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| - Script for Deliverance Written by Terry Nation Directed by Michael E. Briant (c) 1978 by the British Broadcasting Corporation. Series created by Terry Nation. This is a complete dialogue transcript for research purposes and is not for sale under any circumstances. Format (c) 1993 by Micky DuPree and Kay Teel. Dramatis Personae Roj Blake Gareth Thomas Jenna Stannis Sally Knyvette Kerr Avon Paul Darrow Cally Jan Chappell Vila Restal Michael Keating Olag Gan David Jackson Zen Peter Tuddenham Travis Stephen Greif Servalan Jacqueline Pearce Guest cast: Ensor [i.e., Ensor's son] Tony Caunter Meegat Suzan Farmer Maryatt James Lister Uncredited: Male voice Computer voice Male voices *? = unintelligible [A star system in an unidentified sector. A small while spacecraft is making slow progress. Through the front view port two men can be seen seated at the flight console.] [Exterior of Federation Space Headquarters. Interior of Servalan's office. Servalan is seated behind her desk studying a scanner readout. The intercom beeps.] VOICE [V.O., over comm] The Space Administrators are assembled in the conference hall, Supreme Commander. You are eight minutes behind schedule. SERVALAN I left orders that I was not to be disturbed. I will not see or speak to anyone. VOICE [V.O.] But the conference -- SERVALAN Cancel it. It will be reconvened when I am ready. VOICE [V.O.] Yes, Supreme Commander. [Servalan disconnects.] COMPUTER [V.O.] Surveillance tracer transmitting. Computer visualization of Spacemaster ship is on-line. [Exterior of the small white spacecraft. Switch to interior. The two men are flight positions.] ENSOR Take a look up there, Maryatt. [An orange planet is visible through the view port.] MARYATT What is it? ENSOR That's the planet Cephlon, which means that we're on course and speed. Six more days and we'll be at our destination. MARYATT You keep saying "our destination." Just where is it? What's its name? ENSOR You'll find out. All in good time. MARYATT But why the secrecy now? We're on our way. There's nothing to lose by telling me where we're going. ENSOR Security's become a habit with us. It comes second nature. Because of it we've enjoyed thirty-odd years of complete independence. That's something we value. MARYATT [referring to Cephlon] Is there anything down there? ENSOR There was, once. Yes, once it was the trading and cultural center for this entire star system. Very important, once. MARYATT Well, what happened? ENSOR War. Reversion to primitive. Nobody's certain if there's any people left down there. At one time it -- [He is interrupted by a loud, continuous beeping noise.] MARYATT What's wrong? What's the matter? ENSOR We're...we're getting trajectory shift. [The ship begins to vibrate.] Compensators aren't holding us up. Going over to manual. [To ship] Come on, come on, pull us back. [Ship keeps shifting.] Come on! Come on! MARYATT We're picking up speed. ENSOR Yes, it's gravity drag from Cephlon. I must have misjudged and got too close. MARYATT Can you get us out? ENSOR I'm on three-quarter boost as it is. She's not responding! I'm going to maximum. It's all right. It's all right. She's slowing. Compensators beginning to hold. [Ship starts to steady.] Come on, come on, that's my beauty. That's...come on. Pull us back, pull us back. All right, she's coming back. We're all right. MARYATT Don't do that too often, will you? I'm a very nervous passenger. ENSOR I'm a very nervous pilot. [Exterior of the craft. There is an explosion. Interior. Flames shoot up from the control panel. The men shield themselves.] [Liberator flight deck. Gan, Jenna, Avon, Cally and Vila stand watching the scanner display of the other craft. Blake joins the group.] BLAKE What's happened? AVON There was an explosion. Could have been a power unit burnout. JENNA Zen located her about five minutes ago. We put her on the scanner to run a security check. Suddenly she just went off course. CALLY Shouldn't we try and help them? BLAKE If they're still alive. [To Zen] Identification? ZEN The ship is a Spacemaster, Series Five. Four neutron power units with a maximum thrust of four by six. BLAKE Does she carry life capsules? ZEN Standard equipment specification lists two high-impact, unpowered survival modules. AVON She's entering the atmosphere. Beginning to burn up. [Interior of the burning spacecraft. There is much smoke. Ensor struggles to pick up Maryatt, who has collapsed.] ENSOR Maryatt! Maryatt! Get yourself out, lad! (*?) the life capsule. [Ensor grabs a box, stuffs it in his pocket, and follows a straggling Maryatt to the life capsules.] Come on, Maryatt, you've got to get out! [Exterior shot of the ship swerving out of control.] [Liberator flight deck.] ZEN Navigation