EXT. SIDEWALK - CONTINUOUS

     Jack follows, bewildered.

                            JACK

                You... left half your clothes.

     HONK!  Jack starts.  Marla's led him into the street with

     traffic barreling down.

     Marla walks on, oblivious as CARS screech to a halt, HORNS

     BLARING.  Jack dashes, following...

     INT. THRIFT STORE - CONTINUOUS

     Marla drops the pile of clothes on a counter.  An old CLERK

     sifts through the clothes, begins writing on a pad.

                            JACK

                You're selling those?

     Marla steps down hard on Jack's foot.  He winces in pain.

                            MARLA

                      (for the Clerk to hear)

                Yes, I'm selling some chothes.

     The Clerk starts to ring up the assessed amounts.

                            MARLA

                So, we each have three -- that's six.

                What about the seventh day?  I want

                ascending bowel cancer.

                            JACK (V.O.)

                The girl had done her homework.

                            JACK

                I want ascending bowel cancer.

     The Clerk gives a strange look as he hands money to Marla.

                            MARLA

                That's your favorite, too?  Tried to

                slip it by me, eh?

                            JACK

                We'll split it.  You get it the first

                and third Sunday of the month.

                            MARLA

                Deal.

     They shake.  Jack tries to withdraw his hand; Marla holds it.

                            MARLA

                Looks like this is goodbye.

                            JACK

                Let's not make a big thing out of it.

     She walks to the door, pocketing money, not looking back.

                           MARLA

                How's this for not making a big thing?

     Jack watches her go.  A moment, then he follows after...

     EXT. SIDEWALK - CONTINUOUS

     Jack hesitates, unsure, then run/walks to catch up to her...

                            JACK

                Um... Marla, should we maybe exchange

                numbers?

                            MARLA

                Should we?

                            JACK

                In case we want to switch nights.

                            MARLA

                I suppose.

     Jack takes out a business card, writes his number on the

     back, hands it to her.  She takes the pen, grabs his hand

     and writes her number on his palm.  She walks into the

     street, causing more SCREECHING and HONKING.  She turns,

     holds up the card.

                            MARLA

                It doesn't have your name.  Who are

                you?  Cornelius?  Mr. Taylor?  Dr.

                Zaius?  Any of the stupid names you

                give each night?

     Jack starts to answer, but the traffic noise is too loud.

     Marla just shakes her head, turns, and keeps moving.  A BUS

     moves into view, obscuring her.

                            JACK (V.O.)

                This is how I met Marla Singer.

     INT. AIRPLANE CABIN - DAY

     The plane touches down; the cabin BUMPS.  Jack's eyes open.

                            JACK (V.O.)

                You wake up at O'Hare.

     INT. AIRPLANE CABIN - DAY

     Jack snaps awake again, looking around, disoriented.

                            JACK (V.O.)

                You wake up at SeaTac.

     EXT. HIGHWAY - DUSK

     The rear of a CRASHED CAR sticks up by the side of the road.

     Jack stands, marking on a clipboard.  The SUN SETS behind.

     INT. AIRPORT - NIGHT

     Jack stands at a gate counter.  An ATTENDANT smiles at him.

                            ATTENDANT

                Check-in for that flight doesn't

                begin for another two hours, Sir.

     Jack looks with blearing eyes at his watch, steps away and

     looks at an overhanging CLOCK.

                            JACK (V.O.)

                Pacific, Mountain, Central.  Lose an

                hour, gain an hour.  This is your

                life, and it's ending one minute at

                a time.

     INT. AIRPLANE CABIN - DAY

     Jack's eyes snap open as the plane LANDS.

                            JACK (V.O.)

                You wake up at Air Harbor

                International.

     INT. AIRPORT WALKWAY

     Jack stands on a conveyor belt, briefcase at his feet.  He

     watches PEOPLE MOVING PAST on the opposite conveyor.

                            JACK (V.O.)

                If you wake up at a different time

                and in a different place, could you

                wake up as a different person?

     Jack misses seeing TYLER on the opposite conveyor belt.

     They pass each other.

     INT. AIRPLANE CABIN - IN FLIGHT - NIGHT

     Jack sits next to a BUSINESSMAN.  As they have idle

     CONVERSATION, we MOVE IN ON Jack's tray.  An ATTENDANT'S

     HANDS set coffee down with a small container of cream.

