Alien Nation (1988) Movie Script
(reporter) The military
have escorted them down...
It looked like a door was opening.
I don't think it is.
- This is not a hoax. That is real out there.
- It's silver-grey in colour...
(newsreader) That was the scene in
California's Mojave Desert three years ago.
The historic frst view of the Newcomer ship
upon its dramatic arrival.
These "Newcomers", we soon learned,
were a genetically-engineered race
adapted for hard labour
in almost any environmental condition.
In effect, their ship was a slave ship,
washed ashore on Earth, with no way
to get back to where they came from.
Now that civil liberties attorneys have had
the Newcomers released from quarantine,
what are the reactions in
communities where they've settled?
Why do we have to take them?
Why can't they go to Russia?
I'll drink to that!
I'm in college now. I'm going to be
going to school with nine- or ten-year-olds.
There goes the grade curve.
There goes my job future.
I have to compete with... If a ten-year-old is
twice as smart as me... I'll be workin'here.
By far the strongest words of acceptance
came from then-president Ronald Reagan.
We've come to a turning point,
a moment for hard decisions.
If not us, who?
And if not now, when?
Hey, Henry, how you doin' tonight?
You workin' hard?
You get your green card, buddy?
Slagtown. I hate this place. Look at that geek.
I hate it. Look at this crap.
- I wonder if their plumbing's the same.
- Yeah, it is.
What? Oh, man, get outta here.
I don't trust 'em, that's all.
Good day... (belches)
Take a hike, will ya? Jesus Christ!
God, that stink!
Why has it gotta be sour milk they get wasted
on? Why not Jack Daniel's or Thunderbird?
What's wrong with that?
Look at this. Fred Astaire and Ginger Slag.
What the hell's that?
Look at this. They call this a game.
It's a circle-jerk.
Cowboys and Slags.
They make up shit. I don't know what that is.
Beatin' each other to death.
So are you gonna go
or are you not gonna go?
How do I go?
Put on your wash-and-wear suit,
clip-on bow tie,
have your landlady tie your shoes for you,
then you show up at the church. It's simple.
- Me and Carol are going.
- That's nice.
Come on, now. We've known Kristin since...
well, since she was conceived.
Remember? Up in that cabin at Big Bear?
You and Edie pounded the walls so hard,
me and Carol picked plaster
out of our hair for a week.
I don't know, Tug.
Obviously, I want to go to
Kristin's wedding, but I don't...
You're just bummed out because your ex-wife
and her new husband are payin' for it.
If Kristin had to get married where I could
afford it, it would be beans in a bowling alley.
- Now does that look suspicious or what?
- Whatever gave you that idea?
This is one-Henry-seven.
We got a possible 2-11 in progress.
Porter's Minimarket on Virginia and Court.
Request backup.
Come on, forget that shit. Let's go.
- Listen.
- Mm-hm?
Pay attention. Tell me what those
ugly bastards are doin' in there.
- Two gentlemen. Long, black raincoats.
- Long, black raincoats.
Two gentlemen. Long, black raincoats.
With long, black shotguns.
Oh, that's no good.
That's not very good at all.
- Have you got your vest?
- Of course. In the trunk of the car.
- That's where mine is. I feel better now(!)
- Yeah.
Well, I'm gonna go across the street
and get a better angle on that door.
- Yeah, you watch your ass.
- You watch my ass.
(shouts in alien language)
(shouts in alien language)
Oh, shit.
Freeze! Hey, freeze!
(woman screams)
Tug! Get outta there!
I can't! Do you mind?
Tug! Go ahead, I'll cover ya!
OK...
Oh, shit!
- What's happenin'?
- Hi there, sir. How are you?
Do you mind stepping out here for a second?
We got a bit of trouble.
(speaks alien language)
Tug... Oh, shit.
Stop!
(machine-gun fre)
(running footsteps)
(shouts in alien language)
(siren approaches)
Whoa, whoa! Take it easy!
- Are you OK?
- I'm all right.
I'd better call this in.
Ow, my hand.
Are you all right?
God, I hate you.
Get outta here!
I don't need your goddamn help.
Take it easy, will ya?
(policeman) Except for the magazine,
it looks like a standard 12-gauge.
- So how come it went clean through the car?
- BRI sabot slugs. These puppies are nasty.
Tug might as well have been
hidin' behind a rosebush.
Heavy stuff for knocking off a minimarket.
An identical round was used in the shooting
of a Newcomer named Hubley two days ago.
- Yeah, but how come?
- Francisco, give me a hand. She won't budge.
Hey, listen. Do you think
there's a connection?
Hey!
Up yours.
- (answer phone beeps)
- (woman) Hello, Daddy?
Dad, are you there?
Pick up the phone, please.
I really need to talk to you.
Daddy, why are you being so stubborn?
Can't you just forget about your
hassles with Mom? It's my wedding.
I mean, come on! You gotta be there.
I already worked it out with Tug.
Nothing is gonna stop him from
dragging you to that church on Sunday.
It's at 2.30, and please don't be late.
I love you, Daddy.
I shouldn't have said that. Now you're
gonna pull this tape out and save it.
- Bye.
- (beep)
This is Mark Helfrey from the gas company,
Mr Sykes. Your bill is past due...
Matt.
- Oh, Matt, I'm sorry, man.
- Yeah, thanks.
- What did you dig up?
- Jesus, Sykes, it's not even been ten hours.
Me and Alterez are on it, OK?
Yeah. That makes me real happy.
Ever tried to make a case in Slagtown?
The list of Newcomer informants is about
as long as a list of Mexican war heroes.
Hey, come on!
Nobody talks to nobody down there.
Half of 'em don't even speak English.
The other half, only when it suits 'em.
No, it's gonna take some time.
Yeah, I know it'll take time with you two.
Nobody wanders off.
I've got an announcement.
You OK, Sykes?
I'll make it short. This is a directive from
Chief Evaner, on orders from the mayor,
under mandate from the Federal
Bureau of Newcomer Relations.
As of nine this morning,
one Newcomer uniform officer
has been promoted to
the rank of detective, third grade.
We've got him, gentlemen. Volunteers for
duty with the detective, see me in my office.
Otherwise... I will choose a volunteer myself.
That's all.
(detective) What'll he do if he gets
too many volunteers? Draw straws?
(Alterez) How long has this Slag been
on the force anyway? A year max, right?
I was in uniform eight years
before I became detective.
(detective) I don't know about you guys,
but I won't take this. I'm callin' the union.
Where the hell's he going?
- Bob.
- Yeah, Sykes?
Yeah, I'd like to volunteer for duty
with the new, uh...
- Um, you know...
- Look, Matt...
You don't have to jump right back in.
Why don't you take a few days, relax?
I'd like to stay on, thanks.
All right.
Detective Sergeant Sykes,
Detective Francisco.
- We have met.
- Yeah, right.
Victor Goldrup, Mayor's Office.
Congratulations, gentlemen.
You won't be investigating
Bill Tuggle's death, you know.
- Leave that to Fedorchuk.
- Right. Procedure.
- You?
- Yes, sir.
There is a case I'd like to take on, though.
A homicide, a Newcomer named Hubley.
- Granger and Pitts are already on it.
- Yeah, right.
But Granger and Pitts,
they got a full case load.
I thought, what with Francisco here,
the first Newcomer plain clothes,
and what with the body being found
in the Newcomer community, you know...
- Don't tell me what to think.
- (Goldrup) He's got a point.
It's exactly what we need for this
early-advancement programme.
(exhales)
All right, all right.
We work my hours. I do the drivin',
and you do the paperwork.
- You gotta learn it, so you can do it all.
- I'd like to thank you for what you are doin'.
What's that? Oh, wait, wait.
- Let me get somethin' straight in your head...
- You want cream and sugar?
No, I wanna get somethin' straight
in your head. We are not pals.
We're not gettin' married,
takin' long walks together.
And don't call me "Sergeant".
Call me "Sykes" or "Matt" if you got to.
I am Samuel. Would you like a doughnut?
Change your mind?
Sam Francisco? Sam Francisco?
No, I ain't buyin' that. I'm not buyin' that.
I'm not gonna introduce you
to people as "Sam Francisco".
I think I'll call you "George". George?
- OK.
- OK.
Oh, they hung one on you!
I heard a lot of good ones before,
like Humphrey Bogart, Harley Davidson...
I guess they got punchy after
giving names to a quarter million people.
Let me ask you somethin'.
Were you at the back of the line?
Oh, no. My true name is
Ss'tangya T'ssorentsa.
- Well, gesundheit. I'll call you "George".
- Fine.
- I didn't know which paper you like...
- I find it difficult to drive and read.
- Wait a minute.
- I got you your cigarettes.
Where did you get this? What is this stuff?
- Wait. What is this?
- That is a car deodoriser.
That's mine.
Anyway, what's it bother you if we think
your name's funny? It doesn't, right?
That is exactly so. It is like your name.
"Sykes"? I'm sure it doesn't bother you
that to us it sounds just like "ss'ai k'ss",
two words in my language
which mean "excrement" and "cranium".
Shithead.
Why don't you go ahead? I'll be right in.
Hey, Maff. So what do you got for me?
You said you wanted
the biggest thing I could find.
And this... is it.
- What in the hell's this?
- .454 Casull.
We're talking twice the impact energy
of a.44 Magnum hotload.
It only holds five.
The shells are too big for six in a cylinder.
Hell, Matt, you only need one.
No, two. Thanks.
