The Station Ver 3

8/8/2019 The Station Ver 3

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THE STATION

by Luke Burns


2/26

EXT. SPACE - A BLUE, NEBULOUS WORLD

We begin with the bright, waxing gibbous of a blue world. This is not earth.

We slowly pan back and away, seeing a window frame around the planet, until theframe rounds, and we realise we are zooming out of a reflection within an eye.

We continue to zoom out, until we see the full man, GREGOR, standing, staring outinto the cosmos. We realise we are, in fact:

INT. SPACE STATION - COMMUNICATIONS ROOM

Suddenly, a console light begins blinking, accompanied by a demanding chime.Something important is being signalled.

Gregor checks read-outs and reports, screens and papers, then dashes from theroom.

We see him run down dark gangways and alleys, between impressive, lightlessmechanical structures. Shadows and outlines framed by dust and grime. The bowelsof the ship. Not the most attractive route, but the quickest for his destination.

His target is KRISTINA, a curt Russian cosmonaut in her early 40s. A grey, ancientimage flashes through Gregor's mind of their first meeting, on Earth, in preparationfor this mission. A handshake. A smile.

In another room, Kristina sits in quiet meditation, surrounded by lush greenery, a garden of natural air-scrubbers, lit by LEDs, and the stars, and the ever-present

blue world. There is serenity in this sanctuary, hidden within the void.

INT. GROW-ROOM

Gregor bursts into the peaceful grow-room. Kristina's eyes snap open.

GREGORIt's landed.

KRISTINA Successfully?

GREGORTelemetry is coming in now, but the initial flare-burst was green.

KRISTINA

Operations.


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INT. CORRIDOR - LATER

We follow the two cosmonauts as they walk down a corridor, discussing the mission.

KRISTINA

It doesn't make any sense. The revised code makes clear thatthere was an error in the trajectories of the last three attempts. Iunderstand that much. It's why they burnt up on entry. It wasn'ta shielding issue, or even a speed issue, we just weren't taking the atmospheric density into proper account.

GREGORThat sounds like a solution, not a problem.

KRISTINA

Right. But this is not my solution. I didn't edit the code toaccommodate these issues. I didn't even realise there'd been a miscalculation. I should have... but...

GREGORIt must have been an automatic update, then. Mission Control...

KRISTINA Not possible. I checked: no communications. Nothing in the lastfive days. No updates.

GREGOR What if they used a buoy relay?

KRISTINA Only appropriate in extreme cases. We scarcely qualify.

GREGORUnless our receiver is dead...

KRISTINA [mockingly]

Not the AE-35 unit?!

A beat. They exchange looks.

KRISTINA [quietly]

Thank goodness the EVA suits are inoperable...

They pause in their walk, Gregor blocking the way forward.


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GREGOR

Kris, it's been five days. If the receiver really is malfunctioning...

KRISTINA

You're getting paranoid.

A beat.

KRISTINA ...I'll run a diagnostic.

GREGORI'd feel a lot better.

They continue walking.

KRISTINA And if we rule out a relayed update?

GREGOR Well that just leaves the obvious culprit.

KRISTINA

FRANCIS.

GREGORHe's been acting strangely these last few days. I wouldn't put itpast him.

KRISTINA Possible, but why isn't the update logged? And why go behind my

back? Even if he was trying to be subtle, there would be a recordof access, he can't delete those.

(a beat)Honestly Gregor, it almost looks as though the code changeditself.

GREGOR A heuristic ghost in the machine?

KRISTINA Very funny. I'll go over the logs again, run the diagnostic. Youspeak to Francis.


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INT. CORRIDOR

Gregor walks through metallic corridors until he reaches the door to Francis'sroom, and pauses. There is neon paint scrawled messily, childishly over the surfaceof the door. Bright yellows, oranges, and greens, finger-daubed in wild patterns,tribal designs and spirals.

The door zips open with a hydraulic hiss, and we see Gregor silhouetted fromFrancis's perspective.

Gregor's face wears a look of shock.

