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                               THE MARTIAN




                               Written by

                              Drew Goddard




                     Based on the novel by Andy Weir




                                                   Shooting Script
                         
                         
                         
                         
          EXT. SPACE - MARS - TO ESTABLISH
                         
          THE RED PLANET momentarily eclipses the Sun. As sunlight
          breaks across the edge, warming the surface...
                         
          EXT. MARS - DAY
                         
          We're MOVING THROUGH the channels of Acidalia Planitia to
          find the ARES 3 HAB SITE.
                         
           LEWIS (OVER RADIO)
           All right, team. Stay in sight of each
           other. Let's make NASA proud...
                         
                         TITLE: SOL 18
                         
          EXT. MARS - DAY
                         
          CLOSE ON ASTRONAUT MARK WATNEY. He's in the middle of an EVA
          experiment. He chips at a section of rocks and records his
          observations on his ARM COMPUTER.
                         
          Bright-eyed and optimistic. Another day at the office.
                         
                          MARK
           In grid section fourteen twenty-eight,
           the particles appear predominantly
           "coarse," but as we move to twenty-nine,
           the particles are much finer, and should
           be ideal for chem analysis.
                         
           VOICE (OVER RADIO)
           Hear that, everyone?
                         
          And we FIND RICK MARTINEZ inspecting the MARS ASCENT VEHICLE
          (a.k.a "The MAV") on the launch pad. They speak over radios.
                         
                          MARTINEZ
           Mark just discovered "dirt." Alert the
           media.
                         
                          MARK
           What's your job today, Martinez?
           Confirming the MAV is still upright?
                         
                          MARTINEZ
           Visual inspection of equipment is
           imperative to mission success.
                         
          Martinez studies the MAV for a moment, then speaks
          thoughtfully into his arm computer:
                         
                          MARTINEZ (CONT'D)
           "The MAV is still upright."
                          (CONTINUED)
           2.
           
                         
                         CONTINUED:
                         
                          VOICE (RADIO)
           Watney, you keep leaving your channel
           open...
                         
          FIND COMMANDER MELISSA LEWIS across the way, overseeing a
          drill experiment.
                         
                          LEWIS
           Which leads to Martinez responding, which
           leads to us listening, which leads to me
           being annoyed.
                         
                          MARK
           Martinez, Commander Lewis would like you
           please shut your smart mouth.
                         
                          VOICE
           Speaking for the smart people of the
           world...
                         
          INT. HAB - DAY
                         
          DR. CHRIS BECK studies samples on slides at his station.
                         
                          BECK
           We would prefer you use a different
           adjective to describe Martinez' mouth.
                         
          EXT. MARS - DAY
                         
                          MARTINEZ
           Did Beck just insult me?
                         
                          MARK
           Doctor Beck. And yes.
                         
                          VOICE
           Happy to turn their radios off from here,
           Commander...
                         
          INT. HAB - DAY
                         
          BETH JOHANSSEN sits inside at her computer, tracking (among
          other things) the group's communications.
                         
                          JOHANSSEN
           Just say the word.
                         
          EXT. MARS - DAY
                         
                          MARK
           Johanssen, constant communication is the
           hallmark of a --
                         
                          (CONTINUED)
           3.
           
                         
                         CONTINUED:
                         
                          LEWIS
           Shut `em off.
                         
          Click. Mark and Martinez' radios go SILENT.
                         
          As Lewis works, we see Mark throwing up his arms in the
          background, like "Hey! C'mon!"
                         
                          LEWIS (CONT'D)
           I apologize for my countrymen, Vogel.
                         
          ALEX VOGEL wears the EUROPEAN UNION patch on his shoulder.
                         
                          ALEX
           Accepted. How many samples do we need,
           Commander?
                         
                          LEWIS
           Seven. One hundred grams each. Drill at
           least thirty centimeters down.
                         
          While the two of them use a SPECIMEN DRILL to bore holes in
          the ground, we see Mark waving his arms in the background:
          C'mon, turn my radio back on...
                         
          INT. HAB - DAY
                         
          Johanssen frowns as she receives a MISSION UPDATE from
          Houston. Her face goes PALE...
                         
                          JOHANSSEN
           Um... Commander? You should come
           inside...
                         
          EXT. HAB - DAY
                         
           JOHANSSEN (OVER RADIO)
           You're gonna want to see this.
                         
          Lewis reads the tension in Johanssen's voice.
                         
                          LEWIS
           What is it?
                         
                          JOHANSSEN
           We got a mission update. Storm warning.
                         
                          LEWIS
           I saw the warning in the morning
           briefing. We'll be inside long before it
           hits.
                         
                         
                         
                          (CONTINUED)
           4.
           
                         
                         CONTINUED:
                         
                          JOHANSSEN
           They've upgraded their estimate.
                          (BEAT)
           The storm's gonna be worse.
                         
          LEWIS looks to the skies. IN THE DISTANCE: a STORM darkens
          the horizon.
                         
          Angle MARK: as the dirt in front of him starts to blow in the
          incoming WIND...
                         
          INT. HAB - DAY
                         
          Lewis reads the update. Everyone else is inside as well.
          Mood is grim -- this is not good news.
                         
                          LEWIS
           "...twelve-hundred kilometers in
           diameter, bearing 24.41 degrees..."
                         
                          JOHANSSEN
           That's tracking right towards us.
                         
                          LEWIS
           "...based on current escalation, estimate
           a force of...
                          (SHIT)
           "Eighty-six hundred Newtons."
                         
                          MARK
           What's the Abort Force?
                         
                          BECK
           Seventy-five hundred.
                         
                          MARTINEZ
           Anything above that and the MAV could
           tip.
                         
                          VOGEL
           We're scrubbed?
                         
                          LEWIS
                          (READING)
           "Begin abort procedures."
                         
          Everyone tries to hide their crushing disappointment.
                         
                          MARTINEZ
           Maybe it won't be as bad as they say.
                         
                          VOGEL
           They're estimating with a margin of
           error. We can wait it out.
                          (CONTINUED)
           5.
           
                         
                         CONTINUED:
                         
                          MARK
                          (NODS)
           Let's wait it out.
                         
          ON LEWIS. This news hits her worst of all. She tries to
          consider all her options. Mind RACING.
                         
                          JOHANSSEN
           Commander?
                         
          Fuck.
                         
                          LEWIS
           Prep for emergency departure.
                         
                          MARK
                          COMMANDER --
                         
                          LEWIS
           We're scrubbed.
                         
          EXT. HAB - STORM - DAY
                         
          The HIGH WINDS slam into our five astronauts as they exit the
          airlock. They struggle to stay on their feet as they fight
          their way through the punishing storm.
                         
                          LEWIS
           Visibility is almost zero. If you get
           lost, home in on my suit's telemetry.
           The wind's gonna be rougher away from the
           Hab, so be ready.
                         
          Sand continues to slam them as they take step after agonizing
          step towards the MAV. It's brutal; they fight for every inch.
                         
                          MARK
           Hey. Maybe we could shore up the MAV.
           Make tipping less likely.
                         
                          LEWIS
           How?
                         
                          MARK
           We could use cables from the solar farm
           as guy lines.
                         
          Mark pauses to catch his breath. Starts forward again...
                         
                          MARK (CONT'D)
           The rovers could be anchors. The trick
           would be getting around the--
                         
                         
                          (CONTINUED)
           6.
           
                         
                         CONTINUED:
                         
          WHAM! A massive section of antenna SLAMS INTO MARK out of
          nowhere. He's lifted off his feet and YANKED away into the
          storm. It happens FAST. One second he's there...
                         
          And then he's gone.
                         
                          JOHANSSEN
           WATNEY!!!
                         
                          LEWIS
           What happened?
                         
                          JOHANSSEN
           Something hit him --
                         
                          LEWIS
           Watney, report --
                          (NO REPLY)
           WATNEY, REPORT!
                         
                          JOHANSSEN BECK
          He's offline. I don't know -- Commander, before we lost
          where he is -- telemetry, his decompression
           alarm went off --
                         
                          LEWIS JOHANSSEN
          Shit! Johanssen where did -- He was right in front of
          you last see him? me and then he was gone. He
           flew off due west --
                         
          Lewis surveys the scene. Visibility is NEAR ZERO. She can
          barely see the people next to her. Tries to keep her heart
          from POUNDING out of her chest.
                         
                          LEWIS (CONT'D)
           Okay... okay... Martinez, get to the MAV
           and prep for launch. Everyone else, home
           in on Johanssen.
                         
                          JOHANSSEN
                          (STUMBLING)
           I can't see anything --
                         
                          VOGEL
           Doctor Beck! How long can a person
           survive decompression?
                         
                          BECK
           Less than minute.
                         
                          LEWIS
           Line up and walk west. Small steps.
           He's probably prone. We don't want to
           step over him.
                          (CONTINUED)
           7.
           
                         
                         CONTINUED: (2)
                         
          The group fights through the chaos --
                         
          INT. MAV - CONTINUOUS - DAY
                         
          WHOOSH! Martinez dives into the airlock, forces the door
          closed. Waits for agonizing seconds as it pressurizes...
                         
          Pressurized. Martinez races up the ladder, slides into the
          pilot's couch and boots the system.
                         
                          MARTINEZ
           Commander -- The MAV's got an 8 degree
           tilt. It'll tip at 12.3 --
                         
          EXT. HAB - STORM - CONTINUOUS - DAY
                         
                          LEWIS
           Copy that --
                         
          Beck checks the readout on his arm computer.
                         
                          BECK
           Johanssen, Watney's bio-monitor sent
           something before going offline. My
           computer just says "Bad Packet" --
                         
                          JOHANSSEN
           It didn't finish transmitting.
           (works her arm computer)
           I have the raw packet. It's plaintext:
           BP 0, PR 0, TP 36.2.
                         
                          BECK
           Copy.
                          (THEN)
           Blood pressure zero. Pulse rate zero.
           Temperature normal.
                         
                          LEWIS
           Temperature normal?
                         
                          BECK
           It takes a while for the... it takes a
           while for the body to cool.
                         
          Everyone stops short as that news lands.
                         
           MARTINEZ (OVER RADIO)
           Commander. Tilting at 10.5 degrees now,
           with gusts pushing it to 11.
                         
                          LEWIS
           Copy. If it tips, can you launch before
           it completely falls over?
                          (CONTINUED)
           8.
           
                         
                         CONTINUED:
                         
           MARTINEZ (OVER RADIO)
                          (HESITATES)
           Uh. Yes. Ma'am. I could take manual
           control.
                         
                          LEWIS
           Copy that. Everyone home in on Martinez'
           suit. That'll get you to the airlock.
           Get in and prep for launch.
                         
                          VOGEL
           What about you, Commander?
                         
                          LEWIS
           I'm searching a little more. Get moving.
           And Martinez, if you start to top,
           launch.
                         
           MARTINEZ (OVER RADIO)
           You really think I'm leaving you behind?
                         
                          LEWIS
           I just ordered you to. You three, get to
           the ship.
           (as they hesitate)
           GO.
                         
          INT. MAV - CONTINUOUS - DAY
                         
          Vogel, Beck, and Johanssen stumble into the airlock.
                         
          EXT. STORM - CONTINUOUS - DAY
                         
          Lewis can't see a thing in any direction. C'mon, think,
          Melissa, think...
                         
          She reaches into the pack on her back and removes two of the
          one meter drill bits she was using earlier to take samples.
          She holds one in each hand, dragging them on the ground as
          she trudges through the sand.
                         
                          LEWIS
           Johanssen, would the rover IR camera do
           any good?
                         
          INT. MAV - CONTINUOUS - DAY
                         
           JOHANSSEN (INTO RADIO)
           Negative. IR can't get through sand any
           better than visible light.
                         
          They rip off their helmets. Scramble up the ladder.
                         
                         
                          (CONTINUED)
           9.
           
                         
                         CONTINUED:
                         
                          BECK
           What's she thinking? She's a geologist.
           She knows IR can't get through a
           sandstorm.
                         
                          VOGEL
           She's grasping. For anything.
                         
                          MARTINEZ
           Commander. We're tilting 11.6 degrees.
           One good gust and we're tipping.
                         
           LEWIS (OVER RADIO)
           What about the proximity radar? Could it
           detect Watney's suit?
                         
                          MARTINEZ
           No way. It's made to see Hermes in
           orbit, not the metal in a single suit.
                         
           LEWIS (OVER RADIO)
           Copy. Give it a try.
                         
          Beck slides into his acceleration couch.
                         
                          BECK
           Commander, I know you don't want to hear
           this, but Watn... Mark's dead.
                         
           LEWIS (OVER RADIO)
           Copy.
                          (THEN)
           Martinez, try the radar.
                         
                          MARTINEZ
           Roger.
                         
          As Martinez waits for the radar, he glares at Beck.
                         
                          MARTINEZ (CONT'D)
           What is wrong with you?
                         
                          BECK
           My friend just died. I don't want my
           Commander to die too.
                         
          EXT. STORM - CONTINUOUS - DAY
                         
          Lewis fights her way through the storm.
                         
           MARTINEZ (OVER RADIO)
           Negative contact on proximity radar.
                         
                         
                          (CONTINUED)
           10.
           
                         
                         CONTINUED:
                         
                          LEWIS
           Nothing?
                         
          INT. MAV - CONTINUOUS - DAY
                         
                          MARTINEZ
           It can barely see the Hab. There's not
                          ENOUGH MET--
                         
          SCREEEACH -- the MAV lurches, begins to tip --
                         
                          MARTINEZ (CONT'D)
           Strap in! We're tipping!
                         
                          JOHANSSEN VOGEL
          13 degrees -- -- We're past balance. We'll
           never rock back --
                         
                          BECK
           Let it tip. We can't leave her.
                         
                          MARTINEZ
           We'll never be able to fix it if it tips.
           I got one trick left, then I'm following
           orders.
                         
          EXT. MAV - CONTINUOUS - DAY
                         
          WHOOSH -- Martinez fires a burn from the nosecone array. The
          thrusters fight against the slow tilt of the spacecraft...
                         
          INT. MAV - CONTINUOUS - DAY
                         
                          VOGEL
           You are firing the OMS?
                          MARTINEZ JOHANSSEN
          C'mon... c'mon... 12.9 degrees...
                         
                          BECK
           Commander. You need to get back to the
           ship. Now.
                         
                          MARTINEZ
           Agreed. He's gone, Ma'am...
                         
          EXT. STORM - CONTINUOUS - DAY
                         
          Lewis stands alone in the storm.
                         
           MARTINEZ (OVER RADIO)
           Watney's gone.
                         
          She stares out at the darkness all around her.
           11.
           
                         
                         
                         
                         
          INT. MAV - CONTINUOUS - DAY
                         
          Martinez fights the controls. Beck and Johanssen share
          nervous glances. Finally:
                         
           LEWIS (OVER RADIO)
           Copy. On my way.
                         
                          JOHANSSEN
           11.6... 11.5... holding at 11.5...
                         
          INT. MAV - AIRLOCK - CONTINUOUS - DAY
                         
          WHOOSH. Down below, Lewis slams the airlock door shut. She
          tears off her suit. Makes her way to the flight cabin.
                         
          She doesn't say a word as she straps herself in to her couch.
                         
          For a moment, nobody speaks. Then:
                         
                          MARTINEZ
           Still at pilot release. Ready for
           launch.
                         
          Lewis closes her eyes. Nods.
                         
                          MARTINEZ (CONT'D)
           I'm sorry, Commander. You need to
                          VERBALLY --
                         
                          LEWIS
           Launch.
                         
          Martinez nods. Activates the sequence. The pyros FIRE. The
          main engines IGNITE...
                         
          CLOSE ON LEWIS. Just as the MAV LURCHES UPWARD, we --
                         
                          CUT TO:
                         
          INT. NASA - PRESS ROOM - DAY
                         
          THEODORE "TEDDY" SANDERS, Director of NASA, steels himself
          before he steps to the podium. Normally, he leaves these
          briefings to his press secretary.
                         
          Today is different. He opens a RED FOLDER.
                         
                          TEDDY
           At around 4:30 a.m., central standard
           time, our satellites detected a storm
           approaching the Ares 3 mission site on
           Mars.
                          (MORE)
                          (CONTINUED)
           12.
           
                         
                         CONTINUED:
                          TEDDY (CONT'D)
           By 6:45, the storm had escalated to
           "severe," and we had no choice but to
           abort the mission. Thanks to the quick
           action of Commander Lewis, astronauts
           Beck, Johanssen, Martinez, and Vogel were
           all able to reach the Mars Ascent Vehicle
           and perform an emergency launch at 7:28
           central time.
                          (THEN)
           Unfortunately, during the evacuation,
           Astronaut Mark Watney was struck by
           debris and killed. Commander Lewis and
           the rest of her team were able to
           intercept safely with the Hermes and are
           now heading home...
           (wavers, then)
           But Mark Watney is dead.
                         
          As the CACOPHONY of questions erupts from the press --
                         
          EXT. MARS - DAY
                         
          Clear skies above the surface of Mars once again. PRELAP the
          sound of an ALARM: ARRR... ARRR... ARRR...
                         
          A BODY lies facedown, half-covered in red sand at the base of
          a hill. We catch a glimpse of the nametag on the spacesuit:
                         
          "Watney."
                         
          The OXYGEN ALARM inside the helmet continues to BLARE. And
          just as it builds to crescendo...
                         
          Mark Watney gasps for air.
                         
          He jerks back into consciousness. He's disoriented, alarms
          BLARING inside his helmet. As he struggles to move...
                         
          He screams in pain. Glances down. Sees:
                         
          A JAGGED LENGTH OF ANTENNA has pierced his spacesuit and
          stabbed straight into his abdomen. CAKED BLOOD all around
          the wound.
                         
          Mark's training kicks in -- the suit is breached -- he
          struggles to his knees -- gasping in pain -- he reaches to
          the side of his helmet for the BREACH KIT -- pulls the valve
          free -- grabs hold of the antenna... grits his teeth...
                         
          AND YANKS the antenna out of his side. The antenna SNAPS
          FREE -- the suit is exposed to atmosphere -- the pressure
          inside DROPS -- Mark CRIES OUT, goes woozy --
                         
          But stays conscious.
                          (CONTINUED)
           13.
           
                         
                         CONTINUED:
                         
          He slams the breach kit over the hole. Seals it. Checks his
          arm readout. The oxygen stabilizes. He's still alive.
                         
          For now.
                         
          He struggles to his feet. Picks up the length of antenna.
          Begins the LONG CLIMB up the hill.
                         
          EXT. MARS - HAB - DAY
                         
          We're WITH MARK as he makes the climb, and as he crests the
          hill we swing around to reveal:
                         
          THE ARES 3 HABITATION (a.k.a. "The Hab"): The large, white
          tent-like structure where the six crew members lived during
          their time on Mars.
                         
          It's been battered by the storm, but it's still intact. Mark
          registers momentary relief. But then his eyes dart over to
          the MAV LAUNCH SITE.
                         
          It's empty.
                         
          He keeps walking.
                         
          INT. HAB - AIRLOCK - DAY
                         
          Mark fumbles his way into one of the hab's airlocks. As soon
          as the airlock equalizes, he tears off his helmet...
                         
          INT. HAB - DAY
                         
          Mark stumbles into the main area. Peels off his jumpsuit.
          WINCES as he rips the blood-caked fabric away from HIS WOUND.
                         
          His fingers probe the puncture. It's deep. That's bad. He
          checks his back for an exit wound. There's none. That's
          good. He grabs the broken antenna he brought with him. His
          fingers trace the bloodied end. It's jagged -- as though a
          piece of the antenna broke off inside him.
                         
          That's really bad.
                         
          Mark stumbles over to the first-aid station. Grabs supplies.
          Anesthetic. Syringe. Forceps. Needle. Suture thread.
                         
          (This is not exactly going to be easy to watch.)
                         
          Sweat pouring off his brow, Mark loads up the syringe with
          anesthetic. Grits his teeth. Injects it into his wound.
          Gasps. Breathes. Grabs the forceps. Hesitates. I don't
          want to do this. He takes a deep breath...
                         
          And digs the forceps into his wound.
                          (CONTINUED)
           14.
           
                         
                         CONTINUED:
                         
          He CRIES OUT in pain. Nearly goes unconscious. Fights it.
          Don't pass out, Mark. He probes with the forceps, grimacing
          in agony. He can't find it. Pushes the forceps in deeper.
          And DEEPER. Jesus. Mark's face goes WHITE.
                         
          He finds it. Yanks the forceps free. Sees the small piece
          of shrapnel. It's out. Hallelujah.
                         
          Mark grabs the needle. Tries to thread it. His hands won't
          stop shaking. He makes fists. C'mon Mark. Steadies himself
          just enough.
                         
          He begins to stitch himself up. Bit by agonizing bit. His
          hands keep shaking, but he refuses to stop until the wound is
          closed. Finally...
                         
          He's done. He clips the sutures. Collapses back into his
          chair. Oh Jesus. Tries to catch his breath.
                         
          We slowly ANGLE IN ON MARK as he struggles to breathe... and
          breathe...
                         
          And as we settle into a CLOSEUP, we see the full reality of
          Mark's situation hit him. He's in agony. Left for dead.
          All by himself.
                         
          The only man on the planet.
                         
          His eyes drift to the middle distance. Then...
                         
                          MARK
           Fuck.
                         
           CUT TO TITLE:
                          THE MARTIAN
                         
                         
          INT. HAB - DAY
                         
          CAM ANGLE: we're looking through what (we assume) is a NASA
          camera. Mark's head peeks into frame. He adjusts the
          camera, seems unfamiliar with how to work the video journal.
                         
                          MARK
           Okay. Okay...
                         
          He types on the keypad. We see the NASA TIMESTAMP appear on
          the frame. There, it's working.
                         
                          MARK (CONT'D)
           This is... Mark Watney. Astronaut. I am
           entering this log for the record, in case
           I... don't make it. It's...
                          (MORE) (CONTINUED)
           15.
           
                         
                         CONTINUED:
                          MARK (CONT'D)
           oh-six-fifty-three on Sol 19. And... I'm
           still alive.
                          (THINKS)
           Obviously. But I'm guessing this is
           going to be a surprise to my crewmates.
           And NASA. And... the world. So...
           surprise.
                          (THEN)
           I didn't die on Sol 18. Best I can tell -
                         
          Mark holds up the jagged piece of antenna.
                         
