Screenplay: INDIANA JONES and the SONS OF DARKNESSGo to the bottom of the text. INDIANA JONES AND THE SONS OF DARKNESS SCREENPLAY BY: JEFFREY BOAM STORY BY: GEORGE LUCAS TM & (c) 1996 by Lucasfilm Ltd. Working draft NOT FOR REPRODUCTION "INDY IV" FROM THE PARAMOUNT LOGO MATCH DISSOLVE TO: A mound of sand which resembles the Paramount Logo's mountain peak. On the mound's summit, a CHILD'S BRONZE-SKINNED HAND sets down a crudely fashioned toy ship. WIDE - A DESERT WASTELAND CAMP 3 BEDOUIN TEENAGERS are performing before a small audience made up of BEDOUIN YOUNGSTERS: the first teenager, a boy, is imitating an elephant; the second teenager, a girl, is pretending she is a lion; and the third teenager, a boy again, is acting like a donkey. There is CLAPPING and LAUGHTER as the teens parade around the waist high sand pile making SOUNDS akin to their particular animal. MAIN TITLES BEGIN. EXT. NORTHWESTERN SHORE OF THE DEAD SEA - WIDE PANORAMA - DAY Heat-rippled air is distorting far off figures: BEDOUIN SHEPHERDS who steer their herd of rams leisurely along the rocky shore. DISSOLVE TO: EXT. ROCKY SHORE - DAY Set against the Judaean rust colored hills, THE SHEPHERDS, 3, keep the herd moving steadily along. The train of rams is kicking up a veil of dust as their hooves CLACK intermittently on the loose rocks and stones. AT THE REAR, shepherd #3, a bronze-skinned BEDOUIN BOY, uses his goad to urge an unruly ram back into the procession. The BOY grows impatient as the animal refuses to cooperate. AT THE FRONT, shepherds #1 and #2, THE ELDERS, have themselves a big laugh at the boy's expense. The resentful BOY whacks the RAM'S DERRIERE with his goad! The startled animal BLEATS NOISILY and takes off running. THE ELDERS SWEAR at the boy in ARABIC and order him to chase after the ram. EXT. ARID WATERCOURSE/CANYON - ESTABLISHING SHOT - DAY A HIGH VANTAGE POINT shows us the steep rocky cliffs which form a U around the dry-bed watercourse. The runaway ram has made the mistake of entering what amounts to a dead end canyon. EXT. CANYON - FURTHER IN The runaway ram scampers past. The BOY is not far behind, kicking up sand and pebbles as he chases after the ram. EXT. CANYON - DEAD END The BOY comes shooting around a bend and finds the ram pacing back and forth, cornered by the canyon's dead end. The BOY slowly approaches the jittery beast. Now the BOY is within pouncing distance; he gets ready to leap. He does -- at which point the tricky ram side-steps and THE BOY LANDS FACE FIRST IN THE DIRT! The BOY spits out sand as he gets to his feet. Now the BOY grows uneasy at the sight of the ram charging up the rear cliff face, taking the steep grade in leaps and bounds; then the BOY is alarmed as the animal vanishes from sight behind the jagged rocks high above. EXT. HIGH UP ON THE CLIFF - NARROW LEDGE - DAY The BOY POPS UP from behind the ledge, out of breath. Immediately his eyes widen. The BOY works himself up onto the narrow ledge -- AND MARVELS AT THE BLACK OPENING TO A CAVERN. The BOY looks high and low but doesn't see the ram anywhere. Now come the ram's ECHOING BLEATS, deep within the darkness of the cavern. The BOY, nervous, steps in closer to the opening -- the gaping dark mouth doesn't look very inviting. The BOY picks up a lose stone and chucks it hard and deep into the shadowy maw. To the BOY'S amazement return the distant shattering SOUNDS of pottery! INT. JUST INSIDE THE CAVERN IT IS DARK. The BOY fishes out his trusty Zippo lighter from a leather shoulder pouch and flicks it to life. The weak orange light shallowly penetrates the dark. INT. BACK WALL OF CAVERN - JUST AFTER The BOY eases his way along, holding the Zippo like a torch. The flickering light shines on the ram ... it is squatting serenely on the rear floor of the cavern. The animal is strangely unfazed by the BOY'S appearance. Now the Zippo's light shines on -- A COLLECTION OF DUSTY CLAY JARS. All 12 of the jars are intact except for one which is broken open. The stone the BOY fired into the cavern minutes ago lies among the shattered pieces. The BOY crouches down to the smashed open jar and, captivated, gently pulls out -- A FOOT-LONG, CYLINDRICAL OBJECT. THE ROLLED OBJECT IS SOFT TO THE TOUCH, LIKE LEATHER. (TITLES END) SHARPLY CUT TO: EXT. A DESERT AIRSTRIP - DAY As a tri propeller-driven Breda-Zappata ROARS IN and touches down on the sunbaked tarmac -- the action is so sudden it makes us jump! EXT. THE DESERT AIRSTRIP - PARKED PLANE - JUST AFTER A legend on the screen reads: JORDAN - 1947 The plane's door is pushed open wide -- and INDIANA JONES, presentably dressed in a three-piece-suit, steps out into the blazing sunlight and hurries down the universal stairs. INDY is greeted on the ground by MR. LOT, a clean-cut, Jordanian government official. They shake hands. MR. LOT Doctor Jones, welcome to Jordan. MR. LOT escorts INDY toward an OFFICIAL GOVERNMENT JEEP. The conversation is charged with childlike excitement and great anticipation. INDY The scrolls -- how many have been found? MR. LOT After you are settled in at the -- INDY If it's all the same to you, Mr. Lot, I'd rather go straight to the sight. MR. LOT (amused) Of course. CUT TO: EXT. REAR OF DEAD END CANYON - THE EXCAVATION CAMP - DAY INDY and MR. LOT move quickly through the encampment. The famous archaeologist is now fitted in hiking boots and workmen gloves; naturally, they clash with his three-piece suit. A nearby GAS-POWERED GENERATOR, the awful NOISE it produces, makes conversation futile. BEDOUIN WORKMEN are busy with odd-jobs/tasks/chores. The camp is situated at the base of the rear cliff, below the cavern. INDY looks up. A sturdy wooden platform, metal struts reinforcing it, is anchored to the cliff face; it extends out from the natural rock ledge, making access to the cavern much easier. You get to the cavern via a solid basket elevator operated by motorised winch. EXT. THE CAVERN - ON THE WOODEN PLATFORM - JUST AFTER THE BASKET ELEVATOR RISES UP INTO VIEW. The generator's NOISE is less intrusive up here. Conversation, however, is difficult. INDY and MR. LOT climb out of the basket and step toward the opening: MR. LOT I must -- (louder) I MUST WARN YOU, DOCTOR -- THOUGH I'M SURE IT WON'T SURPRISE YOU -- WE'VE HAD OUR SHARE OF DEATH THREATS SINCE EXCAVATION STARTED A FEW DAYS AGO. INDY WHO? MR. LOT THEY CALL THEMSELVES "THE SONS OF LIGHT." INDY YES ... I'VE HEARD OF THEM. HOLD on INDY'S face. Thoughtful. INT. DEEPER INTO THE CAVERN - NARROW PASSAGEWAY - JUST AFTER A series of bulb fixtures, being fed by a SINGLE ELECTRICAL CABLE anchored to the rock ceiling above, runs the full length of the cavern and provides enough light for INDY and MR. LOT to navigate the narrow passageway. The generator's NOISE isn't so prevalent this far in. MR. LOT Fortunately the scrolls have been preserved by the region's extreme aridity. (MORE) MR. LOT CONT. We've dated them using a new technique developed by Professor Willard Libby, University of Chicago: radiocarbon dating. The scrolls date to approximately 200 B.C. Almost two millennia ago, Doctor. INT. REAR ALCOVE OF CAVERN - NOW A MAKESHIFT EXAMINATION ROOM - JUST AFTER INDY and MR. LOT are standing behind a SCROLL SPECIALIST who is seated at a simple work station. INDY looks over the specialist's shoulder. The old jewish scholar is handling a PAPYRUS MANUSCRIPT with almost superhuman patience and care. INDY beams. MR. LOT From preliminary transcribing, we know the scrolls include manuals of discipline, hymnbooks, Biblical commentaries, and apocalyptic writings. INDY notes the ancient hand writing. INDY Biblical Hebrew. I'm afraid it's not one of my better known languages. What's that passage he's transcribing? MR. LOT leans in and reads the ancient writing over the specialist's shoulder. MR. LOT Very interesting ... the Book of Genesis ... 8:4 to be precise. INDY (quoting; automatic) "And the Ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat." MR. LOT (impressed) You know your Bible, Doctor. INDY (wryly) Pushy father. EXT. OUTSIDE THE CAVERN - BACK ON THE WOODEN PLATFORM - DAY INDY and LOT emerge from the cavern and shield their eyes from the intense sunlight. The generator's NOISE is prominent once again. MR. LOT (shouting) THE DEPARTMENT WILL SOON BEGIN EXCAVATING THE REMAINING CAVES IN THIS AREA. INDY THAT'S GREAT! WHAT ARE THE CHANCES OF GETTING ME ON ONE OF THE EXCAVATION TEAMS? As INDY is asking that a CREEPY BEDOUIN WORKER, eyeing the men out the corner of his eye, sets down a load of coiled rope and then surreptitiously draws a GLEAMING DAGGER FROM THE FOLDS OF HIS GARMENTS! MR. LOT DOCTOR, WITH YOUR REPUTATION I'M CERTAIN THE DEPARTMENT WILL WELCOME -- Suddenly MR. LOT gasps! He quickly falls away -- LOT'S FACE IS REPLACED BY THE CREEPY BEDOUIN'S SNARLING MUG. THE DAGGER CLUTCHED IN HIS HAND IS SMEARED WITH LOT'S BLOOD. INDY stumbles backwards. CREEPY starts toward INDY menacingly, the dagger up, its metal blade catching the sunlight. INDY blinks as the reflected sunlight stings his eyes. INDY STEPS BACKWARD off the wooden platform and onto the natural cliff ledge. NOW TWO MORE NASTY BEDOUINS DROP IN FROM THE CLIFF FACE ABOVE THE CAVERN. Call them SPOOKY and SCARY. INDY puts out his hands as a show of peace. He speaks in ARABIC: INDY (*subtitled*) I MEAN YOU NO HARM. SHHHINK! SPOOKY and SCARY whip out daggers of their own! INDY (*subtitled*) NO HARM! NO HARM! (grumbling) Not working! (shouting) HEY! SOMEBODY! I GOT A BIG PROBLEM HERE! DOWN IN THE CAMP, NO ONE CAN HEAR INDY OVER THE GENERATOR'S AWFUL RACKET. BACK ON THE LEDGE, the dagger trio are advancing. INDY glances quickly over his shoulder. He's not at all surprised by what he sees: HE IS RUNNING OUT OF LEDGE. IT'S JUST A FEW MORE STEPS TO THE EDGE AND THEN IT'S A 30 FOOT DROP STRAIGHT DOWN! INDY quickly takes inventory: he looks up -- no good -- sheer rocks above -- the basket elevator -- nope, too far away. Uh-huh, it appears our hero is trapped! INDY scowls! Then INDY spots a rope at his feet -- not a rope -- a black cable. IT'S A THICK ELECTRICAL CABLE. The same one we saw anchored along the ceiling inside the cavern -- WE DROP QUICKLY ALONG THE CABLE ... ALL THE WAY DOWN THE CLIFF FACE TO SEE: THAT THE CABLE IS ATTACHED TO THE NOISY GENERATOR. Also: THE CABLE IS RUNNING IN BETWEEN SCARY'S FEET. INDY snatches up the cable lightning fast and yanks hard on it. The cable snaps up -- OUCH! SCARY cups his crotch, eyes rolling back in their sockets. SCARY drops like a tone of bricks -- out cold. One down. Two to go. Suddenly SPOOKY belts out a BATTLE CRY and charges at INDY. SPOOKY tackles our surprised hero -- THEY BOTH LEAVE THE LEDGE AND SAIL OUT INTO SPACE! WHILE IN MID- AIR, OUR FAST THINKING HERO LOCKS HIS GLOVED HANDS AROUND THE CABLE WHICH HE STILL HAS HOLD OF. At the same time SPOOKY locks his ARMS and LEGS around INDY like a vicious monkey! FLASH SHOT -- INSIDE THE CAVERN -- as the men's combined weight on the electrical cable yank it loose, popping the rivets one by one, all along the cavern ceiling -- BACK OUTSIDE: INDY -- his clinging monkey with him -- is falling fast on the lengthening cable. Suddenly the cable SNAPS TAUT and INDY is violently jerked to a stop in mid-air. INDY smacks the cliff face hard, cringing grotesquely. Immediately INDY'S hands start to SLIP on the cable. His weight combined with that of the clinging attacker's is too much! INDY plants his BOOTS on the jagged rocks and that lessens the strain. He SNAKES an arm around the cable and that gives him the needed leverage. NOW WE SEE INDY IS SOME 30FT UP. AND FAR BELOW -- IS THAT NOISY GENERATOR. BACK TO INDY -- as SPOOKY, his arms and legs like vices, bounces up and down, trying to pull INDY off the cable. INDY tries to shake the lunatic, as: ON THE LEDGE ABOVE, CREEPY shouts down in HEBREW: CREEPY (*subtitled*) SHALEM, HOLD TIGHT! Shouting back -- SPOOKY (*subtitled*) CUT THE CABLE! DO IT NOW -- WITH HASTE! FOR I WILL GLADLY DIE FOR HE WHO IS GOOD! At which point SPOOKY looks straight into INDY'S eyes. Our steel-nerved archaeologist is chilled to the bone. SPOOKY (*subtitled*) (at the top of his lungs) PRAISE THE SONS OF LIGHT! AND DAMN THE SONS OF DARKNESS TO ETERNAL SUFFERING! With that SPOOKY does the unthinkable -- HE LETS GO! INDY, spooked, watches the man plunge silently to his death. SOUND: THUD! INDY grimaces and looks away. UP ABOVE, CREEPY IS NOW PREPARING TO CUT THE CABLE WITH HIS DAGGER. DOWN BELOW, INDY is suddenly struck with a bad feeling. INDY quickly secures HANDHOLDS in the rocks and releases the cable -- just in time! As, UP ABOVE, CREEPY is slicing through the electrical cable and receives one hell of a SHOCK for his trouble! INSIDE THE CAVE, as the bulbs explode in their fixtures -- POP! POP! POP! The SCROLL SPECIALIST working here is startled out of his seat. THE CUT CABLE SPITS SPARKS, WHOOSHING DOWN PAST OUR CLIFF HUGGING HERO. THE GROUND BELOW, as the heavy cable pummels the generator's housing, collecting like a string of falling spaghetti; then as the cable plops into the dirt a tangled mess, the live end flip- flopping like a snake set on fire. BACK TO INDY, as he adjusts for a better grip -- and almost plummets to his death when the ROCKS BENEATH HIS BOOTS break off from too much weight! FALLING SHALE AND ROCK CHUNKS RAIN DOWN, CLUNKING ON THE GENERATOR'S METAL HOUSING. HEAR THAT: IT'S STILL RUNNING. BACK TO CREEPY, on his feet now, feeling sluggish, his head buzzing. He shakes it off quickly and looks down over the ledge. CREEPY CURSES -- that hat wearing fool is still alive! CREEPY looks around desperately. He spots the perfect thing and shakes with demented glee. JUMP AHEAD A BIT IN TIME -- AT THE EDGE, CREEPY sets down a LARGE WATERTANK ON TIRES. CREEPY works the tank's over-sized tap so that it is in line with INDY'S head below. CREEPY starts to vigorously prime the handpump. Water belches out ... sputters ... now water gushes from the tap. The heavy flow cascades down the cliff face -- A STRANGE SOUND ... ? INDY looks up -- AND WATER SPLASHES DOWN ALL OVER HIS FACE! INDY coughs and gags. Hangs on. CREEPY jumps up and down, clapping his hands. INDY is getting drenched. The rocks which he clings to are turning slick, very slippery. CREEPY is reaching for the hand pump again when A VOICE (shouts in ARABIC) YOU! WHAT'S GOING ON! CREEPY whirls around. The SCROLL SPECIALIST has just emerged from the cavern. But before he can say another word, there is a flash of metal -- THEN THOOP! THE SPECIALIST NOW HAS A DAGGER PROTRUDING FROM HIS CHEST! The old man falls back, dead. CREEPY scurries over to the body and reclaims his trusty dagger. CREEPY, back at the watertank, is pumping again. Water just trickles from the tap. CREEPY growls! A BOOT SLIPS -- SQUEAK! INDY resets it. Yup, the dripping-wet adventurer is looking pretty hopeless right about now. ANOTHER STRANGE SOUND -- PITTER-PATTER -- SMALL OBJECTS ARE FALLING ON INDY'S HAT! SAND AND PEBBLES ARE THE OBJECTS! Shiver me timbers, CREEPY is struggling with the bulky watertank ... and by the looks of it, he's determined to push it off the ledge! The front legs (like those on a wheel-barrel) are scraping off sand and pebbles from the ledge -- INDY risks it and looks up. SAND MIXED WITH PEBBLES POURS DOWN ALL OVER HIS FACE. INDY spits -- YUCK! PIT-TU! IT HAPPENS: gravity pulls the teetering watertank off the ledge. The cast iron drum/support trailer falls fast toward INDY -- But it SLAMS into protruding rocks overhead and starts to break apart -- WHOOSH! The banged-up watertank flashes downward past INDY, just missing him by a few feet! BELOW, the watertank impacts on the ground with a CRUNCH, just missing the running generator by a few feet! ABOVE, CREEPY CURSES -- he can't seem to get a break! ABRUPTLY CUT TO: CREEPY as he snatches up a coiled rope from the pile he unloaded earlier. Now CREEPY is at an outcropping of rock, tying the rope off. Now CREEPY is back at the ledge, dropping the coiled rope over the side. The rope DROPS IN -- a good ten feet off to the side -- out of INDY's reach. Our precariously situated archaeologist snaps a look up and sees that his nightmare isn't over! The dagger clamped between his teeth, CREEPY takes hold of the rope and starts to scale down the cliffside. CREEPY DROPS IN, just ten feet separating him from his prey. INDY sights a handhold and pulls himself up, expanding the distance between himself and CREEPY even more. INDY works his BOOT into a crevice -- but again his weight is too much. BIG CHUNKS OF ROCK BREAK FREE! Slabs of heavy limestone pummel the noisy generator -- AND SPLIT OPEN THE GAS DRUM! Gasoline GURGLES out and splashes very close to the cut electrical cable -- WHICH IS STILL SPITTING SPARKS! BACK TO CREEPY as he pushes off the cliff face, swings out on the rope and, with his feet, braces for the impact. He LANDS on the cliff face with a grunt. That did it. CREEPY is now within arm's reach. INDY, defenceless, is situated up a bit and to the left. One hand on the rope -- the other clutching the dagger -- CREEPY lashes out at INDY! The blade CLINKS on the rocks, slicing past INDY'S BOOT. Jerking away fast causes INDY to SLIP on the wet rocks. But he quickly regains his footing -- PHEW! DOWN BELOW, THE INEVITABLE HAPPENS: THE LIVE CABLE IGNITES THE GASOLINE. FLAMES RISE UP AND ENGULF THE GENERATOR. But what's this? No explosion -- ! CREEPY lashes out and misses again, but does catch INDY'S PANT LEG. A long tattered incision opens up; the pink flesh of INDY'S shin peeks out. THE REACTION ON INDY'S FACE IS PRICELESS! ON THE GROUND, the fire engulfed generator is, surprisingly, in one piece still! Another surprise now as the FRAME ADJUSTS quickly -- AND REVEALS A ROW OF GASOLINE CANS SQUATTING CLOSE TO THE CRACKLING BLAZE! INDY, desperate, breaks off a chunk of limestone and fires it at CREEPY! The brick-size chunk HITS CREEPY IN THE FACE! The zealot is dazed just slightly -- and worse he didn't let go of the rope! INDY can't believe it. He can't believe this either: CREEPY is doing something desperate himself. He is just about to throw his dagger! He has it by the tip -- he looks evil -- and there goes his hand ... back ... back ... back KAH-BOOM! At once, the men both look down and gasp at A HUGE ORANGE FIRE BALL SHOOTING UP TOWARD THEM! INDY hugs the cliff face for dear life -- AS THE FIRE BALL'S MUSHROOM OF DEATH ROARS UP TO FILL THE SCREEN. A TORTURED, HIGH-PITCHED SHRIEK CHILLS OUR SPINE -- EEEEEAAAAA! HIS BODY ALL ABLAZE -- CREEPY IS SEARED OFF THE ROPE AND PLUNGES TO HIS DEATH. The fire and smoke start to dissipate... INDY materialises slowly -- he's alive! But how can that be? INDY lets us in on how by patting himself down. Of course, his water-soaked clothes. Fortuitous fire-proofing. INDY lets out a big breath, happy to be alive. He looks down at CREEPY'S charred remains far below ... Well that's enough hanging around. INDY reaches out to the singed rope and grabs it easily. He tests it's strength. Feels secure enough. Slowly, INDY starts the climb up to safety. CUT TO: EXT. DOWNTOWN AMMAN, JORDAN - DAY A four star hotel rises from the street TEEMING with activity. INT. ELEGANT LOBBY OF THE FOUR STAR HOTEL - DAY INDY limps up to the front desk, his suit grime-soiled and torn, his face mud caked. INDY Doctor Henry Jones checking in. The DESK MANAGER chokes back a shriek, startled by INDY'S foul appearance. DESK MANAGER Allah be merciful -- have you had an accident, Doctor? Do you require medical attention? INDY No, no -- nothing a hot shower and a couple dozen aspirin won't cure. INT. INDY'S HOTEL SUITE - DAY INDY enters, stiff, wincing painfully at his sore joints and muscles. INT. SUITE BATHROOM - DAY INDY stands bare-chested in front of the mirror. He dabs at his scraps and cuts with a wet face cloth. INDY Getting (yelp) to old for this. KNOCK! KNOCK! INT. HOTEL SUITE - AT THE ENTRANCE INDY opens the door and reveals a: BELLHOP Urgent telegram for you, Doctor Jones. INDY takes the telegram. INDY (with worried frown) Thank you. INDY shuts the door. He opens the telegram and starts to read. INDY'S features start to weigh heavily with pathos. Then as the horrible news hits him, INDY goes numb. The telegram falls from INDY'S limp fingers and lands face up on the carpet. It reads: FROM: DR. GOODWIN, BOSTON MERCY HOSPITAL DEAR MR. JONES, I REGRET TO INFORM YOU THAT COMPLICATIONS IN YOUR FATHER'S CONDITION HAS RESULTED IN HIS PASSING AWAY. YOUR IMMEDIATE RETURN IS REQUESTED. DISSOLVE TO: A TOMBSTONE WHICH READS: HENRY JONES SR. BORN: SEPTEMBER 16, 1872 DIED: SEPTEMBER 16, 1947 BELOVED HUSBAND TO WIFE MARGARET HONOURED FATHER TO SON HENRY EPITAPH: "WHOEVER BELIEVES MAY IN HIM HAVE ETERNAL LIFE" EXT. A BOSTON CEMETERY - OVERCAST DAY A legend appears: BOSTON - ONE YEAR LATER Grey storm clouds loom overhead. INDY is kneeling at his father's grave, a muffin in his hand, set with a single candle. INDY lights the candle with a Zippo. INDY (sombrely) Happy birthday, dad. INDY blows out the candle. DISTANT THUNDER RUMBLES. EXT. BOSTON UNIVERSITY - OVERCAST DAY The stately university is partially visible through the pouring rain. INT. BOSTON UNIVERSITY - THE FACULTY LOUNGE - OVERCAST DAY INDY lounges in a sofa chair, reading the day's newspaper. UP CLOSE ON THE HEADLINE: TRUMAN DISCLOSES: SOVIETS HAVE THE BOMB! BILL HUMPHREY, a highbrow, thirtysomething professor, takes a seat in the sofa chair across from INDY'S. BILL has a hardcover book in his hand. BILL Good afternoon, Jones. INDY lowers the newspaper. Seeing BILL, INDY promptly raises the paper again. INDY (from behind the paper) Same to you, Bill. BILL (perturbed) Jones, please, I've asked you numerous times already to refrain from calling me Bill. My Christian name is William. INDY Sorry, William. I keep forgetting. BILL glances down at the hardcover book he brought. The author's photo on the back jacket is A SCHOLARLY SNAPSHOT OF INDY. BILL I'm enjoying your book ... a bit too laymen for my palette, though. INDY shifts uncomfortably. BILL lights his pipe. Then: BILL You'll be thrilled to know: the University of Cincinnati is assembling an expedition team to explore King Nestor's palace in Greece. My invitation to join came yesterday. INDY (rubbing it in) Got mine three weeks ago, William. BILL Hmmm...appears then we'll both be partaking in what I'm sure will be a rewarding exploration. INDY (lowers the newspaper) I'm not going. BILL isn't surprised. BILL This is a first, Jones. Usually the very mention of the word "expedition" sends you home to pack. INDY All of us can't be traipsing around the planet ... some of us have responsibilities ... schedules ... Minds to enrich. BILL (counterfeit sigh) My, my...I never thought I'd see the day. You know, Jones, I've watched you fossilize over the last year. It saddens me to think you've tossed in your pick. But, as they say, out with the old and in with the new. INDY (standing) Excuse me, Bill. I have to throw up. INDY exits promptly. BILL makes a "how rude" face. He looks down at INDY'S book. The cover reads: THE MODERN ARCHAEOLOGIST - DR. HENRY JONES, JR. BILL'S VOICE The modern archaeologist indeed. MATCH CUT TO: THE SAME BOOK -- INT. A PUBLIC LIBRARY - DAY A LIBRARIAN checks INDY'S BOOK in and places it aside. A PERSON, their arms loaded down with stacked books, walks up to the check out desk ever-so-carefully, their face hidden from us behind the stack of hardcovers. He/she tries to unload the stack but it topples over and SCATTERS books all over the check out counter. The person, A BOY, is revealed. He smiles sheepishly. LIBRARIAN Abner, be careful! ABNER Sorry, Ms. Rothhorn. ABNER is about 11 years old, fit as a fiddle, with sharp eyes and a tongue to match. Collecting the scattered books -- LIBRARIAN You're checking out all of these? ABNER Give that lady a cigar! The librarian shoots ABNER a harsh look. She reads a few of the book titles to herself -- LIBRARIAN "Time of Noah and The Ark", "The Genesis Flood", "The Search For Noah's Ark". (eyeing the boy strangely) Why on earth do you want all these books about Noah's Ark? ABNER (spiritedly) I'm working on a big bible-class project -- for the contest. It's gonna be great. No -- fantastic. Displays, photos, even a model of the ark. What it looks like up there on top of Mount Ararat. First prize is a trip to the holy land: Jerusalem. (cocky) They might as well just gimme the prize now. LIBRARIAN Sounds a little ambitious to me. ABNER Ms. Rothhorn, competition's fierce these days. You gotta go all out. You just gotta. EXT. ABNER'S HOUSE - DAY The sun is shining brightly ... but it was pouring rain a second ago ... a switch in locations perhaps? ABNER rides up to the house on his bike. INT. ABNER'S HOUSE - FRONT DOOR - JUST AFTER ABNER marches inside with his bulging backpack weighing him down. ABNER Mom! I'm home! Mom! Silence. INT. ABNER'S TIDY BEDROOM UPSTAIRS - JUST AFTER ABNER upends his backpack and dumps out the library books onto his bed. He starts to neatly arrange the books on his desk. A BRIEF LOOK AT ABNER'S ROOM: It's well organized. Everything in its place. ABNER is no ordinary kid. ABNER, puzzled, holds up a familiar looking book. IT'S INDY'S BOOK. ABNER Where'd this come from? He glances briefly at the author's photo on the back jacket. ABNER (shrugging it off) Mustta got mixed in. CUT: Now ABNER is at a work table. He pours melted candle wax over sections of a foot-long popsicle stick model of NOAH'S ARK. The ark is painted to look rotted. Jagged holes in the bow and stern add convincingly to the effect. The wax hardens as it cools, adding even greater detail to the model: a simulated layer of ice. ABNER is a crafty one. Squatting on another table is a nearly finished paper-mache MT. ARARAT (just its snow-capped peak has been duplicated). White cotton simulates the snow-cap. A real professional job. PUSH IN SLOWLY ON THE FAKE MT. ARARAT. CUT TO: EXT. THE REAL MOUNT ARARAT, TURKEY - SUN UP A vast aerial view of the mountain as seen from the under belly of an airplane. The snow-capped peaks reach up and threaten to knock us out of the sky. EXT. THE SKY OVER MT. ARARAT A RECONNAISSANCE PLANE banks sharply, letting us see the SOVIET RED STAR insignia on its wing. EXT. SNOW COVERED LOWLANDS, RUSSIA - OVERCAST The lines of a MILITARY AIRFIELD AND OUTPOST are visible behind a veil of blowing snow. UP CLOSE on the outpost sign written in Russian. Its translation appears on the screen: HEADQUARTERS -- SOVIET AIR COMMAND. INT. SOVIET A.C. - MAIN OPERATIONS - OVERCAST The spacious ops. room is brightly lit. A DOZEN AIRMEN man their individual radar screens and communication stations. The RADIO CHATTER is in RUSSIAN. INT. THE