Avatar 3, by Archaic.

[Muzer]

WOOT! (Both at the fact that there is a new chapter, and the direction the story seems to be taking)

[archaic]

Yes, OK, there's a Deus ex machina, some clever alien trickery early in this scene to get them out of trouble.

And spot the Star Trek reference, fist one to post it get a cookie.


Scene 19

Spoiler

A roof on Earth.
Jake has his human avatar over his left shoulder, Outcast has Jakes Na'vi Avatar over his left shoulder, along with Neytiri they are running towards a corner when some one opens fire on them, they dodge behind a largish aircon unit on the roof.
Jake "You didn't build in remote control did you? We'll be shot to bits if we run for it."
Outcast "No. Got any grenades?"
Jake "No."
Smoke grenade arrives, Neytiri grabs it, lashes it to an arrow quickly and fires it back. This is answered by a lot of cursing and random gun fire.
Jake off loads his human avatar, rips off a piece of the louver from the air con units inlet grill, and uses the end to undo the one retaining screw that holds it shut, swings it open, swings open the conveniently hinged cooling matrix. the duct beyond is too small even for a human to crawl down.
Jake hisses "It's too small."
Neytiri tears the fan motor off it's mount, pushes Jake out of the way, bangs her fist around inside the duct a bit, makes a short frightened screech sound down the duct and drops the motor, after a moment it make an almighty bang far bellow. We hear the guards make their way back down stairs, after a moment of near total silence, Neytiri picks up a hand full of the gravel from the roof and throws it in the direction of the smoke. No reaction.
Neytiri "They are gone."
Outcast to Jake, impressed "Clever girl."
Jake "Yep, this one's a keeper."
Neytiri "Thank you Jake."
Jake picks up his Human Avatar, Outcast leads to the Corner of the roof, there is no way down, the sides of the building are smooth and vertical.
Netiri "Now where?"
Jake taps the strap on his wrist, and a hatch way becomes semi visible, but kind off insubstantial. It hangs in the air above the streets bellow, just out from the building. Neytiri gives Jake a worried look. Outcast enters, Neytiri looks down over the edge of the building.
Jake, looking down there are spots of light, and red and blue police lights and fires.
Jake trying to make light "Food riot?"
Neytiri looks at Jake, then at the ghostly hatch way, then back at Jake, still not looking happy. Jake takes her hand, looks deep into her worried eye's.
Jake "Together."
Both step aboard together, just as the guards return, bang the roof access door open, and start shooting again.
Outcast closes the hatch and dumps Jake's Na'vi Avatar in one of the side facing seats. Jake dumps his Human avatar in the next seat, it looks tiny. Real Jake straightens up.
Neytiri "Are we safe?"
Jake "Ye ..... "
Neytiri launches herself against Jake pinning him to the equipment locker wall in a passionate embrace and full on deep sensual kiss. She runs her fingers over his back, and hair, Jake after an initial moment of surprise returns the favor.
Outcast "I'll .... er .... I'll ...... just ..... umm ..... I'll just look the other way then, don't mind me."
Jake and Neyiri don't mind him and carry on with their embrace, completely lost in one another, oblivious to everything around them.
Outcast slips into the forward most seat and taps at the screen.
Outcast in a sing-song kind of way to himself "I'll just go and pick Pasha up then. Oh, yes, what a good idea."
In the back ground we see Jake and Neytiri still going for it.

