Beyond
Concept by Austin.N and Eashaan.P
Written by Austin.N and Eashaan.P
Cast of Characters:
Eric (protagonist)
Coco (dog)
Susan (mom)
George (dad)
Hans
Anne
José
Sayf (antagonist)
Mrs. Periwinkle (Strict teacher)
Kenji (nice teacher)
Emma (Kenji’s daughter)
Mrs. Thorne (normal teacher)
Space controller
President
Taxi Driver
Pilot of Airpne
Airport guard
Head director of japan space agency (Kyoto Mizukami)
Head director of NASA (Joe Andreson)
_____________________________________________
Act 1
SCENE 1
(year 2036)
Eric: (sighs)(Is reading a book about astronomy in his room)
Susan:(coming upstairs) Here! Do this! It will help prepare you for 6th grade!
Eric: (whispers quietly) Jeez, give me a break!
Susan: Are you there?
Eric: Yeah.
Susan: Oh, good. Just so you know, I made some broccoli muffins for ter!
Eric: (rolls eyes)
SCENE 2
NEXT DAY-7:30
Susan: ERIC! ERIC!
Eric: What?
Susan: C’mon! You better not miss the first day of middle school! I’ll feed Coco today, so you can get ready.
Coco: (comes into the room and jumps on Eric)
Eric: (ughing) Easy, boy! Now, go downstairs so mom can feed you. (gently pushes Coco out of room and closes door)
Eric: (brushes teeth, changes, goes downstairs)
10 MIN. LATER
Eric: (Starts eating breakfast; Susan is done feeding Coco. Coco comes near the table and barks at Eric. Eric reaches down and gently strokes Coco’s fur)
Susan: Ready for your first day?
Eric: (sighs) (in a mocking voice) Ready as I'll ever be.
Susan: Oh, Eric, I’m sure you’ll find a friend.
Eric: Yeah.
SCENE 3
5 MIN. LATER
Eric: (gets bike out of garage and starts riding to school)
Hans: Hi!
Eric: Uh, yeah?
Hans: You just moved here?
Eric: Yeah?
Hans: You’re Eric Robertson, right?
Eric: Uh, how’d you know?
Hans: I looked in the roster for our school! We’ve got Mrs.Periwinkle for homeroom!
Eric: Oh! Ok! She sounds nice!
(Eric and Hans start talking)
SCENE 4
15 MIN. LATER-CLASS ABOUT TO START
(Bell rings)
José: Hi guys! Just so you know, css is about to start.
Mrs. Periwinkle: (walks into the room) Welcome to 6th grade. I suppose I should expin what to do like all the other teachers. Rule 1: NO TALKING DURING CLASS!
Hans: (whispering) Yikes
Mrs. Periwinkle: I SAID NO TALKING! Ok, Next rule: I CAN SEND YOU TO DETENTION! (continues expining rules until period is over)
30 MIN. LATER
Mrs. Periwinkle: Oh, look at the time! Alright, css dismissed!
Eric: (talking to Hans in the hallway) I hope our next teacher doesn't have psychosis!
Hans: (snickers)
SCENE 4
Eric and Hans: (walks into Mrs. Thorne’s css)
Mrs. Thorne: Css css, settle down, now. (Starts expining css rules)
Eric: (whispering) She isn’t so bad!
Hans: (whispering) yeah!
Mrs. Thorne: (Finishes expining rules and starts introducing coordinate pnes to the css)
30 MIN. LATER
Mrs.Thorne: Css Dismissed!
SCENE 5
Hans and Eric: (walks to the cafeteria, buy lunch, and find a seat)
Eric: Eugh. Disgusting.
Hans: No, it looks good.
Eric: How can you say that?
Hans: They’re just like the schnitzel my mom makes!
Eric: Uh, Okay?
(Eric and Hans continue and finish lunch)
SCENE 6
20 MIN. LATER
(Eric and hans walk to Mr. Kenji’s room for science)
Eric: Mr. Kenji sounds nice too.
Hans: Yeah! I hear he used to teach at the JAXA training center in Japan!
Eric: What?
Hans: JAXA! Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency! It’s like Japan’s NASA!
Eric: Oh, Okay. Then he might know a bunch of cool stuff!
Hans: Let’s go and see!
(Eric and Hans enter Mr. Kenji’s room)
Kenji: Hello! You are just in time for my css! I'm your science teacher. This is going to be very fun!
Hans: Hi, Mr. Kenji!
Kenji: Just call me Kenji.
Eric: (unsure) Okay, Kenji. What will we learn in css?
Kenji: We will learn about the sor system! I assume the other teachers have expined all the rules, right?
Hans and Eric: Yeah!
Kenji: Okay, good. That way, we can get straight to the fun stuff! (gets louder) All right css, take a seat, and we will begin!(starts expining the sor system)
10 MIN. LATER
Kenji: Okay, we have just reviewed what you probably learned in elementary school, which are the terrestrial pnets, the asteroid belt, the gas pnets, and the outer Kuiper belt; and of course, the Sun. But this is not all. There is much more to the sor system, as you can probably guess. We will continue talking about it tomorrow. As of today, we will be starting a fun research project so you all can show me what you researched and know about this sor system!
Eric: (gets very excited)
Hans and the rest of the css: (moans)
Kenji: (starts giving directions) Okay, you will need to make a presentation to give the css about the wonders of the sor system. It can either be a video or a slideshow. But, you must also write a 25-page essay on what you learned. But, I will be nice and give you 2 weeks to finish this project. You must include 7 details about the sor system, and expin them. Y’all can also talk quietly while working in my css. If you have any questions at home, you can email me at [email protected]. And stly, you can work with a partner for this project like in elementary school. But everyone must have their own essay.
Hans:(whispers to Eric) Want to be partners?
Eric: Sure! I don’t know anyone else here.
Kenji: You can share a presentation, and use your own ptops to work on it. Stay at your desk. You may use any source avaible on your ptops for research. You may find a partner, and start working. You have 30 minutes, which I think is plenty of time for research, and don’t forget, you can work at home, too.
Eric: I’ll share the presentation. You can find a website outlining details about the sor system.
(Eric and Hans continue working on their project for 30 Min. Eric sees Kenji looking at him and typing something on his computer in the middle of css)
30 MINS. LATER
Kenji: Okay. Time’s up! Css dismissed! (quiets down to a whisper and goes to Eric)Come see me in room 2B after school.
Eric: (gulps)
SCENE 7
2 HR. 30 MIN. LATER
Hans and Eric: (goes to room 2B and opens the door)
Kenji: Your friend will have to go.
Hans: (clicks tongue, starts walking away) See you tomorrow, I guess.
