|
FADE IN |
| 13-1 |
INT - COMMAND-OFFICE - LIT
CMDR MICHAEL, MR. GABRIEL, ELLE, THREE MORE, debrief:
MIKE
Who are they? How did they know where to hit us? Where is their carrier
vessel? Why are they suicidal?
GABE
We are far from our home-sun. Perhap they suffered a revolt when our star
went supernova three hundred years ago.
SCIENCE OFFICER
Sir, they are in this sector here.
(points to star chart display)
They are not following us - or were not - but we won't know for sure
until they break-out of ballistic trajectory, if they're in tracking range.
GABE
Mike, they were approaching the children almost directly.
MIKE
We've had no contact in hundreds of years. Why the children?
ELLE
Sir, from the control-room they could find empty corridors.
MIKE
Psychology? Elle - following a buffer-zone to the children?
FIFTH
Sir, their mental tones were dark and mechanical: all kill.
MIKE
Kill in empty corridors? What is their target purpose?
GABE
I think they want the children - the threat of a future.
MIKE
But suicidal! Gabe, What chieftain risks protection against children?!
SIXTH
Information, sir: what we do to avoid space-comets, they amplify to murderous
thievery for raw information: to release it.
MIKE
(turns)
You mean, they've lost their ability to dodge space-rocks?!
GABE
Could be, Mike, then they'd kill for tidbits of information.
MIKE
An inferior mentality? Gabe - enslaved to superior technology?
GABE
Comparable to children, Mike, they don't see us in charge.
MIKE
Run an adaptability-profile on the children. Thank you all. |
Others exit; Mr. Gabriel remains:
GABE
Mike, you were hard on Elle: she lost her husband, and her boy, is ...
MIKE
(overlaps)
And both she and Adam took a hit:
I'm focusing on this, Gabe.
GABE
You suspect Adam is their only target!?
MIKE
What do you think of Adam? Is he tractable for spacer living?
GABE
He excels at spatio-temporal relations: He's as bright as any of the children,
in a hundred years: He's foresightful.
MIKE
You mean, self-involved - could be projective, even useless.
GABE
Too soon to ascertain, Mike, and we'd continue to teach him.
MIKE
Not under duress: not here. Thank you, Mr. Gabriel. |
Mr. Gabriel exits. |
13-1 |
| ADVANCE |
| 13-2 |
INT - SCIENCE-INFORMATION ROOM, CHRYSALES POD WALL - MEDIUM LIT
4 days to Earth. One full solid wall is a glass-like view of the terrarium
pod in which chrysales move about:
CMDR MICHAEL turns at the library-computer display:
MR. GABRIEL enters abruptly: They discuss exiling Elle and Adam: [Northern
spring-time significant IR evidence of civilization on Nile delta, Ganges
delta, Amazon delta, Mississippi delta]
[NB: Atlantis seamount-continent shows on the
epochal map: off coast of England, missing on Earth view]
GABE
(enters)
Excuse me, sir: Elle's in trouble - she did it again: she's blaming
herself.
MIKE
Did? What? What's troubling her?
GABE
(holds-out a broken 'watcher')
This is the third broken 'watcher', sir.
MIKE
Then she's fixed her blame on open-intelligence technology.
GABE
Under incursion-strikes, she'd better secure internal operations.
MIKE
Open-intelligence always ranks the highest respect for performance.
GABE
But, Mike, open-intelligence also exposes individuals: Adam!
MIKE
Priorities, Gabe - Adam's not suitable for space-work.
GABE
The adaptability-profile is relativistic grading - don't be hard.
MIKE
You believe Adam is their target - and he's consular lineage.
GABE
But they can't know that - that's three hundred years ago.
MIKE
And open-intelligence should have erased it among us.
GABE
Open-intelligence mollifies, but can't subvert motherhood.
MIKE
Doesn't need-to - it shows us what we must do promptly.
GABE
Finding a suitable space-base for them, means we need a temperate planet
similar to our pre-nova Earth.
MIKE
Here's a feasibility - a young Earth:
(points to live-Earth display)
It has ordinary temperate atmospheric composition parametrics similar
to a standard space-zip-suit augmented with 4-times the nitrogen overburden
- useful for plant-life, slightly deranging for people: but they'll survive
it. It has significant gravity: They'll have to rest supine. And helium
spectral absorption imaging suggests under-ground oil and gas reserves
in valley areas leading to and near the sea - an eventually useful resource.
GABE
But this is their territory, Mike - they'll go after him down there, too.
MIKE
We'll have to put them down without spacer habiliments.
GABE
That's extremal - Elle's pregnant - should I go with them?
MIKE
A separated mother is more common among suicidal male cultures.
GABE
It's severe - have we any choice of ground location? harvest-season?
MIKE
Take a look: infra-red especially.
(examines Earth display)
GABE
(examines Earth display)
There appear to be several long rivers in luxuriant temperate zones
- here.
