EXT. DEEP SPACE
Distant Future
Bright stars pepper the black background. We SPEED through
the endless void, past MARS, JUPITER, SATURN, on to the ends
of the solar system, then out of sight.
FEMALE (V.O.)
Thirty years ago, a deep space
probe traveled to a distant
planetary system where it picked up
an unusual energy signature on one
of the moons.
The PROBE sweeps through space, past a small RINGED PLANET,
surrounded by dozens of MOONS. Multiple LIGHTS BLINK on and
the probe changes trajectory toward the surface of a moon,
where it disappears from sight.
FEMALE (V.O.)
Ten years later, an exploration
ship was sent to investigate.
Transport Ship EXO-1 glides silently through space. The
ringed planet comes into view, surrounded by moons and a SUN
in the distance. The ship moves into orbit, the planet
rolling underneath.
A bay door opens in the belly of the EXO-1 and a small
tactical ship deploys, engines fire as it races toward one of
the moons.
INT. TACTICAL SHIP BRIDGE
Seated at the controls is CAPTAIN JAMES CAIN (40’s) strong
features, flanked by NAVIGATOR JENNIFER MORRIS (30’s), dark
skinned and ENGINEER ABEL NARKIS (30’s).
CAPTAIN CAIN
How’s it look?
NARKIS
Nominal temp is five degrees C.
Almost Earth-like. No atmosphere.
CAPTAIN CAIN
This is where the probe picked up
the anomaly?
MORRIS
What? You don’t trust me to get us
to the right place?
NARKIS
I wouldn’t trust you to drive me
around the block
MORRIS
Bite me.
NARKIS
I still don’t understand what the
anomaly is.
CAPTAIN CAIN
Didn’t you read the brief? Unusual
energy signature. We’re here to
take soil samples. That’s it.
NARKIS
I’m not picking up any readings at
all. Feels like a big dead rock.
MORRIS
Kinda like your head.
NARKIS
Bite me.
The ship begins its arc toward the surface. We see the moon
through the front window, getting closer.
CAPTAIN CAIN
50,000 meters, dropping. Rotating.
40,000. Pretty benign. 20,000
meters. Setting down in that
shallow crater.
NARKIS
Looking good. No turbulence.
Radiation negligible.
CAPTAIN CAIN
Keep checking. Nine hundred meters.
Six hundred. Engaging struts.
EXT. TACTICAL SHIP/MOON SURFACE
Landing struts unfold.
CAPTAIN CAIN (O.C.)
Two hundred meters.
The ship slams down and rocks momentarily.
INT. TACTICAL SHIP
CAPTAIN CAIN
Grab your kits. Let’s get this
done.
INT. MAIN AIR LOCK
All three enter the lock. The inner door whines shut. They
take their time, suiting up, pulling on helmets.
A faint, almost imperceptible VIBRATION rumbles through the
floor. Morris glances down, then shrugs it off.
MORRIS
(Flexing her gloved hand)
These nanosuits are amazing. Feels
like a second skin.
CAPTAIN CAIN does a quick check of their suits.
CAPTAIN CAIN
Abel, take readings all around the
ship. Then fill your soil bags.
We’ve got nine months of sleep back
to the space station.
Cain hits the outer door release.
EXT. MOON
Door opens. Ladder automatically extends to the ground. One
by one they step down onto the moon’s surface. The group fans
out.
CAPTAIN CAIN
Jen, fill your vials with soil.
Some with catalyst, some sterile.
If either of you find anything
unusual, shout it out.
CAPTAIN CAIN walks a short distance away from the ship.
CAPTAIN CAIN POV: Everything is gray. Mountain ranges in the
distance. He turns back to the ship when a SCREAM
MORRIS (O.S.)
What the fuck?! HELP ME!
NARKIS (O.S.)
NOOOO! CAPTAIN! CAPTAIN! HELP!
CLOSE-IN on CAPTAIN CAIN: His eyes are wide in shock.
CAPTAIN CAIN
(His face jerking back and forth)
Oh my God! OH MY GOD!
He slowly sinks out of the frame.
MORRIS’ and NARKIS’ SCREAMS fade. All is silent.
WIDE SHOT: The moon's surface, empty except for the ship. The
silence is deafening. The ground ripples and a golden liquid
seeps to the surface.
FEMALE (V.O.)
The whole world focused on the
relentless pursuit of this new
source of energy, scientists named
SOLADAR.
DISSOLVE TO:
TITLE/CREDITS
Genres:
["Science Fiction","Adventure"]
Ratings
Scene
2 -
Confronting the Past
EXT. SUBURBAN NEIGHBORHOOD OUTSIDE OF SEATTLE - DAY
LEGEND: Forty Years Later
The sound of distant SCREAMING from the previous scene
ECHOES, then TRANSFORMS into stark silence, as we view...
A residential neighborhood, except all the houses are
destroyed. Burned foundations, streets marred with enormous
craters, abandoned cars baked in the sun, and uprooted trees.
LIEUTENANT CARLA CAIN (32), pretty, short black hair, stands
on the sidewalk, frozen, eyes locked on one of the ruined
houses.
She’s wearing a futuristic military uniform. A patch on her
chest reads: INTERNATIONAL SPACE RANGERS. With her is
TECHNICAL SERGEANT FRED (PACE) PACERELLI, (30), 6’2, shaved
head, muscular, a fellow ranger, dressed similarly.
A sleek, futuristic CAR hums quietly beside her.
PACE
This was your home?
CAIN
Yeah. I swore I’d never come
back...but it’s been so long. I
needed to see it again. All this in
the name of Soladar, Pace. Every
time I think I’m getting close to
finding out what happened to my
grandfather, another roadblock. The
government covered it up. Then came
the war.
QUICK FLASH: AERIAL VIEW of SEATTLE, and surrounding
neighborhoods, all on fire. Jets crisscross the sky.
Rivers of gold wash over the world.
END QUICK FLASH
Pace glances around at the destroyed neighborhood.
PACE
Hey, I get it, but Soladar is
highly classified.
CAIN
What about the lost colony ships?
I’ve reached out to some of the
families. They want to know what
happened.
PACE
General Kelly wasn’t too happy
about that. I’m surprised you were
busted. Besides, what makes you
think lost colony ships have
anything to do with Soladar?
She gives him a side-eye glance.
CAIN
The ships disappeared and a year
later Soladar flowed. There’s a
connection. General Kelly knows.
Pace walks up a sidewalk to an empty shell of a house.
PACE
You’ve been warned...hell, we’ve
both been warned to leave it alone.
Cain scoffs.
CAIN
Please. You know me better than
that.
Pace shakes his head.
PACE
How did you even survive?
CAIN POV: Nothing but a burned out foundation.
Her eyes mist up.
CAIN
My brother Noah saved me.
FLASHBACK:
Genres:
["Science Fiction","Mystery","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
3 -
Echoes of Destruction
EXT. MODERN CITYSCAPE - SEATTLE - DAY (FLASHBACK)
A MONSTROUS FIREBALL ERUPTS, devouring the skyline. Silence.
Then—AN EARTH-SHATTERING ‘BOOM’. The fireball morphs into a
roiling MUSHROOM CLOUD.
The ground HEAVES. Car alarms WAIL.
INT. CAIN HOUSE, KITCHEN - DAY (FLASHBACK)
Noah (16) and Carla (6) sit at the kitchen table munching
cookies.
Carla laughs, just as the sound of the explosion stops them
mid-motion.
Noah slams his chair back and runs to the living room window.
INT. CAIN HOUSE, LIVING ROOM - DAY (FLASHBACK)
THROUGH THE WINDOW: Noah sees the MUSHROOM CLOUD over the
city. What appears to be a HEATWAVE RIPPLES the very air.
CLOSE-IN ON NOAH: His breath hitches. Eyes dart —
calculating, terrified.
Behind him, Carla clutches a STARCRASH ACTION FIGURE to her
chest.
THROUGH THE WINDOW: In the city, TALL BUILDINGS TURN TO FIRE
AND CRUMBLE. Carla is now practically on top of Noah, leaning
over, trying to see.
CARLA
Noah!
Noah spins. Sees her frightened. A FAMILY PHOTO on the wall
VIBRATES, their parents’ smiling faces blurred by motion.
The house SHAKES VIOLENTLY. Kitchen cabinets fly open behind
them, and dishes crash to the floor.
Carla screams.
Noah picks up Carla and races to the front door and outside.
The family photo SHATTERS on the floor.
EXT. CAIN HOUSE/NEIGHBORHOOD - DAY (FLASHBACK)
Down the block—a NEIGHBOR’S HOUSE VAPORIZES.
Carla BURIES her face in Noah’s neck.
Noah wraps her in his arms. Looks up. The skies are nearly
black. Smoke all around them. He blinks, can’t even register
what is happening. He kisses the top of Carla’s head. Sets
her down.
The middle of the street disintegrates in a MONSTROUS FLASH.
The neighborhood is on FIRE.
Noah pulls Carla down the sidewalk, into the yard of a big,
white house, their clothes smudged with ash.
They sprint through a splintered gate into the backyard. The
ground trembles beneath them—a relentless drumbeat of
destruction.
In the middle of the yard, fifty feet from the house, a STORM
CELLAR yawns open. SEVERAL PEOPLE scramble inside, elbows
jabbing, voices raw with panic. A child’s wail cuts through
the chaos.
Noah grips Carla’s shoulders, his voice steady but urgent.
NOAH
Get as far in as you can. The very
back, ok?
She clings to him with all her strength, still holding her
action figure.
CARLA
No! Don't leave me!
A low, unnatural HUM swells in the distance—like a freight
train barreling through the sky. Noah’s eyes dart toward it,
then back to Carla. He pulls her into a crushing hug. People
continue trying to reach the storm cellar.
NOAH
I'll be right there. I'm just gonna
help some of these people get in. I
love you, Car. Now get to the very
back, you hear! No matter what
happens, you stay strong, Car. Stay
strong.
He pushes her to the ladder.
NOAH (CONT’D)
I’m right behind you. GO!
Carla turns, her small hands gripping the ladder rungs. The
HUM crescendos. As she starts down the ladder...
SUDDENLY...
A DEAFENING EXPLOSION. The world WHITEOUTS. A MASSIVE
CONCUSSIVE WAVE HITS Noah, hurling him backward. The cellar
door SLAMS SHUT with a final, metallic CLANG.
Carla’s scream is swallowed by the roar of the inferno as she
falls back into the crowd below.
BACK TO PRESENT
Cain stares at the burnt-out remains of her childhood home.
She and Pace climb into the car. Hovering a few feet off the
ground, it slowly glides down the street.
CUT TO:
Genres:
["Sci-Fi","Drama","Action"]
Ratings
Scene
4 -
Secrets in the Stars
EXT. JEPSO INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION (ISS)
Floating in the void - MARS dominates the foreground, with
EARTH just a pinprick of light beyond.
A massive conglomeration of a central ROATATING STRUCTURE,
with insect-like arms stretching out in three directions
connected to separate HUBS. Extensive SOLAR PANELS extend
like wings, reflecting the sun’s light.
INT. JEPSO ISS - GENERAL KELLY’S OFFICE
GENERAL HANK KELLY (50s, salt-and-pepper hair, commander's
bearing) stands at a viewport, his back to the room. On his
desk: a single framed photo of the general, his wife and
daughter.
BRIGADIER GENERAL KATARINA PLATT (40s, sharp, sandy hair)
sits at a table in the middle of the room; watches him, her
fingers tracing the edge of her DATA SCREEN.
GENERAL PLATT
My contact in the Russian
Federation wants an update on
Soladar production. I told him it
takes nearly two years to mine the
stuff and get it back to Earth.
Kelly turns around.
GENERAL KELLY
It’s dangerous to even be talking
about this. We could both end up in
front of a firing squad.
GENERAL PLATT
Little late to be worried about
that...sir.
GENERAL KELLY
Has Yuslov arrived?
GENERAL PLATT
He’s just outside. So, what do I
tell my contact?
GENERAL KELLY
One colony ship leaves today.
Another in three weeks. Two
thousand colonists. With the new
Soladar reactors, they’ll reach the
moon in nine months.
GENERAL PLATT
I’ve diverted another five tons to
their refinery in Moscow.
This garners a raised eyebrow from Kelly.
GENERAL KELLY
What does the account look like?
Platt hands over her datapad.
GENERAL PLATT
See for yourself.
CLOSE-IN ON DATAPAD: It’s a Swiss bank account. BALANCE
reads: 92,000,000 credits.
GENERAL PLATT (CONT’D)
One more shipment and we can both
retire to a beach somewhere.
GENERAL KELLY
Get Yuslov.
Platt opens the door and ushers in GENERAL YUSLOV SHEVCHENKO
(50s, stoic, Ukrainian uniform) He studies the room then sits
at a small table in the center of the room
A beat of silence hangs between the three. Kelly and Platt
take a seat at the table.
GENERAL KELLY (CONT’D)
Yuslov, welcome to the edge of
civilization. I trust you had a
good trip.
YUSLOV
Thank you, General. This is an
amazing piece of engineering.
Kelly presses a button on the table.
A low HUM builds as a CLEAR DOME descends from the ceiling.
It seals with a definitive HISS-CLUNK, isolating them on the
platform.
Kelly taps his DATA SCREEN. The others' screens light up
simultaneously.
GENERAL KELLY
Update me on the Soladar stockpile
and refinery.
YUSLOV
Fifty metric tons stockpiled.
Current processing: ten tons
monthly. The new facility completes
in sixteen months. Then we
quintuple output. Assuming we get
more raw Soladar.
Kelly's fingers drum the table - once, twice. He stops
himself.
GENERAL KELLY
Speed it up.
YUSLOV
We're vetting a second construction
crew. But it takes time. As does
quality control when handling...
such a volatile liquid.
A beat. Yuslov's choice of words hangs in the air.
GENERAL PLATT
The timeline works. Next delivery
isn't for eighteen months.
Yuslov looks between them. His stoicism cracks with a hint of
frustration.
YUSLOV
You brought me halfway to Mars to
discuss construction schedules?
General, with respect - what aren't
you telling me?
Kelly gives him a hard look, then nods to Platt.
GENERAL PLATT
Conspiracies fill SysNet concerning
Soladar - where it comes from; how
it’s mined. Unfortunately, some of
the rumors hit close to the truth.
GENERAL KELLY
Additionally, there are those
within the Federation seeking to
undermine what we’re doing.
YUSLOV
Any rumors or leaks are NOT from
Ukraine. I do not know where
Soladar is mined. My people just
clean it...refine it.
GENERAL PLATT
We need you to manage the rumors on
Earth. Misinformation. Ukraine has
always been good at that.
Before Yuslov can react to the insult, Kelly leans forward,
his shadow falling across the table.
GENERAL KELLY
Only a handful of people know what
I’m about to show you.
Yuslov meets his gaze. Nods once.
GENERAL KELLY (CONT’D)
Computer. Display the Mentac
System.
A portion of the dome becomes a large screen, showing a
ringed planet and dozens of moons. The planet is labeled:
REZELA.
GENERAL KELLY (CONT’D)
Highlight the twelfth moon.
A small moon GLOWS. The view ZOOMS IN rapidly -
-- revealing a massive, mining operation on its surface. Huge
machines with long arms drain SMALL LAKES of a SHIMMERING
LIQUID that surround a large ship, clearly crashed; half-
buried.
Yuslov leans forward. Markings on the ship read: EXPLORER-1
YUSLOV
A colony ship? Bozhe moi...
CUT TO:
Genres:
["Science Fiction","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
5 -
Mission Briefing and Unease
INT. JEPSO ISS RANGER HUB CONFERENCE ROOM - DAY
Cain, Pace and a half-dozen rangers sit at a long table. A
HOLOGRAPHIC PROJECTION of JUPITER floats above them, Europa
highlighted in red.
MAJOR HALLORAN (40s), Intelligence Division, stands before
them.
MAJOR HALLORAN
Illegal mining operations on
Europa. Your briefs are loaded.
Read them. Lieutenant Cain, your
team launches in three days.
CORPORAL TONY "TANK" THOMPSON (20’s) shifts in his seat.
TANK
Sir, with respect—Europa? That's a
long way from our usual
jurisdiction.
MAJOR HALLORAN
Your jurisdiction is where the
Federation says it is, Corporal.
Any other questions?
Silence. Halloran's eyes sweep the room.
MAJOR HALLORAN (CONT’D)
Good. Dismissed.
The meeting breaks. Pace leads a group toward Cain: SERGEANT
JUANITA PEREZ (20’s), TANK THOMPSON, CORPORAL STEVEN MARKS
(20’s), and CORPORAL DAVIE CRIMMAGE (20’s).
Crimmage stands slightly apart, blinking rapidly. His fingers
unconsciously trace the edge of a DATA-PAD, a nervous tic.
PACE
LT, this is Corporal Davie
Crimmage. Tech Services.Systems
engineer. He’ll be traveling to
Europa with us.
CAIN
Good to have you on board.
Cain's gaze lingers on Crimmage. His blinking is constant,
rhythmic.
CAIN (CONT’D)
Your father was Robert Crimmage.
The physicist.
Crimmage's fingers stop moving on the pad. A beat.
CRIMMAGE
Yes, ma’am.
CAIN
He developed the Soladar refinement
process.
Crimmage's eyes dart to the hologram, still displaying the
Jovian system. He blinks faster.
CRIMMAGE
Yes, ma’am.
Cain holds his gaze a moment longer.
CAIN
He ever talk about where Soladar
comes from?
CRIMMAGE
Not really, ma’am. I heard him once
mention something about the Mentac
System. Beyond the solar system.
(MORE)
CRIMMAGE (CONT’D)
But I don’t know if he was talking
about Soladar.
CAIN
Ok, we’ll talk more later.
Crimmage nods, turns to leave. As he goes, he mutters, almost
to himself:
CRIMMAGE
The process was never stable...
He catches himself, glances back, then hurries out. The
others follow.
Cain watches him go. Pace stays.
PACE
I know that look, LT. Anything
Soladar related is compartmented.
He knows less than nothing.
CAIN
He knows it was unstable. That's
more than nothing.
Cain gestures to the now-empty spot where Crimmage stood.
CAIN (CONT’D)
And the blinking?
PACE
Medical condition. Doesn’t affect
his eyesight. Annoying as hell, but
the man can rebuild a Maser
blindfolded.
Cain raises an eyebrow.
CAIN
Can he shoot one?
Pace just smiles.
CUT TO:
Genres:
["Sci-Fi","Military","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
6 -
Running from the Past
INT. JEPSO ISS RANGER HUB TRAINING AREA - DAY
The sound of grunts and the rhythmic thud of bodies colliding
on mats fills the expansive training area. RANGERS practice
brutal hand-to-hand combat, sweat glistening on their brows
as they push each other to their limits.
Thompson and Crimmage jog along the track, their feet
pounding the ground, creating a steady beat to their
conversation.
THOMPSON
Never could get a handle on that
chokehold move. Remember how we got
smacked around during training?
CRIMMAGE
Yeah, no picnic. But I guess we
survived.
THOMPSON
Speaking of surviving... what did
LT say to you?
CRIMMAGE
She wanted to know about my dad’s
Soladar research.
THOMPSON
The big question on the NET is:
where does it come from?
Why all the hush-hush?
CRIMMAGE
I overheard something when I was a
kid. My dad wanted to shut the
whole program down... nobody
listened.
THOMPSON
What happened?
CRIMMAGE
They shut him down. Disappeared
when I was ten.
Crimmage’s pace quickens, his breath becomes heavy. Thompson
reaches out, instinctively trying to catch up.
THOMPSON
Davie, wait!
Crimmage doesn’t slow down, his jaw clenched, eyes focused
ahead.
Genres:
["Science Fiction","Action","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
7 -
Colonial Sacrifice
EXT. MILITARY BASE - DAY
LEGEND: AIMS INTERNATIONAL SPACE FORCE BASE, TEXAS
A high-angle shot reveals the sprawling Space Force Base.
Several SPACESHIPS sit on launchpads, their hulls gleaming
under the sun. TRACTOR UNITS crawl like ants, hauling a
MASSIVE STARSHIP toward its pad.
CUT TO:
INT. JEPSO STATION - GENERAL KELLY’S OFFICE
General Kelly, General Platt, General SHEVCHENKO still inside
the dome.
YUSLOV
Colonists!
Kelly stares at Yuslov, judging the man. Maybe it was a
mistake sharing.
GENERAL KELLY
It’s the only way to keep Soladar
flowing. Besides, they’re mostly
derelicts; homeless, junkies.
YUSLOV’S face shows a mixture of emotions: shock, anger. He
stands, points a finger.
Platt steps in.
GENERAL PLATT
Soladar has brought unlimited power
to the whole world, General. And
prosperity along with it. The new
Soladar reactors can power a ship
to speeds unheard of. Allowing us
to explore far beyond the solar
system. Don’t you think some
sacrifices are worth that?
