An Inevitable Outcome Feature
Written and Directed
by C. Richard Davies
TOGETHER AGAIN
Silver Millenium Chapter
Based on the works of
Naoko Takeuchi, Rumiko Takahashi,
Masaki Kajishima, Hideki Kakinuma,
George Lucas,
and various interpretations therof.
Incorporating
original characters created
by C. Richard Davies
Dedicated to Hayao Miyazaki,
Leiji Matsumoto, and Tomino Yoshiyuki.
ACT ONE
Establishing Shot: The void of space. Our point of view tracks slowly through
the vacuum until we see "The High Queen of Neptune", a space-going vessel that,
while sealed to the void, has more in common with maritime vessels than with any
contemporary spacecraft. It is impossible to get a sense of scale, but it does
not appear to be moving very swiftly as we slowly approach it. We move slowly
through the deserted corridors of the ship; the interior is far more clean -- to
an almost sterile degree -- than one would expect from a craft of its romantic
nature. At last we come to a sealed door, on which has been placed a sign in
Chinese-looking characters.
SUBTITLE
DO NOT DISTURB. OR I'LL KILL YOU.
We continue our voyeurism by going into the chamber. In contrast to the rest of
the ship, it is lavishly, even opulently decorated with silks and gold. The
centerpiece of the chamber is the large canopied bed with blue, grey and white
sheets. Two forms can be seen dimly through the canopy; neither is moving. It
is still very quiet, but one can hear the faint sounds of sleeping people
breathing. The silence is broken by a sudden, annoying alarm. One of the forms
sits up, obviously startled, but then slowly lies back down again. At once, the
other form arises with grace, and begins to pull something around itself.
BENTEN
TIRED What the hell are you
doing?
The curtain is pulled back, revealing the calm features of Grand Princess OYUKI
of Neptune, dressed in a light yet completely non-revealing dressing gown.
OYUKI
CALM Regulations demand that if an
alert sounds, the captain of the
ship must be present on the bridge
unless unable to reach it.
BENTEN, the other figure in the bed, rolls over onto her side and smiles
seductively. [For those who find the scene too salacious, the sheets obscure
her bosom for the most part.]
BENTEN
I'm sure that you could think of
some reason that you can't reach the
bridge if you ... tried hard.
OYUKI turns to look at her. A full five seconds pass.
OYUKI
CALM I do not feel any urge to try
that hard.
She stands up as BENTEN collapses into the bed with a frustrated expression on
her face. OYUKI walks down the corridor to the bridge at a brisk yet unhurried
pace, not at all bothered by the sounds of the alert. A few seconds later,
BENTEN follows behind, rushing as she tries to buckle on her red breastplate.
BENTEN
MUTTERED "A honeymoon in space,"
she said. "Far away from anyone who
can bother us," she said. "I would
like to test drive my new yacht,"
she said. BEAT Okay, that one
was true, but --
OYUKI arrives on the bridge of the ship, which is just as deserted as the rest
of it. She goes to the chair in the center of the room, which is raised just a
bit, and sits in it.
OYUKI
Captain on the bridge. Nature of
the disturbance, please?
A chirping noise accompanies the appearance of a flatscreen to her left side,
which displays the High Queen of Neptune's orbital path crossing that of several
planets. There is a large blinking dot a few centimeters in front of the small
static dot representing the ship. OYUKI frowns slightly.
OYUKI
Not possible.
BENTEN stumbles into the bridge, pulling on one of her thigh-high boots.
BENTEN
Where the hell are we, anyway?
OYUKI
Cometary vector, crossing Saturn's
orbit. The proximity sensors have
apparently picked up a battle ahead
of us. A rather large one, judging
by its display. But if anything of
that nature were occuring, there
would be debris, and --
BENTEN is peering at the forward display screen.
BENTEN
There's *something* going on up
ahead. I can make out some flashes,
but that's it.
OYUKI
Your eyes are sharper than mine.
Increase magnification at one factor
per second until contradicted.
The main display begins to focus in on the sector of space indicated, with both
BENTEN and OYUKI gazing curiously at it.
BENTEN
There *would* be debris, unless it
was SUDDEN EMERGENCY-OVERRIDE I AM
YOURS FOREVER FIRE-RETRO-THRUSTER-AT
MAX-THRUST-MARK!
Exerior view, two pods of the front of the ship begin to glow, and the ship
shoots back at a great speed. Immediately, a sphere of violent, multicoloured
energy explodes into being, searing the space where the High Queen had been only
moments earlier. Inside, BENTEN is stretched out in front of the command chair,
parallel to the floor, clinging to the chair with all her might. OYUKI is
mildly startled.
OYUKI
CALM, BARELY AUDIBLE Increase rate
of magnification increase to five
factors per second. BEAT When
should the thruster be deactivated?
A large red sign over the main viewer begins to pulse the words "HULL STRESS
CRITICAL".
BENTEN
Now!
OYUKI
Deactivate retro thruster, mark.
The accelleration stops, and BENTEN drops carefully to the ground.
OYUKI
Begin firing main thruster at normal
intervals to return to our original
vector. Mark.
OYUKI looks at the monitor, and sees that it is still too faint to make anything
out.
OYUKI
I approve of your choice of override
codes, if not their existence, per
se. An explanation is forthcoming?
BENTEN
Two of 'em. I felt that coming, and
I saw who one of the fighters was.
OYUKI
That was quite the explosion. BEAT
Saturnine Dreadnought-in-a-Boat?
BENTEN
SHORT Pluto.
There is a short silence. OYUKI does not want to believe what she believes
BENTEN means.
OYUKI
I wasn't aware that any of the monks
on Pluto had warships --
BENTEN
Not the planet. Long pause.
OYUKI
My love, you cannot be correct.
BENTEN looks towards the screen.
BENTEN
QUIET See for yourself.
OYUKI slowly turns to look at the screen. It is displaying two humanoid forms,
which appear to be attacking each other with long cyllindrical objects. At this
level of magnification, details are impossible to make out. An instant later,
the details are made plain to us, as our perspective shifts to show a staff,
surrounded by a faint aura, clashing with a glowing red beam. We pull back to
see that the staff is held by PLUTO, and that her face is set and determined.
The beam is being emitted from the hand of a woman with vibrant red hair and
glowing green eyes (CALLISTRA SKYWALKER). CALLISTRA is, to put it mildly,
furious. Their fight is not so much a duel as it is simultaneous assault with
murderous intentions. And all in complete silence. And in zero gravity. So
even though there is absolutely no grace or elegance to their fight, it is
nonetheless frighteningly beautiful. Cut back to BENTEN and OYUKI.
OYUKI
Is the other one known to you?
BENTEN
Impossible to tell at this range.
The only reason that I recognized
Pluto was because no one else wears
a uniform of those particular shades
and fights with a staff.
OYUKI
SLOW, MEASURED Very well. Ignite
retrothrusters for best speed to
Neptune. BEAT We needs must cut
short our honeymoon my love.
BENTEN nods ... and then looks at OYUKI curiously.
BENTEN
Are you all right? You seem a bit
... I dunno, out of sorts.
OYUKI
PUZZLED I'm not sure. I believe
that I have never been so close to
death as I was when we were racing
the blast front of that explosion.
BENTEN
UNDERSTANDING You were *scared*.
I get it.
OYUKI
I don't believe that frightened is
the best word for it.
BENTEN
Then --
OYUKI slowly turns to gaze right at BENTEN. Her icy-blue eyebrows lift just a
nudge, and her tongue wets her lips almost imperceptibly.
OYUKI
I believe that I am ... aroused.
