BLADE RUNNER
Screenplay by
HAMPTON FANCHER
and
DAVID PEOPLES
February 23, 1981
NOTE: THE HARD COPY OF THIS SCRIPT CONTAINED SCENE NUMBERS
AND SOME "SCENE OMITTED" SLUGS. THEY HAVE BEEN REMOVED FOR
THIS SOFT COPY.
android (an'droid) adj. Possessing human features - n.
A synthetic man created from biological materials.
Also called humanoid. (Late Greek androeides,
manlike: ANDR(O) - OID.)
THE AMERICAN HERITAGE
DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH
LANGUAGE (1976)
android (an'droid) n, Gk. humanoid automation. more at
robot./ 1. early version utilized for work too
boring, dangerous or unpleasant for humans.
2. second generation bio-engineered. Electronic
relay units and positronic brains. Used in space
to explore inhospitable environments. 3. third
generation synthogenetic. REPLICANT, constructed
of skin/flesh culture. Selected enogenic transfer
conversion. Capable of self perpetuating thought.
paraphysical abilities. Developed for emigration
program.
WEBSTER'S DICTIONARY
New International (2012)
FADE IN:
EXT. HADES - DUSK
We are MOVING TOWARD the Tyrell Corporation across a
vast plain of industrialization, menacing shapes on the
horizon, stacks belching flames five hundred feet into
the sky the color of cigar ash. The CAMERA MOVES INTO
a window in the large pyramid-shaped building. A man
is sitting at a table. Another man enters the room and
sits down. The following scene is reflected in the eye
until HOLDEN is seated.
INT. TYRELL CORPORATION INTERROGATION ROOM - DUSK
The eye is magnified and deeply revealed. Flecks of
green and yellow in a field of milky blue. Icy fila-
ments surround the undulating center.
The eye is brown in a tiny screen. On the metallic
surface below, the words VOIGHT-KAMPFF are finely
etched. There's a touch-light panel across the top
and on the side of the screen, a dial that registers
fluctuation of the iris.
The instrument is no bigger than a music box and sits
on a table between two men. The man talking is big,
looks like an overstuffed kid. LEON it says on his
breast pocket. He's dressed in a warehouseman's uni-
form and his pudgy hands are folded expectantly in his
lap. Despite the obvious heat, he looks very cool.
The man facing him is lean, hollow-cheeked, and dressed
in grey. Detached and efficient, he looks like a cop
or an accountant. His name is Holden and he's all
business, except for the sweat on his face.
The room is large and humid. Rows of salvaged junk
are stacked neatly against the walls. Two large FANS
WHIRR above their heads.
LEON
Okay if I talk?
Holden doesn't answer. He's centering Leon's eye on
the machine.
LEON
I kinda get nervous when I take
tests.
HOLDEN
Don't move.
LEON
Sorry.
He tries not to move, but finally his lips can't help
a sheepish smile.
LEON
I already had I.Q. test this year...
but I don't think I never had a...
HOLDEN
Reaction time is a factor in this so
please pay attention. Answer as quickly
as you can.
LEON
Uh... sure...
HOLDEN
One one eight seven at Hunterwasser...
LEON
Oh... that's the hotel.
HOLDEN
What?
LEON
Where I live.
HOLDEN
Nice place ?
LEON
Huh? Sure. Yeah. I guess. Is
that.. part of the test ?
Holden smiles a patronising smile.
HOLDEN
Warming you up, that's all.
LEON
Oh.
It's
HOLDEN
You're in a desert, walking along
in the sand when....
LEON
Is this the test now ?
HOLDEN
Yes. You're in a desert, walking
along in the sand when all of a sudden
you lookdown and see a.....
LEON
What one ?
It was a timid interruption, hardly audible.
HOLDEN
What ?
LEON
What desert ?
HOLDEN
Doesn't make any difference what
desert.. it's completely hypothetical.
LEON
But how come I'd be there?
HOLDEN
Maybe you're fed up, maybe you want
to be by yourself.. who knows.
So you look down and see a
tortoise. It's crawling toward
you....
LEON
A tortoise. What's that?
HOLDEN
Know what a turtle is?
LEON
Of course.
HOLDEN
Same thing.
LEON
I never seen a turtle.
He sees Holden's patience is wearing thin.
LEON
But I understand what you mean.
HOLDEN
You reach down and flip the
tortoise over on its back, Leon.
Keeping an eye on his subject, Holden notes the dials
in the Voight-Kampff. One of the needles quivers
slightly.
LEON
You make these questions, Mr.
Holden, or they write 'em down
for you?
Disregarding the question, Holden continues, picking
up the pace.
HOLDEN
The tortoise lays on its back,
its belly baking in the hot sun,
beating its legs trying to turn
itself over. But it can't. Not
without your help. But you're not
helping.
Leon's upper lip is quivering.
LEON
Whatya mean, I'm not helping?
HOLDEN
I mean you're not helping! Why is
that, Leon?
Holden looks hard at Leon, piercing look.
Leon is flushed with anger, breathing hard, it's a
bad moment, he might erupt.
Suddenly Holden grins disarmingly.
HOLDEN
They're just questions, Leon.
In answer to your query, they're
written down for me. It's a
test, designed to provoke an
emotional response.
Leon is glaring now, the blush subsides, his anger
slightly defused.
Holden smiles cheerfully, very smooth.
HOLDEN
Shall we continue?
Leon nods, still frowning, suspiciously.
HOLDEN
Describe in single words. Only
the good things that come into
your mind. About your mother.
LEON
My...
Leon looks shocked, surprised. But the needles in
the computer barely move. Holden goes for the in-
side of his coat. But big Leon is faster. His
laser burns a hole the size of a nickel through
Holden's stomach. Unlike a bullet, a laser causes
no impact. It goes through Holden's shoulder and
comes out his back, clean as a whistle. Like a
rag doll he falls back into the seat. Big slow Leon
is already walking away, but he stops, turns, and
with a little smile of satisfaction fires through
the back of the seat.
As Leon walks out of the room the Voight-Kampff
begins to blink, faint but steady.
CUT TO:
EXT. OVERHEAD VIEW CITY - NIGHT
We are looking down on a city of the future where
gigantic buildings dwarf the ancient skyscrapers --
of -- now as a huge blimp, flashing lights and
BLARING SOUND drifts slowly over the tall buildings.
CUT TO:
EXT. THE BLIMP - FROM BELOW - NIGHT
As the blimp drifts through the tall buildings ad-
vertisements appear on the curved sides of dirigible
and an accompanying SOUNDTRACK proclaims, with AM
enthusiasm, the virtues of Offworld emigration.
BLIMP TRACK
ATTENTION SUPERVISORY PERSONNEL!
(WE NEED YOU YOU YOU)
ATTENTION FAMILY MAKERS!
(WE NEED YOU you you)
OPPORTUNITY!
(WE NEED YOU you you you)
AUTOMATIC ADVANCEMENT!
(WE NEED YOU YOU YOU)
TOP PAY!
(WE NEED YOU YOU you you)
NUMEROUS BONUSES!
(WE NEED YOU YOU you you)
SPECIAL INCENTIVES!
(WE NEED YOU YOU YOU you)
NINE PAID VACATIONS PER YEAR!
(WE NEED YOU you you)
(beat, beat)
The Dominguez-Shimata colony
wants supervisory recruits and
families.
Join us in a clean, fresh
environment featuring the
invigorating Johnson and
Murikami California Climate!
(WE NEED YOU YOU you you you)
Enjoy the numerous recreation
areas and resorts such as the
famous Elysium Crater Resort!
(WE NEED YOU YOU you you)
Let our abundant man-made labour
force cater to your personal needs!
(WE NEED YOU YOU you you)
If you meet health and experience
qualifications for the Offworld
Emmigration Programs... the
standard OPE short form... there's
a place for you at Dominguez and
Shimata Colonies.
Press the button now!
Give yourself a brand new world!
(WE NEED YOU YOU you you)
EXT. CITY STREET - NIGHT
Lights from the blimp flash along the street and wipe
across the crowds of pedestrians as the VOICE TRACK
CONTINUES TO BLARE from above.
A portable noodle bar is crowded with customers, sit-
ting on stools slurping their food out of bowls.
DECKARD is standing near the noodle bar waiting for a
seat. He's in his thirties, wiry, athletic, rumpled,
used, unshaven. He's holding a newspaper, made of
tissue paper, open while he glances at the blimp
passing NOISILY overhead. Then he notices the
COUNTERMAN.
The Counterman is beckoning to him to a newly vacated
seat.
Deckard sits down at the noodle bar and the Counterman,
an elderly Japanese, slaps a menu in front of him.
No words on the menu, just pictures of sliced fish
parts.
Deckard points to a particular item and holds up four
fingers.
The Counterman looks at the item on the menu, confirms
the order by holding up two fingers.
Deckard shakes his head "no" and repeats his four
fingers.
The Counterman nods, corrected and hurries off.
Deckard glances overhead.
The blimp drifts off among the buildings like a fish
disappearing in seaweed, the NOISY VOICE doing a
diminuendo.
Whap. The Counterman slaps a bowl of rice and a pot
of tea in front of Deckard. Then he puts the little
bowl with the two slices of fish on the counter.
Deckard looks at the fish. Two slices of fish.
He looks at the Counterman and holds up four fingers.
The Counterman looks down at the two slices of fish,
looks like two to him. He looks at Deckard as though
Deckard was a fool and holds up two fingers. He can
count!
Deckard stares bleakly at the fish. Can't win.
He starts to eat and that's when he feels a tap on his
shoulder. He glances over his right shoulder.
A huge cop in uniform is looming behind him.
Deckard feels funny, looks left.
Another cop is looming over his left shoulder.
Deckard is tapped again from the right.
Turning again he realizes that it isn't the cop tapping
him, it's the short Japanese guy next to the cop. The
guy's got beady eyes and lots of energy. His name is
GAFF.
GAFF
(in Japanese)
*** You will be required to
accompany me, sir. ***
Deckard doesn't understand Japanese, thinks the man
wants a seat.
DECKARD
Wait your turn, pal.
Deckard turns back to his food.
GAFF
(in Japanese)
*** If you do not comply with an
official request, I will be
obliged to exert my authority. ***
Deckard is ignoring Gaff but the Counterman leans in
Deckard's face and translates.
THE COUNTERMAN
He say, you go with him.
Deckard turns and finds Gaff waving a badge in his face.
GAFF
(in Japanese)
*** To defy duly constituted
authority is to flaunt the public
good. ***
Deckard doesn't understand a word.
THE COUNTERMAN
He say, you're under arrest, Deckard.
Deckard turns back to his food.
DECKARD
Tell him he's got the wrong guy.
(turning to Gaff
loudly)
You got the wrong guy, pal.
