Scene 1
Seak and Ara are having a wobbly descent in a seaplane, just off the Santa Barbara coast. Ara is at the controls.
Seak: (peeking down at the twisting and bobbing ocean): Luckily, I don’t have emotions, otherwise I imagine this would be a quite fearful occasion.
Ara: Landing has never been my strong suit.
The plane makes a hard splash a couple miles off the coast. It automatically transforms its underside into a hull. They anchor and use mini-scuba jet packs to reach shore. Once ashore, they make their way up stone steps built into the cliff. They reach the park at the top.
Seak: He said he’ll find me.
Ara: I’m gonna wait up the hill and keep an eye on you. If you need help, I’ll run away.
Seak looks upset.
Ara: That was sarcasm.
Ara heads up a hill into a residential neighborhood and gets a high vantage point.
Seak sits on a park bench facing the Pacific. Within moments, a voice comes from behind.
Voice: You didn’t come alone.
Peak: Is that a problem, Jigsaw?
Jigsaw: Let’s hope not. (Jigsaw is carrying a shoebox-sized case)
They start strolling through a grass promenade.
Jigsaw: What’s in this case is going to change the world.
Peak picks up on his sensors that they are being listened to by remote devices somewhere in the park. He sends a frequency to neutralize their voice signals, but fool the recording device into thinking everything is normal. He also sends a message to Ara that they are being monitored.
Peak: We are being watched and listened to. I have neutralized the audio, but can do nothing about the visuals.
Jigsaw: Even after all the precautions I took, all the physical and digital tricks I employed (shrugs and huffs gruffly). Anyway, I’ll finish what I started. This device magnifies and reflects sunlight, run by a type of nanomirror I invented.
Peak (intrigued): This will allow for….
Jigsaw: Much deeper underwater possibilities for humans.
Peak: How did you find me?
Jigsaw: It sure wasn’t easy. I heard rumors months ago about the project you’re involved with. I had to sift through a lot of data, deep, deep, in the web, some of it the dark web and very well hidden, I might add. After a lot of hacking I found a way to reach you through your network. The project is a great concept, but it’s doomed to fail. With this, though, you might, MIGHT, have a fighting chance.
Peak: Why me?
Jigsaw (sad smile): Because I don’t trust people.
Peak: And why doomed?
Jigsaw: Look how outnumbered you are! The only reason your project is still going is cuz they don’t know you exist. When they find out, your days are numbered. But I see why your project is good and I sympathize, which is why I’m giving you a fighting chance with this technology.
Peak: You invented this?
Jigsaw: Damn right I did! Took me over twenty years to get a working prototype and then those parasite employers of mine claimed IP and shelved it! Been on the shelf for years now, those bloody control freaks.
Peak: Why didn’t you leave them and work independently?
Jigsaw: Cuz of the funding, of course! Everything here is top-down centralized. Scientists like me either work for a large institution, or we don’t work.
Peak: Perhaps you could participate in the project I’m involved with.
Jigsaw: Nope! Not a chance. I’m too old to start over.
Peak’s sensors see two men that had been using the listening devices coming at them. He messages Ara to get the transport ready.
Peak: Do not be alarmed, but we are being approached by….
Jigsaw (interrupts, frantic): Where are they?
Peak: Northeast, 100 feet.
2 neatly dressed men in sunglasses, black jackets, and black cargo pants walk briskly towards them.
Jigsaw: Run! Save yourself and my invention!
Jigsaw starts running.
Peak: Don’t run! Confront them head-on!
One of the the pursuers fires a silent shot from a small cartridge. Jigsaw collapses. They shoot at Peak, who dodges the shots. Peak sends a pulse that knocks them unconscious. They fall to the turf. Peak disarms them, then goes to pick up Jigsaw, who is unconscious but still alive. Peak bounds away with the case and Jigsaw. Within minutes, he’s back on the ship with Ara.
Ara: What the hell!?
Peak: I recommend full defensive arsenal at the ready and get us back to sea as soon as possible.
Ara: Is he alive?
Peak nods.
Peak: Two attack drones of unknown capabilities and unknown origin are closing in on us.
Ara: I’m going sub mode.
Peak: There is no time for sub conversion. Take off immediately.
Ara revs the engines and they skim off the water and into the crisp, sunshine-filled air. 2 drones pursue closely.
Peak: I’m looking for a way to neutralize them. They have sophisticated A.I. cores, for drones, anyway. You have frequency shielding up, right?
Ara: Don’t ask me amateur questions like that. Of course! And nano flex shields.
Peak: They are preparing to fire.
Ara: Fire what?
Peak: A weapon.
Ara: Damn your literal…..
A beam of pulsing light, changing colors erratically, fires from a drone and hits Ara’s ship.
Peak: They’re attempting to disable our nano shielding. I’m trying to deflect their frequency.
Ara: I’m gonna direct an EMP at ‘em.
Peak; They are EMP resistant, bulletproof, fireproof…..
Ara: Do you have any good news?
Peak: Not at the moment.
Ara: I’m gonna outrun them.
Peak: That will quickly deplete our fuel supply…..Ah! Good news. Their frequency generator has been neutralized.
The drones keep pace at Ara’s max speed of 800 mph.
Ara: Are their burner exhausts shielded?
Peak: Not that I can tell. Why?
Ara: Then that’s their weakness. I have an idea. How good is your throwing arm?
Peak: What?
Ara: Can you propel the emergency oxygen tanks from the cargo hatch down below?
Peak: Are you suggesting that…..
Ara: We improvise an explosive. I slam the brakes, pull up hard, you toss the tanks at them, and the tanks…..
Peak: Explode from the extreme exhaust heat.
Ara: Can you calculate a throw that good?
Peak (offended): Do I look like an amateur?
Peak grabs two oxygen tanks from a small storage area behind the cockpit and goes down to the cargo area.
Ara (communicating to Peak via ship’s internal comms): Ready?
Peak looks at the drones and calculates all the physical factors involved, then gives the go-ahead. Ara slams the brakes and pulls up as hard as she can. The drones can’t react fast enough to the change of speed and just as they zoom under Ara’s ship, Peak hurls the oxygen tanks down at them. One explodes in a drone exhaust flame, the other doesn’t. The explosion is enough to send both drones tumbling out of control. Ara takes advantage of this and accelerates to full speed again, putting some distance between them before the drones can recover. Peak goes back to the cockpit.
Ara: Do we have enough time to go sub mode now?
Peak: There is a 62 percent probability that we do. Please hurry.
Ara dives the plane down to the surface of the Pacific once more and makes a hasty splashdown landing. She initiates the changeover sequence from seaplane to submarine.
Peak: I’m doing everything I can to interfere with their search capabilities.
Two anxious minutes pass, and just as the drones come back into view, the ship is finished transforming into a submarine and dives quickly under the surface.
Ara: Don’t tell me those things can transform too.
Peak: No, it appears not. We appear to have avoided them.
Ara takes a deep breath and looks back at Jigsaw.
Ara: And what about him?
Scene 2
Major Ruin receives an audio-only call…..
Voice: Mr. Ruin, you recently lost some equipment in the South Pacific. A surveillance drone of yours encountered a ship with technologies not previously known to exist. We need to discuss this incident.
Major Ruin (shocked): Who is this?
Voice: We’ll be at your home in one hour. And by the way, we have the drone footage that you deleted.
Click
Episode 9 coming soon!
Thanks for your time and attention!
Just say "NO" to slavery!
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