DOOM: EVILUTION MARS - SPACE Closing in on the Red Planet and its remaining moon, we suddenly shift into hyperdrive, speeding beyond Mars, through the asteroid belt, into outer space - and find ourselves before the behemoth known as Jupiter. A subtle system of rings winds its way around the gas giant along with a compliment of moons that number anywhere from 16 to 39; one of which, Io, has been converted into a base with a new skin of concrete and steel: bunkers, laboratories and monstrous atmospheric converters. An otherworldly growl echoes through the cosmos. CLOSE IN on Io's main lab... INT. IO LAB - SYSTEM CONTROL It's the mother of all Gateways - a construct the size of a two-story building, nodes crackling with blue energy, the entire arch humming with untapped power. It's surrounded by a good four dozen Marines, each armed to the teeth with chainguns, shotguns and pistols. This arena is overlooked by a huge control station filled with technicians and their computers. At the head of the balcony stand DR. WILHELM DODD and LT. JOHN PIETROVICH. DODD Proceed. With a clap and a sizzle, the Gateway is suddenly filled with blue light. The Marines' faces are unflinching. DODD Set Europa coordinates. Pietrovich scrutinizes the countenance of each of his troops. His gaze comes to rest on a young woman in the back row who looks uneasy. She glances up at him. PIETROVICH Hmm. Dodd sees her and clenches his fists. DODD Abort. PIETROVICH Doctor- - DODD I said abort! He storms past the techs and down a spiral staircase to the arena. The Gateway's brilliant light fades out. Dodd grabs the female soldier's arm. DODD What in hell are you doing down here?? SGT. ARLENE SANDERS's femininity, concealed as it is by her cold exterior, is betrayed by her emerald eyes. She pulls away from Dodd and blushes. ARLENE SANDERS I'm doing my job. DODD I specifically told Pietrovich to keep you out of System Control. ARLENE SANDERS And he passed those orders on to me, DOCTOR. I disregarded them. DODD Do you want to be court-martialed? ARLENE SANDERS Wilhelm. She grabs HIS arm and manhandles him away from the other smirking Marines. ARLENE SANDERS (CONT'D) I don't know what you think this is - chivalry? But I signed up to defend this base, not to sit on the sidelines while you're risking your life. DODD Shit. Arlene... ARLENE SANDERS Do not use your position here to hold me back. I am a soldier. Pietrovich has materialized behind the bickering couple and lowers his head between them. PIETROVICH Maybe this can be continued privately. DODD Lieutenant- - ARLENE SANDERS Yes, sir. She turns her back on Dodd. DODD (to Pietrovich) Get her out of here. PIETROVICH Doctor, I don't think it's appropriate for you to hand down orders based on a prohibited relationship. Dodd seems like he's ready to throw a punch. But, all protocol aside, Pietrovich is a tower of muscle and he wears his don't-fuck-with-me look well. DODD ...All right John. He heads back upstairs. Casting one last long glance at Arlene, Pietrovich follows. The experiment is resumed. As the Gateway returns to life, Dodd and Pietrovich stare, expressionless, into the light. DODD Reset Europa coordinates. (under his breath) You're a real son of a bitch you know that? PIETROVICH (under his breath) I'll buy you a beer, Jesus Christ. DODD (under his breath) That oughta make up for placing my girlfriend in harm's way. Thanks. PIETROVICH Private Yoshida? A gentle-faced Asian man in his early twenties, MIDORI YOSHIDA, takes his place at the lieutenant's side and extends an open palm towards the Gateway. YOSHIDA Clear, sir. Dodd scowls at the unorthodox behavior. Ignoring him, Pietrovich nods to the PFC. DODD All right, commence transmission. A Marine approaches the Gateway with a glowing baton in hand. He prepares to toss it into the light. DODD Is Europa ready? TECHNICIAN I'm getting a greenlight from Europa base, sir. Yoshida's hand closes into a pained fist. YOSHIDA Wait. PIETROVICH Private? YOSHIDA They're coming. The blue light shifts to blood-red. The Marines aim their arsenal at the Gateway. A series of locked-and-loaded sounds cascades through the ranks like falling dominoes. PIETROVICH How bad is it? YOSHIDA There are a lot of them. PIETROVICH Steady, Marines! Arlene Sanders pumps her shotgun and points it at the forboding energy field. The lab is dead-silent. Yoshida shuts his eyes, opening his hand again, searching the stars. He speaks, barely above a whisper. YOSHIDA Now. With an inhuman shriek, a flaming skull tears through the Gateway. It's blasted to dust in half a second. The Lost Soul's flame sputters out in mid-air. PIETROVICH Here we go! More Lost Souls now, a cloud of them, surge through the gate. The Marines calmly pick them off. The demons immediately start to panic, some turning back toward the gate and exploding in head-on collisions with their siblings. One speeds straight toward Wilhelm Dodd. DODD JOOOOOOOOOOHN- - Pietrovich whips out his pistol and puts two in the skull, shattering it just before it shreds Dodd's face. Sanders delivers a blistering blow to three Lost Souls at once, sending bits of their beings flying in all directions. Another one drops down behind her; she whirls and smashes it with the butt of the shotgun. Dodd rushes down the stairs. PIETROVICH Wilhelm no! Still more Lost Souls are pouring through. A PFC screams in horror as two lift him off the ground - tearing him in half. Dodd shoves a dying grunt aside and runs at Arlene. A Lost Soul clips his kneecap and he slams into the wall. DODD AAAAAAAAAAAAH!! She turns to see him. Starts forward. The entire Gateway pulsates with a loud THUD-THUD-THUD, like a giant heartbeat, and the onslaught of Lost Souls is suddenly over. Sanders hauls Dodd to safety beneath the staircase. A big chunk's been taken out of his knee. DODD Arlene, I'm sorry... ARLENE SANDERS You're gonna be fine. Asshole. There are tears in her eyes. Dodd smiles weakly. Something big, man-sized, hurtles through the Gateway. A mangled form dressed in green tatters, it slams into the floor with a wet sound. Steam rises from the unmoving thing. The Marines slowly advance on it, guns at the ready. YOSHIDA (O.S.) Wait!! He races down the stairs, parting his fellow grunts and rolling the body over. YOSHIDA It's human. ZOOM IN on the battered and bruised face of Flynn Taggart. FADE TO: INT. INFIRMARY Dodd winces a little as his leg, secured to an operating table by clamps, is repaired. A titanium kneecap is fused to the remaining bone with a laser. MEDIC You okay? DODD Can't feel a thing. He slams his fist into his mouth to stifle a surprise rush of vomit. On the next table lies an unconscious Taggart. Pietrovich reads from a computer monitor. PIETROVICH Corporal Flynn Taggart, listed as missing in action three years ago on Phobos. DODD This is the guy that- - PIETROVICH Yep, this is the guy. (to Yoshida) So what can you tell us about all this? DODD John, we all saw him come through the Gateway. We don't need some so called necromancer to piece it together. PIETROVICH With all due respect, this so called necromancer saved our asses today. YOSHIDA It's okay, I'm not offended. PIETROVICH What's the story with Taggart here? YOSHIDA Sir. He's broken, that's for certain. Although I can't say how just yet... Dodd rolls his eyes. The medic releases his leg. MEDIC Good as new. YOSHIDA I need to speak with him. PIETROVICH Well, his condition hasn't changed at all since he came through. We might be in for a long wait. Sanders enters, looking with a mixture of concern and anger at her lover. DODD Hey. ARLENE SANDERS (sarcastically) How's my hero? DODD Well, I'll be able to walk again, thanks for asking. TAGGART (O.S.) A-Arlene? She turns on her heels, her face suddenly white. ARLENE SANDERS Oh my God...it's...you...Flynn?? She rushes to him. Dodd's pallor matches her own. ARLENE SANDERS You're the one who came through the gate? Are you okay? TAGGART Gate? Back it up for a sec. He sits up, rubbing his head, and frowns at the others. TAGGART Now where am I? PIETROVICH You're on a USMC outpost on the moon- - TAGGART Phobos, right. But who are you people? PIETROVICH This isn't Phobos, soldier. YOSHIDA Amnesia. TAGGART Eh? PIETROVICH You're not on Phobos. Corporal, what year is it? TAGGART 2546. PIETROVICH ...It's 2549. TAGGART How'd that happen? PIETROVICH What's the last thing you remember? TAGGART I was pulling sludge detail on Phobos. With Dacote. Where's he at? PIETROVICH I'm afraid that everyone you knew