How long you been shootin'?
That's pitiful. Goddamn pitiful!
What are you gonna do in a shoot-out?
Wave your scores in your exams at 'em?
- Why'd you do it?
- Why'd I do what?
Agree to work with me. You don't like me,
or any of us. You have only contempt for us,
and yet you make yourself an outcast
by making me your partner.
My partner is dead.
He's dead cos one of you bastards killed him,
then crawled down some rathole in Slagville.
You're gonna help me find that ugly Slag
son of a bitch. You understand me?
That's awfully pretty, huh?
Bring my gun.
Let's talk Hubley here.
His body was discovered three days ago in
an alley off Central Avenue near downtown.
- With two sabot slugs in his chest.
- Through the chest.
- Through the chest.
- Rupturing primary and secondary hearts.
Hey, nice signal, dickhead!
He was employed at the Consolidated
Petrochemical Refinery in Torrance.
He was manager of a methane facility, and
a principal partner in a real-estate venture
to develop low-cost housing for Newcomers.
Newcomers. That's terrific.
Real pillar of the community.
- Was he ripped off?
- Pardon me?
Was he missing anything
when they found him?
Oh. Property.
He had no wallet, but he was
still wearing a watch and two rings.
Those guys last night at the minimart made
a half-assed stab at the money in the till.
I don't think that's what they were there for.
We got a couple of executions on our hands.
- The murder at the minimart is not our case...
- Whoa, whoa!
It is my desire not to break with procedure.
(horns blaring)
- What's wrong?
- Wrong?
- Nothing. What should be wrong?
- Nothing.
- What's wrong with you? Parkin' in...
- Hey, up yours!
You do agree that there's a good chance
these two shootings are related, don't you?
Yes, quite possibly.
Would you also be willing to accept
the theory, George, that, quite possibly,
by examining the evidence of one case,
we might shed a little light on the other?
- Does that sound unreasonable to you?
- Yes.
No, it is not unreasonable,
although it is not a good...
Good, good. I'm so glad
we got that settled, aren't you?
I think we're really
startin' to click here, George.
Give me what you got.
I've been over all this
with Fedorchuk and Alterez.
Come on, you got nothin' better to do,
a soft county job like yours.
Yeah, right(!) Don't push your luck.
According to the sheet, the guy you nailed
outside by the car, this one here,
he was one Martin Helder,
white male, aged 27.
One armed-robbery conviction,
two for sale of controlled substance,
and the guy was wired on coke
when you stopped his clock.
- Have you identified this one?
- He's a John Doe. Or a Sam Slag, if you like.
There's no ID on him and no fingerprints,
so it could be tough.
Lucky for you, you got him in both of his...
what we loosely call "hearts".
- (Sykes) Lucky I emptied a whole clip in him.
- That's how these people are.
You don't hit both pumps,
you just piss 'em off.
(in alien language)
It looks like the miners' disease.
Hey... what's goin' on?
- Nothing.
- Nothin'?
(in alien language)
Run blood tests and keep it between us.
Got an extra head shot if you need one.
We're about ready to cut in.
You're welcome to stick around.
It's fascinating stuff.
- Yeah, I'll bet.
- Let's look at their personal effects.
What is this?
What's that? It's a rubber.
It's... you know, a condom.
Coney Island whitefish, you know?
Um... men, human men...
they put 'em on their penises to...
to protect 'em from havin' babies.
Understand?
Uh, excuse me.
Do you need this for anything?
Nope. I got my own.
She has her own.
Here.
See? You get the picture?
And that fits?
Yeah, only it's made of rubber. It stretches.
And still it fits?
What's this stuff here?
It is a resin. Newcomers working
near methane gases at oil refineries
must paint it on their boots
to protect against sparks.
- How the hell do you know that?
- Many of us were hired by refineries
because the methane fumes are not
harmful to us. My spouse's brother is one.
So... the Slag they're cuttin' into upstairs,
he worked at a refinery,
and Hubley, he worked at a refinery.
I guess that "possible" connection's gettin' a
hell of a lot more possible, wouldn't you say?
I guess the next thing is for me
to talk to the store owner's wife.
I believe I should speak to the widow alone.
All right, you talk to the widow alone.
I'll check out the refinery. Hey, thanks, huh?
- What about this Hubley guy?
- He was all right, a damn good manager.
I'm gonna have to hustle to fill his shoes.
The men really liked him.
Apparently, one of 'em didn't like him
so much. Here, give this a look.
- You think this is the guy who did it?
- Yeah, we think so. Do you know him?
It's hard to say. I hate to admit it,
but they all look alike to me.
- Wait a minute.
- What?
- You know who this looks like?
- No.
Anderson, James Anderson.
He's not in today. He took the afternoon off.
Yeah? Well, I think you're gonna find
that he took the rest of his life off.
- What?
- Is this where he worked?
Yeah, right in there.
Hold it! There's 35%
pure methane gas in there.
I don't know how these fellas do it.
Yeah.
- Thanks.
- Anything I can do.
I appreciate it.
(in alien language)
I need your help, Mrs Porter.
(in alien language) I will try.
Can you identify these Newcomers?
No, but my son might.
(radio DJ) Here's an oldie but goodie from
(sounds horn)
(speaking alien language)
Welcome back, Ozzie and Harriet.
Well?
- One second.
- We're not even moving.
Safety first.
- Bye-bye!
- Do you have to yell in my ear?
- Sorry.
- Did you learn anything?
Yes. Mrs Porter is not taking
her husband's death very well.
She identified one of the men from
a photo I showed her. It was Warren Hubley.
All right. What about the other guy?
She did not know,
but she thought perhaps her son might.
- Have you talked to him?
- No.
He's not been home since that day,
but she told me where I could find him.
- Who's this guy we gotta go see?
- William Harcourt, an associate of Hubley's.
(shouts in alien language)
Our guest speaker tonight
has done so much in his community.
He certainly has come quite far
in the last few years.
Granted, not as far as he came
in the years before reaching Los Angeles.
As mayor of this city,
it gives me great pleasure to introduce
someone who has so readily
made our city his home.
Ladies and gentlemen... William Harcourt.
(applause)
(speaks alien language)
I'm particularly grateful
because I actually had the gall
to write in my notes:
"Thank you all for a very warm reception."
Lmagine how embarrassed I'd have been
if it hadn't been such a warm reception.
(applause)
Excuse me. Mr William Harcourt?
- Yes.
- Good.
I'm Detective Sergeant Sykes,
this is Detective... Francisco, LAPD.
Sergeant. Detective.
I wasn't aware there were any Newcomers
at the rank of detective yet.
- I am the first, sir.
- Congratulations.
This is my assistant, Rudyard Kipling.
Rudyard Kipling? No shit!
We need some information about a
business associate of yours, Warren Hubley.
Ah, poor Warren. Tragic.
Yeah, wasn't it? I understand
that you and he were partners
in some Slag... Newcomer real-estate thing.
That's right. He and I
and seven or eight others.
William!
I was wondering if you wouldn't
rather ride with Luisa and me?
Excellent idea. Ray, I wonder if you know
two of your officers. Detectives...
- Sykes.
- Sykes and Francisco.
- How do you do, sir?
- Pleasure.
I think we really should be going.
Feel free to call my office
Monday morning for an appointment.
Congratulations again
on your promotion, Detective.
Remember, you're out there
setting an example in our community.
I shall be keeping an eye on you.
He's gonna keep an eye on you.
(in alien language) Sykes was the one
who chased us and killed Anderson.
(in alien language)
You're lucky he didn't recognise you.
What if he talks to Strader?
Mr Strader's change of heart
is dangerous. Find him.
- (Sykes) I could go to Berlitz for ten years...
- 6.42.
Excuse me.
- Here.
- I've got it.
How long did it take you to learn English?
- Three months.
- Three months?
We learn quickly. We adapt.
It is our strength, what we were bred for.
I got a neighbour and she's got this kid
who's got a Newcomer girl in the class.
The kid is six years old
and she's in the seventh grade.
Can you imagine that? Thanks a lot.
It's amazing, totally amazing.
Oh, my God. I got yours. Here.
What is that? Raw what? What kind is that?
This? This is beaver.
- What?
- Beaver. It's tasty.
- I'm sure.
- Would you like to try some?
- Not on a bet.
- I always tell my son
"How do you know you don't like it
if you won't even try it?"
Let me ask you somethin'.
Would it really put you out badly
if you put it under the grill,
just for a minute or two?
Our bodies do not assimilate the nutrients
if the food has been cooked. Please.
That's very attractive(!) We're gonna go talk
to people and you've got fur in your teeth.
Very attractive(!)
("Scary Monsters" by David Bowie)
The store owner's widow
thought we'd find her son here.
Just stay behind me.
Hey, just pay attention, you understand?
Let me handle it. Watch.
Yo!
Which one of you Slags is Porter?
Yo! Who wants to know?
- Who said that?
- At the end of the bar.
Are you Porter?
Are you Porter?
No, Matthew.
I believe this is the one you want.
Is that right?
- Um, Matthew...
- Hey, butt out. I told you I'd handle it.
- But...
- Hey, zip it!
Are these questions a little difficult?
I'll start with something easier.
Is your name Porter?!
- (speaks alien language)
- (laughter)
"Screw you."
Yeah, well, that can't be right.
(speaks alien language)
- You don't want to know.
- Come on. Tell me.
"Your mother mates out of season."
Oh, yeah?
