DOOM: THE EXPANSION EXT. UAC CORPORATE COMPLEX - EARTH - DAY An important-looking man in neutral colors strides across the finely-manicured grounds of the Union Aerospace Corporation's home base. His face, though weathered by time & stress, exudes a politician's charisma. He's followed by a black woman in a less-subtle getup, body armor strapped to her fit physique. The man is COUNSELOR SWANN. SWANN Did you manage to get a hold of the Defense Council, Campbell? CAMPBELL I'm your bodyguard, not your personal assistant. He stabs an accusing finger back at her, but smiles warmly. SWANN Exactly. You know my yes-men can't get through to anybody in Brussels. CAMPBELL I'll see what I can do. No promises. SWANN Fair enough. (beat) You know Campbell, your reputation extends far beyond the realm of personal security. What made you go into this field? CAMPBELL Not as bloody as politics. SWANN Touché. CUT TO: INT. UAC COMPLEX - BOARDROOM Swann & Campbell are let into the sprawling boardroom by a secretary. A cadre of old white men are seated at the long table. CEO Counselor Swann, welcome. Please, have a seat. Campbell stands silent by the door as Swann sits down. CEO How was your trip? SWANN Jet lag wasn't this bad when we had jets. CEO Really? We don't hear many complaints about teleportation. SWANN It's just a headache. CEO Well then, down to business. Union Aerospace has been conducting geological surveys in the farthest reaches of our solar system. The Pluto operation is UAC's largest investment yet. SWANN Of course. CEO Malcolm Bertruger is the head scientist out there. Apparently, Pluto's teleporters went down two weeks ago. Never came back up. A week later, Bertruger stopped sending progress reports. SWANN You've lost contact with the base? CEO They're still receiving our transmissions, we know that much. (beat) Counselor, we're appointing you to ascertain the state of things on Pluto. Now, Dr. Bertruger is a competent leader but there are...concerns about his abilities in the face of an emergency. SWANN You're saying there's an emergency? CEO (laughs) Don't take that the wrong way! We wouldn't risk sending a counselor into a crisis situation. SWANN But you don't know what's happened out there. CEO Like I said, they're still receiving our transmissions - we've been able to ping some signals off the mainframe and confirm that all critical systems are still online. SWANN Except the teleporters. The CEO sighs, as if he's explaining things to a child. CEO We can get you to Neptune, then you'll have to fly to Pluto. Not a problem. SWANN I don't know about- - CEO We've already approved it with the Defense Council. Swann nods in resignation. SWANN Then I suppose there was no point to this meeting. CEO We thought you'd appreciate a heads up. He'd like nothing more than to give the finger to the entire board, but Swann nods curtly and ushers Campbell from the room. CUT TO: INT. UAC NEPTUNE COMPOUND - TELEPORTER STATION Swann and Campbell step through a shimmering archway to be received by UAC technicians. Campbell is skimming through documents on a PDA. CAMPBELL Counselor, did you know they use military prisoners on Pluto? SWANN For what? CAMPBELL Excavation. Why didn't the board tell us? SWANN Shit, we might be looking at a mutiny here. (to technician) I assume we'll have a full compliment of Marines with us, then? TECHNICIAN Everything seems secure with Pluto's brig. We've ruled out human violence. SWANN So no Marines. TECHNICIAN No sir. SWANN (to Campbell) I think I understand why Brussels hasn't been returning my calls. CUT TO: INT. TRANSPORT SHIP - PASSENGER HOLD Campbell checks Swann's restraints before buckling herself in. SWANN Are you armed? CAMPBELL They took my sidearm. Smirking, she hikes up her pant leg to reveal a small pistol. SWANN Do you remember the Deimos incident? CAMPBELL I've heard of it. SWANN There are THINGS out there... CAMPBELL Transporter encryption is foolproof now. SWANN Sure. UAC will tell you that. The Council will tell you that. CAMPBELL Well, Pluto's transporters are offline. Feel better? SWANN No. CUT TO: INT. UAC PLUTO COMPOUND - HANGAR Twin hatches groan as they open for the transport ship. The hangar is empty and dead silent. INT. TRANSPORT SHIP SWANN Let's see if anyone comes out to greet us. Campbell draws her pistol and moves to the exit. CAMPBELL I'm still thinking about those prisoners, Counselor. She looks questioningly at him. He nods. INT. HANGAR Campbell drops down a ladder and into a crouch, scanning the area. CAMPBELL Clear! Swann peers out of the transport. CAMPBELL Tell the pilot to wait. SWANN Yes ma'am. He ducks back in. Campbell scoots along the length of the ship and checks around the corner. Swann emerges again. SWANN Campbell? Jackie? CAMPBELL Over here! SWANN I- - A hail of bullets pierces Swann's body, and he topples from the transport. Campbell spins and finds three gunmen in prison uniforms heading toward her. Their eyes...their eyes are milky-white, dead. She drops them each with one brilliant shot in the center of the forehead. The ship rumbles and lifts off the floor. Campbell hammers her fist on the hull. CAMPBELL WAIT MOTHERFUCKER!!! Lying on his back, Swann gasps. Blood spurts from several holes in his torso. Campbell rushes to him. SWANN It's happening again. He dies. The transport lurches backwards, into the closed hangar doors, exploding. Campbell throws herself atop Swann as debris sprays across the room. She trains her pistol in the direction the three assailants came from. A small hatch swings lazily on its hinges; then, a bloodied set of fingers curls around the edge of the door. Another dead-eyed prisoner reveals himself. CAMPBELL Don't fucking move! He doesn't have a gun - rather, an axe. And he keeps coming. CAMPBELL I said STOP!!! Ribbons of flame spool out from the crashed transport's fuel tank. Fire crosses the path between the prisoner and Campbell. The prisoner steps right through it, going up like a Roman candle. And keeps coming. She pops him in the head. The prisoner sways, trying to keep his focus on her, then drops to the floor. And more are spilling through the door from whence he came. Using the fire as a shield, Campbell darts across the hangar in search of another exit. Finds a door, tugs on the handle; stuck fast. CAMPBELL Dammit!! She steps back and