By Dennis Rowarr SCENE ONE Bridge, the Avenger, somewhere in space DRAKE, FELICIA and OUTCAST are all sat at three of the seven consoles on the bridge. All of them have holograms of an ice planet - Wednos - in front of them, with a small red dot indicating a position. DRAKE: (perplexed) There's no possibility of error? The distress signal is definitely from the surface? DIYANA: Confirmed. FELICIA: But... Wednos is completely uninhabited! Its temperature at the equator alone is -25 degrees! OUTCAST: But something is giving out a signal! DIYANA: Information: the signal is emanating from a small distress beacon of an outdated type used by the United Animals Coalition. Surface-scans show that this beacon was temporarily de-activated by colder weather in previous years, but a recent change in planetary climatic temperature has allowed the beacon to be re-activated. DRAKE: Then it's possible that whoever used it must also be frozen down there. I'm not at all sure if they're still alive. DIYANA: Information: a ship has been detected entering the planet's atmosphere, and is closing in on the location of the distress signal. DRAKE: Can you identify it? DIYANA: Negative. DRAKE: (frowns) Is there a radio link? DIYANA: Negative. DRAKE: Is it still closing in? DIYANA: Confirmed. Scans indicate that the ship is utilising on-board teleportation technology to beam the distress beacon and its occupier aboard. All three frown at one another, uncertain what to do. Finally, DRAKE decides to take action. DRAKE: Is there a visual link with this new ship? DIYANA: Confirmed. Her spell gem immediately shows the harsh, wintry landscape of Wednos, with a vicious snowstorm obscuring the vast crags of ice in the background. In the foreground is a medium-sized spacecraft, completely black and shaped like a coffin. It hovers in the air, apparently unaffected by the snowstorm, as if waiting for something. OUTCAST: (points to ship) There's some kind of marking on its side. FELICIA and DRAKE follow his finger, and see a very faint white marking towards the front of the ship. FELICIA: Diyana, can you maximise the image? DIYANA: Magnification can be increased to any range at your order. DRAKE: OK. Maximise it...times 100. DIYANA complies. The image shows the white marking to make out a single word: UDOLPHO. DRAKE: (to Felicia and Outcast) Mean anything to you two? FELICIA and OUTCAST shake their heads. DIYANA: Information: The distress beacon and its user have been beamed aboard the ship. It is now preparing to leave the planet's atmosphere. FELICIA: What should we do? DRAKE: (firmly) Follow them. If that ship won't contact anyone, then I have a horrible feeling that it has something to hide, and I want to make sure that it isn't the Federation's doing. (to Diyana) Diyana, lock onto the ship and prepare to follow it at half-speed. DIYANA: Confirmed. SCENE TWO Over Wednos, space The Avenger is lying in wait for the Udolpho to leave Wednos, unaware of a section of five Federation fighters closing in behind it. The voices of the FEDERATION PILOTS can be heard over their radios as they speak to one another. LEADER: This is Section Leader. The Avenger has been spotted over Wednos, bearing 0071 magnetic. Our orders from Federation High Command are to force the crew to set down on Wednos and to reclaim the ship as Federation property. Acknowledge transmission. FIRST PILOT: This is Black One acknowledging. SECOND PILOT: Black Two acknowledging. THIRD PILOT: Black Three acknowledging. FOURTH PILOT: Black Four acknowledging. LEADER: Commence first offensive. They break formation, each one taking their own route that immediately bypasses the Avenger. As each one draws close, they open fire on the ship, damaging the shields and allowing the Udolpho to sneak away unnoticed. ABOARD THE AVENGER... The reverberations from the blasts knock the crew about like ragdolls. They all hold onto their seats as DIYANA gives her report. DIYANA: Shields now operating at 95% capacity and falling. FELICIA: (hisses) How the frell did the Federation find us?! DRAKE: They probably picked up the distress signal as well. (to Diyana) Diyana, abandon previous flight pattern and place all engines at full speed. You know what to do. DIYANA: Confirmed. OUTCAST: What about the Udolpho? DRAKE: It'll have to wait. Let's just hope whoever's