Read Online The Stars Came Back by Rolf Nelson - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Rolf Nelson
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stand at t he edge of the large doorway. One nervously prepares to peek around the corner toward the airfield, and suddenly a hole appears with a CLANK! in the sheet metal wall next to him. He pulls back sharply from the doorframe as bullets buzz past to ping on metal somewhere inside the building.
CUT TO
EXT - DAY - View of Harbin on the landing field
H arbin grabs his ammo can from the ground and sprints to where Helton has fallen. He kneels, taking a few more covering shots. He looks down at Helton. The big burn mark clearly goes though the coat, revealing the shiny silver-white of the book that Helton tucked away in the cave. Smoke rises from his coat, and the back of his neck and head are blackened and blood-spattered. Harbin grabs Helton’s shoulder and rolls him over.
CUT TO
Helton’s POV as he rolls over
A ringing, roaring, muffled combination of sounds. Everything is blurry, dark, and slow motion as he looks up into Harbin’s face as he mouths “Come ON! ON YOUR FEET! We GOTTA GO!” The POV goes black for a second as Helton closes his eyes and reopens them in slightly better focus. He half sits up, looking sideways at an angle. Dust puffs kick up from bullets hitting nearby.
CUT TO
Normal over-the-shoulder view of H arbin taking a few more cover shots, then pulling back as he helps Helton to his feet and, stumbling, the few steps to the flier stairway. As Helton works his way up, Harbin drops to his knee and takes a few more aimed shots. He stands, tosses the last things through the door, runs up the stairs to board the ship, pauses at the top, rapidly empties the magazine back at the building, then ducks through the hatch.
CUT TO
INT - DAY - Cockpit of ship
The layout is much like the simulator layout Helton crashed. Sun comes in through the windshield, casting stark shadows on the grimy cockpit.
Helton looks over the controls for a moment, rubs his face, shakes his head gently to clear it, winces and begins the launch sequence, visibly struggling to focus and think. He clumsily slips the electronic key into its slot, and Harbin puts the severed hand on the ID scanner again. Helton flips switches. The sound of a drive system spinning up fills the cabin.
CUT TO
EXT - DAY - View of ship and landing field from a distance
Flying camera view following the flier as it rises smoothly, angles away, and heads toward a valley between two mesas. It sweeps up and around the building, across a small spur and around a bend in the valley, then swoops down to land near the cluster of waiting passengers.
CUT TO
INT - DAY - Cargo bay of the flier
It is small, about the size of a V-22 deck , lined with flip-down seats. Harbin stands next to the ramp, pulling tight the straps on a safety harness. There is a thump and a jerk as the flier sets down. He hits a large button on the bulkhead and the rear ramp rapidly lowers to the ground. Many exclamations of “thank God” and “great to see you” and the like are heard from the passengers as they scramble aboard.
Harbin: EVERYONE MAKE IT?
Female passenger: ( Happily) Yes, all here!
All the passenger s run up the ramp as fast as they can to board, carrying the smaller kids.
Harbin: ( From ramp door facing inward, yelling, serious drill sergeant voice) One per seat and buckle up!
He takes a nearby kid from her dad and sits her into a seat, grabs the straps, buckles her in with practiced speed and efficiency, then looks up the cargo hold to see everyone else is doing the same.
Harbin: (Yelling towards the cockpit) LIFT OFF! GO GO GO!
He slaps the ramp button, and it slowly starts to rise.
CUT TO
EXT - DAY - Landing field
One of the slavers carrying a light machine gun with a long belt of ammo jumps into the remaining flier, a small open-topped two man quad-rotor with ducted fans. He drops the gun into the pintle mount on the front right corner of the cockpit, grabs the controls, hits a button, waits a moment as the propellers spin
CUT TO
EXT - DAY - View of Harbin on the landing field
H arbin grabs his ammo can from the ground and sprints to where Helton has fallen. He kneels, taking a few more covering shots. He looks down at Helton. The big burn mark clearly goes though the coat, revealing the shiny silver-white of the book that Helton tucked away in the cave. Smoke rises from his coat, and the back of his neck and head are blackened and blood-spattered. Harbin grabs Helton’s shoulder and rolls him over.
CUT TO
Helton’s POV as he rolls over
A ringing, roaring, muffled combination of sounds. Everything is blurry, dark, and slow motion as he looks up into Harbin’s face as he mouths “Come ON! ON YOUR FEET! We GOTTA GO!” The POV goes black for a second as Helton closes his eyes and reopens them in slightly better focus. He half sits up, looking sideways at an angle. Dust puffs kick up from bullets hitting nearby.
CUT TO
Normal over-the-shoulder view of H arbin taking a few more cover shots, then pulling back as he helps Helton to his feet and, stumbling, the few steps to the flier stairway. As Helton works his way up, Harbin drops to his knee and takes a few more aimed shots. He stands, tosses the last things through the door, runs up the stairs to board the ship, pauses at the top, rapidly empties the magazine back at the building, then ducks through the hatch.
CUT TO
INT - DAY - Cockpit of ship
The layout is much like the simulator layout Helton crashed. Sun comes in through the windshield, casting stark shadows on the grimy cockpit.
Helton looks over the controls for a moment, rubs his face, shakes his head gently to clear it, winces and begins the launch sequence, visibly struggling to focus and think. He clumsily slips the electronic key into its slot, and Harbin puts the severed hand on the ID scanner again. Helton flips switches. The sound of a drive system spinning up fills the cabin.
CUT TO
EXT - DAY - View of ship and landing field from a distance
Flying camera view following the flier as it rises smoothly, angles away, and heads toward a valley between two mesas. It sweeps up and around the building, across a small spur and around a bend in the valley, then swoops down to land near the cluster of waiting passengers.
CUT TO
INT - DAY - Cargo bay of the flier
It is small, about the size of a V-22 deck , lined with flip-down seats. Harbin stands next to the ramp, pulling tight the straps on a safety harness. There is a thump and a jerk as the flier sets down. He hits a large button on the bulkhead and the rear ramp rapidly lowers to the ground. Many exclamations of “thank God” and “great to see you” and the like are heard from the passengers as they scramble aboard.
Harbin: EVERYONE MAKE IT?
Female passenger: ( Happily) Yes, all here!
All the passenger s run up the ramp as fast as they can to board, carrying the smaller kids.
Harbin: ( From ramp door facing inward, yelling, serious drill sergeant voice) One per seat and buckle up!
He takes a nearby kid from her dad and sits her into a seat, grabs the straps, buckles her in with practiced speed and efficiency, then looks up the cargo hold to see everyone else is doing the same.
Harbin: (Yelling towards the cockpit) LIFT OFF! GO GO GO!
He slaps the ramp button, and it slowly starts to rise.
CUT TO
EXT - DAY - Landing field
One of the slavers carrying a light machine gun with a long belt of ammo jumps into the remaining flier, a small open-topped two man quad-rotor with ducted fans. He drops the gun into the pintle mount on the front right corner of the cockpit, grabs the controls, hits a button, waits a moment as the propellers spin
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