- FADE IN:
- INT. HELIPORT OFFICE - AREA 51 - SUN UP (NEXT MORNING)
- Desert, hangar in the background beyond parked rental cars; TECHNICIANS tend 2 rental helicopters idling …
- Indoors, OWNER, Mike, Jeff, Harry, Jaime, SECRETARY, review and discuss Certificates, sign and exchange papers at the counter and desk. A hesit-day-clock on the wall; a xero-copier on the counter.
- A small TV follows KRWN Eye-Storm UFO News-coverage [NEWS-ANCHOR Jane, KRWN-MIKE on her-monitor] …
MIKE
- (hands certificate)
- Qualified on everything the Army bought or procured: Attack, Recon, Cargo, E-War … and three it didn't.
OWNER
- (signs papers)
- We'll have to chat someday … Four-thousand dollars each for today:-- Return these by sundown: We frown on night-flying…. They're fueled--
- (stretch-looks outside)
- and idling…. You'll get 5-hundred
- (hands contracts)
- kilometers, or 6-kilohesits….
- (copies Certificates)
- If the desert wind picks-up, don't land:-- Wait!-- You have emergency pneumatic re-starters,-- but don't restart above 2-kilometers: Use your auto-rotation to descend to 2-K. No stunt-flying; We keep a copy of your Flight Certification, your Radio Clearance, and flightplan. Be careful of the U-F-O traffic: It's been hectic here every day!
- (returns originals)
MIKE
- (signs papers)
- Conservative estimates.
JEFF
- (signs papers)
- Standard fare;-- pretty good price, for the hottest story in history…!
OWNER
- I make my money by staying in business: We've brought-in ten more copters and we're getting good all-day turnover: Back by noon gets you 35-percent rebate.
- (a beat)
- What makes you guys so interested in the U-F-O?-- You seem more the college professor types;-- Public television?
HARRY
- Inside information: We obtained a V-C-R of the Aliens' plot,-- with scientific evidences beyond our technologies: We thought we'd investigate promptly.
OWNER
- Adventurous;- You are, coming back?
JAIME
- Sure:
- (grins)
- If the Aliens don't take us to their leader.
- All smile.
OWNER
- (finished, leads exeunt)
- You're all set.
- They exeunt, except the Secretary, to the--
- EXT. PARKING, HELIPORT FIELD, HELIPADS - (CONTINUOUS)
- And saunter across … to Brad, Tommi, Susan, Dave, loading two helicopters …
- A TECHNICIAN leaves,-- salutes Owner;
OWNER
- (to them)
- Helicopters were my first love…. Nothing compared to a U-F-O though. Wish I were going with you: You might be able to explain things to me: Propellerless levitation and flight: Imagine that:-- Wish our Pentagon guys could figure it out: It's the only thing I never liked about choppers.
- (arriving)
- Well: Best wishes,-- And best view:
- (extends handshake)
- Hope you get your money's worth.
JEFF
- (handshakes)
- Thanks.
MIKE
- (handshakes)
- Thank you, sir;- We'll take good care of your desert grasshoppers.
- Owner salutes all,-- leaves; Technicians follow, saluting;
- (00:00 - Rhythm Of Love/DJ Company)
JAIME
- (returns salutes)
- All aboard!
- (climbs aboard Jeff's)
- Let's move out!
HARRY
- See you there, Jaime.
- (climbs aboard Mike's)
- All eight board the two….
- (00:08 clap)
- ROTORS START, and WIND-UP …
- Thumb-up signal each other:--
- (00:20 gallop)
- LIFT-OFF,--
- And fly away …
- Far away … Beyond the hills …
- And abruptly descend, to--
- EXT. FLAT LAND AMONG DESERT HILLS
- LANDING adjacent to 2 cars, equipments …
- John, Gary, in blue AIR-Team jumpsuits, functional headsets, deliver labeled packages to each as they debark:
JOHN
- (one to Harry)
- Harry: Put this on!
- (and to next)
HARRY
- What is it?!
JOHN
- (handing to Jaime)
- Your A-I-R-Team outfit:-- Official!
JAIME
- (mutual to Harry)
- I'm only here for the campus news:
- (brave grin)
- Trust me, Harry: This isn't news!
- They don their jumpsuits; Jaime fits bosomy; John, Gary, squeegee-affix USA flag and "N.C.L.R. Nuclear Chemistry Laboratories Response" decals to the helicopters …
- They test headsets ad lib; pack their clothes into bags; and load the last equipment … a radio transponder;--
HARRY
- Where'd you get this transponder?