CUT BACK TO:
EXT. AIMS SPACEFORCE BASE - DAY
A line of COLONISTS—men, women, children—boards the ship via
a ramp. Their faces are a mix of hope and exhaustion. ARMED
GUARDS monitor the process.
CLOSE ON a YOUNG BOY, clutching his mother's hand, looking
back with wide, uncertain eyes.
CUT TO:
INT. JEPSO STATION - GENERAL KELLY’S OFFICE
General Platt stands, taps the star chart.
GENERAL KELLY
You think the Chino-Rusk Federation
would hesitate? Our control over
Soladar is the only thing
preventing another world war.
Yuslov sits, resolved.
YUSLOV
So, we protect the source no matter
the cost.
GENERAL KELLY
We follow orders and protect the
Federation. I expect you to do the
same.
CUT BACK TO:
EXT. AIMS SPACEFORCE BASE - DAY
The SHIP’S ENGINES WHINE to life as it lifts off.
CUT TO:
INT. JEPSO STATION - GENERAL KELLY’S OFFICE
GENERAL KELLY
Katarina, wait until hypersleep,
then feed the new coordinates.
General Kelly presses the button on the table and the dome
lifts.
DISSOLVE TO:
Genres:
["Sci-Fi","Military","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
8 -
Awakening in Orbit
EXT. DEEP SPACE - SIX MONTHS LATER
LEGEND: EUROPA, ONE OF JUPITER’S MOONS.
TACTICAL TRANSPORT SHIP HORUS drifts into view, moving toward
a moon of Jupiter, the planet so large it fills the sky.
In the distance, the sun shines brightly, lighting the far
side of the moon. This side of EUROPA is dark.
The moon appears to have some type of atmosphere, with faint,
eerie glows hinting at unseen activity.
INT. HORUS HYPERSLEEP CHAMBER
Rows of sleep machines fill the room, their soft hum and the
faint scent of ozone permeating the air. Lights turn from red
to green. The tops of the machines disengage, lifting up,
blue mist leaking out like fog.
Cain sits up, blinking. Beside her Pace slowly rises, holding
his MASER REPEATING RIFLE. Beyond him, the rest of their
small contingent of rangers, CORPORAL PEREZ, CORPORAL
THOMPSON, SPECIALIST MARKS, AND CORPORAL CRIMMAGE, plus the
HORUS crew, MAJOR DRESDEN (40’s), NAVIGATORS ZELEWSKI, DUNNE,
and COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALISTS TAKHASHI and CAMPBELL.
Major Dresden walks down the row, smacking each machine.
MAJOR DRESDEN
Let’s go. Orbit in three hours.
THOMPSON
We got time to hit the gym for a
few minutes? I’m tight as a tick.
Thompson is almost as big as Pace, though not as muscular.
MARKS
I need food. I’m fucking starving.
Perez flexes her own muscles. She’s small, but tough.
PEREZ
You’re always starving, Marks. If
the Lieutenant didn’t work your ass
off, you’d be big as a house.
MARKS
Staying in shape just for you,
Perez. One of these days.
PEREZ
In your dreams, Amigo.
PACE
Do whatever you want to do, just be
in the briefing room in an hour.
Cain stretches as the rangers and crew pad past her.
Pace puts his arm around Thompson as they walk.
PACE (CONT’D)
Hey, sorry you’re not gonna be home
to see your kid born. When’s your
wife due?
THOMPSON
Yeah, sucks. Next month. Doc’s
gonna record it for me.
PACE
A boy, right?
THOMPSON
Yep. Aaron Thompson, Jr.
PACE
Future ranger!
THOMPSON
Hope we’re all dinosaurs by the
time he’s grown.
PACE
You and me both.
Genres:
["Science Fiction","Action","Adventure"]
Ratings
Scene
9 -
Mission Briefing and Departure
INT. HORUS MESS
A low hum vibrates through the ship. The crew sits at a long
table, finishing breakfast. The AUTO FOOD PREP MACHINE glows
with blue light, silently dispensing portions.
MARKS shovels down his third helping. PEREZ watches him,
shaking her head.
PEREZ
You puke on the way down, Marks,
you’re cleaning it up.
Marks pats his belly.
MARKS
You just wish you had abs like
these.
PEREZ
You’re never gonna see my abs, so
you’ll never know.
CRIMMAGE
Not sure I’ll ever have abs.
Pace laughs.
CAIN
No worries, Davie. Your brain is
bigger than all of ours put
together.
A soft CHIME echoes through the mess. The lights DIM
slightly. MAJOR DRESDEN stands, his flight crew rising with
him.
MAJOR DRESDEN
Ok, finish up. Prep area in ten.
The major and his crew file out. Thompson starts to stand,
but Cain raises her hand, and he sits back down.
Cain taps a control on the table. A HOLOGRAPHIC MAP of
Europa's surface appears, showing a mining complex.
CAIN
You've all been briefed. Standard
illegal mining takedown... except
intel suggests this is larger.
Better armed. More drones.
MARKS
What are they pulling out that's
worth this kind of setup?
CAIN
Lithium, copper, nickel
THOMPSON
I heard rumors...that it might be
Soladar.
PACE
Bullshit. Where did you hear that?
Thompson shrugs.
THOMPSON
Just something I heard.
PACE
You’ve been reading too much crap
on the NET. Nobody knows where they
mine Soladar.
THOMPSON
Well...somebody knows.
Cain tries to get them back on track.
CAIN
Once we’re in orbit, we’ll verify
the intel. We land five clicks out,
then take the rover.
PACE
I bring the dogs around to the
backside, set the charges, then
boom!
She splays her hands out.
CAIN
Correct. The rest of us suppress
drones and provide cover until Pace
signals. Marks, you and Crimmage
are on heavy support. Thompson,
you're on drone countermeasures.
Perez, point.
Marks flexes an arm, half-serious.
MARKS
Heavy support. Abs, baby. Abs.
Cain ignores him, studying the hologram. The mining complex
shimmers with red heat signatures.
CAIN
Questions?
Thompson opens his mouth, then closes it. Shakes his head.
CAIN (CONT’D)
Gear up. We drop in ninety.
She taps the table. The hologram vanishes. The crew stands,
their casual demeanor gone, replaced by focused energy.
INT. HORUS COMMAND CENTER - LATER
Enormous screens fill the front, showing star systems,
tracking systems, coordinates. MAJOR DRESDEN stands at a
central console, flanked by the navigators and Comm
specialists.
Dresden's voice carries through the ship's comms system,
creating a seamless audio bridge between locations.
MAJOR DRESDEN
(over comms)
Stationary orbit achieved. All
systems nominal.
(MORE)
MAJOR DRESDEN (CONT’D)
Watch for thermal anomalies in the
ice sheets.
Whenever you’re ready Lieutenant
Cain.
ON SCREEN - A tactical display shows the AC20 detaching from
the Horus's belly. The ship drops away, engines flaring as it
streaks toward Europa's icy surface.
Genres:
["Sci-Fi","Action","Adventure"]
Ratings
Scene
10 -
Icy Descent on Europa
EXT. EUROPA/AC20 - NIGHT
The planet is mostly rock and ice. The ship slows and turns.
Jets fire when it's fifty feet from the surface. The ship
slowly sets down.
INT. AC20 COCKPIT - NIGHT
CAIN shuts down the power, her eyes lingering on her
STARCRASH ACTION FIGURE velcroed to the console. She taps the
figure, a ritual, then quickly moves out of the cockpit
toward a dark gray armored rover filling the back bay of the
ship.
INT. ROVER - NIGHT
Pace is driving the rover. PEREZ, CRIMMAGE, THOMPSON and
MARKS, sit in drop seats, all holding tightly to their MASER
REPEATING RIFLES.
Cain grabs her MASER and helmet, then straps in.
CAIN
A little frosty out there. You guys
ready?
PACE
Won’t feel a thing with these
suits, LT. Warm as Earth.
Perez rubs her arms.
CORPORAL PEREZ
Still a little creepy to me, with
billions of nanobots crawling all
over my body.
CAIN
(to Perez)
The nanobots saved your life on
Mars.
(MORE)
CAIN (CONT’D)
Trust the tech, but keep your eyes
open. Everyone, double-check your
suit diagnostics.
MARKS
I’m happy to crawl all over your
body, Perez.
PEREZ
In your dreams.
MARKS
You keep saying that, like it’s a
bad thing.
EXT. AC20/EUROPA - NIGHT
The rear ramp of the ship opens wide, releasing a gust of icy
wind. The rover rolls down the ramp, lights illuminating the
glistening surface of Europa. The rover turns, its wheels
crunching softly against the frost, leaving icy tracks in the
alien landscape.
Behind it, the AC20 sits like a silent sentinel. Beyond,
Jupiter dominates the sky - a massive, swirling eye watching
every move.
MAJOR DRESDEN (V.O.)
(over comms)
Lieutenant, we're reading stable
conditions. You have a six-hour
window before the next radiation
surge. Make it count.
Cain's voice comes back crisp and clear.
CAIN (V.O.)
(over comms)
Copy that, Horus. Moving to
coordinates now.
The rover's lights cut through the darkness, illuminating
strange ice formations that look almost... architectural.
Genres:
["Science Fiction","Action","Adventure"]
Ratings
Scene
11 -
Silent Tensions on Europa
INT. ROVER - NIGHT
The rover CREAKS as it moves across Europa's surface.
Jupiter's pale light filters through the frost-caked windows,
casting long shadows across the cramped interior. The air
carries a persistent CHILL that even the environmental
systems can't fully eliminate.
Perez bounces her knees. Cain methodically checks the grenade
launcher attached to her Maser, her movements precise,
practiced.
THOMPSON
I still think it’s Soladar. I heard
the colony ships were lost mining
the stuff.
CAIN
Cut out the conspiracy crap.
THOMPSON
Seriously! We fought a fucking
world war over the stuff. Nobody
even knows where it comes from. If
that ain’t a government conspiracy,
I don’t know what is.
Cain's hands still on her weapon. She takes a slow breath,
her knuckles whitening slightly.
CAIN
I lost my family in the war, so
just shut it, Thompson.
The silence that follows is heavy, broken only by the rover's
low HUM.
CLOSE ON PEREZ - her expression shifts from skepticism to
genuine sympathy.
CLOSE ON MARKS - he looks down, uncomfortable, shifting his
weight.
CLOSE ON THOMPSON - his defiant posture softens slightly.
Cain pats Crimmage on the back.
CAIN (CONT’D)
This is your first op. Rely on your
training. Keep your head down and
shoot the bad guys.
Crimmage sighs, nods.
CAIN (CONT’D)
Just focus on the mission.
She returns to her weapon check. The team exchanges silent
looks.
Genres:
["Sci-Fi","Action","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
12 -
Tension on Europa
EXT. EUROPA/OUTCROPPING - NIGHT
The rover GROANS to a halt beside a LARGE BOULDER, its
engines HISSING as they power down. The back hatch WHIRRS
open, releasing a plume of frozen breath from the Rangers as
they spill out. They crouch behind the rock. Cain and Pace
join them, their helmet displays casting eerie blue
reflections on the ice.
Cain’s voice tight.
CAIN
The bad guys probably know we're
here, so we keep 'em pinned down
long enough for Pace to circle
around and set the charges. Pace,
you ok going alone?
PACE
No problem. Coordinates locked.
CAIN
(Whisper)
Wish you could see me now, Noah.
NOAH (V.O.)
I think you just like to kill
stuff.
CAIN
(over comms)
Ok. Go!
Pace melts into the shadows, his figure swallowed by Europa’s
jagged terrain.
Cain exhales, frost curling on her visor. She toggles her
display—a flicker of infrared overlays the darkness.
CAIN (CONT’D)
Ok, heads-up display. Make sure
you're set to infrared. Marks, you
and Thompson go right. Me, Crimmage
and Perez will go left. Hold fire
unless fired upon.
In addition to the outcropping, boulders litter the
landscape.
The Rangers MOVE, boots CRUNCHING on frost-crusted rock. The
landscape is a maze of boulders, the air THICK with the
distant WHINE of laser drills. Cain’s display ZOOMS IN:
CAIN’S POV—A massive MINING SHIP looms, surrounded by
scattered equipment. SHOVELS, LOADERS, and three PULSING
LASER DRILLS idle, unmanned. Behind each, FIGURES
crouch—rifles glinting.
CAIN (CONT’D)
(Softly)
I count fourteen hostiles, three
drills running, no operators. Looks
like they're all armed and waiting
for us. Pace? You copy?
Static CRACKLES through their comms.
PACE (O.S)
(comms)
--Roger. Two clicks out. Some
interference--circling wide--around
the back. Give me five, then you
can start the fun.
CAIN
(to the Rangers)
Safeties off. Masers set to kill.
We’re the distraction—buy Pace
time.
THOMPSON
(grunting)
Could’ve just sent a memo.
PEREZ
(Smirking)
Where’s the fun in that?
Cain’s grip tightens on her weapon. A shared glance with
Perez—a flicker of understanding. This isn’t just another op.
CAIN
Ok, standby.
PACE (O.S.)
(through comms)
Almost there, boss. Do your thing.
CAIN
Alright, here we go. Keep it tight.
Assume they have infrared too. So
heads down, but make plenty of
noise. Watch your ammo!
The teams SPLIT, weaving between boulders with that
distinctive low-gravity lope. The mining ship's lights cast
long, skeletal shadows across the ice.
Suddenly the MINERS start FIRING. All hell breaks loose, the
CRACK of gunfire echoing strangely in Europa's thin
atmosphere. Rounds PING all around them, kicking up dust and
chips of rock that hang suspended for a moment before
drifting down.
Cain leans out from behind the rock, sights in on a miner
behind a loader. She fires a single shot and the miner falls,
his body crumpling in slow motion to the ground.
Marks and Thompson FIRE GRENADES. The explosions are muted
but send equipment flying in exaggerated arcs. Several miners
break cover, running with that awkward low-gravity gait.
As soon as the miners step out of cover, Cain and Perez take
them out with precise shots. Perez hesitates for a split
second before each shot, her breathing loud in her helmet.
Crimmage fires, but hits nothing but equipment.
One miner ducks behind a PULSING LASER DRILL. The drill
begins to OVERHEAT, emitting an ANOMALOUS GREEN GLOW that
wasn't there before.
Genres:
["Sci-Fi","Action","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
13 -
Chaos on Europa: The Fight for Survival
EXT. MINING SHIP - NIGHT
The equipment still runs, the DRILLS WHIRRING and GRINDING
against the ice. The NOISE reverberates along the ground,
LOUD HUMMING NOISES. Two grenades land near one of the drills
and BLOW IT UP, sending shards of metal and ice flying.
Several miners scramble for new cover, coughing in the acrid
smoke.
The main hatch of the ship opens, and TEN ADDITIONAL ARMED
SECURITY GUARDS rush out and down a ramp. One guard slips on
the icy surface, struggling to regain footing as his boots
CRUNCH on the frozen ground. The guards take up positions
behind various pieces of equipment and fire back, their
WEAPONS CHATTERING. It's a full-blown gunfight.
Marks takes out another guard, then Cain fires a grenade that
explodes near two other guards, their AGONIZED SHOUTS
swallowed by the chaos.
Crimmage fires and finally hits one of the guards.
CAIN
(into comms)
What's your status, Pace?
PACE (O.S.)
Almost there.
Random firing continues from the guards. One round ricochets
off Thompson's helmet.
THOMPSON
Fuck!
CAIN
Careful, boys.
Thompson leans farther out and suddenly a ROUND hits him
square in the helmet putting a HOLE right through his head.
He pitches forward, dead.
Cain freezes for a beat, her eyes locked on Thompson’s body.
MARKS
Goddamn! Tank is down!
Marks switches to automatic, stands up and starts strafing
the area. He fires several grenades.
CAIN
Marks!
Marks is HIT in the arm. Knocked back to the ground. He pulls
himself farter behind the rock.
Perez stares in horror at Thompson's body. Her hands tremble
on her weapon.
Crimmage freezes.
CAIN (CONT’D)
Keep firing!
PEREZ
Oh God no...not like this...
CAIN
PACE! Tell me you're done. Getting
hot here.
PACE (O.S.)
Charges set! Heading out.
Cain slaps Crimmage on the back, her features hardened by the
losses.
Perez strafes the area, her lips pressed into a thin line.
They all stare over at Thompson, their fallen comrade.
PEREZ
Oh man...we gonna leave him?
CAIN
For now. No choice. Ok, double time
back to the rover.
Cain, Crimmage and Perez pull up and start weaving their way
back across the field while rounds hit everywhere, the sound
of BREAKING ICE and SCREECHING METAL filling the air. Cain
glances back one last time at their fallen comrades.
EXT. EUROPA/ROVER - NIGHT
Cain, Crimmage and Perez reach the rover and climb inside,
their faces etched with shock and grim determination.
A minute later, Pace rounds the boulder and dives inside.
Cain's knuckles tighten around the steering wheel as she
slams the rover into gear, the vehicle lurching forward.
INT. ROVER - NIGHT
Cain drives at near maximum speed, the rover jerking and
bumping over the rocky terrain. Perez braces herself, her
expression tense.
CAIN
(keys mic in rover)
Horus, this is Cain. Prep for lift-
off. We have casualties.
DRESDEN (O.S.)
(over comms)
Roger, prepping for immediate lift-
off.
EXT. AC20/EUROPA - NIGHT
The ramp is down on the AC20, engines are turning.
The rover runs up the open ramp into the ship. The ramp
closes quickly.
A minute later, the ship's thrusters fire and the AC20 lifts
off the planet.
INT. AC20, COCKPIT - NIGHT
Cain pilots the AC20 to 3,000 meters, then turns, thrusters
firing so they’re nearly hovering in place. She presses a
button on the console.
EXT. ABOVE EUROPA - NIGHT
Down on the surface of the planet, the mining ship ERUPTS IN
A FIREBALL.
INT. AC20, COCKPIT - NIGHT
MAJOR DRESDEN
(over comms)
Lieutenant Cain. Return to the
Horus and prepare to dock.
Cain's eyes dart to the empty seats where Thompson and Marks
should be sitting.
CAIN
(over comms)
Sorry, Major. Just lost one of my
boys. I'm not leaving him behind.
Going back in for retrieval.
MAJOR DRESDEN
(Over comms)
Negative, Lieutenant. That will put
your remaining team at risk. Return
to-
Cain’s jaw tightens. She reaches up and switches off Dresden
in mid- sentence.
CAIN
I'm setting down real close. There
may still be hostiles. So stay
alert. Pace, I'll lay down fire
while you and Crimmage get
Thompson.
Genres:
["Science Fiction","Action","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
14 -
Rescue in the Dark
EXT. EUROPA/AC20 - NIGHT
The AC20 descends, its engines roaring against the crushing
silence of Europa's night. It hovers, casting a harsh light
on the wreckage of the mining ship—a smoldering hulk, like a
ghost of a battle long fought.
The back hatch of the rover opens and CAIN, PACE, CRIMMAGE
and PEREZ spill out like shadows.
CAIN'S POV: She flips down her visor, engaging the heads-up
display. The night air is cold and acrid, tinged with the
scent of burnt metal.
CAIN
Perimeter's clear. Let's move.
Pace and Crimmage rush to the body of Thompsons, Perez
covering their flank. Pace kneels briefly, touches Thompson's
chest.
PACE
Sorry, brother.
He and Crimmage lift the body. They quick-step back to the
AC20. Cain sweeps the area.
CAIN'S POV: A faint, irregular flicker near the wreckage. Not
electrical. Organic.
CAIN
Hang on. I'm picking up something.
Cain moves from boulder to boulder, fluid but cautious. The
only sound is her own breathing, loud in her helmet, and the
distant groan of settling metal.
CAIN'S POV: The flicker resolves. A body lies prone near
mangled equipment. Not moving.
She approaches slowly. Twenty feet away, she switches off
infrared.
CLOSE ON - A hand in a gray spacesuit. Fingers twitching.
CLOSE ON - The survivor's helmet visor, cracked but not
breached. Inside, a woman's face, battered, eyes closed.
Cain's breath catches. She kneels.
CAIN (CONT’D)
I've got a live one. Perez, on me.
Now.
Perez exchanges a look with Pace.
PACE
Go.
Perez jumps out, runs to Cain. Together they lift the woman.
She's limp, a dead weight.
They quicken their pace toward the waiting ship.
CAIN
Move! Move!
They disappear into the AC20. The hatch seals.
Genres:
["Science Fiction","Action","Adventure"]
Ratings
Scene
15 -
Grief and Duty in the Void
INT. AC20 - NIGHT
Emergency lights flicker, casting erratic shadows across the
cramped space.
Perez kneels beside Thompson’s body, her gloved hand
trembling as she presses it against his torn uniform, dark
with dried blood. She bites her lip, bracing against the wave
of grief.
PEREZ
(whispers)
You idiot. Why didn’t you keep your
head down?
Cain moves to the cockpit. She pauses, scanning the scene—two
bodies: her soldier and one unconscious prisoner.
