MARS SURFACE
They mount and move off, hovering down caldera rims to zoom
over the purple Simud Sea toward distant cliffs of Da Vinci.
Jess, Elyse and Rand ride single place Assault Crafts,
called flivvers. Nic and Dos ride a TriFan weapons carrier.
They ride the open cockpit ground effect vehicles like
horses, moving up or falling back to speak over intercoms.
Rand moves out in front, searching for sign. Elyse takes the
middle, then Jess. The landscape is ancient desert.
Dos is nervous. Nic grins, grizzled Vet to new meat.
NIC
For Chrysesake stop twitching
like that.
DOS (looks away, nervous)
Like what?
NIC
If they wanted to hit us, they'd
have done it. Now, all you've got
to worry about is booby-traps,
rockets, freezing, oxy starvation,
flash floods, duststorms, ambushes,
biologicals...
Dos floors it and races ahead. Jess signals him to cut
power, fall back and stop making dust. Elyse draws close.
ELYSE
So, what's Earth like?
JESS
It's green. Ever been there?
ELYSE
No. Earthgrav's too much strain.
Like to see it though, someday.
JESS
Anilyne. How well did you know her?
ELYSE
We were close.
JESS
You knew about Xanthe.
ELYSE
I knew her. That she was yours,
no...that I didn't know. And you,
you never suspected?
JESS
We had an understanding.
ELYSE
Apparently, Ani didn't think so.
JESS
What was...what is she like?
ELYSE
What do you mean?...She was normal.
JESS
Normal?
ELYSE (clipped)
Normal. A normal little girl.
Very bright. A half-breed, of
course. She has your eyes.
You know what you're doing? They've
held her for a year. Now you push
into their territory, stir things
up, you could get her killed.
JESS
If she was yours, would you go
after her?
ELYSE
If she was mine, I wouldn't have
let it happen in the first place.
UP AHEAD - LATER
Rand is in his element, circling back and forth. Jess stalks
around, sniffing the wind. He sees something, swings back. He
indicates a Chaotic valley ahead, dotted by small trees.
RAND
Ancient trail. Lots of Martians...
JESS
Ours come through here?
RAND
Yeah.
DOS
I don't see a thing.
RAND
Yeah.
He rides ahead. They pass through a defile. Scattered in
clusters are the small tree-like cacti.
DOS
What the hell is that sound?
Rands eyes never leave Jess. Nic too, unlimbers his weapon.
Elyse's senses begin to quiver. Only Dos seems oblivious.
RAND (offhand whisper)
Trumpet bushes. Bladder collects
gas, pressure bleeds off through
that horn. Kind of spooky. Means
Martians are close.
They find firepits, empty except for scattered junk.
JESS
Captured stuff. From the Outpost.
ELYSE
They know we're here now.
JESS
They've known. ...Down!
A SHOT, then rapid fire. They drop to cover. Jess runs off.
DOS
How'd he know? Where's he going?
Hey come back! I can't believe it!
NIC
Never mind that, lay down fire.
DOS
Famous frontiersman! And he runs.
First sign of trouble and he runs!
Nic slaps him hard, puts weapon in his hand.
NIC
Shoot, will you!
Jess hops into an AC and roars away up the back slope.
Fire follows him. Jess tops a rise, fires into a defile. A
return blast! Hit, the AC careens off. Jess flies off, down
into the rocks. The ship slams into a ridge.
Jess pops up, fires a missile. A flash in the rocks.
ENEMY POSITION - MOMENTS LATER
Smoke curls over an Outlander's body as Jess examines him.
NIC
That was the dumbest thing I've
seen. If it's a deathwish, just let
me know so I can get out of the
way. If you've forgotten how it is
out here, let me know. I'll lead.
Jess finds more Valletech junk, examines it.
JESS
From Galilea.
RAND
What they're looking for,
they haven't found.
Rand rolls the body over. On the back are wing-like organs.
He pulls the "wings" off with a sucking pop. He holds up the
Martian's cape. Dos looks closely.
RAND
Camok. Live creature. Symbiotic.
Lives off its host. Takes on color,
heat reflectance of its environ-
ment. Perfect camo. Also shows the
emotional state of its host, which
right now, I'd say, is not good.
Elyse takes the camok.
RAND
You can't take his camok.
ELYSE
He's not going to need it.
RAND
You can't leave him like that.
ELYSE
Why not? He's dead.
RAND
He needs to be buried.
JESS
We need not to announce ourselves.
RAND
Then give him the rights. A
passing Martian would.
He grabs the cape, Elyse struggles. Jess takes it, rips the
camok with his knife, throws half at Elyse, half to Rand.
They glare at each other. Rand crosses the clearing. He
finds a small bush. He picks a fruit, crushes it and spreads
it over the body. He covers the body with his half of the
cape. He steps back, nods and intones.
Elyse's eyes roll up. She wraps the camok around her, looks
at Jess. He studies the hills, then climbs to high ground.
Suddenly, they notice; the camok and the body under it are
going through a change. It starts to grow a trumpet bush.
HIGH GROUND - CRATER WALL RIDGE
Jess watches the sunset. From the burial ground, trumpetlike
sounds echo. Elyse climbs to him, glancing back at Rand.
JESS
Martians. He said they were around.
ELYSE
He's a bit too far into his Martian
lore for me. Who is he?
JESS
Outlander. From the Argyre.
ELYSE
Like Anilyne.
Even the mention of the name bothers him.
JESS
Yeah.
ELYSE
You believe me? That she's gone?
JESS
No. She's alive. Somehow.
ELYSE
Grown man like you, believing in
fairy tales...
JESS (angry)
And you believe in what? What
were you working on at Galilea?
ELYSE
I wasn't working gentech.
JESS
Then why'd they hit you?
ELYSE
You tell me. What I was doing,
they could've gotten off a shelf.
JESS
Anilyne. Then she was working it.
ELYSE
So what if she was. She believed in
her science. Everybody's looking to
score. Maybe even you.
