COLD OPEN
[SCENE OPENS WITH PERSONNEL FILE ON COMPUTER SCREEN. RANDOM PHOTO AND STATS. COMPUTER KEYS CLICK. NEXT PHOTO AND STATS POP UP. COMPUTER KEYS CLICK AGAIN, NEXT BIO SHOWS UP, AND EACH SUBSEQUENT PROFILE GOES BY WITH INCREASING FREQUENCY, AS IF LIJHO IS HURRYING THROUGH.
CAMERA ANGLE CHANGES TO SHOW LIJHO IN FRONT OF COMPUTER SCREEN IN THE DARK BACK ROOM OF LANFERNO. THE ONLY LIGHT IS THE LIGHT OF THE SCREEN ON HIS FACE (USE HIGGSFIELD FOR DRAMATIC LIGHTING EFFECT)
CAMERA CUTS BACK TO THE WORDAGE OF THE PROFILES. THEIR ASSIGNMENTS/OCCUPATIONS. KEYBOARD KEYS CLICKING AS THE SHOT MATCH CUTS THROUGH THE VARIOUS OCCUPATIONS.
CAMERA CUTS TO LIJHO’S FACE LOOKING RIGHT INTO THE CAMERA SO WE HAVE THE POV OF THE COMPUTER SCREEN. HIS FACE GOES FROM STOIC TO LOWERED EYE BROW CONCERN/CONFUSION
CAMERA CUTS BACK TO FULL SCREEN PROFILE PHOTO/BIO, THEN WITH ABOUT A SECOND BETWEEN EACH, KEYBOARD CLICK, NEXT PROFILE, AS IF HE IS RIFLING THROUGH THE PROFILES.
CAMERA CUTS IN CLOSE ON THE WORDS “[NAME] THEN UNDER THE NAME THE WORD NEBULA”
KEYBOARD CLICKS WITH THE MATCH CUT MOVING THROUGH THE NAMES, THEN BACKWARDS THROUGH THE MATCH CUT SEQUENCE AS IF LIJHO IS GOING BACK AND FORTH TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THEY ALL HAVE IN COMMON. THE CAMERA SLOWLY ZOOMS IN ON THE WORD NEBULA AS THE MATCH CUT SEQUENCE PLAYS OUT. CROSSFADE TO LIJHO’S FACE, CAMERA ZOOMING OUT SLOWLY “WHAT THE FUCK IS NEBULA?”
LIJHO CONTINUES CLICKING THROUGH, WHEN SUDDENLY THE LIGHT ON HIS FACE TURNS SOLID WHITE TO SHOW THE SCREEN CHANGED
HE IS MET WITH AN IMPASSABLE PROMPT:
"WS5 authentication needed to proceed. Please enter sequence"
CAMERA CUTS BACK TO LIJHO’S FACE OF CONCERN
“Oh shit…” he whispers to himself out loud.
FADE IN OPACITY BLEND OVERLAY OF COMPUTER SCREEN WITH CURSOR BLINKING ON SCREEN AND LIJHO’S FACE. HOLD FOR 4 SECONDS, THEN FADE TO BLACK.
[THEME SONG]
DALLAN WS5 APARTMENT SCENE
[SCENE OPENS WITH FLUSHING OF TOILET OFF IN THE DISTANCE. SOUNDS OF BARE FEET WALKING ACROSS FLOOR, VARIOUS SOUNDS OF SOMEONE IN THE KITCHEN.
CAMERA CUTS TO LIJHO ON THE COUCH LOOKING DOWN AT HIM ASLEEP WITH A RAY OF SUNLIGHT ACROSS HIS FACE. HIS EYES SLOWLY OPEN AND SQUINT AS HE WAKES UP.
CUT TO DALLAN BLURRED IN THE BACKGROUND IN THE KITCHEN MAKING COFFEE, THEN WALKING OVER TO THE TABLE AND SITTING DOWN. LIJHO IS SEEN ON THE COUCH SITTING UP.]
"First night out. How'd you sleep?"
"I honestly feel like I didn't. I don't even remember if I did or for how long"
"Just give it time. You can crash here as long as you want, you know I don't care"
"Funny you mention that... the Paseo aren't going to have a problem with me being here? I mean I DID hack their entire system and fuck it up pretty good. I-"
"Dude.. They already know I've known you my whole life. They aren't going to care. My rank is silver stripe now anyway, they won't say anything to me."
"I just don't want to get you in any trouble or cause you any problems with them. Trust me I know all about that"
"Nah dude. Besides, after everything that happened from your case, they learned a LOT and really stepped up their game. The security around the computer systems is ridiculous now. No offense but you couldn't hack into it now even if you wanted to. The EIC requires a word sequence that only the owner knows. You have to know the keywords AND the order they go in... like I said"
Camera cuts to Lijho halfway through the word sequence line. A flashback of the computer screen with the cursor and the word sequence prompt. Close up of the words “WS5”. Realization floods his face, but he tries to keep cool.
"Well nothing is ever unbreakable. But yeah that’s… that’s pretty good."
"Well just trust me, your methods won't work this time."
[Dallan takes a sip of coffee locking eyes with the camera throughout the sip]
"Well either way, thanks for letting me crash here. I really appreciate it."
"Yeah no worries, like I said stay as long as you like. Honestly it's nice to have some company. The work home life gets old pretty quick"
"Heh… Don’t ever end up on Genocy then..."
