Time to continue ‘Doom of the Daleks’ with ‘Part One, Chapter 2’…
Enjoy!
Tim. 🙂
2. Random Emissions
SCENE #15 – INT – TARDIS CONSOLE ROOM – N/A
Aboard the TARDIS, in the console room, the Doctor busily works away with some controls. He presses buttons and mutters to himself, almost as if he’s done something which he shouldn’t have done. He bangs his fist on the console, irritated. The time rotor whirs uneasily, as TARDIS journeys through time and space.
DOCTOR
(satisified) “There. That should do it.”
Nyssa then enters the console room. She yawns, as she meets the Doctor. The Doctor looks up to see her.
DOCTOR
“Ah Nyssa!” (astonished) “Back in velvet I see!?”
NYSSA
“Hello Doctor. Sleep well?”
DOCTOR
“Oh can’t complain. Been busy.”
NYSSA
“I know. I heard you.”
DOCTOR
“Sorry. Didn’t mean to wake you?”
NYSSA
“Is there something wrong with the TARDIS?”
DOCTOR
“Not sure. I’m just doing a quick maintenance check really. Particularly with the audio reception filters and time curve indicators.”
NYSSA
“I thought you’d sorted them out.”
DOCTOR
“Oh I had. But since our adventure with the space hotel, the TARDIS has suffered a few setbacks.”
NYSSA
“I haven’t sensed anything wrong.”
DOCTOR
“No.” (Pause) “Perhaps it’s just me. I’ve been so used to this TARDIS, that I always hear creaking corners around the areas where the central networking components are in need of maintenance and stabilisation.”
Moment of silence.
NYSSA
“Billy said he’ll be out any minute.”
DOCTOR
“Good. Although it depends what he means by a minute when it comes to being in the TARDIS.”
NYSSA
“He’s looking forward to wherever we’re going to next.”
DOCTOR
“I’m sure he is.” (Pause) “Has he settled in Adric’s room?”
NYSSA
“Yes. He seems to like it. Doesn’t want to change it.” (Pause) “I like him for that.”
DOCTOR
“Hmm.” (Pause) “Have you told him about Adric?”
NYSSA
“Do you think I should? I thought that could wait till later. He seems to like everything about the TARDIS. I can’t spoil his enthusiasm.”
DOCTOR
“Well he’s got to be told soon. About what it means to travel in the TARDIS.” (Pause) “In some way he’s walked blindly into the TARDIS without knowing the great danger. Without knowing the consequences.”
NYSSA
“Then why did you let him join us? Why didn’t you say ‘no’ when he asked?”
DOCTOR
“Oh I never ignore the request of someone young to take an interest in journeying through time. He certainly likes being with us. Especially you! He seems to enjoy your company.”
NYSSA
“Please, Doctor.”
DOCTOR
“I just hope he won’t be too shocked about the terrible things waiting to come. I’d hate to lose Billy under those circumstances.”
NYSSA
“You don’t think he’ll be able to cope.”
DOCTOR
“It’s not my place to say.”
NYSSA
“Why not? He helped us with Sinroth and the railway; and with the space hotel.”
DOCTOR
“Believe me, Nyssa! I’m not trying to put him down. But I can predict and foresee aspects of Billy’s future. I don’t want him to leave on bad terms.”
NYSSA
“Well I should think it’ll take a while for him to think about leaving us, Doctor.”
Just then, there’s a knock on the door. Moment of silence.
NYSSA
“Come in?”
Billy enters the console room.
BILLY
“Hello! It’s me.”
NYSSA
“Hello, Billy! You don’t have to knock on the door to come in, you know.”
BILLY
“Well it’s the Doctor’s ship. And I still marvel at its wonders, believe me. I don’t want to go into rooms unannounced or go to places where I’m not supposed to go to.”
NYSSA
“Really, Billy. You don’t need to worry about where to go in the TARDIS.”
