Part 71: Soviet Campaign Script #1
So a while back I mentioned that there exists a draft of the story for Red Alert that is different from what is seen in the game, and this post will be the first of many that will show some "what ifs" in terms of reveals, plotlines, and general themes that are omitted.pre:
COMMAND & CONQUER - RED ALERT (SOVIET SIDE) (Revised Draft) By Ron Smith, Adam Isgreen & John Scott Lewinski Story by Ron Smith, Adam Isgren & Michael Lightner FADE IN BLACK SCREEN SILENCE SOVIET SIDE: FADE IN INSERT: “He who controls the past commands the future. He who commands the future conquers the past.” -- George Orwell BLACK FADE IN INT. PHYSICS LAB A face appears, distorted by a bad horizontal hold. As the image clarifies, a young man stares directly into a camera lens trying to adjust the focus on himself. The LAB ASSISTANT tries to focus the camera on a table and a chair. Off screen, a voice speaks in a German accent. EINSTEIN Stop messing about with that...thing. Give me the sequence calculations. LAB ASSISTANT Whenever you’re ready professor. EINSTEIN sits in chair, gripping the arm tightly. He wears a brown suit. EINSTEIN (musing) I wonder if it’ll be raining. LAB ASSISTANT Stand by. A hum fills the lab as the chair glows red. The room gets brighter and the camera records it all. The red glow continues until the room becomes one blinding glare that warps and trembles. DISSOLVE TO: EXT. BRICK BUILDING AND ROAD Adolph HITLER, much younger than his familiar historical visage, exits, carrying a rucksack. Blinking, Hitler looks around, adjusting to the sun. He begins walking down the road. Einstein steps before him. Hitler speaks in German. EINSTEIN Herr Hitler? HITLER Ja, was ist los? (Yes. I’m Hitler. What is it?) Einstein’s eyes light up, as if he greets an old friend. EINSTEIN Well, it’s about time... Einstein reaches out to shake Hitler’s hand. Hitler hesitates for a moment, then takes the hand. The same red glowing force that surrounded Einstein moments ago suddenly transfers to and surrounds Hitler. The glow grows to wash out the screen. DISSOLVE TO: INT. LAB The lab assistant stands over the computer console, watching gauges and dials. The glow fades in the room until Einstein again sits in the chair. LAB ASSISTANT Did you find him? EINSTEIN Hitler is... (searching for the word) safe. LAB ASSISTANT Congratulations, professor. With Hitler removed...! EINSTEIN (interrupting - deliberate) Time will tell. Sooner or later...time will tell. EINSTEIN stands and exits. The lab assistant moves to turn off the video camera when we hear an alert. He turns the camera to record the red, flashing alert button on the console. He tries to shut it off, but cannot. Above the flashing, the console wears a small delta symbol, signifying change. C/U - DELTA SYMBOL The symbol flashes until: INSERT SEQUENCE 1 (Mission 1) EXT. LOCATION - CHURCH A choir sings. The choral music carries across the surrounding countryside as: EXT. STOCK FOOTAGE Soviet soldiers load small bombs into planes. CUT TO: EXT. CHURCH European children play tag. CUT TO: STOCK FOOTAGE Soviet planes take off. CUT TO: EXT. TRACT HOUSE A mother stands at a screen door. She wipes her hands on an apron and looks out at her children. CUT TO: INT. OFFICE A businessman talks on the phone and takes notes. CUT TO: EXT. STOCK FOOTAGE Planes approach a village. CUT TO: EXT. CHURCH Children outside the church stop playing and look skyward, using their hands to shield their eyes from the sun. CUT TO: INT. STOCK FOOTAGE - SOVIET COCKPIT A pilot with a red star on his helmet grips a bomb release. CUT TO: EXT. CHURCH The mother, now panicked, runs in slow motion to save her children. The children, also frightened, run for safety. CUT TO: INT. PLANE BOMB BAY The plane releases its payload. CUT TO: EXT. STOCK FOOTAGE The bombs explode across the terrain in red and orange smoke. CUT TO: EXT. C/U OF BOMB A green gas vapor hisses out of a bomb embedded in the ground, spreading through the atmosphere. CUT TO: EXT. CHURCH The children running for their mother fall when the green vapor hits them. They lie there, twitching. CUT TO: EXT. HOUSE The mother joins them on the ground when the green vapor hits her. CUT TO: INT. OFFICE The businessman falls over, phone still in hand, the green vapor filling the room. DISSOLVE TO: EXT. CHURCH YARD Soviet soldiers in gas masks and hazardous duty gear stack up the bodies. CUT TO: EXT. CHURCHYARD The soldiers tend a giant bonfire. CUT TO: EXT. CLOSE UP Smoke from the bonfire curls skyward, blending into: DISSOLVE TO: INT. SOVIET HQ Cigar smoke wafts upward as Josef STALIN puffs on a pipe. He sits at the head of a modern, hi-tech conference table. Around the table sit