#K2821 - "Way Out West" - 1st Blue Revs. 2/26/98        7.

ACT ONE

FADE IN

21 EXT. WESTERN TOWN - DAY

A classic frontier town: Cowpokes, drunks and school marms
criss-cross, the street. The dusty stagecoach pulls away,
revealing the Sliders and Ben standing in front of the
express office.

BEN
Shame about your friend. If
there's anything I can do to
help, I'll be staying at the
Chandler Hotel.

MAGGIE
Thanks.

Ben tips his hat and moves off.

REMBRANDT
What now?

QUINN
We rustle up some help.

REMBRANDT
     (aside, to Maggie)
Did he say 'rustle'?

22 EXT. TOWN STREET - DAY

The Sliders walk down the wooden sidewalk. Passersby eye
the strangers, but no one seems too put out by the Sliders'
presence.

MAGGIE
So, what's the story here?

QUINN
Something delayed this world's
technological development by about
a hundred and fifty years. Could
have been any one of a million
things.

REMBRANDT
All these guns make me jumpier than
a long-tailed cat in a room full of
rocking chairs.

Quinn and Maggie stop and stare at him.

REMBRANDT
Sorry. Must be catching.

He moves on. Quinn and Maggie follow.

#K2821 - "Way Out West" - 1st Blue Revs. 2/26/98        8.

23 INT. SHERIFF'S OFFICE - DAY

A row of bullets sits lined up neatly on the desk. Reveal
SHERIFF REDFIELD, a bland, unassuming-looking man sitting at
the desk. He is carefully polishing the bullets with a
white handkerchief. The door suddenly bangs open and he
jumps, scattering the bullets. The Sliders enter.

REDFIELD
     (irked)
Doesn't anyone in this town knock?
You scared the hell out of me.

Redfield gets down on his hands and knees and starts
gathering up his bullets.

QUINN
Sorry. Are you the sheriff?

REDFIELD
What does it say on the door you
didn't knock on?

MAGGIE
It says undertaker.

Redfield runs his eyes up and down Maggie.

REDFIELD
He's upstairs, l'il missy. Below
that it says sheriff. What do you
want?

MAGGIE
We were attacked. A friend of ours
was knocked off the stage about ten
miles outside of town.

QUINN
It's my brother. He could be badly
hurt.

REMBRANDT
He was shot by someone called Mr.
K.

Suddenly, Redfield turns deadly serious.

REDFIELD
Mr. K?

REMBRANDT
That's what the stage driver said.

REDFIELD
And what do you want me to do about
it?

QUINN
You're the law. I want you to help
me find my brother and the man who
shot him.

CONTINUED

#K2821 - "Way Out West" - 1st Blue Revs. 2/26/98        9.

23 CONTINUED 23

MAGGIE
The longer we wait, the slimmer the
chance that Colin's still alive.

REDFIELD
Precious little chance of that now.
Mr. K doesn't miss. My advice is
you do your grieving and move on.
The buzzards are probably already
picking your brother's bones by now.
Off the Sliders' stunned looks, we....

CUT TO

24
THRU OMITTED
26

27 EXT. TOWN - LIVERY STABLE - DAY

The Sliders approach the livery stable.

QUINN
If that sheriff's to yellow to
help us, we'll just have to find
Colin ourselves.

MAGGIE
Yellow?

QUINN
What?

REMBRANDT
You called the sheriff 'yellow.'

QUINN
No I didn't.

MAGGIE.
Did.

Quinn looks around the livery stable, which seems to be
deserted.

QUINN
Hello? Anyone? Little customer
service here?

Sheriff Redfield steps out of the stable.

REDFIELD
Hold your horses.
     (chuckles)
Get it? Hold your horses?

CONTINUED

#K2821 - "Way Out West" - 1st Blue Revs. 2/26/98        10.

27 CONTINUED

MAGGIE
You run the livery stable?