COMMANDING OFFICER'S CHAMBER - OVERCAST The name plate on the desk is in Russian. Its translation appears on the screen: CAPT. YUGI VLADIMIROV. VLADIMIROV, built like a bull, sits at his desk, reviewing the day's reports. He is a career military man in his early forties. The many plaques, the framed photos of him with Soviet leaders present and old, tell us that VLADIMIROV is an important man. There's a sharp rap on the chamber door. VLADIMIROV (*subtitled*) (curtly) Enter! A YOUNG LIEUTENANT steps in with an air of urgency about him. YOUNG LIEUTENANT (*subtitled*) Excuse the interruption, comrade Captain. But a routine reconnaissance flight has picked up... And now through the magic of motion pictures the men speak in English (no Russian accents please). YOUNG LIEUTENANT ...has found something I think you should see. The officer places A LARGE AERIAL PHOTO in front of his superior. VLADIMIROV (testily) What am I looking at? YOUNG LIEUTENANT Ariel photo: Mount Ararat. VLADIMIROV Why are you wasting my time with this? YOUNG LIEUTENANT Please, if you will -- He swings over a photo magnifier on a retractable arm. YOUNG LIEUTENANT CONT. The section here. VLADIMIROV reluctantly gives in and adjusts the magnifier. He looks down through the glass at the photo. The area which the anxious officer pointed out is now magnified. YOUNG LIEUTENANT Do you see it, comrade Captain? LOOKING DOWN through the magnifier ourselves, we can make out a RECTANGULAR MASS protruding up through the ice and snow. VLADIMIROV (intrigued now) Yes...something there. YOUNG LIEUTENANT Rectangular -- not a protrusion of rock ... but something else. VLADIMIROV Yes ... too geometrical for mother nature. Strange. What mountain is this? YOUNG LIEUTENANT Mount Ararat, comrade Captain. VLADIMIROV (thoughtfully) Ararat. VLADIMIROV seems elsewhere as he leans back in his chair. YOUNG LIEUTENANT Does something trouble you, comrade Captain? VLADIMIROV (thinking aloud to himself) Can it be... YOUNG LIEUTENANT Beg your pardon, comrade Captain? VLADIMIROV (back on earth) How many have seen this photo? YOUNG LIEUTENANT I brought it directly to you, comrade Captain. You are the first to see it. VLADIMIROV I will take care of it. Is that clear? YOUNG LIEUTENANT Yes, comrade Captain! VLADIMIROV Dismissed. The officer salutes and exits promptly. VLADIMIROV leans in and studies the photo through the magnifier again. A beat. Then VLADIMIROV raises his head and he looks out. He whispers something CRYPTIC in a language which isn't Russian. CUT TO: EXT. ABNER'S HOUSE, STATE SIDE - NIGHT Somewhere inside the house a phone begins to RING. AND RING ... AND RING ABNER'S VOICE (garbled) Ma! Answer the phone! INT. ABNER'S HOUSE - BATHROOM ABNER'S mouth is full of toothpaste; he's right in the middle of brushing his teeth. RING! RING! RING! ABNER MAAAA! He growls and spits out the paste. INT. MOM'S BEDROOM - JUST AFTER ABNER gruffly answers the phone -- ABNER This better be good! Yeah, just hang on a second. She's here somewhere. INT. LIVING ROOM - JUST AFTER ABNER enters and shouts -- ABNER Mom! Phone! Maaaaam! MOM is sprawled out on the couch with her face hidden underneath a pillow. ABNER (sharply) Mom! MOM doesn't answer. ABNER stomps over to the couch. His knee catches on the corner of the coffee table which causes two empty Vodka bottles to CLINK together. ABNER shakes his mother. Again. MOM'S GROANS are muffled through the pillow over her face. ABNER Mom! Phone! Mom! MORE GROANS. ABNER exhales heavily and rolls his eyes. He spins around to go ... but something catches his eye. A SHOEBOX. It is resting on the coffee table, lid off. ABNER looks inside. He REACHES IN and takes out some newspaper clippings. A few of the clippings are accompanied by PHOTOS. ABNER frowns, recognizing the man in the photos. INT. ABNER'S BEDROOM - JUST AFTER ABNER is looking at the PHOTO on the back jacket of INDY'S BOOK. ABNER ... Same guy. ABNER sets the book aside. He has brought the shoebox upstairs with him. Rummaging through it, ABNER finds an UNOPENED ENVELOPE, "Return To Sender" stamped across its front. ABNER tears open the envelope. He reads a HAND WRITTEN LETTER to himself while: MARION'S VOICE RECITES TO US Dear Indy: I feel rotten about keeping him a secret from you for so long. You have a right to know. It was selfish of me to keep him from you all these years. But the truth is, I was scared. Scared you would neglect him. Or worse, he'd want to follow you around the world. I've already lost two men to the lure of archaeology. I didn't want to lose another ... especially my own son. I wanted to spare him the dangers and hardships you and my father experienced. But it's not fair. I know that now. It's not fair to Abner. That's what I've named our son -- (ABNER BLURTS OUT) Son! (MARION'S VOICE CONT.) Indy, you are his father. He needs a father. Please get in touch with me as soon as you can. Love, Marion. ABNER'S mind is racing. In the envelope he finds a PHOTO of himself at age 7. ABNER pulls out from the shoebox a snapshot, faded with age. In the PHOTOGRAPH, smiling with arms around one another, is INDY, MARION and MARION'S FATHER. ABNER, numb, stares down at INDY'S face in the photo. ABNER Dad? (now with delight) Dad! CUT: Now ABNER is pouring through the "ABOUT THE AUTHOR" section of INDY'S BOOK. CUT: Now ABNER is pushing aside tin cans in a kitchen cupboard. He pulls out a coffee can. Inside is some money. Mostly ones and fives. But a few tens and twenties. CUT: Now ABNER is back in his bedroom, taking clothes from his dresser -- shirts, socks, underwear, etc -- and stuffing them into his backpack. Something falls to the floor in the rush. ABNER picks up his PASSPORT. He looks at it thoughtfully. ABNER (nodding to himself) Just might need it. CUT: Now ABNER is ready to go. One last item: INDY'S BOOK. He grabs it off the bed and smiles at INDY'S PHOTO -- ABNER (he can't get over it) I got a dad! CLOSE ON THE JACKET PHOTO OF INDY, AND: MATCH CUT TO: THE REAL FACE OF INDY. At the moment INDY is in the middle of lecturing his class. IT'S DAY. The lecture hall we're in is filled to capacity with UNIVERSITY STUDENTS. INDY ...or is it because we believe that in order to face the future we must first face the past? (beat) But a warning: the past is a hungry animal. It has a voracious appetite. And if you're not careful you will be devoured by it. (beat) For the majority of you archaeology will be a reason to...get out of the house...a simple hobby. But for the unlucky few it will take control of your lives...and before you know it, your search for the past has become... (a bit of realization here) ... a dangerous obsession. INDY looks thoughtful. His STUDENTS sit patiently, waiting for him to resume. INDY glances at the WALL CLOCK. INDY That's all for today. STUDENTS GROAN and START TO EXIT the lecture hall. When the LAST OF THE STUDENTS has filed out INDY sits down at his desk. He looks drained, sad. Now -- A FAMILIAR VOICE Nice speech. INDY, startled slightly, looks up at the back row. ABNER sits in a desk, his backpack in front of him. INDY How'd you get in here? ABNER Through the door. INDY Is that right. Well, my little friend, class is over. So if you don't mind -- ABNER Say, you always this uptight? INDY I'm not uptight. ABNER You coulda fooled me. INDY smirks. INDY Ah, a wiseass? ABNER My mother thinks so. I probably get it from her. Hey, maybe you know my mother? INDY Do I look like the type who would associate with wiseasses? ABNER (irked) You can say what you want about me, buster. But mom's off limits. Got it? INDY Sorry...don't get your feathers in a bunch. Ah, say, is your mother around? I think maybe you should -- ABNER She's back in Vermont. INDY Ah, then you're here with your father? ABNER You could say that. INDY Well, friend, it was nice chatting, but I've got some -- ABNER You wanna know what my mother's name is? Marion. Her name's Marion. INDY Really. ABNER You know a Marion ... right? INDY frowns. INDY Yes ... how'd you know that? ABNER But you haven't seen her in a long time, right? INDY Is this going somewhere, kid? 'Cause if it's not -- ABNER Settle down, Indy. I'm almost done. INDY (shaken) What ... what did you call me? ABNER Indy. It's your name. Isn't it? INDY Nickname. (uneasy) I think maybe we should find your father now, huh? ABNER I already have. INT. CORRIDOR OUTSIDE LECTURE HALL - DAY INDY, shaken up, trips as he comes out into the hall and his papers and books SPILL onto the floor. ABNER runs out after INDY. INDY starts to collect his papers. ABNER has out the PHOTO of INDY, MARION, and MARION'S FATHER. ABNER Look -- there -- that's my mother in the middle. Marion Ravenwood. Guy on the right, that's you. And on the left is my mom's dad. I never met him. Mom said he died. She also said my dad died when I was just a baby. INDY'S and ABNER'S eyes meet briefly. INDY is more flustered than ever now. He rushes away. ABNER chases after INDY. EXT. BOSTON U - FACULTY PARKING LOT - NEAR SUNDOWN INDY, almost running, hurries toward his parked sedan. ABNER trails behind. ABNER I'm not going away, mister. So you might as well get use to me. Spinning around -- INDY No -- I mean it, kid! Beat it! Vamoose! ABNER looks hurt. ABNER (teary eyed) I'm not trying to pull a scam, mister. I just... (snapping) Just forget it! ABNER runs away. INDY salutes the kid "good riddin's." INT. INDY'S SEDAN - JUST AFTER INDY, grumbling ad-libs to himself, slips in behind the wheel. He takes a moment, getting his head straight. He chuckles. INDY Ridiculous! INDY catches his reflection in the REAR-VIEW MIRROR. He looks closely. INDY groans now, bringing a hand to his face. INDY Oh, Marion.... (into rear-view mirror) He's got my eyes. EXT. A RESIDENTIAL STREET - NEAR SUNDOWN ABNER drifts along, head down, shoulders slumped. Car headlights appear behind him. INDY'S sedan pulls over to the curb. INDY (out his window) Hey! I'm on my way to visit someone. How about tagging along? ABNER, sulking, doesn't say anything. INDY Please ... I could use the company. EXT. THE CEMETERY - SUNDOWN INDY and ABNER stand at the foot of Jones senior's grave. ABNER What was he like? INDY Strong. Passionate. Stubborn. INDY turns introspective. ABNER Mr. Jones....how come you didn't contact my mom? The letter I read asked you to get in touch with her. INDY I never got her letter, Abner. ABNER (making sense of it) Letter said "return to sender" on it...did you move or something? INDY Dad and I moved to Boston about 4 years ago. ABNER Mom included a picture of me with the letter...me at 7....that was 4 years ago....you weren't at that address...so I guess the post office returned the letter... (beat) You know what's really sad, Mr. Jones...all these years my mom has hated you...herself...because she thought you sent back the letter. INDY Abner, if I could turn the clock back, I would. We got a lot of catching up to do. An Interruption: VLADIMIROV'S VOICE Doctor Jones? INDY sees a big man in a long overcoat, head topped by a fedora. VLADIMIROV smiles warmly. It makes sense to have VLADIMIROV speak with a Russian accent. So let's have him do so. INDY Yes. Can I help you? VLADIMIROV Please, Doctor, excuse my intrusion. Your secretary said I might find you here. My name is Yugi Vladimirov. I am a captain with the Soviet Airforce. Do you have a moment. I wish to discuss something important with you. INDY This is not a good time. I'm here with my ... son ... we're visiting his grandfather's grave. VLADIMIROV Henry Jones Senior ... yes, I knew of your father. My condolences. But please, Doctor, I will not take up much of your time. What I have to tell you is of great archaeological importance. EXT. THE CEMETERY - JUST AFTER THE SCENE BEGINS CLOSE ON VLADIMIROV'S WALKING FEET ... the souls of his polished shoes ... they appear to be SMOULDERING. Fine wafts of smoke linger behind in his tracks. Also -- but it makes no sense at all -- we hear a distinct SIZZLING sound as his shoes press against the grass. Are we seeing things? INDY and VLADIMIROV walk together, talking: VLADIMIROV This was taken two days ago. An ariel photograph of Mount Ararat. Here, this will help. He hands INDY a magnifier. VLADIMIROV CONT. The section circled in red. Do you see what is there? INDY (looking through magnifier) Something protruding up through the snow. Almost rectangular. VLADIMIROV Do you know the story of Noah and his Ark, Doctor? INDY Captain, I believe every school child knows that one. VLADIMIROV (embarrassed slightly) Yes....Doctor, my apologies. I am an educated man. But sometimes I have difficulty dispelling my sense of Soviet superiority. INDY You don't think this object is Noah's Ark? VLADIMIROV The Book of Genesis clearly disclosed the final resting place of the Ark: Mt. Ararat. Tales of men coming down from the mountain with pieces of preserved timber -- from heights where trees do not grow -- have been told for centuries. INDY Excuse me for asking ... but when did the Russians start believing in the Bible? VLADIMIROV You see, Doctor...I am, how do you say: the black sheep of the family...I believe...and it is my hope to make you a believer as well. (beat) Yes, I too have had my bouts with faith. In your book -- a good read by the way -- INDY nods "thank you". VLADIMIROV CONT. -- you spoke about it in great detail. Your point about faith being for children and fools intrigued me the most. (beat) But if the Ark is there, atop Mt. Ararat, then it stands as a testimony to God's word -- His vindication. Doctor, peace of mind awaits us both. INDY Sorry, but I can't help you. VLADIMIROV Doctor -- the Ark's discovery will shake the atheist institutions to their very foundations. We are living in Godless times -- in the shadow of the atomic weapon. You and I together can give the world what it needs: salvation. INDY isn't buying. VLADIMIROV CONT. (aggravated) But, Doctor, you are an archaeologist. Surely the historical significance of such a find is of interest to you. INDY exhales heavily. VLADIMIROV CONT. (calming down a bit) Please, Doctor, let me make you an offer: I am assembling an expedition team. Your expertise in this area is what I require -- INDY Again: I'm not interested. VLADIMIROV The job pays hand -- INDY (snapping) I don't want your money! Now, please -- I just wanna be left alone! Following at a distance, but close enough to catch bits and pieces of the conversation, is ABNER. He reacts to what INDY just said, looking away, hurt. BACK TO THE MEN: INDY (exhaling) Captain, there are Russian archaeologists who can help you? VLADIMIROV Yes....but Doctor, you led an expedition of this kind before. In '42. The Andes. INDY (taken off guard) That was classified. A secret mission for the U.S. Army. VLADIMIROV Military secrets are like boats, Doctor...they leak on occasion. INDY (direct) What's the real reason, Captain? My Andes expedition was no great feat by any stretch of the imagination. VLADIMIROV True. Alright, Doctor, I will be candid. I am here today without the permission of my government. I have not yet brought to their attention the object photographed on Ararat. INDY Why? VLADIMIROV I am a bit selfish, Doctor....and a dreamer. To uncover something of such biblical importance is sure to make me a hero in the eyes of the world. INDY (snidely) And what about your loyalty to the Kremlin? VLADIMIROV Yes....I am torn between duty and vanity. But, Doctor, you most of all should understand vanity. INDY (irked) Captain, you have the wrong man. You're looking for a glory seeker. I'm not him. VLADIMIROV I see...well, Doctor, I know when I'm beaten. I will not bother you with this any more. But in case you change your mind: there is a plane leaving Boston in the morning for Istanbul...I've taken the liberty of booking you on that flight. If you decide to come, remember: the expedition is being kept a secret. So please be discreet. The Turkish government would not approve of our poking around. After you land in Istanbul, instructions direct you to the city of Dogubeyazit where the expedition party is being assembled. The password is "skull". (pulling out an envelope) Everything you need to know is in here. VLADIMIROV holds out the envelope. INDY I won't change my mind. VLADIMIROV In case you do. INDY, being polite, takes the envelope. VLADIMIROV It's nice to have met you. Good day, Doctor. INDY shakes VLADIMIROV'S big hand. CLOSE UP -- THE CRYPTIC TATTOO ON THE BACK OF THE RUSSIAN'S HAND. ABNER approaches. VLADIMIROV CONT. (smiling) And a good day to you, young man. ABNER (smiling) Bye. The Captain walks away. ABNER joins his father. INDY Captain! VLADIMIROV turns around. INDY CONT. If it's a glory seeker you're after, try Doctor William Humphrey. You'll find him on campus. VLADIMIROV Is he skilled? INDY He likes to think so. VLADIMIROV grins, tipping his hat "goodbye". ABNER Nice man. Who is he? INDY Nobody important. INDY crumples up the envelope. ABNER watches INDY SHOVE IT into his coat pocket. ABNER So what now? INDY Home. You should call your mother and let her know you arrived okay. ABNER (hiding something) Yeah. Good idea. CUT TO: INT. ABNER'S BEDROOM BACK HOME - NIGHT MARION RAVENWOOD, hung over, staggers into her son's bedroom. MARION Abner...you in here? Abner? MARION sees the SHOEBOX on the bed. MARION Dammit! Oh, stupid! Stupid! The shoebox's contents are scattered on the bed. MARION finds the opened letter. Her knees buckle. She tries to push back the pain and tears. She can't. She breaks down. INT. MARION'S LIVING ROOM - JUST AFTER MARION is on the phone, all fired up now. In her hand is a newspaper clipping. THE ARTICLE HEADLINE READS: BOSTON UNIVERSITY WELCOMES WORLD RENOWN ARCHAEOLOGIST. MARION Boston directory? Yes, I need an address and phone number? INT. INDY'S LIVING ROOM - NIGHT ABNER is just finishing up a meal of sandwiches and milk. INDY has the family PHOTO ALBUM OUT. He is showing ABNER pictures of Jones Senior as a young man. INDY That's Dad...he's about thirty here...that's him in Egypt, 1921 -- ABNER He found king Tut's Tomb?! INDY (amused) No. Dad was just doing research. ABNER (disappointed) Oh. (pointing) Who's that? INDY Marcus Brody. A friend of the family. A great archaeologist in his day. ABNER I'd like to meet him. INDY He passed away a few years ago. (small voice) Everyone's leaving me. ABNER feels for his father. He lightens up the mood -- ABNER Hey -- you wanna see my pictures. I brought some with me. ABNER digs into his backpack. He pulls out a bundle of PHOTOS. SOMETHING FALLS TO THE FLOOR. INDY picks up ABNER'S PASSPORT. INDY (amused) You brought your passport...? ABNER I thought I'd need it to get here. INDY You only need it when you leave the country. ABNER puts the PASSPORT back in his pack. ABNER (embarrassed) That's what the bus ticket lady said... INDY I'm surprised your mom didn't tell you. ABNER looks guilty. THE PHONE RINGS. INDY gets up and goes to the phone -- INDY (nervous) Maybe that's your mom...you did call her? ABNER Sure. While you were making sandwiches. INDY (deep breath; then into phone) Hello? ...... No, I'm afraid he's not. Doctor Jones past away last year. Thank you. I'm his son, is there something I can do for you? ABNER gets up from the couch and whispers -- ABNER Where's the bathroom? INDY covers the mouthpiece -- INDY Upstairs. End of the hall. INT. FRONT DOOR HALLWAY ABNER is about to take the stairs when he SPOTS INDY'S coat draped over the railing. CUT: Now ABNER is sneakily digging out the CRUMBLED ENVELOPE from INDY'S coat. INT. WASHROOM UPSTAIRS - JUST AFTER ABNER locks the door. He quickly uncrumples the envelope. INSIDE IS A PLANE TICKET AND A FEW SHEETS OF FOLDED STATIONARY WITH TYPED INSTRUCTIONS ON THEM. ABNER begins to read... A moment. Then ABNER'S eyes bug out -- ABNER Noah's Ark! Holy Toledo! They found it! INT. MARION'S LIVING ROOM - NIGHT MARION is getting a BUSY SIGNAL. She slams down the handset! MARION Goddammit! MARION thinks hard for a moment. Then she snatches up the receiver again. MARION Operator? I need a phone number. The bus station. CUT TO: INT. SPARE BEDROOM IN INDY'S HOUSE - NIGHT INDY gets ABNER into bed and tucks him in. ABNER Mom used to tuck me all the time...but she stopped. INDY Why's that? ABNER Mom hasn't been herself the last couple of years. She's been hitting the bottle a little too heavily. If you know what I mean. INDY (a sinking feeling) Sorry. ABNER It's not your fault. She just thinks it's your fault. INDY can't hold back a smile. INDY Get some sleep. INDY heads for the door. ABNER The man you talked to today...was he trying to hire you for something? In the doorway -- INDY An expedition. ABNER How come you didn't take his offer? INDY It's something you wouldn't understand. ABNER Your dad died...made you feel all bad inside...like nothing can ever be good again. INDY You read my mind. ABNER I get that ability from mom, too. INDY That's one talent you can do without. ABNER Mr. Jones... INDY Indy. ABNER Indy....maybe you and me can go on a big adventure some day? INDY I'd like that. ABNER It'll give ya boast. You know, getcha back on your feet. INDY (smiling) Goodnight. ABNER 'Night. INDY closes the door. At which point ABNER throws off the bed covers. He goes to his backpack and takes out the PLANE TICKET. ABNER (stars in his eyes) A big adventure: The search for Noah's Ark. CUT TO: INT. INDY'S BEDROOM - LATE AT NIGHT INDY is stirring in his sleep. INT. INDY'S LIVING ROOM - DREAM INDY'S bags are packed. In a rush, INDY is talking on the phone while at the time fussing to put on his trenchcoat: INDY Dad! I gotta go! I know it's your birthday -- I -- I -- listen: I got a call from the Jordanian Department of Antiquities. They found some scrolls -- Yes, I know you're in the hospital! Stop it, Dad! You're not gonna die! Yes I care! CLICK! IT ECHOES ABNORMALLY. INDY Dad? Dad! Dammit! INDY slams down the receiver. A voice -- DAD'S Junior. INDY spins around. His FATHER is standing behind him in a hospital gown. INDY Dad! DAD Happy birthday. DAD'S MOUTH OPENS HORRIBLY WIDE AND A HAND POPS OUT CLUTCHING A CANDLE LIT MUFFIN. THE HAND MASHES THE MUFFIN BETWEEN ITS FINGERS! INT. BACK IN INDY'S BEDROOM as INDY snaps awake -- and hears POUNDING on the front door, shooting up from downstairs. INDY looks at the bedside clock: 4:30 in the morning. INDY'S face says "who could that be at this hour?" INT. FOYER INDY throws open the front door. MARION doesn't wait to be asked -- she barges right in. INDY Marion! MARION Where is he?! Where's Abner?! INDY is all flustered. MARION Where's my son, goddammit?! INDY You mean our son. MARION snarls. MARION No, mister -- my son! You had your chance years ago! INDY (overlapping) Marion, lis -- listen to me! MARION I want Abner right now! INDY Marion, please. He's okay. He's upstairs sleeping. MARION pushes past INDY to the stairs and yells up them -- MARION Abner! Abner! INDY grabs MARION by her arm -- MARION Get your filthy hands off me, you dirty bastard! INDY What the hell's wrong with you? I didn't get your stupid letter! MARION You sent it back! Unopened! One look at my name on the envelope and you dropped it back into the mail box! INDY Please, Marion. Just give me a chance to explain. MARION Explain! You wanna explain? Try explaining why 12 years ago we went for a drink. Explain why, that night, we made love. Explain why you didn't call me -- ever! 12 years you sonofabitch! 