computers estimate six minutes to impact. [Visual display shows computer representation of the out-of- control vessel. Two smaller objects emerge from it.] BLAKE They've ejected. Zen, lock tracers on to those capsules. I want to know exactly where they land. ZEN Trace locked on. [Life capsules are falling toward the planet. The spaceship crashes on Cephlon and explodes.] [Servalan's office. Servalan watches her scanner, then presses a button on a console.] COMPUTER [V.O.] Surveillance tracer has ceased transmission. The ship has exploded. [Servalan smiles.] [The planet Cephlon. A band of primitive men sees smoke from the wreckage beyond a ridge, and goes to investigate.] [Liberator flight deck. Cephlon is on the visual display. Blake switches it off.] BLAKE [To Zen] Surface conditions? ZEN The planet Cephlon has a breathable atmosphere with a high oxygen content. The radiation level is in excess of normal tolerance levels, and prolonged exposure could result in tissue damage. Massive variations in temperature levels. Gravity is one point two five G. [Avon enters the flight deck dressed in surface clothes and checks his weapon.] BLAKE Life forms? ZEN There is no current information. Logic units suggest that remaining life may have mutated through exposure to high radiation. BLAKE None of which sounds very promising. [To Avon] You're sure you want to go down? AVON Are you afraid that I'll be able to cope with it better than you? BLAKE [Chuckles] No. AVON Well, perhaps you ought to be. BLAKE Down and back as fast as you can, right? AVON Naturally. [Liberator teleport area. Jenna is waiting as Avon, Gan and Vila enter. Cally is at the controls.] AVON We're going to have to make this fast. The chances are that any survivors won't have come through the landing impact anyway. JENNA I disagree. They may well be alive. AVON That's why we're going down. If we run into any kind of trouble we teleport back up immediately. All right, Cally? GAN Do you know exactly what we're looking for? Because I don't think I've ever seen an impact life capsule. JENNA They're bullet-shaped, built to be energy absorbing. Theoretically they could free fall from the edge of the atmosphere onto solid rock without even bruising the people inside. CALLY Is there a life-support system? JENNA Basic respirator, that's about all. [Blake enters.] BLAKE The coordinates place both capsules within one square mile. [Hands Cally the coordinates.] We're going to put you down in the center of the search area. CALLY Coordinates set. BLAKE One of us will stay by the teleport. Be careful. AVON All right. [To Cally] Put us down. [Cally works the controls, and the four teleport.] [Avon, Jenna, Gan and Vila materialize on the rough, drab surface of Cephlon.] AVON [indicating smoke over the ridge] That must be the wreck of the ship. No point in checking it. We'll split up into pairs to search. Jenna, you take Gan and cover that area. Vila, you come with me. [They split up and begin search. A primitive man watches Jenna and Gan pass, and follows them. Farther on, Gan and Jenna see a closed door set in the side of a mountain. They go to explore. Gan tries to open the door, but can't. He looks at the ground around the entrance.] GAN No tacks. Can't be in regular use, anyway. I wonder what's behind it? JENNA Half the hill, probably. Come on, let's go and look for those capsules. [As they leave, a circular panel in the door moves aside, revealing a peep-hole.] [Farther along the route Jenna and Gan are taking, a sealed capsule has landed. Gan and Jenna come upon it.] GAN Let's get it open. [They open the hatch. Maryatt is inside. Gan removes Maryatt's oxygen mask.] He's dead. [Jenna operates her communicator.] [Another area on the planet's surface. Vila and Avon are searching. Avon raises his communicator.] AVON Avon. JENNA [V.O.] We've found one of the capsules -- [Switch to Jenna and Gan] -- but the man inside is dead. AVON [V.O.] See if you can find any identification on the body. [Switch to Avon and Vila] Then seal up the capsule. JENNA [V.O.] Right. AVON One down, one to go. [Jenna and Gan at Maryatt's capsule.] GAN [Hands Jenna a wallet-sized ID folder] That's all there is. [Jenna looks through it and hands it back to Gan, who puts it in his pocket. They close up the capsule.] [Another area of Cephlon. Avon and Vila are walking. They spot the second capsule lying open and Ensor sprawled out beside it.] VILA There! [They reach the capsule and crouch over Ensor's body.] He looks pretty far gone. AVON There's nothing we can do for him here. We must get him up to the Liberator. VILA Will he live through the teleport stress? AVON We'll have to take that chance. Give me a bracelet. [A primitive is watching Gan and Jenna walking. Gan hears something and