BENTEN slowly grins. Cut to an exterior shot of the starship, accellerating to
the rear. Our view slowly pulls back from the plane of the solar system, until
we can see everything from the sun to the orbit of Saturn. We hold for a
moment, and then begin to focus back in towards the orbit of Jupiter, and then
specifically towards one of the larger moons.
CAPTION
Ganymede,
Jovian Confederation
We pass through the atmosphere of the moon, and Ganymede is revealed --
impossibly, as any good planetologist will tell you -- to be very earthlike,
with green rolling fields, and a light blue sky. It is just a *bit* dimmer than
Earth at a few hours after dawn now, even though it is around the local "noon".
Our point of view swoops through the air towards a cluster of trees on a
montainous plateau. As we draw in closer, we realize that these trees stretch
up nearly a thousand feet into the sky. We pull in towards them slowly, and
then our view slowly rotates to include a man's hand touching the bark. Our
perspective changes to show the man (LORD ZEUS). He is an old man, with thick
wrinkles on his face and arms and a long bushy white beard, but his clear blue
eyes are alive with passion and energy. But right now, it is a quiet energy --
he seems to be communing, almost with the trees.
DRIANO (O.S.)
Lord Zeus?
ZEUS' contemplation is broken, but he doesn't seem to mind much. He bows
briefly to the tree, and turns to look at the one who addresses him. DRIANO (a
tall, but not especially muscular man with dark brown hair, dressed in robes
that are a cross between a toga and a technician's coat) is standing a
respectful distance away, and begins to kneel as ZEUS turns towards him.
ZEUS
Don't. None of you have any cause
to be abasing yourselves to me.
DRIANO straightens over ZEUS' next line and looks relieved as he does so.
ZEUS
Rumiya's ready for the presentation,
then?
DRIANO
Yes, Milord. He's been ready for a
while now, but he elected to --
ZEUS
-- humor the senile old man?
DRIANO
Those weren't his words ...
ZEUS grins, and starts walking towards DRIANO at a steady, confident pace.
ZEUS
I was born in these parts, you know.
A ... CONSIDERS very, very long
time ago. Two older brothers, three
older sisters. A father who hated
all our guts, and a mother who ...
well, that's not important. I came
out to these trees a lot. I talked
to them, same as you would to any
body. BEAT And now I'm gonna get
to hear them talk back, for the
first time.
DRIANO
Sir, I should point out that as far
as they themselves think, they only
gained sentience last year. They
won't remember any conversations --
ZEUS
DISMISSIVELY Details. Let's go
talk to the infant trees, then.
They walk through the forest at a quick pace, until they arrive at a camp set up
in the deepest part of the woods. It is almost as dark as a full moon night on
Earth. RUMIA, a young man of average height (shorter than DRIANO) and a vaguely
raven-like cast to his features and dark hair, is fiddling with a complicated
device of some sort while CHIHIRO, a slightly taller woman with light brown
hair, is fiddling with a chemistry set and humming. Both are wearing the same
sort of robe/coat worn by DRIANO. RUMIA looks up as he hears them approach, and
lets out an almost imperceptible sigh of relief.
RUMIA
My lord Zeus. I'm sorry to trouble
you by insisting that you come out
here, but --
ZEUS
DISMISSIVE It's all right. I have
to do *something* to justify the tax
payers' interest in the project.
BEAT Although I do hope that the
expression "they speak" means that
they're using more complicated words
than "mama" and "papa".
CHIHIRO giggles faintly, and RUMIA shoots her an annoyed look.
CHIHIRO
I can't see *either* of them ever
being that familiar or --
RUMIA
INTERRUPTS In *any* event, they
are demonstrating greater maturity
than we would expect from a human
child of comparable age.
ZEUS
Given the givens, Rumia, I should
hope so. BEAT Well, let's see
them, then.
RUMIA
CALLING OUT Tsunami! Ramia! Our
guest is --
TSUNAMI (O.S.)
You don't have to yell, you know.
All four of them turn to look just a few yards behind ZEUS, which is where
TSUNAMI stands. Let's be upfront about this: TSUNAMI, at this stage in her
development, looks identical to Sasami at the very beginning of her career --
roughly eight years old, with electric blue hair drawn back in two tails behind
her back, and red-pupil-on-red-iris eyes. She is dressed in plain white robes,
without adornment, and smiling a disarming grin at ZEUS.
TSUNAMI
ENTHUSIASTIC Hi! You're Heaven
King Zeus, right?
ZEUS
WRY EXPRESSION That's what every
one tells me when I ask why I keep
getting all the trouble I run into.
And you must be Tsunami.
TSUNAMI
VERY PLEASED Yes! That's me!
ZEUS
BOWS A BIT Very pleased to meet
you, young lady. Don't you have a
sister, though?
TSUNAMI
EXASPERATED SIGH Yes, but she's
too shy for words.
RUMIA becomes visibly angry at TSUNAMI's statement, and opens his mouth to yell.
TSUNAMI
YELLS Ramiaaaa! This *very* nice
man would like to speak with you!
She glares at one of the trees. A light begins to glow on its side, and with a
great creaking noise, the bark grows apart from the center, opening up the heart
of the tree. RAMIA is a little girl, about the same age and height (if she
didn't slump) as TSUNAMI, with dark black hair and blue eyes. She has a
perpetually worried look on her pale features, and is dressed in the same sort
of robes as TSUNAMI. She doesn't meet ZEUS' eyes as she steps forward. (The
bark grows closed again behind her.)
RAMIA
H-hello. I'm Ramia. Very pleased
to meet you Heaven King Zeus.
ZEUS
MILDLY SARCASTIC Of course. TURNS
TO GLARE AT RUMIA Child, did some-
one tell you that you *had* to call
me Heaven King Zeus or I'd be *very*
angry?
RAMIA
VERY QUICKLY No! No one did.
ZEUS steals a glance at TSUNAMI, who is looking at the sky, the trees, anywhere
but at the adults or at RAMIA.
ZEUS
PLACATING All right. But I don't
insist on the full form of my title
all the time. You can just call me
Zeus. All right?
RAMIA nods quickly but still does not meet ZEUS' gaze. ZEUS rubs the back of
his head, and then turns to look at TSUNAMI.
ZEUS
Well, then, Tsunami ... do you have
anything that you'd like to show me?
TSUNAMI grins at the words, and nods. She takes a deep breath, closes her eyes,
extends her hands before her, and begins to speak *very* theatrically.
TSUNAMI
By the relic of the kings and the
names of the soul trees, I open the
gate to the skies of the universe.
From the heaven to the sea, from the
sea to the earth, and from the earth
to the heaven. Reveal unto me the
path of light!
A pulse of energy emits from her arms, and the clearing grows even more shadowed
than it was before. ZEUS turns to look quizzically at RUMIA.
ZEUS
"Relic of the kings"?
RUMIA
UNCERTAIN We think it's a psychic
focus, nothing more. Now, all we
have to do is get above the treeline
and we should see --
RAMIA
Um ... we don't actually have to do
that --
ZEUS turns to look at RAMIA, who has stepped back against one of the trees, and
so he doesn't see the angry glare that RUMIA sends at RAMIA.
RAMIA
-- the trees will move aside so that
you can see Our sister.
She touches the tree lightly, and whispers something. With a sudden creaking,
all the trees begin to move apart, making a pathway for the light -- and giving
us a glimpse of the *ship* Tsunami, hovering over the clearing. She is
*slightly* smaller than Tsunami will be in the Twentieth Century, but not much.
ZEUS nods approvingly.
ZEUS
Nice design. Reminiscent of the
Enlilim class, a bit --
CHIHIRO
I don't know a lot about naval
design, My Lord, but the specs for
that one were foremost in my mind
when I helped Tsunami design it.
WORRIED It's a good class, isn't
it?
