Based on the Short Story
by:
Arthur C. Clarke ©1962

What do you know...? Huh? I just said good-bye to my wife for the last time! Goodbye to my kids! I'm going to die! Alone! And there's nothing you, or anybody else can do about it, is there?!

What the hell do you know, this is a god damned nightmare!

A long beat. Van Kessel's voice goes distant. Remembering...

VAN KESSEL (V.O.)

Oh, about seven years ago now, a shuttle returning from a survey mission to Venus caught fire and launched an escape pod. Pod failed to fire it's retro rockets and was threatening to burn up in the Earth's atmosphere and kill all five of the remaining members of the mission.

He wraps his arms around his chest, hugging himself in the darkness.

VAN KESSEL

The company didn't have a department that handled those types of disasters then, so they turned to it's corps of engineers to come up with a rescue. It took almost eight days but they worked out a plan to save those people and I'm standing here today talking to you 'cause of those people's efforts.

Eyes going wide, Cliff leans in.

CLIFF

You, you were on the Corsa One?

VAN KESSEL

Yeah. Yeah, I was. We lost 29 people when the fire started. And only five of us survived.

(beat)

I think I know a bit about nightmares.

CLIFF

Sorry.

VAN KESSEL

Yeah, me too. But that's the past...

(beat)

We've been working on a way to get you down. It's going to sound, well, "wacky," as one of the engineers down here put it, but we're banking on it's success. We don't see any other options because it's bottom of the 9th, there are two outs and you're at bat. Strike out now and it's all over.

note: (different take/setup)

CLIFF

I never played football...

Van Kessel, caught completely off guard by Cliff's comment, bursts out laughing.

VAN KESSEL (V.O.)

Baseball, Cliff. Baseball.

Shaking his head, Cliff chuckles. The tears stop.

CLIFF

Whatever.

(to himself)

Okay, okay...

The speech has worked. Cliff gathers up his head mic, slaps it on and flips the overhead speaker off. He bends the boom mic closer to his face.

CLIFF

Go Flight.

VAN KESSEL (V.O.)

We want you to jump.

Cliff's eyes go wide.

CLIFF

Could you please repeat last, Flight?

I thought I heard you tell me you wanted me to--

VAN KESSEL (V.O.)

Jump.

CLIFF

(under his breath)

That's what I thought you said...

VAN KESSEL (V.O.)

You won't be moving fast enough to completely break away from the moon's pull, so there's no worry about floating off into space--

This take has ironic tone, which I like. -jeroen

CLIFF

That makes me feel so much better...

VAN KESSEL (V.O.)

-- and the good news is, it's not going to take too much of a kick for you to change your orbit.

CLIFF

This is nuts...

VAN KESSEL (V.O.)

You ever have any zero-g training?

CLIFF

I did work on the moon, you know.

VAN KESSEL (V.O.)

Good, I want you to climb into that emergency deep-space rig that's located in the airlock at the end of the ship.

Hands trembling, Cliff unbuckles the latches on the seat and floats up.

CLIFF

Van Kessel, I, I don't think--

VAN KESSEL (V.O.) Don't think-- Do. Now. Using a steady hand, he begins to move towards the back of the pod.

Maya Animator Scn17T2B Animatic Instructions

He stops and looks around. The pod, which has been such an instigator of more emotions than he has ever had in his entire life, stares back at him. The cabin is dim, only the lights of the panel illuminating his face. He places a hand on the command chair, smiles slightly and turns to go.

Floating in the confines of the small command module, he makes his way through the main bulkhead.

A beat.

He returns quickly and grabs the small jar of MOON DUST velcroed to the wall then leaves again.

---

18. INT. FREIGHT CAPSULE - MAIN ACCESS CORRIDOR - DAY

He floats along the main access corridor. The hatch to the airlock is right in front of him.

VAN KESSEL (V.O.)

We've calculated that a good, swift push off of the hull should give you the lift the boosters didn't, allowing you to move into a higher orbit. That'll give us the time we need to get a rescue vehicle to you.

CLIFF

But jumping into space? Come on, there has to be a better way...

VAN KESSEL (V.O.)

We've checked the figures about twenty different ways and it makes perfect sense. Computers don't lie.

