The StarTrails Game [act 1] 'Ready to go'

PRELUDE MOTIF AND FANFARE:

(music - Nothing is Real But the Girl/Blondie - 3:13)

(music - In Caelum Fero/Karl Jenkins/Radio Ed. - 4:44)

FADE IN: (SOUND FIRST)

INT. STARSHIP COMMAND DECK - LIGHTED (LIVE COMIC BOOK)

In exaggeration for the OUTER STORY.

FEMALE GIGGLES DODGING-OUT FROM THE SCREEN …

POV MAIN FRONT WINDOW: Pushing onto a dramatic scene:--

CAPTAIN STANDING CENTER, pointing straight at -us-:

Cmdr. Dave (Professors' Spring Fling), HELMSMAN, NAVIGATOR, COMMUNICATOR, ENGINEER, SCIENCER, DEFENSOR, busy … want to regain control of the computer speeding in strange space as VIRTUAL GIGGLING VIRGINS in flowing layered sheer, lead-on the chase along a forest ledge between buttress rock cliff and sun-hazy precipice … (PG-13)

(command-irked at -us-)
Can, you, stop,- that?!

(a beat)
Not apparently, sir: They are locked-in.

Captain WHIPS-ABOUT TO CONFRONT--

POV Communicator: FULL-WIDTH-WINDOW-VIEW OF THE CHASE;--

Locked-in…!?-- Where and what, is its source…?!

(cowed)
The computer itself, is projecting the image, sir.

The computer…!?: (challenges)
On whose authority…!?

On, its own authority,- sir.

(to Engineer)
It's own authority…!?-- What kind of response is that…?!

(tentatively)
It is not external, sir: It is just onscreen, And does not appear to be a malfunction,- sir.

(worried all-about)
Not, a malfunction…?- What controls have we left…? Can we determine our location? Our heading?!

FREEZE-PAGE-FLIP

(to controls)
We appear to have full control … sir:- We are still on-course for Procyon star-base: It is only the main viewscreens displaying … Raw telemetry is consistent with our course-plans…. However,--: (turns to)
Allow me an interpretation, Captain…: (composes, points)
If, the cliff on our left is the stellar-nursery nebula, and the precipice to the right, is the incipient supernova plasma-bloom, and, we, are following a narrow course along the interface, And trees are avoidable dumb asteroid debris, And the gaggle of women are our forward smart-sensor probes and multiple tactical course-correction options … Then…: (pauses pondering)

(quiet exasperation)
Then, What…?!

FREEZE-PAGE-FLIP

(confides)
Then, The computer has bypassed its prima-cognitive logic-comprehension interpretativity, facility,- Sir!

(upset and to Engineer)
Merely … bypassed…!?

(cowed)
Yes, sir: The computer is dreaming, … sir.

(astonished)
Dreaming…!- How long, is a computer dream…?

Difficult to say, sir: The bypass appears phaselocked to nebula-local spatiotemporal nauticocommunication cross-coefficients … 5-kilo-hesits re-gestation interval, I estimate.

(bothered about)
And, We just sit tight and watch till it's over…!?

(viewing bombingly rapt)
Apparently so … sir!

(a big beat)

(calling)
Mi-Kee…!

All look-about surprised-awed at the incongruity:--

(2 sec.)
Mi-Kee!-- Lunch is ready…!

(00:00 piano - Video Killed the Radio Star/Buggles)

FREEZE-PAGE

PULL BACK TO REVEAL:

INT. MI-KEE'S BEDROOM - SATURDAY NOON (OUTER STORY)

THE COMIC BOOK on her bed; MI-KEE (POV) (smart female 13):

(props-up, loud)
Coming!

Closes the Comic Book, and slides off the bed;

(00:05 +ensemble)

And via her desk, exits to the doorway … (through)

TITLE CREDITS sequence:--

Petry System Family Wision USA, and

N E M O Nuclear Emergency Management,

- present -

And … down--

INT. STAIRWAY, CARPETED - (CONTINUOUS)

(00:16 bouncy +vocal)

BOUNCY LEVITY toe-point-step-dreamy-dancy down … (through)

TITLE CREDITS rising fixed with the ceiling:--

A science-cubed fiction adventure, PG-13

"THE STARTRAILS GAME"

Raymond Kenneth Petry, Strategic Director

A Wision--Sesquatercet USA production:

(00:27 "Oh! Oh!")

And… One leap-- lands ballet-bird graceful …

(00:31 +thumping)

And… Hops passed the PC-Telephone Desk … into--

INT. KITCHEN - (AS CONTINUOUS)

(00:34 +ensemble -slow decrescendo to SOS-)

Mom sets soft-milk and sandwiches on a table set for three; Mail sits at each place, including letters from StarTrails;

Mi-Kee command-strolls in from the landing … eases a bit--

(happy)
O-Kay;- Where's the rib-eye steak?!

Rib-eye?- for lunch?

The grand-admiral's favorite cut, in Star-Trails.

(smiles)
Oh,- then you've been around the galaxy again …. Well: Drink your galactic milk, while you're here;- Enjoy a rare, Earth-found treat: Tunafish sandwich;- And maybe we'll have rib-eye for dinner.…

(sits, eats)
Good enough for starship survival!

You don't farm tunafish on starships,- do you?

Star,-kissed, tuna, maybe.: (a flash-smile; sober)
No, -nor cows;-- I suppose they stop at some planet.

Be sure to read your p-mail, while you're still here, Grand-Admiral: There's an item you want to ask me.

(inspects mail)
P-mail? … Oh, yes: protonic-mail …: (grins, to herself)
Subscription renewal:- Why do they do that before summer?: (unanswered)
Star-Trails … Newsletter, maybe…?: (opens: reads)
I won…!- I'm invited, to visit, the NASA D-S-S-T-F Training Center this July 11th through August 22nd.… Can I go, please?: (proffers)
It'd be educational…!

Talk with Daddy: We have family camp in August.

(reads, proffers)
Okay … It's six weeks … at NASA … Texas …. I could take the commuter jet from the airport:- That way you wouldn't have to pick me up by car.

They should pay your travel expenses.

(reads)
Travel … They have … defrayed, expenses … upto 1-hundred-dollars depending on city-of-residence.

One-hundred dollars should do it: You can fly Economy Class: We can get you a special fare for summer.

Okay,- I'll accept their prize: It's better than the 6-hundred-66 dollars alternative prize.…

(bemused)
You still have to talk to Daddy … He's pruning in the backyard;- And you can remind him, Lunch is ready.

(finishes)
Okay,- but I can write-up my reply first.

Mom finds her curtailment bemusing …

CUT TO:

INT. HALLWAY - PC-TELEPHONE DESK - EARLY AFTERNOON

Mi-Kee passing, mail in hand, pauses and taps a Shift-key--

FLAT-PANEL … LISTS … GRANDMA'S VID-MAIL message;- She sits:

(loud to other room)
Mom!-- There's a phone-mail from Grandma: May I answer it, please?

Don't flag it Done, Mi-Kee … But you may read and reply: She will like to have your answer, too.

(keys; loud)
Okay;- Thanks!

SELECTED … PLAYS … photos, live-transcription--

Hello, this is Grandma Anderson. This telephane message is for the whole family …

VOX-PAUSES on:

(direct)
Hi, Grandma! Mom said I can answer your message first.

VID RESUMES: BACKGROUND AMATEUR-FLIPS TO THE BACKYARD:--

I am calling from home: We have had very nice weather and I have been out everyday: It's lovely here now:

BACKGROUND AMATEUR-FLASH-PANS TO THE ORANGE TREE:--

(holds a leafy branch)
I've pruned-back the orange tree so we'll have a smaller crop when you visit at Christmas,… Oh, but that's months away, -Goodness,- But we can think ahead, Can't we…?!

