Nowhere Man Posted by Jeysie on March 29, 2001 at the Space Cases Picture Gallery http://sc.alienharmony.com/index.htm jeysie@alienharmony.com Transcript written by Diana (http://www.geocities.com/TelevisionCity/Station/7256/) Edited by Jeysie ----------------------------------------------------------------- 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: Iain Paterson ----------------------------------------------------------------- (Outside shot of the ship, then cut to an inside shot of the Boys’ Bunkroom. Harlan is sitting at the table, deep in concentration as he works on a model. A drink is next to him. Radu comes in, and, unnoticed by Harlan, stands behind him to watch him work.) Radu: What are you making, Harlan? (Harlan starts, and his hands wreck the model and turn it into a heap of pieces again.) Harlan: A mess! Radu: It’s a great mess! Harlan: It’s not supposed to be a mess! It’s supposed to be a model of a Rigellian pyramid, and you made me wreck it! (He stands) You know, Radu, I’ve been thinking about trying to be nice to you. I mean, I got no idea why... Radu: Because the Commander told you to? Harlan: Okay! One idea why. Radu: It’s your own fault! I mean, you’re the one who’s always encouraging the others to treat me like I’m not here. Harlan: You know, that’s a great idea. Radu: What is? Harlan: Treating you like you’re not here. From now on, poof! You’re gone. (He picks up the tray with his supplies.) Harlan: I’ll just take my glock, and my glue, and my model, and find someplace private and quiet, where I can finish my model! Huh, yeah... (He pauses just outside the doorway.) Harlan: My, my, my. Isn’t it quiet without an Andromedan on the ship? (The door closes, and we turn back to see Radu sit down heavily on one of the Bunkroom chairs, looking miserable. Engine Room. Harlan is just entering.) Harlan: Now everything’s finally gonna go smoothly. (As he goes further in, we see extreme activity in the hyperdrive processor. Harlan steps closer to examine it.) Harlan: Whoa. Wonder what’s causing that? Whoa. (As he steps back, he trips over a step and falls, spilling his glock all over the processor, and his model pieces all over the floor.) Harlan: Oh, man. Oh, man, I... Commander Goddard’s gonna kill me! I broke the ship! (A drop of glock lands on part of the console, causing an electrical charge to pass through Harlan, ending in the regulator console. He falls to the ground and is still. The console starts crazily flashing colors.) ----------------------------------------------------------------- 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 ----------------------------------------------------------------- (An outside shot of the ship glowing with a strange red light, then cut to a corridor. Commander Goddard is working on a console, when the ship shakes and something hits him in the eye. As he stands up, he hits his head on the top of the console.) Goddard: Thelma? (She appears behind him from out of nowhere, causing Commander Goddard to start.) Thelma: Commander? Goddard: What just caused that jolt now? Thelma: A power surge, in engineering. It momentarily destabilized the gyros, and overloaded ship systems. It also put the jump tubes off-line. Goddard: Any idea why? Thelma: I suspect the problem is in the protomix master core. It has performed erratically from time to time since our leap through the white circle. I have been trying to deal with it. Goddard: How? Thelma: By ignoring it and hoping the problem would go away! Goddard: Find another way, please. Thelma: All right. I will use percussive maintenance. (He smiles and nods, but after she leaves, he changes to having a perplexed look on his face as her comment actually registers with him. Thelma walks down off down the corridor. Engine room. Harlan is still unconscious on the floor as Thelma and the Gizbot come in.) Thelma: Oh, how odd! I thought the regulator console was there! Oh, well. (Walking over to the protomix master, she examines it, then lifts her foot up and kicks the control panel. We hear the protomix resume its normal hum, and she nods.) Thelma: Percussive maintenance. Works every time! (Harlan wakes up as Thelma pulls a towel out of her mouth to wipe the panel with.) Harlan: Thelma, is that you? Oh, my head. (He stands) Is everything okay? No problems with the ship? I mean, not that I had anything to do with any problems, necessarily. (He realizes