looking. I like it very much. You are rebuilding this boy . . . he is so fortunate to have you two. Dan and Bob smile. Deborah walks slowly crossing the room, then turns. DEBORAH (con't) Bobby, come now . . . upstairs with me. DAN Go ahead, Bob. It's late, we're through for the night. BOB (smelling a rat) Don't do anything till I get back. DAN I won't. BOB Don't even clean up anything . . . Promise? DAN I won't. BOB Do you promise? DAN (screaming) I PROMISE! BOB Just go to bed . . . DAN I PROMISE . . . I PROMISE, I PROMISE! (stamps his feet DEBORAH Come, Bobby, Dan will behave himself. Deborah and Bob are crossing her living room. It is fairly dark. DEBORAH Remember the yellow light bulb? (she laughs, Bob is embarrassed) I've got a new one for you, Bobby. And, some new wire. Happy? Hmm? . . . Happy? Bob smiles sheepishly. Downstairs in the laboratory, Dan is over near Ronald and he is pacing around and around. Suddenly, he can't help himself . . . he decides to break his promise and plunges into work on Ronald. He begins to prepare the side of Ronald's head for an ear. Upstairs Deborah and Bob are in bed. It is quite dark. Bob is on his hands and knees under the blanket and straddling Deborah, who is smiling and laughing as she reaches back to plug in a wire. Bob screams outs as yellow light glows out from under the blanket illuminating Deborah's chin and sending a faint yellow glow around the wall. The light begins to blink on and off and Bob begins to laugh and scream, laugh and scream, in unison with the yellow light. In the laboratory the next morning, Dan is still at work. Dense fog is seen out the windows. Dan already has one ear on and is working on another. Upstairs, Bob and Deborah are crossing the living room. Deborah's poodle is whining softly. DEBORAH Hmm? BOB Yes. DEBORAH Better than ever before? BOB Yes. Deborah? Can I come up again tonight? Dan had two nights in a row. DEBORAH We'll see. BOB All right. Would you clean my hands again? DEBORAH Here, let me wipe your hand and face, Sweet. (she begins to wipe Bob's face with a damp cloth she has been carrying. She wipes his face over and over again, and then she cleans his hands carefully.) BOB I guess I better go wake Dan. DEBORAH All right, my Sweet Cabini . . . fly away. Remember to try and sit up straight. You're getting round shoulder- ed. (she curves her hands over his shoulders.) Take these sweets for you and Dan. (she goes to the table and gets some very fancy large candies and gives them to Bob. He has to hold them with both hands.) BOB I'll have to clean my hands again now. DEBORAH Goodbye for now, Sweet. BOB Goodbye . . . maybe I should have cleaned my hands better . . . these candies . . . DEBORAH They're fine, Bobby. Your hands are clean. Now go wake up Dan . . . Goodbye. BOB (calling back as he goes downstairs) Goodbye . . . I'll clean them again anyway soon for work. we're putting on the ears today! It's hard for Bob to open the door to the laboratory while his hands are full of candies, but he finally manages. Meanwhile, Dan hears Bob coming in, however, he's in a tickleish spot and has to hold several things in place, including a cord in his mouth. He can't hide the fact that he's been working on Ronald without Bob. Bob enters and sees Dan. At first he smiles then he sees the ears. DAN Now you wait just a damn minute . . . I can't figure out how these ears got on here . . . In a rage, Bob flies across the room. He wads the candies in his fists and he hits Dan over and over again. DAN I can't figure it!! Later, the two of them are working very silently. Both are beaten looking. Dan has mussed candies stuck in his hair. As he rubs his eyes . . . DAN What was that? My eyes are still burning. BOB Your eyes deserved to be burned. Suddenly, Bob moves a lot of the foam away with an air instrument and forgetting his anger, yells out . . . BOB Dan, look! He's looking good!!! They push more foam away to get a look. They're both excited. All the features on Ronald are well formed but they do not work well together. One ear is quite a bit larger than the other. And there is no hair at all. Several areas are not yet healed either. DAN . . . we've got the touch, Bob. We've got the touch. Let's come up to 15,000 on the device. Maybe we can speed that healing up. BOB That's a good idea. (turns some dials) DAN All the fluid there is just left over, you know. BOB I know. Bob crouches down and surveys the ears on Ronald. BOB The ears may be slightly off . . . (he looks at Dan, Dan dives him a look back) Bob removes more foam revealing the new Ronnie. BOB I mean, what can you say. Look at the quality . . . the workmanship. Theey slap each other on the bank. DAN I'm a little worried about the hair. BOB He's got to have hair! DAN Well, we've got to do it then. What color do you think? BOB We've got a bunch of brown ones left. DAN All right, by God, let's use them. LATER: The top of Ronald's scalp. Dan and Bob have put in several hairs. The hairs are long and wirey, and they have many more to place before Ronald will even begin to look like he has hair. He looks quite strange now with these few wirey hairs sticking out. BOB You keep going. I'm going to get us a malted. This hair is getting to me. DAN All right . . . me, too. Bob goes over and scrubs his hands and gets going on a couple of malted milks. Dan remains sticking in more hairs--one at a time. Bob brings the malted milks over and Dan stops working and takes a drink. BOB My hands came clean. DAN They look clean . . . I'm going to suggest something and you can stop me if you want to, but I'm going to suggest it anyway . . . a wig. BOB A wig? DAN A wig. BOB A wig . . . that's a qood idea. We'll stop sticking in hairs then? DAN We won't stick another. BOB Shall we get a brown wig? DAN (pause) I've been thinking red. BOB Dan, you won't believe it but I've been thinking red, too. Later that night Deborah, Bob and Dan are all staring at Ronald. He has on his new red wig of high wavy pompadore style hair. DAN It's perfect. BOB It's perfect. DEBORAH It is perfect, Sweets. Is he finished? DAN Almost, but we have to start him. You set, Bob? BOB All set! DAN Pull three light!! DEBORAH Oh!! Bob and Dan each have several controls. They begin turning dials and pulling levers. The chair begins to vibrate some and Ronald begins to come to, but very slowly. From time to time he opens his mouth and emits strange sounds and also from time to time he blacks out altogether. Even when he's out, he twitches and bounces. When he begins to fade, Bob and Dad pour on the juice and the lights dim way down and there is an eerie glow. Deborah looks beautiful in the glow as she watches the spectacle. Slowly, Ronald begins to come to again. He looks very awake and his eyes roll about. He begins to move and he begins to scream. He starts to stand as he screams and vibrates violently when all the lights blow out. POW!!! All at once. Ronald falls back in his chair and is still, however, he looks awake now. The moonlight is illuminating the room slightly. DAN Scapels! BOB (looking down out the window) I think we blew out the whole building. Ronald moans and his eyes start rolling. DAN I hope he's all right. DEBORAH How will you fix the electricity? DAN They'll be on it soon, but last time it took hours. I'm afraid this is it for a while. Ronald stops moaning and looks peaceful. DEBORAH He looks peaceful now . . . in the dark- ness. Is he all right honeys? DAN I think he's all right . . . we brought him around. A CU of Ronald reveals open eyes and a dazed, peaceful look. Bob, Dan and Deborah move to a window and look out on the city. Deborah turns to Bob and then to Dan. She gives Dan a slow tender kiss on the lips and then she gives Bob the same. The three of them stand close together looking out the window. Ronald sits looking around the room still tied to many wires and sitting low in the chair. Some clouds go by slowly, and Bob and Dan and Deborah hugging now, watch the city and the sky. Suddenly the power comes back on. Ronald screams bloody murder and is shot out of his chair twenty feet through the air. The wires stuck to him keep him from going any further. The lights in the room blink on and off and the equipment goes crazy with sounds and sparks. Dan and Bob rush to turn things off. BOB What happened?!!! DAN You forgot to turn the damn machines off, that's what happened. BOB I forgot? DAN Well, what does it