GALACTICA 6551: 10. Close Encounters
- Thread starter Revell-Fan
- Start date
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SPECIAL GUEST STAR
Gary Cole as Jeff Thaunders
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An unknown planet behind a spatial nebula. A disk-shaped object with jagged edges is hovering in orbit. It detects the Discovery, activates and starts to glow blue. It sends a radio message to Discovery. Becker receives it and puts it on the speaker. Jeff wants to look for the source, Apollo is against it.
_____________________________________________________
SPECIAL GUEST STAR
Gary Cole as Jeff Thaunders
_____________________________________________________
An unknown planet behind a spatial nebula. A disk-shaped object with jagged edges is hovering in orbit. It detects the Discovery, activates and starts to glow blue. It sends a radio message to Discovery. Becker receives it and puts it on the speaker. Jeff wants to look for the source, Apollo is against it.
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APOLLO: If we face a powerful armada they'll ask for reinforcements just because of the signal. Then we are screwed.
JEFF: Maybe ...
BECKER: But I don’t detect any Cylon activities. The whole area behind the nebula is in the clear.
JEFF: Strange ... why don’t they control it?
APOLLO: Maybe they think it isn’t necessary ... You said the area was dangerous. Gravitational sinkholes, space anomalies, radiation storms, anything is possible.
BECKER: The signal is getting weaker. What should we do?
JEFF: ... Take us closer.
APOLLO: Belay that order!
JEFF: Captain?!
APOLLO: That's not part of our mission. The distress call could be a trap. Whoever is sending it has surely intercepted our probe and knows that an expedition is on its way. We’ll endanger the safety of the entire crew if we ...
JEFF: The signal is human. Whoever is sending it doesn’t do so without a reason. We are the only ship that can help.
APOLLO: That's a clear violation of the orders!
JEFF: To hell with those orders! We have to save lives! (to Becker) Take us closer, Lieutenant!
APOLLO: Captain, with all due respect: There's something wrong ... I feel it!
JEFF: I won’t let my decisions be influenced by the feelings of a man who isn’t certain about them himself! This is my mission! I am in charge here! I command, you obey, is that clear?!
APOLLO: ... You've made your point ... Allow me to launch a beacon at least that will alert the home base if we don’t disable it within 20 centons.
JEFF: … Granted.
The probe is launched. The Discovery is approaching the planet.
JEFF: Status?
BECKER: I’m detecting a plethora of life forms on the planet, lush vegetation. And a ship in orbit approaching us!
JEFF: Shields up! All hands stand by! Show it to me, Mr Becker!
The blue glowing object appears on the screen.
APOLLO: What's that?
BECKER: Looks like a sensor phalanx ... No match with the patterns in the tactical database. Definitely non-Cylon. It’s the source of the distress signal.
JEFF: Take us to a safe distance, Lieutenant.
BECKER: Aye, Sir.
Discovery slows down.
JEFF: Status?
BECKER: The object is scanning us.
The phalanx activates a tractor beam.
BECKER: The object has locked on to us with a magnetic field. We are being pulled in!
JEFF: Full reverse! Let's see if we can improve our chances by increasing the distance.
BECKER: No effect. (Energy fluctuations) It’s pulling off our energy. It’s attempting to force us down!
APOLLO: What more proof do you need to understand that it is dangerous?
JEFF: Activate weapon systems! Target the source of the tractor beam and eliminate it!
They fire, the torpedoes bounce off. An EMP hits Discovery.
JEFF: What was that?
BECKER: An EM feedback wave. The object has returned the force of the explosions to us. We got a full broadside. As if we had shot at ourselves!
APOLLO: All energy systems offline!
BECKER: Flight control has failed. We are unable to maneuver! We’re going down!
JEFF: All hands brace for impact!
Freddy hops away.
JEFF (sees the planet surface coming closer): Holy shit!
Discovery crashes, hits a rock, slithers on the hard ground and stops just before the edge of a cliff.
The camera moves back and reveals the whole crash site.
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Night.
A lone wolf is approaching the ship. Its eyes glow red in the dark.
Inside the ship. EM fluctuations, the crew is unconscious on the ground. Close-Up of Freddy: he is running about between rubble and shattered glass. Suddenly he stops and hears a flapping sound. A pair of feet hits the floor with a loud thumping noise:
You see the feet walking slowly through the ship. A view at Hinricks: he is lying unconsciously on the ground. Two clawed hands grab him and lift him up. Apollo regains consciousness, hears a smacking sound, followed by a thump. He proceeds to the source of the noise and sees a young, sparsely clothed Amazon standing in the lab. She turns her back on him, hears him and looks up. Her red glowing eyes are facing the camera, then she turns around and looks at Apollo.
APOLLO: Hello? Who are you? What are you doing?
NONA: Shh!
She proceeds to him and kisses him. Close-Up: You can see some fangs grow, she bites his throat. Apollo pushes Nona away and draws his laser.
APOLLO: For Sagan’s sake! What are you?!
Nona bursts through the ceiling.
JEFF (regains consciousness): Ohh!
APOLLO: Captain! Are you okay?
JEFF: I think so..! (to Cassie) How are the others?
CASSIE (scanning Starbuck): Not so good.
JEFF: Will he pull through?
CASSIE: I don’t know ... He’s sustained a cerebral contusion. We must get him to LC immediately!
BECKER: Cassiopeia! Look! (points at a parched corpse on the floor) That's Lieutenant Hinricks.
CASSIE (scans him): There is not a single drop of blood in his body anymore..!
JEFF: How’s that possible?
APOLLO: Maybe our visitor can tell.
JEFF: Visitor?
APOLLO: Yes. She suddenly stood in front of me, took a look at the lab and bit me.
CASSIE: Let me see. (looks at Apollo's neck) It's still bleeding. Wait, I’ll seal the wound. (picks up a medical device and stops the bleeding)
APOLLO: Thanks, Cas.
JEFF: Where did she go?
APOLLO: She looked at me and jumped straight through the ceiling.
JEFF: From the floor through the ceiling, you say? That's six and a half meters. Are you sure?
APOLLO: Yes. I've never seen anything like it.
Jeff sees a drug tube on the floor and wants to pick it up. Sondra grabs it at the same time. Jeff and Sondra look at each other. Jeff looks at the tube. The lable on it says: "Sympathicine".
SONDRA: That's mine ...
JEFF: Mmh ... (gives her the tube, Sondra leaves)
Freddy comes and licks at a drop of blood on a table.
JEFF (sees Freddy): Hey, here you are. What are you doing there? I told you a hundred times not to snack between ... (puts the rat on his shoulder, the rat cleans himself) Guys, look! (points at the blood which is almost black) Did that come from one of us?
CASSIE: The scanner says no.
JEFF: Then your story seems to be legit, Captain. The creature must have hurt itself when it jumped through the ceiling. Analyse it. Maybe that will give us some clues. We will explore the area at sunrise. Whatever was here could come back. Guards, three-hour rotation. I’ll take the first shift. (to Apollo) Captain, in view of our situation, I suggest settle our differences for the time being.
APOLLO: Agreed. We can still argue when we get out of here.
JEFF: If we get out of here..!
Jeff is sitting on a rock in front of the ship and keeps watch. He reads a report on "Sympathicine" on a pad: agents, ingestion & side effects. He looks up.
BECKER (coming): I’ll take over, Sir. (gives Jeff a pad) The preliminary damage report. The emergency power supply is available within limits. The light of the morning sun will enable us to spot the minor issues.
JEFF: Thank you, Lieutenant.
BECKER: Sir, the entire cargo hold was torn open during the crash-landing. We lost half of our equipment. We can no longer fulfill our mission.
JEFF: Oh, wonderful ... I need a complete list of our inventory. Everything we still have and everything that still works. Maybe we will find another way.
BECKER: Yes, Sir.
Jeff enters the ship and puts Freddy on a table. Freddy runs around restlessly and yawns several times.
JEFF: Hey buddy, why are you so nervous? I said we’ll find another way, don’t worry. We always have come home ... (looks at Freddy: his fur is wet, his face is distorted) What's going on with you? Is something wrong? (wants to touch Freddy, Freddy hisses and snaps) Damn it! What’s that supposed to mean?! (Freddy hisses, his eyes light up red)
Life Center.
JEFF (carrying Freddy in a cage; he sees the lights at the Life Center and enters): Cassiopeia, are you still working?
CASSIE: I couldn’t sleep yet and wanted to make sure all patients were stable for the night.
JEFF (looks at Starbuck): How is he?
CASSIE: Unchanged. The pressure in his head has increased since my last examination. I would have to open it, but we are not equipped for such an operation.
JEFF: ... Hmm, I know you are responsible for humans, but maybe you could take a look at another patient? I'm worried about Freddy. He’s behaving strangely.
CASSIE: Maybe the crash was too much for him. Animals suffer from stress, too.
JEFF: We have often been in similar situations, but he has never been so restless. He even bit me, which he usually never does.
CASSIE: Leave him here for observation.
JEFF: Thank you. Any results regarding the foreign blood yet?
CASSIE: Strange stuff. It is filled with microcellular objects which are moving in the bloodstream like amoebae. I'm not sure about their exact function yet, but I've found out that they attack and alter organic tissue. They are extremely aggressive and multiply on their own.
JEFF: They alter the tissue?
CASSIE: Yes, at the genetic level.
JEFF: They assimilate it?
CASSIE: Obviously. It could be a natural healing mechanism the native creatures possess. Or something else. Before we know anything specific, I recommend avoiding contact with it. We do not know what it can do to one of us.
JEFF: Good. Take a break for now, you need some sleep. Tomorrow is a busy day.
A look at Starbuck in a coma, Freddy walks around in the cage.
A lone wolf is approaching the ship. Its eyes glow red in the dark.
Inside the ship. EM fluctuations, the crew is unconscious on the ground. Close-Up of Freddy: he is running about between rubble and shattered glass. Suddenly he stops and hears a flapping sound. A pair of feet hits the floor with a loud thumping noise:
You see the feet walking slowly through the ship. A view at Hinricks: he is lying unconsciously on the ground. Two clawed hands grab him and lift him up. Apollo regains consciousness, hears a smacking sound, followed by a thump. He proceeds to the source of the noise and sees a young, sparsely clothed Amazon standing in the lab. She turns her back on him, hears him and looks up. Her red glowing eyes are facing the camera, then she turns around and looks at Apollo.
APOLLO: Hello? Who are you? What are you doing?
NONA: Shh!
She proceeds to him and kisses him. Close-Up: You can see some fangs grow, she bites his throat. Apollo pushes Nona away and draws his laser.
APOLLO: For Sagan’s sake! What are you?!
Nona bursts through the ceiling.
JEFF (regains consciousness): Ohh!
APOLLO: Captain! Are you okay?
JEFF: I think so..! (to Cassie) How are the others?
CASSIE (scanning Starbuck): Not so good.
JEFF: Will he pull through?
CASSIE: I don’t know ... He’s sustained a cerebral contusion. We must get him to LC immediately!
BECKER: Cassiopeia! Look! (points at a parched corpse on the floor) That's Lieutenant Hinricks.
CASSIE (scans him): There is not a single drop of blood in his body anymore..!
JEFF: How’s that possible?
APOLLO: Maybe our visitor can tell.
JEFF: Visitor?
APOLLO: Yes. She suddenly stood in front of me, took a look at the lab and bit me.
CASSIE: Let me see. (looks at Apollo's neck) It's still bleeding. Wait, I’ll seal the wound. (picks up a medical device and stops the bleeding)
APOLLO: Thanks, Cas.
JEFF: Where did she go?
APOLLO: She looked at me and jumped straight through the ceiling.
JEFF: From the floor through the ceiling, you say? That's six and a half meters. Are you sure?
APOLLO: Yes. I've never seen anything like it.
Jeff sees a drug tube on the floor and wants to pick it up. Sondra grabs it at the same time. Jeff and Sondra look at each other. Jeff looks at the tube. The lable on it says: "Sympathicine".
SONDRA: That's mine ...
JEFF: Mmh ... (gives her the tube, Sondra leaves)
Freddy comes and licks at a drop of blood on a table.
JEFF (sees Freddy): Hey, here you are. What are you doing there? I told you a hundred times not to snack between ... (puts the rat on his shoulder, the rat cleans himself) Guys, look! (points at the blood which is almost black) Did that come from one of us?
