The Lambda Factor/Transcript

Sets:

Int. Command Centre Int. Medical Centre Int. Medical Stores/ Substore Room Int. Recreation Centre Int. Research Room (revamp Reception) Int. Engineering Int. Koenig's Quarters Int. Caroline's Quarters Int. Alpha Corridor

Hook
1. EXT. MOONBASE ALPHA (SFX) Close shot. HELENA (VO): "Moonbase Alpha Status Report. Two thousand, three hundred and eight days after leaving Earth orbit. Doctor Helena Russell recording."

2.INT. MEDICAL HELENA (standing by log): "We are travelling through an area of deep space which we have named the Peace Zone. No nearby stars, no space storms, no possible dangers of any kind. All should be well on Alpha..but it isn't. We're troubled by sporadic disturbances and petty irritations. One of these irritations has to do with the matter of discipline. Medical Technician Sally Martin has repeatedly failed to complete her stores inventory on schedule. As a result, "

5.INT. MEDICAL STORES HELENA (VO): " she's been ordered to complete this work during her recreation period." Sally puts container on scales & dictates into recorder. SALLY: "Three point two five grams. And Doctor Helena Russell is a hard hearted witch." ((grabs recorder)) "Erase that." A bottle falls on her. She picks it up & puts the measured bottle back in a cabinet: the door sharply shuts just as she removes her hand. Shelves rattle around her. She runs to the double doors but they close on her. The shelves move & bottles fly. She pushes through them as the lights fade & enters the substore (in slow motion).

8.INT. SUBSTORE ROOM Sally cowers as the red 4 on the door is jaggedly torn. She screams.

FADE OUT

ACT ONE
10.INT. LIVING QUARTERS Koenig tosses in bed. TESSA (VO): "You killed me, John Koenig. You left me to die." ((her face appears)) "You killed me...you killed me...you killed me.." The wall screens bleep & Koenig goes to them. KOENIG: "Yes, Helena." HELENA (on screen): "John. Come to Medical Stores immediately, we have a casualty." KOENIG: "Be right there." He puts on his dressing gown, looks round, then leaves.

11.INT. MEDICAL STORES Helena covers Sally's body with a sheet; it is taken away on a stretcher. KOENIG: "What kind of force did that to her?" TONY: "The same kind that did this." ((shows jaggedly torn door)) KOENIG: "Well, that couldn't be a laser cut." TONY: "I don't see how, it's too jagged. It must have been ripped out somehow." KOENIG: "Have you checked perimeter defences?" TONY: "Yeah, I checked. Nothing broke into the base or left it." KOENIG: "Well, something got in. It may still be here. What do you think killed her, doctor?" ((as Helena about to speak)) "You should have some idea." HELENA: "Not at this stage I don't, John. I'll have to conduct a complete autopsy." KOENIG: "Why don't you do that. Tony, I want a complete dossier on the girl. Get it to me as soon as you can." ((leaves)) TONY (with mock salute after him): "Yes sir."

12.INT. COMMAND CENTRE ALAN (watching a monitor with Sandra): "I don't know, it just doesn't make sense." KOENIG (now in black jacket): "Still getting malfunctions?" SANDRA: "Minor bugs, Commander. False signals, ghosts." ((Koenig reacts to last word)) KOENIG: "Just get rid of those bugs, okay?" ((moves to leave)) MAYA: "Commander?" KOENIG: "Yeah?" MAYA: "I think I may have found our problem." -Big Screen (SFX): a spiral (sc 13) KOENIG (VO): "Well, what is it?" -Command Centre (sc 14) MAYA: "Some sort of space phenomenon. I'm not sure what." ((types; her screen shows a jagged pulse)) "It's filled with..electrically charged particles." KOENIG (curtly): "Is that the best you can do?" MAYA (after pause): "The particles seem to be affecting our sensors." KOENIG (abruptly): "All the sensors?" MAYA (patiently): "No, but I assume we'll get more malfunctions as we get closer." -Big Screen (SFX): spiral. -Command Centre MAYA: "The electrical charge is pulsing at a fairly low level, it's too slight to harm anyone." KOENIG (biting): "Another assumption?" Beat. MAYA: "I can only go by my instruments, Commander. I assume they are less fallible in their readouts than humans."