A bunker.
De wolf Dasilver and the two exec's we recognize from Avatar1 are watching two tech's repairing a generator. The scene is lit by flashlights and high intensity glow sticks.
De wolf looks concerned, but the other two look like they have seen a ghost.
Wired to the generator is a 'Quantum Paired-Particle' communications unit, labeled 'Venture Star' and on a small desk next to this is a view screen.
A senior looking sec-for woman late forties or early fifties marches up, "Sir, Sit rep."
Dasilver "I'm listening."
General "Good and bad news sir. The insurrectionists have breached the outer door, but in so doing they've fully collapsed the access tunnel, I anticipate it taking them, at the very least, a month to clear."
Dasilver "That gives us the inner door plus the barricade."
General "They appear to lack the technical expertise to demolish the door with out triggering a collapse, one month to clear the existing roof fall. A day to set the charges for the inner door, another couple of weeks clearing that roof fall, two to three day's to breach the barricade, then a fire fight till we run out of ammunition. We can hold out against a concerted attack for maybe eight weeks. How long before they give up, or starve to death? I do not know."
Dasilver "Thank you General. We must accept that the future of the human race is within these walls, and in similar facilities around the world, much as I would like to save the entire human race, I can't. Maintaining a genetically viable population has to be our priority. Sacrifices, as horrendous as they may be, must be made if we are to have any survivors."
Tech "We are ready."
Dasilver to the tech "Thank you."
Exec 1 "I think I speak for every one inside here when I say that we all have grave misgivings, even if we know what we are doing is necessary, our hearts go out to all those left outside, we all have friends, family and loved ones who we know will starve, will die, while we go on. Damn it, we all have consciences."
Dasilver "You think this doesn't affect me? My heart is breaking, but, put simply, we face a stark choice, genocide, or extinction. Now if you'll forgive me, I must bring Parker up to speed, before ..... you know."
Dasilver stands motionless, looking like a broken man for some moments, then walks over to the table, nods to the tech's, generator starts, view screen comes to life.
Dasilver records on to the screen "Parker, it's madness here. Earth has fallen," pauses "the food ran out two weeks ago, there have been riots,"
BANG! a flash and a small wisp of smoke come from the 'Quantum Paired-Particle' communications unit, one of the tech's unloads a CO2 fire extinguisher into it. After a moment looking it over, "That's not gonna be a quick fix."

Interior deliverance.
Outcast "British museum."
Jake and Neytiri still going for it.
Outcast wriggles out, and steps out of Deliverance.
A moment later puts his head back in "Food riot in progress down stairs, so this need's to be quick. Guy's?" and ducks back out again.
Neytiri and Jake come up for air. Lost in each others eye's.
Neytiri being coy "So, I'm a keeper then?"
Jake affectionately "Hell yeah."
Neyiri affectionately "So are you Jake, so are you."

