Galaxy StarSpace Pilot

By

Tristan J Nankervis

(C) Tristan J Nankervis 2012 Mobile: 0437759489

We open on black. Something explodes.

EXT. INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX - DAY

CLOSE UP of a woman’s face. She’s knocked unsteady by the

explosion, but steadies herself with a look of grim

determination on her face. Her face has cuts and scars.

She’s seen a lot of action.

We pull out a bit. She’s crouched against a wall,

clenching a rifle, obviously exhausted after hours of

fighting. Bullets and explosions are going off off screen.

This is our hero, CAPTAIN PROTON. She’s in her early 30s.

She’s wearing battle-armour, which has a bunch of nicks

and cuts in it. She’s clearly comfortable in a fight.

Behind her, her crew catches up to her. They’re a diverse

group - half a dozen mercenaries, soldiers, and

scientists. They take cover behind the various bits of

scrap laying around, and look towards Proton expectantly.

She understands, and stands up to attention.

PROTON

You’ve come so far. I’m proud of

all of you. You’ve sacrificed so

much to get to this point.

She begins pacing (within cover of course).

PROTON

I know you don’t think much of

yourselves. You think you’re

broken, scummy, violent, crooked

bastards. The last people you

want to be saving the galaxy.

Close-ups of the various crew members. They nod knowingly.

PROTON

But I’ve gotten to know you over

the past three years. You’re

strong. Intelligent. Wise. You

are a group of heroes.

Back to Proton.

PROTON

Yes, you started this struggle

broken, but it’s shaped you into

something even stronger - a team.

We’re going into hell itself...

Extreme close-up on Proton.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 2.

PROTON

... and I’m glad you’re the ones

fighting beside me.

The crew cheer.

PROTON

Let’s show them what we’re made

of!

Proton’s crew stands. She and the crew power walk in slow

motion. Suddenly an alert sound interrupts. The crew keeps

running as if they didn’t hear it, but Proton stops. She

pushes a button on her wrist and reaches for her face as

if she were removing a pair of glasses.

HARD CUT TO

INT. VIRTUAL REALITY ROOM - MOMENTS LATER

Proton pulls her VR glasses off. She’s in a small room,

empty except for a control panel on the wall. She’s

wearing a casual military outfit. Unlike the virtual

version of herself, she has no scars (though she does have

a fair bit of muscle on her). A soldier is standing at the

door, at attention.

SOLDIER

Ma’am. We’re within range of the

ISS Station.

Proton sighs.

PROTON

Thank you. I’ll be right up.

INT. HMS PORT OF CALL CORRIDOR - MOMENTS LATER

Proton walks down a corridor. An engineer is fussing with

a control box. Proton carries herself with the same steely

confidence that she had in the simulation.

INT. HMS PORT OF CALL ELEVATOR - MOMENTS LATER

Proton enters the elevator. She presses the top button. As

the elevator takes her up, she looks bored and frustrated

as hell, and a title pops up over her: GALAXY STARSPACE!

3.

INT. HMS PORT OF CALL BRIDGE - MOMENTS LATER

Proton walks through the bridge area. It’s not exactly a

hustle and bustle - it’s like walking through an office

building. People are sitting at computers, doing technical

crap. A random soldier walks past Proton.

RANDOM SOLDIER

Captain.

Proton nods hello as she walks by.

INT. HMS PORT OF CALL COMMUNICATION ROOM - MOMENTS LATER

Proton walks into the communication room. It’s basically a

boardroom or meeting room with a large television on the

wall. The television shows the symbol for the ISS

Military. Proton presses a thing on her wrist, which

causes the image of a dock control technician to come

onscreen.

DOCK CONTROL TECHNICIAN

ISS Station Dock Control. State

your ship name and number.

PROTON

HMS Port Of Call. Code

THX-1138-A113.

SPACE - THE ISS STATION

The Port Of Call cruises towards the ISS Station.

DOCK CONTROL TECHNICIAN

Hey there, Proton. You landing in

Dock 42 again?