CAVE - NIGHT
Rand has wingflaps from the dead Martian. He tweaks a
muscle, they twinge and flap.
DOS
That's really disgusting.
RAND (shrugs)
Valleterrans build things. Martians
grow things. To you the human
genetic code is sacrosanct.
Martians had to change themselves
to survive. You know what this dust
does to a Terran lung? They had to
do it. Valleterrans don't
understand that.
Rand stares hard at Nic who looks up, blankly.
RAND
What are you doing here?
NIC (mischievous)
Idle mind is the devil's workshop.
These people, so long left without
the guiding hand of the shepherd...
RAND (coldly)
These people have their own
beliefs.
NIC
Yes, don't I know it! Cargo cults,
weird hybrid theologies. Dangerous
beliefs. Our computers attribute
great potential power to them.
Dangerous knowledge!
RAND
You're no priest.
NIC
Does it matter, long as we do God's
work? (Jess snorts) Find that odd?
JESS (ironic)
Coming from you?
NIC
Nobody can do it on their own.
Everybody eventually has to belong
somewhere...(looks at Jess) even
you. Might as well pick a winner.
Rand shucks on the wings. With a sucking sound they attach.
Dos is fascinated, disgusted. He looks at Jess for reaction.
NIC
New biotech?
RAND
Bio-glider. Gentech, maybe from
human material. (wings spread)
A few steps, he's airborne.
DOS
The atmo's too thin.
RAND
Gravity is too. You weigh fifty,
Martian weighs less. Even with
lesser air pressure, he can soar.
He walks out. They hear him flapping his wings in the dark.
CALDERA RIDGE - NEAR SHALBATANA VALLE - MORNING
They crawl to the ridgetop, slowly raise their heads.
THEIR POV
A cluster of spheroids nestles in distant rocks. A
camok-winged figure soars into it.
NIC
Trading post. Dangerous place.
Rand and Dos approach a cliff. It's a long drop to rocks.
RAND
Care to try?
Dos backs away from the edge. Rand flexes wings.
RAND
Outlaw post. Place like that, if
you don't have weapons, they give
you some, just to keep it sporting.
You can't take Valleans in there.
He turns away. Dos notes his reaction. Nic comes up to him.
NIC
You take these guys in there,
you're going to get somebody
killed. ...You don't care, do you?
JESS
I want my kid. I want...them.
Fastest way is to let them find us.
Rand looks over at him for a beat, shrugs, deploys his
wings. He drops off the rock, soars toward the distant post.
Dos looks scared. Jess points his weapon at a CRX MODULE in
the side of the AC, fires. Whang! The AC sinks on that side.
THE LIMPING AC - SLIPPING DOWNSLOPE - MOMENTS LATER
Nic is grim, Elyse excited, Dos raps nervously at Nic.
DOS
It's water, right. You got water,
you're rich. We have to go in
there, they may know something.
You and Jess were mappers. You know
the territory. He knows how high
the water's gonna go? Right?
They'll be a payoff, won't there?
It's not just about ...this kid.
Nic checks his weapon.
NIC
They'll be a payoff, alright.
DOS (not so sure)
...Good.
THE TRADING POST - SHALBATANA VALLE - MORNING
A fortress scarred and weathered. Antennae bristle. Eyes
follow as they pull up. A holo appears: a face.
HOLOTRADER
Welcome.
JESS (shouts above wind)
Morning. Got a busted flivver. You
got a repair bay, maybe some parts?
HOLOTRADER
Who're you? What you doing there?
Wind nearly carries them away.
ELYSE (sarcastic)
Enjoying the weather.
HOLOTRADER
No arms in the compound.
(Elyse glances at Jess)
Don't worry. If anything happens,
we are fully insured.
Jess smiles and moves forward. Mutters under breath.
JESS
Anything happens, Liq the place.
The others drive in. DOS sits alone for a beat, then guns it
and catches up. Slips in just as the armored gate closes.
AIR LOCK - SCANNER
They pass through and are scanned for hidden weapons.
JESS
Surveyors. Private surveyors.
HOLOTRADER
Fast gear for a surveyor.
JESS
We're fast surveyors.
HOLOTRADER
More...what a smuggler would use.
JESS
Heard about smuggling around here.
HOLOTRADER
Hot biologicals, all the rage.
(turns to Elyse)
And you?
ELYSE
Tourist.
HOLOTRADER (a beat)
Uh huh. Well, enjoy yourselves.
INT. COMPOUND - OPEN ROOM WITH A BAR
They pull up, dismount. Bad types glare at them.
ANGLE - ENTERING BAR - JESS, DOS, ELYSE
They notice Rand in the corner, looking like a Martian.
Martians from many tribes sit beside odd freebooters in
tattered gear with faded ideograms from many megalops. The
group passes uneasily under their stare.
An old Martian and a youth with blue stripe on his camok
move to let them pass. Elyse can't control her anger.
ELYSE (stage whisper)
Geez, what is that?
DOS
What?
ELYSE
Well, looks like Martians,
talks like Terrans... smells
like something in between.
Dos laughs too loudly.
DOS
Lotta people gonna miss that
mordant sense of humor. (mumbles)
At least I hope they'll miss.
One old Outlander has a bad eye. He squints at Jess. Jess
glares toward bargirls scattered around. A snitch comes up.
SNITCH (whisper)
Hear of a girl.
ELYSE
What kind?
Jess moves quickly, feigning disinterest, pulling her away.
The snitch moves with them, still hoping for a sale.
SNITCH
Mutes, bios. New girls from the
Valle. Hardly used. Any kind.
Whatever you want.
JESS
We're interested if...she can
fix a flivver.
He grabs his drink and pulls Elyse out of the bar.
INT./EXT. FLIVVER PARK - THE ASSAULT CRAFT
Jess, Dos and Elyse walk up. Nic is talking to a tough
Outlander, MURF. Jess motions him to the side. He opens a
compartment, takes out a weapon. Murf's eyes bug with
longing. Jess suddenly thrusts the weapon into his hands.