(sweeps Mississippi, Amazon)
(Nile, Euphrates, Ganges)
MIKE
Yes, and here's a confluence of four plain-rivers in the northern temperate
zone.
(points to lower Euphrates)
GABE
The gulf is constricted:
(points to S Persian gulf)
Northern top-water could be fresh.
MIKE
Planet tilt is 23 degrees quadrature with mild seasons favoring warm northern
springtime.
GABE
Do you have nightside infra-red. Is it populated?
MIKE
(switches display)
(DISPLAYS BLACK+RED NIGHT)
Practically none - especially eastward.
(sweeps lower Euphrates)
GABE
That's unsettling, Mike - a spacer-ideal locale with no settlementation.
MIKE
(quisically)
Maybe the ground is unstable for building structures?!
GABE
Maybe it floods seasonally: There may be no exposed building stones.
MIKE
They can set-down on higher choice site here in the foothills:
(points eastward up Karun)
There will be fewer trade-route travellers, at the base of the eastern
mountain range.
GABE
(summarizes view)
Polluted morons, spacer-profile-rejects, disillusioned political-losers:
All manner of dangerous defilements and disloyalties:
What can we provide them?
We're one-hundred percent spacer-typed!
MIKE
Nothing but the information of where they are: where they can go.
GABE
I'll prepare Elle: How soon do we arrive at new-Earth?
MIKE
Four days: We'll decelerate-swing last at its large moon: and arrive
at the main planet as the moon enters a solar-eclipse umbra....
(emotes drift to chrysales)
I'll be gladdened to finally unload this cargo, intact: I have dreams
where I believe I smell the actual stench of its rotting vegetation and flesh:
But I've checked and tested for cracks: There are no leaks: It would almost
have me believing in extra sensory perceptions ... or dreams.
GABE
This is profound, Mike: Where will we go then-after?
MIKE
(resumes facts)
We may have no choice, Gabe: We're surrounded by non-ballistics, paralleling
at tracking distance.
GABE
(idealizes)
I'll shuttle them down at maximum angle just as orbit-dawn begins:
With the lunar eclipse behind us: That'll give us all the best disguise
in the changing daylight.
MIKE
And then return directly - we can't stay near their planet.
GABE
Mike - we have no agenda to abandon them forever.
MIKE
I'm looking at this next planet inward:
(displays Venus-Solar map)
It has ample resources for us to reform: And its cloud cover and thermal
inclemency should deter incursions.
GABE
(peers at sun-data chart)
Billion-year sun-stability ... that's good.
MIKE
Any further discussion? We remain on Yellow-Alert, henceforth.
GABE
Thanks - this'll be a very long planetary exploration for Elle.
(turns, exits)
|
Four days later.... |
13-2 |
| ADVANCE |
| 13-3 |
INT - COMMAND-OFFICE - LIT
In orbit over Earth, CMDR MICHAEL watches DISPLAY-enhanced Earth-night
below orbit centered over Atlantic ocean, turning toward Africa continent:
MR. GABRIEL enters, carrying leaf-wrapped bundles on vine-cord:
GABE
(enters)
Sir, Elle and Adam are ready to shuttle down.
MIKE
It'll have to be quick, Gabe - we've got non-ballistics approaching within
quick-strike range-distance. |
Mr. Gabriel motions-in: ELLE, ADAM enter, both without spacer-habiliments,
with indications of abdominal surgery on Adam, inner-thigh surgery on Elle.
They discuss their shuttle trip until a KLAXON interrupts:
GABE
(holds-out leaf-bundles)
Can they have these gene-adapted fertile-seed pouches?
And these rolled thatch-leaf-mats?
MIKE
(peruses)
Yes - those look Earth-ordinary.
GABE
(leis Elle, subordinate smile)
These seeds are bitter-coated with a dry fertilizer-primer.
MIKE
(continuing)
But, what about their rifle-scars?
Can we cover that better?
GABE
Flesh accelerants leave uneven fill without persistent tending - best not.
ELLE
(resolute)
Commander Michael: Are there any last instructions? Any idea who's
upon us?
MIKE
None, Elle, and I can't risk exposing you and Adam to find-out.
GABE
Elle: We do know their speech is root-similar, with about three centuries
of insulated development - Earth-technology-languages could deviate by
isolated centuries further.
ELLE
(turns to Adam)
Adam, are you ready to go explore a day-type-six planet?
ADAM
(looks among)
Yes.
(looks at Elle)
Is this how they dress?
MIKE
Yes:
(looks at Mr. Gabriel)
They are fairly primitive mankind,
(to Adam)
among a variety of land-animals.
(WARNING COUNT-DOWN by 2 sec)
[COMPUTER-VOICE]
(concurrently)
E-T-A: 3-87: Non-Ballistic Convergence!
E-T-A: 3-85....
(count-down by 2/4 sec)
GABE
(calm urgent)
We'll leave now, sir, with your order.
MIKE
(nods yes, resumes at controls)
|
All but Mike exit.
Minutes later.... |
13-3 |
| FADE |
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