on Phobos is dead. Taggart shakes his head in disbelief. He tries to get off the table and shudders, falling back. The medic pushes through the others to check his vitals. YOSHIDA Corporal Taggart, you've been to Hell and back. TAGGART Feels that way. PIETROVICH You really don't remember anything? TAGGART No... He reaches over his shoulder and tugs something from his back with a grunt. It's a spur of demon bone. CUT TO: INT. CORRIDOR Dodd follows Arlene from the infirmary. DODD Ex-boyfriend? ARLENE SANDERS No, Wilhelm. Flynn and I served together before he got demoted and shipped out to Phobos. DODD And nothing went on between the two of you. ARLENE SANDERS Grow the fuck up! He chases after her, drawing the bemused glances of soldiers and techs in the hallway. DODD I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Forget it. It's just...the way you looked at him. ARLENE SANDERS I thought he was dead. I thought he was rotting in Hell which is the last place that Flynn Taggart belongs. DODD Fair enough. (beat) Forgive me? ARLENE SANDERS Not yet. She steps through a door marked USMC PERSONNEL ONLY. Dodd nods bitterly and heads back the other way. CUT TO: INT. HABITAT Pietrovich, Dodd and Taggart (in new government-issue threads) stand outside a door labeled RESTRICTED. PIETROVICH In the years since your disappearance, we've made advances in Gateway technology and performed several successful operations. (beat) But every once in a while... He scans a red keycard, and the door opens. Beyond is a narrow corridor, lined with windows that look into mini-labs. Inside each lab is at least one armed Marine and one busy scientist. The trio looks through the first window. DODD This might jog your memory. Taggart stares in horror at the thing strapped to an exam table, a hulking pink brute with glazed yellow eyes, a brute that squeals like a piglet when a robotic arm drives a needle into its throat. A Demon. TAGGART What is that? Dodd and Pietrovich exchange troubled glances. PIETROVICH Next lab. They turn around and look into a room where a sedated Imp is being scanned by ultraviolet beams. PIETROVICH Wanna go in? TAGGART Hell, why not. CUT TO: INT. MINI-LAB A huge, heated grid passes over the Imp, warming its body. It stirs. Taggart flinches a little. DODD Remember this? TAGGART Nah, it's just fuckin' ugly. The restrained monster opens its expressionless red eyes and looks curiously at them. PIETROVICH (O.S.) Somewhere in your mind, we may have the key to stopping these things from coming through our gates. TAGGART I got a key for ya, it takes an energy cell with two hundred rounds of reconstituted plasma. Dodd sighs. Pietrovich smiles. TAGGART If these mothers are from Hell, we should send 'em back. The Imp snarls and lunges at Taggart! He jerks away, but the demon is bound to the table and can only hiss & spit at him. TAGGART Fuck. DODD He does that to everybody. C'mon. CUT TO: INT. IO LAB - HANGAR CONTROL A nervous officer flags down his supervisor. SUPERVISOR What is it? OFFICER Looks like the supply ship's coming in early. SUPERVISOR Thank Christ, we're out of coffee. OFFICER Sir... He points to a blip on his radar screen. OFFICER They're coming from the wrong direction? SUPERVISOR It happens, son. He turns to go. OFFICER Well sir... SUPERVISOR What?! OFFICER It looks bigger than usual. That's not a Class 5 ship, is it? The supervisor sighs and taps his fingertips on the blip approaching Io. SUPERVISOR It...hmm. Give me a live feed on the main screen. The large monitor in front of the entire room displays an actual image of the moon, its surface pockmarked with craters and ancient lava floes. Above the Marine base hovers a monstrous ship. SUPERVISOR Detail. The screen zooms in on the ship, a mass the size of ten football stadiums, built from bone and slag and death with physics-defying rivers of blood running along its armored hull and a swirling shield of Lost Souls covering the entire thing. SUPERVISOR Oh. Shit. Mammoth hatches began opening on the underside of the hell ship. An unholy light pours out over the base. OFFICER Sir. SUPERVISOR Get the Major...get Earth Command...get...holy fuck. We're dead. It wouldn't be easy to guess at the number of Cacodemons and Pain Elementals spewing forth from the hatches, blanketing the base in a surreal night; nor the Imps and Demons dropping to the surface and tearing off in every direction. The Revenants, skeletal fiends with twin shoulder-mounted rockets launchers, leading a charge through the formidable gates of Io Base, laying them to waste in a silent barrage of explosions on the main screen. It would be no small task to try and guess how many of Hell's unspeakable horrors are showering the moon from the titanic hell-ship. We'll say a hundred thousand. SUPERVISOR We're dead. The main screen explodes as a Revenant rips through the wall. CUT TO: INT. HABITAT Taggart and co. are on their way out when a piercing alarm sounds. TAGGART That sounds bad. PIETROVICH It is. He punches an intercom on the wall. PIETROVICH This is Pietrovich, what's the situation? INTERCOM VOICE Get all of your men to...they're all over us! They're coming out of nowhere! The transmission's cut off. DODD Security system's gonna lock us in here if we don't move. A strange "phasing" sound comes from the rear. They all turn to see a Demon standing in the hallway. TAGGART Uh. Bursts of green light announce the teleportation of several more Demons into the corridor. Dodd punches the door's control panel. It doesn't open. PIETROVICH How are they doing this? The Demons all glare at the humans with hungry eyes. But instead of attacking - they bust through the various lab doors to free their brethren. Gunshots are quickly silenced, replaced by the excited sounds of liberated nightmares. PIETROVICH Taggart, now would be a good time for your memory to come back. TAGGART All I need is a gun, sir. Pietrovich nods grimly and hands over a pistol. PIETROVICH This is the best I can do. TAGGART Good enough. Then the window beside Taggart shatters - and the Imp from earlier yanks him out of sight! INT. MINI-LAB The Imp hurls Taggart into an instrument cart, sending scalpels and drills clattering to the floor. The creature kicks them aside as it prepares to tear him apart. He empties his clip into the miserable beast. It slams into the opposite wall and rebound with bloodlust in its eyes. Taggart glances to the side - above the exam table, the heating grid is still on, rotated to face them. He throws out a leg to trip the attacking Imp. It stumbles and flies into the grid - frying half of its face on the white-hot wiring! The Imp shrieks and tears away, leaving a good portion of its flesh behind. Taggart stands up and slugs the fucker in the jaw. INT. CORRIDOR Pietrovich shoots the control panel, and Dodd begins to wrestle the door open. The lieutenant uses the rest of his ammo to no effect on the advancing horde. They're slowly, playfully closing in on the humans. DODD C'mon John! Pietrovich is thrown up against the wall. A Demon rips into his belly with glee. PIETROVICH Go without me! DODD Not a- - Dodd turns to see the Demon burrowing into his friend's stomach. INT. MINI-LAB A dead Marine lies atop a shotgun. Taggart grabs it and stuffs ammo into his pockets. INT. CORRIDOR Dodd's halfway through the door when a Demon rips into his shoulder, tugging him back. DODD NO!! NO!! The Demon grunts insistently and opens its mouth to strike. Its entire head becomes a fine mist that sprays Dodd's face, unveiling Flynn Taggart, who feeds another shell to another disgusting creature & punches out an Imp. He's already knee deep in the guts of a slaughtered Demon. TAGGART How bout a hand? He reaches out as the remaining Demons clamber over one another to taste his blood. Dodd tentatively extends his hand. TAGGART Let's go, buddy!! Dodd grasps the Marine and hauls him through the door. Together they force it shut, containing the Demon wave. TAGGART Looks like they missed me. DODD We have to find- - ARLENE SANDERS (O.S.) Wilhelm! Sanders and Yoshida come from the other direction, their uniforms already torn and drenched with blood. YOSHIDA I didn't see them coming. I don't understand! DODD Where are they coming from?? ARLENE SANDERS There's a ship. It's fucking huge! YOSHIDA They're all over the base...We're trapped. ARLENE SANDERS No, there's the brig. DODD What? ARLENE SANDERS The prison is the most heavily fortified structure on Io. Anyone who knows what's good for them