VOID - SEASON 4, EPISODE 4
Written by
Sean McKnight With Jeni Miller
The Artifact Part 2
VOID PODCAST LLC
NARRATOR
Season 4, episode 4. In the last episode of VOID, Gilban and the away team landed on Mars and began their mission to find the artifact. Regina and Ursula became more familiar with each other discussing their pasts. And Gilban discovered a stairway descending deeper into the temple.
INT. MARS UNDERGROUND - TEMPLE - STAIRWELL - AFTERNOON SOUND: FOOTSTEPS, WALKING AND TALKING
ANKO LUMEN
This has got to be the longest stairway in history, we’ve been walking down for 23 minutes.
GILBAN TRICKEY
Do you have to keep track of how long everything takes Anko?
SEREBELLA REON
Hey the stairs are ending just up ahead.
ANKO LUMEN
About damn time.
SOUND: FOOTSTEPS COMING OFF OF STAIRS AND SETTLING ON THE GROUND
GILBAN TRICKEY
No, this isn’t right. We’re not low enough.
ANKO LUMEN
You’re kidding right?
GILBAN TRICKEY
Not at all, according to my scans, we should be able to keep going deeper.
JONAS ALDRIDGE
Hey, there’s a door over here.
GILBAN TRICKEY
Excellent. One sec, I want to see how far down we are.
SOUND: BUTTON PRESSED
GILBAN TRICKEY (CONT'D)
Captain Rex? Can you take a look on the scopes and tell me how far down you see our trackers?
REGINA REX
(over speaker)
One sec. (pause a beat) You’re about a third of the way down from the way it looks here.
GILBAN TRICKEY
Roger. We’re at the bottom of the first stairwell, I have a feeling there’s a lot more to go. I’ll keep you posted, Trickey out.
ANKO LUMEN
A third? That’s it?
SEREBELLA REON
Suck it up Anko, you whine like a child. You got someplace else to be?
ANKO LUMEN
As a matter of fact I do! I could be working on...
JONAS ALDRIDGE
Quiet! Both of you! Through the door Gilban?
GILBAN TRICKEY
Through the door; you want the honors this time?
JONAS ALDRIDGE
Uh, sure.
SOUND: STONE DOOR SLIDING OPEN, FOOTSTEPS WALKING CAUTIOUSLY
INT. MARS UNDERGROUND - TEMPLE - CHAMBER 1 - MAZE - AFTERNOON
SEREBELLA REON
Look how tall those walls are!
JONAS ALDRIDGE
Yeah but why do they end when the ceiling is so much higher? What is this place?
GILBAN TRICKEY
Anko did identify the maze carving when we first entered the stairwell.
SEREBELLA REON
So how do we know which way is the right way?
GILBAN TRICKEY
I have a device for just such an occasion. Let me do a scan of the room first. The open ceiling here works to our advantage.
SOUND: RUMMAGING IN A BAG, DEVICE PULLED OUT, BUTTONS PRESSED, SMALL DRONE DEVICE THROWN IN THE AIR, SCANNING/MOVING SOUND AROUND THE ROOM
JONAS ALDRIDGE
Cool. I could’ve used one of those on Earth.
GILBAN TRICKEY
Check your wrist displays. I’m going to send the feed from the scanning drone to them.
JONAS ALDRIDGE
This is incredible, I can see the whole thing.
GILBAN TRICKEY
Ok, while that’s finishing, let me just run a calculation on the perfect pathway through this and... Done!
JONAS ALDRIDGE
It highlights the path exactly, impressive gadget Gilban.
SOUND: DRONE COMING BACK, GILBAN CATCHING IT AND PUTTING IT BACK IN HIS BAG
GILBAN TRICKEY
Yeah, I don’t think the ancients would’ve liked me cheating with technology. This way.
SOUND: FOOTSTEPS
JONAS ALDRIDGE
They’ll get over it. I’m just glad we’re not going to get lost in here.
SOUND: TRANSITION SOUND, BUTTONS PRESSED
INT. SHUTTLE - LATE AFTERNOON
REGINA REX
Hey Gideon, they’re about a third of the way in. At this pace, they should reach the bottom level in about 2 hours or so.
GIDEON JUDGE
(over speaker)
Roger. I’m tracking them as well.