stops. Motioning for Jenna to wait, he goes off to explore. His communicator signals.] GAN Gan. AVON [V.O.] We found the second capsule, and the man's alive. We're going to get him up to the Liberator. Stand by for teleport. GAN Ready. [Liberator teleport area. Cally sits on the stairs, listening to music on a headset. Blake sits next to her.] AVON [V.O.] Bring us up, Cally. [Cally rushes to the controls and operates the teleport switch. Avon, Vila and Ensor are teleported. She operates another switch. Gan is teleported.] BLAKE Is he still alive? AVON Just about. BLAKE Get him to the surgical unit. [Avon, Gan and Vila lift the moaning Ensor up and carry him off. Cally operates another teleport switch.] [Another corridor on the Liberator. Avon, Gan and Vila carry Ensor to the surgical unit.] GAN Easy. ENSOR [mumbling] Compensators... GAN Okay. ENSOR Not...holding... GAN All right. Okay. Here we are now. [They lay him down in the surgical couch.] Here we go. AVON [To Gan] Out of the way. GAN [To Ensor] Okay. AVON Respirator. [Vila hands Avon the respirator.] GAN [To Blake] Oh, I...I found this on the other man down there. [He hands Blake Maryatt's ID folder.] BLAKE [Takes folder and examines it briefly.] Uh huh. [Cally rushes into the surgical unit.] CALLY Jenna's not back yet. VILA Where is she? AVON Gan. You were with her. GAN Well, she was right behind me when we teleported. BLAKE Cally, look after him. You three come with me. [Cally goes to Ensor and takes the respirator from Avon. The others rush back to the teleport area. Blake tries the teleport controls but Jenna does not appear. He switches the controls off and operates the communicator.] BLAKE [into teleport communicator] Jenna. This is Liberator. Do you read me? [Cephlon's surface. Jenna's teleport bracelet and weapon are on the ground. Jenna is unconscious. Two primitive men are searching through her things.] [Liberator teleport area. Blake tries the controls again, but nothing appears. Avon operates the teleport, still with no success.] AVON We'll go back down. BLAKE I think you'd better. [Blake teleports Avon, Gan and Vila to Cephlon.] [Cephlon. Avon, Gan and Vila materialize.] GAN This way. [Avon and Vila follow him.] I left her here. VILA The ground's scuffed about. And there's a footprint. A large footprint. [Avon picks up Jenna's necklace.] GAN That's Jenna's. AVON Obviously somebody, or something, attacked her. VILA And obviously it won. GAN She might have made a run for it. AVON She would never have taken off her teleport bracelet. Therefore somebody else must have. GAN Do you think they've killed her? AVON Probably not. If they've robbed and killed her, why drag off the body? Why not just leave it? VILA So, she's a prisoner. GAN So let's find her. AVON We'll do it a lot faster if we work separately. GAN Agreed. AVON [To Vila] Well? VILA Bit of a risk, though. AVON With the radiation level on this planet, just being here is a risk. GAN Let's get started. AVON Unless one of us finds something, we'll meet back here in an hour. [They split up to search.] [Liberator surgical unit. Cally is cleaning Ensor's wounds. Ensor is groaning. Blake paces to and fro.] BLAKE They should have found her by now. CALLY They will. It's just a matter of time. They'll find her. [Blake picks up Maryatt's ID and looks through it.] BLAKE What about him? CALLY I don't know. He's in a great deal of pain. [She notices the ID.] What's that? BLAKE Gan found it on the man in the other capsule. CALLY Who was he? BLAKE His name was Maryatt. According to his ID he was a Space Surgeon in the Federation Medical Corps. [Surprised.] He's got a double-A security clearance! He's got a pass for any area in Space Command! CALLY He must have been very important. Anything else? BLAKE No. [Hands ID to Cally.] Some pictures, a woman and two children. [Goes over to Ensor.] Let's see if he's got any identification. [He searches Ensor and finds a box of small round disks that emit a faint hum.] CALLY What are those? BLAKE I don't know. They look like micro power cells. CALLY I've never seen that type before. ENSOR [strangled whisper] Help...help...help me. Help me. BLAKE You're quite safe. We've given you something to ease the pain. You're going to be all right. ENSOR Maryatt? What happened...Maryatt? BLAKE We found his body. He was probably dead before you left your ship. ENSOR Energy cells... BLAKE They're here. They're quite safe. [He replaces them in Ensor's pocket.] ENSOR M-Must...get to my father. Without them, has only a few days to live. CALLY Gently, gently. Shhh. ENSOR He'll die. Don't you understand? He'll die without them. CALLY Now stay calm. ENSOR You...you...get to him. Promise. Promise! BLAKE We'll do everything we can. Now what was your destination? ENSOR Planet