PERIL

By

Timothy Holloway

Timothy Holloway
111 Buttonwood Dr.
Ewing, NJ 08638


 1

FADE IN

SOMETIME IN THE FUTURE – SPACE

(opening credits)

ON SCREEN: PERIL

A sea of stars fills the emptiness of space and out of the

distance a ship emerges. A starship approaches from the
distance.

CLOSER SHOT the ship slowly moves through the silent VOID
of space. The vibrating hum from vessel’s engines can be
heard. SHIP PASSES BY the massive vessel appears overstated
and its configuration is reminiscent of man’s industrial
age. The word “DECIMA” is written on the side of its hull,
it’s worn and faded. The ship has obviously been in service
for a few of decades. Worn but structurally sound.

ON SCREEN:

(typed out)
THE DECIMA–– DEEP SPACE MINING VESSEL–– CLASS: ARES CORP.
FREIGHTER

WIDE SHOT the ship arrives at a planetoid, which appears

dark and FORBIDDING. It has three rings around it adding to
its MYSTERIOUS eerie presence.

ON SCREEN:
(typed out)
FLIGHT TIME: SIX YEARS–– SECTOR: CANIS MAJOR DWARF GALAXY

INT. THE DECIMA- CORRIDOR

Empty, narrow.

INT. THE DECIMA- MESS HALL

Dimly lit and quiet. MAGAZINES are strewn across a dinning

table. The ship experiences a minor TREMOR causing a page
to turn on one of the magazines. The magazine’s page
highlights the vessel, its crew, and their mission. The
ship shakes again knocking the magazine of the table.

TIGHT SHOT another magazine falls off the table onto the
floor. On its cover is a picture of the current and
previous captains of the DECIMA. Captains Bains and Briggs.

 2

 Magazine article:

“BRIGGS IS OUT BAINS IS IN:

ARES CORP. Brings in new blood
after Briggs’ forced retirement”

INT. THE DECIMA - BRIDGE COCKPIT

DARK. Eight empty cockpit chairs. The navigational display

on the COCKPIT control console shows the vessel’s course
and trajectory. No other instruments are active. The
display brings up the PLANETOID and the planet’s
designation “MV5L6” flashes on the video monitor. Console
lights flicker—followed by a series of BEEPS activating
NINA (pronounced Ny-na), the ship’s main computer.

NINA
(V.O.)
NINA online…

The navigational computer communicates with NINA through a

series of beeps and other audible computer tones. The
navigational monitor reads “APPROACHING COORDINATES” and
“INITIATING ORBITAL PROTOCOLS.”

TILT UP TO Through the viewport the planet can be seen.

It’s eerie, MASSIVE. It’s a DARK body surrounded by three
yellowish glowing rings.

NINA
(V.O.)
Acknowledged.

INT. THE DECIMA- SCIENCE LAB

Distressed walls. Dimly lit room with no activity except

for an active console and video monitor, which has a game
of SOLITARE being played on it. Eight other monitors
showing the crew’s NEURO-ACTIVITY and body scans. Automatic
doors open.

DOLLY IN into the CORRIDOR—to MAIN COMPUTER CORE ROOM.


 3

INT. THE DECIMA- MAIN COMPUTER CORE ROOM

DOLLY IN doors open. The room is empty. There is a BUZZ of

computer activity in progress. A monitor activates. The
words “UPLOADING CONSCIOUSNESS” and “CAPTAIN BAINS ONLINE”
appear on the screen followed by an audible LOW-PITCHED
TONE. Another slight TREMOR occurs on the ship. Next to the
display console a NEON-BLUE cylinder begins to GLOW.

BAINS
(V.O.)
Ship’s log, Captain’s entry.
(pause)It’s been thirty-six
months and the crew is still in
stasis. Ship’s systems and NINA
are operating within expected
parameters. Still no contact with
HAB 1…

The ship’s computer, NINA (pronounced Ny-na) interrupts the

captain.

NINA
(V.O.)
Captain

BAINS
(V.O.)
…End log. Yes what is it NINA?

NINA
(V.O.)
We’ve arrived at the coordinates.

BAINS
(V.O.)
Well it’s about time.(pause)
WAKE US UP!

NINA
(V.O.)
Acknowledged…

INT. THE DECIMA- MED LAB

The Med Lab interior lights begin to slowly come on. Some
of the lights FLICKER as they begin to ILLUMINATE the
medical lab.

 4

 NINA
(V.O.)

Reviving crew.

Eight CRYO-STASIS units holding the crew slowly lower from

the Med Lab ceiling. A gust of pressurized gas erupts from
the clamps holding the units.

Vanessa Bains………………Captain
Leroy Reed………………………Commander
Ricardo Cruise……………Lt. Ship’s Engineer
Dr. Craig Pierce………Lt./Dr.
Samantha Magruder……Lt. Pilot
Antonio Nickolette…Lt. Pilot
Brett Neil………………………Lt. Mining Engineer
Anthony Pendersen……Lt. Mining Engineer

Crew all SEALED in the units in a state of SUSPENDED

animation. NINA’S video camera monitors the activity in the
room. One of the monitors read “CELL REANIMATION IN
PROGRESS” and “NEURO-ACTIVITY STATUS: GREEN” The
crewmembers begin to thaw and they slowly awaken.

WIDE SHOT the Lids to their units open in unison. They

EMERGE from their units one by one. Lt. Magruder is the
last to emerge.