JOHN
- Astrophysics Department: their high altitude sounder: They are set to track us-- even to the moon, Harry!
- Now-10 climb aboard … (wind-up, fly-off, implied in music)
- EXT. UFO LANDING SITE - DESERT HILLS
- Urban helicopters hover within miles of the stealth black UFO 1 km long 100 m high and wide; an open portal mid-side, a breach at rear; US ARMY teams investigate, COL. REICHER in charge; 2 mobile KRWN Eye-Storm News CREW busy; ad lib …
- CU: RADTAC, Driver, in a Jeep at talking distance behind GENERAL, Driver, in the lead Jeep, relaxed watching …
RADTAC
- (louder)
- Roger!
- (to the lead jeep)
- General: Radar has a snake in the grass: Due west!
- General lifts rectobinoculars (CU) to view west--
- RECTOBINOCULAR VIEW:
- (01:15 2nd kickstart)
- "N.C.L.R." helicopters hop low hills, approaching …
GENERAL (OC)
- Well, well: Grasshoppers too.
RADTAC (OC)
- Same vector, sir.
- And land nearish Col. Reicher and the UFO …
- EXT. HELICOPTERS - IMPROMPTU LANDINGS - NEAR UFO
- Harry, Jaime, John, Gary, Mike, Jeff, Brad, Tommi, Susan, Dave, debark in headsets, welder goggles, laden with squirt rifles, spray canisters, Geigers, the transponder, Mike's papers,-- and approach the UFO …
- Col. Reicher confronts them --noticing Jaime's fit--
COL. REICHER
- And where are we going, U-FO-bees?!
- Jaime knows his look; Harry defers to Mike.
MIKE
- (orders)
- Alien-Intelligence-Response Team, Colonel:-- Clear your men off the platform: We've traced antimatter deployments to this vessel.
- The others straighten-up their gear;
COL. REICHER
- (guffaws)
- This I've got to believe it, to see it!
- (calls)
- Sergeant!
JAIME
- Good, Colonel: Your Sergeant will see it!
MIKE
- (advises)
- Colonel: We have work-completion on schedule, here.
- SERGEANT walks-up,- just as General's jeep arrives;
COL. REICHER
- Sergeant: Escort these civies to designated Area-51 Public Zone.
GENERAL
- What have you got here, Colonel Reicher?!
- Jaime reality-checks Col. Reicher;--
COL. REICHER
- (shakes no, turning away)
- A few overly ambitious …
MIKE
- (quickens)
- General,-- Sir:
- (hands-over papers)
- Alien-Intelligence-Response Team, Unit 4-0-9-C, Nuclear Chemistry Laboratories Response, Sir. We are here on orders to glean antimatter: Traces have emerged, from this vessel, Sir. Please, Have your Colonel recall his men,-- Sir.
COL. REICHER
- Sir, these U-FO enthusiasts landed a moment ago.
GENERAL
- (at papers)
- Yes: We scoped their helicopters.
- (and to Mike)
- I don't recognize your unit, Commander: Where are you stationed?
MIKE
- (subordinate)
- California, Sir-- Santa Cruz: The Aliens were tracked there,-- where evidences of antimatter were discovered,-- Sir.
GENERAL
- Have you any evidences to show us, Commander?
MIKE
- Sir: It was destructively tested,-- annihilated, Sir,-- But a routine detection procedure inside the U-F-O, will ascertain whether there is any uncontained,-- Sir.
GENERAL
- Colonel Reicher, have you tested for antimatter?
COL. REICHER
- No, Sir: Bio-Rad certified it, Absolute:-- No gases, no spores, no radioactivity: Shirtsleeve environment; Five-hundred-percent oxygen concentration in unopened chambers, is the worst of it,- or the best of it, depending on which doctors we asked: No hazards until somebody sneezes;-- and there have been no annihilations.
JAIME
- It has been found dangerous only on contact with flesh, Sir.
GENERAL
- And, how do you propose to test for antimatter?
HARRY
- (respects him)
- General, The squirt-rifles are filled with heavy-water, -a source of deuterium:- Specifically, anti-helion promptly catalyzes water and fusions the deuterons. The fogging canisters also, have heavy-water….
GENERAL
- And you're the thinker for this group.
HARRY
- Principal Investigator.
