CAT 9 PILOT EPISODE

Max Headroom - Cat 9 : Pilot Episode - Plague 2005

-ACT III-

-SCENE I-

-FROM BLACK-

-INT. NETWORK 23 CAR PARK. LOWEST LEVEL-

It is very dark. The only light is coming from a small MONITOR in the corner, a few hanging bulbs and a number of red reflectors posted on a few reinforcement pillars.

BREUGHAL and MAHLER open the rear doors of the VAN.

BRYCE steps out moves to one side to allow BREUGHAL and MAHLER to remove the CAPSULE from the VAN.

BRYCE: Over here. By the access terminal.

BREUGHAL: Weird place for an access terminal.

BRYCE: This level is a war shelter. The access terminal was put there to ensure that whoever made it down here would be able to lock out anyone who tried to take over the Network.

MAHLER: Back when I was your age, TV wasn't that im...

BREUGHAL (TERSELY): Shut up.

-SCENE II-

-EXT. NETWORK 23 HELIPAD-

THE CHOPPER lands. EDISON CARTER exits the CHOPPER and runs in a crouch-bend to the building entrance. Once inside he stands erect and heads down the flight of stairs to the lifts.

-CUT TO-

-INT. NETWORK 23 CONTROL-

THEORA: Edison. Bryce is in the car park. War Shelter level.

EDISON (image on her monitor): Any idea why?

THEORA: Not easy to tell. The lighting is lousy down there.

-CUT TO-

-INT. NETWORK 23 LIFT-

EDISON: What about our two guests?

THEORA (VO): Still with him. I think they must be helping him with something.

EDISON: It better not be a body for Max.

-CUT TO-

-INT. NETWORK 23 CONTROL-

MAX HEADROOM (appears on side monitor on THEORA's CONTROL DESK): Tell Edison if I want- want- wanted a body, I could've stayed in his when we were fixing him after Neurostim.

EDISON (on other monitor): I heard. So Max. You got any ideas what Bryce is up to?

MAX HEADROOM: Not exactly. But I can see in the d-d-dark.

THEORA: Which means you can see what he's doing.

MAX HEADROOM: More to the point, I know our two pals from the FRINGES are carrying a cryo unit. Very advanced one by the looks of it.

EDISON (on monitor): Why would Bryce need a cry unit?

THEORA: And why bring it to that particular spot?

-SCENE III-

-INT. WAR SHELTER LEVEL-

BREUGHAL and MAHLER set the CAPSULE down carefully near the MONITOR. BRYCE pays them and watches them get into the VAN and drive away.

BRYCE: Max!

MAX HEADROOM (appears on the MONITOR): So, you gonna let me in on..

BRYCE: I don't have time to explain. Once I'm inside the capsule, you have to activate the CAT9 program I just finished recently.

EDISON has arrived just in time to hear the last part of this. BRYCE is not yet aware that EDISON is approaching.

EDISON (whispering into VIDICAM): Theora. Look up Cat 9.

MAX HEADROOM: You're gonna freeze to d-d- death. After all that time I took to get you out of that chamber at...

BRYCE: Max. Peller was wrong about the plague. I'm infected. I'll be dead in a few hours. I can't stop that, but I can preserve my mind. I won't abandon the team. You guys still need me.

EDISON stumbles and makes a small noise. BRYCE hears him and looks up.

BRYCE: You can't come any closer. You'll get infected if you do. I've got the plague, Edison.

EDISON (in resgination and grief): What about after you're sealed in that thing? I can't just leave you down here in the dark. Will it be safe to bring you to your studio then?

BRYCE: I believe so. Give me a few minutes connected down here first. I'll upload the connection map for wires so you'll know how to hook them up when you get there.

EDISON: What is Cat 9?

BRYCE takes off his glasses and gets into the CAPSULE. Inside he attaches the various WIRES to his own head.

BRYCE: Max. Activate Cat 9, then head back to Control. I'll join you in a minute.

MAX HEADROOM turns his head a few times to indicate the areas in the system he is focusing on. A moment later, he leaves the screen.

-CUT TO-

-INT. CONTROL-

THEORA (wiping her eyes): Edison. I don't believe it. Bryce can't die! He's only sixteen.

EDISON (on monitor): I'm gonna kill Peller. This is all his fault. If he hadn't insisted that plague was only affecting the Blanks...!

THEORA: Never even been kissed. Poor Bryce.

-CUT TO-

-INT. WAR SHELTER LEVEL-

An ETHEREAL IMAGE appears on the monitor recently evacuated by MAX HEADROOM. The image looks almost exactly like BRYCE without glasses. The eyes of the image are a soft glowing white.

EDISON stares at the image for a moment before finding his voice:

EDISON: Bryce?

CAT9: Hello, Edison.

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