Next seq

Sequence: 21 – Parabola

: 225—01

INT. AEROFOX, LOWER LEVEL

Baxter lays on Clarke's seat -- now in bed-mode. The X-Doc is active on her abdomen. As she sips from an AutoBrew, Omni lets out a gasp. Baxter looks his way with concern.

: 225—02

BAXTER " Are you okay? "

VFX

: 225—03

OMNI " Yes. I was pondering Kyle’s death. His conviction to science and uncovering the truth was admirable. "

: 225—04

BAXTER " And unique. If the human race had more Kyles, we probably wouldn’t have destroyed the Earth. "

VFX

: 225—05

OMNI " We can’t let him die in vain. "

: 225—06

BAXTER " We won’t. "

: 225—07

(looking at the X-Doc)

BAXTER (CON'T) " How much longer? "

VFX

: 225—08

OMNI " Three minutes. "

: 226—01

EXT. AEROFOX - MINUTES LATER

Dressed for EVA, Baxter observes as Sat-C is jettisoned to the ground.

: 226—02

A cloud of dust erupts as it hits.

: 226—03

She opens a panel on the satellite and spies the part she needs.

: 226—04

BAXTER " Flow regulator. Perfect. "

: 226—05

Baxter pulls the part she needs from the satellite.

: 226—06

She moves to install the part on the AeroFox.

VFX

: 227—01

EXT. AEROFOX - MINUTES LATER

The ship's side-mounted engines fire, sputter, then fade.

VFX

: 227—02

[AddDescriptiveText]

VFX

: 227—03

[AddDescriptiveText]

VFX

: 228—01

INT. AEROFOX

Baxter sits at the pilot station. A schematic shows an arcing path above the planet. A diagram of the engine flares RED.

: 228—02

BAXTER " That's only five percent. I'm scared to push it any further. "

: 228—03

Baxter ponders a solution to the engine problem.

: 228—04

BAXTER (CONT’D) " Supplement with the plasma engine. "

VFX

: 228—05

The diagram changes from red to GREEN.

VFX

: 228—06

OMNI " Done. "

: 228—07

Baxter’s hand hovers above the main engine button.

: 228—08

BAXTER " Ninety-second burn. Firing. "

VFX

: 229—01

EXT. AEROFOX

As a bright exhaust plume emerges from the side-mounted engines, an intermittent blue glow comes from the plasma engine at the base.

VFX

: 229—02

An immense cloud of dust and ice is blown away from the landing area as the exhaust strengthens.

VFX

: 229—03

Suddenly, the glow dies.

VFX

: 229—04

The ship is stuck on the ground!

VFX

: 230—01

INT. AEROFOX, COCKPIT

The previous ship schematic glows red once again.

VFX

: 230—02

OMNI " Fuel valve three. Auto-shutdown. "

: 230—03

BAXTER " Override. Now! "

VFX

: 231—01

EXT. AEROFOX

Seen from atop Dyson’s grave, his gyroscope is in the foreground as AeroFox’s glaring engine restarts.

VFX

: 231—02

The exhaust stabilizes as the ship clears the ground, leaving behind a scorch mark in its wake.

VFX

: 231—03

The landing gear retracts, pulling into the craft.

VFX

: 231—04

[Panning up, we track the AeroFox.]

VFX

: 231—05

[Continuing upwards, the shuttle grows smaller in the twinkling star field.]

VFX

: 231—06

[Becoming smaller and smaller, the ship approaches Persephone’s zenith.]

VFX

: 231—07

The ship disappears into the sky.

VFX

: 232—01

EXT. DESERT

The TerraCat rolls over the final series of hills leading to the valley that houses Node 212.

VFX

: 232—02

A massive swath of bright geoglyph material crosses the plain up ahead.

VFX

: 233—01

INT. TERRACAT

Clarke grits her teeth as she approaches the geoglyph.

VFX

: 234—01

EXT. DESERT

The TerraCat drives up onto the top of the formation.

VFX

: 235—01

EXT. SPACE, LOW ORBIT - DAYSIDE

The AeroFox climbs above the terminator storm, leaving it behind. It continues upward into the light of Proxima Centauri. The curve of Persephone spreads to the horizon. The glow of the engine fades as the ship arcs past.

VFX

: 235—02

[It continues upward into the light of Proxima Centauri.]

VFX

: 235—03

[The limb of Persephone spreads to the horizon. The glow of the engine fades as the ship arcs past.]

: 236—01

INT. AEROFOX, COCKPIT

Warning klaxons fill the wildly-vibrating cabin.

VFX

TEMP

: 236—02

Indicators show engine power is fading rapidly.

VFX

: 236—03

OMNI " Thrust down to seventeen percent. "

VFX

: 236—04

BAXTER " Just burn them a little longer! "

VFX

: 237—01

EXT. SPACE, LOW ORBIT

The engines fire and then completely fade out.

VFX

: 237—02

[Engines burn ends]

VFX

: 237—03

OMNI (V.O.) " Burn complete. "

: 238—01

INT. AEROFOX

Baxter squints in the glow of the red dwarf star. Its photosphere is studded with sunspots.

VFX

: 238—02

In the far distance, the Odyssey can be seen just above the curve of Proxima b!

: 238—03

BAXTER " It’s Odyssey! Can you hail them? I want to tell Shepard the truth. "

VFX

: 238—04

OMNI " Another flare is interrupting communications. The ship appears to be under considerable stress. "

: 238—05

BAXTER " Show me. "

: 238—06

A long-range image pops up on Baxter’s monitor. It zooms in to show the Odyssey venting gases from a section of its hull.