PROTON

Yep. Dropping off a load of

office supplies. I understand

they’re critically low on

staples.

DOCK CONTROL TECHNICIAN

(laughing)

Yeah, sounds about right.

Alright, you’re clear to dock.

Take care.

PROTON

You too.

4.

INT. ISS STATION DOCK 42

The Port Of Call is docked. About a half a dozen crew are

unloading boxes from the ship. The dock is like a beehive

- technicians are scattered about, maintaining transmitter

boxes, moving equipment and crap like that.

Proton is talking to a technician with a clipboard. She’s

filling out a form on it. She hands him the clipboard

back.

CLIPBOARD GUY

And that should be that. See you

next week, Captain.

PROTON

See you.

She walks over to the ship. Leaning against it, next to

the entry hole, is JAGO, head of engineering on the Port

Of Call. He’s in his late 40s, early 50s. He’s wearing

military overalls and has a toolbelt around his waist.

He’s been waiting for her to finish up so they can chat.

JAGO

(friendly)

Captain Proton.

PROTON

(equally friendly)

Engineer Jago. How’s the ship

doing?

She starts pacing restlessly in front of him. He watches

with amused interest.

JAGO

Perfect condition. Better than

new, really.

PROTON

I am completely surprised that

traveling between Earth and a

station orbiting just above Earth

for six months doesn’t do a lot

of wear and tear to a ship.

JAGO

Freight’s a dangerous job, but

someone has to do it.

PROTON

Mmm.

She stops and turns to him.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 5.

PROTON

I heard a new one today.

JAGO

(fake weariness)

Let’s hear it.

PROTON

Doctor Adley, Daniel Manlove, Don

Walker and a six-year-old are on

a transport together. Suddenly,

the anti-grav fails.

Jago rolls his eyes. He’s heard this one. He’ll let her

finish though.

PROTON

The passengers run to the

grav-suits. But they’re horrified

to find there’s only three left.

Adley grabs the first one, says

"I’m the best doctor in the

universe and medicine needs me!"

and jumps out. Manlove grabs the

second, says "I’m the smartest

man in the universe and my

country needs me!" and jumps out.

Walker turns to the kid and says,

"I’ve had a good, long life, son.

Take the last one." And the kid

says, "It’s okay, old man,

there’s enough grav-suits for

both of us."

PROTON

"The smartest man in the

universe just took my

pajamas."

JAGO

"The smartest man in the

universe just took my

pajamas."

PROTON

Hah! You’re good. Elections

finished up a week ago.

JAGO

All jokes about politicians are

either the same jokes from last

time with different names, or

shit puns. The first time I heard

that joke, it was Samwise, Ohba,

and Macintyre.

PROTON

Huh, fair enough.

An alert comes over Proton’s radio. She taps a button on

her wrist and puts her finger on her ear, like she’s

trying to hold an earphone in.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 6.

PROTON

Captain Proton.

She pauses.

PROTON

I see. (to Jago) Apparently Agent

Shepard wants to see me.

JAGO

You’d better get going then.

INT. SHEPARD’S OFFICE

Agent Shepard’s office is on the small side, and

absolutely stuffed with paperwork. I’m talking mountains

of it everywhere - shoved in and on bookcases, sitting on

his desk, even some lying on the ground. Sitting on top of

the paperwork is a plaque with his name - ’AGENT BRODYN

SHEPARD’. Shepard himself is a very boring looking man -

brown suit, librarian mustache, thick grandad glasses,

part in his hair. He is clearly a fussy man who tolerates

no shenanigans.

Proton has engaged in shenanigans.

SHEPARD

Proton, do you know why I’ve

called you here?

PROTON

No, sir.

SHEPARD

In the past six months, you’ve

sent this office nearly one

thousand requests for a mission

transfer.

PROTON

I don’t feel that I’m being used

to my best ability.

SHEPARD

(sighing)

I know. But this is the real

world, Proton. You don’t always

get into exciting gunfights, you

don’t always get to speed across

the galaxy scrounging for clues,

and you definitely don’t get to

fight some big, evil empire to

save the galaxy. Sometimes all

you have to do is deliver

stationery.

