Owen and the Aliens I Should Be At Home Written by Elliott Davidson

1 ACT I FADE IN: EXT. ICE GIANT ORBIT SPACE The planet is a swirling orb of purple and blue gas, with no visible land or sea to speak of. A Security fighter ship kicks out of hyperspace. INT. SECURITY FIGHTER COCKPIT - SPACE Officer Urkfurk inspects the controls, the purple ice giant dominating the view before him. URKFURK This is Officer Urkfurk, checking in on location forty-one. He plunks at a few buttons and gauges. URKFURK Not picking up any other hyperspace tunnelling, in or out. A couple more taps. URKFURK Planets atmosphere is scanning toxic across the board. Gravitys nearly three times standard. Looking pretty unfriendly, even for a pit stop. A final few cursory checks. URKFURK Electromagnetic signals are minimal, all within expected ranges. Theres no one down there. Urkfurk rubs a weary face. URKFURK Transmitting, and moving on.

He grabs the controls, and the planet sweeps out of view. EXT. ICE GIANT ORBIT SPACE The Security ship finishes turning away from the ice giant, then blinks off into hyperspace. INT. JUMP RING - SECURITY COMMAND - SPACE The Admiral sits off to the side of the main bank of monitors. He leans back in his chair, eyes closed, rubbing at the alien equivalent of his temples. Commander Rofolo approaches. COMMANDER ROFOLO Sir? The Admiral opens his eyes and sets them on Rofolo. COMMANDER ROFOLO Were continuing to search the target locations along the pirates escape trajectory, but havent detected any sign of the pirates as of yet. The Admiral huffs weakly. ADMIRAL As of yet. COMMANDER ROFOLO More than two thirds of the locations remain to be inspected. Assuming of them. rock, or point in ADMIRAL the pirates headed to one Instead of some uncharted station, or some random the middle of nowhere.

3 COMMANDER ROFOLO Thats correct, sir. We have received word that the Fleet is en route to assist, but ... ADMIRAL But time is not on our side. COMMANDER ROFOLO No, sir. No its not. The odds of finding the pirates, along with any individuals taken captive, decreases by the minute. The Admiral nods, and a hand returns to his temples. ADMIRAL Thank you, Commander. Rofolo leaves the Admiral to his thoughts. EXT. BANYAN FOREST - DAY The totalled hoverjet - along with the nearby banyans continues to burn. And but of course, out from behind a fallen tree trunk twenty feet from the fire, crawl Owen and Joe, dirty, scratched, but relatively unharmed. OWEN Theyve got to be gone by now. The boys stand before the wreckage, inspecting the fire that, moments before, was their ride out of the jungle. OWEN Wow. JOE Owen, um, those that know me might say that I can be a little reckless, from time to time. So please, understand where Im coming from when I say: that was way, way too close.

OWEN No arguments here. EXT. JUNGLE - DAY Owen and Joe step out of the banyans and into the relatively open jungle. They spot the airborne command ship through the tree tops. OWEN There. That way. JOE So what, sneak attack, round two? Owen gestures at the angry red jungle that surrounds them. OWEN Unless you want to stay here, camp out for a bit. JOE No, no, Im sick of this place. They head towards the jungle clearing. JOE Other than smashing our only means of transportation straight into a tree at the end there ... that was actually pretty good riding. OWEN Thanks. JOE I mean those hoverjets are built so that even the stupidest of creatures can control them with pretty minimal instruction. OWEN Didnt need to say that part.

5 JOE But all the same, good riding. EXT. JUNGLE CLEARING - DAY The pirates attend to the goods stolen from the Jump Ring, loading the remaining items onto the platform. The prisoners are now one pack, just off to the side of the platform, shepherded by pirates. The kids stare at the lingering black smoke that drifts above the jungle. Aralla looks over at her ship, amongst those stolen by the pirates. So close, yet so far. She takes a few steps towards the ships, moving out from the other prisoners, watching the pirates from the corner of her eye. Kobor grabs her by the arm. KOBOR No. Aralla looks back at her friend. KOBOR Too late now. Aralla resists, weakly. Kobor pulls her back to the group. The pirates finish with the last of the booty. The platform is loaded. Maleonas takes one last look around, then addresses the other pirates. MALEONAS Get the prisoners onboard. Were done here. EXT. JUNGLE - DAY The boys push through the jungle, the command ship ahead.