GAFF
(in Japanese)
*** Wrong guy, my ass. You're
known as The Boogeyman in every
mean joint in town. ***
THE COUNTERMAN
He say, Boogeyman.
Deckard flinches at the word "Boogeyman," but goes on
eating. But now we know, and he knows it's not a
mistake.
GAFF
(in Japanese)
*** You are a Blade Runner in the
Four Sector and after the slaughter
at the steel shop they called you
Mister Nighttime. ***
THE COUNTERMAN
He say, Brade Runner. He say,
Mister Nightime.
DECKARD
Tell him I'm eating.
GAFF
(to the Counterman
in Japanese)
*** Please tell this notorious
gentleman that I am acting as an
emmisary from Captain Bryant and
Captain Bryant has ordered me to
bring Mr. Deckard to headquarters
even if I have to serve him like
so much sushi. ***
Deckard is continuing to eat but he has reacted to
Gaff's repeated use of the word "Bryant."
THE COUNTERMAN
(to Deckard)
He say, you be ornery, okay. He
say big boss Bryant give him
permission to use violence make
arrest. He say Bryant tell him
rearrange your brains akay. Make
you raw fish.
Deckard looks disgusted and resigned.
DECKARD
Bryant huh.
CUT TO:
EXT. STREET - NIGHT
Deckard, still holding his bowl of food, is climbing
into a spinner behind Gaff as the two cops loom over
him. One of the cops shuts the spinner door behind
Deckard and the spinner lifts off in a flurry of wind.
CUT TO:
EXT. CITY - BIRD'S EYE VIEW - NIGHT
The spinner zips through the canyons of the city.
Deckard is sitting in the passenger seat, eating while
he watches the maze of suspension bridges, platforms
and catwalks swim by below. The tops of larger build-
ings emblazoned with fluorescent numerals and scrawls
of neon ads.
CUT TO:
INT. SPINNER - NIGHT
Deckard is sitting gloomily in the passenger seat,
still eating from his bowl with chopsticks as Gaff
maneuvers the spinner through the city canyons chat-
tering in rapid Japanese.
GAFF
(in Japanese)
I told Bryant I could take care of
this myself. Just move me up.
I'll do the job, I told him. Five
phonies. I just air 'em out.
(he imitates shooting)
Bow! Bow! Bow!
Deckard looks at Gaff uncomprehendingly.
GAFF
(continuing in Japanese)
But no, he says. Bryant thinks
you're hot shit, smartest spotter,
baddest Blade Runner. You don't
look so hot to me. Don't even
shave. Bad grooming reflects on
the whole department. You don't
dress well, that reflects on me...
makes the whole department look
like shit.
The skin jobs look better than you
do! What's the point of wiping out
skin jobs if they look better than
Enforcement? pretty soon the public
will want skin jobs for Enforcement.
I guess you'd prefer that, hunh?
That why you quit?
Deckard looks at Gaff. He hasn't understood a word.
DECKARD
I don't understand a word you're
saying.
Gaff glares and mutters, turning his attention to navi-
gation of the spinner.
GAFF
(in Japanese)
Exactly! Whatta jerk! If I wasn't
up for promotion I'd put this baby
in a hot spin and leave your dinner
all over the glass!
The spinner flies low along the center of a busy
street and then turns right.
EXT. PRECINCT SPINNER PAD - NIGHT
The spinner slides toward the pad, cuts speed and
gently touches down as another lifts off.
CUT TO:
INT. POLICE HQ CONCOURSE - NIGHT
An enormous grey vault of a building, Deckard and Gaff
stride down the long corridor. Perhaps Gaff is still
jabbering in Japanese.
CUT TO:
INT. BRYANT'S OFFICE - NIGHT
BRYANT is sitting behind his big desk, a fat man in his
fifties with grey hair, jowls and gas.
BRYANT
Hiya, Deck!
Deckard is standing in the doorway, still in the cus-
tody of Gaff. Deckard glares at Bryant and doesn't
answer. Bryant dismisses Gaff with a head movement.
Deckard glares at Gaff who glares back as he departs.
BRYANT
You wouldn't have come if I'd just
asked you to. Siddown, pal.
Deckard glares at Bryant without moving.
BRYANT
Don't be an asshole, Deckard. I
got five skin jobs walking the
streets.
Deckard smiles and sits down.
BRYANT
They jumped a shuttle offworld.
Killed the crew and passengers.
Deckard reacts. This isn't usual.
BRYANT
We found the shuttle floating off
the coast two weeks ago. So we
know they're around.
DECKARD
Embarrassing.
Bryant is pouring bourbon into a thick shot glass. He
passes the amber tumbler to Deckard who takes it and
holds it to the light.
BRYANT
No, sir! Not fucking embarrassing
... Because nobody's ever gonna
find out they're down here because
you're gonna spot 'em an' you're
gonna air 'em out.
Deckard downs his drink and slides the empty back.
DECKARD
Not me, Bryant. I won't work for
you anymore. Give it to Holden,
he's good.
Deckard turns to go.
BRYANT
I did.
Deckard freezes and turns back.
DECKARD
And?
BRYANT
He can breathe okay... as long as
nobody unplugs him.
Deckard is impressed.
BRYANT
Not good enough. Not as
good as you. I need ya, Deck.
This is a bad one, the worst yet.
I need the old Blade Runner, I
need your magic.
Deckard meets Bryant's pleading eyes for a beat.
DECKARD
I was quit when I walked in
here...
(pause)
... I'm twice as quit now.
See ya, Bryant.
Deckard turns to go.
Bryant's pleading look turns abruptly cold and hard.
BRYANT
Stop the fuck right where you are!
Deckard freezes at the hard tone.
BRYANT
You know the score, pal. When
you're not a cop, you're little
people.
DECKARD
Forgot there for a minute about
the little people. No choices
I guess.
BRYANT
No choice, pal.
CUT TO
INT. WHITE TILED ROOM (DAY)
We are looking at the bright image of a NAKED MAN in a
white tiled room with a white floor... an abbatoir
without blood. The naked man is very athletic. His
face reveals nothing as he executes one physical demon-
stration after another.... one handed pushups, gymnastic
contortions etc. An accompanying soundtrack drones
boringly and while we might pick up a few key words
such as "emigration, "incentive and "Man made
that we absorb the words.. they are the music to which
the image exercises.
After a moment a series of lines cross the screen and
the image diminishes and we realise we are looking at
a monitor.
INT. BRYANT'S OFFICE (DAY)
Deckard and Bryant are sitting in the dark looking
at a series of flickering monitors. Deckard has a
bored expression on his face.
BRYANT
We had an escape from the Off world
colonies two weeks ago. Six repli-
cants, three male, three female.
Slaughtered twenty three people and
jumped a shuttle. An aerial patrol
found the ship in the desert. No
crew.
DECKARD
These are old slave tapes, show me
something new.
The naked man continues to exercise as Bryant
continues.
BRYANT
No sign of them then three nights ago
they tried to break into the Tyrell
Corporation, one got fried going through
an electro-field but we lost the others.
Going on the possibibility they might
try to infiltrate as employees, we sent
Holden in to run Voight Kampff tests on
new workers. Guess he found himself one.
The screen changes. Roy Batty in a loin cloth is battering
a metal post with his fists. The smile on his face
indicates a total lack of pain. He continues to pummel
the post mercilessly his hands becoming bloody.
The only sound is Batty humming Beethoven's 9th.
Deckard begins to look interested.
DECKARD
Who's this ?
BRYANT
It's a Nexus 6. Roy Batty. Incept
date 2016, combat model optimum self
sufficiency. Probably the leader.
DECKARD
Why would they come down here ?
They coulda hid out ?
BRYANT
You tell me pal, that's what you're
here for.
DECKARD
They must want something pretty important
to risk coming back here. What do the
rest look like ?
Bryant pushes a button. And a series of revolving still
shots of Leon, Pris, Mary and Zhora appear on the screen.
DECKARD
Why the Tyrell Corporation? Why would
they return to the place of their
manufacture?
BRYANT
Maybe they want to find out when
they were made ?
DECKARD
Why would they bother?
BRYANT
The Nexus 6 was designed to copy human
beings in every way except their emotions.
But the makers reckoned that after a few
years they might develop their own
emotional responses - hate, love, fear,
anger, envy. So they built in
a fail safe device.
DECKARD
What's that?
BRYANT
The Nexus 6 has only four years
to live.
The screens go blank. The lights go on. Bryant pours
two more drinks and hands one to Deckard.
BRYANT
You got one more problem, pal.
Deckard downs the glass.
BRYANT (continuing)
Looks like Holden found out that
V-K machine doesn't work on the Nexus
6. The Tyrell Corporation has a demo
model so go check it out. If the
machine fails, we're in deep trouble.
CUT TO
INT. HOSPITAL - NIGHT
Small green letterforms skim soundlessly across a dark
glass panel. Beneath the panel a sick, white face
reads excerpts from Treasure Island, mouthing the
words as they appear in front of him. It's Holden.
HOLDEN
(reading)
Holden is flat on his back in a breather, an iron-
lung-type of device covered in indicator lights and
exotic paraphernalia. The hospital room is in com-
plete darkness. Holden's breaths come in sharp rasps
as he reads.
We become aware of Deckard standing in the shadows.
DECKARD
Whatcha reading?
Holden is startled, has to look in a mirror angled over
his head, rolling his eyes way back to see who it is.
HOLDEN
Deckard, Treasure Island! Good to
see ya, buddy. Old Favourite.
Deckard looks down at Holden and doesn't say anything.
HOLDEN
Pretty awful, huh?
DECKARD
Naw, you look great! Absolutely
terrific! Never saw ya look
better. Jesus, you look good.
Deckard pinches Holden's cheek.
DECKARD
Great complexion! Suit looks
really nice. Who's your tailor?
Deckard is making a joke, mocking hospital good cheer
but the touch of bitterness in his voice reveals his
sympathy for Holden.
Tears wet Holden's eyes.
HOLDEN
A big fucking skin job put the
smash on me, wrecked me up! Looka
me, for Chrissake!
Deckard works at being hard.
DECKARD
Ya blew it, huh ?
Holden recovers from his tears and whines.
HOLDEN
It ain't like it used to be, Deck.
It's tough now. These replicants
aren't just a buncha muscle miners
anymore, they're no goddamn different
than you or me...
Deckard lights up and sits down, resting his elbows on
the glass.
DECKARD
So what happened ?
HOLDEN
Ten days ago Security at the
Tyrell Corp finds three intruders
in the records room. Kills one,
two get away, okay ?
Deckard nods.
HOLDEN
They do a routine autopsy on the
one that got aired and.. whaddya know?
A skin job, one of the ones that
busted out! Top drawer replicant..
combat type.. Nexus six.
