The Hyacinth Disaster E4P1
The Hyacinth Disaster By David Carlson EPISODE 4
[as debris cracks against GRIMM's exo helmet, the signal dies] CONTROL: Grimm?! Grimm, do you copy?! BLUE: Channel's closed! CONTROL: (strikes console) Kanker! Finch! FINCH: Hey! CONTROL: Grimm might make his way to the surface if the leak was small! Get into the shuttle and get down there! FINCH: I hope he can last twenty minutes. CONTROL: Twenty? You can get there in five at the most! FINCH: I have to fuel the damn thing! CONTROL: ...Why?? FINCH: I decoupled the tanks when Blue said to make sure Dreadnought couldn't steal it from the outside.
CONTROL: (pause) That's it! Grimm's dead. Argus is dead. Ember is dead. We're all dead. And it's all my f-- GRIMM: Grimm to Con. BLUE: Grimm! CONTROL: [open GRIMM's channel] Copy! Grimm! How are you? GRIMM: I'm fine, thanks. How are you? CONTROL: We're trying to get the shuttle out to you, but it needs fuel! How much longer will your air last? GRIMM: It's fine. It was just a crack. BLUE: “Just”!? GRIMM: I pulled my sun visor down and taped up the gap. Pressure is holding. Duct tape is life. BLUE: You should use the tether. Get up here before anything catastrophic happens. CONTROL:
Again. GRIMM: Well, see that's the problem. CONTROL: What now?! BLUE: I knew it! Something catastrophed! GRIMM: The tape and visor is holding air fine, but it's not made for low-light, and I'm nowhere near the surface, sooo... BLUE: Oh. He's blind. GRIMM: Yup. Can't tell which way is up, down, or sideways in this pit. CONTROL: Even with a light? GRIMM: Well, see, it's not called a “flashlight visor”, and even out here in L4 there's a slight difference between a flashlight and the sun. BLUE: Pfft. What kinda lame flashlight do you carry? GRIMM: It's brighter than you, anyway! BLUE: (laughs, unsure whether she's amused or offended)
CONTROL: Grimm, is your exo's locator beacon working? GRIMM: Uh, sure, but that's not gonna tell me where the walls are down here. I'm currently… [short BEEPS as proximity sensor is activated] ...six klicks from the Hyacinth. Is that helpful? CONTROL: Not really. But if we can get the transponder back up, we can link with Argus. GRIMM: Ok, yeah: you're thinking we can use his exo as a proxi target? CONTROL: Exactly. GRIMM: ..I can see a few barriers, here. BLUE: In that you actually, you know, can't. CONTROL: If anyone has any ideas, I'm all ears! GRIMM: Me too. BLUE: Wait! CONTROL:
What? BLUE: Video! CONTROL: Grimm's video? BLUE: Yes! If he turns it on, we can direct him! GRIMM: (pause) This day keeps getting worse, doesn't it? CONTROL: (chuckles) Sorry, Grimm. GRIMM: Hang on. BLUE: Please let it not be broken! GRIMM: Ok, I think it's on. BLUE: I don't see anything. GRIMM: It's definitely on. CONTROL: How deep into rock did you go?
GRIMM: There wasn't much room. I'm probably not too deep for the signal. BLUE: Oh come ON! GRIMM: What? BLUE: System says we're receiving. Camera probably got smashed by whatever happened with the debrWWWHAAAAAAAt is happening?! How?! GRIMM: I figured the camera might be dirty so I wiped it off. Guess it worked. BLUE: Well I feel three levels of stupid. Ok, Grimm. You're currently facing a stone wall. GRIMM: You sure it's a wall? I'm not even certain which way I'm oriented. BLUE: Ok. You're facing a stone surface of some kind. GRIMM: ...Thanks? I know exactly where I am now. BLUE: Oh shut up, chatterbox! Reach forward and grab hold of something. GRIMM: K.
