Ok, here's my first 9 pages of my screen play draft. Apologies for the length, I couldn't figure out how to attach a document.
Feel free to comment/criticize!
Fade In:
ext. unnamed planet – night (2150)
Heavy rain, muddy terrain. A slosh of footprints. Gunfire and explosives. Marine dives into a ditch.
Overhead view of battlefield, drone view of the landscape below. Heat signatures show marines are outnumbered by unseen enemy threat.
Back to lone marine in ditch. Fumbles his radio. Explosion near him sends him flying. White screen.
Int. bedroom – day
Marine in bed with woman. She is beautiful. Creamy white skin, long blonde hair, pouty lips. He is muscular, lean. He has sandy brown hair, a tattoo of the American flag on his left bicep. They are laying together, eyes locked. He caresses her face. She mouths “I love you.” Flashback.
ext. unnamed planet – night (2150)
Marine is pulled from battlefield into APC and driven off. He is wounded, bleeding from ears, shoulder wound. Focus in on his eyes, they are steel, they are pale green, almost grey. They have the 10,000 yard stare.
Other marines in APC remark to one another he is the only one from his battalion they found.
Pan out from APC to landscape. Dark, rough, mountainous. We follow the APC to a dropship. It is battle damaged, scars of bullet holes line the exterior. It takes off.
We follow dropship through atmosphere. Grey clouds shoot by. A lightning bolt lights up the sky. We see tall mountains in a quick flash. Stars begin to light up the view.
Ship is in space around foreign planet. We see planet is large, dark, with blue-ish hue to it. Flash to marine on gurney, eyes still locked on to nothing, ever staring into space.
ext. Space
Dropship docks with main vessel. We see the name as the ship passes by, The Avenger.
int. the avenger – medical bay
Marine is unloaded and wheeled to medical bay. He is stripped of his armor until he is bare chested, bullet wound bleeding from right shoulder, black powder on his cheeks.
Doctor converses with others in background, overhear him say he’s lucky but will make it. He’s a goddamn hero.
At that, the marine closes his eyes.
fade to black.
ext. lv-114 – night – atmosphere processor (2152)
Weyland-Yutani building stands at the foot of a tall mountain. Cloud cover blanket’s the sky. It is a grey, dark, desolate landscape. The terrain is rocky, unforgiving. Several men in space suits walking around, inspecting the building. It is an atmosphere processor. We follow a man as he walks towards an airlock.
Int. airlock – weyland engineers camp
He steps in and is depressurized. He removes his helmet, he is bald, older looking. Small eyes, light skin, exhausted expression. He pushes an intercom button.
FOREMAN (Rodriguez)
This all looks splendid. The company will be happy to know we are ahead of schedule. In about six months the atmosphere will be breathable, and then the real work begins.
int. communications room – engineers camp
A man in a suit is on the receiving end of the transmission. He is tall, slim. Dark hair, dark eyes.
Security officer
Excellent. I shall send a message saying we can begin phase one of the operation.
He walks over to a control panel, a 3d hologram of the atmospheric processor is displayed. As he looks, more of the surrounding area becomes visible, electronic drones are mapping the area. One of the drones has gone underground, an elaborate cave system is now displayed. The drone has stopped moving.
The security officer presses the intercom button.
Security officer
Rodriguez, I want you and two of your men to head to Sector 11. One of the mapping drones has found something underground.
rodriguez (v.o.)
But sir, I’m scheduled off this rock in 12 hours, I don’t think-
Security officer
You’re not paid to think. You’re paid to do as you’re told. You’ll have plenty of time to catch your ship home. Retrieve a rather expensive piece of company property, or we can just deduct its cost out of your salary for this little job?
For a moment there is silence, an expression of disdain on the officer’s face.
Rodriguez (v.o)
…Alright. I’ll take Rivers and Edmunds with me. We’ll return shortly sir.
A smile fills the officer’s face. Satisfaction.
ext. Lv-114 – Stoney plains
Three men riding in a dune buggy, driving at a safe pace, dodging here and there rock piles. We follow the buggy and look ahead to its destination, a smaller mountain. Almost a hill, smoother in shape than the previous mountain. The east side looks collapsed in, a cave opening is found here. The buggy’s destination.
Looking down from the top of the hill, we see a broken structure, definitely not a natural occurring feature. It is partially covered with dirt/dust, only a few remnants of pillars remain. The men cannot see this. We follow down the slope of the east side to where the buggy has now parked.
The three men exit, look up the east side face, flip on their shoulder lamps, and begin the journey inside.
rivers
Well isn’t this the shit detail.
Edmunds
Who did you piss off to get us on this retrieval mission?
Rodriguez
Enough clowns. The sooner we get this damn thing, the sooner we can all be out of here. Let’s go.
The three men walk into the dark cavern, we watch as their lamp lights blink out in the darkness of the cave.
int. cave
We see the cave leads deep into the hill/mountain. The walls seem to be damp. We follow the three men as they approach an opening in their path.
int. cave – Entrance room
The walls extend out, the ceiling is higher. It is an actual room.
