A LONE SPACE

An original screenplay by Loren Herrigstad

344 Halliday Road Centralia WA 98531-9117 360.736.5783 lbhrgstd@isomedia.com

1

A BLACK SCREEN Brief, subtle ELECTRONIC BEEPING sounds. FADE IN: INT. DIMLY LIT ELEVATOR A hand brings a credit card-sized COMMCARD out of a pocket, as a thumb taps a single blinking red soft key on it. A finger taps a small ear bud.

FEMALE COMPUTER VOICE (VIA EAR BUD) Incoming recorded message.

Another finger hits a soft key that now appears at the right of a row of three. Text begins to appear and scroll on the commcard as a more soothing and personable female voice reads it.

FEMALE VOICE (VIA EAR BUD) Hey, thanks for writing me. You have a really interesting profile.

Looking downward, a pair of eyes widen with interest as the eyebrows above them raise somewhat.

FEMALE VOICE (VIA EAR BUD) (CONT’D) But . . .

The word ‘But’ simultaneously appears on the commcard. The text continues spelling out as the voice reads.

FEMALE VOICE (VIA EAR BUD) (CONT’D) . . . after looking through it, I just don’t think we have enough in common, especially since you say you want to leave Earth.

The eyelids and eyebrows now lower somewhat. A new paragraph of text spells out.

FEMALE VOICE (VIA EAR BUD) (CONT’D) I do wish you well though, and hope you find what you’re looking for, even out in space.

(MORE)

2

FEMALE VOICE (VIA EAR BUD) (CONT’D) (beat)

Michelle A cursor on the commcard remains blinking to the right of the word ‘Michelle’.

MALE VOICE (O.S.) What is it?

The commcard gets turned off and put back in the pocket. The head of a young man in his prime, LANCE CARVER, is viewed from the side as he now looks ahead, while the head of his slightly more geeky young male friend, RON FOSSOM, emerges into view beside him, looking at Lance. Both are dressed in collarless suits without ties.

LANCE Just another one.

RON (MALE VOICE)

Just as well. You want to cut ties here, remember. Not create them.

Elevator doors now open in front of the two men. INT. SKY LOBBY — CONTINUOUS They join a crowd in a busy, marble-floored sky lobby. The two men are almost lost among a sea of humanity as tall windows beyond reveal a seemingly endless landscape of skyscrapers and lesser buildings, with aerial vehicles flying in orderly layered grid patterns among them. Title: A LONE SPACE INT. CONFERENCE ROOM, DARKENED — MOMENTS LATER A holographic image of a brownish-blue Earth, accompanied by ELECTRONIC PROJECTION SOUNDS, begins shrinking in a darkened room, soon joined by the Moon and a growing field of stars around them.

3

RON (O.S.) At a time of diminishing resources, frontiers and opportunities — quite simply, we offer a venture that reaches farther, offers greater potential, and yet costs less.

Ron emerges, partially illuminated by stars at the edge of the projection. Lance steps beside him.

LANCE But let’s be honest. Earth is decaying. We’re consuming too much, and polluting too much. Like lobsters in a pot, we’re slowly boiling — have been for some time. Some see it, but many won’t say it. Contrarians however make more money than those who follow the herd.

The Earth and Moon continue to shrink from view as the holographic presentation behind Ron and Lance continues. A projected holographic Mars and then Jupiter and Saturn whiz off towards a common focal point at the center of the projection as well.

MALE VOICE (O.S.) Just where the heck are you goin’?

Illuminated by just the dim and changing light of the holo-projections, a TEXAN INVESTOR now looks at the presentation in confusion.

TEXAN INVESTOR (MALE VOICE)(CONT’D) Why are you skippin’ past Mars? You’re even goin’ past Europa around Jupiter. Those places are where everyone else seems to be headin’.

LANCE

Precisely because everyone else is heading there. At least those who can stand to be apart from Earth for several years at a time. Plus with the absence of an atmosphere, habitation on the open surface wouldn’t be possible. So what are they really heading to?

4

Lance begins pacing in front of a holographic star field that continues looking backwards as it takes a journey seemingly into deep space.

LANCE (CONT’D) They might as well just be living in space, or burrowing into asteroids and colonizing them. At least then they wouldn’t have to worry about expending massive amounts of energy to overcome planetary or lunar gravity in coming and going. But the whole point is making an investment in humanity that would pay off beyond this current generation . . . like a really long-term, zero-coupon bond.

TEXAN INVESTOR

Now why would I want to do that, when I can make good money now, even flipping land claims on Mars?

LANCE

And what is there to live for, or leave for others, when that bubble bursts? Or this planet boils?

TEXAN INVESTOR

You’re making a big mistake. Mars is where the money is to be made.

LANCE

That’s not what we’re really about.

TEXAN INVESTOR And charity is not what I’m really about.

LANCE

(resigned) Thank you for meeting with us.

Lance shuts off the holoprojection with a click of his commcard. The lights automatically come up in the room and the shades open to reveal the bright light of day.

5

LANCE (CONT’D) But I don’t think we’re a right fit for your interests.

TEXAN INVESTOR

Tunneling into asteroids though? Might have my people look into that. Thanks for the tip.

LANCE

You’re welcome. INT. OFFICE CORRIDOR / SKY LOBBY — A MOMENT LATER Lance and Ron are walking together back towards the elevator.

RON We’re so close!

The elevator’s doors open in front of them. INT. ELEVATOR — CONTINUOUS The two men crowd into the elevator with others as the doors close.

RON (CONT’D) If we could just round up the rest of the money we need to buy and convert that space station!

Lance motions with a hand for Ron to lower his voice.

RON (CONT’D) (earnestly whispering)

That space station is just sitting up there, waiting to be bought — for a song! We’d only need a few more modules and solar sails, some bigger fusion reactors, and drives. Heck, we could even add some fairings to make the ship look good, like on those old sci-fi shows. Then we’d be off!

LANCE

You don’t need to pitch me, Ron.

6

The elevator stops at another floor, its doors briefly opening as more people file in around Lance and Ron.

LANCE (CONT’D) I don’t know anymore though. This is the eleventh investor we’ve met with — on three continents now. The junk bond investor in Chicago where we began was the easiest.

RON

Yeah, he just wanted your unusually healthy genome. You should have just sold him the rights to make millions of copies of whatever it is that makes you that way, and we’d be gone by now.

LANCE

But how would you feel having potentially millions of even parts of yourself used, abused, harvested, even discarded? I couldn’t allow that to be done to you, let alone me.

RON

You’re too ethical, even moral.

LANCE It’s what brought us together in this crazy endeavor, remember? The desire to live on a healthy planet where things are done right.

The elevator briefly stops at another floor, opening its doors for more passengers to get off and on.

MALE VOICE (O.S.) Excuse me.

Lance and Ron both turn to see a well-dressed older East Indian man, RAJEEV KHAMBALA, standing behind them.

RAJEEV (MALE VOICE) (CONT’D) But are you two part of those ‘Good Earth’ movements?

7

LANCE No, although we’ve been confused with them. We’re just adventurers in the purest sense, trying to get off into space and make a clean start towards another Earth elsewhere. Only we hope to get living on a planet right.

RAJEEV

I thought I heard something about a ship as you boarded the lift here.

RON

You heard right. We’re ready to convert a surplus space station into the first interstellar starship.

Ron turns amid the crowded elevator toward Rajeev, irritating a passenger or two. Taking out a pen-shaped holo-projector, he holds it a little above waist level as the holographic outline of a starship within a three-dimensional blueprint grid then appears in between the three men. Rajeev looks seriously at the image floating among them as it begins to rotate while Ron tries to hold it steady and level.

RAJEEV What is your propulsion?

RON

Sublight ion drives, assisted by solar sails during the acceleration phase . . .

Ron tries to point with a finger amid their cramped conditions to features on the small holographic projection, fumbling a little with clicks of the projector pen as he reveals and highlights them.

RON (CONT’D) Then we coast, using the sails to help slow us as we arrive in our destination system, approaching the desired planet. Main power will be hydrogen-fuelled fusion reactors.

(MORE)

8

RON (CONT’D) These will be supplemented by collectors in space. Only proven technologies here.

RAJEEV

That will make for a long trip, even to Alpha-Centauri.

Lance and Ron glance at each other in surprise.

RAJEEV (CONT’D) How about the crew? Will you use cryo-sleep? Or have them up and functioning during the journey?

Shutting off the projection, Ron enthusiastically interjects as Lance shoots him an irked look.

RON Up and functioning. It’s part of our ethics. Complete sustainability, forever if necessary, from the day we leave Earth orbit. We manage and recycle all consumables — food, air, and water, as well as all other materials we use. And we have a commitment among us to sustainably manage our population for as long as we’re on board — a core principle of our ship’s, and venture’s, culture.

RAJEEV

How many crew?

LANCE We have fourteen voyagers signed up, including both of us. In addition to being selected or educated for specific needed skills and disciplines, we’ve all gone through genetic screening for both health and diversity.

(MORE)

9

LANCE (CONT’D) We realize we will likely have to practice planned breeding among us, while allowing for natural human preferences for pair bonding, even if the genetics between a given pair may not be quite right.

RAJEEV

You sound like you’ve done your homework. What’s in it for anyone who backs you?

Lance and Ron glance nervously at each other as Rajeev glances between them.

RAJEEV (CONT’D) After all, it doesn’t sound like you exactly want to come back, or send anything back either.

LANCE

That, sir, is our problem.

RAJEEV (starting to smile)

Not if the person who backs you wants to come with you.

EXT. SPACE STATION IN ORBIT A small orbiter SHUTTLE APPROACHES a large, multi-armed space station with a day-lit Earth coming into the background. INT. ORBITER SHUTTLE — CONTINUOUS Ron, Lance, and Rajeev are seated facing each other around a window. Ron finishes tapping his commcard and looks up.

RON Thankfully it’s still for sale.

The three now look out the window to see a somewhat rough-looking vessel comprised of multiple modules and connecting latticed metal girders arrayed in an oval or diamond shape.

10

RAJEEV You indeed seem to have the makings of a ship. It just needs a drive section, gravity habitat, and more stores pods. But have you costed out all the modifications, versus constructing a purpose-built ship from scratch?

RON

Our estimates say using existing modules and structures where possible will be cheaper. We figured that if this station has survived years of pounding by space junk in Earth orbit, she’s battle tested and well suited for interstellar travel.

RAJEEV

Hmmm, budget-conscious engineers and adventurers who adapt and re-use as opposed to begging and pleading for new and expensive. In my experience, that is a first.

RON

So you’re in?

RAJEEV (smiling)

Almost. Lance and Ron smile as well. EXT. SPACE WORK DOCK — HOURS LATER Space tugs finish moving the smaller space station into a lit work dock of the larger station. Several mechanical arms reach out to secure the smaller station in place. INT. SPACE WORK DOCK CONTROL BAY — CONTINUOUS Rajeev, Ron and Lance stand near a large window, watching as the small space station is secured within the dock.

11

RAJEEV Well, my surveyor says the vessel is in good condition, as you’ve told me. Now it’s time to get to work and tear it all apart anyway.

(beat) But before you, or we now, finalize the design—

RON

But it is finalized. Rajeev calmly holds up a hand.

RAJEEV I would like to introduce you to a friend of mine . . . and an idea.

EXT. PAN ASIAN COLLIDER COMPLEX, INDIA — DAY The orbital SHUTTLE now FLIES down over an advanced-looking building attached to a white concrete ring assembly that stretches for kilometres in both directions across the Indian countryside. However, the SHUTTLE continues FLYING past the complex. INT. ORBITAL SHUTTLE — CONTINUOUS Lance and Ron look out the window, Ron with growing surprise.

RON We’re not landing there?

RAJEEV

That is not where we are going. Ron and Lance see why as two blast holes are now visible on one side of the building and ring. Upon closer observation, the complex is now clearly disused. Jungle foliage is beginning to overtake parts of it. The two now look with some concern at each other as the shuttle flies on.

12

EXT. HANGAR AND LANDING TARMAC — MOMENTS LATER The SHUTTLE soon APPROACHES a smaller hangar several kilometres further, next to a landing tarmac, where the craft sets down. The shuttle doors open as the SHIP POWERS DOWN. Rajeev emerges first, followed by Ron and Lance. INT. HANGAR — CONTINUOUS Rajeev continues leading Ron and Lance across a large hangar, dominated by various assemblies around the space.

RAJEEV Right this way, gentlemen.

They approach DOCTOR MINPUR HANN, an older East Indian scientist in a white lab coat. He is dwarfed as he stands next to a large, almost square assembly, covered by a tarpaulin.

RAJEEV (CONT’D) Allow me to introduce you to Doctor Minpur Hann, a specialist friend of mine in Quantum Mechanics and Propulsion.

(turning to Dr Hann) Doctor Hann, these are Lance Carver and Ron Fossom. I’m investing in a starship project with them.

RON

Quantum Propulsion?

DR HANN Yes. It is not a widely recognized field, but I have long thought it time to put Quantum discoveries to propulsive use.

RON

(hesitantly) Wait a minute . . . the Pan Asian Collider incident. I’ve heard about all this.

13

DR HANN You’ve only heard what our detractors have said — not what we were able to achieve, before the accident.

RON

(turning to Rajeev) You want to use us? Our interstellar project?

RAJEEV

Do you want to get to your intended destination within your lifetimes or not?

RON

With our solar sail and ion drive I’ve worked out, we should be able to get to the Alpha-Centauri System within sixty years — less if the solar winds are favorable.

RAJEEV

Well, I doubt if that will be within my lifetime.

RON

We didn’t sign up to make this a suicide mission.

RAJEEV

You know the real suicide mission is staying here on Earth. And life on the other inhospitable bodies in this system within the next several decades won’t be much better.

(sighing) You are the only adventurers I’ve seen or heard of who are going where I want to go. I was going to build my own ship, but I thought we could combine forces, share a common vision, and save both money, and even more importantly, time.

Ron looks up at the covered assembly towering behind Dr Hann.

14

RON That’s a Quantum Drive, isn’t it?

DR HANN

(turning to look at it as well)

The only one left after the incident at the collider. I have been making refinements to its containment coils and control systems, based on what we’ve learned . . . from the accident.

LANCE

(to Ron) What’s a Quantum Drive?

RAJEEV

(answering first) It creates artificial wormholes through the fabric of space—

RON

(interrupting) Which are potentially unstable, and could spawn dangerous singularities, even possibly black holes. That’s what happened at the collider, didn’t it?

DR HANN

It was a matter of confining and focusing the wormhole, nothing more. I should know. I was there!

RON

But Quantum Propulsion has been discredited as a result of that accident. The World Science Organization has even banned further tests of Quantum Drives, saying they’re too dangerous.

RAJEEV

For testing or use on Earth — not in space.

15

RON But that will require a complete redesign of the ship from what I had planned, and that was approved by the authorities. They likely won’t approve any design that includes that Quantum Drive!

RAJEEV

Deals can always be made. Leave that to me.

LANCE

Ron, I say we let them try.

RON (to Lance)

What?! Are you nuts??

LANCE The risk of death surrounds us, no matter where we turn, or what we do. We stay on Earth, we die. We could die from any number of things happening in space, even collisions with pebbles. The less time we spend getting there, the better. Plus wormholes will offer us at least some protection from collisions with random objects in space. We’ll be inside, everything else will be outside and basically unable to get in.

RON

What about the rest of our team? Our crew?

LANCE

We’re the ones putting this together. They look to us. The first airplane and rocket engines weren’t exactly safe. Is this really any different?

RON

We could be unleashing the powers of Hell itself.

16

LANCE Out in space, the only ones it would affect would be us. Either way, I think it will get us to Heaven.

RON

You’re taking a real chance.

LANCE (laying a hand on Ron)

That’s what we’re in this to do. MONTAGE A) EXT. SPACE WORK DOCK

Scenes of the starship being reconstructed in the work dock. The station’s old modules are gradually rearranged into twin hulls, covered by sleek, white, angled metal fairings with grid-like extensions. A new circular gravity habitat ring is assembled in between the hulls. Its diameter is oriented along the central axis of the ship, and its hub runs crosswise between the twin hulls. A spherical Quantum Drive module is placed in front at the ship’s prow, and a conventional Ion Drive cluster is positioned into place at the opposite end, comprising the vessel’s stern.

