The Production GuideScript To Screen: Breakaway
by Martin Willey
The Production GuideThe nuclear waste disposal area explodes and the Moon leaves Earth orbit. These are the scenes from the early George Bellak script "The Void Ahead".
Most of these shots can be seen in the episode; the equivalent images are shown by the scene description. There is more dialogue, but the sequence is improved by showing this visually.
128 EXT. NUCLEAR DISPOSAL AREA 2. SFX
HIGH ANGLE
A build of explosions now. Pockets first, but they
increase in number and intensity, until suddenly the
whole area, and the screen, is whited out in a
terrific explosion.
130 INT. MTU COMMAND MODULE
ON CATANI
His face. and the whole of the interior of the Command
Module are lit by the flash from the explosion. He
turns away, shocked and temporarily blinded.
CATANI
My God ... My God...
131 EXT. SPACE SKY. SFX
LONG SHOT
The Moon lit by the explosion of the far side.
132 EXT. MOON SURFACE. STUDIO/ SFX.
Two technicians working on cables on the rim of the
crater around Alpha are hurled to the ground. They
look up to see the pulsing light from over the
horizon.
The live action astronauts in foreground would make this a much more ambitious effect shot.
133 INT. TECHNICAL SECTION.
Suddenly it shivers. Things begin to fall. Four men
inside suddenly fall to the ground.
A more ambitious stunt scene (this is the window to the Eagle hangar)
134 INT. MEDICAL SECTION
Doctor Fujita suddenly falls to the ground.
Stuntmen and women, rather than Mathias, do the falling.
135 INT. CENTRAL CONTROL
Some things shiver and fall. Some lights go out.
And everyone inside suddenly falls. The Computer
falls silent. Spot explosions. Short circuit fires.
ON KOENIG
On the ground, Helena is near him. Bergman near.
Koenig tries to rise but can only get to his knees.
He tries to push up, but cannot.
CAMERA WIDENS and we see others are unhurt but can
only get to their knees.
The gravitational forces are much more intense on screen- no-one can get to their knees, they are pressed to the floor and mostly unable to speak.
HELENA
I can't... get up...
KOENIG
I can't either...
The Computer starts again, but slowly.
AROUND KOENIG
He sniffs.
KOENIG
We still have atmosphere- but..
BERGMAN
(panting very hard)
Gravity control's been affected...
G forces are pushing us... down
KOENIG
It's like...pushing up against a
ceiling.
BERGMAN
My... heart feels like a...lead
weight inside.
He falls to the floor. Helena crawls to him.
HELENA
Don't expend energy...Don't
move...
ON KOENIG
He crawls, painfully to the console. But cannot
reach the switches. He reaches instead for his
commlock.
Koenig's long crawl to the console would perhaps have avoided if he used his comlock, as in this version of the script.
KOENIG
Catani-...Can you hear me? This
is Commander Koenig. Our...
gravity has been affected. Can
you report on a visual sighting?
136 INT. MTU COMMAND MODULE.
ON CATANI
He hears Koenig's voice.
KOENIG (O.S.)
Can you report on a visual sighting?
CATANI
(into mike)
Commander.. that explosion...
It ripped a tremendous piece of
the moon away
137 INT. CENTRAL CONTROL
Catani's voice comes through. The crouching figures
listen intensely.
CATANI (O.S.)
From the far side...just ripped
it away...
KOENIG
(shocked - into commlock)
Ripped us away?
CATANI (O.S.)
All of Mare Cantabrium is gone.
All of the Great Lunar Sea... All
of the Alta Mountains... I can
see it from up here... It's
impossible to believe...
This dialogue was recorded, but not used. See the next page.
138 INT. MTU COMMAND MODULE
Catani looks out at the Moon below.
139 EXT. SPACE SKY. SFX.
P.O.V CATANI. He looks down, now, at the far side
of the Moon. The whole area of the Nuclear Disposal
Area is still pulsating with explosions and covered
with a plasma cloud.
An effects shot that was not used in the episode.
140 INT. MTU COMMAND MODULE
Catani catches sight of something else which
surprises him. He looks out in a different direction.
141 EXT. SPACE SKY. SFX.
P.O.V. Catani.
The Moon in the foreground of the shot. In the
distance, Earth, slowly moving away.
Another effects shot that was not used in the episode.
CATANI (O.S.)
The Moon has been pulled out of
orbit... It's moving in a different
direction.