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Darkness of Space
By J-Francis-C
Darkness of Space Script
Darkness of Space
Screenplay and story
by
James Francis Clements
A small spaceship, the Octagon, drifts in space, towards a massive square shaped space station.
Inside the spaceship, Rodrigues Marquis (Latin, 20’s) stares in front of him, he looks mentally
exhausted. At the side of him is a cryo chamber. Rodrigues looks down into it, and puts his hand on it
wiping away condensation. Inside the chamber a frozen blob of liquid can be seen. Rodrigues sighs and
continues staring in front of him.
A FLASHBACK
IN A HOT STEAMY JUNGLE, RODRIGUES AND A MAN (O’NEIL,20’S) BOTH ARE IN ARMY
FATIGUES, HIDING IN A MUDDY DITCH. RODRIGUES IS CALM, BUT O’NEIL NEXT TO HIM
IS NERVOUS AND SCARED, O’NEIL STARTS MUTTERING TO HIMSELF.
RODRIGUES
SHUT UP..SHUT UP... YOUR GOInG TO GET US KILLED.
O’NEIL
WE’RE ALL GOING TO DIE, WE’VE ALL GOTTA DIE ONE DAY WHY NOT NOW?
RODRIGUES
SHUT UP!
ONEIL GETS UP AND STEPS IN THE CLEARING IN FRONT OF THE DITCH, HE STARTS
WAVING HIS HANDS IN FRONT OF HIM. HE STOPS LOOKING UP AT THE SKY WHICH IS
CLEAR AND LIGHT BLUE.
O”NEIL (LOOKING UP TO THE SKY)
I’M HERE, YOU MOTHERFUCKER COME AND GET ME.
RODRIGUES
SHUT THE FUCK UP.
O”NEIL
COME AND GET ME.
RODRIGUES GOT OUT OF THE DITCH AND MOVED TOWARDS O’NEIL BRANDISHING HIS
KNIFE.
RODRIGUES
DON’T MAKE ME DO THIS.
O”NEIL(PUSHING RODRIGUES IN THE CHEST)
GET THE FUCK OFF ME... YOU MOTHERFUCKER.
RODRIGUES MOVED FORWARD AND SLIT O’NEIL’S THROAT
RODRIGUES (LOOKING AT O”NEIL’S FACE)
I’M SORRY.
END OF FLASHBACK.
Sparks came of a sealed door. A laser moves around the door unsealing it, the door falls forward. In
the doorway there are two men in space suites looking down at Rodrigues.
They walk up to Rodrigues.
1ST MAN
Rodrigues?
RODRIGUES
That’s me.
2ND MAN (nodding towards the cryo chamber)
Is that it?
RODRIGUES
That’s it, you just be careful, dangerous (tapping the cryo chamber)
The two men picked up the cryo chamber by its side handle’s and moved back out of the door.
A conference room, it is smart, tidy and looks modern. Rodrigues is in the middle of a round table.
Men in suites stare at him. A man (Sharpe, 50’s) in an army uniforms he walks around the table.
SHARPE
Marquis, Rodrigues Marquis.
RODRIGUES
Yes sir.
SHARPE
What happened on the planet Saturn Six.
RODRIGUES
Sir... On October the fifteenth at seventeen hundred hours we received a distress call from the planet Saturn Six, a foundry planet sir.
Going in on a routine procedure, we found the planet deserted, not a single worker. Soon we encountered a rather deadly alien
organism.
SUITE ONE
An Alien Organism?
SHARPE
Are you telling me, twenty drilled marines couldn’t deal with this single alien organism.
RODRIGUES
This alien, wasn’t like normal bugs, it was... well it was a killing machine, sir.
SHARPE
A killing machine, what makes a single organism a killing machine, it just looks like a pile of shit to me?
RODRIGUES
Sir... the organism could kind of shape shift, take any form, it could be any one of you in front of me now, and I wouldn’t have a clue.
That’s not all... it knew our fears, and was then able to manipulate them.
SHARPE
And what are your fears?
RODRIGUES (ignoring the question)
Sir, the organism should be destroyed, to keep it would be a risk.
SHARPE
If the organism is so deadly, and we are in mortal danger, how come you decided to capture it, why didn’t you leave it?
RODRIGUES
So when people started asking questions about missing workers, it could start all over again?
SHARPE
OK, how come you didn’t kill it then?
RODRIGUES
Sir... I... I didn’t know how to.