B) INT. ZOOLOGICAL CENTER — DAY

Lance and Ron are walking among rows of glass-walled animal enclosures.

RON

Wish we could take some real animals with us.

LANCE

(looking around) You think we have this kind of space to work with on board? Let alone all the food it would take?

(MORE)

17

LANCE (CONT’D) Reducing them to cryo-frozen D.N.A. specimens is the best we can do, along with several million types of flora. At least we’ll have two complete sets, one in each of the two hulls of the ship.

RON

But not even a cat? Or so much as a perennial?

LANCE

Ron! (pausing)

Alright. Everyone can have a plant, maybe a small fish. We’ll have hydroponics going anyway — but low or closed-cycle water consumption.

RON

Maybe getting there faster might not be such a bad idea.

DNA samples are taken from a number of animals and plants in a lab as Lance and Ron, and at times Rajeev as well, watch from the background. Those samples are then put in cryo-tanks, the tanks are put in racks, which are sealed in modules.

C) EXT. SPACE WORK DOCK — NEW DAY

Some of the modules are floated by space tugs into position within the fairing of one hull of the ship as Ron and Lance watch through windows of the dock’s Control Bay.

D) INT. SPACE WORK DOCK CONTROL BAY — CONTINUOUS

RON We will be able to turn those back into plants and animals again, right?

LANCE

That’s what the biologists in our crew are for, not to mention all the equipment in those modules.

18

Ron just looks at him.

LANCE (with resigned annoyance)

Alright . . . one rodent each. But on birth control during the voyage — fixed populations only.

RON

(fist-pumping to the side)

Yesss!

END MONTAGE INT. QUANTUM DRIVE SPHERE — NEW DAY Lance is in a space suit, floating next to massive, rectangular electro-magnetic containment coils. Dr Hann is nearby, also in a space suit, in front of a vertical control panel mounted against the shell of the sphere. INT. SHIP’S BRIDGE — CONTINUOUS Within a clean, advanced room of the ship’s gravity ring, Ron is seated at a primary control console, wearing a compact headset. Rajeev and two officious-looking uniformed INSPECTORS are gathered around him, looking on.

RON Ready for minimal-power test, just to make sure we have everything hooked up.

INT. QUANTUM DRIVE SPHERE — CONTINUOUS

LANCE Ready here.

INT. SHIP’S BRIDGE — CONTINUOUS

CHIEF INSPECTOR Remember, only enough power to verify circuit integrity.

(MORE)

19

CHIEF INSPECTOR (CONT’D) No propulsive tests or operations of this drive are allowed within zero point five A.U.’s of Earth. Even that is too close in my opinion.

RAJEEV

I assure you, we are well aware of our certificate restrictions, Commander. Besides, we have some of our crew, even the inventor, within the drive module itself.

Ron taps various soft keys on the panel in front of him.

RON Low power test in five . . . four . . . three . . . two . . . one . . . mark.

He now hesitantly taps a single blinking soft key on the sleek, black panel in front of him. INT. QUANTUM DRIVE SPHERE — CONTINUOUS Lance backs away using his thruster pack while holding a monitoring instrument in front of him. The drive’s massive COILS begin glowing slightly and HUMMING. Dr Hann monitors the nearby wall panel.

LANCE (looking at his instrument)

Detecting humming even within my suit here, but Coils One through Four are energized and looking good. Moving to check the others.

DR HANN

Confirmed. Indicators show nominal on all Drive systems.

Lance now arrives at the latter coils in the assembly. He hears a strange STATIC though, along with a GARBLED VOICE.

LANCE Ron, is that you? Come in. Ron, do you read me?

20

INT. SHIP’S BRIDGE — CONTINUOUS

RON Lance . . . I’m not making you out. Repeat please.

INT. QUANTUM DRIVE SPHERE — CONTINUOUS

LANCE Ron, come in . . . Ron.

Lance now hears the voice of his suit’s computer.

COMPUTER VOICE (VIA HEADSET) Transmission being received. Engaging translation matrix.

LANCE

Ron, I seem to have a glitch in my suit’s computer. Stand by. Computer—

He is interrupted by the suit’s computer.

COMPUTER VOICE (VIA HEADSET) Relaying incoming transmission.

A new, somewhat garbled FEMALE VOICE now speaks.

FEMALE VOICE (VIA COMM) Hello? . . . Hello?

LANCE

Hello . . . who is this? Computer, identify transmission source.

COMPUTER VOICE (VIA HEADSET)

Source unknown.

FEMALE VOICE (VIA COMM) Thank— . . . You are there. Someone is there.

LANCE

Computer, localize transmission source and reattempt identification. And re-establish commlink with Bridge.

21

COMPUTER VOICE (VIA HEADSET) Attempting . . . Stand by.

RON (VIA COMM)

(garbled) Lance . . . read me?

LANCE

Ron, partial copy on you. I’m getting interference from another transmission somehow.

FEMALE VOICE (VIA COMM)

I . . . not Ron.

LANCE Who is this? Where are you and what are you doing on this channel? Over.

FEMALE VOICE (VIA COMM)

I . . . Illora . . . from Oneran . . .

INT. SHIP’S BRIDGE — CONTINUOUS

RON Lance, Doctor Hann, come in. I’m not reading you.

Somewhat frustrated, Ron turns towards Rajeev.

RON (CONT’D) That’s it. I’ve got the readings I want. I’m cutting the test with these communications problems.

Ron hits several buttons on his console. INT. QUANTUM DRIVE SPHERE — CONTINUOUS Lance continues to listen with confusion inside his helmet as the COILS near him now LOSE POWER.

ILLORA (FEMALE VOICE) (VIA COMM) Losing sig— . . . Don’t go . . .

LANCE

I don’t understand. Who are you?

22

RON (VIA COMM) Lance. Thank God I can hear you again. What happened? Is Doctor Hann okay?

LANCE

(glancing towards Dr Hann)

Doctor Hann’s fine, Ron. I can hear you again. We must have had some weird effects from the drive. I was getting this strange transmission. The computer said it was translating.

RON (VIA COMM)

Translating? Where was the transmission coming from?

LANCE

I don’t know. I heard something about an ‘Oneran.’ Sounded like a space station or something.

INT. SHIP’S BRIDGE — CONTINUOUS

RON No such thing as an ‘Oneran’ anything, so far as I know.

INT. QUANTUM DRIVE SPHERE — CONTINUOUS

LANCE Probably a computer glitch. I better have this suit checked out when I get back into the habitat.

RON (VIA COMM)

Everything on the drive check out from your end?

LANCE

Sorry, I forgot to look at the scanner when my comm system started going haywire during the test. The front coils checked out though.

23

DR HANN As did the rest of the coils and other systems.

LANCE

Doctor, did you hear the transmission I did?

DR HANN

I simply heard static. I couldn’t hear either you or Ron.

Lance then starts moving behind the last coil.

ILLORA (VIA COMM) Stay . . . please . . .

LANCE

There, I heard it again.

DR HANN I didn’t hear anything.

Lance stops his forward motion around the coil, listening carefully.

LANCE Are you there? Repeat.

RON (VIA COMM)

I’m here.

LANCE Not you, Ron! Whomever is making the transmission.

Lance pauses again, listening.

LANCE (CONT’D) It’s gone now. Must be a glitch.

He now floats away from the coil array, giving it a last glance. Its rectangular coils remain pointed off into open space from within the sphere.

24

INT. SPACE STATION RESTAURANT — NEW DAY Ron, Lance, Rajeev and Dr Hann are eating breakfast as orbiters occasionally come and go across a slowly rotating star field through windows behind them.

RON So what are we going to name this first starship? We need to put something down on the final registration and flight plan documents.

LANCE

Why not Nova Orbis?

RON Don’t you mean Novum Mundum? That is the correct Latin for New World.

LANCE

It doesn’t sound as good.

RAJEEV Well, I personally wouldn’t mind the Malay equivalent, Baru Dunia.

LANCE

(to Rajeev) We could name it after your late wife. It would be an honor.

RAJEEV

Thank you, but no. I think Nova Orbis will do fine.

LANCE

Nova Orbis it is then.

RON Good thing we’re not putting these things to a vote, Captain.

LANCE

Hey, you got the Chief Engineer’s license, I got the Master’s license for this ship.

25

RAJEEV And I’m the financier, which makes me ‘Admiral’ over both of you.

DR HANN

(with mild deadpan sarcasm)

Good thing I’m staying behind then.

RON (turning to Dr Hann)

Wish you weren’t.

DR HANN After all this time, you know as much about the Quantum Drive as I can teach you. As I’ve been warning you all for sometime, I am old, and I would simply like to pass here on Earth. That drive is my gift to the rest of you, and humanity’s future. I can give no more.

RAJEEV

And we appreciate your gift, Doctor. We do.

(to the others) Well, gentlemen, don’t you think it’s time to put the good doctor’s gift to use at last?

RON

Not for several days, until we’re well clear of Earth. With licenses now, ‘Cap’ and I here could be hauled up on charges and jailed if they ever came out and caught us using that gift prematurely.

RAJEEV

Are we going to be having these problems all the way to Alpha Centauri?

RON

If the drive works, no. If it kills us, it won’t matter.

(MORE)

26

RON (CONT’D) But until it does either of those things, yes. You’re just lucky the rest of our crew liked your shortcut idea enough to stay on.

Briefly giving Ron an annoyed glare, Rajeev wipes his mouth with his napkin and pushes back his chair.

RAJEEV Gentlemen, it is time we left port.

EXT. NOVA ORBIS AT SPACE STATION DOCK — HOURS LATER Space tugs hover around the now sleek, completed starship. Its habitat ring slowly revolves between the twin hulls as the ship’s navigation lights come on and various arms and umbilicals swing away from it. INT. NOVA ORBIS BRIDGE — CONTINUOUS Each wearing slim headsets, Lance and Ron are seated at the primary console as pilot and engineer, in front of a large display screen. Rajeev stands behind them as several other crewmembers are monitoring other consoles.

RON Status display shows gangway retracted, umbilicals retracted. Moorings on standby.

LANCE

(into headset) Station Control, this is Captain Lance Carver of the Starship Nova Orbis, requesting clearance for departure.

RON

(quietly to Lance) Don’t bury yourself in the part, sir.

STATION CONTROLLER (VIA COMM)

Nova Orbis, you are cleared for departure on Vector One Eight Zero by Two Seven Five, speed five metres per second until clear of station per our instructions.

27

LANCE (into headset)

Confirmed, Station Control. Vector One Eight Zero by Two Seven Five. Speed five metres per second.

(to Ron) Bring thrusters online, and Ion Drive to standby. Retract moorings.

Ron hits a few buttons on his section of the console.

RON Thrusters at your control. Ion Drive is online and standing by. Moorings clear.

LANCE

Engaging thrusters forward . . . now. Lance presses a soft key on the panel beside a joystick. EXT. SPACE STATION DOCK — CONTINUOUS The Nova Orbis begins to move forward, away on its own course from a parallel arm of the station, as the station continues rotating slowly around it. INT. SPACE STATION CONCOURSE — CONTINUOUS Station crew and visitors pause to watch the pioneering white starship move vertically downward past tall windows of a station lounge as it sweeps past on its rotation. Dr Hann is among the station inhabitants, watching the ship depart with mixed feelings. EXT. SPACE STATION — CONTINUOUS The Nova Orbis clears the space station amid tugs and several other craft in the vicinity as it continues moving off into space.

28

INT. NOVA ORBIS BRIDGE — CONTINUOUS

STATION CONTROLLER (VIA COMM) Nova Orbis, you are now clear to accelerate on thrusters to five hundred metres per second, same vector. Ion Drive ignition pending our clearance.

LANCE

(into his headset) Nova Orbis acknowledges. Five hundred metres per second on thrusters, same course.

EXT. SPACE — CONTINUOUS The Nova Orbis now leaves the rotating space station behind. INT. NOVA ORBIS BRIDGE — CONTINUOUS

STATION CONTROLLER (VIA COMM) Nova Orbis, you may break Earth orbit at your discretion and accelerate on Ion Drive per your flight plan on Vector One Nine Five by One Seven Zero.

RAJEEV

Let’s get going.

LANCE (into headset)

Nova Orbis breaking orbit. Coming to departure vector of One Nine Five by One Seven Zero. Farewell, Earth.

STATION CONTROLLER (VIA COMM)

Farewell, Nova Orbis. We will track and confirm when you are at the required zero point five A.U.’s distance for Quantum Drive engagement.

LANCE

(into headset) Nova Orbis confirms.

29

RON They just had to get that in.

Lance rotates and moves the main joystick as the Earth disappears from view and a star field begins to rotate on the display screen in front of them. He then hits some further buttons as two graduated spherical outlines appear on the screen, with red crosshairs approaching white crosshairs.

LANCE (CONT’D) (to Ron)

Autopilot engaged. Course set. Engaging Ion Drive, maximum thrust.

Lance then moves a small throttle lever forward, as both he and Ron watch the indicators in front of them carefully.

RON All systems nominal.

EXT. NOVA ORBIS FROM REAR — CONTINUOUS The ION NOZZLES at the starship’s stern begin to glow as the Nova Orbis now ACCELERATES past and away from Earth, off into open space. INT. NOVA ORBIS BRIDGE — CONTINUOUS On the screen in front of them, the red and white crosshairs merge, becoming green as a speed notation now ticks upward in the lower right. Lance taps some final soft keys on the console.

LANCE Speed program engaged. Now on autopilot.

Lance now rises from his seat and turns to a crewmember behind him.

LANCE (CONT’D) Philip, you have first watch. Time for us to settle into life as we shall know it.

30

RON For a few days, anyway.

Rajeev smiles and pats Ron on the shoulder.

RAJEEV Have some faith, my friend.

EXT. OPEN SPACE — NEW DAY The Nova Orbis moves among a stationary star field, viewed from above the ship. INT. NOVA ORBIS SHUTTLE BAY — CONTINUOUS Lance is working on a miniaturized quantum drive at the nose of a shuttle lander as he floats weightless wearing indoor coveralls. He taps a button on the headset he’s wearing.

LANCE Bridge, I’ll be doing a low power test of the Quantum Drive on Shuttle One here.

INT. NOVA ORBIS BRIDGE — CONTINUOUS Ron is seated alone, almost lounging and bored, at the main control panel. A guinea pig lays on his shoulder as he feeds it a chunk of raw carrot.

RON Hey, that’s my department, Cap.

INT. SHUTTLE BAY — CONTINUOUS

LANCE I know. But you know our maxim — back-ups for everything, and everyone. Practicing on one of our shuttles’ mini Quantum drives is about my speed anyway.

31

RON (VIA COMM) Just don’t blow a hole in either us, or the fabric of space. We still have a day to go before we can officially do that.

LANCE

Gotcha, worrywart. INT. NOVA ORBIS BRIDGE — CONTINUOUS

RON Funny.

He reaches and taps a few buttons on the console.

RON (CONT’D) Monitoring you from here. Got nothing better to do.

INT. SHUTTLE BAY — CONTINUOUS

LANCE Very well. Shuttle One Computer, commence low-power test of shuttle’s Quantum Drive.

RON (VIA COMM)

Lance, for Pete’s sake, be at the shuttle’s panel so you can shut it off manually!

INT. NOVA ORBIS BRIDGE — CONTINUOUS

RON (CONT’D) Don’t count on comm instructions to do that!

INT. SHUTTLE BAY — CONTINUOUS Lance is continuing to briefly check the shuttle’s small Quantum Drive.

COMPUTER VOICE (VIA SPEAKERS) (almost overlapping)

Commencing Shuttle One low power Quantum Drive test.

32

Lance gets up from working on the drive and floats himself towards the shuttle’s open entry port.

LANCE Alright, alright, Ron. Relax, I just wanted to be on hand next to the drive in case I needed to tweak anything.

INT. NOVA ORBIS BRIDGE — CONTINUOUS

RON Well, it doesn’t look like you need to. Everything I’m seeing is nominal and normal here.