Proton remains poker-faced.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 7.

SHEPARD

But.

Proton can’t resist a smile.

SHEPARD

There is something you can do, if

you’re interested.

He gets up and taps his wrist. The television on the wall

activates, showing scans of a planet.

SHEPARD

This is the planet Lombax Four. A

nice little garden planet. A team

of Alltech archaeologists lead by

a man named Professor Fox Mustang

found signs of an ancient

settlement just outside of a cave

system.

As he talks, pictures pop up of symbols, old papers, and

rubbish remains, as well the scientists - the easiest ones

to see are of FOX MUSTANG, a ruggedly handsome Indiana

Jones-ish man in his mid-thirties, and ELIZABETH

VENTRALIS, a nerdy looking woman in her early twenties.

Mustang is cheerfully smiling at the camera, while

Ventralis is looking away from the camera in deep thought.

SHEPARD

You’ll take a team in to

accompany the scientists.

PROTON

(barely suppressed

excitement)

You want us to protect the

scientists as they explore the

cave?

SHEPARD

(bluntly)

No. Your mission will be to

transport this.

He presses his wrist again. A picture of a device about

the size of an esky pops up on the screen.

SHEPARD

This is a mapmaker. Once you get

about a thousand metres down,

activate it, and it’ll

automatically scan and map out

the tunnels. Command told me the

cave system might work as a

research facility.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 8.

PROTON

(genuinely grateful)

Thank you, Shepard.

SHEPARD

It’s only a small mission. But

it’s something other than going

from Earth to the ISS Station and

back over and over. Maybe now we

won’t have to spend an hour every

day going through every damn

letter you send.

Proton smiles.

SPACE

The Port Of Call flies towards Lombax Four.

EXT. CAVE ENTRANCE - MORNING

We focus on just outside the cave. Proton, Jago, and three

soldiers, HEEMSKIRK, ARCHER, and POTTER all teleport in,

two of them carrying the mapmaker. They’re all decked out

in military garb - it’s not as cool as the armour in

Proton’s simulation. They’re all carrying laser guns on

their backs. They walk into the cave.

Inside are Professor Mustang and his team. They’re sitting

around, obviously waiting for Proton. Behind all of them,

Ventralis is looking through her bag for something.

Mustang looks up, sees Proton, and stands up smiling.

Everyone apart from Ventralis takes Mustang’s lead.

MUSTANG

Captain Proton!

PROTON

Professor Mustang. Good to meet

you.

MUSTANG

Likewise. Before we go down, I

should warn you. We’re not

entirely sure what it is, but for

some reason, radios don’t work

down here.

Proton checks her radio, getting nothing but static.

MUSTANG

We suspect it’s a mineral deposit

interfering with the radio

signals.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 9.

PROTON

Don’t worry. It’s only a minor

inconvenience.

The other soldiers groan, the scientists laugh in a ’oh

God you actually said that’ fashion.

JAGO

Damn it, Proton!

MUSTANG

Hah! You won’t have such a rocky

reception here, Captain!

Everyone is laughing now. We look over at Ventralis, who

looks up from her bag at the others.

PROTON

(offscreen)

I’m glad we’re here with such a

gem of a group.

She looks sad for a moment before looking back at her bag

and grabbing out the book she was looking for.

The group as a whole moves further into the cave as Proton

and Mustang talk. Behind Proton and Mustang, we see

Ventralis awkwardly keeping up, obviously wanting to talk

to Mustang but not wanting to interrupt.

PROTON

Bad puns aside, what’s your team

actually here for?

MUSTANG

Well, we found remnants of an

Ancient American settlement

around the surface. Some of the

information on old computers

suggests they chose to settle in

a cave system for reasons we

haven’t been able to decipher.

We’re hoping to find old mining

equipment for the Alltech Museum

back home, and if there isn’t a

mine we’d like to find out why

exactly they chose to settle down

here.

