Starship Troopers Page #10

ZANDER:

Profile's wrong... there.

CARMEN:

No, I replotted the course. It's more

efficient this way.

ZANDER:

Three weeks aboard a starship and you

know it all, huh ?

CARMEN:

Hey, check it.

Zander slides into his chair, runs a check.

ZANDER:

You know I was talking to Captain,

Deladier, and she said...

CARMEN:

Don't change the subject. Am I right ?

ZANDER:

Well, whad'ya know...

CARMEN:

Don't mess with the boss. So what'd

the captain say ?

ZANDER:

She got a command... and she thinks we

oughta team up officially and crew for her.

She thinks we're good together.

CARMEN:

You and me, huh ?

Zander turns his chair so they are very close, moves a finger along

her hand, up her arm and playfully around her breasts.

ZANDER:

I have a feeling about us. We're good

together, way ahead of the curve in

every department. I seem to be able to

anticipate your needs.

You know what I want...

Carmen grabs him between his legs.

CARMEN:

No, what do you want ?

Zander pulls her to him and they kiss passionately. She brteaks it off,

gets serious for amoment.

CARMEN:

I want to be part of the best flight team

in the Fleet...

ZANDER:

Me, too... Day and Night-Cycle.

They start to caress again when suddenly ALARMS sound. Captain

Deladier appears on the hot screen, still waking up.

DELADIER:

Report.

ZANDER:

Captain, we are in the path of an unidentified

object moving at near light speed...

Carmen and Zander frantically check their displays.

CARMEN:

WHERE IS IT ?

ZANDER:

THERE !GRAVITY FIELD... IT'S BIG !

CARMEN:

It looks like an... asteroid.

DELADIER:

In this part of the system ?

Carmen and Zander see it through the front screens:A huge

ASTEROID tumbles directly towards them at terrific speed.

ZANDER:

Sweet Jesus...!

Carmen breaks glass that reads EMERGENCY RETROS, arms the switch

within and fires the rockets.

80EXTOUTER SYSTEM - STARSHIP ATHENA

torques to one side. The asteroid grazes the ship, cutting ahuge gash

in Athena's hull. Ice and rock travelling in ist wake shreds

COMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT.

81INTCOMMAND AND CONTROL - NIGHT CYCLE - CARMEN AND

Zander brace themseves as diamond hard particles pound the front screens.

The ship continues to tumble.

82EXTATHENA - FLIGHT DECK - A FIGHTER

loses it's mooring, tumbling into other craft, explosions ripping the deck.

83INTATHENA -VARIOUS - NIGHT CYCLE - CREWMEN

are sucked into space. Others hang on frantically as automatic doors

seal Athena's wound and their fates.

84INTCOMMAND AND CONTROL - NIGHT CYCLE - CAPTAIN

Deladier arrives on the bridge, now crowded as other FLIGHT OFFICERS

rush to their stations. Zander's going through star charts.

DELADIER:

Where'd it come from ?

ZANDER:

Trajectory indicates it came out of

the Arachnid Quarantine Zone.

DELADIER:

Number 4, contact Fleet and tell 'em

there's a loose asteroid headed their way.

COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER

Communications are down, ma'am.

DELADIER:

Engineering. Damage assessment.

ENGINEERING OFFICER

Hull's compromised.

We're lucky to be alive, ma'am.

Deladier notices Carmen staring at a monitor, stunned. A DEAD

CAP TROOPER trails in the wreckage of the flight deck.

DELADIER:

Good work, Number 1. You'll do.

CARMEN:

Thank you, ma'am.

85INTBARRACK'S - DAY - JOHNNY

wears his civilian clothes, pcks as the other recruits get ready for the

day's training. No one says anything. He moves stiffly, careful of his

back.

DIZZY:

It stinks, you goin.

JOHNNY:

I don't stay where I'm not wanted.

DIZZY:

If they didn't want you, they woulda

kicked you out, amigo.

