Buck Rogers in the 26th Century



Episode 218x "Fool's Paradise"

Written by: Erin Weinstock 


I don't hold any of the copyrights in this story, and this story was made 
without profit.


Teaser:

ext: Croaton:

It's twilight over a landscape that looks like untread upon wilderness fitting 
 to the western United States.

On screen we see "Croaton," written with underneath it "19 years ago". This 
stays on screen for a couple of beats.

A large space ship racing for the ground breaks this peaceful scene. It's 
a controlled dive and we can see part of it is in flames.

The ship crash-lands, turning on its side. The grass nearby catches on fire. 

Then the camera moves in on the ship as dozens of people flee the mass. 
Coughing, scared, bruised and panicked they rush out to greet the alien 
world past where it is in flames.

From inside the ship we hear a woman's voice panic stricken. V.O. Lilly: 
"Daniel? Daniel?!"

The camera moves in towards where the burning ground meets the ship. V.O. 
Cont: "You can't die! Daniel, you can't die!?"

V.O. Cont: "We're here, you can't die!"

Cut to:

ext: Atmosphere of Croaton:

A Defense Directorate shuttle twice the size of a normal one is beginning 
its descent into the planet's atmosphere.

V.O. Buck: "Hawk, we might not find anything; this isn't like you to want 
to come on a mission like this."

On screen the words appear, "Croaton: Present Day."

The words fade away. V.O. Hawk: "If Doctor Huer didn't believe this was a 
worthwhile endeavor, he wouldn't have granted you this shuttle or mission."

Cut to:

int: Shuttle:

Buck is at the ship's controls steering as Hawk stands nearby to him.

Looking to Buck who takes notice, Cont: "They landed, Buck. If there's one 
trait your kind has kept over the eons they've existed it's that nothing can 
halt them in their desire to spread themselves out across a new land."

Buck: "You're a poet, you know that, Hawk?"

Hawk: "I wish to see what they have done to their adopted world."

Cut to:

ext: Colony / Main Street.:

The buildings are only one story tall; all look nice and well-constructed 
with few showing the need for repair. As this scene begins two men are running 
into the street wearing uniforms that tell us they work for the Scientific 
Research Directorate. In the sky we can see the shuttle moving down for a 
landing.

Norm: "The Defense Directorate finally!"

Pointing at his feet, Cont: "Land here!"

Van: "What did you write on your resume when you applied for your job?"

Norm: "Why do you ask?"

Van putting a hand on Norm's shoulder: "They can't hear you."

Norm takes on a bashful look.

Cut to: 

ext: Forest:

The shuttle is parked here right of the edge of the woods and Norm and Van 
are coming to greet Buck and Hawk who are just stepping out of the shuttle.

Hawk, looking at the trees surrounding the shuttle: "Buck?"

Buck: "I have a perfect flying record; I'll be able to get it out OK."

Hawk: "That isn't what Colonel Deering has told me."

Buck: "It was ONE jet over five hundred years ago, near perfect record."

Van, walking to Buck and putting out a hand to him: "Are you Captain Rogers?"

Buck, acknowledging Van and shaking his hand: "You can just call me Buck. 
[ beat ] I saw the buildings coming in. Made by the colonists?"

Van: "They all made it and you wouldn't believe this place; it's perfect, 
we should have come here years ago."

Buck: "Why is that?"

Van: "Aside from everything you could ever want being at your fingertips, 
nobody here ever dies."

Buck takes on a questioning look.

End Teaser

Pre-Credits:

Beginning of Act One:

ext: Colony / Main St.:

Buck is walking alongside Van and Hawk is a couple of feet behind Norm as 
they move in a group.

Buck: "That's impossible, everybody dies. [ beat ] Not that that's what Hawk 
and I came here for. We came here I'm sure under similar orders that you 
received."

Van: "We came here to study climate conditions, wildlife and mineral deposits 
and like you, bring back any possible survivors from the colony ship if need 
be. But you and -."

Van looks backwards at Hawk briefly.

Cont (softly): "I don't recognize his species."

Hawk: "I'm a Tangata manu and my name is Hawk."

Van: "So you are."