[EARTHQUAKE STARTS SHAKING. JUST LIKE BEFORE, BUT LONGER. LIJHO LOOKS VISIBLY WORRIED]
“What the hell is that?” Lijho shouts over the rumbling.
[EARTHQUAKE SUBSIDES]
“We’ve been having earthquakes the past couple months. Nothing major. Just hiccups in the environmental control system.”
“Nothing major? There aren’t supposed to be any earthquakes at all. Isn’t that the whole point of the ECS to begin with?” [DISPLAY ECS ACRONYM MEANING ALONG BOTTOM OF SCREEN]
“Yeah but it’s just… more like it’s just a little overloaded lately. Every now and then we get a few mild tremors. It’s honestly nothing to worry about. The system engineers have been working on patches for the system. Shouldn’t even be an issue soon.”
“But you’re missing my point. This planet shouldn’t be having earthquakes AT ALL. You do understand that right? I mean, the whole reason we have the ECS in the first place is to keep the planet stable. If the planet is having earthquakes, something must be wrong.”
“Dude, I promise, it’s nothing to worry about. These aren’t even really earthquakes, they’re just like.. little glitches in the system. They’ve already been working on it. I know you’re gonna do it anyway, but I PROMISE, you really don’t have to worry.”
[HALFWAY THROUGH THE LINE, DALLAN’S PHONE BUZZES ON THE TABLE. AS HE’S TALKING HE LOOKS DOWN AT THE PHONE, FINISHES TELLING LIJHO NOT TO WORRY AND ANSWERS THE PHONE]
“Dallan Fielding… hey how are you?”
[HIS VOICE TRAILS OFF AS THE CAMERA BLURS SLOWLY. STAR CLOCK APPEARS. CAMERA BLURS THE SCENE UNTIL IT’S UNRECOGNIZABLE. THEN SLOWLY UNBLURS TO REVEAL THE OZA ISLANDS SCENE BEGINNING]
OZA ISLANDS CAFE
THE BLUR RESOLVES INTO A WIDE ESTABLISHING SHOT OF THE OZA ISLANDS.
Bright daylight. Blue water. Tropical vegetation. Boats in the distance. The soundscape changes completely — gentle water, wind, birds, distant voices.
CUT TO SECOND ESTABLISHING SHOT — WATERSIDE CAFÉ.
The café sits directly along the water, open to the surrounding landscape.
CUT TO WIDE TWO-SHOT — JONAS AND ELENA AT A TABLE.
Jonas and Elena sit across from one another with tea in front of them.
Frame them against the water. The setting is beautiful and peaceful.
The people sitting in it are not.
Neither speaks.
HOLD THE SHOT LONG ENOUGH FOR THE SILENCE TO BECOME NOTICEABLE.
CUT TO ELENA.
She looks down at her tea, then toward the water.
CUT TO JONAS.
He glances toward Elena.
She isn't looking at him.
He looks away.
CUT TO INSERT — ELENA’S HAND AROUND HER CUP.
A small movement of her thumb against the cup. Something to show she's not entirely relaxed.
BACK TO WIDE TWO-SHOT.
Another beat of silence.
Eventually Jonas tries to break it.
JONAS
This is awkward.
Elena looks at him.
ELENA
A little.
A beat.
JONAS
I just don’t really know what to say…. I- I’ve missed you Elena.
Elena gives him a look.
ELENA
I’ve missed you too. You know… we said we would still be friends, and there really is no reason why we can’t be. It doesn’t need to be awkward between us.
A tiny smile from Jonas.
Maybe, despite herself, Elena gives him one back.
The tension loosens slightly.
They take their tea.
JONAS
I know. I’m just not very good in situations like this I guess.ELENA
Well I promise there’s no hard feelings here. I’ve had a lot of time to think about a lot of things. Not just you, but other things too. I’ve made my peace with a lot of things since I left the Paseo. The affair, my father… I’ve moved on from all that.”JONAS
Well I just hope you know… I hope you’ve always known.. I never meant to hurt you Elena.
For a few seconds, there is something recognizable between them — a glimpse of the relationship they used to have.
Then—
BZZT.
INSERT — JONAS’S PHONE VIBRATES ON THE TABLE.
Jonas glances down at it.
Doesn't touch it.
CUT TO ELENA.
She noticed.
Jonas continues the conversation as though nothing happened.
A few moments later—
BZZT.
The phone vibrates again.
This time Elena's eyes go directly to it.
CUT TO JONAS.
He sees her looking.
He deliberately leaves the phone alone.
The conversation continues, but the ease that had just started developing between them is gone.
Then—
BBBBZZZZZZZZ.
INCOMING CALL.
The phone continues vibrating against the table.
Jonas looks at it.
Elena looks at Jonas.
Neither says anything for a moment.
ELENA
Should you answer that?
HOLD ON JONAS.
Given their history, he knows exactly why she's asking.
He looks at the screen.
CHLOR.
A subtle change crosses his face.
Elena catches it.
From her perspective, this suddenly looks very familiar.
Jonas picks up the phone.
JONAS
Excuse me.
He stands and walks several steps away from the table.
CAMERA DOES NOT IMMEDIATELY FOLLOW HIM.
Instead, HOLD ON ELENA as she watches Jonas walk away to take a private call.
Only after we've registered her suspicion—
CUT TO JONAS.