CLIFF

(under his breath)

Tell that to the crew of the Discovery Mission...

VAN KESSEL (V.O.)

Sorry, I didn't copy last.

CLIFF

(loudly)

I'm almost in position.

VAN KESSEL (V.O.)

Roger.

He reaches the end of the hallway and pushes the pressure door to the airlock open.

---

19. INT. FREIGHT CAPSULE - AIRLOCK - DAY

Freight Capsule Airlock Layout Maya Model: models/freighCapsule/cabin/maya/scenes/capsuleAirLockLayOut.Apr20.m6.ma

Airlock door opens, and	Cliff enters through inner hatch way.
With a loud WHOOSH and several CLANKING noises, the airlock is sealed from the rest of the ship.	CLIFF Inner airlock door secured.

VAN KESSEL (V.O.)

See the access panel to the left of the outer hatch?

CLIFF

Yes.

VAN KESSEL (V.O.)

Crack the seal on it and open it up.

He moves over to the panel and opens it.

A newly configured A-7 Deep Space Bio Suit hangs in position. Like a man-shaped motorcycle, it is a ridged body design, with yellow armored plating and silver swivel panels at all the joints.

Taking it out, Cliff begins to disrobe to his skivvies and climbs into the suit.

The suit is splayed open like a lobster hanging against the wall.
Cliff steps backwards into it.
The suit closes itself up over him.

VAN KESSEL (V.O.)

We've got about ten minutes before the capsule's oriented for a go, so make it snappy.

Cliff, locking on the boots to his new clothes, chuckles.

CLIFF

"Make it snappy." You have kids don't you?

VAN KESSEL (V.O.)

Yeah, about 150 of them. You'd call em' "employees," I call em' my kids.

(laughs)

Actually, my wife is working on our first. Head back in the game, buddy. Let's make sure your Susan's playing with my baby three months from now, got me?

Out of the dream, he finishes putting on the suit.

VAN KESSEL (V.O.)

Snap on the bio pack. Suits' got enough air and supplies to keep you alive for about three days. Hope you like Tang.

CLIFF

The more things change...

He takes the bio pack and positions it on the belly of the suit. A small, black cable attached to a molded headset with an air clip for the nose and a feeding tube for the mouth, dangles from the box. Affixing it to his head, Cliff pulls the tube through the suit. He puts on his helmet.

A slow-building WHIRL and WHOOSH of oxygen is heard as he flips on the power.

VAN KESSEL (V.O.)

Time to bail out.

Cliff's macho vibrato is over-shadowed by the nervous quiver in his voice.

CLIFF

I'm ready.

VAN KESSEL (V.O.)

All you have to do is get to the top of the ship, near the operations hatch... Then, aim for Orion's belt, push off as hard as you can and jump straight away from the capsule. I'll give you a count once you're outside.

(a beat)

Open the airlock.

Cliff swallows hard as he presses the OPEN button on the airlock. A RED WIGWAM LIGHT illuminates and flashes the white room red. A AIR PRESSURE METER cycles the atmosphere in the airlock... The gauge goes from green--

TO RED. Silently, the outer door OPENS.

View of airlock looking towards ladder on wall and airlock hatch in ceiling.

Cliff climbs the ladder towards the open airlock hatch in the ceiling.

Fast and shallow, in and out, his breaths come. He slowly rounds the bulkhead as he grabs onto the steady bar. He looks outside.

The BLACK CURTAIN OF SPACE stares back at him.

CLIFF

Ohmygod, ohmygod, ohmygod--

VAN KESSEL (V.O.)

Easy, Cliff, easy. It's just a walk in the park.

His leg shakes as he takes his first step onto the lip of the airlock and out into the vacuum of blackness.

---

20. EXT. LUNAR NORTHERN HEMISPHERE - FREIGHT CAPSULE - DAY

Still in a high orbit, the capsule looks like a silver and black speck against the monochromatic surface of the Moon.

Suddenly, a little splash of color as CLIFF, in his yellow deep space rig, exits the airlock.

Out of a box on his belt, a steel composite LINE is pulled. Out of another pouch, Cliff pulls out a securing hook and attaches it to the line.

He clasps the securing line to the hull of the capsule.

