Babylon 5 SS - Crusade

by The End Of The Line (Straczynski, JM)

  GIDEON Do all the Joint Chiefs know about this?

  LEE Some do, some don’t. It’s on a need to know basis … and we get to decide who needs to know. Given the importance of this mission to Earth security, anyone lower on the food chain who shouldn’t know about this … doesn’t stick around very long.

  GIDEON Is that what happened to the Cerberus? Did Captain NAME find out something he shouldn’t have? Did he see something he shouldn’t have seen?

  Lee gets up, moves away. This is a sore point for him.

  LEE What happened to the Cerberus was a tragic mistake. Shadow tech is organic, it incorporates living being into its operating system. Sometimes the mix goes well, sometimes it doesn’t. That’s why the Alliance considers it forbidden tech. Sometimes the subject .. goes mad. And the ship that’s a part of him also goes mad. Something went wrong during one of those merges. The ship broke free, went on a rampage. We couldn’t stop it in time. The Cerberus was in the wrong place at the wrong time, that’s all.

  GIDEON That’s all. Three hundred and sixty men and women die, never knowing why, and all you can say is it was a mistake? And what about those people I saw underground? Where do they fit into this?

  LEE I’ve been cleared to talk to you about a few things, Captain. That’s not one of them.

  GIDEON Why? Because they’re more of your “mistakes?”

  LEE I don’t see why you’re being so judgmental about our tactics, Captain. After all, someone very close to you has been using Shadow tech for a very long time.

  This stops Gideon. He isn’t sure initially if they’re trying to mess with his mind or not .. but he senses that maybe he’s telling the truth.

  GIDEON What’re you talking about? Are you saying Eilerson –

  LEE No. Not Max Eilerson. Gideon

  On this revelation, and Gideon’s reaction, we

  FADE OUT:

  END OF ACT THREE

  ACT FOUR

  FADE IN:

  EXT. PLANETARY BASE (CGI)

  Just to establish, then we’re back into:

  INT. BRIG

  Lee, Gideon, and the soldiers.

  GIDEON Galen would never use Shadow tech. It’s simply not true.

  LEE Is it?

  EXT. PLANETARY BASE (CGI)

  FAVORING a glass-surrounded control tower.

  INT. CONTROL TOWER (BLUE-SCREEN COMP)

  Two men stand in front of a window looking out past the dome. Man #1 has a comp pad/hand scanner he’s using to scour the horizon.

  MAN #1 I’m telling you, I saw something.

  MAN #2 If there was a ship out there, we’d see it on the scanners. Come back inside –

  MAN #1 No, not yet…

  INT. BRIG

  As before, Gideon and Lee

  LEE Captain, where do you think the technomages got all that advanced technology? Technology so advanced it looks like magic … ships that have a mind of their own … personal control systems that are merged right into their own bodies. It’s organic tech, light years beyond anything anyone has got. Shadow tech, Captain. Stolen. Same as ours. That’s why they left known space during the war. They weren’t running from the Shadows. They were running from us. Because we wanted what they had … and they wouldn’t share. (beat) So now you know the truth. The question is .. what do you want to do from here? The Cerberus was an accident, the unfortunate by-product of our efforts to try and keep Earth at the forefront of new technology. You’re a sharp man. You can choose to join the right side and be a part of the solution, or make yourself part of the problem. So what’ll it be, Captain?

  GIDEON At this point, I’d have to be a fool not to join up. I’m many things, but a fool isn’t one of them. LEE Then you won’t mind if we send for a telepath to verify the sincerity of your offer. If he says yes, you walk out of here and join us. If he says no, this discussion is over and you will never leave this room alive. As a further show of your sincerity, once you’re back on the Excalibur, you will turn Galen over to us. We’re still having some problems adapting the Shadow tech, and he might be able to solve them for us. I’ve always wanted to meet a technomage face to face.

  GIDEON (hidden meaning) I think that can be arranged.

  INT. CONTROL TOWER (BLUE-SCREEN COMP)

  As before, Man #1 is working a comp pad, holding it up to scan the area. Suddenly his eyes go wide.

  MAN #1 I’m picking up a massive EMP surge …damn, it’s big enough to shut down the whole… (looks up) Oh, hell…

  ANGEL – PAST MAN #1

  Galen’s flyer looms big, as if on a collision course. T hen it FLARES.

  INT. OFFICE BUILDING – HALLWAY

  A couple of staffers are walking along as the LIGHTS go out.

  INT. BRIG

  As the lights go out, replaced by red emergency lights that glow dimly.

  LEE What the hell –

  Then the door BLOWS IN, knocking Lee and the guards to the floor, unconscious. The guard nearest Gideon isn’t directly hit, so Gideon takes him out in a quick exchange of punches. In the smoke and red glow from the hall, Galen slowly APPEARS in view. He has his staff with him.

  GALEN Did I wait long enough?

