Ghost Signals, Episode 3: Part 1.3
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EXT. SEPARATE SECTION OF TA-CONTROLLED SPACE- Millions of Metros Away
The A-5 coming out of the Z moments later, settling into a steady position; the portal behind it quickly closing behind the ship. The only sound we hear at this point is of someone blowing their chunks into some type of container.
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INT. HALLWAY, ATHENA-5- Continuous
Raiven lifting her head out of a rectangular waste receptacle located a short distance from the command center. She lays onto the wall and slowly slides to the floor as a green flame emerges from the base of it.
RAIVEN That was...something I'm not doing again. But it worked (barely), so... (woozy, to Steggy) How goes it? We...outta range of the Cruiser or the Attackers?
STEGGY (from the speakers) Comfortably, Doc. Their Z engines aren't as studly as ours are. The Cruiser got a solid whomping too. Paired with the scramblers on our ship, we should be fine.
RAIVEN (weak smile) Nifty! All we need now is--
Her train of thought is interrupted when her stomach growls again, proning the good Doctor to turn back around and vomit some more into the receptacle.
STEGGY Yeeps! Haven't you ever been on a ship strapped with Z, Doc?
RAIVEN (woozy) Course I have, and... (clears her throat) It all ends the same way.
STEGGY (sudden realization) Oh, you have the Whoabahs-!
RAIVEN (nods, getting back to her feet) Yep yep...
STEGGY (seeking clarification) And yet you went into a job that would entail, at least once in your career, being in a ship and going through Z multiple times...
RAIVEN (on her feet, defensively) There's no misery I wouldn't go through happily in the name of science. I'd learned to balance things out nicely.
STEGGY The Consortium know about this? (Raiven is silently coy) Figged as much. 'Cause if they did, you'd be teaching Biogen to the brats at Pre-Uni right now.
The good Doctor is stony faced at the line, slowly walking back in the direction of the command center. You can see a sense of awkward apprehension on her face at how close the AI had gotten to the truth there, though she doesn't want to admit it.
RAIVEN (sighs) I've wanted to be a Scientist since I was a inbin. I knew that I wanted to explore the cosmos beyond the smog of the Capitol like the great Dr. Dee Floowa. Just as I got to Pre- Uni though, I got diagnosed with Whoabas.
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A shot of a teenage Raiven in a medical room, listening to her PP (Primary Physician) reading off a clipboard. All the while, adult Raiven is narrating the situation in full.
RAIVEN (Cont., V.O.) My PP told me the closest I'd ever get in the sciences was through Education. Which, given the fact that I'm not a fan of being in a room with offspring, was... unacceptable to me.
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A series of shots taking place during different times in Dr. O'Ozahl's life, showing her taking different remedies for her ailment at different locations. Each one described by her at the same time.
RAIVEN (Cont., V.O.) I spent rohtlas taking every kind of remedy that had even the slightest shot of success. Some herbal, some spiritual, and some... that were a bit of both. Some of the remedies worked for a little while. But eventually...
At the end of the montage of shots, 4 rohtlas later, Raiven looks at a prescription bottle the size of a soda can from her bedroom. There's a dejected look of defeat on her face as she, a second later, tosses it into a garbage can at the end of the room.
RAIVEN (Cont., V.O.) They failed miserably!
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INT. COMMAND CENTER, ATHENA-5- Present
A close-up on Raiven's face, at the end of her story, slowly walking along the side of the command center; the sight of electronic screens and machinery behind her in the background, moving from left to right.
RAIVEN After that, I gave up and came to terms with my jagged brain and fragile digestion. I focused on my studies, hoping both would settle by the time I got a shot at this kinda life.
STEGGY (appearing in holographic form next to captain's chair) I'm not passing judgment on what, ya did, Doc. Fooling the Three and the Consortium all this long is an impressive feat.
RAIVEN Thanks...
STEGGY (pause) On a separate note, we're about a few minuyats away from the Borderlands.
The little bit of news suddenly snaps the good Doctor from her state of melancholy into one of sudden panic.
RAIVEN A few min--?! Oh...flarrkk!
STEGGY (as Raiven paces side-to-side) Sweat not, dudo! We'll be fine. Border brownies aren't the brightest in the bett'n room. All you gotta do is keep the story squared up and...hope the SkyForce's criminal database is fritzy.