ZEUS
REASSURING A very good design. A
bit out of date, and we're phasing
it out in favor of the Mardukkar --
RUMIA
-- which was the pattern I used to
make Ramia's ship body. Actually, I
suspect that Ramia's body is an
*improvement* on the Mardukkar in
terms of its firepower, by --
ZEUS
WEARY Rumia, I *do* read your
reports. I *am* aware of the arms
and armor that you've convinced
these young ladies to "grow". I'm
impressed. Please stop showing off.
RUMIA opens his mouth to say something ... and slowly, very slowly, gets himself
under control.
ZEUS
Thank you, Ramia. I've seen enough,
unless you'd like to bring in your
ship body, as well.
RAMIA blinks at the unfamiliar term, but continues.
RAMIA
Well ... I can't, actually. We
can't hold the trees aside and move
Ourself -- and this is actually kind
of uncomfortable for the trees, so I
think --
RAMIA realizes that everyone is staring at her, and shuts up, abruptly.
RUMIA
It doesn't matter, Tsunami can hold
aside the trees while --
RAMIA
MUTTERED That won't work.
RUMIA
IGNORING HER -- Ramia calls her
ship. A simple --
RAMIA
MUTTERED The trees don't listen to
Tsunami because she's so bossy --
TSUNAMI whips her head around to glare at RAMIA.
TSUNAMI
I *heard* that!
Above, the ship begins to tilt. TSUNAMI's face becomes panicked momentarily,
before she returns it to stillness. The ship stabilizes as she does.
ZEUS
FAINTLY CONCERNED So ... they *do*
exist in both bodies at once, but
can only control one of them.
RUMIA
VERY QUICK Thus far. There are
strong indications that with some
training, they should be be able to
control both simultaneously. It
becomes easier if the human-form
body is *inside* the ship-body --
ZEUS
NODS All right. Why don't we go
up for a ride --
There is a sudden rumble in the air. ZEUS looks up, with concern on his face.
CHIHIRO starts towards the tent.
DRIANO
I didn't think that there was a rain
storm scheduled for today ...
ZEUS
SHORT There isn't. Something --
CHIHIRO turns on a small "radio" set outside the tent.
RADIO
STATIC FILLED Alert! Alert! This
is Ganymedan Defense Alert! All
inhabited sectors are under attack!
STATICown enemy forces -- SOUND
OF EXPLOSION Correction! Enemy
ships are flying Martian colours,
repeat, Enemy ships are --
There is an even bigger explosion, and the radio goes dead. ZEUS turns towards
RUMIA.
ZEUS
SNAP Congratulations, Rumia. You
are going to get a chance to show
the children off after all. Get
Ramia prepped and follow me.
RUMIA
STUNNED What ... but ... SNAPS TO
ALERTNESS Sir, I recommend that you
take Ramia instead, she has greater
pow--
ZEUS
But she's not in the air right *now*
and that's what counts.
He bends down to take hold of TSUNAMI, who doesn't seem to react. Her face is
confused though.
ZEUS
HURRIED Tsunami, you have to focus
on keeping control of yourself. No
matter what happens, keep control of
yourself. Let *me* worry about the
rest of the universe.
He grips her tightly, and glares up at the ship. In the distance above it,
explosions can be seen. ZEUS draws a deep breath, and wind begins to blow
against his beard and hair.
ZEUS
Let's see if I've still got it.
And he shoots up from the ground, towards the ship. RUMIA is infuriated. He
wheels towards RAMIA.
RUMIA
HISSED Do it.
Her face terrified, RAMIA lets go of the tree and begins to concentrate. Cut to
Tsunami's bridge, a large enclosed dark space with a few cushions and polished
wood finishings. ZEUS, still carrying TSUNAMI, comes out of the floor (via an
elevator platform that merges with the rest of the floor).
TSUNAMI (V.O.)
Lord Zeus? What's going on?
ZEUS sets TSUNAMI's body down on one of the cushions.
ZEUS
BRUSQUE We're under attack. Give
me an exterior view.
The ceilling seems to open up, revealing the sky -- which is filled with what
appear to be fighter jets, along with a few larger vessels. ZEUS growls.
ZEUS
Dammit. Get me a scrambled comm
link to Grail. BEAT And when
Ramia comes up, tie her into it.
Nothing happens.
ZEUS
Well?
TSUNAMI (V.O.)
VERY QUIET I'm not recieving any
response from the base at Grail,
sir.
ZEUS is silent for a long moment, then nods.
ZEUS
All right. Is Ramia up yet?
TSUNAMI (V.O.)
Uh, yes ... she's heading in our
direction.
ZEUS
Good. Send an encoded burst to her,
don't wait for acknowledgement.
Tell her to head for Europa, *under*
*cloak*, and give the access codes
to our defense net. Then head for
Europa yourself.
TSUNAMI (V.O.)
But -- aren't you going to --
ZEUS
AMAZED What? Fight them off?
With two *untested* ships? What do
you think this is, a Venerian ballad
where everyone dies gloriously in
the final lines? Guess again. You
have your orders. Execute!
Cut to an exterior view of the ship Tsunami. She hesitates for a second, then
begins to ascend, turning invisible as she does so. A moment later, the ship
Ramia comes into view -- it resembles a jet-black Nadesico. Cut to inside the
control room, an area identical for all intents and purposes to the same area on
board TSUNAMI. RAMIA is standing with her arms extended towards the main
screen, while RUMIA, CHIHIRO, and DRIANO stand behind her, clutching bits
RAMIA
"-- proceed to Europa under cloak
and utilize the codes to get through
the defensive network."
RUMIA
ANGRY Is that all?
RAMIA
LONG PAUSE "Hurry, my sister, I
love you."
RUMIA
Anything else of *importance*?
CHIHIRO shoots a disgusted look at RUMIA.
CHIHIRO
Well, Mister Genius? Any plans, Mr.
"Why Install A Cloak When Anyone Who
Sees Her Will Flee At Once?"
RUMIA
WARNINGLY Shut up.
Outside, a group of fighter aircraft -- which look like birds of prey, with
fully articulated wings (which only flap every minute or so) -- close on the
battleship. Inside, RUMIA suddenly nods.
RUMIA
Ramia! Open channel broadcast.
RAMIA (V.O.)
CONFUSED Yes, sir. Ready.
RUMIA
DEEP BREATH To the Martian Forces.
I am Rumia of Ganymede. On behalf
of this world's government -- we
offer you our complete and --
CHIHIRO
HISSED *What*?
RUMIA
-- unconditional surrender. End
broadcast. Drop all shields,
power down all weapons.
RAMIA (V.O.)
But they might --
RUMIA
Do it or we're all *dead*! They
won't stop throwing every ship they
have against us until --
DRIANO
Sir, I should point out that Lord
Zeus gave us the codes to Europa's
defense network -- if the Martians
get them before they can be changed,
it could --
RUMIA
GETTING MANIACAL So what would you
suggest as an alternative? Shall we
go out fighting? Do you crave a
glorious death in battle?
DRIANO
No, but --
RUMIA
Very well then.
Before anyone realizes what is about to happen, RUMIA pulls a pistol-like device
from a holster hidden inside his coat, and fires a bolt of lightning at DRIANO,
who is thrown across the room by the impact. He drops, obviously dead. CHIHIRO
screams. RUMIA whirls to point the lightning gun at her.
RUMIA
Shut up! DEEP BREATH Consider,
if you would, that our new masters
will find a story of a mutiny aboard
this new ship if we can provide them
with the corpse of its captain.
CHIHIRO
You're insane.
RUMIA
INSANE No, dear, I'm a survivor.
RAMIA (V.O.)
VERY FRIGHTENED Um ... receiving
message.
HATTIAS (V.O.)