GENERAL
- (sighs)
- Colonel …
COL. REICHER
- (at a draw)
- Sir, I really don't think we have …
HARRY
- (overrides)
- You don't, have, the necessary equipment, Colonel.
GENERAL
- (to Reicher)
- Can you have them test the entrance corridor, engine-room, and command-center?
COL. REICHER
- Yes, Sir…. Sergeant: Escort one of these foggers into the U-FO.
SERGEANT
- Colonel: Really, this is irregular: I can't direct my men to make way for civilian visitors …
COL. REICHER
- (overlaps annoyed)
- Do it, Sergeant:-- General's order!
SERGEANT
- (accedes)
- Yes, Sir.
- (looks at Jaime)
- You: Bring your gear:-- follow me.
- (walks to UFO)
JAIME
- (gathers-up)
- Yes, sir.
- (rechecks Reicher a beat)
COL. REICHER
- (softly smiles: confides)
- Seventh-generation grandfather.
JAIME
- (hastens to Sergeant)
- Don your sunglasses, sir.
- EXT. UFO BASE ACCESS RAMP, ENTRY PORTAL - (MOMENTS LATER)
- Jaime in welders' goggles and Sergeant in photochromic sunglasses, climb the ramp …
- Atop they enter:-- Jaime sprays her canister about …
- Instantly compounding writhing bluish-WHITEOUT CLOAKS THEM;
- GLASSES BLACK-GOLD, Sergeant yells, running out and down--
SERGEANT
- (expedites shouting)
- Retreat!!-- Clear the U-FO!!
- (back outside)
- Platoon-Comm: Sound the Exit!!
- BELOW: COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER radios …
- MOMENTARILY …
- Army Teams emerge from the bluish glare, wearing black-gold sunglasses and shielding their eyes …
- EXT. HELICOPTERS
HARRY
- General: We must de-anti the U-F-O, as soon as the Sergeant's men are out and clear … then return home.
GENERAL
- Colonel!
COL. REICHER
- Yes, sir.
- (keys WALKIE TALKIE)
- Sergeant: Give me your clear!
SERGEANT (DISTANT)
- (shouts)
- Yes, Sir, Colonel:
- (to Comm)
- Platoon-Comm: Follow-up!
COMM-OFFICER (DISTANT)
- (shouts)
- Yes, sir!
- (resumes radio)
[COMM-OFFICER] (RADIOS)
- Colonel has ordered evacuation!
- EXT. UFO BASE RAMP - GLARING BLUISH EXIT PORTAL - (10 MIN.)
- Mike et al lug equipments and transponder up the ramp;
- The Army, General still in his Jeep, wait, watching below;
- And HORDES of visitors far beyond, in the Public Zone.
- Atop, they don welder's DARK GOGGLES (F÷4);
- Tommi adjusting hers,-- pauses pensive, both hands holding:
SUSAN
- (watching her, humors)
- Anyone bring a Trick-or-treat bag?
TOMMI
- (a beat solemn)
- I didn't bring my Passport.
JEFF
- We'll still be in Nevada, inside.
TOMMI
- Inside, is not what bothers me.
- They giggle mutually uneasily, and advance inside …
- INT. UFO ENTRY CORRIDOR - PALE BLUE WASHED - (CONTINUOUS)
- Trotting-in, passed numerous brilliant FLARING SPOTS …
- And catch-up to Jaime spraying ahead, just as--
- 3 NEW FLARE-SPOTS BLOOM;--
MIKE
- (smiles)
- Jaime!
JAIME
- (turns, smiles)
- Hi, guys: Come help Spring cleanup!
- (more to Mike)
- That was a lot of yessir-ing, Mike: Think you guys bought us 51-hesits?
MIKE
- Well-founded habit;-- sure hope so.
JOHN
- Any clues where's the control room?
JAIME
- A lot of troops came-out this way.
- (leads-in)
HARRY
- Let's go, guys!
- She leads them TROTTING …
- (00:00 - Breaking All The Rules/She Moves/Berman Bros)
- Momentarily finding the--
- AUTO-ESCALATOR, TO COMMAND DECK - OMNILIT (CONTINUOUS)
- Jaime, Mike, John, Harry, Tommi, Susan, step-ride up; Jeff, Gary, Brad, Dave, trot away with the transponder:
JAIME
- (stepping onto)
- This way: Let's go up, top level.
- NOW ESCALATING.
