(V.O.)
Well, I don't know whether you've noticed--but just between you and me--we've got the same surname. I think you may be my Son.
Janus smiles.
JANUS
Thanks, Pop. Think this will really end it?
NEREUS (V.O.)
I can only hope so. I'm sending the signal now. Kill 'em for me.
JANUS
You got it. Squadron Leader Alpha One out.
He switches to squadron radio.
JANUS
Squadron, this is Alpha One...close on the surface...
A red light blinks in the cockpit.
JANUS
NOW!
EXT. PLANET HEBE (ORBIT)--NIGHT
Janus' squadron drops closer to the worm's surface. It squirms, and launches five hundred flies from a bay.
INT. JANUS' FIGHTER--NIGHT
JANUS
Leader to squadron, acknowledge ready.
Messages scroll up his console, then it blinks "READY."
A blue flash envelops his ship. Slowly, then quickly, everything animates in reverse. Backward motion splits into a ghost of forward motion, ripples like a disturbed pond, then merges back into reverse motion.
Note: this will be referred to as "reverse time-resistance effect."
INT. JANUS' FIGHTER--DAY
It is silent. There is no battle--only a star field, the triple sun, planet Hebe, and a cubic array of millions of parked fly fighters. A blue wall of light appears before him, passes over him, and vanishes.
JANUS
What?
His ship approaches and descends on a fly, and a message lights on his console: "TOW SECURED."
JANUS
What?!
He tries the joystick. It's jammed. A blue flash envelops his ship. Janus freezes, while a ghost of everything splits into reverse motion, ripples like a disturbed pond, then turns into very rapid forward motion.
Note: this will be referred to as "forward time-resistance effect."
INT. JANUS' FIGHTER--NIGHT
The staccato rage of battle sounds over radio, and in lights around Janus. A blue wall of light appears behind him, passes him, and vanishes. His console lights a message: "TOW RELEASED."
EXT. PLANET HEBE (ORBIT)--NIGHT
The cockpit of the fly which is secured to Janus' ship lights, and its jets ignite. As Janus advances, the fly drops behind.
INT. JANUS' FIGHTER--NIGHT
Baffled, Janus dodges just as the fly behind him opens fire.
JANUS
Leader to squadron!--
There's a quick series of human screams and static bursts, then silence. He becomes panicked and puzzled, but shakes it off, and scans his console.
JANUS
Leader to squadron--all in squadron ready and accounted for! Keep it together! Preparing warhead!
He toggles a switch and moves a lever.
JANUS
Break from the surface...NOW!
He pushes the joystick hard forward and port.
EXT. PLANET HEBE (ORBIT)--NIGHT
Janus' fighter turns port and drops through flames which eject from the worm's mouth. His squadron quickly scatters to a large sphere formation, around the worm.
His squadron waits a moment.
CLOSE ON JANUS' FIGHTER as it escapes at full speed.
JANUS
Leader to squadron--warhead away! Eject generators!
Each fighter discharges a polygonal ball. Each ball unleashes a web-like array of blue light. The webs of light all merge to form a spherical shield around the worm. The shield has one ovoid opening, which Janus quickly escapes through, and it quickly closes.
Flies batter against the shield like houseflies against a window. Light glows from seams in the worm, and expands and destroys it in a zero-gravity, all-directions nuclear blast: the shield fills with light.
Only clouds of dusty debris remain under the shield.
The shield contracts and gathers the debris into a ball, and then shuts off. The squadron quickly reclaims the generators.
Elsewhere, another spherical shield collapses, and another, and another...elsewhere, light glows at the seams of a worm, and at the seams of another...over radio, the fleet cheers.
NEREUS (V.O.)
Excellent work! Finish these worms up and take the stragglers!
INT. JANUS' FIGHTER--NIGHT
Reverse time-resistance effect occurs, Janus flies in reverse, and the shield re-forms around the worm, with the same ovoid opening. The shield vanishes, he reverses through fire, and he rises above the worm. A blue wall of light appears before him, through him, and vanishes.
JANUS
What?
The shield generators create a shield around the worm.
JANUS
What?! Squadron, do you see--
NEREUS
Son?--what's wrong? Why aren't you--
Radio cuts off. A display lights: "WARHEAD AWAY."
