FADE IN ON:
A black circle sits ominously in the middle of a vast, white emptiness.
TITLE SCREEN
The year is 2077. Lifelike androids indeterminable from their human creators have infiltrated society. One man seeks them out.
INT. DINER — NIGHT (THE FUTURE)
A man sits alone in a dim booth, cigarette smoke pouring through his nose as he lethargically spins the ash tray in front of him. The bell atop the diner’s door rings as it opens to reveal a THIN, jittery man. The LONE man in the booth raises his hand a little, gesturing to the thin man who joins him in the booth.
Lone stubs his butt out in the ashtray.
EXT. ALLEY — NIGHT
The two men round the corner of a dark, dingy alley and the hum from the neon street lamps dies away.
Lone follows him down the alley into a dead end. Thin begins to smile as two other men materialise out of the shadows, blocking the exit.
Lone shoots from the hip leaving a smoking hole in Thin’s forehead, the other two rush him quickly but Lone slips through them, tripping one to the ground and planting a bullet in his head. The remaining thug backs away. Lone drops his gun and pulls a knuckle duster from his coat.
The thug runs at Lone haphazardly. Lone steps swiftly to the side and lands a crushing gut punch on the thug who crumples and raises his hands in defence. Lone lands another on the thug’s head knocking him to the ground.
Lone begins punching the defeated thug in the face. As he does so bits of flesh begin peeling off to reveal a mechanical skull. Suddenly bright light floods the alley.
Lone steps back and puts his hands on top of his head, the police swarm the alley and restrain Lone who looks at the mutilated robot.
INT. POLICE STATION — DAY
The future police chief stands behind his desk facing two uncomfortable looking detectives.
TITLE SCREEN II
The year is 2277. Robots rule the earth. The remnants of humanity have been exiled to segregated enclosures across the globe. A handful of organic rebel upstarts still fight for what used to be. One robot seeks them out.
EXT. ORGANIC SLUM — NIGHT
A pristine ANDROID strides dutifully down a narrow, litter strewn path. Makeshift homes propped atop each other spill out on both sides. Human eyes glint suspiciously from the shadows of doorways which close and lock in quick succession as the android advances deeper into the maze. It finally stops outside a small dilapidated hut with a steel door, and knocks.
There is no movement heard from within.
The robot deftly lifts the door off its hinges and places it aside. It then activates a flashlight on its wrist and enters the gloom. A human voice speaks from the shadows.
INT. POLICE STATION — DAY
The ROBO-POLICE CHIEF stands behind his desk facing an apathetic E-777.
E-777 rolls his eyes.
TITLE SCREEN III
The year is 2477. Man and machine live in harmony, intertwined, so that it’s impossible to tell where one begins and the other ends. Man’s free will now exists as part of a collective consciousness, “The Will of One”, or “TWO” for short. TWO nurtures and guides its blossoming civilisation’s growth in the universe, and off-world colonisation has been underway for decades. So far no alien intelligence has been contacted. Until now.
EXT. LV-777 — DAY
A futuristic shuttle flies low over the barren, foreboding surface of LV-777.
INT. SHUTTLE COCKPIT — DAY
Two augmented humans — fitted with all manner of robotic implants — sit in the claustrophobic cockpit, surrounded by blinking lights and overflowing wires.
An omnipresent voice speaks.
EXT. SURFACE OF LV-777 — DAY
The two explorers stand outside a giant domed building protruding from the side of a sheer cliff-face. A small square shaped door is the only feature on its surface. As they approach it opens automatically. The two look at each other.
They enter the darkness.
INT. CAVERNOUS STRUCTURE — DAY
The interior is pitch black, save for the light leaking through the portal behind our dubious duo. They glance nervously at each other.
Pam switches her flashlight on but it only illuminates the ground directly in front of them.
As they commence their journey into the black, lights begin to illuminate on either side, creating a path stretching deeper into the darkness. More lights appear as they advance, leading them further into the unknown. After a time the path turns into a set of ascending steps.
The two climb wearily until they reach a small square plateau illuminated by a soft glow. In the centre of the plateau is a huddled figure. The two share a furtive glance.