                          MARK (CONT'D)
           -- this length of our primary
           communications antenna tore through my
           bio-monitor. And ripped a hole in me as
           well. It was horrible thank you for
           asking. But the antenna... and the
           blood... managed to seal the breach in my
           suit. Which kept me alive. Even though
           the team must have thought I was dead.
                          (THEN)
           Commander Lewis... If you ever hear
           this... Listen. It wasn't your fault.
           Just bad luck. You did what you had to
           do, and if I had been in your position I
           would have done the same. I'm glad you
           guys made it.
                          (THEN)
           All right, though. That's where we're
           at. Mark Watney, stranded on Mars. I
           have no way to contact NASA because our
           communications antenna broke and stuck
           into my stomach. Which we've covered.
           And even if I could, it will take... four
           years before the next manned mission gets
           here. And I'm in a Hab designed to last
           thirty-one days.
                          (THEN)
           If the oxygenator breaks, I'll suffocate.
           If the water reclaimer breaks, I'll die
           of thirst. If the Hab breaches, I'll
           just sort of... implode. And if, by some
           miracle, none of that happens...
           eventually I'm going to run out of food.
           So... yeah.
                         
          Mark trails off. It's one thing to know it. It's another to
          say it out loud.
                         
                          MARK (CONT'D)
           Yeah.
           16.
           
                         
                         
                         
                         
          INT. HAB - NIGHT
                         
          Mark sits in his bunk. Drumming his fingers on the wall.
          Thinking.
                         
          EXT. MARS - DAWN
                         
          The first slivers of sunlight start to creep over the
          horizon.
                         
                         TITLE: SOL 21
                         
          INT. HAB - DAY
                         
          Mark flushes the toilet, which begins the procedure of vacuum-
          drying the waste. Mark glances back at the system. Hmmm...
                         
          The system finishes its process, sealing the waste into --
                         
          A SILVER BAG.
                         
          Mark studies the bag. Idea forming.
                         
          INT. HAB - DAY
                         
          Inventory. Mark removes all of the ration packs, stacking
          them in orderly piles as he catalogues their contents. One
          case in particular catches his attention.
                         
          Label: "DO NOT OPEN UNTIL THANKSGIVING."
                         
          INT. HAB - DAWN
                         
          Mark sits in the darkness. We get the sense he hasn't moved
          much in the night. He stares into the middle distance.
                         
          Then.
                         
          He makes the decision. Get up, Mark. He gets to his feet.
          Moves with purpose as he rummages through the hab. Looking
          for something. Where is it? There...
                         
          A pencil.
                         
          He pulls a notecard free from one of his manuals. Paper.
                         
          Back to basics. He sits at the table. And begins writing
          math equations.
                         
                         
                          MARK (PRELAP)
           Let's do the math...
                         
                          CUT TO:
                          (CONTINUED)
           17.
           
                         
                         CONTINUED:
                         
          Mark addresses camera. He looks a little less-terrible than
          he did before.
                         
                          MARK (CONT'D)
           Our surface mission here was supposed to
           take thirty-one days. For redundancy,
           they sent enough food to last for sixty-
           eight days. For six people. So for just
           me, it'll last three-hundred days. And I
           figure I can stretch that to four hundred
           if I ration. So... I've still gotta
           figure out how to grow three years worth
           of food. Here. On a planet where
           nothing grows. Luckily, I'm the
           botanist.
                         
          Mark holds up one of his mission briefs. Points to the word
          "Botanist" under "Watney." Looks at us like, impressed?
                         
                          MARK (CONT'D)
           Mars will come to fear my botany powers.
                         
          EXT. HAB - DAY
                         
          Mark collects the pile of silver bags. Carries them inside.
                         
          INT. HAB - DAY
                         
          Mark stands in the kitchen, surrounded by silver bags. He
          fills a large container with water from the Reclaimer. He
          dumps in the contents of the compost bin.
                         
          Then he stares at the bags. He does not look happy.
                         
          He tears open a bag. Dumps the contents into the bin. Tears
          open another bag. As he does so, he starts to GAG --
                         
                         TITLE: SOL 24
                         
          EXT. MARS - HAB - DAY
                         
          Mark scoops Martian dirt into a container with a small
          shovel. He carries the container to the airlock --
                         
          INT. HAB - DAY
                         
          Mark enters the Hab, dumps his container of dirt into a
          corner where he's cleared an empty area.
                         
                         TITLE: SOL 25
           18.
           
                         
                         
                         
                         
          INT. HAB - DAY
                         
          Same shot. Mark enters with another container. We follow to
          reveal... there's now a HUGE PILE of dirt in the corner.
                         
                         TITLE: SOL 28
                         
          INT. HAB - DAY
                         
          Mark has spread the dirt over a third of the Hab floor. He
          stares at the compost bin. Eyes it like it's his nemesis.
                         
          Then he takes a deep breath. Opens the bin. Begins dumping
          it over the Martian dirt.
                         
          He can't hold his breath forever. He breathes eventually.
          Oh god, that's horrible.
                         
                         TITLE: SOL 31
                         
          INT. HAB - DAY
                         
          Mark cuts each potato into four quarters, making sure each
          quarter has at least two eyes.
                         
          He begins planting each potato quarter in nice, orderly rows.
          As he works, we slowly WIDEN OUT to reveal --
                         
          The ENTIRE HAB is now covered in SOIL. Not just the floor --
          Mark has cleared every available surface -- bunks,
          countertops, table -- and covered it with his dirt.
                         
          INT. HAB - DAY
                         
          Mark packs soil on top of one of the crew member's bunks. As
          he moves the personal items aside, he finds a DATA-STICK. He
          holds it up and looks at it: hmmmm. CUT TO:
                         
          Mark has plugged the data-stick into the computer and is now
          viewing its contents: old episodes of seventies television.
                         
          Mark just sits there. Watching HAPPY DAYS.
                         
                         TITLE: SOL 36
                         
                          MARK (PRELAP)
           The problem is water...
                         
          INT./EXT - ROVER - DAY
                         
          Mark trudges out to the Mars Descent Vehicle (MDV) -- the
          lander that brought the six of them to Mars. He delicately
          begins to remove the Hydrazine tank from the undercarriage...
                         
                          (CONTINUED)
           19.
           
                         
                         CONTINUED:
                         
           MARK (V.O.)
           I've created one-hundred and twenty-six
           square meters of soil. But each cubic
           meter needs forty liters of water to be
           farmable. So, I gotta make a lot of
           water. Fortunately, I know the recipe.
           Take hydrogen. Add oxygen. Burn.
           Unfortunately... burn.
                          (THEN)
           I have hundreds of liters of unused
           Hydrazine from the MDV. If I run the
           Hydrazine over an iridium catalyst, it'll
           separate into N2 and H2...
                         
          INT. HAB - DAY
                         
          Science time. Quick cuts now as Mark shows us how to make
          water by burning rocket fuel:
                         
          -- Mark duct tapes torn trash-bags to create a tent, which he
          uses to cover his work table.
                         
          -- He tears an air hose from one of the space suits, tapes it
          to the tent, hangs it from the roof. Now he has a chimney.
                         
          -- Mark vents pure oxygen from a tank, lights it with a spark
          from battery wires. Whoosh. Points the flame at the wood
          shavings. Now he has a small torch.
                         
          -- Mark holds the torch, starts the Hydrazine flow. The
          Hydrazine sizzles on the iridium and DISAPPEARS.
                         
          FOLLOW Mark's gaze up to the chimney. FLAME BURSTS start
          sputtering out from the hose. Mark grins. It's working.
                         
          Mark checks his instruments. Watches the temperature
          carefully. Repeats the process.
                         
          We may also notice Mark is wearing the protective inner
          lining of his EVA suit. Along with goggles. An oxygen mask
          hangs around his neck.
                         
          INT. HAB - DAY
                         
          Mark talks directly to camera. We may notice he is standing
          in the middle of what looks like a mad-scientist's chemistry
          experiment.
                         
                          MARK
           Then I just need to direct the hydrogen
           into a small area and burn it. Luckily,
           in the history of humanity, nothing bad
           has ever happened from lighting hydrogen
           on fire.
                          (CONTINUED)
           20.
           
                         
                         CONTINUED:
                         
          Mark just stares at the camera. Then continues.
                         
                          MARK (CONT'D)
           Believe it or not, the challenge has been
           finding something that will hold a flame.
           NASA hates fire. Because of the whole
           "fire makes everyone die in space" thing.
           So everything we brought with us is flame
           retardant. With the notable exception
           of... Martinez' personal items.
                         
          He holds up Martinez' pack. Removes a small wooden cross.
                         
                          MARK (CONT'D)
           Sorry, Martinez. If you didn't want me
           to go through your stuff, you shouldn't
           have left me for dead on a desolate
           planet.
                         
          He starts shaving the cross down with a knife.
                         
                          MARK (CONT'D)
           I figure God won't mind, considering the
           situation.
                         
          INT. HAB - DAY
                         
          Mark's still at it. He looks exhausted. He goes through the
          procedure once again. Glances at the atmospheric analyzer.
          Hm. Is that right? Doesn't give it a second thought.
                         
          He strikes the torch again...
                         
          BOOM!
                         
          The explosion is LOUD, FAST, and CONTAINED. It blasts Mark
          clear across the room. He hits the ground like a wet rag.
                         
          INT. HAB - DAY
                         
          Mark talks to camera. His clothes are somewhat scorched.
          His hair is singed in patches.
                         
                          MARK
           So. Yes. I blew myself up.
                          (THEN)
           Best guess? I forgot to account for the
           excess oxygen I've been exhaling when I
           did my calculations. Because I'm stupid.
                         
          He's still dazed. A little out of it.
                         
                         
                         
                          (CONTINUED)
           21.
           
                         
                         CONTINUED:
                         
                          MARK (CONT'D)
           Interesting side note: this is how Jet
           Propulsion Laboratory was founded. Five
           guys at Cal Tech were trying to make
           rocket fuel and nearly burned down their
           dorm. Rather than expel them,
           Professor... Von Karman? I want to say...
           banished them to a nearby farm in
           Pasadena and told them to keep working.
           And now we have a space program.
                          (THEN)
           See? I pay attention.
                          (THEN)
           I'm gonna get back to work. As soon as
           my ears stop ringing.
                         
          He just sits there for a while.
                         
          INT. HAB - DAY
                         
          Mark's back at it. He checks his math, adjusts the O2
          levels. He glances at camera, then crosses his fingers.
          Winces as he fires up the torch.
                         
          He doesn't blow up. Phew. Starts venting the hydrazine.
                         
                          CUT TO:
                         
          Later. Mark steps back from the table. Wipes the sweat from
          his brow. Looks at his hands. Sweat. He walks over to the
          walls. Sees the condensation. Beads of water everywhere.
          He traces them with his finger.
                         
          It's as though he's created a rainforest in his Hab.
                         
          He walks to the WATER RECLAIMER. Takes the lid off the TANK.
                         
          It's now FILLED with water. Mark grins.
                         
                         TITLE: SOL 48
                         
          INT. HAB - DAY/NIGHT
                         
          WIDE SHOT: we see the entire Hab. The surfaces covered with
          soil, the cramped living space, the mad-scientist experiment.
                         
          Mark works at the table. And as he does so... we begin to
          SPEED UP. Time lapse photography:
                         
          Mark vents the Hydrazine -- Mark checks his readouts -- Mark
          collects water from the reclaimer -- Mark spreads the water
          over his soil -- Mark eats lunch -- Mark goes back to work --
                         
          Moving faster and FASTER:
                          (CONTINUED)
           22.
           
                         
                         CONTINUED:
                         
          Mark sleeps -- Mark puts on his spacesuit -- Mark exits the
          Hab -- Mark brings in more dirt -- Mark vents Hydrazine --
          Mark eats -- Mark sleeps --
                         
          While the days FLY BY, we're slowly ANGLING towards the back
          of the room...
                         
          -- Mark works Mark eats Mark sleeps Mark works --
                         
          Towards a small patch of SOIL in the corner. We land in
          CLOSEUP: soil filling the frame. We HOLD.
                         
          And after a beat...
                         
          A single, green SPROUT breaks through the soil.
                         
                         TITLE: SOL 54
                         
           CUT TO BLACK.
                         
          EXT. SPACE
                         
          And FROM BLACK, we FIND EARTH. The calming blue-greens a
          welcome reprieve from the fiery reds of Mars.
                         
          EXT. ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY - DAY
                         
          Teddy speaks before a memorial. A somber crowd listens in
          silence. We watch from far away.
                         
                          TEDDY
           Our nation was blessed to have Mark
           serving in our space program. His loss
           will be deeply felt, but the men and
           women of NASA will soldier forth, onward
           and upward, unbroken in the mission of
           their agency. In doing so, they honor
           the legacy Mark leaves behind, and they
           ensure his sacrifice will not be in vain.
                         
          EXT. NASA - DAY
                         
          A MAN walks past the NASA logo greeting visitors at the gate.
                         
          TITLE: JOHNSON SPACE CENTER, HOUSTON, TX
                         
          INT. NASA - DAY
                         
          The man enters the main lobby.
                         
          TITLE: VINCENT KAPOOR, DIRECTOR OF MARS MISSIONS, NASA
                         
          Guards glance up from the television, nod hello. As Vincent
          walks through security, we catch a glimpse of their screens:
                          (CONTINUED)
           23.
           
                         
                         CONTINUED:
                         
          A CNN TITLE reads: "President Speaks At Watney Memorial."
                         
          INT. NASA - VARIOUS - DAY
                         
          As Vincent makes his way through NASA, we notice EVERYONE IN
          THE BUILDING is watching news reports of the Watney service.
                         
          ON THE SCREENS: We catch a brief glimpse of a female
          astronaut floating in zero-g, eulogizing Mark.
                         
          INT. NASA - TEDDY'S OFFICE - DAY
                         
          A man sits at his desk, staring out the window. We recognize
          him from the beginning of the movie.
                         
          TITLE: TEDDY SANDERS, DIRECTOR OF NASA
                         
          ON THE TELEVISION, we see Teddy shake hands with the
          President at the service.
                         
          Vincent gives it a passing glance as he enters.
                         
                          VINCENT
           I thought you gave a lovely speech, by
           the way.
                         
          Not one for small talk, Teddy gestures for Vincent to hand
          him the request form he's holding.
                         
                          VINCENT (CONT'D)
           I need you to authorize my satellite
           time.
                         
           Teddy gives it a quick glance, shakes his head.
                         
                          TEDDY
           It's not gonna happen.
                         
                          VINCENT
           We're funded for five Ares missions. I
           think I can get Congress to authorize a
           sixth.
                         
                          TEDDY
           No.
                         
                          VINCENT
           They evac'd after eighteen sols. There's
           half a mission worth of supplies up
           there. I can sell another mission at a
           fraction of the cost. I just need to
           know what's left of our assets.
                         
                         
                          (CONTINUED)
           24.
           
                         
                         CONTINUED:
                         
                          TEDDY
           You're not the only one who needs
           satellite time. We've got the Ares 4
           supply missions coming up. We should be
           focusing on the Schiaparelli Crater.
                         
                          VINCENT
           I'm talking about securing us another
           mission. We have twelve satellites in
           orbit, we can surely spare a few hours --
                         
                          TEDDY
           It's not about the satellite time, Vince.
                         
          Vincent shrugs -- then what is it?
                         
                          TEDDY (CONT'D)
           We're a public domain organization. We
           have to be transparent about this.
                         
                          VINCENT
           And?
                         
                          TEDDY
           The second we point the satellites at the
           Hab... I broadcast pictures of Mark
           Watney's dead body to the world.
                         
                          VINCENT
                          (DISBELIEF)
           You're afraid of a PR problem?
                         
                          TEDDY
           Of course I'm afraid of a PR problem.
           Another mission? Congress won't
           reimburse us for a paper clip if we put a
           dead astronaut on the cover of The
           Washington Post.
                         
                          VINCENT
           So... what do we do? He's not going to
           decompose. He'll be there forever.
                         
                          TEDDY
           Meteorology estimates he'll be covered in
           sand from normal weather activity within
           a year.
                         
                          VINCENT
           We can't wait a year for this. We have
           work to do.
                         
                         
                         
                          (CONTINUED)
           25.
           
                         
                         CONTINUED: (2)
                         
                          TEDDY
           Ares 5 won't even launch for another five
           years. We have plenty of time.
                         
          Vincent thinks about it. Frustrated. Tries another tack.
                         
                          VINCENT
           Okay, consider this. Right now, the
           world is on our side. Sympathy for
           Watney's family is high...
                         
          He knows this sounds cold, but he's out of options.
                         
                          VINCENT (CONT'D)
           Ares 6 could bring the body back. We
           don't say that's the purpose of the
           mission, but we make it clear that would
           be part of it. We frame it that way, we
           get more support in Congress. I can sell
           it. But not if we wait a year.
                         
          Teddy stares back out the window. Vincent has a point.
                         
                          VINCENT (CONT'D)
           In a year, people won't care any more.
                         
          INT. NASA - MISSION CONTROL - NIGHT
                         
          A WOMAN in her twenties checks the work order on her screen.
                         
          TITLE: MINDY PARK, SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS, NASA
                         
          She straightens up when she sees the request comes from
          "KAPOOR, Vincent." She enters the latitude and longitude...
                         
                          MINDY
           Acidalia Planitia...
                         
          Her heart starts to beat a little faster. Click. The images
          pop up: overhead shots of the Hab site. Morbid curiosity
          getting the better of her, she scans for Mark's dead body.
          Doesn't find it. Hmmm...
                         
          She zooms in on the Hab. That's strange.
                         
          And then it hits her.
                         
          Oh god.
                         
          She doesn't know what to do. It takes her a moment to find
          the phone. Heart POUNDING.
                         
                         
                         
                          (CONTINUED)
           26.
           
                         
                         CONTINUED:
                         
                          MINDY (CONT'D)
           Security? This is Mindy Park in SatCon.
           I need the emergency contact number for
           Dr. Kapoor. Yes, him. Yes it's an
                          EMERGENCY --
                         
          INT. NASA - MISSION CONTROL - NIGHT
                         
          A hard-charging WOMAN stares at us in SHOCK --
                         
                          WOMAN
           Oh you have GOT to be SHITTING ME --
                         
          TITLE: ANNIE MONTROSE, Director of Media Relations, NASA
                         
          Annie, Vincent, and Teddy all huddle in the conference room.
          IMAGES of the HAB site on the screens around them.
                         
                          TEDDY
           How sure?
                         
                          VINCENT
           Nearly 100%.
                         
                          ANNIE
           Do you understand the shitstorm that's
           about to hit us?
                         
                          TEDDY
           Annie, one thing at a time.
                          (TO VINCENT)
           Prove it to me.
                         
                          VINCENT
           (points to images)
           For starters, the solar panels have been
           cleaned.
                         
                          TEDDY
           They could have been cleaned by wind.
                         
                          VINCENT
           Look at Rover 2. According to the logs,
           Commander Lewis took it out on Sol 17.
           Plugged it into the Hab to recharge.
           It's been moved.
                         
                          TEDDY
           She could have forgotten to log the move.
                         
                          VINCENT
           Here's the clincher. Check the MDV.
           It's been taken apart. There's no way
           they do that without telling us.
                          (CONTINUED)
           27.
           
                         
                         CONTINUED:
                         
                          ANNIE
           Why don't we talk to Lewis? Let's go to
           CAPCOM and ask her directly right now.
                         
          Vincent shoots Teddy a glance. After a moment, Teddy
          understands what it means.
                         
                          TEDDY
           No. If Watney is really alive... we
           don't want the Ares 3 crew to know.
                         
                          ANNIE
           What? How can you not tell them?
                         
                          TEDDY
           They have another ten months on their
           trip home. Space travel is dangerous.
           We need them alert and undistracted.
                         
                          ANNIE
           They already think he's dead.
                         
                          VINCENT
           And they'd be devastated to find out they
           abandoned him alive.
                         
                          ANNIE
           You're on board with this?
                         
                          VINCENT
           We have to protect the crew. There's
           nothing they can do anyway. Let them
           deal with the emotional trauma when
           they're not trapped in a spaceship.
                         
                          TEDDY
           How do we handle the public?
                         
                          ANNIE
           We have twenty-four hours before we're
           required to release the pics.
                         
                          TEDDY
           We'll need to release a statement with
           them. We don't want people working it
           out on their own.
                         
                          ANNIE
           "Dear America. Remember that astronaut
           we thought we killed and had a nice
           funeral for? Turns out he's alive and we
           left him on Mars. Our bad. Sincerely,
           NASA."
                         
                          (CONTINUED)
           28.
           
                         
                         CONTINUED: (2)
                         
                          TEDDY
                          (STANDS UP)
           I need to get on a plane to Chicago.
                         
                          VINCENT
           (Why? Oh...)
           Mark's parents.
                         
                          TEDDY
                          (NODS)
           They should hear it from me before it
           breaks on the news.
                         
                          ANNIE
           They'll be happy to hear their son's
           alive, at least.
                         
                          TEDDY
           He's alive. But if my math is right,
           he's gonna starve to death long before we
           can help him.
                          (THEN)
           I'm not exactly looking forward to that
           conversation.
                         
          Vincent's eyes drift to the images of Mars.
                         
                          VINCENT
           Can you even imagine what he's going
           through? He's fifty million miles from
           home. He thinks he's totally alone and
           that we all gave up on him. What kind of
           effect does that have on a man's
           psychology?
                          (THEN)
           What's he thinking about right now?
                         
          EXT. SPACE - MARS - TO ESTABLISH
                         
                          MARK (PRELAP)
           I'm gonna die up here...
                         
          INT. HAB - DAY
                         
          Mark stares directly into camera.
                         
                          MARK
           ...if I have to listen to any more
           goddamn disco music.
                         
          We now notice that Vicki Sue Robinson's "Turn the Beat
          Around" is playing on the computer.
                         
                         
                          (CONTINUED)
           29.
           
                         
                         CONTINUED:
                         
                          MARK (CONT'D)
           Jesus, Commander Lewis, you couldn't have
           packed anything from this century?
                          (THEN)
           I'm not turning the beat around. I
           refuse to.
                         
                          CUT TO:
                         
          INT. HAB - NIGHT
                         
          Mark sits at his work station, checking A MAP of Mars while
          he makes calculations.
                         
