Scene 26: Departure

AARON:  Why were you trying to kill us?

ERIMENTHA:  Because that's what 

you came here to do to me.

ROSS:  We came to rescue you.

ERIMENTHA:  Impossible.  

I have no friends in Janriel.

AARON:  You do now.

ERIMENTHA:  Why?

ROSS:  We were both 

brought back by your blood.

ERIMENTHA:  My blood 

was taken from me!

AARON:  We didn't know about you when we found it.  

We were paid to steal it.  But things went wrong from there.

ERIMENTHA:  So instead of assassins you're thieves.  

I suppose that's an improvement.

You don't appear to be particularly good

ones.  So my guess is that you haven't

been at this very long.

TULIA:  I want you to bring someone back 

the same way you did them.  

ERIMENTHA:  I can't do that!
(her voice echoes a moment) It wasn't me.

TULIA:  Yes it was.  That's why he's here.

And I don't know the other one anymore.

They're both fanatical about coming here.

But you screwed up our rescue by 

incapacitating half our team.  

ERIMENTHA:  I didn't know who-

TULIA:  Sweets.  You got Sweets killed.

I loved him.  And I want you to bring

him back.  You did it for them.

Why not for me?

ERIMENTHA:  I can't turn back death.

TULIA:  Yes, you can.  We've all seen it.

You just need to give up a little bit more

blood.  You can give it in exchange for

getting you out of here.

ERIMENTHA:  I- I don't understand.

TULIA:  It's very simple.

ERIMENTHA:  Maybe the Masters could do 

such a thing.  But I am only one of the

Chosen.  I have never heard of the power

to turn back death.  I was sent here on

another mission.

TULIA:  I don't need you.  I need your blood.

ERIMENTHA:  The exposure will kill you.

TULIA:  He survived (indicating Aaron).

ERIMENTHA:  You are like the mercenaries.

You cannot see the difference between these walls

and me.  One is synthetic and one is flesh.

Though, I have no notion of how these 

second-rate mercenaries get ahold of it

to be able to entrap me.

ROSS:  Yes, you do.

TULIA:  Ross?

ROSS:  She knows exactly where these

jail cells came from.  She's just not saying.

Erimentha studies Ross' eyes for 

the source of his mind reading.

AARON:  Well?

ERIMENTHA:  How do I know that 

I can trust you?

TULIA:  He's former imperial military.  

But he doesn't like you spreading it

around.  I'm a Noclysis-lover.  And Ross

is anybody's guess.  I picked him up on a

job outside of Janriel and I can't get rid of

him since the blockade.  

ERIMENTHA:  Former military?  

What branch did you serve in?

AARON:  Infantry.

Tulia turns her head.

ERIMENTHA:  So long as it wasn't the Prestmoors.  

Their heavy handedness drove the Empire into the ground.

AARON:  I always thought so.

ROSS:  Funny you should mention that?

ERIMENTHA:  What are you?

ROSS:  Excuse me?

ERIMENTHA:  I don't recognize your species.

ROSS:  We were never subjects of the Empire.  

You'll find a whole new community coming 

out of the woodwork from worlds you were 

allowed to think were abandoned.

ERIMENTHA:  I see.  Well, in that case, 

what is your plan for escape?

TULIA:  Shot to hell upon arrival.  

I thought we went through all of that.

ERIMENTHA:  No backup plan?

TULIA:  So long as you're not trying
to kill us we can afford to wait for
your beloved Prestmoor to blast
down that door.

ERIMENTHA:  You keep company
with a Prestmoor?

AARON:  There was plenty else not
to like about him when we met before
I learned that about him.  But we're
getting by together so far.

ERIMENTHA:  I suggest you re-assess
your friendships before you are betrayed.

TULIA:  Too late for that.

ROSS:  And our friend is
motivated to find you.

ERIMENTHA:  Me?  How did I
acquire his devotion?

AARON:  He's a great admirer.
He referred to you as an angel.

ERIMENTHA:  Ugh, that's grossly flattering.
The heathen wants something.

TULIA:  (accusingly sarcastic)
So you're not an angel?

ERIMENTHA:  I am one of the Chosen.
Gifted with the blood of the Masters.
All so that I may complete my mission.

