CONTENT CONTEXT: THIS SCRIPT WAS ADAPTED BASED ON ONE OF MY SHORT STORIES, PUBLISHED BY AE SCIFI, A CANADIAN MAGAZINE. THE ADAPTATION WAS SUBMITTED TO A SHORT FILM CONTEST.
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FADE IN:
INT. Generation ship cockpit — SUNRISE 1
EST. SHOT OF SHARON INSIDE HER STASIS CHAMBER, HER BODY WIRED TO A HOST OF DEVICES THAT MAINTAIN HER MODIFIED HOST BODY AS SHE TRAVELS ACROSS THE UNIVERSE
I BLINK, AND MILLENIA PASS ME BY.
CUT TO:
INT. SHARON’S POV — STARFIELD
WE SEE THE UNIVERSE AS SHARON SEES IT IN HER ENHANCED STATE: THE STARS REARRANGE THEMSELVES IN A STOP MOTION PROCESSION, PLANETS WHIZZING PAST HER.
BUT THE ACHE REMAINS.
CUT TO:
INT. apartment LIVING ROOM — AFTERNOON 2
Shot of Vicky, Sharon’s wife, handing her the divorce papers. SHARON LOOKS SERIOUS, BUT PETULANT, AS IF SHE’S ONlY PUTTING UP WITH A TANTRUM. VICKY, ON THE OTHER HAND, LOOKS AS SERIOUS AS A HEART ATTACK.
THAT’S IT? YOU’RE THROWING
TWELVE YEARS DOWN THE DRAIN?
I LOVE YOU, SHARON. BUT YOU DON’T WANT TO PUT IN THE WORK.
INTERCUT TO GENERATION SHIP COCKPIT
Sharon is still hurt, vicky’s words echoing in her mind. SHE SUDDENLY JUMPS, AS SOMETHING IN HER STIRS.
SHHH, IT’S OKAY, IT’S OKAY…
We see Sharon running her hands over her belly. Tiny forms inside her stir as if to comfort her in her time of need. she smiles and wipes away her tears.
FROM INSIDE ME, THEY COMFORT ME; THE SEEDS OF NEW HUMANITY
CUT TO:
INT. fertility CLINIC corridor — MORNING 3
VICKY is LEAVING THE fertility CLINIC, WIPING AWAY TEARS. SHE SEEMS TO BE HOLDING HERSELF TOGETHER, IF BARELY. SHARON WALKS IN, HAVING MISSED THEIR DOCTOR’S APPOINTMENT FOR THE UMPTEENTH TIME.
SHARON
I’M SORRY. HAD TO STICK AROUND FOR THE ENGINE TEST. IS THE DOCTOR…
vicky (CUTTING HER OFF)
THE DOCTOR LEFT AN HOUR AGO. THE DONOR STUCK AROUND A LITTLE LONGER. THEY WON’T BOTHER WITH US AGAIN.
SHARON
WE’LL JUST GO SOMEWHERE ELSE. PLENTY MORE FERTINITY CLINICS FOR AN ASTRONAUT AND HER WIFE.
vicky
NO, SHARON. I WON’T HAVE YOUR BABY BY MY DAMN SELF.
VICKY WALKS PAST SHARON WHO FOLLOWS HER, ONCE AGAIN LOOKING INDIGNANT, NOT HAVING QUITE LEARNED HER LESSON. OUTSIDE, IT’S BEGUN TO SNOW…
INTERCUT TO OUTER SPIRAL ARM OF MILKY WAY
THE GENERATION SHIP IS SLINGSHOTS AWAY FROM THE MILKY WAY, ITS ENGINES DRIVING IT OUT INTO THE INTERSTELLAR VOID. THE SHIP LAUNCHES ITSELF INTO THE ENDLESS, TOTAL NIGHT…
A HUNDRED MILLION YEARS LATER, I THINK OF HER. OF US, YOUNG AND STILL IN LOVE.
CUT TO:
ext. GRASSY HILL OVERLOOKING CITY — NIGHT 4
sharon and vicky are holding each other, having broken away from a passionate kiss. they’re young and in love at the start of their relationship. everything’s perfect.
YOU’RE THE ONLY THING KEEPING ME HERE.
IT’S OKAY.YOU’RE WORTH IT.
INTERCUT TO generational ship cockpit
SHARON CRIES IN THE DARKNESS, ILLUMINATED BY THE SOFT GLOW OF THE SCREENS AND HER CHILD-SEEDS, GLOWING IN HER BELLY. SLOWLY, THE PAlE BLUE LIGHT OF AN ALIEN STAR SEEPS INTO THE SHIP. SHARON LOOKS UP AT IT, HER INTENDED DESTINATION.
BY THE TIME WE’VE REACHED OUR DESTINATION, THE PAIN HAS DULLED, IF ONLY BY A LITTLE.
CUT TO:
EXT. ALIEN WORLD ENDLESS PLAIN — MORNING 5
THE GENERATION SHIP IS APPROACHING ITS DESTINATION. WE CAN SEE IT BREAKING UP AS IT ENTERS THE ATMOSPHERE, ITS PARTS TRANSFORMING TO BEING THE PROCESS OF LANDING AND COLONIZATION OF A NEW STRAIN OF HUMANITY, MILLIONS OF LIGHT YEARS AWAY FROM HOME.
IN ANOTHER TEN MILLION YEARS, I THINK I WILL BE OVER HER.
THE END