"Space Cases multimedia with a quirky attitude."

Break on Through to the Other Side

[Teaser] [Opening Credits] [Act One] [Act Two]

Initial Credits:

Producer: Irene Litinsky
Production Designer: Real Proulx
Director of Photography: Marc Charlebois
Original Music Score: Jeff Fisher
Editor: Jean Beaudoin
Written by: Peter David and Bill Mumy
Director: John Bell

[TEASER]

(Corridor. Miss Davenport is turning the corner in her bathrobe, nightgown, and slippers. She hears someone say "Hi!" and turns to see Bova sitting on the edge of the jumptube exit with a tube from the food-wheel machine in his hand, also clad in a bathrobe and pajamas.)

Davenport: Bova! What are you doing here?

Bova: Scaring you, I guess.

(He stands up.)

Davenport: Isn't it a little late to be eating? Shouldn't you be in bed?

Bova: People from my planet have a much faster metabolism than you Earthers. I need more food.

(He viciously bites a piece off of his food, and Miss Davenport winces.)

Davenport: Well, that may very well be true. But you are a growing boy, and it's important to get sufficient sleep.

Bova: Don't worry, Miss Davenport. I can always sleep in class.

(He turns and starts to head off and Miss Davenport goes to walk off in the other direction. Suddenly, she notices a glowing green door in the wall.)

Davenport: What's that?

(Bova comes back to stand beside her, and they tentatively approach the door.)

Thelma: (softly, through the door) I have made the proper course corrections.

Davenport: Sssh! It sounds like someone's inside.

Thelma: None of the Christa's crew suspects anything.

Bova: (whispering) It's Thelma! And she's talking about us!

Thelma: That is all until next report.

(Miss Davenport pulls Bova out of sight, and we see Thelma come through the green door and walk off. Bova experimentally sticks his hand through the door.)

Bova: Wow! I think it's a phase-through program! It makes it so we can pass through the wall!

(He casually walks through the door.)

Davenport: Bova! What are you doing!

Bova: (from the other side of the door) It's okay. Come on in.

(Miss Davenport steps through the door as well. We see the inside of the Secret Room for the first time. It's a small room with several viewscreens on the wall, a strange chair, and an equally strange control panel on the wall.)

Bova: This is different from anything else on the Christa!

Davenport: Bova. I am not exactly comfortable in cramped quarters. Let's get out of here right now, and alert Commander Goddard.

Bova: Okay.

(Miss Davenport turns and walks into the now-solid wall.)

Bova: Uh-oh. It must be a temporary phase-through program. It's solid!

Davenport: You mean we're trapped. Do something, Bova. We have got to get out of here!

(She starts panicking. She goes to sit down in the chair, and Bova spots the controls on the wall. He goes over and begins playing around wtih them.)

Davenport: Oh, dear. Oh, dear. I feel very faint. Oh, dear.

Bova: I'm not sure, but I think this might do it.

(He flips a switch, and we see a red light on the side of the chair go on. As he flips more controls, Miss Davenport begins to glow yellow.)

Davenport: Bova! Shut off... the program! It's -

(She disappears. We see a flash of Bova's shocked face.)

[END OF TEASER]

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Opening Credits:

Narration: The Eye of the Future sees them. Five clever space cadets, snuck aboard an alien ship, flung through a weird hole in space, thousands of light-years from the Academy. Yeah, it seemed like a good idea at the time, but will they ever get home? Or are they forever destined to be... Space Cases?

Starring:

Walter Emmanuel Jones as Harlan Band
Jewel Staite as Catalina
Kristian Ayre as Radu
Rahi Azizi as Bova
Paige Christina as Rosie Ianni
Anik Matern as Thelma
Cary Lawrence as T.J. Davenport

and

Paul Boretski as Commander Seth Goddard

Created by: Bill Mumy and Peter David

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[ACT ONE]

(Outside shot, then cut to the corridor. Bova, Harlan and Commander Goddard, all in bathrobes and pajamas, are standing there.)

Bova: I know what I saw!

