This is an excerpt (first 25ish pages) of a completed screenplay."The Moonship" - screenplay by Derek Paterson. FADE IN: EXT. SURFACE OF PLANET VENUS - DAY Dense clouds blanket the sky. Yellow ammonia lakes hiss and bubble. Hurricane winds howl at 500 mph. A futuristic FACTORY PLATFORM clings to a cliff. Drill shafts milk the planet of its most precious elements. SUPER: "Venus Mining Refinery #37" INT. PRISON WING CORRIDOR - DAY Lined with doors on each side. Prison cells. Each door has a viewscreen with an intercom. Unseen PRISONERS provide a chorus of complaints. PRISONER #1 (O.S.) Let me out of this dump! PRISONER #2 (O.S.) I need some food! PRISONER #3 (O.S.) Open the door! I got claustrophobia! Open the door! PRISONER #4 (O.S.) Hey, someone call a plumber, my john's backed up! PRISONER #5 (O.S.) Screw you, Greenberg! Keep the noise down! PRISONER #6 (O.S.) Get me a doctor, I need a doctor! The door at the end of the corridor slides open. Revealing the blazing eyes of a psychopath. VAN HOOLIK, cuffed and ankle-chained. Prison officers ROBERTS and CHEN wrestle Van Hoolik to a cell door. Chen hits a switch, the cell door slides open. ROBERTS Here ya go. Home sweet home. They throw Van Hoolik inside. INT. VAN HOOLIK'S PRISON CELL - DAY Van Hoolik sprawls on the floor, banging his face. The cell door slides shut. INT. PRISON WING - CORRIDOR - DAY A viewscreen shows Van Hoolik inside his cell. Roberts presses the intercom button. ROBERTS Judge let you off easy, Van Hoolik. Don't matter. This time tomorrow you'll be on your way to the Moon. And good riddance. INT. SORDELL'S PRISON CELL - DAY A turbaned prince caresses a beautiful blonde girl. It's the cover of a dog-eared romance novel, "NEVER LOVE A SULTAN" The reader is MILES SORDELL, highly intelligent despite his choice of fiction. Prisoner he may be, but Sordell is also our hero in this tale. Picture a young George Clooney if that helps. Sordell puts the book down, stares at his cell door. INT. VAN HOOLIK'S PRISON CELL - DAY Van Hoolik pushes himself up. Awkward, with his hands and ankles cuffed. He strains against the cuffs... ...bones SNAP... ...and suddenly his hands are free. He throws the cuffs down. Van Hoolik inspects his bleeding hands. He grabs hold of his left hand with his right. Gives the left a sudden wrench. Bones CRACK back into place. Does the same with his other hand. He wiggles his fingers, testing them. BZZZZT. Red LEDs on the cuffs and ankle cuffs turn green. The cuffs snap open. Electronically controlled. INT. PRISON WING CORRIDOR - DAY Roberts has been watching on the viewscreen. ROBERTS That's right, Van Hoolik. If you'd just waited, they would'a opened. INT. VAN HOOLIK'S PRISON CELL - DAY Van Hoolik glares up at the security camera. INT. PRISON WING CORRIDOR - DAY Roberts is spooked by that crazy look. He switches off the screen. ROBERTS Dumb shit. Rocks for brains. INT. SORDELL'S PRISON CELL - DAY Sordell listens for a moment. Then goes back to reading his book. INT. FACTORY CANTEEN - DAY Food machines vomit mush onto metal trays. WORKERS carry the processed food to dining tables. MITCH DUNBAR and KARYN MAINE at a table. "Prison Transport Service" on their uniforms. Dunbar examines the slop on his spoon. Eats it. DUNBAR Doesn't taste too bad. Doesn't taste too good, either. You'd think they could shape it into something that looks like food. Cover it in breadcrumbs. Serve it with a spicy sauce. KARYN Maybe that's what they do upstairs on Executive Level. We're eating with the lower classes, remember? DUNBAR I suppose you think that's my fault. KARYN We should have worn dress uniform, like I said. DUNBAR And I said no. KARYN What's the matter, can't you squeeze into yours any more? DUNBAR Here's how it works. I'm Senior Grade. You're Junior Grade. That means you give me respect at all times. And we do as I say. KARYN Sir yes sir. There's an undercurrent of easy amusement, they get on OK. DUNBAR You looked at the prisoner list? KARYN Haven't seen it yet. Dunbar takes a datapad from his breast pocket. Slides it across the table. DUNBAR Thirteen scumbags waiting to ship out. That's my lucky