ENDURANCE II coasts silently in low Earth orbit.
Below them, Earth curves in magnificent blue and white.
SHUSTER (40s, pilot)
SCHUSTER
Houston's tracking the alien
capsule. Should have visual contact
in six hours.
27.
He reviews mission parameters while TOBY HARMAN (30s) checks
systems.
TOBY
So what exactly are we carrying?
SCHUSTER
(lowering voice)
Alien technology from Walters'
encounter.
TOBY
Think they're friendly?
SCHUSTER
Friendly doesn't mean harmless.
He activates communications.
SCHUSTER (CONT'D)
Houston, beginning long-range scan
for target.
MISSION CONTROL (V.O.)
Copy, Endurance. Be advised -
unprecedented storm activity in
your target area. Came from
nowhere.
Schuster and Toby exchange looks.
SCHUSTER
Something tells me the easy part
just ended.
The alien capsule drifts in orbit, its translucent surface
catching starlight.
Inside, the ancient forms of MARWEN and the three MOON
CREATURES rest in crystalline suspension.
Nearby, ENDURANCE II maintains its position, preparing for
the planned rendezvous.
CONTINUOUS
Suddenly, the landscape below writhes with unnatural energy.
28.
Ancient songlines glow with spectral fire as the KUTJI SPIRIT
awakens to its full power.
What begins as atmospheric disturbance rapidly becomes a
spiral of supernatural energy reaching into orbit.
The Kutji spirit manifests as a swirling vortex of dark
matter and ancient rage, extending tendrils toward the alien
capsule.
SCHUSTER monitors the approach vector while TOBY operates the
deep space scanning array.
TOBY
Capsule's stable at two thousand
meters. No movement, no energy
signatures beyond basic life
support.
SCHUSTER
Copy that. Beginning final approach
sequence.
TOBY
Joe... you ever wondered what's
been keeping that thing in orbit?
There's no visible propulsion
system.
SCHUSTER
Orders are to rendezvous, not
analyze. Let's just—
Alarms suddenly BLARE across the console.
TOBY
What the hell? Joe, I'm reading
massive electromagnetic disturbance
approaching from Earth.
SCHUSTER
Solar storm?
TOBY
This is coming from the planet
surface. It's a remote coastal
area. Joe, the capsule just changed
course! It's accelerating toward
Earth!
29.
SCHUSTER
That's impossible...
TOBY
I'm telling you, it's moving! And
there's something else... that
storm system is growing.
On their monitors, they watch a hurricane form with
supernatural speed - a perfect spiral centered on the
capsule's descent trajectory.
The radio dissolves into static.
The alien capsule's descent becomes a controlled fall toward
the coast, wrapped in the eye of the supernatural hurricane.
The shuttle shudders as it's caught in the outer edges of the
storm's influence.
TOBY
We're being pulled in! Whatever's
controlling that capsule, it's
affecting us too!
SCHUSTER
Full reverse thrust! Break orbit!
TOBY
It's not working! Joe, we're caught
in some kind of energy field!
Outside their windows, space itself ripples and distorts as
the Kutji spirit's power extends.
SCHUSTER
(grimly)
Then we're going for a ride.
The shuttle begins its own uncontrolled descent, following
the capsule toward the chaos below.
The alien capsule impacts the ocean near Digger's Cave with
tremendous force, sending up a tower of steam and
supernatural light.
30.
Moments later, the hurricane's powerful outer reaches make
landfall near Cactus Loop.
FADE TO: HURRICANE DESTRUCTION MONTAGE...
Half conscious, Blake hangs by his belt from a stub of wood.
He's roused by a rushing, whistling sound and looks out to
see a trail of light cutting through the sky.
The horizon becomes a rim of white.
Like a flare of magnesium, brightness hovers, intensifies,
fuses the sky into a luminous dome.
For a short time, night becomes day.
Blake succumbs to his fatigue.
A small willy-willy (dust devil) puffs across the landscape.
Danny watches it as he walks toward the cave.
The squall passes over him, filling his mouth with grit.
He shakes debris from his clothes, gives the departing
twister the finger.
Nearby, JUBA stands watching, his skin decorated in
traditional indigenous paint.
He laughs and points at Danny as he tries to outpace the wind
storm.
JUBA
Hey, willy willy got the wind up
you! My ancestors say when a willy
willy hits you, you gotta watch
out. Something's gonna happen.
DANNY
(spitting sand)
You talk a lot of shit, Juba. More
shit than my outdoor thunder box.
JUBA
Scared are you?
31.
DANNY
You and your hocus pocus mumbo
jumbo stuff. What's with the war
paint? You look like you're heading
to a tribal showdown. We're
supposed to go swimming today.
JUBA
Come and look at this. I found
something.
Juba runs down a slope. Danny follows, panting.