look like? DEBORAH Sweets, stop. BOB I forgot?! What about you? Bob shoves Dan and he trips over Ronald's wires. Bob hits Dan hard in the nose. The fight goes on all around Ronald who is also on the floor. In and amongst the wires, Dan and Bob beat each other while Deborah is screaming for them to stop. Ronald sits up . . . the lights flutter several times, dim and then go out. This stops the fight and all is dark and quiet except for heavy breathing. DAN There must have been 10,000 volts through him. BOB I think we may have some trouble there. DEBORAH You're bad . . . you're bad, bad, bad. DAN Did you see him fly across the room? Like a rocket? Sounds come up slowly. BOB Ronnie the Rocket. DEBORAH Ronnie Rocket. Up close on Ronald. In the moonlight laboratory he says RONNIE Ronnie Rocket. The other three turn to him in amazement. DISSOLVE TO: INT. Bob and Dan's Laboratory - Day Ronnie is now fitted with a small black suit with a nice white shirt. Bob and Dan now have the shirt open and they are in the last stages of fitting Ronnie with his electrical chest appli- ance. This is a life sustaining device which Ronnie will have to wear continually. It fits to his chest with little shoulder straps and one strap which goes around his torso. A series of electrical wires come off this device and go surgically into Ronnie's body. One fat cord comes out of the appliance and it ends in a plug. DAN Don't tighten that strap too tight Bob. BOB I'm not. DAN See Ronnie? . . . See the plug? You have to learn to plug yourself in every fifteen minutes . . . When you hear the little warning signal . . . . otherwise you will (not wanting to upset Ronnie) otherwise you will feel . . . funny. RONNIE Funny. DAN Yes!! (to Bob) He said funny. BOB Can you say Bob? RONNIE canuu SayBob BOB Yes!! DAN You're all dressed now Ronnie . . . you're a little human being . . . can you say H U M A N B E I N G? RONNIE canuu . . . beann. BOB It sounded like he said can of beans. RONNIE Head canu bean. DAN Yes . . . H U M A N B E I N G. My God Bob . . . he can TALK! INT. Bob and Dan's laboratory. Bob has painted yellow footsteps on the floor at one end of the lab. This is planned as a learning device in order to teach Ronnie to walk. BOB Ronnie, we're going to learn to walk! RONNIE WAAAA. BOB That's right, now, come here . . . that's it . . . now, put your foot . . . no, your right foot, right there on the painted foot step . . . that's it . . . NO! . . . on the painted footstep . . . there . . . Yes . . . Now . . carry the other foot through the air like this . . . watch me . . . like this and put it on the next painted footstep . . . See? Watch me walk . . . then you do it . . . OK? Watch me first. Ronnie watching Bob as he picks one foot up very high and carries it to the next painted footstep. Ronnie watches this strange walking; then he mimics it perfectly. The only problem is Ronnie doesn't ever smooth out his walk . . . He learns the high step and the high step is what he does from then on. BOB No Ronnie, you don't have to lift your feet so high . . . I was just doing that in order to very carefully show you the various phases of walking . . . Now you can stop this high step which I showed you and walk NORMALLY . . . walk NORMALLY. RONNIE MALLY. BOB Yes . . . Now let's walk around NORMALLY. They begin walking again but Ronnie maintains this very meticu- lous high, long stride. Dan enters the lab carrying a box of electrical apparatus. Even though he sees this strange sight of Bob and Ronnie, he smiles proudly . . . their son is walking!! INT. Deborah's apartment - DAY DAN Look Ronnie, this is Deborah's apart- ment. DEBORAH I'm so happy you are finally able to see it. BOB I am too. DAN Can you say apartment? RONNIE Can you say partma. DEBORAH Come Ronnie, let me show you around. Deborah takes Ronnie's hand and begins to lead him but her poodle dog stands up and begins to growl. Ronnie makes a small noise and leaps back. He shakes with fear. DEBORAH I think he's afraid of the dog . . . I will have it removed . . . I will have it removed Ronnie. Slowly, so that Ronnie can see everything the three of them take him through the living room and dining room. His little eyes, darting here and there. In the kitchen. Ronnie high steps around looking at all the different shapes and textures. He spots the toaster. He goes to it and looks at his reflection in the shiny metal. BOB It's a toaster . . . look. He puts a piece of bread into the toaster and pushes the toaster "on." As the toaster heats up a strange electrical disturbance starts in Ronnie's chest and soon he is emitting through his mouth a high pitched electrical scream. The toast blows out of the toaster scorched black and burning. Deborah screams. Smoke begins filling the room. Bob and Dan rush Ronnie into the living room. His little eyes are rolled back. Bob and Dan begin looking at various components of the chest-appliances. DAN It's the RZ factor again. BOB I think he really got too much the other night. DAN Yeah . . . what can we do? Maybe we should run him through again. BOB Hell! The work! DAN Yeah but the shielding's all gone to hell Bob . . . that jolt the other night . . . DEBORAH (worried) Will he be all right? DAN Sure he will . . . we just have to keep an eye on him . . . (Dan looks around) turn something else on . . . turn the radio on. Deborah goes over to a big floor model radio and turns it on. She turns the dial trying to find a station. She passes a station where a woman is singing a song. Ronnie almost leaps to the radio. DEBORAH Do you like that? . . . Do you like that song? She tunes in the music. A beautiful melody is being sung by a women with a high clear voice. Dan stands Ronnie by the radio. There is a slight static sound. He adjusts a dial on the chest appliance. The static disappears and he stands back away from Ronnie. Ronnie suddenly opens his mouth and begins to mimic the woman's voice on the radio. He actually sings some very beautiful notes. Deborah looks amazed and she happily turns to Bob and Dan who also begin to smile. BOB What a voice!. DEBORAH A singer! Suddenly though the electricity goes funny again. Ronnie's voice causes tremendous static to build. The electrical complication causes a wild distortion in the woman's voice and before Dan or Bob can get to Ronnie the radio speaker is blown out with an explosion. The radio, having been destroyed, sits smoking silently. Ronnie begins to cry. Deborah is horrified and rushes to his side joining Bob and Dan. DEBORAH It's all right Ronnie . . . What can you do boys? DAN (worried) We'll shield him good so unless he's near lots of power he'll be OK . . . BOB Yes this is it . . . this is what we will do. DEBORAH Good . . . I noticed he's developing several sores on his little face honeys. What is this? DAN It looks like acne. DEBORAH Yes it does. BOB (going to look for himself) It sure does. DEBORAH What do you suppose is the cause of this? BOB It could be the electricity but . . . (thinks) how old is Ronnie do you think? BOB I don't know . . . twenty maybe. DAN Twenty. I'll bet he's sixteen . . . Look at that acne . . . he's high school age. BOB Probably sixteen, yes. I was overshooting it a little with twenty. Yes . . . prob- ably sixteen. DEBORAH I think you're right . . . Oh how wonder- ful . . . high school age. High school was such a dream. BOB Yes, but he's not in high school. DEBORAH No . . . that's right . . . that's horrible. DAN We'll get him in high school then. BOB Oh I don't know . . . He's going to have to learn an awful lot before we could ever get him in high school. DEBORAH Oh do you think we can? DAN Ask Ronnie if he wants to go to high school. Deborah does and Ronnie mumbles some sounds happily. She turns back to Dan and Bob. DAN We'll have to get him enrolled though . . . that will mean questions . . . we have to have a plan! BOB We have to think!! DISSOLVE INT. B & D LABORATORY - DAY Dan stands at a portable blackboard with a pointer stick and Bob stands back with Ronnie. All the letters of the alphabet have been drawn with chalk on the blackboard. Dan says a letter outloud as he points to it with his pointer stick. DAN A. (he points) Bob says the letter with Dan then Ronnie says it as he makes a smaller pointing gesture with his hand as if he had an imagi- nary pointing sticks. B . . . C . . . D . . . E . . . DISSOLVE TO: Dan, Bob and Ronnie huddled together. Ronnie is speaking. DAN