Rise of The Kek Screenplay Read online

RISE OF THE KEK SCREENPLAY

  by

  John Joseph Burhop

  ****

  PUBLISHED BY:

  Rise of The Kek

  Copyright 2010 by John Joseph Burhop

  FADE IN:

  INT. SCOUTSHIP - EARTH ORBIT

  A small-framed humanoid sits in the spacecraft's tiny cockpit. He has four equidistant arms and four equidistant legs. An opposable thumb centers each of his nine-fingered hands. He is a CIDEBAN named PIREN.

  A screen on the console displays STOCK FOOTAGE of human scientists splitting the first atom. A chronometer below it reads "1932"

  A red light begins flashing, BEEPING. Piren activates a voice recorder.

  PIREN

  Cideban Scoutship Sol Three reporting.

  Auto Return has activated. Earth year

  1932. The humans have split their first

  atom. First contact may be possible

  sooner than we thought.

  EXT. EARTH ORBIT

  The scoutship rotates away from Earth, then darts off at incredible speed.

  INT. SCOUTSHIP

  The screen's image freezes in frame as the chronometer rapidly advances to "1975"

  EXT. OUTER SPACE

  PAN DOWN - CONTINUOUS

  A speckled yellow moon rises into view. Communication and observation equipment protrude from its upper half.

  Sport climbers are visible on its lower edge. Their clothing ranges from spacesuits to coveralls as we descend.

  EXT. PLANET CIDEBA - DAY

  We arrive at the moon's base, grounded on an ocean covered planet.

  A storm cloud flickers in the distance.

  ZOOM IN on storm cloud.

  Four columns of fire BURST through its underside: Braking thrusters.

  They illuminate a large spacecraft descending. Eight massive ribs surround its huge octagonal shell from bottom to top.

  Lowering.

  GROWING LOUDER.

  Slowing.

  The braking thrusters incinerate the landscape below.

  The spacecraft touches down. It is a KEK SHIP.

  Large spider-like aliens come swarming out of the ship in waves. They are eight feet in length with large, serrated mandibles and razor sharp claws. They are KEK.

  ZOOM IN on a single Kek. It dips down with a slow, steady hunch.

  It HISSES loudly before tackling and killing a fleeing Cideban.

  The Kek flings the Cideban off to the side.

  Two other Kek scurry over.

  They perform a creepy dance above the body before devouring it violently.

  The Kek ship begins MOANING, CREAKING.

  Its ribs tear away from the top. They extend upward and outward in eight opposite directions. They arc over and come down hard into the scorched terrain.

  The ribs become legs that hoist the central shell into the air.

  The ship has transformed into a mobile mechanoid.

  It lumbers clumsily toward a well protected facility.

  A lame leg drags across the ground, carving a long scar through the facility's perimeter forest. The mechanoid advances unimpeded, snapping trees like twigs.

  EXT. ABOVE PLANET CIDEBA

  Piren's scoutship barrels into the system. It rapidly decelerates.

  A barely visible beam pulls it down toward the planet's surface.

  INT. HANGAR FIVE - PLANET CIDEBA - DAY

  The beam is emanating from a small spacecraft docking port.

  The scoutship is guided smoothly into it.

  Piren looks around confusedly. He activates an intercom.

  PIREN

  Hello?

  A SLIGHT TREMOR vibrates the docking port's support. Piren is startled by it. He grows visibly impatient.

  A uniformed Cideban comes running into the hangar, waving all four arms above his head. He is GEDDEN.

  GEDDEN

  I'm coming, I'm coming.

  Gedden rams a power cable into the side of the scoutship. He releases a pressure seal, then pushes up the canopy.

  GEDDEN (CONT’D)

  Welcome home, Commander Piren. I'm

  Administrator Gedden.

  PIREN

  Protocol requires the presence of at

  least two docking engineers for all

  arriving scoutships.

  (unbuckling from the seat)

  What if the docking program-

  GEDDEN

  I'm sorry, sir. You were supposed to dock

  in Hangar Six. Uh, we've got a slight

  emergency on our hands.

  PIREN

  What kind of emergency?

  Gedden waves Piren over to a computer terminal near the hangar's entrance.

  Piren climbs out of the cockpit while Gedden codes in.

  A contour map of the planet's surface displays. More than a hundred red pixels flash over its full range. INTRUDER ALERT displays prominently across the screen.

  GEDDEN

  The Kek captured one of our scoutships

  and were able to reverse engineer its

  NEUTRINO DRIVE.

