CHOKA
He's hailing us.
JAMISON
On screen.
*****
44 ANGLE - VIEWSCREEN (OPTICAL)
Klashar Zule appears on the screen, enraged but relishing his success against Sojourner.
KLASHAR ZULE
So much for your lies, Captain. I guess you'll die after all.
JAMISON
I told you the truth. We fought you before. How else can you explain the fact that we knew about your time traveling?
For an instant, Klashar Zule hesitates, considering the question. Then, he shrugs.
KLASHAR ZULE
Perhaps you do speak the truth. Perhaps we met as you say.
JAMISON
If you can accept that, Klashar, then stop before it's too late.
KLASHAR ZULE
Ah, but Jamison...did it never occur to you that what you experienced might be subject to change? That time might not be as inflexible as you think...and I could still destroy you and create a new and better timeline?
JAMISON
I'll say it again. Stop before it's too late.
KLASHAR ZULE
Think about it.
His image on the screen is replaced by a view of his ship and the starfield. Versailles shakes his head and sighs.
VERSAILLES
Y'know, I really wish he hadn't said that.
*****
45 EXT. JUNGLE - NIGHT
Brellora is tracking Tulon through the thick vegetation. She checks her scanalyzer to pinpoint his location...then starts at the sound of his nearby, bestial cry. Hastily closing the scanalyzer and slapping it into its holster, she lunges through the brush in the direction of the sound.
*****
46 EXT. POD-FILLED GROVE - NIGHT
Brellora emerges from the brush into a grove which is similar to the one in which the vines attacked Tulon earlier. Instead of strangling vines, this grove is filled with clusters of large, organic pods. The pods are plantlike and of varying size, with the largest of them four or five feet in length. Most of them lean against a rock wall; something that looks like Spanish moss is draped over and between them.
Lost in the shar shem fever, Tulon is rampaging in the grove. Using a heavy branch as a club, he batters the pods, hammering at them with all his strength. When he strikes them, the pods burst, releasing streams of thick, yellow fluid. Tulon has already done a lot of damage. There are many smashed pods and pools of yellow muck.
BRELLORA
Tulon! Tulon, stop it!
Ignoring her, he continues his rampage.
BRELLORA
Tulon!
Still, he ignores her. Stepping forward, she draws her emanator, adjusts its setting to "stun," and fires at him.
The emanator's beam strikes him squarely, jolting him...but it does not render him unconscious. He drops the branch and cries out...but then, he lurches around and charges Brellora.
Hurling the emanator away, she meets his charge. The two grapple.
*****
47 EXT. SPACE - SOJOURNER AND KLASHAR ZULE'S MANNED SHIP (OPTICAL) as Klashar Zule's energy weapons again strike Sojourner.
*****
48 INT. BRIDGE
Jamison, Choka, Lim, Versailles, supernumeraries. Sojourner shudders from the attack.
LIM
Shields at eighteen percent.(beat)Captain, we have gravity drive.
Jamison's glare is steely. She has an idea and is full of fresh resolve.
JAMISON
Enough is enough. Mr. Lim, what's the hull composition of the unmanned ship?
Lim manipulates controls, watches readouts.
LIM
Different from the manned ship. No anti-gravitons.
Another blast rocks Sojourner.
JAMISON
Commander Choka, lock a grappler beam on the automated vessel. Mr. Versailles, take us out at grav five.
CHOKA
Grappler locked.
VERSAILLES
Grav five, Captain.
CHOKA
He's right behind us.
JAMISON
But he's lost his advantage. He could fly rings around us at impulse...but now he's moving in one direction, trying to catch up to us. We know exactly where he is and where he's likely to be for at least the next moment or two...and we've got a surprise up our sleeves.
VERSAILLES
(smiling knowingly)
The automated ship.
JAMISON
John, on my mark, take us to grav eight. Choka, position the automated ship so it will intersect Klashar's course when we release it.
Choka works the controls, then nods.
CHOKA
Ready, Captain.
JAMISON
Grav eight now. Release the unmanned ship.
*****
49 EXT. SPACE - SOJOURNER, KLASHAR ZULE'S MANNED SHIP AND HIS AUTOMATED SHIP (OPTICAL) as Sojourner accelerates, releasing the automated vessel, which then collides with the pursuing ship, sending it spinning off course.
*****
50 INT. BRIDGE
CHOKA
It worked. The manned ship is dropping out of grav speed. It's still in one piece, but badly damaged.
VERSAILLES
He's moving away, Captain...heading for this system's star.