REGINA REX
Good, watch over their progress. I’ll do the same here. I’d rather we have eyes on them at all times.
GIDEON JUDGE
Copy. Hey Captain, you should know there’s a storm forming on the surface.
REGINA REX
How close is it?
GIDEON JUDGE
About 20km away.
REGINA REX
Is it moving?
GIDEON JUDGE
Not yet, it’s just starting to build up.
REGINA REX
Ok, keep an eye on it and let me know if it starts moving in our direction.
GIDEON JUDGE
Affirmative.
REGINA REX
Rex out.
SOUND: TRANSITION SOUND, FOOTSTEPS, WALKING AND TALKING
INT. MARS UNDERGROUND - TEMPLE - CHAMBER 1 - MAZE - LATE AFTERNOON
SEREBELLA REON
Gilban, why do think there’s a maze here?
GILBAN TRICKEY
Good question. From what I read about this place, there were trials held that were supposed to test the worthiness of the participants.
SEREBELLA REON
Participants of what?
GILBAN TRICKEY
Not sure. Could’ve been a way to test their leadership skills or how they could solve problems.
SEREBELLA REON
This maze doesn’t seem like such a big challenge.
JONAS ALDRIDGE
They didn’t have Gilban’s magic drone to guide the way.
ANKO LUMEN
Hey, I think I just found a member of one of those other teams that came here.
SOUND: FOOTSTEPS, THEN SETTLING
JONAS ALDRIDGE
Is that a leg or an arm sticking up from there?
SEREBELLA REON
Did that fall from the ceiling?
GILBAN TRICKEY
It looks like a stone tile. Must’ve fell on the poor bastard when he was walking through, talk about bad timing. Keep moving.
SOUND: FOOTSTEPS CONTINUE
JONAS ALDRIDGE
How much farther do we have to go Gilban?
GILBAN TRICKEY
Not too far yet, we should be done snaking through this pretty quickly.
JONAS ALDRIDGE
Good. I don’t like that this place was falling down around...
SOUND: SOMEONE STEPPING ON A “SWITCH” ON THE FLOOR ANKO LUMEN
What was that?
SOUND: GIANT ROCK SLAB FALLING FROM THE CEILING LANDING NEXT TO ANKO
ANKO LUMEN (CONT'D)
What the hell??
SOUND: A SECOND ROCK SLAB FALLS, LANDING NEAR THEM, MORE REACTIONS, MORE ROCK SLABS FALLING
JONAS ALDRIDGE
Whoa!!
GILBAN TRICKEY
Follow me and run!!
SOUND: GIANT ROCK SLABS FALLING ALL AROUND THEM, FOOTSTEPS RUNNING IN A PANICKED FASHION
ANKO LUMEN
(tripping on something and falling)
Oooof!! I found the other dead crew member! Dammit! My foot’s stuck!
SEREBELLA REON
I got him!
SOUND: FOOTSTEPS RUNNING UP TO ANKO, STRUGGLING TO FREE ANKO’S FOOT, ROCKS CONTIUING TO FALL, FREEING HIS FOOT
SEREBELLA REON (CONT'D)
Got it! Now get your ass up and moving!
SOUND: FOOTSTEPS SCRAMBLING, ROCKS AND RUNNING CONTINUE
GILBAN TRICKEY
Keep running! We’re almost there!
SOUND: ROCK SLABS FALLING, FOOTSTEPS RUNNING, FALLING STARTS TO DIMINISH, FOOTSTEPS REACH AN EXIT DOOR AND STOP, FALLING STOPS
JONAS ALDRIDGE
(out of breath)
Whew! I’m not in shape for this.
GILBAN TRICKEY
(out of breath)
Yeah, I need to work on my cardio more too.
SEREBELLA REON
(out of breath)
At least it’s over, right?
GILBAN TRICKEY
I think so.
ANKO LUMEN
(out of breath) You think so?
GILBAN TRICKEY
Well, this is my first time here in the temple Anko so excuse me if I’m figuring this out as I go. Let’s try this door.
SOUND: STONE DOOR SLIDING OPEN
JONAS ALDRIDGE
More stairs, that’s good right?
GILBAN TRICKEY
Yeah, that’s good.
ANKO LUMEN
Wait, we should check above the door again.
JONAS ALDRIDGE
I don’t see anything but broken wall, it looks like that part is damaged.
