home writing reading about contact Ana Chronistic Issue #1 Script Page One (three panels) Panel 1. A narrow panel at the top of the page. A pair of legs can be seen running at full speed, as if the owner is bolting for her very life. These belong to ANA CHRONISTIC, resident heroine. She is running across a plain of Mongolia, with its stunted brown and green grass. More information can be provided about the character's description, but it's important to note here that she wears the uniform of the CEA and has a sidearm in a chest holster. CAP (ANA): When the S-TC is your workplace, you learn to blend. Panel 2. A slightly larger, but still narrow panel. The point of view is pulled back a bit, so more of ANA can be seen. CAP (ANA): As an agent of the Causality Enforcement Agency you might find yourself in Italy during the Renaissance or Boston during the American Revolution. CAP (ANA): As such, agents are trained to fit in and provided with equipment to do so. Panel 3. The largest panel, revealing the scene completely. ANA is in the foreground, running across the steppe, in control, but obviously a bit panicked. Behind her in the background, is the obvious reason for her fear. She is being pursued by three dinosaurs; each is large biped, nearly six meters in length and resembles a long, bird-like Tyrannosaurus Rex. Each of them is nearly on top of her, hunger clearly painted on their reptilian faces. CAP (ANA): We are not trained to outrun achillobators across the steppes of Mongolia. Page Two (four panels) Panel 1. ANA stumbles into a natural, long ditch that crosses her path perpendicularly. She obviously didn't see it as she plunges into the shallow furrow headfirst. ANA: AHH!!! Panel 2. The three dinosaurs leap over the ditch, unable to stop their forward momentum, but, unlike ANA, easily make it to the other side. Each of them, though, cranes its head to keep track of the prey. Panel 3. The trio stop and begin to turn around, licking the maws with anticipatory delight as they prepare to move back to the ditch and scoop up their tasty, pink prey. Panel 4. Opposite the frame, ANA, hair disheveled and face smudged with dirt, pops out of the ditch, clearing it by her head and shoulders. Her arms are held out in front of her, clasped together around the handle of a large pistol, the bore a circular, dark and huge hole. This is the Spigot; references can be provided. ANA: For the record, I'm not supposed to be here! Page Three (five panels) Panel 1. The dinos ignore ANA and charge in, tongues slavering over wickedly sharp teeth. Panel 2. ANA fires at the lead dino, a bolt of energy jolting out of the Spigot to disintegrating a large portion of the beast's thorax. SFX: ZZEERT! Panel 3. Dodging their falling brother, the two circle around the smoking corpse of the lead dino, moving towards ANA. Panel 4. ANA draws a bead on another one. She drops the second with another blast. SFX: ZZEERT! Panel 5. The last dino lunges even closer, forcing ANA back down into the furrow. Page Four (five panels) Panel 1. A close in frame of ANA, back pressed into the dirt of the furrow, confined by its walls, as she thumbs a switch on her pistol. The snout of the last dino can be seen snapping near her face. ANA: ...stupid cretaceous period... Panel 2. Back outside of the ditch, it erupts with a heavy, wide energy blast from ANA's pistol as she fires out of the pit, decapitating the dinosaur, causing its lifeless body to go limp. SFX: ZOT! Panel 3. Looking down, ANA can still be seen laying at the bottom of the ditch, pointing the pistol upwards as if she's worried another dinosaur will show up. The head of the lizard lies next to her, a charred stump where the neck used to begin. ANA: ...stupid dinosaurs... Panel 4. ANA stands up out of the pit dirtier than before, now covered with bits of charred dinosaur. She brushes off bits from her shoulder. ANA: ...stupid Lomax... Panel 5. Much the same as above, but in a smaller frame, as a shadow is cast over ANA. As she is still on a plain, it must be coming from high, high above. ANA: ...sending me to the wrong place... Page Five (three panels) Panel 1. ANA pauses in her cleaning as the shadow continues to get bigger and grow darker. She's noticed this, her eyes becoming wide and suddenly more alarmed than when she was facing the dinosaurs. Panel 2. The shadow now encompasses nearly all of the plain that is visible in the panel and is dark enough to drown out all color except for the white of ANA's eyes. She looks up, her eyes even wider as a horrible, inevitable truth prepares to come down on her. ANA: Oh crap. Panel 3. The largest panel on the page. A modern and very large space satellite has fallen out of the sky and landed directly on our heroine. Fire and smoke from the re-entry trail behind it as pieces that have come undone smack