1.4
“Perfect”
The Ice Planet
by Cameron Royle
Extra Cast
Icarians- Tall, intelligent humanoids, usually speaks in poems. Never shows any
particular emotion
Hy’rapt- King of Icarus
Q’al- Daughter of Icarus
Que-Tarii- Short, aggressive, stupid humanoids, usually speaks in detached,
undeveloped tongue
X- Rogue Dasam member
Scene 1: Arrival
The pair land on the desolate surface of an ice planet
R: Well, that certainly was an interesting trip…
M: But where are we now?
R examines wrist-held computer
R: On an ice planet…
M: Bravo
R: …in the Large Magellanic Cloud, in orbit around a Spectral Analysis
K1 star, twenty-one light years from the Tarantula Nebula.
M: Does that thing know if there’s any civilisation here? I mean, it’s so
barren and cold, what manner of creature could evolve? Well, at least it
has an atmosphere and a water cycle. Points to the snowfall
R: Surprisingly, yes. I can detect two distinct prolific life forms within a
thousand mile radius. Let’s find the nearest one.
M: In a thousand mile radius?
R: I should be complaining. You’re the athletic one. But don’t worry; I
have readings of a large group of one type of creature only a mile
away.
M: Well then, we’ve no time to waste.
Scene 2: Entry
Both come across huge civilisation (Icarian); all Icarians looking confused at the new
creatures. All are mumbling about a prophecy
M: Don’t you think we’re a little too conspicuous?
R: Nonsense. These seem like a hospitable people. And anyway, we’re
not leaving soon. I want to find out more of this prophecy that happens
to include us.
Both start to move to the Icarian Citadel
M: The looks they’re giving us certainly don’t appear hospitable. I’d say
scared. People aren’t friendly when they’re scared.
An Icarian emerges
M: Why hello there…
Icarian 1: Childs of the stars
Dancers above the horizon
Embalmers of the eternal
Struts and pains
Never as yet betrothed
To one eternity far
Icarian 2: Amalgam of syntax and flesh
Born of the sacred papyrus
Progeny of the wisdom yoke
Cast once among the stars
Icarian 1: But are they of the prophecy
Noble but sequestered by chance?
Icarian 2: The wisdom yoke sees not
Among all the futile automatons
Those neutered onto fear and despair
These are the ones prophesised
Be still, for they shall deliver us soon
R: Now that’s interesting…
M: We need to see the leader of this odd pack. What is it we need to do?
Icarian 2: The blessed query delivers
Be still, for I shall deliver you
Leads them to the Citadel
M: What does the prophecy state?
R: It would be rude to begin relations without introducing. I’m sure you
know who we are… do you? Yes. Now, who are you?
Icarian 2: We are the benevolent silence
Tagged by the nominate Icarus
If we were to fly to the stellar cradle
The progeny of blessed Icarians
M: Icarians. So, what does this prophecy of yours state?
Icarian 2: Young and of turgid naïve am I
Unfit to speak the eternal prose
Callow yet as it unfolds
Our paths converge
I will deliver you forth
To the weaver of your destiny
Writer of two of twenty-six
Scene 3: Citadel
The pair enters the citadel infront of a small Icarian council, with two Icarians in the
center sitting higher. One wears a crown (King), the other sits covering her eyes
(Princess). When the pair enters, all gasp
Icarian 3: The legend unfolds
Parched inward hyperbola!
Icarian 2: I address thee, exalted elders
Direct sacred progeny
Of the holiest neural mesh
Weavers of eternal rhythm
I humbly request the audience
Of our Brother of Icarus
Icarus 4: You need not request
The form grants invitation
M: Hello there.
The King and Princess turn around to M and R.
Icarian 4: Be still, for they see
Charged by the universal motion
Hy’rapt: Be still, for I see
Brother of Icarus
Tagged by the nominate Hy’rapt
To pluck the stellar cradle
To manipulate and destroy
To cast away and rebuild
Blessed free of the dance of forever
Utmost product of the other realm
The eternal lucid dream
Q’al: Be still, for I hear
Daughter of Icarus
Tagged by the nominate Q’al
Heir to the greatest of neural entity
Heir to the utmost glory
Seas of liquid Platinum
Not fit to see
R: Hmm, yes, but can you tell us what you need us for?
Hy’rapt: Be silent, exalted council
For I shall speak in this parched tongue
So… the prophecy is true. The two of twenty-six have found us. You
must stay and assist, for our great Icarus is afflicted by a great evil.