GARY
- (running away)
- I'm checking the perimeter, Harry!
JEFF
- (following)
- I'm with Gary: Catch you upstairs!
MIKE
- (behind Jaime)
- Dangerous?- Only on contact with flesh, Jaime?- He didn't have any heavy-water handy …
JAIME
- He could have been a former college football hero, brought-up drinking heavy-water to put-on weight….
- (a grin)
- Mike bites air.
- They DOFF THEIR GOGGLES (F×4);
- And at the top level, trot-in …
- INT. STARSHIP COMMAND ROOM - (CONTINUOUS)
- Trotting, Jaime sits center-left at the Helm, Mike stands behind and directs; John sits center-right at Navigation:
MIKE
- (entering)
- Simple enough! John take the Helm.
- (points room-center)
- Jaime, help John: Everybody, controls: Get this boat fired-up!
- Harry, Tommi, Susan, wander the periphery back-left-right: All scatter-chord on displays, panels, pads, keys …
JAIME
- (pokes)
- Hello!?
- But no results … no hints … 10 sec….
JAIME
- (pauses, exasperates)
- Gwendolyn Rachel,--
- ALL DISPLAYS [GWEN] PAUSED: Forward, soffits, stations.
JAIME (CONT'D)
- Where are you leading your sister?!
- (looks up abruptly alert)
- All Displays have lettered keypads with sample guess-words, technicals, damage warnings, navigations; (Gwen eyes, hair, adjust live continually, cf late Spring Break);
- VOX ACTUATED--
[GWEN:VIDEO]
- If this is an emergency, depress A-C-O on your alpha-pad … Square-pads have position controls; Circle-pads have attitude controls … Your auto-interpretive emote-controls actuate in two-hundred hesits: six minutes…
- AUTO-PAUSED.
- All silent, hesitant or looking about …
MIKE
- (restarts)
- Do it!
- All key their lettered display-pads but not blank manuals …
JOHN
- Nothing…!
- (to Jaime)
- Try your blank manual keypad:--
- (points)
- Computers can't be sure what the display is showing in an emergency start-up sequence.
JAIME
- (match-keys manual "ACO")
- A … C … O.
- ACTUATED--
[GWEN:VIDEO]
- You have actuated for emergency operation. If this is a nuclear missile assault, depress K-C-X. If this is for conventional weapons, depress N-P-D. If this is a positional hazard, depress X-Q-E. You may actuate additional emergency coefficients.
- AUTO-PAUSED.
HARRY
- Conventional, Jaime:-- any moment….
JAIME
- (keys manual "NPD")
- N-P-D.
- TACTICAL WEAPONS replaces the Display visual,--
[GWEN:VIDEO] (OC)
- You have actuated for conventional weapons. Manual weapons-actuation is onscreen. You may actuate additional emergency coefficients.
- AUTO-PAUSED.
JAIME
- (keys manual "XQE")
- X-Q-E.
- HELM details on Jaime's; NAV-damages on John's;--
JAIME (CONT'D)
- Positional, Harry.
- VOX ACTUATED--
[GWEN:VIDEO] (OC)
- You have actuated for a positional hazard. Your manual Helm actuation is onscreen. You may actuate additional emergency coefficients.
- AUTO-PAUSED.
HARRY
- Prepare to lift off.
JOHN
- (points)
- We've got some red-lights:- Damage.
- EXT. NEAR BASE OF UFO
- Strong wind blows outward: Helicopters auto-rotate, tipple:
- THE UFO-BLACKNESS IS UPRIGHTING …
KRWN-MIKE
- (narrating-about)
- Jane, A desert storm is winding-up.
GENERAL
- (urgently)
- Get them out of there!
- UFO LIFTS SLIGHTLY …
GENERAL (CONT'D)
- (furious)
- Get them out!- That's, my, U-FO!!
- (furiouser)
- Bring, them, down,-- Colonel!!
KRWN-MIKE
- (reports-about)
- Jane, the General is furious about… Jane!- The U-FO is lifting-off! The General definitely wants his U-FO!
- Troups prepare, aiming bazookas, missile launchers;
- UFO rises slowly … clearing heads … drifting aside …
COL. REICHER
- (belays)
- Hold positions!-- Sergeant!