BLUE: Are your feet planted? GRIMM: Yeah. BLUE: Ok, just turn a bit at a time until I can see back into the ravine. (pause) Wait, hold it. There it is. Make your way forward a bit. We'll have to find the transponder and see what's up. GRIMM: Alright, gimme a sec. CONTROL: Finch, you there? FINCH: The whole time. CONTROL: I think you should start working on another probe, just in case. FINCH: Ok, but I could use your help, since Blue's busy. CONTROL: I copy, but I'm gonna refuel the shuttle first. Hopefully we won't need it, but I don't like it being empty. [close FINCH's channel] Blue, you good? BLUE: Ja. You go ahead.
CONTROL: (removes harness and leaves console chair) Alright, you have control. BLUE: YESSS! CONTROL: Oh boy. Keep me informed. BLUE: I'll open a channel to shuttle dispatch. [opens SHUTTLE channel] GRIMM: Hello? I'm not gonna walk into anything, am I? BLUE: Not at all. You have my full attention, Grimm. GRIMM: I'm sure, Blue. BLUE: Captain Blue, if you pleas-- GRIMM: You're not the captain! Oof! Why didn't you tell me I was about to-- BLUE: I'm “not the captain.” GRIMM:
Harharr. Fine. Where am I going, captain Blue? BLUE: Straight ahead. A few more steps. GRIMM: I hope Argus hasn't run into Dreadnought, yet... BLUE: You're back in the clear. Or as clear as it can be, considering you're in the bowels of a space rock hurtling through-- GRIMM: (clears throat loudly) BLUE: I need you to look up and to your left. (Pause) There it is! GRIMM: The relay? BLUE: Yup. GRIMM: How does it look? BLUE: It's hard to tell from here. Move closer. (Pause) Wrong way, doofus! GRIMM: It's not my fault you're terrible giving directions!
BLUE: Shhhh! Go right or I'll drop another probe on your head. And I won't take out the C4 first. GRIMM: How many steps, captain Bligh? BLUE: Blue. GRIMM: ...Blue. BLUE: Just a few more. Hold it! Ok. This is the fun part. GRIMM: I'd hate to see what your version of the scary part is. CONTROL: [heard entering the SHUTTLE through the comm] Strictly speaking, you're not seeing the fun part in the first place. BLUE: Oh hi, Con. How's the shuttle? CONTROL: I just got here. BLUE: Well hurry up. CONTROL: Yes, ma'am.
GRIMM: I hate to be a bother but... BLUE: Right. Sorry. You're almost there. Hold it. Ok. Here's the deal, yo. The transponder is right in front of you. Doesn't look like the flying debris moved it much. I need you to lean in with your camera and get a good look… GRIMM: How's that? BLUE: Can't quite...can you turn on your light? GRIMM: (pause) Done. BLUE: Awesome, thanks--wait. What's wrong with it? GRIMM: How should I know?? BLUE: It's sorta flickering. GRIMM: I've kept everything about my exo in perfect condition. BLUE: It must have been damaged during that weird debris...storm. Either way it's steady now.
Tilt down a bit. Pan left... Got it! I'll take a framegrab so you can relax for a minute. GRIMM: (sighs) I need a beer. BLUE: They're in the fridge in the break room. GRIMM: Cool, I'll just grab one, then... BLUE: Get one for me, too... Crap! I wish you weren't blind. I can't tell what I'm looking at. GRIMM: Ask Finch. She prepped the damn thing. BLUE: (sighs) Fine. [open FINCH's channel] Finch! FINCH: [picks up headset] Hey, if you're asking about the second probe, I'm still working on the transponder. BLUE: Great. I need you to look at your comm screen for a second. FINCH: (pause)
Is that the broken transponder? BLUE: Yes? I dunno if it's broken. I mean, I need an extra pair of eyes to diagnose before I tell Grimm Klutz-fingers to do anything. FINCH: Fair enough. BLUE: Off the top of my head, looks like the antenna was hit. It could be disconnected. FINCH: Sure. The power source is probably still good. Doesn't look like there are any major punctures. And, obviously, the power light is still on. BLUE: Yup. Good. FINCH: Did he try turning it off and back on again? BLUE: Heheh... FINCH: I'd say the best we can do is work the antenna back into place and hope that's all that needs fixing. Otherwise we'll have to launch this next probe. And that makes me nervous. BLUE: You and me both. Uh...thanks. FINCH: No problem.
