EPISODE 10: WHEN DID YOU LAST EXPERIENCE FEAR (1) EPISODIO 10: ¿CUÁNDO EXPERIMENTÓ MIEDO POR ÚLTIMA VEZ? EPISODE 10 : QUAND AVEZ-VOUS EU PEUR POUR LA DERNIÈRE FOIS (1) EPISODIO 10: QUAND'È STATA L'ULTIMA ESPERIENZA DI PAURA (1) EPISÓDIO 10: QUANDO É QUE SENTIU MEDO PELA ÚLTIMA VEZ (1) ЭПИЗОД 10: КОГДА ВЫ В ПОСЛЕДНИЙ РАЗ ИСПЫТЫВАЛИ СТРАХ (1)

**INTRO**

**X:** If fear is the mind-killer, what is it that gives your mind __life?__

It's Girl In Space.

[[SFX: INTRO MUSIC, 1:10]]

**PROLOGUE**

[[SFX: Tape recorder click.]]

**X as a child, played back over a tape recorder:** [[Whispered, child's voice.]] I woke up. I woke up and I wasn't in my bed. I was in the glasshouse, and Mommy was crying, which was scary because she never cries. She was digging under the big maple tree and crying, and I wanted to go to her and tell her it's okay, but… I was scared. So I stayed quiet and hid.

But I don't think I hid very well because Daddy found me, and scooped me up and carried me back to bed. I asked him what was making Mommy sad, and he said Mommy was making herself sad, which didn't make sense.

Daddy tucked me in and kissed my forehead and told me to go back to sleep, and I could tell that he was sad, too. He told me not to get up again until morning, no matter what. Then he left.

And I didn't hear Mommy crying anymore.

Now I'm… [[Gasp, quiet, breathing.]]

[[SFX: Door opens.]]

[[SFX: Footsteps approach.]]

**Singh:** [[Gently.]] Go to sleep now, Little Bird. There'll be plenty to record in the morning.

[[SFX: Tape recorder button cuts off halfway through “morning”.]]

[[SFX: Transition.]]

**SCENE 1**

[[SFX: Cavatica, Dash core.]]

**X:** So… what is it you really want? You didn't radio me just to tell me things we both already know.

[[SFX: Soft double-beep from the Councillor's side of the radio.]] Council Member 1: [[Smiles thinly.]] You're right. It's a distraction.

**X:** What?

**Chen:** ...Crap.

[[SFX: Loud thud. X's tape recorder clatters to the ground.]]

**Chen:** X? … X! Talk to me!

**Frost:** [[Drily.]] She's unconscious, genius.

[[SFX: Gun charging, stage right.]]

**Frost:** She patch you up?

**Chen:** Yeah.

**Frost:** Nice. Usually, when I give people a fighting chance, they don't fight so well. Any last words?

**Chen:** You don't have to do this.

**Frost:** Unfortunately, I do. Nothing personal, brother.

[[SFX: Rumbling as the Cavatica tilts, breaking, accompanied by a deep sound.]]

[[SFX: Gun blast goes wide, hitting a console. Rubble falls.]]

**Frost:** [[Shouts, startled, as the ground shakes.]] Aaah!

**Chen:** [[Grunts/hisses with pain, but manages to stay atop the gurney.]] Aaah!

[[SFX: The rumbling dissipates.]]

**Frost:** [[Alarmed.]] What was that? !

**Chen:** [[Alarmed.]] I don't know! This thing's been falling apart since before we arrived!

**Frost:** That wasn't just the ship falling apart. That was an impact.

[[SFX: Deep sound.]]

**Chen:** [[Disbelieving.]] Are they… Is the Enforcer One firing on us?

**Frost:** [[Shakes head, confident.]] They wouldn't fire on us. Not with me on board.

**Chen:** [[Drily.]] Must be nice.

**Frost:** Mmm. As scintillating as this conversation is… [[SFX: Gun charging.]] I've got a schedule to keep. [[Sighs, perhaps rolls eyes.]] What. What are you going to do with that IV stand? Ward off my gun blasts?

**Chen:** [[Shrugs.]] You never know.

**Frost:** I admire your tenacity, brother.

[[SFX: Gun blast. Chen's body slumps against the gurney.]]

**Frost:** …But sometimes you just gotta know when you're beat. [[Turns, stoops to pick up X. Grunts slightly with the effort.]] All right, little lady. Let's get you back to the --

[[SFX: Rumbling as the Cavatica tilts and further breaks. Deep sound.]]

**Frost:** What is that? -- What in the...?! [[Perplexed.]] It's… [[Disbelieving sound, perhaps a chuckle.]] That's not possible. I --

[[SFX: Loud explosion; recording is abruptly cut off.]]

[[SFX: Transition.]]

**SCENE 2**

[[SFX: Cavatica, Dash core.]]