Cont: "Continuing. But you and "Hawk" have to analyze and get rid of threats 
to the colonists if need be."

The camera cuts to being on Hawk and Norm. Hawk doesn't look to be in a 
cheery mood.

Norm: "I've heard of your kind; there was an invasion your kind nearly made 
of Earth a short while ago, right?"

Hawk: "That was close to two months ago."

Norm: "Were you a member of that invasion?"

Hawk: "No, but my mate was."

Norm: "A soldier?"

Hawk: "The commander."

Norm: "It's not a good idea to tick her off then?"

Hawk: "Only if you're Human."

The expression on Norm's face drops and he quickly walks up to Buck and Van. 
Norm: "Pleasant?"

Buck: "It's not a good idea to get on his bad side."

Norm: "Have you ever visited a colony before?"

Buck: "No, I was raised on Earth."

Van: "That explains why you're having a hard time believing me."

Van goes up to a home they've been approaching and knocks on the door.

Looking back at the trio, Cont: "There are people in here I want you to meet."

Cut to:

int: Lilly's Living room:

Lilly, only 19 years older, is holding a basket underneath one arm and with 
her free hand is opening the door to her house for our gang.

Lilly to Van: "Come for more stories?"

Van: "Norm and I know the lowdown but -."

Van waves a hand towards Buck and Hawk. Cont: "These men are from the Defense 
Directorate and one -." 

Van points to Buck, Cont: "Doesn't believe in the healing microbes abundant 
in the mists."

Lilly smiles at Buck and Hawk, then pats the coach telling them in body motion 
she wants them to sit down.

Buck sitting down: "It sounds like a fairy tale."

Lilly, reaching down into her basket to pull out a bean pod which the basket 
is full of: "Do you know how this colony came to be?"

Buck: "All I know is the report Hawk and I were given before taking this 
mission. [ beat ] That your ship 'The Angelwings' was headed for Toras-3 
but somehow fell off course and landed here on Croaton. Only recently the 
Angelwings' transmitter was repaired and a request for supplies from the 
Outer-terrain Population Board was made. [ beat ] The gap of 19 years of 
silence, that's why Earth's Federal Directorates were sent here. To find 
out if you needed more than just supplies. This planet was never scouted 
for colonization." As Buck has been saying that last line, Lilly has been 
shelling bean pods from the basket.

Lilly: "The Angelwings was raided by pirates; they looted a quarter of our 
supplies but damaged the ship's control circuits. The autopilot steering us 
on our plotted course failed to read its destination file as the result and 
too late to change the course of the ship we crashed here. My husband Daniel 
was shot by one of the pirates during the raid."

Buck: "I'm so sorry."

Daniel comes into the Living room from an inter-doorway of the house. Daniel 
to Buck: "Don't be."

Buck, looking to Lilly: "What happened?"

Daniel: "I died or at least I thought I had died."

Lilly: "Some of our close friends buried him, and the next day out from the 
ground as fresh as a daisy. No wounds."

Buck: "No one can die here."

Lilly: "Not on Croaton but of course the instinct is in all of us here, we 
still fear it happening. It's only a temporary thing. It takes a few hours 
to come back from the dead."

Buck: "Not something I want to put to the test. Tell me, are there any daily 
threats Hawk and I here should know about."

Daniel: "There's nothing here threatening to us. Every plant cataloged isn't 
poisonous that we've encountered so far and none of the animals are carnivorous."

To Van and Norm, Cont: "Have they been shown the colony yet?"

Looking now to Buck and Hawk, Cont: "Once you see what this place has to 
offer you two might just want to stay here."

Norm: "Buck, Hawk, we're staying, we've already sent the transmission to the 
Scientific Research Directorate saying so. These people don't need that much 
from us but they could sure use us to make this an even better world."

Buck, getting up from the coach: "We've only seen what passes for Main Street 
but before leaving for Earth we should take in more of this place." As Buck 
finishes that line he looks to Daniel and Van.

Lead by Daniel everyone but Lilly leaves the house and as they're leaving, 
Hawk to Buck (whispering): "You don't believe this paradise do you?"

Buck (whispering): "I don't believe on any world such a thing is possible."