I am Lord Hattias, Grand General of
the Martian Punitive Expedition. We
accept your surrender. You will be
escorted to our base of operations
on this planet. Any attempt to
deviate from the course information
we are sending you will result in
the immediate destruction of your
vessel. All Hail the Khakhan!
Message ends.
RUMIA
ALMOST TEARY You see? It's all
working out. We're all going to
come out of this smelling like
roses, just you wait and see ...
Cut to an exterior shot of Ramia, gradually pulling away from Ganymede -- which
is surrounded by battling spaceships -- and the Jovian subsystem entirely. Our
view slowly pulls away from the plane of the solar system, so that we can see
the big picture again, and then begin to close on a point even closer to the sun
-- on Earthspace, specifically the Moon, and even more specifically a city of
crystal on the Moon.
CAPTIONS
Millenias
Capital of the Moon Kingdom
Note that when we say "a city of crystal", we mean just that. Unlike another
"crystal city" which has appeared elsewhere in these chronicles, glass is the
*only* building material which seems to have been used in the construction of
this city. There is also a faint haze about it -- the sunlight seems more
diffused and refracted than it ought to be from the glass alone. Our view
gradually approaches the large palace at the heart of the city, and slips in
through the front gates. We move through richly carpeted corridors and gold
framed doors to the Public Court of Her Enlightened Majesty, Serenity, which is
milling with people from all over the Solar System, nine steps beneath the great
silver throne. We focus in on a gentleman dressed in fine robes of many colours
(ANAND). His black hair is cut short in the back, but he has long bangs. He
smiles and nods as he walks through the crowd -- until another man, slightly
taller in white robes with brown hair (MERU) bumps into him.
MERU
Oh! My profound apologies.
ANAND
That's quite all right ... DOUBLE
TAKE Excuse me, but aren't you the
historian Meru?
MERU
PLEASED I am he. Have I the honor
of your acquaintance, sir?
ANAND
No, but it is a pleasure to finally
meet you after our correspondence.
I am Don Anand of the Family Shoma.
MERU
VERY SURPRISED Really? Then it
*is* an honor! Well! Thank you
again for providing me with your
family's records -- they were the
only ones I could obtain from
Mercury during that period --
ANAND
SMILING Not at all, friend sage.
I should thank you for providing
my family's services with such free
advertising -- one cannot have much
more of an endorsement than "they
kept making deliveries throughout
the Solar System during the War of
the Godlings".
MERU
I never even considered that. Well
... what brings you to Court this
evening?
ANAND
Well, I was on Luna training my
eldest sister's eldest son in the
business, and recalled that the
peerage system grants effective
noble rank to current and former
members of the Mercurian cabinet.
Since I'd never been to court
before, I thought it might be
interesting.
MERU
It *is* interesting, although my
hopes of one day witnessing a
meeting between her Majesty and Dame
Pluto grow fainter with each passing
day ... but I'm being rude. Would
you permit me to introduce you to
some of my associates.
ANAND
Delighted. MERU scans the crowd, and smiles.
MERU
Ah! Sioni!
SION, a young man with ash blond hair and spectacles, dressed in a loose tunic
and trousers, looks up from the conversation he is listening in on, and smiles
ruefully. He ambles over to the two of them.
SION
Haven't I asked you repeatedly not
to use the diminuitive?
MERU
You must forgive my poor memory ...
They laugh in the fashion of those repeating a joke. ANAND coughs politely.
MERU
Ah, this is Milord Anand of Mercury,
the former Minister of Commerce. He
assisted me in preparing the section
on Mercury for the Historia Bellum
Divinitae. Don Anand, this is my
friend Sion, Chief Bard to Milady
Leda, the new Ambassador from the
Jovians.
SION
An honor, Don Anand.
ANAND
Sion ... I'm sure that I *have*
heard one of your ballads sung, but
I also have a poor memory for such
things ...
Just then, a hush falls over the crowd as a fanfare is blown from the main
entrance.
HERALD
Her Enlightened Majesty, Serenity,
Autocrat of the Kingdom of the Moon,
and Overlord of the Silver Millenium
Alliance!
SERENITY makes her entrance, wearing a grayish-white gown and her golden crown.
The crowd parts for her, and she smiles and nods politely to everyone as she
makes her way across the court. She climbs the stairs and stands before the
throne for a moment, her head bowed. Then she turns to look down at the court
with a calm, serene expression.
SERENITY
Welcome. Let all who would --
Cut shot to a pair of boots marching through a hallway. Cut back to SERENITY.
SERENITY
-- come in peace to speak of their --
Cut back to boots marching.
SERENITY
-- pressing needs, step forward and
raise their voices --
The Princess LEDA of Jupiter -- who looks almost exactly like the daughter she
will one day bear, save that her hair is not tied back in a pony tail -- appears
in the doorway to the court. Her face is red with anger, and her battle axe is
in her hand.
LEDA
*EXTREMELY* ANGRY *Treachery*!
SERENITY blinks.
SERENITY
The throne recognizes Her Grace the
Ambassador from Jupiter. What is
the matter of which you would speak?
SERENITY sits back on her throne as LEDA storms towards her.
LEDA
I say again: Treachery! Word has
just come from my homeworld that a
fleet of Martians has invaded our
worlds, in vile defiance of your
Majesty's peace!
Gasps of shock resound through the room. LEDA points the shaft of her axe at
SERENITY.
LEDA
The foeman has already taken
Ganymede, and does besiege Europa,
Io, and Callisto! Thou who art the
Overlord, what shalt thou do?
SERENITY's eyes narrow.
SERENITY
MILD You are distraught, Princess
Leda ... which is why you have
momentarily forgotten that none may
draw a weapon on Our presence and
live.
The gazes of the two women lock for a moment ... and LEDA quickly lowers her
axe, her face having gone white.
LEDA
I crave your pardon, Your Majesty.
SERENITY
We grant it freely.
LEDA
I was ... overcome by the magnitude
of the Martians' treachery --
VULCAN (O.S.)
Treachery there is indeed ... but
not on our part.
There is sudden commotion, and all eyes are on the entrance, where Lord VULCAN
-- a tall man with pale white hair, angular cheek bones, dressed in black robes
-- stands patiently. A few steps before him is another man (SANGJEUN) dressed
in a white jacket and trousers, wearing black sunglasses. Cut to ANAND, MERU,
and SION. SION is in shock.
ANAND
WHISPERED Who are they?
MERU
WHISPERED The one who spoke is the
Ambassador from Mars, Lord Vulcan.
The other is his bodyguard -- Sang-
jeun, the White Wolf of Ceres, and
kinsman to the late Black Wolf.
Cut to SERENITY.
SERENITY
The throne recognizes His Grace the
Ambassador from Mars. Would you
care to elaborate your comments,
Lord Vulcan?
VULCAN bows slightly, and begins to walk further into the room, SANGJEUN always
staying a few steps ahead.
VULCAN
Gladly, Majesty. What the Princess
of Jupiter has said is, for the most
part, true. A contingent of the
Khakhan's army *has* besieged the
worlds of the Jovian worlds --
LEDA
He admits it! Your Majesty, give me
leave to take the miserable man's
head --
VULCAN
-- in accordance with our rights as
members of the Silver Millenium
Alliance. More confusion.
SERENITY
I must ask you to explain further,
Vulcan. How can you claim that this
campaign is defensive in nature if
you are the agressor?
VULCAN
As your Majesty is well aware, Mars
has long been beset by a plague of
pirates, operating from within the
Sea of Asteroids. SANGJEUN smiles.
VULCAN
We have long suspected, and last
night obtained proof, that these
pirates were sponsored and funded by
the Jovian Confederation.
LEDA
I name you liar! We are just as
beset by those same pirates as you
are! What proof --
VULCAN
We have a confession from the pirate
leader Eristotle that he had taken
pay from Jupiter. LEDA's eyes narrow.