EXT. JUNGLE CLEARING - DAY Some of the pirates join Maleonas on the platform as they pack the prisoners amongst stolen wares. Others head for raider ships and stolen space craft. The platform lifts off the ground. EXT. JUNGLE - DAY A few weird little flying things buzz around the boys. Owen swats them out of the way. OWEN Should we be worried about weird alien germs around here? Is my face going to melt off, or my guts explode, or anything like that? JOE Did your species happen to spend millions of years evolving as one minute facet of this planets particular, interconnected spectrum of biodiversity? OWEN No. JOE Then youre probably okay. OWEN Probably, huh? JOE Well, cant really be certain about anything in this universe, can you now? OWEN Guess thats sort of comforting. Strange hooting from the jungle.

JOE Now thats what you want to worry about. I dont think teeth are affected that much by how youre built on a cellular level. OWEN Less comforting. The hover platform appears ahead, rising above the trees towards the command ship. The boys come to a staggering stop. OWEN No. EXT. PLATFORM - DAY The platform is midway between the clearing below and the command ship above. The prisoners stare transfixed at the lingering black smoke that rises above the jungle canopy. Dr. Vroon shuffles over to the kids. DR. VROON Im sorry. LOOTHU I just cant believe theyre gone. The platform nears the large, rectangular notch in the underside of the pirate command ship. EXT. JUNGLE - DAY Owen and Joe watch the platform reach the command ship and lock into place. Then the other ships, the raiding vessels and stolen space crafts, lift off the ground. OWEN No, no, no.

8 The small armada points spacewards, accelerates quickly, and is gone in an instant. Owen and Joe are left staring at an open sky. Alone. OWEN This cant be happening. What am I doing here? This is ... (turns to Joe) This is your fault. This is all your fault! I shouldnt be here! JOE What? I shouldnt be here either! You think this sort of thing happens all the time or something? And you drove us into that tree, Owen, not me! OWEN Yeah? You were the one that walked face first right into the guy holding your friends prisoner. JOE Hey, it was your genius idea to try to rescue them, remember? We shouldve stayed on the Ring, left this to the professionals! Owen takes a slow, surly step towards Joe. OWEN I shouldnt have even been on that Ring. But you showed up. And kidnapped me. I should be at home, oblivious. Safe. Now Im going to die on some angry alien jungle planet that probably doesnt even have a name. Because of you. You stupid, stupid alien. JOE That so? Makes two of us, buddy. Owen turns his back on Joe, shaking his head, fuming.

One of the carnivorous pods drops out of a tree. Owen jumps out of the way to avoid its gaping, fang-lined maw. OWEN Would you just give me a break Owen grabs a log off the ground, and without thinking, smashes it right into the pods mouth. OWEN - for one second? Come on! The pod yelps, then pulls itself back up into the trees. Owen holds onto his log like an irate caveman. JOE You done? I can wait you know, if you want to knock around a few more plants. Owen tosses the stick aside, and takes a step forward. OWEN Done. The boys continue on in silence. FADE OUT.

10 ACT II FADE IN: EXT. JUNGLE - DAY Owen and Joe trek through the jungle, pushing past bloodred vines and trees. They walk towards a small break in the foliage. EXT. JUNGLE CREVASSE - DAY And its not a bare patch. Its a crevasse, twenty feet across, right smack dab in front of the boys. The two shuffle a little closer and stare down into the endless darkness below. Joe kicks a small stone over the edge. A feint watery plunk echoes up from the void. JOE Wow. OWEN Really? Owen looks to either side. The crevasse stretches off in both directions, with no end in sight. OWEN Do you remember flying over this? JOE It was all a bit of a blur, truth be told. Joe pulls at his tentacle-hair. JOE Can you jump it? OWEN What? No. Can you?

11 JOE Wouldnt even come close. Just thought Id ask. In case you guys have springy super legs or something. I dont know. OWEN Do we see if it comes together at some point? Its Joes turn to look left and right. JOE Or, do we save ourselves the hassle and admit weve got to get across this thing? Eyes linger on the other side of the crevasse. OWEN Why should it get any easier? INT. COMMAND SHIP - PLATFORM HANGAR - SPACE While docked to the command ship, the hover platform doubles as the center of the hangars floor. An upper catwalk wraps around the perimeter of the long, cavernous room. Pirates stand guard along the catwalk, looking down upon the spoils and the prisoners below. One end of the hangar is dominated by a pair of large doors, sealed shut, for the time being. The stolen items remain as they were when they were loaded onto the platform. The prisoners have, once again, been gathered into a group, off to the side of the booty, watched over by more pirates. The prisoners sit on the floor, huddled together, heads down, some with their arms wrapped around their legs (or the closest alien equivalent). Aralla, Kobor, Tessaracta, Loothu and Dr. Vroon form their own little group.

