These are scenes from the January 9, 1997 production draft of the script for the episode The Exodus Part II written by Joseph Anderson & Paul Jackson and Tony Blake. These scenes did not make it into the final episode due to time and story considerations.
One of our first missing portions from part two concerns just after the big Earth Prime fight...and just before Remmy asks Wade is she has added Malcolm to the list...
ACT TWO
EXT. ADMINISTRATION BUILDING - DAY
Wade exits, engrossed in a file folder. Remmy strides up.
WADE
Where did you go? I've been
worried about you.
REMBRANDT
I had to walk off some anger.
WADE
Remmy, I've been thinking about
what was said between all of us...
REMBRANDT
Forget it. It's over.
Wade knows it's far from over. But she won't press it.
REMBRANDT
Where are you with getting Malcolm
on the list to slide?
WADE
I don't know if I can do it.
REMBRANDT
Wade. I've promised the kid he's
going.
WADE
I can't believe you did that. You
have no right to lay that off on
me!
And it finishes out as we saw it in the broadcast episode.
Another interesting abscence...Quinn and Maggie's nauseating discussion on tribal mating rituals while viewing the cave men was *not* in the original script. Unfortunately, Quinn's insipid remark about those people being 200,000 years behind us was in the original draft.
A short missing portion gives recognition to the limited nature of the backup power generators of the base and also why Jensen was off from the group when Rickman found him...
QUINN
What about our home coordinates?
DR. JENSEN
It's taking longer than I expected
to download them.
Suddenly the LIGHTS BLINK, power dies.
DR. JENSEN
The mob... they've reached the
power substation...
On. Off. Blackness. Then... BLUE SECURITY LIGHTS kick in, giving the room an eerie glow.
ARTURO
The back-up generators. How long
can they operate?
DR. JENSEN
Depends. On need and security.
(starts to wheel out)
They might need help re-routing the
power flow. I'll be back as soon
as I can.
QUINN
But our coordinates...
But Jensen's gone. Quinn and Arturo react.
ARTURO
Better round up the troops. We
should all be together just in
case.
QUINN
You coming?
Arturo sits down at the computer.
ARTURO
In a minute.
Quinn exits as Arturo sits, types in some numbers.
Also, there was a little more to Wade and Remmy when they got the final list with Malcolm's name on it...
REMBRANDT
(re: computer)
Did you get Malcolm's name on the
list before it blanked?
WADE
I'm not sure. Check it as it comes
off.
Remmy moves to the printer as it starts to print again.
WADE
The screen's dead. Surge must have
fried it. I can give commands but
I can't read anything.
REMBRANDT
I don't see his name yet.
WADE
There can't be much more. If he's
not on there, I don't think I can
get back in.
The power dims, the computer flickers, then it's back on.
REMBRANDT
(eyeing printout)
Come on... come on...
(then)
Yes! Malcolm Eastman! All right.
And there was a bit more to Arturo's comments when confronting Rickman about the fact that they could take more people...
RICKMAN
If you're wrong, and Jensen's right
about the strain being too much for
the vortex, we could all die.
ARTURO
But I'm not wrong.
RICKMAN
(exploding)
Look, I told you, I have enough!
ARTURO
(beat)
What do you mean... *you* have
enough?
RICKMAN
(recovering)
It means, better a few make it than
none at all. We stick with the plan
we have.
ARTURO
Of course you will. Because you're
a coward. You'll live, that's all
that matters. Or is it you realize
the people you take will do
whatever you ask in exchange for
the gift of their lives?
In this case, Rickman's silence really does speak volumes.
ARTURO
Either way, you are not qualified to
be in command. And I don't think
you will be after people learn the
truth.
Then Rickman stabs Arturo from behind as Arturo takes his leave...just as we saw.
While the Sliders were in the medical ward with the now incapacitated Arturo, they were originally watching television when we first came in...
ACT THREE
FADE IN
INT. MEDICAL WARD - NIGHT
CLOSE - TELEVISION
A television broadcast on the Government emergency channel. STOCK SHOTS of people going somberly into churches, standing in the streets with candles, singing hymns.
ANNOUNCER (V.O.)
These are probably the last
pictures we will be able to send
you. The next wave of pulsars...
due to strike the earth in three
hours, will destroy our remaining
DBS system.
We PAN from the TV screen to REVEAL the MEDICAL WARD. Everything's bathed in the EERIE GLOW of the blue emergency lights. Quinn and Rembrandt, sweating from the heat, stand over Arturo who lies on a gurney, conscious but his body twitching.