number. KARYN How come everyone else thinks it's unlucky? DUNBAR Everyone else is wrong. She reads the datapad... KARYN Jesus, no. Not him. Not that guy. DUNBAR I'm guessing you're looking at Clinton Van Hoolik. The datapad shows Van Hoolik's mug shot and history. VIOLENT and MURDER are repeated many times. KARYN Is it true? Did he really...? DUNBAR Judge passed sentence this morning. Deportation to the Moon. KARYN Why didn't they fry the bastard? Jesus, what he did to those women... Judge must be crazy. DUNBAR Van Hoolik deserves to die, no argument there. But being deported to the Moon is the next best thing. You've only seen the surface, the colony dome habitats. Down in the ice tunnels... there are guys who make Van Hoolik look like a saint. You think he got the soft option? Nah. They'll break him... pass him around like a wet rag doll. KARYN You really think so? DUNBAR I know so. Justice comes in many forms. Van Hoolik is going to die on the Moon, and nobody's going to miss the son of a bitch. KARYN What about this other guy? DUNBAR This time, I'm guessing you mean Miles Sordell. KARYN Yeah, I mean Sordell. The datapad shows Sordell's mug shot and history. FORMER SPECIAL FORCES. DANGEROUS. MURDER. DUNBAR He used to be a soldier. A good one, from what I heard. Then he went bad. KARYN "Went bad"? DUNBAR Ignore the medals and commendations, and especially the good looks. He hijacked an ore freighter, killed two goldshields who tried to stop him. He's no different from Van Hoolik. Karyn ponders this news. An announcement booms over the intercom: BASE CONTROL (V.O.) Moonship is prepped and ready for launch. E.T.A. sixty minutes. Launch personnel, to your stations. E.T.A. for launch, sixty minutes. Dunbar ponders his slop. DUNBAR Or maybe a mayo dip. INT. SORDELL'S PRISON CELL - DAY Sordell lies on his bunk, staring up at the ceiling. Pondering the mistakes he's made in life. Like getting caught. He looks at the door, sensing movement outside. INT. PRISON WING CORRIDOR - DAY Roberts and Chen use a hostess trolley to serve packaged meals to their prisoners. Roberts stops at the first cell. Activates the intercom. ROBERTS Stand back, Greenberg. Don't make me use the stun gas. You'll be puking for a week. A viewscreen shows GREENBERG, a skinhead with tattoos. He retreats from the door and sits down on his bunk. Roberts slips a food package through the rectangular slot at the base of the door. INT. GREENBERG'S CELL - DAY Greenberg sees the package drop through the slot. INT. PRISON WING CORRIDOR - DAY Roberts and Chen continue down the corridor, putting food into other cells. Roberts reaches Sordell's door. A viewscreen shows Sordell lying on his bunk, reading. ROBERTS (INTO INTERCOM) That's right, Sordell, you're a model prisoner. Let me go call the judge, tell him you never cause any trouble. Maybe he'll let you stay on Venus. That's what you're hoping, right? INT. SORDELL'S PRISON CELL - DAY Sordell doesn't react to the baiting. Flips a page. INT. PRISON WING CORRIDOR - DAY Roberts nods to Chen. Chen pushes a food package through Sordell's slot. Roberts crosses to Van Hoolik's cell. He's going to have fun with this one. He bangs his fist on the door. ROBERTS You awake in there, Van Hoolik? A viewscreen shows Van Hoolik sitting on his bunk. Legs crossed, eyes closed. Some kind of yoga trance. Chen carefully gives Roberts a food package. Roberts just as carefully takes it from him. There's something "special" about this package. Both men grin from ear to ear. INT. VAN HOOLIK'S PRISON CELL - DAY The package comes through the door slot. Van Hoolik comes out of his trance. He picks the package up and returns to his bunk to eat. His hands tear open the silver foil, revealing the same kind of slop we saw in the canteen... A VENUSIAN MAGGOT erupts out of the slop! An ugly purple worm-thing ten inches long. It has TWO MOUTHS, one at either end of its writhing body, each filled with needle teeth. Van Hoolik throws the package across the cell. It hits the wall, slop splashes everywhere. INT. PRISON WING CORRIDOR - DAY Roberts and Chen laugh like a couple of schoolkids. ROBERTS (INTO