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echo: blakes7
to: All
from: Audrey Falconer
date: 1994-01-02 23:48:02
subject: Episode of the month script 2/3

[At the underground processing plant.]

 TARRANT:  Avon! Soolin!

   DAYNA:  [Pointing at Keiller.] Tarrant!

 TARRANT:  Keiller, what happened? He's out cold.

           [Dayna looks through a door.]

           [To Dayna.] What is it?

   DAYNA:  Two bodies, I think. The radiation hasn't left much.





[On board Scorpio.]

 KEILLER:  Where am I?  How did I get here.

    VILA:  It's your lucky day. Then again, maybe it isn't.

 KEILLER:  Vila.  You couldn't have landed this thing anywhere near

           the mine.  How did you get it...

    VILA:  A device called a teleporter. You weren't told about it?

 KEILLER:  Seems there's a lot I wasn't told.

   DAYNA:  It saved our lives.

 KEILLER:  And Avon, and the pretty one?

 TARRANT:  Avon and SOOLIN are dead.

 KEILLER:  I'm sorry.

 TARRANT:  That's something I suppose.

 KEILLER:  There was an ambush. Must have been a trap. I was working on

           the processor. Two guards were waiting.

   DAYNA:  Guards? What were they doing there?

 KEILLER:  I don't know, they shouldn't have been there. The gold was

           just about to go through, there was a fight, an explosion, a

           scramble to get out...

 TARRANT:  We were behind you in the corridor, Keiller, there were NO

           guards.

 KEILLER:  They must be dead as well. Like Avon and -- the pretty one.

    VILA:  You didn't set them up, I suppose? It wasn't a trap from the

           start?

 KEILLER:  Look, I nearly died myself, what do you think? It's you

           that's keeping things from me, not me from you.

 TARRANT:  The main alarm went off outside the warehouse. You'd already

           dealt with the guard, so who set it off?

 KEILLER:  Not me, I was working in the mine...

   DAYNA:  Someone knew we were coming.

 KEILLER:  Look, I didn't set you up.

 TARRANT:  But you know more than you're saying, don't you, Keiller?

 KEILLER:  No! No!

   DAYNA:  We have to find out, you see. For the sake of our friends.

           For the sake of our dead friends.





[At the underground processing plant.]

  SOOLIN:  Well, they cleared up the mess, at any rate.

    AVON:  They would. Breach of security. It could be an embarrassment.

           They will arrange an accident, I expect, to account for the

           dead guards.

  SOOLIN:  It worked. They think those corpses were us.

    AVON:  Well, why not? This was just a robbery that didn't come off.

           They have no idea who we were. Nothing was stolen. Besides,

           the guards that jumped us down here weren't their men,

           anyway.

  SOOLIN:  Those men weren't Zerok security guards?

    AVON:  Their uniforms were perfect, but the guns were not standard

           issue. Didn't you notice?

  SOOLIN:  Actually, no.

    AVON:  Someone else is using Keiller to get to us. It's the only

           logical explanation.

  SOOLIN:  So let's check him out, him and that ship of his.

    AVON:  We'll go out through the conveyor tunnel. It leads directly

           to the space port.

  SOOLIN:  That just leaves the problem of getting on board the Space

           Princess.

    AVON:  As long as it's still loading, that's NO problem.





[Space Princess Pursers Office.]

    AVON:  Communications records. You check the system, I'll go over

           the files.

  SOOLIN:  Right. So, how did Keiller do it?

    AVON:  Don't touch a volume output. If the gold is on board, so is

           the security.

  SOOLIN:  When I find it, I'll avoid it.

           [Avon opens a cabinet.]

           Something useful?

    AVON:  Guns.

  SOOLIN:  Something useful.

    AVON:  Ah, this looks more promising.

  SOOLIN:  What is it?

    AVON:  Some sort of log. Anything over there?

  SOOLIN:  I don't know yet, give me time. Ah! So, that's how Keiller

           did it. There's the hold. Plus gold. Plus security.

    AVON:  Quite a lot of security in fact.

  SOOLIN:  Avon, what's that?

    AVON:  Sound track?

  SOOLIN:  Seems to be.

    AVON:  Well, let's hear it, but make sure no one else does.

 KEILLER:  [V.O., recording over office P.A.] We are now passing as

           close as we dare to the ferocious power which is Pyrrus,

           and which has been called the twelfth wonder of...

           [Avon changes recordings.]

           ...a harmless electrical phenomenon known as Stardust Blizzard

           Field...

           [Avon changes recordings.]

           ...and the strange beauty of this ice planet can make it

           difficult to realize that it is one of the bleakest solid

           surfaces in the known galaxy.

