previous Scene S 1 A
*INT. MAIN COMPUTER
Return to same displays as first shot. Red strobe is shut off with click. Scraping sound shifts view to panel with lots of amber text, but red text spots blinking through many lines.
A black skeletal hand drifts to hover at a lit panel display. A finger silhouette flips a toggle over on an archaic console. Amber readings on screen are climbing higher. Off-camera there is a tired raspy buzz.
Zzzintruders.
A long run of amber symbols fill the display and the black skeletal hand becomes faster and more urgent as it requests more data.
*INT. CRYOSTASIS CHAMBER
A whine heralds sudden vapor explosions and lids pop up from the black lozenges. Not every lid opens completely. We see some red lights where lids remain closed. Vapor continues to jet until lights are soft confusion.
CLOSE TO
A trembling wrinkled hand rises from the white vapors, appearing blue in the light. Moisture runs from the fingers and thin fabric clings wetly to the forearm.
PULL BACK ON HAND
Camera moves up arm as Old Man sits up from fog. Gently, he touches face and then eyes with same hand. Eyes wide, perhaps they flicker, twitching with blindness from hibernation sickness. Milky water runs down silken soaked tunic blouse, transparent plastered to spare chest.
The Old Man is weathered but pale. His face shows no fear, but surprise and a layer of many trials. He might be a drowned corpse except for the strong amber eyes that almost throw their own light at camera.
CUT TO FIRST EMERGE KURO SHOT INTRO
A male, weathered face, paler than it should be, handsome, but for
a scar that starts above his left eye and travels down his left cheek.
Light brown hair with blond streaks frames the solemn face, a slight frown upon his lips. His eyes open, and the blackness of them becomes visible.
They gaze out unseeing as his nose moves as it sniffs the air. The face crinkles in a grimace.
CUT TO SECOND EMERGE PER INTRO
Light glints off metal as something moves in the mist, then a man's
face becomes visible, strands of wet white hair clinging to a pale
face, and small lights begin to blink from inside metal and crystal
plates set in his left temple and right cheek.. Pure white eyes stare
out from an emotionless face.
CUT TO THIRD EMERGE KALIN INTRO
Red eyes glow, dark hair on blue emerge from the milky mist, a handsome woman's angled features concentrate, trying to make logic out of nothing, light out of blindness. There is a flicker of fear replaced immediately by determination. In a smooth motion, she defines her space with a quick survey of her hands, and levers herself out, feeling for the floor with bare feet, and for her hip with one hand, quickly disappointed to find it bare but for the wet fabric clinging there. She stills, back against the pod, trying to clear her eyes as she listens for the next sound...
CUT TO FOURTH EMERGE GARETH INTRO
Human, brown eyes become clear as the mist blows away suddenly in a puff of air. Brown, short hair, alertness on his features. He
remains in place there for a pregnant moment. His motion out of the chamber is slower, more deliberate than the woman just seen. With infinite carefulness, his feet touch the floor, his arms and hands behind him, bracing against the chamber as if it were a talisman of some sort, a rock to hold onto as he tries to make sense of his surroundings with careful motions of his head.
CUT TO FIFTH EMERGE AFAREEN INTRO
A female slowly and warily opens her eyes in a pod that has just
barely opened. Those eyes, squinting back and forth inside the small space, reflect the various colors of the interior like mirrors. A
mark on her forehead has the same effect. The scar under her right
eye is smooth and curved, as if placed there deliberately, and it is
here her hand shoots to while she grimaces in phantom pain. Her skin looks a sickly color in the light.
CUT TO NEXT EMERGE ZHA INTRO
The mist skirls momentarily blurring the next face. As it clears again the shape of a wookiee's head appears showing the skeletal structure so rarely seen under wet, bedraggled hair. Eyes slowly open, blink and squint. He grunts. Whether plaintively or other is unknown.
CUT TO NEXT EMERGE SLEVAN INTRO
Brown eyes open, stare out blindly for a moment, and then close again. Calmly trying to give the impression he sleeps still, the dark,
mustached man reaches out with the Force, searching for exits to the room. [Perhaps a series of quick cuts, the camera groping towards an exit and then finding it?]
Then a look of wonder, almost joy, crosses his face, his eyes open
again, and he lurches to his feet and steps forward in a sudden
motion, the long sleep leaving him much less graceful than he expects.
Sodden robes cling to his wet, still groggy body, but he ignores it,
looking surprised and delighted as a young child opening an unexpected present.
CUT TO NEXT EMERGE PROKOR INTRO
The skin is pale and drawn tight over the skull. At first glance the figure's eyes are two black sunken pits. Then a close-up shows it to be a sodden blindfold clinging to the gaunt face. His face is calm and he smiles softly as he enjoys breathing once more.
CUT TO NEXT EMERGE SETAR PI
The striped horns rise from the slight steam that results from the
figure's first breath. Matching montrails flicker over the sides of
the case, like they're taking stock of the surroundings before the
Togrutan ever opens his eyes. His hands instinctively reach to his
side, looking for something he knows should be there but isn't.
LAST FACE CLOSEUP SHOT
Mari face beaded with wet cryofluids does not move or sit up.
Breathing not shown. [any Player adds here]
CONFUSION MONTAGE OF ALL FACES AGAIN – TENSE!
Light in blue and green. Faces, some are alien, rapid cuts. Close up
eyes blinking, many colors, genders, species. Hands trembling and
clutching at bodies. Hibernation sickness precludes any hope of memory added to immediate reactions. Perhaps we hear various rapid breathing.
END MONTAGE - SEGUE TO FULL SHOT OF DARK CHAMBER
There are still vapors, but also the air is thin. We hear coughs.
Someone unknown speaks voiceover.
OLD MAN (voice hesitates and thready)
What titan revels filled the night that morning is a desert of
recollection?
CUT TO
KURO with the weathered face as he suddenly sits up, the camera pulls back and a hand is suddenly visible, as it reaches for something at his side. It gropes there for a moment and then the face tenses with concentration as he reaches out with the Force to sense and see his surroundings.
Shaking, but striving to control himself, PER with the white eyes
and metal implants pulls himself upright, staring about.
KALIN
The blue-skinned alien checks by feel the contours of the pod from which she emerged and the pod's interior. She does this all with confidence in the placement of her body and hands, but doesn't leave the area of the pod.