REMBRANDT
Max, I saw someone running away.
Did you see who it was?
Arturo struggles to speak... HIS SPEECH IS STILL SLURRED.
ARTURO
I... can't...
Wade rushes up with a glass of water and a vial of pills.
And from there it is as we saw it...
When Malcolm discovers his parents aren't there for the slide...Rickman was originally supposed to have an assuring comment...
MALCOLM
You're not taking my parents, are
you?
A look between Maggie and Rickman.
MAGGIE
(gently)
They're going in the second group.
MALCOLM
Then why aren't they here now?
RICKMAN
They will be. We have people
bringing them over from the
infirmary.
MALCOLM
(suspicious)
I'm not leaving them.
Rickman gestures to a soldier. The man puts a hand on Malcolm. He twists away from the soldier and takes off running. Maggie starts after him...
RICKMAN
Let him go.
The end of Arturo's death speech was also cut off and somewhat altered...it was in fact Arturo who told them to go underground...
WADE
You're got to stay with us,
Professor... stay with us...
Arturo shakes his head. Manages to make eye contact with each of them one last time.
ARTURO
(whispered)
Get...underground. Fa... follow
him. Only chance for home.
WADE
You're coming with us.
Arturo manages a subtle shake of his head. He knows this is the end of the slide.
ARTURO
I love you all.
(a whisper)
Sliders.
And he dies. WE HOLD on them as we...
FADE OUT
END OF ACT THREE
And the beginning of Act Four was different...
ACT FOUR
FADE IN
INT. BASE WAREHOUSE - NIGHT - MOMENTS LATER
Quinn and Wade kneel beside Arturo. Quinn can't take his eyes off the body. Still shaken by the death. We HEAR the GUNFIRE closer now. VOICES on the wind, sreams and madness in the streets.
WADE
Quinn. We can't stay here.
QUINN
He deliberately took those bullets.
He saved my life.
WADE
(gently)
I know... but so he didn't die in
vain, we have to try to stay alive.
REMBRANDT
That pulsar is gonna hit in one
hour.
QUINN
(eyes still on Arturo)
The Professor was right. We have
to get underground. If we can get
deep enough, the radiation might
not reach us before we slide.
WADE
(to Malcolm)
There any tunnels on this base?
MALCOLM
The catacombs.
REMBRANDT
Malcolm, grab some flashlights.
QUINN
And a radiation badge.
Wade brings an army blanket to Quinn, who tenderly covers Arturo with it.
WADE
Good-bye, Professor.
REMBRANDT
You were like a brother to me, Max.
I'm going to miss you.
Quinn picks up Arturo's hand, holds it. A beat, then...
QUINN
I will never forget you.
Quinn kisses the hand, sets it down. He turns to look at the others.
QUINN
Let's go.
DISSOLVE TO
INT. BASE CATACOMBS - SECTOR ONE
Flashlight beams held by Quinn and the others lead them through the catacombs. They come to a fork in the road.
QUINN
Which way will take us deeper,
Malcolm?
Malcolm looks, then points.
MALCOLM
That way.
Quinn starts in that direction when we hear a MEOW. Malcolm shines his light on a large TAWNY CAT.
MALCOLM
Hey, look. Here, kitty. All
alone? Come on. Why don't you
come with us?
QUINN
Malcolm, I don't think we need a
cat with us.
MALCOLM
Why not? Don't they have rats on
the world we're going to?
WADE
At least one we know of.
REMBRANDT
I think we got room for one mouser.
There's a look. Quinn nods. Malcolm picks up the cat. They start walking. We HEAR a BEEP.
REMBRANDT
What's that?
QUINN shines his flashlight on the radiation badge he's carrying. The indicator BEEPS, shows a rising readout.
QUINN
The pulsars just hit California.
They all react. The pitch on the beeper gets higher. It will continue to increase, matching exposure.
Ever want some explanation for how the timer could continually track Rickman's interdimensional travels? Here's the missing explanation...
INT. CATACOMBS - SECTOR TWO
Flashlights rake the cave walls. Quinn leads Wade, Remmy and Malcolm, carrying the cat, deeper into the catacombs. Quinn's badge continues to BEEP. He checks the timer.
REMBRANDT
(re: timer)
How's that thing supposed to track
Rickman?
QUINN
It's got a micro-photon receiver
that picks up any photon waves
vibrating at...
WADE
Quinn, we're not the Professor.
You gotta explain it in layman's
terms.
REMBRANDT
Yeah. If anything happens to you
now, we better know everything
there is to know about that thing.
