SCENE 12

SPACESHIP

Sound: History Collapse noises. Alarms ringing.

LOVELOCK is in the BIG CHAIR.

CREW MEMBERS, NINA and GINA, are at their stations.

LOVELOCK

In Gaia’s name, what happened last night?

Communications?

NINA

Down

LOVELOCK

Shields?

GINA

Down

LOVELOCK

Timeline?

GLEN

All down. Massive fluctuations. I think this is it.

LOVELOCK

History Collapse.

GLEN

You were right.

LOVELOCK

I hate being right. What about “The One”?

GLEN

Still out there.

LOVELOCK

Auriga!

GLEN

And Rex.

LOVELOCK

I don’t know what to do!

Sound: Spaceship docking and airlock.

GLEN

Wait! That’s them.

Enter AURIGA and ADAM.

LOVELOCK

Mercy.

GLEN

What happened?

AURIGA

A bunch of stuff. Some of which we have to unhappen, fast.

LOVELOCK

Agreed. History is collapsing. The epoch is closing. Take the big chair.

AURIGA jumps in the BIG CHAIR.

AURIGA

OK. Thanks. Gina, take Comms.

GINA

(getting up)

Aye aye Colleague.

AURIGA

Nina, Shields.

NINA

(getting up)

Roger that, Auriga.

The two CREW-MEMBERS swap stations.

AURIGA

Glen. Stay exactly where you are.

AURIGA taps numbers into the arm of the chair.

These co-ordinates ... are going to take some fancy flying.

GLEN

Where’s Rex?

AURIGA

Sleeping it off.

GLEN

Look, I’m sorry about last night ...

AURIGA

Forget it. Probably a full moon or something.

Professor Lovelock, this is Adam.

LOVELOCK

Greetings.

ADAM

(looking around, gobsmacked)

Wowww!

GLEN and the crew are staring at ADAM.

AURIGA

Glen? Hit it!

GLEN

Oh yeah. OK. Sure.

GLEN pushes a LEVER.

Warp drive starts up.

sound: WOOOOooooOOOoooo. Zooom.

LOVELOCK

(to ADAM, like a flight attendant)

Well, er, welcome aboard the Mothership.

The exit’s ... there, in the unlikely event of ...

sound: SHWABBOOOM!

Everyone is shaken by an EXPLOSION. Lovelock and Adam fall over.

NINA

Shields sixty percent.

AURIGA

Glen!

GLEN

It’s not me. She’s handling like a whale.

LOVELOCK

(to ADAM)

Just a little ... turbulence.

LOVELOCK stands and gestures to a window.

LOVELOCK

So, er, this is Space.

The view outside looks like a FIREWORK DISPLAY, in a MALFUNCTIONING PLANETARIUM, on ACID.

ADAM

Wowww!

LOVELOCK

And Time. The Continuum. Matter and energy ... Everything’s connected. Er ... Do you have a specific question?

ADAM

Where are we going?

LOVELOCK

Good. Yes. Europa.

ADAM looks out of the WINDOW.

ADAM

Ooh la la.

LOVELOCK

Not Europe. Europa. It’s a moon of Jupiter.

LOVELOCK (CONT'D)

(pointing)

There’s a worm-hole, approximately there, which will return us to 2099.

AURIGA

(shouting)

Not 2099! Last week!

LOVELOCK

Uh?

AURIGA

That’s when this paradox started. Adam and I should never have interacted. So we’ll hang a left, back to last week, and fix everything.

sound: SHWABBABBABBABOOOM!

This ship is rocked by larger explosion and everybody is flung around again.

NINA

Shields twenty percent.

AURIGA

Glen?!

GLEN

I don’t know! Something onboard is warping the warp drive. The ether-vents are full of quantum foam.

NINA

Approaching time-hole threshold.

LOVELOCK

But we can’t take him ...

(to ADAM)

Excuse me.

LOVELOCK crosses for a discreet word with AURIGA.

LOVELOCK (CONT'D)

We can’t take him to last week during a history collapse. Because he already exists in that timeline. It’s causing a double paradox.

AURIGA

A DOUBLE paradox? Really? I swear you just make this stuff up sometimes.

sound: SHWABBABBABBABBAABBABOOOM!

The ship is rocked by a larger explosion and everybody is flung around again.

LOVELOCK

I’m not making that up.

NINA

Shields five percent. She can’t take any more of this, co-worker.

AURIGA

OK. So ... Evasive manoeuvres Glen?

GLEN

I’ve lost control.

GLEN points at ADAM.

GLEN (CONT'D)

The time-hole is closing, crushing the ship.

COMPUTER

Fault. Fatal. Fault.

Lights flash. More bad noises.

GINA

May Day! May Day! This is Mothership Actual.

We are mission non-effective. Going down with all hands. May Day! May Day!

AURIGA, LOVELOCK, NINA and GINA gape at each other in fear.