12 years. Nothing! Not even a goddamn post card! INDY I -- She surprises him with right-hook across his chin! MARION Save it! INDY rubs his chin, shaken. INDY I deserved that. Maybe I deserved a lot of things. But I didn't deserve you. MARION What the hell's that supposed to mean?! INDY Marion...what kind of life could I've given you? I didn't try and contact you because....because I felt I didn't deserve you. You're too good a lady. Too good for a bum like me. MARION It's about goddamn time you realized that! INDY You're not making this easy. MARION Don't talk to me about easy! You've had it easy all your rotten, stinking life! You know why? Because you never had to care about anybody. The first sign of commitment or responsibility and you went running back to your picks and shovels! Back to your ancient ruins! Well, if that's where you wanna be, then that's fine with me! I'll just take my son and let you get back to the one thing I know you love! MARION starts up the stairs. INDY (small voice) I gave it up? MARION halts on the stairs. Tears are swelling in her eyes. INDY goes to her. INDY Nothing, Marion. I've been right here, in Boston...12 months now. (wryly) A record. MARION surprises INDY by throwing her arms around him. MARION I've hated you for so long. INDY embraces her. INDY You've had every right to. Their eyes meet. They kiss long and deep. They break now and INDY wipes away her tears. MARION cracks a remark: MARION Christ, you got old. INDY chuckles. MARION hugs him again. INDY I feel old. MARION You and me both. INDY frowns now ... something puzzles him. INDY Marion ... you didn't know Abner came to see me? MARION No ... he saw the letter. My clippings... I figured he made the connection. Why? INDY Abner told me you put him on a bus to come here. (smirking) Little scammer lied to me. MARION He must get that from you. INDY chuckles. CUT TO: EXT. BOSTON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT - MORNING CIRCA: LATE 1940'S. INT. THE AIRPORT PASSENGER TERMINAL - MORNING ABNER holds THE PLANE TICKET from the envelope, waiting impatiently for departure time. A beat. Another. Then: OVER P.A. Flight 36 to Azores, Rome, Istanbul now boarding at gate 7. ABNER jumps up and runs to: GATE 7 A FEMALE TICKET TAKER is seeing TRAVELLERS through the gate. TICKET TAKER Thank you...thank you...have a nice flight... ABNER IS NEXT -- TICKET TAKER Hello there. Are you flying alone? ABNER (nervous) Uh-huh... The TAKER checks ABNER'S ticket. THE RAIDERS' MARCH mixes up faintly; just audible enough to make us smile. ABNER Istanbul...that's in Turkey, right? TICKET TICKER Yes it is. Are you meeting a relative or parent there? ABNER My dad. A tense few seconds. Then: TICKET TAKER Enjoy your flight. SHARPLY CUT TO: THE FULL SCREEN MAP: Images of ABNER'S DC-3 in flight are SUPERIMPOSED over the adventure map. THE RAIDERS' MARCH jumps in big and loud as a solid red line starts at BOSTON, goes across the Atlantic Ocean, connects to the AZORES, to ROME, and lastly to ISTANBUL. DISSOLVE TO: EXT. ISTANBUL AIRPORT, TURKEY - SUNRISE! ABNER'S plane comes to a stop. The universal step is wheeled into position. The aircraft's door opens wide and ABNER, the first one out, rushes down the steps. INT. INDY'S LIVING ROOM, STATE SIDE - SUNSET! INDY and MARION are both crashed out on the couch. They fell asleep here ... or is it something else? FRAME ADJUSTS and reveals TWO EMPTY WINE BOTTLES on the coffee table. They're not asleep. They're passed out! The phone starts to RING. INDY stirs. The sharp RINGING hurts his head. It stops. MARION GROANS. INDY glances at his wristwatch -- WHAT?! INDY Six o'clock! INDY recoils from his own voice -- he's got one whooper of a hangover. INT. FRONT DOOR HALLWAY INDY staggers out into the hallway and -- hey, what's that? INDY SEES A NOTE TACKED TO THE FRONT DOOR. INT. THE SPARE ROOM UPSTAIRS - JUST AFTER INDY rushes into the room in a panic. ABNER IS GONE! INDY This isn't funny! INT. THE LIVING ROOM DOWNSTAIRS INDY shakes MARION out of her drunken sleep. INDY Marion! Marion! MARION (cranky) Wha -- what? Stop -- stop it! INDY Now, Marion -- I want you to stay calm, okay. Listen to me: Abner's gone. MARION'S eyes snap wide open! MARION Whuddaya mean "he's gone"?! INDY hands her the note. MARION Indy! INDY Read it. MARION (rubbing her eyes; reading) "Dear Indy: I know what'll put you back on your feet. (grimacing) What's this -- INDY Just read it! MARION (reading) "I know what'll put you back on your feet. You said that one day we'd go on a big adventure. Well I say there's no time like the present. I've gone to look for the Ark. You know where to find me." (grimacing) The Ark? The Ark of the Covenant?! INDY Noah's Ark. MARION Noah's Ark?! (in his face) You bastard! You've been filling his head with crazy stories! INDY I haven't been filling his head with any stories! He must of over heard my conversation yesterday. MARION is confused. INDY CONT. A Russian man came to see me -- about an expedition -- he gave me some instructions -- a plane ticket -- Abner overhead us. That's all. Abner's just playing games. INT. ISTANBUL CUSTOMS CONTROL - THAT MOMENT ABNER is with the TURKISH CONTROL OFFICER (gruffly) Your passport. ABNER (confused) My -- (then he remembers) Yeah -- it's in my bag. A BAGGAGE INSPECTOR is pulling items from ABNER'S backpack. The inspector fumbles with ABNER'S camera and almost drops it! ABNER CONT. Hey! Watch it there! That's a gift, pal! The inspector grins sheepishly. INT. INDY'S LIVING ROOM - THAT MOMENT INDY takes MARION by her shoulders. He smiles reassuringly. INDY Marion ... he's alright. Trust me. MARION (a bad feeling) This plane ticket...did you throw it away? INDY Yes -- of course. MARION breathes a little easier. INDY, however, looks as if he just remembered something. CUT TO: INDY, now in the front hall, as he searches his coat pockets for the crumpled envelope. It isn't here. INDY'S REACTION -- TRUE PANIC! EXT. ISTANBUL CUSTOMS CONTROL - THAT MOMENT BACK TO THE: TURKISH CONTROL OFFICER (he has Abner's passport) This passport has expired. ABNER Ah...that's bad, right? TURKISH CONTROL OFFICER (impatient) Why are you here in Istanbul? ABNER (fidgety) Ah....I'm meeting my dad. ABNER pulls out the typed instruction sheet. He scans it briefly. ABNER CONT. Erzurum. That's the place. TURKISH CONTROL OFFICER Your father is there now? ABNER (breaking the tension) Give that man a cigar! The BAGGAGE INSPECTOR sniggers. TURKISH CONTROL OFFICER What is your father's name? At what hotel is he staying? ABNER is starting to feel the pressure. INT. INDY'S LIVING ROOM - THAT MOMENT MARION (hysterical) Indy! Oh god -- if he left last night -- do you know how much time he's had? While I was passed out on the couch my boy ran off to Turkey! INDY (being rational) Marion ... calm down ... just think for a moment here: no one's going to let a little boy on a plane to Turkey. MARION That's not true! A year ago Abner visited his aunt in London -- by himself. INDY Okay -- but you put him on the plane, right? And Marion, he couldn't have left the country. He needs a pass -- HHHELLO! INDY rushes to the phone. He dials quickly. MARION Indy! What -- who are you calling? Indy! Dread seizes MARION. MARION CONT. Indy, no -- tell me they didn't let him in to the country! INDY (not so sure now) Turkey's a Democratic Republic...it's a tourist trap these days. (into phone) Yes -- operator -- overseas connection: Istanbul, Turkey. EXT. ISTANBUL CUSTOMS CONTROL - THAT MOMENT ABNER Listen, buster, my dad's a big important archaeologist. He won't be too happy when he hears about you harassing me like this. TURKISH CONTROL OFFICER (real impatient now) I'll ask you again: what hotel? ABNER is losing his cool. TURKISH CONTROL OFFICER (barking) What hotel?! ABNER jerks back and almost drops his pack. He doesn't have an answer. A WOMAN SHRIEKS SUDDENLY! ALL HEADS TURN HER WAY. A PEASANT BOY is making off with a TOURIST WOMAN'S PURSE. AIRPORT SECURITY chase the PEASANT BOY. The CONTROL OFFICER is disinterested and turns back to continue drilling -- BUT ABNER IS GONE! EXT. A BUSTLING CITY STREET, ISTANBUL - JUST AFTER ABNER ducks into: AN ALLEY and gets out of sight. ABNER takes a moment to catch his breath. PHEW! That was close. ABNER takes out the instruction sheets and goes over them. ABNER (reading) "Istanbul train station. Purchase ticket to Erzurum." EXT. THE CITY OF ISTANBUL - DAY - OVERLOOK VIEW Of the sprawling ancient metropolis with districts separated by channels of blue water. There is so much to marvel at. A stunning Muslim temple, its needle-like minarets spiking the sky; a grand domed palace; and assorted edifices of another age. EXT. ISTANBUL RAILWAY STATION - TICKET WINDOW - DAY ABNER pays for the train ticket out of the cash he stole from the coffee can. ABNER Thank you. THE FRAME ADJUSTS: THERE IS A SUSPICIOUS LOOKING MAN WATCHING ABNER AS HE WALKS OUT ONTO THE RAILWAY PLATFORM. CALL HIM, SPY. INT. PLATFORM'S PUBLIC PHONEBOOTH - JUST AFTER The SPY is on the phone, talking to someone: SPY Comrade Captain, I am at the train station. Doctor Jones was not on the plane. But something that might interest you: an American boy has purchased a ticket to Erzurum. INT. VLADIMIROV'S WOODLAND ESTATE, OUTSIDE MOSCOW - ESTABLISHING - DAY VLADIMIROV is not only an important man but a rich man too. His estate rivals the best of Europe. VLADIMIROV'S VOICE An American boy buying tickets -- why would such a thing interest me? INT. VLADIMIROV'S ESTATE - THE STUDY - DAY The big Russian is on the phone with his spy: VLADIMIROV Doctor Jones used the ticket I gave to him. The Boston airport confirmed this. SPY'S VOICE OVER PHONE Yes, comrade Captain. But as I said: Doctor Jones was not on the plane -- only the American boy got off. At first VLADIMIROV is baffled. Then it starts to make sense to him. VLADIMIROV (harbingers a guess) The doctor's son? (into phone) Follow the boy. See where he takes you. VLADIMIROV hangs up. He looks thoughtful. THE PHONE RINGS. He answers it. VLADIMIROV Yes? MAN'S VOICE OVER PHONE Comrade, you are worse than a woman. Tying up official lines talking to your girlfriends, huh? VLADIMIROV Comrade Premier. A pleasure to receive your call. There's a KNOCK at the study door. VLADIMIROV Comrade Premier, please, a moment. Come! A BUTLER enters. Call him ALEXANDER A Mr. Farnsworth to see you, sir. VLADIMIROV Yes. Excellent. (into phone) I do not wish to rush you, comrade Premier, but I have important matters I must attend to. PREMIER'S VOICE OVER PHONE Ah, yes, and no doubt these matters concern those of the two breasted, two legged kind! (MORE) PREMIER'S VOICE OVER PHONE CONT. But do not worry, comrade. I will let you attend to those matters shortly. But first I want you to confirm your attendance at Fridays's test -- an important day in Soviet history -- a day which should not be missed. VLADIMIROV I'll be sure to make it my highest priority, comrade Premier. PREMIER'S VOICE OVER PHONE Excellent. I will expect to see you there then. INT. VLADIMIROV'S ESTATE - LIVING ROOM - JUST AFTER The decor majestic. 15th century Gothic. VLADIMIROV Welcome to my home, Mr. Farnsworth. I see you have brought me a surprise. MR. FARNSWORTH, a British man in his 40's, holds a large black container about the size of a breadbox. FARNSWORTH I had no trouble getting it into the country. You must have friends in high places, Mr. Vladimirov. VLADIMIROV Yes...being a member of the Soviet Military has its advantages. Please, sit. I am anxious to see what you brought me. FARNSWORTH I suffered a great deal concealing these remains from the world. Many sleepless nights over the past three years. I want to be compensated for my pain. VLADIMIROV Compensation beyond your wildest imaginations, Mr. Farnsworth. Now, if you please, I wish to view the remains. Farnsworth hands over the box. VLADIMIROV takes it and walks to a large, antique desk. He sets the box down. Eyes wide, VLADIMIROV removes the lid. Inside are -- HUMAN REMAINS. BONES. FARNSWORTH We found him buried under the ceiling of his bombed out bunker. (MORE) FARNSWORTH CONT. An army compatriot and myself found the body together, just after the fall of Berlin. Only three people know the true identity of those remains. You, myself, and my compatriot, who I'm afraid is dead now. VLADIMIROV My condolences. Mr. Farnsworth, may I ask why you never told the world? Why you would not want to soothe the minds and souls of a world torn by war; comfort those disturbed by the holocaust? Remains of the most evil man of the 20th century lie in this box. I myself would have ran into the streets, shouting "the man is dead!" "Hitler is dead"! So why, Mr. Farnsworth...? FARNSWORTH I can't say...something came over me, standing in that bunker....something told me there would be a day when I would profit immensely. VLADIMIROV Yes, Mr. Farnsworth, you were smart to have listened. And yes, you will profit immensely. (dramatic pause) However, money will not be your reward. Farnsworth stiffens with alarm. FARNSWORTH What...what do you mean? VLADIMIROV A greater gift has been bestowed upon you. You are among the fortunate. Those few who will not have to bare witness to the end of all Godkind. Farnsworth realises his life is about to end. VLADIMIROV CONT. Your gift, Mr. Farnsworth -- death. Up comes a pistol in VLADIMIROV'S hand -- CRACK! CUT TO: BLACK SCREEN. A second. Then light spills in as a door opens right below us. The shot is from high above a stone staircase, steps spiralling downward into the murky depths. VLADIMIROV appears, the box in hand, and descends the staircase. INT. UNDERGROUND - HIGH STONE CORRIDOR VLADIMIROV approaches a heavy wooden door at the corridor's end. The stretch of underpass is lit spookily by candles. HUMANOID STATUES, menacing and horrid, run in numbers down the corridor's full length. CLOSE UP - ONE OF THESE HORRID STATUES: THE MAN-BEAST IS EATING A SMALL CHILD. AT ITS HOOFED FEET ARE MORE SMALL CHILDREN. THEY ARE SCREAMING, SHACKLED TO THE BEAST'S ANKLES. INT. UNDERGROUND CRYPTIC CHAMBER The air in here is think with evil. VLADIMIROV sets the box down on a stone table where a LARGE, LEATHER BOUND TOME is perched. Dozens upon dozens of black candles cast an eerie light, flicking off the damp, brimstone walls. There is a LOW RUMBLE ... the hum of evil ... as if the chamber walls might be the only barrier between us and the fiery pits of Hell. VLADIMIROV bows before a shrine which amounts to AN UPRIGHT, COCOON SHAPED CASKET. VLADIMIROV parts the casket's double lid. They come apart, slowly, like the jaws of a giant venus flytrap. Inside is something macabre ... simple ... but nonetheless frightening. Inside is a HUMAN SKELETON. ALL COMPLETE EXCEPT FOR TWO ARMS AND THE HEAD. >From the black box, VLADIMIROV gently removes the bones which make up one of Hitler's arms. VLADIMIROV begins to reassemble the bones on the table, one piece at a time, while CHANTING a cryptic incantation, and we -- PUSH IN ON THE HEADLESS SKELETON ... CHILLING ... and CUT TO: ABNER -- ON BOARD A TRAIN -- looking out the window at the bleak and lonely highlands of Northeastern Turkey. Seated a few rows back is VLADIMIROV'S spy. He is keeping a watchful eye on ABNER. INT. INDY'S LIVING ROOM - NIGHT INDY hangs up the phone, visibly worried. MARION What? What did they say? Indy! Goddammit! INDY Marion...now listen to me: a baggage inspector at Istanbul Airport remembers Abner. MARION Oh my god -- no! INDY He's okay. He got this far. (smirking) Give him some credit. MARION Credit?! Indy, for chrissakes, he's just a little boy! (barking) It's all your fault! INDY My fault? MARION (mockingly) Adventure -- archaeology -- it's in his blood! INDY takes her by the shoulders. INDY CONT. (soothingly) I need you calm ... okay ... nothing's going to happen to Abner. I told the authorities about the situation. If -- when -- they see Abner, they're gonna ship him right back here on the next available flight. MARION is gawking at INDY in disbelief. She shoves him aside and goes to the phone. INDY Marion...what are you doing? MARION (into phone) Operator, Boston Airport. INDY Marion, flying off to Turkey is ridiculous! The authorities'll find Abner. By the time you get there he'll already be on his way back home! MARION (into phone) Yes, I want to book a flight to Istanbul, Turkey. INDY You're not listening! MARION (into phone) Yes, one ticket. INDY (growling) Make it two. MARION He's not your responsibility! INDY Abner's my son! That makes him my responsibility! MARION You don't have to do this, Indy! I don't want your guilt! INDY Goddammit -- just make the flight for two! MARION (into phone) Make that two. When is the next flight? (pause) Friday morning! That's two days from now! (to INDY) I can't wait that long. Pause. INDY (at a lose) What choice do we have? HOLD on MARION'S face. Desperate. CUT TO: EXT. ERZURUM'S NONDESCRIPT RAILWAY STATION - LATE IN THE DAY ABNER steps down off the train. He walks slowly along the platform, reading from the instruction sheets. ABNER "At Erzurum hire a taxicab. Take it to the town of (says it like it's spelt) Dogubeyazit." (making a face) Dogubeyazit. ABNER looks around. He SEES A FEW LOCAL CABBIES chatting nearby, leaned up against their junk-box taxicabs. ABNER Those are taxicabs -- look more like out-houses on wheels. ABNER sighs resignedly. CUT TO: EXT. THE ANCIENT CARAVAN ROUTE - SOON AFTER ABNER'S cab putt-putts along the ancient roadway, making slow tracks eastward across the eroded, hilly pastures of the North East. ABNER'S VOICE (chatty) My dad and me -- he's a big, famous archaeologist -- maybe you heard of him: Doctor Henry Jones? CABBY'S VOICE (moaning) Mmmm. ABNER'S VOICE CONT. He wrote a book and everything. Anyway, me and my dad are here -- well my dad's not here yet -- but he's coming...I'm sure of that... EXT. THE OTTOMAN BRIDGE - SOON AFTER ABNER'S cab back-fires, chugging across the architecturally graceful Ottoman bridge which spans the narrow Aras river. ABNER'S VOICE CONT. ...I don't think it's fair...do you think it's fair? CABBY'S VOICE Mmmmm. ABNER'S VOICE CONT. Lucy -- we all call her Lucy-caboosey at school, on account of her big butt -- she's always getting off scott-free. One time she stole my brand new pen set mom gave me for Christmas -- (interrupting himself) Hey, we almost there? CABBY'S VOICE Mmmm. INT. ABNER'S CAB - SOON AFTER ABNER is jolted out of his seat by the view outside. Eyes big and wide, he mutters the words: ABNER Mount Ararat. EXT. THE CAB - APPROACH TO DOGUBEYAZIT THERE, ON THE HORIZON, THE STUPENDOUS APPARITION OF MT. ARARAT. ABNER'S VOICE Holy Toledo! CABBY'S VOICE Mmmm. CUT TO: EXT. THE GHETTO TOWN OF DOGUBEYAZIT - SUNDOWN The cab pulls over. Dark and filthy buildings, packed together, stand on both sides of the narrow cobblestone street. ABNER pays the cabby and gets out. A CLOSER LOOK AT THE CABBY: a grimy handkerchief, ends tied at the top of his head, holds a cold compress against his check. Poor guy has a toothache. ABNER Better get somebody to look at that tooth. CABBY Mmmm. ABNER Bye. EXT. MERCHANT SQUARE - JUST AFTER ABNER walks along, passing by TURKISH MERCHANTS who shout loudly, advertising their goods to the LOCALS. A PEASANT BOY runs up to ABNER -- PEASANT BOY You, American boy! Want to buy Turkish dictionary? Good price. 2 American dollars. ABNER considers it. ABNER Turkish dictionary...might be useful. Okay, sure. ABNER pulls out the thick bundle of cash. The peasant boy's eyes light up. PEASANT BOY You big shot American, huh? ABNER hands over two one dollar bills. The peasant boy hands over the dictionary. PEASANT BOY (always the salesmen) You need things? I get you anything! The best! ABNER Know where the Dogu (says it like it's spelt) cafe is? PEASANT BOY Dogu (says it do-u). Very close by. I show the way for 5 American dollars. Cheap price. ABNER Five bucks! Cost me only a dollar to get from Erzurum to here! PEASANT BOY 4 American dollars. ABNER Forget it, kid. For that price, I'll find it myself. EXT. ANOTHER STREET/QUIETER SECTION OF TOWN - SUNDOWN ABNER walks up to a LOCAL. ABNER Excuse me, do you know where the Dogu (says it do-u) Cafe is? The LOCAL grimaces, not understanding, and barks "Defol!" (Turkish for "Beat it!") ABNER scowls. But then he remembers the dictionary he bought. He pulls it out of his backpack. He flips through the pages ... and soon realizes -- ABNER There's no english! It's all in Turkish. Right -- Turkish dictionary. Little scammer. SWOOSH! A ZIP PAN reveals the crooked peasant boy. He looks mean. Even meaner looking are his 2 TEENAGE HENCHMEN. They stand behind him like dutiful soldiers. A curt snap of the finger sends the obedient henchmen running off in different directions. EXT. ANOTHER STREET - DUSK ABNER walks along, checking store signs, looking for the Dogu Cafe. Now ABNER takes heed of a teenage peasant -- TEEN HENCHMAN #1 -- standing in a pool of street light, watching him. ABNER gets a bad feeling. He backs up slowly and bumps right into TEEN HENCHMAN #2! They force ABNER back into a: EXT. NARROW ALLEY ABNER backs away from the henchmen as they come together and block the alley opening. ABNER glances quickly behind him -- A DEAD END! The peasant boy leader EMERGES from the shadows of a doorway off to the side. A Lucky Strike dangles in his mouth. PEAS. BOY LEADER Streets bad place at night for little boys. ABNER Who you callin' a little boy, runt! PEAS. BOY LEADER Your money -- now! ABNER Like hell! SHHHINK! The leader whips out a knife and steps in close. ABNER Whoa Nelly ... settle down. Okay ...here... ABNER holds up the cash. PEAS. BOY LEADER (lowering the knife) Smart boy. ABNER surprises the runt with a KNEE TO HIS CROTCH! ABNER Smarter than you think! The leader doubles over. The henchmen see this and spring into action! ABNER shoves aside the gasping leader and bolts through the doorway of a: INT. SLUM APARTMENT BUILDING ABNER scrambles to a door at the end of the hall -- IT'S LOCKED! ABNER runs back -- but halts as the teenage henchmen pile inside! ABNER sees a flight of stairs. He runs over and flies up them. EXT. THE ROOF TOP - NIGHT ABNER crashes through an exterior door and finds himself on the roof. No good! He runs back in through the doorway and -- freezes! SOUNDS: SCUFFLING FOOTSTEPS -- the henchmen are on their way up! EXT. ROOF'S STONE WALL LEDGE ABNER looks down over the wall. HE'S FOUR STORIES UP. ABNER regards a series of small balconies which go down like steps to the street. But ABNER would have to be pretty desperate to use those as an impromptu escape route. Behind ABNER, the henchmen pour out onto the roof! ABNER just got desperate. ABNER kicks a leg over the wall. Then the other. He sits on the wall, hesitating, scared. ABNER pushes off -- and just in time -- AS THE ARMS OF A HENCHMAN REACH IN AND GRAB AT OPEN AIR! ABNER drops about ten feet and LANDS on the top most balcony. He snaps a LOOK UP. The henchmen are following him. He snaps ANOTHER LOOK to a clothes line just above his head. It stretches out, high over the street, and connects to a balcony on the opposite side. Bad idea! ABNER Are you crazy? No way Jose! (yelling) Help! Help me! ABNER pounds on the glass door of the balcony. A light blinks on inside the apartment. Suddenly a haggard old woman's face POPS IN at the window. ABNER cries out, jolted, and jerks back -- too far! ABNER falls backward over the balcony railing. ABNER thinks fast and GRABS HOLD of the clothes line. But the WHEELED LINE gives way to his weight and he goes sailing out away from the balcony -- AND FINDS HIMSELF HANGING OVER THE STREET SOME 30 FEET UP! To the rescue, the OLD WOMAN rushes out onto the balcony and starts pulling in the clothes line. ABNER yells out, hanging on for dear life, feeling dizzy from the HEIGHT. Suddenly the two henchmen DROP IN on the old woman and she YELPS. Inadvertently, she lets go of the line. ABNER wheels back out away from the balcony! HENCHMAN #1 pushes and shoves the old woman back into her apartment. HENCHMAN #2, with evil grin, starts to pull and jerk on clothes line. Back and forth. ABNER cries out, scared for his life. The two henchmen just laugh. EEEEEEYAAAH! What the hell is that?! It's the old woman. She runs back out onto the balcony, armed with a BROOM. She whacks the nasty henchmen -- on their HEADS, BACKS, RUMPS! OUCH! EE! AW! OOH! The two henchmen scramble into the apartment. They bolt for the front door. And are gone in a flash. The old woman to the rescue again: she grabs hold of the clothes line and starts to pull ABNER back in -- Now ABNER is back on the balcony, safe, with the old woman fussing over him. ABNER Yes...thank you -- thank you. INT. HALL OUTSIDE THE OLD WOMAN'S APARTMENT ABNER steps out into the hall with the old lady still fussing over him. She speaks in TURKISH. ABNER Thank you ... thank you ... alright ... okay -- Enough already! EXT. OUT IN FRONT OF THE SLUM BUILDING - NIGHT ABNER is just tucking in his shirt tails when he halts in his tracks -- THE TEENAGE HENCHMEN ARE WAITING FOR HIM ACROSS THE STREET! ABNER, frantic, looks around for a direction to run in as the henchmen step off the curb and start across the street toward him. At which point -- HONK! HONK! A lumbering DELIVERY TRUCK forces the henchmen back up onto the curb. They wait for the truck to pass. And when it has, the henchmen move out to get -- BUT ABNER IS GONE! CUT TO: EXT. ANOTHER SECTION OF TOWN - NIGHT The DELIVERY TRUCK pulls over to the curb and parks in front of a ghetto tavern. Starting on the DRIVER, the CAMERA DROPS DOWN and reveals ABNER clinging to the passenger-side door handle, his feet up on the running board. ABNER steps down off the truck. ABNER looks up at the tavern sign and smiles -- DOGU CAFE! INT. DOGU CAFE - NIGHT ABNER walks right in and is unfazed by the smoke and filthy atmosphere. TURKISH PATRONS, the rough-and-tumble type, eye ABNER silently and coldly as he steps to the bar. ABNER hops up onto a stool and leans in close to the BARTENDER. ABNER (whispering; secretive) Skull. The bartender gives ABNER a strange look. ABNER (emphasizing the word) Skull. The bartender shakes his head and attends to thirsty patrons. ABNER growls, frustrated. He spins around on the stool to face the bar proper -- EVERYONE IN THE PLACE IS LOOKING DIRECTLY AT HIM. ABNER looks back evenly at the room full of nasty face locals. Now ABNER spots a WHITE MAN at a table and drops off the stool. He walks heavily to the rear of the bar. The WHITE MAN watches ABNER curiously as he takes a seat at the table. ABNER makes sure no one is listening and then leans in over the table. ABNER Skull. The white man's brow furrows. Then he can't help himself and bursts out laughing. He pokes fun at ABNER in German. He finds the kid a wonderful riot. The laughter is contagious. Soon the whole place is filled with uproarious, gut-wrenching laughter. ABNER sneers -- he doesn't like to be laughed at. He won't stand for it! ABNER (barking) Shut up! At once the laughter stops. The expression "you could hear a pin drop" comes to mind. SHARPLY CUT TO: ABNER as he's thrown out of the tavern and lands on the street out front! ABNER winces as he rolls over onto his back. His pack lands beside him with a clunk. ABNER Dirty -- rotten -- scoundrels. At which point a pair of shiny shoes STEP IN. ABNER sees them. He looks up slowly -- VLADIMIROV'S SPY looks down at ABNER with a face of stone. He says one word: SPY Skull. CUT TO: INT. INDY'S LIVING ROOM - MORNING INDY and MARION look like they've been up all night (they have). MARION is a nervous wreck. She sits on the couch with the phone on her lap, hoping, praying for a phone call. INDY exhales heavily and rises from the sofa chair. He goes to the fireplace where he leans on the mantle. INDY looks at a framed photo of his father. INDY (small voice) Like father ... like son. INDY steps away from the mantle. We linger here for a moment. Just long enough to notice a framed PHOTO of INDY in a military dress uniform. INDY in the photo is about the same age as INDY now. There's a KNOCK at the front door. MARION springs up off the couch. MARION Abner! INT. FRONT DOOR MARION throws it open and reveals 2 OFFICIAL LOOKING MEN. OFFICIAL MAN #1 (Russian accent) Good morning. MARION What's so good about it! MARION rudely walks away. INDY takes it -- INDY Can I help you gentlemen? OFFICIAL MAN #1 Doctor Jones, my name is Stal Andropov and this is my countryman, Boris Kerensky. We are with the Soviet Secret Police. It is urgent that we speak with you. EXT. THE SIDEWALK OUTSIDE INDY'S HOUSE - JUST AFTER KERENSKY Doctor, a Yugi Vladimirov came to see you Monday. This is correct? INDY Yes. ANDROPOV He wanted to employ you. Correct as well? INDY Yes. ANDROPOV Doctor, what I am about to disclose must never be repeated. Not to anyone. Especially not to your own government. If you choose to break this confidence, the Soviet Union will deny everything. Including our meeting today. Is this understood? INDY Yes. Go on. KERENSKY Yugi Vladimirov is under investigation. ANDROPOV Are you familiar with the "Sons of Darkness," Doctor? INDY I've heard of them. ANDROPOV They are a very influential society. Sects throughout the world. KERENSKY The number of members would startle you. ANDROPOV We suspect Vladimirov is a sect leader. Evidence gathered over the past year has convinced the Kremlin that he is an enemy of the State. INDY So arrest him. ANDROPOV Not so simple, Doctor. Vladimirov has strong ties with the heads of government. The state cannot take action until a case is fully prepared. KERENSKY And this takes time, Doctor. INDY Why are you telling me all this? ANDROPOV We feel it is necessary to inform you completely. KERENSKY You see, Doctor, we seek your help. INDY (grumbling) Everybody wants my help. KERENSKY Vladimirov intrusted you with some informa -- INDY Wait a minute -- what