PROTON

What makes you think they weren’t

down here for mining?

MUSTANG

Well, evidence suggests they

moved their families. Non-miners,

retired people, children. It’s

(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 10.

MUSTANG (cont’d)very odd. And they don’t give any

reason why in the records we’ve

found.

PROTON

Hmm. Interesting.

MUSTANG

(to Ventralis)

Did you want something?

VENTRALIS

(flustered)

Yes! Um, Professor. I had a

couple of theories on why the

Americans might have settled

here.

MUSTANG

Great! What have you got?

Proton politely pulls back to go talk to someone else.

VENTRALIS

Well, I was going through an old

textbook, you know, cause I was

bored, and...

FADE INTO:

INT. CAVE SYSTEM

That’s right, it’s a montage. Proton and Mustang lead the

group into the cave, talking as they do so.

Ventralis lags behind the group, her nose in a book. She

trips on a rock. Proton offers to help her up, which she

gingerly accepts.

Jago and Heemskirk carry the mapmaker together. Jago tells

Heemskirk a rude joke. Heemskirk cracks up laughing. We

linger on the mapmaker a second.

Mustang and Proton are talking again.

MUSTANG

And, I mean, of course they

understand intellectually what

you do, but - OH GOD WAIT A

SECOND.

He runs over to a corner of the cave, pulling a plastic

glove out of his pocket and putting it on. He picks up an

old chip packet and stares at it in awe.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 11.

PROTON

What is it?

The scientists push past her to get a look at it as well.

MUSTANG

This is a sign that people were

here. Ancient people stored food

in sealed plastic bags when they

needed it to keep for months or

sometimes years at a time.

PROTON

What’s plastic?

MUSTANG

It’s sort of like ammerpoly,

except it doesn’t dissolve when

exposed to stomach acid.

PROTON

Huh. Interesting.

MUSTANG

See, plastic was made of oil.

Around the time this was made,

humanity made and ran pretty much

everything out of oil, including

plastic products. Eventually,

Earth started running out. Once

what they called ’peak oil’ hit,

practically every plastic product

was melted down in a desperate

attempt to stave off the

inevitable. The first thing to go

was old rubbish like this, so

finding one of these is a

miracle.

PROTON

Did they know peak oil was

coming?

MUSTANG

Huh? Oh, yeah.

PROTON

Why didn’t they prepare for it

better?

VENTRALIS

’Cause people are stupid.

MUSTANG

(guys, I really don’t care)

I don’t know. I’m just happy to

find a treasure like this. If

(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 12.

MUSTANG (cont’d)

we’re lucky, we’ll find whole

bins full of them! Come on, let’s

go!

They press on. Back to the montage!

Jago and Mustang talk. Mustang laughs at Jago’s joke.

Proton is walking alone. Ventralis is right behind her,

looking like she wants to say something, but doesn’t.

Mustang is overjoyed to find an old discarded cigarette.

Proton is ahead of the group. Suddenly, she stops and

turns to everyone.

PROTON

We’ve been travelling for five

hours now. Anyone care to stop,

rest, and eat for a bit?

A general murmur of agreement runs over the crowd.

PROTON

Great! This looks like a good

place to stop.

The scientists pull chairs and such out of their bags.

Three heaters that function like campfires are set up.

Jago, Proton, Mustang and Ventralis are seated around the

one we’re watching. Ventralis has her nose in a book. Jago

is sitting on the mapmaker. Behind him, a group of

scientists and soldiers are having an arm wrestling

tournament.

PROTON

(to Jago)

A charity worker goes up to a

lawyer to ask him for a donation

-

JAGO

If I don’t give any money to

them, why should I give it to

you?

MUSTANG

Let me try. An Earthling, a

Martian, and a Lunite go into a

bar. Suddenly a fly goes into

each of -

JAGO

"Spit it out! Spit it out! Spit

it out!"

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 13.

MUSTANG

Ooh.

PROTON

A man wakes up, terribly

hungover, to find his husband has

-

JAGO

"Get off me, bastard, I’m a

married man!"