INT. SHUTTLE ONE — CONTINUOUS Lance now seats himself in the shuttle’s pilot’s seat.

LANCE Okay, I’m in and sitting at the pilot’s console—

Lance hears STATIC again. He taps his headset, and then soft keys on the shuttle’s main console as well.

LANCE (CONT’D) Bridge, you there, Ron? Come in.

All he hears is STATIC.

LANCE (CONT’D) Computer, re-establish commlink to Bridge.

COMPUTER VOICE (VIA SPEAKERS)

Attempting . . . Stand by. Lance now begins to hear a voice among the STATIC.

COMPUTER VOICE (VIA SPEAKERS) (CONT’D)

Receiving transmission. Engaging translation matrix.

LANCE

Again?

33

FEMALE VOICE (VIA COMM) Hello . . . I have found you again.

LANCE

Hello? Who is this?

FEMALE VOICE (VIA COMM) I am Illora.

LANCE

Who?

ILLORA (VIA COMM) Illora.

LANCE

Where are you?

ILLORA (VIA COMM) I am from Oneran.

LANCE

Oneran? Where’s that?

ILLORA (VIA COMM) It is the planet where I am from.

LANCE

Planet? You mean you’re an alien?

ILLORA (VIA COMM) No, I’m Oneran. But that is not important now. I am trapped inside a ship.

LANCE

Where?

ILLORA (VIA COMM) I think on Oneran, but I am not sure.

LANCE

You can’t tell whether or not you’re on your planet?

34

ILLORA (VIA COMM) No, I cannot. Something happened outside, a while ago. I was unconscious for a time.

LANCE

You don’t have windows?

ILLORA (ON COMM) No. The computer is heavily damaged. It will not tell me where I am. It simply says, ‘Hazardous Environment,’ and will not let me outside to investigate or repair. My ship’s external displays and sensors here are inoperative, and have not been my highest priority.

LANCE

You sound like an engineer.

ILLORA (VIA COMM) Junior engineer, but yes.

LANCE

Are you alone.

ILLORA (VIA COMM) Yes, totally right now. My people live on connection. I have none. No one else is with me.

Lance is now interrupted by Ron bursting in on him inside the shuttle.

RON Lance, what the heck are you doing?!

Ron reaches, quickly tapping several soft keys on the panel in front of Lance.

RON (CONT’D) Didn’t you hear me? I told you to terminate the test!

LANCE

Ron, wait! (MORE)

35

LANCE (CONT’D) I was in the middle of another transmission, like the one during the last test I told you about!

Lance moves to counteract Ron’s tapping on the panel.

LANCE (CONT’D) Computer, reinitiate low power Quantum Drive test on Shuttle One—

RON

(rapidly) Computer, override. Cancel test, authorization Ron Fossom, Alpha Two Seven Bravo.

COMPUTER VOICE (VIA SPEAKERS)

Override acknowledged. Shuttle One Quantum Drive test aborted.

LANCE

Ron, why did you do that? I was talking to someone out there, in what seems like another dimension, via that drive!

RON

Then these drives are more dangerous than I had feared. Even at minimal power, they are ripping open holes in space.

LANCE

So what are you saying? That we can’t use them?

RON

I’d say if we do, we had better be ready to die.

INT. NOVA ORBIS BRIDGE — NEW DAY The entire ship’s crew is assembled. Lance, Ron and Rajeev are standing with them.

36

LANCE Very well. We all know the risks, and a clear majority of us has just voted to proceed anyway, rather than spend the rest of our lives in space on this ship.

(briefly pausing) So, as we’ve received clearance, let’s get going. Stations everyone.

Lance and Ron take their seats at the main bridge console.

LANCE (CONT’D) Bring the Quantum Drive online and stand by to engage.

EXT. QUANTUM DRIVE SPHERE — CONTINUOUS The drive’s field COILS begin to glow with POWER truly applied for the first time. INT. SHIP’S BRIDGE SPACE — CONTINUOUS Ron and Lance both work their sections of the main panel.

RON Quantum Drive systems nominal.

(with a sigh of grave reservation)

Drive is online and available.

LANCE Well, let’s hope this thing knows where it’s taking us, and that we can stop when we want to.

Ron just looks at him, as Lance taps some more buttons on his panel.

LANCE (CONT’D) Course angles set . . . Engage drive.

Ron’s finger hits one red blinking soft key on his panel. A tremendous WHINE now rises throughout the ship.

37

EXT. SPACE — CONTINUOUS A spinning white VORTEX OPENS in front of the Nova Orbis. The SHIP is sucked in, elongating as it ENTERS. EXT. SWIRLING WORMHOLE TUNNEL — CONTINUOUS The Nova Orbis emerges, now hurtling along through a tunnel-like wormhole. INT. NOVA ORBIS BRIDGE — CONTINUOUS The entire ship is shaking around the crew.

LANCE Where are we?!

RON

(looking at his panel displays)

Inside a wormhole! Navigational and even time references not available!

LANCE

How long should we be in this?

RON I have no idea! But let’s get out now, figure out where we are, and then maybe try again!

LANCE

Alright, disengage and shut down Quantum Drive!

RON

Quantum Drive shut down. But no effect! We’re still in the wormhole!

LANCE

Can we put it into reverse?!

RON Not that I know of! And we could be halfway across not just the galaxy, but the friggin’ Universe by the time I figure it out!

38

Lance just looks at Ron alarmed as the ship shakes around them. Rajeev braces himself against Lance’s seat, standing up.

RON (CONT’D) Wait! Hann said that each drive establishes its own Quantum harmonics. We could start up either of the shuttle drives. The conflicting harmonics could cancel out the wormhole and put us back into normal space.

LANCE

(rising from his seat) It’s worth a shot! I’m going to Shuttle One. If you don’t hear from me, once we’re back in normal space, just stop clear of any hazards. Then let’s figure out what the heck to do!

RON

I’ll stay here. One of those things online at a time is bad enough. Who knows what two of those things could do together!

Lance runs to a ladder, climbing towards the habitat ring’s central hub. INT. NOVA ORBIS CORRIDORS — CONTINUOUS Now weightless, he propels himself almost like a rocket down corridor tubes towards the shuttle bay. INT. SHUTTLE ONE — CONTINUOUS Lance climbs into the shuttle. Amid the jarring, he rushes to sit down at its console, furiously hitting buttons as he talks into his headset while the shuttle door closes behind him.

LANCE Okay, I’m in! Powering up Shuttle One’s Quantum Drive.

39

RON (VIA COMM) Don’t forget the launch sequence.

INT. NOVA ORBIS BRIDGE — CONTINUOUS

RON (CONT’D) I don’t want that thing blowing a hole through the port half of the ship in front of it!

INT. SHUTTLE ONE — CONTINUOUS

LANCE (hitting buttons)

Roger, powering up thrusters and the other systems. Open bay doors.

EXT. NOVA ORBIS WITHIN WORMHOLE — CONTINUOUS The twin bay DOORS in the ship’s fairing OPEN below the shuttle. INT. NOVA ORBIS BRIDGE — CONTINUOUS

RON Doors open. Ready to release docking clamp. Activate downward thrust on my mark. Make it sharp, and once clear, immediately engage your Quantum Drive before you move too far from the ship, otherwise we might miss the opening your drive creates.

INT. SHUTTLE ONE — CONTINUOUS

LANCE Roger. Thrusters and Quantum Drive online. Ready!

INT. NOVA ORBIS BRIDGE — CONTINUOUS

RON Releasing docking clamps . . . mark!

INT. SHUTTLE ONE — CONTINUOUS

LANCE Full downward thrust!

40

The shuttle lurches around Lance in response to his actions on his console. EXT. NOVA ORBIS AMID WORMHOLE — CONTINUOUS The shuttle thrusts clear of its bay as the coils of its nose-mounted QUANTUM DRIVE begin to WHINE and glow while the confused energy walls of the wormhole rush by in the background. INT. NOVA ORBIS BRIDGE — CONTINUOUS

RON You’re clear. Engage Quantum Drive!

INT. SHUTTLE ONE — CONTINUOUS Lance’s finger taps a red blinking soft key on the panel. EXT. NOVA ORBIS AMID WORMHOLE — CONTINUOUS A new white energy VORTEX now begins FORMING in front of the shuttle. A brilliant FLASH ERUPTS. INT. SHUTTLE ONE — CONTINUOUS Lance is thrown out of his seat. The lights around him, as well as the panels go out. It is blackness except for some blinking lights on various panels in the background.

LANCE Computer, lights!

Emergency lights then come on. Lance climbs back into his seat. He taps some hard buttons, and to his relief, some of the panels start coming back to life around him as he hits more buttons.

LANCE Ron, come in! Nova Orbis come in! Do you read?

He looks out the forward window as he floats in the shuttle cabin. EXT. WORMHOLE — CONTINUOUS The shuttle is now moving slower but alone in a wormhole.

41

INT. SHUTTLE ONE — CONTINUOUS Lance continues to look with almost stunned shock out the window.

LANCE My God . . . where am I?

ILLORA (VIA COMM)

You are there.

LANCE You again?

ILLORA (VIA COMM)

Yes. Has something happened?

LANCE Yeah, I don’t know where the heck I am now.

Lance hits some buttons on his console, trying to scan and ascertain his position as he talks.

LANCE (CONT’D) It looks like I’m still in a wormhole or something.

He hits some soft keys on the panel again.

LANCE (CONT’D) Nova Orbis, Ron, come in!

ILLORA (VIA COMM)

How did this happen?

LANCE Quiet! Keep this channel clear for a second! I’m trying to listen for my ship!

Lance turns up the comm volume on his panel, listening intently for several seconds. There is just QUIET STATIC.

LANCE (CONT’D) Ron! Nova Orbis . . . come in! Is anyone there?

42

ILLORA (VIA COMM) (nervously)

I am here.

LANCE (sighing)

Alright . . . Lance just allows himself to float randomly in the cabin now, assuming a relaxed, almost seated position as he settles near a corner against a bulkhead.

ILLORA (VIA COMM) What has happened?

LANCE

I don’t know. We activated my mother ship’s Quantum Drive, got drawn into a wormhole and couldn’t get out. I tried to counteract that wormhole with the Quantum Drive on the shuttle I’m in. Somehow we just got separated, and now I’m . . . wherever this is.

ILLORA (VIA COMM)

You didn’t expect this? Did your kind test your Dimension Drive?

LANCE

What tests there were on my planet seemed to go badly. At least one big accident happened. Further tests were banned.

Lance decides to resume his work, getting back up and moving to check his shuttle and panels as he talks.

LANCE (CONT’D) The drive’s inventor was brought into our starship project by our benefactor — the person who paid for everything. He wanted to get to a new star system and planet to live on faster, within his lifetime.

43

ILLORA (VIA COMM) Your people did not do this as a whole?

LANCE

No, just a small group of us. The rest of my planet is dying, but few seem to care. Making money is most important among most of us.

ILLORA (VIA COMM)

You are a strange people.

LANCE And I suppose yours do every last thing together.

ILLORA (VIA COMM)

We value connection to each other. Nothing is more important.

LANCE

That sounds like a nice idea. But I need to re-establish contact with my ship.

ILLORA (VIA COMM)

I am not detecting any similar drive signatures or transmission windows via my communications system right now other than yours.

LANCE

My mother ship’s Quantum Drive was already shut down when I entered this shuttle and fired up this drive.

ILLORA (VIA COMM)

I still read yours. Do not turn it off, please.

LANCE

You want to keep talking to me?

ILLORA (VIA COMM) Yes.

44

LANCE You want to help me? Work together?

ILLORA (VIA COMM)

Come find me.

LANCE Given what’s happened, I realize I don’t know how to control this drive, let alone go anywhere or search for anyone.

ILLORA (VIA COMM)

Let me interface directly with your computer. I am already speaking to it. I am experiencing blocks I cannot get around.

LANCE

How are you doing that?

ILLORA (VIA COMM) I am talking with your computer. It is talking with me. Can’t you do that?

LANCE

Yes, but probably not at the speed you seem to be.

ILLORA (VIA COMM)

I see . . . Interesting.

LANCE So, what do we do first?

ILLORA (VIA COMM)

Give me unrestricted access to your computer. I will analyze your systems and come up with corrective measures.

LANCE

(astonished) You can do that?

ILLORA (VIA COMM)

I have already been trying to. Give me access.

45

LANCE

(reservedly) Computer, allow external system access and modification requests from user ‘Illora’, authorization Lance Carver, Alpha One Five Zulu.

COMPUTER VOICE (VIA SPEAKERS)

Access granted.

ILLORA (VIA COMM) Thank you.

LANCE

Can I trust you?

ILLORA (VIA COMM) What would help you to trust me?

LANCE

Getting me back to normal space might be a start.

ILLORA (VIA COMM)

I am already working on that. Amazing. You have no means of fine-tuning power to your field coils, nor any modulating coils in the final stage.

LANCE

What should I be doing?

ILLORA (VIA COMM) Stand by. I am developing subroutine work-arounds for coil control and field governance that your computer should be able to process and implement. I will let you know if you need to make any hardware changes.

LANCE

Well this is easy.

ILLORA (VIA COMM) You are not an engineer?

46

LANCE I am a captain. I know how to command crews and pilot vessels, along with my people’s admittedly primitive skills at navigating among the stars.

ILLORA (VIA COMM)

What is your kind even doing in space then?

LANCE

(sighing) We trashed our planet. Before long, we basically won’t be able to comfortably live there anymore. Although many seem set on remaining on the Earth no matter what, my group chose to venture out into space in search of a new planet in another system to call home.

ILLORA (VIA COMM)

Maybe I should be more worried about trusting you then — even you finding me. I am finding much violence among your people in your history files. But I am willing to take the risk. I have little choice.

LANCE

I didn’t know these shuttle computers had all that in there, too.

ILLORA (VIA COMM)

They are back-up databases. Their listed intention is to preserve the memories and knowledge of your people if the rest of your ship is lost or destroyed.

LANCE

You’ve seen all that? I thought you said your displays were down.

ILLORA (VIA COMM)

I have heard all that. (MORE)

47

ILLORA (VIA COMM) (CONT’D) Every directory, even sub-directory, along with file contents I have been selecting. There is a fair amount to sift through as I identify and rewrite your drive control systems, but I can do both at the same time. It is new knowledge, and that fascinates me.

(short pause) Alright, the systems are revised.

LANCE

That fast?

ILLORA (VIA COMM) You are that slow?

LANCE

Well . . .

ILLORA (VIA COMM) I need you to wear your space suit and go outside to install an additional set of coils you have on board in your stores. I am making the schematics appear on your panel, and on your commcard for easy reference.

Lance looks with surprise at both the panel in front of him and the commcard in one hand as schematics now appear on them, rotating with call-out labels and blocks of text.

LANCE H-How are you doing this?

ILLORA (VIA COMM)

My kind sees shapes in sounds we hear, as well as with our eyes. From the data your computer provides me, I can readily perceive your problems. Devising the solutions for them is easy.

LANCE

And you say you’re a junior engineer?

48

ILLORA (VIA COMM) Among my people, yes. I was working on a dormant ship in a launch bay. I was part of a team of two, but was left alone on board for what was supposed to be a just a moment.

Lance now puts on a space suit.

LANCE You don’t know what happened?

ILLORA (VIA COMM)

While I continued to work alone, there was what seemed like a huge quake outside the ship. The computer began taking over, engaging things automatically. There was a second quake. I was knocked out. When I became aware again, I still had air to breathe, and some power. I found emergency food packs to eat.

LANCE

How long have you been there?

ILLORA (VIA COMM) I don’t know. I am without reference. I haven’t been able to link with anyone else beyond this craft, until you. I do not know whether I am trapped in my ship on my planet’s surface among wreckage in the launch bay, or out in space, even which dimension I am in.

LANCE

You haven’t been able to open any external doors?

ILLORA (VIA COMM)

When I have tried, I get back the basic default response ‘Environment hazardous.’ I didn’t have what you would call a space suit.

(MORE)

49

ILLORA (VIA COMM) (CONT’D) Also, this ship wasn’t active, so the suits on board had been removed. I haven’t fought it, or wanted to risk losing my atmosphere.

