L.J. : Come on, man! Now!

SL4: But I wanted to buy a diamond brooch!

QUINN: No! It's not too late!

TBH: Pft! It was too late when El Sid drew his first breath. A >:-# up is a >:-# up.

L.J. : Yes, it is!

HTWD: But it's not too late for L.J. to sell you out. :-P

He YANKS Quinn

SL4: Hey!

out the door.

SL4: Whew!

22 EXT. JEWELRY STORE - CONTINUOUS
As L.J. literally throws Quinn into the TRAM, jumps in himself and drives off.

TBH: So this 5 foot tall 90 pound man is going to "literally throw" a six foot tall 200 pound Quinn in the TRAM? He must be working out or something.

23 INT. TRAM - DRIVING HARD

HTWD: Why should we be concerned with the state of arousal the tram is in?

L.J. : Gimme your wrist...

SL4: Hmmmm, you DO have a pulse! It was hard to tell with that same bland expression on your face all the time.

Quinn looks at it. The bracelet's still normal metallic.

QUINN: It's still okay.

TBH: If you consider wearing a "normal metallic" bracelet okay, then that's cool. Whatever floats your boat, lover.

L.J. : It won't be for long. Got to get you as far from here as possible.

HTWD: Which is not very far in a tram. He'd make better time on an arthritic donkey.

Already we can hear SIRENS in the distance.

SL4: Don't let them lure you into the rocks! Cover your ears!

CUT TO:

24 INT. JEWELRY STORE - DAY

SID is smashing more display cases with his gun and scooping up the valuables.

TBH: Heh heh heh. The economy on my world has collapsed and people are starving. They're going to LOVE that I've got pretty rocks instead of food!

The SHOPKEEPER lies in a heap on the floor, either dead or unconscious.

HTWD: People are dying to get out of this ep! HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!

SL4: <covers face in hands> : One more like that and YOU'RE going to be dying from multiple head wounds!

Now, as Sid reaches into one of the cases, he notices that the bracelet around his wrist is starting to GLOW RED.

SL4: He must have just turned 30.

TBH: Don't you mean 21?

SL4: No. I'm a much bigger fan of the book than the movie.

He looks at it, trying to understand. Then he tries to get the bracelet off, but it won't budge.

TBH: Damn. How weak do you have to be to not be able to remove a sissy bracelet?

SIRENS are getting closer fast. Sid starts to understand.

HTWD: Someone inform the Pope! It's a bloody miracle!

25 EXT. JEWELRY STORE - CONTINUOUS

TWO TRAMS pull up, loaded with machine-gun-toting CUSTODIANS. They jump out and run towards the store.

SL4: <giggles> : I'm sorry. Not even machine guns can make me take those Disney World trams seriously!

26 INT. JEWELRY STORE - CONTINUOUS

as the CUSTODIANS swarm in. Sid is nowhere to be seen. We HEAR still more SIRENS heading to the store.

SL4: So let me get this straight. These trams have sirens on them? BWA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!!!

The custodians fan out, searching for Sid. Suddenly, Sid springs from underneath a display case and grabs one of the custodians. Sid takes the custodian's gun and points it at the man's head, using him for a shield.

TemporalFlux: <from the hallway door> : The reason they changed this scene was that JDM was unable to pull off grabbing a custodian convincingly. :-D

SID: Anyone comes near me, he gets it!

TBH: <mimicking a custodian> : Um, I'm confused by your use of pronouns. Does the person who comes near you "get it" or does your hostage "get it" ?

SID: (then) Who's in charge? I want to cut a deal.

HTWD: I'd bet $50 that the only custodian we've seen get named will be the one in charge. Budgetary reasons.

27 EXT. JEWELRY STORE - CONTINUOUS
as additional CUSTODIANS arrive. One of them is LEO, who gets clearly deferential treatment from the others.

HTWD: Hee hee. It's like money in the bank.

LEO (into walkie-talkie) : I'm at the scene.

SL4: No, I can't get any hot donuts! I'm at the jewelry store scene, not the donut shoppe ax murder scene!

VOICE FROM WALKIE-TALKIE: He has a hostage and wants to negotiate.

TBH: <mimicking Leo> : Okay, but if he asks for donuts there's getting ready to be two ax murders tonight!

Leo reacts, annoyed.

HTWD: What does he have to be annoyed about? He's at the best prison on any world in the continuum! Where else can you do your jewelry and clothing shopping without leaving the prison???