DECKARD
Pretty sexy, the sixes.
HOLDEN
Sexy! Three hours into the autopsy
they still think they're cutting
up a human. No marks, nothing.
Deckard looks impressed. Satisfied, Holden continues.
HOLDEN
I decided to check out all new employees
at Tyrell. I test 26 boring jerks until
in comes this guy Leon Somebody, nothing
special but very big...
(pause)
Anyway....
DECKARD
You Voight-Kampff him ?
Holden's eyes flutter a moment. Deckard waits. The
breathing changes rhythm.
HOLDEN
Yeah! I thought maybe I was getting
something......
Maybe it doesn't work on these ones
Deck.
Deckard gets up and gives Holden phony good cheer.
HOLDEN
(continuing)
It's all over, it's a wipe out,
they're almost us, Deck, they're
a disease, they're....
DECKARD
Take it easy, take it easy....
Tyrell Corp's got one. I'm gonna
Vee Kay it tomorrow.
HOLDEN
Push it! Push that button!
Deckard pushes.
DECKARD
What's it for?
HOLDEN
Pain!
CUT TO
EXT. CITYSCAPE - MORNING
A bleak morning.
CUT TO
EXT. SPINNER - MORNING
The police spinner is whizzing over the city.
CUT TO
INT. SPINNER - MORNING
Deckard looks very rumpled as he sits sleepily in the
passenger seat drinking coffee from a mug and smoking.
INT. SPINNER - MORNING
Gaff is terse and silent at the controls. Suddenly the
spinner rocks urgently from side to side and the sound
of a hot Ferrari Spinner dopplers off.
Gaff is pop-eyed with instant fury. He hits the spinner
lights and flashes them.
CUT TO:
EXT. OVER CITY - MORNING
The Ferrari Spinner zips right around a huge smokestack
and shoots insolently off into the distance.
CUT TO:
INT. SPINNER - MORNING
Gaff sputters and fumes as he guides the spinner around
the same stack.
Deckard looks at Gaff. It's too early in the morning
for all this energy.
CUT TO:
EXT. SPINNER - MORNING
The Spinner makes a sharp bank, drops into a steep
curve and slides toward the vast plain of industrializa-
tion, the menacing shapes on the horizon, stacks
of belching flames five hundred feet into the sky the
color of cigar ash, towards a large pyramid shaped
building.
CUT TO:
EXT. THE PYRAMID - MORNING
The spinner is in a holding pattern.
CUT TO:
INT. SPINNER - MORNING
Traffic control purrs its SOFT ELECTRONIC INSTRUCTION
into the cockpit as the spinner rocks gently lower,
spiralling into the vortex.
[page 22 missing from script]
CONTINUED
Now we see for the first time, Rachael, a beautiful
woman in her late twenties dressed with taste and
dignity.
DECKARD
Replicants are like any other
machine. They can be a benefit
or a hazard. If it's a benefit,
it's not my problem.
RACHAEL
May I ask a personal question?
DECKARD
Go ahead.
RACHAEL
Have you ever retired a human by
mistake ?
Deckard blinks... hesitates before answering the
question.
DECKARD
No.
RACHAEL
But in your position that is a risk.
An OWL flaps around the huge marble office.
TYRELL (os)
Is this to be an empathy test?
Capillary dilation of the so-called
blush response.. fluctuation of the
pupil involuntary dilation of
the iris......
DECKARD
We call it Voight Kampff for short.
Deckard turns to see an older man, very distinguished
very well tailored has entered the huge marble office.
TYRELL!
RACHAEL
Mr. Deckard. Dr. Eldon Tyrell.
Tyrell has extended his hand to Deckard. Deckard shakes.
TYRELL
Demonstrate it. I want to see it
work.
DECKARD
Where's the prototype ?
TYRELL
I want to see it work on a person.
I want to see a negative before I
provide you with a positive.
DECKARD
What's that gonna prove?
TYRELL
Indulge me.
DECKARD
On you?
Tyrell indicates Rachael.
TYRELL
Try her.
Deckard looks at Rachael. She's a beauty alright. He
shrugs.
DECKARD
It's too bright in here.
Tyrell hits a button.
The windows darken, a polaroid effect that seems to
give Tyrell the power to turn off the sun.
Deckard is placing the Voight Kampff case on the table.
The Voight Kampff opens like a butterfly as the room
darkens.
INT. TYRELL'S OFFICE - A LITTLE LATER
Rachael's eye fills the screen, the iris brilliant,
shot with light, the pupil contracting. We hear
Deckard's voice and we have the impression the test
has been going on for a while.
DECKARD (O.S.)
You are given a calfskin wallet
for your birthday...
Tyrell stands silhouetted behind Deckard, who sits in
front of Rachael.
The needles in both gauges swing violently past green
to red, then subside.
RACHAEL
I wouldn't accept it, also I'd
report the person who gave it to me
to the police.
DECKARD
You have a little boy. He shows
you his butterfly collection, plus
the killing jar.
Again the gauges register, but not so far.
RACHAEL
I'd take him to the doctor.
DECKARD
You're watching TV and suddenly
you notice a wasp crawling on
your wrist.
RACHAEL
I'd kill it.
Both needles go red. Deckard makes a note, takes a
sip of coffee and continues.
DECKARD
In a magazine you come across a
full-page photo of a nude girl.
RACHAEL
Is this testing whether I'm a
replicant or a lesbian?
DECKARD
You show the pciture to your
husband. He likes it and hangs
it on the wall. The girl is lying
on a bearskin rug.
RACHAEL
I wouldn't let him.
DECKARD
Why not?
RACHAEL
I should be enough for him.
Deckard frowns, then smiles. His smile looks a little
like a grimace or the other way around.
DECKARD
Last question. You're watching
an old movie. It shows a banquet
in progress, the guests are enjoying
raw oysters.
RACHAEL
Ugh.
Both needles swing swiftly.
DECKARD
The entree consists of boiled
dog stuffed with rice.
Needles move less.
DECKARD
(continuing)
The raw oysters are less acceptable
to you than a dish of boiled dog.
Deckard switches off his beam.
TYRELL
Well, Mr. Deckard?
Deckard is looking at Tyrell and wincing indecisively.
He doesn't get it. Are they playing with him?
TYRELL
(continuing)
Perhaps some privacy will loosen
your tongue, Mr. Deckard.
He turns to Rachael
TYRELL
Would you step out for a few moments,
Rachael?
Rachael exits looking a little shaken. What's going
on?
Deckard stares at Tyrell.
Tyrell meets his look.
TYRELL
I'm impressed. How many questions
does it usually take to spot one?
DECKARD
I don't get it.
TYRELL
How many questions ?
DECKARD
In columns of four cross referenced,
twenty or thirty.
TYRELL
It took more than a hundred for
Rachael, didn't it ?
DECKARD
She really doesn't know ?
TYRELL
She's beginning to suspect, I think.
DECKARD
Suspect! How can she not know
she is.
TYRELL
Well, we began to notice in them
a strange obsession.
Tyrell is pacing now, lecturing.
TYRELL
After all, they are emotionally
inexperienced with only a few
years inwhich to store up the
experiences which you and I take
for granted. If we gift them
with a past... we create a
cushion or pillow for their
emotions.. and we can
control them better.
DECKARD
They want memories?
TYRELL
It's the dark corners, the little
shadowy places that makes you
interesting, Deckard..... gusty
emotions on a wet road on an
autumn night.. the change of
seasons..... the sweet guilt
after masturbation.
DECKARD
Jesus Christ,Tyrell!
Tyrell looks startled.
DECKARD
Where do you get them, the
memories?
TYRELL
In the case of Rachael, I simply
copied and regenerated cells from
the brain of my sixteen-year-
old niece. Rachael remembers
what my little niece remembers.
DECKARD
I saw an old movie once. The
guy had bolts in his head.
Deckard looks amazed while Tyrell looks pleased with
himself.
CUT TO
EXT. OVERHEAD VIEW OF HOTEL - NIGHT
The hotel is in a seedy part of town.
EXT. ANGLE ON DECKARD - NIGHT
Deckard and Gaff are standing in front of the hotel,
looking it over.
Deckard glances at a crumpled piece of paper in his
hand with an address scrawled on it.
He glances at the hotel. The address is correct.
Deckard and Gaff enter the hotel, leaving frame.
CUT TO:
INT. HOTEL CORRIDOR - NIGHT
A dingy, trash-filled corridor.
An OLD MAN leads Deckard and Gaff to a door. The Old
Man is wearing an oxygen tank taking occasional hits
of air from a mask. He unlocks the door.
Deckard and Gaff enter wearily, hands inside their
coats on their weapons.
CUT TO:
INT. HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT
The room is dark and ominous, full of danger.
Deckard studies the shadows, weapon ready.
Satisfied the room is empty, he hits the wall switch.
A four-tube fluorescent light overhead flutters weakly
to half-life, two tubes.
Deckard studies the room.
It's clean in contrast to the littered hallway. A bed,
a wardrobe, a small desk, a chair. Spartan, almost
military.
Gaff has seated himself on the windowsill. Except for
his eyes he is motionless like a statue.
Deckard reaches into his pocket and takes out infrared
goggles which he puts on. He looks strange wearing the
goggles.
The room, from his POV, is seen in high contrast,
every speck of dust in bright white, the fingerprints
on the wall standing out like paintings, Gaff appear-
ing eerie and ominous.
Deckard starts to inspect the room with great care,
feeling the moulding, inspecting the mattress on the
bed, studying the fingerprints on the wall.
Gaff watches motionless.
CUT TO:
INT. HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT (A LITTLE LATER)
Deckard has opened the wardrobe.
He's inspecting the suit neatly hung there. He feels
in the pockets. He pulls out a packet of about sixty
photographs. He thumbs them. Very ordinary looking
snapshots. Maybe he notices a couple of strange ones.
Maybe not.
Deckard pockets the pictures and continues his inspec-
tion.
Gaff sits motionless like a statue.
INT. HOTEL BATHROOM - NIGHT (MOMENTS LATER)
Deckard, still wearing goggles, is checking the inside
of the medicine cabinet in the tiny bathroom.
Nothing. Clean.
He shuts the cabinet and sees himself in the mirror
in infrared wearing goggles. Weird.
He exits the neat, tiny bathroom.
CUT TO:
INT. HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT
Deckard steps out of the bathroom, notices something
on the floor.
Gaff is motionless.
CUT TO:
INT. HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT (MOMENTS LATER)
Deckard is on his hands and knees studying the floor.
He picks up a little speck on his finger, studies it.
He picks up another.
He puts the speck in his wallet.
Gaff sits motionless on the sill.
CUT TO:
INT. HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT (A LITTLE LATER)
Deckard takes off the goggles. He motions Gaff off
the sill with his head.