Lance finishes putting on his helmet.

LANCE I want to find you.

ILLORA (VIA COMM)

(moved) Thank you.

LANCE

Alright, I’m ready for E.V.A.

ILLORA (VIA COMM) Ah, Extra-Vehicular Activity.

LANCE

Sorry, you’re just sounding like one of us.

ILLORA (VIA COMM)

I cannot say quite the same for you. He lowers his helmet visor.

LANCE Computer, depressurize cabin for E.V.A. Illora, you still there?

A HISSING of AIR being evacuated now sounds around him.

ILLORA (VIA COMM) I am here. Have you remembered the coil parts you will need, as well as tools?

Lance stops himself.

LANCE Whoops.

He then turns and presses a button to open an adjacent storage locker.

50

ILLORA (VIA COMM) I am told I can make things display on your helmet’s visor.

Words and images now appear line by line on one side of Lance’s visor in front of his face.

LANCE I am seeing a list of parts and tools.

ILLORA (VIA COMM)

I am also reconfiguring my schematics into steps, and will talk you through each step.

LANCE

Thanks . . . I think. Floating into the locker, he proceeds to selectively pick packs of parts and tools from shelves there.

ILLORA (VIA COMM) You’re welcome . . . I think.

LANCE

(pausing, looking up) Humor?

ILLORA (VIA COMM)

Your species seems to have fascinating concepts. I am learning more by the second now.

LANCE

(sighing with bemusement)

Let’s get to work. MONTAGE Lance works on the shuttle’s Quantum Drive. A) INT. SHUTTLE ONE

A reflection of shuttle’s outer door opens on Lance’s helmet visor.

51

B) EXT. SHUTTLE ONE IN WORMHOLE He emerges out of the door. Lance is then working on the Quantum Drive sphere at the nose of the shuttle, installing an extra coil in front of the sphere, talking with Illora on his comm as he does. He loses a tool as it drifts off into the wormhole’s void, but returns to work, shaking his head inside his helmet.

END MONTAGE

INT. SHUTTLE ONE — LATER Lance seats himself at the main console once more, his helmet off.

LANCE Alright, powering up the drive. The soft keys here look a bit different. I can’t make some of them out.

ILLORA (VIA COMM)

I can set your course and guidance remotely if you like.

LANCE

Now you’re replacing me as captain, too?

ILLORA (VIA COMM)

Just doing things efficiently, and making sure they get done right.

Lance now sees some alien soft keys lighting up in sequence on the panel in front of him as course displays and vector maps come to life as well.

LANCE (mildly cautious)

I’m not sure about this. The DRIVE now begins to HUM to life around him.

52

ILLORA (VIA COMM) You got yourself to where you are. That did not work, did it? Allow me to get you to where I am. Then I can better help you to find your ship and people again.

LANCE

(resigned) Logical.

ILLORA (VIA COMM)

Thank you. Engaging drive.

LANCE I might as well just sit here.

ILLORA (VIA COMM)

The captains among your kind appear to be famous for doing just that.

As Lance looks out the forward window, the QUANTUM DRIVE PROJECTS a new vortex in front of his shuttle. EXT. NORMAL SPACE — CONTINUOUS A swirling VORTEX OPENS, depositing the shuttle among a star field before VANISHING behind it. INT. SHUTTLE ONE — CONTINUOUS Lance is looking with some amazement both out the window and at his console.

LANCE You did it! I’m in normal space again.

ILLORA (VIA COMM)

You’re welcome.

LANCE Typical crew, getting cocky on me.

ILLORA (VIA COMM)

Isn’t that a customary response to gratitude or praise among your people?

53

LANCE Yeah, alright. But what now?

ILLORA (VIA COMM)

According to my navigation projections, you should be next to my planet, Oneran — practically in orbit.

Lance grabs the pilot’s joystick, rotating it. EXT. SHUTTLE ONE — CONTINUOUS THRUSTERS FIRE on the shuttle, causing it to rotate. INT. SHUTTLE ONE — CONTINUOUS A large, tan and grey-colored planet now swings into view out the forward window in front of Lance.

LANCE I see it . . . a large brown and grey planet.

ILLORA (VIA COMM)

Brown and grey? It’s supposed to be blue and green.

(beat) Accessing your craft’s sensors.

Silence now pervades the craft for a number of seconds as Lance waits.

LANCE Illora?

ILLORA (VIA COMM)

Confirmed . . . It is my world, Oneran.

LANCE

Illora . . . I’m sorry.

ILLORA (VIA COMM) (somberly, but focused)

Allow me to provide guidance down to where I should be.

54

LANCE Give me control though. The landscape may have changed.

ILLORA (VIA COMM)

You have control. Follow the navigational guidance on your panel.

Two gradated spherical outlines now appear projected on the forward window in front of Lance as he now works the joystick and throttle with either hand. EXT. ONERAN SKY — DAY The SHUTTLE descends with a SONIC BOOM and flash into the planet’s dusty tan atmosphere, soon soaring over a bleak, lifeless, rocky landscape. INT. SHUTTLE ONE — CONTINUOUS Lance alternates his gaze between the window and console ahead of him as he his face betrays a solemn expression.

LANCE I’m not reading any chemical or spectral indications of life on my sensors, nor seeing any outside my window.

ILLORA (VIA COMM)

Nor am I. You are close to my city though, and the launch complex. Land where I indicate in a central square, if you can.

Lance now sees a small, flashing grid overlay projected on the window in front of him.

LANCE I see your target area. Proceeding to land.

EXT. ROCKY PLANETSCAPE — CONTINUOUS The shuttle sets down on the surface in a clearing among what look like rocky outcroppings and forms, amid a cloud of dust.

55

INT. SHUTTLE ONE — CONTINUOUS

LANCE We’re down. Sensors indicate the air is unbreathable, for me anyway. Insufficient oxygen.

ILLORA (VIA COMM)

Reading large amounts of carbon residues from your sensors — all over the surface, even in the air. Evidence of massive planet-wide fires. The air . . . it must have burned away. I should be dead.

Lance rises from his seat in gravity now, turning away from the console.

LANCE Well, you’re still talking to me. So let’s find you.

ILLORA (VIA COMM)

Take one of your mobile scanning devices. Through it I can perceive where you are, and guide you to the launch complex. Bring one of your space suits for me as well. I can’t breathe the planet’s air now either. Having seen your kind’s dimensions, I should easily fit into your suits.

Lance walks over and opens the storage locker again.

LANCE Don’t worry. Help is on the way.

ILLORA (VIA COMM)

Thank you . . . EXT. SHUTTLE ON SURFACE — A MOMENT LATER The shuttle’s side door opens. Lance, with his helmet visor closed and carrying a suit for Illora on one arm, steps into bright sunshine as dusty winds blow around him.

56

ILLORA (VIA COMM) Proceed on Vector Zero Six Five from your position. The complex should be about one thousand of your metres.

Glancing at his handheld scanner, Lance then walks along a clear, wide pathway. The large rocks around him are now clearly the shattered and weathered remnants of buildings spaced apart, with oval portals and windows.

LANCE This feels spooky.

ILLORA (VIA COMM)

I am with you . . . via your comm system.

LANCE

I’d prefer a physical presence. But this empty suit on my arm doesn’t quite do it for me. Wait. This scanner has a holo-projector. I can project a representation of you as I walk here.

He begins tapping soft keys on the scanner’s small display screen.

LANCE Okay, describe yourself to me. Or better yet, just program an image of yourself into this unit.

ILLORA (VIA COMM)

That is not easy for me to do.

LANCE You can provide me with almost perfect schematics of my own drive system, that you’ve never seen. But you can’t provide me with an image of yourself?

ILLORA (VIA COMM)

Schematic outlines are easy. Imaging me, in a life-like way, is not.

57

LANCE (smiling)

Shy, huh? You gonna make me guess then?

ILLORA (VIA COMM)

Yes . . . Guess. Lance continues to tap on his scanner, calling up images of attractive women.

LANCE Alright . . . for now, you’re a brunette.

He taps once more on the scanner, and the life-size hologram of a slender brunette in bikini appears next to him.

LANCE (CONT’D) You know, as nice as that is . . . that swimsuit doesn’t quite work in this environment.

ILLORA (VIA COMM)

So the little triangles on the figure are what your people call ‘clothing’?

LANCE

Yes, but we normally wear more clothing than that in most situations.

ILLORA (VIA COMM)

My kind does tend to wear more covering than that as well, although we do sometimes go without.

LANCE

Do tell.

ILLORA (VIA COMM) Not now.

Lance taps on the scanner some more, changing the hologram’s attire to a stylish red uniform.

58

LANCE There, that’s better. Don’t really need a full space suit on your hologram anyway. Now all I have to do is tie in your audio, then program this figure to walk and interact with me . . . and there you are.

Illora still speaks to him via the comm in his headset, but the hologram’s lips and expression are now synched, making the figure appear to speak to him.

ILLORA (FIGURE) Here I am. Interesting choice.

LANCE

(addressing the figure now)

Would you care to elaborate?

ILLORA (FIGURE) Let’s just find me. You humans seem to like surprises.

LANCE

Good surprises. Lance begins walking again. The holographic figure now walks beside him.

ILLORA (FIGURE) Your kind has a saying, ‘Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.’ So I will let you judge that for yourself.

LANCE

Females across the universe . . . they all seem to love mystery — and toying with males.

ILLORA (FIGURE)

I have perhaps read too much from your databases.

LANCE

And I know virtually nothing about your kind.

59

ILLORA (FIGURE) We are a peaceful people. While we have developed technologies to match our curiosities about what lies beyond, when you already live in what you would call a paradise, why would you really want to leave it?

LANCE

It doesn’t look like a paradise now.

ILLORA (FIGURE) It was lush, green and blue. The buildings I perceive you walking past were low, set among beautiful gardens and trees.

LANCE

No big skyscrapers or cities?

ILLORA (FIGURE) My kind moved utility below ground, beauty above. Nothing was permitted to mar or pollute the surface of our world. We found we were better able to contain the toxins developed during our industrial age better that way. We never had choking smog, or polluted waters that burned, like I am reading your kind has.

LANCE

Impressive. His handheld SCANNER now BEEPS.

ILLORA (FIGURE) The entrance to the underground launch complex should be close. Look for an arch and door leading below ground.

Lance looks around, stopping.

LANCE I see an arch and closed pair of doors, off to my right here.

60

ILLORA (FIGURE) Go to it.

Lance and the female hologram now walk over to a large arch and doors, set into a mound. Lance explores the doors.

LANCE How do you open this? I’m not seeing any controls.

ILLORA (FIGURE)

Point the front of your device to the right side of the doorway. I will attempt an interface.

Lance points his scanner as directed.

ILLORA (FIGURE) (CONT’D) No power. I will have to use the power from your device. Touch it to a rectangular shape on the right side of the arch.

Lance touches his scanner to a raised rectangle on the doorframe. The door then proceeds to slowly slide open.

LANCE You did it.

ILLORA (FIGURE)

You as much as me. Proceed. INT. LAUNCH COMPLEX CORRIDORS — CONTINUOUS Lance and the hologram, now glowing in the darkness, proceed into a passageway that slopes downwards.

LANCE Your hologram is useful here. I practically don’t need to use the flashlight on this scanner.

ILLORA (FIGURE)

You will come to a junction. (MORE)

61

ILLORA (FIGURE) (CONT’D) Turn right. That will lead you to the control room, and then to the bay where my ship should be.

LANCE

I’m at the junction, turning right. He then trips, falling face down . . . . . . onto parts of an Oneran skeleton spread on the floor. Lance takes a sharp breath at what he sees.

ILLORA (FIGURE) What is it? What happened?

Lance looks at the scattered bones in front of him as he catches his breath and wits.

LANCE I think I’ve found one of your kind. Just bones now though.

ILLORA (FIGURE)

The devastation was that complete?

LANCE Even underground here, apparently.

Lance picks himself up, and begins walking again, this time turning on the flashlight and projecting its beam ahead of him. He now approaches a sealed doorway.

LANCE Another door for you to open.

ILLORA (FIGURE)

This should be the control room. Lance holds the device against another raised rectangle on the right doorframe. The door slowly slides open to reveal a room filled with broken debris. Daylight can be seen through another doorway in the distance along a fairly clear pathway through the middle of the room.

62

INT. WRECKED LAUNCH CONTROL SPACE — CONTINUOUS Lance and the hologram walk in. He steps over some debris while Illora’s brunette hologram walks right through it.

ILLORA (FIGURE) What do you see? Any consoles? Or bodies?

LANCE

There’s nothing but debris in here now. Everything seems destroyed. I see another door ahead of me, open to daylight.

ILLORA (FIGURE)

Go through it. That should be the launch bay, where I am. That I have lived through what you are seeing.

EXT. LAUNCH CRATER — CONTINUOUS Lance says nothing now as he and the hologram emerge through a doorway into a cavernous space. It is a deep and massive crater, littered with dry sand, rocks, girders, catwalks and wreckage, partly opened to the sky above.

ILLORA (FIGURE) What are you seeing?

LANCE

Utter devastation . . . like nothing I’ve ever seen.

ILLORA (FIGURE)

How could I be here? Lance surveys the bleak vista before him, seeing a long, black, partially buried ovoid below.

LANCE I see what looks like what could be a ship. It’s dark, oblong, mostly buried but laying flat.

63

ILLORA (FIGURE) That should be my ship. Head for it. Step onto its skin and bang on it. I’ll try to find you from my side.

LANCE

I think I’ll turn off and holster your hologram for now. This is going to be a bit of a climb down.

ILLORA (FIGURE)

See you on the other side.

LANCE You’re getting good at being human-like . . . especially the humor.

ILLORA (FIGURE)

Thank you. Lance shuts off her hologram, and pockets the scanner in his space suit. He then works his way down the space amid the wreckage, carrying the spare suit with him. EXT. SIDE OF ONERAN SPACECRAFT — MOMENTS LATER He finally arrives beside the mostly buried spaceship.

LANCE Okay, I am seeing an absolutely smooth skin to this ship here — no doors, nothing.

ILLORA (VIA COMM)

Activate your scanner again. Let me search for a hatchway.

Lance takes out his handheld scanner, holding it in front of him.

ILLORA (VIA COMM) (CONT’D) Proceed further along the ship, the way you are facing. I am detecting a hatch about ten metres in front of you.

Lance begins to walk as instructed.

64

LANCE But sand is covering there.

ILLORA (VIA COMM)

You will have to dig then.

LANCE Yes, m’am.

EXT. SIDE OF ONERAN SPACECRAFT — MOMENTS LATER Lance finishes scooping the sand away by hand from a hatch closed flush with the ship’s exterior.

LANCE Okay, you want to open this hatch from your side?

ILLORA (VIA COMM)

I’m afraid to. The environment is hostile. I might die before I get the suit on.

Lance sits down next to the exposed hatch.

LANCE Can you hold your breath?

ILLORA (VIA COMM)

Yes.

LANCE You breathe an oxygen/nitrogen mixture, exhaling carbon dioxide?

ILLORA (VIA COMM)

Yes.

LANCE Then if you’re on the opposite side of this hatch, I’ll rush in. It looks like I’ll be dropping down at this angle. I’ll help you put the suit on quickly, giving you what we call mouth-to-mouth breaths of additional air as needed, alright?

65

ILLORA (VIA COMM) Come in first. Allow me to remain behind the interior door where I am. Let’s open the hatch from your side, using your scanner again. Please?

LANCE

It’ll be okay. Touching the scanner to it now. Accessing the hatch.

The hatch opens beneath him. There is only blackness inside. INT. ONERAN SPACECRAFT — CONTINUOUS Lance turns the scanner’s flashlight on again, lowering his head through the largely horizontal hatchway.

LANCE (CONT’D) The hatch is open. I’m seeing nothing but darkness in here. I see a deck below me. Jumping down.

ILLORA (VIA COMM)

Please find me.

LANCE I will, Illora. It’s okay.

Lance jumps down onto the deck with a thud, near a number of jumbled, even scattered containers.

LANCE (CONT’D) Did you hear that thud?