aboard her is friendly. SCENE THREE Cryopreservation chamber, the Udolpho, space The interior of the Udolpho is as dark as it is foreboding. The metallic walls are a deep blue, with the doorways all arched like some gothic cathedral. The chamber is dominated by several glass tubes, one of which is covered with frost and ice. Inside, perfectly preserved within, is the frozen body of CAPTAIN MIMI LAFLEUR. The doors into the chamber open, and a silhouette glides through the door. VOICE: (deep, sonorous) Analyze. COMPUTER: (crackling, from speakers) Subject is in 100% health. Subzero temperatures on Wednos allowed for perfect cryopreservation of all skin and body cells with no defects or mutations. Current temperature is - 196 degrees celsius. Revival can begin at your order. VOICE: Do it. The glass tube begins to glow a soft, orange colour. Its walls hum and vibrate as the ice surrounding MIMI begins to melt. COMPUTER: Revival process beginning. Current temperature is -95 degrees celsius and rising. The ice begins to melt more rapidly, exposing MIMI's body. For the moment, however, she remains inert. COMPUTER: Revival process proceeding. Current temperature is six degrees celsius and rising. The orange glow and the vibrations die away, as MIMI's unconscious body falls unconscious to the floor. The water from the melted ice is drained away, leaving MIMI alone in the tube. COMPUTER: Revival process complete. Subject will awaken approximately 25 minutes. The owner of the VOICE emerges from the light, and is revealed to be a male RED SQUIRREL, dressed in a formal suit with a white bowtie and a black cape. He also sports white opera gloves, and a white opera mask that covers his cranium, eyes and nose. He holds out a gloved paw and strokes the side of the tube where MIMI's cheek is resting. SQUIRREL: Oh, how beautiful you were, and will be again... SCENE FOUR The Avenger, space The Avenger is speeding through space, performing its special manouver against assaulting craft. With the Federation fighters all in formation, they are easy targets for the Avenger's powerful maser- cannon, which rotates 180 degrees on its axis, and wipes out the fighters in a single, concentrated blast, reducing the pursuers into scorched scrap-metal scattered across a wide area of space. INSIDE THE AVENGER... DRAKE, FELICIA and OUTCAST all cling to their consoles as the ship automatically reduces speed until it comes to a complete stop. OUTCAST, who has not seen such powerful weaponry, is amazed. OUTCAST: (astounded) A powerful light ray! FELICIA: (proudly) An experimental supermaser powered by ionised crystals from the Dark Heart Nebula, actually. OUTCAST: Sorry? DRAKE: A very powerful light, Outcast. That's all it is. (to Diyana) Diyana, status report. DIYANA: Defence shields are operating at 92% capacity. All other systems functioning at 100% capacity. Repairs can be made by the auto- repair systems without the temporary shutdown of life-support systems. DRAKE: (gives a satisfied nod) Good, at least that's something. What about the Udolpho? DIYANA: Surface-scans taken on Wednos have indicated that the Udolpho is powered by an outdated Mark 4 photon accelerator, which leaves a distinctive ion trail easily detected by standard equipment. This trail can be easily tracked using the automated scintillation detector aboard the Avenger. DRAKE: Do it. Do everything in your power to get us to the Udolpho. DIYANA: Confirmed. OUTCAST: What do we do if the ship is Federation, Drake? Backwards primitive that I am, even I know that people will always try new things in their lifetime. DRAKE: If it's Federation? (pause) We rescue whoever they picked up on Wednos, and shoot them out of the sky. FELICIA: Is that because you want to cover our tracks, or because you're determined to wipe out every last member of the Federation? DRAKE stares frostily at her as if to silence her, and FELICIA turns her eye back to the console, getting the message. SCENE FIVE Rest lounge, the Udolpho, space MIMI is lying on a large, plush sofa in the middle of a lounge area. There is a dim, blue light from the high ceiling, with a single window looking out into space, resembling a circular window of a medieval abbey. The far wall is lined with bookcases filled with hardbacks, partially hidden by shadow. MIMI stirs, and opens an