Deckard steps to the window, pulls the photos from
his pocket and studies them in the faint light from
outside.
Snapshots. Very ordinary.
Gaff stands near the door, watching Deckard.
Deckard shuffles through the pictures in front of the
window.
CUT TO:
EXT. HOTEL - NIGHT
Leon is looking up at the hotel.
He can see Deckard in the window looking at pictures.
Leon is breathing hard, angry.
CUT TO:
INT. HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT
Deckard feels funny as he studies the pictures, his
mind changes focus. He steps aside, against the wall,
and glances out of the window.
Gaff watches Deckard and frowns uncomprehending.
Deckard, satisfied at what he sees out the window,
studies the photographs again, but not in front of
the window.
Gaff, frowning, approaches the window and looks out,
puzzled.
CUT TO:
EXT. HOTEL - NIGHT
An angry Leon sees Gaff peering out the window above.
Leon's eyes blaze with anger. He turns and runs off.
CUT TO:
EXT. STREET - NIGHT
A blimp is drifting silently over the city reflect-
ed in an eyeball while we hear the SOUNDS OF THE
STREET.
The eyeball belongs to BATTY who is standing on
the sidewalk. He resembles a tradition, the gym
instructor, short, cropped hair with the body of a
drill sergeant but the eyes are gray and chilling.
Roy Batty is a presence of force with a lazy, but
acute sense of what goes on around him.
He lowers his attention from the sky to Leon.
Leon approaches him.
BATTY
Did you get your precious photos?
LEON
Somebody was there.
BATTY
Police.
LEON
Just men.
BATTY
Police men.
Leon looks sullen. He doesn't know.
Batty is looking at the storefront across the street,
the one that says HANNIBAL CHEW over the door.
Batty indicates the store to Leon with a head movement.
CUT TO
INT. CHEW'S SHOP - NIGHT
Eyes. Nothing but eyes swimming in a thick, clear
solution.
The eyes are in an aquarium inside Chew's shop.
There are other aquariums and technical equipment.
CHEW himself, wearing a heavy fur coat and gloves is
hunched over a workbench in a pool of light doing
meticulous work with a pair of forceps. He is an
ancient Asian and his steamy breath and frosty beard
indicate just how cold it is in this sub-zero
laboratory.
Chew dips the forceps into a vat at his side.
Deep cold!
The forceps and the tiny item in the forceps come out
of the solution frozen solid.
A SPEAKER on the wall CRACKLES and FARTS STATIC.
WALL SPEAKER
Mr. Chew.
Chew keeps working.
CHEW
Aaaaaaaannnnn?
The wall speaker is intermittent.
WALL SPEAKER
... one... URP... wants... to
see you.
Chew continues working.
CHEW
Busy!
WALL SPEAKER
... talk to you... Nexus Six...
designs.
Chew frowns and turns from his work disgruntled.
CHEW
Busy!
Chew continues working while he mutters in Chinese.
Peace returns, he calms down and works in chilly
silence.
Then the door opens.
Standing in the doorway is Roy Batty.
Chew gets up fuming.
CHEW
Busy! Busy! You go away! Make
appointment.
Chew bursts into Chinese.
Batty smiles. You would not want him to smile at you.
Leon enters and closes the door.
CHEW
(apoplectic)
No! No! Cold! Cold! Go away.
Batty smiles. His coat is already covered with ice.
BATTY
Questions.
CHEW
No! No questions!
Leon is staring at the floating eyes in an aquarium.
Batty smiles pleasantly and glances at a tank of
deep cold. Batty sticks his hand in.
CHEW
(urgently)
No! Cold!
Batty still smioing, pulls his hand out. It's icy.
Chew looks at Batty's hand and then at his smiling face.
Chew screams in sudden discovery and outrage.
CHEW
You replicant!
We looks at Batty's machine-gun smile, steam pouring
from his nostrils as we hear the shrill, indignant
voice of Chew being outraged.
CHEW'S VOICE (OS)
You illegal. Can't come here!
Illegal.
Batty is smiling his smokey smile and Chew is point-
ing up.
CHEW
You not belong here. Up there!
BATTY
Fiery the Angels fell... And as they
fell deep thunder rolled around their
shores;
indignant,
burning with the fires of Orc.
Chew is bug eyed. What is this shit?
Batty reaches out and puts his hands on the collar of
Chews's fur coat.
BATTY
Questions!
RRRRRIIIIIIPPPP.Batty pulls the coat apart, it splits
along the back seam and falls away like a banana peel.
Chew is suddenly totally scared, totally cold and totally
co-operative.
CHEW
Okay! Answers!
(pointing)
Gimmeee coat! Cold!
Chew is pointing to the wall pegs where more fur coats
hang.
BATTY
Morphology.. longevity... use life...
incept dates...
CHEW
(squealing)
I dunno! Dunna that stuff. I do
eyes! Just eyes! Genetic designs,
just eyes!
Batty looks around the room at the tank of eyes, the
muscle charts of eyes, the pictures of eyes.
BATTY
Ah! I thought perhaps feet...
hands... muscle tissue.. or..
noses...
CHEW
(desperate)
Just eyes. Gimee coat, okay?
Leon is staring into the tank of eyes, trying not to
blink.
The eyes stare back at Leon, unblinkingly, arrogantly.
BATTY
My eyes..... I guess you designed
them, eh?
CHEW
You Nexus? I design Nexus eyes.
SMASH! Leon, infuriated by the unblinking eyes, smashes
the tank and the insolent eyes pour out onto the floor.
Batty smiles and points to his own eyes.
BATTY
Ah, Chew.....
(squish,squish)
If only you could see the things
I have seen with your eyes.
Squish! Squish! The squishes are Batty's feet
stepping in eyeballs as he paces in front of Chew.
CHEW
Please! Cc-cc-cold!
BATTY
(prosecuting attorney)
Questions!
CHEW
D-dunno answers! P-please!
BATTY
Who does?
CHEW
Tyro! Knows everything!
BATTY
The Tyrell Corporation?
CHEW
Big boss! Big genius! Design
your brain.
BATTY
Ah! Smart!
CHEW
V-very cold, p-please....
BATTY
Not an easy man to see, I'd
guess. Security.....
CHEW
Sebastian take you! Gimmee
coat.
BATTY
And who is Sebastian?
Chew is blue and hysterical.
CHEW
J-j-j-j-j F. S-sebastian.
Please.............
BATTY
Ah! How would I find him...
J.F. Sebastian ?
Chew looks like heart attack city. Is it going to
go on forever?
CUT TO
EXT. DECKARD'S APARTMENT BUILDING - NIGHT
Deckard's car pulls up into a drive of a condominium
block that looms against the night sky like a pile
of cardboard boxes.
Deckard gets out of the car wearily and heads for the
front door.
CUT TO
INT. ELEVATOR NIGHT
The elevator is gloomy, poorly lit, full of shadows.
Deckard asks for the 97th Floor.
The ELEVATOR makes a creaking noise, very distinctive,
and starts upward.
Deckard frowns. Something is wrong. He is suddenly
very alert, ready.
There are shadows behind him but he can't turn to look.
The ELEVATOR CREAKS UPWARDS.
Deckard goes for his blaster, gets it out quick and
whirls.
Rachael is there, in the shadows.
Deckard's blaster is pointed at her. One more second.....
Deckard lowers the blaster. He's shaking all of a sudden.
RACHAEL
I'm sorry.
INT. CORRIDOR NIGHT
Deckard exits the elevator and approaches his door.
Rachael is behind him, she's desperate.
Deckard takes out his wallet, it drops to the floor
scattering his cards.
Rachael picks up the cards.
RACHAEL
Let me help you.
DECKARD
What do I need help for?
Deckard takes the card from her and starts to open
the door.
RACHAEL
I don't know why he told you what
he did.
DECKARD
Talk to him.
INT. DECKARD'S APARTMENT - NIGHT
The place is a mess.Deckard walks in leaving the door open.
RACHAEL
He wouldn't see me.
Deckard goes into the kitchen, comes out with a towel drying
his hair. He walks to the cocktail cabinet and pours himself
a drink.
DECKARD
I'm gonna have a drink.
RACHAEL
You think I'm a replicant, don't
you?
Deckard takes off his wet raincoat and throws it on a chair.
RACHAEL
Look.
She goes to him holding a picture in her hand.
Deckard looks at it.
It's an old snapshot, a little girl with a mother and father.
RACHAEL
It's me with my parents.
Deckard hands it back to her slowly. Finally speaks.
DECKARD
You remember when you were about six and you
and your brother snuck into an empty building....
through the basement window ?
RACHAEL
What? Y-yes....
DECKARD
You were going to play Doctor. He showed
you his, then you chickened and ran out.
RACHAEL
But....
She looks up and he's staring at her, but she doesn't seem
to notice.
DECKARD
Remember the bush outside your window
with the spider in it.
Rachael looks up at him.
DECKARD
Green body, orange legs... you watched
her build a web all summer.
RACHAEL
Yes.
Her voice is getting very small.
DECKARD
One day there was an egg in the webb.
Rachael nods faintly.
RACHAEL
After a while, the egg hatched and
hundreds of baby spiders came out and
ate her. That made quite an impression
on me, Mr. Deckard.
DECKARD
You still don't get it?
RACHAEL
No.. I... I .... don't.
Deckard is now nasty, downright bitter.
DECKARD
Implants. They are not your memories,
they belong to Tyrell's sixteen year
old niece.
Rachael doesnt say anything, she can't.
DECKARD
He's very proud of them. He ran them
on a scanner for me.
Rachael just stares at him, stunned and barely holding on.
DECKARD
Still don't believe me ?
RACHAEL
I... I...
DECKARD
Right. I made it all up. You're not
a replicant. It was a nasty joke. Go home.
Rachael is biting her lip or something, holding it back.
DECKARD
Go on. Beat it. Sorry. Bad joke.
Deckard sees he's gotten through... maybe too far.
DECKARD
Wanna drink ?
She's completely destroyed, silent.
DECKARD
I'll getcha one.
Deckard hurries out.
The CLOCK IS TICKING.
CUT TO
INT. KITCHEN - NIGHT
Deckard is peering at her from the doorway, a Peeping
Tom. He sees the shaking hands. He doesn't like this
shit.
He turns his attention to getting the drink. The
kitchen is a disaster area, dirty dishes overflowing
from the sink the way a plant grows out of a pot.
Deckard opens the refrigerator. The contents aren't
messy so much as unusual. He opens the freezer com-
partment and pulls out a bottle of Tsing Tao vodka
and eyes it. Half-empty.
He rummages among the dirty dishes for a glass that
doesn't actually have fungus growing in it. He finds
one that's only greasy, wipes it with a dirty towel
(making it greasier) and pours vodka into it.
