Original Air Date: Sunday, 19th Nov 1995
Written by: Tom Towler
Directed by: Thomas J. Wright
Edited by: James Coblentz

This transcript is taken from the initial airing on the Sci Fi channel. Transcription by Sue, begun - November 2001, finished - December 2001

Enclosed in {} are parts where it is hard to hear the dialogue and I've given it my best guess. (These parts have been checked using the closed captioning but that did not help. If you have suggestions let me know at swanage@rocketmail.com)

Enclosed in [] is dialogue that was deleted from the audio track but is clearly spoken. This is not necessarily what CC says should be there.

When I needed to do some checking on various details related to this transcript I used the Space:Above and Beyond Ready Room at

http://www.space-readyroom.de/

A wonderful resource!

The Saratoga is under attack by alien ships. Inside alarms blare, people yell, the lights flicker etc.

MALE VOICE: Battle stations, all hands report to battle stations. All hands report to battle stations.

McQueen enters the corridor. It's full of people yelling and trying to make their way in different directions. One crewman is not moving, he's hanging on to the wall.

McQUEEN: Do you have a battle station, son?

The crewman nods yes.

McQUEEN: They need you there.

McQueen approaches the crewman, frees his grip from the wall and takes hold of him.

McQUEEN: Now!

The man leaves and McQueen continues on his way.

Cut to a different corridor.

MALE VOICE: Damage to aft A-D-K-M battery, one-niner.

MALE VOICE: {Fire crew ?????? Fire crew ??????}

The 58th make their way, with some difficulty, through the corridor, to the Hammerhead cockpit bay.

FEMALE CREW MEMBER: (to Hawkes) Short range kinetic pods are loaded. Laser canon is charged.

Cut to command centre.

ROSS: I want that reactor report, Mr. Connor.

CONNOR: Reactor one-one, this is the {main} bridge, over. Reactor one-one, this is the bridge, over.

McQueen arrives in the command centre.

ROSS: Come starboard 24 degrees, 30 degrees low.

HELMSMAN: 24 degrees starboard, 30 degrees low.

McQUEEN: Five-Eight this is Queen Six. I want you raining fire in five mikes.

Cut to Hammerhead cockpit bay. 58th are in their pits.

WEST: Roger that Queen Six. (to 58th) Let's get geequed.

Cut to a missile battery firing at incoming ships. It takes out an enemy fighter.

Cut to command centre.

CREW: Yeah, alright. (Cheering)

KLEIN: We've got a bandit over the bow.

ROSS: Lieutenant Gates?

GATES: Torch it, delta-niner.

Cut to the battery firing at the enemy fighter. There's some sort of electrical discharge.

Cut to Hammerhead cockpit bay.

WEST: We're jammed

Cut to command centre.

ROSS: Back up systems?

KLEIN 30 seconds to kick in, sir.

GATES: Son of ...

MALE VOICE: Is that thing dead?

McQUEEN: If it's not, we are.

Opening credits.

The Saratoga and the alien ship hang in space.

Cut to the command centre which is lit by red light.

ROSS: Hand crank the forward batteries.

GATES: Targeting computer is still down.

ROSS: Then sight down the barrels.

GATES: Fire mission. Fire mission. Forward adkem battery. Tango-one-niner.

ROSS: How long till back up is on-line, Mr. Klein?

Klein checks his screen.

ROSS: Mr. Klein?

KLEIN: Ten seconds, sir.

Klein checks a digital clock.

KLEIN: Four. Three. Two.

There's a noise and the lights go back on.

MALE VOICE: Weapon system functional, sir.

ROSS: Take that out of my sky.

GATES: Yes, sir.

McQUEEN: No!

ROSS: Colonel?

McQUEEN: It's harmless, {they} would have killed us by now. This has never happened in this war, sir. A wounded enemy bird. We shouldn't waste the opportunity.

ROSS: Opportunity?

McQUEEN: To have a look.

Cut to the 58th's quarters. They are being briefed by three crew members who are wearing bulletproof vest type jackets. The 58th are dressed in some sort of battle armour.