(laughs)
Don't they teach you anything about us
in cop school, little ss'loka?
You jerk-off...
Hey, George. George?
That's enough.
(in alien language) You smell like a human.
(in English) A cop. It fits you.
(in alien language) I'm sorry about
your father. Help us find his killers.
We can talk outside.
- Do you know this guy?
- From quarantine.
When we first arrived,
we were housed together.
Your mother says Hubley and your father
were involved with another Newcomer.
Did you know this other guy
that was with Hubley?
- Yeah.
- Yeah?
High-roller dude named... Strader.
Joshua Strader.
He runs a club on the West Side.
- What club?
- Encounters.
- Yeah, I know thatjoint.
- Look, it's all I know.
- If you want any more, ask somebody else.
- Yeah, right.
He's a pleasant guy.
- If I may make a suggestion...
- Yeah, what?
We have different weak spots than you do.
Next time, a blow to the nerve plexus,
under the arm, here,
will produce the effect
I think you were looking for.
I knew that.
Look what he did to my flashlight.
Look at this. Come on.
- Any progress?
- Our arms are gettin' tired. So far, zip.
I understand you've been
resisting my offer, Mr Strader.
Your sense of duty is noble, but...
no longer an issue, I'm afraid.
I will not make this offer again.
I would like you to work for me,
distributing ss'jabroka to our people.
If you do, you will know wealth and comfort
our people never dared imagine.
(in alien language) I won't do it!
I can't let the nightmare start again.
Such a pity to lose one's life...
for an outmoded value.
Mr Quint, I believe it's time
for our friend's swimming lesson.
(shouts in alien language)
It's important to practise new skills -
essential for your growth as a person.
You've never seen this before.
You ain't gonna believe it!
Sea water's like battery acid to these guys.
(screaming in alien language)
Now he won't be talking to those cops,
the two who came to question you.
This is getting out of hand.
I want you to deal with it.
Immediately.
(screaming)
We must learn to embrace the things we fear.
("Sympathy for the Devil"
by Jane's Addiction)
Please allow me to introduce myself
I'm a man of wealth and taste
Been around for a long, long year
Stole many a man and sealed his fate
I was around when Jesus Christ
Had his moment of doubt and pain
Made damn sure that Pilate
Washed his hands and sealed his fate
I'm pleased to meet you
Hope you guess my name
What's puzzlin'you
is the nature of my game
I'm very warm.
- I'm wearing leather. I feel like a beaver...
- Hey, man. Can I help you with somethin'?
(man) Hey! Get over here!
Come dance over here!
- I'd like to speak to a guy named Strader.
- That's his girlfriend up there.
You wanna know somethin',
you'd better ask her, you know what I mean?
Thanks.
George. Come to, George. You're drooling.
(man) Ooh, baby!
Mm, yeah!
Cassandra, police department.
This is Sergeant Sykes...
"Shithead". Perfect!
We're lookin' for your boss, Strader.
He's not here. Why ask me?
The hostess downstairs
said you might know.
She did, did she? Well, she was wrong.
Excuse me. I have to change.
Good. We have no problem here.
We're not here for a high-school paper.
This is a homicide investigation.
And... if you don't stop jerkin' around...
we're gonna have to play a little hardball.
Oh, hardball? Sounds interesting.
You going to strike me? You could tie me up
and then do whatever you want with me.
I have my own ropes.
Does that come free,
or do you charge a little extra?
You have me all wrong. I never charge money
for something that I myself find pleasurable.
(overemphatically) I am going out
to the car. I will meet you there.
I don't know where Mr Strader could be.
He comes and he goes.
I know. Why don't you
hang around here for a while?
Let me entertain you.
- It's Matt, right?
- Yes, indeed.
Tell me the truth.
Have you ever... made it with one of us?
Um... no. Unless I got drunk
and somebody didn't tell me.
Mm. A virgin.
I find that very arousing.
You sure you haven't?
Um...
There's lots of things I haven't done.
That's... not real high on my list.
No... you know.
Don't take it personally. I'm a bigot.
Maybe you're just a little afraid, huh?
Maybe you're afraid of what might happen
once the lights go out.
Maybe more than you want to admit.
Doesn't that curiosity and that fear
all swirling together turn you on?
Think of it as... broadening your horizons.
- I like my horizons... rather narrow.
- (unzips fly)
Your voice is saying no,
but your body's saying yes.
Yeah... wait, whoa.
Excuse me. My voice and the rest of me is
saying that I'll be back in a couple of hours.
You make sure that Strader's here.
(zips up fly)
You handle the women from now on,
you know what I mean?
- What do you mean?
- I mean, you handle the women.
(in alien language) I know it's midnight.
Yes, I'm being careful.
The human seems likable.
We'll be working late tonight,
so don't wait up.
No. I love you too.
- Do you mind?
- No, be my guest.
That hits the spot.
- She keeps you on a short leash, does she?
- My wife? She worries about me.
Yeah, I know the routine.
Your home is quite disordered. I thought
when I walked in you had been burglarised.
Well... I appreciate your honesty, George.
Ignore the bitch on the left.
That's Edie. I call her "Edie Amin".
That's Kristin, my daughter.
The picture's a little old. She's 20 now.
Gettin' married, as a matter of fact, Sunday.
Human children can be very beautiful.
Getting married? Congratulations.
You're taking Sunday off, then?
No, I don't know. Maybe not.
I don't think I wanna go.
She doesn't need her burnt-out father there.
I'm gonna show you something.
This is Susan, my wife.
Oh, yeah. I remember
from when I picked you up.
Oh. Not bad.
This is Richard, my son. Four years old.
We named him after
the former president Richard Nixon.
You open to a little piece of advice, George?
Me, I'd tell people I named him
after the actor, Richard Burton.
Just take my word for it.
So then the doctor says "If this is
my thermometer, where is my pen?!"
You don't think that's funny?
Look...
The guy says "This is my..."
You gotta work with me, George.
I get a laugh with this all the time.
If the doctor has the thermometer
in his hand, where is the pen? Where?
- In the other man's rectum.
- Yeah, it's stickin' up his ass!
- Correct.
- Yeah, but that's what makes the joke.
There's a surprise. Your mind
fills in all these little funny pictures.
There's a guy sittin' with a pen up his ass.
Good luck, George.
(speaks alien language)
I just think that's really funny.
Tell it to me again.
I got another one...
(sniffs)
There is so much our two peoples
do not understand about each other.
No shit, Sherlock. You only come from
another goddamn planet, for chrissakes.
You humans are very curious to us.
You invite us to live in an atmosphere of
equality that we've never known before.
You let us own our own lives for the first time
and you ask no more of us
than you do of yourselves.
I hope you understand
how special your world is,
how unique a people you humans are.
Which is why it is all the more
painful and confusing to us
that so few of you seem capable of
living up to the ideals you set for yourselves.
Don't count on me, George.
I never had any ideals.
- You're all right, Georgie, you're all right.
- I am going home.
Yeah.
You go home... and you get some sleep.
You'd better drive.
You're too screwed up to walk.
(crashing)
What a wild man(!)
(speaks alien language)
(knocking)
Yeah?!
Better be good news or money.
- Oh, George. What?
- Hold this.
I feel very terrible.
I'm so milked-over.
- Where'd you get this?
- A man. A human.
He was wiring it to your car.
My car?
- She is going to divorce me.
- No, she can't divorce you.
You mate for life, isn't that right?
She is very progressive.
I am certain she is considering it.
- Hey, Matt.
- What?
Does a guy named Strader
mean anything to you?
- Yeah. Why?
- They found him, or what's left of him,
washed up on the beach at Zuma.
Fedorchuk and Alterez are on their way.
Thanks, Michelle.
Come on, let's go.
- To the beach?
- Yeah, come on, dude. Surf's up!
Please, I must get out of here.
Huh? Why?
- Stop the car.
- We're not gonna go near the water, all right?
I beg you to please stop this car.
- Please stop the car.
- OK, OK.
- Please!
- Look, George, we're stopping.
All right? Go ahead. Now get out.
It's cool. Don't worry.
I'll be back in a couple of minutes.
Thank you.
- So that kid was the first to report this?
- Yeah, about eleven.
Goddamn.
How do you know that's Strader?
We found his wallet in his jacket pocket.
"Joshua Strader" - big as life.
You got any idea as to
how long he's been dead?
Your guess is as good as mine. The only
thing holding him together is his clothes.
Hey, how are you guys doin'
on Tuggle's case?
The store owner's son's in a street gang,
so now we're thinkin' maybe it's gang-related.
Yeah, that's real good(!) Why don't you guys
work on that for a few months?
Look at your dildo partner.
He's even scared of the sand.
I'd love to see you next to a sea
of hydrochloric acid, Fedorchuk.
See how much surfin' you'd do.
That's cute.
- That's real cute.
- I know why he's not comin' down here.
He forgot his hip waders.
Why don't you lay off of him, you asshole?
At least I'm a detective,
not some outer-shit space thing.
You're right. You are a real detective.
An honest-to-God detective.
Detect these!
Argh!
- What was that about?
- Nothin'.
Hey. You guys finish
your postmortem on Strader yet?
The Blob? They're finishing up now.
- Is Mr Bentner here?
- No, he went home early. His kid was sick.
But he left somethin' here for you.
- Here.
- Thank you.
Does this have somethin' to do
with the tests that he ran?
- What kind of tests?
- I think it was a blood test,
on that alien you dropped the other night.
Well, did he find anything?
