This is an excerpt (first 20 pages) of a completed screenplay."Partings" - screenplay by Derek Paterson. FADE IN: EXT. INTERSTELLAR VISTA - NIGHT Unfamiliar stars litter the cosmos, scattered like silver dust. EXT. EARTH-LIKE PLANET - NIGHT With unfamiliar continents and seas, and THREE MOONS in high orbit, each larger than the other, all with cratered surfaces and zero atmosphere. EXT. INTERSTELLAR VISTA - NIGHT Stars wink as something moves across the heavens, comes closer, takes form... A SPACESHIP. An old-fashioned rocket design with fins. The control room is visible through triangular viewports in the nose. Two people are inside, wearing helmets, looking out. NAYLOR (V.O.) Questor is starting her run. Over. MAN'S VOICE (V.O.) Roger that Questor, we're standing by to receive. Over. Deep Space Supply Vessel QUESTOR fires maneuvering jets and angles in toward the Earth-like planet's atmosphere. INT. CONTROL ROOM - NIGHT Lying side by side on couches are Pilot-Commander JOSHUA NAYLOR, 35, and Engineering Tech. GABRIELLE ACKERMANN, 25. Both wear spacesuits and helmets, and look up at control boards and viewscreens. Naylor's couch is fitted with a joystick and throttle controls. NAYLOR (V.O.) Pilot to Loadmaster, commencing approach, make ready to drop. INT. CARGO HOLD - NIGHT Loadmaster VANDA CAMBRIDGE, 30, wearing suit and helmet, lies on her couch staring up at a viewscreen showing the planet's continents, with a grid marking two target zones. Across the bottom of her viewscreen are graphics of 8 miniature rockets. CAMBRIDGE (V.O.) Roger. Got my finger on the trigger. INT. CONTROL ROOM - NIGHT GABRIELLE (V.O.) Try not to miss. Gabrielle grins at Naylor. He smiles at her. She reaches across the distance between them, touches his gloved hand with hers. INT. CARGO HOLD - NIGHT CAMBRIDGE (V.O.) Never been known to happen. INT. CONTROL ROOM - NIGHT NAYLOR (V.O.) Pilot to Engineer. You awake down there, Chief? INT. ENGINE CONTROL ROOM - NIGHT Engineer "MAC" MACLAINE, 40, and Specialist ANNA RICHTER, 30, lie side by side on couches, wearing suits and helmets. MACLAINE (V.O.) Dammit, must you always interrupt us without knocking? Just give us a second to get our clothes on. Anna stares at her viewscreen, ignoring Maclaine. INT. CONTROL ROOM - NIGHT NAYLOR (V.O.) Here we go. EXT. UPPER ATMOSPHERE - NIGHT DSSV Questor grazes the atmosphere, leaving a contrail. INT. CONTROL ROOM - NIGHT Naylor's viewscreen shows a "corridor" ahead, and a graphic of Questor right in the middle. NAYLOR (V.O.) We have ionospheric insertion. Your play, Cambridge. INT. CARGO HOLD - NIGHT On Cambridge's viewscreen the first target zone glows red. She covers a button on her control board with her thumb. CAMBRIDGE (V.O.) Commencing first cargo drop... On her viewscreen the first target zone glows green. She thumbs the button. CAMBRIDGE (V.O.) First cargo drop away. EXT. UPPER ATMOSPHERE - NIGHT A deltawing cargo sled drops from Questor's belly and falls down into the atmosphere, powered by its own rocket motor. And another, and another, and another. Disappearing almost immediately as they fall out of sight. INT. CARGO HOLD - NIGHT Four of the rocket graphics on Cambridge's screen turn green. CAMBRIDGE (V.O.) First cargo drop complete. Green lights on four orbit-to-surface birds. Making ready for second cargo drop. EXT. UPPER ATMOSPHERE - NIGHT DSSV Questor alters course, her contrail becoming a smooth curve. INT. CONTROL ROOM - NIGHT NAYLOR (V.O.) Course locked in for southern continent, E.T.A. nineteen seconds, Loadmaster please copy. INT. CARGO HOLD - NIGHT CAMBRIDGE (V.O.) Loadmaster copies. INT. CONTROL ROOM - NIGHT MAN'S VOICE (V.O.) Colony Base Three to Questor. We have visual on four inbound parachutes. Bang on target, recovery crew is mobile. Over. NAYLOR (V.O.) Thank you Base Three. Talk to you again in six months. Over. MAN'S VOICE (V.O.) God bless. Over and out. NAYLOR (V.O.) Colony Base One, receiving? Over. WOMAN'S VOICE (V.O.) This is Colony Base One receiving you clear. Over. NAYLOR (V.O.) We're heading your way. Stand by. Over. WOMAN'S VOICE (V.O.) Standing by. Over. NAYLOR (V.O.) Pilot to Loadmaster-- INT. CARGO HOLD - NIGHT Cambridge puts her thumb over the button. CAMBRIDGE (V.O.) Commencing second cargo drop... INT. CONTROL ROOM - NIGHT An ALARM beeps, fast and shrill. GABRIELLE (V.O.) Static charge building on the hull. NAYLOR (V.O.) Mac, you hearing this? INT. ENGINE CONTROL ROOM - NIGHT MACLAINE (V.O.) Capacitors should be taking the charge! ANNA (V.O.) Criticial build-up. Recommend drogue launch. INT. CARGO HOLD - NIGHT Cambridge thumbs the button. CAMBRIDGE (V.O.) Commencing second cargo drop. EXT. UPPER ATMOSPHERE - NIGHT A deltawing cargo sled drops from Questor's belly and falls down into the atmosphere. It shimmers and crackles with blue electricity. Its rocket motor doesn't fire. It topples end over end before it disappears far below. INT. CONTROL ROOM - NIGHT NAYLOR (V.O.) Wait one, wait one! INT. CARGO HOLD - NIGHT CAMBRIDGE (V.O.) Control room are you calling abort? INT. CONTROL ROOM - NIGHT GABRIELLE (V.O.) Static dissipated. We're on the edge of the drop zone. NAYLOR (V.O.) Continue -- Cambridge, dammit, continue supply drop. INT. CARGO HOLD - NIGHT Cambridge thumbs the button-- EXT. UPPER ATMOSPHERE - NIGHT Another sled drops down. Its rocket motor fires. And another, and another. Their rocket motors fire OK. INT. CONTROL ROOM - NIGHT NAYLOR (V.O.) Cambridge, you lost one. INT. CARGO HOLD - NIGHT The fifth rocket graphic on Cambridge's screen turns red. The other three turn green. CAMBRIDGE (V.O.) I didn't lose anything. Talk to your Engineer. INT. ENGINE CONTROL ROOM - NIGHT MACLAINE (V.O.) We could have made another pass. Why didn't we orbit the damn planet and make another pass? INT. CARGO HOLD - NIGHT CAMBRIDGE (V.O.) Second cargo drop away, three green birds, one dead bird. INT. CONTROL ROOM - NIGHT GABRIELLE (V.O.) Dead bird is breaking up. It's gone. INT. ENGINE CONTROL ROOM - NIGHT Maclaine slams his gloved fist against his control board. ANNA (V.O.) That doesn't really help... MACLAINE (V.O.) We shouldn't have made the drop. One dead bird means a lot of hungry colonists. INT. CARGO HOLD - NIGHT CAMBRIDGE (V.O.) Hey, I didn't hear anyone call abort. INT. CONTROL ROOM - NIGHT NAYLOR (V.O.) You didn't give me a chance, dammit. INT. CARGO HOLD - NIGHT CAMBRIDGE (V.O.) You've got an override control. That's what it's for. INT. CONTROL ROOM - NIGHT Naylor seethes with anger. GABRIELLE (V.O.) Okay people, we made a mistake. Let's not make it worse. WOMAN'S VOICE (V.O.) Questor this is Colony Base One, receiving? Over. Naylor sucks in deep breaths. GABRIELLE (V.O.) You want me to tell them? Naylor shakes his head. NAYLOR (V.O.) Base One this is Questor. Over. WOMAN'S VOICE (V.O.) We have visual on parachutes. They're on target. Recovery teams are on their way. I need you to confirm load? Over. NAYLOR (V.O.) Base One... we had a bad launch with one of our orbit-to-ground birds. It was gone before we could recover. Static on the radio... WOMAN'S VOICE (V.O.) Understood, Questor. Will you be making another run? Over. Naylor stabs a button. NAYLOR (V.O.) Pilot to Loadmaster, Base One is on the line, what have you got? Can we make another drop? Gabrielle frowns and looks away. She knows. INT. CARGO