DOCTOR
“Well speaking for myself Nyssa, I think Billy has good manners. And as far as I’m concerned Billy there’s no room in the TARDIS that can’t be denied access to unless I say so.”
BILLY
(to Nyssa) “That’s a nice outfit you’re wearing Nyssa.”
NYSSA
“Oh! I’m glad you like it, Billy. It’s what I wore on Traken”
BILLY
“It’s very beautiful.”
Moment of silence.
BILLY
(laughs) “I still find it hard to get myself around those corridors. It’s astonishing this space can fit inside one little police box.”
DOCTOR
“It doesn’t, Billy. It’s another dimension.”
NYSSA
“Have you finished the TARDIS maintenance checks, Doctor?”
DOCTOR
“Yes Nyssa. I have.”
NYSSA
“Where to now? I assume you have somewhere planned to take us?”
DOCTOR
“I actually wondered if Billy had a place in mind to go to.”
BILLY
“Me?”
DOCTOR
“After all, this is your first proper trip in the TARDIS. So I give you first choice to choosing a place and time.”
BILLY
(nervously) “Oh it’s alright, Doctor. I’d be happy for you to choose the destination.”
DOCTOR
“Nonsense. I insist.”
Moment of silence.
BILLY
“Alright…um…” (Pause) “…I do have a place in mind.”
DOCTOR
“Excellent. State it and I’ll preset the co-ordinates.”
NYSSA
“Yes, Billy. Let’s hear it.”
BILLY
“Well…Nyssa? Can we go to your planet?”
NYSSA
(startled) “Pardon?”
BILLY
“Can we go to Traken? I really would like to see it.”
Moment of silence.
NYSSA
“Well…I…”
Suddenly, everything shudders in the TARDIS. It then returns to normal.
BILLY
“What was that? What’s happened?”
Just then, beeping noises echo in the console room. Nyssa presses a few buttons on the TARDIS console to find out what’s going on.
NYSSA
“Doctor! The TARDIS is picking up strange random emissions. They’re unlike anything I’ve seen before.”
DOCTOR
“Random emissions? Now that’s interesting.”
Suddenly, a loud bell gong echoes in the TARDIS.
BILLY
“Hang on…that’s a bell! You’ve got a bell!”
DOCTOR
(solemnly) “Yes. The cloister bell.”
SCENE #16 – EXT – KARZ NEBULA, YONDAMUS SPACE – 26TH CENTURY – N/A
Meanwhile, the starship Moonraker arrives at the low membrane of the Karz Nebula. The starship slows to impulse speed, about to search for Nina Cole; Jack Kelly and the missing shuttle.
SCENE #17 – INT – TURBO-LIFT #3, MOONRAKER– 26TH CENTURY – MORNING
In one of the turbo-lifts aboard the Moonraker, Elaine Thomas and Gavin Frakes are on their way to the main bridge, recalled to their duties after a period of R&R.
ELAINE
“So when does your shift end, Gavin?”
GAVIN
“Six hours time.”
ELAINE
(astonished) “Six hours?” (Pause) “What are you going to do when you finish your time on the bridge?”
GAVIN
“Not much. Just read a quiet book and then off to bed. That’s enough relaxation for me.”
ELAINE
“You’re not going to join us in the mess hall afterwards?”
GAVIN
“There’s not much point really if we’ve got this crisis on our hands at the moment.”
ELAINE
“It probably won’t last.”
GAVIN
“Besides…karaoke’s not my style. I don’t think I could manage it.”
ELAINE
“It’s not a matter of managing it. Just be there. Then you’ll find you’ll have lots of fun.”
Gavin laughs with less confidence.
ELAINE
“Anyway…what about that Ensign you’ve been seeing lately. She’ll be there.”
GAVIN
“Will she?”
ELAINE
(teases) “Unless of course…you’d rather take an interest in me?”
GAVIN
“What?”
ELAINE
“Relax, Gavin. I’m not married yet.”
The turbo-lift slows to a stop, as the electronic doors slide open.
ELAINE
“Just think about it. About the karaoke.”