CASSIE: The scanner says no.
JEFF: Then your story seems to be legit, Captain. The creature must have hurt itself when it jumped through the ceiling. Analyse it. Maybe that will give us some clues. We will explore the area at sunrise. Whatever was here could come back. Guards, three-hour rotation. I’ll take the first shift. (to Apollo) Captain, in view of our situation, I suggest settle our differences for the time being.
APOLLO: Agreed. We can still argue when we get out of here.
JEFF: If we get out of here..!
Jeff is sitting on a rock in front of the ship and keeps watch. He reads a report on "Sympathicine" on a pad: agents, ingestion & side effects. He looks up.
BECKER (coming): I’ll take over, Sir. (gives Jeff a pad) The preliminary damage report. The emergency power supply is available within limits. The light of the morning sun will enable us to spot the minor issues.
JEFF: Thank you, Lieutenant.
BECKER: Sir, the entire cargo hold was torn open during the crash-landing. We lost half of our equipment. We can no longer fulfill our mission.
JEFF: Oh, wonderful ... I need a complete list of our inventory. Everything we still have and everything that still works. Maybe we will find another way.
BECKER: Yes, Sir.
Jeff enters the ship and puts Freddy on a table. Freddy runs around restlessly and yawns several times.
JEFF: Hey buddy, why are you so nervous? I said we’ll find another way, don’t worry. We always have come home ... (looks at Freddy: his fur is wet, his face is distorted) What's going on with you? Is something wrong? (wants to touch Freddy, Freddy hisses and snaps) Damn it! What’s that supposed to mean?! (Freddy hisses, his eyes light up red)
Life Center.
JEFF (carrying Freddy in a cage; he sees the lights at the Life Center and enters): Cassiopeia, are you still working?
CASSIE: I couldn’t sleep yet and wanted to make sure all patients were stable for the night.
JEFF (looks at Starbuck): How is he?
CASSIE: Unchanged. The pressure in his head has increased since my last examination. I would have to open it, but we are not equipped for such an operation.
JEFF: ... Hmm, I know you are responsible for humans, but maybe you could take a look at another patient? I'm worried about Freddy. He’s behaving strangely.
CASSIE: Maybe the crash was too much for him. Animals suffer from stress, too.
JEFF: We have often been in similar situations, but he has never been so restless. He even bit me, which he usually never does.
CASSIE: Leave him here for observation.
JEFF: Thank you. Any results regarding the foreign blood yet?
CASSIE: Strange stuff. It is filled with microcellular objects which are moving in the bloodstream like amoebae. I'm not sure about their exact function yet, but I've found out that they attack and alter organic tissue. They are extremely aggressive and multiply on their own.
JEFF: They alter the tissue?
CASSIE: Yes, at the genetic level.
JEFF: They assimilate it?
CASSIE: Obviously. It could be a natural healing mechanism the native creatures possess. Or something else. Before we know anything specific, I recommend avoiding contact with it. We do not know what it can do to one of us.
JEFF: Good. Take a break for now, you need some sleep. Tomorrow is a busy day.
A look at Starbuck in a coma, Freddy walks around in the cage.
Day.
JEFF: We have two teams. Team A sets off to secure the lavicite. Team B looks for our ... guest. ... Lieutenant Riss, check all decks! From top to bottom! We have to fix the conduits!
RISS: Aye, sir.
JEFF: Becker, how many torpedoes do we have left?
BECKER: 42.
JEFF: Take a dozen and remove the energy cells. Use them to get the life support systems back online ... Man, I just hope they have received our distress signal ...
Apollo, Sondra & Max are marching through the dense jungle.
SONDRA: This looks like paradise. Imagine we had landed on a hell-class planet. We were very lucky. Oh, look! (stands in front of an entrance to a cave)
APOLLO: What's that?
MAX: Holy..!
MAX: This is just the lobby. The data indicates this structure is at least 12 km into that rock.
SONDRA: Incredible ... A city inside a rock ... Who built this?
Masked figures with spears leap from the ceiling. They block the exit and surround the team. The team members pull their weapons. They are cornered.
MAX: Maybe we should have knocked before ...
FARAH: Stop!
The team looks around and sees a throne chopped inside the rock. Farah sits on the throne.
FARAH: Who are you? What are you doing here? Why did you invade our territory?
APOLLO: We had no choice. Our ship was damaged. We are repairing it. Please be patient. As soon as we have finished the repairs we will leave this place.
FARAH: ... Good. You may leave .
Others clear the way, Apollo turns around, Farah stands in front of him.
FARAH: If you come back to this place you'll regret it!
The team leaves the cave.
VAMP #1 (speaking in a foreign language): (Why did you let them go?! We could have easily killed them.)
FARAH: (You heard what they said. They are repairing the ship. The risk is too great for their communication system to be working again. If we show them who we are they'll alert the rescue team.) We’ll wait and strike when both teams are on the surface. This will make a richer prey for us all. (catches a lurch that climbs down the rock) They will not stand a chance against us..! (bites off the lurch’s head and swallows its blood) Have Nona check the situation to find out what kind of resistance they can offer to us.
Team B is marching through the jungle.
ZEL: Judging by the sensors, the lavicite is right behind this embankment. What do you think?
Boomer pulls a bush aside, stands in front of a crater rim, slips and falls. He clings tightly to the cliff, the others pull him up.
ZEL: Look!
BOOMER: Gods!
They are looking down at hundreds of ship wrecks. The team is climbing down into the valley.
BOOMER: I’m not detecting any life signs.
COLE: That's the Celdrac! She disappeared without a trace years ago ...
BOOMER: Now we know where she was all the time..! (proceeds to the wreck)
COLE: Are you crazy? Where are you going?
BOOMER: Inside. Maybe we'll find out what happened.
Inside the ship. Everything is dark, Boomer & others are walking about, carrying flashlights. The halls are empty.
ZEL: We thought she was attacked and boarded by pirates.
BOOMER: It seems like she suffered the same fate like us. The same magnetizations. I’m wondering what has happened to the crew..!
Mummified corpses are hanging down from the ceiling.
Discovery. Outside.
BECKER (brings Jeff pad): The inventory list is ready. The tow speeders and the tramram have had it. A few plasma cutters and carts. But almost all anti-gravity generators are still intact.
JEFF: Great. Then we can organize free sightseeing flights here soon. Thank you, Lieutenant.
BECKER: You're welcome, sir. (leaves)
Jeff reads his pad. Behind him a wolf is sneaking up on him. Jeff feels him behind him and turns around. Nona is standing before him.
Nona approaches and wants to bite Jeff. Shortly before she reaches him Apollo pulls her away. Nona throws Apollo at the wall of the ship. Nona sees Sondra and hisses, Becker stuns Nona.
BECKER: Captain! Everything okay?
JEFF: Yes, yes ... Thank you, Lieutenant ...
BECKER: You have to thank him..! (points at Apollo)
APOLLO: Hey, that's her. She flew through the ceiling last night.
JEFF: Well, well ... Let's take her inside. She will answer some questions!
JEFF: A whole planet full of these creatures? Incredible…
APOLLO: It looks like it.
JEFF: I'm glad I listened to you and launched the beacon. It won’t take long for the landing party to come and pick us up.
APOLLO: Has Boomer's team already returned?
JEFF: Yes. His report has raised even more questions. There is not a single gram of lavicite on the planet.
APOLLO: What? But the data was verified ...
JEFF: Yeah, and I'll tell you why. The squad has discovered a ship graveyard. Including the Celdrac.
APOLLO: The ore freighter your father served on?
JEFF: Yes. Her cargo hold is full of lavicite. Our cargo space blew up but the hull of the other ship is still in pretty good shape. I've sent a team to attach anti-grav generators to the outer hull. This will allow us to take the cargo and take it with us as soon as the reinforcement arrives.
APOLLO: What does the ship's crew say about the plan?
JEFF: Nothing. They are all gone. Something happened. We don’t know what it was. The squad found a few mummified corpses, nothing more.
JEFF (to Nona): Why did you attack one of my men? … Who are you? … What are you? … Ah, wonderful. If she doesn’t understand us we can sit here till Christmas.
SONDRA (gives a fascinated looks at Nona): She does understand us, Captain. She is just unsure.
JEFF: Hmm, maybe you'd better run the interview?
> BLEEP! <
JEFF: What is it?
BOOMER (via comlink): Captain, please proceed to the data center at once!
JEFF: Copy that. You are coming with me. (to two guards) And you take care of her to avoid her doing anything fancy!
Data center.
JEFF: What's up?
BOOMER: The analysis of the logs has been completed. Apparently all ships arrived the same way we did. The emergency signal, the magnetic field, the EM pulse.
JEFF: That can’t be a coincidence. What else do you have?
BOOMER: The last entry of Celdrac. (activates a monitor)
JEFF: Commander Boe! A Drusian. We are in trade relations with them but we haven’t heard from them for a long time. Probably due to the Cylons ...
LOG:
Apollo & Jeff look at each other. You hear laser shots and screams.
Commander turns the chair around, log out.
BOOMER: That's it ...
JEFF: Damn it ... I think we've got someone down here ...
BOOMER: Better to put it in the net. With a fake emergency signal they lure unsuspecting ships into the trap. They make them flightless and consume the crew ...
JEFF: An unusual tactic.
BOOMER: But effective. There are over 730 ships in the valley. The oldest one crashed more than 500 yahren ago.
APOLLO: One more reason to interrogate our guest. If the Celdrac Commander told the truth, she is capable of manipulating our thoughts. Even her mere appearance could be an illusion.
JEFF: We need to know more about this species before we end up like Hinricks. Their habits, their strengths and weaknesses. In the meantime you are in charge of developing a defense strategy. If we are attacked I want us to hang on until the rescue party arrives.
BOOMER: What if the rescue party falls into the trap, too?
JEFF: ... Take care of the tactical preparations. And let me know if the lavicite is ready to take off.
BOOMER: Aye, sir.
Cathedral.
VAMP #1: (They have captured Nona.)
FARAH: (Do not worry, she'll come back if she wants to.)
Farah kneels in front of the altar, two glowing eyes appear behind it.
MEGALA (with a deep, growling voice): (Speak!)
FARAH: (Megala, we made the first contact with the strangers. They are at our mercy.)
MEGALA: (The time of waiting is over. After sunset they are defenseless. Their blood will give us new strength!)
Megala withdraws, his eyes disappear again in the darkness.
JEFF: We have two teams. Team A sets off to secure the lavicite. Team B looks for our ... guest. ... Lieutenant Riss, check all decks! From top to bottom! We have to fix the conduits!
RISS: Aye, sir.
JEFF: Becker, how many torpedoes do we have left?
BECKER: 42.
JEFF: Take a dozen and remove the energy cells. Use them to get the life support systems back online ... Man, I just hope they have received our distress signal ...
Apollo, Sondra & Max are marching through the dense jungle.
SONDRA: This looks like paradise. Imagine we had landed on a hell-class planet. We were very lucky. Oh, look! (stands in front of an entrance to a cave)
APOLLO: What's that?
MAX: Holy..!
MAX: This is just the lobby. The data indicates this structure is at least 12 km into that rock.
SONDRA: Incredible ... A city inside a rock ... Who built this?
Masked figures with spears leap from the ceiling. They block the exit and surround the team. The team members pull their weapons. They are cornered.
MAX: Maybe we should have knocked before ...
FARAH: Stop!
The team looks around and sees a throne chopped inside the rock. Farah sits on the throne.
FARAH: Who are you? What are you doing here? Why did you invade our territory?
APOLLO: We had no choice. Our ship was damaged. We are repairing it. Please be patient. As soon as we have finished the repairs we will leave this place.
FARAH: ... Good. You may leave .
Others clear the way, Apollo turns around, Farah stands in front of him.
FARAH: If you come back to this place you'll regret it!
The team leaves the cave.
VAMP #1 (speaking in a foreign language): (Why did you let them go?! We could have easily killed them.)
FARAH: (You heard what they said. They are repairing the ship. The risk is too great for their communication system to be working again. If we show them who we are they'll alert the rescue team.) We’ll wait and strike when both teams are on the surface. This will make a richer prey for us all. (catches a lurch that climbs down the rock) They will not stand a chance against us..! (bites off the lurch’s head and swallows its blood) Have Nona check the situation to find out what kind of resistance they can offer to us.
