Buck Rogers in the 26th Century Episode 111x "Gods of Lions" Written by: Erin Weinstock I don't hold any of the copyrights in this story, and this story was made without profit. Teaser: int: Ben Rogers' Home: The camera is focused on a wall calendar that's marked date says April first 2006. Where it's marked for the date, the mark has a poorly drawn Saturn. The camera stays here for a beat, before then... The camera moves back and away from the calendar to reveal a kitchen. Still moving the camera moves into a hallway, then to a closed door where it stops. Cut to: int: Bathroom: The camera is close on the sink, where a man's hand bangs a razor against it to shake off shaving cream. Then the hand with razor moves up out of camera view. Cut camera to a better view of this scene, to see Ben Rogers aged 32 years, watching himself shaving in a mirror. After a beat of this, he accidentally nicks himself and he twinges in slight pain. After he wipes off the blood and shaving cream. Cut to: ext: Highway: There is a traffic jam, the sky looks clear and appears to be a little muggy. As this scene starts the camera is just over the roof of a car. Slowly the camera rises to reveal a better view of this. Quickly the camera moves forward over the cars, to only then settle on one car: the car Ben is in. After a beat... Cut to: int: Car: Ben bends forward onto the wheel waiting for the cars ahead of him to move, while listening to the news on the radio. V.O. Radio: "The high today will be 77 degrees in Tampa, 79 in Orlando, and 81 right here at Cape Kennedy, where in just over an hour NASA will be launching its latest mission." Mouthing, Ben: "Tell me something I don't know." V.O. Radio: "And to a more progressive area of our government, our president will be having his talks with a few top representatives of a few Middle Eastern countries at one o'clock in Washington DC." Ben lifts his head off the wheel. Ben: "Finally, shut off the darn cell phone, some of us need to be going places." The car starts moving. V.O. Radio: "But there are only few out there who believe these talks might not be the President's wisest course of action to follow after the recent bombings that have led to these talks being needed." Cut to: ext: Kennedy Space Center: In the parking lot just outside Mission Control, two men stand against the building. Note both of them are wearing nametags that tell people they work there. Kevin: "Where the hell is Rogers?" Peter: "He'll be here." Kevin: "Maybe he forgot." Peter: "This has got be the biggest day of his whole life outside of marrying Tammy. He didn't forget, something has to be holding him up." Cut camera to an opposite view of the scene to see Ben's car pulling into the lot. Kevin: "With the amount of funding that's gone into this mission, Washington will have our heads if -." Peter: "Here he comes." Ben parks the car, then moves around in it some to get a tag out that he then attaches to hanging off the car's main rear-view mirror. Ben gets out of the car and locks it with a device on his key chain. V.O. the car chirps at becoming locked. Ben then runs at break-neck speed through the parking lot, towards Peter and Kevin. Once Ben is at the pair, Kevin: "Relax, we weren't going to launch without you." Now Kevin and Peter turn around to be facing towards the camera, as they lead Ben past the camera with them. Peter: "Besides you're the only astronaut who's been trained in how to fly this beast we're about to shoot off." Cut to: ext: Launch Pad: Sitting on it is Ranger 3 looking ready to launch. After a beat of this scene... Cut to: int: Ranger 3: The camera is moving with Ben as he climbs up into the pilot's seat. Once in the seat and having buckled up, he then hits a number of switches and buttons that almost fully surround him in the cockpit. Note because of where the camera is we can't fully see him performing the action but we can hear it. Once done now with setting up the shuttle, Ben: "Mocer, I am ready for launch." V.O. Peter: "We copy that Benjamin, stand by for countdown." Cut to: ext: Launch Pad: V.O. Peter: "Ten nine eight -." As this is said the rockets begin to flare into life. V.O Cont: "Seven six five -." The rockets have now come to full life. Cut camera to above and off to the side of the shuttle. V.O. Cont: "Four three two one. Ignition!" Ranger 3 blasts off the launch pad and moves past the camera. Cut camera to being in the air a distance from Ranger 3; moving up through the air. In the further distance of this scene moving towards the shuttle quickly is a missile. The missile hits Ranger 3 in a fiery blast that destroys both. Cut to: int: Mission Control: The whole of this place is in a tear-filled terrorized panic over what has just happened. We hear people crying and shouting over the event. Everybody is like this but three men sitting at their own control modules. The camera focuses onto these three after a beat. Costh speaking in a hushed voice: "Why did you do that? That wasn't part of the plan?!" Raycor in the same tone: "This is the day the war happened." Suunta in the same tone as the others: "Blowing up the shuttle wasn't the