screenplay 2nd draft
Joe Bainbridge
Sorensen is a tall, well-built man in his mid-40s. He is
sullen, reserved and has been for the entirety of his life. Thick blonde hair
covers his head and face; his eyes are a dull grey. For all of the 10 years
that the outpost has been active, Sorensen’s bitter hatred for Hammersley has
been clear and the two have clashed frequently. Sorensen’s hard exterior is a
shell, hiding his desire to be free and although he and most others see him as
a man of principle, Sorensen is not thought to be kind by anyone. Daily is the
only person to have seen through the hard exterior, Sorensen proves his ability
to take risks and display kindness when he makes the ultimate sacrifice.
Hammersley is a minute man, small in stature as well as
brain power, but he can occasionally be cunning and is strong despite his small
frame. His incompetency is regarded to be the reason why he was made skipper of
the largely unimportant outpost, but his greed is reflective of a future world
where selfishness brings you to the top. Hammersley’s motivation in life is
power and recognition; this is prevalent in his actions. As for his appearance,
he has short spikey grey hair, sharp green eyes and large eyebrows that
dominate his pale, wrinkled face. Hammersley is an experienced skipper in his
late 60s.
Daily is a nervous man in his early 30s who is just as small
as Hammersley, only spindly and far weaker. His hair is dark brown, short and
curly. Moreover, his face is tanned and features distinctive purple bags under
his deep brown eyes due to stress and inner conflict. Daily is clearly an
outcast, not built for life back home due to his constant philosophising and
free thinking in a future world where conformity is imperative. Daily’s most
valuable skill is his ability to analyse and modify technology but his constant
overthinking often gets in the way of his work, something that has caused
Hammersley to label him an idiot over the 10 years he’s spent on the outpost.
Int- Sorensen’s cabin- morning- dark
Fade in
Sorensen sits upright in his bunk blinking wide eyed at the
darkness, Siren screaming through the outpost
Sorensen shakes his head and realises the alarm is sounding,
he tumbles out of bed, staggers about as he searches for his gravity boots, he
puts them on and stumbles towards the door. Opening it and walking into
The metal corridor
SORENSEN collides with a scared DAILY
Sorensen
(Growls)
‘Go and wake the
skipper up’
Sorensen races down corridor to
The control room
Sorensen blinks at the bright lights inside the control
room, shakes his head and goes towards the screen where he sees a silver ship
moving in
Sorensen is fearful and sinks into control chair, eyes wide
Sorensen
(Shouts)
‘Can you kindly get
the skipper down here Daily, if he can take the time out his busy schedule’
HAMMERSLEY
‘I’m right here’
He is behind Sorensen’s chair, staring at the screen
Hammersley
(Irritated)
‘Who told you to kill
the alarm?’
Sorensen
‘Nobody, it was
getting on my nerves’
Hammersley
‘What a shame. You
fail to remember that I give the orders on this outpost’
He scowls at the ship as it comes closer
Hammersley
‘What’s its course?’
Sorensen
‘It’s going to crash
land about 100 yards front of us. Its travelling slowly though, shouldn’t cause
much damage’
Hammersley
‘Contact it, now’
Sorensen spins a dial
Sorensen
‘No luck, can’t get
through, it’s about to crash’
Sorensen frowns as the ship gently touches down and skids
along the planets, grey, dusty surface
Hammersley
‘Still nothing?’
Sorensen
‘Nothing at all’
Both stare out at the ship
Sorensen
(Mumbles)
‘So, this is the
mysterious ship. It looks as if the crash did no damage at all’
Hammersley looks curious and eager
Hammersley
‘Well I never’
Sorensen turns to him, puzzled
Sorensen
‘What’
Hammersley
‘This is something
quite special, I’ve never seen anything like it before’
He rubs his hands together and smiles
Hammersley
‘This ship’s from
space, deep space. This ship is from the stars’
Fade out
Int- Hammersley’s cabin- morning- dark
Fade in
Daily and Sorensen are seated, uneasily watching Hammersley
pace in front of them with eager excitement
Hammersley
‘Anything to report
Sorensen, any contact?’
Sorensen
(Shakes head)
‘Absolutely nothing.