GILBAN TRICKEY
We don’t have much choice either way. Everyone take a break and then we push forward.
SOUND: TRANSITION SOUND
INT. SHUTTLE - EARLY EVENING
URSULA NASH
(nervous)
Captain Rex, I would really appreciate it if you would help take my mind off of waiting for them. It’s been over an hour since we heard anything.
REGINA REX
What the hell do you want me to do? I’m not really built for entertaining people Ursula.
URSULA NASH
Just talk to me. Tell me how you and Gideon started working together.
REGINA REX
Sure. Gideon and I met at the New Hope Detention Center.
URSULA NASH
Oh? Were you volunteers?
REGINA REX
Not exactly. I was in there for getting into a fight and he was working as a counselor. This was right after I took command of the Ching She. I was a hard partier then.
URSULA NASH
You mean more-so than now?
REGINA REX
You have no idea.
URSULA NASH
Wow. Ok.
REGINA REX
I got into a scrap with a rival pilot and I may have taken things a little far.
URSULA NASH
You killed him?
REGINA REX
No, but I messed him up pretty badly. He never flew a ship again. I had a lot of anger issues then. I ended up in the detention center and then Gideon showed up. I didn’t really open up with him at first but he has a way of breaking down your walls. He knows how to get to the heart of a problem pretty quickly.
URSULA NASH
I could use some of that myself. I’ll see him as you suggested when we’re done with this mission.
REGINA REX
You do seem on edge.
SOUND: STATIC THEN VOICE
GILBAN TRICKEY
(over speaker)
We’ve reached the next stairwell down. This one looks really long too so it should take us down quite a few levels.
REGINA REX
Great, we’re still able to track your location.
GILBAN TRICKEY
This will take awhile, I’ll check in again later. Trickey out.
URSULA NASH
(letting out a sigh of relief)
They’re fine. Good, thanks.
SOUND: TRANSITION SOUND, FOOTSTEPS (*SURFACE SOUNDS A LITTLE DIFFERENT WHILE WALKING)
INT. MARS UNDERGROUND - TEMPLE - STAIRWELL - EVENING
GILBAN TRICKEY
We’re taking our time, keep your eye on the stairs.
JONAS ALDRIDGE
These stairs seem a little odd.
GILBAN TRICKEY
What do you mean?
JONAS ALDRIDGE
They don’t seem to be made from stone like the other stairwell.
GILBAN TRICKEY
Maybe because they had to...
SOUND: “SWITCH SOUND” WITH FOOTSTEPS, STAIRS COLLECTIVELY FOLDING, ALL CHARACTERS NOW SLIDING DOWN AT A RAPID PACE
JONAS ALDRIDGE (*ALL WHILE SLIDING)
Shiiiiitttttt!!!!!
ANKO LUMEN
What the hell??
SEREBELLA REON
I can’t stop! There’s nothing to grab onto!
SOUND: SLIDING CONTINUES
GILBAN TRICKEY
Try to grab each other!
SEREBELLA REON
I can’t reach anyone!
GILBAN TRICKEY
I’ve almost got you Anko! Stretch out more!
ANKO LUMEN
I’m stretched as far as I can go! You stretch more!!
GILBAN TRICKEY
Almost...Yes! Pull closer Anko!
ANKO LUMEN
Unnngggghh!!!!
GILBAN TRICKEY
Jonas!
JONAS ALDRIDGE
Serebella and I are too far behind you! It’s getting steeper, we’re picking up speed!
ANKO LUMEN
Up ahead looks like a pit!!
GILBAN TRICKEY
Use your hands, grab anything you can!
JONAS ALDRIDGE
There’s nothing to grab dammit! I can’t even slow down!
GILBAN TRICKEY
Wait! Anko, grab me with both hands and don’t let go. I need my arm back.
ANKO LUMEN
What the hell are you doing?
GILBAN TRICKEY
Just shut up for a second.
SOUND: DART/CABLE LINE BEING SHOT OUT INTO THE WALL, GILBAN AND ANKO SLIDING SLOWS AND THEN STOPS, JONAS AND SEREBELLA SLIDING CLOSER
GILBAN TRICKEY (CONT'D)
Reach out Jonas!
JONAS ALDRIDGE
Oooofff! Got you!