LEO (into walkie-talkie) : Roger, I'll talk to him. (then, to himself) Pain in the ass.

SL4: The cop in charge who's irritated at everything. That's different from a thousand other movies and shows.

CUT TO:

28 INT. L.J.'S TRAM - TIME THE SAME

Quinn continues to look at his bracelet, which now starts to FLASH RED.

TBH: What mood does red mean again? I never had a mood bracelet.

QUINN: Uh, oh.

HTWD: Don't start panicking until it flashes mauve.

L.J. look over, spots the bracelet and slams on the brakes.

SL4: Don't be so melodramatic! You don't have to "slam" on the brakes! When you're going 3mph you just have to wave your foot over the brake peddle and the air against it will stop you!

L.J. : Get out, man.

SL4: You're weighing down my tram, baby. I can't get it up to 5mph!

QUINN: Get out????

TBH: <mimicking L.J.> : What? You're shocked that I'm a wineless spimp? Please.

L.J. : If I'm seen driving you, my bracelet would be red in no time.

HTWD: Besides, I can't betray you if you're with me.

29 EXT. STREET - CONTINUOUS

As Quinn reluctantly gets out of the tram:

L.J. : Hole up till after dark, if you can. Then wrap the bracelet in something.

SL4: I'll wrap the bracelet in your >:-# if you stab me in the back.

QUINN: I thought it had to be showing.

TBH: You're not looking for continuity, are you Quinn???? HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!!

L.J. : People don't notice it as much at night -- unless they see it glowing.

HTWD: So I shouldn't wear my sneakers that light up when I walk?

QUINN: I need to get back to the others.

HTWD: Missing the patronizing lectures, the shrill bitching, and the interminable whining already?

L.J. : Forget it. You'll never make it. Try to get to the B.A.R.T. station at Market and Van Ness. Sneak through the fence.

SL4: I was at that station last week. There were so many panhandlers hustling me that I WISHED I was on this prison world!

He pulls away. Quinn pulls his jacket sleeve down as far as he can, sticks his hand in his pocket and starts walking -- trying to look as nonchalant as possible. There's a LOW RUMBLE and the ground begins to SHAKE. Quinn instinctively reaches out to hold onto a lamp post for support. Wrong move. The GLOWING RED BRACELET is totally exposed.

TBH: Could he BE any more incompetent? He didn't make it three feet!

Quinn quickly realizes and hides it again, but too late, as now SHOTS RING OUT and bullets begin to ricochet all around him. Quinn starts running, in a desperate zig-zagging course, trying to avoid the gunfire, but he's hemmed in between buildings, with more and more shooters in the windows above and the bracelet in plain sight as he runs.

HTWD: So there's a bunch of custodians hanging out in windows on every city block?

TELESCOPIC SIGHT SHOT - QUINN IN THE CROSS HAIRS

He's dead meat the minute this guy pulls the trigger.

SL4: You could make an argument that he was dead meat this entire ep if you consider his bland acting.

But now there's a BIGGER RUMBLING SOUND and harder SHAKING just as the shot is squeezed off.

TBH: I guess God is a Sliders fan. This proves it.

QUINN - IN THE STREET

rounds a corner, oblivious to the shaking. People are pouring from the buildings to escape the quake. Quinn shoves his hand back in his pocket and tries to blend in with the crowd as we:

HTWD: ... try to puzzle out how so many shooters could miss him.

FADE OUT.

END OF ACT TWO

SL4: What? This is only the end of ACT TWO??? Jesus God Almighty! This ep is NEVER going to be over!!!

FADE IN:

30 INT. HOUSING UNIT 622 - SITTING ROOM AND ENTRY - DUSK

Wade, Arturo and Rembrandt are pacing in front of the window, alternately looking out and fretting. Even Michele looks on with the others. She's worried, too.

TBH: <mimicking Michele> : I wonder if I can talk Arturo into beating me? I'm fiending!

REMBRANDT: It's almost six o'clock.

HTWD: Interminable whining.

WADE: I think some of us should go out and look for him.

HTWD: Shrill bitching.

ARTURO: And then, if he returns and others are missing, he goes out again to look for us. We become like a dog, chasing its tail.

HTWD: Patronizing lectures! More easy money! :-P And watch those dog chasing their tails comments, you dogist!

REMBRANDT (looking for hope) : If there's any way to make it back here, Q-ball'll find it.

SL4: Who WROTE this? Snuffy Smith? This scriptwriter will make a contraction out of ANYTHING!