JESS
Like it?
MURF
It is very ugly. (YES)
JESS
Accept it. As a gift.
MURF
I cannot.
Jess takes it back. The trader is shocked by sudden loss.
JESS
Then as a trade. You have parts
you have no use for.
MURF
There is a saying. On Mars, there's
a use for anything. Except Terrans.
JESS
Sometimes, in salvage, you get odd
stuff. Something can be adapted.
(offers weapon) If you can help us.
Of course we'd access your data.
And, you'd see the specs for this.
MURF
Copyprotected.
JESS
Ever see one of these before?
MURF
Nope.
JESS (indicates Dos)
His design. Specs'll make two.
Third one will blow up and kill
everybody in sight.
MURF
Two?
Murf's greed is evident. He argues into mike, then smiles.
JUNKYARD -HIGH TECH - GEAR LEVITATED ON GRIDS
Before them...a terminal. Dos taps in. Circuit diagrams
appear. A wireframe of the flivver rotates as he rigs a CRX
from cannibalized parts. He's such a virtuoso that the
traders are drawn to his work. The others separate, drift
off, absently fingering goods. They scansearch the room.
Nic recognizes a black box.
NIC
A CRX113a?!
The trader is gruff but short, eyes glued to Nic's.
MURF
Don't know where they come from.
Don't know where they go.
NIC (pulls Jess aside)
They've been here.
JESS
Been and gone. Or still here?
They back out, stumble into the Outlander with the bad eye.
BAD EYE
I know what you're doing.
NIC
Yeah, You know what you are?
The Outlander looks around at all the mad eyes. He's just
stepped into the middle of hostilities but he goes on.
BAD EYE
Trying to help.
JESS
Why?
BAD EYE
Chryse Jess! I was in Kasei. I know
you. You'll do something for me.
You'll do what's right. It's a hard
life out here for any natural man.
Some days, just breathing takes all
you've got. I wanna come in. I want
a pardon. You do that for me, Jess.
JESS
I'm not the law, you know that.
BAD EYE
Sure, I know. But you got friends.
(pulls him aside) I heard a name. A
girl. Captured from an outpost.
JESS
You know what I'm looking for?
BAD EYE
People know lots of things, Jess.
This sinks in. Elyse is none too pleased.
JESS
What's she like?
BAD EYE
Young.
JESS
Valle or Martian.
BAD EYE
Not Martian. Not really Valle.
Heavier set like...maybe...
JESS
Maybe Terran.
BAD EYE
...Maybe.
JESS
And she's where?
BAD EYE
Here. You didn't know? She's here.
JESS
What do they call her?
BAD EYE
Oxia.
Dos keys the data. A scan finds Oxia in the Martian Quarter.
They are off on the lope. The old one calls after.
BAD EYE
You didn't know? And you came here?
Better watch your back, Jess.
Hey, Hey! What about me?
OUTPOST MARTIAN QUARTER - A HILLSIDE FAVELLA - MOMENTS LATER
The searchers move slowly in. Martians watch.
Led by Dos' holomap, they arrive at a door. Nic stands
guard. The others rush in, burst upon a girl turned away.
Dos grabs her. She screams, yanks her arm away. She looks at
them. They look at Jess, but he shakes his head. No. It's not
his daughter. And she has an attitude. Dos is confused.
DOS
What are you?
OXIA
What do I look like?
NIC
A Vallean girl.
OXIA (sarcastic)
Geez. Two out of two!
DOS
With Martians! Why?
OXIA
Everybody's got to be somewhere.
They don't know what to make of her. Jess motions them out.
Dos goes to Oxia, speaks softly, takes pity, makes an offer.
DOS
Don't worry.
She looks at him blankly. A beat. Sarcasm.
OXIA
With you around, how could I worry!
DOS
We won't leave you like this.
OXIA
Are you crazy?
He does look crazy. And outside they're surrounded by
Martians who are drifting back. Dos looks at Jess.
DOS
Must be brainwiped.
Jess shakes his head, laughs, turns away, leaves.
EXT. PASSAGEWAY
As Jess, Elyse move off...a muffled struggle in the tent.
THE BAR - MOMENTS LATER
Jess and Elyse slip in. Elyse picks out snatches of
conversation. "Bugworks"..."Aaraam", "killer","a patriot".
Jess looks down. On the bar, someone has drawn an ankh. They
know who they are and why they're here. Time to go.
Suddenly, silence. They've stayed too long. A tall Outlander
steps up, scowls. Others give glimpses of weapons.
Rand clears his weapons. The blue striped Martian signals.
The Outlander eases off. Nic turns to him as they withdraw.
NIC
Hey, keep that sunny personality.
Don't ever change, I mean it.
INT./EXT. ATRIUM FLIVVER PARK - MOMENTS LATER
Eyes again watch them. Nic and Dos button up the flivver.
They are on edge, hands near weapons, but play it easy.
DOS
There's a bug in it.
They mount, power up and away. On another side, the winged
figure, Rand, launches into the wind.
EXT. OUTSIDE - SHALBATANA VALLE - RIFTS OF TROUGHS, FURROWS
Jess spots Rand circling overhead. He calls on the radio.
JESS
Where are they?
RAND
Some are kicking up that dust,
behind you. Main body's cutting you
off to the west.
NIC (to Jess)
Well, now you've done it!
JESS
Yep, looks like it. Hope you
haven't forgotten what to do.
Nic grabs gear. As they ride, he drops onto rocks, scurries
away. Elyse and Dos ride on, looking around...worried.
ELYSE
Perfect ambush site.
JESS
Yeah, 23rd Recon was caught here.
ELYSE
Oh. Great. don't you ever learn
from your mistakes?
JESS
Sometimes, but it takes a while.
What's the matter? You want revenge.
Can't get it without engaging the enemy.
ELYSE
I like engaging them when we're
up there and they're down here!
You're going to get us killed!
