- INT. NASA ADMINISTRATION - AN OFFICE - EARLY NEXT MORNING
- Mi-Kee arrives for her prebriefing with the Administrator:
- KNOCKS THRICE
ADMINISTRATOR
- (calls-out)
- Come in!
MI-KEE
- (tentative)
- Hello, sir?
ADMINISTRATOR
- (recognizes, enunciates)
- Ms. Michelle-Keela, Thomaine
- (stands, waves for chair)
- Good morning. Do come in,- Have a seat: I wish to speak with you before you leave on this mission.
MI-KEE
- (enters, sits)
- Thank you, sir.
ADMINISTRATOR
- (re-sits)
- May I address you as, Michelle?
MI-KEE
- Yes, sir,- but, I'm called, Mi-Kee, at home.
ADMINISTRATOR
- (enunciates)
- Then
Mi-Kee.
- (prepared)
- I wish firstly, to convey NASA's highest regard for your scholastic achievements
and, our deepest appreciation for your participation on this mission; And, doubly assure you of our broadest confidence in its success
.
- (revises, stands)
- Let me explain:--
- (skirts, sits on desk)
- It has become the imperative in our modern society that greater numbers of children learn the sciences and technologies of space navigation, exploration, peaceable advances of nuclear power and electronics: more so than ever before, throughout history
- (a beat no response)
- And more than the bookish learning in schools
. As you may know from your social studies courses, our society is beset by temptations to believe that space-travel is for the few: The costs are so great, opportunities so limited,- and the rewards require public-relations efforts to explain their meager benefits:-- It becomes easy then to believe in other-world imaginations replacing our contemporary world:-- Dreams, fantasies, pulp-fictions, video-games, telnet-muds, and worse
satanisms, drug-cultures
the by-ways of worldliness: costly and dangerous!- spreading like weeds: hardy, but fruitless
. But these are not what can happen in our real world:- Whatever happens here, for us, we must understand!- We must be grateful for all we have, can do, or know
. Who, today, can believe their own President?- when all the News shouts, Cut, Cut, Shuffle, Cut, Deal!- The President himself says he believes these fantasies.
- (smiles)
MI-KEE
- Yes, sir.
ADMINISTRATOR
- Mi-Kee: Bureaucracy, is like a Russian shell-doll:- Have you seen one?- Inside each shell is another doll, until, at the very smallest, it's either empty, or not.
MI-KEE
- Yes, sir.
ADMINISTRATOR
- (walks by photo-posters)
- It is easy for NASA to send men and women -adults- into outerspace:- We advertise in classified sections of technical journals, for astronaut-trainees: They apply in droves,- we hire a few: We pay them good salary and they do good work
. But they also have families, and children: And this is where our big, problem begins: On long missions, really long, --well we've never really had a really long mission:- To the moon and back took a few days; Skylab in the '70's and space stations manned a few months
communications were limited to video lines, now e-mail and vidlinks, restricted to family and coworkers.
We need, Mi-Kee, to include their families and children with them, on really long missions, coming-up
But we can't just hire, children, for money
- (the hard sell)
- So, We advertised for your interest and scholarship
.
- (returns to desktop)
MI-KEE
- Yes, sir.
ADMINISTRATOR
- (a catch-smile)
- We need test, our spaceships, for children:- How do children see our work, our plans, our vision?- How can they participate on missions
?- Adults, are spaceflight-qualified, along with their specific roles and responsibilities
We need qualify, children, too.
- (chuckly)
- Nobody ever said government contracting was easy:- They said: Build it, We'll test it
!
- (a beat, sinceres)
- But that's not good enough for NASA: We're not the Army: We must succeed, at cost
!- We live within budgets, -that Russian shell-doll,- And yet, we must reach outside the edge, of our solar system:- We must go to the planets, and stars beyond
We must own, our immanent -space- domain
. We must be, the spacers, in this corner of our galaxy
on-budget
and fully accounted
.
MI-KEE
- Yes, sir.
ADMINISTRATOR
- (sobers)
- Mi-Kee
This mission may just be NASA's last, real mission to outer-space, deep-space, to the planets:- "to boldly go, where no man has gone before",- as Captain Kirk, of the StarTrek Enterprise, put it
. The economy of Earth cannot sustain these missions: We haven't found, a way, to make, space, pay back!
We hope to find what payback it has
.
- (littlish)
- The vacuum of space is poor augury for man
Sure, we'll send unmanned probes, one every five years
But the glory of space venturism, moon travel,- may become a lost art:--
- (biggish)
- Been there! Done that!
- (sincere)
- And with it, the real imagination of our children.
MI-KEE
- Yes, sir.
ADMINISTRATOR
- We need, scientifically, establish our presence in the solar system: nationally, and humanly. When a man goes up, he should stay up,- years: Every man that comes down, is one fewer in space
This is plainly uneconomical: Launch costs hundreds of millions! We need place, men and women, and children, in permanently manned space-station universities
interplanetary space-liners, bigger than an Enterprise aircraft carrier
eventually in moon colonies
But really once outside gravity's hold, it is economic to stay-up, and send robot-craft down, to land on moons: the reverse of governmental trends.
MI-KEE
- Yes, sir.
ADMINISTRATOR
- It's even cheaper to leave our astronauts in space and train new ones for each mission
But someone has to bring the Shuttle back.
- (reminisces)
- Decades ago, when President John F. Kennedy announced we'd be going to the moon, by the end of the '60's, and to Mars and beyond, by the end of the century, by nuclear-powered, rocket engines, we believed him: We went for the new goaled: We built a dozen mighty Saturn-5 moon-rockets, and the super-powered NERVA nuclear engines
But
Presidents' words last a dozen years
The President in '72, deleted the last few moon missions; And after a quick public-relations act with the Russians, we dropped the NASA manned-space ball: We haven't been back to the moon, since
since before you were born; And, we're afraid, our children may believe the moon is made of green cheese, after all.
MI-KEE
- Yes, sir.
I mean, No, sir: The moon is a planetoid: a gigantic dusty boulder.
ADMINISTRATOR
- (smiles a beat)
- You, are Criticality-One on this mission, Mi-Kee:- Do you know what this means to us?
MI-KEE
- (tentative)
- It means I'm the O-ring: If I fail, my parents may never see me again.
ADMINISTRATOR
- (comforts, almost laughs)
- It's not that severe, Mi-Kee;--
- (smiles)
- We are surer of our equipment, than ever before
But
if we do not succeed this, time
- (a beat, drama)
- Men may never again go to the moon, in centuries: Budgets are declining faster than ever before: A failure, now, may mean, No budget next year.
MI-KEE
- Yes, sir.
ADMINISTRATOR
- (matter of fact)
- We've decided to send a children's specialist with you: You will have your second-in-command, Commander Storer, -Captain grade,- And we're including Dr. Janet Faisey, a space-qualified, preeminent Child-Psychologist, to accompany you: Dr. Faisey will act as your yeoman
.
MI-KEE
- Yes, sir: I met her.
ADMINISTRATOR
- (a nod)
- Dr. Faisey, may be as firm and fair as a mother, and as gentle and good as a father with little girls
You can always confide in the doctor
. And
If you'll approve, I think we have our space-team-to-go
.
MI-KEE
- Yes, sir.
I approve.
