INT. MARS COMPLEX ALPHA - LOUNGE
The CAMERA begins on the clock, "11.45" it PANS away from the CAMERA and towards the large window as we FADE TO,
INT. MARS COMPLEX ALPHA - PRIVATE LIFT
The medium sized lift is crowded. Security Officer #2, a second Earth Force Guard, Martel, Dulann, Hadann and Tafeek are all in the lift. The CAMERA is sat at the top looking down on them all. The lift is silent until it comes to a halt and the doors ping open and we cut to,
INT. MARS COMPLEX ALPHA - CONFERENCE ROOM
The room is quite large. A rather oversized wooden table dominates the room. Several chairs are dotted along it's sides and Captain Richardson is sat at the head of the table reviewing some papers. The only door into the room is shut until after a few BEATS,
Martel, Dulann, Hadann and Tafeek are escorted in. Richardson stands up and comes to greet the Captain with a handshake.
RICHARDSON (Returning to his seat)
Please all of you take a seat.
(beat) As the Rangers take their seats
You serve with an all Minbari crew?
MARTEL (Shaking his head)
No. It's just the Human members of my crew have some bad memories of Mars.
RICHARDSON I understand. I was a civilian here during the food riots.
MARTEL Then you understand why only the Minbari members of my crew were willing to accompany me.
RICHARDSON You seem unphased by this place's history. This complex was the very one the riots started on you know.
MARTEL I've only been through here in passing once before. And that was, surprisingly, a pleasant experience.
RICHARDSON I know you've come a long way Captain. I'm sure you'd like to get down to business.
MARTEL Indeed that is true. We were out on the rim when the order came to set our computer's for destination Mars.
RICHARDSON I am sorry Captain. It was my original intent to take my ship, the EAS Damocles, to meet with your vessel out on the rim. However several political changes within Earth Force's brass has forced me into disfavour. So I don't have as much freedom as before.
MARTEL Earth Force doesn't want you to share this information with us?
RICHARDSON Of course they can't declare that officially. But that's definitely the impression I got.
MARTEL I'm hoping you have some vital information then. For the sake of us making this long trip, and you risking falling further from grace.
RICHARDSON I also didn't want to broadcast this via hyperspace because I know how delicately the Rangers are currently handling the situation. But if I am not mistaken you are currently searching from any information or the whereabouts of any members of the Isaahi race?
MARTEL That is correct Captain. You have such information?
RICHARDSON
My vessel were a part of an Earth Alliance Task Force dispatched to try and re-establish diplomatic ties with the Isaahi Kanar after the Isaahi ambassador to Earth committed suicide. Earth feared they were pulling back diplomatic ties as a prelude to invasion as the Dilgar did in 2230.
(beat)
My vessel because disattached from the rest of the fleet in hyperspace during a fleet manaevour and a malfunction in our guidance computer. When we were in hyperspace we drifted just about as far as you can without loosing all hope of return and we found something in hyperspace...
MARTEL Found something?
RICHARDSON Well we didn't exactly find and see it with our own eyes. But our scanners did.
DULANN What did you find?
RICHARDSON We found a huge metallic object. The size of which I've never heard of. But that wasn't all we found. The object disappeared from our scanners a moment later. At first I dismissed it as a scanner glitch, we'd had our fair share that day. But when we scanned the same area again we discovered a number of Isaahi ships.
MARTEL These were confirmed as such?
RICHARDSON
Affirmative. The silhouette matched 100. They were Isaahi cruisers.
(beat)
I put two and two together and figured they must have something to do with the huge object. When I tried to report this to Earth Force Command they dismissed it as scanner glitches caused by our deepness into Hyperspace.
MARTEL But you're sure of what your scanners found?
RICHARDSON That is correct Captain. I wouldn't've dragged you all this way if I were not.
Richardson next to his assortment of papers and picks up a data crystal.
RICHARDSON (Extending it to Martel)
This Captain
(beat)Martel takes it
Is a record of my scanner's logs. It'll confirm everything.
MARTEL Does it also have the hyperspace coordinates where you discovered the Isaahi?
RICHARDSON
It does. Though the tides were pretty strong in that region, I doubt anything would have remained there for long.
(beat)
Oh, and we launched a probe when we discovered the Isaahi ships. But we lost contact with it. It's transmitting frequency is on the data crystal as well. If you ever run into it...
MARTEL We'll be sure to contact you of course Captain.
RICHARDSON I'm just glad to be of assistance Captain.