Cut to:

ext: Outskirts of Town:

As Buck and Daniel are talking they're passing sights like people bent over 
in a cotton field of plants. The people in the field are passing a rod-shaped 
device over the plants closely. The rods are sucking the plant matter in 
through the end pointed at the plant and at the opposite end have Earth-toned 
fabric coming out slowly. Families working together are making clothes out 
of the fabric we've noticed being made in the field and harvesting is being 
done by people driving large animals, alien animals we've never seen before. 
Beasts that make bulls look tiny.

Daniel: "Tell me what you see around you?"

Buck: "A fine community, but paradise I can't say. What did you ask the 
Outer-terrain Population Board to give you if you claim this is what you say 
it is?"

Daniel: "I didn't transmit the request, but I can only guess the odds and 
ends some of us here miss from Earth." 

Buck pointing to one of the Harvesting Beasts: "What are those?"

Daniel: "Native animals we call Harvesting Beasts; they're like cows."

Buck: "A cow? With three horns, it looks like a furry triceratops."

Daniel: "Triceratops?"

Buck: "A reptile, a dinosaur that lived millions of millions of years ago. 
Ate plants and had a brain the size of a marble."

As the next line is said the camera begins panning over to a man working 
with one of the Harvesting Beasts. Daniel: "Maybe if they had evolved on this 
world we'd still see them here today. These beasts fortunately have bigger 
brains than your triceratops." 

The man working the Harvesting Beast prompts it to keep moving forward to 
till the ground.

The camera cuts down to where we can watch its perissodactyla feet working 
against the ground.

What looks like steam is beginning to arise from around the feet as it moves.

The camera cuts back to a better view of the scene. Suddenly the beast begins 
to whale and thrash about. The man that's been its guide at this begins to 
try to calm down the animal.

This gets Buck and Daniel coming into the scene slowly as to not disturb the 
animal even more. Buck: "Is there anything I can do to help?"

Man: "I can get her back under control, no need to worry."

The Harvesting Beast still in its panic rears herself up like a horse, in a 
snap slamming the Man in the head with her hoofs.

The Man is on the ground motionless and Buck runs now over to him as the steam 
continues to rise up from the ground.

Buck after checking the man's pulse: "He's dead."

Then Buck turns to Daniel a short distance behind him in a look of anger mixed 
with shock.

Daniel: "It's not my fault. I still stand by this as paradise even if accidents 
happen. Don't worry he'll be back by tomorrow. Wanna get a drink?"

Buck turning his attention back to the dead Man: "I don't like your world."

Daniel: "And I don't like Earth, that's why I left it." Daniel then puts out 
a friendly hand to Buck to help him off the ground.

Buck glares at Daniel and not taking the other man's hand gets up, all the 
while keeping his eyes fixed on him.

Buck: "Do you know his family?"

Daniel: "Everybody knows everybody here."

After a beat in showing he's about to put thought into his words, Buck: "I 
suppose you don't feel the need to contact them that this man is dead?"

Daniel: "You're learning our ways quickly."

Looking a little disgusted and after another beat, Buck: "Tell me who they 
are and where they can be found."

Daniel now showing he's catching Buck's drift of not wanting to be social: 
"Sean, Mary and Timothy, they live in the first house we passed when entering 
this field."

Buck, still glaring, walks out of the camera's view and Daniel stares after 
him with a look of superiority.

End of Act One: 

Beginning of Act Two:

ext: Outskirts of Town:

We're in the same place where Act One left off only now it's around three 
or four in the morning with a full moon and only Buck and Hawk are here. 
Buck is toting a shovel and Hawk is carrying a metal handbag issued by the 
Scientific Research Directorate. As this scene begins they're reaching where 
the Man fell... still not buried.

Hawk: "I would have thought by this century you Humans would be more considerate 
to your own kind."

Buck: "Meaning what? That his own family doesn't want to bury him or grieve 
at all? Or that I'm doing that job for them against their wishes?"

Hawk: "The first."

Buck: "This colony isn't right Hawk, I can feel it. [ beat ] In no way is 
it a fine example to you of my species."

Glancing at Hawk's bag, Cont: "I told you we'd need it, but you and those 
guys didn't seem to be getting along well when I saw you with them. How?"

