Gravity Page #11

noticing that behind her-

DOZENS OF PIECES OF DEBRIS pass, zooming less than thirty meters

away from the Station.

A tiny piece of high-speed debris crashes against one of the

Station’s Solar panels, shattering it and causing the Station to

tremble.

She places the tool against the FIRST BOLT, stretching her arm

into the parachute container. It is an awkward position.

She pulls the trigger and the drill rotates, turning the bolt,

but it slides out of the notch.

She places the tool once more against the bolt and pulls the

trigger. The drill rotates, SLOWER this time.

She HUMS under her breath and SWEAT begins to drop down her

forehead.

She is very focused, unaware that behind her-

DEBRIS HITS THE STATION’S SOLAR PANEL, piercing holes through

it.

THE BOLT COMES OFF.

As it FLOATS OFF into space, Ryan drops the PISTOL GRIP and uses

both hands to detach the rope from the frame.

The ROPE FLOATS away from the Soyuz, undulating like a long

snake, but-

Ryan notices that the Pistol Grip is also floating away.

She stretches her arm trying to catch it, but it is out of her

reach.

She pushes herself towards the pistol grip, and barely manages

to grab onto it when she sees-

RYAN (CONT’D)

Oh sh*t.

THE TIDE OF DEBRIS is floating STRAIGHT AT HER.

She pulls herself back to the container.

DEBRIS HITS THE STATION.

It CRASHES in SILENCE against one of its modules, creating a

hole the size of a car wheel. The vacuum sucks BLUE FLAMES from

the station that quickly die without oxygen to consume.

Ryan brings the pistol-grip to the SECOND BOLT and pulls the

trigger. The bolt spins.

Ryan is HUMMING louder and louder.

Ryan stares intently at the head of the bolt turning as the

debris zooms by behind her.

THE SECOND BOLT COMES OFF.

She quickly pulls the rope loose from the frame and lets it

float away.

Shaken by the impacts, the Space Station drags the Soyuz with

it.

She braces herself as-

DEBRIS WREAKS HAVOC- some pieces hit the Station, others crash

against one another. Each collision creates more debris that

ricochet and fly away in all directions.

The Soyuz is pulled by the remaining parachute rope, as the

Station spins out of control.

Ryan starts humming even louder, the bravado is full tilt now.

Her face is now covered in sweat, which pours into her eyes,

making it difficult to see as she unscrews the last bolt.

Behind her, a cluster of debris PIERCES THE PARACHUTE.

Ryan continues drilling as-

MORE DEBRIS HIT THE STATION.

It CRASHES against the Japanese Lab, which silently EXPLODES

into millions of pieces. The pieces expand away from the

Station.

THE LAST BOLT COMES OFF.

Ryan manages to unhook the rope, freeing the Soyuz from the

collapsing Space Station.

She braces herself against the vessel, as she sees-

RYAN (CONT’D)

Sh*t!

The Soyuz is heading straight towards the Station’s Solar

Panels.

RYAN (CONT’D)

No... no... no..

The Soyuz’ Solar Panel collides with the Station’s, shattering

into smaller pieces of debris that almost hit Ryan.

The Soyuz spins away as-

MORE DEBRIS HITS THE STATION.

Ryan watches as a succession of satellite fragments pepper the

slowly revolving Station segments. As the segments crumble,

colliding with additional debris, the fragments glimmer

magnificently then join...

...the THINNING TIDE OF DEBRIS orbiting toward the dark side of

the Earth. All of a sudden...

EVERYTHING IS CALM.

She pauses, blinking into the suddenly empty distance. Her gaze

remains fixed on the vast nothingness--for no good reason--but

nevertheless FIXED on something.

RYAN (CONT'D)

I hate space.

SOYUZ SPACECRAFT. CONTROL CABIN.

A SYMPHONY OF ALARMS shrieks loudly. The hatch FLIES open and a

helmet floats in, followed quickly by Ryan.

RYAN:

Shut up!

She presses different buttons, and with each a voice of the

alarm symphony dies until they are completely silent.

RYAN (CONT’D)

Ok.

She takes a breath and begins fastening the seat belt.

RYAN (CONT’D)

Alright. That’s good.

She puts on the communication headset and-

Resets the STOPWATCH- 85 minutes and counting down.

She checks the TEMPERATURE GAUGE-

She exhales, the plume of her hot breath hanging briefly in the

frigid cabin air before evaporating.

RYAN (CONT’D)

Okay, let's stabilise you.

She takes the JOYSTICK.

Ryan looks focused at-

THE PERISCOPE-

Where the western horizon comes into frame and nears the center

crosshair.

A small dot GLIMMERS in the distance- THE CHINESE STATION.

RYAN (CONT’D)

Ok. Let's visit the Chinese station.

Houston in the blind, Tiangong is

approximately 100km… to the west and I

am off it's course by about 3 degrees.

I will correct trajectory.

She moves the Joystick, and the crosshair readjusts.

RYAN (CONT’D)

Ok.

She releases the safety lock and places her finger on the

button.

RYAN (CONT’D)

Ok. I’ll engage main thrust in five...

four... three

She releases the safety lock.

RYAN (CONT’D)

two... one...

She pushes on the button.

OUTER SPACE. 300 KM ABOVE EARTH.

The Soyuz floats with its nose directed towards a bright star on

the horizon, the Chinese Station, but-

Nothing, not even a small flame, comes out of its back

thrusters.

CONTROL CABIN.

Ryan waits, expectantly, and gives the button a NEW PUSH, but-

RYAN:

One...

Nothing. The thruster won’t ignite.

RYAN (CONT’D)

One... one...

OUTER SPACE. 300 KM ABOVE EARTH.

The vessel remains motionless, orbiting over the Pacific which

is already under night’s dark veil.

CONTROL CABIN.

She pushes again, and again, and again-

RYAN:

Come on. Come on!

OUTER SPACE. 300 KM ABOVE EARTH.

But NOTHING.

The Soyuz stays in place.

CONTROL CABIN.

Ryan looks at the FUEL GAUGE- 30 percent.

She taps on it and the frozen needle drops to EMPTY.

RYAN:

You gotta be kidding me.

She taps on the frozen dial once more, as if trying to get the

needle to go back up, and once again-

RYAN (CONT’D)

Where’s your backup?

She taps even harder this time.

RYAN (CONT’D)

Where’s your goddamn backup?!

She bangs down on the control panel in frustration-RYAN

(CONT’D)

Fu-

OUTER SPACE. 300 KM ABOVE EARTH.

Inside the capsule, through the portal, Ryan hits and hits,

bouncing around the confined space of the cabin and venting all

her anger, until she herself is out of fuel.

She grabs the radio and-

RYAN:

This is Dr Ryan Stone, can you hear

me? Houston, this is Ryan Stone, can

you hear me? Copy? Houston, this is

Ryan Stone, can you hear me? Copy?

THE SUN SETS.

A magical cosmic act. As the sun nears the edge of the Earth,

the atmosphere brightens, shining with a luminous orange light

that is reflected off the surface of the Pacific Ocean.

At the Soyuz’s orbiting speed this does not last long. The sun

quickly dips behind the edge of the Earth and the whole face of

the planet is in shadow.

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