Eric: (Walks into the cssroom and sits in a chair in front of Kenji)
Kenji: So I've seen you are very interested in Astronomy, yes?
Eric: Yes. Am I in trouble?
Kenji: No, quite the opposite, actually.
Eric: (getting excited)So what do you need me for?
Kenji: I presume you know that I used to work for the JAXA training program?
Eric: Yes. Hans told me.
Kenji: (quietens down) Well, that was a cover up. I’ve actually been working for a secret government program called UJICP, which stands for USA Japan Interstelr Colonization Program, a secret partnership between NASA and JAXA.
Eric: (surprised) I- Wha- D- Why- why do you need me?
Kenji: (seriously) Your family is going to the exopnet Gliese 667 Cc. I’ve called your parents and they will meet you after school. Your flight to Washington leaves tomorrow. This is top secret, so do not, under any circumstances, tell anyone, and I mean anyone, about this, unless they are an authorized member of UJICP.
Eric: It’s- No- B- But it's on such short notice!
Kenji: (sincerely) I know. Sorry, but we need a family like yours. Plus, I saw that you are pretty interested in space and saw you also researching exopnets to expin how the-
Eric: But do I- should- do I have to? How do I? When?
Kenji: You will be fully trained. You will go in 1 year-
Eric:Just a year?!
Kenji: (gently) I will teach you all you need to know. It will be fun, trust me. You can even come to my house. I’ll give you the address if you want.
Eric: Uh, okay. Any more news that will change my entire life forever??
Kenji: (smiles) One more thing. I will have to privately teach you some stuff in css. But don’t worry. Everything will be good, and you do not need to worry at all. You will have fun. Just wait till tomorrow. And also, you don’t need to write the full 25 pages. I will reduce it to 15 because I need you to find out about Gliese and our spacecraft. You may leave, but keep this device safe. You can use it to learn about the UJICP program and the Ten-Sai space station, which is currently operating in high earth orbit. (hands over small device to Eric)
Eric: Er, how do I work this thing-
Kenji: Just go home. You’ll find out.
(rushes Eric out the door)
SCENE 8
(Eric unlocks his bike and slowly bikes away, staring at the sky and thinking about the days to come. Kenji stands by, waves, then leaves. His car is a gray car Eric has never seen before, probably electric.)
Eric: (as he bikes home, he thinks about UJICP and what exactly he will have to do. He is a little nervous. Eric is thinking to himself) Hmm. I don’t know… Space? Maybe Kenji is trying to trick me… I should ask mom and dad about it… but a teacher? Maybe not. I’ll just do what he says for now.
3 MIN. LATER
Eric: (arrives home, puts bike away, goes inside)
Susan: How was school, honey?
Eric : Good.
Susan: So you heard the news?
Eric: How would I hear it at school?!
Susan: (mockingly) No, duh, not the news on TV. Remember? Space exploration? Gliese 667 Cc?
Eric: Oh, yeah. Kenji told me.
Susan: Who’s Kenji? Your new friend? Anyway,
When your dad gets home, we’ll start packing.
Eric: Kenji’s my science teacher. I assume you’ve heard of UJICP?
Susan: Call your teachers Mr. or Ms., and yes, I have heard of UJICP.
Eric: Kenji’s really nice and lets us call him Kenji. Where did you find out about UJICP?
Susan: Anne told me.
Eric: Who’s Anne?
Susan: I met her at work. My office here is way rger than back in our old town. Anne told me she works with a Kyoto guy, and I think she’s with UJICP.
Eric: Kyoto… I’ve heard that name before… I don’t remember hearing it though… this is weird…
Susan: Sit down. Rex. Everything’s normal-
Eric: But it’s not! Random information is coming to me! Kyoto’s the… director of Japan’s space agency… and he works for UJICP!
Susan: What?
Eric: Oh, wait! I know! It’s the device Kenji gave me!
SCENE 9
(a monotone voice sounds in Eric’s head)
(monotone voice): Open the device. Key in code 94468. Ten-Sai introductory training information protocol will begin.
Can you hear that, mom?
Susan: What? No. I don’t hear anything
Eric: It’s a voice I hear. It tells me to dial 94468. Now, where are the keys? Do I turn it on like a regur phone? I wonder how to turn it on at all!
(the device turns on when Eric says On twice.)
Eric thinks of the number 94468 as he is about to look for a keypad button, but it automatically dispys a futuristic number pad. Eric is surprised.)
Eric: Wait… it typed in 94468 by itself? This is cooler than my grandma’s cranial communications device!
(monotone voice): This protocol will immerse you in an AI-generated augmented reality program which will teach you about Ten-Sai.
Eric: Whoa, this is cool!
(Eric wakes up on the outside of a space station, but he does not have a spacesuit, even though he’s still breathing)
Eric: Wait. Why can I still breathe?
(monotone voice): This is a simution.
Eric. Oh. Okay.
(monotone voice) : The Ten-Sai space station is run by UJICP, a secret program run by the United States of America and Japan. It currently operates in high-earth orbit, to avoid detection by radar devices. There are 4 main areas: a sleeping and eating area, a work area where scientific experiments are conducted, a commons area so that scientists do not get overworked, and a docking area, where the space station can be expanded, or flights to other pnets or earth can be conducted.
Eric:Wow! Cool! When was it built?
(monotone voice):The Ten-Sai space station was proposed by former Japan space agency head director Azukoto Shuyami in 2011. The space station’s building process started in 2014, and ended 2015. Pieces were brought up via rockets unched from an extremely high security unch site disguised as a Blue Origin test and unch facility.
Eric: (looks around, notices some defections in the space station) Why is there a weird looking spot over there? (points at space station)
(monotone voice):Remember, this is an AI-generated augmented reality program. AI is not foolproof and will make mistakes.
Eric: Oh, that makes sense.
(monotone voice): This is the end of the introductory training information protocol. Every day at this exact time, the training protocol will begin again. The session will st precisely 10 minutes.
Eric: Okay. But what ab-
(The session ends and Eric's surroundings instantly become as they were before the training session)
Susan: What was that? There was a weird noise and you just fshed!
Eric: That must have been the device giving me the training program! But… how can you say I was only gone for a fraction of a second?
Susan: I- I- I don’t know!
Eric: How about you try!
Susan: Okay! Can I have the device?
Eric: (hands over device to Susan) You should hear a voice in your head that says something like, “the introductory training protocol will begin” or something.
Susan: I don’t hear anything.
Eric: Wait! I hear the voice again! It says that only I can hear the voice because the device is programmed to only affect my thoughts. It also says that you and dad will get yours at the IJUCP center in Washington!
