SCENE 1:
A HUD (Heads-up-display) appears on the screen virtual; not a physical HUD.
MECHANICAL VOICEDiagnostics subroutine completed. All physical systems nominal.
Camera pulls outward, exiting HUD, 180° turn to reveal a room, appearing somewhat like a surgery room. "Year 2085" appears at the bottom of screen.
Two men wearing street clothes are lying on tables, wires strapped to their heads and hands. Behind them, a nurse/doctor is monitoring a display, back turned to the audience. In another area, a Mr. Sivva mechanic: tall, thin build, gray hair, grease on clothes/face wearing a lab coat stands watching a different display.
Mr. Sivva speaks to one of the men on the tables though vocal link
SIVVA(to one of the men on tables)Terminating local connection.
Mr. Sivva disconnects the vocal link between him and the security guard (one of the men on the table). Gene runs up to Mr. Sivva and tugs at the bottom of his coat
SIVVAW...What?
As Mr. Sivva spins around, the stern look on his face turns to a smile as he recognizes Gene (6yrs. old) as his son. He picks Gene up, and tosses them in the air. After he puts Gene down he gives Gene a present.
SIVVAHey, Gene... look what I got you!
Gene opens the gift to reveal a toy robot (OMF HAR). Gene screams in delight and starts to play with it. As Mr. Sivva starts to bend down to play with Gene when Kreissack walks in. Mr. Sivva gets up and approaches Kreissack.
KREISSACKAh, Mr. Sivva... what is the current status on the Nova project?
SIVVAActually, we're a little behind on development of systems at the moment...
KREISSACKAll the easier, then. Halt further research immediately on it.
SIVVAWe can't do that... we've spent the past six years on it!
KREISSACKYou don't realize... do you? We wish to change the focus of theNova's current purposes, and this would be best accomplishedby terminating all new work on the current Nova development completely.
SIVVAHow? We have already obtained a shipment order of 2500Nova units to the Ashton engineering group, and how willwe explain to them that these will no longer be demolition HARs?
KREISSACKLet's just say that we're entering a much more lucrative market.
GENE tugs on MR. SIVVA's coat, obviously impatient. KREISSACK pats the child on the head, oblivious to the fact that he might be listening.
SIVVABut the only contractors with deeper pockets than the engineersare the military...
KREISSACKThere will be some modifications that are in order, though... I'dlike you to test the viability of the implantation of humancentral nervous tissue within the Nova's neural net.
SIVVAWait just one flaming second... are you wanting me tophysically link some unfortunate SoB's brain into that thing?
KREISSACKWell, for the lack of a better term... yes, that is exactly theintent. Now please report to the biomechanical design lab toconduct some initial tests once you've collected thepreliminary schematics from the doctors.
SIVVAAbsolutely not. Do you have any qualms about endingsomebody's life for the fulfillment of your own ambition?
KREISSACKYou do possess quite powerful logic, Mr. Sivva.
SIVVAThank you, sir.
KREISSACK grabs SIVVA's throat tightly with one hand, and squeezes.
KREISSACKHow about I start with you?
The security monitor fades from the static pattern to the face of a NURSE in another lab
NURSEI need to inform you that there has been a security breachwithin the loading bay.
KREISSACKI am currently occupied. Do I not have a peon that canhandle such a petty interference?
NURSETwo of the security guards are attacking each other with twoof the Jaguar HARs in the hold, sir.
KREISSACK(turns to SIVVA)You seem to have come into the good graces of Lady Luck.
KREISSACK drops SIVVA forcefully to the floor, where he slowly gets up.
As the NURSE said, two guards are piloting Jaguars around the hold, with many of the workers standing in a semicircle around the fight, cheering them on. SIVVA picks up his intercom and dials in the frequency of the pilots.
GUARD 1C'mere, ya little pansy. You couldn't swat flies flailing around like that!
GUARD 2We'll see who'll be doing the smack talk when your ass is on the ground!
SIVVA then runs over to the two of them, ordering them to stop. They ignore him completely, being absorbed in the fight.
KREISSACK(aside)They have progressed much faster than I could've ever dreamed.How wonderful...
KREISSACK chuckles, and pulls GENE in closer to him.
