ACCELERACERS: RETURN TO HOT WHEELS CITY

An AcceleRacers Fanscript

Written by:
S. Stops

Based on:
Hot Wheels: World Race (2003)
Hot Wheels: AcceleRacers (2005)
FADE IN:

INT. HOT WHEELS CITY: DRONE AMPHITHEATER - DAY

A DRONE army fills a large amphitheater within Hot Wheels

City. They stand in flawless block formations, quietly
awaiting orders.

KADEEM emerges from the shadows of a balcony raised high

above the troops. He walks heavily, his Drone-replaced limbs
emitting a mechanical CREAK with each step. He stops to
address the crowd.

KADEEM
The humans have stolen the Wheel of
Power. Did they believe that could
stop us?
(laughing maniacally)

Kadeem looks out through the entrance of the amphitheater.

Visible within its frame, is the Spire that stands in the
center of Hot Wheels City. A Drone plane cuts across the sky,
carrying a green-veined metallic ring towards the it.

The ring is dropped onto the Spire, settling at a quarter of

the way down. An ELECTRIC BUZZING crescendos. A holographic
image of the Wheel of Power flickers into existence. Its
three rings rest dormant on the Spire.

A new portal flashes open onto one of the many tracks running
through the city.

KADEEM
It won't be long until the Wheel is
returned to its deserving owners. And
when it is, it will be over. For all
of them.

He pauses, scanning the audience. He clenches and raises his

mechanical fist.

KADEEM
In Gelorum's honour!

The Drones raise their fists in a salute and SCREECH in

agreement.

Elsewhere, Drones return to their work. The manufacturing of

Drone parts and technology begins once more, with renewed
ambition.

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 2.

A convoy of 15 Drone vehicles speeds through the newly opened

portal. It glitches and heaves with each vehicle that passes.

Deep in the dark depths of Hot Wheels City, the terrain

begins to shake and crumble.

DISSOLVE TO BLACK.

BLACK TITLE CARD:

"ACCELERACERS: RETURN TO HOT WHEELS CITY"

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. ABANDONED WORLD RACE CUBE #1 - SUNDOWN

KURT leans against the broken and rusty Cube's exterior. He's
focused on some point far-off into the desert landscape's
horizon. KARMA enters from around the corner, unnoticed by
Kurt.

KARMA
Seen anything?

Kurt shakes his head.

KARMA
I'm surprised you're willing to trust
Dr Tezla, after everything he's kept
from us.

KURT
He's still not telling us everything.
But right now, he's the only chance
we've got.

KARMA
It's a lot to risk. Vert wasn't so
ready to come to your brother's
rescue.

KURT
If Vert's really in there... I can't
let what happened to my brother happen
to anyone else.

There's a sudden WOOSH as a portal opens a few kilometers

from the Cube. Kurt's head snaps around as Drone vehicles
leap from the portal. Kurt and Karma plaster themselves
against the building.

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 3.

The Drone vehicles come to a dusty and abrupt halt. One Drone
stands up, scanning the environment through its computerized
interface. There's a rotating image of the Wheel of Power in
the top right of its vision.

The Drone locks onto Kurt and Karma
behind the building. Something else
its attention. It lays a new target
the opposite direction of the cube.
intensify.
briefly, as they duck
in the distance catches
down on the horizon, in
Its Drone NOISES

EXT./INT. ABANDONED WORLD RACE CUBE #1 - CONTINUOUS

The Cube is empty and dusty, aside from a single Drone

sweeper. NOLO and TORK stand outside the sweeper, talking
inaudibly. Kurt and Karma enter the cube at a run.

NOLO
Hey! Porkchop's back?

Kurt ignores Nolo's question, continuing past him, into the

sweeper. MARKIE, SHIRAKO, MONKEY and SPARKY are inside.
Monkey is crouched, tinkering with the sweeper's unusual
internal mechanics. Markie sits relaxed in the captain's
chair. Shirako jams out on his headphones nearby. All eyes
turn to Kurt, who looks quite distressed.

KURT
We have to leave. Now.

Monkey gets up from his crouched position and raises his

hands in argument, a wrench still in his hand.

MONKEY
Wait a minute now, we can't take this
thing out on the road in broad
daylight! What happened to Por--

The sound of something large and heavy DRIVING through the

cube interrupts Monkey. Kurt turns back, frantically.

KURT
(under his breath)
No!

Kurt turns back out of the sweeper on guard, expecting the

worst. He's trailed by the others, who exchange confused
glances behind his back. The obnoxiously loud HORN of
Porkchop's semi makes Kurt tense up, then SIGH with relief.
Monkey rushes past him, Sparky on his heels.

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MONKEY
Porkchop!!

SPARKY
Hello! Hello!

Porkchop's semi slows down to a RATTLING idle. TARO sits in

the passenger seat. The semi's hooked up with a double-decker
car carrier. An assortment of nine vehicles (from Taro's
personal collection) lay strapped in.

SHIRAKO
(nodding in approval)
Sweet.

Karma, Nolo, Shirako, and Tork clamber aboard and reach down
to grab Sparky and haul him up. Markie runs to catch up with
Kurt.

MARKIE
What's going on?

KURT
It's the Drones.

Monkey, busy examining the new cars, overhears Kurt and stops
dead in his tracks.

MONKEY
What do you mean, the Drones?

KURT
Just now, I saw them come through a
portal. They saw us. I'm sure of it.

MONKEY
Oh boy, we really gotta get out of
here!

Monkey pulls open the passenger door. He clambers haphazardly

over Taro to squeeze in between him and Porkchop.

PORKCHOP
(laughing)
Did you miss me, Monkey Man?

MONKEY
Floor it!

PORKCHOP
Wha--

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 5.

MONKEY
(exaggerating, elbowing Taro with
his hand gestures)
They've found us, Porkchop. The
Drones! Oh, we're all gonna die.

PORKCHOP
Not on my turf.

Porkchop grits his teeth and throws the semi in gear. He

turns out of the cube, the vehicle bumping hastily over the
off-road desert ground. Taro glares disapprovingly at Monkey.

MONKEY
(sheepishly)
Oh, hey. Nice collection, Taro.

From the back of the carrier, Kurt peers out to where the
portal had appeared, but the Drones are nowhere in sight.

MATCH CUT TO:

INT. SILENCERZ BASE: TRAINING FACILITIES - NIGHT

VERT'S car closes in on a portal in the horizon. Though the

graphics appear lifelike, it's clear Vert is driving in a
simulation. His driving stats appear on-screen. A second car
approaches his avatar, closing the gap between them until
they're nearly side-by-side

VERT
It's too late Alec, I've got this one
in the bag.

For good measure, Vert turns his steering wheel, bumping

ALEC'S front end. Through his rear-view, Vert watches Alec
spin out. He looks ahead again, proud of himself.

Behind him, Alec's car spits out a grappling hook, latching

on to a rocky edge to Vert's left. The momentum swings him
around in front of Vert. He releases the hook, steering to
correct himself, albeit now driving backwards. He fires two
EMP blasts at a stunned Vert.

ALEC (ON EARPIECE)

Gotcha!

Vert attempts to fire back, but Alec's car simply disappears.

His shot misses. All kinds of warning signs BEEP in his
earpiece and on-screen. None of which he knows how to handle.
His car comes to a halt.

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VERT
Aurggh!

Alec uncloaks his vehicle. He makes sure Vert gets a clear

view of his avatar flipping him off as he passes through the
portal.

Vert and Alec remove their simulator helmets. Alec looks over
smugly at Vert.

ALEC
You know, you might've had a shot if
you'd remembered to use the anti-
camouflage lights when I'd cloaked.

VERT
The what?

ALEC
Above you, third from the right.

Vert runs his hand over at least a dozen switches above him,
looking for the right one. He lets out a sigh.

VERT
What ever happened to good old-
fashioned driving?

ALEC
(teasingly)
Vert, I don't know where you've been
racing lately, but a lot has changed
since our days drifting with the Teku.
Get with it.