**X:** [[Wakes up slowly.]] Mmmgh. Chen? [[Beat, then worried.]] Chen? !

**Chen:** [[Weakly, struggles to make his voice heard.]] I'm here. [[He coughs, sputtering blood.]]

**X:** [[Crawls over to him.]] Oh my gosh. You're --

**Chen:** [[Not fine.]] I'm fine, X. I'll be fine.

**X:** You're not -- you're not fine! This is not what “fine” looks like! [[Her voice trembles.]] How… [[Takes a deep, centering breath.]] Okay. I can help you. The wound's cauterized, but we need to stop the internal bleeding.

**Chen:** [[Shakes his head.]] X… I'm okay. It's okay. This is my job. This is what I do.

**X:** [[Upset.]] It's a crappy job and you shouldn't have to!

**Chen:** I __want__ to.

**X:** [[Bordering on hysterical.]] Well, too bad! You're not gonna… You're not going to die! I don't want you to! I won't let you! [[Beat.]] …Hm. Think we could put your brain into Kai's chassis?

**Chen:** I'm… just gonna flat-out say “no” to that one.

**X:** [[Exasperated.]] There are no bad ideas when you're brainstorming! [[Desperate, though trying to remain calm.]] Okay. [[Deep breath.]] I re-attached my dad's arm once. We live in an age of space travel. We have false gravity. We have frickin' Charlotte, for crying out loud. Nothing is impossible. Come on… That stupid Fixer pulled through, and she was like a billion years old. You're young and strong and healthy, so there's no reason why you can't, too. [[Pauses, grimaces.]] Ugh. I just found your…

[[SFX: Rustling.]]

**Chen:** What, are you gonna… ?

[[SFX: Wet thump.]]

**Chen:** Uh. Ooookay. I guess… yep. This is happening. You just dumped my severed arm right in my lap… I'm just… gonna… [[Passes out.]]

**X:** [[Soothing.]] It's all right. Rest up, buddy. We're going to make everything okay again. [[Almost threatening tone.]] I'm not gonna let you give up and die.

[[SFX: Rubble shifts, stage right.]]

**Frost:** [[Coughs, badly injured.]] It's what he wants.

**X:** I didn't ask you. [[Slowly; vaguely unhinged.]] And oh! Heyyy. Are you the one who did this to Chen?

**Frost:** Yeah. [[Coughs, wheezes, then defiantly:]] Go on, then. Kill me. I'm not afraid to die.

**X:** …What is up with everyone and death?! Why would I kill you?! I'm not going to kill you! None of you are going to die! [[Glares.]] At least, not until you answer my questions.

**Frost:** [[Amused, despite pain.]] Are you threatening me?

**X:** Yeah. Be scared. Also, tell me what happened.

**Frost:** You understand I blew Chen's arm off, right? And that he is most likely going to die? [[Pause.]] Just curious. You don't seem too broken up about it.

**X:** Oh, don't worry. I'm angry. But I know better than to act on it and do something stupid. Now. What happened after you knocked me out? Why is the dash core such a wreck? Why are you buried underneath all that rubble?

**Frost:** [[Disbelieving chuckle.]] Ship got __grabbed__.

**X:** Grabbed? By what?

**Frost:** The star! Out there. [[Momentary silence.]] It… it reached out, like… an arm of fire or something? And… moved the Cavatica? [[Sinks into disbelieving laughter.]]

**X:** [[Unfazed.]] Ra. Yeah.

**Frost:** …The star. __Reached out__.

**X:** [[Plainly.]] Yes.

**Frost:** The red dwarf star. You don't… [[Beat.]] You believe me?

**X:** [[Plainly.]] Yes.

**Frost:** [[Freaks out, finally.]] What's going on?! Why do you believe me? Why are we having this… freaky tea party conversation? Is there anyone… __normal__ around I can talk to? !

**X:** [[Plainly.]] Not likely. I'm not normal. Ra's not normal. There's very little normal about this particular point in space and time. [[Sighs.]] I know you're just doing what the Councillor told you to do… You're just doing your job. I get that now. And Ra's just doing his job. And I'm just here to do mine. [[Deep breath.]] Sit tight. I'll send someone to start digging you out. [[Mutters.]] Eventually.

**Frost:** I don't…

**X:** I know. You don't understand. How about this: you try to move or dig yourself out, or come after any of my crew… and Ra will “reach out” to you again. But this time, he'll melt through that tempered crystal and you'll burn and freeze simultaneously, your blood boiling and your eyeballs shattering, all while getting pumped full of so much radiation you'll turn into a giant tumor and then disintegrate on a cellular level.

**Frost:** [[Coldly, back in familiar territory.]] I'm not afraid to die.

**X:** I know -- you said that already. I just wanted to give you fair warning.

[[SFX: X begins to clear away the rubble around the wheels of Chen's gurney.]]