KRANTZ: Here's what we know. The hull is a cermet composite impregnated with graphite, titanium, aluminum trihydrate and molybdenum.

STROUD: The spectral scope indicates ... What the hell smells so rank?

Wang, sitting on his bunk, smells his 'BEARS' t-shirt.

WANG: Rank, ma'am? It's the aroma of good luck.

VANSEN: We always come back when he wears it.

STROUD: I could see if it was a Detroit Lions shirt.

WEST: How do we get in?

KRANTZ: M. R. scope indicates a chamber located just behind the two vents on her forward structure.

VANSEN: What do you mean by chamber?

KRANTZ: Don't know. Three metres behind it is another area.

HAWKES: For what?

KRANTZ: Don't know. Bio-sensors indicated a slight reading in the second area.

DAMPHOUSSE: What do you mean by slight?

Krantz sighs.

WANG: You don't know.

McQueen enters. Wang stands.

McQUEEN: (to Stroud) Thank you, Lieutenant.

STROUD: Sir, we haven't finished with our briefing.

McQUEEN: Yes you have.

STROUD: Sir, they need all the available data.

McQUEEN: No they don't.

Stroud looks at the two other crew members and the three of them leave.

McQUEEN: There is only one thing you need to know. Anything that's ever been learned or discovered in all the centuries of life on Earth means nothing right now. No one can tell you what to be prepared for. Your enemy has a dark bloodthirsty heart. Assume everything is dangerous. If in doubt. kill. ... I wish I was going with you. ... Let's make it happen.

Cut to 58th walking down corridor and into loading bay.

CREWMAN: I guess they're going to check out that chig ship so we can see why we're getting our butts kicked so bad.

WEST: What?

West approaches the crewman aggressively and grabs him.

WEST: This war ain't lost.

CREWMAN: Yet.

Hawkes and Wang pull West off. As the others head into the transport, Hawkes knocks the crewman's hat off.

Cut to shot of transport taking off.

Cut to inside the transport. Damphousse keeps clicking her jaw. They are all wearing breathing apparatus.

MALE VOICE: Enemy craft 200 metres and closing. ... Forty, thirty, twenty, ten. Play your hand wild card.

HAWKES: Magnos on their way. Easy, baby, easy.

The transport locks onto the alien ship.

HAWKES: Alien ship secured.

The 58th open a hatch in the floor of their ship.

WANG: Clear for charge.

An explosive charge in the shape of a metal ring, the size of the internal circumference of the hatch, is inserted into the hatch.

WANG: Stand clear.

There's an explosion.

DAMPHOUSSE: Calling card.

Damphousse drops a grenade down the hatch and stands back. There's an explosion.

WANG: We're through the hull. Go. Go.

VANSEN: At least Armstrong had an idea what he'd find on the moon.

The 58th start climbing down the hatch to the alien ship.

WEST: Watch out, Hawkes, it's slippery down here.

Hawkes slips and knocks down West.

WANG: You guys okay in there?

HAWKES: Yeah, yeah we're alright.

WANG: Go Shane.

Vansen starts climbing then let's go and drops down into the alien ship.

WANG: Are you okay?

WEST: We're okay.

They look around the alien ship using their own torches.

HAWKES: What is that stuff?

WEST: I don't know. I think they served it in my high school cafeteria.

VANSEN: Let's move out.

They check out the alien ship. Vansen sees something moving and shoots at it.

WEST: Cease fire! Cease fire!

WANG: Are you alright?

WEST: We've got two chigs down here.

Vansen kicks one of the chigs.

WEST: They're dead.

A chig jumps Vansen from behind. Hawkes pulls a knife and takes out the chig.

WEST: (to Vansen) You okay?

Vansen nods. Hawkes leans over the body.

WEST: (to Hawkes) What are you doing?

HAWKES: This is a fact finding mission, right?

Hawkes pulls off the chigs helmet and the chig disintegrates into a mess of green goo.

HAWKES: Damn!

VANSEN: Oh, god!

HAWKES: You think I'm gonna get busted for doing that?