POPUP MONTAGE: Over-the-fence: Men lugging-in a TV crate;

The neighbors have installed a new-H-D-T-V: and it took three big guys Saturday, to take the thing through their sliding-french doors and hang

VIDEO POPUP: Indoor, Sunken-livingroom TV-theater party …

lights and curtains for the theater when family visits. And when it was done, they invited the neighborhood for a T-V-warming party:- I'd never thought of that one …

VOX-PAUSES on:

(direct)
I've seen the house, Grandma: Their sunken-livingroom is huge!

DISSOLVE TO:

VIDEO POPUP: Indoor: The cousins' pair-wedding …

I was going to have lots more time this semester, but with your second cousins' weeklong wedding in April, I got behind … Well, at least it's a mastery course, and I can pick-up the missed classes straight off the Internet: I'm almost caught-up so I can graduate with the class in late spring.… Speaking of which: How is Mi-Kee doing with all her science classes,- what with her StarTrails she reads every moment, I wonder, is she learning the right stuff…?: (half a beat)
Phane me when you get home:-- I'm always waiting to view from you.… Love, Grandma.

VID-HOLD BLINK-LOOP, with cue-mark for Response:--

Grandma: I have only one science class, in addition to mathematics, and I'm doing all right: StarTrails is really good science: It's more advanced than they teach in school, so it doesn't seem to apply, But it will by time I get to college: I should be able to ace the courses … And I'm getting B's and A's mostly in all my courses, except a C in history: When they ask who started a war, I wonder who stopped first …

She keys:-- POPUP PHOTOS; SELECTS: Mi-Kee's swim team …

… And I can stay on the swim team.… And I want to tell you before this summer: I'm not going to camp with Mom and Dad, because I'm going to NASA in Texas, to spend summer with an astronaut crew: It's a virtual trainor, which I've heard is almost real:- it has to be, because the astronauts must practice before they really go …. Anyway, I'll tell you all about it when I get home before next school year…. Bye!: (waves Bye, keys next)

MESSAGE FINISHED … LIST CHECKED AS READ-ANSWERED BY Mi-Kee.

She keys-up HER OWN ADDRESSBOOK …

SELECTS 4 friends' faces for a Vidlink conference,--

RAPID AUTO-MULTI-CALL-TOUCH-TONES … Blue frame connected, Green listening, Yellow speaks next, Gold speaking, Red finishing,- Flashing advances; Transcripted:

BLUE…GREEN…YELLOW-FRAMED [KARA (no-makeup-cute female 13)]:

Hello … Mi-Kee…? -Ahh!- It is, you! What's up? Long week, nosey…! How's school, Babe?: (giggles)

BLUE-FRAMED [PHOTO-OF-GARY-11 (stud male)] …

Hi, Kara: I'm conferencing this, so I'll be right with you.… School's okay; Summer's going to be better.

BLINKING-BLUE-FRAMED [SHADED-GIRL] and message overlay:--

Sharon Truman is busy or unavailable:

Would you like to--
[ ] Camp-on? [v] V-mail?
[ ] Repeat? [ ] T-mail?
[ ] Pager? [ ] E-mail?
[u] Uncall? [ ] Delete?

She okays Uncall and Send-V-mail; [GARY (13)] (YELLOW) …

Gary's here;- But Sharon's busy: I'll forward this conversation,--: (emotes)
With your eminent permission…!

BLUE…YELLOW-FRAMED [SUSAN (demure pretty female 13)] …

Hello! Hi, Mi-Kee!- What's up, for this happy Saturday…?

Sure, Send him to her:- I'm not wearing makeup: I'll just turn my monitor purple.: (grins, twists a knob)

Hello, Mi-Kee: Susan here …

Hi, Gary; Hi, Susan: Kara's online but Sharon wasn't available, so I'm forwarding this session to her: I'm conferencing this call to discuss summer plans ….

Yes: Hi, Kara. Hi, Susan.

Hi, Gare; Hi, Suse.

Hi, Kara; Hi, Gary.

Kara: I almost didn't recognize you without makeup:-- It's been a long year since summer camp.

Don't fuss it, Gary: It looks better than your face, which looks all purple….

So, What's menu for summer, Mi-Kee?

(coyly)
Would you like me to come-over and restore your color, Kara?

I want to tell you all that I won't be going to summer-camp with you:: (brightens)
I'm going to NASA in Texas!

(a mock putdown)
It'll fade, Gary!

Will you two love-burps, please, refrain your jabber-wocking: This is Mi-Kee's conference;-- That's neat, Mi-Kee: What will you do in T-X's? Are you going to Space Camp?

Right: First we were love-hickups, now we're love-burps: Let's keep this up, Kara: We may yet become all-out love-sneezes!: (grins)

Suse: We're still at the love-snickers, stage, but we're warming-up,- maybe even melting and oozing.

(firms)
Guys: I'm going to 'Bozo' you-two, if you don't keep on the subject. Summer camp is important, but I won't see you until High School.

So, Tell us what Tex-Tex, is going to do for you.

Oh, yeah:- We graduate to high-is-cool, this Summer … That's why I'm getting all A's this semester.

I'm going to join the astronauts in training in the 'Dsstf' Deep-Space Simulator-Trainor Facility: Mom and Dad said it's okay: I can afford it: And I won it from StarTrails.

Gary: You always get A's,-- except when you do B's…: (giggles at a memory)

Mi-Kee gives Kara and Gary polite head-tilted glare …

Which part of that is the important part, Mi-Kee?-- How deep is space…? How do simulate space? What are you all training for? And what kind of facility is that…?

(retorts to Kara)
That was because Bill pulled the lid off the beehive box and the bee: (continuous)

Mi-Kee two-hands-presses RED-BOZO-BUTTONS on Gary and Kara, and the pair continue GREEN-FRAMED QUIETER, CONCURRENTLY:

(continuous)
… flew into my mouth while I as laughing at the swarm around his head:- I don't do bees, Kara.

I'll find-out when I get to NASA:- All I know for sure is, the mission is 6-weeks of things more advanced than they've ever done before, except in simulators. The simulator is supposedly really good according to StarTrails' reporter:- like you don't know it's simulated: they claim … But if NASA does it, it must be pretty good anyway.

Remind me of that next time you date me,- honey bee.

Well, that's neat, Mi-Kee: Can we keep in touch by e-mail? Does NASA let virtu-nauts communicate with family friends while on-mission?

(quips)
So, that's where I learned to open my mouth,- and I thought it was a Valentine's Day buzz.

(firms)
Yes: We have full V-mail, so I can reach you at home and at Camp-hut …: (re-firms)
Do you-two love-belches wish to be excluded from the v-mail forwarding of this conference…?

Great,-- I'll be at camp as usual,- Actually with my new digital camera which is PC-link compatible,- so I can fill-you in on all the doings, and all the friends:- It'll be like having you there, Mi-Kee,- and like we'll be on your mission, with you: Neato! Enjoy your summer!

(mock-sours)
We've been demoted to love-belches, Kara:- Looks like I need a tune-up… Yeah, sure, Mi-Kee:--: (cowboy-operatic)
Bozo me out, of the long minutia-E…: (normal)
Sharon'll know we were here, by the way you insulted us love…brackets…!: (grins)

Good idea, Mi-Kee: Delete all my conversation with Gary: I followed everything you said about you going to Tax-us to hang-out with the NASA astro-guys for 2-months;- I'll have to settle for Gary and the happy-campers in the mountains.: (brightens)
Except: Include this:--: (keys)

Mi-Kee Deselects Gary but Partials Kara, as Kara keys it:

Conference mailto:

ALL PAR VTE Correspondent
[-] [P] V Kara Shelton
[-] [-] V Gary Forthmore
[A] [-] E Susan Ridgeway
[-] [-] V Sharon Truman
[A] [-] V Mi-Kee Thomaine

(happies)
Hi-ya, Sharo:- See-y'all at Summer camp: Same time, Same canal….: (mock-serious)
This bit will self-de-res in five hesits.: (breezes)
Bye, Mi-Kee!: (mock-serious)
Four hesits.: (giggles, keys)

Okay: You-two are gleaned and culled: Susan and I are forwarded so Sharon will be up-to-date ….: (signs-off)
Bye, guys: See you, Monday, maybe, till school let's out.