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ARALLA That was our chance. KOBOR Dont say that. ARALLA Why? Its true. That was our chance. Now its gone. LOOTHU Muh-muh-maybe theyll let us go. TESSARACTA You really think thats going to happen, Loothu? Silence. Loothu shrinks, his fidgeting tentacles kneading at nothing, looking to his forlorn friends. LOOTHU So, um, mister, I mean, doctor, Vroon, sir? What were you doing out there on the Ring? Dr. Vroon looks around at their captors. DR. VROON Im not sure I care to talk about it at the moment. LOOTHU Oh. DR. VROON But please, son, dont take that the wrong way. Vroon points a subtle thumb at the pirates. DR. VROON They make me nervous. LOOTHU Oh.

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DR. VROON What about the lot of you? KOBOR We were just taking a break. Escaping. It was one of Joes favorite spots. That comment is a sucker punch to the gut, for all of the kids. No one attempts to revive the conversation. EXT. JUNGLE CREVASSE - DAY Owen and Joe lean against a tall husk of a tree. A sickly, pale grey carnivorous pod hangs a few feet above. It quivers, but doesnt make any motions towards the boys. JOE I like how were going with the only tree thats weak enough for us to push it over. Backs against the tree, they dig their feet into the dirt. What passes for alien roots begin to pop out of the ground, and the tree leans towards the fissure. Teeth clenched, grunting, groaning, the boys give the tree one last push, and the tip of the tree crashes on the other side of the crevasse. The pod dangles below the tree, still hanging on, swaying gently back and forth. The makeshift bridge stays put. Owen and Joe size up the log, the thin span of footing against a bottomless drop. OWEN Could work. JOE Hows about you lead the way?

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OWEN I get to play the canary? JOE What? OWEN Nothing. Owen steps up to the log, puts a foot on it, then another. The tree groans under Owens weight, before hes even moved past the lip of the fissure. Owen shakes his arms, lets out a heavy breath, getting psyched up OWEN Alright, lets do this. Owen starts to move, one tentative step after another. He holds his arms out to balance himself, tightrope style. JOE Just slow and steady, Owen. Owens made it a third of the way across. JOE You got this. No problem. Now Owens in the middle. The weathered log bows below him. The sickly pod lifts up and reaches out weakly at Owen. Owen lets out a startled cry and kicks out at the pod, more mindless reaction than cunning attack. The pod breaks off, hangs in midair for the briefest of moments, and then spirals downwards into the abyss. A wet thud makes its way up from below. Then, squeaking. OWEN Great.

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Flying things explode from the darkness, enveloping the log, and Owen along with it. The boy gets down on all fours, gripping the tree. JOE Owen! The flying things knock off pieces of the log as they stream upwards. The sharp sound of splitting wood cuts through the creatures squeaks. OWEN Joe youve got to cross it, now! JOE What?! OWEN The trees giving way! Move it! Owens turns back to the other side of the crevasse, crawling across the log, shielding his face as best he can. One of the creatures smashes into him, and his hand slip out from under him. Hitting hard against the log, Owen holds on with a desperate bear hug. But hes back up quickly, crawling. JOE Oh man. Joe lunges forward, swatting flying things out of the way. He makes it a few steps before poor balance and the swarm force him onto his hands and knees. Snapping wood cracks like thunder. Owen reaches the other side of the fissure and scrambles up onto his feet. Joes about half way across.

16 OWEN Come on, Joe! JOE I am going as fast as I can!! Joe crawls forward, fingers digging into the log. The log crumples in the middle, dropping down a few feet. Joe braces himself, but the log isnt giving up quite yet. Five feet away, scrambling on his belly. Owen reaches out, grabs the sleeves of Joes jumpsuit. And the log snaps, collapsing in the middle. Owen pulls Joe towards him as the log gives way. Everything from the waste up is on solid ground, but Joes legs dangle down into the void. OWEN I got you, I got you. Owen drags Joe up over the edge of the crevasse. The two boys lie on their backs, silent, panting. Down at the bottom of the fissure, the log hits with a heavy splash. Then they begin to laugh - as much out of joy as at the sheer madness of the situation. JOE That. Was. Insane. Owen slaps Joe on the chest and gets to his feet, groaning. OWEN Lets go. I want to get off this stupid planet. So bad. Joe stands, equally weary.

