Episode One: Crossover. Part One

Episode One

　

“Crossover”

By

Stephen J Fennell

1. BLACK SCREEN.

　

DAVE

(V.O.)

Why am I not surprised?

　

MURRAY

(V.O.)

I don’t know what you mean.

　

DAVE

(V.O.)

The portal, or absence thereof.

　

MURRAY

(V.O.)

Mmmmmmmm?

　

DAVE

(V.O.)

Oh now you stop talking?! Typical. 2 years, hours and hours of pure research, having to listen to your oversized ego inflate all the time, having to work in this hellhole and of course no stinking crossover portal.

　

Absolutely typical.

　

　

　

　

　

　

TWO MEN stand with pallet trucks outside a warehouse DOCKING BAY. It is night. One is tall and muscular with a ponytail. This is ARTURUS CASTUS SVEN “BLOODHELM” AGRICOLA a.k.a DAVE. He is lent against as the other man CALEB MURRAY, a short but muscular man in his late twenties. MURRAY is using a small device like a MOBILE PHONE or HANDHELD COMPUTER.

　

MURRAY

Well…

　

　

　

　

　

DAVE

Yes?

　

MURRAY

Well as I may have said once or twice before. This is not an exact science, they were only preliminary calculations and I told you not to get too excited.

　

　

　

DAVE

Yes, only your exact words were, “No problems, DAVE. I am after all a certified genius”.

　

　

MURRAY

A certified genius involved in complex preliminary calculations.

　

DAVE

Two years worth of calculations!

　

MURRAY

Physics takes time.

　

DAVE starts to move towards DAVE in a threatening manner

　

DAVE

Two years. Two years being stuck on this godforsaken rock with its obsession with soap operas and reality tv. And just for one second, I dared to believe you would actually get it right.

　

　

MURRAY

Well I wouldn’t say I got it wrong, exactly.

　

　

DAVE

What would you say?

　

　

MURRAY

Something involving a word other than wrong.

As you know I’m never wrong.

　

DAVE

(calmly)

I’m going to kill you.

　
　
DAVE starts to advance on MURRAY. MURRAY doesn’t move looking completely unconcerned.

　

MURRAY

That’s sensible, seeing as I’m the only person who can work this out.

If I’m dead how exactly are you going to get home?

　

　

DAVE stops moving.
　

MURRAY

Exactly.

So if we can stop the unnecessary hotheadedness for a second. And let me think. That would be absolutely wonderful.

Okay, I have no idea. The calculations look right. The rift should have appeared in front of us, 5 minutes ago.

　

　

DAVE

Absolutely typical. When we find the rift, you are dead.

But right now we need to get back to work.

　

MURRAY

Indeed, back to the mind numbing boredom.

　

　

　

MURRAY and DAVE start to walk towards the warehouse dock door. The door opens automatically. And into2. INT. WAREHOUSE. NIGHT. They walk into the WAREHOUSE. A SPEAR is jutting out of a wall in FRONT OF THEM. The NOISE of SCREAMING AND SHOUTING can be heard. MURRAY and DAVE stop in front of the SPEAR.
　

MURRAY

Okay so I was 50 metres out. And can I add as we actually found it today and was mostly right, therefore exempt from your lethal threat.

　

DAVE

You wish. But that can wait. That’s an Obsidian Guard spear.

　

MURRAY

And there goes the neighbourhood. And my life apparently.

　

　

THEY walk Out. Of. Shot.
　

MURRAY

(O.O.S)

Why am I not surprised?

　3. INT. FOOD FACTORY. NIGHT.
The CAMERA pans across the MAIN HALL of the FOOD FACTORY. Explosions erupt everywhere. SCREAMS can be heard. LASER BLASTS, MACHINERY FALLS FROM ABOVE. SMOKE RISES from THE FACTORY FLOOR. NOONE can be seen. THE ROOM resembles a WARZONE which is of course what it is.
　
The CAMERA rushes down a TUNNEL towards DAVE and MURRAY. HANDHELD STYLE. They are RUNNING TOWARDS the CAMERA. They reach the END of the TUNNEL and DUCK BEHIND SOME PALLETS.

DAVE

They’re everywhere.

　

　

MURRAY

Yet again, your grasp of the obvious astounds me. But you’re right. They do seem to have us overrun. And I can’t get a signal through to anyone let alone the PROJECT. They must be jamming us.

　

　

DAVE

Agreed. Their first priority during a Spearhead incursion will be to jam all signals and we’re cut off from the locker room and our weapons.