HOLD - NIGHT CAMBRIDGE (V.O.) This is Loadmaster. We have two spare sleds in the racks but they are empty. Everything we had aboard has been deployed. We're at the end of our supply run. We have exhausted our cargo. Over. INT. CONTROL ROOM - NIGHT NAYLOR (V.O.) Thank you... Loadmaster. Base One... WOMAN'S VOICE (V.O.) Got the picture, Questor. Thanks for dropping by, sorry you couldn't stay. Safe journey home. Colony Base One, over and out. NAYLOR (V.O.) See you again in six months! No reply, just static... INT. CARGO HOLD - NIGHT CAMBRIDGE (V.O.) Loadmaster to Pilot. Thanks for trying to put the blame on me, Naylor! INT. ENGINE CONTROL ROOM - NIGHT MACLAINE (V.O.) You ever spent time on a colony planet, Cambridge? You know what it's like when food runs low, and you're looking up at the sky every day, praying the supply ship gets there on time? INT. CARGO HOLD - NIGHT CAMBRIDGE (V.O.) Spare me the drama, Maclaine. You got a problem, talk to the Pilot. Hey, Naylor? You got a problem, talk to your Engineer. When we get back you Earth, maybe you two should take refresher courses. Learn how to do your jobs. Bump up your reaction times. You know? INT. CONTROL ROOM - NIGHT Naylor's fit to explode. Gabrielle puts her hand over his. He snatches his hand away. GABRIELLE (V.O.) Let it go. It's done. We can't undo it. INT. ENGINE CONTROL ROOM - NIGHT Maclaine glances at Anna. She stares at him, expressionless. MACLAINE (V.O.) So what's on your mind? Spit it out. ANNA (V.O.) I happen to think she's right. MACLAINE (V.O.) Then screw you too. ANNA (V.O.) Not if you were the last man alive. MACLAINE (V.O.) Damn, I forgot. Robots don't screw. EXT. UPPER ATMOSPHERE - NIGHT DSSV Questor's underjets fire, pushing her away from the planet, up into space. EXT. EARTH-LIKE PLANET - NIGHT Questor leaves the shrinking planet behind. INT. CONTROL ROOM - NIGHT NAYLOR (V.O.) Pilot to crew. We're cruising at half a gee. Heading for the jump point. Relax, people. Naylor and Gabrielle take off their helmets and tie them onto their suit belts. EXT. INTERSTELLAR VISTA - NIGHT Questor drifts among the stars. INT. CONTROL ROOM - NIGHT GABRIELLE It wasn't your fault. It happened so fast. NAYLOR Right. He unfastens his couch safety belt and stands. GABRIELLE Don't go away mad. No one blames you. Naylor jerks a thumb back over his shoulder. NAYLOR Eighty-five colonists blame me. GABRIELLE They won't starve. We'd have to lose half the cargo before that happened. They just won't eat pudding for the next six months, that's all. Naylor tries to fight it, but loses. He chuckles. GABRIELLE That's better. And later? I'll make you feel better still, I promise. NAYLOR Company regulations clearly state that pilot officers must not fraternize with warrant officers. GABRIELLE Is that in case you crash the ship when we're giving you a Galactic Rim job? NAYLOR I appreciate your kind offer, but I must refuse. Gabrielle indicates an instrument panel. GABRIELLE What's the autopilot for, if not to allow you some time off? She grabs the front of his suit, pulls him down, kisses him. GABRIELLE If we sleep together we'll save space. And be more energy efficient. NAYLOR I'll bear that in mind. He hits a button. The floor hatch opens. He climbs down the ladder. INT. UPPER ACCESS SHAFT - NIGHT With two ladders on opposite sides. Naylor climbs down one ladder while Anna climbs up the other. They pass each other without speaking. Naylor pauses and looks up. Anna climbs up through the control room hatch. She looks down at him. The hatch closes on her frosty expression. INT. WAIST SECTION - NIGHT A hexagonal arrangement, six cabins arranged around the central access