ADMINISTRATOR
- (rises)
- Thank you, Mi-Kee:-- We're all set.
- (leads to Door)
- Tell me, Mi-Kee -if you know:- How did your parents select your middle name
?
MI-KEE
- (up, walking)
- My Mom said that Dad's favorite science-fiction book in college was Dragon's Egg by Robert Forward, and that he wanted to name me, Cheela,- after the inhabitants on a neutron star.
Mom said the name had to be more normal, like Sheila, Celia, or Kelly
Dad said he'd settle for Keela
Mom said Michelle-Keela was normal enough
And he said, Okay.
- (the revision)
- My Dad said, They were hoping for a boy for their first child
and Mom said, Michael, because he was first archangel
Dad said he'd call me, Mikey
. Then the men in white did an ultra-sound and decided I'd be a girl
So, Mom said, Michelle
Dad said I would still be "Mikey"
Mom said Michelle-Kelly
Dad said, Michelle-Keela: And Mom said, Okay.
- (concludes, puzzled)
- But they don't agree on who agreed with whom
. So, I'm your typical 8th-grade American teenager: One thoroughly mixed-up kid:- It's in the genes, I think.
ADMINISTRATOR
- (smiling a beat)
- Well!- That answers every question, Commander
. Bon Voyage! --which is French for, Good sightseeing
!
- (hand to shake)
MI-KEE
- (handshakes)
- And Bone Home-age, to you, too, sir
But I don't think that's French.
ADMINISTRATOR
- (bemused)
- I don't think so, neither
- (grins)
- But, Close-enough for government work!
MI-KEE
- Yes, sir;- Thank you.
- She leaves to the nearest hall-door
and waving-back
- Administrator waves (alt. thumbs-up)
She exits.
- CUT TO:
- INT. GENERAL ACTIVITY ROOM - MIDMORNING (LAUNCH DAY)
- DIRECTOR standing in dress whites, leads full Crew sitting round in NASA-mission-blue spacesuits: Clap-chants:
-UNISON-
- (clap-out, enunciate)
- Sim-U-LA-Ted.
DIRECTOR
- (enunciates one-word)
- Simulator.
-UNISON-
- (clap-out, enunciate)
- Sim-U-LA-Tor.
DIRECTOR
- (enunciates one-word)
- Simulation.
-UNISON-
- (clap-out, enunciate)
- Sim-U-LA-tion.
DIRECTOR
- (clapping, excites)
- O-kay! O-kay! Now: Raise your right hand, And repeat after me:
- All raise right hands.
DIRECTOR
- (formal)
- I solemnly promise, never, to repeat the word, Simulation!
-UNISON-
- (responsive)
- I solemnly promise, never, to repeat the word, Simulation!
DIRECTOR
- (exuberant)
- I solemnly promise, never, to repeat the word, Simulator!
-UNISON-
- (responsive)
- I solemnly promise, never, to repeat the word, Simulator!
DIRECTOR
- (redoubled)
- I solemnly promise, never, to repeat the word, Simulated!
-UNISON-
- (responsive)
- I solemnly promise, never, to repeat the word, Simulated!
DIRECTOR
- (clapping, excites)
- O-kay! O-kay! Now: Everybody up!
- (continuous)
- All stand;
DIRECTOR
- (continuous)
- And, Back to reality
Everybody clap each-others' hands,-- and, mingle
This is for-real
- (claps-out, enunciates)
- This, is, for, real!
- (direct)
- Mingle!--
- Rounds of hand-clapping each other, mingling;--
-UNISON-
- (mutually clap out)
- This, is, for, real!
- (mingle)
- This, is, for, real!
- (mingle)
- This, is, for, real!
- (mingle)
- This, is, for, real!
- (mingle)
- This, is, for, real!
- (00:00 lull - Ready To Go/Republica/Rock Version)
DIRECTOR
- (clapping, calms)
- O-kay: O-kay! All right! You guys are for real!-- Break!- You're on your own!
- (exits)
- All at-ease, some soothing hands
and exeunting ad-lib
PSYCHOLOGIST
- (to Mi-Kee)
- Ready to go?
MI-KEE
- (bemused)
- Yes
sure.
- INT. LAUNCH PREP ROOM - (MOMENTS LATER)
- (00:12 voice "ready to go")
- 2 PREP-TEAM technicians in laboratory whites, Crew gather-up helmets, gear, attache-pads
- And exeunt
.
- EXT. NASA BUILDING - TRANSPORT VAN - (NEAR CONTINUOUS)
- (00:25 metal)
- Prep-team, Crew, stride out en mass 'in-charge'
- And nearing the Van rear, Mi-Kee questioning points to--
- REAR-WINDOW SIGN "CHILD ONBOARD" (yellow diamond)
- They smile back, nodding admitting;--
- (00:38 voice "you're weird")
- She mock-guffaws a grin, And all board (walk-on entrance)
- 2 helicopters clear the miles-distant launch-pad area
- VAN SHIFTS GEARS and drives away
Mi-Kee looks out back
- Through the gates
- OUT FAR
in empty desert
- CUT TO:
- EXT. DESERT SIMULATOR, MILES DISTANT - (MINUTES LATER)
- Transport Van arrives at a flat-blank place
.
- (01:30 lull)
- Prep-team, Crew, deboard and gather onto a--
- GROUND PLATFORM, large enough for all
- Prep-team herds them inside its circumference
- A Prep-teamer cellphone-calls 2-digit NASA Control
- (01:43 voice)
- Makes sure he's also inside the circumference
- They wait
- (01:50 metal)
- AND DESCEND
into--
- THE SILO DEPTH
- (01:55 -diminish as-if sourced outside-)
- Mi-Kee looks up: Parallax narrows the sky to 4 deg.
- (02:05)
- STOP at--
- A STRAIGHT CORRIDOR: They file off, through
and into--
- A GLASS-TUBE GANTRY to a rocket-spaceship resembling paired lava-lamps base-to-base 350 m x 100 m dia. braced vertical;
- And cross to its deep-indented mid-side Entry Deck
- Mi-Kee checks its VERY REAL HEIGHT -AND- DEPTH IN THE SILO:
MI-KEE
- (looking out-down)
- Wow
Is this a sim
?--
- (adjusts)
-
for real
?!
- All smilingly eye Mi-Kee for her near-misspeak
- And enter the hatch, into the window-wrapped OBSERVATORY LOUNGE QUARTER
and through the interior hatch
- While Prep-team closes the outer-hatch, and checks seals;-
- Closes their gate and RETRACTS THE GANTRY with themselves
- SUNLIGHT SLASHES INTO THE SILO as the silo cap withdraws
.
- (03:-- fades out)
- INT. SPACESHIP COMMAND DECK - STAND-BY LIGHTED (CURRENT)
- An efficient spheroidal room: Helmsman, Navigator, heads-near-centered; Captain higher behind; perimeter-horseshoe balcony: Weaponer left-forward, Sciencer right-; Engineer left-back, Communicator right-; ancillaries mid; elevators at back; full-front-wall Main Display, soffit and station Displays, show NASA DSSTF LOGO till commanded each;
- ELEVATORS OPEN: Helmsman, Navigator, Weaponer, Sciencer, Psychologist, Mi-Kee, 2nd-Capt., Engineer, Communicator, enter, sit, seatbelt; 2nd-Crew as space permits standing
- Operate STATIONS TO INTERACTIVE; lingo is mission-chopped:
SCIENCER
- Equipment Checklist Identifications complete; Self-tests, Good-for-Go.