Team B is marching through the jungle.
ZEL: Judging by the sensors, the lavicite is right behind this embankment. What do you think?
Boomer pulls a bush aside, stands in front of a crater rim, slips and falls. He clings tightly to the cliff, the others pull him up.
ZEL: Look!
BOOMER: Gods!
They are looking down at hundreds of ship wrecks. The team is climbing down into the valley.
BOOMER: I’m not detecting any life signs.
COLE: That's the Celdrac! She disappeared without a trace years ago ...
BOOMER: Now we know where she was all the time..! (proceeds to the wreck)
COLE: Are you crazy? Where are you going?
BOOMER: Inside. Maybe we'll find out what happened.
Inside the ship. Everything is dark, Boomer & others are walking about, carrying flashlights. The halls are empty.
ZEL: We thought she was attacked and boarded by pirates.
BOOMER: It seems like she suffered the same fate like us. The same magnetizations. I’m wondering what has happened to the crew..!
Mummified corpses are hanging down from the ceiling.
Discovery. Outside.
BECKER (brings Jeff pad): The inventory list is ready. The tow speeders and the tramram have had it. A few plasma cutters and carts. But almost all anti-gravity generators are still intact.
JEFF: Great. Then we can organize free sightseeing flights here soon. Thank you, Lieutenant.
BECKER: You're welcome, sir. (leaves)
Jeff reads his pad. Behind him a wolf is sneaking up on him. Jeff feels him behind him and turns around. Nona is standing before him.
Nona approaches and wants to bite Jeff. Shortly before she reaches him Apollo pulls her away. Nona throws Apollo at the wall of the ship. Nona sees Sondra and hisses, Becker stuns Nona.
BECKER: Captain! Everything okay?
JEFF: Yes, yes ... Thank you, Lieutenant ...
BECKER: You have to thank him..! (points at Apollo)
APOLLO: Hey, that's her. She flew through the ceiling last night.
JEFF: Well, well ... Let's take her inside. She will answer some questions!
JEFF: A whole planet full of these creatures? Incredible…
APOLLO: It looks like it.
JEFF: I'm glad I listened to you and launched the beacon. It won’t take long for the landing party to come and pick us up.
APOLLO: Has Boomer's team already returned?
JEFF: Yes. His report has raised even more questions. There is not a single gram of lavicite on the planet.
APOLLO: What? But the data was verified ...
JEFF: Yeah, and I'll tell you why. The squad has discovered a ship graveyard. Including the Celdrac.
APOLLO: The ore freighter your father served on?
JEFF: Yes. Her cargo hold is full of lavicite. Our cargo space blew up but the hull of the other ship is still in pretty good shape. I've sent a team to attach anti-grav generators to the outer hull. This will allow us to take the cargo and take it with us as soon as the reinforcement arrives.
APOLLO: What does the ship's crew say about the plan?
JEFF: Nothing. They are all gone. Something happened. We don’t know what it was. The squad found a few mummified corpses, nothing more.
JEFF (to Nona): Why did you attack one of my men? … Who are you? … What are you? … Ah, wonderful. If she doesn’t understand us we can sit here till Christmas.
SONDRA (gives a fascinated looks at Nona): She does understand us, Captain. She is just unsure.
JEFF: Hmm, maybe you'd better run the interview?
> BLEEP! <
JEFF: What is it?
BOOMER (via comlink): Captain, please proceed to the data center at once!
JEFF: Copy that. You are coming with me. (to two guards) And you take care of her to avoid her doing anything fancy!
Data center.
JEFF: What's up?
BOOMER: The analysis of the logs has been completed. Apparently all ships arrived the same way we did. The emergency signal, the magnetic field, the EM pulse.
JEFF: That can’t be a coincidence. What else do you have?
BOOMER: The last entry of Celdrac. (activates a monitor)
JEFF: Commander Boe! A Drusian. We are in trade relations with them but we haven’t heard from them for a long time. Probably due to the Cylons ...
LOG:
COMMANDER
(speaking in foreign language, the computer translates the monologue):
(Log, entry 72/5.) For 12 spells now we have been on the planet which we have called "Planet of Death" ... Every expedition we sent out has been slaughtered in the most brutal way ... We do not know who or what attacked us, but we feel that we are being watched. They have the ability to manipulate our minds, we see what they want us to see. I just hope no one has received our distress signal, because anyone who comes here is hopelessly lost …)
(speaking in foreign language, the computer translates the monologue):
(Log, entry 72/5.) For 12 spells now we have been on the planet which we have called "Planet of Death" ... Every expedition we sent out has been slaughtered in the most brutal way ... We do not know who or what attacked us, but we feel that we are being watched. They have the ability to manipulate our minds, we see what they want us to see. I just hope no one has received our distress signal, because anyone who comes here is hopelessly lost …)
Apollo & Jeff look at each other. You hear laser shots and screams.
COMMANDER:
(What…)
(What…)
Commander turns the chair around, log out.
BOOMER: That's it ...
JEFF: Damn it ... I think we've got someone down here ...
BOOMER: Better to put it in the net. With a fake emergency signal they lure unsuspecting ships into the trap. They make them flightless and consume the crew ...
JEFF: An unusual tactic.
BOOMER: But effective. There are over 730 ships in the valley. The oldest one crashed more than 500 yahren ago.
APOLLO: One more reason to interrogate our guest. If the Celdrac Commander told the truth, she is capable of manipulating our thoughts. Even her mere appearance could be an illusion.
JEFF: We need to know more about this species before we end up like Hinricks. Their habits, their strengths and weaknesses. In the meantime you are in charge of developing a defense strategy. If we are attacked I want us to hang on until the rescue party arrives.
BOOMER: What if the rescue party falls into the trap, too?
JEFF: ... Take care of the tactical preparations. And let me know if the lavicite is ready to take off.
BOOMER: Aye, sir.
Cathedral.
VAMP #1: (They have captured Nona.)
FARAH: (Do not worry, she'll come back if she wants to.)
Farah kneels in front of the altar, two glowing eyes appear behind it.
MEGALA (with a deep, growling voice): (Speak!)
FARAH: (Megala, we made the first contact with the strangers. They are at our mercy.)
MEGALA: (The time of waiting is over. After sunset they are defenseless. Their blood will give us new strength!)
Megala withdraws, his eyes disappear again in the darkness.
Last edited:
Discovery.
Nona is in a detention cell, Sondra is standing in front of it, two guards beside it.
NONA: Nona.
SONDRA: What?
NONA: You wanted to know my name. Nona.
SONDRA: I didn’t say anything. How could you ... How do you know what I think?
NONA: We've lived among humans long enough to learn it.
SONDRA: Why are you talking to me and not to the others?
NONA: Because you are one of us.
SONDRA: You mean, female?
NONA: No. I mean dead..!
LC.
JEFF (looks at Starbuck): How is he?
CASSIE: Not good. The pressure has dropped, but he has an aneurysm in his left temporal lobe.
JEFF: Can’t you give him something?
CASSIE: No. The ampoules containing the anticoagulants were destroyed at impact. If I don’t find a way to dilute his blood, he will be dead within the next six centars!
JEFF: Any progress with Freddy? Does he have rabies or something?
CASSIE: Every cell in his body is full of these microcellular amoebas.
JEFF: Does that cause his restlessness?
CASSIE: I think so.
JEFF: How is that possible? He licked at the blood only once.
CASSIE: The amoebas seem to be more aggressive than we thought. I'm working on a remedy to neutralize these things.
JEFF: Good idea. If one of us gets infected we could benefit from that as well.
APOLLO (coming): How is he?
CASSIE: His condition is deteriorating from micron to micron. I can’t help him without blood-thinning medication.
JEFF: Does our guest say something?
APOLLO: No.
JEFF: Maybe you should give her your neck to nibble at it again.
APOLLO: Very funny.
CASSIE: Wait, are you talking about the one who bit you? She is on board?
APOLLO: Yes. Why?
CASSIE: We don’t know much about this species but one thing is for sure: her saliva contains hirudine. It thins blood. I noticed that when I treated your wound.
JEFF: That's it! Extract it.
CASSIE: There’s no time. We have to take the direct route.
APOLLO: A bite? That's way too risky. We don’t know anything about her. She could kill him.
JEFF: But you're still alive.
CASSIE: Apollo, it's our only chance to save Starbuck. The way things are now he won’t make another centar. We must give it a try! Anyway, there are still the guards.
APOLLO: How should we negotiate with her if she remains silent?
BECKER (comes): She doesn’t. Sondra has cracked her. She talks and has agreed to cooperate.
APOLLO: Captain, she is hostile. She can manipulate our thoughts.
JEFF: If she were up to that she would have done so a long time ago. (to Cassie) Are you really sure a bite can save him? What if Starbuck is affected the same way as Freddy?
CASSIE: Freddy had contact with the blood, not with the saliva. Apollo was bitten and did not change. So we can assume that a bite is harmless.
APOLLO: And if she bites her tongue during the procedure?
JEFF: I'm not letting another crewman die under my command. I'm talking to Sondra. Maybe she can achieve something. (leaves)
CASSIE: He does seem to be nice ...
APOLLO: ... Everyone has good and bad qualities. That’s what makes us human.
Nona is with Starbuck. Guards are watching them with their weapons drawn.
JEFF: To make things clear: You do not suck him out. Only until he feels better.
SONDRA: Do not worry, Captain. She won’t do him any harm.
APOLLO: You are very confident.
SONDRA: Look around. She has no choice but to comply.
CASSIE: I’m monitoring his condition.
APOLLO: You are aware of her abilities?
CASSIE: I doubt she can control the thoughts of all of us at the same time.
Nona climbs onto the cot. She bends over Starbuck, smells at his skin and finally bites him.
Dream sequence: Starbuck is in a dense forest. The full moon is shining. Starbuck is standing at a riverbank and looks down. A column of water rises, transforming into - Nona. She comes up to him and kisses him.
Another Amazon forms out of a rock. She approaches the two and seduces him.
CASSIE: REM positive. He’s dreaming.
Starbuck is lying on the back, the Amazons are kissing him fervently.
Nona slides down his body, No #2 kisses his mouth. Nona turns into a monster with sharp teeth.
Starbuck looks up and freezes in terror!
The display starts to beeps.
CASSIE: Heart beat and blood pressure increasing. She should better stop now ...
No #2 rips open Starbucks belly. Starbuck is shocked, looks down and stares at the gaping hole in his stomach. He looks up: Nona opens his mouth and bites in his head!
CASSIE: Damn! Get her off him right away!
Cassiopeia wants to move Nona away from Starbuck. Nona snaps at her. Cassiopeia is startled. Guard #1 intervenes. Nona throws him against the wall. Two more guards seize her.
SONDRA: Stop it! It's enough!
Nona looks at Sondra defiantly. Cassiopeia gives Starbuck a sedative. Nona wipes the blood off her mouth.
Cassiopeia gives Nona a serious look.
APOLLO: Take her back to the cell!
Sondra watches Nona being taken away.
APOLLO (to Cassie): How is he?
CASSIE: He is stable. All we can do now is wait.
The sun sets.
JEFF: What's up?
BOOMER: The damage to the outer hull is a no-brainer but the EM pulse has fried the thrusters.
JEFF: That means we can’t get away without some help from outside.
BOOMER: Correct, sir. Zel's team connected the antigrav generators to the hull of the Celdrac.
JEFF: Well done, Lieutenant. ... (sees Apollo coming) Captain, how are things?
APOLLO: Starbucks condition is stable, the drone is sitting quietly in her cell.
JEFF: Good. ...
JEFF: They are watching us ... I can feel it. I’m wondering how many of them there are ... and what they are waiting for.
APOLLO: Listen, Captain, I apologize for my behavior. I overreacted a bit.
JEFF: It’s alright. Actually, it's me who owes you an apology. You could have told me that Sondra has Caplan. (Apollo looks up) I happened to see her medication.
APOLLO: She asked me not to tell you. She was afraid you would relieve her of her post.
JEFF: I understand. Probably I would have done the same thing.
APOLLO: Are you going to ..?
