ANTARCTICA

Pilot Episode

By

Blaise Hesselgren

Blaise Hesselgren
www.Hesselgren.co.uk
Blaise.Hesselgren@gmail.com
M: ++ 44 (0) 7779778642
EXT. SPACE, LOW EARTH ORBIT

Black space; stars; the curved horizon of Earth.

Tranquillity - until -

A rocket BLASTS UP through Earth's atmosphere and cuts its

engines to coast above the planet.

Payload bay doors open. A robotic arm extends, bearing a

satellite. Thrusters fire and the satellite detaches.

It manoeuvres into orbit, sliding into place among hundreds

of other satellites, a bright constellation of communication.

The rocket, job done, falls back down to an unfamiliar Earth.

The coastlines have changed, retreating before the encroaching

seas. Florida is gone. The Caribbean Archipelago is decimated.

The once great, green expanse of the Amazonian rainforest is

now a smear of arid yellow savanna turning to desert.

Further south, angry storms dance their destruction across

South America, leaving floods and despair in their wake.

And finally, Antarctica, a barren coast of grey rock eating

into the dwindling white of the interior.

The ice is melting.

The world has changed.

And we drop down to -

EXT. ANTARCTIC SEA - DUSK

Where a small speck, a futuristic ship, CRASHES through rough

seas, her once sleek hull pitted and scarred, lines of solar
panel sails pockmarked by gaping holes.

A black frenzy of clouds howls in from the north, chasing

the battered ship to its destination.

INT. SHIP'S HOLD - DUSK

A row of weary faces, of all ages, sexes and races.

Tattered clothes, few if any belongings, the REFUGEES hold

on with grim determination as the ship pitches and yaws.

JIANGUO WU, Chinese, 30s, watches over them, a shepherd

guarding his flock.

A TALL MAN stares out of a porthole, keeping watch.

 2.

An ASIAN WOMAN dry heaves, covering her mouth.

A SCRAWNY MAN smuggles something out of his pocket, nibbling

secretively on it.

Jianguo marches over to the Scrawny Man. Holds out his hand.

The Scrawny Man sighs and hands over a piece of ginger.

Jianguo takes it and offers it to the sea-sick woman.

She smiles through her nausea and accepts it as -

TALL MAN
I see it! We there!

The refugees crowd to the porthole for a look.

EXT. SHIP'S DECK - DUSK

A hatch crashes open and Jianguo strides out, wind slamming

the door behind him.

An armed seaman steps forward to remonstrate, but backs off

as he recognises Jianguo.

Jianguo leans into the wind, forging up to the bow to see -

EXT. PALMER STATION, ANTARCTICA - DUSK

A busy port, container shelters and prefab buildings,

futuristic pods on stilts, warehouses, a couple of piers -

Vehicles everywhere; street lights banish the Antarctic gloom.

Looming over it all, a cliff pinpricked with the electric

lights of a rock-bound office block.

A mining boomtown.

Some shrubs and grasses dot the outskirts of the town,

fighting for life against the snow, ice and rock.

TITLE:

ANTARCTICA

Above it, the stars shine eternal, all quiet until -

A PULSE of white light FLASHES in the heavens, fading to a

fog of red, green and blue light falling slowly to earth.
 3.

EXT. TUNNEL ENTRANCE, UNDERHILL - DUSK

EVA RAMIREZ, 30s, energetic and intense, the face of a

believer, gazes up in wonder at the light show.

It never gets old.

DIEGO (O.S.)
Seen better.

EVA
It's perfect. Like all the others.

As the display fades, Diego, 50s, ARC Mines foreman, hops

off a mining truck next to the tunnel entrance.

Eva comes back to earth and trudges the last few meters to
the tunnel entrance, now blocked by Diego.

DIEGO
How can I help you, Eva?
EVA
Came to inspect the Den.

Diego shifts uneasily, staying between her and the entrance.

DIEGO
Like I told you, we're getting there.

EVA
Then you won't mind me having a look,
will you?

Eva brushes past him towards the tunnel -

DIEGO
It's not safe yet -

Too late. Eva is inside -

INT. TUNNEL / DEN, UNDERHILL - DUSK

Eva strides ahead, Diego rushing to keep up.

The tunnel soon opens out into a small cavern, mining

machinery and a few camp beds scattered around haphazardly.

It's dark, cold and wet.