Aristo. BLAKE Where? ENSOR Nav...Navigation log...give all flight details you need. BLAKE All right. We'll run it through our computers. [He takes the flight log.] ENSOR When you reach him...tell him...Federation have agreed...all terms. Will pay...one...hundred million credits for Orac... BLAKE What is Orac? ENSOR Or--- [Starts to moan in pain.] CALLY Hand me the (*?spasm). Quickly! BLAKE He won't take the shocks. It'll kill him. [Cally holds the respirator to Ensor's face.] CALLY Without it he'll die anyway. Come on. [She gives Ensor three shots. Ensor's breathing becomes more regular.] He's coming through. BLAKE That was close. ENSOR Must...get...started. BLAKE Yes, we'll do everything we can. Now you must relax. ENSOR Must go. Now. So little time. BLAKE We will leave as soon as the others get back on board. ENSOR No. Can't wait. Go! Now! CALLY You must rest. Shhh. [Cephlon. Vila meets Gan at the rendezvous point.] VILA Anything? GAN Not a single trace. You? [Vila shakes his head. Avon joins them.] VILA So what do we do now? AVON Start again. [Lifts bracelet.] Liberator. [Liberator flight deck. Blake and Cally are just entering. Blake is carrying Ensor's navigation log.] AVON [V.O.] This is Avon. Do you hear me, Liberator? BLAKE Avon. Have you found her yet? AVON [V.O.] No. We're going to start searching again. BLAKE Is there anything we can do? AVON [V.O.] I'm open to suggestions. BLAKE Well, if you haven't found her in four hours, you come back. Cally and I will take over. AVON [V.O.] Whatever you say. BLAKE Just don't give up on her. [Surface of Cephlon where Avon, Gan and Vila are standing.] AVON No. We won't do that. Not yet. We'll be in touch. [Lowers his communicator.] Let's get started. [Liberator flight deck. Ensor staggers in.] ENSOR Must go. Now. If we delay any longer, we'll be too late. BLAKE One of my crew is lost on that planet. Right now finding her is all I care about. ENSOR But...but he'll die, if I don't get to him. Don't you understand? My father will die! CALLY Liberator is ten times faster than the ship you were traveling in. We will get there in time! ENSOR But I can't risk that! We must go! Now! BLAKE No! We're staying here for as long as it takes. [Ensor grabs Cally around her neck, drags her to the floor, draws a gun and aims it at Blake.] ENSOR Keep back! [Points gun at Cally's head.] I'll kill her. I mean it. Now you get this ship started. Coordinates eleven, two, intersect five, nine. BLAKE Not a chance! Do you think I'll abandon my crew, leave them on the surface? ENSOR That's their problem. Now you do as I tell you. Look! I don't want to harm either of you, but I will. I'll kill her, and you. Her first, and then you. Now, don't force me to do it. Now get it started. Now! [Blake goes to the flight controls, but hesitates.] Do it! [Exterior of the Liberator. It changes course.] [Liberator flight deck. Ensor is holding Cally to the floor, his gun at her head.] BLAKE In flight and on your course. ENSOR Check it, on your computer. BLAKE Don't you trust me? ENSOR Computers can't lie. Put it on line. BLAKE Zen, confirm course. ZEN Liberator is on flight course coordinates eleven, two, intersect five, nine. ENSOR Good. CALLY Are we to stay like this for the whole flight? ENSOR I've got no choice. I'm sorry about that. CALLY The drugs I gave you keep back the pain. How long will you last once they wear off? ENSOR I'll manage. BLAKE You'll get tired. The pain will start eating into you. Sooner or later you'll lose concentration. It will need one second and then we'll take you. ENSOR Perhaps. But pick that second very carefully. Misjudge it, you'll both be dead. [Cephlon. Avon checks his communicator.] AVON There's no signal. No response at all. [To Vila] Try yours. VILA [into communicator] Liberator. Blake. Cally. Do you read our signal? Respond! [Static.] Nothing. AVON There can't be a fault on both communicators. They must have moved out of range. GAN Without warning us? Why? AVON I wish we could ask them. There could be Federation ships in the area, I suppose. VILA Meanwhile we're stuck down here. AVON That's largely academic at the moment. Let's hope they're back on station when we find Jenna. We'll cover the ground again, in that direction. [Servalan's office. Servalan is seated at her desk. The intercom beeps.] SERVALAN Yes? VOICE [V.O.] Space Commander Travis is here. SERVALAN Send him in. [Travis enters and stands before Servalan's desk. She ignores him for a moment, concentrating on something else.] TRAVIS You sent for me? SERVALAN You've lost some of your fire, Travis. Whatever happened to your pride? TRAVIS My pride, Supreme Commander? SERVALAN I ignored you. A calculated insult. You obviously recognized it as such. TRAVIS I did. SERVALAN And yet you remained silent. There