TULIA:  So you're a mercenary
like everyone else here.

ERIMENTHA:  If you insist upon the
comparison.  Though, I wish you wouldn't.
I have been entrusted with the sacred
duty to rid this galaxy of a great evil.
More precisely, to cleanse Janriel of evil.

AARON:  Well, you've got your work
cut out for you.

ERIMENTHA:  I was very near completion.

TULIA:  Not a mercenary.  An assassin.
You give working stiffs like us
a bad name.

ERIMENTHA:  We do not operate in
the same worlds.  The only reason
we meet now is because of the
misguided direction of one
Prestmoor.

AARON:  Actually, I think it's the fact
that you got caught and were
up for ransom.

ERIMENTHA:  A setback to be sure.

ROSS:  Some chosen one
you turned out to be.

ERIMENTHA:  Your insolence regarding
sacred matters will not resolve our
situation.  I insist you come up
with a plan.

TULIA:  Then why don't you try
tearing down the walls
like my friend did?

ERIMENTHA:  The walls?  They're poison.
Safely contained by a thin membrane, they
frustrate my powers.  But break the surface
and it will prove deadly.  To attempt to
break this cage is to invite death.
Your friend already discovered this.

TULIA:  That's right.  I'm not going
to let you leave without him, either.

ERIMENTHA:  What if it's too late?

TULIA:  Ross was stone dead when
Aaron revived him with your blood.
You can do the same for Sweets.

ERIMENTHA:  I promise to try.

TULIA:  You'll do it.

Erimentha closes her eyes in solemn contemplation
and then steps one foot forward to emerge from the wall.
She approaches the other three and sits cross-legged
before them.  They return the gesture in silence.

ERIMENTHA:  My name is Erimentha Perdeus.  

If we leave together, if I help you, will you help me?

AARON:  What is this great

evil of yours?

ERIMENTHA:  He goes by 

the name Samael.

There is a distant explosion.  They could be forgiven
for missing it initially, but then the walls took on a
gentle ripple.  And the detonations became far more frequent.

ERIMENTHA:  I imagine those explosions are quite loud.

I think this chamber is supposed to be sound proof.

The door thuds.  Aaron rests his hand to feel the wall
and Tulia grabs his wrist, shaking her head with
concern for his safety.  Lifting his hand, the thud is
followed up by a torch.

The flame starts from the top and goes straight down.

The doors part.

DESDINE:  Greetings master.  This is a rescue.

AARON:  How did you-

DESDINE:  You will find all hostile 

personnel deceased.  You're welcome.

Nicodemus puts a barrel to his head.

DESDINE:  Hostility detected.

NICODEMUS:  This thing took a shot at me.

DESDINE:  I relented when I saw 

you engage the other mercenaries.

AARON:  Where did you come from?

Safe rolls up.

DESDINE:  Clever, master.  You caused it so that my 

trajectory might follow you here in case of capture.  

Very unorthodox.  You took a great gamble that your 

maintenance unit could restore me before your captors 

were able to explore the breached section of the station.

Tulia elbows Aaron.

AARON:  Thanks, Safe.

Safe chirps.

DESDINE:  Are you able to travel, master?

AARON:  We still have one 

unfinished business here.

DESDINE:  Of course.  Standing by.

They step out into the hall.

TULIA:  Do you know where Sweets is?

NICODEMUS:  Yeah.  He's right up here.

Nicodemus leads the way and Erimentha follows
without being asked.  They arrive at the darkened
cell and there Sweets remains, untouched.

Erimentha enters into the cell, alone.  Eyes downcast
at the broken body she glances at her audience.
She kneels down next to him.

ERIMENTHA:  Will you please prepare him?

Aaron places a hand on Tulia's shoulder and he
joins Nicodemus (who puts down his gun)
stepping in, placing Sweets flat on his back
and stepping out again.

Erimentha closes her eyes and places her hands to Sweets' chest.  Her hands begin to glow and disappear in the light.  She passes up and down his chest.  She proceeds to massage each leg and each arm.  She then takes one long pass all the way from the toes up to the shoulders and then she begins massaging up the neck.  Soon, Erimentha is massaging up the snout and dimly glowing fluid flows from the mouth.  But the dim glow quickly turns to dead black and the low flow dries up.

