1

ASTRO-BEES
INT. SERVICE TUNNELS
APPROXIMATELY 10:30PM.

OF

HOUSING

COMPOUND

IN

DOME

NUMBER

ONE,

Hot steam can be heard escaping from a burst pipe, making a hissing
noise. In the distance, faint screams can be heard which echo off of
through the metal architecture. After a few seconds, hurried,
running footsteps approach; they sound as though they are against a
metal floor grille. Two women, DR MORAG CHIPOTTLE and her sister,
DOLORES CHIPOTTLE, enter the hallway we are based in. They are
panting heavily.
DOLORES:
(Out of breath and scared) Damn it, Morag! Where are
we meant to go now?
HEAVIER, MORE POWERFUL STEPS ARE HEARD GETTING LOUDER-THESE ARE VERY
INTIMIDATING AND THREATENING.
MORAG:
(Slightly less exhausted and more composed. She
inhales sharply) Quick! In there (Angrily encouraging her sister)
GONOW!
DOORS OPEN AND CLOSE AS AN ASSUMED ENEMY GETS CLOSER TO THEIR
POSITION. ONE OF THE WOMEN PULLS OPEN A CREAKING, WOODEN DOOR AS
THEY SHUFFLE THROUGH.
DOLORES:
(Paranoid and worked up) So your brilliant idea is
to hide in a freakin MAINTENANCE closet? Of all the places in this
thing you choose (Loses some of her aggression as she realises
something)How are we gonna get to the escape pods?
MORAG:
(Distant and trying to focus) Shut up complaining
for a moment, will you? Pass me that broom
QUIET FIDDLING AND REARRANGING IS HEARD.
MORAG:
(Proud, and standing back) There. That should stop
anyone trying to enterNow, if were (she adds accusatory emphasis
on the next word) quiet, theyThe ASTRO-BEES, will change their
targets based on the sound vibrations. So, theoretically
DOLORES:
(Bored, speaking in concerned whispers) I dont care
about your science bullshit. I care about whether I make it out of
here alive.
MORAG:
(Her anger and frustration is more apparent now)
Well, if you listen to what I say, for once, you will get out of
here. With your arrogance and self-centredness intact.
DOLORES:
(Scoffs and retorts angrily) Listen to you? Look
what happened when the world listened to the famous, the wonderful
Dr Morag Chipottle. She KILLED them.
MORAG:
(Sad and disheartened) It wasnt like that. I wanted
to, I tried to, help. I thought I had something, and I did it just
didnt go how it was meant to. But that doesnt make me wrong, and
doesnt mean that you shouldnt listen.

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DOLORES:
(Stifling a laugh, sarcastically) No. Youre right.
What reason dont I have to trust my backstabbing little sister?
Remind me, Morag, what happened?
MORAG:
(Pained and devoid of most emotion) No, Doll, lets
not do this ITheres
DOLORES:
(Interrupting with a bullying tone, with a hint of
sadness) No, Morag. What was it you did?
A LOUD BANG OUTSIDE MAKES THE PAIR JUMP, AND CAUSES THE PREVIOUSLY
STRONG MORAG TO BE REDUCED TO A SHELL OF HER FORMER SELF.
MORAG:
(Holding back tears, and trying to not show her
vulnerability)
The
seismic
activity
was
abnormaldangerously
abnormal. Someone had to investigate
DOLORES:
(Scathing
and
cocky)
You
mean
you
investigate. You had to have the glory. Isnt that right?

had

to

MORAG:
(Disheartened and about to respond differently) N
Yes. (Contemplative)The locals had warned by team about the risk of
awaking an ancient demon. Huh. We shouldWe should have listened to
them like I expected everyone to listen to me.
DIGGING IS HEARD BEHIND MORAGS SPEECH, AND THE SOUND OF WORKERS.
DOLORES:
(Smug, with the smallest hint of sadness) Thats
right. The demon. Except, it wasnt quite that, was it? (Furious) It
was a GODDAMNED DINOSAUR!
MORAG:
(Scoffing, boastful) It wasnt a dinosaur. It was a
product of genetic fusion, a
DOLORES:
(Devastated and angry) A hybrid, a demon, whatever,
Morag! Like I care! That monster, killed millions, destroyed our
planetMurdered my kids! (Sobbing) No, you murdered my babies!
IN THE DISTANCE, CHILDREN ARE HEARD SCREAMING AND CRYING, AS IF THIS
MEMORY IS BEING RELIVED. AFTER A SHORT PERIOD, THIS STOPS BEFORE A
FARAWAY ROAR IS MADE.
MORAG:
(Holding back her sadness, somewhat fierce) Thats
NOT TRUE! (Coughs gently, and lowers her voice to a less audible
level) Weve been over this so many times. Youre just repeating
yourself. Youre only seeking for justification where there is none.
I mean its not only
MORAG ABRUPTLY STOPS, SHUSHING HER SISTER. THEY REMAIN QUIET, EXCEPT
FOR THEIR BREATHING. THE BURST PIPE STOPS FOR A MOMENT, AS HEAVY
FOOTSTEPS STOP IN FRONT OF THE DOOR. THE PAIR WHIMPER, BEFORE THEIR
HANDS OVER THEIR MOUTHS TO MASK ANY NOISE. THERE IS ABSOLUTE SILENCE
FOR A BRIEF PERIOD, AFTER WHICH THE FOOTSTEPS FADE OUT.
DOLORES:
(Sounding vulnerable, and if she has forgiven Morag)
Huh. That were close, werent it? (Realising how she sounds, she
goes back to how she was previously) Not that it woulda mattered if
they got us.

