This transcript provided by: Farscape Ally!
Suggestions for corrections/revisions/expansions are, as always, gratefully accepted.
| Starring: | |
|
Ben Browder
Claudia Black Virginia Hey Anthony Simcoe Gigi Edgley |
Commander John Crichton Officer Aeryn Sun Pa'u Zotoh Zhaan Ka D'Argo Chiana |
| Guest Starring: | |
|
Wayne Pygram Lani Tupu Paul Goddard Claudia Karvan Jeremy Sims Matt Newton Nicholas Hope David Franklin John Adam Linal Haft Thomas Holesgrove Phillip Hinton David Bowers |
Scorpius Captain Bialar Crais Stark Natira Rorf Jothee Akkor Lieutenant Braca Bekhesh Zelkin Teurac Voice of Teurac Kurz |
|
Writer: Justin Monjo Who also wrote: | |
Director: Tony Tilse Who also directed: | |
| CREATED BY: | Rockne S. O'Bannon |
| EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: | Richard Manning |
| EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: | Naren Shankar |
| PRODUCED BY: | Sue Milliken |
| WRITTEN BY: | Justin Monjo |
| DIRECTED BY: | Tony Tilse |
| EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: |
David Kemper Brian Henson |
| EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: |
Rod Perth Robert Halmi, Jr. |
| EXECUTIVE CONSULTANT: | Rockne S. O'Bannon |
| CREATIVE CONSULTANT: | Justin Monjo |
| DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY | Russell Bacon |
| PRODUCTION DESIGNER: | Tim Ferrier |
| ASSOCIATE PRODUCER: | Andrew Prowse |
| MUSIC BY: | Guy Gross |
| COSTUME DESIGNER: | Terry Ryan |
| EDITOR: | Wayne Le Clos |
| SECOND UNIT DOP: | Danny Batterham |
| MAKEUP/HAIR SUPERVISOR: | Dave Patterson |
| STORY EDITOR: | Lily Taylor |
| SCRIPT EDITOR: | Grant McAloon |
| PRODUCTION EXECUTIVE: | Robert Wozniak |
| CREATURE SHOP CREATIVE SUPERVISOR: | Dave Elsey | VOICE OF RYGEL: | Jonathan Hardy | VOICE OF PILOT: | Lani Tupu |
| VISUAL EFFECTS: | ANIMAL LOGIC |
| LINE PRODUCER: | Anthony Winley |
COLD OPENDEPOSITORY, Natira's Quarters Inside Natira's Quarters, the large wire 'sphere' is put to perhaps an unintended purpose. The top of the sphere rotates down, revealing Crichton strapped to the exterior surface, arms outstretched and back arched, like Atlas in reverse, held in place by gravity and the straps across his biceps and upper arms.
Scorpius stands eye to eye with his prisoner, although Crichton's pov is distorted because of his position.
Scorpius taps John's forehead.
Scorpy plugs two leads into a PK panel that bleeps and whirs. INTERCUT MOYA, Command A message from Crichton, projected on the clamshell viewer plays to a packed house.
The transmission terminates and Aeryn turns to D'Argo.
Composing herself, Aeryn addresses the rest of the group gathered around the table, the recruited 'mercenaries', the Sheyang, Teurac, the Tavlek, Bekhesh, the Vocarian, Rorg, and the two Zenetans, Zelkin and Kurz.
Kurz draws his weapon and holds it on D'Argo and Aeryn, D'Argo snarls but makes no aggressive move as Zelkin, standing next to Chiana seated at the table, draws his weapon also.
END COLD OPENROLL OPENING CREDITSMy name is John Crichton... an astronaut... A radiation wave hit, and I got shot through a wormhole... Now I'm lost in some distant part of the universe on a ship... a living ship, full of strange, alien lifeforms... help me. Listen please... is there anybody out there who can hear me? ... I'm being hunted by an insane military commander... doing everything I can... I'm just looking for a way home. ACT IMOYA, Command Zelkin continues holding his weapon on Chiana. Across the table, Aeryn continues leaning lightly against it, eyeing Zelkin cooly.
Zelkin hesitates a bit too long. Aeryn unleashes her complete contempt on him.
She turns her back on him, taking a few paces away from the table before turning back and hurling a nice insult. She's in top form here.
The tension rises, as Kurz takes special offense to this last and raises his weapon pointedly.
In the midst of the tension, an exhuberant teenager bursts onto the scene, distracting Kurz and Zelkin for a crucial moment.
Aeryn and D'Argo take full advantage of the distraction and pull weapons, training them instantly on the Zenetans. It's now a standoff, rather than a takeover.