- Well, George?
- It's nothing.
Don't give me that shit. It wasn't "nothing"
when you asked that... whatshisname...
Bentner... to run that test. He looked like
he was about to shit peach pits.
And it's not "nothing" now!
Don't lie to me, George. You're real bad at it.
- You must leave me alone on this.
- Oh, no.
I'm sorry, pally. I don't leave you alone.
You're my partner and I don't work that way.
All right? Well?
No secrets, goddamnit.
That Slag up there, he was on something.
It wasn't sour milk. Am I right, George?
Tell me, goddamn... Shit!
You tell me right now.
Now!
The drug is called ss'jabroka.
- It is a potent narcotic.
- How potent?
More potent than any human drug
you can imagine.
The controllers regulated it. We would
receive it as a reward for labour in the mines.
- You? You were on this shit?
- Yes, we all were.
We were genetically engineered
as slave labourers.
It was our only means of pleasure allowed.
The harder you worked, the more you got.
The more you got, the harder you worked.
Thousands of my people died.
I lost my best friend. It is a nightmare.
I will not let it happen again.
Why wouldn't you just
tell me something like that?
Your people do not know about
this part of our past and they cannot.
It would threaten our entire existence here.
- How did this guy get it?
- I don't know.
Well, was it on the ship?
No.
This is major, George.
It's very major. All you had to do was tell me.
(woman) Here's Hubley.
Looks like he passed up a few jobs,
waiting for the one at the refinery.
Would you punch up "Joshua Strader"
for me, darlin'?
Released on November 29th,
came immediately to LA,
and took over a club called the Encounters.
Now the store owner, please. Cecil Porter.
Released December 1. Field of expertise:
Organic chemical engineering.
Holy shit.
Look what we're lookin' at here, George.
You got three Newcomers with nothing
in common. What if one guy shot all three?
Now you got four Newcomers,
totally different backgrounds...
- George...
- Quarantine.
Honey, punch up the occupants
of Porter's lodge, will you?
OK. Porter was in 772.
Harcourt. Gin!
Porter somehow created the formula. Hubley
provided the manufacturing at the refinery.
And Strader, through the club,
established distribution.
Yeah, then Harcourt wiped 'em all out,
so he could have all the marbles.
He's responsible for everything, from Tug on.
Well, I want his ass. He's mine.
We gotta play this real smart.
Do you understand, George?
- If the drug is here, we must destroy it.
- No, hold it. You're missing the point.
The drug is our evidence.
We need it, you know?
Hey, that's the guy, right there.
- Hey, are you crazy? You can't come in here!
- Open the door!
- So much for playin' it smart.
- You can't come in here like this!
- What are you, crazy?
- Shut up!
- Where's the drug?
- What drug? This is an oil refinery!
- Where?
- You can't do this!
George, I think you're
crushing his little chest bones.
- Stay outta this, Matthew.
- Right.
Tell me where the drug has been taken,
or I'll crush your lungs.
O'Neal, please... do me a favour, don't piss
him off. He gets like this, I can't control him.
I saw him once go in there and pull out
a guy's spine and show it to him.
There was nothing I could do.
I had to go throw up.
They took the stuff out
this afternoon. All of it.
Where did they take it?
The Encounters club.
Quite lovely.
What is your name again?
Cassandra.
I shall remember that.
All right, now come on, George.
Lighten up. It's a beauty of a case.
We got it by the short hairs. He ain't gonna
make any more of that shit, I promise you.
If you destroy the drugs, you'll destroy
the case. Why blow the whole thing?
Please just stick to procedure, OK?
Fuck procedure.
George, what?
George! Goddamnit!
George Francisco, open your golden gate
Open your gate and let me in
You. Hey, you! Police.
Come on, get outta there.
- What?
- Get out. I wanna see you walk that line.
- Come on!
- What are you talkin' about?
Hey, what about me? That's my truck!
(Harcourt) It's been a long time.
Hasn't it, gentlemen?
- What is it?
- A sweet indulgence from our past,
resurrected for our future.
Please feel free to sample the quality.
I'm sure the experience will be
everything you remember it to be.
Where'd you get it?
I arranged to spend some time
with three very resourceful men.
Jesus, it tastes like detergent.
That's all the effect it will have on you.
But when my fellow Newcomers
learn they can obtain it here,
they will work very hard to make as much
money as they can... to give it to me.
Tell them the rest of it, Harcourt.
Tell them!
- He's got the C-4 charge.
- Put your guns on the table.
Get up against the wall, except you.
Take it easy, buddy.
Keep your finger on the button.
You release that button,
you not only kill us, but yourself.
- To get you and this, I would do it.
- You seem to have overlooked something.
That is not in any books
as a controlled substance.
Legally, it mightjust as well
be 12 kilos of grape jelly.
The charge is murder,
and conspiracy to commit murder.
Hubley. Porter. Strader.
You killed Strader? No!
No!
- Kill them both.
- Here?
Do it!
Don't shoot!
We've got gunfire at club Encounters.
Shit, it worked.
(shouts in alien language)
- Get the car! Let's go!
- I can't! You have the keys!
(sounds horn)
Turn the police light on.
(siren)
What are you doin'?
Don't put the gun in my face!
Matthew!
I think we lost them.
(Sykes) Move! Everybody move!
We're the goddamn police!
(siren stops)
Up ahead, on your right.
It's blocked. The goddamn road is blocked.
Oh, Christ.
Head straight for them. He'll move.
This is chicken, George. I never lose.
(speaks alien language)
Damn!
(groans)
You all right? Anything broken?
You all right?
Don't move.
Put 'em up.
I said put them up.
Hey.
- You move one finger and you're history.
- Not history.
Eternity.
I just remembered ajoke that my son told me.
Yeah?
So?
I'd better not tell it.
I don't tell jokes well.
Probably not, but go on, tell me.
If I begin to tell it and
you know the joke, please say.
Why did the chicken cross the road?
(wheezes)
I know it.
It's a funny joke.
I assume, with Harcourt and Kipling dead,
you will be requesting a reassignment now.
Well... just for your own good.
I think you'd probably be better with
a partner who's more by the book.
But still, George, I gotta tell ya.
For a quiet guy, once you get started,
you're hell on wheels, you know?
And I'd kinda hate to miss
your next few days as a detective.
Come on, guys,
I'll give you a lift to the station.
- Come on, partner.
- They want a statement on the shooting.
No, I didn't shoot Harcourt.
I didn't have to. He OD'd.
- You got a match?
- Yeah, in there.
What's this about, Sarge?
Just keep driving, all right? Just... drive.
What the heck is that?
Holy...
I'm callin' for backup.
No.
Leave it be, will you, Wiltey?
Sarge.
(Wiltey) Something gutted them.
I'm gonna request help and an air unit.
What... what?
- What is this?
- It's Harcourt.
- He's dead.
- No, not if he overdosed on the drug.
Massive amounts trigger a change.
Your body seizes up, you appear dead,
but it is really a state of incubation. When
you emerge, you are metamorphosised.
We must not let him get away.
What?
What would happen if humans see
what we are capable of becoming?
Got him.
Wiltey, no!
(tyres screech, crash)
(flutter of clothing)
(clank)
(boat horn)
(helicopter approaches)
Hey, you! Get the hell off my boat.
You heard me! Get off the boat!
Over there!
Nice view, huh? You dumb sack of shit!
(growls)
For Tug. Let's have a cold one!
Take her down!
Down! Take her down!
(screams)
Your scarf. Can I borrow your scarf?
Take her down!
(screaming)
Wait, wait, wait.
What the hell was that down there?
It looked really weird.
What do you mean, weird? It looked like
every other Slag to me, just plain ugly.
Here, look at this.
(Sykes) Here, let me hold the tie.
Everybody gets dressed right before
their daughter gets married.
- Is it on top of the collar?
- No... Now it is.
- It looks all right?
- You look very good.
Ready, Daddy?
Yes, honey.
George, I just want to tell you in advance...
I want to apologise for all the rotten things
I'm gonna do and say to you over the years.
It is all right, Matthew.
After all, you're only human.
What a wild man.
Well, my daughter's got a husband.
I got a partner.
He really ain't half bad, except when
he's got that rotten milk on his breath.
We are friends, we are brothers
Always there, looking out for each other
In a world where so many dreams
Are broken apart
Yeah, but
When the world
Tries to beat us
We hang tough
Ain't no way they'll defeat us
You and I will always survive
Together we're strong
Heart to heart
Any storm, we can weather
You and I
We've become united for ever
Two hearts that can beat as one
There ain't a single thing we can't overcome
We're indestructible
Indestructible
We've got the power of love
So strong, we can generate
A wall of solid love nothing can penetrate
We're indestructible
Whoa-oa, whoa-oa
There's a power
Deep inside us
Ain't no one that could ever divide us
Cos we won't fall
We'll show 'em all
Just what we're made of
You and I
We're in it together
We stand strong
Through it all, united for ever
Two hearts that can beat as one
There ain't a single thing we can't overcome
We're indestructible
Indestructible
We've got the power of love
So strong, we can generate
A wall of solid love nothing can penetrate
We're indestructible
Whoa-oa, whoa-oa
Heart to heart
Any storm, we can weather
You and I
We've become united for ever
Two hearts that can beat as one
There ain't a single thing we can't overcome
We're indestructible
Indestructible
We've got the power of love
So strong, we can generate
A wall of solid love nothing can penetrate
We're indestructible
Whoa-oa, whoa-oa
have escorted them down...
