don watches as the earth recedes into a blue marble, flickering orbital billboards growing distant. smiles at the familiar sight.
don hits a switch and his tube closes. a beat then he is engulfed by the blue glow, frozen in space. the tubes rise into the craft.
the robot is facing the navigational holograph in the center of the bridge. the electricity arcs between his claws once again.
john and don stand over the com.
the windscreen. the sky breaks apart giving way to a starfield.
the crew man their stations. only will is absent as they the ship maneuver around the portal.
the giant, silver ship looms in the windscreen.
a giant thud as the jupiter two docks with the probe.
will watches through the robot's pov, toggling to move the automaton forward. a readout marked audio flashes. will turns up a volume control. the sound of a slow, steady drip.
maureen is at the main sensor console working an instrument panel.
will is at his station, watching don and john via the robot's pov.
will is watching through the robot's eyes.
penny is still hanging overhead.
maureen stands with penny at the main sensor station.
a thud. the jupiter two shakes, as if struck.
will is madly working his keyboard, controlling the fleeing robot.
maureen and penny are at the com, powering up the engines. will is within the holograph, fighting off the spiders.
will is throwing off the monsters, extending the robot's antenna spikes and scanner dishes to skewer spiders that are squeezing by.
the inner airlock door opens. the crew tumble in.
the jupiter two's engines blow, peeling into the endless night.
alarms sound.
on screen the giant spiral of spiders in now heading back towards the giant probe ship.
the ship is buffeted by the shock wave.
don is struggling to keep control.
the windscreen is filled with a rushing blizzard.
the surface is coming up fast.
still. automatic fire systems spray gas everywhere. only the dimmest emergency lights cast any glow.
the ceiling becomes water an john drops into the ship. maureen cradles her husband. then she looks up. will is still visible through the watery hull.
don is flying into the shattering center of the planet. masses of continents, some bearing forests, others oceans, all soar past.
don guides the ship out into space. judy comes up behind him.