  GIDEON It’ll do. Come on!

  They run out.

  INT. OFFICE BUILDING – HALLWAY

  At first we SEE only a distortion against a wall as people run past .. then we PUSH IN through the distortion field (ROTO) to FIND Galen and Gideon.

  GALEN Stay close. We have to go back the way you came. My ship will land exactly where it dropped you.

  GIDEON (re: the field) What is this?

  GALEN A distortion field. It bends the light around us and affects their optic nerves. They won’t see us unless they run into us. It takes a great deal of energy to cover both of us, but without you running around the back door to distract them from me coming in the front, we don’t have much choice.

  GIDEON

  So this is how you get around without being noticed. Affecting the optic nerve, a ship that thinks for itself … (beat) You might almost think this was organic tech, wouldn’t you, Galen?

  Galen looks at him sharply … he knows more than Galen had hoped. And he doesn’t answer the question. They hurry OS.

  INT. CAVERN – RESEARCH FACILITY (CGI)

  Galen and Gideon, inside the distortion field, emerge into the cavern. And Galen stops at what he sees.

  GIDEON Galen? Come on, we don’t have much time, they’ll get the power back on any time now.

  GALEN Monstrous .. I knew they had figured out some of it, but I had no – (sees something) dear god ….

  He looks to one of the affected people, who wanders past them, looking dazed, confused, like a child when the lights have been turned out … and his heart is torn between the anger and sympathy and deadly outrage. His eyes harden and he hands Gideon his staff.

  GALEN (CONT’D) Take this. Hold it close. It will cover you until you are clear.

  GIDEON Wait a minute … what the hell are you going to do?

  GALEN End their misery. Go on.

  Reluctantly, Gideon does.

  ANOTHER ANGLE – WIDER (COMP)

  As Gideon moves away, taking the distortion field with him, the result looks as if Galen emerged from behind a passing haze. He looks around, as

  ANGLE – THE OTHER HUMANOIDS

  Begin to notice him.

  INT. ENTRANCE TO CAVERN (COMP)

  Gideon makes it there, and looks back.

  INT. CAVERN – CATWALK

  Galen stands in the middle of it as the affected people come toward him. He reaches out and places a hand on either side of the metal catwalk.

  ANOTHER ANGLE – FAVORING GALEN (COMP)

  Black metal seems to extrude over his face and hands from the area at his back .. covering him. It’s similar to what we’re seeing on the humans, but more sleek and controlled. Where he has his hands on the metal catwalk, ENERGY begins to spike outward, ribbonning away …

  INT. CAVERN – RESEARCH FACILITY (C
GI)

  Energy flows outward from Galen and suddenly the whole place is engulfed in a series of chain reactions.

  INT. ACCESS TUNNEL

  Gideon is hurrying along when there’s an EXPLOSION from back the way he came that throws him to the ground. SMOKE and a sense of fire RIPPLE past him. He gets to his feet and staggers forward.

  INT. ACCESS TUNNEL – MOMENTS LATER

  Further down the tunnel, toward the airlock. Gideon finds the breather where he’d left it .. and TURNS at the sound of someone coming. He whirls around … and finds Galen there, looking much the worse for wear. He takes a step or two forward, and collapses. Gideon catches him before he can reach the floor, and drags him on.

  EXT. ROCK WALL

  Gideon drags Galen with him, through the roaring wind and dust. He pulls off the breather, lets Galen take a breath or two, and looks up.

  HIS POV – THE SKY

  We SEE Galen’s ship starting to descend.

  EXT. ROCK WALL

  Galen hands back the mask, and they continue OS.

  EXT. PLANETARY BASE (CGI)

  As Galen’s ship rises.

  INT. GALEN’S FLYER – LIMBO SET

  They both slump to the floor, exhausted. For a moment, neither wants to look at the other. Then Galen risks a glance back.

  GIDEON You were right about one thing, Galen. I did learn things I didn’t want to know. About you, and the other technomages.

  GALEN What you saw back there … those things … that was why we left. That was the secret we were afraid they had discovered. That –

  GIDEON … can wait. (beat) You know … I must be an entirely new and undiscovered kind of stupid not to have put it together until now: Why you and all the other technomages who were running away just happened to be passing right through the area where my ship was destroyed. Why you’ve been keeping an eye on me ever since. Why you can back from your hiding place. And why you volunteered to come along. You wanted to find out how far we’d come in trying to adapt Shadow tech.

  GALEN (reluctantly) My job … my responsibility … was to keep track of left-over Shadow tech. It was the only thing that could pose a threat to us. Whether it was the Drakh, or our own race … didn’t matter.

  GIDEON Is that why you saved my life ten years ago, Galen? And why you’ve stayed so close to me ever since? Because you know that I was a connection to that technology? That sooner or later I’d lead you to it? (beat) All this time, Galen… have you just been using me?