Inside museum, top of a grand staircase
Sand bag gun emplacement, old fashioned gatling gun, pointed at the to of the stairs, Pasha in an endopack manning the post.
In the distance, far bellow, the sound of heavy doors taking some battering ram treatment. Pasha wide eyed, ears pointed dead ahead, down the stairs.
Sound of a door being opened and closed, her floor, behind her, which makes Pasha jump. She looks round, as we hear foot falls on a hard floor over the distant sound of a mob trying to smash their way in. Pasha picks up an assault riffle, and points it towards the end of the large corridor she is in. From the gallery nearest to her a man steps into the corridor, sees her and stops.
Pasha "Who the hell are you? What the hell d'you want? I have nothing that you can eat here, Na'vi food is toxic to humans. And, actually, how the hell did you get up here?"
Outcast "E E R 4 - Earth Embedded Researcher, number four," side tracked "but these day's I mostly get called Outcast." back with the program "You. I don't eat. I knew that already. And, wouldn't you like to know?"
Pasha is taken aback by this answer, goes to reply, but a loud crash far bellow denotes the failure of the main doors. The noise of shouting confirms this.
Pasha looks down the stairs, then back to Outcast.
Outcast "I'm here to take you away from all this."
Noise of loud explosion cries and shouting, only Pasha's ears react as Outcast looks towards the stairs.
Outcast, almost hurt "That wasn't friendly."
Neytiri and Jake enter the corridor in endopacks, Pasha looks at Jake.
Pasha "Woke up then avatar boi?"
Jake in Na'vi "Before, you asked me a couple of questions. Funeral was for Corporal Jake Sully. At the tree of souls Eywa transfered my spirit to my avatar. Permanently. The human they though was me was just an avatar. 'I' wouldn't wake up because our link machine broke. The me in your tank was another avatar we daisy chained off the human one. We came all the way here from Pandora to pick up Neytiri ..... "
Jake gestures 'this Neytiri' in a hands waving up and down gesture.
Outcast "..... and you."
Pasha "Me?"
Jake "Yes, you."
Pasha "I can't go back to my old life, no leg is bad enough, but I can't tsahaylu with this."
Un-clips hair extension and holds up the stump of her queue.
Neytiri "If we leave you here, your life is gong to be ..... "
Loud explosion bellow, lots of shouting mixed with the sound of possibly a thousand metal objects falling down a flight of steps.
Jake "Short."
Outcast "I want to do right by you, take you home, but I'm not going to force you, against your wishes. I don't believe in alien abduction."
Pasha "I have a friend here, most of her family are dead, stampede at a food queue recently. Most of her real friends are dead too. How could I leave my one and only true friend to starve to death. No, I won't abandon her, I couldn't betray her like that."
Neytiri "She comes too. Where is your friend?"
Pasha, taken aback "Err, Australia, other side of this world, but all fights are grounded due to the state of emergency."
Another explosion, nearer, quieter than the last, but with more shouting, more yells of pain, a cloud of smoke rises in the stair well.
All look at Pasha.
Pasha "Napalm."
Neytiri looks unsure what napalm is.
Pasha "Don't ask."
Jake "The fire they used, after the tear gas, before they brought down hometree."
Neytiri looks at Pasha, horrified.
Pasha, sadly "Need's must."
Another explosion, closer, followed by lots more shouting.
Outcast "Time to go."
Pasha "Go? Go where?"
Outcast "Australia?" turns and walks quickly back the way he came.
Pasha looks at outcast like he's missing a few marbles.
Jake "Seriously."
Voice Outcast "You three stop and chat if you like, I am so out of here."
Pasha looks at Jake and Neytiri, as the shouting gets closer.
Jake "Wake up, don't throw your life away here resisting that lot" Jake nods slightly toward the stairs "it's pointless fight and a futile one,"
Neytiri in Na'vi with subtitles "If you want to die fighting humans, fine come back and fight for the Omatakaya, we need every warrior we can get."
Pasha, deep sigh, "Well." Pasha stands up "I guess anythings better than an angry mob." as she runs towards them surprisingly well.
Neytiri and Jake turn and all run.

Cut to the balcony outside the lab, it is the sun hasn't risen, but its not actually dark any more. Deliverance is visible as the three run towards it.
They enter. Outcast is using an assembler to fix the leek in the inner hull.
Jake "We're visible." and shuts the hatch.
Outcast "Mmm, not sure why though. Hull's sound again, pick up some water, might fix it, might not, but it will let us use the engines properly, which'll be an improvement."
Jake passes Pasha who is squatting down in front of Jake's two avatars, looking at them, unconscious, leaning up against each other.
Pasha to Outcast "We need to get moving there'll ....."
Jake "We're long gone."
Pasha looks at him surprised.
Outcast "Isolated gravity."
Pasha looks at him funny.
Outcast "Without it we wouldn't survive the journey back."
Jake "Where is your friend going to be?"
Pasha "Some bar or other, she mentioned a party tonight."
Jake "Some bar or other, in a country the size of Oz?"
Pasha "It's in the resort, there's only a couple. Who's going in to get her?"
Outcast "You are, you know what she look's like."
Jake "Name of the resort?"
Pasha "Kata Tjuta Park, I can't go in a bar looking like this!"
Jake "No need. He's got a shape shifting avatar you can borrow."
Outcast to Pasha "Three, Jake need's to watch your back, and I want Neytiri to watch Jake's, in case you get stuck on a roof."
Jake "Three? What will you be doing?"
Outcast "Communing with my own kind, see if my friend can find the fault. Who wants the avatar that's stuck in this shape?" opens link machine clamshell "And who want's a generic human female."
Pasha and Neytiri look at the woman in the flowing ddress, the look at each other, clearly nether is fussy.
Neytiri shrugs "I'll take it."
Outcast "Pasha, generic human female, Jake hold your hand out."
Jake holds out his hand, Outcast smiles, places a credit card on his palm, then his wrist so the device also sits in Jakes hand, "No rush, I'll be a couple of hour's." and is gone.

