notes: use Courier 10 (or 10 characters per inch) set top margin at 0.5", bottom margin at 0.5" (or minimums) (I had to tell my computer that my primitive printer was using legal-size paper) left margin at 1", right margin at .25 (or minimum) as this may be sent in .txt, originally underlined words will look like _this_ "*" used below probably mean "this changed from previous --page break-- _LOIS & CLARK_ The New Adventures of Superman STRANGE VISITOR (From Another Planet) Episode #2 Prod #455347-002 Written by: BRYCE ZABEL Directed by: RANDY ZISK WARNER BROS. PRODUCTION DRAFT TELEVISION June 25,1993 (Blue) July 14, 1993 (Pink) July 21, 1993 (Yellow) July 23, 1993 (Green) July 26, 1993 (Gold) July 27, 1993 (White) July 30, 1993 --page break-- 7/27/93 _LOIS & CLARK_ _"Strange Visitor"_ _SETS_ INTERIORS: EXTERIORS: DAILY PLANET GOVERNMENT BUILDING Pit Perry's Office STRATOSPHERE Conference Room Outside Conference Room FURNITURE WAREHOUSE Lois's Desk Library KENT FARM CAT'S APARTMENT CRASH SITE * Living Room Closet * MILITARY JET LOIS'S APARTMENT ABOVE METROPOLIS GOVERNMENT BUILDING DAILY PLANET OFFICE Rooftop Street Level KENT HOME Dining Room METROPOLIS HOME Private Den FURNITURE WAREHOUSE * Back Room Bureau 39 Storage Room Floor MILITARY JET --page break-- _LOIS & CLARK_ "_Strange Visitor_" _CAST_ CLARK KENT/SUPERMAN LOIS PERRY JIMMY CAT GRANT JASON TRASK TECHNICIAN AGENT LUCY GEORGE THOMPSON JONATHAN MARTHA BURTON NEWCOMB SOLDIER #1 SOLDIER #2 SWAT LEADER --page break-- _LOIS & CLARK_ "_Strange Visitor_" _CHRONOLOGY_ SC. 1 - 7 DAY 1 SC. 8 - 12 NIGHT 1 SC. 13 - 18 DAY 2 SC. 19 - 24 NIGHT 2 SC. 25 - 65 DAY 3 SC. 66 NIGHT 3 (Gold) July 27, 1993 --page break-- _LOIS & CLARK_ "_Strange Visitor_" _TEASER_ FADE IN: 1 INT. DAILY PLANET - PIT - DAY 1 CLARK bangs away at his word processor. LOIS passes by, tries to sneak a casual glance. Clark stops what he's doing. CLARK Adopted kids looking for their birth parents, if you have to know. Lois ticks off points on her fingers. LOIS Search for roots. Emotional roller-coaster. Unrealistic expectations. Tear-jerker reconciliations. CLARK (impressed) Quick study. LOIS Not really. I did it three years ago. Clark is not going to let Lois get to him. CLARK There are no old stories, just new angles. LOIS Seems to me if your real parents don't care enough to raise you, then why give them a second thought? CLARK Because if they gave you away, they must have had a reason. And it's the not knowing that kills you. The fact that Clark is really speaking from the heart about his own situation is lost on Lois. LOIS Good. You take the touchy-feely stuff, I'll take Superman. (CONTINUED) --page break-- L&C - "Strange Visitor" - Rev. 7/26/93 (Green) 2. 1 CONTINUED: 1 Clark watches Lois breeze off, turns back to his word processor. JIMMY, who's been looking at a picture of Lois with her sister, Lucy, on her desk, catches up with Lois in mid-stride. JIMMY Smooth outfit, Lois. New? LOIS What do you want, Olsen? JIMMY I was just thinking -- since your kid sister's new in town -- maybe * she'd like somebody to ... you know, show her around. LOIS You want to ask Lucy out? JIMMY Do I have a shot? LOIS I'll need a complete financial statement and the results of a recent physical. Jimmy looks nonplussed. Lois stops, smiles. LOIS (Cont'd) I'm kidding, Jimmy. JIMMY You don't think she'll laugh in my face? LOIS (shrugs) Use the telephone. Suddenly, both elevators open simultaneously. JASON TRASK, a man of ram-rod military bearing crossed with a maniacal sense of mission, bursts onto the floor, followed by about a dozen MEN-IN-BLACK. They are frozen-faced, agent-types, dressed in off-the:-rack dark suits, plain ties and shirts. * Trask holds an-official document over his head: TRASK This is a warrant issued by Federal Court. The agents spread throughout the room, securing the premises and exits. (CONTINUED) --page break-- 3. 1 CONTINUED: (2) 1 TRASK Everyone: Step away from your desks! PERRY bursts forth from his office, intercepts Trask. PERRY Nobody comes busting into my newsroom like this! Trask simply hands him the warrant. TRASK Take it up with Washington. PERRY (scanning) Order to produce evidence ... compel testimony ... (shocked) Lois Lane and Clark Kent! As if in answer, an agent begins searching Lois's desk. Lois goes ballistic, screaming at him, literally prying him away with her own hands. LOIS Wait a minute! A second agent moves to pull her off the first. Lois, however, is a handful and soon a third agent is involved. LOIS (Cont'd) Get your hands off me! Clark moves to help, puts an arm on an agent's shoulder. Instinctively, the agent whirls around, producing a weapon. A moment of serious tension before Trask warns the agent: TRASK Put it away. He's just a reporter. The agent holsters his weapon. Lois struggles free of the agent restraining her, confronts Trask. LOIS Reporter. As in, protected by the Constitution. (CONTINUED) --page break-- L&C - "Strange Visitor" - Rev. 7/14/93 (Blue) 4. 1 CONTINUED: (3) 1 TRASK Impressive document. (holds up warrant) It gives the courts the authority to issue warrants like this one. Which says I get what I want. CLARK What _exactly_ is that? TRASK Mister Kent, I presume? (off his nod) I want _Superman_. And I'm not leaving until you tell me where I can find him. OFF Clark's reaction, we: FADE OUT. _END OF TEASER_ --page break-- 5 _ACT ONE_ FADE IN: 2 INT. DAILY PLANET - PERRY'S OFFICE - DAY 2 Clark nervously shoots paper wads into the waste basket. When one of them is about to miss, Clark uses his _SUPER-_ _BREATH_ to maneuver it into place. Lois peeks through the blinds, sees Trask and Perry arguing while the Men-in-Black continue their plunder. LOIS Do they honestly think if we knew where Superman was, we'd hang around this place? Lois turns, sees one paper wad dropping from a floating position directly above the waste basket. She looks at Clark funny, distracted by Perry entering, closing the door behind him. PERRY Okay, here's the deal. They want the two of you to take a polygraph -- LOIS -- _what_?! -- PERRY -- limited to national security concerns about Superman -- CLARK -- _a lie detector_?! -- PERRY -- so I told them to stuff it. Not _my_ reporters, no thank you. CLARK (relieved) Right. LOIS Good for you. PERRY I told them if they're bound and determined to take your computers and your notes to just get it over with and get out of the office so we can start suing their butts into the next century. (CONTINUED) --page break-- L&C - "Strange Visitor" - Rev. 7/27/93 (Gold) 6. 2 CONTINUED: 2 LOIS Take my _computer_? PERRY You talk, they walk. You don't, they're gonna confiscate the whole shebang. LOIS Perry, everything I've ever done, or thought about doing is on that computer. All my contacts, all my research... my _novel_! Clark reacts to the suggestion of a novel. Lois shoots back a look that says don't ask. CLARK Don't you back up onto floppy disks? LOIS Clark, this is no time to discuss your compulsive behavior. * PERRY So what are we going to do, folks? I'm with you either way. Clark looks apoplectic. Lois just shrugs. The stakes have reversed for both of them. * CLARK (frantic) What about the First Amendment, Lois? LOIS Clark, they pulled a gun on you. To these guys the First Amendment is a pesky little detail. CLARK I can't do this. _We_ can't! LOIS Clark, if we knew _anything_, I'd agree. But this is like taking a polygraph about the ring-tailed lemur. Perry nods. Turns to Clark. (CONTINUED) --page break-- L&C - "Strange Visitor" - Rev. 7/21/93 (Pink) 7. 