[The ever-present hum of the station, but quieter, a little broken and stuttering]
[A low, long whistle – then the cracking and snapping of a whistling creature]
[It is moving slowly, deliberately… as though on the hunt for something]
[We hear breathing nearby – stifled and scared]
LUNA
(Whispered) Levi…
[Levi shushes her]
[A long, tense moment]
[A whistle sounds from outside the room, then another]
[The creature nearby lets out an answering whistle, then begins to move, the sounds of its cracking joints growing more distant]
[Finally, Luna and Levi exhale]
LEVI
You alright?
LUNA
Yeah, I think so. Once my heart stops racing. You?
LEVI
Few cuts, but I’ll live. Someone oughta sweep up all this broken glass.
[It’s almost a joke, but he can’t bring himself to laugh.]
LUNA
What was that thing?
LEVI
Things. And I have no idea. Don’t suppose you saw where the others ended up?
LUNA
I think we got separated in that big generator room.
LEVI
Oh, shit. There were a bunch of them in there.
LUNA
We should go back. The others…
LEVI
Yeah… Yeah, just, let’s take a moment first and catch our breath.
LUNA
Why do you think it attacked us?
LEVI
Because it’s a huge bug thing, and that’s what huge bug things do!
LUNA
Not a bug. It only had four legs.
LEVI
No, it’s not a bug. It’s not anything! It doesn’t even have a head! And those weren’t “legs.” They’re too long, too many joints…
[Beat]
LEVI
(slightly calmer) Look, if you want an actual answer, I think it probably wants to eat us.
LUNA
Or it was defending its territory.
LEVI
What does it matter?
LUNA
Nothing acts without a reason.
LEVI
And understanding that reason isn’t going to stop it eating you.
[In the distance, another chorus of whistles]
LUNA
Do you think they’ve found the others?
[Beat]
LEVI
Let’s see if we can get these doors to work without Mira. We can figure out our next move once we’ve got some steel between us and those… those things.
[We shift to a large open space]
[Very close by: fast, panicked hyperventilating breaths]
RILEY
(under their breath) shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit
ZACK
Riley. Hey, Riley, look at me. That’s it, just look at me. ‘Kay? Try to match my breathing, okay?
[Zack inhales and exhales slowly, deliberately]
[Riley’s breaths shudder as they try to match him]
[Quiet footsteps approach:]
MIRA
I think we’re good for now. How are they?
ZACK
I think we’re good too. Aren’t we, Riley?
RILEY
Yeah… Yeah. Sorry.
ZACK
No need to apologise. It’s a perfectly natural reaction.
RILEY
Are they, um… are they, are they near us?
MIRA
There’s a bunch of them all over the generator room. I think they’re covering the exits out.
ZACK
Well, if you’re looking for proof of intelligence…
MIRA
I wasn’t.
RILEY
Shouldn’t we be staying quiet, if they’re – if they’re still around?
MIRA
Maybe. I don’t know. Haven’t been able to figure out what senses they hunt with yet.
ZACK
With the whistling, I’d rather assumed some form of echolocation.
MIRA
Yeah, but the whole station’s humming and vibrating the whole time. If that’s how they see, then we’d be pretty much clear as day. Plus they didn’t really seem to react when Riley–…
RILEY
(wincing) When I screamed?
ZACK
(cutting in) To be honest, their whole physiology is fascinating. I mean, there’s no head, and nothing I could see that looked like eyes or ears or any other “standard” sensory organ.
MIRA
Sure, but none of us got a particularly good look.
ZACK
No. I suppose that’s one of the downsides of fleeing.
MIRA
The upside is you stay alive.
RILEY
Grasshoppers have their ears on their knees, right? Or at least, they did. I guess they’re all gone now as well.
ZACK
It’s certainly a possibility.
MIRA
Well, however they sense their prey, the generators here seem to confuse them a bit. Might be why they junked so many of them up.
ZACK
You’ve jumped to the idea of “prey” pretty quickly.
MIRA
You saw those smashed pods. The way I see it, these things have been making their way through a massive larder full of frozen meals.
RILEY
(shivering slightly) I feel a bit like a frozen dinner myself.
ZACK
That’ll be your body’s stress responses. (to Mira) We need to get Riley somewhere warmer.