**Frost:** What are you doing?

**X:** [[Sighs, as though it's obvious.]] I'm clearing out the rubble so I can get Chen to the glasshouse. Then I'm going to fix him. Then, I'm going to fix you. Then, I'm going to fix the Cavatica and this giant flipping mess we're all in. Okay?

**Frost:** … You're crazy.

**X:** [[Softly, without humor.]] Yeah.

[[SFX: X leaves, pushing the gurney.]]

[[SFX: Transition.]]

**SCENE 3**

[[SFX: Cavatica, Glasshouse.]]

**X:** [[Wearily, beyond exhausted.]] Day… 10,320, hour… 23:06. Status update. [[Pause.]] Uhhh. I got Chen to the glasshouse, which… [[Sighs in defeated exhaustion.]] Well, more on that later. For now, I'll just say that the… ship-quake affected more than just the dash core. Chen is… well, he's resting for now. He went into hypovolemic shock, though we finally got his IV all set up, so he should be okay again soon. Maybe.

Thankfully, Dani was here with Charlotte, working on Kai, when the ship got knocked off-kilter, and -- again, thankfully -- they were both uninjured and able to help me treat Chen.

Speaking of which… We did the best we could -- and I do have some experience with limb reattachment, but… we'll see.

Otherwise, Charlotte's back to working on Kai, and Dani…

**Dani:** [[Steps in.]] Dani is here to make sure you get some rest.

**X:** Hey. Did you sedate… ?

**Dani:** [[Firmly.]] Yes. Assistant Frost is sedated. Again. [[Exasperated exhale.]] And your head is bleeding. Again. Here. Give me that. [[She takes X's recorder.]]

[[SFX: Tape recorder click.]]

[[SFX: Transition.]]

**SCENE 4**

[[SFX: Cavatica, Glasshouse.]]

**X:** [[Voice sounds clear and awake again.]] Whoo. Day 10,321, hour 12:32. Apparently I needed some rest. Again. [[SFX: Attempts to sit up.]] Aaaaagh. My head. It's… ohhh. That's blood. [[Vaguely puzzled.]] There's blood in my eyes?

**Dani:** [[Hurries over.]] Oh my gosh! Go lie back down right now! You have bled through those bandages, like, four times and I am so tired of changing them!

**X:** Oh. [[Blinks, taking everything in.]] Where's Chen? Is he… ?

**Dani:** He's okay, yeah. He was conscious for a few minutes earlier -- his fluid levels are back to normal -- and said something about spiders before passing out? [[Hurriedly amends.]] Not, like, unconscious passing out -- like, passing out asleep. The okay kind.

**X:** [[Smiles slightly.]] Good. And… what's the assistant's name? Frost?

**Dani:** I take immeasurable joy in sedating them every four hours or so.

**X:** And how are you? Has anyone checked in with you?

**Dani:** [[Considers.]] I'm… good. I like knowing I can help you guys out.

**X:** You are so fantastic. Thank you so much. [[Considers.]] Oh man, this should totally earn you your doctorate!

**Dani:** [[Beat.]] I… don't think it works like that.

**X:** Honorary doctorate?

**Dani:** Get some rest. [[Pause.]] I'm gonna go check on Charlotte. She zoomed off to the engine room pod wit Kai's chassis a couple minutes ago for some strange and unknown reason. Promise me you'll lie down?

**X:** Mmmyep.

**Dani:** Okay. Sleep well.

[[SFX: Footsteps as Dani skitters off. Door opens and closes in distance.]]

**X:** Okay. We're all okay. -Ish. [[Sighs, looks around.]] The glasshouse pod, though… it's… grim. Everything's broken. [[Beat.]] Well, not everything -- none of the crystalline structure is cracked or broken, or else we'd have been dead hours ago.

But there are tree branches down everywhere, and roots are exposed, and the pathways are buried in mud and leaves… and the aviary's door is off its hinges, which means we'll be playing “52 bird species pickup” later… [[Dismayed.]] Oh.

[[SFX: Walks several steps, through grass.]]

**X:** Your roses. I'm… oh. I'm so sorry, Dad.

[[SFX: Walks several more steps, through grass.]]

**X:** Oh! And the swing's down. [[Inspects it.]] Well, at least that we can fix -- [[Stops short.]] Wait. What's… ?

[[SFX: Slow footsteps through grass, one at a time.]]

**X:** Huh. Some of the maple tree's roots got exposed, too, but I don't… [[Frowns, confused.]] Oh. Well. That's just… [[Beat.]] Wait. I thought that was just a dream? [[Pause, reassures self.]] It was definitely a dream. She was crying, and you kissed my forehead and told me to go back to bed… Right? I didn't see anything. [[Laughs nervously.]] That's just a big round white rock, probably. Which is really hard to say, by the way. Big round white rock. Big round white rock. Big round white rock.