15.INT. RECREATION CENTRE Carolyn & Mark play chess. CAROLYN: "Mate." ((they laugh & kiss)) "I've won." Nearby a craps game. Carl presses buttons: the numbers 2 4 6 7 8 9 appear. GEORGE: "You did it again." CARL: "Just luck, George. Let's call it a day." ((stands)) GEORGE: "Sit down!" ((Carolyn & Mark look to them)) "That makes seventeen games, Carl." CARL: "Just a lucky streak." GEORGE: "This is game of chance, right? Sometimes I win, sometimes you win. Only mostly I win. How come I don't win any more, Carl?" CARL: "I'd just as soon stop now, I'm due back on shift soon." ((they both stand)) GEORGE: "Oh no. One more." ((sits him)) "I want to know more about this lucky streak of yours. I want to see how long it goes on." CARL: "George, please." GEORGE: "One more." George plays: he gets 1 3 4 6 8 9 *. Carl plays & gets 1 4 7 8 9 0 *. GEORGE: "You punk! You lousy cheat! You beat me!" ((grabs & shakes him)) MARK (coming up): "Easy George." ((he is pushed away)) TONY (appearing behind): "Break it up." George puts his arm up to strike him, but Tony grabs it & punches George in the side, then twists the arm behind his back. TONY: "Alright now, what's all the noise about?" CARL: "He thinks I was cheating. It sounds crazy but I don't seem to be able to lose." TONY (with laugh): "Oh boy. Well, you'd better stay out of games of chance. You seem to be too lucky for your own good. And as for you, Crato...if you can't take losing, don't play. Now get lost." ((pushes George away)) CAROLYN (sitting with Mark nearby, with laugh): "You were really brave." TONY (approaches them): "Sorry to interrupt you guys." MARK: "Hi, Tone." ((then sees his seriousness)) TONY: "Look, I hate to lay it on you, just straight like this, but...Sally Martin is dead." CAROLYN: "Oh no." MARK: "Sally dead?" TONY: "Yeah." CAROLYN: "Well, we'd heard there'd been some kind of an accident, but noone seemed to know the full story." TONY: "Yeah, well noone knows the full story. Yet. The Commander would like to ask you both a few questions. Maybe you can help us find some answers." MARK (numbly): "Yeah, sure anything." CAROLYN: "How did Sally die, Tony?"

16.INT. MEDICAL Helena removes her gloves & mask. HELENA: "No cuts or bruises, no blast burns. No sign that any weapon at all was used. But her body was shattered internally." ((she removes her smock)) Tony enters & goes to Koenig & Maya. TONY: "John. I have Mark Sanders and Carolyn Powell outside." KOENIG: "Alright, let's talk to them separately. Sanders first." HELENA: "I'll check these findings with the lab." KOENIG: "Alright. Mark." ((enters)) "Sit down." MARK: "Thank you, sir. I'm pretty shaken up over what's happened." KOENIG: "Yeah, so...so are all of us." MARK (sits): "Whatever I can do to help." KOENIG: "Mark, you and Sally. There was talk that you were getting married. But you split up?" TONY: "Why?" MARK: "That's a little personal, don't you think?" TONY: "Yes it is. But our circumstances are unusual to say the least. And we have to find answers." KOENIG: "Alright. Where were you when Sally was in Medical Stores?" MARK: "I was with Carolyn in her quarters. I was with Carolyn because let's say Sally and I had our differences." TONY: "So you picked up with Carolyn where you and Sally left off." MARK: "That's still my personal business." TONY: "And Security on Alpha is my personal business, okay? Now. Word was that Sally went around saying some..unladylike things about you after you broke up." MARK: "Are you trying to tell me I killed Sally, just to shut her up?" TONY: "You said that, not me." Favour Maya watching Koenig nervously fidgeting. Link to - CAROLYN: "I'll admit I was always jealous of Sally. But I did nothing to get her away from Mark. Then when she and Mark broke up and he began seeing me, she became furious and moved out of the quarters we'd been sharing." TONY: "She blamed you for the break up?" CAROLYN: "I tried to explain it, that I played it hands off, but she wouldn't listen. We had a terrible fight over it." KOENIG: "Carolyn. We picked up rumours that.. Well, that you weren't particularly fond of Sally." CAROLYN: "I didn't hate her, but there were times I wished she was dead so Mark could be free. But I didn't kill her, Commander, and I don't know who did." TONY: "You're experimenting on something in the labs, a pressure device?" CAROLYN: "That's right." TONY: "You haven't submitted any reports on it yet." CAROLYN: "I have an open end priority on research. I don't have to appear before the science board with anything until I'm ready." KOENIG: "Just exactly what results are you hoping for?" CAROLYN: "Frankly I don't know. I'm just experimenting. And now, Commander, if the harassment's complete...may I go?" KOENIG: "Yep." ((she leaves; they gather)) "Well?" MAYA: "If she's perfected a device that can exert tremendous internal pressure.." KOENIG: "She's too smart to do something so stupid." TONY: "Hmm. Nobody ever accused a jealous woman of being rational where love is concerned." MAYA: "Only jealous men are rational?" TONY: "Look, she's holding back on something, I can feel it." KOENIG: "That could be, Tony. But I think you're letting prejudice cloud your reasoning." TONY: "Yeah, well. Maybe that goes hand in hand with my being head of security, Commander." KOENIG: "You get that message from Alan? Three quarters of our Eagles are nonoperational." TONY: "Yeah, I saw that." MAYA: "Sabotage?" KOENIG: "Could be. Alan's checking it out."