It looked like a door was opening.
I don't think it is.
- This is not a hoax. That is real out there.
- It's silver-grey in colour...
(newsreader) That was the scene in
California's Mojave Desert three years ago.
The historic frst view of the Newcomer ship
upon its dramatic arrival.
These "Newcomers", we soon learned,
were a genetically-engineered race
adapted for hard labour
in almost any environmental condition.
In effect, their ship was a slave ship,
washed ashore on Earth, with no way
to get back to where they came from.
Now that civil liberties attorneys have had
the Newcomers released from quarantine,
what are the reactions in
communities where they've settled?
Why do we have to take them?
Why can't they go to Russia?
I'll drink to that!
I'm in college now. I'm going to be
going to school with nine- or ten-year-olds.
There goes the grade curve.
There goes my job future.
I have to compete with... If a ten-year-old is
twice as smart as me... I'll be workin'here.
By far the strongest words of acceptance
came from then-president Ronald Reagan.
We've come to a turning point,
a moment for hard decisions.
If not us, who?
And if not now, when?
Hey, Henry, how you doin' tonight?
You workin' hard?
You get your green card, buddy?
Slagtown. I hate this place. Look at that geek.
I hate it. Look at this crap.
- I wonder if their plumbing's the same.
- Yeah, it is.
What? Oh, man, get outta here.
I don't trust 'em, that's all.
Good day... (belches)
Take a hike, will ya? Jesus Christ!
God, that stink!
Why has it gotta be sour milk they get wasted
on? Why not Jack Daniel's or Thunderbird?
What's wrong with that?
Look at this. Fred Astaire and Ginger Slag.
What the hell's that?
Look at this. They call this a game.
It's a circle-jerk.
Cowboys and Slags.
They make up shit. I don't know what that is.
Beatin' each other to death.
So are you gonna go
or are you not gonna go?
How do I go?
Put on your wash-and-wear suit,
clip-on bow tie,
have your landlady tie your shoes for you,
then you show up at the church. It's simple.
- Me and Carol are going.
- That's nice.
Come on, now. We've known Kristin since...
well, since she was conceived.
Remember? Up in that cabin at Big Bear?
You and Edie pounded the walls so hard,
me and Carol picked plaster
out of our hair for a week.
I don't know, Tug.
Obviously, I want to go to
Kristin's wedding, but I don't...
You're just bummed out because your ex-wife
and her new husband are payin' for it.
If Kristin had to get married where I could
afford it, it would be beans in a bowling alley.
- Now does that look suspicious or what?
- Whatever gave you that idea?
This is one-Henry-seven.
We got a possible 2-11 in progress.
Porter's Minimarket on Virginia and Court.
Request backup.
Come on, forget that shit. Let's go.
- Listen.
- Mm-hm?
Pay attention. Tell me what those
ugly bastards are doin' in there.
- Two gentlemen. Long, black raincoats.
- Long, black raincoats.
Two gentlemen. Long, black raincoats.
With long, black shotguns.
Oh, that's no good.
That's not very good at all.
- Have you got your vest?
- Of course. In the trunk of the car.
- That's where mine is. I feel better now(!)
- Yeah.
Well, I'm gonna go across the street
and get a better angle on that door.
- Yeah, you watch your ass.
- You watch my ass.
(shouts in alien language)
(shouts in alien language)
Oh, shit.
Freeze! Hey, freeze!
(woman screams)
Tug! Get outta there!
I can't! Do you mind?
Tug! Go ahead, I'll cover ya!
OK...
Oh, shit!
- What's happenin'?
- Hi there, sir. How are you?
Do you mind stepping out here for a second?
We got a bit of trouble.
(speaks alien language)
Tug... Oh, shit.
Stop!
(machine-gun fre)
(running footsteps)
(shouts in alien language)
(siren approaches)
Whoa, whoa! Take it easy!
- Are you OK?
- I'm all right.
I'd better call this in.
Ow, my hand.
Are you all right?
God, I hate you.
Get outta here!
I don't need your goddamn help.
Take it easy, will ya?
(policeman) Except for the magazine,
it looks like a standard 12-gauge.
- So how come it went clean through the car?
- BRI sabot slugs. These puppies are nasty.
Tug might as well have been
hidin' behind a rosebush.
Heavy stuff for knocking off a minimarket.
An identical round was used in the shooting
of a Newcomer named Hubley two days ago.
- Yeah, but how come?
- Francisco, give me a hand. She won't budge.
Hey, listen. Do you think
there's a connection?
Hey!
Up yours.
- (answer phone beeps)
- (woman) Hello, Daddy?
Dad, are you there?
Pick up the phone, please.
I really need to talk to you.
Daddy, why are you being so stubborn?
Can't you just forget about your
hassles with Mom? It's my wedding.
I mean, come on! You gotta be there.
I already worked it out with Tug.
Nothing is gonna stop him from
dragging you to that church on Sunday.
It's at 2.30, and please don't be late.
I love you, Daddy.
I shouldn't have said that. Now you're
gonna pull this tape out and save it.
- Bye.
- (beep)
This is Mark Helfrey from the gas company,
Mr Sykes. Your bill is past due...
Matt.
- Oh, Matt, I'm sorry, man.
- Yeah, thanks.
- What did you dig up?
- Jesus, Sykes, it's not even been ten hours.
Me and Alterez are on it, OK?
Yeah. That makes me real happy.
Ever tried to make a case in Slagtown?
The list of Newcomer informants is about
as long as a list of Mexican war heroes.
Hey, come on!
Nobody talks to nobody down there.
Half of 'em don't even speak English.
The other half, only when it suits 'em.
No, it's gonna take some time.
Yeah, I know it'll take time with you two.
Nobody wanders off.
I've got an announcement.
You OK, Sykes?
I'll make it short. This is a directive from
Chief Evaner, on orders from the mayor,
under mandate from the Federal
Bureau of Newcomer Relations.
As of nine this morning,
one Newcomer uniform officer
has been promoted to
the rank of detective, third grade.
We've got him, gentlemen. Volunteers for
duty with the detective, see me in my office.
Otherwise... I will choose a volunteer myself.
That's all.
(detective) What'll he do if he gets
too many volunteers? Draw straws?
(Alterez) How long has this Slag been
on the force anyway? A year max, right?
I was in uniform eight years
before I became detective.
(detective) I don't know about you guys,
but I won't take this. I'm callin' the union.
Where the hell's he going?
- Bob.
- Yeah, Sykes?
Yeah, I'd like to volunteer for duty
with the new, uh...
- Um, you know...
- Look, Matt...
You don't have to jump right back in.
Why don't you take a few days, relax?
I'd like to stay on, thanks.
All right.
Detective Sergeant Sykes,
Detective Francisco.
- We have met.
- Yeah, right.
Victor Goldrup, Mayor's Office.
Congratulations, gentlemen.
You won't be investigating
Bill Tuggle's death, you know.
- Leave that to Fedorchuk.
- Right. Procedure.
- You?
- Yes, sir.
There is a case I'd like to take on, though.
A homicide, a Newcomer named Hubley.
- Granger and Pitts are already on it.
- Yeah, right.
But Granger and Pitts,
they got a full case load.
I thought, what with Francisco here,
the first Newcomer plain clothes,
and what with the body being found
in the Newcomer community, you know...
- Don't tell me what to think.
- (Goldrup) He's got a point.
It's exactly what we need for this
early-advancement programme.
(exhales)
All right, all right.
We work my hours. I do the drivin',
and you do the paperwork.
- You gotta learn it, so you can do it all.
- I'd like to thank you for what you are doin'.
What's that? Oh, wait, wait.
- Let me get somethin' straight in your head...
- You want cream and sugar?
No, I wanna get somethin' straight
in your head. We are not pals.
We're not gettin' married,
takin' long walks together.
And don't call me "Sergeant".
Call me "Sykes" or "Matt" if you got to.
I am Samuel. Would you like a doughnut?
Change your mind?
Sam Francisco? Sam Francisco?
No, I ain't buyin' that. I'm not buyin' that.
I'm not gonna introduce you
to people as "Sam Francisco".
I think I'll call you "George". George?
- OK.
- OK.
Oh, they hung one on you!
I heard a lot of good ones before,
like Humphrey Bogart, Harley Davidson...
I guess they got punchy after
giving names to a quarter million people.
Let me ask you somethin'.
Were you at the back of the line?
Oh, no. My true name is
Ss'tangya T'ssorentsa.
- Well, gesundheit. I'll call you "George".
- Fine.
- I didn't know which paper you like...
- I find it difficult to drive and read.
- Wait a minute.
- I got you your cigarettes.
Where did you get this? What is this stuff?
- Wait. What is this?
- That is a car deodoriser.
That's mine.
Anyway, what's it bother you if we think
your name's funny? It doesn't, right?
That is exactly so. It is like your name.
"Sykes"? I'm sure it doesn't bother you
that to us it sounds just like "ss'ai k'ss",
two words in my language
which mean "excrement" and "cranium".
Shithead.
Why don't you go ahead? I'll be right in.
Hey, Maff. So what do you got for me?
You said you wanted
the biggest thing I could find.
And this... is it.
- What in the hell's this?
- .454 Casull.
We're talking twice the impact energy
of a.44 Magnum hotload.
It only holds five.
The shells are too big for six in a cylinder.
Hell, Matt, you only need one.
No, two. Thanks.
How long you been shootin'?