point of this! It was to see what would have happened if the Mission had been successful, it didn't get blown to bits the first time!" Costh gets up out of his host Human body to reveal a glowing body that's eyes, lips and nostrils simmer with energy. The others soon follow Costh's action by getting out of their host Human bodies, to reveal the same type of alien form. Note nobody has taken any notice that this is happening. Raycor: "Then we try this again." Cut to: ext: Space: We see Earth for a beat before it fades quickly to white then out of existence and then back into existence a beat later. End Teaser Pre-Credits: Beginning of Act One: ext: Ben Rogers' Home: In this scene all we can see is a star-filled night sky, before after a beat: Cut camera to see Ben staring up at the sky standing on an open-aired porch. Another beat before his wife Tammy comes out to join him. Tammy: "Can't wait for tomorrow can you?" Ben: "I can't, Tammy; the stars are wrong." Tammy: "Ben Rogers, I thought astrology wasn't your guide." Ben: "No, not the star signs. The stars are all wrong, they're not where they should be." Cut camera to behind the two looking up at the night sky. Tammy: "I see nothing wrong with them; are you having doubts about the mission, hon?" Ben: "No, I'm not, I don't see a single constellation I recognize." Tammy: "Benji there's nothing wrong with how the stars are aligned. It's just you worrying too much. Come on inside," she says taking hold of one of his hands to lead him in the house. He smiles and takes her lead to off camera. Cut to: int: Dining Room: This is the room that leads out to the porch. Just after Ben and Tammy enter, Tammy lets go of her grip from Ben. He smiles at her as she walks away. Then looks back outside before a beat later turning his head away from the sight and shaking his head no. The phone rings. He starts to move out of camera frame for it, but stops as Tammy shouts: "I'll get it." V.O Tammy: "Yeah, he's here, it's his last night on Earth for a while, he wants to spend it with family." A beat, Cont: "Yes I know you're family, but we can't get to Chicago right now and you can't go here to Cape Kennedy because the Air Force won't let you." A beat, Cont: "It's a shame, but he'll be coming back in six weeks." A beat, Cont: "You can talk to him. There's no way I'm going to deny him one last talk with his brother before he leaves for two months." Tammy walks back into camera view and hands Ben a cordless phone. Cont: "It's your brother." Ben: "Hi Buck, what's up?" A beat, Cont: "Hold up, she wants you to do what?" A. beat, Cont: "Will there be any side effects?" A beat, Cont: "Not my idea of a fun time: Human lab rat." A beat, Cont: "I'm not a test pilot." A beat, Cont: "I've been fully trained in how to fly it. The first two Rangers were just made to test the design. [ beat ] So really why are you doing this?" Ben: "Could you take a picture for me?" Tammy: "What is he up to?" Ben: "This is that red dress she wore to the wedding?" Tammy flicks Ben's head and walks out of camera range. Ben: "Tammy just hit me." A beat, Cont: "Cause we've been talking about Jennifer's dress." A beat, Cont: "Nice to know you'll be watching the launch tomorrow after you wake up." A beat Cont: "I love you too man, take care." After having said that last line, he clicks the phone off. Cut to: ext: Ben Rogers' Home: This scene is on the porch of the house. It's morning and the world is covered in dew and the sun has risen so high everything has become well lit. A beetle is scurrying along a railing that moves along the whole of the porch. All of a sudden a spider comes up from the underside of the porch rail and catches the beetle for its meal. Cut to: int: Bathroom: The camera is close on the sink, where a man's hand bangs a razor against it to shake off shaving cream. Then the hand with razor moves up out of camera view. Cut camera to a better view of this scene, to see Ben watching himself shaving in a mirror. After a beat of this, he accidentally nicks himself and he twinges in slight pain. After he wipes off the blood and shaving cream. Cut to: ext: Highway: There is a traffic jam, the sky looks clear and appears to be a little muggy. As this scene starts the camera is just over the roof of a car. Cut to: int: Car: Ben bends forward onto the wheel waiting for the cars ahead of him to move, while listening to the news on the radio. V.O. Radio: "I'm not making this up folks: St. Augustine in a few days is due to have a cool snap. Now whether or not that will be affecting this year's orange crops is still unknown. Because hey who knows the future right? Maybe the farmers will get just as many this year, only maybe they'll be getting "yellows" instead of oranges." Ben: "Very cute yuh smart alec, got any lime jokes?" V.O. Radio: "With the recent accidental bombing in the Middle East I'm beginning to really worry about the state of this nation's military. The army, the air force, the marines, the NAVY. They'll take anyone they can get their hands on! I mean military intelligence, come on! Hi my name's Bob and I uh I want a gun so I could hu hu blow up stuff. You