                         TITLE: SOL 70
                         
           MARK (V.O.)
           It's time to start thinking long term.
           The next NASA mission is Ares 4. It's
           supposed to land at the Schiaparelli
           Crater, 3,200 km away.
                         
          We see Mark trace a route from his position to the crater.
                         
           MARK (V.O.)
           NASA presupplies each mission years in
           advance, so the MAV is already there,
           synthesizing fuel. In four years when
           the Hermes returns, I'll have to launch
           from there. Which means I gotta get to
           the crater.
                         
          EXT. HAB - DAY
                         
          Quick cuts. Mark rips the (VERY large) battery out of Rover
          1 and drags it over to Rover 2. Stares at it. Where am I
          gonna put this?
                         
          INT. HAB - NIGHT
                         
          Mark speaks directly to camera.
                         
                          MARK
           But here's the rub. I've got two rovers
           designed to go a max distance of 35
           kilometers before they need to be
           recharged at the Hab. That's problem A.
           Problem B is it'll take me... roughly
           fifty days to make the journey. So I
           have to be able to live for fifty days.
           Inside a rover with marginal life support
           the size of a small van.
                          (MORE)
                         
                          (CONTINUED)
           30.
           
                         
                         CONTINUED:
                          MARK (CONT'D)
           And yeah, problem C is if I don't figure
           out how to make contact with NASA in the
           first place, none of this matters anyway.
           So... yes, in the face of overwhelming
           odds, I am left with only one option:
                          (THEN)
           I'm gonna have to science the shit out of
           this.
                         
          MUSIC UP: The bouncing bass line of "Rubberband Man" by The
          Spinners carries us through --
                         
          EXT. HAB - DAY
                         
          -- Mark attaches the battery to Rover 2 with a makeshift
          harness.
                         
          EXT. HAB - DUSK
                         
          -- Mark sits behind the wheel of his wagon train. Takes it
          for a test drive. It's not pretty, but the spare battery
          HOLDS. As do the solar cells.
                         
          INT. ROVER - NIGHT
                         
          Mark speaks to the camera. His teeth are chattering.
                         
                          MARK
           Okay, so... success? I've doubled my
           battery life by scavenging Rover 1. BUT.
           If I use the heater, it'll eat up half my
           battery power every day. If I don't use
           the heater, I will be slowly killed by
           the laws of thermodynamics.
           (tries to stop shaking)
           I'd like to solve this problem, but
           unfortunately my brain is frozen.
                         
          Mark drives back towards the Hab.
                         
          EXT. MARS - DAY
                         
          Mark drives the Rover across Acidalia Planitia. IN THE
          DISTANCE: a GREEN FLAG is planted at the top of a hill.
                         
           MARK (V.O.)
           Good news: I may have a solution to my
           heating problem.
                         
          Mark climbs the hill.
                         
           MARK (V.O.)
           Bad news: it involves me digging up the
           Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator.
                          (MORE)
                          (CONTINUED)
           31.
           
                         
                         CONTINUED:
           MARK (V.O.) (CONT'D)
           Now, if I remember my training correctly,
           one of the lessons was titled, "Don't Dig
           Up The Big Box of Plutonium, Mark..."
                         
          Mark begins to dig up the big box of plutonium.
                         
           MARK (V.O.)
           I get it. RTGs are good for spacecraft,
           but if they rupture around humans... no
           more humans. Which is why we buried it
           when we arrived. And planted that flag
           so we would never be stupid enough to
           accidentally go near it again.
                         
          Mark unearths the RTG. It looks like a small missile.
                         
                          MARK
           But. As long as I don't break it...
                          (HESITATES)
           I almost said "everything will be fine"
           out loud. My point is...
                         
          INT. ROVER - DAY
                         
          Mark talks to camera while he drives the rover. He's covered
          in sweat. He even has his shirt off.
                         
                          MARK
           I'm not cold anymore. And yes, I could
           choose to think about the fact that I'm
           warm because I have a decaying
           radioactive isotope riding shotgun next
           to me, but right now I have bigger
           problems on my hands. I've scoured every
           single data file on Commander Lewis'
           personal drive, and this is officially
           the LEAST disco song she owns.
                         
          Mark hits play on the computer. "Hot Stuff" by Donna Summer
          starts playing. It's super disco-y. Mark drives, stone-
          faced, while it plays.
                         
          EXT. MARS - DAY
                         
          The rover heads towards the Hab in the distance, growing
          smaller and smaller in frame. Gotta have some HOT LOVE baby
          this evening... Hot hot hot hot... stuff...
                         
          INT. NASA - PRESS ROOM - DAY
                         
          SATELLITE IMAGERY: from above, Mark's rover cuts across Mars.
                         
                          REPORTER 1
           Where is Watney going?
                          (CONTINUED)
           32.
           
                         
                         CONTINUED:
                         
          A CNN REPORTER conducts an interview with Vincent in the NASA
          MEDIA ROOM. Annie watches like a nervous stage mom.
                         
                          VINCENT
           We believe he's preparing for a journey.
           He's conducting incremental tests --
           taking Rover 2 out for longer and longer
           trips each time.
                         
                          REPORTER 2
           To what end? Why would he leave the
           relative safety of the Hab?
                         
                          VINCENT
           Communication. We believe he plans to
           travel to the Ares 4 launch site in order
           to make contact with us. But it would be
           a dangerous gamble.
                         
                          REPORTER 3
           He'd be risking his life to talk to you?
                         
                          VINCENT
                          (NODS)
           This is the problem Mark faces. He's
           alone. And he needs to make contact to
           survive. But if we could talk to him,
           we'd tell him to stay put. Mark needs to
           trust we're doing everything in our power
           to bring him home alive.
                         
          INT. NASA - DAY
                         
          Venkat walks quickly down the halls with Annie...
                         
                          ANNIE
           Don't say "Bring him home alive." It
           reminds the world he might die.
                         
                          VENKAT
           You think people might forget that?
                         
                          ANNIE
           You asked how you did and I'm giving you
           my answer. My answer is "Eh." And yes,
           I'm going to make everyone forget there's
           a strong likelihood Mark Watney is going
           to die because that's what you pay me for
           and unfortunately I need this job because
           I'm currently paying alimony to two
           deadbeat ex-husbands because somehow
           gender equality has bitten me square in
           the ass.
                         
                          (CONTINUED)
           33.
           
                         
                         CONTINUED:
                         
                          VENKAT
           Hard to believe tha--
                         
                          ANNIE
           I left them.
                         
          INT. NASA - CONFERENCE ROOM - DAY
                         
          Vincent and Annie enter just as the rest of the Department
          Heads are settling for the meeting. Teddy glances up --
                         
                          TEDDY
           Don't say "Bring him home alive,"
           Vincent.
                         
                          VINCENT
           You know, these interviews aren't easy.
           God forbid I try to say something
           proactive and positive.
                         
                          TEDDY
           Annie...
                         
                          ANNIE
           No more Vincent on television. Copy
           that.
                         
          Vincent starts to muster an "are you kidding me?" as Mindy
          passes out a brief to the department heads.
                         
                          TEDDY
           Seventy-six kilometers. Am I reading
           that right?
                         
          Nobody's quite sure who Teddy is asking.
                         
                          MINDY
           Are you asking me?
                         
                          TEDDY
           I am.
                         
                          MINDY
           Yes, sir. Mark drove straight away from
           the Hab for almost two hours, did a short
           EVA, then drove for another two. We
           think the EVA was to change batteries.
                         
          A man who seems to embody the word "gruff" stares at Mindy
          over his brief. Who is this kid?
                         
                          GRUFF MAN
           Are we doing a daddy/daughter thing
           today? Where's the Director of SatCon?
                          (CONTINUED)
           34.
           
                         
                         CONTINUED:
                         
          TITLE: MITCH HENDERSON, Hermes Flight Director, NASA
                         
                          VINCENT
           Ms. Park is the person who figured out
           Mark was alive in the first place. She's
           in charge of tracking him now.
                         
                          TEDDY
           Quit being a dick, Mitch. Where's Mark
           going? Is this another test?
                         
                          MINDY
           He's seventy-six kilometers away from the
           Hab. If it's a test and it doesn't
           work... he's dead.
                         
                          TEDDY
           He didn't load up the Oxygenator or the
           Water Reclaimer?
                         
                          MINDY
           I didn't see that happen, no sir.
                         
                          TEDDY
           You didn't see it?
                         
                          MINDY
           Every forty-one hours, we have a
           seventeen minute gap. It's just the way
           the orbits work. So... it's possible we
           missed something.
                         
                          TEDDY
           I want that gap down to four minutes.
           I'm giving you total authority over
           satellite trajectories and orbital
           adjustments. Make it happen.
                         
                          MINDY
           (um...)
           Okay.
                         
                          TEDDY
           Let's assume Ms. Park didn't miss
           something, so Mark's not going to Ares 4.
           Yet. But he's smart enough to figure out
           that's his only chance. Bruce, what's
           the earliest we could get a presupply
           there?
                         
          Teddy looks to the brilliant-but-constantly-harried man
          skyping in on the computer screens.
                         
          TITLE: BRUCE NG, Director, Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
                          (CONTINUED)
           35.
           
                         
                         CONTINUED: (2)
                         
                          BRUCE
           With the positions of Earth and Mars,
           it'll take nine months. And it'll take
           us six months to build it in the first
           place.
                         
                          TEDDY
           Three months.
                          (OFF BRUCE)
           You're gonna say that's impossible, then
           I'm gonna give a speech about the
           blinding capabilities of the JPL team.
           And then you'll do the math in your head
           and say something like "The overtime
           alone will be a nightmare."
                         
                          BRUCE
           (oh god I didn't even think
                          OF THAT)
           The overtime will be a nightmare.
                         
                          TEDDY
           Get started. I'll find you the money.
                         
                          MITCH
           It's time to tell the crew.
                         
                          VINCENT
           Mitch, we discussed this.
                         
                          MITCH
           You discussed this. But I'm the one who
           decides what's best for the crew. They
           deserve to know.
                         
                          TEDDY
           Sorry, Mitch. I'm with Vincent. They
           need to concentrate on getting home.
                         
                          MITCH
           Bullshit.
                         
                          TEDDY
           Once we have a real rescue plan, we'll
           tell them. Otherwise it's moot. Bruce
           has three months to get the payload done.
           That's all that matters right now.
                         
                          BRUCE
           We'll do our best.
                         
                          TEDDY
           Mark dies if you don't.
           36.
           
                         
                         
                         
                         
          INT. HAB - NIGHT
                         
          The Hab has been TRANSFORMED into a makeshift GREENHOUSE.
          Plants sprout everywhere. Mark uproots some of the potatoes,
          cuts them in pieces. Replants them.
                         
                         TITLE: SOL 79
                         
           MARK (V.O.)
           It's been 48 sols since I planted the
           potatoes, so now its time to reap and re-
           sow. They grew even better than I
           expected. I now have 400 healthy potato
           plants. The smaller ones I'll re-seed.
           The larger ones are my food supply. All
           natural, organic, Martian-grown potatoes.
           You don't hear that every day, do you?
                          (THEN)
           But, by the way, none of this matters, at
           all, if I don't figure out how to make
           contact with NASA...
                         
          INT. HAB - NIGHT
                         
          Back to work. Mark sits at the table, studies his maps. He
          can't crack the problem. C'mon, Mark, think...
                         
          Then it hits him. He zooms in on the map. We catch a
          glimpse of two words: "Chryse Planitia." Mark leaps from his
          chair. Studies the map up close.
                         
          He nods. Whispers to himself. Okay...
                         
                          MARK
           I know what I'm gonna do.
                         
          INT. NASA - MISSION CONTROL - NIGHT
                         
          SATELLITE VIEW: Mark's Rover 2 cuts through Mars.
                         
                          MINDY
           He's on the move again --
                         
          Vincent huddles over Mindy's screen.
                         
                          VINCENT
           Where the hell is he going? He hasn't
           changed course in thirteen days. And
           he's nowhere near course for Ares 4...
                         
                          MINDY
           Unless he's not taking a direct route.
           Maybe he's trying to avoid some
           obstacle...
                          (CONTINUED)
           37.
           
                         
                         CONTINUED:
                         
                          VINCENT
           What obstacle? It's Acidalia Planitia.
           There's nothing out there but --
                         
          Vincent stops short. Mindy looks at him: what?
                         
                          VINCENT (CONT'D)
           I need a map.
                         
          Vincent bolts away. Mindy follows.
                         
          INT. NASA - BREAKROOM - NIGHT
                         
          Vincent hurries into the employee break room. A lone
          TECHNICIAN sits, sipping coffee. ON THE BACK WALL: a large
          poster of Mars (the type they sell in gift shops.)
                         
          Vincent rips the poster off the wall.
                         
                          TECHNICIAN
           Hey -- c'mon --
                         
                          VINCENT
           I'll buy you a new one.
                          (TO MINDY)
           What's the Hab's location?
                         
                          MINDY
           31.2 degrees north, 28.5 degrees west.
                         
          Vincent marks it off on the map with a sharpie. Draws Mark's
          location. He needs a ruler. Looks around, grabs the
          Technician's notebook out of his hands. Uses the spine to
          connect the dots. Studies it. Grins.
                         
                          VINCENT
           I know where he's going.
                         
          Vincent, lost in his own world now, bolts for his office. As
          he hurries away (leaving Mindy and the Technician behind):
                         
                          VINCENT (CONT'D)
           I need to get on an airplane!
                         
                          TECHNICIAN
           Who's he talking to?
                         
                          MINDY
           I'm honestly not sure.
                         
          EXT. MARS - DAY
                         
          Mark's Rover 2 crests a hill, approaching HIS DESTINATION:
                         
                          (CONTINUED)
           38.
           
                         
                         CONTINUED:
                         
          There, buried in a mound of Martian sand, we catch a glint of
          metal in the sunlight.
                         
          As Mark drives towards it...
                         
          INT. JPL LOBBY - DAY
                         
          Bruce waits in the lobby as Vincent walks through the front
          doors.
                         
          TITLE: Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California
                         
          They shake hands.
                         
          INT/EXT. JPL STORAGE - DAY
                         
          Bruce and Vincent hurry across the JPL campus. In the
          background, deer frolic. (NOTE: This is real. Deer frolic
          out in the open on the JPL grounds. NOTE: It's awesome.)
                         
                          VINCENT
           What are the odds Mark can get it working
           again?
                         
                          BRUCE
           Hard to say. We lost contact in `97. We
           think it was battery failure.
                          (THEN)
           Though I'd like to point out it lasted
           three times longer than expected in any
           scenario.
                         
                          VINCENT
           Nobody's criticizing JPL's work, Bruce.
           I want talk to everyone who was here in
           `97.
                         
                          BRUCE
           They're already waiting for you.
                         
          EXT. MARS - DAY
                         
          Mark, on foot now, digs at the location. As he begins to
          reveal the buried metal...
                         
          INT. JPL - GARAGE
                         
          Vincent and Bruce enter the cavernous JPL garage. A large
          crowd mills around an APPARATUS covered by a sheet.
                         
                          VINCENT
           This the replica?
                         
          Bruce nods, pulls off the sheet to reveal...
                          (CONTINUED)
           39.
           
                         
                         CONTINUED:
                         
                          VINCENT (CONT'D)
           Pathfinder.
                         
          The American spacecraft launched in 1996. It's in two
          notable sections -- the large LANDER and the smaller
          SOJOURNER ROVER.
                         
          Vincent's eyes gleam as he stares at the craft.
                         
          EXT. MARS - DAY
                         
          Mark has now uncovered Pathfinder. He stares at it with a
          similar gleam in his eye. Then he drags the Lander to the
          back of Rover 2, begins lashing it to a makeshift hitch...
                         
                         TITLE: SOL 109
                         
          EXT. HAB - DAY
                         
          Sojourner now sits beside the workbench outside the Hab,
          watching as Mark methodically takes apart the Lander.
                         
          It looks like he's been at this a while. He removes the
          battery, replaces it with an environment heater. Like a
          surgeon performing a heart transplant.
                         
          He locks the heater into place, and as it CLICKS we --
                         
           CUT TO BLACK.
                         
          INT. JPL GARAGE - DAY
                         
                         TITLES (S)
                         
          PATHFINDER LOG: SOL 0 BOOT SEQUENCE INITIATED TIME 00:00:00
          LOADING OS... PERFORMING HARDWARE CHECK... INT TEMPERATURE: -
          34C, EXT TEMPERATURE: NONFUNCTIONAL, BATTERY: FULL, HIGAIN:
          Okay, LOGAIN: Okay, METEOROLOGY: NONFUNCTIONAL, SOLAR A:
          NONFUNCTIONAL, SOLAR B: NONFUNCTIONAL, SOLAR C:
          NONFUNCTIONAL, HARDWARE CHECK COMPLETE
                         
                          THEN:
                         
                         BROADCASTING STATUS
                         
          LISTENING FOR TELEMETRY SIGNAL...
                         
          LISTENING FOR TELEMETRY SIGNAL...
                         
          LISTENING FOR TELEMETRY SIGNAL...
                         
                          THEN:
                         
           SIGNAL ACQUIRED.
           40.
           
                         
                         
                         
                         
          INT. JPL GARAGE - DAY
                         
          Vincent, Bruce, and the JPL team see the words come up on the
          main screen. The room begins to BUZZ...
                         
          EXT. HAB - DAY
                         
          Mark stares at the high gain antenna on the Lander. It
          starts to MOVE... angling towards Earth.
                         
          Mark begins to dance.
                         
          INT. JPL GARAGE - DAY
                         
          Vincent and Bruce cluster around the station of TIM GRIMES.
                         
                          TIM
           As soon as I received the high-gain
           response, I directed Pathfinder to take a
           panoramic image.
                         
                          VINCENT
           Have you received it yet?
                         
                          TIM
           Yes, but I thought we would all rather
           look at this black screen instead of a
           vibrant red planet.
                         
                          BRUCE
           (off Vincent's look)
           Tim is our finest comm tech, and we all
           appreciate his acerbic wit.
                         
          Bruce mouths "I will fire you" to Tim.
                         
                          TIM
           Incoming.
                         
          ON THE SCREENS: the panoramic starts to appear, one vertical
          stripe at a time.
                         
                          VINCENT
           Martian surface... more surface...
                         
                          BRUCE
           There's the Hab!
                         
                          VINCENT
           What's that?
                         
          The image reveals a handwritten note, posted on a metal rod.
                         
                         
                          (CONTINUED)
           41.
           
                         
                         CONTINUED:
                         
                          VINCENT (CONT'D)
           "I'll write messages here. Are you
           receiving?"
                         
          The image reveals two more notes, spaced a few feet apart.
                         
                          VINCENT (CONT'D)
           "Point here for yes." "Point here for
           no."
                         
                          TIM
           Thirty-two minute round trip
           communications time. He can only ask
           yes/no questions, and all we can do is
           point the camera. This won't exactly be
           an Algonquin round table of snappy
           repartee.
                         
                          BRUCE
           Tim.
                         
                          TIM
           Roger that. Pointing the camera...
                         
          EXT. MARS - DAY
                         
          Mark watches as the camera moves towards one of his notes.
          We ANGLE IN on the paper, focusing on one word in particular:
                         
          "YES."
                         
                          MARK (PRELAP)
           So here's the rub...
                         
          INT. HAB - DAY
                         
          Mark addresses camera.
                         
                          MARK
           Somehow, we need to have complex
           astrophysical engineering conversations
           using only a still-frame camera. From
           1996. Luckily, the camera spins 360, so
           I can make an alphabet. I just can't use
           our alphabet. Twenty-six letters plus
           question card into 360 gives us 13
           degrees of arc. Too narrow. I wouldn't
           know what the camera was pointing at.
           So. Hexadecimals to the rescue...
                         
          EXT. HAB - DAY
                         
          Mark methodically sets up cards marked "A-F" and "0-9" in a
          circle around the camera.
                          (CONTINUED)
           42.
           
                         
                         CONTINUED:
                         
           MARK (V.O.)
           I figured one of you guys kept an ASCII
           table somewhere...
                         
          INT. HAB - DAY
                         
          Mark sits in Johanssen's bunk. Scrolling through her laptop.
                         
           MARK (V.O.)
           Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you
           supernerd Beth Johanssen, who also had
           copies of Zork 2 and Leather Goddesses of
           Phobos on her laptop. Seriously,
           Johanssen... it's like the Smithsonian of
           loneliness on there...
                         
          INT. JPL GARAGE - DAY
                         
          Tim consults an ASCII chart as he points the camera...
                         
          EXT. HAB - DAY
                         
          The camera swings from card to card...
                         
           MARK (V.O.)
           Not that I'm complaining.
                         
          INT. HAB - DAY
                         
          Mark translates the numbers with his ASCII table:
                         
                         "HOW ALIVE"
                         
          Mark ponders the question. Begins writing his response.
                         
          INT. JPL GARAGE - NIGHT
                         
          "Impaled by antenna. Bio-monitor destroyed. Crew had reason
          to think me dead. Not their fault."
                         
          INT. ROVER - NIGHT
                         
          Mark inputs the code into the rover's computer.
                         
           WATNEY (V.O.)
           Now that we can have more complicated
           conversations, the smart people at NASA
           have sent me instructions on how to hack
           the rover so that it can talk to
           Pathfinder. If I hack a tiny bit of
           code, just twenty instructions in the
           Rover's operating system, NASA can link
           the rover to Pathfinder's broadcasting
           frequency... and we're in business.
                          (CONTINUED)
           43.
           
                         
                         CONTINUED:
                         
          Mark waits patiently at the computer.
                         
          Text pops up on Mark's screen. As he reads:
                         
           VENKAT (V.O.)
           "Mark, this is Vincent Kapoor...
                         
          INT. JPL - GARAGE - NIGHT
                         
          Vincent and Bruce huddle around Tim's console while Vincent
          dictates and Tim types.
                         
                          VINCENT
           We've been watching you since Sol 54...
                         
          INT. NASA - MISSION CONTROL - NIGHT
                         
          Teddy, Mitch, Annie, and the rest of the team watch Vincent's
          text cross the screen.
                         
           VINCENT (V.O.)
           "The whole world is rooting for you.
           Amazing job, getting Pathfinder. We're
           working on rescue plans. Meantime..."
                         
          INT. ROVER - NIGHT
                         
          Mark reads the text. His first human contact in quite some
          time.
                         
