Starship Troopers Screenplay by Edward Neumeier Based on the novel by Robert Heinlein 1 FROM THE FEDERAL NET -- NOTICE -- JOIN UP NOW ! Proud YOUNG PEOPLE in uniform, the bloom of human evolution. YOUNG PEOPLE I'm doing my part... Me, too... Are you ? The mobile infantery logo: LIGHTNING BOLTS ON A BLACK SHIELD. OFFICIAL VOICE Join the mobile infantery and save the world ! Service guarantees citizen-ship. Would you like to know more ? 2 BUG METEOR: Behold actual pictures of a METEOR, this one a mile across, as it hurtles past an observation ship. OFFICIAL VOICE The Bugs send another meteor our way ! A BRIGHT EXPLOSION in space out beyond the moon. OFFICIAL VOICE But this time we are ready ! Planetary defenses are better than ever ! Would you like to know more ? 3 KLENDATHU --- WHY WE HAVE TO FIGHT ! Klendathu, a fierce orange planet ringed by an asteroid belt, orbits a double star. OFFICIAL VOICE Klendathu, source of the bug meteor attacks, orbits a twin star system whose brutal gravitational forces produce an unlimited supply of meteorites... A "You are here" map of the KNOWN GALAXY shows the Earth in relationship to the BUG PLANETARY SYSTEM and Klendathu. OFFICIAL VOICE To ensure the safety of our solar system, Klendathu must be eliminated ! Would you like to know more ? 4 LIVE BROADCAST -- FROM ORBIT - THE INVASION OF KLENDATHU ! For BATTLE GROUPS, sixty STARSHPS strong, orbit the orange planet. Graphics: KLENDATHU: THE INVASION OFFICIAL VOICE We break net now and take you live to Klendathu where the invasion has begun ! 5 EXT KLENDATHU -- NIGHT -- THE CAMERA takes the Mobile Infantery CAP TROOPERS wearing fully armed Marauder POWER SUITS as they move up the line, the pans to the NET CORRESPONDENT NET CORRESPONDENT We 've just landes here on whar cap troopres are calling "Big K" with the 6th Mobile Infantery division... It 's an ugly planet, a bug planet, a planet hostile to life as we iGKKKKKK ! Blood hits the lens as the Correspondent is cut in half. The CAMERA catches a glimpse of HUGE CLAWS as Cap Trooper JOHNNY RICO , 18, blows away SOMETHING BIG big with his pulse cannon. JOHNNY Com'on, let's go ! ON THE BOUNCE The cap troopers move out, among them DIZZY FLORES, 18, ACE LEVY, 19, and KITTEN SMITH, 18. The CAMERA pauses, unsure. FED NET CENTRAL (O.S.) FOLLOW THEM...! GO ! GO ! The CAMERA follows. The PULSE of BUG BATTERIES is blinding. Cap Troopers scream as they are torn apart right and left by an enemy seen only in disorientating glimpses. JOHNNY THIS WAY ! The group splits into two, and the CAMERA follows Johnny. Something slices Kitten Smith, and he goes down screaming. JOHNNY KITTEN ! Johnny stops to help his comrade. A CLAW slashes into him. JOHNNY AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA ! Now something grabs the CAMERA, spinning it around. We glimpse the hideous jaws of an ARACHNID WARRIOR. CAMERAMAN (O.S.) AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA ! The CAMERA hits the ground. Johnny, badly wounded, bleeding from the mouth, crawls into CAMERA, trying to get away from the dark INSECT SHAPES that close in on him. JOHNNY Oh, God... Oh, God, help me... please help me... His eyes glaze over as he remembers FLASHBACK: 6 INT NEW UNI HIGH - CLASSROOM - DAY - CARMEN IBANEZ is beautiful, just 18, and quite pleased with herself because Johnny Rico is clearly infatuated with her. RASCZAK (O.S.) The end of another school year, and for me no doubt another failure... Rico, pay attention ! The teacher JEAN RASCZAK, 38, a rugged veteran who proudly displays his missing hand, scowls at Johnny, bemused. JOHNNY Sorry, Mr. Rasczak. But as soon as Rasczak turns back to the class, Johnny begins to sketch a cartoon on his desk's touch screen. RASCZAK Here in History and Moral Philosophy we've explored the decline of Democracy when social scientists brought the world to the brink of chaos, and how the veterans