makes you think I'm interested? He's your problem. Not mine. I'm only interested in finding my son. KERENSKY Yes ... your son. Pause. ANDROPOV Doctor, Vladimirov has your son. INT. INDY'S HOUSE INDY snatches up the phone handset. He's in the middle of dialling when Andropov yanks the handset away. ANDROPOV Sorry, Doctor. INDY Get out of my house! KERENSKY (intense) Doctor, we are trying to avert an international crisis. INDY What crisis? ANDROPOV By the end of World War Two, the Soviet Union was a strong ally -- INDY I don't need a history lesson! KERENSKY But the past three years have seen a change. We are in the midst of a Cold War, Doctor. Your country supplies economic and military aide to Turkey. If your government were to discover Soviet troop movement on Turkish soil, they would declare it an act of aggression. ANDROPOV Meaning: we must get to Vladimirov without attracting attention to ourselves. KERENSKY Doctor, the homes have only just been rebuilt. The world cannot afford another war. INDY What about my son?! Is he in any danger? The men exchange solemn glances. ANDROPOV Yes ... we believe so. KERENSKY This will be difficult for you to hear ... but we suspect Vladimirov is planning to use your son in some sacrificial rite. INDY looks horrified. ANDROPOV The "Sons of Darkness" have a history of child sacrifices. They're purity plays an important -- INDY I'm going after my son -- and you can't stop me! ANDROPOV (after a beat) We were hoping you would say this. KERENSKY But please remember, Doctor: you must be very discreet. SHARPLY CUT TO: INDY AS HE LAYS OUT HIS LEATHER JACKET, HOLSTERED REVOLVER, AND HIS TRUSTY BULLWHIP! HOW'S THAT FOR DISCREET? WE'RE IN INDY'S BEDROOM. MARION is here. MARION You're not leaving me behind -- you hear me! I'm going with you! INDY takes out a suitcase from the closet. He starts packing. Note that INDY tosses his BULLWHIP into the suitcase. INDY Marion -- there's no time to argue -- you're not going! MARION Like hell I'm not! She snatches up THE REVOLVER in both hands and shoves it in INDY'S FACE! MARION (not herself; crazed) HE'S GOT MY BABY! INDY (real calm) Marion ... put the gun down. MARION I WANT MY BABY! The gun is shaking in her hands. INDY Alright ... you can go. INT. INDY'S HOUSE - FRONT HALL - JUST AFTER INDIANA JONES -- outfitted in his adventure threads -- hurries down the stairs with his suitcase. MARION is right behind him. MARION How are we gonna get there? INDY We're not waiting for that flight. That's for sure. MARION Then how? INDY Trust me. And they're out the door. PUSH IN QUICKLY on the military photo of INDY on the fireplace mantle, and we: CUT TO: INT. U.S. AIRFORCE BASE - HANGER - DAY MARION stands off to the side while INDY argues with a YOUNG AIRFORCE PILOT. INDY Whuddaya mean "there's nothing going out"? YOUNG PILOT Just that, Lieutenant. There's not a single bird flying today. INDY There's gotta be something -- ! YOUNG PILOT (shaking his head) I can't think of... (he remembers) Wait...yeah... (not sure) Is that today? INDY Is what today?! YOUNG PILOT First round-the-world nonstop flight. A Boeing B-50 Superfortress. INDY Where's it taking off from? YOUNG PILOT Fort Worth. INDY When? YOUNG PILOT Sometime today ... I'm not sure. INDY takes the PILOT by the arm and rushes him toward an XR-4 HELICOPTER. INDY You've just been drafted. YOUNG PILOT But, Lieutenant, we don't have clearance! INDY National emergency. I'll be sure to mention to General MacArthur your co- operation here today. He waves at MARION to follow. YOUNG PILOT But, sir -- she's brand new! I got less than 50 hours flight time. INDY 50 hours more than I got. YOUNG PILOT (shaking his head) This is crazy -- they're gonna give me a section 8 for this. INDY If it's any consolation, son, I've done crazier things. EXT. U.S. AIRFORCE BASE - HELIPAD - JUST AFTER The XR-4 lifts off, INDY and MARION on board. SHARPLY CUT TO: THE FULL SCREEN MAP: Images of the XR-4 in flight are SUPERIMPOSED over the adventure map. THE RAIDERS' MARCH jumps in big and loud as a solid red line starts at BOSTON, crosses to CHICAGO, then zeroes in on FT. WORTH, TEXAS. CUT TO: INT. XR-4 IN FLIGHT - LATE IN THE DAY INDY glances at his wristwatch -- INDY We're cutting it close... MARION (uneasy) Indy, what if we're too late? INDY doesn't know what to say. YOUNG PILOT (shouting) Look! DOWN BELOW, THE B-50 SUPERFORTRESS IS TAXYING TOWARD THE RUNWAY. YOUNG PILOT We're too late! INDY Get us down there! Land in front of it if you have to! YOUNG PILOT Sir?! INDY Do it! That's an order! EXT. SKY OVER FORT WORTH AIRFORCE BASE as the XR-4 starts its descent -- INT. SLOW TAXYING B-50 - THE COCKPIT The XR-4 DROPS IN, just outside the windscreen. The PILOT and CO- PILOT gasp. The PILOT powers down on the throttle to avert a collision. EXT. THE RUNWAY - JUST AFTER INDY and MARION leap from the helicopter just as it sets down. The young PILOT shouts at INDY -- YOUNG PILOT DON'T FORGET TO MENTION MY NAME TO THE GENERAL -- VINCENT H. McGOVERN. INDY WHO? PILOT GENERAL MACARTHUR! INDY YEAH, RIGHT... (sincerely) THANK YOU. PILOT I CAN'T BELIEVE WE MADE IT...THE BIG GUY UPSTAIRS MUST LIKE YOU. INDY (wryly) WE'LL SOON SEE JUST HOW MUCH. EXT. IDLING B-50 - UNDER THE FUSELAGE The PILOT, call him TEX, scurries down the cockpit emergency ladder. INDY -- MARION right behind him with the suitcase -- approaches. TEX Sakes alive, mister -- do you have a screw loose or what? INDY I'm commandeering this plane. TEX goes for his sidearm. INDY beats him to the draw, whipping out his trusty revolver. INDY I wouldn't do that! TEX You're in a shit-load of trouble, mister. You know you're messin' with the United States Airforce? MARION My son's been kidnapped. TEX That's real terrible ma'am...but that's a job for the police. INDY You're gonna fly us to Turkey. TEX Turkey -- the country -- I don't think so, mister. MARION Please...he's my little baby. TEX I feel for you, lady...I really do...but this bird here's taken. In the distance, MILITARY POLICE JEEPS are fast approaching. INDY Your world record's gonna have to wait -- get on board (he cocks the revolver) Now! TEX You're goin' to prison for a very long time, mister. INDY Not as bad as where you're going if you don't get on that goddamn plane! INDY fires off a shot into the ground! SHARPLY CUT TO: EXT. THE B-50 SUPERFORTRESS IN FLIGHT - SUNDOWN The four propeller-driven behemoth is awash in warm sunlight from the setting sun. An eyeful. INT. B-50'S CREW COMPARTMENT TIGHT SHOT: INDY AND MARION, as she whispers -- MARION You could have let these men stay behind. JUMP BACK WIDE: THERE ARE 13 CREWMEN ABOARD. INDY has them all at gun point. INDY Now you say something. AT INDY'S FEET ARE A PILE OF .45 AUTOMATICS, 15 IN TOTAL. MARION I hope you got a plan? INDY Whudda you think: I'm making this up as I go along? MARION Yes. INDY Don't worry...I still got some tricks up my sleeve. MARION Those Russian men, did they say where Abner is being held? INDY Dogubeyazit. But we have to land in Istanbul. It's the closest city with an airport...from there... MARION From there -- yeah...? INDY shrugs. MARION You are making this up! INDY grabs a headset radio. MARION What are you doing? INDY One of my tricks. (into radio headset) Captain, what's our E.T.A? TEX'S VOICE OVER HEADSET 4 hours. INDY See if you can contact Air Traffic Control, Cairo. Patch me through when you got them. TEX'S VOICE OVER HEADSET Whatever you say, mister. INDY How we doing on fuel? TEX'S VOICE OVER HEADSET We're just gonna make it. INDY (wryly) And you guys were planing a non-stop flight around the world... TEX'S VOICE OVER HEADSET Something new we been messin' around with: mid-air refuelling. INDY (grumbling) Welcome to the Atomic Age. EXT. ISTANBUL AIRPORT, TURKEY - NIGHT The B-50 touches down! INT. B-50'S CREW COMPARTMENT - JUST AFTER HEAR the engines powering down. INDY and MARION are now much more at ease with the CREW. A dramatic change in atmosphere. Friendlier. Supportive. CREWMAN #1 (CHARLIE) Hope you get your son back, ma'am. MARION smiles weakly. THE PLANE STOPS. CREWMEN lower an emergency ladder to the ground. CREWMAN #2 Good luck, sir. INDY Thank you...and sorry about this...I was desperate. CHARLIE We understand. INDY and MARION start down the ladder. CREWMAN #3 (an after thought) You won't forget to mention our names to General MacArthur? INDY Count on it. EXT. THE B-50 INDY and MARION run away from the plane -- EXT. ARRIVAL GATE - JUST AFTER SALLAH, INDY'S good-natured friend and long time partner in adventure, smiles gloriously. SALLAH My two most favourite people in the whole wide world. Indy, Marion -- He hugs them tight. Gives them both big kisses. SALLAH CONT. Good to see you, my friends. INDY We got trouble, Sallah. SALLAH (turning serious) Yes, I received your telegram. (cheery again) But take heart, Indy. We will get your cousin Abner back home safe. MARION (overlapping) "Cousin?" SALLAH takes INDY'S SUITCASE. SALLAH CONT. Come. I have checked us into the finest hotel Istanbul has to offer. Our train to Erzurum leaves tomorrow morning. Then from there -- MARION (suddenly) Sallah -- wait -- tomorrow morning! SALLAH Yes...is that a problem? MARION Sallah, Abner is my son. SALLAH What's this ... your son ... but how? MARION A bad man has taken my son, Sallah. INDY Our son. SALLAH My friends ... I am very sad ... I was not invited to the wedding...? MARION Sallah, it's too long a story. Right now we have to get to Dogubeyazit. SALLAH Yes...but there is no train to Dogubeyazit. We must first go to Erzurum. Then a cab will take us to -- MARION There's gotta be a faster way! INDY How about a bus, Sallah? SALLAH Very slow -- a good day's journey -- at least. MARION Nothing faster? SALLAH Marion, this is not New York City... Istanbul has limited transportation resources...Dogubeyazit is over 600 hundred miles away. MARION exhales heavily. INDY Alright...we'll take the train. MARION Indy, our son is out there with a madman! INDY I know! But what else can we do? SALLAH Indy is right, Marion. The train is our best ho -- MARION Goddammit! We're standing around with our thumbs up our ass while my boy is out there getting himself into God knows what! INT. VLADIMIROV'S HIDEOUT, DOGUBEYAZIT - THAT MOMENT ABNER is digging into a big bowl of chocolate ice scream; his breakfast. JUMP BACK: ABNER is eating alone at a makeshift table made up of stacked wooden packing crates. He looks incredibly small, dwarfed as he is, by the room's massive, crumpling stone columns and vaulted ceiling. We gather from the dust, stone debris and cobwebs, that this place was abandoned centuries ago and left for ruin. EXT. VLADIMIROV'S HIDEOUT - NEAR MOUNT ARARAT - THAT MOMENT The hideout is an earthquake beset palace nested in a high valley above the town of Dogubeyazit. The 18th century structure has an unobstructed view of Mt. Ararat. Truly breathtaking. A sedan drives up to the entrance, steering around toppled stone pillars and rock debris. INT. HIDEOUT - BIG ROOM WHERE ABNER IS - JUST AFTER VLADIMIROV enters. VLADIMIROV Ah, young Mr. Jones. What a pleasant surprise. ABNER The last name's Ravenwood. VLADIMIROV But you are... (gets the picture) Ah, yes, I see. ABNER See. Whudda you see? VLADIMIROV (taken slightly off balance) I'm not sure what you -- ABNER (getting riled) Whudda you see?! VLADIMIROV (genuinely apologetic) I meant nothing by it, sir. Forgive me. ABNER Yeah...well...watch yourself. VLADIMIROV Point taken. So...Mr. Ravenwood, you are a long way from home. ABNER I can take care of myself. VLADIMIROV Yes, you certainly can. Came to Turkey all by yourself. Very impressive. ABNER No big deal. Your instruction were pretty detailed. VLADIMIROV No big deal -- why, Mr. Ravenwood, it is astounding. You father must be very proud of you. You are a bold and courageous young man. ABNER You really think so -- about my father being proud of me, I mean? VLADIMIROV I would be if I were your father. ABNER is all smiles. He scoops up some ice cream into his mouth. VLADIMIROV CONT. So let me guess why you are here: Adventure. Am I right? Mouth full, ABNER nods. VLADIMIROV Come. Let me show you something. ABNER follows VLADIMIROV over to a ceiling-to-floor window covered by a tattered and torn drape. The big Russian pulls the drape down. It falls in a cloud of dust. Abner waves at the dust cloud, coughing. ABNER Hey -- ! At which point the dust clears and ABNER stares out wide eyed at -- MT. ARARAT BATHED IN MOONLIGHT. ABNER is taken aback by the mountain so close. VLADIMIROV puts a hand on ABNER'S shoulder. VLADIMIROV Magnificent ... isn't it?. Two peaks. 16,950 feet and 13,000 feet respectively. 7 miles of snow and ice separate them. It leaves one to wonder how Noah and the animals ever got off it. With a little help from God, no doubt. (he starts away) Come. I have something else to show you. ABNER has to pull himself away from the window. AT THE STACKED CRATES, VLADIMIROV takes out a photograph from a leather briefcase which he brought with him. VLADIMIROV The Armenians call Ararat "The Mother of the World". An appropriate name, wouldn't you agree? ABNER Ah....yeah. Sure. It fits. VLADIMIROV (chuckling) Come. Look. ABNER joins VLADIMIROV. VLADIMIROV Take this. He hands ABNER a magnifying glass. VLADIMIROV Look at the photo. The area circled in red. ABNER magnifies that area and sees the protrusion of something man made. ABNER Wow! VLADIMIROV What do you suppose it is? ABNER Noah's Ark -- that's obvious. VLADIMIROV smiles. ABNER Boy, would this picture be great for my display. VLADIMIROV What display is this? ABNER I'm doing a project on Noah's Ark. My bible class is running a contest. VLADIMIROV (intrigued) Bible class...? ABNER CONT. Yeah...I got everything. A model, newspaper articles -- the works. VLADIMIROV But there is one thing you do not have. ABNER (haughtily) I made pretty sure. VLADIMIROV A piece of the ark. ABNER (shaking with excitement) A -- a piece -- from the actual Ark? You have a piece? VLADIMIROV I am afraid not. Though if I had I would gladly give it to you. ABNER sighs. VLADIMIROV CONT. But, Abner -- may I call you Abner? ABNER Sure -- it's my name. VLADIMIROV CONT. Abner, enough pieces to fill a class room may rest atop that mountain. Pause. ABNER You think -- when you go up there -- you can bring me down a piece. I would clinch the contest for sure. VLADIMIROV But why not bring a piece down yourself? ABNER Hey, don't tease me -- that's mean. VLADIMIROV But I am not teasing you, Abner. The expedition team leaves in the morning. How would you like to be part of the greatest adventure man has ever taken? ABNER You gotta be kidding me?! I'd give my right arm! And that's the one I throw with! VLADIMIROV (amused) Then you must be serious. ABNER turns sad all of a sudden. VLADIMIROV What is it? ABNER My dad's gonna miss out. I promised he'd be part of the adventure. Pause. VLADIMIROV I have a suggestion: how about I contact your father and have him join us? ABNER That'd be great! Ah, but you heard him. He doesn't wanna go. VLADIMIROV I am a very persuasive man, Abner. Trust me. EXT. ISTANBUL AIRPORT - THAT MOMENT (NIGHT) INDY, MARION and SALLAH again. INDY gets a brainstorm -- INDY I got it! INDY looks out toward the B-50 now silent on the apron. INDY starts to walk fast toward the plane. MARION has to almost run to keep up. SALLAH, too. INDY Sallah, I don't know if this is gonna work -- I need you to catch that train to Erzurum in the morning -- get to Dogubeyazit -- ask questions -- scourer the place -- Abner's there somewhere. Go! SALLAH Yes, Indy -- God be with you, my friends SALLAH runs off. MARION What are we gonna do? INDY You ever parachuted? MARION Parachuted?! No! INDY They can't land that baby, but nothing says we can't jump. C'mon! At which point there is a SCREECH of tires! INDY and MARION spin around -- HERE COME THE U.S. MILITARY POLICE, RACING UP IN ARMY JEEPS. THE JEEPS SURROUND INDY AND MARION AS THEY SKID TO HALT. M.P.s DRAW THEIR WEAPONS AS THE THE SERGEANT (orders) Don't move! INDY and MARION put up their hands slowly. INDY spots TEX standing at the side. TEX gives INDY an icy salute. Bastard! Watching all of this from a distance is SALLAH. SALLAH (dreadfully) Oh no...! He watches helpless as INDY and MARION are restrained and man- handled into an army jeep. CUT TO: INT. HIDEOUT - MAKESHIFT SLEEPING QUARTERS - NIGHT ABNER gets into a cot and slips under the covers. VLADIMIROV tucks the boy in nice and cosy. VLADIMIROV We leave for the mountain at dawn. Be sure to get plenty of sleep. ABNER Vladimirov? VLADIMIROV Please, Yugi, we are friends. ABNER Yugi...you've been really nice to me. I won't let you down. VLADIMIROV I know you won't. EXT. HIDEOUT (THE RUINED PALACE) - NIGHT VLADIMIROV'S MEN are loading a TRANSPORT TRUCK with mountain climbing gear. VLADIMIROV approaches a MAN. The man's back is to us, but we can see he is smoking a pipe. VLADIMIROV So...where were we, Doctor? DR. BILL HUMPHREY, the pretentious ass, pulls his pipe from his mouth with such pompous ease that it's enough to make one throw up. BILL You were explaining that the anticipated storm came early yesterday; and that the weather should pose no problem for tomorrow's climb. CUT TO: INT. U.S. ARMY JEEP - MOVING - THAT MOMENT INDY and MARION are in the back. M.P. DRIVER and PASSENGER up front. INDY Listen -- we're not crazy! PASSENGER M.P. Yeah, yeah -- just save it for the head doctor. MARION We're not crazy, dammit! -- you don't understand -- my boy's been kidnapped by the "Sons of Darkness" -- they're looking for Noah's Ark and when they find it they're gonna sacrifice my boy to some Godforsaken devil! The two M.P.s turn their heads slowly around and look at MARION like she's off her rocker. INDY Contact General MacArthur -- DRIVER M.P. The General MacArthur? INDY Yes -- he'll vouch for me! DRIVER M.P. (very sarcastic) Sure we'll contact him right away. Maybe we can all play war together. INDY and MARION growl. It's pointless. CUT TO: EXT. U.S. ARMY BASE, ISTANBUL - ESTABLISHING SHOT - NIGHT Main gate. Barracks. The usual. MARION'S VOICE (screaming) Goddamn you bastards! INT. THE STOCKADE - CORRIDOR - NIGHT The two M.P.s push INDY AND MARION into A CELL MARION Sons-a-bitches! She spits at them. They make faces and funny noises, circling their index fingers around their temples. They slam the cell door shut -- CLANG! MARION Bastards! INDY You're not helping us, Marion! MARION I'm doing a hell of a lot more than you are! INDY What do you expect me to do, huh? Take on the whole U.S. Army?! MARION You took on the whole Third Reich -- what? -- Americans not good enough for you?! INDY Aaaaaa! INDY waves her off curtly; he's heard enough. EXT. ARMY BASE - THE MAIN GATE - NIGHT CAMERA FINDS a sedan parked down the street from the main gate. Seated behind the wheel is SALLAH; he's watching the main gate. SALLAH glances at his WRISTWATCH: 2:30 in the A.M. MATCH DISSOLVE TO: SALLAH'S WRISTWATCH: 4:25 in the A.M. SALLAH exhales heavily. SALLAH (talking to himself) Perhaps if I had a weapon...? At which point he sees INDY'S suitcase on the passenger seat. SALLAH opens the suitcase and only finds INDY'S BULLWHIP. At which point there is the SQUEAL OF TRUCK BRAKES -- SALLAH SEES A CONVOY OF U.S. ARMY TRUCKS STOPPED AT THE FRONT GATE. CUT: THE MAIN GATE SENTRY is waving the lead truck through. THE CONVOY ENTERS THE BASE. AN INCONGRUOUS SHOT SHOWS US THE TARP COVERED VEHICLE BEING TOWED BEHIND THE LAST TRUCK. EXT. ARMY BASE - TRUCK YARD - JUST AFTER The convoy is parked. SOLDIERS walk away from the trucks, CHATTING and LAUGHING. INT. UNDER THE TARP SALLAH is hidden here. He listens to the soldiers; their VOICES fade. SALLAH is about to slip out from under the tarp when he notices what's under here with him -- A TOWED HOWITZER! EXT. THE TRUCK WITH TOWED HOWITZER - JUST AFTER SALLAH climbs up onto the rear bumper of the truck. He pushes the canvas curtain aside and grins big from ear to ear. STACKED INSIDE THE TRUCK IS THE HOWITZER AMMUNITION! EXT. THE BASE - JUST AFTER - ON A SIGN POST with a number of signs posted. But the one we see reads: STOCKADE. A painted arrow points the way. INT. STOCKADE - INDY'S AND MARION'S CELL - JUST AFTER MARION is pacing. INDY sits on the bunk, face in his hands. Suddenly -- SALLAH'S VOICE (hushed) Indy! Marion! INDY springs up and goes to the barred window. INDY (hushed) Sallah! SALLAH'S VOICE Indy! Oh, what a pleasure it is to hear -- INDY Get us the hell out of here! SALLAH'S VOICE Is there a bunk in there? INDY (confused) A bunk? What? Sallah!! SALLAH'S VOICE You and Marion stay to the right and cover yourselves. MARION Cover ourselves? INDY gets the picture. He pulls off the bunk's mattress. INDY Behind it! C'mon! EXT. THE STOCKADE BUILDING - JUST AFTER SALLAH has the truck and towed howitzer parked out here. SALLAH is manning the howitzer. He cranks the METAL WHEEL which turns and adjusts the howitzer's cannon. He points the barrel at the exterior wall of INDY'S and MARION'S cell. SALLAH cracks open the cannon breach and LOADS a heavy shell. SALLAH plugs his ears and stomps on the fire control lever with his foot -- BOOM! SALLAH is thrown from the recoiling howitzer! A HUGH HOLE IS BLASTED OPEN IN THE WALL! INSIDE THE CELL -- CHUNKS OF ROCK DEBRIS BEAT ON THE MATTRESS INDY AND MARION HAVE TAKEN COVER BEHIND! INSIDE THE BARRACKS -- SOLDIERS ARE JARRED AWAKE BY THE EXPLOSION! EXT. THE HUGE HOLE as INDY and MARION run outside. INDY Sallah!! SALLAH pops up, unhurt. SALLAH The truck! INDY, MARION and SALLAH rush to the TRUCK and climb inside. SALLAH (proudly) I hot-wired it. INDY Your one of a kind, Sallah! INDY shifts gears and stomps on the gas. EXT. THE TRUCK as it shudders and races away. EXT. THE MAIN GATE - JUST AFTER The truck smashes through the wooden barrier arm! The truck turns wildly, almost tipping over. HERE COME TWO M.P. JEEPS IN PURSUIT! CUT TO: EXT./INT. CHASE THROUGH THE STREETS OF ISTANBUL - OUR HEROS IN THE FLEEING TRUCK - NIGHT INDY snaps a look at the side mirror -- ARMY JEEPS IN HOT PURSUIT! CLOSING IN FAST! MARION Can't this thing go any faster?! INDY We're too heavy! SALLAH The shells and howitzer are weighing us down! INDY Shells! SALLAH Yes -- back there! INDY throws a look back -- STACKED AMMUNITION! THE LIVE SHELLS RATTLE AGAINST EACH OTHER. INDY'S REACTION -- PRICELESS. GUN FIRE NOW! THE PURSING JEEPS THE M.P.s ARE FIRING AT THE TRUCK! INDY sneers. A BULLET RICOCHETS OFF THE SIDE MIRROR! INDY Those idiots hit a shell and we'll be the first men to the moon! Moon ... that gives INDY an idea. INDY Sallah, take the wheel! IN THE TRUCK HOLD INDY works his way toward the rear. HE'S FORCED TO DUCK DOWN FROM A RICOCHETING BULLET! INDY looks at the SHELLS -- right in his face -- his heart almost stops. IN THE CAB SALLAH cranks the wheel. THE TRUCK CUTS A CORNER SHARPLY -- INDY IS THROWN TO THE SIDE -- LIVE SHELLS FALL WITH HIM! INDY SALLAH!! SALLAH Sorry, Indy! CUT TO: INDY as he leaps from the rear of the moving truck to the towed howitzer. INDY has a live shell under each arm. INDY quickly mans the howitzer. He CRANKS THE WHEEL and aims the barrel down at the rushing road. INDY cracks open the breach and SLAMS home a shell. THE TWO PURSUING ARMY JEEPS are racing up toward the rear of the truck. An M.P. is taking aim over the windshield -- INDY pops up and fires the howitzer -- BOOM! THE RECOIL SLAMS THE TOWED HOWITZER UP AGAINST THE BACK OF THE TRUCK. INDY IS ALMOST THROWN TO THE ROAD! SALLAH AND MARION ROCK WITH THE BUMPED TRUCK! THE FIRED SHELL BLASTS A CRATER INTO THE ROAD -- AND CRUNCH -- ONE OF THE PURSING JEEPS FALLS INTO IT AT HIGH SPEED! THE M.P.s, BANGED UP, ARE ALL RIGHT. INDY LOADS ANOTHER SHELL -- INDY PREPARES TO FIRE AGAIN -- AT WHICH POINT SALLAH TURNS THE TRUCK SHARPLY DOWN ANOTHER STREET -- THE HOWITZER TILTS UP ONTO ONE WHEEL -- AND INDY PRESSES THE FIRE CONTROL LEVER INADVERTENTLY! BOOM! THE FIRED SHELL TAKES OUT A PARKED CAR! THE HOWITZER SLAMS BACK DOWN -- AND INDY IS ALMOST THROWN AGAIN! INDY SALLAH!!! SALLAH (shouting) SORRY, INDY! INDY is forced to duck as a bullet strikes the howitzer! DOWN HERE, INDY sees where the howitzer is hitched to the truck -- an idea comes to him. THE LONE PURSUING JEEP is not far behind the truck. The M.P. PASSENGER is reaching for the radio -- WHEN INDY, TUGGING AND PULLING AT THE HITCH RELEASE ARM, GETS IT FINALLY! INDY JUMPS FROM THE HOWITZER JUST AS IT DROPS AWAY FROM THE TRUCK -- THE M.P.s CRY OUT -- AND THE JEEP SWERVES TO MISS THE RUNAWAY HOWITZER. THE JEEP JUMPS THE CURB AND SMASHES INTO A TREE! The M.P.s, banged up, are okay. They watch the TRUCK whip around a corner and disappear from their sights. The M.P. who reached for the radio looks at the frayed, pulled out cord attached to the handset in his hand. He shrugs at his partner. CUT TO: EXT. ISTANBUL AIRPORT - NIGHT INDY, MARION AND SALLAH creep up and get out of sight behind a REFUELLING TRUCK. INDY It's still here. HE MEANS THE B-50 SUPERFORTRESS. INDY CONT. Like before. SALLAH Yes, Indy. (remembering) Oh -- SALLAH pulls out from within his shirt INDY'S BULLWHIP. SALLAH CONT. You might need this, my friend. INDY takes his whip and latches it to his belt. SALLAH CONT. God be more with you this time. EXT. THE PARKED B-50 - UNDER THE FUSELAGE - JUST AFTER A YOUNG SENTRY is standing guard at the plane. MARION approaches the SENTRY with a warm smile. The SENTRY snaps down his rifle and points it at MARION. YOUNG SENTRY Halt! MARION Hey, hey -- take it easy. YOUNG SENTRY This is a restricted area, ma'am. You'll have to leave. MARION But what about cuddles? YOUNG SENTRY Cuddles, ma'am? MARION My wittle doggie -- you have to help me find Cuddles. YOUNG SENTRY I didn't see any dog, ma'am...? MARION (pointing) There he is! The SENTRY turns around -- WHACK! INDY smacks the SENTRY with a plank of wood. INDY and MARION race up the steps and into the plane. CUT TO: EXT. ISTANBUL AIRPORT - DAWN The B-50'S four big propellers start to spin one after the other. INT. B-50 COCKPIT TEX and the CO-PILOT are finishing up their preflight checks. TEX Takes forever to do anything in this god forsaken country. CO-PILOT I'm just glad to be going home. INT. B-50'S STORAGE COMPARTMENT INDY and MARION are hiding in here. INDY We'll make our move after we're in the air. MARION Indy, what if we're too late? INDY We'll get Abner back. I promise. INDY embraces MARION. CUT TO: INT. VLADIMIROV'S HIDEOUT - MAKESHIFT SLEEPING QUARTERS - DAWN Abner is sound asleep. THE CAMERA FINDS VLADIMIROV; he is watching Abner sleep. Creepy. VLADIMIROV whispers one word in that CRYPTIC language again. CUT TO: EXT. THE B-50 IN FLIGHT - SUN UP The