Pale Blue Dot Page #3

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EXT. SPACE SHUTTLE DISCOVERY - “NIGHT”

Laura puts the finishing touches on the solar panel she’s

repairing.

It’s dark now, the sun hidden on the other side of the Earth.

LAURA (V.O.)

But believe me when I say it’s all

worth it.

Below her, the bright NEON LIGHTS of the Shanghai night GLOW

and PULSE, reflecting off her visor.

LAURA (V.O.)

You see all the pictures and you

think you understand. Like, you’ll

get up here and be prepared for it,

but there’s no way.

A BRIGHT FLASH suddenly illuminates everything around Laura.

The sun, arcing around the curvature of the earth.

LAURA (V.O.)

There’s no preparing for this. It’s

majestic. It’s frightening, too. It

makes you feel so small.

Two hundred and fifty miles below her, the Pacific ocean

churns and froths.

LAURA (V.O.)

Give the kids my love. Tell them

I’m keeping an eye on them, even

from up here. I miss you every day

and can’t wait to see you. I know

this is hard on everyone but I hope

you understand this is something I

had to do. I hope I’ve made you

proud.

Laura floats for a moment, done with her work but enjoying

the view.

13.

LAURA (V.O.)

And don’t forget to water the

violets.

CUT TO:

BOOM BOOM.

The distinct double-thunderclap of the sonic boom that

accompanies every Space Shuttle as it re-enters earth’s

atmosphere, racing through the sky at six thousand miles per

hour.

BOOM BOOM.

The loud rumble of the Discovery crew out-running sound

itself can be heard all across the Gulf Coast.

Little League Games. Shopping Mall Parking Lots. Car-choked

highways. Everyone stops and looks up the moment they hear

Laura shatter the sound barrier.

Forty miles above the ground, the belly of Discovery glows a

BRIGHT LAVA-ORANGE. The sheer force of entering the

atmosphere transforming oxygen gas into unimaginably hot

PLASMA.

INT. SPACE SHUTTLE DISCOVERY - CONTINUOUS

If the outside of the shuttle is hell itself, the interior is

a study in serenity.

Commander Shalimar, steady hands at the controls, eases the

orbiter into its decent to the Eastern coast of Florida.

Laura, focused, attentive, monitors the onboard safety

systems. The noise is deafening, but the crew presses on.

EXT. NASA RUNWAY 33 - CONTINUOUS

A crowd of NASA employees and families are gathered at the

edge of Runway 33 near a large stage strung up with balloons.

FRANK PAXTON, a pushing-sixty NASA official with a crew cut,

checks his watch.

Off in the distance, a small black-and-white speck appears.

Discovery.

14.

It grows in size, making its way toward Cape Kennedy,

touching down like clockwork on Runway 33.

PARACHUTES rocket from the rear of the orbiter.

INT. SPACE SHUTTLE DISCOVERY - CONTINUOUS

Discovery finally rolls to a stop.

The crew breathes.

They are alive.

GARY:

All right, everyone. Remember where

we parked.

EXT. NASA RUNWAY 33 - MOMENTS LATER

The outer hatch of Discovery opens to the roar of the crowd.

At Paxton’s cue, an aide fires up the sound system, Tommy

James and the Shondell’s “I’m Comin’ Home” blasting on the

speakers.

Gary steps out to WILD CHEERS. He’s followed by the rest of

the crew and, finally, Laura.

They’re hobbling under Earth’s gravity-- the weight of the

world literally on their shoulders-- as NASA employees help

each of them to the stage. Gary grabs a microphone:

GARY:

Thank you, Cape Canaveral!

Thunderous applause. The crew can’t help but smile.

GARY (CONT’D)

Look, folks. This was a flawless

mission, executed perfectly. I’ve

flown four times and this shuttle

was in the best shape of any

shuttle I’ve ever flown in. We did

it. We’ll do it again. And God

dammit, we’re gonna be doing it for

a hell of a long time.

Again, the crowd goes nuts.

Laura, looking particularly uneasy dealing with the gravity,

squints into the sun.

15.

GARY (CONT’D)

I think we made the Columbia crew

proud.

Gary pauses. It was hard to say but it was on everyone’s

mind.

GARY (CONT’D)

We’re going to go see our families

now. Have a good day. Thanks.

Laura gingerly makes her way off the stage.

Just off the runway, her family awaits.

There’s her husband DREW, mild-mannered and sweet (if a

little nervous). Beside him their twelve-year-old daughter

RUTH stands a few paces away, trying to look disaffected.

Finally, Laura’s twin six-year-old boys, NEIL and ED, each

holding a foil “Welcome Home” balloon.

Laura hesitates a moment. She’s not quite ready for this, not

quite ready to admit her time in space is over until-

-- the boys spot her-

NEIL AND ED:

MOM!

-- and come running.

They’re all running for her, now, arms outstretched. Neil and

Ed have let go of their balloons. Even Ruth is tearing up.

The boys hit their mother at full speed-

LAURA:

-- Oof.

Drew puts his arm around Laura. She leans into him. Smiling.

Crying. Breathing him in.

DREW:

I missed you so much.

He gives her a big hug that knocks her off balance-

LAURA:

Careful. I might break.

Above them, the balloons float towards the clouds.

16.

INT. FRANK PAXTON’S OFFICE - LATER

Laura sits patiently across Paxton’s desk as he thumbs

through the flight report for Mission STS-121.

Paxton is warm and paternal, but he’s also no-nonsense. He’s

been with NASA for years, and the walls of his office can

easily double as a museum.

Photos of Paxton, always with the same haircut, overseeing

the construction of ENTERPRISE (the first shuttle prototype),

posing with SALLY RIDE, JOHN GLENN, other astronauts from the

last twenty years.

It’s clear the shuttle program is his baby. He’s been a

protective father for decades.

PAXTON:

How you feeling?

LAURA:

Well, walking’s a lot more of a

pain in the ass than I remember.

Paxton flips through a few more pages of the flight report.

PAXTON:

It’ll get easier. How was it up

there?

LAURA:

Amazing.

Paxton looks up from his paper work and smiles. The wonder in

Laura’s voice gets to him. For all his work, Paxton’s never

been to space. This wonder is as close as he’ll ever get.

PAXTON:

And the mission?

LAURA:

Shuttle ran beautifully.

PAXTON:

Okay.

Paxton scribbles a few notes in his report.

LAURA:

The crew was a pleasure to work

with.

17.

PAXTON:

Did you ever feel like you were in

danger?

LAURA:

There’s always a risk-

PAXTON:

You know what I mean.

LAURA:

No. I never felt like I was in

danger.

Paxton sets the file down. He leans in, adopting a grave tone

just to make it clear he’s serious:

PAXTON:

There are a lot of people out there

who believe the shuttle program

should just wind things down. Go

quietly into that good night.

LAURA:

That would be a mistake, sir.

PAXTON:

Nobody gives a sh*t anymore. It’s

not like when we had the Soviets.

Americans stopped caring a long

time ago.

LAURA:

That’s not true. I care.

PAXTON:

Would you be willing to return to

space?

Laura resists the urge to blurt what’s on her mind:

ABSOLUTELY.

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