SPACE CASES
"IT'S MY BIRTHDAY TOO (YEAH!)"
ACT ONE
EXT. CHRISTA - FLYBY (STOCK) (CGI)
DAVENPORT (v.o.)
As the noted earthman George
Santayana once said, those who do
not listen to history are doomed to
repeat it.
INT. CLASSROOM - DAVENPORT, HARLAN, CATALINA, RADU, BOVA, ROSIE
The kids with their compupads, listening.
DAVENPORT
We must remember history, and the
people who went before us, so we
have something to which we can
aspire.
HARLAN
Like my dad, in the Stardogs,
fighting And--
He stops, looks at Radu, realizes he shouldn't complete the
sentence, since he's not looking for a fight in the middle
of class. Instead of "Andromedans" he says...
HARLAN
...and...exploring.
CATALINA
(quickly)
My folks were famous diplomats.
ROSIE
My mom and dad are doctors.
BOVA
My parents had me.
DAVENPORT
What about you, Radu?
RADU
I...don't like to boast.
DAVENPORT
Well, I notice that you all speak
of your parents...but what of your
grandparents? Great grandparents?
Four, five generations back?
Kids look around. Shrug.
DAVENPORT
All right. I want you each to
prepare a family tree. My
portaputer has detailed Starcademy
records. You should each be able
to trace your family tree back centuries.
RADU
You have information
on...everybody?
DAVENPORT
Except you, Radu. Our little space
mishap occurred before the
Andromedan government got us your
family history. You'll have to
fill it in as best you can.
RADU
Oh...that's fine.
And we PUSH IN on Radu who looks extremely uncomfortable.
DISSOLVE TO:
INT. TEAM ROOM - HARLAN, RADU, CATALINA
Harlan is working on his compupad. Radu and Catalina are
playing a game together.
HARLAN
Hey, Cat...you should see this
stuff I'm finding about my family
tree. It's incredible.
CATALINA
I was researching mine earlier.
Your won't even come close.
HARLAN
Oh yeah? For starters, there's
Joshua Band. Four hundred years
ago, he was slave in Georgia. He
wound up escaping to freedom. Then
he went back, helped others escape,
and later became a famous explorer.
RADU
Wait. A slave?
HARLAN
Yeah. He was kidnapped from his
home and sold into slavery. It was
actually legal on earth back then.
Crazy, huh.
RADU
So we've got something in common.
HARLAN
What do you mean?
RADU
My people were slaves, too. Slaves
of the Spung, during the war. It
was terrible for us. Not being in
control of--
HARLAN
Look, Hairdo...
RADU
Radu.
HARLAN
Whatever. There's still a big
difference, because the people in
my family fought against slavery,
and yours just knuckled
under...they...
And suddenly he sees Radu's furious expression and realizes
he might reeeaaaally be pushing it.
HARLAN
Of course, that doesn't mean...
But Radu, well and truly steamed, holds up a finger (no, not
that one).
RADU
Just...don't say anything, okay?
And he pivots on his heel and storms out. Harlan watches
him go, then turns to Catalina who's staring at him
reprovingly.
CATALINA
Haaaarlan...
HARLAN
(annoyed with himself)
I know, I know...
CATALINA
You've got to learn to lay off
him!
HARLAN
(same cadence)
I know, I know...
CATALINA
So what are you going to do about
it?
HARLAN
(same cadence)
I don't know, I don't know...
(beat, frustrated)
I try! I really do! I try to
treat him okay...and then I think
about my dad being killed by
Andromedans in the war, except now
we're supposed to be friends and
trust them! And I just...I want
to...
CATALINA
But you're getting mad at the wrong
guy! Don't you realize that?
HARLAN
Yeah, I realize that...but it's
always after I've opened my mouth.
CATALINA
Okay, look...how about if I help?
I can...give you signals.
If you're talking with Radu, keep
an eye on me. If I pull on my ear,
just say something like, "I
absolutely agree" or "you couldn't
be more right." Be as agreeable as
possible.
HARLAN
Hey, I'll try anything if it'll
make the trip back less
aggravating...
CATALINA
...especially for you.
HARLAN
Especially.
INT. BOY'S BUNKROOM - TIGHT ANGLE ON - THE PILLOW
The room is seriously messed up. The meteor is glowing, and
now a high-pitched wail like a steam whistle is coming from
it. It seems like it's capable of blowing up and taking the
ship with it. And then it rolls violently forward and
CRUSHES the pianophone. And as soon as it does, the meteor
slows down and then stops.
BOVA
enters, looks around in astonishment.
DAVENPORT enters.
DAVENPORT
Bova, what was that awful...
She looks around in astonishment at the wreckage, and then
sees the meteor.
DAVENPORT
...racket.
Bova sighs. He's sunk.
EXT. SPACE - THE CHRISTA FLYBY (STOCK)
CATALINA (v.o.)
Well, what do you think?
INT. CLASS ROOM - CATALINA, ROSIE
Catalina is standing and pointing her compupad at the
classroom screen. The screen CGI is lit up with a GRAPHIC
of a family tree, names spelled out and interconnected via a
series of branches.
