Lost In Space (1998)

LOST IN SPACE -

by

Akiva Goldsman

CHAPTER 1: Earth 2058 -

FADE IN ON:

EXT.-SPACE

PULL BACK slowly as MARS fills THE FRAME, a sphere of red desert and fast rushing crimson clouds.

A triangular CARGO SHIP descends from the dark of space.

PILOT (OVER)

Mars mining base, this is Grissom One, Request final descent vector.

REVERSE ANGLE

EXT.-MARS

A row of giant red mountains and beneath, on the planet's surface, the spires of A MINING BASE. Illuminated landing crosshairs alight a landing pad, beckoning the ship.

CONTROLLER (OVER)

Roger, Grissom One, this is Mars Mining, You are cleared to land. Hope you got some Partagas in that rust bucket, Sal.

EXT.-EDGE OF SPACE

THE CARGO SHIP changes attitude, landing thrusters FIRING as the vessel begins to penetrate the atmosphere.

PILOT

I brought you the most amazing...

Amazing, what, we'll never know. The CARGO SHIP begins to EXPLODE, the bubble bridge BLOWING out into space in a ball of fire.

EXT.- MARS

LOW ANGLE from the planet's surface-. Two shapes BLAST through FRAME, BUBBLE FIGHTERS, single pilot, transparent globes, racing up towards the sudden star of the cargo ship at impossible speed.

INT.-BUBBLE FIGHTER

POV of the burning Cargo Ship, coming towards us incredibly fast. Speed, trajectory and tactical readouts flash.

EXT.-CARGO SHIP

The pulse lasers are still hammering the ravaged hull.

WIDER

Two sinister ATTACK SHIPS, their lasers locked onto the Cargo Ship, FIRE away as they BLAST overhead. The nuclear core of the Cargo Ship overloads, the craft finally EXPLODING in a storm of fire.

A BUBBLE FIGHTER ROARS through the hurling world of flame. PUSH IN.

INT.-BUBBLE FIGHTER

A lone FIGURE stands in a gyroscopic harness, working a heads-up holographic display, command controls spinning 360 degrees with the pilot's Comas the fighter SCREAMS after the fleeing raider.

The harness spins, the pilot coming clearly into view. Handsome, intense, reckless eyes. MAJOR DON WEST.

WEST

Sino-Jordanian Raiders. They're 		claiming the cargo ship violated their air-space.

INT.-SECOND BUBBLE FIGHTER

Another pilot (JEB WALKER) commands an identical craft, ROCKETING towards the assault craft just below West's.

JEB

This cold war's heating up. Where did they come from?

INT.-WEST'S BUBBLE FIGHTER

WEST

Hell. And we're going to send them back screaming.

West activates his targeting computer.

WEST

Last one to kill a bad guy buys the beer.

TARGETING DISPLAY-CLOSE. The fleeing Attack Ship jogs in and out of the crosshairs on West's holographic array. West fires.

EXT.-SPACE

The Attack Ship SHOOTS straight up, dodging West's laser BLASTS.

INT.-WEST'S BUBBLE FIGHTER

West closes on the fleeing craft, as Jeb engages the other Attack Ship, lasers FIRING in the b.g., visible through the transparent surface of the bubble glass under West's feet.

WEST

What's that sound? must be the fat lady warming up.

EXT.-SPACE

The fleeing Attack Ship loops in mid-space, reversing direction, heading straight towards West's Bubble Fighter. A game of chicken.

INT.-WEST'S BUBBLE FIGHTER

West doesn't flinch. Bears down, FIRING madly, the two space ships heading straight for each other.

WEST

That's right. Come on, come on, you wanna play, I wanna play.

EXT.-SPACE

The two ships are ROCKETING towards each other, locked in collision vectors, lasers FIRING wildly.

INT.-WEST'S FIGHTER

WEST

I can hear her. Oh, yes, oh yes. She's gonna sing.

TARGETING:DISPLAY-CLOSE. The Attack Ship flashes, captured in the targeting hatchmarks. The display expands into a tactical grid.

COMPUTER

Target lock.

EXT.-SPACE

Imminent collision.

INT.-WEST'S FIGHTER

The hull of the Attack Ship fills his bubble glass.

WEST

The lights are dimming. The curtain's coming down. Sing you fat, old bag, sing!

West hits the firing stud.

EXT.-DEEP SPACE

West's pulse lasers converge on the Attack Ship barely meters ahead, the ROARING craft EXPLODING directly before him.

INT.-WEST'S BUBBLE FIGHTER

(OVER) WEST SCREAMS as he shoots through the sudden conflagration of flame and debris, everywhere and then gone, giving way to the blackness of space and the starfield beyond.

WEST

Show's over.

Below, the second Attack Ship ROARS past, lasers FIRING, locked in a pinwheel battle with Jeb's Bubble Fighter.

EXT.-SPACE

JEB'S BUBBLE FIGHTER banks, avoiding the high energy volley. Almost. A laser BURST grazes his Bubble Fighter, the surface of his craft sparking, suddenly scored with flames.

INT.-JEB'S CRAFT

The Attack ship is right behind him.

JEB

Weapons are off line. Jettisoning main drive core.

EXT.-SPACE

The thruster core of Jeb's Bubble Fighter BLOWS off in a bolus of flame, soaring back into the pursuit craft. The Raider EXPLODES.

INT.-JEB'S CRAFT

Controls are sparking. Displays flicker. (OVER) An ALARM sounds.

COMPUTER

Warning. Failure in redundant drive systems.

JEB-POV. The surface of Mars is rushing up fast.

COMPUTER

Impact on in 90 seconds.

JEB

Mars Control. ..

EXT.-SPACE

Jeb's ship is barreling toward the planet.

JEB (OVER)

. . .this is Ranger One.

INT.-WEST'S FIGHTER

JEB (ON RADIO)

...Engines will not respond. Require assistance. Repeat...

BASE (ON RADIO)

Ranger One this is Grissom Base. Rescue craft have been dispatched.

EXT.- MARS MINING COLONY

Three small rescue craft race skyward.

INT.-JEB'S CRAFT

COMPUTER

Impact in 60 seconds.

Mars fills the view screen.

INT.-WEST'S CRAFT

The rescue craft are speeding toward Jeb's fighter below.

WEST

Grissom, this is Eagle One. Those Pugs Will never reach him in time.

BASE (ON RADIO)

Eagle one clear this frequency and return to base.

DON takes a beat. Then he spins his chair towards Mars, begins working the controls.

WEST

This is Eagle One. I'm going after him.

BASE (OVER)

Negative Eagle one, your craft is not equipped

West hits his thrusters.

EXT.-SPACE

West's craft dives toward Jeb's ship and Mars below.

INT.-JEB'S FIGHTER

Mars is coming up fast.

COMPUTER

Impact in 30 seconds.

WEST (OVER)

Jeb, do you have navigational thrusters?

JEB

Don?

WEST (OVER)

It's a yes or no question.

Mars fills the windscreen. Jeb checks his status display.

JEB

Marginal. But in the green.

COMPUTER

Impact in 15 seconds.

WEST (OVER)

Head towards the canals.

JEB

What are you doing?

WEST (OVER)

Saving your ass. Read towards the canals. Now!

The canal streaked face of the Mars is all Jeb can see. He grabs his throttle, engages his navigational thrusters and pulls.

EXT.-JEB'S SHIP

A tiny directional thruster FIRES, angling Jeb's craft so that it scrapes the surface of Mars and dives into a giant canal, rocky walls rushing up fast.

INT.-WEST'S SHIP

West is accelerating toward Jeb.

BASE (OVER)

Major West, your ship is not equipped for rescue. You are not authorized to jeopardize this asset. That is a direct order. Acknowledge!

West slams a switch, deactivating his radio.

WEST

Never liked that station, anyway.

He BLASTS into the canal, walls rushing up on either side of him.

EXT.-MARTIAN CANAL

Jeb's tiny craft is plunging toward the rocky crater floor below.

Overhead West's fighter appears, under full thrusters, roaring towards the crater floor faster and at a sharper angle.

INT.-3EB'S FIGHTER

The canal floor is rushing up fast.

COMPUTER

Impact in five seconds.

INT.-WEST'S FIGHTER

Don is blasting toward the canal floor, almost as if trying to beat Jeb's ship to a fiery impact below.

COMPUTER

Warning. Proximity alert.

WEST

Jeb, I'm going to give you a little kiss. Don't take it the wrong way.

EXT.-MARTIAN CANAL

West angles his ship directly under Jeb.

INT.-JEB'S FIGHTER

The expanding surface of Mars, visible beneath his feet, is suddenly obscured by Don's fighter, swooping under his ship.

JEB

Don, abort. Abort.

INT.-WEST'S FIGHTER

Jeb's fighter is visible overhead.

West going up. Don angles the throttle.

EXT.-MARTIAN CANAL

Don's ship, sandwiched between the surface of Mars and Jeb's fighter, angles up and, like a cue ball hitting it's target, Knocks Jeb's ship spinning toward the safety of space beyond. West's ship actually scrapes the surface of the planet, sending up a plume of Martian dust.

INT.-WEST'S FIGHTER

JEB (OVER)

Does this mean we're going steady?

West pulls his throttle all the way back.

EXT.-MARTIAN CANAL

West shoots up and out towards the dark of space.

WEST (OVER)

You weren't getting out of buying those beers that easy.

The rescue craft converge on Jeb's ship as Don heads for base.

CUT TO:

CHAPTER 2: Mission Objectives -

IMAGES-CLOSE. A Sallow field. (OVER) a heroic, stringy anthem.

VO

Imagine an end to world hunger. What if ample food and clean drinking water were the birthright of all our planet's children?

INSERT IMAGE-A dashing hero, wind in his hair. JOHN ROBINSON.

VO

This man, professor John Robinson, inventor of the faster than light hyperdrive can make that timeless dream a reality.

INSERT IMAGES -Airbrushed faces of a perfect family. THE ROBINSONS.

VO

John Robinson and his family have been extensively trained to take a ten year journey across the galaxy in the world's most advanced spacecraft, The Jupiter.

INSERT IMAGE-A towering launch dome glints in the morning sun.

VO

From a distant world, the Robinsons, Will bring back a miracle...

INSERT IMAGE-A satellite photo of a planet. Closer on continental patches, enhanced to show deposits of a diamond like powder.

VO

Dimondium can turn even worthless sand to fertile soil. Earth WILL be a garden. What kind of - future can our children look forward to?

INSERT IMAGES - Sun dappled, swaying wheat. (OVER) Music crescendos.

V0

A future without hunger. A future without suffering. Heaven on Earth.

INSERT CORPORATE LOGO.-A Coke bottle hurling towards the stars.

V0

This mission sponsored by the US Army and the Coca-Cola corporation.

PULL BACK TO REVEAL

WILL ROBINSON (10) hides in a small space, watching the commercial on a jury-rigged, palm-sized computer. He mimics the Naylrator.

WILL Coke. Saving the world for our children.

(a beat)

Give me a hi-test break.

WILL-POV. Spying through the open slats of his biding place into...

INT:-LIVING ROOM-AFTERNOON

Basic twenty first century modern. MAUREEN ROBINSON stands, talking with a PRINCIPAL who in less than happy.

PRINCIPAL

He hacked our main power grid to run his experiment. The school was in chaos. We didn't even have lights.

The room lights suddenly dim. The Principal flickers, revealed as a holograph, her head now sitting on Schwartzenegger body.

Maureen LAUGHS, then realizes the Principal has no idea her image is being distorted. Maureen begins moving about the room, surreptitiously glancing behind couches, into cabinets.

PRINCIPAL (OVER)

This is no laughing matter, Mrs. Robinson. Will is terribly gifted. His little time machines, though pure fancy, are the products of a truly brilliant mind.

The Principal's body has become Twiggy's. Now that of an ape. Maureen pulls open a closet. Will sits inside. Grins.

WILL

The changing shape of education.

MAUREEN

No more monkey business.

Will shrugs, adjusts his deck. The Principal returns to normal.

PRINCIPAL

The boy is starved for attention. Was there no way his father could have attended the science fair?

EXT.-HOUSTON - DAY

Probably Austin and Dallas too. Texas has become a giant urban sprawl spreading into Mexico and beyond. Immense industrial air purifiers hang in a dark, wet sky.

EXT.-HOUSTON SPACE COMMAND-ESTABLISHING

A giant dome topped pedestal towers ever the skyline.

INT.-SPACE COMMAND-MISSION CONTROL-DAY

A MAN stands before a large viewscreen facing the throng of PRESS.

He's a little uncomfortable with all the media attention. This is PROFESSOR JOHN ROBINSON.

JOHN

Once we have landed on Alpha Prime our on board robot will begin construction of a hypergate.

ON SCREEN a hi-tech orbital gate is highlighted and expanded.

JOHN

By then, technicians here on Earth will have completed a companion hypergate in our planet's orbit.

ON SCREEN an image of an orbital gate now under construction.

JOHN

Once both gates are complete, ships will be able to pass instantaneously between them. The Jupiter can bring the Dimondium back to Earth without the ten year delay of a return trip.

REPORTER

Why can't you just use the Jupiter's		hyperengine to zap straight to Alpha Prime?

JOHN

As you know, hyperspace exists beneath normal space. If you try to enter hyperspace without a gate

ON SCREEN a graphic spaceship appears randomly in the corner of a turning schematic of the galaxy.

JOHN

Your exit vector is random. There's no telling where you'd come out.

REPORTER

Professor, how is Captain Daniels recovering from the flu? Will we still be able to pilot the mission?

John glances to the doorway where a uniformed GENERAL stands.

GENERAL

Ladies and Gentlemen, you came to get a look at the Jupiter One. Don't you think you've waited long enough?

John hits a button and the room darkens. A giant monitor reveals...

INT.-LAUNCH DOME

A giant saucer sits connected to its launch pad by loading belts, steaming fuel tubes and spindled gantries.

REPORTER (OVER)

Professor, how does your family feel about leaving the Earth behind....

JOHN (OVER)

They couldn't be more excited.

CHAPTER 3: Goodbye! ---

EXT.-ROBINSON HOUSE-ESTABLISHING

A suburban colonial, the launch dome towering in the distance.

PENNY (OVER)

This whole mission sucks!

INT.-ROBINSON HOME HALLWAY-SUNSET

PENNY ROBINSON (14) furious, turns, looks downstairs at Maureen.

PENNY

I Don't want to stay home for dinner. I want to see my friends for the last time.

She takes a beat, blinking away the tears. Lifts her wrist and turns on a video camera watch. She begins down the hall.

VIDEO-POV. Penny's face in the monitor screen.

PENNY

... On the eve before she is torn from her friends, kidnapped, hurled into deep space against her will, what thoughts fill the mind of the young Space Captive....

INT.-WILL'S ROOM-SUNSET

Penny enters a strewn, boy' a world. Will is trying to select items to place in a single packing canister marked: PERSONAL CARGO.

WILL

Will there be boys on Alpha Centuri? What will I wear?

PENNY

When we wake up in ten years the video journals of Penny Robinson, Space Captive, will be devoured by millions. I will be world famous. You on the other hand, will have been totally forgotten.

Penny shows the camera her arm, covered by strings of ribbons.

PENNY

The Space Captive has decided to wear ribbons of support for fellow sufferers as she is dragged into deep space, green for the ecological issues, white for human rights

WILL

You'd probably gag if I described the secondary infections loss of circulation can cause.

Penny seems about to speak, instead just smiles, goes to his bed and pulls off the sheets, begins knotting them together.

WILL

What are you grinning at?

PENNY

I just found an upside to this mission. The thought of jettisoning your body into deep space.

Penny knots the sheets into a rope, ties it to the bed-post. Will lifts several palm-sized gold-plated stars. Each reads: 1st prize.

WILL

Dad says Don't bring them. Like anything I do matters to him.

PENNY

He never showed, huh?

WILL

Maybe if I had actually broken the time barrier he would have paid attention.

PENNY

Don't let him get to you, kiddo. He just gets busy with work is all.

Penny tosses the rope out the window, prepares to climb.

WILL

So, that's a no to family dinner?

PENNY

Let's see, do I spend my last night on		Earth watching Mom and Dad pretend not to be fighting again or get in ten years of making-out at the mall ... you do the math.

WILL

Mom's gonna go thermal.

PENNY

What's she gonna do. Ground me?

CHAPTER 4: Major West -

INT.-SPACE COMMAND-CORRIDOR

John and the General walk the metal passageway.

JOHN

We're lucky they didn't press on Daniels, condition.

GENERAL

I figured a chance to look at the ship would keep the dogs at bay.

JOHN

Ben, I'm worried about jamming in a replacement pilot at the last second. My family' a on this mission. I need someone who's more than just spit and polish.

GENERAL

I've got your man. He just doesn't know it yet.

The General palms an access panel. A door hisses open to reveal...

INT.-SPACE COMMAND- CONFERENCE ROOM-CONTINUOUS

A figure stands staring silently out the window. Don West. He offers a salute. By his eyes, West is clearly agitated.

GENERAL

At ease, Major.

