FADE IN:
INT. MARS COMPLEX ALPHA - LOUNGE
The CAMERA begins on the clock, "1.00"
The CAMERA PANS away and we FADE TO,
INT. MARS COMPLEX ALPHA - GENERIC CORRIDOR 2
Martel, Dulann are followed by Hadann and Tafeek are walking with purpose along the corridor. They come to where the corridor turns off,
They all come to a stop.
MARTEL
Hadann. Tafeek.
(beat)
Dulann and I will continue up to the Security Office. I don't want all of us to go because I don't want this Security Chief to think we're tying to intimidate him by all of us going. I want to try and smooth things over.
TAFEEK Understood Captain. We'll take a little walk.
DULANN Good idea Tafeek. I'm sure this planet must have some good views...
HADANN Or at least some more corridors for us to wander down.
MARTEL Sometimes I think Mars is nothing but these corridors.
They share a laugh and the CAMERA watches Tafeek and Hadann head off in the opposite direction and Martel and Dulann head into the CAMERA before we cut to,
INT. MARS COMPLEX - SECURITY FACILITY
Security Officer #3 is sat behind his desk. Martel and Dulann enter after a BEAT.
SECURITY OFFICER #3 Can I help you gentlemen?
MARTEL We're here to see Chief Ocelot.
The officer opens his mouth to speak but is cut off when,
OCELOT (Appearing from round the corner)
Ah! You must be the Captain of the Liandra. My Lieutenant, Coolidge, said you were coming.
MARTEL I see. Do you have an office we could step into?
OCELOT Here will do just fine won't it?
MARTEL Very well.
Martel moves back slightly and takes a seat on the edge of the desk, showing his non-hostile intent.
MARTEL (CONT'D)
You've impounded my ship. I want to know why.
OCELOT Did Coolidge not tell you?
MARTEL Apparently the Liandra has various faulty parts that do not function within Earth Force safety regulations and can't be allowed to leave.
OCELOT Well if your ship is unsafe then why would you want to leave aboard it?
MARTEL Because I've gone over this list of faults. At least half of them are false.
Martel brings the mechanic's list from his pocket.
MARTEL (Brandishing it to Ocelot)
Look, this list says there's a problem with the Liandra's Injection Control computer.
OCELOT And? I'm sure there's some commercial mechanics that are willing to service your alien vessel.
MARTEL The Liandra is a Minbari vessel. Minbari vessels don't even have injectors. Let alone computers that control them.
OCELOT (Taking Martel aside)
Look Captain. Some of our mechanics are a little... you know, xenophobic. Sometimes they'll make up things that aren't exactly true just to make the alien's life a little difficult.
MARTEL So you'll recede this and let our vessel leave?
OCELOT
I'm afraid that's not within my power.
(beat)
And, after all you said only half the things on the list were false? What about the other half?
Ocelot begins to walk away and calls over his shoulder,
OCELOT I'm afraid Captain it looks like you'll be hanging around a while. Hope it's not too much of an inconvience for you.
MARTEL You know it is. Maybe it's not just the mechanics around here that are out to make our lives difficult.
Ocelot chooses to ignore that and continues walking as we cut to,
INT. MARS COMPLEX ALPHA - LOUNGE
The CAMERA begins on the clock, "8.30"
The CAMERA PANS around to face into the Lounge.
Captain Richardson is sitting on the sofa nearest the fire with Dulann. Security Officer #2 is sat on the opposite sofa with Malcolm.
MALCOLM Any idea why the Captain wanted me off the Liandra? I've never been to Mars before... the low gravity after staying aboard the Liandra is making me sick.
DULANN The Captain hasn't said anything because he believes our COM link communications are being intercepted by Chief Ocelot.
RICHARDSON You really think someone in Earth Force could be responsible?
DULANN You said yourself earlier Captain there has been political changes in the Earth Force leadership.
RICHARDSON But that's back on Earth. And amongst the Brass. All the lower level people with xenophobic tendencies were all weeded out in the Civil War or during the Telepath Crisis.
MALCOLM It's possible one might have slipped through the figures. No offence Captain but Earth Force isn't renowned Galaxy over as the most efficient military force.
MARTEL (Opens the doors and entering)
Thank you for coming Malcolm. I know the low gravity makes you sick.
(beat)
Did you bring your equipment?
MALCOLM I did. But within the Earth Alliance Changeling nets are prohibited. Even the Rangers aren't allowed to overstep that law.
MARTEL Well the Chief has overstepped a few Earth Alliance laws himself. So it's time we played this game by his rules.
RICHARDSON What do you have planned Captain?
MARTEL
We need to clear Hadann's name. I know one of my crew wouldn't kill another.
(beat)
Chief Ocelot won't let me see the evidence he has against him.
RICHARDSON Isn't that a crime?
MARTEL It is. But we'll worry about charging Ocelot if we can get the proof against him. For now we must concentrate on freeing Hadann.
DULANN Your plan David?
MARTEL
I'm getting to that Dulann.
(beat)
We're going to break into Ocelot's office and get the evidence he has on Hadann. If we can whatever evidence he has doctored against Hadann the case will collapse.
MALCOLM But what about Tafeek's real killer.
MARTEL As grim as it may seem to say this but the most important thing is making sure Hadann is freed. Once that's done we can worry about putting Ocelot away and catching Tafeek's real killer.
We ZOOM on Martel's cunning looking face before we cut to,
INT. MARS COMPLEX ALPHA - LOUNGE
The CAMERA begins on the Clock, "9.10"
The CAMERA pulls away as we FADE TO,
INT. MARS COMPLEX ALPHA - TUBE STATION
The Tube station is empty, it has been cleared.
