The center.

by Leonid Sakharov

The second authorized translation of the sci-fi script about scheme for eternal life of rich and power by cloning yourself and transplanting brain with head. The Hollywood friendly format.
     
	INT. COZY BEDROOM AT SUBTROPICAL VILLA - MORNING
	An early morning. There is an interior of cozy out-of-town
	house in the country with a subtropical climate.
	Through the leafs of garden, along the room, a sunbeam
	reflects gather for a casual dance. Two young bodies lie
	in the bed. A girl is a first one to wake up.
	She is tall, slim, in her early thirties but appears
	considerably younger of her real age that could be guessed
	only on the base of observation of special features
	of behavior by the trained eyes of divorced man or single
	women. She raises herself on the elbow and engagingly
	examines the person near her. He is not noticeably taller
	than she. His face obviously belongs to the typical
	intellectual person; a figure is a sport type but does
	not show overbuilding muscles of professional athletes.
	The man comes around much slowly and very unwilling. With
	certain distrust he looks at the female partner.

					LAK
		Listen, what is your name?

					IRENE
		Irene. Yours, mister scientist?

					LAK
		Doctor Feit. -

					IRENE
		Is that all or probably you
		will give: the same not so
		official for a very close
		partner?
							
					LAK
		Lak.

					IRENE
		Hey you, why so grim? Don't
		panic. I am completely
		healthy. Stewardesses are
		checked regularly.

					LAK
		I am simply trying to
		understand, why did you
		immediately jump with me
		into bed. You were
		surrounded by such elegant
		supermen in the bar that
		remained me even slightest
		chance for one look.

					IRENE
		Why, why, why. Tell me
		why. OK but later. What
		the hell. It was about your
		face. It was shining on me
		as if you had been awaited
		this encounter hundreds years,
		met me at once, were happy
		finally and will not
		lose me ever since.

					LAK
		I had terribly detestable
		mood. The chick I dated
		platonically whole week
		flushed me away yesterday
		like a trash. Nobody can
		stand the girl, who is
		freaked out from
		tamtam-dumdam music,
		drinks like a horse or
		politician's daughter.
		On the top of all she
		smokes. Plus her lexicon...
		I wanted to seize the 
		initiative lecturing the 
		theory of sexual connections
		on the basis of the analogy
		with laws of the kinetics of
		gas-phase reactions, but it
		could be much better
		to me instead to undress,
		climbs up to the palm and
		to begin to bawl the
		Tarzan call. Most likely,
		entire her band would
		follow an example and
		there would be much of
		peaceful merriment.


				IRENE
		Am I the first?

				LAK
		I will not say.
		What the matter?
		It was bad? -

				IRENE
		Quite the opposite.
		But it was over passion
		to tear out my cloth. I have
		little compassion about the
		shirt but after only the hour
		I should be in the airport.
		And what I wear instead
		of a skirt... In the end,
		however, you were very
		ender and this is your
		style. Just make a big
		milestone on your nose.
						
				LAK
		I feared you... I will
		purchase everything
		along the way.

				IRENE
		One solution another
		problem - how I will
		reach the car?

				LAK
		Don't bother. There are
		no neighbors around.


 
		EXT. OPEN CAR DRIVE - MORNING

	Open convertible car runs along the picturesque almost forest
	road. Irene is sitting in man's shirt with the intricate pun
	on colorful necktie.

     	Lak returns from the supermarket with the bags. Girl dresses
	over in the inside. She was pleased by purchases. The car
	leaves near the airport, she kisses fellow into his lips.

				LAK
		When again you will
		fly here?

				IRENE
		In the week. More
		precisely I do not
		know.
			
				LAK	
		Call me. OK? -

				IRENE	
		Never beg.
		 
	She takes his bossiness card
						
				IRENE
		Do not wait especially.
						
				LAK	
		Call.

				IRENE
		So long.

			

	EXT. AIRPORT - LATE MORNONG

	Pretty women depart. Before the airport entrance Irene
	turns around and smiles by the dazzling and stewardess
	trained. The smile pure professional, although in this
	situation it was extra efforts, but she wanted to
	gratify the gentleman.

	Lak goes in the airport himself. He breakfasts in the
	open bar. Aircrafts take off and lands. One of them
	has to be with Irene on board.