Cut to the inside of the Saratoga. The 58th have returned to the Saratoga. They walk through the ship to a restricted area where the alien craft is being examined.

McQUEEN: My god, we finally brought one back. Good job.

Technicians are working on the ship.

WEST: Those people are Aerotech.

HAWKES: What are they doing here?

WEST: Sewell.

WANG: The guy who had our Tellus mission classified "compartmentalised".

WEST: These guys knew things about this craft before we even engaged it in battle. I'll bet on it.

McQueen moves forward. A M.P. gets in his way, so he pushes him aside.

M.P: Sir, this is restricted.

McQUEEN: Stand down.

McQueen climbs around scaffolding as Sewell watches him.

M.P: Sir, this area's restricted. Sir! Sir! This area's restricted, sir.

Other M.P's show up. Ross arrives on the scene.

McQUEEN: What's with the civvies?

ROSS: Breaking down the ship. Studying it as you suggested.

As McQueen and Ross talk, Hawkes and Wang take advantage of the M.P's attention being elsewhere.

HAWKES: Come on.

Cut back to Ross and McQueen.

McQUEEN: It was for us, the military, we're the ones who'll use the information.

ROSS: Aerotech can break down the ship and analyse ...

McQUEEN: You can't let them break it down.

ROSS: At ease, Colonel. ... in half the time it would take us.

Cut to Wang and Hawkes as they approach a technical station.

HAWKES: Hey, what does this do?

Hawkes pushes buttons on a console.

TECHNICIAN: Hey, don't touch that. What are you doing?

While the technician is distracted by Hawkes, Wang steals a piece of equipment from the station.

HAWKES: What about when you do this?

Hawkes pushes more buttons.

TECHNICIAN: Get away from here. Guard!

HAWKES: What about all these?

TECHNICIAN: Guard! Guard! Guard!

Wang and Hawkes withdraw.

Cut back to McQueen and Ross.

ROSS: McQueen, you've had an ulterior motive from the moment you said go get it. What are you thinking?

Wang and Hawkes approach.

WANG: Sir, they've reversed the ship's navigational computer. It came from a planetary body in the Cerus region.

McQUEEN: That was what I was thinking. For six months we've been on the defensive. We haven't been able to even mount an offensive because until this moment we had no idea where they were based. Now we know where they're from, let's pay them a hostile visit.

SEWELL: That information is not for public knowledge.

WEST: With you it never will be.

ROSS: Our planes don't have the range to reach the Cerus region.

McQUEEN: This one does. ... It'll be our Trojan horse.

SEWELL: You don't know how to operate it.

McQUEEN: We'll learn.

SEWELL: You'd risk the destruction of this invaluable piece of technology.

McQUEEN: (to Sewell) I would risk the lives of invaluable men and women, if it meant I could finally put it down their throats. (to Ross) Look around you, sir. Defeat is on every face. Fear and surrender is on everyone's mind at home. The Secretary General is ready to give in. I'm not.

SEWELL: It's a suicide mission, commodore.

McQUEEN: It's mass suicide if we don't do it.

In Ross' quarters. McQueen is standing, looking at a photograph of a family. Ross is seated in a leather chair, no shirt on, just a vest. Ross pours himself a drink.

ROSS: Some rum, Colonel? ... Romantically it connects me with the sailors of old, who drank grog. ... I don't want to send young lives to their deaths.

McQUEEN: Most invitros have a hard time ... with love. We don't get many opportunities to ... feel it ... or give it. But I know I love those kids. I don't want them to lose their young lives but I know the value of this mission. When Jimmy Doolittle bombed Tokyo in World War Two, in thirty seconds he gave every man, woman and child in the country, hope. Without hope we can't win. And if we lose, millions of people will lose their lives.

Ross stands and joins McQueen.

ROSS: (sigh) Pilots for morale. That's how it breaks down.

McQUEEN: This mission could turn the war around.

ROSS: All right. But it's not up to you, Ty. It's in your pilots' hands.

Ross squeezes McQueen's shoulder and returns to his chair.