ROSIE
It's really nice. Although I was
expecting something...I
dunno...flashier from you.
CATALINA
Ah, but my ancestry is so dazzling,
it'd be overkill to do too much
with the presentation. Screen off.
She taps the compupad and the screen GOES OFF.
CATALINA
(beat)
Why? Are you doing something
"flashy?"
ROSIE
Oh...no. No, I decided to keep it
simple.
She taps her compupad, aims it at the wall.
ROSIE
Screen on.
The screen flares to life...and Catalina jumps back as onto
the screen roars with (stock footage of) a huge exploding
volcano, followed by flowing lava, the rippling surface of a
sun. A SEPULCHRAL VOICE intones over it...
SEPULCHRAL VOICE
(a sepulchral voice)
Upon the white hot surface of
Mercury...
a group of determined colonists
settled and forged a life for
themselves. A life that resulted
in the production of...
SUPERIMPOSE over the stock footage a picture of Rosie, arms
akimbo, wearing a fluttering cape.
SEPULCHRAL VOICE
Rosie Ianni! Fun-loving!
Optimistic! Humble! Rosie
Ianni...
SUPERIMPOSE HEAD SHOTS of Rosie's parents, smiling and
nodding approvingly...
SEPULCHRAL VOICE
...daughter of Goonter and Daleya
Ianni.
ANGLE ON - CATALINA, ROSIE
Catalina turns to Rosie, incredulous.
CATALINA
You call that simple?!
ROSIE
Relatively.
SEPULCHRAL VOICE (o.s.)
But our story doesn't really begin
there. It begins...with the
creation of the universe!
WE KEEP THE ANGLE as Catalina and Rosie look at the OFF
SCREEN display. WE SEE an off-screen-generated burst of
light, a SFX like a million suns erupting, and WE HEAR a
choral aria. Rosie is smiling contentedly. Catalina's
lower jaw is somewhere around her ankles.
INT. COMMAND POST - RADU, GODDARD
GODDARD has the panel to the Central Console open. He has a
small tool connected to it...then reaches around and tries
to budge one of the controls. It won't move.
RADU
Problem, Commander?
Radu moves the control easily.
GODDARD
The problem is I still can't make
the ship's controls respond to me.
But I'll get it eventually.
RADU
And what'll you do then?
GODDARD
I'll do...
(no clue)
...things. Stardog...commander
things.
(moving on fast)
What's on your mind, Radu?
RADU
Can I ask you a personal question?
GODDARD
No.
(off Radu's reaction,
Goddard sighs)
What is it?
RADU
Could you tell me about...your
family? You know, your mother,
father, brothers...
GODDARD
I know what a family is, Mr. Radu.
(beat)
Mostly, we argued. We argued when
I lived there, and when I'd come
back to visit, we'd argue some
more. My father and I, especially,
always going at it.
RADU
Didn't you have anything in common?
GODDARD
Actually, we had everything in
common. That's why we argued.
RADU
With all due respect, sir, that
doesn't make a lot of sense.
GODDARD
Mr. Radu, you're absolutely right.
It doesn't.
(beat, then, slightly
amused)
Look, it's like they always
say...you can choose your friends,
but you can't choose your
relatives. Family is family. You
love them because they're part of
who you are.
He moves OFF SCREEN, leaving Radu behind, sighing.
RADU
(to himself)
Whoever that is.
INT. CORRIDOR - DAVENPORT
She's carrying the meteor.
DAVENPORT
(muttering)
I have to watch them every minute;
if I don't dispose of this myself,
I can't trust them to...
..and then she starts to stagger under their weight.
DAVENPORT
It...wasn't this heavy a minute
ago...what in...
And suddenly it's too heavy for her to lift. It slams to
the ground. She tries to lift it, struggles, starts to lift
it a foot or so...and then it slams back down, nailing her
fingers. With a slight wail of agony she pulls her crumbled
hands out and staggers OFF SCREEN. We PUSH IN on the meteor
and it starts to rock slightly from side to side.
THE GIZBOT
(the droid formerly known as Shlomo) rolls up, checking out
the meteor. Gizbot BEEPS slightly, curious.
Gizbot's top opens and a drill bit EXTENDS
TIGHT ON - METEOR, DRILL BIT
The whirring drill approaches the meteor, touches it...and
then the meteor suddenly LIGHTS BRIGHTLY and shakes
violently.
GIZBOT
rolls violently back and slams into the wall. He quickly
withdraws the drill and beeps fearfully.
DAVENPORT AND THELMA
Walk up. By this point the meteor looks normal once more.
DAVENPORT
(annoyed, and shaking the
ache out of her hands)
Just...just bring it up to
Commander Goddard. I don't want to
deal with it anymore.
Thelma bends over, picks it up effortlessly. Davenport
notices that Gizbot is moving back and forth aimlessly.
DAVENPORT
What's wrong with the Gizbot?
THELMA
He appears to be malfunctioning. I
shall have to effect repairs. It's
so inconvenient when machines are
confusing and less than helpful,
isn't it, Miss Davenport.