ILLORA (VIA COMM)

Apart from our commlink, no. Lance begins walking through the dark space, sweeping his flashlight.

LANCE I’ve found an interior door here. I’ll open it. Take and hold a breath for me, alright?

66

ILLORA (VIA COMM) Bang on the door first. I want to make sure it’s the right one.

LANCE

(sighing) Okay.

He then makes a fist with one gloved hand and pounds on the black door hard. It rings with a resonant echo.

LANCE (CONT’D) You must have heard that.

ILLORA (VIA COMM)

I didn’t hear a thing . . . other than through the comm system again.

LANCE

Hold a breath for me, just in case, okay?

ILLORA (VIA COMM)

Holding a breath. Go.

LANCE Opening the door.

Lance touches his scanner to the right side of the door. It slowly opens. Lance looks downward in front of him.

LANCE Oh my God . . .

ILLORA (VIA COMM)

What? It wasn’t my door. Lance shines his flashlight to reveal a skeleton with fragments of blue-green clothing on it. A bony arm holds a hand weapon . . . pointed to where a head used to be.

LANCE Illora . . . are you wearing blue-green clothing?

67

ILLORA (VIA COMM) Yes.

LANCE

Do you have access to a weapon? Any kind of pistol?

ILLORA (VIA COMM)

(hesitantly) Yes . . . ?

LANCE

I think I’ve found you. You’re dead . . . it looks like a long time ago.

ILLORA (VIA COMM)

No . . . No . . .

LANCE (looking vacantly across the room)

We must be talking across time. Is that possible?

ILLORA (VIA COMM)

Theoretically, yes. What do you see? Tell me. I want to know.

LANCE

I see a skeleton, with a few small shreds of clothing on it. One arm is holding a weapon, a gun, pointing it, at where the head . . . was.

ILLORA (VIA COMM)

No . . . Not that. Lance sadly moves to sit down next to the remains. Slowly, he reaches out to stroke an arm bone with his gloved hand as he hears Illora’s crying over the comm.

LANCE So what do we do? What do you want to do now?

ILLORA (VIA COMM)

Lance . . . do you think I should kill myself?

68

LANCE

(with a lump in his throat)

No. I enjoy talking with you, even like this, too much. Way too much.

ILLORA (VIA COMM)

So we spend our lives now, apart? Prisoners in different times?

LANCE

If I can’t get back home, to my ship, my people . . . why not?

ILLORA (VIA COMM)

(sadly) We could construct representations of each other. You’ve already done that for me. I could do the same here.

LANCE

Yeah. Keep each other company. Keep each other going. You’ve kept me going through all this.

ILLORA (VIA COMM)

You want me to keep you going?

LANCE (sniffing)

Yeah . . . I do.

ILLORA (VIA COMM) Would you keep me going?

LANCE

Yeah, I would. Lance sniffs with happiness, before he looks down as his gloved fingers touch a ring on a skeletal finger.

LANCE I see your kind wears rings.

ILLORA (VIA COMM)

Yes, we do.

69

LANCE You’re wearing one on what looks to be a finger of the right hand here. When my kind commits to one another, we wear rings on a finger of the left.

ILLORA (VIA COMM)

But I’m not wearing any rings, although I’ve wanted to — and I don’t have any on board with me.

LANCE

Wait . . . you don’t?

ILLORA (VIA COMM) No.

LANCE

Then this isn’t you.

ILLORA (VIA COMM) Then where am I?

LANCE

I don’t know.

ILLORA (VIA COMM) Lance, are the control panels intact there?

Lance gets up.

LANCE I’m seeing smooth panels that aren’t broken, unlike the control room in the launch complex.

ILLORA (VIA COMM)

Move over to one of those panels. Touch your scanner to it.

Lance walks over to one of the smooth, black consoles, touching his scanner to it. The panel then comes to life with strange illuminated shapes, colors and markings.

70

LANCE This panel just turned on. I can’t make out a thing.

ILLORA (VIA COMM)

I’m establishing a link. I need more power there. I’m trying to activate auxiliary power on the ship where you are.

More panels now come to life around Lance.

LANCE Stuff’s coming on here.

ILLORA (VIA COMM)

Stand by. It looks like the ship’s Dimension Drive and navigation beacon are still intact enough to be turned on.

LANCE

Wait a minute! You’re not gonna try launching this ship the way it is, with me in it, are you?

ILLORA (VIA COMM)

No, I’m only applying enough power to generate a reference signal I can find from here to gauge my coordinates and time.

Seconds of silence pass as Lance looks at the blinking and changing illuminated elements on the console before him.

LANCE Illora?

ILLORA (VIA COMM)

My ship . . . it’s not there. It launched itself.

LANCE

Where are you?

ILLORA (VIA COMM) In space. Likely in a wormhole or dimensional rift.

71

LANCE Can you get out of there, come back here?

ILLORA (VIA COMM)

No, my ship’s drive, and main computer are too damaged. That’s why it didn’t complete the dimensional jump, why I am stuck here. You are going to have to come get me.

LANCE

Is this ship in any better shape?

ILLORA (VIA COMM) I’m seeing hull breaches, even structural failures. It’s been crushed under debris that fell on it. Besides it’s not safe to engage Dimension Drives on the surface.

LANCE

Tell me about it. We learned that the hard way on my planet.

ILLORA (VIA COMM)

You’re going to have to use your craft.

Lance now turns back towards the hatch and exit.

LANCE I’m on my way.

ILLORA (VIA COMM)

Wait! Bring spares and equipment from that ship. I need them.

LANCE

Let me go get my shuttle then. With the hole over this bay, I can land it next to this ship. It’ll make transferring what we need faster and easier. Just make me a list of what you need, if possible with pictures so I know what the things you need look like.

72

ILLORA (VIA COMM) Lance . . . thank you.

LANCE

(pausing) Hey, it’s what companions do.

ILLORA (VIA COMM)

(moved) Yes . . . it is.

MONTAGE EXT. LAUNCH BAY CRATER — TWILIGHT The shuttle lands next to the crippled Oneran starship in the crater. As night falls, several floodlights on stands appear between the shuttle and the semi-buried ship. Working in his space suit, Lance removes components of machinery inside the crippled ship while talking to Illora on his comm. He nods his head while looking at another piece of machinery, poised to begin work on removing it. He hefts other components to his own craft, filling more and more of its interior, even clearing cargo out of external modules and bays on the shuttle.

END MONTAGE INT. SHUTTLE — NIGHT Exhausted, and with his helmet off, Lance collapses in his pilot’s seat.

LANCE Okay, that’s about all I can fit in this shuttle.

ILLORA (VIA COMM)

Your kind needs rest.

LANCE How about yours?

73

ILLORA (VIA COMM)

We rest, too.

LANCE But how are you and your ship doing out there?

ILLORA (VIA COMM)

Honestly?

LANCE Honestly.

ILLORA (VIA COMM)

Hanging on by what your kind would call ‘a thread,’ but I am surviving. I have just enough air, I haven’t eaten decently for a while, and have just enough power, although talking with you is a drain on my systems.

LANCE

Let me come get you. I want to see that you’re decently taken care of now.

ILLORA (VIA COMM)

Lance, you are a true companion.

LANCE (smiling)

Guess I am. EXT. LAUNCH CRATER — CONTINUOUS Its thrusters and engines working at full power, the SHUTTLE STRAINS to slowly lift off out of the crater, finally turning and aiming itself into the night sky. INT. SHUTTLE ONE — CONTINUOUS Lance is piloting the controls.

LANCE Okay, we just made it into space again.

(MORE)

74

LANCE (CONT’D) This shuttle is loaded down way more than it was meant to be, so take it easy on us okay?

ILLORA (VIA COMM)

Lance, don’t you know that mass is basically irrelevant at the Quantum level? Doesn’t your kind know even elementary physics?

LANCE

Hey, we’re out here aren’t we?

ILLORA (VIA COMM) Okay, let’s see if you have connected that nav beacon from the Oneran ship correctly.

LANCE

Well?

ILLORA (VIA COMM) I see you, more clearly than ever.

LANCE

I can’t wait to meet you.

ILLORA (VIA COMM) We’ll see.

EXT. SPACE — CONTINUOUS The shuttle’s Quantum Drive COILS POWER UP again. A VORTEX FORMS in front of it. The CRAFT elongates and DISAPPEARS into the vortex. EXT. WORMHOLE TUNNEL — CONTINUOUS A VORTEX OPENS. The shuttle emerges out of it into another wormhole tunnel with swirling patterns, slowing in the tunnel though as the VORTEX DISAPPEARS again behind it. INT. SHUTTLE ONE — CONTINUOUS

LANCE Alright, where are you, Illora? I don’t see you.

75

ILLORA (VIA COMM) Try looking to what you would call your left or ‘port’ side.

Lance twists the joystick to the left. Soon a black, oblong starship comes into view outside the shuttle’s front window. EXT. WORMHOLE TUNNEL — CONTINUOUS The shuttle turns to face the sizably larger black Oneran starship. INT. SHUTTLE ONE — CONTINUOUS

LANCE Your ships are impressive, out in space. You wouldn’t have a docking port for my shuttle to latch onto, or better yet, a docking bay for me to land this craft in, would you?

ILLORA (VIA COMM)

I think I have just enough power available to open the bay doors. Stand by.

EXT. WORMHOLE TUNNEL — CONTINUOUS Twin DOORS now OPEN on the underside of the black starship. INT. SHUTTLE ONE — CONTINUOUS Lance now pilots the shuttle towards and underneath the starship’s bay. EXT. WORMHOLE TUNNEL — CONTINUOUS The shuttle now rises up into the starship as the DOORS slowly CLOSE beneath it. INT. SHUTTLE ONE — CONTINUOUS Lance now POWERS DOWN his CRAFT.

ILLORA (VIA COMM) Welcome on board the Bonaxia.

76

LANCE (smiling)

Is that all you have to say to your companion?

ILLORA (VIA COMM)

Lance . . . I’m nervous about meeting you now. I don’t look like you, but I’m trying to.

LANCE

What does that mean?

ILLORA (VIA COMM) Well for one thing, your kind has five-fingered hands . . . mine only has three, although I have been changing that.

LANCE

Changing it?

ILLORA (VIA COMM) Why don’t you just put on an air pack, and see.

LANCE

Air pack?

ILLORA (VIA COMM) I’ve had to cut back on life support in most of the ship. The Landing Bay and adjacent areas haven’t been a priority. I’ll have to wear an air pack in that area, too. But I’m making my way there now.

LANCE

Okay, you’ve got me curious.

ILLORA (VIA COMM) I just hope I don’t disappoint.

LANCE

Well, my kind does say that love is blind.

77

ILLORA (VIA COMM) I hope that it can see as well, and take pleasure in that — at least in our case. Come out.

Lance raises an eyebrow, taking a deep breath as he rises out of his pilot’s seat, and grabs a compact respirator mouthpiece and pack from a locker on a bulkhead. INT. BONAXIA LANDING BAY The shuttle’s side doors open in the dimly lit landing bay. Wearing the respirator mask, Lance steps onto the deck of the alien vessel. The bay is comprised of flowing curves and arches. It is roomy enough to comfortably contain his shuttle, but does not dwarf the craft. Lance walks slowly towards a pair of doors he sees in front of him. He pauses, taking a deep breath from his air pack, before stepping forward as the doors open to reveal an even dimmer corridor. But Lance sees no one on the other side of the door.

LANCE (muffled within the respirator mask)

Illora? He then briefly removes his mouth mask to speak clearly, emitting foggy breath in the cold air.

LANCE Illora?

He hears a complex, almost garbled TRILLING VOICE.

VOICE (O.S.) Commmm caarrrrrrdd.

Lance inadvertently takes a breath of the thinned air.

LANCE (coughing)

What?

VOICE (O.S.) Turrrrrnn oonnnnn commmm carrrrrrdd.

78

Lance inadvertently takes a second breath of the air and faints. A slender, silhouetted form then moves to stand over him.

FADE TO BLACK. A BLACK SCREEN A rapid TRILLING, almost STATIC SOUND can be heard as a familiar electronic voice speaks.

ILLORA (O.S.) (speaking via commcard as the TRILLING continues in slight advance of each word)

Lance . . . Lance . . . can you hear me?

FADE IN: INT. SHUTTLE ONE — CONTINUOUS

ILLORA (O.S.) (CONT’D) Lance . . .

Lance is lying on the deck of his shuttle, his head resting on a pillow. A very pale, almost white hand with a long thumb and two primary fingers with two strangely shorter fingers in between caresses his head. He slowly opens his eyes. He sees a blurry, pale oval face above him, with short brown hair framing it. Lance opens his eyes wider now. The face comes into focus. It is a near-reflection of his own. Lance recoils back along the floor, up against the pilot’s chair.

LANCE Wh-Who are you?! L-Looking like me?!

79

ILLORA (VIA COMMCARD) Don’t you like the way I look? Don’t you want me to look human, like you? It is taking me a lot of effort to present this appearance.

LANCE

(squinting in disbelief)

Illora?

ILLORA (VIA COMMCARD) Yes, Lance. It’s me. I apologize for having to speak via the commcard. But I am having difficulty approximating human vocal chords. It is far easier for me to speak with your computer than it is with you.

LANCE

H-How is this possible?

ILLORA (VIA COMMCARD) My kind can change much about ourselves — limbs, organs, even our entire bodies. It just takes time and effort. But I am coming to comprehend that your kind cannot.

LANCE

No, we can’t.

ILLORA (VIA COMMCARD) But you do not like me looking like you?

LANCE

Quite honestly, it freaks me out.

ILLORA (VIA COMMCARD) I’m sorry.

LANCE

I’m a man. I just like women, and I like a woman to look somewhat different than me.

80

ILLORA (VIA COMMCARD) Show me a face you would like then, and I will attempt to approximate it. It may take me a little time though.

Lance now sits up, more relaxed.

LANCE Illora, I have a better idea. Why not just show me what you naturally look like, without effort.

ILLORA (VIA COMMCARD)

But I am not human. He now reaches to take her half-human hand.

LANCE I know.

Illora’s approximation of Lance’s face now lowers, closing its eyes. The face relaxes, morphing. The skin becomes slightly greener, the head taking on a somewhat narrower ovoid shape as the hair recedes. Eventually, two complex green eyes, with faintly distinguishable, almost cat-like pupils, open. The now slender but still gentle, even attractive alien face orients itself toward him. Lance looks down at Illora’s hand in his, the two shorter intermediate fingers have disappeared, while three longer and darker green ones remain resting gently in his.

LANCE Illora . . . is this your true form?

ILLORA (VIA COMMCARD)

Yes, it is.

LANCE You know . . . I think you’re beautiful, all in your own way.

ILLORA (VIA COMMCARD)

Really?

LANCE Yes.

81

ILLORA (VIA COMMCARD) Lance, did you mean everything else you said to me . . . out there?

LANCE

When I thought I was seeing you dead, back on your world — I wanted so much to see you alive, no matter what you looked like. Even the thought of us being connected just by this little card . . .

(picking up commcard) . . . didn’t seem so bad. I’ve always been a person who’s kept my pledges, and this one? It feels pretty good.

Illora smiles. Lance smiles, too.

ILLORA (VIA COMMCARD) Lance . . . you don’t have to.

LANCE

I know. Illora is moved as the two now tentatively embrace, sitting up on the floor of the shuttle. Lance gently moves back to look at her, while supporting her back with his other arm.

ILLORA (VIA COMMCARD) I still want to adapt to speak your language.

They both notice the dim lights flickering outside the shuttle in the landing bay. Lance looks back warmly at Illora.

LANCE One thing at a time, okay? Let’s fix your ship first.

MONTAGE Various scenes of Illora repairing her ship, with Lance’s somewhat awkward help.

82

A) INT. ONERAN STARSHIP He struggles, lugging a large component along a corridor, while she easily walks ahead of him, gesturing in explanation. She turns, finally noticing his difficulty. She removes a device from her pocket, gesturing for him to step away from the component. She then easily levitates it up off the deck again with a beam from the device and they then proceed on. He just looks at her in stunned amazement. He gets a finger pinched working on something in a compartment as she smoothly works next to him. He yanks his finger back in pain and sucks on it, glancing at her while she looks at him with a degree of resignation.

