by Daniel Slack
INT. SCARLETT'S COCKPIT
Brian is sitting in his seat folding up the rundown sheet and putting it in his pocket.
BRIAN
See what I mean, there's no massive control panel, just a screen, joy stick thing and a few necessary buttons. But anyway, Scarlett?
SCARLETT
Yes.
BRIAN
Who and what have we got coming on board today?
SCARLETT
We have seven engineers, two doctors and four professors. I assume you don't want any names. And in the containers is a deck loader and some parts for various sections inside space station seventeen. This will all be picked up in bay two at twenty-three hundred.
BRIAN
Ok, thanks.
SCARLETT
No problem. And the order is in for a pick up of three containers, like you asked.
BRIAN
All right. Oh, wait, have you got an ETA on the passengers and cargo?
SCARLETT
The cargo is being loaded now so you need to go sign for it and the passengers will be strapped in momentarily.
BRIAN
I'll be off then.
INT. SCARLETT CARGO BAY - LATER
Brian takes a clipboard off a holder in the door of a container and scribbles a signature onto it, he then walks over to the next and does the same.
BRIAN
Another stupid formality. Completely needless.
INT. CORRIDOR - LATER
He walks past the passenger cabin. On passing he checks all are seated, but doesn't linger long.
INT. SCARLETT'S COCKPIT
In he comes, taking his seat.
BRIAN
Are we ok for takeoff?
SCARLETT
Sure, why not.
BRIAN
What does that mean?
SCARLETT
You're not strapped in.
Brian puts his seatbelt on.
SCARLETT
Ready for take off.
Brian looks at us as the ship starts to hum and raises his eyebrows.
INT. SPACE CRAFT HANGAR
Scarlett rises up and slowly backs out of the hangar before turning around and shooting off into darkness.
INT. SPACE STATION 17 - DOCKING BAY 2 - LATER
Scarlett pulls into a bay much like the hangar back on Earth, but emptier. After she lands three small deck loaders enter the bay doors.
They soon re-emerge with the three containers from Scarlett's cargo bay tailed by the eleven passengers.
Brian walks out of the bay doors a few seconds later and goes over to a small pillar in the corner of the parking segment.
INT. SPACE STATION 17 - CARGO BAY
Brian opens the doors to his container that holds N-S-V-I-two, walks in, closing the door behind him.
INT. CONTAINER
Brian pulls a small flashlight from his pocket, dislodging some other things that fall on the floor.
BRIAN
Shit.
He turns the flashlight on, finds the light hung on the N-S-V-I-two and switches it on.
He picks up the screwdriver and pocket knife he dropped.
BRIAN
We'll need these later.
Brian pushes a button on the N-S-V-I-two so its screen turns on.
As he works:
BRIAN
The security around here is awful by the way. It is everywhere nowadays. There will be cameras running, but nobody checks them any more. Crime rates are practically negligible in almost every country in the world. I guess the fourth world war really took it out of everyone. Nonetheless, I've gotten Scarlett to take over the space station's security systems so that those cameras will all be under her control and no one knows what I'm doing.
He reaches around the machine to pick up two small remotes then walks out of the container, turning the lights off.
INT. CORRIDOR - LATER
BRIAN
Now, the plan is to infiltrate the main bridge on the station. You remember that whole bit don't you?
Brian pushes a door open with the words janitor's storeroom on it.
INT. JANITOR'S STOREROOM
He puts his hand into some blue overalls, picks out a card attached to a lanyard and backs out.
INT. CORRIDOR
BRIAN
This is a janitor's security card, it accesses all parts of the space station. Can you believe that the cards are considered part of the uniform and they just keep them in the storerooms? That's why their doors are unlocked. It's crazy.
Brian starts walking through corridors past people who don't even seem to notice him.
He reaches an elevator and pushes the button to call it down.
INT. ELEVATOR
Empty.
PING
The doors open. Brian steps in.
BRIAN
Don't think this will be hard to do, the main bridge is just a click away.
He pushes a button labeled MB, then holds the security card up to a scanner below the button panel.
INT. MAIN BRIDGE
Brian walks into a circular terminal with about ten people only manning ten of the thirty computers.
He walks over to a computer, presses a yellow button on the keyboard and steps away.
The pilot comes out of his compartment in the centre of the terminal and goes over to the computer.
INT. PILOT'S COMPARTMENT
Brian sneaks in the closing door, pushes it shut and turns his attention to the panel next to the door.
BRIAN
Pilot will be distracted for about three minutes. Here's where we use the screwdriver.
He pulls out a screwdriver from his pocket and takes off the panel, revealing a lot of wires. He puts the screwdriver and panel down then takes out the pocket knife.
BRIAN
A card, pocket knife and screwdriver and that's it.
Using the knife he cuts all the wires, this causes the light above the door to switch off and the door to fall slightly ajar.
BRIAN
Really, all it took was a bit of courage. As with most things...
Brian pulls out the remote and pushes a button.
BOOOOM
The whole room shakes, a few people screaming outside.
Brian puts his shoulder to the cockpit door, listening for footsteps that approach.
He braces himself...
BEEP
Brian jumps away from the door.
B-B-BANG
Security shutters slam down all around the room leaving Brian in complete darkness.
BRIAN
They didn't even make it to the door. And listen to the silence. Soundproofed so we don't hear them banging.
BEEP
BRIAN
Now... four, three, two, one.
VOICE
Emergency reroute. You will not be able to leave this room. Stay calm. Help is available.
BRIAN
Two part emergency system. You break the door then you set off an explosion and they think they're under siege. Which they are.
The light turns back on and a screen on top of the control panel comes to life. It's blank for a second but then a woman's face pops up.
SECURITY CONTROL WOMAN
What's your emergency, seventeen?