2 CONTINUED: (2) 2 PERRY She's got a point. We don't know enough about Superman to lie. (seeing Clark's nervousness) Kent, you know something you haven't told us? Perry and Lois look to Clark, now caught in the trap. CUT TO: 3 INT. DAILY PLANET - CONFERENCE ROOM - DAY 3 Lois is hooked up to a polygraph machine. Trask asks the questions and a TECHNICIAN administers the machine. TRASK You will answer 'yes' to these first two questions. We use this to calibrate the machine. (beat) Is your name Lois Lane? LOIS That's what the by-line says. Yes. TRASK Are you also President of the United States? LOIS (rolls eyes) Yes. 4 INT. DAILY PLANET - OUTSIDE CONFERENCE ROOM - DAY 4 Clark stands with his back to a couple of Men-in-Black. He has his eyes closed, fingers on his wrist. We hear the AMPLIFIED SOUND OF a RAPID PULSEBEAT. After a few moments of concentration, the PULSE BEGINS TO SLOW. Clark snaps out of his biofeedback loop, cocks his head toward the conference room. We sense he is listening in. --page break-- 8. 5 INT. DAILY PLANET - CONFERENCE ROOM - DAY 5 Trask looks at Lois, exasperated. Lois's answers drip with attitude and sarcasm. TRASK Do you have any reason to believe Superman is an agent of a foreign power? LOIS Yeah, and leprechauns are agents of the I.R.A. TRASK Is Superman from another planet? LOIS If something looks like a duck, walks like a duck and talks like a duck, the chances are pretty good it is a duck. (beat) He looks like a man to me. TRASK During the time you two were alone, did Superman discuss his mission here on Earth? LOIS Mission? We flew. We didn't talk. We didn't have to. TRASK (quietly; to Technician) Non-verbal communication. (to Lois) Does Superman have any telepathic powers? LOIS I hope not. Trask looks hard at Lois. Obviously has no sense of humor. And, he thinks he senses an opening. TRASK Have you any romantic attachment to this Superman? Lois laughs. (CONTINUED) --page break-- L&C - "Strange Visitor" - Rev. 7/23/93 (Yellow) 9. 5 CONTINUED: 5 TRASK (Cont'd) Yes or no? LOIS No. The Technician notices a fluctuation, points it out to Trask. They share a look, suspicions growing. They turn their attention back to Lois who just shrugs. CUT TO: 6 INT. DAILY PLANET - CONFERENCE ROOM - LATER 6 Clark is strapped in, his turn at bat, looking very, very concerned. TRASK You will answer 'yes' to these first two questions. We use this to calibrate the machine. (beat) Is your name Clark Kent? CLARK Yes. TRASK Are you also Superman? CLARK (freaking) Yes. Trask turns to the Technician. He looks at the read-out which, in contrast to Lois's, seems to barely register. They speak confidentially. Clark uses his SUPER-HEARING to eavesdrop. TRASK Why isn't this reading as a lie? The Technician slams the polygraph machine on the side with his hand. TECHNICIAN Either the machine's broken again or this reporter's so mild- mannered he hasn't got a pulse. Ask him again. Trask turns back to Clark. (CONTINUED) --page break-- 10. 6 CONTINUED: 6 TRASK Remember to answer 'yes' now. Are you Superman? Clark looks toward the polygraph needle. CLARK Yes. He aims a short burst of _SUPER-BREATH_ at the polygraph. The needle shoots up all the way. The Technician turns to Trask. TECHNICIAN Working. TRASK All right, Mister Kent, let's proceed. Have you ever met Superman? Clark's face is beginning to flush, bright red. CLARK Met him? I've seen him in action if that's what you mean, but we haven't actually had a conversation... Trask focuses his gaze on Clark, who squirms uncomfortably. CLARK (Cont'd) I guess you could say we've met, Yes. Clark now begins to _LEVITATE_ out of his seat. Pulls himself back down, grips hard on the chair arms. There is a slight BREAKING SOUND. TRASK Is he from this Earth? CLARK (the truth) I don't know. TRASK Can you take us to Superman right now? CLARK Take you ... ? TRASK Can you contact Superman? (CONTINUED) --page break-- L&C - "Strange Visitor" Rev. 7/16/93 (Green) 11. 6 CONTINUED: (2) 6 Clark's legs, nervously intertwined around the chair legs, tense, breaking the chair. He supports himself without them. CLARK Uh, you mean, by phone or something? TRASK (exasperated) By any means possible. Telepathy, for example. Can you contact Superman? CLARK (lying) No. The AGENT with the headset interrupts. AGENT Perimeter's been penetrated. Trask frowns, nods. The Agent disappears outside the door and the Technician begins dismantling his set-up, pulling wires off Clark. As they do, Trask turns to Clark: TRASK Mister Kent, I don't need a polygraph to tell me when I'm being lied to. I can see it in the eyes. (drilling Clark) * We're not finished. * Trask takes off. Clark sighs and stands. As he does, the entire chair collapses. 7 INT. DAILY PLANET - PIT - CONTINUOUS ACTION - DAY 7 Trask strides onto the floor, claps his hands. Agentsimmediately cease what they are doing, follow after him toward the elevators. PERRY What's going on? I want an explanation. (CONTINUED) --page break-- 12. 7 CONTINUED: 7 Trask doesn't answer. Simply gets on the elevators with the rest of the agents. As quickly as they came, Trask and company have gone. As the elevator doors close, CAT, wearing another outrageous outfit, exclaims: CAT It was horrible the way they treated us. That agent frisked me _twice_! Perry begins barking orders to various staffers. PERRY Biederman, let's get legal on this right away. (to Clark, Lois) Lane, Kent, type up your notes and give them to Valdes. She's writing this. (claps hands together) Rest of you, get back to it. People snap back into action. Perry heads back to his office, but he's intercepted by Lois and Clark. LOIS What do you mean, 'type up your notes'? This is my story! CLARK _Our_ story. LOIS Seniority. PERRY You two _are_ the story right now. In case those goons come back with subpoenas, I want you out of here A.S.A.P. CLARK I guess I can work at home. PERRY Home?! _Anywhere_ but home. Don't be where they can serve you. Wear your beepers. We'll call you. Perry storms off purposefully. Lois and Clark look to their ransacked desks in frustration. Cat approaches Clark. (CONTINUED) --page break-- L&C - "Strange Visitor" - Rev. 7/23/93 (Yellow) 13. 7 CONTINUED: (2) 7 CAT Since you're a man in hiding, this is the perfect time for you to have dinner at my place. CLARK You and me? CAT Unless you think we'll need a chaperon. Clark looks a little concerned, but feels trapped. Nods his agreement. 8 INT. CAT'S APARTMENT - LIVING ROOM - NIGHT 8 Cat steps inside first. Clark follows, warily. Cat shuts the door. CAT I'm going to change into something more comfortable. Cat disappears into the back room. Clark gulps. He takes a moment to look around. Although certain pieces of art have an erotic theme, they are still tasteful. 8A INT. CAT'S CLOSET - NIGHT 8A * Featuring a wild profusion of outfits, many of the risque * and outrageous variety. Cat holds up one of these, con- siders it, puts it back. Tries another, then another. Finally, she shakes her head, says to herself: CAT Farm boy moves to the big city. He's looking for a little piece of home. Cat focuses on a particular choice, which we do not see. CAT (Cont'd) And that's just what he's going to get. --page break-- L&C - "Strange Visitor" - Rev. 7/23/93 (Yellow) 14. 