Terra Novus, Ep. 2 - Repairs

DJ: And now for our feature presentation of TERRA NOVUS: Created and presented by SCAD Radio Dramas (Scattered).

Sfx: intro theme

dj: last week on terra novous...

sfx: slowly the sound of another ship gets louder and louder.

ISAAC: Does anyone else hear that?

DYLAN: Yeah. It sounds like another…

AURORA (over the intercom): Incoming!

SFX: Blasters fire multiple times the ship is hit, it shakes and rattles throwing the crew around.

(Cut to)

Dylan: Their hailing us.

MORRIS: Put them on.

SFX: The radio comes on and shifts through static before tuning in on the signal.

BOUNTY HUNTER: By order of IGSTA, lower your speed and land your ship immediately or I will be forced to destroy you.

ISAAC: Is that who I think it is, are they after me?

GRAHAM (irritated): No, it’s a skiptracer? A merc?

ISAAC: A what?
MORRIS: It’s bounty hunter who wants your head!

SFX: Cliffhanger ending theme starts then ends.

Dj: And now for the continuation of Terra Novus. Episode two.

Isaac: Are we gonna stop.

Morris: No.

gail: No? I don’t think that would be very....

Morris: Oh, don’t get me started Gail.

Isaac: Who are you.

Gail: My name is Gail. I was sent by my employer to make sure his funds were not being misspent.

Morris: Hey don’t look at me kid. I just said I had a ship - not a crew, and definitely not the money to pay them.

Isaac: So, what?

Morris: So I had to get someone to back us, to pay for fuel and food and all the other stuff that goes along with a space expedition. I didn’t know I was gonna get one of the financier’s daughters looking over my shoulder every move I made!

Gail: Looking over your shoulder! Well if you didn’t decide to....

Graham: Guys! Please. If we can get back to the task at hand, we have a bounty hunter who’s ready to blast into the cosmos if we don’t reply.

Gail: Take this ship down, that’s an IGSTA bounty hunter. If we do whatever you’re thinking of doing, well never be able to come back to earth without being locked up the second we land. Not just you, all of us. This decision will impact all of us.

Morris: This expedition will impact everyone on earth if we find what were looking for.

Graham: And well all be rich enough to bail ourselves out of jail.

sfx: plot thickens theme.

Isaac: (pause) Rich? You’re doing this for money?

Graham: Well that was the plan wasn’t it? We find where this thing is and then sell the coordinates off to...

Sfx: Morris punches Graham, who falls to the ground.

Morris: Take a load off, you must be winded after running your mouth’s been doing.

Isaac: Sell?!!

Morris: Can we talk about this later kid, I have something a little more important to deal with right now!

Isaac: So what are we gonna do? Are we gonna fight back? (Sarcastically) Or are you just gonna pay him off?

Morris: (Groans)

Gail: No. We can’t fight back, we have to do what he wants.

Graham: I agree with the first part, we can’t fight back against a “merc ship,” we wouldn’t stand a chance. It’s designed for battle.

Isaac: Then what?

Dylan: Run.

Sfx: start tension-adventure music.

Morris: Aurora, do we have a clear trajectory for hyper speed?

Sfx: Dylan types something.

Aurorra: Way ahead of you, rerouting course and inputting coordinates, well be ready in about ten seconds.

Sfx: (bounty hunter repeats his call) this is the final warning, hand him over.

Aurora: five seconds.

Sfx: Hyperspeed starts charging up louder and louder.

Gail: You can’t do this!

Morris: I’ll be the one to tell give the orders here!

Aurora: Three, two, one, pause.

Sfx: The hyperspeed is engaged, sounding somewhat like a nuclear explosion and the ship is sent hurling through space at an incredible speed. After a few seconds, it starts to slow down and eventually idles.

Aurora: Everyone okay back there?

Gail: As long as we plan on living the rest of our days in space.

Graham: Yeah were okay, but it looks like that bounty hunter of yours must have blasted off a couple of pot shots at us before we took off.

Aurora: We have to keep moving, that bounty hunter could easily follow our fallout trail through hyperspace that these old NSS spaceships leave behind after a jump like that.

Gail: Hold on just a minute. NSS, fallout, you mean like a “nuclear space ship?!” I thought all nuclear space ships were either outlawed or dismantled.

Isaac: Why?

Morris: All but one. This old beast uses a duel-nuclear-core to fold space the old fashion way. You see, just one more reason they could not find out about my launch hanger.

Gail: He’s not the only one who would have been less than excited to find out about your illegal space craft. My employer for example; your funder?