WEST

Sir, why was I pulled off active duty? I salvaged my craft and Jeb's. I'll fight a court martial, General.

GENERAL

Do you know Professor Robinson?

WEST

By reputation only.

(to John)

Your father's battle strategies were required reading at the Academy.

GENERAL

How much do you know about the Jupiter Mission, Major?

WEST

The Jupiter is fully automated. The pilot flies the ship out of the solar system and lands on Alpha Prime. It's a baby sitting job, sir.

GENERAL

Major, you are aware Earth's resources are severely limited.

WEST

Every schoolchild knows our recycling technologies will save the environment. Sending a family across the galaxy is a publicity stunt to sell soda to people of all ages.

GENERAL

What I am about to tell you is classified. Every schoolchild has been lied to. The recycling technologies have failed. In 		less than two decades Earth will be unable to support human life.

GENERAL

We spun the ad campaign to give the mission a friendly face, keep people from panicking in the streets. We		partnered with Coke because the 900 billion this mission cost would have bankrupted the government. The SinoJordanian Alliance knows the truth as well as we do. They hope to reach Alpha Prime first - And if they do, I guarantee you, they will not share the Dimondium with Western Demons like us. our crops will wither. We will be left to die.

WEST

...Captain Daniels doesn't have the flu, does he sir?

GENERAL

Daniels was murdered in his apartment last night. The flu story is a cover we fed the press.

WEST

Dan was a good pilot. A good man.

GENERAL

Your rescue stunt over Mars was foolhardy. Explain yourself, Major.

WEST

I had a friend in trouble.

GENERAL

You endangered a one billion dollar spacecraft, disobeyed a direct order because of a friend?

WEST

Yes sir. And I'd do it again. Sir.

JOHN

He'll do.

(stepping forward)

GENERAL

Congratulations Major, you're the new pilot of the Jupiter mission.

CHAPTER 5: Dr. Smith

EXT.-DESERT-DAY

Sun beats hard on a MAN who stands on a windswept sand dune, talking to a smartly dressed BUSINESSMAN.

MAN

Perhaps a brief jaunt down memory lane is required. I was contracted to provide Daniels, apartment code. My work is done.

BUSINESSMAN

They found a replacement pilot, the mission is going ahead on schedule.

MAN

How tragic. For you.

BUSINESSMAN

We require more direct intervention.

MAN

I see. Well, that will cost you. And, I'm afraid my price has just become ... astronomical.

(OVER) a KNOCK. The man reaches forward and presses a button. The businessman, the desert disappear, only holographs.

Room lights.

Lights come up to reveal...

INT.-MISSION CONTROL-MEDICAL LABS

The man turns, revealing a face as clever an his eyes are evil. This is DR. ZACHARY SMITH. He walks to the door, palms a panel, and the portal hiss open. A TECHNICIAN ENTERS.

TECHNICIAN

Control hasn't received the results of your final pre-flight exams, Doctor Smith.

The Doctor moves to a circular overhead light board around which are displayed the faces of the crew of the Jupiter craft. Removes the micro-files, hands them to the technician.

SMITH

The Robinsons are checked out at one hundred percent. They are in perfect condition and ready to fly.

He smiles, so sweet you can barely see the malevolence behind it.

SMITH

Wish them good luck for me.

CHAPTER 6: Welcome Aboard! --

INT.-SPACE COMMAND-WALKING

Three small figures walk through a gantry towards the ship.

GENERAL (OVER)

The mission protocols are simple. Professor Robinson is in command unless you encounter a military emergency. In that case, Major West, you will assume command.

The figures have come to the saucer entry-port.

JOHN (OVER)

Welcome aboard, Major.

INT.-JUPITER BRIDGE - CONTINUOUS

Don, John, and the General ENTER. Don's eyes widen.

West looks like somebody sprung for the full extras package on this baby.

REVERSE ANGLE

Hi-tech heaven. Two pilots, chairs face a giant windscreen. Don walks to the consoles that stretch toward the back walls.

JOHN

Some of this technology might be new to you. I'll be happy to explain.

WEST

(off the com)

Cold fusion drive

(off the size consoles)

Rambler-Krey Life Sciences stations.

Don strides to a pedestal in the center of the bridge. Flicks a switch and a holographic Jupiter craft appears on the launch pad.

WEST

Holographic navigational interface.

Don points to a row of man-sized glass cylinders on the back wall.

WEST

Cryosleep array. Fully monitored.

He approaches the blast doors that lead off the back of the bridge.

WEST

Sick bay, remote Ops, engineering and living quarters are below decks. Hyperengine should be in here.

Don hits a wall panel which opens to reveal an immense ENGINE ROOM.

JOHN

If you have to baby sit, it's not such a bad nursery, wouldn't you agree, Major?

Just then the ELEVATOR rises from the lower decks. On its circular platform stands a DOCTOR in a lab coat. She walks to the General.

DOCTOR

The cryosleep systems are running at ninety five percent.

GENERAL

Doctor Smith approved the specs-

DOCTOR

Doctor Smith is base physician. I am		responsible once this ship is in flight. These tubes have to keep the crew in suspended animation for ten years. They will be perfect or this ship will not launch. Is that clear?

GENERAL

Absolutely, Doctor.

JOHN

Judy, I'd like you to meet Major West. He's taking Mike's place.

DOCTOR

He's heavier than Mike. We'll have to re-calibrate.

WEST

I'd be more than happy to discuss my dimensions perhaps over dinner?

DOCTOR

West - I've read about you. Something of a war hero, aren't you?

WEST

(preening )

Well, yes, actually.

DOCTOR

Those who can't think, fight.

(a freezing smile)

Well, nice to have met you.

She heads toward the readouts. West turns to John.

WEST

That's one cold fish I'd love to thaw.

JUDY

(turning)

I'm not going to make it home for dinner, Dad.

West turns to John. Dad?

WEST

It's going to be a long flight.

EXT.-ROBINSON HOME-NIGHT

Lights burn in the windows.

INT.-ROBINSON HOME-DINING ROOM-NIGHT

John ENTERS to find the remains of an elegant dinner on the table, candles never lit, food never eaten.

John crosses to a small scale model sitting on the table. Around it hangs another gold plated 1st prize star. He smiles.

MAUREEN (OVER)

He won first prize again. He		practically brought down his entire school. But he won first prize.

Maureen descends the steps in a bathrobe. Joins John.

JOHN

A non-working prototype for his time machine. Sharp stuff for a midget.

Maureen is silent.

JOHN

I'm sorry about dinner. I had to work late. The new pilot-.

MAUREEN

What you had to do was prioritize your family over the mission

JOHN

Maureen. This mission is about our family. So we can stay together

MAUREEN

The perfect nuclear family. The most stable social unit, ideally suited for the isolation of a long journey into space. It's all just PR, John. You're never home. Judy is becoming a ghost just like you. Penny can't see past her own navel and Will has to black out-his school, just to get his father's attention. The perfect nuclear family in ruin.

John stares at his wife. Then he reaches forward, touches her hair.

JOHN

I know, Maureen. I'm scared too.

A beat. Then she moves to him. And he holds her close.

INT.-ROBINSON HOME-WILL'S ROOM-NIGHT

John stands in the yellow wedge of hall light. He touches something hanging around his own neck. A pair of metal dog tags.

WIDER

Will lies in his bed, eyes closed. Asleep. A beat. John turns, heading out into the hall.

EXT.-ROBINSON HOME-NIGHT

The bedroom lights go out, a normal home against the backdrop of the launch dome towering in the distance.

INT.-SPACE COMMAND-LAUNCH DOME-NIGHT

The Jupiter one stands amidst loading gantries, final supplies rolling into the ship on automated conveyer belts and lifts.

CHAPTER 7: Primary Directives -

PAN DOWN

TWO TECHNICIANS stand checking off supplies on a lightpad.

LOADING TECHNICIAN

Anything else?

LOADING TECHNICIAN #2

I'm showing a late shipment from Mission Medical. Smith's authorization. Here it is now.

HOLD on a canister that reads: BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS: Do Not Open, as it passes on the loading belt. FOLLOW THE DRUM as it winds along the conveyer, up a gantry towards the Jupiter One. PUSH IN...

INT. -CARGO DRUM

Smith sits crouched inside, cleaning his nails.

INT.-JUPITER ONE-LOWER DECKS

A giant robot stands attached to its service bay. Still. Silent.

A SERVICE DRAWER slides open and a shadowy infiltrator emerges, his face visible in the dim service light. Smith.

Smith approaches the docked Robot, places a small keypad device on the Robot's dormant CPU panel. Smith activates the device.

SMITH

You'll forgive me if I forgo the kiss, my sleeping behemoth.

Smith hits a switch on the panel and the Robot's system indicators light into life. Smith types several keys on the keypad.

SMITH

But the time has come to awake.

ROBOT

Robot is on-line. Reviewing primary directives. One, preserve the Robinson Family. Two, Maintain ship systems. Three

SMITH

Spare me the chatter.

Smith taps the keypad. The Robot is silenced. Smith types again.

SMITH

What noble charges my steely centurion. Sadly I fear you have far more dire deeds in store for you.

Smith completes his re-programming. Hits a switch.

ROBOT

Robot is on-line. Reviewing primary directives. Two hours into mission destroy Robinson family. Destroy all systems.

Smith smiles. Removes the re-programming module.

SMITH

Now that's more like it. Farewell my tin-plated pal. Give my regards to oblivion.

Smith climbs into a chute marked WASTE DISPOSAL.

INT.-WASTE DISPOSAL CHUTE

Smith begins crawling down the chute. His tiny reprogramming module BEEPS. Smith activates a tiny, built in com-link.

From the mic, the familiar visage of the Businessman is projected into the crawlspace over Smith's face.

SMITH

I told you never to call me here.

BUSINESSMAN

I see you have completed your mission on schedule Good work, Doctor. And goodbye.

The Businessman smiles. SMITH-CLOSE. Puzzled.

Suddenly the tiny module in his hand OVERLOADS, the flesh on his palm smoking as Smith is engulfed in an electrical charge. He goes out, his body perfectly still.

CHAPTER 8: Launch! --

EXT.-SPACE COMMAND-MORNING

The giant dome shines in the early sun.

INT-JUPITER ONE John and Maureen face will and Penny who stand now in their freezing tubes. All wear silver flight suits. Maureen moves Penny's hair from in front of her face.

PENNY

Don't, mom. Vogue says this will be the style in ten years.

WILL

Will she wake up less annoying?

PENNY

Does he have to wake up at all?

MAUREEN

Alright you two, enough.

Maureen kisses her children. John moves to will who reaches to shake at the same moment John tries to hug him. A beat. Then John tries to a shake as Will goes for the hug. A total miss. Will backs into his tube.

MAUREEN

You get a C in paternal expression, Professor. But an A for effort.

John kisses his wife, already in her tube.

MAUREEN

You always get an A in that.

JUDY

Don't let me shatter this unbridled display of affection, but we are running behind.

JOHN

(entering his tube)

Major, she's all yours.

WEST

I'll try to give you a smooth ride.

Judy walks the row, checking their bio-monitors. Enters her tube.

JUDY

Mission control this is Dr. Robinson. We are in the green.

MISSION CONTROL (OVER)

Roger, Doctor, you are go to initiate cryostasis.

Don walks to Judy's tube.

WEST

One question, Doctor. in there room in these tubes for two?

JUDY

Barely enough for you and your ego, Major. Drive carefully.

(touches her com-link)

initializing cryostasis tubes.

The tubes rotate closed around the Robinsons. Suddenly each crew member is surrounded by a shimmering blue glow, brightening like a star and then subsiding. All stand fixed in suspended animation.

Don stares at the family a beat. He goes to the main console. Straps himself in.

WEST

Mission Control, this is Jupiter One. The Robinsons are asleep. We are ready to fly.

INT.-SPACE COMMAND-MISSION CONTROL

Welcome to the future. Banks of monitors manned by gum-chewing, pink haired technicians. A giant monitor shows the Jupiter on the launch pad. The CONTROLLER (NOAH FREEMAN) pulls in to his console.

NOAH

Jupiter Two this is Mission Control. You are at T-minus two minutes and counting. We're opening the dome.

MONITOR-CLOSE. The dome begins to part.

EXT.-JUPITER ONE

Giant gantries retract. Fueling lines disengage.

INT.-JUPITER ONE

WEST

External fuel pressure to zero. Powering main drive systems.

EXT.-JUPITER ONE

The nuclear drive at the base of the saucer EXPLODES, the giant craft TREMBLING, straining towards the sky.

INT.-MiSSION CONTROL

NOAH

Jupiter One you are at ninety five percent.

INT.-JUPITER ONE

WEST

Houston, main drive systems to on line status. It's showtime.

EXT.-JUPITER ONE

Nuclear ENGINES ROAR. The ship begins to rise in a bolus of flame.

INT.- MISSION CONTROL

NOAH

We have lift off.

INT.-JUPITER ONE

WEST

Requesting escape trajectory.

INT.-MISSION CONTROL

NOAH

Major, your escape vector in clear of all military and commercial traffic. Op in go on your command.

INT.-JUPITER ONE

WEST

Roger, Houston.

West reaches for a glowing panel.

WEST

We're outta here.

EXT. JUPITER ONE

The atomic power source fires a focused BLAST, shooting the Jupiter through cloud and sky towards the black edge of space.

INT:-MISSION CONTROL

The main screen shows a graphic of the Jupiter's trajectory as the ship arcs toward the outer edge of the atmosphere.

NOAH

Jupiter One, you are clear Earth's atmosphere.

A CHEER goes up in the control room.

EXT.-JUPITER ONE

The giant saucer shell EXPLODES, revealing the inner ship, the glittering high tech shape of the JUPITER TWO.

INT.-JUPITER TWO

Don watches as the Earth recedes into a blue marble, flickering orbital billboards growing distant. Smiles at the familiar sight.

WEST

Jupiter One booster disengaged. Proceeding towards Mercury.

EXT.-JUPITER TWO

Nuclear diodes at the ship's base spin into life, glowing with atomic fire, the ship now heading towards Mercury and beyond.

INT.-JUPITER TWO-LOWER DECKS

The Robot stands dormant in his service bay. HOLD on the closed service drawer in the b.g. PUSH IN.

INT.-SERVICE DRAWER

Smith lies still, unconscious in the dark compartment.

INT-JUPITER TWO BRIDGE

Mercury hangs like a red moon in the front viewscreen.

WIDER

Don presses a button and two giant blast shields close over the Jupiter Two's main viewscreen.

WEST

Houston, diverting all spacecraft controls to the main computer.

(off mic)

Eight years of flight training.

He walks to the center of the bridge and activates the navigational holograph, images forming in mid-air over the pedestal.

HOLOGRAPH- CLOSE. The Jupiter Two is visible, backed by the planets of our solar system.

WEST

Navigational holographics on line.

(off mic)

Fifty combat missions.

Don touches buttons and a highlight indicates the ship's trajectory past mercury, around the Sun in a slingshot and into space beyond.

WEST

Course confirmed for slingshot exit of the solar system.

(off mic)

Just so I can take the family camper on an interstellar picnic.

Don walks to the freezing tubes. He zips up his silver flight suit.

WEST

Ten world series. My, nephews' high school and college graduations. A		decade's worth of Sports Illustrated swimsuit editions.

(a beat)

Noah, ten years in a lifetime.

West climbs into his tube.

INT.-MISSION CONTROL

NOAH

Sleep well, old friend.

INT.-JUPITER TWO

Don hits a switch and his tube closes. A beat then he is engulfed by the blue glow, frozen in space. The tubes rise into the craft.

EXT.-JUPITER TWO

The ship flies on into the endless night.

DISSOLVE TO:

CHAPTER 9: Destroy! ---

INT.-JUPITER TWO-WASTE DISPOSAL CHUTE-LATER

Smith lies still. He starts from a nightmare into...-a nightmare

INT.-JUPITER TWO-LOWER DECKS

Smith scrambles out of the chute, stares at his hand, the impression of the overloaded communicator seared into his palm.

He spins around disoriented. Stumbles to a closed view screen and hits a stud. The blast shield opens. Space.

SMITH-CLOSE. Shock. No words.

THE ROBOT-CLOSE. In his docking bay. Suddenly the automaton powers up, lights activating as his CPU comes on line.

SMITH

No.

Smith turns, slaps the burned out programming module on the Robot.

SMITH

Disable program.

No response. The Robot continues to power up.

Smith engage interface. Initiate system shut-down.

ROBOT

Robot is on line. Implementing prime command directives.

The Robot disengages from the service bay, begins rolling forward.

ROBOT

Robinson family, destroy.

SMITH

No. Cease. Desist.

The Robot rolls towards the bridge.

ROBOT

All operating Systems, destroy.

Smith grabs a wrench from a tool bracket, leaps for the Robot. The Robot swings once, sending Smith flying into a flaring console.

ROBOT

Jupiter Two, destroy.

INT.-MISSION CONTROL-NIGHT

Dark. A single Techie (ANNIE) mans the watch, playing holo-games with a stylus over her desk. SCREENS flicker into life.

ANNIE

What the-?