Near the cliff edge lies an abandoned TRAIL BIKE, camping
gear and ropes strapped to the back.
DANNY
Juba, get away from there! There's
a murderer about. My mum told me.
We have to get out of here. Come
on!
JUBA
(pointing skyward)
Wait. Look.
A KESTREL circles above them, crying shrilly, diving toward
the cliff edge then circling back.
JUBA (CONT'D)
She's trying to tell us something.
The kestrel dives again, more urgently.
JUBA (CONT'D)
Something's down there.
He peers over the cliff edge and sees BLAKE hanging
unconscious from a tree root, his belt caught, pants twisted
around his legs.
JUBA (CONT'D)
There's a bloke stuck down there.
Been there a while by the look of
him.
DANNY
Leave him! What if he's the killer?
JUBA
The kestrel brought us here, Danny.
We can't just leave him.
Juba unties a rope from the bike.
32.
JUBA (CONT'D)
Hold the bike steady. When I say
pull, you pull like a bull, okay?
DANNY
What for?
JUBA
Just do as I tell ya!
Juba ties the rope to the bike frame, lowers the other end
over the cliff.
He climbs partway down and loops it around Blake's waist.
JUBA (CONT'D)
The bloke's stuck. His belt's
caught on the root.
Juba pulls out his traditional spear, carefully cuts Blake's
belt.
Blake's pants slip down but the rope holds him.
JUBA (CONT'D)
Okay Danny! Pull!
They heave together.
The bike starts slipping toward the edge.
DANNY
It's too heavy!
Blake stirs, grabs the rope with his hands, helping them as
they pull him to safety. He collapses on solid ground, pants
around his ankles, gasping.
BLAKE
(weakly)
Water...
Danny stares at Blake - dehydrated, exhausted, clearly not a
threat.
DANNY
He's not the murderer, is he?
JUBA
Nah. Look at him. He's the one who
needs help.
Juba hands Blake his water bottle.
33.
Blake drinks gratefully.
JUBA (CONT'D)
What's your name, mister?
BLAKE
(hoarse)
Blake. How long was I...?
JUBA
Hard to say. But you're lucky we
found you.
Blake struggles to pull his pants up, looks around at his
rescuers.
BLAKE
Thank you. Both of you.
DANNY
What happened? How'd you end up
hanging there?
BLAKE
Stupid accident. Was watching a
bird, slipped when it came at me.
JUBA
The kestrel. She led us to you.
Blake looks up at the bird still circling overhead.
JUBA (CONT'D)
The willy willy, the kestrel, now
you. Three signs, Danny. Something
big is coming.
DANNY
You and your friggin' signs. A sign
of what?
JUBA
When the Kutji spirit's around,
everything connects. This white
fella - he's part of it now.
DANNY
You mean, like, ghosts?
JUBA
Yeah, kind of like ghosts. Bad news
spirits, Danny. Not friendly like
the others.
34.
BLAKE
What kind of bad spirits?
JUBA
(hesitating, troubled)
My family... we got stories about
someone who went wrong. Someone who
forgot the old ways, brought shame
to the bloodline.
DANNY
What happened to him?
JUBA
(looking away)
My uncle Feelgood says he's still
out there somewhere. Still carrying
the weight of what he done.
They help Blake to his feet.
JUBA (CONT'D)
We'll take you to our cave. You
need rest and some tucker.
BLAKE
I don't want to be any trouble...
need to rest up a bit.
JUBA
No trouble. This is sacred business
now.
They help Blake onto his bike, Danny climbing on behind to
steady him.
Blake starts the motor.
DANNY
This is a secret, right? About
helping him?
JUBA
Everything about today is secret,
Danny. Don't tell anyone. And
Danny, once we get this fella to
the cave, go home and get some
food.
Danny nods as they head toward Diggers Cave, the kestrel
following overhead.
35.
JUBA (CONT'D)
(to Blake)
Welcome to the spirit world,
mister. Your life just got a lot
more interesting. Juba drags their
mattress out and lays it in a cool
spot.
They help Blake onto it and he instantly falls asleep.
The boys stare down at him.
JUBA (CONT'D)
You'd better get going Danny. I'm
off to spear some fish while the
tide's low.
He shades his eyes and peers at the horizon. Dark clouds
begin to form.
DANNY
And there's a storm brewing. I'm
off.
Danny runs off, eyes to the sky as he goes.
CHAPTER 8 - SARAH. IMAGE - HOUSE 2.
— ⑦
EXT. SPACE - DAY
ENDURANCE II coasts silently in low Earth orbit.
Below them, Earth curves in magnificent blue and white.
INT. ENDURANCE II - FLIGHT DECK - CONTINUOUS
SHUSTER (40s, pilot)
SCHUSTER
Houston's tracking the alien
capsule. Should have visual contact
in six hours.