MUSTANG

A woman got on a shuttle, bought

a packet of biscuits -

JAGO

When she got up, she saw her

packet of biscuits.

PROTON

A big city lawyer went duck

hunting -

JAGO

"You can have the duck."

VENTRALIS

(off-screen)

Excuse me?

Jago, Proton and Mustang look over to Ventralis, who has

her hand raised slightly like she’s in school.

VENTRALIS

Would you mind if I had a go?

JAGO

Sure thing. I doubt anything you

say will be worse than these

idiots.

VENTRALIS

Well...

She thinks for a second.

VENTRALIS

There was a hover-rover driver

who was, uh, riding his

hover-rover through the desert.

Jago’s eyes glaze over, fully prepared for the joke to be

mangled. Proton leans in closer to listen.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 14.

VENTRALIS

(continued)

He crashes, and some monks come

and save him and nurse him back

to health. In his room, he can

hear a slight knocking noise the

whole time. It starts driving him

crazy as he wonders what it is.

He asks one of the monks, and

they say, "I’m sorry, I can’t

tell you. You’re not a monk." As

he gets better, he starts going

crazy, because the knocking noise

never stops. He has to know what

it is. So he goes to to the head

of the order, and begs him to let

him join. So he goes through the

initiation, shaves his head, does

his prayers, and officially

joins. When he asks what the

knocking noise is, the head of

the order just tells him to go

look behind the cupboard in his

room. So he goes to his room,

moves the cupboard with great

difficulty, and sees a locked

trap door. He goes back to the

head of the order and asks for

the key. The head of the order

gives him the key, he goes back,

unlocks the trap door, and goes

down a ladder. As he goes down

the ladder, the knocking noise

gets a little louder. At the

bottom of the ladder is a locked

door. He tries his key, but it

doesn’t fit, so he climbs back up

the ladder, comes out of the trap

door, goes back to the head of

the order, and asks for the

second key. The head of the order

gives it to him, so he goes back

to his room, goes down the

ladder, and unlocks the door.

It’s pitch black. He goes back

through the door, goes up the

ladder, goes to the head of the

order, and asks for a light. The

head of the order gives him a

candle, so he goes back to his

room , goes down the ladder,

opens the door, and realises he

doesn’t have a match. So he goes

back through the door, up the

ladder, to the head of the order,

and asks for a match. The head of

the order gives him a match, and

(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 15.

VENTRALIS (cont’d)he goes back to his room, down

the ladder, through the door, and

lights the match. It lights, then

instantly goes out. He goes back

through the door, up the ladder,

back to the head of the order,

and asks for another match. The

head of the order gives it to

him, and he goes back to his

room, down the ladder, through

the door, lights the candle, and

continues on his way. As he walks

down the corridor, the knocking

noise gradually gets even louder.

When he gets to the end of the

corridor, there’s a locked door.

He can hear the knocking noise

louder than ever - it’s like a

gun going off behind the door. He

walks back down the corridor,

through the door, up the ladder,

to the head of the order, and

asks for the last key. The head

of the order gives it to him, and

he goes back to his room, down

the ladder, through the door,

down the corridor, he unlocks the

door, throws it open, and

finally, finally, manages to see

what’s making the knocking noise.

When he sees it, he finally

understands! Do you want to know

what he saw?

JAGO

(leaning in, totally

enraptured)

What did he see?!

VENTRALIS

I can’t tell you. You’re not a

monk.

JAGO

(laughing)

Awwwww, God! We got an even worse

one over here!

Proton and Mustang are pissing themselves laughing.

JAGO

Okay, technically, you pass,

because I’ve honestly never heard

that one.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 16.

VENTRALIS

It’s an old one. My grandad told

me it when I was a kid.

PROTON

You should have seen yourself,

Mick. You basically died when she

said that. Sorry, what was your

name?

VENTRALIS

Elizabeth. Dr Elizabeth

Ventralis.

PROTON

Well, Dr Elizabeth Ventralis,

you’re now my favourite person

alive. That was great.

