between stars: synopsis and extracts
characters:
|
Fincher |
Male |
|
Cameron |
Female |
|
Scott |
Male |
approximate running time:
30
minutes
synopsis:
The
near future. Cameron, Fincher and Scott
are three astronauts orbiting the Earth in The Jeunet. Due to return home in two days, The Jeunet
is suddenly badly damaged in a meteor storm, leaving it stranded in space. Despite having enough air for ten days, most
of their equipment is no longer working, forcing the crew to communicate with
Control on Earth using temporary equipment.
Although they are only able to receive sporadic and brief messages by
Morse code, they learn that a salvage vessel is on its way to rescue them, and,
as the tenth day draws closer, they wait in anticipation
extract one:
Fincher and Cameron are talking when suddenly Fincher hears sounds from their communicator.
Fincher (interrupting) Stop a minute
I think
theres someone there
or
Cameron Sorry?
Fincher (slowly) Dot
dot
dot
(quicker) Its Morse code, I think
dot
Cameron H. Thats an H.
Fincher And another dot. There was a silence and then a dot.
Cameron E. A single dots an E. I cant believe you dont remember this
H, E.
Fincher Hold on, theres more
dot
dash
its a dash this time
dot
dot
Pause.
And
now its gone silent again
Cameron (repeating) Dot, dash, dot, dot
Beat.
L.
Beat.
H,
E, L
Fincher (continuing) Dot
dash
dot
dot
Cameron L? L again?
H, E, double L.
Beat.
Hell?
Beat.
Is
this someones idea of a joke? Is
someone taking the
Fincher No
theres more
dash
dash
dash
Beat.
Cameron Any more?
Fincher shakes his head.
Thats
an O, then. An O.
Beat.
(slowly) I think theres someone there
They
look at each other, first in disbelief followed slowly by smiles. They remain silent, but finally their faces
shows hope.
extract two:
Whilst the astronauts sit
and wait to be rescued, Scott tells
them about his childhood.
Scott You know, even when I was about eight or nine,
my parents wouldnt let me out to play with the other children. They were protective
paranoid about
traffic, child molesters
everything.
Everything and anything. So, I
was left to play on my own in the garden.
And at the bottom we had trees
great big, old trees that had been
there for years
and I would climb
to see outside
each time trying to get
higher
often falling too. A sprained
wrist or a twisted ankle
part of the risk
part of the fun. I might have been safer playing football in
the road
He
sips water long and hard from the container before continuing.
And
you know, I would climb higher and higher
each time working out a route that
would allow that extra inch
that extra foothold
because once up there I
could see for miles
miles and miles.
And I would look out into the distance and memorise the landscape
each
building
every geographical feature
until there was nothing more to see.
He
sips more water.
And
then I would look beyond the horizon
beyond and above. I would look up into the blue
into the
clouds and imagine: if there is all this down here, just think what is up
there. Just think what must exist if
you can go further
higher
a few more inches
a few more footholds
He
stops suddenly and stares out into nothing before starting again.
And
then you get here. You know, expecting
vastness. Some sort of majestic
beauty. And instead
instead? Darkness, cold
Long pause.
And
nothing.
Silence.
© Matthew Wilkie
47 West Avenue, Farnham, Surrey, GU9 0RB, England
Tel:07710 505806 (+44 7710 505806)
Email: matthew.wilkie@ntlworld.com
Click
here to link to www.matthewwilkie.co.uk.