The crew begins packing up equipment, preparing for the journey back to Earth.
EXT. MSS PURGATORY - EARTH ORBIT
The Microcore Space Station Purgatory is a haphazard assemblage of modules and solar panels of various shapes and sizes. Numerous antennae and receiving dishes protrude from the station's outer fringes.
The Hellas docks with the station.
INT. COMMAND CENTER - MSS PURGATORY
A red light turns to green beside an airlock.
The airlock hatch opens.
The entire Hellas crew is inside. They enter the command center.
CAPTAIN PAUL AVERY introduces himself to Commander Ying. He grimaces at Jeremy's name tag.
AVERY
Mr. Jeremy Ash himself. Cecil's new
mystery man, returning from Mars just as
one of these so-called Super Spiders
crawls through my goddamned window. What
an amazing coincidence. I should have
known your presence would bring nothing
but sorrow to my station.
JEREMY
Pretty harsh words for someone you've
never met, sir.
AVERY
Oh I know you. I know that you were part
of the super secret Venus Project. I
understand it was a terraforming
operation. I've even read your brother's
sacred Book of Alec.
JEREMY
My brother didn't write that book.
AVERY
Right. Why don't we start with the
creature that just came into my cargo
hold.
YING
Are you saying there's a Super Spider
aboard this station? What exactly is the
situation, Captain?
AVERY
I've got exactly one monster loose on my
station, Commander. It entered, then
exited The MSS Purgatory cargo hold at
04:15 hours, 3 October, 2033. We were
unable to seal the cargo hold before said
intruder could be contained.
Avery plays a security video showing the Kek cutting open a portal with its claws and entering the cargo hold.
AVERY (CONT’D)
There was no loss of pressure. It had
woven a protective shell around itself
while outside the station- an airlock of
sorts. It came through just as The Hellas
docked.
JEREMY
How could I possibly have anything to do
with this?
AVERY
Why else would it be here?
JEREMY
Maybe there's something onboard that it
wants or needs.
AVERY
Can you imagine how difficult it must
have been for this creature to steal a
ride into orbit without being detected?
We're 22,000 miles in space for Christ's
sake. And if it didn't come from Earth,
and these creatures are arriving in Earth
orbit from some other place, god help us
all.
The Kek bursts through an air duct.
Avery slaps a large red button on the wall.
Jeremy slips out of the command center just before all the hatches seal shut.
INT. CORRIDOR A - MSS PURGATORY
Jeremy is alone outside the command center.
Screams can be heard through the hatch.
A station-wide alarm sounds.
An automated voice instructs The Purgatory's residents to proceed to THE RUNNER BAY.
Jeremy finds his way to the bay.
INT. RUNNER BAY - MSS PURGATORY
A neglected emergency escape craft occupies the small bay. On its hull is printed RUNNER SERIES A-2.
Residents are trickling into the bay.
Jeremy helps an elderly couple board the craft.
EXT. MSS PURGATORY
A missile approaches from Earth. It clips The Hellas.
The Hellas heaves sideways, tearing itself away from The Purgatory.
Several bodies, including the Kek, tumble out of the exposed command center into space.
The Kek is flailing.
INT. RUNNER BAY - MSS PURGATORY
The Purgatory heaves from the missile striking The Hellas.
A red light flashes in the bay.
The Runner's hatch automatically slams shut.
A large space door opens in front of The Runner.
Residents approaching The Runner are thrown out into space.
INT. RUNNER
Jeremy climbs into the pilot's seat. He examines the cockpit controls.
He manages to release the Runner's docking clamps, start its engines, and ease the craft out of the bay.
He programs a course to the moon.
A side view mirror displays a missile striking and destroying The Purgatory behind them.
No one in the cabin is aware of The Purgatory's destruction.
Most of them are just grumbling about the inconvenience.
FADE OUT.
FADE IN to the Runner's cabin.
The aisle is overflowing with two days worth of emptied emergency ration packets.
Nerves are frayed. Tensions are high.
Jeremy's voice comes over the intercom.
JEREMY (V.O.)
Attention passengers. I know it's been a
long trip but we are currently in lunar
orbit and will be arriving at Crater Cove
within the hour.
EXT. NASA CRATER COVE LUNAR COMPLEX - DAY
Habitat modules wrap around a pair of double domed arboretums.
A runway extends between them.
The Runner lands on the runway.
INT. RECEIVING CENTER - CRATER COVE - DAY
Jeremy enters. A UNIFORMED MAN hands him a plastic card.
JEREMY
What's this?
UNIFORMED MAN
Five hundred credits, sir. The staff at
Crater Cove regrets the loss of The
Purgatory and those who went down with
her. We hope this small token will make
your transition less stressful.
JEREMY
Thank you.
The man continues handing out cards to the Runner's arriving passengers.
Jeremy wanders into one of the corridors.
A sleazy holographic woman leads Jeremy into The Sierra Twilight Club, feeling him up all the way.
INT. SIERRA TWILIGHT CLUB - CRATER COVE - DAY
Jeremy sits at the bar. He spots Tara. She's sitting atop an empty beer keg, slouched over a small steel table. She is very drunk.
An OLD MAN approaches her from behind.
He smiles with rotting teeth behind her back.
He places a plastic card on the table in front of her.
He begins kissing her neck.
He places a hand on her breast.
Jeremy walks up and shoves him aside.
The old man punches Jeremy in the face.
Jeremy falls to the ground.
The old man stands there with clenched fists.
OLD MAN
She's mine, boy. I suggest you find
yourself another.
Jeremy scrambles to his feet.
He grabs Tara and pulls her toward the exit.
He is forced to peel her fingers from the door frame on the way out.
The bar fills with laughter.
INT. ARBORETUM - CRATER COVE - DAY
Jeremy pulls Tara into the arboretum.
She starts kicking and screaming.
TARA
Let go of me!
JEREMY
What's the matter with you? I'm trying to
help you.
TARA
I don't want your help. That man was
about to give me a thousand credits.
JEREMY
For what? Sex?
TARA
What's it to you?
JEREMY
Jesus, Tara, is this what I think it is?
I can't believe you would do that.
TARA
Jeremy?
JEREMY
You mean you didn't even recognize me?
TARA
I haven't seen you in two years. You ran
off to Mars so I came to the moon. Then
the Chinese attacked and I got stuck up