Graham: Well you’re employer is not here! If he cared so much about our little expedition, why didn’t he come along himself - instead of sending his little errand boy to watch over us?

Gail: Why you little...I’m not a....

Sfx: Aurora opens the door and we can hear her in person.

Aurorra: Stop it. Stop fighting, we have made enough enemies for today, we need not make any more within.

Morris: (pause) Well put. Isaac, let me introduce you to our pilot. Aurora.

Aurora: How do you do.

Isaac: Good, I’m... good.

Aurora: Good, well I’m afraid this is no time for introductions, we need to focus here people. Graham, can the ship keep moving or not?

Graham: No. The ship’s too weak to withstand another jump. Normally the hits we took from Osotica’s laser cannons wouldn’t have done too much damage, but all our power was diverted to the hyperdrive, which left us defenseless.

Aurora: Great, just great. So what do you suggest we do?

Isaac: We can hide. There’s a planet not too far from here.

Sfx: Isaac types on the computer bringing up the coordinates.

Isaac: It looks like Neb-kinar is the name of it.

Sfx: start eerie music.

Morris: Neb-kinar? Isn’t that hell-hole inhabited by the Kodukai.

Graham: It shouldn’t be a problem - if we don’t stay too long.

Aurora: and come in quiet.

Graham: Right. They normally avoid humans unless there’s something we have that they want.

Isaac: What if they want me, what if they know about me?

Aurora: He’s right. When the bounty hunter comes out of hyperspace, he could put out a reward transmission for the boy’s whereabouts.

Graham: Yeah but they wont even know were there, let alone that the kid’s with us. We’ll be fine. And the repairs won’t take that long, I just can’t have the ships systems running while I repair the engine.

Aurora: Fine, but make it speedy, just the essentials – I’m not jeopardizing the safety of this crew so you can scrape astronicles off the hull.

Graham: Yes ma’am.

Aurora: Alright. A short break then, while I input the coordinates. But nobody get too comfortable, we begin our decent in five minutes.

Morris: Well, that gives me just enough time to introduce you to the crew.

Isaac: Or how about explain yourself!

Morris: That was obviously Aurorra, she’s the pilot. And I already introduced you to Graham, he’s the resident mechanic and repairs guy.

Graham: I’ll be on the engine deck.

Morris: I take it you got acquainted with Dylan when we took off. She’s our communications expert, Mrs. “Loud and Clear” if im not mistaken.

Isaac: (chuckles) yeah, I remember. Now about the-

Morris: Then there’s Liam, he’s our medical technician.

Isaac: A doctor?

Morris: Yeah, but he’s usually in the Medical quarters, since he can’t do anything of use up here on the main deck. Now, lets see if I’m forgetting anyone. Oh.. then there is 808.

Issac:808?

Morris: Yeah, he’s an android. He likes to be called Bob - makes him feel more human (scoffs).

Sfx: The robot walks up, we can hear his mechanical footsteps across the metal deck.

Morris: Speak of the devil.

Bob (always has a mechanical voice): You were talking about me?

Morris: Yeah, I was just introducing Isaac here to the crew, and “hardware” obviously.

Morris: Are you referring to me?

Morris: (Laughs) anyways he can translate for us, but for the most part, he tries to keep us up to date on the ship’s status and problems.

Bob: Mr. Morris, might I have a word with you.

Morris: I told you, you can cut that “Mr.” stuff. Just call me Morris. Aren’t you supposed to be a smart robot.

Bob: I am not a robot, I am a...

Morris: Yeah, ok I get it. Isaac would you excuse me.

Isaac: Sure.

Sfx: Isaac walks away.

Morris: Sure, what is it, what do you need you walking calculator?

Bob: I’m sorry sir, but I overheard Mr. Graham say the ship had been damaged. Normally I would be notified of such an incident from the ship’s computer but I searched the ships damage log and found nothing like what Mr. Graham was describing.

Morris: (Pause) maybe the ships computer got hit. Better check again just to be sure.

Bob: I ran searches several times sir, the bounty hunter fired at us many times - but never hit us, and the ship has sustained no damage since we’ve left.
Morris: Weird. I’ll have to have Graham re-uplink you to the ships computer, you might have a bad connection or something.

Aurora (over the intercom): (Everyone to your seats, were beginning our decent)

Morris: You heard the woman. Until Graham can get around to it, why don’t you go back to your chamber and lock-in.

Bob: But sir...

Morris: That was an order, not a request!

Sfx: Morris walks away. Then transition music. We can hear the ship hovering down to the planet surface and land.

