THE POINT OF NO RETURN
A radio drama
SCENE 1. INT. ENDEAVOUR INFIRMARY.
IT SOUNDS METALLIC. CAPTAIN WILLIAM BLAKE, A PRECISE SAILING MAN IS JOINED BY HIS XO, JOHN FLETCHER. A COLD ATMOSPHERE.
FLETCHER: Captain. The Doctor asked me to come. He has the results.
BLAKE: Obviously.
(BEAT)
It’s not comfortable, is it, John? Being alone with someone you’ve betrayed. Someone who called you a friend.
FLETCHER: I’d still be your friend if you hadn’t pushed the crew so far.
BLAKE: Your manner of friend I can well live without, Mr Fletcher. If I am found unfit for command, my career is over. You will have ruined thirty years of dedication and hard work.
FLETCHER: I won’t take responsibility for that. The blame lies with no-one but yourself. You forced me into this. You’re obsessed.
BLAKE: No. I simply do my duty. But you say I am obsessed.
FLETCHER: You’ve always been driven but in the past few months you’ve gone past that. I’ve watched it happen.
BLAKE: And done nothing. Yes. You have watched a great many things happen and done nothing about them, Mr Fletcher.
FLETCHER: Maybe I should have done something sooner, but you were my friend.
BLAKE: Then tell me – friend – when did my great obsession begin?
FLETCHER: Probably even before you promoted me.
BLAKE: A mistake I will admit to.
FLETCHER: Your actions after we lost Mr Stewart should have alerted me.
BLAKE: My actions indeed? A captain’s actions.
FLETCHER: Perhaps…
BLAKE: I led my men onto that shuttle. A captain would do no less.
FLETCHER: Should a captain have left his men on that planet while the ship went off surveying another world?
DIALOGUE FADES INTO FLASHBACK SCENES.
BLAKE: Regulations were followed and I was on the flight deck when we were due to rendezvous.
SCENE 2. ENDEAVOUR FLIGHT DECK.
SHIP OPERATING – SOUNDS LIKE A SUBMARINE RATHER THAN THE SPACESHIP IT IS.
BLAKE: (VOICE ECHOES A LITTLE ON SPEAKERS)
All hands, this is the Captain. Stand by to drop out of light speed.
FLETCHER: Fifteen seconds. Ten.
BLAKE: Mr Vasquez, bring us under light speed.
FLETCHER: I hate this.
BLAKE: (QUIETLY)
Nervous, John?
FLETCHER: I know the inertial systems keep us on an even keel but going from faster than light to a few thousand kilometres per hour in a couple of seconds? I always worry I’m going to get splattered on a bulkhead.
MILLER: There’s nothing to worry about. The mechanics of warping space means that the ship doesn’t really move at all. The space around it does.
BLAKE: You’re a scientist, Mr Miller. John is like myself, of the old school, a sailor. Your computers are fine and well, but even out here, we could navigate by the stars alone.
MILLER: Why would you want to, though ?
BLAKE: The Lord save us from the young. Hail the shuttle.
FLETCHER: Hailing. Aye, sir. No response. Their communications system could be damaged. She’s not making any move to enter the hangar bay either. We could bring her in by remote.
BLAKE: Yes, that’s possible communications are out I suppose, but it’s still peculiar, I say. Bring her in and have Doctor Flower meet us in the hangar.
SCENE 3. SHUTTLE. INT.
THE SHUTTLE SOUNDS DEAD. JUST A WET, DRIPPING SOUNDS. THEN THE SOUND OF THE HATCH BEING OPENED. VOICES SOUND MUFFLED WHEN THEY SPEAK – THEY’RE ALL WEARING ATMOSPHERE SUITS. SOUNDS OF THE BREATHING APPARATUS ON THE SUITS. FOOTSTEPS IN THE SHIP.
BLAKE: Stewart? It’s Captain Blake.
FLETCHER: O’Leary, check the power unit.
O’LEARY: Right, Sir.
FOOTSTEPS HEAD AWAY.
FLETCHER: Something’s not right here. Mr Stewart should have come out of here long ago. Where are they?
BLAKE: Up here. What’s left of them anyway.
FX: FOOTSTEPS MOVE FORWARD.
FLETCHER: Dead?
BLAKE: See for yourself. Doctor Flower, if you please.
FLETCHER: That stuff on their skin – it’s like a kind of fungus. It’s coming away in my hand – the skin with it.
BLAKE: Don’t touch it, John. Not until the doctor has done his analysis.
FX: FOOTSTEPS APPROACH.
FLETCHER: Doctor.
FLOWER: The other five are back there. All dead. The same as this. It looks like they became infected by a fungus of some sort. I can’t be sure until I’ve done a complete set of tests.
BLAKE: I want the bodies examined straight away. But do it here. I don’t want to risk that... whatever it is getting onto the Endeavour. Mr Fletcher, go over the ship. Find all their notes and records. We still need to know about that planet.
SCENE 5. CAPTAIN’S CABIN INT.
SOOTHING MUSIC PLAYS. A KNOCK AT THE DOOR.
BLAKE: Come.
FX: DOOR OPENS. FLETCHER ENTERS.
BLAKE: John. Those are Mr Stewart’s reports, I assume. I hope they make better reading than Dr Flower’s post mortems.
FLETCHER I wouldn’t bet my pension on it, Captain.
BLAKE: Damn it, that planet looked ideal for colonisation. Ideal. The gravity was perfect, the temperature just what we need and it was flourishing with plant life.
FLETCHER: Apparently all of it toxic to humans. Even the air’s deadly. It’s filled with microbes that after a few days...
BLAKE: ... leave you like Stewart and the others. The doctor’s reports said as much. Sit down, John. You’re closer to the men than I am. How have they taken these deaths?
FLETCHER: They all know the dangers involved in deep space exploration. It’s more the manner of these deaths that has them on edge. They’ll start getting back to normal after the funerals. I’ve scheduled them for tomorrow morning. Ten hundred. I know it’s quick, but I thought it best to get it over with.
BLAKE: Wise, but bring them forward to tonight. There’s another planet in this system that needs surveying. Work’s the best thing for a crew that’s had a loss like this. You don’t agree?
FLETCHER: Wouldn’t it be better to give them a chance to come to terms with the loss of their friends?
BLAKE: No. Best to keep their minds occupied with work. They’ll grieve in their own good time. It sounds harsh, I know, but it’s for the best. Any other business?
FLETCHER: Only more bad news. The microbe that killed the shuttle party – it doesn’t just attack living matter. It eats its way through metal, plastic – even the padding in the shuttle’s chairs is being eaten away. We estimate all of it will be affected within two days. The only positive is that it hasn’t spread to Endeavour yet. Since the doctor can’t offer us any protection against this microbe, we see only one option. Jettison the shuttle. But this thing’s already taken half a dozen of our crew. I resent losing the shuttle to it as well.
BLAKE: There’s no malice in nature, John. The microbe is only doing what is has to in order to survive. We must do the same and jettison the shuttle.
FLETCHER: I know it makes sense – but I still don’t like it.
BLAKE: That’s why I picked you for this voyage, John. You don’t like losing. It’s also the reason I’m promoting you to acting first officer to replace Mr Stewart. Technically Doctor Flower does outrank you, but apart from being needed where he is, he has no command training. I’ve already informed him and he agrees with my decision.
FLETCHER: Then, thank you. I’ll go and see to the shuttle.
BLAKE: Carry on.
SCENE 6: ENDEAVOUR INT.
SOMBRE, FUNEREAL MUSIC PLAYS.
BLAKE: We are gathered here to say a farewell to our friends and shipmates. Though we feel their loss keenly, we can take a measure of comfort from knowing that they died performing their duty. Each of us knows when we sign aboard a deep exploration mission that there is danger. It is how we deal with that danger that defines who and what we are. Our shipmates saw the chance to explore this new world not as something to be feared, but as an opportunity to aid their fellow man. The planet they explored proved unsuitable for colonisation, their sacrifice is not a vain one. Future Earth ships will know not to set foot on that world because of our crewmates. And so we commend their bodies to the same space they gave their lives exploring. Mr Fletcher.
FLETCHER: Outer hatch open.
BLAKE: Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. We are made of starstuff and to the stars we must all eventually return.
FX: SOUND OF COFFINS BEING EJECTED.
FLETCHER: Coffins ejected. Closing outer hatch. Crew, dismissed.
FX: SOUNDS OF CREW FILING OUT.
BLAKE: Get us under way for the fourth planet in this system.
FLETCHER: Aye, sir.
BLAKE: Perhaps our luck will change tomorrow.
FLETCHER: I hope so.
VASQUEZ: (passing)
It can’t get any worse.
BLAKE: What was that, Mr Vasquez? I didn’t hear you.
VASQUEZ: Nothing, Sir.
BLAKE: Good. You have the flight deck, Mr Fletcher. I’ll be in my quarters if you need me.
FX: BLAKE DEPARTS.
FLETCHER: A hint, Vasquez. Insulting your captain is not a good career move.
VASQUEZ: I was only agreeing with him.
FLETCHER: Back to the flight deck. And steady as she goes.
SCENE 7. INFIRMARY. PRESENT.
BLAKE AND FLETCHER TOGETHER.
BLAKE: I should have known on that day, that you would let me down, John.
FLETCHER: How? I’d just supported you when one of the crew spoke out of turn.
BLAKE: Oh, that is a nothing. No, you allowed the wake for the dead crewmen. And you attended it yourself.
FLETCHER: What’s wrong with that?
BLAKE: Everything, Mr Fletcher. Everything.
SCENE 8: INT. ENDEAVOUR MESS HALL.
SOUNDS OF A WAKE.
VASQUEZ: Y’know Doc, Taylor might have been a pain in the bum but I’m going to miss the lazy toad. He owed me fifty credits from last week’s card game.
FLOWER: He owed everybody fifty credits from last week’s card game. This is the first dry wake I ever been to. Still, regulations say no alcohol on board ship.
FX: SOUNDS OF DRINKS BEING POURED.
O’LEARY: Have I ever let you down, lads?
VASQUEZ: O’Leary, you’re a genius.
O’LEARY: Well, I have to do something to keep busy down in that engine room all day. Just don’t let on to the officers, not even Fletcher.
FLOWER: I am an officer, O’Leary. Sort of.
FX: DOOR OPENS. SUDDEN SILENCE.
FLOWER: Captain Blake.
BLAKE: What’s going on here ?
O’LEARY: It’s a sort of a wake, sir.
BLAKE: A wake, is it? Who organised this? You, Mr O’Leary?
O’LEARY: Yes, sir.
FLETCHER: I gave him permission, captain.
BLAKE: You did, Mr Fletcher. Well then, carry on.
FX: WAKE CONTINUES IN A MORE MUTED FASHION.
BLAKE: A word, Mr Fletcher.
FX: FOOTSTEPS MOVE ASIDE A LITTLE.
BLAKE: Well?
FLETCHER: I thought it would do the lads good to let off some steam, Captain. It’s only off-duty personnel that are here. Everybody else is at their posts.
BLAKE: You didn’t think I should be consulted about this?
FLETCHER: I didn’t think it was worth bothering you to be honest. It’s just a little morale booster, that’s all.
BLAKE: Probably not a bad idea, either. Very well, but in future, keep me informed of these sort of things. A captain should know what’s going on aboard his own ship.
FLETCHER: Yes, captain.
BLAKE: And see to it that this is finished by 22.30. We all have a long day tomorrow. 22.30, Mr Fletcher, no later.
FX: BLAKE’S FOOTSTEPS HEAD OUT.
O’LEARY: What was that?
FLETCHER: You heard the Captain. 22.30.
SCENE 9: INFIRMARY. PRESENT.
FLETCHER AND BLAKE.
BLAKE: Had you started planning to betray me even then, I wonder?
FLETCHER: You’re being absurd, William.
BLAKE: Captain! You will address me as captain. I am still captain am I not?
FLETCHER: As you wish, captain.
BLAKE: I heard the crew’s reaction to my order that the wake finish by 22.30. A first officer worth his salt would have put them in their place but not you. I heard you laugh with them.
FLETCHER: We weren’t laughing about that.
BLAKE: I do not believe a word you say, sir.
FLETCHER: I was right – you were turning paranoid even then. Is that the reason you insisted on leading the mission down to the next planet? It is, isn’t it? You thought I was trying to win over the crew so you took charge.
BLAKE: I showed leadership.
FLETCHER: Your leadership got another crewman killed.
BLAKE: I will not take blame for that. The planet was a honeycomb of tunnels. The surface was as brittle as an egg-shell. Lee fell through. There was nothing we could do for him. We were lucky to get O’Leary out of there before he fell as well.
FLETCHER: Lee fell into an underground river. You could have tracked it and found him.
BLAKE: He fell forty metres at least, and Mr Lee could not swim. Nor did we have any way of tracking the path of the river.
FLETCHER: You didn’t try to find a way. You just abandoned him.
BLAKE: I could not save Mr Lee but I could save the rest of my landing crew. I would not risk their lives.
FLETCHER: Did you think to ask whether they would want to risk their lives for their friend?
BLAKE: This is a ship, Mr Fletcher, not a democracy.
FLETCHER: It shouldn’t be a dictatorship.
BLAKE: Dictatorship, is it?
FLETCHER: Yes. And not a benign one. It showed when you got back from that planet.
SCENE 10. ENDEAVOUR INT.
COMPUTER: Hangar deck repressuriosed.
FX: CLANG OF HATCH. BLAKE COMES THROUGH.
FLETCHER: Captain.
BLAKE: Mr Fletcher, dismiss the crew and prepare a funeral service for Mr Lee. This time, no wake. And have Mr Miller set a course for the Capella star system.
FLETCHER: Now, sir?
BLAKE: Yes, sir. Now. Unless you have a good reason for a delay.
FLETCHER: We’ve lost seven crewmembers in this system. That leaves us short of manpower. The men will expect us to turn back – to pick up extra crew if nothing else.
BLAKE: And what do you think?
FLETCHER: With their morale so low, I don’t think it’s a bad idea.
BLAKE: Then we shall work this lack of morale out of them. They’ll all have to take extra duty shifts to cover for the men we have lost. We’ll sweat it out of them. Sweat it out, I say. And we are due to receive messages from home tomorrow. That should raise their spirits. And Mr Fletcher.
FLETCHER: Captain?
BLAKE: I should prefer it if you stopped questioning my orders. I am captain of this ship. Remember that.
FLETCHER: Yes, captain.
SCENE 11. ENDEAVOUR INT.
CREW LUGGING GEAR.
MILLER: Light speed in ten minutes. All hands make ready.
O’LEARY: I don’t believe it.
FX: FOOTSTEPS.
O’LEARY: Mr Fletcher. He’s not serious about carrying on, is he?
FLETCHER (SNAPPING – VERY SHARP)
Just get on with your duty, O’Leary.
O’LEARY: Aye, sir.
FLETCHER (A BIT GUILTY)
O’Leary. You and Croftie get yourselves checked over by the M.O. before you go back on duty.
O’LEARY: Yes, sir.
SCENE 12: ENDEAVOUR FLIGHT DECK.
THE ENGINES THROB, THE SHIP IS OPERATING EFFICIENTLY.
VASQUEZ: Warp bubble intact. Light speed... now. Light plus point one... plus point two.
BLAKE: Light Speed 4 and hold us steady, Mr Vasquez. Time to Capella system at this velocity?
MILLER: Thirty five days, eight hours, approximately.
BLAKE: Excellent, Mr Miller. What do you say? Excellent.
SCENE 13. INFIRMARY. INT. PRESENT.
BLAKE AND FLETCHER.
FLETCHER: You didn’t care what the crew thought, did you?
BLAKE: It wasn’t my place to care for the crew. It was their place to follow orders.
FLETCHER: And they did.
BLAKE: Indeed?
FLETCHER: Yes. Most of them.
BLAKE: But you would defend them. You would have them follow you. You have defended and protected them, haven’t you?
(NO ANSWER)
Haven’t you?
SCENE 14. MESS HALL.
SOUNDS OF EATING AND ARGUING.
O’LEARY: What do you call this, Pots ?
POTS: If I told you, O’Leary, you wouldn’t eat it.
O’LEARY: I’m tempted not to eat it anyway.
FX: DOOR OPENS.
FLETCHER: Listen up, everybody. I’m sorry to interrupt your breakfast. Although you should probably thank me for it…
POTS: Cheek. You could eat your breakfast off the floors in my kitchens.
FLETCHER: As I was saying, I’m sorry to interrupt, but you’ve got messages from home.
FX: EXCITEMENT. FOOD ABANDONED.
POTS: Why does he always do this at breakfast ?
O’LEARY: Because he likes us.
FLETCHER: Chong… Fox… O’Leary… Take your time, boys. Everybody’s got a message disc.
O’LEARY: Brilliant. Who are you expecting to hear from, Vasquez?
VASQUEZ: Not sure. There was a girl I knew in New Tokyo.
O’LEARY: I didn’t know you were romancing a moon-maid.
VASQUEZ: And the reason you haven’t romanced one is that they hate being called moon-maids. And we’re engaged.
O’LEARY: Who needed to go all the way to the moon when there was a fine lass in my own part of town? Lovely Lara. I’ll be off to my bunk to see what she has to say.
SCENE 15: CAPTAIN’S CABIN.
COMPUTER BLIPS AND CHIRPS.
BLAKE: Computer, display message from Mary Blake.
(BEGINS READING)
... the children have messages for you. They keep asking when you’re coming home. They miss you, William. I do, too. I wish you could come home now.
(SOFTLY)
So do I, Mary.
(RESUMES READING)
Things are getting worse here every day. There have been riots on the lunar colonies and on Mars. There are too many people and not food and air for them all. I hope you can find us a new planet soon, William. God knows, we need one.
(THOUGHTFULLY – AN EMOTIONAL MOMENT OF TRUE HUMANITY.)
I will. I promise I won’t let you down. I can’t.
SCENE 16: O’LEARY’S BUNK. EXT.
SOBBING FROM INSIDE.
VASQUEZ: O’Leary? O’Leary, are you all right? What is it? Talk to us, O’Leary. O’Leary?
NO REPLY. ONLY MORE SOBBING.
SCENE 17: MESS HALL.
FLETCHER ADRESSING THE CREW.
FLETCHER: Okay, listen up. We’re going to have to run a new work schedule to cover the men we’ve lost. It breaks down to an extra hour each every other day…
O’LEARY: (SLURRED AND DRUNK)
What are they doing out here ?
FLETCHER: Same as us, O’Leary. Earning a living.
O’LEARY: What are we doing out here? We shouldn’t be here. We belong on a planet not in metal boxes floating in space.
FLETCHER: What’s the matter with you, O’Leary? You’re drunk.
O’LEARY: What can I say?
FLETCHER: You’re off duty. Go to your bunk and sleep it off.
O’LEARY: Who died and made you God ? Oh, I forgot. It was Mr Stewart.
FLETCHER: Get him out of here.
FX: O’LEARY DRAGGED AWAY.
O’LEARY: Get off. Get your hands off me.
VASQUEZ: (QUIETLY)
He’s taking Lee’s death badly.
FLETCHER: We all are, Vasquez.
VASQUEZ: You weren’t down that hole with him when he fell. We were. There’s something else. When the messages came in – his girlfriend dumped him. They’d been together eight years.
FLETCHER: Put him in the brig.
(BEAT)
Until he sobers up. The captain never goes down there. O’Leary can sober up without getting caught. And we don’t talk about this again. It never happened. Now if everybody knows their jobs, let’s get on with it.
VASQUEZ: Thanks, sir.
SCENE 17: FLETCHER’S CABIN.
SOFT SNORING. A TAP AT THE DOOR.
FLETCHER: Come in.
FX: DOOR OPENS. FOOTSTEPS ENTER.
FELTCHER: Captain.
BLAKE: Don’t bother standing. Not watching your messages from home?
FLETCHER: I don’t have any. No family left.
BLAKE: It must be hard for you handing them out to the crew.
FLETCHER: It’s not too bad. I wish my parents were still alive but wishing won’t bring them back. Seeing how much the messages cheer the crew up makes it worthwhile.
BLAKE: I was harsh with you yesterday, and I’m sorry for that.
FLETCHER: I’ll get by.
BLAKE: My wife, Mary, sent me messages. So did my children. Did you know I’ve been married thirty years this year. It’s also thirty years since I graduated from the Academy. Mary and I were married two days after I left the Academy. Three days after that I set out on my first ship. I didn’t get back for eighteen months. Then it was three months at home and away for another year. In thirty years, I’ve spent less than four years at home. My children barely know me. And you know what I regret, John? Nothing. Our job is to improve the future for our children and by God we will. Anyway, I’ve taken enough of your time.
FLETCHER: No problem.
(PAUSE)
This picture. Beautiful. Where is it ?
FLETCHER: Montana, 300 years ago. Before we completely ruined the planet.
BLAKE: If we can find a place like this, all our suffering and sacrifices will have been worthwhile.
FLETCHER: I wonder if anywhere like that exists now.
SCENE 18. INFIRMARY. PRESENT
FLETCHER AND BLAKE.
BLAKE: There. I was stretching out my hand to you.
FLETCHER: Were you? Really? Or were you just trying to justify actions you knew were wrong?
BLAKE: No! I thought of you as a friend and I wanted you to understand how much this mission meant. Not only to me but to the people at home relying on us. To make you see that it was worth the crew suffering a few hardships.
FLETCHER: Maybe I’d have agreed – but it wasn’t just the crew for long, was it?
BLAKE: The freighter.
FLETCHER: As soon as we picked up the Quatermain’s distress call it changed. It wasn’t just about the crew and the mission any more.
BLAKE: Not for you, that’s for sure.
SCENE 19. HANGAR BAY.
METAL SCRAPING ON METAL. CREAKING.
FLETCHER: Steady, Vasquez.
BLAKE: A ship like Endeavour wasn’t built for this kind of delicate manoeuvring, John. With the Quatermain’s engines dead, we have to do the hard work of bringing her into the hangar bay.
FLETCHER: I’m amazed the Quatermain made it this far. This would be a lot easier if her docking port wasn’t a write-off.
BLAKE: If is a very big word, Mr Fletcher.
FX: MORE METAL CREAKS.
FLETCHER: He’s cutting it fine to starboard.
BLAKE: He is that.
FLETCHER: He’s the best in the fleet. If anybody can do this he can.
BLAKE: If? You didn’t have any doubts when you suggested bringing the Quatermain aboard.
FLETCHER: I wasn’t this close to the action before.
FX: HEAVY THUD.
FLETCHER: She’s aboard. Closing outer doors. Brilliant, Vasquez. Absolutely brilliant.
BLAKE: Fine work, Mr Vasquez. Top class.
FLETCHER: The deck will be repressurised in 4, 3, 2… 1.
FX: DOOR OPENS. FOOTSTEPS GO THROUGH. HAND SLAPS METAL.
BLAKE: It’s a tighter fit than I thought. The hatch should be over here. It’ll be just over a metre up. There it is.
FX: METAL HATCH CLANGS OPEN.
ELENA: Captain Blake ?
BLAKE: At your service. What assistance do you need?
ELENA: We’ve got about a dozen casualties – a couple of them are pretty bad.
FLETCHER: Doc, you’re on.
ELENA: Jake, show the doctor to the casualties.
FX: ELENA DROPS TO THE DECK.
ELENA: You’ll never know how relieved I was to hear your voice. We thought we were done. I’m Elena Baxter.
BLAKE: My first officer, Mr Fletcher.
FLETCHER: Are you captain of this ship?
ELENA: I suppose I am, by default. We lost most of the actual crew in the accident. The power system developed a glitch and when we dropped under light speed we flew straight into a meteor shower.
BLAKE: Mr Fletcher, I want a preliminary report by twenty two hundred today. Miss Baxter, we will give whatever assistance we can.
ELENA: Thank you, captain.
FX: FOOTSTEPS HEAD AWAY.
FLETCHER: How bad is it ?
ELENA: Come aboard. See for yourself.
FX: SOUNDS OF THEM CLIMBING ABOARD THE QUATERMAIN.
PATIENT: (WEAK)
Help me, doctor. I can’t breathe properly.
FLOWER: Coolant poisoning. I’ll have you moved to sickbay.
ELENA: So what do you think, Mr Fletcher?
FLETCHER: The air’s awful.
ELENA: We lost most of the atmospheric controls when we were holed. One of the techs rigged this, but it’s been pretty unpleasant.
FLOWER: Fourteen of these people will have to go to the infirmary for treatment.
FLETCHER: Carry on. If you need extra space you can have the bunks from the men we lost.
FX: FOOTSTEPS MOVE ON.
FLETCHER: How many of you are aboard ?
ELENA: Seventeen died, so there are fifty-one of us left. Those who weren’t hurt have been trying to keep the ship running as best we could. All in all, we’ve been in space just over a year.
FLETCHER: How did you manage? Ships like this are only supposed to carry a crew of a dozen.
ELENA: It has been a little cramped.
FLETCHER: What were you doing out here anyway ?
ELENA: We’re colonists. We’re heading for...
(SHE SEEMS EMBARRASSED)
...Burton’s Planet. I know you’re going to say it’s an old sailor’s story, but our captain knew where it was. He was sure it was real.
FLETCHER: A habitable Earth-like planet in deep space. He convinced you it was real?
ELENA: He didn’t have to convince me. He was my father. And he was one of the first to die.
FLETCHER: I’m sorry.
ELENA: So am I.
FLETCHER: Once the doc’s finished with the casualties he should give the rest of your people a check. It’ll give the engineers a chance to look the ship over in peace.
ELENA: Sounds fine to me. What do we call you? Mr Fletcher?
FLETCHER: John. My name’s John.
ELENA: Elena.
SCENE 20: CAPTAIN’S CABIN.
BLAKE GETTING THE REPORTS. PAPERS FLICKED THROUGH.
BLAKE: Fifty-one survivors, Mr Fletcher?
FLETCHER: Fifty. Another one died a few minutes ago. Burns. Our engineers say they can fix most of the damage but the navigation system’s finished. So is their long-range communication.
BLAKE: She’s not space-worthy, you mean. Our luck has been nothing but bad on this voyage, John.
FLETCHER: Should I have Vasquez turn us about and head for home?
BLAKE: Turn us about ? No, Mr Fletcher, you should not. We will continue on for the Capella system as planned.
FLETCHER: What about the colonists?
BLAKE: They are looking for a planet to colonise? We shall take them to one. They shall fulfil their mission as shall we. Until we make the Capella system, the colonists will be integrated into the ship’s crew. They will earn their keep.
FLETCHER: And if we don’t find a habitable planet?
BLAKE: I will not hear talk of failure, Mr Fletcher. I will not hear it. We will find these people a home. Have the colonists issued with uniforms and identification. And if they do not like it, then that will just be too bad for them. They will work their passage whether they like it or not. See to it. Now, Mr Fletcher, now.
SCENE 21: MESS HALL.
PEOPLE EATING.
O’LEARY: Vasquez, my boy. Do you see what old O’Leary sees?
VASQUEZ: Colonists? Refugees?
O’LEARY: Lady colonists and refugees. And some of them worthy of the O’Leary charm.
VASQUEZ: Haven’t they had enough bad luck?
SCENE 22: INFIRMARY.
FLETCHER WAITS FOR ELENA.
FLETCHER: Well? How did your medical go?
ELENA: Apparently, I’m as healthy as a... well, something that’s really healthy.
FLETCHER: It’s unbelievable. Apart from the serious casualties, your people are in good shape.
ELENA: You’ve got to be tough to colonise a planet. Some are a bit put out at being press-ganged by your captain, but in general we’re grateful to be alive so we’ll work.
FLETCHER: I’m not sure what work we have for a botanist like yourself but I’ll find something for you to do. Maybe helping to smooth the integration of the colonists?
ELENA: Do I have to salute?
FLETCHER: No, but you do have to wear that uniform.
ELENA: Fine. Or is it “fine, sir” ?
FLETCHER: Any more cheek and you’re on a charge. Come on. We’ve got a lot to do.
FX: FOOTSTEPS APPROACH.
ELENA: Behave. It’s the boss. Captain Blake.
BLAKE: Miss Baxter. Well, Mr Fletcher, how are we progressing?
FLETCHER: We’ve found work for most of the colonists. But we do have a few problems. The Endeavour was never meant to carry this many people. The atmosphere recycling units are already working at 110% safe capacity.
BLAKE: Go on.
FLETCHER: We’re going to be tight for water and food. Most of the Quatermain’s supplies were ruined so our provisions will be stretched to feed everybody.
FX: PAPERS HANDED OVER.
BLAKE: We still have enough for the journey but we shall have to make do will smaller rations.
FLETCHER: Elena, Miss Baxter, did have an idea.
ELENA: We’re carrying a selections of seeds for high-yield plants that have been genetically engineered for accelerated growth.
BLAKE: Hardly surprising. You are a colony ship.
ELENA: We also have some nutrient-rich soil. If we plant the seeds now we’d have the first fresh food in three weeks.
BLAKE: Interesting notion. Where would you plant the seeds?
FLETCHER: Bay one’s doing nothing. The only problem would be water. Even when the Quatermain’s recycling systems are repaired and supplementing our own, we’d have to cut the crew’s daily rations by 22%. Alternatively, we could shift power from the drive unit to the recycling system to give us more water.
BLAKE: And lose time? No, Mr Fletcher, I think not. Hold our speed constant. Cut the crew’s food and water rations by 40%.
FLETCHER: But…
BLAKE: 40% is what I say and 40% is what I mean. Miss Baxter, you shall have all the water you need for your plants. By comparison with our predecessors on sailing ships 600 years ago, we shall still be spoiled. Dismissed.
FLETCHER: Yes, captain.
BLAKE MOVES AWAY. DOOR OPENS AND CLOSES BEHIND HIM. ELENA AND FLETCHER ALSO WALK OFF.
ELENA: Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.
FLETCHER: It’s not the idea that’s wrong. I’d better tell the crew. You never know. Pots’ cooking is so bad they might even thank me.
SCENE 23. INFIRMARY. PRESENT.
BLAKE AND FLETCHER.
BLAKE: You openly questioned my orders to the Baxter woman.
FLETCHER: You were listening?
BLAKE: Eavesdropping is the word you are trying not to use. Yes, I listened. And I heard my XO question my orders – for what? To impress the woman? To gain her good favour.
FLETCHER: My… association with her is none of your business.
BLAKE: It’s happening on my ship. That makes it my business, sir. And I wonder, were you trying to charm the woman or was it something more insidious? Were you trying to gain support from the colonists as well as the crew?
FLETCHER: I didn’t want support from anyone. Not then and I don’t want it now.
BLAKE: So you say. But you had alienated me from the crew, hadn’t you? Even when I tried to join the crew for a meal, I was unwelcome.
SCENE 24: MESS HALL.
SOUNDS OF EATING.
ELENA: Well, that was... quick. The crews seem to be integrating well enough. At least that’s one way of describing what I caught Kate and your Mr Croft doing last night. I haven’t got him into trouble have I, John?
FLETCHER: As long as it doesn’t interfere with his work, I’ve no objection to crewmembers... integrating.
ELENA: Good. I’m heading down to see how your techs are getting on with converting the hangar bay. Care to keep a lady company?
FLETCHER: Are you flirting with me?
ELENA: If I am?
FLETCHER: Don’t want you getting lost, do we? Shall we go?
FOOTSTEPS TO DOOR. DOOR OPENS. NOISE LEVEL DROPS IMMEDIATELY.
FLETCHER: Captain. Is there a problem, sir?
BLAKE: No, Mr Fletcher. I thought I would eat with the crew today, that is all. Are you finished?
FLETCHER: Yes. We’re just going to check progress in the hangar.
BLAKE: It can’t be helped. Carry on. Mr Patton. If you please.
POTS: Here you are, captain.
BLAKE: Thank you, Mr Patton. It looks splendid. Splendid.
FX: UNCOMFORTABLE SILENCE.
BLAKE: Continue your meals, gentlemen. Don’t let my presence interrupt.
(TRYING TOO HARD)
Settling in? Good. Good.
(EATING)
Excellent as always, Mr Patton.
FX: IT’S AN UNCOMFORTABLE ATMOSPHERE AND GETTING MORE SO. IT’S GETTING TO BLAKE.
BLAKE: Please carry on as if I were not here.
FX: BLAKE CONTINUES EATING. CUTLERY SCRAPING ON THE PLATE.
BLAKE: Please, continue with your meals. I insist. Carry on.
FINISHES MEAL.
BLAKE: First rate meal, Mr Patton.
FX: BLAKE WALKS OUT. DOOR CLOSES.
O’LEARY: It’s bad enough that he’s starving us. Does he have to come and gloat about it as well? He hasn’t killed any of us in weeks. Maybe starvation’s how he’s going to get the rest of us.
VASQUEZ: Quiet, he’ll hear you.
SCENE 25. SHUTTLE BAY.
LEAVES BEING SPRAYED.
FLETCHER: I can’t believe it. Those things have only been in a few days, Elena.
ELENA: Am I good or what? These plants will be ready in twenty-three days. Wish I knew exactly what they are. They’re not tagged yet. They’ll be fresh, though. But I’m sure your cook will still manage to ruin them. Have you been in the Corps long?
FLETCHER: Sixteen years, give or take. Career military. Unless something better comes along.
ELENA: That’s fair. I wonder if there’s a way we can improve the drainage.
FLETCHER: Drainage, eh? You know how to sweet talk a man. Who can resist a woman who talks about drainage?
ELENA: I didn’t know you were trying to resist me.
FLETCHER: Sure of yourself, aren’t you?
ELENA: In truth? No. It’s all bravado.
FLETCHER: It’s working.
SCENE 26. ENDEAVOUR ENGINEERING.
CLANKING MACHINERY. DOOR OPENS. PETERS, AUSTRALIAN ENGINEER IS THERE.
PETERS: Captain Blake. We don’t often see you down here in engineering, sir.
BLAKE: Mr Peters, there’s a mystery in these water levels. Can you explain it?
PETERS: No, sir but I’ll get onto it as soon as I finish up.
BLAKE: That’s not good enough. We’ve already lost more than four litres. We will look into it now. The problem is in H7, according to this.
FX: FOOTSTEPS.
PETERS: The lads and me can do this, captain.
BLAKE: No, thank you. I am quite capable.
FX: DOOR OPENS. SHRIEK FROM A WOMAN AND FROM O’LEARY.
BLAKE: Mr O’Leary, what in the Hell is this ?
O’LEARY: Oh, God.
BLAKE: This is where the water has gone? You’ve stolen the ship’s water to make alcohol in this still? And you use my ship for this fornication?
FX: METAL ROD GRABBED, GLASS SMASHED VIOLENTLY. BLAKE LOSES CONTROL.
BLAKE: No more. NO MORE !
PETERS: (ON COMM)
Mr Fletcher...
FLETCHER: (ON COMM)
Fletcher here. What on earth…
PETERS: You’d better get to H7 straight away, sir.
FX: RAMPAGE OF SMASHING CONTINUES.
BLAKE: You will make no more. No more of this filth. No more I say. Not on my ship.
FX: FOOTSTEPS RUN IN.
FLETCHER: What the devil’s happening ?
BLAKE: That man has stolen precious water from his shipmates and made this filth. But you must have told others. Who else knew about this? Who knew? Who? Answer me, damn you. Who knew?
O’LEARY: (SHOCKED BY BLAKE’S LOSS OF CONTROL)
Nobody.
BLAKE: Nobody, SIR. Say it!
O’LEARY: Nobody, sir.
BLAKE: Liar! You are a thief and a liar and a fornicator. You disgust me. Get him out of here. Put that filth in the brig. He will stay there until we make the Capella system. No visitors. He has stolen water, so he will do without until he has made up the loss. Put him on survival rations only. Minimal food and water. Discipline on this ship has gone to the devil and do you know who I blame? You, Mr Fletcher, that is who. You are first officer and it is you who should set the tone for the crew to follow, but you are more interested in being their friend than their superior officer. Well, things will change, mark my words. Oh, yes, they will change. First of all, female colonists will be moved into quarters aboard the Quatermain. When not on duty, they will be confined to their own ship. I will not have this behaviour on my ship. Discipline, that is what is needed. In addition to their duties, the men will have two hour-long periods of strenuous exercise every day. They will not meet or talk to these women except when required to do so by their duties and I will have an armed guard on the Quatermain at all times. Other than the women, only you and I shall have access to their ship. Well? What are you waiting for?
FX: BLAKE STORMS OUT. SHOCKED SILENCE FOR A MOMENT.
FLETCHER: Get this place cleaned up.
ELENA: You want to talk about that? He was completely out of control.
FLETCHER: I don’t want to hear it, Elena. You’d better pass the captain’s orders to the other women.
ELENA: John, he lost control.
FLETCHER: I don’t want to hear it!
ELENA: I’ll pass the word to the others. They won’t be happy.
FLETCHER: We don’t get paid to be happy.
ELENA: We don’t get paid.
SCENE 27. BLAKE’S QUARTERS.
BLAKE ENTERS. SLAMS DOOR SHUT.
BLAKE: Mary, they are all against me. They do not have the strength of character to carry this task through to the finish. But I am the captain and I will lead them through. They will not make me fail. I will not fail.
SCENE 28. INFIRMARY. PRESENT.
BLAKE AND FLETCHER.
FLETCHER: You’re paranoid. The crew aren’t against you.
BLAKE: No?
FLETCHER: Not then anyway. You turned them against you.
BLAKE: You must take responsibility for that.
FLETCHER: No! You did that by yourself. You cut their rations. You kept half of them locked away in the Quatermain. You made them do two hours of physical exercise every day on top of longer work shifts. You made the engineers wear full uniform in temperatures over 120 degrees. You did all that and a damn sight more.
BLAKE: Discipline, that is the key.
FLETCHER: That’s not discipline. It’s blatant, inhuman cruelty. You locked yourself away from the crew, hiding in your cabin. I was with them every day. I watched morale go through the floor and there was nothing I could do to stop it.
SCENE 29: MESS HALL.
FLOWER AND FLETCHER TALKING. THE CREW ARE RUMBLING UNHAPPILY.
FLOWER: I didn’t think Pots’ cooking could get any worse, John. From a professional point of view, John, it’s short on nutrition and it tastes like pig-swill. It’s not doing morale any good. And the mental health of the crew is part of my job so don’t lecture me for interfering.
FLETCHER: This is a tough job, Doc. We knew that when we signed up.
FLOWER: The colonists didn’t sign up. They didn’t ask to be jailed in that ship of theirs either. And in my professional opinion, it’s not doing you any good either. You’ve been a misery for the past month since the captain put a stop to you and Elena.
FLETCHER: What about me and Elena?
FLOWER: I’m not blind. I can see how you look at her. And how you avoid looking at her. She’s got it as bad as you.
FLETCHER: That your medical opinion?
FLOWER: It’s your friend’s opinion. But you answer me honestly, do you think we’re right to carry on this mission?
FX: NO REPLY.
FLOWER: That’s what I thought. You only have to look at the crew to know what they think.
SCENE 30. INT. BRIG.
O’LEARY IS SINGING TO HIMSELF.
O’LEARY: As I was going over, the Cork and Kerry mountains…
DOOR OPENS.
O’LEARY: Mr Fletcher.
FLETCHER: O’Leary. How are you doing?
O’LEARY: Hungry. And I’d kill for a drink of water. Does this mean I’m getting out? Though from what I hear I’m probably better off in here.
FLETCHER: I thought you weren’t supposed to get any visitors. Then again, I’m not supposed to be here either. We all knew about your still. If you’d told the captain, he’d have gone easier on you. Especially as I knew.
O’LEARY: When I got drunk before, you could have thrown me in here for a month, reported me... You didn’t. I owed you.
FLETCHER: I heard you’d had a hard time. I tried to talk the captain into letting you out but he wasn’t interested.
O’LEARY: It’s not your fault I’m in here. Don’t beat yourself up.
FX: SOUND OF PARCEL BEING THROWN.
FLETCHER: We reach the Capella system in a couple of days. You get out then. This’ll keep you fed till then.
FX: DOOR CLOSES. PARCEL OPENED.
O’LEARY: Fresh fruit? You have been busy out there.
SCENE 31: INT. QUATERMAIN.
KNOCK AT A DOOR.
ELENA: What is it now? Chloe, if it’s the power relay in your cabin, move somewhere else till tomorrow.
FX: DOOR OPENS AND CLOSES.
ELENA: John. If you’re looking for the update on the plants you’ll have it tomorrow.
FLETCHER: I’m not here about the plants.
(A BIT UNCOMFORTABLE)
The captain. He picked me for this mission, you know. Made me first officer when we lost the XO. He’s a good man really. A good captain. He has one of the best records in the Corps.
ELENA: And that’s why you’re loyal to him, even when he acting like he is. Nobody’s infallible, John. He makes mistakes like everybody else.
FLETCHER: Only because he determined to find us a new planet to colonise.
ELENA: Sit down. It isn’t determination, John. It’s obsession. It’s dangerous – and you know it.
FLETCHER: I know. I don’t want to go against his orders. He’s my friend. I owe him. But some of his orders I can’t follow. I won’t stay away from you. Unless you want me to.
ELENA: Stay. Here, tonight.
FX: SOUNDS OF A KISS.
FLETCHER: He’d skin us alive if he found out.
ELENA: Sssh.
SCENE 32: INT. CAPTAIN’S CABIN.
BLAKE IS MUTTERING AND MUMBLING, RESTLESS. MUTED SOUND FROM OUTSIDE. HE WAKES SUDDENLY.
BLAKE: Who’s there?
(BEAT – NO ANSWER)
Computer, this is the captain. Lock my cabin door. At once. Immediately.
FX: SOUND OF GUN BEING COCKED.
SCENE 33. ELENA’S CABIN.
SOUND OF DRESSING.
ELENA: Do you have to go, Mr Fletcher, Sir? I preferred it when the clothes were coming off.
FLETCHER: So did I. Enjoying the floorshow? Where’s my boot?
(BEAT)
Is this real?
ELENA: It was my mother’s. She got it from her grandmother.
FX: DRAWS FINGERS OVER GUITAR STRINGS – HORRIBLY OUT OF TUNE.
ELENA: I’m too scared of breaking the strings to try tuning them. It’s real wood, though. The fret-board’s almost worn through but it’s real.
FLETCHER: Incredible. I’d better go. I’ll see you in a while.
ELENA: Okay.
FX: A KISS. DOOR CLOSES. GUITAR STRUMMED THOUGHTFULLY.
SCENE 34. INFIRMARY. PRESENT.
BLAKE AND FLETCHER.
BLAKE: The day we arrived at Capella 3 I released O’Leary, as I had said I would. I am a man of my word. I told him that he had committed a crime but that I would not hold it against him and I sent him to join the crew for a meal. Do you know what he said, Mr Fletcher? No, of course you don’t – you were nowhere to be found.
FLETCHER: I was working.
BLAKE: Working indeed. I shall tell you what he said. “No thank you, captain. I’m not hungry.” That is what he said. Someone had been feeding him. Who would that have been, I wonder?
FLETCHER: He’s got a lot of friends in the crew.
BLAKE: I hear they gave him quite the reception in the mess hall. A returning hero.
FLETCHER: Some see him that way.
BLAKE: How do you see him, John? Tell me that.
FLETCHER: He’s a trouble-maker. Always has been.
BLAKE: And yet you have brought us to this for him and his kind. Is he worth it, John? Is he?
SCENE 35. FLIGHT DECK.
SHIP IN FULL OPERATION.
FLETCHER: Probes away.
BLAKE: Send them on their way, Mr Fletcher. I have a feeling that Capella 3 is about to change our luck. Good. Good. Put their transmission on screen.
FLETCHER: Probes entering the atmosphere. Pressure – point 96 of Earth. Nitrogen 71%, Oxygen 25%, the rest is various inert gasses. Gravity point 91 of Earth. Nothing toxic.
BLAKE: Splendid. Miss Baxter, what do you make of it?
ELENA: It’s perfect.
BLAKE: (ALMOST RELIGIOUS – VINDICATED.)
Clean oceans, untainted air. It’s paradise. We have done it. We have found an Eden for our people.
FLETCHER: Captain, I’ve got something on Probe 4. I’m putting it on screen.
FX: A MOMENT – BUTTONS PRESSED.
FLETCHER: Primates. Corps rules prohibit colonisation of planets with intelligent, indigenous life.
ELENA: And they count?
FLETCHER: Yes.
BLAKE: No, they do not. They are animals, sir. Animals. And I will not be denied by animals. Mr Miller, prepare the shuttle. We are going to that planet. Break out the weapons. If those things get in our path we will gun them down. Wipe them out.
FLETCHER: (LOW, URGENT)
You can’t do this, William.
BLAKE: Can’t? Who are you to tell me what I cannot do? What of our own people’s right to live?
FLETCHER: These creatures have a right to live. If you kill them, you’ll be breaking the rules you’ve followed all your life. You’ll regret it as long as you live. Look at them. They have fire. They have tools. They make tools. They are us, fifty thousand years ago. What if someone had wiped us out?
BLAKE: (STRUGGLING TO PULL HIMSELF TOGETHER)
You’re right, of course. Belay that last order, Mr Miller. Mr Fletcher, take the shuttle down and replenish our provisions. I’m sorry, Miss Baxter. It seems that you won’t be colonising Burton’s Planet after all.
ELENA: We gave up on Burton’s Planet a long time ago, captain. According to our charts it’s another three light years past here anyway.
BLAKE: I shall be in my quarters.
FX: FOOTSTEPS GO.
FLETCHER: Miss Baxter. I need a botanist – are you up to the job?
ELENA: Yes, sir.
SCENE 36. ENDEAVOUR.
CREWMAN: Captain.
BLAKE: Out of my way, man.
FX: DOOR OPENS AND CLOSES. ALONE, BLAKE IS FALLING APART. HE SCREAMS AND YELLS AND WRECKS THE ROOM.
BLAKE: No! I will not give in. I will not fail!
SCENE 37: EXT. CAPELLA 3.
SOUNDS OF WIND IN TREES AND LONG GRASS. SOME BIRD CALLS AS WELL.
FLETCHER: This is a new planet, so check in every hour and be back here in six hours. No interactions with the natives and don’t eat anything till it’s been checked out. Miss Baxter, you’re with me. This way looks promising.
ELENA: This planet would have been perfect. It’s what Earth used to be. Real plants – this is even a grass of some sort. Perfect.
(BEAT)
When the rest are out of sight want to break the rules again?
FLETCHER: We have work to do, loose woman.
ELENA: (A MOMENT’S HESITATION THEN)
The captain is unstable.
FLETCHER: He wouldn’t have gone through with killing those creatures. He was just... disappointed. We’ll be heading back to Earth now. It’s an easy trip. Boring, but easy. If there’s a problem with the captain, they’ll find it when we get home. He’s my friend – was my friend. I owe him. That doesn’t mean I won’t break some of his rules.
ELENA: Oh. That does sound promising…
SCENE 38. CAPTAIN’S CABIN.
WILD SCRABBLING OF PAPERS.
BLAKE: Not Burton. Not Burton’s Planet, she said. Charts. I must have my charts.
SCENE 39. ENDEAVOUR.
DOOR OPENS.
COMPUTER: Shuttle deck repressurised.
O’LEARY: Home sweet home.
FLETCHER: You love it, O’Leary.
O’LEARY: I liked the planet better.
FLETCHER: Pity the primates got there first. Get something to eat then put a crew together to unload the shuttle.
FX: FOOTSTEPS TRUDGE OFF. OTHER FOOTSTEPS HURRY TOWARDS THEM.
MILLER: Mr Fletcher, the captain wants you on the flight deck. You as well, Miss Baxter.
FLETCHER: We’ll be there in a few minutes, Miller.
SCENE 40. MESS HALL.
A HUSHED CONVERSATION.
O’LEARY: I know it’s dangerous but so is staying on this ship. If we take the shuttle down to the planet we can hide out and live peacefully. Between the crew and colonists, I count at least forty of us who’d be ready to go. The captain will go berserk. Let him. We’d have the only shuttle. He wouldn’t be able to come down after us. I don’t know about you but I don’t want to spend another year on this ship going back to Earth. And why would the colonists want to go back at all? We all spent long enough trying to get away from there. Come on. Say you’re with us.
FLETCHER: If you do, you’re on a charge.
O’LEARY: Mr Fletcher, we were just...
FLETCHER: Plotting a mutiny by the sound of it. Just as well Elena suggested we eat as well.
O’LEARY: It’s not mutiny. Just the chance to be human again. On a real planet. I saw how you looked at that planet down there. It could be a real home. Come with us.
FLETCHER: Understand this, all of you. If any of you try to jump ship, I’ll kick your heads off your shoulders and throw what’s left in the brig personally. I was going to up your break to six hours before unloading the shuttle. I think you’d better get on with it now. And there’ll be an armed guard on the shuttle just in case.
SCENE 41. FLIGHT DECK.
BLAKE WITH FLOWER.
BLAKE: Your reports show the crew in reasonable health, Doctor Flower.
FLOWER: They could be a better. A lot better.
BLAKE: All things considered, they are in fine shape.
FX: DOOR OPENS
BLAKE: Mr Fletcher. We are all safely aboard, I assume.
FLETCHER: With plenty of provisions, captain.
BLAKE: Splendid. Mr Vasquez, set a new course.
7-7-1-4-8-2-2 by 9-3-6.
FLETCHER: We’re going on?
BLAKE: Of course we are going onwards. Miss Baxter, we are taking you to Burton’s Planet. I downloaded your father’s logs from the Quatermain and read them. There’s more than enough proof in them to convince me of the planet’s existence.
ELENA: But we can’t be certain it’s there.
FLETCHER: Even if we were sure, we don’t have the fuel to find Burton’s Planet and get back to earth.
BLAKE: On our return journey we shall send a message ahead and have a ship meet us with extra fuel. Our duty is to find new planets to colonise. My duty is to save those billions on Earth.
FLETCHER: What good is that if everyone on this ship is dead, William? Who’ll send the call to Earth? Who’ll tell them?
BLAKE: We go on. That is my decision.
FLETCHER: No.
BLAKE: What did you say? What did you say, sir? Repeat it.
FLETCHER: I said “no”. We will not go on.
BLAKE: You will do as I say! Or are you disobeying a direct order form a superior officer? Your commanding officer.
FLETCHER: If you insist on this course of action I must question your fitness for command and as first officer demand that the doctor conduct a psychiatric evaluation.
BLAKE: So you are part of this as well, doctor. So you plan to be rid of me. Well, we should get on with this, shouldn’t we? You will find, that I am in full command of all of my faculties and when that is recorded in your log, we shall indeed go on. I need no time to prepare myself. We will do the evaluation now and be rid of this foolishness.
FX: FOOTSTEPS HEAD OFF.
ELENA: John?
FLETCHER: What have I done?
SCENE 42. INFIRMARY. PRESENT.
BLAKE AND FLETCHER.
BLAKE: Indeed, Mr Fletcher. What have you done? You will take responsibility for this evaluation. As executive officer, you must.
FLETCHER: I was within my rights to ask that your fitness be queried.
BLAKE: I know regulations, damn you! But it doesn’t matter, does it? What happens if your doctor says I am not fit to command? We shall turn back to Earth, I know that, for you are a coward. After that? You’re too young for a command of your own and who will take you as XO? A man who turned on his captain? One of the most respected captains in the Corps, if I may say. No-one, Mr Fletcher, that is who. No-one. No-one will have as XO a man who betrayed his captain and who is afraid of the challenge of exploration. You will be lucky to find a position as a navigator on a fright barge between Mars and the asteroid belt.
FLETCHER: At least I’ll have saved these people. If I’m drummed out of the Corps, maybe I’ll farm a frontier world,
BLAKE: You’re not a farmer, John. You’re a sailor, like me. You could never bear to be in one place all your days. Even with the Baxter woman. Oh, I’ve noticed you and her and I’ve let it pass.
FLETCHER: You may be right.
BLAKE: At least one of us is finished. Will it be one or both, I wonder.
FLETCHER: You once told me there was no malice in nature. Just the urge to survive. I’m just trying to make sure that we all survive.
FX: DOOR OPENS.
BLAKE: Well, doctor? You have the results?
FLOWER: Yes.
FLETCHER: What do they say?
BLAKE: I will give the order to release the results. I am still captain, am I not? Doctor, if you please, you will read out the results in the presence of the ship’s crew. I have given orders that they assemble in the mess.
SCENE 43. MESS HALL.
RUMBLE OF ANTICIPATION.
O’LEARY: I’ll say this for him he’s got guts.
BLAKE: We all know why we’re here. I see no sense in dragging this out. Doctor, the results of your tests, if you will.
FLOWER: As... well, as required by regulations, I conducted a psychological evaluation of Captain Blake. He is suffering from stress, resulting in high blood pressure, lack of sleep and various related symptoms. His answers to my questions also showed him to be unhealthily obsessive with regard to his work. He is also suffering from a form of depression.
FX: CHEERING FROM THE CREW.
FLETCHER: However, according to my examinations, while he would not be fit to work some heavy machinery on Earth, the captain is marginally within the limits considered acceptable for command by Corps regulations. My findings, as bound by the Corps’ regulations, are that Captain Blake is fit for command.
FX: HORRIFIED REACTION FROM CREW.
BLAKE: Mr Fletcher, have a course set for Burton’s Planet. Light speed four. Immediately, Mr Fletcher.
(GLOATING BEAT)
I didn’t hear your answer, Mr Fletcher. Speak up.
FLETCHER: Yes, captain.
O’LEARY: No.
BLAKE: What did you say Mr O’Leary?
O’LEARY: No. I’m not going any further. You’ve starved us, worked us like dogs and treated us like animals. I’ve had enough. We all have.
FX: SOUND OF GUN BEING COCKED.
O’LEARY: I’ll kill you where you stand rather than go another metre.
BLAKE: Put the gun down, Mr O’Leary.
O’LEARY: I’m not taking your orders any more. And I’m not the only one. More than half the crew has had enough. You’re not giving orders any more.
FLETCHER: Don’t do it, O’Leary. He’s not worth it.
O’LEARY: After what he’s done to all of us? I think he’s worth it.
FLETCHER: Don’t be stupid, O’Leary. Listen to me. It’s…
FX: SOUND OF A SCUFFLE AND THE GUN BEING GRABBED.
FLETCHER: Give me that. Idiot!
BLAKE: Thank you, Mr Fletcher. A most timely intervention. Mr O’Leary, you have crossed me for the last time. You tried to kill me. In front of all of these witnesses no less. Well, no more, I say. No more. There will be no need for a court martial. A captain’s word is law. Your actions are punishable by the death penalty and that is what we shall have. Mr Miller, take two men and space this man.
(NOTHING)
Mr Miller, I said take this man and eject him into space. Do it! DO IT!
FLETCHER: Don’t move, Miller. I won’t let you throw him into space. It’s inhuman.
BLAKE: I am captain. You will do as I say.
FLETCHER: Not this time.
BLAKE: Is this mutiny, Mr Fletcher? Is it?
FLETCHER: If mutiny’s what it takes to save this man’s life...
FX: GUN COCKED.
FLETCHER: ... then it’s mutiny.
FX: SHOCKED SILENCE – THEN CHEERS.
BLAKE: Mutiny. You know what that means?
FLETCHER: Shut up.
O’LEARY: Shoot him Kill him.
FX: A VIOLENT BLOW AND A PAINED REACTION FROM O’LEARY.
FLETCHER: There will be no killing. Not you, not him.
BLAKE: You don’t have the stomach for this.
FLETCHER: Shut up. Shut up or I swear I’ll blow your brains all over that wall myself.
BLAKE: Put the gun down and we can forget this.
FLETCHER: It’s gone too far for that and we both know it.
BLAKE: If any of you stand along with this man, you will be declaring yourselves outlaws. Stand with me and we can take the ship. Who is with me and who is a traitor?
FLETCHER: (THOUGHTFUL – TO CROWD)
He’s right. If you’re with me, you’ll be an outlaw. You’ll never be able to go back to Earth. We’ll be outcasts. If you have family, you won’t see them again. Choose carefully. There won’t be any turning back. Peters, you’re going to be a grandfather. Think about it. Vasquez, you’re getting married. Think about it, all of you. If you’re not with me, you won’t be harmed. O’Leary, anyone who’s with the captain – keep them locked in here. If any of them are hurt, you answer to me.
FX: FLETCHER STOMPS OUT.
ELENA: John. Stop, John.
FLETCHER: I didn’t want this.
ELENA: I know, but you couldn’t let him commit murder. Even if it was O’Leary.
FLETCHER: Now half the crew is ready to murder the other half.
ELENA: The colonists will back you. I’m sure of that. What are you going to do with Blake? You’ll have to come up with something quickly – before O’Leary takes matters into his own hands.
FLETCHER: I know. O’Leary wants Blake dead. Maybe I should confine Blake to the Quatermain.
ELENA: That’s not a bad idea.
FLETCHER: Or maybe… let’s have a look at the Quatermain.
SCENE 45. SHUTTLE BAY.
MEETING BETWEEN BLAKE AND FLETCHER.
BLAKE: So those are our options, Mr Fletcher? Neither is acceptable.
FLETCHER: Too bad. You can either be put ashore on the planet below, with a distress beacon or you can take the colonists’ ship and make for home in that.
BLAKE: We can be either marooned or set adrift in this wreck.
FLETCHER: Peters’ repairs have made the Quatermain spaceworthy. Structurally, she’s sound, but the engines are old. I can’t make any promises. They’re not the big problem. The navigation unit was destroyed when they were holed.
BLAKE: You’d send us out to fly blind.
FLETCHER: You always said you could navigate by the stars. The shuttle has medium range navigation for emergencies. That can be transplanted into the Quatermain. The choice is yours.
BLAKE: We shall set for home in the ship.
FLETCHER: I thought you would. The ship’s provisioned with food and water for two months. After that it’s up to the recycling system.
BLAKE: We will survive, never fear.
FLETCHER: I hope you do.
BLAKE: Then you are more of a fool than I thought. When the Corps finds us, they shall send a fleet of ships to hunt you down. You should have killed us.
FX: FOOTSTEPS APPROACH.
ELENA: The last of my possessions, such as they are.
FLETCHER: More than enough to have filled my cabin.
FX: DOOR OPENS. FOOTSTEPS FILE IN.
FLETCHER: Captain, your ship’s waiting.
BLAKE: (STICKING IN HIS CRAW)
Before we set off, I have a favour to ask. If I remember Mr Peters’ repair reports, Quatermain’s recycling unit can only provide enough air for twelve of us. I would be obliged if you would keep Mr Miller aboard.
MILLER: I don’t want to stay…
BLAKE: You will obey your orders, Mr Miller. Put my crew aboard Quatermain. He will be unharmed?
FLETCHER: Naturally. Now I have to ask a favour. Doctor Flower is coming with us against his will. We need a doctor and he’s the only one aboard.
BLAKE: So it shall be noted in my log. If that is all, we shall be under way. You are in command now, John. Enjoy it. But how long before someone here turns on you? We will meet again, Mr Fletcher, and when we do, you will dance at the end of a rope.
FX: METAL HATCH CLOSES.
SCENE 46. FLIGHT DECK.
MILLER REPORTS TO FLETCHER. FLIGHT DECK SOUNDS BUSY.
MILLER: The Quatermain is free and clear.
FLETCHER: Good.
(SOFTLY)
Good luck.
O’LEARY: And good riddance.
FLETCHER: Chong, power up the engines. We can’t stay here.
O’LEARY: Of course we can. We’ve got the perfect planet down there and Blake’s gone.
FLETCHER: You heard him. He’ll be back. If he finds us here, we’re all be guilty of mutiny. The rest may be lucky and get life sentences in the Martian mines, but you and I will be at the end of ropes, O’Leary. We’re going to the place Blake thinks we’d never go. Burton’s planet. Lay in course.
O’LEARY: You’re taking us God knows where to a planet that might not even exist.
FLETCHER: You should have thought of that before you pulled a gun on your captain. You started this, O’Leary, now this is the only chance we have. Take us out, Chong. Prepare for light speed then take us up to Light Speed by 5.
O’LEARY: The engines weren’t designed to run for any length of time at over Light 4.
FLETCHER: Then you’d better get to the engine room and keep them running.
FX: FOOTSTEPS GO.
ELENA: Is that safe, John?
FLETCHER: Don’t worry. The engines can go up to Light 6 with no trouble. I’m just keeping them all busy. They’ve mutinied once. It’ll come a lot easier second time.
ELENA: Are you armed?
JOHN: Yes. I want you to carry a gun as well. Just in case.
SCENE 47. QUATERMAIN FLIGHT DECK.
BLAKE: Stand down Mr Vasquez. It’s my watch.
VASQUEZ: Yes, captain.
BLAKE: Ship’s log, Captain William Blake recording. It’s now thirty-one days since we set out. The work is long and hard. The ship requires constant repair and attention, but given the circumstances, morale is good. I cannot commend this loyal crew highly enough.
FX: CHIRP FROM INTERCOM.
BLAKE: Go ahead.
PETERS: (ON COMM)
Captain, it’s Peters in engineering. The power-coupling is beginning to over-heat.
BLAKE: Can you repair it ?
PETERS: No, Sir. I can’t replace it either.
BLAKE: How much power will we lose if it blows?
PETERS: Everything, near as makes no odds. Light speed, heat, atmosphere recycling.
BLAKE: How long do we have ?
PETERS: Impossible to be sure, sir. It’ll run till it blows. I'm sorry, captain, it’s the best I can offer.
BLAKE: It can’t be helped.
FX: SWITCHES OFF RADIO.
BLAKE: And we’re still at least nine months shy of Earth.
(THOUGHTFUL)
We need to cut our journey time. Or the time it takes to get word to Earth perhaps…
FX: HITS INTERCOM.
BLAKE: Mr Vasquez, to the Flight Deck. Immediately.
FX: FOOTSTEPS RUN.
VASQUEZ: Captain?
BLAKE: Alter course, Mr Vasquez. Change to 1-7-2-4-8-6-2.
VASQUEZ: That takes us away from Earth, captain.
BLAKE: I’m aware of that.
VASQUEZ: Changing course, aye sir.
BLAKE: Extend sensor equipment, such as it is, to maximum. We may not make it home but we will not go quietly.
SCENE 48. ENDEAVOUR FLIGHT DECK.
FLETCHER, MILLER AND ELENA.
FLETCHER: How’s recycling, Miller?
MILLER: Not as efficient as it could be but passable.
FLETCHER: Let’s see. It’s poor. Somebody down there’s slacking.
MILLER: Since the mutiny, most of them are slack in their work.
ELENA: John. Company.
FLETCHER: O’Leary. What can I do for you?
O’LEARY: Me and a few of the boys were wondering how much longer till we get to this Burton’s Planet?
FLETCHER: Thirteen days.
O’LEARY: It’s just that if we go much further we won’t have the supplies to get back to Earth’s territory.
FLETCHER: We can’t go back. None of us can.
O’LEARY: We can go back to Capella 3. They might not come after us. A lot of us want to go back there.
FLETCHER: You’ve been taking a poll? Fine. Let me at the controls, would you, Chong?
FX: BUTTONS PUNCHED.
O’LEARY: We’re going back to Capella?
FLETCHER: Get it through your head, we can’t go back. Not ever. We’re going on to Burton’s Planet. I’ve used command codes to lock in our destination. Our course can’t be changed. We go on.
FX: GUNS COCKED.
FLETCHER: Do you have a problem with that? No? Pity. I’m sure Mr Miller here would have enjoyed shooting you. I know I would have. Elena too, probably. Now take your monkeys and get back to your stations. Move.
ELENA: It’s going to get worse until we reach the planet.
FLETCHER: Don’t go anywhere without your gun and don’t go anywhere alone.
ELENA: What about you ?
FLETCHER: I’m staying here. If anybody wants me, they’ll find me here.
SCENE 49. QUATERMAIN FLIGHT DECK.
VASQUEZ: Sensors on full. Still nothing, Captain Blake.
BLAKE: Keep looking. It has to be here somewhere.
VASQUEZ: What does? What are we looking for?
FX: AN ALARM.
VASQUEZ: There’s some sort of gravitational pull ahead.
BLAKE: That’s it. I knew my memory wouldn’t play me false. There is no substitute for experience. A wormhole. A channel that folds space and time and makes travel time between two points shorter. This one comes out near Sirius. We have an outpost there. I remember reading the report of a ship coming across the other end of this wormhole there a while back. It’s too small for us to pass though, but we can send a message home. Prepare a buoy and have my journal copied into it.
VASQUEZ: Buoy ready... journal copying... ready, sir. Buoy away. The buoy has entered the wormhole, captain.
BLAKE: Good. Now we shall have to...
PETERS: (ON COMM)
Captain, it’s Peters. The relay’s gone. The launch system for the buoy was too much for it.
BLAKE: It had to happen eventually. Move everyone to the centre of the ship. If we have lost heating, the centre of the ship will retain what heat we do have for longest. Mr Vasquez, we are dead in space. There’s no need for anyone on the flight deck now. We have sent the buoy. They know where we are – and they know of Fletcher’s piracy. Shut down all systems here.
SCENE 50. ENDEAVOUR FLIGHT DECK.
FLOWER: Latest medical reports, John.
ELENA: Sssh. Quiet, Doctor. He’s asleep. It’s the first sleep he’s had in three days.
FX: DEEP, STEADY BREATHING.
FLOWER: I could give him something to make him sleep.
ELENA: He wouldn’t take it. Just let him sleep here for now.
FLOWER: When did you sleep last?
ELENA: I’ll sleep when he wakes up.
FLOWER: Keep your hand on that gun of yours.
ELENA: I haven’t been anywhere without it for two weeks.
FLETCHER IS SLIGHTLY RESTLESS. MOANS A LITTLE IN HIS SLEEP.
ELENA: Sssh.
SCENE 51. INT. QUATERMAIN.
BLAKE: (VERY WEAKLY)
Computer, record ship’s log. Computer? Dead. Mr Vasquez, would you pass out the water rations?
VASQUEZ: (SHIVERING)
It’s frozen over, captain.
BLAKE: Break the surface. It may only be frozen on top. Otherwise we shall just have to suck the ice.
FX: TAPPING ON THE ICE.
SCENE 52. ENDEAVOUR FLIGHT DECK.
FLETCHER: Under light speed in three, two, one... under light speed now.
ELENA: At least there’s a system here.
FLETCHER: Just as well. I see O’Leary’s brought his friends. (LOUDER)
Scan the system for planets.
MILLER: Scanning... seven planets.
FLETCHER: How many look habitable ?
MILLER: The inner three are too close to the sun. Three gas giants a little further out and one small planet at the edge of the system.
FLETCHER: What about that one?
MILLER: It’s too far out. The atmosphere is frozen. Probably methane. I’m sorry, John.
O’LEARY: None of them are habitable. You dragged us out here for nothing. We should have stayed at Capella. You’ve killed us all.
FX: GUN COCKED.
ELENA: Keep back, O’Leary, or I’ll kill you.
FLETCHER: Elena. It doesn’t matter.
O’LEARY: It matters to me. Why did we trust you? We could have lived back on Capella. We could…
MILLER: Wait. I’ve got another planet. It was hidden behind the sun. It’s just coming into view now.
FLETCHER: Is it habitable ?
MILLER: I can’t tell. The sun’s corona is interfering with the scans.
SCENE 53. INT. QUATERMAIN.
THE SHIP SOUNDS COLD AND WET AND LIKE A TOMB.
COMM: (MUFFLED, DISTORTED)
This is the Earth cruiser Biko to the Quatermain. We have docked and are preparing to come aboard.
CLANG OF METAL DOCKING HATCH OPENING. SHUFFLING OF FEET.
BLAKE: I am Captain William Blake of the Endeavour. My crew and I must report a mutiny and an act of piracy.
SOUND OF BLAKE COLLAPSING.
SCENE 54. INT. SPACE CORPS HQ.
THREE BELLS, STRUCK ONE AFTER THE OTHER. ADMIRAL BAILEY SPEAKS.
BAILEY: Having heard all available evidence, this enquiry Into events on the Corps Deep Space exploration vessel, Endeavour, is ready to deliver its findings. There is no doubt that what happened on the Endeavour was indeed mutiny and the theft of the ship an act of piracy. Warrants will be sworn out for all members of the crew who did not join Captain Blake on the Quatermain, with the exceptions of Doctor Flower and Ensign Miller. We are aware of and stress their innocence in this matter. The mutineers are to be arrested on sight. At this time, the boards commends Captain Blake for his extraordinary efforts in saving the lives of his crew on the Quatermain. We have no doubts that had he not been in command of that ship, the crew would surely have died in space.
BLAKE: Thank you, Admiral Bailey.
BAILEY: However, while we feel that John Fletcher was the instigator of the mutiny, Captain William Blake was guilty of errors in judgement which contributed to the deterioration of morale aboard the Endeavour, which led, at least in part, to the mutiny. This is a sad occasion. In its history of over 100 years, this is the first time the Corps has faced this kind of insurrection. The finding of this enquiry is that members of the crew of the Space Corps vessel, the Endeavour, led by Lieutenant John Fletcher, did indeed mutiny against Space Corps, as represented by Captain William Blake by disobeying direct orders, threatening a superior officer, and by stealing the said ship, Endeavour. These mutineers are declared outlaw and their property is confiscated. They will be tried for their crimes if and when they are captured. The crewmembers who returned with Captain Blake are each given official commendations and where appropriate, promotion. They have the option of returning to duty or retiring due to their injuries at full salary. Captain Blake will retain his current rank and will be reassigned to a post here at Corps HQ.
BLAKE: Admiral, if I may. I had hoped to take out a ship and pursue the mutineers myself.
BAILEY: We feel that after the rigours of your last voyage, it would be prudent to assign you to a less demanding position. As for the mutineers, a ship was despatched to Capella 3 but found no sign of them. We have assumed that they headed into deep space in search of a new home. Given that our efforts in finding habitable planets in that sector have proven fruitless, we believe that they will have been unsuccessful. We ourselves have abandoned our search for habitable planets in that sector and moved our efforts to sector B6. Sending ships in search of the Endeavour has been dismissed as financially unviable. We believe that the mutineers will have died in space. May God have mercy on them.
FX: THE BELL AGAIN RINGS THREE TIMES.
SCENE 55. BURTON’S PLANET.
FLOWER: Well, John. What do you think?
FLETCHER: Not bad. Not bad at all, Doc.
ELENA: Not bad? It’s easy seeing you didn’t do the hard work.
FX: GURGLINGS OF A BABY.
ELENA: Say hello to your daughter.
FLETCHER: Hi. How does it feel to be the first person born on this planet?
ELENA: Hopefully better than it feels to have been the first person to give birth on the planet.
FLOWER: They’ve stopped work down in the village to get a celebration ready. Any excuse for a party really. Do you have a name picked.
FLETCHER: Yes. It’s corny, but – we thought Hope.
ELENA: Hope.
FX: BABY GURGLES.
IT SOUNDS METALLIC. CAPTAIN WILLIAM BLAKE, A PRECISE SAILING MAN IS JOINED BY HIS XO, JOHN FLETCHER. A COLD ATMOSPHERE.
FLETCHER: Captain. The Doctor asked me to come. He has the results.
BLAKE: Obviously.
(BEAT)
It’s not comfortable, is it, John? Being alone with someone you’ve betrayed. Someone who called you a friend.
FLETCHER: I’d still be your friend if you hadn’t pushed the crew so far.
BLAKE: Your manner of friend I can well live without, Mr Fletcher. If I am found unfit for command, my career is over. You will have ruined thirty years of dedication and hard work.
FLETCHER: I won’t take responsibility for that. The blame lies with no-one but yourself. You forced me into this. You’re obsessed.
BLAKE: No. I simply do my duty. But you say I am obsessed.
FLETCHER: You’ve always been driven but in the past few months you’ve gone past that. I’ve watched it happen.
BLAKE: And done nothing. Yes. You have watched a great many things happen and done nothing about them, Mr Fletcher.
FLETCHER: Maybe I should have done something sooner, but you were my friend.
BLAKE: Then tell me – friend – when did my great obsession begin?
FLETCHER: Probably even before you promoted me.
BLAKE: A mistake I will admit to.
FLETCHER: Your actions after we lost Mr Stewart should have alerted me.
BLAKE: My actions indeed? A captain’s actions.
FLETCHER: Perhaps…
BLAKE: I led my men onto that shuttle. A captain would do no less.
FLETCHER: Should a captain have left his men on that planet while the ship went off surveying another world?
DIALOGUE FADES INTO FLASHBACK SCENES.
BLAKE: Regulations were followed and I was on the flight deck when we were due to rendezvous.
SCENE 2. ENDEAVOUR FLIGHT DECK.
SHIP OPERATING – SOUNDS LIKE A SUBMARINE RATHER THAN THE SPACESHIP IT IS.
BLAKE: (VOICE ECHOES A LITTLE ON SPEAKERS)
All hands, this is the Captain. Stand by to drop out of light speed.
FLETCHER: Fifteen seconds. Ten.
BLAKE: Mr Vasquez, bring us under light speed.
FLETCHER: I hate this.
BLAKE: (QUIETLY)
Nervous, John?
FLETCHER: I know the inertial systems keep us on an even keel but going from faster than light to a few thousand kilometres per hour in a couple of seconds? I always worry I’m going to get splattered on a bulkhead.
MILLER: There’s nothing to worry about. The mechanics of warping space means that the ship doesn’t really move at all. The space around it does.
BLAKE: You’re a scientist, Mr Miller. John is like myself, of the old school, a sailor. Your computers are fine and well, but even out here, we could navigate by the stars alone.
MILLER: Why would you want to, though ?
BLAKE: The Lord save us from the young. Hail the shuttle.
FLETCHER: Hailing. Aye, sir. No response. Their communications system could be damaged. She’s not making any move to enter the hangar bay either. We could bring her in by remote.
BLAKE: Yes, that’s possible communications are out I suppose, but it’s still peculiar, I say. Bring her in and have Doctor Flower meet us in the hangar.
SCENE 3. SHUTTLE. INT.
THE SHUTTLE SOUNDS DEAD. JUST A WET, DRIPPING SOUNDS. THEN THE SOUND OF THE HATCH BEING OPENED. VOICES SOUND MUFFLED WHEN THEY SPEAK – THEY’RE ALL WEARING ATMOSPHERE SUITS. SOUNDS OF THE BREATHING APPARATUS ON THE SUITS. FOOTSTEPS IN THE SHIP.
BLAKE: Stewart? It’s Captain Blake.
FLETCHER: O’Leary, check the power unit.
O’LEARY: Right, Sir.
FOOTSTEPS HEAD AWAY.
FLETCHER: Something’s not right here. Mr Stewart should have come out of here long ago. Where are they?
BLAKE: Up here. What’s left of them anyway.
FX: FOOTSTEPS MOVE FORWARD.
FLETCHER: Dead?
BLAKE: See for yourself. Doctor Flower, if you please.
FLETCHER: That stuff on their skin – it’s like a kind of fungus. It’s coming away in my hand – the skin with it.
BLAKE: Don’t touch it, John. Not until the doctor has done his analysis.
FX: FOOTSTEPS APPROACH.
FLETCHER: Doctor.
FLOWER: The other five are back there. All dead. The same as this. It looks like they became infected by a fungus of some sort. I can’t be sure until I’ve done a complete set of tests.
BLAKE: I want the bodies examined straight away. But do it here. I don’t want to risk that... whatever it is getting onto the Endeavour. Mr Fletcher, go over the ship. Find all their notes and records. We still need to know about that planet.
SCENE 5. CAPTAIN’S CABIN INT.
SOOTHING MUSIC PLAYS. A KNOCK AT THE DOOR.
BLAKE: Come.
FX: DOOR OPENS. FLETCHER ENTERS.
BLAKE: John. Those are Mr Stewart’s reports, I assume. I hope they make better reading than Dr Flower’s post mortems.
FLETCHER I wouldn’t bet my pension on it, Captain.
BLAKE: Damn it, that planet looked ideal for colonisation. Ideal. The gravity was perfect, the temperature just what we need and it was flourishing with plant life.
FLETCHER: Apparently all of it toxic to humans. Even the air’s deadly. It’s filled with microbes that after a few days...
BLAKE: ... leave you like Stewart and the others. The doctor’s reports said as much. Sit down, John. You’re closer to the men than I am. How have they taken these deaths?
FLETCHER: They all know the dangers involved in deep space exploration. It’s more the manner of these deaths that has them on edge. They’ll start getting back to normal after the funerals. I’ve scheduled them for tomorrow morning. Ten hundred. I know it’s quick, but I thought it best to get it over with.
BLAKE: Wise, but bring them forward to tonight. There’s another planet in this system that needs surveying. Work’s the best thing for a crew that’s had a loss like this. You don’t agree?
FLETCHER: Wouldn’t it be better to give them a chance to come to terms with the loss of their friends?
BLAKE: No. Best to keep their minds occupied with work. They’ll grieve in their own good time. It sounds harsh, I know, but it’s for the best. Any other business?
FLETCHER: Only more bad news. The microbe that killed the shuttle party – it doesn’t just attack living matter. It eats its way through metal, plastic – even the padding in the shuttle’s chairs is being eaten away. We estimate all of it will be affected within two days. The only positive is that it hasn’t spread to Endeavour yet. Since the doctor can’t offer us any protection against this microbe, we see only one option. Jettison the shuttle. But this thing’s already taken half a dozen of our crew. I resent losing the shuttle to it as well.
BLAKE: There’s no malice in nature, John. The microbe is only doing what is has to in order to survive. We must do the same and jettison the shuttle.
FLETCHER: I know it makes sense – but I still don’t like it.
BLAKE: That’s why I picked you for this voyage, John. You don’t like losing. It’s also the reason I’m promoting you to acting first officer to replace Mr Stewart. Technically Doctor Flower does outrank you, but apart from being needed where he is, he has no command training. I’ve already informed him and he agrees with my decision.
FLETCHER: Then, thank you. I’ll go and see to the shuttle.
BLAKE: Carry on.
SCENE 6: ENDEAVOUR INT.
SOMBRE, FUNEREAL MUSIC PLAYS.
BLAKE: We are gathered here to say a farewell to our friends and shipmates. Though we feel their loss keenly, we can take a measure of comfort from knowing that they died performing their duty. Each of us knows when we sign aboard a deep exploration mission that there is danger. It is how we deal with that danger that defines who and what we are. Our shipmates saw the chance to explore this new world not as something to be feared, but as an opportunity to aid their fellow man. The planet they explored proved unsuitable for colonisation, their sacrifice is not a vain one. Future Earth ships will know not to set foot on that world because of our crewmates. And so we commend their bodies to the same space they gave their lives exploring. Mr Fletcher.
FLETCHER: Outer hatch open.
BLAKE: Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. We are made of starstuff and to the stars we must all eventually return.
FX: SOUND OF COFFINS BEING EJECTED.
FLETCHER: Coffins ejected. Closing outer hatch. Crew, dismissed.
FX: SOUNDS OF CREW FILING OUT.
BLAKE: Get us under way for the fourth planet in this system.
FLETCHER: Aye, sir.
BLAKE: Perhaps our luck will change tomorrow.
FLETCHER: I hope so.
VASQUEZ: (passing)
It can’t get any worse.
BLAKE: What was that, Mr Vasquez? I didn’t hear you.
VASQUEZ: Nothing, Sir.
BLAKE: Good. You have the flight deck, Mr Fletcher. I’ll be in my quarters if you need me.
FX: BLAKE DEPARTS.
FLETCHER: A hint, Vasquez. Insulting your captain is not a good career move.
VASQUEZ: I was only agreeing with him.
FLETCHER: Back to the flight deck. And steady as she goes.
SCENE 7. INFIRMARY. PRESENT.
BLAKE AND FLETCHER TOGETHER.
BLAKE: I should have known on that day, that you would let me down, John.
FLETCHER: How? I’d just supported you when one of the crew spoke out of turn.
BLAKE: Oh, that is a nothing. No, you allowed the wake for the dead crewmen. And you attended it yourself.
FLETCHER: What’s wrong with that?
BLAKE: Everything, Mr Fletcher. Everything.
SCENE 8: INT. ENDEAVOUR MESS HALL.
SOUNDS OF A WAKE.
VASQUEZ: Y’know Doc, Taylor might have been a pain in the bum but I’m going to miss the lazy toad. He owed me fifty credits from last week’s card game.
FLOWER: He owed everybody fifty credits from last week’s card game. This is the first dry wake I ever been to. Still, regulations say no alcohol on board ship.
FX: SOUNDS OF DRINKS BEING POURED.
O’LEARY: Have I ever let you down, lads?
VASQUEZ: O’Leary, you’re a genius.
O’LEARY: Well, I have to do something to keep busy down in that engine room all day. Just don’t let on to the officers, not even Fletcher.
FLOWER: I am an officer, O’Leary. Sort of.
FX: DOOR OPENS. SUDDEN SILENCE.
FLOWER: Captain Blake.
BLAKE: What’s going on here ?
O’LEARY: It’s a sort of a wake, sir.
BLAKE: A wake, is it? Who organised this? You, Mr O’Leary?
O’LEARY: Yes, sir.
FLETCHER: I gave him permission, captain.
BLAKE: You did, Mr Fletcher. Well then, carry on.
FX: WAKE CONTINUES IN A MORE MUTED FASHION.
BLAKE: A word, Mr Fletcher.
FX: FOOTSTEPS MOVE ASIDE A LITTLE.
BLAKE: Well?
FLETCHER: I thought it would do the lads good to let off some steam, Captain. It’s only off-duty personnel that are here. Everybody else is at their posts.
BLAKE: You didn’t think I should be consulted about this?
FLETCHER: I didn’t think it was worth bothering you to be honest. It’s just a little morale booster, that’s all.
BLAKE: Probably not a bad idea, either. Very well, but in future, keep me informed of these sort of things. A captain should know what’s going on aboard his own ship.
FLETCHER: Yes, captain.
BLAKE: And see to it that this is finished by 22.30. We all have a long day tomorrow. 22.30, Mr Fletcher, no later.
FX: BLAKE’S FOOTSTEPS HEAD OUT.
O’LEARY: What was that?
FLETCHER: You heard the Captain. 22.30.
SCENE 9: INFIRMARY. PRESENT.
FLETCHER AND BLAKE.
BLAKE: Had you started planning to betray me even then, I wonder?
FLETCHER: You’re being absurd, William.
BLAKE: Captain! You will address me as captain. I am still captain am I not?
FLETCHER: As you wish, captain.
BLAKE: I heard the crew’s reaction to my order that the wake finish by 22.30. A first officer worth his salt would have put them in their place but not you. I heard you laugh with them.
FLETCHER: We weren’t laughing about that.
BLAKE: I do not believe a word you say, sir.
FLETCHER: I was right – you were turning paranoid even then. Is that the reason you insisted on leading the mission down to the next planet? It is, isn’t it? You thought I was trying to win over the crew so you took charge.
BLAKE: I showed leadership.
FLETCHER: Your leadership got another crewman killed.
BLAKE: I will not take blame for that. The planet was a honeycomb of tunnels. The surface was as brittle as an egg-shell. Lee fell through. There was nothing we could do for him. We were lucky to get O’Leary out of there before he fell as well.
FLETCHER: Lee fell into an underground river. You could have tracked it and found him.
BLAKE: He fell forty metres at least, and Mr Lee could not swim. Nor did we have any way of tracking the path of the river.
FLETCHER: You didn’t try to find a way. You just abandoned him.
BLAKE: I could not save Mr Lee but I could save the rest of my landing crew. I would not risk their lives.
FLETCHER: Did you think to ask whether they would want to risk their lives for their friend?
BLAKE: This is a ship, Mr Fletcher, not a democracy.
FLETCHER: It shouldn’t be a dictatorship.
BLAKE: Dictatorship, is it?
FLETCHER: Yes. And not a benign one. It showed when you got back from that planet.
SCENE 10. ENDEAVOUR INT.
COMPUTER: Hangar deck repressuriosed.
FX: CLANG OF HATCH. BLAKE COMES THROUGH.
FLETCHER: Captain.
BLAKE: Mr Fletcher, dismiss the crew and prepare a funeral service for Mr Lee. This time, no wake. And have Mr Miller set a course for the Capella star system.
FLETCHER: Now, sir?
BLAKE: Yes, sir. Now. Unless you have a good reason for a delay.
FLETCHER: We’ve lost seven crewmembers in this system. That leaves us short of manpower. The men will expect us to turn back – to pick up extra crew if nothing else.
BLAKE: And what do you think?
FLETCHER: With their morale so low, I don’t think it’s a bad idea.
BLAKE: Then we shall work this lack of morale out of them. They’ll all have to take extra duty shifts to cover for the men we have lost. We’ll sweat it out of them. Sweat it out, I say. And we are due to receive messages from home tomorrow. That should raise their spirits. And Mr Fletcher.
FLETCHER: Captain?
BLAKE: I should prefer it if you stopped questioning my orders. I am captain of this ship. Remember that.
FLETCHER: Yes, captain.
SCENE 11. ENDEAVOUR INT.
CREW LUGGING GEAR.
MILLER: Light speed in ten minutes. All hands make ready.
O’LEARY: I don’t believe it.
FX: FOOTSTEPS.
O’LEARY: Mr Fletcher. He’s not serious about carrying on, is he?
FLETCHER (SNAPPING – VERY SHARP)
Just get on with your duty, O’Leary.
O’LEARY: Aye, sir.
FLETCHER (A BIT GUILTY)
O’Leary. You and Croftie get yourselves checked over by the M.O. before you go back on duty.
O’LEARY: Yes, sir.
SCENE 12: ENDEAVOUR FLIGHT DECK.
THE ENGINES THROB, THE SHIP IS OPERATING EFFICIENTLY.
VASQUEZ: Warp bubble intact. Light speed... now. Light plus point one... plus point two.
BLAKE: Light Speed 4 and hold us steady, Mr Vasquez. Time to Capella system at this velocity?
MILLER: Thirty five days, eight hours, approximately.
BLAKE: Excellent, Mr Miller. What do you say? Excellent.
SCENE 13. INFIRMARY. INT. PRESENT.
BLAKE AND FLETCHER.
FLETCHER: You didn’t care what the crew thought, did you?
BLAKE: It wasn’t my place to care for the crew. It was their place to follow orders.
FLETCHER: And they did.
BLAKE: Indeed?
FLETCHER: Yes. Most of them.
BLAKE: But you would defend them. You would have them follow you. You have defended and protected them, haven’t you?
(NO ANSWER)
Haven’t you?
SCENE 14. MESS HALL.
SOUNDS OF EATING AND ARGUING.
O’LEARY: What do you call this, Pots ?
POTS: If I told you, O’Leary, you wouldn’t eat it.
O’LEARY: I’m tempted not to eat it anyway.
FX: DOOR OPENS.
FLETCHER: Listen up, everybody. I’m sorry to interrupt your breakfast. Although you should probably thank me for it…
POTS: Cheek. You could eat your breakfast off the floors in my kitchens.
FLETCHER: As I was saying, I’m sorry to interrupt, but you’ve got messages from home.
FX: EXCITEMENT. FOOD ABANDONED.
POTS: Why does he always do this at breakfast ?
O’LEARY: Because he likes us.
FLETCHER: Chong… Fox… O’Leary… Take your time, boys. Everybody’s got a message disc.
O’LEARY: Brilliant. Who are you expecting to hear from, Vasquez?
VASQUEZ: Not sure. There was a girl I knew in New Tokyo.
O’LEARY: I didn’t know you were romancing a moon-maid.
VASQUEZ: And the reason you haven’t romanced one is that they hate being called moon-maids. And we’re engaged.
O’LEARY: Who needed to go all the way to the moon when there was a fine lass in my own part of town? Lovely Lara. I’ll be off to my bunk to see what she has to say.
SCENE 15: CAPTAIN’S CABIN.
COMPUTER BLIPS AND CHIRPS.
BLAKE: Computer, display message from Mary Blake.
(BEGINS READING)
... the children have messages for you. They keep asking when you’re coming home. They miss you, William. I do, too. I wish you could come home now.
(SOFTLY)
So do I, Mary.
(RESUMES READING)
Things are getting worse here every day. There have been riots on the lunar colonies and on Mars. There are too many people and not food and air for them all. I hope you can find us a new planet soon, William. God knows, we need one.
(THOUGHTFULLY – AN EMOTIONAL MOMENT OF TRUE HUMANITY.)
I will. I promise I won’t let you down. I can’t.
SCENE 16: O’LEARY’S BUNK. EXT.
SOBBING FROM INSIDE.
VASQUEZ: O’Leary? O’Leary, are you all right? What is it? Talk to us, O’Leary. O’Leary?
NO REPLY. ONLY MORE SOBBING.
SCENE 17: MESS HALL.
FLETCHER ADRESSING THE CREW.
FLETCHER: Okay, listen up. We’re going to have to run a new work schedule to cover the men we’ve lost. It breaks down to an extra hour each every other day…
O’LEARY: (SLURRED AND DRUNK)
What are they doing out here ?
FLETCHER: Same as us, O’Leary. Earning a living.
O’LEARY: What are we doing out here? We shouldn’t be here. We belong on a planet not in metal boxes floating in space.
FLETCHER: What’s the matter with you, O’Leary? You’re drunk.
O’LEARY: What can I say?
FLETCHER: You’re off duty. Go to your bunk and sleep it off.
O’LEARY: Who died and made you God ? Oh, I forgot. It was Mr Stewart.
FLETCHER: Get him out of here.
FX: O’LEARY DRAGGED AWAY.
O’LEARY: Get off. Get your hands off me.
VASQUEZ: (QUIETLY)
He’s taking Lee’s death badly.
FLETCHER: We all are, Vasquez.
VASQUEZ: You weren’t down that hole with him when he fell. We were. There’s something else. When the messages came in – his girlfriend dumped him. They’d been together eight years.
FLETCHER: Put him in the brig.
(BEAT)
Until he sobers up. The captain never goes down there. O’Leary can sober up without getting caught. And we don’t talk about this again. It never happened. Now if everybody knows their jobs, let’s get on with it.
VASQUEZ: Thanks, sir.
SCENE 17: FLETCHER’S CABIN.
SOFT SNORING. A TAP AT THE DOOR.
FLETCHER: Come in.
FX: DOOR OPENS. FOOTSTEPS ENTER.
FELTCHER: Captain.
BLAKE: Don’t bother standing. Not watching your messages from home?
FLETCHER: I don’t have any. No family left.
BLAKE: It must be hard for you handing them out to the crew.
FLETCHER: It’s not too bad. I wish my parents were still alive but wishing won’t bring them back. Seeing how much the messages cheer the crew up makes it worthwhile.
BLAKE: I was harsh with you yesterday, and I’m sorry for that.
FLETCHER: I’ll get by.
BLAKE: My wife, Mary, sent me messages. So did my children. Did you know I’ve been married thirty years this year. It’s also thirty years since I graduated from the Academy. Mary and I were married two days after I left the Academy. Three days after that I set out on my first ship. I didn’t get back for eighteen months. Then it was three months at home and away for another year. In thirty years, I’ve spent less than four years at home. My children barely know me. And you know what I regret, John? Nothing. Our job is to improve the future for our children and by God we will. Anyway, I’ve taken enough of your time.
FLETCHER: No problem.
(PAUSE)
This picture. Beautiful. Where is it ?
FLETCHER: Montana, 300 years ago. Before we completely ruined the planet.
BLAKE: If we can find a place like this, all our suffering and sacrifices will have been worthwhile.
FLETCHER: I wonder if anywhere like that exists now.
SCENE 18. INFIRMARY. PRESENT
FLETCHER AND BLAKE.
BLAKE: There. I was stretching out my hand to you.
FLETCHER: Were you? Really? Or were you just trying to justify actions you knew were wrong?
BLAKE: No! I thought of you as a friend and I wanted you to understand how much this mission meant. Not only to me but to the people at home relying on us. To make you see that it was worth the crew suffering a few hardships.
FLETCHER: Maybe I’d have agreed – but it wasn’t just the crew for long, was it?
BLAKE: The freighter.
FLETCHER: As soon as we picked up the Quatermain’s distress call it changed. It wasn’t just about the crew and the mission any more.
BLAKE: Not for you, that’s for sure.
SCENE 19. HANGAR BAY.
METAL SCRAPING ON METAL. CREAKING.
FLETCHER: Steady, Vasquez.
BLAKE: A ship like Endeavour wasn’t built for this kind of delicate manoeuvring, John. With the Quatermain’s engines dead, we have to do the hard work of bringing her into the hangar bay.
FLETCHER: I’m amazed the Quatermain made it this far. This would be a lot easier if her docking port wasn’t a write-off.
BLAKE: If is a very big word, Mr Fletcher.
FX: MORE METAL CREAKS.
FLETCHER: He’s cutting it fine to starboard.
BLAKE: He is that.
FLETCHER: He’s the best in the fleet. If anybody can do this he can.
BLAKE: If? You didn’t have any doubts when you suggested bringing the Quatermain aboard.
FLETCHER: I wasn’t this close to the action before.
FX: HEAVY THUD.
FLETCHER: She’s aboard. Closing outer doors. Brilliant, Vasquez. Absolutely brilliant.
BLAKE: Fine work, Mr Vasquez. Top class.
FLETCHER: The deck will be repressurised in 4, 3, 2… 1.
FX: DOOR OPENS. FOOTSTEPS GO THROUGH. HAND SLAPS METAL.
BLAKE: It’s a tighter fit than I thought. The hatch should be over here. It’ll be just over a metre up. There it is.
FX: METAL HATCH CLANGS OPEN.
ELENA: Captain Blake ?
BLAKE: At your service. What assistance do you need?
ELENA: We’ve got about a dozen casualties – a couple of them are pretty bad.
FLETCHER: Doc, you’re on.
ELENA: Jake, show the doctor to the casualties.
FX: ELENA DROPS TO THE DECK.
ELENA: You’ll never know how relieved I was to hear your voice. We thought we were done. I’m Elena Baxter.
BLAKE: My first officer, Mr Fletcher.
FLETCHER: Are you captain of this ship?
ELENA: I suppose I am, by default. We lost most of the actual crew in the accident. The power system developed a glitch and when we dropped under light speed we flew straight into a meteor shower.
BLAKE: Mr Fletcher, I want a preliminary report by twenty two hundred today. Miss Baxter, we will give whatever assistance we can.
ELENA: Thank you, captain.
FX: FOOTSTEPS HEAD AWAY.
FLETCHER: How bad is it ?
ELENA: Come aboard. See for yourself.
FX: SOUNDS OF THEM CLIMBING ABOARD THE QUATERMAIN.
PATIENT: (WEAK)
Help me, doctor. I can’t breathe properly.
FLOWER: Coolant poisoning. I’ll have you moved to sickbay.
ELENA: So what do you think, Mr Fletcher?
FLETCHER: The air’s awful.
ELENA: We lost most of the atmospheric controls when we were holed. One of the techs rigged this, but it’s been pretty unpleasant.
FLOWER: Fourteen of these people will have to go to the infirmary for treatment.
FLETCHER: Carry on. If you need extra space you can have the bunks from the men we lost.
FX: FOOTSTEPS MOVE ON.
FLETCHER: How many of you are aboard ?
ELENA: Seventeen died, so there are fifty-one of us left. Those who weren’t hurt have been trying to keep the ship running as best we could. All in all, we’ve been in space just over a year.
FLETCHER: How did you manage? Ships like this are only supposed to carry a crew of a dozen.
ELENA: It has been a little cramped.
FLETCHER: What were you doing out here anyway ?
ELENA: We’re colonists. We’re heading for...
(SHE SEEMS EMBARRASSED)
...Burton’s Planet. I know you’re going to say it’s an old sailor’s story, but our captain knew where it was. He was sure it was real.
FLETCHER: A habitable Earth-like planet in deep space. He convinced you it was real?
ELENA: He didn’t have to convince me. He was my father. And he was one of the first to die.
FLETCHER: I’m sorry.
ELENA: So am I.
FLETCHER: Once the doc’s finished with the casualties he should give the rest of your people a check. It’ll give the engineers a chance to look the ship over in peace.
ELENA: Sounds fine to me. What do we call you? Mr Fletcher?
FLETCHER: John. My name’s John.
ELENA: Elena.
SCENE 20: CAPTAIN’S CABIN.
BLAKE GETTING THE REPORTS. PAPERS FLICKED THROUGH.
BLAKE: Fifty-one survivors, Mr Fletcher?
FLETCHER: Fifty. Another one died a few minutes ago. Burns. Our engineers say they can fix most of the damage but the navigation system’s finished. So is their long-range communication.
BLAKE: She’s not space-worthy, you mean. Our luck has been nothing but bad on this voyage, John.
FLETCHER: Should I have Vasquez turn us about and head for home?
BLAKE: Turn us about ? No, Mr Fletcher, you should not. We will continue on for the Capella system as planned.
FLETCHER: What about the colonists?
BLAKE: They are looking for a planet to colonise? We shall take them to one. They shall fulfil their mission as shall we. Until we make the Capella system, the colonists will be integrated into the ship’s crew. They will earn their keep.
FLETCHER: And if we don’t find a habitable planet?
BLAKE: I will not hear talk of failure, Mr Fletcher. I will not hear it. We will find these people a home. Have the colonists issued with uniforms and identification. And if they do not like it, then that will just be too bad for them. They will work their passage whether they like it or not. See to it. Now, Mr Fletcher, now.
SCENE 21: MESS HALL.
PEOPLE EATING.
O’LEARY: Vasquez, my boy. Do you see what old O’Leary sees?
VASQUEZ: Colonists? Refugees?
O’LEARY: Lady colonists and refugees. And some of them worthy of the O’Leary charm.
VASQUEZ: Haven’t they had enough bad luck?
SCENE 22: INFIRMARY.
FLETCHER WAITS FOR ELENA.
FLETCHER: Well? How did your medical go?
ELENA: Apparently, I’m as healthy as a... well, something that’s really healthy.
FLETCHER: It’s unbelievable. Apart from the serious casualties, your people are in good shape.
ELENA: You’ve got to be tough to colonise a planet. Some are a bit put out at being press-ganged by your captain, but in general we’re grateful to be alive so we’ll work.
FLETCHER: I’m not sure what work we have for a botanist like yourself but I’ll find something for you to do. Maybe helping to smooth the integration of the colonists?
ELENA: Do I have to salute?
FLETCHER: No, but you do have to wear that uniform.
ELENA: Fine. Or is it “fine, sir” ?
FLETCHER: Any more cheek and you’re on a charge. Come on. We’ve got a lot to do.
FX: FOOTSTEPS APPROACH.
ELENA: Behave. It’s the boss. Captain Blake.
BLAKE: Miss Baxter. Well, Mr Fletcher, how are we progressing?
FLETCHER: We’ve found work for most of the colonists. But we do have a few problems. The Endeavour was never meant to carry this many people. The atmosphere recycling units are already working at 110% safe capacity.
BLAKE: Go on.
FLETCHER: We’re going to be tight for water and food. Most of the Quatermain’s supplies were ruined so our provisions will be stretched to feed everybody.
FX: PAPERS HANDED OVER.
BLAKE: We still have enough for the journey but we shall have to make do will smaller rations.
FLETCHER: Elena, Miss Baxter, did have an idea.
ELENA: We’re carrying a selections of seeds for high-yield plants that have been genetically engineered for accelerated growth.
BLAKE: Hardly surprising. You are a colony ship.
ELENA: We also have some nutrient-rich soil. If we plant the seeds now we’d have the first fresh food in three weeks.
BLAKE: Interesting notion. Where would you plant the seeds?
FLETCHER: Bay one’s doing nothing. The only problem would be water. Even when the Quatermain’s recycling systems are repaired and supplementing our own, we’d have to cut the crew’s daily rations by 22%. Alternatively, we could shift power from the drive unit to the recycling system to give us more water.
BLAKE: And lose time? No, Mr Fletcher, I think not. Hold our speed constant. Cut the crew’s food and water rations by 40%.
FLETCHER: But…
BLAKE: 40% is what I say and 40% is what I mean. Miss Baxter, you shall have all the water you need for your plants. By comparison with our predecessors on sailing ships 600 years ago, we shall still be spoiled. Dismissed.
FLETCHER: Yes, captain.
BLAKE MOVES AWAY. DOOR OPENS AND CLOSES BEHIND HIM. ELENA AND FLETCHER ALSO WALK OFF.
ELENA: Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.
FLETCHER: It’s not the idea that’s wrong. I’d better tell the crew. You never know. Pots’ cooking is so bad they might even thank me.
SCENE 23. INFIRMARY. PRESENT.
BLAKE AND FLETCHER.
BLAKE: You openly questioned my orders to the Baxter woman.
FLETCHER: You were listening?
BLAKE: Eavesdropping is the word you are trying not to use. Yes, I listened. And I heard my XO question my orders – for what? To impress the woman? To gain her good favour.
FLETCHER: My… association with her is none of your business.
BLAKE: It’s happening on my ship. That makes it my business, sir. And I wonder, were you trying to charm the woman or was it something more insidious? Were you trying to gain support from the colonists as well as the crew?
FLETCHER: I didn’t want support from anyone. Not then and I don’t want it now.
BLAKE: So you say. But you had alienated me from the crew, hadn’t you? Even when I tried to join the crew for a meal, I was unwelcome.
SCENE 24: MESS HALL.
SOUNDS OF EATING.
ELENA: Well, that was... quick. The crews seem to be integrating well enough. At least that’s one way of describing what I caught Kate and your Mr Croft doing last night. I haven’t got him into trouble have I, John?
FLETCHER: As long as it doesn’t interfere with his work, I’ve no objection to crewmembers... integrating.
ELENA: Good. I’m heading down to see how your techs are getting on with converting the hangar bay. Care to keep a lady company?
FLETCHER: Are you flirting with me?
ELENA: If I am?
FLETCHER: Don’t want you getting lost, do we? Shall we go?
FOOTSTEPS TO DOOR. DOOR OPENS. NOISE LEVEL DROPS IMMEDIATELY.
FLETCHER: Captain. Is there a problem, sir?
BLAKE: No, Mr Fletcher. I thought I would eat with the crew today, that is all. Are you finished?
FLETCHER: Yes. We’re just going to check progress in the hangar.
BLAKE: It can’t be helped. Carry on. Mr Patton. If you please.
POTS: Here you are, captain.
BLAKE: Thank you, Mr Patton. It looks splendid. Splendid.
FX: UNCOMFORTABLE SILENCE.
BLAKE: Continue your meals, gentlemen. Don’t let my presence interrupt.
(TRYING TOO HARD)
Settling in? Good. Good.
(EATING)
Excellent as always, Mr Patton.
FX: IT’S AN UNCOMFORTABLE ATMOSPHERE AND GETTING MORE SO. IT’S GETTING TO BLAKE.
BLAKE: Please carry on as if I were not here.
FX: BLAKE CONTINUES EATING. CUTLERY SCRAPING ON THE PLATE.
BLAKE: Please, continue with your meals. I insist. Carry on.
FINISHES MEAL.
BLAKE: First rate meal, Mr Patton.
FX: BLAKE WALKS OUT. DOOR CLOSES.
O’LEARY: It’s bad enough that he’s starving us. Does he have to come and gloat about it as well? He hasn’t killed any of us in weeks. Maybe starvation’s how he’s going to get the rest of us.
VASQUEZ: Quiet, he’ll hear you.
SCENE 25. SHUTTLE BAY.
LEAVES BEING SPRAYED.
FLETCHER: I can’t believe it. Those things have only been in a few days, Elena.
ELENA: Am I good or what? These plants will be ready in twenty-three days. Wish I knew exactly what they are. They’re not tagged yet. They’ll be fresh, though. But I’m sure your cook will still manage to ruin them. Have you been in the Corps long?
FLETCHER: Sixteen years, give or take. Career military. Unless something better comes along.
ELENA: That’s fair. I wonder if there’s a way we can improve the drainage.
FLETCHER: Drainage, eh? You know how to sweet talk a man. Who can resist a woman who talks about drainage?
ELENA: I didn’t know you were trying to resist me.
FLETCHER: Sure of yourself, aren’t you?
ELENA: In truth? No. It’s all bravado.
FLETCHER: It’s working.
SCENE 26. ENDEAVOUR ENGINEERING.
CLANKING MACHINERY. DOOR OPENS. PETERS, AUSTRALIAN ENGINEER IS THERE.
PETERS: Captain Blake. We don’t often see you down here in engineering, sir.
BLAKE: Mr Peters, there’s a mystery in these water levels. Can you explain it?
PETERS: No, sir but I’ll get onto it as soon as I finish up.
BLAKE: That’s not good enough. We’ve already lost more than four litres. We will look into it now. The problem is in H7, according to this.
FX: FOOTSTEPS.
PETERS: The lads and me can do this, captain.
BLAKE: No, thank you. I am quite capable.
FX: DOOR OPENS. SHRIEK FROM A WOMAN AND FROM O’LEARY.
BLAKE: Mr O’Leary, what in the Hell is this ?
O’LEARY: Oh, God.
BLAKE: This is where the water has gone? You’ve stolen the ship’s water to make alcohol in this still? And you use my ship for this fornication?
FX: METAL ROD GRABBED, GLASS SMASHED VIOLENTLY. BLAKE LOSES CONTROL.
BLAKE: No more. NO MORE !
PETERS: (ON COMM)
Mr Fletcher...
FLETCHER: (ON COMM)
Fletcher here. What on earth…
PETERS: You’d better get to H7 straight away, sir.
FX: RAMPAGE OF SMASHING CONTINUES.
BLAKE: You will make no more. No more of this filth. No more I say. Not on my ship.
FX: FOOTSTEPS RUN IN.
FLETCHER: What the devil’s happening ?
BLAKE: That man has stolen precious water from his shipmates and made this filth. But you must have told others. Who else knew about this? Who knew? Who? Answer me, damn you. Who knew?
O’LEARY: (SHOCKED BY BLAKE’S LOSS OF CONTROL)
Nobody.
BLAKE: Nobody, SIR. Say it!
O’LEARY: Nobody, sir.
BLAKE: Liar! You are a thief and a liar and a fornicator. You disgust me. Get him out of here. Put that filth in the brig. He will stay there until we make the Capella system. No visitors. He has stolen water, so he will do without until he has made up the loss. Put him on survival rations only. Minimal food and water. Discipline on this ship has gone to the devil and do you know who I blame? You, Mr Fletcher, that is who. You are first officer and it is you who should set the tone for the crew to follow, but you are more interested in being their friend than their superior officer. Well, things will change, mark my words. Oh, yes, they will change. First of all, female colonists will be moved into quarters aboard the Quatermain. When not on duty, they will be confined to their own ship. I will not have this behaviour on my ship. Discipline, that is what is needed. In addition to their duties, the men will have two hour-long periods of strenuous exercise every day. They will not meet or talk to these women except when required to do so by their duties and I will have an armed guard on the Quatermain at all times. Other than the women, only you and I shall have access to their ship. Well? What are you waiting for?
FX: BLAKE STORMS OUT. SHOCKED SILENCE FOR A MOMENT.
FLETCHER: Get this place cleaned up.
ELENA: You want to talk about that? He was completely out of control.
FLETCHER: I don’t want to hear it, Elena. You’d better pass the captain’s orders to the other women.
ELENA: John, he lost control.
FLETCHER: I don’t want to hear it!
ELENA: I’ll pass the word to the others. They won’t be happy.
FLETCHER: We don’t get paid to be happy.
ELENA: We don’t get paid.
SCENE 27. BLAKE’S QUARTERS.
BLAKE ENTERS. SLAMS DOOR SHUT.
BLAKE: Mary, they are all against me. They do not have the strength of character to carry this task through to the finish. But I am the captain and I will lead them through. They will not make me fail. I will not fail.
SCENE 28. INFIRMARY. PRESENT.
BLAKE AND FLETCHER.
FLETCHER: You’re paranoid. The crew aren’t against you.
BLAKE: No?
FLETCHER: Not then anyway. You turned them against you.
BLAKE: You must take responsibility for that.
FLETCHER: No! You did that by yourself. You cut their rations. You kept half of them locked away in the Quatermain. You made them do two hours of physical exercise every day on top of longer work shifts. You made the engineers wear full uniform in temperatures over 120 degrees. You did all that and a damn sight more.
BLAKE: Discipline, that is the key.
FLETCHER: That’s not discipline. It’s blatant, inhuman cruelty. You locked yourself away from the crew, hiding in your cabin. I was with them every day. I watched morale go through the floor and there was nothing I could do to stop it.
SCENE 29: MESS HALL.
FLOWER AND FLETCHER TALKING. THE CREW ARE RUMBLING UNHAPPILY.
FLOWER: I didn’t think Pots’ cooking could get any worse, John. From a professional point of view, John, it’s short on nutrition and it tastes like pig-swill. It’s not doing morale any good. And the mental health of the crew is part of my job so don’t lecture me for interfering.
FLETCHER: This is a tough job, Doc. We knew that when we signed up.
FLOWER: The colonists didn’t sign up. They didn’t ask to be jailed in that ship of theirs either. And in my professional opinion, it’s not doing you any good either. You’ve been a misery for the past month since the captain put a stop to you and Elena.
FLETCHER: What about me and Elena?
FLOWER: I’m not blind. I can see how you look at her. And how you avoid looking at her. She’s got it as bad as you.
FLETCHER: That your medical opinion?
FLOWER: It’s your friend’s opinion. But you answer me honestly, do you think we’re right to carry on this mission?
FX: NO REPLY.
FLOWER: That’s what I thought. You only have to look at the crew to know what they think.
SCENE 30. INT. BRIG.
O’LEARY IS SINGING TO HIMSELF.
O’LEARY: As I was going over, the Cork and Kerry mountains…
DOOR OPENS.
O’LEARY: Mr Fletcher.
FLETCHER: O’Leary. How are you doing?
O’LEARY: Hungry. And I’d kill for a drink of water. Does this mean I’m getting out? Though from what I hear I’m probably better off in here.
FLETCHER: I thought you weren’t supposed to get any visitors. Then again, I’m not supposed to be here either. We all knew about your still. If you’d told the captain, he’d have gone easier on you. Especially as I knew.
O’LEARY: When I got drunk before, you could have thrown me in here for a month, reported me... You didn’t. I owed you.
FLETCHER: I heard you’d had a hard time. I tried to talk the captain into letting you out but he wasn’t interested.
O’LEARY: It’s not your fault I’m in here. Don’t beat yourself up.
FX: SOUND OF PARCEL BEING THROWN.
FLETCHER: We reach the Capella system in a couple of days. You get out then. This’ll keep you fed till then.
FX: DOOR CLOSES. PARCEL OPENED.
O’LEARY: Fresh fruit? You have been busy out there.
SCENE 31: INT. QUATERMAIN.
KNOCK AT A DOOR.
ELENA: What is it now? Chloe, if it’s the power relay in your cabin, move somewhere else till tomorrow.
FX: DOOR OPENS AND CLOSES.
ELENA: John. If you’re looking for the update on the plants you’ll have it tomorrow.
FLETCHER: I’m not here about the plants.
(A BIT UNCOMFORTABLE)
The captain. He picked me for this mission, you know. Made me first officer when we lost the XO. He’s a good man really. A good captain. He has one of the best records in the Corps.
ELENA: And that’s why you’re loyal to him, even when he acting like he is. Nobody’s infallible, John. He makes mistakes like everybody else.
FLETCHER: Only because he determined to find us a new planet to colonise.
ELENA: Sit down. It isn’t determination, John. It’s obsession. It’s dangerous – and you know it.
FLETCHER: I know. I don’t want to go against his orders. He’s my friend. I owe him. But some of his orders I can’t follow. I won’t stay away from you. Unless you want me to.
ELENA: Stay. Here, tonight.
FX: SOUNDS OF A KISS.
FLETCHER: He’d skin us alive if he found out.
ELENA: Sssh.
SCENE 32: INT. CAPTAIN’S CABIN.
BLAKE IS MUTTERING AND MUMBLING, RESTLESS. MUTED SOUND FROM OUTSIDE. HE WAKES SUDDENLY.
BLAKE: Who’s there?
(BEAT – NO ANSWER)
Computer, this is the captain. Lock my cabin door. At once. Immediately.
FX: SOUND OF GUN BEING COCKED.
SCENE 33. ELENA’S CABIN.
SOUND OF DRESSING.
ELENA: Do you have to go, Mr Fletcher, Sir? I preferred it when the clothes were coming off.
FLETCHER: So did I. Enjoying the floorshow? Where’s my boot?
(BEAT)
Is this real?
ELENA: It was my mother’s. She got it from her grandmother.
FX: DRAWS FINGERS OVER GUITAR STRINGS – HORRIBLY OUT OF TUNE.
ELENA: I’m too scared of breaking the strings to try tuning them. It’s real wood, though. The fret-board’s almost worn through but it’s real.
FLETCHER: Incredible. I’d better go. I’ll see you in a while.
ELENA: Okay.
FX: A KISS. DOOR CLOSES. GUITAR STRUMMED THOUGHTFULLY.
SCENE 34. INFIRMARY. PRESENT.
BLAKE AND FLETCHER.
BLAKE: The day we arrived at Capella 3 I released O’Leary, as I had said I would. I am a man of my word. I told him that he had committed a crime but that I would not hold it against him and I sent him to join the crew for a meal. Do you know what he said, Mr Fletcher? No, of course you don’t – you were nowhere to be found.
FLETCHER: I was working.
BLAKE: Working indeed. I shall tell you what he said. “No thank you, captain. I’m not hungry.” That is what he said. Someone had been feeding him. Who would that have been, I wonder?
FLETCHER: He’s got a lot of friends in the crew.
BLAKE: I hear they gave him quite the reception in the mess hall. A returning hero.
FLETCHER: Some see him that way.
BLAKE: How do you see him, John? Tell me that.
FLETCHER: He’s a trouble-maker. Always has been.
BLAKE: And yet you have brought us to this for him and his kind. Is he worth it, John? Is he?
SCENE 35. FLIGHT DECK.
SHIP IN FULL OPERATION.
FLETCHER: Probes away.
BLAKE: Send them on their way, Mr Fletcher. I have a feeling that Capella 3 is about to change our luck. Good. Good. Put their transmission on screen.
FLETCHER: Probes entering the atmosphere. Pressure – point 96 of Earth. Nitrogen 71%, Oxygen 25%, the rest is various inert gasses. Gravity point 91 of Earth. Nothing toxic.
BLAKE: Splendid. Miss Baxter, what do you make of it?
ELENA: It’s perfect.
BLAKE: (ALMOST RELIGIOUS – VINDICATED.)
Clean oceans, untainted air. It’s paradise. We have done it. We have found an Eden for our people.
FLETCHER: Captain, I’ve got something on Probe 4. I’m putting it on screen.
FX: A MOMENT – BUTTONS PRESSED.
FLETCHER: Primates. Corps rules prohibit colonisation of planets with intelligent, indigenous life.
ELENA: And they count?
FLETCHER: Yes.
BLAKE: No, they do not. They are animals, sir. Animals. And I will not be denied by animals. Mr Miller, prepare the shuttle. We are going to that planet. Break out the weapons. If those things get in our path we will gun them down. Wipe them out.
FLETCHER: (LOW, URGENT)
You can’t do this, William.
BLAKE: Can’t? Who are you to tell me what I cannot do? What of our own people’s right to live?
FLETCHER: These creatures have a right to live. If you kill them, you’ll be breaking the rules you’ve followed all your life. You’ll regret it as long as you live. Look at them. They have fire. They have tools. They make tools. They are us, fifty thousand years ago. What if someone had wiped us out?
BLAKE: (STRUGGLING TO PULL HIMSELF TOGETHER)
You’re right, of course. Belay that last order, Mr Miller. Mr Fletcher, take the shuttle down and replenish our provisions. I’m sorry, Miss Baxter. It seems that you won’t be colonising Burton’s Planet after all.
ELENA: We gave up on Burton’s Planet a long time ago, captain. According to our charts it’s another three light years past here anyway.
BLAKE: I shall be in my quarters.
FX: FOOTSTEPS GO.
FLETCHER: Miss Baxter. I need a botanist – are you up to the job?
ELENA: Yes, sir.
SCENE 36. ENDEAVOUR.
CREWMAN: Captain.
BLAKE: Out of my way, man.
FX: DOOR OPENS AND CLOSES. ALONE, BLAKE IS FALLING APART. HE SCREAMS AND YELLS AND WRECKS THE ROOM.
BLAKE: No! I will not give in. I will not fail!
SCENE 37: EXT. CAPELLA 3.
SOUNDS OF WIND IN TREES AND LONG GRASS. SOME BIRD CALLS AS WELL.
FLETCHER: This is a new planet, so check in every hour and be back here in six hours. No interactions with the natives and don’t eat anything till it’s been checked out. Miss Baxter, you’re with me. This way looks promising.
ELENA: This planet would have been perfect. It’s what Earth used to be. Real plants – this is even a grass of some sort. Perfect.
(BEAT)
When the rest are out of sight want to break the rules again?
FLETCHER: We have work to do, loose woman.
ELENA: (A MOMENT’S HESITATION THEN)
The captain is unstable.
FLETCHER: He wouldn’t have gone through with killing those creatures. He was just... disappointed. We’ll be heading back to Earth now. It’s an easy trip. Boring, but easy. If there’s a problem with the captain, they’ll find it when we get home. He’s my friend – was my friend. I owe him. That doesn’t mean I won’t break some of his rules.
ELENA: Oh. That does sound promising…
SCENE 38. CAPTAIN’S CABIN.
WILD SCRABBLING OF PAPERS.
BLAKE: Not Burton. Not Burton’s Planet, she said. Charts. I must have my charts.
SCENE 39. ENDEAVOUR.
DOOR OPENS.
COMPUTER: Shuttle deck repressurised.
O’LEARY: Home sweet home.
FLETCHER: You love it, O’Leary.
O’LEARY: I liked the planet better.
FLETCHER: Pity the primates got there first. Get something to eat then put a crew together to unload the shuttle.
FX: FOOTSTEPS TRUDGE OFF. OTHER FOOTSTEPS HURRY TOWARDS THEM.
MILLER: Mr Fletcher, the captain wants you on the flight deck. You as well, Miss Baxter.
FLETCHER: We’ll be there in a few minutes, Miller.
SCENE 40. MESS HALL.
A HUSHED CONVERSATION.
O’LEARY: I know it’s dangerous but so is staying on this ship. If we take the shuttle down to the planet we can hide out and live peacefully. Between the crew and colonists, I count at least forty of us who’d be ready to go. The captain will go berserk. Let him. We’d have the only shuttle. He wouldn’t be able to come down after us. I don’t know about you but I don’t want to spend another year on this ship going back to Earth. And why would the colonists want to go back at all? We all spent long enough trying to get away from there. Come on. Say you’re with us.
FLETCHER: If you do, you’re on a charge.
O’LEARY: Mr Fletcher, we were just...
FLETCHER: Plotting a mutiny by the sound of it. Just as well Elena suggested we eat as well.
O’LEARY: It’s not mutiny. Just the chance to be human again. On a real planet. I saw how you looked at that planet down there. It could be a real home. Come with us.
FLETCHER: Understand this, all of you. If any of you try to jump ship, I’ll kick your heads off your shoulders and throw what’s left in the brig personally. I was going to up your break to six hours before unloading the shuttle. I think you’d better get on with it now. And there’ll be an armed guard on the shuttle just in case.
SCENE 41. FLIGHT DECK.
BLAKE WITH FLOWER.
BLAKE: Your reports show the crew in reasonable health, Doctor Flower.
FLOWER: They could be a better. A lot better.
BLAKE: All things considered, they are in fine shape.
FX: DOOR OPENS
BLAKE: Mr Fletcher. We are all safely aboard, I assume.
FLETCHER: With plenty of provisions, captain.
BLAKE: Splendid. Mr Vasquez, set a new course.
7-7-1-4-8-2-2 by 9-3-6.
FLETCHER: We’re going on?
BLAKE: Of course we are going onwards. Miss Baxter, we are taking you to Burton’s Planet. I downloaded your father’s logs from the Quatermain and read them. There’s more than enough proof in them to convince me of the planet’s existence.
ELENA: But we can’t be certain it’s there.
FLETCHER: Even if we were sure, we don’t have the fuel to find Burton’s Planet and get back to earth.
BLAKE: On our return journey we shall send a message ahead and have a ship meet us with extra fuel. Our duty is to find new planets to colonise. My duty is to save those billions on Earth.
FLETCHER: What good is that if everyone on this ship is dead, William? Who’ll send the call to Earth? Who’ll tell them?
BLAKE: We go on. That is my decision.
FLETCHER: No.
BLAKE: What did you say? What did you say, sir? Repeat it.
FLETCHER: I said “no”. We will not go on.
BLAKE: You will do as I say! Or are you disobeying a direct order form a superior officer? Your commanding officer.
FLETCHER: If you insist on this course of action I must question your fitness for command and as first officer demand that the doctor conduct a psychiatric evaluation.
BLAKE: So you are part of this as well, doctor. So you plan to be rid of me. Well, we should get on with this, shouldn’t we? You will find, that I am in full command of all of my faculties and when that is recorded in your log, we shall indeed go on. I need no time to prepare myself. We will do the evaluation now and be rid of this foolishness.
FX: FOOTSTEPS HEAD OFF.
ELENA: John?
FLETCHER: What have I done?
SCENE 42. INFIRMARY. PRESENT.
BLAKE AND FLETCHER.
BLAKE: Indeed, Mr Fletcher. What have you done? You will take responsibility for this evaluation. As executive officer, you must.
FLETCHER: I was within my rights to ask that your fitness be queried.
BLAKE: I know regulations, damn you! But it doesn’t matter, does it? What happens if your doctor says I am not fit to command? We shall turn back to Earth, I know that, for you are a coward. After that? You’re too young for a command of your own and who will take you as XO? A man who turned on his captain? One of the most respected captains in the Corps, if I may say. No-one, Mr Fletcher, that is who. No-one. No-one will have as XO a man who betrayed his captain and who is afraid of the challenge of exploration. You will be lucky to find a position as a navigator on a fright barge between Mars and the asteroid belt.
FLETCHER: At least I’ll have saved these people. If I’m drummed out of the Corps, maybe I’ll farm a frontier world,
BLAKE: You’re not a farmer, John. You’re a sailor, like me. You could never bear to be in one place all your days. Even with the Baxter woman. Oh, I’ve noticed you and her and I’ve let it pass.
FLETCHER: You may be right.
BLAKE: At least one of us is finished. Will it be one or both, I wonder.
FLETCHER: You once told me there was no malice in nature. Just the urge to survive. I’m just trying to make sure that we all survive.
FX: DOOR OPENS.
BLAKE: Well, doctor? You have the results?
FLOWER: Yes.
FLETCHER: What do they say?
BLAKE: I will give the order to release the results. I am still captain, am I not? Doctor, if you please, you will read out the results in the presence of the ship’s crew. I have given orders that they assemble in the mess.
SCENE 43. MESS HALL.
RUMBLE OF ANTICIPATION.
O’LEARY: I’ll say this for him he’s got guts.
BLAKE: We all know why we’re here. I see no sense in dragging this out. Doctor, the results of your tests, if you will.
FLOWER: As... well, as required by regulations, I conducted a psychological evaluation of Captain Blake. He is suffering from stress, resulting in high blood pressure, lack of sleep and various related symptoms. His answers to my questions also showed him to be unhealthily obsessive with regard to his work. He is also suffering from a form of depression.
FX: CHEERING FROM THE CREW.
FLETCHER: However, according to my examinations, while he would not be fit to work some heavy machinery on Earth, the captain is marginally within the limits considered acceptable for command by Corps regulations. My findings, as bound by the Corps’ regulations, are that Captain Blake is fit for command.
FX: HORRIFIED REACTION FROM CREW.
BLAKE: Mr Fletcher, have a course set for Burton’s Planet. Light speed four. Immediately, Mr Fletcher.
(GLOATING BEAT)
I didn’t hear your answer, Mr Fletcher. Speak up.
FLETCHER: Yes, captain.
O’LEARY: No.
BLAKE: What did you say Mr O’Leary?
O’LEARY: No. I’m not going any further. You’ve starved us, worked us like dogs and treated us like animals. I’ve had enough. We all have.
FX: SOUND OF GUN BEING COCKED.
O’LEARY: I’ll kill you where you stand rather than go another metre.
BLAKE: Put the gun down, Mr O’Leary.
O’LEARY: I’m not taking your orders any more. And I’m not the only one. More than half the crew has had enough. You’re not giving orders any more.
FLETCHER: Don’t do it, O’Leary. He’s not worth it.
O’LEARY: After what he’s done to all of us? I think he’s worth it.
FLETCHER: Don’t be stupid, O’Leary. Listen to me. It’s…
FX: SOUND OF A SCUFFLE AND THE GUN BEING GRABBED.
FLETCHER: Give me that. Idiot!
BLAKE: Thank you, Mr Fletcher. A most timely intervention. Mr O’Leary, you have crossed me for the last time. You tried to kill me. In front of all of these witnesses no less. Well, no more, I say. No more. There will be no need for a court martial. A captain’s word is law. Your actions are punishable by the death penalty and that is what we shall have. Mr Miller, take two men and space this man.
(NOTHING)
Mr Miller, I said take this man and eject him into space. Do it! DO IT!
FLETCHER: Don’t move, Miller. I won’t let you throw him into space. It’s inhuman.
BLAKE: I am captain. You will do as I say.
FLETCHER: Not this time.
BLAKE: Is this mutiny, Mr Fletcher? Is it?
FLETCHER: If mutiny’s what it takes to save this man’s life...
FX: GUN COCKED.
FLETCHER: ... then it’s mutiny.
FX: SHOCKED SILENCE – THEN CHEERS.
BLAKE: Mutiny. You know what that means?
FLETCHER: Shut up.
O’LEARY: Shoot him Kill him.
FX: A VIOLENT BLOW AND A PAINED REACTION FROM O’LEARY.
FLETCHER: There will be no killing. Not you, not him.
BLAKE: You don’t have the stomach for this.
FLETCHER: Shut up. Shut up or I swear I’ll blow your brains all over that wall myself.
BLAKE: Put the gun down and we can forget this.
FLETCHER: It’s gone too far for that and we both know it.
BLAKE: If any of you stand along with this man, you will be declaring yourselves outlaws. Stand with me and we can take the ship. Who is with me and who is a traitor?
FLETCHER: (THOUGHTFUL – TO CROWD)
He’s right. If you’re with me, you’ll be an outlaw. You’ll never be able to go back to Earth. We’ll be outcasts. If you have family, you won’t see them again. Choose carefully. There won’t be any turning back. Peters, you’re going to be a grandfather. Think about it. Vasquez, you’re getting married. Think about it, all of you. If you’re not with me, you won’t be harmed. O’Leary, anyone who’s with the captain – keep them locked in here. If any of them are hurt, you answer to me.
FX: FLETCHER STOMPS OUT.
ELENA: John. Stop, John.
FLETCHER: I didn’t want this.
ELENA: I know, but you couldn’t let him commit murder. Even if it was O’Leary.
FLETCHER: Now half the crew is ready to murder the other half.
ELENA: The colonists will back you. I’m sure of that. What are you going to do with Blake? You’ll have to come up with something quickly – before O’Leary takes matters into his own hands.
FLETCHER: I know. O’Leary wants Blake dead. Maybe I should confine Blake to the Quatermain.
ELENA: That’s not a bad idea.
FLETCHER: Or maybe… let’s have a look at the Quatermain.
SCENE 45. SHUTTLE BAY.
MEETING BETWEEN BLAKE AND FLETCHER.
BLAKE: So those are our options, Mr Fletcher? Neither is acceptable.
FLETCHER: Too bad. You can either be put ashore on the planet below, with a distress beacon or you can take the colonists’ ship and make for home in that.
BLAKE: We can be either marooned or set adrift in this wreck.
FLETCHER: Peters’ repairs have made the Quatermain spaceworthy. Structurally, she’s sound, but the engines are old. I can’t make any promises. They’re not the big problem. The navigation unit was destroyed when they were holed.
BLAKE: You’d send us out to fly blind.
FLETCHER: You always said you could navigate by the stars. The shuttle has medium range navigation for emergencies. That can be transplanted into the Quatermain. The choice is yours.
BLAKE: We shall set for home in the ship.
FLETCHER: I thought you would. The ship’s provisioned with food and water for two months. After that it’s up to the recycling system.
BLAKE: We will survive, never fear.
FLETCHER: I hope you do.
BLAKE: Then you are more of a fool than I thought. When the Corps finds us, they shall send a fleet of ships to hunt you down. You should have killed us.
FX: FOOTSTEPS APPROACH.
ELENA: The last of my possessions, such as they are.
FLETCHER: More than enough to have filled my cabin.
FX: DOOR OPENS. FOOTSTEPS FILE IN.
FLETCHER: Captain, your ship’s waiting.
BLAKE: (STICKING IN HIS CRAW)
Before we set off, I have a favour to ask. If I remember Mr Peters’ repair reports, Quatermain’s recycling unit can only provide enough air for twelve of us. I would be obliged if you would keep Mr Miller aboard.
MILLER: I don’t want to stay…
BLAKE: You will obey your orders, Mr Miller. Put my crew aboard Quatermain. He will be unharmed?
FLETCHER: Naturally. Now I have to ask a favour. Doctor Flower is coming with us against his will. We need a doctor and he’s the only one aboard.
BLAKE: So it shall be noted in my log. If that is all, we shall be under way. You are in command now, John. Enjoy it. But how long before someone here turns on you? We will meet again, Mr Fletcher, and when we do, you will dance at the end of a rope.
FX: METAL HATCH CLOSES.
SCENE 46. FLIGHT DECK.
MILLER REPORTS TO FLETCHER. FLIGHT DECK SOUNDS BUSY.
MILLER: The Quatermain is free and clear.
FLETCHER: Good.
(SOFTLY)
Good luck.
O’LEARY: And good riddance.
FLETCHER: Chong, power up the engines. We can’t stay here.
O’LEARY: Of course we can. We’ve got the perfect planet down there and Blake’s gone.
FLETCHER: You heard him. He’ll be back. If he finds us here, we’re all be guilty of mutiny. The rest may be lucky and get life sentences in the Martian mines, but you and I will be at the end of ropes, O’Leary. We’re going to the place Blake thinks we’d never go. Burton’s planet. Lay in course.
O’LEARY: You’re taking us God knows where to a planet that might not even exist.
FLETCHER: You should have thought of that before you pulled a gun on your captain. You started this, O’Leary, now this is the only chance we have. Take us out, Chong. Prepare for light speed then take us up to Light Speed by 5.
O’LEARY: The engines weren’t designed to run for any length of time at over Light 4.
FLETCHER: Then you’d better get to the engine room and keep them running.
FX: FOOTSTEPS GO.
ELENA: Is that safe, John?
FLETCHER: Don’t worry. The engines can go up to Light 6 with no trouble. I’m just keeping them all busy. They’ve mutinied once. It’ll come a lot easier second time.
ELENA: Are you armed?
JOHN: Yes. I want you to carry a gun as well. Just in case.
SCENE 47. QUATERMAIN FLIGHT DECK.
BLAKE: Stand down Mr Vasquez. It’s my watch.
VASQUEZ: Yes, captain.
BLAKE: Ship’s log, Captain William Blake recording. It’s now thirty-one days since we set out. The work is long and hard. The ship requires constant repair and attention, but given the circumstances, morale is good. I cannot commend this loyal crew highly enough.
FX: CHIRP FROM INTERCOM.
BLAKE: Go ahead.
PETERS: (ON COMM)
Captain, it’s Peters in engineering. The power-coupling is beginning to over-heat.
BLAKE: Can you repair it ?
PETERS: No, Sir. I can’t replace it either.
BLAKE: How much power will we lose if it blows?
PETERS: Everything, near as makes no odds. Light speed, heat, atmosphere recycling.
BLAKE: How long do we have ?
PETERS: Impossible to be sure, sir. It’ll run till it blows. I'm sorry, captain, it’s the best I can offer.
BLAKE: It can’t be helped.
FX: SWITCHES OFF RADIO.
BLAKE: And we’re still at least nine months shy of Earth.
(THOUGHTFUL)
We need to cut our journey time. Or the time it takes to get word to Earth perhaps…
FX: HITS INTERCOM.
BLAKE: Mr Vasquez, to the Flight Deck. Immediately.
FX: FOOTSTEPS RUN.
VASQUEZ: Captain?
BLAKE: Alter course, Mr Vasquez. Change to 1-7-2-4-8-6-2.
VASQUEZ: That takes us away from Earth, captain.
BLAKE: I’m aware of that.
VASQUEZ: Changing course, aye sir.
BLAKE: Extend sensor equipment, such as it is, to maximum. We may not make it home but we will not go quietly.
SCENE 48. ENDEAVOUR FLIGHT DECK.
FLETCHER, MILLER AND ELENA.
FLETCHER: How’s recycling, Miller?
MILLER: Not as efficient as it could be but passable.
FLETCHER: Let’s see. It’s poor. Somebody down there’s slacking.
MILLER: Since the mutiny, most of them are slack in their work.
ELENA: John. Company.
FLETCHER: O’Leary. What can I do for you?
O’LEARY: Me and a few of the boys were wondering how much longer till we get to this Burton’s Planet?
FLETCHER: Thirteen days.
O’LEARY: It’s just that if we go much further we won’t have the supplies to get back to Earth’s territory.
FLETCHER: We can’t go back. None of us can.
O’LEARY: We can go back to Capella 3. They might not come after us. A lot of us want to go back there.
FLETCHER: You’ve been taking a poll? Fine. Let me at the controls, would you, Chong?
FX: BUTTONS PUNCHED.
O’LEARY: We’re going back to Capella?
FLETCHER: Get it through your head, we can’t go back. Not ever. We’re going on to Burton’s Planet. I’ve used command codes to lock in our destination. Our course can’t be changed. We go on.
FX: GUNS COCKED.
FLETCHER: Do you have a problem with that? No? Pity. I’m sure Mr Miller here would have enjoyed shooting you. I know I would have. Elena too, probably. Now take your monkeys and get back to your stations. Move.
ELENA: It’s going to get worse until we reach the planet.
FLETCHER: Don’t go anywhere without your gun and don’t go anywhere alone.
ELENA: What about you ?
FLETCHER: I’m staying here. If anybody wants me, they’ll find me here.
SCENE 49. QUATERMAIN FLIGHT DECK.
VASQUEZ: Sensors on full. Still nothing, Captain Blake.
BLAKE: Keep looking. It has to be here somewhere.
VASQUEZ: What does? What are we looking for?
FX: AN ALARM.
VASQUEZ: There’s some sort of gravitational pull ahead.
BLAKE: That’s it. I knew my memory wouldn’t play me false. There is no substitute for experience. A wormhole. A channel that folds space and time and makes travel time between two points shorter. This one comes out near Sirius. We have an outpost there. I remember reading the report of a ship coming across the other end of this wormhole there a while back. It’s too small for us to pass though, but we can send a message home. Prepare a buoy and have my journal copied into it.
VASQUEZ: Buoy ready... journal copying... ready, sir. Buoy away. The buoy has entered the wormhole, captain.
BLAKE: Good. Now we shall have to...
PETERS: (ON COMM)
Captain, it’s Peters. The relay’s gone. The launch system for the buoy was too much for it.
BLAKE: It had to happen eventually. Move everyone to the centre of the ship. If we have lost heating, the centre of the ship will retain what heat we do have for longest. Mr Vasquez, we are dead in space. There’s no need for anyone on the flight deck now. We have sent the buoy. They know where we are – and they know of Fletcher’s piracy. Shut down all systems here.
SCENE 50. ENDEAVOUR FLIGHT DECK.
FLOWER: Latest medical reports, John.
ELENA: Sssh. Quiet, Doctor. He’s asleep. It’s the first sleep he’s had in three days.
FX: DEEP, STEADY BREATHING.
FLOWER: I could give him something to make him sleep.
ELENA: He wouldn’t take it. Just let him sleep here for now.
FLOWER: When did you sleep last?
ELENA: I’ll sleep when he wakes up.
FLOWER: Keep your hand on that gun of yours.
ELENA: I haven’t been anywhere without it for two weeks.
FLETCHER IS SLIGHTLY RESTLESS. MOANS A LITTLE IN HIS SLEEP.
ELENA: Sssh.
SCENE 51. INT. QUATERMAIN.
BLAKE: (VERY WEAKLY)
Computer, record ship’s log. Computer? Dead. Mr Vasquez, would you pass out the water rations?
VASQUEZ: (SHIVERING)
It’s frozen over, captain.
BLAKE: Break the surface. It may only be frozen on top. Otherwise we shall just have to suck the ice.
FX: TAPPING ON THE ICE.
SCENE 52. ENDEAVOUR FLIGHT DECK.
FLETCHER: Under light speed in three, two, one... under light speed now.
ELENA: At least there’s a system here.
FLETCHER: Just as well. I see O’Leary’s brought his friends. (LOUDER)
Scan the system for planets.
MILLER: Scanning... seven planets.
FLETCHER: How many look habitable ?
MILLER: The inner three are too close to the sun. Three gas giants a little further out and one small planet at the edge of the system.
FLETCHER: What about that one?
MILLER: It’s too far out. The atmosphere is frozen. Probably methane. I’m sorry, John.
O’LEARY: None of them are habitable. You dragged us out here for nothing. We should have stayed at Capella. You’ve killed us all.
FX: GUN COCKED.
ELENA: Keep back, O’Leary, or I’ll kill you.
FLETCHER: Elena. It doesn’t matter.
O’LEARY: It matters to me. Why did we trust you? We could have lived back on Capella. We could…
MILLER: Wait. I’ve got another planet. It was hidden behind the sun. It’s just coming into view now.
FLETCHER: Is it habitable ?
MILLER: I can’t tell. The sun’s corona is interfering with the scans.
SCENE 53. INT. QUATERMAIN.
THE SHIP SOUNDS COLD AND WET AND LIKE A TOMB.
COMM: (MUFFLED, DISTORTED)
This is the Earth cruiser Biko to the Quatermain. We have docked and are preparing to come aboard.
CLANG OF METAL DOCKING HATCH OPENING. SHUFFLING OF FEET.
BLAKE: I am Captain William Blake of the Endeavour. My crew and I must report a mutiny and an act of piracy.
SOUND OF BLAKE COLLAPSING.
SCENE 54. INT. SPACE CORPS HQ.
THREE BELLS, STRUCK ONE AFTER THE OTHER. ADMIRAL BAILEY SPEAKS.
BAILEY: Having heard all available evidence, this enquiry Into events on the Corps Deep Space exploration vessel, Endeavour, is ready to deliver its findings. There is no doubt that what happened on the Endeavour was indeed mutiny and the theft of the ship an act of piracy. Warrants will be sworn out for all members of the crew who did not join Captain Blake on the Quatermain, with the exceptions of Doctor Flower and Ensign Miller. We are aware of and stress their innocence in this matter. The mutineers are to be arrested on sight. At this time, the boards commends Captain Blake for his extraordinary efforts in saving the lives of his crew on the Quatermain. We have no doubts that had he not been in command of that ship, the crew would surely have died in space.
BLAKE: Thank you, Admiral Bailey.
BAILEY: However, while we feel that John Fletcher was the instigator of the mutiny, Captain William Blake was guilty of errors in judgement which contributed to the deterioration of morale aboard the Endeavour, which led, at least in part, to the mutiny. This is a sad occasion. In its history of over 100 years, this is the first time the Corps has faced this kind of insurrection. The finding of this enquiry is that members of the crew of the Space Corps vessel, the Endeavour, led by Lieutenant John Fletcher, did indeed mutiny against Space Corps, as represented by Captain William Blake by disobeying direct orders, threatening a superior officer, and by stealing the said ship, Endeavour. These mutineers are declared outlaw and their property is confiscated. They will be tried for their crimes if and when they are captured. The crewmembers who returned with Captain Blake are each given official commendations and where appropriate, promotion. They have the option of returning to duty or retiring due to their injuries at full salary. Captain Blake will retain his current rank and will be reassigned to a post here at Corps HQ.
BLAKE: Admiral, if I may. I had hoped to take out a ship and pursue the mutineers myself.
BAILEY: We feel that after the rigours of your last voyage, it would be prudent to assign you to a less demanding position. As for the mutineers, a ship was despatched to Capella 3 but found no sign of them. We have assumed that they headed into deep space in search of a new home. Given that our efforts in finding habitable planets in that sector have proven fruitless, we believe that they will have been unsuccessful. We ourselves have abandoned our search for habitable planets in that sector and moved our efforts to sector B6. Sending ships in search of the Endeavour has been dismissed as financially unviable. We believe that the mutineers will have died in space. May God have mercy on them.
FX: THE BELL AGAIN RINGS THREE TIMES.
SCENE 55. BURTON’S PLANET.
FLOWER: Well, John. What do you think?
FLETCHER: Not bad. Not bad at all, Doc.
ELENA: Not bad? It’s easy seeing you didn’t do the hard work.
FX: GURGLINGS OF A BABY.
ELENA: Say hello to your daughter.
FLETCHER: Hi. How does it feel to be the first person born on this planet?
ELENA: Hopefully better than it feels to have been the first person to give birth on the planet.
FLOWER: They’ve stopped work down in the village to get a celebration ready. Any excuse for a party really. Do you have a name picked.
FLETCHER: Yes. It’s corny, but – we thought Hope.
ELENA: Hope.
FX: BABY GURGLES.