CAIN
(voice steady, but eyes
heavy)
Okay, time to move.
PEREZ
Thompson—he was about to be a dad.
Cain’s jaw tightens as she looks at the bodies, haunted.
CAIN
He was a good soldier. I’ll make
sure they get the honors they
deserve.
She takes her seat, keys her mic, her voice a blend of
authority and resolve.
CAIN (CONT’D)
Major Dresden, we’ve retrieved the
body and a prisoner. Returning to
Horus. We’ll need two body bags at
the dock.
The AC20’s engines hum to life, the vibrations resonating
through the metal plates as it lifts off. The sound mixes
with the whir of the Horus’s environmental systems,
transitioning smoothly between the two environments.
EXT. EUROPA - NIGHT
The AC20 ascends and darts into the dark void of space,
heading for the Horus.
INT. HORUS LOADING DOCK
The sterile whine of the Horus’s systems envelops the vast
space.
Thompson is zipped into a black plastic body bag, wheeled
away on a gurney. Perez’s face is pale under the glaring
light.
MEDICAL TECHNICAL SERGEANT TRAN (30’s) and a GUARD load the
unconscious prisoner onto a second wheeled gurney. Cain
watches, a mix of determination and sorrow in her eyes.
CAIN
(barely above a whisper)
I need to talk to her as soon as
she wakes.
TRAN
Will do, Lieutenant.
Tran wheels the gurney away.
Genres:
["Sci-Fi","Action","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
16 -
Reflections in the Dark
INT. CAIN’S QUARTERS ON HORUS - NIGHT
Pace slumps into a chair, exhaling heavily. Cain moves to a
small fridge, pulls out two beers, and tosses one to him. She
kicks off her boots, then pauses—eyes lingering on her
STARCRASH toy, lying on the desk.
A beat.
She turns away, methodically peeling off her grimy shirt and
pants, revealing a tank top and shorts beneath.
Pace drains his beer, watching her... they’re both feeling
the same pain.
She pulls on a pair of sweats and a T-shirt, then takes
another long sip of beer.
CAIN
None of those guys had radiation
suits on. It looked like
a tritium operation to me.
PACE
They use tritium for Soladar
shielding, I think.
Cain’s fingers drift to a LOCKET at her throat. She flicks it
open—inside, a tiny photo of NOAH. Closes it.
CAIN
Maybe, but the point is, it wasn’t
Soladar being mined. Just another
rumor.
Pace notices the locket.
PACE
The war took a lot from everyone.
CAIN
(quietly)
My family. Parents, my brother.
PACE
My sister was on a relief ship that
never made it. Sometimes, not
knowing is worse.
A shared look of grief. Time to go. He stands, puts the empty
beer bottle on a table.
Cain comes over and pulls him into an embrace.
CAIN
I don’t know what I would have done
if it had been you today.
Pace lays his face on the top of her head, his hands on the
small of her back. He kisses her cheek. Their lips lightly
brush together.
PACE
Never gonna happen, LT.
He pulls back, gives her shoulder a squeeze, looks at the
action figure on the desk.
PACE (CONT’D)
(chuckles)
You still take that everywhere.
CAIN
For good luck. Didn’t work today.
Pace leaves. The door HISSES shut behind him.
Cain sinks onto the bed, locket clutched in her palm. Eyes
shut.
After a moment, she opens her eyes, glances at the DIGITAL
CLOCK on the wall—it reads 0230 HRS. The low HUM of the
ship’s engines underscores the silence.
She stands, moves to her desk. In the dim glow of a
HOLOGRAPHIC SCREEN, her face is etched with shadows. Propped
on the desk is her STARCRASH ACTION FIGURE, dirty, singed.
She taps the screen. A NEWS BROADCAST flickers to life:
NEWSCASTER (O.S.)
...twenty-five years since the ‘war
to end all wars.’ Yet as the
Federation parades in Paris,
questions linger. Was Soladar worth
the lives lost?
CLOSE ON CAIN’S FACE — her jaw tightens. A beat of heavy
silence.
Her eyes drift to a PHOTO tucked under her keyboard — the
faded image of her family. She pulls it out, traces the faces
with a finger.
The NEWSCASTER’s voice continues, distant.
NEWSCASTER (O.S.) (CONT’D)
In other news, the International
Federation announced today that
communications with the Explorer
spaceship carrying nearly two
thousand passengers bound for Titan
has been lost. Preliminary theory:
a solar flare disabled the ship.
CAIN
(softly, barely audible)
Another colony ship...
BUZZ! The INTERCOM shatters the moment.
INTERCOM (V.O.)
Lieutenant Cain, report to medical.
Genres:
["Sci-Fi","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
17 -
Interrogation in the Medical Bay
INT. HORUS MEDICAL BAY
A stark, white medical bay. Tran adjusts an IV drip as the
PRISONER sits up, sipping water through a straw. A STRAP
binds her waist; her legs are locked down. Her face is hard
but oddly calm.
Cain enters, her eyes immediately scanning the prisoner. She
pauses at the foot of the bed, her gaze lingering on the
restraints.
CAIN
Thanks Tran. Give me the room.
Tran exits. Cain drags a chair to the bedside, the SCREECH of
metal on metal making the prisoner flinch. Cain sits, leans
forward -- elbows on knees, hands clasped. She taps her wrist
device.
A BLUE HOLOGRAM flickers to life between them -- a recording
symbol pulses. The hologram's light casts shifting
reflections on Cain's face, highlighting the tension in her
jaw.
CAIN (CONT’D)
Computer, record: Lieutenant Carla
Cain, Commander, 405th Ranger
Squadron. Interrogation of female
prisoner captured on EUROPA.
COMPUTER VOICE
Recording.
A beat. The prisoner’s eyes dart to the hologram, then back
to Cain. She shifts in her restraints -- a subtle test.
CAIN
Name?
TATIANA
(Strong, eastern European
accent)
Tatiana Zukurov. You blew our ship.
Cain's eyes narrow slightly. She doesn't blink.
CAIN
They fired first. I also pulled you
from the wreckage. Where are you
from?
Tatiana looks away, her fingers tracing the edge of the
restraint on her waist.
TATIANA
Latovia. Northern province. My
brother... he was on that ship.
Cain's expression softens for a fraction of a second, perhaps
remembering Perez mourning Marks and Thompson. The bodies on
the loading dock.
CAIN
I'm sorry.
Tatiana meets her eyes. There's no anger there -- just
emptiness.
TATIANA
What happens to me?
CAIN
That depends. What were you mining?
TATIANA
Scandium. Yttrium.
Cain leans closer. The hologram's blue light illuminates the
space between them like a barrier.
CAIN
I heard you were mining Soladar.
Tatiana stares. Then a dry, humorless laugh escapes her.
TATIANA
Soladar? You cannot mine the
Soladar.
CAIN
Then where does it come from?
Tatiana glances at the hologram. Cain notices.
CAIN (CONT’D)
Computer. Stop recording.
COMPUTER VOICE
Recording stopped.
The blue light vanishes. The room feels darker, more
intimate.
Cain stands, paces to the far wall. Turns back. Her shadow
falls across Tatiana.
CAIN
People have died searching for the
source of Soladar. Tell me what you
know.
Tatiana's calm facade cracks. She looks at her hands, then
back at Cain.
TATIANA
You think your government has
secrets. Our government knows very
much.
Cain returns to the chair, sits slowly.
TATIANA (CONT’D)
(lowering her voice)
I am only miner. They say it come
from moon in Mentac System.
Cain’s eyebrows raise.
CAIN
What did you mean, “You can’t mine
Soladar?”
Tatiana shakes her head. Her eyes are wide now -- not with
fear, but with something deeper. Dread.
TATIANA
Something my captain say before...
He was... drinking. He say, "You
can't mine Soladar. Soladar mines
you."
Silence hangs between them.
Tatiana looks down at her restrained hands, her voice barely
a whisper.
TATIANA (CONT’D)
That all I know.
Cain’s eyes drop to her wrist device. She stands abruptly,
the chair scraping back. Tatiana flinches again.
She walks out without another word, leaving Tatiana alone in
the sterile white room. The prisoner watches her go, then
closes her eyes. A single tear traces a path through the
grime on her cheek.
Genres:
["Sci-Fi","Drama","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
18 -
Echoes of Soladar
INT. CAIN'S QUARTERS ON HORUS - NIGHT
The room is dim, lit only by a desk lamp that casts long
shadows. Papers are strewn across the desk—star charts,
notes, reports. CAIN sits, poring over her notes, with
'SOLADAR' circled in red.
She leans back, rubbing her temples.
CAIN
(to herself, a whisper)
You can't mine Soladar. It mines
you. What the hell does that mean?
Cain taps her wrist device, her face illuminated by the glow
of the small screen
CAIN (CONT’D)
Computer. Access database. Search:
Mentac System.
The hologram shifts, showing a star system: a small star
orbited by planets and moons.
COMPUTER
Discovered in 2093 by Trinity IV
and confirmed by the Agarwal Space
Telescope in 2095. Single star,
ST/2063, one fifth the size of
Earth's sun. Four planet-sized
bodies orbit the star, along with
twenty-three moons.
CAIN
Is that where Soladar was found?
COMPUTER
That information is classified.
Her eyes drift to her chipped STARCRASH ACTION FIGURE on the
desk.
CLOSE ON - Cain's fingers. They trace the figure's edges,
find a specific chip on its helmet. She presses it.
SOUND of distant EXPLOSIONS begins to bleed into the room's
hum.
Cain's eyes lose focus. The lamp FLICKERS.
QUICK CUTS - FLASH IMAGES (subtle, overlapping):
- Racing down a street with Noah, laughter fading
- Bombs exploding in the distance
- Noah being swept away in a crowd
The images vanish. Cain blinks, breathing shallow. The
explosions fade back to the hum.
Her wristband vibrates. CLOSE-ON WRISTBAND SCREEN, a warning:
STOP DIGGING.
She stares at the screen. Instinctively looks around the
room. She takes a deep breath, trying to calm herself.
The intercom BUZZES sharply. She jumps.
INTERCOM (V.O.)
Lieutenant Cain, please report to
Major Dresden.
Cain's eyes harden. She straightens her uniform.
She exits, leaving the hologram to fade into the dark room.
Genres:
["Science Fiction","Mystery","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
19 -
Confrontation in the Office
INT. MAJOR DRESDEN’S OFFICE ON HORUS
The office is spartan, bathed in the cold blue light of a
star chart hologram. The only sound is the low HUM of the
ship's engines.
The door is open. Cain steps inside. Major Dresden doesn't
look up from his datapad, merely gestures to the chair
opposite his desk.
MAJOR DRESDEN
You disobeyed a direct order and
put your team at risk.
Cain sits, back straight. She keeps her eyes fixed on a point
just over Dresden's shoulder.
CAIN
I wasn’t going to leave my man
behind.
The Major steeples his fingers.
MAJOR DRESDEN
I want to talk about your
interrogation of the prisoner.
Eight minutes into the
interrogation, you asked the
prisoner about Soladar. Where it
came from, how it was mined. Then
you stopped recording. Why?
Cain's fingers tighten on her knees.
CAIN
The prisoner refused to answer my
questions, so I terminated the
interview.
Dresden slides a folder across the desk. It lands with a soft
THUD.
MAJOR DRESDEN
Sergeant Tran said you remained in
the room with the prisoner for
almost ten minutes AFTER you
stopped recording.
Cain looks at the door. She’s been caught in a lie.
CAIN
She...said things about Soladar.
Where it comes from.
MAJOR DRESDEN
Go on.
CAIN
A system I'd never heard of. She
said... she said the Federation had
a penal colony there. That we use
prisoners to...to mine it.
Dresden's expression doesn't change, but his knuckles are
white where he grips the edge of his desk.
Cain glances at the door again as if expecting someone.
CAIN (CONT’D)
And she said... the colony ships.
The ones we listed as lost. She
said they weren't lost. They were
sent to mine Soladar.
For a fraction of a second, Dresden's mask slips. He looks
tired. Then it's gone.
MAJOR DRESDEN
Conspiracy garbage.
He stands abruptly.
MAJOR DRESDEN (CONT’D)
Head down to the sleep chamber. We
can talk more back on station.
Cain salutes and leaves the room. The door HISSES shut.
Alone, Dresden taps his wristband and a holographic screen
appears.
MAJOR DRESDEN (CONT’D)
Computer, send secure video message
to General Kelly. Priority one.
Genres:
["Sci-Fi","Drama","Mystery"]
Ratings
Scene
20 -
Secrets and Shadows
INT. JEPSO ISS - GENERAL KELLY'S OFFICE - DAY
LEGEND: SIX MONTHS LATER
A knock on the door. Opens and Cain enters.
General Kelly rises.
GENERAL KELLY
Carla. Welcome back. Hell of a job
on the mining op.
He gestures to the chair. She sits, back rigid. He retreats
behind his desk. Cain’s eyes lock on a FOLDER on the desk
marked TOP SECRET.
CLOSE-ON DESK: Partially covered by a stack of papers, the
word SOLADAR can clearly be seen on the folder.
GENERAL KELLY (CONT’D)
You look tired.
She blinks, pulling her gaze from the folder.
CAIN
Still waking up.
GENERAL KELLY
I spoke to Major Dresden. Why are
you still asking questions about
Soladar, when you’ve been told to
drop it?
She ignores the question.
CAIN
Sir, can’t you tell me what
happened to my grandfather? Hasn’t
enough time passed?
Kelly’s jaw tightens.
GENERAL KELLY
I was supposed to be on that
mission, but got sent to Europe
instead...Then, the war...
CAIN
The war changed everything. But why
was there never a report released
on my grandfather’s mission? And
why have we lost two colony ships?
Kelly’s eyes flick to the door.
GENERAL KELLY
(Low warning)
Carla.
CAIN
(pressing)
You knew Grandad. Would he have
wanted this?
A loaded silence. Kelly exhales, rubs his temple.
GENERAL KELLY
Your grandfather was a good friend
of mine. If I knew what happened,
I’d tell you.
Cain stares at the folder. Slips her hand into her briefcase,
pulls out a security badge, drops it on the floor and pushes
it under the desk with her foot.
GENERAL KELLY (CONT’D)
You’re one of the best rangers we
have. Soladar is classified. You
need to stop digging.
Her eyes go up. Same warning.
She stands abruptly—chair screeches.
CAIN
(cold)
I’ll file my report tomorrow, sir.
She turns to leave. Kelly’s voice takes on a more ominous
tone.
GENERAL KELLY
Carla, Some questions don’t have
answers.
Cain stops, doesn’t look back.
CAIN
Or some people won’t give them.
Kelly stands. Comes around the desk.
GENERAL KELLY
I have a meeting. I’ll walk you
out. No more talk about Soladar and
lost ships. That’s an order.
Cain glances back. The folder still sits on the desk.
They walk out together. The door CLICKS SHUT.
Genres:
["Sci-Fi","Mystery","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
21 -
Covert Operation on the JEPSO ISS
INT. JEPSO ISS - SQUADRON ARMORY - DAY
The armory hums with energy - polished weapons gleam under
sterile lighting When Cain walks in, PACE is there performing
equipment checks.
Cain pauses, her gaze lingering on Pace's back. A hint of
affection and longing passes across her face as she watches.
CAIN
I Need your help.
Pace sets down his tools. Turns to face her properly.
PACE
You’ve got that look in your eye.
I’m not gonna like this, am I?
She reaches out and squeezes his arm.
CAIN
Probably not. Follow me. We need to
be quick.
CUT TO:
INT. JEPSO ISS CORRIDOR OUTSIDE GENERAL KELLY’S OFFICE
Cain and Pace stand in front of the closed door. She hands
Pace a folder.
CAIN
You know what to do, right?
PACE
Got it.
Cain takes a deep breath, then opens the door.
INT. JEPSO ISS GENERAL KELLY’S OUTER OFFICE
They enter the outer office, where the general’s assistant,
MAJOR MORENO (Female, late 30’s) sits at her desk. She looks
up.
MORENO
Lieutenant Cain. I’m sorry, the
general is in a meeting.
Cain nods to Pace
CAIN
This is Technical Sergeant
Pacerelli. I think I dropped my
security badge in the general’s
office.
Moreno stands.
MORENO
Let’s take a look.
CAIN
Oh, I’ll just grab it. I know where
I dropped it.
Cain heads into the General’s office. Moreno starts to
follow, but Pace steps in front of her. Hands her the folder.
PACE
Uh, ma’am, this is the final report
from the Europa mission. Could you
take a quick look? We need the
General’s stamp before I can file
it.
Moreno glances to Kelly’s door, then walks back to her desk
and sits.
INT. KELLY’S OFFICE
Cain quickly moves to the desk, looks back once, then opens
the TOP SECRET FOLDER.
CLOSE ON FOLDER: Several pages.
- Soladar Refinement Schedule - full of numbers and dates.
- Second page -
- SCI ACCESS ONLY
- Colony ship EXPLORER3
- Estimated arrival REZELA 612 days.
- Soladar retrieval - 818 days.
Using her wristband, Cain takes photos of both pages, closes
the folder. Reaches under the desk and grabs the badge, just
as Moreno enters the room.
Cain turns around, holds out the badge.
CAIN
Got it. Thanks Lieutenant.
MORENO
(To Pace)
I’ll let you know when the report
has been approved
Cain and Pace casually leave the office.
Genres:
["Sci-Fi","Thriller","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
22 -
Chase in the Corridors
INT. JEPSO ISS CORRIDOR
They walk quickly down the hall, around several corners,
passing multiple people. Beside a large, sliding door a sign:
RANGER HUB.
They step through and continue down another hallway. As they
round a corner, Pace stops, puts out his hand to stop Cain.
Halfway down the hall, ZOOM into Cain’s quarters, nameplate
on the door. The door is slightly ajar.
As they inch closer, a man steps out of the room. He glances
back, sees Cain and Pace, and takes off running. Disappears
around a corner.
PACE
Hey!
Pace races after the man, Cain trying to keep up. She
absently reaches for her Maser, which she’s not carrying.
They round the corner, see the man far ahead. He goes through
another airlock, the door closing behind him.
Pace reaches the door, hits the release, races through. A
FIST from nowhere, coldcocks Pace, causing him to stagger
back.
PACE (CONT’D)
Fuck!
The man runs down a long hallway. Cain reaches Pace.
CAIN
Are you alright?
Pace rubs his jaw.
PACE
Yeah. Sucker punch.
He takes off running again, Cain following. They reach a T-
intersection at the end of the hallway.
Look left and right. The man is gone.
They are both slightly out of breath.
CAIN
Did you get a good look at him?
PACE
Tall. Dark hair...nobody I
recognize. What the fuck was he
doing in your room?
CAIN
Looking for my Soladar research. I
must be getting close. Go find
Crimmage and meet me back in my
room.
Genres:
["Sci-Fi","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
23 -
Breach of Trust
INT. JEPSO ISS GENERAL KELLY'S OFFICE
Kelly walks back into the outer office, carrying his datapad.
Moreno looks up.
MORENO
How was the meeting, sir?
GENERAL KELLY
Maintenance updates, budget stuff.
The usual.
He starts into his office.
MORENO
Lieutenant Cain stopped by.
Apparently she dropped her security
badge in your office. And I have
the Europa Report for your
approval.
Kelly stares into his office.
GENERAL KELLY
Ok, thanks.
He approaches his desk and sees the SOLADAR REPORT sitting
there. He calls back to Moreno.
GENERAL KELLY (CONT’D)
Captain, how long was Lieutenant
Cain in my office?
MORENO
Only a minute or two, sir. She
found her badge and left with
Sergeant Pacerelli.
Kelly closes his door, sits at his desk, lays his hand on the
folder. Taps his datapad.
GENERAL KELLY
Computer. Show me office
surveillance footage for the past
hour.
CLOSE-ON DATAPAD. Video begins playing. Office is empty.
Kelly fast-forwards, until Cain comes into view. He watches
intently as she opens the Soladar folder and snaps pictures
with her wristband.
He sits back, rubs his eyes.
GENERAL KELLY (CONT’D)
Jesus, Carla.
He clicks the intercom on his desk.
GENERAL KELLY (CONT’D)
Moreno, ask General Platt to come
to my office.
Genres:
["Sci-Fi","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
24 -
Revelations in Chaos
INT. JEPSO ISS CAIN’S QUARTERS
Cain’s room looks like a tornado hit it. Drawers, cabinets
open. Papers strewn about. Mattress half off the bed.
She begins straightening up. Her wristband vibrates. CLOSE-ON
SCREEN: LAST WARNING.
She picks up her family picture.
CAIN
What am I doing, Noah?
NOAH (V.O.)
You’re getting reckless.
She shakes her head, just as the door BUZZES. Pace and
Crimmage walk in. Left side of Pace’s face is red. The room
is still in a bit of disarray.
PACE
Anything missing?
CAIN
My Soladar folder. Had all my
notes.
She opens a small fridge, pulls out three beers. Hands them
out.
Crimmage bounces his knees. Blinks rapidly.