into the surrounding landscape. She disappears beneath it completely, seemingly crushed under the metal, plastic and resulting fire. SFX: BOOM Page Six (four panels) Panel 1. A large complex that looks like it might be part laboratory, part space station and part underground bunker. This is Spin Chamber for the BUBBLE. Looking out from an observational booth is LOMAX, who resembles Stephen Hawking at age 50, but he moves about freely without wheelchair and speaks without a computer. Through the window of his booth, the reader can see a huge ringed circle that resembles a very small particle accelerator. In front of him is a video display monitor that has ANA's image on it. She is not pleased. ANA: What the Hell was that!?!? LOMAX: Yes, Ana, you're quite welcome to me for having pulled you out before you were crushed by the falling space debris. ANA: Is that what that was? Panel 2. Flashing to ANA within the tunnel formed by the walls of the ring, it looks as if she has just stepped out of a particle explosion that has been contained and somehow kept open in a burning circle. ANA: Lomax, I was supposed to end up in Mongolia in the late 12th century. You missed by millennia. Or was that the future? Panel 3. Still in ANA's part of the room, she can be seen looking up through a display window to LOMAX in the observation booth. LOMAX: I'm nearly certain that dinosaurs and satellites never inhabited the same time and place. LOMAX: The coordinates and the timestamp were correct for the mission. LOMAX: All of that must have been a part of the fluctuation that the Colonel sent you to investigate. Panel 4. The smallest panel. Back in the observation booth with LOMAX, standing behind him can be seen a much taller, broader individual wearing the same uniform as ANA. On his chest, his name has been stenciled; BRADLEY. His face is cut off by the top of the panel. BRADLEY: Lomax, please bring her in. BRADLEY: Let's do an analysis on the Big Board. Page Seven (three panels) Panel 1. In a room that resembles Control & Command for NORAD or NASA, there are dozens of people coming to and fro, giving a sense of controlled chaos. While each of them is wearing the CEA uniform, their faces for now should remain silhouetted. Standing at a center work station, BRADLY and ANA work along with LOMAX who is sitting at the desk. They all look up at the Big Board – a world map (references can be provided) overlaid with chronological data. BRADLEY: OK, Ana, tell us what happened. ANA: Well, I followed mission parameters and was thrown to 12th century Asia. So I was a bit surprised when dinosaurs and space stations started showing up. Panel 2. BRADLEY looks very concerned at this, directing his next question to LOMAX. BRADLEY: Were the Brylaz involved? LOMAX: No. With a fluctuation that size they could have sent almost anything through. LOMAX: But I don't detect any Crushers or Claws. Not even a Sniffer. Panel 3. ANA looks up at the Big Board, searching among the data for some kind of pattern. Her face is bathed in the glow of the screen. ANA: I'd know if it were an organized Brylaz breach. I've spent enough time fighting them. ANA: Plus, I encountered some weird feedback during the Throw that disabled my Obfuscation Kit. Page Eight (five panels) Panel 1. BRADLEY smiles at ANA, looking very paternal. BRADLEY: That's my girl. I knew there was a reason those animals detected you so quickly. Panel 2. ANA smiles back a good bit of mischief in her eyes. BRADLEY reacts to her faux threat without the least bit of hostility. ANA: If you didn't remind me of my father so much when you said things like that, I'd belt you. BRADLEY: Well, that's good for me. I'd hate to have to throw the CEA's best agent in the brig. Panel 3. LOMAX looks away from the Big Board to the other two. LOMAX: What the two of you are doing resembles flirting. Please stop. Pane 4. The smile fades from ANA's face as she looks at LOMAX with an expression of irritation and disgust. ANA: I'm lucky my Recall Generator and Spigot were working. ANA: We're lucky that was an isolated spot or those animals would have made easy eating out of whatever civilians they came across. ANA: We need to figure out what's happening fast. Panel 5. Back to looking at the Big Board. LOMAX: Well, this may have been the first fluctuation we detected, but I don't think it's the only one. It may not even be the genesis point. BRADLEY: Please explain yourself, Mr. Lomax. Page Nine (four panels) Panel 1. Lomax busies himself entering in and extracting obscure and esoteric information from the workstation as he speaks. LOMAX: We are already detecting three other fluctuations. China. Tibet, specifically. LOMAX: Not far from where ANA was thrown, but several centuries ahead. Panel 2. A frame of the big board as green auras dot out in the geographic areas that