VENTRALIS

(goofy grin)

Thanks.

MUSTANG

Oh, tears in my eyes.

INT. CAVE HUB

Our heroes enter the cave hub. Mustang has a look of

delight on his face, and as the camera turns from him to

the hub we see why. It looks like a cross between

Salamanca Place and a farmer’s market - old tables and

chairs, stalls, overgrown plants, a fridge with a door

broken off, things like that. There’s also a bunch of

modern 2012 computer equipment tied and duct-taped to a CD

rack (this will now, for convenience sake, be referred to

as the beacon). Mustang laughs in wonder.

MUSTANG

Sorry, I am just totally geeking

out over here.

PROTON

It’s alright. I understand.

MUSTANG

(mostly to himself)

This must have been the hub.

Where people came together to

shop, hang out, things like that.

Jago walks up to Proton. He’s tapping his wrist. Behind

Proton, Mustang starts barking orders to the scientists -

’photograph that, collect that, etc etc’.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 17.

JAGO

Captain, according to my

calculations, this should be a

good spot to use the mapmaker.

PROTON

Do it.

Ventralis is sitting over by a mural, obviously

fingerpainted by children.

VENTRALIS

Professor! Come have a look at

this!

Mustang is happily looking through a bin when she calls.

He looks up, then rushes over.

MUSTANG

I see! This must have been

painted by the children, to

commemorate the colony or

something.

PAN OVER the mural. It shows a rich guy and his team

exploring the caves.

Jago fiddles with dials on the mapmaker.

The mural shows the rich guy finding a rock, which is

giving off a signal of some kind. Mustang and Ventralis’

looks of joy turn to confusion.

Jago flicks a few switches on the mapmaker.

The mural shows the hubfolk practically worshipping the

stone. They cry when they’re away from the stone and look

happy when near it. Mustang and Ventralis’ confusion turns

to horror.

Proton fiddles with buttons on her wrist, tuning the

mapmaker.

The rich guy is shown building the beacon. Mustang and

Ventralis look over at the real beacon.

Proton is still fiddling with her wrist.

The mural shows the waves from the stone becoming way more

powerful. People have absurdly large smiles on their

faces. Finally, people are just laying on the ground and

dying.

MUSTANG

Okay. As long as we don’t somehow

activate the beacon, we should be

al -

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 18.

Jago flicks the mapmaker on. A wave of energy is sent out,

as the mapmaker scans the caves. There’s silence for a

second. Then, a light appears on the console of the

beacon. Ventralis looks at it, and finds herself drawn

towards the beacon. She stands up, and walks towards it

like a zombie. She sees a beautiful light. Mustang runs up

to her, grabs her by the waist, and throws her back. She

rubs her eyes, seeming to wake up.

Mustang, however, is caught in the beacon. He walks up to

it, and falls to his knees screaming. Images fly through

his head, of murder, lying, cheating, and of people being

generally awful to each other (though it’s all going too

fast for the viewer to see properly). Finally, it stops.

Mustang is hunched over, breathing heavily.

PROTON

Professor? Are you alright?

Mustang rises.

PROTON

Professor Mustang! Are you

alright?

Mustang turns to her. His face is pale, and his eyes are

dead. Tears are streaming down his face.

MUSTANG

It all makes sense now.

PROTON

No, it doesn’t.

MUSTANG

You were right, Elizabeth. People

are stupid. This isn’t an opinion

or a belief, this is a fact.

Given the choice between

something easy, and something

right, people will choose what’s

easy every time. Well, now this

beacon has shown me the way. Now

I know the easiest option of

all...

Proton is worried, but doesn’t quite know what to do with

any of this. Mustang turns to the closest scientist, and

walks over to him. The scientist looks scared, but Mustang

manages to calm him down by giving him a comforting look,

before grabbing the scientist’s shoulder. The scientist

falls to the ground screaming, then rises, looking as pale

and dead-eyed as Mustang. He turns toward Heemskirk, who

is frightened and pointing a gun at Mustang.

