Hey Marine!
Jake turns at the familiar voice to see --
A statuesque FEMALE AVATAR walking toward him. AVATAR GRACE
is magnificentwith panther thighsflat muscular stomach
and firm athlete’s breasts. She wears shorts and a T-shirt.
In human years she would be about 35.
JAKE
Grace?
GRACE
Well who’d you expectnumbnuts? Think
fast!
She throws him a piece of Pandoran fruitwhich he catches.
GRACE
Motor control is looking good.
Jake bites into the fruitthe juice running down his chin.
NORM (O.S.)
Heycheck it out.
Jake turns to see NORM’S AVATAR posing like a bodybuilder --
chest shotback shotbi’s.
NORM
I am a living god.
CUT TO:
EXT. MINE PIT - DAY
A WIDE SHOT of the terraced crater of the UNOBTANIUM MINE. A
quiet beatthen --
20.
K-WHOOOOM! The entire face of one terrace is blown skyward
in a chain of EXPLOSIONS. The “shot” blasts hundreds of tons
of rock loose.
LONG LENS ANGLES of enormous WHEEL-LOADERS shovelling up ore-
rich rock and dropping it into DUMP TRUCKS.
EXT. RAINFOREST - DAY
A wall of steel FILLS FRAME. The DOZER BLADE crushes
everything in its pathreducing trees to kindling.
WIDERshowing the CLEAR-CUTTING operation near the mineas
a road is cut through the jungle. Remotely operated DOZERS
three stories tall rip into the tree-line.
One of the dozers has rotating SLASH-CUTTERa vicious
spinning headmounted on a hydraulic armthat hogs through
the enormous tree trunks in a spray of wood-shrapnel.
The heavy machines are escorted by AMPSUITS. COLONEL
QUARITCHon footleads a squad of troopers wearing
breathing masks and carrying almighty big AUTOMATIC WEAPONS.
A BANSHEE -- a fearsome aerial predator -- HURTLES from
abovediving toward them on wings 3 meters across. We get a
glimpse of glassy fangs before --
P-P-POOM! Quaritch cranks off three rapid SHOTS with his
massive sidearmand the creature drops with a SHRIEK.
It crashes near them and Quaritch FIRES two more well placed
rounds. The newbies stare at the thing’s barracuda teeth.
QUARITCH
For you poguesthis is a banshee. A
small one. Seethey like it when I
bring fresh meat out here. And this
clearcutting really stirs up the hornet’s
nest. So keep your head on a swivel. If
it movesshoot it. If you’re not sure
it’s moving -- shoot it! If it looks like
a bunch of flowers you want to take home
to Sally Rottencrotch -- SHOOT IT!
What’re you gonna do?
TROOPERS
Shoot itsir!
QUARITCH
Outstanding. Let’s roll.
21.
Quaritch leads his squad into the gloom of the foresthis
eyes scanning. Flanking the squadLYLE WAINFLEET drives an
AMPSUIThis massive feet CRASHING through the underbrush.
As his gaze comes downhe sees something ahead of him on the
trail -- an intricate TOTEM of woven sticksbones and
feathers hanging across the trail like an orb-weaver’s web.
He tears it down with the barrel of his rifleand stomps it
into the mud as he moves on.
INT. AVATAR LONGHOUSE - DUSK
Jake sits on a wooden bed in a long hut of tropical-style
construction -- beamed ceilingopen sides covered by screen.
Around him the other avatars are bedding down for the night
pulling insect netting around their cots. In one handJake
holds the end of his long braided QUEUE of hair.
CLOSE ON the queue -- the ends of the hair writhe slowly with
their own lifelike tendrils of a sea creature.
JAKE
That’s kinda freaky.
GRACE switches off the overheads.
GRACE
Lights out amigos. See ya’ at dinner.
Jake sits in the twilightlistening to the SCREECHES and
HOOTS from the forest. Finally he lies downCLOSING HIS
EYES and --
INT. LINK ROOM - NIGHT
ECU HUMAN JAKE -- his eyes OPEN.
Jake blinksdisorientedas Max opens the upper clamshell of
his link unit.
In the next chair Grace sits upyawning and cracking her
neck as the scared tech runs to her with a lit cigarette.
GRACE
(looking down)
Damn. Same old sack a’ bones.
JAKE struggles with the dead weight of his legs as he hauls
himself out of the unit.
CUT TO
22.
INT. COMMISSARY - EARLY MORNING
JAKE sits with GRACENORM and the other avatar “drivers”
while around them minerstroopers and other base personnel
wolf their breakfasts. Grace is engaged in a heated
conversation with another SCIENTIST.
Jakeisolated from the conversations around himnotices --
PILOT TRUDY CHACON approachingdressed in her flight suit.
She’s a rock-hard former Marine with thousands of flight
hours out in the badlands.