Elaine walks out of the turbo-lift. Gavin follows her.
SCENE #18 – INT – MAIN BRIDGE, MOONRAKER – 26TH CENTURY – MORNING
Elaine and Gavin step onto the bridge. Captain Sulley is on the bridge with Colin Wilson and Ambassador Togal.
COLIN
“Ah…Commander Thomas. And Mr. Frakes.” (coldly) “Got here as soon as you could?”
CAPTAIN
“Mr. Frakes, we’ve been trying to make contact with the Shuttle Bear Forty with no apparent success. See what you can do to establish contact?”
GAVIN
“Yes, sir.”
Gavin goes to his workstation, as Elaine goes to join Captain Sulley.
ELAINE
“Haven’t we received any more messages?”
CAPTAIN
“No. It’s worrying me. I can’t fathom out why that shuttle should have been under potential threat. Yondamus Space isn’t filled with hostility.”
ELAINE
“Is there any wreckage of shuttle craft?”
CAPTAIN
“That’s what I intend to find out, Miss Thomas.”
Moment of silence, as Elaine ponders on what Captain Sulley has said.
CAPTAIN
“Well Mr. Frakes?”
Gavin presses buttons at his workstation to assess the communications.
GAVIN
“There are a few residual energy traces detected. But it’s hard to identify them through the barriers of this nebula. I’ll attempt to widen the bandwidth for a better frequency.”
Gavin does so, as he presses more buttons at his workstation.
TOGAL
“This is a complete waste of time, Captain Sulley. If you and your Earth Empire wish to collect the supplies to trade with us then…”
CAPTAIN
“Please, Ambassador. Two of my crew are lost in deep space and I’ll not leave them out here.”
TOGAL
“If I remember correctly, it was you captain that sent your two officers in the first place without the permission of the Yond Elders.”
CAPTAIN
“Yes. I should have asked your superiors for us to explore this part of space. But we were responding to a distress call.”
TOGAL
“So you say. But if these are the precise co-ordinates of your distress call where are the ones in need of help as well as your crew.”
CAPTAIN
“That is what I intend to find out.”
Just then, there is a high-pitch sound.
GAVIN
“Captain, sir.”
CAPTAIN
“Yes Mr. Frakes? What is it?”
GAVIN
“Scanners are detecting some ship wreckage in the vicinity of the nebula where we are. The wreckage is seventy yards wide, and is a range of one point five two metres ahead. Entering visual range.”
CAPTAIN
“On screen.”
Gavin complies, as he presses a button to activate the view-screen. Moment of silence, as everyone is shocked at what they see.
COLIN
“What happened to it?”
ELAINE
“The Shuttle Bear Forty. It’s in pieces.”
COLIN
“What could have caused this? There’s hardly anything left of the shuttle.”
CAPTAIN
(to Gavin) “Mr. Frakes? Any signs of life?”
Gavin takes a while to locate for life signs at his workstation. Eventually…
GAVIN
“None, sir.”
Moment of silence.
TOGAL
“You have failed to achieve what you were looking for. And no sign of who sent your so-called distress call. We should set forth for Yondamus Prime at once.”
ELAINE
“We can’t just set out for Yondamus Prime!”
TOGAL
“Why not? It is clear your crew are not here. Your scanners couldn’t detect them.”
ELAINE
“But there must be a reason.”
TOGAL
“A reason which can wait later. You must not dwindle on such low priorities.”
ELAINE
“Low priorities?! This could mean danger for your…”
COLIN
“Show respect to the Ambassador please, Commander Thomas. You must understand how…”
GAVIN
(interrupts) “Captain?”
CAPTAIN
“What is it, Mr. Frakes?”
GAVIN
“I’m detecting more than just the wreckage of the shuttle, sir. There’s debris of a ship…”
CAPTAIN
“Yes?”
GAVIN
(troubled) “Sir…it’s wreckage of a ship similar to the one we found yesterday.”
Moment of silence, as everyone is concerned.
