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INT - STARSHIP COMMAND DECK (COMIC-BOOK)
("SPRING FLOURISH" IN EXAGGERATION for the [OUTER-STORY])
(POV) MAIN FRONT WINDOWS: PUSHING INTO a dramatic scene:
DISPLAYS, WINDOWS, CHASE A [GAGGLE OF GIGGLING YOUNG WOMEN]
in flowing layered sheer leading their starship along a forest ledge:
On their left is buttress rock cliff, on their right precipice and sun haze:
[Giggles moving amid US (the audience) vary nebulous (contra-phase) and directional]
Standing center: Pointing at US:
Starship CAPTAIN [CMDR Dave
of the USS Regents] wants to regain control
of his computer from US, speeding through a strange space. 7 officers sit about appropriately:
HELMSMAN, NAVIGATION, COMMUNICATIONS, ENGINEER, SCIENCER, DEFENSER, OBSERVER-ADMIRAL:
CAPTAIN
(command-irked: at US)
Can, you, stop - that?!
COMMUNICATOR
(a beat)
Not apparently, sir: It's locked-in. |
Captain spins about irked, to confront him:
(POV) Communicator: THE FULL WIDTH WINDOW VIEW OF GIGGLIES:
CAPTAIN
(irks)
Locked-in!?
Where and what, is its source?!
COMMUNICATOR
The computer itself is projecting the image, sir.
CAPTAIN
The computer!?
(challenges)
On whose authority!?
COMMUNICATOR
(tentatively)
On, its own authority, sir.
CAPTAIN
(plain irked)
It's own authority!?
What kind of response is that?!
COMMUNICATOR
(cowed)
It's not external, sir: It just is, on the screen;
And, it does not appear to be a malfunction - sir.
CAPTAIN
(worries)
Not, a mal-function!?
What controls do we have left in this ship?
Can you determine where we are? Our heading? |
FREEZE-PAGE-FLIP
NAVIGATOR
(to keys)
We appear to have full control, sir;
And we are still on course for Procyon star-base.
It's only the main screen that is dis-playing:
Raw telemetry is consistent with our course-plan....
However:
(composures)
Allow me an interpretation, Captain:
(a beat)
If the cliff to our left is the stellar nursery nebula, and the precipice
to the right, is the incipient supernova plasma-wind bloom, and, we are
following a narrow course along the interface: and the trees are larger
avoidable asteroidal debris -- and the gaggle of young women are our forward
sensor probes and multiple tactical course-correction options - then...
(pauses, ponders)
CAPTAIN
(exasperates)
Then, what?! |
FREEZE-PAGE-FLIP
ENGINEER
(confides)
Then, the computer has merely bypassed its cognitive logic comprehensive
interpretation facility - Sir!
CAPTAIN
(upsets)
Merely - bypassed!?
ENGINEER
(cowed)
Yes, sir: The computer is, dreaming - sir.
CAPTAIN
(astonished)
Dreaming.... How long, is a computer's dream?
ENGINEER
Difficult to say, sir:
The bypass appears to be phase-locked to nebula-local spatio-temporal
nautico-communication cross-coefficients - about 3 to 4 kilo-hesits re-gestation
interval, I'd expect - sir.
CAPTAIN
(bothered)
And we just sit and watch till it's over!?
ENGINEER
(cowed)
Apparently so - sir.
[OUTER-STORY] (VO)
(REF EXTERNAL DIALOG)
|
Demeanor changes to looking-about awed as though feeling the incongruity of having to
wait-out the computer-dream, blended with the [outer-story].
FREEZE-PAGE-LEAVE
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