MIRA
Easier said than done.
RILEY
(shivering more) Don’t worry. I’ll be fine.
ZACK
I’ll be the judge of that.
MIRA
Come on, on your feet. Zack, you still got any of those blankets?
ZACK
Dropped them with most of the food, I’m afraid.
MIRA
Okay, well, let’s see what we can find.
[They get to their feet]
[A very nearby single whistle is answered by a chorus]
MIRA
Quietly.
[Back in the smaller room with Luna and Levi]
[The sounds of dragging something heavy – scraping, metal-on-metal noises]
LEVI
Can you give me a hand with this?
LUNA
What are you doing?
LEVI
See those ventilation shafts? We need to cover them up so these things can’t get in.
LUNA
Are you sure? I mean, the shafts are pretty small.
LEVI
You ever seen how small a hole a mouse can squeeze through?
LUNA
No. And technically neither have you.
[The dragging stops]
LEVI
Look, are you going to help me or not?
LUNA
We need to go and find the others.
LEVI
We need to get this room secured, so if they come this way we can protect them. If we go looking we might end up missing each other. It’s better if we stay here.
[Beat.]
LUNA
Levi, it’s okay to be scared. Those things out there are –
LEVI
I’m not scared of them. I mean, I am, but… Mira and the others. If they’re dead. If those things got them, I-I can’t see that. I can’t lose anyone else.
[A pause]
LUNA
I understand. I really do. But I can’t just wait here. I’ve got to try and find them.
LEVI
What if they get you as well? I can’t be the only one left. I won’t.
LUNA
I’ll be back, Levi. I promise.
LEVI
You can’t make that promise.
LUNA
Maybe not. But unless you physically stop me, I’m going to look for them.
[A moment of silence; no one moves]
LUNA
Besides, they’ve got a better chance of finding this place with someone to guide them. You get this place properly secured, okay? Maybe see if you can get a small fire going.
LEVI
You want me to set a fire in a wake-up room? You do remember last time, right?
LUNA
A small fire. I’d rather not be worrying about frostbite as well as those things.
LEVI
I’ll see what I can do.
[Luna opens the door]
[A far-off whistling]
LUNA
Wish me luck!
LEVI
Yeah.
[Sounds of mechanical tinkering]
RILEY
(still shivery) You sure this is going to work?
MIRA
Nope.
ZACK
I mean, they do seem to actually like the cold.
MIRA
Heh. There’s cold, Zack, and then there’s liquid hydrogen.
ZACK
And the generators don’t need it?
MIRA
These tanks look like they connect to the broken ones, so fingers crossed we’re not breaking anything new.
ZACK
Fingers crossed?
MIRA
Look, I’m open to any other ideas that aren’t “just keep hiding.”
ZACK
Point taken.
MIRA
We need to get out of here and find somewhere Riley can get warm and recover. That means dealing with at least one of those things.
RILEY
(shivering worryingly) Hey now, don’t worry about me.
ZACK
So, when you bust that pipe open, the doors to this little storage area will seal.
MIRA
Keeping the creature in here while the liquid hydrogen sprays out.
ZACK
So I, as bait, will have to be pretty quick getting through the door myself.
MIRA
Who said you were the bait?
ZACK
You’re going to need to be working on the pressure.
RILEY
C-can I help at all?
ZACK
Just try and save your strength, for now.
RILEY
Okay.
[Beat]
MIRA
Zack, how the hell are you dealing with this so well?
ZACK
What do you mean?
MIRA
You sound happier than I’ve heard you since you woke up.
RILEY
You do sound kind of… chipper.
MIRA
You like being chased by twisted aliens?
ZACK
No. But you’re right, I think I do prefer it to living with the worry that we’re the last living things in the universe.
MIRA
What?
ZACK
These creatures. There’s a bunch of them, they seem to have some semblance of intelligence and, unless the station’s person-growing process has gone really really wrong, they came from somewhere else.
MIRA
I guess.
ZACK
Which means we’re not alone! There are other things living out there. The universe is still alive!
RILEY
And currently trying to eat us.
ZACK
Sure. And I’d rather it wasn’t, but still.
[Mira exhales in disbelief]
ZACK
Hey, you asked. What, you take no comfort at all in the knowledge we’re not the last five living beings at the end of the universe?