Pam edges towards the figure leaving Bill where he is.
As Pam inches closer the figure sways slightly.
The figure seems to raise its head. It then folds out like a flip-knife to reveal a humanoid figure three times the height of our intrepid duo, who are now both frozen with fear.
The booming voice echoes and dies to dead silence.
Suddenly bright lights flood the space to reveal a humongous cavern brimming with a crowd of similar looking aliens, all focused on centre stage.
TITLE SCREEN IV
The year is 2677. The United Galactic Federation’s reach stretches across thousands of galaxies, unifying and governing all known intelligent life in the universe. Humanity is relatively new to the congress and still has much to prove…
INT. GALACTIC SENATE — DAY
The UGF’s conference room is mostly taken up by a large floating table. Sat around it is a who’s who of powerful alien life-forms; there’s one that looks like an octopus with wings, one that looks like a bipedal zebra mixed with a fish, and one that looks like a lamp. At the head of the table is a large, regal looking alien who’s best described as a blue giraffe with human hands (feel free to think of something better). Stretching down the table are an assortment of other aliens, and at the very end, hidden amongst the throng, is a meek looking human/augment. The regal alien begins to speak.
The chancellor is interrupted by a crude, monophonic melody. The congregation begins looking around to find the source of the sound and soon all heads are turned towards the zebra/fish, who’s personal molecular communicator is continuing to ring. The chancellor clears their throat prompting the zebra/fish to rise guiltily out of their seat and switch chairs with the human. Zebra/fish is now at the very end of the table and humanity is one chair up.
TITLE SCREEN V
The year is 2877. The universe is in a state of cold war and humanity is poised on a knife’s edge at its centre. On one side sits the progressive unionists who believe that all planets should be unified under the same rule of law. The opposing separatists maintain each planet should be free to govern themselves within the tenets of the United Galactic Treaty. Thousands of proxy wars are being played out across the universe, each faction a pawn in the largest game of chess ever, each player growing more desperate with every move.
Having remained neutral throughout its rise in the Federation, Humanity is in a unique position to act as mediator to the warring sides, though to have any hope of unifying the universe it must first climb to the top. The path to the summit will be filled with peril and one slip could be a free-fall into extinction. Every move counts.
INT. GALACTIC SENATE — DAY
The conference room looks the same but the order of the aliens sat at the table has changed somewhat. The regal giraffe is still sat at the head, however a human/augment is now sat somewhere in the middle.
A ringing tone interrupts the chancellor. The whole room turns to stare at a skinny insectoid type alien sat one seat up from the human.
TITLE SCREEN VI
The year is 3077. Humanity has forged its way to the head of the Galactic Senate, now focusing its efforts on further understanding the mysteries of the universe. An ancient alien prophecy foretold that answers would be found at the edge of time and space…
EXT. THE EDGE OF TIME AND SPACE — ???
An even more futuristic shuttle soars through the vastness of space. As the shuttle continues the universe around them becomes sparse; planets, stars and space rocks are left behind, all visible matter thinning out until a pure blackness remains.
INT. SHUTTLE COCKPIT — ???
The shuttle clock continues to slow until it stops completely.
A small white square can be seen in front of them through the shuttle window. As they continue forward it grows bigger. The two astronauts stare wide eyed as the square soon fills up the whole window. They have seemingly entered the square and are now travelling through the enveloping white nothingness.
EXT. NOTHINGNESS — /
The shuttle travels indefinitely until it reaches a small black-hole-type-vortex, the only speck of contrast on the white plain.
INT. SHUTTLE COCKPIT — /
The two astronauts sit in awed silence as they approach the vortex. Suddenly the shuttle comes to a halt.
The vortex begins to vibrate slightly.
There is a lull in dialogue for a moment until a look of purpose dawns on Pam’s face.
EXT. THE EDGE OF TIME AND SPACE — ???
The shuttle travels back through the nothingness until it once again reaches the black edges of space.
INT. SHUTTLE COCKPIT — ???
The two sit in silence as the shuttle clock gradually begins to work again. Bill lets out a sigh.
CREDITS ROLL