8B INT. CAT'S APARTMENT - LIVING ROOM - NIGHT 8B Clark's attention is now on a wall full of books and maga- zines. Everything from famous biographies to works by Henry James and D.H. Lawrence. Cat reappears wearing jeans and a sweatshirt. Clark breathes a sigh of relief. CAT I think a Pinot Noir would be nice. I've got one chilling. Cat moves past Clark into the kitchen area, pulls a bottle out of the refrigerator and begins to pour them each a glass of wine. Clark watches, speaks to her through the pass-through counter area. CLARK You've got quite a library. CAT I do read. CLARK I know you do. Maybe your place is just different than I was expecting... CAT You haven't seen the bedroom. (off Clark's reaction) Relax. I may never show it to you either. Cat smiles, CLINKS her wine CLASS against Clark's. CLARK You're full of surprises.. CAT You have no idea. CUT TO: 9 INT. LOIS'S APARTMENT - NIGHT 9 LUCY sprawls on the sofa, thumbing a magazine when the door opens and Lois enters. From the second she is in the apart- ment, Lois is in motion, grabbing items and throwing them into an overnight bag. LOIS I'm not here -- and I'm not staying if anybody calls, tell them I was _never_ here don't even admit that I live here -- (CONTINUED) --page break-- L&C - "Strange Visitor" - Rev. 7/30/93 (White) 15. 9 CONTINUED 9 Lucy gets off the couch, begins to follow Lois around the apartment, watching closely as the items go in the bag. LOIS (Cont'd) if someone knocks, don't open the door unless you know who they are -- don't sign anything -- don't accept any deliveries -- I don't know where I'm going -- don't call me, I'll call you. You got all this? Lucy nods. LUCY It's a man thing, right? The PHONE RINGS. Lois freezes. (CONTINUED) * --page break-- L&C - "Strange Visitor" - Rev. 7/26/93 (Green) 15A. 9 CONTINUED: (2) 9 LUCY Lois, chill. You're not here, you don't exist, I don't know you, we've never met. Lois nods. Lucy picks up the phone. LUCY (Cont'd) Hello?. (covers.phone; to Lois) Some Southern guy with a real attitude. Says to turn on your beeper or you're fired. LOIS (taking phone) Hi, Perry... CUT TO: 10 INT. CAT'S APARTMENT - NIGHT 10 Clark and Cat are sitting on the couch, eating from a tray of cheese and crackers, talking. There's CLASSICAL MUSIC PLAYING in the b.g. CLARK So what made you get into the gossip business? CAT Clark, we're all in the gossip business. CLARK Yeah, but you get paid for it. * CAT I got the best stuff. You'd be surprised the kind of secrets people carry around with them. (smiles) You have any secrets, Clark? Cat begins to run her finger up Clark's leg. Clark's BEEPER GOES OFF. He moves quickly away, begins to tap out a number on the telephone. CLARK Must be the office. Cat points a zapper at her stereo. Clark is surprised to hear the CLASSICAL MUSIC FADE, replaced by the sound of JUNGLE DRUMS. --page break-- L&C - "Strange Visitor" - Rev. 7/26/93 (Green) 16. 11 INTERCUT CAT'S APARTMENT/DAILY PLANET 11 Perry sits with Lois next to him in his conference room. He speaks into the phone. PERRY Kent, there's a new development. I'm sending Jimmy in the van to pick you up. CLARK (quickly) I'll grab a taxi. PERRY Where are you anyway? My God, Kent, it sounds like... _jungle_ _drums_... CLARK Just a sec ... Lois motions for Perry to let her talk. Clark puts the phone down, indicates the zapper to lower the volume of the drums. Cat grabs the phone. Lois shouts into the phone: LOIS Quit playing games, Clark. Where are you? In response, Cat purrs back: CAT Clark's busy, Lois. Why don't you give him a few minutes to freshen up first? Clark looks aghast. Jungle drums, now this. Cat covers the phone, shrugs * CUT TO: 12 INT. DAILY PLANET CONFERENCE ROOM NIGHT 12 Clark arrives, finds Lois at the table with stacks of files spread out before her. LOIS Look what the Cat dragged in. (CONTINUED) --page break-- L&C - "Strange Visitor" Rev. 7/26/93 (Green)1 7/18. 12 CONTINUED: 12 CLARK You got the wrong idea, Lois. LOIS Cat Grant's bedroom has more comings and goings than Metro Station. You're just another commuter. CLARK (frustrated) Just tell me what's going on. LOIS What's going on is that the warrant's phony. That hits Clark like a sucker punch. He sinks to a chair. CLARK Phony? Perry enters with a computer print-out. PERRY Phony as a lock of Elvis's hair from a Memphis souvenir shop. Our lawyers called Justice, F.B.I., State, C.I.A. They even called Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. LOIS Nobody in Washington wants to claim those boys. CLARK _So who are they_? LOIS All we know is that they think their job is to hunt down Superman. PERRY Which makes it Your job, boys and girls, to find them first. Clark knows Perry speaks a truth that goes beyond journalism into self-preservation, and we: FADE OUT. _END OF ACT ONE_ --page break-- 19. _ACT TWO_ FADE IN: 13 INT. DAILY PLANET LOIS'S DESK - DAY 13 Lois is at the keyboard with Clark sitting in a chair pulled up alongside, each fixated on the screen, not looking at each other. Clark points. CLARK That should read, 'A spokesperson for the FBI.' LOIS What? CLARK Second 'graph. You have it saying 'The FBI says it has no existing operations concerning Superman.' The FBI isn't a person. It can't speak. LOIS Clark, that's why we have editors. Interrupted by the approach of Cat: CAT Morning, Lois, Clark. Sleep tight? Cat kisses Clark on the cheek. CAT (Cont'd) _I_ did. Cat takes off. Lois turns to Clark, hands on hips. CLARK _Nothing happened_. LOIS Clark, you can do the horizontal rhumba with the entire MetNet cheerleading squad for all I care. Lois takes the story out of the printer and walks off. LOIS (Cont'd) Just keep your hands off my copy. Frustrated, Clark puts his head in his hands. A beat, then Jimmy approaches. (CONTINUED) --page break-- L&C - "Strange Visitor" - Rev. 7/26/93 (Green) 20. 13 CONTINUED: 13 JIMMY Hey, CK, it's all over the newsroom. Clark looks up, confused. JIMMY (Cont'd) You and the Catwoman. I didn't think anybody could come up with something as juicy as yesterday's raid, but you've done it. CLARK (one more time) I haven't done anything. JIMMY Hey, this is me you're talking to. Jimmy takes a seat next to Clark, leans forward conspiratorially. JIMMY (Cont'd) I'm going to need details, specificity. The who, what, where, when, how and why. (beat) Actually, I've got the _who_ and _why_ already figured out. But I'm really curious about the _how_. CLARK Forget it. JIMMY To be honest, I never thought of asking you for advice about... women... until now. But I'm thinking about Lois's sister... (whisper) Ssshh. Here she comes. (loud voice) Great piece of journalism there, CK. Jimmy slaps Clark an the back, takes off, smiling at the approaching Lois. Lois watches him go, turns to Clark. LOIS Sorry to interrupt your male bonding, but we have a break in the story. CUT TO: --page break-- 21. 14 INT. GOVERNMENT BUILDING - OFFICE - DAY 14 GEORGE THOMPSON, a very highly placed member of the government power structure, is on the phone, livid. A closed, locking, briefcase sits on the desk next to him. THOMPSON I'll tell you why I'm in Metropolis! The Director himself sent me here... To clean up the mess you started with that raid on _The Daily Planet_! ... No! _I_ call the shots on Bureau 39, not you. Standby. (INTERCOM BUZZES; listens) Send them in. (punches button) No. Stay where you are. I'm coming over as soon as I bury this story with these reporters. You hear me, Trask? Trask?! We hear a DIAL TONE. Thompson fumes, hangs up. Lois and Clark enter and he forces a smile as they AD-LIB introductions. CLARK So you just flew in from Washington? THOMPSON Bullet train. I'm not much for flying. You? Clark shakes his head. Lois starts her small cassette tape recorder, places it on the desk. Thompson eyes it suspiciously. LOIS Who exactly do you work for? THOMPSON I'm a kind of government ombudsman. I go where the problems are. Right now my job is to get to the bottom of this 'incident' at _The Planet_. LOIS That's our job, too. What can you tell us? THOMPSON Not much. The first step in our investigation process is to gather all eyewitness accounts. (CONTINUED) --page break-- 22. 