One clumsily gloved hand at a time, Cliff carefully climbs out onto the capsule's angular rear section. Looking up, the sight paralyzes him.

THE MOON

Crescent in shape, a jagged arch of planetoid sweeping across a quarter of the sky. Below him--

THE SETTING SUN

The beginning of the long lunar night creeping below the Moon's horizon as his orbit continues. On the other side of the moon--

THE EARTH starting to become visible to him. The majestic sight is too much for Cliff's fragile mind to handle as he finally snaps out of it and continues his accent.

He looks down at the hull. Searching. Finally, he finds the OPERATIONS HATCH.

CLIFF

Flight, I'm at the operations hatch now.

VAN KESSEL (V.O.)

Roger, Cliff. Look up at about your eleven o'clock, vertical from the front of the capsule. Do you see Orion?

He looks.

CLIFF'S POV

He hunts frantically through the MILLIONS OF LIGHTS shining within the blackness. Unmistakable, though, ORION is there among them.

Cliff SMILES.

CLIFF

Yes! I see it!

VAN KESSEL (V.O.)

Good, we're almost at the highest point of the orbit now. I'll give you a count. You ready?

CLIFF

Roger.

VAN KESSEL (V.O.)

Good luck, Cliff.

He crouches down, taking the support rail in his hand. With the other, he disconnects the safety line from his belt. It whips away, leaving Cliff defenseless. He closes his eyes.

VAN KESSEL (V.O.)

Three-- Two-- ONE-- JUMP!

With all of his might, Cliff SCREAMS as he pushes off the ship, arms stretched out, hoping to grab Orion himself!

He looks down--

CLIFF'S POV

The ship recedes now at blazing speed as he rockets upwards.

ANOTHER ANGLE

He looks at the Moon's surface, two thousand kilometers below.

A second later, he turns and sees the Earth, three hundred fifty-four thousand kilometers away.

ANGLE ON CLIFF

His eyes droop. He is EXHAUSTED.

VAN KESSEL (V.O.)

Cliff?

CLIFF

(sleepy)

Yes?

VAN KESSEL (V.O.)

We're heading for the dark side of the moon, approaching radio blackout. You won't hear from us for the next five hours, okay?

CLIFF

Sure... Did I make it?

VAN KESSEL (V.O.)

We're hoping you've got enough height to clear the Aitken Mountains. If you did, we'll have you home in six hours.

CLIFF

Why do I sense a "but" in here somewhere?

VAN KESSEL (V.O.)

But we won't get a plot on you before you go into the blackout, so I can't let you know if we'll--

The transmission begins to CRACKLE and BUZZ. Cliff closes his eyes as he revolves around to the dark side of the moon.

Suddenly, Cliff begins to whistle. It is "Time" by Pink Floyd from the Dark Side of the Moon album.

CLIFF

(singing)

Wasting my time, Resting my mind, And I'll never pine, For the sad days and the bad days, When we was workin' from nine to five...

One by one, the twinkling lights of the stars go out as he shoots into the shadow of the Moon.

DISSOLVE TO:

---

21. EXT. LUNAR FAR SIDE - NIGHT

A yellow-silver speck floats lifelessly across the sky.
A lone flashing light drifts across blackness.It is the homing beacon on Cliff's suit. Half the background is stars, the other half blackness; the night side of the Moon.

ANOTHER ANGLE

The hard-suit floats twenty miles above the Moon's surface.

ANOTHER ANGLE

Looking down on him, WE SEE the blackened lunar surface.

ANOTHER ANGLE - CLIFF'S FACE

He is ASLEEP.

---

22. EXT. LUNAR SOUTH POLE – LOW ORBIT - DAWN

ANOTHER ANGLE

A SPLINTER OF SUNLIGHT creeps over the horizon of the Moon. It is the reflection of the sun off the Antarctic icecaps. Earth has begun to RISE.

ANOTHER ANGLE

The sunlight wipes across his face, the warmth massaging his cold cheeks. Slowly, he begins to wake.

He looks around. He is almost where he started. Cliff can see the end of the radio shadow coming towards him at just over a kilometer a second.

---

23. EXT. AITKEN MOUNTAINS APPROACH - DAY

He smiles to himself. I've made it, he thinks. But in that instance, he looks up and sees--

THE AITKEN MOUNTAINS

Coming straight for him at one kilometer a second!