- ARMY-team MEDICS rush-in LOUDLY AD LIB below the UFO, as it glides aside toward the hills, revealing--
- 3 white-dressed BODIES near a squashed utility-car:
KRWN-MIKE
- (seeking-about)
- The troups are preparing to fire on the U-FO: They're aiming bazookas, and missile launchers … Jane!--
- (finding the focus below)
- There's a breaking story here: Open the studio-lines, Jane: This one is big!- There's vehicle wreckage, and something… white bodies below where the U-FO has rested all this week!- The Army Medic-Team is moving-in!
- Mobile KRWN MOVES IN THE FLOW …
- INT. HELICOPTER OFFICE - (AS CONTINUOUS)
- TAXI-DRIVER [late Spring Break] drives-up with passengers … who pay, and all come in…. Owner is sitting-back absorbed watching the TV [KRWN crowds-in with Army doctors around the bodies: glimpses of apparents Gwen, PETER, DANIEL]:
[KRWN-MIKE]
- (strides)
- We're getting a definite new report on the U-FO, Jane: There are three, bodies lying under it, dressed in white; where it was: two men …
[NEWS-ANCHOR]
- (calm)
- Get me close-up, Mike.
- TV [ZOOM-IN: bodies dressed as formal space-admirals];
[KRWN-MIKE]
- (crowds toward bodies)
- This is real, Jane: This is not, a hoax! The Army doctors are checking the bodies: They are fully clothed bodies, Jane: There is no evidence of hanky-panky: This is not, divine retribution: This is clear murder!
[NEWS-ANCHOR]
- We're following you all the way, Mike: Get me audio of the Medics.
TAXI-DRIVER (CONCURRENT)
- (entered already)
- Hi,-- more customers.
- (watches TV)
[KRWN-MIKE]
- (reports)
- Can't get near enough, yet, Jane,-- hang-on.
- (to cameraman)
- Cam … yeah, Point your mike first.
- TV [AIM WOBBLES: including various medics ad lib];
[KRWN-MIKE]
- (re-pumps)
- Jane: These are Americans down here!
OWNER (CONCURRENT)
- Hi. It's gone,-- The U-FO's gone.
[KRWN-MIKE]
- (reports)
- Army Radio Chief Smithers says: The President has, been notified: Three Americans have been killed by the U-FO … Hold-on, Jane … We're mixing front-line reports … Jane!-- One of the bodies has moved!-- The female, Jane! An American woman-- and she's still alive! Isn't this exciting, Jane?!- Keeping-up with the flow of information:- Live history changes, right here! -Jane!- We're getting a new report: The woman's body is speaking … Her message is: "Call … Kings …" … We could be witnessing a soul-body transfer-- live-- on television, Jane!
- TV [ZOOM-IN: body of Gwen-apparent];
[NEWS-ANCHOR]
- May be just an N-D-E, Mike, --under duress,-- a Near-Death Experience:- Keep us posted on her.
TAXI-DRIVER (CONCURRENT)
- (recognizes)
- I've seen that woman:-- picked her up a week ago;-- strange bunch: All three of them, dressed in white … Drove them to California bay area….
[KRWN-MIKE]
- (reports)
- Jane!-- Army Medic-Chief Ryan now reports, All three bodies have, moved: They're alive, Jane! They're critical hydration-starved: They've been out here a week in the desert! They're garbed in some kind of hostile-viro-wear! Chief Ryan is saying, they may recover, Jane!
[NEWS-ANCHOR]
- Youth hostel, Mike? Are they school students?
- Army assault-vehicles race toward the UFO direction …
[KRWN-MIKE]
- (reports)
- Adults, Jane-- like you and me: They're wearing hostile-environment suits: which may have saved them from total dehydration! Jane! We're getting a forward-scout report: The U-FO has gone-down,-- nearby: Jane: This changes things again: The Army is sending-out armed vehicles …
- INT. STARSHIP COMMAND - OVER HILLS - SHADED WINDOW
- Tommi, Susan, are reviewing operations with Jeff, Gary, at perimeter right, left: instructing, poking displays, pads;
- The ship descends wobbly among low hills;
HARRY
- (answers impositions)
- … I don't know, how, Gwen learned so much about this,-- nor how she programmed it:- They didn't tell me: Maybe they took a ride in it!
MIKE
- But the U-F-O appeared only this week, Harry: the very day they were to return from this area!- And, no other Aliens were observed near it: She must have been on it earlier-- and long-enough!
JEFF
- Suppose she, -they,- were abducted, early last week: That'd explain their nonchalant late return: Maybe they escaped from the Aliens,- and landed this U-F-O on their own…!