Foyer for a club, signs up saying Fancy Dress.
Person behind counter "You're the third Jake Sully, both the other two have wheel chairs, but kudos for the prosthetic face mask."
Jake "Thanks."
Person behind counter "So, what have you two ladies come as?"
Pasha' voice from the 'generic human female' she's quite pretty, average height, slim build "Food rioters."
Person behind counter, he's clearly had a lot of 'food rioters' already "Fine, another two. Hands."
Jake and Pasha hold out their hands straight away, Neytiri hesitantly. All three get a stamp on their wrist.
Person behind counter "Enjoy the party, and no rioting for the cheeseburgers."
Lady in flowing dress with Neytiri's voice, with a big smile "We promise."
The three enter the bar, its not that busy, it's still early. Jake catches sight of himself in a mirror, and walks over to it, Neytiri follows.
Jake "That's a reflection I haven't seen in a long time."
Pasha "I'll get the drinks in."
Pasha heads for the bar, there are not many people at the bar, Pasha stops near a woman in her early twenties. She turns "Hi I'm Mary, I'm in marketing."
Pasha "Err, Pasha."
Mary "So Pasha what's your line of work?"
Pasha "Exobiology"
Mary "No way. Beth's in Exobiology." Calls to the dance floor "Beth, someone you got to meet."
Bethany walks over, doesn't recognize Pasha.
Mary "Pasha this is Beth. Beth, Pasha, she's an Exobiologist too."
Pasha "Hi Bethany, Enjoying Australia?"
Mary "Forgive me I need to catch someone." Mary ducks out.
Bethany "Look, exobiology is kind of cliquey. I know of only one Pasha in the field, and she's nine foot three."
Pasha smiles back, conspiratorially "Nine two and a quarter, but don't tell anyone."
Bethany is genuinely stunned "How the hell d'you know that?"
Neytiri and Jake are coming up behind Bethany.
Pasha "Bethany this is Jake and Neytiri."
Bethany looks at Jake suspiciously, then at Neytiri's human avatar "Unusual name, Neytiri."
Neytiri "Not where I come from."
Bethany steps away slightly, so she's no longer between them "Is this some kind of joke, coz I'm not laughing."
All three "No."
Bethany "This is some kind of set up, who are you and what d'you really want?"
Jake "Would you believe aliens here to abduct you?"
Bethany "I can scream, security will be here real quick."
Pasha sighs in exasperation "Your lab coat has an Museum logo patch, it covers a hole where you spilled acid on it."
Bethany suspiciously "Yes?"
Pasha "Nope, you tore it trying to see over some shelves, trying to see Will with his kit off."
Bethany blushes bright red "That's not true!" it very clearly is true.
Pasha "Your login name is Bethany Prophet, your old password was floppsy bunny, but you changed it to my old name. Yours is locker 192, code is 1664. In high school, you secretly had a crush on Balthazar Hunspow your biology teacher. You have a cousin Janice, she got to go to Pandora, you were insanely jealous of her at the time even though you tried to hide it ..... I could go on."
Bethany has an expression of total disbelief, gets herself together and comes back with "If you're really Pasha what did you tell me before I left?"
Pasha "Err, have a great time, party till you drop, come back and tell me all about it. Or else. And just before you left I said you'd better have done something worth telling me about."
Bethany "OK then, what do you keep hidden in the duct above you're hammock?"
Pasha blushes, her eye's narrow "You're not meant to know about that ..... " looks at Jake and Neytiri guiltily, leans forward and whispers something in Bethany's ear.
Bethany grins "I thought so."
Jake "Convinced yet?"
Bethany gestures to Pasha "She's Pasha alright, don't understand how though. You really Jake and Neytiri?"
Jake and Neytiri "Yes" look at each other.
Music comes on.
Jake smiles, to Nytiri "You gotta dance to this."
Jake grabs Neytiri by the hand and leads her to the dance floor.
Bethany to Pasha "So, how have you changed your appearances?"
A tall, tanned, muscular, good looking young bar man walks along to them, with a new zealand accent "What can I get for the two lovely ladies?"