Bye, Mi-Kee;- Bye, guys.

Purple-framed [SUSAN] (PAUSED).

Bye, babes.

Purple-framed [KARA] (PAUSED).

(officiates)
Arrivederci, comrades…!

Purple-framed [GARY] (PAUSED).

Mi-Kee keys: ALL FACES OFF … LIST shows.

DISSOLVE OUT

FADE IN:

INT. AIRPORT - BOARDING GATES - FRI. JULY 10, MID AFTERNOON

DAD hurries through the crowds, Startrails comic book issue "To Boldly Go" in hand, toward--

"CAL-TEX-ARIZ" - "CHILDREN AND NON-USA CITIZENS, CHECK-IN"

(00:00 - Cruel Summer/Ace of Base/Blazin' Rhythm Remix)

Mom, Mi-Kee with-ID next in-line afore a cute female AGENT:

(reading sign, unto Mom)
Why do they lump children with foreigners?

(smiles)
To make-sure smart, children don't self-check-in and get lost, before they're 17 … I don't think they're worried about toddler-terrorists.…

That's a long time to wait-- after, getting lost…: (grins a beat)
Is it worse than being lost after-- 17…?

No… But adults feel responsible,-- more for children.…

Dad joins-up and delivers the comic book--

(smiles, hands it)
This was all I could find, Mi-Kee.

(puzzles covers)
This is January-issue: 6-months ago … But I've never seen this before … Thank you.…

A special airport-issue … to make sure you haven't read it at home.

(insides, admits)
Oh. I'll have to fly more often.…

(smiles at that, to Mom)
We all set?

Yes.

Preceding flier (non-USA adult) exits with Boarding Pass;

Next… Traveler's I-D, please…: (ready for the ID)
And, What is your destination, young lady?

(handing it up)
Houston, Texas,- NASA.

(proffers)
You're a happy Space Camper, then?: (cards, keys)

Something like that: At the 'Dsstf' Deep-Space Simulator-Trainor Facility.

(keys, cute)
Ooh… stuffy!

(promotes)
"If the Space Shuttle is NASA's E-ride, Then the 'Dsstf' Simulator, is NASA's G-ride…!"

(wince-smiles a beat)
Sure, dear;- Non-smoking, for you.: (keys a beat)
And, will you be traveling alone…?

Yes: My family is going to summer camp without me.

NB. Boarding Pass Seat Number to-be over wing front edge:

(retrieves printout)
I see. Well, then: You're all set:-: (hands ID, Boarding Pass)
Seat 17-A: Front of the wing: Enjoy your flight!

(00:60)

Thank you.

Out of the line hugs-kisses-and-wishes for a good summer … Bye-bye's and parting waves and waves-back as she goes--

Bye, Mom,- Dad,- Enjoy summer camp!

TO THE CORRIDOR-RAMP …

Turns a last look, -All waving bye,- and quick waves back,-

And quickly walks the RAMP (Maybe exterior boarding) …

INT. AIRPLANE - BOARDING HATCH, WING-FRONT-SEATING (INFLOW)

Mi-Kee boards: STEWARDESS welcomes … closing the hatch;

WING-FRONT

Mi-Kee sits at the window, while the plane rolls …

EXT. AIRPORT - TAXIWAYS

Her plane rolls to the Runway Start … turns … straightens …

ENGINES REV A TEST … brakes release,-- acceleration …

(01:30 lull ascends)

Far down-runway, the plane rotates … stows gear; ascends …

(02:00 song resumes)

INT. AIRPLANE - LEVEL FLIGHT

SEATBELT SIGN TURNS OFF;--

(02:05 -diminish for dialog-)

(announces)
Ladies and gentlemen: The Captain has turned-off your Seatbelts sign: You are free to get up if you wish: Please, keep the seatbelt attached whenever you are sitting …. We are expecting smooth air all the way to Houston Texas, where the weather is clear and we will be landing before dinner; There are flight attendants with snacks in each section of the plane … Enjoy your flight.

Mi-Kee opens and reads her comic book, "To Boldly Go":--

(02:30 music fades)

ZOOM CLOSE IN …

INT. STARSHIP ENGINEERING DECK - LIGHTED (LIVE COMIC BOOK)

Cadet Officers HATCH, PAUL; LIEUTENANT works, nearing;--

So … Why is it, Hatch…?

(clips, french 'fwah')
If I'd told you une-foi, I'd told you a giga-fois:- Don't, call, me, Hatch.

Okay, then … La-Femme-Catcher?

That was a non-event-pluus.

Then … Hatch …. Why is it, we are sitting here, calmly, between twin tanks of matter and antimatter?-- Enough to disintegrate the entire Earth, in a truly cosmic event.…

Lieutenant told us, Wait.

Lieutenant near enough:

Yes, But, Why? What can we possibly accomplish with so much anti'?- Not even the mighty Enterprise…

Lieutenant, Sir: Can you explain to my fellow, officer, what we intend, with so much antimatter…?

FREEZE-PAGE-FLIP

Gentlemen, It's simple: You recall freshman complex calculus theory:-- There's matter, And there's anti'… which have opposite charge for each corresponding nucleon and wavicle …

Clear enough, But why so much Boom-Power? if you'll pardon the slight…

Okay … How do you get from positive one to negative-one conservatively?

We rotate the unit vector through the complex imaginary plane, pass I or minus-I, to the negative-unit.

Very good.

But … Why…?

That should be obvious, gentlemen: You can't get from matter to anti-matter without an unconservatively big, bang, Unless you phase-rotate through imaginary mass.…

FREEZE-PAGE-FLIP

Complex,-imaginary, mass … Such a concept … Just like phasor guns … But how does it rotate phase?

Elementary, quantum, mechanics … We take equal, portions, of matter and antimatter, with a total of neither in excess:-- They cancel each other in sum-total quantum, and together, they phase-spin, freely.…

That's, why, we have equal portions of, dis-aster, -pardon such literal expression,- in separate twin tanks … But what do we do now?- Resurrect the dead from phasor-wounds?

Phasor-weapons hit narrow-beam and cause co-rotation only at a spot.… We, gentlemen, are sitting entirely inside the beam of a phasor-engine.

Beyond belief!--: (like Capt. Kirk)
We,'re boldly, going, where no man, has wholly, gone, before!

(nears)
Mints …. Mints …. Mints ….

All looking-about surprised-awed at the incongruity:--

(a beat, louder)
Would you like a mint, young lady?

FREEZE-PAGE

PULL BACK TO REVEAL:

INT. AIRPLANE - OVER ARIZONA - NOW LATER (OUTER STORY)

Mi-Kee takes a few mints,- Thanks her, and looks outside below, a long moment, sampling … and then inside, at--

Next to her, a GIRL (same-age) is bored-playing a Gameboy …

Next seat, a TODDLER on MOMMY'S lap is entranced watching a LAPTOP DVD cartoon in overly-big headphones …

Mi-Kee resumes reading her comic book:--

ZOOM CLOSE IN …

INT. STARSHIP COMMAND - PROCYON-B BRIGHT (LIVE COMIC BOOK)

Its dwarf star looms quickly closer,- ADDING LIGHT; Captain stands center, others seated; [Engineer] on a few displays:

Reduce speed to sublight, Helm!