14 CONTINUED: 14 LOIS _Your_ investigation?! What about _our_ investigation? THOMPSON That's the other reason I'm here. Understand that we do not take it lightly when someone passes themself off as an agent of the U.S. government. Can you give us a physical description of any of the people involved? LOIS (ready to explode) Let me get this straight. You're here to interview _us_? THOMPSON Well, yes. But also to advise you to stay out of harm's way. Anybody who would do this is a danger... As Lois and Thompson continue to fence over who knows what, Clark makes use of his X-RAY VISION to see inside Thompson's attache case. He sees a file that reads, "Incident Analysis: Eyes Only." Looking inside still further, Clark sees an itemization that includes Roswell, New Mexico, 1947 -- White Mountains, Arizona 1975 -- Gulf Breeze, Florida, 1986 -- Voronezh, USSR, 1989. Most amazing of all, however, is one heading labeled: _Smallville, Kansas, 1966_! Clark is shaken to the core by what he sees. As Thompson continues, we are with CLARK'S POV now, and all sound drains from the room. We see Thompson moving his lips now, and Lois talking back to him, but we hear nothing. Just the dead, numbing silence that Clark feels. Clark is brought back by: LOIS Come on, Clark. Let's go. Clark sees Lois flip her reporter's notebook shut, reach to turn off the tape recorder. CLARK Go? LOIS It's obvious Mister Thompson here doesn't know anything. (CONTINUED) --page break-- 23. 14 CONTINUED: (2) 14 OFF Clark's reaction. He's not so sure. CUT TO: 15 EXT. GOVERNMENT BUILDING - DAY 15 Lois and Clark walk down the steps. Lois checks Clark out. He looks dazed. Clark really wants to follow up the Small- ville connection. Lois really wants to work the story by herself. What they say is: CLARK You know, Lois, I'm not feeling that great. Maybe I should go home and lie down. LOIS (overly sincere) Sometimes you have to put yourself above the story. CLARK I don't want to leave you in the lurch. LOIS You're not. It's not like we're a team or anything. Do you want a ride? CLARK I'll walk. Maybe the fresh air will help. Lois indicates a nearby phone booth. LOIS I think I'll make some calls. CLARK I'll meet you back at the paper. LOIS Sure. Feel better. Clark takes off. Lois moves to the phone. As soon as they think the other is no longer watching, they both walk faster. Lois gets to the phone booth, begins punching out a number. LOIS (Cont'd) Jimmy? Lois. I want you to pull everything on a George Thompson. (CONTINUED) --page break-- L&C - "Strange Visitor" - Rev. 7/26/93 (Green) 24. 15 CONTINUED: 15 She notices Thompson exiting, going to a waiting sedan. Lois hangs up, moves into the street to hail a cab in order to follow. As she does, there's a growing commotion on the street and people point and shout. VARIOUS Look! What is that? It's Superman. You're kidding. It's him all right. Lois looks up into the sky, sees the red and blue costume streaking across Metropolis. She says quietly: LOIS Be careful up there. CUT TO: 16 EXT. STRATOSPHERE - DAY 16 SUPERMAN, in full costume, STREAKS ACROSS THE SKY. As we pick him up in flight, he's moving with the speed of a light plane. He's in a hurry, however, and he stretches his arms out fully in front of him, and begins to pick up speed... as fast as a commercial airline ... then a jet aircraft... and finally, he disappears into a point of light, arcing across the horizon. 17 EXT. FURNITURE WAREHOUSE - DAY 17 A sign on the building proclaims, "Bessolo Discount Used Office Furniture." The sedan stops in front of the building and Thompson exits. A cab pulls up, drops Lois off. 18 INT. BUREAU 39 - STORAGE WAREHOUSE - DAY 18 We see only that this is a large concrete floor, full of pallets, file cabinets and, in the distance, what appears to be metal debris. Thompson and Trask are in the middle of an argument, definitely in each other's faces. * TRASK (cold menace) * My mission is to identify alien threats to the security of this country. THOMPSON Superman?! (CONTINUED) --page break-- L&C - "Strange Visitor" - Rev. 7/26/93 (Green) 25. 18 CONTINUED: 18 TRASK (nods) The advance guard. If we don't resist him, they send in the others. All these years of waiting, and now they're here. THOMPSON So what's your plan? You're going to capture Superman and dissect him? TRASK I don't want to study him. I want to kill him before he kills us. THOMPSON Trask, your reckless freelancing is jeopardizing the integrity of the entire Bureau 39 operation. TRASK You don't know anything about Bureau 39! You sit with those gutless paper pushers in Washington who are too stupid to know we're even in a war, let alone know how to fight it! THOMPSON That's just more of your insane paranoia. TRASK Open your eyes! They're coming after us. A few people will die in the struggle, yes, but we either draw the line or we capitulate. I will never submit. Thompson sighs, hands Trask a piece of paper. THOMPSON This orders you to turn over command and control of all your military assets to civilian authority. Me. TRASK You can't shut me down. THOMPSON I can and I will. I have the authority. (CONTINUED) --page break-- L&C - "Strange Visitor" - Rev. 7/26/93 (Green) 26. 18 CONTINUED: (2) 18 Trask glares at Thompson then, without warning, he back- * hands him across the face, knocking him to the ground. He * stands over him. * * TRASK You have no authority. Trask motions to a couple of nearby soldiers who approach, * grab Thompson. TRASK (Cont'd) Have you ever seen Metropolis Bridge by moonlight? Over five hundred men gave fifteen years of their lives to build it. But you, George, you can experience the majesty of that bridge in seconds. I'm sure it'll be a thrill. Too bad you won't be able to tell me about it. Trask turns on his heel and walks away. His FOOTSTEPS ECHO ON the CONCRETE. Thompson protests, but is hustled away by the men-in-black, as we: CUT TO: 19 OMITTED 19 19A INT. KENT HOME - LIVING ROOM - NIGHT 19A The CAMERA MOVES SLOWLY OVER a collection of family photos. We see Clark as a young boy, growing up in Smallville, seemingly normal, even in a football uniform. As the CAMERA MOVES ON PAST the window, we see Superman making a landing on the porch. 20 INT. KENT HOME - DINING ROOM - NIGHT 20 Now dressed in his civvies, Clark eats a candlelight dinner with his parents, JONATHAN and MARTHA. Clark picks at his main course. Martha notices. MARTHA You don't like vegetarian, do you? Clark doesn't answer. His mind is far away. JONATHAN He's confused. He probably doesn't know whether to plant it or _eat_ it! (CONTINUED) --page break-- L&C - "Strange Visitor" Rev. 7/26/93 (Green) 26A/27. 20 CONTINUED: 20 Clark snaps out of it, hearing his father say "eat it." He begins to do so at _SUPER-SPEED_. In mere seconds, his plate is clean and his glass is empty. As Clark wipes with a napkin, he's a little amazed at himself, too. Martha and Jonathan trade glances. What's going on? JONATHAN (Cont'd) Looks like he's missed your cooking. MARTHA Clark, honey, you just inhaled that. Something's on your mind, isn't it? After a moment, Clark realizes he has to come clean. CLARK I want to hear everything you know about how you found me. _Everything_. JONATHAN (carefully) It was May 17th, 1966. We were driving past Simpson Quarry, just due west of the Elbow River. MARTHA We saw this thing in the sky. At first we thought it was one of those I.C.B.M.'s. JONATHAN But that ship came streaking across the sky in front of us. * It was hard to ignore. * MARTHA We found you and took you home. Your eyes were so big and wide, and that diaper-thing they had you in made you look so cute -- JONATHAN Martha! There were some men who were around town a few days later, asking questions. * CLARK What kind of men? (CONTINUED) --page break-- L&C - "Strange Visitor" - Rev. 7/14/93 (Blue) 28. 