Star Trek: Red, Blue, Gold

There's been tons of discussion over the notion of Trek needing to return to TV, and with i09's recent article suggesting that Paramount has a ready made Marvel Franchise Style Universe all ready and waiting. With this discussion, I figured it was time to post another one of my impossible ideas were I given a chance to play in an established universe. So, what would I do were I given the chance to play in the Star Trek Universe?

The idea is simple, a trilogy of series. Red, Blue and Gold. Each dealing with a different aspect of the Trek Universe.


Star Trek: Red

This was my first and favorite idea I cobbled together with my Star Trek/Expendables mash-up art. The expanded notion goes about like this:

The USS Roanoke finds a mysterious ship drifting through space. Sending in a five man away team of security officers, the ship detects a disturbance in the fabric of space time. Seeing it as an attack, the ship targets and destroys the Roanoke. Just as the ship activates its defenses to kill the men, a temporal event strikes the ship, flinging it through time and arriving in the rebooted Trek universe. (2261)

The ship, damaged from the time jump, resets to defaults and authorizes the five men as the crew.  They find that as a result, their patterns are stored within a cloning program. Every time they die within proximity to the ship, they are reset. As an error in the programming, the “Command” of the ship is set to a new member of the crew with each death, effectively making the captain a rotating position.

Upon Arrival, They have a run in with a Starfleet vessel, the USS Incipience, which the ship attacks automatically. The alien ship easily outclasses and destroy the vessel. They manage to rescue several members of the crew, forcing an uneasy alliance between the crew of the old universe and the crew of the new universe.

Dubbing the ship the Voir Rouge and adopting the "Red Shirt" uniforms of the new universe thinking it the same command color, the men try to return to their universe, and all the while try to influence events with their knowledge. However, this universe holds a few surprises for them too as events are playing out far differently than the history they learned in the academy.

Receiving word of the attack, Starfleet begins actively hunting them. In particular Section 31, who take great interest in possessing the advanced technology of the ship. But then, so do other races, including the likes of the Borg which cannot assimilate the clones, uncovering a dormant program within the Collective.

Based around the action part of the Star Trek series, not a single episode would be without one of the main "Red Shirt" crew dying. Playing both with the comedy aspect of the redshirt meme, but also the philosophical implications of being repeatedly killed and cloned. (It would also be fun to parallel this with the philosophical implications of the transporter in universe too, being deconstructed and reconstructed and the nature of identity.) But also the idea of there being no clear chain of command with the five of them being the "captain" and how their different styles get them into or out of trouble. It would also be fun to lampshade the VERY different rebooted Trek Universe compared to the original. (For example, one of the characters would be a fan of the historical adventures of James T. Kirk and have a hard time coping with how things have changed from what he knows.) Going by i09's three channel possibility, this would be the Showtime series, allowing for violence to be boosted a bit to punctuate both the horror and comedy of the situation. I mean, if your series stars five characters destined to die at least once an episode, you need to be able to span the gamut.


Star Trek: Blue

The least developed of the ideas. This one being based around the notion of science officers. Really dealing with the exploration and discovery aspect of the universe. But so too, can it also function as the "Academy" series starring a younger cast and being very CW style. Ideally, it would be placed in the earlier "Enterprise" era of the universe circa 2161. Don't we deserve a better show set in the early era of Starfleet? Really dealing with that sense of science being the driving force and exploring the universe and seeing all the amazing sights there in. Which is also why it would be perfect to pair with the younger characters, paralleling that idea of growth and expansion that isn't just a drive of human civilization, but inherent in humans themselves.


Star Trek: Gold

This one would definitely be the CBS series dealing with the political side of the Star Trek series, but also one of the more fascinating parts of Star Trek Lore, the Klingons. The Idea is thus: Taking place in the old Post-Next Gen universe in 2461. After a long a protracted war with the Klingon Empire, the Empire is finally on the cusp of joining the Federation official. Following a Federation Diplomat on Kronos the entire series would be trying the reach a point of understanding and agreement that would allow the impossible, the two wildly different cultures to join forces. What would either need to give or allow for this to be a possibility? With how impossible the likelihood of the Empire and Federation EVER being compatible makes for a fertile playground of stories by itself, add in the always fun Klingon culture, the political machinations and outright conspiracies and you've got yourself a good time!


So, there you have it, a trilogy of Star Trek series for three VERY different types of Star Trek fans. (Or three series for big time Trekkies!) I don't see a reason for any of them to last longer than say three seasons, given the difficulty of producing three concurrent series. But taken together, it certainly would be a blast.

But then, what do I know? I'm just another geek.

Ghostbusters: The Third, part 1 (The Backstory and The Characters)

As you may remember, I posted a series of "Rules" about a hypothetical Third Ghostbusters Movie a while back. As I've not done much with it as intended, I figured it was time to post up my thoughts on the movie itself. Kinda a lesser from of my "The Thing Series" posts.

So, here we go!

The Backstory

To start, the movie takes place in 2016. (Previously, it was just a nebulous "Present Day" thing. But THEN I rewatched Ghostbusters II. There's this pointless little throwaway line in the beginning where the psychic wacko predicts the world is going to end February 14th 2016. And that was a reference too good for me to pass up.)

The Ghostbusters have been in operation since their return in Ghostbusters II, and, in fact, expanded to other cities with Franchise rights as the Game indicated. (Naturally, there would be a throwaway reference to the "Rookie" from the game having gone out to the West Coast to head the first franchise, but for some strange reason no one can quite remember what his name was...)

The Ghostbusters were a big thing there for a while. BUT... there are references to some nebulous "Incident" that happened in the between years that has shifted things a bit. (I'm not going to say what it was specifically, but it had to do with the 2012 "Apocalypse") Using this incident as a base of support from public backlash, Walter Peck has worked his way up to being a United States Senator with aspirations for the presidency. After the Game, Peck kinda begrudgingly accepted the Ghostbusters as necessary, but after the "Incident" he lobbied for, and succeeded in turning the company into another government institution akin to the Police, Fire Department, Post Office, what-have you.

So, as a result, the Ghostbusters "failed" in a sense, though they are still as present as ever. They have badges and are officially recognized as government employees, (aka "Ecto-Marshals") however this means they have far more oversight and limits place upon them. This made none of them happy, but they stuck with it. All besides Peter Venkman. Venkman disagreed with the whole thing and chose to pack up and ship off rather than play by Peck's game. He since founded his own rival company, the Ghost Smashers. (I'm currently debating how much involvement they have in the current movie.) Their tactics are quite different from the Ghostbusters as their claim is Ecto-Exterminations, rather than entrapment. They claim to be able to outright destroy these entities rather than trap and contain them. How is this possible? Well, that's the question isn't it...

The group has had trouble keeping new recruits around as there is massive turn over from the stress involved in dealing with both ghosts AND out of control bureaucracy. But still, they provide an important service in a time when the ghost problem only seems to be getting worse.


The Characters (Returning)

It's important to keep that continuity with the old series so, several faces from the past show up, but in a modular capacity as who knows who would and would not be willing to participate.

Peter, as the backstory suggests, split from the group to found his own company. He functions as a more modular element in the story as a background figure off doing his own thing. The returning characters would see him as more of an antagonist, but he does have his own reasons and is still very much Peter Venkman, If a bit older. (Think Zombieland Bill Murray, but forced to wear a suit and run a company.) He may or may not appear in the current movie based upon Murray's desire to be involved, but still referenced. Further, he could have a cameo, or even become involved directly in the finale. But we'll get to that a bit later. After the Game, Peter and Illyssa split and Peter reunited with Dana. (It's their thing.) But then, of course, when he broke with the Ghostbusters, he also left Dana and returned to Illyssa. She in turn helped him found the Ghost Smashers as sorta his "Ray" figure in the group. It was thanks to her Shandor connection that the two of them got the idea of focusing on Spectral Eliminations rather than capture and imprisonment. And thanks to Peter's less than ethical views, he absconded with Egon's designs for Dark Matter weaponry. (Peter would view this as not so much theft, as putting the technology to use rather than letting it gather dust.) Ultimately, he does miss his friends and wishes they had come with him to some extent.

Egon, Ray and Winston all have taken up positions within the Ghostbusters organization, not willing to just hand it over outright. Each of them dealing with it in different ways.

Winston is kinda the drill sergeant if you will. After the "incident" he has taken it upon himself to make sure that the new recruits are trained as best they can be before being sent out into the wild. He acts as the sorta... mentor/obi-wan/big brother/father figure to the new teams. He makes sure they are physically and mentally fit for duty, and more importantly, tries to give them some common damn sense. He is the only one of the original four who is happily married. However, infertility issues means that they never had kids, causing Winston to focus more on the younger Ghostbusters as a parental figure. (And really, isn't it time that Winston got a more central role in things?) He has trouble with the massive turn over in the organization, pushing recruits harder but being somewhat relieved when they do eventually give up.

Ray continued in a field work capacity up till the "incident" where he lost someone close to him. After that, he retired from field work, leaving it to the younger teams. Instead, he set about cataloging their collected knowledge over the years as an official Ghostbuters handbook on dealing with any and all situations he could imagine. He also published a parred down version for the public which became a bestseller. Unfortunately, the Tobin estate sued Ray for infringing on their families work, Tobin's Spirit Guide. Ever since the incident, Ray has developed a fascination with the Fort Detmerring haunting, which is a key element of this tale. (Note: For argument, the deleted scene of the first movie happened, with the dream remaining in the film being a recollection of the actual event.)

Egon is... well, Egon. He continues developing and improving upon their technologies. He now holds a bit of enmity towards Peter as he took Egon's designs for Dark Matter weaponry intended to destroy ghosts, rather than neutralize them, and began using it with the Ghost Smashers counter to Egon's warnings to the contrary. He has also begun undertaking clandestine operations to outfit the city with various gear designed to stave off any future multidimensional threats. Due to the fact that he holds several patents, Egon is independently wealthy, and, in fact, funds the team out of his own pockets on the QT. The government, shall we say, is not too generous with funds for the group, but might as well have them pay SOME right? Egon did, in fact, in the past have a minor dilemma with this, when the funding started to dry up, he considered the idea of either funding the group from his own pocket... or simply overthrowing the government itself. He decided he didn't have the desire or fortitude for a technocratic dictatorship, so went with his first option instead.

Janine also still works with the group, and in fact, sort of runs things. She's more or less the CEO of Ghostbusters Inc. When Peter left the other three didn't really have the business acumen to take over, so, they left it up to her. And a fine job she's done, relatively speaking. She married Louis (I hate that WHOLE plot line from II, but it brought the characters a nice element here and I HATE just handwaving these ideas away.) and the two had one child. However, Louis' general incompetence in most areas wore on Janine, who still held a flame for Egon. And though she was attracted to Louis for his Egon like qualities, it turned out, he was FAR more Louis than Egon in the long run. She and Louis are currently going through a divorce. (A fact that Egon is not... unhappy about, let us say, but he's still not one to act on these things)

Meanwhile, after his "heroism" during the Vigo incident at the museum, Louis became quite popular, foolishly going into politics himself and bumbling his way up to Congressman. He was elected for only a single term in office before people realized he didn't know what the fuck he was doing. He is currently retired, forcibly so. His connections with Ghostbusters Inc. have grown tenuous as he and Janine go through a Divorce. But, being Louis Tully, he is always trying to win Janine back and aid his friends.

Due to the "Incident" government regulations require the Ghostbusters to keep Slimer contained at all times. He has is own special containment cell in the Ghostbuster's new HQ (You read that right) but he is still kept in a box. Likewise, they also retain the Vigo Painting in it's own area. Though he is prevented from feeding on any spectral energies, Vigo is still as pissy as ever. He regularly insults the teams when they enter the area to use the containment unit.

Dana is... well, she's still a musician, but never got the chance to make it really big in the music world due to her efforts to raise her son and Peter to an extent. But now that Oscar is older, she has gotten back into it and begun touring again. I don't see her having a large role in the new movie as, how many times can one character find herself at the center of interdimensional threats? And, being that the character doesn't strike me as the suit up, and battle ghosts type, (even given her actress) that leaves her as little more than a cameo.

This brings us around to our last returning character and FIRST of the new team of Ghostbusters...