(into a mic)

Somebody wake up the chief.

INT.-JUPITER TWO-BRIDGE

Still. The bridge doors open and the ambient lights come on.

The Robot rolls onto the bridge, faces the cryosleep array. He extends his arms, an electrical charge arcing between his claws.

ROBOT

Robinson Family, destroy.

He fires, a blast of electricity hitting the cryosleep controls. (OVER) ALARMS sound as the tubes begin to descend, electricity sparking across the sleeping Robinsons.

SMITH (OVER)

Mechanical moron. You'll kill us all.

Smith, wrench in hand, rushes the Robot, is again hurled across the room. The Robot turns towards the navigational computer.

INT.-MISSION CONTROL

Fully lit. All the monitors are manned by sleepy Techies. Noah ENTERS, taking a coffee from Annie without breaking stride. , ALARMS flash everywhere.

NOAH

This mission's over. Wake them up.

The Techies begins working the controls.

ANNIE

No response, sir. I'm sorry.

INT.-JUPITER TWO

The Robot is facing the navigational holograph in the center of the bridge. The electricity arcs between his claws once again.

ROBOT

Operating systems, Destroy.

Smith is slumped against the bulkhead. He shakes off his fall in time to see the Robot fire at the navigational array, the holograph disappearing in the flames of the exploding pedestal.

EXT.-JUPITER TWO

The ship begins to veer off course, falling towards the sun.

INT.JUPITER TWO

The Robot is rolling toward the com.

THE FREEZING TUBES are quickly being engulfed in flames. Smith stumbles toward their control station. Begins typing madly.

SMITH

Wake up, damn you. I can't stop this infernal contraption on my own.

He SMASHES a glass panel that reads EMERGENCY DEACTIVATE. The figures inside the lowering tubes glow. All except Judy.

The Robot is before the Com, electricity arcing between his claws.

SMITH

(off the tubes)

Hurry up. Hurry up.

The Robot FIRES at the main Com, controls EXPLODING everywhere. The freezing tubes begin to open, the Robot spinning to face them.

John blinks to life first. Emerges, ducking a BLAST of electrical energy from the Robot, hitting the deck and rolling.

JOHN

Maureen. The children.

Maureen grabs Will and Penny, pulls them down just as the Robot blows away their tubes.

John pulls a laser pistol from a wall mount.

JOHN

Disengage safety.

GUN

Voiceprint confirmed.

The Robot spins towards John, FIRES an electrical charge - John dodges at the last instant, the grazing blast burning his silvery suit, singeing his side, sending into the wall, his gun flying.

WILL

Dad!

Will ducks under his mother's arm, scrambles across the bridge.

MAUREEN

Will, wait.

The Robot FIRES at the scrambling boy but misses, Will disappearing down the gunny hatch leading to the lower decks.

DON leaps from his tube atop the Robot's back, trying to grab the Robot's power source. The mechanical monster electrifies his shell, sending the Major flying.

The Robot turns to Penny and Maureen. Extends his arms toward them.

Electricity arcing between his claws. The two are done for. Maureen puts her hand over Penny's eyes.

MAUREEN

Look away, baby.

The Robot is about to fire. Suddenly the Robot freezes, his claws deactivate, his power lights go to stand-by and he stands immobile.

WIDER. Will stands in the b.g., his tiny hacking deck in his hands.

WILL

Robot. Return to your docking bay and power down.

ROBOT

Command accepted.

The Robot turns and begins heading for the elevator. All watch in amazement. Will grins, a familiar mischievous gleam in his eyes.

WILL

If the family won't come to the science fair, bring the science fair to the family.

An EXPLOSION rocks the ship.

PENNY (OVER)

Mom, look, it's Doctor Smith.

Penny stands over Smith who lays crumpled in the corner. Maureen grabs an emergency medi-kit from a wall clamp, tosses it to Penny.

MAUREEN

Pulse, respiration and bleeding-

PENNY

Basic triage, lock down and stabilize. I know the drill.

John is standing, helps Don to his feet.

WEST

NEXT picnic, no robots.

Don moves fast to the helm. The main view screen is still closed, covered by giant metal blast shields.

WEST

Communications links are down.

Maureen is at the life sciences console.

MAUREEN

Life support is at ten percent. Trying to bring secondary systems on line. It's not working.

VIDEO MONITOR-POV. Penny is bandaging Smith's head, her bravado barely masking her fathoml4ss terror.

PENNY

Explosions rock the ship. Danger is		everywhere, 'Yet the Space Captive is fearless as she...

A console FLARES. Penny fights back tears, terrified.

PENNY

I want to go home now.

Don is at the navigational system.

WEST

Rerouting power from the secondary couplings. Try it again.

MAUREEN Finding a power tap....

Suddenly the lights go on, the air compressors begin to Hiss.

MAUREEN

Life support is back on line.

WEST

I can't get the blast shields open. We're flying blind.

Penny in working ever Smith, bandaging his head. She runs stimulator under his nose. Smith begins to stir, COUGHING.

PENNY

I've got life signs.

(wincing)

Boy, somebody could use a breath mint.

West turns, spots Smith for the first time.

WEST

(to John)

Try the emergency back-ups.

Don moves to the fallen figure, lifts him up against the bulkhead.

WEST

Smith, what the hell-

SMITH

I was making a last minute check ... someone hit me from behind.

Don almost buys it. Then he notices Smith's hand, grabs it.

BURN-CLOSE. The reprogramming module's distinctive, foreign signature seared into his flesh.

WEST

Sino-Jordanian technology. You're a Goddamned spy.

(realizing)

You did this.

Don slams him against the bulkhead, begins dragging him towards the airlock. The pilot hits a switch. The inner hatch opens.

SMITH

Stop. What are you doing?

WEST

Dropping some extra weight.

MAUREEN (OVER)

Help, somebody. Please.

REVERSE ANGLE

Maureen stands at Judy's freezing tube. The young doctor's cryofield is sparking on and off.

MAUREEN

The thawing engine in broken. can't get her out. She's dying.

Smith uses the distraction to palm-slam Don in the chin, knocking him backwards. Don staggers, goes again for Smith.

SMITH

Touch me and the girl dies.

Don freezes in his tracks.

SMITH

Your mission physician is indisposed. I can save her life. But only if you spare mine.

WEST

I Don't deal with dead men.

SMITH

Kill me, I kill the girl. How much is your revenge worth, Major? I will, of		course, need your word as an officer that you will let me live.

Don's decision is lighting fast.

WEST

Help her.

JOHN

I've got a com signal.

Suddenly the radio SQUAWKS into life.

RADIO

...Is Mission Control. Do you read? Jupiter Two this is

JOHN

Emergency power's on line. I think I can get these blast shields open.

VIEWSCREEN CLOSE. The blast shields part to reveal a giant fiery orb in their path. They are heading directly for the sun.

WEST

Uh-oh.

INT.-MISSION CONTROL

Noah stands over the Com. The room is a madhouse.

NOAH

Give me a telemetry projection.

Noah looks up at the main monitor. The graphic of the Jupiter Two is heading towards the graphic of the sun.

INT.-JUPITER TWO

John and Don stand over the Com.

NOAH (OVER)

You're way off course. We show you in the sun's gravitational pull.

WEST

How long do we have?

NOAH (OVER)

We count seven minutes before your outer hull begins to melt.

DON straps himself into the pilot's chair.

WEST

I'm going to try for the Mercury Mines.

SMITH stands at the freezing tube, Penny and Maureen assisting him.

SMITH

I will need Dr. Robinson's portable gurney. I believe it is stored in-

PENNY

I'm on it.

Penny races off. Smith begins working the controls to Judy's freezing tube.

MAUREEN

We trusted you.

(sinking in)

You tried to kill us all.

SMITH

Existence offers us nothing if not the opportunity for an endless series of betrayals.

(off her stunned expression)

There's a world behind the world, Professor Robinson. Lie once, cheat twice and everything becomes clear. Do not mistake my deception for a character flaw. It is philosophical choice, a profound understanding of the universe. It is a way of life.

MAUREEN

You're a monster.

SMITH

Perhaps. But I am also the only one who can save your daughter's life.

Penny reappears, a case in hand. She presses a button and the case unfolds into a hovering, gyroscopicaly-leveled gurney.

MAUREEN

Where's Will?

PENNY

He's futzing with that Robot.

SMITH

Alright, Penny dear, I need you to short the power on my command.

PENNY

Does he have to call me dear?

SMITH

Professor, if you will assist me in lowering the body.

Smith hands Penny a wrench.

SMITH

Penny, dear. Now.

Maureen nods. Penny SLAMS the wrench into the power circuit. The freezing field FLARES and deactivates, the tube swinging open.

LIFESIGN MONITOR-CLOSE. Flatline.

MAUREEN

She's dying.

Smith and Maureen lower her onto the gurney.

SMITH

Sickbay. Move.

Penny, Maureen and Smith rush the gurney out the blast doors towards Sickbay just as the ship tilts madly.

AT THE HELM

WINDSCREEN-CLOSE. The sun is growing ever larger.

WEST

Unable to re-route to Mercury. The sun's pull is too strong.

(a beat)

Noah, I need options.

INT.-MISSION CONTROL

NOAH

Major West we are unable to provide contingencies.

(a beat)

I'm sorry, Don.

ON SCREEN-THE JUPITER TWO is heading towards the sun.

INT.-JUPITER TWO-SICKBAY

Penny, Smith and Maureen have transferred Judy onto a hi-tech scanning- bed. A hovering holographic schematic of Judy's physiognomy appears over her, descends onto her body.

SMITH

No cardio-pulmonary or respiratory functions.

MAUREEN

Body temp at 68 Fahrenheit.

SMITH

Get her flight suit off.

Penny unzips the silver material as Smith works the console, highlighting her holographic heart.

SMITH

Clear.

The holographic image of her heart beats once, then is still.

SMITH

Again. Clear.

The lights flicker on the bio-console, the holograph winks out.

SMITH

Power's down.

MAUREEN

We're losing her.

CHAPTER 10: Initiate Hyperdrive ---

INT. -JUPITER TWO

DON and John man the Com. The sun is a raging fireball dead ahead.

JOHN

I've re-routed all secondary systems to the main drive.

WEST

She won't budge. Shortest baby sitting mission I've ever done.

JOHN

My family's not going die in space.

WEST

I'm open to suggestions.

COMPUTER

Outer hull breach in 30 seconds.

INT.-SICKBAY

Smith begins pumping Judy's chest by hand.

SMITH

Come on, child. Fight. Put a little heart in it.

Smith steps back, begins precise, staccato blows to Judy's chest.

SMITH

The life.. .

(hit )

I save ...

(hit)

may be

(hit)

my own.

Smith stops, presses his ear to her chest - Takes her pulse. Smiles.

MAUREEN

Judy? Baby?

A beat. Then Judy opens her eyes, manages a weak smile.

JUDY

You should try to look less worried. It has a tendency to spook the patients.

MAUREEN

(to Smith)

Thank you.

Smith holds her gaze, his eyes almost snake-like.

SMITH

You are a good woman, Maureen. Any man could see that. I hope I have proven the well-being of your family is of great importance to me. Perhaps, if		you convinced your husband to trust me...

Maureen stares at him. A beat. She pulls a laser from the wall. Points it at his forehead.

MAUREEN

Stabilize her, Smith. Because you only breathe as long as she does.

INT.-JUPITER TWO BRIDGE

The ship is shaking in the mighty pull of the sun. Don is struggling to keep the ship stable.

COMPUTER

Heat seal breach in 20 seconds.

JOHN

There's got to be some way to get through this.

DON stares at him.

WEST

That's it.

JOHN

What's it?

WEST

We can't get away from the sun. So we have to go through it. The hyperdrive -

JOHN

Engage the hyperdrive without a gate, we could be thrown anywhere in the galaxy

WEST

Anywhere but here.

INT.-MISSION CONTROL

ANNIE

We're getting resident radiation distortions from the space craft. She must be breaking up.

NOAH

Let me see those numbers, Annie.

The Techie hands him a sheet. Noah looks for a beat.

NOAH

Son of a bitch. He's powering up the hyperdrive.

EXT.-JUPITER TWO

The saucer is elongating slightly, changing its shape as it prepares to enter hyperspace.

INT.-JUPITER TWO

BRIDGE

Will scrambles onto the bridge, heads towards John who is working the main control panel.

WEST

Hyperengines coming on line.

COMPUTER

Warning. Heat shield breach.

The sun covers the entire windscreen, a furious landscape of flame.

JOHN

Hyperdrive at 100 percent. Major, you have the Com.

WEST

Zero to 20 million miles a second in under a minute. Let's see what this baby can do.

John takes Will's hand as West engages the hyperdrive.

West, John and Will, are hurled backwards from the sudden acceleration, sticking to the walls and ceiling respectively.

INT.-SICKBAY

Maureen and Penny watch as Smith swaddles Judy in thermal blanket. Suddenly, Maureen, Penny, and Smith fly against the walls. Judy is held in place by the gurney straps.

INT.-MISSION CONTROL

The graphic of the space craft is beginning to flicker as it merges with the graphic of the sun.

ANNIE

We can't keep a fix on her, sir. She's starting to disappear.

Noah stares at the screen.

NOAH

Godspeed.

EXT.-SPACE

The Jupiter Two flies into the mighty ball of the sun. And just as it reaches the tallest of the gaseous mountains, the ship becomes translucent, falling through the orb, elongating and then vanishing in a sudden star of hyperspace.

INT.-JUPITER TWO

THE WINDSCREEN. The sky breaks apart giving way to a starfield.

EXT.-DEEP SPACE

Quiet. Empty. Suddenly space distorts and, in a sudden flash, a ship appears, hurling into the darkness. The Jupiter Two.

The Jupiter Two comes to rest at the edge of an alien, twin starred solar system, near a giant crimson planet.

CHAPTER 11: Lost in Space -

INT.-JUPITER TWO-INFIRMARY

Maureen kneels before Penny and Will, making sure they're okay. Smith stands silently in the b.g. Judy's gurney is empty. John ENTERS, his face wrought with fatherly concern.

JOHN

Is everyone okay?

MAUREEN

All in one piece. Although Major West has the most puzzling definition of a smooth ride.

JOHN

Judy? Where's Judy?

Just then Judy emerges through a door, zipping up her flight suit.

JUDY

Boy either I cut down on the coffee or sew in a flap. It's hell getting in and out of this thing.

JOHN

Are you-

JUDY

Vitals are normal. Pulse and respiration seem to be-

JOHN

Baby, are you okay?

JUDY

I'm fine Daddy really.

John holds her close, spared a father's worst fear.

SMITH

Will every disaster be an excuse for familial sentiment? Please tell me		now so I may gather up a liberal supply of space sickness bags.

Don turns towards Smith. Maureen steps between them.

MAUREEN

What happened, John? Where are we?

INT.-JUPITER TWO-BRIDGE

Don in at the navigational holograph, patching sparking wires. The rest of the crew emerge onto the bridge.

WEST

You had me worried, Doc. Nice to see you thawed.

JUDY

Smart maneuver with the hyper-drive.

WEST

A fighter who thinks, what do you know? You're just in time for the show.

Don makes a connection. The pedestal powers up, a holograph of the Jupiter Two appearing over its surface.

WEST

Computer, map our current location.

HOLOGRAPHIC PEDESTAL-CLOSE. The area around the Jupiter Two is now filled with a holographic representation of the alien solar system.

JOHN

See anything familiar?

Don just shakes his head.

COMPUTER

Searching for recognizable constellations.

(a beat)

Unable to locate.

JOHN

This computer has star maps of the entire known galaxy.

PENNY

We're lost, aren't we?

Judy wraps her arm around her sister.

WEST

What the hell is that?

VIEWSCREEN- CLOSE. The nearest planet is starting to glow. Suddenly a distortion field begins to emanate from the alien world. The edges of space seem to sear away, leaving a glowing portal.

JOHN

Any effect on the ship?

WEST

No.

VIEWSCREEN -CLOSE. All the planets and constellations beyond the portal appear to be in different places.

JOHN

(off the navigational hologram)

All the planets have moved.

WEST

And where did that come from?

CHAPTER 12: The Proteus ---

EXT.-SPACE

Breaking the inner edge of the portal, a long silver space needle catches the light from the dual suns.

INT.-JUPITER TWO

The crew man their stations. Only Will is absent as they the ship maneuver around the portal.

VIEWSCREEN -CLOSE. As they, move behind the portal it seems to disappear, showing only the blackness of space. No ship beyond.

WEST

It's gone.

JOHN

No. Go back in front of it.

EXT.-JUPITER TWO

As the ship moves back in front of the portal, the hole in space is visible again, the giant probe ship revealed once more within...

JOHN

It's a hole in space. A doorway.

WEST

A doorway to where?

JOHN

If we want to reach that ship, we're going to have to find out.

EXT.-SPACE

The Jupiter Two flies through the pulsing hole in space.

INT.-JUPITER TWO

The giant, silver ship looms in the windscreen.

MAUREEN

No apparent effects on the ship.

WEST

I'm hailing on all frequencies. No response.