AURIGA

Well girls. It’s been an honour ...

sound: SHWABBABBABBABBAABBABOOOM!

This ship is rocked by an even larger explosion and everybody EXCEPT ADAM is flung to the FLOOR.

#20 STORM IN A SPACESHIP

COMPUTER

Fatal fault.

ADAM

Wait! You don’t have to die. I’m causing this by being here, right? So I can save you.

COMPUTER

Fatal fault.

ADAM

THIS STUPID STORM IN A SPACESHIP

IT'S ALL MY STUPID FAULT

COMPUTER

Fatal fault.

ADAM

WHAT WOULD A PROPER HERO DO?

TO BE WORTH HIS STUPID SALT?

COMPUTER

Fatal fault.

ADAM

GREATER LOVE HATH NONE THAN THIS

LAY DOWN YOUR LIFE FOR FRIENDS

COMPUTER

Fatal fault.

ADAM

LITTLE STAR, FORGIVE ME

HERE’S WHERE MY STORY ENDS

COMPUTER

Fatal fault.

ADAM

I’m going outside.

ADAM hits a BUTTON

sound: Schlick!

A SLIDING DOOR opens.

ADAM (CONT'D)

I may be some time!

Sound: Schlick!

The DOOR closes.

AURIGA

Adam, No!

sound: Whoosh!

The AIRLOCK empties.

ADAM

Aaaarrrrgh!

AURIGA is horrified.

Bright lights and explosions.

BLACK

SCENE 13

SPACE WITH ROCKS

ADAM suspended.

SPIRITS approach.

#21 MIDNIGHT LAKE

SPIRITS

AT THE END OF A STORMY DAY, YOU ALIGHT

ON THE BANKS OF A MIDNIGHT LAKE

WITH NOTHING LEFT TO FIGHT

SLIP BELOW. SAFE, ALONE.

REST YOUR BONES IN DEEP UNKNOWN

SINK BELOW. SAFE, ALONE.

REST YOUR BONES IN DEEP UNKNOWN

Enter GAIA, the mother earth goddess.

GAIA

Your visitors begat one likely future. But life might find another way. I need you, enhanced, to bring a vision, to your people of today ...

#22 COME BACK IN TIME

GAIA (CONT'D)

BEFORE YOU TAKE A PART OF ME

WON’T YOU COME BACK IN TIME?

BEFORE YOU BREAK THE HEART OF ME

WON’T YOU COME BACK IN TIME?

GAIA shows ADAM a dream-like VISION.

GAIA (CONT'D)

COME BACK IN TIME AND YOU’LL FIND

THE DAYS WHEN YOU WERE KIND

WALKIN’ IN THE SUN

PLAYING IN THE SUNSHINE

NOW YOU’RE BUILDING SO SKY HIGH

GAIA’S GONNA SAY BYE BYE

BYE BYE

SPIRITS

COME BACK IN TIME AND YOU’LL FIND

THE DAYS WHEN YOU WERE KIND

WALKIN’ IN THE SUN

PLAYING IN THE SUNSHINE

NOW YOU’RE BUILDING SO SKY HIGH

GAIA’S GONNA SAY BYE BYE

BYE BYE

BEFORE YOUR TRIBE OUTGROWS ITS SPACE

WON’T YOU COME BACK IN TIME?

BEFORE THERE’S NOTHING LEFT TO WASTE

WON’T YOU COME BACK IN TIME?

GAIA

COME BACK IN TIME AND YOU’LL FIND

THE DAYS WHEN YOU WERE KIND

WALKIN’ IN THE SUN

PLAYING IN THE SUN-SH-INE

NOW YOU’RE BUILDING SO SKY HIGH

GAIA’S GONNA SAY . . .

SPIRITS

COME BACK IN TIME AND YOU’LL FIND

THE DAYS WHEN YOU WERE KIND

WALKIN’ IN THE SUN

PLAYING IN THE SUN-SH-INE

NOW YOU’RE BUILDING SO SKY HIGH

GAIA’S GONNA SAY . . .

The VISION freezes.

GAIA

PRETTY BABY, WHAT’S BECOME?

YOU THOUGHT YOU WERE THE ONLY ONE?

THIS SPECIAL PLACE IS HEAVEN SENT

IT WASN’T GIVEN, ONLY LENT.

YOU’RE ONCE UPON

BUT YOU’RE NOT IT

IT ALL GOES ON

SO TRY TO FIT?

BEFORE THE FIGHT BEGINS AGAIN

FIND A WAY TO MAKE AMENDS

DID NO-ONE CHECK WHAT PROGRESS MEANT?

I ONLY HOPE YOUR COMMON SENSES

COME BACK IN TIME

SPIRITS

PRETTY BABY, WHAT’S BECOME?

YOU THOUGHT YOU WERE THE ONLY ONE?

THIS SPECIAL PLACE IS HEAVEN SENT

IT WASN’T GIVEN, ONLY LENT.