Goddard: Well, where is this Secret Room?

Bova: It was right around here... somewhere.

Goddard: Maybe it was just a dream. Maybe you were sleepwalking and that's all there is to it!

Bova: Ask Thelma! She'll tell you.

(Goddard stands up.)

Goddard: Thelma!

Thelma: (appearing from out of nowhere) I'm here, Commander.

(Goddard starts at her sudden appearance then calms himself down.)

Goddard: What do you know about a Secret Room?

Harlan: Yeah, hidden behind the corridors here somewhere.

Thelma: Nothing.

Goddard: Well, Bova claims you came out of one less than an hour ago.

Thelma: Oh, not that I recall.

Bova: Sure you did, Thelma. I heard you. I saw you!

Goddard: Are you positive there's no Secret Room?

Thelma: Yes. I am positive, I think.

Bova: That's not true!

Thelma: I am not programmed to lie.

Bova: Then where's Miss Davenport?

(Thelma shrugs.)

(Cut to Catalina entering a corridor, also in a bathroom and pajamas. She goes over to an intercom.)

Catalina: Catalina reporting in. Suzee and I have rechecked her quarters, and the engine room. She's not there.

(Cut to Rosie entering the Galley. She goes over to the intercom.)

Rosie: Rosie reporting in. She's not in the medlab - or in the galley.

(Cut to a shot of the Airlock closing. We see Radu, dressed the same way as the others, talking into a CompuPad.)

Radu: I've checked the airlock, the cargo hold and the docking bay. No sign of her.

(Command Post. Harlan comes shooting out of the tubes. Commander Goddard, Bova, and Thelma are already there.)

Harlan: I cruised the jump tubes, uh, checked out the corridors - I didn't see her.

Bova: I told you, she disappeared! For some reason, Thelma's in on it. I remember she said something about a course correction, too.

(Everyone looks at Thelma.)

Goddard: Thelma, is that true?

Thelma: I know nothing about any course correction.

(Bova goes over to her.)

Bova: Why are you acting like this?

(Goddard also goes over to her.)

Goddard: Thelma, Mr. Bova remembers you saying something about the crew not suspecting anything. Did you?

Thelma: No.

Bova: But you did! We heard you. And now, Miss Davenport is gone.

Harlan: Maybe part of your memory got erased recently.

Thelma: None of my memory banks have deleted information in the past - thirty-nine hours. A new record!

Bova: Then where's Miss Davenport?

Goddard: This doesn't make any sense! But that's par for the course. Okay, here's what we're gonna do -

(The ship begins to rock violently, almost throwing him to the ground. We hear Miss Davenport's voice screaming. Bova is thrown backwards and Thelma catches him. In the Galley, Rosie falls against one of the large, square chairs. We get a flash of pink legs under her robe. Catalina is still in the corridor, falling heavily against the walls. Radu is in another corridor, standing still, but with his hands over his ears. There's an outside shot of the ship, then cut back to the Command Post.)

Goddard: Get to your posts! I want systems readouts! Now!

(Harlan and Bova run to their posts. Harlan pulls at his controls, but they won't respond.)

Harlan: Something's messing with the guidance system! We're out of control!

Bova: We're on a collision course!

Goddard: Screen on!

(We see a satellite on the screen.)

Bova: What's that?

Goddard: Some kind of old satellite.

Harlan: It's big enough to rupture the entire bay!

Goddard: It's some sort of defensive space mine! Some sort of explosive!

(Outside shot of the ship still on a head-on course with the satellite. We see Radu, Rosie and Catalina again, still staggering about in their respective places, as the screaming starts again. Then back to the Command Post.)

Bova: Miss Davenport!

Harlan: It sounds like her, but where is she?

Goddard: It seems to be coming from everywhere!

(Harlan is still frantically trying to pull on the controls.)

Harlan: Commander, nothing's responding!

Bova: I can't reach the shields!

Thelma: Five seconds to impact.

Goddard: Everybody brace yourselves.

