PILOT TREATMENT
Note: Originally, the title of the series was the Armitage Papers, but corporate feared there might be problems with the Lovecraft estate. Some references might still remain.
In addition, PROFESSOR BRUMMAGE was originally only a member of the supporting cast, a contact for the Producer's character. The Producer was so busy, however, that his character (already, a lovelorn academic) didn't do much and it just made more sense to have BRUMMNAGE be one of the protagonists, so, in later games, we merged BRUMMAGE and the Producer's original character into one.
It is sometime in the 1930s, but more in the Jazz Age than the Great Depression. Inside a moving pullman car filled with people dressed in pinstripe suits, flapper dresses and fedoras, a strange man travels down the corridors. The man wears a dark robe with alien-looking symbols embroidered in the hem. As he passes the other travellers on the train, the camera pans up to reveal the robe has a high, ornately-scalloped cowl (resembling the kind Ming the Merciless used to wear in the old Flash Gordon serials.) The man is also wearing a strange pendant inscribed with tentacles and a cross-cross of lines (meant to resemble the Martian Canals.) Underneath this robe, he is wearing a perfectly normal Edwardian-style suit and starched collar, but he has strange ears (somewhat pointed but fringed like a bat's wing, covered with jewelry.) Still, no one on the train seems to find this odd.
Aboard this same train, CAPTAIN RAYMOND COOPER travels to Miskatonic University in order to meet with PROFESSOR BRUMMAGE, the inventor of a new method for travelling between worlds by means of astral conjunctions. CAPTAIN COOPER soon encounters the strangely dressed man in the robe and cowl that was mentioned earlier. The man with the ears introduces himself as the new Martian Rocket Ambassador, HOOT KOOMI. When HOOT finds they are travelling to the same place, he annoys the good CAPTAIN for hours trying to guess what RAYMOND's actual job at the university will be.
Eventually, RAYMOND escapes from well-meaning AMBASSADOR KOOMI and a gaggle of kibitzers, also trying to guess his real job, by ducking into the smoking car after a quick stop in the restroom. Although the car is filled with smoke, it has only one occupant, the adorable and mysterious MISS STARLA, who gives CAPTAIN COOPER a chance to escape. STARLA reveals that she knows BRUMMAGE well and hints that she has already travelled with the PROFESSOR to Mars. When the CAPTAIN opens a window for some fresh air, the smoking car practically vanishes into the escaping pall of cigarette fumes.
Later, at the university, CAPTAIN COOPER meets "IVAN," a tall, muscular, overly-enthusiastic student of fencing and the martial arts. Agreeing to spar with IVAN (since everyone else seems afraid to do so) CAPTAIN COOPER manages to best the cheerful Russian giant in several matches before a distracting entrance from HOOT KOOMI causes the CAPTAIN to lose his focus. IVAN accidentally knocks the CAPTAIN unconscious.
As he goes down, the CAPTAIN has a flashback to a similar incident when he was on spy mission to China. COOPER was a different man then, far more harsh, but he still got knocked around a little by artillery and became trapped in a Buddhist Temple while Japanese "Peacekeeping" forces invaded, looking for a Guerilla named MEI LING (whom the CAPTAIN is actually hiding in the temple, on orders from the O.S.S.) An old buddhist monk, HO FAN, reveals that he has a way to stop the Japanese in the basement and the CAPTAIN agrees to do whatever it takes. The flashback ends abruptly as the CAPTAIN hits the canvas of the sparring mat in the present day.
While the CAPTAIN recouperates, IVAN and PROFESSOR BRUMMAGE argue about the CAPTAIN's importance. BRUMMAGE expects that CAPTAIN COOPER has come from the government in response to a request for funding that he has sent. MISS STARLA expresses concern for the CAPTAIN and asserts that she thinks this may have something to do with PROFESSOR BRUMMAGE's rivals at Heidelburg University, who are working on a similiar, possible more advanced Spectral Transferrance device. Although the PROFESSOR doesn't think much of IVAN's intelligence, IVAN manages to convince him that he's smarter than he looks and the PROFESSOR reluctantly agrees to include him on his next journey. The PROFESSOR illicits a promise from IVAN and STARLA that they will not speak of the "Black Stone" which secretly powers his experimental machine. However, MISS STARLA insults the PROFESSOR's fragile ego while IVAN and BRUMMAGE argue over appropriate attire and the lonely young man storms out of the room.