Alec gets up from his seat and heads towards the corridor.

VERT
I wouldn't be surprised if my dad
never let me drive with the Silencerz.
Even if I got through all this
training.

Alec turns back to look at a sorry-looking Vert.

ALEC
Hey, relax. They didn't let me drive
right away either...and I was doing
better than you!

Alec's teasing turns into consolation, noticing Vert still

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looking despondent.

ALEC (CONT'D)
The truth is, Vert, you're a good
driver, and they need you. You just
have to earn their trust. The
Silencerz might have the tech, but
they sure weren't winning
Accelechargers until they let Tezla's
old drivers into the realms. They
don't understand racing like we do.

VERT
(unconvinced)
Right.

Alec pats Vert on the shoulder and walks away. Vert waits for
Alec to leave the room before getting up to follow him. Every
hallway of the base is tunnel-shaped and almost
indistinguishable from one another.

Vert opens a navigation system integrated into the wrist of

his Silencerz jacket. He follows the sound of Alec's
FOOTSTEPS.

A few turns in, Vert has his head down when he narrowly
misses a collision with an oncoming X-88.

VERT
Aah!

It eyes him up and down suspiciously, before continuing on.

No longer able to hear the FOOTSTEPS, Vert gives up and heads
towards his dorm.

INT. ABANDONED RESEARCH CENTER - NIGHT

The abandoned research center is cold and scarcely lit. One

side is filled with long desks, endless drawers, and
cabinets. The other side is set up as a rudimentary workshop.

The place doesn't appear to be vandalized. Yet, it's clear

that someone took good care to remove anything important
before leaving. Basic tools, some spare tires, and a few
barrels lay around haphazardly.

Porkchop turns the ignition of his semi off. Everyone hops

off-board, taking a much-needed stretch. TEZLA and LANI
approach from out of the shadows.

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TEZLA
Welcome to the site of the original
SCRIM research center.

Tezla delivers his statement with pride, but the team looks
underwhelmed. Tork opens a nearby drawer in curiosity, but
it's empty.

TEZLA
As you know, SCRIM changed hands after
the World Race was over. It became the
property of the Silencerz. This place,
and dozens like it, were,
unfortunately, gutted. The
headquarters had to move elsewhere.
For...various reasons.

KURT
(looking around)
Not much security, for one.

TEZLA (CONT'D)
Our research found that there are
dozens, if not hundreds, of entry
points into Highway 35. Each entry-
point begins it's own unique
combination of racing legs.

TARO
Do you know where we'll end up?

TEZLA
I'm afraid not.

LANI
There aren't a lot of resources left
here to prepare your cars for their
trek into Highway 35. Keep in mind,
Tezla and I won't be able to fit your
cars with EDR's or dashboard cams for
the moment.

TARO
Just like old times.

MARKIE
If I remember old times correctly,
that's you all in a cloud of smoke
behind me.

Taro SNORTS.

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 9.

TARO
Sure.

BEGIN A SERIES OF SHOTS - THE TEKU AND METAL MANIACS PREPARE

THEIR CARS

A] Vehicles are offloaded from the car carrier, directed by

Sparky and Monkey.

TEZLA (V.O)
I've prepared a batch of Nitrox2.
You'll need to outfit your cars with
them by tomorrow.

B] Nitrox2 canister holders are welded to the bottom of cars.

C] Shirako spray paints the finishing touches of a blue Teku

logo onto SPECTIK. He looks up, over at Tork, who's rolling a
pair of tires towards HOWLER. Above, speakers of an old P.A.
system hang from the wall. Shirako gets an idea.

D] Monkey mounts a large cup holder onto ROADKILL's console.

He presses a button on the side and a second cup holder
emerges. This one contains an empty cup.

MONKEY
Not making that mistake again!

E] Porkchop brings a hammer down on the side of his car, DEAD-

EYE.

PORKCHOP
Now that's some personality. Isn't she
a beauty.

Taro watches him in the background, wincing at Porkchop's

choice of 'modification' to his car.

END SERIES OF SHOTS

ZOOM OUT ON THE ACTIVITY.

INT. ABANDONED RESEARCH CENTER: OBSERVATION ROOM - CONTINUOUS

The activity continues below, seen through the window of the

overlooking observation room. The room is almost dark. Karma
stands, arms crossed, talking to Lani and Tezla near the
window.

KARMA
The Drones are active again. Kurt and

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 10.

I saw about a dozen enter through a

portal out in the desert.

LANI
Did they see you?

KARMA
If they did, they weren't interested.
It seemed like they were...looking for
something out there.

Tezla paces, thinking.

LANI
(to Tezla)
Do you still think they could have
Vert?

Tezla stops pacing. He pauses before answering.

TEZLA
(avoiding a direct answer)
If the Drones are preparing for
something else... If they're missing
something, or waiting for something,
there's no time to wait around to find
out what. This is more than just a
mission to find Vert now. They ____
must be
stopped.

CLOSE UP ON TEZLA. He furrows his eyebrows.

INT. SILENCERZ BASE - DAY

BANJEE jogs down a generic, tunnel-like hallway, passing by

closed doors as he goes. He calls out to Vert.

BANJEE
Vert!

Banjee overshoots Vert's dorm door, which is slightly ajar.

He backtracks until he's looking at Vert through the opening.
Vert's sitting on the side of his bed, looking through old
Silencerz realm footage on a tablet.

BANJEE
Vert? C'mon, you're about to miss it.

Vert looks up.

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VERT
I'll be there. Just give me a second.

Banjee gives Vert a friendly look and shrugs his shoulders.

He disappears from the door frame.

BANJEE (O.S.)
(fading as he jogs away)
Finally, some excitement around here!

Vert tosses the tablet onto the bed, but he's forgotten to
turn the screen off. He walks out of the room with the clip
still running.

TIGHT ON THE TABLET SCREEN. The recorded footage comes from

the dash cam of a Silencerz' car. The Silencerz car has
stopped on the track, inside the fog realm. Little is
visible, except for a few feet of orange track and the shadow
of an up-ended car in the distance. A figure slowly emerges
from it, holding their head.

UNKNOWN MILITARY GENERAL (FOOTAGE AUDIO)

(radio CRACKLING in the background)
The Drones are through. You've got
under a minute before the realm
closes.

A moment passes, MAJOR WHEELER stays put and watches the

figure get out of its car.

UNKNOWN MILITARY GENERAL (FOOTAGE AUDIO)

Don't even think about it. You'll be
blowing our cover. I need you to get
out of there.

MAJOR WHEELER (FOOTAGE AUDIO)

(considering)
There's no way they'll make it out in
time.

UNKNOWN MILITARY GENERAL (FOOTAGE AUDIO)

JACK!

The faint RADIO STATIC ends abruptly as Major Wheeler shuts

off the radio. There's a CLICK and a HISS of the car's door
opening. The figure is closer now. It's DAN DRESDEN.

DAN DRESDEN (FOOTAGE AUDIO)

What the....who are you?

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MAJOR WHEELER (FOOTAGE AUDIO)

You need to come with me.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. SILENCERZ BASE: OBSERVATION ROOM - CONTINUOUS

MEDIUM SHOT OF DAN, ALEC, BANJEE AND ESMERALDA. They stand,

looking out the observation room's floor-to-ceiling windows.
Vert slides up beside them. A few Silencerz researchers share
the room, looking at various screens.

A large holographic Wheel of Power rotates in the room over.

The rings, including the fourth ring, rotate together. A wide
runway leads towards its center. The real Wheel moves in
sync, hovering above a plate to the right of the hologram.
Metal probes surround the real Wheel, from a distance.

DAN DRESDEN
Do they remember what happened the
last time Dr Tezla messed with the
Wheel?

Researchers in lab suits adjust the metal probes and wiring

surrounding the wheel. On a visual cue, they stand back at a
control panel.

BANJEE (O.S.)
They took over from Tezla because of
the mistakes he made. I'm sure they've
learned a thing or two.