was a time when you wouldn't have taken an insult like that from anyone. Not even me. TRAVIS True. I want my command back. To get it I'll do whatever's necessary. If you think my silence is weakness, you mistake me. SERVALAN Better. I was afraid that the suspension and the court of inquiry into your mishandling of the Blake affair might have broken your spirit. TRAVIS I don't break that easily. SERVALAN You were expected to resign the service. Why didn't you? TRAVIS I've told you, I want my command back. It's the only way I can catch -- SERVALAN You really are obsessed with Blake, aren't you? TRAVIS It's my right. SERVALAN It's my intention that you should get another chance to exercise that right, and at the same time redeem your somewhat blemished record. However, there are more important things than Blake. TRAVIS Not for me. SERVALAN More immediate, then. Orac, for example. TRAVIS Orac? SERVALAN There've been rumors about it for years. A scientist called Ensor has been working on it. Despite considerable investigation, we've never been able to locate him. TRAVIS And you want me to find him for you. SERVALAN Mm-mm. It's no longer necessary. A little while ago, Ensor's son came to see me. His father was ill. He needed medical help and equipment. While he was here, he showed me plans of his father's creation -- Orac. It is a brilliant achievement. There is nothing else like it in the universe. And he wanted to sell it. [Travis begins to say something.] Expensive, Travis. He wants one hundred million. TRAVIS One hundred million? Are you sure whatever it is, is worth that much? SERVALAN It's worth ten times that much. TRAVIS Oh. SERVALAN So I agreed to buy it. TRAVIS Do you have the authority? SERVALAN No. Now listen, Travis, I've told no one of this. Ensor and his father live alone on the planet Aristo. He made it clear that if there was any attempt to take Orac by force, he would destroy it. TRAVIS Would he do that? SERVALAN Oh, yes. He thought it through very carefully. He wouldn't even reveal the location of the laboratory until I'd agreed to all his terms. TRAVIS Which were? SERVALAN A Space Surgeon was to go with him. I sent Maryatt. TRAVIS How much did you tell him? SERVALAN Only what his orders were. TRAVIS He's a good man. SERVALAN Maryatt was to remain with Ensor as a hostage until the transaction was complete. I was to get the hundred million, take it in an unarmed ship, and in return I'd get Maryatt and Orac. TRAVIS So now all you have to do is to persuade the Federation to let you spend one hundred million. SERVALAN That could take years. TRAVIS You have an alternative? SERVALAN Yes. It occurred to me that if Ensor didn't get back in time, then in a very little while his father would die. So I took the precaution of placing a small explosive device in his ship. TRAVIS You said Maryatt was on board. SERVALAN Yes, that was unfortunate, but unavoidable, I'm afraid. Oh, don't you see? Orac is ours for the taking. TRAVIS When do we leave? SERVALAN Start making arrangements, maximum security. No flight plan is to be filed. When we do leave it must be in total secrecy. However long it takes, Travis, you must cover our tracks completely. No one must know anything about it. TRAVIS Right. [Starts to leave, then pauses.] You're almost as ruthless as I am. SERVALAN You underestimate me, Travis. TRAVIS It begins to look that way. [Pauses] SERVALAN What's the matter? TRAVIS Maryatt. SERVALAN What about him? TRAVIS His disappearance -- there may be questions. SERVALAN In twelve hours I shall have him posted as a deserter. TRAVIS And his family go into slavery on one of the frontier worlds. SERVALAN It is the normal procedure in a case of desertion. TRAVIS Of course. Do you remember the medic that saved my life? [Touches his eye patch.] SERVALAN You're wasting time. TRAVIS It was Maryatt. SERVALAN Does it matter? TRAVIS No... No. Only Blake matters now. SERVALAN And Orac. TRAVIS Right. [Cephlon. Avon, Gan, and Vila are searching. The sound of rocks falling attracts their attention and they look up. Two primitives are throwing rocks at them. Avon draws his gun, fires, and shoots one of the men. The man tumbles down the hill.] AVON Let's get out of here! [They run, pursued by the primitives. Beyond a pass they encounter another group, carrying sticks and other crude weapons. They change course and come to the door in the side of the mountain. The primitives are following.] VILA There's hordes of them! And they don't seem to like us much! GAN How can you tell? AVON Get down! [The primitives heave stones at them. The three crouch by the door.] [To Vila] See if you can open the door. [Avon draws his gun, as more men appear from over the surrounding hills. Vila tries the door.] VILA I can't do it! [They remain