COMMUNICATOR
- Sys-Com, Acquiring Mission for Go.
NAVIGATOR
- Navigation, Standing-by for Go.
ENGINEER
- Systems-Engineering is Go-for-Go: Launch-clamps armed-and-enabled; Gantry withdrawn; locked-down; Silo cap open: Silo is Clear-for-launch.
COMMUNICATOR
- We have Cap-Com, Go-for-launch; Go for mission: Launch sequence Green-light: Beginning: T-minus-3 hesits;
- (2 sec.)
- T-minus-2 hesits
- (00:00 rumble - The Final CountDown/Europe)
- BOOSTER DEEP RUMBLE; Dialog deliberate, tight clips:
ENGINEER
- Propellant feed; Nuclear critical. Switching to onboard control.
- (00:04 deep-strings-glissando)
ENGINEER
- Booster flux stable; Heavywater 10-percent bleed-in; Static-pressure nominal; Dynamic envelope balanced; Torque trim point-1-1 compensating.
- (00:12 horn)
COMMUNICATOR
- Navy U-F-O Acquired; AF-Sat-Com-2 Online; D-S-C-S-4 online; G-S-P-S Online: satellites 3, 6, 7, 9; Global-position confidence, B; Lanthus Traffic Constellation Carrier-sync'ed Data-idling; T-DRS-5 telemetry Online. Waiting for MilSTAR-2-and-3.
ENGINEER
- (update)
- Umbilical propellant at Full feed.
NAVIGATOR
- G-S-P-S Calibrated to Earth-zero. We have T-DRS Nav-lock; Digital-flight-path Down-loading.
ENGINEER
- (update)
- Throttle-sequence Auto-initiated at T-plus-30. Heavywater fraction at
- (half a beat)
- 1-hundred-percent;
- (half a beat)
- Throttling-up Booster drive, now.
- BOOSTER RUMBLE BUILDS TO HALF IN VORACIOUS UPDRAFT 3 sec.
- (00:43 countdown, climb)
ENGINEER
- (update)
- Positive buoyancy, Launch clamps at Zero-point-1-5 gee ready.
COMMUNICATOR
- (update)
- MilSTAR-2-and-3 Acquired.
NAVIGATOR
- (update)
- Digital-flight-path is Confirmed:--
- (turns to Mi-Kee)
- (00:50 snares)
NAVIGATOR
- Go-on-command, sir.
- (00:52 snares full)
- Mi-Kee SCANS HER CREW for commitment: Each smiles thumb-up.
HELMSMAN
- (last to Mi-Kee)
- It's your-command, Captain.
MI-KEE
- Engineer!
ENGINEER
- Yes, sir?
MI-KEE
- It's your machine!
- (01:09 climb)
ENGINEER
- (smiles)
- Aye
Proceeding with Launch:-- Heavywater feed-actuator Open; Umbilical cut: Propellant internal.
- OUTSIDE LAUNCH-CLAMPS CLUNK-OPEN:-- VISUALS CREEP-UP;--
ENGINEER
- Clamps open: We are free-bird!
- (01:17 lull)
- GLIDING FASTER UP THE SILO
easier pace:
SCIENCER
- We have exterior visuals.
ENGINEER
- System dynamics recheck is Good.
- QUICKLY CLEARING THE SILO TOP, to above ground level
NAVIGATOR
- Silo cleared.
- (01:26 voice "we're leaving")
ENGINEER
- Throttling-up to effectual 1-30.
- RUMBLE INCREASES TO FULL; Visuals climb the landscape
COMMUNICATOR
- Communications recheck all Go!
ENGINEER
- Engineering recheck all Go!
NAVIGATOR
- Navigation recheck all Go!
HELMSMAN
- Helm-path recheck all Go!
- Puffy white clouds at 4000 ft. flit-by
ENGINEER
- Heavywater phasing-out
NAVIGATOR
- Mile high.
ENGINEER
- Actuator closed: 1-hundred-percent light: Throttle actual at 1-Oh-5.
- OUTSIDE CLUNK OF TANK SEPARATION;--
ENGINEER
- Heavywater skirt-tank separation
Dropping-away. Throttle 1-hundred.
COMMUNICATOR
- Cap-Com says we've cleared Window:- No-go-Venus:- Go Moon! Go Jupiter!!
- THEY CHEER
!
- (01:56 "final")
- Slipping up-through WISPY STRATOSPHERE CLOUD LAYERS
- (02:13 out before "Oh")
- FADE TO:
- INT. COMMAND DECK - ROUNDING MOON WESTSIDE (A DAY LATER)
- (00:00 - Corrente/Karl Jenkins)
- Happy to be in outer-space, seated Crew prepare for Booster at the bottom of the moon-gravity-swing; Mi-Kee Observes
- NAV DISPLAYS: The hyperbolic course around west to farside.
NAVIGATOR
- Course verified
Stand-by Gravity-Swing-Booster at T-minus-85 hesits.
2ND-CAPT
- Communications?
COMMUNICATOR
- We have gravity-boost swing-path Confirmation from Houston, Captain; And, 60-hesits, to loss of signal
.
2ND-CAPT
- Engineer?!
ENGINEER
- Sitting pretty and ready, Captain.
2ND-CAPT
- (orders)
- Helm: Ready for auto-boost!
HELMSMAN
- Ready for auto-boost, Captain.
2ND-CAPT
- Nav: Lock-in Booster-swing-trajectory to Helm!
NAVIGATOR
- (keys)
- Swing-trajectory, locked-in.
2ND-CAPT
- Begin auto-boost sequence, Helm!
HELMSMAN
- (keys)
- Auto-boost: 75-hesits, to ignition.
2ND-CAPT
- (turns to Mi-Kee)
- Captain Mi-Kee!-- We are about to implement the Lunar Gravity-Swing-Boost maneuver?-- Are you familiar with this procedure
?
MI-KEE
- Yes, sir: We take orbit energy from the moon in the gravity-swing;- And we get additional, energy, boosting at the bottom of the gravity-well.
2ND-CAPT
- (acknowleges competence)
- Very good
! You'll see it up-close: Navigation has programmed the Helm, And NASA, has confirmed our optimal trajectory thrusting straight-ahead following the dotted hyperbola
.
MI-KEE
- (nods 2 beats, tentative)
- Actually, sir:- There is a better trajectory.
2ND-CAPT
- (bemused)
- Really
?
MI-KEE
- (comes down)
- Yes, sir:- The 'W-Maneuver':-- My Startrails Reader explained it:--
- (standing adjacent)
- While most starship captains take your, route, The optimal maneuver includes thrust more-perpendicular to the fall of gravity: so as to not engage the gravity-riptide
.
2ND-CAPT
- (concerned and to Crew)
- Oh
?!
MI-KEE
- You can even counter your vertical, and spend more, time, in the well
- (child's disclaimer)
- They use a lot of Calculus, which I won't know till high school, Senior year,- But they also gave what they call, "Infinity Comp" proofs: Two.
2ND-CAPT
- (plays along)
- And, What are, the Infinity Comps
?