he's not getting a reaction from her.) Harlan: Thelma, you okay? You act as if I’m not getting through to you - (He reaches his hand out to touch her, and it goes right through her. As he examines his hand, she continues walking.) Harlan: Thelma, can you see me? I’m right here! I’m right here! (She walks through him, and the regulator console as well. She then picks up Harlan's bottle of glue.) Thelma: The regulator console is missing, and here’s a bottle of glue. Nothing is where it’s supposed to be today! (The Gizbot sucks Harlan’s model project up into it, and exits after Thelma. Corridor. Catalina is standing reading a book as Harlan comes up to her.) Harlan: Catalina, you - Catalina: I can’t make heads or tails of this stuff. (Harlan looks relieved, as she seems to be talking to him.) Catalina: Reversing the polarities of the neutron flow? What’s that all about? Harlan: It must have been temporary! (laughs) Oh, man, am I glad that’s over with! Catalina: Do you really think so? Harlan: Do I think so what? Catalina: Well, I know you believe it, Suzee, but you don’t have to deal with these teachers! (As she keeps talking, Harlan moves, waves his hand in front of her face - no reaction.) Catalina: It makes me nuts! They all still think you’re imaginary, and I keep saying, she’s not imaginary - Harlan/Catalina: she’s invisible, there’s a difference. (Catalina walks off.) Harlan: Maybe I should just talk to Suzee. One invisible friend to another. (Outside shot. The Christa is still glowing red. Cut to the Classroom. Catalina and Radu are entering, and as Harlan follows them, the door almost slides closed on him. Rosie and Bova are already seated, and the other two take their seats. Harlan moves from person to person, pleading for them to see him.) Harlan: Cat, come on! I’m right here, can’t you - Rosie, come on. Bova, old buddy! Somebody! Anybody! (He stops in front of Radu.) Harlan: Almost anybody. (Miss Davenport enters through the malfunctioning door.) Davenport: All right, class, prepare your CompuPads and come to order. Harlan: Miss Davenport! Hey, you always see me when I don’t want you to - so - so how ‘bout now? Davenport: Where is Mr. Band? Radu: Uh, I saw him about thirty minutes ago. He’s busy working on a model project. Davenport: Yes, well, I doubt that has anything to do with his becoming a model student! (She laughs ridiculously, and Harlan imitates her.) Davenport: Now, to start off with, I graded your hyperspace physics exams. Not one of you passed. People, this material is basic! (Harlan imitates her as she starts walking around gesturing with her arms.) Davenport: It goes to the very core of our ability to journey great distances in space! After all, if there were no space travel, where would we be then? Catalina: Home! Radu: Home! Bova: Home! Rosie: Home! (Harlan stops his imitations.) Harlan: Home. Davenport: All right, true enough. But we have to understand it to get home, as well. Now let’s go over this again! (She projects a flashlight over her shoulder onto the wall.) Davenport: The term light-speed comes from the amount of time it takes for light to travel any distance. (The four visible students all yawn.) Davenport: Let me guess. You all stayed up really late studying. Catalina: This stuff is hard, Miss Davenport. And you don’t make it much fun to learn. Davenport: Fun? (As she crosses to stand beside Catalina, Harlan has a look on his face saying, "You’ve done it now".) Davenport: I am not here to have fun. I am here to teach. Now I have tried being patient, being strict, being forceful - Harlan: How about being nice? Radu: How about - being nice? (Harlan looks surprised that Radu made the same suggestion he did.) Davenport: Nice. Rosie: It couldn’t hurt! Nicer in general. Treat us - Davenport: As you treated me? Like the time when you remixed the atmosphere in my quarters with helium so I spoke like a duck for three days? Being nice is a two-way street! I wouldn’t mind being nice, if you gave me reason to be. (Command Post. Commander Goddard is standing at the helm, Catalina and Radu are behind him, and Thelma is working on some wiring near the jump tubes.) Goddard: Thelma, have you tracked down that glitch in the jump tubes yet? Thelma: Not yet, sir. (Goddard moves away from the helm.) Goddard: Okay, keep at it while I double-check the circuitry. Catalina, Radu, on monitor duty. (As he is on his way out, Harlan is