CAPTAIN
“Is it within visual range?”
GAVIN
“It is, sir.”
CAPTAIN
“On screen.”
Gavin complies, as he activates the view-screen again. Everyone looks to see the wreckage of the ship beside Shuttle Bear Forty. An uneasy silence ensues.
CAPTAIN
“I want that wreckage as well as the Shuttle Bear Forty to be beamed aboard to the cargo bay.” (to Colin) “Mr. Wilson! It’s your responsibility to analyse that wreckage and determine what caused both ships to be in that condition.”
COLIN
“Yes, sir.”
CAPTAIN
“Miss Thomas? Will you please join me in my ready room?”
ELAINE
“Yes, Captain.”
CAPTAIN
“You have the bridge, Mr. Wilson.”
COLIN
“Aye, sir.”
Elaine follows Captain Sulley to make for the ready room. Togal steps forward.
TOGAL
“I shall come with you.”
CAPTAIN
“No.” (to Gavin) “Mr. Frakes? Will you escort Ambassador Togal to his quarters?”
Gavin rises from his seat at his workstation.
TOGAL
“But surely after what we’ve just witnessed you need my consultation…”
CAPTAIN
“I shall require your input at a later stage, Ambassador. But right now, I must talk to my first officer in confidence.” (to Gavin) “Mr. Frakes, take him away.”
GAVIN
“Yes sir.” (to Togal) “If you will come with me, sir.”
Gavin escorts Togal from the bridge as they go into the turbo-lift.
TOGAL
(protests) “I will not be treated like this! As representative of Yondamus I demand…”
Togal continues to protest, as the turbo-lift doors slide shut on him. Meanwhile Elaine joins Captain Sulley in his ready room, whilst Colin takes the captain’s chair.
SCENE #19 – INT – READY ROOM, MOONRAKER – 26TH CENTURY – MORNING
In the captain’s ready room, Captain Sulley offers Elaine a cup of tea to which she takes from him. Elaine takes a sip of her tea, whilst the Captain sits behind his desk.
CAPTAIN
(concerned) “Opinions, Miss Thomas?”
ELAINE
“Could they have penetrated the border? What would interest them in Yondamus space?”
CAPTAIN
“Obvious, isn’t it? To cause tensions between us and Yondamus.”
ELAINE
“Like last time?”
CAPTAIN
“Yes.” (Pause) “We’ll have to be careful.”
ELAINE
“You intend to go on with the negotiations.”
CAPTAIN
“I’m not sure. We do need the Yondamons’ source of hope more than ever. I’ll see to it that engineering speeds up the works on this ship.”
ELAINE
“I realise that, sir. But even so, that wreckage. The firepower must have been phenomenal. There may be a larger enemy here.”
CAPTAIN
“Larger than the one we already face you mean, Miss Thomas?”
ELAINE
“Yes. And I just wonder who that can be!”
SCENE #20 – INT – TARDIS CONSOLE ROOM – N/A
In the TARDIS, the cloister bell continues to toll, as the Doctor presses buttons at the console to find out what’s going on. The time rotor whirs, going up and down frantically as if in a panic. Eventually, it slowly calms down. But the beeping noise from the console goes on and the cloister bell continues to toll.
DOCTOR
“It’s alright. I’ve stabilised the TARDIS.”
BILLY
“But that bell’s still going.”
DOCTOR
“I know the bell’s still going, Billy!”
NYSSA
“What about the random emissions?”
DOCTOR
“Ah. Yes. Just checking. We should be travelling on a projected flow now.”
BILLY
“What’s all this about? Why is the TARDIS going haywire?”
NYSSA
“Can’t we shut that cloister bell off, Doctor?”
DOCTOR
“Something’s causing a tear in the fabric of reality. The dimensional forces that are holding the walls of different worlds are shifting. The void energies are neutralising.”
BILLY
“What’s that in English?”
Suddenly, the cloister bell stops. The beeping from the console still continues.
NYSSA
“Doctor. The cloister bell’s stopped.”