McQUEEN: I'd like to go along on this one.

ROSS: You're grounded, Ty. No way.

McQueen leaves.

Cut to another room with tables and chairs. The 58th are sitting around McQueen.

McQUEEN: (reading) With my mission now at hand, my dear old town, my dear old people, I now abandon everything and leave to protect this country. To preserve our eternal and just cause, I now go forth. My body will collapse like a falling cherry blossom. But my soul will live and protect this land forever. Farewell. I am a glorious wild cherry blossom. I shall return to my mother's place and bloom. These are the words of a man, your age, your rank, 118 years ago. He was a kamikaze pilot. He died, foolishly, the next day. He flew his Okha plane into an American destroyer. He gave his life, for a lost cause. I keep this in my flightsuit at all times.

McQueen puts the piece of paper, from which he has read, back in his pocket. West stands.

WEST: Sir, I'll volunteer.

McQueen stands.

McQUEEN: West, if you had proof that Kylen Celina was still alive, would you give your life?

WEST: I know she's alive. And I'll go because this is not a lost cause.

Vansen stands.

VANSEN: I'll go.

Wang stands.

WANG: I'm in.

Damphousse stands.

DAMPHOUSSE: Me to, sir.

They all look at Hawkes who's still slouching in his seat.

HAWKES: Well, I ain't no Kamikaze, ... 'cos I'm coming back.

They all laugh.

Cut to hanger where the alien ship is being worked on. The 58th enter lead by Colonel McQueen. When Sewell spots their approach, he removes a disk from the equipment in front of him and pockets it.

McQUEEN: Mr Sewell ... this craft is now under military supervision.

Sewell presses a switch on the equipment in front of him.

SEWELL: No matter what you think, Colonel, we're after the same things. Oh, we are. I have to admit your idea is brilliant. The Trojan horse, the greatest manoeuvre in human history and our enemy has no knowledge of its precedence. But that's why we should be studying this technology, so we can build our own Trojan horse instead of wasting it on a foolish act of bravado.

WEST: You lost two colonies in a foolish act of cowardice.

SEWELL: Act with your head, colonel, not your heart.

McQUEEN: That's why you'll never understand, Mr. Sewell.

Sewell stands and does up his jacket.

SEWELL: One thing I do understand, colonel, is you won't be going along for this one. Is that a decision made from the heart or the head?

McQueen steps towards him, aggressively. Ross comes between the two men.

ROSS: McQueen. This is my ship, Mr. Sewell. As long as I command her, no one will insult the men or women who serve aboard her. Get your stuff and get off my ship, sir. Now!

Sewell smiles and leaves. Ross turns to face the 58th.

ROSS: What the hell are you staring at? You've got a mission to fly.

Cut to briefing room.

HAWKES: Grrrr, I haven't had to read this much since Bogus made us read that nude dead people book.

STROUD: You wouldn't, by any stretch of the imagination, mean The Naked and the Dead?

WEST: Hawkes is right, enough reading.

HAWKES: You never did tell me what frug meant.

WANG: (to Stroud) Did you like that book?

STROUD: Yes and no. John Fante is my favourite 20th century author.

WANG: Ask the Dust is one of my favourites. No one's ever heard of him.

WEST: I hate to break up the book sale but can we get to flying this thing.

VANSEN: How?

Damphousse works a hand-held computer.

DAMPHOUSSE: No wonder. This ... it's missing. Mass ratio equals empty ship plus fuel mass over ship mass, right? Okay. But then it jumps to this equation, which determines velocity increments.

HAWKES: Oh!

DAMPHOUSSE: Points B and C are missing.

McQueen takes Damphousse's hand-held.

DAMPHOUSSE: Something's been omitted.

McQUEEN: I want that little geek.

DAMPHOUSSE: Sir, those Aerotech guys are taking off about right now.

McQUEEN: I'll get him myself.

Cut to transport departure area.

SEWELL: (into a personal phone) No it's alright, sir. Military types like to do that sort of thing. ... Yes. ... No. It doesn't matter. I got everything we need. Yes, sir that ... Yes, sir that's correct. I'm on my way.