An ELECTRIC WHIRRING comes from the probes surrounding the

real Wheel. Red warning lights go off and the lights flicker.
The facility shakes. The WHIRRING noise comes to a peak and
releases. A bright blast of power radiates from the Wheel,
sending everyone a step backwards. Everything goes dark,
except for the glowing of the hologram and flashing red
warning lights. The rings of both Wheels begin to rotate
separately from one another.

ESMERALDA
I think they did it!

She looks at Vert. ANGLE ON Vert looking out. The Wheel keeps
spinning, but doesn't lock onto any realm.

VERT
What now?

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BANJEE (O.S.)
We wait.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. SILENCERZ BASE - CONTINUOUS

A Drone RECON SATELLITE looks out onto the Silencerz

headquarters. The landscape around it is barren and the
complex is heavily fenced-in. The Drones report to Kadeem
from behind some shrubbery on a nearby hilltop.

UNNAMED DRONE
(To Kadeem)
We have located the Wheel of Power. It
is not with Tezla. We will need
backup.

INT. HOT WHEELS CITY: DRONE PRODUCTION FACILITY - CONTINUOUS

Kadeem stands on a ledge, overseeing work at a large Drone

production facility. He looks up through the building's
partial roof, towards the spire. The holographic Wheel now
floats above its peak, turning as the real Wheel had in the
Silencerz base.

KADEEM
(with a scheming grin)
I believe we've got another way in.
Stay where you are.

UNNAMED DRONE (V.O.)

(over radio)
Understood.

Kadeem turns to the Drones at work on the assembly lines.

KADEEM
Prepare the troops. The Ultimate
Transformation is at hand.

ANGLE ON THE SHOULDER OF A Drone being assembled. The BUZZ of

a bolt fastener is heard. A half-completed Drone moves down
the conveyor belt, passing in front of THE CAMERA.

CUT ON OBJECT PASS:

EXT. ABANDONED RESEARCH CENTER: GROUNDS - DAY

The TEKU and METAL MANIACS race past THE CAMERA, blowing up
red dirt as they go. The road is nothing more than a dirt

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path once carved out through the sagebrush and dry grass by
use. Rocky Nevada bluffs overlook the site.

LANI (V.O.)
(over radio)
When you enter the leg, we'll likely
lose connection. Get back to us as
soon as you're through. And please,
stay safe out there.

Kurt grips his steering wheel. He prepares to hit MOBIUS'

make-shift Nitrox2 booster switch.

KURT
We stick together, alright. It's not a
race this time.

Tork and Markie look out their windows at each other. They
exchange a competitive grin. Neither have any intent on
following behind Kurt.

TORK
Yeah Kurt, loud and clear.

Tork and Markie hit their Nitrox2 boosters simultaneously.

They SCRAPE past Kurt in Howler and SPLEEN SPLITTER. The
portal opens up. It glows a sickly green, but no one seems to
notice.

MARKIE
(fist pumping)
Yeahhaha!

One-by-one, they BLAST through the portal.

EXT. HWY35 LEG: MOUNTAINOUS REGION: ENTRANCE - DAY

The drivers jump through the portal into another dimension, a

leg of Highway 35 that none of them have seen before. The
track darts between thin, tall mountains and ducks under low-
lying clouds. Large sections of the track are suspend
impossibly above the forest below.

Despite its beauty, the sky casts a sinister green hue over
everything. Lightning flashes through the cloud cover. The
drivers slow down to a crawl.

TORK
(looking around)
So, this is Highway 35?

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TARO
(raising an eyebrow)
Something like it.

MONKEY
I don't see any Drones. Anyone else
seeing Drones? That's gotta be a good
sign, right?

Their cars sway cautiously through the first turns of the

leg.

KARMA
Something's off about this dimension.

TARO
Looks like the Drones' takeover didn't
stop with the City.

Far behind them, where they'd entered the dimension, the

track CRUMBLES away. The resulting quake is felt by the
drivers, already some distance away.

KARMA
The whole place is decaying.

CLOSEUP of Karma looking in her rear-view. It's unclear

whether the green glint in her eyes is merely a reflection,
or something more.

Taro's car, DIRTY TRICK, speeds up beside Karma, in CASCADE.

He bumps her car lightly, jolting her out of her thought.

TARO
Hey Karma.

He waits for her to respond, expectantly.

KARMA
What?

TARO
I'm gonna pass you.

KARMA
(scoffs)
Yeah.

Taro speeds away with Karma in hot pursuit, not allowing Taro
to gain much ground on her. She takes the next turn wide.
Cascade brushes up against the narrow margins off the track,

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sending loose rock spilling over the edge. The rest follow
them, now driving at racing speeds.

The track opens up out of the forest, connecting one mountain

to the next. It splits up, each track taking a unique winding
path through the sky. Karma and Taro are neck-and-neck, they
take the same path. Nolo and Tork split to the right and the
others follow them.

Karma's track tilts nearly horizontal, winding around a rocky

pillar. She throws a glance out at the others on the path
below. Just behind the pack, a large crack through the track
splits towards them. Kurt is at the back, behind Nolo.

KARMA
(over radio, strained while trying
to stay on the track)
Kurt, Nolo, your track looks like it's
not holding up. Catch up to Markie and
Shirako. Find the fastest way to the
next mountain.

Kurt checks his rear-view. The track is now falling off in

chunks where it had cracked.

MARKIE (O.S.)
(over radio)
Whatd'ya know, Kurt. It's a race after
all. You gotta keep up.

Kurt and Nolo hit their Nitrox2 to get a jump on the falling
track. Nolo catches up to Shirako.

SHIRAKO
(to Nolo)
Let's kick it up.

Shirako pumps up his MUSIC and hits Spectik's Nitrox2

booster. Shirako and Monkey draft towards the next mountain
in tandem, followed by Markie and Kurt.

Karma and Taro jump down from their track, onto the mountain
path. They spin around to watch the others race against the
rapidly disintegrating track. Karma gets out of Cascade, at
the ready.

Shirako and Monkey make it, but Markie hits trouble. He

swerves right hard to avoid a crack in the track, but it
knocks him and Kurt out of their draft.

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KURT
Markie!

It's too late for either of them to react. Markie barely

beats the collapse. Kurt drops with the falling track. A
grappling hook shoots out after him as he disappears. It's
unclear if it latches on in time.

Taro's car jolts forward.

TARO
Got him.

Dirty Trick's wheels SQUEAL backwards. Porkchop sends out a

second grappling hook to help Taro. Karma stands near the
edge, looking for Kurt's car. Slowly, Mobius climbs up into
view.

KARMA
He's fine.
(relieved, to herself)
He's fine.

There's an unpleasant SCRAPING sound of Mobius' undercarriage

being pulled over the ledge of the track, followed by the
THUNK of its front end coming down. Taro and Porkchop ease
off, relieved.

MARKIE
You okay?

Kurt wrings his hand around the back of his neck, wincing.

KURT
Yeah.

TARO
Could've been worse.

Karma looks back at the remaining tracks behind them,

thinking.

KARMA
The track's not stable enough for us
to drive on all at once. We should
split up into pairs.

Markie pulls up to Kurt, unsure of what to say.

KURT
I'll hang back. My car needs a check-

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over.

MARKIE
Alright, Tork, it's you and me. These
Teku need somebody to lead the way.

The two speed away, tires SQUEALING.

ARIAL TRACKING SHOT ON THE GROUP. They drive in twos,

following Markie and Tork. Monkey and Porkchop, Nolo and
Shirako, and Taro (going it alone) make up the remaining
pairs.

Kurt gets out of his car slowly, SLAMMING the door.

KARMA
It wasn't his fault, I saw the whole
thing.

KURT
It's not that.

Karma crouches down, examining the broken track closely. It

glows green from the inside.

KURT (CONT'D)
Something's not adding up. We saw the
Drones, I know they're here. The whole
place reeks of them. So why aren't
they after us?