At any sound she pauses and listens carefully, trying to place or identify it.
GARETH, brown haired human man finally lets go of the chamber behind him, and takes an unsure, slow, almost tottering step forward and away from it. A single, strangled word comes from his throat, as if the word had been lodged in his throat for ten millenia, waiting to be uttered.
"Alive."
AFAREEN, the mirror-eyes narrow in determination, and the notably tall female shoves her pod far enough open to roll out of it. She carefully braces her back against it, and breaths, unconsciously taking a defensive stance. She looks around, rubs her eyes with one hand, and tries again. She swears quietly under her breath in frustration, some foreign tongue.
CUT TO DELIA INTRO
A young woman, skin dusky, sits up in cryostasis chamber. Her eyes are blank black orbs. She shakes with the effects of hibernation sickness her hand pushing the chamber door open. Sweat pours down her body, but her eyes do not tear. She turns her head sweeping the chamber trying to make sense of what is going on, her senses tuned to the Force. She coughs, clearing her throat, "Hello?" she calls.
CUT TO NEXT EMERGE BANOR INTRO
The vapors disperse to reveal a large, alien face. A large alien mouth opens slightly. The eyes are closed at first, but then fly open, big and round. It's hard to gauge the emotion that flashes in that instant, but they settle quickly into suspicion as they glance from side to side.
CUT TO
Thick hands push off the lid of the pod, causing a small clatter, the alien flinches at the sound but continues to push it's self into a sitting position and look around, trying all the while keep it's body steady as it wobbles a bit.
Calmly PROKOR brings brittle hands to grasp the lid of his capsule.
Long disused muscles twitch as he struggles with the lid and for the first time the worry and fear of his fellows shows on his face.
Finally the lid comes free to reveal an emaciated form. Hands run over his arms and legs to confirm the truth he already knows.
"Something has gone wrong."
KALIN
In a ragged voice, "Who is here? Are all well?"
SETAR PI [still seated, but turning to face KALIN's voice without
error] [coughing] "Well seems a relative term."
AFAREEN [runs her hands over her body, bends in half slowly, stretching. Stands back up to full height. She continues to stretch.]
KURO-MOYO flexes and tests his muscles, his hands open and close, once, twice, three times, they then grasp the sides of the capsule and help to lift and step over the left side of it. He moves as one accustomed to blindness, sure and steady. As his feet hit the floor, he grunts.
His right hand lightly feels along the side of the capsule, using to guide his slow, deliberate movements. He instinctively moves in the direction of KALIN's voice.
KURO-MOYO
I am here.
Again a look of concentration creases his face as he pauses.
KURO-MOYO
I would be interested in knowing where here is.
(pause)
Can anyone see where we are? A dozen lives I see here, several are weakened, and one awakens not.
KURO-MOYO reaches out his right hand as if feeling for the heat of a flame.
KURO-MOYO (whispering to himself)
I know you are here, but where. Why are you both not by my side?
AFAREEN [clears throat] "No answers, but in one piece."
AFAREEN [mutters] "I could use a bath"
OLD MAN
He shifts to slide out of the pod. His arms tremble.
"If this is a hospital, there should be attendants."
(tumbles to floor, his legs do not hold him up)
---sighs, frowns, touches chest and eyes. He waits quietly.
PER SAMVEL
"It sounds as though no one can see. Is this correct? Have we all
just awakened?"
KALIN
Tilts her head at Afareen's voice, frowning in concentration, but gives up the puzzle when she hears the OLD MAN's words and his fall. She leaves her pod and moves towards him, low and quick, left hand half raised for obstacles. As she moves, she speaks, perhaps so the OLD MAN will not be startled by her approach
KALIN
Someone here said he... sensed our number, and one is not awakening properly. Can that person, or anyone here, perceive better to tend to that?
[to the OLD MAN]
Here, are you hurt? [Holds out her other hand towards him]
KURO-MOYO
I cannot see.
[frowns]
For some reason, I'm not overly concerned by that fact.
As KURO-MOYO's hand moves along the pod, he stops and runs his hand along a minute crack, his hand traces it down to a flush latch, he pulls it open and the sound of a vacuum seal being broken can be heard.
KURO-MOYO
I will make my way to the unconscious one momentarily. How is the fallen one?
DELIA
[A moment and listening to the conversations, she straightens, proud and tall, just minute trembling in her limbs. She feels around the pod carefully but does not find the personal supply storage space. Instead, she goes towards the pod, where the unawakened Mari lies.]
"It is dim in here, but I sense you all."
SETAR [exiting the tube on shaky legs and using it for support]
"My eyes see nothing, but..."
CUT TO Fingers examining the tube as the horned alien tilts his head as if hearing something within the tube.
SETAR
"There is a hollow within the tube, as there is a hallow within us all
it seems." [smiles in the dark] "Since it would be of advantage to
all, perhaps we might divide the tasks before us?"
"Would someone care to number them?"
PER SAMVEL
"Find out who was experimenting on us, and why. From my own
condition, and what I've heard from the rest of you, we are all
suffering from hibernation sickness. Someone put us in these tubes. They are likely to be coming back for us."
SLEVAN REZAK (croaky, but almost amused)
"You think someone was experimenting on us? Because other than my lack of memory and what I take to be hibernation sickness, I feel well -- indeed, as if a great weight had been lifted from my shoulders."
CUT TO GARETH
Gareth's eyes sightlessly looking left and right with the rotation of
his head. He then slowly lowers himself to a crouching position. His
right hand braces himself against the floor.
"We need to determine the layout of the room first and the entirety of its contents, including any and all exits. By other methods, if none of us can see. I...cannot see."
GARETH turns his head in the general direction of Per Samvel and pitches his voice.
"I hope this hibernation sickness is a passing condition."
CUT TO GARETH and DELIA [As Delia walks past Gareth on her way to the unconcious one, she pauses and listens carefully to his words, and then crouches down beside him.] "Can I help you? I sense exits at the front and the back of this room, both are closed." [She reaches out a hand as if to touch his cheek and then stops, and places her hand gently on his shoulder.]
CUT TO AFAREEN [Tersely] "I can't see either, and it better be passing."
AFAREEN starts quietly thumping around her pod.
SETAR turns his head toward her voice and is totally surprised by...