  PIREN

  (referring to the red pixels)

  Those are all Kek ships?

  GEDDEN

  I'm afraid so. We received an emergency

  transmission from the pilot just before

  he was captured. It revealed that the Kek

  have been spinning out spacecraft at an

  alarming rate.

  PIREN

  How did they breach the orbital defense

  net?

  GEDDEN

  They caught us completely off guard.

  Their ships' energy signatures matched

  those of early model scoutships. We have

  older ships coming in all the time.

  A MORE POWERFUL TREMOR rattles the hangar.

  PIREN

  Is that the Kek?

  GEDDEN

  Must be.

  Piren scowls at Gedden.

  Gedden Pulls Piren out the door.

  EXT. LAUNCH FACILITY - PLANET CIDEBA - DAY

  The Kek mechanoid approaches from just outside the facility's perimeter.

  Piren is struggling to match Gedden's stride as they run toward a nearby hangar.

  PIREN

  Where are we going?

  GEDDEN

  There's a Neutrino Drive in Hangar Six

  that needs to be evacuated.

  INT. HANGAR SIX - PLANET CIDEBA - DAY

  They scramble into the hangar.

  Gedden enters a code on a wall safe. He pops it open.

  He retrieves a rectangular block of metal approximately one foot long. A small circular hole runs through its length. It is a Neutrino Drive Engine.

  Gedden thrusts the engine into a carry bag.

  Piren snatches the bag from him.

  They scoot out the door.

  EXT. LAUNCH FACILITY - DAY

  They race back toward Hangar Five.

  The mechanoid is now inside the facility's perimeter.

  Its lame leg drags across the ground, launching huge chunks of rock and soil into the air with distant, slow motion arcs.

  Fodder rains on several nearby hangars.

  Another leg IMPACTS the ground.

  Piren nearly falls.

  INT. HANGAR FIVE - DAY

  Gedden and Piren enter the hangar.

  Piren climbs into his scoutship. He nestles the carry bag behind the pilot's seat.

  PIREN

  (buckling in)

  What are you going to do?

  GEDDEN

  Don't worry about me. Just resume your

  mission to Earth. That satisfies the

  evacuation order. Warning beacons were

/>   sent to all Class Three worlds. That

  means Earth has already been warned.

  Gedden yanks out the power cable. Pulls down the canopy. Seals it. Waves Piren out.

  A Kek emerges from a dark corner of the hangar and engulfs Gedden.

  Another Kek quickly cocoons itself to the scoutship without Piren's knowledge.

  EXT. ABOVE LAUNCH FACILITY - DAY

  Piren's ship ascends.

  Three Kek mechanoids are visible in the surrounding terrain.

  EXT. CIDEBA ORBIT

  Laser pulses BURST from the defense satellites.

  Piren's ship rises between them, then accelerates out into space.

  INT. SCOUTSHIP

  Images of Earth's technological advancements flood onto the screen as the EARTH chronometer rapidly advances to 2018.

  The scoutship arrives in Earth orbit.

  Piren taps into a satellite signal. He conducts a query.

  An image of a book appears. It reads: "THE E.T. SIGNAL OF 2018 BY ALEC STRICKLAND."

  The COMPUTER begins reading it aloud:

  COMPUTER

  Little is known about the transmission

  received from 58 Eridani...

  EXT. ALEC'S HOUSE - DAY

  CAPTION: Southern Wisconsin, April 14, 2018

  Springtime.

  The house is small, rustic. It sits on a long, dirt road. Vast fields of young corn surround it.

  An AIRCAR hovers clumsily into the end of its long, gravel driveway. Its four

  turbofans WHINE unnervingly.

  Rocks pelt the front of the house.

  INT. LIVING ROOM - ALEC'S HOUSE - DAY

  ALEC STRICKLAND, 21, handsome, healthy, spots the aircar through the living room window.

  ALEC

  STEVE's here.

  Alec spies Steve, 20, stocky, beer belly, through a slit in blinds.

  KRISTIN, 19, athletic, brunette, enters the living room.

  She places a snack tray and an ashtray on the glass top coffee table.

  Alec flings the front door open just as Steve is preparing to knock.

  ALEC (CONT’D)

  Can I help you?

  STEVE

  There are rumors of a wild party at this

  locale, sir. I'll need to inspect the

  premises for beautiful women.

  Steve pushes politely past Alec into the house.

  He pulls a bottle of JACK DANIELS from a paper sack in his hand, and then drops down on the couch. He takes a long drink from the bottle.

  ALEC

  I still can't believe you bought that

  thing. Didn't anyone you that aircars

  were banned from public roads in 2016?

  STEVE

  Let's see. They're loud, dangerous, and

  illegal. Sounds perfect to me.

  KRISTIN

  I've got to hand it to you Steve, at

  least you're consistent.

  Steve lights a cigarette.

  He slumps forward and begins sampling from the snack tray.

  Alec moves into the kitchen.

  ALEC

  Hey Steve. Think fast.

  Alec tosses a bottle of beer to Steve. It sails over the coffee table.

  Kristin watches in horror.

  Steve catches it smoothly before guzzling half of it down in one long gulp. He then belches loudly.

  ALEC (CONT’D)

  Another?

  Kristin shoots Alec a glance.

  Steve finishes the beer, then nods to Alec.

  STEVE

  Hit me.

  Alec retrieves two more beers and a pours a glass of wine for Kristin.

  He rejoins them in the living room.

  STEVE (CONT’D)

  So, ten million copies, huh? I still

  can't believe it.

  ALEC

  Either can I. There's nothing like

  turning an old research paper into a best

  selling book in three days. Thank god for

  eBooks. It definitely pays to be first.

  KRISTIN

  The alien signal totally dominated the

  news. Talk about free publicity.

  ALEC

  Most of my book is about the history and

  evolution of radio astronomy. Very little

  of it actually covers the signal itself.

  The government hasn't told us anything

  about its content.

  KRISTIN

  Yeah. Tell the world that we've received

  an intelligent, extraterrestrial signal

  and then try to bury it.

  ALEC

  They claim to still be

  (quoting with four fingers)

  deciphering it.

  STEVE

  Our government at work. Hiding the truth

  as usual.

  ALEC

  It's pretty weird that the signal was

  transmitted on a secure government

  frequency. I mean, how would they know?

  STEVE

  How would who know? Where did it come

  from?

  ALEC

  58 Eridani. It's a star about forty three

  light years away.

  STEVE

  (raising his beer)

  To The E.T. Signal of 2018 by Alec

  Strickland.

  They clink clumsily. Race to the bottoms of their drinks.

  Kristin wins. She rises victoriously. Moves into the kitchen.

  KRISTIN

  (with an exaggerated slur)

  Another round, boys?

  STEVE

  Sure.

  Kristin reenters the living room. Hands them each a beer, then drops into a recliner.

  Steve grabs his beer and stands up.

  STEVE (CONT’D)

  Come on. I want to show you two the

  aircar.

  KRISTIN

  You guys go ahead. I'm pretty comfy at

  the moment.

  Alec and Steve head outside.

  EXT. DRIVEWAY - ALEC'S HOUSE - DAY

  A 1975 CADILLAC pulls in behind the sloppily parked aircar lying at the top of the driveway.

  The Cadillac's driver side window lowers. The driver is a scrawny, red headed, pale, freckled faced girl. She is TARA.

  TARA

  (to Steve)

  You bought an aircar?

  STEVE

  Look whose talking, Miss gas guzzler.

  TARA

  Where's your little brother?

  STEVE

  JEREMY will be by later.

  ALEC

  I didn't expect to see you here tonight?

  TARA

  Kristin invited me.

  ALEC

  You're driving a Cadillac? I thought you

  were an environmentalist?

  TARA

  I think I've earned a little leeway.

  They all enter the house.

  INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT

  The party is in full swing. Fifteen guests are present.

  Jeremy, 18, small build, is conversing with Tara.

  Alec scowls as he eyes Tara from across the room.

  Steve is standing next to Alec.

  TARA

  The International Reforestation Coalition

  has done more to improve the planet than

  all the governments combined.

  JEREMY

  How do you figure?

  TARA

  In the last five years, we've planted

  nearly a billion trees. Those trees

  convert several million tons of carbon

  dioxide into oxygen every year.

  Tara notices Alec's displeasure. She smiles insincerely.

  ALEC

  I can't believe your brother is

  interested in Tara. All she ever talks

  about is the INRC.

  STEVE

  She's easy and he's eighteen. It ain't

  rocket science, Alec.


  JEREMY

  How much carbon dioxide is released into

  the atmosphere by a single tree?

  TARA

  Trees filter carbon dioxide out of the

  atmosphere, not into it. Other plants

  help, but trees do the most.

  JEREMY

  I thought that plankton and oceanic

  absorption filtered out most of the

  carbon dioxide.

  TARA

  Well, the ocean does act as a sink for

  carbon dioxide...

  JEREMY

  I'm just messing with you, Tara.