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These are scenes from the production draft script of Scott Smith Miller's Slide Like an Egyptian dated 11-14-96. These scenes did not make it into the final episode due to time concerns and story considerations.


Well, first of all, the beginning was decidely different...

FADE IN

EXT. HOLLYWOOD SIGN - DAY

The familiar symbol of L.A. Only here, the letters are in Arabic.

EXT BEVERLY BLVD. SIDEWALK - DAY

A few Ankh symbols and a Djed pillar or two alter only slightly the othewise familiar area between Beverly Center and Cedars-Sinai Hospital. WE TRACK --

THE SLIDERS

from behind as they walk along the sidewalk, against the pedestrian traffic. The locals wear black arm bands, the universal symbol of mourning. Some of them sport Egyptian collars, but none of them has on traditional pharonic make-up.

REMBRANDT

(off a glaring local)
Bad call, Professor.  Everyone's staring at you.

ANGLE TO REVEAL

the Egyptian Eye of Re Symbol around Arturo's right eye. He's already wiped off the mascara from teh left one with a handkerchief, and now Wade helps him remove the rest.

ARTURO

I was misled by that athele
on television.

QUINN

(patting Arturo's back)
Little advice...No matter what 
world we're on, never use a Dennis 
Rodman as your fashion barometer.

ARTURO

Admittedly, my exuberance has 
gotten the best of me here.  I can't 
help it...as a child, I'd read about
ancient Egypt, and get goose pimples.

WADE

You were probably a Pharoah 
in a past life.

Rembrandt looks around the surroundings
REMBRANDT

The Egyptians may rule here, but
 they haven't done much with the place.

ARTURO

If we were in Cairo, I'm sure we'd 
see the real result of those extra three 
thousand years.

Wades stops in front of a U.S. Postal mail box. She doesn't realize the guys have moved on ahead as she points to a series of Hieroglyphic symbols on it, and playfully translates... The scene then plays out as we saw it.

Originally, Quinn was supposed to reveal he was a Slider to the Dr. not long after waking up. In fact, here is the original scene in which Quinn and Dr. Tuya make their way out of the hospital in order to go to the Chancellor...

INT. HOSPITAL CORRIDOR - DAY

Quinn and Tuya make their way out of the hospital.

TUYA

I can't believe you're a Slider.

QUINN

(puzzled)
You've heard of sliding?

TUYA

Of course.  But on our world, only 
the Pharoahs slide.  It must be a 
wonderful experience.

QUINN

It is.  Except our timer has been corrupted and
we can't find our home earth.  Our only hope
now is to land on it by chance.
(glances at watch)
Come on.  I don't have much time.

As they rush out the main doors...

For this scene, it is just before the missed slide in the pyramid and the captured girl (Shelia) has just revealed Quinn is likely still alive before running off. Our Sliders debate what they must do now...but with much different words from what we saw.

WADE

If anyone could come back,
it's Quinn.

REMBRANDT

(urgent)
We've got to go back and find out.

ARTURO

Wait.
(then)
If we go, we miss the slide.

WADE 

Professor, we can't leave.  Not
if there's a chance Quinn's alive!

ARTURO

But what if he isn't?  If we go back there,
we give up all hope of ever returning home.
We'll spend twenty-nine years here because
we gambled on a miraculous breakthrough.

REMBRANDT

You were the one thinking this culture
was so advanced, Professor.

The timer hits zero and the Vortex opens. It scares the hell Sheliah. She runs for the exit. But nobody else moves.

WADE

If they can make that scarab...
maybe they can bring people back
from the dead.

ARTURO

(pressing his point)
Then why is this funeral happening?
If they could bring back anyone, it would
be their leader.

REMBRANDT

Immortality's different.  We're takling 
about someone coming back who 
wasn't supposed to be dead yet.

WADE 

I'm staying.

ARTURO

Look, I've lived my life.  But you.
You have too much to lose.
(handing over the timer)
If you two go...I'll stay.

REMBRANDT

(refuses the timer)
I couldn't live with myself.

Wade puts her hand to both men, and they stand resolute. And then, the sight they've only seen in their nightmares becomes a horrible reality...the Vortex closes.

For a moment, things are deathly silent as they continue staring at the spot where the Vortex disappeared. Then, from across the large floor, they horrifying scream of the scarab, behind the barricade, draws their attention...