JOHN

There are some markings on the starboard side. Can you throw some light on her?

WEST

Don't know if the exterior spots are working.- There we go.

THE WINDSCREEN-CLOSE. Powerful spotlights hit the ship.

WEST AND JOHN-CLOSE. And really surprised.

WEST

If this in all a dream, why can't there be more girls?

THE SPACESHIP-CLOSE. Essentially a needle covered with metal scallops. On its hull, under the legend PROTEUS, an American flag.

WEST

I've never seen a design like this. what are those scales on her hull?

JOHN

How could Earth launch a ship this massive and neither of us know about it? ... It just doesn't make sense.

WEST

These scanners are damaged, I'm		getting inconsistent life signs but they may be sensor ghosts.

JOHN

Maybe her computer's still up. I'm trying standard remote access codes.

ON SCREEN-A docking ring on the giant ship comes to life, giant floods coming to life, the docking aperture rotating open.

WEST

What do you know?

EXT.-SPACE

The Jupiter Two heads towards the giant ship.

INT.-JUPITER TWO

JOHN

Can you give me some light on the secondary docking ring?

A smaller docking ring is illuminated on the viewscreen.

WEST

What do you make of that?

Attached to the starboard docking ring is another, smaller craft. Its snaking anthropomorphic lines are not of human design.

MAUREEN

Boys, I think we're having a close encounter.

EXT.-SPACE

The Jupiter moves into the docking ring of the giant ship.

INT.-JUPITER TWO

(OVER) a giant THUD as the Jupiter Two docks with the probe.

ROBOT (OVER)

Crush.

REVERSE ANGLE. The Robot in rolling in through the doorway, arms waving wildly before him.

ROBOT

Crush! Kill! Destroy!

Don and John are up fast. But the Robot just rolls to a stop. Will steps from behind the automaton, his hacker's deck in his hand.

He pulls a tiny mic from his deck. Lifts it to his lips.

WILL

Crush. Kill. Destroy.

ROBOT

Crush! Kill! Destroy!

Will points to several jury-rigged modifications.

WILL

I hacked into his CPU, bypassed his main operating system and accessed his sub-routines. He's basically running on remote control.

All stare at him. Penny finally speaks.

PENNY

Show off.

INT.-JUPITER TWO-CREW QUARTERS-LATER

Penny stands guard, a rifle in her hand, talking into her recorder.

PENNY

And so the Space Captive finds herself helping the Robinsons by guarding the traitor. And she finds-

Penny's VOICE trails off. Stares out the porthole. Endless space.

PENNY

She finds that out here, in the dark and cold, she's scared, and she's kind of glad they're all together.

Just then Don approaches, a silver bundle under his arm.

PENNY

Identify yourself, soldier.

WEST

West, Major, United Space Force, requesting permission to see the prisoner.

Penny steps aside.

PENNY

Proceed Major West.

Don smiles, winks at her, going through the door.

PENNY

Ouch. Could he be cuter? I don't think so.

INT.-SMITH'S CELL

Actually a med-lab. Smith turns to face Don an he ENTERS.

SMITH

These quarters are totally unacceptable. I demand-

Don tosses his bundle on the seat. A silver flight suit.

WEST

We're going to check out the probe ship. Maybe we can figure out how they got here. And how to get home.

SMITH

Ta-ta. Have a wonderful trip.

WEST

You're coming with us.

SMITH

Out of the question. I'm a doctor not a space explorer. You and-

But Don is in his face in a heartbeat.

WEST

What you are is a murderous saboteur and I am not leaving you on this ship so you can do more harm than you've already caused.

SMITH

I absolutely refuse-

WEST

(closer)

Give me an excuse to kill you. Please.

Smith stares at him a beat. Then he smiles, looks to the flight suit.

SMITH

Silver always was my color.

INT.-JUPITER TWO-LOWER DECKS

Will stands in front of the Robot, polishing a blast mark clean.

WILL

When boarding a mysterious spacecraft, it always pays to look your best.

John enters, removes a gun from the weapons locker.

JOHN

Deactivate safety.

GUN

Voiceprint confirmed. Rifle is active.

GUN-CLOSE. A small light goes from red to green.

JOHN

You did a good job up there son. You saved us all.

WILL

Thanks.

An awkward silence hangs between them.

JOHN

I know I haven't around much these days.That we haven't had time to-

WEST (OVER)

Professor, we're ready.

John looks at his boy Will in silent.

JOHN

Will, you're the most important thing in the world to me. I hope one day you'll be able to see that.

With that, John walks out. Will stares after him. Faces the Robot.

WILL

Take care of my dad, okay Robot?

Will works his remote, sending the Robot towards the bridge.

INT.-PROBE SHIP

A long dark corridor. Slowly the ambient lights come up. A door opens to reveal Smith, John, Don, Judy and the Robot, stepping out of the docking chamber, the airlock closing in the b.g.

JUDY

The air is stale. Old.

SMITH

That's the smell of ghosts.

Don walks to a computer panel set into the wall. Begins typing.

WEST

I'm interfacing with the on board computer... Odd.

JOHN

Not working?

WEST

No, it's just, I don't know, too fast. Most of the systems are down.

The Robot rolls deeper into the alien ship. The others follow. More lights flicker into life, illuminating the long corridor ahead.

JUDY

Motion sensors are still working.

WEST (OVER)

What do you make of this?

Smith, John and Judy join Don at one of the bulkhead walls.

JOHN

Some kind of hieroglyphics.

WALL-CLOSE. A series of hieroglyphics are scrawled on the hull wall. The sketches tell a story.

HIEROGLYPH-CLOSE. The alien craft docks with the giant ship.

SECOND HIEROGLYPH-CLOSE-A trio of inhuman bipedal stick figures enter the giant ship.

THIRD HIEROGLYPH-CLOSE. The shape of a sun or a disc, from which juts many legs. This final hieroglyph is circled in a clotted red substance. Don touches the stain.

CHAPTER 13: Exploration ---

JUDY

If I didn't know better I'd say this is blood.

SMITH

I know an omen when I see one. I suggest a hasty retreat.

WEST

Just imagine we're retreating in the opposite direction. Now, move it.

Don shoves Smith forward with the butt of his laser rifle, the group heading deeper into the quiet ship.

INT.-JUPITER TWO

Will watches through the Robot's POV, toggling to move the automaton forward. A readout marked AUDIO flashes. Will turns up a volume control. (OVER) the sound of a slow, steady DRIP.

WILL

Dad, do you....

INT.-PROBE SHIP

ROBOT

... Hear something?

The Robot turns, begins heading further down the corridor. (OVER) now DRIPPING can be heard by all.

SMITH

Like the drip, drip, drip of blood..

WEST

You really need to shut up.

JOHN

(pointing)

Here.

THE CEILING shows a jagged hole, covered with some kind of viscous membrane, leading to the dark of a service tunnel above. The membrane DRIPS steadily onto the floor below.

JUDY

That material appears biological.

SMITH

Nothing good will come of this.

WEST

What makes you such an expert?

SMITH

Trust me, Major. Evil knows evil.

JOHN

Let's find the bridge. Maybe we can get some answers.

They head off. HOLD on the dripping membrane.

INT.-JUPITER TWO

Maureen is at the main sensor console working an instrument panel.

Penny is hanging upside down in a harness overhead, using a laser welder on a giant mass of exposed ceiling circuitry.

PENNY

Try it now, Mom.

Maureen throws a switch. The panel lights up, then goes dead.

PENNY

Damn.

INT.-SHIP-WALKING

The boarding party stand at the end of the corridor. Don presses a wall panel. The giant doors hiss open to REVEAL...

INT.-MAIN BRIDGE

Immense. Empty. And battle torn. Sections of the controls have been blown away. Blast scoring mars the walls.

JUDY

What the hell happened in here?

WEST

Some kind of fire fight. Look at this technology. I've seen some of this before. On the drawing boards.

Smith has moved off slightly, wandered over to a STORAGE ALCOVE. Within, a row of docked Robots, larger and sleeker then ours.

John and Don are powering up the Com, console lights coming on.

JOHN

Can you bring up the Captain's log?

WEST The data has degraded. I'm going try and gather any fragments I can. There isn't much, but ... here we go.

MAIN SCREEN-CLOSE. Fills with snow. Then a figure can be seen. It's Jab. But his hair is grey.

WEST

Jeb.

JEB

The hyperspace tracker seems to be functioning...

(static)

No sign of the Jupiter Two...

JEB

(static)

Have exceeded our mission timetable by two...

(static)

I'm not willing to give up. Don would keep looking for me.

WEST

That's it. The rest of the data is totally corrupted.

IN THE ALCOVE, Smith frees a power pack from one of the robots. Slips it into the sleeve cuff of his field suit.

WEST

This doesn't make sense. How could they launch a rescue mission for us when we've only been lost a day?

Judy stands by the life sciences panel.

JUDY

I've got something here.

A turning holograph appears over the console panel. A degraded image of a trembling, viscous pouch. Tiny shapes move within.

JUDY

They brought it up from the planet's surface. It's seems to be some sort of egg sack.

Don notices Smith's standing in the storage alcove.

WEST

Smith, step away from there.

SMITH

Happy to oblige, Major. Although I		don't think it's me you should be worrying about. But rather this.

In the corner of the ceiling, another membrane covered hole.

INT.-JUPITER TWO

Will is at his station, watching Don and John via the Robot's POV.

WILL

I'm detecting motion. Behind you...

INT.-PROBE SHIP BRIDGE

A towering SHADOW shoots past the open doorway.

JOHN

After it. Move.

(to the Robot)

Bring Smith.

INT.-PROBE SHIP-CORRIDOR

Don races down the corridor. The walls are matted with flowering plants. Vines twist into a carpet covering the metallic floor.

THE SCURRYING SHAPE, about the size of a small dog, shoots out from behind a bulkhead, disappearing into the lush greenery.

Don pushes forward through the ever deepening brush until he comes to a door. A plaque reads HYDROPONICS LAB. He races inside.

INT.-HYDROPONICS LAB

A jungle. John and Judy arrive behind Don.

WEST

This explains where all the plants came from.

JUDY

Growth like this would take decades.

The Robot arrives through the lab door, carrying Smith in one claw.

SMITH

Unhand me, you mechanical moron.

Don's eyes fix behind Smith's head.

WEST

Don't move.

SMITH I am sick of your terrorism. If you are going to kill me, be done with it. Otherwise I will insist you treat me with the respect and-

WEST

(like steel)

I said don't move.

Smith is suddenly silent. Don's hand shoots out, just missing Smith's head, disappearing into the brush behind him, leaves flying, as-he pulls from its hiding place a small creature.

About the size of a large stuffed bear, spiny skin going from leaf color to red, shaped like a rhesus monkey but covered with the scales of a tiny dragon and bright yellow cat's eyes.

INT.-JUPITER TWO

Will is watching through the Robot's eyes.

WILL

Neat.

INT.-PROBE SHIP-HYDROPONICS GARDEN

West stares down at the creature in his hand, now a calmer and more friendly blue. Judy approaches.

JUDY

Well, who do we have here?

As the beast struggles in Don's hand it changes color, chameleon like, trying to hide. No luck. Don holds fast.

WEST

Easy there, little buddy. No one's going to hurt you.

SMITH

How do you know it won't hurt us?

Don has begun stroking the creature's head. After a beat, the small beast begins to COO and emit small BLIPPING sounds.

JUDY

Looks like you've made a friend. You have a good bedside manner, Major.

WEST

I'm going to let that one go.

SMITH

How charming. Doctor Dolittle of outer space.

JUDY

Where do you think it came from?

JOHN

It's possible this is one of the creatures represented in the hieroglyphs we saw on the wall. It		must have been their ship attached to the other docking ring.

The beast has moved onto Don's shoulder, is now clutching there, burying its tiny face into his neck. Don can't help but LAUGH.

WEST

It looks like a child.

SMITH

If so, my dear Major, what do you suppose happened to its parents?

JOHN

Let's get back to the bridge.

As they leave, a dark shape skitters across the ceiling in the background. Ominous. Unseen.

CHAPTER 14: Giant Spiders! --

INT.-JUPITER TWO

Penny is still hanging overhead.

PENNY

I think I've got it.

The sensor console comes back to life, displays lighting, status lights going green. Maureen stares at the monitor.

MAUREEN

That's strange.

SCREEN-CLOSE. Revealed in the sensor scan, the scallops pulse with ambient heat. Penny lands beside her.

PENNY

Those scales are giving off heat.

INT.-PROBE SHIP-BRIDGE

John is at the Com.

JOHN

I've tapped into the internal sensor array. Besides us, this ship is totally deserted.

SMITH

A ghost ship.

Don is sitting with the tiny creature. He pulls a ration pack from his pocket. Turns it over in his hand.

WEST

And the flavor of the day is ... banana/beef. Who thinks up these combinations?

The creature stares at him intently as he tears open the foil lip, sucks a bit LOUDLY. Judy can't help but smile at him.

WEST

MM. Good.

SMITH

Major West, I highly recommend you never breed. That by the way is my medical opinion.

Don glares at him, hands the tiny creature the pouch. The creature looks at it, emits a small BLIP, takes a tentative suck. Its eyes widen in delight as it begins to suck the ration pack.

WEST

Little thing was hungry.

SMITH

Good Lord, who will - spare us the tyranny of the sentimental?

(OVER) a distant, high pitched WHINE.

PENNY

Do you hear something?

Suddenly the creature begins to SCREAM, leaping on Smith's back, clinging to his neck for dear life.

SMITH

Get this infernal creature off me.

The WHINE is growing louder. it seems to be coming from above.

THE CEILING-CLOSE. There, in the corner, the membrane covering the hole seems to be trembling.

WEST

This can't be good.

SMITH

You have a remarkably keen sense of the obvious.

INT.-JUPITER TWO

Maureen stands with Penny at the main sensor station.

MAUREEN

John, get the hell out of there.

ON SCREEN. The silver disks on the hull of the probe ship are beginning to move, rising to stand now on spindraled legs.

EXT.-PROBE SHIP

Heads and legs emerging, the disks reveal themselves to be armor plated spiders. The monsters find viscous holes in the outer hull and push through, vanishing into the probe ship.

INT.-JUPITER TWO

(OVER) a THUD. The Jupiter Two shakes, as if struck.

MAUREEN

Give me an external view.

Penny works the console.

ON SCREEN. Spiders are leaping from the probe onto the Jupiter Two.

INT.-PROBE SHIP-BRIDGE

The lizard monkey's SCREAMING has reached new heights of hysteria. A shape begins to push through the viscous bole in the ceiling.

What bursts in is a monster out of nightmare. Nearly half the size of a human, shiny metallic body from which wet, spider-like limbs extend. A fang covered vAw opens below ravenous, green eyes.

Don draws his laser and FIRES, but the blast only reflects off the metallic surface of its torso, forcing the creature to retract its limbs and eyes, hiding within its protective shell.

JOHN

Evacuate. Now!

The team races for the door as several more spiders drop through the hole in the ceiling, landing in the bridge and scampering fast towards our fleeing heros.

INT.-PROBE SHIP-TUNNELS

The boarding party race down the corridor. The spiders are bounding after them, using walls, floor, and ceiling with equal facility.

INT.-JUPITER TWO

Will is madly working his keyboard, controlling the fleeing Robot.

WILL

This joy stick is too slow. Activate holographic interface.

A holographic robot appears on the bridge. Will steps inside, the image now moving with his body. He spins, facing backwards, firing.

INT.-PROBE SHIP

The Robot is holding up the rear, its torso swiveled backwards so it can retreat and FIRE simultaneously.

The Robot's plasma BLASTS have more effect than-the lasers, blowing the spiders into tiny pieces of inhuman flesh and metal.

But more monsters are pouring through the holes in the corridor ceiling, some giving chasing, others swarming injured comrades.

Judy watches as several spiders devour their fallen brethren.

JUDY

They eat their wounded.

Our heroes race to a nexus, corridors leading off in all directions. Spiders are dropping from the ceiling around them.

JOHN

Which way?

INT. -JUPITER TWO

WILL-POV. A graphic map flashes within the holograph.

WILL

Turn left.

INT.-PROBE SHIP-CORRIdOR

ROBOT

Now right.

The spiders are swarming, closing fast.

JOHN

Got to seal the bulkhead.

WEST

The door control is at the other and of the corridor.

JUDY

The fire sensor.

Judy pulls her gun, FIRES, hitting a ceiling sensor at the end of the corridor. Blast doors SLAM, sealing out most of the spiders.

DON-CLOSE. Impressed.

BLAST DOORS-CLOSE. Metal teeth begin tearing through the steel.

Our group has made it to the door to the docking bay. They rush in, the Robot coming through the open doorway last and holding there.

INT.-PROBE SHIP-DOCKING BAY

Don activates the airlock to the Jupiter, the batch slowly opening.

The Robot stands in the doorway to the docking bay, FIRING at the spiders as they come down the hall, blowing them away. More pour through the now rending blast doors. There are just too many, rolling towards them now like a single, shifting mass of death.

SMITH

Open, damn you.