17 They take on last look at the crevasse before marching on. INT. COMMAND SHIP - PLATFORM HANGAR - SPACE The prisoners remain seated, and silent. Then the sound of the engines change, their pervasive hum winding down as the ship comes out of hyperspace. The prisoners look amongst one another nervously. TESSARACTA Were here. KOBOR Wherever here is. A harsh digital tone sounds throughout the ship, like one long klaxon siren. The pirates stand at attention and circle the prisoners. The prisoners get to their feet, as if a Pavlovian response, anticipating being prodded somewhere or other. Theres a muffled sound like two heavy objects colliding, metal on metal, and the ship lurches sideways. Some of the stolen items topple over, their clanging adding to the aural assault. No ones knocked off their feet, but pirates and prisoners brace themselves. The ship settles. Everythings quite. Everythings still. Then, footsteps from above. Maleonas steps out onto the catwalk. He addresses the pirates below. MALEONAS Take the prisoners down in groups, and lock them up. The pair of large doors at the end of the hangar slide open, their mechanisms grumbling.

18 On the other side of the doors: a freight elevator. Then the prodding commences, and the prisoners are pushed towards the waiting elevator at the end of the room. The kids and Dr. Vroon are part of the first group thats led inside. With the first batch of prisoners loaded in, the elevator doors slide shut. FADE OUT.

19 ACT III FADE IN: EXT. EDGE OF JUNGLE CLEARING - DAY Owen and Joe step out of the jungle and into the clearing. OWEN Made it. Other than the discarded items and rejected spaceships, the jungle clearing is empty. Not an alien soul in sight. JOE Lets see if were getting out of here anytime soon. EXT. ABANDONED SPACESHIPS - DAY Owen stares at a trio of feint daytime alien moons. He sits atop a weathered storage container, alone. At his back are the abandoned spaceships. An odd critter appears, like a ferret mixed with a centipede, winding its way through the junk. Owen glances down at the alien creature, just watching it as it moves in closer. He surveys the ground around him, picks up a rock, and lobs it indifferently at the furry ferret-thing. The critter squeaks and scampers off. Owen returns his attention skyward. Joe steps out of the nearest ship, a junker of a vessel, and ambles over to Owen, flopping down beside him. JOE They wiped the nav charts. Probably so no one could trace the ships.

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OWEN I take it thats a bad thing. JOE Yep. Even if the ship works, we dont know where were going. Wed be flying blind through the galaxy. And if you hadnt figured by now, big galaxy. Owen nods absently. Then he cocks his head, face scrunched. OWEN But, we do know where were going. (points spaceward) Were going wherever they went. Can we follow them? JOE Only if they ... if they didnt mask their hyperspace jumps. OWEN Did they? The boys jump off the container and scramble onto the ship. INT. BEAT-UP SPACESHIP - BRIDGE - DAY Joe smacks away at monitors and buttons. JOE Unbelievable. OWEN What? JOE Ive got em, Ive got em. All of the hyperspace entry points, side by side. OWEN Well lets go!

21 JOE Owen, these trails are like ripples in water. Theyre clear at first, but eventually, space settles. Trails die out. And these ones are already fading. OWEN Then wed better get moving. JOE Owen ... if we lose those trails before we reach the exit points, then well be stranded, in space, without any way of knowing which way to go. OWEN What other choice do we have? Joe giggles humourlessly, eyes wide, almost like a madman. JOE Alright. Alright. Take a seat, were already running out of time. EXT. BEAT-UP SPACESHIP - DAY The spaceships exterior door slides shut, the engines rev up, and the ship lifts off the ground. INT. BEAT-UP SPACESHIP - BRIDGE - DAY Joe pilots the ship. Owen sits beside him. Both boys stare at the ships viewscreen, nervous, but determined. EXT. JUNGLE CLEARING - DAY The space junker flies away from the jungle planet. INT. BEAT-UP SPACESHIP - BRIDGE - SPACE The viewscreen displays the void of space beyond. Its overlaid with realtime visualizations of the hyperspace trails, as well as vector indicators and calculations.