MI-KEE
- (explains)
- First: If you accelerate exactly-on the trajectory you'll reach perigee sooner, and higher: You must either accelerate slightly downward or aim lower earlier and push up: The 'W'.
- 2nd-Capt. smiles;
MI-KEE
- Second: Starting in circular orbit, Adding velocity, to escape straight ahead, gives you the basic gravity-well boost advantage; I know how to do squares and roots
.
2ND-CAPT
- (tentative)
- Right
.
MI-KEE
- But if you add some of the velocity aim down to maintain the orbit as a circle and also moving faster, Then when you escape, you get more, than the basic boost advantage: On flyby you can do it both coming and going
The deeper and longer you stay in gravity-wells, the more effectually you can use your booster!
- EARTH ECLIPSE beyond the moon west edge 5 sec;
2ND-CAPT
- (and to Crew)
- Wow
Did you guys know about this?
NAVIGATOR
- The kid knows what she's talking about, sir
I've studied theory backward and forward, but we use the technology programs installed, when we fly: I never gave it much extra thought past college.
2ND-CAPT
- (accepts)
- We may need computer-re-programming experts, on spaceflights
after we test-out for children
.
- (3 beats, and to Mi-Kee)
- Do you want to try this, now
?
COMMUNICATOR
- (update)
- We have Loss of T-DRS signal,- Radio silence,- Captain.
MI-KEE
- (turned, and back)
- It would require a different Entry trajectory, sir
And the first leg of 'W-maneuver' is dangerous aiming below the horizon:-- It's Captain's Prerogative whatever course we take
And, You are the Captain.
2ND-CAPT
- But, You, are the First-Captain
.
MI-KEE
- You're the Commander-On-Duty, sir.
2ND-CAPT
- (nods Yes)
- Okay, We'll have NASA look at this
Thank you,- Captain.
HELMSMAN
- (update)
- Auto-boost: 10-hesits, to ignition.
- Mi-Kee returns to her Observer-seat
2ND-CAPT (MCU)
- (elbow resting, waves-in)
- Comm
.
COMMUNICATOR
- (steps down)
- Yes, sir?
2ND-CAPT (CU)
- (quiet when near)
- Did Mi-Kee, Buffalo, us, just now?
COMMUNICATOR (MCU)
- I don't think so, sir: She fully credits her Startrails Reader
.
2ND-CAPT (MCU)
- And she understands what she reads: That makes her credit worth a lot
.
COMMUNICATOR
- (admits it)
- Yes, sir
.
2ND-CAPT (MCU)
- Thank you.
- Communicator returns to sit
and watch in radio silence
- BOOSTER RESTARTS
ENGINEER
- Main-restart confirmed, Nominal, Coming up to maximum
- RUMBLING UP TO FULL THRUST
- And the spaceship glides-on low over passing moon craters
- MINUTES PASS
- Pulling up for deep-space, with solar escape velocity
HELMSMAN
- (at his display)
- We're galactic,- Captains!
- ALL ROUND APPLAUSE
.
2ND-CAPT
- Take it to Neptune, Helm!
HELMSMAN
- (keys)
- Aye,- Captain!
- (cheers)
- Mars, Jupiter, and, Nep-tune!
- FADE TO:
- INT. COMMAND DECK - NORTH OF MARS SPACE - (DAYS LATER)
- BACKGROUND:
- Crew at work-pace releasing Deep-Space-Six Interferometry Probe-Net, linking telemetry control to Houston, recovering a weak-signal data from MVACS
some quiet ad lib overlap
- (00:00 - La La La Koora (Landler)/Karl Jenkins)
HELMSMAN
- Steady as she goes: Science has a 50-hesit window.
SCIENCER
- Deep-Six: Fire-control: Armed and enabled
Releasing
- (keys 1 each sec.)
- Phase 1
2
3
4
5
6
- Displays watch 6 Probes released spreading in free space
SCIENCER
- Launch: complete.
- (2 beats)
- Switching to program panel-2 multi-mode, ready: Acquisition phase, on
ENGINEER
- Computer-main diverting to Science station: Backup, reliable; You have 30-hesits: Make it quick.
SCIENCER
- Sequence: Begin.
- Those less-busy watch
- 6 TELEMETRIES ACTUATE individually
SCIENCER
- (at displays)
- We have telemetry
All six
phase-locked
.
- (next mode)
- Releasing acquisition task to tracking mode
Process terminated.
- (final)
- You have your overblown-P-C-main, back, Engineer.
ENGINEER
- (grins-back)
- Control-X-ing, the Science Support Window.
- They chuckle
COMMUNICATOR
- Filing Deep-Space-Six status with Houston.
SCIENCER
- (busy at next item)
- Search-mode for M-Vacs vestigials
- (3 beats, minor success)
- We have in-band R-F
. -Looks like NASA still has a piece of equipment out there-
. Pinging for controls
- NAVIGATION MINOR ALARM: Near-miss-proximity
NAVIGATOR
- (abruptly busy)
- Well, Looky here
What do you make of this, in your Science Station?
SCIENCER
- (gets busy 2 beats)
- Fascinating
A stone cut without hands
- Small partial giggles
- TELESCOPE DISPLAYS zoom-in an outgassing-comet passing
SCIENCER
- Captain, We've got a small visitor!
- All watch the comet
SCIENCER
- An unscheduled mega-ton comet: a heavy breather!
MI-KEE (POV)
- (to comet)
- I hope we don't meet close-up with any of those, on this trip.
- They resume busy
quiet ad lib
cataloguing data from the Mars North Pole Impact-probes to be launched
SCIENCER
- Launching Mars Polar Impactor
ENGINEER
- Need the computer-main again?
SCIENCER
- No: Just a pair of launches, and no multi-linked telemetries!- Thanks.
HELMSMAN
- (2 beats)
- There goes the Martian Santa Claus.
SCIENCER
- (a beat busy)
- Ha ha very funny
NAVIGATOR
- (to Helmsman)
- Red-and-white spectrum: What do you suppose are the elements?
HELMSMAN
- Reindeerium-9
, Elvium-2-11
.
- (2 beats)
- How many elves does it take to clean Rudolph's nose?
NAVIGATOR
- (chuckles; 2 beats)
- We give
.
HELMSMAN
- One to hold his nose in a hanky, And ten to roll him over
.
- Partial giggles
HELMSMAN
- You do know that Rudolph's nose is squeaky clean
They roll him back and forth
- Partial chuckles
HELMSMAN
- Why did Santa change his last name to Claus
?
NAVIGATOR
- (ponders him 2 beats)
- We give
again.
HELMSMAN
- His parents, -the Claustros,- lived indoors all-year-long
But he himself was claustro-phobic
.
- Partial chuckles
HELMSMAN
- Do you know what you're missing by not-being married with children
?
- Partial giggles
NAVIGATOR
- (ponders 2 beats)
- Free fireplace-flue cleaning every Christmas
?
- Partial chuckles
- FOREGROUND:
- Mi-Kee (IVO) (anonymo@ps.us) in the captain's chair, reads her Internet-news-group on her laptop (alt. built-in):
MI-KEE (IVO)
- (types URL)
- news:sci.fi.startrails
- NEWS POST DISPLAYS:
-BOY- (IVO)
- (reads)
- Turkey-Dirker@netmail.com says: Why didn't the Captain order negative phasors? I read the Procyon episode on the flight to Newark, yesterday.