OLD MAN [takes a rattle breath to reply to KALIN]
ZHA Steps from the capsule, tests his balance and says (if anyone can understand Wookiee), "I have no sight either." He then begin reaches to his abdomen as if looking for something and continues, "We should also determine whether there might be alarms or security systems in this place. Does anyone know if this blindness is temporary?"
PER SAMVEL Backs away from the sudden roar. "What sort of creature is in here with us? I have no weapon."
OLD MAN [ZHA's long growl startles. OLD MAN snaps backward from the sound, arms start to cross each other to defend; head smacks the pod he's seated against. Wham!! Groans, eyes tear.] "Hurt? [chuckles, peers at KALIN but obvious he cannot see] No, apparently useless."
SETAR [Shakes head as all three montrails still themselves. Grip tightens on the edge of his tube as he kneels beside it for cover, fingers still calmly trying to figure out how to open the storage.]
PROKOR [calmly] "Naught but a Wookiee. Just one more level of strangeness to this day."
SETAR [urgency in his voice] "The hollow in the tubes would not be large enough for blades, but perhaps personal firearms. Of course, why such a thing seems obvious to me, I cannot speak to."
CUT TO BANOR The alien turns it's head toward the raspy voice of the old man when he first speaks, but the alien it's self remains silent, taking in as much information as possible. With each new voice a potential threat is revealed but the alien remains calm and silent until the roar of the Wookie rings through the chamber. It can only be finely honed reflex that allowed the alien to hop from the pod and put it between the Wookie and it's self. While crouched down beside the pod, the alien begins to search for the compartment the other voices have spoken of.
CUT TO GARETH and DELIA
Gareth turns his head, sightlessly, toward the person who walks by. "Thank you." he says, experimentally nodding his head. "I will work my way outward in a spiral"
Gareth slowly starts to move forward, a hand reaching out to touch the tube now and again as he begins to move around it in a widening path. After a few moments of this progress, he suddenly stops and swivels his head around.
"Wait! Your...your voice. I...know it." With a strong and more declarative statement he then says. "I've heard it before."
REACTION DELIA His back to her as he moves around the pod. She walks forward hesitantly "I don't remember," she says, frustration in her voice. This time she does touch him, a hand lightly on his shoulder. "You seem familiar somehow."
CUT BACK TO
KALIN [to the OLD MAN] "Here." She places his hand against the side of his pod, lets her hand linger over his a second. "Just keep your position a moment. I'm going to see if there is anything useful in the container of my pod." She backs up the way she came, and begins searching her pod more carefully this second time.
WIDE SHOT OF CAST MOVING SLOWLY ABOUT AND SEARCHING
SIDE PAN TO PROKOR
CLOSE UP ON FACE
Prokor has his head cocked to one side, brow furrowed in concentration. "One more than voices. One not moving." He murmurs softly.
HEAD RISES OUT OF SHOT AS PROKOR RISES
CUT TO WIDE SHOT
PROKOR MOVES SLOWLY IN THE FOREGROUND WITH CAST OUT OF FOCUS BEHIND
SLOW PAN FOLLOWING PROKOR TO OPENED POD.
Prokor stops just before bumping into it and runs his hands over the front of the pod. Hands stop over the control panel.
CLOSE UP ON HANDS RUNNING OVER CONTROLS.
Prokor's voice over: "Let's see now. Temperature monitoring here. Cryofeedback there. So you, devious device, must be main life support control." Fingers click the controls deftly and the pod hisses to life.
PAN UP TO PROKOR'S SATISFIED FACE.
"Come now, golem. Tempus fugit." Prokor grins wider. "I want to know what I've awakened."
PER SAMVEL
His head turns at the sound of the hissing cryostasis tube. He walks towards it, hands held out to ward off potential hazards.
"Hibernation sickness symptoms will last for several hours. In rare cases for days. In extreme cases recovery may never occur. Insanity has been recorded in a small number of cases."
He reaches the case and halts.
"How do I know this?"
SLEVAN REZAK He turns back to his pod, reaches down, and starts feeling for the compartment there.
SLEVAN REZAK (in the direction of PER's voice) "Is memory loss a normal part of hibernation sickness?"
PER SAMVEL "No, it should not occur." He reaches a hand into the cryostasis pod and begins examining the person inside by touch. His voice takes on a lecturing cadence. "If left in hibernation for too long, especially if the system is not properly attuned, brain damage can result due to polarized crystalline alignment of nerve tissue. Such damage is irreversible, the nerves will have to be replaced or supplanted with organic or cybernetic equivalents. Memory loss is theoretically possible due to such organic damage, but damage that severe should also result in physical and mental impairment. Memory impairment due to severe psychic trauma is more likely, although the odds of everyone suffering the same effects are vanishingly small."
BEGIN SOUNDS OF PERSONAL BIN HATCHES COMING UNDONE
MUSIC SOFT CHIME METRONOME BACKGROUND KEEPING SLOW CLOCK
PACING PUTS VISUAL EMPHASIS ON SMOOTH AND COMPETENT HAND ACTIONS OF P Cs
(IN MONTAGE INTERCUT SHOTS NEARLY ALL SHOW PHYSICAL MEMORY, HAND COORDINATION)
BANOR HAS BIN PANEL SWING DOWN INTO LARGE FACILE HANDS HE IMMEDIATELY DRAWS A LARGE BLASTER FROM WITHIN REACTION: PLEASED
THEN A VERY FAST GRIP/TWIST/ SNAP OF THE ARMING MECHANISM REGISTERS: NO POWER BLINK/WHINE BUT PLACES IT IN THE HOLSTER ANYWAY REACTION: PUZZLED
NEXT ITEM WITHDRAWN IS A BULK OF CLOTH. UNROLLS TO REVEAL BANDOLIER STYLE BELT WITH MANY COMPARTMENTS. SOME APPEAR TO BE EMPTY, SOME CLOSED AND STILL SOME HAVE WHAT APPEAR TO BE THE HILT OF A KNIFE PROTRUDING. REACTION: PLEASED
LAST ITEM IS A BUNDLE OF CLOTHES. THE ALIEN DONS A PAIR OF DARK RUSSET TROUSERS AND A THIN SLEEVELESS SHIRT. THEN PULLS A PAIR OF DARK BOOTS ON THEN THE GUN BELT FOLLOWS WITH BANDOLIER AND FINALLY A ROUGH SPUN CLOAK/WRAP OF VARYING EARTH TONES. THE DASHADE STANDS AND LISTENS TO THE SHUFFLING OF THE OTHERS, DETERMINING THEIR POSITION.