A. (he points) Bob says the letter with Dan then Ronnie says it as he makes a smaller pointing gesture with his hand as if he had an imagi- nary pointing sticks. B . . . C . . . D . . . E . . . DISSOLVE TO: Dan, Bob and Ronnie huddled together. Ronnie is speaking. RONNIE T . . . . . . . F . . . . . . DAN right . . . now flip the penny like I showed you. Ronnie flips the penny in the air with his little thumb and it bounces down on the floor . . . heads up, Ronnie bends down real low and looks at it. Bob and Dan crouch down and look at it too then they look at Ronnie. They wait. RONNIE head . . . . . . T Bob and Dan smile proudly. DAN Good Ronnie. BOB Very good. Very good. Heads is T. Tails is F. Very good. INT. BOB AND DAN'S LABORATORY - MORNING. Dense fog is outside the windows. Deborah is there with Dan and Bob and Ronnie and everyone is dressed up. Ronnie is saying the alphabet over and over again. DEBORAH Oh, I'm getting nervous. DAN Everything will be fine. They'll just probably ask a few questions then enroll Ronnie and we'll go home. When they ask for his school records just hand them this. I got this made up to show them. Just average grades, etc. Dan shows this to Deborah. BOB I've changed my mind. You go ahead, I'll stay here. (suddenly screaming) I helped make that up!! (referring to the raxe high school transcripts). DAN OK! OK! and you're'going. You're his uncle. You can go!! I'm sure many times several members of a family go to the offices to register a boy for high school. I'm sure sometimes the grand- parents go . . . It's an important deci- sion and its a memorable experience . . . An experience to have in the memory for a lifetime. If should be shared by all members of the family. They may even wonder why more relatives aren't with us. DAN My God . . . DAN So you have to go!! That's all there is to it . . . understand!! No one will find out about us. RONNIE C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, INT. HIGH SCHOOL -- HALL AND OFFICES They enter the front hall of a large old high school and proceed to the school offices. They are as nervous as they can be. When they enter they are confronted by a very old stern RECEP- TIONIST who speaks right up. RECEPTIONIST Can I help you? What is it you need? All react to her stern manner. DAN (nervous) Yes, we're Mr. and Mrs. Pink. We have an appointment with Mr. Murdough . . . the principal. RECEPTIONIST Who's the father? DAN I am . . . RECEPTIONIST Who's he then? DAN He's Ronnie's uncle. RECEPTIONIST I see. (she looks at her watch) I'll get him. . . . you're eight minutes late . . . I'm sure we haven't got three chairs in Mr. Murdough's office . . . She exits and returns with MR. MURDOUGH M.R. MURDOUGH (looking at the group carefully) Come into my office. RECEPTIONIST By the way . . . I obtained a third chair for the uncle. When they walk through the outer office everyone stares at Ronnie . . . including the principal. Once inside his office they face Mr. Murdough behind his desk. The door has been closed very hard by the receptionist. MR. MUROCUGH Hello Mr. and Mrs. Pink. DAN Hello Mr. Murdough. This is Ronnie and his uncle Bob Platinum. MR. MURDOUGH Hello Ronnie . . . Hello Mr. Platinum. Would you all be seated? Yes, good, now, you want to enroll Ronnie in our school? DAN Yes, we would. RONNIE Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X . . . MR. MURDOUGH Ah . . . yes . . . well. RONNIE B, C, E, E, F, . . . MR. MURDOUGH (worried) Where did Ronnie attend school last year? DAN (voice shaking) High school of Factories and Service we have his records. MR. MURDOUGH Good, may I see them? DEBORAH Here they are. RONNIE P, Q, R, S, T, U, V . . . MR. MURDOUGH I see you have a complete list . . . also the office transcripts . . . usually we request this information ourselves this is unusual . . . DAN We wanted everything to be orderly . . . prepared . . . for our Ronnie . . . so he could begin . . . again . . . I mean . . . continue in higher education. MR. MURDOUGH We will have to give him an entrance exam of our own, I'm afraid. (he studies Ronnie) It is our policy on all transfers . . . it allows us to better place the student in a class where he will fit in. What is the chest appliance I see on Ronnie? DAN (answers for Ronnie) He's recovering from an illness . . . He has to wear this . . . it must be plugged in every fifteen minutes. MR. MURDOUGH I'm sorry . . . every fifteen minutes, too. He's not a talker, huh? RONNIE F, G, H, I, J, K, L . . . BOB As his uncle I can truthfully say that he does talk . . . I've heard him. MR. MURDOUGH Yes . . . I meant he's probably some- what shy. BOB This is what I meant. DEBORAH We hope this will be a good school for our Ronnie. He needs your co-operation, he needs the care . . . he needs the attention . . . this is the way we believe. MR. MUROCUGH I see. DAN When will the entrance exam be given? MR. MURDOUGH Right now if you like . . . Ronnie? RONNIE P, Q, R, S, T, U . . . BOB (to Ronnie) Your test Ronnie. Dan crouches down to Ronnie. DAN Ronnie . . . listen to me . . . Ronnie . . . (the principal watches wide-eyed) You're going to'take your test now . . . all right? Ronnie? Your test . . . your test is now. DEBORAH Ronnie . . . the TEST . . . TEST. RONNIE B, C, D . . . E . . . test. DAN Yes! NOW (to principal) he's ready now. The principal is staring at Ronnie and the group. INT. TESTING ROOM AND SURROUNDING HALLS - DAY This testing room is surrounded by wire reinforced glass so the student can be observed on all four sides. There is a large clock above the glass on one wall. Ronnie is seated in a desk and'the stern receptionist is speaking to him. An extension cord and electrical box have been provided for Ronnie's electrical needs. Bob, Dan and Deborah have been allowed to watch but They are outside the room looking in through the glass. They can just barely hear the Receptionist. RECEPTIONIST (to Ronnie) This is not a party . . . this is not a rowdy night on the town. This is a TEST. This is a three part test . . . multiple choice, true or false, and essay. I will be watching, you, young man, so no funny business . . . You have one half hour . . . I might add that this test has been devised by Dr. Herbert Smythe of Freeport Univer- sity. RONNIE Funny business . . . The stern Receptionist turns and leaves the room but she remains for awhile at the glass until she sees Ronnie start filling in squares on the multiple choice part of the test. DAN (quietly to Deborah and Bob) I told him just color in the blocks where he wanted to . . . we'll leave it up to fate. BOB I told him too Deborah . . . SUDDENLY Ronnie starts flipping pennies and going, crouching down, looking then going back and marking his paper. Deborah looks at Bob and Dan. DAN (to Deborah) He's on the true or false section now. Just then the Receptionist appears again. She is shocked by what she sees Roonie doing. She enters the testing room in a rage. RECEPTIONIST All right young man!! . . . What is the meaning of this? Don't think you'll put on over on me . . . or Dr. Smythe You cannot fool Dr. Smythe. The bell rings. Ronnie's head flies back and the Receptionist grabs the test from him and marches off. Bob, Dan and Deborah look worried. Later in the prinicpal's office they all wait as the Receptionist brings in the results of the entrance exam. She hands them to Mr. Murdough. She looks very agrily at them all --then leaves. Murodugh looks at the exam and then at Ronnie. MR. MURDOUGH Ronnie Rocket. RONNIE Ronnie Rocket. MR. MURDCUGH You like mathematics? Ronnie says nothing. MR. MURDOUGH (cont'd.) Are you interested in mathematics? (getting no response from Ronnie he speaks to the rest) He shows a definite gift in higher mathematics, quite a gift. The rest of the exam is mediocre, but as far as I'm concerned, he is eligible for our school. Bob, Dan and Deborah share an incredulous look. MR. MURDOUGH (cont'd.) He's a puzzling bcy. Does he have brothers and sisters? DAN No, he's an only child. MR. MURDOUGH I see, an only child, huh Ronnie? Ronnie says nothing. MR. MUROCUGH (cont'd.) (looking at Ronnie) He's got the blemishes they all seem to get at this age. (he chuckles over this and tries to get them to chuckle along) I had the blemishes bad when I was a youngster. Coal cities is where I grew up. The black coal dust clouds would blow all day and all into the night, it got the coal dust in my teeth and hair and all