           VINCENT (V.O.)
           "We're putting together a supply mission
           to keep you fed until Ares 4 arrives."
                         
          INT. JPL GARAGE - NIGHT
                         
          Vincent and Bruce huddle around Tim's console.
                         
                          TIM
                          (READING)
           "Glad to hear it. Really looking forward
           to not dying."
                         
          Everyone laughs, cheers. Tim notices there's more...
                         
                          TIM (CONT'D)
           "How's the crew? What did they say when
           they found out I was alive?"
                         
          Vincent and Bruce share a glance. Vincent thinks about it.
                         
                          BRUCE
           Tell him. Hm. Tell him...
           44.
           
                         
                         
                         
                         
          INT. ROVER - NIGHT
                         
          Mark watches the text pop up onscreen:
                         
           VINCENT (V.O.)
           "We haven't told the crew you're alive
           yet. We need them to concentrate on the
           mission."
                         
          INT. JPL GARAGE - NIGHT
                         
          The whole room waits patiently. Tim reads the response.
                         
                          TIM
           He says... "They don't know I'm alive?
                          WHAT THE--"
                          (HESITATES)
           "What the... f-word... f-word in gerund
           form... f-word again... is wrong with
           you... f-words."
                         
                          VINCENT
           Mark, please watch your language...
                         
          INT. ROVER - NIGHT
                         
          Mark reads the response.
                         
           VINCENT (V.O.)
           Everything you type is being broadcast
           live all over the world.
                         
          Mark's eyes narrow as he types his response. Hits ENTER.
                         
          INT. JPL GARAGE - NIGHT
                         
          The group reads Mark's response. They go PALE. Oh, Jesus.
          Vincent hangs his head. Tim tries not to smile and fails.
                         
          INT. NASA - TEDDY'S OFFICE - NIGHT
                         
          Teddy is on the phone as Mitch approaches.
                         
           TEDDY (INTO PHONE)
           Yes sir... he's under a tremendous amount
           of stress... I understand. We're working
           on it. Thank you, sir.
                         
          Teddy hangs up. Glances at Mitch.
                         
                          TEDDY (CONT'D)
           I just had to explain to the President of
           the United States what a "bureaucratic
           felcher" is.
                          (CONTINUED)
           45.
           
                         
                         CONTINUED:
                         
                          MITCH
           I made the mistake of typing it into
           Google.
           (off Teddy's look)
           Don't.
                          (THEN)
           Problem is, Mark's right. This is only
           gonna get worse the longer we wait. We
           need to tell the crew.
                         
                          TEDDY
           You're bringing this up while Vincent's
           in Pasadena so he can't argue the other
           side.
                         
                          MITCH
           I shouldn't have to clear this with you
           or Vincent or anyone else.
                          (THEN)
           It's time, Teddy.
                         
          Teddy thinks about it.
                         
          EXT. HERMES - PRESENT - SPACE
                         
          THE HERMES: the massive spacecraft makes its way through
          space on its long journey back to Earth.
                         
          TITLE: Four Months Since Mars Departure
                         
          We ANGLE towards one of the windows to FIND COMMANDER LEWIS
          staring out at the starfield...
                         
           JOHANSSEN (O.S.)
           Commander Lewis...
                         
          INT. HERMES - FLIGHT DECK - SPACE
                         
          Lewis is alone, in a secluded section of the ship. She keys
          the console.
                         
                          LEWIS
           Go ahead.
                         
           JOHANSSEN (OVER RADIO)
           Data dump is almost complete.
                         
                          LEWIS
           Copy. Coming to you.
                         
          INT. HERMES - CORRIDOR - SPACE
                         
          Lewis floats towards the Semicone-A ladder. MARTINEZ beats
          her there. As he floats up the ladder...
                          (CONTINUED)
           46.
           
                         
                         CONTINUED:
                         
                          LEWIS
           You're in a hurry.
                         
                          MARTINEZ
           My son turned three yesterday. Should be
           some pics of the party.
                         
          As they make their way down the ladder, the centripetal force
          from the rotating craft creates artificial gravity. Halfway
          down, they have to use their hands on the ladder...
                         
          INT. HERMES - REC ROOM - SPACE
                         
          Lewis and Martinez enter the Rec Room. The others are
          already there -- the data dump is the highlight of the day.
                         
                          JOHANSSEN
           All right, we've got a batch of
           personals. Dispatching them to your
           laptops... I don't need to read Vogel's
           weird German fetish emails...
                         
                          VOGEL
           They are telemetry updates.
                         
                          JOHANSSEN
           Whatever does it for you. We've got a
           system update, I'll take care of that,
           and... huh. There's a voice message.
           Addressed to the whole crew.
                         
                          LEWIS
                          (SHRUGS)
           Play it.
                         
          Johanssen opens the message. Hits play.
                         
                          MITCH (MESSAGE)
           Hermes, this is Mitch Henderson. I have
           some news. There's no subtle way to put
           this: Mark Watney is still alive.
                         
          The news hits the crew like a freight train.
                         
           MITCH (MESSAGE) (CONT'D)
           I know that's a surprise. And I know
           you'll have a lot of questions. Here are
           the basics: he's alive and healthy. We
           found out two months ago and decided not
           to tell you. I was strongly against that
           decision. We're telling you now because
           we finally have communication with him
           and a viable rescue plan.
                          (MORE)
                          (CONTINUED)
           47.
           
                         
                         CONTINUED:
           MITCH (MESSAGE) (CONT'D)
           We'll get you a full write up of what
           happened, but it's not your fault. Mark
           stresses that every time it comes up.
           Take some time to absorb this. Your
           science schedules are cleared for
           tomorrow. Send all the questions you
           want and we'll answer them. Henderson
           out.
                         
          For a moment the group sits in stunned silence.
                         
                          MARTINEZ
           He... He's alive?
                         
          Vogel cracks a smile.
                         
                          VOGEL
           Watney lives.
                         
          Beck starts to laugh. Relief pouring out of him.
                         
                          BECK
           Holy shit. Commander! He's alive!
                         
          But Lewis is still in shock. Her words barely a whisper:
                         
                          LEWIS
           I left him behind.
                         
                          JOHANSSEN
           Commander... it wasn't...
                         
                          BECK
           We all left together.
                         
                          LEWIS
           You were following orders.
                          (THEN)
           I left him behind.
                         
          The group trades glances, but nobody knows what to say.
                         
          Without another word, Lewis turns and exits the room.
                         
          EXT. MARS - SPACE - TO ESTABLISH
                         
                         TITLE: SOL 128
                         
          INT. HAB - DAY
                         
          Mark removes water from the water reclaimer. Goes down the
          rows of plants, watering one by one.
                         
                         
                          (CONTINUED)
           48.
           
                         
                         CONTINUED:
                         
                          MARK (PRELAP)
           Now that NASA can talk to me, they won't
           shut up...
                         
          INT. HAB - DAY
                         
          Mark talks to camera.
                         
                          MARK
           They've got a room full of people trying
           to micromanage my crops. Which is
           awesome. Look, I don't mean to sound
           arrogant here, but I'm the best botanist
           on the planet. So.
                         
          Mark adjusts the camera to show more of the lab. We see the
          lush greenery of the potato plants EVERYWHERE.
                         
                          MARK (CONT'D)
           In other news, there's been a request for
           me to pose for a picture on the next
           transmission. I'm debating between "High
           School Senior..."
                         
          Mark leans one elbow against an imaginary pillar and hooks
          his other thumb on his imaginary belt loops.
                         
                          MARK (CONT'D)
           And "Coquettish Ingenue..."
                         
          Mark turns his back to camera, looks at us over his shoulder,
          and bites on his thumb suggestively.
                         
                          MARK (CONT'D)
           But I'm not sure how that will translate
           with the spacesuit on.
                          (THEN)
           One big bonus of this NASA communication:
           Email! Just like the days on the Hermes,
           I get data dumps. Not just friends and
           family, but NASA also sends choice
           messages from the public. Rock stars,
           athletes, even The President. The
           coolest one is from my alma mater, the
           University of Chicago. They say once you
           grow crops somewhere, you have officially
           "colonized" it. So, technically, I
           colonized Mars.
                          (THEN)
           In your face, Neil Armstrong.
                         
          MUSIC UP: "Right Back Where We Started From" by Maxine
          Nightingale takes us into...
           49.
           
                         
                         
                         
                         
          EXT. HAB - DAY
                         
          -- Mark stands outside in his suit. Positions himself in
          front of the camera. Holds up a notecard. We're behind him,
          we don't see what the notecard says. As he poses --
                         
                          CUT TO:
                         
          INT. NASA - CONFERENCE ROOM - DAY
                         
          Annie tosses a photo on the conference room table:
                         
          Mark, in his spacesuit, gives the camera a big thumbs-up. He
          holds up a note that says, "Ayyyyyyy!"
                         
                          ANNIE
           I ask for a picture and I get the goddamn
           Fonz?
                         
          Vincent and Bruce are both on monitors from JPL.
                         
                          VINCENT (ONSCREEN)
           Just be grateful you got something,
           Annie.
                         
                          ANNIE
           It's not gonna work. I need something
           with less-Happy-Days and more... Mark's
           face.
                         
                          VINCENT (ONSCREEN)
           I could tell him to take his helmet off,
           but then he'd, you know, die.
                         
                          TEDDY
           Let's release the photo when we detail
           the rescue operation. I want to announce
           we're launching some supplies to him next
           year during the Hohmann Transfer window.
                         
                          VINCENT (ONSCREEN)
           I'm on a plane to you this afternoon.
           We'll have the release ready.
                         
                          TEDDY
           Good, but Annie will handle camera
           appearances.
                         
          Vincent gives a look that says "Et tu, Teddy?"
                         
                          TEDDY (CONT'D)
           Bruce, is your team still on schedule?
                         
                         
                          (CONTINUED)
           50.
           
                         
                         CONTINUED:
                         
                          BRUCE (ONSCREEN)
           It'll be tight. But we'll make it.
                         
                          TEDDY
           Nine-month travel time, that puts the
           probe to Mars on Sol 868. Did we get the
           Botany Team's analysis?
                         
                          VINCENT (ONSCREEN)
           They estimate Mark's crops will last him
           until Sol 912. They grudgingly admit
           Mark is doing great work.
                         
                          MITCH
           Grudgingly?
                         
                          VINCENT (ONSCREEN)
           Mark has a tendency to tell them to have
           sex with themselves whenever they
           question one of his decisions.
                         
                          TEDDY
           Get him in line, Vincent. We can't
           afford any miscommunication. I hate this
           margin. 912 sols worth of food. We get
           there on 868. And that's assuming
           nothing goes wrong...
                         
          EXT/ INT. HAB AIRLOCK - DUSK
                         
          Mark finishes putting on his spacesuit. Snaps his helmet
          into place. Grabs his toolkit.
                         
          Mark steps into the airlock. Closes the door behind him. As
          he does, we begin ANGLING towards the carbon-thread canvas
          lining the side of the airlock.
                         
          As the depressurization process begins, the canvas starts to
          STRETCH...
                         
          And the sheet RIPS.
                         
          The Hab breaches. In one-tenth of a second, the tear travels
          the length of the airlock --
                         
          The full force of the Hab's atmosphere rushes through the
          breach...
                         
          KAAAA-BOOOOM!
                         
          The airlock (with Mark in it) is LAUNCHED LIKE A CANNONBALL.
          It flies forty meters through the air --
           51.
           
                         
                         
                         
                         
          INT. HAB - DUSK
                         
          QUICK SLO-MO SHOT as the crops inside the HAB are DESTROYED
          in the depressurization.
                         
          INT/EXT. AIRLOCK - DUSK
                         
          RAMP to regular speed --
                         
          WHAM! The airlock hits the hillside -- Mark's body SLAMS
          into the wall -- his faceplate SHATTERS -- the airlock FLIPS
          and TUMBLES down the hill. Mark is tossed around inside like
          a ragdoll in a washing machine.
                         
          The airlock rolls another fifteen meters...
                         
          And comes to a stop.
                         
          INT. AIRLOCK - DUSK
                         
          Panicked breaths. Ringing ears.
                         
          Mark struggles to stay conscious. His head bleeding. Jesus
          Christ. What just happened?
                         
          He looks through the window. Sees the collapsed Hab. The
          debris of ruined equipment scattering the field between them.
                         
          Psssssshhhhhhhh...
                         
          Mark wipes the blood from his brow, rolls to his knees.
          Struggles out of his suit. Checks his wounds. He's alive.
                         
          Psssssshhhhhhhh...
                         
          What the hell is that sound?
                         
          Air.
                         
          The airlock is leaking.
                         
          Mark's heart starts to pound. He searches frantically for
          the leak, checking every seam, every inch of fabric...
                         
          Psssssshhhhhhhh...
                         
          Mark checks his arm computer. Oxygen flow steady. This will
          keep him alive. For now. But he has to find that leak...
                         
          Think, Watney. How do you find an invisible leak?
                         
          He does an inventory. He has his toolkit. He has the patch
          kit from his suit. Think, Watney...
                         
                          (CONTINUED)
           52.
           
                         
                         CONTINUED:
                         
          It hits him.
                         
          He pulls the knife out of the toolkit...
                         
          And cuts his own hair.
                         
          He hacks a chunk clean out of it. Holds the loose hair
          tight. Then he goes back to the arm computer. BOOSTS the
          oxygen flow. Now, all I need is a spark...
                         
          Yanks the WIRES from the power generator free. Strips the
          casing. Here goes nothing...
                         
          He holds the wires in the oxygen flow, rubs them together to
          create a SPARK. WHOOSH. He lights the hair on fire,
          creating the key to his plan:
                         
          SMOKE.
                         
          Mark holds his breath. Watches the smoke wisp and curl
          towards the floor...
                         
          Heading right through the microscopic TEAR in the fabric.
                         
          Mark grins. I've got you. Goes back to the toolkit. Finds
          that old stalwart of every NASA space mission: Duct tape.
                         
          He tears a piece free. Seals the hole. The hissing stops.
          Mark breathes. Okay...
                         
          Now what?
                         
                          CUT TO:
                         
          Mark cuts off one of the arms from his EVA suit. Cuts it
          into one square piece. Opens the patch kit. Works fast to
          glue the square over the area where the faceplate used to be.
          Then glues the arm-hole shut.
                         
                          CUT TO:
                         
          WHAM! Mark slams his back into the airlock wall, hitting it
          with enough force so that...
                         
          The airlock ROLLS.
                         
          It's clumsy -- like rolling a phone booth from inside -- but
          it works. The airlock rolls a little less than a meter.
                         
          Mark takes a breath. Girds himself to do it again...
           53.
           
                         
                         
                         
                         
          INT/EXT. AIRLOCK/HAB - NIGHT
                         
          The airlock has traveled the fifty meters so that it's now
          close to the Hab.
                         
          Mark exits the airlock. He's wearing the patched-up suit.
          Which means his faceplate is completely covered with fabric,
          and he only has one arm free.
                         
          He points the free arm in front of him and begins to walk.
                         
          INSIDE THE SUIT:
                         
          Mark is using the camera in his arm computer to navigate.
          The camera projects an image onto the inside of the
          faceplate. Which is now fabric. It's crude, but it'll work.
                         
          MARK'S POV: Mark hurries through the rip in the airlock.
          Stumbles through the deflated Hab, past the mess of debris,
          heading for the bunk. Finds what he's looking for...
                         
          Martinez' SUIT.
                         
          INT. HAB - NIGHT
                         
          Mark stands in the center of the Hab. We finally get a good
          look at it. And it's A MESS. Equipment overturned, debris
          everywhere. But the worst part?
                         
          Mark's crops are RUINED.
                         
          Mark stares at the disaster of frozen soil and uprooted
          plants. All his work. His lifeline. Destroyed.
                         
          He stares at the mess for a long time.
                         
          Then he begins to clean it up.
                         
          INT. ROVER - NIGHT
                         
          Mark sits at the keypad. Takes a moment to compose his
          words. God, how do I explain this? As he begins to type...
                         
                          VINCENT (PRELAP)
           The crops are dead...
                         
          INT. NASA - CONFERENCE ROOM - NIGHT
                         
          Vincent, Teddy, Annie and a team of others study the analysis
          reports. Mood is somber.
                         
                          VINCENT
           Complete loss of pressure boiled off most
           of the water.
                          (MORE)
                          (CONTINUED)
           54.
           
                         
                         CONTINUED:
                          VINCENT (CONT'D)
           Any bacteria that survived, died in the
           sub-zero temperatures when exposed to
           Mars' atmosphere.
                         
                          ANNIE
           How long does he have?
                         
                          VINCENT
           He can still eat the potatoes he has, he
           just can't grow any more. We estimate
           they'll give him about 200 sols.
                         
                          TEDDY
           And rations get him to what? Sol 409?
                         
                          VINCENT
                          (NODS)
           So with potatoes he can stretch to 609.
                         
                          ANNIE
           By Sol 868 he'll be long dead.
                         
                          TEDDY
           We're gonna have to launch as soon as
           possible. Which changes our travel time.
                         
                          MITCH
           We're working on it. Prelim estimates
           call for a four-hundred fourteen day
           trip.
                         
                          TEDDY
                          (DOES MATH)
           It's Sol 135 now. We need thirteen days
           to mount the boosters and perform
           inspections. Which gives Bruce and his
           team...
                          (FUCK)
           Forty-seven days to make this probe.
                         
                          ANNIE
           How long does it normally take?
                         
                          VINCENT
           Six months. Minimum.
                         
                          TEDDY
           I'm gonna let you call Bruce and give him
           the news.
                         
          INT. JPL BULLPEN - NIGHT
                         
          Bruce and his team sit around a speakerphone. They've just
          hung up with Vincent. Everyone looks suitably SHELLSHOCKED.
                          (CONTINUED)
           55.
           
                         
                         CONTINUED:
                         
                          BRUCE
           Okay.
                          (LONG PAUSE)
           Okay.
                         
          Everyone is at a loss for words. You might as well have told
          this team they have to build a unicorn.
                         
                          BRUCE (CONT'D)
           I'm, uh... I'm gonna need a change of
           clothes. We're all gonna need a change
           of clothes.
                         
          EXT. HERMES - SPACE
                         
          The Hermes continues on its course back to Earth.
                         
                         TITLE: SOL 136
                         
                          MARTINEZ (PRELAP)
           "Dear Mark..."
                         
          INT. HERMES REC ROOM - SPACE
                         
          Martinez types at his terminal.
                         
           MARTINEZ (V.O.)
           "Apparently, NASA's letting us talk to
           you now, and I drew the short straw.
           Sorry we left you behind on Mars, but we
           don't like you."
                         
          INT. ROVER - NIGHT
                         
          Mark reads his email.
                         
           MARTINEZ (V.O.)
           "Also, it's a lot roomier on the Hermes
           without you. We have to take turns doing
           your tasks, but it's only botany (not
           real science.) How's Mars?"
                         
          Mark types his response.
                         
           MARK (V.O.)
           "Dear Martinez, Mars is fine. I
           accidentally blew up the Hab, but
           unfortunately all of Commander Lewis'
           disco music still survived."
                         
          INT. HERMES REC ROOM - SPACE
                         
          Martinez reads Mark's response.
                         
                          (CONTINUED)
           56.
           
                         
                         CONTINUED:
                         
                          MARTINEZ
           "How's the Hermes? Cramped and
           claustrophobic? Every day I go outside
           and look at the vast horizons just
           because I can."
                          (THEN)
           "Tell the others I said hello."
                         
          Martinez types. We see his response on his screen:
                         
          "Will do."
                         
          EXT. HAB - DAY
                         
          Back to work. No choice. Mark clears the detritus from
          inside the Hab. Stares at the hole in the airlock.
                         
          INT./EXT. HAB - DAY
                         
          Mark covers the hole with Hab canvas. Begins strapping it in
          place with duct tape. Doubles up the tape in a circular
          pattern. Studies his work. It's not pretty, but with a
          little luck...
                         
          Mark repressurizes the Hab. Watches the canvas stretch as
          the pressure equalizes. He holds his breath...
                         
          The canvas holds.
                         
          INT. HAB - NIGHT
                         
          Mark takes inventory of his remaining potatoes. Outside,
          gusts of wind slam the canvas.
                         
          Mark tries to stay focused on the matter at hand. Tries not
          to think about the fact that his life is currently held
          together by duct tape.
                         
          Keep working, Mark...
                         
          INT. JPL - RICH'S OFFICE - NIGHT
                         
          A man sleeps in his office, half-on and half-off his small
          love seat. He snores ever-so-slightly.
                         
          TITLE: RICH PURNELL, ASTRODYNAMICS, NASA
                         
          On his computer screen, we see orbital computations running.
          Vectors between Earth and Mars cycle over and over.
                         
           VOICE (O.S.)
           Rich?
                         
          MIKE WATKINS pokes his head in Rich's office. Rich stirs.
                          (CONTINUED)
           57.
           
                         
                         CONTINUED:
                         
                          MIKE
           Rich? Wake up. Sorry, they're asking
           for the probe courses.
                         
                          RICH
           What time is it?
                         
                          MIKE
           3:42.
                         
          Rich nods. Grabs the old cup of coffee from his end table.
          Takes a big drink. His face registers shock. He opens his
          mouth and lets the coffee fall directly on the floor.
                         
                          MIKE (CONT'D)
           I know we're coming at this backwards,
           but we can't commit to a firm launch date
           with this many unknowns.
                         
                          RICH
           It's all right. All twenty-five models
           will take four-hundred fourteen days to
           reach Mars. They vary only slightly in
           thrust duration, and the fuel requirement
           is nearly identical.
                         
                          MIKE
           (looking at Rich's
                          CALCULATIONS)
           Four-hundred fourteen days. Not an ideal
           time to launch, is it?
                         
                          RICH
           Earth and Mars are really badly
           positioned. Heck, it's almost easier
           to...
                         
          Rich trails off.
                         
                          MIKE
           Almost easier to what?
                         
                          RICH
           (lost in his head)
           I need more coffee...
                         
                          MIKE
           Almost easier to what?
                         
          Rich walks out of the room.
                         
                          MIKE (CONT'D)
           You understand I'm your boss, right?
           58.
           
                         
                         
                         
                         
          INT. NASA - MISSION CONTROL - DAY
                         
          Vincent dictates a message to Mark. Mindy types while he
          talks.
                         