big B-50 is flying west, away from the rising sun. INT. B-50'S CREW COMPARTMENT The CREW are at their stations. INDY steps out of hiding. The crew all see him at once. INDY puts a finger to his mouth -- Sshh! CHARLIE (hushed) Sir, what are you doing back here? CREWMAN #2 We saw you get taken away. INDY Charlie, we have to get this plane turned around. I need your help. INT. THE COCKPIT - JUST AFTER INDY barges in with Charlie -- a .45 pointed at the kid's head! INDY Gentlemen -- TEX You! How the hell -- INDY Shut up or I'll put a bullet through this kid's head! CHARLIE Listen to him, Captain. The guy's a whack-o! INDY Turn the plane around and head east. EXT. VLADIMIROV'S HIDEOUT - SUN UP VLADIMIROV, DR. BILL HUMPHREY, and ABNER walk to the TRUCK idling nearby. VLADIMIROV'S COMRADES are all present: 4 in total. BILL (low to Vladimirov) You think it's wise to bring the child? VLADIMIROV Abner is our good luck charm, Doctor. BILL Sir, the climb is going to be very demanding ... not to mention dangerous. VLADIMIROV All the more reason to have a good luck charm, Doctor. BILL He's your responsibility. VLADIMIROV I'd have it no other way. BILL steps away in a huff. A comrade, RYKOV, whispers to his Captain: RYKOV Comrade Captain, I was unable to contact Doctor Jones. The university said he left the country on important business. VLADIMIROV (grinning) Doctor Jones is no doubt looking for his son as we speak. I would have preferred the services of the good Doctor...but we must make do. RYKOV (concerned) Comrade, I agree with Dr. Humphrey. The child will slow us down. VLADIMIROV The child is our salvation, comrade. RYKOV frowns. VLADIMIROV You will soon understand. We could not have been more fortunate. CUT TO: EXT. APPROACH TO THE MOUNTAIN - MORNING The truck bounces along a rocky dirt road, headed for Mount Ararat rising high in the background. INT. TRUCK - MOVING ABNER is really excited. VLADIMIROV is enjoying the boy's enthusiasm. EXT. ROCKY FOOTHILL ROAD - SOON AFTER The truck is following a winding road which cuts through higher, more rugged terrain. Sheer bluffs, a story or more high, and strangely eroded rock formations make up the surrounding landscape. INT. TRUCK Comrade RYKOV is at the wheel, frowning at something up ahead on the road. EXT. THE ROAD We LOOK THROUGH the legs of a horse at the truck approaching. We CRANE UP alongside the horse to show the RIDER in profile. INT. TRUCK The strange horseman has everyone's attention. VLADIMIROV The horn. RYKOV honks the horn. But the rider remains where he is, blocking the road. ABNER Who is that? EXT. THE ROAD The horseman raises his hand into the air. INT. THE TRUCK Everyone is puzzled. BILL What's he doing? EXT. CLOSE ON THE HORSEMAN as his hand snaps down -- a signal! At which point HORSEMEN, numbering a dozen, close in from all flanks. INT. THE TRUCK VLADIMIROV sneers. He raps on the cab wall, yelling to his men in the hold -- VLADIMIROV (*subtitled*) Ambush! EXT. THE TRUCK as the flapped sides are rolled up and reveal a HEAVY MACHINE GUN on a tripod. The GUNNER opens fire! .50 calibre slugs slam into the charging brigade! Horsemen fall, hitting the dirt hard! INT. THE TRUCK RYKOV jumps out, ready to do battle. VLADIMIROV gets his door open -- VLADIMIROV Remain here! Stay low! BILL and ABNER don't argue with him. EXT. THE TRUCK A HORSEMAN gallops by, his sword raised gallantly! VLADIMIROV draws his sidearm quickly and takes out the rider with one shot! The heavy machine gun cuts the ambusher's numbers in half. RYKOV and VLADIMIROV charge the fallen horsemen who stagger to their feet. INT. THE TRUCK ABNER gets to the floor, scared. BILL doesn't look so brave either. Suddenly -- THUD! Someone just landed on the roof! EXT. THE TRUCK A HORSEMAN has leaped onto the roof from a ridge above and is now -- INT. THE TRUCK jumping onto the hood. BILL yelps! The HORSEMAN peers in through the windscreen -- then smashes his sword through the glass! BILL jerks aside! The tip of the sword punctures the cab wall very close to BILL'S head! ABNER Gun! Don'tcha gotta gun? BILL No! But that's not all together true. BILL just remembered something. He scrambles for his DUFFLE BAG. From it he pulls out a SMALL BOX -- The HORSEMAN on the hood thrusts his sword forward; he's trying it a second time! BILL ducks down. Again the tip of the sword stabs the back wall! BILL POPS UP -- something in his hand -- WHOOSH! A sizzling ball of light erupts from the object in BILL'S hand -- IT'S A FLARE GUN! The projectile slams into the HORSEMAN and knocks him back off the hood of the truck! EXT. THE TRUCK The fallen HORSEMAN is wounded, but not dead. He staggers to his feet. VLADIMIROV charges at him! The big Russian knocks the HORSEMAN to the ground again! VLADIMIROV is seething mad. His eyes glow RED -- very subtle -- as he unloads three shots into the HORSEMAN at point blank range! Now a yell from RYKOV warns VLADIMIROV to watch out! The big Russian spins around and unloads two slugs into a CHARGING HORSEMAN! RYKOV is under attack himself, but he doesn't see in time. The attacker's sword runs him through. A full foot of blood smeared steel pops out of RYKOV'S chest -- ghastly! The GUNNER whips the heavy machine gun around and riddles the last horseman with bullets. VLADIMIROV, his chest heaving, is ready for more. But it's all over. THE DOZEN HORSEMEN ARE DEAD. EXT. AMBUSH SCENE - JUST AFTER COMRADE 2 is preparing to drag RYKOV'S body to the truck. VLADIMIROV Leave him. COMRADE 2 But Comrade Captain -- VLADIMIROV Leave him! I don't want the boy frightened! Go! Get the truck started. Go! Damn you! INT. THE TRUCK VLADIMIROV climbs in. BILL Getting us killed was not part of the agreement, sir! VLADIMIROV I'm not responsible, Doctor! If bandits wish to attack us, there is nothing I can do but protect myself! ABNER Robbers? Those guys were robbers? VLADIMIROV Yes. Bad men, Abner. ABNER I'm glad you got'em, Yugi. Bandits tried to rob me the other day. But I got away. VLADIMIROV Good. Very good. You will make a fine solider someday. ABNER likes the thought of that. BILL is not altogether convinced. BILL Bandits ... I find that difficult to believe, sir. VLADIMIROV Highway robbers, Doctor. Who else would they be? BILL Just before they attacked I heard one shout in Hebrew: "The Sons of Light will triumph!" VLADIMIROV (evenly) Zealots, Doctors. Zealots. EXT. THE TRUCK as it drives off. We remain on the battle field. Bodies of the horsemen are sprawled out in the dirt, twisted, open wounds turning the sand red. The wind picks up. Strong. Sand begins to swirl and whip in the air. In a matter of seconds the wind has kick up a wall of sand too dense for the eye to penetrate. The screen is completely obscured. Then, as quick as the wind came, it disperses. The sand wall dissipates and settles. The bodies of the horsemen no longer lie defeated on the ground; nor do they stand at attention, resurrected by powers to great to fathom. Just the simplest of miracles -- THEY HAVE VANISHED. INT. B-50 COCKPIT INDY is still holding CHARLIE at gun point. INDY Radio air traffic control, Moscow. TEX I knew it -- you're a commie traitor! INDY Do it! (to CO-PILOT) You. Go through your air maps. Calculate a position closet to the town of Dogubeyazit. TEX We can't land this thing there -- there's no runaway! INDY Who said anything about landing! EXT. BASE OF MOUNT ARARAT - FOOTHILLS - DAY The truck is already unloaded. Mountain climbing gear is piled up on the ground. Note the backpacks: they remind us of parachute bundles. VLADIMIROV, his 3 comrades, BILL, and ABNER, are suited up, or in the process of doing so, for the climb ahead. ABNER'S climbing suit is a makeshift one. ABNER is slipping on a pair of hiking boots which he brought with him in his backpack. BILL pulls VLADIMIROV to the side, out of ear-shot -- BILL Vladimirov, be reasonable. We've already been ambushed. And in a couple of hours we will be traversing very dangerous terrain. He is only a boy. VLADIMIROV Do not worry yourself, Doctor. I will see that the boy remains safe. (turning to Abner; loud) Abner is far to important to leave behind. BILL sighs heavily. ABNER sticks out his tongue at BILL. VLADIMIROV (chuckling) Today we climb to the lower plateau. An abandoned village there should provide adequate shelter for the night. BILL The village was destroyed by an earthquake and avalanche in 1840. VLADIMIROV You've done your homework, Doctor. BILL I come prepared, sir. Exchanging goofy looks with ABNER: VLADIMIROV Lucky for us. However, a few structures should still remain intact. COMRADE 1 We are ready, sir. VLADIMIROV Excellent. No one moves. Least of all BILL. VLADIMIROV Doctor, you are the self proclaimed mountaineer of mountaineers, are you not? Please, lead the way. BILL hops to it. BILL Tally Ho! ABNER Hold it! What about my dad? VLADIMIROV It is getting late, Comrade. We must go. ABNER But my dad? He should be here? Kneeling to the boy -- VLADIMIROV (dramatically) Just think how proud he will be when you bring him a piece of the Ark. ABNER beams. INT. B-50 COCKPIT - THAT MOMENT INDY, enraged, whips the radio headset aside. MARION What -- what's wrong?! INDY Andropov refuses to get involved! He said Vladimirov and his men left for the mountain at dawn. MARION Abner? INDY Abner's with them. MARION Oh god. INDY (barking at the CO-PILOT) You! Forget about the town -- calculate a drop zone closet to mount Ararat. At which point there is a SPUTTERING NOISE -- OUTSIDE, THE FOUR PROPELLER DRIVEN ENGINES ARE DYING, ONE AFTER THE OTHER. BACK INSIDE -- INDY What's wrong?! TEX I don't know -- all the engines are shutting down. Instrument readouts are failing! INDY Fuel? -- what?! C'mon!! TEX I don't know! INDY (wryly) So much for the man upstairs liking me. THE LAST ENGINE DIES. THE BIG PLANE STARTS TO NOSE DIVE. TEX FIGHTS TO GET THE NOSE UP. TEX WE'RE GOING DOWN! EXT. SERENE PASTURE LANDS - JUST AFTER A TURKISH FARMER is tending to his crops. What's that? HERE IT IS -- THE B-50 SHOOTS BY OVERHEAD. THE PLANE'S FEROCIOUS WIND DRAG BLOWS THE FARMER RIGHT OFF HIS FEET! HERE WE GO: THE SUPERFORTRESS BELLY FLOPS WITH A CRUNCH. THE PLANE STAYS INTACT AND SLIDES LIKE A GIANT'S BOBSLED ON THE EVEN PASTURE LAND -- SUDDENLY THE NOSE STARTS TO DIG IN AND THEN -- OH MY GOD -- THE PLANE BEGINS TO CARTWHEEL. THE AIRCRAFT DISINTEGRATES INTO A MILLION PIECES AND EXPLODES! BUT ... WHAT ABOUT OUR HEROS? EXT. THE OTTOMAN BRIDGE - THAT MOMENT ABNER'S taxicab crossed this bridge yesterday. MARION'S VOICE (screaming) INDY-Y-Y-Y! AT WHICH POINT INDY AND MARION DROP IN FROM THE SKY -- FLOAT IN RATHER -- BOTH OF THEM STRAPPED INTO PARACHUTE HARNESSES. INDY lands first -- a perfect two-point touch down. MARION is second to land -- OOOFF! Not so perfect. TOUCHING DOWN ALL AROUND NOW ARE THE 13 MEMBER FLIGHT CREW, TEX AND THE CO-PILOT! EXT. THE BRIDGE - JUST AFTER Everybody starts to gather on the bridge. TEX pushes through his men and stomps up to INDY -- WHACK! He punches INDY in the face. INDY'S knees buckle. TEX You commie sonofabitch! TEX raises his fist again. MARION intercedes -- MARION Please! Please! Stop -- my boy is in danger! CHARLIE It's true, sir. TEX You're gonna back them up after he put a gun to your head?! CHARLIE It was just a trick...to get you to co- operate. Sorry. TEX Then all this time your wife here's been telling the truth? INDY and MARION nod. TEX Well I'll be a monkey's uncle. INDY looks at Mount Ararat far off on the horizon. INDY We gotta get to that mountain! MARION How -- we're in the middle of nowhere! At which point there is a CHUG-CHUG NOISE. ALL HEADS TURN TO SEE A JUNK-BOX TAXICAB COMING DOWN THE DIRT ROAD TOWARD THE BRIDGE. CUT TO: INDY as he flags down the taxicab. BEHIND THE WHEEL is our sour-toothed CABBY, jaws still swollen and his head wrapped in the grimy handkerchief. INDY Take us to the mountain! CABBY (pointing behind him) Mmmmm. He has TOURISTS in the backseat. CUT: Now the TOURISTS are out of the cab and on their butts in the dirt. They watch stunned as the taxicab putt-putts away! INT. THE TAXICAB - MOVING We see, through the back windshield, the CREWMEN helping the tossed TOURISTS to their feet. INDY is brandishing a .45 at the CABBY. INDY Faster! CABBY (sweating bullets) Mmmmmmmm! EXT. MOUNT ARARAT - GRASSY PLATEAU - DAY The first leg is underway. A breathtaking HIGH ANGLE SHOT finds VLADIMIROV'S team making tracks up the gradually sloped plateau. EXT. ROCKY FOOTHILL ROAD - DAY The taxicab races along at an incredible 20 miles an hour! INT. CAB INDY fishes out a map from his pocket. It looks familiar. It's from the plane. It's a topographic map of Mount Ararat and the surrounding foothills. Indicating map -- INDY The Ark's been pin-pointed on this peak, here, little Ararat. They'll probably come in from the north, around Great Ararat. There's a seven mile stretch between the peaks. Then it's a 5,000 foot climb once they reach little Ararat. MARION "Once"? We can't let them get that far! INDY It's probably to late to stop them. EXT. MOUNT ARARAT - GRASSY PLATEAU - DAY The team starts to change directions. BILL is studying a map on the climb, using his compass to navigate. VLADIMIROV Are we making good time, Doctor? BILL We could be doing better. BILL glances back at ABNER disdainfully. ABNER makes a face at BILL. VLADIMIROV chuckles. VLADIMIROV How long until we reach the village? BILL 5 hours. Maybe 6 VLADIMIROV grins at something BILL has hanging from his belt. VLADIMIROV Doctor, I see you are prepared for another close encounter. BILL frowns at him. VLADIMIROV CONT. Your flare gun. BILL Yes, I've decided to keep it at my side. As you saw it came in very handy. VLADIMIROV A pistol would be much more practical, Doctor. Would it not? BILL I've never been a advocate of firearms, sir. Nasty things if you ask me. VLADIMIROV Ah, yes, Doctor, but they too can be very handy. EXT. ROCKY FOOTHILL ROAD - NEAR SUNDOWN This is a familiar looking area. Yes, that's right, the ambush occurred here just hours ago. Here comes the taxicab, sputtering and lurching -- it dies! Steam spews from its rad! INDY and MARION get out. The cabby kicks the tire. INDY Dammit! MARION What now? INDY The mountain's just a short distance. (pulling Marion) C'mon! EXT. A LITTLE WAYS UP THE FOOTHILL ROAD - JUST AFTER INDY and MARION are running along when INDY spots the bloody body of COMRADE RYKOV. INDY Hold it! INDY runs over to the dead man. MARION steps in a second later. MARION Who is that? What are you doing? INDY is rummaging through the man's pockets. INDY pulls out a map. He unfolds it and looks it over. INDY Yes! It's their route. We know exactly where they're starting and where they're going. INDY reaches down to grab Rykov's automatic rifle, but jumps back. INDY Watch it! Scorpion! The creepy thing crawls up onto Rykov's chest. MARION yelps. INDY Easy. Don't panic. He'd make you sick, but the poison's not lethal. Get enough of 'em on you -- that's another story. The scorpion is doing something very odd: it repeatedly jabs the dead man with its stinger. INDY and MARION exchange looks. MARION Let's go, Indy! They swing around and start running again. A FEW YARDS AHEAD, INDY and MARION slow down and stop. They are looking out ahead of them with great perplexity on their faces. MARION Why....is the ground moving? (then with growing fear) Indy-y-y! The ground is moving! MARION'S right, the ground is moving ... in their direction ... from all directions, except from the rear. No ... not the ground ... something else? NOW THIS YOU DON'T SEE EVERYDAY: SCORPIONS! THE DISGUSTING CRITTERS ARE MASSED TOGETHER LIKE STAMPEDING HERDS OF CATTLE. HUNDREDS! MORE LIKE THOUSANDS! STINGS RAISED LIKE HOOKED FINGERS AND PINCERS CLACKING LIKE TOY CHATTER-TEETH! MARION INDY-Y-Y-Y! INDY RUN, MARION! RUN! EXT. FOOTHILL ROAD, BACK TO The CABBY as he kicks his car tire again, MUMBLING. A sound. He turns to see the Americans running back his way. CABBY (frightened) Mmmmmmmmmm! INDY and MARION run for their lives. INDY CAR, MARION! THE CAR! The cabby sees them now: THOUSANDS OF CHARGING SCORPIONS! CABBY (freaking out) Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!!! INT. CAB INDY and MARION pile in after the CABBY. INDY WINDOWS! WINDOWS! HANDS roll up all the windows in a hurry! EXT. THE CAB as the scorpion hordes converge on the cab. There's not a grain of sand visible through their thick layer. The critters don't stop once at the cab. They scurry up on top of it, jabbing their stingers against the frame and windows wildly. INT. THE CAB The racket in here is deafening! Like a thousand, rapidly tapping finger nails. Maddening! The trapped inside are being plunged into darkness as the windows seal over! Tiny slivers of sunlight poke in, blinking and dancing like lasers beams. MARION is screaming. The CABBY is trying to scream. INDY should be screaming, but is instead eyeing something up in the frontseat -- THE GEAR SHIFTER! Springing forward, INDY jerks back the shifter into neutral! EXT. THE CAB as it begins to roll backwards on the down sloping road, over the carpet of critters, squashing them under the tires. CRUNCH! SQUISH! A hundred times over! The cab picks up speed, bouncing roughly on the rugged road. The jarring sends the free-riding scorpions flying off and into the dirt. INT. CAB Our heros are thrown about! EXT. CAB as it leaves the road and drops down into a ditch with a CRUNCH! Shaken, INDY and MARION scramble out. The CABBY wastes no time and runs off toward the distant lights of Dogubeyazit. MARION yelps and jumps onto INDY'S back. INDY stomps on the few remaining critters. MARION INDY -- THERE! THERE! GET IT! GET IT! INDY I don't see anymore! C'mon. MARION (pulling back) Not with those things out there! INDY Whaddaya suggest we do -- fly! At which point MARION sees something. MARION How about ride? She points up. Perched on a low bluff is a HORSE, grazing on some wild grass. It's a thoroughbred and fully saddled. Bets are it belonged to the horseman who earlier on had leaped from the bluff and onto the roof of Vladimirov's truck. SHARPLY CUT TO: INDY and MARION on the horse! INDY YAH! The horse takes off at a charge! EXT. BASE OF THE MOUNTAIN - FOOTHILLS - SUNDOWN INDY and MARION ride up on the horse. They see the truck. Climbing off and helping MARION -- INDY The map's genuine. This is where they started. MARION They got nearly a full day's head start! INDY looks inside the truck. INDY There's gear in here! INDY jumps inside the hold and starts suiting up. MARION Any more? INDY Marion, you're staying here! MARION Like hell I am! INDY Marion -- there isn't enough gear here for two of us! MARION But Indy -- INDY You'd just be holding me back. MARION But, Indy, he's my son! INDY With enough luck, I'll get to them before they reach the 7 mile pass. MARION I'm counting on you, Indy. Don't let him hurt my boy. INDY Never. CUT TO: EXT. ABANDONED MOUNTAIN VILLAGE - SUNDOWN Just over a hundred years ago this was a thriving village on the mountain's lower plateau. Now it is in ruins. The aftermath of a giant earthquake. Jagged boulders, as big as houses, broke off from the cliff face above and crushed the village. The resulting avalanche buried back then what wasn't pulverised under a tidal wave of rock and snow. What remains of the village today is very little. At first glance, there doesn't appear to be a village at all. A closer look, however, reveals structural walls and the geometrical shapes of dwellings and courtyards under a crust of rock and earth. The team enter this forsaken place. BILL Magnificent! VLADIMIROV You see, Doctor, some structures still remain intact. Adequate shelter for the night. INT. INTACT COTTAGE/CAMP SHELTER - NIGHT A camp fire burns brightly. BILL and two of the Comrades sit around the fire drinking hot coffee. The two soldiers watch BILL silently. Feeling eyes upon him, BILL shifts uncomfortably. Then he's had enough -- BILL (snapping) Why not take a picture! It will last longer! VLADIMIROV enters through a big hole in the wall. With him is the other comrade. Someone is missing? VLADIMIROV Where is Abner? BILL He went to the washroom. EXT. ABANDONED VILLAGE - NIGHT VLADIMIROV manoeuvres around rock debris, the beam from his helmet lamp casting a pool of light ahead of him. VLADIMIROV sees a light shaft arching to and fro inside a not too distant dwelling. INT. NOT TOO DISTANT DWELLING - JUST AFTER ABNER is checking out the place. A solidified mound of rock and earth protrudes in through where a wall once stood. At the time of the avalanche, a wave of rock and snow came crashing in. A century later, the mound is as solid as granite. A permanent addition to the dwelling. ABNER'S helmet lamp illuminates a series of stain-glass windows at the side. Miraculously, they survived the quake, the avalanche, and the century of harsh weather that followed. VLADIMIROV'S VOICE Abner! VLADIMIROV is standing just outside a crumbled section of wall. ABNER Look at the glass. It's so pretty. VLADIMIROV smiles and moves to step inside -- but is forced back, as if he bumped into some invisible barrier! Alarm washes over VLADIMIROV'S face! ABNER C'mon in and see. VLADIMIROV tries it again -- but is forced back as before! Bizarre ... but it seems as if this place doesn't want VLADIMIROV inside. VLADIMIROV (sharply) Abner! Come! We must get some sleep! ABNER Aw nuts! VLADIMIROV Come! ABNER I'm comin', awready! EXT. THE MYSTERIOUS DWELLING - NIGHT VLADIMIROV leads ABNER quickly away by the hand. We linger on the structure ... and slowly BOOM UP to show a steeple, rising from the dwelling's crust of dirt and rock; then the WHITE CROSS atop the steeple, all aglow in the moonlight. EXT. ON THE MOUNTAIN - ROCKY ALCOVE - NIGHT INDY is shivering as he pats down a pile of wild grass. He takes a box of matches from the commandeered parka, fumbles with it, and spills the matches on the ground. INDY scoops up a few and, not bothering with the box, stuffs the matches into his pant's pocket. INDY scrapes his thumb nail across the head of the match and it ignites. He lowers the flame to the grass ... and in a few seconds a fire starts to glow brightly. INT. CAMP SHELTER - NIGHT The team are bedded down for the night. ABNER is restless. ABNER I can't sleep. BILL Go to sleep you little brat! ABNER Who you calling a brat? Egg-head! Getting up -- BILL Why you little -- ! VLADIMIROV Enough! Abner! Go to sleep! ABNER (sulking) I don't wanna go to bed. I'm too excited. VLADIMIROV exhales heavily. BILL (rubbing it in) You wanted to bring him. VLADIMIROV has an idea: VLADIMIROV If I tell you a story, then will you go to bed? ABNER A ghost story, and you got a deal! VLADIMIROV (grumbling) A ghost story. (but then he grins) A ghost story. If it is a ghost story you wish. Then a ghost story you shall get. ABNER sits up, ready. VLADIMIROV Prepare yourself, because it is a doosie. ABNER I'm ready! I'm ready! VLADIMIROV puts on his best ghost-story-telling-face and begins: VLADIMIROV A long time ago. A time before the great flood, the Devil had a child born of flesh and bone, but with all the powers of evil at his disposal. For a thousand years, the unclean son corrupted man, converted the children of God to the side of Evil. This enraged the All Mighty. And as a punishment, God promised to banish man from the Earth. (beat) News of this came to the ears of the unclean son by Noah himself. (beat) Learning that his kingdom would soon be brushed away by the hand of God, the unclean son confided in his most faithful servant and explained to him: "God will destroy what I have built; God is all powerful; God will see that my flesh falls from my bones." The Servant did not want to believe such horrors, but he followed his master's instructions to the letter. (beat) Days before the rain, the unclean son was destroyed as predicted -- the evil incarnate was gone. (beat) As he was instructed, the faithful servant took the skull, all that was left of the unclean son's earthly form, and went in search of Noah. By this time Noah had completed the Ark. (MORE) VLADIMIROV CONT. And under the guise of a friend, the servant asked permission to join Noah and his family on the Ark. (beat) But Noah had great uncertainties and did not believe the friend was true and forbid him refuge. (beat) The servant believed he had failed his master. But then a voice spoke to him, and explained what had to be done. So while Noah and his family waited for the rains to come, the servant crept on board the Ark and hid away the unclean son's skull in the bow. Then the servant, given a moments power by his master, left his earthly form and buried himself deep inside an elephant. ABNER, so engrossed, can only mouth the words "Holy Toledo". VLADIMIROV CONT. As Noah was foretold, the heavens opened and the waters prevailed. The great sea rose to incredible heights. Covering the highest mountains. (truly grievous) The kingdom and all its people sank into a deep abyss. Women...children....families...all gone. (collecting himself) More than a year later, the Ark settled, here, on Mount Ararat. And one by one the animals filed off the Ark and walked to the four corners of the cleansed earth. (beat) Centuries passed, and the elephant, which had beeen given a long life span by God, finally died. From the animal's rotting flesh, the servant emerged in the shape of his earthly self. But something was wrong. The servant was far from any place he knew. A crucial mistake had been made. And the unclean son was lost. (beat) Throughout his life the servant searched for that place where the Ark had settled, spreading word of the evil scriptures; recruiting the young and old for a time when the unclean son would return as flesh and retake the earth. And for generations, the search endured. (MORE) VLADIMIROV CONT. (beat) 5 thousand years pass...to this night. And right now there roams a man, an evil man, who is the long descendant of the faithful servant. This evil man's only purpose in life is to make his master flesh again. And to do this, he has been reassembling a skeleton -- ABNER (jumping in) Skeleton! VLADIMIROV CONT. Yes. From the bones of those men who, over the centuries, had shown an unwavering dedication to evil. It has been a long, laborious task. (thoughtfully) So much so that evil man gave up hope....began to doubt the scriptures he so once truly believed. The evil man had allowed himself to be blinded by the rationale of modern thinking. (beat) But now that has changed. For the evil man sees a dark light on the horizon. A wonderful light. And the skeleton, which had been passed down from generation to generation, each one adding to its