36A.INT. RESEARCH ROOM Tony walks round the humming device. Carolyn enters. CAROLYN (angry): "What gives you the right to touch this device?" TONY: "Murder. I would like this device explained to me." CAROLYN: "I don't have to explain anything until I've completed this experiment." TONY: "Yeh, I know, you've already said that. I'm not the Science Board." CAROLYN: "No. You're just the one who's trying to humiliate me with your evil ideas. Why don't you just leave me alone?!" TONY: "I will, baby, I will, if you'll just answer a couple of questions about the pressure principle of this device!" CAROLYN: "Questions like can it commit murder?! Is that it?! Well, here's your answer!" ((smashes device with a metal bar)) TONY (grabbing her): "Stop that." CAROLYN (crying): "Now you can't blame the device for the next murder." TONY: "Are you expecting the next murder?" CAROLYN (sharply): "Aren't you?"

17.INT. ENGINEERING PETE (sitting before space warp locator): "I've been working with Eagles all my life. I'd sooner cut my granny's throat." ALAN: "It's on record. For the last week every time a job's come through your hands we've had a malfunction." PETE: "I'd be risking my own neck. I'm an Eagle test pilot as well as an engineer." ALAN: "You were grounded after your crash." PETE: "That was nothing." ALAN: "What, no after effects?" PETE: "No. I was cleared by doc Russell. I'm fully operational again, you know that." ALAN (sighs): "Well, if it's not you, what is it?" PETE: "I swear I don't know. Have a look at this." ((walks over to a box)) "One starboard atomic booster motor. In one hundred per cent perfect condition. On the bench " ((switches on)) " she runs like a dream. In the Eagle " ((switches off)) " she's dead. So I take her out of the Eagle. I put her back on the bench and test her." ((switches on)) "There's nothing wrong. So you tell me what's happening?" ((comlock bleeps; he answers it)) "Chief Engineer Garforth." ENGINEER (VO): "Report to Maintenance Section please, urgent." PETE: "They're playing my song, Alan, I've gotta go." ((switches off)) ALAN: "Yep, well, I have to report to the Commander myself." PETE: "See you." ALAN: "Yep." Pete leaves. Alan switches on the motor, then turns it off & goes to the door. The door closes in front of him & the motor starts. He returns to the motor & switches it off, but it still runs. He turns a dial & tries again. Then he goes to the computer as the 'Critical Mass' signs flash. He presses the 'Off' button on the panel. Then he tries the alarm button on the side of the computer. Finally he goes to the comms post, whose 'Engineering Section' test card is being distorted. ALAN: "Command Centre. Command Centre!"

18.INT. COMMAND CENTRE -Big Screen (SFX): spiral. MAYA (VO): "The electrical pulse is getting stronger." -Command Centre (sc 19). Koenig & Tony are by Maya's desk KOENIG: "Computer readout?" MAYA: "I've checked the memory banks. Nothing like it has ever been recorded." KOENIG (sharply): "It could be a life form, couldn't it?" MAYA: "Who knows? It's affecting our sensors so much they can't give it a proper reading." ((types)) Koenig goes to his desk & Pete's face appears on the screen. PETE (on screen): "Maintenance." KOENIG: "Send Alan Carter down here right away." PETE:"I left him in my workshop. Said he was coming right over to you. Didn't he get there?" KOENIG: "No. Thanks Pete." ((cuts link & sits tiredly)) "If that thing " -Big Screen (SFX): spiral. KOENIG (VO): " might be affecting our sensors, and might be affecting the instruments in the Eagles" -Command Centre KOENIG: " it might also have something to do with what happened to Sally Martin." MAYA: "Well, it's remote. But possible." KOENIG (covers his face in fatigue): "Tony. You and Maya go down to Medical. Check on those autopsy reports." TONY: "Okay." ((they leave))

INT. CORRIDOR Tony & Maya walk along & hear whine.

20.INT. ENGINEERING Alan tries to undo a connection in a cable, then goes to the computer to try to pull out the leads there.

21.INT. CORRIDOR Tony goes to the door & tries the door panel: the door does not open. He knocks. TONY: "Alan?"

INT. ENGINEERING Alan tries to use his comlock, not hearing Tony in the whine of the engine. TONY (faint): "Is that you in there?" ALAN: "Command Centre. Command Centre!?" He throws the comlock away in frustration.

