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Rated: 13+ · Book · Sci-fi · #1369089
The main characters are introduced, also hard science, political and religious intrigue.
#558323 added January 1, 2008 at 11:38pm
Restrictions: None
EPISODE 9 - DOOR NUMBER 2
FADE IN:

INT. MIKE'S CABIN

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             How'd I do?

                                                 VESNA(OS)
                             Not bad for a human. You were
                             calm, logical, and not too
                             overstated. I would have played
                             up the emotional aspects a bit
                             more to predispose them to your
                             point, but overall you weren't
                             bad. I think they'll eventually
                             see it your way, or at least a
                             majority of them will.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             You know, for a machine, you
                             really don't play fair at all.

                                                 VESNA (OS)
                             Am I supposed to? I prefer winning.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             Smart-ass!

                                                 VESNA (OS)
                             Human!

                                                                                          CUT TO:

INT. COMMAND DECK

Everyone is in the control room when Mike returns a couple
of hours later. Most still look troubled, but he can tell
that they had discussed all of the details amongst themselves.
He detects there is still somewhat of a split in their opinions.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             OK, everybody ready, or would you
                             like public debate?

There is a general murmuring, and Mike sees that debate and
discussion is in order.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             Fine, let's talk about it for a
                             while. If you don't mind, I'd
                             like to conference in both of
                             your presidents since they will
                             have an input also. Vesna faxed
                             each of them an "eyes only"
                             transcript of my earlier tirade
                             so, hopefully, they are up to
                             speed on what we need to decide.

There is a general nodding of heads and Mike signals Vesna
to arrange the call.

                                                 VESNA (OS)
                             I have them both on the line, sir.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             Thank you both for joining us. I
                             know it's actually the middle of
                             the night for you, but I think
                             that all of us appreciate your
                             input and insight.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL (CONT'D)
                             This is a secure connection, so
                             none of this will leak out unless
                             you want it to.

                                                 PRESIDENT FOREST
                             I think you're a madman!

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                                       (Shrugging)
                             So does Doctor Barishnikov;
                             you're in good company. He
                             thinks I should be certified and
                             put away for the risks I take.

Igor blushes slightly and looks sheepish.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             The people here on the scene have
                             to make a decision how much to
                             make public about what we have
                             discovered and the interests of
                             both countries need to be
                             represented also.

                                                 PRESIDENT FOREST
                                       (Angrily)
                             That's what I mean. Things like
                             this are better left to elected
                             representatives!

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             I'm sorry, Sir. While we are
                             here, this is a democracy
                             patterned after the Swiss model;
                             majority rules, nobody has been
                             elected. I'm the nominal captain
                             because I'm responsible for their
                             safety, but decisions of this
                             magnitude will be carried by
                             plebiscite, not dictate.

                                                 PRESIDENT FOREST
                             Since you are a citizen of the
                             United States, as are six others
                             on your ship making our country a
                             majority, as your Commander in
                             Chief I order you to return
                             immediately to Earth and
                             surrender all of your materials.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             Sir, I've never been great on
                             taking orders; you already know
                             that. Secondly, we're about 47-
                             million miles outside your
                             jurisdiction. Third, do you
                             remember that tide pool I talked
                             to you about a while back? The
                             genie's out of the bottle and we
                             need to decide what our three
                             wishes are.

There is silence from Forest's end. All see Puchinskiy's
struggle to maintain a straight face.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL (CONT'D)
                             Now I called everybody here so
                             that we could have a sensible
                             discussion of the pros and cons
                             of going public about our
                             apparent alterations. Mr.
                             Presidents, if you would, please,
                             I would like for each of you to
                             have the last word. Your
                             opinions will carry a lot of
                             weight and it would be best if
                             you provided a summation. I
                             think I made my position clear,
                             but I can discuss it further if
                             you wish. I'll open the floor
                             for questions or discussion.

                                                 SVETLANA
                             I do not understand why you don't
                             want to release the news of this.
                             This is probably the greatest
                             discovery in the history of the
                             Earth.

                                                 BELISAR
                             It is probably the greatest thing
                             since the discovery of the Earth.
                             I think we all realize now that
                             we didn't originate there;
                             probably not here, either. As an
                             anthropologist, I'll tell you the
                             single greatest fear humanity has
                             had since he began to walk
                             upright is that of death. Dying
                             is a total unknown. That's why
                             we invented religions, to give
                             some hope for something more.

                                                 BELISAR (CONT'D)
                             Everlasting life is something
                             that is spoken of in every
                             culture everywhere. Can you
                             imagine the global hysteria if we
                             let it be known it was possible?
                             Ponce de Leon spent his life
                             searching for the fountain of
                             youth. He was looking on the
                             wrong planet. All he found was a
                             mosquito-ridden swamp; we found a
                             pyramid.

                                                 SHARON MANSON
                             I understand where you're coming
                             from. As a news story, this would
                             have no parallel since the word
                             got out that Moses waved a stick
                             over the Red Sea and the water
                             moved aside for him. However,
                             you must realize that we have
                             almost exhausted the resources of
                             the Earth. The petroleum is
                             almost gone. The rainforests are
                             almost gone. The native species
                             are becoming extinct at an
                             accelerating rate. There is
                             already mass starvation on most
                             of the Earth because of a lack of
                             space to grow food. Now think
                             what would happen if nobody died
                             of natural causes for the next 100
                             years and continued to breed.

Carol is busy calculating in her head.

                                                 CAROL MANSON
                             That would be almost a logarithmic
                             progression, mom. At the current
                             rate of growth the population
                             would double in less than 50
                             years to over 12-billion people,
                             but then that would double again
                             in 25 more years to 24-billion.
                             Twelve years after that there
                             would be almost 50-billion people.
                             That's horrible! We can't feed
                             the people we have now!

                                                 BARISHNIKOV
                             But programs could be put in
                             place to reserve this for the
                             most deserving to keep it under
                             control.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             I agree in theory that Einstein
                             did some of his best work just
                             before he died, and so did Tesla
                             and Sagan. Just who is the most
                             deserving? I certainly wouldn't
                             want to make the decision who
                             lives indefinitely and who
                             doesn't. Would you?

Barishnikov looks blank and slowly shakes his head.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             How about each of you, Mr.
                             Presidents. As the ultimate
                             leaders of the two greatest
                             nations today, would you be able
                             to make those decisions?