fires into the keypad. No point in trying to guess the code. This causes the lights to go out, followed by blood-red emergency lights flooding the room. The prisoners grumble at one another and walk through the flames. Campbell pulls desperately on the door. They're getting closer - soon they'll see her... Campbell looks to the fuel cannisters stacked along the wall. She begins to overturn them, kicking them toward the advancing horde. She exhausts her ammo shooting the cannisters, sending massive fireballs crashing into her aggressors. And they keep coming. The door at her back opens of its own accord. Campbell races through without hesitation. INT. CORRIDOR - CONTINUOUS Darkness. It hits her like an icy wind. Pushing the door shut, Campbell fumbles for a small flashlight on her belt. CAMPBELL Anyone here?... She reloads, and light & pistol move as one across the hallway. All clear. Intercom to her left. She punches the Send button. CAMPBELL I know someone opened the door. Thank you. I'm here to help. No reply. Just a metallic scrape from somewhere within the compound. CUT TO: INT. RECEPTION CENTER Lights flicker in a large round room plastered with base maps and UAC propaganda. Campbell crouches behind a bench while her eyes adjust. There's another scrape. Then a whimper. CAMPBELL Where are you? Despite her concerned tone, she keeps her gun at the ready. The whimper grows into a baby's cry. Scooting around the bench, Campbell glances beneath the tables spread across the room. There are dozens of strange shadows, each appearing to twitch in the flickering light. One moves toward her. She takes aim. It's small, the size of the puppy. The cherubic face of an infant becomes visible. Campbell lowers the pistol. Then the rest of the Cherub comes into view - knobby pincers, a larvae-like body and flitting translucent wings that spread wide as the creature lifts off the floor. Heading straight for her. CAMPBELL NO- - Something like a spear of lightning cuts through the air and splits the Cherub in two, spattering Campbell's face with black guts. A loud BOOM knocks her back on her ass. Splinters from the tables rain down; the lights overhead strobe at a frenetic pace. Something big and heavy shambles toward Campbell. Eight feet tall, plated with black scales and covered in veins that glow & course like lightning, the horrible fiend looks down at her with two empty black eyes. Campbell fights to raise her weapon. Terror is paralyzing her limbs. The fiend watches curiously. Then, a human hand closes over the barrel of the gun. VOICE (O.S.) He's with me. A obscenely-muscled arm hauls Campbell to her feet. The man brushes bits of debris off her armor. She's still gaping at the hulking fiend. MAN He's a Hell Hunter. Or it. Whatever. All you need to know is he's on our side. CAMPBELL Our...who are you? MAN Taggart. FLYNN TAGGART slaps two shells into his shotgun and spits blood on the floor. TAGGART They always move in packs. We'd better clear out of here. CAMPBELL Wait - what the fuck is going on? And where are we going to clear out to, exactly? You got a ship? TAGGART Lady, what I got is a faceful of this (raises shotgun) For anything that fucks with me. Now, if you actually know how to use that pop gun of yours, welcome aboard. CAMPBELL Did you let me out of the hangar? TAGGART No. We're locked out of the computer system. Campbell returns her attention to the great beast. It doesn't look like a good guy. CAMPBELL Taggart...Flynn Taggart. From Deimos. TAGGART I'll sign your tits later. Her pistol jams into his nostril. CAMPBELL You have warrants. You killed UAC employees. TAGGART They killed me first. He stares into her eyes, unfazed by the gun, even as a trickle of blood runs down his lip. Campbell sets her jaw. The Hunter brushes its fingertips across her back; a powerful jolt throws her to the floor. CAMPBELL Unnnh!! TAGGART We're wasting time. CAMPBELL Y-you...h-how do I know that you're not responsible for this?? This looks like the same shit that happened on Deimos! TAGGART That's why they sent me. CAMPBELL Who? TAGGART Let's get to someplace safer, then we'll catch up. CAMPBELL Dammit- - TAGGART Unless you'd be more comfortable on your own. CUT TO: INT. STORAGE CLOSET Taggart sets Campbell's flashlight on a shelf beside his own. A soft blue glow emanates from the silent Hunter. CAMPBELL You said he's from Hell? Where are you from? TAGGART Elsewhere. She gets the message. A look of awe nearly crosses her face, but she catches herself. TAGGART What's happened here, Hell didn't do it. I've seen what they do and this is worse. (beat) Heaven and Hell both harvest souls. It's like some big pissing contest. Still, there's an order to things, and this situation is not kosher. So both sides are a little concerned. Understand? CAMPBELL You and Hell are working together. TAGGART If you want to survive this, you're working with us. CAMPBELL What's the plan? Taggart smiles grimly. TAGGART First, we figure out how this shitstorm got started. Then we end it. CAMPBELL For the record, I don't believe one word you've said. TAGGART Hey, actions speak louder than words. Sliding the shotgun into a sheath on his back, Taggart unholsters a huge pistol beneath his arm. TAGGART Let's have a conversation. CUT TO: INT. CORRIDOR As they exit the closet and start down the hall, the Hell Hunter raises one hand. TAGGART What? The Hunter points to the floor. TAGGART (to Campbell) Something's under us. CAMPBELL One of those things? TAGGART If we're lucky. The Hunter grunts derisively & shakes its head. Kneeling, it pries up a panel of flooring, exposing a mess of circuitry. TAGGART Nice. Can you jump-start it? The Hunter's electrified hands close over the wiring, and a blue pulse courses through its wrists. The lights in the corridor come up. TAGGART Thank God. He tosses his flashlight. TAGGART You've seen the prisoners? CAMPBELL Yeah. TAGGART Whatever went wrong probably started in the excavation site. Tapping a plasma screen on the wall, Taggart manages to pull up a map. TAGGART Down this tunnel to the drilling station, then into the bore hole. CUT TO: INT. TUNNEL Tight, dark and smeared with blood, the lengthy passageway makes Campbell nervous. It doesn't help that the Hell Hunter is leading the group. TAGGART What brought you out here anyway? CAMPBELL I'm the bodyguard - I was - to a Defense Council officer. UAC sent him to assess the situation. TAGGART Typical. They just threw your guy to the dogs like a worm on a hook. CAMPBELL I know. I saw him die. TAGGART Get used to it. CAMPBELL You know what I find hardest to believe? That you're from Heaven. TAGGART I never said I was. CAMPBELL But you're not from Hell. TAGGART I'm from an inbetween place. CAMPBELL You mean like purgatory? TAGGART Sure. CAMPBELL Why are you there? TAGGART Because I won't stop saying FUCK!! He unleashes a hail of bullets over her shoulder. A Cherub explodes in mid-flight. An entire swarm is heading for them! TAGGART EAT FUCK YOU FUCKERS!! The Hunter slams its open palms against either wall, electrifying them. Cherubs ricochet off the charged surfaces and burst into flames. A green, fiery flash lights up the tunnel behind the Cherub swarm. Then another flash, closer still. TAGGART What the hell is that?? The Hunter roars. Another flash. Something is teleporting down the tunnel, something humanoid with gleaming scythes of bone for its arms. The WRAITH appears right in front of Taggart, slicing his thigh wide open. TAGGART Shit- -! Campbell unloads her pistol into its ugly brown face. The demon howls and backpedals before disappearing in another flash. The Cherubs are buzzing over their heads now. Pincers slash at Campbell's shoulders. The Wraith appears behind them and raises both scythes to do the humans in. The Hunter grabs the Wraith about the waist, shaking it like a rag doll. Bones snap inside the squealing bastard's body. Then it teleports - onto the Hunter's shoulders! The Hunter rears up and smashes the Wraith into the ceiling. Pumps it full of electricity. Meanwhile, Taggart drops onto his back and starts plugging away at the Cherubs. The Wraith is a charred husk; it's over as quickly as it began. TAGGART I've never seen a demon like that. CAMPBELL What about these? She nudges the pink face of a dead Cherub with her gun. TAGGART There were children here. The scientists brought their kids. CAMPBELL You mean these are... The horror of the Cherubs' infantile expressions increases tenfold. The only thing keeping Campbell tethered to reality at this point is the copious amount of blood pooling around Taggart. CAMPBELL You're hurt bad. She pulls his belt off, quickly making a tourniquet around his thigh. TAGGART That ain't gonna do much. (to Hunter) Little help? The Hunter shambles down to Taggart's level and places a hand over the gaping wound. TAGGART Okay. It cauterizes the gash with a flash-frying burst. TAGGART AAAGHHGGH!!! Taggart slams his fist against the wall, sighs. Wipes sweat from his brow. TAGGART I could use a medikit. CAMPBELL Don't have one. How can you be hurt, or die, if you're already dead? TAGGART I'm wearing new flesh, babe. It bleeds like everything else. CAMPBELL The name's Campbell. TAGGART Thanks for the vital information. CAMPBELL Fuck you. She turns her back to him. The Hunter grumbles something unintelligible. TAGGART Fuck you too big guy. I can carry myself. Taggart struggles to stand. Campbell, walking off ahead of him, calls: CAMPBELL Take a look at this! She's come across a track with a motorized train, several mine carts attached. CAMPBELL There, you don't have to walk. TAGGART Good. CAMPBELL You'd only slow us down anyway. CUT TO: INT. DRILLING STATION The Hell Hunter wrenches a thick steel slab out of the floor, revealing the innards of the gigantic drill itself. An elevated platform sits amidst the gearworks. CAMPBELL Now what? TAGGART Straight down. He opens a locker and pulls out a radiation suit. TAGGART What're you, a 26 waist? CAMPBELL Is this how you keep yourself sane? Wisecracks? TAGGART Sanity left town a long time ago. I'm just a funny guy. He gets onto the platform while suiting up. TAGGART Things might be a little messier down below. I'll take point, Hunter's in the rear. CAMPBELL I can handle myself. TAGGART Your pistol's worthless. Relax until we find some new toys. The platform shudders as Campbell, then the Hunter, climb aboard; it starts its descent through the dark machinery. INT. BORE HOLE The drill serves both to clear a path and maintain it. The trio descends through a bore hole kept stable by robotic arms and buttresses within the drill's body. TAGGART Nanotech. The drill adds on to itself as it goes deeper. We'll hit the auger before too long. Indeed, the funnel-like interior of the enormous drill bit looms below. As the platform draws closer, the helical blade separates and folds out of the way, providing direct access to the bottom of the hole. INT. CAVERN There are a few dead inmates visible in the immediate vicinity. Floodlights illuminate several tunnels branching out in all directions. Taggart grabs a handheld tool off the ground - a Trident: three rock-chewing augers, each a foot long, mounted on a swiveling base. TAGGART Take this Campbell. CAMPBELL Thanks for remembering my name. TAGGART Don't tell me there aren't any medikits down here. Someone barks from the shadows. VOICE (O.S.) BEHIND YOU!! The Hunter snarls as a bullet bounces off its plating. TAGGART Hold your fire, pal! He turns and raises a hand to the Hunter. TAGGART Don't get mad. The Hunter growls softly. TAGGART Who's out there? A young man in a Marine uniform edges into the light, still aiming his pistol at the Hunter. TAGGART He ain't gonna hurt you, soldier. ABRAMS Sergeant Abrams, 37th Home System Battalion. T-that thing... TAGGART He's the least of your worries. Tell me what the hell happened down here, Sarge. ABRAMS I was monitoring the excavation when we were sealed in here. Why would Bertruger do that? Did he know? CAMPBELL Bertruger sealed you in? ABRAMS All the prisoners panicked. Some were trampled. I couldn't do anything to stop it. Then...the dead ones...they got back up. And killed the others. Then the others came back. (beat) I was the only one with a gun, obviously. I shot some of them then I ran into the tunnels. I don't know how they managed to get out...I kept running until I was sure I'd lost them. TAGGART Things aren't any better topside. Worse, in fact. You're probably the only one left alive. ABRAMS Only Bertruger had the authorization to seal the bore hole if there were people inside. CAMPBELL Well, I think someone is still controlling the system. Could be