JOHNNY:

Hey, they humiliated me in front of

everyone ! I'm just supposed to take

it, huh ? Well, I'm not gonna, and I

guess that proves I just can't cut it.

Corporal Bronski leans in, impassive.

BRONSKI:

Your call's going through, Rico.

Take it there.

A nearby VU-PHONE lights up. The screen flashes:RINGING

His mother appears when she picks up the other end.

MOTHER:

Hello... Oh, Johnny...!

JOHNNY:

Hi, mom.

MOTHER:

Bill... pick up... it's Johnny ! You

little rat. You haven't called, you

haven't written. It's been so lonely

here without you...

The screen splits as Johnny's father activates an extension.

FATHER:

Johnny ! Where's your uniform...?

Johnny's mother makes a face to shut him up.

FATHER:

Well, it's just good to hear from you.

What's up, son ?

JOHNNY:

It's not really working out for me here,

dad. I was thinking... I was hoping it

would be alright if I came home.

MOTHER:

Well, of course you should come home

immedietly !

JOHNNY:

I've made a mess of things. I've been

so stupid...

FATHER:

Don't talk like that. Get yourself home

as fast as you can.

MOTHER:

We'll all have dinner. I'll fix your favorite.

FATHER:

Yeah ! We'll talk it out and have a good

glass of wine ... and... well, we love you,

son.

The sky in Buenos Aires seems to darken perceptively. Johnny's

mother looks out the window.

MOTHER:

Oh, my, what's that ?

FATHER:

Looks like rain.

MOTHER:

This time of the year...?

The transmission ends abruptly. A phone company logo appears:

TRANSMISSION TERMINATED.

VU-PHONE VOICE

Your transmission has been terminated due

to atmospheric interference. Please try your

call again later.

Johnny zips his duffel, hefts it gingerly over his shoulder.

JOHNNY:

Well, see ya.

DIZZY:

You take the stroll down Washout Lane,

you're only proving one thing, Johnny.

JOHNNY:

What's that, Diz ?

DIZZY:

That you don't have what it takes

to be acitizen !

Dizzy turns on her heel and marches away.

86INTTHE C.O.'S OFFICE - DAY - JOHNNY

signs form 1240/A. Zim stands as witness.

C.O.

Now you, Sergeant.

Zim signs bitterly. The C.O. sighs.

C.O.

That's it, son. You can go.

The C.O. and Zim turn to other things. Johnny picks up his duffel and heads

out the door.

87EXTPARADE GROUND - DAY - JOHNNY

walks alone, sad. A skimmer hums by overhead and he looks after it.

Out across the parade ground he sees the glint of Marauder power

suits as recruits tumble the obstacle course.

88EXTWASHOUT LANE -- DAY - JOHNNY

reaches the little white fence that leads to the transporter. He turns

back for one last look and notices people running to the

Comminications shack. Kitten Smith runs by.

JOHNNY:

Hey, Kitten, what's going on ?

KITTEN:

It's war !

89EXTCOMMUNICATION - DAY - JOHNNY

joins others to see what's on the Federal Net. Recruits, non-coms, and officers gather

without any sense of military decorum. People cry openly, among them Corporal

Bronski.

OFFICIAL VOICE:

... early estimates. Millions dead, a city in

ruins...

On screen, the smoldering ruins of what was once a huge city.

JOHNNY:

Oh, jeez, is that Geneva ?

KATRINA:

Goddam bugs whacked us, Johnny.

OFFICIAL VOICE:

... Buenos Aires has been wiped of the Earth.

Nothing lives in what was once called the

Latin Paradise...

Johnny is horrified. Dizzy is suddenly standing next to him.

DIZZY:

Aw, Johnny, geez... It's home.

OFFICIAL VOICE:

The Federal Court met moments ago and

voted unanimously for mobilization to

destroy the Arachnid threat.

Johnny sets his jaw, turns and runs for the C.O.'s office.

Rate this script:4.0 / 2 votes