NADIA Zalenkov, Radik GRADENKO, and the PLAYER’S POV. Everyone at the table watches a large television screen. INSERT: “People’s Revolutionary Headquarters, Moscow” As Stalin coughs intentionally, all attention turns to him: INSERT: “Josef Stalin. Chairman, Brotherhood of Soviet Republics” STALIN Scree-veetchus. Unacceptable. How long did it take the Sarin gas to work? All attention turns to Gradenko. A tall, lean and hungry man, a flicker of fear flits through his laser blue eyes. INSERT: “Commissar Radik Gradenko. Director of Russian Secret Police.” While Gradenko and Staling speak, officers buzz around Stalin. He enjoys watching them perform, always reserving judgment. Gradenko examines the PLAYER’S POV suspiciously. GRADENKO It is safe to speak? STALIN You’ll find out in a moment. Answer me. GRADENKO The kill quotient depends upon the weight of the subject. The children were terminated in less than 15 seconds. The adults took longer. Perhaps 18 to 42 seconds. STALIN You’re certain...no survivors? Women? Children? Dogs? GRADENKO None, Comrade Stalin. Nadia speaks to Gradenko, her eyes passing over the PLAYER’S POV for a moment. INSERT: “Commissar Nadia Zalenkov, Director, Ministry of Truth” NADIA Did you bring the bodies back for autopsy? GRADENKO Representative samples. Different ages, ethnicities, sexes. They should be sufficient. NADIA And the total dead? GRADENKO (referring to his notes) Approximately 840. Do you want a further breakdown? NADIA Our intelligence said there were 877 people in the Village. How do you account for the discrepancy? GRADENKO Your inaccurate intelligence? STALIN Enough. Begin full production. GRADENKO Already underway, Comrade Commander. Stalin smiles and nods, then reaches across the desk and presses a button. A wall slides away revealing a massive map of Europe. The map shows Russia (bright red) with its borders extended to Austria, Poland, Amsterdam, Norway and down to the edges of Italy and Slovenia. Stalin moves toward the map, hands behind his back, puffing on his pipe. He uses his pipe to point out locations as he speaks. He indicates Germany and Poland. STALIN To destroy this section, how much Sarin? Gradenko checks his figures. GRADENKO The population of Germany and Poland is approximately... Nadia refers to her notes. NADIA Precisely, 13,734,816. Gradenko feigns patience at the interruption. GRADENKO Thank you comrade. Assume one ounce will kill 20,000...it would take about 50 to 60 pounds. STALIN And how long to make that amount? GRADENKO At current production rates, seven months. STALIN Unacceptable, comrade. You will complete the amount in 12 weeks. See to it. Gradenko wants to protest, but does not dare. Stalin continues, paying his distress no mind. Stalin indicates the PLAYER’S POV. STALIN (cont.) Now meet your newest officer. According to our profile and security checks, he could prove useful. GRADENKO I would like to see that profile before... STALIN (interrupting) Give him something to do. Stalin fixes Gradenko with his smiling snake eyes. Gradenko glances at the PLAYER’S POV with rage. He regains composure quickly. Stalin returns to some papers on his desk. Gradenko does not move. Nadia watches the scene with a smirk. STALIN That is all, comrade. GRADENKO Forgive me, comrade Commander, but there is something else. Stalin stares at him. GRADENKO (cont.) In Briest. we’ve met guerrilla resistance. Stalin turns and stares at the map. Gradenko walks to the map and points out Briest in Northern Poland and the hot areas. GRADENKO (cont.) They blocked the roads into the town here and here. Staling speaks with annoyance, as if bored at explaining the obvious. STALIN Destroy the town and kill everyone in it. Send a message. Enemies of the people will be crushed. Stalin stands and motions for Nadia to join him. STALIN (cont.) Come, my dear. I have an assignment that requires your special skills. Nadia exits with Stalin, giving Gradenko one final smirk before she leaves. He salutes Stalin. Gradenko sits in Stalin’s chair and looks to the PLAYER’S POV. GRADENKO Let’s see how you handle this. Proceed at once to Briest. Destroy everything and everyone. No prisoners. No survivors. He pretends to look at papers on the table -- then looks up. GRADENKO (echoing Stalin) That is all.
Einstein claims that Hitler is safe, rather than "out of the way". One can only wonder how Hitler would be considered safe.
I'm very glad they decided to cut the scenes of twitching bodies, as that seems particularly gruesome.
I wish they'd kept the nameplates for everyone, unless I've been experiencing a fever dream where they are displayed but I never noticed them?
And other than a few minor changes to dialogue, everything is the same.