shaft. The floor hatch is closed. The ceiling hatch opens and Naylor climbs down the ladder. The ceiling hatch closes again. Cambridge pauses at one of the cabin hatches and they exchange cold looks. She enters the cabin, closes the door. Naylor shakes his head. He hits a button. The floor hatch opens. INT. ENGINE CONTROL ROOM - NIGHT Maclaine's taken off his suit, he's wearing vest and fatigue pants. He studies system displays, makes notes and ticks on his clipboard. He doesn't look round when Naylor climbs down the ladder. The ceiling hatch stays open. NAYLOR So what happened? MACLAINE I didn't hear the alarm till you did. If I'd had a couple more seconds I could have launched the drogue and discharged the static. NAYLOR You should have had your thumb over the button. MACLAINE And that bitch should have taken her thumb off the button. Naylor opens a fridge and takes out frosted glass and a cocktail shaker. He opens the shaker and pours a drink. NAYLOR No argument from me. Everything else is on the green? MACLAINE Damn right. Capacitors are charging. He looks at his wristwatch. MACLAINE We jump in seven days, nine hours and forty-two minutes. Naylor sips his drink and relaxes on a couch. NAYLOR It's been a long tour. MACLAINE Six months, eleven star systems, thirteen planets and four inhabited moons. NAYLOR I bet you could name them all. MACLAINE I bet I could. NAYLOR This is what, your tenth tour? Maclaine tosses his clipboard onto the second couch and lies down, hands behind his head. NAYLOR You want one of these? MACLAINE They're pushing me to take a ground job. NAYLOR Why the hell didn't you say? MACLAINE I haven't made my mind up yet. NAYLOR How hard are they pushing? MACLAINE Hard enough. NAYLOR They can't make you take it. You're still young. Relatively speaking. Naylor sips his drink, nods in appreciation. NAYLOR Never lose this recipe. Engrave it on titanium plate and put the plate into stasis. No matter what happens to us, it must survive. MACLAINE Mars wouldn't be so bad. You know what they're doing there? NAYLOR Cracking hydrogen and oxygen out of the soil, aren't they? MACLAINE They're sinking thermonuclear rods. They're melting the core. NAYLOR What the hell for? MACLAINE To re-establish a magnetic field around Mars. They're creating Van Allen Belts to protect the terraforming project. Isn't that something? Sure beats being cooped up in an engine room for six months at a time. Yes I will, thank you. Naylor returns to the fridge, pours another cocktail, passes this to Maclaine. MACLAINE You want the bad news? NAYLOR What bad news? Maclaine holds up his glass. MACLAINE There's no more. NAYLOR You have got to be kidding me. MACLAINE Not a single drop. NAYLOR Shoot me now. MACLAINE Relax. In just over a week you'll be back on Earth with a million bars to choose from. NAYLOR Not one of them will ever make a cocktail like you, Chief. So. Mars, maybe? MACLAINE I'll flip a coin once we get back. You? Naylor stares thoughtfully into his glass. NAYLOR I'm contracted for another three years. MACLAINE Do yourself a favor, get yourself another crew. Get rid of Cambridge. She's chasing promotion. Bitch doesn't care whose record she craps over. NAYLOR I thought your problem was with Richter? MACLAINE The human computer? Forget it. NAYLOR I sense bitterness. MACLAINE Not from me. NAYLOR You never did tell me what happened. MACLAINE What's to tell? She likes machines more than people. NAYLOR People? Or just you? MACLAINE There's no emotion behind those eyes. Just equations. NAYLOR Warning, bitterness levels exceed maximum safety parameters. Maclaine drains his glass. MACLAINE You sound just like her. NAYLOR