him. (beat) Speaking of which, how is the artificial gravity maintained down here? ABRAMS It's not. Somehow the core is dense enough to provide gravity equal to Earth's. That's why UAC put so much money into this operation. TAGGART Only to staff it with military convicts. ABRAMS That was Bertruger's idea. TAGGART The more I hear about this asshole the less I like him. ABRAMS Did you say you needed a medikit? TAGGART I sure did. ABRAMS Okay. He backs away, keeping an on the Hunter. It snarls; he jumps three feet. CUT TO: INT. TUNNEL Back on the mine train, Taggart is perched in the front with his shotgun while the Hunter casts its eerie light down the passage. ABRAMS (to Campbell) Um, what's going on? CAMPBELL You think I know? Just hang onto that piece. Taggart smiles a little. Something skitters across the ceiling, barely visible. TAGGART Hunter, get some light up there. Another one - it's small, the size of a skull maybe. And fast as hell. Campbell and Abrams join Taggart in aiming their weapons skyward. The sounds of the things overhead increases, but they're no longer anywhere to be seen. CAMPBELL They're IN the ceiling. TAGGART We're low on ammo. Let's hope they stay in there. No such luck. Campbell points her flashlight up & ahead, catches a glimpse of a human face - nestled in eight spidery legs - clinging to the ceiling. It opens its fanged mouth and shrieks. ABRAMS OH MY GOD!! TAGGART Hunter! Before the demon can react, dozens upon dozens of the spider like TRITES pour out of holes in the ceiling, streaming towards the train as one howling mass. The Hunter leaps off the train, swatting several out of the air, and lands in a flood of Trites with a CRUNCH. They're throwing themselves at the train now, most being pulled underneath; those that get aboard are batted off by Taggart. TAGGART Hold your fire!! A Trite lands on Abrams's shoulder. Blood almost immediately jets from his neck. Campbell shoots the Trite between its beady eyes. She clamps a hand over Abrams's neck and pulls him to the bottom of the cart. Bolts of lightning rocket across the tunnel courtesy of a roaring Hunter. Fried Trites are pounded to bits under its feet. Still more are pouring in. The tunnel groans. TAGGART The fuck was that?! A Trite gloms onto his hand and tears greedily into Taggart's flesh. TAGGART GET! OFF! BASTARD! He smashes it against the side of the train. It holds fast, its legs digging into his forearm. TAGGART All right bitch! He shoves his hand into the train wheels! The Trite is torn away - Taggart jerks his hand back, a pulpy red mess. The entire tunnel SAGS. The Trite horde's weight is buckling the track... TAGGART Soldier! What's beneath us?? ABRAMS Atmospheric converters! CAMPBELL Don't talk! Taggart's moment of distraction is enough for six Trites to leap onto his back. TAGGART AAAARGGGGHH!!!! The tunnel floor gives way. INT. ATMOSPHERIC CONVERTER POOL A brightly-lit tank of water awaits below the train. Tons of debris rain down; Taggart plunges headfirst into the pool, the Trites still on his back. UNDERWATER Taggart thrashes about wildly. More Trites are streaking into the water. The train comes down like a torpedo, glancing off his shoulder. CRACK. He thrusts his still-good arm - the one with the pulped hand - upward and finds a chain. Taggart breaks the surface, sending a Trite's corpse skipping across the water with a shotgun blast. Just as the chain pulls his feet from the water - the Hunter, dangling overhead, loses its grip and splashes down. Electricity arcs through the water. Campbell and Abrams are caught in its paralyzing grip. Taggart swings onto a platform overlooking the pool. CAMPBELL Taggart - ! TAGGART Hold on. He slams his shoulder against the wall to fix the dislocated arm. Campbell is fighting to stay afloat with trembling limbs; she's still holding Abrams, now unconscious. Taggart hauls them from the water. TAGGART Hunter! They can't see the demon amidst all the fallen debris & drowning Trites. CAMPBELL There's something! She points shakily. A humanoid kicking its way to the surface... The Wraith. It vanishes a split-second before surfacing. Appears behind Taggart and stabs him through the abdomen. TAGGART Get outta here!! He grabs the Wraith's blade. It teleports from his grasp, and blood begins pouring from the open wound. CAMPBELL Taggart! TAGGART I'll get over it! Move! Campbell drags Abrams to a nearby ladder. The Wraith materializes on the other side of Taggart. Scrapes the gore from its blade. TAGGART Want seconds, fucker? Open wide. He delivers a twin shotgun blast to the Wraith's face. It backflips into a green flash. Appears at his side. Taggart's ready and blocks both blades with the shotgun, kicks the Wraith in the groin. It knees him in the abdomen. Taggart doubles over in pain. The Wraith slaps him with the flat side of its blade. Rolling out of the way just before a blade pierces the platform, Taggart breaks the shotgun's stock over the Wraith's head. He wrenches two fresh shells from his vest. He slaps the shells home, brings the shotgun up - The Wraith teleports across the platform. Taggart's aiming right at him. TAGGART Gotcha. Fiery green innards splatter the walls. Taggart laughs, then drops to his knees. TAGGART Hunter? No response. Taggart crawls to the ladder. CUT TO: INT. LAB FIRST-PERSON POV: Two shaking hands aim pistols at a trapdoor. It thuds open, and a human arm slings over the side. Campbell; she hauls Abrams up after her. CAMPBELL Who are you? A red-headed woman in a labcoat lowers the guns. MCNEIL McNeil. You're not one of the soldiers... CAMPBELL No, I'm not. This guy is and he needs help. Abrams is gasping for breath. He's drenched in his own blood. McNeil opens a nearby cabinet, throwing a bunch of empty medikits to the floor. MCNEIL So are you here to rescue us? CAMPBELL If I was, I'd be a little late. MCNEIL Just what I was thinking. The doc scoots over to Abrams, gently removing Campbell's hand and applying gauze. MCNEIL He'll be fine. ABRAMS I...I remember you. CAMPBELL So what do you do here, McNeil? MCNEIL Head of research. CAMPBELL Do you know Malcolm Bertruger, then? MCNEIL Is he still alive? Son of a bitch. CAMPBELL So he did do this. MCNEIL I know he sealed the excavation site. I know he encrypted the system so I couldn't get my team out of here. And those things, whatever