SCENE 10
(Susan and Eric hear the garage door open and the car drive inside, with George)
Susan: George must be home! I wonder why he’s so te.
Eric: Mm-Hmm. Maybe because he was introduced to IJUCP, too.
(door opens, George comes inside)
George: (panting) Come! There’s no time to expin! Pack your bags!
(Susan goes to the master bedroom with George and Eric goes to his room to pack)
10 MIN. LATER-EVERYBODY IS FINISHED PACKING, AND GEORGE IS HOLDING COCO AND HIS THINGS AND IS READY TO LEAVE
Coco: (barks twice)
Susan: Quiet down. We’re leaving.
(everybody gets in the car and George starts driving)
Susan: where are we even going?
George: I got an email from Kyoto Mizukami. We need to go now because somebody infiltrated the UJICP communications center and sent a threatening message. His username was “Fattah”. Somebody is going to pick us up at the Starbucks down the street and take us to somepce for a UJICP meeting to introduce us to the program. That’s where I’m going.
(they drive to starbucks to see a friendly man waiting outside his rge bck SUV)
SCENE 11
Susan: Oh. There he is.
Eric: Let's get our stuff to that car.
George: I’ll get our suitcases out of the trunk
Susan: Okay, I’ll go ask the man where we’re going.
George: Also ask him where to put our car.
Susan: Sure.
Eric: Where do I put Coco?
George: Put him on his leash and get him out of the car. I’ll get our stuff out.
Eric: Ok, dad.
(Eric puts Coco’s leash on and waits outside the car, while George takes their luggage out.)
Sayf: You can put the things in the trunk. (opens trunk)
George: (puts luggage in trunk)
Sayf: (closes the trunk) Everybody can get in the car now.
(Everybody gets in the car)
George: So where are we going?
Sayf: We’re going to the airport so you can fly in a private jet to washington. You heard of that Fattah guy?
George: Yeah. I got an email from Kyoto Mizukami.
30 MIN. LATER-THEY ARE ARRIVING AT THE AIRPORT
Sayf: Here we are.
(Sayf drives into what looks like a gated aviation community)
Eric: Wait. This doesn’t look like the airport!
Sayf: It’s disguised as an aviation community.
Airport Guard: Please show me your identification.
(Sayf shows the Guard his UJICP ID. Eric notices his full name is “Sayf Al-Fattah”)
Airport guard: You may proceed.
(Sayf parks the car and shows the way to the security checks)
Susan: You sure know your way around here.
Sayf: I’ve worked here as a taxi driver for 25 years.
(they get to security and put their bags on the conveyor belt,and walk through the metal detectors, but Sayf leaves)
Eric: How come there are no officers?
(no response to Eric’s question)
(AI voice): This security checkpoint is entirely run by AI.
(They get past security to see a sign that points to an exit door, and they walk out to see a pne)
Pilot of Airpne: Here! Get in!
(everybody gets in the pne)
Eric: Wow! This pne is so rge and luxurious!
Pilot of Pne: It is the all new C370-764 made by the UJICP Aerospace Aircraft and Jets Company to specially be used as a private charter jet for transporting members. Here, the president and head of NASA is calling. (hand over phone to Eric and family)
President: Hello everyone, as you may know, you are headed to Washington, D.C. to be trained to go to the exopnet Gliese 667 Cc
Susan: Yes, and we need 1 year of training?
NASA director: Yes. You’ll be taught everything you need to know. Farming, survival, defense, spaceship maintenance, everything.
President: We will meet in Washington. See you in a couple of hours.Susan: Okay. We will be there. Bye.
Eric: I’m bored. When will we reach?
George: How about taking a nap?
Susan: Good idea. Then we’ll wake up when we reach.
Eric: Okay. I’m asleep already
(everyone snoring. Pilots are chatting about the mission over the intercom)
George: We’re nding in 10 minutes! Wake up, everyone.
Susan: I’ve never been to Washington before.
Eric: We had a field trip here in 5th grade.
(20 minutes ter: the pne has nded, everyone got out and got their big suitcase from the baggage carousel)
Susan: Let’s ask someone where we can find a taxi.
(Susan asks stranger where exit is, and they start going)
George: I’ll call a taxi. Apparently, there is a taxi service here just for UJICP.
Eric: There’s one right there!
SCENE 12
George: He’s the guy I was talking to. They’re from UJICP.
Susan: Okay. Can we go to the UJICP training center?
Taxi driver: Okay, I can take you there. It's a 30 minute drive.
Susan: George, you get Coco. Okay, Can you also tell us about the program?
Taxi driver: Okay. So, the mission is to colonize distant exopnets which are known to be habitable for life. You probably know that the universal speed record was broken in 2030, when the IJS first crossed the speed of light using an Alcubierre drive, proving that it is possible to go faster than light. But we, as in UJICP, have perfected a design that enables us to go at about 300 times the speed of light, enabling us to reach Gliese in only a month!
Susan: Wow, that’s extremely fast. I never thought anything could do that. How did you do it — and without the world noticing?
Taxi driver: As you know, UJICP is a secret program. And of the space agencies which do know about the program (Nasa and Jaxa), we are known for being good at keeping things secret. We could pn to try to blow up New York and no one would know. (chuckles)
George: Wow. How much longer?
Taxi driver: We just need to go down Highway 295 till we reach Capitol Street, then go down the UJICP Campus Road to reach the training center.
Susan: Long way left.
Eric: I’m gonna sleep again.
George: Okay.
20 MINS. LATER- THEY HAVE REACHED THE TRAINING CENTER & ERIC HAS FALLEN ASLEEP
Taxi driver: Wake up, Eric: We’re here!
George: Which way do we go to get to the orientation for the space program?
Taxi driver: Enter the main entrance, 1st floor. It’s the big hall on your left near the rge spaceship sculpture. For the meeting room, go down the hallway of the conference rooms and 3rd door on your right. Should be a rge pair of double doors, leading to the room for the meeting. It’s the rgest conference room.
Susan: Wait, let me write them down real quick. Big hall for orientation, and 3rd conference room for meeting, right? (gets out a notebook and pen and writes down where all the rooms are)
Taxi driver: That’s right. Bye!
George: Thank you. Bye!
SCENE 13
(everybody gets out of the car and goes into the building, while the car drives away)
Susan: Okay. So now, time to attend the orientation and orientation meeting. Everyone, follow me!
Eric: Dad, did you learn about why we were required for the UJICP program and not some other, professional astronauts?
George: They didn’t tell me, Eric. Maybe they’ll expin at the meeting.
Eric: Maybe. Let’s go and see.
Susan: Oh no. I think we’re te.