entering. Commander Goddard pauses in front of the door, and Harlan tosses off a sloppy salute as he heads past the Commander.) Harlan: (in a tone of voice that suggests he expects no response) Commander. Goddard: Mr. Band! Harlan: You heard me! I’m saved! Goddard: Has anyone seen Mr. Band lately? Radu: Uh, about an hour ago, sir. He’s busy working on a project. (Goddard exits.) Catalina: Actually, I kind of wish Harlan was here. Harlan: There you go, yeah! Catalina: No matter how little I understand something, he understands it less! I feel so much smarter when he’s around. (Harlan looks insulted, then amazed as Radu starts speaking.) Radu: Uh, look, Harlan’s not so bad. I mean, you know, he just says what’s on his mind, that’s all. You kind of have to admire that, in a way. (Harlan moves to stand near Radu.) Harlan: He’s sticking up for me? I gotta think this over. Catalina: You don’t care that he’s always making jokes about you behind your back? (Harlan puts out a tentative hand towards the closed door, then leaves by passing through it.) Radu: Well, no, not at all. (Catalina gives Radu a disbelieving look.) Radu: Well, okay, a lot. (Catalina smiles as if to say, "Ha, I thought so.") Radu: You laugh at the jokes. You even make some! Catalina: That is not true! I dare anyone to repeat a single joke I ever made about you! Thelma: Did you hear about the Andromedan who was so dumb, he thought light-speed was half the calories of full speed? How did the Andromedan break his neck while drinking? Somebody slammed the toilet seat. Did - Catalina: Okay! Okay. Just some jokes. (Thelma looks naively satisfied that she "helped" and turns back to her work. Radu starts to exit through the jumptubes.) Thelma: Radu, be careful! I haven’t finished repairing the - (We hear him scream, and he falls back into the room via it's exit tube, landing on his head.) Thelma: - jumptubes yet! There’s been some malfunctions! Radu: (sitting up) Next time warn me earlier, okay? I could have broken my neck! Thelma: Broken your neck? Without a toilet seat? (Radu just glares at her. Galley. Rosie and Bova are mixing something in a bowl.) Rosie: If Miss Davenport wants nice, she’s gonna get nice. After we give her this fudge, there’s no way she won’t be nicer to us! (Bova continuously raises the bottle of marshmallow sauce he's holding up to his lips and takes a swig out of it.) Rosie: Bova, where’s that marshmallow sauce I asked for? (He panics, drops the now empty bottle, then looks on the shelf behind him for another one.) Rosie: You better not have eaten all the sauce, Bova. (He grabs a bottle with white liquid in it.) Bova: Coming! (Rosie pours the bottle's contents into her concoction.) Rosie: Now, we just toss this into the microprocessor, and it’ll be ready in no time! (Engine Room. Harlan is entering.) Harlan: I can’t believe this. (He rests his hand on the regulator, without realizing it.) Harlan: It’s like some kind of sick joke! Why me? (He notices that his hand is resting on the console, and turns to look at it.) Harlan: I’m okay! I’m cured! (Running to the protomix master, he reaches out for one of the crystals, but his hand goes right through it. He goes back to the regulator console.) Harlan: Wonderful. Whatever changed me changed the regulator too. They must not be able to see it either. (He examines the console.) Harlan: The radiation count! It’s going through the roof! The protomix core’s leaking... If - if this keeps up, the - the proto particles’ll kill everyone on the ship! And I got no way to warn them! [END OF ACT ONE] (commercial break) [BEGINNING OF ACT TWO] (Galley. Bova is leading Miss Davenport in by the hand as Rosie heads over to them with a covered platter.) Davenport: So, what is this surprise? (Rosie uncovers the platter.) Rosie: Ta-da! Davenport: What is that? Rosie: It’s fudge! Davenport: For me? (Tentatively, she takes a piece, examines it, sniffs it, then puts it into her mouth.) Davenport: Mmmm! (She offers a piece to Rosie, who accepts it, then offers one to Bova.) Bova: No thanks. Earth fudge is poison to my people. Oh, I wouldn’t die instantly. First, thick green snot would pour out of my nose, then - Rosie: (to Miss Davenport) What's wrong? (Miss Davenport is panicky. She tries to talk, but can't open her mouth.) Bova: What did she say? Rosie: She said, "Mmm mmm mmm mph mph!" Thelma: (entering) Excuse me. Has anyone seen the glue? (Miss Davenport