WEST

It's cycling a vacuum check. There is no way to speed up the protocols.

SMITH

Fools. I warned you not to come aboard this cursed craft. You've killed us. You've killed us all.

Judy throws him, hard, into the wall.

JUDY

Shut up.

WEST

Now that's a bedside manner.

The first spiders reach the Robot, leaping onto its metal bull.

INT.-JUPITER TWO

Maureen and Penny are at the Com, powering up the engines. Will is within the holograph, fighting off the spiders.

WILL

Charge.

INT.-PROBE SHIP-DOCKING BAY

The Robot's shell electrifies, the spiders recoiling.

The airlock has opened enough for our heroes to duck inside.

JOHN

Will, get the Robot in here.

The Robot stands in the open portal, covered by spiders, their fangs shredding his hull, his electrical charge beginning to SHORT.

INT.-JUPITER TWO

Will is throwing off the monsters, Extending the Robot's antenna spikes and scanner dishes to skewer spiders that are squeezing by.

WILL

I can't move him without letting the spiders into the ship.

INT.-PROBE SHIP-DOCKING BAY

JOHN

Leave him behind.

INT.-JUPITER TWO

WILL

I'm sorry, Robot.

INT.-JUPITER TWO-DOCKING BAY

A spider pushes past the Robot, head slipping around his metallic body, bent on reaching the airlock and the crew within.

INT.-JUPITER TWO-AIRLOCK

JOHN

Seal it. Now!

Don hits a switch just as a spider breaks free, rushing towards the dropping airlock door. Smith recoils from the swiping talon.

SMITH'S BACK-CLOSE. A tiny rand and beneath, a razor thin incision.

THE DOOR drops, the spider's arm, still twitching, severed inside the airlock.

INT.-JUPITER TWO

The inner airlock door Opens. The crew tumble in.

JOHN

Get us out of here.

Don is already powering up the ship's engines as Smith tries separating himself from the tiny lizard monkey.

SMITH

Get this cloying gargoyle off of me.

He throws the beast hard across the bridge. The creature hits the wall, SCREECHING, begins racing across consoles.

John has strapped in beside Don.

JOHN

Get me an external view.

A MONITOR shows the hull of the Jupiter Two. More spiders are leaping onto the ship, attaching themselves to the hull.

JOHN

Prepare to disengage.

THE LIZARD MONKEY skitters up the back of Penny's chair, over her head, getting tangled in her hair before jumping into her lap.

PENNY

Get it off me. Get it off.

Penny in frantically wiping the hair from her face. The tiny creature on her lap begins a perfect imitation of Penny.

Don releases the docking ring, glances at the Monitor. The hull of the ship is now entirely covered with spiders.

WEST

Initiating separation.

LIZARD MONKEY'S EYES widen in terror as the ship SHAKES, burying its head in Penny's chest. A beat. Then Penny hugs the tiny beast.

PENNY

It's okay. Everything's going to be alright.

But she sounds anything but sure.

WEST

We're clear. Everybody hang on.

INT.-JUPITER TWO

The Jupiter Two's engines BLOW, peeling into the endless night.

INT.-JUPITER TWO

(OVER) ALARMS sound.

JUDY

I think those things were using the probe ship as a way to trap food.

WEST

That I s probably what happened to the monkey's parents. We were going to be desert.

MAUREEN

But what happened to the crew?

JOHN

Nothing good.

WEST

We're not out of the woods yet.

ON SCREEN. The hull of the Jupiter Two is covered with the giant spiders, their teeth cutting through the outer hull.

WEST

Let's see how these monsters like a hundred thousand volts.

EXT.-JUPITER TWO

The hull glows with electricity. The spiders fly off into space, their limbs and heads retracting.

WEST

And the crowd goes wild.

SMITH

Recall your nightmares from childhood, Major. Monsters are rarely so easily dissuaded.

(OVER) a THUNK. Then another. A third.

ON SCREEN-The spiders shoot webs from their bellies, attaching to the Jupiter, land on the hull again, re-extending their limbs, starting to burrow once more.

WEST

Persistent bastards.

JOHN

Can you hit them again?

WEST

Every time I electrify the hull, I'm draining our systems. Once or twice more and we're going to be dead in space.

SMITH

A fate I fear may be inevitable one way or another.

Maureen emerges from the airlock holding the spider's severed limb in metal tongs. Carries it to her life sciences analyzer.

JOHN

That's the same expression you had when my mother came to stay with us.

MAUREEN'S MONITOR-CLOSE. A graphic of the severed spider leg. A small line begins to extrapolate to the rest of the figure. Musculature and flesh are drawn in on the screen.

MAUREEN

DNA extrapolation - coming up. Silicone based. Admantium shell and lack of respiratory system suggest an ability to live in deep space. Tiny front brain implies communal relationships. More like bees.

VIEWS CREEN -CLOSE. More and more spider are spiraling from the probe ship, all heading toward the Jupiter Two.

WEST

There are thousands of those things

Maureen is working the COMPUTER.

MAUREEN

They may be attracted to heat and light.

Don begins typing.

WEST

With the right command codes, I can light up the probe ship from here.

MONITOR-CLOSE. More spiders are hitting the bull.

WEST

Damn. No response.

JOHN

Command codes are sequenced. Try the next series.

WEST

But they won't work until the next fleet of ships are built. That's at least two years away.

JOHN

Just do it.

Don begins entering command codes.

The mighty probe ship begins to power up, engines glowing red as they begin their initial BURN.

WEST

How did you know?

JOHN

Think about it, Don. The ships's advanced technology. Your friend looking old. What if that ship is from our future?

COMPUTER

Warning. Outer hull has been compromised.

SCREEN-CLOSE. Spiders are eating through the outer hull.

MAUREEN

It's not working.

JOHN

Can you get the fusion drive on line?

EXT.-SPACE

THE PROBE SHIP'S fusion drives FIRE. A few of the spiders divert back toward the probe ship. But most still head for the Jupiter.

INT.-JUPITER TWO

WEST

Let's turn up the heat.

Don engages the THRUSTERS, grabs the throttle.

EXT.-SPACE

The Jupiter Two banks toward the probe ship, heading directly for the wake of the fusion drives.

INT.-JUPITER TWO

COMPUTER (OVER)

Warning. Inner hull breach in twenty seconds.

JOHN

Give them a little encouragement.

WEST

Electrifying outer hull ... now.

EXT.-JUPITER TWO

The outer bull flashes with electricity, the spiders jumping off. Don pilots the craft directly through the wake of the fusion drive.

The spiders jump off, begin attaching themselves to the nacelles of the giant probe ship.

INT.-JUPITER TWO

ON SCREEN the giant spiral of spiders in now heading back towards the giant probe ship.

JOHN

Get us out of here. Fast.

Don looks at John a beat, then he begins working the controls.

JOHN

What are you doing?

WEST

Never leave an enemy stronghold intact. One of your father's first rules of engagement.

Don hits a button. On the remote control console a readout begins to flash. The message is simple: FUSION DRIVE-OVERLOAD.

JOHN

Don, stop. That's a direct order. We		might need to salvage-

WEST

This is a military emergency. That means I'm in command.

JOHN

Don, no. I'm ordering you-

WEST

I hate spiders.

Don hits a button. The panel light flashes: OVERLOAD.

WEST

Hang on, it I a gonna be a bumpy ride.

Don angles the ship away, punching the thrusters as the probe ship's engines begins to glow.

EXT.-SPACE

The probe ship's nuclear core overloads. The engines begin to glow, venting plasma and then EXPLODE like a nascent star.

THE BLAST WAVE spreads across space, vaporizing the spiders.

THE BLAST WAVE hits the Jupiter Two.

INT.-JUPITER TWO

The ship is buffeted by the shock wave.

WEST

I can't hold her.

EXT.-JUPITER TWO

The ship is knocked into the atmosphere of the giant planet below.

INT.-JUPITER TWO

Don is struggling to keep control.

WEST

We're going down.

EXT.-JUPITER TWO

The ship is hurling toward the planet's cloud obscured surface.

INT.-JUPITER TWO

The windscreen is filled with a RUSHING BLIZZARD.

WEST

Can't get the stabilizers on line.

JOHN

Pull up. Pull up.

WEST

Really? No kidding? Thanks.

WINDSCREEN- CLOSE. The storm clouds suddenly PART TO REVEAL ... A GIANT SNOW COVERED MOUNTAIN RANGE.

Don banks the controls.

EXT.-JUPITER TWO

The ship tilts on its side, passing between two snowy peaks, still plunging towards the planet's wintry surface below.

INT.-JUPITER TWO

WEST

I'm reading a clearing ahead. I'm going to try and make it.

EXT.-PLANET'S SURFACE

The Jupiter Two BLOWS over a carpet of snowy treetops, the canopy of leaves bursting into flames from the friction of the hull.

INT.-JUPITER TWO

The surface is coming up fast.

WEST

Got to slow us down.

EXT.-PLANET'S SURFACE

The Jupiter Two hits the surf ace of the water and skips, once twice, three times across the alien sea.

INT.-JUPITER TWO

WEST

Brace for impact!

The ship SMASHES into a crater miles long, PLOWING through rock and vegetation, finally coming to rest near one of the crater walls.

INT.-JUPITER TWO

Still. Automatic fire systems spray gas everywhere. only the dimmest emergency lights cast any glow.

JOHN

Everybody, by the numbers.

Maureen straightens, rubs her neck.

MAUREEN

Life Sciences, still breathing.

JUDY

Mission medical, I'm alive.

WILL

Me too. Robotics, I mean.

PENNY

Video Mechanics, okay.

SMITH

I'm alive, Major West's poor excuse for piloting skills not withstanding.

WEST

Let's take a look.

Don hits a switch, the windshield de-icing, becoming clear.

PENNY

I don't think we're in Kansas anymore.

REVERSE ANGLE

Before them lies the crater, snow covered floor spreading out towards a distant horizon stained red by two hanging crimson suns.

CHAPTER 15: Follow Orders! --

EXT. -ALIEN LANDSCAPE-NIGHT

The moonless sky is filled with an utterly alien starfield. The Jupiter Two sits near the wall of the crater, its tiny lights fighting the otherworldly darkness.

JOHN (OVER)

You violated a direct order.

INT.-ENGINE ROOM

Cavernous. John and Don stand by the giant drive engines. Don is holding a cylinder containing a mixture of power chips, some glowing with radioactive fire, others dull and charred as coal.

WEST

About half the core material is burned out. We'll never generate enough power to break orbit.

JOHN

I told you not to blow that ship's reactors and you did it anyway.

WEST

Come on, Professor, give it a rest. I was technically still in command.

JOHN

Don't hand me that. I'm commander of this mission.

WEST

Look, no offense, but you're an egghead with an honorary rank. No one ever intended you to handle combat situations. You're spouting some nonsense about- time travel while those spiders posed a continuing threat. I made a judgement call and if I have to I'll make it again. Hell, you of all people should understand that. If your father were here-

JOHN

My father is not here. My father is		dead, killed in one of his combat missions you so admire. My family is		on this ship And you're going to follow my orders. Whether you agree with them or not. Is that clear, Major?

Don's face is right up in John's.

WEST

Save the speeches. I like you. But the fate of the Earth is at stake here. I'm going to do whatever I		think it takes to ensure the success of this mission. With or without your help. Is that clear, Professor?

The two are too close to do anything but kiss or fight. Kissing seems less than likely.

MAUREEN (OVER)

Am I interrupting something?

WIDER. Maureen stands in the doorway.

MAUREEN

No. Really. I think you two should go ahead and slug it out. I mean, here we are stranded on an alien world and you boys want to get into a pissing contest. So please, go for it. I'll		have Judy down here in a heartbeat to		declare you both unfit and I'll take over this mission. Now I don't want to hear another word from you two until you can play nice. Is that clear?

JOHN WEST

Maureen- Listen-

MAUREEN

Not another word.

(a beat)

Better. Now if you've finished hosing down the decks with testosterone, I suggest you come with me. I may have found a way to get us off this planet.

Maureen turns on her heal and EXITS. The two men exchange a look.

WEST

Wow.

JOHN

Tell me about it.

They head after her.

CHAPTER 18: Danger Will! (Out of Sequence in screenplay.)

INT:-WILL'S CABIN

Will sits working over his hacker's deck. (OVER) STATIC.

WILL

Can you hear me? Robot?

Will tunes the deck. More STATIC. Then...

ROBOT

Systems error. Robot unable to register neural net outputs. Unable to locate motor controls. Unable-

WILL

Calm down. Your body was destroyed in the conflict with the space spiders. Do you remember?

ROBOT

Affirmative.

WILL

But I downloaded your neural net.

ROBOT

Robot tried to destroy the Robinson family. Why would Will Robinson save Robot's personality? Your actions do not compute.

WILL

I guess sometimes friendship means acting with your heart, not your head.

ROBOT

Logic error. Friendship does not compute.

WILL

Don't worry, Robot. Im going to build you a new body. I promise.

Will turns to face a pile of pirated components from various par of the ship. He lifts a circular bubble of diodes. Smiles.

WILL

Mom always said I should try to make new friends.

CHAPTER 15: Follow Orders! * return to CHAPTER --

INT.-BRIDGE

Maureen stands at her life sciences station with John and Don.

MAUREEN

The atmosphere here can sustain human life. I've located 500 Rads radioactive material a mile north.

JOHN

That's at least what we'd need to get the core functioning again.

John looks out the viewscreen at the alien night. Turns to Don.

JOHN

We'll set off at daybreak. it'll be safer. Those are my orders, Major.

WEST

I agree with your recommendation, Professor.

MAUREEN

DŽtente is a beautiful thing.

INT.-SICK BAY

Judy examines the lizard monkey. Penny strokes the tiny creature, producing a string of BLIPS.

PENNY

What's the diagnosis, Doc? Is it cowboy or ballerina on Halloween?

JUDY

Right now she's a girl. But I think your little pal here is from a self-replicating species. At		different stages of life she, or he, probably alternates sexes.

PENNY

Imagine the savings on dating outfits alone.

The tiny creature has begun playing with an aural scanner.

PENNY

Can I keep her?

JUDY

Penny, you've never taken care of a thing in your life besides yourself.

PENNY

Please. She's all alone. I promise I'll look after her. She needs me.

JUDY

...The moment you misplace her, or		forget to feed her, we leave her on		this planet where she can live in the wild. I'm not kidding Penny.

And with that Judy EXITS. Penny sits, stroking the tiny creature.

PENNY

We're both a long way from home, aren't we little one?

The creature makes a tiny BLIP.

PENNY

That's what we'll call you. Blip.

Blip reaches out, touches a green ribbon around Penny's wrist.

PENNY

You like that?

Penny takes the ribbon off, ties it around Blip's wrist. Blip looks up, eyes glowing. Penny caresses the tiny creature's cheek.

PENNY

Nice girl. Pretty girl. Nice.

The creature reaches up, touches Penny's cheek. Her tiny tongue trying to imitate Penny's words of comfort.

PULL BACK TO REVEAL

Judy stands, just out of sight, watching her sister, smiling.

CHAPTER 16: Alien World ---

INT.-JUPITER TWO-MED LAB

Don shoves an indignant Smith into the room, adjusts a newly installed security panel in the wall.

SMITH

Remove that lock this instant. I		shall not be caged like some animal

WEST

(lethal)

I gave my word I'd let you live. I never said for how long.

SMITH

These quarters will be fine.

Smith stares at him a beat.

SMITH

Tell me, Major West. Are you really confident in Robinson's ability to guide us? If I were set free, I would support your right to command. With minimal force, we could take this ship and assure this mission continues under your leadership.

WEST

...My God Smith, you're right. How could I have been so blind? I'll just run and get you a gun so we can hijack the ship. Okay?

SMITH

Sarcasm is the recourse of a weak mind.

WEST

I'm hiding the pain. Really.

And with that West leaves.

Smith tries the door. Locked. Then, from one cuff of his field suit, be removes the control belt he stole from the probe ship.

SMITH

I assure you, Major West. Your pain has just begun.

Smith moves about the room, lifting small bits of metal, creating an impromptu set of tools with which to alter the control bolt.

PAN DOWN. HOLD on SMITH'S BACK. Beneath the rend in his suit, the tiny tear in his flesh is now covered with tiny, alien scales.

INT. -BRIDGE-NIGHT

Judy sits in one of the command chairs over a the remains of a meal, sipping water, staring out into the alien night.

WEST (OVER)

Star light, star bright...

JUDY

A million strange stars and only one wish. I wish we were home.

Don comes and sits in the co-pilot's chair beside her.

JUDY

I never thought a sky could look so alien. ...We really are lost.

WEST

When the first sailors circled the globe and saw a brand new sky, they thought they had sailed off the edge of the earth. But they were really just around the corner.

JUDY

(smiles)

We just billow our sails and let the wind blow us home, Is that it Major?

WEST

So those sailors found familiar shapes in the stars to make the skies more friendly, to help them find their way.

Don turns on a monitor below the viewscreen. MONITOR-CLOSE. It shows the star-field above. He lifts a light-tipped stylus.

WEST

That's how constellations were born.