20 CONTINUED: (2) 20 MARTHA, They said they were with the space program. Said they thought some debris from a Russian satellite came down around here. Wanted to know if we knew anything about it. CLARK What'd you tell them? JONATHAN (firmly) Nothing. MARTHA There was something about them. Something scary. JONATHAN We didn't want people who'd shoot you into space to get their hands on you. We figured even if you were a Russian, you were only a Russian baby. CLARK Is that what you think I am? A Russian _experiment_? MARTHA Honey, we don't care if you're a Russian or a Martian. And we didn't care then. You were ours. That's all we knew and we weren't giving you to anybody. (beat) That's why your father went back to where we found you. DISSOLVE TO: --page break-- L&C - "Strange Visitor" Rev. 7/26/93 (Green) 29. 21 _FLASHBACK_ - CRASH SITE NIGHT 21 Under a moonlit sky, a young Jonathan stands before the indistinct remains of a spaceship. JONATHAN (V.O.) We figured that spaceship had to be destroyed so nobody'd ever have any evidence how you got here. Jonathan empties a five gallon container of gasoline on the spaceship. JONATHAN (V.0.) (Cont'd) I planned to burn it good, then haul it to the dump. With trembling hands, he produces a book of matches. He removes a match. It stands ready on the striker. The match is lit and lights a torch. Jonathan looks up in the sky, toward the moon, through the burning flame. DISSOLVE TO: 22 ANOTHER FLAME 22 A candle burning. We are in: 23 INT. KENT FARM - DINING ROOM - NIGHT 23 Jonathan looks stricken. He puts his fork down. He can't eat and, seemingly, he can't speak. CLARK Dad, it's okay. Destroying it was probably the right thing to do. JONATHAN Probably was. (confessing) But I didn't. MARTHA (shocked) Jonathan! Why didn't you tell me? JONATHAN I couldn't, Martha. (to Clark) It was part of you, son. I just couldn't. CUT TO: --page break-- L&C - "Strange Visitor" - Rev. 7/26/93 (Green) 30. 24 EXT. CRASH SITE - NIGHT 24 Under the light of the full moon, Clark, Jonathan and Martha stand at the crash site. Jonathan paces from a tree with a pioneer wagon wheel leaned up against it, putting one foot after another in front of him. JONATHAN 68 paces due north. Thirteen paces West. Clark and Martha stand together, watching. MARTHA Are you sure this is the right place? JONATHAN That's the wagon wheel. Hasn't moved in over twenty-five years. Martha sees Clark's worried face. MARTHA Are you okay, son? I know this must be hard on you. CLARK What's hard is not knowing. My * parents had to give me up. Why? * Where are they? * Martha looks away, hurt in her eyes. Clark tries to cover. CLARK (Cont'd) You and Dad are my parents. You know that. Nobody will ever replace you. MARTHA Oh, we know, Clark. You wouldn't be human if you didn't have questions. CLARK Mom, what if I'm _not_ human? MARTHA Maybe we shouldn't have told you about being adopted. CLARK That would've been hard after I started bench pressing cars. (CONTINUED) --page break-- L&C "Strange Visitor" - Rev. 7/26/93 (Green) 31. 24 CONTINUED: 24 Clark smiles at Martha and she smiles back. Jonathan finishes the last few steps. Points at the ground. JONATHAN Six feet down. Clark takes off his jacket, hands it to Martha. He moves to where Jonathan stands, indicates his father should step back. Clark begins to _SPIN LIKE A TOP_, faster and faster. As he does, the dirt flies away and a hole is quickly formed. From the bottom, we hear: CLARK (O.S.) Dad, you sure about this? JONATHAN Hundred percent. Right there. Clark _LEVITATES_ out of the hole. Clark, Martha and Jonathan stare over the edge into the deep hole. Completely empty. JONATHAN (Cont'd) You don't forget something like this. It was here! Clark lowers his glasses and scans the area with his x-ray vision. CLARK Not anymore. And, off the eerie realization that the spacecraft has been stolen, we: FADE OUT. _END OF ACT TWO_ --page break-- L&C - "Strange Visitor" - Rev. 7/27/93 (Gold) 32. _ACT THREE_ FADE IN: 25 INT. DAILY PLANET - LIBRARY - DAY (DAY 3) 25 Clark peers into a hood device, searching records on a microfilm machine. Finally, he settles on a photo of several Air Force officers at a news conference from the 1960's. The headline reads: "UFO Sighting Really Swamp Gas." Clark lowers his glasses, sees: 26 CLARK'S TELESCOPIC VISION - PHOTOGRAPH 26 ZOOMING IN, PAST the f.g., to isolate the man in b.g. The image PIXELLATES, then resolves INTO FOCUS. It is none other than Trask as a young man. 27 BACK TO SCENE 27 Clark sits back in his chair, amazed at his discovery. Lois enters and manages to startle him out of his focus with: LOIS Feeling better? CLARK What? Oh, sure. How'd it go yesterday? LOIS Well, I tailed our man Thompson into a furniture warehouse on Bessolo Boulevard. I waited * around a while, but I lost him. * CLARK Maybe he went out the back entrance. LOIS Definitely weird, but he works for the government. (beat) What'd you dig up? CLARK Nothing. (CONTINUED) --page break-- L&C - "Strange Visitor" - Rev. 7/23/93 (Yellow) 33. 27 CONTINUED: 27 LOIS So what are you looking at? Lois scoots Clark aside, pears into the microfilm machine. * Shakes her head. LOIS (Cont'd) Project Blue Book? Clark, the Air Force got out of the U.F.O. business in 1969. This is old news. Way old. Clark wants to keep the bombshell to himself. CLARK You're right. It was just a bunch. Didn't pan out. Lois pulls away from the machine, then leans back. Clark * starts to protest, but Lois waves him off. LOIS Just a hunch. Lois studies the picture a long moment, then pulls away again. LOIS (Cont'd) The airman in the background. He's the piece-of-work who raided the Planet, isn't he? CLARK Maybe. I don't know. (indicates glasses) My eyes aren't that great. LOIS Well, I have perfect vision. Superman doesn't see like _I_ do. (reading) Jason Trask. That's our man. Lois leans back from the machine. Can't resist: LOIS (Cont'd) Almost missed that one, rookie. CUT TO: --page break-- L&C - "Strange Visitor" - Rev. 7/14/93 (Blue) 34 28 INT. DAILY PLANET - PIT - DAY 28 Clark and Lois stand before Perry who's in the throes of a full-bore journalism rush. PERRY So we know Trask was in the Air Force, right? CLARK No military service record. Disappeared into thin air in 1969. PERRY Keep looking. LOIS I got just the place. The other guy in the photo? General Burton Newcomb. Retired. Lives in Metropolis. PERRY What are you waiting for? Get packed and get going. Lois and Clark move to their desks, quickly begin to get their things. Perry frowns when he sees Cat approach Clark, run her fingers through his hair. CAT You wanted to talk? CLARK I can't now, but ... (what-the-hell) Look, Cat, somehow everybody thinks we were swinging from chandeliers wearing black leather the other night. CAT Well, we _were_ interrupted. CLARK I've got to go, but I'd appreciate it if you'd put a stop to this. Clark takes off. Cat watches him, says to herself. CAT What? And ruin my reputation? As Clark is on the move, Perry intercepts him. PERRY Kent, give me a minute in my office, will you? CUT TO: --page break-- 35. 29 INT. DAILY PLANET - PERRY'S OFFICE - DAY 29 Perry closes the door, leans on his desk, goes eye-to-eye with Clark. PERRY You ever hear of Anita Wood? CLARK I guess I haven't. PERRY Memphis D.J., beautiful girl, won a beauty contest. Did you know that Elvis almost married her? CLARK I missed that. PERRY Right after he was drafted in '58. He and Anita were talking marriage, but Colonel Parker knew it would hurt Elvis's career, and he put a stop to it. If the Colonel hadn't, Elvis might not be the King. You know what I'm talking about? CLARK She was the wrong woman for him? PERRY Fools rush in, son. Fools rush in. CLARK Chief, I think people have the wrong idea. PERRY Really? CLARK It's definitely not what you're thinking. PERRY What _I'm_ thinking, Kent, is when it comes to women, if you want to be the King, you gotta listen to the Colonel. An awkward moment until Clark stands. (CONTINUED) --page break-- L&C- "Strange Visitor" - Rev. 7/26/93 (Green) 36. 