Eva studies the room, anger fighting dismay. Finally she

turns to Diego.

Well?
 4.

DEIGO
Bola pulled my team. They've found a
new seam in the interior and he wants
us on it. I'm the last one here.

EVA
And where do you expect me to house
the boatload of refugees docking
right now?

Diego shrugs. Above his pay grade.

Eva advances into the dimly lit cavern. A couple of doorways

in the dark corners imply further rooms - or caves.

EVA (CONT'D)
The bathrooms?

DIEGO
Excavated, but no facilities yet...
Eva closes her eyes, trying to keep her cool.

EVA
Do you like your dorm, Diego?
(Diego - er, yes)
Think you can fit in a boatload of
refugees? No? Then install an external
door and punch through to Underhill
for the facilities. Today. Else you'll
be looking for new quarters.

Eva turns to leave -

DIEGO
What about -

EVA
I'll deal with Bola. You get to work.

Eva exits, leaving Diego to stare helplessly at the room.

EXT. PIER, PALMER STATION - DUSK

Bedraggled refugees disembark their ship, dazzled by the

pier spotlights.

Jianguo heads up the refugee line on the pier, waiting for -

AISHA, 30s, Indian, ARC MINES administrator, manning a desk

as her right eye, lit up electronically, scans the refugees.

TRAVIS (USA) and RASH (Nigeria), corporate security armed

with crowd control weapons, hover on flying platforms guarding
the entrance to Palmer Station proper.
 5.

The ARC MINES logo is prominently displayed on everything.

Aisha's electronic eye dims; she refocuses on Jianguo.

AISHA
Come.

We slide into Jianguo's POV as he steps up to the desk.

AISHA (CONT'D)
Arm.

Jianguo holds out his arm, fingers clenched tightly.

Aisha runs a scanner over his wrist. A subdermal implant

flashes.

Jianguo's vision blooms. He's online and sees:

CONNECTING TO UNA SERVERS >>>> CONNECTED

MEDICAL SCAN...... CLEAR

WELCOME TO ANTARCTICA. I AM UNA, THE UNITED NATIONS ASSISTANT.

PLEASE BLINK TWICE TO ACCEPT LOAN FROM ARC MINES AND TO

CONNECT TO MY SYSTEM.

JIANGUO
Loan?

AISHA
Arc Mines provides financial aid to
all refugees, repayable on employment.

JIANGUO
I need no loan.

AISHA
It's mandatory.

JIANGUO
I have a job arranged.

Aisha's eye flashes electronically.

One of the armed guards floats towards them.

Jianguo clocks him.

JIANGUO (CONT'D)
But if it's mandatory....

Jianguo blinks twice at Aisha.

 6.

INT. BOLA OFFICE - DAY

A fork deposits a chunk of meat into a mouth; the mouth

closes, juices oozing out from the fat lips.

A woman's hand wipes the mouth with a cloth.

The lips wait patiently - and as the hand moves away, gulp
in another mouthful.

BOLA MAWERE leans back, chewing blissfully. Mid 50s, he looks

like he hasn't stopped eating since his mid 30s, and is
wearing enough gold jewelry - all stamped with the ARC Mines
logo - to be considered an ore deposit in his own right.

He looks up at the woman standing next to him.

BOLA
Layla, that was heavenly.

LAYLA, the hand wiper, stands formally next to Bola. She's

mid 30s, middle eastern, hijab wearing, but her dead eyes
imply she is more than a just a cook or servant.

She nods her boss a thank you.

BOLA (CONT'D)
The best penguin I've ever tasted.
Would you care for some?

Bola looks to the door, where Eva stands, watching in disgust.

EVA
I need my Den, Bola.

BOLA
I have to break ground on a new seam
before my competitors. Business comes
first, Eva.

EVA
You have a contract with us.

BOLA
To provide support on infrastructure
projects when I have spare capacity.
I have no spare capacity.

EVA
Those refugees have fled their
countries, spent months on dangerous
and cold ships, come through storm,
famine, drought and war to get here.
They are weak, scared and vulnerable.
And you want to put them in a cave?
 7.

BOLA
I want to make money. They can find
a job like everyone else.

EVA
And if they can't?

BOLA
That's your problem.

EVA
Bola, these people are desperate -

BOLA
Arc Mines is also shelving the Burrows
plan. The demands on our resources
are to high.