Reducing to sublight, Sir:--
1-point-4 … 1-point-2 … 1-point-1 …
1-point-0 … Sublight-- 0-point-9 …

Procyon-B is sitting there nice and pretty, Sir.

Bring us into sub-orbit!

Sub-orbital, Sir.

Engine room!

Engine room, here, Sir.

Ready for quadrature mass-phase-rotation!

Star fills 60-deg. Front View: starting into front-sides …

Aye, Ready, Sir: She's sitting like a banshee sniffing the wind:- Ready for mass-phase-rotation.

Sub-double stellar-radius, Sir.

Zero-point-0-3 sublight …

FREEZE-PAGE-FLIP

Star fills 120-deg. Front View as they close the distance …

On my command, Helm!

On command, Sir.

Comm, Put me on shipwide!

Communicator keys:-- PA-TWINKLES.

Shipwide, Sir.

Ladies and Gentlemen: We are about to embark on the boldest, journey, mankind has ever taken:-- into the realm of nonexistence from our own familiar cosmos:- All hands ready!

Ready on all decks, Sir.

Engineering: Mass-phase-rotation 5-grads per-hesit, to 99: Begin, now!

Rotating, Sir.

Mass-phase-rotation, grad-shift:: (2 per sec.)
1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 -: (etc. till 96)

(on Computer "6")
Give me quarter-impulse ahead!

FREEZE-PAGE-FLIP

Star dimming still 97%, fills 150-deg. Front View …

Quarter-impulse ahead, Sir.

Science Officer!

We are steady-proceeding, Sir:

(on Computer "25")
Engine Room!

Engine Room, here, Sir: She's a fine, banshee …

Comm!

We're still in contact with Star-Fleet-Com, Sir.

Send our final hail:-- Proceeding towards and, into, Procyon-B.

(on Computer "50")
Quarter-radius to go, Sir;- Sure looks hot out there.

Science Officer!

Stellar-wind ambient is 2-million degrees vacuum-dynamic, 87-hundred irradiant; We're up to 4-hundred absolute and climbing rapidly,- at 13-hesits to penetration, sir.

FREEZE-PAGE-FLIP

(on Computer "75")
Captain: Star-Fleet-Com sends it's highest regards, Sir, and Farewell.

Thank you, Comm.

DECELERATION tugs them lightly as the stellar photosphere envelops the 180-deg. View to 360; dimming still 40% …

Density jump, Sir:-- We're in, the photosphere.

(on Computer "90")
Slow to half rotation and stop at 99!

(adjusts: 1 per sec.)
… 96-grads, 97-grads, 98-grads, 98-point-6, 98-point-9, 99-point-0 … 99-point-1 grads and holding;-- Succession auto-terminated.

Star dim holding at 1% (less-but-hotter), 360-deg. View …

Sir: We're entering the convection sphere.

Science Officer!

Ship's hull is up to 6-hundred-50 degrees dynamic, and rising, Sir.

Sure looks bright out there …. Shields up full!

Shields up, Sir.

Hull, 9-50 degrees … 10-50 … We can't sustain much higher, Sir:- 13-50 … 14-50…

Full rotation, now, Helm!

FREEZE-PAGE-FLIP

Star darkens to faint warmer-red-than-black around them, except a smudge in the distance ahead is the star-center:

Full rotation concluding, now, Sir: 99-point-4 grads, 99-point-7 grads, 99-point-9 grads, 1-hundred-point-0 and holding at 1-hundred-point-0-8, grads:- We have slight overshoot.…

Ship's hull temperature has dropped to 3-hundred-80 degrees dynamic, Sir: Still, a hot nebula out there.

Fine trim, Helm!

Fine trimming, Sir:
1-hundred-point-0-7 grads …
1-hundred-point-0-5 grads …: (CONCURRENTLY)
1-hundred-point-0-3 grads …
1-hundred-point-0-1 grads …
1-hundred-point-0-0-5 grads.

Sky is black except that smudge ahead …

Hull temperature dropping rapidly: 2-40 degrees … 1-10 … 47 … 44 … 43-point-3, degrees … and stabilized …

That's odd.

Sir, Procyon-B has vanished from sensors … The whole cosmos is gone!

What's that, then…?!--: (points-ahead)
I ordered 1-hundred, fine trimmed.

FREEZE-PAGE-FLIP

Sir? We're at 1-hundred-point-0-0-3 grads: She's fine-trimmed, Sir:-- Can't tweak her a notch further.

Then, What is that on screen center?!-- Science Officer!?

It's approximately the star center: It shouldn't be visible unless it is exceeding hotter than theoretic and producing quadrature mass: or quadrature photons … Perhaps a quantum mass-hole dancing in a hot rarefied domain at the very core of Procyon-B, leaking neutrinos and…

(interrupts)
Sir, We're being hailed!

By whom?!

It's unintelligible lingo-code, Sir! --No… Wait:-- Here's …

FREEZE-PAGE-FLIP

TELESCOPES: [ALIEN VESSEL APPROACHES]: E-voice Lingo Code--

…alijioiniev Vessel in the okovowik podkruveyed Entry fasvoijifoyodesi…

Onscreen!- Science Officer: Who are they?- Locate!

…tsuvofidahid Violations asafeklyar woiverlaom Direct sudahareklimvyano Pilot apokipidarekniyapskovaniyatak Bearing pederosinalactenabidosafada Docking kreyemaskiniyamatskubiyasay Power lock adjutant piviniskotubals isprivinukrechniyapadoadosgadosapi…

Unknown lingo-code, sir, Entirely foreign, but not uncrackable. They're approaching starboard side: Propulsion appears to be simple tractor-beam on asteroid debris in the local space: It appears this space is not empty.

…troiulufi Supreme command ufiownya opijivaroieranesiovijadakapisnyaka…

KLAXON!--

* YELLOW * ALERT * TRACTOR BEAM *

(loud)
Tractor beam, Sir!

ROOM SHIVERS, BUMPS AND BUCKS: All hands brace.

FREEZE-PAGE-FLIP

All braced, easing; Alien Vessel enters Side View distant …

…nisa Reduce shields and be boarded spoiwesafuvuveortumiyeskawanabistro kebayashitogogustoformapasabivnyas…

That's plain enough!-- Comm: Hail them: We will send an ambassador!

…trasoyux Monitor dedifoodsiawefeki Evidences oirevierluksduvishcordora Consequences foradiniripescovashtin Detainment scalafesoretorkimasinofo Pending porosatonelscopelipartamano prarbacuvuristamovalemnyaprodoshmy…

(a beat busy)
No response to hail, Sir;- And no response to echo-contact.

(abrupt)
Sir!- We cannot approach them!- The alien mass, is negative-quadrature-rotated: Antimatter:-- Our, anti…!

…jujuwefer Officer occupation wefaw Verification owiyesoifeariuhejinire jodiufadahfasdafemesablatorgensami…

Defense-weapons: Prepare a warning phasor …

(clips)
Belay that order: We are not in free space,- Sir!

FREEZE-PAGE-FLIP

…jarifoyu Fleet difavufodiufegerach Ordered tomaraguchisnuvilofegahatar Surrender jinowebopatinofibjequerij Command afevopavinopsionvofivnafixu Control semyilyachemastoorgalsdanya koiujiciwokavaneyuwahuinfaxapramas…

(quick explains)
Firing phasor-rotation here inside the star will only succeed in back-loading the phasor-cannons,- sir.

(2 sec. pensive … smiles)
Starship, Custodial, Services!--

Starship CUSTODIAN, promptly--

Garbage Detail here, Sir: What's your pleasure?

…curwijoha Failure quivisiutoyedese Result in ficuwudidafiodaerfasfasm- Prompt skaweyusuteroivisheyacuiviye Suffer terasomigarelapormonerkalbra Preemptory renemasacorfamgelripota…

Eject a popsicle stick!