29 CONTINUED: 29 CLARK Thanks. I'll remember that. (beat) Colonel. Perry allows himself the trace of a smile. Lois knocks, enters without waiting. LOIS It's Thompson. PERRY The guy you lost on the tail? LOIS He's found. Metropolis Harbor. Coroner's got him. Perry, Lois and Clark trade looks. Stakes are raised, and we: CUT TO: 30 INT. METROPOLIS HOME - PRIVATE DEN - DAY 30 Lois and Clark sit on a couch interviewing retired Air Force General BURTON NEWCOMB -- the "other guy" in the photo with Trask. The room is full of military memorabilia, including a substantial gun collection. Lois's small tape recorder sits on the table next to some unshelled walnuts. CLARK Yesterday a man named George Thompson came to Metropolis. Today he's dead. NEWCOMB Regrettable. What's that have to do with me? Lois hands Newcomb a photostat of the newspaper photo. LOIS He was investigating your old friend Jason Trask. Newcomb stands, looks out the window. NEWCOMB Have either of you ever had to keep a secret? A huge secret? (CONTINUED) --page break-- L&C- "Strange Visitor" - Rev. 7/26/93 (Green) 37. 30 CONTINUED: 30 CLARK Sure. LOIS (to Clark) Like what? CLARK (quickly; to Lois) I'm a reporter. You know, protecting sources. NEWCOMB Keeping a secret eats away at you. It's Just a nibble at a time, but it adds up. And one day, you wake up and realize it's consumed everything inside you. Newcomb turns back from the window, picks up Lois's tape recorder, turns it off. Newcomb ejects the cassette, takes the nutcracker to crunch the tape into oblivion. NEWCOMB (Cont'd) We were just a small group when we started, but we all took special oaths on the same day. August the second, nineteen- forty-seven. I was about your age. LOIS You didn't take an oath to protect people like Trask, did you? Newcomb takes a moment, thinking about Thompson. Then: NEWCOMB You don't need me to find Trask. He's probably hiding in plain sight. LOIS Like a used office furniture warehouse on Bessolo Boulevard? Newcomb arches his eyebrow at the Bessolo Boulevard reference. NEWCOMB Getting to him, though, that's another matter. A man like Trask would no doubt be protected by an impenetrable security system. (CONTINUED) --page break-- L&C - "Strange Visitor" Rev. 7/27/93 (Gold) 38. 30 CONTINUED: (2) 30 LOIS Every system has a flaw. Newcomb removes a credit-card sized card with a magnetic stripe from his drawer and surreptitiously places it on the corner of the desk. It has two numbers on it: "3-9." NEWCOMB Not this one I designed it myself. You d need someone on the inside, or someone who'd been on the inside, to help you out. Now, assuming you could find such a person, you'd have to hope that person found a man like _Trask_ so _repugnant_ and his methods so _un-American_, that he would choose to help you. That's a tall order. Newcomb moves to his collection of military rifles, mounted on the wall, and removes one of them. NEWCOMB (Cont'd) I'm going to count to three. When I turn around, I expect you to be gone. One... Lois and Clark look at each other. A trap? NEWCOMB (Cont'd) Two ... No. An opportunity. Lois takes the security card from the desk. NEWCOMB (Cont'd) Three ... Followed by an escape. Lois and Clark disappear. CUT TO: 31 OMITTED 31 thru thru 33 33 34 EXT. FURNITURE WAREHOUSE - DAY 34 * Lois and Clark stand before a door with a magnetic security system, holding the card taken from Newcomb's home. (CONTINUED) --page break-- L&C - "Strange Visitor"Rev. 7/27/93 (Gold) 39. 34 CONTINUED: 34 Lois stripes the card.The door unlocks. LOIS And the General thought this was going to be hard. Lois steps inside, followed by Clark, into: 35 INT. FURNITURE WAREHOUSE - BACK ROOM - CONTINUOUS 35 ACTION - DAY Actually, an anteroom. Small, empty. The DOOR immediately CLANGS shut behind them, however, and they realize they have entered a secure chamber. They look ahead. The door in front of them has a huge security tumbler. But no place to swipe a magnetic stripe. CLARK They must have added this since his day. LOIS This is no time to get smug. A digital read-out indicates they have 45 seconds. Lois and Clark trade glances. Clark steps forward, begins to spin the dial. LOIS Don't tell me. Safecracker? Clark doesn't answer. By using his _SUPER-HEARING_, the minute clicks become huge CA-CHUNKS. The tumblers fall into place one by one. Momentarily, the door is open. Lois is stunned. CLARK The General said August 2, 1947. Eight right, two left, forty-seven right. LOIS You are so weird. But it works for you. Lois shakes her head,, pushes through into: 36 OMITTED 36 --page break-- L&C - "Strange Visitor" Rev. 7/23/93 (Yellow) 40. 37 BUREAU 39 STORAGE ROOM 37 The same expanse where Trask and Thompson fought previously. Now dimly lit and eerily deserted. Visible still, large tarped areas in the back and a collection of file cabinets in the f.g. Clark and Lois move toward the cabinets. CLARK (suspicious) I don't know about this, Lois. Where is everybody? LOIS Clark, the thing about luck is, don't question it. Lois begins to randomly pull folders and examine them. File after file with clear UFO photos and reports. Lois holds up one photo of a Spielbergian light-ship. LOIS (Cont'd) Give me a break. I've seen this movie. CLARK Lois, these look like the genuine article. LOIS They're too good. It's got to be a set-up. CLARK (thinking of self) What if it's not? What if people actually travelled in these? People from far away... LOIS There's a story here, Clark, but I don't know if it's UFO's. CLARK I thought you were the one who said if it walks like a duck -- LOIS Don't quote me to myself, Clark. (beat) How did you ... ? Clark sees a file labelled, "Smallville Incident, 1966." He slams the drawer shut. He grabs Lois by the arm and begins * to lead her away. * --page break-- L&C - "Strange Visitor" - Rev. 7/26/93 (Green) 41. 38 STORAGE AREA - CONTINUOUS ACTION 38 As Clark leads Lois toward the tarped area behind them: LOIS What are you doing? CLARK You don't like their pictures, let's see what else they have. They notice that each item is tagged and marked by date and location. LOIS I suppose you think we're going to pull one of these off and find a U.F.O.? CLARK (freaked) I don't know what we're going to find. LOIS Eeny, meeny, miney, mo ... Lois removes one of the tarps, revealing a collection of twisted metal and beams. LOIS (Cont'd) This is just an Unidentified Salvage Yard. * Clark removes another tarp. Underneath is a clearly identifiable spaceship with the look and feel of reality. CLARK This doesn't look like any scrap metal I ever saw. Clark moves along, awed by what he is seeing. Lois stays behind, examining the ship. LOIS Clark, do you really think... ? But Clark doesn't hear. He has come upon what appears to be a fifteen foot entry vehicle. It does not look familiar in an earthly sense. 39 OMITTED 39 --page break-- L&C- "Strange Visitor" - Rev. 7/23/93 (Yellow) 42/43. 