- NEXT POST:
-GIRL- (IVO)
- (reads)
- CapComette@mailpooch.com says: Are negative photons indistinguishable from ordinary photons? So negative phasors would still overload. IMHO
- (smiley: ASCII ";-P")
- I read it on Terre Haute Flight 2.
- NEXT POST:
-2ND BOY- (IVO)
- (reads quick)
- Incinerator@mailmasher.com says: The phasor requires an amount of antimatter equal to the amount of matter to be phasor'ed: It phase-balances the equal opposite masses, then rotates both to quadrature;- the amounts rotated are lost.
But antimatter in the phasor cannot phasor the antimatter of the alien vessel in quadrature space as that would require matter in the phasor, -which was not built that way;- Thus a phasor would have no effect on those antimatter aliens, at all.
- Mi-Kee replies:
MI-KEE (IVO)
- (types)
- Incinerator, The phasor must have antimatter to start the phasor ray with its matter fuel, to phasor an antimatter object: They could build it to work both ways. But there was nothing the Captain could do inside the star
Popsicles away, mate!
- NEWS END: All posts read.
- Keys E-mail, NB. Background takes attention at-liberty
- E-MAIL DISPLAYS: First message [Susan:thoughts] (IVO) with digital PICTURES of her friends, on summer-camp-letterhead:
[SUSAN] (IVO)
- (as written)
- Hi, Mi-Kee: Camp is great as usual: See my pictures: I used my digital camera I got for my birthday;- and this camp letter-head background.
We all wish you were here, Or wish we were there: We haven't figured this out yet: Have you? What's it like in virtual outer-space? And the big question we discuss every night: What is a virtual vacuum? Jonny says you can't simulate a vacuum, unless you use a whole lot of no-ops
. Jim is here, too: He says he wanted to get away from all that hacker-talk, -like I hear his mother talking through,- but now he wishes he could hack your deep-space simulator, and send you on a, real, mission, instead of virtual: I hope he's really joking: I think he likes you, but it's down in the risk-factors until next year. And we had a big debate with the camp-leaders at the campfire last night: Is virtually virtual really real? This bothers all of us; even Jimmy. We stayed-up an extra 3-dem'urs, but they wouldn't let us sleep-in a hecta-hesit
Ah-well: "Blearily blearily blearily blearily: Camp-life is such a dream!" Don't eat any virtual fiche, Mi-Kee!
- Later, Grand Admiral.
- Tomorrow probably: During siesta-- Virtual Z's.
- CLICKS Reply-fill "conference" to all-plus her progress:
MI-KEE (IVO)
- (types reply)
- Dear Mom, Dad, friends, fellow StarTrailers, plus happy Beach Babies who won't read this till school: This is my first e-mail broadcast since we launched. We launched, on time, to within one hesit: This is important to the engineers: It tells them that their systems are working exactly, as planned
however, this is a simulator
"hmmm". I'm not allowed to say the word but I suppose I can type it. We're in deep-space now, passing Mars, and dropping routine interferometry space-probes: This is the busywork NASA dreamt-up for one mission, to justify expenditure of Congressional science-monies,- which takes a lot of busywork, my Contemporary Studies teacher warns: She says movies like StarTrails can only be highlights of space-travel; and she doesn't want to go
Some people make decisions like that for themselves
But she's worth the "high-A-minus". I get to work with the ship's computer in my off-time: There's a lot more to learn in the next two months: and I need to maintain proficiency with all their equipment and programs, even if we don't use them: Captains have lots of general responsibilities, which is nice: It keeps boredom to a minimum,- and is easy to fill with DVD's of real science-fiction.
- (a beat)
- We'll be flying over the asteroid belt tomorrow, -or below, from the southern hemisphere,- and 2-days later we'll pass Jupiter, where we have a black-package to deliver;- I don't think it has anything to do with 2-thousand-10:- it's just part of the mission plan: work, work, work: Without a lot of work, it must be boring out here: You can't go outside and play: There, is, no, outside. There's a saying at NASA, "Work is therapy.
" ENCLOSED are pictures we took of Mars earlier.
- Attaches Mars photos.
MI-KEE (IVO)
- (types)
- And, We spotted an unknown comet:- it's very small,- doesn't look like much,- but NASA wants baby-pictures for the solar system family album.
- FADE TO:
- INT. OBSERVATION LOUNGE QUARTER - JUPITER SPACE - (A WEEK)
- RADIATION-ALERTS PING slowly as the spaceship glides high over the rings; the planet image touches the window top.
- Mi-Kee with her laptop in a lounge chair near the core wall, finishes reading this-shift's last e-mail;
- Keys next: an MLM, -a ritzy casino ad, dressy female go-go Flash dancers gambling in off-shore-MLM stock shares:
MI-KEE (IVO)
- (VIEWS HEADER)
- A billion kilometers from Earth, and they still send me spam
- (scrolls to body)
- Probably another suckering M-L-M
Yup: If their business were really profitable, they'd just add more server-computers themselves:
- (a beat)
- Ooh,- This one gambles in a stock-shares pyramid: That's different, for cleverness: It could topple-down spam-and-eggs.
- Redirects To:pyramid@ftc.gov CC:enforcement@sec.gov
- E-mail acknowledges sent;- List shows all read.
- Closes E-mail
Selects video
- Weaponer Chip wearing Tempest-Nuclear service patches, enters with a deck of cards to talk, but seeing she's busy, smiles and passes to the panorama window.
- She starts her "Lonestone's Twin" Laptop-DVD comic:
- ZOOM CLOSE IN
- INT. CINCSPAC EARTH OFFICE - WARM-LIGHT AFTERNOON (COMIC)
- CMDR Dave, galaxyship admiral attire, writes at his desk.
- LT KYLER (young; mussable white-blond hair) in commander attire, delivers an EYES-ONLY MESSAGE in red cover, (humor: a bulge-eyed chest-filling raspy air-suck), then rapid-fire explains the first-ever black-hole approaching Earth:
LT
- (enters abrupt)
- Sir!--
- (urgent to exausted)
- This eyes-only report just came-in from the Max Planck Hans Bethe Hideki Yukawa Institute for the Association of Gamma and X-Ray New-Technology Telescopy at Kamioka Town, Gifu Prefecture, Chubu, Japan, on the MilSTAR super-sat-net stealth crypto-web, local-hub
- (sucking air)
- Ssssehrrrr
!
- (full-in; smiles relief)
CMDR
- Yes,- and what does it say?
LT
- (at full attention)
- Sir! I can't say, Sir: It's for eyes, only! Sir!
CMDR
- (hand to take)
- Then, let me, see, it!
LT
- Yes, sir! Sir!
- (hands report)
CMDR
- (peruses)
- When was this first discovered?
LT
- (long explanation)
- Early this morning, inadvertently, Sir: The Intel Sexium Engineering X-Team in San Diego was screenroom-testing several units for sidelobe specification of terahertz spectrum electromagnetic interference on the clockwave when they detected a weak 38-point-42 gigahertz. Deducing its extraterrestrial nature and origin, they reported to the Institute; The Institute rediscovered it emanating from a black-hole coming our way at 0-point-2-7-3-percent shy of light speed,- where 38-point-42 gigahertz radiation is relativistic, Doppler-shifted 21-centimeter-wavelength of natural hydrogen at the black-hole.