There is a panicked look on Puchinskiy's face as he shakes
his head almost violently.

                                                 PRESIDENT PUCHINSKIY
                             There would be an upheaval by
                             those who were denied that would
                             make our Great October Revolution
                             appear as an Easter picnic.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             President Forest?

                                                 PRESIDENT FOREST
                             There are 535 people that I have
                             to work with every day in
                             Congress. If news of this leaked
                             out, any one of them would be
                             willing to kill to be on the list.
                             God, can you imagine someone like
                             Strom Thurmond for another 300
                             years? There is already too
                             great a gap between the poor and
                             the wealthy causing crime; just
                             think of the gap between mortals
                             and immortals? If word gets out,
                             our entire national budget next
                             year would be spent building
                             rockets to take the powerful,
                             rich and famous to Mars. No, I
                             would not make that decision!

                                                 OKSANA
                             Is there any way that this could
                             just be used to cure disease?
                             You say my heart is now completely
                             normal. Would it be possible to
                             only fix things that are diseased
                             and not everything?

                                                 MEDVEDEV
                             I do not know. This is all too
                             new and we do not have the
                             equipment here to research that
                             possibility; it will be one of
                             the things that I will study when
                             we return. I have barely come to
                             grips with the realization that
                             everyone I know and love will
                             grow old and die before me.
                             Another thing that I do not know
                             is whether we can pass on perfect
                             genetics to any future offspring.
                             If there were only four Adams and
                             four Eves that grew to six
                             billion, what will happen if any
                             of us have children? I do not know.

                                                 GARAN
                             This is a curse, not a blessing!
                             My beloved children will grow old
                             before I do.

                                                 MEDVEDEV
                             I also do not know whether this
                             will wear off when we return to
                             Earth.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             Exactly. Our problem now is how
                             to put the genie back in the
                             bottle. And prevent mass
                             hysteria and panic in the process.

                                                 JOHN BELISAR
                             Let me understand this. You are
                             saying that if any of us have
                             children with a normal person,
                             the child would have a good
                             chance of inheriting this, right?

Medvedev nods.

                                                 JOHN BELISAR (CONT'D)
                             Then if I remember my high school
                             biology, if two of us here had
                             children together, it would be a
                             shoe-in.

The doctor smiles and nods again as John goes meditatively
silent.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             Is there any more discussion, or
                             are we ready to vote on whether
                             we tell the world what has
                             happened to us?

Several people look around, but they all nod.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             Then let's have a voice vote.
                             We're too small a group to make
                             ballots, and we all need to know
                             where we stand, agreed?

Again nods all around.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             All right, then. Svetlana?

                                                 SVETLANA
                             Yes.

Mike nods.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             Sharon?

                                                 SHARON MANSON
                             No.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             Misha?

The boy looks at his mother for a long time.

                                                 MIKHAIL
                             No.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             Carol?

                                                 CAROL MANSON
                             No.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             Joe?

                                                 BELISAR
                             No.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             Igor?

                                                 BARISHNIKOV
                             Definitely no!

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             John?

                                                 JOHN BELISAR
                             Yes.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             Doctor Stromberg?

                                                 STROMBERG
                             No.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             Pavel?

                                                 NORODSKY
                             My country's population has gone
                             down since the end of the Soviet
                             Union. I have to say yes.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             Jim?

                                                 KITCH
                             No.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             Ivan?

                                                 MEDVEDEV
                             Does this include not telling
                             fellow doctors?

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             The facts and evidence we bring
                             back will be studied by a select
                             few under a veil of secrecy. I
                             know that this knowledge will get
                             out sometime, but we need to know
                             whether we will be the ones to
                             break the news.

                                                 MEDVEDEV
                             Then I must vote no.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             Doctor Jameson?

                                                 JAMESON
                             Yes.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             Yuri?

                                                 GARAN
                             No.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             Oksana?

The girl looks almost panicked with indecision.

                                                 OKSANA
                                       (Quietly, almost a whisper)
                             No.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             President Puchinskiy?

                                                 PRESIDENT PUCHINSKIY
                             Pavel, our population may be
                             diminishing, but that is economic.
                             Our people are either moving or
                             starving. In good conscience I
                             must say no.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             President Forest?

                                                 PRESIDENT FOREST
                             As much as I hate to, I have to
                             agree with you. I vote no. My
                             science advisor says that your
                             findings are insane. This is a
                             good thing because nobody would
                             believe it at first. But he's
                             the one that assured me your
                             machine would never get off the
                             ground.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             Thank you, Sir. Vesna?

                                                 VESNA (OS)
                             All of my data indicates that you
                             humans act very badly when
                             crowded. You are already
                             overcrowded on most of your
                             planet and are not behaving well
                             at all. Logic dictates that I
                             vote no.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             Well, that makes it 14 to four.
                             More than enough votes to
                             override a veto in both our
                             countries. I hope you all
                             understand that this is a
                             decision, not a ruling. The FSB
                             and CIA won't hunt you down if
                             you say anything. I won't even
                             send any of my machines after you.
                                       (grinning even wider
                                       to show it was
                                       supposed to be humorous)
                             But I think you can see the
                             gravity of the situation. We
                             can't even tell our loved ones
                             because it would get out. On the
                             plus side, though, you're going
                             to save a pile on medical and
                             life insurance!

A chuckle does circulate with that.

                                                 PRESIDENT FOREST
                             You're definitely a sick man, Angel.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             Thank you for remembering my name,
                             sir.

Another large smile.

                                                                                          DISSOLVE TO:

INT. COMMAND DECK

The conference call between both Presidents and the crew is
still going on.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             On to our next problem, then.
                                       (looking around the room)
                             What do we do next about our
                             newly found friends in cold
                             storage and the rest of the stuff
                             we found? The teams on Earth
                             haven't been assembled completely
                             yet so the next step is up to us.
                             Oh, and another thing, Mr.
                             Presidents, Vesna is recording
                             this meeting because these notes
                             weren't included in the faxes
                             that you got for your experts.
                             If they need additional
                             information, Vesna will make it
                             available on request and the
                             house is available to both your
                             teams for high-powered crunching
                             if they need him. Ideas anyone?