  Galen looks to him … and he is wounded by the thought. Saddened more than angered … just as Gideon is more saddened than angry to ask the question.

  GALEN What does your heart tell you?

  GIDEON Not to trust anyone. Ever again. For any reason.

  Galen nods, distant. He pulls himself slowly and painfully to his feet. Starts off.

  GALEN I should give the ship new orders. They will try to follow us.

  GIDEON One more thing. I want you to drop me off at Mars. Tell the others to meet me there. I’m going to blow this little secret wide open, and I’ll need their help to do it.

  GALEN And what do you want me to do after that?

  GIDEON Just drop me off … Then … go away.

  GALEN For how long?

  GIDEON I don’t know, Galen. I honestly don’t know.

  Galen nods, and moves off. We HOLD on Gideon, who feels that he has lost the only friend he had, the only one he could count on.

  EXT. GALEN’S FLYER

  As it soars away from us, we

  FADE OUT:

  END OF ACT FOUR

  TAG

  FADE IN:

  EXT. MARS

  We PAN UP to find the Excalibur UNDER:

  GIDEON (V.O.) Max… you ready to go?

  INT. EXCALIBUR – EILERSON’S QUARTERS

  Gideon is on the screen as Eilerson pulls on a jacket. Gideon is calling from a commercial com system on a Mars street.

  EILERSON I think so.

  GIDEON Good. I’ll meet you in Mars Dome One outside the IPX building and we’ll go from there.

  EILERSON Why not come here first?

  GIDEON For the same reason I’m not going through Lt. Matheson to set up this meeting. I want to keep him and the rest of the crew as far away from this as possible. Besides, Mars is your turf. You have the connections to set up a meeting with the provisional government. If I go through channels to set it up, the wrong people will hear about it and stop it from happening.

  EILERSON All right… I’ll set it up, but it’ll take a few hours. This is awfully short notice.

  GIDEON Understood. Signal me on this frequency when everything’s set.

  EILERSON What about Galen? Will he be there?

  GIDEON No … no, he won’t.

  EILERSON But –

  GIDEON Gideon out.

  The connection is cut. Eilerson wonders what the hell’s going on, but knows now isn’t the time. He touches the screen.

  EILERSON Ship … give me a signal to the Mars Provisional Government .. the Office of Planetary Security.

  INT. MARS DOME ONE (CGI)

  Juts to ESTABLISH, then:

  EXT. STREET

  Gideon is waiting, in civvies. He’s restless, people passing. He moves off a bit. As he does so, we SEE Galen come around a corner in BG, keeping an eye on Gideon.

  EXT. STREET – CONTINUOUS

  Further down, Gideon looks up and sees Eilerson, Chambers, Matheson, and Dureena coming toward him. He’s both pleased and pissed.

  CHAMBERS Hello, Captain.

  GIDEON What the hell are all of you doing here? I gave explicit instructions –

  MATHESON I know. But we talked it over, and if you’re going to take this on, we want you to know we stand with you.

  GIDEON (light scolding) You … You’re not even supposed to know about this.

  MATHESON Captain … I’m a telepath. Even when I try not to know things… I know them.

  POV SHOT – GIDEON – THROUGH SNIPER SCOPE

  It’s a DOWNSHOT toward him. His voice is ELECTRONICALLY ENHANCED.

  GIDEON Well, I appreciate the support. Thanks. Max, you’ve set up the meeting?

  EILERSON It wasn’t easy, since you didn’t give me much to go on … but yes, it’s set up. They’re waiting for us now.

  BACK TO SCENE

  As before

  MATHESON I still think one of us should have gone first, in case there’s a problem.

  GIDEON None of you saw what I saw; it’s only hearsay. I’m the only one who can testify as a witness. So let’s get this over with.

  They nod, and start off together. We TRACK them a bit, INTERCUTTING WITH the SNIPER POV as he draws a bead on the middle of Gideon’s chest.

  ANGLE – GALEN

  Emerging from the shadows, watching… then he glances up.

  GALEN’S POV (CGI)

  An upshot of a tall building .. as he SEES something glitter on the edge of a rooftop … and we ENHANCE SHOT to reveal a SNIPER.

  ANGLE – GALEN

  He REACTS to what he sees.

  GALEN No!

  As he suddenly RUSHES FORTH, knocking people aside. (Possible SLOW MOTION here.)

  GALEN (CONT’D) Matthew! Matthew! GET DOWN!

  Matthew hears his voice, starts to turn.

  The sniper-scope is trained directly on Gideon’s chest.

  The sniper’s finger pulls the trigger.

  ON GIDEON’S FACE

  Turning back INTO CAMERA as we HEAR the CRACK of the gun firing … there’s the FEEL of impact in the look on his face … and he FALLS BACK SLOW .. and we FADE TO BACK as he strikes the pavement, then SUPERIMPOSE: To be continued … as we

  FADE OUT:

  END OF SHOW

 

 

 
book with friends