	EXT. OPEN CAR DRIVE - MORNING

	Lak drive along the narrow one-way road. Trees approach
	directly to the asphalt. Even an u-turn could be a
	problem here. He passes the unnoticeably located posts
	of protection. Through the not guarded gates it enters
	into the garage, which is located in long two-story house
	with one of walls of which it is abutted against
	perpendicular cliff. After leaving the machine,
	Lak approaches the door, he opens it with own key,
	he goes into the bathroom, moves aside the wash together
	with the part of thewall then he walks into the opened
	space to the narrow room with the naked walls and the eye
	checker on the opposite wall, positions his eye into
	it and presses button. Moderate light flash appears.



	INT. RESEARCH CENTER - DAY

	There is the photograph of his retina on the screen of
	computer in the security room. Several seconds
	a sequence after sequences occurs the collation
	of photograph with the patterns. Appears inscription
	"the Dr. Lak Feit, 24 years. The research surgeon.
	Education: Oxford, Harvard. Ph.D. in Biology. IQ=170.
	Unmarried. Clearance level - 2. Agent A7C conducts
	routine annually check according to the procedure Y13 ".

	Door slides back. There is empty accommodation with
	two doors. Lak enters into the right. Long hallway
	with numbered doors. Lak enters into one of them.
	He undresses. Adjacent room - takes a shower.
	He washes, enters to the parallel corridor. Along
	it there is a poll filled with a discreet disinfecting
	solution. After muttering profanity, he dives surfacing
	subsequently in another room after swimming through
	the tunnel. In the following cabin he meets a powerful
	flow of dry air and later a kind of some of corona
	discharge around entire space. Here Lak's the hairs
	arise like a porcupine's needles. Thin lightings beat
	throughout the body. This is the only procedure that
	gives him a hint of the pleasure. Finally the researcher
	dresses underwear and an air isolated half transparent
	suit looked like a space-dress. He connects the hose
	of to the plug. Through several seconds at the screen
	appear two almost identical curves with many peaks one
	over another. On the black line there are the small
	spikes, marked red by inscription
	"A Revlon lipstick #21. Xa-xa".



		INT. SURGION ROOM - DAY
					
				LAK		
		Iron foolmate.

	Surgeon room. Lak carries out the mutual transplantation
	of heads of two monkeys. They are completely identical.

				LAK	
		Unregekt.! Are you going
		to sleep, Suzi!?

				SUZI
		Employing procedure today
		does not include Unregekt
		injection! Doktor? Didn't
		you read a procedure,
		did you?

				LAK	
		Certainly, not. Stupid
		work. I image the title
		in the evening newspaper.
		"Doctor Feit reseated the
		heads of macaco- monkeys
		in 22 minutes 31 second.
		This is for 5 seconds
		better than the local
		record, but two seconds
		short of world one.
		But doctor is still
		young."

				SUZI	
		Works ought not
		be discussed.

				LAK	
		Nobody does any
		discussions...,
		these monkeys are
		twins, indeed? -

				SUZI	
		...! - 
		 
	The reproachful look of Suzi.
		 
	INT. BUSINESS OFFICE - DAY

	Working office room of Lak. On the screen of computer there
	is the spreadsheet of the database about the experimental
	monkeys. Numbers in two columns are identical. Lak brings
	cursor to the cell "supplier", he click by mouse. The message
	 - "Clearance is insufficient" on the screen.



	INT. APPARTMENT DUTY - LATE DAY

	Lak enters the neglected urban apartment. At the one of the
	several terminals the fat fellow sits half naked up to the
	belt periodically convulsing moving the mouse and taping several
	letters. Lak flaps his arm. No reaction. Fellow without
	being visible distracted with the invasion stares at the
	screen, his fingers somnambulistic run on the keyboard
	and catches a mouse. Lak slowly pours out the bottle of
	water on the head of this pretty male species.

				FRED
		Thanks. Exact what
		doctor prescribed.


	Without turning head Fred converses, so was the name 
	of computer freak.

				LAK
		Fred, I have told you
		that I operate monkeys.
		I want to learn, who has
		supplied us the party
		of twins. My level of
		admittance did not enough.