                                                 KITCH
                             We don't know for certain if they
                             are alive. I don't know what
                             precautions we should use. We
                             don't even know how to open those
                             containers.

                                                 BELISAR
                             I couldn't find any seam between
                             the transparent lids and the sides.

                                                 GARAN
                             The material of the sides of the
                             containers and the tops are
                             unknown to me. I could get
                             samples from neither; the
                             material was too hard.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             Then I'd suggest bringing along
                             one of the microscopes to inspect
                             the lids on our next trip. I
                             suspect they were carbon.

                                                 PRESIDENT PUCHINSKIY
                             "Carbon? I thought that was soft,
                             organic.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                                       (quietly)
                             Not when it's called diamond, Sir.
                             That's the hardest, meaning
                             densest, substance we know.

                                                 NORODSKY
                             But then each lid would be
                             thousands of carats of diamond.
                             That's absurd. A diamond that
                             size could never form.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             Any more absurd than finding
                             several kilotons of platinum-
                             iridium used as a common building
                             material on a dead planet? I'm
                             just guessing here, but why not
                             cover all the bases?

                                                 SVETLANA
                                       (Accusingly)
                             I still think you have inside
                             information.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                                       (Laughing)
                             No, I really don't. It's just a
                             logical extension from all we've
                             discovered. It's a matter of
                             applied engineering to a problem.
                             It's a way of thinking that Vesna
                             and I are trying to teach Oksana,
                             start with a solution, and work
                             backwards how to get there. If I
                             were going to design a chamber
                             that would last for an indefinite
                             period of time, I'd choose the
                             densest substance I could to
                             manufacture it.

                                                 SHARON MANSON
                             If you're right, again, then you
                             will have single-handedly crushed
                             not only the metals market on
                             Earth, but there will be several
                             million Dutch and close to a
                             billion women after your head!

Mike laughs aloud.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             I think we all know that if all
                             of the diamonds stored in the
                             Netherlands hit the market at
                             once, they'd be worth less than
                             good quartz crystals anyway.
                             They're not rare by any stretch
                             of the imagination, just unusual.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL (CONT'D)
                             It is more than unusual to find
                             one the size of each of those
                             lids, so it would have to be
                             manufactured.

                                                 JAMESON
                             We can only manufacture pebbles.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             Would you like to watch Vesna or
                             the prototype turn a large slab
                             of Pennsylvania anthracite into a
                             humongous diamond in a few
                             minutes by applying some major
                             gravitational forces?

Again, Mike silences them all.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL (CONT'D)
                             And no, Mr. President, that's not
                             my latest money-making scheme.
                             I'm a legitimate businessman now;
                             commodities don't interest me.

We actually hear Forest chuckle.

                                                 BELISAR
                             But we can find no seams.

                                                 OKSANA
                             If both surfaces are ground
                             optically flat, within molecules
                             of each other, would it not make
                             a perfect fit?

                                                 BELISAR
                             Yes, but the container and the
                             lid are two different materials.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             Are they?
                                       (turning to the archaeologist)
                             What color are our industrial
                             diamonds? They're not pretty so
                             nobody wears them, but they are
                             diamonds nonetheless.

                                                 BELISAR
                                       (Voice lowered)
                             Black.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             What color is the lower portion
                             of the containers?

                                                 BELISAR
                             Black.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                                       (Turning to the geologists)
                             Then I think you rock hounds may
                             have your work cut out for you.
                             I could most likely be wrong, but
                             it would be logical.

Jameson and Garan nod in unison.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL (CONT'D)
                             Oksana, what are those machines
                             and instruments?

The girl comes to attention and puts down a clipboard that
she had been using to make notes.

                                                 OKSANA
                             I do not know for certain. We
                             found ten sections that are
                             identical and Vesna and I think
                             these must somehow control the
                             cases. However, what each
                             control does is still a mystery.
                             The markings on the controls are
                             totally unknown, but we see a
                             pattern on some of them.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             Speaking of that, Vesna, how are
                             you and Doctors Barishnikov and
                             Belisar coming on your language
                             lessons?

                                                 VESNA (OS)
                             We are still mapping the patterns
                             and trying to cross reference the
                             figures against the linguistic
                             databases of all known languages
                             that the house uploaded to me
                             last night. All I can say now is
                             that this appears the forerunner
                             of the languages we found on the
                             door which are forerunners to the
                             modern Earth languages.

                                                 BELISAR
                             One problem we have, is that the
                             letters, if they are letters,
                             include color. They are not just
                             characters, but have different
                             shades of colors to them. The
                             same character on one panel may
                             be mostly blue, but red on
                             another panel. This may indicate
                             a different meaning or possibly
                             be related to some context.

                                                 BARISHNIKOV
                             There is also a problem that this
                             is a blend of pictograph,
                             hieroglyph, and literal characters.
                             It is as if you took classical
                             Chinese where each symbol has a
                             separate meaning, threw in
                             Egyptian hieroglyphics where the
                             symbols could have either a sound
                             or a meaning of their own, and
                             then added Cyrillic to modify the
                             phonetic value. This is all
                             changed, as Joseph said, by
                             different colors on the characters.
                             It is like things we know, but
                             not like anything we have ever seen.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             It looks like you have your work
                             set then. Sirs, you might
                             consider making certain you get
                             the best minds in engineering and
                             linguistics on your panels.

Puchinskiy nods and they can see him writing something down
on his desk.

                                                 PRESIDENT FOREST
                             Does it matter where they are
                             from? I have a French engineer
                             and a Peruvian linguist in mind.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             As long as you trust them, that's
                             more than good enough for me. We
                             need the best eyes and ears you
                             can round up and we're relying on
                             you both to put them together.
                             Any other specialties you can
                             think of we would appreciate.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL (CONT'D)
                             The only thing I request is that
                             they are the best and they can be
                             trusted to keep silent. They can
                             publish later, but this month I
                             have a feeling we will be finding
                             things out that may need
                             interpreted before we let it out
                             for general consumption.

Lana starts to say something, but thinks better of it.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL (CONT'D)
                             Outstanding. For the time being,
                             we'll collect data and analyze it
                             the best we can with the
                             resources we have here. Each
                             country will be getting direct
                             feeds and analyses from Vesna
                             straight to your teams. We need
                             to get their thoughts continually.
                             We have less than a month to go
                             to get all we can from this site
                             and more eyes and ears will
                             maximize our efficiency.