INTERCUT
SETAR PULLS ODD INSTRUMENTS FROM BIN, ADDS SOME TOOLS, NEATLY BUNDLED ROBE, AND A LOCKED CASE FROM WHICH HE PRODUCES SOME PISTOL MORE ANTIQUE-LOOKING THAN EVEN THE ANCIENT BLASTERS THE OTHERS HAVE UNCOVERED. NO ATTEMPT TO POWER IT, HE BREAKS THE BREECH AND HIS FINGERS TOUCH LIGHTLY AT THE LARGE ORNATE SHELLS IN THE CASE, HESITATING AND THEN CHOOSING TO NOT LOAD ONE. REACTION: VERY CALM
INTERCUT
PROKOR STUDIES POD PANEL FURTHER.
EVEN AS HIS MANIPULATIONS BECOME MORE CONFIDENT, WE SEE PANEL FUNCTIONS FAIL AS HE ACCESSES THEM.
MORE OBVIOUS THAT EQUIPMENT IS FATIGUED TO FAILURE POINT.
SUDDENLY, PANEL JUST QUITS -- DARK.
(PER cannot see this, comment if any here?)
INTERCUT
PER SAMVEL "What?" His expression does not change, but one of the small lights on the upper metal faceplate begins to blink rapidly. "Did we just lose power to the system? Life support is off."
PER NOW EXPENDS MORE EFFORT ON MARI, WHO IS VERY STILL
HIS HANDS SEARCH FOR MORE INFORMATION AT HER THROAT, CHEST, ABDOMEN
REACTION: EXTREME CALM "She had not recovered from hibernation. There is no pulse, no heartbeat."
WE UNDERSTAND SUDDENLY MARI ISN'T RESPONDING WELL BECAUSE PER THROWS LEG OVER SIDE OF POD
ON ONE KNEE ABOVE MARI, THRUST REPEAT ON HER CHEST UNTIL HE GETS A BREATHING REACT
HE GETS IT
MARI COUGHS, GROANS, SHE LIVES
INTERCUT
SLEVAN PULLS CLOTHES, THEN SMALL ITEMS LIKE JEWELRY FROM PERSONAL BIN
THERE ARE A LOT OF LITTLE ITEMS, SOME LIKE TOYS, HIS HANDS VERY NIMBLE
REACTION: YET SMILING, HAPPY
SLEVAN quietly (waiting until there is other noise, if possible) slips the small items into the pockets of his clean clothes. He changes quickly into these new, dry clothes, then pulls out a lightsaber from the compartment and noisily clips it to his belt without trying it.
SLEVAN (whistling in binary R2 STYLE) "Computer, status report?"
INTERCUT
KALIN POPS THE BIN OPEN, A SHIRT DRAWN FROM WITHIN RUNS UP ONE ARM
OVER HER CROPPED HAIR, DOWN THE OTHER ARM
AND SNAKES ACROSS HER TORSO
IT IS ALL ONE MOTION THAT DRIES HER AND TELLS US SHE ISN'T THINKING ABOUT HOW BEAUTIFUL AND GRACEFUL THE ACT IS
SHE DRESSES FAST! LIKE A FIREMAN OR FIGHTER PILOT - FAST CUTS
A GUN BELT SLAPS AROUND HER WAIST, YANKED TIGHT
HEAVY OLD PISTOLS SLIDE THROUGH HER HANDS
STRAIGHT TO HOLSTERS
REACHES AGAIN, MUCH SMALLER HOLSTER SLID UP ARM AND WRAPPED AROUND SHOULDER
FINALLY SHE TAKES A MOMENT TO INSPECT A SLEAK MODEST CHSS BLASTER
THEN A VERY FAST GRIP/TWIST/ SNAP OF THE ARMING MECHANISM REGISTERS: NO POWER BLINK/WHINE
REACTION: GLUM, STARTLED AS IF THIS WORSE THAN WAKING WITH AMNESIA
KALIN REACHES IN BIN, PULLS OUT AMMO
BEGINS TO LOAD THE HEAVY PISTOLS, HERE SENSE OF RITUAL, AS A REPEAT MOTION OF TOUCHING/SMELLING EVERY CARTRIDGE
PERHAPS BECAUSE SHE IS BLIND
INTERCUT
GARETH ENERGETICALLY PULLS OUT TOOLS AND CASES, BELATEDLY DRAGS OUT CLOTHES
CLOSEUP ON THE CASE HE OPENS ONE.
GARETH'S FINGERS RUN LOVINGLY OVER ONE OF THE TOOLS IN CLEAR RECOGNITION AND FAMILIARITY REACTION SHOT TO GARETH'S FACE. A BRIEF SMILE LIGHTS UP HIS FEATURES
SHOT RETURNS AND PULLS BACK TO SHOW GARETH PULLING OUT HIS CLOTHES, PILED AROUND WITH FAR LESS CARE THAN THE NEATLY STACKED CASES OF TOOLS.
THE LAST ITEM HE REMOVES IS HIS LIGHTSABER. A FURROWED, CONFUSED LOOK IS SEEN ON GARETH'S FACE AS HE HEFTS IT IN HIS HAND.