JAMISON
And he'll slingshot forward, repair his ship, and slingshot back to fight us again.
VERSAILLES
And we already know how that turns out.
JAMISON
Exactly...so let's find Tulon and Brellora...and maybe we'll find out how this whole thing started.
*****
51 EXT. POD-FILLED GROVE - NIGHT
Tulon and Brellora are battling furiously. Though his knowledge of martial arts is extensive and the shar shem lends him greater strength than usual, Brellora is holding her own. In the heat of combat, her Gorlack blood has taken over, making her nearly as berserk as he is. Tulon flings her across the grove, sending her sprawling on the ground...but she immediately leaps up and charges him, pinning him against the rock wall. Her hands wrap around his throat and she begins to choke him...but she hesitates. The madness clears and she loosens her grip. Seizing the opportunity, Tulon strikes her, then spins her around and pins her against the rocks, reversing their positions. As she had done, he chokes his opponent...but no flicker of remorse is visible in his eyes. He is too far gone to realize the import of what he is doing.
Even as he squeezes the life out of her, Brellora redoubles her resolve. She grabs his arms and tries to forcibly remove his grip. With a great cry of exertion, she succeeds, then heaves him to the ground. Before he can get to his feet, she drops on top of him. She strikes him once, then again...and with the third blow, he finally goes limp. Gasping, heaving, disheveled, she leans back. Pulling away from him, she tries to stand, but cannot.
*****
52 EXT. SPACE - SOJOURNER (OPTICAL) as Sojourner approaches a planet.
*****
53 INT. BRIDGE
Jamison, Choka, Lim, Versailles, and supernumeraries. Choka is seated beside Jamison.
VERSAILLES
Captain, we're approaching the planet where the podcraft landed.
JAMISON
(to Lim)
Can you locate Tulon or Brellora?
LIM
There's intense electromagnetic interference in the atmosphere. I'm not having much luck finding their communication signals or life signs.
CHOKA
I wonder what happened down there?
JAMISON
Maybe it hasn't happened yet. Maybe Tulon and Brellora have nothing to do with it. Maybe we can prevent it from happening.
CHOKA
Do you really think there's anything we can do? If we could prevent whatever happened to Klashar Zule, then he wouldn't have traveled back in time to attack us...but he did.
JAMISON
Who knows? Maybe Klashar Zule was right. Maybe time is more
flexible than we think it is. Either way, we have to be careful. We have to try.
LIM
Captain, someone on the planet is hailing us.
JAMISON
On screen, Mr. Lim.
*****
54 ANGLE - VIEWSCREEN (OPTICAL)
Klashar Zule appears on the screen, looking younger than ever. His age seems to approximate that of a human in his early twenties. This time, instead of rage, his face is filled with happy contentment and confidence. A broad smile lights up his features. His clothing is bright and elegant, a sharp contrast to the dark uniform that he wore before. His surroundings are even cheerful. As he speaks, he spreads his arms wide. His voice lilts with delight.
KLASHAR ZULE
I am Klashar Zule, lord of this magnificent estate. I bid you welcome, travelers.
Jamison shares a look with Choka. They are both surprised by the "new" Klashar Zule.
JAMISON
Greetings. I am Captain Margaret Jamison of the Interplanetary Alliance star cruiser Sojourner.
KLASHAR ZULE
Captain, I am delighted to meet you. Thank you so much for choosing to visit my estate.
JAMISON
Klashar, we have come looking for some crewmen whose podcraft landed on your world.
KLASHAR ZULE
As this entire world is my estate, I will be happy to dedicate all its resources to locating your crewmen. Come to the surface and we will begin the search.
JAMISON
Thank you. You're very gracious.
KLASHAR ZULE
No. Thank you, Captain.
Klashar Zule's image is replaced by the image of the planet.
VERSAILLES
Now there's an attitude adjustment.
JAMISON
Yes. And something is about to happen which will take away all his happiness and lead to his death...and there may not be a thing that we can do about it.
FADE OUT.
END OF ACT FOUR
*****
ACT FIVE
FADE IN:
55 INT. GALLERY IN KLASHAR ZULE'S PALACE
Jamison, Choka, Lim, and two SECURITY OFFICERS have been following Klashar Zule on a tour of his palace. They enter an opulently decorated room, filled with artworks and mementos. Klashar is obviously loving every minute of the tour. He is proud of his home and acquisitions and thrilled to have company. Jamison and the away team are impressed...but nervous and concerned about their missing shipmates.