                          VINCENT
           "...the probe will take 414 days to reach
           you, and will deliver enough food to last
           you to Ares 4."
                         
                          MINDY
           Tell him about the name.
                         
                          VINCENT
           "We've officially named the probe
           `Iris'..."
                         
          INT. ROVER - DAY
                         
          Mark reads the message in the Rover.
                         
           VINCENT (V.O.)
           "After the Greek goddess who traveled the
           heavens with the speed of wind. Among
           other things, she's also the goddess of
           rainbows."
                         
          Mark types his response...
                         
          INT. NASA - MISSION CONTROL - DAY
                         
          Mindy reads Mark's response on his screen as Vincent waits.
          Mindy suppresses a smile, throws it up on the main screens:
                         
          "Gay probe coming to save me. Got it."
                         
          INT. NASA - CONFERENCE ROOM - DAY
                         
          Teddy addresses the group from the head of the table.
                         
                          TEDDY
           Okay, let's ask the...
           (consults his files)
           Two hundred million dollar... sorry, five
           hundred... That's a "five?"
           (off their looks)
           Let's ask the very, very expensive
           question: is this probe gonna be ready on
           time?
                         
          Bruce looks noticeably more exhausted than everyone else.
                         
                          BRUCE
           We're behind.
                          (CONTINUED)
           59.
           
                         
                         CONTINUED:
                         
                          TEDDY
           Give me a number.
                         
                          BRUCE
           Fifteen days. If I had another fifteen
           days, I could get it done.
                         
                          TEDDY
           All right, let's create fifteen days.
           Thirteen days to mount the probe. Can we
           reduce?
                         
                          VINCENT
           It... actually only takes three days to
           mount it. We can get that down to two.
           But the other ten are for testing and
           inspections.
                         
                          TEDDY
           How often do those inspections reveal a
           problem?
                         
          The room goes silent. Everyone trades nervous glances.
                         
                          MITCH
           Are you suggesting we don't do the
           inspections?
                         
                          TEDDY
           Right now I'm asking how often they
           reveal a problem.
                         
                          VINCENT
           About one in twenty launches. But that's
           grounds for a countdown halt. We can't
           take that chance.
                         
                          TEDDY
           Anyone else know a safer way to buy more
           time?
                         
          Nobody does.
                         
                          TEDDY (CONT'D)
           Tell Dr. Keller to stretch Watney's
           rations four more days. She won't like
           it, but that'll get us to fifteen. And
           we'll cancel the inspections.
                         
                          VINCENT
           Teddy...
                         
                         
                         
                          (CONTINUED)
           60.
           
                         
                         CONTINUED: (2)
                         
                          TEDDY
           It's on me, Vincent.
                          (TO BRUCE)
           You've got your two weeks. Get it done.
                         
          INT. HAB - DAY
                         
          Mark sits at the table. A ration pack and two potatoes in
          front of him. He talks to camera. He looks depressed.
                         
                         TITLE: SOL 154
                         
                          MARK
           So. I have to hold out until the probe
           gets here with more food. And this is
           what "minimal calorie count" looks like.
           (holds up the pack)
           Standard issue ration. But instead of
           three every one day, I'm now eating one
           every three days.
                          (OPENS PACK)
           Oh good. Meatloaf.
                         
          He divides the meatloaf into thirds. Sets the majority
          aside. Focuses on what's left. Which is pathetic.
                         
                          MARK (CONT'D)
           This is today's allotment. Which I will
           supplement with potatoes. Which I am
           beginning to hate with the fiery passion
           of a thousand suns. And now I've been
           told to do this.
                         
          Mark hacks off even more of the meager ration and half of a
          potato and sets that aside. There's barely anything left.
                         
                          MARK (CONT'D)
           The point is, "Stretch the rations four
           more days" is a real dick-punch.
                         
          There are also two pills on the table. Mark crushes them.
                         
                          MARK (CONT'D)
           I'm dipping this potato in Vicodin and
           there's nothing anyone can do about it.
                         
          EXT. CAPE CANAVERAL - DAY
                         
          The IRIS PROBE, now mounted on the booster, is readied for
          launch. WATER VAPOR clouds the launchpad.
                         
          The final SUPPLIES are loaded into the probe.
           61.
           
                         
                         
                         
                         
          INT. NASA - MISSION CONTROL - DAY
                         
          Full house. Mitch presides over the room, in his element.
                         
                          MITCH
           Do you believe in God, Vincent?
                         
                          VINCENT
           Several. My mother's Catholic and my
           father's Hindu.
                         
                          MITCH
           We'll take all the help we can get.
                         
          Mitch puts on his headset.
                         
                          MITCH (CONT'D)
           This is the Flight Director. Begin
           Launch Status Check.
                         
           LAUNCH CONTROL (OVER COMMS)
           Roger that, Houston...
                         
          And as Mitch runs through the status check...
                         
          INT. NASA - MISSION CONTROL - DAY
                         
          Teddy watches the countdown clock from the observation room.
          He looks over what appears to be a SPEECH. We catch a few
          words, including, "...successful launch..."
                         
          Teddy closes the speech in a BLUE FOLDER. As the clock
          approaches 00:00:15....
                         
           MITCH (ON THE FLOOR)
           This is Flight. We are go for launch on
           schedule.
                         
           TIMER CONTROLLER (V.O.)
           10...9...
                         
          ON THE FLOOR: Vincent leans against the wall. Deep breath.
                         
           TIMER CONTROLLER (V.O.)
           8...
                         
          INT. NASA - MISSION CONTROL - DAY
                         
          ANNIE paces in front of the NINE TELEVISIONS in her office.
                         
           TIMER CONTROLLER (V.O.)
           7...6...
           62.
           
                         
                         
                         
                         
          INT. JPL - CONTROL ROOM - DAY
                         
          BRUCE sits with his engineers, all in rapt attention.
                         
           TIMER CONTROLLER (V.O.)
           5...4...
                         
          INT. JPL - RICH'S OFFICE - DAY
                         
          RICH PURNELL works on orbital calculations at his computer.
          Isn't paying attention to the launch at all.
                         
           TIMER CONTROLLER (V.O.)
           3... 2...
                         
          EXT. CAPE CANAVERAL LAUNCHPAD - DAY
                         
           TIMER CONTROLLER (V.O.)
           1...
                         
          LIFTOFF. Clamps RELEASE, the booster FIRES --
                         
          INT. NASA - MISSION CONTROL - DAY
                         
           TIMER CONTROLLER (V.O.)
           ...and liftoff of the Iris Supply Probe.
                         
          CHEERS course through the room.
                         
          While team members congratulate one another, the LAUNCHER
          INTERFACE frowns at his station.
                         
                          LAUNCHER INTERFACE
           Getting a little shimmy, Flight.
                         
                          MITCH
           Say again?
                         
          INT. HULL - DAY
                         
          A VIOLENT SHIMMY rattles the payload as the craft
          ACCELERATES. The bolt at the forefront CRACKS --
                         
          EXT. IRIS CRAFT - DAY
                         
          As the first stage depletes its fuel, it JETTISONS the stage-
          clamps. As the stage begins to fall away from the shimmying
          craft, it CATCHES HOLD, swinging unnaturally to the side.
                         
          The second stage engines IGNITE --
           63.
           
                         
                         
                         
                         
          INT. HULL - DAY
                         
          WHOOSH -- the acceleration SHAKES the craft. The BOLT SHEARS
          CLEAN OFF -- the payload ROCKS -- THE OTHER FOUR BOLTS SNAP --
                         
          Iris slips from its supports, and SLAMS INTO THE HULL --
                         
          INT. NASA - CONTROL ROOM - DAY
                         
          ALARMS and LIGHTS flash across the consoles. A cacophony of
          urgent voices from the floor:
                         
                          LAUNCHER INTERFACE
           Whoa! Flight, we're getting a large
           precession!
                         
                          GUIDANCE TELEMETRY
          Force on Iris at 7 G's. Intermittent signal loss.
                         
                          MITCH
           Launch, what's happening?
                         
                          LAUNCHER INTERFACE
           It's spinning on the long axis with a 17
           degree precession.
                         
                          COMMS
           We've lost readings on the probe, Flight.
                         
                          MITCH
                          (GOES COLD)
           Shit. It shook loose in the bay.
                         
                          LAUNCHER INTERFACE
           Loss of signal, Flight.
                         
                          GUIDANCE TELEMETRY
          L.O.S. here, too. Same here.
                         
          The voices go SILENT. The alarms BLARE. Then:
                         
                          MITCH
           SatCon?
                         
                          SATCON
           No satellite acquisition of signal.
                         
          Mitch looks to the main screen. It GOES BLACK, with LARGE
          WHITE LETTERS reading: "L.O.S."
                         
                          CAPCOM
           Flight, US Destroyer Stockton reports
           debris falling from sky.
                         
                          (CONTINUED)
           64.
           
                         
                         CONTINUED:
                         
          ON THE SCREENS: cameras catch glimpses of debris trails
          falling from the sky.
                         
          Mitch puts his head in his hands.
                         
                          MITCH
           Roger.
                         
          Then Mitch Henderson says the words every Flight Director
          hopes he never has to say:
                         
                          MITCH (CONT'D)
           GC, Flight. Lock the doors.
                         
          INT. NASA - VINCENT'S OFFICE - NIGHT
                         
          Vincent sits in his office. NASA is eerily silent now. It's
          night. Vincent stares into space.
                         
          Click. He's been motionless so long, the sensors think the
          office is empty and shut off the lights.
                         
          Vincent shifts. The lights click back on.
                         
          A chime RINGS OUT on his computer. Vincent glances at the
          screen, sees a relayed message from Pathfinder:
                         
          "WATNEY: How'd the launch go?"
                         
          EXT. SPACE - TO ESTABLISH
                         
          The SOMBER REDS of MARS blaze against the spacescape.
                         
                         TITLE: SOL 186
                         
          EXT. MARS - DAWN
                         
          Mark stands outside. The horizon reflects off his faceplate.
                         
           MARK (V.O.)
           So, um. Commander Lewis. I need you to
           do something for me. If I die. I need
           you to check on my parents. They'll want
           to hear about our time on Mars first-
           hand. I'll need you to do that. It
           won't be easy talking to a couple about
           their dead son. It's a lot to ask;
           that's why I'm asking you. I'm not
           giving up. Just planning for every
           outcome. Please tell them I love what I
           do. And I'm really good at it. And I'm
           dying for something big and beautiful.
           And greater than me.
                          (MORE)
                          (CONTINUED)
           65.
           
                         
                         CONTINUED:
           MARK (V.O.) (CONT'D)
                          (THEN)
           Tell them I said I can live with that.
                         
          EXT. CNSA - TO ESTABLISH - DAY
                         
          An impressive headquarters in the heart of Beijing.
                         
          TITLE: CHINA NATIONAL SPACE ADMINISTRATION
                         
          INT. CNSA - DAY
                         
          ONSCREEN: Teddy and Vincent answer questions from reporters.
                         
                          VINCENT (ONSCREEN)
           ...we substituted protein cubes for the
           standard rations. The thrust of the
           launch, combined with the simultaneous
           lateral vibration, liquefied the cubes
           and created an unbalanced load.
                         
                          REPORTER 4(ONSCREEN)
           Why wasn't this accounted for in the
           inspection phase?
                         
                          TEDDY (ONSCREEN)
           In order to make our launch window, we
           were forced to accelerate our schedule.
                         
                          REPORTER 4 (ONSCREEN)
           You skipped the inspections?
                         
                          TEDDY (ONSCREEN)
           Yes.
                         
          We hear a MAN'S VOICE. He speaks in SUBTITLED CHINESE.
                         
                          VOICE
           Their astronaut is going to die.
                         
          Reveal A MAN AND A WOMAN watching the monitor. The voice
                         BELONGS TO:
                         
          TITLE: ZHU TAO, Under-Director, CNSA
                         
                          ZHU
           Perhaps. Perhaps not.
           (hands Guo the brief)
           The Taiyang Shen's booster. Our
           engineers have run the numbers, and it
           has enough fuel for a Mars injection
           orbit.
                         
          TITLE: GUO MING, Director, CNSA
                         
                          (CONTINUED)
           66.
           
                         
                         CONTINUED:
                         
                          GUO
           (are you kidding?)
           Why hasn't NASA approached us?
                         
                          ZHU
           They don't know. Our booster technology
           is classified.
                         
                          GUO
           So if we do nothing...
                         
                          ZHU
           The world would never know we could have
           helped.
                         
                          GUO
           Then. Merely for the sake of argument,
           let's say we decide to help them...
                         
                          ZHU
           We'd be giving up a booster and
           effectively cancelling Taiyang Shen.
                         
          GUO considers this. But he's already made the decision...
                         
                          GUO
           We need to keep this among scientists. A
           cooperation between space agencies...
                         
          INT. NASA - TEDDY'S OFFICE - DAY
                         
          We're SLOWLY PUSHING IN on Teddy as he listens to the voice
          on the other end of the phone detail the terms.
                         
          Teddy closes his eyes. Relief washes over him. It takes him
          a moment to realize they're waiting for his answer.
                         
                          TEDDY
           Yes.
                         
          INT. JPL - BULLPEN - DAY
                         
          Bruce stands at the white boards, addressing his department
          heads. He's energized, writing like a madman while he talks:
                         
                          BRUCE
           All right, thanks to our friends in
           China, we get one more chance at this.
           We finished the Iris probe in sixty-three
           days. Now we get to do it again in
           twenty-eight...
           67.
           
                         
                         
                         
                         
          INT. NASA - SUPER COMPUTER ROOM - DAY
                         
          Rich Purnell stares at the calculations on the screen. Can
          these be right? He runs the numbers again. As he sees the
          readout on his screen, he grins: holy shit, I'm right.
                         
          INT. NASA - HALLWAYS - DAY
                         
          Rich hurries through the halls.
                         
          INT. NASA - VINCENT'S OFFICE - DAY
                         
          Vincent's on the phone.
                         
                          VINCENT
           We're jettisoning any sort of landing
           system -- the idea is we're only sending
           rations, so they can crash land on
           Mars...
                         
                          SECRETARY
                          WAIT --
                         
          Rich barges into to Vincent's office.
                         
                          RICH
           You should hang up the phone.
                         
                          VINCENT
           I'm sorry -- who are you?
                         
                          RICH
           My name is Rich Purnell and I work in
           astrodynamics and you should hang up the
           phone right now.
                         
                          VINCENT
                          (INTO PHONE)
           I'll call you back.
                         
          Rich hands Vincent his summary.
                         
          INT. NASA - CONFERENCE ROOM - DAY
                         
          We're FOLLOWING ANNIE as she hurries into the briefing room.
          Vincent, Rich, Bruce, and Mitch are already there. Annie's
          reading the email on her phone.
                         
                          ANNIE
           What the hell is "Project Elrond?"
                         
                          VINCENT
           I had to make something up.
                         
                          (CONTINUED)
           68.
           
                         
                         CONTINUED:
                         
                          ANNIE
           "Elrond?"
                         
                          MITCH
                          (REALIZING)
           Because it's a secret meeting.
                         
                          ANNIE
           How do you know that? Why does "Elrond"
           mean "secret meeting?"
                         
                          BRUCE
           The Council of Elrond. From Lord of the
           Rings. It's the meeting where they
           decide to destroy the One Ring.
                         
                          ANNIE
           I so quit right now.
                         
                          TEDDY
                          (ENTERING)
           If we're calling something Project
           Elrond, I would like my codename to be
           "Glorfindel."
                         
                          ANNIE
           Oh my god I hate every one of you.
                         
                          MITCH
           Teddy doesn't even know what this is
           about?
                         
                          VINCENT
           Tell them exactly what you told me.
                         
                          RICH
           I can get the Hermes back to Mars by Sol
           561.
                         
          Wait... what? Jesus. It's as though Rich just dropped a
          bomb in this room.
                         
                          MITCH
           What?
                         
                          TEDDY
           How?
                         
          Rich looks around. Grabs items off the table to demonstrate.
                         
                          RICH
           Okay... let's pretend this stapler is the
           Hermes. And you are... I'm sorry, what's
           your name again?
                          (CONTINUED)
           69.
           
                         
                         CONTINUED: (2)
                         
                          TEDDY
           Teddy.
                          (THEN)
           I'm the Director of NASA.
                         
                          RICH
           Okay, Teddy, you're Earth. And right now
           the Hermes is heading towards you and is
           about to start its month-long
           deceleration to intercept. But, instead,
           I'm proposing...
                          (DEMONSTRATES)
           We start accelerating immediately, to
           preserve velocity and gain even more. We
           don't intercept Earth at all, but we come
           close enough to use a gravity assist to
           adjust course. While we're doing that...
                         
          He grabs the pen out of Teddy's pocket.
                         
                          RICH (CONT'D)
           We resupply with the probe --
                         
                          VINCENT
           The Taiyeng Shen.
                         
                          RICH
           Pick up whatever provisions we need...
           and then we're accelerating towards Mars.
                          (TO ANNIE)
           You're Mars. And we're going too fast
           at this point to fall into orbit, so it's
           a flyby.
                         
                          BRUCE
           What good is a flyby if we can't get
           Watney off the surface?
                         
                          VINCENT
           Watney would have to intercept using the
           MAV.
                         
          Vincent demonstrates, blasting his pen off of Annie's
          shoulder. Rich catches it, and points everything back
          towards Teddy...
                         
                          RICH
           And we head back home. I've done the
           math. It checks out.
                         
          The group sits in stunned silence. Teddy's the first one to
          grasp the full magnitude of what they've just proposed. He
          locks eyes with Vincent --
                         
                          (CONTINUED)
           70.
           
                         
                         CONTINUED: (3)
                         
                          TEDDY
           Rich?
                         
                          RICH
           Yes sir?
                         
                          TEDDY
           Get out.
                         
          And there's no mistaking Teddy's tone, so Rich does exactly
          that. After he leaves the room --
                         
                          TEDDY (CONT'D)
           Is he right?
                         
                          VINCENT
           I believe so.
                         
                          TEDDY
           And we need to use the Taiyeng Shen?
                         
                          VINCENT
           Yes.
                         
                          ANNIE
           What am I missing? Why is that
           important?
                         
                          VINCENT
           Because we can only do one.
                         
                          TEDDY
           Send Watney enough food to last until
           Ares 4, or send Hermes back to get him
           right now.
                         
                          VINCENT
                          (NODS)
           Both plans require the Taiyang Shen, so
           we have to choose.
                         
                          ANNIE
           What about the Hermes crew? We'd be
           asking them to add...
           (does the math)
           533 days to their mission.
                         
                          MITCH
           They wouldn't hesitate. Not for a
           second. That's why Vincent called this
           meeting. He wants us to decide instead.
                         
          Vincent nods. That's correct.
                         
                          (CONTINUED)
           71.
           
                         
                         CONTINUED: (4)
                         
                          MITCH (CONT'D)
           Bullshit. It should be Commander Lewis'
           call.
                         
                          VINCENT
           It's a matter of life and death, Mitch.
           We need to make this decision.
                         
                          MITCH
           She's the Mission Commander. Life and
           death decisions are her damn job.
                         
                          TEDDY
           Can the Hermes function for 533 days
           beyond the scheduled mission end?
                         
                          VINCENT
           It should. The Hermes was made to do all
           five Ares missions, so it's only halfway
           through lifespan.
                         
                          ANNIE
           But if something went wrong...
                         
                          VINCENT
           We would lose the crew. And the Ares
           Program with them.
                         
                          BRUCE
           So... what? We either have a high chance
           of killing one person, or a low chance of
           killing six people. How do we make that
           decision?
                         
                          VINCENT
           We don't. Teddy does.
                         
          All eyes on Teddy now. The room sits in silence. Teddy
          thinks for a long time. Feeling the full burden of
          leadership. Then:
                         
                          TEDDY
           We still have the chance to bring five
           astronauts home safe and sound. I'm not
           risking their lives.
                         
                          MITCH
           Let them make that decision.
                         
                          TEDDY
           Mitch. We're going with option one.
                         
          Mitch stares at Teddy. Quietly seething.
                         
                          (CONTINUED)
           72.
           
                         
                         CONTINUED: (5)
                         
                          MITCH
           You goddamn coward.
                         
          EXT. HAB - DAY/DUSK
                         
          Mark trudges out of the airlock, goes about his routine. He
          walks over to the solar panels, starts to scrub them for
          (what seems like) the thousandth time...
                         
          And stops.
                         
          He can't do it anymore. He stares at them for a long time.
          Then drops the brush.
                         
          He walks to the top of the hill. Sits down.
                         
          He closes his eyes.
                         
                          CUT TO:
                         
          Later. Mark hasn't moved. The sun is beginning to set. The
          temperature ALARM on his suit is beginning to BLARE. It gets
          cold FAST on Mars.
                         
          Mark overrides the alarm. Sits in the silence. As he
          glances back towards the setting sun, something METALLIC
          glints in the dust beneath him.
                         
          Hmm. Mark gets up. Walks towards it. It's Vogel's specimen
          drill. Dropped when the storm hit. Mark looks around, sees
          the HOLES drilled in the rock formation.
                         
          His fingers trace the unfinished work.
                         
          He picks up the drill.
                         
          INT. NASA - MISSION CONTROL - DAY
                         
          SATELLITE VIEW: We can see Mark making his way to the Rover.
                         
                          MINDY
           He's been doing EVAs throughout the day.
                         
          Vincent is hovering over Mindy's station.
                         
                          MINDY (CONT'D)
           There's a pattern to them. He goes out
           three hundred meters. Then stops. Three
           hundred more meters. Then stops.
                         
                          VINCENT
           And nobody gave him instructions? Did
           JPL schedule something?
                         
                          (CONTINUED)
           73.
           
                         
                         CONTINUED:
                         
          Mindy shakes her head.
                         
                          MINDY
           He's at the Rover.
                          (THEN)
           We're receiving a transmission.
                         
          She pulls it up on the screen. Frowns. It's a jumble of
          numbers and data.
                         
                          MINDY (CONT'D)
           "Chem analysis... sample batch 1A-7C..."
                         
          Vincent's the first to figure it out.
                         
                          VINCENT
           Commander Lewis' geo-compositing
           experiments.
                         
          Mindy frowns. I'm sorry, what?
                         
          Vincent looks at the screens. Admiration in his eyes.
                         
                          VINCENT (CONT'D)
           He's finishing the mission.
                         