reconstruction, is almost complete. Now, after centuries, only one piece -- but the most critical -- awaits him atop this mountain. ABNER (jumping in) The skull! VLADIMIROV Precisely. So you see, Abner, why the Ark is so significant, because it houses the all important piece. And if this evil man were to ever uncover the Ark, he would find the unclean son's skull. Then 5 thousand years of sleep would end. The unclean son would be born again of flesh and reclaim the Earth in his name ... and all of Godkind would be doomed. (leaning in close) So Abner, whatever you do, do not tell this evil man where the Ark is. ABNER is pretty darn scared. VLADIMIROV chuckles, as does his men. VLADIMIROV I see you like my story. ABNER Boy...that's pretty scary. Neat...but scary. VLADIMIROV Let us get some sleep. A long day ahead of us tomorrow. ABNER rolls over, imagination getting the better of him. One of VLADIMIROV'S comrades whispers: COMRADE 4 I believe you have terrified the boy. VLADIMIROV It would be merciful to kill him now, before the "Coming"... but I have plans for this little one. CUT TO: EXT. ON THE MOUNTAIN - HIGH, SNOWY SLOPE - DAWN The team is underway again. The terrain is dangerously rugged. The team is making sure they have their crampons (spikes) set in the ice before pressing onward. DISSOLVE TO: EXT. ABANDONED MOUNTAIN VILLAGE - DAY INDY, huffing and puffing, refers to the map, using a compass which he also found in the parka. INDY gets his direction and presses onward. DISSOLVE TO: EXT. THE 7 MILE PASS - DAY The team traverse the difficult terrain at a snail's pace. DISSOLVE TO: EXT. BASE OF LITTLE ARARAT - LATE IN THE DAY The team pause and take heed of the second peak rising above them. ABNER We gotta climb that? VLADIMIROV A walk in the park, for a young, virile man like yourself. ABNER Yeah, you're right. BILL shakes his head and begins to uncoil some rope. BILL I'll scale to the plateau above and secure a line. We can pull the boy up that way. VLADIMIROV Good idea, Doctor. I knew there was some reason why I hired you. ABNER How come I can't climb? BILL It's too dangerous. ABNER (false bravado) Whuddaya mean -- it's an ant hill! VLADIMIROV But, comrade, I suffer from a sore leg. The line would help me. ABNER Yeah...I guess if you got a sore leg. I'll take the rope too -- just so you don't feel bad. VLADIMIROV Thank you, comrade, for having such consideration. ABNER Think nothing of it. That's what friends are for? EXT. STEEP RIDGE - LATE IN THE DAY INDY drops down onto a narrow LEDGE. He looks down over the edge -- A KILLER OF A DROP! INDY thinks about his next move. INDY starts to drop a line over the side. He takes a piton (a sharp blade which, when hammered into rock, anchors the rope for scaling) and begins to clip his line through the eye of the piton. A BIT OF ORANGE against the rocks at the side catches INDY'S eye. He leans out and discovers a drop line already anchored to the rocks, left there by the team earlier. INDY is grateful. CUT TO: EXT. SNOW COVERED MOUNTAIN PASS - NEAR SUNDOWN The team are walking up a snowy slope. In a moment, the team are atop the slope. The CAMERA continues upward, rising above the team's heads and reveals A DEEP, WIDE TRENCH SEPARATING THE TEAM FROM THE OTHER SIDE, WHERE ANOTHER LABORIOUS CLIMB OVER A GRAND SLOPE AWAITS THEM. VLADIMIROV The Ark is another day's journey, no more. We will set up camp on the other side of the gorge. Doctor? BILL We'll have to rig a bridge line. VLADIMIROV Alright, let's get to work. SHARPLY CUT TO: A COMRADE as he sights a rifle -- WOOF! AN ANCHOR IS SHOT INTO THE ROCK OVER ON THE OTHER SIDE. BILL I'll go across and secure a scaling line. That lip looks rather precarious. VLADIMIROV I have complete confidence in you, Doctor. EXT. THE 7 MILE PASS - NEAR SUNDOWN INDY is just a speck against the sea of snow and ice. ON INDY, his face long with fatigue. The mountain is taking its toll on him. EXT. GOAL SIDE OF THE DEEP TRENCH - SUNDOWN BILL comes face to face with the opposite wall of the gorge. He is hanging from the secured bridge line. A good, strong thrust and BILL plants his ice axe deep into the icy lip. Then with surprising agility, BILL pulls himself up, sinking the spikes of his crampons in fast to give him support. Yelling from the opposite side -- VLADIMIROV Yes, Doctor, you never cease to amaze me! BILL, using two ice axes, his crampons, climbs the icy lip to the top. BILL (grumbling) And you, Vladimirov, never cease to annoy me. Now BILL is safe on the slope, working an ice screw into the thick permafrost. Now BILL is securing a rope to the ice screw. Then, at the rim, he drops the scaling line over the side and it dangles alongside the bridge line below. Yelling across to the others -- BILL Alright! One at a time! SHARPLY CUT TO: A dizzying high shot over the trench. ABNER crosses hand-over-hand, secured to the bridge line by a wheeled harness. Yelling to ABNER -- BILL Don't look down. Keep your eyes on me! ABNER is shaking, and it's not from the cold. Yelling from the opposite side -- VLADIMIROV That's it, comrade. You're doing splendidly. The Soviet Airforce could use a man like yourself! BILL (yelling back) Let the boy concentrate! Okay, that's it. Just a bit further. EXT. BASE OF LITTLE ARARAT - SUNDOWN INDY runs up, his chest heaving. While catching his breath, INDY sees a rope dangling at the side. EXT. DEEP TRENCH ABNER comes face to face with the far wall of the trench. BILL See the carabiner? ABNER The what!! BILL The metal thing on the end of the rope! ABNER Yeah, yeah! Okay! BILL Clip it onto your harness ring! After that -- ABNER One thing at a time! BILL snarls. He waits. BILL Have you done that? ABNER Yeah, yeah! I did that! BILL Now unhook yourself from the wheel. ABNER pulls himself up a bit, to slacken the strap fixed to the wheel, and unclips himself. His full weight surprises him -- and he is yanked off the bridge line! He drops! VLADIMIROV panics -- VLADIMIROV Abner! ABNER hits the gorge wall, grunting. ABOVE, BILL has the rope held tight in his hands -- BILL I got you! I got you! Hold on! BILL starts to pull on the rope. ABNER is hauled up slowly. Now BILL is helping ABNER up to safety. ABNER Thanks! Wow! That was close! >From the other side -- VLADIMIROV Is the boy alright? ABNER (yelling back) Yeah! I'm fine, sir! No problem! VLADIMIROV turns to a Comrade -- VLADIMIROV (proudly) His spirit of adventure is strong. A diamond in the rough. BILL plants ABNER on the grand slope. BILL Don't move! ABNER (saluting sarcastically) Yes, sir! BILL (yelling across) Alright! Someone else! Let's go, we're losing the light! EXT. ON LITTLE ARARAT - SUNDOWN INDY is hard at work scaling up the mountain. UP CLOSE ON INDY'S spiked boots as they stab at the ice; as his ice axe sinks home. EXT. A PLATEAU - JUST AFTER INDY'S HAND, it clutching the ice axe, pops up -- INDY'S HAND sets the ice axe firmly in the frozen ledge. A moment. Then INDY himself pops up, his face flushed, and breathing hard. Now INDY is safely on the plateau. He catches his breath a moment. Then presses onward. EXT. GOAL SIDE OF THE TRENCH - DUSK The team are all across now. VLADIMIROV puts a comforting hand on ABNER'S shoulder. VLADIMIROV Excellent. Let us set up camp on top of the slope. The team move out. BILL leads the way. The team follow BILL up the grand slope. BILL looks back to say something -- BILL I hope someone was smart enough to bring a cam -- Suddenly the ice beneath BILL caves in! BILL drops through the snow, out of sight. ABNER Bill! INT. A POSSIBLE CREVICE BILL lands hard in the dark and screams out as a bone in his leg snaps! ABNER appears at the hole above -- ABNER Bill! Bill! VLADIMIROV appears next -- VLADIMIROV Doctor! IN THE DARK, BILL groans and manages to yell -- BILL I (yelp) -- my leg's broken! VLADIMIROV It appears you've fallen into a crevice. We'll get a rope down to you. BILL Hurry! BILL snaps on his helmet lamp -- and all the pain shooting through his leg is forgotten. BILL stares out at what the light has revealed. A heavenly choir mixes up, growing louder, exemplifing the divinity of his discovery. BILL (barely able to speak) I...my god... (he smiles) I found it. (yelling) I found it! He has indeed: NOAH'S ARK! The helmet's beam shines on rotten support struts, thick beams, and, incredibly, a row of animal stalls! Upper and lower. It's difficult to tell, but it is very big inside here. Bigger than the cargo hold of most ships! >From above -- VLADIMIROV What have you found, Doctor? BILL (giddy) The Ark! Noah's Ark! You fool! ABOVE, we see the look on VLADIMIROV'S face; it is quite moving. Then VLADIMIROV expression changes ... he looks confused. VLADIMIROV But the Ark shouldn't be here...? The team begin to scoop away the snow and ice quickly. Soon they've cleared an area around the hole. Revealed are the dark planks of the ancient vessel's roof. VLADIMIROV (*subtitled*) (in that strange language) The skull. VLADIMIROV pulls off his glove and places his hand against a frozen plank. He snaps his hand back to the sound of sizzling flesh! ABNER What -- what is it?! VLADIMIROV (lying) Cold! Very cold! ABNER reaches out with his hand tentatively. He places a finger against the wood, prepared to snap back his hand at any second. But he doesn't. Frowning, ABNER places his whole hand against the roof. ABNER It's not cold...It feels warm. Nice. VLADIMIROV grins smugly. VLADIMIROV Now you see gentlemen why the boy is so important. (then with urgency) Doctor! Can you see the bow?! BELOW, BILL can't believe is eyes. VLADIMIROV AGAIN Can you see the bow, Doctor? BILL collects himself enough to answer him. BILL Ah.... He looks around, the helmet lamp lighting what he sees. BILL CONT. I think this is the stern? The lamp shines on the farthest end: flat. BILL CONT. Yes, definitely the stern. BILL looks around behind him. The lamp shines on a glittering wall of white -- snow. The beam pans around to reveal planks abruptly ending, jagged and splintered. BILL The bow is missing! >From above -- VLADIMIROV What do you mean, "The bow is missing."? BILL Just that! Looks...looks like the front section has broken off. There's jagged planks and a wall of snow. On VLADIMIROV, who mutters -- VLADIMIROV Where is the bow? Now it dawns on him... AT THE RIM OF THE TRENCH, VLADIMIROV and his comrades appear. They look down into the trench some 100 feet deep. VLADIMIROV Appears the Almighty isn't going to make this easy. Get the rope ladder. ABNER, at the hole, watches the beam from BILL'S helmet lamp arc to and fro. ABNER What's it like down there? BILL Inconceivable! I... (difficult to put into words) ...I... feel an energy of some kind. Humming....humming all around me. (chuckling delightfully) I dare say, young man, but I do believe it is the power of God! AT THE RIM, a comrade is securing a rope ladder to ice screws. That done, he tosses the ladder over the edge. The ladder drops, unrolling to about 75 feet -- too short! VLADIMIROV As I feared. (ordering) Take a rope. Climb down and clip it to the foot of the ladder. Back to ABNER at the hole -- ABNER Whuddaya see? BILL can't get over it. BILL Everything! IN THE GORGE, comrade 2 is climbing down the ladder. He reaches the bottom and clips the line to the last rung. He drops the secured rope. It uncoils the rest of the way to the snowy bed below. Leaning out, VLADIMIROV sees his man on the ladder far below. VLADIMIROV Slide down the rope. See what is under the snow below you. COMRADE 2 Yes, Comrade Captain! The comrade starts down -- CLOSE ON one of the ice screws which anchors the rope ladder to the ledge -- it is moving! Too much weight! The comrade plants his boots on the gorge wall. He begins to scale down -- At which point the ice screw POPS OUT! The ladder shifts downward on one side, startling the comrade, who then loses his footing and falls! The comrade lands in the snow below and drops right through, out of sight -- INSIDE THE BOW, the comrade comes crashing in from above! He lands hard on a thick beam! Wood splinters drop in on top of him! The comrade, broken, hurting, has landed inside the bow which resembles half a ribcage with its curved framing beams and joists. The fractured bow section is partially collapsed and lies on it's side. The comrade is barley able to lift his head, back broken most likely. But that's the least of his problems, as right now he begins to convulse, jolt, as if shot through with electricity! The convulsions intensify; becoming more and more brutal! Until suddenly, with a tortured shriek, the comrade erupts into flames like a Roman candle! ON THE RIM, VLADIMIROV reacts suddenly to the fire ball blasting up through the hole made by his fallen comrade! The fireball dissipates quickly, as does VLADIMIROV'S patience! He curses the sky -- VLADIMIROV Damn you! VLADIMIROV takes a moment to think. Then he bounds up the slope, shaky with desperation. ABNER sees VLADIMIROV approaching. ABNER Did you hear a scream? VLADIMIROV (edgy) It was nothing. Abner, we are friends, are we not? ABNER Sure. 'Course we are. VLADIMIROV Do you remember how grateful you were when I allowed you to come on this expedition? ABNER Sure I do. VLADIMIROV I need you to do something for me. It's dangerous. But I know you can do it. ABNER Anything. What is it? Now ABNER and VLADIMIROV are at the rim: VLADIMIROV You must go down there and retrieve the skull. ABNER The skull! But that was just a ghost story. VLADIMIROV No...it is true, Abner. And we must get the skull before the evil man does. Help me! ABNER (frightened) The...the evil man is here? VLADIMIROV No. And he won't come as long as I am here to protect you. I would go myself, but my bad leg. Pause. ABNER Okay...I guess. VLADIMIROV You are a good friend, Abner. Your father would be very proud of you. Here -- He clips ABNER'S harness to the end of a rope. VLADIMIROV I will lower you down. Be brave, comrade. Keep your eyes on the wall of the gorge. Do not look down. VLADIMIROV helps ABNER drop his legs over the side. VLADIMIROV I will see you shortly. FROM A DIZZYING HIGH SHOT, ABNER'S tiny body is just a speck against the jagged trench wall. ABNER is lowered toward the bed 8 stories down. And then, at last, ABNER'S boots set down on the crust of snow which incases the bow section. Yelling down from above -- VLADIMIROV Go to the hole! I will lower you in. ABNER snaps on his helmet lamp and sits down on the edge of the hole -- VLADIMIROV keeps the rope taut and starts to feed the line. ABNER is eased through the hole and drops down out of sight. INSIDE THE BOW, ABNER is lowered slowly toward the framework below. His helmet lamp shines on the ribs and support beams. The panic on ABNER'S face diminishes and is replaced by wonder and the thrill of discovery. VLADIMIROV feels the rope slacken as the boy touches down inside and he breathes a little easier. INSIDE THE BOW, ABNER turns around slowly, allowing the light to shine on every part of this mesmerizing place. ABOVE, VLADIMIROV goes into a trance, chanting words in that strange tongue again. A gothic choir, deep and foreboding, powers the chanting, making our skin crawl. VLADIMIROV (*subtitled*) Show him! Show him! Show him! INSIDE THE BOW, close on a pile of snow -- something underneath it is moving! The gothic choir intones darkly, swelling with energy. VLADIMIROV'S CHANTING SHOW HIM! SHOW HIM! Through the magic of unspeakable evil the snow melts away from around a HUMAN SKULL! With a look full of wonder, ABNER gapes wide-eyed at the skull. The gothic choir reaches a crescendo! INT. CAB OF TRUCK as MARION sits up, sensing danger! MARION Abner? EXT. BOTTOM OF THE TRENCH ABNER is pulled back up through the hole. VLADIMIROV shouts down -- VLADIMIROV Do you have it? ABNER (shouting back) Yes! It's in my hand! VLADIMIROV (darkly) The "Coming" will be earth shattering! (but first things first) Put the skull in your helmet, like a basket, and attach the chin straps to the rope! ABNER What about me!! VLADIMIROV Trust me, comrade! I would never leave you! Without hesitation, ABNER removes his helmet, places the skull inside it, and secures the chin straps to the rope he was lowered down on. ABNER Okay! Bring it up! The helmet is pulled up slowly. VLADIMIROV gently takes up the line. A comrade reminds him -- COMRADE 3 We have only three parachutes. VLADIMIROV (sadly) Yes...I know. It is a waste. But the boy will die. (comfortingly) He will be spared the horror of the "Coming". That is my gift. (ordering) Prepare the dynamite. Nothing of God can remain. The Earth belongs to Him and the Sons Of Darkness. I will not have it cluttered with God's toys! EXT. THE TRUCK - NIGHT MARION paces back and forth, looking helpless. MARION Indy ... please hurry. EXT. THE RIM as ABNER'S helmet pops up at the end of the rope. VLADIMIROV scrambles to the helmet. VLADIMIROV gently lifts out the skull, shaking with excitement. With reverence he holds the skull up to his face. VLADIMIROV grins at the thought of a classic line coming to him. He softly speaks in a thespian voice -- VLADIMIROV "To be or not to be?" An interruption -- COMRADE 2 We are ready, comrade Captain. VLADIMIROV (testily) Yes! Yes! DOWN IN THE TRENCH, ABNER is becoming impatient. ABNER Hey! C'mon! Send down the rope, already! BACK TO THE RIM ABOVE, we see it is now lined with enough DYNAMITE to blow up half the mountain -- or at least enough to destroy the Ark and bury the remaining bits for all eternity. The fuses from the 2 dozen or more sticks come in and meet together, having been spliced into ONE MAIN FUSE LINE. ABNER'S VOICE (shouting) Yugi! At the hole, VLADIMIROV looks down inside. The light from BILL'S helmet is all he can see. VLADIMIROV Hello, Doctor! BILL'S VOICE Where the hell have you been! VLADIMIROV Doctor, please, you are in God's temple. Watch your langauge. BILL'S VOICE Get me out of here! As VLADIMIROV prattles on, COMRADE 3 lowers a few sticks of dynamite into the hole; and COMRADE 2 takes their fuses and splices them into the main fuse line. VLADIMIROV Your services have been greatly appreciated, Doctor. But as you well know: all great things must come to an end. BILL'S VOICE What are you going on about!! VLADIMIROV Farewell, Doctor, you've been a most sensational comic relief. BILL'S VOICE Farewell! What do you mean "farewell"? Get a rope down here! Now! You ignoramus! VLADIMIROV (making a face at his men) This one I'm not sad to see go. IN THE TRENCH, ABNER is looking worried. Now it hits him -- ABNER Dirty -- rotten -- scoundrel! What an evil thing to do! A horrible thought -- ABNER Evil...evil man! Yugi's the evil man! (realizing what he's done) Oh no! At which point a DANGLING ORANGE ROPE catches ABNER'S eye. He hurries over to it and follows its length up to see it is attached to a ladder hanging askew against the gorge wall above. EXT. TRUCK - NIGHT MARION has to do something. The tension is killing her. The horse she and INDY rode in on neighs fussily, pulling on its reigns tied to the truck. MARION regards the horse.... A sharp cut: and now MARION is riding off on the horse. She steers the animal south, around the base of the mountain. EXT. ON THE SLOPE - NIGHT VLADIMIROV is walking up toward the top, silhouetted ominously against the starry night sky. COMRADE 3 follows behind. While COMRADE 2 is keeping an eye on the fuse spindle; he has an ice axe inserted through the core so that the spindle can wheel freely. The main fuse line is being laid out in the trail of these "Sons of Darkness." EXT. THE TRENCH WALL ABNER is climbing up the drop line, hand-over-hand, supporting himself against the rocks with his feet. It's tough. But the kid is doing it. Now ABNER is at the rope ladder. He's out of breath. ABNER transfers from the drop line to the ladder without much difficulty. But he's having trouble planting a foot on an upper rung as the ladder is hanging askew. A bit of work. Then ABNER gets his boot in. ABNER starts to climb the ladder... EXT. MOUNTAIN RIDGE - NIGHT Their Helmet lamps lighting the way, VLADIMIROV and his men traverse the narrow ridge. VLADIMIROV The opposite side of this ridge gives us a clear place to jump. Fifteen minutes flight time. Then we will be over the border and into Soviet territory. (a question) Is all ready at the landing zone? COMRADE 3 Yes, comrade Captain. VLADIMIROV Dispense with the formalities, my brother. We are equal now. We are the Sons of Darkness. COMRADE 2 brings up the rear, at work laying down the main fuse line. EXT. TRENCH WALL - NIGHT ABNER is nearing the rim. About twelve more feet to go. But danger rears its ugly head: the second ice screw, the only one which anchors the ladder, is STARTING TO SLIP OUT! On the ladder, ABNER cringes, REACHING UP FOR ANOTHER RUNG. Suddenly the ladder shifts downward -- The ice screw is slipping out -- another inch and it's goodbye ABNER! ABNER is very still, afraid to move. The ladder shifts downward again! ABNER cries out and snaps a LOOK DOWN at the jagged rocks some 8 stories below! He snaps a desperate LOOK UP to the bridge line above. But its out of reach! THERE GOES THE ICE SCREW -- POP! The ladder goes slack. ABNER can feel himself starting to fall -- ! Suddenly -- from out of no where -- comes a DARK FIGURE, swooping in like a bird. THE FIGURE scoops up ABNER around the waist with nary a second to spare! IT'S INDIANA JONES! INDY clings to his bullwhip with one hand, his free arm wrapped around ABNER. A quick shot details the fall of the whip (that is, the unplaited strip at the end of the lash) which is tied to the bridge line. ABNER clings to INDY, amazed -- ABNER Dad! Where'd you come from? Thought I was a goner! INDY We're not out of this yet! Get around, onto my back. ABNER quickly, but carefully, climbs around onto his father's back, piggy-back style. INDY That's it. Now put your arms around my neck. Hold on tight! INDY strains himself, working the little loop at the whip-handle's end into a carabiner attached to the harness around his waist. That allows him to hang freely and use both his hands. INDY starts himself swinging toward the gorge wall. Soon he's swinging strong. An ice axe in each hand, INDY tries to sink them into the think frost which layers the wall. He misses on the first attempt. INDY swings back -- and this time sinks the ice axes with a reassuring THUNK! He rams his boot crampons deep into the ice for added support. One slow move at a time, INDY begins the 12 foot climb to the rim. EXT. HIGH LEDGE - NIGHT VLADIMIROV and his men appear. The view is breathtaking from up here. We can see right across into the heartland of Russia. VLADIMIROV Prepare to jump. EXT. THE RIM - NIGHT INDY POPS UP from behind the rim. The ice axes, dug in, are sturdy handholds. He's made it. Relief. Not so fast. The FRAME ADJUSTS to show the row of dynamite sticks, only a foot from INDY'S face. INDY You gotta be kidding me! ABNER What! What's wrong! INDY Nothing -- reach over and grab hold of the axe. I gotcha. ABNER reaches out and grabs the axe handle. INDY I'm gonna help you. Now pull yourself off and onto the ledge. Dig your boot spikes in for support. ABNER is doing a fine job of it. Now Father and son are safe on the ledge. But what this -- INDY is going back down. ABNER Where you going? INDY Just stay here! INDY climbs back down to the bridge line. He pulls on the bullwhip and the knotted end slides across to him. Using a knife, INDY cuts off the fall of the whip -- MATCH CUT TO: INDY as he cuts the main fuse line. ABNER scans the slope. ABNER He's gone! Dad! You gotta go after him! INDY coils up his bullwhip and secures it to his belt. INDY I'm not going anywhere! ABNER But you don't understand! INDY Abner, enough! All I care about is you. ABNER But, dad, he's the evil man. He's got the skull. It's the end of all Godkind! INDY grimaces. EXT. THE JUMPING LEDGE - NIGHT VLADIMIROV is looking introspective all of a sudden. He has a parachute bundle strapped on, watching the others put on theirs. VLADIMIROV looks as if he's made a decision. He unholsters his sidearm and blasts his own men! VLADIMIROV starts to back track along the narrow ridge. EXT. THE HOLE - NIGHT BILL'S cries for help are rising up through the hole -- BILL'S VOICE SOMEBODEEEE! HELP! INDY and ABNER crouch down at the hole -- INDY Bill! That you? BILL'S VOICE Jones! Thank God! Get me out of here! INDY What is this? ABNER He's in the Ark. INDY Noah's Ark? Immediately INDY is seized by the archaeologist in him. He snaps on his helmet lamp and dunks his head through the hole. Upside down, he shines his light over the interior. INDY My God. BILL BELOW JONES! GET ME THE HELL OUT OF HERE! INDY (in awe; muttering) Incredible. INDY turns his head and the helmet lamp shines on something ... looks like a wire ... it is dangling a foot from INDY's face turned upside down. But INDY only has a second to regard it -- ABNER SUDDENLY (screeching) Dad! INDY snaps back up through the hole -- VLADIMIROV has ABNER by the scruff of the neck, his gun pointed at the boy's head! VLADIMIROV Not another move, Doctor Jones. INDY Don't hurt the boy! VLADIMIROV I do not plan to. Unless you give me a reason. ABNER Dad! INDY Be still, Abner! VLADIMIROV I did not expect to find you here, Doctor. INDY What do you want? VLADIMIROV Unfortunately something you and I both want. I've grown quite found of the boy. INDY What are you saying? VLADIMIROV I want the boy. World domination can be very lonely. INDY No! I won't let you take him! VLADIMIROV I'd say you have no choice in the matter! VLADIMIROV turns the gun on INDY. At which point ABNER stomps on VLADIMIROV'S foot with his spiky boot! VLADIMIROV cringes. ABNER pulls free. INDY springs up and tackles VLADIMIROV to the ground. The force sends both men sliding down the slope! They bowl through the dynamite sticks and come to a stop just a few feet from the rim! VLADIMIROV punches INDY in the face. VLADIMIROV (spitting mad) Simple minded fool! You have no idea what you are up against! INDY spits blood. INDY Just leave the boy! VLADIMIROV You have no idea how powerful faith can be! Faith! Something you lack! VLADIMIROV clamps his big hands around INDY'S head. INDY grimaces at the inhuman pressure put on his skull! VLADIMIROV An earthly imprison was the unclean son's punishment. But that wasn't good enough for your god. The All Mighty washed away which was, by cast down, his world. As VLADIMIROV rambles on, INDY'S squirming hand brushes a DYNAMITE STICK. VLADIMIROV CONT. See the truth. You must see! Witness for yourself the crimes that God of yours has committed. INDY gets hold of the dynamite! He manages to surreptitiously slip the stick into the pocket of