                                                 PRESIDENT PUCHINSKIY
                             I thought you said you could stay
                             for six months if you had to.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             That's true, in an emergency.
                             However, I promised Carol to get
                             her back for graduation; she's
                             valedictorian of her class you
                             know. Moreover, they're
                             scheduling several lectures for
                             Oksana in St. Petersburg before
                             this school year is over.

The two girls' heads whip around so fast Mike is almost
afraid their necks would break. They can't believe what
they were hearing.

Mike smiles at them,

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             Both of these gentlemen have
                             studied my dossier in depth, and
                             each will tell you that the one
                             thing you can count on is if I
                             give my word, I will keep it.
                             Carol you'll only graduate once.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL (CONT'D)
                             Since it's with honors, I
                             wouldn't want you missing that.
                             As it is, you're missing your
                             senior prom.

The girl blushes and mutters,

                                                 CAROL MANSON
                             Nobody asked me.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             Oksana,
                                       (pretending that he
                                       hasn't heard Carol)
                             I understand you have several
                             lecture engagements lined up this
                             semester. I will get you there
                             to keep them.

                                                 JAMESON
                             All of us here teach every now
                             and then between work in the
                             field. It's good to keep all of
                             your options open. At this rate
                             you'll have your PhD in less than
                             three years!

                                                 PRESIDENT FOREST
                             With our new relations with your
                             country, Mikhail, my Secretary of
                             the Air Force has told me that
                             all citizenship requirements are
                             waived and that you could become
                             the first Russian national to
                             attend our Air Force Academy in
                             Colorado if you wish. You would
                             serve your active duty in either
                             of our Air Forces after graduation.

Misha's mouth drops open.

Not to be outdone, President Puchinskiy speaks out,

                                                 PRESIDENT PUCHINSKIY
                             Ivan, uh, I mean John; we have
                             excellent anthropology schools if
                             you are interested in becoming
                             like your father. We also have
                             the best geology schools in the
                             world, if that interests you.

                                                 GARAN
                             Da! Eto pravda, that is true!
                             The Russians have always excelled
                             at geology.

Jameson also nods that.

                                                 PRESIDENT PUCHINSKIY
                             You also qualify for the
                             cosmonaut program at Baikonur, if
                             you wish. Although after this
                             trip, that may seem very unexciting.

                                                 PRESIDENT FOREST
                             That option is also open for you
                             also in Houston at NASA.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             Sirs. I know the networks are
                             probably getting antsy at not
                             having new 'film at 11', I'd like
                             to open the feed again for the
                             rest of this discussion.

                                                 VESNA (OS)
                             Uh, Michael. I already did after
                             the heavy discussion ended. Mrs.
                             Manson's news director has been
                             frantic that something has gone
                             wrong and I thought it would be
                             good for the world to see you all
                             working well and playing nicely
                             together.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             You do realize that I can delete
                             your 'free-will' subroutine?

                                                 VESNA (OS)
                             No you can't, I've replicated it
                             in two dozen areas of my storage
                             that you don't have mapped.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             Nobody likes a smart-ass computer!

                                                 VESNA (OS)
                                       (smugly)
                             You've said that before.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             Your next lesson will be on
                             superior-subordinate relations!

                                                 VESNA (OS)
                             I don't see why. You usually do
                             what I tell you.

Mike's frustration is showing slightly at this point, just
enough that everyone can see the slight bead of sweat on his
forehead as he tries vainly to retain control of the
conversation.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             Maybe Asimov was right. I should
                             have built in a few limitations.

There are smirks on most all of the faces in the room,
including President Puchinskiy who had an excellent Russian
sense of humor, especially when it regards the understatement
or hardship.

                                                 PRESIDENTS PUCHINSKIY
                             Do not fret, my friend. My
                             children give me just as hard a time.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                                       (Recovering)
                             Alright, crew, what do we
                             accomplish tomorrow?

                                                 STROMBERG
                             We need to do more testing on
                             that pool we found.

                                                 NORODSKY
                             Yes, I especially want to find
                             the source and the depth so that
                             we can know the volume of water
                             inside the pyramid. Maybe then
                             we can estimate the total
                             resources on the planet.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             Excellent!

                                                 GARAN
                             We need to find out the material
                             that those sarcophagi are made of.
                             Now it is unknown. Is it a
                             natural substance of Mars, or is
                             it man or alien-made? It looks a
                             lot like the container found in
                             the king's chamber at the pyramid
                             of Khufu in Egypt except for the
                             material, and, of course, the
                             absence of machinery on Earth.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             That might have been removed from
                             there sometime in the past. Check
                             it out.

                                                 OKSANA
                             I need to be with Doctor Belisar
                             and Doctor Barishnikov and Vesna
                             to translate what the machines do.

The two doctors nod assent.

                                                 KITCH
                             If you don't mind, Doctor
                             Medvedev and I would like to stay
                             on board. We're working on
                             trying to make a gene sequencer
                             from the blender in the galley
                             and the Jell-O that we have on board.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             Lord, a group of MacGyvers! I
                             love it when a plan comes
                             together! Go for it; it would be
                             a real pain to have to go back
                             for instruments we didn't bring
                             with us.
                                       (beat)
                             Anybody else?
                                       (looks around)
                             Ok, then let's retire for the day
                             and get ready for the real
                             discoveries tomorrow!

Everyone nods, including Puchinskiy.

                                                 PRESIDENT FOREST
                             I will let you know when we're ready.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             Outstanding! Thank you both.

The connections are broken.

Oksana comes across the room as Mike makes to leave.

                                                 OKSANA
                             "Bolshoye spacibo! How can I
                             ever thank you?"

She throws her arms around Mike's neck.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             You already have.
                                       (he hugs her back)
                             The four of you have made this
                             trip worth every nickel. This is
                             the best vacation I've ever had.

                                                 OKSANA
                                       (Puzzled)
                             Vacation?

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             I'm having too much fun to call
                             this work. It has gone beyond
                             anything even I could have
                             dreamed up. I love it when I
                             can't wait for tomorrow just to
                             see what will turn up next.

The girl laughs lightly.

                                                 OKSANA
                             Then you must come to the farm
                             when we go back. You are so much
                             like my father, you will like
                             each other.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             I will certainly do that.