Two hundred and seven rotations ago, our scientists noticed a new
colony of bacteria thriving on the nearby Sea of Thermopylae. We
thought nothing of it, until the colony began to spread to our colonies
on land, and to Que-Tarii camps along the eastern coast…
M: Que-Tarii?
Icarian 3: Illegitimate sons of flame
Devoid of any neural mesh
Icarian 4: Dancers of entropy
Wrapping our tongues
With unholy awry syntax
Charged with angry bloodlust…
Hy’rapt: Be silent, exalted council!
I beg of cooperation
Still the larynx of air
I beg you not to add to this entropy
R: OK, but what about the bacteria? What happened to them?
Hy’rapt: They continued to grow, and they began to infect the Que-Tarii. They
became more-so aggressive, and began to haemorrhage around the
eyes and joints; they soon bled to death from every orifice.
Q’al: The dead littered the beaches
The sands tainted with writhing plasma
The blood tides flow once more
Hy’rapt: This string of events was prophesised long ago by the Icarian council,
and so far, it has read true. It reads on- you are to extinguish this threat
to the cradle of Icarus; you are to quell the leading bacterial amalgam-
the one who feeds on the neural mesh of the fallen Icarian and Que-
Tarian alike, gathering physical and psychological form. He rises
amongst the darkness, bringing the microscopic hordes with him.
Before the city of Europa was destroyed, by the Sea of Thermopylae,
one Icarian recorded the maxim of this terrible figure.
Exalted council, I address S’yta
Grandson of Icarus
Collect the syntax maxim
Burning papyrus agony
Icarian 4 rummages and collects the scroll. He reads from it
Icarian 4: I beg of your pardon
Council of exalted elders
My tongue is naïve
To this turgid yoke of insanity
Clears throat
Icarian 4: I am the product of eternity, volleyed and thundered; I understand. I
see around me, the world blazing in entropy. All gathered but
dispersing; all ordered but faltering. But I know to stop this madness
that blazes among the strings of time. All without entropy is perfect-
ordered and remaining; gathered and remaining. I will make creation
perfect.
Looks up from scroll; is emotional
Icarian 4: …I beg of your pardon
Council of exalted elders
I beg to recover of this
Burning papyrus agony
The prose has cast
The same burning torture
Upon my fevered cardiac
Hy’rapt: Return, Grandson of Icarus
You are excused
Icarian 4: Thankyou, Brother of Icarus
Leaves
Hy’rapt: Now you see why we need your help.
M: I certainly do.
R: This is terrible. Why did you not investigate this new bacterium?
Icarian 3: Impure hands daren’t
Lest the tides of turgid minds
Grow to tsunami
Q’al: Icarus is a beautiful mother
Life-giving to all among her
The eternal lucid dream
M: I’m going to see him. Tell me where he is!
R: But M, he’s too dangerous. Every blood vessel in your body will be
choked and burst. What is it you think you can do?
M: Words. I won’t fall to his level by killing him.
R: It’s impossible to talk sense to a mind without any.
M: Ah, I’m not going to talk sense. I’m going to distract him. Then you’ll
encase him in ice.
Addresses the Icarus council
M: But I’ll need all of your help. All of you. Exalted King, we need all the
best ice crafters the city has. Once we encase this leader, the bacteria
will follow suit.
R: I see what you’re getting at…
M: But we need volunteers. Volunteers who are willing to give up their
lives for Icarus.
The entire Icarus council wishes to do so. M hushes the outpour
M: You can’t do this, exalted council? Icarus needs you!
Hy’rapt: I once thought to escape
This wretched mare of day
Bleached in death
Emeralds of gangrene horded
My last words written
My last thoughts my own!
The entire council explodes in cheers. M and R are left unsure
Hy’rapt: To M and R It is my duty to help. And by Icarus I shall.
R: That’s very noble, but unnecessar…
Hy’rapt: Unnecessary? Leadership comes with responsibilities, including this
one. I will find and lead the volunteers you need. And when I die, the
Daughter of Icarus will become the Sister of Icarus. Our royalty is
cyclical.
M: We accept.
Council: Children of the stars
Sinews of existence birthed
The two of twenty-six
Quell the rogue third
To be cast under a clear veil
Doomed to spend all time alone…
R: Hold on, “rogue third”? A third of twenty-six? You mean, a Dasam
member is causing all this chaos?
Icarian 3: The scriptures are unclear
Yet our eyes might be as callow
R: I’ll take that as a yes.
M: I promise you, exalted olders, council of Icarus, that this saga of horror
will come to an end!