LEDA
A confession no doubt extracted by
torture!
VULCAN
As you say.
LEDA
Then I say that you are a liar and a
rogue! All know that the tortured
say what their torturers wish them
to say --
VULCAN
-- and yet, what possible reason
could we have to desire war with
Jupiter?
LEDA stares at him, her eyes enraged.
VULCAN
ALMOST TAUNTING Could it be that
you believe that we have discovered
some secret you would rather not
have the rest of the Solar Nations
know?
LEDA clenches her hand around the shaft of her axe. From the body language of
everyone present, they all (even she herself) expect her to launch herself at
VULCAN. She suddenly whirls, advancing on the throne.
LEDA
Your Majesty! Under the terms of
the Silver Millenium Treaty, the
people of Jupiter demands your
intervention.
VULCAN
Majesty, under the terms of the
Silver Millenium Treaty, the Khakhan
of Mars demands your neutrality!
There is the sound of a clearing throat at the door.
OURRANOS (O.S.)
If I might intrude ...?
Everything goes very still.
SERENITY
FRIGHTENED The throne recognizes
Lord Ourranos of the Void. BEAT
Our ... husband.
Oh boy. How to describe the ominous feeling that settles on the court with
those words? Especially when one considers that the fellow who inspires them is
a fairly normal looking fellow with light grey hair, spectacles, dressed in
beige robes of the same general style as MERU. Well, for starters, there's the
way that *everyone* draws back from him. Shadows seem to lengthen in his
presence. Conversation dies. And all the while, he just smiles placidly.
Serenely.
OURRANOS
I have considered the arguments made
by both parties ... and it occurs to
me that the optimal solution would
be to ... not intervene directly in
this affair --
LEDA almost opens her mouth to shout something, but swallows it as OURRANOS
lifts an eyebrow at her.
OURRANOS
-- but to send observers to ensure
that this *is* in fact a punitive
expedition, rather than a campaign
of conquest.
SANGJEUN has, none-too-subtly, interposed himself between VULCAN and OURRANOS.
VULCAN has a calculating expression on his face.
VULCAN
I am certain that the Khakhan would
welcome observers.
OURRANOS
How fortunate. BEAT Well, my
lady? Does this seem an acceptable
compromise to you?
SERENITY appears to be on the edge of panic, but is trying to conceal it.
SERENITY
A most admirable compromise, my
husband.
OURRANOS
Well, then I shall withdraw, with
your leave. As all present are
surely aware, I have no taste for
politics.
He bows politely, and turns and leaves the room. Everyone tries to discretely
release the breath they've each been holding. SERENITY looks immensely better.
SERENITY
Very well. We shall send observers
to the battlefield. We warn you
now, Lord Vulcan -- should they
discover proof that this is a war
of aggression, Our hand shall turn
against you with frightening speed.
VULCAN
I shall convey this news and your
warning to the Khakhan, when next a
communications window opens to
Jupiter.
There is yet another burst of surprise.
SERENITY
SLOW Anhur Khan is directing the
war ... personally? That is ...
rare.
VULCAN
She is taking the entire situation
personally, Majesty. One of the
pirate raids claimed the life of a
particularly favored concubine.
SERENITY
I see. BEAT; TO LEDA Is this an
acceptable course of action to your
thinking, Lady Leda?
LEDA is glaring up at SERENITY with ill-restrained anger. Her tone, when she
speaks, is extremely bitter.
LEDA
I suppose that it must be, mustn't
it?
She whirls to glare daggers at VULCAN, and shakes a fist in a threatening
gesture. Sparks fly from the fist.
LEDA
By the truce of this court, I may
not give you what you deserve,
Martian serpent. But there shall
come a day when we are not bound by
the truce, and then --
VULCAN
-- and then I await your pleasure,
Princess of Jupiter.
LEDA turns and marches from the court. SERENITY watches with a disapproving
expression, and then rises from her seat.
SERENITY
In light of these developments, we
feel that we should call an early
end to this court, that we might
prepare the selection of the party
which we shall forthwith send to
Jupiter. Unless, of course, there
are those present with more pressing
concerns?
There is a lot of shuffling and murmuring, but no one speaks up. SERENITY walks
down the stairs and out of the throne room roughly half again as fast as she
entered it. Cut to a shot of a woman (QUEEN ASTARTE of Venus) whom we have not
seen before, standing in the crowd, surrounded by a group of attractive male
bodyguards. She is a rather plain woman with orange-brown hair and large
glasses, dressed in a very fine gown. And she watches SERENITY's departure with
a disquieted expression. Cut over to ANAND, MERU and SION. They all look very
startled, and SION is in complete shock.
ANAND
Well. It seems that someone invoked
Saturn's curse on this morning's
court.
MERU
CONFUSED Saturn's curse?
ANAND
May you live in interesting times.
MERU nods, acknowledging the point, and turns his attention to SION.
MERU
CONCERNED Sion? Speak to me.
SION
Invade Jupiter? Pirates? None of
this makes any sense. Why now? Why
there? Why us?
And we pull away from the crowd, leaving the question unanswered, and out
through the castle again, and up from the Moon, until we are looking once more
at the Solar System as a whole ... then begin to focus in on Jupiter once more,
but not on the moon we were observing before, but on a different one.
CAPTION
Io
Jovian Confederation
Io is just like Ganymede, earlier, except that the invasion is in full bloom.
We follow a flying machine down to a valley in a mountainous area of the moon.
A group of armed and armored men troop out of the machine after it lands, and
begin to move into the mountains. They move cautiously and alertly. We follow
two of them into a mountain pass -- BAST, a short, stocky man with a goatee, and
JIRO, a much younger cleanshaven man. Their helmets and armor obscure
everything else about them.
BAST
MUTTERED All right ... this sector
looks fairly secure. We've been
lucky so far ...
JIRO
What's so lucky about it? I wanna
kill those --
BAST
HARSH Don't be an idiot, kid. All
you'll get from fighting a bunch of
sh'thazi herders like the ones here
are bruises and maybe a medal. Just
focus on keeping this place pinned
down so that the boys upstairs can
force Europa to concede defeat, and
we can all go home.
JIRO
Would you quit calling me an idiot?
I tested --
BAST
SIGH So you told me, so you --
He breaks off, and looks sharply to one side.
BAST
MUTTERED Someone there.
JIRO grins and unlimbers his crossbow. BAST rolls his eyes, but keeps a hand on
the sword at his side. They keep moving slowly. Quite suddenly a young woman
in a dark blue robe dashes from out of a side alcove and races down the pass
away from the two Martian soldiers. JIRO levels his crossbow at her.
BAST
Freeze! Understandably, she doesn't.
JIRO pulls the trigger on the crossbow, and a bolt of energy streaks after her.
It narrowly misses, striking the rock wall, but she drops anyway. BAST and JIRO
run up to where the woman lies. BAST rolls her over ... she's either
unconscious or faking it well. She has light brown hair and attractive features
(which look like those of Shinobu Miyake.)
BAST
IRRITATED Well, congratulations,
kid. You've just got your first
prisoner. Pick her up and we'll
take her back to camp.
JIRO
SURPRISED I'm supposed to carry
her?
BAST
Don't hunt much, do you?
JIRO shrugs, and bends to pick up the woman ... Cut to a shot of both of them
from above -- and our point of view shifts and descends rapidly. A spear head
explodes from JIRO's upper chest, cutting so cleanly that that there is no
blood, but narrowly missing the woman's cheek. BAST jerks back from JIRO -- or
rather more specifically from the figure swathed in blue robes who is standing
on JIRO's back, and clinging to the shaft of the spear which protudes. The
tableau remains frozen for a moment, before the figure in blue jerks the spear
free from JIRO, and sommersaults off the soldier's body as it starts to
collapse. BAST is already drawing his sword as the figure lands, and has it out
and ready as they face each other. The figure's features are hidden behind a
blue mask.