Aye, Sir: Popsicle stick and away … One popsicle stick overboard, Sir.

(at instruments)
Tracking … bearing: 3-7 by 4-2 … nearing the alien vessel …

…lacado Destruction chukfidovekmis…: (CLICK-STOPPED)

WITH EXPLOSIVE FLASH on the Alien Vessel …

FREEZE-PAGE-FLIP

FLASH DISSIPATES … leaving a spot damaged but intact …

Direct hit, Sir: Heavy damage just off their tractor beam port;- they are backing away:- I guess they've never seen antimatter … Not really surprising since they can't rotate phase inside a star;- Think of how inverted must be their laws of physics and gravity: their notions of empty space, so ignorant of reality yet themselves so advanced technologically … Fascinating!

Alien communications has been dis-acquired, Sir.

Thank you, Comm;-- And that'll be enough eulogizing, Science Officer. Take us out of this star, Helm!-- Mass-rotate outside! We must visit this quadrature space another time.

Aye: Exiting Procyon-B ….

They pull away from the Alien Vessel,- turn and retreat …

(announces)
Ladies and gentlemen: The Captain,: (continuous)

All looking-about surprised-awed at the incongruity:--

(continuous)
has turned-on your seatbelts sign:- At this time we ask that you return to your seats and fasten your: (continuous)

Glaring at -us- as they exit and rotate phase to stellar …

FREEZE-PAGE

PULL BACK TO REVEAL:

INT. AIRPLANE - DESCENT TO HOUSTON - NOW DUSK (OUTER STORY)

(00:00 instrumental - Feel It/The Tamperer/Blunt Edit)

Mi-Kee stows her comic book; Seatbelt sign is on;

(continuous)
seatbelts;- Please, stow your tray and return the seat to the upright position: We will be landing in a hecta-hesit.… The weather in-and-around Houston is clear and warm.: (continuous)

(00:10 metal grind)

FLAPS EXTEND;-- Mi-Kee looks out and watches;

(continuous)
We hope you have enjoyed your flight with us; And we thank you for flying Cal-Tex-Ariz.…

WHEELS LOWER …

CUT TO:

EXT. AIRPORT - LANDING RUNWAY EAST - SUNSET (AS CONTINUOUS)

(00:25 clanging)

INCOMING AIRPLANE low in the sky west, headlights-on, flaps extended, wheels down … descending to land …

(00:40 exhilarates)

FLARES just above ground level …

(00:45)

WHEELS TOUCH-SQUEAL …

(00:50)

REVERSE THRUST ROARS … as plane passes …

(00:55 -stop- voice)

And brakes onward down the runway, slowing …

FADE TO:

EXT. NASA "DSSTF" - LEFT TURN ENTRANCE - EARLY SAT. MORNING

SIGN: "NASA DSSTF Deep Space Simulator-Trainor Facility"

NEWSBOY on the center-line offers a July-11 paper to each driver by name: MR. HANSON; MRS. PENER, Mi-Kee sitting at her backseat window; MR. KYLE;- reminding them of Mission status; He accepts credit cards to a belt-mounted POS-box:

Good morning, Mr. Hanson. It's T-minus-27-hours!

Good morning. And thank you, for today's reminder.

(handing paper and POS)
This'll take all the major credit cards, like Visa and Mastercard.

(takes paper; hands cash)
Thank you, Jimmy.

(cash into receptacle)
You're welcome.: (onwards, paper ready)
Good morning, Mrs. PENER …

(quick smiles, declines)
Good morning, young man: You should automate with Gate Security: You might accept the Gate-Pass.

Thanks;- I suggested that already, but, Admin said:--: (authority-like)
While entrepreneurship is essential to NASA, it's not to NASA property.

(smiles)
That's Admin.…

(to Mi-Kee)
Hi!- You're new, here!

Yes.

What's your name?

Mi-Kee.

(aback)
That's a boy's name!- What's your function here?

I'm in the 'Dsstf' Deep-Space Simulator-Trainor Facility.

(00:00 - Mickey/Toni Basil/-dub- "girls Mi-Kee")

(surprised)
You're the one!- I heard about you: Congratulations, -Captain!- It's T-minus-27-hours!

CARS BUDGE FORWARD, turning …

(wonders after)
Thank you.

(waves-on)
Bon voyage!

Bye!

Next car a man is window-armresting holding-up a card …

(to next car window)
Mr. Kyle:- Good morning, sir! It's T-minus-27-hours!

Mi-Kee's car turns, enters … and on down the access lane …

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. CONFERENCE ROOM: LECTURE - MIDMORNING SESSION

10 ft. ceiling; Walls have large-screen computer-displays.

A TECHNICIAN in NASA-insigne white lab coat stooled at the podium, describes spacesuits, spaceship, equipments, for 23 CREW, three shifts: Mi-Kee by HELMSMAN, NAVIGATOR, ENGINEER Chad, PSYCHOLOGIST Janet, not-near 2ND-CAPT. Penn Storer, SCIENCER, WEAPONER Chip, COMMUNICATOR, Senior Apollo CMDRS. * HAISE, ALDRIN, etc. following on NASA-issue-laptops live:

REMOTE-CONTROLLING TEST-DEMO VIDEOS AND ANIMATED DIAGRAMS:

(points, dryly)
Your zip-suit is individually sized and pressurized for height and skin type: Typical undersuit pure oxygen is minimum 3-tenths atmosphere when augmented by the outer-suit minimum tenth, for an effectual hydroscopic drop of 2-meters and margin of 10-degrees-C below vapor-boiling. Your: (NEXT)
pressure retention cloth is a woven elliptic mesh, so-called for thread loops which slip over each other to nondetented maximal stretch … extra flexibility over previous designs.… The E-V-A suit is hex-safety-weave.: (NEXT)
Suit-use requires vapor-suppressant oil applied on the exposed parts of arms, legs, hands and feet; Soluble over days, it must be reapplied for each E-V-A …

(mock sincere)
Are we selling this as abs-orbitant sun-scream oil?

ALL CHUCKLE … And resettling …

The universal, snakeskin oil.

ALL LAUGH….

(quick grin; dryly)
In the event of undersuit pressure-loss, your outer-suit will hold but it will feel stiff.…: (NEXT)
In the event of outer-suit pressure loss, undersuit point-3-atmosphere oxygen holds sufficient for you to return to your ship … the vapor oil precludes cold-boil vacuum-drying.…: (NEXT)
In the event of total, loss of suit pressure, your lungs will expand to fill your suit restraint shape: You won't be able to breath, But do not hold your breath:- your suit oxygen regulator switches at low pressure, to pulsated mode breathing for you: It'll feel like you're bobbing your head in 2-meters of water.

(quips)
The astronauts' iron lung.

ALL LAUGH….

(quick grin; dryly)
The result is an incomparable E-V-A freedom suit; and once you're up to speed, E-V-A's are restricted to emergencies.: (NEXT: a wall video)
Here's a video of Dr. Henke testing the suit in the vacuum chamber:--

VIDEO: INT. NASA VACUUM-CHAMBER: An astronaut tests the EVA suit … Triggers its blowout-valve, and makes-way to the air lock, staggering as IT OPERATES IN INFLATION-PULSE-MODE …

Dr. Henke is actually in 2-p-s-i, deflated from 17-p-s-i …: (… nearing finished)
He has also tested heavy-molecular oxygenators down to 1-p-s-i; but none approved yet.