The chamber, once clearly a simple and tidy habitation, has been trashed. Neonpaint is all over the walls, clothes, furniture. Everything that is not bolted down has

been thrown, moved, or displaced in some way. There is an almost zen-like artistry to the destruction. A potted plant sits upside down on the corner of a shelf, foliagehanging down like vines.

Francis, a slight man, with a tangled mess of red hair, gaunt features, and roundspectacles, is painting designs in the corner of the room.

GREGOROh Jesus...

Francis glances up, noticing Gregor.

FRANCISIt's not as bad as it looks. Hahaha... it's not what it looks like.

Ahahaha. Ahem. Hrm. I... I'm sorry.

Gregor looks around the room, inspecting the evidence of a man clearly goneinsane, touching artefacts of a soul lost in the darkness.

GREGOR Are you okay? What happened here?

FRANCISI... Remembered.

GREGORRemembered?

FRANCIS What this is. The totality. The transcendent.

GREGORFrancis... you're not making any sense. Are you hurt?


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FRANCIS

...No.

Gregor sighs.

GREGORI have to ask you a question. Something important. Do

you understand?

Francis stares back with momentary clarity and intense focus.

FRANCISI understand the fragmentary within the totality, the isolation of an infinite recurrence. I understand...

I understand.

Gregor looks at Francis, unsure.

GREGORDid you amend the trajectory code for Daedalus IV?

Francis steps closer to Gregor, as if to impart an important secret.

FRANCISOur universe is as broad as our minds are. Gregor. If you canunderstand that, there's nothing else for you.

(a beat)Understand, this... isn't our life.

GREGORFrancis... did you change the code?

Francis turns back, returning to his painting. His last remark is delivered over his

shoulder, casually, without interest.

FRANCIS Why did E14 malfunction?

Gregor looks confused.

INT. OPERATIONS ROOM - LATER

GREGORI'm telling you Kris, he's lost it. I think he's in real trouble. We'llneed to arrange an evac.


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KRISTINA

No. Unacceptable.

She continues to work at a console; a twin pair of fibre-optic cables snake up to hereyes, where lens focus detailed molecular circuitry.

GREGOR Any threat that incapacitates or invalidates greater than 50% of the crew is grounds for mission termination. It's right there in...

KRISTINA [interrupting]

That only applies in the case of disease or threatening circumstances. They can send replacements for fatigued crew.

GREGORThis isn't a case of fatigue! A hostile environment is a threat, andsince we lost Cassandra and Richard, we're already at 60% of ouroriginal number. If Francis is reporting the same symptoms,they will terminate the mission.

KRISTINA Cass and Richard were nothing like this.Look, H.R. did a shit job of researching their applicants and they

missed the warning signs. There's nothing mysterious going onhere, just... human weakness.

She turns to face her subordinate, needing his support.

KRISTINA Gregor, we can't report Francis to Control, not when we'vefinally made it through the veil. We've made landfall! We've

worked so hard just to get this far. If we get pulled...

GREGORThat's just it, though. We haven't done anything! Someonechanged that code.

KRISTINA And it worked! We...

GREGOR And that doesn't bother you?!


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KRISTINA No. It doesn't. It must have been Francis. He had access, andfrom what you've said, he's just crazy enough to tinker withmulti-million dollar equipment and not tell anyone.

GREGORI don't like this.

KRISTINA You don't have to. We're not abandoning this mission, notafter we've finally got a chance to make a real difference.

She pauses, looking at Gregor.

KRISTINA

Do you really want to walk away from this?

GREGORNo, but...

KRISTINA Then don't....I need you with me.

INT. CORRIDOR - IMMEDIATELY AFTER

Gregor walks along a steel corridor, cooling off after his confrontation with hissuperior, rubbing his face and struggling with the sensation her momentary tenderness elicited in him.

He notices the station's airlock up ahead. A windowed door reveals theantechamber containing the five EVA suits.

GREGORE14...

He enters the access code for the door and steps inside. The five suits each feature a label on the helmet and chest. "EVAsuit 01-1" "EVAsuit 01-2" and so on. Gregorsteps to EVAsuit 01-4, his fingers touch the fabric. He looks down and notices the

wrist-mounted control unit on the suit's sleeve. A frown creases his features. Heremoves the device and leaves.

