Scene 8.09 - I Get By With A Little Help From My Friends
ANIMATION STYLE 7
CHROMA KEY
ELS: U.S.S.S. Enrapture NCC-420
ZOOM IN
CU: SEE-THRU CANOPY PORTHOLE, ACTIVITY INSIDE
(CLARKE is seated in the captain's chair; HEINLEIN is busy at the helm toking while ASIMOV is absent. RONNIE observes.)
MS: BRIDGE
HEINLEIN
Sir, no trace of the captain's shuttle or any life on the primary moon...
CLARKE
Look again, there must be some quantum trace of him...
HEINLEIN
Nothing I can detect, sir-
RAMONA
Sir! Massive feedback from all channels! The rift is causing some sort of subspace interference.
CLARKE
Were you able to re-establish contact with New Trinity, Lieutenant?
RAMONA
Negative, sir. They were quiet as a graveyard.
CLARKE
Keep trying, Lieutenant. Keep sending out our message to Command through the static. (Into com:) Mister Isaacs...
ASIMOV V.O.
Ear sear!
CLARKE
Did you find anything?
ASIMOV V.O.
Yissear! Vile looking at ze spots on ze vall, I've finned a smill triss of ze Commode-or, Meeser Clock! Et least Eye sink sew!
CLARKE
(Raises eyebrow.) Really? Come up to the bridge, Mr. Isaacs, and bring Ensign Roberts with you -- we may need help analyzing your data...
ASIMOV V.O.
Yissear, Eye-six out.
RONNIE
Theories, Mr. Clark?
CLARKE
Something beyond the scope of my scientific understanding is at work here. This quantum rift that is plaguing this sector may be the source itself, or may only be a result of another force at work that is also affecting the quantum anomalies... We're finding quantum conduits when there shouldn't be any -- how the Commodore was able to transverse dimensions willingly within a standing paradox is unknown; and I believe discovering exactly how and where she went is our key to finding the Captain.
RONNIE
She was terminally ill; a person desperate in their last days may try many things no sane person would try -- are you sure that it's safe? I want her back very badly, but self-preservation is also on my agenda...
CLARKE
In space, Admiral, all bets are permanently off. Nothing is sure, yet we must try nonetheless. They would do the same for us.
(ASIMOV and JIMMY enter through the turbolift. ASIMOV goes to his chair, JIMMY perches at a panel near the turbolift door. JIMMY is wearing a red shirt now. Try not to make a big deal of it...)
CLARKE (Cont'd)
Show me what you found, Mr. Isaacs.
(ASIMOV punches in a few buttons and the view-screen shows a path from the ship into the heart of the ion storm .)
RONNIE
She went into the storm? That's suicide!
ASIMOV
Nyet niss-iss-Sara-Lee, Mim. I've got ze qwuant-yum pith pin-punted to zactly vair she vent. She's steel all-I've sim-wear!
CLARKE
Ensign Roberts, what do you make of Mr. Isaacs findings? What is an expert's opinion on this quantum data?
JIMMY
No better than anyone else's, I'm afraid. Really, there's no tellin' exactly where she went or what's on the other side of that curtain, sir. The data is correct, and the path appears sure, but appearances can be deceiving and that storm is far-and-away something that is completely-out of my league, sir. Nothing I know about rift that no one else can't see for themselves... I suggest that if we do follow, we do so very carefully...
CLARKE
Noted. Ensign, assist both Ensign and Lieutenant Roberts with the calculations and plot a course for pursuit.
RONNIE
I hope you know what you're doing, Commander.
CLARKE
If you have a better idea, Admiral, I'm all ears.
(Concerning CLARKE'S ears... Let's not go there and say we did...)
RONNIE
Nothing helpful, I assure you. I'm anxious, yet I trust your judgement, Commander, I'm personally concerned, please forgive me.
CLARKE
Understood, Admiral. I, too, have a friend out there and yet I cannot let feelings affect me. We have too much at stake here.
RONNIE
Yes, we do.
JIMMY
Course laid in, sir. Quantum window sighted.
CLARKE
Lieutenant?
HEINLEIN
Jimmy's right on the money. It's a big door, but there's no telling where it goes, sir...
CLARKE
Mr. Asimov, double-check the way-points, heading and speed variables and punch it.
ASIMOV
Aye, aye sear.
(They accelerate to a standstill; an illusion of movement in a fire-and-ice filled tank... An inky storm crawls to them, enveloping-)
HEINLEIN
I'm reading flares from the storm sir.
CLARKE
Flares?
HEINLEIN
Out-gassings, ventings -- yet they seem... controlled -- directed, somehow...
RONNIE
Directed?
HEINLEIN
Yes, two of them have come within twenty-thousand-
(A strong plasmic bolt of blue-and-white light rocks the ship, all are thrown; the ship massively careeens and sounds as if dive-bombing into the storm, falling into it.)
CLARKE
Mister Roberts!
HEINLEIN
We're hit, sir! The storm is -- trying to pull us in!
CLARKE
(WTF?) Explain!
HEINLEIN
I can't!
CLARKE
Hard to starboard! Full forward thrust! Shake it!
ASIMOV
Veer cut inna trickter beem!
CLARKE
What?!?
JIMMY
It's not a tractor- Sir, it's incredible! I'm reading a massive quantum outpouring from the storm itself! A moving paradox!