SCENE 2:
INT. SIVVA HOUSE; BEDROOM - NIGHTTIME
Mrs. Sivva (30-ish yrs. old) follows Mr. Sivva around as he randomly picks things up and throws them into a group of suitcases lying on the floor.
MRS. SIVVAI can't even begin to understand why you're in such a rushto move out of here. You've just gotten a nice job at W.A.R.,the school system here is good, yet you're wanting to throwthis all out the window. What's going on that I don't know about, honey?
SIVVA doesn't answer immediately, simply continues packing his suitcases.
SIVVAI'll leave it at this: I think it's a good idea if we decide to go someplace else.
MRS. SIVVAThat still doesn't explain anything to me. It's almost as if youhave something you're trying to hide from me.
MRS. SIVVA grabs SIVVA by the shoulder, spinning him around. She then grabs his other shoulder, and looks him in the eyes.
MRS. SIVVA(pleading)I can't help unless you can tell me why you're in such a rush.You're scaring me.
SIVVA is visibly agitated now. The expression on his face turns to one of concern. GENE then runs into the room carrying the toy robot that SIVVA gave him as a gift earlier. SIVVA now turns away from his wife and picks up GENE, and talks to him.
SIVVAAre you excited about this, Gene? Isn't this gonna be quite theadventure? We're gonna travel all the way to...
MRS. SIVVA becomes even sterner.
MRS. SIVVAKyte, please stop. You're not going to ease my nerves by deluding our son.
SIVVA then slowly sets GENE down and walks over to the suitcases, closing them. He then quickly grabs the bags and pushes MRS. SIVVA and GENE aside as he walks to the door of the apartment, where a taxicab is waiting.
SCENE 3:
INT. CAB CAR - NIGHTTIME
CAB DRIVERSo, where are you all headed? Seem like wherever it is, you're in quite the rush.
SIVVAWe're headed to Altarus station on Io. Eventually. You only need worryabout getting us to the spaceport downtown, though.(Pauses)We're going to visit some relatives...
MRS. SIVVA(softly)But we don't have any relatives on Io...
CAB DRIVER(bows head)Oh, my deepest condolences on your loss then.
As the cab driver is stating his concerns for them, a dark colored vehicle pulls up beside the cab, sits there for a couple seconds then swerves in front of the cab, cutting it off. The cab driver jerks around, hitting the breaks and the car spins slightly. The cab driver straightens out the car and speeds up, weaving through some traffic to get away from the car. Once things start to seem calm the cab gets rammed from the back, and it is the same car.
CAB DRIVERAhem... friends of yours?
SIVVAI have no idea what you're getting at, sir.
CAB DRIVERWhat I'm getting at is that it seems as though you're escaping from somebody.As if you know something you shouldn't. Reminds me of those old spy movies...
SIVVAI assure you, this is nothing of the sort.
CAB DRIVERI sense you're lying to me. I don't like liars. I wanna know whythe hell I have to take you anywhere in such a hurry.
SIVVA(Draws weapon, points it at CAB DRIVER)This is the complete honest truth: it's in your best interests to takeus to the spaceport so that we can go to Altarus. NOW.
A chase ensues. The dark colored car eventually, in trying to cut off the cab, sees a corner a little too late, careening through a guardrail along the curve.
SIVVAWhatever that was behind us, I thank you for your driving expertise.(Withdraws weapon)You shall be handsomely compensated for this.
CAB DRIVER(under breath, tense)I should HOPE so...
SCENE 4:
EXT. AIRPORT - NIGHTTIME
The cab pulls up beside a huge building.
CAB DRIVEROut! Now!
SIVVAOkay, okay... no need to get hostile.
CAB DRIVERHmm... I could've died there. I think that gives me right to be hostile.Now pay up so I can get outta here.
SIVVA pays the CAB DRIVER with a small stack of bills (presumably a fairly large sum). CAB DRIVER smirks, and peels out. The SIVVAs walk toward the entrance of the spaceport. Soon afterwards, somebody grabs SIVVA's shoulder and pulls vigorously.
SIVVAWhat the...?