Sewell terminates the call and heads for the transport as McQueen continues to make his way there through the ship.

CREWMAN: (to Sewell) We're ready for you, sir.

Crewman and Sewell board the transport. The transport door is closed. The door between the waiting area and the loading bay is closed and locked.

CREWMAN: (in waiting area) Stand clear.

McQueen arrives in waiting area too late to stop Sewell leaving.

Cut to outside view of the transport.

FEMALE VOICE: Shuttle four-three-seven you are cleared for departure.

MALE VOICE: Shuttle four-three-seven, bravo, thank you.

The transport departs.

Cut back to the briefing room.

STROUD: Colonel, look at this.

Stroud hands McQueen a hand-held and inserts a card. It beeps at them.

McQUEEN: Sewell wiped the numbers we need to fly the bomber. We'll have to get them ourselves.

Cut to inside the alien ship.

McQUEEN: This vehicle appears to operate on several advanced propulsion concepts.

WANG: I feel like I'm being digested.

DAMPHOUSSE: Looks more to me like a bladder - a full bladder.

Wang laughs nervously. As McQueen talks, Hawkes' attention is elsewhere as he looks around.

McQUEEN: It's launched by an electromagnetic accelerator. As it travels long distances the craft appears to fly by pellet stream propulsion. It's amazingly fuel efficient. What we'll hopefully use to launch this vehicle are electromagnetic ram scoop engines. Hawkes, work with us here.

HAWKES: Oh, man, it spooged me. 'phousse, hand me that flashlight?

DAMPHOUSSE: My battery's dead.

Hawkes takes the torch with the hand that has the alien goo on it. It lights up.

HAWKES: Batteries are dead. Switch is off.

McQUEEN: West, take the light.

West does as instructed.

DAMPHOUSSE: It turned off.

McQueen touches what Hawkes has had his hands in.

McQUEEN: Now give it to me.

The light goes on again.

DAMPHOUSSE: It must be a bioelectric conducting gel.

VANSEN: Those holes are filled with it. Think a body part goes in there?

WANG: Pray it's only the arms.

WEST: If I feel anything that might be a prostate and I'm outta here. ... Oh .. oh.

West sticks his hand into a cavity. The ship starts to make noises. He removes his hand and the noise quietens. Hawkes rolls up his sleeves and tries. The noises start again.

HAWKES: Oh yeah! I can get into this. ... I wonder how you start it.

There are electrical humming noises.

McQUEEN: I think you just found the ignition.

Cut to images of the 58th learning to fly and understand the craft.

KRANTZ: It appears the enemy works together like an orchestra, to pilot the craft.

STROUD: For example, the bladder , as we call it, two people, work in unison to control thrust, yaw.

McQUEEN: We've been here five days and we're nowhere. Launch window is in ten days. You people have got to work together. Ten days.

Cut to 58th's quarters.

WANG: The craft partially operates on our bioelectrical systems which means, kinda, that when we're in there, the machines and the operator become one being. We're like parasites. You know, like how we all have these parasites in our large intestines which allows us to process ...

VANSEN: Uh! Paul.

WEST: Whatever. ... I think in a week we'll be flying this thing. Starting to feel less and less like a suicide mission.

Cut to McQueen studying paperwork. (Where?)

STROUD: Colonel McQueen? I just received an update from trajectory and orbital, in regard to the alien ship's port of origin, launch window closes much sooner that projected.

McQUEEN: How soon?

STROUD: Tomorrow morning, 07.00 hours.

The 58ths quarters.

WEST: This mission means more to McQueen than morale.

DAMPHOUSSE: He knows the precedents in military history.

VANSEN: McQueen was born with a k-bar and a ... corps tattoo.

WANG: Can you imagine if he was anything else? Like a plumber?

Wang gets off his bunk and stands, arms folded, like McQueen.