27.
He reviews mission parameters while TOBY HARMAN (30s) checks
systems.
TOBY
So what exactly are we carrying?
SCHUSTER
(lowering voice)
Alien technology from Walters'
encounter.
TOBY
Think they're friendly?
SCHUSTER
Friendly doesn't mean harmless.
He activates communications.
SCHUSTER (CONT'D)
Houston, beginning long-range scan
for target.
MISSION CONTROL (V.O.)
Copy, Endurance. Be advised -
unprecedented storm activity in
your target area. Came from
nowhere.
Schuster and Toby exchange looks.
SCHUSTER
Something tells me the easy part
just ended.
EXT. SPACE - DAY
The alien capsule drifts in orbit, its translucent surface
catching starlight.
Inside, the ancient forms of MARWEN and the three MOON
CREATURES rest in crystalline suspension.
Nearby, ENDURANCE II maintains its position, preparing for
the planned rendezvous.
EXT. EARTH - NEAR CACTUS LOOP, NORTHERN AUSTRALIA -
CONTINUOUS
Suddenly, the landscape below writhes with unnatural energy.
28.
Ancient songlines glow with spectral fire as the KUTJI SPIRIT
awakens to its full power.
What begins as atmospheric disturbance rapidly becomes a
spiral of supernatural energy reaching into orbit.
The Kutji spirit manifests as a swirling vortex of dark
matter and ancient rage, extending tendrils toward the alien
capsule.
INT. ENDURANCE II - FLIGHT DECK - CONTINUOUS
SCHUSTER monitors the approach vector while TOBY operates the
deep space scanning array.
TOBY
Capsule's stable at two thousand
meters. No movement, no energy
signatures beyond basic life
support.
SCHUSTER
Copy that. Beginning final approach
sequence.
TOBY
Joe... you ever wondered what's
been keeping that thing in orbit?
There's no visible propulsion
system.
SCHUSTER
Orders are to rendezvous, not
analyze. Let's just—
Alarms suddenly BLARE across the console.
TOBY
What the hell? Joe, I'm reading
massive electromagnetic disturbance
approaching from Earth.
SCHUSTER
Solar storm?
TOBY
This is coming from the planet
surface. It's a remote coastal
area. Joe, the capsule just changed
course! It's accelerating toward
Earth!
29.
SCHUSTER
That's impossible...
TOBY
I'm telling you, it's moving! And
there's something else... that
storm system is growing.
On their monitors, they watch a hurricane form with
supernatural speed - a perfect spiral centered on the
capsule's descent trajectory.
The radio dissolves into static.
EXT. EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE - CONTINUOUS
The alien capsule's descent becomes a controlled fall toward
the coast, wrapped in the eye of the supernatural hurricane.
INT. ENDURANCE II - CONTINUOUS
The shuttle shudders as it's caught in the outer edges of the
storm's influence.
TOBY
We're being pulled in! Whatever's
controlling that capsule, it's
affecting us too!
SCHUSTER
Full reverse thrust! Break orbit!
TOBY
It's not working! Joe, we're caught
in some kind of energy field!
Outside their windows, space itself ripples and distorts as
the Kutji spirit's power extends.
SCHUSTER
(grimly)
Then we're going for a ride.
The shuttle begins its own uncontrolled descent, following
the capsule toward the chaos below.
EXT. NEAR CACTUS LOOP, NORTHERN AUSTRALIA - DAY
The alien capsule impacts the ocean near Digger's Cave with
tremendous force, sending up a tower of steam and
supernatural light.
30.
Moments later, the hurricane's powerful outer reaches make
landfall near Cactus Loop.
FADE TO: HURRICANE DESTRUCTION MONTAGE...
EXT. BUSHLAND CLIFF - NIGHT
Half conscious, Blake hangs by his belt from a stub of wood.
He's roused by a rushing, whistling sound and looks out to
see a trail of light cutting through the sky.
The horizon becomes a rim of white.
Like a flare of magnesium, brightness hovers, intensifies,
fuses the sky into a luminous dome.
For a short time, night becomes day.
Blake succumbs to his fatigue.
EXT. COASTAL DESERT - DAY
A small willy-willy (dust devil) puffs across the landscape.
Danny watches it as he walks toward the cave.
The squall passes over him, filling his mouth with grit.
He shakes debris from his clothes, gives the departing
twister the finger.
Nearby, JUBA stands watching, his skin decorated in
traditional indigenous paint.
He laughs and points at Danny as he tries to outpace the wind
storm.
JUBA
Hey, willy willy got the wind up
you! My ancestors say when a willy
willy hits you, you gotta watch
out. Something's gonna happen.
DANNY
(spitting sand)
You talk a lot of shit, Juba. More
shit than my outdoor thunder box.