in the pores of my skin. All the kids had it bad. It's when I saw Ronnie here, I hadn't seen MR. MURDOUGH (cont'd.) it quite like his since I was back in the coal cities. The factories here will do it, too. The coal, the smoke. The black smoke makes red sores. That always seemed funny to me . . . that black smoke would make red sores. All the kids sure had 'em. Reminds me just looking at Ronnie. (he picks up the- exam) So this Ronnie Rocket is a mathe- matician, is he? (all nod up and down) Ronnie Rocket. RONNIE Ronnie Rocket. MR. MURDOUGH Yes, well you can start school on Monday, Ronnie. At this, Ronnie's warning signal starts up on his chest appliance and he gets a queer expression on his face. He bends over slowly and walks to an outlet and plugs himself in. The principal watches this. Ronnie's face is forlorn, a far away look in his eyes. Deborah, Dan and Bob all look at Ronnie, and then at each other and Mr. Murdough then back to Ronnie who has found several dead flies by the window. He is gathering them together in his hand. Terry and the Detective go along a filthy city street; walking. People going by wear a glazed, dazed, totally spaced out look. TERRY Things have gotten bad here . . . I can tell you . . . these people are in bad shape. In a pastry shop across the street two shop owners stand behind the counter. A man stands in the middle of the square store and looks at the pastries. MAN Well I guess I'll get some of them . . . The clerk is about to get the pastry for the man. MAN (cont'd.) No. . . I changed my mind. I'll take some of them. The clerk moves to the new pastry. MAN (cont'd.) No . . . I'll get some of them. The clerk moves again. The man looks up at the ceiling. MAN (cont'd.) How much ya want for the light up there? EXT. STREET DEEP IN CITY - DARK CLOUDY DAY Terry and the Detective continue walking toward the diner. The Detective stops to look at a man balancing on one hand and one foot. TERRY Hey let's go in the diner . . . get something to eat . . . Hey!! . . . (sees the Detective looking at the man balanc- ing). That's the guy I was telling you about . . . (goes to the man balanc- ing) He (referring to Detective) can stand on one foot! At this the man, incapable of receiving such shattering informa- tion, cries out in agony. TERRY (cont'd.) (to Detective) Come on! They enter the diner and sit at the counter. The place is fairly full; mostly vacant eyes low class people eating dull looking food. The counter has now become crowded as more people come in to the diner. It is steamy and hot inside. The grill is sizzling. The coffee machine is steaming. The man next to the Detective on his left is having a large bowl of soup. TERRY (to waitress) Gimme some bacon and eggs will ya and a cuppa coffee. (turning now to Detective - smiles slyly) Do you know the symbolic meaning of an egg? DETECTIVE Terry . . . (He frowns at Terry but the waitress is waiting). Cheese sandwich and a cuppa coffee. Coffees are brought immediately. As he drinks his coffee the Detective watches the people eating . . . he watches the food being prepared. Everything here, at least, seems to be fairly normal. Terry's bacon and eggs arrive and he begins eating hungrrily. The knitters have followed the Detective and Terry to the diner. They and some of their friends stand around outside talking about the Detective. "If only I was younger" . . . laugh . . . laugh . . . "and he can stand on one foot!" Inside the diner the Detective watches the man to his left slurp- ing his hot soup. Now the Detective's sandwich is being pre- pared. He sees the cheese being placed on the white bread and mayonnaise being spread on the top piece of bread. The sandwich is put together and sliced in half with a big kitchen knife. On a plate it goes and the waitress sets it down in front of the Detective. He picks up one half and takes a big bite. He chews. TERRY How's the sandwich? DETECTIVE Pretty good. TERRY Yeah . . . you like that cheese huh? DETECTIVE Yeah. TERRY Cheese is made from milk. Outside on the street suddenly people are running and acting crazy . . . Slobbering, unable to stand, spinning, falling, walking into posts or walls, dogs whimper and press themselves to the pavement. The knitters begin to walk back- wards. A massive black truck with an enormous antennae is round- ing the corner. The antennae issues forth tremendous electrical sparks and there is a loud humming and buzzing in the air. People are getting very confused. Inside the Diner. TERRY AOH OH . . . hold on buddy . . . Here comes the truck I was teelinguablaotingki The electricity gets very loud. Suddenly the diner goes crazy. The man to the left of the Detective immediately puts his elbows in his soup. The Detective is suddenly off his stool with his chin pressed into the center of his cheese sandwich on the counter. Terry's hand wants to go down Terry's throat and Terry's teeth want to bite his hand. The waitress must be standing on her head because only her legs and feet rise up above the counter. Each person in the diner is having his own personal seizure from bloody noses to head pounding to tongue swallowing The Detective's eyes are rolling and his chin is flattening his cheese sandwich to the thickness of fine paper. The door to the diner flies open and in comes a large fat man with a wild smiling face. His eyes bug out with each smile. In his arms he holds a box of powdered sugar donuts. In his hand is a nice donut, which he eats all at once. As he chews he happen, surveys the pandemonium. Behind him a large gang of black coated men pour crazily into the diner. They begin zapping people with electricity!!! The Donut Man goes over to the Detective and leans down--looking him in the eyes. The Detective tries to focus on the Donut Man. The Donut Man holds up a donut right in front of the Detective's face. DONUT MAN Life is a donut . . . The Donut Man laughs uproariously. Outside in the streets there are fires burning and electrical sparks in the air. Men, women and children and animals are running wild. Some are on fire. Inside the diner a black coated man wades through a pile of bodies and stands in front of the man eating the soup. The black coat zaps the soup man and the soup man's arm flies back, hitting the Detective in the eye. DETECTIVE OWWW! The Black coat moves quickly to zap some more people. The Detec- tive's eye is watering and puffing up, but he sees a strange sight across the diner. Someone yells at the donut man that the donut man's shoes are untied. The donut man does not have a "normal" reaction to this. He screams bloody murder and runs wildly out of the diner. Just then a black coat turns and zaps the Detective right in the head with an electrical cattle prod gun. The Detective flips off his chair and lands next to Terry on the floor. The black coats leave as quickly as arrived. TERRY Did you see how dark it got? Do you understand . . . Light and dark . . . Light and dark? DETECTIVE TERRY !! . . . (struggles to sit up) . . . I almost bought it . . . I almost lost consciousness. TERRY Yeah a lotta them did here . . . look. They look around and see many dead people around the diner. DETECTIVE When that guy's arm hit me it hurt so much . . . It made me able to concentrate otherwise. When I got zapped I woulda checked out. TERRY Hey wait a minute . . . same with me, only it was my sore that was killin' me. You're a pretty smart fella . . . this sore hurt like hell all the time . . . do you think its helpin me, by God? DETECTIVE Yeah . . . Terry! We gotta make some rigs to keep us in pain . . . you know . . . not always . . . but when we need it. Understand? TERRY Yeah! . . . that's a hellova idea . . . INT. HOTEL ROOM - DAY Terry has found several things and he's showing them to the Detective. TERRY Look at these pin cushions I got from the knitters upstairs . . . stick the pins all the way through . . . Yeah . . . now stick it under your collar on the side or back of your neck. Terry places the wad of pins inside the Detective's collar against his neck. DETECTIVE OWWWW . . . that hurts! Man is that painful!! . . . (tears from his eyes from the pain) TERRY I'll get us some knitting needles too EXT. STREET - DEEP CITY - DUSK. Terry and the Detective are cautiously walking down a sidewalk. TERRY Now we're gettin' back in there. Don't look now but that's Ronald's parents' house . . . DETECTIVE It is?? TERRY Yeah . . . we gotta start here . . . a lot of things begin to go wrong at home with the parents if you understand what I'm talkin about . . . DETECTIVE Yeah . . . but this is all memories? TERRY You'd play hell to tell the difference . . . oh oh! Bill, the other man on the train with Terry is seen walking toward them on the other side of the street. Terry pulls the Detective with him behind a tree. TERRY (cont'd). It's Bill . . . go ahead into Ronald's parents' house . . . get going . . . . Bill would kill me if he saw me go in there. Go quick before he sees us! I'll find you, don't worry! Hurry! Don't leave the house! The Detective hurries up the walkway to Ronald's parents' house and rings the bell. He looks around. Bill has seen him. Bill stands across the street grinning an evil grin at the Detective. The door is answered. DETECTIVE Hello . . . I've come to speak to you about . . . Are you the parents of Ronald De Arte'? Yes? I've come to speak to you about Ronald . . . Are you available for speaking? The father is whittling a piece of wood. MOTHER Come in . . . we've changed the house . . . did you know it before? DETECTIVE No . . . MOTHER It now is the way it is . . . Sit down. DETECTIVE You haven't been in touch with Ronald for a long time. FATHER We've been here all along. DETECTIVE Yes, but there's been no correspondence? MOTHER No . . . He couldn't seem to stay out of trouble . . . It became difficult for us . . . his parents . . . and family who loved him so much. DETECTIVE I think he's in a great deal of trouble now. MOTHER He always was . . . A great deal of trouble . . . (She has difficulty breath- ing . . .) DETECTIVE You are fond memories of his . . . I'm sure . . . FATHER Oh yes? How does he remember me like this? (he makes a strange smiling face) MOTHER And me like this? (she makes the same strange smiling face). They laugh with each other. FATHER I'm sure he's in trouble . . . we haven't heard from him in ages . . . MOTHER I'm sorry, did we offer you some coffee? Suddenly the Detective sees some electrical sparks shoot out of a socket . . . It is instantly later and coffee is being poured. MOTHER Some sweets? DETECTIVE Thank you . . . (he takes some chocolate) FATHER So. . . . you are a detective? DETECTIVE Yes I am. Suddenly the father has frozen with paralyzed nerves and fallen head first into the rug. He remains with his bottom up in the air still resting on the chair while his forehead carries the weight of his body pressed against the rug. Paralyzed. MOTHER (nervous) Oh, he's gone off again. Give me a hand would you? DETECTIVE Surely . . . MOTHER Daddy . . . Daddy, it's all right. It's all right. FATHER Yes . . . my God . . . Gone off again. MOTHER Yes you did Daddy . . . It's the excite- ment . . . take a drink of your coffee let me pat your forehead . . . is that better . . . let me rub your neck there and there . . . is that better . . . do you like that. FATHER (extremely irritated with the mother) OK, OK, that's enough . . . MOTHER (very defensive suddenly) Oh, I'm sorry. FATHER (trying to stop the inevitable fight) No, No thank you. It's better now . . . MOTHER (still at him) Oh, so, I did do something good, huh . . . Did I? FATHER Yes. Sure, you did. MOTHER Yes . . . I saw how much you enjoyed it. Now in comes the daughter, Celia. CELIA Who's this? MOTHER This is a detective . . . I suppose looking into Ronald's life . . . What led him to ruin . . . such a sweet lad. . . CELIA (to detective) You can just come in to homes and lives and all like that? DETECTIVE Yes . . . I guess so. FATHER (to detective) I've lost my job . . . MOTHER (amazed) He hasn't been able to discuss it with anyone, have you? FATHER (very angry at her) No I haven't . . . I'm speaking to him!! MOTHER I just meant it's nice that you can talk about it now, isn't it? FATHER (to detective) Everything's gone to hell. CELIA (to detective) You like music? DETECTIVE Some music . . . CELIA You wanta listen to records? I have a record player in my room. FATHER What's wrong with the victrola right here young lady? MOTHER Oh, let her show him her room . . . It's nice to have someone drop by, isn't it sweet? FATHER What the hell's wrong with this victrola right here? CELIA Come up . . . they don't like my records anyway. She takes the Detective to the stairs and starts up. The father follows and grabs the Detective by the wrist. FATHER (under his breath) To her room heh? For records? Give it a rest . . . CELIA Dad! FATHER Just what in the hell is wrong with that Victrola right there . . . CELIA He's coming up to my room to listen to records . . . MOTHER Honey, let them go . . . I think it's nice . . . CELIA See Dad? FATHER (under breath again) I see . . . I see . . . (close to Detec- tive's ear). What did you walk into heh? (he squeezes the Detective's wrist really hard) (now he speaks loudly) Why don't you just get the hell out!! CELIA Mom . . . I wanta talk to you about something. FATHER OK!!! Go on up . . . listen to that puke . . . that's what it is too, all of it . . . It's all junk now . . . ruined . . . forever!!!! You call that music! It's pitiful!!! The sister brings the Detective into her room and shuts the door. She goes to the phonograph and starts a swing record. Organ playing - very faint, very scratchy. She starts to sway with the music--her head, her shoulders. She looks to the Detective. He is swinging, too. She stands up and bares her breasts to the Detective. CELIA They hurt so touch them easy. The father is mounting the stairs. He comes down the hall and listens at his daughter's door. Inside the Detective is kissing Celia who has now removed her blouse. FATHER (yelling through the door) You call that music? CELIA Oh shut up - (she scratches the needle across the record - the music stops . . .) Just shut up. FATHER (yelling) Ronnie used to sing . . . He really did . . . He knew a damn good song . . . Come out and mother and I will sing it to you. Celia is reaching for and opening a jar of medicated salve or ointment. She opens the jar and indicates to the Detective to get some ointment and rub it on her breasts. The lid makes some noise as she turns it closed on the jar. The father hears it. FATHER (now screaming) Is that your ointment!! Is it? Stop it!! Stop it!! Is it? I heard it. CELIA I'll sing the song! (as her breasts are being rubbed and her eyes close in ecstasy . . .she sings a beautiful love song . . . very pure, very beauti- ful. FATHER Stop it . . . You're not going to sing his song in there with him!! The mother climbs the stairs. MOTHER Is that Ronald's song I hear? Is it? FATHER Yes! . . . He begins pounding violently on the door--frantically. FATHER (cont'd) Come out of there. FATHER Come out of there . . . I mean it . I'll call the police! I'm going to get them now . . . they'll be here any minute! The father rushes downstairs . . . past the mother who stands, confused. CELIA (to detective) He won't call them . . he's all talk . . . come closer to me . . . touch me (as he does) don't do it that way! (he changes ways) OK . . . that's better . . . I have to move a little because I can't stand still like you do . . . (she starts swaying quite quickly back and forth) Can't you kiss me? . . . yes there . . . wait! Don't push in like that though . . . The Detective tries once more to kiss Celia but she stops him again. CELIA Can I lean a little bit? I have an ear ache and I can't put my head back like that . . . It hurts . . . hold my waist so I can lean over OK? . . . The Detective is now holding her up as she is leaning way over to her right, her long hair almost touching the floor. CELIA (cont'd.) Let me lean over more . . . Now you can feel me . . . don't let go with that hand . . . use the other one. He starts feeling her breasts with his right hand, while he holds her up with his left. CELIA (cont'd.) . . . a little bit less . . . they hurt . . . I told you that!! . . . I have to move my feet . . . move your feet over some, OK? . . . yeah. There are noises of steps outside the door. Several people. CELIA (cont'd.) Do you like police? The Detective turns frantically to look at the door. DETECTIVE Well . . . maybe not right now. CELIA (smiling) No? DETECTIVE (nervous) No . . . not so much right now . . . Is there another way out of here. CELIA (as she stands up) Go upstairs . . . through the door. Ask the nurse to let you out the back. DETECTIVE The nurse? DETECTIVE My grandfather's up there . . . he's