: 238—07

BAXTER (CONT’D) " How bad is it? "

: 238—08

OMNI " There’s no way to tell from here. "

: 238—09

BAXTER " We’re on our own. We have to stop Clarke ourselves. "

VFX

: 238—10

OMNI " Prepare for retro-burn. "

: 238—11

BAXTER " Can you read Two-Twelve from here? "

: 238—12

A graphic on Baxter's monitor shows the status of the node.

VFX

: 238—13

OMNI " It’s still showing as offline. "

VFX

: 239—01

EXT. SPACE, LOW ORBIT

Without forward momentum, the AeroFox falls toward the surface.

VFX

: 239—02

[Looking down on the nose of the ship the planet silently passes underneath]

VFX

: 239—03

Thrusters fire, reorienting the ship for landing.

VFX

: 239—04

The Odyssey disappears over the planet’s horizon.

VFX

: 239—05

[AreoFox reorients for decent]

VFX

: 239—06

[Rotation ends]

VFX

: 239—07

[AeroFox begins to shrink in view, falling towards the planet.]

VFX

: 239—08

[Continues controlled fall]

VFX

: 240—01

EXT. SHIELD NODE

[The TerraCat rumbles over the camera.]

VFX

: 240—02

The TerraCat slowly approaches the shield node.

: 241—01

INT. TERRACAT

Clarke arrives at the node.

: 241—02

Clarke is disturbed as she drives over the alien substrate.

: 241—03

[AddDescriptiveText]

: 241—04

[AddDescriptiveText]

VFX

: 242—01

EXT. SHIELD NODE

[Clarke drives up to the Node Tower.]

VFX

: 242—02

[The TerraCat slows, approaching the structure.]

VFX

: 242—03

The rover maneuvers over the edge to park much closer to the
tower this time -- away from the geoglyph material.

: 243—01

INT. TERRACAT

Clarke sits for a second, then removes the node board.

: 243—02

She rotates her seat back to its self-drive position (facing the cabin interior) and grabs the O2 mask from her shoulder.

VFX

: 244—01

EXT. UPPER ATMOSPHERE

[The AeroFox speeds past the camera.]

VFX

: 244—02

[The ship rapidly grows smaller as it sinks toward Persephone.]

VFX

: 244—03

The AeroFox glows in the super-heated gases of re-entry.

: 245—01

INT. AEROFOX, COCKPIT

Baxter is buffeted by the turbulence of atmospheric entry.

: 246—01

EXT. SHIELD NODE

The rover's door opens and Clarke stumbles out.

: 246—02

Rapidly deteriorating from radiation sickness, she drops the node board.

: 246—03

She picks it up and stumbles to the main terminal.

: 246—04

Clarke finds the slot to replace the node board.

: 246—05

She slides it in. The system lights up and begins a start-up routine.

: 246—06

Just then, a SONIC BOOM resounds high above her!

: 247—01

EXT. UPPER ATMOSPHERE

High above the clouds, the AeroFox is barely visible.

: 248—01

EXT. SHIELD NODE

Clarke cranes her neck to see the tiny glow of the AeroFox as it descends from orbit.

: 248—02

CLARKE " No friggin’ way... "

VFX

: 249—01

INT. AEROFOX

The image of the node on Baxter's monitor begins to change.

: 249—02

OMNI " Holy shit! She's rebooting. "

: 249—03

BAXTER " How long until it propagates? "

VFX

: 249—04

OMNI " Thirty seconds. "

: 250—01

EXT. AEROFOX

The AeroFox fires its soft-landing retro-rockets.

: 250—02

[The AeroFox pours on more reverse thrust.]

: 251—01

INT. AEROFOX, COCKPIT

Baxter is out of options. She looks at the node and makes a split decision. She realigns for the tower itself!

VFX

: 251—02

OMNI " What are you doing? "

: 251—03

BAXTER " Stopping her! "

: 252—01

EXT. SHIELD NODE

Clarke looks back and forth between the rebooting computer and the AeroFox.

: 252—02

[AddDescriptiveText]

: 252—03

She's alarmed as the ship's retro-rockets cease firing. It literally falls the remaining few meters!

VFX

: 252—04

[AddDescriptiveText]

VFX

: 252—05

Clarke rips the node board out.

: 252—06

The system shuts down as she runs for her life.

: 253—01

INT. AEROFOX

Baxter steels herself in her seat, bracing for impact.

: 254—01

EXT. SHIELD NODE

: 254—02

[AddDescriptiveText]

: 254—03

[AddDescriptiveText]

: 254—04

[AddDescriptiveText]

: 254—05

[AddDescriptiveText]

: 254—06

[AddDescriptiveText]

: 254—07

Coming in at an angle, the AeroFox SLAMS into the top of the tower!

: 254—08

[AddDescriptiveText]

: 254—09

The aeroshell VIBRATES causing Clarke to fall.

VFX

: 254—10

With a groan of twisting metal, the antenna COLLAPSES in the direction of the passing spacecraft.

VFX

: 254—11

[AddDescriptiveText]

VFX

: 254—12

[AddDescriptiveText]

: 254—13

Mildly stunned, Clarke sees the AeroFox strike the ground!

: 255—01

INT. AEROFOX

Baxter is jostled violently!

VFX

: 256—01

EXT. SHIELD NODE

SHARDS of geoglyph fly everywhere as the ship slides along the surface...

VFX

: 256—02

[AddDescriptiveText]

VFX

: 256—03

[AddDescriptiveText]

VFX

: 256—04

[AddDescriptiveText]

VFX

: 256—05

... coming to a stop at a steep angle.

Next seq