REDFIELD
Livery, saloon, dentist's office.
I'm expanding. Not much future in
law enforcement.

QUINN
Fine. We'd like some horses.

REDFIELD
Show me the money.

Quinn pulls out a handful of bills.

REDFIELD
Whoa. If I was lookin' for toilet
paper, that'd do just fine.

QUINN
What?

REDFIELD
Don't know where you come from,
son, but we haven't taken paper
money in these parts since the
recession of '74.

QUINN
Great. I don't suppose you offer
credit?

REDFIELD
Nope.
     (then)
But we might be able to work out a
trade.

He eyes Maggie.

REDFIELD
I sure could use a little songbird
to entertain the customers.

MAGGIE
Excuse me?

REDFIELD
Nothing fancy. Just perch on the
piano and bat those beautiful eyes.
maybe flash a little ankle ---

Maggie makes a move toward Redfield, but Quinn and Remmy
hold her back.

CONTINUED

#K2821 - "Way Out West" - 1st Blue Revs. 2/26/98        11.

27 CONTINUED 2

REMBRANDT
I don't think the lady's
interested.

REDFIELD
Too bad. For a short-term
contract, I could set you up with a
couple horses, and throw in the
tack and some gear to boot.

MAGGIE
Forget it.

REDFIELD
Be a pity if your friend was still
lying out there in the desert.
Got fire ants out there, little
bitty things, but bite? Saw a
feller once got into a nest, swole
up somethin' awful before he died.
Heard his screamin' two counties
over.

Quinn and Rembrandt give Maggie a look.

MAGGIE
     (sighs)
Oh, all right.

REDFIELD
Two shows daily, three on Saturday.
Room and board and you keep the
tips.
     (a wink)
Any private arrangement's strictly
between you and the customer.

Maggie goes for Redfield again. As Quinn and Remmy grab
her....

28 EXT. BACK OF A WAGON - DAY

We start tight on Colin's face, streaked with sweat, his
eyes closed. His head lolls back and forth with the
jostling motion of the wagon. After a short beat, his eyes
open. He looks up groggily.

29 COLIN'S POINT OF VIEW

He sees the back of someone driving the wagon. The figure
is still fuzzy and unclear, a dark form in a cowboy hat
slapping the reins of the horse team. The figure turns back
and looks at Colin but we can't make out any features.

#K2821 - "Way Out West" - 1st Blue Revs. 2/26/98        12.

30 ON COLIN

as he drifts off into unconsciousness again.

31 EXT. TOWN STREET - DAY

Quinn and Remmy ride down the street on horseback. Both are
sitting tall in the saddle sporting cowboy hats and dusters.

REMBRANDT
     (a drawl)
Hear tell there's a coupla
strangers in town.

QUINN
     (squintin')
Yep.

REMBRANDT
Tough hombres. Just rode in from
Wormhole Gulch. Aimin' to do some
drinkin' and dukin.'

QUINN
Yep.

Remmy shifts uncomfortably in the saddle.

REMBRANDT
Are your chaps chafing you as much
as mine are?

QUINN
Yep.

They ride on up the street.

32 INT. SALOON - DAY

Like everything else in this town, it says Wild West from
the wagon wheel chandelier to the beer-soaked floorboards.
Maggie heads for the bar, where she finds Ben sipping a
whiskey.

BEN
Why Miss Beckett, you're a vision.

MAGGIE
Yeah, I clean up pretty good.
     (eyeing his drink)
Stake a lady to a drink?

Ben pours Maggie a shot, which she quickly throws back.

BEN
I didn't realize you were an
entertainer.

CONTINUED

#K2821 - "Way Out West" - 1st Blue Revs. 2/26/98        13.

32 CONTINUED

MAGGIE
Neither did I. I won't be making a
career of it.

BEN
Just as well. Saloons like this
are on the way out. Folks coming
west these days are looking for a
more family-oriented experience.
Something for the wife and kids to
do. Not just drinkin', gamblin'
and girlie shows.