Stark enters, his step slowing as he takes in the tableau.
Chiana stands slowly, playing the turned tables for all they are worth, she tries to push Zelkin's weapon away.
Zelkin grabs her, holding her as a shield against him. Rorf moves quickly as well, siezing on Jothee. Tensions escalate once more with the sound of arms being readied all around the room. Stark, standing slightly behind Rorf, glances nervously around the room.
And Stark is off to the races, instantly going into his stark raving mad routine, circling around Rorf, confusing him completely.
Completely focused on Stark, Rorf releases Jothee, the better to keep an eye on the madman.
INTERCUT DEPOSITORY, Natira's Quarters Scorpius adjusts a device attached to a thin metal band that encircles Crichton's brow, he makes slight adjustments to small lighted attachments close to Crichton's right eye as Natira climbs up the wire sphere, the better to 'inspect' Scorpy's prize.
Natira's clawed hand slides up the interior of Crichton's right leg, her hand's final destination is blocked by her head as she leans over him. Crichton flinches and grunts involuntarily. Scorpius releases his hand from the device, peevish at the interruption.
Scorpius moves to the panel on the small pedestal near the wire sphere. The leads from the device on Crichton's head run directly back to the panel, it hums quietly as Scorpius shares his hopes for the usefulness of the wormhole information. From atop the sphere, Natira glances back down to the human, new appreciation and speculation in her expression.
Scorpius passes his hand over the controls on the panel. The panel's tonal quality shifts... Crichton reacts, gasping in pain. INTERCUT EXT. SPACE Talyn, now only about half the size of Moya, hangs close to her side, several connections run between the two vessels, the largest of the connections shows the flow of some kind of material from Talyn to Moya through a transparent section.
INTERCUT Moya, Main Corridor Or what remains of one, the area is throughly blackened and warped. Globules of material droop and drip from the destroyed ceilings.
Aeryn escorts Crais through the damaged corridor as he evaluates the damage with a professional air.
Aeryn turns back, hesitant to explain her need.
Crais considers the idea for a microt before dismissing it.
Crais glances away briefly, recovering from his snit.
INTERCUT MOYA, Maintenance Bay Stark disjointedly explains his 'plan' for getting in and out of the depository. Blue prints litter the floor as he describes the strategy. Teurac and the rest just look confused, glancing at each other and shaking their heads. It doesn't look good.
Stark looks for anyone who might be understanding what he's trying to explain. Settling for Rorf who looks 'completely' lost.
Rygel hovers in to make a point, for some reason he's decided that Durka's disembodied head makes a very nice ornament for his scepter.
Rorf is completely unimpressed. What, he was expecting...? Brains with his mercenaries?
INTERCUT MOYA, D'Argo's Quarters Jothee lifts D'Argo's Qualta Blade from the shelf, examining it silently when dad enters.
Jothee replaces the blade carefully, D'Argo approaches him slowly.
Jothee turns and stalks from the room. INTERCUT DEPOSITORY, Natira's Quarters Natira watches as Scorpius makes a few final adjustments on the neural probe attached to Crichton's head.
Scorpius turns back to the panel.
Scorpius turns back to Natira, an identical neural probe encircling his head.
Scorpius passes his palm over the panel controls and with the change in tonal quality, Crichton reacts again, his head bucking foward, a strangled gasp of pain escaping his lips. INTERCUT THEATER OF THE MIND, Sawyer's Mill Crichton stands at the end of a dock, hands in the pockets of his white IASA uniform, looking out over a moonlit lake. Startled, he pulls his hands from his pockets, glancing down and around in confusion.
Turning at the sound of footsteps, he watches Scorpius approach from the lands end of the short dock.
Scorpius joins him at the end of the dock, looking around with little interest.
The clone glances back down the dock, directing John's attention from a wandering, slightly affectionate gaze, to see Scorpy approaching from the lands end of the dock.
Scorpius stops and addresses the clone. John walks toward Scorpius, mildly curious.
Standing before Scorpius, John looks back and forth between the clone and Scorpius, a slight smile on his face.
Scorpius circles around John, standing slightly behind and beside him.
Scorpius raises an object behind John's head, short and bluntly pointed. ( Okay, it looks like a lemon juicer. Sorry. )
Only mildly annoyed, Crichton starts to walk away. Scorpius brings the 'object' down swiftly, burying it in the back of John's neck. Grunting in shock and pain, John collapses slowly to his knees, then falls forward. Scorpius walks casually away while John makes a startling discovery, lying breathless and stunned on the ground.