Oscar "Oz" Wallance. Growing up with the other four has given Oscar a more rounded personality when it comes to the paranormal. While not as knowledgeable as the old team, he is still one of the most skilled Ghostbusters. Now in his late Twenties, Oscar... has grown tired of the group. Primarily he holds harsh feeling against Peter for ditching his mother, and in turn him. Which is why he chose to hold the last name of his biological father, sorta a "Fuck you!" to Peter. He still respects the boys, his uncles, but he's a bit tired of living in their shadow too. He continues working as a Ghostbuster out of a sense of responsibility rather than a love of the job. Oscar is one of the two main characters of the story, his arch of having done this for nearly his entire life but not really knowing what else he could be doing speaks to the nature of the franchise as it stands. With hopefully, the new tale starting to turn things around.


The Characters (New)

Naturally, with the idea of the return being to pass the torch, one needs a group of younger 'busters to take over. I tried to pick characters who would follow in both the mold of the classic busters in being a group of weirdos brought together AND playing with the multi culturalism of the Extreme cartoon without repeating the same beats and giving it more point than just trying to be more PC. I couldn't justify from a character perspective as just repeating the old team, with token black guy. Nor could I justify "The Girl" or "The Nerdy Guy" as viable archetypes to work with. Each one was chosen for what it brings to them as characters and, in turn, the team. (I explain this so you understand that it wasn't one of those pathetic business tactics to superficially inject "DIVERSITY" into something. Come on people, I have my reasons for things.)

So, lets get to the newbies!

Farrah "Fay" Zaman is a science student who sorta takes over the "Egon" role on the team. Growing up she always idolized the Ghostbusters, Egon in particular, but could never really bring herself to seek them out. Partially because Muslims do not believe in Ghosts. However, she has a healthy curiosity and a desire to understand things. She's also, paradoxically, the most fit on the team, believing that a healthy body is key to a keen mind. (which does not mean fanservice people.) When someone close to her goes missing, she meets Oz and is brought into the group for her technical skills. Obviously, she is also at odds with Oz because she cannot understand why he wouldn't WANT to do this job while at the same time, struggling to understand Ghosts as something OTHER than the spirits of the dead. She acts as the secondary main character opposite Oz, in that she is the focal point of audience members who are new to the series. Certainly the have heard of the series, but may not understand who every one is, or how the world works. But also, it's important that she's the brain as well, because really, don't treat your audience as idiots.

Abram "Bram" Alvert is a former legal student who went into the "ghost hunting" business himself after a paranormal experience. Unfortunately, as the "Peter" of the group, he is a liar and a fraud and his absurd techniques reference modern Ghost Hunters. He becomes involved in the current situation and jumps at the chance to become an "official" member of the team. (If for no other reason that it would give him GREAT publicity) His fondness of classic cars and mechanics as a hobby gives him that mechanical edge to work with things like the Ecto and such. I see the character as being openly gay simply because it plays with stereotypes. There will be no scenes of him hitting on the other members of the team, nor being flamboyantly fabulous.

Anton Kibwe is the bookworm and "Ray" of the group. His love of the occult and supernatural has won him few friends over the years but that's just fine by him. He joined the Ghostbusters due to his brother's recommendation, but still doesn't quite feel like he fits in. I liked the notion of him being both black AND the Goth of the team. Probably one of my favorite character quirks. If I had my druthers, he'd be played by Donald Glover. (He couldn't be Spider-Man, let him be a Ghostbuster.) His father is a Kenyan immigrant who has a rather fascinating tale all his own, but doesn't play into this movie. Anton is quiet and reserved, but smart as hell and gets overly excited about paranormal possibilities, though he catches himself and tries to down play it often.

Edgar Pavlin is the last of the team, the "Winston" everyman. (Yes, a FIVE man team) Edgar was a former Marine cadet who actually joined up with the Ghost Smashers originally. Over time, and exploring his heritage, he could no longer Justify the "killing" of these spirits and so switched over to the Ghostbusters. Edgar is an American Indian who was adopted as a child by a Russian Immigrant couple. They instilled in him a belief in Catholicism. Later in his life, he sought out his blood relatives, eventually finding his grandmother was still alive. She passed on to him the various beliefs and ideals from their family, giving poor Edgar somewhat competing belief systems. She also passed onto him his "true name" which is Kangee, though everyone still calls him Edgar or some variant.

As for new characters not on the team itself:

Agent Aiden Haden of the FBI. His role in the tale is the oversight officer of the organization. (one of PCOCs little rules, that the Ecto-Marshals are assigned a local FBI agent to make sure they are working within their allowed parameters, which has made Haden less than popular with the team) He has been with the New York Ghostbusters (aka the Original Team) since the policy was instituted, a fact that he was none too happy about. Finally, he is getting his chance to move on and as such, he is training his replacement at the beginning of the movie. Haden fills the role of "Peck/Hardemeyer", being the grumpy bastard more than willing to shut the team down if they step out of line. He is not clever and is certainly no politician. He understands most of the technical jargon, but has no sense of humor and grows frustrated quickly when anyone acts unprofessional.

Agent Alice Ackerman is Haden's replacement. She has heard nothing but negative things about the team and as a result is reticent about being given the assignment. However, unlike Haden, she seems like she might be more willing to work with the weirdoes of the organization, but is caught between her job as oversight and genuinely growing fond of them. She functions as a sort of romantic foil to Oz. He's smitten with her, but sees her as potentially being as big a pain in the ass as Haden. She in turn thinks of Oz as lazy and apathetic, not yet being brought up to speed on the entire history of the team.

Rounding out the cast is Vicky Clarke, the new secretary and dispatcher for the New York Ghostbusters, filling the "Janine" role. However, unlike Janine she is much more warm and cheerful, genuinely enjoying her work. A mindset that baffles most of the others, but is appreciated none the less. (Though some of them would never admit it) She functions more as a support role, and a comedic character to bring a bit more light to the group. And no, she doesn't die just to make everything more serious business. In spite of the drama in the character profiles, this IS still a Horror Comedy.


PHEW! Alot there. But I needed a basis for the world to work with before I wound a new adventure from this. It took me a bit, but I finally got something workable. (Though in a sense I do worry it's too "safe".)

Check back later for the full plot outline.

Ghostbusters III (The Rules)

Lately I've been thinking about the oft rumored, still not made Ghostbusters III. Anyone who has read this blog regularly knows what that means, me trying to figure out a way for it to work AND live up to the nearly THREE DECADE wait for it. I've been a huge fan of the series since I was a kid. I even dressed up as a Ghostbuster for Halloween when I was five. But until this point, I just kinda let the idea sit, but as I started thinking about it, I outlined myself a series of "Rules" the movie would need to follow to work.


These are the rules.

1. No Ghostbusters in Hell. I LIKE the idea of it, but the very nature of relaunching the Ghostbusters franchise requires a slightly more... "safe" story in a way. This is also why i kinda discounted that wiggy "phone lines are actually the nervous system of an angelic being" thing from a couple years ago that was being kicked around as a concept. My thinking is if your relaunch movie is a success, THEN you can do Ghostbusters in Hell or go really nutty with something like the other thing. But at the moment, this third movie needs to primarily deal with bringing things up to speed, and expanding the idea to then carry off future stories if popular. An to do that, the overall movie needs to be somewhat safe as you are already dealing with a new cast. (note: when I say safe, understand that... that is a BIG word, relatively speaking for me... but we'll get there in a moment.)

2. No reboot/remake, but sequel. This is one franchise that CAN survive a sequel going with a new cast and characters. You are already having an issue of potentially not having the full group of four back, added to that they are getting up there in years. To try and recast the characters would be stupid when you can USE them to advance the character's stories. As much as I dislike the idea of a new team, it's a necessity, but it just needs to be done well. Extreme Ghostbusters was kinda... a start, but we'll get back to that too.

3. No offspring. Making the new team the kids of the old team is just fucking LAZY. It's more or less trying to do a reboot by saying "oh, they totally act like their parents! Only this time Peter's a girl!" Fuck you, lazy writer! More or less the new team needs to be unrelated. One or two can have ties to the old team, more or less all of them should be AWARE of the Ghostbusters at this point, but no offspring, cousins, nephews, students, delivery boys, etc. With ONE caveat...

4. The classic Ghostbusters must be INTEGRAL to the plot and solution for the movie. If you are going to have a new team, the automatic thing that most writers spring to is "well, they're just more awesome and better than the old ones!" Fuck you! We loved the old team, they were famous for a reason. To try and shove the new team down our throats in this manner just pisses us off. If the new team is worth our time, let the audience decide that. But at the same time, do not venerate the originals. These were... not perfect people by any stretch. They were fuck ups. Skilled, smart and could overcome, but fuck ups none the less. ("Are you a god?" "No." "Then... DIE!") You need to have the originals be a key factor in the victory of this movie, but the new team has to show their stuff too. Like a... passing of the torch kinda thing. They're not as talented as the originals, but they have the potential and the day would not have been saved without them.

5. No "getting the boys back together" story. Dear LORD Dan, how many movies are gonna be like this? Ghostbusters II Should NOT have done that. (Nor Blues Brothers for that matter) it's like... Remember that movie and characters you loved?! Yeah, that didn't matter. I understand crafting a story in such a way to have development. but the "reset" button method pisses me off! It's lazy! Oh, yeah, the business failed... lets do it again! Fuck you! This would serve even LESS of a point here as you are supposed to be introducing the new team. Why the fuck would you want your new team to learn from a team of failures?! I get that as characters we love the boys, but... god damn! it makes no sense from a story perspective. HOWEVER, there is this theme of failure running as an undercurrent in the series. Not just in the second, but even the first! The reason they became Ghosbusters is that they failed in a college setting. They were even failures as GHOSTBUSTERS for a good chunk of that movie. (Thus why GBII is nigh unforgivable in this, we SAW them failing as Ghostbusters! It's rehashing the same thing over, but less good!) So, there DOES need to be this sense of failure. But it can be done more cleverly than that.

6. The first and second movies both happened AS did a version of the Video Game. The Cartoons and comics did not. And that one hurts... really hurts... I loved the cartoon as a kid. I think is does WONDERFUL things to try and broaden the idea, the monsters can get kinda freaky and even Extreme Ghostbusters did some decent things with trying to have a new team. But... they didn't happen. I would like to think SOME elements of them happened, but overall, officially, no, they are not within the same continuity. FURTHER, they are not used as a basis for anything new. Sam Hain, the Grundel, the Boogieman, the Ghostmaster ALL fascinating notions for villains! But no. Same thing with the Extreme Ghostbusters team. Decent characters but should NOT be the basis for the new team. (Though, unofficially, I like to think of them as one of the GB Franchises, though that's another thing we'll get back to.) Some elements should be taken from them to enhance the whole, but overall, they need to remain a secondary canon.

7. NO GOZER! NOT A MINION OF GOZER! NOT THE SECOND COMING OF GOZER! OR VIGO! OR SHANDOR! I liked how the Game tied up the plot threads of the first two movies, but to do ANYTHING more with them would be pathetic and a waste. When I said a "safe" movie, I did NOT mean Ghostbusters 1.5 with the same ghosts, the same jokes and the same story. With a concept like Ghostbusters you can introduce all SORTS of crazy ghosts and demi gods! Why in the HELL would you want to do Gozer again? Other than just because the first movie did it, we're scared and lazy and just want to make that again. except now Gozer is the Easter Bunny. I SAY THEE, NAY!

8. Ghostbusters is a HORROR Comedy. Let it be scary. Let it be funny. Don't step on the horror to make it silly. Don't step on the humor to make it too serious. There's this wonderful tightrope you can walk when you have shit your pants terrifying moments (Like Vinz chasing Louis in the first movie, or the ghost train segment in the second) then you have this kinda undercurrent of humor there too. Comedy ENHANCES horror. Horror ENHANCES comedy. Horror builds a wonderful tension, comedy acts as a wonderful release to let it build up again.

9. The modular Murray. Bill Murray is one of the more notoriously unreliable elements of the movie. He MAY do it, he may not do it. And with each flip flop it necessitates rewrites. And bad plot ideas. Of the two i've heard, both have been terrible. One, Bill Murray is a ghost. Talk about vapid cameo. Two, Bill Murray is on vacation with Dana. "Hey, remember those people from the other movie? Yeah, they're just kinda not here for... reasons." Guh... No! Just No! What you wanna do is structure the story in a way that provides interesting situations and expands things if you do or do NOT have Murray! It absolutely IS possible.