WANG: (imitating McQueen) Okay, listen up, this one's in the kitchen. I'm here to fix your faucet, so check your six. I'm going to replace this strainer part and I'm going to replace the washer. It's going to be a real knife fight. Now I'm gonna utilise a monkey wrench and perhaps even a plunger and when I'm done you'll have water. It'll be hot and it'll be cold.

McQueen enters and stands behind Wang. The other wild cards stop laughing.

WANG: And one more thing.

Wang knocks over a chair.

WANG: It's okay to be scared.

Wang laughs. When no one else does, he turns round and sees McQueen.

WANG: Sir, sir ... it's ... it's the greatest form of flattery. Sir.

Wang returns to sit on his bunk. McQueen picks up the chair.

McQUEEN: It's tough to follow a dog act. ... Mission's been changed. Launch window closes at 07.10 ... tomorrow.

HAWKES: Tomorrow? But we ...

McQUEEN: I know, we're not ready but it's on. As marines, we pride ourselves on training and preparation. I know this mission has had very little of both. I ... I know this isn't exactly the mission you signed on for. So anyone who does not show on the flight deck at 06.15 ... will not be held accountable.

McQueen checks his watch.

McQUEEN: The time will be 21.25. Ready, ready, hack.

McQueen leaves.

HAWKES: Wang, you ever surfed before?

WANG: I'm from Chicago, Coop. There aren't a lot of tasty waves on Lake Michigan.

HAWKES: I'd like to try surfing when we get back home.

Damphousse clicks her jaw.

VANSEN: Damphousse, you do it one more time, I swear, I'm going to stick my flight helmet in it.

DAMPHOUSSE: What?

VANSEN: You know. It's driving me crazy, okay?

DAMPHOUSSE: Look I have temporal mandibular joint disorder, okay, from battlestress.

WEST: Shane ... relax. Her doctor told her to do that.

VANSEN: She looks like ... Jerry Lewis.

Wang laughs.

DAMPHOUSSE: Shut up, Wang. And if you don't like it, leave.

VANSEN: Leave?

DAMPHOUSSE: Get out.

VANSEN: I'm stuck with you.

Vansen leaves.

WEST: 'phousse ... she didn't mean that. It's just, the moment.

DAMPHOUSSE: Whatever.

West gets nail clippers from his locker and starts clipping his fingernails.

DAMPHOUSSE: It's kinda an odd time to ... feel the need to be well groomed, don't you think?

WEST: McQueen gave me that book on Kamikazes, the one with the poem?

DAMPHOUSSE: Yeah.

WEST: They used to clip their nails and put them in undecorated wooden boxes for burial back home because there wouldn't be anything left.

DAMPHOUSSE: So ... you're going? ... Before now I used to think there was a chance we could come back. Before now.

WEST: We can win this war. A successful strike would make everyone believe ... again. If that's what it takes. If not us, then who?

Wang sighs. Damphousse takes the clippers. West leaves their quarters.

Cut to Ross' quarters. There's a knock at the door.

ROSS: Who's there?

McQUEEN: McQueen, sir.

ROSS: Come in.

Ross is playing his guitar as McQueen enters.

ROSS: Anyone who shows up in the morning is dead. You know that.

McQUEEN: If one doesn't show. Hell, sir, even if they all do, please, I have to go.

ROSS: After all we did to your people? Why would you give your life?

McQUEEN: I would consider it my gift to you, sir ... to have you wonder why I did.

ROSS: Who am I to tell ... any man what he should give his life for.

McQUEEN: You're the commander of this ship.

ROSS: I play this one to forget just that. Colonel, I pray your gift is one I never actually have to receive.

McQueen offers his hand. Ross gives him the pick he's been using on his guitar.

ROSS: That's like taking me with you.

McQueen leaves and Ross plays the blues.

Cut to hanger. Vansen enters, sits on the ground and watches the alien ship being worked on. Hawkes follows her in.

VANSEN: It's November 19th. Sunday back home. Sunday's this time of year, I used to lie in bed and watch the morning football game ... and then I'd go out when the light was just right. ... Golden ... autumn.

Hawkes crouches down near her.