Hawk: "Norm is afraid of me."

Bending down to kneel over the Man, Buck: "Not a tactic I would have used, 
but it worked."

Hawk kneels down and proceeds to open the bag and produce an instrument that's 
a box meant to show readings attached to a thin wire that at its end is a 
disk that looks like the cup-end of a jellyfish.

Placing the jelly-cup on the Man's chest after Buck has unbuttoned the top 
of the Man's shirt, Hawk: "You saw what killed the man; this is a pointless 
act you know?"

Then Hawk presses the jelly-cup tight and its rim lights up blue. Buck: "I 
want proof he's REALLY dead for these people. [ beat ] Sick I know."

Hawk glancing at the readouts on the device: "He's at the temperature of 
the immediate environment and has no bio-activity whatsoever."

Buck: "I think that will do."

Taking the jelly-cup off the Man, Hawk stands up staring at him with Buck 
rising to his feet as well.

Buck jabs the shovel's useful end into the ground beside the Man, now not 
looking at him.

And just as Buck is about to start the sink the tool into the ground to up 
heave the earth, the earth around the Man begins to take him. Really, the 
Man is beginning to sink down into it.

Hawk: "Buck."

Buck, shoveling out his first mound of dirt: "What?"

Hawk: "Burying our corpse isn't necessary now."

Buck: "That's sick."

Hawk: "I'm not being sick, Buck, look at him."

Buck very causally looks over to the Man to see him sinking into the earth.

Buck (in wonder): "What in blue hazes is going on here?"

Hawk: "You've never seen something like this happen before?"

Buck (in wonder): "This isn't quicksand. No [ beat ] no I've never seen 
something like this -."

Hawk: "Should we free him of it?"

Buck: "Well I was about to bury him anyway. Might as well just let the ground 
take him."

We watch the ground consume the Man completely.

Cut to:

ext: Man's Home:

It's almost mid-morning and the home looks nice and tended to.

V.O. Wife: "Told you it would be pointless."

Cut to:

int: Kitchen:

A family gathering is taking place around the kitchen table as the Wife and 
two young boys are playing a board game. Buck is standing nearby with his 
attention fixed on the Wife.

Buck: "He sunk into the ground, [ beat ] that's normal?"

Wife, picking up a pair of dice on the game board: "Most of the time people 
don't witness it. If this were any other planet I'd call you sick for trying 
to bury him."

She rolls the dice and the younger of the two boys, Boy One: "Mommy, when 
will daddy be back?"

Wife (in reference to the dice): "Five!" 

With her attention now on Boy One: "Any minute he'll be home."

The boys smile at that last line coming from the Wife, their mom.

Buck (bluntly): "Does anyone know why the ground consumes the bodies?"

Wife: "You're a sick man, Captain Rogers. I don't want you bringing up matters 
like this in front of my boys."

Boy Two turning his attention away from the game to face Buck: "It's OK, I 
know the answer."

Cont: "It's so the mist in the ground can bring them back, in the ground 
it's thicker and that makes it so people come back to life."

Buck: "But I saw what happened to your dad when it happened. That mist, what 
the Scientific Research Directorate calls "healing microbes", were scaring 
the Harvester Beast your dad was working with. Why would -?" The kids have 
their attention caught by something off camera and the Wife turns around to 
smile in the same direction they're looking in.

Buck turns to see what could break the others' concentration and the camera 
makes the same move. The Man is standing in the door way, a little dirty but 
in good shape.

Man: "Did I miss anything?"

Buck is in shock as the husband and wife embrace into a hug and kiss.

Boy One: "I'm wining!"

Buck: "I saw - I saw -?"

Man turning to Buck: "You look familiar."

Buck: "I saw you die, I [ beat ] tried to bury you."

Man (smiling): "Never try that on this planet."

Buck: "The ground consumed you, how did you come -?"

The Wife laughs at Buck, who puzzled into submission leaves the room.

Cut to: 

ext: West Outskirts of Town:

Buck and Hawk are in a fast walk with Buck in the lead.

Buck: "The ground felt solid to you too, right?!"

Hawk: "As if never touched by him. [ beat ] Buck, this planet might truly 
be a world of miracles."