SIVVA turns to see two monstrously built armed guards, and KREISSACK between them. KREISSACK grins like a Cheshire cat.
KREISSACKDid you forget somebody when you were planning your little trip?
SIVVAWhat in the blazes do you want now from me?
KREISSACKTo be blunt, Kyte, I want your body back at Kreissack Laboratories.Either live, as an engineer in Research and Development, or dead,stuffed on my wall.
SIVVA(loudly)Never!
SIVVA's shout attracts the attention of a SPACEPORT SECURITY GUARD.
GUARDAll right... what's going on here?
KREISSACKNothing at all... I was just wishing my mechanic "luck".(pushes SIVVA's shoulder somewhat forcefully)
GUARD escorts the SIVVAs to the check station, finally turning his back from KREISSACK's group.
KREISSACKSay anything, and...(Makes "throat slashing" motion)
SIVVA pulls GENE in close to him. GENE squeals in fear
SIVVA(to teller at check station, somewhat nervous)Could you please hurry up? ...Hello?
SIVVA checks behind his shoulder, expecting to see KREISSACK behind him. Nobody is, however.
Pause for a few seconds as the TELLER as he is typing into the terminal
TELLERWell, everything checks out, Mr. Sivva. You may now proceed to theboarding gate, which is Gate 3 in the east wing of the terminal.
SIVVAs walk over to the boarding gate
PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMAll those departing from Moriad Spaceport to Altarus Space Stationare being advised to board as soon as possible, as preparationsfor launch will begin in approximately five minutes.
Pan over the space plane, moving into an interior shot of the plane. The SIVVAs are now seated.
FLIGHT ATTENDANTYour captain has instructed me to inform you of the safetyprocedures regarding the flight. Please fasten the seatbelt on eitherside of you before takeoff, and do not undo the belt until instructedto do so. Restrooms are positioned on either side of the aisle on bothends of each class of the plane. In case of interplanetary turbulence, pleaserefasten safety belts and sit as far back in the seat as is comfortably possible.In the event of a deep space anomaly or collision, do not panic, asscreaming will simply exhaust the supply of oxygen on the plane.
SIVVAOh, great...
FLIGHT ATTENDANTAbove all, though, have a nice flight, and thank you for flying Apollo Spaceways.
Plane takes off. GENE switches on the flat-panel television on the back of the seat in front of him. He fiddles with the controls until he finds some cartoons on, and then slowly drifts off to sleep. Screen fades to black.
SCENE 5:
Screen black for 2-3 seconds
INT. GENE's APARTMENT - DAYTIME
The screen bursts with a close-up of a newscast. "2097 (12 years later)" appears on bottom of screen. The broadcast is about the recent fight between Steel Claw and Killian.
ANNOUNCERUnless you've been living under a rock for the past dozen years orso, you know that a match between Steel Claw and Killian, the twobad-asses of the arena, is going to be a top-notch fight of the highestcaliber. These two have been practically at each other's throats in everysingle tournament since the 2086 Katushai Challenge. In fact, one couldalmost say their savage styles of HAR combat border on evil...
The view zooms out from the TV to reveal a messy room, items lying all over the floor, clothes thrown about aimlessly. The blanket on the bed starts to move around and GENE's (now 18 yrs. old) head is revealed as they pull it down. GENE lays there for a bit, turns off the TV, the grabs the clock. The clock, in bold red LED lettering, reads 1:23 PM.
GENE(whiny voice)Damn...
The camera then changes to a fuzzy outline of a figure in the shower, quietly humming to himself. In the background we hear the answering machine go off.
ANSWRING MACHINE(voice of MANAGER)Where are you, Gene? You're an hour late for your shift today. Must Iremind you, you do this again and I'll have no other choice than to letyou go. Get over here as fast as you can.
GENE(still in shower)Heh... just another one of those sorta days.(turns off shower)
GENE emerges from the foggy bathroom with a towel and a t-shirt (shirt on, towel around waist).
GENENow where'd I put my clothes...
He enters another room, then returns to the main room a couple seconds (around 20) wearing a t-shirt, different from the first, and jeans and carrying the towel. GENE throws the towel onto the bed, picks up keys and jacket from a nearby chair and exits through the main door.