eye. MIMI: Wh-where am I? She sits up, looking around her. Presently, an arched door opens, and the RED SQUIRREL enters. Upon seeing MIMI, however, he steps back in surprise. SQUIRREL: (amazed) You're awake! MIMI: (raises an eyebrow) Who are you, dark and mysterious? The RED SQUIRREL enters, allowing the blue light to illuminate his masked face. For a moment, MIMI seems disturbed, but the SQUIRREL calms her. SQUIRREL: My name is Michael Olan. I thawed you from the ice on Wednos. I know all about you, Captain LaFleur, and a lot of time has passed since the Federation imprisoned you there. MIMI, on hearing the word "Federation", almost leaps from the sofa and grabs MICHAEL by the scruff of his collar. Her superior height means that she is dangling MICHAEL a few inches from the ground. MIMI: (snarling angrily) What do you know about the Federation?! Do you work for those feathered rats?! MICHAEL slaps MIMI hard across the cheek, and leaps back a few paces when MIMI releases her grip. MIMI clutches at her face, unable to believe what has just happened, whilst MICHAEL stares angrily at her, scowling beneath his mask. MICHAEL: (acidly) How dare you call me Federation! (points to his mask) Those bastards did this to me! You were left on Wednos because they didn't want to turn you into a martyr, but for me, they tore off my face because I was practically a nobody! He turns away from her, his cape flowing in the air, seething angrily to himself. MIMI, a little calmer, attempts to console him. MIMI: (calmer) I'm sorry. I didn't know... MICHAEL: (calming down) No, I should've known that, especially as you've been frozen for so long. (pause) I was a cryogenicist on Narnox until about five years ago. The Federation was late in conquering Narnox, and when they finally invaded, they promoted the grey squirrels as the master race. Red squirrels like me were hunted down and arrested. The majority were killed in mass executions, but a few like me were too valuable to be killed off so easily. MIMI: (disgusted) By the great mother... MICHAEL: They wanted us to give them our discoveries and theories for them to claim for their own. For me, it was my experimental cryopreservation revival process that I used to thaw you out. (sighs heavily) They mutilated my face beyond hope, and I've lived a prisoner on this ship ever since. MIMI: But... how did you escape? Did they just let you go?! MICHAEL: Anyone they mutilate is sent to live their last few hours in the sewers. Only a few ever live long enough to escape - the Federation sends teams of auxilliaries to hunt down any of thse who have survived. I was among the lucky few. I emerged in a spaceport, and as this ship was unguarded, I saw it as a way out. I've been alone for five long years... until I picked up your distress signal. MIMI's eyes stray towards a small table at the side of the sofa, where a small, bulky cylinder covered in orange plastic lies alone. MIMI: And... how much time was I frozen? MICHAEL: (smiling slightly) You'd best sit down. There's a lot to talk about. SCENE SIX the Avenger, closing in on the Udolpho, space The metal prow of the Avenger hoves into view, its speed gradually slowing to a stop. The outline of the Udolpho can be seen very faintly nearby. It is only the glare of a nearby star that stops the Udolpho from becoming invisible. INSIDE THE AVENGER... DRAKE, FELICIA and OUTCAST are all standing up, looking up at the Udolpho via DIYANA's gigantic spell-gem. DIYANA: Udolpho is currently stationary. Scans indicate two lifeforms aboard: one rodent and one canid. FELICIA: Can you be a little more precise? DIYANA: One red squirrel and one vixen. OUTCAST: Is there any way to tell which one came from Wednos? DIYANA: Negative. (pause) Information: several large craft are approaching both the Avenger and the Udolpho. Bearing: 001 magnetic. The image on the spell-gem changes, showing several large, blue craft of an unknown size rapidly approaching the two ships. They are still too far off to make out with the naked eye. DIYANA: Scans indicate that the ships are fully armed. Their intention is hostile. FELICIA: (thinking aloud) They could just be investigating our presence. DIYANA: Negative. All weaponry systems of the approaching ships are locked onto the Avenger. Destruction of the Avenger is certain... TO BE CONTINUED...