DOCTOR
“Yes. So maybe imminent danger’s not imminent yet.”
BILLY
“Doctor, you said…the dimensional forces holding walls of different worlds are shifting. What the heck does that mean?”
DOCTOR
“Ssh, Billy. I’m busy.”
The Doctor checks the TARDIS console as he presses buttons. Meanwhile Nyssa confers quietly with Billy.
NYSSA
(quietly) “The Doctor seems to imply Billy that something’s affecting the…outside of how this universe’s holding. I think.”
BILLY
(quietly) “What you mean…the building blocks of how the universe is held together are…starting to crumble.”
NYSSA
(quietly) “Yes. Though I’m not sure how that’s possible.
DOCTOR
(impatiently) “Ssh, you two. I’m trying to think. There’s something gone wrong with…”
The Doctor then finds something on the console computer terminals. He presses a button to confirm the readings.
DOCTOR
(troubled) “Oh no! No, no, no!”
NYSSA
“What is it?”
DOCTOR
“Those random emissions, Nyssa. They’re the emissions of some rift activity.”
NYSSA
“Rift? We’re close to a rift in time and space.”
DOCTOR
“Yes. And it seems to be projecting from a far range of space parsecs?”
BILLY
“And…what is a rift in time and space? Is it like a…gateway?”
DOCTOR
“Sort of. But not quite.”
NYSSA
(to Billy) “It’s a weakness within the time stream and it’s where people or objects can pass through from one location of space-time to another.” (to Doctor) “Isn’t that right, Doctor?”
DOCTOR
“Yes Nyssa. It’s exactly how I would have described it” (to Billy) “You know the San Andreas fault that runs through California, Billy?”
BILLY
“Yes. It’s where earthquakes sometime occur in San Francisco.”
DOCTOR
“Well this is generally the same thing, expect through time and space. But why we’re picking up random emissions of temporal rift energy I have no idea.”
NYSSA
“Perhaps someone’s causing a disruption to the temporal-space balance. Like when we went to Earth in nineteen sixty-three.”
BILLY
“Could this be Sinroth again?”
DOCTOR
“Oh no, no! Sinroth’s completely out of the picture. No there’s something breaking through the temporal and spatial barriers which has expulsed these random emissions.”
NYSSA
“Can you track the source?”
DOCTOR
“Yes. But where it leads to I have no idea.”
BILLY
“So we’re going to solve this mystery then, Doctor?”
DOCTOR
(enthused) “Of course, Billy! I wouldn’t sleep at night!”
BILLY
(sighs) “Ah well. There goes my choice to pick a place. I was so looking forward to seeing Traken.”
NYSSA
(sadly) “Yes.” (to Doctor) “How long will this take, Doctor?”
DOCTOR
“Oh…with a bit of tinkering with the lateral balance cones, grafting on the multi-loop stabiliser and narrowing the bandwidth of the time-curve indicator, we should be able to reach one of the affected sources of temporal emissions from the time rift. With a bit of luck.”
Nyssa and Billy are baffled, just as the Doctor pulls down levers and controls to set the TARDIS on its direct course.
DOCTOR
“Right. Here we go.”
The Doctor pushes forward a lever and the TARDIS lurches forward. The trio hold onto the console as the TARDIS makes its journey.
SCENE #21 – EXT – TIME VORTEX – N/A
The TARDIS, in the form of the blue police box, journeys through the time vortex. It zooms off to find one of the affected sources of temporal emissions from the time rift. The TARDIS crashes and bumps from side to side in the time tunnel, heading off into the distance.
SCENE #22 – EXT – YONDAMUS SPACE – 26TH CENTURY – N/A
Within the black region of the Yondamus Passage, Dwaxi ships spread out into space. They take their positions in a combat scenario. The main Dwaxi flagship takes centre stage within the fleet, its engines roaring loudly.