SOUND: JONAS SLIDING AND STOPPING
JONAS ALDRIDGE (CONT'D)
Serebella!
SOUND: SEREBELLA SLIDING INTO EVERYONE ELSE
SEREBELLA REON
(breathing out from slamming into everyone else, sigh of relief)
Unhh!! Whew! Well, that was fun.
ANKO LUMEN
(breathing heavy)
That’s one way to look at it.
SEREBELLA REON
Getting back up there is going to suck.
GILBAN TRICKEY
(breathing heavy)
At least we made it to the bottom much more quickly.
JONAS ALDRIDGE
(out of breath)
That pit would’ve really accelerated the process. I can’t see the bottom.
GILBAN TRICKEY
There’s a pathway around it over here.
SOUND: EVERYONE GETTING BACK UP, FOOTSTEPS, WALKING AND TALKING
JONAS ALDRIDGE
Gilban, did you happen to read anything about traps in this place?
GILBAN TRICKEY
No, that detail was not in any of the text I read.
ANKO LUMEN
I wonder why.
SEREBELLA REON
Maybe because the people who discovered the traps never made it out to write about them.
ANKO LUMEN
(sarcastic)
That makes me feel so much better.
GILBAN TRICKEY
There’s a doorway here.
JONAS ALDRIDGE
What’s that above it?
GILBAN TRICKEY
Hmmm. Just looks like an open rectangle. It’s blank.
JONAS ALDRIDGE
A good thing maybe? Just an empty room?
ANKO LUMEN
None of this has been good.
GILBAN TRICKEY
There’s no way we’re going back up that way, at least not now unless any of you are up for the climb.
The best way out is through.
SOUND: STONE SLAB DOOR SLIDING, FOOTSTEPS, TRANSITION SOUND
INT. SHUTTLE - EVENING
GIDEON JUDGE
(over speaker) Captain Rex?
REGINA REX
What’s up Gideon?
GIDEON JUDGE
The storm is building and it’s moving towards you.
REGINA REX
Is it moving quickly?
GIDEON JUDGE
Not at the moment.
REGINA REX
What’s it’s current distance?
GIDEON JUDGE
About 17km.
REGINA REX
Air speed?
GIDEON JUDGE
10km per hour and climbing.
REGINA REX
Ok, keep me posted.
GIDEON JUDGE
That’s not all Captain. There’s a second storm forming.
REGINA REX
Where?
GIDEON JUDGE
About 10km south of the other one.
REGINA REX
Is it moving in any direction yet?
GIDEON JUDGE
Not yet, it’s just starting to build up.
REGINA REX
Keep an eye on both storms at all times and pass along updates every
10 minutes.
GIDEON JUDGE
Roger. Judge out.
URSULA NASH
Why did your face change when he mentioned the second storm?
REGINA REX
(concerned)
One storm isn’t usually a problem if it doesn’t get too big. But, when storms combine they can get really large.
URSULA NASH
How large?
REGINA REX
80km high. When they rain down, the dust can be 50km deep over an area about the size of the continent on Earth known as North America.
URSULA NASH
But, that large of a storm is an anomaly, right?
REGINA REX
No, they’re somewhat of a regular occurrence.
URSULA NASH
We have to get them out of there!
REGINA REX
No, we’ll inform when the time is right.
URSULA NASH
You have to warn them! It’s already night fall and with a storm coming, in the dark...
REGINA REX
(interrupting) I will, but not yet.
URSULA NASH
Why not? What are you waiting for?!
REGINA REX
More data. If I tell them now, it could cause them to rush and push too hard to get to the bottom. We don’t want them falling down those steps because they...
URSULA NASH
They’re already at the bottom the way the scope looks.
REGINA REX
That was fast. Regardless, we need to see which directions the storms move first. Storms shift quickly especially when other storms are around. We want them to remain calm as youshould be right now.
Panicking won’t help anyone. We’ll tell them soon, trust me.
SOUND: TRANSITION SOUND, FOOTSTEPS, WALKING AND TALKING
INT. MARS UNDERGROUND - TEMPLE - CHAMBER 2 - BURIAL PIT - NIGHT
ANKO LUMEN
Looks like Jonas was right. It’s a big empty room.
SEREBELLA REON
This ceiling isn’t very high.