He heads back into the living room.
INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT
Deckard stops in the doorway,surprised.
The room is empty. Rachael is gone.
Deckard stares at the empty room for a long moment. Then
he chug-a-lugs the vodka. As he brings his head back and
winces from the fiery booze he sees something.
Something crumpled on the floor.
He goes over and picks it up.
It's the picture of Rachael with her parents. He studies
it.
On the other side is a phone number.
Deckard walks over to the window and stares out.
A spinner flashes by smearing light on his face.
CUT TO
EXT. AN ABANDONED BUILDING - NIGHT
Pris exits the building and starts across the street.
A spinner rockets past overhead. She reacts nervously
watches the spinner slide away.
She crosses the street past a window full of wedding dresses
as the spinner zips off in the distance.
EXT. SEBASTIAN'S BUILDING - NIGHT
Pris walks under the art deco marquee between the twisted
corduroy columns and into the foyer.
She picks a spot near the entrance and is covering herself with
old newspapers and trash for warmth when she hears a strange
NOISE.
A weird street cleaning MACHINE GRINDS past.
Pris watches the machine with interest, then huddles
under the trash.
A battered old truck, Sebastian's, SPUTTER AND FARTS
to a halt in front.
SEBASTIAN gets out, a young man with skin that is yel-
lowing into old parchment. He's wearing a World War
Two leather pilot's cap and dark goggles and carrying
a pack.
In spite of his youth, he carries himself like Old
China as he walks toward the entrance with the gait
of an old man.
Sebastian stumbles over the trash covered body of Pris
and Pris leaps to her feet and start to run like a
frightened gazelle.
SEBASTIAN
Hey!
He reaches down and picks up the bag she left in the
trash.
SEBASTIAN
You forgot your bag.
He's holding it up.
She eyes him from a distance... unsure of him. Then
she moves toward him tentatively.
Sebastian smiles awkwardly and holds out the bag.
PRIS
I'm lost.
SEBASTIAN
Don't worry, I won't hurt you.
Both of them are silent. People are not Sebastian's
forte... usually he's too shy, but this girl is shyer
still. Plus they're about the same age... it gives
him courage.
SEBASTIAN
What's your name?
PRIS
Pris.
SEBASTIAN
Mine's J.F. Sebastian.
PRIS
Hi.
So pleased with the way that went, he forgets for a
while what comes next.
SEBASTIAN
Oh... where were you going?
She shrugs. That leaves him a lot of responsibility.
He throws her side-long glances, but she's not helping.
SEBASTIAN
Home?
PRIS
I don't have one.
SEBASTIAN
Oh.
She looks at him, a shadow of enticement in her clear
blue eyes.
PRIS
We scared each other pretty good,
didn't we?
SEBASTIAN
We sure did.
She giggles and laughs.
PRIS
I'm hungry, J.F.
SEBASTIAN
I've got stuff inside, you wanna
come in.
PRIS
I was hoping you'd say that.
Sebastian's grey face flushes with pleasure. He turns
and inserts a key in the ornate iron mesh door and
swings it open.
CUT TO:
INT. SEBASTIAN'S LOBBY - NIGHT (SHOT)
Stacks of gaudy balconies loom into shadows above.
Overhead lights reveal a shark-like blimp cruising
above the building glowing with advertisements.
Pris stares in wonder.
PRIS
And you live in this building all
by yourself ?
SEBASTIAN
Yeah, I live here pretty much alone
right now....
CUT TO
INT. CAGE ELEVATOR (SHOT)
Pris and Sebastian are standing in the mesh elevator
as it grumbles noisily into the shadows above.
INT. CORRIDOR - NIGHT (SHOT)
Pris and Sebastian are standing in the mesh elevator
as it grumbles noisily into the shadows above.
INT. CORRIDOR - NIGHT (SHOT)
Sebastian and Pris walk down the corridor towards
his apartment .
PRIS (WILD LINE)
No housing shortage around here.
SEBASTIAN (WILD LINE)
Plenty of room for everybody... most
of the others have emigrated already.
INT. CORRIDOR - NIGHT
Sebastian is unlocking his door. He opens the door
and ushers Pris into the apartment.
INT. SEBASTIAN'S APARTMENT -NIGHT
Sebastian flicks on the light revealing the high
walls, elegant moulding and strange contents.
A three foot high Kaiser Wilhelm figure and a teddy
bear dressed as Napoleon march into view from a
doorway. An alarm sounds.
SEBASTIAN
Yoo hoo, home again, home again!
BEAR
Good evening J.F.
The alarm cuts out.
The Bear and Kasier Wilhelm stare woodenly at Pris
for a moment, then turn away disappearing into the gloom.
SEBASTIAN
They're my friends... here,
can I take your things, they're soaked.
BEAR
(muttering)
Home again, home again, jiggidy jig.
Pris is delighted. She strips off her topcoat,
revealing a shape to pop eyes.
SEBASTIAN
(besides himself)
Where are your folks ?
PRIS
I'm sort of an orphan.
Pris smiles.
SEBASTIAN
What about friends?
PRIS
I have some, but I have to find them....
I'll let them know where I am tomorrow.
SEBASTIAN
Oh!
There is a silence. He steals a glance at her.
SEBASTIAN
Well..... I can sleep on the couch.
PRIS
Watch the bed bugs don't bite !
INT. DECKARD'S APARTMENT - NIGHT
A blurry photograph, unclear, FILLS THE SCREEN.
The photograph intensified. The foreground BLURS AND
SHARPENS. it's the "man" in Leon's room with the
wardrobe behind him. The head is turned away and
downward, the face unreadable.
Another change! A dramatic one. The picture is
suddenly three dimensional.
Now we see that Deckard is studying the picture in a
viewer controlling the effects with punch controls.
The ashtray next to him is full of butts. The bottle
of vodka is nearly empty.
He sucks on his cigarette and empties the vodka bottle
into his glass and goes back to peering into the
viewer.
He punches up.
A transparent grid with vectors is superimposed over
the photo.
Deckard's eyes move over it carefully.
DECKARD
Sharpen line forty-eight between
twenty point twenty-seven.
The edge of the man sharpens.
DECKARD
Profile trace.
Slowly the view tracks the periphery of the man's
shoulder, up and around the skull, down the other
side and as it approaches the bottom of the picture
passes a miniscule sparkle...
DECKARD
Stop. Back up.
The line is retraced.
DECKARD
Stop.
The faintest little sparkle. Static. Almost nothing.
Deckard leans forward.
DECKARD
Enhance.
The view squeezes in. The "spark" seems to be coming
from about fifteen feet behind the figure -- from
within the wardrobe.
DECKARD
Seesaw.
After a short pause, as if the command causes the
machine to strain, it emits a thin, high-pitched
FREQUENCY SOUND and the picture begins a horizontal
yawing motion. As it swings back and forth glimpses
of things previously obscured by the foreground
figure are revealed. Slightly at first, but the
opening grows as the process picks up momentum.
Deckard's right down there, hands on his knees like
a man watching his favorite team make a crucial play.
DECKARD
Stop!
The picture freezes.
DECKARD
Enhance.
The view pushes in to the wardrobe. In its gloomy
recesses hangs a dress.
DECKARD
Enhance.
In closer on the dress. An exotic shimmering gown
made of sequins. Deckard ponders it, smiles slightly.
DECKARD
I don't suppose one of those males
has a transvestite problem.
Pause.
DECKARD
Hey!
Esper wakes up.
ESPER
Yes?
DECKARD
I said, I don't suppose one of
those males has a transvestite
problem.
Pause.
ESPER
Negative.
Deckard considers the situation for a few moments,
then frowns thoughtfully and fishes his wallet out of
his pocket. He produces the flakes he found in the
hotel room.
Deckard lights a cigarette.
The flake.
He's holding it on the tip of his finger under the
light of the console screen. He sits down, studying
it like Hamlet, contemplating Yorick's skull. But
for the HUM OF THE MACHINE, a long silence.
ESPER
You're gonna have a fire if you
don't turn off the machine.
Absently, Deckard reaches out and flips it off. He
sits a while in the silent dark. Then goes into the
bathroom.
INT. SHOWER - NIGHT
Deckard stands in the shower, his cigarette still in
his mouth.
CUT TO:
EXT. NOODLE BAR - NIGHT
It might be 2:00 a.m. but the joint is still crowded
as noisy taxi drivers jostle each other for seats and
jabber in Kangaroo, a crude lingual mix of Chinese,
Japanese, French and Tagalog.
Deckard is hunched over his bowl of noodles, slurping
hungrily from his busy chopsticks.
Whap! The counterman slaps a serving of fish heads on
the counter in front of a CHINESE sitting next to
Deckard.
Startled by the sound Deckard glances at the bowl of
fish heads, then turns his attention back to his
noodles.
But after two bites he frowns and turns to look at
the fish heads again.
The Chinese is eating the flesh hungrily from a head.
He cleans the skull and drops it on the plate.
Deckard stares at the heads with their blank stares
that seem to gaze at eternity.
Deckard is thinking.
The Chinese is eating.
Deckard frowns lost in furious thought. Suddenly he
reaches out and grabs a fish head.
The Chinese goes bug-eyed with indignation.
CHINESE
(in Chinese)
What the hell are you doing, you
moronic ahng mo dim bulb? That's
my goddamn dinner you (in English)
dumb shit!
Deckard is peeling scales off the fish head. He grabs
his wallet, produces the flake and compares it to the
scales from the head. He ignores the ranting of the
Chinese as he stares at the flake next to the scales.
DECKARD
Fish!
CHINESE
(in Chinese)
What do you expect you get from
fish head, stupid?
(in English)
Elephant shit?
CUT TO:
EXT. ANIMAL ROW - NIGHT
An aquarium full of fish, weird looking fish, the
kind that might eat each other. They're gliding in
sinister clusters like Doberman pinschers with gills.
The CAMBODIAN LADY is a withered woman in black.
She's got a lens in her eye and she's looking at the
flake which is on the tip of her finger.
CAMBODIAN LADY
Not fish! Snake !
And she points down the row.
Deckard looks that way and we.........
CUT TO
MICROSCOPIC VIEW - NIGHT
We are looking at a huge enlargement of a snake scale
seen through a microscope.. but we don't know that.
It's just a grand abstract weirdness blurring and
sharpening and changing.
EGYPTIAN (OS)
The finest quality, yeeeeeeessssss.
Perfect workmanship.
Geniune artificial snake.
The flake becomes a landscape of forests and moon-
scapes. Buried deep in the texture of the thing is a
serial number.
EGYPTIAN (OS)
Serial Number 99069745xb7Y
That would indicate a Crotalus
Atrox......
CUT TO
EXT. EGYPTIANS JOINT - NIGHT
We see the Egyptian for the first time as he takes
his eye from the viewer and points to a snake in one
of the many tanks that writhe with groggy reptiles.