END ACT IACT IIEXT. SPACE A transport pod transits from Moya to Talyn. (STOCK CGI: TUT. Can we believe they use this so much!) TALYN, Command Aeryn follows Crais into Talyn's Command.
Crais turns from a control panel, a disbelieving look on his face. His attitude becoming slightly bemused, possibly taunting.
Giving no answer, she watches him calmly, waiting an answer.
Her calm collapsing slightly, as a hint of tears and desperation encroach.
Crais and Aeryn eye each other silently for a short eternity. INTERCUT MOYA, Maintenance Bay D'Argo readies weapons in solitude which is broken by the entrance of a contrite son.
D'Argo carefully approaches his son again.
D'Argo and Jothee turn toward the door. Zelkin, Kurz and Teurac have arrived to talk 'business'.
They all turn toward the door again at the sound of arms. Aeryn stands in the doorway, the big gun riding her hip. Hell on wheels.
INTERCUT DEPOSITORY, Natira's Quarters
We don't find out what "it seems", cause Scorpy is interrupted by critical failure of cooling rod. He twitches and growls in discomfort.
Akkor and Braca follow Scorpius, leaving Natira alone with Crichton.
Crichton's ice blue eyes roll up slightly, the better to focus a cold gaze on Natira.
As good as her word, Natira lashes out, striking him ungently. Crichton's head rocks with the blow and he chokes briefly, traces of blood spilling across his lips. Recovering slightly, he focusses on her again.
Natira smiles, displaying lovely fangs and blue gums. Tracing one clawed finger over a tiny spillet of blood on his lip, he places the claw between her lips, tasting him. ( oh, man. ewww! ) INTERCUT DEPOSITORY Just outside the Depository, Rorf and Bekhesh attempt to contact Moya. Rorf impatiently taps the comms in the palm of his hand.
Rorf turns to Bekhesh, who merely shrugs.
Bekhesh snags the comms from Rorf, giving Rygel the bad news.
INTERCUT MOYA, Corridor Zhaan walks down a corridor, her attention diverted by the sound of 'venting gas'. Turning toward the sound, she notes a large puff of smoke ejected into the corridor. Investigating further she finds the Sheyang, Teurac, secreted away, practicing and misfiring repeatedly, able only to produce smoke rather than flame.
Zhaan turns to report the problem, but Teurac stops her.
INTERCUT DEPOSITORY, Corridor Rorf darts into an empty corridor of the Depository, he's on a high, if comical, alert, whipping his rifle about, attempting to cover himself on all sides.
Rorf runs right into Akkor and two PK's. Growling he lowers the comm and attempts to raise his weapon, but another PK knocks him down and out from behind.
INTERCUT DEPOSITORY, Natira's Quarters Akkor 'interrogates' Rorf, he holds a small round object against the Trackers ear while Rorf growls defiantly, not looking even mildly inconvenienced by whatever this device is.
Still strapped to the top of the sphere, Crichton's gaze is directed toward the interrogation, he doesn't seem able to move anything but his eyes.
Rorf laughs unpleasantly.
Natira stands, the crablike claws on her head spread wide, flexing at their joints in a most decidedly creepy way.
Using the topmost claw on her head, Natira gently plucks at Rorf's left eye, he howls in pain. END ACT IIACT IIIDEPOSITORY, Natira's Quarters Rorf continues howling in pain, he holds a bloody rag to his eye. Natira stands in the background, 'grooming' her skull claws.
INTERCUT INT. TRANSPORT POD All but Chiana and the Zenetans are aboard, as the remaining assault team head to the Depository. D'Argo, fully in his element issuing commands to each part of the team, handing out arms as he speaks.
INTERCUT DEPOSITORY, Corridor Scorpius, Braca and Akkor, accompanied by many armed Security and PK Officers, move at a rapid pace.
Braca splits off, heading for the monitor room. Scorpius and Akkor pause just inside an 'elevator'.
The elevator doors close. INTERCUT INT. TRANSPORT POD Still piloting the Pod, Aeryn gives a final briefing to Rygel.
Aeryn takes up the big gun and heads for the debarkation point. Rygel assumes pilot controls of the pod from a forward console.
INTERCUT MOYA
Chiana runs into Command.
INTERCUT DEPOSITORY, Natira's Quarters Scorpius has left his prize alone with Natira again. She stands before the huge expanse of glass that is one entire wall of her quarters, looking out on the planet surface. To her it must be beautiful, the overcast and rain make it look like a deconstructed tintype photo. Gorgeous CGI.
She turns away from the window, heading slowly toward the pinoned Crichton. The clawed appendanges on her head wriggling about again.