TRUDY
Sully -- Colonel wants to see you in the
Armor Bay.
Jake gives Norm a puzzled glance and pivots from the table.
He wheels awayled by Trudy.
TIGHT ON GRACEscowling as she watches him go.
CUT TO:
INT. ARMOR BAY - MORNING
JAKE AND TRUDY enter the ARMOR BAYpassing TILT-ROTORS under
repair. There are the heavily armed SCORPIONS as well as
several SA-2 SAMSON work-horses outfitted with door guns and
rocket pods.
JAKE
You guys’re packing some heavy ordinance.
TRUDY
Yeah‘cause we’re not the only thing
flyin’ around out there. Or the biggest.
I’m gonna need you on a door gunI’m a
man short.
JAKE
Yeahno problem.
She extends her fist and he taps it with his.
TRUDY
See ya on the flight-linezero nine.
(she points)
He’s down there.
Jake rolls his chair along the central gallery of the Armor
Baypassing rows of AMPSUITS standing in service racks.
Techs clamber over the ‘suitsloading ordinance with cranes
and lifts.
23.
At the end of the row is a makeshift GYM area. QUARITCH is
bench-pressing massive plates.
QUARITCH
This low gravity makes you soft.
(pushing the last rep)
You get softPandora will shit you out
dead with zero warning.
Quaritch racks the bar and sits upsweating but not winded.
QUARITCH
I pulled your recordCorporal. Venezuela
-- that was some mean bush. Nothing like
this herethough. You got heart kid
coming out here.
JAKE
I figured -- just another hellhole.
Quaritch chuckles appreciativelyclaps him on the shoulder.
The CHIEF MECHANIC yells from the nearest AMPSUIT --
MECHANIC
That servo’s inColonelif you want to
try it.
Quaritch crosses to the ‘suitwith Jake following.
QUARITCH
I was in First Recon a few years ahead of
you. More than a few. Two tours in
Nigerianot a scratch. I come out here
and --
He points to his scarred face.
QUARITCH
They could fix this if I rotated back.
But you know what? I kinda like it.
Reminds me every day what’s out there.
BesidesI can’t leave --
He looks outas if he can see through the wall to the tree-
line.
QUARITCH
This is my warhere.
Quaritch climbs the ‘suit and reaches into the cockpit
throwing some switches. The ‘suit’s gas-turbine spools up
with a rising WHINE.
24.
QUARITCH
The avatar program is a joke -- buncha
limpdick scientists. But we have a
unique opportunity hereyou and I. A
recon Marine in an avatar body could get
me the intel I needon the groundright
in the hostiles’ camp.
The WHINE is now a roaring WHOOSH as the ‘suit trembles with
power. The air boils above the exhaust vents.
Quaritch reaches in and operates the controlsflexing one
huge hand. He nods to the waiting mechanic --
QUARITCH
Looks good.
(to Jake)
I need you to learn about these savages
gain their trust. Find out how I can
force their cooperationor hit ‘em hard
if they don’t. Maybe you can keep some
of my boys from going home like you. Or
bagged-and-tagged.
JAKE
(nodding)
That sounds real goodColonel. So -- am
I still with Augustine?
QUARITCH
On paper. You walk like one of her
science pukesyou quack like onebut
you report to me. Can you do that for
me?
Jake nods. Quaritch brings the ‘suit to life. He steps
forward and pivots smoothly.
He balances the two ton machine on one foot while sweeping
the arms in stronggraceful arcs. Jake realizes he is doing
a WU-SHOO KATA. A flawless display of strength and control.
He’s impressiveand Jake is impressed. Quaritch is the kind
of man he respects -- focusedhard. Determined.
QUARITCH
Lookson -- I take care of my own. Get
me what I needI’ll see you get your
legs back when you rotate home. Your real
legs.
He raises the ‘suit’s handand slams the canopy shut like
the visor of a helmet. Jake watches Quaritch walk pasthuge
feet CLANGING -- KUNG! KUNG! KUNG!
25.
INT. BIO LAB - DAY
GRACE is on the movegulping coffeein a hurry to get their
FIRST SORTIE started. She hands a clipboard to MAX.
GRACE
Start calibrating. We’re on the flight
line in ten minutes.
Max nods and jogs ahead toward the LINK ROOM. JAKE and NORM
fall in with Grace as they enter the CONNECTING CORRIDOR.
GRACE
What did Atilla want?
JAKE
Just Marines comparin’ tattoos.
GRACE
(not buying it)
Yeah. Welllisten to me
Marine --
She stopsturning to drill him with a look.
GRACE
-- you’re driving an avatarnow. That
means you’re in my worldgot it?
JAKE
Got it.
She turns and enters the LINK ROOM.