Don begins to draw on the screen, connecting the stars like dots in a children's book. Slowly, a familiar porcine face takes form.

WEST

Porky the wise and mighty Pig.

Judy LAUGHS. She takes the stylus. Begins to draw.

JUDY

The great bucktoothed Bunny... Bugs.

Don smiles. Judy can't help but smile back. Their faces are close.

WEST

So, my quarters or yours?

JUDY

Excuse me?

WEST

We are the only single man and woman of consenting age in the galaxy. How much more of a set up do you need?

JUDY

So you figure just dispense with the pleasantries, get down to business?

WEST

You have a way with words, Doctor.

JUDY

(provocative)

Right here? On this console?

Don moves his face to hers, only a breath apart.

WEST

Here would be fine.

Judy smiles sweetly.

DON-CLOSE. Lips parting. Suddenly water begins to pour down over his head. His eyes open wide. Judy holds her empty glass in hand.

JUDY

Next time, fly slower.

She rises, walks off, leaving Don mopping his brow.

INT.-JOHN & MAUREEN'S QUARTERS

Maureen sits on the edge of her bed brushing her hair as John activates the automated security systems.

JOHN

What was I thinking, bringing us all out here into space?

MAUREEN

The world needed saving. You were the right man for the job.

JOHN

But solving the world's problems doesn't leave much time for the people you love, does it?

MAUREEN

Did you get any time with Will?

JOHN

Now he's decided he can rebuild the robot. Wants to show me his designs. I've got too much to do-

MAUREEN

Funny creatures, men. You try so hard not to be your fathers, end up making the same mistakes. Will adores you. He needs your attention.

JOHN

We can't get off this planet much less back on course. I don't have time to...

MAUREEN

John, just listen to him. it doesn't matter what he's saying. Just listen. Sometimes, at least in the eyes of 		their fathers, little boys have to come first.

JOHN

As soon as we get back into space, we're going to spend some real time together. I promise.

Maureen looks out the window. A long beat. Then she smiles.

JOHN

What?

MAUREEN

It's nice to have our family under one roof. Even if we had to go half way across the galaxy to manage it.

John presses a button, the blast shield opening to reveal the stacked orbs of three glowing moons. Maureen smiles.

JOHN

How would you feel about a little late night tutorial, Professor?

John moves to her, begins pulling her down, out of FRAME.

MAUREEN

Mm. That's new. What are you doing?

JOHN

Going for extra credit.

EXT.-JUPITER TWO-NIGHT

The ship sits on the alien landscape.

MAUREEN (OVER)

Good night John.

JOHN (OVER)

Good night Maureen.

WILL (OVER)

Good night Judy.

PENNY (OVER)

Good night Will.

JUDY (OVER)

Good night Penny.

WEST (OVER)

You guys have got to be kidding.

CHAPTER 17: The Core

INT.-JUPITER TWO-BRIDGE-MORNING

Will comes up on the elevator, rubbing his eyes, first awake in the morning. He stumbles to the viewscreen.

WILL-CLOSE. His eyes widen with shock.

WILL

Oh man.

REVERSE ANGLE

A giant portal shimmers at snow's edge about 100 yards from the ship. Beyond it, a sun-stained field of towering plants and trees.

INT.-BRIEFING ROOM

The crew gathers at the table. (OVER) a RUMBLING. The ship shakes.

PENNY

What are those rumblings? They've been happening all morning.

JUDY

How can half the landscape have grown up overnight?

JOHN

Okay, let's get settled. Maureen?

MAUREEN'S MONITOR-CLOSE. A geothermal analysis shows the giant plates that make up this world appear mismatched.

MAUREEN

It's impossible. But this planet's geothermic plates don't match up.

JOHN

I was afraid of this.

Al1 eyes turn to John.

JOHN

I think these tremors are the result of opening and closing doorways.

PENNY

Doorways to where?

JOHN

The future.

SMITH

Perhaps the Professor was hit on the head when we landed.

JOHN

Remember the portal that lead us to the probe ship? What if we crossed a		into a time years after Earth sent a rescue mission.

WEST

You're not serious? Time travel is impossible.

WILL No it's not. It's just improbable. Like hyperdrive was a hundred years ago. Nothing's really impossible.

JOHN

This world could be riddled with doorways to the future.

WILL

So if we walk into that forest outside, we're really just walking into this crater years from now.

MAUREEN

Geological plates from different times wouldn't fit together. That would explain the tectonic mismatch. But doorways in time, John?

JOHN

If these portals are opening and closing, part of some cascading, natural phenomenon, they could be 		tearing this planet apart

WILL

These portals are exactly what I predicted my time machine would do. What if the doorways aren't natural? A machine that bends space, like our hyperdrive, could be modified to bend time as well. What if someone on this world has built a device?

JOHN

Son, I appreciate your input but now isn't the time for flights of fancy.

WILL

You never listen to me. Not ever.

And with that Will storms out. John stares after him a beat, sorely wanting to follow. (OVER) another RUMBLE.

JOHN

There's no telling how long before this planet breaks up entirely.

(rising).

Don and I are going to locate the radioactive material for the core. Get the ship ready to go. We may have very little time.

INT. -BRIDGE

John, suited up, heads for the open front hatch when he spots Will sitting alone in the Com chair, tinkering with his deck.

JOHN

Aren't you coming out to say goodbye?

Will just shakes his head.

WILL

You're always leaving. What if...

Will looks away, finally giving voice to his worst fear.

WILL

What if one time you don't come home...

John stares at his son, unsure what to say, the boy's anguish so deep and apparent. He reaches into his shirt, takes off his dog tags.

JOHN

Whenever your grandfather went away on a mission, held leave these with me. For safe keeping. And when he got home I d always be waiting to give them back.

He lifts the chain and places it around the boy's neck.

JOHN

I'm coming back Will. I promise.

Will is silent. John touches the boy's hair, then walks out. A beat. Will looks up after his father, fingering the dog tags.

EXT.-JUPITER TWO

The Robinsons, all except Will, stand-gathered around the front of the ship. Don has a small tracking device in his hand.

WEST

I've got a fix on the radioactive material. It's through the portal.

JOHN

We'll just have to hope the doorways remain stable.

JUDY

These crater walls are disabling the com-links. You won't be able to communicate with the ship.

(OVER) the ground shakes again.

Maureen

Come home to me, Professor.

JOHN

I love you, wife.

John kisses her. Don looks at Judy.

JUDY

I'm going to regret saying this, But try to get back in one piece.

WEST

This is kind of a kiss for luck occasion, wouldn't you agree, Doc?

JUDY

See. I'm regretting it already.

(coy)

Kisses have to be earned. Say goodbye, Blip.

Blip reaches up and touches John's face. Then her CHIRPS form a rough approximation of the words Penny taught her.

BLIP

Nice girl. Pretty girl. Nice.

JOHN

You take care of her, Penny.

(kisses her head)

Take care of you too, baby.

Then the two men bead off, towards the portal and forest beyond.

PULL BACK TO REVEAL

Smith stares out the cabin window. PUSH IN as

INT.-SMITH'S CELL

SMITH

Yes, enjoy your moments of trite familial bonding.

He turns, heads back to his table, transformed now, into a makeshift lab, the stolen control bolt in mid-modification.

SMITH

Because they will be your last.

INT.-WILL'S CABIN

The beginnings of Will's home-made robot sits on the table. WILL is in the f.g. riffling his PERSONAL CARGO container.

Penny ENTERS, an assortment of small electronic devices, hairclips, and other metal and electronic objects. Dumps them on the table.

PENNY

That's everything even close to nonessential. Even my bellybutton ring.

WILL

Thanks, Pen.

PENNY

You want to come on a land survey?

But Will just shakes his head, sulky.

PENNY

Look, what does dad know? Maybe someone did build a time machine.

She ruffles his hair. Disappears. Will activates a CPU speaker.

ROBOT

Robot is on line.

(OVER) a KNOCKING has begun. WILL looks up, puzzled.

WILL

It sounds like old morse code.

Chapter 18: Danger Will!

INT.-CORRIDOR

Will walks down the corridor. (OVER) The KNOCKING continues. Will follows the SOUND until he comes to the door of Smith's prison.

Smith is visible through the door window, sitting at a table, hammering out the code with his boot. He beckons Will inside.

Will shakes his head. Smith begins TAPPING again.

WILL

(sounding out the code)

Danger.

INT.-SMITH'S CELL

The door slides open and Will ENTERS, a laser pistol in hand.

WILL

You said someone is in danger.

SMITH

We all are. You are wise to arm yourself.

Smith eyes the weapon, moving towards the boy.

WILL

This gun is set to fire for me only so don't try anything funny.

Smith barely misses a beat as he adjusts, passing the child, going instead to the window and opening the blast shield.

SMITH

William, you misjudge me. I only want to help you.

WILL

Help us? You tried to kill us all.

SMITH

But now our fates are intertwined. if		your father and that idiot West fail, I will have no chance of getting home. It is in my best interests they succeed. And I always follow my best interests.

Smith gazes out at the exotic terrain. (OVER) an inhuman WAIL.

SMITH

What monsters roam these alien wilds? Fools. To set off blindly across this savage land. Much as I hate to admit it, it will be harder to manage without them.

WILL

What are you talking about? They'll be back. They'll be okay.

Smith is silent. A long, lethal beat.

WILL

Someone should go after them.

SMITH

Will, I forbid it. You're a boy. A		clever one, certainly, but a child nonetheless. This planet is likely full of predators. Even if you found them, what if they're hurt, ravaged, dying, what good could you do?

WILL

But you're a doctor.

Smith turns away, hiding his smile.

EXT.-JUPITER TWO-DAY

Judy and Maureen are hanging on repelling lines before the crater wall, shipping away ore that glitters like diamonds.

JUDY

It's impossible.

MAUREEN

Not really. Geologists have speculated that Dimondium might be		naturally occurring in many older worlds. Part of a biosphere's way of rejuvenating itself.

JUDY

This one is ten times more powerful then that on Alpha Prime. There's enough here to save Earth.

Penny stands in the f.g. with Blip on her arm, taking plant samples, talking into her video recorder.

PENNY

After much deliberation, the Space Captive has decided to accept her new role as member of the crew. The Robinsons, after all, can obviously use her help...

Blip jumps up on Penny's arm, knocking her recorder to the ground.

PENNY

(flaring)

Now look what you've done. Stop hanging all over me.

Blip stares at her, frightened by her tone, begins backing away to the edge of the forest. She looks at Penny, then disappears into the thick brush..

PENNY

Blip. Wait. I'm sorry. Damn.

Penny heads after the creature. HOLD on her recorder. Forgotten.

CHAPTER 19: A Different Future --

EXT.-PLANET'S SURFACE-DAY

Will and Smith are walking down a forest path. The boy has a radiation tracker in his hand.

WILL

I've got a fix on Dad's suit beacon.

Dead ahead is a field of beautiful, alien flowers, their purple leaves moving in the wind like an azure sea.

WILL

Wow, that's Mom's favorite color.

SMITH

How droll.

(OVER) a tremendous RUMBLING. The WIND ROARS. Suddenly, the air in the distance begins to twist, a rushing distortion sweeping towards them, flowers growing, landscape aging rapidly within.

SMITH

Run, child, run.

Smith turns, begins to flee, pulling Will with him, away from the rushing warp. Smith trips, falls, closes his eyes, waiting for the distortion to overtake him. A beat. He opens his eyes.

SMITH-POV. A glowing, stationary portal shimmers behind him, revealing beyond a forest ever older, darker, more overgrown.

SMITH

Will? Will?

No sign of the boy. Then, from behind a tree, Will appears.

WILL

Wow!

The field across the portal has is now a mass of giant plants, the flowers a deep red. Will rushes across the rip in space.

SMITH

William, wait!

WILL

See, over here I'm in the future.

(steps back towards Smith)

Here I'm in the past. Don't worry. If my theories are correct, these doorways should remain stable, for a while anyway.

SMITH

I can barely contain my glee. Why aren't you aging like the plants?

WILL

That's just an effect of the portals forming. Once they stabilize you can cross from one time to another just like stepping between two rooms.

(off his tracker)

Dad's signal is this way. Come on, Doctor Smith.

Will takes Smith's hand, pulls him across the threshold.

SMITH-POV. Where he stands is now lush, the sky overhead a glowing crimson. Yet behind him, the path in as it originally appeared. Younger. The sky, bright. Will has run deeper into the brush.

Smith notices something by his feet. He clears away the brush, revealing shapes beneath the foliage. His expression darkens.

WILL (OVER)

What did you find?

Will has returned.

SMITH

Come, come, son, no time for distractions. Let's move on.

Smith shoves Will on, the boy unable to see what Smith saw.

PAN DOWN. Headstones. Each bears a marking, the names still legible. Maureen, Penny and Judy Robinson.

EXT.-PLANET'S SURFACE-DAY-PRES

John and Don emerge from the brush. They have come to one of the crater walls. John looks from the rock face to his tracker.

JOHN

Damn.

WEST

Damn? Damn is not good.

JOHN

The radiation signature we've been tracking. it's a ghost. A		reflection from the Jupiter Two bouncing off the ore in these walls. There's no core material here.

(OVER) a sudden RUMBLING. The ground shakes. The ROAR of WIND. A time portal rushes towards them like a glittering maw, the side of the crater aging and crumbling in it's wake.

John and Don race away from the distortion, ducking falling trees, roll clear as the portal stabilizes, now a fixed doorway to a darker, more deserted future.

JOHN

The ship's back that way. we have to go through.

EXT.-BRUSH-DAY-PRESENT

Penny is pushing through the forest.

PENNY

Blip? I'm sorry. Blip?

She spots the tiny creature ahead in the distance. Blip SNIFFS the ground, runs a few steps. SNIFFS again. Looks up. There, before Blip is another glittering hole in time. The forest beyond is far thicker, the sky red. Blip steps through the portal.

PENNY

Blip, wait.

Penny goes to the edge of the portal, stares at the monstrously tall trees beyond. A beat. Then she steps through, following.

EXT.-CRATER CAVES-FUTURE

Penny pushes through dwindling brush to a series of rocky overhangs and caverns cut into the crater wall.

BLIP is standing over a large circular stone, hopping up and down, CHIRPING and BLIPPING madly.

PENNY

Blip, you can't run off like that.

(closing on the stone)

What the-?

THE STONE-CLOSE. A series of hieroglyphs are painted on the giant rock, their images the same style as those on the probe ship.

HIEROGLYPH ONE-CLOSE. A mighty battle in space is depicted.

PENNY (OVER)

Some kind of fight, in space. It		almost looks like the probe ship Major West blew up.

HIEROGLYPH TWO-CLOSE. A fiery star falls to the planet's surface.

PENNY

That could be the Jupiter Two crash landing.

HIEROGLYPH THREE-CLOSE. Here a dark haired beauty holds a single lizard monkey aloft, her face remarkably like Penny's.

Suddenly BLIP begins to SHRIEK. (OVER) RUSTLING leaves.

SHAPES are moving in the trees, the vague outline of camouflaged forms dropping to the ground. Five figures suddenly de-camouflage. Lizard monkeys, two large, two smaller.

Directly in front of Penny, the largest monkey de-camouflages. Fully grown, the beast is nearly twice Penny's height. Around the creature's wrist is something odd. An old, tattered green ribbon.

BLIP begins to SCREAM and SHRIEK.

PENNY

Blip, no!

Too late. Blip leaps on the giant creature, grabs the ribbon. The beast could slap Blip away like a fly. But the creature doesn't resist, just stares down at Blip with something akin to tenderness.

Blip looks at the ribbon in his hand. Then at the one around her wrist. Save for their age difference., the ribbons are identical.

The giant monkey moves forward, closing on a petrified Penny, paw reaching out, touching her face. The beast begins stroking Penny's cheek in a familiar gesture of comfort.

GIANT BLIP

Nice girl. Pretty girl. Nice.

Penny stares up in stunned wonder.

EXT.-PLANET'S SURFACE-EVENING-FUTURE

Don and John are crossing the brush. The terrain in growing ever more desolate, desert like. The double suns hang on the horizon.

JOHN

We should be able to see the ship.

Something catches the light on the ground beside them. Don reaches down and lifts a small metal fragment in his hand.

METAL-CLOSE. On it is the familiar logo of the United Space Agency.

WEST

Could these be from the probe?

JOHN

Corroded. This metal is decades old.

Don finds another piece of wreckage, turns it over in his hand.

WEST

It's not possible.

WRECKAGE-CLOSE. The fragment bears a simple legend: Jupiter Two.

WEST

What kind of nightmare is this? Where the hell are we?

JOHN

No, Major, when the hell are we?

Suddenly Don is hit in the chest with a plasma charge, goes flying. John ducks and rolls, FIRING his laser from behind the cover of a rocky mound. John goes up to take another SHOT, is bit with a powerful electrical blast, falling hard. Still.

REVERSE ANGLE

Rolling out from behind him, claws extended in attack Position and apparently many years old, is a rebuilt Robot.

