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