took control and imposed a stability that has lasted for generations since... You know these facts but have I taught you anything of value ? You. Why are only citizens allowed to vote ? Rasczak points at LANNY, 17, with his stump . LANNY It's a reward... what the Federation gives you for doing Federal Service. Rasczak is crestfallen, makes a big show of patience. RASCZAK No. Something given has no value ! Haven't I taught you dimwits anything ? I guess they ought to revoke my teaching credential... Laughter. Johnny's cartoon, meanwhile, is taking shape: Johnny and Carmen flying round planet Venus in a space ship. RASCZAK When you vote, you're exercising political authority. You're using force. And force, my friends, is violence, the supreme authority from which all other authority derives. CARL JENKINS, 18, a superintelligent geek, jumps in. CARL Gee, we always thought you were the supreme authority, Mr. Rasczak. Laughter. Rasczak grins. RASCZAK In my classroom, you bet. Whether it's exerted by ten or ten billion, political authority is violence by degree. The people we call citizens have earned the right to wield it. DIZZY FLORES, 18, athletic, pretty, no nonsense, chimes in. DIZZY My mother always says that violence never solves anything. RASCZAK Really ? I wonder what the city fathers of Hiroshima would have to say about that. You. Rasczak points at Carmen. CARMEN They probably wouldn't say anything. Hiroshima was destroyed. Johnny presses ´"SEND" on his desk, and the cartoon appears across the way on Carmen's screen. RASCZAK Correct. Naked force has settled more issues in history than any other factor. The contrary opinion 'violence never solves anything' is wishful thinking at its worst. While Rasczak looks away, Carmen throws Johnny her wonderful smile, and Johnny's gone, checked out, flying round Venus. RASCZAK People who forget that always pay... They pay with their lives and their freedom. Dizzy notices the dreamy look on Johnny's face. So does Rasczak. He points at him with his stump, snaps Johnny to. RASCZAK You. Tell me the moral difference, if any, between the citizen and the civilian ? JOHNNY The difference lies in the field of civic virtue. A citizen accepts personal responsibility for the safety of the body politic, of which he is a member, defending it, if need be, with his life. The civilian does not. RASCZAK The exact words of the text. But do you understand it ? Do you believe it ? JOHNNY Uh, I don't know. RASCZAK Of course you don't. I doubt if any of you here would recognize 'civic virtue' if it bit you in the ass. A bell rings. Rasczak shrugs, indifferent. RASCZAK Well, that's it. Have a nice life. 7 EXT NEW UNI HIGH - HALLWAY - DAY - JOHNNY AND CARMEN walk with their friends. Several COUPLES hold hands. Johnny tries to take Carmen's hand, but she demurs. Johnny broods. CARMEN C'mon, let's see if they've posted the math final test yet. STUDENT Hey, Rico, we gonna take Tesla ? JOHNNY How should I know ? STUDENT You're captain of the team ! 8 EXT QUAD - DAY - JOHNNY AND CARMEN join other students around a MULTI-SCREEN KIOSK. CARMEN First thing Fleet Academy looks at is your math scores. Wish me luck ! Carmen enters her name, receives her score: 97% ! She beams. JOHNNY Good for you. CARMEN Your turn... Then she spots Carl across the way talking with MARCO, 17. CARMEN Hold on... I wanna talk to Marco. His sister's at Fleet ! Carmen rushes off. Johnny checks his score: 35% ! Crushed, he makes sure no none else has seen. Carl walks up to him. CARL You still haven't kissed her yet ? Don't lie. JOHNNY What's the hurry ? CARL Others are waiting. Carl points out Dizzy, talking with friends. JOHNNY Did you read her mind ? CARL Don't have to... Some mating semaphore is pretty hard to miss. It's true. You can tell by the way she looks at Johnny. JOHNNY Yeah, but I want Carmen. CARL You got it bad. Carmen returns to Johnny as Carls heads off. CARL Don't forget about this afternoon. (to Carmen) He's always late when he walks you home to fish for a kiss. Carmen blushes, covers. CARMEN She's flying starships ! JOHNNY Who ? CARMEN Marco's sister. Can you imagine maneuvering half a million tons through crwoded space lanes... You gotta have nerves of steel ! Reflexes are critical JOHNNY I have good reflexes. Carmen notices the way Dizzy's looking at Johnny, doesn't like it one bit, takes Johnny's arm. CARMEN C'mon Johnny, we'll be late for Biology. 