10. Ghostbusters is ALL about the inverse of the spirituality vs. science debate, not a part of it! The Ghosbusters' entire thing is figuring out a scientific method for dealing with real, honest to god, supernatural threats. It's not about disproving the supernatural through science. Nor is it about how science simply cannot handle MAGIC! The entire point is this sort of... weird coexistence through an adversarial relationship. The boys use science to take on inhuman THINGS that simply no other human could deal with. Just the same, if your resolution to a Ghostbusters movie has the idea of "and then the Ghostbusters MAGIC'D it dead!" you are missing the point. It's not Science used to disprove these things out of existence. it's not wizards who can fuck up tech cause magic bitches! It's "I AM A FUCKING GOD WITH SUPERNATURAL ABILITIES NO MAGICS CAN HANDLE, RAR!"  "Okay, then i'm gonna fucking MELT YOUR FACE WITH A BLAST OF PROTONS FROM MY ABSURD TECHNOLOGY!!" It is the wonderful notion of: there are things beyond the realm of scientific explanation, but humans are absolutely ingenious enough to overcome it with their brains.

11. The new team MUST be comprised of young comedians. I only really have one in mind, but for the most part, this was a key factor of the originals. They need to be funny and likable elsewhere. Normally, I like the idea of unknowns, but here? They absolutely need to have a bit of renown. Be it TV, movies, internet, comedy clubs, doesn't matter. Firstly because this was a part of building the original, Dan Aykroyd wanting to do a movie with all these people he knew from Saturday Night Live and elsewhere. SECONDLY, because a comedian understands a certain element about human psychology and, as a result, 99 times out of 100 a comedian will give your dramatic moments pure gravitas. BUT at the same time, they CANNOT be mega stars. Remember when they started talking about the idea and they were listing people like Ben Stiller? Yeah, no.

12. No romance within the core team. I can... just see it now. "We're TOTALLY doing the female ghostbuster thing!" "Awesome!" "And she's going to have a complex relationship with this person on the team, maybe all THREE!" "BRILLIANT!" Get the fuck out of here! Romance = good. Romance within your core team of Ghostbusters? Distracting.

13. No grit. I hate that word. "Gritty" it's like the new "Dark". Good LORD did that annoy me the first time around! "This is DARK!" "OH then it's mature and spectacular!" Guh... Grit has become the same thing. "Our version is totally better than the old one because we've made it GRITTIER!" ...well, why the hell didn't you sweep that fucker off? Muted colors and grainy film have become this... horribly boring standard. And the LAST thing the Ghostbusters needs is a "gritty sheen". Slimer, the subway ghost, the goddamn river of slime was the antithesis of muted! It was darkness AND bright, sharp color! And more so, gritty does not translate to "realistic" no matter how you try to pronounce it. The Series was built on this foundation of PLAUSIBLE handwavy Star Trek science. But it was never "realistic", nor should it try to be.

14: Links are encouraged, Small World syndrome is to be avoided. I say this referring to the George Lucas method were everybody is no more than one person removed from everyone else. My daddy knew your momma, who knew our villain's uncle. I guess this can be counted under the no Gozer thing... but that's the idea. Call backs are fine. But ONLY in the sense of: If you remove the original, the current would still have meaning. No artificial weight through retro history. But there DOES need to be some common threads to tie it back into the originals...

So... What does that all add up to? Well, check back a little later, I'm working on it...

The Thing: Episode 4

Check it out, Logo. Yeah. Nice. (Yes, I realize it's pointless, but hey! So is the whole process.)

ANYHOO, here we have Episode 4. Is it just me, or are these getting longer and longer? (It's not just me.) Still, one must do, what one must do. I imagine things would be cut out or shifted forward since the first episode is relatively light. I'm not really sure. I just know I'm rather pleased about this one. It was one I wanted to do about Copper for a long time, (He says, having just begun this a week ago) ever since writing that scene with him debating Nauls on alien movies. It was that moment, plus his involvement in the Norwegian Camp scene in the movie that really made me want to give him this sort of backstory. It helps separate him from Blair all the more. Blair is more the no nonsense business scientist while Copper is more of the loose faith based doctor type.

But the less said, the better... Enjoy.

"Ring of Truth"

Teaser:

Copper discusses the potential state of the Norwegian Camp with Garry as they return to the rec room. Garry tells him that they should take enough supplies to treat at least a dozen, but he hopes at the same time they wont need to. Garry walks over to the table and stops. He turns in a circle as he looks around for the missing gun. He makes a loud, angry exclamation when he realizes it’s been taken. He storms back out into the hall and begins yelling at the men, demanding that the culprit return the weapon. All of them look around at one another in confusion. Connant says he thought Garry picked it back up. Garry yells at him, telling him that he is not yet senile, nor drugged out of his mind like some. Connant shuts up and looks away. Garry again demands the weapon be returned. Childs chimes in, demanding to know who took it. Windows points out that Childs is mighty quick to jump in. Childs takes a step towards him and asks him what he said. Windows looks away sheepishly. Mac steps up and says they don’t have time for this shit, that Bennings said the storm would be in soon. Garry says he’s not going to take men out there without them being armed. Mac says that he’s got the gun that the crazy Swede had with him, they can take that. Copper tries to point out he was Norwegian. Mac replies with a “Whatever.” Childs says he can keep looking here while they head out. The men all look to Garry for his final decision. Garry hesitates, looking at all the eyes on him. He stutters for a moment, kind of shaking his head like he can’t make up his mind. Mac presses him by saying his name. Garry snaps out of it and nods, saying okay. He tells Childs to make sure he finds that gun. That if there’s going to be another Palmer situation, he’d rather that break not be an armed one. He points at the men and tells them that it’s in their best interest and safety to make sure that gun is found. They all begin looking at one another in suspicion, Copper and Mac look at Garry as if he just called out fire in a crowded theater. Childs begins herding the men into the rec room to question them. Mac turns and walks away, telling them it’s time to go. Connant and Copper look to Garry, who repeats Mac’s words and follows after him. Copper says that there’s nothing like a field trip. Connant just gives an “Aww man.” and follows.

Act 1:

The Outpost 31 helicopter flies over the white desert of Antarctica. Mac sits in the Pilot’s seat as Garry plays Co-Pilot. Dr. Copper and Connant sit in the back. Connant has his arms wrapped around himself, he clearly does not take to the cold well. Dr. Copper stares out the window, lost in his own thoughts. Mac says that they should be nearly there. Copper doesn’t pay it much mind.
The Past. San Diego. A much younger Copper walks down the sidewalk, across from the beach. He isn’t quite a soggy in the mid section, his hair is darker and fuller, he is a man just on the beginning slide after his prime. He turns to look over at the beach, taking in the sights. But mostly taking in all the women in small bikinis. He smiles at the sight as he glances over his sunglasses and continues on. He walks up a set of stairs to his practice on the second floor. A plaque he passes reads “John W. Copper, M.D.”
In the waiting room a handful of patients wait, their ages and sexes run the gamut. He greets them all warmly one at a time, stopping to give each a cursory glance, telling them he’ll be ready to start seeing them shortly. He walks over to his secretary at the desk and gives her a big smile. He greets her and calls her by her first name. She smiles back at him, with a hint of annoyance, telling him that he’s late. She hands him a stack of notes, telling him of his calls. A majority of them seem to be women. He makes various faces of joy and discontent as he reads off the names. His secretary reminds him that this is a doctor’s office and his patients need him. He tells her not to worry, he’s in the business of making people feel better and he estimates these women feel just fine. She rolls her eyes at him. Finishing checking his messages he sets them aside and leans over the desk. He asks his secretary if they’re still on for dinner. She reminds him that they never made any such plans… nor will they ever. He makes a mock gesture of pain to his heart and tells her that he’s gotten friendlier reception from the other side while he was in the army. He walks towards the back, telling her to give him ten minutes, then send back the first patient. She agrees. He pauses to give her a little wave before he does. As he disappears into the back, she shakes her head with a smile.
Later, Copper walks around his office reading various charts, he still wears his white coat as he walks down the hall towards the last exam room. His secretary glances warily at the door as she holds a clipboard to her chest. He looks up at her with a smile, saying last customer of the day. She looks at him, plainly worried. He asks her what’s wrong. She shakes her head saying she just has a funny feeling about this one. He looks at her curiously, but listens. She tells him that her Grandmother always used to get these… premonitions. That no one in the family took it for much. Then, one day, during a heavy storm, she started calling the house urgently. Over and over again. She kept asking about her son. The mother had to keep telling her that he was at work, he was at work. But she wouldn’t let up. Her mother, having had enough, finally decided to call her father at work. There was no answer. Her mother worried the rest of the day. By the evening, she was practically beside herself. Later and later it got, and still he wasn’t home… Finally, he showed up. He apologized but said the phones had gone down due to the storm. He called his mother up and assured her that he was fine. And everything went to normal. The next day, on his way to work, his car lost control on the wet road and he crashed into a telephone pole. He was killed instantly. She concludes, telling him that, right up until the day her Grandmother died of lung cancer, no one doubted her abilities to predict the future again. She hangs her head for a moment, then forces herself to laugh. She then says she must sound crazy. Copper puts his hand on her shoulder and tells her emphatically, he believes her. She smiles at him. He smiles back. She glances back at the door, still worried. He tells her not to, that everything will be all right. She nods her head and hands him the chart. With a parting pat on the shoulder, he enters the room.
He reads over the chart as he enters and looks up at the woman with a smile. She looks nervous and uncomfortable. He asks her what the problem is today, using the first name she has placed on the form. She shifts uncomfortably, with a slight twitch, telling him that she’s not sure. Lately, she’s been suffering from nosebleeds and her neck is always sore. He smiles and tells her okay, he’ll have a look. He walks over to the medical station and pulls a pair of rubber gloves out of the box and snaps them on his hands. He walks around behind her, asking her to lean forward and to lift her hair. She does so, but seems very uncomfortable with the whole thing. He tells her to let him know if it hurts and she nods. As he places his hands on her, she jumps slightly. He asks her if she’s okay. She confirms she is and apologizes. He tells her its okay. As he looks at her neck, feeling the skin, he takes note of a curious scar across the back. He asks her if she’s ever been in an accident, or had any sort of neck injury. She pauses, then tells him no, she hasn’t. He continues looking at the scar with curiosity. He touches it, getting another jump from her. She apologizes again. He runs his hand over the spot, pressing slightly. He tells her that he feels something odd, almost metallic. He ponders this and tells her that he’d like to take a quick x-ray of the area. She is hesitant, but ultimately agrees.
Copper checks over the x-rays in his office, his eyes bright at the possibility. They show something small and metallic is indeed under the scar, on her spine. His patient sits across from him on the other side of the desk, still seemingly uncomfortable. He asks her again if she’s had any major surgery. She shakes her head emphatically and tells him no. He whispers that it is “remarkable.” She looks at him curiously. He sets the x-ray down and looks at her, interlocking his fingers. He tells her that he has a rather strange question for her. He asks her if she ever feels like she’s being observed by a third party. Watched. She nods, telling him that she can’t help like feeling eyes are always on her. He smiles and says he has another question. He asks her if she ever suffers from periods of missing time. Where she can’t seem to recall where she’s been, or what she’s done. She seems to brighten at the question, nodding her head and telling him it happens all the time. Sometimes she’s out for hours and then when she wakes up, she doesn’t know where she is. He grows excited, practically jumping up from the desk, but restrains himself. He tells her that he has one more question for her. He looks at her seriously and asks if she’s ever heard of… alien abduction. She repeats the words, curiously. This time he can no longer handle it, he jumps up from his chair and goes to the book shelf. As he pulls one book after another out, checking them, he excitedly explains to her. That all over the world, people report symptoms just like hers, nose bleeds, mysterious metallic objects, missing time. He explains that it all started with the Hill case in the fifties and has spread like wildfire. People, normal people reportedly being visited by otherworldly beings. Taken, tagged, probed, tracked. He tells her it’s happening more and more. He finds the book he is looking for and hands it to her. The images inside show photos of people with various scars and talks about chips and metallic implants. She asks him if she thinks that’s what she is, an abductee. He nods his head emphatically. He tells her he’s always believed that we were not alone in the universe, but there was never any proof. But now an honest to goodness case has walked in through his door. He tries to reel his excitement in, telling her they’ll need to be sure. He’d like to take her to see a specialist he knows, that he will be able to put her under a hypnotic trance so that they can uncover the missing memories she has of being abducted. With her permission of course. She nods and tells him that anyone else would think she was crazy. He walks forward and takes her hand, and tells her sincerely that he believes her. She smiles up at him.
The Norwegian Camp. Mac announces that they’re here. Copper comes to and looks out the window. Below, the camp lies in ruins. Smoke still billows from certain sections but the fires have mostly gone out. Few of the buildings remain intact, having burned to the ground or been torn apart. Connant reacts in surprise. Garry rhetorically asks if they had a war or something. Mac asks in return “yeah, but who with?” Copper just looks around at the damage.