I assume you tried to climb the glacier, and slipped? MACLAINE Didn't get higher than base camp. By the time I figured coolant fluid flows in her veins, you'd already installed Ackermann in your cabin. Isn't there some Company thing about that, by the way? Pilots must not dock with Warrant Officers? NAYLOR Yes. There's always Cambridge. MACLAINE That bitch. I'd rather catch my genitals in moving machinery. They laugh. INT. WAIST SECTION - NIGHT Naylor and Maclaine's laughter drifts up from below. Cambridge stands at the rail, looking down. She's heard everything. She scowls. EXT. INTERSTELLAR VISTA - NIGHT Questor drifts among the stars. INT. CONTROL ROOM - NIGHT Gabrielle and Anna occupy the couches. GABRIELLE The autopilot agrees with your first set of calculations. ANNA There's always a note of surprise in your voice when you say things like that. GABRIELLE Can you blame me? You're out-thinking a machine that thinks a billion times faster than most human beings. ANNA Processing power doesn't matter. It's a question of philosophy. GABRIELLE Here we go again. ANNA Don't be so cynical. They have an A.I. aboard the Nagasaki Orbital built specifically to calculate fourth dimensional hyperphysics. Part of the A.I. actually exists in hyperspace. And you know what? GABRIELLE First set of calculations locked in. ANNA It doesn't work. It loops for days then shuts itself down as a safety precaution. Isolate the autopilot please. GABRIELLE Autopilot is isolated. ANNA And that's because Professor Hartmann's original fourth-dimensional elasticity theorem owes only part of its existence to mathematics. Very few understand its core is rooted in philosophical concepts that are an adjunct of abstract mathematics. GABRIELLE Thank you for talking down to me. ANNA But I'm not. I'm simply stating facts. You know the difference between the pure and the abstract? GABRIELLE I'm sure you're about to tell me. ANNA Spread butter on a slice of toasted bread. Drop it on the floor. It will either land on the buttered side or on the dry side, yes? With abstract mathematics modeled around the Hartmann theorem-- GABRIELLE It lands on its edge? ANNA It doesn't even reach the floor. GABRIELLE It just stops in mid-air? ANNA Oh no, it falls. The question is, why doesn't it reach the floor? GABRIELLE All right, why doesn't it reach the floor? ANNA Because there is no floor. GABRIELLE Have you ever wondered why you don't have many friends? ANNA I have plenty of friends. GABRIELLE A.I.s and robots don't count. ANNA I have human friends too. GABRIELLE Come on. I'm the communications tech. I get to see incoming mail transmissions. One was from the Alpha Centauri Colony A.I. The other was from-- ANNA If everyone aboard this ship paid as much attention to their duties as they do to other people's correspondence, I'm sure efficiency levels would rise exponentially. Would you kindly look at the magnometer and confirm we're in the clear? If it's not too much trouble. Gabrielle smiles as she operates controls. Her viewscreen shows a moving 3-D grid. It's a computerized map of space ahead. It's as if we're falling into the grid as it advances toward us. GABRIELLE Zero variance. We're in the clear. INT. CAMBRIDGE'S CABIN - NIGHT A narrow cupboard of a room, wedge-shaped, with a folding bed and a wash-hand basin. Cambridge strips off her suit, she's wearing vest and panties beneath. She hangs the suit on a wire frame in the "ready" position, arms and legs outstretched, the helmet suspended above the open neck and an air tank lying at the feet. It almost looks like an astronaut standing there. She strips off her vest, then steps out of her panties. She