　

　

THEY DUCK DOWN LOWER as a FIGURE walks in FRONT of the CAMERA. HE WEARS what appears to be ARMOUR from the EARLY MIDDLE AGES with TECHNOLOGY ATTACHED to it. HE looks AROUND and then walks off.

　

MURRAY

Well, we need to get there.

All I’ve got is my palmtop.

And my penknife.

What about you?

　

　

　
DAVE pulls a HUGE KNIFE out of SOMEWHERE.
　
　

MURRAY

And you need more weapons?

DAVE

I enjoy having the choice.

　

　

　

MURRAY

I enjoy being able to choose between a Big Mac and a Mcchicken sandwich. That’s choice. What you’re talking about is just eclectic sadism.

　

DAVE

An axe kills quicker than a knife.

　

MURRAY

Can’t argue with that.

　

　

　
They move from behind the PALLETS and start to run between MACHINES. As they go beneath one machine, a FIGURE throws himself on MURRAY from A GANTRY ABOVE. This is CASPAR OLIVER. A SKINNY PALE MAN in his EARLY 20s.
　

MURRAY

What the hell!

　

　

CASPAR

Dave, Cal, you’re still alive. I thought you were dead for certain. They came out of nowhere. Stabbing and Slicing, there were lasers as well. Cal, what the hell’s going on.

　

MURRAY

How should I know?

Do I look like someone who would know.

(pauses)

　

Ignoring the overly large knife Dave is carrying.

Do I look like someone who would know?

　

CASPAR points at MURRAY’S PALMTOP.

　

CASPAR

Your palmtop. it’s a prototype. Not been released yet. Its about two years ahead of any commercial companies product.

But WIRED magazine reckons that some top secret military laboratory has been developing those for use in black ops.

So, it’s just a guess you might know more than other people.

　

　

　

MURRAY

The factory has become the site of an inter dimensional incursion by a hostile force of technologically advanced knights from another dimension. Understand?

　

　

CASPAR

Okay, shouldn’t we be leaving then.

　

　

MURRAY

No, we’ve got to contain the situation and get a signal out.

　

THEY WALK through A DOOR into 　4. INT. LOCKER ROOM. NIGHT.
DAVE ENTERS FIRST, his KNIFE in front of him. He looks around, giving a TACTICAL ASSESSMENT.
　

　

DAVE

Clear!

　

　

MURRAY pushes CASPAR through the DOOR.
　

CASPAR

Ow! Don’t push. You guys are so serious. Honestly, why can’t we just leave. Everyone’s got to be dead. You’re are what, Black Ops guys? We just leave, you must have explosives, semtex or c4 or whatever. We blow the factory that’ll stop the inter dimensional incursion.

　

　
MURRAY and DAVE exchange a look.
　

　

　

DAVE

Is he going to shut up anytime soon?

　

MURRAY

Who knows?

Look. You’re into computers right? Done a little hacking in your time. Gone a little further than World Of Warcraft, right?

　

　

CASPAR

Don’t patrionise me. You’re? what? a military man?

　

　

MURRAY

I’m a theoretical physicist. With an intellect you couldn’t imagine. You couldn’t comprehend the things that go through my head in the time it takes you to blink.

There, is that patronising enough?

　

CASPAR

Oh right, so only Caleb’s allowed to be clever.

I understand.

　

DAVE pulls a GIANT AXE out of his locker.
　

　

DAVE

Cal, Shut him up or I will.

　

CASPAR

Is that an axe? Who the heck are you guys?

　

MURRAY

We’re scary guys, that’s all you need to know.

Look, You know computers right?

Give me a straight answer without the side order of wisecracks

They’re jamming us, I need you to hack through their code so we can call in the cavalry, then we can get out of here.

　
　
CASPAR takes the PALMTOP from MURRAY.
　

CASPAR

I can try, I don’t know what codes they’ll be using but I can try. If its from another dimension they not even use the same mathematical base as us.

　

MURRAY

I’m well aware of that.

Just do what you can.

　

CASPAR

I’ve noticed that my opinion isn’t getting a traction at all.

Am I the only person who thinks it’s a good idea to leave.

　

　
DAVE gives MURRAY a LARGE METAL STAFF. They turn and look at CASPAR.
　

CASPAR

That would be a no, right?

Great! Just lovely.

　

　

MURRAY

There could still be people alive in there.

And we need accurate intelligence.

　

CASPAR

You think?

　

DAVE

You’re still alive aren’t you.

　

CASPAR

What’s that supposed to mean?