Harlan: (as the controls suddenly start responding again) Wait! The controls are back on-line!

Goddard: Punch it, Band!

(Outside shot as the ship barely misses the satellite.)

Harlan: Navigational controls are back on-line, Commander.

Bova: I'm picking up some signals from the satellite we barely missed.

Goddard: What kind of signals?

Harlan: I'll run a descrambling program! (pause) Uh, does anyone know how to do that?

(Commander Goddard and Bova shrug.)

Thelma: I believe I may be able to decipher the signals.

Bova: And we're supposed to trust what you say?

Goddard: That's enough, Mr. Bova! (He goes over to Bova.)

Goddard: Listen. The Christa's back on course. It's getting very late. You and Harlan round up the others and head back to the bunkrooms.

Bova: But what about -

Goddard: I will continue to look for Miss Davenport!

(Bova motions toward Thelma.)

Goddard: I will also run some diagnostics on Thelma. Report back to the Command Post at o-eight-hundred hours. Is. That. Clear?

Bova: Yes, sir.

(Harlan salutes with his index finger and follows Bova out.)

(Outside shot, then cut to the Girls' Bunkroom. Catalina is tying her shoes.)

Catalina: You know how much I'd love to visit your dimension some time. (pause) Grozit, I know. There's no way.

(We hear Rosie scream. She runs out of the bathroom with just a silver towel wrapped around her.)

Catalina: Rosie, what happened?

Rosie: The shower program went off-line! One minute I was taking a nice, scalding shower - and the next, it dropped to ninety-five degrees! I'm freezing!

Catalina: That's crazy! Let's check the system.

(She goes over and uses a wall panel to activate the computer terminal in their room. Miss Davenport's face is on a cube inside.)

Rosie: Look! It's Miss Davenport!

(Catalina looks at Rosie worriedly.)

Davenport: Heeelp! Get me out of here!

(Classroom. Harlan and Bova are sitting in two of the fountain-bleacher seats, obviously waiting for the rest of the class and using their CompuPads while waiting. Bova turns his on - Harlan's is still off.)

Bova: (amazed) Whoa!

Harlan: What is it?

(He leans over to look at Bova's CompuPad.)

Harlan: Oh, man!

(He turns on his own CompuPad and sees Miss Davenport's face.)

Davenport: Don't just sit there. Do something!

(The two boys jump up and run off.)

(Outside shot, then cut to the Command Post. Commander Goddard is standing at the central control console as all of the kids rush in together. Harlan and Bova come out of the tubes, Catalina and Rosie come in through the door, and Radu just appears.)

Bova: We found her!

Harlan: Miss Davenport's in the computer!

Catalina: She's in everything in the ship!

Rosie: It must be awful for her.

Radu: Commander, she's trapped inside the ship's computer!

Goddard: I know. Screen on!

(The screen comes on, showing Miss Davenport mouthing something soundlessly.)

Goddard: She appeared on the screen about an hour after I sent you back to sleep last night. I've been trying to restore her to normal since then.

Radu: Why can't we hear her?

Goddard: I muted her!

(He lifts up a remote and pushes a button. Miss Davenport's voice comes back in - she's yelling, and it echoes. Immediately, Radu's hands fly over his ears.)

Davenport: - absolutely intolerable! And if I didn't know better, I'd swear I was dreaming!

Rosie: Don't worry, Miss Davenport. We'll get you out of there.

Harlan: Absolutely. The commander's been working on a plan, right, Commander?

Goddard: Uh, yeah!

Davenport: Thank heavens! When will I be released from this cybernetic prison? When will I be normal again, Commander?

Goddard: Well, that's hard to say, Miss Davenport. There's one little problem with the plan right now.

Davenport: And what is that?

Goddard: I have no idea how to do it.

Davenport: You have got to get me out of here.

(As she yells, the ship begins to shake again.)

Davenport: I can't take much more of this. I'm starting to think in digital code! I'm losing my identity! This is not part of my job description!

Catalina: Miss Davenport, you have got to calm down!

(Rosie falls into Radu's arms, and he stands her back up.)