CAIN (CONT’D)
You told me you overheard your
father mention the Mentac System
once. Did you ever hear the word
Rezela?
Crimmage’s eyes light up.
CRIMMAGE
Rezela. Yeah.
He gazes off at nothing.
CRIMMAGE (CONT’D)
I was messing with his computer. He
was outside the office, arguing
with someone about shutting the
program down.
CAIN
What did you hear?
CRIMMAGE
It’s not what I heard. It’s what I
saw. A star chart he had taped to
the wall next to his desk. It said
Mentac System. Rezela was a ringed
planet with dozens of moons.
He looks Cain in the eye, his face suddenly pale.
CRIMMAGE (CONT’D)
A week later, he disappeared.
PACE
Shit.
She looks at Pace.
CAIN
Rezela is a planet. That must be
where Soladar is mined. I need to
talk to our prisoner again.
CUT TO:
Genres:
["Sci-Fi","Mystery","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
25 -
Shadows of Suspicion
INT. JEPSO ISS CORRIDOR, JUST OUTSIDE THE DETENTION FACILITY
Automated security turrets track Cain's approach. Her
footsteps echo unnaturally loud on the metal floor. She looks
around as if she’s being watched.
INT. DETENTION FACILITY
Cain steps into the sterile, dimly lit lobby. The air is
heavy with the weight of confinement. Security fields shimmer
at every doorway. She approaches a window cut into the wall,
where a SERGEANT (30s) sits, his uniform crisp, eyes fixed on
a floating holo-display.
CAIN
Good afternoon, Sergeant.
Lieutenant Cain from the 405th. I’m
here to see Tatiana Zukurov.
He glances down at a logbook.
SERGEANT
Um, let me get Captain Wilson,
ma’am.
The Sergeant gets up and walks out of frame. A minute later,
CAPTAIN WILSON, Female (30’s) approaches the window.
CAPTAIN WILSON
Lieutenant Cain? You’re asking
about Tatiana Zukurov?
CAIN
Yes, I had some additional
questions for her.
CAPTAIN WILSON
Well, I’m sorry to tell you this,
but the prisoner took her own life
yesterday.
Cain’s breath catches. Her hand instinctively goes to her
sidearm, then forces itself back to her side.
CAIN
What? How did that happen?
CAPTAIN WILSON
She wasn’t under suicide watch. She
used her sheets and hung herself.
Cain's brow furrows, her mind racing. The news has shaken
her.
CAIN
Has she had other visitors?
CAPTAIN WILSON
A few. Her assigned attorney, and
Lieutenant Foster, another Ranger -
I believe he was the one who
brought her in.
CAIN
Foster. Foster. Don’t recognize the
name.
Captain Wilson walks back over to the sergeant’s desk and
picks up a log book. Opens it.
CAPTAIN WILSON
Let’s see. Yes, here it is.
Lieutenant Foster, 405th Ranger
Squadron.
Cain’s eyebrows scrunch up.
CAIN
Ok, thanks Captain.
Cain turns and strides out of the facility, her steps
quickening with purpose. The mystery surrounding Tatiana's
death has only deepened.
Genres:
["Sci-Fi","Mystery","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
26 -
Whispers of Danger
INT. JEPSO ISS - CAIN’S OFFICE - AFTERNOON
Cain sits at her desk, staring at a file. Her fingers trace
the edge of a small, tarnished star-shaped paperweight. The
knock at the door barely registers.
Pace enters, his usual grin fading as he takes in her
expression.
PACE
What’s up, LT?
She motions for him to sit.
He notices her fingers tightening around the paperweight.
PACE (CONT’D)
So, did you hear about the 201st?
CAIN
Yeah, read the report. I don’t
believe it. Three colony ships
disappear, and now a tactical ship?
I knew those guys.
PACE
Yeah, I used to work out with
Henderson.
CAIN
Haven’t told you about the prisoner
we picked up on Europa.
Pace leans forward, sensing the shift.
CAIN (CONT’D)
I went to the detention center
yesterday to talk to her again.
(beat)
CAIN (CONT'D)
She...hung herself.
Pace goes completely still. The air thickens. He processes
this; his eyes searching Cain's face.
PACE
Oh Jesus. Don’t they watch their
prisoners?
CAIN
Not very well, apparently.
She taps the data pad, bringing up a grainy security image.
CAIN (CONT’D)
A guy named Foster impersonated a
lieutenant, visited her right
before.
Pace stares at the image.
PACE
You gotta stop this. It’s getting
too dangerous. If anything happened
to you...
CAIN
Ask around. See if anyone knows
someone named Foster? It’s a big
station, but not that big. May not
even be his real name.
PACE
Yeah. You think this ties to what
Tatiana told you about Soladar?
Cain doesn't answer. She picks up the star-shaped
paperweight, turning it over in her hands. The silence
stretches between them, heavy with unspoken understanding.
INT. JEPSO ISS - SQUADRON GYM - DAY
The gym hums with the clang of iron and the grunts of
Rangers. Sweat glistens on focused faces. Pace enters,
dropping his bag near MIKE and DAXTON, who are spotting each
other on a bench.
MIKE
(grinning)
You call that a set? My grandma
lifts heavier than that!
DAXTON
At least you don’t have to worry
about her spotting you.
Pace chuckles, but it's strained. He takes a deep breath,
wiping sweat from his brow, doing a quick survey of the gym.
PACE
Either of you know a guy named
Foster?
They shake their heads.
Pace's plops onto the bench, and they hand him the barbell.
He does eight vigorous repetitions, the effort apparent on
his face, then sets it back with a thud.
Another RANGER walks over.
RANGER
I went to BASIC with a guy named
Derrick Foster. Disappeared after
graduation. Rumor has it he went
black ops.
CLOSE ON PACE - his face darkens.
PACE
Thanks.
The Ranger nods, and Pace turns away.
Genres:
["Sci-Fi","Mystery","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
27 -
Betrayal and Investigation
INT. JEPSO ISS GENERAL KELLY'S OFFICE
Kelly and Platt sit at the small table, the SILENCE DOME
surrounding them.
Kelly slides the Soladar Folder across to her.
GENERAL KELLY
Lieutenant Cain accessed my office
today while I was in a meeting and
took pictures of what’s in that
folder.
GENERAL PLATT
Why would you even have this
printed out?
GENERAL KELLY
I’m old school. I like paper.
Platt shakes her head. Kelly sighs, pulls the folder back.
GENERAL PLATT
You’ve always had a soft spot for
her.
GENERAL KELLY
Her grandfather was a good friend.
GENERAL PLATT
But she’s become a liability. I
don’t want to sound melodramatic,
but if the Russian Alliance...
GENERAL KELLY
I know. I know.
GENERAL PLATT
What do you want to do?
Pained expression on Kelly’s face...then resolve.
GENERAL KELLY
Shut her down. Once and for all.
INT. JEPSO ISS PERSONNEL OFFICE - DAY
Cain pushes through the heavy glass doors.
The muted hum of fluorescent lights and the distant shuffle
of papers create a somber atmosphere. Cain's eyes dart around
the utilitarian space, taking in the gray walls and sterile
desks before settling on the RECORDS counter.
Behind the half-door, a CLERK (20s), a no-nonsense woman with
a disarming smile, looks up from her holographic terminal.
CLERK
What can I do for you Lieutenant?
CAIN
I’m trying to find a ranger named
Derrick Foster. Can you tell me if
he’s stationed here?
CLERK
Personnel records require proper
authorization, ma'am. Is this
official business?
CAIN
It's connected to an ongoing
investigation.
Kumar hesitates, her professional smile tightening slightly.
CLERK
Well, let’s see.
She turns to her terminal and begins typing.
CLERK (CONT’D)
There was a Corporal Derrick
Foster, but I’m afraid he was
discharged almost three years ago.
CAIN
Infantry?
More typing
CLERK
He was with the 1208th out of Fort
Carson in Colorado.
CAIN
1208th. Isn’t that where General
Platt came from?
CLERK
Yes, ma’am. General Platt was a
colonel then. She was commander of
the 1208th.
Cain's fingers drum against the counter. After a moment, she
meets the clerk’s gaze.
CAIN
You have a picture of Foster?
CLERK
I have his old ID photo...but I
shouldn’t.
CAIN
It’s important, Sergeant
The clerk types again, the holographic display casting blue
light across her face. A moment later, Cain's wristband
PINGS, the sound unnaturally loud in the quiet room.
CLERK
There you go.
Cain glances at her wristband.
CLOSE-ON WRISTBAND. The photo loads--a young soldier with
sharp features.
CAIN
Thank you for your help.
She turns, already moving, her mind racing.
Genres:
["Sci-Fi","Mystery","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
28 -
Fractured Regulations
INT. JEPSO ISS CAIN'S OFFICE - EARLY EVENING
Cain stands by her desk, fidgeting with the photo of FOSTER.
Her thumb traces his face, then moves to the PHOTO OF HER
FAMILY on the credenza.
CAIN
Any sage advice, Noah?
NOAH (V.O.)
You don’t always need to be a
badass.
The door Buzzes.
Pace enters with two coffees, hands her one.
CAIN
It’s too much, Pace. Tatiana
murdered. My notes stolen. General
Kelly’s warnings. And they’re
definitely sending some of the
colony ships to this planet Rezela.
But why? To mine Soladar? I just
can’t fit the last piece of the
puzzle.
PACE
You need to take the General’s
warnings seriously. This stuff is
classified for a reason. And I get
it, but we’re just Rangers. We take
out illegal miners.
He walks over and gives her a light hug.
PACE (CONT’D)
I’m getting worried. I can’t let
anything happen to you.
CAIN
Fraternization is against the
rules.
PACE
Fuck the rules. When we finish this
next mission, you’re coming with me
to Utah.
She wraps her arms around him.
CAIN
Deal.
PACE
See you in the morning.
He exits. The door CLICKS shut. Cain’s smile fades.
Genres:
["Sci-Fi","Mystery","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
29 -
Midnight Assault
INT. JEPSO ISS CAIN’S QUARTERS - MIDNIGHT
Darkness. Cain sleeps fitfully. A SOFT KNOCK. She stirs.
Another KNOCK.
CAIN
(sleepily)
Pace?
She shuffles to the door, hits the release.
The door SMASHES OPEN—SLAMS into her skull. She CRASHES to
the floor, dazed. A SILHOUETTE looms.
A HAND GRABS her hair, YANKS her up. She THRASHES—
CAIN (CONT’D)
HELP!
A FIST CRACKS her jaw. Blood sprays. Then—HANDS CLAMP around
her throat. She GASPS, claws at them—
CLOSE ON CAIN’S HAND — scrambling across the floor,grasping
for anything—
ATTACKER —forcing her down, choking—
CAIN —lets out a GUTTURAL SCREAM, YANKS his head down—BITES
HIS NOSE.
ATTACKER —HOWLS, clutches his face—
CAIN —DRIVES her knee into his groin—
ATTACKER —stumbles back—
CAIN —LAUNCHES herself—SLAMS him into the desk. CRUNCH! —his
skull hits the corner. He COLLAPSES.
Gasping, Cain fumbles for the light. Her MASER clatters to
the floor. She GRABS it, aims—
The attacker’s MASKED face. Unconscious. She throws open a
cabinet, fumbles around, finds a bungee cord. Down on her
knees, ties his hands, RIPS off the mask.
CAIN (CONT’D)
(Chokes the words out)
Foster!
She touches her wristband and calls Pace.
PACE (O.S.)
(groggily, over the phone)
Hey! Miss me already?
CAIN
Get over here now.
She clicks off the call.
A MINUTE LATER - Door buzzes. She hits the release. Pace
bursts the room. He sees the man lying on his stomach, hands
tied. He rushes to Cain and wraps his arms around her.
PACE
Christ! Are you ok?
She’s shaking, blood on her lip. Points weakly.
CAIN
That’s Foster.
Pace processes, jaw tightening. Foster GROANS.
PACE
How did he get in?
Sad smile.
CAIN
I thought it was you coming back.
Pace won’t let go.
PACE
How bad are you hurt? We need to
call the medic. And the MPs.
CAIN
Not yet. I’m fine. Must have been
some kind of flag on his personnel
file. An alert when I asked about
him.
PACE
That would take somebody high up in
the command.
CAIN
General Platt. They used to work
together.
Cain, mostly recovered, pulls the desk chair to the middle of
the room.
CAIN (CONT’D)
Get him up and let’s ask him.
Pace lifts Foster onto the chair, leaving behind a pool of
blood from an obvious head wound. He’s barely conscious.
Cain taps her wristband and the computer image appears.
COMPUTER VOICE
Good evening, Lieutenant Cain.
CAIN
Computer, record the following to
my encrypted SysNet Server.
COMPUTER VOICE
Recording.
CAIN
Interrogation of Derrick Foster,
former infantry. Foster broke into
my room tonight, but I managed to
subdue him.
Foster continues to groan. Pace has to hold him in the chair.
Foster is coming around, appears to have difficulty seeing.
Looks around wildly, especially at Pace.
CAIN (CONT’D)
Who sent you?
FOSTER
I...I don’t feel good. Help me,
please.
Foster’s head drops to his chest.
Pace lightly smacks his cheeks.
PACE
Hey!
Foster looks up, goes limp, starts whimpering.
CAIN
Why did you kill Tatiana Zukurov?
FOSTER
(gasping)
I...I just did what I was ordered
to do.
PACE
Who gave the order?
Foster groans. Pace smacks him lightly again.
FOSTER
General Platt. Please help me.
CAIN
How were you paid?
FOSTER
What?
PACE
Paid! How were you paid?
Foster’s head is lolling again.
FOSTER
She...gives me the job...the
credits show up in my account.
CAIN
Give me your bank account info.
FOSTER
What? I don’t...
Foster suddenly pukes all over himself and the floor.
FOSTER (CONT’D)
Oh, my God. My head. I need a
doctor. Please...
CAIN
Bank account info. Then I’ll get
you help.
Foster rattles off his bank and account number.
Pace tilts his head at Cain.
CAIN (CONT’D)
(To Pace) I have a friend who can
trace where the money came from.
Foster falls out of the chair right into the vomit. Starts
convulsing. Blood pouring from his head wound.
PACE
Shit, call the medics.
Foster suddenly stops moving. His eyes open.
Pace drops to his knees, checks Foster’s pulse.
A beat.
He looks up at Cain, a pained expression.
PACE (CONT’D)
He’s dead.
CAIN
What?? No.
She drops down beside Pace. Puts two fingers on Foster’s
neck. Sits back on her butt. Realization hitting her.
CAIN (CONT’D)
Call Tran. Call the MPs. I need to
wash my face.
Cain goes in the bathroom, comes out holding a wet rag to her
lip. Pace taps his wristband.
LATER
MONTAGE:
-Tran’s Med Team zips Foster in a body bag and wheels him
out.
-Another member cleans the floor with disinfectant.
-Pace and Cain talk with a MILITARY POLICEMAN, who takes
notes, then leaves.
END MONTAGE:
Cain crawls onto the bed. Stretches out her hands, beckoning
to Pace.
He climbs on the bed and holds her. She snuggles her back
into his chest.
CAIN (CONT’D)
I could get used to this.
PACE
I hope so. I figure I’ll wear you
down by the time you’re fifty.
CAIN
Fifty!
PACE
Hey, you’ll still be hot when
you’re fifty.
Cain turns to face him, pulling him close. They kiss, a
desperate connection amidst the chaos. When they part, Cain
looks into Pace's eyes, searching for reassurance.
CAIN
Everything’s falling apart.
Pace tightens his hold.
PACE
Hey, nothing’s falling apart as
long as you got me.
CUT TO:
Genres:
["Thriller","Mystery","Action"]
Ratings
Scene
30 -
Betrayal in the Shadows
INT. JEPSO ISS - GENERAL KELLY'S OFFICE - NEXT DAY
GENERAL PLATT paces like a caged animal. The office feels
smaller, the dim light casting long shadows.
Kelly doesn’t look up, his jaw tightening.
Platt stops, her reflection warped in the polished surface of
a trophy.
KELLY
Can Foster be tied back to you?
PLATT
Depends if he said anything before
he died.
Intercom buzzes.
MAJOR MORENO
Sir, I have Captain Cain here to
see you.
Platt’s eyes dart to Kelly. He points to a side door.
Platt hesitates, then slips out like a ghost. Kelly steels
himself.
GENERAL KELLY
(over intercom)
Send her in.
The door opens. CAIN enters. A BRUISE on her cheek. Kelly
jumps up, pulls her into an embrace.
GENERAL KELLY (CONT’D)
Are you ok? Have they identified
who it was?
Cain taps her wristband and a video projection of the Foster
interrogation appears. The glow paints her face in cold blue.
CAIN
His name’s Foster. I’m pretty sure
the same man who murdered my
prisoner. We fought. He hit his
head.
She taps the screen. FOSTER’s rasping confession plays:
“General Platt ordered it. Paid me…”
Kelly feigns shock, gripping the desk.
GENERAL KELLY
That’s...no, that’s impossible.
CAIN
You just heard it yourself, sir.
I’m sorry, but it was General
Platt. A computer expert friend of
mine is tracing the payment from
Foster’s account back to the
originating account.
Kelly turns away, fists clenched. The silence is suffocating.
Finally, he exhales.
GENERAL KELLY
The main thing is you’re ok. Was
anyone else there?
Cain hesitates.
CAIN
My second. Technical Sergeant
Pacerelli. What are you going to
do?
Kelly’s anger falters. He runs a hand over his face, suddenly
older.
GENERAL KELLY
Send me the video, then delete it.
The Federation can’t afford for
this to get out. Do you have a team
ready to deploy?
CAIN
Yes, sir. We’re scheduled for
another interdiction on Europa in
two weeks.
Kelly appears lost in thought for a moment. Taps his datapad.
GENERAL KELLY
The 302nd can take that mission. I
want you off station sooner than
that. Until we can figure out
what’s going on and why you were
attacked.
CAIN
I’m sure it has to do with my
Soladar research.
GENERAL KELLY
Which I ordered you...practically
begged you to leave alone.
CAIN
I had no idea it would go this far!
General Platt tried to have me
killed. Why?
GENERAL KELLY
I don’t know. Doesn’t make sense.
But we WILL find out.
Kelly taps the datapad again.
GENERAL KELLY (CONT’D)
Our next colony ship, StarTracer/2
will arrive from Earth later today,
then depart day after tomorrow. I
want you and your team on that
ship. Simple security.
Cain’s eyes go wide. Kelly doesn’t notice.
CAIN
Destination?
GENERAL KELLY
Classified for now. You’ll be
briefed before hypersleep. Keep
this Sergeant Pacerelli close until
you’re off station. General Platt
will be arrested today and shipped
back to Earth for interrogation.
CAIN
Thank you, sir.
Cain stands. Kelly again pulls her into a rough embrace—more
for himself than her.
GENERAL KELLY
I’m glad you’re ok. And don’t
worry.
Cain leaves. General Kelly stabs the intercom
GENERAL KELLY (CONT’D)
(over intercom)
Get General Platt back here.
He taps the holographic computer screen.
CLOSE IN ON SCREEN:
-- It opens to the BANK OF GENEVA webpage.
-- He types in a logon and password.
-- The screen displays ACCOUNT TEMPORARILY FROZEN.
He puts his hands up to his head.
LATER
Genres:
["Sci-Fi","Thriller","Mystery"]
Ratings
Scene
31 -
Crisis in Command
INT. JEPSO ISS - GENERAL KELLY'S OFFICE - AFTERNOON
General Platt is back in the office, her demeanor now frayed.
She paces the room again.
GENERAL KELLY
Cain has a recording implicating
you in the attack by Foster. The
Geneva account has been frozen!
This is a disaster.
She drops down onto the couch.
GENERAL PLATT
There’s nearly fifty-million
credits in that account!
GENERAL KELLY
(taking a deep breath)
You need to be on the next shuttle
to Earth.
GENERAL PLATT
And what about Cain? And what about
the goddamn money!
Kelly looks down, a pained expression. Then he nods.
GENERAL KELLY
Calm down! I’m working with the
bank to get the account unfrozen.
StarTracer/2 is the next colony
ship. It arrives later today.
GENERAL PLATT
The ship is autonomous.I have the
new coordinates programmed.
GENERAL KELLY
Good. Now, get packed and stay out
of sight until the shuttle leaves
tomorrow.
Platt starts to say something, then turns and exits.
CUT TO:
Genres:
["Sci-Fi","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
32 -
Maiden Voyage Briefing
INT. STARTRACER/2 COMMAND DECK.
Cain, Pace and MAJOR TODD (40’s,(Gray-haired, overweight)
stand inside the control room. A senior SYSTEMS ENGINEER
greets them.
ENGINEER
Welcome to StarTracer/2. One of the
most advanced ships we have. You
have the honor of taking her out on
her maiden voyage.
The Engineer points to a large BLACK BUTTON on the control
panel.
ENGINEER (CONT’D)
This is the manual override should
anything go wrong. Trust me, you
won’t need it.
