Emerald Flight: "Rules of Engagement" (continued)

CUT TO:

84. INT. ALIEN VESSEL – COMMAND CENTER

The members of the survey team remain clustered in a small group. Their helmet spotlights show tantalizing bits of details about the chamber.

It appears to have three distinct levels, giving the impression of great height. There are stations positioned along the inner bulkheads along each walkway bordering each level.

The crew members move a little further into the chamber. Their helmet lights reveal the opposite bulkheads. The chamber, while still large, is not was wide as it first appeared. Most of its volume is above them.

TSU-TAO

Sir. (beat) I’m having trouble raising the ship.

Rusty pauses and listens. There is mostly the hiss of static on the communications channel.

RUSTY
(almost with a lack of concern)

Yeah, we all are.

ARUNA

Should we go back, sir?

Rusty looks around the chamber again. He turns and looks at Elizabeth.

RUSTY

What does the Lieutenant Commander think?

Elizabeth looks back at Rusty. She pauses a moment, but her expression reveals nothing of any uncertainty that she might be feeling.

ELIZABETH

Ten minutes. If we can’t get a signal out by then, we’ll head back out and set up a signal relay out in the corridor.

RUSTY
(with a slight smile)

You sound just like the Cap’n.

A faint smile appears on Elizabeth’s lips.

The group proceeds further into the Command Center.

The light from their helmets shows it to be empty in their immediate area.

RUSTY
(quietly)

Just as dead here as everywhere else.

TSU-TAO
(hushed)

Not quite as dead. Sir.

Tsu-tao stops. His helmet light illuminates a large, dark figure sprawling across the deck.

The figure taller than any of them. It is clearly dehydrated and mummified. There are large wings on its back, long since dried nearly to fine powder. Even though the features of the figure has shrunken in over the three millennia it has laid there, there is no doubt that it was once a large and powerful creature.

Hope steps closer and aims her helmet lights at the figure, brightly lighting it. It is now clearly what remains of a male Aerian warrior.

HOPE

He is dead.

RUSTY
(with obvious sarcasm)

Really?

Hope removes her portable medical scanner from the pouch on her belt. She scans the dead Aerian male.

HOPE

Yes.

Reaction shot of Rusty. He rolls his eyes at Hope.

Hope scans the area.

HOPE

Others. (beat) Eight.

RUSTY

Are they also just as dead as our friend here?

HOPE

Yes.