see I got this black snake I really want to get out of my garage. I mean I mean I wanna kill some of them U.S. hating terrorists. OK here's your gun. It doesn't take anything to get in the military nowadays people! We are being protected by a bunch of morons!" Ben: "You keep the air force and the NAVY out of this yuh dumb disk jockey!" He lifts his head off the wheel when he says the last line, only to discover after having said that, Cont: "Finally, shut off the darn cell phone, some of us need to be going places." The car starts moving. V.O. Radio: "After that blast I just gave myself to you guys, don't think I'm not patriotic? Cause I am uh-oh here comes Homeland security! I'm just joking here folks." Cut to: ext: Kennedy Space Center: In the parking lot just outside Mission Control, Peter and Kevin stand against the building. Kevin: "Where the hell is Rogers?" Peter: "He'll be here." Kevin: "Do you think he remembered the test in addition to the flight?" Peter: "Now that I can't be too sure about. It's never been part of a mission in the past. Why the guys upstairs waited to the last minute about doing it is beyond me. I mean if he fails it -." Cut camera view to just in front of Peter and Kevin so we can see Ben's car coming into the parking lot. Peter: "Here he comes." Ben parks the car, then moves around in it some to get a tag out that he then attaches to hanging off the car's main rear-view mirror. Ben gets out of the car and locks it with a device on his key chain. V.O. the car chirps at becoming locked. Ben then runs at break-neck speed through the parking lot, towards Peter and Kevin. Once Ben is at the pair, Kevin: "Relax, we weren't going to launch without you. Did you remember the little something extra about this mission?" As the three of them walk into the building, Ben: "Yeah, I remembered; sheesh and I'm the one who called Buck the lab rat last night." Peter: "Why'd you call your brother a lab rat?" Ben: "The air force is going to be putting him through some medical experiment today." Kevin: "It's the whole government." Peter makes a couple of mouse squeaks. Cut to: int: Lab: This place doesn't much look like the stereotype image of a lab. It has its testing equipment sparsely set about it, just one table and a few chairs. There are only five other people in this room besides Ben who has just entered it. Note there are no windows to this place. Ben under his breath: "I don't believe I'm about to go through with this." Lab Tech one: "But if you didn't think about the loss this will make to the aerospace program." Ben: "You heard me?" Lab Tech two: "These walls conduce sound very easily." After a beat, Ben: "Is there a chance this might hurt me?" Lab Tech one: "The chances of that are very highly unlikely, Rogers." Ben: "But you've never done this before." Lab Tech three: "Well, to Humans that is." As Ben is sitting down in a chair by a machine that has a gas mask coming off of it, Ben: "Thanks, that makes me feel a lot better about doing this." Lab Tech four walks over to the place Ben is at and starts prepping the machine beside him. Cont: "This stuff will wear off on me before I'm ready for launch, right?" Lab Tech five: "It's meant to kick in fast and leave no aftereffects so you can operate the shuttle correctly after you're woken up from its effect." Ben: "Couldn't you guys just freeze me to make the trip seem shorter?" Lab Tech five: "That only works in fiction Rogers. Freezing you would crystallize your cells, when you would start thawing all of them crackle and break." Nodding in agreement to the coming action, Ben: "[ beat ] Good point." Lab Tech four hands the gas mask to Ben, who takes it. Lab Tech four: "Now what I want you to do is lean back in the chair, relax and let us monitor the effect the gas has on you.' Ben makes an understanding motion and does as he's told, tipping his head back from the chair and cupping the mask over his mouth and nose. Cut camera to close on Ben's face: he's looking sleepy. After a beat his eyes close. Then they snap wide open. Cut camera back for a better view of this scene. The mask falls off Ben's face as he suddenly jolts his head up, and grips the chair he's in, having a coughing fit. Lab Tech two: "He's having a bad reaction! Turn off the gas!" Lab Tech five turns off the gas, After a beat, As Ben trying to get a good breath, "What was in that stuff!" Lab Tech three: "Oxygen, cryogen, ozone, methalon." As Ben is still trying to breathe right, Lab Tech one: "Do you think you're going to be OK? The launch will be happening in just under an hour." Cut camera close to Ben as he gives a look that says, "Are you nuts?" End of Act One: Beginning of Act Two: ext: Ben Rogers' Home: In this scene all we can see is a star-filled night sky, before after a beat: Cut camera to see Ben staring up at the sky standing on an open-aired porch. After a beat he walks around the railing and goes out onto the lawn, continuing his stare. Cut back to the starry night sky for a beat. Then cut the camera back to Ben who's still looking up at it. Tammy is walking up to him. Tammy: "Can't wait for tomorrow huh?" Ben: "I