real sick--hurry up. There is loud banging on the door. FATHER (yelling through the door) Open up . . . I have the police!! CELIA Come on Dad . . . we're not doing any- thing. She hurries the Detective up the back stairs. As he climbs the stairs he can still hear the father yelling and Celia yelling back. CELIA Send them away or I'll tell them what you do to me . . . I will! The Detective enters a small room. A nurse stands next to a bed where an old man lies. The nurse turns and studies the Detec- tive. DETECTIVE She said you'd let me out the back door. NURSE (very calmly) You'll have to get a saw and some lumber and make one then because there sure isn't a back door up here. DETECTIVE (looking around frantically) Oh yeah? OLD MAN I'm awfully sick . . . Did you know that? . . . and then guess what? DETECTIVE What's that? OLD MAN (starting to cry) Someone must have snuck in here last night and glued my arms to the bed . . . the bastards . . . Can't move em' now . . . stuck down . . . NURSE (whispering to Detective) He's paralyzed . . . What about it? He won't care . . . and what can he do if he does? Do you want to kiss me? . . . real hot? DETECTIVE I gotta get out of this house . . . NURSE Look at this . . . She shows the Detective one of her breasts. DETECTIVE (as he studies it) . . . but . . . I really have to go . . . really. NURSE All right then . . . She puts her breast away. OLD MAN Hey . . . let me see . . . let me see . . . Oh my God! The Detective crawls out the window and looks around. He sees another building within jumping distance. He hurries across the roof and leaps to a small balcony of the neighboring build- ing. He crosses the balcony and goes through a very dark room to an interior hallway, high in the old building. Suddenly a policeman appears climbing a staircase. The policeman grabs the Detective and pulls him along the corridor. POLICEMAN Almost!! . . . you almost got away . . . but how would he like to remember this? The policeman shoves the Detective's head into a room where a small boy is hit in the back of the head with a rock. POLICEMAN Or this? He shoves the Detective into another room where a bird with a broken neck is doing backward sommersaults. POLICEMAN Or this? He shows the Detective the next room. In it he sees a stairway as if coming down from above. Slowly someone is descending the stairs but all he sees are the feet . . . coming down--closer . . . frightenly close. POLICEMAN Or this He shows the Detective the next room. In it the Detective can see the shape of a woman. He looks closer. He sees two breasts as screams are heard echoing horribly in the distance. Suddenly there is a spark shooting out of a wall socket in the corridor. The Detective notices then looks up. The policeman is gone. Then, above the Detective hears a loud screeching sound as the light is drained from the overhead bulb. The Detective moves slowly to the end of the corridor and starts climbing some stairs. He climbs higher and higher. Each flight of stairs looks the same. Finally, he stops to rest. Just as he does, he hears something. A moaning distant wind. Then suddenly some music, "Reminds me of you." A door opens above and a beautiful girl appears. The Detective cautiously goes to her. GIRL Hello . . . DETECTIVE Hello . . . GIRL Who are you? DETECTIVE I'm . . . a Detective . . . Who are you? GIRL Don't you know? DETECTIVE No . . . DIANA I'm . . . well . . . I'm Diana. DETECTIVE You are? You're beautiful . . . DIANA Do you think so? DETECTIVE Yes . . . DIANA We're all going to the club tonight. DETECTIVE Yes? What club is that? DIANA It's called the Circle Club. I'm putting on my make-up. DETECTIVE Oh yeah? DIANA Do you want to come in? DETECTIVE Yes . . . sure . . . if it's all right. DIANA Come in. She takes the Detective inside. He sits in an easy chair while she sits at her make-up table and starts getting ready to go out. Suddenly the wall begins to shake very quietly . . . It begins to strain, the light on Diana's make-up table strains and dims . . . the light explodes as two sections of the wall blow out . . . electric wires bend into the room and begin to jump and flip like hissing snakes shooting out electrical sparks. The room darkens to a haunting feeling, Diana rubs a long line of lipstick up her face-up her nose, eye, forehead and into her hair before she flips backwards out of her chair onto the floor next to the Detective's chair. The Detective is pushing a pin cushion into his neck and blood is forming in little dots. Both their eyes are wild. The Detective strains and pushes a knitting needle into Diana's leg. Her eyes focus on she reaches out for him. The electrical violence reaches a fever pitch then begins to subside. The ceiling light glows a bit brighter. Diana and the Detective slowly come out of their fits and find they are looking into each others eyes. As she looks dreamily at the Detective. DIANA You put a knitting needle into my leg. DETECTIVE Yes. DIANA But why? DETECTIVE So you wouldn't lose consciousness. If I hadn't you . . . you would have died. DIANA I felt it save me . . . may I touch your face? DETECTIVE Yes. . . . DIANA May I touch your lips? DETECTIVE Yes. DIANA With my lips? DETECTIVE Yes. They kiss. DIANA I want to be with you always . . . DETECTIVE And I want to always be with you . . . DIANA It's a dream . . . Yes . . . is it? DETECTIVE It must be. DIANA Why? DETECTIVE When I kissed you I saw fire . . . (we now see what he talks about--a wall of fire) and I saw that three of my fingers were on fire . . . (we see three burning fingers) and I saw three explosions of light in the sky and streamers falling down (we see this) and I saw three people who couldn't walk (we see them) DIANA You did? Suddenly a friendly large woman, THE AUNT, enters hurriedly. THE AUNT Aren't you coming Diana? Oh my dear you look a dreadful sight . . . whatever happened? DIANA I would like you to meet my friend . . . he's a Detective . . . He saved my life . . . THE AUNT Oh my Lord. Are you two all right? Thank heavens. Oh . . . he's a handsome one . . . DIANA Yes he is . . . this is my aunt . . . didn't anything happen in other parts of the house? THE AUNT No dear . . . the lights dimmed . . . we all had a jump . . . nothing more. Is that a knitting needle in your leg darling? DIANA Yes it is. It save my life. THE AUNT Oh it did? Oh my. Thank heavens . . . hurry along, we're late for the club. Your pretty face is quite a mess honey . . . really it is. (she leaves) DIANA (with her very messy face, she turns to the Detective) Would you take me to the dance tonight? DETECTIVE Yes . . . absolutely yes . . . DIANA Do you think it's safe? DETECTIVE I have a feeling we can do anything . . . as long as we're together. Outside Bill is standing in some bushes looking up at Diana's house. The Detective and Diana walk arm in arm down the sidewalk along with Diana's uncles and aunts and friends--a group of at least fifteen very dashingly and beautifully dressed people. They arrive at a striking entrance to the "circle club." It is a gigantic white neon circle glowing against the black night sky. Underneath it is a smaller glowing circle and passing through it one enters the "circle club." The Detective and Diana look up at the big circle. The Detective is struck by the power of the image and tries to figure something out inside his head. He shrugs off the thoughts and happily enters the club with all the others. Inside the night club, which is very elegant in a 30's sort of way, a maitre 'd seats the large party at a big round table near the center of the vast room. The place is crowded with fancy People. The Detective and Diana are so in love. "I think we've discovered a pair of love birds, don't you?" someone says. "I think they make a darling couple." "It's a perfect match." INT. DEBORAH'S APT. - NIGHT This is a cozy setting. Bob, Dan, Deborah and Ronnie are all sitting happily together in Deborah's livingroom. DEBORAH Ronnie you are such a love . . . and how hard you study on your homework? Ronnie's page, however, is blank except for tiny scribbles of the symbols he showed the Detective in the hospital. We move into a CU of Ronnie. INT. NIGHT CLUB - DEEP CITY - NIGHT DETECTIVE I'm wild about love. DIANA Me Too. DETECTIVE How can life be so dreamy? DIANA I know. Drinks are served--large bottles of champagne. All sorts of little hors d'oeuvres are brought out. The party is getting