CAIN
The ship is completely autonomous?
I don’t even like my car driving
itself, much less a starship.
ENGINEER
(Chuckles)
I forgot you’re a pilot. Major Todd
here from the flight school will
fly with you. He is fully certified
and can take over if needed. But
after launch, AI manages all
functions, so there’s no need for a
pilot except in an emergency.
Pace glances at Major Todd, who seems a bit fidgety, eyes
darting.
PACE
What kind of emergency? Like
getting lost in space?
The Engineer’s brow furrows. Then he smiles.
ENGINEER
Oh, you mean like the colony ships?
Nothing to worry about, Sergeant.
This baby has the latest solar
shields, and the control systems
are in the ship's belly, inside a
second shielded room. Plus, we’ve
retrofitted her with the latest
Soladar reactor. At full power, it
can accelerate to a quarter of the
speed of light.
They head down a corridor to the elevator. The major punches
level two.
ENGINEER (CONT’D)
Next, we’ll look at the Ops sleep
chamber. It’s got twenty-four beds,
for your rangers and crew, also
with the latest technology.
Cain walks around the room. The beds are very similar to
those on the Horus.
CAIN
What’s the new tech?
ENGINEER
We updated the timer and level
controls and introduced two
different gases that provide a
deeper sleep without the nasty
aftereffects.
They leave the sleep chamber and take the elevator down to
the first floor.
The doors open to reveal a room as large as a football field.
Two dozen SELF-CONTAINED EMERGENCY PODS sit on a WINDING
MOTORIZED TRACK. The pods are oval, with retracted wings and
a single thruster.
ENGINEER (CONT’D)
Fifteen pods. More of the latest
technology, but I guarantee you’ll
never have to use these.
CAIN
Show us.
The Engineer walks to the nearest pod. A screen on the
outside of the pod says: MAJOR TODD
ENGINEER
These are also autonomous. As you
can see, we have designated each
pod for one of your team members,
and each pod has an emergency evac
suit fitted for that individual.
He punches a button on the pod, and a hatch opens to reveal a
single seat and a small console.
ENGINEER (CONT’D)
The pods are made of a titanium
composite. Very strong. Oxygen,
water and food packs for five days.
Advanced communications. Full
survival kit. Single button
operation.
MAJOR TODD
What about the colonists?
ENGINEER
They’re housed in a completely
separate area. Nearly one thousand
I’m told.
CUT TO:
Genres:
["Science Fiction","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
33 -
Ransacked and Ready
INT. JEPSO ISS CAIN'S QUARTERS
Cain and Pace walk to Cain’s quarters. The door slides open.
Cain and Pace step inside. The scene doesn’t register at
first. The room has been ransacked - again. Drawers thrown
open, papers and folders everywhere.
Pace immediately takes a protective stance, pulls Cain behind
him.
PACE
What the fuck!
CAIN
Has to be Platt.
PACE
I thought she was arrested.
CAIN
Me too.
PACE
What do you think they were looking
for?
CAIN
Probably looking for bank codes to
unfreeze Platt’s account.
PACE
How did you freeze the account?
CAIN
Genius I went to the academy with,
named Tyrell. He has the video, all
the account info. If anything
happens, he releases it all.
Pace pulls her in tight. Kisses the top of her head.
PACE
One more day and we’re outta here.
I’m staying here tonight.
EXT. DEEP SPACE - JEPSO ISS
LOOKING AT JEPSO ISS. A massive door on top of the station
retracts. STARTRACER/2 slowly rises. A medium-sized sleek
starship. The door closes underneath.
Engines engage, and the ship lifts off the station. Slowly
glides away, then thrusters fire, and it’s quickly out of
sight.
INT. STARTRACER/2, CAIN’S QUARTERS
Cain stares at a family photo - her five-year-old self
sandwiched between beaming parents and Noah. Her thumb rubs
the glass over her brother’s face.
She places the photo on a table beside the bed, along with
her STARCRASH ACTION FIGURE.
A LOW HUM builds - the ship’s engines. It morphs into...
EXT. NEIGHBORHOOD STREET - DAY (FLASHBACK)
DEAFENING EXPLOSIONS. six-year-old Carla SCREAMS as Noah
drags her past collapsing houses. Chunks of debris RAIN
around them. Noah’s grip leaves bruises.
EXT. GLEASON HOUSE/STORM CELLAR - DAY (FLASHBACK)
Noah SHOVES Carla into the cellar. Light ERUPTS behind him -
his silhouette BURNING into her retinas. He mouths "Go!" as
the heatwave LICKS at his back.
The memory DISSOLVES into--
INT. STARTRACER/2, CAIN’S QUARTERS
--the pulsing blue LIGHT of the ship’s AI interface. Cain
blinks hard, the afterimage of Noah’s sacrifice fading.
BUZZ! The door alarm JARS her. She smacks the release. Pace
enters, tossing a protein bar onto her bunk.
PACE
Three rookies? Plus Crimmage again.
CAIN
Colonel tore up my list. Handed me
his. Almost got court-martialed
arguing.
Pace shakes his head and sits on the edge of the bed.
PACE
Well, we’re just babysitting this
time.
He takes a bite out of the protein bar.
PACE (CONT’D)
Worse comes to worst, Travelli
seems pretty tough. Strong as hell.
Martin's smart. Studied engineering
at the Academy. Williams, pure
badass... So, what’s our
destination?
CAIN
Classified until right before
hypersleep.
Pace joins her at the viewport. The ship shudders slightly.
PACE
Pilotless ship. Rookie crew. Secret
destination. What could go wrong?
Cain's reflection shows the worry in her eyes she won't voice
aloud.
Genres:
["Sci-Fi","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
34 -
Confrontation in the Void
INT. STARTRACER/2, CORRIDOR - LATER
Cain stands alone at the window, her fingertips barely
grazing the thick glass. Outside, the sky darkens—stars
flicker to life like scattered embers.
She wears insulated skivvies, a sleeveless t-shirt, and knee-
high boots, her posture rigid. The reflection of the
corridor’s sterile lights fractures across the glass, warping
as—
QUICK FLASH: Ghostly images of her brother Noah dance along
the glass, their faces blurring together. Cain's expression
darkens as the memories FADE, revealing...
MAJOR TODD’s REFLECTION. He steps too close. His breath fogs
the glass near her shoulder.
He slaps her on the back. Too familiar. She flinches.
MAJOR TODD
My son graduates high school in a
week. By the time we get back,
he’ll be in college. What about
you? Nice departure from fighting
illegal miners.
She doesn't bother to turn around. Her jaw tightens.
CAIN
Don't worry about me. I just don't
like being sent out with a bunch of
rookies, in a pilotless ship.
When’s our destination briefing?
General Kelly said we’d receive it
before hypersleep.
MAJOR TODD
I just received instructions that
the destination will remain sealed
until we wake up. Sorry, that’s the
best I’ve got.
CAIN
Doesn’t that strike you as odd?
Before I close the top on that
little sleep machine, I'd like to
know where I'm gonna wake up!
Major Todd flinches, then puffs out his chest.
MAJOR TODD
Like I said, we’ll find out when we
wake up.
(MORE)
MAJOR TODD (CONT’D)
And hey, you don’t need to act
tough with me. I know you survived
Red Day...
Cain turns and gets in his face. Grips his arm.
CAIN
Never talk to me about Red Day,
Major. I watched while an entire
city was vaporized. I watched
children die in the streets while
whole neighborhoods were destroyed!
CLOSE IN ON MAJOR TODD. His face is flushed.
MAJOR TODD
I told you. I don’t know the
destination. It’s still sealed.
Cain releases her grip, and the Major backs away arm and
shaking his head in disbelief that practically assaulted a
superior officer. He points his finger.
MAJOR TODD (CONT’D)
Careful, Lieutenant or when this is
over, I'll have your ass on a
silver platter.
Major Todd slaps the door release button and the solid steel
frame parts. He storms through, his face red.
Cain turns back to the window, watching as StarTracer/2 races
toward Jupiter.
CAIN
(whispers to herself)
Way to go, Carla.
Genres:
["Science Fiction","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
35 -
Mission Preparations and Unspoken Fears
INT. STARTRACER/2 - MESS
The Mess is a spacious area, flooded with artificial light.
The sound of the ship’s engine hums softly in the background,
a rhythmic pulse that vibrates through the room.
The entire group, excluding Major Todd, sits around a long
table, food trays colorful with various space rations: CAIN,
PACE, SPECIALIST ENRICO TRAVELLI (20’S, stout), CORPORAL
DAVIE CRIMMAGE, CORPORAL JAYLON WILLIAMS (20’s, black,
muscular), and SERGEANT EVERLY MARTIN (20’s, tall, no-
nonsense).
TRAVELLI
Where are we headed, Captain?
CAIN
(sipping her drink; thoughtful)
We haven’t been given the
destination yet. I assume Illegal
mining interdiction. Based on
current trajectory, looks like
Triton, or even Proteus.
WILLIAMS
But the ship knows where we're
going, right? Never been on a ship
with no pilot.
StarTracer/2 rumbles. The whole table SHAKES.
CRIMMAGE
That's the Soladar reactor kicking
in.
MARTIN
How long we gonna be out?
CAIN
A year. But don't worry about it,
Martin. You'll be asleep most of
the time.
CRIMMAGE
If they push the reactor to full
capacity, we could reach a quarter
light-speed. Faster than anyone
ever thought possible.
PACE
You're just a walking encyclopedia,
ain't ya. Next time I need trivia
for a pub quiz, I’ll call you.
TRAVELLI
As long as I’m back for my wedding.
WILLIAMS
Who the hell would want to marry
you? Your nose looks like it went
ten rounds with a frying pan.
TRAVELLI
Yeah, fuck you too.
A moment of laughter dies down, replaced by an unspoken
understanding.
CAIN
You boys finish up. Make any calls
you want to make, then get down to
the sleep chamber. You've got one
hour.
CRIMMAGE
Think we’ll be alright out there?
CAIN
Hey, we’re a team. We stick
together. Besides, no fighting this
time. We are escort only.
The crew nods, a mix of bravado and concern lingering in the
air.
Genres:
["Science Fiction","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
36 -
Hypersleep Preparations
INT. STARTRACER/2 - HYPERSLEEP CHAMBER
The coffin-like capsules, each with a pillow, are adorned
with blinking control panels on the exterior.
Pace and the other four Rangers climb into their respective
machines.
Cain walks up to Pace, who’s holding his Maser.
CAIN
Destination is still sealed.
PACE
What the fuck?
CAIN
We’re not leaving this ship until I
know what we're walking into.
She squeezes his arm.
CAIN (CONT’D)
Get comfortable. I'll see you when
we wake up. Gonna check on the
others.
Pace lays his Maser down in the machine, then climbs in. He
lays back and the top of the machine comes down, clicks in
place, then the interior of the machine makes a HISSING SOUND
as it fills with a bluish gas.
Cain moves among the other Rangers, briefly observing each
one, her expression a blend of pride and the weight of her
responsibility. She stops by Major Todd's machine, her gaze
hardening.
CAIN (CONT’D)
(almost a whisper)
You know more than you’re telling
me.
Cain walks to her machine and climbs in. She reaches over and
sets her heart monitor to ten, then lays down and the top
slowly closes. The machine HISSES as a BLUE MIST is released.
Genres:
["Science Fiction","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
37 -
Awakening in Chaos
EXT. DEEP SPACE
StarTracer/2 glides through the void like an eel through the
ocean, its hull groaning under the strain of unseen forces.
Distant STARLIGHT flickers against its battered exterior like
a dying pulse.
INT. STARTRACER/2 - COMMAND CENTER
A low, rhythmic HUMMING underscores the silence. Suddenly, a
WARBLE ALARM cuts through — sharp, insistent. Panels FLICKER,
casting jagged shadows. A garbled STATIC hisses from unseen
speakers.
INT. STARTRACER/2 - HYPERSLEEP CHAMBER
Darkness. Then — CRACKLING ELECTRICITY as the sleep machines’
consoles ERUPT in violent RED STROBES. The MIST inside swirls
like agitated breath.
CLOSE ON CAIN — her eyelids TWITCH. A sharp INHALE as her
eyes SNAP OPEN, pupils contracting against the glare. She
SQUINTS, teeth clenched.
With a metallic SHRIEK, her pod UNSEALS. Cain GASPS, clawing
for the oxygen mask. Her fingers TREMBLE as she sucks in
air—once, twice. Her temples throb.
She SLAMS a fist on the timer release.
CLOSE ON TIMER — "780" BLINKS crimson. A tiny, shrill BEEPING
accompanies each flash.
CAIN
What the hell...no way. 780 days?
She then notices all the machines are FLASHING RED, and her
own Sleep Level is set to 12.
She LUNGES from her pod, legs buckling. The floor VIBRATES
beneath her—a deep, unsettling RUMBLE. She STEADIES herself,
then moves pod to pod, wrenching levels down to ZERO.
Each machine HISSES open, expelling CREW MEMBERS in various
states of disorientation. COUGHS. GROANS.
Pace CHOKES, his Maser still clutched in his fist.
The red flashes stop, and each machine begins to open with a
slow HISSING sound, the air being expelled like a dying man's
last breath.
One by one, the Rangers sit up, holding their oxygen masks,
breathing deeply.
Cain goes to Pace's machine. He sits up, still holding his
Maser. Cain pulls the oxygen mask and slaps it on him. He
takes several deep breaths, and nods.
PACE
Man, I feel like a hippo just took
a big dump right in my head! Get me
out of this thing!
Cain helps him stand. Pace is wobbly at first.
CAIN
Give it a minute, then check on the
others.
PACE
What’s wrong?
CAIN
If the readouts are correct, we’ve
been asleep for twenty-two months.
I need to find Major Todd.
Cain trots over to the Major’s sleep machine, CLOSE IN ON
INTERIOR: Empty. Cain looks around, but the Major is nowhere
to be seen.
CAIN (CONT’D)
Goddammit!
She rushes out of the room.
Genres:
["Science Fiction","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
38 -
Awakening to Chaos
INT. STARTRACER/2 - MESS
Pace and the four recruits sit at the mess table, sipping
coffee, still groggy from hypersleep. Pace’s knuckles are
white around his mug.
Pace holds up a red packet that says 'Liquified High-potency
Vitamin' on the side.
PACE
It's just like you learned in
training.
He tears the top off the packet and gulps it down.
PACE (CONT’D)
Tastes just like cherries. You
babies should enjoy it just fine.
Martin tears the top off his packet and slurps it.
MARTIN
So what's the mission, Sarge? We
gonna see aliens?
A forced chuckle from the group. Dies instantly under Pace’s
glare. He SLAMS his mug down.
PACE
Not funny, Martin.
The Recruits have been admonished. Pace waves his arm at the
window.
PACE (CONT’D)
In case you haven't been
listening...In case NONE of you
have been listening, I'll tell you
again! We've been asleep for twenty-
two months - longer than anyone has
ever been in one of those machines.
And the controls were reset after
we were under.
TRAVELLI
Sarge, you mean you don't know
where we are?
Crimmage stands and walks over to one of the windows.
CRIMMAGE
I know where we are.
All eyes turn to him.
CRIMMAGE (CONT’D)
Mentac System, Sarge. Just like my
dad’s star chart.
All the recruits get up and walk over to the window.
THROUGH WINDOW: A gray planet with faint rings. Multiple
moons surround the planet. A sun shines in the distance.
Pace is ashen. Confused.
PACE
Are you sure?
Crimmage points to the planet.
CRIMMAGE
Ringed planet. That’s Rezela. See
the moons? There are 23 of them.
Pace is suddenly terrified and furious.
PACE
The whole ship was reprogrammed
after we were asleep.
Pace races out of the mess.
Genres:
["Science Fiction","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
39 -
Descent into Chaos
INT. STARTRACER/2 - COMMAND CENTER
The command center is a chaotic symphony of flickering red
emergency lights and sparking control panels. Alarms BLARE,
their shrill pulses syncing with the erratic thrum of failing
engines.
MAJOR TODD frantically slams his fists against the BLACK
BUTTON on the console, sweat dripping from his brow. His
breath comes in ragged gasps.
Cain bursts in, eyes blazing. She GRABS Todd, SPINS him, and
SLAMS him against the console — metal groans under the
impact.
Her Maser is already in hand, pressed hard against his cheek.
The barrel glints in the strobing light.
CAIN
Where are we, you son of a bitch?
Cain pulls out her Maser and presses it against his cheek.
TIGHT ON TODD'S FACE. His eyes are bulging out of his head
like two water-filled balloons about to burst.
TODD
I... I don’t know! The system’s
locked me out!
Cain’s grip tightens. The Maser digs deeper.
CAIN
Give me the command logon!
Todd's face is flushed, and he starts panting. His eyes dart
back and forth from Cain to the console.
TODD
The autopilot—it’s overriding.
Manual control’s aren’t responding!
Todd squirms, his eyes showing true terror.
CAIN
Five seconds, Major!
The ship LURCHES VIOLENTLY.
A DEAFENING SILENCE as they’re hurled sideways — Cain’s Maser
SKIDS across the floor. Todd FLIPS over a chair, CRASHING
onto his back.
THE SHIP STABILIZES.
Cain lunges for the gun — the floor TILTS again — her fingers
graze cold metal before it’s yanked away.
Cain dives and SNATCHES the Maser, ears ringing from the
SCREECHING SIREN. She SLAMS her fist onto the console
—SILENCE.
PACE stumbles in, chest heaving. His eyes lock onto the FRONT
VIEWER — a moon FILLS the screen, looming closer.
CAIN (CONT’D)
(pointing the Maser at
Todd)
I should blow your head off
right...
PACE
What the hell is that?
Cain spins around, and looks at the front viewer. A small
moon fills the screen, getting larger and larger with every
second.
TODD
(screaming)
We're going to crash! We’ve got to
shut down the autopilot!
Todd turns to run out of the room, but Pace grabs him around
the neck and holds him tight. Pace glances back and forth
between Cain and the viewer.
PACE
Carla! What's happening?
Cain is frozen in place, staring at the moon rushing towards
them. The image dissolves into...
FLASHBACK:
Genres:
["Sci-Fi","Action","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
40 -
Countdown to Despair
EXT. NEIGHBORHOOD STREET/STORM CELLAR – DAY (FLASHBACK)
A deafening EXPLOSION rocks the street — Young Carla stumbles
as Noah yanks her forward. The sky is a hellish red, EMBERS
raining down. Another BOOM, closer this time—Noah shoves her
toward the storm cellar.
CARLA
Noah! Don’t leave me!
A BLINDING WHITE LIGHT engulfs them—the sound of the
explosion MORPHS into the—
INT. STARTRACER/2 - COMMAND CENTER - PRESENT
PACE
Carla!
Cain snaps out of the memory, and looks at the viewer again.
She rubs her hand over her face.
CAIN
Get everyone to the escape pods.
PACE
What about the colonists?
CAIN
We only have fifteen pods!
The reality hits her. Most everyone onboard will die.
Todd breaks away from Pace's grasp and stumbles across the
bridge to the console. Pounds the BLACK BUTTON.
TODD
It’s not working!
A deafening KLAXON SOUND, then a computerized voice over the
intercom:
COMPUTER VOICE (V.O.)
CONDITION ALPHA! CONDITION ALPHA!
IMPACT IMMINENT! TEN MINUTES TO
IMPACT.
A FLASHING TIMER on the main screen: 09:59... 09:58...
Todd continues to push buttons and flip switches.
TODD
NO! NO! Please God, no!
Cain grabs Todd and pulls him away from the console. Todd
clutches Cain's shirt.
TODD (CONT’D)
Please! You've got to do something.
I didn’t know!
Cain looks at the viewer then back at Todd.
CAIN
Pace, get him out of here.
COMPUTER VOICE (V.O.)
CONDITION ALPHA! CONDITION ALPHA!
IMPACT IMMINENT! NINE MINUTES TO
IMPACT.
Pace grabs Cain's arm.
PACE
Carla! We've got to go!
Todd is babbling now. Incoherent. Cain heaves him out of the
Command Center with Pace, and into-
INT. STARTRACER/2, HALLWAY
CAIN
(to Pace)
Get our folks to the escape pods.
We...we can’t save the rest. I’ll
be right there.
COMPUTER VOICE (V.O.)
CONDITION ALPHA! CONDITION ALPHA!
IMPACT IMMINENT! EIGHT MINUTES TO
IMPACT.
The hallway shakes violently. Sparks rain from a ruptured
conduit. The acrid smoke of burning insulation fills the air.
Cain rushes back to her quarters, steps back out carrying a
small backpack and the STARCRASH ACTION FIGURE.
Genres:
["Sci-Fi","Thriller","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
41 -
Desperate Escape
INT. STARTRACER/2 - EMERGENCY ESCAPE POD VAULT
Fifteen single-person pods line the track, their hatches
glowing red in the emergency lights. The room thrums with the
ship’s death rattle.
