A Far Sun: Synopsis/Treatment, part 2
This series of posts constitute more than a simple synopsis. They're more like a treatment. Parts will be at varying levels of detail--I need enough to convey what's happening and where the story is going. Of necessity there will be spoilers, so if you are one of those who can wait until Christmas Day for your presents, please don't read ahead.
Go here for part 1
From the end of part 1:
"And that caused us to black out?"
He shrugs, "Apparently. I need to look at the logs to be sure."
"Weird," is all Jane says.
Curious, they both go to check conditions inside the SA chamber. Both subjects, one a dog and the other a bonobo, are both apparently alive and once they see Adam and Jane, begin to make excited noises. Jane, in particular, is their keeper.
"Let them out," Jane orders.
"OK," Adam agrees, "but we need to get the power on, first."
Jane looks around. "Oh, right." She starts to ask 'how do we do that?' then remembers that she knows how. Following protocol, Jane moves to the nearest intercom station and keys the 'To Control Room' button. "Control room?" She waits. "Control Room? Are you there?" Jane looks up toward the thick glass windows between the control room and the chamber room.
Adam is at her shoulder, looking between Jane and the control room windows.
"No one's answering," she says.
"I know. I already tried it."
"I guess we'll have to get the power on ourselves," Jane says.
Click for more"Right. Watch the animals," says Adam, and he heads toward the metal stairs leading up to the chamber room door. It's about two stories up, near the top of the large (20 meters diameter) room.
"See if you can get the lights on, too," Jane calls up to Adam as he reaches the top of the stairs.
"Right," he calls down, not looking. "Power equals lights." But the heavy steel door to the chamber won't open. It's operated by electricity. After pressing the 'OPEN' button and trying the door handle a few times unsuccessfully, Adam turns and calls down to Jane, "The door won't open."
"Isn't there a manual door release? I can't believe we would be trapped in here if the power failed."
"Hah," says Adam, perplexed and frustrated, "You can not believe it all you want. The damn door won't open."
"Criminy," says Jane, characteristically, and she starts toward the stairs. Adam only watches while she climbs up to stand next to him.
"Have at it," Adam says. "Trust me, it won't open."
Jane reaches forward to press the 'OPEN' button, but before she can press it there is a vibration and a hum, and all the lights suddenly come on. Smirking to Adam, Jane then presses the 'OPEN' button in triumph, and the door swings open. "I guess it just needed a woman's touch."
"Right, sure," Adam says, and walks through the open doorway.
"You check the control room," Jane calls to Adam, "I'll check on the animals."
"Right. Already there."
The chamber door opens onto a corridor, and Adam enters the control room through another door off the corridor. The control room is about 4 meters deep by 8 meters wide, and has thick glass windows that look out into the chamber room. A long console of control equipment lines the wall below the windows. There are four empty swivel chairs along the console. Adam looks around. All the equipment seems to be functional, and turned on, but where before there were people seated at the chairs and another two or three standing and watching, now there is no one.
Adam sits in the first chair. On the console in front of him is a large, thick, heavy keyboard, and above the keyboard is a smallish (50 x 50 centimeters) CRT screen. On the screen are green letters:
** READY _
He types: 'STATUS' and presses ENTER. On the screen appears the following message:
POWER INTERRUPTION. DURATION 317 YR 5 MTH 12 DY 21 HRS 17 MIN 32.776 SEC.
CURRENT DATE. 05 APR 2297 06:57:14.
** READY _
"What the hell?" Adam says to himself. Aloud. He keys the intercom 'To Chamber' button. "Jane. Get up here."
In several seconds Jane replies over the intercom, "What?"
Adam is not looking through the windows down at her. He is riveted on the flickering CRT screen. He keys the button, again. "You need to see this."
"What is it?" she asks.
All Adam says is, "Something's wrong."
Continued in part 3
Go here for part 1
From the end of part 1:
"And that caused us to black out?"
He shrugs, "Apparently. I need to look at the logs to be sure."
"Weird," is all Jane says.
Curious, they both go to check conditions inside the SA chamber. Both subjects, one a dog and the other a bonobo, are both apparently alive and once they see Adam and Jane, begin to make excited noises. Jane, in particular, is their keeper.
"Let them out," Jane orders.
"OK," Adam agrees, "but we need to get the power on, first."
Jane looks around. "Oh, right." She starts to ask 'how do we do that?' then remembers that she knows how. Following protocol, Jane moves to the nearest intercom station and keys the 'To Control Room' button. "Control room?" She waits. "Control Room? Are you there?" Jane looks up toward the thick glass windows between the control room and the chamber room.
Adam is at her shoulder, looking between Jane and the control room windows.
"No one's answering," she says.
"I know. I already tried it."
"I guess we'll have to get the power on ourselves," Jane says.
Click for more"Right. Watch the animals," says Adam, and he heads toward the metal stairs leading up to the chamber room door. It's about two stories up, near the top of the large (20 meters diameter) room.
"See if you can get the lights on, too," Jane calls up to Adam as he reaches the top of the stairs.
"Right," he calls down, not looking. "Power equals lights." But the heavy steel door to the chamber won't open. It's operated by electricity. After pressing the 'OPEN' button and trying the door handle a few times unsuccessfully, Adam turns and calls down to Jane, "The door won't open."
"Isn't there a manual door release? I can't believe we would be trapped in here if the power failed."
"Hah," says Adam, perplexed and frustrated, "You can not believe it all you want. The damn door won't open."
"Criminy," says Jane, characteristically, and she starts toward the stairs. Adam only watches while she climbs up to stand next to him.
"Have at it," Adam says. "Trust me, it won't open."
Jane reaches forward to press the 'OPEN' button, but before she can press it there is a vibration and a hum, and all the lights suddenly come on. Smirking to Adam, Jane then presses the 'OPEN' button in triumph, and the door swings open. "I guess it just needed a woman's touch."
"Right, sure," Adam says, and walks through the open doorway.
"You check the control room," Jane calls to Adam, "I'll check on the animals."
"Right. Already there."
The chamber door opens onto a corridor, and Adam enters the control room through another door off the corridor. The control room is about 4 meters deep by 8 meters wide, and has thick glass windows that look out into the chamber room. A long console of control equipment lines the wall below the windows. There are four empty swivel chairs along the console. Adam looks around. All the equipment seems to be functional, and turned on, but where before there were people seated at the chairs and another two or three standing and watching, now there is no one.
Adam sits in the first chair. On the console in front of him is a large, thick, heavy keyboard, and above the keyboard is a smallish (50 x 50 centimeters) CRT screen. On the screen are green letters:
** READY _
He types: 'STATUS' and presses ENTER. On the screen appears the following message:
POWER INTERRUPTION. DURATION 317 YR 5 MTH 12 DY 21 HRS 17 MIN 32.776 SEC.
CURRENT DATE. 05 APR 2297 06:57:14.
** READY _
"What the hell?" Adam says to himself. Aloud. He keys the intercom 'To Chamber' button. "Jane. Get up here."
In several seconds Jane replies over the intercom, "What?"
Adam is not looking through the windows down at her. He is riveted on the flickering CRT screen. He keys the button, again. "You need to see this."
"What is it?" she asks.
All Adam says is, "Something's wrong."
Continued in part 3
Labels: A Far Sun
posted by Coogan at 1/04/2008 07:36:00 PM
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