will head there. DODD Arlene, this hallway might be the only place that isn't filled with those things! ARLENE SANDERS I'm pulling rank. We're going to the prison. TAGGART It's not a bad idea. The doctor stabs a finger into Taggart's chest. DODD We don't need input from a delinquent grunt who can't even remember the last three years! TAGGART What I do remember is mopping the floor with geek scientists who couldn't strategize their way out of a paper bag. ARLENE SANDERS Enough! DODD Whose side are you taking? ARLENE SANDERS Neither of you! Stop being so fucking arrogant and follow me! That's an order! Yoshida opens his mouth to try and calm the crew; Dodd silences him with a glare. CUT TO: EXT. IO BASE The atmospheric converters make the air breathable, but it doesn't make the volcanic landscape much more hospitable, especially now. The yellow-tinged sky boils as smoke rises into it - smoke from the pyres of soldiers, being burned alive by Imps. The human BBQ is being held inside the gates; Arlene gapes at the holocaust scene from behind a moon rover. On the horizon, Hell's minions are still pouring out of the ship to attack every building in sight. TAGGART Where's the prison? ARLENE SANDERS We can't just let this continue. TAGGART The prison. ARLENE SANDERS We've got to fight them. TAGGART If we run out there right now, we'll be fucking kindling. We need more men. ARLENE SANDERS ...I know. Nearby, a legless scientist twitches as he hangs over a fire. His eyes meet Dodd's. DODD Jesus, they're cooking him. ARLENE SANDERS Let's move. DODD They killed John. ARLENE SANDERS Flynn's right. DODD No, you are. You always were. Dodd snatches Yoshida's pistol and runs out into the open. ARLENE SANDERS WILHELM!! An Imp raises its brow at the sound of Arlene's cry; Dodd shoots it between the eyes. The rest of them begin charging at him with fireballs swelling in their hands. ARLENE SANDERS WILHELM!!! Dodd runs for cover, firing a few wild shots back at the Imps, regretting his bravado in a big way. The rover fishtails in the dirt as Taggart stomps on the gas, hurtling toward the doctor. TAGGART YEEEHAW!! He thrusts out the shotgun and catches a passing Imp in the mouth, lifting it off the ground and blowing its ugly head to smithereens. Dodd leaps - catches the rover's roll cage and hangs on for dear life. TAGGART Get in Doc! An Imp-colored blur sails past the rover, taking Dodd with it. Arlene drops her gun and wails in horror. Pulling a 180, Taggart searches the landscape. But Dodd is gone. TAGGART Doc!! Fireballs slam into the grill. TAGGART Fuck. He throws the rover into reverse and speeds back to Arlene & Yoshida's position. Yoshida pulls the sobbing sergeant in; Taggart floors it. CUT TO: INT. PRISON - ENTRYWAY Double doors retract with a groan. Arlene replaces her keycard and trudges into the dark hall, slumping down. YOSHIDA Sergeant, I'm sorry. She waves him away. Taggart approaches a barred door and looks into the massive cell block. TAGGART Roomy. YOSHIDA We've had a lot of problems with personnel. TAGGART Deserters? YOSHIDA Men tend to lose their minds out here. TAGGART I saw you in the infirmary, right? YOSHIDA Yes sir. PFC Midori Yoshida. TAGGART You were saying something about me when I woke up. YOSHIDA I'm a...a spiritual liaison for the Corps. I was trying to see what happened to you during your time in Hell. TAGGART So I was really kicking around the netherworld with those goons, huh? You know what they did to me? YOSHIDA You're soulless. TAGGART Come again? YOSHIDA It's not just your memory that's fractured. ARLENE SANDERS That's enough. She slides back the barred door and points her shotgun into the darkness. ARLENE SANDERS We're wasting time. CUT TO: INT. CELL BLOCK Taggart and Sanders survey the empty cells as they proceed side-by-side. TAGGART Look, I'm sorry about the doc. ARLENE SANDERS It comes with the job, Corporal. TAGGART I tried to save him. ARLENE SANDERS Forget it. Something shifts in the corner of a cell. Arlene scans her card and opens it. ARLENE SANDERS Come out of there. A man in prison garb shuffles forward - his mouth stained red, eyes glowing with evil. She throws the shotgun out. The zombie jerks it from her grip. Taggart shoves her aside and blasts the prisoner's chest open. The zombie backpedals into the rear of the cell, where he takes two more hits, losing a gallon of entrails before crumpling to the floor. Arlene grabs her gun and stands over the corpse. ARLENE SANDERS They do this to our men? She shoots it in the head, then the back, then the groin, breaking down again. Taggart rushes to support her. TAGGART Stop it, conserve your ammo! ARLENE SANDERS Do you think they'll do that to Wilhelm?! TAGGART I...I don't know! YOSHIDA Sirs? Yoshida nods toward a large crowd of zombified inmates stepping out of their open cells. Taggart runs from the cell, catching two of the inmates with a single shot. They fall, unnoticed, into the zombie ranks. TAGGART Up! He grabs the cell door and climbs toward the second level. Giving him a boost, Yoshida is snagged by the zombies. YOSHIDA Sergeant! Arlene pops an inmate and practically throws Yoshida onto the door. ARLENE SANDERS Up! Taggart slings himself onto the second-level walkway and fires onto the crowd. He reaches down to pluck Yoshida from the bars. Arlene kicks a snarling undead in the face and tries to regain her footing...slips. They've got both her legs now. She loses the shotgun. ARLENE SANDERS Flynn!! He stretches his hand toward her, but it doesn't even come close. He tries his shotgun. She grabs onto the barrel, and fumbles it into the zombies' grasp. TAGGART Nice! He straddles the railing and leans toward her. TAGGART I need you to climb, Arlene! The zombies have a firm grip on her ankles. She grits her teeth and PULLS as hard as she can. No dice. TAGGART Damn you motherfuckers!! A rifle report cracks across the cell block. One of Arlene's legs is abruptly freed. Taggart glances upward and sees, across the block, a Marine crouched on the third level with a sniper rifle. He takes careful aim and squeezes the trigger once more. Arlene's other foot pulls free. Taggart grabs her hand like he means never to let go. TAGGART Gotcha. SNIPER You're not safe down there! TAGGART Thanks for the tip, ace! They hurry towards a flight of stairs. CUT TO: INT. PRISON STRONGHOLD The sniper leads them into a small room and bolts the door. A few other men are sitting atop a small cache of firepower. SNIPER I'm Sergeant Gallatin. These are the few of my men that managed to survive the riot. TAGGART All of the inmates are gone? GALLATIN We pulled one out. She's not gonna be any help. He motions toward a closet door, and one of the other Marines pulls it open. Inside sits a fiery young redhead with her arms and legs in irons. TAGGART C'mon Warden, take the shackles off. GALLATIN I told you, she's of no use to us. TAGGART What's your name? TIJ Dardier, Tij. PFC. TAGGART What're you in for? She looks away. Gallatin purses his lips. GALLATIN Assaulting a superior officer. A grin spreads across Taggart's face. TAGGART Let her out. GALLATIN Who put you in charge... (looks at Taggart's stripes) ...Corporal? TAGGART Considering I've dealt with these demons before, I'd say they did. GALLATIN Right. So you're the one. He pulls a rag from his pocket and wipes down the scope of his rifle until it glistens like his bald pate. GALLATIN Don't you have amnesia? YOSHIDA I might be able to help with that. All eyes on Yoshida as he waves meekly from the corner. YOSHIDA I think they cast some sort of veil over your memory. I might be able to remove it. GALLATIN Is this guy for real? ARLENE SANDERS Yeah, he is. YOSHIDA It's worth a shot. Taggart sits down on a table and cracks his knuckles. TAGGART Sure, kid. Go nuts. Yoshida steps forward and places his fingertips on either side of Taggart's face. Gallatin smirks at his men; Arlene watches intently. Closing his eyes, Yoshida whispers something inaudible. Gallatin gets up and leaves the room. ZOOM on Taggart's tightly-shut eyes - they snap open with sudden clarity. SMASH CUT through a montage of his memories: Wielding a chainsaw against a zombie PFC; Calling out an enormous mechanized spider; Slipping his arm into the BFG 9000; And being stabbed through the throat by the hideous Arch Vile. Taggart leaps away from Yoshida with a gasp, grabbing his neck. YOSHIDA It worked. TAGGART No shit! He stares blankly at the others for a moment, then his eyes settle on Arlene. TAGGART