          INT. HAB - NIGHT
                         
          Mark addresses camera while he works at the experiment table,
          diligently crushing the rock samples and testing them with
          his chemistry set. Still somber. But he's working.
                         
                          MARK
           We evac'd eighteen sols into a thirty-one
           sol mission... Which means we've got
           thirteen sols of experiment and research
           schedules. For each of us. So.
           Commander Lewis... your work's in good
           hands. Beck -- I'll be honest with you,
           I don't understand chemolithotrophic
           detection. At all. But I'm doing my
           best. Johanssen, I know you don't like
           it when I touch the ChemCam, but guess
           what? I'm touching the ChemCam. Vogel,
           I think I've got a new cataloguing system
           for the core samples that I've titled
           "Das Core Samples" out of respect for the
           Fatherland. And Martinez... I still
           don't know what it is you do. Why did we
           bring you? No idea.
                          (THEN)
           I'm trying to keep everything documented
           and organized.
                          (MORE)
                          (CONTINUED)
           74.
           
                         
                         CONTINUED:
                          MARK (CONT'D)
           I know that's not exactly my strong suit,
           but I want it all to make sense, in
           case... you know. Maybe you can teach it
           in class someday. The Watney Syllabus.
           "How to Make a Bathtub Using NASA Tubing
           and an Old RTG." "How to Cook a Potato
           Six-Thousand Different Ways." "How to
           Make Water Out of Rocket Fuel. To Keep
           You Alive. For Just A Little Longer."
                         
          INT. HERMES - FLIGHT DECK - SPACE
                         
          From his computer, Vogel runs a diagnostic check on the
          ship's engines. As he finishes his work for the day, he
          turns his attention to his Email. Frowns when he sees:
                         
          "Subject: Unsere Kinder"
                         
          Our children? That's strange. He tries to open the
          attachment, but it's unreadable.
                         
          INT. HERMES GYM - SPACE
                         
          Vogel glides along passage to the Rec Room. Johannsen jogs
          within the rotating drum. Vogel approaches.
                         
                          VOGEL
           I have a problem.
                         
          INT. HERMES GYM - SPACE
                         
          Johanssen leads Vogel into the gym.
                         
                          VOGEL
           It's an email from my wife. The subject
           line says "Our Children," but the
           computer won't open the attachment.
                         
                          JOHANSSEN
           Let's take a look.
           (as she works)
           Huh. This isn't a jpg. It's a plain
           ASCII text file. Looks like... I don't
           know what this looks like. Math
           equations. Does this make any sense to
           you?
                         
                          VOGEL
                          (READS)
           "Rich Purnell Maneuver." Ja. It is a
           course maneuver for the Hermes...
                         
          And as Vogel tries to make sense of what he's looking at, one
          phrase in particular stands out on the screen:
                          (CONTINUED)
           75.
           
                         
                         CONTINUED:
                         
          "SOL 561."
                         
                          VOGEL (CONT'D)
           Mein Gott.
                         
          INT. HERMES REC ROOM - SPACE
                         
          All five crew members are seated around the main table in The
          Rec -- the cramped area of the ship used for personal time.
          Lewis finishes briefing the team.
                         
                          LEWIS
           ...and the mission would conclude with
           Earth intercept 211 days later.
                         
          She gives the others a chance to absorb the news. They trade
          astonished glances.
                         
                          MARTINEZ
           Would this really work?
                         
                          LEWIS
           We ran the numbers. They check out.
                         
                          VOGEL
                          (NODS)
           It's a brilliant course.
                         
                          BECK
           Why all the cloak and dagger?
                         
                          LEWIS
           NASA rejected the idea. They'd rather
           take a big risk on Watney than a small
           risk on all of us. Whoever snuck it in
           Vogel's email obviously disagreed.
                         
                          MARTINEZ
           So. We're talking about going directly
           against NASA's decision?
                         
                          LEWIS
           Yes. If we do the maneuver, they'll have
           to send the supply ship or we'll die. We
           have the opportunity to force their hand.
                         
                          JOHANSSEN
           Are we gonna do it?
                         
                          LEWIS
           If it were up to me, we'd already be on
           our way.
                         
                         
                          (CONTINUED)
           76.
           
                         
                         CONTINUED:
                         
                          MARTINEZ
           Isn't it? Up to you, I mean.
                         
                          LEWIS
           Not this time. This is something NASA
           expressly rejected. We're talking about
           mutiny. Which is not a word I use
           lightly. We do this together, or not at
           all. Before you answer, consider the
           consequences. If we mess up the supply
           rendezvous, we die. If we mess up the
           Earth gravity assist, we die. If we do
           everything perfectly, we add 533 days to
           our mission. 533 more days before we see
           our families again. 533 days of
           unplanned space travel where anything
           could go wrong. Something might break
           that we can't fix. If it's mission
           critical, we die.
                         
                          MARTINEZ
           Sign me up.
                         
                          LEWIS
           Easy, cowboy. You and I are military.
           There's a good chance we'd be court-
           martialed when we got home. As for the
           rest of you, I guarantee they'll never
           send you up again.
                         
                          BECK
           If we go for it... how would it work?
                         
                          VOGEL
                          (SHRUGS)
           I plot the course and execute it.
                         
                          JOHANSSEN
           Remote Override. They can take over the
           Hermes from Mission Control.
                         
                          LEWIS
           Can you disable it?
                         
                          JOHANSSEN
           Hermes has four redundant flight
           computers, each connected to three
           redundant comm systems. We can't shut
           down the comms; we'd lose telemetry and
           guidance. We can't shut down the
           computers; we need to control the ship.
           I'd have to disable the Remote Override
           on each system... It's part of the OS,
           I'd have to jump over the code...
                          (CONTINUED)
           77.
           
                         
                         CONTINUED: (2)
                         
                          BECK
           Johanssen used to go by the hacker handle
           "Lady Sorrow" in high school. Just so
           we're all on the same page.
                         
                          JOHANSSEN
           Beck is a liar. And he should keep our
           conversations private.
                          (THEN)
           But, yeah. I can do it.
                         
                          LEWIS
           It has to be unanimous. If anyone says
           no, that's it. We go home as planned.
           But I vote yes.
                         
                          MARTINEZ
           I vote yes.
                         
                          VOGEL
           If we do this, it would be over nine
           hundred days of space. That is enough
           space for one life.
                          (THEN)
           Yes.
                         
          Beck thinks about it long and hard. Then:
                         
                          BECK
           Let's go get him.
                         
          And then there was one. All eyes turn to Johanssen.
                         
                          LEWIS
           Johanssen?
                         
          As Johanssen glances up at us, feeling the full weight of the
          world on her small shoulders --
                         
          INT. NASA - MISSION CONTROL - NIGHT
                         
          BRENDAN HATCH oversees Mission Control from 1 a.m. to 9 a.m.
          The shift is much quieter than the day shift. Usually.
                         
                          CAPCOM
           Flight, CAPCOM.
                         
                          BRENDAN
           Go CAPCOM.
                         
                          CAPCOM
           Unscheduled status update from Hermes.
                         
                         
                          (CONTINUED)
           78.
           
                         
                         CONTINUED:
                         
                          BRENDAN
           Roger. Read it out.
                         
                          CAPCOM
           I...I don't get it, Flight. No real
           status. Just a single sentence.
                         
                          BRENDAN
           What's it say?
                         
                          CAPCOM
           Message reads: "Houston, be advised: Rich
           Purnell is a steely-eyed missile man."
                         
                          BRENDAN
           What? Who the hell is Rich Purnell?
                         
          ALARMS start ringing out on the various stations.
                         
                          GUIDANCE
           Flight, Guidance.
                         
                          BRENDAN
           Go Guidance.
                         
                          GUIDANCE
           Hermes is off-course.
                         
                          BRENDAN
           CAPCOM, advise Hermes they're drifting.
           Guidance, get a correction ready --
                         
                          GUIDANCE
           Negative, Flight. It's not drift,
           they've adjusted course. Deliberate
           27.812 rotation.
                         
                          BRENDAN
           What the hell? CAPCOM, ask them what the
           hell.
                         
                          CAPCOM
           Roger Flight. Message sent. Minimum
           reply time 3 minutes, 4 seconds.
                         
                          BRENDAN
           Telemetry, any chance this is
           instrumentation failure?
                         
                          TELEMETRY
           Negative, Flight.
                         
                          BRENDAN
           Oh god. Guidance, Flight.
                          (CONTINUED)
           79.
           
                         
                         CONTINUED: (2)
                         
                          GUIDANCE
           Go Flight.
                         
                          BRENDAN
           Work out how long they can stay on this
           course before it's irreversible.
                         
                          GUIDANCE
           Working on that now, Flight.
                         
                          BRENDAN
           And somebody find out who the hell Rich
           Purnell is!
                         
          INT. NASA - TEDDY'S OFFICE - DAWN
                         
          Teddy's staring out the window when Mitch enters. Teddy
          makes him wait.
                         
                          TEDDY
           Annie will go before the media this
           morning and inform them of NASA's
           decision to reroute the Hermes to Mars.
                         
                          MITCH
           That seems like the smart move.
           Considering the circumstances.
                         
                          TEDDY
           You may have killed the whole crew.
                         
                          MITCH
           Whoever gave them the maneuver only
           passed along information. The crew made
           the decision on their own.
                         
          Teddy looks at him. Don't give me that horseshit.
                         
                          TEDDY
           We're fighting the same war. Every time
           something goes wrong, the world forgets
           why we fly. I'm trying to keep us
           airborne. This is bigger than one
           person.
                         
                          MITCH
           No. It's not.
                         
          Teddy relents. Just slightly. God, I hope you're right.
                         THEN:
                         
                          TEDDY
           When this is over... I'll expect your
           resignation.
                          (CONTINUED)
           80.
           
                         
                         CONTINUED:
                         
                          MITCH
           (a beat; then)
           I understand.
                         
                          TEDDY
           (we're finished here)
           Bring our astronauts home.
                         
          EXT. MARS
                         
          Beneath us, sunlight creeps across the ridges of the
          Schiaparelli Crater. We PRELAP the sound of DRILLING.
                         
                         TITLE: SOL 219
                         
                          MARK (PRELAP)
           Every Ares mission requires three years
           of presupplies...
                         
                         
          INT. HAB - DAY
                         
          Mark talks directly to the camera.
                         
                          MARK (CONT'D)
           ...so NASA figured out it's a lot easier
           to ship some of this stuff ahead of time
           rather than bring it with us. So, as a
           result, the MAV for Ares-4 is already
           waiting at the Schiaparelli Crater. And
           the plan is to use it to launch me into
           orbit just as the Hermes is passing. And
           then, I guess... they catch me? In
           space.
                         
          Mark thinks about that. Grins. Okay, I guess that sounds
          awesome.
                         
                          MARK (CONT'D)
           Anyway, that's not really my problem
           right now. First, I have to get there.
           And it's 3,200 kilometers away. So I
           have 200 sols to figure out how to bring
           everything here that's keeping me alive --
           the Atmospheric Regulator, the
           Oxygenator, and the Water Reclaimer --
           along for the ride. Luckily, I have the
           brainpower of the entire planet Earth
           helping me with this endeavor. So far
           we've come up with, "Drill holes in the
           roof of your rover and then hit it with a
           rock."
                          (THEN)
           We'll get there.
                          (CONTINUED)
           81.
           
                         
                         CONTINUED:
                         
          MUSIC UP: The opening CHORDS of "Starman" by David Bowie take
          us to...
                         
          EXT. HAB - DAY
                         
          Mark, in his MAV SUIT, stands on top of Rover Two. He holds
          the large ROCK SAMPLE DRILL like a jackhammer, drilling holes
          through the roof. It's grueling work.
                         
          He's been at this a while: we catch a glimpse of the SEVEN-
          HUNDRED HOLES he's drilled around the edge of the roof.
                         
          He finishes the last hole. Then he grabs a SCREWDRIVER. And
          a ROCK. Jams the screwdriver between the holes like a
          chisel. WHACK! He hits it with the rock.
                         
          WHACK! He hits it again. And again.
                         
          EXT. MARS - DAY - BEGIN MONTAGE
                         
          "Didn't know what time it was the lights were low, oh, oh..."
                         
          Mark positions the partially-disassembled rover in front of
          the camera. Frames his handiwork. Waits.
                         
          INT. NASA ROVER ROOM - DAY - MONTAGE
                         
          "I leaned back on my radio, oh, oh..."
                         
          Vincent and his engineers study Mark's photograph. Okay,
          good. The engineers start sketching out what to do next...
                         
          EXT. CNSA - DAY - MONTAGE
                         
          "Didn't know what time it was the lights were low, oh, oh..."
                         
          A bleary Teddy and Mitch step into the lobby of the China
          National Space Administration. They find Zhu and Guo waiting
          for them with an entourage. As they shake hands...
                         
          INT. HAB - KITCHEN - DAY - MONTAGE
                         
          "There's a starman waiting in the sky..."
                         
          Mark, inventories his remaining ration packs while he eats a
          potato.
                         
          He labels a few ration packs as he sets them aside:
          "Departure," "Birthday," "Last Meal..."
                         
          EXT. HERMES - SPACE - MONTAGE
                         
          The Hermes approaches Earth, slowing rotation...
           82.
           
                         
                         
                         
                         
          INT. HERMES - VIDEO BOOTH - REC ROOM - SPACE - MONTAGE
                         
          Martinez talks to his wife, MARISSA, on a screen in the video
          booth. She's upset with him.
                         
                          MARISSA
           Five hundred and thirty-three days
           longer? And you said yes to this?
                         
                          MARTINEZ
           I did. He would have done the same for
           me. You know that.
                         
                          MARISSA
           And you think I'm gonna forgive you?
                         
                          MARTINEZ
           I do.
                         
          Goddamn it, he's right. After a moment, she holds her hand
          up to the screen. He does the same.
                         
          INT. JPL - WHITE ROOM - DAY - MONTAGE
                         
          Bruce and his team oversee the Iris 2 Probe as it's loaded
          into shipping containers.
                         
          A few Chinese members of the CNSA (dressed in protective
          gear) watch as well.
                         
          INT. HERMES - VIDEO BOOTH - REC ROOM - SPACE - MONTAGE
                         
          Lewis, floating now due to the lack of centripetal gravity,
          talks on the computer to her husband, ROBERT. It's clear
          they love each other.
                         
                          ROBERT (ONSCREEN)
           I found it at the flea market. Original.
           Pressing.
                         
          Robert holds up a vintage 1973 copy Abba's Greatest Hits
          album.
                         
          Lewis squeals when she sees it. Claps with delight.
                         
          EXT. LAUNCH PAD - CHINA - DAY - MONTAGE
                         
          The Iris 2 Probe is attached to the booster.
                         
          INT. CNSA - DAY - MONTAGE
                         
          Mitch engages in a heated argument with the Chinese Flight
          Director.
                         
                          (CONTINUED)
           83.
           
                         
                         CONTINUED:
                         
                          MITCH
           All due respect to your CNSA protocol, we
           haven't done things that way since Apollo
                          9 --
                         
          The translator tries to translate his words. Zhu raises his
          eyebrows, glances at Teddy -- is this guy for real?
                         
          Teddy shakes his head, Don't look at me, man.
                         
          EXT. HAB - DAY - MONTAGE
                         
          Mark seals the tent to the roof of Rover 2, then pressurizes
          it. Checking for leaks. It's like a hot-air balloon.
                         
          INT. NASA - WORK ROOM - MONTAGE
                         
          Vincent and his engineers are doing the exact same thing --
          they have a mirrored set of Mark's equipment. They try to
          figure out how to fit the Oxygenator into the pop tent.
                         
          INT. HERMES FLIGHT DECK - SPACE - MONTAGE
                         
          Vogel entertains his WIFE and their young CHILDREN. He flips
          from a low-G area into a non-G area. ON THE SCREEN: The kids
          laugh and laugh.
                         
          INT. CNSA - DAY - MONTAGE
                         
          The Taiyang Shen LAUNCHES. Mitch, Teddy, and the Chinese
          scientists all clap, shake hands.
                         
          EXT. MARS - DAY - MONTAGE
                         
          "He told us not to blow it `Cause he knows it's all
          worthwhile..."
                         
          Mark, bops his head to the music as he drives Rover 2 across
          the dunes.
                         
          EXT. IRIS 2 PROBE - DAY (STOCK)
                         
          The Iris 2 probe separates from its booster rocket.
                         
          INT. HERMES FLIGHT DECK - MONTAGE
                         
          Martinez takes control of the probe. He pilots it towards
          the Hermes...
                         
          EXT. HERMES - SPACE - MONTAGE
                         
          The probe approaches the Hermes as the docking procedure
          begins...
           84.
           
                         
                         
                         
                         
          INT. HERMES - AIRLOCK 3 - SPACE - MONTAGE
                         
          Beck, geared up in his EVA suit, tethered to the wall, guides
          the probe to the docking port.
                         
          INT./EXT HERMES - REC ROOM - SPACE - MONTAGE
                         
          Johannsen watches anxiously through the window port as Beck
          secures the docking.
                         
          INT. HERMES - AIRLOCK 3 - SPACE - MONTAGE
                         
          Beck, geared up in his EVA suit, tethered to the wall, guides
          the probe to the docking port.
                         
          EXT. HERMES - SPACE - END MONTAGE
                         
          "Let the children lose it, let the children use it, let all
          the children boogie..."
                         
          The Hermes, rotating once again, soars through space on its
          return journey to Mars. It leaves the Earth behind...
                         
          And the music slowly FADES OUT.
                         
          EXT. MARS
                         
          As we hold in silence on the Red Planet, the title takes a
          little longer than usual to appear onscreen....
                         
                         TITLE: SOL 461
                         
                          MARK (PRELAP)
           I've been thinking about laws on Mars...
                         
          EXT. HAB - DAY
                         
          And it's OVER SIX MONTHS LATER, so a lot has changed.
                         
                          MARK (PRELAP)
           There's an international treaty saying no
           country can lay claim to anything that's
           not on Earth.
                         
          Both Rovers are now hitched together. Pathfinder rides on
          top of Rover 1 like Granny Clampett. Rover 2 houses all the
          equipment. The whole thing looks like a Gypsy caravan made
          of billion dollar NASA equipment.
                         
           MARK (PRELAP) (CONT'D)
           And by another treaty, if you're not in
           any country's territory, maritime law
           applies. So Mars is "international
           waters."
           85.
           
                         
                         
                         
                         
          INT. HAB - DAY
                         
          The Hab is similarly transformed. All the major equipment
          has been stripped for parts. Sections of the canvas have been
          cut down, re-glued, making the tent lopsided in places.
                         
                          MARK (PRELAP)
           NASA is an American non-military
           organization, and it owns the Hab. So,
           as soon as I step outside, I'm in
           international waters.
                         
          INT. HAB - DAY
                         
          Mark talks directly to camera. The six months have
          transformed him as well. He's GAUNT. His hair is longer.
          His impressive beard shapes his face.
                         
                          MARK
           Here's the cool part. I leave this
           morning for the Schiaparelli crater,
           where I will commandeer the Ares 4
           lander. Nobody explicitly gave me
           permission to do this, and they can't
           until I'm aboard the Ares 4. So I will
           take control of a craft in international
           waters without permission. Which, by
           definition, makes me a pirate.
                          (THEN)
           Mark Watney, Space Pirate.
                         
          It's better than winning the Nobel Prize.
                         
          INT. HAB - DAY
                         
          Last day in the Hab. Mark shaves his beard. CUT TO:
                         
          Mark organizes the boxes and boxes of experiments he was
          keeping alive during his time in the Hab. Among the labels
          we see "Das Soil Samples." CUT TO:
                         
          Mark pulls on his suit. Performs final shutdown. All the
          computers, lights, heaters go DARK. Silence.
                         
          EXT. HAB - DAY
                         
          Mark depressurizes the Hab. Stares at it for a moment.
          Thank you for keeping me alive.
                         
          EXT. ROVER - DAY
                         
          Mark opens Rover 2. We catch a glimpse inside: it's filled
          with frozen potatoes and scavenged equipment.
                         
                          (CONTINUED)
           86.
           
                         
                         CONTINUED:
                         
          Mark tosses the box of remaining rations inside. We catch a
          glimpse of one of the labels: "Goodbye, Mars."
                         
          INT. ROVER - DAY
                         
          Mark climbs into Rover 1. Powers up the system. Here we go.
                         
          EXT. ROVER - DAY
                         
          Mark rolls out of the Hab site. Heading towards the horizon.
                         
          EXT. MARS - VARIOUS - DAY
                         
           MARK (V.O.)
           Everywhere I go, I'm the first. It's a
           strange feeling.
                         
          Mark leaves FOOTPRINTS in the red dirt as he walks.
                         
           MARK (V.O.)
           Step outside the rover? First guy to be
           there. Climb that hill? First guy to do
           that.
                         
          Mark takes careful note of one of the Martian moons (PHOBOS)
          in the sky. Finds his course.
                         
           MARK (V.O.)
           Four and a half billion years... nobody
           here. And now... me.
                          (THEN)
           I'm the first person to be alone on an
           entire planet.
                         
          EXT. MARS - DAY
                         
          Mark sits outside the rover in his MAV suit while he waits
          for the solar panels to charge.
                         
          He takes in the view. Phobos arcs through the sky.
                         
          It's beautiful.
                         
          INT. NASA - MISSION CONTROL - DAY
                         
          SATELLITE VIEW: Mark's caravan makes its way around the
          impressive Marth Crater.
                         
          Mindy watches at her station. Vincent approaches.
                         
                          VINCENT
           How's our boy doing?
                         
                         
                          (CONTINUED)
           87.
           
                         
                         CONTINUED:
                         
                          MINDY
           So far, so good. He's sticking to
           schedule. Drives for four hours before
           noon. Then sets the solar panels. And
           waits thirteen hours while they recharge.
           Sleeps somewhere in there. Then starts
           again.
                         
                          VINCENT
           How's his morale?
                         
                          MINDY
           He's asked us to call him "Captain
           Blondebeard."
                         
                          VINCENT
           (thinks about that... huh)
           Mars would be governed by maritime law,
           so technically --
                         
                          MINDY
           Yeah, he explained it to us.
                         
          EXT. MARS - DAY
                         
          The ROVER cuts across Mars. No music. Just quiet. Wheels
          turning in the rust-colored dirt.
                         