BAST
Who are you? Show yourself, damn
you!
The figure rips its mask loose. Look, let's be upfront about this. TA'ARU
STARFALLEN is Ataru Moroboshi. They could use each other as a shaving mirror.
The only real difference is that Ataru's face is never as vicious and savage as
TA'ARU's face is at the moment.
TA'ARU
Ai amu Ta'aru Sutarufuarren! [I am
Ta'aru Starfallen!]
BAST
BLINKS What? Speak proper!
TA'ARU snarls and begins charging at BAST with his spear swinging viciously.
TA'ARU
Ai supikku *purappa*! Yuu aru da
fuoren inbeida! [I speak proper!
You are the foreign invader!]
BAST manages to parry the spear swing with his sword, and then is left wondering
what he should do next as TA'ARU reverses the parry so that he's holding the
sword in place and grabs at a knife at his belt.
BAST
All right, looks like I'm a bit
outnumbered --
As TA'ARU jerks the knife from its sheath, BAST forces the spear away, jabs at
him, and then ducks back to grab JIRO's body and the crossbow and start running
back the way that they came. TA'ARU flings the knife at his retreating back,
but it hits the passage side instead.
TA'ARU
Basutarude! [Bastard!]
There is a low moan to the side, and TA'ARU turns to look at the young woman.
She is coming around, and recognition of her shows on his face.
TA'ARU
MURMURED Binoshu Watchieru ...
BINOSHU's eyes open. She sees TA'ARU and groans.
BINOSHU
BRITTLE That's *Watcher*, Ta'aru.
Haven't you learned to speak --
TA'ARU
Ai supikku purappa! Asuke anii gude
barude ifu Ai amu supikkin' reike
an Aionian shudde supikke! [I speak
proper! Ask any good bard if I am
speaking like an Ionian should
speak!]
BINOSHU
When we *came* to Io, maybe, but
couldn't you be joining the rest of
us in the Silver Millenium -- BEAT
I can't believe that I'm wasting
time arguing with you about this
when there's an invasion on!
TA'ARU
FACETIOUS Izu derre? Riarri? [Is
there? Really?]
BINOSHU
My father sent me and a few others
out to call the herders back to
town. I couldn't find you, though.
TA'ARU
Sou Ai fuaonde yuu insutedde. Nou
tankes nessesarii. [So I found you
instead. No thanks necessary.]
BINOSHU is now on her feet.
BINOSHU
Come on! We've got to get back to
the village.
She hurries off, but TA'ARU catches up to her without really trying.
TA'ARU
Ai dounte riarri tahinke datte ite
wuiru bii ei riaru puraborumu ...
ifu *arru* afu da inbeidasu aru
reike douse gaise, wui wuiru -- [I
don't really think that it will be a
problem ... if all of the invaders
are like those guys, we will -- ]
They come out of the pass into another valley ... and stop dead in their tracks,
their faces lit by flames. The town is on fire. In the wreckage, obscured by
smoke, can be seen a few bodies -- but they are completely unidentifiable by
this point. TA'ARU takes another step forward ... we see him from BINOSHU's
viewpoint, from behind him. He is clenching his spear so tightly that his
knuckles have gone white. And then he screams. We pull back from this tableau,
moving upward through the air, through the still-battling fleets (although the
fight seems to be on its last legs) and up until once more we see the entire
solar system. We start to pull in again, towards Earth and the Moon, but we
head for the Earth this time, descending towards what are recognizable as the
islands of Japan, until we arrive in a heavily forested area, surrounded by
mountains.
CAPTION
Okayama Region,
Earth
All is silent for a moment. And then TENCHI looks up from where he is lying
prone on the ground.
TENCHI
DEEP SIGH It's going to be one of
*those* days, isn't it?
We see him walking through the forest, brushing off his clothes.
TENCHI
MUTTERED You'd think that by now
everyone would *know* not to send
Mihoshi down to let Washuu know that
it's time for dinner. BEAT On the
other hand, you'd think that by now
Washuu would have come up with a way
to keep Mihoshi out of her lab ...
There is a sudden loud snuffling sound behind him. TENCHI freezes, and slowly
turns to look around. Tears are falling like rivers from MIHOSHI's eyes, while
KIYONE has an expression which could best be called wearily non-plussed.
MIHOSHI
WAAAAH! Tenchi *hates* me!
TENCHI
No! No, Mihoshi ... I didn't mean
it like that!
KIYONE
MUTTERED And of course ...
MIHOSHI suddenly perks up.
MIHOSHI
Really?
TENCHI
WEAK GRIN I'm sure that this isn't
your fault, Mihoshi.
MIHOSHI gets little hearts in her eyes, and one has the impression that she is
hearing faint, angelic music.
KIYONE
MUTTERED ... it works perfectly.
TENCHI
SWALLOWS; NERVOUSLY So who else
has wound up here? Any ideas where
`here' is?
KIYONE
Well, it has the same general look
as Okayama, the area around your
house ... no lake, though. SNIFF
Less pollutants in the air ... the
lake was formed when Ryo-oh-ki and
the Funaho had their final duel,
right?
TENCHI
NODS That's what the legends say,
and the log of the Funaho confirmed
it. BEAT Wait a minute, are you
saying --
KIYONE
-- we're back in time? It's one
possibility. Fairly good one.
BEAT I haven't seen any of the
others yet, but to find Ryouko and
Ayeka, all we have to do is listen
for the sounds of distant explosions
in the breeze --
TENCHI
upset Kiyone! They aren't that
bad anymore ... and anyway, you
can't be sure that they're even
anywhere near here.
KIYONE
Sure I can. *You're* here.
She smiles fleetingly at him, causing TENCHI to flush. The three of them walk
through the forest primeval for a moment, before coming to a clearing where
AYEKA is sitting beside a fire. She looks up as they arrive, and lets out a
huge sigh of relief when she sees TENCHI.
TENCHI
Ayeka-san! Are you all right?
AYEKA
I am quite fine, Tenchi-san ...
although a bit concerned that I
haven't been able to find Sasami
or Mayuka ...
KIYONE shoots a quick look at TENCHI, realizes that he's waffling, and takes
matters into her own hands.
KIYONE
What about Ryouko?
AYEKA either misses or chooses to ignore the look of relief that TENCHI gives
KIYONE.
AYEKA
I haven't seen her, either. Given
that this *is* Washuu's doing, do
you suppose that she might have kept
her behind?
There is a brief pause as everyone considers this.
AYEKA
No, probably not.
MIHOSHI
HELPFUL Unless she was planning on
doing some tests like she did that
one time after --
RYOUKO drops down out of the sky, carrying MAYUKA (who is clearly enjoying the
ride).
RYOUKO
Right, fine, don't all get up and
offer up cheers for my safe return.
AYEKA rolls her eyes.
RYOUKO
I did a quick search of the area
after I found Mayuka. Other than
a small village a bit to the
north, we're the only ones here.
TENCHI
But where's here?
RYOUKO sits down with the others around the fire, and hands the infant MAYUKA
off to TENCHI.
RYOUKO
ABSENTLY Okayama region, island of
Honshu, date ... not sure. A little
under twelve thousand years before
the "present".
TENCHI
BLINK How do you know that?
RYOUKO
CONSIDERS I dunno ... wait.
Everyone watches as RYOUKO seems to be thinking intently.
RYOUKO
IRRITATED SIGH Washuu. She's put
some kind of an ... encyclopedia in
my head, filled with facts that only
get revealed to me when she thinks I
might need 'em. Right now, I'm
processing a ridiculous amount of
info about the Silver Millenium.