Turning to look at Hawk as he says this line, Buck: "Not you too?!"

Cont: "Then why are you even joining me on this hunt?!"

Hawk: "I believe in your instincts but I also believe that this universe 
in capable of things the science you or I know has never seen. Buck, these 
people have been here long enough to know the truth of this place, what it 
can do."

Buck: "And I have yet to get what I see as a straight answer to that!"

Mist starts coming from the ground up ahead of the pair and Buck moves in 
to investigate, with the camera following him.

Buck crouches staring at the ground at the mist, the gas.

Taking a deep breath, Cont: "Pheeew!"

He returns to standing up straight as Hawk in walking catches up to him. 
Hawk: "I take that as a bad sign?"

Buck, still looking at the ground: "I've smelled barns with better odors; 
I have a hard time believing something that smells that rancid could bring 
life to the dead."

Hawk: "So you WERE in doubt before smelling it?"

No longer looking at the ground, Buck: "Just curiosity; [ beat ] doubt was 
never there." 

Cont: "He had to have come out of the ground somewhere, somewhere easy is 
my bet. When I saw him he didn't look like he had could from six feet under."

Hawk: "A cave perhaps?"

Buck: "A likely bet." And with that said, with Buck's lead they continue 
their walk.

Snapping can be heard and the two men look around for its source.

In quick movement we catch sight of a tree with the mist heavily rising up 
around it, on its descent to the ground, on its way to crushing Buck and 
Hawk who are both in its path.

Both men quickly move from its falling path with almost no time to spare from 
it crashing on top of them.

They stare at the fallen tree, at the mist rising around it.

Hawk: "To my disbelief -."

Buck: "It would seem the very earth wants us dead."

Turning to Hawk, Cont: "The mist, it was disturbing that Harvesting Beast 
when that man was killed."

Hawk: "Buck?"

Buck: "If we find one I'm still going down, I want answers."

Cut to: 

ext: Cave Entrance:

It's a narrow entrance that someone would have to slide on their belly to 
gain admittance into. Nothing about its appearance makes it look special 
to its surroundings. As this scene begins, Buck is staring into it and Hawk 
is close by looking at him and the cave's mouth.

Cont: "If the earth wants to kill me down there at least I'm on the one planet 
where that isn't a problem."

Hawk: "I'm not going."

Buck: "Why not?"

Hawk: "I don't like enclosed spaces, [ beat ] tight little space -." He trails 
off in his speech.

Buck: "But on Throm?"

Hawk: "There was no choice in the matter."

Buck: "Well you could still lend a hand, Hawk."

Hawk gives Buck an odd eye at Buck's last comment. Cont (smiling): "If a 
rockslide happens, trapping me, you could be my lifeline in helping me out."

Hawk: "That's a good idea, I'll stand by that."

As Buck is entering the cave: "Well, you might want to sit while you're out 
there because I don't know how long I'm going to be in here."

Cut to:

int: Cave Entrance:

Buck is so far in now he falls to the ground at finding out there is more 
than enough room in here to stand and that his crawl and slide had him at 
about a yard above the floor. He makes a noise at the impact of the fall.

After brushing himself off and looking forward, he goes in the cavern deeper 
as we see that it tunnels.

The camera moves up the wall to almost its roof. In the near darkness of the 
cave we can see something, something organic, not a root despite its appearance. 
It's flesh.

And it moves in a twitch lightly before...

The screen cuts to black.

End of Act Two:

Beginning of Act Three:

ext: Cave Entrance:

Hawk is sitting almost horizontal a few feet above where Buck entered the 
cave. He's taking in the sight of the scenery around him as the wind ruffles 
his feathers.

His attention gets caught by the sight of colonists coming towards him, a 
crowd of them, slowly with Daniel in the lead.

Daniel, shouting since he's still a good distance away: "Enjoying the view 
or something else?"

Hawk (shouting): "Awaiting my friend, Buck."

Daniel, with his voice a little lower: "Is he in the cave?"

Hawk: "You've taken a good guess. How did you know?"

Only a few feet away from Hawk now, Daniel stops walking as he's at the slope 
that leads up to the cave, up to Hawk. Daniel: "Because we all know." The 
sight of all the colonists behind him shows they've all stopped moving too.