INT. CORRIDOR They knock on the door. MAYA: "Alan?" TONY: "Alan, can you hear us?"

22.INT. ENGINEERING TONY (VO): "Alan!" ALAN (going to door): "Tony? Tony, get away from the door, there's an atomic motor about to go up in here! Evacuate the area!"

FADE OUT

ACT TWO
23.INT. ENGINEERING Alan returns to the motor cable with a cutter.

24.INT. CORRIDOR TONY: "Maya. We've got to break in there." Maya transforms into an ape & tears open the doors, throwing sparks as they open.

25.INT. ENGINEERING Maya/gorilla throws Alan away & goes to the computer to pull the cables out. Tony goes to Alan. TONY: "Hey, you still in one piece?" ALAN (breathless) "Yeah." ((goes to Maya/gorilla)) "Oh. Maya. You sure play rough, honey." TONY: "What the hell went wrong this time?" ALAN: "Well." ((goes to motor as real Maya walks up)) "I had the motor switched off. And it came on again by itself. No matter how I tried, I just couldn't get it to go off." ((strains at cable connection)) "Even the connections were seized." ((Connection comes free)) TONY: "Yeah, well I'd call that sabotage."

30.INT. COMMAND CENTRE Koenig, Helena, Sandra, Alan, Tony and Maya watch the screen. KOENIG: "Some unknown force kills Sally. Instruments go haywire. Eagles malfunction, an atomic engine starts by itself and won't stop. And all of this has happened since " -Big Screen (SFX): spiral. KOENIG (VO): " the appearance of that thing out there." MAYA (VO): "Commander." -Command Centre MAYA: "I'm getting a new reading." ((wave appears on her screen)) "Lambda waves. Or something very like them." KOENIG: "Lambda waves." HELENA: "No. That's the lambda variant. That's.. very strange. Normally the human brain swings between alpha waves and beta waves. But sometimes lambda waves are thrown off. Rarely, very rarely, the lambda variant. It was discovered during research on E S P and other paranormal powers of the human mind. If that thing is sending off the lambda variant.." KOENIG: "Then it could be affecting some of our people?" HELENA: "Oh yes, it could be." KOENIG: "How do we find out?" HELENA: "Well, I could conduct some experiments." KOENIG: "Alright, go ahead, conduct your experiments." HELENA: "Right." ((she leaves; Koenig walks forward, looking up))

31.EXT. MOONBASE ALPHA (SFX) Spiral is large beyond hills over Alpha. KOENIG (VO): "Lambda waves."

37.INT. RECREATION CENTRE Several tables have been set up, one with Helena. Mark approaches her. HELENA: "Mark. Sit down." MAYA (background calling Renton): "Carl" HELENA: "Now just relax. Each of these cards has a symbol on it's face. A triangle, square, circle, cross, stars. I want you.. to tell me." MARK (laughs): "I can't see the cards." HELENA: "Exactly." MARK: "Oh, I see. Well, it beats me, but whatever you say. Cross." ((Helena holds a circle)) "Another cross." ((Helena holds a cross)) "Circle." ((A square)) Favour Maya & Carl, with a sealed transparent box with a ball bearing inside. CARL: "I'm supposed to move the ball bearing without touching the box?" MAYA: "That's right." CARL: "How?" MAYA: "Easy. Just by concentrating." ((he does: it starts to roll)) "Very good, Mister Renton." Favour Pete & a technician. PETE: "I can tell you here and now this is not going to work. I'm an engineer and I know metals. Now to bend this strip, you need a vice and a wrench. Now there is just no way I'm going to affect this by..." ((is astonished as metal strip bends on table before him; he picks up the U-shaped strip)) Favour Carolyn going to Mark. CAROLYN: "Mark. Mark. I was waiting for you." MARK: "Yeah, I'm sorry, um, I got tied up. Anyway, I knew I'd see you here." CAROLYN: "Look, I've got to talk to you." MARK: "Yeah, sure. But we're doing these tests now." CAROLYN: "Mark, I've got to talk to you, I've got to see you, alone." MARK: "Yes, okay. Yes. We'll speak later." ((sees Pete leaving Maya & goes to take his place)) HELENA: "Carolyn. Will you be next please?" CAROLYN: "It'll be a pleasure, Doctor Russell."

38.INT. LIVING QUARTERS A tired Koenig looks round, fighting sleep. He sits on his bed & buries his face in his hands. The he looks up. TESSA (VO): "You killed us, John Koenig. You killed us, John Koenig." ((Both faces appear)) "You left us to die." KOENIG: "No. No, no. No, no, no." ((covers face)) SAM (VO): "You left us to rot." KOENIG: "No!" TESSA (VO): "With Venusian plague." Koenig looks and sees their blotched faces. SAM: "You left us to rot." KOENIG: "No!" ((covers face))

EXT. MOONBASE ALPHA (SFX) Spiral superimposed over base.