JEFF: No, no. Her work is excellent. As long as she’s still able to make it she shouldn’t end her career because of over-cautious bureaucracy.
APOLLO: Thank you..!
JEFF: You were honest with me, Captain. I want you to understand my point of view, too. I saw you and Sondra kissing. (Apollo looks up) Cynthia had a hard time before she met you.
APOLLO: I didn’t know ...
JEFF: According to what she told me about you I thought you were just as cocky a cowboy as the one who had left her. A broken heart behind every pulsar, the laser constantly at the ready and always a dozen Raiders in the neck.
APOLLO: Did she really tell you that?
JEFF: Yes. But now since I met you in person, I think that description is more appropriate for your friend at the infirmary.
APOLLO: Yes, I agree..!
JEFF: Seeing Sondra and you together confirmed my worst fears. I swore I'd never allow my sister being hurt again.
APOLLO: ... You know, I was married once. Her name was Serina. She was a wonderful woman. When she died I thought I would never be able to feel the same for someone else as I felt for her. Cynthia disabused me. The relationship between Sondra and me was different. An affair, short but intense. We still get along well and when she told me she was going to die I just wanted to show her that she was not alone.
JEFF: I understand ... Why did you break up with her?
APOLLO: ... She was already dating someone else.
JEFF: That's too bad. What did he have that you didn’t?
APOLLO: "He" was a "she"..!
JEFF: Oh!
Nona is sitting in her cell. Sondra is walking along a corridor. Suddenly she collapses, takes some pills - and hears Nona’s voice in her head.
NONA: (Sondra, you are one of us. We can help you!)
SONDRA: No! That's impossible!
NONA: (Are you sure?)
Nona is in a detention cell, Sondra is standing in front of it, two guards beside it.
NONA: Nona.
SONDRA: What?
NONA: You wanted to know my name. Nona.
SONDRA: I didn’t say anything. How could you ... How do you know what I think?
NONA: We've lived among humans long enough to learn it.
SONDRA: Why are you talking to me and not to the others?
NONA: Because you are one of us.
SONDRA: You mean, female?
NONA: No. I mean dead..!
LC.
JEFF (looks at Starbuck): How is he?
CASSIE: Not good. The pressure has dropped, but he has an aneurysm in his left temporal lobe.
JEFF: Can’t you give him something?
CASSIE: No. The ampoules containing the anticoagulants were destroyed at impact. If I don’t find a way to dilute his blood, he will be dead within the next six centars!
JEFF: Any progress with Freddy? Does he have rabies or something?
CASSIE: Every cell in his body is full of these microcellular amoebas.
JEFF: Does that cause his restlessness?
CASSIE: I think so.
JEFF: How is that possible? He licked at the blood only once.
CASSIE: The amoebas seem to be more aggressive than we thought. I'm working on a remedy to neutralize these things.
JEFF: Good idea. If one of us gets infected we could benefit from that as well.
APOLLO (coming): How is he?
CASSIE: His condition is deteriorating from micron to micron. I can’t help him without blood-thinning medication.
JEFF: Does our guest say something?
APOLLO: No.
JEFF: Maybe you should give her your neck to nibble at it again.
APOLLO: Very funny.
CASSIE: Wait, are you talking about the one who bit you? She is on board?
APOLLO: Yes. Why?
CASSIE: We don’t know much about this species but one thing is for sure: her saliva contains hirudine. It thins blood. I noticed that when I treated your wound.
JEFF: That's it! Extract it.
CASSIE: There’s no time. We have to take the direct route.
APOLLO: A bite? That's way too risky. We don’t know anything about her. She could kill him.
JEFF: But you're still alive.
CASSIE: Apollo, it's our only chance to save Starbuck. The way things are now he won’t make another centar. We must give it a try! Anyway, there are still the guards.
APOLLO: How should we negotiate with her if she remains silent?
BECKER (comes): She doesn’t. Sondra has cracked her. She talks and has agreed to cooperate.
APOLLO: Captain, she is hostile. She can manipulate our thoughts.
JEFF: If she were up to that she would have done so a long time ago. (to Cassie) Are you really sure a bite can save him? What if Starbuck is affected the same way as Freddy?
CASSIE: Freddy had contact with the blood, not with the saliva. Apollo was bitten and did not change. So we can assume that a bite is harmless.
APOLLO: And if she bites her tongue during the procedure?
JEFF: I'm not letting another crewman die under my command. I'm talking to Sondra. Maybe she can achieve something. (leaves)
CASSIE: He does seem to be nice ...
APOLLO: ... Everyone has good and bad qualities. That’s what makes us human.
Nona is with Starbuck. Guards are watching them with their weapons drawn.
JEFF: To make things clear: You do not suck him out. Only until he feels better.
SONDRA: Do not worry, Captain. She won’t do him any harm.
APOLLO: You are very confident.
SONDRA: Look around. She has no choice but to comply.
CASSIE: I’m monitoring his condition.
APOLLO: You are aware of her abilities?
CASSIE: I doubt she can control the thoughts of all of us at the same time.
Nona climbs onto the cot. She bends over Starbuck, smells at his skin and finally bites him.
Dream sequence: Starbuck is in a dense forest. The full moon is shining. Starbuck is standing at a riverbank and looks down. A column of water rises, transforming into - Nona. She comes up to him and kisses him.
Another Amazon forms out of a rock. She approaches the two and seduces him.
CASSIE: REM positive. He’s dreaming.
Starbuck is lying on the back, the Amazons are kissing him fervently.
Nona slides down his body, No #2 kisses his mouth. Nona turns into a monster with sharp teeth.
Starbuck looks up and freezes in terror!
The display starts to beeps.
CASSIE: Heart beat and blood pressure increasing. She should better stop now ...
No #2 rips open Starbucks belly. Starbuck is shocked, looks down and stares at the gaping hole in his stomach. He looks up: Nona opens his mouth and bites in his head!
CASSIE: Damn! Get her off him right away!
Cassiopeia wants to move Nona away from Starbuck. Nona snaps at her. Cassiopeia is startled. Guard #1 intervenes. Nona throws him against the wall. Two more guards seize her.
SONDRA: Stop it! It's enough!
Nona looks at Sondra defiantly. Cassiopeia gives Starbuck a sedative. Nona wipes the blood off her mouth.
Cassiopeia gives Nona a serious look.
APOLLO: Take her back to the cell!
Sondra watches Nona being taken away.
APOLLO (to Cassie): How is he?
CASSIE: He is stable. All we can do now is wait.
The sun sets.
JEFF: What's up?
BOOMER: The damage to the outer hull is a no-brainer but the EM pulse has fried the thrusters.
JEFF: That means we can’t get away without some help from outside.
BOOMER: Correct, sir. Zel's team connected the antigrav generators to the hull of the Celdrac.
JEFF: Well done, Lieutenant. ... (sees Apollo coming) Captain, how are things?
APOLLO: Starbucks condition is stable, the drone is sitting quietly in her cell.
JEFF: Good. ...
JEFF: They are watching us ... I can feel it. I’m wondering how many of them there are ... and what they are waiting for.
APOLLO: Listen, Captain, I apologize for my behavior. I overreacted a bit.
JEFF: It’s alright. Actually, it's me who owes you an apology. You could have told me that Sondra has Caplan. (Apollo looks up) I happened to see her medication.
APOLLO: She asked me not to tell you. She was afraid you would relieve her of her post.
JEFF: I understand. Probably I would have done the same thing.
APOLLO: Are you going to ..?
JEFF: No, no. Her work is excellent. As long as she’s still able to make it she shouldn’t end her career because of over-cautious bureaucracy.
APOLLO: Thank you..!
JEFF: You were honest with me, Captain. I want you to understand my point of view, too. I saw you and Sondra kissing. (Apollo looks up) Cynthia had a hard time before she met you.
APOLLO: I didn’t know ...
JEFF: According to what she told me about you I thought you were just as cocky a cowboy as the one who had left her. A broken heart behind every pulsar, the laser constantly at the ready and always a dozen Raiders in the neck.
APOLLO: Did she really tell you that?
JEFF: Yes. But now since I met you in person, I think that description is more appropriate for your friend at the infirmary.
APOLLO: Yes, I agree..!
JEFF: Seeing Sondra and you together confirmed my worst fears. I swore I'd never allow my sister being hurt again.
APOLLO: ... You know, I was married once. Her name was Serina. She was a wonderful woman. When she died I thought I would never be able to feel the same for someone else as I felt for her. Cynthia disabused me. The relationship between Sondra and me was different. An affair, short but intense. We still get along well and when she told me she was going to die I just wanted to show her that she was not alone.
JEFF: I understand ... Why did you break up with her?
APOLLO: ... She was already dating someone else.
JEFF: That's too bad. What did he have that you didn’t?
APOLLO: "He" was a "she"..!
JEFF: Oh!
Nona is sitting in her cell. Sondra is walking along a corridor. Suddenly she collapses, takes some pills - and hears Nona’s voice in her head.
NONA: (Sondra, you are one of us. We can help you!)
SONDRA: No! That's impossible!
NONA: (Are you sure?)
JEFF: What will you do when you’ve got the lavicite?
APOLLO: We will return to our universe. Presumably the Earth there needs our help just like the Earth here. If we stay here somebody could take advantage of it and cause a catastrophe. Our presence here is against nature.
JEFF: In this universe Galactica was destroyed 400 years ago. If you hadn’t flown through the portal we wouldn’t have had a against the Cylons. Thus, your trip did indeed have a purpose ... What will happen to Cynthia?
APOLLO: She ... She wishes to come with us.
JEFF: Her mother won’t like that.
APOLLO: It's her decision ... You have to respect it.
JEFF: Fortunately she’ll stay long enough to make a clean break with the past. We finally know with certainty what’s going on in this sector and what has happened to our father. The log contains all entries of the security crew, his reports and even some private messages to the family he was unable to send us ...
APOLLO: That's good. Even though it doesn’t bring him back.
JEFF: Yeah ... You're right ...
SONDRA (coming): Apollo, do you have a second?
APOLLO: Sure.
JEFF: I'll take a look at our mascot. (leaves)
SONDRA: Look, I’ve got an idea. Nona helped Starbuck. Maybe she can help me, too..!
APOLLO: No way! You saw what happened to Hinricks. And Starbuck barely made it out with his life.
SONDRA: It's a foreign culture. They could know ways unknown to us..!
APOLLO: They are wild creatures just waiting to suck us out. They are dangerous and unpredictable! ... She didn’t fool you?!
SONDRA: No, of course not. It was just an idea ... I want to get away from the stuff! It's killing me. Everytime I take a pill I’m wondering if I die of Caplan or which of my two livers explodes first ... You can’t understand..! I saw my aunt dying ... She was only 35 ... I'll never forget the agony she had to suffer. I don’t want to die that way, Apollo!
APOLLO: Maybe they’ve already developed a cure at home.
SONDRA: Who says we'll ever come home again? (leaves)
Life Center.
CASSIE: I’ve developed an antiserum. It should be able to remove all foreign objects from the cells. It worked in the Petri dish.
JEFF: Very good. Can it bring Freddy back?
CASSIE: Maybe.
JEFF: Then do it. I want him to be the way he was.
CASSIE: Are you absolutely sure? I have no idea how the remedy reacts inside a living organism.
JEFF: It's his only chance. I don’t want to see him like this any longer.
CASSIE: Alright. (takes the rat out of the cage. Freddy hisses and bites, Cassie protects herself with thick gloves) So, let's see if we can cast out the devil..! (injects the serum and puts Freddy back in his cage)
JEFF: See? It was’t that hard. Soon you're like new, little one!
Freddy whimpers and squirms about.
JEFF: Is that normal?
CASSIE (scans): The serum destroys the amoebas as it should ... But at the same time ... the cells are losing cohesion..!
JEFF: Can you stop it?
CASSIE: Unfortunately not ...
Freddy tilts, breathes heavily, trashes around, bursts and runs out.
CASSIE: Oh no ... his cells have liquified..!
JEFF: Damn! ...
CASSIE: I didn’t want to kill him ...
JEFF: Not your fault ... He has accompanied us on every mission ... For four years ... He was unique ...
CASSIE: I must have missed something ... (Jeff leaves) Where are you going?