VLADIMIROV'S pants. VLADIMIROV CONT. Witness the destruction your god handed down! Your god of mercy! Your god of love! Feel the pain which mine have endured for 5 millennia! INDY'S hand slips out a match from those put in his pocket -- and he ignites it with his thumb! VLADIMIROV (crazed) SEE! SEE! SEE! SEE! VLADIMIROV looks deep into INDY'S eyes. At which point all thoughts INDY had of lighting the fuse evaporate; he's taken into a numbing trance. PICTURES begin to materialize in the big Russian's pupils. SUDDENLY A BLINDING LIGHT FLASHES BRIEFLY! INDY FINDS HIMSELF SUSPENDED IN MID AIR AND SURROUNDED BY A 360 DEGREE PROJECTION OF THE MIND. IMAGES, AS HIGH AS BUILDINGS, JUMP OUT AT INDY. OUR HERO WANTS TO SCREAM, BUT CANNOT. SCENES FROM 5 MILLENNIA AGO. EACH ONE OF THEM ASSAULTS OUR SENSES. POWERFUL. OVERWHELMING. RELENTLESS. NOAH'S ARK, THROWN BY A TORRENTIAL SEA. RAIN. LIGHTENING. THE CRACK OF THUNDER! THE IMAGES ARE RANDOM. NO ORDER TO THEM. HELPLESS PEOPLE, TRYING TO STAY AFLOAT. THEY GRAB FOR THE ARK! OTHERS ARE THROWN AGAINST THE ARK BY SUPER WAVES! SCREAMS! CRIES FOR HELP! A MAN WITH A SKULL, THE FAITHFUL SERVANT, SNEAKING ON BOARD THE ARK. THE SERVANT HIDING THE SKULL IN THE BOW. THE SERVANT TEARING HIS WAY OUT FROM INSIDE THE ELEPHANT -- GHASTLY! TIDAL WAVES CRASHING DOWN ON VILLAGES. EARTHQUAKES BREAKING APART THE COUNTRY SIDE. WATER GUSHING UP WITH IMMEASURABLE PRESSURE FROM HUGE CHASMS. MORE DEATHS AT SEA. HUNDREDS -- THOUSANDS -- OF BODIES SINKING INTO THE MURKY DEPTHS. NOW ABNER'S PITIFUL FACE MATERIALIZES! "HELP ME!" ABNER CRIES. INDY BELTS OUT A PRIMAL SHRIEK -- AND BREAKS FREE! A BLINDING FLASH AND INDY FINDS HIMSELF BACK ON THE SLOPE. INDY trembles from the overload on his senses. Through BLURRY VISION he looks for ABNER. His son is gone. INDY, with great effort, gets to his feet. He stumbles his way up the grand slope, falling, getting back up. Then he collapses in a heap, too weak. EXT. JUMPING LEDGE - NIGHT ABNER is kicking ferociously! VLADIMIROV does something desperate. He punches ABNER in the face! The boy goes unconscious. VLADIMIROV works quickly, clipping ABNER'S harness to his own. VLADIMIROV holds the boy under one arm and steps to the edge. But there's something he forgot -- EXT. NARROW RIDGE - NIGHT INDY, on his feet, is back in business. INDY looks for crampon tracks in the snow as he climbs over some rocks. He's not paying close attention to where he places his boots -- it costs him! INDY'S boot is wedged between the rocks. INDY tugs hard, desperate to free his boot. WHAT'S THAT?! INDY hears a FIZZLING SOUND; a sound all too familiar to him! A sparkling bright dot appears, travelling up over the rocks, hissing past INDY. The main fuse -- it's been lit! INDY shakes his head at it, reminding himself -- INDY Cut! Cut the line! INDY gets back to freeing his wedged boot. Suddenly, like lightening, it hits him -- INDY Wire! Down hole! Dynamite! Now seconds count. INDY gives it everything he's got -- AND THE BOOT POPS OUT! EXT. BACK TO THE GRAND SLOPE - JUST AFTER INDY runs along the charred fuse line. At the top of the slope, he looks down the grade -- and there it is! The sparkling dot is just seconds from dropping into the hole. INDY leaps into the air! He lands hard on his stomach and the momentum takes him sliding down the slope. INDY is coming up fast on the hole -- horrified by the sight of the sparkling dot dropping down inside! INDY brakes with his hands and comes to a stop at the hole. INDY thrusts his arm down through the openning, up to his shoulder. INDY'S HAND frantically moves side-to-side, blindly probing for the hanging dynamite bundle -- THERE IT IS -- THE DYNAMITE! INDY'S HAND GRABS IT! INDY pushes himself up -- THE SPARKLING DOT IS WITHIN A HALF- SECOND OF IGNITING THE BUNDLE! INDY snaps the bundle free from the charred fuse line and hurls it away with everything he's got! The bundle sails out -- over the trench -- and EXPLODES in mid- air! THE WHOLE SLOPE SHUDDERS! EXT. PERIMETER OF MOUNTAIN - THAT MOMENT MARION hears a distant boom, like thunder. But there's not a cloud in the sky. MARION looks way up the mountain to the peak. She squints at something. What is that? It looks like a balloon! No -- it's a parachute. And it's 10,000 feet up! EXT. GRAND SLOPE - THAT MOMENT After the big explosion there is an uneasy lull of silence. But it doesn't last. SOUNDS: LIKE A BILLION CRACKLING ICE CUBES. SEISMIC TREMORS VIBRATE AND GROAN DEEP BELOW THE ICE. THE ENTIRE SLOPE BEGINS TO SHAKE. SOMETHING CATACLYSMIC IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN. INDY watches the ice under his boots start to splinter and fragment like shattering glass. INDY, at the hole, shouts down -- INDY BILL! BILL! BILL BELOW JONES! WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT! INDY LISTEN TO ME! I GOTTA GET YOU OUT! BUT THERE'S NO ROPE! BILL BELOW I'VE GOT ONE WITH ME! INDY THAT DOESN'T HELP! At the top of the slope, the crust splits open a foot wide. A fault line expands horizontally, reaching out across to the jutting cliffs which flank the grand slope. The ice crust which covers the Ark could crumble away at any second! INDY CAN YOU GET IT UP TO ME? BILL'S VOICE MY LEG IS BROKEN! INDY chuckles gruffly, he can never get a break. INDY I NEED THAT ROPE! INDY snaps rigid, a thought coming to him. AT THE RIM, INDY reaches down for the scaling line, still anchored to ledge. But the instant he does THE ICE SPLITS UNDERNEATH HIM AND BREAKS AWAY! The anchored rope is yanked away from the rim. CHUNKS of falling ice snap the bridge line! INDY high tails it back up the slope with the ice breaking away under his feet! Dropping to the hole -- INDY (ugly) BIIIILL! GET THAT ROPE UP TO ME NOW OR KISS YOUR A -- WHOOSH! Something shoots up through the hole! INDY is startled by it. He watches it shoot up into the air -- it's a flare! Something FALLS from the sky and lands alongside INDY -- it's a stretch of rope, the end clipped through the eye of a piton. INDY can barely retain his excitement! INDY THE ROPE SECURED? BILL BELOW PULL! PULL! INDY digs in his boots and starts to haul BILL up with all his might! EXT. PERIMETER OF MOUNTAIN - THAT MOMENT MARION is watching the parachute as it descends toward a distant ridge on the horizon. EXT. GRAND SLOPE - THAT MOMENT INDY grabs hold of BILL as his shoulders clear the hole. INDY pulls hard. BILL winces at the sharp pain in his leg. Suddenly, a huge section of ice shifts -- and breaks off just below the hole! Immense slabs of ice slide away -- They drop over the rim and crash down into the trench with a sound like thunder! A lower section of the Ark is exposed, clear of its frozen shell. INDY quickly starts up the disintegrating slope. He almost has to carry BILL! SLABS OF ICE CONTINUE TO BREAK FREE AND SLIDE AWAY. Under INDY'S running boots, the frozen crust is splintering, opening up, trying to swallow the daring adventurer and his shouldered burden. INDY is almost at the top when a huge section of frozen shell cracks open! INDY is on that section -- INDY grabs hold of the ice axe dangling from the belt. The instant he does, the slab breaks free and starts to slide away from the summit! INDY leaps forward with BILL! The ice axe in INDY'S hand sinks deep into the ice on the stable side of fault line! The huge chunk of ice slides out from under INDY and BILL. Now there is a sheer cliff where the chunk broke away. INDY and BILL dangle against the new-formed cliff! BILL, acting fast, gets his own ice axe and drives it deep into the lip! BILL hangs freely to allow INDY to pull himself up and onto the safety of the lip. INDY helps BILL up to safety now. The men catch their breath. BILL looks below where the ancient Ark rests, almost totally free of its shell. BILL is captivated by the awe-inspiring sight. BILL My God... INDY (testily) Yeah, it's beautiful. C'mon! EXT. PERIMETER OF MOUNTAIN - THAT MOMENT MARION pulls back hard on the horse's reigns. The animal whinnies and halts. The parachutist drops out of sight behind the distant ridge. MARION growls, frustrated. EXT. JUMPING LEDGE - THAT MOMENT INDY shoulders BILL along the narrow ledge. They come to the spot where VLADIMIROV leaped. INDY sees the parachute packs on the shot-dead comrades and makes the connection. INDY He jumped! Sonofabitch! INDY starts to unbuckle the parachute pack from one of the dead comrades. INDY The Soviet border is just over that far ridge. That's where he'll set down. BILL Jones...I'm in no condition to be parachuting off a mountain. INDY I didn't bust my ass to save your life so that you could freeze to death up here. BILL I want to stay with the Ark. INDY exhales huffily. INDY Goddamn you, Bill. EXT. THE ARK - THAT MOMENT A huge chunk of ice breaks off from above and goes smashing through the vessel's roof! The whole frame starts to slide downward, scraping on the rocks beneath it, making our ears hurt! EXT. JUMPING RIDGE - THAT MOMENT INDY cuts off BILL with his hand -- INDY Listen! There is a deep, powerful rumble! BILL What is that? EXT. THE ARK as it teeters on the edge; then drops off into the trench. The rotted wood vessel is crushed under its own weight! The thunderous noise produced vibrates the cliffs! EXT. A HIGH PEAK as the vibrations shake loose a wave of snow and ice! EXT. JUMPING RIDGE - NIGHT A NOISE! INDY snaps a look up -- and SEES a big wave of snow rolling down the cliff face above! INDY and BILL are about to be buried -- INDY grabs BILL around the waist and runs him screaming toward the edge -- They sail out into open space. AND JUST IN TIME -- THE AVALANCHE CRASHES DOWN, BURYING THE LEDGE UNDER A DRIFT OF ICE AND SNOW! EXT. PERIMETER OF MOUNTAIN - THAT MOMENT MARION can hear the distant wails of someone screaming. She looks up and sees a black dot against the moon. Then another, a much larger dot, expanding like a balloon -- a second parachutist! MARION spurs on the horse and charges off. EXT. THE TRENCH as tons of snow, rocks and ice flow into the trench and fill it up. The shattered pieces of Noah's Ark are sealed away for all eternity. EXT. THE NIGHT SKY BILL clings to INDY for dear life, wailing at the top of his lungs! INDY has hold of BILL by his harness, but -- INDY BILL! BILL! I CAN'T STEER HOLDING ONTO YOU! BILL DON'T LET GO! I DON'T WANNA DIE! BILL kicks up with his good leg and wraps it around INDY'S waist. INDY grunts painfully. EXT. THE GROUND BELOW - THAT MOMENT MARION is keeping up this time. The parachutist, high up in the air, is almost directly over her head. EXT. THE NIGHT SKY INDY barks -- INDY BILL! STOP MOVING AROUND! PUT YOUR ARMS THROUGH MY HARNESS. I GOTTA STEER THIS THING OR WE'LL END UP ON THE ROCKS! BILL isn't listening, too freaked out. His leg slips off. He tries kicking it back up around INDY'S waist. One too many attempts tears INDY'S clipped bullwhip free -- EXT. DOWN BELOW - THAT MOMENT as the BULLWHIP drops in around MARION'S neck, scaring her. MARION brings the horse to a stop. She looks at what fell on her: INDY'S BULLWHIP. MARION (hopefully) Indy? MARION watches as the parachutist drops out of sight behind the distant ridge. MARION turns her head and sees a moon-washed road about a mile's distance. MARION YAH! EXT. WOODLANDS - THAT MOMENT VLADIMIROV emerges from the dark woods with ABNER'S limp body under his arm. He quickly walks to a sedan hidden in the bushes. EXT. THE PAVED ROAD - NIGHT MARION charges up the bank and onto the road. MARION pulls on the reigns, halting the horse, in order to read a road sign: TURKEY\SOVIET BORDER 5 MI. EXT. A SOVIET BORDER POST - NIGHT The Soviet flag flutters in the breeze. Windows in the guard house are lit. The gate arm is lowered and locked in place. INT. BORDER POST - NIGHT The TWO SOVIET GUARDS on duty look bored, drinking coffee and reading the latest issue of Pravda. The headline is in Russian, but one english word stands out big and loud: A-BOMB Now there is a THUD -- something landing on the roof of the guard house. The soldiers start and look up at the ceiling. They jump to their feet at the sounds of bootsteps overhead! The GUARDS bolt to the door and get it open fast. But they reel back at something strange: a large sheet -- no, the parachute -- as it floats in and covers the doorway like a curtain! The guards exchange looks. EXT. PAVED ROAD - NIGHT MARION brings the horse to a trot, not liking what she sees: up the road a bit is the Turkish border post. MARION growls. INT. TURKISH BORDER POST - JUST AFTER The lone TURKISH GUARD is reading a comic book, his back to a large window which looks out at the gate. Suddenly a brown blur flashes by outside, hurdling the gate arm. The guard frowns, feeling peculiar. He looks out the window behind him, but all appears normal. EXT. NO MAN'S LAND - JUST AFTER It is the section of road between the two border posts. MARION rides the horse at a full gallop. She is coming up fast on the Soviet border gate. MARION suddenly SEES INDY -- he's being held at bay by Soviet guards with automatic rifles. EXT. SOVIET BORDER POST - THAT MOMENT INDY is pleading with the guards, speaking RUSSIAN, no doubt explaining the terrible story about his son's kidnapping. But the guards aren't stupid. GUARD #1 orders the American dog to be quiet. BILL is on the ground, withering in pain. GUARD #2 kicks BILL, demanding silence and getting it. He smiles at his comrade, but finds he is being looked upon scoldingly. GUARD #1 (*subtitled*) We are not animals. Control yourself. GUARD #2 shrugs sheepishly. INDY starts up again. GUARD #1 silences him with a curt finger brought to his mouth. Suddenly there is the CRACK of a bullwhip! GUARD #2 reacts nervously to something like a snake wrapping itself around his rifle! He lets go and the gun clatters on the road. INDY leaps at Guard #1 and tackles him to the pavement! INDY pulls the guard's rifle away and jumps to his feet. INDY is more than glad to see -- INDY Marion! MARION Where's Abner? INDY points the rifle at the frazzled guards. INDY We're about to find out. EXT. VLADIMIROV'S WOODLAND ESTATE - NIGHT VLADIMIROV'S sedan races up the driveway -- INT. THE ESTATE - JUST AFTER VLADIMIROV marches in through the front door, pulling ABNER behind him. The boy struggles to free himself. ABNER is still wearing the crampons. The spikes scrap across the marble floor and scratch it all to hell. The butler, ALEXANDER, is shocked -- ALEXANDER Sir! I've never been one to meddle in your affairs, but please have the boy remove the spikes, as they are damaging the floor. VLADIMIROV laughs! VLADIMIROV You are a riot, Alexander! BUTLER I'm glad you find me so amusing, sir. Also -- Struggling with the boy -- VLADIMIROV (pleasantly) Something else? BUTLER Yes. A telegram from Premier Stalin came. I put it on your desk in the study. VLADIMIROV Thank you, Alexander. That will be all. A BLACK SCREEN ALL OF A SUDDEN! Then light spills in as a door opens below us. The high shot again, looking down the stone staircase spiralling into the murky depths. VLADIMIROV starts down, ABNER kicking and fussing. INT. SOVIET BORDER/GUARD HOUSE - NIGHT INDY is getting only resistance from the stubborn guards. INDY (*subtitled*) Call Stal Andropov! Secret Police! Now! The guards stick to their guns, stoned faced, not moving. INDY snarls and snatches the rifle away from MARION. INDY jabs the barrel against the guard's face and snaps back the bolt! INDY (*subtitled*) Now! INT. UNDERGROUND CRYPTIC CHAMBER VLADIMIROV walks in and throws ABNER to the floor! He locks the heavy wooden door behind him with a large iron key. VLADIMIROV Silence! I have preparations to make! ABNER I hate you! VLADIMIROV But in time ... you will worship me. INT. SOVIET BORDER/GUARD HOUSE - THAT MOMENT INDY snatches the phone away from Guard #1. INDY (into phone) Vladimirov has my son! ANDROPOV'S VOICE OVER PHONE Yes, Doctor Jones, we are aware of this. Vladimirov has returned to his home with your son. INDY What the hell are you waiting for? Arrest him! ANDROPOV'S VOICE OVER PHONE This we cannot do, Doctor. INDY I'm getting tired of this game! My son's life is at stake! Does that mean anything to you? ANDROPOV PHONE VOICE Yes. And the state would more than likely assist you under different circumstances. But I am afraid our -- how do you put it -- our hands are tied on this one. We neglected to inform you earlier, but Vladimirov is very good friends with Stalin himself. You can understand how rushing blindly into this could pose serious political complications! INDY Damn your politics! I want my son! ANDROPOV'S VOICE OVER PHONE Yes. Very well, Doctor. I have children myself. The consensus I am prepared to make is as follows: the state will close all eyes to any actions you decide to take, but only for a maximum of one hour. After that time, you will be arrested for illegally crossing the border and threatening the lives of Soviet military men. These are serious charges, Doctor. I advise that you do what you must quickly. INDY You gotta be kidding!! ANDROPOV'S VOICE OVER PHONE This is no joking matter, Doctor. INDY (bitingly sarcastic) Guess that's communism for you, huh? ANDROPOV'S VOICE OVER PHONE Communism works, Doctor. It will be here long after democracy has crumbled. INDY Just give me the address! ANDROPOV'S VOICE OVER PHONE Yes. You agree to the terms, then? INDY No! But what choice do I have? ANDROPOV'S VOICE OVER PHONE I must remind you, Doctor, that if any of this conversation is mentioned to U.S. authorities, the Kremlin -- INDY Yeah -- the Kremlin will deny everything -- I got that part already! Now give me the goddamn address! INT. UNDERGROUND ANTI-CHAMBER VLADIMIROV is in a room off the main worship chamber. He is undressing. He takes off his pants ... something in his pocket. VLADIMIROV slides out the DYNAMITE STICK from his pocket. VLADIMIROV (grinning with approval) You are a crafty one, Doctor Jones. EXT. WOODLAND ROAD - NIGHT INDY races along on a motorbike with MARION in the sidecar. INT. ANTI-CHAMBER VLADIMIROV, naked, slips into a priestly robe, doing so with patience; savouring the ritual. EXT. THE WOODLAND ESTATE As the commandeered motorbike roars up to the front entrance. INDY leaps off the bike, snatching the rifle from the side car. MARION starts out -- INDY Stay here! Don't argue with me! He means it. EXT. THE ESTATE, AROUND BACK - JUST AFTER INDY creeps up to a window. He peers in, seeing the plushly decorated living room, but no signs of VLADIMIROV or ABNER. INT. THE PLUSH LIVING ROOM - JUST AFTER INDY opens the window and pokes his head in. Suddenly, he is grabbed by the scruff of the neck and yanked through the window like a rag doll! INDY crashes to the floor. HANDS grab INDY by his jacket and heave him up -- INDY, dazed, looks into the gentle face of ALEXANDER, the estate butler. Without saying a word, ALEXANDER hurls INDY over the couch. INDY crashes through the coffee table on the other side! ALEXANDER takes a moment to adjust a skewed painting on the wall. INDY jumps up behind ALEXANDER, ready to let fly with bullets from the retrieved rifle. THE WEAPON EXPLODES IN INDY'S HANDS! Without turning around -- ALEXANDER Always check your weapon first. If you had, then you would've noticed that the barrel was bent. Who the hell is this guy! Throwing the useless rifle to the floor -- INDY Where's my son!! ALEXANDER Playing with the master. INDY Where? ALEXANDER As you Americans say: that's for me to know and for you to find out. INDY doesn't like this guy; he charges at him. ALEXANDER spins gracefully around, thrusting out his hand. INDY'S chest takes the full impact! Eyes popping out, INDY grabs at his chest and drops to his knees. ALEXANDER steps around behind INDY. ALEXANDER It has been fun, sir, but I have some chores to attend to. Goodbye. ALEXANDER takes INDY by his neck and squeezes hard! INDY claws at the butler's pale hands, turning beat red. INDY struggles but the butler's grip is inhuman! INDY is about to pass out. At which point MARION runs up and smashes a large vase over the butler's head! But, incredibly, it has no affect! ALEXANDER continues strangling INDY. MARION panics. She grabs what she sees and beats the butler on the head with everything and anything! INDY can't take much more of this -- he's just seconds away from blacking out. As a last resort, MARION drives her leg up between the butler's legs! This has an affect: the butler lets go and drops to the floor, not moving. MARION kneels at INDY'S side. MARION Oh god -- are you okay? INDY is trying to catch his breath. MARION Indiana Jones, you keep telling me to stay put -- but you keep needing to be rescued! Staggering to his feet -- INDY (hoarsely) Abner -- he's here. We gotta find him. INT. CRYPTIC CHAMBER VLADIMIROV looks priestly, all decked out in his robe. He gently lifts out the skull from a cloth shoulder bag and steps to the upright casket. VLADIMIROV parts the lid and stares up in reverence at the headless skeleton. VLADIMIROV Behold Abner... The little boy is pressed into a corner, weeping, scared. VLADIMIROV CONT. ...a creation 3 millennia in the making. Comprised of some of the world's most fearsome men...ruthless...savage ...decadent men. VLADIMIROV points to areas of the skeleton -- VLADIMIROV CONT The feet: Caligula...the legs: Napoleon. Spine: Genghis Khan. Ribcage: Attila The Hun. Shoulders: Herod. Arms and hands: Hitler. And the crowning glory... VLADIMIROV sets the skull down on the spine. The skull stays magically perched as VLADIMIROV'S hands move away. VLADIMIROV ...the Unclean Son. INT. FRONT FOYER INDY and MARION, brandishing broadswords, are ready to search the house. INDY I'll look down here. You check up stairs. Shout if you need me. MARION Ditto. MARION runs up the grand staircase. INDY is about to move out when he sees something at his feet. INDY picks up a piece of pointed metal -- A BOOT SPIKE, BROKEN OFF! INDY regards the marble floor, gouged and scratched up. INT. DOOR TO UNDERGROUND CHAMBER - JUST AFTER INDY has followed the trail of gouges and scratches to this spot. INDY suspiciously regards the door before him... INT. STONE STAIR WELL INDY starts down the steps, sword brandished, reflexes sharp; he's ready for anything. INT. HIGH STONE CORRIDOR INDY looks at the heavy wooden door at the corridor's end. VLADIMIROV'S chanting ECHOES darkly through the corridor. INDY starts along the underpass, candle light flickering on his face. He moves ever so cautiously, eyeing with unease the humanoid statues which flank him. AT THE HEAVY DOOR INDY looks down -- light is flickering out from under the big door. INDY grabs hold of the iron handle and pulls. The door is locked solid. INDY kneels and peeks through the key hole: ABNER is on the floor, crying into his hands. VLADIMIROV is nowhere in sight. INDY thinks. A plan starts to surface. INDY looks up at the tall statue looming next to him; and then back at the big door -- it just might work? INT. UPSTAIRS BEDROOM MARION takes a peek inside. The bedroom is empty. MARION nudges the door open, sword at the ready. Suddenly, a DARK FIGURE steps in behind MARION! MARION senses the presence immediately. MARION spins around, her sword coming around fast in both hands -- ALEXANDER reflexively puts up his arm to block what's coming at him -- AND THE SWORD CHOPS HIS ARM OFF AT THE ELBOW! The severed arm flops onto the carpet. ALEXANDER regards his bloody stub with mild curiosity. MARION (chest heaving) What the hell are you!! BUTLER The butler, madam. MARION Well pack your bags, pal! 