edit: Spelling and typo's

[Muzer]

I didn't spot the Star Trek reference... though I haven't seen much Star Trek, so that's probably why

[archaic]

The star trek reference is kinda hidden, but it's there, it's a next gen reference if it helps.

Did you like the 'clever alien trickery' ?

[Muzer]

What, them being saved at the last minute by the ship, you mean? Well, it does make sense, it didn't seem like something too far-fetched to me.


(Also, I wonder why nobody else is commenting? I feel pretty lonely )

[Tsamsiyu92]

I don't get the Star Trek reference either, but I really enjoy the story.

[Elektrolurch]

I enjoy every single word of it.

[archaic]

What, them being saved at the last minute by the ship, you mean? Well, it does make sense, it didn't seem like something too far-fetched to me.

Actually I meant they are trapped on the roof behind the aircon unit, so obviously I'd have Outcast do something cleaver, and save their aytxim with alien trickery. Only I thought that would be way too lame, so Neytiri was the clever one who tricked the dumb humans instead.

And thank you all for you kind words, it can seem a touch lonely in here sometimes.

[Muzer]

No, that one was clever - I didn't think that was cheesy/lame/whatever at all.

[archaic]

No one got the reference?

Spoiler

I never said it was obvious, that's why it's worth a cookie!

Scene 20

Spoiler

Jake and Neytiri are dancing away in the back ground. Someone in a wheel chair is wheeling themselves around the dance floor, it's one of the guards from the cells where Jake's human avatar was being held.
Camera follows them as they go past the security office, it has a serving hatch on to the corridor, the guy in the wheel chair goes up to the men's room door, stands up and enters it. The wheelchair has a yellow frame, with a sticker on the left side of the cross bar, blue back ground, white writing 'GRUNT' and, in black marker pen, 'SULLY' on the other side. End of this corridor are glass doors, closed, it's dark beyond a small group walks to these doors, give them a try, they're clearly locked, and walk off.
The barman is at the security office serving hatch.
Cut to looking past Barman's shoulder into the security office, two security guys there. One is sitting at a console in front of a large view screen with their back to us, the other is dealing with the Barman. on the center of the screen is the CCTV footage of Jake, Neytiri and Pasha (all human) entering the club's bar area, Jake walks over to the mirror, followed by Neytiri, Pasha continues into the Bar. Footage pauses.
First guard "You one hundred percent sure that's them?"
Barman "Thousand percent."
Sitting guard "Jake doesn't walk, everyone knows that."
Barman "I'm telling you, it's them."
Sitting guard turns round, it's Wainfleet, "Well, if you're sure, we'll look in to it."
Barman exasperated "Fine." turns and walks off to the bar clearly annoyed.
First guard leans out of the hatch and watches him go, when he is gone he ducks back in "What the hell's he been smoking in there?"
Wainfleet "Hang on a minute, Jake and Neytiri were sprung late yesterday, Neytiri and Jake's avatar had been held in a research unit, at that big museum."
First guard disinterested "So?"
Wainfleet "The museum had a female narvee, I met her once."
First guard still disinterested "So ..... "
Wainfleet "Museum was on the news earlier, destroyed in a food riot."
First guard disinterested "Yeah, and, so what?"
Wainfleet "Her name was Pasha, she pretended she couldn't speak English, so she had a friend along as a translator, name of Bethany. And Bethany is here, tonight."
Wainfleet calls up a pic of all four at the bar "And there they all are, together."
First guard "So? Bethany's not that uncommon a name."
Wainfleet picks up a book off the floor 'Pandora at the British Museum' it say's on the well worn cover, looks like it was expensive when new, but it's clearly had a hard life. Wainfleet opens it at the book bark, holds up the book to show his colleague.
There is a pic of Pasha and Bethany, both leaning against the glass of Pasha's tank, Pasha on the inside, Bethany on the outside, it almost looks like there leaning against each other, both are smiling at the camera.
First guard "Call it in then, just don't blame me if you end up looking crazy."
Wainfleet reaches over and taps something into the console. A cop appears on the screen.
Cop "Central ..... "