can't, Tammy; the stars are wrong." Tammy: "Ben Rogers, I thought astrology wasn't your guide." Ben: "No, not the star signs. The stars are all wrong, they're not where they should be. [ beat ] And I swear, I swear this isn't the first time I've seen them this way before somehow." Tammy: "You're just nervous." Ben: "Something isn't right here." Tammy: "Too much star gazing that's what. You need to take your mind off your work." Tammy takes one of his hands. Tammy: "Come on inside." He smiles at her and takes her lead off camera towards the house. Cut to: int: Dining Room: Just after Ben and Tammy enter, Tammy lets go of her grip from Ben. He continues his smile at her as she walks away. Then he looks back outside before a beat later turning his head away from the sight and shaking his head no. The phone rings. He starts to move out of camera frame for it, but stops as Tammy shouts: "I'll get it." V.O Tammy: "Yeah, he's here. It's his last night on Earth for a while, he wants to spend it with family." A beat, Cont: "Yes I know you're family, but we can't go to Chicago right now and you can't come here to Cape Kennedy because the Air Force won't let you." A beat, Cont: "It's a shame, but he'll be coming back in six weeks." A beat, Cont: "You can talk to him. There's no way I'm going to deny him one last talk with his brother before he leaves for two months." Tammy walks back into camera view and hands Ben a cordless phone. Cont: "It's your brother." Ben: "Hi Buck, what's up?" A beat, Cont: "Well, this isn't the first time she asked you to do something like this right?" A beat: Cont: "Thank goodness for that." A beat Cont: "They're going to treat you like a Human lab rat." A beat Cont: "No they [ beat ] no they haven't ever done anything of the sort to me, nor do they plan on." A beat Cont: "Not in NASA." A beat Cont: "I've been fully trained in how to fly it. The first two Rangers were just made to test the design. [ beat ] Jenny is the one making you do this right?" A beat Cont: "I had a feeling." Ben: "Could you take a picture for me?" Tammy: "What is he up to?" Ben: "This is that red dress she wore to the wedding?" Tammy flicks Ben's head and walks out of camera range. Ben: "Tammy just hit me." A beat, Cont: "Cause we've been talking about Jennifer's dress." A beat, Cont: "Nice to know you'll be watching the launch tomorrow after you wake up." A beat Cont: "I love you too man, take care." After having said that last line, he clicks the phone off. Cut to: ext: Ben Rogers' Home: This scene is on the porch of the house. It's morning and the world is covered in dew and the sun has risen so high everything has become well lit. A beetle is scurrying along a railing that moves along the whole of the porch, seemingly unaware of a small lizard it's moving up on. Suddenly the small lizard makes a quick action of moving towards the beetle and eats it. Cut to: int: Bathroom: The camera is close on the sink, where a man's hand bangs a razor against it to shake off shaving cream. Then the hand with razor moves up out of camera view. Cut camera to a better view of this scene, to see Ben watching himself shaving in a mirror. After a beat of this, he accidentally nicks himself and he twinges in slight pain. After he wipes off the blood and shaving cream. Cut to: ext: Highway: There is a traffic jam, the sky looks clear and appears to be a little muggy. As this scene starts the camera is just over the roof of a car. Cut to: int: Car: Ben bends forward onto the wheel waiting for the cars ahead of him to move, while listening to the news on the radio. V.O Radio: "And in further news zoological scientists believe that if the Avian Flu was it to hit here in the U.S. its first victims would very most likely be in Alaska due to migrating geese. Thank goodness all you listeners out there are here in Florida, huh?" Ben: "Always in the warmth of the Human spirit, aren't you D.J. Sunshine." V.O. Radio: "And a little later today NASA will be launching its second shuttle since the Columbia disaster. NASA, I'm told has full confidence in the upcoming mission due to the fact that this mission will be taking place using the first new approved for flight shuttle in over 20 years. The Ranger 3, three? What ever happened to the first two I wonder, eh?" Ben lifts his head up from the steering wheel, as he notices the other cars around himself have started to move. Ben: "Sunshine, I know you can't see this but -." He gives the radio a middle finger and mouths f u. . At this having been done a car honks. Cont: "That finger wasn't at you, it was at the radio. I'm moving my car OK!" Cut to: ext: Kennedy Space Center: In the parking lot just outside Mission Control, Peter and Kevin stand against the building. Kevin: "Where the hell is Rogers?" Peter: "He'll be here." Kevin: "Yuh know it just hit me, I really think he's the perfect one to fly this shuttle." Peter: "That's because he's the only one that can fly it." Kevin: " No, Rogers and Ranger 3, R&R." He hints to Peter he's making a joke. Peter: "Funny Kevin, very funny." Cut camera view to just in front of Peter and Kevin so we can see Ben's car coming into the