sits naked and cross-legged on the bed. She opens a metal case and takes out a set of disks connected with wires. She puts the disks over her breasts and her crotch. She connects their wires to the metal case. She slips on a pair of gloves also connected to the case with wires. Lastly she puts on a metal helmet that completely covers her eyes and ears but leaves the lower half of her face exposed. She wiggles her gloved fingers in the air and "types" on a virtual keyboard. INT. CAMBRIDGE'S VIRTUAL REALITY WORLD - DAY A soft focus fairytale forest. Along a winding path comes a MEDIEVAL KNIGHT on horseback. He stops, and raises his helmet visor. He's a handsome fellow whose smile would melt the heart of any maiden. KNIGHT (V.O.) Hail, fair lady. May I escort you to Camelot? INT. CAMBRIDGE'S CABIN - NIGHT Cambridge grins. She allows herself to fall back so her head lies on the pillow. CAMBRIDGE No, but you may fuck me, Sir Knight. INT. CAMBRIDGE'S VIRTUAL REALITY WORLD - DAY The smiling Knight takes off his helmet and throws it away. He climbs down off his horse. KNIGHT (V.O.) I shall do my best to please my lady. INT. CAMBRIDGE'S CABIN - NIGHT Cambridge's arms circle air as if she's cuddling an unseen lover. She slowly opens her legs. CAMBRIDGE Oh baby. INT. NAYLOR'S CABIN - NIGHT Still wearing his suit, Naylor sits at a wall-mounted viewscreen that shows the same 3-D grid Gabrielle saw. NAYLOR Diary. The viewscreen clears and shows the message, "Personal diary: Cmdr. Naylor, Joshua, CS-7483-2" NAYLOR Okay, we just completed our last supply run, Epsilon Eridani 67 Three. One bird didn't make it down due to a technical problem. It was bound for the Southern continent, Colony Base One. Can't be helped. The others got down okay. He rubs his eyes, and sighs. NAYLOR We're heading back home soon. Richter's calculating the jump math, Maclaine says everything's on the green. Another week and it's over. Earth, here we come. Oh, we'll be using the time until the jump to run some system tests. If she has to go out again with another crew she'll be ready. Okay, I'm done. He turns away from the viewscreen which shows the 3-D grid again. EXT. INTERSTELLAR VISTA - NIGHT Questor drifts among the stars. INT. ENGINE ROOM - NIGHT Maclaine pops a mini-basketball into a mini-hoop stuck onto a bulkhead. INT. GABRIELLE'S CABIN - NIGHT Gabrielle paints a model of a Spanish galleon, applying tiny licks of paint with a tiny brush. INT. CONTROL ROOM - NIGHT Anna's by herself. The hatch opens, Naylor climbs up and occupies the other couch. NAYLOR Everything okay? ANNA Everything's fine. NAYLOR What's with the half-degree course correction? ANNA It's nowhere near half a degree. The correction was zero point zero nine seven by zero point zero two. NAYLOR We were on course for the major jump point. What happened? ANNA I detected a slight variance. Nothing to be concerned about. NAYLOR Major jump points aren't supposed to move. ANNA It's constantly moving. NAYLOR We had it pinpointed. You're telling me it shifted that much over just a couple of days? ANNA It is unusual, but hardly excessive. Now we're on course again. NAYLOR Have you looked at the sun? ANNA Of course. NAYLOR There's minimal sunspot activity and zero coronal mass ejection. The gas giants are in the wrong position. None of the inner planets has enough mass to influence the jump point. ANNA I'm pleased you have some working knowledge of astrophysics. NAYLOR Is that sarcasm? Because sarcasm is one step away from insubordination, which is one step away from mutiny. ANNA You know, Naylor, I wish I'd met you as you are now when I was eleven, maybe twelve. NAYLOR Why? ANNA