AYEKA looks at RYOUKO, startled.
AYEKA
The Silver Millenium? As in --
RYOUKO
INTERRUPTS, IRRITATED Yeah, as in
your friend's original place of
residence. I think that this was
before she was born, though ...
KIYONE
I'm missing parts of this, for some
reason.
AYEKA
My friend, Raye Hino --
KIYONE
The one who comes in every few weeks
to play poker with you?
AYEKA
Yes. Her ... heritage is somewhat
complex. She believes, and has
shown me sufficient proofs to
convince me, that she and certain of
her friends lived before, on the
Moon, in a time called the Silver
Millenium. She never said exactly
when it had taken place, though.
BEAT In any event, during this
epoch, the Earthers had spread to
the other worlds of this solar
system, and colonized them, but they
were ruled from the Moon.
KIYONE
Wait a minute. The Moon? Why the
Moon? Why not from Earth?
AYEKA opens her mouth to answer.
RYOUKO
Because Earth was under the control
of an independant monarch who had
the Moon Kingdom by the short and
curlies for most of this era, and --
REALIZATION Shit. We've got to
get out of here, *fast*.
TENCHI
Huh? What's the matter, Ryouko?
RYOUKO
Okay, short version. One of the
ways that the monarch I just
mentioned -- Queen Rheannion -- was
able to keep the Moon Kingdom off of
Earth was to press gang anyone who
showed magical abilities into her
service. What do you think that the
people who do that sort of thing for
her will make of a flying woman?
Everyone realizes what the problem is at once. TENCHI gets to his feet.
TENCHI
Ayeka-san, how did you start this
fire?
AYEKA
CHAGRINED I used my powers.
Tenchi-san, I'm sorry -- I didn't
know --
TENCHI
CONSOLING It's all right, you
couldn't have known. QUICK
Ryouko, does your information have
anything about ways to evade --
RYOUKO
One. And only one. And it's a long
shot. We have to head for the
Kanto plain as fast as we can.
KIYONE has produced a tube from somewhere on her person, and squirts its foam
contents onto the fire, extingushing it.
KIYONE
Let me guess, Tokyo?
RYOUKO
Close. There's a town there around
a ... gate leading to Neptune. It's
pretty much the only way to get
offworld. Heavily guarded, of
course, but --
TENCHI
If we make a lot of noise there,
and escape, there's not a lot that
the people can do. And if we don't
escape ... TENCHI trails off.
RYOUKO
QUIET GRIN We'll escape. Hey, we
beat Kagato, Dr. Clay, the Adversary
*and* Yuzuha. What's another fight
after all we've been through?
TENCHI looks nervous, but he nods and gets up. AYEKA stares at RYOUKO with a
puzzled expression.
AYEKA
There's only one thing that bothers
me about this.
RYOUKO
Woo, a new record low. What?
AYEKA
How in the world did Washuu obtain
the information you possess? BEAT
Earth was unknown to the Galactic
Union before my father visited it,
eight hundred years ago. And any
information about this period is
unknown ...
RYOUKO suddenly looks uncertain.
RYOUKO
I ... dunno.
We pull back and up from the clearing as the Tenchi Family starts to vacate it,
and up once again to the shot of the solar system. Then we swoop down towards
Jupiter once more ... towards a moon that appears to be surrounded by a great
shield, against which ships are firing ineffective charges.
CAPTION
Europa
Capital of the
Jovian Confederation
Our point of view swoops through the shield, arriving at a large, fortified
city. Cut to a shot of ZEUS striding through an access passage. A woman
(CYBELE) in her early forties, her brown hair shot with grey, is waiting for
him. She opens her mouth, but he beats her to the punch.
ZEUS
Status report.
CYBELE
Ganymede has fallen, so has Callisto
-- there's some token resistance on
Io, but it will probably be crushed
within the hour. Our shield is
holding up, but the engineers don't
believe that it can last forever.
The other moons have all either
evacuated here, surrendered, or had
their populations put to the sword.
ZEUS
Has there been any communication
from the Martians? Any indication
of what they want?
CYBELE
SHAKES HEAD Only regular demands
for immediate, unconditional
surrender. I took the liberty of
refusing them on your behalf.
ZEUS
Right. Let me know when the other
ship from Ganymede gets in --
CYBELE
There's one thing more. We're
getting a communication from the
Moon. It's Leda -- we *think*.
ZEUS
Not a secure channel?
CYBELE shakes her head. ZEUS nods, and starts down the hallway again. She
follows him with her gaze.
CYBELE
MIMICING "Hello, my beloved wife
and mother of my children. How are
things?"
ZEUS steps into a dark room, and closes the door behind him.
ZEUS
Display signal.
A full body hologram of LEDA appears before him. It is periodically marred by
static. Her gaze fixes on ZEUS.
LEDA
Daddy? ZEUS lets out a sigh of relief.
ZEUS
Well, the downside is, we'll have to
work out a new recognition code when
this is all over.
LEDA lets out a sigh in turn.
LEDA
I'm sorry, father, but I couldn't
find a secure comm channel that the
Martians weren't jamming.
ZEUS
Right. BEAT So, what can you
tell me?
LEDA
First of all, the Lunars aren't
going to intervene.
ZEUS
Big surprise.
LEDA
But since the Martians are claiming
that this is a punitive invasion --
ZEUS
Huh? Punitive of what?
LEDA
They're accusing us of supporting
pirates.
ZEUS
Oh. Pirates, huh.
LEDA stares at ZEUS for a moment.
LEDA
CONCERNED Father, we didn't, did
we?
ZEUS
IRRITATED Of course not!
LEDA
RELIEVED Of course. In any event
the Lunars will send an expedition
to make sure that the Martians *are*
being punitive, and not conquering.
It's not much, but --
ZEUS
It'll be enough.
LEDA
NODS And I'll be heading back as
soon as --
ZEUS
SNAP Like hell! Do you think that
they'll hesitate to shoot down a
Jovian ship just because it's flying
diplomatic colours?
LEDA
UPSET But father, I want to --
ZEUS
What you want doesn't signify! You
are going to stay there, and keep
fighting to make those bloody Lunar
idiots see what's actually happening
here -- and if we fall, *then* you
can come racing back here with the
vengeful army, because then you'll
be in charge! But right now, *I'm*
in charge, and you're going to do as
I tell you! Understood?
LEDA
VERY ANGRY Understood, *sir*!
The hologram snaps off, and ZEUS slumps, looking tired and ashamed.
CALLISTRA (O.S.)
You didn't have to do that. It
doesn't really matter where she is.
ZEUS whirls around.
ZEUS
SHARP Who's there?
CALLISTRA SKYWALKER steps out of the darkness ... partially. She is dressed in
a tight black shirt and pants combination.
CALLISTRA
I am.
ZEUS
SARCASTIC How informative. And
who might you be?
CALLISTRA
Interesting. You didn't ask how I
got into a secure room like this.
BEAT Well, most people call me
Ms. Skywalker. But since we're
going to be such good friends, you
can call me Callistra.
ZEUS
We're going to be friends?
CALLISTRA
Oh yeah. BEAT Do you have any
astrometric data in here?
ZEUS
Well, yes, but --
CALLISTRA
Display the solar system with orbit
patterns and rates at present time.
Two dimensional image, on the wall.
ZEUS blinks as the hologram does just that. The image presented is the same one
as has been shown in between each scene.
CALLISTRA
ADMIRING Ooh, this is fiiine. It
even shows the asteroid belt.
ZEUS
How did you do that? It's only
supposed to accept vocal commands
from me.
CALLISTRA
Let's just say that I've got a ...
talent for machinery. It knows to
obey me. It's smart that way.