George: No, I don't see a lot of people. Plus, the taxi driver told me that it starts at 11 AM. It’s only 10:30 right now.
Eric: Okay. Let’s grab some snacks. I haven’t had a meal since when we departed for Washington, and that was before yesterday’s lunchtime!
Susan: Good idea. They have pizza!
Eric: My favorite! Do they have cheese?
Susan: The sign over there says broccoli only (points at a sign far away)
Eric: (moans) But I'm so hungry. I’ll just eat it. Why broccoli though? Everything’s broccoli these days. Broccoli pizza, broccoli sauté, broccoli pasta, broccoli muffins, you name it. I heard they invented boiled broccoli cake the other day. They even put a topping of broccoli syrup on it!
Susan: Calm down, it’s only broccoli. Do you even like my broccoli muffins?
Eric: (does not answer, and awkwardly stays silent)
George: Hurry up. The orientation meeting will start in 10 minutes. (looks at Eric) And don’t make a fuss about broccoli.
# Sidenote: I love broccoli. It’s weird writing from the perspective of a kid who hates it.
Eric: Fine. I am hungry anyway.
10 MINS. LATER: ERIC ATE HIS BROCCOLI PIZZA AND THEY ARE AT THE MEETING ROOM
Susan: Okay. Time to see what exactly this UJICP business is.
(Everyone sits down, ready to listen. More people file in, and in just 5 minutes, all the seats are taken)
Speaker: Hello, future astronauts of UJICP. You all must know that you are part of the 25 families chosen to be the first humans to colonize a pnet outside the sor system. We’ve already done Mars, and the Venus colony, which as you know, wasn’t a success. I don’t know what kind of person would decide that living on a pnet with a 867 degrees fahrenheit average temperature would be a good idea, but anyways, now we are trying outside the sor system. We have chosen 5 exopnets. Each of you will be going to one of the pnets. 4 families per pnet colony. The remaining 5 families will stay inside a satellite orbiting their respective pnet. The most successful family’s pnets will have more families arriving. I will give the final list of families and corresponding pnets in 3 days. For now, we will complete the meeting with a question and answer about the space program for the remaining 30 minutes.
(question and answer happens. Everyone got answers and now are ready to begin their training. Susan, George, Eric, George carrying Coco in his arms, rush out. The speaker told them to go to room 173 for their beginner training)
SCENE 14
Susan: Good. Now we go to room 173.
Eric: I can’t believe we’re actually going to go to space. I’ve always dreamed of being an astronaut when I grow up. But I’m getting a chance right now!
George: Yeah. When you think about it, it’s so far-fetched. I wonder if this is actually going to happen.
Susan: Now, let's get to our training room. According to this map, our room is right down this hallway.
Coco: (starts wriggling in George’s arm, and jumps out before George can hold him back)
Eric: (runs after Coco) Come back, boy!
Coco: (Stops and sits down near a door)
Eric: Room 173. Here it is. Coco, sometimes I think you’re more than just a dog.
Susan: (rolls her eyes) It’s just a coincidence.
Coco: (barks)
Susan: Fine.
Eric: Let’s get inside. (turns the knob, but Coco pushes open the door instead)
Susan: Wow. What a big room!
George: This looks somewhat like an elementary school cssroom, but with a bunch of astronaut training equipment.
(they hear a voice)
Eric: It’s Kenji!
(Kenji appears from behind a rge piece of equipment)
Kenji: (cheerfully) Hello, everyone! Are the other families here yet?
Susan: No, we haven’t seen any. How big is this room, anyways?
Eric: And why is there a giant swimming pool in that mess of training equipment?
Kenji: This room is about the size of three Olympic swimming pools, or about one hundred fifty by seventy five meters!
Susan: Wow!
Eric: But why?
Kenji: Most of the space is for housing the training equipment. We will start our training just like in school: A lecture! But I will make it fun. Everyone, close your eyes! 3, 2, 1, you can open them again!
Eric: Hey, we’re in Ten-Sai! But we’re not floating.
Kenji: I will only turn that on once we have trained for it. So to the AI-augmented reality swimming pool!
(everyone else shows a confused expression)
Susan: We go swimming?
Kenji: Not exactly. It’s for training. We can simute low-gravity, like on other pnets.
Susan: Oh. I’m still tired from that flight. Do you know where we can find our rooms?
Kenji: Oh, yes. (turns off simution) Room 35. The elevator is down the hall. Take a left and go to the third floor.
SCENE 15
NEXT DAY-BASIC SPACE INTRODUCTORY LECTUREKenji: Welcome to your first day. Today we will learn about some general rules in space. First things first: You will not be floating around everywhere. There will be artificial gravity due to the fact that if you spend too much time in zero gravity, your spines will decompress, otherwise known as spinal stenosis. I’m sure you’ve all heard of that. Another thing, your muscles will get weak after a long time in zero-G.
Susan: Makes sense. What do we have to learn, then?
Kenji: (continues expining space things)
LATER-INTRODUCTORY EMERGENCY PROCEDURE LECTURE
Kenji: There are three main situations in which your lives will be in serious danger. And remember, a billion things can go wrong, and this is just three, so do not think that this is all you need to know. One. If an oxygen leak ever occurs, do not panic, as you have a backup system, although if both malfunction, then you may need to perform a spacewalk. Another problem that could occur is a propulsion system malfunction. If this happens, use backup thrusters and immediately return to Earth. Finally, another event that could happen is a biohazard, such as the fuel leaking into the living compartment. If this happens, an arm should bre and it will send a SOS signal. In the case this happens, try to contain the hazard and await rescue. If rescue is not possible, return to Earth.
George: Can you give us a list of the most possible emergencies and what to do?
Kenji: I was just about to! (gets papers off desk and hands them to everybody) As you can see, emergencies vary from a simple food shortage to a Argon Thrust Expense Valve, or ATEV malfunction, but don’t worry, you’ll be taught everything you need to know.
Eric: Oh, yeah!
Kenji: How about we start going through the list? The first possible emergency is a Pressure Induced Argon Expel Event, or PIAE. This happens when you are diverting unused argon from the Argon Pressure Powered Control Thruster Valve, or APPCTV, which is used to make small changes when docking, to the main Argon tank. The way this happens is that when the valve malfunctions, it can accidentally direct more Argon from the Argon Holding Tank for Thrusters, or AHTT into the Main Argon Holding Tank, or MAHT than needed. Most people pronounce the MAHT “math”, though.
George: Man, that’s a lot of information!
Kenji: Well, you’ve got a year to learn it!
George: Yeah, that should be plenty of time.
25 MIN. LATER
Kenji: Anyway, that concludes today’s lesson. Remember to study and try to memorize some of those emergency procedures!