looks at Rosie and Bova with a panicked expression. Command Post. Harlan is examining all the consoles.) Harlan: It's all reading normal. How can it all be reading normal? (He stops moving as he realizes why everything reads normal.) Harlan: Because the ship’s systems are out of whack! The only thing not affected by the power surge is that one console - and only I can see it! Commander! (He jumps down to where Commander Goddard is working on a coil sticking out of the wall.) Harlan: Commander, you’ve gotta hear me! It’s a matter of life and death! Yours! Don’t you get it! You’re all gonna die! You’re all gonna die, and I’m gonna have to spend forever knowing that I couldn’t find a way to save you. (Commander Goddard gives up on the coil and leaves. Harlan looks frustrated. Cut to the glowing ship, then back to the Command Post. Miss Davenport is sitting, terrified, as a small scraper at the end of Thelma’s finger whirls toward her mouth. As Thelma uses it to pry Miss Davenport's mouth open...) Goddard: You know, Miss Davenport, I’ve got a few things I’ve been meaning to tell you - (Miss Davenport spits out the glob of gluey fudge.) Goddard: But they can wait. Davenport: My hand’s all sticky now! (Thelma leaves the vicinity. Miss Davenport addresses Commander Goddard.) Davenport: You were enjoying that entirely too much! Oh, those kids! When I get my hands on them, I’ll - Goddard: Show them that no good dead goes unpunished? You can call me the worst teacher in the galaxy, but even I know what lessons you shouldn’t teach. Davenport: (her anger subsiding) You picked a miserable time to be right about something. (Thelma is now working at the jumptube system, and we see Radu desperately clinging to the top of the entrance tube, as though something is sucking him down.) Thelma: Be careful, Radu, I haven’t finished repairing - Radu: - repairing the jumptubes yet! No kidding! Commander, have you seen - (He loses his grip and disappears. Both the adults look concerned.) Thelma: Oh, don’t worry. He’ll be back. (He comes flying out of the tube the wrong way, hitting the back of his head on the top of the opening when he stands up. He seems a little wobbly as he gets out.) Goddard: Radu, are you okay? Radu: (to Thelma) I’m fine, Commander Goddard! My, what a lovely hat... (He falls to the floor. Commander Goddard goes over to him.) Goddard: (straining to pull him up) Ugh... come on... ah. (Radu shakes his head to get his bearings again.) Goddard: What’s on your mind, Radu? Radu: Uh, have you seen Harlan lately? Goddard: Not since I asked you the same question. Radu: Neither have I. And I’ve been looking for him. I call that strange. Davenport: Hmmph. I call it peaceful. Thelma: Commander? The jumptubes are still not operational, and sub-systems three and four are malfunctioning. But the diagnostics read all clear! It is most puzzling... Goddard: Thelma, let’s go check out engineering. Miss Davenport, why don’t you stay up here and cool off for a while? (Commander Goddard and Thelma exit. As Miss Davenport turns to talk to Radu, who is also heading out, she places one of her hands on a ceiling support.) Davenport: Tell me, Mr. Radu, why are you of all people so concerned about Harlan? Radu: Because we’re a team, and we need all our members. (He exits, and Miss Davenport attempts to follow him. But her hand is now glued to the support.) Davenport: Uh, help! (She tries unsuccessfully to pull her hand off of the support, then clears her throat.) Davenport: Help! (Engine room. Commander Goddard and Thelma are examining the protomix master, while Harlan looks at the regulator console.) Thelma: Everything reads normal. There’s no problem here, Commander! Harlan: Don’t listen to her, Commander! The radiation must be putting her out of whack, too! Goddard: Thelma, where did the regulator console go? Harlan: Yes! Yes! (pointing) It’s right here! Thelma: The Christa has been known to rearrange herself. Goddard: Oh, terrific. Or, knowing Harlan, maybe he made off with it as a joke. When I find that kid, he’s in serious trouble! (walks off-screen) Thelma! (Thelma heads after him. Harlan stands alone, looking confused and panicked. Classroom. The four visible kids sit on the bleachers, doing assignments on their CompuPads.) Goddard: (over intercom) Mr. Band, report to the command post immediately! Bova: Sounds like Harlan’s in trouble. Harlan: Not as much as you. And no