Act 2:

The four men pile out of the chopper. Surveying the damage first hand. Mac says they’d better split up and check for survivors. Garry agrees, telling Copper to go with Mac and for Connant to come with him. The two groups part, Garry and Connant heading for the communications building while Mac and Copper head for the living quarters.
Mac and Copper walk up to the building and stare through the Massive hole in the side. Mac comments about they wont have to knock. Copper chuckles as Mac steps inside, Lars’ gun at the ready. The building has filled with snow through the openings while the interior seems to have been set on fire at some point. They slowly make their way forward, glancing into the burned out rooms as they go. Mac calls out for the Swedes. Asking if anyone’s alive. Copper tries to correct him again. Mac just replies that it’s all the same thing. Copper tells him to say that the next time someone calls him Canadian. Mac turns and looks at him. Copper chuckles and continues on.
Garry pushes open the door to the comms room. His first reaction is a look of surprise and an exclamation. Inside, every single piece of equipment has been trashed, wires and circuits and plastic bits of all sizes lie scattered about the room. As he steps into the room, Connant follows. Connant looks around and says “Well, THERE’S your problem!” Garry tells him that it’s likely pointless to ask if there’s anything salvageable. Connant replies that there would be if Garry gives him a few years to work on it. Garry tells him to skip it.
Mac and Copper reach the end of the living quarters. The pair glance at a fire ax wedged into the wall as they pass. Mac pushes open one of the last doors slowly and glances in. Just a large hole in the wall and snow wait within. Mac asks where they all could have gone. Copper replies with a wry smile that perhaps they’ve all been abducted. Mac tells him “sure they were.” Mac opens the door on the other side. He stops as he sees what’s within. He glances back at Copper and asks if he still thinks they were abducted. Mac and Copper enter the room. The two walk around the clearly frozen body sitting in the chair, staring out through another hole in the wall. As they come around they see the truth. His face is frozen in a look of terror but his throat has been ripped out, to the point of nearly severing his head completely. The blood has frozen, producing a waterfall like effect as it ran down his body an began to pool around the chair. Mac looks to Copper and asks if he’s gonna check for a pulse. Copper looks at him in disbelief. Mac just shrugs. Copper suggests they check out the research area, try and find out just what they were working on. Maybe it would provide some clues.
Garry and Connant make their way from the comms room to the machine shop. The room doesn’t look any better in daylight. Pieces of vehicles and devices lay strewn about. Garry points out that someone took apart the snowcat and snowmobiles. Connant picks up an engine piece and points out it was “more like tore apart.” Garry looks over at the door sitting wide open, just as Lars left it. There’s the sound of something shifting in the back of the shop. Connant glances back in that direction but can’t see anything. Garry walks over to the door and looks out. He looks across the snow to where the gas canister still sits. There’s a loud crash inside the machine shop, causing Garry to turn around and look. Connant holds up his hands and says “My bad.” Garry tells him not to bring the building down on them. Connant excitedly tells him what he’s found, an old WWII style flamethrower. Garry walks over to him and his find, telling him they likely used it for working with the ice. Connant says it’s still “tres cool”. Garry tells him to “leave it alone and come on.” Connant looks at it sadly and follows after Garry.
Mac and Copper ender the research area. The shelves have been pushed over and the equipment smashed, but for the most part, the fire didn’t touch this building. The two of them walk over to a series of maps and charts. They’ve circled a location and though the writing is not in english, there are plenty of exclamation points. Copper tells Mac that from what he gathers, they were working on a site a few miles from here. Possibly a dig site. Mac asks if Copper knows what they were digging up. Copper tells Mac that he doesn’t read norwegian any better than he does. Mac grunts a reply and walks on. Copper continues to look over the maps. He picks up a memory stick setting off to the side and glances at it. Mac calls out to him, asking him to come there for a second. Copper glances in that direction before he grabs one of the maps and rolls it up. He walks through the room and through a set of double doors, trying to find Mac. Mac looks over at him as he enters, but Copper’s eyes are drawn to something else. In the middle of the room sits a large block of ice. However, it seems to have been cored out and is now hollow. Mac tells Copper that he estimates they found something at their little dig. Copper looks at it in awe and curiosity.
Garry enters the room with the ice block and tells them that Connant found a working computer and  that he’s trying to see what’s on it now. Garry stares at the ice block in surprise for a moment before Mac and Copper follow him to the next room where Connant works with a computer. Connant shakes his head saying the battery wont last long, and it’s all in some moon language anyway. Copper produces the Memory stick and asks Connant to see what’s on it. Connant looks at it a moment, shrugs and plugs it in. The stick’s data appears on the screen. Connant clicks and opens it. To his surprise, the filenames are in english. Mac comments that it looks like they all weren’t Swedes. Copper looks at him. Mac corrects himself to Norwegian. Connant says that it’s mostly video files. He tries to open one producing just a bunch of noise and color. He curses and says it looks like some of the data was corrupted. He tries several more files. Each in turn producing the same effect. Finally one seems to play. A woman’s face appears on the screen. She’s speaking english. Connant says he thinks it’s her journal or something. As the woman talks she mentions the specimine and the obsession with Dr. Halverson to figure out the nature of their little discovery. She has edited in video footage of the block. Only now it is whole and complete. Inside can be seen… something. A dark shadow, but misshapen. She mentions that it appears to be an arthropod… possibly. Garry asks what the hell an arthropod is. Copper and Connant answer instantly at the same time, an insect. Mac points out that that’s a big damn bug then. The sound scrambles and the video cuts out. Connant curses again. Garry looks to Copper and asks him what the hell that was. Copper shrugs and says they must have found an age old insect or something. Garry asks if they had bugs that big. Copper nods and says at one time, possibly. Mac tells Connant to try another. Connant does so. Another dud. And another. And another. Finally one that works. Partially, the video starts with the woman excitedly saying “Precambrian”. Connant says “that explains the bug.” Copper replies with a “not hardly”. She has spliced in more footage. It shows a large field of ice. The men have spread out, trying to mark the site of something. They stand twenty, thirty feet apart, at least. The camera pans trying to show them all. The site they mark is huge. The footage cuts to a shakey cam shot from a helicopter. It can be seen below the ice rests a MASSIVE circular shadow. Mac asks what the hell this is. No one replies but Coppers eyes have lit up. The footage show them using flamethrowers and thermite, trying to get through the ice. The footage starts to show the results but the file goes corrupt before it can. Copper points at the screen, almost vibrating in excitement. He tells Garry they have to go out there. Garry looks at him in surprise. Copper repeats that they need to go to that dig site. Now. Garry seems confused. Copper leads him into the other room explaining the maps, trying to get him to agree. Mac closes the gap behind Connant and asks him if they have dates. Connant looks throught the files and tells him they do. He then realizes that they’re out of order, she numbered them and named them but one file is untitled. It’s the latest. Mac tells him to try it. Connant complies. The video opens. Another corrupt file. The audio squeals as the colors flash by. For a moment at least. The video picks up with the woman in her coat. The room is dark and noises can be heard all around, gunfire, screams and other strange noises. The woman looks into the camera, there is sweat running down her face and she looks afraid and says that she’s going after Halverson. She adds that Lars and the others are trying to get the last of them, but if Halverson gets away, it’s the end. She adds to anyone watching this recording, they need to… the file cuts out. Connant and Mac stare at it in silence. Connant’s mouth gapes a few times before he manages a “What the hell was THAT?!” Mac says nothing. Copper and Garry return. Garry nods, trying to get Copper to shut up. He agrees, but they’ll have to make it fast, the storm should be coming in any time and that this whole area is going to get hit hard. Copper practically jumps up and down in excitement. Garry adds that it better be worth it. Copper assures him it will be more than worth it. Copper and Garry exit the room, Mac tells Connant to come on. Connant tells him to hang on, there’s something he wants to pick up. Mac tells him to make it quick, that Copper looks like he’s about to piss himself.
The Past. The younger Copper stands in front of a large room filled with people. He points to a slide show that plays behind him as he speaks. He shows images of the woman, using her name, and tells them of the discovery of the metal device in her neck. He goes on to point out how that under regressive hypnotherapy, the woman recalled dozens of incidents of abduction. He explains how she described episodes of missing time and that with help, they uncovered the memories buried there. How at multiple times, she had been taken aboard an extraterrestrial vessel. How they performed experiments on her and would ultimately return her, but missing at several points when she found herself waking up in places she couldn’t remember. He changes the slide to show an artists rendering of a grey alien with large black eyes. He tells the audience that these are the beings that she described. This elicits a series of gasps and whispers from the audience. Copper smiles, loving every moment of it. He concludes his presentation, telling them that this is likely the best evidence they have ever had for the existence of extraterrestrial life, a true eye witness. He thanks the audience for their time. They erupt into applause. As the light comes up the audience can be seen wearing a variety of outfits, many in t-shirts with catchy ufo slogans. Copper eats up the attention.
As Copper exits the auditorium, he walks up to his secretary who is waiting for him with a frown. He tells her that it went wonderfully. That she didn’t have anything to worry about. She tells him that this is a bad idea, that he’s risking his reputation on this joke. He asks her what joke, that he believes. He tells her with a smile that he’s seen things he can’t explain. That while he was in the army, he saw something up in the sky one night, moving erratically. That he and the others reported it in, but the guys manning the radars swore up and down there was nothing there. He tells her that finally, FINALLY he has some proof. She shakes her head and tells him she hopes he’s right. He smiles and says he bets her dinner that by the end of the day, he’ll be famous for his part in proving the existence of aliens. She smiles at him finally and asks him about what happens if he loses this bet. He shrugs and tells her to name it. She laughs and looks around, telling him that she doesn’t know. He pushes her, trying to get her to name it. She glances over and sees a woman looking at herself in a mirror at one of the kiosks. She checks to see how a pair of big spangly star earrings look. The secretary smiles and looks back to Copper. She tells him that if he loses, he gets his ear pierced. He looks at her incredulously. She adds “on the gay side.” He stares at her blankly for a second as she smiles at him. Then it dawns on him, he gets it. He tells her to not be such a child. She laughs and tells him that he’s just afraid of losing out on a piece of ass. He stares at her for a long moment, then tells her she’s on and shakes her hand. She nods approvingly. He tells her that she’ll see. By tonight, they’ll be having dinner. After that… who knows? She laughs and shakes her head at him calling him a pig. He chuckles at the insult. A man walks up to him and asks if he’s Dr. Copper. Copper looks back at her with a smug smile, then confirms to the man that he is. The man hauls off and slugs Copper in the jaw, knocking him to the floor. Copper looks up at him in surprise. The man yells down at him that Copper is using his sister. Copper blinks in surprise.
The Dig Site. Connant holds his newly acquired toy, the flamethrower. Garry glances back at him and shakes his head. Copper looks like he can barely contain himself. Mac touches the chopper down and says that they’re here. Copper is the first out of the chopper. Garry yells for him to wait. Copper has already run off. Copper runs through the snow as fast as his legs can carry him. He pants at the effort but wears an expectant smile on his face all the same. He races the distance across the snow and over to the hole in the ice. He pants and tries to catch his breath as he looks out over the crater taking in the sight. He repeats to himself several “oh my gods” and “remarkables.” Unconsciously, he reaches up and begins fiddling with the earring in his ear. The others finally manage to catch up to him and look out over the site. Connant gives a shocked “what the hell…” As Copper practically begins to laugh and nod his head. He begins repeating joyfully “I knew it! I knew it!” Copper laughs his head off as the others look on in disbelief at the sight of the uncovered and quite massive, flying saucer.

