Return to EPISODE TELESCRIPTS,
the TEASER, or ACT ONE


                      SPACE CASES
             "IT'S MY BIRTHDAY TOO (YEAH!)"
                        ACT TWO

                                                  FADE IN:


EXT. SPACE CHRISTA - FLYBY (STOCK) (CGI)


INT. BOY'S BUNKROOM - RADU

Staring at his compupad.  Then he starts tapping the
controls.

                           RADU
               (trying to remember)
          Now...what did I tell them...?  It
          was...Umar the untamed...no...no, I
          said that was...Udar...that was
          it...I thinkt hat was it...

He stares at the screen a moment more, then tosses it aside
and puts his face in his hands.


INT. TEAM ROOM - CATALINA, ROSIE, THELMA

Brainstorming session.

                           ROSIE
          And don't worry...the cake will be
          ready for Bova and Radu's birthday
          party.

                           CATALINA
          Noisemakers.  Thelma, we could also
          use noisemakers for the party.

Thelma opens her mouth wide and A DEAFENING FACTORY WHISTLE
blasts out.  The kids hit the ground, hands over their
ears.  Thelma closes her mouth and looks around.

                           THELMA
          Do you need anything else?

                           KIDS
               (deafened)
          Whaaaat?!?

                                                  DISSOLVE TO:


INT. CORRIDOR OUTSIDE AIRLOCK - RADU

He's passing by, slows...and stops, once again touching his
head as if in communion with something.  Then slowly he
looks towards the airlock.

                           RADU
          It...it can't be...

He quickly cycles open the airlock and looks in at the
meteroid.  It's not moving.

                           RADU
          I don't believe it.


INT. COMMAND POST - HARLAN, GODDARD

Harlan is at the controls under Goddard's watchful eye.

                           HARLAN
          Say commander...you coming to the
          party?

                           GODDARD
          What party?

                           HARLAN
          The birthday party, for Bova and
          Radu.

                           GODDARD
          Oh.  Maybe later.  Although I'm
          surprised Radu knows his birthday.
          I didn't think any Andromedan did.

                           HARLAN
          Why?

                           GODDARD
          Well, this isn't generally known...
          Stardogs are still researching it.
          But I've heard...

                           HARLAN
          What have you heard...?


INT. CORRIDOR - BOVA, ROSIE

Rosie slightly in the lead as they walk.

                           BOVA
          Why does Miss Davenport want to see
          us?

                           ROSIE
          Some new science project, I think.

RADU

catches up with them.  He's carrying a box, large enough to
accommodate the meteor.  They keep walking.

                           RADU
          Bova!  I got something for you...a
          present...

                           ROSIE
          Radu, your timing's perfect.

                           RADU
          Perfect?  Why perfect?

INT. TEAM ROOM - RADU, BOVA, CATALINA, ROSIE, THELMA,
DAVENPORT

The Team Room is festooned with a party set-up.  Cat,
Thelma, Davenport, are all waiting as Radu, Bova, and Rosie
enter, Radu continuing the conversation.

                           RADU
          Rosie?  Why is the timing...?

                           KIDS
               (ad libs)
          Surprise!!!  Happy birthday!

Radu puts down the box as Davenport speaks.

                           DAVENPORT
          We have gifts...a game or two lined
          up...and a lovely cake...

Harlan enters as...

                           RADU
          There's...there's so much I want to
          say...

                           HARLAN
               (angry)
          Oh yeah?  Like what?  Like, "Thanks
          everyone, but...I lied.  I don't
          know when my birthday is.

The others react to this.

                           HARLAN
          Or maybe you want to say,
          "Andromedans are born in
          hatcheries, with no past, no known
          family...nothing.  Because having
          no family makes us better
          fighters...slaves...whatever."  You
          want to say, "Harlan's always
          worried I can't be trusted, and it
          turns out he's right..."

Dead silence.  And then, without another word, Radu bolts
from the room.  As he goes, Goddard ENTERS.  He looks at the
departing Andromedan in confusion, then to kids.

                           GODDARD
          What just happened here?


INT. BUNKROOM - RADU

Charges in.  He flattens with his back against the wall, and
starts to sob.  PUSH IN on him and then THELMA'S HAND
extends into frame, holding a tissue.  He reacts, startled,
as WE PULL BACK TO REVEAL...

THELMA

extending it to him.

                           RADU
          Uh...thanks.

He wipes his face.

                           THELMA
          Why did you become upset at your
          party?

                           RADU
          Because I screwed up, and they all
          knew it, that's why.  Because I
          wanted to be like them so much, I'd
          have said anything...I did say
          anything, the first dumb things
          that came to my mind.
               (beat)
          I guess wanting to have a 
          family...even a pretend one...was
          too much to ask for.  You couldn't
          understand.