They killed me. They killed me and brought me back. YOSHIDA They still have your soul, Corporal. TAGGART Well, do I need it? Yoshida kinda shrugs. Taggart swoons as his mind continues to expand. TAGGART Oh, no... ARLENE What is it? TAGGART They used me. They fucking USED me! He slams his fist against the tabletop. TAGGART (CONT'D) They sent me through your gate as a distraction while they came around the back in that hellship of theirs. ARLENE Where did they come from? How did they do it without using the Gateway? TAGGART They have their own. They built 'em. ARLENE How?! TAGGART We SHOWED them how!! He walks over to one of Gallatin's men. TAGGART I need a new gun. SOLDIER These are ours. TAGGART Kay. He throws the guy into the wall and picks up a chaingun. TAGGART That's what I'm talking about. (to another soldier) Remove the prisoner's restraints. Tij Dardier smiles a little. CUT TO: INT. WATCHTOWER Gallatin surveys Io's battlefield through binoculars. It wouldn't really be fair to call it a battlefield; the rest of the human population have been massacred. Arlene enters through a trapdoor. GALLATIN What do you want? ARLENE We're downstairs discussing how we can beat these things. GALLATIN I see. He lowers the binoculars and watches as Cacodemons in the distance spit lightning like a living storm. GALLATIN I believe in God, and faith. I believe in purpose. ARLENE And...? GALLATIN I believe we're going to die here, Sergeant. ARLENE We're the last- - GALLATIN You think that means anything? Just because we're the last? Somebody had to the be the last. They'll get to us sooner or later. ARLENE And then what? GALLATIN The Lord will sort it out. ARLENE The Lord's not here, Sergeant Gallatin. We are. Taggart and Tij ascend into the tower. GALLATIN You're kidding me. TAGGART Anyone who can fire a gun deserves a chance to live through this. Gallatin laughs boisterously and draws his sidearm, tossing it to Tij. GALLATIN Fine then! TIJ I've got my own, thanks. She hefts a super shotgun and winks at him. GALLATIN Where are my men? TAGGART Downstairs. Awaiting your orders. GALLATIN I suppose we shouldn't let all these bullets go to waste. TAGGART S'pose not. CUT TO: INT. PRISON STRONGHOLD Gallatin and Arlene spread a stack of blueprints over the table. ARLENE Why are they here, Flynn? TAGGART They need to learn more of our technology before they can take a shot at the big enchilada. That's Earth for those of you who don't speak Spanish. ARLENE So if we shut down the CPU core, that'll erase any information they might be after. Fuck their shit right up. GALLATIN You mean shut down half the base? The atmospheric converters? ARLENE This is about Earth now. TAGGART How do we get to the CPU? ARLENE Through the toxin refinery. Taggart gives her a thumbs-up and turns to load the chaingun. GALLATIN That's it, then? ARLENE That's it. EXT. PRISON WALL The Marines, eight in all, move stealthily atop the stone wall that forms the prison perimeter. Gallatin winces as he brushes against a coil of razor wire. They can make a leap from the wall to the rooftop of a huge warehouse. But first, they'll have to deal with the two Cacodemons who descend from the heavens. Taggart opens fire under one of the bulbous fiends, blood raining down on him as he chews into its soft meat. The Cacodemon groans and sends a bolt of lighting into the chest of one of Gallatin's men; he spirals through the air, coming down on the razor wire with a final scream. Gallatin drops to one knee and glares through his rifle scope. He lances the Cacodemon's green eye with a single bullet. The second Cacodemon picks up another of Gallatin's men and swallows him whole, belching up a lightning ball. Tij takes a piece of its lip off with the super shotgun. TAGGART DIE BITCHES!!! The first Cacodemon falls toward him - he dives off the wall, grabbing a handful of razor wire at the last possible second! The Cacodemon bounces off the wall and sputters to the earth below. Arlene grabs Taggart. Tij and the last of Gallatin's men, GRAYSON, batter the second beast with gunfire. More can be seen converging on the horizon. TAGGART We gotta go! He and Arlene start sprinting. They leap to the warehouse. GALLATIN I've got 'er - get going! Yoshida, Tij and Grayson take off. Gallatin wrenches loose a length of razor wire and hurls it at the Cacodemon. The creature swallows it hungrily. He turns to run - the snarling ball of evil hurtles after him. Suddenly, like a dog on a leash, it's jerked back by the razor wire - except the wire saws through its cheek and the back of its head, slicing the Cacodemon in half. Gallatin jumps into Tij's arms. GALLATIN Let go of me. Arlene pries open a ventilation duct. ARLENE Hurry! CUT TO: INT. WAREHOUSE - CONTINUOUS They slide out of the duct and land on a stack of crates, piled nearly to the ceiling. The entire warehouse is like this, one big labyrinth of boxes. It's really dark, too. TAGGART This sucks. ARLENE There's a door on the west side that will take us straight into the crater. An Imp chortles from the shadows below. TAGGART They're in here. GALLATIN How many? Holding out a palm, Yoshida peers into the labyrinth with his third eye. YOSHIDA Lots. Arlene holds up a flashlight. She's the only one. ARLENE Great. GALLATIN Well, we can't stop now. INT. LABYRINTH They lower themselves into a canyon of crates with that single light to guide them. While Arlene tries to figure out where exactly they are, the others watch the darkness anxiously. TAGGART Yoshida? YOSHIDA They're closing in. They know where we are. ARLENE This way. They start forward. Something scrapes along the floor at their rear; the light reveals nothing. Taggart narrows his eyes and glances up. An Imp is crawling down the crates. It shrieks at him. Tij splatters its face with a double-barrelled slap. GRAYSON Hey! He staggers into the others, blood streaming from his arm. But there's nothing behind him. They all look up. The walls are clear. Yoshida is flung into a crate by an unseen force. TAGGART Spectres! He fires down the empty passageway. Blood spouts from a wound opened in thin air. Grayson is lifted off the floor. He fires madly, hitting Gallatin's shoulder. GALLATIN Argh!! A Demon-shaped bulge appears in Grayson's abdomen, and a split-second later the invisible fiend tears right through him. Yoshida shuts his eyes and aims his pistol at Arlene. ARLENE Private... YOSHIDA Move please. She's barely stepped out of the line of fire when he drops a Spectre with one shot. Eyes still closed, he pivots and shoots another. Taggart is knocked off his feet. Teeth marks appear in his thigh. TAGGART Chew on this, Pinky! He fills the Spectre with lead. Yoshida steps over him and continues picking off demons. Arlene's flashlight shatters. Yoshida spins, fires. The round breezes past her ear and scrambles the last Spectre's brains. YOSHIDA That's all of 'em. TAGGART Not bad there, Private. GALLATIN Hey... Punching into a broken crate, Gallatin pulls out a pair of goggles and slips them on. GALLATIN Amplification goggles. TAGGART Hook me up. Taggart pulls on a pair: TAGGART'S POV: The room becomes brightly-detailed, not in garish green night-vision but realistic light. TAGGART How's the shoulder, Sarge? GALLATIN I'll live. He kneels over Grayson and shuts his eyes. GALLATIN Go with God, son. CUT TO: INT. WAREHOUSE - WEST WALL They've reached the end of the labyrinth, and Arlene opens a set of elevator doors. ARLENE Across the crater to nukage processing. CUT TO: INT. ELEVATOR A MIDI version of Chuck Mangione's "Feels So Good" pipes through the speakers as the five Marines wait out the descent. CUT TO: EXT. WALKWAY The elevator opens onto a catwalk which hugs the crater wall; beyond rumbles a huge, greenish-yellow waterfall; more accurately, a sludgefall. Gallatin seizes the railing and retches. GALLATIN How're we gonna breathe? TAGGART Suck it up, I used to wade through this shit every day. The walkway stretches around the falls and out of view. They start trudging ahead. TIJ Is there something down there? She points to the green pool at the bottom of the crater. It looks like squat little creatures are sloshing through it. Gallatin pulls on his goggles. GALLATIN'S POV: The goggle zoom in on the image of several bloated, greasy Mancubi. They look up and open their toothless mouths. GALLATIN They see us. Tiny fireballs become much, much larger as they hurtle up toward the walkway. TAGGART Back! They hit the wall. The entire walkway shakes from