SCENE #23 – INT – MAIN BRIDGE, DWAXI FLAGSHIP – 26TH CENTURY – MORNING
Targah, the Dwaxi commander, watches the progress of the Dwaxi fleet from his command chair on the bridge of the Dwaxi flagship. Dwaxi trooper Gabrog enters the bridge and salutes his commander.
GABROG
“Hail, Commander! I delight in reporting our progress!”
TARGAH
(spits; viciously) “Get to the point, Gabrog! Is the Dwaxi fleet in position?”
Gabrog smacks his fist.
GABROG
(viciously) “Yes! Those stupid Yondamons are doomed!”
TARGAH
“Has Yondamus Four been acquired?”
GABROG
“Not yet! They are waiting your commands!”
TARGAH
“Those troopers should get to know their Commander better and find out what he wants! I want that planet dead! Snuff it out!”
GABROG
“With delightful vengeance, Commander!”
Targah pulls Gabrog closer to him to speaks into his ear.
TARGAH
(bitterly) “What of our opponents! Where do they stand?”
GABROG
“They slowly come to meet our ground! They have been aware of us for some time. They are starting to get the message.”
TARGAH
“And do they react?”
GABROG
“They do indeed, Commander! With disgust and hate!”
TARGAH
(roars; maliciously) “Good! We shall bash those pots into hell!”
GABROG
“They insult me, Commander! I hate them!”
TARGAH
(laughs; menacingly) “It is their doom, Gabrog! Their doom!”
Targah stands up from his command chair.
TARGAH
“I shall take my treatment now. Take my post, Gabrog. The honour of the Dwaxi empire shall be yours to burden!”
GABROG
“I shall carry on with great pride and malice, Commander Targah!”
TARGAH
“Do so. I shall return!”
Gabrog and Targah then punch each other in the chests, very viciously. But then it stops, as Targah leaves the command deck.
TARGAH
“I shall attend to my treatment.”
The metal grinding doors slide open loudly as Targah leaves. He goes into his ready room. Gabrog sits down in Targah’s chair, delighted maliciously in taking command of the bridge.
GABROG
(to bridge crew) “You! See that unit four-one-X-five gets a move on! The Commander will need to be in a hurry! Go on! Get on with it!”
The trooper obeys bitterly, as Gabrog takes command. Just then, shouts; screams and cries of agony come from Targah’s ready room. Neither Gabrog nor the other Dwaxi react to help, accepting it as normal. Gabrog laughs mockingly whilst Targah is in pain.
GABROG
(laughs; mockingly) “The longing of relaxing bitterness and energy!”
SCENE #24 – INT – ENGINEERING, MOONRAKER – 26TH CENTURY – MORNING
Back on the Moonraker, Gregory Cornwall – chief engineer – supervises the operations of the ship with his engineering staff.
GREGORY
“Toby? I want those power relays to be fitted in when we increased up to maximum warp drive. If I have a hunch that the captain wants us to go into some kind of battle then I would like the power to be initiated.”
Toby complies and sets about his task.
GREGORY
“Jamie? Those detrex crystals need to be applied to the warp plasma conduits. See to it, will you?”
Jamie complies and sets about his task.
GREGORY
“Emily. The hull manifests need to be adjusted slightly. Use the access codes to realign the phasing phial coupling, right?”
Emily complies and sets about her task. Yondamus Ambassador Togal then enters.
TOGAL
“Mr. Cornwall? Chief engineer?”
GREGORY
(uneasily) “Excuse me, Ambassador Togal. But you’re not allowed access to engineering…”
TOGAL
“I am given equal rights to access any part of this ship as I please to do so.”
GREGORY
“Well if you don’t mind, sir. But I would rather prefer to check that with the Captain.”
TOGAL
“I would like to talk to you about a vital matter.”
GREGORY
“Oh. What may that be sir?”
TOGAL
“You will no doubt be aware that the captain will take us to Yondamus Prime for the trading negotiations between my people and yours.”
GREGORY
“I am aware of that, sir.”
