Summary of Production Script

In the distant future, in deep space, two astronauts are on a mission to investigate the disappearance of a survey team that vanished while charting a remote planet. They locate the planet but are captured by the planet's natives.  The strange life forms look upon the astronauts as novelties.  They are put on display in what amounts to a public park.  With the help of a young native, the two escape their prison, retake their spaceship and blast off back into space.

Excerpt from Production Script

"RT-1"
an original audio play for classroom production
by Don Kisner

SCENE ONE

[INSIDE SPACESHIP]

SOUND ONE: FADE IN BACKGROUND, INSIDE A SPACESHIP SPEEDING THROUGH SPACE. CONTINUE TO END OF SCENE.

NARRATOR:

Space. Thirty-oh-six. (PAUSE) Hear that? That's the sound of speed. Speed just slightly slower than the speed of light squared. A spaceship streaking toward a galaxy on the far side of existence, an unexplored quadrant of the universe. Aboard the ship, Captain Teriallia Kopski and Lieutenant Rontar Kensington, two astronauts on a mission.

TERI:

Aldo, begin navigational input.

Destination: Solar system 339 of quadrant 1677. Change course 15.62 degrees starboard. Lock onto second planet from the sun.

Precautionary measures: Hostility expected. Activate all precautionary measures.

Required tasks: Refer to last communication from vanished survey team, 1024. Calculate last probable location of team 1024. At an altitude of 25 kilometers, identify possible landing site a minimum of three kilometers from the outskirts of any nearby habitation complex. Analyze the planet's atmosphere for human consumption. Sound an alert when ready to land.

End navigational input. (PAUSE) Aldo, show navigational input on screen.

ALDO:

Projecting most recent navigational input on screen.

TERI:

(READING THE SCREEN) O . . . kay! Navigational input correct, Aldo. Expedite immediately. Inform when navigational details have been accomplished.

ALDO:

Expediting at star time thirty-oh-six, period four-twenty-one, hour seventeen

SOUND TWO: SLIDING DOOR HISSES OPEN, HOLDS FOR A COUNT OF THREE AND CLOSES

TERI:

Oh, Ron, good! Just in time. I was just about to call you to come up. We need to listen to the survey team's final tape.

RON:

Fine. Now's a good time. I just finished checking out our landing gearCoxygen tanks, weapons, food, water, etc. Everything's all set.

TERI:

Okay, looks like we're about ready, then! I've double-checked the charts and input the navigational details. Have a seat. (PAUSE) Aldo, play the final communication from survey team 1024.

ALDO:

Playing final communication from survey team 1024.

[TECHNICAL NOTE:

STATIC IN THIS RECORDED MESSAGE SHOULD SOUND LIKE ELECTRICITY ARCING. A BRIEF SCREAM SHOULD ACCOMPANY EACH OCCURRENCE OF STATIC. THE SCREAMS SHOULD BE FROM DIFFERENT VOICES AND VARIOUS DISTANCES FROM THE MICROPHONE. THE STATIC SHOULD BE APPROXIMATELY THE SAME VOLUME EACH INSTANCE. THE LAST SCREAM SHOULD BE THE RECORDED VOICE. RECOMMEND THAT THE FOLLOWING BE RECORDED AND USED AS SOUND EFFECT. YOU MAY WANT TO EXPERIMENT WITH CREATING STATIC MANUALLY C CELLOPHANE CRINKLED JUST RIGHT CAN SIGNIFY STATIC.]

SOUND THREE: RECORDED VOICE: (PANIC STRICKEN VOICE) [STATIC, SCREAM] . . . Central! Come in, Central! [STATIC, SCREAM] For God's sake Central, come in. Come in anybody! [STATIC, SCREAM] We need help. This is Planet Survey Team 1024. [STATIC, SCREAM] under attack. [STATIC, SCREAM] just discovered that two intelligent life forms [STATIC, SCREAM] dominance on planet RT-1. [STATIC, SCREAM] friendly hosts [STATIC, SCREAM] wiped out [STATIC, SCREAM] three armed monsters. [STATIC, SCREAM] My God! They're coming! They're here! [STATIC] Ahhie! (SCREAMING).

TERI:

(PAUSE) What do you think?

RON:

Sounds like they bought the farm. Why are we even bothering? I doubt if there is a chance of anyone being alive.

TERI:

All we're supposed to do is evaluate the situation. See if it's worth making another attempt at colonization. (PAUSE) Did you get that about Athree armed monsters.@ There were seven heavily armed people on the survey team. Do you think three of these creatures could have wiped out the whole team?

RON:

It also sounded as if they wiped out the hosts, too. (PAUSE) I didn't hear even one weapon fire. Do you know the kind of weapons the survey team had?

TERI:

Impulse lasers, the same as what we use. Powerful and deadly.

RON:

Well, I guess we won't know until we get on the planet. (PAUSE) About how long to reach RT-1?

TERI:

Just over nine hours? Time for dinner and some sleep.

RON:

Sounds good to me.

SOUND ONE: SLOW FADE OUT OF BACKGROUND, USE A COUNT OF SEVEN

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