38.INT. LIVING QUARTERS Koenig sits on his bed, now in pyjamas. Helena enters. HELENA: "John. I know it's late, but.." KOENIG: "Come on in. I wasn't asleep." ((goes to pour himself a glass of water)) HELENA: "I've got the preliminary test results. John, they're fantastic." ((Koenig pours himself some water & feels his face)) "Well over ninety percent of the subjects tested showed a significant increase in paranormal powers." KOENIG: "They do?" HELENA: "Now the results break down into three groups. The first shows a minimal increase. The second, now that's the largest group, show a significant increase over a wide range. John?" KOENIG: "Go on, go on, I'm listening." ((he goes back to sit on his bed)) HELENA: "Look, the third group, here's where the results get really exciting. I call them the Sensitives, I've found three of them so far. Carolyn Powell, Carl Renton, Pete Garforth. Look, John, you need a good night's sleep, I'd like you to take two of these.." ((she takes a tablet bottle from her pcoket)) KOENIG: "No, no." ((walks away)) HELENA: "John?" KOENIG: "Helena. Do you think the lambda variant could have anything to do with the way I'm feeling?" HELENA: "Look, I don't know that, but I do know that you need some sleep." KOENIG: "I can't sleep." HELENA: "Well, I want you to take these." KOENIG (sits): "Helena. I'm afraid to sleep." HELENA (sitting by him): "What is it, John? Tell me." KOENIG (CUs of his feverish hands clasping): "I've told you part of it. A long time ago when I was an astronaut cadet. We had to abandon some scientists on a Venus space station." HELENA: "I remember, you said they caught some Venusian disease." KOENIG: "Yeah. Something for which there was no antidote for. We couldn't bring that disease back to Earth because an epidemic would have killed millions of people. Before we discovered the disease two of our crew were on that space station, an advance party. Sam and Tessa. We left them to die with the others. There was no choice. And now, every time I close my eyes I...I see them standing there accusing me..." HELENA: "It's a dream, John, just a recurring dream." KOENIG: "Helena, Sam was my best friend. We went through astronaut school together. He and Tessa were going to be married." HELENA: "You did what you had to do." KOENIG: "Don't you think I keep telling myself that, but it doesn't do any good, it doesn't make it any better!" HELENA: "Look, John, you can't go on without sleep, you'll begin hallucinating and break down completely." KOENIG (shouting, strides away): "And Helena if I do go to sleep I'll go mad! That's an interesting problem, isn't it, Doctor Russell? How do I command this base if I'm losing my mind?" ((paces furiously, then sits))

39.INT. RECREATION CENTRE TONY: "What happened about those tests Helena was conducting?" MAYA: "Very interesting, but nothing definitive." TONY (of booth): "What is this thing?" MAYA: "It's a forcefield to block out the lambda variant." ((she closes the door: the screen inside stops showing the wave)) TONY: "Good. That'll upset that whirligig thing." MAYA: "Mm. It could point to the killer. Whoever still emits the lambda variant even when they're shielded inside this booth could have something to do with Sally's death."

41.INT. LIVING QUARTERS Carolyn is sitting. She senses Mark entering & goes to embrace him. CAROLYN: "Mark. Mark, I needed you so badly." MARK (walking from her arms): "Carolyn, there's something I must say to you." CAROLYN: "What is it, Mark? What's the matter?" MARK: "I've been thinking about us. Ever since Sally died.." CAROLYN: "What about ever since Sally died?" MARK: "I've had this feeling, I can't shake it, that you had something to do with it." CAROLYN: "How can you say that?" MARK: "You lied when you said you didn't try and get me away from Sally." CAROLYN: "I lied because I love you. Everything I've done is because I love you." ((holds him)) MARK: "It isn't going to work." CAROLYN: "I thought you loved me. You said so." MARK: "I'm confused about a lot of things but there's one thing I'm not confused about and that's my feeling for you." ((turns away from her)) CAROLYN: "What if I said I needed you? That I needed you now?" MARK: "You've changed, Carolyn. Something's different about you. I don't know what it is. I'm sorry." ((leaves)) CAROLYN: "I'll never let you go."

42.INT. COMMAND CENTRE KOENIG: "Still no change?" MAYA: "Nothing. That thing is still " -Big Screen (SFX): spiral (sc 43) MAYA (VO): " covering the base and there's no way of knowing if we're going to get out of it or not." -Command Centre (sc 44) MAYA: "Commander." -Big Screen (SFX): spiral explodes. (sc 45) MAYA (VO): "It's a sudden burst of energy." -Command Centre. Close on Koenig.