LOMAX names. In Tibet, the city of Lhasa is highlighted with the date of March 14th, 2008 . In Poland, the date is marked as May 20, 1940. In Russia's Georgia, the date is marked as December 18, 1878. LOMAX: Also, Germany and Russia. Different time stamps on both. Panel 3. ANA turns to speak to BRADLEY, her enthusiasm for the job very apparent. ANA: Oooooh, oh. Let me go to Tibet. I haven't been there in forever. LOMAX: An interesting choice of words considering forever is our business. Panel 4. BRADLEY's expression hardens as he speaks. He doesn't like the look of what he sees on the Board. ANA delivers her dialogue deadpan, poking a bit of fun at Bradley for his grandfatherly language. BRADLEY: Head back into the Spin Chamber, then. Suit up for trouble – we can probably expect more shenanigans. ANA: Sure. I'll watch out for hijinks and tomfoolery while I'm at it. Page Ten (five panels) Panel 1. A large frame of the city of Lhasa; references can be provided. However, it is a dead city. Flames burn within shells of buildings, streets are pock marked with artillery fire, there are no lights, streets are lined with burnt out cars and there is very little plant life. In the background the vast mountains of the Himalayas stand over the skyline. CAP (LOMAX): You'll need to be careful, regardless. CAP (LOMAX): That timestamp for that location indicates severe civil unrest. Panel 2. Same as above, but behind one of the collapsed buildings a burning circle similar to the one from the Spin Chamber opens up. Panel 3. Out of the circle steps ANA. Panel 4. Surveying the scene, ANA is astounded, not expecting this level of destruction. Panel 5. ANA, still somewhat stunned, speaks aloud to herself. ANA: Shenanigans and civil unrest my – SFX: WOOP WOOP WOOP Page Eleven (five panels) Panel 1. Over the landscape a Z-10 attack helicopter (references can be provided) flies, bathing the ground in a searchlight. Fortunately, it's not pointed in ANA's direction. She quickly dodges behind a nearby pile of rocks. ANA: -- Gah! SFX: WOOP WOOP WOOP Panel 2. Crouched behind her pile of rocks, ANA hits a switch on her uniform as the helicopter shrinks into the distance. SFX: tap Panel 3. Closer in on ANA, she can be seen attempting to hit the same switch multiple times. SFX: tap tap tap tap ANA: C'mon, c'mon… Panel 4. Much the same as above, but out of a communicator, LOMAX's voice can be heard. LOMAX (OP): Come in, Ana. Did the Throw go OK? Panel 5. ANA leans close to her communicator, speaking in a hushed tone, as she peeks over the rocks to survey the city. ANA: No, it hasn't. My Ob Kit isn't working again and your civil unrest looks like an apocalypse. ANA: This isn't the genesis point. Something's already altered the PrimeLine. Page Twelve (five panels) Panel 1. In the direction that ANA is peeking over the rubble a formation of heavily armed Chinese soldiers can be seen marching down the street. However, this group doesn't have the typical markings of a solider of the People's Republic, but of the Imperial Order. Despite the year, the equipment looks worn, as if from an older period; references can be provided. LOMAX (OP): OK, give me a moment and I'll fire up the chamber to bring you out. Panel 2. In a small panel it can be seen that on ANA's uniform an indicator has begun to blink. Panel 3. ANA ducks behind the rubble again to examine the indicator. ANA: Wait, don't. I'm picking up a Tau in the area. Panel 4. ANA quickly scans her area and dodges off in a direction, away from the soldiers. LOMAX (OP): Are you certain? Panel 5. ANA pops over the burnt out shell of a car demonstrating Olympic-level athletic ability as she heads toward a dark alley. ANA: As certain as I can be with all of the feedback I'm getting from the fluctuation. ANA: It's worth a shot. I'm going to check it out. Page Thirteen (four panels) Page 1. Speedily making her way through the alley, ANA navigates the labyrinth of rubble, garbage and debris. LOMAX (OP): Bradley has asked me to tell you to be careful. Panel 2. Coming upon a crossroad in the alleys that's corners have been devastated into dust by some kind of explosion, ANA ducks into one of the openings, entering the building. ANA: Please tell Bradley to shut up while I'm on mission. Panel 3. From the interior, ANA can now be seen moving through a multi-story building. Except for the wooden floor, which is badly splintered, the building has been gutted, leaving its stone walls looking like a vertical tunnel or some kind of huge, stone chimney. ANA: I'm nearly on top of the Tau and I don't need any distractio –- Panel 4. The wooden floor collapses beneath ANA's feet, sending her careening into the dark basement below. ANA: -- NNSSSSS!!! Page Fourteen (five panels) Panel 1. ANA lying on the basement floor, dazed. ANA: Oowww… Panel 2. From ANA's POV, lying