INT. FRANCIS'S ROOM

Francis is painting a mandala on his walls in neon paints, the porthole window at itscentre, starlight streaming through its opening. The lights are dimmed. Gregor


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enters, looking flustered, switching the lights onto full. Brightness blazes across theroom.

Francis shields his eyes and smiles.

Gregor has a bundle of papers in his hands, and he shoves them under Francis'snose.

GREGORLook at this. The service logs for EVAsuit 01-4. E14. This is what

you wanted me to see, right??

Francis smiles.

FRANCIS

You printed those? We have a very strict paper allocation...

GREGORDon't be an asshole.Here: 07/04-13974, the code for the suit's respiratory system

was amended. The code was then automatically updated to allthe other suits, but there's no explanation for the originalchange! This is the "fault" that prohibited all spacewalks, not tomention caused Cass to...This is sabotage! Did you do this, Francis??

Francis turns, puzzled.

Gregor is fuming.

Francis tries to hold back, but bursts out laughing at Gregor's seriousness.

FRANCIS Ahahahahaha... No. No, that was not me.

GREGORThen what the hell happened here, Francis?! This wasn't anupdate from Mission Control!

Francis looks pleased.

FRANCIS And neither was Daedalus's code change.

Gregor stares.


10/26

FRANCISInsanity is like a blinding sun. White hot. Drowning out all theuniverse with its glory, you see? There's a billion points of light,and you're focused on one.Don't make the mistake Icarus made, chasing after Daedalus. Letthe stars shine. Try the night.

INT. GROW-ROOM

Kristina is crouched, tending to the flowers in the earth-like grow-room, half inconversation with an agitated Gregor.

KRISTINA [sceptically]

Sabotage?

GREGOR Yes. It's the only explanation that makes sense. I don't know why we didn't consider it earlier.

KRISTINA Francis would never hurt this mission.

GREGORI'm not saying he was trying to, maybe he introduced the erroraccidentally. Then he felt guilty about how Cass reacted, so henever told us, and now... that guilt has driven him completely insane.

KRISTINA Be careful with your amateur psychology, Gregor.

GREGOR Well look, whoever changed the Daedalus code also changed theEVA suits. Francis admitted as much. If you're willing to accepthe did the good deed, the bad deed has to go with it.

KRISTINA Then maybe he did neither.

GREGORKris...

Kristina finally stands and turns to address Gregor, dusting off her hands.


11/26

KRISTINA I mean it. I know that man. He's no saboteur, and he's nocoward. If he damaged those suits, he would have told us - guiltor no guilt.

GREGOR Alright, then why did he tell me to check the suits? E14 inparticular? How did he know?

Kristina is silent.

GREGORHe knows more than he's telling us.

KRISTINA

[quietly, conciliatory]Nothing he can tell us is actionable. You said yourself, he's lost it.I'm going to quarantine him. And this doesn't change anything.The mission continues.

INT. FRANCIS'S DOORWAY

Gregor approaches Francis's door cautiously. He pauses before entering, unsure.Inside, it is much as it was before. Francis is sitting at a console desk, his back toGregor. He doesn't look up.

FRANCIS You've quarantined me.

GREGORKristina thought it... was a good idea. You're not well.

FRANCISShe came to see me. Did she tell you? She's quite insane, you

know. (a beat) You're breaking quarantine aren't you? What if I'm diseased?

GREGORI don't think you're diseased. You sound depressed.

FRANCIS...I'm a liability. Too close. Too tired of playing. They won't letme... can't risk me ruining this...

This isn't how it was supposed to happen. There was a plan. Youdo understand that, don't you?


12/26

GREGORI understand you're ill. You've been out here for a long time, weall have, and... you're just ill. That's all.

FRANCIS Why did you come here?

GREGOR...I don't know.

INT. GREGOR'S BEDROOM

Gregor is in bed, his face contorted, his body wrapped in sheets. Dirt is falling on hisface. His eyes open and he looks up. We see from his perspective. He is being buried,like a coffin at a funeral. Mourning silhouettes stare down at him from the rectangle

of light above. He begins to claw frantically at the dirt around him.