SHARPE
How did you manage to capture it?
RODRIGUES
I was able to trick it sir and then I was able to freeze it.
SHARPE
You froze it, how can you be sure it’s not dead, now?
RODRIGUES
This thing, it doesn’t bleed, bullets don’t even leave scratches.
SHARPE
Using you marine knowledge, how do you think we could kill it?
RODRIGUES
I don’t know sir.
SHARPE
So how can we destroy it, then?
RODRIGUES
What are you going to do with it, Sir, the organism?
SHARPE
At the moment, send it to earth for further research.
RODRIGUES
You can’t do that, you have to destroy it.
SHARPE
According to your own testament, further research is the only option available to us.
SUITE TWO
We can do what we like with it.
SHARPE
The way I see it, is if these organism is like what you say it is, it does need to be analysed and studied.
SUITE THREE
It’s value, could be astronomical to the department of defence.
RODRIGUES
This is wrong sir, twenty marines couldn’t take it down, what the hell are you going to do if this thing escapes.
SHARPE
That won’t happen.
RODRIGUES
You can’t be sure.
SUITE TWO (laughing)
Well, I suppose we could always call you.
RODRIGUES
May I have time off to contact earth.
SHARPE
Do you miss earth, son?
RODRIGUES
Yes sir.
SHARPE
Have the afternoon off, enjoy yourself.
Rodrigues left the room.
A long corridor, doors could be seen on the right and on the left, a door at the end of the left had
Marquis stencilled on it in thick black letters.
Inside Rodrigues, came from the bathroom he was drying his hair with a towel, he came into the front
room. In the front room there is a bed and a radio lying next to it, Rodrigues walks up the bed and sits
down on it. Sighing Rodrigues took a keyboard from underneath a pillow, he starts typing on it.
In front of Rodrigues appears a good looking woman, a boy appears at her side, their both holograms.
RODRIGUES (smiling)
OK, honey?
The hologram does nothing just stands there with the same smiling expression.
RODRIGUES
I’m back, I missed you.
How you doing Tim, learnt to ride your hoverboard yet.
I thought I’d never see you again.
Rodrigues started to type on the keyboard again. The two holograms start to rotate around, like on a
turntable.
RODRIGUES
Don’t worry honey, I’ll be back soon.
I’ll be back real soon.
OK honey.
The hologram vanished. Underneath the door came a plastic see through card. Rodrigues picked it up
and inserted it into his keyboard. A message appeared in the middle of the room, a projection.
Rodrigues sighed at what the message said.
Underneath a window, Sharpe stood looking out, the view from the window, kept on alternately
changing from being underwater to a sunny park. Rodrigues walked up to him.
Sharpe turned off the alternating views, to show a view of space.
SHARPE
Space... I always wonder just how big it really is... where it starts and where it finishes.
RODRIGUES
Sir?
SHARPE (pointing outside)
There’s a thousand starts uncharted, so many things man hasn’t got around to doing.
RODRIGUES
Sir... You wanted to talk to me.
SHARPE
If it was my choice, I’d try and destroy, discovery is the most dangerous thing known to man.
RODRIGUES (surprised)
But you said.
SHARPE
Forget what I said.
The corporation pays my contract, I’m not allowed an opinion, the ability to have my own view. I just say what they want me to say.
RODRIGUES
What did you want me for?
SHARPE
The organism is to travel on a prison convey tomorrow. I’d like it very much if you’d do me the pleasure of escorting it.
RODRIGUES
I don’t think so, something will go wrong.
Hell will break loose, they’ll die, I’ll die.
SHARPE
That’s why, I want you to go, to make sure nothing does go wrong.
RODRIGUES
Maybe, I’ll think about it, what’s in it for me?
SHARPE
I bet you miss your wife.
RODRIGUES
How did you know I was married?
SHARPE
I do my research, well do you?
RODRIGUES (hesitating)
Yes
SHARPE
Well according to the computer’s log, Rodrigues Marquis died on the planet Saturn nine.
I’ll tell you what, you escort the organism, and I want bother updating the computer.
RODRIGUES
Are you saying?
SHARPE
Just do this for me, and the computer will consider you retired.
You can spend the rest of your days drinking beers, lying in the sun watching fucking Skippy the Kangaroo, living on a big fat
soldier’s widow pension.
RODRIGUES
They wouldn’t let you.
SHARPE
They wouldn’t know.
RODRIGUES
I’ll still have to think about it.