- (concludes)
- At detection, it was yet one light-day distant, and is due to pass our solar system tomorrow morning, Sir!
CMDR
- I thought you said this is for eyes, only.
LT
- Yes, Sir,- I am reciting from photographic memory, Sir!
CMDR
- Oh,- I see.
LT
- Yes, Sir!
CMDR
- Why was this not seen before?
LT
- (ambiguous)
- The, black hole, sir?
- (at full attention)
- The Institute also registered it to a previously uncorrelated sighting submitted from one of our astroskip outposts that had first observed it at 1-light-year distance but deemed it not-likely to approach our solar system: its directionality was only remotely approximated.
- (adds)
- The light-speed confirmation copy of that outpost sighting arrived this morning, as well, Sir!
CMDR
- Lieutenant: What is the a priori likelihood we'd missed a report?
LT
- (relaxed attention)
- Fairly high, sir: Our Milky Way galaxy halo is rife with hundreds of millions of black-holes flung-away by supernovae on the star disk since our galaxy formed 13-billion years ago: and there's nothing to mark them in ten-to-the-14th cubic light-years of space vacuum: Every so often one crosses the star disk again; and one in 70-million years traverses our local stellar group. What was unusual about this, was its speed, sir,- but these too, have been discovered frequently, recently.
CMDR
- The galaxy's missing mass
How did we accomplish our science-analyses so quickly?
LT
- (again at attention)
- The relativistic headlight effect constrained all radiation from the black-hole to our direction; And we used our super-mil-net connection and Intel proto-Sexium 19-gigahertz array, Sir!- These utilize picowave transmissions between I-C's, Sir!
CMDR
- Where does a hyper-fast black-hole originate?- A supernova kicks out a remnant neutron-star or black-hole, a tenth of a percent, light speed.
LT
- Yes, Sir: We figure that infalling gases miss a moving black-hole and impact-behind it, fusion there, and energy and ejecta propel it forward
. This one likely ingested a young supergiant star when the cosmos was rich in hydrogen clouds, and did a gravity-swing through its center, accelerating maximally: Black-holes first appeared -so to speak- before galaxies formed, 200-million years after the initial cosmic big-bang, when supergiant star production was at maximum, and spawning supernova events
. A hole has little frontal drag, And accreting fusion-derived kinetic momentum exceeds ambient-gas acceleration-drag
Statistical flukes flung it close to our solar system: It will probably not happen again in billions of years, sir.
CMDR
- (to self)
- Wow;- Einstein's twin is real!
LT
- Yes, Sir: and visiting Earth, tomorrow morning, Sir! -But,- Sir:
- (works through)
- While I appreciate the facility of accelerating to light speed, till the extent of the cosmos is flat, making sub-light travel across the cosmos as feasible as for short distances between stars
CMDR
- (nods inserts)
- Yes,- but with astroskip, that's a moot scientific point, Lieutenant.
LT
- Yes, Sir;- But, I've a puzzle, sir:
- (steps to whiteboard)
- Going back to outpost detection at one-light-year distant and velocity being relativistic with space-time inverse-coefficient root-shy-square velocity, equaling 13-point-5-4
- He writes the equation, and draws a revised Twins Paradox, with his specified distance, but no acceleration involved; meanwhile, freehand disheveling his hair -famously-:
LT
- If, we monitor, the one-year of its transit, from our outpost to Earth, Then according to Einstein, Special Theory of Relativity, It progresses 27-days-lapsed of dilated time; And likewise, it has been watching us:-
- Not that they'll crack our secrets, sir
But
They must notice of us, that, our stellar frame is Lorentz-Fitzgerald contracted by that same, factor of 13-5-4, And we a pancake, traversing 27,-light-days, reaching them near-light-speed 27-days after our pancake-outpost passed them: It is all relativistic, Einstein said!
CMDR
- (nods inserts)
- Yes, but, Who are they, Lieutenant?
LT
- Ahh
A relative fact: There is an observer traveling with their hole, who transmitted a hello-marker the moment they discovered our outpost passing, -and that too arrived this morning;- We do not know more yet.
- Builds to excited, disheveled,- drawing;
LT
- (stressing)
- Now
In their-27-days to reach us, they, monitor barely 2-days of our, relativistically, dilated-time; And in point of fact their hello-marker met us half way--
- (tap-taps halfway)
- Their-Day-13-point-5, Our Today, as of this morning
And they, arrive,
- (tap-taps endpoint)
- Tomorrow morning. But-- That means:
- (tap-taps start)
- They sent it only yesterday morning our-time
A day, Not a year, ago
!
- (mussing, near bursting)
- How do we explain this to them when they arrive tomorrow?! The tortoise out-relativizes the hare! We cannot have done it!- We don't really know this theory is correct
!
- (confronts, non sequitur)
- Do we appear to be a solar-orbiting wave-function? Sir
!
CMDR
- (nonchalant)
- Don't stop thinking about tomorrow, Lieutenant:- This is only the Twins Paradox, just without acceleration.
LT
- Yes, sir!
- (relieves)
- Thank you, sir:
- (re-relieves)
- I needed that!
- (wipes brow, frets)
- I hope missing a detection doesn't start World War-3:-- I'm only the Lieutenant on watch, sir!
- (a beat calming)
- My theory is, We need to include a third relativity: of light speed!- I think it's a Triplets, Paradox!
CMDR
- General Relativity will have your answer, Lieutenant: They catch-up on our history.
LT
- (puzzled again)
- What history, Sir?- T-V satellites broadcast science-fictions, murder mysteries and news-media: Not high school history!
- Live-Hold while DVD [Episode Credits] scroll
CMDR
- (surprised)
- Wow: We could be re-living dinosaur dreams of freedom, as we fall-in towards the central black-hole of our cosmic universe.
- (stern to LT)
- Take that as a warning, Lieutenant!
LT
- (sincere)
- Yes, Sir! I've always wondered what the cosmos was like in the dinosaur days; And whether people lived when the background-radiation was room-temperature without ice: and space-travel a balmy delight!- They would have spread across galaxies, before the whole cosmos turned cold
Sir!
- CUT AWAY TO:
- INT. COMMAND DECK - JUPITER SPACE - (CURRENT)
- Crew prepare for Jupiter pass:
2ND-CAPT
- (to Communicator)
- Is she in her quarters?
COMMUNICATOR
- No, she's on the Observation deck.
2ND-CAPT
- (starts exit)
- I'll be right back: Hold your positions ready.
NAVIGATOR
- Aye, Captain,- Backing-up to Mars.
- 2nd-Capt. pauses, giving him a puzzled second-look.
NAVIGATOR
- (big grins)
- Just joking, sir;--
- (dissipates grin)
- We're standing-by ready for Jupiter Probe arrival, sir.
2ND-CAPT
- (near elevator)
- Let her know I'm coming.
COMMUNICATOR
- (keys)
- Aye.
2ND-CAPT
- (staying)
- She really needs to be on the command deck:
- (a beat tentative)
- Do you think you can take commands from her?
COMMUNICATOR
- Yes: If she gives them, we can take them.
NAVIGATOR
- We're pretty much routine here, Cap: If she says, Go,- We're going.
- The Elevator opens.