parking lot. Peter: "Here he comes." Ben parks the car, then moves around in it some to get a tag out that he then attaches to hanging off the car's main rear-view mirror. Ben gets out of the car and locks it with a device on his key chain. V.O. the car chirps at becoming locked. Ben then runs at break-neck speed through the parking lot, towards Peter and Kevin. As he gets closer he slows down a lot about ten feet before them, slowly walks up to them and stares at them in awe. Peter: "Is something wrong." Ben: "Deja-vu, I feel all I've done this before." Kevin: "You've trained but this will be your first time in space. This isn't deja-vu my friend, it's your first real adventure." As the three of them walk into the building, Ben: "Guess you're right." Cut to: int: Prep Room: It's a small room fitted with only six lockers and a bench in the middle of it. As this scene starts Ben has just finished zipping his flight suit up to his neck. His normal clothes are on the bench. Now fully dressed for the launch he picks up his normal wear clothes, gives a little smile at them, then proceeds to stuff them in an open locker and lock them away once they've been set inside. He then goes to the only door leading into the prep room, opens the doorway and leaves camera view into the next room beyond. Cut to: int: Mission Control Room: Peter is sitting at his station with a headset on, looking like he's paying more attention to the headset than to anything else. Peter: "Are you sure?" A beat, Cont: "Is there any way it can be fixed?" A beat, Cont: "I'll tell him, I'm his best friend, I should be the one to tell him." Cut to: ext: Launch Pad: Ben is quickly walking out to where Ranger 3 is. In the background another NASA employee gets into an empty car that's about fifteen feet right behind Ben, as another car is now pulling into the scene. Note Peter is in the car that's coming. Peter drives the car to where it comes to being ten feet forward, right in front of Ben's path, and stops. Ben continues his walking but now at a slower pace. Once at Peter's car, he's ready to knock on the window when Pete rolls it down. Ben: "What are you doing here? You should be back at Mocer where it will be safe to watch the launch." Peter points off camera. Peter: "You see those men over there?" Ben turns towards where Peter has indicated to him. Ben: "Ya, I see -." Just after having said "see," his face turns to stone. Cut camera to away from what we've seen so far in this scene of the launch pad, to a point just past it where a mixed grouping of eight men and women together stand. They all look like they work for NASA. But three of them have a look of fluttering electricity in their eyes. All of these people are talking together. Cut camera back to Peter and Ben; as Peter is talking, Ben isn't watching him. Instead his eyes are fixed on the group of people off camera. Peter: "The mission at least for now, they want it aborted." Cut camera back to seeing the grouping of eight people. Note this is Ben's POV; he can see the odd eyes three of them have. V.O. Peter: "Where the shuttle first connects with the right booster rocket to it, one of the tiles has a crack in it." Cut camera back to seeing Peter and Ben. Ben: "What are they, [ beat ] what are they doing?" His voice trails off some when saying this. Peter turns to look at the eight. Cut camera to Peter's POV: Peter: "My guess is trying to make the mission still go forward today." Note in Peter's POV we don't see the shining eyes of the three people. Cut camera back to seeing Peter and Ben. Ben's eyes still fixed on the group off camera. Ben: "Peter, I'll be back with you in a little, I have to see this." Ben walks off camera towards the group. Cut camera to right inside of the grouping of people. Note we can see Ben walking towards them in the background of this. Woman one: "The mission is a no go today?" Woman two: "There's no way it can be fixed up soon?" Man one: "These tiles are special order, I just can't mosey on back to some NASA warehouse get a new tile and come back here to fix it." Man two turning to Woman one and Woman two. Man two: "Try this again?" Woman one and Woman two nod to Man two. End of Act Two: Beginning of Act Three: ext: Ben Rogers' Home: In this scene all we can see is a star-filled night sky, before after a beat: Cut camera to see Ben staring up at the sky standing on an open-aired porch. Another beat his eyes narrow at the sight. He walks off the porch and onto the grass. Keeping his head still turned upwards he moves around in a circle for more observation. He takes his eyes off the sky and runs off camera. Cut camera to Ben running past Tammy who was coming outside. Tammy: "Ben, is something the matter?" He doesn't answer her as he runs past. Cut to: int: Hallway: Ben is running down it and quickly opening a door and going inside it. Cut to: int: Ben and Tammy's Bedroom: Ben is crouching down in front of a bookcase, moving one of his pointer fingers along it, looking for the book he wants. Which he finds a moment later. What he's pulled out is "Advanced Astrology for Space Navigation." He gets up with the book and