I’ve sent 50 messages at 50 different signals at 50 different frequencies and
they haven’t responded once’
Hammersley stops pacing, swivelling to address the 2 men
Hammersley
‘Ok listen up. I want
to make this clear as day. This is our catch and I’m not gonna to let some
weasel official back home take the credit. Even though we don’t know anything
about the ship or what’s on it as of yet, I want to discover all there is to
discover before a word of this gets back home. This is our prize, we earned it’
Daily glances worryingly at Sorensen
Sorensen
‘Our code of conduct
states that all extra-terrestrial findings must be reported within an hour of
its discovery’
Hammersley
(Aggressively)
‘I don’t give a damn
about the law, I’m the skipper of this outpost and my word is final, you get
that? This ship is from the stars, it will have a speed module and the
government will reward me, us, generously for that kind of technology’
Sorensen scowls
Sorensen
‘The law’
Hammersley begins pacing again
Hammersley
(Shouts)
‘I said damn the law.
Listen to me Sorensen, we have been stuck here on this desolate moon for 10
years to monitor threats to home from space, our instructions don’t specify
about situations like this’
He pauses, eyes narrowing
Hammersley
‘We’ll go aboard this
ship, we’ll find out what’s aboard it, where it’s from and then we’ll take it
from there. You will report to me via hologram when you’ve finished you
analysis of the ship, Daily’
Daily looks up
Daily
‘I’m not sure how
useful I’d be’
Hammersley
‘I’ll be counting on you Daily, you better do
your job and step up to the task’
He turns to Sorensen who is sullen
Sorensen
‘this is a serious
offence, I hope you understand that’
Hammersley
‘Don’t forgot who’s
in charge here Sorensen, you contest my orders, but with your track record
you’re more than lucky to have this job in the first place’
Sorensen
‘Your orders are
illegal’
Hammersley
‘I’ll take
responsibility for that if it comes to it’
Sorensen looks Hammersley in the eyes
Sorensen
‘Liar. You just want power’
Angered, Hammersley’s eyes widen, he moves towards Sorensen,
lowering himself to his level
Hammersley
‘You’ve got your
orders; this afternoon you’ll board this ship with daily’
Sorensen clenches his fists
Fade out
Int-hanger- day-light
Fade in
Daily and Sorensen get into their space suits, checking
their equipment and then mounting speeder bikes
The hanger’s door opens and they move towards the ship on
speeder bikes
Daily
‘wow, there really is
hardly any damage to it after the crash’
Sorensen
‘hardly a scratch’
They reach the ship and get off their speeder bikes walking
towards the outer lock
Daily uses a tool strapped to his belt to open the outer
lock
Daily
‘Bingo’
They enter a dark space and both men press a button on their
helmets to turn on torches
Daily
(breathless in
excitement)
‘So far so good, I’ll
try the inner lock’
Daily uses the same tool to open the inner lock, they then
walk down a dark, silver corridor towards the light of the control room
Their eyes widen as they stared at the centre
Daily
‘Look Sorensen, I’ve
never seen anything like it’
Sorensen moves slowly to the centre of the control centre to
look at a thin translucent being smashed against the main control panel, his
limbs almost indistinguishable
Sorensen
‘This must’ve been
the pilot’
Daily
(Trembles)
‘I guess this why it didn’t send a message
back, or why the ship crashed in the first place. Seems it was the only one
aboard’
Sorensen
‘I wonder how long
ago this happened’
Daily goes to the central control panel, staring at Sorensen
for his approval to start his work
Sorensen
‘go ahead, analyse the engines to find the
speed module, this ship is from deep space so it’s bound to have one, I’ have a
look around’
Sorensen moves into the dark corridor
Int- kitchen- afternoon- light
Fade in
Sorensen is picking up jars of jelly like substances,
dipping his finger in a translucent one and reeling in disgust as he smells it
He moves and exits the room, seeing Daily dart about with
excitement and focus, making detailed notes on paper in the control room then
scrambling down a ladder to the engines
Suspicious, Sorensen dashes into the control room and down
the ladder, as he approaches, Daily, wide eyed, stuffs the paper in the pocket
of his space suit
Sorensen
’Daily’
Daily
(Stutters)
‘I’m finished, what’s
the matter?’
Sorensen
‘Never mind’
Daily
‘I guess we better
report to the skipper now’
Daily presses a button on his helmet that produces a
holographic image of the skipper
Hammersley
‘Daily, I pray you
went over the engines thoroughly ’
Daily
(looks at the floor)
‘Yes sir. I analysed
them real good’
Sorensen
(Nods, watches Daily
with suspicion)
‘That’s right’
Daily
‘There was very
little damage from the crash so it’s flyable all right. As for the pilot, it
looks as if it’s been dead for decades’
Hammersley
‘What do you mean
decades‘
Daily
(Apologetically)
‘I don’t know how else to put it, the engines
are very nearly dead, the ship’s wandered space for decades. It doesn’t have a
speed module sir, just plain and simple engines like our own’
Hammersley
‘You’re telling me this ship has wandered
aimlessly into our system?’