ANOTHER ANGLE

The wave of stalagmite-type rocks splashes towards him at an alarming rate, climbing from the surface of the Moon.

ANOTHER ANGLE

Cliff's eyes go wide as the mountains come closer and closer.

CLIFF IS TOO LOW.

In his helmet, STATIC FADES UP in his earpiece as VOICES begin to come in clearly. Several people, all frantically speaking at once. About the mountains. About HIM. About how he's NOT GOING TO MAKE IT.

But he doesn't listen. It's of no concern to him. He knows his path is certain. His course true and unalterable. All that he could do he did, five hours ago.

ANOTHER ANGLE

The rolling moonscape rotates below him, all the details coming into sharp, hyper-real focus for Cliff, in the harsh light of the lunar dawn.

In another ten seconds, it will all be over.

ANOTHER ANGLE

Cliff closes his eyes.

CLIFF

(softy)

I'm sorry, Myra.

---

24. EXT. AITKEN MOUNTAINS GOUGE - DAY
ILM Sequence: Large Obstacle (LO)

But in that instance, a FLASH.

The moonscape EXPLODES into a SILENT, BRIEF FLAME! It lasts for a fraction of a second.

Cliff looks around him-- He strains to look as he passes THROUGH a MASSIVE HOLE in the mountain range!

A brief PING and TWANG of moon rocks deflecting off of the suit is heard as he looks down in awe. Confused and elated, he wonders aloud.

CLIFF

What the hell--?!

VAN KESSEL (V.O.)

Cliff? CLIFF!? Come in, over!?

CLIFF

I'm here!

VAN KESSEL (V.O.)

THANK GOD!

Over the radio, Cliff can hear the CHEERS and HOLLERING of the entire Flight Control team.

CLIFF

What the hell was that?!

VAN KESSEL (V.O.)

That, my friend, was a MIRACLE!

CLIFF

What did you do?

VAN KESSEL (V.O.)

Not me, buddy, your capsule!

CLIFF

What?!

Turning, he looks behind him.

ANOTHER ANGLE

Strewn underneath a cloud of lunar dust and rock debris is the wreckage of the CAPSULE. The small pieces that haven't been vaporized glisten in the sunlight as Cliff passes over them.

ANOTHER ANGLE

Cliff, still in shock, is COMPLETELY CONFUSED.

CLIFF

But, it-- it was behind me. How--

VAN KESSEL (V.O.)

(to someone in the background)

What, yeah, yeah send it to his computer!

Cliff raises his arm. A 3D graphic on his wrist computer blinks on. It explains Van Kessel's words.

VAN KESSEL (V.O.)

It dropped as it moved on it's lower orbit until it actually slipped underneath and in front of you!

CLIFF

Blowing out a path for me.

VAN KESSEL (V.O.)

Hell, a thousand tons of space vehicle is more than enough explosive to carve a path for you! Christ, three seconds later and you'da had it!

CLIFF

I don't believe it...

---

25. EXT. AITKEN MOUNTAINS RECEDING - DAY
ILM Sequence: Orbital Rendezvous (OR)

VAN KESSEL (V.O.) Rescue ship Callisto is ready for immediate launch. We've given the skipper your coordinates. They'll intercept your position in fifty-five minutes. CLIFF Van Kessel? VAN KESSEL (V.O.) Yes, Cliff? CLIFF Thank you. For everything. VAN KESSEL (V.O.) Hey, I'm just happy your son and daughter will have a daddy to drive them over to our house for the birthday party.

R5aScn25T1x244to851.mov Audio: R5aScn25T1x244to851.aiff

CLIFF Absolutely. One more thing--? VAN KESSEL (V.O.) Sure. CLIFF Can you connect me to my wife? I forgot to call her back and I think I've got some apologizing to do. VAN KESSEL (V.O.) No problem, Cliff, will do. This is Flight Control at Aitken Base, signing off.

R5aScn25Tk2PUx1983to2630.mov Audio: R5aScn25Tk2PUx1983to2630C.aiff linux: /usr/bin/alsaplayer

Cliff Leyland floats off, leaving certain death behind and nothing ahead of him but his future.

FADE OUT:

THE END

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