The light around her hands stop.

ERIMENTHA:  I'm sorry.  He's not coming back.

I can only feel the poison.  He's not coming back.

Tulia kneels down on Sweets' opposite side.

TULIA:  Give us a moment.

She watches Tulia , who is miles away.
Tulia then looks up to stare off at a wall and
that's when Erimentha gets up to leave.

Then she pauses at the doorway, looking back at Tulia.
Her eyes light with inspiration.  She turns to Desdine.

ERIMENTHA:  Assassin.

DESDINE:  Yes?

ERIMENTHA:  Shhh!

DESDINE:  (quieter) Yes?

ERIMENTHA:  Show me the infirmary.

Obviously, the rest could hear and quickly follow.
They arrive and Erimentha picks her way passed
the blooded lab coats to explore the various drawers.
She withdraws a syringe.

AARON:  Do we get to be in on it?

ERIMENTHA:  I don't want to get her hopes up.

You will have to distract her for when I stick this in.

AARON:  I thought you were reluctant before.

ERIMENTHA:  I still am.

You have to promise me.

AARON:  What?

ERIMENTHA:  You cannot tell the Masters of this, 

should you meet them.  You cannot tell 

them what I am about to do.

ROSS:  We promise.  Don't we?

Everyone nods their agreement.

She sticks the needle in her arm and fills the vial, full.
Safe has already rolled up and extends a wand.
He conceals the glow safely in his chassis.

The crew return once more to the solemn scene.
Tulia turns her head at their approach and rises.

ROSS:  We'll take him from here.

AARON:  Why don't you wait 

for him on the ship?

TULIA:  Thank you.

Ross and Nicodemus guide her back.

Safe rolls up to deliver Erimentha's instrument.
She hesitates a moment longer and then inserts
the syringe.  The skin beneath Sweets' scales
begin to glow with dancing sprites.

He then bleeds a small pool of black sludge
like what had come out of Ross.

ERIMENTHA:  No... the synthetic blood 

killed it.  I did it for nothing.

AARON:  You tried.

ERIMENTHA:  I failed.

Aaron sighs.

AARON:  Desdine, help us carry this man back.

DESDINE:  (cheery) Certainly, master.

Aaron and Erimentha carry Sweets on
one side and Desdine on the other.

They arrive at the Shadow's Heart.
Aaron heads to the cockpit to prepare
for launch and finds the controls ready.

As the craft takes flight Nicodemus appears
at the doorway expecting to have to inform
Aaron of their earlier difficulty.  He leaves
quietly when he sees the Shadow's Heart
already on its way.








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Scene 25: Lighting Up The Darkness

The door disappears into a void of white.  By a clean trick of the eye the captured team cannot discern the boundaries of their cell.  Aaron and Ross lie down on a couple of spartan benches while Tulia and Sweets probe the walls with their hands.  They meet again at the back of the cell.

TULIA:  This is a pretty sophisticated jail 

for an out-of-the-way operation like this.

AARON:  (arm across his face) Glad you 

can appreciate the architecture.

TULIA:  Are you still checking out on me?  

ROSS:  I would take another grenade 

bursting my eardrums over this pain.

AARON:  We must still be close to 

where they are keeping her.

TULIA:  If your princess wanted saving 

would she leave the two of you like this?

SWEETS:  What makes you think it's the angel?

TULIA:  Were we affected?

SWEETS:  Good point.

AARON:  She must not realize 

that we're here to help her.

TULIA:  Yeah, but why fry your 

brains and not the mercenaries?

ROSS:  Excellent question.  Can we just focus on how 

we're going to get out of here so I can get 

as far away from it as possible?

On the Shadow's Heart Valory turns her head to see Safe roll into the infirmary and plug into the control station.  On the screen appears an exterior camera view of half-a-dozen armed men just outside the Shadow's Heart's loading ramp.  She lets out a slight gasp and turns to Esben.

VALORY:  They're in trouble.

Esben grunts his agreement without approaching to examine the monitor and lumbers out of the infirmary.  She takes a couple steps to pursue before she is yanked by the arm back to one of the med beds.