VANSEN: I grew up in San Diego and people said that there are no change of seasons in California but there are. I can always feel it. Always there is just this cold inevitable edge and the air, the light, the colours, it's as if the Earth were letting you know that summer is gone and there's no getting it back. Winter's coming and there's nothing that you can do to escape it. A lot of people say that they fall in love in spring. Not me. ... I always fell in love in autumn. It is just the most ... romantic ... sexy ... desperate ... and I'll never see it agin. This enemy could kill every last person on Earth and there would still be autumn. ... But I'm going tomorrow morning to make sure there's always someone there to feel it. ... What?

HAWKES: I ... I don't get it ... it's ... it's like ... you, when I think about not going and I see in my mind you guys dead ... it's like I miss you. What's all that about? It's like what's the point of sitting around here feeling that way?

Vansen goes over to Hawkes and hugs him.

Cut to briefing room.

STROUD: Lieutenant.

WANG: Lieutenant. I was just thinking about ...

STROUD: Yes?

WANG: Well, if the alien craft is essentially a cognisant being. What would be your hypothesise regarding the ... well would it allow us, as intruders, to attack its point of origin? Its home?

STROUD: I don't know, lieutenant.

Stroud indicates he should sit down. Wang does.

STROUD: I'll tell you what's been bothering me. The controls operate via bioelectrics. I suppose electrical current is electrical current but ... you're not wearing that shirt again are you?

Wang nods no.

STROUD: Isn't it incredible that our bioelectrical make up could operate a life form which evolved in such a distant and so different an environment as Earth's?

WANG: I, um ... didn't come here to talk about this.

STROUD: Oh. Do you want my hypothesise on why you did come here?

WANG: It's um ... kinda the going rate for me ... to finally meet someone who ... interests me ... the night before I leave on a suicide mission.

Stroud puts her hand over his.

STROUD: I heard you didn't have to go.

Cut to 58th assembling for the mission.

McQUEEN: It's 06.15. We launch in forty five mikes. Heroes are fools. that's a determination others will make in hindsight. But by being here now we make that determination for ourselves and it's neither. Time to go. ... Wang? ... That's all right. ... It's a good day to die.

The 58th head towards the alien ship. The Saratoga's crew watch them.

McQUEEN'S VOICE: The dim glow falling upon the dried blood of union brothers in the Manassas eve, still guides our path. Constellations, hidden by fierce Pacific storms in the Bataan sky, remain obscured by rain.

CREWMAN: Good luck, guys.

McQUEEN: The stars, a billion for every life laid down in Vietnam, still shine on us and will guide those who follow.

HAWKES: What dead guy wrote that?

McQUEEN: I wrote it.

Ross joins them.

ROSS: Attention. Stand at ease.

WEST: Sir, should we not return may we ask that you attend to these remains.

West offers a matchbox full of nail clippings to Ross. At this moment Wang arrives and takes the box and puts the clippings in a box he's brought. Wang then gives the box to Ross.

WANG: This is how we go ... live or die.

McQUEEN: Let's make it happen.

VANSEN: Wang, did you wear the shirt?

WANG: No, I ... I kinda got lucky without it.

STROUD: Lieutenant, ... I got you a present. It's yours when you get back.

The 58th board the alien ship.

Cut to an outside view of the Saratoga where the alien ship will be launched from.

WEST'S VOICE: Homebase, homebase. This is King of Hearts. We're in the slot.

Cut to command centre.

ROSS: You are good to go King of Hearts. Expect vector two-three-five, five mikes after departure.

The alien ship leaves the Saratoga.

WEST'S VOICE: Roger that. Two-niner-six-niner-seven-zero in five mikes.

Cut to command centre.

ROSS: Switch frequency to three-two-three point one. Squawk is five-one-five-four.

Cut to alien ship.

WEST: Roger, five-one-five-four. See you in a few hours.

Cut to command centre.

ROSS: Godspeed, wild cards.

Cut to alien ship.

McQUEEN: Wang, man the bombardier station.

McQueen belts Wang in.

McQUEEN: All right, look alive. We're across the Von Braun line. This is behind enemy lines.