happier and happier. An old gentleman proposes a toast. OLD GENTLEMAN to love Everyone "to love." They drink. The Detective asks Diana if she would like to dance. The music is by a large orchestra play- ing a 30's style waltz. Very beautiful. The Detective and the girl hold each other tightly as they sway to the music. A large group of people enter the Club. They are all smiling as they look around at all the other happy smiling people. MAN IN CROWD (smiling) Gee this is a happy place!! As they dance the Detective notices that the light coming from one of the table lamps is decreasing in intensity. He holds Diana tighter. He tries not to think about it but it worries him. At the table the old Gentleman who gave the toast is reminiscing. A few people are half listening to him as they watch the dancing. OLD GENTLEMEN (smiling in his reverie) I had a girl like her once . . . I was in love . . . her lips were red like this one's are . . . her eyes were bright I wanted to touch her and kiss her all the time. My love was so intense!! No one could love that way . . . so strongly. The Detective looks over to the bad lamp. It is now flickering and getting darker. He hears the light being sucked out of it. It goes out. The Detective looks quickly around. All the other lights are still going. Back at the table the talk of the old gentleman changes. OLD GENTLEMAN However . . . in this world love like that doesn't last . . . it withers like the vine . . . it vanishes like the snow It drys up like the leaves . . . it changes . . . The Detective notices another light flickering . . . and another. A low ominous wind comes now along with the beautiful music. The old Gentleman is now getting a bit upset with his memory of love. There is some growing anger and tension at the table. OLD GENTLEMEN . . . The love almost rots . . . it becomes rancid, sour, foul smelling . . . it putriefies the atmosphere . . . It degenerates into loathing . . . I hated that girl . . . let me tell you she was a whore of the first order . . . a filthy whore . . . unclean The Detective sees six more small lights flickering. They screech as they go out. Others begin to notice. There's a growing uneasiness in the room. At the table the old gentleman is enraged with his memory. He is almost foaming at the mouth with hatred and anger. OLD GENTLEMEN . . . I despised everything she ever thought or said or did . . . She was like a plague, festering and bubbling, coughing up foul horror and sickness, the kind that makes a man plead to die . . . just to end the trial, just to be left alone . . . to be rid of every- thing . . . longing for unconsciousness. The Detective is dancing very close with Diana. His eyes are closed. He opens them and moves to look into her eyes. They are in love, but there is trouble in this circle club. She sees him looking about, worrying. DIANA What is it? DETECTIVE I don't know . . . something's wrong here . . . He suddenly sees Bill entering. DETECTIVE Oh no . . . Bill! . . . I think something is definitely wrong . . . I think the trucks are coming. DIANA Oh no! Light slowly starts to drain from the big light above the dance floor. There is a slow screeching, sucking sound with the decreasing light. Now the kitchen doors fly open. The cook stands trembling and screaming. COOK All my animals!! Bleeding from the mouth . . . All my animals . . . going wild!! My PIG!! Suddenly a small screaming pig rushes into the club, zig-zagging all around, crazily. The cook screaming and running after it. Everyone in the club is now tense, standing, looking around, worried. The orchestra plays but musicians are missing notes and not following the score. The Detective and Diana cling to each other. The bleeding pig races past them. OLD WOMAN Oh my!! A pig is loose. Oh my!! OLD GENTLEMAN It's bleeding from the mouth! Look at the blood!! Out in the street two giant trucks are coming toward the "circle club." Each truck shooting electrical sparks high into the air. The sound is deafening. Inside the club the pig races into another crowd. More screams. Then a loud gunshot. MAN #1 I shot a pig!! I shot a pig. Why did I do that? The lights are all flickering now, giving the place a strange nervous feeling. Sucking and screeching sounds getting louder and more frequent. Musicians playing horribly--erratic--ner- vous. The cook rushes up to the man who shot his pig. COOK My God!! . . . You shot my Pig . . . He tries to kill the pigshooter with his bare hands. People hold him back. Suddenly a tall man with a beard, a pipe, and a black and red checkered lumber jacket pushes his way through the crowd to the dead pig. With a booming voice he speaks. LUMBER MAN I can throw that pig. COOK Don't throw my pig! PIG SHOOTER It's dead . . . whatdyou care? COOK Don't throw it!! LUMBER MAN I can throw that pig farther than anyone can . . . By God I know I can . . . MAN IN CROWD I'll bet you can't throw that pig clear across the room!! LUMBER MAN Watch me! MOVE BACK!! (calling out very loud) Watch out . . . I'M GOING TO THROW A PIG OVER THERE People begin frantically clearing away from the line of flight. COOK (holding his head between his hands) Leave it alone!! That was a damn good pig too . . . now look at it!! The Lumber Man grabs the pig by the hind legs and like a chain ball he starts twirling himself and the pig . . . faster and faster. People scream and move back. The Lumber Man twirls faster. Everyone is watching him now. Bill moves closer to the Detective. The Detective has been watch- ing the pig but has kept an eye on Bill too. Bill is smiling in an evil way. The Detective holds Diana closer. Outside the big trucks round the corner. People are screaming - sparks shoot crazily. Some people burst into flames. Others bounce or gyrate. Inside the Lumber Man twirls violently with the pig one more revolution then with tremendous force releases it. The pig flys wildly through the air, across the night club and crashes into the far wall, bounces back with a squeak onto a table crushing it to the floor. The sounds of the truck are now heard inside the Club. All begin to go wild. LUMBER MAN I KNEW I could! I told you all! DETECTIVE (to Diana) Take these . . . here it comes!! He jabs a knitting needle into each of her legs then he does the same to himself. He puts a pin cushion inside his collar and forces the pins into his skin. The big light screeches like hell then blows all over the room. Other lights pulsate vio- lently. A horse and two cows, all bleeding heavily from the mouth come out of the kitchen. The horse whinnies horribly. Their eyes are wild. The horrible sound of buzzing, hissing, humming, electricity is heard. Wall sockets spurt electrical sparks. As the room gets darker and the people start to get confused. Absurdity runs rampant. People try to eat their hands or feet. They crawl on or under the tables. Their tongues get tied and they can't speak. Some more small table lamps begin to blow out. "Ill bet you I can spit!" says one man, Out comes his tongue but no spit. The Lumber Man's pipe starts spewing smoke in huge clouds. "Let's jump off a table!" yells someone in a rage. The Donut Man appears on the stage. The Detective is trying to turn himself in a circle while he is standing on his head. His girl, Diana, is in a fetal position as if she is trying despe- rately to propell herself through water. Her tongue is cut and pressed against her cheek. People are running furiously for unknown destinations. The orchestra is totally confused and is playing very abstract sound arrangements. Some musicians even destroying their instruments in the process. The drummer is playing very complicated jazz timings and the audience is beginning to shake and gyrate in robot like movements. The music becomes more and more abstract sounding like a syncopated barnyard button factory. All the while it's getting darker and darker. Then the Black Coats enter. They begin to violently zap people while the Donut Man stands in front of the orchestra smiling and eating donuts. His eyes bug out with sadistic happiness. The black coats try to zap the Detective and Diana but they are clinging to each other and it is at this point that they realize that their love is protecting them. They yell at the Black Coats. DIANA You can't hurt us because we love each other so much. DETECTTVE She's right. BLACK COATS But we can separate you. They grab Diana and pull her away from