NICODEMUS:  (weak voice) Get it straight, little girl.  

We're in trouble.  Help me up.

VALORY:  But what about Rune?

NICODEMUS:  He's most of the way there.  

Ask yourself, do you really want your hairy friend 

to have to handle those mercenaries alone?  

Or with only you there for back up?

He doesn't wait for an answer, but begins to sit up;
correctly assuming that she would try to support him.
His eyes bulge from the effort.

VALORY:  What's wrong?

NICODEMUS:  I'm dizzy?  Hmmm.  I might have given too much.  

Ha!  I might not be immortal anymore.

VALORY:  Were you?

NICODEMUS:  Ahhh (shoos at her).

VALORY:  Can you fight?

NICODEMUS:  Had some of the best feeling like this 

at the Grim Grip.  Just point me to the cargo hold.

A moment later Esben looks over his shoulder
and snarls at Valory's companion.

VALORY:  I think he's here to help.

NICODEMUS:  (gasping) You think?

He leans against the door frame.

NICODEMUS:  Ungrateful, the lot of you.  

Get in that crate.  You'll find an ammo box.  I want it.  

Tell your friend to help you with it.

Esben pries the crate with his claws and removes one canister out of a dozen or so.  Opening it they unravel a fresh ammo belt.  They both turn at the sound of Nicodemus' minigun scraping against the deck as he drags it back to some other crates he intends to use for cover.  When standing about where he wants to be, Nicodemus falls back to sit with a thud and places the minigun on his knee.

NICODEMUS:  Bring that over here.

He opens the feed tray.  Valory looks at Esben
who jealously clutches the ammo box.

NICODEMUS:  Hey, I got something for 

you too.  Look in that long box.

Esben barks his curiosity and opens the latches on a black case.
Inside he discovers a long rifle with fat, silver housing
surrounding the barrel and blue rifle stock with angled
pistol grip on the back and no buttstock.

NICODEMUS:  Slower rate of fire, lousy for long range, 

but packs a lot of power.  You turn it up the whole 

way and you'll blast a hole in the ship.

Esben barks appreciation and carries the ammo box over.
Nicodemus starts loading and Esben powers up his
new weapon, kneeling next to Nicodemus.

NICODEMUS:  As soon as you 

see light break, fill the gap.

Esben scurries to the opposite wall.

VALORY:  Who's going to open the door?

NICODEMUS:  Let the trash can do it.

I want you at our back.

The loading ramp is breached
by a cutting torch.

NICODEMUS:  Move up!  Move up!  You, get back.

He sends Valory reeling back beyond
the mouth of the door to the cargo hold.

NICODEMUS:  Be ready on that switch.

Safe rolls up to the loading ramp and opens it.
The torch stops and for a moment there is only
the sound of the gears in the door.

Two flash grenades fly up and Nicodemus fires blindly into the open door while shielding his face behind the crates.  Two armored mercenaries follow.  They are wounded by Nicodemus' fire, but reach cover.  One is picked off by Esben, exploding half a crate in the same concussive force.  And the second mercenary, now more exposed to Esben, attempts to turn on the hairy creature, but is cut down by Nicodemus.

The other mercenaries charge in with a rain of fire along with them.  Esben ducks and runs to the side, blasts another crate and mercenary behind it, and proceeds to grab Nicodemus by the collar and drag him over the threshold out of the cargo hold while Clemence covers them with a steady stream of fire.  Valory seals the hatch.

VALORY:  Safe is in there.

NICODEMUS:  We're not going back for it.

ESBEN: (alien growls) Those mercenaries 

could do with a healthy fear of death.

NICODEMUS:  Whatever you said, we're leaving.

VALORY:  You can't!

Esben grabs her shoulders from behind and when she looks up at him he shakes his head.
Esben rounds her and takes up supporting Mr. Clemence to the cockpit.  Valory watches in desperate confusion and starts following them, sealing each hallway hatch as she goes.

Back in the cell.

ROSS:  This can't get any worse.

He sits up cradling his head and a couple drops
of blood drip from his nose onto the floor.

ROSS:  It's worse.