runs off camera. Cut to: ext: Yard: Ben runs out into the grass with the book in hand and stops his running five yards from the house. He opens the book and quickly flips to the page he wants. Stares at it for a beat, then turns his gaze to the night sky. Ben: "I knew it." He closes the book, still staring up at the sky. Cont: "None of these stars should be here. None of this should be possible, so how could this be?" Tammy walks out onto the porch. Tammy: "Benji, you have a call from your brother." Ben: "Tell him I think it's a bad idea, even if she will wear that dress for him." Tammy: "What?! Ben, what are you talking about?" Ben turns his attention now away from the sky to Tammy. Ben: "You don't know?" Tammy: "I don't know what?" Ben: "The red dress. Are you going to hit me now?" Tammy puts the phone to her mouth, Tammy: "Are you sure you want to speak to him now, Buck? He's acting like a FREAK." Cut to: ext: Ben Rogers' Home: This scene is on the porch of the house. It's morning and the world is covered in dew and the sun has risen so high everything has become well lit. A beetle is scurrying along a railing that moves along the whole of the porch, unaware of a small bird that's just landed on the railing a little up from it. The bird gives a couple small hops then bends down and eats the beetle. int: Bathroom: The camera is close on the sink, where a man's hand bangs a razor against it to shake off shaving cream. Then the hand with razor moves up out of camera view. To only then come back into view again and come to rest on the sink. Ben staring in the mirror looking prepped to shave, Ben: "Not today." And then he proceeds to start wiping the shaving cream off his face. ext: Highway: There is a traffic jam, the sky looks clear and appears to be a little muggy. As this scene starts the camera is just over the roof of a car. Cut to: int: Car: Ben is listening to "It's the End of the World as We Know It," and half-assed is singing along to it. A short while into this he notices the other cars starting to move around him. Ben stopping his singing and taking hold of the steering wheel, Ben: "Hello, this is D.J Sunshine, and I say it's time that people who use their cell phones on the road get locked up and, I'm just kidding here folks!" He starts moving the car with the rest of the traffic. Cut to: ext: Kennedy Space Center: In the parking lot just outside Mission Control, Peter and Kevin stand against the building. . Kevin: "Where the hell is Rogers?" Peter: "He'll be here." A couple beats as they wait. Kevin: "He does know it's today right?" Peter: "This is one of the most important days of his whole life, he knows it's today." Another beat as they continue waiting. Cut camera to the parking lot before them; a beat, Ben's car is nowhere to be seen. Cut camera back to Peter and Kevin. Kevin: "I can't wait out here for him, I need to get to Mocer." Kevin goes inside the building. Cut camera to seeing Peter on a side view nearly leaning against the building. After a beat Ben comes into camera view by coming around the side of the building. Cut camera to Ben; Ben talking softly to himself: "Kevin isn't there." Cut camera back to Peter on side view. Ben: "Peter!" Peter turns his head towards Ben at having heard his name called. At the same time Ben is walking towards Peter. Peter: "Ben Rogers, where in all of creation have you been man! You haven't forgotten have you?!" Ben: "Actually I think somehow I'm remembering more than I should." Ben starts looking inquisitively at Peter as he's walking. Peter: "What's wrong? You're looking at me kind of funny." Ben: "I don't know what's happening. I need to see your eyes." Peter: "What?" Ben who is now at Peter gets close to his face looking over it. Peter backs up as Ben is starting to worry him with his closeness. Cont: "What are you doing?" Ben backs away, Ben: "Finding out if you're Human." Peter: "Are you taking any drugs I should know about?" Ben: "The aliens here, their eyes look different than ours." Ben looks around the area then back to Peter. Cont: "I need to talk with someone about all this. [ beat ] The press will start arriving here soon for the launch. Could we talk somewhere else?" Peter: "Then by all means we should be talking about your mental health somewhere else." Ben fast walks into the building followed by Peter who looks very perplexed by his friend's actions. Cut to: int: Prep Room: Peter is sitting on the bench looking deep in thought, while Ben is standing against a locker. Ben: "Tammy doesn't believe me." Peter: "I don't believe you either." Ben: "Haven't you looked up at the night sky lately?" Peter: "No, [ beat ] do radar screens count?" Ben: "I don't event think we're in the galaxy we should be in, Peter. I wish I knew how that fact is even possible but I don't." Peter: "I have an idea how that could be possible." Ben: "How?!" Peter: "Have you been reading or watching a lot of science fiction lately?" Ben: "Pete, will you please take me seriously." Peter: "That's a fact that's kind of hard to do when you're handing me a story of you've found B.E.M's working for NASA." Ben: "They're not bug-eyed