ACT TWO
15 – EXT. MOON SURFACE – Caption: Nuclear Waste Disposal Area One
A large crater in the surface. It has clearly been created by an explosion, not an impact. There is nothing left of whatever buildings used to be here. Two Eagles have crashed on the surface.
16 – INT. INFIRMARY
Redress/expansion of the Morgue. The place is filled to the brim, with patients on the floor and the beds. Koenig is on one of the beds, waking up. She is wearing a medical tunic.
[Koenig]
"Ouch, where's did that elephant come from ?"
[Russell]
"The one if the room, or the one that bulldozed you ?"
[Koenig]
"The latter."
[Russell]
"Nuclear Waste Disposal Area One exploded. There was a massive Electro-Magnetic Pulse. The count is at sixty-two wounded and four fatalities."[Pause]"And Doctor Bergman dodged a bullet. He has a mechanical heart, which would have killed him if had not been in Main Mission."
[Koenig]
"Main Mission has extra shielding."[Pause]"How is he doing ?"
[Russell]
"He's recovering in his quarters. As for you…"[Takes out a medical scanner and runs it over Koenig]"…We've treated the electric burns and you are fine. The headache should fade after you take these…" [Hands her two pills and a glass of water] "…which you will need, because Mister Morrow needs to see you in Main Mission."
Koenig takes the pills and washed them down with the water. She gets up from the bed and walks into a room marked Changing Room.
17 – INT. MAIN MISSION
Koenig walks into Main Mission. There is scaffolding and teams are working on repairs. Morrow is working at the Commander's station, putting together a report.
[Koenig]
"Mister Morrow, you wanted to see me ?"
[Morrow]
"Before Doctor Russell send him to his quarters, Doctor Bergman told me about your theory. So I've going through all our logs and using what sensors are still working to do some research."
[Koenig]
"What did you find ?"
[Morrow]
"Well, you're not going to like it…" [Types a command into the work station, bringing up maps of the moon and Alpha] "First, I mapped all the locations of the timing issues. After that came the timing of said anomalies and then the duration. This is what came up…"
Morrow types in another command. The maps now clearly show a wave emitting from a central point. The moon map has the locations of Alpha and two Nuclear Waste Disposal Areas marked. It shows that the waves have reached both areas.
The Alpha map shows the surface section of the base. The source of the waves in the exact center of the circle of Eagle platforms.
[Koenig]
"I presume that Moonbase Beta is smack in the middle of the circle ?"
[Morrow]
"Yes, it is. So, I've refined the theory."
[Koenig]
"Let's hear it."
[Morrow]
"Some time in the future, we finish Astro Probe Nine and launch it. Which would be from Moonbase Beta. So that part of the moon would be exposed to the wake of the FTL-Drive when it engaged."[Pause]"Basically, it's not just the tests…"
[Koenig]
"…The tests created a small temporary distortion, which the wake, echoing back through time, is making worse."
[Morrow]
"And those distortions might be showering the whole area in particles. Particles that are affecting our people and that made Area One detonate. But because we have never actually SEEN a temporal distortion before…"
[Koenig]
"We don't know what the particles look like. Which is why the sensors can't detect them."
[Morrow]
"So, if we can pull a rabbit out of our hat and find a way to fix that, we should be able to see if the effect has reached Area Two. And if it is has…"
[Koenig]
"Then our troubles are just beginning."
Cut to…
18 – EXT. LUNAR SURFACE – Caption: Nuclear Waste Disposal Area Two
A collection of metal domes in the form of a plus sign. A small observation dome is placed on a nearby slope, allowing for a view of the disposal area.
19 – INT. OBSERVATION DOME TWO
A small dome containing two consoles flanking a large window overlooking Area Two. Carter is working one of the consoles, while Bergman is at the other.
[Carter]
"Recovering in your quarters ? That's what you told Russell ?"
[Bergman]
"Hank is an excellent doctor. Just a tad overprotective."
[Carter]
"His mother was the same when she was the Chief Medical Officer on Astro Probe Five."
[Russell – Through the door]
"Victor ! You'd better not be in there." [Opens the door and walks in] "What do you think you are doing !?"
[Bergman]
"My job."
[Russell – Angry]
"And my job is to keep you healthy and alive ! You need to…"
Russell is cut off by Morrow and Koenig walking in. They are studying paper maps, graphics and schematics on a clipboard as they do so. Morrow hands the clipboard to Bergman. Bergman begins studying the information, while Russell sighs and looks very annoyed.
[Koenig]
"Sorry, doctor. Looks like you've been overridden."
[Bergman]
"I know you mean well, Hank. But rest won't do me any good if Area Two explodes. It contains one-hundred and forty times the amount in Area One. The explosion would vaporize Alpha and crack the moon like an egg."
[Carter]
"Can I see that ?"[Bergman hands Carter the clipboard – There is a pause as Carter studies the data] "So, how do we detect these particles ?"
[Bergman]
"Well, we might not have SEEN these particles yet. But there are plenty theoretical particles in the database. We should be able reprogram the sensors to look for them."
Carter is about to reply, but then sees something outside the window. Koenig looks out the window and the camera shows what she is seeing. The domes of Area Two are slowing beginning to glow with heat.
[Koenig]
"Doctor, I think you should hurry with that program."
[Bergman]
"Yes, we should."
Bergman sets to work.