That's pitiful. Goddamn pitiful!
What are you gonna do in a shoot-out?
Wave your scores in your exams at 'em?
- Why'd you do it?
- Why'd I do what?
Agree to work with me. You don't like me,
or any of us. You have only contempt for us,
and yet you make yourself an outcast
by making me your partner.
My partner is dead.
He's dead cos one of you bastards killed him,
then crawled down some rathole in Slagville.
You're gonna help me find that ugly Slag
son of a bitch. You understand me?
That's awfully pretty, huh?
Bring my gun.
Let's talk Hubley here.
His body was discovered three days ago in
an alley off Central Avenue near downtown.
- With two sabot slugs in his chest.
- Through the chest.
- Through the chest.
- Rupturing primary and secondary hearts.
Hey, nice signal, dickhead!
He was employed at the Consolidated
Petrochemical Refinery in Torrance.
He was manager of a methane facility, and
a principal partner in a real-estate venture
to develop low-cost housing for Newcomers.
Newcomers. That's terrific.
Real pillar of the community.
- Was he ripped off?
- Pardon me?
Was he missing anything
when they found him?
Oh. Property.
He had no wallet, but he was
still wearing a watch and two rings.
Those guys last night at the minimart made
a half-assed stab at the money in the till.
I don't think that's what they were there for.
We got a couple of executions on our hands.
- The murder at the minimart is not our case...
- Whoa, whoa!
It is my desire not to break with procedure.
(horns blaring)
- What's wrong?
- Wrong?
- Nothing. What should be wrong?
- Nothing.
- What's wrong with you? Parkin' in...
- Hey, up yours!
You do agree that there's a good chance
these two shootings are related, don't you?
Yes, quite possibly.
Would you also be willing to accept
the theory, George, that, quite possibly,
by examining the evidence of one case,
we might shed a little light on the other?
- Does that sound unreasonable to you?
- Yes.
No, it is not unreasonable,
although it is not a good...
Good, good. I'm so glad
we got that settled, aren't you?
I think we're really
startin' to click here, George.
Give me what you got.
I've been over all this
with Fedorchuk and Alterez.
Come on, you got nothin' better to do,
a soft county job like yours.
Yeah, right(!) Don't push your luck.
According to the sheet, the guy you nailed
outside by the car, this one here,
he was one Martin Helder,
white male, aged 27.
One armed-robbery conviction,
two for sale of controlled substance,
and the guy was wired on coke
when you stopped his clock.
- Have you identified this one?
- He's a John Doe. Or a Sam Slag, if you like.
There's no ID on him and no fingerprints,
so it could be tough.
Lucky for you, you got him in both of his...
what we loosely call "hearts".
- (Sykes) Lucky I emptied a whole clip in him.
- That's how these people are.
You don't hit both pumps,
you just piss 'em off.
(in alien language)
It looks like the miners' disease.
Hey... what's goin' on?
- Nothing.
- Nothin'?
(in alien language)
Run blood tests and keep it between us.
Got an extra head shot if you need one.
We're about ready to cut in.
You're welcome to stick around.
It's fascinating stuff.
- Yeah, I'll bet.
- Let's look at their personal effects.
What is this?
What's that? It's a rubber.
It's... you know, a condom.
Coney Island whitefish, you know?
Um... men, human men...
they put 'em on their penises to...
to protect 'em from havin' babies.
Understand?
Uh, excuse me.
Do you need this for anything?
Nope. I got my own.
She has her own.
Here.
See? You get the picture?
And that fits?
Yeah, only it's made of rubber. It stretches.
And still it fits?
What's this stuff here?
It is a resin. Newcomers working
near methane gases at oil refineries
must paint it on their boots
to protect against sparks.
- How the hell do you know that?
- Many of us were hired by refineries
because the methane fumes are not
harmful to us. My spouse's brother is one.
So... the Slag they're cuttin' into upstairs,
he worked at a refinery,
and Hubley, he worked at a refinery.
I guess that "possible" connection's gettin' a
hell of a lot more possible, wouldn't you say?
I guess the next thing is for me
to talk to the store owner's wife.
I believe I should speak to the widow alone.
All right, you talk to the widow alone.
I'll check out the refinery. Hey, thanks, huh?
- What about this Hubley guy?
- He was all right, a damn good manager.
I'm gonna have to hustle to fill his shoes.
The men really liked him.
Apparently, one of 'em didn't like him
so much. Here, give this a look.
- You think this is the guy who did it?
- Yeah, we think so. Do you know him?
It's hard to say. I hate to admit it,
but they all look alike to me.
- Wait a minute.
- What?
- You know who this looks like?
- No.
Anderson, James Anderson.
He's not in today. He took the afternoon off.
Yeah? Well, I think you're gonna find
that he took the rest of his life off.
- What?
- Is this where he worked?
Yeah, right in there.
Hold it! There's 35%
pure methane gas in there.
I don't know how these fellas do it.
Yeah.
- Thanks.
- Anything I can do.
I appreciate it.
(in alien language)
I need your help, Mrs Porter.
(in alien language) I will try.
Can you identify these Newcomers?
No, but my son might.
(radio DJ) Here's an oldie but goodie from
(sounds horn)
(speaking alien language)
Welcome back, Ozzie and Harriet.
Well?
- One second.
- We're not even moving.
Safety first.
- Bye-bye!
- Do you have to yell in my ear?
- Sorry.
- Did you learn anything?
Yes. Mrs Porter is not taking
her husband's death very well.
She identified one of the men from
a photo I showed her. It was Warren Hubley.
All right. What about the other guy?
She did not know,
but she thought perhaps her son might.
- Have you talked to him?
- No.
He's not been home since that day,
but she told me where I could find him.
- Who's this guy we gotta go see?
- William Harcourt, an associate of Hubley's.
(shouts in alien language)
Our guest speaker tonight
has done so much in his community.
He certainly has come quite far
in the last few years.
Granted, not as far as he came
in the years before reaching Los Angeles.
As mayor of this city,
it gives me great pleasure to introduce
someone who has so readily
made our city his home.
Ladies and gentlemen... William Harcourt.
(applause)
(speaks alien language)
I'm particularly grateful
because I actually had the gall
to write in my notes:
"Thank you all for a very warm reception."
Lmagine how embarrassed I'd have been
if it hadn't been such a warm reception.
(applause)
Excuse me. Mr William Harcourt?
- Yes.
- Good.
I'm Detective Sergeant Sykes,
this is Detective... Francisco, LAPD.
Sergeant. Detective.
I wasn't aware there were any Newcomers
at the rank of detective yet.
- I am the first, sir.
- Congratulations.
This is my assistant, Rudyard Kipling.
Rudyard Kipling? No shit!
We need some information about a
business associate of yours, Warren Hubley.
Ah, poor Warren. Tragic.
Yeah, wasn't it? I understand
that you and he were partners
in some Slag... Newcomer real-estate thing.
That's right. He and I
and seven or eight others.
William!
I was wondering if you wouldn't
rather ride with Luisa and me?
Excellent idea. Ray, I wonder if you know
two of your officers. Detectives...
- Sykes.
- Sykes and Francisco.
- How do you do, sir?
- Pleasure.
I think we really should be going.
Feel free to call my office
Monday morning for an appointment.
Congratulations again
on your promotion, Detective.
Remember, you're out there
setting an example in our community.
I shall be keeping an eye on you.
He's gonna keep an eye on you.
(in alien language) Sykes was the one
who chased us and killed Anderson.
(in alien language)
You're lucky he didn't recognise you.
What if he talks to Strader?
Mr Strader's change of heart
is dangerous. Find him.
- (Sykes) I could go to Berlitz for ten years...
- 6.42.
Excuse me.
- Here.
- I've got it.
How long did it take you to learn English?
- Three months.
- Three months?
We learn quickly. We adapt.
It is our strength, what we were bred for.
I got a neighbour and she's got this kid
who's got a Newcomer girl in the class.
The kid is six years old
and she's in the seventh grade.
Can you imagine that? Thanks a lot.
It's amazing, totally amazing.
Oh, my God. I got yours. Here.
What is that? Raw what? What kind is that?
This? This is beaver.
- What?
- Beaver. It's tasty.
- I'm sure.
- Would you like to try some?
- Not on a bet.
- I always tell my son
"How do you know you don't like it
if you won't even try it?"
Let me ask you somethin'.
Would it really put you out badly
if you put it under the grill,
just for a minute or two?
Our bodies do not assimilate the nutrients
if the food has been cooked. Please.
That's very attractive(!) We're gonna go talk
to people and you've got fur in your teeth.
Very attractive(!)
("Scary Monsters" by David Bowie)
The store owner's widow
thought we'd find her son here.
Just stay behind me.
Hey, just pay attention, you understand?
Let me handle it. Watch.
Yo!
Which one of you Slags is Porter?
Yo! Who wants to know?
- Who said that?
- At the end of the bar.
Are you Porter?
Are you Porter?
No, Matthew.
I believe this is the one you want.
Is that right?
- Um, Matthew...
- Hey, butt out. I told you I'd handle it.
- But...
- Hey, zip it!
Are these questions a little difficult?
I'll start with something easier.
Is your name Porter?!
- (speaks alien language)
- (laughter)
"Screw you."
Yeah, well, that can't be right.
(speaks alien language)
- You don't want to know.
- Come on. Tell me.
"Your mother mates out of season."
Oh, yeah?
(laughs)
Don't they teach you anything about us
in cop school, little ss'loka?