JESS
There is that chance.
ELYSE
You don't care, do you? Is
this fun for you?
Above, Rand creeps over a ridge. Jess and Elyse pull up,
lost. She's alarmed. They double back, turn north.
ABOVE - RAND'S POV
He sees Jess's party in the distance. Closer in, ambushers
stalk them. Rand alights on an outcrop, takes cover. He sets
up and laser designates the ambushers. Targeters beep.
DOWN BELOW - JESS'S FLIVVER
On the console, his targeter beeps in acknowledgement.
ABOVE - NIC
Slithers into good firing position.
DOWN BELOW - JESS, ELYSE, DOS
They sweat, under the gun. Insects buzz. Skin crawls.
Somewhere, someone aims at them. Dos suddenly realizes this.
DOS
Oh, Jess...?
JESS (softly)
Yeah.
DOS
I am no longer so sure you have
my best interests at heart.
JESS (suddenly alert)
Now's a real good time to be quiet.
He listens hard, set to move fast. Dos opens his mouth again
to complain when the world explodes. They swing off, reeling
under fire. Just as suddenly as it started, it stops.
Counter-fire hits the ambushers. Murf and Martians from the
post plummet down followed by wrecked craft. Jess, Elyse, Dos
rush to cut off a MARTIAN on a ridge. Elyse fires. He's gone.
They approach. The Martian lies on the ground.
The young Martian tops the hill, firing. They take cover.
The fire dies. They look up, see the young Martian
struggling with the wounded one, firing as he drags him off.
Jess fires, rushes the hill. The young Martian spreads the
old Martian's wings, slides him off a rock. He soars just as
Elyse blasts the young Martian, tumbling him down the slope.
Jess rushes down, grabs the Martian; he's the one from the
bar with the blue stripe. He's young, oddly self-assured.
He's stunned, but quickly clears his head. He looks around,
analyzing his circumstances. Jess drags him down the hill.
Noise from Dos' flivver. They open it, find Oxia, struggling
with her bonds. They look at Dos.
DOS
We couldn't just leave her there.
RAND
Why not? What do we do with her?
Elyse cuts her loose.
ELYSE
Send her back.
OXIA
Oh, no! You're not sending me
back there.
ELYSE
Why not? It's where you came from.
OXIA
Was. Before you heroes dropped in.
You embarrassed the boys. When they
need to take that out on somebody,
the body's not going to be me.
JESS
We'll take you to the next outpost.
OXIA (scoffs)
Thanks, I been there.
NIC
What do you want?
OXIA
What d'you have? Ridium, Freewater?
You're looking for something. Gold?
JESS
A girl.
She looks at desert sweeping to the horizon, does a take.
OXIA
Out here?
NIC
And some Martians.
OXIA
Martians. Well, hell honey, you
don't have to look for them. Just
set still. They'll come to you.
Wait... This isn't about water?
Not minerals? It's not about money
at all? ...Wait! What about me?
Where do I fit in?
DOS (irritated)
You don't. It was a mistake.
Shocked, she crosses to the fire and sits.
OXIA
A mistake. I see. I'm kidnapped
by incompetents. Wonderful!
Dos starts to answer but thinks better of it.
Jess and Rand destroy the damaged vehicles, move out.
UNDER A LEDGE - SHALBATANA CLIFFS - EVENING
Exhausted, the troop draw deeply on O2 packs. The captive is
withdrawn, but maintains dignity. Rand examines his camok.
ELYSE
What's your name?
Elyse points her weapon at him. The Martian looks at it
blankly, turns and stares off.
NIC
Either use that thing or hang
laundry on it.
She hesitates, then puts the weapon away.
ELYSE
Hell, look at him, not much for
fighting. They probably left him
just to slow us down.
(The captive stares at her.)
Don't tell us your name, I'll make
one up. Weaselface. Butthead. Scro-
MARTIAN
Tsiolkov.
Rand has studied Tsiolkov's camok. He shows it to Jess.
RAND
Northern...Chrysean or Tempe tribes.
Jess hands Tsiolkov a water ration. The Martian disdains it.
JESS
It's not a gift. I need you alive.
(no response) If you're going to
try to escape, you better drink it.
You'll need the water.
Grudgingly, the Martian takes it, studies Jess.
JESS
And cut the dumb show. You're
not some kid who got too far
behind and too impulsive.
TSIOLKOV (a beat)
What am I then?
JESS
That, I don't know. But I know you
aren't stupid. You don't have to
talk. Then I'll learn nothing about
you. You'll learn nothing about me.
TSIOLKOV
I have already learned about you.
One, (indicates Dos) knows nothing
about Mars. One (Elyse) knows
nothing about fighting. One, (Rand)
knows enough to know better. And
one (Nic) wants...something.
JESS
You left one out.
TSIOLKOV
Yes. What does he want?
Jess crouches down, close to the Martian.
JESS
A year ago, a group...like yours
hit the outpost at Galilea43. They
killed six, kidnapped a girlchild.
TSIOLKOV
You want revenge.
JESS
The girl. Her name's Xanthe.
He studies the Martian, his face impassive.
TSIOLKOV
And when you find her?
JESS
I'll take her back.
TSIOLKOV
Back? Back where?
JESS
No difference to you. What is,
is that I'll be gone from here.
TSIOLKOV
And that will make things right?
JESS
It'll help. You can go home.
TSIOLKOV
I have no home. This was my home.
Now there are Terrans all over it.
JESS
I'm looking for one man, Aaraam?
TSIOLKOV
Aaraam?
JESS
You know him?
TSIOLKOV
Which one? It's a common name.
RAND
Is he your leader?
TSIOLKOV
Our leader died of wounds.
Rand comes up with tracking data, motions Jess aside.
RAND
Some good indications north.
JESS
And the trailers?
RAND
The ones behind are keeping pace. I
think they're Martians. The larger
force still blocks us to the West.
