COLONIES Spec Treatment

8/2/2019 COLONIES Spec Treatment

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COLONIES

a spec treatment

by

Ran Cartwright



COLONIES treatment/RSC/2

COLONIES

a spec treatment

A small damaged and unmarked asteroid hopper is

inbound to the Vesta Jumping Station. Unmarked, has to be

some rebel vermin attempting something stupid. Station

Commander Richard Dalins and Imperial Earth agent Alex

Pascovin have it on the screen.

The hopper lands at the station, Platform B. Security

is called to the airlock. They’re ready, weapons drawn;

Dalins and Pascovin stand behind them.

The airlock opens, the hopper pilot in space suit and

helmet steps through. She removes the helmet and skull cap,

shakes her long dark hair loose.

It’s not rebel vermin at all!

It’s Nal Karo – young, sensuous, drop dead gorgeous,

and hired assassin.

* * *

A lot of trouble in the Outer Colonies with rebels

stirring up trouble. They should be stamped out like the

vermin they are. The trouble has Outer Colonies Governor

Greg Vasachek in hot water. The water is so hot that the

governor has been called to Mars to discuss the matter in a




private meeting with Organization of Imperial Earth (OIE)

Agent David Vernon.

Secluded at the Phobos Relay Station, the two men

talk. A few pointed subjects.

Is Hayne alive? Haven’t heard much from him lately.

What’s the rebels next move? Vernon’s convinced that

it’s something big, something to gain recruits. Like attack

and destroy the Solara 7 terra-forming satellite in orbit

around Europa.

Well, Vernon’s got a surprise for them. They are going

to meet the rebels in Europa orbit with the new Imperial

Earth battle cruiser, the IES Calcutta, and destroy Hayne

and the rebels once and for all.

And Outer Colonies governor Greg Vasachek is going

along for the ride.

* * *

Karo has a mission, a secret mission that Pascovin’s

in on – find the secretive leader of the rebel resistance,

Isaac Hayne, and eliminate him. Hayne is thought to be in

the Outer Colonies, most likely in the dark and gritty

Calico mining village on Terra Titan. Pascovin’s job is to

get Karo to Calico, and she’ll take care of the problem.




Pascovin and Karo set off and rendezvous with another

ship piloted by IE agent Linda Miller, a chick with a

seriously bad murderous attitude.

Miller’s got a bigger ship just in case anything goes

wrong. And it’s unmarked to sucker in the rebels.

Just in case.

* * *

The rebels have themselves a secret hideout on the

Saturnian moon, Iapetus. A run down dusty and dirty place,

former corporate mining shack, now abandoned, the perfect

place to do their dirty work.

Like receive coded or cryptic messages from Isaac

Hayne.

Jack Zellers, Sirce Fourwinds, Jin Marinez, Misha

Yakota, Giorgi Yurashev, and Sean “Irish” McKenzie are

gathered around a table, an oil lamp suspended above them,

casting shadows in the gloom, studying one such message

from Hayne.

The blueprints of the IES Calcutta.

If there’s a weakness in the Calcutta, the blueprints

will show it.

* * *

Enroute to the Outer Colonies, Pascovin, Miller, and

Karo are having a little get together, discussing missions




and tactics. A big subject of discussion are the Calcutta

and the Solara 7 satellite. Pascovin’s certain the rebels

are out to attack the Solara 7; Karo’s bent on

assassinating Isaac Hayne; and Miller scowls hatefully at

IE’s hired assassin. She never did like assassins all that

much.

Just about that time, Captain Robert Vagorin,

commanding the IES Gordon, shows up, radio’s in, wondering

what’s up with an unmarked ship heading for the Outer

Colonies.

Looks awfully suspicious.

But Pascovin set’s Vagorin’s mind at ease. They are a

special secret mission on their way to the Outer Colonies,

and they want to blend in. Doesn’t want the rebels to

suspect anything is amiss. Pascovin keys in a secret

Imperial Earth code to verify the truth. Vagorin’s

satisfied, told to keep his mouth shut.

Vagorin wishes them luck; they’re going to need it.

* * *

Pascovin, Karo, and Miller arrive at Calico’s

Spaceport, and head on down to Bear’s Den, a rowdy rough

and tumble saloon in the mining village. If there’s any

word about Hayne, it would be found at Bear’s Den.