EGYPTIAN
(continuing)
... such as that one there with
the black and white ring on tail.
(making a whirring noise)
Western Diamon Back....
(whirr)
Rattler.
Deckard is looking at the ugly serpent.
The Egyptian hands the scale back to Deckard.
DECKARD
Who made it ?
EGYPTIAN
This quality... not too many.
DECKARD
How many ?
EGYPTIAN
Very few.
DECKARD
How few ?
EGYPTIAN
Perhaps less than I thought....
but still, more than I can remember.
DECKARD
What helps you to remember ?
The Egyptian pushes a hand out in front of him, revolving
the thumb slowly against the next two fingers.
Deckard slips a card out of his pocket and into the
man's fingers. It's a police card. It gets a super-
cilious smile, a sigh and a shrug. And that's all
it gets. The man knows his rights. The card is
handed back. The smile remains.
EGYPTIAN
What was the question again?
DECKARD
The question is...
Deckard steps in closer.
DECKARD
Are you a citizen?
EGYPTIAN
Yes.
DECKARD
Naturalized?
EGYPTIAN
Yes.
DECKARD
Your papers are in order.
EGYPTIAN
Of course.
This guy's got it covered.
DECKARD
You have a license for this
establishment?
He points it out with a righteous finger.
DECKARD
Fire permit?
EGYPTIAN
Right here.
He lifts it out of a drawer, displays it. A long
pause. The Egyptian smiles smugly. It pays to have
things covered. Deckard pushes closer.
DECKARD
In two seconds I'm gonna break
your fuckin' spine if you don't
tell me what I wanna know.
Pause.
EGYPTIAN
I see.
Deckard's face is two inches away. It's all very
plain.
EGYPTIAN
In that case, I think I will be obliged
to tell you that one of two men could
have done this.
DECKARD
Who ?
EGYPTIAN
Me.
The Egyptian works on an uncertain shit-eating grin
hoping to charm his way out of a hole.
Deckard lets him sweat for a beat or two, looking hard.
DECKARD
Who do you sell your junk to .
EGYPTIAN
Artists. Always to artists.
The Eygptian looks nervously at Deckard,sees he
means business and hastily begins to shuffle through a
wad of receipts from a cigar box.
CUT TO
INT. TAFFEY'S SNAKE PIT BAR - NIGHT
A big guy, back to camera is sitting at the bar in
this sleazy joint.
DECKARD (OS)
You buy a snake off an Egyptian ?
The big guy turns to face his questioner. His name
is TAFFEY LEWIS big and bad and low-life. He looks
like he's looking at a cockroach.
TAFFEY
Buzz off, fella.
Deckard is searching in his pockets. He pulls a dirty
handkerchief out, puts it on the bar, pulls out a
crumpled pack of cigs from another pocket, a wad of
money cards from another. He's putting all sorts of
things on the bar. Among them is the picture of
Rachael and her parents.
DECKARD
You ever see..... you ever se... ?
At last he finds the photo of the reclining woman, shows
it to Taffey.
DECKARD
You ever see this woman ?
Taffey doesn't even look at the picture.
TAFFEY
Never saw her. Buzz off,pal.
Deckard flashes his police card.
DECKARD
Got your licenses in order, old
buddy ?
TAFFEY
Pal, I got a license to piss,
I got a license to kiss,
An' I got a license to pee at
four in the morning.
I got licenses for things I do with
my wife an' I got licenses for things
I don't do with my wife.
I got licenses for bad dreams, pal.
I got licenses you wouldn't believe.
Now buzz the fuck off, okay ?
Deckard seems blown away, puts his hands up, palms forward,
surrendering.
DECKARD
Take it easy mister, don't get
excited.
TAFFEY
Nobody pushes me around.
DECKARD
Forget I asked. My mistake.
Water under the bridge.
Taffey looks a little startled. It was this easy ? He's
kind of pleased with himself now that he's firmly estab-
lished his authority.
TAFFEY
No hard feelings. I just don't
take a push, that's all.
DECKARD
No hard feelings.
TAFFEY
(to the bartender)
Louis, the man's dry. Give him
one on the house, huh ?
BARTENDER
Whatcha drinking ?
DECKARD
Smokey, dry.
TAFFEY
You assed about a snake.....
Deckard is suddenly hopeful.
DECKARD
Yeah.....
TAFFEY
Wanna see a snake, huh?
The Bartender puts a weird drink in front of Deckard...
tiny worms floating in a viscous liquid.
Deckard takes the drink like he was used to it and swigs.
TAFFEY
Louis, show the cop the snake,
willya?
The Bartender reaches under the bar and pulls out a
large snake that writhes lazily on the bar. It is
bright gold.
DECKARD
(disappointed)
Wrong snake.
TAFFEY
Don't like gold ?
DECKARD
Gold's okay.
TAFFEY
Original paint job was shitty. Those
fucking Egyptian's do crappy work.
DECKARD
How long ago did ya paint it?
TAFFEY
I dunno. Couple of months.
Why ?
Deckard looks discouraged, swigs the last of his drink.
DECKARD
No reason. Doesn't matter.
(to the bartender)
Gimmee another, willya?
There is a burst of applause and they all look around
toward the stage.
A large egg has appeared on the stage, beside it a
smaller egg.
TAFFEY
Getta loada this. New act.
Very artistic, very sen-shoe-all.
Beautiful.
Music starts to play.
Deckard looks bored and discouraged. Absently starts
picking up his junk off the bar... the wads of money cards,
cigarette packs, matches... the picture of Rachael. That
catches his attention.
Deckard stares at the picture for a long moment.
DECKARD
Gotta phone ?
CUT TO
INT. TAFFEY'S BAR MOMENTS LATER
Deckard is at a telephone not far from the bar. He's
got the phone hooked between his shoulder and ear while
he notes a number.
DECKARD
.......six six five. Thanks.
Deckard breaks the connection, then starts punching the
numbers.
Behind him the stage show is progressing. A beautiful
woman named SALOME is emerging from the large egg, very
scantily clad, an erotic birth scene.
Rachael appears on the telephone vid-screen.
RACHAEL
Hello.
DECKARD
People have walked out on me
before... but never when I was
being charming.
Rachael freezes when she see who it is. Says nothing.
DECKARD
Ya missed out on the drink I
poured ya.
Rachael still says nothing.
DECKARD
Wanna try again ?
For a long moment it seems Rachael isn't going to say
anything.
Rachael is bitter.
RACHAEL
(on Vid-screen)
Hunting... "skin jobs "?
DECKARD
Didn't find any.All I found was a bar.
Why waste it ?
RACHAEL
(on vid-screen)
Not my kind of place I'm afraid.
DECKARD
Meet me here. We'll go someplace
else. It's in the Fourth Sector....
Something on the stage catches Deckard's eye. He frowns.
On stage, a snake has emerged from the second egg.
Deckard is suddenly pre-occupied with the stage show as
he absently gives the address over the phone.
DECKARD
...... the Fourth Sector, on the line.
Taffey Lewis' Snake Pit.
RACHAEL
I don't think so Mr. Deckard.
As I said......
Deckard is staring at the stage show.
DECKARD
(absently)
See ya in a half hour.
He hangs up.
On stage, the snake and Salome are into sexy stuff.
CUT TO
INT. BACKSTAGE A LITTLE LATER
You can hear applause and catcalls from the audience
as Salome flounces backstage. She starts toward the
dressing room.
Deckard emerges from the shadow.
DECKARD
Excuse me, Miss Salome....
She turns. Deckard's posture and attitude suggest humble,
sleazy persistence. He comes closer with his shit-eating
grin.
DECKARD
I'd like to have a word with you
if I could.
Salome stands almost six feet tall in her high heels and
looks down on him with haughty suspicion... a girl who
knows how to handle cheap hits.
SALOME
Yeah ?
DECKARD
I'm with the American Federation of
Variety Artists....
He holds up a hand as if to stop her from protesting.
DECKARD
Don't worry, I'm not here to
make you join... that's not my department.
He glances around like a guy who's not supposed to be
there.
DECKARD
I'm an investigator for the Confidential
Committee on Moral Abuses.
She nods, taking it a little more seriously.
DECKARD
There's been reports of the
management taking liberties with
the artists in this place.
SALOME
I don't know nothing about it.
DECKARD
You haven't felt yourself to be
exploited by the management in
any way?
She's definitely puzzled.
SALOME
How do you mean 'exploited'?
DECKARD
Like to get this job... did you
or were you asked to do anything
lewd or unsavory or otherwise
repulsive to your person?
SALOME
Are you for real?
DECKARD
Oh, yeah. You'd be surprised
what goes on around here. I'd
like to check the dressing room
if I could.
SALOME
What the fuck for?
DECKARD
For holes.
This guy might be an asshole, but he's funny.
SALOME
I don't believe this.
She shrugs and they go in.
INT. DRESSING ROOM - NIGHT
Musty, cramped. A portable shower, a dressing table
and not much else. On the dressing table lies a snake.
Deckard watches it undulate into the warmth of the
lights.
DECKARD
Is that mother for real ?
SALOME
Of course he's not real. You think
I'd be working here if I could afford
a real snake ?
Deckard reaches out to touch it. As his fingers make
contact, there's an electric "snap". he jerks his hand
back from the shock.
Salome is taking off her costume. There's not much to
take off.
Deckard gets a glimpse of nakedness as she slips behind
the screen and turns on the shower.
DECKARD
How long you been doing a snake act ?
SALOME
What is it with you... you looking for
holes or what ?
He starts pacing the room like's he's inspecting the walls.
DECKARD
You'd be surprised - they have their ways
of doing their dirty work without the victim
even knowing what's going on.
His fingers are moving over her gowns. There's about six of
them, on hangers, but nothing quite like the one in Leon's
closet.
DECKARD
You'd be surprised what a guy'll go through
to get a glimpse of a beautiful body.
SALOME
No, I wouldn't.
DECKARD
Little dirty holes they drill in the wall
so they can watch a lady undress.
And to his amazement, low on the wall, behind the dresses,
he actually spots one. He moves down for a peek.
SALOME
And what if somebody did try to "exploit"
me? Who do I go to ?
Deckard's peeking at a pair of fat legs in the next room.
DECKARD
Me.
SALOME
And who do I go to about you ?
He looks around... she's out of the shower dripping nude.
Her hair blonde and cropped short. Her black hair is a wig
which now hangs on the wall next to the shower. She didn't
look like Nexus designated Zhora to begin with, but even less
now.
SALOME
So did you find any holes ?
Deckard makes a sheepish grin.
DECKARD
One so far.
SALOME
You're a dedicated man.
Her smile is an invitation. She throws him a towel.