the impact; fire licks through the cracks at their feet. TAGGART Move it or lose it! The walkway continues to take fire. They break into a run. A shriek from behind - a Revenant has just stepped off the elevator. GALLATIN Holy- - He drops to one knee and aims the rifle. Taggart grabs the scruff of his collar and drags him off. GALLATIN What the hell, Corporal?! The Revenant crouches and fires two heat-seeking missiles. GALLATIN Oh. The missiles follow the crater's curve as they zero in on the Marines. TAGGART Wait...wait...NOW! They throw themselves to the catwalk, and the missiles slam into the rock wall. Gravel showers over them. More fireballs pound the underside of the walkway. Taggart begins blasting away at the Revenant with his chaingun. GALLATIN Oh, HE gets to shoot it. ARLENE Get a move on, Gallatin! Despite being sprayed with flecks of stone and spent bullets, the Revenant refuses to slow down in its pursuit. It fires two more missiles. They're caught in mid-flight by chaingun fire, and detonate over the sludgefalls. TAGGART LET'S ROCK MOTHERFUCKER!!! He turns the chaingun on the walkway itself, snipping it in two. The Revenant's half begins peeling away from the crater wall, as Taggart has severed all of the supports with his fire. TAGGART DIDN'T SEE THAT COMING DID YA?! HA HA HA!!! The Revenant roars and primes its launchers and is dumped into the falls. The pool below is lit up by fire as the misfired rockets go off, taking out the Mancubi. Still shouting, Taggart fires down into the crater. Arlene grabs him and he nearly backhands her. ARLENE Flynn! TAGGART I... ARLENE Conserve your ammo? TAGGART Right. CUT TO: INT. NUKAGE PROCESSING - ENTRYWAY The toxin refinery's entrance is stocked with armor and radiation gear. Everyone gets suited up. Spotting Yoshida staring strangely at him, Taggart turns from view. ARLENE Gallatin, I should dress that shoulder wound. GALLATIN It's fine. She sighs and grabs a stimpack from a shelf. ARLENE Come over here. Taggart puts on a helmet and pulls his gloves tight. TAGGART How far have we got to go? ARLENE The CPU is right on the other side of the plant. GALLATIN This place is very dangerous. I need you all to follow my orders. (to Tij) You think you can handle that? TIJ Sure, why not? GALLATIN You take point, Taggart. CUT TO: INT. NUKAGE PROCESSING - MAIN FLOOR A thin film of green slime covers the floor. The Marines are surrounded by huge vats, fed by pipes coming straight from the sludge falls. An eerie haze hangs over the chamber. YOSHIDA Look at that. A huge bloody pentagram is drawn on the far wall. Same with the opposite wall. GALLATIN What went on here? TAGGART Looks like they held Mass. A pumping station has been converted to a gore-spattered altar, complete with burning candles and freshly-peeled skulls. TAGGART Yoshida? YOSHIDA There's a lot of energy here. I don't know if we're alone. GALLATIN That's quite an ability you've got, Private. How does one come by the gift of necromancy? YOSHIDA I took a correspondence course. Taggart guffaws inside his helmet. A howl pierces the air. They all whirl to face the enemy: A huge, hoofed creature with goat's horns and a puggish face stares at them from a platform overhead. It fixes its black gaze on Taggart, and points one long finger down at him. TAGGART The fuck? YOSHIDA I think he's here for you. The HELL KNIGHT lifts its other hand, on which is strapped an obsidian claw. A dark cloud is summoned within the curled palm. TAGGART I'll catch up with you at the core. ARLENE Flynn? GALLATIN Let him do what he wants. The Hell Knight starts down the stairs. Taggart steps away from the others, back through the slime to the center of the chamber. Gallatin heads for the exit. He doesn't look happy, but he beckons for the others to follow. The Knight's cloven feet splash in the sludge. It bellows at Taggart. TAGGART So I've outlived my usefulness, huh? You're not forcing this soldier into early retirement. The chaingun winds up and spits fire at the Knight. It bears the brunt of the attack without so much as a flinch, hurling the ball of energy from its dark claw. Taggart takes the hit square in the breastplate - the smoky energy penetrates his armor, and he screams, falling to his knees. His lungs seem to wither and die in his chest, his neck tightens, blood vessels burst on his face and a terrible wail fills Taggart's head - the essence of tortured souls. The Knight walks slowly around him, gloating over its advantage. Already another ball generates within the dark claw. TAGGART I guess sometimes...the simple approach...beats all... He sits up and slams a fist into the Hell Knight's nuts. It doubles over and backhands him with the dark claw. Taggart sails over the slime and smashes against the altar. The candles drop into the waste, and a ring of fire quickly encircles the chamber. Taggart dodges the next shot from the claw and hits the Knight again with the chaingun. It staggers but stays on its feet. The next ball hits Taggart in the stomach, and he folds against his will. The wailing fills his ears like blaring sirens. His vision blurs; but he can still see the Knight approaching for the kill. Taggart raises the chaingun with a wavering arm, and fires haphazardly. The Knight laughs - then snarls as a spray of waste hits its back. Several vats at the Knight's rear are punctured. They crack. They hiss. They EXPLODE. The Knight is batted aside by a wave of waste that picks up the armored Taggart and slams him against the wall. The Hell Knight rises to fight the current, pointing again at Taggart. It ROARS! Chaingun's gone; Taggart grabs a pipe and roars back at the fiend. They both charge. WHAM!! A soul-packed wallop from the dark claw sends Taggart cartwheeling across the chamber. Taking a cue from its opponent, the Knight rakes the claw across another vat, showering him with slime. TAGGART Armor's not gonna hold out much longer- -! The tip of a horn detaches from the Knight's skull; it screams, pawing at the mangled appendage. Gallatin, perched on the overhead platform, reloads his rifle. GALLATIN C'mon Taggart! He hits the Knight in the knee. It buckles. Taggart gives the suffering assassin a wide berth as he makes his way to the stairs. GALLATIN C'mon, now, now! TAGGART You see me moving here?? Gallatin hauls Taggart up to his level, and they take off. CUT TO: EXT. NUKAGE PROCESSING Arlene breaths a sigh of relief as the pair emerges. ARLENE Thank you Gallatin. GALLATIN You owe me. (to Taggart) And YOU, from now on, follow my orders. Is that understood? TAGGART I don't see Hell sending their special ops guys to kill you, Sarge. I'm the main man here. Now let's shut down the CPU, whaddaya say? Arlene places a hand on Gallatin's chest. ARLENE We have a job to do... GALLATIN Right. The sky is darkened by the hellship, which seems to be heading right for the CPU complex. ARLENE Clock's ticking, let's move out! CUT TO: INT. CPU COMPLEX Walls covered in circuitry boards, flawless copper floors and garish fluorescent lighting overhead - it's a strange and unwelcome place. Tight as hell. They move single-file into the complex. TIJ Where's the CPU? ARLENE We're in it. TIJ Holy shit. So how do we shut it down? Arlene ratchets her new shotgun. ARLENE Manually. A panel slides back to her right. Everyone freezes. YOSHIDA It's clear. GALLATIN Like the refinery? YOSHIDA It's clear, sir. They step through the panel into a new passageway. TIJ This place is amazing. ARLENE It controls most of the base. TIJ You'd think it would be harder to disable. YOSHIDA Something's here. He slides his hand over a component panel, pauses. YOSHIDA In the walls. GALLATIN Can you be more specific? He walks past a skull-faced panel, rather, a Lost Soul sitting in an empty slot. ARLENE Move Sergeant! She blasts the thing at point-blank range. Sparks and hellfire leap out from the wall. Demonic shrieks fill the complex. TAGGART Let's take this place apart! He kicks through a panel and fires his pistol. They all lay into the CPU with extreme prejudice. A Lost Soul grabs Gallatin's wrist. He smashes it into a computer relay, taking out a row of lights. Three Souls hit Taggart and knock him through several walls. He hits the concrete outer wall. TAGGART Fuck off ya friggin' bugs! He swats the Souls aside (they congregate to make another attack) and wrenches open a maintenance locker. TAGGART Heh heh. Facing the skulls, Taggart revs a full-size chainsaw. TAGGART Come 'n' get it. The first one comes right