INT. LINK ROOM
Grace crosses to the controls of Jake’s LINK UNIT. As the
others catch up --
GRACE
That son of a bitch has screwed up this
program enough. All this --
(indicating link room)
-- exists so we can go out there and
build a bridge of trust to these people
who could teach us so much. But thanks
to Quaritch and his thugs the Na’vi won’t
even talk to us anymore.
JAKE
Then how’s this supposed to work?
26.
GRACE
We have a new face.
(turning to Norm)
You’re fluentyou’ve studied the
culture. You’re non-threatening. The
ones we know best -- the Omaticaya clan --
may give you a chance. Maybe you can get
them back to the table before things go
tits-up for good.
NORM
This is failing as a pep talk.
Jake hauls himself across from wheelchair to link.
JAKE
How do we contact them?
GRACE
We don’t. They contact us. If they see
us taking our samplestreating the
forest with respect --
(pointedly to Jake)
Not trampling everything in sight --
they may reach out to us.
JAKE
Or they may skin us and make a drum.
Jake lies backlowering the sensor array over his body.
GRACE
Just keep your mouth shut and let Norm do
the talking.
She closes his clamshellHARDand we --
CUT TO:
EXT. RAIN FOREST / AERIAL - DAY
FLYING over a carpet of rainforestpast sheer cliffs and
cloud-wreathed mesas. TRUDY’S SAMSON TILT-ROTOR chases its
shadow across the treetops. Though big as a Blackhawkit is
tiny in the vast primeval landscape.
ANGLE THROUGH the open side doors of the Samson. Trooper
WAINFLEETin exo-mask and body armorleans on his door gun
scanning for aerial predators.
In avatar form JAKEGRACE and NORM watch the forest
unrolling beneath themthe wind blasting their clothes.
Jake mans the other door gunhis feet propped on the skids.
27.
TRUDY flies from a pressurized cockpit. She banks to follow a
shallow river.
TRUDY (INTERCOM)
Sturmbeest herdone o’clock.
Norm grins and pointsexcitedly. Jake looks in time to see--
A herd of STURMBEEST -- massive six-legged creatures
reminiscent of buffalo -- thundering across the river.
GRACE
Looks like a bullsix cows and some
juveniles.
NORM
The bull has the red on the dorsal armor?
Grace nods approvingly.
TIME CUT -- Hundreds of purple winged creatures take flight
from a lakestartled by the Samson. They skim the water
above their own reflections. TETRAPTERONS.
TIME CUT -- the ground drops away as the Samson flies over a
WATERFALL hundreds of feet high. Trudy banks hardrolling
in on the gorge below like it’s a gun-run.
Wainfleet WHOOPS while Norm looks like he’s about to puke.
WAINFLEET
Yo Chacon! Get some!
Jake grins into the airstream.
CUT TO:
EXT. CLEARING - DAY
A small meadow among towering trees. The fern-like “grass”
is beaten down in waves by the rotor-wash as the Samson
settles to the ground.
Jake pulls the massive door gun off its pintle mount and
hefts it like an assault rifle.
He and Wainfleet leap out to secure the LZscanning the tree-
line warilyweapons aimed.
Grace jogs forward to the cockpitmotioning Trudy to shut
down. Trudy kills the Samson’s TURBINES.
Gracetowering over Wainfleetmotions him to hang back.
28.
GRACE
Stay with the ship.
(for Jake)
One idiot with a gun’s enough.
WAINFLEET
Whatever you sayDoc.
Jake takes point as they enter the jungle.
WAINFLEET
(laughing)
Ya’ll have fun out there.
EXT. RAINFOREST - DAY
The forest engulfs JAKEGRACE and NORM in cyan gloom. The
shadows are alive with the CHITTERING sounds of unseen alien
wildlife.
TRACKING WITH JAKE as he moves through the foliagehyper-
alert -- looking around like a tourist in Hell.A monkey-like
PROLEMURIS leaping from limb to limb overheadflashing
through the sunlight streaming down in shafts.
A PLANT with swaying tendrils which reach toward Jake as he
passes.
This forest is more alive than any on Earthwith plants that
react and move like animals. Jake white-knuckles his rifle
as if every shadow conceals razor-fanged death.
GRACE
RelaxMarine. You’re making me nervous.
She pushes ahead of him on the trailforcing him to lower
his muzzle as he follows her. Grace moves nimbly on the
pathseemingly unconcerned.
CUT TO:
EXT. FOREST/ GLEN
WIDE SHOT as the party moves between the huge treestiny as
ants. The trail has gotten steeperthe going tougher.
CUT TO:
EXT. SCHOOL RUINS - DAY
They enter a clearing with an OVERGROWN BUILDING made of
timbers cut from the local treeswith a thatch roof. It is
covered with vines as the jungle reclaims it.
29.
NORM
How will they know we’re here?