McQueen sits and belts himself in. Three alien ships approach them.

WANG: We've got bandits.

McQUEEN: They've spiked us. We are a target.

VANSEN: Lock them.

McQUEEN: No. ... It's a recognition code. Send it back.

WANG: Roger that. Sending it back. ... It worked, sir, they think we're one of them.

HAWKES: Phew.

McQUEEN: We've got a long way to fly.

Time passes.

WANG: I'm reading a satellite in our ball park.

McQUEEN: It's a sentry.

WEST: If we take the ship much closer we might as well just ring the chigs doorbell.

WANG: It'll let us pass. It worked before. ... I'm sending it the recognition code.

VANSEN: It's locked on.

McQUEEN: Return the favour.

WANG: Locked.

VANSEN: Should be send them another recognition code?

WANG: To hell with it, they're going to find out we're here sooner or later. ... This is Lieutenant Nathan West, 58th Squadron, U.S. Marine Corps, Planet Earth, open wide!

They take out the sentry in orbit. Cheering.

WEST: Get that cluster missile ready, weapons.

McQUEEN: Get us a target, pilots.

WANG: We're entering their atmosphere. We're spiked. We've got missiles off the rails. Six o'clock. Eight o'clock. Five o'clock.

As they search for a target on the planet they experience a great deal of flak from the ground.

McQUEEN: Lock on! Lock on! Hold it steady. Steady, damn it.

HAWKES: What? You want steady or a missile up our pipes?

McQUEEN: We can't lock on. Steady out.

VANSEN: We're losing her.

WANG: I've got us a target.

WEST: Lock on! Lock on!

WANG: Target is locked.

HAWKES:{Let's} smoke their Chig [asses].

WEST: Remember the Tellus colony.

WANG: Fire.

A missile is fired but lands short.

McQUEEN: Missed. We missed.

WANG: How could we miss?

McQUEEN: Break right, break right. Missiles on our six, break right.

HAWKES: Eight-fox-three, our six, closing fast.

McQUEEN: Juke damn it, juke.

HAWKES: We are juking.

DAMPHOUSSE: This ship ... it's dying.

A panel in the wall lights up.

WEST: That tile, Shane, hit it, hit it. Colonel, Wang, get up here. We've found an escape pod.

They all leave their stations and make their way to the escape pod. Just after the pod is jettisoned from the ship, the ship explodes.

Cut to the Saratoga. We see a transport coming in to land.

FEMALE VOICE: Four-three-seven starboard loading port, cleared for arrival.

MALE VOICE: Roger, thank you.

The transport lands.

Cut to the command centre.

ROSS: Report, Connor.

CONNOR: No radio contact since transmission was broken off at 11.23 hours.

ROSS: I want to see a bomber on that lidar screen, Mr. Klein.

KLEIN: I'd like nothing better, Sir.

Sewell enters the command centre.

ROSS: Mr. Connor, remove Mr. Sewell from the command centre.

SEWELL: I'm here, not only on behalf of Aerotech, but at the behest of the joint chiefs, sir.

Sewell hands over documentation to Connor.

GATES: Commodore, we have the results of a long range scan of the Cerus system.

ROSS: Any traces of that bomber debris?

GATES: Can't tell at this distance, the signal's corrupt.

ROSS: How near do you need to be to get a clear signal, Gates?

GATES: With the interference of the Butterfly nebula, we need to be within half a million M.S.K.s.

MALE VOICE: That would place our aircraft within range of Cerus.

GATES: Sir, intelligence reports the chigs have an entire division in the Cerus system.

ROSS: I can't risk 15,000 lives on the chance that six marines may be alive. ... Set a course for the Draconis system.

SEWELL: Set a course for Cerus, sir. Set a course for Cerus. You won't be disappointed. ... Sir, I know that you are aware that I know. Set a course for Cerus.

ROSS: Mr. Donne, I might be signing a pact with the devil, but set a course for the Cerus system.

Comments? Did you find this transcript useful? Please email me at swanage@rocketmail.com Any and all feedback is appreciated. Sue.