　

MURRAY

Means there could be others.

　

CASPAR

And we have to rescue them?

Can’t I stay here?

Or better yet, leave, have I mentioned the leaving thing?

　

　

MURRAY

You could stay here. But then you’d probably die.

　

CASPAR

I’ll take my chances.

　

DAVE walks towards CASPAR and LIFTS HIM UP WITH ONE HAND.
　

DAVE

I know these warriors. They live for death, thrive on torture, the screams of the weak are music to their ears. And they will feast upon you.

　

CASPAR

Great, search and rescue then?

　
DAVE puts him down.
　
　

MURRAY

(aside)

Don’t you think that was a bit much?

　

DAVE

(aside)

Got him moving didn’t it.

　

　
DAVE walks out DRAGGING CASPAR with him.

　

CASPAR

(Out of Shot)

That’s a dead body. Again can we rethink this whole idea.

I am allergic to violence.

No Dave,

I’m sure your axe is very sharp and no I don’t want to feel it.

　

　

MURRAY

It is going to be a very long day.5. INT. MOBILE COMMAND CENTRE. NIGHT.　
　
The room is DARK and SHADOWY. A MAN, JACKSON, AN AUSTRALIAN with TATTOOS, sits working AT a COMPUTER. The room is full of COMPUTERS AND TECHNOLOGY which quietly HUMS AWAY. A NOTICE BOARD AT the BACK of the room holds A WORLD MAP and a STRANGE LOOKING CHART. At the LEFT of the ROOM is a DARTBOARD. A FIGURE HALF IN SHADOW is THROWING KNIVES at the DARTBOARD.
　
Heavy Rock Music plays over the scene.
　
An ALARM sounds.
　
The figure stops throwing knifes.
　

　

FIGURE

What is it?

　
　
JACKSON STARTS MOVING BETWEEN COMPUTERS

　

　

JACKSON

Woah, sensors are going nuts.

Massive energy spike, neutrinos are going through the roof,

All elementary particles are being affected. This is big.

　

FIGURE

Incursion?

　

　

JACKSON

That’s an affirmative.

And if I’ve reading this readout right, a big one.

　

　

FIGURE

Location?

JACKSON

Somewhere in the North of England.

Can’t pinpoint the exact source.

But it looks like Murray was right.

　

　

FIGURE

Yeah he’ll be insufferable.

　

　

　

JACKSON

And what’s the betting him and Dave are already there.

　

FIGURE

Probably have been for a while.

And they’ll already be making friends with the natives,

Let’s move.

　

JACKSON

Okay, not a problem.

　
ACTIVATES COMLINK.
　

JACKSON

Hotshot, you warmed up?

Hotshot!

　6. INT. COCKPIT. MOBILE COMMAND CENTRE. NIGHT.
　
HOTSHOT, a SLIM AMERICAN MAN in his early TWENTIES wearing A FLIGHT SUIT, LOUNGES BACK in his PILOTS SEAT.
He is TALKING on a MOBILE PHONE. THE COCKPIT is small and COZY with a another EMPTY SEAT next to HOTSHOT.
　

HOTSHOT

Darling, Babe, What can I do, I’ve got to work, a pilot’s work is never done. You know that.

　

Honey I can’t tell you where I am, that’s classified.

I wish I could.

　

　
A COMLINK crackles on

　

JACKSON

(OVER COMLINK)

Hotshot!

Hotshot!

　

　

HOTSHOT

Excuse me for a second, sweetcakes.

　
　
PUTS HIS HAND OVER THE MOBILE.
　

HOTSHOT

Jackson, I’m a little bit busy here.

　

JACKSON

Your business is finished.

Time to get back to work

　

　

HOTSHOT

Now you can’t just expect me to hangup.

　

JACKSON

You don’t hangup, I’ll send the signal from your mobile phone straight to the three other girls you got dangling at the moment

Along with your biographical data.

Including that kid your mothers looking after at the moment.

　

MOVE!

　

HOTSHOT JERKS backwards, pulling his feet off the DASHBOARD. And starts SWITCHING BUTTONS ON.
　

HOTSHOT

Look baby girl, I’m going to have catch you later.

A man’s duty is never done.

Got to engage in some death defying heroics.

　

　

　
7. EFFECTS SHOT
A QUIET FOREST is suddenly disturbed BY THE MOBILE. COMMAND. CENTRE. (MDC) TAKING OFF. It looks like a combination of a CHINNOOK STYLE HELICOPTER and THE BLACKBIRD from the XMEN. It rises out of a CLEARING and takes off into the starry night.
　