Cut to:

int: Cave Passageway:

Buck is walking down a path that looks to have been well trampled over time. 
There are roots in here, not like the type seen at the end of Act Two. These 
roots have a slight glow to them and they're what is providing the lighting 
in this scene.

He touches one of the roots in wonder gently, and then in a snap, one of 
the fleshy roots tries to grab his finger on the glowing root, but Buck is 
too fast for it and moves his finger away so fast the creature can't take 
hold of it.

Buck, slightly in shock and looking at the wall the living root had come 
from: "And none of the animals are carnivorous."

Cut to:

int: Cave Entrance:

One of the colonists we saw in the background behind Daniel is entering the 
cave and doing a better job of it than Buck, meaning he knows how to not 
fall to the ground upon entering.

Cut to:

ext: Cave Entrance:

Hawk is now standing in the same place he was sitting, only with Daniel right 
in front of him. The two men are eye to eye with one another and the colonists, 
not counting the one who entered the cave, have the men surrounded. But none 
of their eyes are on Daniel. Their attention is solely focused on Hawk.

Daniel: "Do you intend on going in the cave after him?"

Hawk: "If he needs me."

After a beat, Cont: "There is something down there. Something you don't want 
us to know about."

Daniel: "Something you're not ready for but we could make you ready for -." 
His voice trails off as he finishes his line.

Cut to:

int: Cave Passageway:

Buck is continuing his journey but it's turning bad for him. The mist which 
until now we've only seen rise from the ground is thinly about him and thicker 
ahead. As he moves forward he tries to fan it away from himself futilely.

Buck, coughing as he's starting this line: "This might be a mistake."

He turns halfway around, (yelling) Cont: "Hawk?!"

With only the mist in movement around him he waits for a beat for the answering 
call that doesn't come.

Buck stares in the direction from which he came. 

The camera cuts to his POV and through the dim alien light and mist shrouding 
the view we see the shape of someone coming.

Then the camera cuts off Buck's POV, Cont: "Hawk?"

The colonist that we saw enter the cave earlier now comes into better view 
now a few feet before Buck. Note that every time the Colonist speaks it's 
flat toned. Colonist: "You shouldn't be down here."

Buck: "Why!? Why not?! What's down here? I need answers."

Colonist: "Why is our paradise so hard for you to accept, Captain Rogers?"

Buck: "Because I don't believe such a thing can exist and because of your 
request [ beat ] I know there's something down here now. [ beat ] Before 
it was just a good guess."

Colonist: "If I told you there was something down here would you leave this 
place?"

Buck: "Yes. God man have you smelled it?!"

Colonist: "There IS something down here. [ beat ] Leave."

Buck: "Not until I know what and get some answers."

The Colonist, with very little show of anger on his face, lunges at Buck 
and pins him against a wall with inhuman speed.

Buck kicks at him, knocking him off, and without thinking about it the two 
men have switched places in the tunnel.

The Colonist takes a swing at Buck who quickly catches the arm thrown at him. 

Then the Colonist pushes forward, making Buck move backwards all the while 
straining against the force of the other man.

Buck glances to look behind himself over his shoulder. Cont: "Clever."

He lets go of the Colonist's arm, and with how forcefully the other man had 
been trying to move Buck he falls forward as Buck darts to one side after 
the act.

Cut to:  

ext: Cave:

Hawk is surrounded by the colonists and being moved up the hillside.

Hawk: "We didn't come here looking for trouble and we certainly don't want 
any now. Please back away."

Daniel: "And we don't want you here. You shouldn't talk with a "we", your 
friend the Captain isn't here. We -"

Daniel motions outwards from himself to indicate the people surrounding the 
two men. Cont: "Want to see you fly, bird."

And then Daniel points to a cliff some distance away, Cont: "By soaring off 
that cliff."

Hawk: "I have no wings."

Daniel: "WE know that."
 
Cut to:

int: Cave Passageway:

We can see the Colonist in the eerie light brushed with a touch of blood on 
his face, determined in his look running deeper into the tunnel.