He catches it and she turns her back to him.
SALOME
Dry me.
The evening doesn't have to be a total waste. Deckard
steps up behind her and starts patting her down.
On the dressing table in front of them the python
noses through the cosmetics, tongue flicking, trying
to get back to its mistress. Caught up in the sensu-
ousness of the moment, absently she reaches out to
stroke the snake.
Deckard works his way down her back, over her buns and
as he reaches her thighs, sits on the cot. Concen-
trating on her buns, he leans back for a handier per-
spective. But jerks forward like he'd been stung as
his ears are hit with the BUZZ OF RATTLES directly be-
hind him.
Partly hidden behind the pillow against the wall is
the Egyptian's pride and joy, a four-and-a-half foot,
ring-tailed diamondback rattler. Its lethal looking
spade-shaped head elevated out of its coiled body,
tail erect and whirring madly.
Deckard rolls off the cot going for his blaster as he
hits the floor. SALOME/ZHORA has her hand around the
head of the python and, using it like a club, she
brings it down with all her might.
Deckard rolls out of the way as the SNAKE WHISTLES
through the air with such force, it ruptures as it
hits the floor.
If Deckard's fast, Zhora's a blur. As he FIRES, her
foot kicks into his groin, and he doubles up with the
pain of it. He tries for a second shot but she's al-
ready out the door carrying a raincoat.
INT. PASSAGEWAY - NIGHT
Bottom lip between his teeth, Deckard hops out of the
dressing room in time to see her go through the door at
the other end of the hall.
It hurts to move so fast, but he jack-legs after her,
arrives at the door and flings it open. Blackness.
The SOUND OF HER HIGH HEELS CLATTER down the metal
steps.
EXT. STREET - OPERA HOUSE - NIGHT
It's RAINING HEAVILY.
The front of the Opera House is open only to foot
traffic these days. A bizarre place on a Friday night,
hawkers and whores, the rabble, the poor and the curi-
ous mill around the crudely built platforms and
brightly lit stands. Zhora, in just a translucent
raincoat, is not out of place in this flea market at-
mosphere. Trying not to run, she slices through the
mob as quickly as she can. Deckard is not far behind,
dodging and side-stepping, trying to move against the
tide of people scurrying for shelter.
She comes to an intersection and turns out of the mall
onto a less crowded street. She glances over her
shoulder as she breaks into a run and runs right into
a couple of pedestrians. All three go down.
Deckard comes out of the crowd in time to spot her get-
ting to her feet. She sees him and runs. The two
pedestrians are in his line of fire. He runs past
them and drops to one knee, leveling his blaster.
DECKARD
Stop or you're dead!
She doesn't.
Deckard OPENS UP, squeezing off two quick misses.
WHAP! The corner of the building disintegrates --
bricks imploding, dust in the air.
FWAAAP! Another miss! A lamppost wrenched with a
tight air implosion. Twisted metal, a breath of smoke.
Deckard FIRES again!
WHUMP! Zhora takes a hit in the back of the head, and
that's it for her except her motor reflexes which keep
her going right into a showcase window.
CRASH! Zhora explodes through a series of plate glass
windows in adjoining shops.
Deckard is trying to pour FIRE through the tunnel of her
jagged wake, but after TWO MISSES his blaster CLICKS
empty, CLICKS empty, CLICKS empty and he watches her
go.
Zhora breaks through one window after another, getting
sliced, already shot, running on reflexes. Glass
sprays like fireworks as she smashes through the last
two windows and into the street. She's going too fast
to stop.
She hits a passing bus so hard she's smeared all over the
side like a mural and the bus squeals to a halt.
The rain has stopped and turned into a quiet DRIZZLE.
WATER GURGLING down the gutters.
Hunched over, breathing hard, Deckard comes slowly
forward. The crowd starting to gather. Something here
for everybody as they're coming from all directions.
Deckard moves through them, ending up to the side of
the bus.
Zhora is wedged on her side, torn, bloody and broken.
All she can move is her eyes -- they dart about like
a wounded animal doomed in a trap and stop on
Deckard.
He's kneeled in the street, stooped low, head cocked at
an awkward angle looking back at her.
In the cramped and dripping darkness her eyes are turn-
ing glassy. The intervals between the FALLING DROPS OF
WATER accentuate the silence until there is no dripping
and even the gurgling gutters have receded into silence
as the life drains out of Zhora's face until it's
frozen, dead.
Deckard's eyes slowly follow the rivulets of blood that
lead over the slope of a blacktop to his shoes. Deckard
tries to repress his wince. His eyes reveal that it's
getting to him. He's aware of the spectators around
him.
Looking up, he sees them moving nervously away from
him with frightened looks.
Then he sees her. Rachael is standing in the crowd
staring at the dead Zhora.
Rachael's face reveals her horror. She looks from Zhora
to Deckard.
Deckard feels her eyes burn into him. He clicks his empty
pistol stupidly. CLICK CLICK.
Lights from a spinner smear over the crowd, sirens whine.
Deckard sees Rachael disappear into the crowd.
Deckard starts to say something but anything he said would
be drowned in siren noise.
Rachael is swallowed up into the crowd near a big sign
(or some other distinctive landmark).
CUT TO
EXT. THE CROWD - NIGHT
Leon and Batty are just faces in the throng of ASIANS
and LATINOS. They too see the body of Zhora.
Batty and Leon look very grim.
They turn their attention to Deckard.
From their point of view they see a pantomime out of ear
shot.... Deckard hastily flashes his badge at arriving
COPS, points to Zhora, gives a couple of instructions and
hurries off, passing under the big sign, leaving the cops
to stare after him with amazement.
Batty and Leon exchange a look. Batty makes a head movement.
Leon heads off toward the big sign.
CUT TO
EXT. STREETS - NIGHT
The tide of STREET PEOPLE moves inexorbaly as Deckard,
like a swimmer, moves through them, eyes busy, searching
for Rachael.
Thinks he sees her.
Shoves his way through the crowd.
Not her.
Looks around in dispair.
Catches sight of her half a block away.
Deckard hurries after her. Calls out.
DECKARD
Rachael. Wait.
Rachael looks back, sees him.
DECKARD
Hold on.
Rachael keeps going.
Deckard is hurrying past the mouth of an alley. Suddenly
he's being hurried into the alley.
DECKARD
Hey.
A big guy is collaring him and hauling him into the alley.
Leon.
CUT TO
EXT. ALLEY NIGHT
A family of SAMOANS look up from their dismal cooking
fire in the alley.
DECKARD
Hey, what the hell, buddy!
The Samoan's faces are blank. They stick by the fire and
express no feelings anout the events in the alley.
Deckard is swept off his feet and twirled around in
Leon's bear-trap embrace.
Leon lets go and Deckard hits the pavement, skidding
hard enough to tear clothes and burn skin, but he
rolls out of it and comes up with gun in hand; but Leon
is so fast he's already there and kicks it out of his
hand.
Leon moves towards him, backing Deckard against the
wall.
LEON
How come you knew where Zhora was
so quick?
His hand is like lightning. It shoots out, grabs Deckard's
hair.
DECKARD
I showed pictures. Somebody
recognized her. I went to see.
Deckard is pale. The sweat is starting to run.
LEON
How old am I?
DECKARD
I don't know.
The grip tightens and twists.
LEON
My birthday is April 10, 2017.
How long do I live?
DECKARD
Four years.
He lets go.
LEON
More than you.
Deckard's knees come up fast, but Leon's fist comes down
faster, like a hammer.
LEON
Painful to live in fear, isn't it.
Deckard is doubled over, hugging his thigh.
LEON
But that's how it is to be a slave.
The future is sealed off, he
grovels, he waits.
Even hurt, Deckard is fast. He goes for his ankle gun,
but Leon's got it out of his hand before he can even
raise it and throws it down the alley.
Deckard hurls forward, knocking him off balance, and
scrambles to get away. Leon grabs him by the foot,
drags him back and jerks him off the ground.
LEON
Sex, reproduction, security, the
simple things. But no way to
satisfy them. To be homesick
with no place to go. Potential
with no way to use it. Lots of
little oversights in the Nexus
Six.
He slams Deckard into the wall.
LEON
I tell you, nothing is worse than
having an itch you can never scratch.
Deckard slides down the wall to his knees and huddles
protecting his head with his arms, waiting for the
next one.
DECKARD
I agree with you.
Leon folds his big hands together and raises them over
his head, pausing just a second to savor the satisfac-
tion of smashing Deckard's skull.
LEON
Too late. Your mistake.
The spasm that runs through Leon's face is not from
satisfaction. It's the bullet that went through his
neck. He hits the ground hard, his big teeth biting
the air like a rabid dog. Dead.
Deckard has slumped to the ground where he sits propped
into a sitting position by the wall, staring up in
amazement at his deliverer.
He sees Rachael standing there with his blaster,
Rachael is staring at the body of Leon, stunned and
shaken at what she has done.
Deckard looks up at her, his eyes swollen into slits,
his mouth and nose bloody. He sees how shaken she is.
Rachael turns and looks at him. Their eyes meet.
She drops the blaster.
Deckard gets painfully to his feet, picks up the
blaster and starts to reload it. He doesn't make the
same mistake twice. He glances at her.
Again their eyes meet.
CUT TO:
EXT. 42ND STREET - 20 MINUTES LATER
It's the 42nd Street of the future, a garish, wicked
place.
Deckard and Rachaek are walking together, almost
zombies.
Deckard is only a little less bloody and a lot more
swollen.
Rachael looks stoned on the horror of the killing.
DECKARD
There's only one thing that works
on cuts and bruises and long nights.
She looks at him blankly.
CUT TO:
EXT. KIOSK - MOMENTS LATER
It's a grimy little tienda with a counter right on the
sidewalk and shelves crammed with dusty bottles,
bright packs of cigarettes, old magazines and assorted
junk. The SALESLADY wears an eyepatch and a sharp look
in her good eye.
Deckard and Rachael are facing her.
DECKARD
Tsing Tao.
The Saleslady tries to hand Deckard a half pint but he
shakes his head and points and she produces a fifth.
Deckard is paying when he feels a tap on his shoulder.
He turns and sees Gaff leering at him.
Not what Deckard expected or wanted. His eyes flicker
a warning in Rachael's direction.
Rachael is standing in the flow of pedestrians, Asians,
Mexicans and Indians. She has already seen Gaff and
she gets the message in Deckard's eyes and allows her-
self to drift away, part of the stream of humanity
moving down the sidewalk.
But Gaff's sharp eyes have picked up Deckard's look
and he glances.
What Gaff sees is the back of a woman's head in the
crowd.
Gaff looks back at Deckard and makes a head movement
indicating the vehicle at the curb.
It's a spinner and Bryant is grinning at the window,
chewing on a heater.