Act 3:

The four men ride the construction elevator car down. Copper practically has his face pressed to the fencing as he tries to take in the sights. Connant looks around in disbelief, asking that it’s can’t really be a UFO, can it? Garry tells him that it looks like it. Copper repeats how remarkable this whole thing is. Alien life. The PROOF of alien life. The elevator stops and Copper runs out on the surface of the UFO. Mac calls out to him asking how he can be so certain that this thing is alien. Copper points at the ice walls around the dig site, pointing out that the structure of it points to the backscatter effect bringing this up from ancient times. It then dawns on him what the woman meant and he exclaims “Precambrian!” That the ice around the saucer must indicate it goes all the way back. Connant tells Mac that the Precambrian era was when life first began to appear on this planet. So for this thing to exist dating from that period, the early bugs would have had to be smarter than we thought. Mac looks at him questioningly, asking how he knows all this. Connant looks at him and asks if he ever went to school in his life. Mac shrugs at the comment. Copper rushes across the surface of the saucer to the middle of the disk. There a hatch hangs open. Copper is excited at first but is then disheartened when he realizes the opening is filled with ice. He wipes it off, trying to see inside to no avail. Garry comments how they must have only just dug it out before whatever happened, happened. Copper sighs, and says he wonders what was in the block of ice then. Mac points over to the short cave carved out in the ice, leading from the UFO, stating he guesses it’s from over there. Copper perks up again. He states that whatever was in the ice must have been the pilot who ejected and crawled away from the wreck, before getting frozen. Mac points out that’s a pretty big conclusion to jump to. Copper looks at him and nods, confirming he’s right, it is a big leap. Copper stares at the hole as he tries to restrain his excitement, but still allows himself a smile.
The Past. The young Copper sits with this head in his hands at his desk in his office. Before him is a series of files. All of them on his patient. The woman’s brother paces back and forth in front of him. He tells Copper that his sister is a very sick girl. That she has spent most of her life in an institution for delusional episodes. Occasionally, she has another break and goes to see doctors about her condition. He points out that MOST doctors pull up her records and find that she was in a car accident while she was a kid, and MOST of them identify the pin in her neck as perfectly man made in either case. Her “missing time” is nothing more than her periods when she’s least lucid. The doctors at the institution have watched her more than once just kind of zone out and wake up later. Copper rubs his head in disbelief. The man angrily points out, that as Copper can see, she is on medication to deal with her episodes. However, this time she’s refusing to go back on them, that Copper has “convinced her of the truth”. All the attention he’s brought on her is feeding it, giving her more reason to believe the fantasy in her head. He states that he hates the idea of his sister being stuck in an institution but if she persists in this, they’ll have no choice. Copper asks what he would like him to do. The man points at Copper in his rage and tells him that he’s going to sue Copper’s ass off for malpractice and make sure his medical license is revoked. But first, he wants Copper to undo the mess he’s caused. He points out that his sister trusts Copper for some unknown reason. And that when Copper tells her that he was mistaken, she’ll go back on her meds. Copper rubs his face and sits silently for a long moment. He then tells the man to brings his sister in, he’ll do what’s right.
Later, the woman sits in the chair at Copper’s office, smiling at him. He looks at her and smiles briefly before looking away in shame. Her brother stands nearby, his arms crossed. Copper stands up and begins to pace. He sighs loudly as he tries to work himself up to what he has to do. She just smiles serenely at him. He finally musters his courage and sits on the edge of his desk in front of her. He starts slowly, saying her name. She says his in return. He pauses as his nerve cracks, but forces himself to continue, saying her name again. He tells her that they’ve been through a lot in the short time they’ve known one another. She confirms they have. He continues, stating that he only wants what’s best for her… but… in his excitement he may have inadvertently harmed her. She looks at him, confused. He again fights to find the right words. He tells her than her brother came to see him. At this she glances back at him, then returns he gaze to Copper. Copper continues that he brother informed him of certain… medical needs she has that, in his haste, he may have overlooked. She furrows he brow as she tries to understand what he’s getting at. He pauses again… then states that he wants to believe. That his need for that belief may have harmed her by not doing what he was supposed to, by not looking out for her before that. She shakes her head, telling him she doesn’t understand. Copper tells him that he checked on her medical history after her brother came to him. That all of her… issues have a perfectly mundane, terrestrial meaning behind them. The nosebleed, those she has a history of. The metal in her neck is a pin from an operation she had as a child. None of these things are extraterrestrial in origin. She shakes her head more adamantly, growing agitated, asking him about the missing time. He sighs and looks down, telling her that is in her files as well. She doesn’t go anywhere. She’s not taken anywhere by aliens. She grows more agitated, defiant, pointing out the memories. He looks away, simply apologizing. She just stares at him. He comes forward and takes her hand. He looks into her eyes and says her name, and asks her to take her medication. She gets a look of anger on her face. Copper continues, begging her, that if she just takes her meds, then all this will go away. She yanks her hand back and tells him that she doesn’t want it to go away, that people finally believe her. They don’t caller her a liar. Copper tries to tell her he doesn’t think she’s a liar. She gets to her feet, yelling now. She yells at Copper for believing her brother. She tells Copper that HE’S the liar. That all those doctors are liars. Her expression changes to one of fear as she grabs Copper’s shirt. Her brother comes forward and tries to pull her off. She begs him to believe her, he tells her that he does. She tells him that her brother isn’t who he says he is, that he’s one of them. That they’re everywhere. Watching her. Trying to make people think she’s crazy. Copper softly says that he believes her. She repeatedly begs Copper to believer her, that they’re out to get her. He brother finally pries her off and tells her they’re going home. She begs Copper not to let him take her, that he’s one of them. He’s not her brother. That they’re all lying. They’re all not who they say they are. They’re all aliens! He brother drags her from the office, screaming the whole way. Copper just sits with his head in his hands. His secretary comes in, looking down the hall at all the commotion. She enters the room and asks Copper if he’s okay. He looks up at her, his eyes bloodshot as he fights back the tears. He composes himself as he stands up. He tells her that he’s going to get a drink, grabbing his coat on the way out. She calls after him as he walks down the hall. He ignores her.
The Dig Site. Copper continues staring at the hole. Mac calls out and tells them it’s time to go, time for them to head back before the storm gets there. Garry puts his hand on Coppers shoulder. Copper glances back at him. Garry smiles at him and tells him to come on, it’ll still be here when the storm passes. Copper nods and the two walk off. Connant joins them as an exciting possibility has just come to him. Does this mean they’re all going to be rich and famous? Garry scoffs at Connant. Connant screams at the top of his lungs and exclaims he’s gonna buy an ET shaped swimming pool! Copper shakes his head and tells Connant to not get him started.

Act 4:

Outpost 31. Blair examines his sample of blood from the split face under a microscope. He scribbles several notes on his notepad. In the background Childs can be heard yelling about the gun.
In the rec room, Childs looks around at most of the crew. Blair and Clark are both missing. He tells them that if they don’t tell him where Garry’s gun is, he’s going to start cracking skulls. He points at Windows and tells him that he’s starting there. Windows gets an offended look on his face and demands to know why him. Childs snarls at him and tells him that out of all the others, Windows is the secretive one. Always has some sort of game going on. Windows insists that he didn’t touch the gun. Bennings tells Childs to lay off Windows. Childs turns his attention to Bennings now, asking if he’s got a confession to make in that case. Bennings rolls his eyes and asks him what good a gun is going to do him, he’s already hobbled. Childs points out that’s exactly why he would need one. Childs looks around them all once more. He tells them that if the gun doesn’t make an appearance soon, they’ll get to know how Palmer feels. Windows asks him if he’s going to lock all of them up. Once more Childs attention is on Windows. He asks him if that’s a confession. Because it sounds like one. Windows tells him he’s cracked. Childs takes a step towards him. Norris speaks up, calmly suggesting that maybe they need a break, that Childs isn’t getting anywhere. Childs seems to back down, sighing and telling Norris that maybe he’s right. He tells them that he’s done for now. He stops and tells them that he WILL find the gun though. As they get up and file off in different directions he growls and asks where the hell Clark is. Norris tells him that he thinks he’s in the kennel. He offers to go talk to him. Childs nods and rubs his head. Norris smiles and tells him to be careful, he’ll give himself a headache at this rate. Childs tells him that time is well past as he sits down on the couch.
Norris makes his way down to the kennel asking after Clark. He gets no reply. He makes his way down the stairs. As he enters the room he sees the dogs in the kennel. Most of them lay around and just generally act like dogs. One of them though just stands in the caged area, staring straight ahead. Norris looks curiously at the dog as he comes forward. He turns to follow the Dog’s line of sight. He finds Clark leaning back in a chair, his foot propped up on a table. His arms are crossed and his head is down. Norris says his name. No response. Norris walks towards him, again repeating his name. Still nothing. Norris glances over at the dog to see it is just standing there, staring at Clark. He gets closer to Clark. Charnauk takes an interest in this and stands up. He sniffs the staring dog once, and turns his attention fully to Norris and Clark, wagging his tail. Norris reaches out for Clark. Charnauk barks. Clark jumps awake with a snort, looking around confused. He looks up at Norris, rubbing his eyes. Norris tells him that Childs was wondering where he was. Clark tells him he was right here. Norris adds about the missing gun. Clark tells him he has no idea about it. Norris then tells him that he heard he did use it though. Clark confirms this. Norris asks him if he’s okay. Clark shrugs and says he just did what he had to, the Norwegian was going to hurt the dog. He points at the staring dog. Clark adds that he couldn’t let that happen. Norris looks at him, considering pushing it, but lets it go and asks him how the dog is instead. Clark tells him he’s healthy, smart too, but just keeps on staring, it’s the damndest thing. That the dog is probably still scared. Norris asks him about the staring stating that a dog that’s staring is supposed to be dangerous. Clark tells him that a dog that’s staring is scared. He looks up at Norris and adds that it’s people who are dangerous. Norris nods.
Blair calls down the stairs for Clark as he enters the kennel. He asks Clark about helping him take a sample from the dog. The dog turns his head and looks at Blair. Norris and Clark seem to find this odd, Blair doesn’t seem to care a bit. Clark asks if it’s going to hurt him. Blair shakes his head and tells him it’s just a blood sample. Clark stares at the dog a long moment as the dog stares at Blair. Clark is hesitant, but he finally agrees, getting up out of the chair. He asks Blair if he needs it now. Blair nods. Clark goes over to the kennel door and unlatches it. The dogs all get up and start moving about excitedly. Clark tells them to quiet down. They continue carrying on. Clark points at them and tells them to sit. He holds firm. One by one the dogs sit or lay down. All of them accept Charnauk and the staring dog. Charnauk barks. The other dog stares at Blair. Norris chuckles at the Dogs obedience. Clark opens the kennel and steps in. He shoos Charnauk away and pets the staring dog. He kneels down next to it, stroking its fur. Telling him that’s it’s okay, they just need something from him. Blair enters the cage, holding the tray. The dog growls at him. Clark stops petting him and tells him easy, it’s not going to hurt. The dog closes its mouth but keeps staring. Clark continues petting him, telling him that’s it. Blair kneels down next to the dog as Clark wraps his arm around it. Blair lifts the dog’s leg. The dog just stares ahead, past them both. Blair finds the vein he needs on the dog’s leg, picks up a small razor and shaves a patch of fur then swabs some alcohol on the spot with a cotton swab. Then inserts the syringe. Clark quietly comforts the dog, telling him it’s all right, that he’s doing good. The dog just stares ahead. Blair draws the blood he needs and removes the syringe. He swabs the spot once more before bandaging it. He takes the tray and the sample and leaves without another word. The dog watches him go. Clark pats the dog, telling him he did good. The dogs all look up at what it takes Clark and Norris a moment to realize is the sound of the chopper incoming. Norris wonders if they found anything. Clark shrugs.
The Past. Night has fallen. The office door flies open as the younger Copper stumbles into his practice. He is clearly drunk off his ass. His secretary looks at him in concern and gets up. She asks him where he’s been. He tells her that he’s been making problems go away. He adds that it didn’t work, but he feels better about how screwed he is. She catches him as he starts to fall over. His legs wobble but she manages to hold him up as he puts his weight on her. He complements her on her strength. She sighs as she helps him over to her chair, where he plops down. He chuckles. She crosses her arms and tells him that they need to get him home so he can rest. He laughs and tells her that she’s the best. She nod patronizingly. He waves his arm and tells her, no, he really means it. Without her, this place would have gone down the drain long ago. He looks at her and loudly wonders if she shouldn’t have been the doctor and him the secretary. She confirms that probably would have been for the best. He laughs. She begins digging through her purse for her keys, telling him that she’ll drive him home. He holds up his hand, telling her to stop and wait a second. She looks at him curiously. He smiles and asks her if she likes. She looks at him, baffled asking id she likes what. Copper moves his head around obviously for a second, before pointing obviously at his ear. That when she realizes he has gone through with getting his ear pierced. She replies with an “oh lord.” He tells her no, a bet is a bet and he lost. Fair is fair. She finally laughs and shakes her head, telling him that this situation is really not the time for it. He tells her that he knows, but damnit, he made her a promise. She thanks him facetiously. He tells her she’s welcome, quite sincerely. She tells him that it’s time to get him home.
As she helps him out of the chair they both stop. The woman patient has returned and is standing in the doorway. Copper squints at her, saying her name as if trying to recognize her. She tells him that she trusted him. The secretary catches on quicker than Copper, reacting with an “oh my god”. But Copper catches on too when the woman raises her gun. Copper semi-sobers instantly and pushes the secretary behind him. Copper holds out his hand, asking her what she’s doing. She tells him that he was the only one who ever believed her. That all the others were fake people, but not him. She trusted him, he believed her, he cared. He tells her to put the gun away and they can talk. He asks her why she needs a gun anyway. She tells him that he cared. That no one else did. He agrees, he does care. He doesn’t want anything to happen to her. She smiles. She tells him that he’s the only one who cares. He’s the only real people. And that’s why she loves him. The secretary looks between the two, as if adding something up. Copper repeats that he does care, and that he’s sorry he hurt her, he didn’t mean to use her. He genuinely believed. He takes a sloppy step towards her, telling her that even with his mistake, he still believes. She nods her head, she’s almost in tears at this point. Copper continues as he takes another step forward, telling her there doesn’t need to be anymore mistakes. She nods her head agreeing, no more mistakes. He takes another step forward and slowly starts to reach for the gun. He tells her that it can all go away tonight. There doesn’t need to be any more pain. She nods her head, a big smile on her face and tears in her eyes. Copper shakes his head, telling her how sorry he is. She tells him that she knows, that no one else believed her. He reaches for the gun, telling her he did. With a big smile she tells him thank you. He smiles back, nodding. He tells her it’s going to be all right. She nods back at him. She yanks the gun from his grip, puts it to her head and pulls the trigger. Copper’s yell is drown out by the gun shot.
Later, Copper sits on the steps of the building, watching as they load the body into the ambulance. Various people stand around gawking. A policeman asks Copper various questions. He doesn’t hear one of them. He stares, his expression blank from shock as they pull the wheels of the gurney up and slide the sheet covered, bloody form into the back. They close the doors and after a second, they pull away. Copper continues to stare ahead. The cop continues trying to get through to him. Copper still doesn’t hear. He then sees something out of the corner of his eye, and turns his head slightly. It’s his secretary. She has a blanket wrapped around her and she also speaks to a cop. She turns and looks at Copper. Their eyes meet. She frowns as he can almost read the accusation on her face. She squeezes her eyes shut and looks away. She shakes her head at the cop and walks away.Copper lets his eyes drift down to the sidewalk. And in this moment, he knows everything is truly lost.
Outpost 31. Copper looks out the window, lost in thought as the chopper approaches the installation.
Inside. Blair enters his lab and sits the tray down. He walks around the body bag as he preps the sample. He slides the slide under the microscope, sits down on the stool and looks at the dog sample. He ponders and makes a note on his pad. Behind him, the body bag slowly begins to move. Blair takes no notice, looking into his microscope. Little by little the bag undulates as the contents seem to take on a life of their own. The movements are miniscule enough not to produce much if any noise. In the background the chopper can be heard. Blair looks up as he hears the sound of it incoming. He glances back down at his station. He picks up his notes, gets up and walks out, leaving the moving bag behind.
Connant is the first out of the chopper. He carries his prize joyfully into the building. Garry shakes his head and tells Mac that he gets no fuel for the thing. Mac shrugs and calls him the boss. Garry and Copper are the next out. Garry heads for the door, but Copper stops him. Garry looks at him curiously for a moment. Copper tells him that he just wants to say… thank you. Garry asks him for what. Copper tells him for bringing him down here, for letting his check out the UFO himself, for everything. He adds that he knows Garry didn’t have to. Garry puts his hand on Copper’s should and smiles, telling him that he believes everybody deserves a second chance. Just ask Mac. Copper chuckles. Blair rushes up to them, he hasn’t even bothered to put a coat on. Garry asks what the hell he’s doing. Blair tells them that they’ll never believe what he found. Copper smiles and tells him that they can top it. Blair ignores him and continues. He tells them that he wants to how them something and walks off. Garry and Copper look at one another, then follow.
Inside Connant is showing off his new toy to Windows and Nauls. The both of them stare at him in disbelief as he tells his tale. Childs and Bennings stop Mac to ask him what they found. Blair leads Copper and Garry down the hall to the labs. As they walk he tells them that he’s checked the three bodies and at first there seems to be nothing out of the ordinary, and that for two of the three bodies, there isn’t. But for the third, the third he says, the sample shows normal cellular activity. The cells are continuing to grow and multiply. Copper looks at him is disbelief, asking him if he’s sure. Blair nods. Garry looks between the two, confused asking what he’s talking about. Copper tells him that, if that’s accurate then that means that one of them is still alive. Garry gives and exclamation of “What?!” Blair says they need to run more tests on the body, do a proper autopsy and find out what’s going on. As they enter the room, Blair comes to a stop. Copper and Garry stop next to him. Copper looks at Blair as he removes his coat and asks him what he’s waiting for, to show him. Blair tells him he can’t. Copper asks why not, confused. Blair looks at Copper and Garry, then points at the empty table and tells them “Because the body is gone.”