Cain bursts in, sweat streaking her face. The Rangers
scramble — Pace shoves Todd into a pod, Martin fumbles with
his EV suit, Travelli wrestles Crimmage, who’s white-
knuckling a support beam.
COMPUTER VOICE (V.O.)
CONDITION ALPHA! SIX MINUTES TO
IMPACT!
CAIN
(To Pace)
Lock in and get out of here!
Cain races over to Travelli, who is yanking Crimmage by the
sleeve while he resists, holding onto a support beam for dear
life.
TRAVELLI
For God's sake Crimmage! We're
gonna be mayonnaise in six minutes.
Get in the goddamn pod!
Cain squeezes her eyes shut, then shakes her head.
CAIN
Crimmage! I'm giving you a direct
order! Get in the pod!
COMPUTER VOICE (V.O.)
CONDITION ALPHA! CONDITION ALPHA!
IMPACT IMMINENT! FIVE MINUTES TO
IMPACT.
CLOSE IN ON CRIMMAGE'S FACE. His eyes are blinking like a
broken traffic light.
CRIMMAGE
LT, we’ll die down there. I’d
rather burn up with the ship!
CAIN
(to Travelli)
Get Martin and get out of here!
I'll handle this.
Travelli looks at Crimmage, then at Cain and nods, then races
off to help Martin into his pod
CLOSE IN ON THE FIRST POD, POISED IN FRONT OF THE HATCH.
The hatch opens, massive amount of air rushes in. The first
pod moves on the track to the open hatch.
A sudden WHOOSH sounds, followed by another, as pods begin
deploying.
CAIN (CONT’D)
Crimmage, we have to go! We don't
have time for this!
CRIMMAGE
I'd rather burn up with the ship,
sir.
Cain pulls Crimmage's hands away from the support beam.
COMPUTER VOICE (V.O.)
CONDITION ALPHA! CONDITION ALPHA!
IMPACT IMMINENT! FOUR MINUTES TO
IMPACT.
CAIN
Crimmage, in four minutes you've
got no options! Down there, we've
got a chance!
CLOSE IN ON CRIMMAGE. His eyes are blinking rapidly.
Another WHOOSH as a pod deploys.
CRIMMAGE
I don’t want to die down there.
Cain glares at him for a few seconds.
COMPUTER VOICE (V.O.)
THE SHIP WILL IMPACT IN THREE
MINUTES. ALL PERSONNEL SHOULD
EVACUATE IMMEDIATELY.
Cain pulls Crimmage to a pod.
CAIN
I'm not leaving you here!
Cain shoves Crimmage into the pod. Crimmage looks back.
Cain hits a button and the top of the pod closes and begins
moving toward the hatch.
COMPUTER VOICE (V.O.)
THE SHIP WILL IMPACT IN TWO
MINUTES. ALL PERSONNEL SHOULD
EVACUATE IMMEDIATELY.
Cain stumbles across the room and dives into a pod. The ship
TILTS wildly, as Cain's pod moves to the open hatch.
COMPUTER VOICE (V.O.)
THE SHIP WILL IMPACT IN ONE MINUTE
ALL PERSONNEL SHOULD EVACUATE
IMMEDIATELY.
EXT. STARTRACER/2 - EMERGENCY POD/SPACE
The ship careens through the dark void of space, heading
straight for the moon. Cain's pod breaks free from the ship,
its small wings unfurling, thrusters igniting with a fierce
glow that momentarily illuminates the shadows of space.
Genres:
["Sci-Fi","Action","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
42 -
Descent into Chaos
EXT. TWELFTH MOON OF REZELA
The moon, eerily illuminated by a nearby sun, presents a
rugged terrain of craggy rocks and twisted spires.
Pace's pod is half-buried in the lunar soil. With a strained
grunt, he pushes the hatch open and crawls out, fogging his
visor as he retrieves two small tanks marked OXYGEN, the
metallic clang echoing against the stillness.
He sinks onto the ground, back against a jagged rock. For a
moment, just breathes. The air in his suit hisses softly.
CLOSE ON PACE'S FACE
Through his visor. Sweat beads on his forehead. His eyes scan
the alien horizon, taking in the impossible landscape.
PACE POV: In the sky, the StarTracer/2 streaks down like a
fiery comet, disappearing behind a distant mountain range. An
instant later, it ERUPTS in a cataclysmic FIREBALL, bathing
the landscape in an infernal glow, turning the mountains into
stark silhouettes against a turbulent, bloody sky.
PACE POV: He looks through his heads-up display and spots
several pods a few hundred yards away.
Pace ducks into a crevice, arms shielding his head. The
ground trembles— a low, guttural growl — like the moon itself
is waking up.
His arm jerks. Stuck. The rock clings to his suit like tar.
PACE
What the fuck?
He jerks his arm away from the rock and it seems to ripple.
The ground begins to SHAKE with a low, rolling sound, and
suddenly, like dawn breaking over the horizon, the tops of
the mountains SHEAR AWAY in a second tremendous blast,
hurling rock and debris in all directions.
PACE (CONT’D)
Goddamn Soladar. And we were riding
around with that stuff.
The horror is over. Pace raises his head and peers out over
the steaming rocks. He pulls his other arm free from the
porous rock, and the outer layer of his suit tears, leaving a
small patch of the fortified material stuck to the surface.
Silence. Then — a hiss. The rock sucks a patch of his torn
suit into a slit that seals instantly.
He curses under his breath and grabs the piece of suit,
trying to pull it free. The rock moves again with a rippling
motion, and Pace jerks his hand away.
CLOSE IN ON THE MATERIAL STUCK TO THE ROCK.
The entire crevice trembles, vibrating like a frightened
heart.
Pace spins around, panic rising, the walls of this rocky
prison inching closer, suffocating. He pushes against the
sides, his breathing heavy, desperate. In a surge of
adrenaline, he vaults himself up and out, low gravity sending
him soaring ten yards higher than he expects.
He glances back at the yawning crack, now a menacing maw, and
within seconds, it SLAMS shut.
As he lands, the ground begins to SHUDDER violently beneath
him. With fear propelling him forward, he bolts toward the
other pods as the crack in the earth seems to pursue him,
chasing his every step.
Genres:
["Sci-Fi","Thriller","Action"]
Ratings
Scene
43 -
Stranded on the Scorched Moon
EXT. CAIN'S POD
Cain sits on her pod, scanning the desolate landscape. Todd
sits on his pod nearby, his face etched with fear. Crimmage
sits inside his pod, his head sticking out. Travelli and
Martin cautiously inspect their damaged pods. In all
directions the white, rocky terrain is scorched black from
Soladar heat.
A SUBTLE GROUND TREMOR rumbles beneath them. Everyone
freezes, exchanging nervous glances until it passes.
TRAVELLI
We’re fucked.
MARTIN
Great observation.
TRAVELLI
Oh, you got some great idea how to
get off this rock?
MARTIN
Men.
TRAVELLI
Hey, what’s that supposed to mean?
Cain keys her mic
CAIN
(Over comms)
Pace! Williams! Do you read?
PACE (O.S.)
(Over comms)
On my way to you.
Relief on Cain’s face.
CAIN
Williams! Respond!
PACE (O.S.)
(Over comms)
I think his pod landed too close to
the ship.
Travelli’s POV: In the distance, barely visible, a large hunk
of metal.
TRAVELLI
Captain, you seeing this? Might be
another ship.
Martin reaches into her pod, comes out with what looks like
BINOCULARS.
MARTIN POV: Far in the distance, even with the binoculars,
can barely make out some equipment with long arms, several
buildings.
MARTIN
Some buildings...no ship. If they
were mining, they’re gone now.
TRAVELLI
Doesn’t mean there aren’t other
operations...farther away, out of
sight.
Cain squints, shielding her eyes from the scorching sun.
CAIN
We need to signal for help.
TODD
Twenty-two months in those goddamn
sleep machines. We’re never gonna
be rescued!
CAIN
Shut it, Major. There have to be
other ships in the zone. I noticed
a lot of wreckage scattered across
the surface as I was coming down.
My radio is working.
Pace staggers up and climbs on top of Cain’s pod.
PACE
I've got a feeling Williams is
better off than we are.
Cain hugs him, helmets tapping together.
CAIN
I thought you were gone.
Todd sits on his pod, arms wrapped around himself, rocking
back and forth.
PACE
Not a chance. What’s wrong with
him? (Pointing to Todd)
She looks at Todd and shakes her head.
CAIN
I’m gonna try my radio.
PACE
This wasn’t an accident.
TODD
No shit! The ship was reprogrammed
the minute we went to sleep.
CAIN
Todd’s right. Platt and Kelly knew
where they were sending us. But
why? Why here? That I don’t
understand.
PACE
We’re not just stranded. There's
something wrong here. This place is
like...like its alive or something!
Todd looks up. His eyes are red.
TODD
We’re gonna die!
Travelli and Martin jump down. Walk around their pods.
Pace looks frantic.
PACE
Hey! I don’t think the ground is
safe.
Todd looks over and shouts to Travelli and Martin. They’ve
wandered even farther away.
TODD
Get your asses back here. Its
nothing but a bunch of rocks.
Martin shrugs, walks back to her pod and climbs on. Travelli
stands next to his pod, but doesn’t climb on.
CRIMMAGE
We need to send out a distress
signal.
TODD
There’s probably not another ship
in a million miles.
Cain points up at the ringed planet.
CAIN
Davie, is that Rezela?
ON Crimmage: He blinks rapidly.
CRIMMAGE
I think so. Looks like we’re on one
of the moons. I heard my dad say
that Soladar comes from one of the
moon. Maybe this is it.
PACE
So they crash a ship carrying a
thousand people? Makes no sense.
CAIN
Why were we diverted here? We’re
not miners. The colonists are all
dead. And we're stranded.
PACE
If this is where Soladar comes
from, where are all the mining
ships?
CAIN
I’m gonna try to raise someone on
the radio.
She moves down into the inside of the pod.
Genres:
["Science Fiction","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
44 -
Descent into Darkness
INT. CAIN’S POD
Cain turns a few switches and the pod’s console lights up.
She hits the button marked COMM. A light turns green.
CAIN
Mayday! Mayday! This is
StarTracer/2. We have crashed on
unknown moon of the planet Rezela.
Over!
Static crackles through the speakers. Cain's brow furrows
with frustration.
CAIN (CONT’D)
Mayday! Mayday! Can anyone read me?
Only static from the radio.
She turns off the radio, a somber expression on her face as
she emerges from the pod.
The group exchanges worried looks as the ground rumbles
again, more persistently this time.
EXT. CAIN’S POD
Cain meets the anxious gazes of her crew, her lips pressed
into a thin line. CRIMMAGE has his knees pulled in tight,
arms wrapped around his legs.
CAIN
No response.
A heavy silence settles over the group. Pace reaches out and
squeezes Cain's shoulder, offering silent support.
CAIN (CONT’D)
We’ll keep trying the radio.
Between all of us, we should have
enough water and oxygen for at
least a week.
The moon rotates, casting shadows across much of the moon’s
surface. Travelli has his scope out, scanning the still lit
part of the moon.
TRAVELLI
Hey you see that?
Travelli points off to the right.
CAIN
What?
She lifts her scope back up to her face.
TRAVELLI
Something shiny. I saw a
reflection.
PACE
When I used to ski the black runs
at Powder Basin, I wondered if I
would die, crashing into a tree.
Never thought it would end like
this. Looks like this might be our
last mission.
CAIN
Don’t give up on me, Pace. We
aren’t done yet.
Cain trains her scope in the direction Travelli was looking.
Cain POV: The view ripples in the sunlight, but it’s
definitely a ship.
CAIN (CONT’D)
I see it. Maybe six clicks. Looks
like it might be a ship
A LOW RUMBLE builds beneath them. The ground vibrates,
pebbles dancing.
ON TRAVELLI — frozen mid-step. His boots SINK an inch into
the soil.
TRAVELLI
What he hell...
PACE
Holy shit! It’s happening again!
Get on your pod!
CAIN
What are you talking about?
Travelli tries to jerk his feet free and falls on his side.
TRAVELLI
Oh, Jesus! Help! It’s GRABBING me!
Cain starts to slide off her pod, but Pace holds her back.
CAIN
Let go of me!
PACE
You’ll get stuck too!
ON TRAVELLI: He’s sinking into the ground, past his knees.
He’s shrieking, crying. Martin tries reaching out to him, but
her reach falls short.
Travelli tries to use his Maser as a support to pull himself
out, but it’s no use. He continues to sink.
Everyone is yelling at Travelli.
Cain panics watching him being sucked into the ground and
there’s nothing she can do to stop it.
ON THE GROUND — Travelli’s last choked cry as the soil
SWALLOWS him whole.
The ground SEALS SMOOTH. Silent.
CLOSE ON CAIN — her breath ragged. A tear slides down her
face. Her face is flushed. She jerks again against Pace’s
embrace. What she’s just witnessed defies explanation.
CAIN
(whispering)
NO..no, no..No!
Pace pulls her into a crushing hug. She doesn’t fight it.
Martin falls to her side on her pod, crying.
Cain and Pace continue to sit, staring at nothing as the sun
sets and the wind begins to howl.
EXT. MAJOR TODD’S POD
The ground BUBBLES where Travelli disappeared, a chilling
silence hanging in the air.
Suddenly, a shimmering, golden, oily liquid seeps to the
surface. The liquid flows, thicker and thicker, until it
covers the surrounding ground, like a little lake of gold
spewing forth from a subterranean well.
Todd's eyes go wide. He lets out a shuddering, panicked
scream and scrambles farther up on top of the pod, his whole
body trembling as he tries to get as far away from the liquid
as possible, like a cornered animal.
Cain stares at the golden substance, her brow furrowed in
confusion and dread.
CAIN
What the hell is that?
CRIMMAGE
It...it looks like Soladar.
Pace's usually calm demeanor is shaken, his voice quivering.
PACE
(practically choking on
the words)
What?
CRIMMAGE
I saw a sample in my father’s lab.
That’s what it looks like.
Cain's gaze is transfixed on the strange liquid.
Genres:
["Science Fiction","Thriller","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
45 -
The Living Ground
EXT. CAIN’S POD
They’re all in shock. They continue to stare at the
shimmering lake flowing around them.
CLOSE-IN ON CAIN
CAIN
That’s what she meant.
PACE
What? Who?
CAIN
Tatiana. She said you can’t mine
Soladar. It mines you.
Pace's eyes widen in realization, the full weight of the
situation sinking in.
PACE
The whole fucking moon’s alive.
CRIMMAGE
We’re gonna die here.
Cain's expression hardens, her leadership instincts taking
over. She looks through the scope again.
CAIN’S POV: She switches on the heads-up display in her
helmet. She scans in all directions. We see what appear to be
structures far off in the distance. They are faint, we can’t
be sure.
CAIN
Martin, you’re right. Looks like
buildings of some kind. And
equipment. No movement I can see.
Too far away. Pace, get the
scanner.
Pace drops into the pod.
The ground TREMBLES, and Todd’s pod tilts. He suddenly loses
his grip, sliding down to the end of his pod. He lets out a
blood-curdling scream, pulling his feet as far away from the
surface as possible. Crimmage scoots around behind Cain,
seeking her protection.
Pace climbs out of Cain’s pod, stares.
EXT. TODD’S POD
Todd claws at the smooth metal of the pod, fingers scraping
uselessly. His breath comes in ragged gasps, each exhale
fogging his visor. The ground beneath him groans—a low,
hungry sound. He’s scratching at the metal like a cat.
CAIN
TODD! Get over here! JUMP!
TODD
HELP ME!
He’s slipping.
Before Pace can stop her, Cain slides off the pod and rushes
over and jumps onto Todd's pod. She lays out flat, extends
her hand, but Todd doesn't seem to notice.
CAIN
Give me your hand!
PACE
Carla! The Ground!
ON TODD: He's staring at a growing fissure, like a mouth,
waiting to swallow him whole. He finally turns around, sees
Cain and tries to reach her hand.
Cain lunges and grabs for Todd's suit, but misses by inches.
Todd finally loses his grip and slides to the ground, rolling
over like a beached whale.
A huge arm of soil, surges over his leg and he lets out a
blood-curdling scream. The soil pulls him down and he wails
one last time, and is gone. The ground closes up leaving only
a smooth surface.
Cain’s fist slams into the pod. A choked sound escapes
her—half sob, half curse.
Silence.
Then, distant: the creak of shifting earth.
Genres:
["Science Fiction","Thriller","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
46 -
Shifting Grounds and Echoes of the Past
EXT. CAIN’S POD
Cain hops down. The ground shifts and quivers under her feet,
little tentacles of soil reaching up as if to grab her legs.
She races and dives onto her pod, Pace pulling her up.
They stare as the ground bubbles again, Soladar oozing to the
surface. Major Todd mixing with Travelli. The lake has
doubled in size.
Cain shakes her head. Feels her self-restraint tearing.
CAIN
My fault. I said too much to the
wrong people. Tatiana was killed
for it. Guess this was General
Kelly’s way of getting rid of me,
and getting more Soladar at the
same time.
Cain looks out at the bubbling ground, fury growing. She
slams her fist down on the pod.
CAIN (CONT’D)
That's what all the wreckage was I
saw, coming down. Other ships I bet
colony ships -- that have been sent
here.
Pace gulps a big breath of oxygen.
PACE
You think your grandfather’s ship
is out here somewhere?
Cain is soul-weary.
CAIN
How you doing, Martin?
Martin is standing on her pod, scanning off to the right.
MARTIN
It’s definitely a ship. If we could
make it there, I bet there’s
supplies, oxygen, water.
PACE
No way to get there.
CAIN
Back to the original plan. Pace,
get the scanner.
Pace climbs into the pod, comes back out holding what looks
like a pair of digital binoculars. Hands it to Cain.
CAIN’S POV: Scans the horizon, zeroing in on the buildings.
Eight large structures sitting on skids.
CAIN (CONT’D)
Looks like a mining operation. A
lot closer than that ship.
PACE
Yeah, but we still can’t get there.
The moon has completely rotated. All is dark.
CAIN
Get something to eat, and get some
rest. I need to think. Pace, can
you make it over to Travelli’s pod?
He gives her a hug. Takes a deep breath.
PACE
Let’s find out.
He jumps down and races to Travelli’s pod. The ground
instantly ripples, a crevice opening, trying to chase him
down. He reaches the pod and dives on. Gives a ‘thumbs up’.
Cain drops down into her pod. Leans her head back.
EXT. MOON.
All is quiet. Everyone is asleep. Cain is dreaming.
DREAM SEQUENCE
INT. CAIN HOUSE BASEMENT - DAY (DREAM)
A cluttered basement. HOLOGRAPHIC POSTERS of space
exploration float on walls. Abandoned TECH-TOYS litter the
floor.
CARLA CAIN (7) and her older brother NOAH (16) sit on the
basement floor, each wearing sleek V.R. headsets that PROJECT
faint holographic game interfaces around them. Their fingers
are wrapped around haptic controllers.
Carla swings her controller wildly, eyes full of excitement
behind the translucent visor.
NOAH
Slow down! You need to look before
you shoot! You just killed two good
guys!
Carla frowns, though Noah can’t see her.
CARLA
How do you know they're good guys?
Maybe they're just dressed up like
good guys!
NOAH
They had blue uniforms!
CARLA
You always think you're smarter
than me!
NOAH
If I didn't know better, I'd say
you just like to kill stuff.
Outside the basement window, a DISTANT SIREN, growing
steadily closer. The sound morphs into:
END DREAM SEQUENCE
Genres:
["Science Fiction","Thriller","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
47 -
Tensions on the Lunar Surface
EXT. MOON.
RUMBLING...louder and louder. Cain jerks awake. The sky is
lighter. It’s early morning. She looks in the direction of
the mining buildings. Pace, Crimmage, Martin, all awake.
A large ship descends from the sky, firing jets as it rotates
and lands on the other side of the mining buildings.
Martin stands.
MARTIN
WHOOHOO!
PACE
Yeah! There’s our ride!
Crimmage picks up his scanner.
CRIMMAGE
Can’t quite make out the markings,
but it’s not a Federation ship.
CAIN
That’s impossible. No other country
knows about this place.
She reaches down into her pod and comes out with her scanner.
Cain POV: Ship has landed. She dials in the scanner. Marking
on the side becomes clear: BLUE/RED. Three drones sweep out,
circle the site.
CAIN (CONT’D)
Russian. How? This is not good. I
count three drones.
MARTIN
Hey, a ride home is a ride home.
PACE
So we can tell the world the
Russians are mining Soladar? Not
gonna happen.
Smoke still rises in the distance from StarTracer/2.
CAIN
Pace is right. These are not
friendlies. They’ll see the
wreckage of our ship and come
investigate.
CAIN’S POV: She swings the scanner around, looking in the
other direction.
CAIN (CONT’D)
If we could make it to that other
ship. Hard to tell from here, but
it looks big. Might be one of the
colony ships. Can’t make out the
markings.
CRIMMAGE
U.S. MENDES. Definitely a colony
ship.