on the floor, looking up at the busted ceiling. She is surrounded by men, all of whom have encircled her, pointing rifles down at her. There are half a dozen Tibetans, dress in raggedy BDUs, wearing deep purple sashes that run from shoulder to hip, slipped under their heavy looking backpacks. Dressed similar to the others, but sans sash, is LEE, his mixed Chinese / Caucasian features making him stand out as well as other small differences in his equipment and clothing. Here and throughout the coming scenes the Tibetans will occasionally talk amongst each other. Language characters can be provided. SFX: Guns cocking ANA: Crap. Panel 3. Similar to Panel 1, but ANA is looking up at the men she has just fallen into the midst of. ANA: This isn't civil unrest, this is a revolution. Panel 4. A frame similar to Panel 2, but closer in on LEE, who's expression has become tinged with suspicion and confusion. LEE: Lady, who are you talkin' to? Panel 5. A small frame of BRADLEY and LOMAX. LOMAX has a headset on to which he is listening intently. LOMAX: It sounds like she's run into trouble. Page Fifteen (six panels) Panel 1. ANA, still lying on the floor, puts on a mask of relief as she replies to LEE. ANA: Oh, thank God -- you speak English. My Tibetan is terrible. LEE: I would have guessed. You don't look like you're from the Imperial Order. Who are you? Panel 2. ANA pulls her herself up to a sitting position, still looking a bit dazed as she speaks. ANA: Imperial Order? You mean the soldiers outside aren't communist? LEE: Communist? Lady, the nearest communists are in Nepal. LEE: You hit your head bad? Panel 3. ANA looks up at LEE, a small amount of irritation making its way through her pained expression. LEE hooks a thumb at the men with him as he speaks. ANA: My name's not lady, it's Ana Kreyenis. LEE: Mine's Lee Hutzler, American Expeditionary Force. These are my boys. ANA: Your boys? What're you? 12? LEE: You're giving a lot of lip to someone who's doing the courtesy of not shooting you, Ana. Panel 4. Realizing the truth of LEE's words, ANA extends a hand to LEE. He reaches for it, preparing to help her up. ANA: Look, I'm here to help. We have to get you out of here. Panel 5. A small frame of LEE grasping ANA's hand. The small indicator on her glove from Page Twelve blinks as she makes contact with him. Panel 6. Another small frame of BRADLY and LOMAX. LOMAX is examining the workstation in front of him as new information comes in from ANA. LOMAX: She's made contact with the Tau. Page Sixteen (five panels) Panel 1. LEE pulls ANA off the ground and out of the debris of the floor she fell through. LEE: Well, Ana, anyone who steps outside is gonna get filled full of holes by the Imperials. LEE: And we're not going anywhere with you until you explain -- Panel 2. ANA and LEE, facing each other, are now looking up the shaft of the burned out building into the sky. A strange, bluish, purplish light baths both of their faces as they stare out. LEE: (small) -- yourself. Panel 3. The largest frame on this page is one of the sky viewed through the hole at the top of the building. It looks as if storm clouds have begun to gather, swirling around a center point that is the focal of the blue and purple light. Tiny specks, indeterminate due to their great altitude, have begun to flow out of the focal point. Panel 4. ANA and LEE continue to stare up at the sky. ANA's expression has changed to one of general concern, while LEE's has become one of unadulterated terror. ANA: Oh, this is bad science. LEE: Landesstreik! Panel 5. LEE turns to his men and points to the nearest exit, a hole in the wall of the basesment. LEE: Out! Everyone out! Page Seventeen (two panels) Panel 1. As LEE's men scramble up the rocky passageway out of the tunnel, ANA follows LEE as he takes up the rear position. ANA: Wait! I thought you said going outside was death. LEE: Hiding in a basement isn't going to keep us from the Landesstreik. We need to get as far away as possible as quickly as possible. ANA: What the Hell is the Landesstreik? Panel 2. A large frame of the storm focus in the sky again, but this time the tiny specs have gotten close enough to take shape. Flying out of the clouds are fighter jets, troop transports and hover gunships. Each of these bears uniform markings (references can be provided) but all them look as if they were cobbled together from late 20th century equipment and futuristic tech. LEE (CAP): Lady, where have you been? Page Eighteen (four panels) Panel 1. LEE and his crew pile out into another broken alley of Lhasa with ANA right behind them. LEE: The Landesstreik show up during conflicts, usually the nasty ones. Panel 2. LEE makes his way to the head of his men as they move single file down an alleyway that is bathed in the bluish light. ANA stays right on LEE's tail. LEE: Whatever they are, they decimate both sides fighting and then scoop up anyone who surrenders. Panel 3. LEE pokes his head around a building's corner, his rifle at the ready. LEE: You'd figure it would keep people from fighting. Panel 4. A frame of what LEE is looking at: An Imperial Order defensive position, a sandbagged entrenched artillery position, surrounded by guards and one or two jeeps. The entire area is bathed in the bluish light of the Landesstreik. There are a few officers who are pointing up at the sky and yelling, while all the guns from the artillery battery have opened up and men with small arms fire up into the sky. LEE (CAP): But it doesn't seem to have worked out that way. Page Nineteen (five panels) Panel 1. Heading out in the opposite direction of the Imperial artillery, LEE leads his men across the broken ground. Everyone is moving at a serious hustle, with ANA sticking close to LEE, looking more than a bit frustrated. LEE: Let's move! Panel 2. ANA, LEE and the rest make there way over the top of a ruined building that forms the lip of a crater they are moving into. Behind them, a barrage of missiles and energy weapons vaporizes the Imperial artillery position. SFX: BOOM Panel 3. The group makes its way across the crater, staying low. From up above, troop transports, which resemble nothing more than square shells with pointed ends, plummet towards the Earth. Possible POV of someone lying on the ground in the crater. Panel 4. All around the crater the troop transports' pointed ends collide with the ground, burying themselves into standing positions. SFX: WHAM Panel 5. The sides of the transports open up, ramps slamming to the grounds. Behind the ramps Landesstreik Troopers can be seen waiting at attention to disembark as if the force of the landing had no ill effect on them whatsoever. The Troopers are shock troopers to the Nth degree; gas masks, heavy metal helmets, body armor and jackboots. Other than their bipedal form they are fearsome looking enough to possibly not even be human. Page Twenty (five panels) Panel 1. LEE gestures to his men, ordering them into positions around the crater. ANA has her Spigot out, not so much listening to LEE as taking stock of the situation herself. LEE: On me! Form up into a defensive perimeter! Panel 2. LEE and his men take cover around the edges of the crater, taking aim at the Troopers as they pour out of the transports. SFX: Weapons fire Panel 3. As LEE and his men fire on the Troopers, the Landesstreik continue to surround them, moving into position, ducking in and out of cover as they return fire. SFX: Weapons fire Panel 4. ANA yells at LEE over the noise. ANA (shout): LEE! We can't stay here! If they get us pinned down it's the end! LEE (shout): I'm in charge here lady! You're job is to blend, remember? Panel 5. A close in frame on ANA's face as she registers what LEE has just said to her. She is stunned and more than a bit confused. ANA (soft): I never said that to you. ANA (soft): I never even said that out loud. Page Twenty-One (five panels) Panel 1. ANA pops over the edge of the crater and fires off a wide burst with the Spigot, cutting a group of Troopers in half. SFX: ZOT! Panel 2. LEE looks at ANA, flabbergasted at the firepower she's just unleashed. She speaks to him with urgency. LEE: How…? ANA: Look, if I can get you out of here will you come with me? LEE: Lady, if you got some kind of magic to work, work it. Panel 3. ANA hits her communicator, while LEE turns back to the edge of the crater to continue firing at the Troopers. ANA: Lomax, get us out of here. Panel 4. Behind LEE, ANA can be seen facing the opposite direction as another burning circle begins to form. LEE: I don't know what type of extraction you've got, but this place is too hot for -- Panel 5. ANA grabs LEE by the shoulder, pulling him to her by taking his uniform in her hand and dragging him into the circle. LEE: Wha -- ?!? Page Twenty-Two (three panels) Panel 1. A small panel sharing the top of the page with Panel 2. Back in the Spin Chamber ANA is standing, adjusting herself, while LEE is sitting on his butt, having landed on it after having been pulled through. LEE: -- what? LEE: What the…? Panel 2. LEE looks at ANA, picking up his rifle as he does. He's angry and confused. LEE: Lady, what did you do? Where are my men? LEE (shout): What did you do?!? BRADLEY (OP): Now, just calm down son. Panel 3. Off to the side, BRADLEY (who is, in fact, Omar Bradley) can be seen looking down on ANA and LEE from the control room. Next to him is LOMAX, looking +like Stephen Hawking now more than ever. In their company is also Sir Francis Walsingham, Alvin York, and Albert Einstein. Possibly more. BRADLEY: Welcome back, Ana. BRADLEY: And I assume this young man is our Time Invariant? © Copyright 2008 Matthew McLean. All rights reserved.