The Thing: Episode 3

Well, here's Episode 3. Don't know what else to say other than that.

"Auto Pilot"

Teaser:

Nauls, Norris, Mac, Childs and Bennings stand outside the main building as they look to the growing spec in the distance as the sound of the helicopter’s rotor blades grows. Nauls asks who it could be to Childs who stares through a pair of binoculars. Childs says he can’t make out the writing from this angle. As he watches, Lars leans out the side and begins firing at something below. He pulls the binoculars down and says the crazy SOB is shooting at something. Nauls takes a step back, asking what he’s shooting at. Childs shakes his head saying he can’t see. Nauls starts to speak up, making an excuse to go tell Garry but Norris chimes in first. Nauls watches in silence as his excuse heads back inside with Norris. He crosses his arms, clearly fear taking hold of him.
In the chopper, Lars curses as he fires at the dog and reloads. He complains that he’s running out of ammo. Matias watches the dog out the front window, rather than paying attention to the controls. Lars turns to Matias and asks if he can swing low and directly over the dog. Matias looks unsure but nods. Lars pulls the crate of grenades forward and grabs one out. He leans out the side, getting ready as he urges Matias on. Matias takes the chopper down.
Below the dog runs through the snow, bounding and leaping as it moves through the thick, loose layer. This doesn’t even seem to slow it down. Forward, forward, forward it moves. Outpost 31 grows in the distance. The snow is kicked about and the fur on the dogs back bristles as the chopper flies directly over the dog’s head. The dog doesn’t flinch at all. It just keeps running. The thermite grenade explodes, but it’s far too far away to even slow the dog down.
Lars curses at Matias and tells him to pass over head slower. Matias grits his teeth and tries to make another pass, complaining that he’s having trouble. Lars readies a second grenade.
The helicopter passes over the dog again. The thermite grenade explodes. The dog flinches and pauses as this one was too close. After a moment it continues forward.
Lars screams how he almost got him! He yells for Matias to get right overhead, hover, keep right on top of him. Matias grumbles in frustration as he fights to get the chopper to do what he wants. Lars grabs a third grenade.
The dog runs. Forward. Forward. Almost there now. Another few minutes and they’ll be at Outpost 31. The specks of the Outpost 31 crew can be seen in front of the building. The snow swirls and the dogs hair moves as the helicopter lowers overhead, fighting to keep pace with the dog. It’s a testament to Matias’ skill that he can manage. Slowly it matches up with the dog. The dog keeps running.
Lars yells for Matias to keep it steady. Just a little more! Matias focuses all his attentions on his readings, gritting his teeth as he tries to keep it working. Lars continues yelling, almost there! Matias complains that he’s having trouble. He looks over the readouts, complaining that something is wrong. Lars just urges him on. Matias shakes his head, this isn’t right. Lars yells for Matias to hold its stead. Matias begins to get a worried look, complaining that Lars doesn’t understand. Lars tells him he’s doing fine, he can do this, they’ve almost got the dog. Matias shakes his head as his look of worry turns to a look of fear. Matias tells him it hasn’t been right since they took off. Lars gets the grenade ready, the dog is nearly directly below them. Matias complains to Lars, he doesn’t understand. Lars tells him to just do it. Matias says he doesn’t understand. Then he says it. They’re too heavy by over 100 pounds. Lars pauses and looks at him. Matias is almost shaking as he he stares in fear at Lars. Lars slowly turns. There’s someone else with them.
Lars yells a frightened curse and pulls the pin from the thermite.
Bennings yells at the others, wondering what the hell those explosions are. Clark and Garry join the others outside. Almost all of them jump as the helicopter explodes in a fireball. The curse and yell and panic as the chopper goes down in a ball of fire, crashing into the snow below. Bennings yells about helping survivors. Childs runs to get the Snowcat. Garry wonders loudly about what the hell is going on. Mac and Clark are silent. Nauls looks at the fire and smoke in the distance with an expression of terror.

Act 1:

Nauls looks ahead in fear from the rear of the snowcat. Garry, Mac, Bennings and Clark sit in the various seats while Childs drives. Childs snarls, saying “First Palmer, now this shit.” Clark insists they should just leave it alone, it’s none of their business. They can’t be American, or they would have heard. Nauls nods slightly at this but doesn’t speak. Childs tells Clark to shut up, that they can’t just leave them out there. Garry points out they are require to aid in any rescue operations, regardless of nation. Bennings wonders aloud just what the hell the guy was shooting at, and all the explosions. He wonders if it’s particularly safe. Nauls again nods in silent agreement. Garry says that just to make sure, he brought protection. He pulls the gun from his coat and holds it up. The color instantly drains from Nauls face as he sees it. Bennings asks where the hell he got that, that the Antarctic treaty expressly prohibits guns on the continent. Garry says that if he’s going to be stuck in a remote area with eleven plus other people, he’s going to make sure he has some protection. Clark says that’s the first sane thing he’s heard in days. Nauls continues to stare in fear at the gun as Garry puts it away. Childs says “Good lord” as they pull up to the burning wreckage of the helicopter. The cockpit is mostly intact, but an inferno. The rotors and tail have been torn off in the crash, and there’s a long trail of debris and melted snow where it came in. Nauls quietly asks how anyone could survive that. Mac says they better find out if anyone could and climbs out.
The Past. New York. A movie theater. A group of friends walk out of the theater talking loudly about the movie they just saw. They pass the movie poster at the end for “Changeling”. The two others discuss the movie with a younger Nauls, but only just. It is easy to tell this is the same person. They refer to him as Carter. The one friend complains loudly of Nauls’ choice of going to see Changeling. Nauls defends his choice stating that as a J. Michael Straczynski written film, it was worth it for that alone. He goes on to state that it was also critically acclaimed at Cannes. But states that beyond those it was a fascination exploration of a true story from the 1920s. His friend points out that as yet another of Clit Eastwoods directing efforts, it left something to be desired. Nauls complains that his friend just wont open his mind to Eastwood being anything other than the gruff hero of those silly old westerns and that when he produces something truly worth while, people just can’t accept it. His friend shrugs and states that at least Eastwood didn’t unplug her at the end of this one. Nauls’ other friend points out that he enjoyed the story and it’s focus on corruption in government in the 1920s, rather than taking the more popular romanticized notion of it being a simpler, more innocent time. They point out they enjoyed the parallels of law enforcement willing to kill criminals rather bring them in, compared to vigilantism in the likes of the Ku Kux Klan of the era. Nauls’ less enthusiastic friend scoffs at the notion calling it another trite effort by Eastwood to bring issues of child endangerment to the fore. That using the trope of a child in trouble allows the story to wrack up the drama and pathos without earning it, simply hold a gun to a kids head metaphorically speaking and the critics will line up to give you a blowjob. Nauls tells him he’s being a stupid cynic. That the entire point of the movie wasn’t that the child was in danger, nor the political corruption, that it was in fact a tale condemning the efforts of the era to disempower women. That it’s a portrait of how a woman’s independence is seen as an outright threat to male dominace in a patriarchal society.  Nauls goes on to say that JMS tapped into the continuing sexism inherent in our society, that attitudes towards women haven’t really changed. He points out that it’s Similar to Ingrid Bergman’s Gaslight, in that men in power use their position to question a womans sanity only in an effort to keep her in her “place.” His friend takes an affront to this challenging Nauls tired efforts at phony feminism as just an attempt to get laid. He complains about this silly notion that if you make a female character strong you are a bastion of good and right and that to cast them in a harsh light is to become all that is wrong in this world. He states that if men would stop white knighting for people they never knew and stopped trying to elevate people like Joss Whedon to godhood status just because his idolization of super women is more shiney than casting them as human characters, an easy, lazy way out, That maybe just maybe we’ll stop getting such ridiculous cinema tripe. Nauls clearly takes exception to this and points out that’s exactly what’s wrong with this world, a chauvinistic mindset where the only use of women is the women in refrigerators trope used to enhance a male character rather than allow her to be the strong courageous woman unfettered by male egotistic notion. His friend questions if Nauls is just outright gay and calls him a pussy, pointing out that he wouldn’t know courage if it bit him in the ass. That it’s one thing to bitch about it on the internet, it’s another thing entirely to grow a pair and do something about it. Nauls shuts up instantly. They walk in silence for a bit. His friend sighs and apologizes. Nauls shakes his head, saying it’s okay, but it’s clearly not. His friend says he knows that Nauls has always had trouble with… And then the man with the gun is upon them. He screams for them to hand over their wallets. Nauls friends react in fear, Nauls reacts like a deer in the headlights. The man with the gun points it at each of them in turn, demanding they hurry up. They fumble in an effort to get the wallets out, he snatches them from them. Nauls is frozen in place. The man with the gun takes exception to this, he demands that Nauls give up his wallet. Nauls just kind of gapes like a fish and slightly shakes his head, too frightened to move. The man with the gun rushes forward and presses the gun to Nauls face. Nauls jumps and closes his eyes, beginning to whimper. The man forcefully demands the wallet. There’s a scream from across the street as a woman goes running off. The gunman curses. Nauls just shakes his head begging. The gunman grabs Nauls by the collar and pushes the gun against Nauls’ eye. He again demands the wallet. Nauls whimpers and begs, his friends tell him to just give up the wallet. The gunman yells in Nauls’ face for him to give it up NOW. Nauls jumps and tries to reach for his pocket, tears stream down his face. The gunman looks around, hearing a siren in the distance. He is tired of this. He slams the gun into the side of Nauls head, knocking him to the ground. He reaches into Nauls pockets fishing. Finding the wallet, he grabs it and runs off. His friends rush to help him up, but Nauls is out of it, there’s a ringing in his ears and his head swims. They help sit him up. Nauls looks around stupidly as the situation comes back to him. The fear, his freezing, and his realization at the large wet spot on the front of his pants. Nauls looks to be on the verge of sobbing.