monsters. They look like people but their eyes look like bright TV static!" Peter: "I wouldn't go repeating this claim of yours to anyone else if I were you. Because not only would they abort the launch today, but they'd also lock you up in the funny farm." Ben: "You think I should be locked away?" Peter: "I'm your friend, I'd never send you off to a nut house. [ beat ] I just think you should keep this all to yourself and not tell others who would send you off." A beat as Ben seems to ponder what Peter has just said to him. Ben: "Oh OK if you think that's best." Cut to: int: Mission Control: Peter is sitting at his station with a headset on. That he starts taking off as he sees Kevin coming towards him. Peter: "Is something the matter?" Kevin: "You said you met up with Rogers when he finally came in, right?" Peter: "I did." Kevin: "Did he seem to be acting strangely toward you?" Peter is starting to look very concerted, Peter: "Why are you asking me this?" Kevin: "Because I've heard rumor he's been eyeballing everyone he's encountered today really oddly. Is there something wrong with him he told you about that the rest of us don't know about? Because this behavior of his has everyone highly questioning his mental fitness to go through with the mission." Peter: "Oh no." Kevin: "What's going on?" Cut to: ext: Ben Rogers' Home: In this scene all we can see is a star filled night sky, before after a beat. Cut camera to close up on Ben's face. Ben: "Not again." Cut camera back to see a better view of this scene, to see Buck is standing beside Ben. Buck: "Not again what?" Ben turns to Buck. Ben's face then turns to shock at seeing Buck. Ben: "Well this is different." End of Act three: Beginning of Act Four: int: Dining Room: As this scene starts, Ben and Buck are walking in from outside. Ben: "Buck what are you doing here? I really wasn't expecting you." Buck: "We've been training for tomorrow for three years, Benji. There's no way I was ever going to let this mission we're about to face, not have a good send off." Ben: " "We've" been training for this mission for three years!" Buck: "Huh?" Ben: "We've been training together for this mission? When? What are you doing on this mission!?" Buck: "Are you OK?" Ben: "I - I'm sorry, should be taking Peter's advice right now, and just keep my mouth shut." Buck: "It's OK Ben, you can talk to me." Ben takes one of the chairs that line the dining room table, to sit down in it. Ben: "Buck, this is something I can't even talk to you about." Note his voice has a weak sound to it as he says that line. Buck: "Well when you feel you can talk to me about whatever it is, let me know OK." Ben, still sounding soft in voice: "OK." Cut to: ext: Ben Rogers' Home: This scene is on the porch of the house. It's morning and the world is covered in dew and the sun has risen so high everything has become well lit. A beetle is scurrying along a railing that moves along the whole of the porch. It makes it to the nearest support beam, then proceeds to climb up it. The small bird lands on the railing, sits there for half a beat, then flies off. Cut to: int: Guest Room: Close up on Buck and Jenny that are sound asleep in a king sized bed. After a beat we can see the top blanket to the bed is being patted on off camera by the surface getting ruffled and unruffled. V.O Ben: "Get up, come on get up. We need to leave now." Cut camera back to reveal a better picture of this scene, which shows to us now, Ben is standing by Buck's bedside. Cont: "If we don't leave for the Kennedy Space Center now we'll get stuck in a traffic jam." Buck gives a moan. Ben: "We need to go now!" Buck sounding groggy in his voice: "It's too early." Note Buck's eyes aren't open. Ben: "It's five in the morning." Buck: "That's too early." Ben: "Trust me the highway is going to be packed. You don't want to miss the launch do you?" Buck: "I'm going." Buck gives Jenny a little nudge with his nearest arm to her under the covers. Cont: "Jen, Jenny wake up honey." Jenny gives a little noise of acknowledgment. Buck turns over in the bed to open his eyes to Ben. A beat as Buck stares at him, Buck: "Aren't you going to shave first before we go?" Ben: "No, I'm not going to shave this morning." Buck: "Come on, you don't want to make yourself presentable for this?" Ben: "It isn't worth a bloody razor." Buck sits up in bed, Buck: "What?!" Ben: "I - I haven't had some good luck shaving lately. Is she going to be going?" Jenny: "I'm not going to get out of bed till you leave this room, Ben." She says in a tired voice. Ben: "Why not?" Jenny: "Because only your brother can see me get out of bed, that's why," she says with a smile. Ben giving the look of he doesn't want to leave, after half a beat. Ben: "I'll leave." Ben exits the room. ext: Kennedy Space Center: In the parking lot just outside Mission Control, Peter and Kevin stand against the building. Peter: "Here he comes." Cut camera view to just in front of Peter and Kevin so we can see Ben's car coming into the parking lot. Ben parks the car, then moves around in it some to get a tag out that he then attaches to hanging off the car's main rear-view