MIRA
I haven’t really had time to think about it.
RILEY
I just don’t want to be eaten. Or cold anymore.
MIRA
Well, then, you’ll be happy to hear that I think we’re just about ready.
[Slow, muffled, clumsy footsteps]
LUNA
(whispering to herself) Come on. You promised Levi. You promised.
[Another step]
[The now-familiar sound of cracking limbs]
[Luna inhales sharply]
LUNA
Oh no.
[The clicking and popping noises approach, accompanied by a low and mocking whistle]
[A door slams in the distance]
[Another whistle, high and drawn out in alarm]
[The clicking and popping immediately starts up again, but now growing more distant as the creature moves away]
LUNA
What? Where’s it going?
[Over her words, the sounds of hurried footsteps approaching]
MIRA
Come on, Riley. It’s alright, it –
ZACK
Luna!
LUNA
Oh thank god! We thought you might be –
MIRA
We’re okay, but come on, we’ve got to go!
LUNA
What’s happened? Where did it go?
ZACK
We managed to get one of them trapped.
RILEY
Froze the bastard!
MIRA
Not sure if we actually managed to hurt it, but all the others came running.
LUNA
(to herself) They’re worried about it. They want to help.
MIRA
I don’t know. Maybe. All I know is we have to go, we might not get another chance to get out of here.
LUNA
Right.
ZACK
Where’s Levi?
LUNA
He’s trying to make one of the wake-up rooms safe. I’ll show you.
ZACK
Great. Can you help with Riley?
RILEY
I’m fine, it’s just shock.
ZACK
We need to get him warmed up.
LUNA
Sure, I’ll take you to Levi and we’ll go from there.
[A distant chorus of whistles]
[Beat]
MIRA
Luna? Luna!
LUNA
(coming back to herself) Hm? Yeah. Yeah, this way.
[Footsteps as they depart]
[A satisfying clunk as a lock engages]
MIRA
There, that should do it.
LEVI
Thanks. Couldn’t quite figure out the mechanism.
MIRA
You’ve done a pretty good job with this place otherwise. And the door should be secure now, unless they’re a lot smarter than we give them credit for.
LUNA
They might be.
ZACK
I’ve seen nothing to indicate that they’re not mostly animalistic in their behaviour.
LUNA
The way they went to help their trapped friend…
MIRA
“Friend”? Let’s try not to give too much credit to the things that want to eat us.
ZACK
Animals can display all sorts of pack tactics or social dynamics, Luna. That doesn’t mean they’re people.
[A little ways off, there’s a buzzing sound.]
RILEY
(distant) Ah-ha!
LEVI
(calling) You get it working?
[Footsteps as they walk over]
[The buzzing sound continues, evocative of a fireplace]
LUNA
I thought the heating in here was broken?
RILEY
It was, but I got one of the heating elements out and with a bit of jury-rigged wiring, well…
MIRA
Should stop us freezing, at least.
ZACK
And no fire this time.
LEVI
Though it maybe wasn’t the safest idea.
[They sit down around the heat source]
[Some crinkling noises as Zack pulls out food and tosses it to the others]
ZACK
Here. Eat up. Had to drop the bag, but I kept a few on me just in case. Enough for a day or two, hopefully.
LEVI
So what do we do? Just hunker down here for awhile?
RILEY
It’s a pretty decent spot for it.
MIRA
No. We rest and keep moving. It’s a defensible position, but we’re still in enemy territory.
LUNA
Enemy territory? Now who’s treating them like people?
MIRA
The plan is unchanged. We reach the bridge, find the Commander.
LEVI
And wake up all the others.
[Beat]
RILEY
Seriously?
MIRA
You see a problem with that plan?
RILEY
Uh, yeah. Look, I know I’m struggling with all this, and you don’t take me seriously –
MIRA
You have had a difficult time handling things, Riley.
RILEY
Because I seem to be the only one who’s not living in some sort of fantasy world! Look, I want to find the Commander as much as you do. Obviously, I’ve been made so I can’t not want to. But look around. If the Commander ever actually woke up, they’re either long gone or long dead or both. And as for reviving the others, that system clearly isn’t operating properly any more! Face it, the five of us woke up by accident. And I kind of wish we hadn’t.