EVA
No - you can't -
BOLA
I can and I have.

EVA
I'll take this up the ladder.

BOLA
Please do. Your superiors are already
aware. Now, would you care to join
me for dessert? I believe it's
chocolate cake today?

Bola glances at Layla for confirmation. She nods.

Eva stares at him in incredulity and then turns and leaves.

BOLA (CONT'D)
I think we need to keep an eye on
that one, Layla dear.

Layla smiles and moves in to clear his plate.

EXT. MAIN DRAG / PIER, PALMER STATION - DUSK

Jianguo leads the refugees into town, flanked by the floating

Guards.

Auto vehicles dodge and weave around the wandering souls.

A passing local shuffles past the refugees, hacking up some

phlegm and spitting it at their feet.

It goes unnoticed; the refugees are staring around in awe,

their eyes lit electronically as they see wonders we can't.
 8.

A truck pulls past Jianguo, blocking his view. As it does we

slide into Jianguo's POV, the truck's logo becoming animated -

And it drives on, revealing behind it -

The full neon glory of the augmented Palmer Station.

Info bubbles, advertisements, directions, a 50 foot neon

male stripper grinding away on top of Odo's Palace.

It overwhelms the senses, obscuring all else until -

FUTZ - for a second the augmentations blink out and disappear.

Unveiling the sky above, a shooting star flitting across it.

Then the augmented reality returns, blocking out the stars.

Travis's frown clears as his connection re-establishes. He

speaks, his right eye lighting up -
TRAVIS
Chief? Got the newbies for you.

Travis's eye flashes as he gets a response. He stops, bringing

Jinaguo and the train of refugees to a halt just as -

The door to Odo's place SLAMS open and a man FLIES out,
CRASHING into the icy mud of the main drag.

Striding after him comes TEW HALVAR, 30s, a big, mixed-race

guy. Dressed in a thin top, he doesn't notice the cold. At
random intervals, subdermal lights flash as they stimulate
his muscles. He's ripped.

The man - MILES KETTERING - pulls himself to his knees as

Tew towers over him.

Behind Tew others pour out of the Palace: FLIC, a whore,

underdressed and cold; BIG RON, a burly Samoan enforcer.
Finally, ODO OPALKA, vain, over-sexed and dangerous, the
androgynous owner of Odo's Palace. We'll meet them all later.

Miles raises his hands in defence -

MILES
I didn't do nothing.

TEW
Time's money. Pay up.

MILES
I ain't got any, I swear, I -

Tew grabs Miles's arm and places his wrist against it.
 9.

TEW
Una, fine Miles here -

He glances back to Flic -

FLIC
'Undred.

TEW
- one hundred solars, payable to
Flic of Odo's Place.

He pauses. Nothing happens.

TEW (CONT'D)
Una?

A subcutaneous flash on their arms. Tew grunts in

satisfaction.

TEW (CONT'D)
Now apologise to the lady.

Tew grabs Miles's head and forces him to look at Flic.

MILES
I'm.. sorry, Flic.

TEW
You banned from town for one month.

Tew pushes Miles away and faces the refugees.

TEW (CONT'D)
I am Tew Halvar, Chief of Security
for Palmer Station. I keep the law
here. Rules are simple. Help each
other out. Don't hurt, don't steal.
Cross that, you cross me, and you
won't like me cross. Welcome to
Antarctica.

INT. U.N. OFFICES, UNDERHILL (CLIFF SIDE OFFICES) - DUSK

Eva storms into the rock-bound office, U.N. insignia all

over it, fury showing on her face. She pauses as she clocks
her team gathered around a smart desk:

CHARLES MAGUIRE, white, 40's, Eva's second in command.

VANCE VENDRIC, Argentinian, 30's, comms and mining liaison.

LILY SISAN, Asian, 20's, environmental sciences.

 10.

Vances's hands are dancing over the desk, red warning lights
reflected in his face. Lily and Charles watch with concern.

EVA
What's up?

CHARLES
Comms have been messed up since the
Aurora.

LILY
I told you, that weren't an Aurora.

CHARLES
So what was it then?

LILY
Dunno. Another new atmospheric
phenomenon. Mega-lightning?

Vance stands back -

VANCE
I've re-routed the satellite feeds.
Seems ok now.