                            JACK (V.O.)

                Everywhere I travel -- tiny life.

                Single-serving sugar, single-serving

                cream, single pat of butter.

                                                   CUT TO:

     HANDS place a dinner tray down.

                            JACK (V.O.)

                Microwave Cordon Bleu hobby kit.

     INT. HOTEL ROOM - BATHROOM - NIGHT

     Jack brushes his teeth in the MIRROR.

                            JACK (V.O.)

                Shampoo/conditioner combo.  Single-

                serving mouthwash, tiny bar of soap.

     Jack picks up an individual, wrapped Q-TIP, looks at it.  He

     moves out of the bathroom into...

     MAIN ROOM

     Jack sits on the bed.  He turns on the TV.  It's tuned to

     the "Sheraton Channel," shows WAITERS serving people in a

     large BANQUET ROOM.  Jack stops brushing his teeth, feels

     something on the bed, lifts it -- a small DINNER MINT.

     INT. AIRPLANE CABIN - IN FLIGHT - NIGHT

     Jack sits next to a frumpy WOMAN.  They chat.  Jack turns to

     look at his food, takes a bite.  He turns back and it's...

     --a BALD MAN next to him, talking.  Jack takes another bite,

     turns back and it's...

     --a BUSINESSMAN next to him.  Jack takes another bite, turns

     back, and it's...

     --a BUSINESS WOMAN next to him.

                            JACK (V.O.)

                The people I meet on each flight --

                they're single-serving friends.

                Between take-off and landing, we have

                our time together, but that's all we

                get.

     INT. AIRPLANE CABIN - LANDING

     Jack's eyes snap open.

                            JACK (V.O.)

                You wake up at Logan.

     INT. WAREHOUSE - CONTINUOUS

     A giant corrugated METAL DOOR opens.

                            JACK (V.O.)

                On a long enough time line, the

                survival rate for everyone drops to

                zero.

     Two TECHNICIANS lead Jack to the BURNT-OUT SHELL of a

     WRECKED AUTOMOBILE.  Jack sets down his briefcase, opens it

     and starts to make notes on a CLIPBOARDED FORM.

                            JACK (V.O.)

                I'm a recall coordinator.  My job is

                to apply the formula.  It's a story

                problem.

                            TECHNICIAN #1

                Here's where the infant went through

                the windshield.  Three points.

                            JACK (V.O.)

                A new car built by my company leaves

                somewhere traveling at 60 miles per

                hour.  The rear differential locks up.

                            TECHNICIAN #2

                The teenager's braces around the

                backseat ashtray would make a good

                "anti-smoking" ad.

                            JACK (V.O.)

                The car crashes and burns with

                everyone trapped inside.  Now: do we

                initiate a recall?

                            TECHNICIAN #1

                The father must've been huge.  See

                how the fat burnt into the driver's

                seat with his polyester shirt?  Very

                "modern art."

                            JACK (V.O.)

                Take the number of vehicles in the

                field, (A), and multiply it by the

                probable rate of failure, (B), then

                multiply the result by the average

                out-of-court settlement, (C).  A

                times B times C equals X...

                                                   CUT TO:

     INT. AIRPLANE CABIN - MOVING DOWN RUNWAY

     Jack is speaking to the BUSINESSWOMAN next to him.

                            JACK

                If X is less than the cost of a

                recall, we don't do one.

                            BUSISNESS WOMAN

                Are there a lot of these kinds of

                accidents?

                            JACK

                Oh, you wouldn't believe.

                            BUSINESS WOMAN

                ... Which... car company do you work

                for?

                            JACK

                A major one.

     Turgid silence.  Jack turns to the window.  He sees a

     PELICAN get SUCKED into the TURBINE.

                            JACK (V.O.)

                Every time the plane banked too

                sharply on take-off or landing, I

                prayed for a crash, or a mid-air

                collision -- anything.

     Jack's face remains bland during the following: the plane

     BUCKLES -- the cabin wobbles.  People panic.  Masks drop.

                            JACK (V.O.)

                No more haircuts.  Nothing matters,

                not even bad breath.

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