22 JOE There we are ... Joes eyes dart side to side, scanning the viewscreen. JOE Weve got a problem. OWEN What? JOE The ships didnt stick together. Indeed, though the trails start together, they veer off in all directions like a three dimensional starburst. OWEN Go where most of them go. JOE There isnt a most of them. OWEN Then follow the biggest one. JOE Owen, are you sure about this?! OWEN What? No! JOE Oh man. OWEN Joe? Do it. Joe reaches out to the controls. EXT. BEAT-UP SPACESHIP - SPACE The spaceship speeds up and enters hyperspace.

23 INT. BEAT-UP SPACESHIP - BRIDGE - HYPERSPACE Stretched-out stars flash by the viewscreen as the ship barrels through hyperspace. A dozen of the visualized hyperspace trails lead the way. Theyre not straight, instead twisting through space like roller coasters, bending around stars and planets. JOE Tunnels are clear, velocities matched. Then the lights in the bridge begin to flicker. JOE You have got to be kidding me. The sound of the engines begins to wane, the pitch oscillating. Alarms sound, warnings flash. JOE No, no, no, no, no. The engines rev up, then back down. Lights shine bright, then dim. JOE You piece of junk! Joe claws at the controls. JOE Come on, come on! The engines cant seem to maintain a steady output. And the hyperspace trail visualizations are expanding, losing definition, even bleeding into one another. JOE Owen, were losing them. Now the trails arent much more than one blurry tunnel.

24 OWEN Just stay in the middle. JOE Were not going to have a middle for much longer. The vague, collective path continues to fade away. JOE We need those exit points, Owen. Right now. The ghostly pack of the hyperspace trails is almost gone. OWEN Please, please, please ... Then the viewscreen explodes with information, notifications, and alien script, all pointing to spherical nodes at the end of the trail: hyperspace exit points. JOE There! Joe slams his hand against the controls. EXT. PIRATE PLANET ORBIT - SPACE The beat-up spaceship exits hyperspace above an ominous grey sphere. Dark, churning clouds sweep across the planet, leaving most of the surface obscured. INT. BEAT-UP SPACESHIP - BRIDGE - SPACE The pirate planet looms enormous on the viewscreen. Joe slumps back in his chair, groaning. JOE Owen, I really dont think you understand how close that was. OWEN Tell me about it later.

25 INT. COLONY LIVING QUARTERS DAY Mrs. Adamson stands at a wall-mounted communication screen, while Mr. Adamson taps at a thin handheld datapad. MRS. ADAMSON Honey, I still cant reach Cater. MR. ADAMSON Huh. Transport bay logs show the rovers been returned. Just a few minutes ago, actually. MRS. ADAMSON Then why isnt he answering? MR. ADAMSON Hes a teenager. Probably thinks we bug him too much as it is. MRS. ADAMSON Well, he could still answer his mother. The front door chimes. Owens parents look up, then at each other, puzzled. MRS. ADAMSON Why would Owen ring? Mr. Adamson walks to the main entry the living quarters. MR. ADAMSON Open. The door opens, revealing the Administrator and the scientists from the landing site. ADMINISTRATOR Mr. and Mrs. Adamson? Mrs. Adamson joins her husband. MRS. ADAMSON Yes?

26 ADMINISTRATOR We have a situation. INT. BEAT-UP SPACESHIP - BRIDGE - SPACE Joe taps at the controls. A fluctuating scanning grid appears on the viewscreen overtop the planet. JOE Well, it aint pretty down there, but at least they should be easy to find. Theres just one point of activity. The display zooms in on a small pinprick on the planet, which expands to fill the screen. A sort of infrared / xray view highlights a solid mass against the grey. JOE If the others are anywhere on that rock, Im thinking its there. OWEN Along with the pirates. JOE Along with the pirates. OWEN Alright then. Lets take a look. EXT. PIRATE PLANET WASTELANDS - DUSK The planet is a dark mirror of Terra Nova. Barren, desolate grey rock, clouds blocking out the systems star. Lightning snakes down to the ground, violent and jagged. Joes clunker spaceship breaks through the clouds, heading down to the rocky surface. INT. PIRATE JAIL - DUSK The jail cells are hollowed-out pits in dank grey rock, sectioned off by rusted metal bars.

27 Pirates push the prisoners towards the open cells, separating the kids from the rest. The pirates place their hands on stubby consoles beside the cells. The metal bars swing shut, clanging heavily. One of the pirates takes a lazy seat by the door. Kobor, Tessaracta, and Loothu step up beside Aralla. KOBOR Now what? ARALLA Theres only one question, really: how many of those guys do you think all of us can take on at once? FADE OUT.