This scene has Quinn returning to the hotel room to find the Sliders gone and Dr. Tuya gives the same speech about how Quinn is terminally ill. In the original scene though, Quinn was to leave Tuya behind in disgust, leaving the hotel room to retreat to the bar...

INT. LAST CHANCE BAR - EVENING

TIGHT ON A TELEVISION MONITOR

A Reporter looks into the camera...

REPORTER

It's not known as yet what precipitated the
premature sealing of the pyramid, but the new 
Pharoah has scheduled a press conference for
six thirty...

PULL BACK TO SEE DIGGS

at the bar. Lots of palmetto decorations all around him, and he wears an Egypt style wig under a baseball cap that features a Crocodile logo. His fake Egyptian style beard -- the long tubular kind -- is wrapped by a metal braclet. Quinn sits alone, morose, an empty glass in front of him.

DIGGS

Just my luck.  This place would have been 
packed the night of the funeral.
(puts another beer in front of Quinn)
Scarab's not happy either.  His big meal's
cancelled.

Quinn sips his beer.

REPORTER (O.S.)

Attempts to reach the pyarmid's architect,
Seyn Jebid, have been unsuccessful...

DIGGS

You know, I don't get what the big thrill
is about being the pyramid's architect.
(then)
I mean, I know it's supposed to be an
honor and everything, but let's get real,
is it worth making the supreme sacrifice for?

QUINN

What are you talking about?

DIGGS

The architect gets sealed inside the
pyramid as scarab food.  You know, 
so they can go to the great beyond
as their reward for designing the thing.

He takes a rag, wipes the bar.

DIGGS

Of course, it's not happening for him
now.
(a grin)
And I bet he couldn't be happier.

He laughs as Quinn takes all this in and we...

CUT TO

INT. HOSPITAL CORRIDOR - NIGHT - TUYA

is faced off with Dr. Achtbit. She holds some files.

TUYA

You told me Quinn Mallory had a tumor.
(re: files)
How would you know that when we
never took an X-Ray of him?

Achtbit knows he's caught, tries to reason with her.

DR. ACHTBIT I know it wasn't standard procedure. But all we've had with the terminal patients is failure. TUYA Then we fail. We don't kill people who still have life expectancy. DR. ACHTBIT (whispers through clenched teeth) Doctor, we have a window of opportunity...Someone in temporary power is on our side, and in these two cases, he's given me more than his official authorization. TUYA You're talking about Kheri-Heb. He madated these experiments? DR. ACHTBIT He wants results. That's all he cares about. And pleasing him is all we should care about. (and then) Do you really want to risk all three thousand years of research into the afterlife because of a...a... technicality? TUYA Reserach is one thing, doctor. Kidnapping is another.

INT. HOSPITAL OPERATING ROOM - NIGHT - MOMENTS LATER

Sheliah is on the operating table. She's not intubated yet, but the equipment is there. Tuya enters.

TUYA Shelia? What are you doing here? SHELIA The Kheri-Heb commanded it. Please, Dr. Mubaric, con't let them do this to me. TUYA Don't worry. Nothing's going to happen to you.

Tuya starts undoing Shelia's restraints.

SHELIAH Is Quinn alive? TUYA (surprised) How do you know him? SHELIAH He saved me. And his friends got me out of the pyramid. But their magic made the scarab go on that rampage. TUYA What happened to his friends? SHELIAH I'm not sure. All I know is the girl said she wouldn't leave.


Directly after that scene, we flash back to the pyramid just as the Sliders hear footsteps. Then we are given more insight on the timer mystery...

Arturo raises his hand for silence. Faint Footsteps approach from the other side of the wall...

ARTURO Over there.

The Sliders take cover as a sliding door opens, but then freeze as Seyn Jebid (25) steps out, looking down at some paperwork. he looks up surprised to see them.

JEBID What are you people doing here?

The Sliders exchange a look, then...

WADE We were locked in. JEBID (suddenly concerned) Locked in? What are you talking about? ARTURO The scarab broke loose of its restraints. I believe they sealed the door to keep it inside. JEBID (shaken) Oh my God... ARTURO Does anyone know you're in here? Will anyone come looking for you? JEBID Of course not. (and then) Don't you people know who I am? REMBRANDT Sorry. JEBID I'm the architect. I'm supposed to die in here. It's considered an honor to be entombed with the mummy.

A beat as the Sliders react.