Cain and Pace both turn around. Crimmage is looking through
the SCOPE on his Maser.
CAIN
Well fuck.
She tosses the scanner back into the Pod and picks up her
Maser and trains it on the colony ship. Pace does the same.
PACE
Damn, these scopes are better than
the scanner. Yeah, I see it. It’s
crashed all right. When did the
Mendes go missing?
CAIN
Few years ago.
PACE
It should have two AC20’s onboard.
We might have a way off this rock.
CAIN
Yeah, but how do we get there?
Cain POV: She looks back at the mining operation. One drone
flies out toward StarTracer/2. Another drone starts making a
wide sweep, then beelines in their direction.
CAIN (CONT’D)
Shit. We may have incoming.
Everybody down in your pods. Maybe
they won’t pick us up. Masers
ready! Don’t shoot unless you have
to!
They all slide down into their pods, pull the tops nearly
shut. Only the barrels of their masers sticking out.
The drone flies over, nearly silent. It circles, then stops
over the Soladar lake. Green scanning lasers sweep over the
liquid, then the drone heads back to the mining site.
They all slide their tops open.
MARTIN
Nasty looking drone. Did you notice
the gun turret on top?
PACE
We’re sitting ducks here.
CAIN
Davie, really could use your genius
about now.
CRIMMAGE
Sorry, LT. I’m trying.
CAIN
I’m not going down without a fight.
If that drone comes back, we take
it out.
They all sit in silence a few minutes.
PACE
So, Martin. What’s your story?
MARTIN
Ever since I was young, I wanted to
be a ranger and die on a moon in
the middle of nowhere.
PACE
Funny. No, really, what made you
want to be a ranger.
MARTIN
My dad fought in the war. Brother
joined the Navy. Guess I wanted to
show him up. Prove I was tougher.
PACE
You got a boyfriend back home?
MARTIN
Not any more.
The sun rises overhead then falls into afternoon.
Crimmage suddenly looks up.
CRIMMAGE
I may have an idea.
He stands and glances down at the pod, then the other pods.
PACE
Well spit it out, man!
Crimmage explains, his words tumbling out excitedly.
CRIMMAGE
Why haven’t any of the pods been
sucked down? Or the buildings over
there? Maybe the ground only has an
appetite for...for something
biological. Our suits are eighty
percent organic nanobots. That’s
why our suits won’t protect us.
Pace pans over to the mining operation.
PACE
Too bad we don’t have one of those
vehicles.
CAIN
Davie, what are you thinking?
CRIMMAGE
Shoes!
PACE
Shoes? Am I dense or what?
CAIN
Davie, you may be on to something.
Cain flips a switch on her Maser, from Maser to Laser.
CAIN (CONT’D)
Let's test it.
She fires the laser, the tight beam cutting a square of metal
from the pod's hull. Cain waits for it to cool, then tosses
the metal to the ground, where it remains untouched by the
shifting soil.
They all sit back, staring at the metal square.
Genres:
["Science Fiction","Action","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
48 -
Preparing for the Unknown
EXT. CAIN'S POD/MOON’S SURFACE.
Minutes tick by, the oppressive silence pierced only by the
low rumble of shifting ground. The horizon seems to pulse
ominously.
CAIN
Pace, keep an eye on that mining
site.
Pace looks through his maser scope.
PACE
All good so far. Nothing moving
this way.
CAIN
Davie, I think you were right.
It doesn’t like metal.
PACE
What you got in mind?
CAIN
Well, you’re from Utah. You ever
been snowshoeing?
Pace’s face lights up.
PACE
Fuck! That’s brilliant.
CAIN
Use the Lasers and cut out two
pieces of metal, about four inches
longer and wider than your boots.
Burn eyelet holes on the sides.
Then we’ll rip loose some wire and
tie them on.
CRIMMAGE
Then we can walk to the colony
ship!
PACE
Davie, you are a fucking genius
after all.
MARTIN
Hey Davie, you want to be my new
boyfriend?
Crimmage chuckles.
EXT. MOON
LOOKING DOWN FROM ABOVE:
MONTAGE:
They work feverously to make their metal shoes.
QUICK CUTS:
-Pace finishes cutting, climbs into the pod, comes back out
with a handful of wire and begins tying the metal shoes on.
-Crimmage’s boot slips as he ties his shoe. He freezes,
waiting for the ground to lurch. It doesn’t.
-Cain struggles knotting the wire, but gets it done
END MONTAGE:
CAIN
Grab an extra oxygen tank. Attach
grenade launchers. Everybody’s
water good?
They all mumble affirmative.
EXT. CAIN’S POD
Cain reaches back into the pod, comes out with her STARCRASH
ACTION FIGURE. She stuffs it into a backpack. She grabs her
Maser and slides off the pod. Stands there, ready to jump
back if the ground starts moving. Nothing happens. Pace and
Crimmage share a glance. Hope? Dread?
CAIN
Seems ok.
Pace and Crimmage exhale, slide down. They gather, shoulders
brushing.
PACE
Let’s hope these work.
CRIMMAGE
I think if we keep moving, that
will help too.
Cain looks around at the crashed pods and the small Soladar
lake. Her voice is steel.
CAIN
If we make it out of here, I swear
to God, someone’s gonna pay.
Pace nods, tight. Crimmage grips his weapon. Martin looks
through her maser scope in the direction of the Mendes.
MARTIN
Looks more like seven kilometers.
Gonna take a while.
Genres:
["Science Fiction","Action","Adventure"]
Ratings
Scene
49 -
Lunar Confrontation
EXT. MOON
WIDE SHOT: All around them is bleak, barren terrain. Large,
jagged rocks protrude from the ground. Distant mountains loom
on the horizon, their peaks shrouded in mist.
Cain, Pace, Martin and Crimmage trudge forward, each step a
careful balancing act to keep their metal-soled shoes from
slipping off. The ground rumbles and shifts beneath their
feet, a constant reminder of the perilous environment.
After a mile, Cain pauses and uses the scope on her Maser.
CAIN
US Mendes. I read the report. So,
the rumors were true. If anyone’s
alive, I bet they’re a bunch of
homeless junkies.
PACE
Expendable.
CAIN
Exactly.
They start off again. The sun is dropping in the sky. It’s
beginning to get dark.
CRIMMAGE
Would they have enough food to last
two years?
CAIN
Not a chance. They thought they
were on their way to an established
colony. Six months' worth of
provisions, if that.
They continue on. Pace glances behind them.
PACE
Still clear.
The moon has now rotated into near total darkness, casting
the landscape in inky shadows. Behind them, illumination from
the mining operation. Smaller specks of light ─ the drones ─
flitting around in the air like bugs.
CAIN
Displays on. Heads down. Don’t want
to advertise our presence if we can
help it. Take it slow. Can’t afford
to trip and fall.
Beams from their helmets pierce the darkness. All around them
huge rocks stick up from the ground.
Crimmage and Martin don’t say much. Occasionally, Crimmage
stops and tightens the wires around his boots.
It finally turns to total darkness. Their lights provide
visibility only about a meter ahead.
CAIN (CONT’D)
Careful. Our worst enemy now is the
ground. Everybody good on oxygen?
CRIMMAGE
Seventy-eight percent.
PACE
Sixty-nine.
MARTIN
Seventy-two.
After awhile, they were descend into a large crater filled
with smaller craters. In the distance, the bare silhouettes
of mountains, hundreds of meters high.
CAIN
Pace, don’t lose sight of the ship.
PACE
Heading is locked in.
They walk on, not talking, trying to conserve their oxygen.
After what seems like hours, they rise out of the crater.
The silhouette of the ship, looms ahead. Even in the darkness
it looks massive.
Cain looks through her scope again. The Mendes is half-buried
in the soil. A frayed Federation flag hangs on a pole outside
the ship. No lights. It’s dead.
MARTIN
No signs of life.
PACE
Yeah. We’re probably walking into
the biggest tomb in the universe.
They step up their pace, walking as quickly as they can with
the metal shoes.
Just as they pass a cluster of large rocks, a drone sweeps in
directly overhead, a blazing light swinging back and forth.
Pace staggers back, lifting his Maser, but the drone cuts its
light and zips out of sight.
CAIN
Shit! They found us.
A deep rumble sounds, and Cain instinctively glances at the
ground. Then headlights from a large vehicle snap on,
illuminating a dust cloud surrounding it, moving in their
direction.
CAIN (CONT’D)
We need cover! Follow me and watch
your step.
She leads them to a large rock at least six meters high and
five meters wide. They huddle together behind it.
CAIN (CONT’D)
Don’t touch the rock. Whatever this
vehicle is, we let it get close,
then take it out. Pace keep watch
for that drone.
PACE
Roger. If it comes back, it’s dead.
The sound grows louder, closer. Cain peers out from behind
the rock. A tracked vehicle. The lights are eerie through the
dust. It is moving slowly, but deliberately, in their
direction.
CAIN
Small, armored. Could hold up to
ten people. Maybe a cannon. Can’t
tell.
Suddenly, the top of the rock explodes, raining pebbles down
on their heads. Crimmage yelps.
PACE
Goddamn, they’re not screwing
around!
CAIN
Ready your grenades. Wait for my
signal.
The drone buzzes back into view. Pace lifts his Maser and
fires. Direct hit, and the drone explodes. The vehicle stops,
the motor still running.
MARTIN
That got their attention.
The vehicle moves again. Fires multiple shots, blowing the
tops off several surrounding rocks.
Cain peeks again.
CAIN
Now!
Pace and Crimmage step out, both firing grenades. Then they
drop back behind the rock.
Two quick explosions shake the ground. Cain leans out again.
Cain POV: The entire front of the vehicle is demolished, the
track laying in pieces on the ground. No movement. Weirdly,
the vehicle’s lights were still shining.
CAIN (CONT’D)
We need to see if anyone is alive.
Move up slowly, carefully. Watch
your step.
As they reach the vehicle, the top hatch opens, and they see
a Maser, then a body holding it. Cain quickly takes a shot,
and the individual is hit and falls back.
A door on the side opens, and a FOUR-LEGGED MECH jumps out.
It has a mean-looking gun mounted on top.
PACE
Strider!
CAIN
Behind the rock! Switch to plasma
rounds!
They shuffle back to their cover as the Strider walks around
to the front of the vehicle, levels its gun and fires,
chipping away large chunks of the rock.
Cain steps out and fires. A blue bolt of light, like a molten
golf ball, shoots from her Maser. It takes out one of the
Strider’s legs, but the mech remains upright and returns
fire, driving Cain back.
This time Martin leans out, fires twice and scores a direct
hit with the blue plasma bolts. The Strider blows apart
They wait, but no one else comes out.
Crimmage is shaking.
CRIMMAGE
You think they’ll send more?
CAIN
Maybe. We still need to see if
anyone is alive.
They creep out from behind the rock and make their way to the
vehicle. Cain peers in the rear side window, while Pace walks
around to the other side, to the door where the Strider came
out.
A man is sitting in the back seat, their hands raised high.
Before she can open the door, the raises a Maser. Pace fires
and the man falls back onto the seat. Blood splatters the
inside of the vehicle.
Cain jerks back and glares over the top of the vehicle at
Pace.
PACE
He was about to shoot you! Besides,
we don’t have time for prisoners.
I’m at thirty-five percent O2.
Crimmage stands, in shock.
PACE (CONT’D)
Jesus, Davie. Snap out of it.
CAIN
Okay, let’s assume they radioed for
help. So we need to move quickly,
but carefully.
They walk as quickly as they can with the metal shoes. It has
only been a few hours, but it’s getting light, the sun
peeking over the mountains.
As they get close to the Mendes, Cain uses the scope again.
PACE
You see a way in?
CAIN
Maybe the other side.
They reach the ship. Twice the size of StarTracer/2. A
hundred yards away, what looks to be the remains of a golden
lake, mostly drained, shimmering even in the darkness.
Cain looks at Crimmage.
CAIN (CONT’D)
Colonists?
CRIMMAGE
From the size of the lake, I’d say
hundreds.
CAIN
Ok, we do a quick check for
survivors, then find the AC20 and
get off this place.
Pace glances back.
PACE
I think we’re good for awhile.
Don’t see any more lights.
CAIN
Well, if they were only here to
suck up Soladar, they probably
don't have much offensive
capability.
PACE
I bet we scared the shit out of
'em.
CAIN
Don’t be so sure. They may be just
regrouping.
They shuffle to the far side of the ship. It seems to take
forever. The ground rumbles occasionally, and they use their
rifles like walking sticks to keep from falling.
Halfway up the other side, Cain spots the main hatch,
partially open. The stairs are down.
PACE
Finally, a bit of luck. I thought
we were gonna have to cut our way
in.
They approach the hatch, and Pace takes the lead.
PACE (CONT’D)
I’ll go first. Not picking up any
heat signatures.
They climb the stairs, each step a laborious struggle with
the heavy metal shoes.
Genres:
["Science Fiction","Action","Adventure"]
Ratings
Scene
50 -
Descent into Darkness
INT. U.S. MENDES MAIN CORRIDOR - DUSK
A tomb of shadows. The air is thick with the scent of rust
and decay. No sound, no movement—just the eerie hum of dead
machinery. The trio’s headlamps slice through the darkness.
CAIN
Switching to infrared.
Cain’s POV: A slow 360-degree pan reveals only the skeletal
remains of the ship. On one wall, Cain spots a comm panel
blinking red and green.
CAIN (CONT’D)
There’s still some power. Davie,
any idea how to get the lights on?
CRIMMAGE
The Soladar reactors never shut
down. They just go into a standby
mode after a certain amount of
time. I think all we need to do…
He flips a switch on the wall, and the corridor lights
flicker on, nearly blinding them. The first thing they see is
a body in a doorway halfway down the hall.
PACE
Damn, Davie. Give us some warning.
Any more bad guys out there,
they’re gonna see the lights.
CAIN
That’s why we need to move quickly.
Everyone recharge your oxygen.
Pace helps remove Cain’s, Martin’s and Crimmage’s oxygen
tanks, and quickly snaps on the replacement tanks. Cain then
replaces Pace’s tank. They all sit and remove the metal shoes
and stack them in the corridor by the main hatch.
CAIN (CONT’D)
Listen, this is a big ship.
Colonist quarters should be on
levels two, three and four. We
don't have time to check them all.
Pace, you and Davie make a quick
sweep of level two, see if
anybody's still alive. Martin, you
come with me to level eight to
check the Command Deck and the crew
quarters. Meet back here in a half
hour. Oh, and see if you can find
the Mess and grab any extra food
packs and water.
Pace pats Crimmage on the back.
PACE
Let’s go buddy.
They head off down the corridor and enter the elevator. Cain
punches two and eight. On level two, Pace and Crimmage step
out.
CAIN
Make it quick.
The door closes.
INT. U.S. MENDES COMMAND CENTER - DUSK
The Captain’s Chair faces the shattered viewport, stars
bleeding through the cracks. A MAN sits slumped, his uniform
stiff with frost. Around him, bodies lie like broken
dolls—faces hollowed, skin parchment-thin.
Cain and Martin step closer. Cain’s gloved hand brushes the
Major’s oakleaf insignia.
CAIN
(whispering, to herself)
Better to die here than out there.
(she stiffens, shakes it off)
But we’re not dying today.
She turns — a reflex glance at the bodies — then strides out.
Genres:
["Sci-Fi","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
51 -
Echoes of the Past
INT. U.S. MENDES - CORRIDOR
As soon Pace and Crimmage step out of the elevator, a sign on
the wall announces they are on level two. Below that is
another sign pointing down the corridor in both directions.
Quarters to the right, the Mess and Dayroom to the left. Pace
and Crimmage turn right.
Numbered doors line the corridor, perhaps a hundred on that
level alone. The first door on the right has a label that
says 201. Pace opens the door and spots a body sprawled on
the bed. A man. He looks like a frozen wax figure.
Beside the bed is a table covered with drug paraphernalia. He
walks farther into the room and counts six single-shot drug
delivery devices. They all appear used.
PACE
Guy killed himself. Overdose.
Better than being turned into
Soladar. Why does he still have his
skin. Creepy.
CRIMMAGE
It’s too cold and there’s no
atmosphere. He’ll look like this a
thousand years from now.
Pace shudders.
They quickly check a few more rooms, but find them all empty,
so they turn around and walk back to the elevator, then
follow the sign to the Mess.
INT. U.S. MENDES MESS
They enter the Mess, filled with trash, food trays, empty
water bottles, metal carts.
PACE
Hey, grab that cart.
They walk over to a door that says: STORAGE ROOM. Inside,
shelves and shelves filled with food packets, crates of
bottled water.
CAIN
(Over comms) )
How you boys doing?
PACE
Loading up food and water.
They load cart, then head back to the elevator, and down to
the first floor.
Genres:
["Science Fiction","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
52 -
Preparation for Battle
INT. U.S. MENDES COMMAND CENTER
Cain and Martin walk to the VIEWPORT.
THROUGH THE WINDOW: Lights. Moving toward the ship.
CAIN
(Over comms)
Boys! Meet on level one. Now! We
have more company on the way.
INT. U.S. MENDES CORRIDOR
She and Martin race back down the corridor to the elevator.
Cain stops, bends over, and silently screams in frustration.
QUICK FLASHES:
The neighbor boy, Tom Carroll, staggering away from his
burning house, only to be consumed when the road explodes in
front of him. Jets screaming overhead; fire everywhere; Noah
pulling…pulling.
Snapping out of the memory, she punches the elevator button.
INT. U.S. MENDES MAIN CORRIDOR
Cain and Martin reach the first floor, exit and stand by the
hatch. A minute later, Pace and Crimmage appear, running
toward her.
PACE
What’d you see?
CAIN
I spotted at least two more
vehicles headed our way. They are
pretty far out, but we’re gonna be
in a firefight soon.
She turns to Crimmage.
CAIN (CONT’D)
You want to get off this moon and
go home?
CRIMMAGE
Yes, ma’am!
CAIN
Well, this is the real deal. No
idea how many there are. Could be
ten, could be twenty. Stay focused
and do your job. If we don’t kill
them all, we don’t leave. You got
it?
CRIMMAGE
Can’t we get to the AC20?
CAIN
Not enough time to prep. There
should be a small armory on this
level. Let’s find it.
They hurry down the corridor with Pace in the lead. He stops
in front of a closed door with a sign that says: Armory —
Authorized Personnel Only. He tries the door. Won’t open.
PACE
Figures
CAIN
Step back.
Pace, Martin and Crimmage move away from the door and Cain
pulls her handheld Maser and fires. The plasma bolt blows a
hole where the lock was.
INT. U.S. MENDES ARMORY
They all step into a very well stocked armory. Maser rifles
and grenade launchers line the walls.
CAIN
Grab new weapons and plenty of
ammo.
Pace pulls a grenade launcher off the wall, along with a
canvas satchel. He loads it with grenades.
Crimmage sets his Maser down and grabs a new one and several
ammo cartridges. Martin does the same.
Cain grabs a rifle from the wall, then opens a drawer and
pulls out a new handheld Maser.
Genres:
["Science Fiction","Action","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
53 -
Preparation for Battle
INT. U.S. MENDES CORRIDOR
Armed to the teeth, they step back into the corridor.
Crimmage’s legs look wobbly. Pace squeezes his shoulder.
PACE
You still alright?
Crimmage nods. His lips move as if he is having a
conversation with himself.
PACE (CONT’D)
Don’t think about it. Let the
training kick in. You’ll be fine.
CRIMMAGE
Don’t worry about me, Sarge.
Cain stares at the front of the ship.
CAIN
Go up by the hatch. I’m gonna see
if I can get to the other side and
get an idea how far out they are.
Cain takes off running and disappears around a corner.
She passes a rec room. Bodies litter the floor. She keeps
running until she spots a window on the port side. She gazes
out.
It’s still dark.
THROUGH THE WINDOW: She can clearly see two vehicles now,
with a drone following, shining a spotlight down. The
vehicles look full - at least ten troopers.
She cranks the zoom in her display and spots Striders walking
beside the vehicles.
CAIN (CONT’D)
Goddamn striders.
She turns and rushes back down the corridor to the front of
the ship.
MARTIN
What’d you see?
CAIN
Get on your shoes. We're gonna have
to do this outside. Can't let 'em
on the ship.
They all sit and start strapping on their metal shoes.
PACE
What force level?
CAIN
Two vehicles, two Striders and a
drone following. This is not gonna
be easy, guys. The main hatch is
the only way in. So that's the way
they'll come.
They finish tying their shoes back on.
CAIN (CONT’D)
There's a lot of ship debris and
more big rocks scattered around
outside, so as soon as we’re out,
find cover. Everyone switch your
suits to stealth mode.
Their suits all emit a slight hum.
PACE
We should take out the vehicles
first. May get most of the bad
guys.
CAIN
Agree, but wait for my word. And
Crimmage, you need to take out the
drone.
CRIMMAGE
Will do.
She squeezes his arm.
CAIN
I’m serious, Davie. No hesitation.