there as the men come towards them. Suddenly the door opens behind them. Avon and Vila enter.] VILA Gan! [Gan follows them inside.] [Interior of a small candlelit chamber. The door closes just as the primitives reach it. As the three catch their breath, a young woman enters from a side tunnel. Avon turns, then stops, surprised, as he sees her.] AVON [pointing gun at her] Who are you? MEEGAT And you shall answer. [She approaches and prostrates herself before him.] My name is Meegat, Lord. VILA "Lord?" AVON You opened the door? MEEGAT I opened the door. AVON We're grateful. We seem to have made a few enemies outside. MEEGAT That my Lord might find safety from his enemies. GAN Well, she seems to be on our side. VILA Yes, but the poor woman's insane. AVON Not necessarily. [A primitive camp in another area of the planet. Tents made of skins are clustered around a fire. In one of the tents, Jenna is tied to a pole. She is trying to cut the bindings around her wrists. A primitive guards her, but his attention is on another task. She saws through the bindings, lifts a stone and hits the guard with it. He collapses. She looks out the front opening and sees the other primitives. She breaks the bindings around her ankles, peers out the back of tent, sees that it is clear, then crawls out under the skin walls. She stops abruptly as a primitive suddenly steps in front of her.] [Liberator exterior] [Liberator flight deck. Ensor is still holding his gun to Cally's head. Blake stands by the controls. Ensor is obviously tired. Blake moves toward them. Ensor stirs, and raises his gun to point at Blake. Blake stops and holds up his hands.] ENSOR Get back in your place. [Cephlon. The candlelit chamber.] MEEGAT [still kneeling before Avon] I will describe the way to the scavengers' camp so that you may rescue your follower. AVON My follower? I never really thought of her in those terms. Are you alone here? MEEGAT Yes, Lord. Everything is as it was written. One waits. AVON For what? MEEGAT For you. VILA [aside, to Gan] I told you she was mad. GAN [to Meegat] How long have you been waiting? MEEGAT All of my life, as those before me waited. But it is I who welcome you. Welcome, Lord, welcome! [She embraces Avon's ankles.] AVON [extricating himself] Yes, well, let's not start all that again. GAN You've hurt her feelings now. MEEGAT I have offended you. AVON No, you haven't offended me. MEEGAT Forgive me! AVON I forgive you. [Stoops and brings her to her feet.] VILA You're enjoying this, aren't you? AVON Probably. How many of your people are there? MEEGAT Less than a hundred now. Our numbers grow smaller. More die. [They begin to walk through the chamber.] AVON And the scavengers? MEEGAT Perhaps twice as many, but they too are dying. We expected you to come long ago. [They stop. Meegat goes forward and opens a set of double doors. They enter a large, dusty room with four banks of consoles topped by candles. There are buttons, scanner screens, wires, etc. on the consoles. At the front of the room is a wall of dirt-covered windows.] VILA Most of this stuff looks operational. There's no sign of any damage. You have a technology like this and still get your light from those? [Indicates candles.] MEEGAT Technology? VILA All this. MEEGAT But it does not provide light. GAN Well, it could, Meegat, if it was working. AVON Of course. That's why they were waiting for us. MEEGAT All things are known to you. You are truly Lord. [Kneels before Avon, holding his hand.] VILA Counting yourself, that makes two people who think you're wonderful. [Avon lifts his hand and Meegat rises.] AVON Tell me about the prophecy. MEEGAT The ancients promise that strangers not of this world would be the means of our deliverance. GAN Look, Meegat, we're not really gods from the skies, you know. We're just men from a spacecraft. VILA With problems of our own. MEEGAT You have come. The waiting is over. As it was promised, the Lord Avon will save our race. [At the front of the chamber, Gan wipes away dirt from a window panel. Behind the window is a rocket.] GAN Look at this. AVON [looking through window] A chemical rocket in launch position. MEEGAT [as if reciting] He shall recognize deliverance and speak its name. He shall speak its name as a thing known and understood. As to him all things are known and understood. [Kneels before Avon.] VILA [aside, to Gan] Been alone too long, definitely. [Meegat rises.] AVON Is there a legend of deliverance? MEEGAT Yes, Lord. AVON Tell me about it. MEEGAT But you know it. AVON Ah. Well, tell me about it anyway. MEEGAT Our fathers fought a great war, and Kashell the Wise dreamed that all life would end in this place. GAN Seems he was right. MEEGAT So Kashell sought a way to preserve our race. A way for it to survive in a