INTERCOM) Hey, better not waste your food. It's your last meal before the Moonship takes off. Maybe they won't feed you as well as we do. INT. VAN HOOLIK'S PRISON CELL - DAY The maggot writhes on the floor, its mouths snapping. Van Hoolik puts his boot over it. Starts to crush it... But then he thinks... and takes his boot away. INT. PRISON WING CORRIDOR - DAY Roberts and Chen watch Van Hoolik on the viewscreen. ROBERTS (INTO INTERCOM) You better kill that thing before it kills you. Venusian maggot gets hold of you, it doesn't let go. Just eats its way inside, keeps eating till you're dead. Or maybe you're looking for a new friend? You two should get on real well. A pair of psycho killers. Roberts and Chen exit, laughing. INT. VAN HOOLIK'S PRISON CELL - DAY Van Hoolik squats down and stares at the maggot. Hard to tell what he's thinking... But he sure does give the maggot due consideration. INT. LAUNCH BAY - DAY "PRISON TRANSPORT SERVICE" logo on a shining hull. The Moonship is a space shuttle clone. Control cabin is an eyebrow bridge above the nose. INT. MAIN CORRIDOR - MOONSHIP - DAY A forward hatch leads to the Control Cabin. Midway are Port and Starboard airlock hatches. At the rear, a hatch to the Cargo Hold. Security cells line both sides of the corridor. But unlike the factory's prison wing, these cells don't have viewscreens. Once they're locked you can't see what's going on inside. Karyn walks down the corridor, whistling. The lights suddenly go out. Emergency lights cast a greenish glow. KARYN Not again! She goes to an electrical breaker junction box. BANGS her fish on the panel cover. The lights flicker back on. KARYN Un-be-fuckin-lievable. INT. CONTROL CABIN - MOONSHIP DAY Dunbar sits in his chair, running through pre-launch checks. The hatch behind him slides open, Karyn enters. KARYN They're not here yet. DUNBAR Plenty of time. Karyn shakes her head and exits. INT. MAIN CORRIDOR - MOONSHIP - DAY Karyn retraces her steps, still whistling... ...And reacts as two MEN step into shot without warning, entering through the Port Airlock. They're tall, bald, and wear loose-fitting robes. Surgical scars are visible on the sides of their heads. Their names are MUSTAFA and ALI. They are Soul Brothers. KARYN The hell are you guys? Mustafa and Ali step aside to reveal a woman. She's bald and has scars, too. Her name is NAYRAM. She's a Soul Sister. NAYRAM They cannot speak. They have taken a vow of silence. KARYN You didn't? NAYRAM I have special dispensation from our Chapter House. KARYN That's nice, but you're trespassing aboard a Prison Transport Service vessel. I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave. NAYRAM And if we do not leave? SNAP! Karyn deploys her zip-stick, a taser-club that CRACKLES with blue electricity. KARYN I beat the crap out of all three of you and throw you off my ship. DUNBAR Don't do anything you might regret. Dunbar steps up beside Karyn. He bows his head to Nayram. DUNBAR (to Nayram) I ask your blessing, Sister. Nayram closes her eyes and bows her head. NAYRAM Freely given. KARYN What's going on? DUNBAR (to Nayram) This is Officer Maine. (to Karyn) I'd like you to show our guests to Cabins One Cee and One Dee. Show them which areas of the ship are out of bounds. All right? Karyn retracts her zip-stick, gives Dunbar a frosty look. KARYN Sir yes sir. (to Nayram) If you'll follow me, please? NAYRAM Before we go, Officer Dunbar, I should like to inspect the prisoners' cells. Dunbar hesitates. DUNBAR If you insist. Karyn gives him a "really?" look. INT. EMPTY CELL - MOONSHIP - DAY The door opens. Nayram peers inside. Mustafa and Ali crane their necks to get a good look. The "cell" is a cramped broom cupboard. There's a seat with a lid that doubles as a toilet. A tiny sink with a tap set into the wall. That's it. NAYRAM They are all like this? DUNBAR No, this one's the penthouse. Mayram stares at him. DUNBAR Yeah they're all like this. NAYRAM How long will the voyage take? DUNBAR Thirty days or thereabouts. We'll be under constant acceleration. Autopilot takes care of the equations, we take care of the prisoners. NAYRAM You intend to keep them