The dream merges into a desperate chase, Gregor is being pursued by dark,menacing figures who resemble SWAT police in gas masks. The images are murky and smudged. As one of the figures reaches out to grab him, he wakes with a jolt.Kristina is grabbing his arm.

GREGOR Ah!!

KRISTINA Gregor. It's Francis.

Gregor stares, trying to gather his wits.

GREGOR What's that smell?

KRISTINA

He's gone.

GREGOR What? Who?

KRISTINA Francis. He's gone. Off the station.

Gregor is dumbstruck.


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INT. FRANCIS'S ROOM

Gregor and Kristina stand in Francis's room.

GREGORHe sounded depressed...I should have... I should have done something.

KRISTINA His door was locked. He shouldn't have even been able to leave.Much less reach an airlock...

Gregor looks distraught.

Kristina notices. She goes to comfort him, but stops herself. She decides to keep herdistance.

KRISTINA He wanted to die.

GREGORHe didn't want to blow himself out a... For Christ's sake, he wassick.

(a beat)...We're all sick.

KRISTINA There's nothing wrong with us.

GREGOR Why did they never send replacements for Richard and Cass?

KRISTINA

...Does it matter? We can complete the mission without extra hands getting in the way.

As if to reassure herself, she adds:

KRISTINA They knew that.

GREGOR

When was the last time you heard from Mission Control?


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KRISTINA ...Seven days ago.

GREGOR Why haven't they contacted us? What if we are infected withsomething? ...What if we're being abandoned?

KRISTINA Don't believe that. We're not sick. We finally have data coming

back from the surface. We're making progress! And you think we're sick!? Don't be weak. Don't let this get inside your head. I'llexpect you in Operations first thing tomorrow. I want yourseismic survey launched asap.

Kristina leaves.

Gregor slumps down on Francis's bed.

Outside the doorway, Kristina leans against the wall, upset, holding her emotionsin, despite being alone. She begins to cry.

KRISTINA'S DREAM

Numbers and figures are in the background all throughout the dream.

Kristina is looking at silhouettes in a doorway, brightly lit from behind. Threeshapes. People. She is blinded. Puts up a hand to shield her eyes. Garbled voices.Blurs. An old man's face saying, "Five years." The man becomes Gregor. She isexplaining their mission to study the blue world in overly complex language.Somehow avoiding the point.

We'll be studying the planet from where the rotations happen in approximatecircles but really it will take so long to reach the world that when we sleepand when we wake will elapse before we wake from sleeping and that's why ittakes so long. Why don't you understand this? It's so simple I can't even begin

to explain it all.

She sees Francis and recognises him, smiling, but he begins to change, morphing into something unnatural. He chases her, taking the form of demonic shapes andfaces, and suddenly he is watching the chase, above and removed, and she is being chased by dark, shadowy figures. When they come close, their features are twistedand demonic, unnatural and terrifying. Huge eyes.

INT. GROW-ROOM

Kristina wakes up on the floor of the grow-room, face down in the grass.


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She sniffs at the air, confused by something she can smell. The edges of her vision /edges of the frame are blurry. She goes to check on Francis, but finds him gone. Sheis stumbling a little, as if hung-over. She reaches a computer console.

KRISTINA Computer. Locate: Maurin, Francis.

COMPUTERFrancis Maurin is not aboard this station.

Kristina struggles to make sense of this.

KRISTINA Computer. Last known location: Maurin, Francis.

COMPUTERFrancis Maurin was last logged in the main airlock, 01:47hrs,

August 11th, Two-thousand-

KRISTINA [interrupting]

That's enough.

She pauses, coming to terms with what she has learnt. As the realisation thatthings might not be as they appear, she looks up.

KRISTINA Computer. Blood test. Subject: Kirov, Kristina.

COMPUTERSpecify test type.

KRISTINA Incapacitating agents, nerve agents... neurotoxins...

psychoactive compounds.

COMPUTERTest types confirmed. Please insert sample.

Kristina hastily fills a vial with her own blood, and inserts this into a hollow recesson the console, then leaves to find Gregor. When she reaches him, he is asleep. She

wakes him from his nightmare.