EVA
Good. Bola's abandoned the Den and
reneged on the Burrows programme.

LILY
Shit.

CHARLES
I did warn you, Eva.

EVA
I'm taking it to Command.

VANCE
Clause Four?

EVA
It's time.

Eva turns to the conference room.

CHARLES
You know what they'll say, Eva.

EVA
No, I don't. Not until I ask.

Eva disappears into conference room.

 11.

INT. CONFERENCE ROOM, U.N. OFFICES - DUSK

Eva strides in, her right eye flashing -

EVA
UNA, get me the Under-Secretary
General. Highest urgency please.

The rock-bound room has two massive wall to wall windows at

either end. One looks into some sort of cavern, the other
down onto Palmer Station.

We're in the cliff-side office block we saw from the ship.

Eva walks to the window looking out over Palmer Station.

Below, the crowd of refugees is splitting, some heading up

towards the cliff, others into a building on the main drag.

In the sky more shooting stars blaze across the heavens.

Eva's right eye flashes red.

EVA (CONT'D)
Under-Secretary? Thank you for making
the time.

INT. ARC MINING RESOURCE CENTER - DUSK

Jianguo, followed by a dozen odd refugees, enters the center.

An ARC Corporate Stooge stands up, fake smile plastered wide.

STOOGE
Welcome to the Arc Mines resource
centre. Please, come in, come in.
It's chilly out.

As the refugees file in, the Stooge hops up onto a box

obviously kept for this very occasion.

STOOGE (CONT'D)
The good news is, we're hiring.
Caterers, cleaners, machinists,
operators, medics, administrators -
you name it we need it. And here at
ARC Mines we like to think of our
employees as family. From jobs to
food, accommodation to clothing, we
are a one stop shop for your every
need.

Jianguo eyes the man suspiciously.

 12.

STOOGE (CONT'D)
We even provide on the job training
to up skill new workers. All at no
up front cost to you.

Jianguo snorts. There it is.

STOOGE (CONT'D)
So, if you can form queues we'll be
happy to get started.

The Stooge steps down from his box and waves Jianguo over.

STOOGE (CONT'D)
Name?

JIANGUO
Jianguo Wu. I have a job -

The Stooge's eye light up electronically, but it flickers -

STOOGE
Huh. Connections... OK. Arm please.

Jianguo sticks out his arm -

JIANGUO
I was told to report to -

The Stooge passes his wrist over Jianguo's arm. Stops.

STOOGE
Hmm.

Across the room, other refugees are having similar issues.

STOOGE (CONT'D)
Weird. Just a nano.

The Stooge opens a draw and pulls out an old tablet.

Jianguo glances out of the window. From his POV we see the
augmented signs are flickering, revealing, in the sky behind
them, more shooting stars.

The stooge taps on the tablet - nothing.

STOOGE (CONT'D)
OK - Something's up with UNA. Um -
this might take a moment.

Jianguo nods, still looking outside.

JIANGUO
You think it might be that?
 13.

INT. CONFERENCE ROOM, U.N. OFFICES - DUSK

Eva paces as she talks to the hologram of Under Secretary

General Chambers, a white woman, 60s.

EVA
You've seen the projections, millions
of refugees -

CHAMBERS
Those are projections. We don't have
the luxury of dealing with what ifs.

EVA
It's not an if, it's a when. They
are human beings and they need help -

CHAMBERS
And we need Antarctic metals. The
floating cities, the off planet
project, the carbon capture programme -
all are dependant on them. They are
the priority.

EVA
Liliane, it's time for Clause Four.
Give me control of the corporations
and I'll build the Burrows and keep
the metal coming -

CHAMBERS
Your job is to keep the peace, not
to build some utopian fantasy at the
end of the world. I can't -

FUTZ

Chambers's voice disrupts, her image flickers and vanishes.

She's gone.

Eva stares at the spot in confusion.

EVA
Hello? Under-Secretary?
(beat)
UNA? Where did - UNA?

No answer.

No UNA.

Eva stares at the empty space, then notices -

 14.

A growing brightness coming from behind her - from the Palmer

Station window.

She turns around slowly, her eyes widening in awe.

She walks to the window, looking up at the sky.

Outside, white streaks criss cross the heavens, interlacing

in a light show like nothing ever seen on earth before.

This is no meteor shower. This is a meteor storm.

The stars are falling.

All of them.