Catalina: Suzee thinks your emotions are disrupting the normal programming and controls of the ship! Calm down, or you'll get us all killed, please!

Davenport: Calm down. One, two, three, four, five.

(The ship stops shaking.)

Davenport: That's better.

Everyone: Thank you.

Bova: Tell them, Miss Davenport! Tell them about Thelma and the Secret Room. What she said and did.

Davenport: Why, yes! That's right! Well, she was responsible for this!

(Bova smacks Commander Goddard in a "See, I told you!" gesture.)

Davenport: And that - that chair! And the phase program! It was - Thelma!

(Everyone turns to look at Thelma.)

Goddard: Thelma, I don't know what's wrong with you. But until we figure it out, if we ever do, you're relieved of all duties aboard the Christa.

(Thelma nods sadly. Cut to a shot of the satellite outside, floating by a black hole.)

(Cut to the Airlock. Thelma is standing there with a CompuPad in her hands. The Gizbot is bumping against her legs like a friendly dog.)

Thelma: (to the Gizbot) I'm sorry, but this is the only way. (into the CompuPad) Dear friends. Because I have no memory of what you say I have done, I must rely on your report of events. My prime directive is to help, not hurt. Since all of you no longer trust me, I must assume it is for a good reason. The satellite which we passed recently was transmitting signals. That is where I will go to find my new purpose. My faulty memory banks consider you to be the finest crew I have ever served. Until I see you next, which will likely never be, goodbye. Thelma.

(She shuts the CompuPad off and puts it into the Gizbot. Then she goes into the Airlock and shuts the door. We see the outer airlock open and Thelma floats out into space.)

[END OF ACT ONE]

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[ACT TWO]

(Thelma is still floating through space.)

(Cut to the Classroom. Miss Davenport is on the screen, teaching them.)

Davenport: Then we will resume tomorrow at eleven. Class dismissed.

Rosie: See, Miss Davenport? I knew this was a good idea! You did great!

Davenport: Thank you, Rosie. Attempting to do something normal while stuck in the Christa's computer system did help me keep focused and relaxed.

Harlan: Yeah, while you were teaching us about the deutronium mines on Pruplanis nothing on the ship blew up!

(Miss Davenport gives him a dirty look, and he laughs.)

(Cut to Thelma "swimming" by the satellite. Suddenly, she sees the black hole that the satellite is being pulled into. She tries to "back-paddle" but it doesn't work very well.)

(Outside shot.)

Catalina: (voice-over) As we walk slowly down the corridors -

(Cut to Harlan, Catalina and Radu walking down a corridor.)

Catalina: I use my sonic powers to bounce short, controlled sound waves off the walls.

Harlan: Right, like radar! And you can really do that.

Catalina: Of course I can! I've never tried it before, but I'll figure it out. No problem.

Radu: And I'll use my Andromedan hearing to detect where the sound of the bounceback is different - where it's hollow behind the walls.

Catalina: Yeah! And that's where the Secret Room is!

Harlan: OK. And what do I do?

Catalina: Knowing you, take credit for it all.

(We cut to the Command Post. Commander Goddard is working on some wires sticking out of the side of the ship. He has Miss Davenport opened up above him. She's laughing.)

Davenport: Commander, stop, that tickles!

Goddard: Where's my stockdale wrench? Thelma! Thelma! Of course. When I relieved her of her duties, she probably shut herself down.

(Galley. Rosie and Bova are fixing lunch and the Gizbot keeps shooting back and forth on the ground in front of them.)

Bova: Rosie, what's with the Gizbot?

Rosie: Maybe it's upset about Thelma. I feel sorry for her. I mean, it's not really her fault if she malfunctions.

Bova: You may be right.

Harlan: (over intercom) Bova, Rosie, come over to Corridor Twenty-Two on Level Nine. We need you!

Rosie: What's happening?

Harlan: (over intercom) I found the Secret Room! (pause) Okay! Catalina and Radu found the Secret Room.