You jerk-off...
Hey, George. George?
That's enough.
(in alien language) You smell like a human.
(in English) A cop. It fits you.
(in alien language) I'm sorry about
your father. Help us find his killers.
We can talk outside.
- Do you know this guy?
- From quarantine.
When we first arrived,
we were housed together.
Your mother says Hubley and your father
were involved with another Newcomer.
Did you know this other guy
that was with Hubley?
- Yeah.
- Yeah?
High-roller dude named... Strader.
Joshua Strader.
He runs a club on the West Side.
- What club?
- Encounters.
- Yeah, I know thatjoint.
- Look, it's all I know.
- If you want any more, ask somebody else.
- Yeah, right.
He's a pleasant guy.
- If I may make a suggestion...
- Yeah, what?
We have different weak spots than you do.
Next time, a blow to the nerve plexus,
under the arm, here,
will produce the effect
I think you were looking for.
I knew that.
Look what he did to my flashlight.
Look at this. Come on.
- Any progress?
- Our arms are gettin' tired. So far, zip.
I understand you've been
resisting my offer, Mr Strader.
Your sense of duty is noble, but...
no longer an issue, I'm afraid.
I will not make this offer again.
I would like you to work for me,
distributing ss'jabroka to our people.
If you do, you will know wealth and comfort
our people never dared imagine.
(in alien language) I won't do it!
I can't let the nightmare start again.
Such a pity to lose one's life...
for an outmoded value.
Mr Quint, I believe it's time
for our friend's swimming lesson.
(shouts in alien language)
It's important to practise new skills -
essential for your growth as a person.
You've never seen this before.
You ain't gonna believe it!
Sea water's like battery acid to these guys.
(screaming in alien language)
Now he won't be talking to those cops,
the two who came to question you.
This is getting out of hand.
I want you to deal with it.
Immediately.
(screaming)
We must learn to embrace the things we fear.
("Sympathy for the Devil"
by Jane's Addiction)
Please allow me to introduce myself
I'm a man of wealth and taste
Been around for a long, long year
Stole many a man and sealed his fate
I was around when Jesus Christ
Had his moment of doubt and pain
Made damn sure that Pilate
Washed his hands and sealed his fate
I'm pleased to meet you
Hope you guess my name
What's puzzlin'you
is the nature of my game
I'm very warm.
- I'm wearing leather. I feel like a beaver...
- Hey, man. Can I help you with somethin'?
(man) Hey! Get over here!
Come dance over here!
- I'd like to speak to a guy named Strader.
- That's his girlfriend up there.
You wanna know somethin',
you'd better ask her, you know what I mean?
Thanks.
George. Come to, George. You're drooling.
(man) Ooh, baby!
Mm, yeah!
Cassandra, police department.
This is Sergeant Sykes...
"Shithead". Perfect!
We're lookin' for your boss, Strader.
He's not here. Why ask me?
The hostess downstairs
said you might know.
She did, did she? Well, she was wrong.
Excuse me. I have to change.
Good. We have no problem here.
We're not here for a high-school paper.
This is a homicide investigation.
And... if you don't stop jerkin' around...
we're gonna have to play a little hardball.
Oh, hardball? Sounds interesting.
You going to strike me? You could tie me up
and then do whatever you want with me.
I have my own ropes.
Does that come free,
or do you charge a little extra?
You have me all wrong. I never charge money
for something that I myself find pleasurable.
(overemphatically) I am going out
to the car. I will meet you there.
I don't know where Mr Strader could be.
He comes and he goes.
I know. Why don't you
hang around here for a while?
Let me entertain you.
- It's Matt, right?
- Yes, indeed.
Tell me the truth.
Have you ever... made it with one of us?
Um... no. Unless I got drunk
and somebody didn't tell me.
Mm. A virgin.
I find that very arousing.
You sure you haven't?
Um...
There's lots of things I haven't done.
That's... not real high on my list.
No... you know.
Don't take it personally. I'm a bigot.
Maybe you're just a little afraid, huh?
Maybe you're afraid of what might happen
once the lights go out.
Maybe more than you want to admit.
Doesn't that curiosity and that fear
all swirling together turn you on?
Think of it as... broadening your horizons.
- I like my horizons... rather narrow.
- (unzips fly)
Your voice is saying no,
but your body's saying yes.
Yeah... wait, whoa.
Excuse me. My voice and the rest of me is
saying that I'll be back in a couple of hours.
You make sure that Strader's here.
(zips up fly)
You handle the women from now on,
you know what I mean?
- What do you mean?
- I mean, you handle the women.
(in alien language) I know it's midnight.
Yes, I'm being careful.
The human seems likable.
We'll be working late tonight,
so don't wait up.
No. I love you too.
- Do you mind?
- No, be my guest.
That hits the spot.
- She keeps you on a short leash, does she?
- My wife? She worries about me.
Yeah, I know the routine.
Your home is quite disordered. I thought
when I walked in you had been burglarised.
Well... I appreciate your honesty, George.
Ignore the bitch on the left.
That's Edie. I call her "Edie Amin".
That's Kristin, my daughter.
The picture's a little old. She's 20 now.
Gettin' married, as a matter of fact, Sunday.
Human children can be very beautiful.
Getting married? Congratulations.
You're taking Sunday off, then?
No, I don't know. Maybe not.
I don't think I wanna go.
She doesn't need her burnt-out father there.
I'm gonna show you something.
This is Susan, my wife.
Oh, yeah. I remember
from when I picked you up.
Oh. Not bad.
This is Richard, my son. Four years old.
We named him after
the former president Richard Nixon.
You open to a little piece of advice, George?
Me, I'd tell people I named him
after the actor, Richard Burton.
Just take my word for it.
So then the doctor says "If this is
my thermometer, where is my pen?!"
You don't think that's funny?
Look...
The guy says "This is my..."
You gotta work with me, George.
I get a laugh with this all the time.
If the doctor has the thermometer
in his hand, where is the pen? Where?
- In the other man's rectum.
- Yeah, it's stickin' up his ass!
- Correct.
- Yeah, but that's what makes the joke.
There's a surprise. Your mind
fills in all these little funny pictures.
There's a guy sittin' with a pen up his ass.
Good luck, George.
(speaks alien language)
I just think that's really funny.
Tell it to me again.
I got another one...
(sniffs)
There is so much our two peoples
do not understand about each other.
No shit, Sherlock. You only come from
another goddamn planet, for chrissakes.
You humans are very curious to us.
You invite us to live in an atmosphere of
equality that we've never known before.
You let us own our own lives for the first time
and you ask no more of us
than you do of yourselves.
I hope you understand
how special your world is,
how unique a people you humans are.
Which is why it is all the more
painful and confusing to us
that so few of you seem capable of
living up to the ideals you set for yourselves.
Don't count on me, George.
I never had any ideals.
- You're all right, Georgie, you're all right.
- I am going home.
Yeah.
You go home... and you get some sleep.
You'd better drive.
You're too screwed up to walk.
(crashing)
What a wild man(!)
(speaks alien language)
(knocking)
Yeah?!
Better be good news or money.
- Oh, George. What?
- Hold this.
I feel very terrible.
I'm so milked-over.
- Where'd you get this?
- A man. A human.
He was wiring it to your car.
My car?
- She is going to divorce me.
- No, she can't divorce you.
You mate for life, isn't that right?
She is very progressive.
I am certain she is considering it.
- Hey, Matt.
- What?
Does a guy named Strader
mean anything to you?
- Yeah. Why?
- They found him, or what's left of him,
washed up on the beach at Zuma.
Fedorchuk and Alterez are on their way.
Thanks, Michelle.
Come on, let's go.
- To the beach?
- Yeah, come on, dude. Surf's up!
Please, I must get out of here.
Huh? Why?
- Stop the car.
- We're not gonna go near the water, all right?
I beg you to please stop this car.
- Please stop the car.
- OK, OK.
- Please!
- Look, George, we're stopping.
All right? Go ahead. Now get out.
It's cool. Don't worry.
I'll be back in a couple of minutes.
Thank you.
- So that kid was the first to report this?
- Yeah, about eleven.
Goddamn.
How do you know that's Strader?
We found his wallet in his jacket pocket.
"Joshua Strader" - big as life.
You got any idea as to
how long he's been dead?
Your guess is as good as mine. The only
thing holding him together is his clothes.
Hey, how are you guys doin'
on Tuggle's case?
The store owner's son's in a street gang,
so now we're thinkin' maybe it's gang-related.
Yeah, that's real good(!) Why don't you guys
work on that for a few months?
Look at your dildo partner.
He's even scared of the sand.
I'd love to see you next to a sea
of hydrochloric acid, Fedorchuk.
See how much surfin' you'd do.
That's cute.
- That's real cute.
- I know why he's not comin' down here.
He forgot his hip waders.
Why don't you lay off of him, you asshole?
At least I'm a detective,
not some outer-shit space thing.
You're right. You are a real detective.
An honest-to-God detective.
Detect these!
Argh!
- What was that about?
- Nothin'.
Hey. You guys finish
your postmortem on Strader yet?
The Blob? They're finishing up now.
- Is Mr Bentner here?
- No, he went home early. His kid was sick.
But he left somethin' here for you.
- Here.
- Thank you.
Does this have somethin' to do
with the tests that he ran?
- What kind of tests?
- I think it was a blood test,
on that alien you dropped the other night.
Well, did he find anything?
- Well, George?