Susan: We will!
SCENE 16
ACT 2
1 YEAR LATER-ERIC AND FAMILY ARE IN ROCKET
Space Controller: T-minus 0 hours 17 minutes!
Susan: Ready?
Eric: (gulp) Yeah.
Susan: Nervous?
Eric: A little.
Susan: (ughing) A little?
Eric: A little.
Space controller: Go for unch!
16 MIN. LATER
Space Controller: T-Minus 1 minute! Final checks complete. Launch team personnel, please leave the area.
George: A year’s effort, all for this. It better work.
Launch Controller: terminate ICPS LH2 replenishment… go for automated unch sequence… T-minus 30 seconds! Initiate burn off igniters… Core engine start…
Eric: (Breathes in and out)
Launch controller: Main engine start… Retract GOVA… 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, booster ignition! Umbilical separation, and we have liftoff! Look at her go!
Eric: Wow! I can’t believe we’re so high already!
Susan: I know, right!
George: We’re already one sixtieth of the way there!
2 MIN. LATER
Eric: Wow! We’re actually floating!
George: Yep. Initiating prograde burn. (presses some buttons)
30 SEC. LATER
George: Overburn! Overburn! Initiating retrograde burn now! (presses some more buttons)
Susan: What was that?
George: Just a silly mistake.
Eric: Just so you know, a “silly mistake” up here can expend hundreds of thousands of dolrs.
George: (chuckles)
SCENE 17
80 MIN. LATER
George: Initiating rendezvous burn. (presses a button, waits a couple of seconds) Rendezvous burn complete.
Eric: I see Ten-Sai!
Susan: Yup, there it is.
George: Initiating thrusters. Manual control activated. (takes hold of a joystick and starts controlling the ship)
(Eric and his family feel a small jolt, a click, and the sound of air spraying into a room, and a door opens)
Eric: Here we are!
(they all go into a small white room as the doors close behind them)
Susan: Now we wait for our craft to leave.
(they hear their spacecraft detatch and leave, and a door opens in front.
Susan: Just like training.
George: Let’s head to the docking station.
(they all go to the docking station)
Kenji: Oh, hi! Eric and Susan, you can go down there and George can go to the left.
Eric: Huh.
(they all go to their respective spaceships, the hatches close and they leave the docking port)
Eric: Wait! There's somebody there!
Sayf: I’ve been waiting…
SCENE 19
Eric: What are you doing here?
Sayf: I have locked the spaceship controls and only I can control it now! We’re not going to Gliese! We’re going to Kepler-452 B! Hahaha!
Susan: Wait! You’re the taxi driver from a year ago!
Eric: I knew it! I saw your full name on your ID when we were entering the airport! “Sayf Al-Fattah”!
Susan: Where's George?
Sayf: He’s in another spaceship! I modified the IJUCP computer so that now it thinks George is in a transport module instead of a spaceship! I can’t fight him off, so why not get rid of him?
Eric: (holds onto Susan’s hand)
SCENE 18
THAT NIGHT-SUSAN AND ERIC ARE LOCKED IN THE BEDROOM
Susan: What can we do? Mission specialists would have never expected this type of situation. All of the facilities are disguised and they are ultra-secure.
Eric: Wait. Sayf-
Susan: How do you know his name is Sayf?
Sayf (yelling from outside) No talking!
Eric: We’ll talk once he falls asleep in a while.
(Susan and Eric pretend to go to sleep)
LATER THAT NIGHT-SAYF HAS FALLEN ASLEEP
Eric: I think he’s out.
Susan: Yep. So how did you know his name?
Eric: When he was entering the airport, I saw his ID said something like “Sayf Al-Fattah”.
Susan: (louder) Wait!
Eric: Shhh!
Susan: (softer) Fattah! That was the guy who sabotaged the comm system a year ago!
Eric: Yeah! But now that I think about it, why would he do that?
Susan: I don’t know. My guess would be that he was probably tracking how long it took for us to fix stuff. In preparation for this mess, I guess.
Eric: Yeah, probably. (sighs)
SCENE 20
Susan: We need to come up with a pn to reach Gliese 667 Cc!
Eric: Can we just call it Gliese? Gliese 667 Cc is way too long to say.
Susan: Good idea. Anyway, he said he probably can’t fight off George, right?
Eric: Yeah! So you want to somehow dock with him?
Susan: Yep! But there are problems.
Eric: (mockingly) Were there ever.
Susan: The first problem is that we don’t have access to the controls of our spacecraft or George’s.
Eric: Well, maybe there’s something Sayf doesn’t know about the communication controls than we do. He probably used the Manual lock system, but if we can trick the computer into thinking there’s some kind of emergency, we can override that.
Susan: Yeah! Remember in training when they taught us that if there was ever a situation where there was some type of biohazard, we could use the manual control system to navigate to the nearest pnet, or moon and deposit the biohazard there?
Eric: Yeah! We just need to get some kind of biohazard and put it near one of the sensors!
Susan: Good thing I packed perfume.
Eric: Really? Perfume?
Susan: (jokingly) Well, I don’t see you having any brainstorms.
Eric: (ughing) Ok, Ok.
Susan: We can do that tomorrow, but for now, there’s also the problem of the fact that George can navigate his own craft away from ours. We don’t know what he’ll do.
Eric: Well, the biohazard detection monitor also gives an SOS signal. The signal can reach up to 510 light-years, so we need to do it soon. Luckily, we’re using argon thrusters, so it’ll take a while for us to speed up.
Susan: Oh, yeah!
Eric: Let’s do it tomorrow. I’m too tired to think clearly.
(Susan and Eric go to bed.)
SCENE 21
NEXT DAY-TIME TO EAT BREAKFAST
Sayf: (yelling and pounding on bedroom door) Get up! Make breakfast!
Eric: So now he expects us to be his personal servant?
(Sayf unlocks the door and Susan and Eric go make toast)
Sayf: I overheard you yesterday. Formuting some kind of pn to escape? I don’t think so. You’re staying in that bedroom until lunch.
Eric: (smiles to Susan)
Susan: (smiles back to Eric)
3 MIN. LATER-ERIC AND SUSAN FINISHED MAKING BREAKFAST AND GIVE SAYF HIS FOOD WHILE THEY GO TO THE BEDROOM
Eric: (talking in his normal voice) Can I have the perfume to spray on the mon-?
Susan: Shhhhh!
Sayf: What perfume?
Susan: Just my perfume. Don’t you think I need it?
Sayf: Why now, in the spaceship?
Susan: I only get a turn to shower once a week! And I don’t like smelling myself all the time.