the Detective. BLACK COAT (cont'd.) (to Detective) Can you say "separate"? The Detective watches in horror as they drag her away. She is screaming desperately. DETECTIVE (hardly able to talk) Come back . . . Their eyes watch each other until Diana disappears in the dark- ness. SPARKS! All is death . . . bodies barely move. Bill stands against a far wall staring at the Detective. The orchestra is almost silent--only the barest most abstract arrangement now-- very low--very strange. Suddenly in this darkness a man enters. The Detective is so far gone he cannot see him clearly. The man walks silently through the bodies but, with his back to the Detec- tive. The man extends his arms toward the far wall. Bolts of dark electricity issue from his finger tips and shoot into the dead pig. Now a horrible thing . . . the dead pig comes to life and stands up like a human. It's hind legs growing longer, the pigs stands in the darkness, in front of the unknown man and along with the very low strange music. The pigs says, "Life is a donut." Then issues a horrifying laugh. The man and the pig both laugh then. The unknown man moves his hand up and down. The pig speaks again. PIG (slowly and strangely) I know a man who is afraid of dogs. The donut man laughs. Bill laughs. The Detective watches in horror, his mind trying, straining to cling to consciousness. Outside the trucks have just passed. The streets are quiet. The "circle club" sign is barely lit but it is visible. Terry runs quickly down the street toward the "circle club." INT. HIGH SCHOOL - MAIN CITY - DAY CU Ronnie. He is sitting in a classroom in high school. The room is very dirty and drab. Soot clouds go by and smoke stacks blow out smoke and everything is dingy. The blackboard is filthy with coal dust and the white chalk looks dark grey. The teacher is an old man with wild hair and glasses. With a long pointer in his hand he is pointing to a detailed drawing of a dog with stars and swirling lines around it as if it may be some constel- lation in space. TEACHER Can anyone show us the equation for the time involved here? No one raises his hand. Ronnie is sitting in a desk by the wall. His acne has gotten even worse and together with his red hair he is quite a sight. He is still wearing his chest apparatus and still needs a plug-in every fifteen minutes. The little warning sound is going and he is just rising to go with his plug to the wall when the teacher spots him. TEACHER (cont'd.) All right, Ronnie, step to the blackboard and write out the equation. (Ronnie doesn't move) Step to the board and write out the equation. Ronnie goes to the board and stands there. Finally the teacher goes and puts a piece of chalk in his hand. Ronnie puts his nose right next to the blackboard and very carefully draws a very small symbol like the ones in the hospital. STUDENT Not again. Even before Ronnie finishes the second symbol the teacher is asking for another student. TEACHER Can anyone write out the proper equation? Jane? JANE All right . . . Jane is a very beautiful girl who is stacked. She is dressed in a tight white sweater and a black tight skirt. She has blonde bee-hived hair. She goes to the board and begins to write out her answers. Meanwhile, Ronnie is still working on his symbols. Some guys and the teacher are looking at Jane's beautiful body. Suddenly, the bell rings and Ronnie's head flies back violently and his mouth opens wide. School is over for the day. All the students leave the room, bumping into Ronnie who is going to his desk to get his books. On the way out he and the teacher stare at each other. Ronnie is in sort of a trance, running low on electricity. TEACHER School's out for the day . . . Ronnie! Ronnie leaves the room. The hall is practically empty. The clock says 3:30. Ronnie grabs hold of his plug and as he walks down the hall he looks from side to side for an outlet. There are none in the hall. He comes to come steps leading down to the basement and he follows them down--looking for an outlet. Finding no outlets on the steps, he pushes the basement doors open and enters a large room where a rock and roll band is setting up to rehearse. They are getting equipment together and tuning up as Ronnie enters. The musicians are factory greaser types dressed in black suits. The band is not big time but they do have managers. The main manager is a fat man who is mean and powerful. His name is MR. BARKO, and his associate is MR. GREEN. Ronnie goes to the opposite end of the room and plugs in, minding his own business. There are a few other kids in the room waiting to hear the band play. MR. BARKO (to the band) You guys are late setting up for rehearsals again. I'm SICK of this. We're not going to win any record deal tomorrow night if you guys don't get to work. I'll pull my money out quick . . . I'll break a few arms, too . . . we don't want to manage a bunch of losers. MR. GREEN (under his breath to Barko) We may not want to but I think we are. MR. BARKO Hey, Johnny, let's go! JOHNNY Sorry, Mr. Barko, but we got a lot of equipment to set up. We're almost ready. Johnny plugs in some big amplifiers and microphones. All the equipment has a very foreign look to it. It is equipment that is very strange looking, the microphones are very large . . . the amps and speakers and equipment are all jet black and very strangely designed like a cross between 1920's electrical and a gloss black Porche speedster. The band is ready and they warm up by playing about fifteen seconds of very cool music, then Johnny stops and takes a long cord and finding no other place to plug it in, goes over to where Ronnie is sitting to use his outlet. He and Ronnie look at each other as Johnny plugs in his cord right above Ronnie's. Johnny is carrying his electric guitar and in order to test the new change he turns his guitar on and begins to play. SUDDENLY out of Ronnie's mouth comes a very strange loud musical sound. The sound scares Johnny. Ronnie then lets out another strange sound, a musical scream and one of the band's speakers begins to vibrate and it blows out. Ronnie begins to make some new strange sounds, sounds he has never made before and he begins to twitch in a rhythm and for a short while something begins to happen but Ronnie pulls his cord out and stops. The entire Band is staring at Ronnie. Outside Dan and Bob pull up to the high school and wait for Ronnie. Back inside, Johnny is still staring in disbelief at Ronnie. MR. BARKO What happened? Let's get to work . . . leave that kid alone. What's going on here? JOHNNY Wait a minute . . . we could use this kid. I've never seen or heard anything like him. We could use this kid, Mr. Barko. MR. BARKO (Thinking, then looking at Mr. Green, eyebrows go up, then, turning to Ronnie, squinting at him) What's your name? Ronnie is silent. MR. BARKO (cont'd.) Hey, kid . . . what's your name? They walk towards him. Ronnie remains silent. MR. BARKO (cont'd.) Johnny, take him over and see what he can do. JOHNNY Come here kid. Johnny takes Ronnie over to the rest of the band up on the stage and puts him in front of a microphone. When everyone is set he puts Ronnie in. Instantly, he screams but he and the music cause the scream to be beautiful and then he twitches and moves in rhythm with the drummer. Ronnie begins to make strange sounds which work together with the music. Some more students hurry into the room drawn by the music. The managers hurry into the room drawn by the music. The managers notice this. The kids are staring in disbelief at Ronnie. Johnny signs a few lines and Rcnnie mimicks him in a very strangely cool way. Ronnie starts to vibrate and he turns around and all the instruments change together going way up then down. Ronnie looks great in front of ihe microphone and this rock and roll is totally crazy and heavy and the students who are witnessing it are spellbound. The band is really going. The song ends, the people break into applause. Ronnie is gripping the microphone. As the applause dies down someone yells out "What's your name?" The others begin to ask. As the applause is almost gone, there is a short space of silence coming up into which Ronnie inserts: RONNIE Ronnie Rocket. People begin to say his name out loud, as they burst into applause again. Ronnie tries to pull his plug but Johnny has to help him. When Ronnie finally gets unplugged he starts walking back- wards in a circle and finally falls down and sort