- CUT BACK TO:
- EXT. OBSERVATION DECK - LOOKING INWARD - REFLECTIONS
- (00:00 ahh - Deep Peace/Bill Douglas/Choral Version)
- Weaponer Chip admires the view; presorted alphabet-cards deck in hand; Mi-Kee reads her laptop in his background. Jupiter and rings colorfully reflect high on the windows
- INT. OBSERVATION - LOOKING OUTWARD - (CONTINUOUS)
- (00:21 words)
- REFL: Weaponer leans closer to see higher, more of Jupiter
Mi-Kee (REFL) closes her laptop, and watches
- At last she calls to him, ready for talking--
MI-KEE (REFL)
- Hi, Chip: What's up?
WEAPONER (REFL)
- (to window, nonchalant)
- Hello?
- (smiles, turns, comes)
MI-KEE
- I finished a movie review. Do you have free time from Command deck?
WEAPONER
- (nears)
- Thought I'd discuss this probe thing, before I face your Second.
- (deals "CERULEAN AGATE")
MI-KEE
- (reading his deal)
- What's to discuss? It's an experiment.
WEAPONER
- Do you know what this eyes-only phrase means?
- (LAST CARD SNAPS DOWN)
- (00:57 soprano)
MI-KEE (POV)
- Sure: It's a crossword clue for chalcedony, or planet Neptune: It was red-lined in my prebriefing folder.
- He's awed a moment at her thorough intellect.
MI-KEE
- (reassures)
- My Mom runs through crossword puzzles with me every Friday or Saturday evening.
WEAPONER
- (resumes)
- Now, Mi-Kee: You're a kid,- but you can't kid me: I know, You know what this is.
- (scrambles with deck)
- (01:14 "hooh")
MI-KEE
- (smirks)
- So?!- It's someone-else's idea:- Isn't that what all business is about: Appreciating other ideas?
- (01:18 piano)
WEAPONER
- But, Mi-Kee: Think of the consequences: And think of the decisions you must make: Strategies are important, out in the field, but they must be invented by men thinking about them
preferably off, the field
.
- (beat)
- Okay, so you're a girl.
MI-KEE
- Does that change decisions?
WEAPONER
- No: I mean, you enjoy the traveler snapshot view of space, but maybe not the space-exploitation.
MI-KEE
- Space is empty.
WEAPONER
- Okay, cutie: I mean, planetary exploitation.
- (01:44 words+strings)
MI-KEE
- There's lots of desert sand on Earth:- Why not just exploit all that?! If you adjusted the weather patterns and caused it to rain on deserts, that'd be a 'can't-lose-plus' situation: It's like healing the sick: You do something really needed: You exploit the hurts, to make people feel better.
WEAPONER
- All-true, Mi-Kee;- But how we go about these exploitations, is where the decisions must be made.
MI-KEE
- Then, Why didn't they make the decisions for Earth's deserts?
WEAPONER
- We don't have much desert
Well
I take that back: We've got plenty of open space
. I think it may be, Because we realized, soon as we got strong enough to do it all, that our methods were mighty but clumsy: We're afraid we might damage other areas more
And we're always ready to be lazy
- (grins a half-beat)
- So we moved-on to outer-space,- farther from Earth,- fewer people doing it
we think this is safer
Of course, this takes more, power
- (admits)
- Mightier, and, clumsier
MI-KEE
- So, it's a question of why we're here!?
WEAPONER
- Ye-es
And that's when decisions are made
. And, you're as much a member of this team as any of us.
- VIDLINK TINKLES-IN, [COMMUNICATOR] paused.
WEAPONER
- And whatever decision, you, make, if nothing else, prevents us from forgetting you, among us: We need to remember that we're working for the whole, while we individually endeavor to improve ourselves.
MI-KEE
- Sounds religious.
- (02:40 piano)
WEAPONER
- (restrained)
- Sorry.
MI-KEE
- (reencourages)
- That's alright: It's where my Sunday School teacher says we start best.
- VIDLINK RE-TINKLES-IN, [COMMUNICATOR] paused.
MI-KEE
- Excuse, me.
- (keys Vidlink-accept)
- Yes?
[COMMUNICATOR]
- Commander Mi-Kee: We've entered Jupiter-space, and we'll be needing all Crew on-deck, soon.
MI-KEE
- Second-in-Command has the duty:- Can I watch from the Observatory?
- (02:58 "ooh")
[COMMUNICATOR]
- (hesitates)
- The Captain, will be there in just a moment, Mi-Kee: He needs talk a moment privately about this
We all agree.
MI-KEE
- Okay.
- VIDLINK TINKLES-OUT.
MI-KEE
- He wants to talk, too.
WEAPONER
- I don't know what he wants to say;- But think about this, Mi-Kee:- As you grow in your school studies, you'll see more opportunities to contribute to the decision-making processes: All those funny Rules of Roberts' Order are to hear all sides, not stifle persons.
- (03:17 words+low strings)
MI-KEE
- I haven't learned those yet: I put those in the same class as Murphy's Laws:- I'll get to them when I need them next year in High School.
WEAPONER
- (grins)
- And which Rule is that
?
2ND-CAPT
- (enters)
- Mi-Kee
- (to Weaponer)
- You can stay.
- (to Mi-Kee)
- Mi-Kee: Listen
- (thoughtful)
- I know I'm on duty
but there are sometimes tasks better suited to the First Commander of the vessel: We don't have to argue schedules preapproved, as orderly as these are for accomplishing all things,- But we have one-thing here that requires your attention, I think: It's a command decision:- It's already there to make,- But it's your responsibility, as First Commander, to make it.
- (03:48 "yooh")
MI-KEE
- (disunderstands)
- The choices were decided
we've thought those through: What's more important about one choice, than the others?
2ND-CAPT
- (to Weaponer)
- Have you been training her?
WEAPONER
- (shakes No)
- No.
2ND-CAPT
- (appraises)
- She feels the need to meet each choice proportionately,- without the hard-decision of just one made choice.
WEAPONER
- Soft-decisions are within the scope of fuzzy-logic.
- (04:07 words)
2ND-CAPT
- Yes, but we still have the old technology of On-Off switches: Some of these have to be pulled;- And that takes responsibility.
MI-KEE
- (catches)
- You want me to turn-on a decision!?
2ND-CAPT
- Ye-es:--
- (proffers)
- That's a fair estimate of the responsibility.
- (04:20 deep)
MI-KEE
- (accepts, rises)
- O-kay: I'm needed on the Comm-deck! My laptop is good but its screen is too narrow
- (mock-disparages laptop)
- I'll have to upgrade it later!
- All smile
She leads the exeunt;--
MI-KEE
- (quicker)
- We'd better be up there, now!
-THEY-
- (smile mutually)
- Yes, sir!
WEAPONER
- (exits last: mock-taunts)
- Is that, Second-Commander?- Or, Second-Psychologist
!?
2ND-CAPT (OS)
- That is hardly a soft decision at this time.
- (04:35 fade)
- THE SPELL-CARDS remain clueless
- (04:38 end)
- INT. COMMAND DECK - JUPITER WESTSIDE NEARING - (CURRENT)
- Sciencer, Communicator, Engineer, Navigator, Helmsman, busy watching the approach, tracking 2 rocket-probes
HELMSMAN
- (awed at view)
- Jupiter, sure is huge.
NAVIGATOR
- (reports)
- Flight-deck programmed: We have clear passage.