locked up in these cramped, tiny cells, an entire month? DUNBAR We don't really have much choice. NAYRAM I assume you have your own cabins? DUNBAR Yes, we do. NAYRAM We shall vacate our cabins and occupy these cells instead. The prisoners may use our cabins. Will you also surrender your cabins, as a gesture of good will and love? Dunbar is lost for words. KARYN Yeah, sir, what about it? You and me can give our cabins up to the prisoners, can't we? It would be the right thing to do. NAYRAM Your insincerity pains me. KARYN You'll just have to live with that. Nobody's giving up their cabins. The prisoners are all staying in their cells. We'll allow them out once per day, one at a time, to stretch their legs. At all other times they will be kept under lock and key. (looks at Dunbar) You okay with that? Dunbar nods. NAYRAM If you treat them like animals, and expect them to behave like animals, then that is what they will become. KARYN No offense, Sister, but I think you're too late. These men are crazies. If we let them loose, they will kill us. After they have their fun. Me, I'd rather step out the airlock without a helmet. So you better get your head around this. They are our prisoners. We are their guards. You try to interfere, you're off my Christmas card list. Do we understand each other? NAYRAM I believe we do. INT. PRISON WING CORRIDOR - DAY Roberts and Chen carry out a headcount check. Glimpses of the prisoners on viewscreens. GREENBERG'S CELL: Greenberg gives them the finger. SORDELL'S CELL: Sordell, stripped to the waist, does knuckle press-ups on the floor. VAN HOOLIK'S CELL: Van Hoolik sits cross-legged on his bunk, in a yoga trance. Peaceful. Roberts and Chen exit, their check completed. All present and accounted for. INT. VAN HOOLIK'S PRISON CELL - DAY Van Hoolik holds the Venusian maggot up. It twists and tries to sink its teeth into his fingers. He marvels at its single-minded ferocity. A kindred spirit. Van Hoolik's eyes swivel so he's looking at the door. His lips curl into an evil smile. Something's brewing in that crazy mind of his. We don't know what. INT. CONTROL CABIN - MOONSHIP - DAY Dunbar and Karyn run through the pre-launch checks. Karyn's mad as hell. KARYN When were you going to tell me? DUNBAR They arrived earlier than I thought they would. KARYN They're Soul Brothers, dammit. DUNBAR Look, their Order has political clout back on Earth. With twenty- five million voting members, you better believe they got clout. Whether you like it or not they're coming with us. It's not my idea. Don't bite my head off. KARYN "I ask your blessing, Sister." What the hell was that? DUNBAR Doesn't hurt to be polite. She's their high priestess or something. If we offend her in any way, we'll both end up pulling night watch on Mercury's darkside. Is that what you want? KARYN Big oops. I was gonna whack her with my zip-stick. DUNBAR I noticed. You were ready to take all three of them on, no hesitation. Pretty ballsy. KARYN I guess "Stupidity" is my middle name. DUNBAR I didn't say you were stupid. And I was going to tell you about them, but like I said... KARYN They arrived earlier than you thought they would. DUNBAR Yeah. The woman is Nayram. I dunno if the guys even have names. And I don't know how this weird power of theirs works. What's it supposed to be, telepathy? KARYN Empathic sharing. What one feels, the other feels. If I thought they could read minds, I'd be writing my letter of resignation right now. No way I'd share a ship with telepaths. DUNBAR You got something to hide? KARYN Yeah, my lust for your body. Wouldn't want to give that secret away. DUNBAR Funny. You've gone from wimp to ballsy bitch in five short minutes. Next thing you know, we'll be having a pissing contest. KARYN Find me some snow and I'll write my name. Until then, just keep me away from her. I swear, those eyes of hers bored holes in my head. INT. SORDELL'S PRISON CELL - DAY Sordell paces up and down like a tiger in a cage. He stops. Listens. He's heard something... but what? INT. VAN HOOLIK'S PRISON CELL - DAY Van Hoolik writhes on the floor of his cell. Eyes wide, teeth bared. In agony. But