Daily
‘Something went wrong
and the pilot died, it couldn’t have done this journey quickly, it didn’t have
the technology’
Hammersley
(Sits back)
‘You, you haven’t
missed anything?’
Daily
‘No sir’
Hammersley
(Roars)
‘Then get the hell
back here, now’
Fade out
Int- corridor- afternoon-light
Fade in
Sorensen follows Daily as he enters his cabin, once inside
he picks up Daily, pinning him against the wall
Sorensen
(Whispers)
‘Talk’
Daily
‘Put me down
Sorensen’
Sorensen
(Throws Daily to the
ground)
‘You can lie to the
skipper but you can’t lie. Your cover story is full of holes and I want the
truth and if I have to beat it out of you I will’
Daily
‘I told you the
truth’
Sorensen
‘The pilot couldn’t
have been smashed to the panel like that, not unless it had a speed module. It
had one didn’t it?’
Daily
(Nods)
‘Please don’t tell
the skipper, I beg you. I have a plan, a good plan. Can’t you see it? This ship
has the most fantastic speed module I’ve ever seen, its perfect. I might be
able to work it’
Sorensen
‘You’re insane. The
skipper is stupid but he’s not brain dead. He’s out of favour, that speed
module is the big break that would restore his career. He’s selfish; you have
to be in order to get anything in this age. Once he spots this your life will
be worthless’
Daily
‘My life already is
worthless. So is yours. The government is the only thing that matters’
Sorensen
‘You really are
delirious’
Daily ‘I’m not. Our
world is controlled by fear; this ship provides the perfect escape’
Sorensen
‘I knew it when I saw
you scribbling things down on the ship. How will you get away with this?’
Daily
’The skipper has to
take our word for it because he doesn’t have the brains to analyse the engines
himself. I could make it work, you’re a misfit too Sorensen. Who cares where we
go if we can get away from all this’
Sorensen
‘It would be the
final straw for the skipper too, and I’d be free for the first time in my life.
Away from the mundane’
Daily
‘We will have to move
fast, but we can do it together’
Sorensen
‘Yes, I agree’
Fade out
Int- Sorensen’s cabin- night- dark
Fade in
Sorensen is called into the control room via a flashing
message on his wall
Hammersley is waiting, deep in thought
Hammersley
‘What is Daily
playing at?’
Sorensen
(Startled)
‘He hates this place;
we have been here 10 years after all so it makes him act in strange ways’
Hammersley
(Paces)
‘His report raises suspicions; I find it hard
to believe that this ship has wandered aimlessly for so long. Consequently,
a patrol craft will be here in an hour I
signalled as soon as I had your reports the patrol craft will have experts on
board, speed module experts who will review your report’
Sorensen
‘An hour?’
Hammersley
‘that’s what I said, in that time you could
tell me the truth’
Sorensen
‘you have your information, the patrol craft
can confirm it’
Fade out
Int- Daily’s cabin- night- dark
Daily
‘An hour? That’s too
soon’
Sorensen
‘It’s our only
window; we’re dead if we don’t go now. Can you work the speed module?’
Daily
‘I think so, I will
try’
Sorensen ‘You have
to; meet me at the loading bay in 10 minutes. Prepare the space suits and
speeder bikes’
Fade out
Int- hanger-night- dark
Sorensen enters the hanger, Daily is already there and in
his space suit
Sorensen scrambles into his when the alarm sounds and the
hanger flashes red
Hammersley appears at the entrance, strutting towards them
gripping a stun gun
Hammersley
(Gloats and chuckles)
‘Well I never, I
would have expected this from you Daily, you always were a slimy character, but
Sorensen, I’m disappointed’
Sorensen
‘Don’t speak about
him like that you old fool’
He shrieks and tackles Hammersley, knocking the stun gun
away
Sorensen
‘Run Daily, go’
Daily mounts a speeder bike and shoots into darkness, soon
after the ship is seen taking off
Sorensen grins as he watches, looking at peace and joyful;
Hammersley regains the stun gun and clambers to his feet
Hammersley
(In disbelief)
‘You let him get
away. I’ll be sacked for this, and it was your fault, yours. I’ll see that
you’re executed by noon tomorrow; you won’t be so gleeful then’
Sorensen laughs a booming laugh and Hammersley stuns him
Fade out
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