After Buck, the camera follows Buck's journey, switching angles quickly so 
our idea of his frantic pace becomes clear. He looks no better than the 
Colonist, but unlike the Colonist, fear shows on his face.

Something dark in a snap comes up before Buck by his own doing as he's the 
one who approached it at jackrabbit speed. He stops with no slowdown.

The mist clears from the dark object a little as it seems to be producing 
motion on it.

It's a massive stalagmite the height of Buck, and in places coating its whole 
surface are worm-like projections wiggling back into holes. They have the 
same look to their skin as the fleshy root seen back when Buck first entered 
the cave.

He backs away from it, grimacing at the sight, before hearing the pounding 
of foot-beats off in the distance he remembers he has to continue and he 
runs deeper into the cave.

Cut to:

int: Elsewhere in the Cave Passageway:

The Colonist comes to a stop after jogging.

Then the camera cuts in close on him as he drops to his knees. His eyes make 
him look like he's in a trance as he stares off at nothing in particular.

Indecipherable words start coming softly from his mouth and then he bows 
to the ground, still speaking words we can't understand.

The camera cuts to focusing on the ground before the Colonist as we continue 
to hear him talk in the unknown tongue.

Cut to:

int: Cave Passageway:

The camera's focus is still on the ground but now we're back in the same 
general area we last saw Buck.

One of Buck's feet slams down to the ground as we can tell he's still in a 
run and...

The ground caves into being loose soil and down goes Buck.

The camera cuts back so we see at least the massive uprising of dirt into 
the air as he slides down to being in a lower area of the cave with a yell 
of surprise.

Cutting the camera to before Buck we can see he's stopped suddenly at something 
blocking his path, but we still can't tell yet what, as the dust and dirt 
in the air is still heavy.

Buck (coughing): "Heavens, it's even worse down here. Nothing, nothing could 
be down here worth getting worried over except -" As he says that last line 
we can see him fanning away the dust cloud that surrounds him.

Looking forward in shock to something off the screen, Cont: "Hell."

The camera cuts to being in front of Buck so we can now see him and what 
he's looking at. It's an alien, a massive alien. Its body looks like a lump 
of flesh that has no bones but only rolls of fat with a sideways mouth running 
down the center with very few teeth. Its eyes are small, blood red and on 
either side of the mouth. From the top and bottom of the beast are the fleshy 
roots we saw earlier, but all of these burrow into the earth in varying widths 
of size.

Cont. (under his breath in amazement): "What are you?"

The camera cuts on to the Colonist who has now come on to the scene. Colonist: 
"That is what shall never be questioned, what shall never be found, and what 
shall be your fate."

The whole scene begins to shake as we see earth fall in dust from the roof 
of the cave.

Cut to:  

ext: Cave:

Hawk looks to be in the middle of a fight with the colonists, and who is 
the worse for wear is hard to tell. They're all high up the hill near the 
cliff that Daniel pointed out earlier.

The ground shakes and all are caught off-guard by it. Some fall, but Hawk 
isn't one of them. Daniel however is.

Daniel, glaring at Hawk as he props himself up from the ground a little: 
"The Defense Directorate should have never come to answer our call! You don't 
belong here!"

End of Act Three:

Beginning of Act Four:

ext: Cave:

Hawk: "I never said I wanted to belong here, I only wanted to see how humanity 
could adapt to a world not of their origin. From our shared history and your 
treatment of me I see you're just the same as you ever were."

Daniel gets up; Daniel: "But it's not a member of the Human race that will 
be killing your friend soon. Our Hexadon, our mother is about to do that, 
bird."

Cut to:

int: Cave / Hexadon's Lair:

Everything is the same as we last saw only now the dust and dirt has settled 
fully.

Buck to the Colonist: "Why shouldn't I know it's here? What is it?"

Cut to:

ext: Cave:

Everything is the same only now we see Hawk is near the edge of the cliff.

Daniel to Hawk: "Our mother the Hexadon is nearly as old as this planet."

Cut to:

int: Cave / Hexadon's Lair:

Colonist: "She is one of the last of her kind and how they used to live in 
harmony with the native animals of this planet, they now live with us."

Buck looking back briefly to the Hexadon as he says this: "The gas, the mists. 
Is she making it?!"