The top most claw extends toward Crichton's left eye. He's helpless to do anthing, and doesn't even blink as the tip of the claw hones in on his eye. An abrupt and loud noise distracts Natira from her 'hobby' and she whips around back to the window in surprise.
Through the window a familiar shape approaches, diving rapidly through the atmosphere.
Moya rotates laterally, her belly skimming alongside the huge structure of the Depository. The concussive force of her hairsbreadth 'fly-by', causes all the windows in Natira's quarters to blow inward, shattered glass littering the floor. INTERCUT MOYA, Command Chiana let's loose an impressive 'war-whoop'
INTERCUT EXT. DEPOSITORY The Transport Pod, on low approach, skims to an abrupt landing, the eight legs of the pod striking up sparks against the deck of the depository landing site. INTERCUT INT. DEPOSITORY, Monitor Room Braca views the initial assault on the Monitors as a figure, unmistakably D'Argo-- Qualta Rifle at the ready, breaks in the front door and starts firing.
On the monitor, the picture is static filled, but it's plain that Aeryn has followed D'Argo inside, and begins laying down fire with the big gun. INTERCUT DEPOSITORY, Main Reception D'Argo, Aeryn and Bekhesh, having burst through the front doors, ala D'Argo's plan, begin to lay waste to the Security Guards. They make slow and steady progress into the building, as the Security desperately tries to hold them back. A single guard at the central point wields a large multi-muzzle cannon, but the three invaders are making a poor target.
Aeryn moves to cover, taking out a guard.
Still standing, more or less, in the open, Bekhesh takes out the monitoring camera with one shot from his gauntlet. In the monitoring room, Braca loses the bad picture he'd previously had. INTERCUT DEPOSITORY, Corridor Still accompanied by Akkor and PK officers, Scorpius issues orders on the fly.
INTERCUT DEPOSITORY, Corridors Trotting from many different directions, a combination of Depository Security and PK Officers head toward the main chamber. There seem to be several dozen heading in that direction. INTERCUT DEPOSITORY, Natira's Quarters Without benefit of windows to hold back the weather, the chamber is filled with a howling wind. Whatever isn't nailed down is blown about vigorously. The wire sphere Crichton is strapped to wobbles about dangerously in the wind. John's in fine form, again running a powerful bluff, shouting over the wind to be heard.
Natira paces around the room nervously, she's armed with a pulse rifle now.
INTERCUT DEPOSITORY, Corridor A Security Guard falls under pulse rifle fire as Stark, Zhaan and Teurac invade the depository.
Reaching their goal quickly, Zhaan and Stark look down on a large geometrically shaped device. Sucker is huge!
Zhaan pulls a silver injector from her robes, pulling up the plunger she slams it against Teurac's chest, sending the toxic substance into his body. INTERCUT DEPOSITORY, Main Reception The firefight continues in the main chamber. D'Argo, Aeryn and Bekhesh continue to take down guards as they attempt to approach their secure positions. However, D'Argo is unable to get a clear shot at the Guard with the hand cannon. The VFX for D'Argo's Qualta rifle are awesome, especially in the shot where he takes out the final camera, the green aura of the precharge speading out horizontally just before the main bolt fires is simply gorgeous, and dangerous looking!
Aeryn steps out of cover, firing the big gun, but the Guard ducks out of sight just in time. Aeryn spins back behind cover as the firefight continues. D'Argo steps out of cover, ready to take another shot at the main opposition in the main chamber, the guard with the hand cannon. Firing his rifle, rather than the precharge, he gets the sickly whine of a drained energy weapon. Turning about the Guard with the hand cannon notes D'Argo's problem, and turns quickly, 'cocking' his weapon. D'Argo grunts, disengaging the rifle, snapping the blade back in place. The guard begins to bring the cannon to bear.
D'Argo hurls the blade a truely impressive distance. The guard gasps in surprise at the appearance of the blade buried in his breastbone. Witness to this, Aeryn watches the guard, the hilt of the Qualta Blade protruding from his chest, and expresses her controlled surprise.
With a final gasp, the guard collapses. INTERCUT DEPOSITORY, The Generator Zhaan and Teurac are on the floor of the generator room, the massive device rotates slowly between them. Teurac leans heavily against the wall.
Scorpius and his Guards appear behind Zhaan, other PK officers take Stark above on the walkway.
Zhaan angrily refuses to relinquish her weapon. Scorpius encourages her with his own weapon, and his not so gentle urging.
INTERCUT DEPOSITORY, Main Chamber D'Argo retrieves his Qualta Blade and the large multi-muzzled hand cannon from the deceased guard.
Aeryn runs toward the sealed door, Bekhesh follows her, finishing off those few guards who 'may or may not' already be dead.