                         TITLE: SOL 494
                         
          The Rover has a max speed of 25 kph, so it's slow going. But
          hypnotic. Right now, it's the only thing moving on the
          entire planet.
                         
          EXT. MARS - DAY
                         
          ANGLE MARK. Watching the horizon.
                         
          INT. NASA - VINCENT'S OFFICE - DAY
                         
          A stack of paperwork drops in front of Vincent. We notice
          diagrams for the MAV.
                         
                          BRUCE
           Okay, we're gonna start by stating, for
           the record, that you're not gonna like
           this.
                         
          Vincent starts to look through the plans.
                         
                         
                         
                         
                          (CONTINUED)
           88.
           
                         
                         CONTINUED:
                         
                          MITCH
           The problem is the intercept velocity.
           The Hermes cannot enter Mars orbit, or
           they'll never have enough fuel to make it
           home. The MAV is only designed to get to
           Low Mars Orbit. So in order for Mark to
           escape Mars' gravity entirely and
           intercept the Hermes...
                         
                          VINCENT
           He needs to be going fast.
                         
                          BRUCE
                          (NODS)
           Which means we need to make the MAV
           lighter. A lot lighter. Five-thousand
           kilograms lighter.
                         
                          VINCENT
           You can do that?
                         
          Bruce gives him a look that says, well, that depends on your
          definition of "do that," Vincent. He begins to deconstruct a
          scale model of the MAV:
                         
                          BRUCE
           There were some gimmes right off the bat.
           The design presumes 500 kilograms of
           Martian soil and samples. Obviously, we
           won't do that.
                         
                          MITCH
           There's just one passenger instead of
           six. With suits and gear, that saves
           another 500. Then we ditch the life
           support. We don't need it. We'll have
           Watney use his EVA suit for the whole
           trip.
                         
                          VINCENT
           How will he use the controls?
                         
                          MITCH
           He won't. Martinez will pilot the MAV
           remotely from the Hermes.
                         
                          VINCENT
           We've never had a manned ship controlled
           remotely before.
           (off Mitch's look)
           But... I'm excited for the opportunities
           that affords.
                         
                         
                          (CONTINUED)
           89.
           
                         
                         CONTINUED: (2)
                         
                          BRUCE
           If we go remote, we can lose the control
           panels. Then we dump the secondary and
           tertiary comm systems.
                         
                          VINCENT
           You're going to have a remote controlled
           ascent with no backup comms?
                         
                          MITCH
           He's not even to the bad stuff yet,
           Vincent.
                         
          Really?
                         
                          VINCENT
           You better skip to the bad stuff.
                         
                          BRUCE
           We have to remove the nose airlock, the
           windows, and Hull Panel 19.
                         
                          VINCENT
           (what?)
           You're taking the front of the ship off?
                         
                          BRUCE
           Sure. The nose airlock alone is 400
           kilograms.
                         
                          VINCENT
           You're going to launch a man into space
           with a giant hole in the front of the
           ship?
                         
                          BRUCE
           Well... no. We're gonna have him cover
           it with Hab canvas.
                         
          Vincent puts his head in his hands.
                         
                          BRUCE (CONT'D)
           The hull's mostly there to keep the air
           in. Mars' atmosphere is so thin you
           don't need a lot of streamlining. By the
           time the ship's going fast enough for air
           resistance to matter, it'll be high
           enough that there's practically no air.
                         
                          VINCENT
           You're sending him to space under a tarp.
                         
                          BRUCE
           Yes. Can I go on?
                          (CONTINUED)
           90.
           
                         
                         CONTINUED: (3)
                         
                          VINCENT
                          (THINKS GENUINELY)
           I'm not really sure I want you to, but
           okay.
                         
          INT. NASA - MISSION CONTROL - DAY
                         
          Mindy reads Mark's response while the group awaits. Mitch
          looks on from his station.
                         
                          MINDY
           Mark says... "Are you f-word-ing kidding
           me?"
                         
                          VINCENT
           Do you think he meant it like...
                          (EXCITED)
           "Are you kidding me?" Or more...
                          (ANGRY)
           "Are you kidding me?"
                         
                          MINDY
           (doesn't want to hurt
                          VINCENT'S FEELINGS)
           It's... possible he meant it the first
           way?
                         
          INT. ROVER - ARES 4 MAV SITE - DAY
                         
                         TITLE: SOL 538
                         
          Mark stares at the camera with a look that says, "Oh jesus
          these JPL guys are gonna get me killed."
                         
                          MARK
                          (DISTRAUGHT)
           I know what they're doing. I know what
           they're doing. They keep repeating
           "accelerate faster than any man in the
           history of space travel" like this is a
           good thing, like this'll distract me from
           how insane their plan is. Oh really? I
           get to be the fastest man in the history
           of space travel? You're launching me
           into space in a convertible. No no, it's
           worse, because I don't have any controls.
           You're launching me into space in a tin
           can. And, by the way, physicists don't
           even use words like "fast" when
           describing acceleration, so they're only
           doing it in hopes I won't raise any
           objections because I like the way
           "fastest man in the history of space
           travel" sounds. Well, you know what?
                          (MORE)
                          (CONTINUED)
           91.
           
                         
                         CONTINUED:
                          MARK (CONT'D)
           (thinks about it)
           I do like it. I do like the way it
           sounds.
                          (THEN)
           Okay, fine. Let's do this.
                         
          MUSIC UP: "Waterloo" by ABBA begins to play...
                         
          EXT. MAV - DAY
                         
          Mark stands at the base of the MAV. He holds a large wrench
          in his hand, almost like a weapon.
                         
          As Mark stares up at the MAV with a gleam in his eyes...
                         
          "My my at Waterloo Napoleon did surrender..."
                         
          INT. MAV - DAY
                         
          Mark tears the acceleration chairs out of the cockpit.
                         
          EXT. MAV - DAY
                         
          WHUMP. One after another, the acceleration chairs hit the
          dirt in a pile. WHUMP.
                         
          INT. MAV - DAY
                         
          Mark tears out the control panels. He's having fun.
                         
          EXT. MAV - DAY
                         
          WHUMP. The controls hit the dirt. The pile is growing.
                         
          MUSIC UP: "Waterloo" by ABBA begins to play...
                         
          INT. HERMES FLIGHT DECK - SPACE
                         
          Martinez runs through a flight simulation at his station.
          It's not going well. "Collision with Terrain" blinks in
          angry red letters on his screen.
                         
                          JOHANSSEN
           And... you killed him.
                         
          Lewis shrugs. The taskmaster.
                         
                          LEWIS
           Try it again.
                         
          Martinez reboots the simulator...
           92.
           
                         
                         
                         
                         
          INT. MAV COCKPIT - DAY
                         
          Mark waits in the airlock with a mess of stripped equipment.
                         
          EXT. MAV - DAY
                         
          The outside of the MAV now looks like the set of Sanford and
          Son. Mark wrenches one of the MAV's hull panels free.
                         
          EXT. MAV - DAY
                         
          UP ABOVE: The nose airlock breaks free, and tumbles down
          towards camera, BLACKING OUT FRAME.
                         
          EXT. MAV - DUSK
                         
          FROM BLACK, we FIND MARK. He's sitting on a hill slope,
          surveying his handiwork.
                         
          The MAV has been TRANSFORMED. The whole front has been torn
          off. Hab canvas now covers it. Equipment litters the area
          all around us. Junkyard on Mars.
                         
          "Finally facing my Waterloo..."
                         
          Mark just sits. Exhausted.
                         
          The music FADES.
                         
          EXT. HERMES - SPACE
                         
          The Hermes halts rotation as it approaches Mars.
                         
                         TITLE: SOL 560
                         
                          LEWIS(PRELAP)
           Here's the plan...
                         
          INT. HERMES REC ROOM - SPACE
                         
          The whole crew is present for the state of the union.
                         
                          LEWIS
           Martinez will fly the MAV. Johanssen
           will sysop the ascent. Beck and Vogel, I
           want you in Airlock 2 with the outer door
           open before the MAV even launches. Once
           we reach intercept, it'll be Beck's job
           to get Watney.
                         
                         
                         
                         
                          (CONTINUED)
           93.
           
                         
                         CONTINUED:
                         
                          BECK
           He might be in bad shape. The stripped
           down MAV will get up to 12 g's during the
           launch. He could be knocked unconscious
           and may have internal bleeding.
                         
                          LEWIS
           Well, then it's a good thing you're our
           doctor. What's the intercept plan?
                         
                          BECK
           We finished attaching the tethers into
           one long line. It's 214 meters long.
           I'll have the MMU, so moving around
           should be easy.
                         
                          LEWIS
           How fast a relative velocity can you
           handle?
                         
                          BECK
           Once I get to Mark? I can grab the MAV
           at 5 meters per second. 10 is like
           jumping onto a moving train. Any more
           than that and I might miss.
                         
                          LEWIS
           We've got some leeway. The launch will
           be 52 minutes before the intercept and it
           takes 12 minutes. As soon as Mark's
           engine cuts out we'll know our intercept
           point and velocity.
                         
                          BECK
           Good. And 214 meters isn't a hard limit,
           per se.
                         
                          LEWIS
           Yes. It is.
                         
                          BECK
           I take off the tether, I could get way
           out to --
                         
                          LEWIS
           Not an option. Vogel, you're Beck's
           backup. All goes well, you're pulling
           them back aboard with the tether. If
           things go wrong, you're going out after
           them.
                         
                          VOGEL
           Ja.
                         
                          (CONTINUED)
           94.
           
                         
                         CONTINUED: (2)
                         
                          LEWIS
           All right. Let's go get our boy.
                         
          INT. POP UP TENT - DAY
                         
          Mark sits inside the makeshift pressurized tent. He tears
          open his last remaining ration pack:
                         
          "Goodbye, Mars"
                         
          He eats in silence.
                         
                         TITLE: SOL 561
                         
          EXT. NASA - NIGHT
                         
          It's a mob scene at NASA. Networks from all across the globe
          have sent teams to cover the event. Campers, crews, and
          chaos all around as everyone fights for real estate in the
          biggest story of the century.
                         
          EXT. TIMES SQUARE - NIGHT
                         
          New-Years-Eve-Level crowds gather in Times Square. On the
          Jumbotron, news reports announce the "Watney Rescue."
                         
          INT. MISSION CONTROL - NIGHT
                         
          Teddy, Vincent, and Annie watch from an observation area.
                         
                          ANNIE
           If something goes wrong, what can Mission
           Control do?
                         
                          VINCENT
           Not a damned thing.
           (off her look)
           It's all happening twelve light-minutes
           away. That means it takes twenty-four
           minutes for them to get the answer to any
           question they ask. The whole launch is
           twelve minutes long. They're on their
           own.
                         
                          ANNIE
           Not that we have a choice, but... are we
           sure we want to be broadcasting this to
           the world? I mean, if something goes
                          WRONG --
                         
                          VINCENT
           (cutting her off)
           Yes.
                          (MORE)
                          (CONTINUED)
           95.
           
                         
                         CONTINUED:
                          VINCENT (CONT'D)
                          (RESOLUTE)
           We want to be broadcasting this.
                         
          Mitch takes his position as Johanssen's VOICE rings out:
                         
           JOHANSSEN (OVER COMMS)
           Fuel Pressure green.
                         
          EXT. STREETS - BEIJING - DAY
                         
          Crowds watch the screens in Beijing as Johanssen's voice
                         RINGS OUT:
                         
           JOHANSSEN (OVER COMMS)
           Engine alignment perfect...
                         
          EXT. ST. PETERSBERG - DAY
                         
          The cold is not keeping the crowds from watching the screens
          in the Palace Square.
                         
           JOHANSSEN (OVER COMMS)
           Communications five by five...
                         
          INT. HERMES - FLIGHT DECK - SPACE
                         
          Lewis nods. She's been waiting for this moment for some
          time. Keys the console --
                         
                          LEWIS
           About two minutes, Watney. How you doing
           down there?
                         
          INT. MAV - COCKPIT - DAY
                         
          Mark tries to keep his emotions under control as he waits in
          the cockpit...
                         
                          MARK
           It's good to hear your voice, Commander.
           I'm eager to get up to you.
                         
          He fails. His voice breaks.
                         
                          MARK (CONT'D)
           Thank you for coming back for me.
                         
          INT. HERMES FLIGHT DECK - SPACE
                         
                          LEWIS
           We're on the case. Remember, you'll be
           pulling some pretty heavy G's. It's okay
           to pass out. You're in Martinez' hands.
                         
                          (CONTINUED)
           96.
           
                         
                         CONTINUED:
                         
                          MARK
           Tell that asshole no barrel-rolls.
                         
                          LEWIS
           Copy that, MAV. CAPCOM...
                         
          CLOSE ON JOHANSSEN, at her station.
                         
                          JOHANSSEN
           Go.
                         
                          LEWIS
           Remote Command...
                         
          CLOSE ON MARTINEZ, grinning in anticipation.
                         
                          MARTINEZ
           Go.
                         
                          LEWIS
           Recovery...
                         
          INT. HERMES - AIRLOCK 2 - SPACE
                         
          CLOSE ON BECK as he floats in the open airlock. Beneath him,
          the Red Planet blazes in all its brilliance.
                         
                          BECK
           Go.
                         
           LEWIS (OVER COMMS)
           Secondary recovery...
                         
          CLOSE ON VOGEL, clamped to the floor behind Beck.
                         
                          VOGEL
           Go.
                         
          INT. HERMES - FLIGHT DECK - SPACE
                         
          CLOSE ON LEWIS:
                         
                          LEWIS
           Pilot...
                         
          And finally...
                         
          INT. MAV - COCKPIT - DAY
                         
          CLOSE ON MARK WATNEY, in his EVA suit, strapped into his
          acceleration seat.
                         
                          MARK
           Go.
           97.
           
                         
                         
                         
                         
          EXT. VARIOUS - DAY/NIGHT
                         
          ALL AROUND THE WORLD -- the CROWDS ERUPT IN CHEERS as they
          hear Mark's voice.
                         
          INT. NASA - MISSION CONTROL - NIGHT
                         
           LEWIS (OVER COMMS)
           Mission control, this is Hermes actual.
           We are go for launch, and will proceed on
           schedule. 10 seconds to launch... mark.
                         
          INT. HERMES - FLIGHT DECK - SPACE
                         
                          MARTINEZ
           Main engines start.
                         
                          JOHANSSEN
           8... 7... mooring clamps released...
                         
                          LEWIS
           About five seconds, Watney. Hang on.
                         
          INT. MAV - DAY
                         
          Mark tenses in anticipation.
                         
                          MARK
           See you in a few, Commander.
                         
           JOHANSSEN (OVER COMMS)
           4... 3... 2... 1...
                         
          LIFTOFF.
                         
          Mark is SLAMMED back into his acceleration couch --
                         
          EXT. LAUNCHSITE - DAY
                         
          SFX: the MAV launches upward with incredible force. And yes,
          as discussed, in the history of space travel, no manned ship
          has ever accelerated with more force.
                         
          INT. MAV - DAY
                         
          Mark can't even GASP -- the wind knocked out of him -- He
          struggles to remain conscious as the ship shakes VIOLENTLY --
                         
          MARK'S POV: staring forward, at the HAB CANVAS (which now
          patches where the nosecone used to be.)
                         
          As the ship accelerates, the canvas begins to RIP --
           98.
           
                         
                         
                         
                         
          INT. HERMES - FLIGHT DECK - SPACE
                         
                          JOHANSSEN
           Velocity 741 meters per second. Altitude
           1350 meters...
                         
                          LEWIS
           That's too low --
                         
                          MARTINEZ
           I know. It's fighting me --
                         
                          JOHANSSEN
           Velocity 850, altitude 1843 --
                         
                          LEWIS
           Watney? Watney, do you read? Can you
           report?
                         
          INT. MAV - DAY
                         
          But Mark's barely conscious -- his eyes drifting from
          terrified to serene as he fades --
                         
          HIS POV -- the canvas RIPS FREE....
                         
          Revealing the RED ATMOSPHERE of Mars. And as it thins -- as
          we rocket towards the heavens -- the red gives way to the
          black...
                         
          And the last thing Mark sees before he drops unconscious --
                         
          Are the STARS.
                         
          INT. HERMES - FLIGHT DECK - SPACE
                         
                          JOHANSSEN
           He's well below target altitude.
                         
                          LEWIS
           How far below?
                         
                          JOHANSSEN
           Working on it -- Main shutdown in 3...
           2... 1... Shutdown.
                         
                          MARTINEZ
           Back to automatic guidance. Confirm
           shutdown.
                         
                          LEWIS
           Watney? Do you read?
                         
                         
                          (CONTINUED)
           99.
           
                         
                         CONTINUED:
                         
           BECK (OVER COMMS)
           He's probably passed out. He pulled 12
           G's on the ascent. Give him a few
           minutes.
                         
                          LEWIS
           Copy.
                         
                          JOHANSSEN
           I have interval pings. Intercept
           velocity will be 11 meters per second...
                         
           BECK (OVER COMMS)
           I can make that work.
                         
                          JOHANSSEN
           Distance at intercept will be --
                          (GOES PALE)
           We'll be 68 kilometers apart.
                         
          INT. HERMES - AIRLOCK 2 - SPACE
                         
                          BECK
           Did she say 68 kilometers? Kilometers?
                         
          INT. HERMES - FLIGHT DECK - SPACE
                         
                          MARTINEZ
           Oh my god...
                         
                          LEWIS
           Keep it together. Work the problem.
           Martinez, do we have any juice in the
           MAV?
                         
                          MARTINEZ
           Negative, Commander. They ditched the
           OMS system to make launch weight.
                         
                          LEWIS
           Then we have to go him. Johanssen, time
           to intercept?
                         
                          JOHANSSEN
           39 minutes, 12 seconds --
                         
                          LEWIS
           What if we point our attitude thrusters
           all the same direction?
                         
                          MARTINEZ
           Depends on how much fuel we want to save
           for attitude adjustments on the trip
           home.
                          (CONTINUED)
           100.
           
                         
                         CONTINUED:
                         
                          LEWIS
           How much do you need?
                         
                          MARTINEZ
           I could get by with maybe 20 percent of
           what's left.
                         
                          LEWIS
                          JOHANSSEN --
                         
                          JOHANSSEN
           (already working it)
           Use 75.5 percent of remaining attitude
           adjust fuel. That'll bring the intercept
           range to zero.
                         
                          LEWIS
           Do it.
                         
                          JOHANSSEN
           Hang on -- that gets the range to zero,
           but the intercept velocity will be 42
           meters per second --
                         
                          LEWIS
           Then we have 39 minutes to figure out how
           to slow down. Martinez, burn the jets.
                         
          EXT. HERMES - SPACE
                         
          WHOOSH. The attitude thrusters FIRE. The Hermes changes
                         COURSE --
                         
          INT. MAV - DAY
                         
          CLOSE ON MARK as his eyelids flutter. He winces in pain as
          he slowly regains consciousness.
                         
          BENEATH HIM -- the orbiting MAV offers an unobstructed view
          of Mars. The great red planet's horizon stretches out
          forever as the wispy atmosphere gives it a fuzzy edge.
                         
          It's breathtaking. Awe-inspiring.
                         
          Mark holds up his middle finger. Fuck you, Mars.
                         
                          MARK
           MAV to Hermes --
                         
           LEWIS (OVER COMMS)
           Watney?!
                         
                          MARK
           Affirmative, Commander.
                          (CONTINUED)
           101.
           
                         
                         CONTINUED:
                         
           LEWIS (OVER COMMS)
           What's your status?
                         
                          MARK
           My chest hurts. I think I broke some
           ribs.
                          (THEN)
           How are you?
                         
           LEWIS (OVER COMMS)
           We're working on getting you. There was
           a complication during launch.
                         
                          MARK
           Yeah. The canvas didn't hold...
                         
          INT. HERMES - FLIGHT DECK - SPACE
                         
           MARK (OVER COMMS)
           I think it ripped early in the ascent.
                         
                          LEWIS
           That's consistent with what we saw.
                         
           MARK (OVER COMMS)
           How bad is it, Commander?
                         
                          LEWIS
           We've corrected the intercept range, but
           we've got a problem with the intercept
           velocity.
                         
           MARK (OVER COMMS)
           How big a problem?
                         
                          LEWIS
           42 meters per second.
                         
          INT. MAV - DAY
                         
          We're CLOSE ON MARK as that news lands.
                         
                          MARK
           Well. Shit.
                         
          INT. HERMES - FLIGHT DECK - SPACE
                         
          Everyone struggles to find a solution. Mark's voice
          interrupts the silence:
                         
           MARK (OVER COMMS)
           Commander?
           102.
           
                         
                         
                         
                         
          INT. MAV - DAY
                         
           LEWIS (OVER COMMS)
           Go ahead, Mark.
                         
                          MARK
           I could find something sharp in here and
           poke a hole in the glove of my EVA suit.
           I could use the escaping air as a
           thruster and fly my way to you. Since
           the source is on my arm, I could direct
           it pretty easy.
                         
          INT. HERMES - FLIGHT DECK - SPACE
                         
                          LEWIS
           I can't see you having any control if you
           did that. You'd be eyeballing the
           intercept and using a thrust vector you
           can barely control.
                         
           MARK (OVER COMMS)
           Those are very good points. But.
                          CONSIDER THIS:
                         
          INT. MAV - DAY
                         
                          MARK
           I would get to fly around like Iron Man.
                         
          INT. HERMES - FLIGHT DECK - SPACE
                         
                          LEWIS
           We should have left him on Mars.
                         
           MARK (OVER COMMS)
           Iron Man, Commander. Iron Man.
                         
          Lewis rubs her face. Thinks. Hmm...
                         
                          LEWIS
           Maybe it's not the worst idea.
                         
                          MARTINEZ
           No, it actually is. The worst idea.
           Ever.
                         
                          LEWIS
           Not his part. But using atmosphere as
           thrust...
           (springs into action)
           Martinez, get Vogel's station up and
           running...
                         
                          (CONTINUED)
           103.
           
                         
                         CONTINUED:
                         
                          MARTINEZ
           It's up. What do you need?
                         
                          LEWIS
           I need to know what happens if we blow
           the VAL.
                         
          Both Martinez and Johanssen straighten up. What?
                         
                          MARTINEZ
           You want to open the Vehicular Airlock?
                         
                          LEWIS
           It would give us a good kick.
                         