SHARPE (looking out the window)
You just do that.
The darkness.
RODRIGUES
What sir?
SHARPE
The darkness of space, (pointing towards space) you just think about it.
FLASHBACK
RODRIGUES IS IN THE HOT JUNGLE, WEARING AN ARMY VEST HE HAS BLACK WAR
PAINT ON HIS FACE, WALKING THROUGH THE JUNGLE HE COMES TO A SMALL STREAM
HE BENDS DOWN AND TAKES CUP FULLS OF WATER FROM IT. AS HE GETS UP O’NEIL IS
IN FRONT OF HIM, O’NEIL’S THROAT IS CUT AND BLOOD DRIPS DOWN FROM IT.
O’NEIL
WHY DID YOU HAVE TO KILL ME?
RODRIGUES
YOUR NOT HIM, HE DIED A LONG TIME AGO.
O’NEIL TURNED INTO THE ALIEN, ITS PUSHED RODRIGUES BACKWARDS.
RODRIGUES
JESUS CHRIST, WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU?
END OF FLASHBACK
Rodrigues woke up he was lying in his bed he had been having a nightmare, sweat is dripping off his
face.
Rodrigues lay in the dark smoking a cigarette, he took the keyboard and started to type. In front of him
appeared a screen playing a video, it shows his wife and son playing while Rodrigues and O’Neil laugh
in the background smoking and holding beers. The screen changed to show his wife bending down in a
garden cutting roses, a dog came running past blocking the view for a view seconds.
Rodrigues moved forward and put his hand on the screen.
RODRIGUES
I’m coming home, honey. I just gotta take care to some unfinished business.
It was a bright sunny day, the space ship the Upton and Clark shined in the sun, the ship was being
loaded. A man (Mills, 30’s) stood at the front of it, orchestrating procedures, they were loading cryo
chambers, that carried the sleeping prisoners.
Mills stopped a cryo chamber, he looked down at his list on a clipboard and then looked back at the
face of the prisoner. A guard at the side of Mills stepped forward trying to look at the prisoner.
MILLS (cursing to himself)
Slater!
GUARD
I know him, no that’s not, it is its Blake Slater, isn’t it?
MILLS
You know your serial killers, apparently a last minute addition.
GUARD (ignoring Mills)
I always wanted to meet him.
MILLS
I want you to pay close attention to Mr Slater make sure he receives no surprise visitors.
GUARD
I will.
MILLS
Make sure you do.
Mills looked up, approaching him was Shape and Rodrigues who was wearing a skimpy vest and
sunglasses and carrying his bags of his shoulder. A guard behind them carried a sealed cryo chamber.
Sharpe passed Mills a sheet of printer paper.
SHARPE
Army orders, extra cargo.
MILLS
What orders, from who?
SHARPE
Straight from the top, H.Q. He needs (pointing towards the cryo chamber) armed transport to earth.
MILLS
I don’t like it.
SHARPE (smiling)
That doesn’t matter, ( he starts to walk away)
Oh.. this man (pointing towards Rodrigues) is an escort for the prisoner, don’t bother him.
Good luck Mr Marquis, I hope you enjoy your flight.
Rodrigues nodded his head in appreciation, he took off his sunglasses and looked to Mills dropping his
bags and holding his hand out to shake.
Mills shook his hand
MILLS
Who is it, anyway?
RODRIGUES
Don’t know.
MILLS (looking over Rodrigues shoulder)
Can I take a look?
Mills looked into the chamber.
MILLS
The chambers sealed why?
RODRIGUES (smiling)
Guess, he mist be real ugly.
Rodrigues helped the guard bring the cryo chamber on to the Upton and Clark.
In a spacious hall, forty cryo chamber stood in lines of ten, the alien chamber stood in the front row at
the end of the line. Rodrigues sat in front of the chambers reading a book.
In walked a man (Thomas, 40’s) he carried a mop and a bucket for cleaning. He started to mop the
floor making his way across towards the Alien chamber, as he reached the chamber he tried to look
inside it.
THOMAS
Guess this must be him.
RODRIGUES (looked up in alarm)
Must be him, who?
THOMAS
Slater man, I heard one of the guards talking about him.
Rodrigues looked at Thomas uniform and noticed the prison code on his shirt.
RODRIGUES
Your a prisoner, aren’t you.
THOMAS
I’m the cleaner.
RODRIGUES
Hey, just keep the hell out of here, or I’ll put you in a chamber myself.