46.INT. CORRIDOR Carolyn leaves a corner to go out of sight. Mark walks along. The lights go off behind him. In the shadows Carolyn smiles. A strong wind blows through Reception & Mark hits at the Travel Tube doors. MARK: "Open the door! Open!" ((screams & falls to the floor)) He drops to the floor. Carolyn smiles.

FADE OUT

ACT THREE
47.INT. CORRIDOR Mark is carried off on a stretcher. KOENIG: "Just like Sally." TONY: "Well, that thing out there didn't do this. We were watching it on the Big Screen, it was just sitting up there peaceful and cosy." KOENIG: "Maya's instruments recorded a tremendous surge of energy just before this happened." TONY: "Yeah. My vote still goes to the human element. One of Helena's super Sensitives to be exact." HELENA: "Carolyn?" TONY: "Well first Sally, now Mark. You name a better suspect. John. I'd like to bring her in for further questioning." HELENA: "Can you hold off until after the next series of tests? John, we've got three suspects now. Let me try to pinpoint it down to one?" KOENIG: "Okay. One more time." TONY: "Alright. But I want to be there." ((Koenig goes))

48.INT. RECREATION CENTRE Pete is concentrating on rolling the ball in the box. PETE: "There you go. Now what?" HELENA: "Alright, step in there please. Take this with you " ((gives him the box)) "And do exactly the same thing." He goes into the booth. The meter needle does not move & the ball does not roll. Pete gestures failure. MAYA: "That rules him out."

58.INT. LIVING QUARTERS Carolyn looks at photo of Mark. CAROLYN: "I didn't mean to hurt you, Mark. I told you I needed you, but you wouldn't listen. You walked out of my life. You might have been able to save me." ((hardens)) "But now it's too late. Too late for everyone."

51.INT. RECREATION CENTRE Carl leaves the booth. HELENA: "That was just fine, Carl, thank you very much." CARL: "I only hope it helps." CAROLYN (entering): "You wanted to see me, Doctor Russell?" HELENA: "Yes, Carolyn, please, sit down." CAROLYN: "Yes, of course, what would you like me to do?" HELENA: "Well, we'd like you to help us with some tests."

52.INT. COMMAND CENTRE SANDRA: "Message from Recreation Centre, Commander. Tests will be concluded in.." ((she looks round to see him staring wildly forward; he stands)) "Commander? What is the matter?" KOENIG: "No...no!..No!..No!" ((POV: Sam & Tessa walk up; he runs out))

53.INT. CORRIDOR Koenig's run slows as he calms himself & passes a girl emerging from a door.

54.INT. LIVING QUARTERS Koenig enters & clutches his hands, looking round. Then he sees them again. TESSA: "You can't escape us, John." SAM: "We shall always be with you. You killed us, John Koenig. You left us to die. You can't escape us." KOENIG: "No..." ((he tries to hide his face by the wall monitors, then runs out door))

54A.INT. CORRIDOR Koenig comes out the door & sees Sam & Tessa approaching up the corridor. SAM: "You can't escape us." KOENIG: "No, no..." ((he retreats back into the door))

55.INT. RECREATION CENTRE HELENA: "That's fine, Carolyn. A perfect score, just like last time. Now, if you'll take that and step into that booth please, we'll continue." CAROLYN: "Alright, why not?" ((enters booth & looks at ball: the screen is blank, the ball still)) "I'm sorry Doctor Russell, nothing seems to be happening." MAYA: "Well, it couldn't have been her. I'll make my report." ((starts to go)) CAROLYN: "Still. Let's not give up. Let me try harder." ((wave appears on screen & ball moves; she laughs, removes her electrodes & comes out)) "You play a child's game, doctor. Did you think I'd be one of your children?" TONY (coming out of a corner): "Thanks, Helena. Alright, Carolyn, you come with us." CAROLYN: "Of course I'll come with you, Tony." The guard, Tony & Helena are blown back by a wind. Maya jumps & becomes a tiger, but the door closes on Carolyn's departure. Tony checks the guard, then Helena. TONY: "Helena, you alright?" HELENA: "Carolyn?" SANDRA (on Helena's comlock): "Something is very wrong. Commander Koenig has locked himself in his quarters. I cannot contact him." TONY: "Come on." ((Tony, Maya & Helena leave))

56.INT. CORRIDOR Tony, Helena & Maya run up to Koenig's door. HELENA: "John?" TONY: "Stand back." He fires a blue laser beam at the door: it opens by itself

57.INT. LIVING QUARTERS Tony, Helena & Maya enter. Koenig is crouched in a ball by the side of his bed. Helena quickly checks him, then uses her comlock. HELENA: "Emergency medical unit to Commander Koenig's quarters. Priority One."