Mustang just walks up to Heemskirk.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 19.

HEEMSKIRK

Stay back!

Mustang keeps walking.

HEEMSKIRK

Stay back or I’ll shoot!

Mustang keeps walking. Heemskirk fires, causing a sizzling

wound in Mustang, but Mustang doesn’t even seem to notice.

He walks right up to Heemskirk and grabs, just like he did

with the scientist. Heemskirk falls.

MUSTANG

After feeling true pain, physical

pain barely registers.

Heemskirk rises, eyes dead, face pale. Proton finally

clicks into action.

PROTON

Everyone! Fall back to the caves!

Mustang, the scientist, and Heemskirk have cornered a

scientist. They practically pounce on the helpless

scientist, who screams in fear.

VENTRALIS

Peter!

Proton grabs Ventralis’ hand.

PROTON

We need to run!

The remaining group - Proton, Ventralis, Jago, Potter,

Archer and a scientist named JIM - run for it, Proton and

Ventralis leading them. Potter and Archer stop and turn to

shoot at the Turned.

POTTER

Run, Captain. We’ll buy you time!

PROTON

Right!

The survivors keep running, hearing the screams of Potter

and Archer as they do. They come to a crossroad. Proton

taps her wrist, pulling up a map of the caves.

PROTON

This way!

The group runs leftways. They run down different

crossroads, left, right, right, forward, and so. Then

Proton stops, catching her breath.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 20.

PROTON

(panting)

We should be safe here.

JAGO

(panting)

What the hell was that?

VENTRALIS

I think I know.

Everyone turns to her.

PROTON

What do you think’s going on?

VENTRALIS

Well, just before everything went

to hell, Fo - the Professor and I

were looking over an art

installation. From what we could

tell, the people here found a

stone they thought was talking to

them. The whole colony went

insane, trying to amplify the

signal - that’s what that thing

was for. After a while the signal

wasn’t strong enough, and they

just laid down and died.

JAGO

Dear God.

VENTRALIS

The thing is, all this is

consistent with stories that crop

up around the edges of ancient

territory. Whole colonies going

insane, then just lying down to

die. One phrase kept coming up -

the Joy Goo.

Jim looks at Ventralis like she just suggested the Loch

Ness Monster.

PROTON

The what?

VENTRALIS

The Joy Goo. That’s what the

colonists called the being they

contacted through the stone.

Supposedly it was a vast,

incomprehensible being that lived

so far out of known space that

it’d take a hundred generations

to find it.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 21.

JAGO

Poetic.

PROTON

How did the stories end?

VENTRALIS

Well, the colonists always

planned on contacting the Joy Goo

to bring it to the colonies, and

eventually Earth.

PROTON

To do what?

VENTRALIS

I... honestly don’t know. The

stories always ended with the

colonies laying down and dying.

JIM

Why we are we even thinking about

this? Don’t we have a bigger

problem than an ancient myth?

PROTON

Right. Our main issue at the

moment is getting the hell out of

this cave.

ARCHER

What’s the plan?

PROTON

(thinking out loud)

Well. Our goal is to get the

surface.

VENTRALIS

Their goal seems to be turning

us.

JAGO

They know that our radios don’t

work.

PROTON

(looking over her data)

According to the map data, the

entrance is also the only way

out.

VENTRALIS

Obviously they’ll be waiting for

us.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 22.

JAGO

And they’re resistant to gunfire.

There’s a pause.

VENTRALIS

I think I have an idea.

EXT. CAVE ENTRANCE - NIGHT

Mustang and the rest of the turned are waiting at the

entrance. They’re standing around moodily and unarmed.

They hear a noise from further in the cave. Mustang turns

to two turned soldiers and nods, indicating they should

investigate.

The soldiers carefully walk down the cavern. They get far

enough that they can’t see Mustang and the entrance. As

they walk along, they trip a wire, which drops a load of

rubbish on their head. As they react, Proton knocks

through them using the fridge door as a shield.