20 – EXT. SPACE
An Eagle is approaching one of the landing platforms. The craft touched down, cut to…
21 – INT. CORRIDOR
McKinley is waiting the curved corridor outside Main Mission. The doors to one of the travel tubes open and Commissioner Simmons steps out.
[Simmons – Angry]
"McKinley ! What the hell is going on up here !?"
[McKinley]
"Commissioner, I can explain. Doctor Bergman is…"
[Simmons]
"And why are Koenig and Carter still here !? You should have send them back to Earth the moment you realized that Bergman brought them here to further his own agenda."
[McKinley]
"His agenda was to launch Astro Probe Nine. Which, last time I checked, is our agenda as well."[Pause]"Now, are you going to stand here and yell at me, or are we going do something to solve this mess !?"
Simmons looks very surprised at McKinley's outburst.
[Simmons]
"Very well, Commander McKinley, lead the way."
22 – INT. OBSERVATION DOME TWO
Bergman, Morrow, Simmons and McKinley are in the dome. Bergman and Morrow are at the consoles, while McKinley and Simmons are looking out the window. Several Eagles are trying spraying the domes with a white powder.
[Bergman]
"Paul's theory was right on the money. Once we recalibrated the sensors, we detected Mane Pulvis particles."
[McKinley]
"Mane Pulvis is Latin for early dust. And even I know that the theory is really old."
[Bergman]
"Very good. MP-particles were first theorized by Nikola Tesla in 1937. And Albert Einstein did further work on them in the fifties. But up until now, we've never actually SEEN them."
[McKinley]
"So, what is the effect of exposure to these particles ?"
[Bergman]
"Doctor Russell has pulled Tesla and Einstein's work. So far, their guesses on the biological effects of MP-Particles are adding up with his examinations of the victims. But the real problem is what the particles do when they interact with the nuclear waste out there…"
[Morrow]
"The particles are destabilizing the waste. Our best guess is that without intervention, we have roughly six hours before the waste detonates."
[McKinley]
"What can we do ?"
[Bergman]
"We're cooling the domes with HX-17 foam. And the emergency venting system has been increased to maximum." [Pause] "The bad news is that this will only buy us a couple of hours at most."
[McKinley]
"That does it. I am ordering a Level Two evacuation. Everybody who is not working on…" [Gestures to the window] "…Operation Cooldown is to leave for Earth. Now."
[Simmons]
"You can't do that ! The Meta probe…"
[McKinley]
"…Is not going to happen. We're about to lose the moon. The MOON ! And if we don't start evacuating right now, everybody on it. All the political favors and friends in the world are no good if you're dead. And you might be willing to sacrifice this entire base for your political games, I'm not."
[Simmons]
"That is not true. I simply have clear priorities during this…"
[McKinley]
"Enough ! You can either help with the evacuation, or you can spend the next couple of hours in the brig. We might only have twelve security personnel, but they are very good at their job."[Simmons storms out, while McKinley turns to Bergman] "Doctor, I have an evacuation to oversee. Keep things going here."
[Bergman]
"Yes, Commander."[McKinley leaves and Bergman turns to Morrow] "Somebody has grown a spine."
[Morrow]
"Better late than never."
23 INT. MAIN MISSION
McKinley is at the Commander's station, giving orders to both the personnel in the room and over the base intercom. At the same time, he is working his computer and monitoring readings on Area Two. Carter enters Main Mission. He has traded his Moonbase uniform for a flight suit.
[Carter]
"You needed to see me, Commander ?"
[McKinley]
"Yes, captain." [Turns his chair to face one of the engineering consoles]"Alex !"[An Asian woman in her thirties turns away from the console] "Captain Alan Carter, meet Major Alexandria Kano. She was Alpha's Chief Engineer until we lost her to Astro Probe Nine. Then Mister Morrow got her job."
[Carter]
"Major."
[Kano]
"Captain."[The two of them shake hands]"So, I presume you have an assignment for the two of us."
[McKinley]
"Yes, I don't want our pilots to be above Area Two when it blows up. I need you two to network the Eagle's autopilots and tie them into Main Computer so that we can fly them from here by remote."
[Kano]
"That's impossible. Neither the autopilots or Main Computer were designed for that."
[McKinley]
"Well, you need to make it possible in four hours. Which is why I just partnered you with Captain Carter. He designed the Mark-Four's autopilot and all five of the upgrade packages. If anybody can help you cut the necessary corners, it's him."
[Carter]
"Shall we, Major ?"
[Kano]
"Yes, but only if you call me Alex. With the base about to blow up, now is not the time to be formal."
[Carter]
"Sounds like a plan, Alex. And I'm Alan."
The two of them sit at one of the Engineering consoles and get to work.
24 INT. INFIRMARY
Russell and Koenig are working on getting the wounded ready to evacuate from Alpha. There are only a handful of patients left in the facility.
[Russell]
"You realize that even if we manage to evacuate the entire base, we're still going to be in major trouble when Area Two blows the moon to pieces."
[Koenig]
"Yeah, I've been doing the math my head. And it's not pretty."
[Russell]
"I'm no astrophysicist. But Earth's axis, the tides, even the duration of days would be affected. And there's the debris."
[Koenig]
"Like I said, not pretty."
[Russell]
"Still, it's probably going to be better than…"
25. EXT. LUNAR SURFACE
A series of explosions on the lunar surface. These are not at Nuclear Waste Disposal Area Two. They do – however – knock several Eagles out of the skies.
END OF ACT TWO