Firing his gauntlet at a prone body.
Firing at another body.
Aeryn peers through the tinted triangular windows that border the door between the main chamber and the interior of the depository.
INTERCUT DEPOSITORY, Corridor In the corridor outside the main chamber, dozens of PK's and Security Guards line up against the walls, weapons at the ready. Braca watches the assemblage from the Monitor Room. INTERCUT DEPOSITORY, Main Chamber
INTERCUT DEPOSITORY, The Generator Believing he has the situation firmly in hand, Scorpius attempts to contact Natira. The guards bring Stark down from the overhead walkway and stand him next to Zhaan.
Teurac appears from behind the rotating generator.
Teurac aims his odd little triangular pulse rifle against his chest.
Atop the walkway, Akkor bolts.
Teurac fires, and instantly his entire body is consumed in flame. Zhaan and Stark duck quickly around a corner, diving away from the huge explosion, the fireball spreading through the room. The force of the explosion, felt at least as far away as the Main Chamber and the Monitor Room. END ACT IIIACT IVDEPOSITORY, Main Chamber The force of the generator exploding rocks the chamber, and with a low whine the lights dim to a nice theatrical semi-gloom.
D'Argo and Aeryn pull a monacle device over their right eyes. Aeryn hesitates briefly, lightly tapping the surface of the blue lens of the 'night vision' goggle, all she can see is blackness with bright streaks of light. Behind her, D'Argo readies the heavy multi-cannon purloined from the Security guard, hefting it to ready position.
Abruptly the door behind them all slides open, revealing the corridor beyond, D'Argo whirls about, multi-cannon swinging down to cover the corridor.
D'Argo fires the cannon into the blackness of the corridor, his 'night-vision' goggle picking out the the soldiers and guards, their bodies appear as reddish white blurs in the darkness. With the initial shot, all hell breaks loose. The soldiers, guards, and Aeryn firing blindly into the darkness. D'Argo and Aeryn advance down the corridor, firing at will, shoulder to shoulder. Bekhesh firing his gauntlet from between them. The opposing side has little chance against this unstoppable force, falling rapidly beneath the heavy fire. Still seeing nothing but darkness occassionally illuminated by the streaking static of the 'night-vision' goggle and the bursts of weapons fire, Aeryn distractedly taps the goggles lens from time to time, trying to force it to work. A final explosion lights the dark, followed by absolute darkness as the firefight slowly ebbs.
Darkness and silence are broken by the whine of a backup generator. Slowly emergency lighting brings the corridor into stark relief. Aeryn, D'Argo and Bekhesh turn about quickly covering all sides for possible enemy attack. However the among the bodies littering the corridor, none remain to oppose them.
INTERCUT DEPOSITORY, Corridor Scorpius and his remaining soldiers have fallen back, escaping the brunt of the attack of the invading force. Behind Scorpius a soldier screams, his uniform afire. Scorpy ignores him and the other soldiers fall away from him, only watching as his burning body flails about the corridor.
From the monitoring room, Braca has no assistance to lend.
The screaming soldier must be too distracting to Scorpius, he walks further away to make his next communication.
INTERCUT DEPOSITORY, Natira's Quarters Still mounted on the wire sphere, the neural interface strapped to his forehead, Crichton shouts above the rushing wind. His efforts to win a timely ally putting more life in him than we've seen since his 're-capture.'
Uncertainty radiates from her, she doesn't answer Scorpius, instead turning to Crichton. INTERCUT THEATER OF THE MIND, Sawyer's Mill Crichton's 'body' remains prone on the ground, the hilt of Scorpy's 'neural knife' protuding from the back of his neck. The induced paralysis keeping him motionless, his voice slurred from the effort to speak.
The Scorpy clone steps up onto the dock.
Natira walks past Crichton's prone form, meeting Scorpy at the end of the dock (pier, whatever), her voice a desperate entreaty.
The clone turns it's back on her, and she starts to walk back toward Crichton.
Natira kneels behind him.
INTERCUT DEPOSITORY, Natira's Quarters Aeryn, D'Argo, and Bekhesh enter the windswept chamber, no sign of anyone remains. They all shout over the rush of wind... and from a bit of frustration I'd wager.
INTERCUT DEPOSITORY, Corridor Natira prods Crichton ahead of her with the muzzle of a pulse rifle, Rorf staggers along beside them as Crichton moves along bent over with his hand pressed to his forehead.
Crichton suddenly shouts in pain, his indrawn breath harsh and eerie in a constricted throat. At his shoulder instantly, Rorf holds him steady.
Crichton grabs onto him, in desperation.
