The Portal
Episode Eight: Downtime (transcript)
by Steve Sutton

(The camera slowly approaches Mars, passing by two battleships in orbit. The scene crossfades and the camera is now seen approaching a colony on the surface. As it nears a long corridor, connecting the docking bay to the main complex, the scene crossfades to the interior of the corridor, panning down from a sign above a door that reads "Earth Memorial, 0900 ZULU, Room C-14". The door opens and Admiral Nelson comes through it, followed by Keen.)
Keen: ...Was based on Earth. I'm sure it's been rough on them.
Nelson: It's been rough on all of us. Personally, I haven't slept in three days.
Keen: Neither have I, sir. How long do you think we'll be on inactive duty?
Nelson: Well, since there hasn't been much activity from the Kren, lately, we're taking the opportunity to install portal emitters in all Firewings. Once your Firewing is ready, you'll be notified and placed back on active status.
(Keen nods, tired.)
Nelson: In the meantime, I suggest you try to get some rest. You can take the next transport to Station three-one-four. It's scheduled to depart in about an hour.
Keen: Yes, sir.
(Later, the transport ship is seen moving out of the colony's docking bay, with its engine powering up in a high-pitched whine. The ship is, then, seen flying away and upward, leaving the colony behind.)

Title Sequence Rolls (short)

(Station three-one-four is seen, making its way though interplanetary space. Aboard, in the cafeteria, Lovoski stops in front of the chef, who is standing behind a counter.)
Lovoski: Tea, Earl Gray, hot.
Chef: Comin' right up.
(He pours some tea into a cup and gives it to him.)
Chef: There you go, Doctor. Enjoy.
Lovoski: Thank you.
(He walks away. Captain Pfeiffer, Keen, West and Sutton(unseen) enter the cafeteria from an adjacent corridor.)
Pfeiffer: I'm aware of that. Of course, it would've been better, if they had.
Keen: Well, I'm sure they didn't think relocating this station would ever be necessary.
(They come to a stop in front of Chef's counter. Chef is busy behind it.)
Pfeiffer: That's true. The station wasn't designed for interplanetary travel. We should arrive at our new posting, around Jupiter's moon, Io, in about five months.
Keen: Not exactly speedy.
Pfeiffer: No, it isn't.
(He turns to introduce them to Chef.)
Pfeiffer: This is Charles Xavier, he's the station's chef. Chef, these are some of the visiting crewmen.
Chef: Hello there, crewmen.
Sutton: Hey, Chef.
(West and Keen look at Sutton. Sutton looks at them.
Sutton (pausing): Sorry.
Pfeiffer: Well, if you'll excuse me, I have duties to attend to.
Keen (voice): Thank you, Captain.
(Pfeiffer leaves. Seeing Lovoski, Sutton becomes alarmed.)
Keen (voice): Doctor.
Lovoski (voice): Ah, Mister Keen... Won't you join me?
(Keen sits down at Lovoski's table. He's holding some papers and dipping a teabag in his cup. West, shortly, joins them at the table.)
Lovoski: I'm afraid I have some rather disturbing news. I was just reviewing the latest estimate of the number of people who made it off the earth before it exploded. It seems that nearly two-thirds of the population failed to make it off the surface before the event occured.
Keen (voice, sighing): That is unfortunate, Doctor.
Lovoski: Yes, it is. However, you also have to take into account the eleven thousand cloning facilities that were destroyed. According to the estimate, the current population is no longer viable. We could be looking at our own extinction within the next two hundred years.
Keen: Doctor, there are other cloning facilities.
Lovoski: I'm aware of that.
(He notices Sutton, who hasn't moved.)
Lovoski: Are you going to join us, Mister Sutton?
Sutton (angry and afraid): You stay away from me.
(He backs away. Lovoski dismisses his response and continues.)
Lovoski: At any rate, the problem appears to be that most shipments of food to the outer colonies came from Earth. Earth was our primary source of food. With it gone, there's no longer enough food available to sustain the population.
West: There's always the Kren's Earth.
Keen: I don't think the Kren are about to cooperate with us farming their land and killing their animals, Lieutenant.
Lovoski: I would think not, which reminds me, I believe I have something of yours.
(He takes out a small hand laser and places it on the table. Keen picks it up.)
Lovoski: This was recovered from the Kren's Earth, along with a computer disk with information about the anti-matter bomb that destroyed our Earth, which I'm still examining.
Keen (reading its assignment number): My laser. I lost this on the Kren's station. They must've found it before it was destroyed. I'd like to speak with the person who recovered it.
Lovoski (drinking tea): Yes, well, unfortunately, the chap didn't survive the interrogation.
(Tired, Keen nods and looks at his laser. Time passes. The station is seen moving through space. On the command deck, West is searching for Keen and spots him staring out into space through one of the long windows. Hesitantly, he goes over to him.)
West: Sir, we've just gotten word. The Firewing is ready.
(Keen nods in acknowledgement, then resumes staring out of the window.)
Keen: Sometimes, I wonder, Lieutenant.
West: About what, sir?
Keen (pausing, then shaking his head): I just wonder.
West: I think we all do, sir. I mean, right now, there doesn't seem to be much of a point to anything, but I think if we give ourselves a reason to keep going, it makes it easier.
Keen: That's not exactly what I wonder about.
West: Sorry, sir.
Keen: But I do see your point. Get some sleep, Lieutenant. Tomorrow's going to be a long day.
West: Goodnight, sir.
(He turns and leaves. Keen looks in his direction, then resumes staring into space. From outside the window, the station is seen moving away.)