| 15 |
EXT - SHUTTLE LANDING NEAR PISON NORTH-BEND - 07:30, HAZE
FAR BACKGROUND: Almost obscured in the billowing dust-haze looming across
the eastern sky, the Persian mountain range rages with FOREST-FIRES. The
present ground is rubble-razed: trees defoiled and toppled - a few bushes
remain partially intact behind rock upcroppings: The dust-muddied Pison
[WADI BATIN] riverbed is near at walking distance. High above in the hazy
sky a continual spray of occasional day-METEORS about 1:30-PM radiant:
The shuttle ENGINE SHUTS DOWN:
MR. GABRIEL, ELLE, ADAM disembark.
Gabe hugs Elle.
GABE
(kneels to Adam, hugs)
Now, Adam: You and your mother have a long assignment here on planet,
Earth - be obedient to every word she tells you: She's a Lieutenant Commander:
And she's the only commander you'll have on this planet - and there's much
to learn about this day-type-six planet: It's not like our space-city-ship:
It's much bigger, and you can explore. I must return to the city-ship,
and I'll come visit you again when you've established your homebase-station
with the staple seeds I've given you in these leaf-sacks:
(holds up one lei-sack end)
You have ample resources around you to multiply and build ten, cities.
(stands to Elle, gestures west)
Elle: Go west, up-river along the bend where it nears the atterissage:
until you find fish and vegetation surviving, to feed you and Adam while
you seed your farm - eastward the razed land will be barren, and the river
muddy for a season.
And, Elle: Take these with you.
(holds-out 3 broken watchers)
ELLE
(surprised)
They're broken, and Mr. Michael said I shouldn't.
GABE
Actually these are repaired, but look broken, to disguise them. Take them
with you, Elle: I can monitor your progress. Mike knew, but we had to be
sure you'd get-away clear from suspicion here, so we left them looking
damaged, in case anyone challenges you: bargain one for 3 measures of grain-meal
- it'll make any simple man smile at the thought of reciprocal multiplication.
God-be-with-you, Elle, and Adam - I must tend to city-business.
(returns to shuttle)
|
Elle, Adam retreat as:
The SHUTTLE EXHAUSTS, LIFTS-OFF, and SOARS EASTWARD over the thick haze.
Elle and Adam turn, WALK to RIVER.
And, frolic in the shallow river.
And, walk onward, westward.
Elle and Adam banter about bushes growing in soil, rivers from mountains,
expand-ad-lib.
ANGLE: A small dusted CAT hiding behind an outcropping rock, awakes and
watches them pass near.
ELLE
(points distant east)
... and the rain washes down the slopes of the mountains and hills,
and gathers into streams, and the streams run-together into rivers, and
across the plain, and fill the lakes and seas and oceans.
ADAM
(switches subjects)
Mommy - where's the toilet?
ELLE
On unbuilt planets we must improvise. |
Elle leads Adam behind bush: to squat.
ANGLE: BEHIND BUSH: ADAM squats and leaves it.
|
ELLE
And back to the river: to clean-up. |
Elle quickly soil-covers Adam's leavings.
BOTH return to the river-shore and wade-in.
Elle wipes-up Adam with a handful of river-sand.
ANGLE: The CAT rises, shakes dust, inspects the toilet: While Elle cleans
Adam in river water beyond.
ANGLE-RETURN: Elle and Adam in river water: Cat upshore:
ELLE
And wash your hands in the sand and water.
(works sand in hands under water)
(sniffs her hand and withdraws)
And wash thoroughly.
(repeats hand-wash in fresh sand)
|
Elle and Adam come-up out of water, walk-on:
|
ADAM
Mommy, can we dry-off?
ELLE
It's warm today - let's walk - we may swim some more. |
Adam, Elle WALK UP-RIVER along the north-bend, westward: The morning-sun behind:
ELLE
Adam, can you identify the types of day here?
ADAM
(ponders, points)
There are plants - that's day-type-three.
(looks up, around)
There're clouds, and rivers of water - that's day-type-two ... and
there's bright daylight - that's day-type-one ... can we stop and look
for fish in the river waters? |
Elle nods agreement: Both stand at water's edge: Talk quietly:
ELLE
(quietly)
Do you know what a fish looks like?