9 INT BIOLOGY LAB -- DAY - THE BIOLOGY TEACHER is an older woman, very spry, also blind. Johnny, Carmen and other students gather around covered lab tables. BIOLOGY TEACHER For our final today, please identify the mouthparts, the abdominal organs, and for extra credit, locate the nerve cord and count the ganglia. You may begin. The students remove the cover to reveal large alien bugs, 60 centimeter ARKELLIAN SAND BEETLES laid out for dissection. CARMEN Eeuch ! JOHNNY Aw, c'mon, it's just a bug. BIOLOGY TEACHER Just a bug, eh ? We humans like to think we are Nature's finest achievement. I'm afraid it isn't true. This Arkellian Sand Beetle is superior in many ways. It has fewer moving parts, can reproduce itself in vast numbers, and unboud by concerns of ego and mortality, makes the perfect selfless member of society. JOHNNY Better put your goggles on. Johnny slices the abdomen open with asurgical laser. Green fluid sprays from the slit. Carmen turns away looking ill. BIOLOGY TEACHER Our galaxy is teaming with insect life. We have identified over two billion species so far. Human, life, it would seem, is the anomaly. CARMEN But we 're intelligent. Human minds have invented art, mathematics and interstellar travel. BIOLOGY TEACHER True, we know of no insect society that has produced a Shakespeare, an Einstein or a Cherynkov, but before you let that go to your head, take the example of the Arachnids, a highly organized, highly evolved insect society. She points to an insect evolution chart that starts with a common ant and ends with a two meter tall ARACHNID WARRIOR. BIOLOGY TEACHER They are relatively stupid by human standards. Workers have an IQ of 12, warriors around 35 , and yet the Arachnids have colonized planets. Over a million years of evolution, Nature has provided the Arachnids with the biological means to hurl their spore into space. Johnny applies a spreader and jacks the insects abdominal cavity open with aresounding crack. Bug guts gush out. JOHNNY Well, if that's the crop, that must be the gastric caecal... CARMEN Excuse me...! She heads for the door, hand over her mouth. 10 EXT CIVIC PARK - DAY - JOHNNY AND CARMEN walk home from school together. JOHNNY 35% on the math final ! No one could be that dumb with numbers. CARMEN Well, at least you didn't lose your lunch over a bug. How embarassing. JOHNNY Who cares about bugs ? You can't go anywhere if you don't know math. CARMEN Don't be so sure. I like you even if you are dumb with numbers. JOHNNY Then how come you won't hold hands with me at school ? CARMEN I don't want everyone to see. JOHNNY Why won't you kiss me when we're all alone ? CARMEN How come that's all you talk about anymore ? JOHNNY It's all I think about anymore. Indeed, they are all alone now. The look in Johnny's eye says how about it. Carmen grins, reaches for Johnny's hand. 11 EXT PUPLIC TRANSPORTATION - DAY - CARMEN and Johnny stand together near a bank of TRANSPORTERS. CARMEN You can't walk me home. JOHNNY Why not ? CARMEN I thought you were going to help Carl. JOHNNY Carl can wait. CARMEN Johnny, my Dad's home today. Johnny's face darkens with frustration. JOHNNY What's he got against me... I mean, I 'm a teenager. You can't be a citizen when you're only a teenager ! CARMEN It's not you, Johnny. Your parents are rich they don't need to be citizens, and that stuff means a lot to my