Natira shoves Crichton forward roughly with the pulse rifle, he staggers forward, still pressing a hand to his head.
Crichton shouts again, not really addressing the squabbling pair behind him.
Rorf grabs him roughly by the shoulder, and he actually focusses on him as Rorf rants angrily.
At the far end of the corridor an explosion precedes a number of soldiers charging around the corner.
Crichton, Rorf and Natira run! INTERCUT DEPOSITORY, Corridor Elsewhere, Zhaan and Stark run into a corridor illuminated by emergency lighting.
INTERCUT TRANSPORT POD
Rygel snarls and snaps at Jothee's hand. On the contrary... Rygel's drivin'! INTERCUT DEPOSITORY, Monitoring room Emergency power assists Braca as well.
INTERCUT DEPOSITORY, Corridor Moving now toward some goal, Scorpius marches along, accompanied by a number of PK Soldier.
INTERCUT MOYA, Command Zelkin brings a small device to his ear.
Chiana approaches Zelkin from the Strategy table, reaching out her hand to the device Zelkin is holding. He grabs her wrist, twisting her arm behind her.
Zelkin brings the comm up again, issuing an order.
Moya and the Transport Pod carrying Rygel and Jothee are ensnared in The Flax. INTERCUT TRANSPORT POD Jothee and Rygel and thrown forward as the Transport is suddenly held immobile in The Flax.
INTERCUT MOYA, Pilot's Den
INTERCUT DEPOSITORY, Corridor Crichton walks slowly, due to continued prodding from Natira. Shouting incoherently as he grapples with pain, bent forward at the waist, both hands clutching his forehead.
Crichton releases his forehead, standing semi-upright, blood streaming from his nose. Ahead of them in the corridor a mass of soldiers rounds the corner. Crichton stands unsteadily in the center of the corridor, confronting what he believes must be an illusion.
Scorpius walks slowly toward him, between the soldiers who stand ready with their weapons, but do not fire. Natira urges Crichton to take cover.
Natira vainly urges Crichton to move to the cover of a small room on the left side of the corridor.
Rorf pushes Crichton toward cover of the small alcove on the left side of the corridor, before darting to the right himself. Unfortunately, Crichton does no more than wobble slightly.
Beside Scorpius, Akkor raises a large pulse pistol.
Rorf charges Crichton, slamming a shoulder into him. Crichton staggers into Natira, cowering in the alcove, his breath rushing out in a loud grunt. Akkor's shot, surely intended for Crichton, strikes Rorf instead, and he is flung to the ground. Scorpius turns to Akkor and snarls wickedly, but lacks the opportunity to kill him himself. Stunned into action by Rorf, Crichton strips the rifle from Natira's hand, and steps back into the center of the corridor.
Stretching out the rifle in one hand, he picks Akkor off with one shot. Akkor's body flies backward.
Crichton holds the rifle extended, screaming in pain and rage, willing himself to loose another shot... to kill Scorpius.
Ignoring everything except a fierce will to destroy his tormentor, Crichton continues screaming, urgently thrusting the rifle forward, but it refuses to fire!
Sickening realization hits and Crichton lowers the rifle, it hangs uselessly in his right hand. Wavering on unsteady feet, blood trickling across his lips, he pants heavily, his gazed fixed along the corridor, as Scorpius moves slowly toward him.
Natira bolts from cover, running back along the corridor. The PK soldiers open fire, but are handicapped by their commander's orders, and must fire to avoid Crichton. Natira makes good her escape, disappearing around a corner, and silence decends again in the corridor. Scorpius continues walking slowly toward his prey. Crichton, completely disoriented and barely able to keep to his feet, watches him come. From around a corner at the far end of the corridor, D'Argo appears. Wheeling about in the corridor, and siting the 'showdown', he charges into the fray, multi-cannon firing. Aeryn and Bekhesh follow, 'guns blazing'. Already driven back once by this onslaught, Scorpius and his soldiers fall back under cover of return fire. Both sides are handicapped by the imperative not to take out Crichton, who continues to stand-- dazed, in the center of the corridor. Aeryn, D'Argo and Bekhesh charge the corridor, driving the Peacekeepers back. Reaching Crichton's position, D'Argo kneels beside Rorf.
Motionless and unresponsive to the chaos erupting around him, Aeryn forces Crichton into the cover of an alcove with a quick hip shot, and he staggers forward out of the field of fire. D'Argo drags Rorf into the alcove, and Aeryn and Bekhesh follow.
Support PK's arrive, flanking the 'rescuers'. Opposing forces on both ends of the corridor effectively pinning them down inside the small alcove.