(In front of the Secret Room. Commander Goddard is experimentally feeling and listening to the wall, which is still solid.)

Goddard: You said something about a phase-through entry system, Bova. Do you remember where that was?

Bova: Sure I remember. It's inside.

Harlan: (running up) All right, let's go!

Goddard: Band, you're on watch. Up to the Command Post.

Harlan: But I wanna see the Secret Room! Can't we just have Thelma -

(He groans as he realizes the problem with that suggestion.)

Harlan: Ah. Right.

(Commander Goddard nods.)

(Command Post. Harlan is standing at his post. The Gizbot is still running back and forth.)

Harlan: Gizbot!

(He gets down and sits on the edge of the post, and the Gizbot glides over to him.)

Harlan: You know, I never appreciated all the things that Thelma does around here until - she stopped doing 'em. Hey, you got something on your mechanical little mind, eh?

(He taps on the Gizbot's panel, and it opens to reveal the CompuPad. Harlan grabs it.)

(Near the Secret Room. Catalina and Rosie are standing in the doorway with a CompuPad, talking to Miss Davenport. Radu is trying to get the door open. He's obviously putting out a lot of effort, but nothing's happening. Finally, Goddard stops him.)

Goddard: Nice try, Radu.

Rosie: Don't worry, Miss Davenport. We're gonna get you out of there.

Davenport: (in a strange "electronic" voice) My previous concern for recorporalization is no longer an objective.

Rosie: Miss Davenport! You're actually turning into a machine!

Davenport: That does not compute.

(Commander Goddard looks over worriedly.)

Rosie: Fight it, Miss Davenport. Remember who you really are.

Davenport: (in her normal voice) Hurry!

(Harlan comes rushing through the door.)

Harlan: Commander!

Goddard: Band! I told you to stay at your post!

Harlan: I know, I know - you have to hear this!

(Cut a shot of Thelma almost being sucked into the black hole again.)

(Cut back to the Secret Room entrance.)

Thelma: (on the CompuPad) - which will likely never be, goodbye. Thelma.

Harlan: What do we do, Commander?

Bova: I'll tell you what we do. We edit Thelma's message, so that we've got the exact words she said when she walked out of the Secret Room.

(Bova grabs the CompuPad and starts tinkering with it.)

Goddard: You mean the phasing wall might be activated by her voice?

Bova: Let's find out.

(He aims the CompuPad at the door.)

Thelma's voice: That's - all - until - next - report.

(The door fuzzes open.)

Bova: Okay, Cat. Let's go.

(The two of them go into the Secret Room.)

Catalina: Run the phase-through program - boot up Miss Davenport!

(Bova and Cat start playing with the controls, and Miss Davenport's face appears.)

Davenport: I'm in! There was something blocking me, but now!

Catalina: Try to log into the phase-through program. And Suzee thinks that you should check on any Thelma files you can access in here.

Davenport: Scanning - oh! I found it! Thelma! Now, she was programmed - by the former crew of this ship - to come here once a week - to download her memory into a private ship's log, but - but this system erases her memory of it every time!

Bova: So she was telling the truth!

Catalina: She really didn't know about the Secret Room!

Davenport: Wait - there's more. Perhaps I can - I can learn about the origin of the Christa from this! Now, let me see -

(She screams. We turn to see the screen fuzzing.)

Bova: The system's crashing!

Catalina: Miss Davenport'll be erased!

Bova: This should should start the phase-through unit!

Catalina: Suzee says this place is gonna explode!

Bova: Find a way back, Miss Davenport!

(The two of them run out of the room. We see Miss Davenport fade in, and there's a great explosion that makes everyone outside throw their arms over their faces. After the explosion, they all rush into the Secret Room.)

Harlan: Miss Davenport! You made it back before the system crashed!

Goddard: Are you okay?

Davenport: I'll be fine. Thank you all. My! What an experience! Where's Thelma? I'm afraid we owe her an apology.

Goddard: Thelma... All of you, up to the Command Post!

(The kids run out.)

