ACT FOUR
37 – INT. MAIN MISSION
Main Mission is shaking. McKinley is on the floor. Some of the lights are dimmed, while others are out altogether. The control consoles are sparking and blinking, with the screens showing static and distorted images. The scaffolding has collapsed/fallen over. The shaking continues.
38 – INT. INFIRMARY
Like Main Mission, the infirmary is shaking. The lights are blinking and medical instruments are scattered all over the floor. Russell is clinging to one of the beds to stay on his feet.
39 – EXT. ALPHA CAVE
Green, lightning like energy bolts are travelling along the dome-like roof of the cave. Several bolts travel through the space above Alpha.
40 – EXT. LUNAR SURFACE
The area directly above Alpha. It is bathed in bright light from the Area Two explosion. Finally, the light begins to fade…
41 – INT. MAIN MISSION
McKinley gets to his feet and picks up his command chair, which has toppled over. He sits down and begins working his command console. Seconds later, the dimmed lights come back to full power, while some of the off lights come back on. But not all.
The light reveals that the room is a mess. Bergman is at the science console, while Simmons is still on the floor. The commissioner has a nasty cut and is knocked out. Bergman – who is fine – goes to check on him.
[McKinley]
"You still with us, Victor ?"
[Bergman]
"Yes, I'm fine. The commissioner, however, is down for the count."
[McKinley]
"Right."[Activates the intercom]"Medical team to Main Mission. I repeat, Medical team to Main Mission."[Changes channel]"All sections, damage report."
[Russell – Over the radio]
"Medical section here. We're still picking up the instruments and equipment, but we're still here. No decompression alarms so far, Commander."
[Bergman – From Science Station]
"Both long and short-range sensors are a mess. They're either broken or overwhelmed. I've ordered Main Computer to reboot them, but that will take a couple of minutes."
[Engineer]
"Diagnostics completing now, sir. Our Main reactor is stable. The bad news is that I can't cancel Collision Protocol Five. Which meant I can't open the blast doors."
[McKinley]
"Even if we could cancel Protocol Five, I wouldn't give the order. We need the EM-shield and the radiation screens locked at maximum for at least another three hours. I want to you focus on the decompression alarms. The last thing we need, is for our medical teams to run into vacuum."
[Engineer]
"Yes, Commander."
[McKinley]
"Victor, how is security looking ?"
[Bergman]
"Their channel is…"
[Verdeschi]
"This is Lieutenant-Colonel Verdeschi to Main Mission. Main Mission, do you read ?"
[McKinley]
"This is McKinley, we read you, Colonel. Where are you ?"
[Verdeschi]
"I'm in the Main Security Post. We're working on getting the connection to Main Mission back on-line."
[McKinley]
"What about Colonel Gorski ?"
[Verdeschi]
"He's dead, Commander. There was a breach and the blast door was jammed, so he closed it manually…"
The main screen of the engineering console changes from static to a schematic of Alpha. There are red sections and areas all over the base. Alpha has clearly taken a major beating.
42 - INT. EAGLE PASSENGER SECTION
The Eagle is upside down. There is extensive damage to the craft, as seen by broken lights and dangling wires. Morrow has a broken arm that is in a makeshift sling and Koenig has a bandage on her forehead. She is checking the hull.
[Koenig]
"So, good news or bad news first ?"
[Morrow]
"Bad."
[Koenig]
"We crashed and we're upside down. And with your broken arm, using space suits to get out of here is not an option. Besides which, I don't want mess with the airlocks. We might never get them sealed again."
[Morrow]
"And the good news ?"
[Koenig]
"So far, we're not leaking. Now all we need…"[Koenig's Commlock beeps and she grabs it]"Koenig here, who is this ?"
[Kano]
"This is Major Kano. Captain Carter and I are outside your Eagle. Are you still with us ?"
[Koenig]
"We're both alive. But Morrow has a broken arm, so EVA is not an option."
[Kano]
"Roger that, plan B it is."
[Morrow]
"Why does that worry me ?"
[Koenig]
"Because Plan A is usually Alright, Plan B is Bad, Plan C is Crazy and Plan D is Disastrous."
[Morrow]
"And by time you get to plan F, you're usually royally…"
Morrow is cut off by the airlock opening. Kano and Carter step into the passenger area. They are wearing spacesuits. These are Apollo spacesuits, except that they are orange instead of white. The airlock closes behind them.
[Carter]
"Our Eagle is in pieces. Fortunately, our emergency beacon survived the crash. The bad news is that we didn't have any power."
[Koenig]
"Well, we've got plenty of power. But our beacon is broken."
[Carter]
"Let's get to work then."
43 – INT. INFIRMARY
McKinley enters the infirmary while Russell is treating a patient. The facility could best be described as organized chaos.
[McKinley]
"How are things going here, doctor ?"
[Russell]
"Slow. The Engineering department is working like crazy to get us access to all the wounded. But it feels like it's taking forever to bypass the damaged sections."
[McKinley]
"I know. The trip from Main Mission to here felt like it was lightyears."[McKinley's Commlock activates and takes it from his belt]"McKinley here."
[Bergman – Over Commlock]
"Zachary, the sensors just came back on-line. The radiation levels are slowly dropping and the Main Computer is doing the math on the readings."
[McKinley]
"And the Eagles ?"