Karma continues to look at the green glow of the track. It

captivates her. She reaches out to touch it.

KURT (O.S.)
There's no point risking our lives out
here if Tezla's leading us in the
wrong direction. We need answers.

As soon as Karma makes contact, her vision goes Drone-green.

Indistinguishable movements and voices engulf her, drowning
out everything else. She immediately draws her hand back,
stunned. The Drone VOICES continue for longer, fading out
slowly.

Kurt's looking down at her, hands on his hips, his rant

evidently over. She quickly regains her composure, looking
back at him.

KARMA
He was right though, back at the base.

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There's something dangerous going on

with the Drones. I can... feel it.

KURT
Oh good, you're on his side now.

KARMA
Who else is going to stop them? Even
if Tezla was willing to contact the
Silencerz, they were never exactly on
our side. Would they help us now?

Kurt takes one more insincere look around his car and gets
back in. He stares out, defiantly.

KURT
Let's finish this.

He drives off, without waiting for Karma.

EXT. HWY35 LEG: MOUNTAINOUS REGION: CLOUD COVER - CONTINUOUS

ARIAL TRACKING SHOT ON THE TRACK. The track begins a vertical

drop into the cloud cover below. Lightning flashes ominously
through it. The drivers drop down the track, spaced out two
at a time.

ANGLE ON NOLO during his drop. The end of the drop isn't
visible through RIFTOR's windshield. He looks down at his
speedometer. It's climbing. When he looks back up, he can see
the track coming up fast.

Nolo prepares to decelerate off the vertical. Immediately, a

bolt of lightning touches down in front of him. He dodges it,
but he's going too fast to avoid losing control. He ends up
off the track, crashing the side of his car into a tree at a
moderate speed. He hits his steering wheel in frustration.

NOLO
(grunts)
What is with this place!

From inside the branches of the tree he just hit, an inactive

Drone Recon Satellite flickers to life. It's covered in moss
and wobbles in a disoriented manner. It blinks twice, looking
around, before spotting Nolo below.

Nolo turns his ignition.

NOLO
C'mon. C'mon!

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After SPUTTERING, it starts. He speeds off, cutting back onto

the track. Nolo looks smug.

The Recon Satellite watches him go.

INT. HOT WHEELS CITY: DRONE TOWER - DAY

Kadeem sits confidently in Gelorum's old throne chair. It

hangs from the ceiling, facing the Vitruvian device used to
torture both him and Markie. His Drone arm is bring worked on
by an RD-W1. Sparks fly, as parts are tweaked and welded.
Despite this, Kadeem shows no signs of pain or fear.

Kadeem closes his eyes. An older man's voice can be heard,

faintly, calling out Kadeem's name. It grows louder.

HAZIZ
Kadeem.

Kadeem's eyes shoot open, he recognizes the voice as HAZIZ's.

Kadeem's eyes are a natural brown, unlike their usual bright
green. A white-haired figure stands in front of the empty
Vitruvian device. The RD-W1 does not react to his presence.

HAZIZ (CONT'D)
It has been a long time, Kadeem. Where
have you been? Our people worry for
you.

KADEEM
Our people will worry no longer. The
hunger, the violence, the suffering -
I could not help them before. Now, I
can fix everything.

HAZIZ
(questioning, dubious)
How so?

KADEEM
I am not like them, anymore. I am
stronger, better -- perfect. I can
share that with them.

HAZIZ
(pointing at his blind eye)
It is you who has the fallen into real
blindness, Kadeem.

KADEEM
I don't need your guidance anymore. I

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have seen greater things than you can

ever imagine. You can not stop me.

HAZIZ
(mockingly)
How could I? I do not exist. Tell me,
though, could a real Drone see me,
standing here?

With that, Haziz fades away. Kadeem is left staring

speechlessly into nothing. An RD-L1 interjects.

RD-L1
Commander. I have news.

He waits, giving Kadeem a moment to respond. His eyes return

to their Drone-green glow when he blinks. The RD-W1 stops
working on Kadeem's Drone arm.

RD-L1 (CONT'D)
We have detected humans inside the
dimension. Tezla's drivers.

KADEEM
(smiling)
I didn't think they'd be back so soon.

RD-L1
Shall we eliminate them?

KADEEM
No. Bring them to me. They will be the
first to witness humanity's Ultimate
Transformation.

EXT. HOT WHEELS CITY - CONTINUOUS

Twenty-five Drone vehicles and a sweeper roll out of the

city's center.

GROUND LEVEL ANGLE ON THE VEHICLES. They leave down an

arterial roadway leading towards the racing legs.

MATCH CUT TO:

INT. HWY35 LEG: MOUNTAINOUS REGION: TUNNEL - DAY

Monkey and Porkchop enter a large tunnel cutting through a

mountain. It's lit by glowing Acceleron symbols along the
roof. The track splits and twists up and around the entire
tunnel in a corkscrew pattern.

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PORKCHOP
Yeahahah! Oh, the old Hog would have
loved this.
(looking to the sky, serious)
Rest its soul.

Monkey relaxes, playing off of Porkchop's enthusiasm. The two

sync their speeds, crossing paths where the loops intersect.

MONKEY
Wahoo! Yeah!

PEDESTAL UP THROUGH THE ROOF TO ABOVE GROUND:

EXT. HWY35 LEG: MOUNTAINOUS REGION: ABOVE TUNNEL - CONTINUOUS

Markie and Tork fly through a bend in the track, following

the side of the mountain. A faint CRUMBLING begins.

INT./EXT. HWY35 LEG: MOUNTAINOUS REGION: TUNNEL - CONTINUOUS

The loops in the tunnel have ended. Monkey and Porkchop drive
along a gentle curve. The exit comes into view, and a portal
can be seen in the distance.

MONKEY
I can see the end!

Monkey speeds up, creating a gap between him and Porkchop.

Porkchop slows down, distracted by a RUMBLING coming from
somewhere in the tunnel. Porkchop looks up, searching for the
source of the noise.

PORKCHOP
Do ya hear that?

Monkey looks to Porkchop in his rear view, oblivious.

MONKEY
What noise?

The tunnel begins to CRUMBLE, increasingly large chunks of

earth come down in front of him. Porkchop brakes and swerves
violently to avoid them.

MONKEY
Uh-oh!

The falling debris misses Roadkill. Monkey watches Porkchop

disappear from behind a wall of falling rock. He stomps on
the breaks.

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MONKEY
Porkchop!!

Porkchop puts his car in reverse, in an attempt to escape the

falling debris. He doesn't have enough speed. A large boulder
falls onto the passenger side of his roof, pinning Dead-Eye.
He's jolted by the impact.

PORKCHOP
(mumbled frustration)
Arggh ffer godden gerr!

Monkey radios anxiously from the other side of the tunnel.

MONKEY
Anyone out there? Porkchop's in
trouble!

INT./EXT. HWY35 LEG: MOUNTAINOUS REGION - CONTINUOUS

EXTREME LONG SHOT ON SPECTIK. Shirako approaches a split in

the track. One path leads to the collapsed tunnel. Another
covers the mountain above, and the last descends through the
cloud cover. Unsettled dust spills out from the tunnel.

SHIRAKO
Yeah, I got it.

Shirako splits, driving towards the tunnel. Nolo takes the

route down towards the clouds.

NOLO
(over radio)
You go get Porkchop, I'll catch up to
Taro.

EXT. HWY35 LEG: MOUNTAINOUS REGION: TUNNEL - DAY

Spectik idles, facing away from the tunnel. It's hooked up to

Dead-Eye. Porkchop opens the passenger door, looking
discontented.

SHIRAKO
Yo. Giddy up.

Porkchop gives him a look of confusion. He's cramped into the

smaller car's interior, hand pressed against the roof. ANGLE
ON SPECTIK'S TIRES. They SQUEAL in effort, pulling Dead-Eye
from the wreckage.