making no sound. INT. LAUNCH BAY - DAY An umbilical is locked in place over the Moonship's airlock hatch, like the boarding tunnel used on airplanes. INT. UMBILICAL - MOONSHIP - DAY Dunbar and Karyn meet Roberts in the open airlock hatch. "Paperwork" is checked on datapads. DUNBAR Van Hoolik behaving himself? ROBERTS Didn't give him a chance not to. He could be the least of your problems. Some real bad eggs coming your way. Van Hoolik got most publicity because of the way he cut up those hookers... He glances at Karyn. She doesn't react. ROBERTS ...But that's not to say the rest are angels. My top three would be Whistler, Squid, and Sordell. DUNBAR Why Sordell? ROBERTS He's got potential. Served with Aerospace Rangers. Killed two goldshields with his bare hands, so the report said. You don't want to get into a fight with him. DUNBAR Who's Whistler? ROBERTS He did a number on his girlfriend and the three guys he found with her. He just killed them, he didn't chop them up and swap the body parts around or anything. That's Van Hoolik's sicko trademark. Problem is, Whistler's been boasting he wants to improve his score. Don't turn your back on him, is all I'm saying. KARYN And Squid? ROBERTS Strangled a female maintenance worker. Turns out he did the same kind of thing on Mars before he moved here. Squid sees a woman, he goes crazy. Some kind of hormone imbalance. Either that or he's friggin nuts. Take your pick. KARYN Great. How did these guys get through psych. evaluation? ROBERTS Are you kidding? The Company's so desperate for off-planet workers it doesn't even run history checks any more. We got half the criminal population of the Solar System hiding out here. The other half's on Mars. DUNBAR Well, these losers are heading for the Moon now. That's a one-way ticket. ROBERTS Amen to that. They look down the umbilical corridor. We hear a noise like a steam train... CHUG-CHUG-CHUG It gets louder as moments tick by. Chen leads the line of 13 PRISONERS. Cuffed and in ankle chains, hands behind their backs. Their short steps make the train sound. Two GUARDS bring up the rear, armed with zip-sticks. Chen stops. The line of prisoners stops behind him. Chen looks significantly at Roberts. ROBERTS 'Scuse me. Roberts joins Chen. They keep their voices low and pretend to check paperwork. CHEN Something's wrong with Van Hoolik. He's bleeding at the ass. Says he doesn't need a medic. Sordell, behind Van Hoolik, looks at Van Hoolik's ass. A bloody stain. Van Hoolik looks over his shoulder, glares at Sordell. Sordell just smiles. Roberts walks down the line of prisoners. A last-moment head-count. He just wants a look at Van Hoolik's ass. He sees the blood. Doesn't say anything. He rejoins Dunbar and Karyn, and smiles. ROBERTS Thirteen of our best psychos, all accounted for. They're all yours. INT. MAIN CORRIDOR - MOONSHIP - DAY The line of prisoners is led aboard. One by one they're put into their cells. Many object to the tiny cells. Dunbar doesn't give them a choice, he pushes them inside. Karyn slams the door shut. CLICK, the door locks. Van Hoolik doesn't object... neither does Sordell. They step into their cells without protest. Next door to each other. Karyn finally has a chance to look at Sordell. He stares back, expressionless. She slams his door shut. But an instant before it shut, he winked at her! Karyn shakes her head and tries not to smile. WHISTLER, a big guy with a sour face, is next. He also climbs into his cell without protest. But not before he exchanges looks with-- WILSON, further back in the queue. As if they're planning something. What it is, who knows. SQUID comes face to face with Karyn. His face twists with hatred. He hates women! Karyn WHACKS Squid in the nuts with her zip-stick! A CRACKLE of high voltage. Squid doubles over, mouth open in a silent scream. Dunbar throws Squid into his cell. Karyn slams the door shut. Perfect teamwork. Finally everyone's safely in their cells. Dunbar nods his approval. Then he sees Nayram with Mustafa and Ali at the end of the corridor, watching. NAYRAM Such barbaric cruelty earns its own reward. DUNBAR Such barbaric cruelty