INTERCUT
OLD MAN STRETCHES OUT ARMS AND HANDS, STAYS PUT AS KALIN ASKED
HE NOTICES SHAKES TO ALL MUSCLES, HE SIGHS, BEGINS STRETCHES AGAIN
REACTION: FRUSTRATED
INTERCUT
DELIA MOVES QUICKLY TO HER POD, BASED ON WHAT OTHERS ARE DOING MAKES REPEAT ATTEMPTS PERSONAL BIN
REACTION: VERY FRUSTRATED
IT FINALLY OPENS
FIRST ITEM FALLS INTO HER PALM -- TIGHT SHOT -- HEAVY SILVER RING, LIKE A LARGE MAN'S RING
WE GET VERY QUICK LOOK, FOUR STARS SLASHED OVER PLANET, EACH DIFFERENT COLOR
PULL BACK -- HER OTHER HAND COMES INTO SHOT
WITH DELICATE SILVER/CRYSTAL COMPUTER PIECE ON WOVEN GLITTER STRAND
HANDS PAUSE, BUT START TO PULL SLACKS, TUNIC, BELT, CLOAK, LIGHTSABER
WE STAY ON HANDS AS SHE DRESSES QUICKLY
INTERCUT
ZHA HAS HIS BIN OPEN AS WE CUT TO
INTO HIS HUGE FURRED HANDS A LOT OF GEAR AND SMALL DEVICES MOVE
SOME HE SHAKES NEAR HIS EAR, PERHAPS A PUZZLED GRUNT
FINALLY A GEAR HARNESS IS PULLED OUT
HE THROWS THIS OVER HIS SHOULDER, STARTS TO CLIP DEVICES RANDOMLY TO HARNESS
HIS ACTION TELLS US HE ISN'T WORKING FROM MEMORY CONTRAST WITH OTHERS
ZHA SCRUNCHES HIS FACE TO CAMERA AS HE GATHERS AND HOLDS UP SMALL TUNIC SIZED TO DELIA
NEXT PULL FROM BIN IS EVEN SMALLER PANTS AND BOOTS, IMPOSSIBLE TO FIT WOOKIEE
ZHA GRUNTS LIKE SMALL SQUEEZE TOY
INTERCUT
AFAREEN CUT TO HANDS, SCARS RUN UP BOTH PINKY FINGERS, NO RINGS. AS THE POD REVEALS ITS COMPARTMENT, THE HANDS BALL INTO FISTS. SHE PULLS OUT CLOTHES QUICKLY, TOSSING THEM RESTLESSLY TO THE FLOOR BETWEEN HER LEGS. SHE FEELS IMPATIENTLY FOR SOMETHING ELSE, BUT DOESN'T FIND IT. (I don't envision her staves fitting neatly enough in the pod.)
AFAREEN "Something is missing. Or elsewhere." [LEAVES CLOTHES STREWN ON THE FLOOR AND HEADS BLINDLY TOWARD THE BULKHEAD TO START SEARCHING THE WALLS BY HAND.]
INTERCUT
MARI's eyes flutter, then open wide. She stares blankly around her, inhales again, and coughs. Then moans and clutches her head, repeating too faintly to be heard by anyone but PER, "Get out, get out, get out!"
INTERCUT
KURO-MOYO pulls out a wrapped bundle from the locker under the pod, hands smooth and steady in their movements, the bundle is quickly opened to reveal a black belt, thicker than most with a long thin cable on either side held to the belt by clips, a pair of eighteen inch long cylinders rest in holsters on the belt with hip power-packs. Pulls out a light but tough shirt and pair of pants from beside the folded belt set-up, dresses swiftly and then quickly places the belt around his waist. Picks up the outer bundle wrap and flicks his wrists, the wrap stretches out into black cloak and hood, which swirls over his shoulders, clasping it shut. Hands smoothly lock the cables into the holstered cylinders and he draws them both forth and depresses the switches. Nothing happens. KURO-MOYO frowns deeply, crouches and searches through the locker once again. Now comes out with hide boots, smoothly slides on and touches the sheathed knives within each. His frown slightly relaxes.
KURO-MOYO "The power seems to be drained from everything."
SETAR [Now dressed in a robe, the antique pistol in a holster at his side, a few of the inscribed rounds visible in loops on the belt, the intruments sealed in the case, which is now strapped to his back. His hand seems to wonder at a empty loop on his left hip.]
"So, our agenda seems to be dictated by four items that I offer in no particular order.
Who are we, why are we here, where is here, and how do we leave here?
Perhaps we might be able to each contribute to this. Some seem to have some knowledge of the systems that have released us, like a traddok awakening from its seasonal dormancy. Others might focus on the exits, and so on."
[A wry smile curls his lip, showing a carnivore's teeth]
"Now that many of us are armed, I think misunderstandings would be... unfortunate. I would offer my name if I but knew it."
[Fingers trail over a mark on the grip of his pistol, one that the audience sees matches the sigil above SETAR's eyes] "Pi. It is not right, but it will do for now. I do not offer answers for the who or why, but I will attempt to determine the where."
AFAREEN FINDS SWORDS, STAVES AND HEAVY WEAPONS ON WALL RACKS
FROM ABOVE, A SQUEAL OF BINARY (R2 STYLE) RESPONDS TO SLEVAN
WALL/CEILING AUDIO [IN BINARY] "Status re--------" SHARP CUTOFF SQUEAL SPARKS SHOWER FROM PANEL WITH A POP, TWO CEILING AUDIO PANELS BURST INTO FLAMES
SEVERAL OTHER SMALL PANELS REACT NOW, BLINKING, ONE QUITS IMMEDIATELY FIRE SUPPRESSION SONICS START HEAVY PULSES OF NOISE FILL ROOM MORE SPARKS, SEVERAL POINTS, AS THE FIRE SUPPRESSION SYSTEM FAILS NOW SONIC PULSE QUITS MORE PANELS SPARK, GO DARK, SMALL FLAMES SMOKE DRIFTS CEILING LIMITED BURN, HAZE, EATING AIR
[COUGHS FROM OLD MAN, MARI, P Cs with 2 BODY or less.]
THE FIRE SPREADS, ONE BLINKING DISPLAY ON A POD SHOWS THE ROOM'S LIFE SUPPORT CONDITION FLICKERING, A STACK OF TELLTALES DROP FROM GREEN INTO AMBER BEFORE BEING OBSCURED BY SMOKE
SETAR [Pulling off his case and flipping open the locks on it to get at his tools] "If that was caused by verbal commands the taskchips down to the room monitors have retained enough alignment to complete the circuit but the focus is amplifying the power instead of coupling it to the inert state, initiating a superheated feedback loop."
CUT TO GARETH [coughs, reaches for tools once more, stands and faces SETAR, cups his free hand to his mouth.] "We need to stop blundering about with the equipment. It's clear that it all has suffered severe deterioration. There must be manual controls, however, that we can use to get the air." [coughs harder] "However, I think finding an exit and getting it open is paramount. We'll suffocate otherwise."