Goddard: Turn this ship around! Back-track our course! Come on, team! Move like we've got a purpose!

(He takes Miss Davenport by the arm and leads her out as well.)

(Outside shot. Thelma is still trying to get away from the black hole unsuccessfully. We move back to see it on the screen in the Command Post. Harlan's up there with Rosie and Catalina. In the Airlock, Miss Davenport and Bova are watching as Radu helps Commander Goddard into an EVA suit.)

Harlan: I've got her tracked, Command - Commander! There's a black hole out there!

(Cut to the airlock.)

Harlan: (over the intercom) It's gonna pull her in - the gravity will crush her!

Goddard: Us, too, if you don't keep on your toes, Band! We have a very small window of opportunity here. I need you to keep the ship steady while I'm out there.

Radu: Don't worry, Commander. We'll handle it.

(Miss Davenport hands Commander Goddard his helmet.)

Davenport: Be careful out there, Commander.

Goddard: (to Miss Davenport) Don't worry. (louder) Check the tether connection, Radu.

Radu: Uh, no problem. I've got it!

(He pulls on the cord, and it rips a hole in Commander Goddard's suit.)

Goddard: Terrific!

Davenport: If the suit isn't airtight, you can't go out there!

Goddard: I need another EVA suit!

Radu: There's only one more here! And it's half the size of that one!

Goddard: I'd never fit into it!

Bova: I would!

(Command Post.)

Catalina: We're starting to feel the pull of the black hole!

Harlan: Don't worry! I'll keep us one step ahead of it!

Rosie: Look! It's the commander!

(We see "him" on the screen, moving towards Thelma.)

Rosie: Isn't it?

(Outside.)

Bova: Thelma!

Thelma: Bova? What are you doing out here?

Bova: Rescuing you!

Thelma: You shouldn't be here! It's dangerous! Leave me! I do not function properly. You said so yourself!

Bova: I was wrong, Thelma! We were all wrong! We need you! Now grab my hand before we're both sucked into the black hole!

(Thelma tries to reach him, but can't.)

Bova: Commander! She's about twelve feet away from me!

(Airlock.)

Goddard: Okay, Bova. I'm letting out more cord. Release another two seconds of propulsion from your jet pack.

(We see Bova go forward a few feet, then get snapped back.)

Bova: Let out more of the cord, Commander!

Goddard: (through communicator) You're at the end of your rope!

(Airlock.)

Davenport: Sending a student out there, we must have been out of our minds!

Goddard: He's perfectly safe!

(We see the tether break from the wheel and start sliding out the airlock door, sending Bova coasting forward outside. Radu dives and catches it just in the nick of time.)

(Command Post.)

Catalina: Gravity force increasing!

Harlan: Don't worry! I'm holding us steady!

(Outside. We see Thelma shoot a spring out of her finger, and Bova catches it.)

Bova: Got her!

(We see Radu and Commander Goddard pulling the cord in, then cut to Bova and Thelma outside the ship again.)

Bova: Approaching airlock!

(Airlock.)

Davenport: Come on, come on!

Bova: (through the airlock door) We're in! We're inside!

Davenport: They're in, Harlan! Go! Go!

(Command Post.)

Harlan: We're gone!

(He manipulates the controls and we see the ship turn around and shoot away.)

(Secret Room. Miss Davenport and Thelma are standing outside. Bova is placing a cover over the phase unit.)

Davenport: So, the secret of that room shall remain a secret. At least for now.

Thelma: I am sorry I could not be of more help.

(Bova comes out of the room.)

Bova: If anyone's sorry, Thelma, it's me. I should have believed you when you said you didn't remember.

Thelma: It's very odd, Bova. When I was told I was not needed, I believe I was - upset. But when you came and rescued me, I believe I was - happy. Being a human-emulating machine, did I simply imitate human behavior, or did I actually feel those emotions?

Davenport: Having seen life from the machine side of things, Thelma, maybe I can help you figure it out.

(They all leave, and we see the phase-through program close up the door to the Secret Room again.)

[END CREDITS]

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