                           THELMA
          I couldn't?  But I had always
          thought a family is not only the
          people to whom you are born...but
          those to whom you belong.
               (beat)
          Did I screw up, too?

                           RADU
               (softly)
          No.  Not at all.


INT. TEAM ROOM - TIGHT ON - THE BOX

It's beginning to tremble slightly, and WE HEAR a low
throbbing starting to come from it.

                           HARLAN (o.s.)
          I can't believe you're angry with
          me?  I'm out of here!


INT. CORRIDOR OUTSIDE TEAMROOM - HARLAN, CATALINA, GODDARD

Harlan EXITS the team room angrily, Goddard stepping out
after him, stopping in doorway.

                           GODDARD
          You used that information I gave
          you maliciously!  If I'd known what
          was going on, I'd never have--

                           HARLAN
          What, told me the truth?  Since
          when is telling the truth something
          you get yelled at for, huh?

He stalks off.  Goddard is about to go after him but
Catalina steps out.

                           CATALINA
          Let me talk to him.

And Goddard, who'd probably throttle him if left with him,
gestures for Catalina to follow Harlan.  She does so.


INT. CORRIDOR - HARLAN, CATALINA

She catches up with him.

                           HARLAN
          I tried, okay?  I tried to be nice,
          and I tried to watch what I said,
          but it just didn't work out!  And
          he didn't make it any easier!
          Admit it.

                           CATALINA
          Okay, I admit it.  He messed
          up...and so did you.  And he said
          dumb things, and so did you.  And
          he got made when he shouldn't have,
          and so did you.

                           HARLAN
          Good.  I'm glad, for once, you see
          it my way.

                           CATALINA
          I guess I haven't been of much
          help.  You should really be talking
          to someone you have a lot in common
          with.

                           HARLAN
          Absolutely.

                           CATALINA
               (got'cha)
          Like Radu.

And this quiet observation brings Harlan up short.  He looks
at her.


INT. TEAM ROOM - TIGHT ON - BOVA

He pulls open the top of the box AND SEES...

INSERT - THE METEOR

Trembling and GLOWING FROM WITHIN...and suddenly it seems to
LEAP...


INT. BOY'S BUNKROOM - RADU

WE SEE him working on his compupad and then he raises his
head, touching his fingers to his forehead, wincing as if in
pain...and then his eyes widen.

                           RADU
          Already?!  It's happening already!!

And quickly he's on his feet.


INT. CORRIDOR OUTSIDE TEAM ROOM - ROSIE DAVENPORT,
CATALINA

hightailing it out as, from within the Team Room...

                           GODDARD (o.s.)
          All of you, get as far away as
          possible!  Hurry!


INT. TEAM ROOM - HARLAN, BOVA, GODDARD

Bova is on his back, pinned under the meteor, grunting under
the weight.  Goddard and Harlan are trying to budge it, to
no avail.

                           HARLAN
          It wasn't like this before!  It
          feels like it just got...a hundred
          times heavier!

                           RADU (o.s.)
          It does that when it gets close to
          the breaking point!

Radu quickly enters frame.  He moves quickly, grips the
meteor and hosts it off Bova, plunking it to the ground.

The meteor is GLOWING, giving off a high-pitched sound like
a nuclear tea kettle.

                           GODDARD
          Get it off the ship!

                           RADU
          We can't!  If we do, it'll die!

                           HARLAN
          Die?!  It's a rock from Cygnus 12!

                           RADU
          No!  It's an egg!  Like the kind I
          hatched out of!

                           GODDARD
          You mean that's a baby Andromedan
          in there?!

                           RADU
          No, it's a rare animal that comes
          from Andromeda...it's called a
          Gurkel.  And it's having trouble
          being born!  If I don't crack the
          egg open, if I don't help it...
               (beat)
          Please...don't let your not
          trusting me cost a creature its
          life.

Goddard and Harlan look at each other.

                           HARLAN
          So he lied.  Big deal.  It's one of
          the most human things he's ever
          done.

                           GODDARD
          Do it, Mr. Radu...and if this blows
          us up, I'll be very disappointed in
          you.

Radu takes the meteor, puts his strength into it,
grunting...and he BREAKS OPEN the egg.  Harlan, Bova and
Goddard look on in amazement.

                           BOVA
          Well?

Radu slowly reaches in and withdraws a bizarre looking
creature...a small blue bundle of fur.  We can't see much
beyond that.

                           HARLAN
          It's...dead, isn't it.

                           RADU
               (nodding)
          Bova...I'm...sorry.

                           BOVA
          It's all right.  You tried.

DAVENPORT, CATALINA, ROSIE

Peering in through door, curious as to what's going on.