dad. He's a veteran. JOHNNY Well, if your dad doesn't like me, how come we're such good friends ? CARMEN Sometimes I do what I want, eh ? Carmen steps into the flux. ZAPPP! She's gone. Johnny grins, happy to be in love. 12 INT CARL'S HOUSE - BASEMENT - DAY - JOHNNY is hard-wired to the stacks of processing units that comprise Carl's basement workshop. Carl concentrates on the image of a playing card, the six of diamonds, displayed on a monitor. CARL Don't think about it... go on instinct. JOHNNY Ace of spades. The ace of spades appears, and the computer indicates "no match". Carl puts another card up, the jack of diamonds. CARL Statistically speaking you should've accidentally guessed right by know. JOHNNY In addition to "psychic dolt" this test also proves I'm unlucky ? Two of hearts. Wrong again. CARL Luck is not a factor. No one really knows why some people are sensitive and some aren't. Federal studies like this might provide a clue. The next card up is the nine of clubs. JOHNNY I wouldn't want to know what everyone was thinking. Four of spades. Suddenly, A GIANT YELLOW FROG jumps onto the keyboard, fritzing the monitor. Johnny removes the blindfold. CARL Cyrano, you big yellow turd ! Johnny knows this frog, scratches him on the neck. JOHNNY He just wants attention. You don't play with him like you used to. Carl concentrates for a moment. CARL Go bug Mom, Cyrano. Cyrano's eyes widen. He hops off the table and up the stairs two at a time. Carl clears the screen. JOHNNY How do you make him do that ? CARL I gave him the impression that there was a fly crawling up my mom's leg. He is going to go eat it. From upstairs, CARL'S MOM shrieks. MOM (O.S.) Get out ! Get out ! CARL...! JOHNNY Carl, promise me you won't ever do anything like that to me. CARL Don't be afraid. Can't do humans... yet. C'mon let's go. Carl, puts up more cards, Johnny misses them all. JOHNNY Ten of clubs. You still gonna sign up for Starside R&D ? CARL Passport to the Universe. Who wouldn't want that ? JOHNNY I've been thinking about applying for Federal Service, too. Fleet, maybe. CARL Your father will never let you. JOHNNY I'm eighteen. It's my decision, I think I'd make a pretty good pilot. I've good great reflexes. You need that for maneuvering, you know. CARL Only 1 in 14 male applicants make it through stellar navigation. So what do you think your chances are ? JOHNNY Eight point... no, uh, seven... CARL If you can't do those numbers, you haven't got a chance. JOHNNY All I know is Carmen's going to be a citizen, and I don't think it'll work out for us if I'm not. CARL Love... how excruciatingly pathetic. Now try and pay attention. Carl puts a card up. JOHNNY Queen of hearts. The computer indicates a match. Johnny peers around at the monitor. It is the Queen of hearts. CARL Well, what do you know about that ! 13 EXT ATHLETIC FIELD - STANDS - DAY - CARMEN and other students wearing orange and black sing the "Uni High Song". The SCOREBOARD says: REGIONAL FINAL. Across the field, fans wear red and gold and sing another song. 14 INT LOCKER ROOM - DAY - JOHNNY and other UNI HIGH TIGERS, all exceptionally robust young man and women, suit up in their orange and black uniforms. DIZZY Tesla's tough. They tumble good and they hit HARD. Dizzy bounces a JUMP SHOE to Johnny. The spring fires and vaults it high into the air. Johnny catches it, puts it on, smiles cocky at the TESLA GIANTS who suit up in red and gold. JOHNNY We tumble good, too. 15 EXT ATHLETIC FIELD - DAY - WHAM ! -- TIGERS AND GIANTS collide. Powered by jump shoes, the play is gymnastic. Johnny moves the ball , flips high in the air over the Giant defensive line, makes ten meters before he is brought down. 16 EXT STANDS - DAY - THE CROWD cheers as Johnny runs back to join his team. He sees Carmen waving, glad that Johnny has seen her among all the people. 