Video finished…

(NEXT)
Section Nine: Engines and Boosters: The choice was made for as compact, energy source, and much propellant, as can be loaded and lifted …: (at equations)
Peak velocity at about-face will be double, 1-point-16-percent C, at an average acceleration over 30-days … dividing by G … Point-2-7 gravity.… And once you've sat through launch, you won't notice much difference between full gravity and quarter …: (TO MI-KEE)
Unless, you do Jumping-jacks…!: (scans audience)
To attain it you'd heave propellant near C,- But that's power-expensive and costs half the propellant mass converted to energy: And Zirconium-96 decay doesn't yield that much at 38-parts-per-million… unless we add antimatter to the reaction-mix …

ALL LAUGH … And as it subsides,

(sly grin, shrugs)
A few, stray, cosmic, beta-rays…

ALL LIGHT-LAUGH.

(smiles; re-sinceres)
But Zirconium-96 is, Clean-Nuclear… If we had 12-months, we could do it easily, as distance is covered by time squared. But realistically, we can, afford to burden you with 90-percent propellant mass, and meet mission objectives to load enough for one-and-a-half interplanetary missions,-- with gravity swing-by's at the moon, and Jupiter, going and coming, and a Neptune swing-around; And you may have to reenter Earth's atmosphere hot…!- We believe we can get you there and back in 2-months.: (quick-smiles, NEXT)
Section Ten. A criticality-2.5 item we should discuss: Your zirconium-96-nickel-58 nuclear engines have dual zone-melt refiners: These are zero-gee reparable; M-T-B-F is measured in thousands of days …

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. LUNCH ROOM - MI-KEE'S TABLE - NOON

Mi-Kee, LAPTOP on the table, munching lunch half eaten, is taking a Technical Examination recalling the lecture (IVO Inner-Voice-Over eg. contraphase stereo-inside):

A Diagram of the mission path, ship approaching Pluto;--

… an option to reload propellant at Pluto-Charon when your velocity is small enough to land,- but methane only partially mixes with water …

Pointover highlights Question lines; Mi-Kee CLICK-answers--

[_Opt._] We stop at Pluto for methane.
[_No___] We orbit Neptune for methane at Triton.
[_Yes__] We go with everything self-contained.

A Diagram of the vessel thruster core;--

… both Heavy-Lift Booster and Long-Duration Thruster are radionuclear-decay-hybrid powered with emergency neutron generators …

Mi-Kee answers--

[_2___] The number of types of thrusters.
[_No__] We have nuclear fusion power.
[_No__] We have nuclear fission power.
[_No__] We use uranium and plutonium together.

A Diagram of the Heavy-Lift Booster;--

… 3-hundred-kilotons of propellant water, total, feeding its 2-point-1 gee engine. Liftoff is augmented by heavy-water for 22-percent improved load-match for 2-point-6 gee …

Mi-Kee answers--

[_No__] We accelerate at 1.0 gee from Earth.
[_Yes_] We accelerate at 1.6 gee from Earth.
[_No__] We accelerate at 2.1 gee from Earth.
[_No__] We accelerate at 2.6 gee from Earth.

A Diagram of the ship meeting a space station in orbit;--

… little nuclear fuel is used for lots of propellant … You'd minimize that by reloading in space without deorbiting, but the infrastructure is larger and the return slim while mission mass remains your predominant factor …

Mi-Kee answers--

[_No__] We may run out of fuel on a side-trip.
[_No__] We refuel at the Freedom Space Station.
[_No__] Refueling in space saves on launch-water.
[_No__] We accelerate at 2.6 gee passed the moon.

A Diagram of the vessel, sections open for maintenance;--

… fleet-maintenance excludes Earth-based refurbishing: but we cannot:- Whence the present mission scenario profile results in more restrictive single-service missions …

Mi-Kee answers--

[_No__] Maintenance on Earth wastes launch-water.
[_No__] We do refurbishing at the Space Station.
[_No__] We do fleet-refurbishing on the moon.
[_Yes_] We do non-refurbish maintenance on Earth.

A Diagram of the Long-Duration Thruster core, again;--

… Long-Duration Thruster 'Blizzard' neutral-plasma ice-ion-accelerator, yielding quarter-gee on full load, program-limited to point-4-gee, But you cannot use engines together, as these regimes make very inefficient load-matching …

Mi-Kee answers--

[_No__] The Blizzard is turned off in deep space.
[_No__] The Blizzard uses different propellant.
[_No__] The Blizzard builds-up electric charge.
[_Yes_] We can accelerate at 2.1 gee at Jupiter.

A Diagram of the vessel power wiring conduits;--

… and six auxiliary nuclear-powered A-P-U's for internal energy needs,- electricity, lighting, hot water …

Mi-Kee answers--

[_No__] The Blizzard supplies electric power.
[_Yes_] Electric power is supplied from nuclear.
[_No__] An A-P-U generates warm air fragrances.

A Diagram of vessel hull cross-section 4-aerogel layers;--

… 4-layered outer hull doubles as a glass-passivated vacuum-dialectric, self-charging 'Leyden Jar', holding up to 2-hundred megavolts for solar wind and cosmic proton rejection…

Mi-Kee answers--

[_Yes_] The hull has 4-layers of electric charge.
[_No__] Nuclear-power supplies electric charge.
[_No__] A Leyden Jar supplies electric power.
[_Yes_] High-energy protons deflect in a vacuum.
[_No__] A separate layer deflects free electrons.

A Diagram of nuclear-fuel product-reactions, and Questions:

[____] Supernova class vessels fusion iron nuclei.
[____] Supernovae produce zirconium and plutonium.
[____] 1% of the fuel is consumed going, outbound.
[____] The breeder sub-facility increases fuel 3%.

But Psychologist arrives at the table, with her own lunch--

Mind if I join you at this table?

Hi!- Sure!-- I mean, Okay!

(sits and arrays)
Keeping up with the lecture theory?

(slides lunch nearer)
I've answered most of these before, in my StarTrails magazine:- Nuclear spaceships are very similar, except NASA doesn't have a fleet!

(eats)
Actually most spaceships have been, very similar, once we got into the Space Shuttle and beyond …

(eats)
Not like in movies…!

(chuckles)
No, Not like in movies.… But we're all from the same planet, here…!

They ad lib (MOS) while thoughts still busy about space …

… To reach the edge of our solar system in a manned vessel, requires more energy than we've encountered before.… Neptune is 30-Astronomical Units from us: 4-point-5 terameters in a month of 30-days or 1-point-2 mega-hesits, requires a velocity of … divide by-C 6-48-million … Point-58 percent speed of light:- You'll be galactic 7-times over ... Don't even think, about making a mistake, or we'll never see you again …

VO: CONFERENCE GROUP BUST-UP LAUGHTER…

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. CONFERENCE ROOM - AFTERNOON SESSION (CONTINUOUS SOUND)

LAUGHTER SUBSIDES … ADMINISTRATOR in a NASA-stars-black-jacket, Charts and diagrams the decks of the vessel:

Same seating;

(TRIPLE-TAPS point)
Above main Engineering aft-decks, Crew Exercise deck, and your Mid-quarters, but below Command Fore-deck, is the main Entry lounge …: (half a beat)
You can't miss it …

ALL BUST-UP LAUGH …

(as it calms)
… which doubles as the Observation deck … and is segmented to prevent large loss of internal atmosphere, in the event of Bust-penetration,- which threatens whenever you're Broadsliding …

PARTIAL GUFFAW-LAUGHS …

(a beat)
… as during scheduled rotations for deceleration: You have two of these beyond Saturn's orbit each way, and a third, an acceleration at mission turnabout, for Neptune doh-si-doh …

PARTIAL GIGGLES …

(a beat)
While, broadsliding, double-Whipple shields surround the deck windows:-: (half a beat)
Nobody can see out… nor in…

SPORADIC BUST-UP GIGGLES …

(a beat)
Dissipating any dust at velocity …. But if something does penetrate the lounge, it is, quadriply redundant…

SLACK CHUCKLES …

(a beat)
And should you lose all four you'll simply be out lounge-privileges for the remainder of the mission …

UNEASY CHUCKLES …

… Radar-scan will minimize that …: (a beat)
Deck-wraparound windows are sun-out laser-boosted to magnitude-3 giving enhanced views of deep space while minimizing optical hazards such as sun-glare and nearby supernovae …

ALL BUST-UP LAUGH …

(2 beats; grins)
… Not that we're expecting much sun-glare in deep space …

ALL LAUGH …

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. CONFERENCE ROOM: LECTURE-DEMO - MIDAFTERNOON

DOUBLETECH at a lab table, rain-hat bulging from a pocket:

(dryly)
4-laminates of 3-centimeter aerogel and hundred-micron depleted-uranium films cover the vessel: The uranium serves as a Whipple shield, Aerogel as empty space … Basically the same technology used on Freedom Station, But for larger particles and higher velocities, heavier uranium nuclei, penetrate deeper, ensuring particle explosion …

WALLS DISPLAY animations of Whipple shield action:

A hypervelocity particle, strikes a Whipple and vaporizes, spraying its molecules through the aerogel, onto the inner shield,- without damage….