On D'Argo's promise, Rorf succumbs. D'Argo glances once at Crichton, sitting slumped against the wall, still looking uncertain and confused, before joining Aeryn and Bekhesh in holding the PK's back.
INTERCUT DEPOSITORY, Corridor Elsewhere, Stark searches fallen soldiers while Zhaan desperately tries to raise Rygel on comms. Meanwhile, soldiers dispatched by Braca are on the approach.
And here's a great 'hero' shot of Crais on board Talyn. All Crais fans NEED this pic! I like to call it Crais' "Gregory Peck" moment. :)
INTERCUT MOYA, Command Zelkin holds Chiana down on the strategy table, stroking her hair in a REALLY creepy fashion.
Zelkin glances up quickly at an odd sound. Through the forward portal gets a brief glimpse of a ship on a high velocity approach vector, before it shoots out of sight. INTERCUT TALYN, Command We 'hear' the sound of an explosion and Crais squints slightly as the explosive flare illuminates command through the forward portal INTERCUT EXT. SPACE A large fireball expands as Talyn's cannon 'vaporizes' the Zenetan ship. INTERCUT MOYA, Command Moya is rocked by the explosion. Chiana head bounces heavily on the table.
INTERCUT TRANSPORT POD
INTERCUT MOYA, Command Zelkin continues to hold Chiana to the table, his pulse gun to the back of her neck, signalling his ship with his other hand.
Chiana wrests away from Zelkin. Holding his gun arm away from her head, she tries pretty much everything in her repertoire, from kicking to biting. Struggling for control of the gun, it is turned down and held by both between their bodies. The gun fires and both Chi and Zelkin jump, either startled or shot... we can't say at this moment. ( Man... don't ya just hate it when that happens? ) Chiana pants heavily, her breath coming in short gasps. Zelkin just stands there with an awful smirk on his face.
He falls to the floor, dragging Chi with him. Chiana kneels over his body, still gasping for breath, a small smokey hole near Zelkin's ... ah... lessee... um, crotch...? ...marks the death blow. ( Something ELSE we didn't know about Zenetans! ) INTERCUT DEPOSITORY, Corridor/Alcove Meanwhile, back at the firefight. What amounts to a stalemate as Aeryn, D'Argo and Bekhesh are effectively pinned down by the PK force, but the PK force cannot hope to breech the heavy firepower afforded by D'Argo's hand cannon, Aeryn's big gun, and Bekhesh's gauntlet weapon; which, indeed, is AWESOME in close combat, as Crichton promised. Meanwhile, Crichton sits uselessly against the far wall of the alcove. Mentally-- he's checked out for now, but manages a moment to examine the blood discovered on his upper lip, as though wondering how it got there.
INTERCUT DEPOSITORY, Corridor PK reinforcements have still not arrived at this point, Stark and Zhaan are still alone there, waiting on Rygel.
INTERCUT DEPOSITORY, Alcove
INTERCUT TRANSPORT POD Jothee and Rygel aboard the transport, listen in on Aeryn's plan. Rygel seeming alert, eager and more than prepared to 'follow orders'.
INTERCUT DEPOSITORY, Alcove
Out in the corridor, his soldiers falling all around him, Scorpius tires of the stalemate. It appears to this viewer, that he focusses his thoughts 'inward'... directly contacting Crichton through the neural chip.
Aeryn fires the big gun directly across the corridor, blowing out the elaborate decorative grate that forms the far wall of the corridor, leaving a gaping hole.
Bekhesh darts into the corridor, firing on the soldiers at one end before disappearing into the hole in the wall.
Crichton rises slowly to his knees, his voice weak and clearly disoriented.
Aeryn turns about from covering Bekhesh's retreat, and slams the butt of her rifle against Crichton's face. He collapses on his back, unconscious.
D'Argo manages a 'what the frell?' sideways glance at Aeryn as she darts into the corridor, firing twice down the corridor before disappearing inside her makeshift exit. Right behind her disappearing coattails, D'Argo steps into the corridor, Crichton draped across his shoulder. Scorpius looks extremely peeved that his prey might escape yet again. Crichton's lax arms dangle down D'Argo's back. The huge Luxan turns down the corridor, firing one shot with the cannon from between Crichton's bootheels, before darting into the hole in the wall. INTERCUT TALYN, Command
INTERCUT DEPOSITORY, Corridor Aeryn leads the flight, followed closely by Bekhesh and D'Argo with his human cargo.
Turning a corner, she stops at a control console, keying the door in front of her.
INTERCUT DEPOSITORY, Monitor Room Braca enjoys a moment, believing escape is impossible.