Davenport looks at her. She desperately wants to say what
she's thinking...even starts to...but Thelma is standing
there in such wide-eyed innocence that Davenport
figuratively bits her tongue and EXITS.
INT. TEAM ROOM - ROSIE, BOVA
TIGHT ON Bova, who's looking wistfully into empty air.
ROSIE (o.s.)
Bova? What's bothering you?
You're much more depressed than
usual.
(beat)
I heard you got in trouble with
Miss Davenport because you snuck
some rock sample aboard?
BOVA
(distractedly)
She gave me ten demerits. It
doesn't matter.
ROSIE
Bova, whatever it is, we can make
it okay.
(beat)
AT least give me a chance. Please?
BOVA
(heavy sigh)
I was just thinking about my
family. Wondering if they
celebrated without me.
ROSIE
Celebrated what?
He turns to look at her as we go to...
INT. COMMAND POST - GODDARD, THELMA
Thelma is holding the meteorite.
GODDARD
Kids. We told Bova we'd collected
enough mineral specimens, and he
had to drag that aboard. Not that
I care about some piece of rock,
but it's the principle of the
thing.
(beat)
Well...I don't want to just dump it
into space. Space hates litter.
THELMA
We could feed it into the ship's
recycler systems. It would be
broken down and incorporated into
the protomix. But the systems are
down for routine maintenance. They
won't be on line again for twenty
four hours.
GODDARD
We're still moving, aren't we?
THELMA
Yes, of course. The ion glide is
fully functional.
GODDARD
So we're just not going faster than
light. Okay, fine.
(indicating the meteor)
Stash it in the airlock until
systems are up and running again.
She nods and EXITS
EXT. SPACE - THE CHRISTA FLYBY (STOCK)
HARLAN (v.o.)
Now my great grandfather...he was
on the mission that made first
contact with the Rigelians...
INT. GALLEY - HARLAN, RADU, CATALINA
Eating lunch.
HARLAN
It was only voice
communication...but still...
CATALINA
That tothing. My grandfather was
in the diplomatic team that first
arranged for colonizing of the
planets in the Sol system.
Radu...how about you? What's your
family tree like?
RADU
Oh...I'd really rather not...
CATALINA
C'mon, Radu, you'll have to tell us
sooner or later.
RADU
Nothing special. Really.
HARLAN
I'll say that you're--
Catalina frantically pulls on her ear. Harlan realizes that
he's doing it again. Instead of saying "nothing special" he
substitutes...
HARLAN
--you're, uh...you're right.
RADU
I'm right?
Cat beams, and Harlan, more confident, says...
HARLAN
Yeah. You're absolutely right.
But Radu, suspicious, is sure he's being set up.
RADU
About not being anything special?
HARLAN
Right.
Cat frantically shakes her head.
HARLAN
I mean...you're not right...but in
a...right sort of way...
CATALINA
(to the rescue)
I just always figured you must come
from some kind of important
background, Radu, what with you
being the first Andromedan to the
Starcademy. Come on, you're
holding out.
RADU
No, I'm not...I really don't have
any major people in my family...
HARLAN
You heard the man, Cat. He's not
holding out. So don't bother him.
Cat nods approvingly as Radu is looking at Harlan in
confusion. Harlan, emboldened, continues with new and
unfortunately misplaced confidence...
HARLAN
I mean, so what if he's got nothing
in common with us! That's not big
deal! Heck, maybe he's got
something to hide, but that doesn't
mat--
And Cat starts yanking frantically on her ear, trying to
shut Harlan up. She yanks so hard on her ear she almost
rips it from her skull...which we see from her suddenly
agonized expression
RADU
I don't have anything to hid!
You want to know about me? Okay,
fine.
(fast and furious)
I'll tell you about my father,
Umar, who was...no! I'll tell you
about his father, Udar, the, uh, the
Untamed...he was leader of
the first mission to the far side of
Andromeda...and he was married to
Omra, who was ..uhm...what would
you call it...
HARLAN
(not expecting a yes)
President?
RADU
Yes! Right. Our president.
CATALINA
Your grandmother was president and
your grandfather was a pioneer?
Wow.
RADU
Right. Wow. So...you see? I've
got as good a family as you! I'm
as good as any of you.
Rosie and Bova enter. She's almost pulling him.
ROSIE
Guys...wait'll you hear this: Two
days ago, by Uranus time...it was
Bova's birthday.
CATALINA
Why didn't you tell us?
HARLAN
We love birthdays! We're birthday
animals!
They move towards him, AD LIBBING "That's great." And we
PUSH IN on Radu who, desperate to fit in...
RADU
(impulsively)
It's my birthday, too!
DIFFERENT ANGLE - KIDS
HARLAN
Yeah?
INT. CORRIDOR OUTSIDE AIRLOCK - THELMA
Thelma is placing the meteor inside.
THELMA
Rest well, little rock. This time
tomorrow, You'll be pulverized.
And she doesn't notice...as we PUSH IN on the meteor. It
lights up, blazing brilliance, and we see for the first time
the shadowed outline of A CREATURE WITHIN. And then the
doors CLOSE, blocking it from view.
FADE OUT.
END ACT ONE