(hand up, quick loud)
What if another hyper-particle goes through the same hole…?

Good point … 4,-laminated-layers, reduces the statistical likelihood of multiple penetration … But also, a backing film of auto-philic-melt-sealant will plug-up new holes.…: (a beat)
And off-the-record there is prelim discussion to electrify the shield and better disperse impact-plasma particulates:- on future missions.

Chunks of hydrogeno-aerogel in clear-yellow sealed plastic bags on short strings, boxed, a knife, fast-glue, lighter:

(arranging; dryly)
Aerogel: is essentially transparent micro-encapsulated air; And just as resilient …: (slaps a piece)
It can be cut …: (cuts, shows, claps)
And glued …: (glues, stands squishing)
Or, foamed in place…!: (a beat)
Just, like, walking on air …

Easy giggles …

(a beat, small talk)
Still takes as long for glue to dry … Aerogel is nearly invisible,- of course … Makes great excelsior for mailing … Load it with hydrogen … reduces your total weight-cost …

All easy chuckles …

(ups atop table)
Here… we go….: (unboxes the bags)
When we fill aerogel with hydrogen … Call it, Di-hydrogen'o'gel …

Lets float on the strings …

(plays along)
Oooh…!

A few giggles.…

You guessed, It floats …: (TRIGGERS LIGHTER)
Of course, Hydrogen is, flammable …: (IGNITES AEROGEL BAGS)
Which is why we don't use hydrogen,: (Statue-of-Liberty)
For atmosphere-going spaceships …

TRIGGERING CEILING SPRINKLER-RAIN on himself;

All watch, concerned …

He quick-dons his rain-hat and resumes a smiling pose;--

ALL LAUGH ROUNDLY … APPLAUD …

(leans to Mi-Kee)
Don't worry about NASA tech's, Mi-Kee: They're all a little crazy.

(to Mi-Kee)
They're our nation's finest…!

All rise, exeunt …

(to Mi-Kee)
Which explains those signs you've seen:-- "Work is Therapy!"

(appending to them)
NASA hires 'Nauts-but-the-best'…!

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. LOBBY - REFRESHMENTS TABLE

A SIGN over the table jokes, "-NAðA Regulations- / Require, Beware Of / Falling Committees" (Greek-d NAdA).

All milling near and about, snacking with cooler-drinks …

(cowboys up to Mi-Kee)
How're you doing there, kid?

Okay.

(mock-diminuitive)
Okay? Okay?! … Kid says it's Okay…!: (wimpy lean on Navigator)
I've been doing this three, years … And the kid says, Okay….

(to Mi-Kee)
Think you'll last two months with him steering the boat?

I suppose I'll have to … He's like in my Startrails comic books ….

(laughs)
Ohhh … Low cut … Low cut …!

(a sip; to both)
What did Admin mean about the deck-wrap windows, "Bust-penetration"?

(checks Helmsman)
'Mm' … It's slightly adult-language around here: A special term for Big Dust:-- Hypervelocity strikes leave very large pock marks on windows ….

Oh-okay. I'll e-mail StarTrails and advise them what they're missing ….

(giggles)
They're not missing anything, Mi-Kee: The meaning runs deeper when Admin talks about "seeing red" …

(polite No to Helmsman)
Back-off that one for kid-sake ….

(contrite, deflects)
Okay … yes, sure ….

(pauses)
What do you call a rotating Whipple shield with a big hole off-center…?: (no answer among them)
A… 4-to-5 R-P-M Single-Smash-Hit ….: (broad grin, walks-on)

They chuckle …

(sidles over)
A question why we didn't design the decks to flip-over inside the main shell and maintain platform heading without rotation: It's hollow: Just reverse floors and engines inside:- We'd never need dangerous rotation, And the lounge would be secure …!

They giggle …

The cost of gimballing the command deck and engines, -or duplication,- invites no particular savings.

(refines)
One-axis, rotation …. Floor tilt during course redirections would remain a minor nuisance.…

One-axis, or two, is more cost than raising Whipples around the deck,- which might also be needed on other occasions, of crosswind duststorms, from ancient supernovae … whereas… mission-average cross-section only slightly increases, -a few hesits,- during a rotation-maneuver …. You can't fly a mission broadside, But with the Whipples up, you're in no significant increase of risk.

(accepts)
Okay; Thank you.

You're welcome.

(checks watch)
We are, in slight risk of missing our seats, if we remain out here…

They move inward, finishing-up …

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. CAFETERIA - SEMI-FORMAL DINNER - EVENING

BACKGROUND:

TABLE#1. Sciencer, Weaponer, 2nd-Capt., Technician (RON), Lecturer; Crews; finishing and into dessert …

At a few hundred atmospheres depth, the deuterium fraction is enough to propagate fusion flashover…

(augments)
Which: will bloom around the planet and meet again, farside,- producing an elevated secondary re-plosion to comeback again: It could go several bounces in a rich deeper layer; And might be used in SETI criteria, for distinguishing alien communications … Asteroid collapsations on neutron stars generating micro-re-novae, is another method….

Primitive, spacian smoke signals….

Several chuckles …

Possibly, but depending on the loss of density-uniformity, and that, on the insulation to the layers above and below: You might get a rebound.

How can we be sure of the depth of the initial detonation?

Several factors influence critical compactness; The seminal juncture is phase change: It must condense with sufficient inertia to start a chain and sustain ten microseconds, to fission a tiny percentage of the uranium: which requires it be small enough to be thermally transparent, and at sufficient depth and density of deuterium and near-unity neutron reflection: that's before uranium's deuterium-affinity prevents further phase change,- and while its liquid passivation seal holds.… It's all a guess till we try. If it goes well, factors will be in the place where auto-triggering is optimal.

How certain is phase-change?

The choice, was, uranium difluoride which, at the elevated temperature, in transition sheds an electron and condenses to dioxide density but we thought that might be too deep; and we know little of this first-level electron-degeneracy chemistry given the state of science-funding under our commercial-Internet President;- So, we opted for uranium dioxide 4-4 phase-collapse to 4-5, in oxygen-depleted mode;- also well-above 4-thousand degrees; And all too iffy.

A liquid-state, lube-goldberg, device!: (grins)

Several chuckles …

(a beat, to Technician)
By the way, Ron:- What's this about Beta production, and Actuary having three zone-refiners?- I thought we were final and signed-off.… You're not cutting us short of spec.…?

2nd-Capt. espies Mi-Kee in Foreground: prepares his move;

I kind-of spilled the beans on that one, Chip:-- D-C is considering a fleet of these: Pentagon wants one; Euro wants one; Even NASDA, but the Japanese can't buy it under nuclear restrictions and NASA wants a third in that case and is rethinking what we'll give them …. You know how it goes: We take the risks; For anyone else the ride is safer and pricier.

