ACT 026: INT. CHELONIA – COMMAND ROOM – EVENING
The room is quiet, everyone stunned and lost in their own minds, pondering the information that was just given to them.
Nicholla rubs the bridge of her nose, then sits up straight, stretching. She places her hands on the table and regains her composure.
NICHOLLA
You
want to wake Chelonia and get it to move out into the ocean?
ACT 025. INT. CHELONIA – COMMAND ROOM – AFTERNOON
Neku and Inu enter the Command Room. Everyone is already waiting, seated around a long table with a large monitor on the far wall. Nicholla sits at the head, Irie Meilin standing behind her. Danny is next to Clair, reviewing data. Nyssa sits alone, arms crossed and face tight with anger. Brandt is present beside an old man known only as the Librarian. Several other figures — unknown, silent — observe without speaking.
NEKU
(as she sits)
Sorry we’re late.
NICHOLLA
(nods)
You’re not late, so please don’t worry.
(she
looks at the door and back to Neku)
Paige?
NEKU
(looking directly at Irie, a bite in her voice)
I’ve left her
somewhere safe.
Irie nods. Nicholla smiles. Danny glances up from the data slate and offers Neku a small smile.
NICHOLLA
(with a deep breath)
Lets
start. Clair and Danny have been analysing the data from Skarfi’s
drone. We also retrieved footage from a drone-controlled Pteras we
dispatched for recon. (she gestures to the monitor)
The monitor flickers to life. Virodahaka walks below, slow and ponderous. As it brushes against trees and rocks, chunks of greyed Zoid fall from its body, only to be retrieved and re-assimilated by thick tendrils. Wild Zoids nearby flee at its approach. An Astray Zoid willingly walks into the creature and is absorbed.
ACT 024: INT. CHELONIA – SYSTEMS LAB – NIGHT
The lab hums softly with the low buzz of monitors and cooling systems. Clair Wescott stands at the central console, arms crossed, sipping from a steaming mug. Her eyes are fixed on a looping scan of Drone 77’s final transmission. Danny stands beside her, scrolling through layers of data, his brow furrowed.
CLAIR
(quietly, focused)
It stopped at the lake.
DANNY
Yeah. Looks like Gats tried to push it through—see this?
Seems like an internal battle for almost seven minutes. But
Virodahaka wouldn’t go in.
CLAIR
Looks like he stayed there until it got distracted by that blue
Zoid.
This was a learning journey for me having no experience with Video editing. Clips generated in PixAi and then knitted together in VSDC.
ACT 023: INT. CHELONIA – MAIN HAB – AFTERNOON
Neku enters the room, Paige in tow. A large monitor flickers—the image paused on static. Danny leans on the console, his head hanging. Nyssa stands nearby, arms crossed, eye closed. Inu sits quietly with Tilly, her arms wrapped around her, tears rolling down their faces as they both sob.
NEKU
(concerned)
Danny? What’s happened?
Danny turns, his eyes red, face flushed.
DANNY
(welling up)
It’s Skarfi. (a pause) He’s been killed, Neku.
He’s dead.
Neku’s arms go limp. Her face drops as tears begin to well in her eyes.
NEKU
(wiping her eyes)
What… what happened?
DANNY
He was attacked by a
huge Astray.
He turns and starts the recording from the drone. Neku’s eyes widen as she watches. The footage shows the fate of Skarfi and the König Wolf as it tries to escape.
Neku slumps into the seat next to Inu, wrapping her arms around her sister, who continues to sob into her shoulder. Paige stands awkwardly, struggling to understand the situation and her emotions.
Nyssa stares at Paige, her eyes narrow with anger.
NYSSA
That thing is after
you.
The door opens with a hiss, startling everyone. Nicholla Cooter, leader of the Chelonian people, enters alongside her advisor, Irie Meilin. Nicholla moves gracefully, an air of calm authority surrounding her.