Edmunds
Wow. This is incredible. There’s no way this naturally formed. You sure nothing ever lived on this rock before we got here?
rodriguez
I’ve been here since this project began, we’ve never had any indication that there was indigenous life here. Hell, we’ve never even detected anything.
edmunds
Uh huh. Is that what the company has told you, or what you believe?
Rodriguez turns and gives a stern look to Edmunds. Edmunds returns this with a shoulder shrug.
We scan the room as it is illuminated by the men’s lamp lights. The room is dome shaped, no discernable features appear to be visible. The path they came in from seems to be the only way out.
rivers
Hey guys! I think I found something over here you might want to look at.
The men head over to where Rivers is. He is inspecting the ground near the far corner of the room. There is a tunnel, large enough for two men to fit through at a time.
More importantly, Rivers has something in his hand.
rivers
What in the hell do you think this is!?
His light blue eyes are fixated on a palm sized creature in his hand. It is dead. The body is segmented into two parts like an ant, but has eight needle-thick appendages extending from it. The creature is all black, where its head is there appears to be three small holes, possibly eye sockets. The mouth is wide open, fixed in a death scream. There is a small amount of dark green slime on its body.
Edmunds
No indigenous life my ass. What the hell is that then?
Edmunds turns to Rodriguez, his stance is that of a man on the attack. He is taller than the shorter, stockier Rodriguez.
Rodriguez
I don’t know! Jesus Christ I swear to you I have no idea what that is! Put it down Rivers, you don’t what it is! Let’s just keep going (motions towards the tunnel), that stupid thing has to be close by.
Rivers inspects the creature one last time, then toss it aside, the body making a squish sound as it hits the floor.
They turn to the tunnel, Rivers and Rodriguez followed by Edmunds.
int. cave – bug room
The tunnel descends and opens into a grand room. The walls are made of stone, the floor is covered with dirt, but a few stone tiles peek out. It was once a chamber that housed something. Against the back wall is a stone table, an altar. Surrounding the altar are four canisters, three are leaking a liquid, and one is sealed. The mapping drone is flashing against the back wall having no further to go.
rodriguez
There she is! Alright, Rivers go get that thing so we can get out of here.
Rivers gives a nervous glance.
Rivers
Why me? Can’t he do it? (Points to Edmunds)
Edmunds
Because he asked you. Just do it and let’s go. This place gives me the creeps.
Rivers looks at both men, sighs, and walks to the altar. He sees there are markings on the top of the altar and a strange script written on it. He cannot decipher it. Walking past the altar, he cautiously examines the two canisters that are leaking. The substance is viscous, dark, and thick looking.
rodriguez
Hurry it up, I don’t have all day!
Rivers jumps a bit at the order. He walks past the canisters and grabs the mapping drone, press a button to deactivate it, and places it in his pouch.
Relieved, he turns and is greeted by a creature that has crawled up onto the altar.
Rivers
Guys…guys...What the fuck is that?
They are already fixated on the creature. It is similar to the creature they found dead earlier, only this one was bigger.
It was the size of a small dog, its spindly legs moving ever so smoothly on the table. The segmented body contracting and expanding with every little movement. The head was hideous, mouth agape with a short, black proboscis protruding from it. It stares at Rivers with intent.
rodriguez
Move slowly. Just get around the table and when you get past run. Edmunds, if it tries to…Edmunds?
Rodriguez turns and sees four more of the same creatures descend from the ceiling, the spider-like webbing they hang from glistening in their lamp lights.
He see one has descended on Edmunds head.
edmunds
OH JESUS IT’S ON ME!! GET IT OFF!
Edmunds begins flailing wildly, the spider firmly attached to the top of his head. In a flash, it releases itself from its web rope and wraps it’s appendages around his head.
From inside Edmunds helmet, we see the proboscis poking the glass visor repeatedly.
Edmunds
It’s trying to break my visor! It’s trying---
Edmunds drops to the ground convulsing. The proboscis has broken through the visor and entered his throat.
Rodriguez turned to Rivers who is still in a standoff with his spider nemesis.
rodriguez
I’m sorry Rivers. Good luck.
Rodriguez turns to exit back up the tunnel.
rivers
Wait a minute you bastard don’t leave me!
Rivers goes to move and slips on the liquid. He falls on his back and the spider leaps onto him. His screams dissipate as he succumbs to the proboscis as well.
Rodriguez has made it halfway up the tunnel by the time the screaming has stopped. His lamp light begins to flicker. He quickly presses his intercom button.
Rodriguez
Somebody, anybody do you copy? Hello? We have encountered something at Sector 11. I repeat, we have AHHH!!!
His transmission is interrupted by an unseen creature. He is dropped onto his stomach, his glass cracks open. He turns over gasping for air. This is short lived, a spider crawls up to his face. All goes black.
int. The avenger – edwards’ quarters