[close FINCH's channel, taps GRIMM's channel switch] BLUE: Blue to Grimm. GRIMM: You never closed the channel. BLUE: Oh... GRIMM: So what can Grimm Klutz-fingers do for you today? BLUE: It seems our best bet is to try fixing the antenna. GRIMM: Yes. I heard you. Just tell me what to do. BLUE: Well. Oh boy. OK. First, turn off the relay. GRIMM: Where? BLUE: Right. Drop to your knees. GRIMM: ...Is that really necessary? BLUE: (strikes console) Kneel before the relay, peasant!
GRIMM: We're all gonna die, aren't we? And this is gonna be recorded on the black box for everyone to... Now what? BLUE: Hold out your left hand. Now point a finger. Not that finger, jerk. There. Ok, reach forward...that's the relay. The switch is about six centimeters below your finger. GRIMM: There? BLUE: Yup. GRIMM: Ok...uh...Turned it off. Now what? BLUE: Feel your way to the top and-- GRIMM: Blue, these are gloves designed for mining asteroids! I can't “feel” anything! BLUE: Fine. Move your right hand out about 20 centimeters above your left. That's the antenna. GRIMM: Yup. BLUE:
I need you to get it closer to the camera. Hopefully it's just disconnected and not… Yes! Just knocked loose. Ok: push at the base of the antenna. It should click back into place. GRIMM: If this go wrong, I'd like to apologize to whatever poor fool who has to listen to this on the blackbox. I'd've hoped my last hours weren't nearly as boring as all this. BLUE: True. It'd be more exciting if you were disarming a bomb or something. GRIMM: uh...I take back that apology. And if someone is listening to this: I hope you're bored to tears, you psychopathic sadist!! BLUE: It's back in place! Now switch it on. GRIMM: Got it? BLUE: Standby. Scanning... Crap. I knew it was worse than that. GRIMM: What's wrong? BLUE: [open SHUTTLE channel] Con? CONTROL: Shuttle's just about fueled. I'm gonna head over to help Finch.
BLUE: No. Get up here. CONTROL: What's up? BLUE: The frequency scanner isn't working. Get up here and find the numbers on the guys. I can't make heads or tails of your system. CONTROL: Argus is at 1760.021, and Dreadnought is at 1174.661. BLUE: Thanks. Tuning into Argus...now. [electric BEEPS as scanner activates] GRIMM: Anything? BLUE: Sorry, Grimm. I'll patch you in. [open ARGUS' channel] Blue to Exo 7? Argus? (pause) Come in, Argus? GRIMM: Come on. CONTROL: Try Dreadnought. GRIMM: We should keep our efforts on Argus.
Or at least contact them separately. CONTROL: Fine. I'll be up in a second, Blue. Keep trying Argus. BLUE: [close SHUTTLE channel] I'm not even sure the receiver's working. ARGUS: ...moving into another cavern now, I dunno. I can't make heads or tails of any of this stuff. GRIMM: What was that? Argus? BLUE: I didn't do anything. Blue to Argus? ARGUS: I'll keep trying every few minutes. I think this is my...eighth attempt. I still have a couple hours of air, I'm looking for Dreadnought, I'm gonna keep going. I'm only a few dozen meters from the crevasse and Grimm I think, as a drill would have it. I dunno, these damn tunnels are twisting everywhere. BLUE: Confirmed. We're locking on to your exo, Argus. Grimm is going to find you. GRIMM: Wha...I thought he was gonna rescue me? I can't se-- ARGUS: If you guys are picking this up, I still have no response, I'll try again soon. [ARGUS' channel closes]
BLUE: What? GRIMM: He can't hear us. He's transmitting in the blind. BLUE: We're picking him up fine. GRIMM: Well, yeah. But there could be something wrong with the relay getting to him. Or even something wrong with his receiver. Remember these exos are dinosaurs. CONTROL: [enters bridge] BLUE: I'm gonna break something. CONTROL: Not in my ship!