Sayf: No, hand it over. I’m not an idiot.
Susan: (sadly hands over the perfume)
(long silence)
Eric: (sits down on bed, starts crying) If I hadn’t been so lou, or noticed his name was Fattah all those days ago, none of this would have happened.
Susan: Eric, honey, you mustn't think like that!
Eric: But now I’m endangering you, as well!
Susan: (puts arm around Eric and sits down next to him) Well, sometimes you should just let the past be the past and focus on right now! And plus, Sayf is the one who’s holding us hostage, anyways!
Eric: Yeah.
Susan: So what can we use other than perfume?
Eric: (snickers) What about poo?
Susan: Ewww! It might work! We just need some sort of pstic bag. (shouting) Sayf! Sir!
Sayf: What?
Susan: Can we have a couple zip-loc bags so that we can organize our things?
Sayf: No… Why?
Susan: My bag is so messy!
Eric: Me, too!
Sayf: No. (leaves and closes door)
Eric: (Sighs) Maybe if we had some sort of paper we could get some without getting it onto our hands.
Susan: Wait! Yes, we do have paper! Eric, you’re a genius!
Eric: Really? Where?
Susan: Toilet paper, dummy!
Eric: Ohhh ok. Let’s do it tonight.
SCENE 22
LATER AT NIGHT-SAYF HAS FALLEN ASLEEP
Susan: I think enough time has passed.
Eric: Wow, now that I think about it, just a year ago, I was a kid in middle school with barely any friends, and now I’m in a hostage situation in the middle of outer frickin space!
Susan: (chuckles) Yep. Crazy, isn’t it?
Eric: Yeah.
Susan: So, wanna do the poo thing now?
Eric: Wait! If we do it now, arms will bre all around the ship!
Susan: We can disable them via the power system access panel.
Eric: But if we do it, Sayf will see us!
Susan: (jokingly) No, dummy, we do it now.
Eric: But how will we do that?
Susan: Well, I did bring toothpicks.
Eric: Oh, yay! Somebody showed me how to do that in the fifth grade! Here, let me!
Susan: (hands over toothpick to Eric) Be quiet, though.
Eric: (puts the toothpick in the lock and fiddles around with it until it opens)
Susan: (whispering) Thank goodness for the artificial gravity! Otherwise the lock would be electric.
Eric: (whispering) Yeah.
(Susan and Eric go to the control room to see the door locked, so Eric unlocks the door with the toothpick again)
SCENE 23
Eric: (whispering, pointing to a gray metal box on the wall) Look, there it is.
Susan: Get it open, and find the green wire. I’ll go to the kitchen and get a knife to cut it.
(Susan goes to the kitchen to see Sayf going to get a midnight snack, she accidentally taps the counter, Sayf hears it, and comes to investigate)
Susan: (runs back to the control room) Eric! Eric! Sayf is coming! Hide!
(Susan and Eric hide behind a counter)
Sayf: (looks inside, shrugs shoulders and walks away, forgetting to lock the door)
(Susan and Eric wait a couple seconds before getting out)
Susan: (Goes to the doorway to make sure Sayf has left) He’s gone. (goes to the kitchen and gets a knife and brings it to Eric)
Eric: (cuts the green wire) Ok, done. Now let’s put the knife back and do the poo thing.
(Susan and Eric put the knife back, and go into their room)
Eric: I’ll go poo! (goes into the bathroom and closes the door, then comes out with a paper with brown stains on it)
Susan: Eww! Okay! Here, let me lift you.
(Susan lifts Eric up, who puts the paper on the monitor)
Susan: I’ll go make sure it worked (goes to the control room to see that they’ve sent and SOS. Susan then locks the controls again)
Susan: (walks back to the bedroom) Yes! It worked!
(Susan and Eric share a high-five)
Susan: (Locks the door) Let’s go back to sleep, now.
(Susan and Eric go to sleep)
SCENE 24
5 DAYS LATER-GEORGE DOCKING IN APPROXIMATELY 15 MIN.
Sayf: (opens control panel to see they’ve changed course, yelling) Who changed the control panel settings? Susan! Eric!
Susan and Eric: (goes to the control room) Yeah?
Sayf: You changed our heading from 76.8 to 90.1!
Susan: No.
Eric: Wasn’t me!
Sayf: Nonsense!
(Susan, Eric and Sayf get into a big fight, none of them know that George is about to dock)
2 MIN. LATER-SAYF IS WINNING THE FIGHT AND HAS ALMOST MANAGED TO GET A LARGE METAL BAR
Sayf: Haha!
(George docks and comes in)
George: Not if I have anything to say about it!(comes and gets Sayf and pins him to a wall) You wanna hurt my family?
Sayf: N-no!
George: Ha! I’m not stupid! (pushes sayf into a closet and locks the door)
Eric: Finally!
SCENE 25
ACT 3
LATER THAT NIGHT-ERIC AND FAMILY ARE TALKING AT DINNER
Susan: Well, now I just want to go back to Earth.
George: Yeah, but we can’t. I’ll go change course to Gliese. (goes to change the course in the control room) Ok, setting bearing to 172.7. Comms system online. All systems functioning. New course set.
Susan: Yay. Now how long does it take to reach?
George: It shows that Gliese is only 3 light years away. At our speed, we should reach it in about 4 days.
Eric: I still can’t believe we go so fast even after a year of training.
Susan: Amazing technology, isn’t it?
George: Yeah. Hey, look! Another rge spaceship nearby. It looks as if they are trying to dock with us. Let me use the comm system to talk to them.
(George goes to the docking room and talks to the pilot of the other ship.)
George: It’s the Kobayashis.
Eric: Hey, Kenji might be in there! Let’s dock with them.
Susan: Good idea. We could use a little help right now with getting to Gliese.
SCENE 26
Monotone AI voice: Spaceship docking procedures initiated. We will dock in 10 minutes.
Susan: Great. We won’t be alone now.
(10 MINS. LATER: ships have docked)
Eric: (runs up and hugs his teacher) Hi, Kenji! We need help getting to the Gliese colony.
George: Did you hear how Sayf had taken over our ship?
Kenji: Yes, of course. This is why we brought our ship, the Kobayashi. Me and my dad built it back in 2029, and it is named after our family. Eric, you can meet my daughter, while me, your mom, and your dad will try to get us a spot at the Gliese colony.
Eric: Sure! Finally, I won't be the only kid on this ship!
(Kenji, Susan, and George walk away; Eric goes to the Kobayashi spaceship to find a 6th grade girl sitting and reading.
Eric: Uh, hello?
Emma: Hi. You’re George’s son, right?