CUT ON SOUND:

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EXT. HWY35 LEG: MOUNTAINOUS REGION - DAY

Karma and Kurt drive between the mountains. Minor cracks and
damage to the track make for a turbulent ride. Cascade drives
over a bump in the track and catches air going into a turn.

KARMA
We've got to be close.

Seeing Shirako and Porkchop ahead of her take the lower path,
she splits upwards. Kurt follows her.

EXT. HWY35 LEG: MOUNTAINOUS REGION - DAY

Shirako and Porkchop drive below the cloud cover. TEKU MUSIC
pumps loudly from inside Spectik.

PORKCHOP
Could you turn that down?

Shirako looks to Porkchop, unable to hear what he said over

the MUSIC.

PORKCHOP
I said --

A bolt of LIGHTNING strikes outside. Porkchop's attention

shifts abruptly back to the road. It narrowly misses them.
The following STRIKE, they are not so lucky.

Electricity SURGES through Spectik. Shirako and Porkchop are

uneffected, but the car's console and instruments are FRIED.
The engine SPUTTERS. Everything goes silent until the engine
comes STUTTERING back to life.

The sound system took more serious damage, and doesn't

recover. The car goes quiet.

PORKCHOP
(under breath)
It's a miracle.

O.S., a BEAT begins and grows louder. Porkchop's face falls.

Shirako BEATBOXES out a tune from the driver's seat. Porkchop
loses it.

PORKCHOP
I can't take this anymore!

He riles himself up and punches through the passenger side

window in frustration.

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CUT BEFORE IMPACT:

EXT. ABANDONED WORLD RACE CUBE #2 - DAY

Taro, Tork, Markie, and Monkey stand in a windy, grassy

field. Not far off is a complex exactly like those used as
bases during the World Race. It's in better condition than
the one they had abandoned the stolen sweeper in.

LANI
I'm getting a connection again, are
you through?

Taro's gaze is fixed on the pulsing blue portal he and the

others had just come through. Shirako and Porkchop, with Dead-
Eye in tow, jump through.

TARO
Almost.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. HWY35 LEG: MOUNTAINOUS REGION - DAY

Karma and Kurt drive amongst the tops of the mountains. The
track leads into a deep, winding chasm of a mountaintop. The
entrance is oddly shaped. It looks like two beasts, standing
inactive, with their rocky fists raised ominously above the
track below.

KARMA
(to Kurt)
It must've been nice, racing through
Highway 35. Before the Drones took
over.

KURT
Being here for the first time was
something. I won't forget it.

Karma looks uneasy.

KARMA
I was supposed to race. Tezla had
invited me, he'd even sent a car. But
I'd had an accident. Hit my head
pretty hard.

DISSOLVE TO:

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EXT. WINDING CLIFFSIDE ROAD - NIGHT - FLASHBACK

Karma drives a winding road around the side of a cliff at

night. She's driving fast, practicing hard turns.

She turns a blind corner. Behind it, a FIGURE in a long black

coat and a helicopter block the road. There's no time to
react. Karma cranks her steering wheel to avoid them and
crashes into an outcropping at the edge of the road. It saves
her from falling off the cliff.

Barely conscious, she sees the FIGURE approach her vehicle.

She blacks out.

EXT. HWY35 LEG: MOUNTAINOUS REGION - DAY - BACK TO PRESENT

Kurt and Karma make a hard turn.

KARMA
I don't remember much but I'm
beginning to think the two are
connected.

She rubs the base of her neck. A small scar, usually hidden
by her racing jacket, peeks through.

KARMA (CONT'D)
How did you end up of racing for
Gelorum, anyway?

KURT
I'd been kicked off the circuit.

INT. SHADY GARAGE - NIGHT - FLASHBACK

GELORUM stands in front of a Grand Prix car, #36. She

stretches out her arm, presenting it to Kurt.

KURT
(flashback Kurt speaking)
She promised a way back in, and more.
Guaranteed success, if I drove for
her.

EXT. HWY35 LEG: MOUNTAINOUS REGION - DAY - BACK TO PRESENT

Karma and Kurt exit the chasm. The portal at the end of the
leg comes into sight.

KURT (CONT'D)
She knew far more about the races than

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Tezla was telling us. I wanted to

believe her.

Kurt catches up to Karma. She looks at him and away.

KURT
You shouldn't tell the others about
the accident. Not now.

KARMA
I know.

They jump off the ramp, through the portal.

INT. SILENCERZ BASE - DAY

An alarm TONE begins. Flashing lights come to life in the

hallways of the Silencerz base.

UNIDENTIFIED SILENCER (V.O.)

(over P.A.)
All sanctioned drivers to the briefing
room. Realm instance 2.01, Category K.

From inside Vert's room, the sound of the ALARM is softer.

The sound of hurried FOOTSTEPS and ACTIVITY come from
outside. Vert walks to his closet, but he's in no rush.

He opens it and thumbs through to his Silencerz driver's

outfit. He takes it off the rack, inspecting it.

VERT (V.O.)
It's like I'm grounded all over again.
I've barely even talked to my Dad
since I got here. But he gets to
choose the drivers, and it isn't going
to be me.

What more do I need to prove to them?

I won the World Race. I beat Gelorum.
I became an Acceleracer.

They could at least just let me leave.

I didn't ask to know too much. The
Acceleron sent me back to my friends,
not here. Not where its gift could be
poked and prodded at by some ultra-
secretive science bores.
I wish I could let them know I'm okay.
Even if I could, as soon as the

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Silencerz found out, they'd all be

stuck here. Doing nothing. Just like
me.

I should have been there. Markie was

my teammate. They all were.

Vert SLAMS the closet door closed, his driving jacket still
in hand.

INT. BENEATH ABANDONED WORLD RACE CUBE #2 - DAY

The tunnels beneath the Cube are damp and earthy. The walls
echo the sounds of the Teku and Metal Maniacs cruising
through them. Headlights cast stark shadows throughout the
otherwise unlit space.

A cloud of bats scatter from their roosts in front of

Roadkill. Monkey turns on the windshield wipers.

MONKEY
Uck. Tezla really outta do some
maintenance once in a while.

They reach a dead end. Kurt gets out of his car. He finds a
keypad that's tucked away. He types in 6-2-2-7-4. The wall of
rock CREAKS and MOANS.

LANI (V.O.)
(on radio)
Dr Tezla wants to know if you made it
in.

The rock slides away, revealing the interior of a narrow work

space. It's too small to be anything but a room within the
Cube itself. Scattered papers and computer monitors fill a
large corner desk. Larger photos of Acceleron artifacts and
symbols hang, pinned to the wall.

KURT
(to Karma)
You said I had trouble trusting
people?

Karma leers at him.

Kurt approaches a second keypad and enters the same passcode.

Part of the wall begins to slide open, but it gets stuck.

PORKCHOP
Lemme at it.

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He pushes past Kurt to the door. Gripping the side of the

jarred entryway, Porkchop pries it open.

The door, no longer jammed, slides the rest of the way open
on its own. Outside the small garage is a much larger open
area.

NOLO
We're in, Lani.

Boxes of discarded odds and ends lie piled up in the corners

of the Cube. Like the abandoned research center, the Cube is
stripped of any tech or equipment of value. But it's far from
empty. The drivers stand by the hidden entryway, looking
shocked. Laid out across the room, are a multitude of
dismantled Drones. Some of their parts are unrecognizable.

PORKCHOP
What the hell?

Monkey covers Sparky's eyes.

SPARKY
Hello?

Tork picks up a decapitated Drone head, examining it.

LANI (V.O.)
(on radio)
We have your coordinates. We're on our
way.

INT. SILENCERZ BASE - DAY

Major Wheeler stands at the head of a long meeting table.

Vert, Alec, Banjee, Dan, and Esmeralda sit, listening to him.
ZAHRA and BOLT, two military personnel about Major Wheeler's
age, join them.

MAJOR WHEELER
The team has detected an abnormality
in the Wheel's energy levels. Given
the current data, we can expect a
realm to open within the next six
hours.

DAN DRESDEN
Will we be going in?