They split up, and snoop around.




Proud, gorgeous, arrogant, deadly, and foolish, Karo

makes a nuisance of herself by wearing a vest with an

Imperial Earth patch emblazoned on the chest. Doesn’t go

over well with the locals. Especially Thyra Briggensen, a

local Amazonian woman, a BIG Amazonian woman. Briggensen

challenges Karo to a Rite of Contest, a fight to the death.

Rule #1 in the Outer Colonies: Don’t refuse the challenge.

The fight goes on in a small circular wooden fighting

arena with dirt floor. Briggensen nearly beats Karo half to

death before Karo cheats and kills the Amazon. Rule #2:

Don’t cheat during a Rite of Contest. Karo’s warned to get

the hell out while she can. She can’t.

She runs, out a side door and into an alley, and

straight into the clutches of two more Amazonian women who

plan to put Karo out of her misery. Again, with Karo beaten

half to death and unconscious, the Amazons are about to

take her out when they’re distracted.

A man with an energy weapon at the end of the alley

warns them off. The Amazons flee. Saves Karo from certain

death. Turns out that Karo’s rescuer is Josef Anton, one of

those rebel vermin.

* * *

Karo wakes up in a strange place, Anton’s apartment.

She’s surprised that Anton’s not alone. There are two




others. One is Alex Pascovin, and the other is Linda

Miller. Imperial Earth agents?

No.

Karo’s been hoodwinked. Both are just as much rebel

vermin as Anton is, Pascovin even more (unbeknownst to

Imperial Earth!) since he’s second only to Isaac Hayne, and

carries out all of Hayne’s directives.

With Karo all settled in nice and safe, Anton and

Pascovin have a rebel meeting to attend to plan strategy.

They leave the apartment, leaving Karo in the capable

murderous hands of Linda Miller, Miller promising not to

harm Karo. But she just can’t help herself.

Alone in Anton’s apartment with the hired assassin,

Miller focuses her viciously bad attitude squarely on Karo.

* * *

The rebels are hanging out and making plans in a

secret little room beneath the bleachers of the Rite of

Contest Arena. The plans involve the Calcutta, namely, how

to destroy it.

It’s a big ship, the Calcutta. Going to take a lot to

destroy it. Rumor has it that the intended target of the

Calcutta is the Solara 7 terra-forming satellite. Destroy

the satellite, no colony for Europa to become infested with

rebel vermin.




Pascovin’s got a secret – a couple of new rebel ships

being built in orbit around the Saturnian satellite Rhea.

The plan, take Pascovin’s battle frig to Rhea, collect to

the two new rebel battle cruisers, and head off the

Calcutta at the Solara 7 satellite.

Those two new battle cruisers should be enough to

bring down the Calcutta.

The sooner they’re on their way, the better.

No time to waste. The meeting breaks up.

Anton and Yurashev plan to meet up with the rest at

the Spaceport after collecting Miller and Karo back at

Anton’s apartment.

* * *

Miller’s got a real bad attitude. Like with Imperial

Earth Agents. Or hired assassins. She just likes to beat

them up for the fun of it before killing them. Round three

goes to Miller as Karo suffered another beat down. But Karo

lives, suffering painfully.

Delights Miller.

Anton and Yurashev arrive. Miller grins, shrugs her

shoulders.

They leave the apartment, heading for the Calico

Spaceport where Pascovin’s battle frig is docked. Anton,

Miller, and Yurashev hurry through the darker, dirtier,




dustier narrow side streets and alleys, forcing Karo with

them as they hurry toward the Spaceport. But Miller’s

handiwork on Karo slows them down.

Still, it should be safe. It’s not.

They cross a murky intersection, and just happen to

run smack dab into a group of Imperial Earth Guards.

All Hell breaks loose. Anton and Miller escape,

leaving behind Karo and a wounded Yurashev behind.

* * *

Miller and Anton make it to the battle frig, the

guards on their tail.

We lost Yurashev and Karo, they relate.

Nothing can be done, time to get out of there.

Irish runs up the battle frig engines. Everyone sits

back in their seats. The frig rises through the open

Spaceport roof, hovers, then swings away toward space. In

seconds the battle frig attains Terra Titan orbit. A great

crescent Saturn hangs in the velvet blackness.