We ZOOM on Richardson's sincere face before we cut to,
INT. MARS COMPLEX ALPHA - LOUNGE
The CAMERA begins on the clock, "1.10" after that we FADE TO,
INT. MARS COMPLEX ALPHA - GENERIC CORRIDOR 1
Hadann and Tafeek are walking down the corridor.
TAFEEK The Captain sure is taking his time with Chief Ocelot.
HADANN Maybe he's not the most cooperative of people.
TAFEEK Suppose not. But I just wish he would hurry.
HADANN What's the rush Tafeek? Don't enjoy this lowered gravity?
TAFEEK Yes. That is partly the reason.
HADANN And the other?
TAFEEK
I am not certain. But I have this feeling in the back of my mind and the pit of my stomach that something is wrong.
(beat)
You know the Centauri say they are given precognition of the day they are to die?
HADANN Yeah...
TAFEEK I believe I am experiencing that.
HADANN (Giving a laugh)
Surely not Tafeek. You are in good enough health are you not?
TAFEEK As far as I am aware.
The two walk on in silence for a moment,
TAFEEK But this feeling is troubling me. If I not a Ranger and it be my duty to stand my ground I would return to the safe confines of the Liandra.
HADANN Why didn't you then? We've been back to the Liandra...
TAFEEK I did not feel honourable deserting the Captain part of the way through our mission here.
HADANN And that mission was kind of a bust anyway.
TAFEEK True. Captain Richardson's information wasn't the most useful. But I'm confident it will lead to further clues that will help us unravel the mystery of our new enemy that we've become involved with.
Hadann and Tafeek stop at a T-Junction in the corridor.
Hadann turns right and Tafeek turns left. They stop a moment later and turn back on each other.
TAFEEK Are we not travelling to meet with the Captain at the Security Office now we have allowed ample time for him to conclude his affairs?
HADANN I was just going to use the bathroom. Go on ahead I'll catch up.
INT. MARS COMPLEX ALPHA - LOUNGE
The CAMERA begins on the Clock, "6.00"
The CAMERA ZOOMs out and then we FADE TO,
INT. MARS COMPLEX ALPHA - SECURITY FACILITY
The room is the same as we saw it before. Security Officer #3 is sat at the desk writing a report out on a comp pad. After a BEAT the door slides open and Chief Ocelot leads Coolidge in.
OCELOT (Glaring at Officer #3)
Make yourself scarce.
SECURITY OFFICER #3 Understood sir.
The officer gets up and heads down the corridor. Ocelot and Coolidge watch him go and once we HEAR the doors at the other end of the cell hall slid shut they turn back to each other.
OCELOT I'm disappointed in your Coolidge. I thought you were smarter than this.
SECURITY OFFICER COOLIDGE Sorry sir.
OCELOT Sorry doesn't cut it anymore. What the hell were you thinking huh?
SECURITY OFFICER COOLIDGE I wasn't sir.
OCELOT
Ha! That's an understatement. I don't think you're even capable of such a thing as thought.
(beat)
This is the last thing we needed. Those damn Rangers are going to be crawling over this place if we don't convict someone... fast.
SECURITY OFFICER COOLIDGE Can't we incriminate some innocent?
OCELOT
Out of the question.
(beat)
It'll have to be a member of their crew.
SECURITY OFFICER COOLIDGE Sir?
OCELOT The Minbari - The one who's been killed. He was alone when it happened, but he must have been with one of the others at some point?
SECURITY OFFICER COOLIDGE You have an idea sir?
OCELOT I do. One that will assign blame. Once that's done we can move him quickly through the courts get a conviction with the correct pockets lined and we can forget this matter.
Ocelot has paced down the corridor slightly as he thinks and speaks, and he quickly turns back to Coolidge,
OCELOT (CONT'D)
But I shouldn't have to be doing this at all.
SECURITY OFFICER COOLIDGE I'm sorry sir.
OCELOT Let me make this very clear Coolidge.
Ocelot moves very close to Coolidge and then grabs him and pulls him even closer.
OCELOT (CONT'D)
If anything like this happens again...
SECURITY OFFICER COOLIDGE I know. And if it does I'll gladly turn myself in and -
OCELOT (interrupting) - Oh no. You won't. Because you'll be dead. But MY hand. Understand?
Ocelot holds up his fist on the word "My".
SECURITY OFFICER COOLIDGE Crystal sir.
OCELOT I want you back out there. I'm going to review the security tapes. I will decide who is the last person too see him alive and I will contact you with the name when I'm done. When I've done that you will make the arrest.
SECURITY OFFICER COOLIDGE Understood sir.
Ocelot turns and heads down the corridor down the cells. The CAMERA follows him as we,
FADE OUT: