Fade in: Black space filled with stars. A small, red planet with a smaller, darker moon is in background. Foreground is occupied by a starship. It is obviously well used but in good repair. Its’ hull is sprinkled with antennae and several weapons turrets. Across its’ flank is emblazoned “Estimated Prophet”.
Cut to:Interior, dimly lit, high-tech cabin of the ‘Prophet’ (closer to ‘Nostromo’ from ‘Alien’ than to ‘Enterprise’ or ‘Voyager’). We see a single crewman, Chanz Marquez, reclining in a seat resembling an industrial dentist’s chair covered in black fabric. He is wearing a loose-fitting, blue coverall, well worn but clean, with a nametape sewn over the left breast pocket that says “Marquez”. He is working on a clipboard-sized, touch screen pad. Its’ blue glow lights his rugged face. Unshaven and weary, he pauses to rub his work-reddened eyes. We pan to look over his shoulder out the front of the ship at the star field.
A bulkhead-mounted speaker fills the small cabin with static before its’ broken message comes through;
Speaker: “Unidentified ship, unidentified ship, this is PeaceForce Frigate Stark, please engage your transponder and transmit manifest. Repeat, engage your transponder and transmit manifest.”
Chanz sits up quickly and toggles a switch on an overhead instrument cluster.
Chanz Marquez: (Slow, monotone voice) “Uh, sorry ‘bout that guys. This bucket is an old reconfig. Sometimes I gotta give things a kick to get ‘em to work. Lemme get my kicking boots on and I’ll be right with you.”
He flips the switch back to its off position as he hits a button on a different intercom pad.
Chanz: (Normal voice) “Echo, we’ve got trouble. I was running silent and now there’s a PeaceForce Frigate wanting a manifest and IFF. What do you want me to give them?”
A young woman’s voice comes back from the console.
Echo Hitomi: “Run ‘Hurricane’. I’ll be there in 5 seconds.”
Chanz taps the pad off as he speaks into the air.
Chanz: “Computer. Run program ‘Crossfire Hurricane’.”
Computer: “Run program ‘Crossfire Hurricane’. Computer, aye.”
Cut to: Exterior shot of ‘Prophet’. The ships’ skin morphs into a darker, more mottled finish with a less aerodynamic shape and multiple re-entry burns. The weapons turrets and antennae are swallowed into the ships’ form as the blurred name ‘Crossfire Hurricane’ becomes visible across the ships side.
Cut to: Interior ‘Prophet’. Elevated view of a hallway, claustrophobic in its’ dimensions. Echo Hitomi rushes past away from the camera. She wears a blue coverall like his, but all similarity ends with the color. It looks obviously new and fits her form like a second skin. Vaguely Asian in appearance, her short, black hair looks as if she just got out of a shower.
Cut to: Interior Bridge. Echo slips into a seat next to Chanz. The nametape on her coverall says simply “Captain”. A split-second later, a tall, well-muscled man leans over Chanz’s shoulder. His skin is charcoal black, almost as dark as his short-cropped hair, and he, too, wears the same coverall neatly pressed with military-style creases. There is no nametape. The sleeves are folded up over powerful biceps.
Kazyaka Kaydeross: “How far out are they, Mr. Marquez?”
Chanz: “About 400 thousand clicks.”
Echo: “Chanz, start a slow power up on the drives and get ready to run if we can. Kaz, get Ian on station, too.”
Chanz: “Right.”
Kaz: “Aye, Captain.”
Kaz slips into another station and thumbs an intercom key.
Kaz: “Mr. Wickencamp, we’ve got trouble. Get down to engineering, now.”
He thumbs the intercom off without waiting for a reply.
The speaker blares static again before Kaz hits the gain control, kicking it down to a less damaging level.
Speaker: “Crossfire Hurricane, Crossfire Hurricane, this is Stark. Please power down your drives and stand by for boarding by inspection party.”
A mans’ gruff voice comes from the intercom panel.
Ian Wickencamp: “Frag that. Let’s just blow those blivits to dust.”
Echo thumbs her intercom to life.
Echo: “Right, Mr. Engineer, why don’t you tell me how we’re going to blow them to dust when they have us outgunned 4 to 1.”
Ian: “You’re the pilot, you figure it out. I’m just here to keep the fraggin’ drives running.”
Echo: “Yeah, just concentrate on those drives for now. I have a feeling that we’re going to need them.”
Ian: “You just say the word and you’ll have all the power you can handle.”
Echo: “Kaz, can we make it without a fight? We can’t afford to dump those Zuccai crystals or to get tossed into some Peef holding cell.”
Kaz frowns and looks thoughtful;
Kaz: “They’re still out over 375, Captain. We should be able to make jump if they aren’t more than what they look like they are.”
Echo: “Right.”
Echo thumbs the intercom as she flips switches and punches buttons on her piloting console;
Echo: “Ian, get those drives humming. We’re not going to let them get a look at the cargo bay.”
Ian: “And why should we? We’re faster and smarter. Not to mention, better looking.”
Echo: “Yeah, right. Just be ready for jump in about 2 minutes.”
Ian: “I’ll be ready in one, try not to fly us through a moon or anything, okay?”
Echo thumbs the intercom off and slides a lever forward while moving an airplane-type yoke.
Pan to a view over Echo’s shoulder out the front of the ship. We see simultaneous movement around all three axes.
Echo: “On your toes, gentlemen. This is going to be close.”
Kaz: “Aye, Captain. Mr. Marquez, power the weapon relays but don’t charge them yet. I wouldn’t want our PeaceForce friends to get the idea that we are doing anything more than running away.”
Chanz: “Roger that. Relays are powered and ready. Weapons are not charged.”
Speaker: “Crossfire Hurricane, I repeat, power down your drives and stand by for boarding.”
Echo smiles grimly.
Echo: “Now it gets interesting.”
Speaker: “Crossfire Hurricane, power down your drives immediately and stand by for boarding or we will be forced to fire upon you under the Six Worlds Accord of 783, Section 23, Subsection 19(J).”
Chanz’ face screws up in a tired smirk as he shakes his head.
Chanz: “Always nice to know chapter and verse of your death sentence.”
Kaz: “That’s the PeaceForce, Mr. Marquez. By the book, all the way.”
Chanz: “As long as it’s in their’ favor, right?”
Speaker: “Crossfire Hurricane, this is your final warning. Power down your drives and prepare for boarding or we will be forced to fire upon you.”
Chanz: “Echo, they’re powering weapons. I’m engaging evasives.”
Echo: “Thanks, Chanz. They’ll probably have time for one or two shots before we jump. I’m almost finished with the plot to Hellmouth and we have about forty seconds to jump-point.”
Kaz: “Captain, we have laser fire and incoming missiles. A full spread of 12.
Chanz: “They must be pissed about something.”
Kaz: “We’re out of effective range for laser fire and we have about 30 seconds before the missiles reach us.”
Echo: “We should be right at jump when they get here. Get ready with countermeasures. I don’t know what happens to us if we jump as a missile hits, and I don’t want to find out.”
Kaz: “Aye, Captain. Countermeasures on-line and ready to fire.”
Echo thumbs her intercom key.
Echo: “Jump in fifteen seconds, gentlemen, get ready.”
Kaz: “Launching countermeasures, firing all tubes, Captain.”
Cut to: Exterior ‘Prophet’. 6 bright, star-shaped lights exit the rear of the ship at high speed. At a short distance from the ship, they explode creating clouds of silver foil and sand-like particles. We see missiles changing course and detonating in the clouds, except for one that follows through a hole made by another.
Cut to: Interior Bridge.
Chanz: “Countermeasures launched. Missiles are changing course and detonating. No, wait, one got through. Brace for impact.”
Echo: “Can’t brace now, its ‘Showtime’.”
Cut to: Forward view. The stars outside the ship begin to blur and stretch, indicating a transition to jump-space, as the ship is jolted by an explosion. As the stars fade to black, the computers’ mechanical voice begins to chime.
Computer: “Misjump, misjump, misjump…”
Chanz: (Increasing in volume) “No, NO, NO, NO, NOOOO!!!!!”
Echo jumps from her chair and rushes to his side as Kaz kills the Misjump alarm.
Echo: “Chanz, Chanz… It’s okay, we have fuel and supplies. It’s okay, Chanz.”
Chanz stops screaming but begins to cry while pulling into a fetal curl on his couch.
Echo shakes him by the shoulders
Echo: “Chanz, it’s okay. We’ll be fine. We – will – be – fine.”
Ian: (From Intercom) “We’ve got problems down here. The mains are fused, the secondaries are fused, and I’ve got more melted packs in the engineering console than I can count. Would someone mind dropping down here to give me a hand if you’re not too fraggin’ busy?
Kaz: “I’ll go.”
Echo: (Shakes her head) “No. Chanz, listen to me. Ian needs your help. Will you go help him? Please?”
Chanz nods slowly and rises from his couch.
Chanz: (Pulling himself upright) “It’ll really be okay, Echo?”
Echo: (Grasping his shoulder) “I promise.”
Chanz walks slowly off the Bridge while Echo’s concerned eyes follow him..
Kaz: “Captain?”
Echo turns back to face her newest crew member.
Echo: “I know what you’re going to ask. His wife and twin daughters were lost on the Asami Miura six years ago when it misjumped. He was supposed to be with them, but was held up on business. They were never found and he’s never really gotten over it. That’s why he’s here. He was half owner of a agro-combine on Movaine. After spending all he had searching for them, he came out here to look for them himself. He knows that he will probably never find them, but he can’t give up.”
Kaz: “But he would be dead as well if he were with them.”
Echo: “Sometimes that’s better..”
Kaz: “So what do we do know, Captain?”
Echo: “We wait for a report from Ian. We still have two-thirds of our fuel left. We can still make a jump or two from wherever we come out.”
Kaz: “If Mr. Wickencamp can fix the drives, if we are in range of anything worth jumping to, if we don’t reenter into an asteroid field or a moon, the universe is full of ‘ifs’, Captain.”
Echo: “It can be”
Ian: (From Intercom) “If anyone’s interested, here’s the damage: Two days to fix the main coils, a day more for the primary injection manifold, another day for the fraggin’ secondaries, and at least two fraggin’ days for the fraggin’ console if I can scavenge all the fraggin’ boards I need from the fraggin’ backup station.”
Echo: “So why are you wasting time talking to us, Mr. Engineer?”
Ian: (From Intercom) “’Cause I just love listening to your voice.”
Echo: “Just fix the drives, okay?”
Ian: (From Intercom) “Okay, gorgeous.”
Echo: “So that about covers it, huh?”
Fade to Black
Fade in: Interior Bridge. Echo, Chanz, and Kaz are seated in their couches, busily flipping switches and pressing buttons in preparation for re-entry into normal space.
Kaz: “All weapons and countermeasures systems tested and operating normally.”
Chanz: “All electronic and computer systems tested and operating normally.”
Echo: “All navigation and bridge systems tested and operating normally.”
Kaz: (Keying his intercom pad) “Mr. Wickencamp? Is engineering ready for reentry?”
Ian: (From Intercom) “All drive and engineering control systems tested and operating within specifications.”
Echo: “Whose specifications?”
Ian: (From Intercom) “The engineering officers’, of course.”
Echo: “Ian, we’ve only got one chance at this. Don’t screw us all with one of your little experiments.”
Ian: (From Intercom) “Sweetheart, this entire fraggin’ engineering section is an experiment at this point. Try not to break it again, okay?”
Echo: “Right. Ready for re-entry then. Indicators read 30 seconds to re-entry. Starting sequence now.”
Chanz: “Powering weapons and targeting computer. Evasive subroutines online and ready.”
Kaz: “Countermeasures and weapons online and ready.”
Ian: (From Intercom) “Power plant online and ready. Maneuver drives online and ready.”
Echo: “Okay, gentlemen. Hang onto your shorts, this could get rough.”
Cut to: Forward view. The stars outside the ship begin to blur and stretch, indicating the return to normal space.
Echo: “Chanz, where are we?”
Chanz: “Give me a minute, the computer is working on it but we aren’t where your jump plot says we should be so it’s a little confused.”
Kaz: “Captain short-range sensors are clear. Long range sensors are working.”
Echo: “Right, Kaz. Let me know. Chanz? Anything yet?”
Chanz: “Yeah and it’s not good. We’re clear on the other side of the Kherin Subsector. Almost 70 parsecs from where we started. It’s gonna take us weeks to get back to Hellmouth.”
Echo: “How close is the nearest fuel? Any systems nearby? Gas giants? Subspace transmissions?”
Kaz: “Nothing on any sensors, Captain.”
Chanz: “Nearest system is Frugutt, Echo, but it’s in the wrong direction to get us home. The nearest thing in the right direction is Klustin, but we would have to land to refuel there.”
Echo: “Any bases in either system?”
Chanz: “No. But both systems are part of the Kalidan Collective. Not necessarily someplace we want to shut down our drives.”
Echo: “You’re right there. I’d rather burn an extra jump backtracking from Frugutt than get caught on the ground in Klustin by the Collective.”
Chanz: “Agreed. Where then?”
Echo: “You tell me, Navigator. I’d like to avoid any entanglements if possible as well as any landings that aren’t truly needed.”
Chanz: “I’ll work out a course and let you know in a few minutes.”
Echo: (Keys the intercom) “Ian, how are things down in engineering?”
Ian: “Well, I managed to get the primary and secondary drive coils fixed, the primary manifolds fixed, the secondary manifold cleared and tested, and I’m about an hour away from a full load test of the main engineering console.”
Echo: “Not bad, thirty-six hours for six days worth of work.”
Ian: “I told you that I could do miracles if you just let me.”
Echo: “With lots of help from Chanz and Kaz.”
Ian: “I nev..”
Echo reaches out and keys the intercom off before his reply reaches her.
Echo: “Chanz, what do you have for me?”
Chanz: “Well, it’s gonna take a while and we’ll have to be careful and lucky to get through without trouble.”
Echo: “Tell me.”
Chanz: “From Frugutt, we jump to Zastack, then Kidan, Ekrill, Ravlang, Slawellia, Kutretab, New Keposo, Frinitt, Auriga K15, the Azarrian Belt, Gleran, and, finally, Hellmouth. About two or two-and-a-half weeks worth of jump time alone. With refueling thrown in, probably four to five weeks.”
Echo: “That’s not going to make Rossel Cebastien very happy. He was expecting that shipment the day after tomorrow.”
Kaz: “Mr. Cebastien is not a gentleman I would wish to anger.”
Chanz: “Well, he’s just going to have to get over it. At this point, he’ll be lucky to get the shipment at all.”
Echo: “Right.”
Echo keys the intercom again.
Echo: “Ian, how soon before we can jump again?”
Ian: “Six hours, give or take an hour.”
Echo: Take it, Ian. We’ve got a very anxious client, a very expensive cargo, and we need to be on our way yesterday.”