'Cause you just got the axe! At which point MARION pulls the big sword back in both hands and lets fly -- swoosh! ALEXANDER'S head is cut off and it goes spinning through the air! INT. STONE CORRIDOR INDY is on top of the statue, about ten feet up. INDY slides in behind the head, sets his boots firmly, then works himself into place, back pressed up against the stone wall. INDY'S master plan is revealed: A QUICK TRACKING SHOT takes us from INDY'S bullwhip, one end tied to the statue, along the whip's full length, to the other end where it is tied to the handle of the big door. INDY, his back against the wall for leverage, pushes down with everything he's got. INT. CRYPTIC CHAMBER VLADIMIROV'S chanting is affecting the skeleton: it rattles nosily. THEN, HORRIBLY, TENDONS, MUSCLES, ORGANS BEGIN TO TAKE SHAPE, GROWING, REACHING OUT TO THE BONES. INT. STONE CORRIDOR as INDY gives it a big push -- The statue starts to tip off its base! One more big push and the statue begins to teeter. The whip is pulled taut with a snap -- and then the big door is yanked right out of its frame as the statue falls and smashes on the floor! ABNER looks -- ABNER Dad! INT. CHAMBER as INDY runs in -- INDY Run! Get out of here! ABNER scrambles out into the corridor -- INDY spins around expecting VLADIMIROV -- but he's gone. INDY sees a closed door and runs to it -- INDY doesn't notice the skeleton. Veins are spreading and A HEART THUMPS STRONGLY IN THE CHEST CAVITY! INT. ANTI-CHAMBER as the door is kicked open by INDY. The room is empty. INDY spots the STICK OF DYNAMITE on the table. INDY rushes in after the stick. VLADIMIROV drops down from a ledge over the door and lands on INDY. The adventurer is sent crashing into the table! The dynamite stick is knocked off the table and it goes skittering across the floor. VLADIMIROV flips INDY over onto his back. VLADIMIROV (spitting mad) You evidently haven't seen enough! INDY (evenly) I've seen plenty! Enough to know you're one sick sonofabitch! VLADIMIROV hoists INDY up and tosses him clear across the room. INDY hits the back wall and lands hard, his face smacking the floor -- INDY sees the stick of dynamite lying near his head. INDY grabs it quickly -- but is then hoisted up off the floor again! VLADIMIROV pulls INDY in very close. Their faces are only an inch apart. VLADIMIROV You don't know when to give up! INDY Always been a sore loser! INDY, we see, has the dynamite stick in his hand. INDY surreptitiously makes the fuse real short. VLADIMIROV doesn't notice. VLADIMIROV And lose you will! Suddenly, INDY pulls free and serves up a walloping left-hook! The punch stuns VLADIMIROV -- just long enough for INDY to light the fuse off a nearby candle! INDY stuffs the fizzing stick into VLADIMIROV'S robe. INDY Sorry! I win! INDY bolts for the door -- INT. CORRIDOR as INDY runs from the chamber -- INT. CHAMBER as VLADIMIROV, panicing, digs in his robe for the live dynamite stick. VLADIMIROV finds the stick and pulls it out -- the dynamite is just a second away from detonating. VLADIMIROV flings the stick away in a rush to get rid of it! At which point the big Russian screams like a woman when he sees where he has thrown the dynamite stick -- The live stick lands with a clunk inside the casket -- JUST AS THE EYES OF THE UNCLEAN SON SNAP OPEN! INT. CORRIDOR KAH-BOOM! -- a huge fire ball shoots through the doorway like fire from a dragon's mouth! INT. UPSTAIRS, AT THE DOOR TO UNDERGROUND CHAMBER as MARION and ABNER react alarmingly to the explosion. They freeze at the thought of INDY dead... Now the big door swings open and INDIANA JONES stumbles out! ABNER (shaken) Is the evil man dead? INDY Yes. C'mere! Father and son hug like there's no tomorrow. ABNER holds up INDY'S BULLWHIP. INDY takes it, appreciative. EXT. THE ESTATE - NIGHT INDY, MARION and ABNER, their legs feeling like lead, walk to the parked motorbike. INT. SUDDENLY WE ARE BACK INSIDE THE ESTATE as the big door to the underground chamber slowly opens and reveals a ghastly VLADIMIROV, his skin burned and charred; his robe tattered and scorched. INT. THE STUDY - JUST AFTER VLADIMIROV staggers over to the desk and collapses unceremoniously into the chair. VLADIMIROV takes a pistol out of the desk drawer. He points the gun at his own head. VLADIMIROV (a whisper) I have failed thee. VLADIMIROV'S finger starts to pull back on the trigger -- At which point VLADIMIROV notices something on the desk. VLADIMIROV puts the gun down. Our gothic choir mixes up. PUSH IN ON A WHITE ENVELOPE RESTING ON THE DESK MATE. The gothic choir climaxes, reverberating with the resurrection of Evil. EXT. THE ESTATE - NIGHT At the bike -- INDY We got less than fifteen minutes to get to the border. Take any longer and we'll be permanent guests of the Kremlin. CRACK! A gun shot startles everyone. Two more follow -- BLAM! BLAM! INDY looks at the estate. INDY Wait here. INT. FOYER - JUST AFTER INDY enters the estate, heedful, cautious. AT INDY'S feet is the butler's headless body, pock-marked with bullets, the legs twitching. INT. DOOR TO UNDERGROUND CHAMBER - JUST AFTER The big door is wide open. INDY looks down at a trail of blood leading away -- INT. THE STUDY - JUST AFTER INDY, alert, peeks in. The room appears to be empty. The trail of blood tracks across the room and over to the desk. Now INDY is at the desk looking at a telegram with VLADIMIROV'S bloody finger prints on it. INDY mutters to himself in English bits of the telegram typed in Russian. INDY Presence is requested?...important day in history?...testing?... INDY is confused by the telegram. He looks to the side contemplatively. At which point INDY sees a rolled up Pravda. INDY unrolls the newspaper and reads out loud in English the headline written in Russian: INDY "The A-Bomb Achievement" Suddenly -- MARION'S VOICE CRIES OUT INDY-Y-Y! EXT. THE ESTATE - JUST AFTER INDY runs outside in time to catch the tail-lights of VLADIMIROV'S sedan as it races away! INDY No! MARION Indy! Over here! INDY whirls around and is relieved by the sight of MARION and ABNER safe. ABNER That was Vladimirov! You said he was dead! INDY jumps onto the motorbike. INDY Stay here with Abner! MARION Stay here -- where the hell are you going?! Firing up the bike -- INDY To drop a bomb on the crazy sonofabitch! The motorbike peels out! EXT. COUNTRY ROAD - NIGHT With THE RAIDERS' MARCH trumpeting on the soundtrack, INDY appears astride the high speeding motorbike! Far up the road, INDY can see the sedan's tail-lights. EXT. A SOVIET AIR FORCE BASE - NIGHT Beyond the sentry post and front gate, are hangers, administration, and officer's quarters. INT. OFFICER'S LOUNGE - NIGHT The SOVIET HIGH BRASS are gathered here in an atmosphere of patriotic snobbery. A sturdy built man has his back to us as a waiter says -- WAITER Your drink, Comrade Premier. Soviet Premier, JOSEPH STALIN, turns around and takes his drink. He returns to the conversation with HIGH MILITARY BRASS and their WIVES: STALIN As I was saying: The Kremlin acknowledges American development and deployment of the first A-BOMB. But it was crude and not very reliable. The Soviet A-BOMB is masterfully constructed and is sure to be the envy of the Americans. STALIN takes a sip of his champagne. A WIFE Comrade Premier? STALIN Yes, my dear. And may I say you look stunning tonight. The light generated from an atomic explosion does not compare to your radiance. He's gotta be kidding! The light from a match is more radiant. Safe to assume STALIN is feeling the champagne. The wife smiles, charmed off her feet. STALIN Please, what was your question? WIFE Yes. Well, about tonight's de -- deployment? Is that correct? STALIN Yes, my dear. WIFE The deployment...how will this be accomplished? STALIN Good question. A C-23 Bomber, the pride of the Soviet Airforce, will take off from here, fly out over the Kara Sea about 100 miles and deploy the bomb. WIFE Over the Kara Sea -- how will we see it? STALIN Very good. Beauty and brains! A fine combination. But in answer to your query, a transport will take us to the coast where we will have a front row seat. That reminds me: the transport should be leaving very shortly. EXT. SOVIET AIR FORCE BASE - NIGHT INDY kills the motorbike's engine and coasts to a stop, back about a hundred feet from the main gate. EXT. MAIN GATE SENTRY POST - NIGHT INDY creeps up. He looks inside the guard house. On the floor lies a SENTRY, dead and bleeding. INT. OFFICER'S LOUNGE - NIGHT A WAITER interrupts STALIN and his guests -- WAITER Sorry for the interruption, Comrade Premier, but Captain Vladimirov wishes to speak with you. STALIN Ah, wonderful. Where is he? WAITER (whispering) I believe he is feeling ill. He is in the staff washroom. I only heard his voice coming from a stall, and he requested that I fetch you immediately. STALIN Ah, the man has been celebrating already! Please, excuse me. INT. STAFF WASHROOM - JUST AFTER STALIN enters. STALIN Captain, you have called me away from a vision of loveliness. I hope for your sake you are good and ill. Captain? >From behind a stall door comes -- VLADIMIROV'S VOICE Comrade Premier, I am over here. STALIN walks to a nearby stall. STALIN What is wrong with you? On that, the stall door is thrown back and the disfigured VLADIMIROV springs out! VLADIMIROV puts STALIN in a neck-breaking choke-hold and shoves a pistol into the Premier's side as an added incentive. VLADIMIROV, we note, is all decked out in his military dress uniform. STALIN (gagging) What -- what is the meaning of this, Captain? VLADIMIROV Atonement! EXT. THE BASE - NIGHT INDY has commandeered a cap and rain coat from the sentry post. He blends in nicely as he searches high and low for VLADIMIROV. EXT. BETWEEN THE OFFICER'S QUARTERS - NIGHT VLADIMIROV is forcing STALIN to toward a distant hanger. Deep shadows provide excellent cover. STALIN You will die in a Siberian prison for your crimes against the state! VLADIMIROV I will die, comrade, but not in a prison. After I am through tonight, the world will be a different place. STALIN What are you raving about? VLADIMIROV When I am through, the Super Powers will be at war! EXT. THE BASE - NIGHT INDY isn't having much luck -- and it just gets worse: A SENTRY on a motorcycle rides up. BIKE SENTRY Comrade, do you have a light? INDY turns slowly around and faces the sentry. INDY digs into his pant's pocket and pulls out -- nope -- just a match. He lights the sentry's cigarette. SENTRY Thank you, comrade. (frowning) I have not seen you before... INDY Just transferred. Yesterday. SENTRY Yesterday you say. From where did you transfer? INDY just cornered himself! INT. A HANGER - NIGHT A GROUND CREW is busy with final preparations. The pride of the Soviet Air Force awaits her confirmation for take off. INT. COCKPIT OF BOMBER PILOT and CO-PILOT make final flight instrument checks. EXT. BACK TO INDY SENTRY (suspicious now) I will ask you again: where did you transfer from? INDY (playing dumb) Oh, transfer from...yes...now I see. The sentry makes a face. INT. THE HANGER VLADIMIROV peers out, hidden within the shadows. The bomber's four propeller-driven engines start up. EXT. BACK TO INDY who now hears the engines of a plane somewhere -- that hanger, just over there. The sound is coming from that hanger. SENTRY What is your name? Or have you forgotten that too? INDY My...name. My name. You wanna know my name. INT. THE HANGER VLADIMIROV, his head down, walks behind STALIN with the pistol jabbed into the small of the Premier's back. They move toward the plane. A CREWMAN sees the Premier approaching and snaps to attention. CREWMAN Comrade Premier! The plane is ready! VLADIMIROV fires off a shot! The crewman drops dead. The engine noise muffled the gunshot. EXT. BACK TO INDY who did not hear the gunshot, and who is too busy with the 20 questions. The sentry shuts off the bike and stands. SENTRY I will report you, comrade! What is your name? Where did you transfer from? He reaches for his sidearm. INDY Transfer from...well, I did transfer once...from the downtown to the uptown bus. INDY doesn't wait for a reaction -- and elbows the sentry -- dead in the face! INT. COCKPIT OF BOMBER as the PILOT and CO-PILOT are shot dead! STALIN You call yourself a Russian? No Russian would shoot his fellow countrymen in cold blood! VLADIMIROV (manically) I'm not Russian -- I'm a Son of Darkness! At which point VLADIMIROV conks STALIN on the head with the butt of his pistol! The Premier drops to the cockpit floor, out cold. EXT. BACK TO INDY who is dragging the KO'd sentry behind some crates. The sentry out of sight, INDY looks out across the apron to the hanger. EXT. THE HANGER as the bomber rolls out -- BACK A BIT, INDY watches the plane, not sure why. INT. COCKPIT VLADIMIROV is at the controls. OVER A SPEAKER Red Bear 1, you have not been cleared. Repeat: you have not been -- VLADIMIROV clicks off the speaker. Suddenly the co-pilot pops up! He lunges at VLADIMIROV and the big Russian is thrown forward in the chair, his hand ramming the throttle stick! EXT. THE BOMBER as its engines roar noisily! BACK A BIT, INDY snaps a look at the plane. The big bomber starts to veer, as if out of control. INT. COCKPIT VLADIMIROV and the CO-PILOT are struggling for the pistol. It fires accidentally and shoots a hole through the cockpit glass. EXT. A ZIP PAN finds INDY. There's no doubt in his mind now. INDY leaps onto the sentry's motorbike. INT. COCKPIT as VLADIMIROV gets the gun away and unloads it into the meddlesome CO-PILOT. VLADIMIROV, back at the controls, trims the engines. EXT. BACK TO INDY who is having trouble getting the bike started! INDY C'mon! C'mon! EXT. THE BOMBER as its big wheels roll forward -- EXT. THE TAXIWAY - JUST AFTER The bomber rolls onto the taxiway. The SOUND of distant sirens picks up. EXT. BACK TO INDY who finally gets the bike started. INDY looks out across the airfield and reacts alarmingly to the bomber's takeoff position on the runway. INT. COCKPIT as VLADIMIROV eases the throttle forward -- EXT. BACK TO INDY who now sees a distant squad of MILITARY VEHICLES racing toward the bomber. But it's no comfort. A glance to the bomber tells us why -- INDY Too far! Dammit! INDY guns the throttle! EXT. RUNWAY - JUST AFTER The bomber picks up speed! Suddenly INDY drives onto the runway, back about a 100 feet from the plane. INDY guns the throttle and the bike pops-a-wheelie. INT. COCKPIT VLADIMIROV is intent on the runway ahead. EXT. FAST MOVING BOMBER as INDY drives in under the plane's wing and matches the craft's speed. INDY is dangerously close to the plane's spinning tire. INDY reaches out and grabs hold of the gear strut -- and pulls himself off the bike! The riderless motorbike drops to the rushing ground beneath it and flips side-over-side, smashing to pieces! INDY, with much effort, gets his boots up and onto the wheel cowling -- Suddenly the plane lifts off -- INT. COCKPIT as VLADIMIROV flicks the landing gear up switch -- EXT. UNDER THE WING as the hydraulics hum and startle INDY. The landing gear starts to fold in. INDY can do nothing. INDY hangs on for dear life ... and disappears up inside the wing. The covers fold in and seal over the landing gear like a coffin lid! The bomber climbs to a high altitude and levels off. INT. COCKPIT VLADIMIROV switches on the auto-pilot. He rises and goes to the navigator's station. VLADIMIROV begins to flip through a binder. Inside are maps with latitude and longitude lines. VLADIMIROV plots a bombing coarse -- over the Arctic Circle -- and into the United States! INT. THE WING INDY is crammed inside the service duct. INDY wiggles himself toward an access panel. INDY pushes on the panel but it won't open. INT. COCKPIT VLADIMIROV stops plotting a course ... there is a muffled sound ... a pounding of some sort, just heard under the hum of the engines. INT. THE WING INDY is punching the panel with his fist. It warps. Then snaps open -- INT. BELLY OF PLANE INDY pulls himself through the access opening and drops down into the belly. The ceiling is quite low; INDY has to squat. INDY looks for a hatchway overhead and sees one. INT. THE BOMB BAY In the floor, the hatchway cracks open a bit and INDY'S eyes pop up and peer out at the bomb bay -- it's empty. INDY reaches down to unholster the .45 when suddenly the hatchway door is thrown back and a HAND reaches down, grabbing INDY by the scruff. INDY is yanked up through the hatchway. VLADIMIROV tosses INDY aside. INDY hits the floor and rolls into a camera tripod -- OUCH! There are a half dozen automatic motion picture cameras on tripods. Soviet home movies. Holding a pistol on INDY -- VLADIMIROV Fool! Did you really think you could stop me?! Getting to his feet -- INDY (wryly) That was the idea. VLADIMIROV Doctor, Doctor...will you ever learn? INDY I always did have a problem with attention span. Teachers hated it. VLADIMIROV (chuckling) Very good, Doctor. You are a funny man. Even in the face of death. I applaud you. It is a shame you will miss my finest hour. (a thought) Ah, but why miss it. I should strap you to a chair...let you watch as I fly this plane directly into the Empire State building! Or better: right into your living room! Boston seemed like a nice place. Nice enough, I think, to wipe cleanly from the face of the earth! INDY You'll never get away with it! The U.S. Airforce will be all over this plane once you enter -- VLADIMIROV laughs hardily! INDY I say something funny? VLADIMIROV Doctor, I'm surprised by your display of ignorance. Obviously atomic science is not your specialty. Let them shoot me down. Once I arm the bomb, it won't matter. Yes, possibly my desired target will be missed. But in the end it will be the same result -- World War III! INDY Why? VLADIMIROV Atonement, Doctor. I will meet my maker with a clean conscience. Can you say as much? INDY Your maker? I hate to rain on your parade, but I doubt very much the All Mighty will be thrilled to see you. VLADIMIROV Your God, no. My God, yes. Are you that clueless, Doctor? What almost happened tonight goes beyond simple notions of good and evil. Godkind came close to extinction tonight. Ever so close. (grimacing) You have no idea, Doctor. Yes, this world is His....for the time being. But there will come a time. (MORE) VLADIMIROV CONT. Soon I think. But for now a planet at war...millions dead...millions more suffering from fallout....will have to do. Simply put, Doctor: Armageddon will have to wait. INDY You're insane. VLADIMIROV All the great ones are. (pause) On second thought, I don't consider you worthy enough for such a front row seat. You should die plainly -- without honour! You should die like a fallen animal. A merciful bullet to the head! VLADIMIROV snaps back the trigger -- CLICK! The gun's empty! INDY smirks. INDY Hasn't been your day! INDY snaps his hand back to his holstered .45 -- whoops, it's not there! VLADIMIROV mockingly smiles. VLADIMIROV Not yours either. INDY makes a face. Then INDY surprises us with the appearance of his trusty bullwhip! The whip lashes out. It misses the intended target -- VLADIMIROV -- and wraps itself around the leg of a camera tripod! VLADIMIROV You must work on your aim, Doctor. INDY It's usually pretty good! VLADIMIROV It must be the pressure. On that, VLADIMIROV charges at INDY! INDY gets out of the way fast and drops down into the bomb rack -- his boots slamming down onto the warhead's shell! VLADIMIROV halts and smiles grotesquely. VLADIMIROV (referring to bomb) Beautiful...isn't it, Doctor. How does it feel to be standing on 15 kilotons of mastered power? INDY Why don't you come down here and find out for yourself! VLADIMIROV CONT. Just think how lovely a light it makes. A cloud of fire 900 feet in the air! Though not as hot as Hell, Doctor. But close enough. INDY Rot in Hell you sonofabitch! VLADIMIROV I look forward to it. At which point VLADIMIROV spots something on the floor. He bends down and picks up INDY'S .45. VLADIMIROV Yours? INDY rolls his eyes. VLADIMIROV Are you always this prepared, Doctor? VLADIMIROV points the gun at INDY and chuckles. VLADIMIROV CONT. Goodbye, Doctor Jones. I hope you and your God will be happy together. SUDDENLY HEAVY MACHINE GUN FIRE CUTS IN! Bullets punch through the fuselage and rake the bomb bay! EXT. THE NIGHT SKY A squadron of SOVIET FIGHTER PLANES is attacking the bomber! Their roaring wing canons light up the night sky! INT. A FIGHTER PLANE'S COCKPIT Over the PILOT'S radio -- A VOICE (*subtitled*) (orders) Splash the bomber! Repeat: splash the bomber! INT. BOMB BAY as VLADIMIROV rushes up inside -- A GUN TURRET! VLADIMIROV opens fire on the squadron! BELOW, INDY is starting to climb out of the bomb rack when raking bullets force him to duck! A hydraulic hose ruptures -- hit! -- and sprays INDY with fluid! The least of his problems, as now the bomb bay doors flop open from a lose of pressure -- right out from under INDY'S feet! INDY grabs hold of the first thing he sees -- the handle of the dangling bullwhip! INDY starts to fall out, but is stopped by the whip jerking taut in his hands. INDY'S boots are sticking outside the plane, exposed to the rushing air! INDY, hand-over-hand, starts to pull himself back up inside the bomb rack. But his weight is starting to bend the tripod leg which the end of the whip is lassoed to! UP INSIDE THE GUN TURRET VLADIMIROV is having a great old time. He fires wildly at the swooping planes. EXT. NIGHT SKY as VLADIMIROV'S fire takes out a fighter plane -- KAH-BOOM! INT. BOMB BAY Suddenly, the tripod snaps free from its anchors and topples over! INDY drops -- right out into space -- EXT. THE BOMBER as INDY, clutching the whip in a deathgrip, is slammed up against the underside of the fuselage by the force of rushing air! INT. BOMB BAY The tripod gets pulled down into the bomb rack where it gets lodged in the framework! EXT. UNDERSIDE OF PLANE The whip no longer taut, INDY is pushed by the rushing air and slides backwards, his stomach pressed up against the underside of the plane! But he only goes a few feet, then is jerked to a stop as the whip snaps taut again. INT. BOMB BAY STALIN revives slowly and staggers to his feet. He cringes at the sound of machine fire! INT. COCKPIT OF BOMBER STALIN gets on the radio -- EXT. UNDERSIDE OF BOMBER INDY, hand-over-hand on the whip, struggles against the powerful rush of air and pulls himself along, trying to get back to the bomb bay -- INT. COCKPIT STALIN barks into the radio -- STALIN (*subtitled*) Call off the planes! INT. COCKPIT OF FIGHTER PLANE As the order comes to RADIO VOICE (*subtitled*) Abort! Abort! Comrade Premier is on board the bomber! EXT. THE SKY as the squadron ceases firing immediately. INT. GUN TURRET VLADIMIROV shouts triumphantly at the squadron banking away and flying off! INT. BOMB BAY VLADIMIROV drops down from inside the gun turret and finds himself at gun point! STALIN Enough, Captain! At which point VLADIMIROV runs to the bomber's station! STALIN fires! VLADIMIROV is hit in the side, but he remains on his feet. VLADIMIROV fights the pain as he reaches out and ARMS THE WARHEAD. STALIN fires repeatedly. VLADIMIROV takes each slug with a sneer. VLADIMIROV Bombs away! At which point VLADIMIROV pulls up the bomb release handle and jumps down onto the warhead -- just as it is deployed! EXT. UNDERSIDE OF BOMBER as VLADIMIROV, clinging to the warhead, drops out into open air -- right past INDY who's eyes widen at the sight of VLADIMIROV grinning at him! VLADIMIROV waves manically as the bomb falls away. VLADIMIROV Long live the Sons of Darkneeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeess! ON THE FALLING BOMB WITH VLADIMIROV -- THE SKY ZOOMS BY. VLADIMIROV works himself around so as to face the -- dark ocean below. The waters rise up, getting closer and closer with each passing second! VLADIMIROV (under his breath) I'm coming home. Suddenly the OCEAN is right in our faces! A BLINDING LIGHT WHITES OUT THE SCREEN! INDY, still pressed up against the underside of the plane, snaps his eyes shut. Light -- as bright as the sun -- floods him momentarily. BELOW, AN ENORMOUS MUSHROOM CLOUD RISES HIGH INTO THE SKY! THE BLAST WAVE EXPANDS OUT OVER THE OCEAN AND INSTANTLY VAPORISES ICEBERGS THE SIZE OF BUILDINGS! INT. BOMB RACK INDY reaches in and gets hold of a strut. He starts to heave himself up when STALIN reaches in and offers his hand. STALIN Take my hand! INDY takes STALIN'S hand. INT. COCKPIT - JUST AFTER INDY and STALIN stagger in. STALIN, exhausted, takes a seat in the pilot's seat. INDY, his body aching, eases into the co- pilot's seat. STALIN I won't ask how you got here. INDY Good. (weakly) Can you land this thing? STALIN Certainly. INDY Good. 'Cause I can't. STALIN takes the controls. STALIN You tried to stop him. Didn't you? INDY Tried to. STALIN Very bold. INDY Very stupid. STALIN Just the same, my country is grateful. Your show of courage deserves a reward. Anything you want. It is yours. INDY Anything, huh? How about abolishing the communist party and giving democracy a chance? STALIN gives INDY a look. INDY No. Then how about a first class ticket back home? STALIN Gladly. INDY Better make that four tickets. STALIN Ah, for your girlfriends, no doubt. INDY No ... for my family ... and one major pain in the ass. EXT. THE SKY The bomber gently banks and flies away into the rising sun. DISSOLVE TO: EXT. ISTANBUL AIRPORT - DAY INDY, MARION, ABNER, BILL AND SALLAH. BILL'S leg is in a cast and he stands on crutches. INDY Sallah, I can't thank you enough. SALLAH My pleasure, Indy. I am happy that you and your family are reunited. MARION kisses Sallah. MARION You're a saint, Sallah. A angel sent from heaven. SALLAH (moved) Thank you, Marion. My love to you all. Especially you, little Indy. Sallah ruffles ABNER'S hair. ABNER (smiling) Bye, Sallah. Sallah walks away, singing, arms pumping to the rhythm. SALLAH Aaa British tar is a soaring soul as free as a mountain bird...his energetic fist should be ready to resist... Sallah's singing fades. ABNER Can we go home now? Both INDY and MARION give ABNER an incredulous look. BILL Yes...please. INDY After you, William. BILL Bill, will do. INDY Fine, Bill...after you. BILL May I call you, Henry. INDY We'll talk about it. DISSOLVE TO: EXT. A VERMONT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL - DAY Establish the quaint little school, as over we hear: THE PRINCIPLE'S VOICE And this year's bible-class grand prize winner, a trip to Jerusalem, goes to -- INT. SCHOOL GYMNASIUM - DAY The school PRINCIPLE is at a podium before a large assembly made up of KIDS and PARENTS. A big bible-class contest banner hangs from the rafters. Display cubicles number in the dozens. PRINCIPLE CONT. -- Mark Graham. The crowd applauds. But there is one among them that does not ... ABNER. EXT. THE SCHOOL - SOON AFTER INDY, MARION and a glum looking ABNER, stroll along the cement pathway. MARION Hey, don't look so glum. You won third prize -- that's better than nothing! ABNER Bet if I had a piece of the Ark I would of come in first! Mention of the Ark brings back unpleasant memories for all. After a beat: MARION (changing the subject) Hey, whadda you guys say we eat out tonight and catch a movie. "Treasure of Sierra Madre" is supposed to be pretty good. ABNER (beaming) Treasure! MARION (having second thoughts) Maybe not that one. INDY (to himself) It's gonna take some getting use to. MARION (over hearing him) And what's that, pray tell? INDY snuggles up close to MARION and smiles. INDY Home cooked meals...Saturday morning catch....report cards....first date. MARION (feeling naughty) Something else you'll have to get use to... INDY And what's that, pray tell? MARION The long, hot, passionate nights. MARION and INDY kiss, long and deep. They break. MARION So, Kiddo -- MARION almost screams -- ABNER is gone! INDY Don't panic! He's gotta be around here some place! They scan the school grounds. INDY Maybe he's at the playground! A few tension filled moments. Then: ABNER'S VOICE Hey! ABNER runs up with his popsicle stick Ark in hand. MARION Abner! I'm gonna put a leash on you! ABNER shoots his mom a sarcastic look. INDY Why'd you go back for your model? ABNER I don't know...guess this Ark's better than no Ark. INDY They might uncover it again someday. The idea of that sits pleasantly on the minds of ABNER and INDY. MARION, on the other hand, not so pleasant. INDY CONT. The man to uncover it might just be you. MARION shoots INDY a stern look. INDY CONT. Or maybe not. MARION Mister, the only thing I want you digging up are the weeds in the backyard. ABNER Aw ma! MARION You promised to do it weeks ago. Whispering up at INDY conspiratorially -- ABNER And she wonders why I ran away. MARION (hearing that) You didn't run away. ABNER Yeah....that's true...I went looking for my dad. INDY And you found him. ABNER Happy I did? INDY doesn't have to think about that. INDY You betcha. INDY smiles. ABNER takes his mom's hand and -- ah -- ABNER Here, hold this. INDY takes the Ark model from ABNER. The boy's hands are free. ABNER takes his mom's hand and his father's hand. ABNER Mom, dad, let's go eat. JUMP BACK: the united family walk away together, hand-in-hand, headed off on another big adventure. The one called life. RAIDERS' MARCH UP. ROLL END CREDITS. THOUGHT IT WAS OVER, DIDN'T YA? THE FANS WHO HUNG AROUND FOR THE END CREDITS GET A SPECIAL TREAT: INT. INDY'S HOUSE - FRONT DOOR - SUNDOWN Someone is KNOCKING. INDY opens the front door and reveals GENERAL DOUGLAS MACARTHUR AND HIS ENTOURAGE. INDY General, what a pleasant surprise. Pause. GENERAL MACARTHUR Henry, you gonna invite us in or are we gonna stand out here all day. INDY Please, please -- c'mon in. INDY shouts over his shoulder -- INDY Marion, set down three more plates. We got guests for dinner. CUT TO BLACK SCREEN. THE END Go to the top of the text.