MIKE
- But then, why didn't they plan on retaking this U-F-O?-- Their plans called for a submarine polar route: something else they must have found or learned: That must have been one busy, week, for Spring Break!
GARY
- The Aliens must still be up there-- somewhere: at their mother-ship,-- waiting for us to come up!
JOHN
- (leans to Jaime)
- Jaime: Would you prefer to switch with me,- Let me take the Helm?
HARRY
- (catches)
- John: Stay put: We need teamwork right now;- And we all need learn all these controls,-- and Jaime has soloed private jets.
- (mildly exasperates)
- Mike: Why are we descending?!
MIKE
- Quick stop, Harry: More supplies;-- and attach the tracking-transponder to the hull.
HARRY
- We don't have time: Install it from inside at the hull breach.
JEFF
- Either way, Harry, we have to re-open its sealed shut-out hatches.
- A ROOM-SHAKING THUMP as the ship touches down,-- and
- TILTS.
- Harry notices the HORDE OF THOUSANDS CONVERGING outside, just viewable below,-- and hundreds of vehicles beyond.
- Jeff, heeled by Gary, rush-EXEUNT:
GARY
- (charging down-escalator)
- This'll be quick, Harry: We've rehearsed it!
MIKE
- Wasn't made for landing on Earth….
HARRY
- (seeing outside: excited)
- Who are all those people…?! Did we crush any…?!
JAIME
- Never seen your Nuke-Chem class, outdoors!?
HARRY
- We left them back at the Area 51 public-zone…!!
JAIME
- That was the public: Your students waited here: They're coming, Harry.
HARRY
- With us!?- We can't take them with us!-- We can't take them all:-- we weren't going to take you, Jaime! This was planned by and for nine researchers!
JAIME
- Harry, You gave them a smattering, of real, antimatter: Now they want more--! And, I want Diana back, as much as you!
JOHN
- (inserts to Jaime)
- An anti-smattering….
HARRY
- (beat)
- But, those under-21:-- This is statutory kidnapping!
MIKE
- They came voluntarily, Harry.
HARRY
- (upsets)
- The 'death' penalty isn't voluntary in California!
JOHN
- Nevada, Harry:--
- (grins)
- Plead insanity by reason of dislocation of the West-Coast.
HARRY
- (wanders)
- Why didn't you tell me?!--
- (reconsiders)
- We can't start with a mutiny on our bounty! We'll have to employ them:- Contracts;- Student Waivers;- Workmans' Comp;- Benefits …
JOHN
- (interrupts)
- Good name, Harry: This is now, the pirated Alien spaceship, Bounty!
JAIME
- (whines)
- Harry, Two hectahesits inside an Alien U-F-O and you're reverting to an aboriginal bureaucrat…!
- Harry bites air.
JOHN
- (enunciates)
- Her Majesty's Green-Alien Bounty!-- sounds like an English pug-apple….
HARRY
- (thinking aloud)
- We'll have to organize them: Divide them into ten teams: hundreds each … How…?! Outfit them … Feed them …
- AUTO-WEAPONS DISPLAYS UP.
HARRY (CONT'D)
- (puzzled-look forward)
- How…?!
- Multiple-source TRACER VOLLEY ERUPTS outside forward,-- SHUDDERING THE SHIP;-- destroying incoming missiles afar;
HARRY
- (distracted)
- Now, what?!
JOHN
- (to Jaime's controls)
- We've just auto-volleyed, Harry: At incoming missiles over the hills, I guess: Emote-controls are now 'on'.
- (resumes watching)
HARRY
- Get those kids on-board, now! Prepare to launch immediately! They're not safe out there!
- LAST MISSILES DESTROYED; They're watching for more …
MIKE
- (low, to mouthpiece)
- Jeff, Gary: Status: We're under live missile-fire: Get them in-now: No casualties! Give me your clear!
JOHN
- (to Jaime's controls)
- Correction: We had, in-coming:--
- (faces Harry)
- It took them out, Harry!
HARRY
- Expedite this, Mike: The Army won't quit here!
JAIME
- (hands stuck to pads)
- Expediting!…
- EMOTE-CONTROLS (sticky-gel hand-pads), DISPLAYS EMOTE DATA;
JAIME
- (testing both-handed)
- Whoa,-- Easy, boy: We've got full emote-control!
- (feels, a live smile)
- It's: warm!