new place among the stars. And the way was found. VILA That ship couldn't carry enough people to establish a new community. AVON It could carry dormant cells. GAN Genetic banks and brood units. Like those in the projectile we took on board the Liberator? AVON The same principle, yes. These seem to be a little more advanced, though. VILA But did they do it? AVON "And the way was found." Does it go on? MEEGAT Deliverance was prepared. And Kashell the Wise was satisfied that it was good. GAN If there are cells on that ship, would they still be viable? I mean, could they be incubated into a new race of men after all these years? AVON Theoretically the fertility span would be unlimited. The brood units would be programmed to activate on landing. If they set it up right, there's no reason why it shouldn't still work. [To Meegat] Go on. MEEGAT All that was needed to complete deliverance was the word of Kashell. But our fathers killed him, and the word was forgotten. And so we wait for a new word from beyond the stars. We wait for deliverance. We wait for the nameless Lord whose name shall be spoken by the one who waits. Meegat speaks his name. His name is Avon. VILA [looking down at console] Avon! [Avon looks at a glowing button Vila indicates.] AVON It's an active power source register. VILA That's what I thought. The automatics have closed it down. AVON Well, if we could find the manual override we should be able to reactivate it. VILA [tries another button] Output control is locked. AVON There's a circuit breaker here. [Flips the circuit breaker.] Try the output control now. VILA It's free. GAN This alpha scale is registering. AVON Take it to level one, see what we get. VILA No, nothing's showing. GAN Nope. AVON Then there must be a secondary fail-safe. [Tries another button.] Try it again, Gan. [There is a buzzing sound.] GAN It's coming in! AVON Take it to level two. VILA Level two, and we have power. [There is a croaking sound.] AVON Let me see now. [Turns some knobs on console until the croaking sound becomes a voice.] VOICE [V.O. (in background)] Telemetry and guidance are holding...systems rebalance...fuel and ignition, capability is green...inboard computers are green and functioning. Programs are stable... [The monitors on the consoles begin to show various readings and displays.] GAN It's coming in. [Avon tries another switch and the lights come on in the room.] VOICE [V.O. (in background)] ...environment is...solid and stable. Countdown minus sixty and holding...telemetry and guidance are balanced... MEEGAT Behold, deliverance! [She looks through the window at the rocket. The launch area around it is illuminated.] VOICE [V.O. (in background)] ...secondary stage is clear for count...meteorology checks confirmed. Clear for count...control checks confirmed...are cleared, green, and stable...telemetry systems... [The countdown check continues in the background.] GAN Do you really think we could launch that ship? AVON If the people who built it did their job properly, I don't see any reason why not. And it does seem we have a reputation to live up to. VILA Oh, you certainly do, Lord Avon. I wonder why she picked on you? [Meegat turns to look devotedly at Avon.] AVON Well, now, you are hardly the stuff that gods are made of. VILA And you are, I suppose? AVON Apparently. GAN [gestures] Look, before we try to fulfill any more prophecies, could we uh ... AVON Yes. We must find Jenna. [Liberator flight deck. Ensor is rigging his gun.] ENSOR I've put the energizer onto automatic. If I let it go, it will spring back and the gun will fire. If I pass out, the gun will fire by itself. Now you make certain that I don't go to sleep. [Cephlon. The launch room.] MEEGAT If she is alive, you will find her. AVON If she is alive. [Takes Meegat by the hand. They start toward the exit.] Well, are we ready? GAN We're ready. [The four leave the launch room. Gan closes the double doors.] MEEGAT I will await your return. VILA You'll wait up there by the door? GAN If we make it, we'll be back. MEEGAT The Lord Avon will protect you. [Vila gives Gan a skeptical look and the two of them go on ahead.] AVON Meegat. MEEGAT Lord? AVON Make sure that it is us before you open the door. The scavengers know about it now. [He touches her cheek and leaves.] [Cephlon. The primitives' camp. Gan, Vila, and Avon are watching the camp from a hill. The primitives are gathered around the fire.] AVON Vila and I will go round and take a closer look. You stay here. GAN If it comes to killing remember my limiter implant. VILA I'll stay up here if you like. [Avon glances at him, then the two of them go down the hill toward the camp. Avon makes his way to the back of the tents, and is shortly joined by Vila.] AVON You keep a watch. I'll try and find