Int. Orbitus Kaltrone Spaceship, Office, Level A1.
Kamon and Albertan sit in Albertan’s office. Albertan appears distracted. He keeps looking over to Dr Rune’s empty seat at the desk across from his own.
Kamon waves a hand in front of Albertan’s face.
KAMON
You’re not listening to me, are you?
ALBERTAN
[Gesturing to the empty seat]
Where is he?
KAMON
Is everything okay, Art? Why do you care? He’s probably tending to a patient. I heard there was an incident in one of the pods heading back from Ground Zero last night.
ALBERTAN
[Shifts in seat]
You’re right. I bet he’s running around telling everyone what a hero he is.
Dr Rune sticks his head into the office doorway.
ALBERTAN (CONT’D)
Here we go.
DR RUNE
Hey. Have any of you seen Dr Amundsen?
Albertan sits up straight in his chair.
KAMON
No, we haven’t. Why?
DR RUNE
She didn’t show up to her shift yesterday or this morning. She’s not answering when I go to her room.
Albertan takes off his glasses, cleaning them on the end of his shirt.
ALBERTAN
Look, Walbert, I don’t want to put a spanner in the works, but Dr Amundsen came to me a few days ago requesting a transfer to my department.
DR RUNE
This is news to me.
KAMON
[Suspicious]
Same. When were you going to tell me?
ALBERTAN
Dr Glynn and I thought it best to keep this under wraps … for the sake of Dr Amundsen’s career.
KAMON
Looney Cluney knew about this before me?
ALBERTAN
Calm down.
[Addressing Dr Rune]
I obviously told her no. The girl is probably embarrassed. She might need a few days to rethink her position on this ship.
DR RUNE
Right. Sure. I just can’t believe she didn’t come to me first. I’ll have to lodge this with the Bridge, regardless. It’s not an excuse to miss her shifts.
Albertan waves a hand dramatically in the air.
ALBERTAN
As you see fit.
Dr Rune leaves.
ALBERTAN (CONT’D)
Man, I hate that guy.
KAMON
Albertan. Now do I have your attention? Like I was saying earlier, we have a match. A DNA match for EDIM.
Albertan’s head snaps up.
ALBERTAN
Who?
KAMON
You’re not going to like it.
Int. Orbitus Kaltrone Spaceship, Corridor, Level A2.
Nova spots Albertan walking briskly down the corridor, hands in pockets, deep in thought. They almost collide and Nova grabs his arms to steady herself.
NOVA
Albertan!
ALBERTAN
Ah, Nova, just the woman I wanted to see.
NOVA
Albertan, did you hear about Floss? No one can find her. I just heard they’re going to search the ship’s surveillance footage to see where she was last seen.
ALBERTAN
Well, the CCTV seems like the most appropriate place to start.
NOVA
Sorry, what did you want to see me for? You missed our dinner date the other night. I just thought, maybe you weren’t interested …
Albertan clocks Dr Glynn walking down the corridor. Nova follows his stare and her face falls.
ALBERTAN
Sorry. I got caught up in the lab. You know how I can be. Nova, can we take a raincheck? There’s just something I need to confirm with Cluney.
NOVA
You’re calling her Cluney now? I take it working together is going better than you thought.
Albertan looks back at Nova and smiles.
ALBERTAN
I want to explain my latest experiment to you. Can I come by your room later tonight?
Nova is taken aback but smiles anyway.
NOVA
Sure.
ALBERTAN
We have much to talk about.
Albertan nods and thumps her on the arm. Nova is disheartened by the exchange and is left staring after him.
As Albertan walks past Dr Glynn, he grabs her tightly on the arm.
ALBERTAN
[Voice hushed]
Keep walking.
Albertan herds Dr Glynn down the hall. He looks both left and right, and, satisfied they are alone, pushes Dr Glynn into a cupboard. Their eyes are aligned as they huddle in the dark, small room.
DR GLYNN
What?
ALBERTAN
You wiped the surveillance footage from the other night.
DR GLYNN
Is that a statement or a question? Of course, I did. I did it for the night we brought in the creature and I did it for the current situation at hand.
ALBERTAN
EDIM has to be protected at all costs, Cluney. Kamon found a DNA match.
Dr Glynn’s eyes light up.
DR GLYNN
A match? Who is it?
An announcement sounds over the ship’s intercom system.
