The Portal
Episode Five: Offensive (transcript)
by Steve Sutton

(Outside of the Pentagon, a lone cricket chirps in the crisp night air. Inside one of the labs, a tech assistant places a pair of pliers on a table, then places the dissected bubble memory chip of a Kren inverter on the platform of a scanning laser, then switches the laser on. A red beam is emitted from it and hits the memory chip. The assistant turns to a monitor and activates the scanning mechanism. Various information about the inverter's internal settings appears on the monitor, including a frequency listing. The assistant mutters the frequency to himself, then turns to call over his supervisor.)
Assistant: Doctor, I think I found it!
(Doctor Lovoski comes up from behind him and looks at the displayed frequency.)
Lovoski: I do believe that's it. Good work.
(He, then, goes over to a telephone, picks it up and dials. After a few seconds, there's an answer.)
Lovoski (into phone): Mister President, sorry for waking you, this is Henry Lovoski. We may have good news. It appears that we've discovered the frequency of the Kren's dimension.

Title Sequence Rolls (short)

(The Firewing is seen flying over clouds. In the cockpit, West spots the object of their pursuit in the distance.)
West: There it is, sir.
(Keen looks up and, after a moment, sees the distant ship, along with a second craft ahead of it.)
Keen: It's going after that passenger jet.
(He changes the radio frequency of the comm system, then switches it on.)
Keen: Delta Flight two-seven, this is FAF one-one-three. There's a Black Widow closing in on your position. We're in pursuit, but are too far away for a weapons lock. Recommend you be...
Keen (comm voice, as the Black Widow is seen descending over the jet, lowering its grappling arms):...gin evasive maneuvers now.
Comm officer (comm voice): Copy that, FAF.
(The Black Widow hits the jet from above and closes its grappling arms around it. Inside, the pilot looks up, concerned. The Black Widow, then, emits a focused stream of electrical energy, opening a portal directly in the jet's flight path. The pilot tries to turn the jet, but is unable to.)
Pilot: Something's wrong. The controls aren't responding, I can't turn us away.
Comm officer: John, try cutting the engines.
Pilot (considering this): Good idea. Let's see if it could take the full weight of this aircraft.
(He reaches down and cuts the power to the engines. The jet begins to fall away from the portal, taking the Black Widow with it.)
Pilot (looking up, tauntingly): Ah, what's the matter? We're too heavy for you?
(He glances back at the comm officer.)
Pilot: I guess, when it comes right down to it, they're not so tough.
(As the engines start up again and the jet continues to fall, the Black Widow opens another portal in front of it. The pilot looks up from the controls and sees it. He's not pleased.)
Pilot (not pleased): Ahhhh, shhh...
(The jet's cockpit turns bright, as it enters the portal, then disappears. The interior of the portal is briefly seen before it collapses and the Firewing is seen passing high above. Inside, Keen is watching the event.)
West: Sir? They just entered a portal.
Keen (glancing at him, annoyed): I have eyes, Lieutenant.
(He changes the radio frequency back on his console and activates the comm system.)
Keen: Omega, this is FAF one-one-three. We just lost another passenger jet. How do you advise?
Omega Defense (comm, after a short pause): Acknowledged, one-one-three. Your coordinates have been logged. You're instructed to rendezvous with Admiral Nelson, on Station three-one-four, immediately.
Keen (pausing): Acknowledged, Omega.
(He switches the comm system off.)
Keen: Set a course, Lieutenant.
West: Aye, sir.
(He changes course. The Firewing is seen turning upwards as it flies by some large clouds. Later, Station 314 is seen orbiting Earth. On the command deck, Nelson is talking to Corporal Clark, in front of one of the elongated windows.)
Nelson: I agree, it's about time we've been on the offensive.
(He notices Keen and West.)
Nelson: There he is. Commander?
(Clark turns toward them as Nelson motions to Keen to join him. Nelson greets them as Clark consults with someone in the background.)
Nelson (voice, as Keen and West stop in front of him): Glad you could make it. I thought you'd like...
Nelson: ...to be here for this, since you had a part in making it possible.
Keen: For what, sir?
Nelson (voice): Our first mission into Kren space.
Nelson: We've got a pugship out there, just waiting for the go-ahead to open a portal.
Keen: So, they found the frequency?
Nelson (voice): Yes, this morning.
Nelson (looking back): Corporal, advise Major Burns that he may proceed, when ready.
Clark: Yes, sir.
(Time passes. A small, blue ship is seen, stationary in space. Burns can be seen at the controls through its domed window.)
Clark (comm): Pee-Ess one? You are go for incursion.
Burns: Copy that, three-one-four.
(He engages the ship's engine.)
Burns: I'm activating emitter.
(He activates the ship's portal emitter and opens a portal in front of the ship, some distance away. The pugship, eventually, enters it and vanishes.)
Keen: Admiral, exactly, what is the mission?
Nelson: It's pretty straightforward. He'll orbit their Earth once to gather mapping data and to locate any strategic strong points. After that, he'll circle around and destroy this station's counterpart in that dimension before returning here.
(Keen and West are seen.)
Nelson: All we can do now is wait.
(Later, the pugship is seen near the Kren's Earth, with two spikes in pursuit, attacking it. Burns desperately tries to keep the ship on course while a fire burns from underneath the floor, behind him. Eventually, he spots the Kren's station.)
Burns (to himself, relieved): Finally.
(He adjust's the pugship's trajectory and launches an anti-matter pod at the station. The ampod impacts the station and destroys it as the pugship passes over it. The ship emerges from the explosion and opens a distant portal. Inside, Burns is exhausted, but determined to reach it. As the pugship approaches it, though, a laser from one of the spikes hits the crippled ship, blowing it to bits in a firey explosion. The scene goes blank, then the portal is seen, with Station 314 and Earth in the background. On the command deck, Nelson watches the portal, until its frequency match is lost and it collapses.)
Nelson: Corporal, do you have him?
Clark (voice): No, sir.
Keen: What happened?
Nelson: I don't know, he didn't come through before the frequency match was lost.
West: You think they got him, sir?
Nelson: It's possible, but we'll probably never know, for sure. But, next time, we'll be sure to send more than just one ship.
(The station is seen slowly moving away.)