				FRED
		Two hundred - work, plus
		tree - risk. In advance.

				LAK
		Last time for the risk
		there were one hundred.

				FRED
		Now more. After the
		firewall of your center
		they recently put free
		on hunt an evil watch
		dog without the muzzle
		and the curb.
		  

	His arm with oven palm moves on shoulder waiting until Lak
	will count off and put into it money. Without inspecting
	them Fred put papers under keyboard and continues
	evaluations. Nothing that could have any sense for amateur
	eyes do not happen. All these not too long time Fred did
	no even once turn away from screen.
	Once he begins to speak out:


				FRED
		Transaction is executed through five
		import/exports companies; the branch
		of your center in Honolulu was the
		third of them. They are financed
		via three charitable foundations;
		the counselor panel is from
		ministry of sport. Your center
		is one of the founders of two
		of the funds... Center did
		purchases sort of from itself.

		The bottom line is that all
		its assets after these
		transactions did not change
		a coin.

          

		INT. VILLA - NIGHT

	Twilight yellow illumination from skies immediately after
 	sunset. House Of Lak. Irene comes in. She approaches him,
 	takes for the hand and pulls into the bedroom. Without
	speaking a word. They are making love as if fulfilling a
	religious ritual. Both of them are completely occupied
	by sex concentrating on desperately attempt to create
	event that partner will have difficulty to extract from
	mind ever.



		EXT. TERRACE - NIGHT


	Black southern night. They sit on the open terrace for the coffee. Irene asks:

					IREN
		Well, baby genius, did you behave
		well without me? Did something
		fabulous invention worth Nobella?
		Is it the name of you childhood
		sweetheart?

					LAK
		It seems that I begin to understand
		what was my occupation last three years.

					IREN
		That's so delightful! . Do you know,
		I already lost a hope that anyone will
		say that he knows what working for?
		Money is most often mention reason,
		but it's highly questionable
		justification - just a paper.

					LAK
		Do want to die? To have eternal life?


					IREN
		Thus far, no. Besides, if I will
		be encounter several mad scientists
		more then I do not guarantee that
		such thought will not hit my psyche.

					LAK
		If you had sufficient authority
		and money - you could live eternally.
		At least it is not clear limits so
		far. In any case a biological limits.
		Of course someday sun will blow out. 
		Stupid meteor...

					IREN
		From this point on, very detail
		 specific and for the record! - 
		 
	Irene kidding pretends to be a reporter taking an
	interview. She takes a pen and presses its button
	as if starting a tape recorder and put it in the front of Lak's mouth.

					LAK
		The idea of the procedure is
		 simple. Today you will order your
		 clone, a precise copy yourself.
		 She will be like your identical
		 twin. She will birth in nine
		 months. Through twenty years you
		 will changed with her heads and
		 bodies. And she will remain young
		 and foolish head and your athletic
		 perfect... khm... forty years
		 age body... As for you, there
		 will preserve a wisdom, but it
		 will be necessary to make a lot
		 of fitness job on the body of
		 young stupid to save a husband.

					IREN
		Thanks.
		 
	Irene is giggling and bending over the table kisses a
	lobule of his ear. His compliment and in generally tone makes her
	warm feeling. He pronounces a word "husband" that on this stage of
	relation is a promising hint. Too early to make any
	conclusions but...

					LAK
		Then repeat the operation every
		twenty years. - He thinks. - It
		can have to be more frequent.
		Who knows? Thus far until one
		tries nobody will know.

					IREN
		Why have I hear nothing about?

					LAK
		Try to image how much it must cost?
		What the reason for the twin to
		agree on the surgeon? All of this
		is impossible. In legal way of course.

					IREN
		Where is your work is here in that tale?

					LAK
		I have being transplanting heads of
		monkeys already three years in the
		center. Allegedly it's for studying of
		the formulation of drugs to prevent
		rejection of organs. They pay to me
		well. More then competitively. Large
		vacations. Everything is just
		perfect. Very, very good. - They
		silently continue late cups thinking
		 over each about own.
	


		INT/EXT. ANIMATION	 

	The image of terrace begins to change a palette as if changing
	visible spectrum into infrared. An emitter incorporated in one
	of the earring of Irene becomes evident. Following the modulated
	ray to the receiver that located in the foliage of tree not far
	from the house. The signal flies in the form of the digital
	code through the half of the globe and the pair of satellites.
	Its destination was inside of the dead end micro-chip.