- It's nothing.
Don't give me that shit. It wasn't "nothing"
when you asked that... whatshisname...
Bentner... to run that test. He looked like
he was about to shit peach pits.
And it's not "nothing" now!
Don't lie to me, George. You're real bad at it.
- You must leave me alone on this.
- Oh, no.
I'm sorry, pally. I don't leave you alone.
You're my partner and I don't work that way.
All right? Well?
No secrets, goddamnit.
That Slag up there, he was on something.
It wasn't sour milk. Am I right, George?
Tell me, goddamn... Shit!
You tell me right now.
Now!
The drug is called ss'jabroka.
- It is a potent narcotic.
- How potent?
More potent than any human drug
you can imagine.
The controllers regulated it. We would
receive it as a reward for labour in the mines.
- You? You were on this shit?
- Yes, we all were.
We were genetically engineered
as slave labourers.
It was our only means of pleasure allowed.
The harder you worked, the more you got.
The more you got, the harder you worked.
Thousands of my people died.
I lost my best friend. It is a nightmare.
I will not let it happen again.
Why wouldn't you just
tell me something like that?
Your people do not know about
this part of our past and they cannot.
It would threaten our entire existence here.
- How did this guy get it?
- I don't know.
Well, was it on the ship?
No.
This is major, George.
It's very major. All you had to do was tell me.
(woman) Here's Hubley.
Looks like he passed up a few jobs,
waiting for the one at the refinery.
Would you punch up "Joshua Strader"
for me, darlin'?
Released on November 29th,
came immediately to LA,
and took over a club called the Encounters.
Now the store owner, please. Cecil Porter.
Released December 1. Field of expertise:
Organic chemical engineering.
Holy shit.
Look what we're lookin' at here, George.
You got three Newcomers with nothing
in common. What if one guy shot all three?
Now you got four Newcomers,
totally different backgrounds...
- George...
- Quarantine.
Honey, punch up the occupants
of Porter's lodge, will you?
OK. Porter was in 772.
Harcourt. Gin!
Porter somehow created the formula. Hubley
provided the manufacturing at the refinery.
And Strader, through the club,
established distribution.
Yeah, then Harcourt wiped 'em all out,
so he could have all the marbles.
He's responsible for everything, from Tug on.
Well, I want his ass. He's mine.
We gotta play this real smart.
Do you understand, George?
- If the drug is here, we must destroy it.
- No, hold it. You're missing the point.
The drug is our evidence.
We need it, you know?
Hey, that's the guy, right there.
- Hey, are you crazy? You can't come in here!
- Open the door!
- So much for playin' it smart.
- You can't come in here like this!
- What are you, crazy?
- Shut up!
- Where's the drug?
- What drug? This is an oil refinery!
- Where?
- You can't do this!
George, I think you're
crushing his little chest bones.
- Stay outta this, Matthew.
- Right.
Tell me where the drug has been taken,
or I'll crush your lungs.
O'Neal, please... do me a favour, don't piss
him off. He gets like this, I can't control him.
I saw him once go in there and pull out
a guy's spine and show it to him.
There was nothing I could do.
I had to go throw up.
They took the stuff out
this afternoon. All of it.
Where did they take it?
The Encounters club.
Quite lovely.
What is your name again?
Cassandra.
I shall remember that.
All right, now come on, George.
Lighten up. It's a beauty of a case.
We got it by the short hairs. He ain't gonna
make any more of that shit, I promise you.
If you destroy the drugs, you'll destroy
the case. Why blow the whole thing?
Please just stick to procedure, OK?
Fuck procedure.
George, what?
George! Goddamnit!
George Francisco, open your golden gate
Open your gate and let me in
You. Hey, you! Police.
Come on, get outta there.
- What?
- Get out. I wanna see you walk that line.
- Come on!
- What are you talkin' about?
Hey, what about me? That's my truck!
(Harcourt) It's been a long time.
Hasn't it, gentlemen?
- What is it?
- A sweet indulgence from our past,
resurrected for our future.
Please feel free to sample the quality.
I'm sure the experience will be
everything you remember it to be.
Where'd you get it?
I arranged to spend some time
with three very resourceful men.
Jesus, it tastes like detergent.
That's all the effect it will have on you.
But when my fellow Newcomers
learn they can obtain it here,
they will work very hard to make as much
money as they can... to give it to me.
Tell them the rest of it, Harcourt.
Tell them!
- He's got the C-4 charge.
- Put your guns on the table.
Get up against the wall, except you.
Take it easy, buddy.
Keep your finger on the button.
You release that button,
you not only kill us, but yourself.
- To get you and this, I would do it.
- You seem to have overlooked something.
That is not in any books
as a controlled substance.
Legally, it mightjust as well
be 12 kilos of grape jelly.
The charge is murder,
and conspiracy to commit murder.
Hubley. Porter. Strader.
You killed Strader? No!
No!
- Kill them both.
- Here?
Do it!
Don't shoot!
We've got gunfire at club Encounters.
Shit, it worked.
(shouts in alien language)
- Get the car! Let's go!
- I can't! You have the keys!
(sounds horn)
Turn the police light on.
(siren)
What are you doin'?
Don't put the gun in my face!
Matthew!
I think we lost them.
(Sykes) Move! Everybody move!
We're the goddamn police!
(siren stops)
Up ahead, on your right.
It's blocked. The goddamn road is blocked.
Oh, Christ.
Head straight for them. He'll move.
This is chicken, George. I never lose.
(speaks alien language)
Damn!
(groans)
You all right? Anything broken?
You all right?
Don't move.
Put 'em up.
I said put them up.
Hey.
- You move one finger and you're history.
- Not history.
Eternity.
I just remembered ajoke that my son told me.
Yeah?
So?
I'd better not tell it.
I don't tell jokes well.
Probably not, but go on, tell me.
If I begin to tell it and
you know the joke, please say.
Why did the chicken cross the road?
(wheezes)
I know it.
It's a funny joke.
I assume, with Harcourt and Kipling dead,
you will be requesting a reassignment now.
Well... just for your own good.
I think you'd probably be better with
a partner who's more by the book.
But still, George, I gotta tell ya.
For a quiet guy, once you get started,
you're hell on wheels, you know?
And I'd kinda hate to miss
your next few days as a detective.
Come on, guys,
I'll give you a lift to the station.
- Come on, partner.
- They want a statement on the shooting.
No, I didn't shoot Harcourt.
I didn't have to. He OD'd.
- You got a match?
- Yeah, in there.
What's this about, Sarge?
Just keep driving, all right? Just... drive.
What the heck is that?
Holy...
I'm callin' for backup.
No.
Leave it be, will you, Wiltey?
Sarge.
(Wiltey) Something gutted them.
I'm gonna request help and an air unit.
What... what?
- What is this?
- It's Harcourt.
- He's dead.
- No, not if he overdosed on the drug.
Massive amounts trigger a change.
Your body seizes up, you appear dead,
but it is really a state of incubation. When
you emerge, you are metamorphosised.
We must not let him get away.
What?
What would happen if humans see
what we are capable of becoming?
Got him.
Wiltey, no!
(tyres screech, crash)
(flutter of clothing)
(clank)
(boat horn)
(helicopter approaches)
Hey, you! Get the hell off my boat.
You heard me! Get off the boat!
Over there!
Nice view, huh? You dumb sack of shit!
(growls)
For Tug. Let's have a cold one!
Take her down!
Down! Take her down!
(screams)
Your scarf. Can I borrow your scarf?
Take her down!
(screaming)
Wait, wait, wait.
What the hell was that down there?
It looked really weird.
What do you mean, weird? It looked like
every other Slag to me, just plain ugly.
Here, look at this.
(Sykes) Here, let me hold the tie.
Everybody gets dressed right before
their daughter gets married.
- Is it on top of the collar?
- No... Now it is.
- It looks all right?
- You look very good.
Ready, Daddy?
Yes, honey.
George, I just want to tell you in advance...
I want to apologise for all the rotten things
I'm gonna do and say to you over the years.
It is all right, Matthew.
After all, you're only human.
What a wild man.
Well, my daughter's got a husband.
I got a partner.
He really ain't half bad, except when
he's got that rotten milk on his breath.
We are friends, we are brothers
Always there, looking out for each other
In a world where so many dreams
Are broken apart
Yeah, but
When the world
Tries to beat us
We hang tough
Ain't no way they'll defeat us
You and I will always survive
Together we're strong
Heart to heart
Any storm, we can weather
You and I
We've become united for ever
Two hearts that can beat as one
There ain't a single thing we can't overcome
We're indestructible
Indestructible
We've got the power of love
So strong, we can generate
A wall of solid love nothing can penetrate
We're indestructible
Whoa-oa, whoa-oa
There's a power
Deep inside us
Ain't no one that could ever divide us
Cos we won't fall
We'll show 'em all
Just what we're made of
You and I
We're in it together
We stand strong
Through it all, united for ever
Two hearts that can beat as one
There ain't a single thing we can't overcome
We're indestructible
Indestructible
We've got the power of love
So strong, we can generate
A wall of solid love nothing can penetrate
We're indestructible
Whoa-oa, whoa-oa
Heart to heart
Any storm, we can weather
You and I
We've become united for ever
Two hearts that can beat as one
There ain't a single thing we can't overcome
We're indestructible
Indestructible
We've got the power of love
So strong, we can generate
A wall of solid love nothing can penetrate
We're indestructible
Whoa-oa, whoa-oa