is necessary, Sister. These are not nice people. NAYRAM No matter what they did, they have immortal souls. It is our duty to ensure that their soul-flames are not extinguished before their time. They will rejoin the Cycle when they are summoned by the One, and not until then. KARYN I don't think a month's solitary is going to affect their soul-flames one way or another. In fact, it might do them good. If they're locked up, they're not killing anyone. Nayram closes her eyes for a second. NAYRAM You do not hear their cries of pain, their pleas for help, as I do. KARYN Why don't you worry about the souls of the people they murdered? NAYRAM I have already prayed for them. They have rejoined the Cycle. Now I must pray for those souls that may still be saved. Nayram exits, Mustafa and Ali follow her. KARYN I think she likes you. Dunbar draws her a look. He thumbs a code into his COM-KEY and points it at the row of security cells. Presses a button... INT. SORDELL'S CELL - MOONSHIP - DAY Sordell grunts as his cuffs and leg irons SNAP open. He rubs his wrists. INT. MAIN CORRIDOR - MOONSHIP - DAY Dunbar unhooks a microphone from the wall control panel. DUNBAR (INTO MICROPHONE) Good morning ladies and gentlemen, my name is Officer Dunbar, and together with Officer Maine I'd like to welcome you all aboard Prison Transport Service vessel Far Horizon, otherwise known as the Moonship, for reasons that must be obvious by now. We will be departing Venus in just over an hour. Those of you with a window seat will be able to appreciate the beautiful view during take- off. INT. SORDELL'S CELL - MOONSHIP - DAY DUNBAR (FILTERED) Oh hell, I forgot. None of you has a window. Damn. Sordell smiles, he likes Dunbar's sense of humor. INT. MAIN CORRIDOR - MOONSHIP - DAY KARYN Are you for real? DUNBAR One of the perks of the job. INT. VAN HOOLIK'S CELL - MOONSHIP - DAY Van Hoolik definitely isn't amused by Dunbar's crap. DUNBAR (FILTERED) Our voyage to the Moon will take approximately 30 days. During that time we will be under constant acceleration, which means you won't be weightless. Van Hoolik is suddenly racked by AGONIZING PAIN. He twists and claws at the cell walls. DUNBAR (FILTERED) At mid-point we will turn the ship around, point our tail at the Moon, and begin deceleration. You'll have plenty of warning before it happens. Blood erupts from his mouth, nostrils, ears... ...but he still doesn't make a sound. DUNBAR (FILTERED) Upon reaching the Moon, you will be transferred to the Lunar Detention Facility, where you will repay society for your crimes by serving lengthy sentences in extremely unpleasant conditions. We witness Van Hoolik's final unpleasant moments... But through the pain... ...unbelievably... ...he smiles in triumph! Before he collapses like a rag doll, dead. INT. NAYRAM'S CABIN - MOONSHIP - DAY Nayram GASPS, her eyes widen in shock. She faints and collapses onto the floor. INT. GREENBERG'S CELL - MOONSHIP - DAY Greenberg looks up at the ceiling vent above his head. Faint CHIRPING sounds come from the grill. Greenberg frowns. He doesn't know what it is, but he sure as hell doesn't like it. INT. SORDELL'S CELL - MOONSHIP - DAY Sordell hears the same CHIRPING sounds. He stares at the overhead vent in disbelief. EXT. VENUS MINING REFINERY #37 - DAY Hurricane winds continue to lash the planet's surface. INT. LAUNCH BAY - DAY The umbilical has been withdrawn. The Moonship is ready to launch into the wild blue yonder. INT. CONTROL CABIN - MOONSHIP - DAY Dunbar and Karyn check their control consoles. DUNBAR Optimum launch window approaching. KARYN Hadn't we better tell our guests? DUNBAR If they're sensitive to emotions, they'll know already. KARYN What does that mean? (she gets it) You're scared? How many times have you done this? DUNBAR I got over a hundred launches under my belt. You'd think I'd get used to it, wouldn't you? INT. LAUNCH BAY - DAY The airlock doors slide open, exposing the Moonship to the HOWLING hurricane winds and yellow sulfur atmosphere. INT. CONTROL CABIN - MOONSHIP - DAY DUNBAR Main booster ignition. INT. LAUNCH BAY - DAY The Moonship fires her launch boosters! Flames