EXT.-PLANET'S SURFACE-EVENING-FUTURE

Will and Smith are crossing the alien terrain. The plants have given way to desert. The suns hang low in the crimson sky.

WILL

I feel like we got turned around.

SMITH

Just follow your father's signal, young William.

WILL

Oh shit.

SMITH

A boy of your intelligence shouldn't swear.

WILL

(pointing)

Look.

SMITH

Oh. Shit, indeed.

REVERSE ANGLE. At the edge of the crater wall sits the wrecked hull of the Jupiter Two. The lower sections are gone, the hull scarred, open to the sun.

CUT TO:

JOHN-CLOSE. Stirring to consciousness.

WIDER

INT.-JUPITER TWO BRIDGE-FUTURE

Or what is left of it. Dark. The occasional COMPUTER panel flickers Shattered monitors. An awful history-told in torn metal. John is slumped in a corner, Don still on the floor beside him.

VOICE (OVER)

Well, well. All things really do come to he who waits.

A FIGURE sits in the command chair, visage obscured by shadow.

JOHN

What is this place?

FIGURE

Why Professor, the shock must have scrambled your brain. Look around you. Don't you recognize the spot? You've come home.

JOHN

This can't be...

But even as the words cross his lips, he knows it is.

JOHN

What have you done to the ship. ...Where's my family?

FIGURE Your family is dead. Dead and in the ground.

JOHN

No!

FIGURE

What fickle consort in memory. Time dims certain images while others shine clear and bright as yesterday.

The figure stands, light hitting his face. Late thirties. Long blond hair, a shaggy beard and moustache. Eerily familiar.

FIGURE

I'll never forget that morning. Twenty years ago. What was it you said? I'll be back. I promise. But I knew better. You never came home.

The figure walks to one of the burned out panels.

FIGURE

Without you, your family never had a chance. A few spidersv survived the destruction of the probe ship. They reached the planet and attacked. I can still hear the women scream.

JOHN

Who are you?

The figure walks forward, into the light. Stands there a moment. Then he lifts something hanging around his neck. Tarnished metal, old but familiar. John's father's dog tags.

FIGURE

Don't you recognize me, Dad? It's me. I'm your son. Will.

EXT.-CRATER CAVES-DAY

Maureen and Judy, lasers drawn, are pushing through the brush.

JUDY

Penny? Penny?

The four lizard monkeys are kneeling in a circle around Penny.

MAUREEN

Penny? Baby, are you alright?

Penny rises, steps forward, carrying Blip. The other beasts hang back, their faces genuflecting, almost reverential.

PENNY

It's okay, Mom. They're not going to hurt us. it's like they think I'm their princess or something.

CUT TO:

EXT.-CRATER CAVES -EVENING-FLITURE

Judy is examining the palm of the largest beast as Maureen scrutinizes the images graven into the giant stone.

JUDY

Best as I can tell this whole clan was spawned by this single creature.

(to the beast)

We've been a busy girl haven't we? But...

MAUREEN

Speak, doctor.

JUDY

Each creature seems to have unique corpuscular patterns on their palms. As individual an fingerprints, no two alike. Except...

MAUREEN

Except the prints on this giant creature and our little Blip match exactly. Don't they?

JUDY

How did you know?

MAUREEN

Because, I think Blip and our friend here are actually one and the same.

Penny and Judy stare at her in wonder.

INT.-JUPITER TWO-ENGINE ROOM-FUTURE

The Robot, shoving John with one claw, carrying Don in the other, follows Older Will into the giant room.

OLDER WILL

Father, I give you ... eternity.

WIDER

War torn and pirated. A pit of molten lava bursts through the floor above which floats a giant ball of silvery liquid held suspended by the pulsing field of the hyper-drive. Tendrils of fire strain towards the bubble. As they EXPLODE into the silver liquid, images form within the sphere, nearly coherent, then gone.

A tracked gantry stretches from the floor, leading out over the bubble. At the end of the track a crow's-nest of COMPUTERS SHOOTS a single laser down into the center of the bubble.

WEST

(coming to)

. . .ouch. Who ordered me that last drink? What the hell is going on?

JOHN

I think we crossed into our own future. We've come back to the Jupiter Two decades after we left.

OLDER WILL

Look father, what my flights of fancy have wrought. I used your hypergate to build my time machine.

Will moves to a control console at the base of the giant gantry.

OLDER WILL

Over the years I have struggled in		vain to harness the awesome power of time. All my experiments at creating a stable doorway have been futile. Until now. Today you will witness my ultimate triumph.

Will hits a button. A generator opens, revealing a glowing cylinder of core material incrementally descending into the console.

WEST

The core material. if we could get that back to our Jupiter Two...

JOHN

The doorways in time that led us		here must be a side effect of his machine coming on line. Like streams running into the ocean....

OLDER WILL

Once this core material in fully introduced into the control console, I will open a doorway stable enough for one person to take one trip through time and space as well. Today, I will change history.

Will turns a switch on the control console. (OVER) More TREMORS. The laser beam's intensity grown, and in the corridor cut by the beam into the bubble images begins to stabilize. Images of Earth.

OLDER WILL

I will return home, to the very day you took us on this cursed mission. I'll stop us from taking off. I'll do what you never could. I'll save the family. I'll save us all.

JOHN

Look around. Your machine is ripping		 this planet apart. What if the force wave you ride home has the same effect on Earth? What if, in getting home, you destroy Earth in the process?

A beat. Then Will turns away, goes back to work.

OLDER WILL

I'm going home. I'm going to save the family.

JOHN

Will, I'm your father. You've got to listen to me-.

OLDER WILL

Let me tell you about my father. My father was a walking ghost. Never there when I needed him. He dragged his family into deep dark space and lost them there. My father is not coming to the rescue.

CHAPTER 20: Spiders Sting -

EXT.-ALIEN PLAnet-EVENING-FUTURE

Will and Smith are closing on the battered ship. Smith puts his hand on the boy's arm, holding him back.

WILL

We've got to go inside.

SMITH

Slow down, now. We can't know what waits inside that ravaged craft. But we can be confidant it is nothing good. And I for one am frightened.

WILL

But Dad's in there.

SMITH

Will, listen to me. I have crossed this world with you, found your father as promised. But I can't let you go in there unarmed.

WILL

But I've got a gun.

SMITH

If we go forward, the barer of that weapon must be ready to kill. Murder is a skill, one which I have developed and, luckily dear boy, you have not. Look inside your heart, Will. Are you truly capable of taking a life? If not, then I ask you now, put your faith in me. Give me your trust. Give me that gun.

Will stares him. Pulls free the pistol. Thumbs the lock pad.

WILL

Enable gun for all users.

GUN

Voiceprint confirmed.

Will hands Smith the gun.

SMITH

Finally.

Smith grabs Will by the neck, pressing the barrel to his temple.

SMITH

A brief lesson in survival on this world or any other. Never trust anyone. Remember it into your old age, should you have one.

(shoving him forward)

Now move!

INT.-JUPITER TWO-ENGINE ROOM-FUTURE

John stands facing older Will. Don is in the b.g., edging towards the control panel and the descending core material.

JOHN

We can go back across the portals to		the past, to the functioning Jupiter Two, where your mother and sisters are still alive. We can use this core material to escape together.

OLDER WILL

And then what? All of us lost in space. Don't you see? I can do what you never could. I can save us all.

Don has edged his way to the descending core material.

SMITH (OVER)

I'm afraid not.

Through the doorway comes young Will, Smith walking behind him, hand on his shoulder, gun to his head.

SMITH

Never fear. Smith is here.

JOHN

Will, I. ..

SMITH

Don't move, Professor Robinson or		this rather peculiar family reunion will be tragically brief.

(off Don)

I'll ask you to step away from that console, Major.

Don stares at him a beat. Then obliges, walking over to join John. Smith approaches the Robot.

SMITH

Well, well, some of us just don't know when to stay dead.

Smith goes into his tunic and removes his modified control bolt.

SMITH

I borrowed this from the probe ship in hopes of taking over the helm once we were in flight. But I seem to have found a better use instead.

Smith slaps the bolt on the Robot's CPU. The automaton's arms go up, then fall limp. Docile.

SMITH

Let's try this dance again. You are the puppet. I am the puppeteer. Do get it right this time.

Smith activates the bolt. The Robot powers up once again.

SMITH

Robot, enable electric disrupters.

The Robot's claws begin to glow with electricity. Smith smiles.

SMITH

Now that's a good gargantuan.

Smith walks to Older Will, puts the gun to his head.

SMITH

Say goodbye to your past. You're future lies with me. I'm going home in your place.

Smith starts to pull Older Will away when Will comes forward, staring at the time machine, eyes wide with awe.

WILL

You did it. Just like I imagined. Re-routed the hypercore. But the natural power source, the delivery system. I never thought of those.

Older Will's smile is bittersweet as he places his hand on his younger self. Touches his hair.

OLDER WILL

You will. The future is never what it looks like when you're ten.

SMITH

Heartwarming. Nauseatingly sentimental but heartwarming.

Smith shoves the boy back to his father, turns to Older Will.

SMITH

We certainly could have aged better, I must say Now, show me how your little time machine works.

But Will just smiles.

SMITH

An odd moment for mirth, don't you think? What are you grinning at?

OLDER WILL

Look around you, Doctor. At this hostile world. Do you really think a boy could have survived all alone?

SMITH-CLOSE. Puzzled. Unseen, the boulder behind him seems to be moving, shifting. A VOICE comes, alien, yet terrifyingly familiar.

VOICE (OVER)

Never fear, Smith is here.

The shape behind him unfolds, coming up now, long spindled arms and legs, ten feet tall, a hybrid monster, half spider, half Smith.

SPIDER SMITH

Hello, Doctor, how nice to see me again after all these years.

Smith stands petrified as the creature approaches him on spindled legs, goes down on its second knee joints, coming eye to eye.

SPIDER SMITH

The spider's sting had some unexpected side effects.

Spider Smith flexes his three jointed arm.

SPIDER SMITH

But my unique gifts gave me an advantage in this quarrelsome world.

Spider Smith reaches out and caresses Will's cheek. Turns to John.

SPIDER SMITH

After the women were savaged, I became the father Will never had.

He grabs Smith's arms and begins to move him about like a marionette, engaging in a bizarre dance with himself.

SPIDER SMITH

(bending him)

But you, Doctor. Your crude ambition fills me with self-loathing.

(twisting him)

You see I have looked within me and what I see is you.

With that Spider Smith lifts Smith over his head and hurls him like torpedo through a torn hole in the hull, towards the rocks beyond.

SPIDER SMITH

I never liked me, anyway.

Spider Smith turns to face the Robot.

SPIDER SMITH

Kill them all.

OLDER WILL

No.

SPIDER SMITH

But my dear boy, once the doorway in		time stabilizes, this planet is going to come apart at the seams.

Smith throws the back of one hand over his forehead in a parody of a twenties starlet.

SPIDER SMITH

I am willing to perish here on this world for the sake of your most noble mission. But your selfish father will only try to stop you.

His head comes forward, neck elongating so he faces WILL.

SPIDER SMITH

Once your mission is complete, none of this will have happened anyway. So why not just dispose of them?

But Will's gaze is impassive. Spider Smith actually SIGHS.

SPIDER SMITH

Very well. Robot, take them inside the ship and keep them there. If they move, then kill them.

ECT.-CRATER CAVES-FUTURE

Maureen and Judy are examining the heiroglyph stone. The ground shakes. Birds SCREAM. (OVER) RUMBLING.

MAUREEN

We've got to get to the ship. Penny?

She turns. The clearing is empty. No Blips. No Penny. Blip runs cut before them, grabs Maureen's hand, trying to pull her forward.

MAUREEN

Where is she, girl?

In Blip's hand, a mass of colored ribbons from Penny's wrists. Blip waves them in the air, then races off. A beat. The women follow.

INT.-JUPITER TWO-ENGINE ROOM-FUTURE

The pulse laser is increasing its intensity, the corridor of images in the bubble stabilizing. The TREMORS are increasing in frequency.

PAN DOWN

Spider Smith stands with Will, watching as the Robot shepherds the crew towards the body of the ship.

SPIDER SMITH

Well, it would seem the time is upon us. Off we go, William.

Spider Smith starts climbing the gantry, truly like a spider, up towards the bridge and crows nest hanging over the bubble.

Will walks to the control console platform, the platform now beginning to rise on the gantry, towards the bridge above.

JOHN-POV. Something hangs from below the climbing Spider Smith's back. It's an egg pouch of the kind they saw on the probe ship log.

JOHN

(shouting)

Will, it's a trick. Smith's carrying an egg sack. If he's willing to stay on this world and die, why is he about to spawn? He's going through the portal himself.

The Robot FIRES a charge between its claws.

ROBOT

Proceed to the ship or be destroyed.

ON THE RISING CONTROL PLATFORM.

OLDER WILL-CLOSE. Frowns.

Suddenly, Smith's head drops INTO FRAME. The creature is hanging upside-down. He smiles.

SPIDER SMITH

Hurry, boy. Time waits for no man.

EXT.-GANTRY SYSTEM-WIDE SHOT

The platform bearing Will reaches the top of the gantry and begins moving out across the bridge towards the crows-nest.

INT.-JUPITER TWO-ENGINE ROOM CONTROL PLATFORM-FUTURE

Spider Smith drops into place beside Older Will as the control platform comes to a stop on the crow's-nest.

The core cylinder continues sinking into the console. Smith looks out over the platform. Beneath them, imagine of infinity flicker.

SPIDER SMITH

It's almost time. I really am a word-smith.

OLDER WILL

Once the core cylinder is fully injected, the planet will begin to		come apart and the time doorway will stabilize. Then I jump in.

SPIDER SMITH

A leap of faith. How fitting.

TIME BUBBLE-CLOSE. In the circle made by the laser, the images are not yet stable, but discernable. Earth the day before the launch.

OLDER WILL

Tell me again, old monster, how did the girls die?

SPIDER SMITH

We've been over this before, son. The spiders attacked the ship

OLDER WILL

In all the years since, the spiders have never re-surfaced. Why?

Smith stares at him. Then he smiles. A horrible sight.

SPIDER SMITH

Let's forget the past.

Will turns a switch. The laser generated aperture narrows.

SPIDER SMITH

What are you doing?

OLDER WILL

Focusing the aperture. Remember, the energy around the portal will rip a man to pieces.

SPIDER SMITH

Isn't the doorway too small?

OLDER WILL

Not for me.

(a beat)

But then I'm not going, am I? The spiders didn't kill the girls. It was you. I just never let myself see it. You kept me alive because you needed me. Because I could build this for you. You killed my family. Destroyed this world. And I helped. You became mad as the spiders. ...And I became you.

SPIDER SMITH

Poor, poor boy. Did you really think I would let you go home? Let all that I have become vanish? Look at me. I am no mere man. I am a God.

Spider Smith opens his pouch, revealing a thousand tiny spiders.

SPIDER SMITH

Your father was right. Within me		roil the growing needs of a master race. We WILL descend upon helpless Earth. An entire planet to rule.

His arm whips out, grabbing Will, bringing him close, opens his mouth, bearing venomous fangs.

SPIDER SMITH

An entire planet on which to feed.

INT.-MODIFIED JUPITER TWO-FUTURE

John and Don talk in the holding area. The Robot stands guard. (OVER) the TREMORS are increasing in frequency.

WEST

I'll run, draw his fire. You may have time to get away with Will.

ROBOT (OVER)

Halt or Robot will destroy.

The men look up. In the b.g., Will has approached the Robot.

WILL

Do you remember what I taught you. A long time ago. About friendship?

ROBOT

Friendship means acting with your heart not your head.

WILL

That's why I rebuilt you. Because I wanted us to be friends.

ROBOT

Logic error. Friendship does not compute.

WILL

Forget logic. Act with your heart.

ROBOT

Robot has no heart. Robot is powered by a fusion pulse generator

WILL

Every living thing has a heart.

The Robot stares at him a beat.

ROBOT

Any attempts to override command protocols may result in fused processors in my neural net.

The floor trembles again. The planet is coming apart at the seams.

WILL

Please, Robot, if you don't let us go, we're all going to die. I'm asking you now, will you help us? Will you be my friend?

The Robot stands still a beat. Then he reaches towards Smith's control bolt attached firmly on his CPU.

ROBOT

Robot attempting to deactivate control bolt-commands overriddenattempting to		reroute-dangercircuitry overloadattempting to escape-kill them, kill them...

The Robot's claws lift into attack position, an electrical charge building with dangerous intensity. He is about to fire.

At the last minute, the Robot jerks his hand upward, BLOWING away a piece of the ceiling. He rips off the control bolt.

WILL

You did it.

ROBOT

Robot will save ... I will save Will Robinson. I will save my friend.

CHAPTER 21: Time to Die!

EXT.-FOREST-DAY-PRESENT

Penny and Maureen chase a frantic Blip through the portal back into the daylight of the present. Here, too, the world RUMBLES.

MAUREEN

(shouting )

Penny? Penny?

Penny stands in front of the Jupiter Two, beckoning them urgently.

MAUREEN

Where did you go?

PENNY

I came through the forest. I had a promise I had to keep.