B) EXT. ONERAN STARSHIP IN WORMHOLE

The two work out in space, both wearing human space suits. He loses another tool. She now looks at him more warmly though, even smiling.

C) INT. ONERAN STARSHIP CORRIDOR

He is sitting on a ship’s deck, leaning back against an angled bulkhead, asleep from exhaustion. Bringing a blanket and a pillow, she sits down next to him, looking at him briefly, before she gently eases him down to the deck while placing the pillow under his head. She tucks them both in under the blanket before pausing, glancing at him again. She curls up against him, falling asleep as well.

END MONTAGE

INT. ONERAN STARSHIP CONTROL SPACE — NEW DAY Lance and Illora are standing at a panel along one side of the space. Illora rapidly works the lighted panels, moving from panel to panel. Lance moves back, trying to stand out of the way near one panel, watching her.

LANCE Wish I could help, but I haven’t a clue as to what’s what here.

83

ILLORA (VIA COMMCARD) The drive is almost ready. Now we have to decide where to go — back to my planet, find your ship, or to your planet?

LANCE

Well, two out of those three don’t sound very appealing. Your planet is dead, and mine is dying. That’s why I left. Does your kind know of any other habitable planet where we could live?

ILLORA (VIA COMMCARD)

Our explorations had not really found any. It could take a lot of searching, but our fuel for jumps is limited, as you did not bring any with you and this ship had only a little fuel while I was working on it.

LANCE

Well, we had targeted a couple possible planets in the Alpha Centauri system. That’s where we were headed.

ILLORA (VIA COMMCARD)

What’s that?

LANCE Right — our two peoples probably have entirely different names for the same stars. Can you show me a star chart?

Illora taps a few lighted symbols on a smooth panel in front of her. The PANEL begins emitting its own ELECTRONIC, YET ETHEREAL SOUNDS as a holographic field of stars appears in front of them, rotating. Lance looks at it carefully as Illora moves next to him.

LANCE I am not seeing any star constellations or patterns I recognize.

84

Illora reaches to tap some more lighted symbols on the panel, while also briefly speaking in her trilling native tongue without computer translation. The star field in front of them is now overlaid with a second star field.

ILLORA (VIA COMMCARD) I have instructed your shuttle’s computer to download its star charts to cross-reference with Oneran star data.

Lance and Illora look at the overlaid star fields.

LANCE I am still not seeing any matches.

ILLORA (VIA COMMCARD)

Nor I.

LANCE (sighing)

Space can be a big, lonely place. Illora now tentatively reaches a hand and arm around Lance.

ILLORA (VIA COMMCARD) Not anymore, for us.

Lance now puts an arm around Illora from the side as well.

LANCE That’s right.

ILLORA (VIA COMMCARD)

You sure you don’t want me to become human?

LANCE

It would always be a lie to me. (beat)

The way you are now is honest . . . and I prefer the truth, especially between us.

They are interrupted by an ALIEN ALERT sounding. Illora withdraws a bit, looking at the panel.

85

ILLORA (VIA COMMCARD) The drive is ready. Our fuel is limited though, perhaps enough for just one complete jump to somewhere. So where do we go, Captain?

LANCE

Captain?

ILLORA (VIA COMMCARD) You have to do something on this ship, and I don’t trust you working the controls. Besides, the panels here speak and vibrate to us, in ways which seem to be beyond your comprehension. So that leaves being ‘captain’ for you.

Lance sighs with a resigned smile as the two look at each other, still loosely embracing.

LANCE Well, you said you can locate other drive signals, right?

ILLORA (VIA COMMCARD)

More easily than practically anything else.

LANCE

How about we find my ship and crew first, rescue them, and then decide where to go?

ILLORA (VIA COMMCARD)

I like that, Captain.

LANCE (sighing)

Why does it take crossing a galaxy, maybe even a universe, to find someone who wants to be with me?

ILLORA (VIA COMMCARD)

Even my people haven’t answered such questions yet.

86

As Lance keeps an arm around her, Illora turns and taps more symbols on the panel. The star charts disappear, replaced by a holographic grey cloud.

ILLORA (VIA COMMCARD) (CONT’D) Relocating your ship’s signal. Nothing so far. Scanning other proximate time indexes.

LANCE

Other time indexes?

ILLORA (VIA COMMCARD) Of course. I told you when you were on my planet we could be talking across time. Dimension drives work not only across distance, but across time as well. Even your kind calls it ‘space-time’.

She continues working the panel. Finally, a flashing dot appears in the grey cloud suspended before them.

ILLORA (VIA COMMCARD) There . . . located them. Your Nova Orbis’ Quantum Drive signature.

LANCE

But when I left, their drive was shut down.

ILLORA (VIA COMMCARD)

Then it would be before you left. The blinking dot fades out, soon replaced by a smaller blinking dot.

ILLORA (VIA COMMCARD) (CONT’D) See? There is your shuttle. With the repairs you’ve helped me make to my ship’s systems, I can now better track and relocate drive signatures.

That blinking dot now also fades out.

87

LANCE That seemed to happen faster than I remember it.

ILLORA (VIA COMMCARD)

This was a scan of another time, and not in ’real time’ as you say. My ship’s systems gathered the information, then processed and presented it at a speed I requested.

LANCE

Can you go back with your scan and locate the main ship again?

ILLORA (VIA COMMCARD)

Of course. The larger dot returns, but soon fades out in favor of the smaller again, before that, too disappears.

LANCE So we have a very limited window to target and intercept them.

ILLORA (VIA COMMCARD)

While also not interrupting you. Otherwise all that we’ve accomplished here, even us as we are now, might cease to exist. It’s why my people had largely abandoned dimension space travel after only a few of your years. It was fraught with too many risks, and we weren’t finding any other planets that were offering more than ours already was.

LANCE

Wait . . . so we can go back in time. You could find your way back to your planet, right?

ILLORA (VIA COMMCARD)

From where we would be, I would need a drive signal, or dimension beacon.

88

LANCE Your people maintained such a beacon, before their planet was lost, right?

ILLORA (VIA COMMCARD)

Yes.

LANCE So we first intercept my ship, rescue my crew, and then we go back in time to your planet. Because if that asteroid or whatever hadn’t devastated your world, your people would be continuing to peacefully live there, in sustainable harmony with your world. Maybe we could fix the situation there from space, and then my people could live on that planet, too.

ILLORA (VIA COMMCARD)

Your kind wouldn’t be alone there though — ‘Have the place to yourselves,’ as you say.

Lance moves to embrace her again.

LANCE That is where my kind went wrong. We didn’t learn how to live all that well with others, let alone with our world. Maybe that’s a needed step in our development — living peacefully in harmony with your people. All my people want, at least the ones on my ship, is to have someplace peaceful, and green, to live.

ILLORA (VIA COMMCARD)

It would be changing the course of my world.

LANCE

It would be a better change than the one it has now.

Illora turns to the panel again and resumes working it.

89

ILLORA (VIA COMMCARD) Relocating your ship. We are going to have to precisely time both our jump to their wormhole, and our emergence point, to be far enough away from your ship not to interrupt what you need to do with your shuttle. Yet we also need to avoid colliding blindly with them after they shut down their drive as they continue their course and momentum, while accounting for the effect your shuttle’s drive and vortex will have on your main ship.

Lance sighs with both concern, yet admiration.

LANCE Sounds like one heck of a series of calculations.

ILLORA (VIA COMMCARD)

(with pride) Already done . . . I hope.

He draws near her again, putting an arm around her.

LANCE Nice to know you’re not perfect.

ILLORA (VIA COMMCARD)

This could still kill us.

LANCE Well, I believe that would just take us to yet another dimension. It feels like the right thing to do, and doing the right thing is something I’ve always believed in. Engage drive.

ILLORA (VIA COMMCARD)

Yes, Captain. EXT. WORMHOLE TUNNEL — CONTINUOUS The Oneran starship now PROJECTS a VORTEX ahead of it, is drawn in and disappears with a FLASH.

90

INT. NOVA ORBIS BRIDGE — BACK IN TIME The ship is shaking around the crew.

LANCE Where are we?!

RON

(looking at his panel displays)

Inside a wormhole! Navigational and even time references not available!

LANCE

How long should we be in this?

RON I have no idea! But let’s get out now, figure out where we are, and then maybe try again!

LANCE

Alright, disengage and shut down Quantum Drive!

RON

Quantum Drive shut down. But no effect! We’re still in the wormhole!

EXT. SWIRLING WORMHOLE TUNNEL — CONTINUOUS A VORTEX OPENS and the Oneran STARSHIP EMERGES, travelling at speed within the wormhole. INT. ONERAN STARSHIP CONTROL SPACE — CONTINUOUS

ILLORA (VIA COMMCARD) We’re in their wormhole. I’ve lost your ship’s drive signature again, but we were ahead of it when we emerged.

LANCE

We . . . I mean they, can’t see us?

91

ILLORA (VIA COMMCARD) Temporal mechanics and paradoxes are, as your colloquialisms say, ‘a bitch,’ aren’t they?

Lance looks at her, slightly annoyed.

ILLORA (VIA COMMCARD) (CONT’D) But no, there is still a great distance separating us. Here without their drive on, they will be practically invisible to us, and we to them, until or unless they collide with us. Watching for your shuttle’s drive signature.

A new flashing dot appears within a hologram of the wormhole vortex, behind another dot representing the Oneran starship. Illora briefly points to it.

ILLORA (VIA COMMCARD) There it is — your shuttle. I will lose track of your ship when your shuttle departs into its own vortex, and your ship will be deflected by that vortex onto a somewhat different heading within this wormhole. I only hope I have calculated correctly.

LANCE

You know my main ship’s design? The physical relative locations between my ship and my shuttle?

ILLORA (VIA COMMCARD)

I think you’ve just given me your first insult. From my earlier interactions with your shuttle’s computer, I probably know more about your Nova Orbis than you do.

LANCE

Sorry. Ticking off females — at least that seems to be something I’m good at.

92

ILLORA (VIA COMMCARD) Not now, Lance. But as you say, it’s okay.

EXT. NOVA ORBIS AMID WORMHOLE — CONTINUOUS A new VORTEX now begins FORMING in front of Shuttle One. A brilliant white FLASH ERUPTS. INT. ONERAN STARSHIP CONTROL SPACE — CONTINUOUS The blinking dot of Lance’s shuttle now winks out behind the Oneran starship’s dot on the holodisplay. Illora now rapidly works the panel in front of her as Lance watches.

ILLORA (VIA COMMCARD) Alright, you are gone. We can reveal ourselves. Hopefully your Nova Orbis won’t hit us before I can relocate it and come alongside.

Lance now steps back, giving Illora space to concentrate and work.

LANCE Anything I can do?

Illora briefly glances at him.

ILLORA (VIA COMMCARD) Maintain connection with me. My kind functions better in stress when held.

Lance now moves to hold Illora close from behind, even kissing the side of her head.

LANCE (whispering)

Go. Illora maintains her focus on the panel and holographic display before her.

ILLORA (VIA COMMCARD) Switching to exterior visual, rear view.

93

The hologram in front of them now changes. The swirling tunnel walls of the wormhole are now rapidly shrinking off into the distance. Soon, Illora taps some more lighted symbols on her panel as Lance watches with her. She calls up additional holographic displays of Oneran schematics, text, and visuals in front of her and Lance, touching them at times as controls as well, while she continues to scan and search.

ILLORA (VIA COMMCARD) Where are they?

EXT. ONERAN STARSHIP WITHIN WORMHOLE — CONTINUOUS The ship continues at speed alone within the wormhole. INT. ONERAN STARSHIP CONTROL SPACE — CONTINUOUS

LANCE Do we need to worry about maintaining course, watching ahead? Perhaps I can at least do that.

ILLORA (VIA COMMCARD)

No. Once one is in a wormhole, you can theoretically stay there forever, unless countering Quantum forces are applied. That is how I got stuck. One must choose an exit. Right now we’re ‘coasting,’ as you say.

She continues to work her panel, calling up and varying holographic displays in front of them both.

LANCE You couldn’t give me a panel with stuff in English so I could help?

ILLORA (VIA COMMCARD)

Not now! We could be encountering them any second.

LANCE

Keep going.

94

EXT. ONERAN STARSHIP WITHIN WORMHOLE — CONTINUOUS The ship continues at speed alone within the tunnel. INT. ONERAN STARSHIP CONTROL SPACE — CONTINUOUS A quiet pervades the space as both Illora and Lance look at the holodisplays before them intensely. Lance can’t help looking away nervously though at the ceiling of the control room, seemingly almost as if he might sense them better that way. The tension builds. EXT. ONERAN STARSHIP WITHIN WORMHOLE — CONTINUOUS Suddenly a BLUR rushes along the wormhole tunnel, SMASHING across and over the ONERAN STARSHIP as FRAGMENTS from both now EXPLODE off in various directions. INT. ONERAN STARSHIP CONTROL SPACE — CONTINUOUS Illora frantically works the panel and holodisplays as Lance braces them both while the ship lurches around them.

ILLORA (VIA COMMCARD) Got them! Applying gravitation fields and counterthrust to stop them!

Both Lance and Illora are then thrown to the deck as several panels explode around them. Lance helps Illora back onto her feet. Illora briefly looks around nervously as rapid ELECTRONIC SOUNDS emit around them.

ILLORA (VIA COMMCARD) (CONT’D) Lance, we must get to your shuttle. The ship is telling me there are several hull breaches, and the propulsive drive is smashed. We cannot stay.

LANCE

Let’s go! (MORE)

95

LANCE (CONT’D) (looking around)

Which way? I forget.

ILLORA (VIA COMMCARD) You’re not even much of a navigator, are you?

LANCE

Hey, I’m all you got right now. INT. ONERAN STARSHIP CORRIDORS — CONTINUOUS Illora now leads Lance along corridors back to the landing bay. INT. ONERAN STARSHIP LANDING BAY — CONTINUOUS As beams fall around them and ALIEN ALARMS SOUND, Lance takes over, leading Illora the final steps. He opens his shuttle’s door, leading them both inside as the shuttle door closes behind them. INT. SHUTTLE ONE — CONTINUOUS Lance gestures Illora towards the cockpit’s right seat as he takes the left.

LANCE Take the co-pilot’s seat. It provides you with a better computer interface. Besides, this at least is my territory.

ILLORA (VIA COMMCARD)

Delightfully primitive behavior. You’re going to be fun!

LANCE

(glancing at her) What?

ILLORA (VIA COMMCARD)

Never mind that now, Caveman. Opening bay doors. Activate your thrusters to hover, then accelerate downward on my mark.

96

LANCE Yes, Captain.

Illora reaches her left hand to his right arm, giving it a quick squeeze. Lance glances at her, smiling, before both resume working their controls. INT. ONERAN STARSHIP LANDING BAY — CONTINUOUS The SHUTTLE now RISES and HOVERS off the bay’s deck as the twin bay DOORS now OPEN underneath it while beams continue to shake loose and float around the shuttle in the now weightless environment. EXT. ONERAN STARSHIP, LOWER HULL — CONTINUOUS The bay DOORS FINISH OPENING, revealing the shuttle above them. INT. SHUTTLE COCKPIT — CONTINUOUS

ILLORA (VIA COMMCARD) Launch! Thrust down now!

LANCE

We’re outta here! He twists the joystick to the left with his right hand, while pushing a throttle level forward with his left. EXT. ONERAN STARSHIP — CONTINUOUS The SHUTTLE now ACCELERATES down out of the bay, beginning to move forward as the BAY and STARSHIP EXPLODE above it. Both the force of the blast, and debris now knock the shuttle hard to its left. INT. SHUTTLE COCKPIT — CONTINUOUS Panels explode around Lance and Illora as they struggle to remain in their seats. Lights go out and then flicker back on.

COMPUTER VOICE (VIA SPEAKERS) Warning. Impact damage. Ion propulsion inoperative. Hull breach. Internal atmosphere compromised.

(MORE)

97

COMPUTER VOICE (CONT’D) Cabin temperature dropping. Four minutes thirty seconds breathable air remaining.