JEFF: I'm giving that beast a proper talking-to! She must put her cards on the table, now! (leaves hastily)
Jeff is walking down the corridor.
Detention block. Jeff arrives.
JEFF: Open up, she's coming with me for interrogation.
Two guards take Nona out of the cell.
JEFF: Thanks, you may stay here.
GUARD #1: But Sir, ...
JEFF: I have her under control. If she makes trouble I’ll call for you, hm?!
GUARD #1: You are the captain, Captain..!
Jeff leaves with Nona. The guards sit down at a table and start playing cards. Jeff arrives and is puzzled.
JEFF: What are you doing?! And where is the prisoner?!
GUARD #2: You just picked her up. For interrogation..!
JEFF: I did not do that!
CASSIE (arrives): Did any of you see Sondra? She is nowhere to be found. It's urgent..!
JEFF: Damn! She has deceived you!
Nona & Sondra are leaving the ship. The sun sets.
SONDRA: Are you sure they didn’t notice?
NONA: Our way of manipulating thoughts is very effective. I made them believe you were the captain.
SONDRA: And what's next?
NONA: Follow me. (they run into the woods)
APOLLO: What happened?
JEFF: Our prisoner has escaped. With Sondra’s help! Did she tell you anything?
APOLLO: No. She only made a hint. She said they might be able to cure her.
CASSIE: That won’t work. The genetic code in every single cell would have to be rewritten. Not even the ... By the gods, that must be it..! The amoebae change the genetic code so that the cell dies when they are removed ...
JEFF: We need to get her back before she gives them tactical information about us. (to Apollo) You show me the way to the cathedral.
CASSIE: Wait, I'll come with you.
JEFF: No, you'll take care of the wounded!
CASSIE (whispering to Apollo): She needs her medication!
APOLLO: It’s alright. Jeff knows.
CASSIE: ... She didn’t pick it up at my place. Without the pills she won’t survive the next centar..!
JEFF: Okay, I'll give it to her. I’m familiar with first aid.
APOLLO: Wait, I'm going. Maybe she'll listen to me. You're the captain. You should stay aboard and guide the crew. I’ll take Boomer with me.
JEFF: Do you really think I'll stay here and miss all the fun?! In addition, I promised Cynthia to personally guarantee for your safety. She would tear my head off if she finds out I had let you go out there alone! Lieutenant Becker, you are hereby promoted Acting Commanding Officer. Take good care of the crew and prepare the ship for a fight. I doubt that they will let Sondra go so easily.
BECKER: Aye aye, Sir!
CASSIE (gives Apollo and Jeff injectors): Here, you’re gonna need these. The remedy destroys the amoebae in their cells. Without them, they cannot survive.
JEFF: Thank you. Then at least Freddy did not die in vain..!
CASSIE: And stay away from their blood!
It is dark. Nona & Sondra enter the cathedral. Wolves come and snarl. Their eyes are glowing red.
FARAH: (Move away!)
The wolves leave.
Sondra looks around: Nona is gone, Sondra looks ahead: Farah is standing in front of her.
SONDRA: Hey ... I ... I'm Sondra ...
FARAH: We know who you are. And why you are here.
SONDRA: Nona said you could help me?
FARAH: We can help you to become like us.
Farah leads Sondra along the corridors deep inside the cathedral.
SONDRA: Impressive ... Did you build all of this?
FARAH: The work of many generations.
SONDRA (touches Farah's clothes): Strange ... Feels like a second skin. What is this material?
FARAH: A phytomorphic fiber. It adapts to the body and repairs itself.
SONDRA: Is your whole society female?
FARAH: No. We have Megala.
SONDRA: Is that your "god"?
FARAH: Megala is everything. He created us. And he will also renew you.
SONDRA: Oh, I’m able to adapt. (sees two closely entwined shadows on the wall of an alcove)
FARAH: We do not allow anyone to become part of our society. We are one with nature. We hunt, eat, sleep whenever we want. And with whom. Nobody has any secrets from one another. Our body is the key to life. By presenting ourselves this way, we are closer to life than you can ever imagine.
SONDRA: Life? Nona said you were all dead. I do not understand ...
Farah pauses.
FARAH (to two Amazons): (I've just received a telepathic message from our spies. Her friends have noticed the escape and are looking for her! Stop them!)
SONDRA: What is it?
FARAH: No need for concern. Death is the beginning of a new life. When it comes to you, you will understand.
SONDRA: I’m not sure if I want it to come ...
Sondra gets a seizure and writhes in pain.
SONDRA: My pills! Quick! I have left them on the ship. You must get them for me ...
FARAH: You won’t need them any more soon..!
SONDRA: Damn! Do you want to let me die?! You told me you wanted to help!
FARAH: You confuse death with the end of your existence. You must not! We can help you cross the threshold to eternity.
SONDRA: To live forever?
FARAH: It may appear so to you. Our life expectancy is hundreds, thousands of years.
SONDRA: If I decide to become like you ... will I be healed?
FARAH: Your body will change. It won’t fit in its old lock any longer. You must leave everything behind.
SONDRA: ... What about my friends? My home?
FARAH: You must decide. Your friends, or your life..!
APOLLO: We will return to our universe. Presumably the Earth there needs our help just like the Earth here. If we stay here somebody could take advantage of it and cause a catastrophe. Our presence here is against nature.
JEFF: In this universe Galactica was destroyed 400 years ago. If you hadn’t flown through the portal we wouldn’t have had a against the Cylons. Thus, your trip did indeed have a purpose ... What will happen to Cynthia?
APOLLO: She ... She wishes to come with us.
JEFF: Her mother won’t like that.
APOLLO: It's her decision ... You have to respect it.
JEFF: Fortunately she’ll stay long enough to make a clean break with the past. We finally know with certainty what’s going on in this sector and what has happened to our father. The log contains all entries of the security crew, his reports and even some private messages to the family he was unable to send us ...
APOLLO: That's good. Even though it doesn’t bring him back.
JEFF: Yeah ... You're right ...
SONDRA (coming): Apollo, do you have a second?
APOLLO: Sure.
JEFF: I'll take a look at our mascot. (leaves)
SONDRA: Look, I’ve got an idea. Nona helped Starbuck. Maybe she can help me, too..!
APOLLO: No way! You saw what happened to Hinricks. And Starbuck barely made it out with his life.
SONDRA: It's a foreign culture. They could know ways unknown to us..!
APOLLO: They are wild creatures just waiting to suck us out. They are dangerous and unpredictable! ... She didn’t fool you?!
SONDRA: No, of course not. It was just an idea ... I want to get away from the stuff! It's killing me. Everytime I take a pill I’m wondering if I die of Caplan or which of my two livers explodes first ... You can’t understand..! I saw my aunt dying ... She was only 35 ... I'll never forget the agony she had to suffer. I don’t want to die that way, Apollo!
APOLLO: Maybe they’ve already developed a cure at home.
SONDRA: Who says we'll ever come home again? (leaves)
Life Center.
CASSIE: I’ve developed an antiserum. It should be able to remove all foreign objects from the cells. It worked in the Petri dish.
JEFF: Very good. Can it bring Freddy back?
CASSIE: Maybe.
JEFF: Then do it. I want him to be the way he was.
CASSIE: Are you absolutely sure? I have no idea how the remedy reacts inside a living organism.
JEFF: It's his only chance. I don’t want to see him like this any longer.
CASSIE: Alright. (takes the rat out of the cage. Freddy hisses and bites, Cassie protects herself with thick gloves) So, let's see if we can cast out the devil..! (injects the serum and puts Freddy back in his cage)
JEFF: See? It was’t that hard. Soon you're like new, little one!
Freddy whimpers and squirms about.
JEFF: Is that normal?
CASSIE (scans): The serum destroys the amoebas as it should ... But at the same time ... the cells are losing cohesion..!
JEFF: Can you stop it?
CASSIE: Unfortunately not ...
Freddy tilts, breathes heavily, trashes around, bursts and runs out.
CASSIE: Oh no ... his cells have liquified..!
JEFF: Damn! ...
CASSIE: I didn’t want to kill him ...
JEFF: Not your fault ... He has accompanied us on every mission ... For four years ... He was unique ...
CASSIE: I must have missed something ... (Jeff leaves) Where are you going?
JEFF: I'm giving that beast a proper talking-to! She must put her cards on the table, now! (leaves hastily)
Jeff is walking down the corridor.
Detention block. Jeff arrives.
JEFF: Open up, she's coming with me for interrogation.
Two guards take Nona out of the cell.
JEFF: Thanks, you may stay here.
GUARD #1: But Sir, ...
JEFF: I have her under control. If she makes trouble I’ll call for you, hm?!
GUARD #1: You are the captain, Captain..!
Jeff leaves with Nona. The guards sit down at a table and start playing cards. Jeff arrives and is puzzled.
JEFF: What are you doing?! And where is the prisoner?!
GUARD #2: You just picked her up. For interrogation..!
JEFF: I did not do that!
CASSIE (arrives): Did any of you see Sondra? She is nowhere to be found. It's urgent..!
JEFF: Damn! She has deceived you!
Nona & Sondra are leaving the ship. The sun sets.
SONDRA: Are you sure they didn’t notice?
NONA: Our way of manipulating thoughts is very effective. I made them believe you were the captain.
SONDRA: And what's next?
NONA: Follow me. (they run into the woods)
APOLLO: What happened?
JEFF: Our prisoner has escaped. With Sondra’s help! Did she tell you anything?
APOLLO: No. She only made a hint. She said they might be able to cure her.
CASSIE: That won’t work. The genetic code in every single cell would have to be rewritten. Not even the ... By the gods, that must be it..! The amoebae change the genetic code so that the cell dies when they are removed ...
JEFF: We need to get her back before she gives them tactical information about us. (to Apollo) You show me the way to the cathedral.
CASSIE: Wait, I'll come with you.
JEFF: No, you'll take care of the wounded!
CASSIE (whispering to Apollo): She needs her medication!
APOLLO: It’s alright. Jeff knows.
CASSIE: ... She didn’t pick it up at my place. Without the pills she won’t survive the next centar..!
JEFF: Okay, I'll give it to her. I’m familiar with first aid.
APOLLO: Wait, I'm going. Maybe she'll listen to me. You're the captain. You should stay aboard and guide the crew. I’ll take Boomer with me.
JEFF: Do you really think I'll stay here and miss all the fun?! In addition, I promised Cynthia to personally guarantee for your safety. She would tear my head off if she finds out I had let you go out there alone! Lieutenant Becker, you are hereby promoted Acting Commanding Officer. Take good care of the crew and prepare the ship for a fight. I doubt that they will let Sondra go so easily.
BECKER: Aye aye, Sir!
CASSIE (gives Apollo and Jeff injectors): Here, you’re gonna need these. The remedy destroys the amoebae in their cells. Without them, they cannot survive.
JEFF: Thank you. Then at least Freddy did not die in vain..!
CASSIE: And stay away from their blood!
It is dark. Nona & Sondra enter the cathedral. Wolves come and snarl. Their eyes are glowing red.
FARAH: (Move away!)
The wolves leave.
Sondra looks around: Nona is gone, Sondra looks ahead: Farah is standing in front of her.
SONDRA: Hey ... I ... I'm Sondra ...
FARAH: We know who you are. And why you are here.
SONDRA: Nona said you could help me?
FARAH: We can help you to become like us.
Farah leads Sondra along the corridors deep inside the cathedral.
SONDRA: Impressive ... Did you build all of this?
FARAH: The work of many generations.
SONDRA (touches Farah's clothes): Strange ... Feels like a second skin. What is this material?
FARAH: A phytomorphic fiber. It adapts to the body and repairs itself.
SONDRA: Is your whole society female?
FARAH: No. We have Megala.
SONDRA: Is that your "god"?
FARAH: Megala is everything. He created us. And he will also renew you.
SONDRA: Oh, I’m able to adapt. (sees two closely entwined shadows on the wall of an alcove)
FARAH: We do not allow anyone to become part of our society. We are one with nature. We hunt, eat, sleep whenever we want. And with whom. Nobody has any secrets from one another. Our body is the key to life. By presenting ourselves this way, we are closer to life than you can ever imagine.
SONDRA: Life? Nona said you were all dead. I do not understand ...
Farah pauses.