THOMAS
Man, why you gotta bust my balls?
RODRIGUES
Just stay the hell out of here.
THOMAS
OK man, whatever.
Thomas picked up his mop and bucket and left the room, Rodrigues resumed reading his book.
At the front of the Upton and Clark, the bridge was situated. The bridge controlled the whole of the
ship, it was spacious and modern. Mills sat in the captain’s chair staring out towards space. A tall thin
man (Levine, 20’s) walked in. He sat down at a table where there were already two men playing cards
(Walton and Jones, 40’s and 30’s)
Levine picked up some cards and examined them.
LEVINE
Looks like, Mr Marquis is to good, to socialise with grunt’s like us.
Levine picked up a card and then threw his hand of cards on the table.
LEVINE
Looks like I win again.
WALTON (disbelief)
Jesus, are you cheating?, nobody can be that lucky.
LEVINE (laughing)
Luck is a virtue of the brave.
JONES
Brave my ass.
LEVINE
No, I’m sure, I don’t want to know about your ass.
Mills looked over the trio from his elevated seat.
MILLS
Mr Levine, did you see anything on your rounds?
LEVINE
Yep.
MILLS (surprised)
Yes, what?
LEVINE
An alien, or a bug, or no a flea no more like a cat (thinking) no it was definitely a dog (pointing towards Moncrieffe).
On the other side of the bridge in the kitchen area there was a fat man (Moncrieffe 40’s) he got up,
alert at the news.
Mills looked over at him.
MILLS
Moncrieffe... you wouldn’t know anything about this would you?
Moncrieffe got up saying nothing and moved towards the exit.
MILLS (shouting)
Get it off my ship Mr Moncrieffe.
LEVINE
What do you expect him to do he’s not going to throw the mutt out of the window.
MILLS
It’s not my problem Mr Levine.
A woman (Laura, 30’s) walked over towards Mills giving him a cup of coffee.
LAURA (smiling)
Your all heart, aren’t you Mills?
MILLS
Thanks.
Laura headed towards the exit, picking up another cup of coffee.
MILLS
Laura, where you going?
LAURA (raising the coffee)
Mr Marquis.
LEVINE
Looks like Mr Marquis, has got a new admirer.
Laura blushed and then raised her middle finger to Levine and left the bridge.
JONES
I think it’s you, she loves.
LEVINE
Just what I was thinking.
WALTON
In you dreams.
LEVINE (smiling at his hand of cards)
Good chance, good chance.
What the hells the deal with this guy anyway captain?
MILLS
Your guess is as good as mine.
JONES
Hermit, is he?
MILLS
Guess so.
Laura made her way along the corridor carrying a coffee. She saw Thomas ahead cleaning the
corridor with his mop.
Laura approached him, to get past him. Thomas looked up at her smiling.. Laura looked down at him
and smiled uncomfortably.
THOMAS (smiling)
Mamm... Wouldn’t bother, his reading his book doesn’t want to be disturb.
LAURA (raising her coffee)
One can only offer.
Laura moved passed him and entered the chamber hall.
Thomas looked at her going through the door.
THOMAS (whispering to himself)
I thought the coffee, was for me.
Inside the chamber hall, Laura moved towards Rodrigues who was reading his book. When he saw her
he put down his book.
LAURA (smiling)
Hello.
Rodrigues looked at the coffee.
RODRIGUES
Is that for me (nodding towards the coffee)
LAURA
Yes
Laura gave Rodrigues the coffee.
RODRIGUES
Thank you.
LAURA
You must be lonely?
RODRIGUES
Not really (raising his book)
It’s a good read.
LAURA
Your escorting Slater?
RODRIGUES
Is that his name, nobody never tells me.
LAURA
Everybody wants to meet you, you should come up to the bridge and say hello.
RODRIGUES
My duties are to stay here.
LAURA
I’m sure nobody will tell...
nobody’s going to know (whispering)
RODRIGUES
Maybe.
LAURA
OK.
Laura walked out of the chamber hall.
Rodrigues made his way towards the bridge. He came to a door, on the door the number one was
stencilled on it. He walked through.
In the bridge Thomas had joined Levine, Walton and Jones playing cards. Mills sat in his chair
looking out towards space. Laura was standing at the side looking at some petri dishes. Moncrieffe was
hunched over the kitchen table sleeping. Mills turned around noticing Rodrigues.
7/27/2002 9:16:33 AM
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