HOTSHOT

(VOICE OVER)

No its not another woman babe,

You’re the only one.

　

JACKSON

(V.O.)

HOTSHOT!

　

　

　

　

　

　

8. INT. UN SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND. NIGHT.
　
CAPTION: UN SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND
New York
22:13 Eastern Standard Time
03:13 Greenwich Mean Time
　
COMPUTERS SIT on DESKS in ROWS similar in style to NASA MISSION CONTROL. OPERATORS sit at each.
　
An ALARM goes off.
　
　
One of the OPERATORS suddenly JUMPS UP. He TAPS a couple of times at his computer. And RUSHES TO A PRINTER. He COLLECTS a DOCUMENT that is PRINTING.
　
He RUNS down a corridor and up some stairs.
　
He BURSTS through a pair of DOUBLE DOORS.
　
　
He STOPS in front of a SECRETARY at a DESK
　
　

OPERATOR

I need to speak to him.

　

　

SECRETARY

So do a lot of people, what do you think gives you precedence over them?

　
She points to a row of UNCOMFORTABLE LOOKING HIGHER RANKED ARMY OFFICERS squeezed onto a SOFA against the wall.
　
The OPERATOR places the DOCUMENT in front of HER.
　

OPERATOR

Betsy.

　

　

SECRETARY

Your sister is also no more important than anyone else.

　

　

OPERATOR

Obviously not that Betsy.

Betsy, the codename for the BIFROST projects’ Mobile Command Centre.

　

　

SECRETARY

Oh that Betsy

　

OPERATOR

Her Transponder just went online.

So did those on most of the members of the original projects expeditionary team.

　

We’ve got GPS hits popping up all over the place.

　

　
She presses the INTERCOM on her desk before he even FINISHES SPEAKING.
　

SECRETARY

Mr Browning.

We’ve found BIFROST.

　

The door opens and BROWNING walks out quickly. He is a MAN in HIS EARLY FIFTIES with a MILITARY BEARING but DRESSED AS A CIVILIAN.

　
HE IGNORES the ARMY OFFICERS and WALKS straight to the OPERATOR.

BROWNING

What are we looking at?

　
He takes the piece of paper from The OPERATOR
Behind him we can see the SECRETARY trying to placate THE ARMY OFFICERS.
As they talk they RETRACE the OPERATORS route to the “Mission Control” room.
　
　

OPERATOR

Betsy’s transponder winked on about five minutes ago, sir, Location somewhere in central Europe.

　

But they’re on the move. Sub dermal transponders for nearly all of the original expeditionary team have also come online.

　

　

BROWNING

All, who are we missing?

　

　
The OPERATOR stops walking and LEANS against a WALL.
　

OPERATOR

Units Codenamed Heimdall and Berserker.

Murray and Dave, sir.

　

BROWNING

It would be wouldn’t it.

And the sudden reappearance of their compadres signals without corresponding action from their own transponders can’t be a coincidence.

　

OPERATOR

My thoughts exactly, sir.

He gives BROWNING another document.

　

BROWNING

What’s this?

　

　

OPERATOR

You remember we had a rumour from MI5 that Murray and Dave had disappeared somewhere in the North of England about six months ago.

　

BROWNING

Yes?

　

　

　

OPERATOR

This a feed from the CIAs satellite with the new energy detection equipment we developed.

　

It’s the same general area where those two lunatics dropped off the map.

　

And half an hour ago, the area started producing some very strange energy readings.

　

I’ve only seen readings like this once.

　

The day we discovered the Crossover portal.

　

　

　

BROWNING

And that’s where you think our two absentees are?

　

　

OPERATOR

Decent guess.

Betsy’s moving straight for them.

　

　

　

BROWNING starts to walk off.
　

OPERATOR

Should we send reinforcements?

　

BROWNING

What’s the point, they’ll have wiped the floor with any force sent through way before we got there.

And they’ll only be showing off, patronising and cocky.

　

No, we hang fire. Wait till we receive a signal from them and then send in troops to contain the scene.

　

　

　

　

And then me and you will have good sit-down with the lot of them but especially Murray and Dave. And we will see just how smart Colonel Murray is when he’s reminded off the punishment for skipping out on an attempted murder inquiry, palming a UN operational vehicle and putting me in a cranky mood for six months.

