Conflicts of the last progenitors

Rectangle points to the water immediately before him; Zria and the others look to the area he indicates. An indigo-colored fish the size of a sardine weaves within the tranquil water at his feet; the specimen has silver studs along its body and trails seven silver tentacles, one far longer than the rest. The SQUIDFISH circles Rectangle in slow orbits.

INT. DRAGONFLY SERAPH-9 - SAME

Abacus and Neredth stare fixedly at the monitors within the vehicle; one of the screens slowly zooms in on the violet, silver-tentacled squidfish.

MALE BULLET

Does Elysabeth have a deep fryer?

The Bios ignore the remark. Upon the screen, two more squidfish join the first and circle Rectangle’s legs.

ABACUS

(to Neredth)

Maybe there’s a school.

MALE BULLET

Piranhas swam in schools, right?

EXT. OPEN PLAIN / OPTION-1 - SAME

The curious Frenchmen move towards Rectangle.

ZRIA

I said statues.

The Frenchmen stop; all six Bullets look at Zria. The Indian woman TAPS on her orange foam earplug.

ZRIA (CONT'D)

Neredth, what do you think?

(she listens)

I can.

36.

Zria approaches Rectangle; she CLICKS on her lensring, leans over and points the eye at the squidfish; the iris behind the gem-like lens dilates and then narrows.

INT. DRAGONFLY SERAPH-9 - SAME

Neredth and Abacus stare at the (newly illumined) circular monitor that broadcasts Zria’s lensring transmission: a tight and detailed shot of the squidfish. One of the specimen contentedly circles; the two others flit in and out of the image, the light refracting brilliantly on their silver studs and dorsal tentacles.

ZRIA (O.S.)

That better?

NEREDTH

Yes. Much. Grazi.

ZRIA (O.S.)

Should we scoop one up for you?

NEREDTH

No. Definitely do not do that.

Bio will gather the specimen gently and-Upon the cathode screen, the three squidfish congregate and stop in front of Rectangle’s legs; needles emerge from the thirty silver studs adorning each creature.

Apprehension electrifies the eyes of everyone aboard the Dragonfly; Lo-Cheun’s fists clench.

ZRIA (O.S.)

Neredth?

In the lensring broadcast: Rectangle shifts uneasily; light glints upon the jutting needles adorning the squidfish.

NEREDTH

Tell him not to move. Be patient.

Lo-Cheun shakes his head. The squidfish circle Rectangle’s legs, a tight orbit.

LO-CHEUN

(to Neredth)

I’m not going to have my man just

stand there and get stung. They

could be lethal.

37.

NEREDTH

What? Is he going to shoot-

LO-CHEUN

Zria, you have Killcall.

The lensring image shifts from the circling squidfish to Zria’s hipcache. Neredth turns hotly to Lo-Cheun.

NEREDTH

Verflucht!

EXT. OPEN PLAIN / OPTION-1 - SAME

Zria withdraws her springblade and then nods to Rectangle.

The wary Bullet reaches toward his own hipcache.

One of the needle-covered creatures brushes along Rectangle’s right shin, the pins prickling at the thin bodysuit fabric.

Rectangle and Zria hold their breath. The creature glides an inch away...and then two...and then three.

Rectangle withdraws his springblade; he and Zria and each point their weapon toward a fish.

ZRIA

Killcall.

They press the propel buttons, CLICK, CLICK, CLICK, CLICK; each tongue-depressor-shaped blade enters the water with a FWPSS. Two blades miss; one blade spears a squidfish through the middle; one blade slices off another’s dorsal tentacles.

INT. GLASS-DOMED AMPHITHEATER - SAME

Upon the panorama: the speared squidfish sinks to the stone surface of the planet, weighted by the springblade; the second squidfish darts off; the third squidfish- the tentacular amputee- careens away in awkward loops.

A few of the Bluebranch viewers APPLAUD; a few others HISS; most remain silent with concern.

Heinrich looks sad.

SVEN

I hope there’re more than three of

those.

38.

INT. DRAGONFLY SERAPH-9 - SAME

Neredth looks away from the monitors and glares angrily at Lo-Cheun.

NEREDTH

If we had enough room for a couch

in our compartment, you’d be

sleeping on it tonight.

ABACUS

I predicted this.

LO-CHEUN

(to Abacus)

Muzzle it.

ZRIA (O.S.)

Neredth. You want this one?

Neredth rubs her palms alongside her cheeks and nods.

NEREDTH

Yes, but be careful.

EXT. OPEN PLAIN / OPTION-1 - SAME

Zria replaces her springblade in her hipcache, thrusts her right hand into the water and then- pinching the tip of the ellipsoidal blade lodged in the dead squidfish- lifts the specimen from the water.

The other Bullets approach the Indian officer.

ZRIA

Today’s foray has been called. The Bios want to run tests on this

little alien before we proceed.

Zria raises the squidfish; light plays brilliantly upon its silver needles, studs and tentacles.

EXT. OPEN PLAIN / OPTION-1 - LATER

Dragonfly Seraph-9, buoyed by its hull-boosters, rises in the air; the hot propellant steams the water below. As it ascends, the vehicle’s twenty insectile legs fold into the undercarriage (the sound is that of SHUFFLING cards).

39.

INT. SPINAL TRAIN - LATER

Lo-Cheun, Zria, Rectangle and Jenfer accompany Neredth and Abacus on the commuter vehicle traversing Elysabeth’s spinal tunnel.