SWEETS:  Maybe we were wrong.  

Maybe she's already killing us.  

And she's just going to take Ross and Aaron first.

AARON:  We can't afford to wait around.

He gets up and stumbles against the door.

TULIA:  Lie down, Aaron.  Sweets, did you 

manage to keep anything when they caught us?

SWEETS:  My charming disposition.

TULIA:  Get to it.

Sweets roars and causes the other three to grab their ears.  He throws his shoulder into the closest wall and dents it.  He tests each side of the cell and imprints the metal, which destroys the illusion of infinity, but otherwise is to no avail.

The trio aboard the Shadow's Heart reach the cockpit and Nicodemus is lowered into the pilot's chair.  Taking up the co-pilot seat, Valory glances out the window and sees the mercenaries exiting the cargo hold for the station.

VALORY:  They're leaving.

NICODEMUS:  So are we.  Strap in.

Nicodemus draws back on the
yoke and nothing happens.

Esben mumbles a question.

VALORY:  I don't know.  What's wrong?

NICODEMUS:  We're not getting any power.

Sweets snarls such a reptilian hiss, enough to question if he has lost all his sentient being.  He charges head long into the door, which sends Tulia scrambling for her life to get out of the way.

He draws back, his arms caught in a gelatinous white web that peels from the walls, revealing the
all-to-material metal underneath.  But the gelatinous material encases his claws and adheres his hands to a closed fist; converting his struggle to simply spread his fingers apart at will.

The tunneled eyes fixate upon the glowing substance and then Sweets proceeds to grab at the material that grabbed him.  He makes a deep and throaty roar as the viscous substance weakens into strands, but continues to bind Sweets to the wall and begins to seep into his scales and form deep, glowing cracks there.

Sweets seizes more and more, pulling it in like a rope, but suffers the goo to seep further into his arms, and the light just beneath his scales meanders down into his legs.  Some glowing cracks fork up his neck and across the snout.

The walls take to glowing all around them and emit a piercing scream, which sends Aaron and Ross yelling in agony and as Tulia kneels over them she dabs her face with a finger and realizes she has begun to bleed like them.

Then the whole of the asteroid shakes
in one violent tremor.  Sweets falls back
and the room goes pitch black.

Esben, Valory and Nicodemus ride out the sudden
shift in the asteroid from the floor of the cockpit.

NICODEMUS:  What happened?

He looks out the window to view space.

NICODEMUS:  The asteroid's rotation has changed.  

The stars aren't moving in the same direction.

VALORY:  You can tell?

NICODEMUS:  You have to tell.  Mission isn't over 

just because a navigational computer fails.

VALORY:  Is there anything we should be doing?

NICODEMUS:  Now that the mercenaries are gone, 

you move all the guns there are out of the cargo hold 

and seal it off.  I'm heading out.

VALORY:  Don't leave us.

NICODEMUS:  Someone has to watch the ship.  

He strokes her arm to take hold of her hand.

NICODEMUS:  Take good care of your friend.

Esben grunts.

NICODEMUS:  Same to you.

He leaves.  In a moment he is stomping
down the cargo ramp, weighed down
by the minigun.  He heads off into the station.

Safe rolls up on an open hole in the ceiling.
He follows the trajectory to find a broken
metal body in the corresponding crater.
He extends a wand to begin work.

Tulia opens her eyes to realize there is a soft glow to the gloom.  It is not immediately obvious where it is coming from.  The walls are completely dark.  Then she turns her head to see a dim pool of light surrounding Sweets' body.  On hand and knees she scurries over to him and opens his mouth to check for breath.

She weeps across his chest at
finding no warm breath.

TULIA:  Why not him?  Why not him?  Why not him?

Her back seizes at a hand placed upon her shoulder and Tulia violently turns to see Sweets looking down on her, illuminated by the glowing pool.  She wrinkles her tear-bruised face in confusion, looks down at the body and back up at Sweets.

She pants, grasping for a word such as what or how, but can't articulate anything.  Sweets reaches down and cups her face.  His scales have been made soft as skin and his hand is warm against her cheek.  She rests her face there with closed eyes.