Jake, Neytiri, Pasha and Bethany are walking away from the cheese burger stand, each with one small cheese burger. A sign above the stand reads.

Cheezebergerz
1 each, if your friend wants 1 they Q 2

Bethany's expression is mild anticipation.
Jake's mild disappointment at the small size.
Pasha's is curiosity, she's never tasted one.
Neytiri is not quite sure what to make of it, she's never even seen one before.
Jake holds up his, takes a good sniff, slightly disappointed "Human's have a lousy sense of smell."
Takes a bite, chews thoughtfully, swallows "Hmm, not bad. Makes a change from teylu."
Bethany swallows her mouthful, slightly dismissively "Amazing what you can do with spirulina and a few additives."
Pasha "Strange. And you guy's go mad for this stuff?"
Jake finishes his, Neytiri passes Jake hers, she's only taken a small bite. Jake looks at her quizzically.
Neytiri "I'll stick with teylu."
They have reached the corridor with the men's room, security office, and glass doors at the end.
Jake see's the wheel chair, his wheel chair walks fast to it, flips it over, fishes around inside the seat where the seam is coming apart slightly, and pulls out a battered photo, it's of Jake in his uniform, and Tommy in a graduation gown, with a scroll.
Jake holds the photo out to Neytiri, she takes it.
Jake "This is My chair."
Neytiri passes the pic to Pasha, Bethany looks too, as Jake pick up his chair, and swings it onto his shoulder.
Pasha "Don't rate your picture frame."
Bethany "Why keep it there?"
One cop and a group of troopers arrive at the glass doors, as the four all turn to go. Wainfleet steps out of his office into the corridor, sees the four, drops to one knee and pulls a pistol as he does so.
Wainfleet "Freeze."
Jake "Hi Wainfleet, long time no see."
Wainfleet "Chair down, hands up."
Jake "Trudy misses you, she really wanted you there for her wedding."
Neytiri "She has a daughter, and a son, Tommy Lyle Spellman, after her best friend."
Jake "Come back with us, we have food. Much as you can eat."
Neytiri "Don't starve here with every one else, think of it as a fresh start."
Pasha "America and Europe have already run out of food, how long will you have here, months? Weeks? ..... Days?"
Wainfleet looks past the four as the troopers give the doors a damn good rattle, then back at the four."
Wainfleet "You sold out your whole race, and for what?"
Jake "You fought for it, nearly got killed, and for what?"
Pasha "Earth is still in a mess, even though no shipment of unobtainium was late, or light."
Jake "You were sold a lie, we all were, the only difference between me and you is I was lucky enough to be shown the truth."
Pasha "None of us need die here." holds out hand to Wainfleet. "Let me show you my world, please."
Wainfleet looks past them again, then back at the group.
There is shouting out side and the troopers begin hammering on the glass with their rifle butts.
Jake "Sooner or later they will all starve to death. If you hand us over, you will join them, be smarter than that."
Wainfleet hesitates "ARRHHH! Damn you." lowers gun, stands.
Jake "Reservoir."
All five run back towards the dance floor, the troopers outside rush off to the right outside. Sound of john flushing, guard from the cells exits men's room "Hey, who swiped my wheels?"