The survivors are following behind her, using various bits

and pieces pilfered from the hub as improvised weapons.

They are running at full speed, basically making a

desperate suicide run. Archer, down the back, gets grabbed

by a stray hand, and falls down screaming.

Proton is ahead. She hits a scientist down, Ventralis just

behind her hits him again to keep him down, Jago hits him

a third time.

Proton goes to run into Mustang with the shield, but he

dodges at the last second. He goes to grab her shoulder

from behind, but she ducks, knocking his hand with the

shield.

They take a second to size each other up. Mustang fakes

left and goes right, but Proton sees what he’s doing and

blocks him.

He tries to grab the shield itself and pull it off her.

They’re caught in this stalemate.

MUSTANG

I’m going to turn you, Proton,

and there’s nothing you can do

about it!

PROTON

First, you’re going to have to

take it up with the chair.

Mustang looks confused before he’s banged over the head

with a chair by Ventralis.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 23.

Ventralis looks at Mustang on the ground, trying to

process the fact she just hit her friend and mentor,

before Proton grabs her shoulder, pulling her back into

reality. They make a break for it, Jago and Jim right

behind them.

They make it outside the cave. Proton taps her wrist and

puts her finger to her ear.

PROTON

Port Of Call, this is Proton!

Ugh, four of us need a teleport,

from just outside the cave!

RANDOM SOLDIER

(voiceover, radio effect)

Yes, Captain!

The surviving four look around expectantly. Mustang,

groaning, pulls himself up. The four start to panic.

Mustang breaks into a run. Each of the crew look up at the

sky, hoping against hope. Mustang reaches out to Proton.

Then, the teleport kicks in. Proton fades away just in the

nick of time. Mustang lets out an animalistic growl.

INT. HMS PORT OF CALL BRIDGE

The four survivors are teleported in. They collapse on the

floor of the teleporter. A medical team rushes in.

PROTON

We’re okay! We’re okay. We’re

just exhausted.

The survivors breath a sigh of relief.

INT. HMS PORT OF CALL COMMUNICATION ROOM

Proton is alone in the comm room. Shepard is on-screen.

SHEPARD

Proton. I read your report. What

do you make of the situation?

PROTON

I think that Mustang has been

brainwashed. I think he’s

planning something. I think that

what he’s planning could be

dangerous.

SHEPARD

I think you’re right. I think he

needs to be tracked down. I think

you’re the one who should track

him down.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 24.

PROTON

Are you sure, sir?

SHEPARD

Proton, if I understand your

report correctly, this could go

very badly. If it doesn’t, then

I’m wasting the time of a freight

captain and you can go back to

work. If it does, I think that

you being there will be an asset.

PROTON

Thank you, sir.

SHEPARD

I’m putting my faith in you,

Captain. Don’t let me down.

Shepard out.

Ventralis pokes her head in.

VENTRALIS

Captain?

PROTON

Come in, Doctor.

Ventralis enters properly.

PROTON

We should be at the museum in a

day.

VENTRALIS

Yeah, see, that’s the thing. I

think that I should join you on

your mission.

PROTON

I agree.

VENTRALIS

(prepared for no)

I think that my knowledge of the

Joy Goo could come in handy la -

wait.

PROTON

I agree. You also seem to be able

to handle yourself in a fight.

VENTRALIS

Well, that was luck mainly. I’ll

have to learn how to fire a gun.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 25.

PROTON

You’ll have time. I could even

teach you, if you like.

VENTRALIS

I’d like that.

PROTON

Do you think you’ll be able to

handle hunting down your mentor?

VENTRALIS

... I don’t know. I guess we’ll

find out.

A pause.

VENTRALIS

Captain?

PROTON

Yes, Doctor?

VENTRALIS

Thank you. For everything.

Proton smiles.

EXT. FOREST - NIGHT

Mustang and his group are walking through the forest. Two

of them are carrying the mapmaker, as well as pieces of

the beacon. They come out into a clearing, where Mustang’s

shuttle is parked.

MUSTANG

Let’s get ready. We have work to

do...

END