Cut to:

ext: Cave:

Hawk: "It's what's making things happen here? It frightened that beast. 
It made that tree fall. I can't explain it but I can't explain the dead 
coming back either!"

Daniel: "And you never will." And with that said he pushes Hawk backwards 
off the cliff.

Cut to:

int: Cave / Hexadon's Lair:

Colonist: "It tells those native that it's time for more to serve our mother 
the Hexadon."

The Colonist's attention is caught by something unseen and he looks to the 
roof of the cave. Cont: "And a new servant comes to her!"

Buck's attention now turns to the roof of dirt and fleshy roots of the Hexadon, 
and after a beat his mouth drops and his face fills with anguish.

Now we can see the ceiling in the view. Hawk with no show of life is being 
lowered into the cave gently by the Hexadon's roots.

Buck, crying, kneels down to Hawk and checks for signs of life.

Cont: "Make him join you too. It's why I brought him to you."

Buck (in raged): "He's dead, you son of a -! He's dead!" And with that said 
Buck lunges at the Colonist.

The two men in the heat of battle, Colonist: "I brought you to the mother 
Hexadon, not the bird! I didn't know he was coming to serve her!"

Behind them fighting we can see the mist and fleshy roots of the Hexadon 
wisp around Hawk and peck into his flesh, sometimes digging deep into him 
for brief periods of time. Buck: "So you only wanted me dead!?"

Colonist: "Mother gets what mother wants!"

Hawk's eyes open and he gets up from the ground, unnoticed to Buck who's 
still engaged in fighting the Colonist, the fleshy roots of the Hexadon 
rising into the air with him like snakes. Except for the two men in combat, 
all eyes are on them. Hawk looks pissed.

Moving over to the two men, Hawk grabs away Buck and punches him in the face.

Buck falls with the punch and looks to Hawk in shock.

Buck: "Hawk?"

Hawk: "You will serve the Hexadon."

A few of the fleshy roots quickly attack Buck in a pouncing motion. Buck is 
only able to grab at two of the roots and as they writhe over him he repeatedly 
slams his two grasped ones to the ground.

The Colonist and Hawk both cringe in pain both appear to be feeling in their 
heads. This fact doesn't go unnoticed by Buck.

Buck (under his breath): "You're servants of the Hexadon."

Hawk to the Colonist: "Should we help him on his way?"

Colonist: "She looks ready to do the job for us." The Hexadon makes a loud 
groaning noise.

Buck grabs at more of the fleshy roots and tries to hit them with either his 
hands or pound them into the ground. 

Some of the fleshy roots begin to break in his hands as he trashes away.

Colonist (in desperation): "He's hurting mother!" Hawk as that last line was 
said begins blinking as if waking up.

Hawk (in a dazed state and slowly): "He's hurting the Hexadon."

Buck (shouting): "I'm freeing you!"

The Colonist goes for Buck ready to fight. Hawk: "He's freeing us."

Hawk gets to the Colonist before he gets to Buck and knocks him out.

Buck, still in his fight against the fleshly roots which we can tell he'll 
soon be the victor of: "Hawk?"

Hawk begins to tear away at the roots connected to the ceiling. Hawk: "Returning!"

Cut to:

ext: Cave: 

Daniel and all the other colonists we saw after Hawk earlier are moving to 
the ground in pain as we hear a deep alien cry surround them, the cry of the 
Hexadon. We hold on this for a couple of beats before:

Silence and the pain appears to have stopped for them.

Daniel, who has dropped to the ground, looks to lower on the hill to see 
Buck and Hawk emerging from the cave.

Daniel: "[ beat ] You killed her."

Buck: "Are you a slave or a free man?"

Daniel smiling: "A free man."

Cut to:

ext: Forest:

In the sky we see the Defense Directorate shuttle flying off into the distance 
higher and higher.

The camera lowers a little so we see the forest floor.

The forest floor, the dirt and plants in patches, some seven feet around, 
begin rising upwards.

Dirty, long-haired beasts with massive teeth are emerging from these patches 
of upturned ground.

One sends out a long howl.

End Of Act Four.

The End. 

Roll Credits.