- Information Displays dense: Starship is fully up….
- (00:00 - Call Me/Le Click)
- EXT. UFO BASE - 7 QUICK-RIGGED ENTRY RAMPS - DESERT
- Thousands of students daisy-chain holding hip-belts stream into portals; Jeff, Gary, Brad, Dave, ad lib on bullhorns …
- INT. STARSHIP COMMAND
- They busy-watch [HATCH-CAMERA] MONITORS: The boarding ends…
[JEFF] (MIKE-HEADSET)
- Mike, They're all aboard;-- Closing hatches: Must be thousands of them: just poured-in … Never seen such a successful fire-drill!
MIKE
- (to mouthpiece)
- All right! Jeff, Thanks!--
- (to all)
- Harry, They're all aboard! Proceed to launch the U-F-O, Jaime!
JAIME
- Aye, Commander Michael.
- (controls, giggling)
- Or should I say Arch-Alien Michael?
- STARSHIP RIGHTS under them …
MIKE
- (bracing)
- We're not Aliens --not yet,-- and certainly not first: We've got to get this into outer-space, first.
- And lifts-up from the ground …
- More INCOMING MISSILES TRACK on Displays …
JOHN
- (excited at Jaime's data)
- Mike, Jaime's got incoming-- again.
JAIME
- (to controls)
- Thanks, John: Guys make war first: Dance second.
JOHN
- (keys)
- Hang-in, Jaime:- Stay with it: This thing is going to volley, any …
- John's NAV-display brings-up ship tactics technicals;
- Jeff, heeled by Gary, bolt up-escalator, into the room-- and sit at their perimeter stations right and left:
JEFF
- (in, sits)
- Must be airborne already: Felt the ship set-up, like on water,-- then absolute calm!
MIKE
- Hold-on to something, guys: We're into live-action!
- TRACER-FIRE ERUPTS forward toward distant hills--
- EXPLOSIONS flare along the horizon;
MIKE
- Full elevation, Jaime!
JAIME
- (watches hands)
- Try again.
- (fingers emote-controls)
- SHIP FORWARDS … to 70 mph …
JOHN
- Too-much acceleration and we're liable to create hurricane season.
MIKE
- An acceptable risk; Jaime, Give us forward thrust as soon as possible.
JAIME
- It is, already, Mike: 70-meters-per-hesit,- though… mostly…
- (contrite)
- attributable to my learning curve….
MIKE
- We didn't feel any forward, acceleration: Give us more…!
JAIME
- (gently controls)
- Forwarding acceleration.
- Ship accelerates … to 100 mph … 150 … in 3 sec….
JOHN
- (to Jaime)
- We can do better than freeway speed, Jaime.
JAIME
- (reports)
- 56-meters-per-hesit-per-hesit: and increasing: 59 … 60 … 61 … at least it says so!
JOHN
- (to his controls)
- Navigation confirms significant forward motion: 3-hundred meters… 3-50…per-hesit, increasing rapidly: Speed-of-sound shock-wall in 7-, 6-more hesits … But it's incredibly calm for 1-point-5-gee, Mike: Must have an acceleration damper field.
MIKE
- (commands)
- Rotate! Jaime, get us up there now!
JAIME
- (controls)
- Aye … Up-see-dai-sy … Yee-haw!--
- Starship ROTATES SKYWARD; 0.2-1.0 mi./sec. in 5 sec….
- Racing into sky cloud layers … through and …
- Above, the sky clears … darkening to black: NAV shows their rapid ascent outer-spaceward 5 sec….
JOHN
- (to Display)
- Ten kilometers up, already….
JAIME
- (watching forward)
- Darn your booties: This baby's hanging-out of the crib!
JEFF
- Harry: We've got shipwide public-address: Got any messages for your crew…?
HARRY
- (happily surprised)
- Let's try it.
- (sits in Command chair)
- Put me on.
HARRY (CONT'D +PA)
- (as testing microphone)
- I'd like to take this moment to formally welcome our student-crew, aboard the N-C-L-R Starship Bounty.
- (enjoys; assigns)
- Your first crew assignment, is: Tie-in to every computer display: Learn how this vessel operates and navigates…. The command bridge is restricted to personnel, please-- there are too many of us for visits up here: Brad, Dave, Susan, Tommi, sometimes Jeff and Gary, are your command-crew liaisons.