SWEETS:  Tulia. (his voice travels across a long distance)

TULIA:  Please!  Don't go.

She clasps his hands.

SWEETS:  I have gone nowhere.

I will be with you until the end.

The cell doors part and floods the room with light, which momentarily blinds Tulia.  And when she regains her vision the only Sweets there is lies dead, head cradled in her lap.

The guards yank Tulia to her feet and the others are roused by being moved as well.  They are delivered briskly through the corridors and deposited into another cell where the door seals behind them into oblivion.

ROSS:  Where are we?  Are we in another cell?

TULIA:  (matter of fact) Sweets is dead.

AARON:  What happened?

ERIMENTHA:  I would say your 

assassination attempt failed.

All three look up to see they are sharing the cell
with a young woman with a luminous face that
otherwise disappears into the brilliant surroundings.








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Scene 24: No Rescue

Tulia comes into the cockpit and takes a seat
at the side control station behind Aaron.

TULIA:  I don't remember agreeing to this.

What do you think you're doing, Aaron?

AARON:  I'm not getting blindsided by one 

more surprise.  We go on the offense.

TULIA:  We're not going after your angel?

AARON:  This ship is part of it!  What more do you need?  

Our friends were nearly just killed by the proof!

TULIA:  Which you jettisoned into 

space before we could study it.

AARON:  And I should have sent 

that little tin can along with it.

Sad tone.
They both turn to Safe.

AARON:  I don't know what got into you- 

I don't even really know where you're from.  

I was sure you were on our side up to this point.  

But if you pull a stunt like that on your own again you're off!

Safe pivots sharply to end up on one leg
and speeds away with a squeal.  It slams into
a wall having overshot the turn in the hall and
falls flat on its back.  Tulia goes to pick it up.

TULIA:  You're ok.

The machine warbles in fear and
rolls out of sight.

TULIA:  It fixes things.  

Safe didn't know any better.

Aaron doesn't answer.

TULIA:  You're going to hold a grudge?

AARON:  He knows things.

TULIA:  He?

AARON:  Do you think it's a she?

TULIA:  No.  He, will do fine.

She takes a moment of silence at this confession
and studies Aaron's fixed expression reflected
in the wind screen as he stares out into space.

TULIA:  We finally have the time.  It might have

helped to study that crazy machine.

AARON:  It could have been playing dead.

Or Safe could have fixed it again.

Distant rude beep.

TULIA:  We can't go the meet.  

I probably have a concussion.  

AARON:  Who doesn't at this point?

TULIA:  And guarding Nick is a full-time job.

But I can't trust you to be left alone up here.

AARON:  Well I wish I could tell you who to trust.

We seem to be in short supply.

TULIA:  We need to rest up.  

We can't go the meet like this.  

And you can't go alone.

AARON:  You heard him.  

I'm some kind of superman now.

TULIA:  You're going to believe him?  

I still think those are his friends waiting 

for us out there.  And what does that make 

this angel?  Who's to say your damsel will 

be in a gracious mood if we all set her free?

AARON:  That isn't the question.  Look at everything that 

has happened in the short time since we met.  Are you ready to 

live the rest of your life on the run, looking over your shoulder?

TULIA:  Is that supposed to be some change of pace?

AARON:  You've never had these eyes take an 

interest in you before.  We take the fight to them.  

Up to now everyone has been one step ahead of us.  

But it's about time we claw our way to the front.  

I want to win at this galactic game of hide and seek.  

The Shadow's Heart drifts near a lone asteroid.  There is a single rectangular installation protruding from the face of the rocky surface, which serves as the garage for small craft.

TULIA:  I really don't remember agreeing to this.

AARON:  You said that already.

TULIA:  That code you used on Safe.

AARON:  What about it?

TULIA:  You used to be deep.

AARON:  I thought I was.

TULIA:  So this is a personal grudge.  

Just not with Safe.  Or us, for that matter.

AARON:  I thought it was all gone, went the way of the Empire.

This is something else.  And until I understand it we'll never be 

safe from it.  If all we do is run they'll catch up to us.

You heard Ellan.  There's no time left.

TULIA:  She was just trying to save her own skin.

AARON:  Yeah.  But from what?