at him; driving it into a panel, he saws through both bone and circuity. The other two scream in either horror or amusement. TAGGART There's more for you, dipshits! They zoom forward. He shatters them both with a broad swing of the saw. Meanwhile, Tij is taking out section after entire section with the super shotgun. Lost Souls are blown to bits before they can even emerge from their hiding places. Dodging a severed cable, she bashes the crap out of a hanging motherboard. A Lost Soul clamps down on her long ponytail, jerking her to the floor. TIJ Help!! Yoshida comes running down the hall and kicks the skull to an explosive demise. TIJ Appreciate it. YOSHIDA You bet. Another skull rears up behind him. Tij grabs the dangling cable and plunges it into the creature's eye socket. BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! Taggart and his friend the saw blow through walls with ease. The CPU is coming down in showers of sparks. Lost Souls left & right are being impaled by slivers of circuitry. TAGGART Fall back!! One of the outer walls crumbles to dust. Taggart's grin is wiped away by the sight of A CYBERDEMON Training its rocket launcher on his head. Tij and Gallatin walk up behind him, staring in awe at the behemoth. TAGGART Other WAAAAAYYYY!!! They dive out of the path of a screaming missile, and what's left of the complex goes away. Nearby, Yoshida yanks Arlene to her feet, and they join the others. The Cyberdemon stomps through the rubble in hot pursuit. Up ahead is the mill, an open-air industrial complex now rendered useless by the CPU's destruction. Taggart vaults over a generator and gives the others a hand. TAGGART Holy jeez! The Cyberdemon is right on top of them - it dumps three missiles into the earth, upheaving the generator. Gallatin pulls Tij to safety just before it comes crashing down. EXT. MILL The Marines race down an alley of corroded pipeworks and crippled machinery. The Cyberdemon steps through a dust cloud and brings down a smokestack with its gargantuan fist. Tij turns to fire the super shotgun. GALLATIN Move, Private! She ignores him, stuffing two more shells into the gun even as the Cyberdemon leers over her. GALLATIN PRIVATE- - Tij is gone in a fireball that knocks the sergeant through a steam pipe. He's on his feet in an instant, dropping the sniper rifle into his bloody hands, muttering as he takes aim from the cover of the mangled pipe. ARLENE Gallatin, don't be a hero! GALLATIN That's all I know how to be. He pauses for a microsecond to mark his target. The Cyberdemon returns the gesture. Gallatin's bullet whispers down the barrel of the behemoth's rocket launcher, and its arm is ripped to gory shreds as the ammo contained within explodes. The Cyberdemon turns its head away from its own detonating body, roaring defiantly... When the red-tinged smoke clears, all that remains are the stumps of its metallic hooves. He marches over to the dismembered feet and rests the rifle against one. He collapses. ARLENE I'm sorry about Tij. Gallatin mops the demon blood from his head and forces a smile. GALLATIN She's in a much better place now. Prying off his breastplate, Taggart goes wide-eyed at the ugly snarl of charred flesh on his chest. TAGGART Hell's hitman did this to me. Had some kind of gauntlet. YOSHIDA His strength comes from the souls of the damned. TAGGART Souls like mine? YOSHIDA Corporal, souls are what set us apart from them. Souls are the reason that they hunger for us. TAGGART Very poetic. He slaps the armor back on. They're joined by Arlene & Gallatin. GALLATIN Dardier's dead. TAGGART Well, the CPU's been wasted. So now what? Gallatin angles his rifle toward the hellship far overhead. TAGGART I'm starting to like you, Sarge. GALLATIN Wish I could say the same. He walks away. Taggart isn't fazed. TAGGART (to Arlene) What do you think of him? ARLENE I don't get involved with Marines. TAGGART That's not what I meant... Something unspoken hangs in the air between them; they look at it, then at each other. ARLENE It was never like that with us, Flynn. TAGGART But we both thought about it, didn't we? ARLENE Yeah, I guess we did. TAGGART Then I break a couple of bones in some worm's pencil-pushing wrist and I'm shipped off to Phobos. ARLENE I remember. TAGGART He wanted to send your squad into the asteroid belt after that deserted Russian freighter. A suicide mission, and for nothing, just to revive the Cold War. ARLENE You mean you assaulted a superior officer for me? TAGGART Hey, I was being chivalrous. With a sad smile, Arlene pats Taggart on the head and heads after Gallatin. CUT TO: EXT. SHIPPING PLANT They face several loading docks with overturned trucks ablaze. Roars emanate from within the plant. GALLATIN Do we even have a chance? ARLENE Maybe with that. She motions up to a small monorail elevated over the docks, leading straight into the plant. ARLENE It'll take us right over those bastards. GALLATIN Hmm. I could probably pick a few of 'em off from there. TAGGART All right then. Less talkin' more rockin'. He ascends the ladder to the train. CUT TO: INT. MONORAIL TRAIN Yoshida powers it up. The others take firing positions at various windows. INT. SHIPPING PLANT - CONTINUOUS The monorail stays close to the ceiling, bypassing another maze of crates - it also offers a clear view of all the zombified scientists and soldiers wandering about. INT. TRAIN Gallatin takes aim from the slow-moving train. Arlene freezes; she searches the pale faces of the undead. Gallatin's first shot startles her back to reality. Taggart cracks open a lockbox. TAGGART Oooh baby. He turns cradling a bazooka. TAGGART Let's see what this makes them look like. Propping himself in a window, he targets a pathway clogged with growling zombies. They all reach up towards the train, as if beckoning to him. TAGGART Open wide, fellas... A zombie PFC shoots Taggart in the arm! He slips and, with a foul-mouthed cry, tumbles from the window. ARLENE Flynn! INT. SHIPPING PLANT He's hanging by a couple of fingers from the underside of the train. ARLENE Drop the bazooka and reach for me! TAGGART Negative! Another bullet ricochets off the side of the train. Way too close to Taggart's head. ARLENE FLYNN!! TAGGART Gimme a second here! Up ahead, a zombie gunner clambers up onto a stack of crates - putting him just within reach of Taggart's feet. Taggart spots him. TAGGART Crap. He lets go of the bazooka. It's swallowed by the horde below. ARLENE Reach! On the floor, a drooling cadaver picks up the bazooka. He's aiming it the wrong way when he depresses the trigger; not that it would make much of a difference. The ammo-packed crates explode in all directions like a nuclear blast, vaporizing the undead and causing Taggart to pull Arlene out the window. She swoops through the scorching flames in Taggart's grasp. TAGGART Gotcha! He hauls her back up...then, the entire monorail track squeals and sags. Taggart passes Arlene to Yoshida. She's safe. Now there's not much track left and it sounds like the whole thing's about to come apart. He's got to get back inside. YOSHIDA C'mon sir! TAGGART Got no...strength...left... INT. TRAIN None of the Marines notice the door at the compartment's rear sliding open. None of them notice the Imp stalking towards them...half of its face scarred by a grid of deep burns. INT. SHIPPING PLANT The blistering flames lick Taggart's boots. He can barely hold on. TAGGART This may be the end, kid! YOSHIDA No! Yoshida suddenly disappears into the train. TAGGART Hey kid, lighten up! INT. TRAIN Yoshida spins to shoot the Grid Imp. It swats him aside with a fireball. GALLATIN Shit! The cramped space doesn't allow Gallatin to aim the rifle before the Imp slugs him. Arlene plants her hands on seatbacks and kicks the Imp in the face with both feet. INT. SHIPPING PLANT Taggart's going to be peeled away from the train by the approaching wall. With no other option, he pulls himself up against the underside of the car...closes his eyes...whispers a silent prayer. EXT. SHIPPING PLANT The train hurtles out of the flaming building with Taggart still intact! He drops to the earth with a grunt. INT. TRAIN The Grid Imp's back up. Arlene's waiting with a roundhouse left. As if knocked loose by the punch, the train lurches and rolls off the track, slamming all its passengers into the ceiling. It hits the ground and keeps right on rolling; the Imp steadies itself and summons a fireball. Gallatin is spinning across the car, his vision a blur; suddenly he throws