INT. TERRACAT

Clarke buckles her seatbelt as Baxter climbs into the cabin, holding the soil-core.

Baxter sits in the seat across from Clarke and pushes the soil-core container into view.

She pushes the soil-core container into Clarke's view.

BAXTER " Back there, where you chipped this off, it's already growing back. "

CLARKE " What do you mean? "

BAXTER " I mean, it's growing back! "

CLARKE " So, you’re saying... "

BAXTER " I’m saying I don't think this is a rock. It’s something else. "

Clarke's eyes widen in fear, staring at the geoglyph sample.

CLARKE " Then get it outta here! "

Baxter is taken aback by Clarke's vehemence.

BAXTER " No! (scanning the container) It seems inert. It needs to be studied. "

An alarm tone sounds followed by the voice of the TerraCat.

TERRACAT " Warning! Radiation alert. Seek shelter immediately! "

Clarke shakes her head, then fires an angry look at Baxter.

CLARKE " Buckle in. "

CLARKE (pointing at the core) " And keep an eye on that shit! "

Baxter buckles up, keeping the container between her feet.

CLARKE (CONT’D) " TerraCat, take us to Crater X-B71. "

TERRACAT " Understood. Proceeding to crater. "

The rover's engine revs and whines, but the vehicle is unable to move! The women are jostled hard.

BAXTER " What the hell? "

CLARKE " TerraCat, reverse! Full throttle. "

The engine revs louder, but still the rover goes nowhere.

CLARKE (CONT’D) " It’s not the engine. "

TERRACAT " Encountering an obstruction. "

The women look at each other with disbelief.

EXT. TERRACAT

The rover's rear wheels are now encompassed in the geoglyph! It slowly extends from the ground. The two women stare at the advancing substance.

CLARKE " Now, it's coming after us! "

BAXTER " We don't know that. Maybe it's a coincidence. "

CLARKE " Gimme a break! "

SUIT VOICE " Radiation near fatal exposure. "

Baxter glances between the tires and the fiery star.

BAXTER " We better hustle. "

CLARKE " The self-drive is too slow! "

BAXTER (taking Clarke's pickax) " Get inside and set the TerraCat to manual. Gun it! "

CLARKE " Manual..? "

BAXTER " You can fly a spaceship, but you can't drive a car? "

CLARKE " Like we have cars on Odyssey! "

Baxter shoves the pickax back at her.

BAXTER " Break us out. "

Clarke takes the pickax and strikes the geoglyph growing around the tires.

Shards of metallic rock explode away.

INT. TERRACAT

Inside the TerraCat, Baxter straps herself into one of the rear-facing front seats.

BAXTER " TerraCat, disengage self-drive! "

TERRACAT " Manual steering activated. "

Baxter's seat rotates into the forward drive position.

A steering column automatically advances toward her.

She puts her hands on the wheel.

EXT. TERRACAT

Outside, Clarke makes good headway on removing the geoglyph.

CLARKE " I think I got it! "

INT. TERRACAT

Within the rover, Baxter now has it at full power. She turns and yells to Clarke through the open door.

BAXTER " That's good! Back away! "

Baxter guns it. Its electric engine whines loudly, but the rover fails to move.

[AddDescriptiveText]

Baxter rocks it back and forth. Again to no avail.

[AddDescriptiveText]

EXT. TERRACAT

On the horizon, Proxima grows brighter.

CLARKE " Hold up! "

She uses her pickax to give it a final shot, hammering at the material. Geoglyph debris flies in all directions.

CLARKE " Try it now! "

INT. TERRACAT

Baxter slams her foot on the pedal.

[AddDescriptiveText]

EXT. TERRACAT

The TerraCat breaks free.

Clarke runs after the rover and jumps inside.

TERRACAT " Radiation levels rising. "

The soil-core is tossed about the cabin.

They close in on the crater.

Clarke points toward a sandy ridge on the horizon. She points toward a sandy ridge on the horizon.

CLARKE " There! "

INT. TERRACAT

The women are slammed into their seats.