they are... CAMPBELL They used to be your team. McNeil blanches. MCNEIL He must have used the dark matter from the core. CAMPBELL Dark matter? MCNEIL There's a super-dense element beneath Pluto's crust. It's unlike anything we've ever seen before. We'd only started testing it a couple of weeks ago. CAMPBELL When the teleporters went down. MCNEIL Well, I know now that Bertruger was responsible for THAT, too. He's lost it. (beat) Sergeant Abrams is going to be fine. Can you get me to the main lab? I might be able to hack back into the system. CAMPBELL I don't know. TAGGART (O.S.) I can. Taggart collapses beside the trapdoor. TAGGART Just need a fucking medikit. CUT TO: INT. CORRIDOR A newly-healed Taggart leads the gang through silent shadows. CAMPBELL Taggart? TAGGART What. CAMPBELL Where's your big friend? TAGGART I don't think he made it. CAMPBELL Are they going to send reinforcements? TAGGART Of course not. Heaven wouldn't even send one of their own. They yanked me out of limbo for this party, remember? MCNEIL Heaven? What are you talking about? TAGGART You say you're a scientist? MCNEIL That's right. TAGGART Nevermind then. "MAIN LAB" reads the battered and scorched door at the end of the hall. McNeil crouches before the entry keypad. MCNEIL As soon as I get this door open, Bertruger will know where we are. TAGGART I can't wait to meet this pussy face-to-face. INT. MAIN LAB - CONTINUOUS The door whispers open. Taggart and Campbell enter first to sweep the area. McNeil runs straight to the computer console in the center of the room. MCNEIL (to Taggart) Hey, you. See that thing on the table over there? TAGGART Yeah? MCNEIL We call it an ionized plasma levitator. Or "grabber". Taggart lifts the pneumatic arm with its enormous pincers and humming motor. MCNEIL It uses dark matter to manipulate pure energy. That's the sort of thing we were developing: tools for industrial use. TAGGART And that's why all your colleagues are dead. MCNEIL How can you be so cold? TAGGART I'm an asshole. The lights in the lab come up. MCNEIL I didn't do that. Monitors flicker to life. And each one displays the same image: a middle-aged man, thin in the face, eyes gleaming, a cruel smirk; and a head shaved bald & covered in crosses, all of them carved into the flesh. MCNEIL My Lord...Malcolm. BERTRUGER What are we doing, Liz? TAGGART Hey doc, over here. Taggart waves his shotgun. Closed-circuit cameras around the lab swivel to focus on him. BERTRUGER I see the troops have arrived. Come to steal my work, have you? How much does UAC pay its military spies? TAGGART Don't tell me you unleashed all this just to protect your fucking research. BERTRUGER My research is protecting ME. MCNEIL You murdered our staff! BERTRUGER No I didn't. I saved them. You wouldn't understand, Liz, your heart is empty. You weren't ready to receive conversion; now you must face judgement. TAGGART You sound more like a preacher than a scientist. BERTRUGER The two go hand in hand. Mankind's scientific achievements have finally led us to Heaven's threshold. The dark matter is God's technology, and I have brought forth His army of angels. CAMPBELL Taggart... TAGGART He doesn't know what he's talking about. BERTRUGER I will show you the truth, friend. Suddenly, every door in the lab slides open. BERTRUGER Receive the angels with an open heart and you may be saved. TAGGART You mean turned into a fucking bug? He aims his shotgun at the main computer. TAGGART Taggart out. He blows it to smithereens. MCNEIL Dammit! TAGGART We ain't gonna hack our way of here, all right? (beat) Bertruger found Heaventech in the core. This is what happens when Man tries to play God. Those monsters aren't demons or angels. MCNEIL They're coming for us. A chittering sound echoes through the corridors leading to the lab. TAGGART Imps? What appear to be glowing eyes appear in the halls; the eyes grow larger, and Taggart realizes they're fireballs! TAGGART Down!! The fireballs obliterate computer equipment as they all collide in one thunderous impact. Taggart bounces off the wall and falls into a crouch. What he sees entering the lab are definitely not Imps: Armored to the teeth, built like insects, clambering across the floor toward him - the VULGARS generate fresh flames in their claws and attack. Taggart, still holding the grabber, holds it out to shield himself. A fireball streaking overhead is caught in its pincers! The grabber has snagged the flames in its dark matter field, and the Vulgars screech to a halt at the sight. TAGGART I believe this is yours. He hurls the fireball back into the lead Vulgar's face! The others respond instantly with punishing waves of fire. Taggart vaults off a desk, catching another ball and sending it back. He hits the floor, spins, grabs another & halts his revolution to cast it at nightmare speed. TAGGART Keep 'em coming! The Vulgars have closed around him in a circle, and Taggart finds himself leaping from desk to desk, swinging off lights, deflecting an endless barrage of flames. Campbell reaches an exit and waves to Abrams & McNeil. A Vulgar snatches McNeil's ankle and swings her into the wall. Abrams drops on his back and unloads a clip into its face. Fire erupts from its shattered skull. Taggart receives a flaming backhand, flies into a bank of CPUs. He hurls one into his attacker's plated chest. The next Vulgar knocks the grabber out of his grasp. Campbell runs at its back with the Trident drill firing up, plowing straight through its spine. She tosses the corpse aside and turns to shred another Vulgar's face. Vent covers in the ceiling begin dropping - Trites! They pour straight down in an unrelenting flood. TAGGART Fall back!! ABRAMS We're trying! Taggart retrieves the grabber, just in the nick of time - a Vulgar's point-blank shot is caught and returned to sender. INT. CORRIDOR - CONTINUOUS The humans race away from the lab - but Taggart brings them to a stop. MCNEIL What are you doing?? TAGGART They're not following us. MCNEIL Good, let's go! TAGGART No, not good. Something's up. CAMPBELL Does it matter? We're not part of this, Taggart! I need to get these people off the planet! TAGGART Who are you more concerned about, Campbell? Them or you? CAMPBELL You're a son of a bitch. TAGGART And I'm right. (sighs) You're on your own, then. ABRAMS Wait! I don't think we should