                          MARTINEZ
           Yeah. And it might blow the nose of the
           ship off in the process.
                         
                          JOHANSSEN
           And... all the air would leave. And we
           need air. To not die.
                         
                          LEWIS
           We'll seal the bridge and reactor room.
           We let everywhere else go vacuo.
                         
                          MARTINEZ
           But we'd still have the same problem as
           Watney. We can't direct the thrust.
                         
                          LEWIS
           We don't have to. The VAL is in the
           nose. We just point the ship at Mark.
                         
                          MARTINEZ
           (reading the numbers)
           A breach at the VAL would decelerate us
           29 meters per second.
                         
                          JOHANSSEN
           Which gives us a relative velocity of 13
           meters per second.
                         
                          LEWIS
           Beck -- you hearing this?
                         
          INT. HERMES - FLIGHT DECK - SPACE
                         
                          MARTINEZ
           How do we open the airlock doors?
           There's no way to open them remotely, and
           if anyone's nearby when it blows...
                         
                          (CONTINUED)
           104.
           
                         
                         CONTINUED:
                         
                          LEWIS
           Right... right...
                          (THINKS)
           Vogel?
                         
           VOGEL (OVER COMMS)
           Go ahead, Commander.
                         
                          LEWIS
           Take your suit off.
                          (THEN)
           I need you to come back in and make a
           bomb.
                         
          INT. MAV - DAY
                         
                          MARK
           Did you say "bomb?" You guys are making
           a bomb without me?
                         
                         
          INT. HERMES - AIRLOCK 2 - SPACE
                         
                          VOGEL
           Um... Again, please, Commander.
                         
           LEWIS (OVER COMMS)
           You're the chemist. Can you make a bomb
           with what we've got on board?
                         
                          VOGEL
           Probably. But... I feel obliged to
           mention that setting off an explosive
           device on a spacecraft is a terrible,
           terrible idea.
                         
           LEWIS (OVER COMMS)
           Copy that. Can you do it?
                         
                          VOGEL
                          (THINKS; THEN)
           Ja.
                         
          INT. MISSION CONTROL - NIGHT
                         
          Lewis' voice rings out through the room:
                         
           LEWIS (OVER COMMS)
           Houston, be advised: we are going to
           deliberately breach the VAL to produce
           thrust.
                         
          CHAOS erupts at Mission Control. WHAT DID SHE JUST SAY?
           105.
           
                         
                         
                         
                         
          INT. HERMES - FLIGHT DECK - SPACE
                         
                          LEWIS
           Beck -- leave your suit on. Meet
           Johanssen at Airlock 1. We'll open the
           outer door. I need you to place the
           charge on the inner door...
                         
          INT. HERMES - AIRLOCK 2 - SPACE
                         
           LEWIS (OVER COMMS)
           ...and climb back to Airlock 2 along the
           hull.
                         
                          BECK
           Copy. On my way.
                         
          INT. HERMES/MAV - SPACE - INTERCUT
                         
          Mark RIPS free a jagged edge of metal scrap from what used to
          be the console.
                         
                          MARK
           Commander, I can't let you guys do this.
           I'm ready to puncture the suit. Let's go
           with the Iron Man plan.
                         
                          LEWIS
           Absolutely not.
                         
                          MARK
           The thing is, I'm selfish. And I want
           the memorials back home to be just me. I
           don't want the rest of you losers in
           them.
                          (EARNEST)
           Commander... call it off.
                         
                          LEWIS
           Oh. Okay. Well, if you want us to call
           it off, then I guess we have to oh
           wait... wait a minute. Yep. I'm looking
           at my shoulder patch and it turns out I'm
           Commander. So shut up.
                         
                          MARK
                          (MUTTERS)
           Smart ass.
                         
          INT. HERMES REC ROOM - SPACE
                         
          Vogel works fast. He pours SUGAR into a strong glass beaker.
          Drills a hole in the stopper as Johanssen enters --
                         
                          (CONTINUED)
           106.
           
                         
                         CONTINUED:
                         
                          JOHANSSEN
           Bomb?
                         
                          VOGEL
                          (NODS)
           Bomb. In a pure oxygen environment, 16.7
           million Joules will be released for every
           kilogram of sugar used. Eight times more
           powerful than a stick of dynamite.
                         
          He pours LIQUID OXYGEN into the beaker.
                         
                          JOHANSSEN
           How do we activate it?
                         
          Vogel strips electrical wires, threads them into the stopper.
                         
                          VOGEL
           Can you run this to one of our lighting
           panels?
                         
          Johanssen grins.
                         
          INT. HERMES - VAL (AIRLOCK 1) - SPACE
                         
          Beck (in his spacesuit) enters the Vehicular Airlock as
          Johanssen is ripping wires out of the lighting panel and
          threading them into the bomb.
                         
                          JOHANSSEN
           Make sure you're not still here when this
           goes off.
                         
          He takes the bomb from her.
                         
                          JOHANSSEN (CONT'D)
                          WAIT --
                         
          They share a look.
                         
                          JOHANSSEN (CONT'D)
           Be careful. Out in space.
                         
          Johanssen kisses his face plate.
                         
                          JOHANSSEN (CONT'D)
           Don't tell anyone I did that.
                         
          Beck smiles. Closes the (inner) Airlock door behind her.
           107.
           
                         
                         
                         
                         
          INT/EXT. HERMES - VAL (AIRLOCK 1) - SPACE
                         
          As the OUTER DOOR opens, revealing SPACE, Beck finishes
          securing the improvised bomb to the inner door.
                         
                          BECK
           Bomb is set. On my way.
                         
          INT. HERMES - FLIGHT DECK - SPACE
                         
          As Johanssen races back to her post, Martinez works quickly
          at his station.
                         
                          MARTINEZ
           Guys, I'm running the numbers -- even
           with optimal VAL blow, we're gonna be off
           on our angle.
                         
                          LEWIS
           What's the new intercept distance?
                          (IMPATIENT)
           Johanssen.
                         
                          JOHANSSEN
           260 meters. Approximate.
                         
                          LEWIS
           That's too far...
                         
          She thinks for a moment. Then she races off the flight deck.
                         
                          MARTINEZ
           Commander?
                         
          EXT. HERMES - SPACE
                         
          Beck climbs out of Airlock 1, and makes his way along the
          hull of Hermes, using the handholds. We FOLLOW HIM as he
          traverses the ship, and as he makes his way into Airlock 2...
                         
          INT. HERMES - AIRLOCK 2 - SPACE
                         
          ...he finds LEWIS, fully suited up, waiting for him.
                         
                          LEWIS
           The intercept distance is gonna be too
           far. I'm going untethered.
                         
                          BECK
           Commander, I can do this --
                         
                          LEWIS
           It's not a debate, Beck. I'm not risking
           another crew member.
                          (CONTINUED)
           108.
           
                         
                         CONTINUED:
                         
          Beck sees there's no arguing with her.
                         
                          LEWIS (CONT'D)
           Johanssen, time to VAL blow?
                         
           JOHANSSEN (OVER COMMS)
           15 seconds...
                         
                          LEWIS
           We sure know how to cut it close.
                         
          INT. HERMES - FLIGHT DECK - SPACE
                         
          Vogel rushes into the flight deck.
                         
                          JOHANSSEN
           10 seconds...
                         
                          MARTINEZ
           Strap in.
                         
          They tighten the restraints on their chairs.
                         
                          JOHANSSEN
           5... 4... 3...
                         
                          LEWIS
           Brace for deceleration.
                         
                          JOHANSSEN
           2... 1... Activating Panel 41.
                         
          She presses ENTER.
                         
          INT. HERMES - VAL (AIRLOCK 1) - SPACE
                         
          We're CLOSE ON THE BOMB as the current hits it...
                         
          KA-BOOOM! The EXPLOSION RIPS THE AIRLOCK DOOR TO SHREDS --
                         
          As the Hermes decelerates, Lewis and Beck are SLAMMED up
          against the wall --
                         
          INT. HERMES - FLIGHT DECK - SPACE
                         
          Martinez, Vogel, and Johanssen endure the deceleration in
          their chairs. After four seconds, the ship stabilizes --
                         
                          JOHANSSEN
           Bridge seal holding.
                         
                          MARTINEZ
           Damage?
                         
                          (CONTINUED)
           109.
           
                         
                         CONTINUED:
                         
           LEWIS (OVER COMMS)
           Worry about that later... What's our
           relative velocity?
                         
          INT. HERMES - AIRLOCK 2 - SPACE
                         
           JOHANSSEN (OVER COMMS)
           12 meters per second.
                         
                          LEWIS
           Copy.
                         
          And with that, Commander Lewis places her feet against the
          back wall for leverage...
                         
          AND JUMPS.
                         
          INT. HERMES - FLIGHT DECK - SPACE
                         
           LEWIS (OVER COMMS)
           What's our intercept range?
                         
          Johanssen stares at the calculations. That can't be right...
                         
                          JOHANSSEN
           312 meters.
                         
          INT. MAV - DAY
                         
          Mark hears the news. Oh SHIT.
                         
                          MARK
           You said 312? Great. I'll wave at you
           guys as I go by.
                         
           LEWIS (OVER COMMS)
           I have visual on the MAV --
                         
          EXT. HERMES - SPACE
                         
          Lewis sails clear of the ship, controlling her movements with
          her MMU. We SPOT the rotating MAV way off in the distance --
                         
                          LEWIS
           Mark -- you're still WAY TOO FAR -- I'm
           not gonna make it --
                         
          INT. MAV - DAY
                         
          Mark hears the news. Steels himself.
                         
                         
                         
                         
                          (CONTINUED)
           110.
           
                         
                         CONTINUED:
                         
                          MARK
           Commander. Seriously.
                          (THEN)
           I got this.
                         
          Mark unclips his harness. Slams his makeshift knife into his
          suit. WHOOSH -- the air shoots out through the puncture --
                         
          EXT. MAV - DAY
                         
          And we're OUTSIDE THE MAV -- as it tumbles away from us --
                         
          Mark Watney soars out of the ship.
                         
                          MARK
           (having the time of his
                          LIFE)
           I have visual on the Commander.
                         
          AHEAD IN THE DISTANCE -- there's Lewis. Mark tries to adjust
          course as they rocket towards each other.
                         
                          LEWIS
           Johanssen -- what's my relative velocity
           to Mark?
                         
          And as our SCORE begins to BUILD...
                         
          INT. HERMES - FLIGHT DECK - SPACE
                         
          ANGLE JOHANSSEN -- knuckles white as she types --
                         
                          JOHANSSEN
           5.2 meters per second...
                         
          ANGLE MARTINEZ -- on the edge of his seat --
                         
           LEWIS (OVER COMMS)
           Copy. Adjusting course --
                         
          ANGLE VOGEL -- heart in his throat --
                         
                          JOHANSSEN
           3.1 meters per second...
                         
          INT. HERMES - AIRLOCK 2 - SPACE
                         
          ANGLE BECK -- watching the two figures rocket towards each
          other below --
                         
           JOHANSSEN (OVER COMMS)
           Distance to target -- 24 meters --
           111.
           
                         
                         
                         
                         
          EXT. HERMES - SPACE
                         
          ANGLE LEWIS -- as she counter-thrusts, fires her MMU. Trying
          to slow as Mark approaches --
                         
           JOHANSSEN (OVER COMMS)
           11 meters to target...
                         
          And finally...
                         
          EXT. SPACE
                         
          ANGLE MARK. As he cuts through space. Free as the
          proverbial bird. The Red Planet silhouetted behind him as he
          leaves it behind, once and for all.
                         
          As the score SWELLS to CRESCENDO, these two astronauts soar
          towards one another, arms outstretched...
                         
           JOHANSSEN (OVER COMMS)
           6 meters to target...
                         
          JUST AS THEY REACH EACH OTHER --
                         
                          MARK
           Contact.
                         
          EXT. SPACE - DAY
                         
          Mark and Lewis float together, holding tight to one another.
                         
          CLOSE ON MARK. As he stares at Lewis. The first human he
          has seen in ages. He smiles.
                         
                          MARK
           You have terrible taste in music.
                         
          INT. NASA - MISSION CONTROL - NIGHT
                         
          Everyone leaps up as Lewis' voice rings out through mission
                         CONTROL --
                         
           LEWIS (OVER COMMS)
           I got him.
                         
          They ERUPT into CHEERS --
                         
          EXT. ST. PETERSBERG - DAY
                         
          -- and the CHEERS explode through RUSSIA...
           112.
           
                         
                         
                         
                         
          EXT. TIMES SQUARE - NIGHT
                         
          ...and NEW YORK as news reports break the story of Mark's
          rescue on the big screens.
                         
          EXT. BEIJING - DAY
                         
          ...and CHINA...
                         
          EXT./INT. AIRLOCK - DAY
                         
          LEWIS guides MARK towards the airlock with her MMU.
                         
           LEWIS (INTO COMMS)
           Beck, prep the sick bay. We're bringing
           him to you. Everyone else, meet me in
           Airlock Two.
                         
          MARTINEZ, JOHANSSEN, and VOGEL race down from the bridge to
          meet them. They're not in suits -- they have to wait for the
          outer airlock to close. THROUGH THE OBSERVATION WINDOWS:
          they see Lewis and Mark touch down in the airlock.
                         
          The outer airlock closes -- WHOOSH -- Mark collapses,
          exhausted. The inner airlock opens. Martinez, Johanssen,
          and Vogel race into the room, grab Mark. Supporting him.
          Holding him.
                         
                          MARK
           Hi guys.
                         
          Everyone fighting back tears.
                         
                          JOHANSSEN
           Oh, hey Mark. Haven't seen you in a
           while.
                         
                          MARTINEZ
           Yeah. What've you been up to?
                         
                          MARK
           Oh. You know. Same old, same old.
                         
          Click. They help him with his helmet. As they pull it off,
          everyone is suddenly taken aback. Oh my god...
                         
                          VOGEL
           You smell horrible.
                         
                          MARK
           I haven't showered in a year and a half.
           Cut me some slack.
                         
          Johanssen's eyes are watering. Good lord, he smells bad.
                          (CONTINUED)
           113.
           
                         
                         CONTINUED:
                         
                          JOHANSSEN
           You don't know what you're asking us
           here.
                         
                          MARTINEZ
           Yeah, captain, we may need to put him
           back.
                         
                          MARK
           I missed you guys.
                         
          They hold each another.
                         
          EXT. EARTH - TO ESTABLISH
                         
          Home. It's never looked more warm and welcoming.
                         
          EXT. PARK - JOHNSON SPACE CENTER - DAY
                         
          A man sits by himself on a bench.
                         
          ANGLE to reveal it's MARK WATNEY. Basking in the warmth of a
          beautiful day.
                         
                         TITLE: DAY 1
                         
          INT. NASA - TEACHING THEATER - DAY
                         
          The young, fresh-faced recruits in NASA's Astronaut Candidate
          Program are abuzz as Mark enters the room. The students
          nudge each other -- Look, there he is.
                         
          By the time Mark reaches the lectern at the front, he has the
          full attention of the class.
                         
                          MARK
           Welcome to the Astronaut Candidate
           Program. Pay attention. This could save
           your life.
                          (THEN)
           Trust me, I know what I'm talking about.
                         
          The class laughs.
                         
                          MARK (CONT'D)
           Okay, let's see if I can get some of your
           questions out of the way up front. Yes,
           I did, indeed, survive on a deserted
           planet by farming in my own shit. It was
           even more disgusting than it sounds.
           Let's never speak of it again.
                         
          More laughter. Mark lets it subside.
                         
                          (CONTINUED)
           114.
           
                         
                         CONTINUED:
                         
                          MARK (CONT'D)
           Question Two: "When you were stranded and
           alone up there... did you think you were
           gonna die?"
                         
          And there's a pause as Mark thinks about it. The rare moment
          of reflection for our hero.
                         
          He nods. Genuine:
                         
                          MARK (CONT'D)
           Yes.
                         
          Then...
                         
                          MARK (CONT'D)
           And it'll happen to you, too. You should
           know that going in. It's space. It's
           filled with chance, circumstance, and bad
           luck. It doesn't cooperate. At some
           point, I promise, at some point every
           single thing is gonna go south on you,
           and you'll think: this is it. This is
           how I end.
                          (THEN)
           And you can either accept that... or you
           can get to work.
                         
          He lets those words land.
                         
                          MARK (CONT'D)
           That's all it is. You simply begin.
           Solve one problem. Then the next one,
           then the next.
                          (THEN)
           You solve enough problems... and you get
           to come home.
                         
          Mark opens his notebook.
                         
                          MARK (CONT'D)
           All right. Questions?
                         
          Every hand in the class shoots into the air.
                         
          MUSIC UP: "LOVE TRAIN" by The O'Jays carries us to...
                         
          EXT. LAUNCHPAD - DAY
                         
          A SPACECRAFT is readied for launch.
                         
                         
                         
                         
                          (CONTINUED)
           115.
           
                         
                         CONTINUED:
                         
                          ANNIE (PRELAP)
           ...as soon as Mission Control finishes
           their pre-flight checks, we will begin
           launch procedures...
                         
          INT. NASA - PRESS ROOM - DAY
                         
          ANNIE MONTROSE stands at her place at the podium. Annie's a
          little older, a little wiser, but can still command a room.
                         
                          ANNIE
           The Ares 5 team will rendezvous with the
           Hermes approximately 48 minutes after
           launch. From there, they've got 414 days
           of space travel ahead of them, arriving
           at Mars on March 30th. And I'll let the
           Director of Mars Missions, Vincent
           Kapoor, brief you on the particulars.
                         
          VINCENT steps to the podium. He's calm. At ease. Much
          better on television than we've ever seen him.
                         
                          VINCENT
           Good morning. Their mission is scheduled
           for 41 Sols. Your briefs detail the
           research and experiment schedules...
                         
          And the MUSIC CONTINUES THROUGHOUT as...
                         
          INT. NASA - MISSION CONTROL
                         
          The room is ABUZZ WITH ACTIVITY as they prepare for launch.
                         
          MINDY PARK takes her place at her STATION. She's moved up in
          the world, now bears the title of:
                         
                          MINDY
           Flight, CAPCOM. Ready to begin preflight
           check.
                         
          BRENDAN HATCH takes his place as the new FLIGHT DIRECTOR.
                         
                          BRENDAN
           Go ahead, CAPCOM.
                         
          UP ABOVE: In the VIEWING ROOM... TEDDY SANDERS watches the
          activity from his solitary seat. He has his GREEN FOLDER at
          the ready beside him.
                         
          EXT. JPL - MORNING
                         
          A DEER trots through JPL grounds... it's still early yet at
          the Jet Propulsion Labs in Pasadena....
                         
                          (CONTINUED)
           116.
           
                         
                         CONTINUED:
                         
          But BRUCE NG is awake. And he still looks as exhausted and
          rumpled as ever. But he's in a good mood. He eats breakfast
          with his team outside as they watch the news reports
          detailing the "ARES 5 LAUNCH."
                         
          Bruce and his team laugh, make jokes with each other. One of
          them tosses food to the deer.
                         
          INT. SUBURBAN HOUSE - DAY
                         
          "People all over the world, join in..."
                         
          Five BEAUTIFUL BLONDE CHILDREN race through the house,
          wearing NASA t-shirts and jumpsuits -- we get the sense this
          is the Superbowl for this family.
                         
          ALEX VOGEL grabs his youngest daughters as they race past.
          He scoops them up in his arms. They laugh and laugh.
                         
          INT. SPACECRAFT - DAY
                         
          The Ares 5 astronauts secure themselves into their
          acceleration chairs. We settle on one astronaut:
                         
          WEN JIANG. The first Chinese national to go to Mars.
                         
           CAPCOM (OVER COMMS)
           Guidance.
                         
                          WEN
           Go.
                         
          INT. NASA - MISSION CONTROL
                         
          ZHU TAO and GUO MING stand at the back of the room, listening
          with pride as Wen runs through his check. A historic moment
          for their country.
                         
          EXT. PARK - MORNING
                         
          MITCH HENDERSON watches his grandson run around the park. We
          get the sense (the forced) retirement is treating him well.
                         
          INT. HOSPITAL - DAY
                         
          "Let this train keep on riding, riding on through..."
                         
          CHRIS BECK accepts a bouquet of flowers from a nurse. Sets
          them down next to the others as he checks on...
                         
          His wife. BETH JOHANSSEN. Who's holding THEIR NEWBORN BABY
          GIRL in her arms.
                         
          Beck climbs into the hospital bed next to them.
           117.
           
                         
                         
                         
                         
          INT. SPACECRAFT - DAY
                         
          As we hear the TIMER CONTROLLER initiate the COUNTDOWN...
                         
           TIMER CONTROLLER (OVER COMMS)
           10... 9... 8...
                         
          We settle on the final member of the ARES 5 team:
                         
          RICK MARTINEZ. He grins as he feels that all-too-familiar
          surge of adrenaline. Here we go again...
                         
          INT. HOUSE - DAY
                         
          We're MOVING DOWN THE HALLWAY of a quaint house. On the
          WALLS: vintage albums and posters...
                         
          Donna Summer's LAST DANCE on 7"... C'est Chic... A framed
          top that looks like something Gloria Gaynor wore...
                         
           TIMER CONTROLLER (OVER COMMS)
           7... 6...
                         
          And mixed in among the glittery paraphernalia:
                         
          The NASA Distinguished Service Medal... The Congressional
          Medal of Honor...
                         
          MELISSA LEWIS is glued to the television. She doesn't look
          up as her husband brings her a cup of tea.
                         
          She's with the crew in this moment. Her husband doesn't take
          offense. He gives her a loving pat and exits.
                         
           TIMER CONTROLLER (OVER COMMS) (CONT'D)
           5... 4...
                         
          INT. NASA - MISSION CONTROL
                         
          "People all over the world, `round the world y'all, join
          hands..."
                         
          WIDE ON THE WHOLE ROOM as the team stares back at us in eager
          anticipation.
                         
           TIMER CONTROLLER (OVER COMMS)
           3... 2... 1...
                         
          Launch.
                         
          The crowd erupts into cheers. They reach for one another.
                         
          We drift up to find...
           118.
           
                         
                         
                         
                         
          EXT. SPACE
                         
          Earth. Blue and beautiful.
                         
          Home.
                         
           FADE OUT.
                          THE END





Martian, The



Writers :   Drew Goddard
Genres :   Adventure  Drama  Sci-Fi


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