* * *

The rebels are gathered, some at various stations.

Bobby John pipes up on the com net. The rebels exchange

puzzled glances. Bobby John? Who the hell is this Bobby

John? Turns out he’s an acquaintance of Pacovin’s and a

teenaged electronics whiz kid. Pascovin’s got a mission for



COLONIES treatment/RSC/1 0

him. Take out the subspace com net, blinding Terra Titan

from Earth.

Not a problem for the whiz kid. Fry ‘em up like a

crispy critter.

About that same time, rebel Ivan gets on the horn,

let’s Pascovin know that the cruisers won’t ready. Had a

little mechanical problem with a power coupling, shut down

a construction platform. Will be a couple weeks before it’s

up and running again.

Nothing left to do but set off for Europa in the frig.

Not good odds.

* * *

With subspace com crispy crittered thanks to Bobby

John, only ship to ship is available, and to Karo’s

fortune, Vagorin’s in the area. She hitches a ride to go

after Pascovin.

Bobby John’s been listening in on Karo’s

conversaation, hooks up with Pascovin again to warn him. A

hot momma is on his tail, and she’s none too happy.

* * *

Meanwhile, bad guys Dave Vernon and Greg Vasachek meet

up with Calcutta captain Phil Wells. They’re hitching a

ride as well, on the Calcutta.




Ship looks huge and nasty all trussed up in dry dock

in Mars orbit. But it’s ready to go, and they head out –

destination Europa with a brief stopover at the Vesta

Jumping Station...

* * *

The rebs are talking, a little meeting, most just

can’t believe it. Sure, they want to take out the Calcutta,

but with the battle frig? Naw. Not possible. That’s suicide.

Irish gets on the horn, calls Pascovin to the control

room. Got a blip out there. Looks like Vagorin and the hot

momma assassin have finally caught up.

Pascovin’s got a new plan. Use Vagorin’s ship, the

Gordon, against the Calcutta. Sure, still not enough

firepower, but Pascovin’s got a few tricks up his sleeve.

So does Karo.

Fake problems with Vagorin’s ship, draw a few rebels

on board and ambush them. Simple. It works. One of the

ambushed rebels is Linda Miller, the chick with a bad

attitude. And with Miller Karo’s captive it’s time for a

little payback.

Karo think’s she has the upper hand. She doesn’t.

Pascovin still has his Imperial Earth codes and clearance,

shuts down Vagorin’s ship, including life support. The

rebels take over.




* * *

Vagorin, Karo, and the Vagorin crew now captives, it’s

on to Europa...patching up some of Bobby John’s damage as

they go.

Pascovin works at the captain’s console, pushing a

sequence of buttons. A readout suddenly appears on a small

monitor screen next to the chair.

“Command Chair Escape Pod”

Well, might be useful, Pascovin think’s.

* * *

The Calcutta slowly arcs out of Vesta Jumping Station

orbit and makes for Europa.

Irish leans back and stares at a crescent Jupiter

while other rebels gather around Anton. There’s a bright

star out there, another ship. The Calcutta.

Pascovin order’s everyone aboard the frig. He alone

will pilot Vagorin’s ship against the Calcutta. And just

like he shut down the Gordon, Pascovin patches into the

Calcutta, and shuts down systems.

But that’s not enough. The ship must be destroyed. And

the Calcutta folks are little upset, and even more upset

when they find out who’s flying the Gordon.




Pascovin engages the auto destruct sequence, and then

leaves the Calcutta crew with one last message from Hayne

to ponder in the remaining seconds.

“YOU CAN NO MORE STOP THIS REVOLUTION THAN

YOU COULD’VE STOPPED MINE. – IH”

A big ball of white light and a massive explosion...

* * *

Got everyone on the frig feeling bad pretty until

Pascovin speaks up from Europa. Nice weather down there,

come on down and join him.

They do. And they strand Vagorin and Karo. Someone

will be by to pick you up in a few months. Karo’s ticked,

threatens Pascovin. You can run, but eventually I’ll catch

up to you and kill you.

And who really is Hayne, Pascovin’s compatriots pry.

Is it you? No, it’s not. And Pascovin isn’t talking.

THE END

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COLONIES Spec Treatment