[Bergman]
"We can begin scans in a couple of minutes. But their chances…"
[McKinley]
"I know. Run the scans anyway, McKinley out."[Turns to Russell]"I have to get back there. Good luck, doctor."
[Russell]
"Thank you, Commander. We'll do what we can. And good luck up there, Commander."
McKinley nods and walks out of the Infirmary.
44 – INT. MAIN MISSION
Bergman is at the science console, while a Caucasian man with black hair and brown eyes is standing next to him. He is in his thirties with a short beard. The man is wearing a flight suit that says A. Verdeschi.
[Bergman]
"This is as good as it's going to get."
[Verdeschi]
"It's going to take us weeks to repair all the damage."
[Bergman]
"That's a tomorrow problem. Today, we have Eagles to find."
[Verdeschi]
"Good point."
Bergman activates the sensors. The main screen shows a map of the lunar surface with blue dots. Bergman works the consoles and three of the dots turn red, while the last one turns green.
Bergman presses one more button and another screen activates. It shows four names – Carter, Koenig, Kano and Morrow – along with medical data.
[Bergman]
"Alpha to Eagle One."[Pause]"Come in, Eagle One."
[Koenig – Over Radio]
"This…"[Static]"…One. Signal strength is…"[Static]"…Morrow…" [Static]"…arm. We need a med…"[Static]
[Bergman]
"Your signal is breaking up. Repeat your transmission."
[Koenig]
"We…" {Static] "…ical team. I repeat, we n…" [Static]"…eam."
Bergman contacts one of the Eagle Bays using the consoles integrated radio, while Verdeschi takes out his Commlock.
[Verdeschi]
"Verdeschi to Russell."
[Russell]
"I'm rather busy, Colonel. So this better be important."
[Verdeschi]
"We've found the Eagles. All four them are alive, but Mister Morrow is wounded. We need somebody to treat him."[Bergman holds up four fingers]"The Eagle will launching from Bay Four."
[Russell]
"Understood. I'm on my way. Russell out."
45 – INT. EAGLE PASSENGER SECTION
Carter and Kano have taken off their spacesuits. Kano and Koenig are using machinery and electronics to assemble something. Morrow is asleep, while Carter keeps an eye on him and the emergency beacon. The beacon is wired into the Eagle for power.
[Koenig]
"Are you sure this is going to work ?"
[Kano]
"No, but at worst we'll have passed the time until the rescue Eagle gets here."[Turns to Carter]"How are the power levels looking, Captain ?"
[Carter]
"Between the beacon and the life-support, we're only using fifty percent of the emergency cells output. The math says we have enough power to keep life-support going for another nineteen hours. But if we engage what's left of the sensors, we'll lose the beacon and drain the cells in seven hours."
[Kano]
"Let's call that Plan B."
[Bergman – Over Radio]
"Moonbase Alpha to Eagle One. Come in, Eagle One."
[Carter]
"Carter here. We read you, Alpha."
[Bergman]
"Eagle Three has just lifted off. It should be with you soon." [Pause]"We've tried to scan the blast site, but the radiation is blanketing all readings. Are your sensors working ?"
[Carter]
"Not yet. But Kano has a plan that should get what's left of them working soon."
[Bergman]
"Excellent. How is Mister Morrow ?"
[Carter]
"Sedated. We gave him something for the pain, but I might have messed up the dose. He's fine, but it'll be a while before he wakes up."
[Bergman]
"Understood."
46 – EXT. LUNAR SURFACE
Eagle Three lands next to Eagle One and extends a tunnel, which connects the two craft.
47 – INT. EAGLE PASSENGER SECTION
Morrow is being treated by Russell, while Kano has finished her machine. She is plugging it into the Eagle's circuits.
[Kano]
"Here goes nothing…"[Flicks a switch and presses two buttons to activate her creation]"It's working, the main computer is intact."
[Carter]
"Not that we could tell from what little is left of the cockpit controls. Can you run a diagnostic on the fusion reactors ?"
[Kano]
"Running one now."[Presses several buttons]"Au, not looking good, Captain. Reactors one and two are down to five percent, while reactor three is at ten percent."
[Koenig]
"What about using the cross connections between them to crank up the power ?"
[Kano]
"I'm running the program now, but I can't make any promises on the effectiveness."
[Russell]
"At this risk of asking a stupid question, can't you just use the sensors on Eagle Three ?"
[Kano]
"That is the plan as well. But the more sensors, the better."
[Carter]
"I've reprogrammed the beacon to use Eagle Three as a relay."
[Kano]
"Good."[The device beeps twice]"Here we go…"[Kano presses several buttons]"…The computer is rerouting everything left to Reactor One. It's at ten percent…twenty…thirty…thirty-seven…"[Kano works the machine]"Thirty seven point eight percent power, sensors tied-in and…"
A large screen next to the door to the cockpit comes to life. It shows the telemetry from the sensors of both Eagles. The screen shows a large crater and the FTL-Drive. It also shows a stream of data about the FTL-Drive.
[Carter]
"That's impossible. Even with our recalibration, the FTL-drive should have taken a major beating. There is no way the drive can still operational."
[Kano]
"Well, it is…"[Presses several buttons]"And it is – somehow – charging to a FTL-Jump. We have forty-seven minutes before it tries to jump."
[Koenig]
"And if it does…"
[Kano]
"The distortion will hit Section 45 and Moonbase Alpha will be ripped to pieces."
End of Act Four