Eric: Yeah. My name is Eric
Emma: (chuckles nicely) My real name is Akari, but you can call me Emma. I go by that name ever since we moved to the U.S.
Eric: Nice to meet you. What book are you reading?
Emma: (blushing) Astronomer’s Guide to the Gaxy. I love astronomy.
Eric: So do I! Can I see?
Emma: Sure!
SCENE 27
(they read the book together for some time, but something strange happens)
Eric: Wait. Something is happening!
Emma: It could be an augmented reality program.
Eric: Oh yeah. Why do I keep forgetting? I still have Kenji’s device!
Emma: The machine assisted learning augmented reality device?
#Sidenote: In real life, it would be machine learning, not machine assisted learning, but for the sake of the story, this is good enough.
Eric: The what?
Emma: MALARD, nicknamed the “malrd”. It’s a device the UJICP uses to communicate between members, give training programs, teach people things, and to have a little fun. It’s basically a phone with more advanced AI features.
Eric: Oh, I get it! It must be the same thing as what your dad gave me. Is this it? (shows Emma Kenji’s device)
Emma: Yeah, that’s it. They didn’t tell you its name in training?
Eric: Nope.
Emma: Well, let's just let it run its augmented holographic reality thing.
SCENE 28
(they see a space view. They are floating outside their spaceships. They are wearing spacesuits.)
Eric: Wow, we’re outside the ship!
Emma: Maybe it will show us something.
AI voice: (not monotone anymore): Welcome to the Tour of Gliese 667C. You probably see the comet approaching you. It is Daikunyomi, a comet discovered by UJICP itself. You will first look around the Gliese 667C star system,which is part of the Gliese 667 trinary system, then learn about Gliese 667 Cc, which is the pnet you are headed to. When the comet reaches you, nd in the rge crater you see in the comet. It will carry you the rest of the way.
Eric: Wow. We just jump on to it?
Ai voice: Yes. The program is sped up, so you should complete an orbit in only about 20 minutes. And the program will stop you from crashing into the comet as it is only AI-generated. I, Gliese AI, will teach you about important things in the Gliese 667 star system. The program is made based on a video taken by a rover sent to that asteroid, so it can accurately dispy features.
Emma: This is cool. My malrd has never given me anything like this.
Eric: Yeah. We nd in 3, 2, 1.
SCENE 29
(both nd on their arms and legs on the comet, which appears to be going extremely fast.)
AI voice: Now, we will be approaching the pnet GJ667C d, which is a potentially habitable pnet. It is one of the pnets chosen by UJICP. As you can also see it is a triple star system, meaning that it has 3 stars. Gliese 667A, Gliese 667B, and Gliese 667C. We will orbit all three.
Eric: Okay. Do you hear our voice, Gliese AI?
AI voice: Yes. As in reality you are still in the spaceship, I can hear you perfectly. The program works by sending signals directly to your brain, so you can “feel” things which aren’t actually there, like your comet.
Eric: Weird. I haven’t heard anything like that.
Emma: Look! Another pnet!
AI voice: Yes, you are correct. That is actually Gliese 667Cc, which is the pnet you will be nding on. I will show a red dot where the colony is.
(a red ser-like dot appears on the pnet near a rge dark area)
AI: The red dot indicates the location of the colony on Gliese 667 Cc. It is where you are headed. If you check out the live video in 4 days, you may be able to see your ship. The actual asteroid is around this location right now, and in 4 days it will be over there.
(the red dot moves away to a spot. A dotted line also appears, indicating the orbit of the comet.)
AI: Anyway, the pnet is Gliese 667 Cc. It completes an orbit every 28 earth days. It is tidally locked, meaning that the same side always faces Gliese 667 C. The pnet would be pretty cold compared to earth, at about 4 degrees celsius, or 39 degrees fahrenheit. The colony is located on the bright side of the pnet.
Emma: That’s cool. So wait, the year and day are both 28 earth days?
Eric: It must be.
AI voice: You are right. Because it is tidally locked, the year and day are both the same length.
Emma: Is that another pnet there?
AI: Yes. We are about to complete our orbit around Gliese 667C, which means crossing Gliese 667C e. It has an orbit very close to a perfect circle, with an eccentricity of 0.02. It orbits the same star at 0.213 AU, which means 0.213 times the distance that Earth orbits from the sun. There are more pnets orbiting the star, but we won’t cover them. This tour is for the habitable pnets. We will now simute conditions on the surface of Gliese. If you ever need to go out there, this is for that. You may have received training on surface walks, but this is just for fun.
(surroundings fsh, and Eric and Emma are now on the surface of Gliese 667 Cc. )
Eric: Wow. It kind of reminds me of the pictures of Mars.
Emma: You’re right.
AI voice: Yes. The terrain has many valleys and mountains. There is slightly more gravity, but you will get used to it. On Earth, if you weigh a hundred pounds, then you would weigh about 270 pounds here.
Eric: So we need to use a lot of energy to move.
Emma: And we’ll have to eat a lot.
SCENE 30
AI voice: The colony is inside a rge building with multiple rge indoor farms and green walls. It is powered by sor panels on the curved sides of the building. Now activating adjusted gravity signals.
Emma: Whoa. I feel a lot heavier.
Eric: It’s pulling me to the ground!
Emma: I think we will do well with a little practice.
Eric: I’m hungry. What time is it back in Washington State?
AI: The current Pacific Standard Time is 12:43.
Eric: That expins why I’m so hungry. Can we go eat now?
AI: Would you like to end the program now?
Emma: Sure! I want to eat lunch too.
AI: Ending augmented reality program now.
(world around Eric and Emma fshes; they are in the advanced spaceship kitchen)
Eric: I smell fried rice!
Emma: It’s been a long time since I’ve st eaten it.
(Susan had been cooking space-fried rice. A new invention has enabled her to cook the fried rice from spaceship-grown and cloned rice and vegetables and make fried rice with good fvor)
Eric: Thanks, Mom! You’re the best.
Susan: Thank you, Eric. Emma, do you like fried rice?
Emma: Yeah! It’s pretty good.
Susan: Eric loves it.
Eric: I’m hungry.
Susan: What were you two doing?
Emma: Uh, reading? I got a new book before we left Earth called Astronomer’s Guide to the Gaxy.
Eric: Yeah, we were reading.
Susan: Ok, but lunch will be ready soon (with a confused expression, wondering if they are telling the truth because moms know everything)
Eric: Maybe we should go into my room.
Emma: Good Idea.
(Eric and Emma go into Eric’s room and sit on the bed, reading the book. Eric takes a look at Emma and smiles. Emma smiles back)
SCENE 31
5 MIN. LATER
Susan: Lunch is ready!