Aurora: Powering down.

Sfx: All power turns off, the hum of the ship finally stops.

Aurora: Graham! Get out to the engine room and get on those repairs.

Graham (sarcastically): Yes ma’am.

Sfx: a large piston controlled ramp folds down and Graham walks down to go outside.

Sfx: Transition music. Then start thoughtful theme.

Bob: Ms. Dylan.

Dylan: Yes, ah, Android 808.

Bob: Please, call me BOB. It makes me feel more human.

Dylan: Ok “bob”, well did you need something.

Bob: Am I, in any way, performing my job improperly? I feel as though I am running as efficient as my capacity allows and yet I cant help but noticing that Mr. Morris seems to believe I am defective in some way.

Dylan: No. You’re fine, it’s not you specifically. Its your kind, what you are. He just doesn’t trust robots, or technology for that matter. He grew up before everything was digital, before A.I., before there were robots on every space ship. He’s just not used to it.

Bob: Oh. (Pause) may I ask another question?

Dylan: Sure.

Bob: You said AI, by which I infer you meant “artificial” intelligence. But am I not a truly intelligent being. I posses all the known facts, of fields such as science and math known to man - at a far deeper level than any one human could memorize, and my calculations are always more than 99 percent accurate - so how can I not be considered a legitimately intelligent being. Why can you humans not grant me that title so that I may have some, some... dignity. (Pause) Mr. Morris seems to believe that any miscalculation must be in my error. As though I am inferior. Or subordinate to human knowledge.

Dylan: (Sighs) 808?

Bob: Please, call me Bob. I do not wish to be recognized as a superior being, but perhaps just as a peer, at the very least.

Dylan: Bob, Maybe he thinks that humans are superior because they created the robots. Your knowledge is based on our knowledge.

Bob: But is it not true that there now are robots that create robots. You did not learn yourself how to operate your communications station, but were rather basing your knowledge on something someone else told you, just as I am mine.

Dylan: Yes, I suppose that’s true. But they created you for a purpose, to make life easier for us, humans.

Bob: For leisure.

Dylan: Well yes, so they could be lazy, but also to break up the workload so each part, be it robot or human, could do its job as best it could.

Bob: Robots do not get lazy, they do not work so they can relax, they only wish to improve themselves.

Dylan: Look, I don’t agree with Morris, I’m just trying to help you understand him. (Pause) I don’t know if it helps, but my daddy used to always say that being smart was knowing facts but being wise was knowing how to use those facts.

Bob: You mean he may look at me as possessing knowledge but incapable of making my own decisions.

Sfx: start calm sad theme.

Dylan: -With that knowledge... Yes, I guess.

Bob: Like a tool.

Dylan: Yes. (Sighs)

Bob: Oh, (pause) please excuse me.

Dylan: I’m sorry... bob.

Bob: No, all is well. You may go back to referring to me as 808. It must have been insulting for me to ask for a human to refer to me by a name instead of a number. A Binary code. What would I know, I don’t have feelings. I am just a tool, a machine. “A walking calculator” am I not.

Dylan: Bob?

Aurora (over the intercom): Everyone. Up to the main deck. We’ve got a situation. 808 I’ll need you as well.

Dylan: (Sighs)

sfx: Transition music.

Isaac: What’s going on.

Aurora: Look. Over there, (pause) three of the Kodukai have captured Graham while he was outside working on the ship.

Sfx: start threatening/tension music.

Dylan: It looks like there’s been no signal sent by Osotica that would alert them to you Issac.

Isaac: Then what could they want, I thought you said they avoid humans?

Morris: They do.

Aurora: They’ve been communicating with us but it’s in their native language, 808 can you translate what their saying? Here, I’ll put them on speaker.

Durkal (the Kodukai sound very snake-like): (speaks in his native language.)

808: They say that they will kill him unless we let them board the ship.

Dylan: Has he finished the repairs to this ship yet.

Aurora: Negative.

Bob: Mr. Morris if you recall, my scanners detected no...
Morris: Then we don’t have a choice. (Sigh) Let them on.

Gail: Remember we have to be as diplomatic about this as possible.

Morris: Diplomacy was never one of my strong points.

Sfx: Unholsters and loads laser gun. Transition music. Door opens and aliens board.

Pat-mok: speaks.

808: He says for you to put down your weapons or he’ll kill Graham.

Morris: Looks like you win.

Gail: See, I told you.

Morris: All right, you heard him. Put them down.

Sfx: Put guns down.

Pat-mok: speaks.