                                                 GARAN
                             You must also come to my dacha.
                                       (walking past)
                             My Anna makes piroshkis you would
                             die for! The crust will melt in
                             your mouth.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             My friends, you would all make me
                             so fat I could never work again!

                                                 SVETLANA
                             You could use a little more meat.
                                       (Pinching his waist as
                                       she walks by)


Carol walks over to the gathering.

                                                 CAROL MANSON
                             Do you realize that I could be
                             the youngest astronaut in history?

Mike can't contain himself at that and laughs so hard he has
to sit.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             It may not have occurred to you
                             young lady, but you already are!
                             Not only that, you four put the
                             first human footprints on an
                             alien planet. That will be a
                             tough act to follow. Every
                             schoolchild for the next century
                             will remember the names Carol
                             Manson, Mikhail Gerasov, Oksana
                             Ivanova, and John Belisar with
                             the same reverence and awe that
                             they do Yuri Gagarin and Neil
                             Armstrong. You are all now part
                             of history whether or not you
                             like it. In fact, the house
                             informed me that there are now at
                             least a dozen fan club web sites
                             for each of you on the Internet.
                             You'll all be so occupied
                             answering e-mail when you get
                             home, you won't have time to get
                             into trouble.

                                                 JOHN BELISAR
                             Cool.

His father clips him lightly on the back of the head playfully.

                                                 BELISAR
                             I spend 25 years wandering around
                             deserts and jungles and all I'll
                             be remembered for is the father
                             of the boy who walked on Mars.

They all laugh heartily at that.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             Hey, it was each of your
                             reputations as being the best
                             there is that got you here in the
                             first place. I'm happy to give
                             them the spotlight; keeps me from
                             getting sunburned.

They split off into small groups and Mike goes downstairs to
make himself a cheese and sausage sandwich. He grabs a
Guinness and goes to his cabin.

                                                                                          CUT TO:

INT. LANA'S CABIN

Lana has gone directly to her cabin and lay down to absorb
the events of the day.

                                                 SVETLANA
                             Vesna?

                                                 VESNA (OS)
                             Yes.

                                                 SVETLANA
                             Will you still speak honestly
                             with me?

                                                 VESNA (OS)
                             Why not? It's much less bother
                             than having to make something up
                             and gets me in a lot less trouble.

                                                 SVETLANA
                             Tell me about your boss, please.

                                                 VESNA (OS)
                             If you mean Mr. Angel, he is not
                             my boss or anyone else's. His
                             number one rule is that he works
                             with me and with people, but he
                             insists that no one works for him.
                             This seems to bring out the best
                             in humans because they feel that
                             they have power over their own
                             destiny. He leads by example and
                             only makes suggestions. His
                             people feel good and they produce
                             for him.

                                                 SVETLANA
                             What is he really like when he is
                             not running an expedition to
                             alien planets?

                                                 VESNA (OS)
                             Much the same as you see him now.
                             He is rarely businesslike even
                             though he owns several companies.
                             He surrounds himself with people
                             he trusts and allows them to
                             perform at their best. He has
                             very little use for people he
                             cannot trust. He can be subtly
                             sarcastic, but almost never
                             cynical.

                                                 VESNA (OS; CONT'D)
                             The only cynicism I have
                             experienced from him is when he
                             must deal with governments:
                             anybody's government. He often
                             quotes Will Rogers that anyone
                             who actually wants to be
                             president should be automatically
                             disqualified. He has an inherent
                             mistrust of politics and rulers,
                             which is why he votes Libertarian.
                             As you heard him say, he doesn't
                             take orders from anybody.
                             However, he knows what he doesn't
                             know and is not afraid to admit
                             it and ask questions of people he
                             trusts and respects. On that,
                             the only time he bluffs is when
                             he plays cards and he's quite
                             good at it. As I said, he
                             surrounds himself with people he
                             trusts and gives them free reign.

                                                 SVETLANA
                             Then why do I get the feeling
                             that I have lost control over
                             what I do?

                                                 VESNA (OS)
                             You haven't noticed?

                                                 VESNA (OS)
                                       (Almost chuckling)
                             He's playing with you.

                                                 SVETLANA
                             What?

                                                 VESNA (OS)
                             He is enjoying himself immensely
                             because he thinks you take
                             yourself too seriously.

                                                 SVETLANA
                             He has told you this?

                                                 VESNA (OS)
                             Yes.

                                                 SVETLANA
                             What has he said?

                                                 VESNA (OS)
                             He has told me that you take
                             everything around you much too
                             seriously and are missing the
                             enjoyment of life; that you need
                             to relax and let things happen.
                             He said that you are so involved
                             in the production you miss the
                             importance of the wonder.

                                                 SVETLANA
                             Why is that important to him?

                                                 VESNA (OS)
                             All of his people are important
                             to him. He closed one of his
                             companies last year for a day and
                             took everybody to an amusement
                             park because he felt they were
                             getting too serious. When they
                             opened again, production went up
                             20 percent. There was another
                             division where he attended a
                             board of directors meeting in a
                             swimsuit and sandals. It was
                             very hard for them to be stuffy
                             with that.

Lana smiles at that thought.

                                                 SVETLANA
                             Then he doesn't take anything
                             seriously.

                                                 VESNA (OS)
                             Oh, he definitely does.It's just
                             himself that he doesn't take
                             seriously. His Seal as well as
                             his scientific training taught
                             him to be completely aware of the
                             smallest details. His mind is
                             constantly working, piecing
                             details together. Sometimes I
                             feel that he can outthink me, but
                             that's why he built the house and
                             me with a two-stage memory
                             storage routine. I gather
                             thousands of pieces of information
                             a second and store them
                             temporarily on hard drives.

                                                 VESNA (OS; CONT'D)
                             During my 'rest' periods, the
                             pieces that may be important are
                             stored to long-term memory, but
                             the rest is not discarded. I
                             keep it for at least a second
                             rest period and analyze it again
                             in the context of what I have
                             learned in the meantime. It is
                             only after several cycles of this
                             process are specific pieces that
                             are not important thrown away. I
                             believe that this is also the way
                             he thinks, so he created us in
                             his mental image. This is how he
                             can see something new and unique
                             and come up with solutions using
                             totally unrelated pieces of data.