CAPTAIN COOPER wakes up in the campus hospital where IVAN apologizes and his field officer, AGENT SMYTHE of the OSS, stops by to check up on him. SMYTHE, who openly admires CAPTAIN COOPER (whom he always calls "COOP.") AGENT SMYTHE expresses concern over the "Grey Lotus Incident" and worries about IVAN's possible Bolshevic connections. This incenses IVAN but "COOP" manages to smooth things over between them and promises a report on BRUMMAGE's experiments by the following morning. IVAN informs COOP that BRUMMAGE plans to use the gate tonight, but COOP notices someone listening from the hallway. They leap to the chase to discover a tall blonde with a Prussian-style fencing scar. IVAN and the "kraut spy" immediately face off, revealing the intruder to be on HEINRICH VON GROBBLE, IVAN's old college nemesis. Although COOP and IVAN corner HEINRICH, he escapes with a sarcastic "Heil Hitler," which makes IVAN confused. IVAN doesn't recall HEINRICH joining the Brown Shirts, but COOP becomes concerned about possible Nazi involvement.
Meanwhile, MISS STARLA visits an opium den and has a horrific vision of a white-haired APE PRINCESS (a sexy starlet dressed like a harem girl with fringes of white hair on her forearms and calves, like natural chaps. She also has a cute, twitching monkey tail and a shocking long white hairdo/wig.) STARLA sees tentacles descending from the sky at the APE PRINCESS' command and hears a voice calling to her to open the other gates. She spends the rest of the session screaming, but no one in the opium den even seems to notice.
Back in the Lab, a visibly-shaken MISS STARLA explains to COOP and IVAN that the PROFESSOR should have shown up by now. Some investigation of the PROFESSOR's notes reveals that the PROFESSOR was adjusting the settings on the transferrance device (a big slab of brass with complex Martian clockworks around it, attached to a large electrical cable and a gas generator.) They discover that the device is actually in operation, even though it isn't hooked up to a proper power supply and is not in alignment with any known planetary body. MISS STARLA helps open the gate to discover that there is, in fact, a connection, but it isn't two-way. She aborts the upcoming Martian conjunction and, when COOP cals the observatory, he discovers a huge, asteroid-sized monster "swimming" through interplanetary space just beyond the orbit of Mars. BRUMMAGE's notes indicate that there's a breathable atmosphere INSIDE the thing.
COOP contacts AGENT SMYTHE and receives orders to blow up the creature, since it seems clear from his report of HEINRICH's presence that the Brown Shirts (Nazis) may somehow be involved. AGENT SMYTHE also reveals the existence of a Martian anti-Earthling Cult called the Cthonic Sxorj ("skordge") who have made threats about just such a creature for some time. MISS STARLA finds some notes in the PROFESSOR's diary about the Sxorj, including a sketch of their emblem, a medallion with an octopus-like creature over a Martian Canal Grid. This is the same medallion that HOOT KOOMI wears. AGENT SMYTHE promises men and demolitions materials by morning if they can open a two-way transference link to the creature. With MISS STARLA's interpretations of BRUMMAGE's notes and some help from the Miskatonic University Observatory, they manage to do so.
In the meantime, COOPER experiences a flashback to his days in Japanese-occupied China. Trapped in the temple, he thoughtlessly kills a captive (but recalcitrant) Japanese Soldier while the old Buddhist monk, HO FAN, activates an ancient Martian relic, the Buddha of Peace. This requires HO FAN sacrificing himself for the greater good. (HO FAN, half-pushed by the disgruntled COOP, steps inside something resembling a steam-powered iron maiden that only goes around the human head.) The psychic shockwaves from the device, however, open up COOP's mind to the life of carnage he has led, leaving him weeping and gibbering on the ground along with the invading Japanese troops, like a field of weeping penitants.
Dawn finds the CAPTAIN back in the present, but apprehensive and doubtful. He gazes out the window in BRUMMAGE's lab, remembering the experience and the changes it has wrought within him. MISS STARLA talks him through it, helping him get his courage back up. She reveals that PROFESSOR BRUMMAGE is a stubborn pacificist, if nothing else, and he wouldn't want anybody else to lead a rescue mission. She also confides in COOP about the dream she had featuring the PROFESSOR, the pyramid and the tentacles from the sky. She leaves out the part about the opium den. This does little to ease his apprehension, but it does steel the brave CAPTAIN's resolve.
OFFICER PAT O'HARA has already arrived. He is a rotund, stereotypical Irish beat-cop of the period who speaks gleefully of the explosives he and his lads will be loading into the "space whale" to blow it up. He can give COOP and his friends about half an hour, the time it will take to set up the explosives, in order to rescue BRUMMAGE. OFFICER PAT and IVAN comment on how very ethnic one another is, pointing out small faults in eachother's accents and word-choice, revealing that both parties are, for some unknown reason, pretending to be a lot more "foreign" than they really are.
MISS STARLA hooks up the cables to the portal and uses the observatory data to align it with the slow-moving asteroid-sized space monster. She reasons there must be a portal built somewhere upon it, but when the two-way transference completes, she finds herself standing in a cave resembling the inside of a very large digestive track. IVAN notices strange carved stones set into the flesh-like wall and MISS STARLA explains that these are neccessary for space-transference. COOP feels uneasy about blowing up a giant beast from the inside, but, moments later, OFFICER PAT and his men arrive with the explosives.