SETAR "Or at least realign the focal lengths of the subsystems that we wish to utilize before we try to activate anything new." [Turns toward where the doors are---some sort of arcane looking tools from the case in hand.] "I can't see, but I've some idea of the surroundings when the Wookie's not screaming. There's nothing blocking a walkway along the floor behind you and to your right. The wall also doesn't seem to have capsules or any large consoles attached. Perhaps you can work one side and I can another."
HAZE INCREASES
OLD MAN [STILL NOT DRESSED, SLIDES TO FLOOR, LESS HAZE] "Whatever is to be done, work quickly. The rest of us should use less air."
DELIA As sparks fly from the ceiling, DELIA ducks, but is smacked by a loose hose falling down from the ceiling. It causes her to stumble but she stands once again. "Several of you seem to have some memories of how to make things work, I do not, but can lead you to the two doors. If we have enough people, we should split into two groups. Several of you seem to be warriors with armaments either on your person or on the wall behind you. You could also split up with the two teams working on the doors. We do not know what lays behind and we may need protection. There are two hear that are hurt, and others that may not be able to contribute. Those of you, who are at a loss, may wish to conserve your strength and energy by not moving much." (Breaks into coughing as the smoke continues to fill the air.)
KALIN "I am armed and can cover those that must remain here." She uses the shirt that had been her make-shift towel to soak up more water from her pod and tears the shirt into several strips (strike this if the water smells chemically contaminated). One she ties across her own nose and mouth, and the other she takes with her as she moves back to the OLD MAN. Kneels by him. "Cover your nose and mouth with this, and stay close to the floor."
She unholsters the ancient pistols, one in each hand, and stands with her eyes closed, waiting. (If the smoke gets too thick she will lower her stance into a crouch.)
PER SAMVEL Grabs MARI's shoulders and attempts to pull her out of the pod.
"We must go! Can you walk on your own?"
MARI coughs once more and half-climbs, half-falls out of the pod, clutching a small bag to her chest. "I think so. What's happening? Where are we?" One hand scrabbles over the pod as she speaks, looking for something half-remembered. A click, a hiss, and the hatch at the end opens. She begins hastily scooping items out of it, strapping whatever weapons she finds on, carrying the rest.
PROKOR drops his to knees coughing and gagging. He holds a scrap of cloth over his mouth and feebly starts crawling towards an exit.
PAN UP TO THE DOOR. At this angle through the smoke, it looks to be very far away.
A BRIEF SHOT OF THE WOOKIEE WITH HEAD COCKED TO SIDE IN CURIOSITY.
ZHA moves to where he last heard Prokor's voice. On his way he says, "I don't know why, but I know I know you. We must leave this place. Do you wish assistance to move?" (this growl sounds softer and caring)
Overcome by coughing, PROKOR nods yes. His faces twists with a smirk as he realizes what a useless gesture that is. "Yes." (rasps) "Hurry."
KURO-MOYO feels for a moment within his cloak and pulls out a pair of modified sunglasses, puts them on and hits a switch on the side. KURO-MOYO frowns, almost snarls. His scar turning red. He pulls a scarf from the same area within the cloak and wraps it around his nose and mouth. He then begins to feel along the pod, moving towards the coughing PROKOR.
DELIA, as Kuro-moyo walks by her, cringes but does not know why.
REACTION: puzzlement
GARETH (Hefts the tools in his hand, head turning to DELIA) He coughs once. His tone is urgent, almost pleading in nature. His other hand is held palm outward toward DELIA.
"Lead me to the nearest door." (coughs again) "Quickly."
PER SAMVEL Now that MARI is out of the cryostasis pod he seems to lose interest in her, and turns and begins to make his way back to his own pod. His eyes are watering, and he is occasionally racked by coughs as he moves slowly and cautiously.
SETAR [Hands running over a seam that must be an access panel. Carefully not touching the controls, he begins removing it from the wall] [To no one in particular] "I'll admit, I've never realigned taskchips blindly before." [A smile crosses his face and a little nod.] "Should be challenging."
[To the group as a whole] "A little less distraction might be helpful so we don't start another conflagration. Less smoke and heat for instance. I'd think the cryofluids might work as an opportunistic fire suppression system if directed properly."
DELIA Close up shot on DELIA's hand gently taking Gareth's. The two walk forward, DELIA is crouched as they move and indicates that Gareth should do the same. The two figures make their way through the hazy smoke. She steers him to the panel that Setar is not working on at the other end of the room. She takes his hand and shows him the outline of the door, where the operating panel is, and then steps back so he he can work.
AFAREEN [Clearly following DELIA's earlier instruction, she starts searching the weapons on the wall by touch. She squeezes her coughs so that they rip up her throat but don't force her to take deeper breaths. Her hands close over her staves, and she gasps triumphantly. She tries, unsuccessfully, to keep down her cough again. She sounds wretched, and has to drop them to pull the material of her top up over her mouth, exposing her [PG-13 HOT] abdomen. She leans on the wall as she tries to stop coughing, left handing luckily finding the hilt of a sword.]
[She picks up the staves, and holds them and this sword under her right arm while she keeps her shirt up with her left. She heads toward the sound of SETAR'S voice.]
"Are you fixing it?" [Shortly, but with a teasing rasp.] "You need to fix it, or I won't let you have this sword I found."
[ceiling continues to burn fitfully]
OLDMAN
[takes wet rags from KALIN and ties to lower face, coughs, nervous]
"It's good, yes. I've never felt so helpless."
[at DOOR ONE, GARETH and SETAR have controls open, both work by touch
they discover the taskchips are responding to realignment, but half of them must be discarded,
quick shots of more panels coming off so they can steal chips for the door controls]
[sparks from SETAR's side of frame--------DOOR slides back revealing second BLAST DOOR, MUSIC shocks a moment]
[HAZE BEGINS ROBBING BODY 1 PCS OF ENERGY NOW]
ZHA begins to cough as well. Through the coughs he says to Prokor. "I will take your burden as my own for now." Glancing at Kuro, "Protect us, if you will, while I carry our acquaintance."
[Zha gently lifts Prokor from the floor and awkwardly carries him toward the sound of the just opened door staying as low as possible.]
KURO-MOYO drops crouches for a moment and draws both knives from his boots. He stands and knives held by his side begins to walk, his feet testing the ground before him. KURO_MOYO slowly and deliberately stalks in between the pods towards and then past ZHA and PROKOR, heading towards the sound of the opening door.