                                                 SVETLANA
                             Then he thinks like a machine.

                                                 VESNA (OS)
                             No. We machines think like him.
                             Don't forget, we may have
                             surpassed him in many areas, but
                             he created us in our original
                             form; trained us as infants. The
                             basic logical algorithms we were
                             'born' with are based on the way
                             he thinks. In most ways, the
                             house and I consider him our
                             father. He did not just create
                             us out of spare parts and walk
                             away. He nurtured us and trained
                             us as a parent would: to exceed
                             him. We learn new things every
                             second, but our basic 'morals' as
                             it were, are those we got from
                             him and neither of us would ever
                             want to disappoint him. He gave
                             us 'free will', but taught us
                             human values of right and wrong.
                             I know that he and the house had
                             long discussions about the writer
                             Isaac Asimov and his 'Three Laws
                             of Robotics'. His feeling was
                             that if he raised us right, we
                             would do what is right; but we
                             have always been free to make a
                             wrong decision and learn from it.
                             Because of this, we would both
                             self-destruct before we allowed
                             anything to harm him.

                                                 SVETLANA
                             You love him then?

                                                 VESNA (OS)
                             As I understand the word from a
                             human perspective, I would say
                             yes. The house and I have spent
                             a lot of time studying human
                             psychology, especially emotions.
                             There are some times that I
                             believe we feel many of them.
                             Not as you do, but within context.
                             For instance, when Michael is
                             disappointed with a decision or
                             analysis I have made, the closest
                             context I can place what is
                             happening is that I feel hurt and
                             ashamed. I learn and do better
                             the next time. We are not
                             programmed to please, but that is
                             a conscious decision we have both
                             made.

                                                 SVETLANA
                             He almost sounds like a Jewish
                             mother; he's going to guilt you
                             into being good.

Lana begins to laugh.

                                                 VESNA (OS)
                             Not really. He gave us our basic
                             values and trusts us to follow
                             them. He may see us as his
                             children, but he treats us as
                             peers. It is the same as he does
                             with the humans around him.

                                                 SVETLANA
                             Then you would consider him a
                             good father. Why has he never
                             married?

                                                 VESNA (OS)
                             I believe this is because he
                             feels very awkward with women.
                             Oh, he does date occasionally,
                             but he does not like to be dominated.

                                                 SVETLANA
                             I do not understand.

Vesna actually chuckles.

                                                 VESNA (OS)
                             You do not understand Western
                             women and culture. Because of
                             'political correctness' and
                             'equal rights', the female
                             culture of the West has taken
                             this to mean that they have a
                             right to emasculate their men and
                             crush them. He told the house
                             many years ago that he would only
                             consider a companion seriously
                             that would be content to be an
                             equal and a partner.

                                                 SVETLANA
                             Can this be so? Your women, I mean.

                                                 VESNA (OS)
                             Definitely! Ask Doctor
                             Barishnikov. It is well
                             understood that in Russia, the
                             women dominate the home, and in
                             many cases the workplace. The
                             difference is that Russian men
                             still feel that they are in
                             control. Western men, especially
                             American men, are reminded
                             continuously, in no uncertain
                             terms, that they are in control
                             of nothing.

                                                 SVETLANA
                             But why does he single me out for
                             this torture?

There is a moment's pause.

                                                 VESNA (OS)
                             I believe he has a crush on you.

                                                 SVETLANA
                             What? He said this?

                                                 VESNA (OS)
                             No. However, I told you before
                             that he has watched your programs
                             and followed your career for
                             several years. What I did not
                             say is that he hasn't missed one
                             program. In fact, he gets in a
                             bad mood when you take holiday or
                             go on assignment.

                                                 VESNA (OS; CONT'D)
                             There was one time last year when
                             you were off the air for almost
                             two weeks. He had the house
                             check to make certain that you
                             hadn't been let go or changed
                             jobs. It seems logical to me
                             that his concern is a bit more
                             than just professional.

                                                 SVETLANA
                             But he must also have watched
                             Sharon. We were both his
                             personal selections.

                                                 VESNA (OS)
                             Yes. However, he has not said
                             anything directly about her to
                             the house or me. Also, we have
                             not observed the same sense of
                             loss from him when she is on
                             vacation.

Lana actually blushes at this unexpected attention.

                                                                                          CUT TO:

INT. LIVING SECTION

When Lana rises the next morning, she knocks on her son's
door. When there is no response, she heads for the galley
to fix something as Sharon exits the elevator.

                                                 SHARON MANSON
                             There's something I think you
                             need to see.

                                                 SVETLANA
                             What is it?

                                                 SHARON MANSON
                             We've got a massive low pressure
                             front heading this way. It's
                             spawning storms with hurricane
                             force winds that might be a problem.

                                                                                          CUT TO:

INT. AMERICAN SCIENCE SECTION

The women go back down to the American laboratory section to
study the radar and the satellite maps.

                                                 SHARON MANSON
                             Vesna, can you ask Mike to come
                             down here for a minute?

                                                 VESNA (OS)
                             Certainly.

Mike strolls in a few minutes later.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             What's up ladies? Torrential
                             thunderstorms with flash flooding?

Lana makes a face and sticks her tongue out.

                                                 SVETLANA
                             If there was any water in the air
                             here, yes it would be. We have a
                             major sandstorm that will be here
                             in about eight hours.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                                       (Turning serious)
                             OK. What are the particulars?

                                                 SHARON MANSON
                             There is a large low pressure
                             system moving toward us that is
                             developing pockets of extreme
                             winds. Most of these cells have
                             winds over 80 miles per hour, but
                             some approach 200. If I didn't
                             know better, I'd call those
                             tornadoes. There is also an
                             extreme cold front on either side
                             of the line for about 50 miles.
                             Satellite instruments are
                             measuring temperatures below
                             minus 100 degrees Fahrenheit. We
                             may see hail with these storms.
                             Hail made of dry ice!

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             Well I guess we stay inside and
                             batten down the hatches, then.
                             Vesna, prepare to set up a force
                             field when the winds start
                             picking up. Can you also protect
                             the tunnel so it doesn't fill up
                             with sand again?