one can say I didn’t try to help. And I saved you, I saved you plenty of times in the past! I mean, who figured out how to steer the ship, huh? Me. And who steered us clear of those missiles? Me! It was me. And who - Who got us into this fix in the first place? Me. And I’m sorry. Okay? I’m sorry. (yells) I’m sorry! (Radu jumps up.) Radu: Did you hear something? I thought I did. Catalina: With those ears? You could probably hear a belch on Neptune! No offense. Harlan: It was me. Radu: It sounded a little like - Harlan: (yelling) Me! I'm here, it's me! Radu: No, it couldn’t be. Harlan: (yelling) Harlan! Radu: Harlan? Catalina: Harlan? Are you sure? Radu: It’s like - an echo, like he’s here, but he’s - Harlan: I’m here, I’m right here! I’m right here! Goddard: (entering) Radu! You’re right. I have looked all over this ship, and I can’t find Harlan. Have any of you seen him? Radu: I think I’m hearing him. But he’s not here! Goddard: What, you’re saying he’s invisible or something? Catalina: Bet he doesn’t make fun of Suzee now. Harlan: (yelling) There's trouble in the engine room! Don't go near it - stay away from there, it’s a hot zone! You - you gotta fix something - protomix - Radu: Something about engine room. Goddard: Let’s go! (Harlan runs to block the doorway.) Harlan: No! No! Hold it! (Everyone runs through him, out the door. Harlan shudders as each person walks past him.) Harlan: Why don’t we all just go to the engine room? (Engine Room.) Thelma: - and, there was glock spilled on the control console of the protomix master. Catalina: Suzee? Is it possible that - Okay, thought so. Suzee says that could have caused an energy surge. It could damage the ship! Even cause system problems! Radu: Like the problems with the jumptubes! Harlan: That’s not your biggest problem! The radiation levels are rising! (Rosie and Bova come in.) Rosie: Hey, didn’t there used to be a console here? Catalina: If Harlan did turn invisible, maybe that console went with him somehow. Radu: Commander! What if we duplicate the conditions of the accident? Goddard: Let’s try it! Everyone else, stand back! (He waves everyone but him and Thelma off to the side.) Thelma: If you are intending to pour glock onto the protomix master controls, be aware that it could cause a massive energy surge, potentially deadly for anyone nearby. Goddard: Make that way back. (He stands in front of Cat, Rosie and Bova.) Radu: Harlan, if you can hear me, stand exactly where you were when the accident hit. (He joins the others, and Harlan moves into place, and winces in anticipation.) Radu: (to the others) Get ready. Thelma pours glock onto the console and then kicks it. It starts to bubble violently again. Commander Goddard runs to pull Thelma out of the way.) Goddard: Get back, Thelma! (An electrical bolt passes through Harlan into the console once again, throwing him to the ground.) Goddard: I don’t believe it! It’s really you. Harlan: (standing) Don’t worry about me. Check that regulator readout. Catalina: The radiation level’s almost off the scale! We’ve have a slow leak in the protomix. Rosie: There’s gotta be some way to reverse it! Catalina: We could - reverse the polarities of the neutron flow? Thelma: That would work. Catalina: It could? Goddard: Do it. (Thelma works at the controls again, and we hear the protomix reset itself.) Catalina: Levels dropping to safety range. Radiation sweep of the ship in progress! Harlan: Oh, man, that was close! I could see it all happening, and I couldn’t do a thing to help. What the heck happened to me? Catalina: Well, Suzee and I think you got thrown into a sort of hyperspace field. Like the ship goes into when we travel faster than light? But, it’s a real freak accident. Harlan: I don’t know about that. Sometimes I think this ship is out to get me! (Catalina and Rosie scoff at him. Goddard looks at him, but decides not to say anything. Everyone but Harlan and Radu leave.) Harlan: You really bailed me out. Uh, thank you. (No response. We are hearing ghostly cries, obviously something only Radu can hear, since only he is reacting to them.) Harlan: Radu! Radu: What? Harlan: I said thank you! I - I thanked you! Radu: Oh, uh, you’re welcome. But did you hear that? It was a - a call for help! (Cut to Miss Davenport, still trying to free her hand from the ceiling support.) Davenport: HELP! (Cut to outside shot.) Davenport: (voice-over) Heeeeeeeeelp! [End Credits]