Sheriff Redfield appears behind the bar.

REDFIELD
I'm not paying you to drink my
whiskey. How 'bout givin' them
pipes a workout?

Maggie glares at Redfield, then turns to Ben.

MAGGIE
I guess I'm on.

Ben raises his glass in a silent toast, and we....

CUT TO

33 HANDS

dancing down a piano keyboard. The piano player plunks out
the opening bars of "The Camptown Races."

34 MAGGIE

stands near the piano. She looks nervously around the
saloon as the drinkers and gamblers don't pay her much mind.
The piano player hands her a lyric sheet. She glances at
it, then looks over to....

35 BEN

at the bar, who gives her a smile of encouragement.

36 RESUME SCENE

Maggie takes a deep breath, and begins to sing. She starts
out slowly, tentatively, but as she sings her voice grows
firmer. Gradually, the din of the saloon quiets down as
everyone turns their attention to Maggie.

#K2821 - "Way Out West" - 1st Blue Revs. 2/26/98        14.

37 EXT. PRAIRIE - DAY

Start out on the strongbox lying in the road, cracked open
and rifled. We find Quinn and Remmy approaching on
horseback. They dismount and walk up to the strongbox.

QUINN
This looks like the place.
     (calling out)
Colin!

REMBRANDT
Colin!

They spread out, searching the area.

REMBRANDT
Q-Ball. Over here.

Quinn rushes over to join him. Remmy holds up a blood-
stained shirt.

QUINN
Colin' s.

REMBRANDT
Maybe someone picked him up.

QUINN
Picked him up and took him where?

REMBRANDT
Don't look at me, Kemosabe. I
can't tell you when the BART's
coming without a schedule.

QUINN
Damn.

As they stare off across the seemingly endless prairie,
we....

CUT TO

38 INT. RANCH - DAY

A dark room lit by flickering lamplight. Colin lays on a
bed, a bloody bandage on his shoulder. His eyes open and he
tries to sit up, but he winces in pain. A youthful voice
speaks up....

VOICE (ELLIE)
I'd lie still if I were you.

Colin looks up to see a figure in a cowboy hat silhouetted
in the doorway. It's the same dark shape Colin saw hovering
over him in the desert.

COLIN
Where am I?

CONTINUED

#K2821 - "Way Out West" - 1st Blue Revs. 2/26/98        15.

38 CONTINUED

The figure steps into the room. In the dim light, we see
it's a teenager, thirteen or fourteen.

ELLIE
You're on our ranch. I found you
out by Jawbone Wash.

COLIN
You're just a boy.

ELLIE
Am not.

Ellie takes off her cowboy hat, revealing a cascade of
sun-bleached hair. She's a fresh-faced farm girl.

COLIN
Sorry.

ELLIE
My name's Ellie. Ellie Starr.
Someone put a hole through you.

AMANDA (O.S.)
Don't move stranger. Or I'll put
another one in you.

Reveal AMANDA STARR, an attractive, if slightly world-weary
frontier woman, standing in the doorway behind Ellie. She
is holding a huge Cold Peacemaker pistol.

AMANDA
You one of Mr. K's boys?

COLIN
No. I think the piece of lead in
my arm belonged to him, though.

Amanda moves closer to Colin, but still keeps a watchful
attitude.

AMANDA
     (to Ellie)
You got chores, Ellie.

ELLIE
Ma.

AMANDA
Now.

Stymied, Ellie stalks out of the room. Amanda eyes the
bandage on Colin's arm.

AMANDA
The slug missed the bone or you
would'ye lost that arm.

CONTINUED

#K2821 - "Way Out West" - 1st Blue Revs. 2/26/98        16.

38 CONTINUED 2

She picks up a small bowl and tilts it toward Colin. A lead
slug rattles in the bottom.