(Susan and Eric go to the kitchen)
Susan: What were you two doing?
Eric: Reading.
Susan: What?
Eric: (shows Susan the book)
(Everybody sits down at the table, Emma and Eric sit next to each other)
Eric: I think you have a stain on your shirt, Emma.
Emma: Oh, yes. (smiles)
Kenji: (smiles at Eric and Emma)
Susan: (Eyes Eric and Emma)
Kenji: Oh, yeah! I forgot, when you two are finished, you can try using your malrds to simute earth!
Emma: Sure! Nice!
Susan: (Eyes and frowns at Kenji)
SCENE 32
4 DAYS LATER- SPACESHIPS ARE LANDING AT GLIESE 667 CC
Susan: We’re here.
(Eric whispers to Emma): My mom doesn't know anything about how the surface looks. In training they only taught info.
Susan: Wow, this looks like Mars!
AI voice: You have now arrived at Gliese 667 Cc. Follow the red arrow to get to the colony building. It will also direct you to your individual rooms.
(Eric and Emma are chatting about Astronomer’s Guide to the Gaxy and stuff they learned. They wander off talking, and do not see that they have lost the red arrow.)
(Eric realizes that they cannot see the red arrow. They are in a big pin with multiple mountains and valleys around them.
SCENE 33
Eric: Oh no! Where’s the red arrow?
Emma: I think we’ve lost it.
Eric: (scared) Huh? How- what do we do now? How do we find the colony?
Emma: (also scared, holds Eric’s arm) And what’s that in the distance?
Eric: It must be some sort of nder operated by UJICP. Or it could be a boulder.
Emma: No… It looks like an alien! Or maybe I’ve read too many sci-fi novels.
Eric: No, you could be right. Looks like it’s moving.
Emma: Let’s get away from it
(the thing lifts up and zooms toward them)
Eric: Phew, it must be some sort of rescue ship!
SCENE 34
(Sayf jumps out of ship)
Sayf: Ha! Found you again. You’re not going anywhere!
(Eric and Emma gasp) It’s Sayf!
Sayf: It is me, very well.
(Eric and Emma try to run away, but are stopped by a rge cliff)
(Sayf brings his ship over, and sucks the children into the ship with advanced suction technology built in his ship)
Eric: (sighs) Now what can we do?
Emma: (does some secret signal to Eric which only they know) Let’s go to the back of the room.
Eric: What are we doi-
Emma: You’ll see. (walks fast; they reach)(quiets down to a whisper) So see, Gliese AI has signals all over the entire trinary system. It might be able to help us. Plus, we have our trusty little duckies.
Eric: So, here goes. “Gliese AI?”
SCENE 35
Gliese AI: Read you loud and clear.
Eric: Can you send a rescue buggy to our current ground location?
Gliese AI: Sure. AI-powered rescue buggy coming now.
Eric: Now we figure out how to get out of here.
Emma: I’ll say “I’m hungry” to Sayf. The spaceship looks small and it might not have a kitchen, and he’ll have to get some snacks. For that, he needs to nd the ship. And in training, we learned that the ships unlock when nded automatically, remember? We might be able to escape while Sayf is looking for a snack.
Eric: We could try. But what if Sayf disagrees? He’s not that dumb. He used to be part of this program too.
Emma: Then our only option is to take over the ship. Luckily, I have my survival kit, and it includes an animal sedation kit. It should work fine on Sayf. And I have sedation darts, so we can give him a dose without him noticing.
Eric: Why do you have an animal sedation thing in outer space? Anyways, I’ll distract him, you do the sedation thing.
Emma: I simply carry it by habit. See, I like to go hiking on Earth, and when I do, I need my survival kit. So I have a habit of taking it wherever I go. And yeah, sure.
SCENE 36
(Eric walks up to Sayf)
Eric: Sayf, where are you taking us?
Sayf: Do you expect me to tell you? I’m not a fool! (at this point, the dart hits Sayf)
Eric: I’m hungry. I want to go to the Gliese colony and eat something.
Sayf: So what? I’m not going to drop you there.
Eric: Why have you captured us?
Sayf: I’m not telling you. You might come up with a way to escape. I’m not a fooooooollllll— (colpses, falls unconscious)
Emma: He was a fool. Until he decided that trapping us in a spaceship was a bad idea. But trying to kill two kids twice is also foolish, I guess.
Eric: Yeah, you’re right.(Chuckles) I’ve been trained to pilot the spaceship, so I can take it directly to the colony.
Emma: I’ll send the buggy back. And Sayf probably won't come to his senses for half an hour, so we have plenty of time.
SCENE 37
10 MINS. LATER - they have nded at the colony.
(Emma sets fire to Sayf’s ship using a small matchstick she found in her survival kit). She leaves Sayf in a quicksand crater)
Emma: Phew. That was close.
Eric: But thanks to your quick thinking, everything was fine.
(Susan appears from around a corner)
Susan: Where have you two been? I've been so worried about you.
(Eric and Emma expin to Susan about what happened. Susan shows many expressions and provides comments as she follows along. They walk to the cafeteria/mess hall to eat actual dinner)
Eric: Hey. We still haven’t told Kenji.
Emma: Yeah. We should tell him about all that we have learned from my book, and the malrd training in the ship. He’ll be so impressed.
(Eric and Emma smile)
EPILOGUE
6 MONTHS LATER- ERIC HAS RETURNED TO EARTH AFTER A SUCCESSFUL MISSION
SCENE 38
(Doorbell rings, inside of Eric’s house, evening)
Eric: I’ll get it.
Hans: Hi, Eric! Happy Birthday! (gives present to Eric)
Eric: Hi, Hans! Hi, José! I haven’t seen you guys since I came back from Europe! A gift! I wonder what it is! (opens present) Oh, look it’s the new Malrd 3! Thanks!
José: Me and Hans saved up for it!
Emma: (Just arrived) Wow!
José: Yeah, I know!
Hans: We were saving up for it for like, three months!
Eric: Thank you so much, guys! You’re the best! Wanna come to my house and open it?
Hans: Sorry, we just wanted to stop by.
Eric: Oh, that’s ok. It’s still an awesome gift!
José: I know. I think I have to go now, though.
Hans: Yeah.
(Hans and José leave)
Eric: Wanna unbox it?
Emma: Sure!
Eric: (opens the box and takes out the malrd)
(not monotone AI voice): Welcome to the all-new, exciting world of AI! Wondering who invented malrds? Can’t tell, it's a secret!
Emma: (winks at Eric)
Eric: Do you want to go to the park now?
Emma: Sure.
(Eric and Emma walk off into the sunset)
THE END