Scene 4: The Que-Tarii
The two, and their Icarian entourage of three, come across a small tribal village,
inhabited by the Que-Tarii. When the two enter, the Que-Tarii are immediately
unsure of them and begin to act aggressively. The group walks to the centre of the
village
M: These people certainly don’t look very friendly…
Icarian 5: These are the Que-Tarii
Bound in careless muscle
Hy’rapt: We need their help, so don’t aggravate them any more than they are
already.
Que-Tarian 1: Er tis van! Lo chal val yut mas!
R: To Hy’rapt What are they saying?
Que-Tarian 1: Eu! Ru ma sha ka wera!
Hy’rapt: They say we are not welcome.
R: Why? We want them to fight for this planet, isn’t fighting what they do
best?
Hy’rapt: Yes, but we need to get to the tribal warlord before we are
disembowelled with a spoon. Just don’t make eye contact with one.
Que-Tarian 1: Il vas va! Votro gah nas! Iuho mor vas va Icra!
R: What do they want now?
Hy’rapt: They say you look Icarian, and are not to be trusted.
Scene 5: The Que-Tarian Warlord
The five enter a small hut with a solitary Que-Tarian at the centre
Warlord: Lo come Icra! Ty mas vas va!
R: Could you translate?
Hy’rapt: He says you are not welcome. State your business.
Uio pas va! Nic cam vas va! Los vas va!
Warlord: Uio pas nava! Nic cam vas na! Ert nich ty nuich vas va!
M: Ask him if he can speak our language.
Hy’rapt: That’s precisely what I’m doing…
Uio nece spak! Utro waz vas va! Kilem dos vas va!
Warlord: Echem? Utro waz ilom vas va.
State yours businesses.
R: Do you know of a new disease that is ravaging your people? Blood
pouring from every gap?
Warlord: Yesses. It scourge ours peoples. We die lot; we needs helps. Can you
helps?
M: We’ll need weapons, and volunteers.
Warlord: It shalls be dones. Yous will have yours bait.
Hy’rapt: Bait? No, we need them to arm the catapults, and to help our Icarian
Royal Guard distract their leader. They will have their glory in the next
life.
Warlord: Theys are your. Do as yous pleases with thems.
R: We thankyou, your Excellency.
Scene 6: X
M and R pace up to a large ice cave. Red swarms (bacteria) on the floor part to them
in. X is waiting, wearing a red enveloping robe.
M: You monster! How could you do this to these innocent peoples?
X: They are not perfect. I will make them perfect.
M: By killing them?
X: They are not perfect. I will make them perfect.
R: Enough. We know you are of the Dasam.
X: They are not perfect. I will make them perfect. I will make you perfect.
The red swarms start to close in, but a trumpet sounds, and a large group of Icarians
and Que-Tarii charge in to distract the bacteria and X.
X: My children- make these perfect!
The soldiers are enveloped in red and stop moving. M and R, outside, shout “Now!”
M and R: Now!
Catapults heard. The ice cave collapses, and water pours in, soon freezing and
trapping the bacteria and X. We don’t see him die.
Scene 7
The pair are by the catapults, at the Ascension of Q’al
Icarian 6: By the blood of the Brother of Icarus
By the eternal fluid motion
Utmost product of the eternal lucid dream
Fly to the sun and shine
Sister of Icarus.
Q’al: Blessed, for I am fit to see
Uncovers her eyes
R is worried about M, who is not there, sitting on a snow perch with binoculars.
R: The bacteria aren’t emerging. We must have killed X.
M: But that isn’t the Dasam way!
R: Spare one for the lives of many. There was nothing words could have
done.
M: Oh no.
We see a tattered X emerge from the top of the collapsed cage, fleeing on a hastily
made sledge
M: X is fleeing! What should we do?
R: We can’t let him leave. Ask the Icarians for a sledge.
Scene 8: Sledge Chase
The pair are chasing X down a steep hill.
M: We can’t catch him!
R: The hill is running out, and so is the integrity of his sledge
Goes on for a while, with assorted swerves, brakes etc
Eventually, X slows down and holds out a blue crystal and the Vortex appears infront
of him
M: No! He can’t.
R: Then we’ll follow him through.
The three fall into the Vortex
Epilogue Scene (at Icarus)
A crowd of mixed Icarians and Que-Tarians are praying to the statue of a sledge
Icarian 7: Blessed by the solid precipitate
Disappeared in swirling tunnel
Bound forever as one
Q’al: Behold their legacy
Fathers of Icarus!