AMANDA
If this came from Mr. K's gun like
you say, you're damn lucky. He
doesn't usually miss.

COLIN
You know him?

Amanda drops the bowl containing the bullet onto the side
table with a jarring clank.

AMANDA
He put one of these in my husband's
back.

Off Colin's look....

39 INT. SALOON - DAY

Things are rockin' now. The piano player, is hammering the
keyboard as Maggie bops around the room singing "Tight
Pants." She's got the crowd singing along, but suddenly
it's as if someone just pulled the plug -- the piano player
stops and the crowd falls silent. Maggie continues on her
own for a beat. Then she stops, realizing the room's gone
dead. Reveal....

40 MR. K

standing inside the swinging doors of the saloon. Two of
his gang members flank him and his girl, a fiery Latina
spitfire, hangs on his arm. Mr. K's face is still obscured
by his wide gat and upturned collar as he strides slowly
across the saloon, his spurs clinking ominously on the
floorboards.

At the bar, Mr. K signals for a drink and the bartender
gives him a bottle of whiskey. Mr. K takes a swig then
slides the bottle to his compadres.

MR. K
Place seems a little dead.

The piano player nervously resumes playing and a low buzz of
conversation ripples through the room. Maggie watches
curiously as Mr. K moves down the bar to where Ben and the
sheriff are. She's too far away to hear as the three men
exchange a few words, but she watches Ben rise and follow
Sheriff Redfield and Mr. K out of the saloon.

After they leave, Maggie announces to the room....

MAGGIE
I'll be taking a short break,
folks. Don't forget to tip your
servers.

And she heads across the room toward the door.

#K2821 - "Way Out West" - 1st Blue Revs. 2/26/98        17.

41 OMITTED

41A INT. SHERIFF'S OFFICE - DAY

Mr. K leans casually against the wall and lights a cheroot.
A cloud of smoke obscures his face.

BEN
I don't appreciate being shot at.

MR. K
Didn't realize you were on the
stage. Man's got to make a living.

BEN
I thought that was what I was here
for.

REDFIELD
Easy, boys. No use spattin'.
We're all going to make a lot of
money together.

42 OMITTED

42A EXT. STREET - OUTSIDE SHERIFF'S OFFICE

Maggie inches along the sidewalk towards the door to the
Sheriff's office, straining to eavesdrop on the conversation
inside.

43 OMITTED

43A INT. SHERIFF'S OFFICE - CONTINUOUS

Redfield stands between Mr. K and Ben.

BEN
     (to Redfield)
You told me you'd have the
homesteader problem cleared up by
the time I got here.

MR. K
Don't worry about it.

REDFIELD
Mr. K's been doing a fine job
opening up new properties for
development.

BEN
Those dirt farmers are sitting on
land we need.

MR. K
     (cold)
I said don't worry about it.

#K2821 - "Way Out West" - 1st Blue Revs. 2/26/98        18.

44 OMITTED

44A EXT. STREET - OUTSIDE SHERIFF'S OFFICE - DAY

Maggie crouches near the door.

BEN (O.S.)
Well, I am worried about it. If we
can't lock up the land, this whole
deal falls apart.

There is a moment of silence, then a low murmur from inside.
Maggie leans closer to the door, straining to hear.
Suddenly, the door flies open and she stumbles in....

45 OMITTED

45A INT. SHERIFF'S OFFICE - CONTINUOUS

Mr. K jerks Maggie inside, holding her tightly by the arm.

MR. K
Looks like the songbird got out of
her cage.

Maggie struggles.

MAGGIE
Let go of me, you....

She looks up and sees Mr. K's face clearly for the first
time. Her words catch in her throat. He's a Kromagg. More
specifically, he's KOLITAR, the Kromagg leader the Sliders
helped release from the "Slidecage."

MAGGIE
Oh my God.

Off her stunned expression, we....

FADE OUT

END OF ACT ONE