40 CLARK 40 Gingerly runs his fingertips down one metal beam. On it are a row of mysterious hieroglyphics. At the end of the row: the familiar "S" insignia he has begun to wear on his Superman costume. It's a moment of epiphany causing even Clark's superpowered knees to buckle. Next to the wreckage is a bagged artifact, labelled, "Smallville, Exhibit A." Inside is what appears to be a small ball. Clark takes it out of its bag, and as his fingers make contact, it begins to &low from the inside. It is a three-dimensional globe with mountain peaks and valleys. It's Earth. Clark's face shows the effect the moment is having on him. When we see the globe again, it is different. Peaks and valleys, reddish tint, huge ice caps. It is another planet. Clark, stunned, says to him- self in a soft whisper of recognition of a world long for- gotten and a memory long suppressed: (CONTINUED) --page break-- 44. 40 CONTINUED: 40 CLARK Krypton. All of this is our version of Rosebud, and Clark is nearly overwhelmed by emotion. Snapped out of it by: LOIS Clark! Clark quickly pulls the tarp back over the spacecraft. Lois can't see this. Clark stuffs the ball in his pocket. LOIS (Cont'd) Somebody's coming. Too late. There is no way to escape. Trask and his agents are everywhere, guns are drawn. TRASK And how did you two get in? LOIS That's your problem. TRASK That's correct. Getting _out_ however, that's your problem. CLARK People know where we are. LOIS (vamping) Like... Superman. He's going to come looking for us. TRASK Oh, I hope so. In fact, I'm counting on it. Situation critical, as we: FADE OUT. _END OF ACT THREE_ --page break-- 45. _ACT FOUR_ FADE IN: 41 INT. LOIS'S APARTMENT - DAY 41 Lucy goes through an aerobics routine. The MUSIC is at HIGH VOLUME. As the workout continues, we realize that somewhere in the beat is the sound of an insistent DOORBELL. Lucy goes to the door and opens it. Jimmy's standing in the doorway. JIMMY (shouting) I'm Jimmy! LUCY (shouting) What?! JIMMY (shouting) Jimmy! I'm Jimmy Olsen! From the Planet! Lucy gets the drift, motions Jimmy inside, turns DOWN the MUSIC. Jimmy gets a good look at Lucy in her jog-bra and bike shorts. LUCY I don't think you can get the total effect unless you hear the music on a cellular level. Now who are you again? JIMMY Jimmy Olsen. (hopefully) I thought Lois might have mentioned me? LUCY Jimmy? I don't think so. I'd remember a guy named Jimmy. JIMMY I've been thinking about going with James. LUCY Did you come here to ask my opinion about your name? (CONTINUED) --page break-- L&C - "Strange Visitor" Rev. 7/22/93 (Gold) 46. 41 CONTINUED: 41 JIMMY No. It's your sister. She hasn't checked in and she doesn't answer her pager. Do you know where she is? LUCY Nope. She made a big deal the other day about making herself scarce. JIMMY Then what hampered? LUCY Then she made herself scarce. JIMMY Well, she can usually take care of herself. LUCY She's probably okay. A beat. Jimmy takes a deep breath. JIMMY You want to, maybe, go out, sometime? See a movie, or something? LUCY Wait a minute. You come here with some story that my sister might be in danger and then you ask me out? Is that right? JIMMY (grimaces) That's pretty much it. LUCY (beat) Okay. Jimmy breaks into a big smile. So does Lucy. CUT TO: 42 EXT. MILITARY JET - DAY (STOCK) 42 In flight to parts unknown. --page break-- L&C - "Strange Visitor" - Rev. 7/26/93 (Green) 47. 43 INT. MILITARY JET - DAY 43 Lois and Clark are seated across from Trask and a couple of SOLDIERS. They're not speaking, but their eyes say they know they are in trouble. Finally: LOIS It's a romance novel. CLARK What? LOIS My novel. It's about a woman who dies without ever finding her true love. CLARK That's not going to happen to you, Lois. LOIS Yeah? Check it out, Clark. These guys look serious. Lois nods across the cabin toward Trask and a handful of soldiers, huddled around an electronic command station. They _do_ look serious. LOIS (Cont'd) So, I told you, now you tell me. CLARK Tell you what? LOIS What really happened between you and Cat? Not that I care, but it's probably the best secret you got going. Clark shakes his head. This again. LOIS (Cont'd) If we get out of this, Clark, you have to raise your standards. * The two Soldiers move to the main door and begin to unlatch * it. Lois eyes this warily. Trask approaches. * TRASK I assume the two of you are familiar with the scientific method. (CONTINUED) --page break-- L&C - "Strange Visitor" Rev. 7/26/93 (Green) 48. 43 CONTINUED: 43 CLARK Advance a theory, submit it to a test. TRASK My theory is that at least one of you knows how to contact this alien creature Superman, probably through some form of telepathic communication. LOIS And how do you plan to test it? TRASK If you suddenly become airborne at twenty thousand feet, _without_ _a parachute_, I have to assume you will focus all your energies toward contacting this Superman. CLARK What if this theory of yours is wrong? TRASK Pushing back the frontiers of science is not without risk. The two soldiers throw the door open. A blast of air enters the cabin. * LOIS * And what happens if Superman does show up? TRASK Does the worm need to know if the fish is going to be fried or charbroiled? Trask nods to the two soldiers. They approach. CLARK Leave Lois alone. Just use me. LOIS (hatching a plan) No. I'll go. CLARK Lois! (desperate) You don't understand! (CONTINUED) --page break-- L&C- "Strange Visitor" - Rev. 7/26/93 (Green) 49. 43 CONTINUED: (2) 43 Lois stands. When Clark tries to stand, one of the soldiers pushes him back into his seat. 44 ANGLE - CLARK 44 Rising anger. He's not going to let this happen. Even if it means giving up his secret. 45 LOIS 45 Turns to Trask. (CONTINUED) --page break-- 50. 45 CONTINUED: 45 LOIS I ought to at least get a last request. TRASK Within reason. LOIS I want to kiss Clark good-bye. 46 CLARK 46 His determination replaced by shock and surprise. 47 KISS 47 Our first screen kiss. Maybe our last. Lois leans forward to Clark and kisses him full. Clark feels a serious spark of electricity here. CLARK Lois, I ... As Lois pulls away, she whispers in his ear. LOIS Take the one on the right. Lois comes up quickly, throwing elbows and kicks at Trask... Clark immediately stands, pins the first soldier against the wall, but gets a gun trained on him by the second soldier. Clark pauses a second ... Lois struggles.with Trask. She is almost out the door... Clark ignores the soldier, moves to help. The GUN GOES OFF. A bullet literally slams into Clark and _BOUNCES AWAY_. LOIS (Cont'd) Clark! In the confusion, Trask gains the upper hand. Lois goes out the door... CLARK Lois! Clark ignores everyone else, dives out after Lois. CUT TO: --page break-- L&C "Strange Visitor" - Rev. 7/26/93 (Green) 51. 48 EXT. ABOVE METROPOLIS - LOIS - DAY 48 In free fall. Her face is scrunched up in telepathic concentration. LOIS (muttering). Superman, if you can hear me, drop everything and get over here. (then) Superman!!!! Help!!! 40 CLARK 49 Also in free fall. Clark, however, has more maneuver- ability. He angles himself toward a dense cloud bank. CUT TO: 50 INT. MILITARY JET - DAY 50 Trask's man secure the door. He checks an oscilloscope, featuring two moving flashing lights. TRASK Tracking. We've got both of them. SOLDIER #1 The guy's hurt. I shot him. SOLDIER #2 Guess again. Soldier #2 picks up a flattened bullet, holds it up for Trask to inspect. TRASK No trace of blood. SOLDIER #1 (stunned) I shot him. I saw it. TRASK You missed. CUT TO: 51 EXT. ABOVE METROPOLIS - CLARK - DAY 51 As he zooms into the dense cloud bank. For a long moment, he disappears. --page break-- L&C - "Strange Visitor" - Rev. 7/23/93 (Yellow) 52. 52 LOIS 52 Below Clark, continuing to hurtle earthward. 53 SUPERMAN!! 