mirror. Ben, Buck, Jenny and Tammy get out of the car and Ben locks it with a device on his key chain. V.O. the car chirps at becoming locked. The group starts heading towards Peter and Kevin. Cut to: int: Elevator at Launch Pad Buck and Ben are moving up in it to the porthole that will let them enter the shuttle. As they're moving Ben casually looks down off to the side of the elevator. Cut to camera POV Ben: Through the caged elevator we see multiple cars and people standing in a group below some holding cameras. Three of the people have the strange eyes. It's a man and two women. Cut camera back to off Ben's POV: Ben hits the button that stops the elevator. Ben: "That's it!" Buck: "What are you doing?" Ben: "Before we blast off into outer space for six weeks I need to know what those aliens are doing here." Ben hits the button that makes the elevator start moving downwards. Buck: "Aliens? Ben, are you doing something I should know about?" Ben doesn't answer as the elevator proceeds downward. Cont: "Ben?" The elevator comes to a halt now that it's on the ground. Ben opens the shaft door and walks out to the crowd. Buck stays in the elevator, looking puzzled by his brother's actions. Cut camera to Ben's POV on their eyes, but we can still see him: he walks right up to Costh who's in the man's body. Ben: "What are you doing here!?" Costh: "What do you mean, what am I doing here?" Ben: "I can see you, your eyes! Somehow I remember, I think the gas did something to my brain so I can see you! I know this day has happened before! I WANT TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON!!" Costh gives Ben an inquisitive look then walks away from the crowd. The Human body it's inhabiting it walks out of, leaving the man standing still where the alien left him. Then Costh turns to face Ben. Costh: "The others, myself, we need to see what would have happened." The ladies with the strange eyes are now walking away from the crowd to join Costh in where it stands. The rest of the crowd just stands staring at Ben. Ben: "What do you mean, what would have happened!?" Costh: "The mission never was launched. The war prevented it from occurring. You Humans back in the early 21st century, you hadn't moved far into space at that point. If Ranger 3 had been launched you might have advanced to being further along into space exploration than you have by now." Ben: "Back in the 21st century?! What war?!" Woman one has Suunta step out of her, leaving her in her place as it does this. Suunta: "World war three, it happened over five hundred years ago on the day your mission in the Ranger 3 was going to be launched." Ben: "What!? How is this possible?! How are you doing this!? [ beat ] Is this, is this Earth!? Am I on Earth?! The stars in the night sky don't look right, how did you do that!?" Woman two or Raycor: "This isn't Earth. This is a planet we made to resemble Earth, it is over eighty thousand light years away from any alien settlement and well past where any species from Earth has ever traveled. You are not Benjamin Rogers, you are merely a copy we recreated to have Ranger 3 complete its mission, which we have yet to see it succeed in." Ben is in stock, Ben: "I'm not myself! I'm a copy! A person that's been dead for over five hundred -." A beat, Cont: "WHY?! WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE AFTER FIVE HUNDRED YEARS TO DO SUCH A THING!?" Suunta turns towards Buck. Suunta: "We noticed what your brother has been doing in this century. He is a most interesting man. [ beat ] We are the Jenka, we are the only ones in this universe that can make whole worlds and life to suit our needs." Ben: "Buck is alive in the 26th century?! How is that possible? Wait, that man! He isn't a copy!?" Ben is pointing off towards Buck Costh: "Everything you see around you is a copy, none of the beings you see around you are their originals but us. The real Buck Rogers is alive in this century and that fact should be of no concern to you. Now return to the shuttle, we don't want to try this again!" Ben is open mouthed in shock for a beat, then he closes it, and heads back for the shuttle. Cut camera to Ben entering the elevator. Buck: "Maybe we shouldn't be doing this today, Ben. You just shouted mainly off into thin air." Ben closes the elevator door and presses the button for them to go up. Ben: "No, we are going to do this today. Better late than never." The elevator starts moving up. Cut to: int: Cockpit: Ben and Buck are strapped in their seats listening to: V.O. Peter: "Ten, nine, eight, even, six, five, four, three, two, one. Ignition!" Cut camera to behind where Ben and Buck are sitting, so we can see through the window before them that they're rushing up into the sky. V.O. Suunta: "You know Raycor, this whole thing with Earth's space travel has become boring. He knows what we're doing." Raycor: "You're right, lets see what would have happened if the Loumis had never formed the Thorcomen Defense Administration." Costh: "Sounds like fun." At this having been said the sky in the window fades out to white and then the rest of the screen. End Of Act Four. The End. Roll Credits.