A Single Unfortunate Event

CAST

HANZ: HEAD SCIENTIST

HUGO: SCIENTIST
CHRIS: SCIENTIST ASSISTANT
CHRISTIE: ASTRONAUT
JOHNNIE: ASTRONAUT
SCENE ONE: INT. LAB – MORNING

MUSIC: HOPEFUL, BRIGHT

SOUND: ELECTRICAL BUZZING, RADIO STATIC

HANZ: Are we all ready?

CHRIS: Yes Sir.

HANZ: Good, begin initiation sequence.

HUGO: 3, 2, 1, GO!

SOUND: WHIRRING FROM QUIET TO LOUD

HANZ: It’s working! Get ready.

HUGO: Sir, energy levels are off the

charts!

HANZ: Good. It’s working!... Watch out it’s

gonna blow!

SOUND: POWER GOING DOWN, ALL ELECTRICAL

BUZZING AND STATIC STOPS, IMPLOSION

HUGO: Is everyone alright?

CHRIS: I am, Hanz are you okay?

HANZ: Yes I’m fine. Did it work?

HUGO: I think it has. Energy levels are off

the charts. We’ve done it!

HANZ: Well done all of you! Have we got a

containment unit for it?

MUSIC: DARK AND DEEP

HUGO: Yes but with readings like this, it

will be very temporary.

HANZ: How long will it hold?

HUGO: With readings like this, could be

anywhere from a few hours to a few
weeks. Should I turn my attention to
finding a more permanent containment
for it?
HANZ: Yes, do that immediately.

SCENE TWO: INT. LAB AFTERNOON

SOUND: ELECTRICAL BUZZING, RADIO STATIC,

GLASS CLINKING

HANZ: Hugo, how is research going for the

containment unit?

MUSIC: DEEP AND OMINOUS

HUGO: Not very good Sir, we can’t find a

resource strong enough to hold it.
There’s just too much power!

HANZ: What are the expected results if it

breaches containment?

HUGO: It will begin to deteriorate the

planet from the inside out. Killing
us all.

HANZ: Ok this is bad. Are you sure you’ve

tested everything?

HUGO: Yes, Sir we have tried everything. If

you don’t want to be the reason for
our destruction you need to shut it
down. Now!

HANZ: No. There will be a way. Find it.

HUGO: Sir I told you, we’ve tried

everything.

HANZ: Well try harder!

CHRIS: Sir, I’ve been working on this with

Hugo alongside my own maintenance. We
cannot fin… (Gets interrupted by
Hanz)

HANZ: You are not trying hard enough. There

are thousands of resources on this
planet and your telling me there is
nothing. Forget it, it will last till
we launch Project X.

SCENE THREE: EXT. LAUNCHPAD – AFTERNOON

HANZ: Are we ready and prepared for launch?

HUGO: Yes Sir. We will launch on your

signal.

HANZ: Launch in T- 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3,

2, 1 LAUNCH!

HUGO: Launching!

SOUND: THRUSTERS ENGAGINE, ROCKET TAKE OFF

CHRIS: Launch successful, so far!

HANZ: Good work gentlemen.

HUGO: They are entering the upper

atmosphere as we speak.

CHRIS: Christie, Johnnie. Do you copy

JOHNNIE: Loud and clear.

CHRIS: Are all systems initiated?

JOHNNIE: Yes Sir. We have cleared the upper

atmosphere.

CHRIS: Fulfil your mission. And get back to

us safely. Earth, out.

HANZ: Hugo, a word?

HUGO: Of course Sir.

INT. LAB – AFTERNOON

MUSIC: DARK AND TRAGIC

HANZ: Hugo, any luck with a containment

unit?

HUGO: Sir unfortunately not. I told you,

there’s nothing on this planet that
can hold it. I can only hope you come
around and shut it down or Project X
returns with something we can use.

HANZ: Very well. We shall wait.

HUGO: Sir, my professional advice would be
to shut it down. Before it’s too
late.

HANZ: I don’t need your “professional

advice”. I am the Head Scientist and
you are not.

HUGO: (Lets out a sigh of disappointment)

SCENE FOUR: INT. LAB – MIDNIGHT

HANZ: Hugo, what have you called me here

for so late in the evening?

SOUND: ELECTRICAL BUZZING, STATIC

HUGO: Sir, we have a situation. The

containment unit is beginning to
breach. You have to shut it down.
NOW. If you do not, I have been given
authority by the King to relieve you
of your duties.

MUSIC: EXTREMELY DEEP AND REGRETFUL, TENSION

MUSIC

HANZ: Do you know what this will do to our

reputation? Fix it. I will talk to
the King.

HUGO: Sir, with all do respect. The King is

siding with me. Now either shut it
down or I will relieve you of your
duties.

HANZ: Fine. Shut it down. The weight of

this is on your shoulders Hugo.

HUGO: Sir. I’m afraid this is all in fact

on your shoulders.

HANZ: Take this key. Put it into the system

and turn it on my signal.

HUGO: Yes Sir.

HANZ: 3, 2, 1, TURN.

SOUND: POWER GOING DOWN

HUGO: It should be shut down. I hope we
weren’t too late.

HANZ: I am going to inform the King that it

has been shut down. Before I go. Make
sure it has been shut down safely
with no issues.

HUGO: The readings are still high Sir… We

were too late.

HANZ: What does this mean?

HUGO: It means we’re all dead. I’m going

home to spend my last moments with my
family. It was a pleasure working
beside you Sir.

HANZ: So this is it?

HUGO: I am afraid so. Fairwell, Hanz.

SOUND: IMPLOSION, FIRE CRACKLE

SCENE SIX: INT. PROJECT X – MORNING

MUSIC: HOPELESS, DARK, DEEP OMINOUS

CHRISTIE: Johnnie. Look! What’s happening to

Earth?

JOHNNIE: I’m not sure. It looks like the

biggest explosion I’ve ever seen! Get
in contact with Earth. Find out
what’s going on down there.

CHRISTIE: On it. Project X to Earth. What’s

going on down there? Earth, I repeat
this is Project X, what is going on
down there!

SOUND: RADIO STATIC

CHRISTIE: I’m not getting anything. Look at the

satellite imaging. See if anyone is
alive down there.

JOHNNIE: Already looking. The whole Earth has

turned virtually into Mars! I don’t
think there is anyone down there!
CHRISTIE: I bet it was that damn new power
source they created. There were
rumours going around that it would
blow.

JOHNNIE: I have to agree with you. If there

truly is no one down there. We must
be the last of humans. I wish we
hadn’t built that thing. It has
granted us immortality, that means
we’re gonna be floating around in
this tin can for the rest of
eternity.

CHRISTIE: I’m not doing that. We have this

ship. We can use this to find a
planet inhabitable and possibly with
life. We will settle down there until
Earth becomes inhabitable again.

JOHNNIE: I agree. Let’s start looking. We will

return to Earth once it’s ready. For
the mean time if we find any
civilisation that is also discovering
that power, let’s try to stop them
from making the same mistake we did.

CHRISTIE: We have a whole Universe to look

through. We better start looking…

THE END