The ship drifts into an open hanger.  Aaron feels the controls trying to move without him and eventually eases off his hands to see the levers moving on their own.  The Shadow's Heart turns sideways and glides to rest.  Aaron powers down.

AARON:  Did you see that?

TULIA:  Did you have it on autopilot?

AARON:  No.

TULIA:  I still say we forget the whole thing.

AARON:  Charge up.  Just in case.

TULIA:  You kidding?  From now on I'm putting 

in a fresh cartridge every time we leave this ship.

AARON:  Next it will be every other room.

TULIA:  Exactly.

Aaron and Tulia leave the cockpit
and pause at the infirmary.

TULIA:  Esben, Valory, you both stay here 

and watch Rune and Nick.  Ross and Sweets with us.

ROSS:  Where are we?

AARON:  Would you believe the place 

where angels fear to tread?

SWEETS:  You didn't stop him?

VALORY:  You knew where he was headed.

TULIA:  He talked me into it.  Let's go.

The four of them seal the cargo hold behind them and train their weapons on the loading ramp as it is opened.  Aaron is the first down, scans around and waves for the others to follow.  They take up a similar breaching style at the interior door of the installation, but find no security measures preventing them from entering.

Leaving the hanger bay sealed behind them, there are two directions that they can go.  So Ross and Sweets disappear up one hallway and Aaron and Tulia go another.  Shortly, they return to one another at the hanger bay door having encountered no security.

ROSS:  Now what?

Aaron thinks a moment.

AARON:  Do you feel that?

TULIA:  Feel what?

AARON:  Not you, Ross.  

Ross, do you feel that?

ROSS:  What?

AARON:  Is your chest warmer, heart faster?

ROSS:  I thought it was 

just breaching the station.

AARON:  I don't think so.

SWEETS:  So?

AARON:  I might be new at this, but I think

Ross and I have a compass to where she's

being kept.

TULIA:  Lead the way.  

With every true step toward their goal Aaron and Ross's chests became tighter and tighter.  In short order they failed to conceal their difficulty and labored to breathe.  Ross leaned against a wall and Aaron stumbled.  Tulia knelt down to leverage him up while Sweets took point.

TULIA:  Alright, we're done.

AARON:  Not yet.

TULIA:  You can't walk.

AARON:  I can... I can.  

It's just... it's getting easier.

ROSS:  It is.  We just need a minute.

AARON:  We don't have a minute.  

Someone catches us cold like this we're done.

Ross pushes himself off the wall and bends
down to help Tulia hoist Aaron.  She lets go
and they both march forward holding each other up.

TULIA:  You're both crazy.

Ross and Aaron come to a door that leaves them cradling their heads.  Ross leans Aaron on the right side of the door and reclines himself on the left.  Both take a moment and rest their arms, but pointing their weapons at the door.

TULIA:  This is it?

Aaron nods frantically and immediately winces.

ROSS:  It better be.

Sweets and Tulia stand to each side of the door and Aaron slams the button to open it.  The doors open and they are met with the barrel end of half-a-dozen rifles holding them dead to rights.

TULIA:  What was that about 

not wanting to get blindsided?

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Scene 23: Salutations

The seemingly-ancient machine creaked one knee forward and then the next and then the first again.  Emerged from the closet, it scanned the room (figuratively speaking, sparks leaked from its temple when it tried to use an actual scanner) and rested its eyes back on Aaron and Tulia again.

DESDINE:  You appear confused.  I can only assume 

that you do not know my master.  Disappointing.  

I had hoped you would.  I cannot seem to remember 

his face.  I will have to check the vessel's log.

The rusted assembly takes a couple of steps more and draws a cable from beneath its chin and plugs into the central holographic table.  The projector illuminates a moment into a film of static and then the next shows Desdine being thrown back into the closet he was just found and his owner bleeding on the holographic table itself.  After a blink of static there are medics withdrawing the fat human from the common area on a stretcher.  Another blink, Kanon and Ellan are running through the room to steal the ship.

DESDEINE:  What a shame.  It appears my former master 

is deceased.  Then I was absconded.  No wonder you 

have no recollection of him.  I can only assume that 

you must have procured this craft by legitimate means.  