17 EXT HUDDLE - DAY - JOHNNY and other Tigers listen as quarterback Dizzy calls the plays. DIZZY Kick three, fade left. On two. They make fists, then breal for thevline of scrimmage. 18 EXT SCRIMMAGE LINE - DAY - THE TIGERS have the ball. The Giant's QUARTERBACKassigns ZANDER BARCALOW, 18, handsome, super-confident, to guard Johnny. ZANDER Time's running out. Zander points. The SCOREBOARD shows TIGERS 19, GIANTS 20, three minutes and counting on the clock. Johnny grins. JOHNNY A lot can happen in three minutes. DIZZY Hut... hut ! Johnny takes the handoff, flips over a gauntlet of Giant guards. Zander hurls himself at Johnny, misses. Johnny scores. Zander tumbles into the crowd, loses a jump shoe. 19 EXT SIDELINES - DAY-ZANDER looks up and sees Carmen, smiling as she offers him a hand. She helps him up. He holds her hand longer than necessary. CARMEN Are you alright ? ZANDER I'm getting better. 20 EXT ATHLETIC FIELD - DAY - JOHNNY runs back to join his team as the crowd cheers. The Tigers lead 21-20. Johnny frowns when he sees Carmen talking to Zander on the sidelines, shaking his head, smiling. 21 EXT SIDELINE - DAY - ZANDER finds his shoe, straps it on. ZANDER So what are you doing later ? CARMEN Everyone is going to the dance. Aren't you ? ZANDER I don't know. It's my last night as acivilian. I ship out for Tereshkova tomorrow. Zander heads for the field. Carmen follows, interested. CARMEN You're going to the Academy ? That's where I want to go. I'd love to talk to you abou that. A REFEREE blows his whistle at Zander, signalling impatiently. ZANDER I'm all ears. CARMEN Don't you have to finish the game ? 22 EXT SCRIMMAGE LINE - DAY-THE GIANTS are in possession. Zander lands hard in front of Johnny. JOHNNY Don't get any ideas. She's my girl. ZANDER You can never be sure. Johnny scowls at Zander, turns his head to look back at Carmen. She waves, smiling. The Giants pull ablitz. DIZZY WATCH THE BLITZ...! Zander knocks Johnny on his ass, and the Giants score. It's TIGERS 21, GIANTS 22 and less than a minute to go. 23 EXT HUDDLE -- DAY -- DIZZY orders up the next play. Johnny keeps looking over his shoulder because Zander's back talking to Carmen again. DIZZY Flip six, three hole. Rico ? Hey ! Dizzy slams Johnny upside his helmet with her forearm. JOHNNY What ? DIZZY You were drifting. Flip six, three hole. On one, got it ? JOHNNY Just throw me the ball, Diz. They make fists and break. 24 EXT SCRIMMAGE LINE -- DAY -- JOHNNY takes position again across the line from Zander who now grins at Johnny broadly. Johnny doesn't grin back. DIZZY Hut ! At the snap, Johnny breaks for open field. Dizzy throws, Johnny catches it, trips Zander up painfully, and hurls himself into the end zone as a horn sounds the game's finish. 25 EXT ATHLETIC FIELD - DAY - CHEERING UNI FANS rush onto the field as the school band strikes up a victory march. Tigers do flips in the air. Giants look dejected. Zander picks himself up, watches Johnny leave with Carmen. 26 INT JOHNNY'S HOUSE - NIGHT - JOHNNY walks throuh rooms filled with elegant furniture. He's all spiffed up for the big dance. His MOTHER catches him preening in front of a mirror by the TRANSPORTER in the hall. MOTHER Who said you could grow up so fast ? Last time I checked you were only five years old. You had such a bright little face... JOHNNY Aw, don't get mushy. Johnny's FATHER enters carrying a FEDERAL SERVICE CATALOGUE. FATHER This came for you today. I presume on your request. JOHNNY A lot of my friends are doing Federal Service... MOTHER You aren't thinking of applying...? Johnny shrugs. FATHER Have you lost you lost your mind ? I'd rather take ten lashes in Public Square than see you ruin your life. JOHNNY It's aterm of service, not a career. I just want to get out on my own and see the Galaxy for a couple of years. MOTHER Johnny, people get hurt... people get killed in the Federal Service. If something happened to you I don't know what I would do...