Before Maureen can respond the ground RUMBLES, begins crumbling.

JUDY

Inside. Fast.

INT.-JUPITER TWO BRIDGE-FUTURE

Don, John, Will and the Robot stand at the open hatch. Outside, the ground RUMBLES.

JOHN

You've got find your way back to the ship. The portals may still be stable. I'll try to meet you there.

WEST

What do you mean?

JOHN

I'm going to get that core material. It's our only chance to escape.

WEST

I'll stay. The family needs their father

JOHN

The crew needs their pilot. No		matter what happens, when the planet starts to break up you take off.

WEST

Without the core we'll never have enough power to make orbit.

JOHN

You've got to try. Promise me, Don.

A beat. Then Don extends his hand.

WEST

Good luck. Commander.

Just then Will and the Robot arrive.

JOHN

Will. Son. I want you to know-

WILL

(fighting tears)

You'll tell me when you get back to the ship. Now there just isn't time.

John bites back a bittersweet smile. (OVER) another RUMBLING.

JOHN

I could use a weapon.

The Robot extends his claw. A panel opens on his arm and he tears out a hand-made component. A conduit made from Will's golden first prize medals, joined together to make a jagged star.

ROBOT

Professor, I have a plan.

INT.-JUPITER TWO-ENGINE ROOM CONTROL PLATFORM-FuTURE

Spider Smith has Will against the rail.

SPIDER SMITH

Time to die, son.

OLDER WILL

I'm not your son.

And with that Will SMASHES Spider Smith in the face with two closed lists. Smith recoils, lifts the boy aver his head.

SPIDER SMITH

Goodbye.

Smith hurls Will over the rail towards the time pool below.

The creature walks to the end of the arm, stares at the forming aperture into the past below him.

PORTAL-CLOSE. Images of the day before the mission launch swirl in the laser-generated opening, growing ever more stable.

WIDER

Will is hanging over the time bubble, unconscious and unseen, dangling from the gantry by a flashing chain around his neck.

CHAPTER 22: Time Travel ---

EXT:-PLANET'S SURFACE-EVENING-FUTURE

Don and the Robot, Will riding his back, navigate the terrain alongside the ravaged hull of the Jupiter Two.

WILL

Look.

On the ground, crumpled in a heap, is Smith. Don checks his pulse.

WEST

(disappointed)

Damn. He's still breathing.

(OVER) the rushing WIND. RUMBLING. A portal opens before them to a far younger world. Then another portal, to a world far older. A third portal RIPS across the sky overhead.

WILL

The time machine must be near full power. The portals are collapsing.

WEST

Which one leads us home?

More portals are opening around them, others winking shut.

WILL

There.

Through a new rip in time, the intact Jupiter Two can be seen in relief of the battered future craft. The ground beneath their feet is beginning to give way.

WILL

We can't just leave him here.

WEST

Sure we can.

(off WILL's stare)

Damn it.

(slapping the Doctor)

Smith. Wake up. Smith.

SMITH

(coming to)

Oh, the pain, the pain.

ROBOT

Danger. Will Robinson. Danger.

The PORTAL is beginning to shimmer. The ground starts to fall away.

WEST

Jump!

Don hurls Smith through, Will, the Robot and West darting across the threshold just as the portal winks closed.

EXT. -FOREST- PRESENT

The trees are bursting into flames an Will, Don, the Robot and Smith emerge from the woods. Race forwards towards...

PULL BACK TO REVEAL

INT.-JUPITER TWO-BRIDGE-PRESENT

The women are powering up the ship. The men are visible through the windscreen. Outside, the ground in beginning to crumble.

PENNY

Mom, the forest.

Penny opens the air lock. Maureen holds close her son. Steps back.

MAUREEN

Where's John?

WEST

The portal closed behind us. It was his only way back.

MEE GROUND-CLOSE. A geyser of fire BLOWS into the air.

WEST

We've got to try and lift off.

MAUREEN

We've already begun the pre-flight countdown. You have the Com.

(off Don's expression)

I'm going to save as many lives as I can, Major. Now strap in.

INT.-JUPITER TWO-ENGINE ROOM CONTROL PLATFoRm-FUTURE

(OVER) TREMORS. More lava is rushing up towards the mercury, the walls themselves beginning to crack.

SMITH opens a gate at the end of the crow's-nest and a gang plank unfolds above the doorway in time.

JOHN (OVER)

Not so fast.

WIDER

John stands on the platform behind Smith, fighting star in hand, slashes for his face. Smith moves fast, knocking the star to the gantry bridge with his arm. John leaps on Smith, using his fists.

JOHN

You sabotaged our mission.

(hook)

You killed my family

(jab)

You stole my son. It's payback time.

Smith's head moves from each impact, but the punches have no effect. It smiles. Grabs John and hurls him across the platform.

SPIDER SMITH

Spare me the fury of the righteous.

The monster leans down over John. Opens its jaw.

SPIDER SMITH

I think there's time for a snack before my trip.

John's hand is reaching towards the fallen fighting star. At the last moment John grabs the metal weapon from the catwalk, slashes Smith across the face, silver-red blood pouring down his cheek.

SPIDER SMITH

(sarcastic)

Oh, the pain. The pain.

JOHN

You ain't seen nothing yet.

John feints towards Smith's head and then slashes low, cutting the viscous membrane of the monster's egg pouch.

SPIDER SMITH-CLOSE. Surprised.

JOHN

Remember the probe ship? These monsters eat their wounded.

SMITH'S EGG SACK-CLOSE. Scores of the tiny spiders are pouring out of the sack, rushing up towards Smith's face, tiny jaws chomping.

SPIDER SMITH

No. Stop. No!

Spider Smith tumbles backwards, falling against the rail on the side of the platform. John rises and rushes him, SHOULDER-SLAMMING him, sending Smith hurling over towards the bubble below.

Spider Smith hits the bubble, missing the doorway formed by the red laser and is swept up by the tides of time.

JOHN

Take all the time you want to die.

Spider Smith SCREAMS as he disappears and reappears in the various half-formed images within the bubble before vanishing altogether.

John turns. The core cylinder has descended almost entirely into the main console. only seconds before it's too late to retrieve it.

EXT.-JUPITER TWO-DAY-PRESENT

The landscape is a sudden inferno.

INT.-JUPITER TWO-PRESENT

Don is at the Com. Maureen strapped into the co-pilot's chair.

MAUREEN

I kept hoping somehow he'd appear.

Maureen stares a beat out the window.

MAUREEN

Let's go, Major.

Don hits the engine switch. The.mighty generators WHINE into life.

MAUREEN

(quiet)

Goodbye, my love.

CHAPTER 23: Escape Velocity ---

The ship rocks as land masses on all sides begin to give way.

WEST

Engaging primary thrusters. Now!

EXT. -JUPITER TWO-DAY-PRESENT

The power drive begins to glow, diodes spinning. The landing struts retract. The Jupiter Two begins to rise.

INT.-JUPITER TWO-ENGINE ROOM-INSERTION ARM-FUTURE

CONTROL CONSOLE-CLOSE. The core material in sinking fast. John moves towards it when something on the gantry catches his eye.

GANTRY-CLOSE. Wedged into the grill work is a shiny scrap of metal reflecting the setting sunlight. John's father's dog tags.

John rushes to the rail. There, still unconscious and hanging by the dog-tag chain is Older Will.

CHAIN-CLOSE. The metal links are pulling apart. Will is seconds away from falling into the pool.

JOHN-POV. The cylinder has completely sunken into the machine. It's Will or the core material. No time for both.

John stands a beat, immobile. Then he drops to his knees, reaching down as the chain breaks, grabbing Will's wrist at the last second.

The dog tags tumble into the pool below as John hoists Older Will up onto the safety of the gangplank.

JOHN

Come on, son. Wake up.

Will is still. Then, finally, his eyes open.

OLDER WILL

Dad?

JOHN

I thought I lost you.

OLDER WILL

The core.

Will turns in time to see the core cylinder sink into the control panel, the laser exploding in intensity below them as it drains the cylinder's radioactive power. The world begins to EXPLODE.

OLDER WILL

You could have taken the core and left before it was too late. You saved me instead.

John stares at him.

JOHN

There wasn't any choice. I couldn't let you fall.You're my boy.

THE LASER-CLOSE. Reaches full power. The image in the time pool stabilizes, becoming clear.

TIME POOL-CLOSE. Mission Control the day before the launch.

Father and Son stare into the past, eyes filled with wonder.

OLDER WILL Look. They made it.

PAN UP. Through a torn hole in the hull and a glowing rip in space, the Jupiter Two is rising into the flame ravaged sky.

INT.JUPITER TWO-PRESENT

The ship is shaking madly.

WEST

We're not getting any altitude.

EXT.-JUPITER TWO-DAY-PRESENT

The fire GEYSERS are legion, giant chunks of the planet's surface now falling away beneath them. A huge spew of flame rages from the fire- pocked surface, hitting the bull of the tiny craft.

INT.-JUPITER TWO-PRESENT

Judy is at navigation, frantically enhance the stabilizers.

JUDY

I'm reading a power build up. Markers in the red-

Suddenly the panel EXPLODES, sending Judy flying across the bridge. Penny races to her sister. Kneels. Judy's eyes are wide, still.

PENNY

She's dead.

INT.-JUPITER TWO-PRESENT

The ground is breaking, falling into an endless fiery abyss below.

WEST

Not enough power to make orbit.

EXT.-JUPITER TWO-DAY-PRES ENT

Another firestorm. A flame geyser hits the ship. Then another.

INT.-JUPITER TWO-PRESENT

Control panels all around the ship begin to SLOW. The main screen is hit by a flying chunk of rock. The giant glass begins to crack.

WEST

(to Maureen)

I'm sorry.

The windshield EXPLODES, sucking them both out into space.

EXT.-JUPITER TWO-DAY-PRESENT

The ship is hit by another fire geyser. The Jupiter Two EXPLODES.

PULL BACK TO REVEAL

INT.-JUPITER TWO-ENGINE ROOM-FUTURE

John and Will kneel on the crow's nest as the Jupiter Two dodges the fire geysers in the sky through the torn hull. The ship is struck once, again, finally EXPLODING in a ROARING ball of fire.

JOHN-CLOSE. A man who has lost everything he ever loved.

JOHN

I couldn't save them.

Will stares at his father and beyond him. There, in the time doorway, a young Will walks towards the entrance to Mission Control in the morning sun, innocent with no knowledge of the future.

OLDER WILL (OVER)

So many years ago and I can still feel it. Our sun. Our Earth. It's all I've thought about. Going home.

Will reaches forward and touches the control console. The images in the laser generated doorway begin to change.

OLDER WILL

A long time ago, you told a small boy that one day he'd understand how precious he was, how much his father loved him. Today is that day.

TIME BUBBLE-CLOSE. Instead of Earth we now see this planet's surface, the Jupiter Two rising as it did just moments ago.

OLDER WILL

All I could see was your need to go forward at any cost. What you never showed me was your love. I lost that. Robbed by time. I could never see how much you cared. Until now.

TIME BUBBLE-CLOSE. The Jupiter Two tries in vain to dodge the fire geysers, then EXPLODING all over again. Will enters some commands.

TIME BUBBLE-CLOSE. The image in the portal begins to run backwards, the Jupiter Two reconstituting from a ball of flame, receding past diminishing flame geysers, beginning to land again.

OLDER WILL

Father, take my hand.

INT.-CUPITER TWO

We are back in the ship just before take off. DON mans the Cam. Maureen straps herself into the co-pilot's chair.

MAUREEN

I kept hoping somehow he'd appear.

Maureen stares a beat out the window.

MAUREEN

Let's go, Major.

Don hits the engine switch. The mighty generators WHINE into life.

MAUREEN

(quiet)

Goodbye my love.

PENNY

Look.

The roof of the hull is beginning to swirl, becoming translucent, like water. There, standing above them, John and Older WILL.

2NT.-JUPITER TWO-ENGINE ROOM-CROW'S NEST-FUTURE

The bridge of the Jupiter Two is visible in the laser generated doorway. Older WILL looks to his father.

OLDER WILL

DON'T make me wait another lifetime to know how you feel.

And with that he pushes John over the edge, the Professor falling down through space and into the bubble and the doorway below.

INT.-JUPITER TWO

The ceiling becomes water an John drops into the ship. Maureen cradles her husband. Then she looks up. Will is still visible through the watery hull.

JOHN

Come with us.

But the passage through time and space is already breaking up as the world of the engine room EXPLODES in the b.g.

OLDER WILL

I can't. There was only enough power for one person, one trip, remember?

MAUREEN

Will?

OLDER WILL

It's good to see you again, Mom. It's good to see you alive.

(fading)

Sorry about all the monkey business.

Maureen reaches up towards her son, reaching down, the two hands almost touching before Will is gone, the portal closed forever.

JOHN

He sacrificed everything for his family.

MAUREEN

(fighting tears)

He had a good example.

Maureen holds him close. A small figure walks up beside them. Will.

WILL

Dad?

A beat, then Will reaches up, hands him his dog tags.

WILL

I'm glad you came back.

JOHN

I just want you to know I love you son. I love you very much.

John takes the boy in his arms, father and son finally holding close. (OVER) more RUMBLING as the ground continues to give way.

WEST (OVER)

The planet is breaking up around us.

John moves fast to the Com.

WEST

Nice of you to drop in.

John smiles a beat, then he's all business.

JOHN

Status?

(OVER) A tremendous CRASH.

EXT.-JUPITER TWO

The land masses are falling away beneath them, plummeting into

giant caverns of fire.

INT.-JUPITER TWO

SMITH

We're doomed. We're doomed.

West turns, hauls off and PUNCHES Smith, knocking him out cold.

WEST

Boy, that felt good.

JOHN

Get us airborne.

Don throws the power switches to full.

EXT.-JUPITER TWO

The landing struts retract. The power drive begins to spin. The Jupiter Two rises above the ground just as the firmament collapses upon itself. Fire geysers ERUPT. History in about to repeat itself.

INT.-JUPITER TWO

WEST

I'm going to try to reach escape velocity. Maybe we can break the gravitational pull.

JOHN

No. We don't have the core material. The gravity wells will drag us down.

WEST

We might-

JOHN

We won't make it. Trust me. I know. We've got to go down.

WEST

What?

JOHN

Through the planet as she breaks up.

WEST

That's insane.

JOHN

I don't have time to argue. I'm giving you a direct order, Major.

Don and John stare at each other a beat. Then Don smiles.

WEST

Yes Sir.

VIEWSCREEN- CLOSE. The world is breaking up beneath them, revealing a fiery maw. DON GUNS the engines, heading straight for the chasm.

EXT.-JUPITER TWO

The tiny ship flies into the giant expanding crevice.

INT.-JUPITER TWO

DON is flying into the shattering center of the planet. Masses of continents, some bearing forests, others oceans, all soar past.

EXT.-JUPITER TWO

The tiny ship flies deeper toward the molten center of the planet.

INT.-JUPITER TWO

JOHN

There.

A window out the windscreen a portion of the planet has torn away revealing the black of space and the starfield beyond.

WEST

I see it.

Don banks the ship toward the opening, flying past exploding fragments of this shattering world.

EXT.-JUPITER TWO

The ship clears the planet as the world EXPLODES in the b.g.

CHAPTER 24: Alpha Prime ---

INT.-JUPITER TWO

DON guides the ship out into space. Judy comes up behind him.

JUDY

Nice work, flyboy.

WEST

So, I earn that kiss yet?

JUDY

(a peck on the cheek)

You earned that.

DON shrugs, begins to turn away. Judy grabs him.

JUDY

This one is on credit.

She gives him a long, passionate kiss. She lets him go, stunned.

JUDY

Cold fish, huh?

Penny holds Blip in her arms, who has begun to BLIP madly.

MAUREEN

Poor thing. She's lost her whole family.

(off Penny)

Penny, why are you looking at me like that. Penny?

Penny presses a button. Blast doors open on a storage hold.

PENNY

I promised Judy I'd take care of her. I couldn't leave her all alone.

(all stare at her)

Well I am their princess, after all.

(turning)

You can come out mow.

Forms in the cargo hold de-camouflage. The other lizard monkeys, standing amidst glittering canisters of Dimondium.

JOHN

Dimondium. Now if we could only find our way back to Earth.

ROBOT

If I may, Professor.

The Robot projects a holographic schematic of the galaxy. The Jupiter Two is highlighted. Earth blinks at the other and.

ROBOT

Your son's star charts.

WILL

It's a map home.

(OVER) ALARMS. The shattered planet's core is turning bright red, a sudden ROARING blast wave heading towards the ship.

WEST

The planet's gravity field in collapsing.

MAUREEN

We'll be sucked in.

JOHN

There's no way to get clear in time.

JUDY

The hyperdrive.

MAUREEN

Everybody hang on.

PENNY

Here we go again.

WILL

Cool.

Don throws the switch.

EXT. -JUPITER TWO

The planet's core EXPLODES as the Jupiter Two vanishes into hyperspace, a sudden star and then gone.

FINAL FADE TO BLACK