TOGAL
“Nevertheless, you will appreciate how anxious my people are in speeding up the negotiations in order to preserve the right of isolation between Yondamus space and the Earth empire. But that may not take your interest since it’s not your field of expertise.”
GREGORY
“On the contrary, Ambassador. I think you’ll find…”
TOGAL
“So I insist that I can rely on you, your captain and your staff to get us to Yondamus Prime on time. In order to achieve these negotiations.”
GREGORY
(uneasily) “Believe me sir, this ship I have in my care will get to your planet as soon as possible when the Captain commands it.”
TOGAL
(angrily) “When the Captain commands it?”
GREGORY
“I must insist you let me and my staff get on with our work. If we find you causing a distraction…”
TOGAL
“I will not be spoken to in this way. You and your staff should show better respect for an Elder of Yondamus. I hoped that your captain would have educated you in the matters of diplomacy and good manners when in contact with my people.”
GREGORY
“I’m not trying to be disrespectful, ambassador.”
TOGAL
“You will see to it that this ship of yours will get to Yondamus Prime, Mr. Cornwall. Is that clear?”
GREGORY
(slowly) “With all due respect Ambassador. The Moonraker is one of the finest ships in the Earth fleet. And I will not have you abuse or insult the reputation this ship has…”
TOGAL
“I have heard enough…”
GREGORY
“And when it comes to who tells me how to do my job or where this ship goes, it’s Captain Sulley who orders it. Not you.”
Togal is about to protest before Captain Sulley and Elaine Thomas enter.
CAPTAIN
(to Gregory) “Mr. Cornwall?”
GREGORY
“Captain, sir. I just found…”
ELAINE
“Ambassador?”
Captain Sulley and Elaine meet up with Gregory and Togal.
CAPTAIN
“May I ask what you’re doing in Engineering, Ambassador?”
TOGAL
“You may well ask! Since you refuse to take us to Yondamus Prime, I had hoped that your chief engineer would see eye to eye. But he obviously doesn’t. And with such disrespect.”
GREGORY
(protests) “I assure you, Captain. I was only speaking on your behalf…”
ELAINE
“Can you get the Moonraker to travel at top speed, Mr. Cornwall?”
GREGORY
(bewildered) “Yes, Miss Thomas. I can if I may know the reason.”
CAPTAIN
“Do you have enough detrex crystals to provide us with enough manoeuvring thrust?”
GREGORY
“Yes we do. Are we about to anticipate an attack?”
ELAINE
“From the wreckage we found. It’s very likely.”
CAPTAIN
“Has Mr. Wilson relayed his scientific study of the wreckage material with you yet?”
GREGORY
“No I’m still waiting for Mr. Wilson to contact me.”
CAPTAIN
“We’re running out of time.”
ELAINE
“We don’t even know what we’re running into yet.”
TOGAL
“May I take it you will take us to Yondamus Prime?”
CAPTAIN
“I’m afraid, Ambassador Togal, you’ll have to relay to your Elders the bad news.”
TOGAL
“Bad news?”
CAPTAIN
“The news that we might be delayed with the negotiations.”
TOGAL
“What? But my people…”
Just then, Gavin Frakes interrupts as he speaks on the intercom.
GAVIN (V’O)
“Bridge to Captain Sulley?”
CAPTAIN
“Sulley here.”
GAVIN (V’O)
“We’ve just received a message from Yondamus Prime.”
TOGAL
“No doubt they’ll want to know what’s causing this delay.”
CAPTAIN
“What do they say, Mr. Frakes?”
GAVIN (V’O)
“It’s quite disturbing sir. They’re informing us that one of their planets, Yondamus Four is under attack. By some unknown force that’s become to unbearable for them to fight against. It’s like nothing they’ve encountered before.”
Moment of silence.
TOGAL
(shocked) “What?!”
ELAINE
“It seems like even more bad news for the Yond Elders, Ambassador.”
Shocked, Captain Sulley; Elaine; Gregory; Togal and the engineering staff ponder on these strange events.
© Tim Bradley, 2016
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