Successive thefts without being reactivated would 

be very strange indeed.

Aaron and Tulia exchange glances.

AARON:  Do you remember anything else?

DESDINE:  I have the vague notion that this has happened before.  

That I have been exchanged on numerous occasions.  But all my 

various owners bleeeed together.  I suppose it is too much to hope 

that anyone knows what has befallen them.  I am programed with 

search and destroy capability and not personal defense, after all.  

I'm afraid the fate of many of those who have come before you 

entail a long line of misapplication of my abilities.

AARON:  Would you please excuse us?

DESDINE:  Certainly.  I must run analysis 

on the current state of things.

TULIA:  Just... stand there.

DESDINE:  I shall entertain all reasonable instructions 

until proof of sale is presented as to who has 

proper authority over my programming.

(Aside)

TULIA:  He cannot stay with us.

DESDINE:  Why not?

They go a little further into the hall
and out of sight around the corner.

TULIA:  That thing just might be 

the mother of all assassin drones.

DESDINE:  I am no one's mother.

AARON:  We need to think of something other 

than engaging in a firefight onboard ship.

Desdine steps into view.

DESDINE:  Warning.  Self-preservation protocols engaged.  

I recommend inclusion in the discussion.

TULIA:  Include this.  What do you know about 

the army of assassin robots running around?

DESDINE:  Insufficient data.

AARON:  They all look like you.

DESDINE:  Look like me?  

Impossible.  I am unique.

TULIA:  Aren't we all?

DESDINE:  Can you offer proof

of these replicas?

Safe rolls forward and lights a small
movie projection on the wall that shows
them fleeing the black vault station.

DESDINE:  Incredible.  

AARON:  So you really know nothing

about these machines?

DESDINE:  I am... embarrassed.  Ashamed.  Naked.  

My blueprints must be over half the solar cluster!

Oh, woe is me!  Who could have done this to me?

How long must I have been asleep?  How many owners

did I miss out on their contracts?  My value will 

be completely deflated because of this.

Aaron studies Desdine a moment while the machine
studies the movie projection and makes as if to
speak into his ear.

AARON:  And they don't appear 

to answer to anyone.

DESDINE:  Impossible.  Blasphemous.  That would be

robbing our creator.  We were made to serve.

Whether the creator or whomever the creator

derives profit from selling us to.

TULIA:  Who was your creator?

DESDINE:  I... do not remember.  

I suspect... that I have not remembered

for some time now.  Tell me, you look

like an unassuming human.

What shall become of me?

I am worse than alone.

I have become ad nauseam.

AARON:  I couldn't say, uh...

DESDINE:  Desdine.

AARON:  Hello, Desdine.

DESDINE:  Salutations, master.

TULIA:  What?  Why him?

DESDINE:  You as well, mistress.

TULIA:  Hold on.  I don't 

give up as easy as you.

DESDINE:  I am unsuited to being a 

free agent.  I demand new protocols!

VALORY:  What's going on?

Erupting a brief shower of sparks, Desdine casts
a red scanning beam over Esben and Valory together.
His vision glitches and his scanner mistakes them for a single entity.

DESDINE:  Unknown lifeforms detected!  

I will protect you masters.  I will prove

myself to you.

Desdine proceeds to steal one of Aaron's pistols and
Aaron wrestles the metal arm in vain, which easily
ignores his pulls.

Tulia draws her own weapon and fires pointblank into Desdine's midsection, which releases
a new shower of sparks.  The machine glances down at its side and backhands Tulia with his right free hand, which sends her reeling and she lands unconscious.  In the same instant Safe reaches a probe into Desdine's back, which begins to download something and Desdine's eyes shutoff.

Esben roars and raises his sword in a charge.  He does not realize or quite possibly doesn't care that Desdine has been shutdown and rendered about as much of a threat as a manikin.  He tackles Desdine to the ground, sliding back into the common room, and slices across the face and body to no avail.

The next moment, Desdine's lifeless body is being placed on the loading ramp by Esben and Aaron.  Two walls rise up on the side of the loading ramp and a door seals between them to make a temporary airlock.  The ramp opens and Desdine is unceremoniously jettisoned into space.








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