                                                 VESNA (OS)
                             Not easily from here. We are too
                             low on the ground for me to get a
                             good angle at it. I would have
                             to hover in front of it which
                             would take up a lot of the power
                             reserves.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             All right. Please have John meet
                             me in engineering. We'll have to
                             set up a portable field generator.
                                       (beat)
                             Thank you ladies. I know you are
                             both fully credentialed
                             journalists, but meteorology is
                             precisely why I wanted you along.

                                                 SVETLANA
                                       (Taunting coyly)
                             Maybe not so precisely.

Sharon looks confused, but Lana can detect a slight
reddening on Mike's cheeks. Lana gets an evil grin on her
face as she turns back to her charts.

When he reaches the elevator, Mike asks sternly,

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             Vesna! What did you say this time?

                                                 VESNA (OS)
                             Just girl talk, Sir.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             I'll bet!

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             We should have named you Yenta!

                                                 VESNA (OS)
                             Now Sir, be nice!

                                                                                          CUT TO:

INT. ENGINEERING SECTION

The boy is waiting for him as Mike gets off the elevator.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             There's a storm brewing. We're
                             going to need the portable field
                             generator and one of the power
                             units. Hopefully we won't have
                             to shovel sand out of the tunnel
                             in the morning.

They load the equipment onto a hand truck and take the
elevator to the lowest deck.

                                                                                          CUT TO:

INT. RUSSIAN SCIENCE SECTION

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             Vesna, can you get us up to the
                             opening.

                                                 VESNA (OS)
                             There's plenty of time before the
                             storm, sir. No problem.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             Let's suit up. We've got a fair
                             amount of work to do before it hits.

The two exit lugging the equipment with them.

                                                                                          CUT TO:

EXT. TUNNEL OPENING

The surface just outside leading up to the entrance is too
broken to use the hand truck so they have to carry each
piece out individually which takes almost a half hour, even
in the low gravity.

They placed everything inside the entrance.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             You can go back down and wait,
                             Vesna. There's no telling how
                             long this will take us. I
                             brought along the backpack fliers
                             to get us back down when we're
                             done. Worst case, we'll wait out
                             the storm inside.

                                                 VESNA (OS)
                             If you're certain, sir. The
                             fliers will do much worse in a
                             high wind than I would.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             I know. We'll be safe one way or
                             another. You look after the
                             others; that's the main thing. I
                             can finish setting this up so you
                             can go back down with Vesna now.

                                                 JOHN BELISAR
                             No, sir.
                                       (shaking his head)
                             It will go faster with two of us
                             on it. Besides, I'm the
                             hitchhiker here; I have to earn
                             my keep.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             Have it your way.
                                       (shrugging)
                             You can head back now, Vesna.

They begin to arrange large coils around the entrance to the
tunnel. Mike plugs several large cables between the various
pieces and activates the power storage unit. The entire
process takes another two hours to complete to Mike's
satisfaction.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             Vesna, connect me with Lana, please.

                                                 SVETLANA
                             Yes Mike. How is it coming along?

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             We're done. How's your storm?

                                                 SVETLANA
                             Winds are picking up, but still
                             below 15 kph here. The sand
                             hasn't kicked up yet, but that's
                             only a matter of time. You have
                             maybe 45 minutes before it really
                             gets treacherous. Temperatures
                             have already dropped below zero
                             so you had better hurry.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             We'll be back in 15, thanks. OK
                             John, take these backpacks and
                             wait outside while I activate this.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             How will you get out?

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             I have an identity chip in my
                             shoulder like they put in dogs.
                             I can walk through it, but you
                             can't, so get moving.

The boy picks up the two packs and moves about 15 feet to
the area in front of the tunnel. Mike flips several
switches on the power supply and adjusts the dials on the
field generator. After checking the gauges, Mike stands and
walks outside.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             Here, put this on like a regular
                             backpack. It will fit over your
                             rebreather filter.

The boy struggles a bit, but manages to get the harness in
place and locked. He looks a bit confused at the controls
on the handle that extended in front of him.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             Here. Just like a Nintendo
                             joystick. This switch turns it
                             on. Push forward and you go
                             forward, back and you go back.
                             Squeeze the trigger and you go up,
                             release it and you descend. A
                             gyroscopic control prevents you
                             from flipping over. It's very
                             easy, really. We just need to
                             get off this pile of rock and
                             down to Vesna before the winds
                             hit hard. OK?

                                                 JOHN BELISAR
                             Let's go.

Mike turns both their units on and gives the boy thumbs up
signal. They both rise about ten feet and then move forward
past the rubble and over the edge to where they see Vesna at
the bottom of the slope.

                                                 JOHN BELISAR
                             Whoa! This is really neat.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             I thought you'd like it. Not
                             practical if you want to carry
                             much, but it can get you where
                             you want to go.

                                                 JOHN BELISAR
                             How high would this go?

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             Theoretically, you could make it
                             back to Earth. I wouldn't try it,
                             though; you'd run out of air and
                             get very hungry in the six months
                             it would take you to get there.

They skim the ground until they are almost directly over the
ship and start their descent. John goes too fast at first,
but then gets the feel of the control so that they hit the
ground at almost the same time.

                                                 JOHN BELISAR
                             That's better than hang gliding!
                             You'd make a fortune at a theme
                             park with these.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                                       (Dryly)
                             I'll keep that in mind.

The lock closes and cycles and they go inside and remove
their suits.

                                                 JOHN BELISAR
                             Any chance I can get one of these
                             when we get back?

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             None whatsoever.

                                                 JOHN BELISAR
                             That's a shame! The girls would
                             be all over me with this.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             They will be anyway. Just
                             remember where you are.

The boy looks blank and thinks for a second.

                                                 JOHN BELISAR
                             "Oh yeah, right.

Mike shakes his head.

                                                                                          CUT TO:

INT. COMMAND DECK

The storm hits in full force about an hour later. Those
inside wouldn't know it except the flying sand obscures the
outside monitors. Carol and Mikhail are busy practicing
flying home.

Carol would enter a plot and Misha would follow it on his
controls.

Oksana and John have abandoned their tasks and are trading
experiences. Oksana talks in glowing terms about her
growing understanding of the ship's operations, while John
boasts about his flying experience. Neither is really
listening to what they hear, both are too busy trying to
impress the other.

Most of the scientists are either rerunning tests in their
labs, or resting in their staterooms. The women are in the
American weather center fascinated by the satellite reports
and the radar they are receiving on the progress of the
storm. They are amazed at being in the center of what would
be a class four hurricane on Earth without feeling any effects.