She favors him with a disturbing smile.
CALLISTRA
Now, plot a course from Mars to the
Jovian system.
A red line stretches between Mars and Jupiter, with very few bumps in the
Asteroid belt.
CALLISTRA
Nice, straight line. Relatively
good supply line, wouldn't you
agree?
ZEUS
I suppose so ... are you going some
where with this, or should I just
call security and take my chances?
CALLISTRA
Let's see what things are like in
five days, shall we?
The display changes a bit, to show the passage of time -- and the line between
Jupiter and Mars stretches, and twists several times in the Asteroid belt.
CALLISTRA
Suddenly, the line isn't so straight
anymore, is it?
ZEUS
... wait a minute. Are you telling
me that if we can beat the Martians
in five days, they'll have to give
up before their supply lines become
over-extended?
CALLISTRA
That's part of it, yes.
ZEUS
There's more?
CALLISTRA
Plot a course from Jupiter to Earth.
For the fifth day.
A straight line develops -- avoiding any complications in the asteroid belt.
ZEUS stares.
CALLISTRA
In five days, a passage through the
belt opens up -- and they'll have a
clear route of attack on Earth.
ZEUS
So? If we can beat them off, I
honestly don't care where they go
afterwards --
CALLISTRA
Then you're a bloody idiot. *Have*
you been sponsoring pirates?
ZEUS
Not yet ...
CALLISTRA
Are there any major secrets that you
honestly think that the intelligence
services of the other worlds don't
know about?
ZEUS
STIFF I believe that we have kept
a few secrets, yes.
CALLISTRA
PRESSING Things that you honestly
think that the Martians would risk
annihilation to get?
ZEUS
No, but --
CALLISTRA
JERKS HEAD AT PROJECTION Then
accept what your eyes are telling
you. They invaded to secure that
route to Earth!
ZEUS
But that's insane -- everyone knows
that Rheannion could beat the rest
of us with her arm tied behind her
back, even without that damned Orb
of hers.
CALLISTRA
HISSED Then maybe Anhur Khan knows
something that everyone *doesn't*
know?
ZEUS stares at her for a long moment.
ZEUS
BRUSQUE Who are you? Are you an
agent of --
CALLISTRA
I don't work for anyone or anything.
All I want is to help you *win* this
war -- not just drive the Martians
off, but *beat* them so that they
can't go on to invade Earth.
ZEUS
Why? Are you some sort of idealist
or --
CALLISTRA lets out a snort of laughter.
CALLISTRA
DEFINITE No. I will want a little
something for my troubles -- but it
is just a *little* something. BEAT
A *little* something ...
She smiles broadly. Cut to TSUNAMI's humanoid body, curled up on one of the
couches inside her ship body. She shivers, as if caught in a nightmare. Once
more, we zoom out to the view of the solar system. It has been roughly
twenty-four hours since we first looked at it, and things have not exactly
remained static. We zoom in Earth and the Moon, moving towards the moon. Once
more, we approach Millenias, and the great palace ... but we head deep into the
hidden catacombs and basements of the palace, and emerge in darkness. A candle
is lit, revealing the face of a young man (SEEJAY) with brown hair and hazel
eyes. He turns to look behind him, and then continues along the hallway in
which he stands, until he arrives at a heavy looking door, on which he knocks
quietly. The door swings open, revealing an older man (SHUCHAY) with pale white
hair, wearing thick glasses. He glares at SEEJAY.
SHUCHAY
HARSH You're sure that you weren't
followed?
SEEJAY
Quite sure, Master.
SHUCHAY
Enter, then.
SEEJAY quickly goes through the door, which SHUCHAY immediately seals behind
him. Behind the door is a large laboratory -- one which is clearly meant to
study both science (observable from the occasional sparks emitted from a static
globe in the corner), and magic (observable from the pentagram drawn in chalk.)
HO-ANG, a short man with distinctive Asian features, is taking notes as he
observes a rabbit lapping at a bowl of something thick and red. He looks up as
SHUCHAY shuts the door, and nods to SEEJAY.
SHUCHAY
DEEP BREATH It is done.
HO-ANG seems surprised by this announcement.
HO-ANG
Already, Master? You said that it
would not be done for some months.
SHUCHAY
I underestimated the subject. It
seems that --
SEEJAY
Pardon, Master ... I find myself
confused.
SHUCHAY
GLARE Have you not kept up with
the information I sent you as you
studied on Mercury?
SEEJAY
Yes, Master ... but I fear that some
of your data was lost in passage.
SHUCHAY
Damnation! BEAT Very well, this
was in the most recent package.
PAUSE No. I lack the talent to
summarize this well. Ho-ang, relate
our discoveries to Seejay.
HO-ANG
It began earlier this month, when we
we conducting farside astrological
observations. The Master and I
... found something. BEAT A
crashed space vessel.
SEEJAY
I confess that I do not see the
significance.
HO-ANG
It had been exposed by a groundquake
only recently.
SEEJAY
You mean that it had been buried.
HO-ANG
SHAKES HEAD No, there was no sign
of excavation ever having been
buried. That ship dated from
*before* the Wars of the Godlings,
Seejay. Perhaps even before the
era of Numenor!
SEEJAY
ASTONISHED An *alien* spacecraft?
HO-ANG
So it seems, although the vessel
was designed for a human-like pilot.
Of course, we could find no remains
-- but there was fossilized organic
material within!
SEEJAY
Enough to reconstruct the life
pattern of the pilot?
HO-ANG
Yes, when combined with human life
pattern. But that was not all --
from the construction of the vessel,
we determined that it had been
operated, partially, by impulses
from the pilot's brain.
SEEJAY
GASP A *soulship*?
HO-ANG nods, and begins to reply, when SHUCHAY interrupts.
SHUCHAY
You tolerate too many interruptions,
Ho-ang. Yes, Seejay, a soulship --
and we were able to determine that
the ship still contained a recording
of the pilot's soul!
SHUCHAY gestures towards a wall, which opens at the gesture.
SHUCHAY
I was able to integrate the alien
and the human life pattern -- for
they are disturbingly similar -- and
began the growth process using the
homonculous method. But this alien
race appeared to reach maturity
much more swiftly than a human being
or a homonculous would have. She
is within the vats in there ... when
she was physically mature, I began
to play back the soul-recording.
BEAT Go -- go and look!
SEEJAY and HO-ANG enter the darkened room with trepidation. The vat is in the
center of the room. There is a naked female form immersed in the pink liquid
which fills it, but we are far enough away that no features can be made out.
Wires trail from her head, glistening faintly in the dim light.
SEEJAY
The Master has outdone himself --
he has created life from the
lifeless.
HO-ANG
ANGERED Not so! It is a great
accomplishment, but he has only
*restored* life. Not created.
SEEJAY opens his mouth to angrily reply.
SHUCHAY (O.S.)
All right, the two of you -- the
experiment has not yet come to a
completion. It remains to be seen
what I have done. Come out of there
now -- there is much other work yet
to do, and neither of you can waste
time arguing.
SEEJAY reluctantly heads out the door, followed by HO-ANG ... who pauses, and
looks back at the vat.
HO-ANG
Master ... is she aware, do you
think?
SHUCHAY (O.S.)
I do not believe so. It will likely
be many days before she awakens, as
I have only slowly fed the soul back
to her.
HO-ANG looks like he wants to say something ... then nods, and heads out of the
room. The door closes behind him. A long moment passes.
PATTY (V.O.)
And so it all ends.
RABBY (V.O.)
No ... it's all just beginning ...
We see an eye open suddenly ... then widen ... and then we pull back from the
vat, as RABBY of the Solenoid Fleet begins to scream in silence.
TO BE CONTINUED