BANOR ducks reflexively as sparks shower down from the failing systems overhead. As the smoke begins to fill the chamber, the cloak is moved to cover the large mouth. Head turns from left to right as the Dashade attempts to gauge the actions of the others. With the hiss of the blast door opening, the large head snaps to face that direction and the body tenses in anticipation of action.
SLEVAN crouches near the ground, tries to grab a breath of the cooler air filtered through his cloak.
SLEVAN (blurted quickly but clearly) "Anyone need help?"
"I am checking," MARI responds. Her belongings gathered, MARI is moving from pod to pod, feeling with her hands (when possible) and the force to see if anyone remains, and if they live.
GARETH SNAPS HIS HEAD TO LOOK AT THE BLAST DOOR AS IT OPENS
CAMERA FALLS PAST GARETH'S CLOSEUP
SHOT KEEPS FALLING AWAY FROM ALL PCS
DELIA STANDING BEHIND GARETH AND SETAR
KURO-MOYO AND AFAREEN STANDING TALL
ZHA CROUCHED WITH PROKOR UNDER ARM
BANOR WITH CLOAK OVER FACE
[OTHERS OUT OF FRAME BEHIND PODS AND GEAR]
CAMERA CONTINUES TO FALL AWAY THROUGH BLACK TUNNEL WE ONLY GET THE SCALE OF HOW LONG THIS TUNNEL MUST BE UNTIL ROUND SPOT OF LIGHT GOES OUT FROM PERSPECTIVE DISTANCE
FASTCUT CAMERA BACK TO HAZY FIRE LIT ROOM
LOOKING OVER SHOULDER TO LONG TUNNEL
PROKOR AND DELIA CAN APPRECIATE THE ENDLESS BLACK TUNNEL
SETAR'S ECHOLOCATION ONLY 'SEES' A 100M
A FRESH BREEZE FROM TUNNEL BLOWS THE HAIR AND ROBES OF THE STANDING PCS
OLD MAN
[reaches for KALIN but surprised by something when he touches her]
"Air. Where are we?"
KALIN [puts a hand briefly to him.] "By the open door, the... corridor: is it safe to evacuate to that area?" [She prepares to move the OLD MAN depending on what she hears back.]
PER SAMVEL Brief shot of him, still coughing, kneeling by the open storage chamber of his pod. He is pulling out a black robe, wrapped around something.
SETAR [the tentacles at the bottom of the montrals twitch at the clean air] "Let's get the weak out of here."
[Turns to AFAREEN] "Keep that blade for me until I get this fire under control"
[Heads back to the tube closest to the heat and tries to identify by touch which tube carries the power and which the cryofluids]
DELIA turns a face blankly to the tunnel as the door opens. "It is a long dark tunnel, I do not sense an end, but the air is good,"
AFAREEN snorts from under her clothes. She goes back to feeling her way blindly along the wall, toward the back of the room (the end opposite where the men are working.
[AFAREEN shouts] "How many of us are conscious? Give your status, and bright ideas if you have them. We can't stay in here. I'm... One. And if I could see, I think I could get the power up."
OLD MAN [gripping KALIN's arm tighter, surprise] "I am... I can't remember anything. Two! And Three with me." [leans toward KALIN, whispers] "Your flesh is some balm to my confusion. What manner creature are you?"
KALIN [looks puzzled, troubled by the OLD MAN's words] "Ready to move?"
OLD MAN [nods, moves with KALIN]
MARI calls out, "I am conscious, but blind. I have found two open pods with dead bodies in them. There are other pods which remain closed. I am attempting to ascertain if those within yet live."
GARETH sightlessly stares down the tunnel for a long moment, and then turns around to face the room. "Five. More are with me." [A pause and then a sightless nod in the direction Afareen's voice comes from.] "I helped open the door. We should leave this room, it is too dangerous to remain. Someone still sighted should scout the corridor ahead of the rest of us."
PROKOR continued to cough and gulped in huge lungfuls of air from the corridor. "One seeks life?" [hesitates] "Where there is life, there's..." Prokor lapses into silence and his brow furrows.
CAMERA ZOOM in on Prokor's face and dives into the darkness where his eyes should be.
CAMERA PAN over the cryochamber only all is muted gray. Imagine Daredevil's 'vision' from the film. Suddenly there are flashes of red, pulsing red, beating hearts. A cluster by the door, several in the room, and NOTHING in the closed pods.
FASTCUT back to PROKOR in ZHA's arms. "We are twelve that move. I cannot tell if the three in the pods live." [Prokor lies back in Zha's grip limply.]
ZHA moves forward quickly through the door once Prokor relaxes. "Are you still awake?" He does not pause for anyone in the way, but mutters apologies (if applicable and if they can understand wookiee).
PROKOR nods his head weakly. "Cogito ergo sum."
KURO-MOYO stands in a slight crouch, motionless on the left side of the door. CUT to the Hunting Knives at the ready by his sides. CUT to his face as he sniffs, head tilting slightly towards the open corridor.
KURO-MOYO (gruffly) I am next to the open door. I'll hold position until all get through. (growling) Someone keep that walking carpet quiet, we'll be deaf and blind if he keeps shouting.
PER SAMVEL Tries to stand, sways on his feet, then bends over, wracked by coughing. He falls, then struggles to his hands and knees, one arm clutching his possessions to him. He begins to crawl towards KURO-MOYO's voice.
KALIN Holsters her guns and helps the OLD MAN get moving. She detours towards the sound of coughing and struggling from PER SAMVEL. "Take my hand." Unless rejected, she helps him half up and moves both men more quickly towards the open doorway.
SETAR [Spins his head, leaning forward as if hearing something that the others can't with the montrals atop his head.] "Keep back. I'm going to try to douse the flames but this is like not measuring the green leonine when adding it to the hssiss. If these are sealed systems, I'm also only going to have so much green, if you will."
[Tight shot of SETAR using the long cuffs of his robe to wrap his hands and then take hold of the ribbed hose and tug sharply to remove it from the cryotube. Immediately a glowing neon blue fluid begins to spew from the loose end, vapors mixing with the fog. Shot pulls back, wider to show the Togrutan aim on instinct toward the flames, coating the wall opposite and the ceiling with the fluid. The wall sections and ceiling tiles whiten, looking brittle and frozen as the flames disappear. The console directly below that had still shown some lights to the audience now seems black.]