Jess glances at Tsiolkov. He gives away nothing. Jess
stands. They move out, Jess and Rand in AC scouts, Nic, Dos,
Oxia on a Trifan; Elyse, Tsiolkov on the captured machine.
OVERLOOKING NAREDI VALLE - LANDSCAPE OF HIGH CRATER WALLS
They pull up. Ahead, the valley forks into three canyons.
NIC
I remember this place.
JESS
I remember McNab.
NIC
What a madman. And Whitman. We
should all have bought it last time
through. Or in Kasei when they hit
us with the biologicals.
Jess shakes his head. The captive stands impassive. Nic
reads his gear, trying to track the raiders. DOS walks up.
DOS (excited)
I watched him. He looked at the
left valley four times, at the
right, six. He looked at the
middle canyon thirteen times.
Jess turns to them. They each have a guess.
NIC
Left.
ELYSE
Right.
DOS
Center.
They look at Jess. He mounts, takes off. They grab Tsiolkov,
throw him aboard, follow Jess toward the left fork.
DOS
I don't get it. Did he figure him
out or is he guessing?
NIC (brightly)
That's what makes a leader,
that air of mystery.
Dos scowls and moves ahead. They snake down lava fans.
ON THE FLIVVER - AS THEY RIDE
Jess jacks into Rand's data. He notices Tsiolkov's interest.
JESS
Aaraam...
TSIOLKOV (sarcastic)
Oh, of course. A Martian genius!
JESS
You have no leader like that?
And you would admit it?
TSIOLKOV
It's disinformation. You make a
hero. You kill that hero, you
have a victory.
JESS (scanning data)
Some say he's brilliant.
(The Martian laughs.)
Others say...vicious...a savage.
TSIOLKOV (impassively)
But what do you think?
JESS
I think everything is exaggerated.
TSIOLKOV (studies Jess)
Maybe even our differences...
(Jess studies him.)
You quit Mars?
JESS
I retired.
TSIOLKOV
Retired? To earth? You just forgot?
JESS
I never forgot.
NAREDI PLANUM - CHAOTIC LAVA FLOWS BETWEEN CRATERS - LATER
Ahead, sister craters march into lavender twilight. Eons
ago, the heavens flung a stream of meteors and the resulting
craters, their debris slopes and alluvial fans create a
dangerous topography of shifting sands, sinkholes, vortexes.
Jess dozes as the autopilot maneuvers. Tsiolkov suddenly
grabs the controls drifts right. Elyse roars up.
ELYSE
Hold it! Where are you going?
Jess wakes from drowse. The Martian sits, finally responds.
TSIOLKOV
This way.
ELYSE
What are you doing? (to Jess)
What's he doing?
Dos and Nic pull up.
DOS
Leading us away.
Rand circles back, looks at topography, glances at the black
box. He nods toward Tsiolkov.
RAND
I'd follow him, Cap'n.
DOS
Instruments all point...there.
TSIOLKOV
Instruments.
DOS
Yeah!! CRXM series. Top of the
line, and I'll bet on them.
Dos swings his flivver to the left and off in old direction.
He goes 20 meters and disappears in a puff of dust.
DOS/OXIA - IN TALCSINK - FALLING - FASTER AND FASTER.
Dos slams full power, but is falling down through talcsink,
Fans choking on dust, Blind, disoriented, Oxia screams.
DOS
Can't hold it. Eject. Eject!
They spin into the void. Dos grabs Oxia, bails out. But
which way is up? She panics.
ABOVE - THE OTHERS
Jess hooks a cord to a flivver, jumps, disappears into
swirling dust. As he drops, he sees a flash of Oxia's leg,
but it is gone too fast. The cord warps taught, then springs
him back. He spots something hurtling by. They collide with
an impact that knocks their breath out. He barely hangs on.
ABOVE
Jess appears, holding Dos and Oxia. They cough choking talc,
swim to solid ground and lie gasping. Oxia comes to her
senses in Dos' arms, pushes him away rudely. Jess mounts up,
sits waiting. Tsiolkov is not impressed. Dos struggles up.
TSIOLKOV
This way.
DOS (chastened)
After you.
Dos looks at Rand.
RAND (flatly)
It's Mars. If you're a fool,
you die.
He turns away. Dos makes a face at his back, then helps Oxia
onto a flivver. She resists, then accepts his help silently.
dBd CRATER - NAREDI VALLE - CAMP - LATER
Rand, Jess and Nic are alert to the wind, to the dust clouds
swirling. Oxia comes by with food. She serves Jess and Nic.
Oxia moves to Tsiolkov, hesitates. Elyse takes the pot and
serves herself. Jess looks over.
JESS
Feed him.
ELYSE
It's our food. We're gonna need it.
NIC
You can't let him starve.
ELYSE
Why not?
NIC
Where's the milk of human kindness?
ELYSE
Got spilled.
Tsiolkov looks up at her, blankly. This infuriates her.
ELYSE
What's it like, being surrounded
by the enemy?
TSIOLKOV
You're deep in my territory.
You might ask yourself that.
She makes a move. Jess steps in front. She stalks off.
Jess hands Tsiolkov food. The piece is small.
TSIOLKOV
Can you afford it?
JESS
Maybe she's right, you were
left behind on purpose. Maybe
Aaraam left you.
TSIOLKOV
Yes. Maybe this Aaraam wants to
know who's chasing him, and why?
JESS
What do you think?
TSIOLKOV
Small group, not a government team.
Megalop raiders! But which megalop?
(Jess gives no indication)
But you have a problem. Your men
are not used to the Outlands. If
they turn on you, what then?
JESS (shrugs)
What would you do?
TSIOLKOV
I would not chase Aaraam.
JESS
He's that tough?
TSIOLKOV (laughs)
You think this is a test of will?
You don't see? ...This is our home.
Not yours. You can leave. We
cannot. We have no place to go.
JESS
You don't understand. Humans will
expand into the available space.
TSIOLKOV
This space is not available.
ACROSS THE FIRE
Rand plays the musical phrase on a flute. Oxia takes food to
Rand, studies him. He explains.