JONAS ALDRIDGE
Hey, watch out for this hole in the middle of the room. Oh, it’s sealed, never mind.
GILBAN TRICKEY
Do not step on it anyway! We don’t want to trigger any more...
SOUND: STONE SLAB DOOR SLIDING SHUT BEHIND THEM
GILBAN TRICKEY (CONT'D)
Who did that?
JONAS ALDRIDGE
I don’t think anyone did that. It just happened.
GILBAN TRICKEY
Let’s just find the way out and get going. We’re almost at the artifact chamber.
SOUND: GRADUAL BUIDLING OF SOMETHING IN THE BACKGROUND SEREBELLA REON
Wait, does anyone else hear that?
SOUND: GROWING LOUDER
ANKO LUMEN
Yeah, I hear it, I can’t place the sound though.
JONAS ALDRIDGE
That’s because you’ve never experienced a cave in. We have to get out of here, now!!
SOUND: DIRT/DUST POURING INTO THE CHAMBER AND STARTING TO FILL THE ROOM RAPIDLY
GILBAN TRICKEY
Look for a door!!
JONAS ALDRIDGE
What about the way we came in?
SOUND: FOOTSTEPS, DIRT POURING IN CONTINUED, PUSHING AGAINST STONE SLAB
SEREBELLA REON
It’s sealed!!
GILBAN TRICKEY
There’s got to be another way out, keep looking!
JONAS ALDRIDGE
It’s getting hard to walk in here.
ANKO LUMEN
Feel along the walls!
SOUND: FOOTSTEPS, MOVEMENT, DIRT POURING IN MORE HEAVILY GILBAN TRICKEY
Whoa!! Unnhh!!
JONAS ALDRIDGE
Oh shit! I think something happened to Gilban! Can anyone see him?
ANKO LUMEN
No, he’s not over here!
JONAS ALDRIDGE
Serebella! Can you see Gilban?
SEREBELLA REON
I can’t see anything! This just got worse! Wait, I think I see his arm! There! To your left!
JONAS ALDRIDGE
I see it!
SOUND: FOOTSTEPS STRUGGLING TO MOVE, DIGGING, PULLING OUT OF THE DIRT
GILBAN TRICKEY
Oh man! I thought I was gone!
JONAS ALDRIDGE
I thought you were too!
ANKO LUMEN
Over here! I found something!
SOUND: FOOTSTEPS COMING TOGETHER, DIRT CONTINUES POURING IN
JONAS ALDRIDGE
Push it open!
ANKO LUMEN
I tried, it won’t budge!
GILBAN TRICKEY
What’s that to the right?
ANKO LUMEN
I don’t know. It almost looks like a keypad. See the characters?
JONAS ALDRIDGE
Unless someone has the combination, we’re screwed.
SOUND: TRANSITION SOUND, BUTTONS BEING PRESSED
INT. SHUTTLE - NIGHT
GIDEON JUDGE
(over speaker)
Captain, the storms are merging and moving your way.
REGINA REX
Affirmative. Move updates to every
5 minutes.
GIDEON JUDGE
Roger, Judge out.
URSULA NASH
Now you have to tell them!
REGINA REX
Yeah, way ahead of you.
SOUND: BUTTONS PRESSED
REGINA REX (CONT'D)
Gilban? Gilban, check in.
Pause a beat.
REGINA REX (CONT'D)
Trickey? Get on comms.
SOUND: STATIC CUTTING IN AND OUT BRIEFLY
REGINA REX (CONT'D)
What the hell?
URSULA NASH
What’s wrong?
REGINA REX
I don’t know, there’s some sort of interference.
SOUND: BUTTONS PRESSED, MORE STATIC
URSULA NASH
Come on, you have to get through!
REGINA REX
I’m trying, calm down!
URSULA NASH
Stop telling me to calm down!
REGINA REX
Alright, I’ll say it this way, calm down and get out of my face! That’s an order!
SOUND: STATIC, GILBAN HEARD FAINTLY/INTERMITTENLY
GILBAN TRICKEY
(over speaker cutting in and out)
‘tain Rex! Dirt...sealed in...’uried...can’t...
REGINA REX
Gilban! Gilban? You’re cutting out! Slow down.
GILBAN TRICKEY
‘an’t...get...
SOUND: STATIC THEN SILENCE
End of episode 4