CLOSE UP she sits up in her unit and feels ill. She rubs
her stomach and leans over the side of the unit.

BAINS
Magruder what is it?

MAGRUDER
I don’t know… I just feel
…WAAAHA!

Magruder VOMITS over the side of her unit.

Cruise is a coarse individual. Rough around the edges type.

Macho, gruff, large build, semi-muscular. Doesn’t have much
to say except to complain.

CRUISE
Hey Magruder that’s why your
not suppose eat before cryo-
sleep.(laughing)


 5

Magruder FLIPS him the bird.

BAINS
Alright Cruise knock it off!
Magruder did you eat before
getting in this thing?

Magruder NODS her head no.

NINA
(V.O.)
Captain Bains there is an
explanation.

BAINS
Contaminant?

NINA
(V.O.)
Of sorts

BAINS
I’m listening

NINA
(V.O.)
You may want to clear the room

BAINS
NINA would you just spit it out

NINA
(V.O.)
Lt. Margruder is pregnant

BAINS
What?!...

Reed is the Commander. Tough military type. He is Bains’

only support on the crew. Backs her completely.

REED
Holy shit!

The crew is shocked. Bains is shocked and pissed off.

BAINS
Everybody out! Pierce stick
around.

 6

The crew heads for the HATCH.

NICKOLETTE
A baby out here…I mean is there
even a protocol for that?
(At Pendersen)

INT. THE DECIMA- CORRIDOR OUTSIDE MED LAB

CRUISE
All I know is I didn’t do it.

PENDERSEN
Nine kids and never married. You
probably looked at her and she
got knocked-up.

REED
All right people hit the showers!

INT. THE DECIMA- MED LAB

Magruder is sitting on a BIO-BED while Bains and Pierce

discuss the situation.

BAINS
(At Pierce) I’d like to know how
you missed this.

PIERCE
Her test came back from the lab as
negative for pregnancy.

BAINS
Yeah, but…

PIERCE
We’ve had false readings before
Bains (pause) It’s not unheard of.

BAINS
And NINA, what about her scans?

PIERCE
It’s a redundant system. She
reviews our initial data, but her
primary function is to look for
anomalous readings…diseased cells,
contaminants, things of that nature.

 7

 BAINS
As Chief Medical Officer on this
ship you should have caught this.

Bains walks over to Magruder. She hands her a glass of

water.

BAINS
You know the protocol prior to a
deep space mission Magruder.(pause)
No sex. What were you thinking?

MAGRUDER
I was told that I was unable to
have children.(glances at Pierce)I
didn’t think I could get pregnant.

BAINS
A deep space mining mission is no
place for a baby.(pause) You know
you do have options.

MAGRUDER
By options you mean an abortion.

BAINS
I mean whatever you decide I’ll back
you. Even if that means pulling a
babysitting shift for the little rug
rat.

INT. THE DECIMA- BAIN’S QUARTERS

Bains has just gotten out of the shower. She is wearing a

robe and DRYING her hair with a towel. She wanders over to
a shelf where there are pictures of her and her ex-husband.

TIGHT SHOT she looks at her wedding band.

CLOSE UP she picks up one of the pictures from the shelf.

She pulls apart the frame where she finds an ULTRA-SCAN of
a baby.

MEDIUM CLOSE UP she begins to WEEP struggling to hold back

her tears. Reed calls her over the COM.

REED
(V.O.)
Reed to Bains.

 8

 BAINS
Yeah…what is it?

REED
(V.O.)
Hot water is out again. (pause)
Thought you should know before
your shower.

Bains GRINS.

BAINS
Too late. (pause) Meet me on the
bridge will ya? I need to bring you
up to speed on HAB’s status.

REED
(V.O.)
Copy that.

INT. THE DECIMA- BRIDGE COCKPIT

Bains the ship’s captain is joined by Reed her first

officer. Reed has a towel wrapped around his neck. Bains is
holding a cup of coffee as she EYEBALLS the ship’s console.
They monitor their ORBIT of the planet.

BAINS
How was your nap?

REED
Very funny. (pause) I kept having
weird dreams, but I don’t remember
any of it.
BAINS
Hmm, strange me too. I draw a
blank whenever I try to remember.
Cryo-sleep.(pause)Go figure.

Reed draws Bains’ attention to the EERIE planet outside the

viewport. Reed leans in and looks through the viewport at
the planet.

REED
So that’s home for the next
eleven months.(pause)Charming.

Bains joins Reed and leans in over the CONSOLE to get a

closer look at the planet.

 9

 BAINS
Yep, that’s our new digs.

REED
So what’s the deal with Magruder?

BAINS
Well you heard NINA she’s
pregnant.(pause)One month and
three weeks to be exact.

REED
Why didn’t scans pick that up?

BAINS
Well according to Pierce his
initial scans were negative
and NINA concurs.

REED
Well that makes no sense.

BAINS
I agree. (pause) Listen, about
the mission. This thing needs to
go by the numbers. Brief the crew,
I want touchdown at 0900 and habitat
interface no later than 13. You copy?

REED
That’s gonna go over well.

BAINS
I don’t care pull rank if you
have to. The other teams have
at least a two-month lead on
us.

REED
Copy that.(pause)Still no word
from HAB 1 huh?

Bains leans over and peers out the viewport window looking
at the DARK PLANET.

BAINS
Not a peep.(whispers to herself)
What the hell is going on down
there?

 10