both legs out, catching the walls and coming to a dead stop with his rifle leveled at the Imp's head. GALLATIN Party's over! He gets off one perfect shot before he's thrown again. The Imp flies back, leaving a corkscrew of blood in its wake. The train hits something, HARD. It stops. Gallatin slips his arm under Arlene and helps her up. Yoshida checks both ends of the car: the Grid Imp is gone. ARLENE Flynn... A window smashes in, and Taggart slides through with a yawn. GALLATIN Do you have any idea where we are? TAGGART Looks like you ran into the administration building. Wanna check it out? GALLATIN We need first aid and ammo. TAGGART Then let's do it. CUT TO: INT. ADMINISTRATIVE BUILDING - LOBBY Beautiful marble floors, emblazoned with the UAC crest, and sloping pillars are now splattered with drying guts and painted with pentagrams. The offices have been converted into dens of the damned. Entering the lobby, the Marines find themselves confronted by only one zombie. ARLENE Oh God. TAGGART Kill him. Gallatin lifts his rifle. Taggart pushes it back down. TAGGART Arlene. Kill him. Wilhelm Dodd gapes at her without any sign of recognition; that is, unless the long stream of spittle running from his lip to the floor counts. She points her shotgun at her lover. He shuffles forward a few steps, moaning. ARLENE I can't... TAGGART You have to. Dodd reaches into the waistline of his slacks; draws a pistol. Slowly, shakily, aims it at her. Tears stream down her face as she fumbles with the trigger. TAGGART Arlene. BLAM! Dodd hits the floor sans head. The others step away from Arlene as she tosses the shotgun to the floor and sits down beside the corpse, wracked with grief. GALLATIN (whispering) Who was he? TAGGART Somebody she knew. CUT TO: INT. OFFICE Gallatin rips into a medikit, tossing gauze and surgical tape to Yoshida, who attends to Taggart's arm wound. The walls and desk are covered in blood; Arlene uses it to paste up a map of Io. ARLENE Mount Pain. GALLATIN The volcano? ARLENE The inactive volcano. Highest point on this side of the moon. It's our best bet for getting onto that ship. Taggart wasn't expecting her to recover so quickly. Indeed, he sees the pain in her eyes, but she shoots him a dirty look. ARLENE Shouldn't be any trouble compared with what we're going up against. TAGGART I don't think you should go. ARLENE Lucky for me you're not in charge. A door slams on another floor. Thudding in a stairwell. GALLATIN We've got company. Private? YOSHIDA There are only a couple of them. ARLENE I'm on it. Shotgun in hand, she leaves the men behind. CUT TO: INT. CORRIDOR Arlene creeps to the stair access and peers in. All clear. Something heavy shuffles in another office. There's a window allowing her to see inside: A grumbling, greasy Mancubus pans the room with its built-in flamethrowers. Arlene hits the wall below the window. She's locked & loaded but it's gonna take more than one shot to waste this guy. Flynn crawls out of their office and waves to her. She motions for him to get back inside. He shakes his head. She flips him off. Taggart crawls away from her, taking shelter in another doorway. Just in time, too. A second Mancubus rounds the corner with fresh blood gumming its skin creases. It spots Arlene and grunts. Taggart vaults into the hallway and fills the foul demon with lead from twin Berettas. The window above Arlene's head explodes as the other Mancubus reacts! Taggart's Mancubus unleashes dual jets of flame to counter the Berettas. Arlene stands and fires through the window. The first Mancubus howls. Taggart's backhanded with a flamethrower arm, somersaulting into the floor. TAGGART It wouldn't kill ya to pass on a human or two, lardass! He blisters the fiend's blubbery knees with gunfire. It swoons against the wall, raining plaster down on them both. Arlene blasts the first Mancubus in its tiny head. Fire spews from its arms in a cataclysmic death throe, flooding the hallway, forcing Arlene to the floor. Taggart socks his Mancubus. It socks him right back. He bounces off the wall and finds his arm aflame. TAGGART Dammit! Arlene leaps through a wall of fire and fills the demon's belly with pellets. It growls, aims at her; she bats the flamethrower aside, smashes its beady eyes, its puckered mouth, its fat stupid face again and again and AGAIN and AGAIN until little more than a pulpy smear rests on the Mancubus's neck. TAGGART Well, Yoshida said there were only a couple. ARLENE These are a far cry from those little flying skulls. TAGGART Gibs are gibs. ARLENE I guess so. TAGGART It wasn't really him anymore, I can tell you that. She looks like she wants to say something other than... ARLENE Okay. But that's all she says. CUT TO: EXT. ADMINISTRATIVE BUILDING On the other side of the building is a modest mining project, a few tunnel entrances in a small crater. Beyond that is the fearsome Mount Pain, its dead volcanic cone nearly scraping the underside of the fiery hellship. GALLATIN Tunnels, then? ARLENE Yep. TAGGART But first- - He walks over to a wrecked rover on the crater's lip and rummages through it. TAGGART Jackpot. A pristine plasma rifle. Gallatin looks on enviously. TAGGART Well, I'm ready. YOSHIDA Corporal? TAGGART Yeah. YOSHIDA Duck. A fireball slams into the rover, kicking it over the edge. The Grid Imp is coming out of the building. TAGGART Hey, I know you! He unleashes a torrent of blinding plasma, punching Imp-sized holes in the building. The demon snarls one last time before it's buried under a mountain of rubble. TAGGART Shall we? CUT TO: INT. MINE TUNNELS The Marines maneuver carefully past a bubbling lava vein. GALLATIN Is this what you call inactive? ARLENE Trust me Gallatin, the volcano's dead. GALLATIN Albert. TAGGART It's hot as - eh, fuck it. A few pebbles drop from the ceiling into the lava. A Revenant lowers itself to block their path. GALLATIN Got 'im! One CRACK! from the rifle and the grinning skull is dust. The gunshot rouses a cacophony of evil cries. YOSHIDA They're everywhere. GALLATIN I picked up on that too. ARLENE Make for the surface. CUT TO: EXT. QUARRY A churning pool of lava is ringed by decimated mining equipment and skinless corpses. It's right at the base of Mount Pain. TAGGART It's all uphill from here! The hellship looms overhead, teeming with Lost Souls. Cacodemons and Pain Elementals are still pouring from the hatches. ARLENE I think there's a tram that'll get us to the top! TAGGART If it's still in one piece! The shrieks of the demon army are overwhelming, yet there don't seem to be any in sight. Arlene throws open the tram door. ARLENE We're good! The Hell Knight bellows across the quarry. It marches straight into the lava pool with its hateful stare locked on the crew. TAGGART Fuck. Let's just ditch him! YOSHIDA No, I'll stay. TAGGART Are you kidding?? YOSHIDA I was wrong, Corporal. (beat) He's here for me. The Knight points its dark claw at Yoshida. Issues a challenge in its alien tongue. GALLATIN Private, it doesn't matter. You don't have to stay behind. YOSHIDA I've seen this, I'm sure of it. This is where I die. He passes his pistol to Taggart and heads back toward the pool. YOSHIDA I'll buy you as much time as I can! GALLATIN Sweet Jesus. TAGGART Get in the tram. The Knight has stopped in the center of the lake of fire. Molten lava boils around its waist, but it's focused solely on Yoshida. He begins wading into the pool. Flames crawl up his back and sides. But he remains focused solely on the Knight. YOSHIDA You won't have my soul today, demon. The Knight springs. CUT TO: INT. TRAM The others watch in silence as Yoshida is immolated, as the enraged Knight tears through the lava in search of the young man's spirit. It lets out another long bellow. GALLATIN Just the three of us. TAGGART You'll appreciate Heaven that much more. EXT. MOUNT PAIN The hellship's skin of Lost Souls parts at the sight of three humans atop the volcano. Gallatin kneels and begins taking them out. TAGGART Okay, now look Arlene. ARLENE Less talkin', more rockin'. Taggart nods, his emotions unreadable in his hard face. He pumps the plasma rifle and leaps up to grab a handhold. CUT TO: EXT. HELLSHIP The hull is crawling with demons of all types, guardians of the monstrous open hatches. Eyes of red, yellow and green all suddenly shine bright blue in the face of the plasma rifle. Taggart hammers away at the hull, sending Imps and Demons spiraling into the atmosphere, annihilating clouds of Lost Souls. Arlene reaches the