rescue 7Script created with Final Draft by Final Draft, Inc.
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EXT. SPACE
A spacecraft, the LONG NIGHT, is silhouetted against the
Galaxy, travelling at a high rate of speed. It is long and
irregular, some sort of transport craft.
INT. BRIDGE
Crew are preparing to enter Galaxy below. They are slowing
down. On a large graphic monitor it can be seen that they are
coming near the rim of the galaxy, which is labeled Galaxy
13. There is a red X where something should be on the
monitor.
COMMUNICATOR
Sir, sorry to report that the space
bouy for this area is out of
position again.
The captain gets an alarmed look, turns to the mate:
CAPTAIN
Shields up, scanners out.
(turns to Con)
Engines stop.
(to Communicator)
Try to locate it.
COMMUNICATOR
I've been trying, sir...it's not
responding.
CAPTAIN
See if there are any temporary
bouys left by other ships. And
check the emergency locator
frequency.
COMMUNICATOR
Aye, Sir.
He turns to his controls, just as the ship's engines wind
down.
INT. CREW QUARTERS
Two crew. Are in the compartment. JonX, a tough-looking
spacer with bristling muscles and crisp, definate motions, is
changing clothes. Londa, a young, inexperienced kid is
sitting on a bunk smoking a glowing electronic cigarette,
watching a vidicard. They both look up in alarm when the ship
powers down.
JON-X
Something's up.
He quickly buttons his pants and leaves, Londa following.
EXT. PASSAGEWAY OUTSIDE CREW QUARTERS
They get to an observation port on one side of the ship, JonX
looks out but sees nothing, he then runs across to another,
still nothing.
JONX (CONT'D)
There should never be a power-down
in space like this. Come on!
They head down a passageway.
INT. BRIDGE
The communicator is busily accessing lots of frequencies. He
finally looks up, to find the Captain and XO are looking over
his shoulder.
COMMUNICATOR
Sir, the bouy was taken out by a
meteor a week ago, and per this
weak signal from an emergency
packet bouy, Rim Command says they
are getting another one up in a
week, meanwhile to trade packets
with any commercial bouys available
in the area, of which there are
three.
CAPTAIN
Take a look at them, but for my
money, I wouldn't trust one of
those no matter what corporation
bought and paid for it.
MATE
What about the government ones? You
trust them any more?
Communicator seems to agree, but turns to the panel without a
word.
JonX and LONDA arrive on the bridge.
MATE (CONT'D)
Navigator! What is the nearest
space-station?
NAVIGATOR
(consulting a chart)
Space-Station 13, sir.
MATE
That rat-hole.
He turns to the captain with a questioning look. The captain
nods.
MATE (CONT'D)
Set a course for SS-13.
CAPTAIN
We'll layover there for a week. We
can't have any surprises especially
in this area of space.
The Navigator, Engineer, JonX all seem to be in agreement on
this. Londa pipes up to .
LONDA
What's the matter with around here?
Several of the crew including Jon-X roll their eyes, the
Captain sees this and smiles.
CAPTAIN
You never read your history, I take
it.
LONDA
(meekly)
I'm not from around here, sir...
CAPTAIN
You don't have to be...look in any
dicto-reader for the word war and
you'll see a graphic of the 13th.
LONDA
Oh, uh...I seem to recall that...it
was some millions of years ago,
wasn't it?
CAPTAIN
I guess we can't expect you
youngsters to know about it if we
don't talk about it much...fill him
in, will you, JonX?
JonX gets him off the bridge in a hurry.
INT. PASSAGEWAY
Jon-X turns to one of the expansive viewports, contemplates
the far reaches of space and the Galaxy below.
LONDA
Hey, I didn't know...I really
looked like an idiot in there...
JON-X
(brusquely)
Don't worry about it.
LONDA
I should access the local history,
see what they hell they're...
JON-X
Shut up, will you! I said don't
worry about it!
He turns again to the port, his jaws working.
LONDA
Sorry...sorry.
JON-X
It's not you, kid...it's this part
of the universe. It's a hell of a
place, I don't like it at all...but
we're here, now, and on top of
that, we have to stay here for
awhile.
Londa just looks at him like he's delicate property.
LONDA
Gee, I ain't never seen you like
this before...
JON-X
(in a fit of rage)
Shut up, will you! Get the fuck out
of here and leave me alone!
JonX turns tot he viewport in dismissal, and Londa fades down
the passageway.