FARAH (to two Amazons): (I've just received a telepathic message from our spies. Her friends have noticed the escape and are looking for her! Stop them!)
SONDRA: What is it?
FARAH: No need for concern. Death is the beginning of a new life. When it comes to you, you will understand.
SONDRA: I’m not sure if I want it to come ...
Sondra gets a seizure and writhes in pain.
SONDRA: My pills! Quick! I have left them on the ship. You must get them for me ...
FARAH: You won’t need them any more soon..!
SONDRA: Damn! Do you want to let me die?! You told me you wanted to help!
FARAH: You confuse death with the end of your existence. You must not! We can help you cross the threshold to eternity.
SONDRA: To live forever?
FARAH: It may appear so to you. Our life expectancy is hundreds, thousands of years.
SONDRA: If I decide to become like you ... will I be healed?
FARAH: Your body will change. It won’t fit in its old lock any longer. You must leave everything behind.
SONDRA: ... What about my friends? My home?
FARAH: You must decide. Your friends, or your life..!
Jeff & Apollo are walking through the forest.
APOLLO: Everything looks so different in the dark ...
JEFF: I hope you know the way!
APOLLO: Do not worry. I’m following the data stored in the tracking device.
JEFF: Everything’s so quiet. I expected more resistance.
APOLLO: What's that?! (faces an abyss)
JEFF: You’re just following the data, huh?!
APOLLO: I could swear that wasn’t there this morning..!
JEFF: Hmm..! (goes back)
APOLLO: The scanner does not indicate an abyss.
JEFF: That's impossible. We see him, so it must be there!
Jeff is standing in front of a tree. Several branches grow out of it. They embrace Jeff. He is caught.
JEFF: Apollo!
Apollo turns around, fires at the tree, the branches retreat. Jeff is released and tumbles on the ground.
JEFF: Geez! What was that?!
Apollo helps Jeff to get up.
JEFF: Thanks!
APOLLO (with red eyes and a distorted face): You are welcome!
JEFF: What the ..?!
Jeff sees Apollo as a vampire, beats Apollo, Apollo loses his weapon, Jeff draws his.
APOLLO: Jeff! What’s that supposed to mean?! It's me, Apollo!
JEFF: She bit you! You are one of them!
Jeff shoots, Apollo throws himself behind a tree, takes a shot branch and throws it at Jeff. Jeff misses Apollo, Apollo storms forward and throws himself at Jeff. Both fall down the abyss and surprisingly bounce off of the ground. Both are normal again and realize that there is no abyss and Apollo is not a vampire.
JEFF: Damn!
APOLLO: See? There is no abyss! This is an illusion! They don’t want us to get to the cathedral. (Jeff helps Apollo get up) I'm receiving waves in the infrasonic range. They’re affecting our cerebral cortex.
JEFF: Can you shield us from them?
APOLLO: I'm trying..!
Apollo is typing on his comlink. Vampires are climbing down the rocks and trees.
JEFF: Hurry up! This illusion looks pretty real..!
The vampires are approaching.
APOLLO: Well, the comlink should block all frequencies - now.
All vampires disappear - except for one.
APOLLO: We shouldn’t have any more visions now.
JEFF: So what do you think is that?!
Vampire hisses at Apollo, Jeff fires.
Sondra is standing in front of Farah naked.
FARAH: Let’s begin the initiation. You have abandoned everything. You are only yourself.
Farah bites her lip.
FARAH: You will become part of our nature forever. Taste the eternity..!
Both are touching their lips, Sondra drinks Farah's blood.
Discovery. Becker is called.
BECKER: Yes?
JEFF (via Com): Paul, listen carefully! We know how the creatures manipulate our thoughts. Set the main deflector to a frequency of 78 GHz! This willl block their impulses.
BECKER: Understood.
JEFF: Hurry up! Otherwise they could make us shoot at our own people!
BECKER: Yes, sir!
JEFF: And remember: Anything you don’t know is an illusion!
Screen off. Becker looks over his right shoulder and sees an alien ...
JEFF: I just hope he got it..!
APOLLO: We'll see when we are back!
Sondra is bitten by Farah. Her blood runs down her bare back.
MAX (looking at radar screen): Sir, our sensors indicate a large number of flying objects approaching rapidly.
BECKER: Who is it, Max?
MAX: I don’t see them yet. According to the readings they are our squadrons..! It seems they have received our distress signal.
BECKER: Prepare everything for an emergency transport! I’ll notify the captain!
Boomer has manned the manipulator. He looks up.
BOOMER: Oh, frak! It’s the Cylons! They are firing at us!
MAX: Destroy them!
Boomer returns fire.
BECKER: Damn! What’s going on there?! Cease fire! It’s an illusion!
BOOMER: What?! The readings or the Raiders?
Sondra in a trance, lying on altar.
FARAH: If Megala thinks you are worthy, the initiation will be complete. You will be one of us then.
Megala approaches from the darkness.
APOLLO: Everything looks so different in the dark ...
JEFF: I hope you know the way!
APOLLO: Do not worry. I’m following the data stored in the tracking device.
JEFF: Everything’s so quiet. I expected more resistance.
APOLLO: What's that?! (faces an abyss)
JEFF: You’re just following the data, huh?!
APOLLO: I could swear that wasn’t there this morning..!
JEFF: Hmm..! (goes back)
APOLLO: The scanner does not indicate an abyss.
JEFF: That's impossible. We see him, so it must be there!
Jeff is standing in front of a tree. Several branches grow out of it. They embrace Jeff. He is caught.
JEFF: Apollo!
Apollo turns around, fires at the tree, the branches retreat. Jeff is released and tumbles on the ground.
JEFF: Geez! What was that?!
Apollo helps Jeff to get up.
JEFF: Thanks!
APOLLO (with red eyes and a distorted face): You are welcome!
JEFF: What the ..?!
Jeff sees Apollo as a vampire, beats Apollo, Apollo loses his weapon, Jeff draws his.
APOLLO: Jeff! What’s that supposed to mean?! It's me, Apollo!
JEFF: She bit you! You are one of them!
Jeff shoots, Apollo throws himself behind a tree, takes a shot branch and throws it at Jeff. Jeff misses Apollo, Apollo storms forward and throws himself at Jeff. Both fall down the abyss and surprisingly bounce off of the ground. Both are normal again and realize that there is no abyss and Apollo is not a vampire.
JEFF: Damn!
APOLLO: See? There is no abyss! This is an illusion! They don’t want us to get to the cathedral. (Jeff helps Apollo get up) I'm receiving waves in the infrasonic range. They’re affecting our cerebral cortex.
JEFF: Can you shield us from them?
APOLLO: I'm trying..!
Apollo is typing on his comlink. Vampires are climbing down the rocks and trees.
JEFF: Hurry up! This illusion looks pretty real..!
The vampires are approaching.
APOLLO: Well, the comlink should block all frequencies - now.
All vampires disappear - except for one.
APOLLO: We shouldn’t have any more visions now.
JEFF: So what do you think is that?!
Vampire hisses at Apollo, Jeff fires.
Sondra is standing in front of Farah naked.
FARAH: Let’s begin the initiation. You have abandoned everything. You are only yourself.
Farah bites her lip.
FARAH: You will become part of our nature forever. Taste the eternity..!
Both are touching their lips, Sondra drinks Farah's blood.
Discovery. Becker is called.
BECKER: Yes?
JEFF (via Com): Paul, listen carefully! We know how the creatures manipulate our thoughts. Set the main deflector to a frequency of 78 GHz! This willl block their impulses.
BECKER: Understood.
JEFF: Hurry up! Otherwise they could make us shoot at our own people!
BECKER: Yes, sir!
JEFF: And remember: Anything you don’t know is an illusion!
Screen off. Becker looks over his right shoulder and sees an alien ...
JEFF: I just hope he got it..!
APOLLO: We'll see when we are back!
Sondra is bitten by Farah. Her blood runs down her bare back.
MAX (looking at radar screen): Sir, our sensors indicate a large number of flying objects approaching rapidly.
BECKER: Who is it, Max?
MAX: I don’t see them yet. According to the readings they are our squadrons..! It seems they have received our distress signal.
BECKER: Prepare everything for an emergency transport! I’ll notify the captain!
Boomer has manned the manipulator. He looks up.
BOOMER: Oh, frak! It’s the Cylons! They are firing at us!
MAX: Destroy them!
Boomer returns fire.
BECKER: Damn! What’s going on there?! Cease fire! It’s an illusion!
BOOMER: What?! The readings or the Raiders?
Sondra in a trance, lying on altar.
FARAH: If Megala thinks you are worthy, the initiation will be complete. You will be one of us then.
Megala approaches from the darkness.
Apollo & Jeff are scurrying through the cathedral.
JEFF: That's really huge!
APOLLO: You can visit it on your next vacation.
JEFF: No thanks!
APOLLO: There! Sondra's clothes ...
JEFF: She's here ...
APOLLO: Let's move on!
JEFF: If we split up we may find her faster.
APOLLO: I don’t like that.
JEFF: Let’s keep an open comlink. Good luck!
Jeff inside a hallway with his flashlight. He is looking at the ceiling: the ceiling is moving - vampires are everywhere. Apollo in another hallway, sees woman in front of him.
APOLLO: Sondra? (recognizes her) I'm so glad I found you. Let’s go, we must get out of here!
SONDRA: Why? We are completely unmolested here ... (comes closer)
APOLLO: Sondra, we don’t have time for this. We must get to the ship before they find us!
SONDRA: What’s in the rush? In the past you would have given everything for such a moment..!
Jeff arrives at an aclove. Something is dripping on his face. He wipes it off, looks up and ssees dozens of bodies wrapped in cocoons hanging from the ceiling.
JEFF: Holy big shit!
A Vampire behind Jeff jumps at him.
APOLLO: Here, your medication.
SONDRA (takes it and throws it away): I don’t need this any more.
APOLLO: What?
SONDRA: I was right. They are not hostile. They have healed me..!
APOLLO: How?
SONDRA: That's not important. The point is, I'm healthy, do you understand?! I’m alive, and I want to be with you. Come, join me. I know you still want me..!
APOLLO (moves back from her): ... You are not Sondra! (pulls out the injector) Don’t force me to kill you..! (wants to leave)
SONDRA (with red glowing eyes): You can’t kill me any more!
Sondra hisses. Apollo pushes her back and injects the fluid into her arm. Sondra hits off the injector, yells and leaves Apollo. Apollo escapes. Sondra's arm melts off.
Vampires are blocking Apollo’s way. Apollo disappears into a corridor.
Jeff fights with a vampire, injects the remedy several times, the vampire dissolves.
The Discovery is under attack.
BECKER: Stand by!
BECKER: Just one more second..!
A Raider is heading straight for Boomer's gunner station. Becker activates the deflector, the Cylons disappear. The crew feels dizzy for a moment, everyone is touching their heads.
BOOMER: What happened?
BECKER: All of this was an illusion! They wanted us to waste our ammunition.
BOOMER: What about the radar readings?
MAX: They still shows objects approaching. Definitely non-Cylon!
BOOMER: ... It’s them!
Cathedral.
APOLLO (gets out of a corridor): Jeff! Are you okay?
JEFF: Yeah ... It's just a scratch ... One dose doesn’t suffice to finish them. (points to a bubbling and steaming puddle on the floor)
APOLLO: I noticed that, too.
JEFF: Where’s Sondra?
APOLLO: She's one of them..!
JEFF: Damn!
APOLLO: What’s this?
JEFF: Some sort of pantry. These must be the crew members of the crashed ships. They are surrounded by a kind of resin. That keeps them fresh for an eternity.
Vampires are crawling along the ceiling.
APOLLO: We should get out of here before we join them!
JEFF: Good idea!
APOLLO (pulls off some grenades): That'll keep them busy for a while! (throws them)
The Grenade explodes. The pantry is in flames, the vampires start back.
APOLLO: I hope you know the way out.
JEFF (looks at his scanner): Me too..!
Megala approaches Sondra, sees her melted arm and hisses.
The vampires are swarming.
BECKER (looks out the window): Oh shit! (runs to a gun cabinet and takes the weapons out)
Jeff & Apollo are firing at the vampires. Their wings are perforated, they are flapping and dangling on the ground. Jeff lies on the ground and is surrounded. Suddenly a bright light engulfs him from above. The vampires hiss and writhe, blinded. Jeff looks up:
Galactica is floating above the ground!