After a few BEATS of silence Coolidge comes sprinting into CAMERA shot. He is sweating, he's been running for a while.
OCELOT You can't run anywhere Coolidge.
HADANN You are guilty of murdering a Ranger. You must stand trial.
Coolidge runs, heading for an empty tube. He tries to pull open the hatch to gain access and fails. When he looks up he finds two Security officers with their guns in his face.
Ocelot, Hadann, Dulann, Martel and Malcolm follow up behind.
OCELOT The evidence is mounted against you Coolidge.
DULANN You have murdered a descent, innocent, and good man.
OCELOT My terrible apologies Captain. I could never imagine someone on my own team would do such a thing.
MARTEL (Looks Ocelot up and down)
You are lower than he is.
OCELOT Excuse me Captain?
MARTEL You heard Ocelot. If I had had enough time to search through those records what else would I have found huh?
OCELOT I have no clue what you're talking about.
Just as Ocelot finishes speaking the two security officers bring Coolidge handcuffed past.
COOLIDGE You don't even know the half of it Captain. Ocelot has -
Ocelot quickly punches Coolidge in the face, Coolidge's head drops and he goes limp. He's been knocked out.
OCELOT Don't just stand there. Take him away.
The two security officers drag Coolidge away and Ocelot turns to follow.
MARTEL Chief Ocelot.
Ocelot stops and turns back.
MARTEL (CONT'D)
Pray for three things Chief.
(beat)
Number One, forgiveness for your sins.
(beat)
Number Two, that you never cross another Ranger.
(beat)
And Number Three, possibly the most important one so you should pray extra hard. Pray you never cross ME AGAIN.
Martel turns away and begins to walk away.
OCELOT Oh Captain.
Martel stops and turns.
OCELOT (CONT'D)
I'm not the praying sort.
MARTEL Then we may just meet again.
OCELOT That we may.
Martel turns away again.
OCELOT (CONT'D)
Or you may run into some associates of mine.
(beat)
When you do. Say hello for me.
Martel stops and turns to ask what Ocelot meant, but the Chief has gone. The CAMERA is on Martel's face before we cut to,
INT. MARS COMPLEX ALPHA - LOUNGE
The CAMERA begins on the Clock, "8.45"
The CAMERA moves away and we FADE TO,
INT. MARS COMPLEX ALPHA - SECURITY FACILITY
Security officer #3 is sat relaxed behind his desk doing nothing. The door slides open and Coolidge walks through.
The officer immediately sits up and makes a vain attempt to look busy.
SECURITY OFFICER #3 Sir! I thought you were in a meeting with the Chief.
COOLIDGE (MALCOLM)
Err... I was. It's finished. I'm heading to the evidence room now. I want to check over some things.
SECURITY OFFICER #3 Ok sir. Go right ahead.
COOLIDGE (MALCOLM)
Thank you.
Coolidge heads down the corridor and stops at Hadann's cell. Hadann looks up and Coolidge gives Hadann a wink, this indicates what the viewer should have guessed, this Coolidge is Malcolm.
Coolidge moves on down the corridor and heads through the door at the end,
INT. MARS COMPLEX ALPHA - EVIDENCE ROOM
The room is large, rows and rows of filing cabinets are the only thing in here, besides Coolidge who enters after a BEAT.
The CAMERA begins focused on the door as Coolidge enters. As the door slides shut behind him Coolidge touches the Changeling Net Control and Malcolm appears from within the shell of Coolidge's hologram.
Malcolm creeps along slowly and quietly and looks around corner of the cabinets. The CAMERA follows his gaze to give an example of how long the room is and how many rows of filling cabinets there are. After this Malcolm leans up against the nearest row and uses his COM link.
MALCOLM (Whispering)
Malcolm to Captain.
INT. MARS COMPLEX ALPHA - LOUNGE
Martel is sat next to Captain Richardson. Several Earth Force officers of lower than Captain rank litter the room, presumably Richardson's crew, and Dulann is sat opposite the Captain.
MARTEL David here. Go ahead Malcolm.
INT. MARS COMPLEX ALPHA - EVIDENCE ROOM
MALCOLM Infiltration successful. Moving onto stage 2.
Malcolm ends the transmission and moves along. He accesses a computer panel set into the wall, it's touch screen. He accesses the library catalogue and we SEE him go through several menus before coming across list of evidence stored and the cases under investigation.
MALCOLM (Tapping COM link)
Captain. I've found Hadann's case.
MARTEL (Over Comm)
And?
MALCOLM But I've found so many different things. The Chief has a weird collection of -
INT. MARS COMPLEX ALPHA - LOUNGE
MARTEL Doesn't matter Malcolm. We'll worry about that dangerously xenophobic Police Chief later. Just grab Hadann's evidence and report back.
INT. MARS COMPLEXALPHA - EVIDENCE ROOM
Malcolm doesn't respond and moves along. The Computer screen brings up in large scale a record of Hadann's evidence.
MALCOLM Captain. I've found Hadann's evidence list on their catalogue computer. But there's no hard evidence on file, just a selection of video fragments from security cameras.
MARTEL (Over Comm)
That's all Ocelot has on Hadann? And on that he can lock him away?
INT. MARS COMPLEX ALPHA - LOUNGE
RICHARDSON You only need suspect someone of committing the crime in order to hold them for 24 hours.
MARTEL I'm not waiting 24 hours for Hadann to be released into custody. We need him freed and proven innocent.
INT. MARS COMPLEX ALPHA - EVIDENCE ROOM
MALCOLM I'm transmitting those video feeds to you now Captain.
The CAMERA sits on the computer screen as we watch the computer's lights lit up on Malcolm's face as we,
FADE OUT:
END OF ACT FOUR