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TRIUMVIRATE (Installment Five)
By The Host
This was temporarily offline. For some reason, I can't edit it. So I'll repost it; hopefully, this will work. Here it is (too busy to properly format it, I'm afraid). . .
[Nine pages, to the fifty-one minute mark.]
INT. HANGAR -- CONTINUOUS
The hangar doors open and the shuttle moves slowly through into the tunnel beyond.
INT./EXT. COCKPIT/TUNNEL -- MOVING
The vessel picks up speed as it moves through the tunnel, which is mostly dark save for four rows of glowing lights leading the way ahead. The pilots maneuver the ship around a sharp bend, beyond which several tunnels come together to form a wider one. The shuttle moves faster now down this straight tube and, after a time, comes to its end. The vessel pitches straight down into another tunnel and, after only a few seconds, enters a wide room with several tunnels running from it in various directions and dozens of fighters flying through it in one direction. The shuttle, moving quickly now, almost crashes headlong into one of the fighters. The pilots frantically pull down so as to avoid the nearest fighter, and they do so, but they overcorrect and find themselves speeding toward the floor of this room. They pull up just in time and miss the floor by mere inches.
The shuttle falls in with the fighters, which are heading to a short, wide tunnel at the near end of this massive room. At the tunnel’s end lies open space.
The shuttle’s pilots pull out of the throng and move forward just above the fighters. They pick up speed and suddenly burst out of the station.
EXT. ONE ONE FOUR -- CONTINUOUS
The instant the vessel leaves the station it is fired upon. The pilots engage evasive maneuvers, ever flying away from the massive station. A great battle is going on all around them: Al T’Haran raiders engage in bombing runs against the space station, One One Four’s defenders scramble to protect the base, and Dawson’s fleet scrambles to leave – drawing fire from both other factions.
INT. SHUTTLE CABIN -- CONTINUOUS
Davies is tense but, for the moment, he’s not thinking about himself. He speaks to no one in particular.
DAVIES
My friend is out there somewhere.
Dawson watches the young pilot with gentle concern.
INT. SHUTTLE COCKPIT -- CONTINUOUS
The pilots look forward. Their HUD triangulates upon an object not far in the distance: a gigantic flat square floating in space or, more accurately, the outline of one. The object is intricately detailed yet elegant in design, like an insane picture frame in space. Its interior is yawning blackness. The image flashes green now in the Heads Up Display, labeled: GATE 0187622341 DIST 0.483 CP.
PILOT
We’ll make for that Gate as quickly as we can.
EXT. STARBASE ONE ONE FOUR -- CONTINUOUS
The shuttle zooms through space. It has now picked up four or five pursuers, but the shuttle pilots do their best to maneuver out of the way of fire. Dawson’s fleet draws slowly nearer. The gate looms before them.
The pilots can’t keep their shuttle safe forever, though. One of the fighters’ laser blasts finally connects, scorching the surface of the shuttle, but the damage isn’t serious. However, the shuttle now spins out of control.
INT. SHUTTLE CABIN -- CONTINUOUS
Davies grips his seat handles with white knuckles. Even Dawson now seems on edge, craning his neck to see through to the cockpit. Davies doesn’t dare.
INT. SHUTTLE COCKPIT -- CONTINUOUS
What Dawson sees is the gate spinning away from the ship – or is it the other way around? The pilots frantically try to regain control.
EXT. STARBASE ONE ONE FOUR
Finally the shuttle zooms back up toward the gate, but at a weird angle. Its pursuers, however, seeing that they have lost their catch, loop around and head back towards the station. And the shuttle passes into the hollow darkness of the gate and suddenly. . .
SPACE TURNS INSIDE OUT. There is no other way to describe it. Everything is sucked into the gate backwards and twirled around and turned inside out and then it reconstitutes itself and springs back out and the shuttle is zooming out of the gate...
EXT. GAULEIUS -- CONTINUOUS
...Only this is a different gate, with no starbase in sight. Instead, the pock-marked surface of a grey planet stretches out below. The shuttle zooms toward the planet’s surface.
INT. SHUTTLE CABIN –- CONTINUOUS
Dawson speaks to Davies, who is still a little pale after that encounter.
DAWSON
Well, here we are. Home sweet home.
(Beat)
That wasn’t so bad, now, was it?
Davies looks like he might vomit. Dawson chuckles to himself and looks out the window.
EXT. GAULEIUS –- NIGHT
The shuttle flies over the dark planet now, a scarred planet of twisted mountain and broken rock. The shuttle makes for a gaping cavern.
INT. CAVERN –- CONTINUOUS
As the shuttle lights its way through the dark and unbelievably wide cavern, a pair of heavy steel doors close slowly behind it.
EXT. UNDERGROUND CITY -- MOMENTS LATER
The shuttle emerges from the tunnel into a massive underground city. The metropolis exists within a vaulting cavern, its buildings set against the wall or climbing up from the floor or hanging down from the ceiling. The city is well-lit by huge spotlights searching through the nightshade of the cave. The shuttle zooms through, zigzagging between buildings.
INT. SHUTTLE CABIN –- CONTINUOUS
Davies looks outside in awe.
DAWSON
It’s not much, Mr. Davies, but it’s home. For the foreseeable future, it’s your home. Welcome to Gauleius.
Davies smiles.
EXT. UNDERGROUND CITY –- CONTINUOUS
The shuttle makes for a large hangar built into the ceiling of the massive cavern.
EXT. MAGNAPOLIS -- DAY
The seat of the United Star Systems is glorious to behold. Planet as city, a sea of immense towers stretching beyond the horizon. A weak setting sun gently illuminates the spires in shades of lavender and rose. The immeasurably high towers are noble in design, Romanesque pillars thrusting up great temples to the sky. Two towers rise above all others: the slender pinnacle of The Corporation, topped with a simple white cross, and the exquisite Presidential Tower. The two are separated by a wide greenspace far below and an undulating sea of floating vehicles. Far above the city faster vehicles zip around and, far above even those, massive starships lumber towards space.
INT. PRESIDENT’S OFFICE -- DAY
The President’s office is large but comfortable, bright, cheerful and splendid. The floor is dominated by an intricate mosaic of the United Star Systems’ Coat of Arms; the walls are based with oak; marble pillars line two sides of the room. A massive arched window looks upon the endless city below. THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STAR SYSTEMS, fortyish with a boyish face, stands at the window looking upon his domain. Several WORKERS are installing fixtures and artwork around the expansive space. A tall thin man in a conservative black suit arrives behind him – THE CEO.
THE CEO
Mister President.
The President turns and smiles widely. He walks quickly over to The CEO and takes the man’s hand in his own. He bows his head in reverence and kisses a ring The CEO wears.
THE PRESIDENT
Papa, Your Reverence, hello.
The CEO takes his hand away and the President looks up, looks around him.
THE PRESIDENT (CONT’D)
Like what I’ve done with the place?
THE CEO
Yes.
The President leads the other man to his desk. The President takes his seat behind the mahogany beast, almost empty except for a simple nameplate: ‘THE PRESIDENT’. The CEO sit across from him and crosses his legs.
THE PRESIDENT
They’re not finished yet, of course. I’m still waiting for some artwork and antiques to come in. I’m getting a Picasso and an Ikea.
THE CEO
That’s excellent, sir. But could we get to business? I know that you’re a very busy man.
THE PRESIDENT
(Suddenly serious)
Oh, yes, of course, of course. What can I do you for?
THE CEO
Sir. There is a young man named Jack Davies—
THE PRESIDENT
The fighter pilot at the edge of the galaxy?
THE CEO
(Slightly surprised)
Why, yes.
THE PRESIDENT
Go on.
THE CEO
Well, sir. You see – you know what he’s discovered, what he’s got, correct?
THE PRESIDENT
Yes, yes, go on.
THE CEO
Well, sir, you see, you realize that what he has is very important to us. We’ve been developing that strain for fifty years now, and there’s not much time left.
The President nods gravely.
THE CEO (CONT’D)
Apparently, sir, he’s now come under the wing of Admiral Dawson.
The CEO sits back. A moment passes while the President thinks about this.
THE PRESIDENT
So?
THE CEO
(Leaning in)
Well, that’s concerning us, sir, because Admiral Dawson is what you might call a loose gun. I’m not sure what his intentions are, with the boy and with the cure, but I do know where his allegiances lay, and they’re not with us.
THE PRESIDENT
You don’t think so?
THE CEO
Admiral Dawson and I were colleagues and companions for some time. He has strong convictions, or at least he’s convinced himself that he does, and he is very ambitious. Already his troops, almost all of them, have abandoned their posts in the struggle against Al T’Har.
THE PRESIDENT
I know that.
THE CEO
Well, sir, don’t you see, that’s an act of treachery, edging on open rebellion!
THE PRESIDENT
What can I do about it?
THE CEO
Men, sir, we need men! And ships. Draw them away from the fight against Al T’Har and strengthen our internal defenses. A cancer grows in the heart of this nation; it must be dealt with swiftly.
The President rests his chin on his right hand and exhales heavily. The CEO waits for an answer.
THE PRESIDENT
We can’t, we can’t, we just can’t. We’ve got a lotta men but not a lot of experienced ones. We’re taking massive losses in the current war and we can’t afford to withdraw troops on the chance of rebellion. Already we’ve lost one fleet in the fight, you said so yourself.
THE CEO
Then allow us to withdraw our own men and Corporate vessels.
THE PRESIDENT
I can’t stop you. What the Corporation does with its vessels is, I guess, up to you, Your Eminence.
THE CEO
Then it’s settled. But do be vigilant, sir. This Admiral Dawson and the young Jack Davies might present a greater threat than you realize.
The President and CEO stand and shake hands.
THE PRESIDENT
All right then, Your Eminence. But you’re sure you won’t stay? There’s a golf course installed just downstairs, and it’s only for myself and my visitors.
THE CEO
I’m sorry, but I really must be going. And I’m sure you have work to attend to.
THE PRESIDENT
Oh. Of course.
THE CEO
Good bye, sir.
The CEO makes the sign of the cross with his hands and exits the room. The President stands by his desk and watches him go.
THE PRESIDENT
Good bye.
The President remains standing a moment. He puts his hands in his pockets, sighs, and looks around. He hums a little tune to himself. He turns to a sort of toy on his desk – five silver balls, small perfect spheres, floating in a tight row an inch above his desk. He pulls the ball at the nearest end up and back a few inches and lets it go. It falls back and strikes the next ball in the row, and then the ball at the further end swings up like a pendulum and back; then the first ball swings up and back again, and so on. The President watches half-interestedly, listening to the regular metallic CLICK.
Please comment!
-The Host
12/29/2002 8:03:51 PM
Comment on this fan fiction!
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