lick the launch bay blast walls. BOOSTER ROAR and an unnerving WHINE as power builds up. INT. CONTROL CABIN - MOONSHIP DAY Karyn has to shout above the noise. KARYN Launch sequence counting down. INT. NAYRAM'S CABIN - MOONSHIP - DAY Mustafa and Ali belt unconscious Nayram onto her couch. INT. CONTROL CABIN - MOONSHIP DAY KARYN We have all lights green for launch. DUNBAR Releasing docking clamps. He hits a switch. INT. LAUNCH BAY - DAY The clamps holding the Moonship down swing open. INT. SOUL BROTHERS' CABIN - MOONSHIP - DAY Mustafa and Ali belt themselves onto their couches. INT. SORDELL'S CELL - MOONSHIP - DAY Sordell knows what's coming. He braces himself. No restraining belts for the prisoners. INT. GREENBERG'S CELL - MOONSHIP - DAY Greenberg braces himself too, looking nervous. INT. SQUID'S CELL - MOONSHIP - DAY Squid pounds his door and yells, not liking this! We can't even hear him above the ENGINE ROAR. INT. WHISTLER'S CELL - MOONSHIP - DAY Whistler bares his teeth and braces himself. INT. VAN HOOLIK'S CELL - MOONSHIP - DAY Van Hoolik is dead and unmoving and beyond caring. EXT. VENUS MINING REFINERY #37 - DAY The Moonship emerges from the launch bay on a pillar of flame, heading UP! EXT. MOONSHIP - DAY The Moonship slashes up through the Venusian storms. Mining Refinery #37 shrinks into the background. INT. CONTROL CABIN - MOONSHIP DAY Karyn is enraptured by the thrill of it all! Dunbar looks like he's about ready to throw up. INT. SORDELL'S CELL - MOONSHIP - DAY Sordell grits his teeth and takes the crushing gee force. EXT. MOONSHIP - DAY/NIGHT The planet shrinks... ...the atmosphere thins... ...the Moonship reaches outer space. INT. CONTROL CABIN - MOONSHIP - DAY Looking out the forward windows. The view becomes black space specked with stars. EXT. MOONSHIP - SPACE Absolute silence. The booster flame reduces in size... The Moonship goes into "cruise mode". Heading away from Venus at one gee acceleration. INT. CONTROL CABIN - MOONSHIP - DAY Dunbar relaxes at last. KARYN Better than sex, huh? DUNBAR Oh, yeah. Dunbar flicks a switch. EXT. MOONSHIP - SPACE The Moonship against a gorgeous backdrop of stars. "BLUE DANUBE" by Strauss plays at maximum volume. Echoes of "2001: A Space Odyssey" -- Dunbar's little joke. INT. MAIN CORRIDOR - MOONSHIP - DAY The music blasts out over the Moonship's intercom system. CURSES and SHOUTS of protest from the prisoners. They don't appreciate Dunbar's choice of music. INT. CONTROL CABIN - MOONSHIP - DAY Dunbar grins. Karyn shakes her head in disbelief. But she's smiling. INT. GREENBERG'S CELL - MOONSHIP - DAY Greenberg claps his hands over his ears. INT. SQUID'S CELL - MOONSHIP - DAY Squid kicks his door repeatedly, to no avail. This man needs an anger management course. INT. SORDELL'S CELL - MOONSHIP - DAY Sordell smiles, closes his eyes and relaxes. It could be a whole lot worse. EXT. MOONSHIP - SPACE The Moonship against a backdrop of stars. INT. MAIN CORRIDOR - MOONSHIP - DAY Nayram, Mustafa and Ali push a hostess trolley. They slip food packages through deck level slots. Loud complaints come from inside the cells... PRISONER #1 (O.S.) Hey, this is cold! PRISONER #2 (O.S.) What the hell is this swill? PRISONER #3 (O.S.) I ain't eating this crap! BANGING noises as the zoo animals go wild. Dunbar and Karyn watch impassively. KARYN We should have locked that crazy bitch in her cabin. DUNBAR The sooner she realizes the kind of lunatics we're dealing with, the better. Nayram reaches Squid's cell door. INT. SQUID'S CELL - MOONSHIP - DAY Somehow Squid senses Nayram outside his cell door. He licks the inside of the door. As if he's licking Nayram's skin. INT. MAIN CORRIDOR - MOONSHIP - DAY Nayram shudders and closes her eyes. She pops Squid's food parcel through his slot. Karen notices Dunbar can't take his eyes off Nayram. KARYN I didn't think she was your type. DUNBAR You remember that conversation we had about respect? KARYN Does it turn you on, her being empathic? The thought of feeling each other while you're... you know? DUNBAR No, I don't know. KARYN Those guys are probably her lovers. That's why they don't talk much. She bust