RAND
Theme for the white goddess.
He glances at Tsiolkov who doesn't respond. Rand stops.
Senses something. Jess feels it too.
OXIA (alarmed)
What is it?!
RAND
Wind's up.
He gets up, joins Jess on a ridge overlooking distant sands.
RAND
You can forget tracking them there.
JESS
Don't need to.
Rand notices something in the distance, moves past Nic.
RAND (indicates Jess)
You're not tracking at all. You
know where you're going. Kasei.
What happened there? Why's it
quarantined?
JESS
Hit with Biogen. Some kind of super
fast retrovirus. Came through the
masks. In ten minutes, we took
eighty percent casualties.
RAND
You catch up with them?
JESS
Yeah. They took a hundred percent.
Wind howls. They both turn to distant dust swirls.
RAND
I'll go take a look.
He walks off. Oxia comes up to Jess, pours coffee.
OXIA
I...want to thank you...for...
Jess cuts her off with a gesture, switches on wristcom to
project Xanthe. Oxia looks at it, shakes her head, no.
OXIA
Never seen her.
JESS
Why would Martians take her?
OXIA
Captured women, they're new gene
stock. And, there are the legends.
(Jess looks at her hard)
...the White Goddess. A woman with
powers... fortune, fertility.
Primitive stuff. They take girls
for that, (hesitates) ...and for
the usual reasons.
He gets up, walks off. She looks after him.
ELYSE AT FIRE
She stares daggers at Tsiolkov who is in a state, humming
the musical phrase, sniffing the wind. Jess hunkers down.
JESS
He warned us.
ELYSE
I don't care. He's still a
Martian. You going soft?
JESS
Nope. You hate them, don't you?
ELYSE
Don't you?
He moves from her to Tsiolkov.
JESS
You could have tried to lead us
off. You haven't. Why?
TSIOLKOV
You've been here before. You know
the land. But what I don't know is
why you come here for one female.
JESS
She's my daughter.
Jess walks off, leaving Elyse with Tsiolkov. Elyse is
uncomfortable. Finally, it's hard not to talk.
ELYSE
Back there...Why'd you do that?
He shrugs. She turns away. A beat.
TSIOLKOV (non-responsive)
I'm sorry for your loss.
ELYSE
Are you??!!
TSIOLKOV
My village was attacked. My
family killed.
ELYSE
So you return the favor.
TSIOLKOV
Things happen. Not always in our
control. I'm sorry.
ELYSE
That doesn't much help.
TSIOLKOV
The ones at your Outpost,
you...were close?
ELYSE
We were a team.
TSIOLKOV
Someone in particular?
ELYSE
No. (she softens) And you,
there is someone?
TSIOLKOV
Yes.
ELYSE
A Martian?
TSIOLKOV
Of course.
ELYSE
You hear about captured women.
TSIOLKOV
Even a captured woman becomes a
Martian in time. People live with
us, they change. You'd be
surprised.
ELYSE
I would. What's she like?
TSIOLKOV (looks off)
She...sees your side of things.
ELYSE
That must make it difficult.
TSIOLKOV
It does.
Jess moves near the Martian. He digs up a handful of soil.
Tsiolkov looks at it, at him.
JESS
Lichen from earth. Grasses,
weeds... all from earth.
TSIOLKOV
Your history.
JESS
And what's yours tell you.
TSIOLKOV
That we will be free, independent.
JESS
Free, yes. Independent? You're
never independent from your family.
You're stuck with those ties.
TSIOLKOV
We will defeat them.
JESS
The soldiers and mercs yes. You can
beat them and still lose, when the
tide of history is against you.
TSIOLKOV
And you command the tide?
JESS
No, but I can recognize when its
going out. And so can you. But then
there's always something so
romantic about lost causes.
TSIOLKOV (needling)
Like trying to put gentech back in
the bottle.
JESS
Gentech is dangerous. That's why
it's illegal.
TSIOLKOV
Mars is a harsh environment.
Some changes are necessary.
We have different rights.
A flash of anger. Elyse looks over, surprised and curious.
JESS
Rights to hit defenseless outposts?
TSIOLKOV
They were breaking your own laws!
They are up, in each other's face. Others step between.
Elyse holds Jess. She's amused. He's mad at himself. Then,
Tsiolkov senses something outside. Nic notices.
NIC (worried)
What is it?
He stalks off, wraps himself in his camok, seems to go into
a trance. Rand's voice bursts from the com... A warning.
A Howl! With terrifying quickness, a violent WIND STORM
blows up. They tie down gear, shelter in a depression.
JESS
Get under cover. We'll wait it out.
They call to the Martian, try to wake him and take him in,
but he won't move, just mumbles something they can't hear
under the wind. Dos returns, choking, dives under cover.
DOS
He's staying out there.
ELYSE
Why?
DOS
I don't know. Some crazy taboo.
NIC
Most taboos have a reason.
ELYSE
Yeah, ignorance and superstition.
They watch the Martian but he is not going anywhere. He
huddles, face downwind. A dune builds at his back. The wind
howls, blasting red dust and sand into their faces.
They slip under cover. Jess wraps himself in camok.
NIC
What are you doing?
JESS
Rand's out there.
NIC
He can take care of himself.
JESS
Looks like a force nine storm. You
know what can happen. We need him.
NIC
We need you. You can't help him.
Jess hesitates, then throws his gear on the floor. And
starts to make the shelter air-tight.
OXIA
Dust. Hate dust.
DOS (Coughing spores)
Sure picked a funny place to live!
OXIA
What if it sets? We'll be buried.
NIC (brightly)
Self-buried in a dust pit. One of
the risks of the frontier.
Oxia looks at him, moves to the far side of the cave. Jess
completes the tarping. They set sensors and drowse.
Oxia, terrified, looks for diversion. Wind howls louder.
OXIA (anxious)
Hey, you! You're from Earth?
Tell me something.
JESS
What?