The minute you see the drone, you
fire.
CRIMMAGE
Got it, ma’am.
CAIN
And guys, I don't need to tell you.
Don’t get so caught up in the
fight, you forget where you are and
touch the ground. Earth doesn’t
need any more Soladar.
Going down the main hatch stairs is tedious — more so than
going up. The metal shoes slip on the steps and Crimmage
almost falls. The sky is lighter, but still fairly dark.
Genres:
["Science Fiction","Action","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
54 -
Moonlight Ambush
EXT. U.S. MENDES/MOON
They reach the ground. Nearby are tall rocks, and several
large pieces of the ship, sticking out of the ground.
CAIN
Find cover, then lights off.
They all shuffle over and hide behind large pieces of the
ship’s metal hull that broke off during the crash.
Cain glances back and sees Pace’s, Martin’s and Crimmage’s
headlamps go off. Slight streaks of sunlight reach across the
surface.
CAIN (CONT’D)
Stay sharp.
Crimmage stares, eyes blinking like crazy. He continually
looks in all directions, trying to spot the drone.
Martin looks tough in a shooting stance.
Pace pulls grenades from the satchel and loads his launcher.
Few minutes later, Cain spots the headlights spearing out
near the front of the ship. Then a small dust cloud, as the
first vehicle rounds the front and comes into view. It’s
another light armored vehicle. A Maser cannon mounted on top.
CAIN (CONT’D)
Here we go. Pace, wait for my
command. I’ll take the first
vehicle, you take the second.
Davie, look for that drone.
The vehicle moves slowly down the side of the ship, towards
the main hatch. A soldier mans the Maser cannon on top.
Close behind, the second armored vehicle corners the front of
the ship. Walking beside the second vehicle are the two
Striders with arm-mounted guns. Their heads constantly
swivel, looking for heat signatures.
With their suits in stealth mode, Cain and her small team
remained virtually invisible.
CAIN (CONT’D)
Pace, get ready. And don’t miss.
Martin, take out the cannon on top.
Cain, in her pure Ranger mode, ready to take on the world.
The first vehicle reaches the stairs.
CAIN (CONT’D)
Now!
She leans out from behind her barricade and fires two
grenades at the first vehicle. The first grenade falls just
short, but still does damage to the front of the vehicle. Her
second grenade hits the hood and blows the front of the
vehicle open.
Martin shoots the soldier manning the gun.
Pace fires three grenades in quick succession, also missing
with the first, but scoring direct hits with the second and
third. The vehicle explodes into a ball of fire, taking out
the farthest Strider.
The second Strider ducks and races back around the front of
the ship, leans out and fires at Cain, punching holes in her
metal barricade.
Doors on the first vehicle open and eight heavily armed
troopers scramble out, firing and racing for cover as Cain,
Pace and Martin shoot back, tracking them behind a large rock
and a piece of the ship.
PACE
How are they able to walk around?
CAIN
They’re not wearing nano-suits.
Keep firing! Davie, where’s that
drone?
CRIMMAGE
Nothing yet, LT.
Crimmage continues to crane his neck. He spots the first
Strider heading around the front of the Mendes. He glances
back at the rear of the ship. Two hundred meters.
Over the top of the ship, the drone swooshes down, firing,
blasting more holes in Cain’s cover.
Crimmage raises his Maser and fires but misses. Still, it is
enough to cause the drone to bank away out of sight.
The troopers fire, pinning them down. A grenade explodes
close to Pace’s barricade, and he crouches, looking back,
then runs for a large rock as rounds ping around him. He
leans out, tracks a muzzle flash, then fires. One trooper
falls to the ground, dead.
Martin fires a grenade, hits in front of a large piece of
metal, exploding and knocking it flat.
MARTIN
Another one down! I’m out of
grenades.
The drone swoops in again and Crimmage fires several shots
but keeps missing. The drone sweeps away, then drops down
behind Martin and fires. She drops. Dead.
CRIMMAGE
Martin’s hit!
Cain crouches low and peeks out from behind her piece of
metal, zooming in on a large rock. A trooper leans out just
enough to fire, and Cain fires a plasma bolt. It blows a hole
right through the trooper.
She glances over at Martin, lying dead in the dust.
The drone comes back over the ship, whizzes by and this time
Crimmage takes careful aim and tracks its movements. He fires
three times, and the drone explodes, pieces raining down.
CRIMMAGE (CONT’D)
(Voice cracking)
That’s for Martin, you piece of
shit!
Movement behind the second burning vehicle.
CAIN
Shit! One strider is still active.
It’s moving to the other side,
trying to ouotflank us.
Crimmage glances back again, takes a deep breath.
CRIMMAGE
Cover me!
He starts shuffling quickly toward the rear of the ship.
PACE
Davie! Get back here!
He and Cain start firing fast and furious to give Crimmage
cover.
Buoyed by newfound courage, Crimmage shuffles as fast as he
can, using his rifle like a ski pole. It seems to take
forever, but he finally rounds the rear of the ship. Another
hundred meters to the other side. Behind him, the firing
continues.
He reaches the other side of the ship and peeks out. The
Strider is coming toward him, moving fast. Crimmage fires two
rounds, then backs away behind the ship. The Strider
continues to blast away, chipping pieces of the ship.
Crimmage waits until there is a slight pause, then takes
another deep breath and steps fully out from behind the ship.
The Strider is twenty meters away and coming fast. He fires
two plasma bolts and blows the Strider in half. The legs keep
churning, racing forward, then it stops and falls over.
CRIMMAGE
Strider down!
Cain and Pace continue to fire intermittently. It is a
stalemate, neither side gaining ground. Four or five troopers
are still alive.
CAIN
Davie, get back here. Pace, how’s
your ammo?
PACE
Maser at thirty percent. One more
plasma cartridge.
A round suddenly blasts through Pace’s barricade, barely
missing his head.
PACE (CONT’D)
Shit! We gotta figure something
out. If they call for backup, we’re
done.
CAIN
There’s a whole armory right here
and we can’t get to it.
PACE
Crimmage, get your ass back here!
Damn, you think he was hit?
CAIN
He said the strider was down.
Davie, Goddammit! Sound off!
Return fire slows. Cain peeks around. Doesn’t see any
movement.
PACE
Maybe they’re running out of ammo
too.
CAIN
Think you can cover me long enough
for me to get into the ship?
PACE
No way you’re trying that. It’ll
take you five minutes just to climb
the stairs.
A grenade flies out from the front of the ship and hits one
of the trooper’s rocks and blows it apart, along with the
trooper.
Crimmage steps out and starts firing. The remaining troopers
fall, one by one. A single trooper takes off running,
dodging, and weaving across the terrain. Crimmage fires
several shots but misses.
CRIMMAGE
Not sure where he thinks he’s
going.
Cain and Pace stepped out from behind their cover.
CAIN
Davie, are you alright?
CRIMMAGE
Yes, ma’am. Got ‘em all except that
one.
CAIN
Come here.
She throws her arms around him and pulls him into a hug. Pace
walks over and joins them.
PACE
Holy shit, Davie. That was one
ballsy move
CRIMMAGE
Just doing my job, Sarge.
Crimmage glances at the ship.
CRIMMAGE (CONT’D)
Can we go now?
PACE
What about Martin?
Cain shakes her head.
CAIN
Nothing we can do.
You get the honors to go first,
Davie.
They all start up the ladder.
Genres:
["Science Fiction","Action","Adventure"]
Ratings
Scene
55 -
Race Against Time
INT. U.S. MENDES MAIN CORRIDOR
They sit and take off their shoes.
You guys find the deployment bay, make sure there’s an
AC20...or even the older MR12. Either one will work.
PACE
What are you gonna do?
CAIN
Back to the command center. I need
to tap into the Nav computer and
figure out the coordinates for
Earth. Otherwise, we’re gonna be
lost in space.
PACE
Yeah, I knew that. Come on Davie.
Let’s find that ship.
They both head off down the corridor. Cain hops in the
elevator.
Pace and Crimmage reach the cart they left in the corridor,
push it down the corridor. At one junction, a sign points to
the gym in one direction, and the DEPLOYMENT BAY in the
other.
PACE (CONT’D)
Where there’s a deployment bay,
there’s a ship!
They step up their pace.
CRIMMAGE
Wonder how many souls were on
board? Must have been a lot to give
up a ship worth a trillion credits.
PACE
The generals will do anything for
more Soladar.
CRIMMAGE
Why do you and the LT keep
mentioning the generals? Do you
mean General Kelly?
PACE
General Platt and Kelly. The LT has
information that would send them to
prison for a very long time. That’s
why they sent us here. And we were
stupid enough to go.
CRIMMAGE
So, the colony ships were sent here
to make more Soladar.
PACE
Yeah. You saw the size of that
empty lake. That’s enough Soladar
to power the entire world.
CRIMMAGE
My dad would never have been a part
of this if he knew.
PACE
I think maybe he did know. And they
disappeared him because of it.
They reach the doors to the deployment bay.
PACE (CONT’D)
Ok, here we go.
He punches the door release and the doors only partially
open.
Genres:
["Science Fiction","Action","Adventure"]
Ratings
Scene
56 -
Emergency Override
INT. U.S. MENDES COMMAND CENTER
Cain steps into the command center, and activates the Nav
system.
CAIN
Computer, provide the return
coordinates for planet Earth.
COMPUTER VOICE
Please provide commander’s name and
access code.
CAIN
Computer, the commander is dead.
Emergency override.
COMPUTER VOICE
Performing scan to confirm.
A wide beam of light sweeps across the command center.
Cain glances nervously out the viewport. All clear.
COMPUTER VOICE (CONT’D)
Scan complete. Confirmed that Major
Taylor no longer exhibits life
functions. State your name and ID
code.
CAIN
Lieutenant Carla Cain, ID 271832471
COMPUTER VOICE
ID confirmed. How may I help you?
CAIN
Please download the return
coordinates to Earth into my bio-
suit.
COMPUTER VOICE
Coordinates downloading now.
Cain’s display lights up with a series of numbers running
across her helmet.
COMPUTER VOICE (CONT’D)
Download complete.
She turns to leave, then stops.
CAIN
Computer, send an emergency request
for help to any nearby ships.
COMPUTER VOICE
I’m sorry, Lieutenant. My
communication system has suffered
irreparable damage.
CAIN
(Over comms)
I have the coordinates. Heading to
you.
Genres:
["Sci-Fi","Action","Adventure"]
Ratings
Scene
57 -
Hope Amidst the Shadows
INT. CORRIDOR IN FRONT OF DEPLOYMENT BAY DOOR - DUSK
Cain reaches the deployment bay door. Pace and Crimmage are
trying to pull it open. Cain steps in to help.
They all three grab an edge and manage to open it enough to
get through.
INT. DEPLOYMENT BAY - DUSK
The AC20 looms, its hull scarred but intact. Pace whoops,
slapping the metal—then freezes as his light catches two
corpses in the corner. Maser still clutched in a skeletal
hand. Then he turns back to the AC20.
PACE
We got us a ride!
Cain looks around while Crimmage joins Pace. She walks over.
CAIN
Let’s hope she’s working.
PACE
I’m believing in God again. Get us
outta here, LT.
Cain climbs the ladder, her movements deliberate. The cockpit
door hisses open.
INT. AC20 COCKPIT - DUSK
Switches flip. Lights flare. The engine’s growl vibrates
through Cain’s bones. She exhales — first real hope in hours
— and leans out.
She walks back to the door, sticks her head out.
CAIN
(calling down)
Let’s load up, boys.
She hits a switch and the back ramp descends. Pace and
Crimmage haul the supplies. Cain watches, her hand lingering
on the pilot’s seat. Alive. For now.
INT. AC20 - DUSK
Pace and Crimmage SECURE THE LAST BOX into a side
compartment. The ramp GROANS as it begins to close.
CRIMMAGE
Hope that sound doesn’t mean what I
think it means.
PACE
Relax. This thing’s built to last.
Probably. All good, LT. Close her
up.
The ramp raises and slowly closes. Pace and Crimmage walk up
to the cockpit.
Genres:
["Science Fiction","Action","Adventure"]
Ratings
Scene
58 -
Desperate Measures
INT. AC20 COCKPIT - DUSK
Cain pulls out the STARCRASH ACTION FIGURE and sets in in the
co-pilot seat.
CAIN
Green across the board. Coordinates
programmed in.
PACE
Then let’s get the hell outta here!
Cain doesn’t smile. She grips the controls, her voice low,
urgent.
CAIN
Ok, listen up. We’ll definitely get
off this rock, but we’re not even
close to being out of the woods.
(MORE)
CAIN (CONT’D)
We have sleep machines. Food and
water are limited. Oxygen and
power? We’re good — if nothing
breaks. Our only shot is finding
another ship on the radio. Could
take months.
PACE
(dryly)
So, the usual.
CAIN
We ration. Every drop. Every bite.
PACE
Got it. Ration water and food. And
if we die, at least it won’t be
down here.
CAIN
One consolation. Tyrell will
release everything when we’re not
back in a year. Kelly and Platt
will go down.
PACE
I’d rather be there to see it.
CAIN
Me too. Ok, get ready for a long
ride.
Pace and Crimmage lean into the cockpit and Cain sits back
down at the controls.
BEGIN MONTAGE:
- TIGHT ON CAIN’S HAND flipping the CHUTE RELEASE switch. A
SHARP CLICK.
- EXTERIOR – AC20: The deployment hatch SHUDDERS, METAL
SCREECHING — but it doesn’t budge.
- BACK TO CAIN: She flips it again. FASTER. Same result.
- PACE’S REFLECTION in the cockpit glass—his grin fading.
- CRIMMAGE nervously checking the oxygen readout.
- EXTREME CLOSE UP - CHUTE MECHANISM: Gears grinding,
hydraulic fluid leaking from a stressed seal.
- BACK TO CAIN: Her eyes dart between multiple displays,
calculating, searching for solutions that aren't there.
END MONTAGE
CAIN (CONT’D)
(slams the console)
Dammit!
Pace sticks his head into the cockpit.
PACE
What’s wrong?
CAIN
Deployment chute is stuck. Need to
take a look.
Cain hits the RAMP SWITCH, then heads to the back of the
AC20.
INT. AC20 - DUSK
The trio stands at the ramp and make their way around to the
deployment chute. The chute is partially open. They inspect
it carefully.
Pace hits a big red button on the wall. The hydraulics squeal
but remain unyielding.
Cain stands with her hands on her hips, her frustration
shifting to concern.
CAIN
Something’s blocking it. Ok. You
two stay here and be ready to hit
the manual release when I say so.
I’m going out to see what the
problem is.
PACE
No, no. I’m going.
CAIN
Shut up, you lug. Do what I say and
that’s an order. Just hang tight.
This is gonna take awhile.
Cain heads off back inside the MENDES.
INT. MENDES MAIN CORRIDOR - DUSK
She retrieves her metal shoes left by the ship’s main door,
ties them on with purpose, and steps outside into the eerily
quiet expanse beyond.
Genres:
["Sci-Fi","Action","Adventure"]
Ratings
Scene
59 -
Sinking into Sacrifice
EXT. OUTSIDE THE U.S. MENDES - DUSK
A biting wind HOWLS across the barren landscape, kicking up
dust. She steps down, her metal shoes CLANKING against the
hard ground. The remnants of the golden lake GLIMMER faintly
under the eerie light of Rezela’s many moons.
She moves toward the rear of the ship, her breath FOGGING in
the frigid air. Pauses. Stares at the lake’s remains — once
the most precious substance, now a cracked, lifeless scar.
CLOSE-IN ON CAIN’S FACE – A flicker of sorrow, then resolve.
She reaches the deployment chute. A jagged piece of hull
metal is JAMMED into the opening. She GRIPS it, muscles
straining—no give.
CAIN
Pace, you copy?
PACE
Yeah, LT
CAIN
There’s a piece of metal stuck in
the bottom of the chute. Probably
from the crash. Find a large
crowbar or piece of pipe. I’ll try
to knock it loose.
Cain’s POV: She looks around at the horizon, then up at the
sky. The planet Rezela looms large, with more moons than she
can count.
Pace is back with a long crowbar. He sticks it through the
opening.
PACE
Here you go. Be careful.
Cain takes it. The weight is nothing in the moon’s weak
gravity. She JAMS the crowbar into the chute, HAMMERS the
metal. No movement.
She FLIPS the crowbar, hooks it behind the metal. Leans back,
PULLS with everything—
CRACK! The metal SNAPS free. The hatch BLASTS open. Cain’s
momentum sends her FLYING backward—
THUD. She hits the ground. One metal shoe POPs off.
She scrambles up, hops toward the chute—
Her bare foot SINKS. A wet, sucking SOUND as the soil pulls
at her, swallowing her ankle.
CAIN
(Shouting)
PACE! I’M STUCK! HURRY!
Pace and Crimmage appear at the edge of the chute. They look
on in horror. Pace looks around and grabs a long piece of
pipe. He holds it out to her.
Cain GRIPS it, fingers white-knuckled. They PULL. Her other
shoe RIPS free. Now both legs sink, QUICKSAND to her knees.
PACE
(raging, tears)
DON’T YOU LET GO!
Cain tries her best, but she looks down, and her face says
she knows it’s too late.
She releases the pipe. Pace and Crimmage stagger back.
PACE (CONT’D)
NO! NO! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?
Cain's voice is tinged with a bittersweet acceptance as she
sinks deeper into the ground, now up to her waist. She gazes
at Pace's tear-stained face, a lifetime of shared experiences
and newly found affection passing between them.
CAIN
Pace, Pace, it's ok. Nothing you
can do! You need to get back to
earth and make sure Platt and Kelly
are exposed..
Pace falls to his knees, his sobs carrying the weight of
their shattered dreams
CLOSE-IN ON CAIN’S FACE: She grimaces.
She has now sunk to her chest.
CAIN (CONT’D)
Make sure everyone knows, Pace.
Otherwise, this was all for
nothing. Now go! That’s an order. I
love you.
Pace continues sobbing, but he can’t bear to see her go
under. He and Crimmage reluctantly turn and stagger back into
the ship.
EXT. MENDES - DUSK
Cain hears the engines turning, whining. The AC20 moves down
the track toward her, gaining speed, then shoots through the
opening.
She watches their ship disappear into the vastness of space,
a bittersweet smile forming on her lips as the ground
consumes her, pulling her down into the unknown.
DREAM SEQUENCE
EXT. GLEASON HOUSE/STORM CELLAR - DAY (DREAM SEQUENCE)
A faint, melancholic PIANO MELODY lingers in the air. Wind
rustles through the trees, distant and dreamlike.
SHE climbs the storm cellar ladder. Above her, NOAH stands
bathed in golden light, his hand outstretched. Silence wraps
around them, broken only by the whisper of leaves.
She reaches for him. Their fingers touch—warm, real.
Beside Noah, her PARENTS smile, their faces glowing. A shared
laugh, unheard but felt. They join hands, walking down a sun-
dappled street. Their figures slowly dissolve into the light,
the piano fading with them.
SMASH CUT TO:
Genres:
["Science Fiction","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
60 -
Echoes of Loss and Justice
INT. AC20 - NIGHT
The echo of the piano lingers for a beat - then GONE.
Pace, helmet off, stares out of the window, his reflection
fractured by tracks of tears.The moon shrinks behind them, a
cold, distant eye.
CRIMMAGE pilots, his grip tight on the controls. The ship
hums, a mechanical heartbeat.
CRIMMAGE
Why don’t you get ready to sleep.
I’m gonna program an SOS in a loop,
then I’ll be there.
Pace doesn’t move. His breath fogs the glass. He picks up the
STARCRASH ACTION FIGURE.
PACE
She brought this on every mission.
For luck. What a joke.
CRIMMAGE
Well, keep it. We need all the luck
we can get.
PACE
She used to hum when she was
nervous. Did you ever notice that?
Just… under her breath. Like she
was calming herself down.
CRIMMAGE
Yeah. And she’d tap her
fingers—three times—on the console
before a hard burn.
Pace exhales, a shaky half-laugh.
PACE
What do I do now? She was
everything to me.
CRIMMAGE
We do what she asked. Find a ship,
get back to Earth and make sure the
generals pay.
Pace nods. He presses his palm to the window—one last
look—then pushes away, clutching the action figure.
As he exits the cockpit, Crimmage adjusts course. On the
viewscreen REZELA looms, its surface scarred.
CRIMMAGE (CONT’D)
(muttering)
Ships come for Soladar. High
orbit’s our best shot to find
another ship. Better than drifting.
He banks the AC20, the engines groaning. The planet fills the
frame.
DISSOLVE TO:
INT. JEPSO ISS GENERAL KELLY'S OFFICE
Legend: One Year Later
Kelly and Platt sit at the table in the middle of the room.
MORENO (O.S.)
Hey! You can’t go in there!
Three MILITARY POLICE push their way into the room. Kelly and
Platt stand. The policemen turn them around and snap on
handcuffs.
They are marched out of the room
FADE TO BLACK.
THE END