KLASHAR ZULE
And this is my favorite room in all the manor, my gallery. On display here are works of art from my people's homeworld and from every estate in the kingdom.
CHOKA
And each estate is an entire planet?
Klashar walks ahead of the group, admiring his possessions, brushing his hands over some with great affection.
KLASHAR ZULE
Or moon, yes...and each is quite unique...but none, I daresay, is so fine as my own.
Lim stares at one of the objects, a transparent cube. The cube rests on a gold stand and contains a white mist.
LIM
What's this?
Klashar smiles fondly.
KLASHAR ZULE
It is something most special to me...a piece of the sky of my people's homeworld, Norell...a bit of cloud held in suspension. I was educated there, on Norell.
(beat)
When I see that, I remember balmy afternoons when I lay on the soft soil, looking up...imagining faces and figures in the clouds passing over me.
Jamison moves closer to Klashar. She is touched by his recollection...but she has to move things along.
JAMISON
Klashar, we are most grateful for the brief tour you've given us, and we hope to see more of your estate later, but we really must locate our missing crewmen.
KLASHAR ZULE
Of course.
He retrieves a tablet-like device from a pocket in his clothing and taps the controls. Watching the readout, he nods.
KLASHAR ZULE
It seems a small vessel did land nearby less than a day ago. The estate's automated sensors registered its arrival.
JAMISON
So you knew our podcraft was here all along?
KLASHAR ZULE
I was on the far side of the planet at the time. I did not return until shortly before your arrival. Since the defense system determined that your podcraft was not an immediate threat, I was not notified.
JAMISON
What about our crewmen? Did your sensors monitor their status?
KLASHAR ZULE
No. There has never been any need for such careful monitoring. The jungles are hazardous...and organic defenses protect important locations from intruders.
Jamison turns to Lim.
JAMISON
Have you locked on to their communication signals yet?
Lim consults his scanalyzer. He nods.
LIM
We couldn't pinpoint them from orbit, but the electromagnetic interference isn't as strong on the surface. They're about a kilometer northwest of this building.
Klashar nods and heads for the door.
KLASHAR ZULE
I'll take you there. It's near my family's quarters.
*****
56 EXT. JUNGLE - NIGHT
Watching his scanalyzer, Lim leads the way through the vegetation. Klashar Zule and Jamison follow, with Choka and the security detail behind them.
KLASHAR ZULE
This is most fortuitous, Captain Jamison. Since my family is in this vicinity, I can introduce you to them once we've recovered your crewmen.
Jamison is tense. As they approach the communication signals, she realizes that the moment of truth may be at hand.
JAMISON
We'd like that very much, Klashar.
LIM
They're just up ahead, Captain.
*****
57 EXT. POD-FILLED GROVE - NIGHT
Pushing aside leaves and brush, Lim steps into the grove...and stops. His eyes widen. Jamison pushes past him, then stops as well.
JAMISON
Brellora...
Brellora and Tulon are on the ground in the middle of the grove. He is unconscious and prone, with his legs bound by vines. She is in the process of tying his arms with more of the same vines. When Brellora responds to Jamison, she sounds exhausted and beaten.
BRELLORA
Captain. What took you so long?
Jamison hurries over to crouch beside her. She casts a worried look at Tulon.
JAMISON
Thank God you're both alive. How is he?
BRELLORA
Not good. It's var zegg.
JAMISON
We've got to get him to Sojourner immediately. Can you walk?
BRELLORA
I'll manage.
JAMISON
We can't beam up because of electromagnetic interference in the atmosphere. We have a podcraft not far from here, so...
Jamison is interrupted by Klashar Zule's terrible wail of anguish. She turns and sees him stumbling through the grove.
KLASHAR ZULE
Nooooo!
Weeping, Klashar touches one of the smashed pods with trembling hands. He cries out again.
KLASHAR ZULE
What have you done?
Jamison and the others freeze.
Klashar stumbles to a cluster of several pods. They are all smashed, too, and he gapes at them through tear-filled eyes. He touches them gently, unable to believe what he is seeing. Again, he wails with despair. He turns and addresses Brellora, whimpering pathetically.
KLASHAR ZULE
What have you done?
Jamison whispers to Brellora.
JAMISON
(sotto)
What happened here?
BRELLORA
(sotto)
Tulon was destroying these things. He was out of his mind. He wouldn't stop, so we fought.
Overwhelmed, Klashar Zule stumbles toward on
e of the larger pods. He gestures weakly at it.
KLASHAR ZULE
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