FADE IN:
EXT. OMEGA DRAGA 5 - IPX DIG SITE 1
The characters are in the same positions as before the Intro. Martel is now more forwrd towards the hole and is just finishing yelling,
MARTEL SARAH?!
He quickly turns and his eyes follow the droids as they disappear into the jungle.
MARTEL After them!
Martel rushes over towards the jungle.
NA'FEEL It's useless sir. We can't track them in the jungle.
MARTEL Sarah has just been taken by those things. We must save her.
TIRK Captain. Our best bet would be returning to the Liandra and using it's scanners.
Martel calms down a little.
MARTEL You're right Tirk. Let's -
Martel is cut off when the ground begins to rumble in a similar way as before.
NA'FEEL Oh crap.
The ground shakes and the characters fall about.
MARTEL Everyone run for shelter!
The group makes their way to the IPX buildings, the CAMERA is set on the fringe of the jungle so our characters can be seen moving as well as a second wave of droids being released from the hole in an identical fashion to before.
The CAMERA cuts to,
INT. IPX DIG SITE 1 - HQ - ENTRANCE
The CAMERA faces the blank blue door, which after a BEAT bursts open and Na'Feel, followed by Tirk and then Martel come running in. The Non-descript Ranger is shortly behind and leaps for the doorway but if swept up as the droids come past... we HEAR his screaming as the CAMERA swings round to face where Martel, Na'Feel and Tirk have landed. The room is quite small, it is a entrance room. A second door that leads into the rest of the building, in this room there is no furniture except a coat hanger which is devoid of coats.
MARTEL Now there's two of them taken by those things.
TIRK What are they?!
NA'FEEL I've never seen anything quite like them.
MARTEL They look like bigger and more deadly versions of the ISN Camera Drones.
NA'FEEL ISN is all the way out here?
MARTEL I doubt a possible ancient discovery of Hand relics would make ISN come all the way out here past Alliance borders.
NA'FEEL You're right. Only us Rangers are unlucky enough to have to come all the way out here.
TIRK Should we go down the large hole where these robotic things keep coming from?
NA'FEEL That isn't the smartest idea, even if it was possible.
MARTEL
That's right the Elevator was broken by those damn drones.
(beat)
Let's take a closer look at the InterPlanetary Expeditions' records, whilst we're here. They might have made a log entry or have somesort of data about these things... or there may be survivors.
INT. IPX HQ - BRIEFING ROOM
There is one door and a set of stairs. The door is on the left hand side of the stairs that are in the far left corner away from the CAMERA. The room has a large white table in the center. An array of miscellaneous stools are placed around it in the space between the table and the row of low cabinets that runs along all the walls. The table and top of the cabinets are littered with papers, stationary items and a few computer terminals.
The CAMERA starts at the back of the room but as the only door begins to open it PANS over to see Martel, Na'Feel and Tirk enter.
MARTEL
Right.
(beat)
Na'Feel you check upstairs. Tirk you search all these cabinets and I'll get start on these loose files.
Tirk and Na'Feel break away to accomplish their tasks. Na'Feel takes to the rather delapidated flight of stairs as Martel moves over to check the first pile of papers that lay nearest him on the table.
We cut to,
INT. IPX HQ - UPSTAIRS LANDING
The stairs lead to a long corridor on the right, with a series of three doors in close succession. The CAMERA starts at the end of this corridor and we SEE Na'Feel coming from the floor below and come up onto the landing. She pauses for a moment, contemplating her situation before opening the first door,
INT. IPX HQ - BEDROOM 1
It is a small bedroom with three single beds laid out. Each bed has a small bedside cabinet. The beds are unmade and things have been knocked over onto the floor as if the sleepers had gotten up in a rush.
Na'Feel comes only a little way into the room, and without letting go of the doorknob returns to the landing outside.
INT. IPX HQ - UPSTAIRS LANDING
CAMERA is say as before and Na'Feel heads through the second door.
INT. IPX HQ - BEDROOM 2
The room is identical to the last the same set can be used. To indicate it is different the beds are laid out in a different manor and different personal effects garnish the room, including a rather raunchy picture of a female Brakiri.
After a quick look Na'Feel shakes her head at the poster before leaving and closer the door behind her,
INT. IPX HQ - BRIEFING ROOM
Tirk is bent inside a cabinet and Martel is running through a large pile of papers.
MARTEL Anything Tirk?
Tirk comes out of the cabinet, bringing with him a large green bottle of elegant design.
TIRK (Pausing the bottle to Martel)
I believe it is Centauri Reun Wine.
Martel unscrews the lid and takes a sniff.
MARTEL (Recoiling from the bottle)
Centauri drink this?
TIRK Well they also even Spoo sir.
MARTEL
Good point.
(beat)
So have you found out anything else out about these IPX guys besides they were either Centauri or alcoholics.
TIRK Unfortunately no sir. The cabinets are mainly empty, apart from a few artifacts.
MARTEL Artifacts?
TIRK Yes sir.
Tirk reaches back into the cabinet and retrieves a small metal relic. It is a flat, but reasonably thich, piece of greyish metal that on the top side has a face carved into it. It isn't a normal face, it is the "Face of Mars" type of expressionless face seen in the film "Mission To Mars".
TIRK (Holding it out for Martel)
Just this Captain.
MARTEL (Putting the bottle down and taking the Relic from Tirk)
Hmmmm.
Martel examines the relic for a moment. Taking it for it's face value. PARDON THE PUN
MARTEL (CONT'D)(Placing it on the table)
We'll take this back to the Liandra. Firell may be able to scan it. It may be made of the same metal as those robots. If it is it'll make them easier to track if we need to do a global scan from orbit.
TIRK
Good idea sir.
(beat)
Have you been successful in finding anything?
MARTEL A few pages from the official IPX Chief's journal. Pretty dry stuff he puts in there. Afterall that's the stuff that gets passed into the Earth Alliance record books, he wouldn't put personal stuff in there.
TIRK Surely he'd mention something like those drones?
MARTEL Doubtful. If his people are being wiped out he wouldn't be spending his time making official reports. Though he may have continued making entries in something more personal.
TIRK I doubt they'd keep something like that down here.
MARTEL True. But I thought they might keep a manifest of the IPX personnel they have stationed here. From that we could've identified the body outside... and known how many IPX people we're talking about being missing.
INT. IPX HQ - UPSTAIRS LANDING
She takes a few steps down the corridor towards the CAMERA and slowly opens the third door.
INT. IPX HQ - BEDROOM 3
The room is similar, one bed is located along the wall behind the door and is not immediately visible to Na'Feel. The CAMERA follows Na'Feel from behind into the room. She enters slowly. The bed immediately infront of her is made perfectly.
Na'Feel holds her hand to her nose.
NA'FEEL Urgh. What is that smell.
As Na'Feel comes further into the room she turns to face the bed behind the door. She gasps and stands motionless for a moment as the CAMERA swings around to show us what she's seen. It is a dead body. Blood is smered across the walls behind the bed and the bed clothes are covered in red.
NA'FEEL (Touching Comm)
CAPTAIN! You'd better get up here right now.
FADE OUT:
END OF ACT ONE