JUBA
Scared are you?
31.
DANNY
You and your hocus pocus mumbo
jumbo stuff. What's with the war
paint? You look like you're heading
to a tribal showdown. We're
supposed to go swimming today.
JUBA
Come and look at this. I found
something.
Juba runs down a slope. Danny follows, panting.
Near the cliff edge lies an abandoned TRAIL BIKE, camping
gear and ropes strapped to the back.
DANNY
Juba, get away from there! There's
a murderer about. My mum told me.
We have to get out of here. Come
on!
JUBA
(pointing skyward)
Wait. Look.
A KESTREL circles above them, crying shrilly, diving toward
the cliff edge then circling back.
JUBA (CONT'D)
She's trying to tell us something.
The kestrel dives again, more urgently.
JUBA (CONT'D)
Something's down there.
He peers over the cliff edge and sees BLAKE hanging
unconscious from a tree root, his belt caught, pants twisted
around his legs.
JUBA (CONT'D)
There's a bloke stuck down there.
Been there a while by the look of
him.
DANNY
Leave him! What if he's the killer?
JUBA
The kestrel brought us here, Danny.
We can't just leave him.
Juba unties a rope from the bike.
32.
JUBA (CONT'D)
Hold the bike steady. When I say
pull, you pull like a bull, okay?
DANNY
What for?
JUBA
Just do as I tell ya!
Juba ties the rope to the bike frame, lowers the other end
over the cliff.
He climbs partway down and loops it around Blake's waist.
JUBA (CONT'D)
The bloke's stuck. His belt's
caught on the root.
Juba pulls out his traditional spear, carefully cuts Blake's
belt.
Blake's pants slip down but the rope holds him.
JUBA (CONT'D)
Okay Danny! Pull!
They heave together.
The bike starts slipping toward the edge.
DANNY
It's too heavy!
Blake stirs, grabs the rope with his hands, helping them as
they pull him to safety. He collapses on solid ground, pants
around his ankles, gasping.
BLAKE
(weakly)
Water...
Danny stares at Blake - dehydrated, exhausted, clearly not a
threat.
DANNY
He's not the murderer, is he?
JUBA
Nah. Look at him. He's the one who
needs help.
Juba hands Blake his water bottle.
33.
Blake drinks gratefully.
JUBA (CONT'D)
What's your name, mister?
BLAKE
(hoarse)
Blake. How long was I...?
JUBA
Hard to say. But you're lucky we
found you.
Blake struggles to pull his pants up, looks around at his
rescuers.
BLAKE
Thank you. Both of you.
DANNY
What happened? How'd you end up
hanging there?
BLAKE
Stupid accident. Was watching a
bird, slipped when it came at me.
JUBA
The kestrel. She led us to you.
Blake looks up at the bird still circling overhead.
JUBA (CONT'D)
The willy willy, the kestrel, now
you. Three signs, Danny. Something
big is coming.
DANNY
You and your friggin' signs. A sign
of what?
JUBA
When the Kutji spirit's around,
everything connects. This white
fella - he's part of it now.
DANNY
You mean, like, ghosts?
JUBA
Yeah, kind of like ghosts. Bad news
spirits, Danny. Not friendly like
the others.
34.
BLAKE
What kind of bad spirits?
JUBA
(hesitating, troubled)
My family... we got stories about
someone who went wrong. Someone who
forgot the old ways, brought shame
to the bloodline.
DANNY
What happened to him?
JUBA
(looking away)
My uncle Feelgood says he's still
out there somewhere. Still carrying
the weight of what he done.
They help Blake to his feet.
JUBA (CONT'D)
We'll take you to our cave. You
need rest and some tucker.
BLAKE
I don't want to be any trouble...
need to rest up a bit.
JUBA
No trouble. This is sacred business
now.
They help Blake onto his bike, Danny climbing on behind to
steady him.
Blake starts the motor.
DANNY
This is a secret, right? About
helping him?
JUBA
Everything about today is secret,
Danny. Don't tell anyone. And
Danny, once we get this fella to
the cave, go home and get some
food.
Danny nods as they head toward Diggers Cave, the kestrel
following overhead.
35.
JUBA (CONT'D)
(to Blake)
Welcome to the spirit world,
mister. Your life just got a lot
more interesting. Juba drags their
mattress out and lays it in a cool
spot.
They help Blake onto it and he instantly falls asleep.
The boys stare down at him.
JUBA (CONT'D)
You'd better get going Danny. I'm
off to spear some fish while the
tide's low.
He shades his eyes and peers at the horizon. Dark clouds
begin to form.
DANNY
And there's a storm brewing. I'm
off.
Danny runs off, eyes to the sky as he goes.
CHAPTER 8 - SARAH. IMAGE - HOUSE 2.