    AVON:  So, this ship goes directly from Zerok to Earth. The pleasure

           cruise is a sham.

  SOOLIN:  Like everything else on Zerok. I'm surprised the passengers

           fall for it.

    AVON:  I imagine they have chemical help.

  SOOLIN:  You mean they drug the passengers?

    AVON:  Ah! This is interesting. Keiller's record. Very impressive.

           His last employer was the Federation.

  SOOLIN:  What's he doing here on Zerok?

    AVON:  [To himself.] On the President's personal staff.

           But which president?

  SOOLIN:  Avon, I think I've hit a volume output!

    AVON:  We'd better get out of here.

  SOOLIN:  [Into comm.] Scorpio, Scorpio. Come in, Scorpio.

    VILA:  [V.O., over comm.] Soolin!

  SOOLIN:  Stand by to bring us up, Vila.

    VILA:  [V.O.] Soolin, we thought you were dead.

  SOOLIN:  You sound disappointed. Are you standing by?

    AVON:  [Into comm.] Bring us up, Vila!

    VILA:  [V.O.] Avon!

  SOOLIN:  Now, Vila.

    VILA:  [V.O.] All right. All right. I'm doing my best.





 KEILLER:  Look, do you all have to stare at me like that? I swear I

           didn't let you down. All right. I was told to contact you.

 TARRANT:  By whom?

 KEILLER:  I don't know. I don't -- really. But they play rough, I do

           know that. They blackmailed me, said they'd use my record

           against me... I've got a criminal record, you see.

    VILA:  Hasn't everybody?

 TARRANT:  So this was their idea, then, not yours.

 KEILLER:  Some of it. Going to the mine was my idea.

   DAYNA:  What did they want?

 KEILLER:  Black gold. It seems they've got a way of laundering it back

           through the bank in Zerok. I can't imagine how, but they

           offered me a reward.

  SOOLIN:  You wanted more than a reward, though, didn't you, Keiller?

           You thought with our help you could get all that gold for

           yourself. I dislike greedy men, Keiller.

    AVON:  What was the reward?

 KEILLER:  Six billion. Quite a lot.

    AVON:  That's quite a lot less than seventeen billion.

 KEILLER:  That's what I thought... why I decided to go my own way.

           Look, Avon, these people are ruthless. I daren't go back to

           the Space Princess alone, they'll kill me.

 TARRANT:  Sounds reasonable.

 KEILLER:  You've got to take me with you, Avon.

    VILA:  Not a chance.

 KEILLER:  Please. Avon, if I go out there, I'm a dead man. Please!

    AVON:  All right, Keiller, we'll take you with us.

 TARRANT:  Wait just a minute, Avon --

    AVON:  We'll take you with us on one condition.

 KEILLER:  What's that?

    AVON:  The robbery goes ahead just as you and your former associates

           planned it, with one minor modification. We will use the

           teleport to steal your gold.

    ORAC:  I fear that will not be possible, Avon.

    AVON:  Why not?

    ORAC:  The processed gold will have undergone a subneutronic overlap

           shift. If subjected to the teleport process as well, it will

           reduce to dust irrevocably.

    AVON:  All right. We'll just have to use Keiller's plan as it

           stands.

    VILA:  Or falls.





 CONTROL:  [V.O., over comm.] [Beep] Space Princess, this is Zerok

           Control. Do you copy? [Beep]

   PILOT:  [V.O., over comm.] Zerok Control, this is Space Princess.

           Go ahead. [Beep]

 CONTROL:  [V.O.] Orbital clearance is on seven seven zero two. Confirm

           please. [Beep]

   PILOT:  [V.O.] Confirm seven seven zero two.

 CONTROL:  [V.O.] Have a happy trip. [Beep]

   PILOT:  [V.O.] Twelve standard days in this crate? That's happiness.

           [Beep]





[On Board Space Princess.]

 KEILLER:  [V.O., recording over P.A.] Good morning. Good morning. We

           are now one hour into our cruise, and this is Keiller, your

           Purser, welcoming you to Space Princess. We hope your trip

           will be a pleasant one. We'll be visiting some interesting

           places between here and Earth. And I, and the Captain, and the

           crew will endeavor to ensure that you gain maximum enjoyment

           and instruction from your voyage. Space Princess carries a

           number of special luxury facilities...

    AVON:  I want to see the Purser.

 KEILLER:  [V.O. recording continues.] ...Byro sauna units of the very

           latest kind...

 KEILLER:  Come in, Avon.

           [Keiller turns down the Pursers Office P.A.]