GREGOR Ah!


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KRISTINA

Gregor. It's Francis.

Gregor stares, trying to gather his wits.

GREGOR What's that smell?

KRISTINA He's gone.

GREGOR What? Who?

KRISTINA Francis. He's gone. Off the station.

Gregor is dumbstruck.

INT. STATION ACCESS-SHAFT - LATER

Gregor is wedged into a narrow crawlspace, arms forced ahead of him, his facesmudged with dirt and grease. He is attempting to inspect the wiring for the

station's antenna. He wants to rule out every possible error on their end for the lackof communication from Mission Control.

GREGOR Well... you're not broken. And neither are you. But then Isuppose you can't be, if you're still relaying messages from theprobes... so why haven't they contacted us yet? Ten days...Maybe it's a software issue... ugh. Fuck....Francis.

INT. OPERATIONS ROOM

Kristina is working quietly in the dimly lit room. Green and blue displays illuminateher features. She is staring intently at the video-feed from one of the probes. Thereis a brown, rocky landscape, partially iced over, swept by blue mists. As she

watches, what appears to be a figure is visible amongst the mist, dark blue,humanoid, nearing the camera. She is transfixed. It comes closer, she is almostcertain she can make out arms, a head, and then...

GREGOR

Hey.

She leaps out of her seat.


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KRISTINA

Gregor!

GREGOR

What's wrong?!

KRISTINA Nothing... no, it's... I thought I saw... Here, on the monitor.

They both inspect the video-feed. The same earth and ice, the same blue mist.

GREGOR What am I looking for?

KRISTINA A man. A... figure. I thought I saw someone.

GREGOR...On the video-feed?

KRISTINA Yes. It was through the mists, I'm not sure.

GREGORThis is being recorded, right?

KRISTINA Of course.

GREGORRewind it.

Kristina stares, momentarily confused.

KRISTINA Right. Of course.

She rewinds the tape, and speeds back over the section she just watched. They stare intently at the screen.

GREGORThere's nothing there, Kris.

KRISTINA I could have sworn...


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GREGOR

It's that mist. It plays tricks on your mind. No different to peopleseeing Jesus in their coffee cup. It's just patterns interfering

with a system designed for pattern recognition.

He taps the side of her head, smiling.

KRISTINA Get off me!

He recoils.

KRISTINA I know what I saw.

GREGOR...Okay...

(a long pause)Do you think we should have a service?

Kristina looks at Gregor questioningly.

GREGOR

...For Francis.I know you don't want us to report it, but...

KRISTINA Do you want a service?

Gregor pauses for a moment.

GREGORNo.

KRISTINA Then we don't need to have one.

GREGORBut... I don't know. I feel like we owe him something. He's... Imean he's dead. Doesn't that... doesn't that mean something?

KRISTINA

If you want to honour his memory, do that. But a ceremony of remorse and regret isn't what we need. It isn't what Francis would want.


19/26

We're doing something here, and we're... we're right on the edge. We have to keep pushing forward. We can mourn when it's over. When we have something to offer him. When we can justify thecost.

We owe him that. We don't owe him regret.

INT. DARK ROOM

Fingers touch piano keys, seen from above. Slowly pushing them in a delicatesequence. We can barely make out the outline of a figure hunched over theinstrument.

VOICE You play when you feel guilty.

PLAYERI feel guilty.

VOICE You shouldn't. This isn't our fault.

PLAYER We should pull the plug. There's no telling what sort of damage we might have already caused.

VOICEThey signed a waiver. They understood.

PLAYERThey don't understand anymore. They don't remember. Maurin

was the only one who did, and look at what that did to him...

VOICE

We took care of Maurin, didn't we?

PLAYERBarely. It was messy, and if we're not lucky, they'll figure it outfor themselves. What happens then? Can you imagine?

VOICEThere's plenty of valuable data already collected. This isn't a lostcause.

PLAYER...Then why am I playing?


20/26

INT. COMMUNICATIONS ROOM

Gregor is sitting at a terminal, reading page after page of code. His eyes are bloodshot. He looks dishevelled and tired.