LANCE

Your ship didn’t have any shuttles, did it?

Illora just silently shakes her head no. Lance now floats out of his seat, as the utility locker now explodes in front of him as he shields himself with his arms.

LANCE Great! My space suits were in there. Computer, open a channel to Nova Orbis.

COMPUTER VOICE (VIA SPEAKERS)

Communications systems inoperative. Alert. Three minutes breathable air remaining.

Lance then smashes the Plexiglas panel of a small red case mounted on the side bulkhead of the cockpit.

LANCE Well, I can activate this emergency beacon anyway. Hopefully they might detect it.

He pulls a red cylindrical device out of the case, flipping a black switch on it. The orange light at the beacon’s top begins to blink on and off. Lance then just lets it go as it now floats within the cockpit. Illora now rises and floats from her seat, subdued. Lance sees her, reaching for her hand and drawing her towards himself as he takes her into an embrace.

ILLORA (VIA COMMCARD) Thank you.

98

She now settles herself into almost a ball within his lap as they curl up together, beginning to get chilled now as they float about the cockpit.

LANCE So . . . what do we do now, Captain?

ILLORA (VIA COMMCARD)

You might have lived a longer life if you hadn’t rescued me.

LANCE

Out here, where would that really have gotten me?

ILLORA (VIA COMMCARD)

Would you like me to try being human again?

Lance gently shakes his head.

LANCE No.

The two gently touch their faces to one another as they float in the shuttle’s cabin.

COMPUTER VOICE (VIA SPEAKERS) Warning. Systems damaged. Interior temperature zero degrees Celsius and dropping. Two minutes of breathable air remaining.

The two glance at the overhead speaker.

ILLORA (VIA COMMCARD) (glancing around)

Wish I could see where the cracks are . . . do something to fix all of this.

Lance just holds her more tightly.

ILLORA (VIA COMMCARD) (CONT’D) Before I started talking to you, I had thought about picking up the gun on my ship . . . more than once.

99

LANCE I’m glad you didn’t.

ILLORA (VIA COMMCARD)

I’m still scared . . .

LANCE There’s nothing to be scared of. Just a different kind of dimension jump now.

ILLORA (VIA COMMCARD)

Better let me lead the way then, Captain. Who knows where you would take us.

LANCE

You’re in charge of our course then . . . Captain.

Both nestle even more tightly amid the increasing chill, evidenced by their foggy breaths.

ILLORA (VIA COMMCARD) Never been this cold.

Lance holds and rubs Illora as he glances at the flashing beacon floating nearby in the cabin.

LANCE (CONT’D) There seems to be no response to the beacon. I can blow this craft up . . . make everything go away faster, even the cold, if you want.

ILLORA (VIA COMMCARD)

I didn’t use my gun. So no shortcuts for you, either.

LANCE

(warmly) You got it.

Illora now withdraws her arm from around Lance’s back, trying to keep warm. He protectively wraps himself around her as they continue floating in the shuttle cabin.

100

ILLORA (VIA COMMCARD) Can barely breathe.

She begins gasping amid her shivering.

LANCE It’s okay . . . It’s okay. Just breathe from me . . .

Lance raises Illora’s fearful, gasping face towards his, drawing her into a slow kiss. She relaxes within his cradling of her. Her complex eyes close. Illora now grimaces with joy, accepting the new sensations, everything he is giving. Their movements slow as they float together, peacefully. The cabin lights begin to flicker and fade.

FADE TO BLACK. FADE IN: INT. NOVA ORBIS MEDICAL BAY A bright light overwhelms the view, before a couple of darker figures from either side begin to come into focus. One becomes Ron, the other Rajeev.

RON Lance . . . Lance. You there, buddy?

Lance begins to awake in a medical bed. His lips are cracked and he exhibits minor signs of frostbite on his face. The ship’s Physician and an Assistant work around them both as they continue to stabilize his condition.

RON (CONT’D) We almost thought we lost you.

Lance can only mumble as he comes to, weakly looking at Ron.

RON (CONT’D) But who or what did you bring back with you?

(MORE)

101

RON (CONT’D) And how the heck did you find it in the few seconds you were gone? Does it have anything to do with the ship we hit?

Lance’s eyes go wide.

LANCE Illora! . . . Wh-Where is she?

RON

(placing a hand on Lance)

Relax, she’s right next to you. We kind of figured you two were getting friendly, given the way we found you. But we don’t know what to do with her.

Lance now struggles to rise on his medical bed.

LANCE Let me up . . . Must connect. Her species needs that.

He now looks past Ron, reaching for Illora’s hand as she lies on the neighboring bed. Lance grabs her hand firmly as he looks at her unconscious form with worry. Ron ducks under Lance’s extended arm as both Ron and Rajeev look at Lance with concern. Illora’s fingers begin to respond to Lance’s grasp of them. She blinks open her complex green eyes, beginning to breathe more deeply.

RON (looking at her eyes)

Well, those are certainly different.

LANCE She’s Oneran. I haven’t been gone for just seconds, but days. Maybe longer.

Illora begins to further respond, looking up at the ceiling.

102

LANCE (CONT’D) Illora, I’m here. Everything’s alright.

Illora begins murmuring in her native trilling, unintelligible to anyone, as she begins to look around.

LANCE (still looking at Illora)

Computer, engage translation matrix via Med Bay comms. Cross-reference with Shuttle One and user reference ‘Illora’.

COMPUTER VOICE (VIA SPEAKERS)

Cross-reference established. Translation matrix engaging.

ILLORA (VIA SPEAKERS)

Lance . . . Lance . . . what’s going on?

The others around Lance and Illora then look up at the speakers in the bay’s ceiling, before looking at the two of them again.

LANCE It’s alright, Illora. We’re on board my ship now, the Nova Orbis, in its medical bay.

ILLORA (VIA SPEAKERS)

We made it? Lance squeezes her hand more tightly, smiling.

LANCE Yeah, we made it.

ILLORA (VIA SPEAKERS)

Lance . . . why are we separated? Lance smiles again as he looks at Illora.

LANCE Guys, move our beds together. That’s an order.

103

Shrugging among themselves, Ron, Rajeev, the Physician and Assistant all move to push the beds Lance and Illora are on together. Without saying a word, Lance now turns and draws Illora against him amid their bed sheets. Illora’s eyes now gently close as she is nestled against him once more, her trill becoming a gentle purr.

ILLORA (VIA SPEAKERS) Thank you . . .

LANCE

Illora’s an engineer among their kind. She can interface with our computers, and knows what they call ‘Dimension Drives’ far better than we do. She found and contacted me through our Quantum Drives, each time we turned them on. After I left in the shuttle, she identified my problems, and talked me through the repairs. We kept each other going as she then led me to find her. She was lost in space from an accident, too.

Lance looks at her warmly nestled against him.

LANCE (CONT’D)

But now . . . she’s what I’ve been looking for, Ron. She really is. And, she can help us find what we’ve all been looking for as well.

RON

She can? EXT. WORMHOLE — NEW DAY The Bonaxia’s Dimension Drive and its black housing are now somewhat less than harmoniously attached to the damaged nose of the Nova Orbis. With debris floating around it, the more heavily damaged Bonaxia is left behind as the Nova Orbis continues to move at a slower pace through the wormhole.

104

RON (V.O.) Now clear of the Bonaxia.

INT. NOVA ORBIS BRIDGE — CONTINUOUS Everyone is gathered near the main control panels, around Lance and Illora. Illora is now wearing human crew overalls, and a collar with a couple of small buttons and a speaker on it. Ron rises from working a reconfigured main panel.

RON (CONT’D) Okay, what’s next?

ILLORA (VIA COLLAR)

First, I want to thank you for this ‘solution’ you devised, Ron. I don’t know if I like the collar all that much, but it will do for now. And thanks for improving my translation matrix as well. I also want to thank all of you for not just accepting me into this crew, but for accepting my guidance, and even naming me as your Chief Engineer.

RON

Well, you’ve run circles around me, especially repairing our ship with parts from yours.

ILLORA (VIA COLLAR)

And I want to thank you for being willing to attempt to save my world with the fuel we have left, instead of going back to yours.

RAJEEV

We were headed for a new world anyway. We can at least find yours with your navigational technology. Otherwise we might be searching for eons — either for Earth, or for where we were going in the first place.

105

ILLORA (VIA COLLAR) Very well then, if all is in readiness—

LANCE

You becoming Captain now, too?

ILLORA (VIA COLLAR) Sorry.

LANCE

Stations everyone. And remember, we only get one shot at this.

The rest of the crew move to their stations around the bridge space and elsewhere, while Lance and Illora turn and take their seats at a somewhat reconfigured main panel. Lance pauses, looking at the now conjoined seats though.

LANCE (CONT’D) You sure this is necessary?

ILLORA (VIA COLLAR)

My kind optimally work at minimum in pairs, especially once they have a companion or mate. Since you wanted to sit rather than stand at this panel, I moved the chairs together.

The two move to sit down at the main panel.

LANCE So how’d you wind up alone on the Bonaxia?

ILLORA (VIA COLLAR)

(beginning to work the panel)

As I told you, I was separated for just a moment as my companion left the ship to get a specialized tool.

LANCE

So . . . is there someone waiting for you in the past we’re about to try and rescue?

106

Illora shakes her head as her hand extends and takes his.

ILLORA (VIA COLLAR) Not like this. She is what you would call a friend — a close friend. But not this.

LANCE

Let’s get to it, Chief. Illora then works her panel in earnest.

ILLORA (VIA COLLAR) Temporal scanning for Oneran Master Beacon.

A holoprojection of a complex combination of a star field and the wormhole now appear in front of them above Illora’s Oneran portion of the modified panel. A blinking yellow dot appears within the grey-clouded star field.

ILLORA (VIA COLLAR) (CONT’D) There it is. Programming for wormhole exit. Now, whatever afflicted my planet must have come very suddenly, perhaps with a returning starship.

Lance begins working his section of the panel.

LANCE How do we know it didn’t come with us?

ILLORA (VIA COLLAR)

Very good. You’re mastering temporal paradoxes. But we’ll just be careful.

Illora now works her section of the panel as well.

ILLORA (VIA COLLAR) (CONT’D) Scanning for proximate foreign bodies in this wormhole. Dimension and Ion drives available and ready to engage.

LANCE

Already?

107

Lance stops what he’s doing and turns to her.

LANCE (CONT’D) Remind me again. Just what is your attraction to me? I feel so pitifully slow and clueless around you at times.

ILLORA (VIA COLLAR)

Aside from rescuing me, and me being grateful to you for that alone, you balance me. You are unlike anyone I have known. Your slowness and primitiveness appeal to me.

LANCE

So you do love ‘cavemen’.

ILLORA (VIA COLLAR) You anyway.

Illora rapidly works the controls. Lance watches beside her intently with an arm around her as they look at the flashing yellow dot suspended in the holofield above the panel in front of them. The dot now disappears.

ILLORA (VIA COLLAR) (CONT’D) I’ve now localized when the incident happened. Going back to refine optimal insertion point.

LANCE

How will your kind react to an alien ship appearing in orbit?

ILLORA (VIA COLLAR)

Surprised. But they wouldn’t try to blow us out of the sky, like yours might.

LANCE

Thanks.

108

ILLORA (VIA COLLAR) Now scanning for other drive signatures during that time period.

A red dot now appears close beside the yellow dot as it reappears in the grey field above the panel. An orange dot then briefly appears and disappears, before the yellow dot also flashes to orange and disappears with the red dot in the holoprojection in front of them.

LANCE What are those red and orange dots? Other ships?

Illora taps the panel, causing the sequence in front of them to repeat.

ILLORA (VIA COLLAR) That red dot is us, appearing in that time, so long as things proceed as they are now. The orange dot is presumably my ship, the Bonaxia, leaving Oneran. I don’t quite know what the yellow dot flashing to orange before it disappears with the red dot means though, as that is the planet itself, or at least its beacon.

LANCE

So there’s no other ship there, causing what happened?

ILLORA (VIA COLLAR)

No other ships . . . She pauses with surprise, almost shock, as she rechecks the scan.

ILLORA (VIA COLLAR) (CONT’D) . . . anywhere in orbit or in proximity near the planet. I was expecting one, maybe more, but I am not seeing them.

(MORE)

109

ILLORA (VIA COLLAR) (CONT’D) My kind had discontinued the Dimension Ship program. I was working on one of last two in that launch bay when it happened.

Lance pauses, sitting back in their shared chairs.

LANCE So whatever it is . . . we do it. We kill your planet.

ILLORA (VIA COLLAR)

But if we don’t . . . we don’t meet. None of this happens.

Lance gets up out of his seat and faces away.

LANCE This is why your kind stopped venturing into space with Dimension Drives, isn’t it?

Illora turns toward him from their seats.

ILLORA (VIA COLLAR) Too many ships just disappeared, never returning. They must have encountered paradoxes like this.

LANCE

. . . And sacrificed themselves.

ILLORA (VIA COLLAR) You don’t have to. Just me. If we can save my planet, only I disappear, cease to exist in this awareness as the timelines merge again.

LANCE

And me, too. Don’t forget, you rescued me. But we can’t do this.

RON

Cap . . . Lance, what’s going on?

110

LANCE (looking at Illora)

If we exit this wormhole above Oneran, the planet is likely destroyed. And if we exit this wormhole anywhere else . . .

ILLORA (VIA COLLAR)

You and I cease to exist . . . here anyway.

RAJEEV

Lance . . .

LANCE (saddened)

W-Would all the rest of you . . . He struggles to collect himself as the realization sinks in.

LANCE (CONT’D) . . . permit Illora and I one more night . . . before we exit somewhere else?

Illora now rises from the seat to embrace Lance. He does not refuse her.

LANCE (quietly addressing the rest of the crew)

We will not condemn all of you to remain in this wormhole forever. But we will also not condemn Illora’s planet and people to death and extinction, either.

RON

Lance . . . buddy . . .

LANCE Just give us time to come up with what we need to do to keep all the rest of you safe, give you somewhere to go. And give my companion and I a night . . .

111

Lance and Illora now look at each other as they embrace.

LANCE (CONT’D) That’s all we ask.

INT. NOVA ORBIS, LANCE’S QUARTERS — LATER Candles gently illuminate the room. Lance reclines in bed, sitting back on pillows. He is half-covered but otherwise wearing nothing, looking towards Illora with both a smile on his face, but also sadness in his eyes. Illora now approaches him, unzipping and shedding her crew overalls. Her skin is smooth and light green, her shoulders and back shapely and extremely alluring. She is still wearing her collar. They say nothing as he lifts a corner of the covers for her to enter the bed. They take one another into their arms.

ILLORA (VIA COLLAR) (softly)

Lance . . .

LANCE There’s nothing you can really say now. It’s not really your voice I’m understanding anyway.

The two quietly laugh, on the verge of sadness. Lance rolls Illora on top of him as they kiss. They both finally break down, quietly shedding tears as they begin making love. Views change as they continue to kiss, embrace, and move against one another, deeply in love, accepting their shared fate. EXT. SWIRLING WORMHOLE AROUND NOVA ORBIS The modified Nova Orbis continues to voyage through the wormhole.

112

INT. NOVA ORBIS BRIDGE — NEW DAY Lance and Illora emerge onto the bridge in their uniforms, arm in arm, with Illora resting her free hand on Lance’s heart, glancing at him proudly as they walk. Ron steps forward from the rest of the crew gathering around them though.

RON Lance, Illora . . . the rest of us have taken a vote. We’re willing to stay here, in this wormhole . . . with you.

Lance shakes his head with a sad but grateful smile as Illora looks at him.

LANCE No. Illora and I can’t let you do that. That would only be sacrificing humanity’s future instead of the Onerans’.

ILLORA (VIA COLLAR)

You’ve got to come through, Ron, and the rest of you — for all of us, my people and yours. Now, you’re still in the same wormhole you were in. Sit down at the controls here.

Illora now moves to guide Ron to the pilot’s seat at the modified panel.

ILLORA (VIA COLLAR) (CONT’D) I’ve already programmed in your exit to an earlier time in Oneran history, in the early days of our Dimension Ship program where we began expecting that we might be visited by others with similar drives.