JEFF: That's really huge!
APOLLO: You can visit it on your next vacation.
JEFF: No thanks!
APOLLO: There! Sondra's clothes ...
JEFF: She's here ...
APOLLO: Let's move on!
JEFF: If we split up we may find her faster.
APOLLO: I don’t like that.
JEFF: Let’s keep an open comlink. Good luck!
Jeff inside a hallway with his flashlight. He is looking at the ceiling: the ceiling is moving - vampires are everywhere. Apollo in another hallway, sees woman in front of him.
APOLLO: Sondra? (recognizes her) I'm so glad I found you. Let’s go, we must get out of here!
SONDRA: Why? We are completely unmolested here ... (comes closer)
APOLLO: Sondra, we don’t have time for this. We must get to the ship before they find us!
SONDRA: What’s in the rush? In the past you would have given everything for such a moment..!
Jeff arrives at an aclove. Something is dripping on his face. He wipes it off, looks up and ssees dozens of bodies wrapped in cocoons hanging from the ceiling.
JEFF: Holy big shit!
A Vampire behind Jeff jumps at him.
APOLLO: Here, your medication.
SONDRA (takes it and throws it away): I don’t need this any more.
APOLLO: What?
SONDRA: I was right. They are not hostile. They have healed me..!
APOLLO: How?
SONDRA: That's not important. The point is, I'm healthy, do you understand?! I’m alive, and I want to be with you. Come, join me. I know you still want me..!
APOLLO (moves back from her): ... You are not Sondra! (pulls out the injector) Don’t force me to kill you..! (wants to leave)
SONDRA (with red glowing eyes): You can’t kill me any more!
Sondra hisses. Apollo pushes her back and injects the fluid into her arm. Sondra hits off the injector, yells and leaves Apollo. Apollo escapes. Sondra's arm melts off.
Vampires are blocking Apollo’s way. Apollo disappears into a corridor.
Jeff fights with a vampire, injects the remedy several times, the vampire dissolves.
The Discovery is under attack.
BECKER: Stand by!
BECKER: Just one more second..!
A Raider is heading straight for Boomer's gunner station. Becker activates the deflector, the Cylons disappear. The crew feels dizzy for a moment, everyone is touching their heads.
BOOMER: What happened?
BECKER: All of this was an illusion! They wanted us to waste our ammunition.
BOOMER: What about the radar readings?
MAX: They still shows objects approaching. Definitely non-Cylon!
BOOMER: ... It’s them!
Cathedral.
APOLLO (gets out of a corridor): Jeff! Are you okay?
JEFF: Yeah ... It's just a scratch ... One dose doesn’t suffice to finish them. (points to a bubbling and steaming puddle on the floor)
APOLLO: I noticed that, too.
JEFF: Where’s Sondra?
APOLLO: She's one of them..!
JEFF: Damn!
APOLLO: What’s this?
JEFF: Some sort of pantry. These must be the crew members of the crashed ships. They are surrounded by a kind of resin. That keeps them fresh for an eternity.
Vampires are crawling along the ceiling.
APOLLO: We should get out of here before we join them!
JEFF: Good idea!
APOLLO (pulls off some grenades): That'll keep them busy for a while! (throws them)
The Grenade explodes. The pantry is in flames, the vampires start back.
APOLLO: I hope you know the way out.
JEFF (looks at his scanner): Me too..!
Megala approaches Sondra, sees her melted arm and hisses.
The vampires are swarming.
BECKER (looks out the window): Oh shit! (runs to a gun cabinet and takes the weapons out)
Jeff & Apollo are firing at the vampires. Their wings are perforated, they are flapping and dangling on the ground. Jeff lies on the ground and is surrounded. Suddenly a bright light engulfs him from above. The vampires hiss and writhe, blinded. Jeff looks up:
Galactica is floating above the ground!
TIGH: Discovery, this is Galactica. We thought you might need some help.
BECKER: Well done, thanks! Galactica, there is an object in orbit forcing every ship to crash-land on this planet.
TIGH: We saw that. We have sent out remote-controlled vipers which are keeping that thing occupied long enough.
BECKER: Good. We had to adapt our plans a bit. The cargo is in an exterior fuselage, about 10 clicks north-east of our position. We have equipped it with antigrav generators. It is able to float but unable to leave the orbit.
TIGH: Our tractor beam will carry both ships, don’t worry.
BECKER: Okay, I’ll activate the generators and let the ship fly in our direction. This saves us some time.
A view at the Celdrac. The generators are mounted around the hull and activate. The hull rises and floats over the cemetery.
BECKER: The cargo is on its way. So far so good. I hope Captain Apollo and Captain Thaunders get aboard as soon as it arrives. We’ll give you a signal!
TIGH: Roger! They better hurry. ETA three centons at the latest!
Apollo & Jeff are approaching Discovery.
JEFF: There she is! We’re gonna make it!
The crew fires a laser through the glass panes. Galactica also opens fire. Several vampires are hit and tumble to the ground.
A vampire attempts to penetrate the glass.
MAX: Hehe, that won’t work. That’s double compacted fludinium. Nothing gets through this.
Suddenly the vampire breaks through, wants to get in with his head first and is shot down.
The tractor beam (green) pulls up a vampire who was sitting on the Discovery. He is roasted at the tractor jet exit, yells and bursts.
The Discovery takes off, turns and bumps into vampires and treetops.
OMEGA: The other ship is within reach. I’m splitting the tractor beam.
TIGH: Be careful. We mustn’t lose them!
OMEGA: Don’t worry, Colonel. Everything is proceeding exactly as planned.
Galactica pulls both ships up and heads for space.
Jeff & Apollo are sitting on floor.
JEFF: Phew, good timing!
APOLLO: I'm looking forward to seeing the faces at Fleet Command when they get our report.
JEFF: I just hope they don’t yell at us for the write-off..!
Megala breaks through the ceiling and hisses.
APOLLO (whispers): So much for yelling!
JEFF: Damn! We won’t get rid of that beast ...
APOLLO: Maybe we will! Are the escape pods still intact?
JEFF: Yes. But he's blocking our way.
APOLLO: You’ll take care of the crew, I'll blow that beast through the airlock in the cargo hold. If it doesn’t work we’ll evacuate.
JEFF: How much time do you need?
APOLLO: Five centons - counting!
JEFF (hands Apollo his injector): You'll need it. Good luck!
APOLLO (jumps up): Hey! Hey! You want me! Come and get me!
Apollo runs through a corridor, Megala follows him.
Jeff runs into another corridor. Apollo sees Zel.
ZEL: Captain, what’s ...
APOLLO: Go, Zel! Now!
ZEL: Why?!
Megala hisses, Zel turns into his direction. Megala hits Zel with his hand, Zel flies through a glass plane and slams against the wall.
JEFF (evacuating the crew): Go! Let’s go! All hands proceed to the escape pods immediately! Time to abandon ship!
BOOMER: Where is Apollo?
JEFF: He's on the way. Hurry up!
Cassie supports Starbuck.
STARBUCK: What ... is it? Who are you?
CASSIE: Don’ be stupid! (puts a cigar in Starbuck’s mouth)
Megala follows Apollo on the ceiling and smahes the ceiling lights. Apollo arrives at the short corridor leading to the cargo hold and closes the first door. Megala tries to get through. Apollo opens a tool cabinet on the wall and takes out a compressed air pistol. Megala breaks through the door. Apollo loads the gun and puts the injector in it.
Apollo turns around. Megala stands in front of him, looking into his eyes.
APOLLO (aiming for heart): Now you're finished!
Megala hisses and jumps toward Apollo. Apollo fires, Megala repels the projectile. The injector hits his right upper arm, Megala screeches. Apollo runs past him and closes the door to the cargo hold.
APOLLO (tapping on a display: the text "Air-Lock disabled" flashes): Frak! (leaves)
Megala squirms, bites off her arm and spits it into a corner. The arm dissolves.
JEFF (sees a pile of steaming flesh): What happened?
BECKER: There were two of these creatures in the foyer. There may be more of them hiding on the ship.
JEFF: You're right. We’ll abandon ship. Proceed to the escape pods. I'll get the captain! (via comlink): Galactica, this is Captain Thaunders! Listen carefully: We have an uninvited guest on board. We abandon ship. Prepare to release the tractor beam holding Discovery and couple it to the escape pods!
TIGH: What?!
JEFF: You heard me. Do as I say or ...
Laser shots, Jeff turns around, the screen goes off.
TIGH: Captain? Captain! Do you copy?!
A new arm grows out of the stump of Megala. Megala slams against the door.
In space: The blue probe intercepts a Viper.
OMEGA: Colonel, the last remote viper has been destroyed. The object is heading straight for us.
ADAMA: Time to intercept?
OMEGA: 90 microns.
ADAMA: That's not enough to leave the orbit. At this speed we will still be in range of the magnetic beam. Tell them to hurry up!
TIGH: I can’t. The connection was interrupted.
Apollo's comlink beeps.
ADAMA: Apollo, do you copy?
APOLLO: Loud and clear, father.
ADAMA: Discovery's com system has failed. Listen: The object in orbit is heading straight for us. It will reach our position in about 25 microns. You have to hurry!
APOLLO: Understood. We still need (looks at his timer) ... two centons!
ADAMA: We'll give it a try. Good luck!
OMEGA: Commander, the object is in visual range!
TIGH: Increase speed!
OMEGA: If we get any faster our tractor beam will tear Discovery to pieces!
ADAMA: On more pass around the planet!
The object activates the tractor beam and locks on to Galactica.
OMEGA: The object has locked on to us with its tractor beam! We are being pulled in!
JEFF: Apollo! This way! I thought you had had it..!
APOLLO: He's still on board. The hatch is jamming. We have to leave the ship.
JEFF: I have already arranged that. We still have 1 ½ minutes!
ADAMA: We have to shake that thing off. Target the source of the tractor beam!
Galactica fires, the missiles bounce off.
OMEGA: The weapons have no effect!
ADAMA: Give me Apollo!
Everyone is getting into the escape pos.
ADAMA: The object has glued itself to us! We are unable to break free!
JEFF: Commander, the escape pods will be launched in 30 seconds. Subtract 5 seconds and reverse the polarity of the tractor beam!
ADAMA: That would throw the Discovery away from us ...
JEFF: Correct. The tractor's beam will be pulling it directly into its center. The explosion will hopefully be strong enough to disable it.
ADAMA: Understood. Stand by!
Megala comes through the door and faces the pod Jeff & Apollo have occupied.
JEFF: Somebody wants to join us..!
APOLLO: He's like a plague..! All hands: Hang on!
Cassie puts a strap on Starbuck.
OMEGA: Reconfiguration ... complete!
ADAMA: Reverse tractor beam!
The Galactica pushes the Discovery away. The pods launch. Megala roars. The Discovery crashes into the tractor beam of the alien probe and deactivates it.
OMEGA: Tractor beam down! All escape pods launched and engaged.
ADAMA: Lay in new coordinates and punch it! Leave the sector at full speed!
OMEGA: Aye, Sir.
The Galactica is on her way home.
OMEGA: The shuttles are bringing the remaining pods on board. Condition of the ore freighter stable. We will reach the Terran system in about 22 Centars.
TIGH: Well done. Carry on, Lieutenant.
OMEGA: Aye, sir.
LC.
Starbuck is sitting on a bed, Boomer & Dr Salik are with him.
STARBUCK (looking at a cigar): You know, I think I've been here before ...
SALIK: Can you remember anything else?
STARBUCK: I'm not sure ... I think I know you ... and him ... (points at Salik and Boomer, Cassie is coming) Her definitely..! Hi, Aurora! (Cassie stops)
SALIK: Well, it's a start..! And to prevent you coming up with stupid ideas ... (takes away the cigar) No smoking at the life center for a reason. Especially for such serious cases like you! (leaves)
STARBUCK: All right, but I’m warning you, that won’t accelerate my healing process.
BOOMER: Hey, pal!
CASSIE: How do you feel?
STARBUCK: As if someone had played Triad with my head ...
CASSIE: No wonder. You had a brain bruise. But you will be okay.
STARBUCK: Brain bruise? Is that possible?