- (a beat)
- Second assignment: Implement crew log-in and recording procedures: Everyone aboard must be registered, presently: We will be implementing duty-divisions commensurate with individual work-study programs….
JAIME
- (grins)
- Professor Commander Administrator--
HARRY (+PA)
- Third, --for extra-credit,--
- (grins)
- First crew-student to find me a rib-eye steak, wins, bridge-visitation privileges.
JAIME
- (head to one-hand-free)
- Queeg!
- Surprised, She plays with alternating one-hand-stuck …
JOHN
- (to Jaime)
- Some-one's got to find these things, Jaime: We're not coming-back to Earth, for dinner:
- (looks ahead: sighs)
- Nor even this solar system!
- Stars litter the black sky beyond the west full moon …
- Red-laser-light twinkles-about the outer window edges …
- John, Jaime, busy but exchanging brief half-looks:--
JOHN
- (resumes half-at Jaime)
- This U-F-O sure beats the antigravity-ring project.
JAIME
- (half-at John)
- Antigravity is science-fiction stuff.
JOHN
- (half-at Jaime)
- Not at all!--
- (for Jaime)
- The, geometric, anti-gravity ring, is one of the real possibilities for a space-elevator,-- comparable to Doctor Clarke's geo-rope trick:
- (constructs)
- Consider, a ring, in space, around the Earth, with heavy sliders moving faster than orbit-speed,- which buoy-up the whole ring.
JAIME
- (half-at John)
- That's ordinary massive celestial mechanics, not anti-grav.
JOHN
- (for Jaime)
- Next add a second ring in parallel, with sliders running the other way: Works the same, but the sum angular momentum is now zero.
JAIME
- (considers for John)
- O-kay… -a standing wave-
JOHN
- (half-at Jaime)
- Now let the ring-pair be segmented:
- (busy but for Jaime)
- Each segment-pair gets a pair of counter-sliders, so that the sum total motion is equivalent: Half the sliders are running forward,- half, back:-- At any one moment the same momentum, but each segment is closed,-- just touching adjacently.
JAIME
- (for John)
- O-kay… I'm picturing your segments are atoms…!
JOHN
- (for Jaime)
- Exactly!… And covalent electrons are ultra-fast sliders!
JAIME
- (three-quarter-at John)
- You mean, Put a wire around the Earth, And it floats: Antigravity?
JOHN
- (for Jaime)
- Nooo:- Two thirds of the electrons cross the wire, with no buoyancy effect … But covalent electrons can be realigned in strongly magnetic mu-metal: and that may help!
JAIME
- (weird grin full-at John)
- That's really neat!
- (busies but for John)
- You mathematicians surely have curious theories:
- (sobers)
- Why haven't they built it?
JOHN
- (for Jaime, frenchly)
- "Zh'n say qwah:" Covalent electrons orbit at a tenth of light-speed;- Electrons have a 37-hundredth of a deuteron mass;- Alignment factors cut 70-percent…. Double-bonded carbon-12 chains might have enough covalent electrons: It might work around the moon I think, not Earth.
JAIME
- (smiles)
- Something for a rainy day,- and a blue moon…. Would a diamond ring around the moon be stable? Or would it fall down, on one side?!
JOHN
- (full-at Jaime)
- Entirely self-stabilizing, by celestial mechanics:
- (busy but for Jaime)
- The electrons move too fast at apo-luna: and that raises the peri-luna side;-- and too slow at peri-luna, lowers the apo-luna:- The ring will center itself around the moon.
JAIME
- (stares ahead 2 beats)
- John,…
- (gushes)
- Have you ever thought of dedicating your moon-ring to a woman friend?!
JOHN
- (to controls)
- No,-- I hadn't.
- (switches)
- Mike: We've passed-up 3-hundred-20 kilometers.
MIKE
- (studies)
- Yes,- And it sure is quiet!- They must be planning something …
JAIME
- (reminds)
- The News reported a volley of anti-ballistic-missiles failed to aim when the U-F-O came-in this week: Maybe they're not wasting their missiles on us,-- or maybe they're afraid of more hurricane-winds, and letting us go peaceably:- We're not their Aliens!
MIKE
- (mulls)
- The military mind-set won't allow that, Jaime:-- There's something black in their wait … What?! Laser? Jaime,-- Give us positional dither, and axial roll.
JAIME
- (controls)
- Rolling, the boat….
- THE SKY REVOLVES SLOWLY about their heading …
- CUT TO:
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