Kristina enters.

KRISTINA What are you doing?

GREGORI'm looking for a needle in a haystack.

KRISTINA

This is the source code for... Jesus, Gregor. What are you doing?

GREGORIf Francis... or anyone... didn't want us to receive messages fromControl, they might have programmed a sub-routine that wouldfilter incoming messages.

KRISTINA Even if that's true, there's millions of lines of code in this system!

GREGORRight... needle in a haystack.

KRISTINA You need to stop this. Right now.

GREGORI can't.

KRISTINA I mean it!

She tries to pull him away from the console, but he struggles. He breaks free, buthas no energy, his head bows, his shoulders tremble.

GREGOR We're alone...

Gregor looks at her, and tears roll down his cheeks.


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GREGOR We're alone.

Kristina can't say anything.

They embrace, Kristina holding the seated man's head to her stomach, whispering:

KRISTINA We're not alone. We're not.

INT. GROW-ROOM CORRIDOR

Kristina is walking towards the entrance to the grow-room. As she enters, she seesa figure, a shadow, move into the bushes.

KRISTINA Gregor?

What are you doing here?

She moves after the figure, pushing through the bushes. She emerges into a strange, alien forest. Blue leaves, alien plants, strange formations, semi-geological,semi-biological, and everywhere blue mist curls. The blue shadow figure is standing in front of her. Her eyes widen. She steps towards it, enraptured.

KRISTINA Are you... real?

The figure steps fully out of the mist, but before its features become visible, the vision fades, and she finds herself in the grow-room. All is normal. She looks up tosee the blue world above her. She smiles.

INT. CORRIDOR

Gregor is walking, and finds a faded neon eye, painted by Francis. He touches it,

then crouches down to make a small mark on the wall. He has been keeping a tally of days since Francis's death.

GREGORIt's been seventeen days, Francis. Twenty-two since we lastheard from Mission Control. I haven't found your filter yet, but itdoesn't matter. I've got a new plan. We're leaving. I'm going totake the last of the fuel, I'm going to calculate a returntrajectory, and I'm going to pilot this wide-ass piece of shit right

back to Home Station. You don't think I can do it? I don't care. Idon't care what you think. You know it all, huh? Is that whatthese eyes are for? Hm? So you can see-


22/26

Gregor slides against the wall, so that his head is where the eye is, so that he isseeing what it sees. He frowns.

GREGORSo you can see... what is that?

He walks forward, and inspects a small glint in the tangle of wires and conduitabove the corridor. He tries to prod it, poke it, get at it, but he can't reach. He goesinto a nearby room and picks up a chair. Back in the corridor, he uses it to stand on.

GREGOR What the hell is...

Gregor's eyes widen.

INT. OPERATIONS ROOM CORRIDOR

Gregor is walking down a corridor, heading towards Kristina, when he hears hertalking. He slows, and quietly steps to the doorway.

KRISTINA ...oxidation rates are not what I expected, but, that's not really important. I'm so glad you're with us. And all this time, too....Mhm. Of course. Is there anyway we could-

Gregor steps in.

GREGOR Who are you talking to?

Kristina turns around in fright, flustered.

KRISTINA No one. Have you found the communications filter yet?

GREGOR[suspicious]

No. I haven't. I heard you talking. You said, "I'm soglad you're with us."

Kristina shuffles guiltily.

KRISTINA I couldn't tell you.


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GREGOR

Tell me what??

He glares.

KRISTINA ...We're being watched.

Gregor looks suspicious at this revelation.

GREGORI know... I just found out. How long have you known?

KRISTINA You've seen them!?

GREGOR Yes. All over the station. We have a problem.

Kristina looks shocked.

KRISTINA Are you insane? This isn't a problem. This explains everything!

We're being tested! This is... this is first contact with an alienspecies! We're pioneers! Emissaries! The engineers of anunbelievable future!

GREGOR Alien... wait. What aliens?

Kristina goes pale. She has made a terrible mistake.

KRISTINA

From... from the blue planet. They changed the codes. It wasnever Francis! They took him away. He knew!

GREGOR Are you insane? What aliens!?