INTERCUT DEPOSITORY, Corridor Covering a side corridor with a purloined rifle, Stark hears the approaching soldiers...
INTERCUT TRANSPORT POD
INTERCUT DEPOSITORY Outside the Vault.
Aeryn backs away and Bekhesh 'fries' the control panel with his gauntlet. The door slides open. Aeryn and Bekhesh run inside.
D'Argo follows, the hilt of his Qualta Blade doing a lot toward keeping Crichton's body in place on his shoulder. Aeryn and Bekhesh step up inside an open 'deposit box', the interior is already pretty filled with large white crates. INTERCUT EXT. DEPOSITORY, Landing Bay Transport pod comes down in another hurried landing, kicking up muted sparks on the rain drenched surface.
Inside the Depository, Zhaan and Stark bolt for the exit.
On the Transport, Jothee exits the forward area to open the access hatch. INTERCUT MOYA, Pilot's Den
INTERCUT TALYN, Command
INTERCUT MOYA, Command Chiana waits.
INTERCUT TRANSPORT POD
INTERCUT DEPOSITORY, The Vault Standing inside the Deposit Box, Bekhesh helps ease Crichton's body from D'Argo's shoulder. INTERCUT DEPOSITORY, Corridor Scorpius steps over a body, into a corridor. It's not clear "where" he is in the depository. INTERCUT TALYN, Command
INTERCUT DEPOSITORY, The Vault Bekhesh holds Crichton's unconscious form semi-upright inside the box.
D'Argo and Aeryn climb into the box.
INTERCUT DEPOSITORY, Corridor Scorpius continues a deliberate, unhurried pace, down the corridor.
INTERCUT TALYN, Command
INTERCUT DEPOSITORY, The Vault Aeryn ensures that Crichton is 'fully inside' the box as D'Argo holds his weapon ready, watching for last minute opposition as the heavy Deposit Box door swings slowly closed.
INTERCUT TALYN, Command
INTERCUT MOYA, Pilot's Den
INTERCUT DEPOSITORY, The Vault Prinstine white and blue walls, the heavy blue Depository Box sealed securely closed. All is silence. INTERCUT TALYN, Command
INTERCUT EXT. PLANET SURFACE Talyn approaches the Depository at a low angle, sweeping past the other nearby buildings, their shapes mere sillouettes against the skyscape. With Talyn's much vaunted firepower, he takes out the massive structure of the Depository, plus one outlying building, with three shots. As a delicately planned demolition might have it, the structure slowly collapses, it's own weight assisting in the destruction. Inside what was once the Vault, the Deposit Box sits in the midst of complete ruin. The Box and a part of one wall, the only thing left standing. END ACT IVEPILOGUEMOYA, Maintenance Bay The room is filled with the white crates from the Deposit Box. Most are open, displaying the riches within. Rygel sits atop one crate, it's contents a gleaming heap of treasures.
In a somewhat less exhultant mood; Chiana, Stark and Zhaan disinterestedly examine the haul.
Bekhesh arrives in time to provide a bit of double-edged solace.
Bekhesh exits, one large black crate balanced on his shoulder. INTERCUT TALYN, Command Aeryn enters, passing Crais, presenting her back to him along with her thanks.
Aeryn turns slowly, and passing Crais again, moves to depart.
INTERCUT MOYA, Crichton's Quarters Back 'home' again, Crichton stands near a small table, singing quietly to himself.
D'Argo steps through the open doorway, Jothee in tow.
With extreme care, using both hands, Crichton attempts to place the White King on the board.
The White King wobbles out of his control, toppling over to join the remaining pieces, all of which are strewn across the board, keeping company with John's pulse pistol. The only piece standing on the board is the Black King.
Crichton doesn't seem to realize he has 'real' company. With apparent concern, D'Argo leaves Jothee in the open doorway and enters the room.
Attempting to put the White King back into play once more, the ever present voice in his head startles him into dropping the piece again. He jumps away from the board, flinging his hands into the air... he's completely alone with Scorpy.
D'Argo circles the table, on this close proximity, Crichton finally notices him.
Crichton looks away, down at the table.
Stepping in even closer, D'Argo siezes Crichton's face in his hands, turning his attention forcibly back toward him.
Crichton's shadowed and red rimmed eyes fix on D'Argo's. A moment of lucidity lends him a quietly controlled voice to beg a favor of a friend.
With compassion and sorrow, D'Argo looks on the quiet desperation in Crichton's eyes, his gloved thumb stroking Crichton's cheek with the same tenderness expressed in his reunion with his son... FADE TO BLACKROLL ENDING CREDITS |