The Production GuideScript To Screen: Earthbound
by Martin Willey
The Production Guide
The Kaldorians present the Alphans with eggs from the libra bird. Helena leads the Kaldorians away, and Simmonds comes to Koenig. The dialogue in this script was trimmed when the scene was filmed. In the final edit, Simmonds throws his egg up as he leaves, but Koenig catches it. In the script, it falls to the floor and breaks. The call sheet for Wednesday 27th March and later specifies "purple eggs - to breakaway", suggesting this was still the intention when they filmed the scene (the scene was still listed on Monday 1st April, the last day of filming).
28
51 C0NTD 4
KOENIG
My pleasure, Captain.
KOENIG presses a key on his console and the doors
open into Main Mission.
The KALDORIANS and the ALPHANS bow formally and
then HELENA and BERGMAN lead ZANTOR down through
Main Mission and out.
The STAFF of Main Mission turn to watch in awe,
as they go.
ON KOENIG
He watches them too.
ON SIMMONDS
He presses a button on KOENIG's console and the
closing doors cut off KOENIG's vision. He turns
round in annoyance and meets SIMMONDS' deadly
serious face. Throughout the scene, SIMMONDS
juggles nervously with his purple egg.
SIMMONDS
Scientifically impossible,
Koenig? The impossible takes
a little less long than we
thought.
KOENIG
Simmonds, those people are in
trouble.
SIMMONDS
We are in trouble, Koenig, and
is is our way out.
(excitedly)
I say this is exactly what we
need.
KOENIG
What's in your mind, Commissioner?
SIMMONDS
That ship is bound for Earth!
Their computer is programmed
for Earth. You heard him say
it. Where else could it take
them?
(a beat, then, triumphantly)
Where else could it take us?
CONTINUED:
29
51 CONTD. 5
KOENIG
You're suggesting that we should
commandeer that spaceship.
SIMMONDS
(laughs)
You amaze me, Koenig.
KOENIG
And the Kaldorians?
SIMMONDS
Expendable!
He throws the egg somewhat higher at this thought
and fumbles with it as he tries to catch it again.
KOENIG winces.
KOENIG
Steady!
SIMMONDS
(a beat)
Come on! None of you believed
we had a chance. But here it is.
(a beat)
All we need is the vision, the
courage, the leadership to achieve
our only real objective.
KOENIG
Their civilisation is fighting
for survival, Simmonds, and
so are we...
SIMMONDS
(coldly)
Then let the fittest survive.
SIMMONDS throws the egg a little too high again.
It drops onto the floor and the shell breaks away
from the golden egg.
KOENIG bends and picks up the solid egg shape that
was inside it.