- (00:00 drums - Take On Me/A-Ha)
SCIENCER
- (reports)
- Probe-trajectory-windows are ready for entry: E-T-A: 10-hesits.
- ELEVATOR DOOR OPENS: 2nd-Capt., Mi-Kee, Weaponer;--
COMMUNICATOR
- (advises all)
- Commander's on the Bridge!
- (00:06 +strings)
- Rapid-pace -CHIP'S TEMPEST-PATCHES- to stations:--
MI-KEE
- (snap-orders)
- Weapons, Ready ignition enable! Captain, Backup support on Weapons!
- They squeeze-in "Ayes" and sit;
MI-KEE
- (sits, overlaps)
- Status report!
- (00:11 +drums)
SCIENCER
- E-T-A: Probe-injection windows in 5-hesits: Open 80-hesits.
NAVIGATOR
- Clear for Jupiter-pass: Gravity-swing laid-in
- (00:17 +musichord)
MI-KEE
- (clips)
- Engineer!?
ENGINEER
- Booster is standby critical: Go for deep-gravity swing-boost
MI-KEE
- (clips)
- Science Officer, Release Probe command to Weapons:-- Code:-- "Cerulean agate!"
- (00:25 "bah"s)
SCIENCER
- (keys)
- Acknowledged: Probes relinquished. Injection windows are now open!
- (00:29 rise)
MI-KEE
- Weapons?
WEAPONER
- Probe-lock telemetry transferred: Ignition armed-enabled. On-command, sir.
- (00:34 words)
MI-KEE
- (orders)
- Key, J-73-Q: Inject the Probes now!
- Weaponer smiles broadly; Keys 'J73Q--7GC8'
.
COMPUTER (PA)
- Probe ignition sequences initiated.
- Near Jupiter, 2 PROBE ENGINES BLAZE against-forward
SCIENCER
- (to display)
- We have Probe decelerations
Trajectories, Confidence-A
Perijoves decreasing rapidly
- (00:48 build)
MI-KEE
- Booster, now, Engineer!
ENGINEER
- (keys)
- Aye: Booster, we have today, lass!
- (00:51 refrain)
- BOOSTER IGNITION RUMBLE
ROARS UP TO FULL
- EXT. JUPITER RINGS - 2 PROBES HYPER-APPROACH - (CURRENT)
- LOOKING OUT ON THE RINGS: A distant Spaceship booster above propels onward anti-sunward
Probes lagging, cross blazing against-forward, slowing along the backdrop, moons, stars
- And-also-approaching
Planet-shine brightens the Probes
- Their Rockets diminish to vapor-trails
Rotate to forward.
- (01:09 voice soars)
- POV CHASING: The Probes are aimed at the horizon
- (01:13 words)
- But slowly sinking into the east edge, 7 deg. lower
- THE WHOLE PLANET LOOMS
filling the view
- ATMOSPHERE MIDLATITUDE BELTS LOOM
- A RED SPOT LOOMS
- ITS STORM DEEPENS into vast 3-D structures of vast clouds
- The highest cloud-tops nearing
- PROBE SHIELDS GLOW
BLAZING
- ABLATING STREAMERS
- INT. COMMAND DECK - (CURRENT)
- (01:31 refrain)
- MAIN DISPLAY: Jupiter, seen from above its rings;
- LESSER DISPLAYS: Probe-Video-Data-Feeds, of Jupiter;
SCIENCER
- (reports)
- Rockets extinguished
Perijoves confirmed, 43-thousand kilometers, atmospheric: Target confidence-A. Velocities 3-hundred-30-kilometers-per, increasing. Payloads armed and enabled. Probe-shields in ablation, temperature, 27-hundred; Mesosphere impact in 3-hesits
- (01:48 soar)
- PROBE-VIDEOS FAIL
MR-DATA-FEEDS FAIL
LR-DATA SPORADIC
- MAIN DISPLAY: 2 BRIGHT PLASMA STREAKS probe the atmosphere;
- SCIENCE DISPLAYS: Simulated "Estimatory" telemetries;--
SCIENCER
- (ascertains)
- Loss of Signal
Visual tracking. Doppler-estimated entry-velocity, 3-hundred-40-K-per
- (01:54 lull strings)
SCIENCER
- Angle-of-incidence, 8-grads. E-T-A 7-hesits to signal recovery
Spectral temperature: 12-20
- (01:59 +string picks)
SCIENCER
- Begin L-D-R-timebase reacquisition
Point-3-micro-hesit resolved.
- (02:04 strums)
SCIENCER
- (to data)
- Frequency nulling
- Code-sync recovery
- Redundancy-check recovered
- (02:11 musichord)
- LR-DATA RESTORED
MR-DATA RESYNC'ING;
SCIENCER
- (announces)
- L-D-Rate telemetries reestablished; Ablation shrouds detached
Probes stable, On-trajectories, On-target.
- (02:17 +bass)
- MR-DATA-FEEDS, PLUS SNAPSHOTS inside Jupiter;
SCIENCER
- Descent velocities, 11-kilometers-per; M-D-Rate telemetries restored; Perijove dissipated to 3-thousand kilometers; Maximum deceleration was 10-point-5 kilo-gees; Payload deformity less than 6-percent: Auto-aborts canceled: 2-Go's scheduled: E-T-A 14-hesits.
- (02:33 words)
- VIDEO-FEEDS RESTORED, plummeting through Jupiter clouds
SCIENCER
- Temperatures steady at 1-70 Kelvin; Pressures, 1-millibar, increasing: Traversing the mesosphere
We have 70-percent hydrogen mass detection, decreasing rapidly; 10-cent helium, rising; 15-cent carbon rapidly up; 5-percent other, nitrogen
E-T-A 7-hesits. 1-10 Kelvin at point-1 bar: Tropopause; Velocity, 9-point-8-K.
- (02:51 refrain)
SCIENCER
- Temperature rising, 1-70 at 1-bar; 2-percent deuterium mass detection;
- QUICK TIME-LAPSE:
SCIENCER
- (watching Main Display)
- Velocity 6-point-4-K; 2-80-Kelvin, 9-bars; 9-percent deuterium mass
- QUICK TIME-LAPSE:
- ALL PROBE-FEEDS FAIL
"Estimatory" telemetries again;--
SCIENCER
- (at controls)
- Loss of contact at 3-40-Kelvin, 96-bars: Continuing live-extrapolation to 35-percent deuterium; 20-percent probability of impact-detonation, Captain
- (03:08 soar)
COMMUNICATOR
- (urgent)
- Commander: NASA secure-link has stalled! E-M-Pulse, All channels!
SCIENCER
- (rechecks)
- 45-percent deuterium mass: 65-percent probable detonation
- JUPITER ATMOSPHERE ROILS where the Probes entered:- Rapidly expanding across the planet face, and increasing its glow
SCIENCER
- (checks other data)
- Detonation, confirmed: Experiment, concluded, Captain.
MI-KEE
- Thank you, Science Officer.
- (03:25 soar)
NAVIGATOR
- There it is
Dr. Clarke was right!
MI-KEE
- Keep going, Helm!-- away from here!
- (03:28 fade)
- The spaceship escapes beyond Jupiter-star to deep space
- (03:45 end)
- FADE TO:
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Petry System Family Wision USA