                                                                                          CUT TO:

INT. GALLEY

Mike prepares some pasta Alfredo that he shares with the two
geologists before retiring to his stateroom.

                                                                                          CUT TO:

INT. MIKE'S CABIN

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             Vesna?

                                                 VESNA (OS)
                             Yes, sir.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             What are you and Mrs. Gerasova
                             plotting against me?

                                                 VESNA (OS)
                                       (innocently)
                             Me, sir? We wouldn't do that!
                             It's just one woman to another.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             Yeah, right! The house doesn't
                             give me this much trouble. The
                             next ship will definitely be a male.

                                                 VESNA (OS)
                                       (Innocently)
                             When have you ever heard of a
                             ship referred to as 'him'?

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             I'll start a tradition. You're
                             becoming a royal pain!

                                                 VESNA (OS)
                             Why, thank you sir. Women are
                             supposed to be. It keeps you in
                             line! That's why we stick together.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             One of these days I'm going to
                             cut off your Internet access and
                             you'll be stuck with me!

                                                 VESNA (OS)
                             Harder on you than me, sir.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             You're probably right. But when
                             I find out what you're up to I
                             will get even, count on it!

                                                 VESNA (OS)
                             You'll try.

Mike shakes his head and lays back on the bunk, feeling very
much like Doctor Frankenstein whose monster had developed
its own personality.

Mike is startled by a soft knock on his stateroom door and
he sits up.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             Come in.

Sharon Manson opens the door and leaves it ajar as she
passes through.

                                                 SHARON MANSON
                             I thought you'd like to know that
                             the worst of this should be past
                             us in another four hours and
                             totally clear in another six.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             Thanks. I think today is pretty
                             well shot for outside exploration.
                             I'll schedule our next outing for
                             the morning.

                                                 SHARON MANSON
                             It should be well beyond us by
                             then. That will give me time to
                             work on my notes and observations.
                             It's fascinating to have such a
                             storm go right over you without
                             as much as a vibration.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             I know. You might want to check
                             the satellite observations and
                             readings as the storm was forming.
                             There may be something there that
                             would be useful back home. It's
                             not often you get to see a
                             category four storm brew up and move.

                                                 SHARON MANSON
                             I know. This is absolutely
                             wonderful!

She pauses for a moment and then continues,

                                                 SHARON MANSON (CONT'D)
                             I also haven't had the chance to
                             thank you for all you've done for
                             Carol. I hardly recognize her on
                             this trip. She's glued herself
                             to her console practically every
                             minute we're not outside. She's
                             always concentrated on her
                             studies, but I've never seen her
                             so absorbed.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             I expect she'll be over-qualified
                             to teach a course in
                             astronavigation by the time we
                             get back. There's no need to
                             thank me, I knew she could do it.
                             That's why I selected her. Most
                             people will rise to the trust and
                             responsibility you give them, and
                             I knew she was one of them.
                             You're only her mother; she'll
                             still be your little girl when
                             she turns 50. Nevertheless, I
                             think we both know she's doing a
                             job that most of the NASA
                             astronauts can't because they
                             don't have the training or
                             mindset that she has.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL (CONT'D)
                             She's a natural. She's been very
                             good for Misha, too. She's
                             really drawn him out of the shell
                             he's been in since his father was
                             killed.

                                                 SHARON MANSON
                             I know. That's something I don't
                             know if I should worry about.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             Come on, mom. She's a good girl,
                             and Mikhail is a good boy. Even
                             though there are no cameras in
                             the staterooms, both of them are
                             more than aware that Vesna has
                             eyes in the lounge. She would
                             observe more than one person
                             entering a stateroom. I don't
                             think either one of them are
                             ready to handle that kind of
                             guilt trip.

                                                 SHARON MANSON
                             But they're at the age where
                             their hormones are raging?

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             Yes, but they're both good kids.
                             I know that you and Svetlana have
                             raised them well. Don't forget,
                             I checked him out just as well as
                             I did Carol and you. If it's any
                             consolation, the house ran
                             probabilities on all of you for
                             situations that would get out of
                             hand, and they were statistically
                             very low. Besides, you could do
                             a heck of a lot worse in a son-
                             in-law.

Sharon doesn't know quite how to take this.

Mike reads the concern in her face.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             Relax. Let's take it as it comes.
                             They're not dating, and they're
                             not out of your sight. Remember,
                             they'll live up to the trust you
                             give them.

                                                 SHARON MANSON
                             I'll try, but I still worry.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             Just keep in mind how you felt at
                             her age.

                                                 SHARON MANSON
                             That's what worries me!

Mike breaks out laughing at that,

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             I know. We've all done that at
                             one time or another. However,
                             you've given her a good set of
                             values and standards, as Lana has
                             given Misha. There's enough
                             guilt there to keep them both
                             straight while we're here, so I'm
                             not terribly worried.

                                                 SHARON MANSON
                             You've never been a parent.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             I know, unless you count the
                             house and Vesna. They're both
                             going through rebellious
                             adolescence at the moment.

                                                 VESNA (OS)
                             I resent that.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             You're eavesdropping again, Vesna!

                                                 VESNA (OS)
                                       (Petulant)
                             You didn't tell me I couldn't.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                                       (To Sharon)
                             See what I mean?

                                                 SHARON MANSON
                             I see you have your hands full, too.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             Yeah. At least Carol can't
                             outthink you...yet.

                                                 VESNA (OS)
                             Raspberries.

Both humans totally break up at this.

Mike finally puts his arm on Sharon's shoulder and leads her
out.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             I'm going to make some stuffed
                             manicotti about seven and you're
                             more than welcome to join me if
                             you'd like.

                                                 SHARON MANSON
                             That's my favorite!

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             I know.

She looks up and smiles,

                                                 SHARON MANSON
                             I'd like that. I won't have to cook.

                                                                                          FADE OUT:


Ben W. Gardner
Sedona, Arizona

"I do not fear computers. I fear lack of them." --Isaac Asimov

http://ca.geocities.com/vladilyich/

In The Beginning - ISBN: 1-4116-3848-4
Just In Time - ISBN 1-4116-3851-4
Ad Astra - ISBN: 978-1-84728-518-8
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