separate. TAGGART It's not my call, Sarge. Campbell? CAMPBELL ...I'm getting them out of here. Taggart nods briskly. TAGGART Godspeed. He starts back toward the lab. ABRAMS We need him - don't we? CAMPBELL Just come on. CUT TO: INT. ANOTHER CORRIDOR Taggart calls up a map on the wall and examines it. TAGGART Chapel. CUT TO: INT. CHAPEL Faux-wood panelling and candles give the small room the appearance of a house of worship back on Earth. Several rows of pews face an altar & pulpit, and a large crucifix illuminated by a soft orange glow. Taggart silently crawls across a ceiling beam, looking down on a congregation of horrors: Trites, Cherubs, Vulgars and zombified humans filling every pew. A hunched-over, two-headed zombie - a MAGGOT - shambles down the center aisle. Stopping before the altar, it lets out a mournful wail. TAGGART This isn't happening. A large pile of Trites disperses. A larger arachnoid rises in their wake: a centaur-like creature, half-spider, half-woman. Much larger than the other beasts. It ascends to the pulpit. Six black eyes in the female creature's face blink simultaneously, then she bows her head in reverence. The congregation follows suit. The sound of mandibles clicking fills Taggart's ears. He shakes his head, trying to maintain his grip on the beam. TAGGART Oh dammit. He drops into the center aisle with a terrible CRASH! The creatures around him squeal in shock, then rage. Taggart stands up and raises his hands. TAGGART This is a house of God! They're obviously hungry for his flesh. But they restrain themselves, each looking to the spider-queen in the pulpit. She speaks. VAGARY You seek salvation. TAGGART Nah, I already blew that one. Now I'm gonna ask you all to come quietly. He shoulders the grabber and reloads his shotgun. VAGARY Heretic! Throw away your weapon! TAGGART I don't want this to get messy, lady. You're not of God. Don't tell me you can't feel it. The monsters hiss and growl at him. Inching closer. TAGGART (CONT'D) Bitches, I am not fucking around! VAGARY Blasphemer! TAGGART Enough outta you! He blasts a chunk out of the pulpit. The horde howls as one. VAGARY TEAR HIM APART!!! Then, the floorboards beneath Taggart's feet swell like blistered flesh - and ERUPT! The Hell Hunter leaps into the chapel, slamming an electrified fist into a mass of zombies. The Vagary launches herself into the air, landing atop the Hunter. They roll through the pews, scattering monsters left and right. Taggart is rocketed into the back wall; he falls in a heap. The others swarm over the Hunter. CUT TO: INT. CORRIDOR A Cherub lies dead on the floor. With slow, deliberate steps, a Trite approaches the corpse and begins cautiously to feed. A bullet through the eye sends the Trite over on its back. Campbell leads McNeil & Abrams around the corner. The door behind them whistles shut. CAMPBELL What... McNeil grabs Campbell's wrist and turns her toward the Cherub. Dr. Bertruger is knelt over the still form. He holds a heart-shaped lump of dark matter over the Cherub; the lump pulsates, and the Cherub shrivels up. BERTRUGER You can't truly kill them. Training his pistol on the doctor, Abrams steps to the front of the group. ABRAMS Put it down. BERTRUGER Do you know what this is? This is the key to your salvation. The life you've taken from this, this poor child- - (holds up heart) I give it to you. Abrams drops his pistol and crumples. Campbell fires - her bullet lodges in the heart and is swallowed greedily. ABRAMS AAAGHHHKKK!! Gripped by an unseen force, Abrams slides down the corridor on his back. Campbell fires again, and again; the bullets seem to fly AROUND Bertruger as he rises. BERTRUGER There are problems in the core. I'll be there when you're ready. He simply turns and walks away from them, after Abrams. Campbell reloads and prepares to fire again, but McNeil stops her. MCNEIL It's useless. CAMPBELL Taggart. CUT TO: INT. DARK ROOM An icy water droplet strikes Taggart's brow, running down into his bruised eye. He blinks, stirs to consciousness. He's suspended by webbing above the floor; the two-headed Maggot gives him a pair of bloody smiles. The Hell Hunter is lying on its back in a pool of water. The Vagary stands over it. VAGARY You summoned this demon against us? TAGGART I usually work alone. VAGARY You'll never be alone again. The Maggot revs up a chainsaw. VAGARY Hell's hosts will welcome you with open arms. Unless you repent now. TAGGART Your head is so fucked. She lashes out with a spiderleg, gouges his cheek. The Maggot saws into the Hunter's shoulder. VAGARY I don't enjoy hurting you. TAGGART Yes you do. Her cluster of eyes studies him silently for a moment; then she stabs a leg through his thigh. TAGGART You LIKE it don't you?! She impales his other thigh, prying his legs apart. TAGGART Next best thing to FUCKING, isn't it she-bitch?! TEAR ME APART!!! The Vagary pulls herself out of him with a start. VAGARY Father forgive me... TAGGART Who're you talking to, God or Bertruger? VAGARY Do not speak his name! The Maggot wrenches the Hunter's arm off and tosses it aside. TAGGART He's a fucking lunatic and you're his pets. VAGARY Pets? PETS? She reaches behind herself - holds up the Hunter's severed head. VAGARY THIS is a pet. An animal! Taggart's eyelids flicker as blood streams down his thighs. The Vagary chitters at the Maggot; it scampers across the room to get a syringe. TAGGART What's that shit? VAGARY Adrenaline. I don't want you blacking out on me. She leans into his face. VAGARY (whispers) Yes, I like it. I LOVE it. The needle stabs into Taggart's arm. She kisses him gently, rears back and slugs him in the mouth. VAGARY Good bye. The Vagary melts into the shadows. The Maggot preps another syringe. TAGGART Just you and me, huh retard? The Maggot grins, then spits on him. TAGGART You can suck my cock AND yours, buddy. The Maggot stabs him below the knee. TAGGART AAAAAAAHHH!! He looks over at the Hunter's head. The eyes blink at him, once. TAGGART Our Father which art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name. The Maggot tilts its twin heads in confusion. TAGGART (CONT'D) Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in Heaven. The Maggot takes up the saw again. It's standing right beside the Hunter's head. TAGGART ...And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. The