Kristina is silent. Suddenly robbed of confidence.

GREGOR

The only thing that Francis knew was that we were trapped, andhe knew we were being watched, like rats in a...


24/26

There is a sudden shudder, the entire station rattles and shakes.

KRISTINA They're here! They... they must be boarding!

GREGORThere's no-one here! I've fired the engines, I used the dockedprobes as a parallel stage to get us moving. That's all that'shappening.

Gregor gently holds Kristina by her shoulders.

GREGOR We're leaving.

KRISTINA What!?

GREGORI plotted a course back to Home Station. This? All of this? It'spart of some sick game, and I'm getting us out of here. We don'thave to be here anymore. We're out in the darkness and the coldand we're alone, and it's killing us.

KRISTINA You don't understand. We're not alone. We never have been.Since the moment we came into orbit, they've been watching us.

We're about to step into an experience beyond... beyond words. Ihave seen the veils of our universe shimmer and fall, and withinthe void, I saw... everything. How can I convince you that this isreal?

GREGOR You've spoken to little green men. That's what you want me to believe?

KRISTINA I've experienced something. A connection. An intuitiveunderstanding. They are an expression of the inexpressible, andthey want to show us something... outside. Something that Icannot convince you of... but I can open the door.

GREGORThe door?

KRISTINA The airlock.


25/26

Gregor looks shocked, terrified at the implications.

Kristina's eyes are clear and calm. She smiles, something within her has foundtremendous peace.

KRISTINA Francis isn't dead.

GREGORKristina, listen to me. There is nothing on the other side of thatairlock but vacuum. If you open it, we will die. Do youunderstand me?

Kristina pulls Gregor close to her and kisses him gently. Her eyes stare into his.

KRISTINA You were so terrified of being alone, so afraid, and we're not! I'masking you to trust me. Believe me. I don't know what you saw,

what you think you know about this station, about this planet, but I've seen something beautiful. Something honest. It's downthere and it's out there. Answers. Waiting for us. Waiting for you!

Kristina motions to a nearby window, and the blue sphere beyond.

KRISTINA There is such... beauty in this place. All this time we've spentorbiting them, never realising, never knowing.

You know, if Neanderthals came to probe our society, don't youthink we'd take the time to probe them back? To see what they

were? What they believed, what they felt? They did exactly what we would do. They tested us. They explored what we are! Wehave a duty to do the same! Please. Gregor. I need you to trustme. Think of the codes. Think of Francis. Think of me.

She extends her hand with a smile. Gregor looks unsure.

KRISTINA Trust me. This... this is really happening.

Gregor slowly lets Kristina take his hand, and walks with her. They walk togetherto the airlock. He looks scared, but she is peaceful, serene, accepting.

GREGORKris... I don't... I can't....


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KRISTINA Shhh...

She enters the override code for the airlock. Warning lights begin to flash. They step into the antechamber. The EVA suits hang empty around them, ignored. A klaxon sounds, warning of what is about to come. There are several mechanicalclicks and hisses, hydraulic pistons clunking locking mechanisms out of place.Gregor and Kristina look into each other's eyes. She smiles. He panics and runs forthe control panel. She frowns, but doesn't attempt to stop him.

KRISTINA You can't stop it now.

There is a frantic moment of panic as Gregor types codes into the control panel,ineffectually. The warning klaxon continues to chime. The airlock door opens with a

whoosh, the suits flutter in the draft, but there are no howling gales of air rushing into the vacuum. A cool breeze slips over them. Gregor gasps in surprised delight,Kristina laughs. A bright light envelops them.

Shadows move in the brightness, figures, human shaped. They come closer, they are two men in suits, and a doctor. Gregor is shocked and confused, Kristina looksupset.

PLAYERCome with us, please. We need to show you something,

They are all smiling, and the two cosmonauts follow, as they are led up a steepramp, a tunnel that reaches up to a heavy steel door. When they reach the end, thehuman figures open a small door within the larger door. Even brighter light floodsthrough, and they step out into a meadow.

Birds are singing, flowers are in bloom. They are already home.

The Station Ver 3

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Transcript of The Station Ver 3