BRYANT
Christ, Deckard, ya look almost as
bad as that tit job ya left under
the bus. Almost.
Deckard walks over to the spinner.
Gaff is looking down the street, trying to make out the
Caucasian woman disappearing in the crowd.
DECKARD
You get the call on the big one?
BRYANT
Bet your ass. Two in one night,
you're the same old shitstorm,
aren't ya?
(to Gaff)
You could learn from this guy,
Gaff. A goddamn one-man slaughter
squad, that's what he is, a real
shitstorm.
Gaff has to smile and nod politely, that's his job.
Deckard has followed Bryant's beady gaze to the obvious
bottle he's holding in the paper bag.
DECKARD
I'm going home.
BRYANT
Home! A killer like you! I
figured you'd be up all night
slaughtering phonies. Four to
go, thought you'd just leave
'em dead in the alleys for us
to pick up. Haw! Haw! Come on,
Gaff.
DECKARD
Three. There's three to go.
BRYANT
Huh?
DECKARD
There's three left.
BRYANT
Four. That tit job you vee kayed
at the Tyrell Corp... disappeared.
She didn't even know she was skin
till you put the machine on her.
Some kinda brain plant, says Tyrell.
Deckard has already noticed that Gaff is looking down
the street in the direction Rachael went.
Gaff feels Deckard's eyes, turns and leers cheerfully
at Deckard. Deckard meets the look... an ominous
exchange.
BRYANT
Come on, Gaff.
(to Deckard)
Drink a couple for me, pal.
CUT TO:
INT. DECKARD'S KITCHEN - NIGHT
Deckard is about to swig some Tsing Tao for Bryant.
He puts the glass to his lip and the lip, caked with
dry blood and swollen, splits again and blood gushes
into the clear liquid in the glass.
Deckard stares at the bloodstained drink ruefully, then
takes a thirsty gulp and licks his bleeding lip.
The ice in Rachael's glass is RATTLING. She's standing
only a few feet away, half eaten by shadows, her eyes
blank with shock.
The reason the ice is rattling is because her hand is
shaking.
You can hear the CLOCK TICKING in the living room.
DECKARD
Me too.
Rachael frowns and looks at him. What ?
DECKARD
I get 'em bad. It's part of the
business.
Deckard holds out his hands. They're shaking.
Rachael gives Deckard a long hard look.
RACHAEL
I'm not in the business.
Deckard meets her look, understands he cannot comfort
her so easy, she will not be one of the boys with him.
RACHAEL
I am the business.
She is grim and angry and shaking.
You can hear the clock TICKING.
CUT TO
INT. DECKARD'S BATHROOM - NIGHT
SPLASH. Deckard sticks his head in the sink full of
water and the water turns crimson.
He lifts his face out of the water, dripping and gropes
for a towel, wipes water blindly from his face.
INT. DECKARD'S LIVING ROOM - NIGHT
Rachael is in the foreground shadows, a drink in her hand.
She's watching Deckard who is washing his face in the
bathroom,framed by the open door. You get the
Deckard in the background, goes on drying. He's naked
except for a towel around his waist.
Rachael takes a drink. Her face is enigmatic. She's
watching.
Deckard is unaware of her eyes on the back of his neck.
She's looking at the ripple of muscle around his
shoulders.
CUT TO
INT. DECKARD'S BATHROOM A FEW MINUTES LATER
Deckard is standing in front of the mirror. He's
staunched the bleeding lip and now he's studying it.
The rustle of silk.
Rachael appears in the doorway of the bathroom, drink
in hand.
Deckard doesn't acknowledge her presence.
There is a long silence. She sees the muscle ripple in
his naked back. Hard body. Scars of old wounds.
RACHAEL
What if I go North...
disappeared ?
Deckard gives her a look, turns back to the mirror.
Puts a towel over his head.
RACHAEL
Would you come hunting. ?
Rachael waits a long tense moment for an answer.
DECKARD
No.
Deckard waits before he lets it out.
DECKARD
I guess I owe you.
Deckard turns and brushes past her so she has to
step back.
DECKARD
But somebody will.
INT. BEDROOM (NIGHT)
Deckard is sitting on the bed, wasted, still in his
towel, clean white bandages on his face. He touches his
lip gently.
He can hear the clock ticking and then the whisper of her
stockings as she approaches the bedroom from the hallway.
He hears her stop, lost in the shadows beyond the door.
A pause then her voice.
RACHAEL (OS)
The file on me.. the incept date,
the longevity, the psycho-program,
those things.....
Her voice hesitates, stops. Deckard sits there as the
clock ticks for a long moment.
In the corridor, lost in shadows, Rachael is working up
the nerve to ask.
DECKARD
Yeah ?
In the shadows Rachael takes a deep breath.
RACHAEL
You saw them?
Deckard, exhausted stares absently into space.
DECKARD
They're classified.
In the corridor, Rachael persists with effort.
RACHAEL
You're a policeman.
Deckard touches a spot on his forehead, looks at the
wall.
DECKARD
I didn't look at them.
In the hallway, Rachael is hardly breathing.
DECKARD (O.S.)
I didn't want to.
It must come as a tremendous relief to her. She stands
in the shadows, grateful for the smallest favours. She
waits a moment, hearing the clock ticking, hearing the
distant noises of an apartment house, then she speaks
again.
RACHAEL
That test of yours.. The Voight
Kampff test......
She pauses before completing the question. It's a
biggie.
RACHAEL
(continuing)
.... did you ever take it yourself ?
Rachael waits for a long moment in the shadows.
The clock ticks.
No answer.
She moves into the light from the bedroom door and
peers in.
Deckard is lying on the bed, snoring gently.
CUT TO
INT. LIVING ROOM NIGHT
The CLOCK IS LOUDER in the living room.
Rachael walks through the shadowy room lit by a single
lamp.
She sees a picture of Deckard's wife and son on a
table.
She looks at it for a long moment as though she might
be jealous.
She sees a picture on top of the piano.
A picture of a little boy and his father in fishing
clothes, each holding a pole, the boy proudly display-
ing a single under-sized fish, the hint of a smile on
the father's face.
She looks at the sheet music on the piano, Chopin.
She stands close to the keys and starts to play. She
makes a mistake almost immedaitely. She sits and
starts again and she is just a hair tentative, but
there's no mistake... the feeling, the rhythm, the
beauty of the music. It fills the whole apartment.
CUT TO:
INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT
Deckard is snoring peacefully as the MUSIC ebbs and
flows.
CUT TO:
INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT
Rachael is lost in the music, her face a mask.
INT. CITYSCAPE DAWN
An ugly day is beginning to an eerie distortion of CHOPIN
CUT TO
EXT. SEBASTIAN'S APARTMENT - DAWN
Nasty MUSIC a dismal looking building.
Do we see strange figures in overcoats from a distance.
INT. SEBASTIAN'S BUILDING - DAWN
A shark's POV of the stairways, hallways, the one's we'll
see later a shark's POV gliding along the hall towards
Sebastian's apartment. Chopin the ax murderer!
INT. SEBASTIAN'S APARTMENT - DAWN
Pris is filling the hours of insomniacal boredom by
experimenting with her make up. A bleached white face
and black ringed eyes. A sexual waif. A savage doll.
She gets up and starts exploring the rooms.
INT. WEDDING DRESS ROOM - DAWN
She wanders into a large room filled with mannequins
dressed in dusty ball gowns.
She wanders around wistfully, full of curiosity. She picks
out one of the dresses puts it on and stands there, the
mannequins surrounding her like a family tableau.
INT. SEBASTIAN LABORATORY - DAWN
Sebastian is asleep, Kaiser Wilhelm his mouth clamped open
is propped up next to him.
Pris wanders in, studying the array of his equipment. She
puts her eye to the steroscope near Sebastian. It reveals
a world of rare beauty. Landscapes, mountains etc.
She touches a button, a blue flash erupts.
PRIS
Oh!
Sebastian is awakened.
SEBASTIAN
Whatcha doin'.
PRIS
I'm sorry, just peeking.
SEBASTIAN
Oh.
Transfixed, Sebastian stares at her. If an improvement is
possible, she looks even better now. Older and even sexier.
SEBASTIAN
You look better.
PRIS
Just better.
SEBASTIAN
(blushing)
Well... beautiful.
PRIS
Thanks.
As they are talking, Batty enters the room.
Pris sees him but does not register anything on her face.
Sebastian does not hear or see him.
Pris studies Sebastian for a moment.
PRIS
How old are you ?
SEBASTIAN
Twenty.
PRIS
What's your problem?
SEBASTIAN
Methuselah Syndrome.
PRIS
What's that's?
SEBASTIAN
My glands. They grow old too fast.
PRIS
Is that why you're still on earth?
SEBASTIAN
Yeah. Couldn't pass the medical. Anyway
I kinda like it here.
A moment.
PRIS
And I like you just the way you are.
Hi Roy.
Sebastian whips round. He is flanked a hair's breath away
by Batty. The shock almost knocks him off his chair.
PRIS
This is my friend I was
telling you about.
Batty smiles benevolently.
PRIS
Roy, this is my saviour, J.F. Sebastian.
There is a long silence whilst everyone stares at each
other.
BATTY
Can't thank you enough, Mr. Sebastian.
Sebastian, still uneasy begins to smile.
BATTY
You certainly have a nice place.
BATTY looks around admiringly. Sebastian mumbles some-
thing that sounds like "Thank you".
PRIS
Sebastian doesn't go out too much.
BATTY
I like a man who stays put. An admirable
thing to be able to sustain yourself
in these times. You live here all by
yourself, do you ?
SEBASTIAN
Yes....
(after a moment)
How about some breakfast, I was just
going to make some.
CUT TO
INT DECKARD'S BEDROOM - MORNING
Deckard wakes up groggily. His face hurts. He touches
the puffy purple bruises. He touches the lip and winces.
He looks around stupid with sleep, orienting himself.
He sits up... tries to remember. Was she here ? Were they
talking ? He must have dozed off. He gets up laboriously,
painfully and limps out of the bedroom still in yesterday's
clothes.
CUT TO
INT. DECKARD'S LIVING ROOM MORNING
Rachael is sitting stone silent at the piano, staring at a
picture of Deckard and his Father above the keyboard.
Shadows brush across her, then Deckard is there, close to
her, looking to see what's got her attention.
DECKARD
Me and my Dad.
RACHAEL
Do you love him?
DECKARD
He's dead.
Rachael indicates the picture of Deckard's wife.
DECKARD
Wife.
RACHAEL
Do you love her ?
DECKARD
She left me.
(pause)
Went offworld.
Wanted the good life.
RACHAEL
You didn't?
Deckard changes the subject.
DECKARD
I dreamt music.
Rachael answers his comment by touching the keys and