YOU’RE ONCE UPON

BUT YOU’RE NOT IT

IT ALL GOES ON

SO TRY TO FIT?

BEFORE THE FIGHT BEGINS AGAIN

FIND A WAY TO MAKE AMENDS

DID NO-ONE CHECK WHAT PROGRESS MEANT?

I ONLY HOPE YOUR COMMON SENSES

COME BACK IN TIME

ADAM is shaken.

SPIRIT1

YOU ALREADY HAVE ALL YOU NEED

GO ON WITH THE SHOW. OR TAKE A BOW

THE FATE OF THE PLANET, LIFE ON EARTH

REQUIRES SOME ACTION NOW!

ADAM

I’M SO SORRY

I GET IT NOW

I’D TAKE IT BACK

BUT I DON’T KNOW HOW

SPIRIT2

FIND THE WAY

IT’S NOT TOO LATE

LIKE THE BIOSPHERE.

I’LL BE “AROUND”.

Exit GAIA.

Adam reaches after her, trying to swim - grasping at the WEIGHTLESS SPACE ROCKS. Weak and tired, he gives up. Arms outstretched, clutching two ROCKS.

#23 MOTHERSHIP

ADAM

ONE DAY, I SAW PLANET EARTH, THROUGH A WINDOW

OUR PLACE OF BIRTH, SO VERY SMALL

LITTLE STAR, I LAY DOWN, UNDERSTANDING YOUR...

LOST ... MESSAGE ... FOR US ALL...

LOST ... MESSAGE .. FOR US ALL ... IN THE UNIVERSE ...

ADAMS arms return to his sides, holding the SPACE ROCKS. As the rocks come close together, they glow and emit a sound: Weeeeooo

ADAM notices the rock reaction. He taps the ROCKS together, in rhythm with his words ...

ADAM (CONT'D)

LOST

sound: Bip

ADAM (CONT'D)

MESSAGE

sound: Bip Bip

ADAM (CONT'D)

FOR US ALL

sound: Bip Bip Bip

ADAM (CONT'D)

THAT COULD SAVE OUR SOULS

Sound: Bip Bip Bip Bip Bip

Voices OFF, via RADIO ....

LOVELOCK

(OFF)

What was that?

NINA

(OFF)

Non-random energy emission in the Kuiper Belt, professor

AURIGA

(OFF)

Can you play it back? Zoom in, enhance, all that stuff?

NINA

(OFF)

Of course

ADAM is freezing to death.

Unable to speak, he weakly taps out the signal for the last time...

sound: Bip

NINA (CONT'D)

(OFF)

One

sound: Bip Bip

NINA (CONT'D)

(OFF)

Two

sound: Bip Bip Bip

NINA (CONT'D)

(OFF)

Three

Sound: Bip Bip Bip Bip Bip

NINA (CONT'D)

(OFF)

Five

LOVELOCK

(OFF)

Prime numbers!

NINA

(OFF)

Origin located

GINA

(OFF)

It’s a life-form, but pathetically weak ...

CHORUS

(OFF)

Adam!

GINA

(OFF)

He must have made it through somehow.

LOVELOCK

(OFF)

Thank Gaia!

NINA

(OFF)

I’ll plot an intercept

AURIGA

(OFF)

Hold on Adam! Just hold on!

CHORUS

THE MOTHERSHIP!

THE MOTHERSHIP!

THE MOTHERSHIP

HAS COME TO TAKE YOU HOME!

THE MOTHERSHIP

HAS COME TO TAKE YOU HOME!

WE’RE SORRY THAT

WE LOST YOU IN THE NIGHT

WE HURRIED BACK

AT THE SPEED OF LIGHT!

AURIGA

(OFF)

Can’t this thing go any faster?

GINA

(OFF, dryly)

Faster than the speed of light.

AURIGA

(OFF)

Well in a straight line at least!

NINA

(OFF)

The intercept is not a straight line. It is an R-bar approach.

GINA

(OFF)

Plus, it’s a bit rocky out here.

sound: Bash! Bash!

COMPUTER

(OFF)

Shields critical.

NINA

(OFF)

See?

AURIGA

(OFF)

Damn the shields! The whole future of humanity could depend on this rescue!

NINA

(OFF)

Well let's hurry then.

GINA

(OFF)

So dramatic.

Sound: Bash! Bash! Bash!

ADAM is unconscious, hugging the SPACE ROCKs.

A SILVER UMBILICAL CORD (or LIGHT BEAM) pulls ADAM offstage.

Sound: Tractor beam

NINA

(OFF)

We got him

GINA

(OFF)

You can let go of the space rocks, Adam.

ADAM

(groaning)

Nooooo!

LOVELOCK

(OFF)

Bring it all in.

Sound: ADAM + ROCKS fall into cargo bay

AURIGA

(OFF)

And get him cleaned up. We’ve got some stops to make!