MAJOR WHEELER
Yes. But, we're under strict orders to

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remain unnoticed. We don't know what

to expect on the other side. Our
objective is identifying the effects
of the fourth ring on the realms, not
winning any races.

Esmeralda and Banjee look disappointed.

MAJOR WHEELER (CONT'D)

There have been no reports of Drone
activity since Gelorum's defeat.
Without the Wheel, we don't suspect
they, or Tezla's drivers, will be
entering with us. The Accelerons may
be our primary threat.

VERT
The Accelerons? Why are they a threat?

Everyone turns to stare at Vert.

MAJOR WHEELER
(ignoring Vert's question)
If you encounter one, report the
sighting immediately. We'll need
support, if the confrontation goes
South. Vert, you'll be staying at the
base as a backup. Dismissed.

Everyone but Vert rounds up and leaves. Alec bumps Vert's

shoulder.

ALEC
I've got to have someone be my knight
in shining armor when I get in
trouble.

VERT
(faking a laugh)
In your dreams.

The door CLICKS. Vert and his dad are alone in the room.
Major Wheeler has his head down, packing up his notes into a
briefcase.

VERT
Dad. Dad?

No response.

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VERT
(voice cracking)
Major?

Major Wheeler doesn't look up from his paperwork.

MAJOR WHEELER
Son, you know I can't show favoritism
at the base. You need to go through
training before I can allow you to
drive, just like everyone else had to.

VERT
But dad, I have been training. I have
as much experience in the realms as
the others. I can be an asset.

MAJOR WHEELER
You're not on Tezla's team anymore.
Things are different here. People's
lives are at stake. The team relies on
me. Policies have to be followed.

Vert opens his mouth to argue.

MAJOR WHEELER (CONT'D)

I have a mission to prepare for.

With that, he closes his briefcase and exits the room,

leaving Vert alone.

INT. ABANDONED WORLD RACE CUBE #2 - DAY

Kurt hunches over Tezla's old work station. He's looking

through an old box containing old photos and hand-drawn
diagrams.

He holds up a small photo. In it, a group of researchers

huddle around a Drone that's restrained against a wall. The
Drone appears inactive. A woman with short white hair stands
beside an older, grey-haired man. He shows her something on
his clipboard. Kurt squints at the photo. He recognizes the
pair as Dr Tezla and Gelorum, but can't quite believe what
he's seeing.

KURT
That's --

From the other room, Tork calls out.

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TORK
Found something.

ANGLE ON TORK FROM INSIDE THE CARDBOARD BOX. Tork and Karma
lean over it. Inside, a decommissioned X-88 lies.

Tork reaches for it. Nolo stops him.

NOLO
Hold on. Gig was spying on Tezla for
the Silencerz.

Monkey shrugs his shoulders.

MONKEY
This thing looks pretty forgotten.

Kurt comes up behind them.

KURT
So what if the Silencerz find out?
Tezla's the one who needs to worry
about them.

Porkchop nods his head in consideration.

KARMA
I say we take a chance. If it holds
any data the Silencerz had on the
Drones, or the racing legs, we could
use it.

Monkey, could you extract the data

onto a computer?

MONKEY
I dunno, it could take a while --

TORK
(nodding to Karma)
He can do it.

Monkey and Sparky begin examining the abandoned X-88. It

doesn't show signs of coming to life when he picks it up.

Karma clears aside papers and a scattering of Drone scraps

from a nearby desk. Kurt slides up beside her, pulling out
the photo from earlier.

KURT
What do you think of this?

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He hands it to Karma. She examines it closely.

KARMA
Is that Gelorum? She looks so...
human.

Karma touches her own face, absentmindedly.

KURT
She fooled me. She could have fooled
Tezla too. Or, in his case, he was too
blinded by the discoveries she was
feeding him to notice.

KARMA
She would have known everything. The
location of the SCRIM bases, which
drivers Tezla planned to send into the
World Race, the...

Karma trails off.

KARMA
It was her.

KURT
You don't remember anything else?

KARMA
No.

She looks away. Kurt gives her a look but leaves it at that.
Karma pretends to busy herself with the old computer. Once
Kurt leaves, she stops. Hushed Drone VOICES begin.

INT. HOSPITAL - FLASHBACK

Karma sits upright in a hospital bed. She's hooked up to a

softly BEEPING monitor. Her arm is in a cast. A tired-looking
DOCTOR approaches her, with MRI scans of her brain in hand.
He mounts them onto a light table.

DOCTOR
We've found some damaged tissue and
lesions in your scan. It's not
uncommon with an accident like yours,
but I'd take it easy for a while. I'll
be checking up on you.

Karma doesn't look happy about the news. She looks out the
window to the side of her bed. A sharp RINGING causes her to

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wince.

KARMA
Could it cause the ringing in my ears?

DOCTOR
That's a common symptom, I'm afraid.

Karma nods. The busy DOCTOR leaves. Karma shifts her position
to get a better look at the scans. Three black, strangely
geometric specks stand out against the grey imaging. Karma
rests back again. The RINGING dulls when she closes her eyes.

MONITOR BEEPING SOUND DISSOLVES INTO:

INT. SILENCERZ BASE - NIGHT

Warning alarms SOUND through empty corridors. In the hologram

room, engines REV O.S. The inner ring locks into place. The
second overlaps it. A message is broadcast over the P.A.
system.

COMPUTERIZED ANNOUNCER (V.O.)

(over P.A. system)
The Chrome Realm is opening.

From inside ANTHRACITE, Esmeralda turns to Major Wheeler. Her

facial expression is hidden behind her helmet, but she looks
anxious.

Major Wheeler looks ahead.

MAJOR WHEELER
Let's hope we're alone.

The third and fourth rings rotate into place. At the center
of the Wheel, a white sphere bursts into existence.

Vert watches the seven Silencerz vehicles race up the ramp

towards the Wheel. They cloak invisible just before hitting
the sphere. His fists clench against a table, in frustration.
The other Silencerz in the room are engrossed in their
duties. Vert sneaks out of the room.

EXT. CHROME REALM

The Silencerz' vehicles FLASH through a crack in the sky. The

landscape they enter is otherworldly. Every inch is made of a
highly reflective chrome material. Endless reflections
distort any sense of direction. It's difficult to tell where
the track actually leads.

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BANJEE
Could somebody turn the lights down,
maybe? This place is giving me a mad
headache.

The Silencerz follow closely behind one another. The optical

illusions coming from the reflections slow them down.

The sound of something heavy ROLLING down the track comes

from behind them. Dan looks in his rearview. A giant sphere
rolls down the middle of the track, gaining on them.

DAN DRESDEN
Incoming!

He swerves to the side of the road to get out of the way. The
sphere passes by. Trailing it, smaller spheres zigzag their
way down the slightly dished track. One is headed towards
him. He drives back out into the middle of the track to avoid
it. Two more sweep past him, surprising him.

DAN DRESDEN
Ah!

Alec can't track where the spheres are headed. He speeds up,
attempting to outrun them instead. He sees the road splinter
off ahead.

DAN DRESDEN
I can lose them.

As he gets closer, he comes to the realization that the angle

is off. It's a reflection. It's too late. His car gives out a
warning.

COMPUTERIZED VOICE
Warning. Impact imminent. Warning.

He steers away and brakes. Just when he appears to have

SKIDDED to a stop in time, he bumps into Anthracite. The
remaining spheres pass them by.

Anthracite's cloak falls.

ESMERALDA
Careful Dan! If you wreck my car, you
bet you'll be the one walking back!

DAN DRESDEN
Sorry, Es.

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Esmeralda motions towards the chrome barrier they nearly

crashed into.

ESMERALDA
(shrugging)
I thought it was a track too.

Around them, other Silencerz vehicles uncloak themselves. The

team didn't fair well. They scatter the sides of the track,
spun out or collided with each other.

MAJOR WHEELER
We won't make it if we continue
through the realm cloaked. We need to
be able to see ourselves, and each
other, to navigate these reflections.

