FADE IN:
INT. MARS COMPLEX ALPHA - LOUNGE
The CAMERA begins on the clock, "11.35" and then PANS away.
The room is empty and silent. After a BEAT we SEE and HEAR a tube car whoosh along the tube which is visible outside the window.
We cut to,
INT. TUBECAR
The Tube car interior is identical to when we have seen them before in various "Babylon 5" episodes.
Martel is at the front on the right. Dulann is opposite him. Hadann is next to Dulann and Tafeek is opposite him.
DULANN David. Was it really necessary to leave all the others aboard the Liandra?
MARTEL I just want to conclude our business and get off this rock as fast as possible.
HADANN You speak of though this place were as dangerous as Hell.
MARTEL It is.
DULANN Sarah is a native are you forgetting David?
MARTEL
That may be true and that's the reason she requested to stay aboard ship.
(beat)
She has some bad memories from without the confines of the dome cities.
TAFEEK Highly understandable, I'm quite well read in Humanity's history. Some very unpleasant chapters in that history have occurred right here on this red planet.
At this point the tube enters the mountain side and all around becomes dark, lit only by the internal tube car lights.
HADANN One thing I've never understood.
MARTEL What's that Hadann?
HADANN Why settle Mars at all? There's plenty of more habitable planets.
MARTEL (Giving a laugh)
This Red Planet has always held fascination for Humanity. We've long wanted to explore it's surface, walk through it's dust and live here. Besides in another century or so the terraforming process started 60 years ago will be completed and Mars will be almost totally Earth-Like.
DULANN It is a shame no human alive today will be alive to see that.
MARTEL Really Dulann? I plan to live forever...
The group shares a laugh as we cut,
The Tube car is pulling into a docking station, it is a very busy one. Eight different tube ways all lead to this terminal. Four along one side, four along the other, with a large tower at either end of the sides with gates either side of the towers where Earth Force Security Officers checked the IDs of incoming travellers. A large queue of travellers, most Human, a few Brakiri can be seen wearing Human like smart business suits.
INT. MARS COMPLEX ALPHA - TUBE STATION A
The CAMERA cuts to the tube car we've been following as the hatch swings open with a classic sci-fi whoosh sound.
Martel steps out first, followed by Dulann then Tafeek then Hadann. They're greeted by an Earth Force Security officer.
SECURITY OFFICER #2 Captain Martel? Of the Rangers?
MARTEL Correct Officer. I assume you've been sent to escort us past the checkpoints to meet with Captain Richardson immediately?
SECURITY OFFICER #2 Affirmative. The Captain doesn't like to be kept waiting, especially on matters of such importance.
MARTEL So much importance that the Liandra had too be dragged all the way from the Rim to return to Mars?
SECURITY OFFICER #2 (Stepping aside and gesturing towards a lift in an empty part of the station)
Please sir. This way...
Martel walks past the Officer watching him. After all the Rangers have passed the Officer falls in behind them and we cut,
INT. MARS COMPLEX ALPHA - LOUNGE
The CAMERA begins on the clock, "8.00" we then PAN down and FADE TO,
INT. MARS COMPLEX ALPHA - SECURITY FACILITY
The CAMERA begins at the door as it slides open and Martel walks in. The CAMERA then swings around to show the rest of the room. It is a medium sized room. A desk is located a few feet away from the door. Behind which Security Officer #3 is sat, he is in his late 40s. A computer and several stakes of paper adorn the desk and several filling cabinets can be seen behind it. Just to the left of this is a long slightly darker corridor where cells are along either side with a further door at the far end.
Martel comes over to the desk and looks down the hall for a moment,
SECURITY OFFICER #3 (Becoming impatient)
Can I help you with anything?
MARTEL You're holding one of my crewmen here.
SECURITY OFFICER #3 Oh! So you're that murderous Minbari's Commanding Officer?
MARTEL He hasn't been proven guilty yet has he?
SECURITY OFFICER #3 No. But I can tell he did it.
MARTEL Can you?
SECURITY OFFICER #3 Something in there eyes when they know they've killed someone. I saw it during the war.
MARTEL You fought against the Minbari in their war with Earth?
SECURITY OFFICER #3 Sure did. Was one of the few that survived the defence of Proxima. Murderous bastards, now they're even worse. Turning on their own kind... only a matter of time before this one would kill one of us.
MARTEL One of us?
SECURITY OFFICER #3 Yeah... you know - a Human.
Martel walks away from the desk in disgust and looks down the hall.
MARTEL (Coldly)
I have more in common with him. Than I ever will with you.
The Security Officer is speechless for a second he is really unsure of what to say.