first hatch and dumps several shotgun blasts into the darkness. Dying creatures wail within. Gallatin brings up the rear, sniping at the survivors of the massacre and the attacking skull-shield. CUT TO: INT. HELLSHIP The corridor is built from bone and leathery skin. Huge alien eyes stare sightlessly down from the ceiling, offering dim light. A slobbering Demon rounds the corner and catches Arlene's shotgun right between the eyes. Taggart passes her and fumbles with what appears to be a door. TAGGART What do they use for keys around here? Arlene lifts a gleaming blue skull from a hook. ARLENE Try it. He slides the skull into a hole in the wall - the door rumbles out of the way. INT. CORRIDOR - CONTINUOUS TAGGART We've gotta find a way to bring this thing down. GALLATIN What does it use for fuel? TAGGART Like I'd know. Something spatters on his hand; he looks up, ready to blast an Imp but instead finds a pipe dripping blood. TAGGART Of course. CUT TO: INT. FUEL RESERVOIR - BRIDGE A narrow rock bridge extends over a red rapids; millions of gallons of foaming human blood, the blood of the suffering. GALLATIN What do you suggest we do, Taggart?? TAGGART How 'bout a good old-fashioned leak? He fires plasma into the river. A geyser of gore shoots up, nearly knocking him from the bridge. Imps scramble onto a nearby cliff with screams of rage. Gallatin opens up on them. As Taggart moves further out over the river, Arlene suddenly cries: ARLENE Flynn, he's here!! The Hell Knight is at the other end. It brandishes the dark claw at him. TAGGART Well bring it on, asshole! He turns the plasma stream on the Knight, who walks right into it, gritting its terrible fangs. TAGGART YEAH!! YOU LIKE IT BITCH!? The Knight isn't slowing down. An orb of dark matter gathers in the claw. ARLENE Look out!! Gallatin finds the Knight in his scope. GALLATIN Gotcha motherfucker. The bullet punches right through the Hell Knight's eye, a thick stream of pus oozing out as it loses its balance, relentlessly pummelled by the plasma - and topples from the bridge. The dark claw bites into the rock. GALLATIN Oh no you don't! He shoots the Knight in the wrist, just below where the claw is fastened. It screams. He shoots again. The wound is torn wider & wider as the Knight's weight pulls it down, down, down... The Hell Knight plummets into the river, leaving the dark claw behind. Taggart wrenches the gauntlet free. Tendrils of energy still swirl around its razor tips. ARLENE Flynn? TAGGART I think I know what to do. He rears back and hurls the claw into the blood. A thunderous BOOM shakes the chamber. Everyone holds on tight as the blood begins to turn in on itself, forming a massive whirlpool at the point where the claw went through the ship's hull. TAGGART We gotta go! They race from the reservoir as it begins to crumble. CUT TO: INT. CORRIDOR We stare out at Io's yellow sky through one of the enormous hatches. The Grid Imp climbs into the ship, smoke rising from its back, its eyes nearly welded shut. It howls. CUT TO: INT. NURSERY Taggart, Arlene and Gallatin face a field of slimy, pulsating eggs, interspersed with glowing blue orbs. It looks as if it stretches the length of the entire hellship - and it just might. TAGGART I think we made a wrong turn back there. ARLENE What is this place? GALLATIN Guess. ARLENE There must be hundreds of thousands of them. TAGGART Little soldiers, ready to go to war. GALLATIN They're all gonna die in the crash. Let's move it! TAGGART Wait. (beat) Why not be absolutely sure? Arlene kneels by one of the blue orbs, passing her hand over it; the ball shimmers. A faint cry echoes in her mind. ARLENE Souls. These are souls. GALLATIN For what? ARLENE To feed those monsters. TAGGART Holy shit...and one of 'em's mine. ARLENE Are you sure? TAGGART I can feel it! He steps into the egg field. Gallatin tries to grab him, but Taggart jerks away. TAGGART Gimme a minute. GALLATIN We have NO time to waste, Taggart! TAGGART My soul's all that separates me from them!! An egg splits open at his feet. He watches in horror as tiny Imp hands grasp at the air, at his pant leg, at the nearest soul-sphere. He splatters its guts. The Grid Imp lets out a grieved cry from across the nursery. It generates a fireball in either hand and lobs them both at Taggart. He's blown into the wall, landing on another egg. TAGGART You two get out of here! ARLENE Not a chance! TAGGART No backtalk! He fires a plasma burst over her head. Gallatin grabs her by the arm. GALLATIN Sergeant! Taggart rolls out of the path of another fireball. When he looks back up, they're gone. The Grid Imp catches him with a surprise uppercut. Taggart careens off the wall, back into its grasp. He tries to block a head shot, catches a foot in the groin. The Imp tosses him through a dozen eggs. Screaming at its own carelessness, the Imp flings fireball after fireball at Taggart. He strafes across the field, returning fire, the both of them blasting eggs to pieces left & right. Plasma gun's run dry. He chucks it and delivers a flying kick to the Imp's chest. TAGGART You've already lost, Crispy! The Imp responds with a fireball punch to the stomach. Taggart's launched onto an outcropping of rock. He shakes his head and moans. Unable to stand. The Imp climbs toward him. Its fist becomes a blazing torch, and it comes down at his head- - Taggart catches the fist, shoves it aside and backhands the Imp with all his might! It lands square on top of a hatching egg. The Grid Imp shrieks. TAGGART They're all toast! He leaps across space. The Imp rolls aside just in time. They spar in the field once more, trading punches and kicks, shattering eggs on every side with every missed blow. Taggart seizes the Imp by the back of the head and smashes its face INTO an egg - it comes up with gooey fetal tissue in its mouth and eyes! The Imp slashes his breast and kicks him across the chamber! He hits a soul-sphere and groans in pain. Then, his eyes light up madly and he grabs the sphere. TAGGART It's me. Holy Jesus God, this is me. MINE! The Imp is fast approaching. Taggart hugs the sphere to his chest, and it's absorbed into his being with a bright flash. The Grid Imp arrives just in time to take a powerhouse punch from a fully-recharged, fully-pissed-off Flynn Taggart. The demon sails briefly over the nursery and eats wall. Suddenly, the entire hellship is rocked by tremors. It's going down. TAGGART Hang on, buddy! The Imp slides through a few more eggs and cracks its head on a boulder. Taggart backpedals through the doorway. INT. CORRIDOR There's still a chance to escape - or is there? Taggart bolts for the nearest hatch. EXT. HELLSHIP Pounding the floor like a raging god, Taggart reaches the hatch and throws himself into the air. The Grid Imp leaps out after him, straining its claws with a desperate snarl. It's swallowed by fire as the hellship impacts and goes up in one great, glorious white KA-BOOM that scorches the heavens and grinds Hell's squealing minions into the ground. DISSOLVE TO: The smoke clears. The storm breaks. It's over. Caked with dust, Arlene Sanders and Albert Gallatin crawl out from beneath the pancaked tram and survey what remains of Mount Pain. Namely, nothing. ARLENE He did it. GALLATIN We did it. Shouldering the sniper rifle, he gives her a grin and cranes his neck to watch debris hail from the sky. GALLATIN Semper Fi, Marine. ARLENE Flynn...goodbye. TAGGART (O.S.) We going somewhere? He coughs up a wad of dirt and beats the mess from his pants, sauntering over to them. TAGGART C'mon. He was just a fuckin' Imp. Arlene wants to both laugh and cry & is trying to do neither. Instead, she buries her face in Gallatin's chest. TAGGART Nice. GALLATIN I think we're earned ourselves some shore leave. ARLENE Oh, God...I hear Neptune is gorgeous this time of year. TAGGART None for me, thanks. GALLATIN Huh? TAGGART I've been AWOL for three fucking years. If I even still have a job, I'm gonna do it. He shakes Gallatin's hand. TAGGART You two send me a postcard, all right? GALLATIN We'll do that, Flynn. TAGGART Okay. Arlene turns to him. ARLENE Are you whole again? TAGGART Two hundred percent, baby. (beat) And I think there might be a gal waiting for me back on Earth. ARLENE Go to her, then. TAGGART Yes sir. Giving her a crisp salute, Taggart strides into the swirling dust. He begins laughing at some idle thought, and the laughter continues long into the day, eventually fading somewhere between Io and the asteroid belt. DOOM: EVILUTION