The RUMBLING of another mega-sphere approaching comes into

earshot.

DAN DRESDEN
(teasingly)
We better get going, if you don't want
this to be a foot race.

They, and the other Silencerz, take off again.

MAJOR WHEELER
Remain on high alert for any unusual
activity.

INT. HOT WHEELS CITY: DRONE AMPHITHEATER - NIGHT

Kadeem fronts a large troop of Drone vehicles and sweepers.

An enlarged hologram of the Wheel stands as a centerpiece in
the amphitheater. It's locked onto the Chrome realm, but the
projection is fuzzy and glitchy. Missing from its center, is
the ball of energy used to transport drivers into the realm.

RD-L1
Master. The projection requires more
energy than anticipated. Without the
Wheel, the City is running out.

KADEEM
Then siphon more. We can not let the
Silencerz complete this realm. If they
find out the true powers the fourth
wheel holds, we may never get another
chance.

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RD-L1
Affirmative.

Drones work hastily on the large bundles of wiring connected

to the base of the hologram.

EXT./INT. HOT WHEELS CITY - (CONTINUOUS)

The same work continues throughout Hot Wheels City. The

lights in several buildings go dark. The ground around the
outer limits of the City QUAKES and CRUMBLES away.

The inner sphere of the hologram flickers briefly. Kadeem

smiles, reassured.

EXT. CHROME REALM: KALEIDOSCOPE

The Silencerz approach a circular gateway, cutting through a

tall chrome wall. The bright chrome sky becomes a dark,
enclosed tunnel. Starry lights waltz around them. It's as if
they're driving through an endless kaleidoscope.

BANJEE
Fan-tastic!

The drivers look around, in awe. The lights reflect off their
helmets.

ESMERALDA
It's gorgeous.

The track begins a series of turns and drops. The drivers are
reflected at a close distance in the kaleidoscope of mirrors.

MAJOR WHEELER
Follow the track that isn't moving and
you'll stay on course.

Around the next corner, a light at the end of the

kaleidoscope tunnel comes into view.

O.S., the menacing sound of a ROLLING sphere approaches the

group. The track dips, and the end of the tunnel disappears
from sight. The sphere appears in Alec's rearview. The tunnel
is only a margin bigger than it. Alec panics, he's at the
back of the pack.

ALEC
I'm not going to make it!

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MAJOR WHEELER
Get in draft formation. We'll make it!

It's too late. Alec sees an off-shoot to the side of the

track and moves to take it.

DAN DRESDEN (O.S.)

Alec!

Alec drives down the narrow off-shoot with speed. His

steering becomes erratic as he tries to slow himself down.
The track grows shorter and shorter and Alec looks around
frantically for the next turn. Nothing appears. He slams on
the brakes.

ALEC
Whoa! Dead end.

ACCELIUM comes to a SKIDDING halt above a precipice.

EXT. CHROME REALM

The others shoot out the tunnel, followed closely by the

sphere. The track tilts upwards, approaching a jump. The
vehicles land heavily onto a lower track. The sphere teeters
over the edge and plummets down the gap between the tracks.

DAN DRESDEN
Alec, are you there?

ALEC (V.O.)
(over radio)
Just doing a little sightseeing.

Esmeralda rolls her eyes and sighs, relieved.

INTERCUT - SILENCERZ/ALEC

Alec squints down at the precipice. Glowing Acceleron writing

manifests in the shifting dark mirrors.

ALEC
I'm going to follow this a while. See
if there's anything I can send the
team to have a look at.

Major Wheeler looks up at the sky. It's undisturbed, and

quiet. He checks the timer in his car, it reads 34:29.

MAJOR WHEELER
I can't send you anyone as back-up.

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(beat)
If you stay, double back onto our
track in ten. I'll let the research
team know you'll be in touch.

ALEC
Sick! Er.
(coughs)
Roger.

Alec SHOOTS a grappling hook down into the precipice. ANGLE

ON THE HOOK digging into, and CRACKING, the glass below.

MATCH CUT TO:

EXT. CHROME REALM

An RD-02 lands on the chrome track. Behind it, other Drone

vehicles BURST into the realm from a narrow, green crack in
the sky. The opening shimmers in an unstable, holographic
manner.

Eight RD-02's enter through before the opening IMPLODES.

INT. HOT WHEELS CITY: DRONE AMPHITHEATER - NIGHT

A Drone Sweeper drives up the ramp leading to the holographic

Wheel. The ball of energy within it warps and dims
unpredictably. Upon impact, the Sweeper EXPLODES. The two RD-
02's trailing it are knocked off-course by the blast.

Kadeem grits his teeth. The brightness of the explosion

fades. Revealed, is an empty space within the hologram, where
the ball of energy should be.

KADEEM
It will be enough.

EXT. CHROME REALM

The RD-02's speed off into the realm.

EXT. CHROME REALM: KALEIDOSCOPE

Alec grabs onto the grappling line tethered to the ground for
stability. He DROPS down to explore the dead-end. He's left
his helmet inside Accelium.

Walking around, Alec investigates the cave-like surroundings.

He stops before a section of repeating Acceleron
hieroglyphics. He presses two buttons on the wrist gadget

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integrated into his racing suit. A scanner beams from it.

Alec runs the scanner up and down a slowly rotating mirror

plane. The beam bounces right off it, and the device on his
wrist gives him an error message.

ALEC
Damn.

He retracts the beam. He fiddles with the device again.

INT. SILENCERZ BASE: CORRIDORS - NIGHT

Vert lurks through the corridors of the Silencerz base. He

slyly leans his weight against an unmarked door, testing it.
He tries the handle. It's locked.

Vert continues further down the corridor. Ahead of him, a

door handle TURNS. He quickly looks down, pretending to be
busy with the gadget on his wrist. The Silencerz personnel
exiting the room doesn't notice him.

Vert scurries towards the closing door, getting a hand on it

at the last second. He slips inside.

VERT
Yes!

Inside is a table with a row of computers, facing a wall with

a blank projector screen. One of the monitors is on. Vert
walks up to it. It's a two-column list containing serial
numbers. Vert clicks on one: "X88B45". On the monitor beside
it, a live feed of an empty corridor plays.

VERT
These must be the Gigs around the
base.

He makes his way down the list. Live feeds of the research
room, garage, and observation room play.

A RADIO CACKLE startles Vert. He quickly closes the video

window and turns to the door. There's no one there.

ALEC (V.O.)
(through wrist gadget)
Vert? Are you there?

Vert realizes the sound came from his wrist and SIGHS in
relief.

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VERT
Alec! Hey. How's the mission going?

ALEC (V.O.)
You... aren't in the observation room,
are you.

Vert wraps his hand around the back of his neck, guiltily.

VERT
Not exactly.

ALEC (V.O.)
Well, if you aren't too busy acting
suspicious, do you think you could run
a translate on these for me?

Vert receives a notification for several incoming images on

his wrist gadget's screen.

ALEC (V.O.)
I'd send them to the research team. I
mean, I will. Later. But, you know how
they are.

Vert smiles deviously. He settles himself into the chair in

front of the monitors.

ALEC (V.O.)
The code for room 7C is 2462. It's
rarely used so you --

VERT
Already ahead of you, Alec.

Vert waves his wrist gadget under one of the monitors.

ON THE SCREEN

The image files open. From a menu, he selects recognize >

text. Purple rectangles layer over the images, selecting
symbols rapidly. A black window pops up. A white text cursor
blinks.

ALEC (V.O.)
We've seen Acceleron symbols in the
realms before, I think a few Gigs even
got some partial scans. But, I've been
too busy winning Accelechargers to dig
into it.

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The white text cursor begins to move. Words are slowly typed
out: "Beware the racing Drones. Stop at nothing. Beware."

I've always wanted to know what they

said. Kind of awesome, that we can
read alien text. Do you think aliens
call us aliens, or just "humans"?
(pause)
Uh, Vert?