Ron cautiously sits down alone at the panel.

113

ILLORA (VIA COLLAR) (CONT’D) When you emerge, this panel, your entire ship will change back to what they were. The only thing missing will be Lance, and your memory of us together. Given your attitudes, here anyway, I think you and the Onerans will meet peacefully and get along fine. Lance will simply be missing, lost, as will I.

RAJEEV

You two sure you will not change your minds?

LANCE

(shaking his head) No. This is best for everyone—

RON

Except you. Ron now gets up from the seat.

RON (CONT’D) Cap, Illora . . . no one here can condemn you two to oblivion — neither death nor a promise of an afterlife. I did warn you about these drives!

Lance and Illora look towards him as they hold each other.

RON (CONT’D) But you need me, or someone else, to press those buttons, or it won’t happen — we won’t get out of this wormhole alive. I for one refuse to do it.

He quietly folds his arms, looking around at the rest of the crew, who now fold their arms as well.

RON (CONT’D) (with a satisfied smile)

And so does everyone else.

114

Illora moves to gratefully embrace Ron with tears in her eyes, before returning to Lance’s side and looking with pride at him.

LANCE Ron, we’re grateful. But what other way is there?

RON

We go to Oneran — at the time we’re evidently supposed to. Then we see what happens, and deal with it . . . better than we apparently did the last time or whatever. I don’t believe in fate. Things can change. I just gotta believe there’s a middle way between annihilating Oneran or sending you two off to oblivion. If it means staying right where we’re at, that’s what this crew has voted to do. And if you pilot us to anywhere other than Oneran, at that moment, we all vanish.

LANCE

Illora?

ILLORA (VIA COLLAR) I would imagine that we would do something sooner or later if we stayed here. It looks like this crew wants to head for my planet. If we can get them there, change or prevent what has happened, perhaps we could be saved, or perhaps only you and I might be lost. If I re-tune the vortex a bit as we transition to normal space, it might work.

LANCE

But what if that’s what causes the destruction of your planet?

Illora now holds him tightly, burying her face against his shoulder.

ILLORA (VIA COLLAR) I know . . .

115

EXT. SWIRLING WORMHOLE AROUND NOVA ORBIS The Nova Orbis continues voyaging through the wormhole. INT. NOVA ORBIS BRIDGE — LATER Illora and Lance are once again seated at the main panel.

ILLORA (VIA COLLAR) Ready to engage.

Lance moves an arm around her.

LANCE Illora, if we disappear . . . I’ll do everything I can to hang onto you, no matter where we go, alright? I will be right with you.

ILLORA (VIA COLLAR)

As will I. She pauses from her work with the panel to look deeply at him, caressing his face with a three-fingered hand.

ILLORA (VIA COLLAR) (CONT’D) Thank you for rescuing me.

Lance looks at her warmly.

LANCE Engage drive, Chief.

EXT. SWIRLING WORMHOLE AROUND NOVA ORBIS — CONTINUOUS The black DRIVE SECTION attached to the front of the Nova Orbis now WHINES, glowing from inside. It then projects a white VORTEX that elongates the ship and DRAWS it in. INT. NOVA ORBIS BRIDGE — CONTINUOUS A healthy, vibrant blue and green Oneran appears in a holoprojection in front of Lance and Illora above their panel while the main view screen beyond it shows the vortex as it begins fading to reveal the planet as well.

116

Illora now starts to fade amid a vaporous field, as does Lance. Illora works furiously at the panel as Lance just holds her tightly with both arms.

ILLORA (VIA COLLAR) Compensating!

EXT. NORMAL SPACE — CONTINUOUS A powerful VORTEX APPEARS. The Nova Orbis BURSTS FORTH, almost EXPLODING out of the vortex surrounded by a confused, white energy field as the ship now tumbles forward, out of control. INT. NOVA ORBIS BRIDGE — CONTINUOUS The ship begins to shake around the crew.

ILLORA (VIA COLLAR) (CONT’D) I’ve modified the drive to project a temporal field around this ship to maintain us in the space-time of the wormhole!

The ship now rocks around them as sparks fly from the Nova Orbis’ Earth-made panels.

ILLORA (VIA COLLAR) (CONT’D) But I’m still reading fundamental incompatibilities between your ship and my ship’s Dimension Drive and other systems. The fixes won’t be stable for long!

More small explosions and sparks fly from the junction of the Oneran and Earth sections of the main panel Illora and Lance are at.

ILLORA (VIA COLLAR) (CONT’D) Compensating for overloads! The drive’s surging!

EXT. NORMAL SPACE — CONTINUOUS The Nova Orbis continues to careen out of control, tumbling towards Oneran as a new MASS of confused, white energy SURGES from its black Dimension Drive.

117

INT. NOVA ORBIS BRIDGE — CONTINUOUS

RON Lance! Look! That’s not like the vortex I’ve seen this ship generate before!

Lance and Illora join Ron and the others looking at the display screen beyond the main panel Illora is working. They see a new, large, linear mass of swirling energy. EXT. NORMAL SPACE — CONTINUOUS The swirling linear energy field now grows, dwarfing the Nova Orbis as both careen towards Oneran. INT. NOVA ORBIS BRIDGE — CONTINUOUS

ILLORA (VIA COLLAR) That’s a singularity. We’ve created it.

Ron is standing beside her, manning a jury-rigged side panel.

RON Both it and we are headed for the planet!

More sparks erupt from Ron’s panel. He hits some soft keys.

RON (CONT’D) Ion propulsion and thruster controls are out! We can’t stop!

LANCE

Fix it! Ron quickly kneels under his panel to work on it. Lance briefly glances at the display screen before looking down regretfully amid the chaos.

LANCE (CONT’D) We shouldn’t have come. We’ve doomed both the planet and ourselves.

118

ILLORA (VIA COLLAR) (with quiet determination)

No! She now works the panel, her eyes almost closing as she speaks in a continual static in her native tongue. Her hands and fingers move at an almost blinding speed as the Oneran panel’s illuminated graphics and holograms above it respond around her hands at an equal rate.

LANCE What are you doing?

ILLORA (VIA COLLAR)

Preparing to launch a counter vortex! Jerking himself from under his panel, Ron looks at her with shock.

RON Counter vortex? You mean you’re putting a second one out there?!

ILLORA (VIA COLLAR)

This vortex will extinguish the first!

LANCE

Wait! We have to get you off the planet!

EXT. NORMAL SPACE — CONTINUOUS The linear FIELD now TOUCHES the planet, causing fiery DEVASTATION to slowly begin sweeping across the planet’s surface. INT. NOVA ORBIS BRIDGE — CONTINUOUS Illora and Lance pause, watching the holodisplay before them.

LANCE We’re out of time! Force the launch!

ILLORA (VIA COLLAR)

What?

119

LANCE Hack the Bonaxia. Take control of it and force it to launch. You took control of my shuttle!

ILLORA (VIA COLLAR)

I’d need to access not just the Bonaxia, but launch control as well. I’d need permissions!

LANCE

You mean passwords? Codes?

ILLORA (VIA COLLAR) No, permissions — from superiors! Onerans don’t just do things without coordinating!

LANCE

Sounds like your computer architecture is wide open. I’m giving you permission to save your world, and us! Do it!

Illora turns back to her portion of the panel as hands resume furiously working it.

ILLORA (VIA COLLAR) (surprised)

I have control of the Bonaxia.

LANCE Launch it!

ILLORA (VIA COLLAR)

Launching. The orange dot now appears on the holodisplay in front of them.

ILLORA (VIA COLLAR) I’m reading damage to its onboard systems from the rough launch. I could repair—

120

LANCE Don’t fix a thing! Just send it to where it’s supposed to be, otherwise this really gets screwed up!

Illora now glances at Lance with a mixture of surprise and admiration.

ILLORA (VIA COLLAR) Yes, Captain.

She hits some more Oneran soft keys. They both see the orange dot wink out as a tiny white vortex briefly appears off to the left of the planet on the display screen in front of them.

LANCE Now fire your counter vortex!

Illora hits an Oneran soft key on the panel. EXT. NORMAL SPACE — CONTINUOUS A second swirling white energy FIELD is FIRED from the Nova Orbis’ Oneran Dimension Drive. The second energy FIELD grows and IMPACTS against the first, causing a RIPPLING EXPLOSION that rapidly spreads out beyond the planet. ONERAN itself begins to shift, PHASING into two spheres, as the devastation continues on just one of the phasing planets. INT. NOVA ORBIS BRIDGE — CONTINUOUS

ILLORA (VIA COLLAR) Space-time is splitting in front of us! I am seeing two planets! Our temporal shield is still holding!

LANCE

Ron, we need propulsion!

RON (under his panel)

Working!

121

EXT. TURBULENT PHASING SPACE — CONTINUOUS The shielded Nova Orbis continues to careen towards the heart of the overwhelming maelstrom. INT. NOVA ORBIS BRIDGE — CONTINUOUS

ILLORA (VIA COLLAR) Interfacing with the remaining Dimension Ship on the lesser damaged of the two planets, engaging its drive with ours to full power! Setting coordinates!

RON

(sticking his head from under his panel)

Do you know what that will do to the planet?!

ILLORA (VIA COLLAR)

Save it! Give us any propulsion you have!

Ron now rises quickly, gripping his panel amid the turbulence as he works it furiously.

RON Propulsion controls rerouted and back online! But this won’t hold for long!

Illora now reaches over to Lance’s side of the main panel, rapidly hitting some soft keys and twisting the joystick with her left hand.

ILLORA (VIA COLLAR) Firing aligning thrusters!

EXT. TURBULENT PHASING SPACE — CONTINUOUS THRUSTERS on the Nova Orbis FIRE as the ship now pivots and lines up in parallel with the PLANETS as they continue PHASING APART.

122

INT. NOVA ORBIS BRIDGE — CONTINUOUS

ILLORA (VIA COLLAR) Engaging both drives, now!

EXT. TURBULENT PHASING SPACE — CONTINUOUS Powerful VORTICES EMANATE from both the ship and the second planet, meeting a distance away in space. As fire consumes the first planet, both the Nova Orbis and the second planet distort and are pulled away as a blinding WHITE FLASH consumes the view.

FADE TO BLACK. A BLACK SCREEN

COMPUTER VOICE (VIA SPEAKERS) Incoming transmission. Engaging translation matrix.

MALE VOICE (VIA COMM)

Unidentified ship . . . Unidentified ship. This is Oneran Control. Do you require assistance?

FADE IN: INT. NOVA ORBIS BRIDGE — CONTINUOUS Lights come back on. Lance and Illora come to in their seats, as others begin to regain consciousness and rise around them.

MALE VOICE (VIA COMM) (CONT’D) Unidentified ship . . . respond please.

Illora strains to sit up again.

ILLORA (VIA COLLAR) Allow me.

Lance now strains to sit upright as well.

LANCE Be my guest. Just tell them we come in peace.

123

Illora touches a few soft keys on the panel and trills in response in her native tongue.

MALE VOICE (VIA COMM) Welcome, Nova Orbis, to Oneran.

Lance and Illora simply embrace, relieved, even chuckling, in their shared seats. INT. HALLWAY — NEW DAY A hand brings a commcard out of a pocket.

ILLORA (O.S.) Lance, you don’t need that anymore.

EXT. ONERAN COMMUNITY — CONTINUOUS Lance, Illora, and another Oneran emerge out of a rounded, tan building amid lush green lawns and trees, with green forests and mountains in the background. All three have an arm around each other as they walk. Other Onerans are walking in pairs, trios and other groups around them, including Ron, Rajeev and others of the human crew. Smiling, Lance puts the commcard back in his pocket as he turns to the other Oneran.

LANCE It was nice to meet you. See you again soon.

Illora trills in translation between them, while Lance extends his right hand to shake with the other Oneran. The other Oneran brushes his hand aside though and simply moves to warmly embrace Lance and Illora together, before turning and walking away, joining another pair of companions as the two watch her.

LANCE So she is your engineering companion.

124

ILLORA (speaking on her own now, but still with a slight trill)

Yes. A very good companion, but not like you and I.

LANCE

And I’m not supposed to tell her I found her dead in the other dimension, on that other ship.

ILLORA

Never, please. She just doesn’t need to know. But, it looks like you’re stuck here now with the Council disallowing any further use of Dimension Drives, although careful research will continue.

LANCE

I’m just glad they didn’t throw us into prison for what happened.

ILLORA

As far as anyone here experienced, it never happened . . .

Illora and Lance begin walking together.

ILLORA (CONT’D) Having learned how to restore myself from near-oblivion, I just shifted this Oneran slightly back in time within a temporal field of space-time drawn from the original’s timeline. At the same time, I propelled both this planet and us into a new timeline, using the drives of the Nova Orbis and the ship on the planet to generate an exponentially massive common vortex, while dropping our shields as both we and the planet entered the new timeline. So, nonexistent mass memories can be one of the good things about dimensional transport, if one gets it right.

125

LANCE I think I can just about follow all that.

ILLORA

Fortunately though, we don’t have prisons here, Caveman. But, it turns out we have you to thank for us meeting at all.

Lance briefly glances down with a smile.

LANCE Just call me Master of Temporal Paradoxes, when it really counts. But what now, my advanced and enlightened companion?

ILLORA

I’ve decided to switch to biology. She turns to take him into an embrace.

LANCE Biology? From engineering?

ILLORA

Yes. I’d like to see some of these Earth animals I’ve been hearing about in your computer databases — help bring them into being here. Plus, I want to explore this fascinating human concept called ‘family’.

Lance looks at her with a mixture of surprise and pleasure.

ILLORA (CONT’D) We have them here, too, you know. And I think I can make it work . . . even between us.

The two of them kiss, deeply as the view moves away from them into the clouds.

NARRATOR (V.O.) This was my grandfather’s story.

126

EXT. LARGER ONERAN COMMUNITY — DECADES LATER The scattered clouds are re-penetrated to reveal a vibrant, harmonious community balanced between beautiful forests and gardens and elegant buildings that complement and fit with the landscape. A couple of giraffes, and a fair number of other Earth animals, peacefully roam among the inhabitants.

NARRATOR (V.O.) (CONT’D) For almost a century now, we have known peace and tranquility, even a joy here on Oneran. Things that we’ve come to feel increasingly obligated to share with the Universe, or at least other worlds and peoples we can reach. Those of us descended from my grandfather and his crew have also wondered at times what became of our human cousins on that other world.

INT. GLASS DOMED MUSEUM GALLERY — CONTINUOUS Embedded amid the lawns, trees and low buildings, an oval, segmented glass dome is entered from above, revealing a battle-scarred Nova Orbis cradled and on display within a large, hangar-like gallery. Small figures around it admire the ship and some surrounding exhibits.

NARRATOR (V.O.) (CONT’D) After further refining designs pioneered with both Oneran technology and the Nova Orbis — which has long been a revered museum piece — we are ready to go back, and close my ancestors’ lingering regret about a choice they did not take.

The view now migrates up from beneath the front of the starship towards a bright sun above.

FADE TO WHITE. EXT. SPACE AROUND ONERAN — CONTINUOUS The view then turns from the sun to reveal the blackness of space, peppered by a bright star field, and part of the planet Oneran.

127

INT. STARSHIP BRIDGE — CONTINUOUS Two figures now step in front as sleek, dark panels are revealed around that view of space.

NARRATOR (V.O.) (CONT’D) With the Dimension Drive perfected, as well as navigation and guidelines on paradoxes improved, and my mate at my side — we and a crew of one hundred are ready to break orbit from the world I’ve known my whole life on board the Pax Communum, or ‘Shared Peace’ in the ancient human tongue, and voyage back to see what became of Earth and its inhabitants — even helping them, if they’ll allow us.

The view migrates down to one figure’s lightly tanned hands as it works the panel.

NARRATOR (V.O.) (CONT’D) I just hope they won’t mind my long, three fingered hands. Of course, I can change if they would prefer.

EXT. SPACE — CONTINUOUS The large, sleek, light grey starship, Pax Communum, now moves off from Oneran, smoothly generating a vortex that consumes both it, and the view.

THE END