	On the parallel screens evidently as charges change positions
	inside the semiconductor crystal, and on other screen there is
	in the window that is fulfilled with lines proceed from more the
	lines of the program code, highlighting some the values that
	includes numbers and words. At one moment of exhibition it slows
	down and the words: "to live eternally, clone, transplantation,
	center, authority, law, twin, clearance=2 " begins flushing.
	The program jumps inside another function that returns a value
	 - 0.9997.

	Sharp signal sounds on the terminal of the officer on a duty of
	the security service and inscription appears. "The security breach
	of the highest level of confidence. Lak Feit, research surgeon;
	Irene Cole, agent. Recommendation is immediate liquidation.
	All contacts revealed from the given moment three month
	retrospectively are to complete disinfecting".

		AIRFIELD - NIGHT

	The sports airplane loads by canisters at a small airfield.
	It takes off and moves toward of the Lak house.



		INT. BIG BOSS OFFICE - NIGHT


	The phone is ringing on the very stylish table with antique
	and luxurious office gadgets. On the plasma flat screen a
	copy of security alert appears. But here it is much more
	detailed and accompanied with the short bio films about
	Lak, Irene, Fred and other contacts of all them. Much more
	time is devoted to analysis and prediction of the possible
	actions. Not too much an outside witness could understand
	from this professional videoconference.



		EXT. TERRACE - NIGHT

					LAK
		Let's go for the night ocean swim?
	
	offers Lak.


		EXT. OPEN CAR DRIVE - NIGHT


	Young couple jumps up and racing toward the car. Irene
	manages to be the first to sit on the driver place; she
	turns keys left by Lak and they run away in the night.
	Lak turns on the radio and scans stations not staying long
	on any one. The scrap of news "... hour it disappeared from
	the screens of radars. Toward the point of impact the
	cost guard... "

					LAK
		Terrible end. To live, to dream
		about romantic dates, real love
		and suddenly without the warning
		- the explosion. You are fling
		in different directions at the
		same time...

					IREN
		As the matter-of-fact the warning
		can be. Take a look. - 
		
	Irene shows him a ring with the transparent
	stone. 	
		
					IREN
		Here it is a fantastic sophisticated
		electronics. When time bomb is
		activated this piece of civilization
		can recognize specific pattern of
		electromagnetic fields. There were
		rumors at once that only seven seconds
		was left before diffusion of the
		bomb in parcel of the grandmother
		going to leave a fortune size of
		insurance for dentist tuition... 
		But most likely there will be not
		enough time even for praying before
		personal meeting with The Creator.

	This conversation is a source of excitement for Lak. He
	impersonalizes himself in the shoes of fly marshal who
	could cut red wire in the very last second, entirely
	like real boy. The car parks at the embankment. Lights
	of bars and casinos there and here are promising a joy
	of boasting with happiness of love in a front of lonely
	strangers.


		EXT. BEACH ROAD - NIGHT

	A fuel truck is moving towards them. The Irene's ring
	begins to shine from blue passing yellow and reaching
	red and increasingly loudly shrill sounds.. Lak is
	suddenly feeling a power cold gust of from the grave.
	The pint of sweat just instantly pored from all around
	of his body. He comes to a decision that he is a target
	of assassination. There were no direct proofs only too
	many out of normal life coincidental events like from
	the mystery books he is so fancy about.

	A respectable looking gentlemen come out from the nearby
	car opening and closing big umbrella two times in the
	spite of clear star rich sky. He wrote about such sign
	about JFK killing plot. The last small filament, which
	connects him with the human society, was broken. A lock
	in the cell of beast inside of the shell of civilized
	person soundlessly was released and the basis instinct
	of saving his own life not paying attention to the brakes
	of moral or creating a decent impression launches to act
	on its own.

	Lak is sitting on the passenger place put a transmission
	to the backward motion; pushes the gas pedal over Irene's
	leg; push the button to open baggage carrier, drives back
	to the hatchway of sewage system. He jumps out of the car
	without opening a door, grabs big screwdriver from the open
	car's back, begins to raise bar cover of the hole and is
	able to do this in the spite of real resistance of the
	heavy staff.