The program re-types the same phrase, faster each time.

EXT. CHROME REALM: KALEIDOSCOPE - CONTINUOUS

The headlights of a dark vehicle bounce off the mirrors of

the kaleidoscope. It SKIDS around a corner and the sound of
its ENGINE gets closer.

VERT (V.O.)
It all says the same thing. Alec, they
all--

ANGLE ON ALEC, deep into the dead-end cave. He hears the

vehicle APPROACHING.

ALEC
Hold on, someone's coming. Banjee?

VERT (V.O.)
Alec! I don't think that's Banjee!

Alec turns around the corner.

ALEC
Guys?

A green ball of energy appears over the ledge. It's angled at

Alec. Alec ducks back around the corner. The shot misses him.
A nearby cluster of mirrors shatters. Alec shields himself.
The cars' door OPENS and SHUTS O.S.

Accelium's engine STARTS and its grappling hook retracts.

Alec runs back out towards his car.

ALEC
Oh, I don't think so!

The Drone fires out an electric purple EMP from Accelium. It

hits the glass below and dissipates in a wave of energy
across the floor. Alec gets caught in it. It short circuits
his wrist gadget.

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ALEC
Vert! You have to let them know I--
(electric static)

INT. SILENCERZ BASE: ROOM 7C - CONTINUOUS

Vert bolts out of the room.

VERT
(to himself)
Hold on Alec, I'm coming for you.

In the corridor, Silencerz personnel stream towards the

observation room. Vert bumps into them, running in the
opposite direction. An ALARM rings over top of the commotion.

Vert places his hand on a scanner next to an unmarked door.

It opens. Inside, is a hallway with ten cubicles. Vert grabs
his helmet off the wall and puts it on while running down the
hallway to his cubicle. He presses a button on his helmet.

VERT
Dad? Can you hear me?

He sits on the seat inside the cubicle. The circular floor

beneath him disappears, sending him plummeting down a long
metal tube.

VERT
Aaaah!

Vert's and his seat are lowered into the rudimentary frame of
a Silencerz car, NOVALITE.

EXT. CHROME REALM: FINAL APPROACH

Major Wheeler and the other drivers are approached by three

RD-02's. They grow closer. One fires at the group. The
Silencerz dodge. The BLAST hits a chrome wall, SHATTERING it.

MAJOR WHEELER
Zahra, Bolt, drop back and cover for
me and Banjee.

Zahra and Bolt drop behind the first RD-02, swerving away
from shots sent by the second two. They slow up beside them,
from the outside. Their cars SCRAPE against the Drones'. They
pressure them into the center of the track, where the two RD-
02's collide. The drone vehicles spin out.

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A pair of spheres RUMBLE towards them.

BOLT
Eh. Roadkill.

MAJOR WHEELER (O.S.)

(into helmet)
Esmeralda, Dan, get ready to cloak and
wait behind the pack. There are more
coming.

Esmeralda and Dan box in the remaining RD-02, hitting it with

an EMP. It stops in its tracks.

MAJOR WHEELER
Banjee. Do you trust me?

BANJEE (O.S.)
I'm with you.

MAJOR WHEELER
We have to reach the portal at all
costs. The Accelecharger at the end of
this realm is the most important we've
ever encountered. Without it, our
mission is nothing. Understand?

Banjee nods. The two of them pull ahead of the rest.

Esmeralda and Dan slow down and hide out behind a chrome
obstacle, cloaking to stay invisible.

BANJEE (O.S.)
We've got your back.

Inside IRIDIUM, a small white light flashes from a screen

mounted on the console. Major Wheeler taps it.

MAJOR WHEELER
Vert. Stay at the base. We've got it
under control.

VERT (V.O.)
Dad, Alec's in trouble! The Drones,
they've --

MAJOR WHEELER
Entered the realm? We know. Alec's
already hit his EDR. If you were in
the observation room, like you're
supposed to be, you'd know. You're
only to enter the realm under my

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direction.

VERT (V.O.)
What? No, you have to listen, I just
spoke to him, the Drone --

MAJOR WHEELER
I don't have time for this. We'll have
a talk when I get back.

Major Wheeler taps the screen again, ending the conversation.

Major Wheeler catches the reflection of his car up ahead. He

slows as he gets closer. The road ends abruptly, in front of
a massive chrome pane. His car comes to a stop, Banjee right
behind him. They stare at themselves in the mirror image.

MAJOR WHEELER
Impossible.

BANJEE
Did we miss a turn?

An urgent call from Esmeralda interrupts them.

EXT. CHROME REALM: ACCIDENT SCENE

Dan walks, limping, with his arm over Esmeralda's shoulders.

His car rests, busted, against a chrome barrier just off the
track. A nasty looking scratch cuts through its chrome
surface.

ESMERALDA
Dan's hurt. He got knocked into a
wall. We couldn't lose the Drones.

Further down the track, an RD-02 has collided head-first into

a chrome obstacle. Skid marks trail behind it. A Drone gets
out of the vehicle slowly, through the broken windshield.

Esmeralda places Dan into Anthracite's passenger side. He

looks dazed and hurt.

ESMERALDA (CONT'D)
I've got him, he's in my car, but
we're out. Four Drones are still
headed your way.

She buckles herself in and watches the injured Drone

approaching them. She starts the car and places a hand across
Dan, who isn't buckled in.

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ESMERALDA
Make it three.

Anthracite rams into the Drone, sending it flying. It

SCREECHES. Anthracite then vanishes in a BURST of light.

EXT. CHROME REALM: FINAL APPROACH

Bolt and Zahra spy the incoming Drones in their side-view

mirrors. They spin 180 to face them, ready for a fight.

MAJOR WHEELER (O.S.)

Everyone. Use your EDR's to return to
the base. I repeat, evacuate the
realm.

Bolt and Zahra's cars disappear with a brief FLASH of white

light.

INT. SILENCERZ BASE: HOLOGRAM ROOM - NIGHT

Accelium stands motionless, near the base of the enlarged

Wheel of Power hologram. Nobody exits the vehicle.

Bolt and Zahra's vehicles flash into the room. Anthracite

rest nearby, its doors left open. Dan sits on the back of a
white ambulance-like vehicle. He's attended to by Silencerz
personnel and Esmeralda. Researchers scurry about their
duties. No one pays Accelium any attention.

Moments later, Iridium and TECHNETIUM arrive, having used

their EDR's. Major Wheeler stands up, out of his vehicle. He
draws the attention of the Silencerz personnel, yelling.

MAJOR WHEELER
Close it up! Everyone's out, close the
realm!

As they turn to follow Major Wheeler's orders, Novalite ROARS

out from under observation deck. Everybody stops, startled by
the sudden entrance.

Vert heads straight for Accelium.

VERT
That's not Alec!

MAJOR WHEELER
VERT!?

The Drone sees him coming and makes a break for the Wheel of

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Power. Before he can get to it, Vert RAMS into Accelium's

side. He keeps going, SLAMMING the vehicle into a wall. The
Drone struggles and tries to climb free of the car. A blast
of energy coming from Novalite surges through the car, and
the Drone. It seizes up, then goes limp.

Vert backs out, then heads straight for the ramp leading up
into the hologram.

MATCH CUT TO:

INT. SILENCERZ BASE: MAJOR WHEELER'S OFFICE - NIGHT

ANGLE ON A COMPUTER SCREEN. Footage taken from above the

hologram room plays. Vert drives through the inner sphere of
the projection, in Novalite. Major Wheeler stands, shocked.
Bolt and Zahra rise out of their cars.

Major Wheeler pauses the recording. He rubs his hands over

his face, exhausted and stressed. Framed photos line the edge
of his desk - a portrait of his wife, Vert and Alec holding
first and second place surfing trophies, and a young Vert on
his mother's lap, pretending to hold the steering wheel of a
car.

He scrubs through the footage, starting it from the beginning

again. The glow of the computer screen illuminates his face.

INT. SILENCERZ BASE: VERT'S ROOM

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