EXT. ASTEROID BELT, SOL SYSTEM
Engine throbbing, the Long Night is slowly docking to a bouy
near a large asteroid.
Down on the asteroid, there is business like you'd see at any
truckstop or shipping facility, repair bays, flashing neon
signs, etc.
EXT. ASTEROID BAR STRIP -LATER
It is a typical spaceport area "downtown" with girlie bars,
hawkers, drug bars, entertainment complexes, and even a few
tourists. There are huge craft in holding patterns overhead,
like tractor-trailers parked around a truck stop. In the
distance is a screaming space-lane, lots of craft whizzing
silently by.
INT. LONG NIGHT DEBARCATION BAY
JonX and Londa are entering the launch just as an
announcement takes place on the p.a. system.
ANNOUNCER
All crew, please be advised that
ship will be here until 32.00.03
siderial and therefore liberty will
be granted to all. You are required
to be back on board by 32.00.04.
JonX and Londa settle down, along with a number of other crew
who variously cheer and leer, with AD-LIB comments about "In
this Dump?" and "Let's go explore the whole belt!" and
"Where's the casinos?" etc.
EXT. ASTEROID STREETS
JonX and Londa are walking along the street, the sky is full
of spacecraft against the backdrop of the galaxy.
LONDA
Hey, let's go check out that
bar...look at those cat-women!
Jon-X ignores this comment, reaches out and grabs Londa by
the shoulder and turns him down street towards a more
normally-lit part of town.
JON-X
I want you to help me go down to
Earth.
LONDA
Earth? What's that?
JON-X
Local name for the third planet
around here.
LONDA
What's over there?
JON-X
You'll see.
He turns into a spacecraft rental facility. There are a lot
of whiz-bang craft lined up like a used car lot. A salesman
comes out of a shack right away.
SALESMAN
Can I rent you one of our fine
craft, sir?
JON-X
Absolutely.
SALESMAN
Well, now, how about this Mark 12
Star-Cruiser...it'll go three times
the speed of light.
JON-X
Just something to tour the solar
system, thank you.
SALESMAN
Oh, then you'll want this little 32
X then...and can I interest you in
a driver?
JonX looks at him with a sneer.
SALESMAN (CONT'D)
I didn't think so...well, that'll
be 40 credits a week
(he whips out a small comm
device, enters an amount)
if you'll just give me your eye
here on this panel...
JonX stares into the panel. It beeps happily, and flashes a
green indicator.
SALESMAN (CONT'D)
Oh, I see you have triple-A credit
rating... would you like to have
accomidations on any of the
planets? We've got a very nice
lodge on one of the moons of
Jupiter, overlooking the frozen...
JonX has swiped the key from his hand.
JON-X
No, thanks. I've got other things
in mind for my time...thank you.
SALESMAN
Uh, the craft is not to leave the
system, sir!
Jon-X looks around the facility.
JON-X (CONT'D)
Hey, you got a restroom around
here?
SALESMAN
Sure, around that corner.
Jon-X leaves Londa looking over the spacecraft.
Jon-X comes right back around the corner, shouts at the
salesman.
JON-X
Hey, what's that craft around the
corner there? Is it for rent?
Salesman get an interested look, follows him around the
corner. There is an old Mark V cruiser, battle-scarred and
blackened, but basically serviceable-looking.
SALESMAN
Oh, that...that's my son's new toy.
He bought it at auction down in
center last month. It's a Mark F...
JON-X
I know what the hell it is...how
much?
SALESMAN
Oh, it's not for rent.
Jon-X is walking around the craft for all the world like a
country hick kicking the tires of a truck on a used car lot.
JON-X
To buy?
Salesman turns around and with his two fingers, lets out a
shrieking whistle from between his teeth.
There is a slight mechanical noise along with some dialogue
from up the ramp of the craft, and Jon-X walks up the ramp
curiously.
SALESMAN
Dorando!
(he slaps the hull loudly)
Get out here...you got a customer
for this thing!
There is a long silence, while the three look at one another
uncomfortably, and at the ship.
DORANDO (O.S., FAINTLY)
It's not for sale!
SALESMAN
Just get down here, goddam it!
There are clattering metal sounds then dragging footsteps
from deep inside the craft. Jon-X waits patiently, fingering
different parts of the exterior, trying to bend back a hull
plate by hand into it's proper position.
Dorando, a brash-looking young tough with grease all over his
jumpsuit and a large spanner held like a weapon in his hand,
finally comes to the ramp.