REMBRANDT

What?  So you bulit this place just so
you could die in it?

JEBID

I had a way to beat the system.  I 
stole something that a friend of mine
was going to leave in here during 
the funeral tomorrow.  It would've
given me a way out.  But now...

WADE

Wait a minute.  Are you saying the
front door is the only way in and out 
of the place?

JEBID

(thnks, then)
There is another way.  The computer 
room.  It was supposed to be walled up
today but they're behind schedule.  you 
know how constructions crews are.

Suddenly, chilling, guttural Scratching sounds behind them. They turn to see -- A scarac claw reach out from around a corner and grab Jebid. He screams in agony as it yanks him back and he vanishes to the shadow.


Quinn and Tuya break into the architect's office to find the blueprints and a new timer. But, Eyptian FBI agents soon discover them and Quinn quickly hides to escape their notice. Tuya tries to talk her way out of it, but in this scene uses a different approach which leads to long sought answers about the Egyptian timer's true origins...

TUYA

I know this looks bad, but my friend
Seyn was supposed to meet me for
dinner.  When he didn't show, I got
worried.

ANGLE - QUINN

looking out at the timer, still lying on the floor from when he discovered it. He sticks his foot out to try and push it out of sight...

FBI AGENT (skeptical) You always break into someone's office when they're late for dinner, Doctor?

THE AGENT

moves around, and Quinn's leg pulls back behind the desk just in time thru...

TUYA I thought something might have happened to him. I'm also his physician, and he's been under alot of stress recently. FBI AGENT Pending entombment has that effect on architects.

The Agent sees the timer. He moves over to pick it up.

FBI AGENT Especially ones who are trying to shirk their duty. TUYA I...I don't kow what you're talking about. FBI AGENT This timer. We knew he stole it from the Pharoah's belongings. We knew he planned to slide. (then pointedly) What we didn't know was he had an accomplice. (pulls out his cuffs) Turn around.

The scene then plays out as we saw it with Quinn jumping in to save the day and both of them leaping to safety 3 stories down in a garbage dumpster...


Lastly is the final scene which finally sheds light on what happened to the now defunct original timer...The Sliders are corned in the tunnel. On one end they have the police, on the other they have the scarab...there is no apparent way out...

Quinn pulls out the architect's timer.

QUINN Then we'll slide from here. WADE Where did you get that? QUINN It was the architect's escape plan. REMBRANDT Can that thing get us out of there? QUINN We're about to find out. ARTURO But it's already counting down. That doesn't make any sense. QUINN All I can think of is that the architect set an initial countdown in case he couldn't activate the timer manually. Otherwise, it should be just like mine.

The sound of voices draws near.

TUYA The police are getting closer.

Another Screech.

REMBRANDT That thing's right on top of us. QUINN (urgent) Tuya, if you really want to see the unknown...come with us. TUYA I can't. I have to stop the experiments. Innocent lives are at stake.

He hugs her...

QUINN Thank you. For everything. TUYA Good luck. I'll try to delay them.

She turns and hurries out of frame.

QUINN Who's got our timer? WADE I do. QUINN Keep it. I'm going to need the spectrum stablizer when we get to the next world. REMBRANDT (Eyeying the architect's timer) We gonna make it to the next world? That thing still has thirteen hours left on it. QUINN We're going now. (to Sliders) Activating it early means I've corrupted it. Just like I did to mine on our world. ARTURO Which means we're right back to random sliding. WADE I don't care. Just so we can get out of here.

Quinn activates the timer. The Vortex appears

Suddenly a scarab claw reaches down from the opening and grabs Wade. She screams. Arturo snataches up a board, swats at the claw as Remmy pries Wade free.

QUINN Go!

Wade slides. Remmy follows as Arturo keeps the claw at bay with the board.

QUINN Professor! ARTURO I'm right behind you!

Quinn slides. Arturo tosses the board at the claw, then leaps into the vortex.

The rest of the episode is written exactly as it was aired.


On one last note, a good view of the new Egyptian timer is not given in "Slide Like an Egytian". In fact, few full shots of the new timer are ever given. On those rare occasions that you can clearly see the bottom section however (like in this closer look at the timer prop), you will notice that there is a metal engraved carving of a scarab (an ancient Egyptian religious symbol) on the handle's metal covering. This subtle clue is a constant reminder of the new timer's Egyptian origins and can still be seen from time to time on the timer in all later episodes.





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