	The gas truck is coming already entirely close and the
	distance is shorting fast. The umbrella guy runs towards
	them and open it again. Lak shouts "Irene. "Follow me" and
	practically falling inside the black hole. Irene is not
	under shock, but she are somewhat stiffed comparable a man.
	She opens the car door and stepping after Lak.
	Simultaneously with the moment, when she head has already
	been hidden from the surface and hand still holds for the
	edge the tank strikes and rumpled their vehicle that looks
	like as small as a toy in comparison with the gas carrier.
	The tanker overturned, leaks a gasoline in the fountain style.

	Irene is not able to hold any more and falls, knocking against
	clamps by knees and elbows. Lak, who already runs along the
	tunnel, when she smacked up to the layer of water covering
	the surface of the underground, stops for the moment. He
	is examining the situation doing instant estimations of
	chances to carry her out in time. They are slim. The gas
	is poring down quite significantly. He has a possibility 
	to rescue himself only. Their eyes are encountered. She
	shouts to him- "I checked you..." He is turning and runs.

	The gas is finally flared up. Enormous, as a red exotic
	flower a sphere of fire covers everything all around and
	penetrating the tunnel moving after the Lak. He jumps out
	in the ocean and dives underneath at the fairly last
	moment, already covered in fire. But in his ears the
	desperately bitter and improbably loud weeping- cry of
	Irene stands. In the silence of deep the very clearly
	recognizable how the terrible sound of fired women is 
	transformed into the weeping of small girl and dies.
	Probably this is only imagination.

	He surfaces just after the pool of fire. On the
	embankment besides normal mess of the coming fire, medical
	and police vehicles he notes bikers distributed at
	the approximately equal distances from each other.
	They are not separated among the randomly moving idlers.
	They are attracted Lak's attention only because off he
	is focusing on finding hunters after himself.

	He quietly is swimming along the coast and it finally
	reaches the point after the last agent. Lak comes out
	of water fairly far from him. He is crawling almost naked
	along the rock embankment to the biker. The large
	razor-sharp peace of seashell is selected and taken
	by him along the way. His enemy stares with observable
	stress into the sea direction and cannot notice sound
	of paces masked by the noise of surf. By the precise
	gesture of surgeon Lak break the neck of foe. He does
	not release the agonizing body immediately shielding
	himself by him from neighboring security fellow. Lak
	changes cloth with the guard. Approximately in one hour
	in the headset of helmet there is a voice of the command
	"Abort" and bikers one by one are leaving the scene.
	He awaits, when the last one passes and then by the knife
	of guard chops off the right thumb and cut out a right
	eye of the corps.

	He moves on the motorcycle in the direction of disappeared
	band. He already deduced the point of their destination.
	That was his working place. The Center.


		INT. RESEARCH CENTER - NIGHT

	The is an already familiar building of the entrance hall
	of the Center. Lak follows tracks of sand on the stairs
	to the second floor and come in the bathroom identical
	to the one he uses as an backdoor to the research department.
	This time he put the eye of guard to the ocular sensor
	and presses the button by his finger. The door is opened
	in three seconds. Lak never before was in this part of the
	complex. Guards already left somewhere into their barracks.

	One of the doors is half open. Lak stops near by and listens
	a business dialogue between the calm, very high-ranker
	managers. One of them has significant face of natural master.
	On the wide bald spot of the scalp there are three signs
	like after not accurate marking by drunken cowboy.
	The perfect suit decorated with only one jewelry, tie clipper
	with the diamond that easy could the only friend of anybody,
	confronts to his opponent's formal but appeared like a blue
	color uniform if anybody could have crazy idea to compare.


		EXT. OTHER NOT SO BIG BOSS OFFICE - NIGHT

					DIRECTOR
		�will find another surgeon.
		Only two extra years of trainings
		to wait.

					QUASIMODE
		Without any guarantee that new
		boy will be clever adequately
		in order to do everything
		correctly and dizzy enough not
		to care about all scheme? And
		what for did you sent to him
		this slut? She is spy snake.
		You should protect him from
		such kind of attacks, not to
		provoke boiling young blood.