Act 2:

The group from Outpost 31 piles out of the snowcat. Childs, Bennings and Mac rush over to the wreckage and begin spraying it with fire extinguishers. Garry looks at the marking on what remains of the tail, “NORGE”. He points out that they must be from the Norwegian camp North of there. Nauls just stares as the fire is extinguished. Childs pulls on one of the doors, burning his hand even through his glove and flinching. Mac points out that it’s hot. Childs curtly thanks him. Childs scoops up some snow and tosses it on the handle a few times. After a moment, he cautiously tries the handle again. The door opens and falls from the hinge, causing Childs to jump back. Mac just stares at him a moment, then looks inside. He says they’ve got two bodies, he thinks. A pilot and a passenger in the back. Nauls gives an exclamation, covering his mouth as he does so. As the others look at him, they realize he’s not talking about the chopper. They turn to see the blackened form limping towards them. It’s skin is burnt, it’s coat melted, and its gait that of pain and it drags a gun behind. It’s Lars.
Lars limps towards them, asking them for help in norwegian. They just stare at this burnt man speaking gibberish. He stumbles forward in great effort. Garry slowly pulls the gun from his coat, wary of the fact that he’s armed. Nauls gapes at him. Childs tells him to take it easy but doesn’t close the gap. Lars looks around at them each in turn, asking for help. His breathing is ragged and forced. He looks like the only thing keeping him on his feet is his force of will. Bennings glances away as he sees something out of the corner of his eye, asking if that’s a dog. They all look to see the huskie running towards them. Lars turns to see the dog. He begins yelling about it not being a dog, how it’s going to kill them all and it needs to be stopped, but of course, it’s just gibberish to them. He raises the gun and opens fire, almost falling off his feet with the pain. The shots go wide. The dog runs past him. He turns firing as he does so. Mac and Childs dive out of the way but one of the shots goes through Bennings’ leg. He screams in pain and drops. The dog runs up to Clark, jumping on him and licking at him as if asking for help. Lars turns and approaches them, gun raised. Garry points his own gun at Lars and orders him to drop his weapon. Clark yells that it’s just a dog as he tries to comfort the seemingly scared animal. Lars pleads with them, begs them to get away from the dog. They don’t know what it really is. He begs them to get out of the way, to kill it. The dog looks back at him and darts off towards camp. Seeing his chance, Lars raises the gun. Garry orders him to put it down once again. Lars opens fire at the dog. Clark screams “No!” and grabs the gun from Garry. He fires two shots at Lars, hitting him in the chest, causing him to stagger, the third shot hits Lars between the eyes. The body slumps to the snow. Nauls covers his mouth in horror and looks away. Garry just stares for a moment then growls and grabs the gun back from Clark, asking what the hell he’s doing. Clark demands that he couldn’t just let him hurt the dog. Garry nods in frustration, saying how just great that is. Mac walks over to the body and looks down at it. He pushes it with his boot, saying he thinks he’s dead. Childs tells him no shit. Bennings yells about how they could PLEASE help the not so dead guy. Childs helps him up. Garry tells him to get him back to Copper, then bring the snowcat back so they can deal with the bodies. He then tells Clark to head back and find his damn dog. Childs, Clark and Bennings return to the snowcat. Garry and Mac look at the wreckage. Mac points out how big a pain in the ass it will be to get the other two bodies out. Garry points out that they can’t just leave them in there. Nauls just stares at the gun in Garry’s hand. Garry tells him to give Mac a hand. Nauls just continues to stare at the gun. Garry calls his name. Nauls just stares. Garry calls his name again, more forcefully. Nauls just stares.
The Past. Nauls sits at a desk in front of a computer. He wears office attire as normal office events happen all around him. His head is patched and he just staring at the monitor. His boss calls his name. Twice. Nauls jumps as he calls his name from right behind him. He turns and looks at his boss. His boss asks what the hell is wrong with him. Nauls shakes his head, looking away sheepishly, claiming nothing is wrong with him. His boss takes him at his word saying that’s good. He tells Nauls that since he is going to be having a golf game with his own boss, he’ll be cutting out early, he intends to have lunch with his family first but that Nauls needs to stay a little later to make up for all the work he missed coming in late. Nauls looks like he wants to argue, but lets it go, telling him okay. His boss says that’s great and starts to walk away. He stops and come back, adding that because of their backlog of work, he wants Nauls to come in tomorrow on his day off. Nauls turns and looks at him in surprise. He shakes his head and says he can’t, that he has class tomorrow. He has a test that counts for a third of his grade. His boss seems to ponder this. He asks Nauls what time his class is. Nauls confirms that it’s in the morning. His boss perks at this news, telling Nauls that he just needs to get as much as he can in tonight, then come on in after class. Nauls again looks like he wants to argue, but instead he relents. His boss says that’s great and slaps Nauls on the shoulder, calling him a team player. As he walks away, Nauls sighs. He glances back to make sure his boss is gone, then opens back up his blog page. He continues checking his post decrying the use of guns in the country. He goes on a long rant about how just because some idiot thinks he has the right to carry around murder weapons, that doesn’t mean that the rest of them just have to shut up and get killed like a bunch of animals. He goes on and on about statistics from other countries linking the lower death rate with the fact that guns are banned. He checks the comments sections. Multiple people agree with him, giving their own reasons for their support of banning guns. One mentions how they need to stage a protest or something to show the government that they need to take action. Nauls quickly times a reply agreeing. He continues. Another argues with his opinion, point out that even without guns that people would still kill one another. Nauls replies that it doesn’t mean that we have to give people extra incentive to do so. That there is literally no other point to guns other than to kill things. Anther reply calls him and idiot and tells him that if he hates guns so much that he should get the fuck out of this country and go someplace they don’t allow them. It them calls him a libtard fag. Nauls chuckles and replies, simply stating that maybe he will, but he’ll be sure to send him a thesaurus as a going away present. Having had his minor victory, he returns to his work.
Later, Nauls, bleary eyed checks the time on his phone. He curses at the lateness of the hour. He shuts down his computer, packs up his stuff and heads home. Nauls unlocks the door and stumbles inside. He heads through to his room. Tosses his bag down, shuts the door and flops into bed fully dressed. He stares at the clock, mumbling about just getting a few hours. He closes his eyes.
Nauls phone rings. He fumbles through his pockets as he tries to find it. He slowly opens his eyes and looks at the caller. It’s his boss. Nauls curses and tells the phone to give it a rest. He tosses it down and looks at the clock. It takes his sleep addled mind a moment to process. Noon. His eyes go wide and he jumps up, screaming a curse.

Act 3:

Outpost 31. Dr. Copper stitches up the hole in Bennings’ leg as he flinches in pain. Copper smiles at him and tells him it’ll be just a bit more then he can go rest and dope himself up on painkillers. Childs and Nauls heft a black body bag into the room, asking Copper where he wants it. Copper points to one of the specimen carts and tells them to set it up on there. Nauls and Childs comply. Childs warns Copper that they’re pretty messed up from the crash. Childs taps Nauls on the chest and tells him two more to go. Copper finishes stitching Bennings and wraps his leg in gauze. He tells him to just stay off of it for a few days. Blair stares at the black body bag. He asks Bennings if he’s sure that they were shooting at the dog. Bennings says he is, and that they were bombing too. He asks the two of them if they were whacked out on something. Copper shrugs and says they’d have to check, but it could take days, and with the test from Fuchs’ blood already going on, it could take even longer. Blair says that he can have it done by tomorrow. Copper looks at him in surprise. Blair shrugs and rattles of an explanation about how it’s a simple process. Copper nods in agreement, impressed. Childs and Nauls bring the next body in. Blair points to the table and tells them to set it over there. He then asks if they’ve found the dog yet. Nauls tells him that Clark is searching the camp for him, but that it was pretty scared. Blair just nods. Childs looks at him curiously, asking him why all the sudden interest. Blair says that when a group of norwegians declare war on a dog, he gets a bit curious. Besides, he’s finished his reports for the season and he needs a new project before heading home for the rotation. Childs just shakes his head. Nauls asks if maybe they came down with something, brain parasites or something. “Kahn Worms.” Bennings says. “Or those ones from X-Files” Copper interjects. “I hate that episode.” Bennings replies. Nauls says he was kinda thinking about those ants with the fungus. Blair chuckles and calls it “Ophiocordyceps unilateralis” and says he doubts that something like it could survive out here, besides there’s quarantine rules. Plus he points out that such things in humans are rare. There’s mad cow, but that’s a disease rather than a parasite and an outbreak of mad cow here would be absurd. Copper says that whatever the issue, with Blair’s help they should have the answer in no time. Blair says that in the meantime, they should help Clark find the dog. Blair would like a sample from it too. Nauls looks at him in doubt, asking him why. Blair smiles and says that if it’s worth shooting at, isn’t he curious to find out what makes it so special?
Outside. Clark wanders around camp, calling out to the dog. He looks behind boxes and equipment, but still has no luck. He continues calling out, telling the dog that he’s not going to hurt it. Nothing. As he makes his way around camp, he finds the kennel door open. He looks at it curiously for a second, then heads inside. He glances around as he makes his way down the corridor. He grumbles at how poorly lit the kennels are, grabbing a flashlight off the shelf. He walks forward and glances inside the dog kennels. The dogs lays about, and generally do dog like things. All of them taking notice of him to some capacity. One of them wags it’s tail and barks at him. He shushes the dog, calling it Charnauk, and telling him to calm down. Charnauk whines but does as he’s told. Clark continues on, glancing over at the cattle. He elicits a series of Moos from them as he disturbs them with the flashlight. He pats one on the side as he goes past, apologizing for disturbing her. He continues back into the darkest areas of the kennels. He glances around at the crates of feed and other necessities. He calls out again to the dog and whistles. Charnauk begins barking again. He turns back and shushes the dog. As he does so, something briefly passes by the light. Clark turns back but it’s already gone before he even catches a glimpse. He continues on, calling for the dog. He turns a corner and stops as the dog appears in his light. He startles slightly but calms down as he see the dog is just standing there, staring at him. He smiles at the dog, and tells him it’s okay. The dog just stands there, staring. He asks the dog if he’s the one who opened the door. The dog says nothing. Clark says he’s a pretty smart boy if he did. The dog just stares. Clark says that he just wants to be friends, that the dog is safe now. The dog just stares. Clark steps forward and kneels down, holding out his hand. The dog just stares. He tells the dog it’s okay, he’s not going to hurt him. The dog just stares. He tells the dog to come on, holding his hand out. The dog just stares. He repeats, telling the dog it will be alright. The dog stares… and takes a step forward. Clark encourages him, again telling him its okay. The dog takes another step… and another. Always does it keep it’s eyes on Clark’s. It slowly makes its way forward to his hand. Clark keeps his arm extended and perfectly still. The dog reaches Clark’s hand and slowly begins sniffing it. Clark smiles and says he smells like the other dogs, that it’s okay. The dog sniffs Clark’s hand, but always keeps his eyes on Clark’s eyes. Clark says he’s a pretty smart fella. The dog stops sniffing Clark’s hand and… begins licking it. Clark pats him on the head and tells him that he’s a good boy. The dog keeps staring at Clark as he licks his hand.
Nauls walks down the corridor, calling out for Clark. He walks down the stairs and into the kennel looking around. He calls out to Clark, asking if he found the damn dog. The dogs in the kennel all jump up and begin barking and carrying on at Nauls. Nauls glares at them and tells them to shut up. He shakes his head and grumbles at the stupid dogs. He calls out to Clark again. Clark calls him over. Nauls walks to the back of the kennel, past the cows and sees Clark sitting on the floor with the dog. Clark smiles as he strokes the dog’s fur. The dog stares at Nauls. Nauls points and asks if that’s the one. Clark confirms that it is. Nauls tells him that Blair wants a sample from it later. Clark looks up at him suspiciously and asks him why. Nauls shrugs and says that Blair just wants to be sure there’s nothing wrong with it. Clark pauses for a minute, then tells him he guesses that it should be okay. Nauls acknowledges and starts to walk away, but pauses. He looks at the dog just staring at him. Nauls stares at the dog. The dog stares at Nauls. Nauls shudders and walks away, shaking his head and calling it god damned creepy.
The Past. Nauls sits at his cubicle, his head in his hands. The phone on his desk rings, Nauls sighs and picks it up. His boss asks him if he couldn’t come into his office for a second. Nauls tells him sure. As Nauls enters his office, his boss doesn’t even look up from his paperwork. Nauls stands there for a moment, in silence, being ignored. After a moment, he clears his throat. His boss still doesn’t look up, and tells him that he needs Nauls to go clock out. Nauls sighs in relief and tells him he doesn’t know how glad he is to hear that, he needs a day off after the morning he’s having. His boss tells him no, he doesn’t want him to go home, he wants him to work off the clock. They’ve been having issues with the accounting and they need to cut a few corners. He’d like him to go clock out, then stick around for a while finishing up some of their backlog of work. Nauls shakes his head hesitantly, saying he doesn’t know if that’s such a good idea. His boss looks up at him at last and smiles. He tells him he understands, but that he wants to continue to be a team player doesn’t he? Nauls looks away telling him he guesses so. His boss interlocks his fingers and tells Nauls he’s going to confide in him. That the accounting problem is too much expenditure. That if they can’t real it in, they’ll have to start letting people go. He asks Nauls if he doesn’t want that on his conscience. Nauls looks at him sadly for a moment, then hangs his head and agrees. His boss tells him that that’s a team mindset. As he returns to his work, he adds that plus, it could always be Nauls to end up unemployed, so it’s really for the best. He laughs at his own apparent joke. Nauls just walks back to his desk.
Nauls bitches and complains as he sits in the bar. He rants about his asshole of a boss taking advantage of him. He says that one of these days he’s just going to march into his office and tell him to shove it. His sister laughs at him. She tells him that he’s always been like this. Never once stood up for himself. She points out that he spent all of elementary getting pantsed by the bully up the street. She asks his name and Nauls says it was T.K. His sister laughs, remembering it now. She says that every day Nauls would either come home breathless from the run or humiliated and pantsless. Nauls says nothing. She goes on, telling him that even when he got lucky and T.K. Moved away, there was the coach in middle school. About how every day he would make Nauls run laps because he wasn’t a team player. Nauls grumbles and says he remembers. She adds that in high school… Nauls interrupts her and tells her he gets it. He asks her what she wants from him. He points out that today he already had to beg his professor to let him take a makeup exam. That the only way he consented was if Nauls agreed to be his aid the next semester. That even then if he gets his bachelors in sociology, he still needs a BSW or else there’s no chance of getting into social work. And even then that’s not even getting started on the problems nation wide like the god damn rednecks and their gun racks and pickups beating their chest and crying about their right to deadly weapons! She stares at him, eyebrow raised. He glances over at the bar and sees the two men staring angrily at him. One wears an NRA shirt, the other a NASCAR cap. Nauls smiles sheepishly. He apologizes and says he’s been having a bad day, next round is on him. The two men turn away. Nauls lays his head down on the table and tells his sister it’s been a long week. He asks her why it’s always him. All he ever wanted to do was get into social work and help people’s lives. She laughs and tells him it’s because he’s a doormat. Until he stands up for himself, people are just going to smell it on him. He laughs and asks her what she expects him to do, go start a barroom brawl with his new friends over there. He points out he has just enough upper body strength to curl up into a ball and defend his major organs. She says that just because he knows he stood up to somebody, it doesn’t mean THEY have to know. He looks at her, totally lost. She tells him that maybe he can find a way to get his boss into a little hot water and in the process get a little confidence for himself. She smiles at him.

Act 4:

Outpost 31. Blair unzips the first body bag and takes a blood sample from Lars’ body. He checks it and begins putting it into a test tube.
The rest of the crew, save Clark, sits around the rec room discussing what to do next. Childs says they can’t find Fuchs anywhere and Palmer isn’t talking, now they have this new mess to deal with. Garry asks about Clark, wondering where he is. Nauls chimes in and tells him that he’s taking care of the new dog. Garry nods.
Blair unzips the second body bag and takes a sample from Matias. Again he checks it before injecting it into a test tube and putting it aide.
Garry continues stating that if they’re from the Norwegian camp, they better figure out why three of their men went of chasing a dog and blew themselves up. Norris asks why they don’t just radio them. Windows says that he can’t get through, they’re not responding. Connant admits he can’t even get a ping off their system that not only is the radio down, their dish is likely down too. Mac says “Great.”
Blair unzips the third body bag and pauses, something is amiss. He leans in closer, trying to get a better look at it.
Garry says they are going to need to take a trip up there in person. Bennings asks what if they’re all hostile like the ones in the helicopter. Nauls says that he didn’t think they were hostile. Bennings says he disagrees, pointing to his leg. Garry says, just in case, they’ll go armed and set the gun down on the table next to him. Nauls stares at it, wide eyed. Garry goes on, stating that with Palmer out as co-pilot, he’ll head out there with Mac and Dr. Copper, just in case they need medical attention. He then adds the Connant will be coming too just in case they need to check out their computers. Connant grumbles in frustration. Bennings tells them to hurry because the weather station reports a storm will be blowing through that area soon. Garry asks Copper about the bodies. Copper tells him that Blair is taking samples right this minute. Blair appears in the doorway. He tells them that in fact there’s something he thinks they should see. They all look around at one another, and begin to follow Blair out. Nauls looks back at the table where Garry has left the gun.
The past. Nauls glances over from his cubicle at his Boss’ office. His boss sits inside. A man in a suit enters the area, a security guard following him. Nauls smiles to himself. The man in the suit enters Nauls’ Boss’ office. He asks him if he’s been doing anything unauthorized on his computer. The boos looks puzzled and shakes his head no, he hasn’t. The boss points out he’s just gotten a report from IT that this very terminal has been used for… other purposes than business related ones. Nauls can barely contain his glee.  He stifles a laugh as the rest of the room begins to take notice of the situation. As they do, another employee enters and looks around. He then heads for the man in the suit. The boss stares up and the man in the suit saying he doesn’t understand what this is all about. The employee comes up and whispers something in his ear. The man in the suit gets a horrified look on his face and glances at the boss. The boss looks away. The man in the suit motions for the security guard to come over and then whispers something to him. He nods and leaves the room and pics up one of the phones at the desk. He begins speaking into the phone, glancing back over his shoulder at the office. At this point Nauls gets a confused look on his face. He doesn’t quite understand the turn this has taken, shouldn’t they be escorting him out? After several minutes the curiosity is still circulating the room slowly. That’s when a group of police enter the area and head for the office. By this point everyone stands up and begins looking. They enter and the man in the suit points at the computer and begins explaining something to them. Nauls’ boss just sits there, staring down in shame. Nauls can’t figure what the hell’s going on. The police check the computer with the aid of the IT guy. He gets a look of disgust. The cop nods to the others. They help the boss up and handcuff him, reading him his rights. They unplug the computer and pack up the harddrive. As they lead him past Nauls desk, he hears his boss pleading with the police not to do it this way, that his wife and daughter are going to be meeting him for lunch.
Everyone gathers around the windows to look at the street below. Nauls slowly joins them and looks down at the sight. He watches as the police march his boss from the building and lead him to one of the cop cars. Sure enough, there’s a woman and a little girl who seem distraught over the whole thing. Nauls frown in sadness. A group of officers and a detective approach the already distraught woman and seem to be telling her something. She clutches her daughter close. The detective motions to the officers. The woman appears to be screaming at this point. They forcibly seperate the woman and the little girl. As the mother screams the officers restrain her as another carries the screaming little girl to another waiting cop car. Nauls looks on in horror, his hand over his mouth.
Nauls sits in the bar, his head down on the table. He tells his sister that he doesn’t want to live on this planet anymore. She comforts him by telling him that he had no idea what was already on the computer. He points out that’s the reason he doesn’t want to live on this planet anymore. She points out he probably did some good. He replies that it certainly doesn’t feel like it. His sister sighs and tells him he just needs to get away for a while. Nauls laughs and tells her that there’s not a far enough away from this. She shrugs and says maybe there is. He doubts this. She tells him about one of her ex boyfriends, how he dropped out and headed out to antarctica for a while, got away from it all. Nauls laughs loudly. She tells him to wait and hear her out. She tells him that this guy spent a year or two up there, said it was the most grueling time he’d ever had. But at the same time, he said it was soul clensing. He came back a different guy. He was damn near a misanthrope but when he came back, he couldn’t get enough of people. Nauls sarcastically says he wonders why. She tells her little brother that she thinks the experience could do him a bit of good, maybe help him find the good in people again. Nauls sighs. She points out they don’t allow guns on the continent and they have zero murders. He glances at her and asks if she’s sure of her information. She shrugs and says it can’t be worse than her last idea. What’s the worst that could happen? Nauls stares at her for a long minute.
Outpost 31. Nauls enters the room after the others. They gather around the body bag. Blair looks at Nauls, Garry, Mac, Childs and Bennings. He asks them if they’re sure the chopper exploded and crashed, they put out the fires, took the bodies out, brought them back here and that was it. They all agree to this. Blair again reiterates that they saw nothing else, that the bodies were not tampered with. Childs asks in an annoyed tone what Blair is getting at. Blair looks at them all for a long minute. He then tells them that he checked the first two bodies and found that they were burned and damaged by the explosion and crash. The burns and injuries were consistent with this. Garry crosses his arms and asks “and?” Blair looks at him, then continues. As he went to check the third body, he found something unusual.  Copper looks at him and asks “Unusual, how?” Blair points at the body bag, telling him that as he knows, the human body reacts a certain way to stimulus. Bones break, skin burns, fat melts. Injuries are consistent with the stimulus they have received. This is how forensics works, an understanding of how things react. What causes something. He points at the bag and says that this body does not. None of them seem to be understanding him. Seeing this, he opens the bag. They all stare at the sight within with a variety of reactions. From within, the body stares out. There is an expression of horror, or anger or… something on its face, that is plain. The problem being that half of its face sits six inches lower and separate from the other side, the two halves connected with a stretched mass of tissues and skin between. Mac asks Blair what the problem is, he shrugs and says the head was split by some shrapnel and the fire fused some of the tissue together. Blair stares at him for a long moment. He then puts a pair of gloves on and picks up a scalpel. The others watch as he cuts a slit down the stretched middle section between the halves. He then pushes them apart and taps at the exposed section, producing a solid sound. Blair points out that there is bone between the sections. He looks up and asks Mac how many times he’s seen bone liquify. Mac has no answer to this. The room gets very silent as no one knows what to say. Blair adds that whatever happened to this body, it happened before the crash. They all stare at the split face thing in various states of emotion as it stares up at the ceiling with eyeless sockets.