DORANDO
Who the fuck wants to buy it?
Salesman motions to Jon-X. The two look at one another like
two jungle cats just met for the first time.
DORANDO (CONT'D)
Hey.
JON-X
Hey.
(he slaps the hull
affectionately)
How much.
DORANDO
(flatly)
Not for sale.
SALESMAN
Now wait a minute, Dorando...
(he takes him aside and
whispers)
You're into me for 32,000 credits
and I got the lease coming up...
(he turns to Jon-X)
You know, it's still in my name, so
I could sell it to you if this
spanner-head doesn't have the sense
to...
JON-X
How much?
SALESMAN
55,000 credits today only!
DORANDO
No!
Dropping the spanner, Dorando jumps off the ramp right onto
his father. They start to fight, each one getting in an equal
amount of punches back and forth. Jon-X stands there,
enjoying the show, while Londa looks worried and about to try
to break it up somehow. He moves forward, but Jon-X puts a
hand on his shoulder.
JON-X
Wait. This might change things.
LONDA
What do you want it for? It's only
an old relic..
JON-X
Relic! Do you know what that thing
will do?
LONDA
But you were only going down for a
visit...
JON-X
I can always bring it along, and
55,000 credits is a steal in any
galaxy.
LONDA
So why don't you pay that?
JON-X
I don't have it! And besides, you
never give the first asking price.
The fight goes on for some time, and finally the father ends
up on top, holding down the son.
SALESMAN
Now God-Damned it, Dorando, you
gotta get some sense in your
head...here you are, all of 43
years old and barely able to take
care of yourself and you get a
chance to make some real cash, and
you want to play with the
merchandise!
Dorando manages to get in a couple more punches before
Salesman cuffs him one last time across the head, and the kid
practically goes unconscious.
JON-X
I changed my mind.
SALESMAN
What?!
He cuffs the kid one more time and knocks him unconscious,
then gets up to confront Jon-X. He starts to grab Jon-X by
the lapel, but his hand never gets there. It is in an iron
grip by Jon-X, who is pushing him backwards towards the kid,
who is just coming to.
JON-X
No offense, but I don't like it
when someone lays a hand on me.
Salesman puts up his hands in defeat,
SALESMAN
OK! You win. After all, you're the
customer.
JON-X
I'll rent the craft. And the kid.
At this, the kid wakes up, gets up.
DORANDO
No! It's for sale only!
JON-X
OK...40,000 right now.
DORANDO
You gotta be kidding!
Jon-X looks at the spacecraft, kicks it expertly. One of the
legs loses a flash-shield, which clangs to the deck noisily.
JON-X
You gonna take care of these
repairs first?
DORANDO
60,000 credits!
JON-X
I'll do it myself.
DORANDO
(interested)
Really? You know how?
Jon-X picks up the spanner Dorando dropped before attacking
his father.
JON-X
Sure...I was a mechanic down at 9
Center for the Nine Federation. Go
get me a number thirteen standard
hangar-bolt...
He looks closer at the shield.
JON-X (CONT'D)
Make that two, and high-temp
ones...the blue ones.
Dorando runs up the ramp with enthusiasm.
Jon-X turns to the salesman, who has his comm device out and
ready for the sale.
SALESMAN
Cancel the 32-X rental?
JON-X
Sure. And let's see the service
history of this wreck before I sign
anything.
Dorando has returned with the hardware to repair the shield.
JON-X (CONT'D)
Get that thing on there right now,
and then we'll see what else needs
to be done.
Salesman puts up the comm panel with the data about the
craft.
SALESMAN
See, registered at 13 Central two
years ago, it was in prime
operating condition then.
JON-X
In 13 Central that could be a
million-year old space-bucket
running on black powder rockets.
SALESMAN
No, this thing is only 119,000
years old, man! It's was retro
fitted with both gravity drives and
hyper-drives, sixty years ago.
Jon-X takes the comm panel, looks it over. He validates it
with record central. He looks at it for a long time.
JON-X
Let's see these drives.
The salesman grins widely. They walk up the ramp and into the
bowels of the ship.
FADE OUT.
FADE IN:
EXT. SPACE NEAR THE ASTEROIDS
The craft is streaking through space in a burst of power.
INT. BRIDGE OF MARK V
Jon-X is at the controls, just trying it out. Dorando is at
the co-pilot controls, wide-eyed and excited.