GODDARD

slowly starts to reach for it, but Radu ignores him, instead
determinedly "kneading" the small creature in his arms,
urgently, determinedly, not willing to give up.  Goddard
puts a hand on Radu's shoulder.

                           GODDARD
          Radu...

                           RADU
               (calmly)
          Wait...just wait...

And he keeps kneading it, working on it.  Long moments pass
and then...it begins to move.  Slowly it raises its head.
It's cute, cuddly, with a beak, large eyes, and ears like an
Andromedan's.  It looks around.

                           HARLAN
          You did it!

                           GODDARD
          Congratulations, Mr. Radu.  You're
          a father.

                           RADU
          Like they say, you can't choose
          your relatives.

The Alien stops playing and watches as Radu give the Gurkel
over to Bova, but the creature begins to struggle.

                           BOVA
          He won't stay still!  What's wrong
          with him.

                           RADU
          Her, actually.  I...I'm not sure...

                           BOVA
          Wait...I bet I know.  There were
          other eggs back on Cygnus 12.  I
          bet she wants to go home.
               (beat, looks at the
                creature...and smiles)
          Giving someone a family as a
          birthday present...that's a pretty
          nice thing to do, isn't it?

                           GODDARD
          Yes, Mr. Bova...I'd tend to agree.
          Harlan, Radu...bring us back to
          Cygnus 12.

                                                  DISSOLVE TO:


INT. COMMAND POST - GODDARD, HARLAN, RADU

Looking at view screen.

                           RADU
          Entering upper atmosphere of Cygnus
          12.

Radu walks forward from the navigation system towards the
command console.

                           GODDARD
          Take us in for a landing, Mr. Band.

                           RADU
          I don't think that'll be necessary,
          Commander.
               (into speaker on Command
                Console)
          Catalina, Rosie...get the airlock
          ready!  Bova...put the Gurkel down
          and stand back.


INT. TEAM ROOM - BOVA, DAVENPORT

Bova puts the Gurkel down.  Davenport, standing a few feet
back, happens to be in the direction of the door.  PUSH IN
ON Davenport as her jaw drops and WE HEAR THE FLAPPING OF
WINGS and a high pitched SCREEN

GURKEL'S POV - BOVA, DAVENPORT

A WORM'S EYE VIEW that RISES QUICKLY, again with the SFX of
WINGS FLAPPING.

ANGLE ON - DAVENPORT

She HITS THE DECK as the airborne Gurkel, gorgeous
rainbow-colored WINGS OUTSTRETCHED, hurtles past her.


INT. CORRIDOR - THE AIRLOCK - CATALINA, ROSIE

They've cycled it open.  Catalina, wide-eyed, points.

GURKEL POV - OVER THE SHOULDER

Gliding down the corridor towards them.

BACK TO SCENE

As the Gurkel sails into the open airlock.  Rosie punches a
button and the airlock CYCLES CLOSED.

                           ROSIE
          Inner door sealed!

                           CATALINA
          Open outer door.

Rosie punches another button and WE HEAR a whoosh from
within.


EXT. CYGNUS 12 UPPER ATMOSPHERE (GREEN SCREEN/CGI)

The Gurkel, wings outstretched, angles AWAY FROM US and down
towards Cygnus 12...and home.

                                                  DISSOLVE TO:


EXT. SPACE - THE CHRISTA

Sailing away fromt he planet.


INT. COMMAND POST - ENTIRE CAST

Goddard approaches Radu.

                           GODDARD
          You know, Radu...the first thing
          they teach you in command school is
          that a commander must never express
          regrets.  It undermines crew
          confidence.  If I were allowed to
          do so...I would apologize for
          having caused you embarrassment.
          But you understand...I can't.

                           RADU
               (smiling)
          Understood, Commander.  Oh, Miss
          Davenport...I thought I'd turn in
          my assignment early.  Here...my
          family tree.

He holds up his compupad and taps it.


TIGHT ON - THE SCREEN

Headshots of the crew of the Christa with branches
connecting them.


BACK TO SCENE

                           ROSIE
          Oh, Radu...that's so...

                           HARLAN
          Sappy.

                           CATALINA
          Is that all you have to say,
          Harlan?!

                           HARLAN
          Yeah.  That's all.
               (and then, very, very
                softly, a bare whisper)
          I'm sorry.

                           RADU
          I heard that.

                           HARLAN
          I knew you would.

Harlan extends a hand.  Radu, smiling, grips it firmly.
Harlan takes it, maintains his own smile, then the moment
they release he turns and WE SEE his face twist in agony as
he grips his apparently now-shattered hand. As he moves OUT
OF FRAME, probably to seek medical attention...

UPPER SKY - CYGNUS 12 - THE GERKEL

Soaring through the air and frolicking with others of its
kind as we...

                                                  FADE OUT.

                       THE END