OXIA
I don't know, a story, anything.
Tell me the myth again.
DOS
Isn't a myth.
OXIA
Is too. Tell us. Go ahead, tell
us the story...how we're all one
people... Martians and Terrans...
just somehow separated by events.
NIC
Ahh... true. When the solar system
formed, Mars was like earth. But
the atmosphere bled off. Mars got
cold, died. Life never developed.
He nods to Jess. Reluctantly, Jess speaks. Eylse stares at
him from the other side of the cave. Dos sits next to Oxia.
Jess keys holos from his wristcom to illustrate the talk.
JESS
Earth was overcrowded. We were
forced to look to Mars.
WRISTCOM HOLO - ANIMATION - ORBITS OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM
JESS
We altered a comet's path with
nukes, hit the polar cap. Mars was
changed forever.
A projection of a spinning comet, flung onto Mars.
JESS
The comet drove water vapor and
dust into the atmo, darkened the
reflectance. Surface temperature
rose. Polar caps and sub-surface
ice melted.
ANIMATION - 'TERRAFORMING' - STEAM RISING FROM 'SOIL'
JESS
Carbon dioxide and oxygen were
outgassed. Atmo pressure increased.
For the first time in billions of
years, it rained. Water flowed on
the surface and filled seas.
Water tumbles down arid plateaus. Stark valleys turn green.
JESS
Mars was greened.
SOUNDS INTRUDE - They stick their heads up. Tsiolkov is
huddled against the wind. They slide back under the tarp.
A Martian is before them. Hands go to weapons. But it's
Rand. He shakes. A cloud of red dust envelops them.
RAND
Tell her the other part. Here.
He plops down, keys his own holos.
RAND
Mars is the frontier. Terrans
crossed the solar system on the
Hohmann Elipse. Eco Wars on earth
cut off the Martian colony. They
evolved in isolation. When Terrans
came again, Martians had changed.
Oxia looks skeptical.
NIC
Thin atmo. No protection from Gamma
rays. Natural mutations increased.
She turns to Jess, makes a face, but he's grave.
JESS
And intentional ones, Gentech. It
was possible to do the unthinkable;
to do what had been done only by
god...alter ourselves. So then
there's the question: Who is human?
OXIA (dismissive)
You're Terran. You fought in the
EcoWars? You're just warped!
JESS
Yeah. Food, water, land was scarce.
War was not. Gene shops created new
humans, some designed only to fight
to the death. It was...(memories
stop him.) No...different genetic
humans on the same small world,
it's too dangerous.
Elyse is suddenly looking at Jess with interest. Hard
interest. He notes it and feels uncomfortable in her stare.
He has opened up to them, perhaps too much.
ELYSE
But...human enhancements...
Nic looks at Elyse, significantly. She's intent on Jess.
JESS (adamant)
Cannot be passed to the future!
You don't mess with the germ plasm!
RAND
That may be necessary on Earth, but
not here. It limits man's future.
Jess seems to grow suspicious of Rand's "Martianistic" view.
JESS
No. It limits man to being man.
Elyse grows increasingly uncomfortable about Jess. She
watches him closely as if putting something together.
RAND
And what is man? Who decides where
we stop. Do we just walk upright,
or do we fly? Homo Sapiens, Homo
Martianus, or some unknown future.
Who'll decide? You? Your leaders on
Earth? Why will they decide for me?
JESS (looks at Rand hard)
We have the levers. We can change
the worlds to fit man. We don't
have to change ourselves.
NIC (shakes head)
Mars is the last within range...
where it's possible to change the
planet to suit man. The next worlds
are something else. Maybe mutation
is just nature's way of telling you
(smiles)...you're obsolete.
Jess grows suspicious. A mutiny may be afoot. Or at the
least, they hold radically different views from his. What are
they doing out here? And will he be able to hold the group
together? He sniffs the air. He feels light-headed. They talk
freely and argue, almost as if they've been drinking. He
tries to state his case calmly and clearly.
JESS
Natural mutations change over
millenia. There's time for mistakes
to die out. Do it artificially, it
all occurs at once. You live with
your mistakes, or die from them.
ELYSE
Or kill them.
She doesn't know how she knows...but in the back of her
mind, something Anilyne alluded to. Jess bristles. She
withdraws. They look at him. He moves off after her.
FAR SIDE OF SHELTER - OUT OF SIGHT OF THE GROUP
She leans against the rock, fixing him in her glare.
ELYSE (quiet anger)
Anilyne..she talked of many things.
But never of you. You must have
done something terrible.
JESS
..it was...
ELYSE (bristles)
It! Not it! Not it was! He! He was.
Xanthe wasn't the first child...
there was another...before...
JESS
It was... He was...My seed, but she
had altered it. She experimented on
her own chromosomes...on him! I saw
my...my son and he wasn't human. He
was like nothing I'd ever seen.
ELYSE
You killed him!
JESS (anguished)
No...I didn't. He wasn't...viable.
It was my duty. I killed mutants in
the wars. I was there. It was my
responsibility. It was my mutation.
He turns away. She grabs him, turns him around.
ELYSE
And what about Xanthe?
JESS
What about her?
ELYSE
What are you going to do?
JESS
Get her back.
ELYSE
And then what?
JESS
I don't know.
ELYSE
Is she in danger?
JESS
From what?
ELYSE
From you!
JESS
You said she was normal.
ELYSE
Yes, she is normal...to me. But I'm
not judge and executioner. Question
is, is she normal enough for you?
She turns to leave. He grabs her.
JESS
Wait.
ELYSE
Take your hands off me.
(turns away, stops, turns back)
If we find her and you go at her.
I'll kill you.
She turns away, walks back to the group.
EXT. NAREDI PLAINS - LATER - THE WIND HOWLS.
INSIDE - THEY SLEEP
It's a deep, drugged sleep filled with terrible visions.
Jess relives the attack...the musical phrase. He sees Anilyne
programing... an ancient symbol...the ankh.