QUINN
Okay.
(eyes timer)
When this red light goes steady, it
means it's locked onto a photon
trail. Right now it's showing a
readout of the wormhole that just
took Rickman out.
The scene then continues out as we saw it...the badge keeps getting louder, and Quinn throws it to the side before he slides. The final shot of Exodus earth was supposed to be the badge as it was reaching a deafening pitch. In the original script, the world did *not* blow up.
The original script also featured a jeep chase to hunt down Rickman...
QUINN
Where is he?
[Maggie] turns and looks across the way. Quinn follows her gaze.
QUINN'S POV - RICKMAN
talking with some soldiers. A Jeep with a driver is next to them.
BACK TO SCENE
MAGGIE
Where's your Professor?
QUINN
Rickman killed him. Give me your
gun.
She hesitates.
QUINN
He also killed your husband.
MALCOLM
I saw it. He shot him.
QUINN
Rickman's responsible for all the
coma patients. He's been taking
their brain tissue to survive.
WADE
You'll be interested to know you
all qualify as donors.
Maggie looks off at Rickman. Her expression turns murderous. She pulls her automatic, chambers a round. Starts walking towards Rickman, Quinn goes with her.
ANGLE - RICKMAN
Looks up to see Maggie approaching, gun drawn, Quinn beside her.
MAGGIE
Colonel Rickman, you're under
arrest!
Rickman grabs the driver in the Jeep and pulls him out, jumps in and takes off before anyone can stop him.
Maggie FIRES TWO ROUNDS. Misses. Quinn spots a motorcycle, jumps on, takes off after Rickman.
Quinn catches up to Rickman's Jeep, makes a transfer from the bike to the running board. Rickman has no weapon. Just the metal briefcase with his brain fluids. He picks it up from the seat and swings it hard at Quinn. Quinn grabs the case, and falls off the car, rolling to a stop.
Rickman hits the brakes. The Jeeps stops fifty yards from Quinn. Rickman jumps out of the car to retrieve the briefcase. Quinn staggers to his feet, holds up the briefcase, opens it.
QUINN
Is this what you need!? This what
it's all about!? All the killing!?
Quinn dumps the vials on the ground. Steps on them.
QUINN
Come and get it.
Rickman realizes there's only one way out. He takes out his timer. Hits the button. The vortex opens.
Quinn runs towards Rickman, but he slides before Quinn can reach him. The vortex closes.
Maggie, Remmy and Wade drive up in a Jeep. Quinn pulls out his timer.
QUINN
It's tracking him.
WADE
But we've got four more hours on
this world.
QUINN
It'll hold the path of his wormhole
until I clear it.
And the scene finishes out from there as we saw it.
As the Sliders are about to slide off again and are saying their good byes, we get one last revelation concerning the cat saved from Exodus earth...
REMBRANDT
We have your coordinates. We could
always come back to visit some day.
But right now, we have to find
Rickman. He's got to pay for what
he did. And he's got the timer
that can get me back home.
Malcolm nods his head. He understands. But he's not happy about it. He sticks out his hand. Remmy takes it, then hugs him.
REMBRANDT
Don't worry. You have a lot of
good people here who will look
after you.
WADE
Hey, Malcolm. Did you name your
cat?
MALCOLM
I thought I'd call him Max. What
do you think?
The Sliders exchange a look.
QUINN
I think it's great.
Maggie crosses to them. Quinn eyes the timer.
QUINN
It's time.
And the Sliders slide out...
Our last set of missing lines gives a point of contention. Apparently production couldn't make up their mind when or if they wanted Rickman's timer to be corrupted by advancement. It appears they contemplated having that event at the end of Exodus first...
REMBRANDT
That means he just slid. You think
he knew we were coming?
QUINN
(to Maggie)
He had to input a return duration
on that timer for it to activate
when everybody slid. Do you know
how long he set it for?
MAGGIE
I think it was twenty-four hours.
QUINN
Then he corrupted it when he
activated it early to get away from
me.
WADE
Which means he can't set how long
he stays on any world. So he has
to slide when the timer runs out,
just like us.
MAGGIE
How long before we can follow?
QUINN
(eyes timer)
A day and a half.
WADE
Quinn. Look.
They spot a man lying face up on the grass. His eyes open, staring into space. They approach. Maggie turns the man over. Looks at the base of his skull.
MAGGIE
A puncture wound.
The Sliders react.
QUINN
We'll find him. No matter how long
it takes. We'll find him.
We HOLD on the Sliders exchanging a look as we...
FADE OUT
THE END
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