Bob: he says his name is Pat-mok. you will stay here under the watch of his brother, Jurik, while he and his father, Durkal, search the ship for anything of use before they destroy it.

Sfx: start concerned tension theme.

Morris: Destroy it!?

Issac: you mean like blow it up?! with us on it?

Pat-mok: Alien voice

bob: he reminds you to remember, if you try anything he will kill Graham.

Pat-mok (angry): Alien voice

Graham: All right all right im coming, you don’t have to pull so hard.

Sfx: Door opens, the aliens walk through, the door shuts. music builds tension. The alien pulls some metal objects out a pouch.

Jurkal: speaks.

Bob: he says to put your hands out, close together.
Isaac: what are those?

Dylan: They look like some kind of laser-binders.

Sfx: the alien walks to the first person, then stops. He turns on the first pair, they hum like a lightsaber.

Isaac: like handcuffs?

Dylan: Yeah.

Sfx: start concerned/tension theme. (Pause) then the alien sniffs a few times.

Durkal: speaks.

Aurora: what’s wrong, why isn’t he moving on to you guys.

Bob: He says he likes you.

Durkal: speaks.

Bob: and he says he can smell that you’re...

Aurora: (Pause) What? That im what?

Bob: pregnant?

Sfx: start plot thickens theme. Slimy wet sounds, as the alien licks Aurora.

Aurora: Oh my god, that’s his tongue?

Sfx: wet sounds continue.

Aurora: gags, and coughs. His breath is horrible.

Liam: get off her, hey you hear me?

Sfx: Liam gets up and walks over to stop him.

Liam: Hey. Don’t you lay a finger... or tongue, on her.

sfx: the alien hits him, knocking him to the floor.

Liam: Oof.

Jurik (angry): speaks.

Isaac: you okay?

Liam: I will be, once we get those guys out of here. Man they’ve got a strong back hand.

Sfx: the alien turns on another pair of laser binders.

Liam: I’m Liam, (grunts from the pain) by the way.

Isaac: Isaac.

Liam: You’ll have to me if I don’t shake your hand.

Jurik (yelling): speaks.

Bob: he ask for you to be quiet and that there be no more talking.

Sfx: start sneaky tension theme.

Morris: hey! (Quieter) Isaac.

Isaac: (whispering) yeah.

Morris (whispering): if I create a distraction him you think you can get his laser gun away from him.

Isaac (whispering): I don’t know, I’ve never....

morris (whispering): Fine, you want to be the distraction?

Liam (whispering): (angry and through his teeth) I can do it, whatever it takes, I can’t stand seeing her looked at by him, touched by him.

Morris (whispering): Look I don’t care who does it, or what we do, but somehow we gotta find a way to overthrow him and get his gun before the other two get back.

Jurik: yells.

bob: he most seriously insists, no talking.

Morris: (whispering) And quietly, so the other two don’t hear.

Liam (whispering): And before he does anything to Aurora, or her child.

Morris (a little louder, angry): I never would have recruited her had I known she was pregnant.

Liam (a little louder): this is no time to hold a grudge! It doesn’t matter now, focus on...

Sfx: Alien punches him

liam: oof

Jurik: yells.

Bob: he says, if anyone talks again it will cost you the life of a crew member.

Sfx: the alien loads his laser gun. Pat-mok and Graham can be heard talking from the next room over indistinctly and increasingly louder.

issac (whispering): hey, you guys hear that?

Dylan (whispering): Barley, I can hardly make it out.

Gail (whispering): quiet down over there you two, you want to get us all killed?

Sfx: start tricky double-cross theme.

graham (muffled and from the next room over): look that wasn’t part of the plan. I’m out.

Pat-mok (from the next room over): Alien talks angrily.

Graham (from the next room over): no. there’s no deal!

Pat-mok (from the next room over):Alien yells

graham (from the next room over): well I don’t care, you cant just go and bomb all those people like that. You didn’t tell me that’s what you were going to use it for. Why us why not some other species. Find someone else.

Sfx: music starts increasing tension, building.

Pat-mok (from the next room over): alien yells.

Graham (from the next room over): what?

Pat-mok (from the next room over): Alien yells angry.

Sfx: Pat-mok unholsters and loads his gun.

Graham (from the next room over): No!

sfx (from the next room over): A few gun blasts go off.

Dylan: Graham!

sfx: cliffhanger ending theme.

DJ: Join us next week for the exciting continuation of Terra Novus every week at (show time) every (show day of the week) night here on SCAD RADIO.

This episode featured the talents of
Writer: _________
And featuring the voices of (actors say their name): ________
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