The Watchers of Worlds - Draft 4
THE WATCHERS OF WORLDS by David F. Jacobson
The Impact Time sliced across Acts I-III
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INT. INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION - DAY Four astronauts sit at their consoles. MENDES, a young Mexican man cracks a joke. The others laugh save for IVANOV, a heavy-set, grim-faced Russian woman. DURACELL, a towering, African-American man sweeps an arm across the viewport: DURACELL That view! But still so serious! LI, a shy, diminutive, Chinese woman, spins around. Tentative, she breaks the news: LI Uh, we have a problem... An Earthbound NEO... Torino Level... ten. Stunned silence. Then a flurry of activity; Duracell calls NASA, Ivanov contacts the RKA. The radios crackle. Two voices. One message: {Ty odin} {You are on your own}. SUPER: 76 Minutes to Impact Mendes prays the rosary. Ivanov glares coldly in disgust. IVANOV Why pray? There is no God. God would not let this happen. Mendes continues praying. At his console sits a photograph of his young son. Li sits wide-eyed. Duracell cracks his knuckles loudly. He puts his hand on Li's shoulder. Silence. SUPER: 43 Minutes to Impact Duracell, upside-down, throws a tennis ball against the wall. Throw, catch, repeat. Ivanov sits horizontally, book in hand, watching the ball float effortlessly through the air. Li still sits wide-eyed at the console. Mendes cradles his knees, clasping the photograph, slowly spinning in circles. SUPER: 17 Minutes to Impact A flare. Blinding light enters the viewing port. They cower. One computer beeps: Impact Location: South Atlantic Ocean MENDES En el nombre del Padre... Alejandro... SUPER: 0 Minutes to Impact Impact. The surface of the Earth ripples. Duracell catches the ball. Holds it. Li floats over to Mendes and clutches him in a tight embrace. The golden blast radiates outwards. Ivanov’s book floats, pages open. IVANOV Bozhe moy... [My God]
2.
SUPER: 39 Minutes past Impact The golden blast sweeps across the US. Duracell laughs, tears float away. Ivanov and Li clutch red-faced, puffy-eyed Mendes. The photograph floats. Ivanov mutters a prayer. LI How do you laugh? Duracell blinks, looks at Li, and bursts out laughing again. Li shakes her head. Duracell throws the ball. DURACELL They said we were the lucky ones... SUPER: 56 Minutes past Impact Mendes reaches out for the floating photograph. Duracell sits, focused on the ball. A rustle as a page turns. He looks up: Ivanov reads, Li hovers upside-down. Past her, by the viewport, Mendes clutches the photograph to his heart. Duracell stares at him, unblinking. Still focused on Mendes, Duracell reaches out a hand. The ball floats into it. He holds the green sphere tight, entranced by Mendes and the remnants of Earth behind him. Li coughs, breaking the silence. Duracell releases the ball. Throw, catch, repeat. SUPER: 78 Minutes past Impact Silence. Throw, catch, repeat. A page turns. Fingers grip the photograph. A burst of radio static. They stop, look up and stare through the viewport. The Earth, scorched and burned. Only Li’s China remains. Li turns and moves away, heading for the airlock. Wide-eyed, tousled hair, holding no helmet. DURACELL Don't. Li stops and turns. Duracell embraces her in a hug. LI I... we are not lucky. My family... they die quickly, but we... Li buries her head in the embrace. The realisation dawns on Ivanov and Mendes; this will be their ever-floating coffin. Duracell grips Li’s shoulders. She lifts her head. He looks her dead in the eye. DURACELL We, are the watchers of worlds. The bright green ball hangs in mid-air, behind it, through the viewing port, rest the scorched-brown remnants of Earth.
The Impact Time sliced across Acts I-III
[email protected]
INT. INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION - DAY Four astronauts sit at their consoles. MENDES, a young Mexican man cracks a joke. The others laugh save for IVANOV, a heavy-set, grim-faced Russian woman. DURACELL, a towering, African-American man sweeps an arm across the viewport: DURACELL That view! But still so serious! LI, a shy, diminutive, Chinese woman, spins around. Tentative, she breaks the news: LI Uh, we have a problem... An Earthbound NEO... Torino Level... ten. Stunned silence. Then a flurry of activity; Duracell calls NASA, Ivanov contacts the RKA. The radios crackle. Two voices. One message: {Ty odin} {You are on your own}. SUPER: 76 Minutes to Impact Mendes prays the rosary. Ivanov glares coldly in disgust. IVANOV Why pray? There is no God. God would not let this happen. Mendes continues praying. At his console sits a photograph of his young son. Li sits wide-eyed. Duracell cracks his knuckles loudly. He puts his hand on Li's shoulder. Silence. SUPER: 43 Minutes to Impact Duracell, upside-down, throws a tennis ball against the wall. Throw, catch, repeat. Ivanov sits horizontally, book in hand, watching the ball float effortlessly through the air. Li still sits wide-eyed at the console. Mendes cradles his knees, clasping the photograph, slowly spinning in circles. SUPER: 17 Minutes to Impact A flare. Blinding light enters the viewing port. They cower. One computer beeps: Impact Location: South Atlantic Ocean MENDES En el nombre del Padre... Alejandro... SUPER: 0 Minutes to Impact Impact. The surface of the Earth ripples. Duracell catches the ball. Holds it. Li floats over to Mendes and clutches him in a tight embrace. The golden blast radiates outwards. Ivanov’s book floats, pages open. IVANOV Bozhe moy... [My God]
2.
SUPER: 39 Minutes past Impact The golden blast sweeps across the US. Duracell laughs, tears float away. Ivanov and Li clutch red-faced, puffy-eyed Mendes. The photograph floats. Ivanov mutters a prayer. LI How do you laugh? Duracell blinks, looks at Li, and bursts out laughing again. Li shakes her head. Duracell throws the ball. DURACELL They said we were the lucky ones... SUPER: 56 Minutes past Impact Mendes reaches out for the floating photograph. Duracell sits, focused on the ball. A rustle as a page turns. He looks up: Ivanov reads, Li hovers upside-down. Past her, by the viewport, Mendes clutches the photograph to his heart. Duracell stares at him, unblinking. Still focused on Mendes, Duracell reaches out a hand. The ball floats into it. He holds the green sphere tight, entranced by Mendes and the remnants of Earth behind him. Li coughs, breaking the silence. Duracell releases the ball. Throw, catch, repeat. SUPER: 78 Minutes past Impact Silence. Throw, catch, repeat. A page turns. Fingers grip the photograph. A burst of radio static. They stop, look up and stare through the viewport. The Earth, scorched and burned. Only Li’s China remains. Li turns and moves away, heading for the airlock. Wide-eyed, tousled hair, holding no helmet. DURACELL Don't. Li stops and turns. Duracell embraces her in a hug. LI I... we are not lucky. My family... they die quickly, but we... Li buries her head in the embrace. The realisation dawns on Ivanov and Mendes; this will be their ever-floating coffin. Duracell grips Li’s shoulders. She lifts her head. He looks her dead in the eye. DURACELL We, are the watchers of worlds. The bright green ball hangs in mid-air, behind it, through the viewing port, rest the scorched-brown remnants of Earth.