　

OPERATOR

(sarcastically)

I can hardly wait.9. INT. FOOD FACTORY. NIGHT.The ROOM is now QUIET. With merely the sound of BURNING and the FEET of the ENEMY SOLDIERS. A YOUNG GIRL is thrown down along with a GROUP of OTHER GIRLS GUARDED, The GIRLS HOLD ONTO HER and WHIMPER.
　
One MECHKNIGHT, Guilliame de Morte, holds a MAN up by his THROAT.

　

MECHKNIGHT

What is the name of this installation?

Who is the Lord of this Land?

　

Answer me Weakling, or I will fry the answer from your bones.

　
At this, his glove starts to GLOW which BRINGS PAIN to the YOUNG MAN.
　
　
BEHIND him we see a door OFF in the DISTANCE open. The CAMERA zooms in. MURRAY, CASPAR AND DAVE creep out and quickly find safety behind BROKEN MACHINERY. They look OUT OCCASIONALLY.
　

MURRAY

Got a group of captives in the centre of the room,

All the guards seem to be in one place.

　

DAVE

They’re bound to have sentries posted though.

It appears there were survivors after all.

　

CASPAR

They’re all women.

　

MURRAY

There’s one man, looks like he’s being interrogated.

But as for the women, they’ll try and take them back with them.

　

CASPAR

What for?

　

MURRAY

Prostitution and slavery mostly, if they’re lucky they might get to be some rich kids wet nurse. If…

How are you coming with that palmtop.

　

CASPAR

I’ve just finished.

　

You want me to broadcast?

　

MURRAY

Not yet.

　

DAVE

They’ll detect the signal immediately, we need to be in a better position so that we can attack the moment the signals sent.

　

CASPAR

Us?

　

MURRAY

Three heads are better than one

　

DAVE hands CASPAR a GUN.
　

DAVE

You’ll be fine, just make sure you don’t shoot yourself in the leg.

　

　

MURRAY

Dave? The guy doing the not so subtle torture and interrogation, he look familiar to you?

　

DAVE TAKES A LOOK. And STARTS TO SHARPEN HIS AXE.
　

MURRAY

Are my eyes playing tricks on me?

　

DAVE

Hell, no, its De Morte.

　

　

MURRAY

That’s what I was afraid off.

So waiting for a better position.

Not on the table anymore right?

　

　

DAVE

You can wait for a better position.

I have a debt to repay.

　

　

MURRAY

Somehow that’s what I knew you’d say.

　

　
DAVE starts to move off.

CASPAR

Where’s he going

　

MURRAY

To have a quiet word with that tall Mechknight in the fetching red cloak.

　

CASPAR

What?

　

MURRAY

What can I say, they have a history.

You better send that signal now.

　

CASPAR

What sort of history,

MURRAY

Not exactly sure,

But the guys name means Death, so I somehow doubt Dave fell out with him over an unpaid bar tab.

　

　

CASPAR

Great, Great, I’m going to have to die because some guy has issues with someone who looks like a refugee from Comicon.

He PINCHES himself.
　

CASPAR

No definitely not dreaming.

　

MURRAY

Send it!.

　

　
CASPAR sends the TRANSMISSION. A LIGHT flashes on a KNIGHTS armour. DAVE chops another KNIGHT down with his axe.

DAVE

(Shouted)

De Morte!

　

DAVE walks out into the OPEN, some DISTANCE from DE MORTE.
　

DE MORTE

Bloodhelm

　

DAVE

(Shouted)

Your time has come!

　
　

DE MORTE

A threat means nothing if you can’t back it up.

　
HIS GUARDS move TOWARDS DAVE.

　
MURRAY knocks another KNIGHT out with his STAFF. And takes his place next to DAVE.

　

MURRAY

I thought the threat was a tad melodramatic but on the whole well thought out. And he looks just annoyed enough to take all these guys on his own.

　

Except that one.

　

POINTS to the KNIGHT HE KNOCKED OUT.

MURRAY

I did that one.

　

DE MORTE

Caleb Murray!

I thought you would have resigned in disgrace after the events last time we met.

　

　

MURRAY

And I thought you would have given up your need to torture people. But what can I say its obviously an addiction. Just remember you got to work the programme. One day at a time.

　

DE MORTE

Patronising to the last.

　

MURRAY

What can I say, it’s a gift.

DE MORTE

Destroy them.

　

They are OUTNUMBERED 10 TO ONE as the GUARDS advance on them.
　

MURRAY

You want to take the ten on the right, I’ll take the ten on the left?

　
DAVE starts swinging his AXE.

　

MURRAY

Good point, less talking, more butchery.

　

He starts fighting.