JON-X
Pretty good. Could use an overhaul.
DORANDO
I had no idea there was an
overdrive on this!
JON-X
There's a lot of things you don't
know about these craft, son.
He slaps the control panel affectionately.
JON-X (CONT'D)
A lot of things. A lot of
undocumented features they never
put in the history books, because
there are so many of them still in
use around the police forces of the
galaxy.
DORANDO
Where did you say you operated one
of these before?
JON-X
We won't talk about that...
EXT. MOON OVER EARTH -NIGHT SIDE
The Mark V is approaching the day side near the bottom of the
moon, with Earth as a backdrop. There is a simple BASE there,
and the craft swoops in over this, buzzes it, takes off
again.
INT. MOONBOTTOM BASE
An attendant is asleep at the controls of a large array of
instruments and sensors. He is jarred awake by the alarm
Klaxons set off as JonX passes over.
INT. MARK V
JonX looks back at the base with a smile, as they drift off
out of range.
DORANDO
Wow! Aren't you afraid they'll try
to shoot us down?
JON-X
Not at Moonbottom...they're a bunch
of wimps down there. They always
give you one pass if you don't
penetrate too far.
He flips a call button.
JON-X (CONT'D)
C'mon, Jakkas, wake up down there.
The comm panel lights up, and Jakkas's face is beaming out of
the screen.
JAKKAS
X-Boy! Man, where you been? It's
been ages!
JON-X
Well, turn off your screens and
I'll come down and tell you.
JAKKAS
Absolutely!
He flips a switch off-screen.
JAKKAS (CONT'D)
You're cleared to land!
The ship swoops back over moonbottom and lands on a pad, the
force-field turns back on, and the space fills with air
immediately from jets in the landing pad.
INT. MOONBOTTOM BASE
It is later in the shift, and JonX and Londa and Jakkas are
sitting around smoking electric cigarettes and drinking
stimma.
JON-X
So we put out beacon bouys and went
down screaming. It was no good,
though, the Jandoforians had
already been there and our people
were all dead. The whole planet was
dead. Not a trace of the
Jandoforians even.
Jakkas looks at him curiously.
JAKKAS
So what happened? Why did you end
up a civilian?
JON-X
I just got tired of it, running
roughshod over populations for the
good of the federation, that kind
of thing.
JAKKAS
(quietly)
I think the walls have ears, but I
agree with you.
(louder now)
What kind of pay do you draw now?
JON-X
You know, about a third of what you
get of course.
JAKKAS
That sucks...
JON-X
Forget that...I came to find about
about Sintella.
Jakkas' face changes, he points out the viewport at Earth.
JAKKAS
She's down there.
JON-X
What the fuck is she doing down
there?
JAKKAS
She went native.
JON-X
You're kidding...
JON-X
I hope you have a locator on her.
JAKKAS
She had it removed, but we found
her, put in another, deeper one.
She probably doesn't suspect, but
there's not much hope of recovering
her.
JonX gets up with finality.
JON-X
I'll get her.
JAKKAS
You need an entry visa. The place
is even more quarantined than
before.
JON-X
Fuck that. Come on, Londa!
He walks across to the panels there and grabs up a locator
device from a drawer. He pulls up Sintella's life pattern on
a monitor, matches it with the current body she's inhabiting.
He folds it up, walks out of the space station.
JON-X (CONT'D)
Thanks, Jakkas. I'll be back.
Londa follows him diffidently, pauses at the door slider.
JON-X (CONT'D)
You coming?
Londa hesitates, looks back at Jakkas.
JON-X (CONT'D)
(forcefully)
Come on!
Londa starts like a startled deer, and follows. JonX claps
him on the shoulders.
JON-X (CONT'D)
We're going to have a ball down
there.
LONDA
But you said it was dangerous...
EXT. AIR SPACE OVER LOS ANGELES -LATE AFTERNOON
The spacecraft enters Earth air space with a flourish.
EXT. PORCH ON HILL OVERLOOKING LOS ANGELES -GOLDEN HOUR
A man named John is sitting there, having a smoke. He is
looking out over the landscape when he sees something bright
in the sky above, it is a double set of white streamers, one
is huge, bowl-shaped, cutting a wide swath ahead of another
smaller set of streamers which seems to be coming directly
from the craft itself. The guy jumps to his feet, yelling.
JOHN
Bob, get out here, quick, you gotta
see this!
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Script created with Final Draft by Final Draft, Inc.