 KEILLER:  [V.O. recording continues from hallway P.A.] ...they reach

           the parts that other units don't even...

    AVON:  How many guards?

 KEILLER:  One in the hold. Two others change shift with him, but they

           won't be around, off-duty.

    AVON:  Plainclothes?

 KEILLER:  Two, on duty.

    AVON:  And you know them.

 KEILLER:  No. Different department. But they stand out a mile. They

           don't eat the passengers' food, so they're not drugged. And

           they're rotten actors.

    AVON:  It's vital that Tarrant and Soolin know them all. Now about

           this drug you gave Dayna.

 KEILLER:  Don't worry. It's quite safe. Causes symptoms, bad ones, but

           nothing else. They use it in psychological tests for

           security.

    AVON:  The plan was that she should fake it.

 KEILLER:  The regular doctor didn't turn up for the flight. The one

           they got as a last-minute replacement might not be the

           drunken 'alf-wit the other one was. Relax, Avon. It'll work,

           I stake my life on it.

    AVON:  Oh yes, indeed.





[Corridor outside of the Pursers Office.]

 KEILLER:  [V.O., recording over P.A.] Good morning. Good morning.

           Keiller the Purser speaking. In a few minutes I shall be

           giving you the day's itinerary, but first, please tune all

           chronometers to frequency seven for synchronization with

           Federation Standard Time...

 TARRANT:  Excuse me, do you know where I can find the Purser?

 KEILLER:  [V.O., recording continues.] ...Thank you.

 WOMAN PASSENGER:  No, sorry. Have a nice day.

 TARRANT:  Ask a silly question. I'm beginning to wish I was eating the

           same food as them. They seem to be having a good time.

  SOOLIN:  Why don't we wait in the Pursers Office?

 TARRANT:  What a good idea!

           [They enter the Pursers Office and check the monitor screen.]

           Any minute now.





[Entering the Space Princess hold.]

 KEILLER:  [To guard.] It's all right, it's only Keiller. But this is

           Avon.

           [Keiller steps aside. Avon shoots the guard.]

           Keep clear of the camera, just in case.

           [Keiller hooks a device to the security camera.]

           There, that should keep us safe, Old Friend. As of now we're

           not here.

           [Avon and Keiller wheel in a gurney.]

           When we shoot the lock stand well back, Old Friend. They play

           tricks. Exploding catches, things like that.





[Corridor outside the Pursers Office.]

 KEILLER:  [V.O., recording over P.A.] Good morning, passengers.

           Keiller again with your day's itinerary as promised. Will all

           passengers who wish to now refer to the star maps issued

           at the start of the cruise. Coordinates for the position

           obtained...





[A member of the ships crew enters the Pursers Office. He checks the

monitors.  Soolin and Tarrant are hiding.]

 KEILLER:  [V.O., recording can be heard from corridor P.A.] ...in which

           quadrant...





[Space Princess hold.]

 KEILLER:  [Opening container of black gold.] Just look at that - will

           you look at that.

           [Small explosion from inside gold pile.]

           Avon, get down! Avon, quick help me get them off! Quick!

           Quick! Avon, help me get them off! Get them off! Get them off!

           Not with your hands! Not with your hands! Get something and

           get them off quickly! Quickly!

    AVON:  What are they?

 KEILLER:  Killers! When they're fired they ignite! If they hit you they

           go right through you, you've got about ten seconds. Am I

           clear? Am I clear?

    AVON:  You're clear!

 KEILLER:  Make certain. Some of them don't ignite right away.

    AVON:  You're clear!

           [Keiller sobs.]

           Now, are there likely to be any more booby traps?

 KEILLER:  No. No, that'll be all. Come on.





[Pursers Office.  The crew member leaves.]

 KEILLER:  [V.O., over corridor P.A.] ...that's the end of our itinerary

           for the standard unit number six.

 TARRANT:  Ah, that was close.

  SOOLIN:  Yes, he was nearly dead.





[Space Princess hold.]

 KEILLER:  That's it then, Avon, Old Friend. Round one to us, I think.

    AVON:  Possibly.

           The cube isn't working!

 KEILLER:  Huh? I must have knocked it when that firecracker hit me.

           Doesn't matter, though. If they'd found out, we'd be dead by

           now.



--- FMail 0.96g+

* Origin: Logic is a way of going wrong with confidence! (3:632/522)
SEEN-BY: 50/99 54/54 620/243 632/348 351 386 403 486 522 998 633/371 635/210
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SEEN-BY: 800/1
@PATH: 632/522 351 386 635/503 50/99 54/54 711/808 809

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