IVAN locates a room with a giant beating heart and a staircase coiled around it, where OFFICER PAT and the other policement begin setting up charges. COOP, STARLA and IVAN leave the cops to it while they climb up the staircase alone. After passing through several other creepy rooms that resemble the inside of a giant whale-monster, they exit a nostril-like passageway to find themselves standing beneath a starfield. In the distance rises a pyramid exactly like the one in MISS STARLA's vision, surrounded by chanting cultists. Atop the pyramid, the same white-haired APE PRINCESS from STARLA's vision calls upon strange, dark godlings to receive her sacrifice, a trussed-up PROFESSOR BRUMMAGE.
Horrified at the truth of her visions, STARLA charges headlong into the small crowd of chanting Martians in hooded robes. IVAN follows close on her heels, eager for battle. COOP stands, transfixed, but slowly forces himself to bring a tommygun to bear on the startled monster-worshippers. STARLA and IVAN quickly make it to the top of the pyramid, but COOP still cannot bring himself to fire. The cultists surge in and COOP cries out in anguish, surrounded by flashing images of those he has slain, unable to mow down the cultists but desperate to save his newfound friends.
The cry and hue distracts the APE PRINCESS and IVAN shatters her squiggly-bladed obsidian athame knife. STARLA knocks her out cold with the butt of the semi-automatic rifle she was carrying. The cultists, shaking off their surprise, become angry and surge for the interlopers.
Suddenly, COOP feels a hand on his shoulder. He looks to see HOOT KOOMI, standing there. HOOT says that he has guessed what COOP has come to the University to do and explains that the KOOMI line was recently ousted as hereditary high priests by the albino ape people of the Martian Hills. HOOT cackles in glee and points to the sky, saying that, since his friends have disrupted the ceremony, the giant ropy black tentacles now descending from nowhere will likely catch and consume the high priestess instead of the designated sacrifice.
COOP droops his gun and charges up the pyramid while HOOT KOOMI shouts bizarre encouragements at him. IVAN easily holds his own against the cultists while STARLA frees BRUMMAGE. STARLA tries to give BRUMMAGE a gun, but the PROFESSOR fumbles it as if it were a snake and it bounces down the pyramid, discharging on practically every step, creating more chaos.
COOP reaches the top of the pyramid and alerts everyone else to the descending tentacles. He then races down the other side of the pyramid to cries of "Wait! You're going the wrong way!" and other obvious alarms. MISS STARLA informs them that they have only a few minutes before OFFICER PAT detonates the monster, but IVAN charges after COOP. BRUMMAGE refuses to be bested by "that crazy Russian" and races after, leaving STARLA to simply throw up her hands and follow. Around her, the cultists panic and flee from the tentacles.
COOP reaches the unconscious APE PRINCESS and gently picks her up in his arms. BRUMMAGE demands to know what he is doing, but COOP is determined. STARLA stops the argument by pointing out both the tentacles and the impending explosion once again. HOOT KOOMI, beaming and excited, waves them over to a quicker way out. They all slide down a slimy mucus passage to the hallway full of strange carvings where they first arrived.
BRUMMAGE shows them how to reverse the transference processs and they all reapear in his lab, where OFFICER PAT is waiting with a plunger. The cord on the punger trails across the transference device and vanishes, dangling in thin air. OFFICER PAT cheerfully detonates the plunger while both BRUMMAGE and COOP cry for him to wait a moment. But it's too late. The resulting backlash blows out the windows in the lab. Everyone comes though it relatively unscathed. IVAN seems to enjoy the experience and HOOT KOOMI reveals that he has become convinced COOP travelled to the university in order to become a hero "just like the John Carter of Mars in the books." HOOT KOOMI swears to help BRUMMAGE and his new hero, COOP, if trouble with the Cthonic Sxorj flares up again (especially since he's likely to be on the outs with cult leadership after the death of the star beast.) BRUMMAGE thanks COOP warmly and welcomes him to the group. STARLA drinks something she had hidden in her garter and slinks off.
Some days later, COOP calls on AGENT SMYTHE in his office in Arkham. SMYTHE congratulates COOP on a successful mission and reveals that, although he had doubted the extent of COOP's "recovery," it's clear the CAPTAIN is still a top-notch field agent. SMYTHE suspects that the Cthonic Sxorj may be mixed up with the growing Nazi Movement at Heidelberg University and asks COOP to remain with BRUMMAGE's "People" just in case. COOP agrees and accepts the praise, but, as he exits the building, he seems curiously ill at ease. He puts on his fedora and mingles with the passing crowds as a new retro-futuristic-style rocket blasts off in the distance, behind a sunset-reddened art deco skyline.