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MORAG:
(Pleadingly, and as if looking for forgiveness) It
would matterBrian and Kenneth live on through you. The way things
are, with the people left alive, there is no one who can truly
remind us of who they were.
DOLORES:
(Moved to tears, and falling apart) We werethey
wereso close. Two days, Morag. Two days, and they would have made
it to the dome, and theyd still be here, and
MORAG:
(Holding back her emotion and trying to still be
brave) And they would have met a worse fatea drawn out, painful
death, or they would be stuck here, terrified with us. That would
make it more my fault than it already is.
DOLORES:
(Beginning to regret how shes been treating her
sister) NoNot exactlythe ASTRO-BEES, there was nothing you could
have done
MORAG:
(Distressed, and registering her repressed guilt and
almost murmuring) No. Thats where youre wrong. I was asked, well
commissioned, by the Government to create something to do our dirty
work. LookI had six days to make something orI would join the
criminals. Slowly dying as their air filtration system was gradually
pumped full of poison gas
COUGHING AND GASPS ARE HEARD. IT SOUNDS AS THOUGH THEY ARE FARAWAY,
INDICATING THAT THEY ARE NOTHING BUT A MEMORY, OR A THOUGHT.
MORAG:
(Disgusted in herself, and becoming increasingly
vacant, and unstable) I didnt want to die. But more importantly, I
didnt want you, or Brian or Kenneth to die. I had no choice. I had
to hurry. Hurry, hurry, hurry. There was no time to waste! No time
at all! By doing it for you, I missed a hole in the code. The hole
Oh God! I killed everyone.
DOLORES:

(Concerned) No, Morag, no

SCREAMS OF AGONY AND FEAR AND HEARD FEET AWAY FROM THE ROOM THE PAIR
ARE HIDING IN. MORAG DESCENDS INTO SOBS.
MORAG:
(Distraught yet angry) Yes! If I had just taken the
time to look over the programming, to check for errors. But there
was not time! No team! Only an engineer to build the blasted things!
It was down to me and I SCREWED UP! I SCREWED UP!
THE FOOTSTEPS COME AGAIN, THIS TIME STOPPING DIRECTLY OUTSIDE THE
DOOR.
MORAG:
(Giving up, and no longer thinking clearly however
her voice is lowered) You know, maybe its like you said. Maybe Im
just self-centred. Maybe if I had just left the digput it down to
some unusual tectonic behaviour we would never have been put in this
position.
DOLORES:
(Her voice quiet and cautious) Stop it! What I saw
was nothin that you would ever think of doinit was evil

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MORAG:
(Distressed) Dolores! Youre right. I wouldnt think
of impaling innocent peoples limbs on sharpened poles only to watch
them struggle and die of blood loss. I wouldnt think of gouging out
my fellow mans eyeballs, feeding them to their dismembered wife and
setting them loose to meet an uncertain end. No, I would never dream
of that, but my mistake has caused that. Which makes me responsible.
A BANG AT THE DOOR IS HEARD. THE PAIR WHIMPER AS A ROBOTIC VOICE
CALLS OUT.
ASTRO-BEE:
(Mostly human sounding, with a robotic hint, it is
emotionless and cold) FOREIGN PRESENCE DETECTED. URGENT REQUEST FOR
BACKUP. HUMAN! YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES TO LEAVE YOUR CURRENT POSITION
AND PRESENT YOURSELF.
DOLORES:
(Trying not to cry but clearly upset) So. This is
it. The end. (Attempting to regain her tough-guy act) Here.
Theres something
MORAG:
(Descending into fits of laughter) Dont you see?
The BEES, their programmed to use correct grammar, and have
heightened senses. This bastard thinks that theres only one of us
here. Youre safe!
DOLORES:
(Confused, but continuing to try
Whatya mean? If ya sayin what I think you are

to

be

tough)

MORAG:
(Calm, and seemingly happy-she sounds at peace) Do
you remember when we were kids? Before everything hit the fan? No
matter what you did, I still looked up to you, tried to help
you...and you always did the same. (pause) In hindsight, you were
always better at that than me. When I was bullied, or mum and dad
were fighting or shouting at me, you were always there. My big
sister.
ASTRO-BEE:
(Same as before) THE SOONER YOU EMERGE, THE LESS
SERIOUS YOUR PUNISHMENT. DO NOT MAKE US ENTER.
MORAG:
(Smiling, and remaining composed) We dont have much
time so I just want to say that its time I returned the favour. II
am (trying not to cry) so, so sorry. (Regaining herself) Now, uh,
before Ibefore I do what Im going to do, I need to ask you
something.
DOLORES:
(Uncontrollably sobbing, and clearly upset) What?
What can matter so much now?
MORAG:
collected) A
does not mean
to, will you
back to doing
DOLORES:
promise.

(Retaining
her
composition,
and
alarmingly
lot, Dolores. Just because a person ceases to exist
that everything else does. See. If I do what I intend
promise me, swear to me that youre not going to go
what you used too. No drugs. No trouble.
(Saddened

and

choking

up,

she

seems

empty)

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SOMEONE STANDS UP QUIETLY AND CAREFULLY. THERE ARE A FEW GENTLE,
HUMAN FOOTSTEPS.
MORAG:

(Same as previously) Good.

FOOTSTEPS REACH THE DOOR.

MORAG:
(Contemplative) Oh, and one last thing. Get to the
escape pods. Be careful, and dont let them forget. Anything.
FOOTSTEPS ARE HEARD, BEFORE THE DOOR IS OPENED. THE GAS FROM THE
PIPE IS STILL BEING RELEASED. AS THE DOOR IS CLOSED, SLIGHTLY
MUFFLED ALARMS ARE EMITTED, BEFORE MACHINE GUNFIRE ENDS THE PIECE
ABRUPTLY.