her. [They draw their guns. Avon checks one of the tents. A scavenger comes from another of the tents as Avon and Gan duck out of sight. Avon pulls back the skin from a second tent, then moves to a third. He raises the flap and sees Jenna tied up inside. Facing Jenna with his back to the rear of the tent, a scavenger is eating. Avon lets the skin drop and puts his gun away. He picks up a heavy stick and swings it against the tent. The man inside falls forward. Avon enters the tent and releases Jenna. Outside, one of the primitives sneaks up on Vila and grabs him. Vila cries out. The scavengers are alerted by the scuffle. As Jenna and Avon emerge from the tent the man throws Vila to the ground and comes after Avon. Avon kicks the man hard, then the three run off, joined by Gan. They are pursued by the scavengers, who carry sticks and bones as weapons.] GAN (*?) this way. We'll be safe there. [Jenna runs to the door in the mountain. A scavenger comes upon her and grabs her. Gan arrives and more scavengers come after them. There is a scuffle. Vila and Avon reach the door and help pull the scavengers from Jenna.] JENNA Help! [Inside Meegat is waiting. She opens the door. Jenna, Vila and Avon enter. Gan is fighting off the scavengers.] AVON Gan! [Gan rushes inside and closes the door just as the scavengers reach it.] [Inside the small chamber.] AVON [to Meegat] That was close. VILA No respect. They obviously didn't realize who you were. JENNA [to Meegat] Thank you. [Meegat does not acknowledge her. Avon and Meegat move on. Jenna follows.] VILA [to Gan] You all right? GAN You know, Vila, for a minute out there, I was actually quite beginning to enjoy myself. VILA You're as mad as Meegat. [Gan laughs.] [Liberator flight deck. Ensor is losing his grip on his gun as he loses consciousness.] BLAKE Cally! [Cally rolls away. Ensor collapses and rolls on the floor. The gun goes off, the shot hitting the side of a flight console. Ensor lies on the floor, groaning.] BLAKE You all right? CALLY Yes. Yes, I think so. BLAKE [bending over Ensor] He's almost gone. ENSOR [hoarsely] The microcells ... get to father ... Orac ... [He goes limp.] BLAKE He's dead. [He takes the package of microcells from Ensor's pocket.] CALLY What is Orac? BLAKE I don't know. If we deliver these, perhaps we'll find out. Got to get the others first. Zen, direct route for the planet Cephlon. Maximum speed. ZEN Confirmed. [Exterior. The Liberator changes course.] [Cephlon. The launch room. Avon, Vila, Gan, and Jenna are working at the consoles. Meegat watches Avon. The automated countdown voices continue in the background.] JENNA Avon, look at this. It's a sub-beam communications system. AVON It's an interesting antique. JENNA Look at the range scales. AVON Yes. Liberator can receive and transmit sub-beam. Try it. [He goes to another console.] Right. I think everything is functional. We are ready for countdown. [Liberator flight deck. Blake and Cally are at the flight consoles.] JENNA [V.O.] Liberator, this is Jenna. Do you read me, Liberator? BLAKE We read you, Jenna. Are you all right? JENNA [V.O.] I'm safe and well. What happened to you? BLAKE A slight detour. We'll tell you when we see you. We'll be in teleport range in about four hours. JENNA We'll be waiting. In the meantime, Avon's about to become a legend. BLAKE What? JENNA [V.O.] Out. [Cephlon. The launch room.] JENNA They're on their way. AVON So are they. [Presses a switch and the final countdown begins on the monitors.] VOICE [V.O.] Ten. Nine. Eight. Seven. Six. Five. Four. Three. Two. One. We have lift-off. [The rocket lifts off.] AVON Meegat, I'm sorry you've waited so long. MEEGAT Our waiting brought you. AVON That seems like a poor reward, somehow. [The rocket is climbing through space.] [Liberator flight deck. The whole crew is present.] ZEN The rocket is now beyond sensor range. AVON Have the navigation computers made a projection? ZEN It is calculated that the rocket will make planet-fall in the system Magdalen Alpha. AVON How many suitable planets are there in that system? ZEN There are four with compatible biospheres. AVON Flight time? ZEN Five hundred earth years. VILA You won't be a legend in your own lifetime, then. GAN Fertility cells wouldn't know about us, anyway. CALLY Meegat does. [To Avon] Did she really think you were a god? AVON For a while. BLAKE How did it feel? AVON Don't you know? BLAKE Yes. I don't like the responsibility, either. [Avon rises, looks at Blake, then leaves the flight deck.] Now we have another. Ensor's father. Zen, have you laid in a course for Aristo? ZEN Course for the planet Aristo is computed and laid in. BLAKE Speed standard by six, Jenna. JENNA Standard by six. Script Index Back to B7 Top
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