59.INT. MEDICAL Helena scans Koenig, curled on the bed. HELENA: "Complete catatonic withdrawal." TONY: "Can you bring him out of it?" Helena prepares the Beta Cloud injector gun HELENA: "I think so. With narcosynthesis. It's old fashioned, but it's still the safest and best method. It allows the mind to jump all the barriers that it's built up within itself." TONY (uses comlock): "This is a restricted message from Verdeschi to all Security personnel. Carolyn Powell is to be found and held immediately. This woman is extremely dangerous. Stun on sight."

60.INT. CORRIDOR Carolyn walks along. A black guard approaches behind her & aims, but is blown back.

61.INT. COMMAND CENTRE Carolyn enters through the arch, looks at Alan at his desk, and walks up to Koenig's desk. The spiral on the Big Screen (SFX) Carolyn sits at Koenig's desk, watched by the Alphans. Alan walks to her. ALAN: "You're out of place, Carolyn." CAROLYN: "You're out of place, Alan. Your place is in flight control." With a ping Alan stands & leaves. SANDRA (starting to her): "Carolyn, please.." With a ping Sandra is frozen, then returns to her seat. The other Alphans stand & move to leave, but slow & stop. Tony enters through an arch & waves his hand in front of a girl. He sees Carolyn & brings his laser up, but his hand twists & he drops the weapon. CAROLYN: "That would be too easy. Down on your knees, Mister Verdeschi." ((he strains, resisting)) "Kneel. Kneel." ((straining against it, he kneels)) "I command Alpha. Call me Commander." TONY (straining): "Commander!" She laughs & he drops on his front.

FADE OUT

ACT FOUR
62.INT. MEDICAL KOENIG (shaking, lying on operating bed): "I..murdered them!" HELENA: "They were your friends. They knew you." KOENIG: "They keep coming back." HELENA: "Yes, you keep bringing them back. You keep punishing yourself for something you think they blame you for." KOENIG: "They hate me!" HELENA: "Your ghosts hate you. Your ghosts are a creation of your own mind." KOENIG (as they appear): "I see them. They're coming back again." He sits up, shivering. Helena puts a hand on his shoulder. SAM: "You killed us, John Koenig." TESSA: "You left us to die." KOENIG: "I see them." SAM: "You left us to rot away with Venusian plague." KOENIG (stands): "They want me." ((stands & advances to spectres, then retreats to gibber at the bed)) HELENA: "John. John." KOENIG: "No." HELENA: "Look at me." KOENIG: "No." HELENA: "Stop running away." KOENIG: "No." HELENA: "Look at me." ((he does)) "John. Face your guilt. Your guilt is creating these ghosts. Face them, John!" ((he looks at them)) "Face them!" Koenig advances again. They hold up their hands. KOENIG: "Sam. Tessa. You're my friends. I love you. I left you to die. But I had to." ((realisation; stops gibbering)) "You know that. You had to know I had no choice. You had to know, I had to do it. You're not Sam. Tessa. You are not Sam and Tessa. I am not..guilty." The ghosts retreat, then fade away. Koenig weakly falls back to the bed. Helena helps him to one of the beds. HELENA: "John. Alright now. Alright, this way. Come on. Easy, easy, come on. Here we go. It's alright, John."

64.INT. COMMAND CENTRE CAROLYN: "Now crawl, Mister Verdeschi. Crawl." ((Tony crawls to her)) "Crawl to my feet like a worm." ((Maya enters & is shocked by the scene)) "Ah, Maya. Amuse us, my little alien friend. Show us some of your clever tricks. One or two shape changes." MAYA: "No." CAROLYN: "You will." MAYA: "No." CAROLYN: "Change. Change into a monkey." Maya changes into a chimpanzee. Carolyn laughs. The chimp plays with the buttons on Sandra's desk.

65.INT. MEDICAL HELENA (sat at desk; Koenig stands, head in hand): "The results of the Sensitivity tests, John. Can you?" KOENIG: "Yeah, sure, go ahead." HELENA: "The tests show that the lambda variant is acting as a stimulus to certain aspects of the psyche..of those people that are in rapport with it." ((Koenig sits on a bed)) KOENIG: "Carolyn was in rapport, right?" HELENA: "Carolyn..and you more than any of the others. Her E S P potential is very powerful." KOENIG: "That thing out there wasn't using Carolyn, she was using it, right?" HELENA: "Not exactly, it seems to be a two way process. Carolyn hated Sally, and then Mark. Her hatred was amplified to the point that she wished them dead. She drew power from it and used that power to kill them."