In his dream, he sees Xanthe and the dark figure. He sees
the figure's face. It's his own.
JESS
NO!!!
Jess wakes gasping, choking. Dust fills the air throwing an
eerie light. Others slump, dead to the world. He screams.
JESS
Up...UP. Get up! Everybody Up!
He grabs them, pulls them up and out. Elyse is not
breathing. He gives her CPR. Her eyes look up lifelessly. Too
late. Then a cough! She wakes. Someone's on top of her.
ELYSE
Get the f....
Also reliving the attack in her dream, she too sees the dark
figure. She throws him off, rushes out into the storm.
OUTSIDE - THE STORM
The wind blinds. Sand enters her helmet. Can't see. Lost,
then down, choking, slipping in quicksand, covered by dust.
Out of the storm, a figure appears. She sees it's Tsiolkov
and withdraws, then passes out. He grabs her, puts her head
onto his chest and covers them both in the camok.
EXT. CAMP - MORNING
Packed dust covers everything. Two AC's are destroyed. Elyse
and Tsiolkov are missing. Jess and Rand search... Nothing.
Tsiolkov heaves himself up through hardpacked surface. Elyse
wakes, finds herself entangled and violently throws him off.
Tsiolkov turns away, walks to camp. Rand turns to Elyse.
RAND
You didn't say thanks.
She stalks off, confused. She feels violated, but stares at
the Martian. They hunt his people, but he saved her. Why?
IN CAMP - MOMENTS LATER
Their gear is ravaged, destroyed, one flivver smashed by a
storm-driven boulder. Much has been carried away by the
winds. They huddle in the cold. Dos' coat is in tatters.
Tsiolkov stands over him. Dos looks up. Tsiolkov grabs a
knife from Dos' belt. The others go for weapons.
Tsiolkov flips his camok over his head. The knife comes
through and rips downward. He hands half to Dos along with
his knife.
Dos holds his camok, then sees Oxia, shares it with her.
They look at each other in camoks. They look like Martians.
Rand and Nic have managed to salvage one flivver. They pile
everything onto it. Rand sniffs the sheltered area.
RAND
Poison. You're lucky your dream
woke you. We're near the Kasei bio-
battlefields. The regolith expelled
some old biotoxin heavier than air.
Body heat freed it. It settled in
the depression. Next time think
about what he says.
DOS
He didn't say anything. He was
gonna let us die!
RAND
He did more than you would. He
told you...in his way. He's under
no obligation to make you listen.
(to Jess)
We pressing on?
JESS
What do you think?
RAND
What are you doing? You helping
them "civilize" the planet?
JESS
I do what I have to.
RAND
Yeah, you've got your quest.
Question is, what happens
when it's over.
He notices Tsiolkov, listening...
RAND
Oh, the ones to the west,
they've swung around to the
front. They're blocking us.
JESS
...the Martians.
Rand shakes his head.
RAND
No sign of them. Maybe they
lay down in a toxin pit too.
KASEI VALLE - THE UNEXPLORED QUARTER - LATER
The overloaded flivver struggles up a summit. They come over
the rise and see badlands... The flivver stalls and they
dismount, walk to where they can see the Kasei Chasm ahead,
the dust area behind them. Dos and Nic try to make contact
with anyone. Nothing. Static.
DOS
Nothing?
NIC
CRX jammed, dust! Xr1 down. No Sat.
Nothing edible in sight. No water.
We may leave our own bushes here.
Tsiolkov has wandered to the rear. He looks back toward
where they have come from.
JESS
They aren't there. Your men. The
ones you had trailing us.
Tsiolkov is skeptical. Jess turns to Rand.
JESS
Tell him.
RAND
Well, if they tried to shelter
over by C9...it's a bio pit.
The storm got them.
He looks south and searches for them. He seems to sense
nothing. He seems to accept. He moves off, kneels. His Camok
fades, he withdraws. Jess and Nic move to him.
JESS
What are you doing?
TSIOLKOV
The rites...for my men.
JESS
Why are you people so ready to die?
TSIOLKOV
Why do you resist it? You download
your memories to live on. As what?
For what? We die. We go into the
soil. Our molecules mix. We are
part of Mars. And if our thoughts
disperse like our elements, so
what? They'll come together again,
as our hydrogen, our carbon
recombine. The next generation will
be me. And the next. They'll feel
what I do. And they'll fight.
NIC
It's important to live. To see the
long view. We are changing from a
one planet species. Some must span
the changes, see the connections,
keep the course true. Only when
change is too great, only then must
we die. To make room.
Jess looks at Nic intently. Why is he speaking to Tsiolokov?
TSIOLKOV
Might be time for us to make room.
JESS
You didn't come this far to die.
TSIOLKOV
Why did I come?
JESS
Same as everyone. Rumors. Gentech.
TSIOLKOV (brushes it off)
Rumors! A rumor gets results...
conflict.
(indicates a glint off in the
distance...ahead
Troops to restore order. They use
rumors as a weapon.
JESS
But you believe this one. That's
why you attack the outposts. You
think they have the secrets. You
could have escaped. And yet, here
you are. Are you taking us to him?
That force to the west has swung
around. It's between us and him,
between us and the Kasei Chasm.
It's blocking us.
Tsiolkov looks uneasy.
SENSORS BUZZ. A dot appears over the distant ridge. Dos and
Nic run to the flivver, work at Electronic Counter Measures.
DOS
Drone.
Dos's fingers fly across the keyboard. He isolates signals.
DOS
No good. I can't grab it.
Tsiolkov leans over, whistles in high-pitched bloops. A
light goes on the black box. They look at him in awe.
DOS
How'd he do that?
NIC
Never mind. (to Jess) We've
got it. You want it?
JESS
Yeah, bring it down.
The drone suddenly noses over, dives straight down, smashes
into the ground at their feet. Dos looks sheepish.
NIC
Great landing.
DOS
Hey, a great landing is any one
I walk away from. (picks up drone)
Mark 21!