their springs. They don't have enough strength to speak. DUNBAR You don't give up, do you? KARYN You know what she's after. She wants them all released. Thinks we should give them a chance to behave like decent human beings. DUNBAR Like that's gonna happen. KARYN She could twist you round her little finger any time she wants. And you know what? You'd like it. Just warn me first, that's all I ask. I want to launch the escape pod before you open the cells. DUNBAR Suddenly you're an expert on people? KARYN I got four ex-husbands living on three different planets. Believe me, I know absolutely nothing about people. Nayram stops and stares at Van Hoolik's cell door. The food package slips from her hand, hits the deck. Mustafa and Ali look at each other, puzzled. KARYN I guess Van Hoolik gets special treatment. Maybe she likes her 'em big and ugly? Lucky for you. DUNBAR You do know your annual rise depends on what I write in your appraisal, don't you? Nayram looks directly at Dunbar. A concerned look. KARYN Better go see what she wants, huh? They walk along the corridor and join Nayram. DUNBAR Something wrong, Sister? NAYRAM Who occupies this cell? KARYN Crazy guy, goes by the name of Clinton Van Hoolik. Likes to cut women up and rearrange their body parts. NAYRAM Open the door. DUNBAR Not unless you return to your cabins and lock your doors first. But you'll still have to give me good reason to let Van Hoolik out. NAYRAM He has already escaped. Dunbar and Karyn look at each other. She's nuts. NAYRAM If you do not believe me, open it. DUNBAR The man's a psychopath. We open that door, he's going to jump out like it's Halloween. NAYRAM I assure you, he will not. KARYN What the hell, let's do it. Dunbar's surprised. Karyn marches to the security control panel. Presses her hand against a palm reader. The panel BEEPS. She punches in a code. A section of wall slides open revealing-- A SHOTGUN, gleaming silver, state of the art. Karyn pulls it out of the locker. Pumps a shell into the chamber. CLICK-CLACK! She moves to rejoin Dunbar. DUNBAR You sure you can handle that puppy? KARYN Let's see what Van Hoolik thinks. Dunbar waves Nayram, Mustafa and Ali back. They retreat taking the trolley with them. Dunbar points his Com-Key at the door. CLICK. He grips the handle. Karyn nods, ready. Dunbar wrenches the door open-- Van Hoolik sprawls on the floor like a deflated balloon version of himself. KARYN What the hell? NAYRAM His soul has returned to the Cycle. All that remains is an empty shell. DUNBAR (to Karyn) Shoot him. NAYRAM Are you so frightened of a dead man? DUNBAR I'm frightened he's faking it. Dunbar steps back and gestures to Karyn: DO IT! She puts the shotgun to her shoulder, takes aim... BLAM! INT. SORDELL'S CELL - MOONSHIP - DAY Sordell leaps up into a karate fighting stance. Ready to fight if his door opens. INT. MAIN CORRIDOR - MOONSHIP - DAY Dunbar peers into Van Hoolik's cell. A huge hole in Van Hoolik's chest. DUNBAR Lady wins a teddy bear. KARYN (to Nayram) You knew he was dead before we even opened the door. How? NAYRAM How did you not know? You are blind and deaf to everything except your own hatreds and fears. KARYN Just answer the damn question. DUNBAR I think some of us could maybe do with calming down. Put the shotgun back. Then fetch a body bag from stores. And a mop and bucket. KARYN I have to clean up too? DUNBAR If I'd shot him, I'd clean up. Karyn returns the shotgun to its wall locker. DUNBAR (to Nayram) You ever think how much more popular you'd be if you didn't talk down to everyone? NAYRAM Your sensibilities do not concern me. Your lack of faith does. DUNBAR I'd appreciate if you'd return to your cabins and leave us to deal with this. We'll distribute the Ready To Eats. Nayram, Mustafa and Ali leave without argument. Dunbar stares at Van Hoolik's body. DUNBAR Burn in Hell, you piece of crap. He looks up... Sees the torn ventilation grill in the cell's ceiling. What the hell? That CHIRPING sound again. Dunbar slams the cell door shut. Karyn returns with the body bag, mop and bucket. Dunbar stares at her. KARYN What? DUNBAR Change of plan. End excerpt. 03/13