I think we would have gotten on pretty well together. Of course I would have outgrown you quickly, but our brief time together would have amuased me, I'm sure. NAYLOR Did you actually have a sense of humor back then? ANNA I have a sense of humor now. It's just there's so little that makes me laugh, unless I count the antics of this excuse for a crew as slapstick comedy. NAYLOR That's what I love about you, Richter. Your wit and your honesty. ANNA I'll be watching the jump point closely as we make our run. At that stage any required course changes will be almost microscopic, so there's nothing for little boys to worry about, okay? NAYLOR I feel safe in your hands. ANNA What happens to Ackermann when we get back home? NAYLOR What about Ackermann? ANNA She's in love with you, you know. It's a little old-fashioned, I suppose, but I find it charming. NAYLOR Why bring that up? ANNA We don't get many opportunities to talk. A ship this small, there's always someone around, listening in. NAYLOR I'm not in charge of personnel re- assignment. ANNA That's true. Sometimes you're barely in charge of this ship. But will you request that Ackermann be assigned to your next crew? NAYLOR That's the problem. If I put in a request they might be suspicious. ANNA The Company rotates its crews as a matter of policy. If you don't put in the request it's unlikely she'll be assigned to you again. NAYLOR Rock, hard place. ANNA You don't love her as much as she loves you, do you? NAYLOR I thought she was just using me for sex. ANNA You'll notice I'm not laughing. NAYLOR That's standard operating procedure. I'll think about putting in a request. Let me know if the jump point shifts again, won't you? ANNA Mmm. Naylor heads for the hatch, opens it-- The control room shakes. A small but noticable fluctuation. Naylor closes the hatch, returns to the couch. NAYLOR Hell was that? ANNA Magnometer reading? NAYLOR Showing clear. ANNA We just passed between two magnetic fields. It can't be clear. She studies her viewscreen and shakes her head. NAYLOR Talk to me. ANNA The major jump point shifted again. I want to launch a torpedo. NAYLOR Then launch a torpedo. No objection from me. Anna taps controls, stabs a button. ANNA Torpedo away. Gabrielle? GABRIELLE (V.O.) Go ahead. ANNA Did you feel that? INT. GABRIELLE'S CABIN - NIGHT Gabrielle sits at her wall viewscreen checking readings. GABRIELLE Magnetic fields this far out from the jump point? INT. CONTROL ROOM - NIGHT ANNA Hold on. Data coming in from the torpedo. It was an electromagnetic pulse from the major jump point. GABRIELLE (V.O.) Can I come up? ANNA Too crowded. NAYLOR Come ahead, I'm coming down. GABRIELLE (V.O.) Roger that. Naylor opens the hatch and climbs down the ladder. INT. UPPER ACCESS SHAFT - NIGHT Naylor climbs down one ladder, Gabrielle climbs up the other ladder. GABRIELLE We have to stop meeting like this. Naylor grins. Gabrielle climbs up into the control room. She grins at Naylor before the hatch closes. INT. WAIST SECTION - NIGHT Naylor climbs down the ladder and steps off. He turns round and bumps into Cambridge, wearing her helmet, suit and air tank. She yells at him but all he can hear are muffled noises. Naylor points at his ear. Cambridge unseals her helmet and lifts it off. CAMBRIDGE What the hell's going on? NAYLOR E.M.P. from the jump point. Richter's checking it out. CAMBRIDGE Christ, I thought we'd hit something. NAYLOR We didn't. Everything's okay. CAMBRIDGE "Okay"? The entire ship shakes and we're "okay"? News flash, we're light hours from the nearest planetary mass. There are no magnetic fields this far out. It's not okay. Nothing's okay. End of excerpt.