ANNOUNCEMENT
Attention: all Orbitus staff must return to their rooms. All military, please report to your attending officer. Repeat: all Orbitus staff must return to their rooms.
Albertan’s breathing hitches. He looks at Dr Glynn, angry.
DR GLYNN
They won’t find anything.
ALBERTAN
You better be right.
Int. Orbitus Kaltrone Spaceship, Artillery Sector, Level B4.
Major Lovas stands with Captain Pae, Lieutenant Moreau and Cadet Jewel-Bird in a long corridor in front of a section of wall, marked with an ‘X’ in white chalk.
MAJOR LOVAS
Are you sure?
CAPTAIN PAE
We are, Major. Lieutenant Moreau’s reports show an inconsistency in the structure of this panel.
Major Lovas nods.
Cadet Jewel-Bird pulls out a power saw and begins to cut through the metal wall. She cuts out a large rectangle and peels back the metal. A body falls from inside the wall.
It is Dr Amundsen. Her body is wrapped in a plastic tarp; her distorted face in a still scream, eyes wide, mouth open. Her skin is slightly grey. Blood covers her corpse. Some seeps out from beneath the plastic and starts to coat the floor in sticky, red liquid.
Int. Orbitus Kaltrone Spaceship, Research Laboratory 2, Level A1.
Albertan and Dr Glynn stand together at one of the laboratory stations. Kamon runs into the room.
KAMON
[Out of breath]
They found her.
DR GLYNN
What do you mean?
KAMON
Her body. Floss’s body. JB just told me. She was in the walls. Apparently, the ship’s footage was missing from the past few days. Operations decided to search the ship’s interior and noticed the irregularity in the structure. It’s insane. What do you think happened to her?
Albertan’s eye twitches.
Int. Orbitus Kaltrone Spaceship, Staff Accommodation, Level C1.
Albertan knocks gently on Nova’s door. She opens the door a crack and peers out. She allows Albertan inside.
NOVA
Albertan, what are you doing here? The ship is in lock down.
ALBERTAN
I promised you I’d explain my research.
NOVA
Have some respect, Albertan. Dr Amundsen was murdered, and you want to talk to me about research?
ALBERTAN
You don’t understand, Nova. EDIM is more important than just one life. You … you’re the match I need.
NOVA
EDIM?
ALBERTAN
Experimentum: Devising the Individual Mind, my real research. I’ve been taking hair samples from people on the ship, yours included, to try and find a match. Your DNA is the key to everything. Just … just listen to me Nova. You are part of something. Something bigger than you and me.
Nova backs away from him, putting up her hands.
NOVA
Stop, Albertan. What are you talking about? You’ve taken hair samples from your peers? Without authorisation?
ALBERTAN
They’re not my peers, Nova. These people are just vessels for science.
NOVA
Get out, Albertan.
Albertan reaches forward and grabs Nova. She struggles in his grasp.
ALBERTAN
I just need a few vials of your blood. That’s all. I have been working tirelessly and I think I know how to create the serum, but I need your DNA. You’re the match.
NOVA
Albertan let go.
Albertan reaches into his pocket and pulls out a syringe.
ALBERTAN
You’re part of something, Nova. We’re part of something.
He injects her.
Nova’s body goes limp in his arms. He cradles her for a moment and strokes her face with his index finger. He traces down to her neck and feels for a pulse. Satisfied, he lies her on her bed and places her arms by her side.
Albertan grabs Nova’s keys and locks her door.
He pulls out another syringe from his pocket and begins to extract the blood from her veins.
He holds one of the vials up to the artificial light. A smile plays on his lips.
Int. Orbitus Kaltrone Spaceship, Research Laboratory 2, Level A1.
Albertan walks into the lab, locking the door behind him. Kamon and Dr Glynn step away from their stations. Kamon looks nervous.
DR GLYNN
Did you get it?
Albertan nods. He is too excited to speak.
KAMON
Nova just let you take her blood?
Dr Glynn and Albertan share a knowing glance. Albertan holds out the vials of blood in the air, in Kamon’s direction.
ALBERTAN
Kamon, I need this blood synthesized.
Kamon looks nervous, unsure of Albertan, but too scared to speak against him.
KAMON
Okay.
Kamon reaches forward to take the vials from Albertan’s hand. As he does, Albertan grabs Kamon’s forearm, keeping him close.
ALBERTAN
[Ominously]
And so it begins.