64.INT. COMMAND CENTRE Carolyn laughs as the chimp goes down to Tony. CAROLYN: "Now." (('Ping' sound)) "A caterpillar." ((Maya changes into a green caterpillar. Carolyn's foot lowers over it)) "Shall I stamp the life out of her?" TONY: "No...please...no...no...please...no.." CAROLYN: "No. I have a better idea." ((takes a small perspex box)) "Such a pretty creature. So fragile. It should become a beautiful butterfly." ((puts box over caterpillar)) TONY: "Not..enough..air...suffocate.." CAROLYN: "Not enough air, suffocate? How much air does a caterpillar need, I wonder? Suppose we find out." ((walks back)) "We can pass the time by watching Maya die."

65.INT. MEDICAL KOENIG: "So it boosted my guilt. So that I created ghosts. My own ghosts in the shape of Sam and Tessa." HELENA: "You overcame them. Your E S P potential is the only one equal to hers. That's our weapon. She's very very dangerous, John. She's been perverted, she can take hatred and turn it into violent physical force." The comms post signals. Koenig goes to it. SANDRA (on screen, in monotone): "Carolyn Powell has taken over Command Centre. She wants to see Commander Koenig." KOENIG: "Commander Koenig will be there." ((cuts link)) "Two ghosts down, one to go."

66.INT. COMMAND CENTRE Koenig enters with Helena. POV of Command Centre, including the spiral is on the Big Screen (SFX). KOENIG: "You're in the wrong place, aren't you?" CAROLYN: "You no longer command Moonbase Alpha. Your authority has passed over to me." KOENIG: "Has it?" CAROLYN: "From now on, I decide. You obey." KOENIG: "Carolyn, I know what you want." CAROLYN: "Do you?" KOENIG: "You want us to hate you. To attack you. So you can use the energy of our minds to build your strength. But it's not going to work. We neither fear you, nor reject you." HELENA: "We want you to come back to us. Use your powers for the good of Alpha." CAROLYN: "You want to trap me. You want to steal my power." HELENA: "Carolyn, we- " ((she is frozen with a ping)) CAROLYN: "I rule Alpha now. Kneel!" ((Ping)) KOENIG (unaffected): "You can't harm us, Carolyn. You see, there's no hate or fear for you to latch on to. The only one you can hurt is yourself." CAROLYN: "Hate me." KOENIG: "We can't do that, Carolyn. There is no hate in us for you." CAROLYN (explosive anger as stands): "Hate me." ((Koenig stands calmly against the gale)) "Hate me." KOENIG: "I don't hate you, Carolyn. Helena doesn't hate you. Sahn doesn't hate you. Tony doesn't hate you." CAROLYN: "Hate me! I hate you!" ((spot explosions, desk blown about)) -Big Screen (SFX): spiral explodes. -Command Centre in explosions. Desk screens show lambda wave. CAROLYN (close on her face): "I hate you!" -Big Screen (SFX): explosions. -Command Centre in explosions. Tony reaches for the box covering the caterpillar. CAROLYN: "No!..ahh!" Carolyn retreats back to the wall & collapses. Tony moves the box off. Maya breathes heavily as herself, while the others recover. Helena & Koenig go to Carolyn. Sandra walks forward, looking up at Big Screen. SANDRA: "Look." -Big Screen (SFX): spiral fades to blackness (sc 67) -Command Centre. (sc 67A) KOENIG: "It's left us, Carolyn." HELENA: "It's gone. It can't hurt you anymore."

FADE OUT

EPILOGUE
68.INT. MEDICAL Koenig stares at the ball in the box. In background Carolyn sleeps in bed. KOENIG: "Move. Come on, get out of that corner. Ah." ((picks it up & rolls it)) "No luck, nothing." HELENA: "Well, don't fret. It's the same for everyone else. Carl's back to losing games and Pete can't bend metal strips." KOENIG: "Just as long as he can fix Eagles." HELENA: "Right. Carolyn, well, for her everything's gone. Her powers, her memory, even her speech. She's like a newborn child. She'll have to grow up all over again." KOENIG: "You know, Helena, I'm still not exactly sure why everything happened the way it did." HELENA (sits at her desk): "Well, we were caught in a telepathic web and it increased the powers of our own minds." KOENIG (lies on operating bed): "So we're back to our unmagical selves." HELENA: "Mm." KOENIG (yawns): "I can't say I'm sorry." HELENA: "Well, I am. Just a little. Our brains are such incredible instruments. Just think what we might be able to achieve if we knew how to use them " ((yawns)) "to their fullest potential." ((goes to Koenig, now asleep, & kisses his cheek))

FREEZE FRAME