2nd-Capt. brings a desert-plate to Foreground Psychologist;

Who's doing the Fleet-mission profiling?- Or do we go pot-pourri?

For now it's on the dry-erase-board … Nobody knows alpha, about beta!

Several chuckles, (2nd-Cmdr. is residuated) …

Tell us about the emergency-neutron generator: A spill of bigger beans?

(caught)
You're right … A concern raised by a nuclear-tech group, that, however slight, solar neutrinos affect the decay rate of radionuclides …. This has no effect once you go critical, But cold starts and radio-thermals may be slower than expected behind big planets like Jupiter: which may see 90-percent reduction,- and, the neutrino phase and spectra: Mission requirements can't let us slip on tech, So we added … I think NASA's being cooked in zero-point energy …

Several chuckles …

(finishes)
… as we approach the big event ….

Amazing details you think about, the further you go from the sun.

FOREGROUND:

TABLE#2. Navigator, Helmsman, Engineer, Psychologist, Mi-Kee, Doubletech (TONY), Communicator (STEVE), Crews;

(to Mi-Kee)
Only the Shuttle controls are T-38-standard; And even there, revisions take-up their retraining schedule.

(and to Helmsman)
When the astronaut-base gets large, they'll standardize all, controls:- Like hands and eyes, are standard:- It'll cut retraining, in half.

(quieter to Navigator)
Maybe some people are thumb-dumb?- like the ancient Ninevehites ….

Why did he say 30-days to Neptune?- We're going in 20:-- He must have old information…!

Could be, Mi-Kee … We're pushing schedule all the way: Top-Admin has given us executive permission to exceed managerial push: If we think we can do it, we have the Go … Just like the good-ol' days before NASA-worm management made coming-down as exciting as going-up.

(smiles)
Good-ol' days?- This is better than 'spam-in-a-can' … We're prime eye-ribbing, here!

(smiles)
Anything like 'spam-in-your-rolls'?

All smiling chuckles …

(slightly bothered)
Why are they telling us, we, might, skip, Venus-gravity-acceleration?-- We do, skip it: We pick up Jupiter.

(quizzical)
Maybe continuous launch windows are too narrow?- Celestial mechanics is stabilized chaos.

We no longer wait for such special moments: Our nuke engines adjust en route.

We use the moon route because we're cheap: We've got to keep thinking-up every alternative planet energy pick-up … If there were a way to magneto-anchor into asteroids, we'd pick-up there, too.

Several smiles, not-quite-giggle-N's …

It's the Abort-To-Earth option that worries Cap-Com: If the lift-engine restart fails during a lunar-fling, we use the low-power ice-engine, to return: We need the lunar-test, And then we don't need the Venus flyby.

(direct)
Listen, Hon-Cho: No amount of back-up remedy-plans, however sure, ever equals one right-plan in succeeding the first-time.

Yes, sir.

CONTINUE AS MIDGROUND:

Easy, Chad: The kid didn't invent Mission Managers' worries.

(diverts subject)
How are the wife and kids taking this build-up for two months of Daddy's unearthly, absence?

(smiles)
I've been rehearsing with them … I vid-mail them twice a day from the office: Sometimes we talk important things; Sometimes talk funny stuff; Sometimes I tell them what's doing at the moment, Or what a great day I'm having at the office … Kind of serio-comedic irrelevance,- to give them familiarity and breadth in how it'll be when I'm gone.

(undertones)
'Ooh', Sounds morbid;- Probably why I never married.

Yeah, Sure!

SEVERAL CHUCKLES …

(to Communicator)
Steve: What's this we hear about "Chalk-Tractor"?

Too early to tell, Tony: You-guys will have to beam-up the scores.

You'll be the last to know.…

(shrugs)
Such is the bane of deep-space travel … But we'll trade you first-hand information on major planetary geophysical discoveries … by speed-of-light telemetry-transmissions ….

(mimics)
So … Such is the bane of remaining on Earth:- Always the last to know.

SEVERAL CHUCKLES …

At least we'll be talking all in the same language over twelve hours roundtrip at 44-astronomical units: Hits and hits and hits, And runs and runs and runs, And errors and errors and errors ….

SEVERAL CHUCKLES … and defer to Psychologist and 2nd-Cmdr.

CLOSE-IN FOREGROUND:

Psychologist and Mi-Kee consult:

Don't worry about him, Mi-Kee: He's from the old-school: Mission-by-mission. And he's right: We can't fail this one: All that would return is, us: There'd be no more missions, if we fail this first.

Can engineers build backups into their equipment?

Mostly they build twice forward and second is what they call the backup hot-spare, or unit-two: Technically flawless is not a mission objective but he is also thinking in terms of mission success, while we think in terms of establishing our presence, in space…. Eventually any equipment fails, and he can replace it,- But the bigger it gets, the harder the call: We really need both vantages: his expertise at doing things right the first time, and our ability to remedy all things once in space … like working in three dimensions instead of two: we can get-around a bigger class of technical hurdles … Establishment is not our mission:- We're not warriors.

2nd-Capt. pulling-in an unused chair, joins:--

WIDER FOREGROUND:

Hi, Janet.… Welcome aboard.: (hand to Psychologist)

(handshakes)
Thank you, Penn;- You look rarin' to go.

(sits)
Sure thing.…: (introduction to Mi-Kee)
And, Hello, young lady:- You are Michelle-Keela,- I presume?: (last to Psychologist)

Yes, sir.

(smiles)
Then, congratulations are in order, commander: I'm Commander Storer, your second-in-command: I must say, I did not expect to be preempted by a youngster on this mission.

That's all right, sir: I'll stay out of everyone's way.

(reencourages)
That won't be necessary, Michelle: The commander's seat is right in the middle, and that's as far-out as you'll be allowed.

(bemused)
Yes, sir.

FADE TO:

Petry System Family Wision USA

in conjunction with

project NEMO

presents

How far can reality go?
The StarTrails Game
Never say, simulator, again!

a contemporary space sciences adventure, PG-13 Sci⁴fi feature

Mr. Raymond Kenneth Petry, Strategic Director
a Wision--SesQuaTercet USA production

"Before NASA sends men to another planet it will be simulated a thousand times."

[index][script][music][sets&settings][budget][prospectus][roles]

[Music specified in this screenplay is the Strategic Director's selection]

Act 1

'Ready to go'

[Act 2]

The theory of measurement propounded in this work is not to be cited (as) considering contraband or corpses; Nor are the intellectual appurtenances hereïn to be used for or in the commission of crimes against persons, peoples, properties, or powers (States).

© 1997-2002, 2006-2008 Mr. Raymond Kenneth Petry

Petry System Family Wision USA

in conjunction with

project NEMO

presents

How far can reality go? The StarTrails Game Never say, simulator, again!

a contemporary space sciences adventure, PG-13 Sci4fi feature

Mr. Raymond Kenneth Petry, Strategic Director a Wision--SesQuaTercet USA production

"Before NASA sends men to another planet it will be simulated a thousand times."

[index][script][music][sets&settings][budget][prospectus][roles]

[Music specified in this screenplay is the Strategic Director's selection]

Act 1

'Ready to go'

[Act 2]

The theory of measurement propounded in this work is not to be cited (as) considering contraband or corpses; Nor are the intellectual appurtenances hereïn to be used for or in the commission of crimes against persons, peoples, properties, or powers (States).

© 1997-2002, 2006-2008 Mr. Raymond Kenneth Petry

How far can reality go?
The StarTrails Game
Never say, simulator, again!

a contemporary space sciences adventure, PG-13 Sci⁴fi feature

Mr. Raymond Kenneth Petry, Strategic Director
a Wision--SesQuaTercet USA production