53 Suddenly appearing from the other side of the cloud bank! Pauses momentarily in midflight to get his bearings, sees Lois, and zooms toward her. CUT TO: 54 INT. MILITARY JET - DAY 54 Trask observes Soldier #1, scanning the equipment on the * electronic battle station. * SOLDIER #1 Target acquisition. Zero-niner- five. * * TRASK Execute. SOLDIER #1 * Missile lock in five, four, * three, two, one. * (triggering) Executing. * 55 EXT. MILITARY JET - DAY (STOCK) 55 A guided missile fires off from the jet. Target: Superman. CUT TO: 56 EXT. ABOVE METROPOLIS - DAY 56 Lois continues to hurtle earthward. LOIS Superman... Superman... Superman ... Superman... Superman... In the distance, she sees Superman, closing fast. Intersects her and scoops her in his arms. LOIS (Cont'd) You do read minds. SUPERMAN Not really. But I do have pretty good hearing. (CONTINUED) --page break-- 53 56 CONTINUED: 56 LOIS Clark. They've still got him. He may be hurt. SUPERMAN Don't worry. I'll go back for him. CUT TO: 57 EXT. DAILY PLANET BUILDING - ROOFTOP - DAY 57 Superman deposits Lois on the rooftop. She looks shell- shocked. SUPERMAN You'll be all right? Lois can't speak, but her eyes are wide-wide. SUPERMAN (Cont'd) Lois? Lois can't speak, just points skyward. Superman turns around and sees: 58 GUIDED MISSILE 58 Currently being guided after Superman, who's on the roof of the Planet. 59 SUPERMAN 59 Superman shoots off the roof, toward an intersection with the missile. CUT TO: 60 EXT. DAILY PLANET - STREET LEVEL - DAY 60 A crowd of onlookers all have their eyes on the sky, AD LIBBING expressions of concern. Jimmy is on his way in, stops and looks up to: JIMMY Superman... CUT TO: --page break-- L&C - "Strange Visitor" - Rev. 7/26/93 (Green) 54. 61 EXT ABOVE METROPOLIS- DAY 61 Superman intercepts the MISSILE, begins to muscle it skyward. There is a brilliant EXPLOSION. Superman is hurtled backward. CUT TO: 62 EXT. DAILY PLANET - ROOFTOP - DAY 62 Lois watches this. Closes her eyes. She knows nothing of invulnerability and auras. All she knows is a man she has begun to care about, a man who saved her life, a good man, may be gone. CUT TO: 63 INT. MILITARY JET - DAY 63 Trask and his men have visual and radar confirmation of the hit. TRASK Let's get out of here. CUT TO: 64 INT. DAILY PLANET - LOIS'S DESK - DAY 64 The Planet is in an uproar. Lois enters off the elevator, completely dazed. Perry rushes to her. PERRY Lois, what happened!? LOIS Before or after we got thrown out of the plane? (snapping out of it) Superman! Is he all right? PERRY We don't know. We're running down some witnesses. (beat) You know what happened to... LOIS (looks O.S.) Clark! (CONTINUED) --page break-- L&C - "Strange Visitor" Rev. 7/26/93 (Green) 55. 64 CONTINUED: 64 Clark enters from the elevator. He moves straight through the newsroom. Cat begins to approach him, but he doesn't even see her. He moves straight to Lois, who's moving toward him at the same time. LOIS (Cont'd) You're alive. CLARK Seems so. LOIS Oh, Clark... Lois hugs Clark. She cares. Lois turns around to the others. LOIS (Cont'd) Hey, everybody, if Clark's alive, that means Superman saved him and _he's_ alive! (CONTINUED) --page break-- 56 64 CONTINUED: (2) 64 Clark's face falls. Lois turns back to him. LOIS (Cont'd) What are we waiting for? We got a story getting bigger every second. SMASH CUT TO: 65 INT. WAREHOUSE FLOOR - DAY 65 As, on the cut, an entire, armed-to-the-teeth SWAT TEAM enters, spreads out. Which is easy to do. It's nothing more than a huge, empty concrete floor. SWAT LEADER All clear! Now Perry, Lois, Clark and Jimmy with a camera enter. Take it all in. LOIS It was all here, Perry. (to Clark) Tell him. CLARK She's right. LOIS U.F.O.'s, Perry. Unidentified flying objects. Only they're all identified. Bagged, tagged and processed. Right here. PERRY (skeptically) U.F.O.'s? LOIS Yes! Don't you see? Coverup. Big-time. That's what's going on. PERRY Okay. CLARK This story might be bigger than Superman. LOIS We got cosmic Watergate here, Perry. I've got to get back and start writing. (CONTINUED) --page break-- L&C - "Strange Visitor" - Rev. 7/21/93 (Pink) 57. 65 CONTINUED: 65 PERRY Well, now, here's where I gotta get off the bus you're driving. LOIS We know what we saw! PERRY You two are the best. You tell me something, I believe you. (beat) Can't let you write it, though. LOIS Sure you can. Clark and I can corroborate each other. PERRY Not when you're talking U.F.O.'s. (gestures) Lois, your physical evidence is gone. Trask is missing. Thompson's dead. Your General Newcomb says he never heard of you. (beat) We run with this thing, we look like the _National Whisper_. You'll * kiss your own careers good-bye and take the paper with you. Can't let that happen. Sorry. Lois moves away, bitterly disappointed; Clark follows. CLARK Lois ... LOIS You realize what we've lost here, Clark? Clark looks around the empty warehouse. A place where the lifeline to his past existed only a day before. CLARK Yeah. I do. CUT TO: 66 INT. DAILY PLANET THE PIT - NIGHT 66 Lois is alone, buttons unbuttoned, hair down, feet on the desk. She's popping malt balls in the air, catching them with her mouth. There's a WHOOSH of AIR, a shadow, and a familiar voice. (CONTINUED) --page break-- L&C - "Strange Visitor" Rev. 7/26/93 (Green) 58. 66 CONTINUED: 66 SUPERMAN (O.S.) I hear you've been looking for me. Without turning around, she knows. Answers, to herself, in * a whisper: LOIS All my life. Lois closes her eyes, takes a deep breath, trying to compose herself. When she turns to face him, she's business. LOIS (Cont'd) _Everybody's_ looking for you. SUPERMAN I know. And I know you almost died because of that. LOIS Well, it did make that bungee jump I did last year seem pretty tame. SUPERMAN (serious) I'm going to find that man and stop him. That's a promise, Lois. "Lois." Like magic. Lois loses it, just a moment, then she's back. LOIS You know my name, but I don't know yours. SUPERMAN Superman seems to have caught on. LOIS Where are you from? I mean, you're not from Kansas, that's for sure. SUPERMAN I'm from another planet. A place called Krypton. (beat) Sorry. LOIS (quickly) No. Don't be. (beat) Would you mind if I wrote some of this down? (CONTINUED) --page break-- 59 66 CONTINUED:--(2) 66 Superman shakes his-head. Lois flips open her reporter's notebook and grabs a pen. LOIS (Cont'd) (looks him over) You seem to have all the ... the parts ... of a man. SUPERMAN I am a man, Lois. Just like you're a woman.. An intoxicating thought. Lois is about to submerge again, but rallies. LOIS I'm glad you're here, but _why_ are you here? SUPERMAN To help. LOIS I need more of a quote, you know? Like 'I have not yet begun to fight.' Or 'Damn the torpedoes.' If you said you were here to fight for truth or justice or the American way, something like that, that would be a quote. SUPERMAN Can I get back to you? LOIS I'm a reporter. I have deadlines. I have an editor. Don't they have newspapers on Krypton? SUPERMAN Probably not like yours. LOIS Yeah, well, _nobody_ has an editor like mine. If you're here to help, this would be a good place to start. SUPERMAN (considers it) Truth and justice sound good. You can use that. (CONTINUED) --page break-- 60. 66 CONTINUED: (3) 66 As Lois writes, Superman cocks his head, as if he's listen- ing. Lois doesn't hear anything. LOIS What is it? SUPERMAN Someone's in trouble. LOIS (sees it coming) This is a job for Superman, right? SUPERMAN (nods) Be seeing you? With that, he begins to _LEVITATE_ toward the window. LOIS Hope so. Lois watches him go, then turns back to her word processor and begins pounding away. She pauses a moment, looks out the window thinking about this strange visitor who just got a little less strange, and we: FADE OUT. _THE END_ --page break-- THIS SCRIPT WAS PREPARED BY WARNER BROS. INC. SCRIPT PROCESSING DEPARTMENT (818) 954-4632