MARTEL (CONT'D)
I want to speak with him.
The Security officer gets up and without a word escorts Martel to a cell where through the bars Hadann can be seen with his head in his hand.
SECURITY OFFICER #3 Here you go. When you're done report back to me.
Martel says nothing and just gives the officer a glare until the Officer walks away back to his desk.
Martel leans forward to the cell bars.
MARTEL Hadann?
HADANN (Looking up)
Oh. Captain. I didn't think I was allowed any guests.
MARTEL Earth may be a little backwards culturally, but we've got the most lenient punishment system of any race I can think of.
Hadann gets up and comes across to the bars.
MARTEL (CONT'D)
How you holding up?
HADANN I've been in worse places Captain.
MARTEL
I'm sure you have.
(beat)
I'll get you out of here Hadann. You hear me? I'm not going to let you go away for a crime you didn't commit.
HADANN He was the closet thing to a real friend I'd made aboard the Liandra Captain. I have no reason to want to do him any harm.
MARTEL
I know that. And I'm sure any judge will realise that as well if this gets to trial.
(beat)
I'm hoping it won't.
HADANN What have you got in mind Captain?
MARTEL I'm going to pay a little visit to Security Chief Ocelot and ask nicely to see the evidence he has against you.
HADANN And if he doesn't let you?
MARTEL He must Hadann. For you see, being a Ranger we have special access to this sort of evidence.
Hadann offers a smile and then we HEAR heavy footsteps plonking down the corridor.
Martel looks over in their direction. It is Ocelot, he has come through into the hall from the door at the opposite end to the office.
The CAMERA follows Martel's eyes to SEE Ocelot as the door he's entered by closes behind him.
MARTEL Just the man I wanted to see.
OCELOT You have business with me Captain? It can wait for your associate's trial.
MARTEL I wish to see the evidence you have against my crewmember.
OCELOT That's privileged information Captain. New Earth law.
MARTEL I don't think you're current with the law Chief Ocelot. I am a Ranger, and within every government that is part of the Interstellar Alliance I can -
OCELOT (interrupting) - You are forgetting. Mars is an independent member of the Earth Alliance Captain. We don't have to follow all legislation set down by Earth. And we don't.
MARTEL Are you refusing me access to the evidence on which you've arrested my crewmember?
OCELOT Correct Captain.
We ZOOM on Martel's reaction before we cut to,
INT. MARS COMPLEX ALPHA - LOUNGE
The CAMERA starts on the Clock, "3.30"
We PAN down and FADE TO,
INT. MARS COMPLEX ALPHA - GENERIC CORRIDOR 1
Two Security officers are walking down this sterile Earth Alliance corridor. Doors are along either side, all are shut and have some sort of electronic lock device on them.
SECURITY OFFICER #4 I hate damn patrols. What does the chief thinks going to change in the hour one of us doesn't walk down this lifeless empty halls?
SECURITY OFFICER #5 I'm not sure. I sure know I preferred the old Chief to this Ocelot.
SECURITY OFFICER #4 I hear that. Chief Brandon was a lot easier going. Ocelot has cracked down on all our below the counter affairs.
SECURITY OFFICER #5 We can't even collect our cut on the downtown gambling anymore because of this guy.
SECURITY OFFICER #4 Who appointed him anyway?
SECURITY OFFICER #5 Some useless Earth politician no doubt.
SECURITY OFFICER #4 Thought us Martians were meant to be independent now.
SECURITY OFFICER #5 What we're supposed to be and what we are is too different things. Though Mars finally has it's fair share of seats in the EarthGov Senate. At least now we've got a different set of codes and laws out here.
SECURITY OFFICER #4 Laws and codes that are designed to get at us poor Martian natives.
SECURITY OFFICER #5 True. But it's the price we gotta pay for our independence from Earth I guess...
The two come to a T-Junction and turn left. They go a little way down and find one of the usually locked doors swung open. The two approach cautiously, PPGs raised and enter.
SECURITY OFFICER #4 Anyone in here?
They go in further and we cut,
INT. MARS COMPLEX ALPHA - GENERIC ROOM #1
The room is totally bare. No wallpaper, no flooring other than the grey of the metal and no furniture.
The CAMERA starts on the floor. The two Security Officers can be seen entering just over the horizon of a silhouette of a collapsed body.
SECURITY OFFICER #5 Oh crap. That's all we need.
The CAMERA then cuts to behind the two officers are we can SEE the body they're both looking at is that of Tafeek. His eyes are open and his expression lifeless. A small amount of blood is trickling from his mouth.
As we SEE this we,
FADE OUT:
END OF ACT ONE