BOOMER: Only if there is a brain..! (grins)
STARBUCK: Well, at the current speed of my recovery, I’d say I’ll be able to think again tomorrow. In theory. I hope I didn’t miss out too much in the meantime ...
CASSIE: What do you remember?
STARBUCK: The crash ... A sweet nurse… But then ... Please tell me, was I somewhere else?
CASSIE: You haven’t left the life center. How so?
STARBUCK: Then it must have been a dream ... I was in a jungle. Alone. At night. Then there was a woman. She was beautiful. I was paralyzed by her beauty ...
CASSIE: So nothing special.
STARBUCK: Not directly. After she kissed me, she turned into a monster and … bit off my head. What does that mean?
CASSIE: That you should better dream of women who don’t want to eat you.
STARBUCK: That would be a start indeed ...
CASSIE: Luckily it was just a dream. Take a break. You'll be fine again.
STARBUCK: Thanks, Aurora..!
CASSIE: Don’t fool with me..!
Starbuck grins, Cassie smiles back.
ADAMA (zu Jeff): We are indebted to you, Captain.
JEFF: Just like us, Commander. But wasn’t such a rescue mission too risky?
ADAMA: Galactica is the only ship capable of going on such a mission. There is only essential personnel aboard to keep the risk as low as possible. The rest awaits our return to Sigma. Your sister included. You have done a fine job.
JEFF: We’ve lost five crewmen.
ADAMA: It's never easy to accept that. Don’t blame yourself. Each of them was aware of the dangers of the mission. Colonel Tigh will pass the tactical data on the sector to the UNE fleet command. The system has already been declared a forbidden zone to prevent any more innocent ships falling into this trap.
JEFF: Those creatures will probably have to find another source of food soon. I’ll notify the relatives as soon as we are home. Regarding home: How long will you still be with us?
ADAMA: Some Sectons, I guess. Tests must be run to ensure that the passage is safe. If you excuse me please, I am expected on the bridge. (leaves)
JEFF (to Apollo): We made it. If I had’t insisted on examining the distress signal, all of this would never have happened.
APOLLO: Then we wouldn’t have got the lavicite. If I hadn’t insisted on launching the beacon, I wouldn’t have put the rescue team in danger.
JEFF: But then Galactica hadn’t come and we all had been lost.
APOLLO: We risked a lot and achieved a lot.
JEFF: Indeed. ... You miss her, right?
APOLLO: Sondra has made a decision. I hope it was the right one ...
JEFF: I'm sure of that. (pads on Apollo's shoulder) Come on, let's have a drink. I’m buying.
APOLLO: I'm not saying no! (both leave)
BECKER: Mind if I join you? I could use a drink as well. Geez, we’ve gone to hell and returned. I hope we never see one of those things again..!
Celdrac. Cargo hold. Between a huge collection of rubble stones and debris a small lizard scurries around with red glowing eyes ...
In space: The blue probe intercepts a Viper.
OMEGA: Colonel, the last remote viper has been destroyed. The object is heading straight for us.
ADAMA: Time to intercept?
OMEGA: 90 microns.
ADAMA: That's not enough to leave the orbit. At this speed we will still be in range of the magnetic beam. Tell them to hurry up!
TIGH: I can’t. The connection was interrupted.
Apollo's comlink beeps.
ADAMA: Apollo, do you copy?
APOLLO: Loud and clear, father.
ADAMA: Discovery's com system has failed. Listen: The object in orbit is heading straight for us. It will reach our position in about 25 microns. You have to hurry!
APOLLO: Understood. We still need (looks at his timer) ... two centons!
ADAMA: We'll give it a try. Good luck!
OMEGA: Commander, the object is in visual range!
TIGH: Increase speed!
OMEGA: If we get any faster our tractor beam will tear Discovery to pieces!
ADAMA: On more pass around the planet!
The object activates the tractor beam and locks on to Galactica.
OMEGA: The object has locked on to us with its tractor beam! We are being pulled in!
JEFF: Apollo! This way! I thought you had had it..!
APOLLO: He's still on board. The hatch is jamming. We have to leave the ship.
JEFF: I have already arranged that. We still have 1 ½ minutes!
ADAMA: We have to shake that thing off. Target the source of the tractor beam!
Galactica fires, the missiles bounce off.
OMEGA: The weapons have no effect!
ADAMA: Give me Apollo!
Everyone is getting into the escape pos.
ADAMA: The object has glued itself to us! We are unable to break free!
JEFF: Commander, the escape pods will be launched in 30 seconds. Subtract 5 seconds and reverse the polarity of the tractor beam!
ADAMA: That would throw the Discovery away from us ...
JEFF: Correct. The tractor's beam will be pulling it directly into its center. The explosion will hopefully be strong enough to disable it.
ADAMA: Understood. Stand by!
Megala comes through the door and faces the pod Jeff & Apollo have occupied.
JEFF: Somebody wants to join us..!
APOLLO: He's like a plague..! All hands: Hang on!
Cassie puts a strap on Starbuck.
OMEGA: Reconfiguration ... complete!
ADAMA: Reverse tractor beam!
The Galactica pushes the Discovery away. The pods launch. Megala roars. The Discovery crashes into the tractor beam of the alien probe and deactivates it.
OMEGA: Tractor beam down! All escape pods launched and engaged.
ADAMA: Lay in new coordinates and punch it! Leave the sector at full speed!
OMEGA: Aye, Sir.
The Galactica is on her way home.
OMEGA: The shuttles are bringing the remaining pods on board. Condition of the ore freighter stable. We will reach the Terran system in about 22 Centars.
TIGH: Well done. Carry on, Lieutenant.
OMEGA: Aye, sir.
LC.
Starbuck is sitting on a bed, Boomer & Dr Salik are with him.
STARBUCK (looking at a cigar): You know, I think I've been here before ...
SALIK: Can you remember anything else?
STARBUCK: I'm not sure ... I think I know you ... and him ... (points at Salik and Boomer, Cassie is coming) Her definitely..! Hi, Aurora! (Cassie stops)
SALIK: Well, it's a start..! And to prevent you coming up with stupid ideas ... (takes away the cigar) No smoking at the life center for a reason. Especially for such serious cases like you! (leaves)
STARBUCK: All right, but I’m warning you, that won’t accelerate my healing process.
BOOMER: Hey, pal!
CASSIE: How do you feel?
STARBUCK: As if someone had played Triad with my head ...
CASSIE: No wonder. You had a brain bruise. But you will be okay.
STARBUCK: Brain bruise? Is that possible?
BOOMER: Only if there is a brain..! (grins)
STARBUCK: Well, at the current speed of my recovery, I’d say I’ll be able to think again tomorrow. In theory. I hope I didn’t miss out too much in the meantime ...
CASSIE: What do you remember?
STARBUCK: The crash ... A sweet nurse… But then ... Please tell me, was I somewhere else?
CASSIE: You haven’t left the life center. How so?
STARBUCK: Then it must have been a dream ... I was in a jungle. Alone. At night. Then there was a woman. She was beautiful. I was paralyzed by her beauty ...
CASSIE: So nothing special.
STARBUCK: Not directly. After she kissed me, she turned into a monster and … bit off my head. What does that mean?
CASSIE: That you should better dream of women who don’t want to eat you.
STARBUCK: That would be a start indeed ...
CASSIE: Luckily it was just a dream. Take a break. You'll be fine again.
STARBUCK: Thanks, Aurora..!
CASSIE: Don’t fool with me..!
Starbuck grins, Cassie smiles back.
ADAMA (zu Jeff): We are indebted to you, Captain.
JEFF: Just like us, Commander. But wasn’t such a rescue mission too risky?
ADAMA: Galactica is the only ship capable of going on such a mission. There is only essential personnel aboard to keep the risk as low as possible. The rest awaits our return to Sigma. Your sister included. You have done a fine job.
JEFF: We’ve lost five crewmen.
ADAMA: It's never easy to accept that. Don’t blame yourself. Each of them was aware of the dangers of the mission. Colonel Tigh will pass the tactical data on the sector to the UNE fleet command. The system has already been declared a forbidden zone to prevent any more innocent ships falling into this trap.
JEFF: Those creatures will probably have to find another source of food soon. I’ll notify the relatives as soon as we are home. Regarding home: How long will you still be with us?
ADAMA: Some Sectons, I guess. Tests must be run to ensure that the passage is safe. If you excuse me please, I am expected on the bridge. (leaves)
JEFF (to Apollo): We made it. If I had’t insisted on examining the distress signal, all of this would never have happened.
APOLLO: Then we wouldn’t have got the lavicite. If I hadn’t insisted on launching the beacon, I wouldn’t have put the rescue team in danger.
JEFF: But then Galactica hadn’t come and we all had been lost.
APOLLO: We risked a lot and achieved a lot.
JEFF: Indeed. ... You miss her, right?
APOLLO: Sondra has made a decision. I hope it was the right one ...
JEFF: I'm sure of that. (pads on Apollo's shoulder) Come on, let's have a drink. I’m buying.
APOLLO: I'm not saying no! (both leave)
BECKER: Mind if I join you? I could use a drink as well. Geez, we’ve gone to hell and returned. I hope we never see one of those things again..!
Celdrac. Cargo hold. Between a huge collection of rubble stones and debris a small lizard scurries around with red glowing eyes ...
THE END
Fun!
One thing did stand out to me. The line "Bermuda Triangle in space" this is a reference that only make sense to someone from Earth. I would alter that line to a different term, like "The Golan Enigma"
One thing did stand out to me. The line "Bermuda Triangle in space" this is a reference that only make sense to someone from Earth. I would alter that line to a different term, like "The Golan Enigma"
Thank you very much! I hope you like the rest of the episodes, too. The final 5-parter is a MUST read, and I'm not kidding.
As for your suggestion: Jeffrey is from Earth, so it make absolutely sense that he uses an Earth-based metaphor (he is Cynthia's twin brother). It is exactly like Michael using the term "minutes" and asking "What is a centon?" in "Greetings from Earth".
If you look carefully at all episodes you will notice that I have paid painstaking attention to the phrases and terminology. People from or related to Earth use minutes, hours and kilometres whereas the Galactican people use centons, centars and kilometrons. The wrong terminology and the constant appearance of the Viper Mk II is what makes me cringe hard in the Dynamite classic BSG comics.
Here is a small catalogue for reference:
Micron = second
Centon = minute
Centar = hour
Secton = week
Sectar = month
Yahren = Kahrenz (in German) = year
Metron = metre
Kilometron = kilometre
Hexar = astronomical unit (my idea but it could make sense: the average distance between a sun and a planet sustaining human life is constant in the whole universe; it cannot be the distance between a planet and its moon because that depends on many individual factors like mass and velocity and thus is not constant)
For Sagan's sake = For heaven's sake (was introduced in honour of Carl Sagan)
Gods = God (
very important but sometimes missed)Frak = damn
Felgercarb = BS
Daggit = dog
Crawlon = spider
Gamma frequency = VHF
Computron = computer
Radiatron = Geiger counter
Languatron = iPhone with translator app but without the possibility to call someone (
)When you write a story that takes place in the Galactica universe you may encounter certain words and phrases which have their origin in Earth culture, like "sabotage" and "kamikaze". Whenever possible I use similar expressions. There is always some wiggle room though because you don't really know the history of the colonies. Galactica is dominated by Capricans and their history. Occasionally you meet someone from Geminon (Cassiopeia), Tauron (the lady with the fancy feathers on Carillon) and Aries (the bootlegger family in "Long Patrol"). But you don't know very much about the other colonies. Maybe the Scorpios are related to the Greeks, so you may use some words that have Greek roots; the Aries could be related to the Latins, you don't know.
One of the funny things I have made up myself is the fact that the inner organs of the Galacticans are mirrored. That was done to differentiate them from the Earthlings and to show that both groups have evolved in a different way. They are reated yet different. This is absolutely non-canon - but fun.
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Sorry, I missed that he is from Earth. So it makes sense. It was so jarring because you are so careful to use the lexicon from the series. Keep up the great work!
No worries and THANK YOU! I really appreciate your comments. BTW, the story is up (in English and German). I have added a few addititonal concept drawings which did not make it in the threads because they would have ruined the reading flow. Have fun and enjoy!