JANUS
What?!
He tries the joystick. It's jammed. His ship turns, faces the planet, and plummets toward it. He plies the joystick in vain. It stays stuck. He tries the radio. It makes no sound.
JANUS
Leader to Squadron, MAYDAY!...Alpha One to fleet, do you read me?! MAYDAY!
He looks over his shoulder. No ship is near. All of the alien worm ships have shields, each generated by his fleet. His fleet bombards the worms with thousands of bombs and laser streaks per second, but the aliens' shields hold.
A small, turbulent tremor overtakes his ship. He looks forward at the planet in helpless terror, wide-eyed. The planet looms quickly larger.
Beyond the shield of the worm he fell from, a white glare and fire sweeps over his fleet. His ship's turbulence increases. The worm's shield casts a shadow of eclipse over the planet. Light in the shadow undulates like water.
His ship violently crashes on the planet's atmosphere, which ignites around it in streaks of blue, green, yellow, and white.
CUT TO:
INT. DARKNESS--NIGHT
FADE IN:
INT. JANUS' FIGHTER--DAY
Janus sleeps. His ship cruises ten miles high. He wakes, and looks around. An instrument panel light reads "AUTOPILOT." He presses a button on the joystick and pushes it right. The ship accelerates and turns starboard, and "AUTOPILOT" shuts off.
A large flash lights behind his ship with a metallic smash sound. An indicator lights: "HAIL SIGNAL." He switches on the radio, and a throaty, liquid voice sounds from it.
XENON
Human Thaddeus, you will follow us or die. Switch your radio back off.
A hundred fly fighter jets rise into view around him.
JANUS
Well, that isn't really what I'd choose, but--
Two more lights quickly flash with metallic smash sounds.
XENON
We will jam your radio, but you should avoid transmissions. Leave it off.
He rolls his eyes and switches the radio off.
JANUS
Ah, diplomacy.
The fly escorts veer starboard and down, and he follows.
EXT. AIRFIELD--NIGHT
Near sundown, the triple star casts faint blue light over many miles of concrete, around a military base. A hundred fly fighters escort Janus' ship. They all land.
Hatches in the flies open, and A HUNDRED SALAMANDERS emerge, one from each fly. They scurry on all fours. Their colors and patterns vary widely, but most are green, with blue spots. They wear light brown and green military garb. Those who point guns at Janus' ship walk upright.
INT. JANUS' FIGHTER--NIGHT
Janus unstraps and maneuvers from the cockpit to the loading area. He opens the hatch and descends it, arms in the air.
EXT. AIRFIELD--NIGHT
A hundred Salamanders stand guard over a hundred fly space fighters and Janus' ship, which are all parked on the ground. Ten Salamanders surround Janus. Two handcuff him.
Two large horseflies buzz from Janus' ship toward him. Two
Salamanders whip their projectile tongues, catch the flies, retract them, and swallow. Janus shudders with disgust.
The Salamander XENON, thirty, wears light yellow military garb, and is burly, with a regal bearing, yet a friendly, happy face. His skin has a forest camouflage pattern with pretty yellow spots and splotches here and there. He scurries to Janus, and rises on two legs.
XENON
I am Commander Xenon. I apologize for my abruptness earlier.
Janus offers him a puzzled look.
XENON
Over the radio. You see, there is a great misunderstanding between our people and your people. My people seek your liberty, but others of my kind do not. It was very important that we cut off radio communication so that our enemies do not discover us. Now, we hope to assist you in your recovery, and that you will join us for explanations and tests tomorrow.
Janus examines him with curiosity.
JANUS
Recover? I'm fine. And tests?
XENON
You crashed very violently into the atmosphere. And you exhibit signs of a most rare and useful ability. Please, come. Our chef is eager to cook a human meal.
Xenon walks toward base. The guards prod Janus, but he holds. He is distracted by the breathtaking sights around him. The triple suns, sky, and cloud cover have fiery color variations of dark violet and pink. Mixed with these are vast, ghostly arms of auroras, of every color, all over the sky. Sparse streams of small meteorites sporadically burn up in small streaks, which quickly vanish as they drift from the planet's vast green and brown rings.
Janus stumbles backward as if this could help him encompass the whole scene of the planet's rings in a
Treachery Page 9