Planet of the Apes Page #6

Mirth bubbles up in Taylor's throat. He explodes with wild laughter.

He is still laughing as they move out.

DISSOLVE TO:

41-ADAWN SHOT (GUNSIGHTLOC #43)

42THE ASTRONAUTS' TREK

They descend from the plateau (Ochre Dunes)

43ASTRONAUTS CONTINUE MARCH,

Across the top of the hills there suddenly runs a line of fire (Black

Dunes).

44THEY MOVE ACROSS THE TERRAIN

Jagged bolts of lightning flash across the sky, but bring, no rain, and

thunder claps sound like heavy artillery. (Gray Area)

45-OUT

58

QUICK DISSOLVE TO:

59ANOTHER PART OF THE CANYON (OCHRE DUNES AREA) - GROUP

SHOT - DAY

Several huge boulders are dislodged, and the three astronauts run.

wildly to escape the falling rocks. When the avalanche ends, they

sprawl on the lifeless sands, breathing heavily and drenched with

sweat, surrounded by enormous boulders. Taylor looks about him.

TAYLOR:

Everybody all right?

Murmurs of assent from Dodge and Landon. Taylor rummages through a

limp rucksack, comes up with some empty food cartons,rummages again,

coming up with a cigar butt.

TAYLOR:

Water check.

Dodge takes a plastic canteen from another rucksack and inspects it.

DODGE:

Eight ounces.

Dodge lies back and looks up at the sky.

DODGE:

It doesn't add up. There's a mantle of

dust around this planet and yet it's

as humid as a jungle. Thunder and

lightning and yet no rain. Cloud cover

every night and that strange luminosity,

and yet no moon.

Landon also looks up at the sky.

LANDON:

If only we could get a fix.

TAYLOR:

(needling him)

What would you learn? I've told you

where you are and when you are.

DODGE:

(gently)

Taylor -- quit riding him.

TAYLOR:

(harshly, to Landon)

You're more than three hundred light

years from your precious planet. Your

loved ones have been dead and forgotten

for twenty centuries. Even if you could

get back, they'd think you were

something that fell out of a tree.

LANDON:

(wearily)

All right --

TAYLOR:

There's only one reality left. We're

here and it's now. You get ahold of that

and hang on tight, or you might as well

be dead.

LANDON:

(quietly)

I'm prepared to die.

Taylor turns to Dodge, throws up his hands.

TAYLOR:

He's prepared to die! Doesn't that make

you misty? Chalk up another victory for

the human spirit!

Dodge rises and moves off, o.s., either embarrassed by this colloquy

or unwilling to hear it again. Taylor, cigar clamped between his

teeth, spins toward Landon.

TAYLOR:

Straighten me out on something. Why did

you come along at all? You volunteered.

Why?

(a beat; no answer)

I'll tell you. They nominated you for the

Big One and you couldn't turn it down. Not

without losing your All-American standing

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