					DIRECTOR
		It was simple routine security
		procedure. Check for the loyalty...
		Sorry, my fault, I did not
		anticipate all consequences.

 

	The big boss quietly looks at his wristwatch, where instead
	of the time the image of Lak in the hall appears.
	Extraordinary man, as usual, suddenly makes a decision.
	He takes a pen, directs it to the subordinate and pull
	and release a holder. The needle shot from the pen
	penetrating the coat discharge a poison into the pody.
	The weapon acts instantly. The target lost ability to move
	and his time slowly flows from its body on the luxurious
	carpet of the office.

					QUASIMODE
		Lak.
		  
	
	Lak quietly appeals chief toward the door.

				QUASIMODE
		I have freed out the position
		of the executive director. Your
		former chief did not manage the
		deadline, literally speaking.
		But time does not wait. My head
		should reseat after only in year.
		To do it to yourself you will not
		be able, but your turn will
		approach not soon yet. You will
		be able to prepare a replacement
		to your position.
							
					LAK
		Offer accepted.
		  
	replays Lak, entering into office together with the pair
	of the well-built guards, whom paying to him no attention.
	They take away the body of killed. The marked man slightly
	smiles. He intends to have a talk, but this is disturbanc
	of the rules of the game, when everyone understands
	everything without the words or die.

					QUASIMODE
		Comfort yourself. Call me Quasimode.
		At the morning you will tomorrow
		select assistant. This night you will
		spend here. Your house does not exist
		any more. Plane crash. The life is full
		of fatal coexistences. One has aircraft
		to his head. Other one suffered with
		heart attack in empathy. Three is a
		bedroom after the bookshelves. You can
		use toothbrush of the predecessor.
		He is completely healthy.
    
	He wants to add, "he was", but rapidly it realized that
	it would sound rhetoric.

					QUASIMODE
		He was. 

	Quasimode adds nevertheless emphasizing that he is over
	any rules here and everything is permitted for the owner
	of life, even tasteless speech. He makes rules about
	anybody and everything here. Quasimode intents to leave,
	but he decides after all to explain his motives. More
	for himself then for Lak.
     
					QUASIMODE
		When everything is so arranged so
		reliably, there is only one danger
		- an anger of Gods. You are lucky,
		happy fellow. This is much too
		important enterprise to relay
		on imageless officers. At least
		one lucky Lak is necessary to be
		here as a talisman.

         

	Quasimode writes short note on the slip of paper,
	approaches Lak, friendly flaps his shoulder and
	directing him to the free chair. - I am leaving
	master password to the system. He leaves the
	scene.


		INT/EXT ANIMATTION/COLLAGE - MANY YEARS

	Lak turns on the computer and begins journey along
	the whole project. One of the episodes appears the
	picture shows three young people in the rooms with
	the sport equipments; one tool is like the enormous
	squirrel wheel. Each of men has red birthmarks these
	are on the exact the same places as a Quasimode has.
	Surgery. Laboratories. Database of client's files.

	Lak arises from the chair. He is already completely
	otherwise, luxurious dressed gentlemen with
	unshakable self confidents looks almost as
	a apprentice of Quasimode. It is evident that passed
	about fifteen years since time we saw him last time.
	He come into the receiving room and tells to secretary
	with the forms of bad girl after model career as
	a playmate of the week.


			EXT. OFFICE - DAY

						LAK
		I am tired. Organize the pair
		of duplicates from the canned
		stock before any usage. I don't
		like these scars you know.
		And join us too. It is not always
		safe to deal with these animals,
		they do not understand a word,
		literally.

			EXT. BEDROOM AT OFFICE DAY

	Against their background the secretary calls. The guards
	derive the dazzling beauty of two girls taking from
	isolated rooms for one. They clearly do not know how
	to talk. Women are calm, but is completely senseless.
	Girls could only inarticulately moan being subordinated
	to gestures of guards. They pass the office entering into
	the bedroom of Lak. He lies naked on the bed and
	watches TV. On the screen the young Quasimode is answering
	questions of journalists. Lak salute to him with a friendly
	smile, switch off the tv-set and turns to the dessert.

Initially published in 2003 or so
republished:
Nov. 7, 2018; 09:00 EST

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