Gravity Page #16

RYAN (CONT’D)

This is Mission Specialist Ryan Stone

reporting from the Shenzhou. I’m about

to undock from the Tiangong and I have

a bad feeling about this mission.

She presses a new button and the system goes to green. And on

the MONITOR a COUNTDOWN appears.

RYAN (CONT’D)

Reminds me of a story, Houston-

She reacts to a bad shake of the cabin.

RYAN (CONT’D)

Okay, you know what, Houston? Never

mind the story...

She looks around as the cabin starts shaking even harder.

RYAN (CONT’D)

It’s getting hotter in here.

She watches the COUNTDOWN on the MONITOR- 3:59... 3:58...

RYAN (CONT’D)

The way I figure it, there’s only two

possible outcomes--

Ryan keeps her eyes fixed on the countdown. Raises her voice to

compete with the rising chaos...

RYAN (CONT’D)

I either make it down in one piece and

I’ll have one hell of a story to

tell...

And now the noise and the shake are nearing their peak...

RYAN (CONT’D)

...Or I burn up in the next ten

minutes.

Ryan smiles, flips the safety lid of a button open.

RYAN (CONT’D)

Whichever way it goes, no harm no

foul.

As the cabin RATTLES VIOLENTLY.

RYAN (CONT’D)

Because either way-

She closes her eyes, puts her finger over the button.

RYAN (CONT’D)

It’ll be one hell of a ride.

Ryan presses the button.

RYAN (CONT’D)

I’m ready.

OUTER SPACE.

The Station is bouncing over the atmosphere. One end of it is

glowing more brightly and catches FIRE.

The TIDE OF DEBRIS is getting closer. Not far off some pieces

are already burning.

A LARGE PIECE OF DEBRIS has caught on fire and is flying at

great speed and-

COLLIDES WITH THE STATION,

Tearing it into two parts, which are sent twisting in opposite

directions. The ESCAPE POD, attached to the DOCK, is spinning

towards earth.

SHENZHOU ESCAPE POD.

Ryan is SHAKEN and RATTLED in her seat.

RYAN:

Yeehaaa!

GRAVITY is still minimal, but the force of the inertia is rough

and it jerks her around. She sees-

A RED LEVER above her, but she can only reach it with her bad

hand.

SHE STRETCHES:

RYAN (CONT’D)

Ahhhhhhhh!

SHE GRABS THE LEVERAND

PULLS IT.

OUTER SPACE.

THE LOCKS DISENGAGETHE

CABIN separates from the rest of the vessel and from the

Station. It spins away, plummeting toward the atmosphere.

The two fragments of the Tiangong follow, spinning in a rage of

sparks and fire.

SHENZHOU ESCAPE POD.

The spinning is punishing. Ryan is shaken violently. She is also

mumbling words to herself that we can’t hear. It looks like she

rambling.

Some LIGHTS GO OFF.

ATMOSPHERE. 130 KM ABOVE THE EARTH.

The capsule’s aerodynamics slow down the spinning, positioning

the vessel nose up.

It cuts through the atmosphere at incredible speeds.

Its metal is burning hot.

Smoldering DEBRIS and the fragments of the STATION chase the

Shenzhou in its descent.

SHENZHOU ESCAPE POD.

THE PORTHOLEA:

blinding light pours in from outside the window.

The spinning is over, but the cabin vibrates with a loud rumble.

As the G-Force restrains Ryan against her seat, she clenches her

face and sweats.

On the ceiling, condensation begins to form.

ATMOSPHERE. 120 KM ABOVE THE EARTH.

The Shenzhou is a ball of fire precipitating from the skies.

It’s followed very closely by DEBRIS and the two fragments of

the STATION.

The TWO FRAGMENTS COLLIDE and EXPLODE into a ball of fire that

breaks into many pieces.

An avalanche of fire cascades towards the Shenzhou, rapidly

closing the distance.

SHENZHOU ESCAPE POD.

In THE PORTHOLE-

Outside burning debris is passing by. The gravitational pull

keeps Ryan tense in her seat as drops fall on her face. She

looks at-

THE CEILING- where condensation is dripping.

ATMOSPHERE. 100 KM ABOVE THE EARTH.

The avalanche is about to swallow the cabin when the burning

debris disintegrates before reaching the cooling STRATOSPHERE.

The capsule escapes the inferno as the debris crumbles in a

final explosion expelling-

A VERY SMALL PIECE OF DEBRIS that-

SHOOTS towards the Shenzhou and-

SKIMS its surface, tearing one of the outer shields.

SHENZHOU ESCAPE POD.

The impact is felt inside and a panel falls off. A small smoke

trail is formed around its wires.

Ryan is restrained against her seat by the gravitational force

of the fall and-

EVERYTHING IS SHAKING.

LOWER ATMOSPHERE. 70 KM ABOVE EARTH.

The Shenzhou has left the burning debris behind.

As it touches the lower atmosphere, it immediately COOLS DOWN,

dimming its brightness, surrounded by a purple sky.

It FREEFALLS 9.8 meters per second and-

A PARACHUTE RELEASES.

The long fabric comes out and EXPANDS as the air fills the red

and white canopy. When it’s fully open it SLOWS DOWN the cabin’s

descent and lets it glide in a diagonal path over the Earth.

SHENZHOU ESCAPE POD.

A BREATH OF RELIEF, as through THE PORTHOLE-

She sees the ropes of the parachute extend out to the large

canvas cushioning the fall.

LOWER ATMOSPHERE. 10 KM ABOVE THE EARTH.

A SECOND PARACHUTE expands.

It slows the fall even further, shifting the cabin into a more

vertical descent toward the ground that is so close it now seems

tangible.

SHENZHOU ESCAPE POD.

Ryan starts COUGHING.

The cabin is quickly filling with SMOKE, and

The white cloud of smoke overflowing the small space is getting

thicker.

LOWER ATMOSPHERE. 1 KM ABOVE THE EARTH.

The Shenzhou drops, hanging from the parachutes, at a speed of

thirty kilometers per hour.

It is surrounded by a blue sky. It passes through a layer of

clouds.

SHENZHOU ESCAPE POD.

She coughs as the white smoke is becoming unbearable. She’s

suffocating.

LOWER ATMOSPHERE. 100 METERS ABOVE THE EARTH.

The Shenzhou is rapidly approaching the ground.

It is falling straight toward a lake. Two meters before hitting

its surface-

THE LANDING ENGINES IGNITE, giving the downward thrust meant to

cushion the landing on a hard surface.

The thrust parts the water, creating a curtain of steam, and the

Shenzhou gently falls down-

INTO THE LAKE-

Making a wave that spreads out in a circle.

SHENZHOU ESCAPE POD.

Ryan feels the cabin hit the water. She has landed safely.

But she cannot celebrate because she can’t stop coughing. She is

asphyxiating in the thick cloud of smoke.

She UNSTRAPS herself and-

Reaches a LEVER at the side of the hatch.

She PULLS THE LEVER.

ON THE LAKE.

With a small controlled explosion, the hatch cover is launched

away from the cabin.

Smoke pours out through the open hatch.

SHENZHOU ESCAPE POD.

She begins to unstrap herself when-

WATER POURS IN through the open hatch.

She tries to make her way out, fighting against the strong

current that is gushing in, but the flow is too strong and-

IT PUSHES HER BACK IN.

She struggles to force her way through the cascade rapidly

filling the cabin, but it is too strong.

THE CABIN IS OVERFLOWING.

The water has reached Ryan’s chin when-

She manages to take ONE LAST DEEP BREATH of air before-

WATER COMPLETELY FILLS IT.

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