[Silence as everyone considers this]
RILEY
If this station ever did what it was designed to, then we missed it.
LEVI
I can’t accept that we’re the only ones.
ZACK
You may have to, Levi. I think… I agree with Riley.
LUNA
Mm.
[More silence]
MIRA
That doesn’t actually change anything.
LEVI
What do you mean?
MIRA
Practically speaking. Commander or no Commander, even if we’re the only ones, it still makes most sense to try and make our way to the bridge.
ZACK
And if the bridge is full of those creatures?
MIRA
Then we’ll know. Right now our biggest obstacle is ignorance. Everything we’ve been saying, right now it’s just guesswork. We can’t make a proper plan without any actual information, and if we can find that anywhere, it’ll be on the bridge. Plus, we need to get out of enemy terr– the hunting grounds of these things, and towards the command deck is as good a direction as any.
ZACK
We don’t even know we’re going the right direction.
MIRA
We’re going up. That feels like the right direction, at least until we find a map.
LUNA
Are we sure these creatures are attacking us as a food source? Is there some other reason they might be hostile?
LEVI
Well, I’m not all that keen on finding out either way.
RILEY
You think they’re the reason the station is broken? Did they damage it while we were asleep?
LUNA
Maybe. Maybe the builders just stopped maintaining it at some point. It’s all very well having a millennia-long project, but…
ZACK
It only takes one generation to forget.
LEVI
You think there are still people out there? In the universe, beyond the station?
MIRA
I think we need to get some rest. Someone needs to watch the door, in case they try to get in. We should take shifts. Any volunteers for first?
LUNA
I’ll take it. Don’t really feel tired anyway.
MIRA
Okay. Wake us if there’s any trouble.
LUNA
Of course.
[Peaceful, even breaths, along with gentle snoring]
[Quiet footsteps across the room, then a depressurising hiss as a door opens]
[A distant whistling. The footsteps pause.]
[Luna sighs, then inhales, and decisively steps across the threshold]
[The door shuts with a hiss and a louder thud]
RILEY
(groggy) Hm? Wha– Everything alright?
[There is no response.]
RILEY
Luna?
[Rustling as Riley gets up]
RILEY
(calling) Luna?
ZACK
(awakening) Riley? What’s wrong?
RILEY
It’s Luna, she’s gone.
ZACK
What? What do you mean, she’s gone?
RILEY
I mean she’s not here. She left the room. Mira! Levi!
[Rustling as the others start to wake]
ZACK
Or she was taken.
LEVI
What’s happening? Who’s been taken?
RILEY
Luna’s gone.
MIRA
Shit! What happened?
ZACK
We don’t know. She’s gone.
MIRA
(panicked) Did any of you hear anything? Any whistling?
LEVI
Doesn’t look like they broke in.
MIRA
We’ve got to go after her.
RILEY
She wouldn’t have left willingly, would she?
[Beat]
MIRA
Come on.
[The characteristic hum of the station echoes through a corridor]
[It sounds more obviously broken, clogged up]
[Slow, nervous footsteps]
LUNA
This is a bad idea.
[There is a ssquelch as she steps on a patch of alien resin.]
[She makes a noise of disgust.]
LUNA
I can still go back. I should go back.
[Beat]
LUNA
No. They’re not just animals. I know they’re not.
[An ominous whistling, further down the corridor]
LUNA
(Quietly) H-Hello?
[No response]
LUNA
We can’t go on like this. We just can’t.
[She steels herself:]
LUNA
(louder) Hello!
[There is a whistle from up ahead, as though in answer]
[Luna’s breathing speeds up in fear]
[The noise of clicking, insect-like limbs]
LUNA
Hello. Hello to you. T-to both of you.
[Another whistle, with a tone of almost curiosity]
LUNA
I’m not here to hurt you.
[More limb clicking, closer now: one of them has approached]
LUNA
Luna. My name is Luna.
[The further one lets out a long, low whistle, which the other harmonises with]
[The tones shift and merge, as though conversing]
LUNA
I knew it. You do talk to each other. You’re not just monsters. You –
[A cracking sound – but not a limb this time.]
LUNA
What is that? Oh my god, is that your mou–AAAHH!