Hunter's jaws snap down on the Maggot's foot. It squeals, falling back with the chainsaw flying out of its grip. The saw cuts through the webbing holding Taggart's left arm, and he lurches forward to grab the Maggot around one of its necks. TAGGART Amen! SNAP. The head falls limp. The other one howls. TAGGART I'm getting to you, asshole! He slings the fallen webbing around the still-living throat, strangling the life from it. Taggart starts working on the rest of his restraints. He nods to the decapitated Hunter. TAGGART Thanks. It sighs & closes its eyes. CUT TO: INT. CHAPEL The Vagary sweeps shattered pews up against the wall, picking dead monsters out of the mess. Taggart steps up to the pulpit with three syringes clutched in his hand. TAGGART I can't stop thinking about that kiss. The Vagary turns as if expecting him. VAGARY And I don't even know your name. TAGGART Taggart. Her eyes all go wide. Taggart slams the syringes into his own abdomen. Adrenaline coursing through his veins like fire, Taggart charges at the Vagary. TAGGART GO - TO - HELL!!!! He plows his fist right THROUGH her head. The Vagary's body shudders, and settles into a sitting position. Taggart pulls his hand free and leans against her. TAGGART You like that? CUT TO: INT. PROCESSING LAB McNeil and Campbell are creeping amongst silent machinery. They can both hear movement deeper in the lab. CAMPBELL (whispering) Stop. (listens) Where is it? ABRAMS (O.S.) I'm right here. A powerful floodlight claps on, blinding the women. Abrams has been converted into SABAOTH: tank treads fused to his pelvis, armor grafted onto flesh, guns in place of his hands. His expression is pitiless. CAMPBELL Are those... SABAOTH BFGs. CAMPBELL McNeil, RUN. They dive in opposite directions as Sabaoth unleashes dual blasts of plasma. The impact causes the entire room to quake. Sabaoth begins flipping machinery on, overhead lasers humming to life. The lasers begin tracing the lab with their deadly beams. SABAOTH Come out and die. Behind a counter, Campbell ducks just as a laser sweeps past. She checks her gun. CAMPBELL Last clip. McNeil rises into view on the other side of the lab, peppers Sabaoth with gunfire. SABAOTH Useless. He fires a BFG. The burst melts through every obstruction on its way to McNeil - then it melts her. CAMPBELL NO!! Sabaoth swivels toward the sound of her voice. A laser cuts across his back; he doesn't even feel it. SABAOTH Come out. Taggart rolls through a doorway behind Sabaoth, taking cover. Angling the grabber toward the ceiling, Taggart "catches" a laser beam, concentrating its energy in the dark matter field. Sabaoth overturns an enormous generator. Campbell shoots him in the face. SABAOTH Burn. He charges up both BFGs - and a powerful blasts severs his torso from his waist. Black blood spews into the air. TAGGART Who the hell was that? CAMPBELL Abrams. TAGGART Where's the doc? CAMPBELL She's gone. TAGGART I thought you were gonna get out of here? CAMPBELL We came back for you...Bertruger's gone down to the core. TAGGART Good. You might have a chance to get into the system and restart the teleporter. CAMPBELL I'm with you, Taggart. TAGGART Campbell, listen up. No one's leaving the core alive, myself included. This skin is on loan. This was a kamikaze mission from the beginning, you read me? CAMPBELL I never had a chance anyway. TAGGART You've got balls. CAMPBELL There's nothing to lose, right? Heaven's just one bullet away. TAGGART For some, yeah. CUT TO: INT. CAVERN A throng of zombies turns toward the sound of Taggart & Campbell's arrival in the bore hole. Taggart hefts a BFG in each hand - both torn from Abrams's corpse. TAGGART Hey kids. Bone and brain matter are fused with rock in a series of thundering explosions that rock the entire mine. Stalactites rain down and are vaporized in the punishing plasma streams. TAGGART Bertruger!! He grabs a quivering, half-melted zombie. TAGGART Which tunnel?? The zombie sputters and spits bile in his face. TAGGART Fuck. CAMPBELL Look. There's a soft orange glow emanating from the central tunnel. TAGGART Ready for this? CAMPBELL Why not? CUT TO: INT. CORE The dark matter in Pluto's belly is a great spheroid nestled in a perfectly-round chamber. It could be liquid, or solid, or both; the surface shimmers as if acknowledging the humans' presence. Bertruger is on his knees, cradling the dark heart. BERTRUGER I was right about you. TAGGART You don't know me from Adam. Bertruger motions behind himself, where the source of the orange glow is revealed: a pentagram etched into the cave floor. TAGGART Oh shit. BERTRUGER It's a gateway, isn't it? TAGGART I didn't know anything about this. BERTRUGER LIAR! You're an agent of HELL! CAMPBELL TAGGART!!! The reconstituted Hell Hunter sends a backhand crashing into Taggart, throwing him across the chamber. Before Campbell can fire, the Hunter hits her with a jolt of electricity. Bertruger flees around the core. TAGGART Fucker - set me up! He pulls both BFG triggers. Empty. The Hunter smiles maliciously, gathering energy in its fists. TAGGART I knew I couldn't trust you bastards. All you ever wanted was the Heaventech. I'm gonna take you apart all over again. The Hunter beckons. Taggart points the grabber at the core. It starts drawing tendrils of dark matter into its pincers. TAGGART Meet your maker. The released energy streaks straight through the Hunter's evil heart; bolts of lightning tear through its flesh, and its jaw drops in a final scream before its head is torn asunder. TAGGART Campbell! You alive? CAMPBELL Yeah... TAGGART Where'd Bertruger go? CAMPBELL I didn't see. Taggart eyes the glowing pentagram. TAGGART Don't tell me... Unsheathing his shotgun, Taggart drops the grabber and walks toward the gateway. TAGGART They're gonna pry the Heaventech from Bertruger's cold dead hands unless I do it first. CAMPBELL A shotgun?? Taggart, what are you thinking? TAGGART Thinking it'll be nice to smear some real demons for a change. My way. He steps onto the pentagram. CUT TO: EXT. HELL - LAVA BED Veins of orange fire break up the glassy black expanse. Taggart's boots crunch down. An Imp's severed torso is squirming on the ground a few yards away. It snarls at him. TAGGART Fucker's stealing my frags. Up ahead the lava bed ends at the base of a crimson mountain range, canyons carved into