INT. SPACESHIP – EQUIPMENT LOCKERS

The entire crew rushes to their equipment lockers, each member quickly and deftly fitting equipment and armor to their athletic frames. Each one holsters and loads a distinct rifle or shotgun. They aren’t just techs, they’re soldiers. After Bradley, Devin is the first to finish suiting up.

DEVIN
(To Rivera, who is still finishing fitting his gear. She walks by him.)
Surprised that shit still fits you the way you’ve been eating.

RIVERA
Genes, girl, genes. Metabolism like a hummingbird.

DEVIN
(Walking back and forth. She looks anxious.)
Brain the size of one, too.

BRADLEY
Let’s hurry it up, children!

Bradley leaves the room, heading back in the direction of the main bridge. The rest of the crew continues preparing. He returns to find them waiting, ready to go.

BRADLEY
Helmets on!
(The crew all fit their helms. When each does, a UI comes up on the front.)
Comms check!
(Devin, Rivera and JC respond, their voices each now sound like they’re coming through headsets)

Bradley slaps a large button by a hatch.

BRADLEY
Down plank in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.

INT. TELLUS – HANGAR BAY

The hatch flies open to reveal an extending and descending gangplank. Bradley with crew right on his heels jogs down, weapon raised, the lamps on his helmet send streams of light throughout the dim chamber.

BRADLEY
Eyes open people!

When the crew gets to the bottom of the plank, they form themselves into a close circle, back to back to back. Their weapons and gazes sweep the area.

DEVIN
Not a whole lot to see.

RIVERA
Aren’t stations like this supposed to have support craft?

JC
They do… well, they’re supposed to.

RIVERA
Well where are they?

DEVIN
(Abruptly interjecting)
Chief, got something here. Twenty five meters. On the ground

BRADLEY
Let’s go.

They approach. As they do, the silhouette of a torn and mangled corpse comes into focus.

RIVERA
(As he approaches and realizes what he’s seeing.)
Ah fuck…

Even with the grisly scene, Bradley is all business.

BRADLEY
(Turning to JC)
Clark, link in to the comm system and transmit mayday on all channels.

JC nods.

RIVERA
(Investigating the corpse in the background, exasperated tone.)
Ah fuck fuck fuck fuck fuuuuck.

Devin kneels down next to the corpse, extends her arm and removes an object lodged in the body.

DEVIN
(Removing the bullet.)
Oh yeah…50 caliber shredder rounds on light armor.”
(She holds it up. The bullet is large and cruel looking.)
That’s a big gun…

JC (Off Screen)
(In the background. Over the helmet comm systems.)
To any ships in the area, Mayday, I say again, Mayday. This is the Rigel Runabout Dawn requesting immediate assistance. We are onboard Tellus Station orbiting Kepler 186f. The station has sustained structural damage and its crew has incurred multiple casualties.

Rivera moves to get a closer look at the bullet that Devin is examining – it’s a cruel looking object, small, jagged, and clearly meant not to incapacitate efficiently, but rather to inflict maximum pain. Using her gloved hand, Devin presses in on a few of the spikes protruding from it. They are retractable.

DEVIN
That’s not standard issue.

© 2016 P. D. Nym