ADAM
(quietly)
It's gray, long, smooth except its fins stick-out ... there, is that
a fish? They live underwater.
ELLE
Could it be a dark rock?
ADAM
(watches a moment)
There, it moved ... I think ... see?
(points)
ELLE
Yes, that's a fish - a river fish is smaller than many ocean fish.
ADAM
And fish are day-type-five.
(looks up)
I don't see any birds, and we won't see stars until night-time, except
the moon.
(points)
The moon is day-type-four ... but, are we the mankind of day-type-six?
ELLE
We're visitors to this planet Earth - we may find people, and maybe we'll
see some animals, too.
ADAM
(peers around to the horizon)
Not right here - this planet must be mostly day-type-four or five.
ELLE
Actually this planet is much bigger than what we see here - it's much bigger
than our spaceship. We'll have to go far to find animals, and to find Earth-people
- but they're there.
ADAM
Mommy, where does the river go?
ELLE
It flows a long way down the slope of the land, to the ocean.
ADAM
(looks around)
Are we on a slope?
ELLE
Yes, a very gentle slope, enough for shallow water - here, watch,
(picks-up a bush-stick)
(tosses it into the river)
a stick of wood floats and goes with the water-current.
(both watch stick)
ADAM
(both watch stick)
Can we make a river-ship to carry us?
ELLE
We may with a lot more wood.
(little in view)
|
Elle, Adam continue walking:
|
ADAM
Where are we going?
ELLE
We'll go to our select base-camp, and set-up there.
ADAM
How far is it?
ELLE
It's about two miles from here; we didn't want to land right on top of
the base-camp - we should scout-around first, and see what's near and far
- see, here are some berries in bushes. |
Elle leads Adam to a discovered BERRY bush still viable behind a rock-upcropping;
Separates a handful sprig, and takes it to wash in the river:
ELLE
(blows dust off berries)
These may be edible.
(leads back to the river)
|
Adam follows interested:
While Adam treats on berries, Elle fashions spears of underwater reeds,
fits sharp rocks in tips:
ADAM
(eats berry, smiles)
It's sweet.
(tries more)
ELLE
(holds-up one spear)
This is a spear for catching fish. |
Elle leads Adam to water's edge:
|
ELLE
Stand still and be quiet while we fish with a spear.
ADAM
(quiets)
|
Elle strikes spear into water, couple times, spears a FISH. Adam smiles:
|
ELLE
Fish are food for mankind - fish from clean fresh river water. |
Elle kneels, scoops handfuls of water to mouth, and drinks: two-hand tip-forward:
Adam kneels and imitates but a sieve:
Then leans down prone, mouth to the water, and slurps:
ADAM
(hand-wiping mouth)
Yes, fresh.
ELLE
Plants that grow right on the ground are unclean on Earth, but are clean
in outerspace - do you know why?
ADAM
The soil on Earth is unclean, but we use hydroponics on the spaceship -
but mommy, the plant nutrients are not for people.
ELLE
Hydroponics wash-off - the name, hydro, means, water. But soil doesn't
wash-off readily - it gets wet in the rain, but a stain stays where it
was. Many plants grow tall above the ground - and such are clean.
ADAM
How high do they have to grow - like trees?
ELLE
We'll find trees; but clean plants have elevated fruits:
(squats-leans to Adam: quiet)
And, do you know about the very small animals?
ADAM
You mean the worms and bugs?
(Elle nods yes)
They crawl on everything.
ELLE
(nods yes again)
Yes, elevated fruits must never sway to the ground.
ADAM
So, the berries are clean?
ELLE
Yes, berries are clean, except, leave those at the bottom, near the ground:
Animals must eat, too.
ADAM
(considers admittingly)
What do fish eat?
ELLE
(smiles)
Not berries, but very very tiny plants, and bugs.
ADAM
And worms?
ELLE
I suppose they can, but worms bury into the dirt out of reach. And big
fish may eat tiny fish - there are so many many fish in all the waters.
This fish will be our dinner - with these berries - the fish-tail is for
children. |
Elle and Adam walk-on, with speared fish and tied sprigs of berries.
Later.... |
15 |
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