the rock. Taggart heads for the nearest one. Light up ahead - Lost Souls. They streak at him. BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! Bloody fireballs are sent spiraling through the sky. TAGGART Remember me, ladies? He punches one in its bony mouth & shatters the skull with the butt of his boomstick. Claws rake across his back. He spins to find a shadowy Spectre looming over him. Pumps two shells into its gut. TAGGART Still hungry? He presses his pistol against its temple & puts the demon out of commission. There are Imps racing through the canyon now, and Taggart starts going through his ammo at a rapid clip. One, two, three squealing baddies fly back into the canyon walls. Flynn Taggart lets out a war whoop and leaps right into the rest of them. TAGGART Keep your fork - there's pie!! Shotgun goes down the throat of one Imp while another gets pistol-whipped to death. Taggart's taking several fireballs to the back, doesn't care. Each & every attacker gets his, and when his guns are empty Taggart grabs a rock and starts smashing faces in. A rocket hits the ground two feet away. Taggart's thrown back in a wave of Imp guts. A Cyberdemon!! It launches a volley of rockets in quick succession. Taggart dives into an alcove, only to be showered with daggers of splintered rock. TAGGART Fuck me! I got nothing against this guy. The Cyberdemon roars - then a geyser of blood erupts into the alcove. Taggart staggers out to find only the Cyberdemon's legs intact. The rest is gone. TAGGART What the...Bertruger?? Bertruger, where the fuck are you?! Blood-red wings spread to blot out the sky's otherworldly light. Bertruger has transformed himself into a perverse, unspeakable false angel: a winged horror with long, spiny limbs and a horned death's-head. From the gaping mouth of this eyeless skull, Bertruger's head emerges like a tongue. THE MALEDICT Welcome to Hell. TAGGART Welcome home. He leaps up and is immediately smacked down by a fireball. THE MALEDICT You will die along with the other heretics here. TAGGART There's a balance, Doc, and you're fucking it up! THE MALEDICT Heaven doesn't need Hell, and I don't need YOU!!! Another fireball knocks Taggart flat on his back. The hair is scorched off his arms and face. Blood breaks through blisters on his flesh. TAGGART aaaagghhh - ! He worms his way out from beneath the Maledict. TAGGART You don't know what you're doing! THE MALEDICT I know exactly what I'm doing. His will. Spreading his claws, the Maledict burns a large symbol into the canyon wall, something in an arcane language, something that pulsates with white light. A gateway. To... TAGGART DON'T!!! The Maledict glides into the light. Taggart pulls himself along the ground, every movement raking his blistered flesh over bits of rock, sending stabs of pain through his spine, turning his vision as red as Hell itself. Reaching toward the fading light, Taggart whispers a prayer. The light envelops his hand. FADE TO WHITE. FADE IN: HEAVEN - WALK OF JUDGEMENT The walls are luminescent white brick, vines threading in & out of them. It's warm to the touch, and all of it seems to simply vanish in the distance, into an ethereal mist. Taggart lies prone on the floor of the path, soothing his wounds. They begin to heal. He gets up on trembling legs and pulls himself along the wall. More of the pathway is revealed in the mists ahead. Taggart emerges on an open platform thronged with clouds. The Maledict is knelt on the floor, back to him, murmuring in Aramaic. TAGGART Stop that. The death's-head glances back, Bertruger nestled in its fangs. THE MALEDICT Don't lay hands upon me. TAGGART I won't. And I know you won't do anything either. THE MALEDICT You will see that I am right when the gates receive me. Taggart steps around the monster so that they're face-to face. TAGGART Man was never supposed to serve God in this way. THE MALEDICT But you think you're serving Him with your wanton slaughter? TAGGART You killed - THE MALEDICT I SAVED. (beat) Leave this place. He spreads his wings. TAGGART Don't try it, man. I'm telling you, you are NOT getting through the gates. THE MALEDICT One last chance, Taggart. I'm offering you one last chance at redemption. I shouldn't - but we both know what awaits you in Sheol. TAGGART You're a swell guy, Doc. Thanks, but no thanks. THE MALEDICT Good bye. Rising over the mists, the Maledict glides away, toward pillars faintly visible in the distance, pillars extending up & out without end. The Maledict lets out a baleful howl. Something moves beyond the pillars...something as white as the light surrounding it, an indiscernible form that spears the Maledict, the impact a bone-rattling thunderclap, the light increased a thousandfold with the erupting viscera of the Maledict as its focal point. Taggart falls on his face and absorbs the blast wave. Heaven shudders, then is still once again. It seems eons pass before Taggart looks up. TAGGART It's done then. (gets to his feet) Why...why is the dark matter THERE? And why did you send me after it? I don't understand. (pause) I guess I don't need to, huh. He shrugs what's left of his shirt from his shoulders and turns back to the pathway. TAGGART I've gotta get Campbell. She's stuck on that rock. CAMPBELL (O.S.) I'm okay. She's behind him, looking past him, to the gates. TAGGART You didn't make it. CAMPBELL I made it, Taggart. Here. She smiles wryly. CAMPBELL It's collapsed. The entire planet. It's over. I think we should go through the gates now. Taggart fishes the blood-smeared pistol from his waistband. It's familiar, comforting in his grip. Something he doesn't want to let go of. TAGGART I don't know. CAMPBELL Don't know what? This is...Taggart, this is it! TAGGART I don't know if I'm cut out for it. I'm the same guy I've always been, Campbell. I kill badguys. That's all I am. CAMPBELL You know, after all you've done, after all you did, you were still in purgatory... TAGGART I know. CAMPBELL What if purgatory is something you make for yourself? (beat) What if you just need to lighten up? She leaves him with that. The mist closes over her. Taggart thumbs the pistol, looks around for a while. TAGGART Nothing lasts forever. Turning the gun in his hand one last time, he lobs it off the platform. With a parting salute to the temporal world, Taggart enters the light. THE END