(Another shock-wave. ASIMOV is thrown forward and hits his forehead directly on the console. Reverse whiplash. Out cold.)
HEINLEIN
(Looking over, holding him in his chair.) Zack!
CLARKE
Helm! Full stop! Back us out of here the way we came!
HEINLEIN
(Lets go of ASIMOV, letting him slump. Back to business.) Aye-aye sir!
CLARKE
(Over com:) Sickbay: Report to bridge, medical emergency.
(Beat.)
WELLS V.O.
George here: On my way!
CLARKE
(On com:) Engineering, report!
SIMAK V.O.
Something's got a-hold of the ship and she won't let her go, sir!
CLARKE
Full reverse!
SIMAK V.O.
I'm trying to break her free, Mr. Clark, but she won't give!
HEINLEIN
Sir! We're being drawn into a quantum singularity!
CLARKE
Hard to port, full reverse! Now, now!
(The ship leans a little; the crew does, too. WELLS enters and goes to ASIMOV, scanning and rendering aid. The ship groans.)
CLARKE
Get us out out of here, Mr. Ford, or we'll be breaking free in pieces!
SIMAK V.O.
Aye, sir! I'm givin' her all she's got!
CLARKE
She's gonna have to give us a little more or we won't escape -- full counter-thrust! Chuck the core, Mr. Ford! Now!
SIMAK V.O.
Aye, sir!
(The ship jolts and stops leaning drastically, they seem to be riding atop the quantum shock-waves now instead of under them.)
RONNIE
It's working!
(Consoles explode, sparks rip across the room, fires are extringuished as crew personnel are thrown about. Nobody stays put.)
JIMMY
(From floor:) Sir! There's more quantum readings of the Commodore from inside the storm, sir... throughout the storm -- it's-
(A violet quantum trail is seen spiraling into the storm, nearing the singularity, but not encompassed by it, it covers the storm.)
CLARKE
We're drifting in deeper; try to control our descent away from the hole; keep as close to that quantum path of the Commodore-
RONNIE
(Pulling herself, using a railing to steady her graceful gait:) This is where Leah went?
CLARKE
Yes, at least we know the Commodore has been here... her strongest trace quantum signature is directly ahead...
RONNIE
Mr. Clark, this is highly irregular- perhaps we should call up your quantum generator and see what we can ascertain from-
JIMMY
Gotta blue bolt headed this way, sir!
CLARKE
What's a blue bolt?
JIMMY
Theoretical, until now, sir. From Archons: A Deitic, deictic blue-room displacement charge of consciously-directed tachyon-
(The blue bolt hits, vaporizing JIMMY and RONNIE and WELLS instantly.)
CLARKE
Admiral!
HEINLEIN
(On top of CLARKE:) Jimmy!
RAMONA
And Doctor George, too! What happened?
HEINLEIN
Quantum Displacement. They're all somewhere else! From what I know, this can only happen in theory, sir!
CLARKE
Apparently not, Mr. Roberts... where did they go?
RAMONA
Sir, I'm hearing reports all over the ship -- many others of our crew have also vanished!
HEINLEIN
(Bringing up additional trace quantum signatures throughout the insides of the storm:) We're oblique! It's- Each person aboard is somehow merging with an alternate-
(Another blue bolt. HEINLEIN vanishes.)
RAMONA
Mr. Clark! (Pause.) I'm frightened.
CLARKE
I'm not going anywhere! Neither are you. Lieutenant, do a ship-wide scan. Find out who we're missing, I'll see where they went.
RAMONA
Yes sir!
CLARKE
Engineering. (Pause.) Mr. Ford, please answer! (Pause.) Ten forward. (Pause.) Sickbay, please respond.
(Long pause.)
RAMONA
Sir, are we gonna die?
CLARKE
This storm is pulling us into its heart -- we are helpless. We can, however, piece together what happened and- drop a quantum homing beacon, Lieutenant.
RAMONA
Sir, I can't do that from this duty station.
CLARKE
(Moving to science station.) Go where you need to be, Lieutenant. Apparently it is left to us, alone, to fly this craft...
RAMONA
Aye, sir.
CLARKE
Nothing is working properly! This storm defies all known laws of quantum physics! We should be escaping the storm, not-
RAMONA
Sir!
(One more blast of energy and RAMONA is transformed; suddenly dressed like she was in the Pizza Hut orbiting Zeta.)
CLARKE
Lieutenant!
RAMONA
I'm all right sir, just a little disorien- sir! I feel as if there's someone else -- another spirit -- is -- inside me.
CLARKE
Explain.
RAMONA
I can't! There's two of me in here! Two of me; two lifetimes- me, from somewhere else. Earth, a long time ago... shopping over a planet with Lily, I mean Ensign Lo, and...
(Speak of the devil...)
LILY V.O.
Sickbay to bridge -- Lo here, what happened? Where is everyone?
RAMONA
Lily! (Goes to communication station:) Lily, it's me, Mona! Come up to the bridge!
CLARKE
Fascinating. Two entities occupying... We're in a quandary! Yes! (Gets busy.) We'll need to reverse the quantum polarity-
ZOOM OUT
TILT UP
(The ship is rocked a final time, and the lights flicker out. Through the canopy porthole, we see the maroon-and-blue storm.)
FTB