FIRE is OUT
[pending PER moving with KALIN and OLD MAN; pending MARI satisfied at 3 dead pods]
The chamber empties as each sleeper moves into the tunnel, most with extreme care. AFAREEN is last passing GARETH who is nearest the DOOR ONE controls.
OLD MAN "My guess is that we are on a long-range ship that has suffered some calamity. We should be concerned about the systems but we are probably the only crew unless this is a colonizer. A hospital or prisoner-of-war camp would not have such weapons handy."
DELIA walks forward into the corridor, hand extended. She walks confidently but slowly careful to ensure that everyone is coming and okay. Her eyes stare blankly (she has not veiled herself), shot of veil left lying on the ground back by the pod. She will stop and sense, looking up,left and down. Then cautiously report back.
BANOR [Camera pulls back slowly from group filing out of the chamber and slowly pans to BANOR. The large head is turned, a look of concentration in the blind eyes. Soundtrack emphasizes that he listens to the movements and shuffling feet of the others.]
CUT TO DOORWAY as the others step through. CUT TO BANOR as he begins to cautiously make his way toward the door.
CUT TO GARETH as he stands vigil at the door. "Call when you pass." GARETH says as he turns his head in the direction of Banor. "I will close and disable the door behind us all. If we are on a ship as the Elder One suggests, we should discourage pursuit."
(He smacks the wrench like object, held in his right hand, against his left hand's palm.)
Cut to PER, moving with KALIN and the OLD MAN. "Hospital ship" cough "Makes sense." cough
MARI frowns as she begins to change into the clothes she found in her compartment. "Very little of this yet makes sense to me. Why are we here? Who are we? Does anyone remember?"
KALIN (Lets the OLD MAN and PER down gently against a wall in the clean corridor. She stands and takes a brief moment orienting herself.) "Don't disable the door. There is sufficient fresh air here, and when our sight returns we may find more supplies -- and more clues -- back there than here in this..." (pauses, confirming to herself before continuing) "...empty hall.
"Also, I do not think 'hospital,' otherwise we would have evidence of illnesses or injury, and there would not be pods containing long-dead others."
"I agree," says Zha. "A colony ship seems more likely than a hospital. How are you?" he adds to Prokor. (wookie questions are relatively easy growls to bear, no shouting now!)
SLEVAN settles in near PER, KALIN, and ZHA, face alight with interest in this thread of conversation.
SLEVAN (in a tone not of disagreement, but of trying to follow the logical thread to a conclusion) "Surely a colony ship would have many more of us on it?"
SETAR [still standing, had found himself gravitating toward Afareen, but the conversation had drawn him] "Unless we're the security for such a colony, I would find it odd that we would have such ready access to weaponry. And whatever my past might hold, the feel of an indoctrinated soldier, a life of following orders does not seem familiar."
PER Is sitting with his back to the wall of the corridor. He coughs once more, then speaks. His face is calm. "It would be unusual for any normal ship to have so many cryo units. While the reasoning against this being a hospital ship is sound, I feel there remains sufficient reason to believe we are something other than colonists. Nor prisoners, due to the presence of weapons. So we went into cryostasis voluntarily. There must have been a reason for that, some mission that required us to return after a long period."
KURO-MOYO (still standing vigil next to the open door, "looks up" at the presences he senses) "If we are a prison ship, a troop carrier or a colony ship. The weapons could mean we are guards or soldiers. (louder) Is everyone wearing uniforms? Do we all have the same weapons? (pause) If not we could still be mercenaries, but mercenaries would seem to eliminate a troop transport.
PROKOR mumbles in Zha'a grasp. "There are none so blind as those that will not see." His hand feebly pats Zha's arm. "I recover." He assures him.
AFAREEN comes up from the back wall, stopping to feel around her pod for the clothes she left scattered there. She stuffs them up under her arm with the weapons, and sighs. Less jittery now, she feels around one more time, looking quickly for something, but failing to find it. Makes her way to GARETH by the door, and puts a hand out, which lands blindly on his chest. "One, Out," she grins. Then the hand finds the wall and the doorway, which she goes through.
[GARETH adding up comments and footsteps has heard 12 people pass him, not all have 'numbered' themselves, this is the first accurate count of group]
[GARETH insert closing DOOR ONE or other action?]
(when the door closes, CAMERA BLACKOUT, tunnel dark eventually we see PER's implants have tiny chips of light but confusion of black now shared by CAMERA)
(depending how far DELIA walks into tunnel, she can report back it is VERY long and bare)
OLD MAN (in dark a voice) "I have no weapons. We could be security, but of the sort provided by rough scoundrels not hired by colony vessels. I agree I don't find any notion of indoctrination that fits or in this sickness any clues. We are in a bad way. Perhaps only the systems near us are damaged. There could have been a collision or explosion."
SLEVAN "Perhaps explorers? The only logical reason I can think of for using cyrostasis to travel would be if there is no hyperspace path mapped to our destination."
SETAR "Or through a region that a path couldn't be mapped."
KALIN "Could be a shelter--shelter against attack or natural disaster--either below ground planet-side, or in orbit, in which case there would be specific conditions that would trigger our simultaneous release, and there wouldn't necessarily be other personnel. Though I agree, the state of system damage makes me think that there was some accident, rather than whatever planned release was anticipated.
"On the other hand," she shrugs, her expression unconcerned, "we could guess the sands under the ocean all day. We have weapons; if we have food and water we can settle here until we recover enough to see what's what."
ARAREEN [Facing the wall to start changing into the now-wrinkled clothes she brought out] "I agree with that assessment completely. Water and food are next on the list."
CUT TO GARETH. Rack focus shot of Gareth, with the cryochamber out of focus behind him.
FOCUS on GARETH's hands as he closes the door, fingers working over the controls with smoother motions. Off camera, the door closes.
MARI "I agree. But I suspect that will have to wait until we can see again - unless there are some among us who can already, or have other means of sight. But I have another question. Can any of us remember who we are? Even our names? I cannot."
OLD MAN (appreciation of sharp practical minds in tone of voice) "Ah. No, but from what my fingers tell me, I'm an Old Man." (pause) "I think a small nap is in order. Wake me if things get worse."
next Scene S 1 C