BRIAN
Well, their emergency seems to be me. What you might call a terrorist.
The screen quickly goes blank again.
FLASH
A scan is thrown out from the panel.
BRIAN
That's an information check. Probably to assess me. But, it'll take them a while to find the files I got buried.
Brian takes a seat in front of the control panel and sits patiently with his hands in his lap.
BRIAN
Negotiations. Forgive me if I ignore you for a little bit here. I'll try to avoid the politics as much as I can.
The screen turns back on with a man in place of the woman.
BRIAN
Hello
.
CHIEF OF SECURITY
I'm the chief of security of this control centre. What is it that you want?
Brian turns and smiles at us.
BRIAN
Is there anything else I can call you? Andy, Steve, Joe, Isabelle? Come on, help me out.
JOE
Joe.
BRIAN
Well, would you have guessed it? Listen, Joe, I'm Brian and I have killed everyone on this ship. Most of them may not be dead yet, but they soon will be, so let's just call it as it will be.
JOE
Listen here you twisted fuck--
BRIAN
I don't think that's the right way to go about this. This is how it's going to go--
JOE
No, this is how it's going to go--
BRIAN
No! This is how it's going to go! You interrupt me one more time, everybody dies, you piss me off, everybody dies, you fuck around, everyone dies. So... it seems you've got a lot of weight on shoulders right now. Gravitas, boy. Gravitas, mucho. But, let me clarify who everyone is. Everyone is each and every person on Earth right now. Their lives are in my hands, they have been for quite a long time. But, now I'm letting you know. Joe, you aren't going to be a hero after this, you won't take me down, you will not win. You are here to facilitate a smooth progression of events. So, this is what I want you to do first. I want you to call the head of security, not of your quadrant, the head of the whole shithole. I then want you to get him to get hold of the head of the U-G-G. If there's any faster way to do that, then do it, use your incentive, just don't say another word. Turn the screen off and get back to me when you're done, well, not you. This is where we say goodbye.
After a moment of blank faces, the screen turns off. Brian sits back in his chair, putting his hands back in his lap.
BRIAN
He didn't say goodbye.
The screen quickly turns back on with a woman's face now in view.
BRIAN
Who the fuck are you?
HEAD OF QUADRANT 4
Hello, I'm the head of quadrant 4.
BRIAN
(sighs)
At least you said hello. Hello, head of quadrant four, I'm Brian. Have you got anything else I can call you, Sally, Joan, Wendy--
ELIZA
Eliza.
BRIAN
Fine. Hello, Eliza.
ELIZA
Brian, I don't know if you're doing this because you're depressed or because nobody does this crazy ass shit any more--
BRIAN
The second one.
ELIZA
But, we're not going to help you. If you actually have killed everyone on board the space station then you are going to jail. And guess what, it won't even be on the news, it'll be covered up as an accident.
BRIAN
You haven't even let me tell you my master plan.
ELIZA
Are you going to start monologuing because you're not actually going to bomb downtown Chicago, or because you really like the sound of your own voice and think we won't be able to stop you?
BRIAN
I am going to give you a monologue because I really like the sound of my own voice and I know that I have a pretty good chance of getting what I want from this.
ELIZA
Go on then.
BRIAN
The world is a pretty peaceful place, I'd like to be in charge.
There's a few seconds of silence as they look at each other.
ELIZA
Is that it? Monologues are supposed to be long.
BRIAN
Well, then it wasn't a monologue.
ELIZA
What the fuck? I truly am dealing with a psycho--for what reason would we put you in charge of the world?
BRIAN
Who the fuck are you? You're just the head of sector seven--
ELIZA
Quadrant four.
BRIAN
You aren't part of a 'we' that could put me in charge, so why would I have to convince you of anything other than the fact that I've already killed thousands of people within the last ten minutes. Ish.
ELIZA
How?
BRIAN
You're the head of quadrant four, how the fuck do you not know this yet?
Eliza stares at Brian for a moment.
BRIAN
Either you're stalling for time, or you need to fire some people, well, some more people, that's before you and everyone else in the security department is sacked. You have no idea how easy this was to do. Anyhow, down to the murdering. I, as you should already have assumed, am quite the mastermind. I've managed to create a machine that can synthesise any virus I want. I took many of those viruses and stored them in a container that just blew up releasing them into the space station. These obviously aren't your everyday viruses, they're all airborne and fast spreading. By now a quarter of the ship will be dead in pools of there own pus, shit and bile. In about thirty minutes anyone in infected air should be dead, that's everybody apart from me and like a dozen other people sucking on--
The whole room goes dark. All electric has been turned off.
Brian sighs and sits back in his chair.
The air vents in the ceiling slowly wind down, no longer humming.
INT. THE PILOT'S COMPARTMENT - LATER
Brian still sits in the dark twiddling his thumbs.
The control panel before him has been opened, a few wires exposed.
BRIAN
I've opened this up so when they check for visual confirmation that I'm dead and the doors automatically lift, I can cut their signal before they're shut--
BEEP
BRIAN
I'll see if I can fit the rest in the dialogue.
He sit forward, holding the pocket knife to the exposed wires.
The lights turn back on, the security doors rise, Brian cuts the wire, the security door comes to a clunky stop.
Eliza pops up on the screen, seeing the open doors, but before she can react:
BRIAN
Eliza, you asshole, you leave me sitting in the dark for an hour listening to people scream and moan as their digestive tracts eat themselves. You sadistic bitch. I'm immune to the viruses carried in the infected air, dumbass. I'm insulted you'd think me so stupid. But, you know what, Eliza? I like you, so... I'll forgive you. Who knows maybe I'll make you my secretary a month or two down the line. I'd be glad to have you if you'd take the job.