Five people are running through what looks like an industrial plant. Pursued at a distance, and shot at by a dozen or so troopers.
Along walkways, round equipment, up and down steps, over a low roofed building, into a large machine hall, ducking and dodging bullets, out the other side. More walkway's and more dodging behind and around equipment.
The five come to the edge of an artificial lake.
Wainfleet "Now what."
Bethany "Tell me you have a plan."
Jake holds out his arm with the wrist device on.
Jake "Catch." and closes his eyes. He disappears, the device falls, Neytiri catches it.
Bethany and Wainfleet look stunned, exchange glances.
Deliverance breaks the surface, hatch way becomes translucent. Neytiri enters, Pasha places a hand on Bethany and Wainfleet' shoulders to hold them back, a blue stripy arm passes two exopacks out, Bethany and Wainfleet put these on, rather confused they are shoved rather roughly inside by Pasha who follows them in with Jake's wheel chair. Na'vi Jake taps his wrist device, hatch closes.
Bethany and Wainfleet look round, and are rather surprised by what the see inside.
Real Neytiri and real Pasha open their eyes, fake Neytiri and fake Pasha disappear, wrist devices fall to the floor, as the two Na'vi women take off their Balaclava's.
Jake "We have company, three aircraft, inbound, fast."
Wainfleet, "This thing armed?"
Jake "No need."
Jake taps the view screen a few times, the screen shows the out side, as the ground drops away fast, a missile smacks into the side of deliverance, and throws everything and every body not strapped in, to the floor, the door to the can bursts open, as do the lockers, spilling their contents all over the floor.
Jake taps at the screen madly, dodging another missile, then heading off, fast.

Cut to outside shot.
Three large advanced looking aircraft, but with mismatching panel colors, these have clearly been kept in the air by cannibalizing other aircraft.
Deliverance pulls away.

Cut to cockpit of lead interceptor, pilot moves the throttles forward, clouds flash past faster as it accelerates, keeping pace with Deliverance. Cover over the missile launch button is flicked open. button pressed, another missile is loosed, straight at Deliverance, it closes in, closer and closer, Deliverance disappears into thin air.
Voice of interceptor pilot "What the f ..... Oh s***!"
As his own missile selects him as the only remaining local target, it comes round sharply. It impacts, the pilot ejects, in time, but only just. The other two interceptors scream past, as chunks of burning debris fall tumbling towards the ground.

On board Deliverance.
Jake "And we're safe. Everyone OK?"
General mmm's and yeses
Bethany bitterly and with a hint of sarcasm "That was close."
Jake "Next stop Pandora, e.t.a. fourteen hours. Suggest we clear up and get comfortable."
Pasha and Neytiri load Jake's Na'vi avatar into the broken link machine. Real Jake, Bethany and Wainfleet start stuffing loose items back into the lockers, as Jake closes one door, there is a slight weep of water on the hull.
Jake "That's not good."
Neytiri and Pasha move Jake's human avatar onto the floor, and wedge it against the wall and the link machine.
Wainfleet, looking at Jake's human avatar, glances to real Jake "So Jake, I'll buy the whole UFO thing, but how come you're in your avatar when your link machine is clearly dead?"
Bethany "I was wondering that."

[Muzer]

Wait... did they leave the outcast behind?


Oh wait, he's off doing other stuff. My brain isn't working very fast today



And wow - I didn't see them getting Wainfleet on their side. That's surprising. Though I suppose some of Trudy could have rubbed off on him... or being on Earth made him long for Pandora again. One or the other.

[archaic]

Or a bit of both, and maybe some self preservation thrown in.

He didn't seem too happy when he accepted that they where right.

[Tsamsiyu92]

You got me waiting for the next chapter, keep up your awesome work.

[archaic]

Irayo

[archaic]

Scene 21

Spoiler

Pandora, forest.
Ted is walking in the forest, he hears voices in the distance, he moves towards them, as quietly as he can, he creeps up behind a tree. Pauses, then creeps round. There is a river, but there is no one there, he turns around and standing behind him is a Na'vi, almost six tall, around ten years old. Leaning against the tree in a very casual way.
Ted gasps, and backs up, but there is another young Na'vi, larger in size, around thirteen now behind him.
Ted "What do you want, I don't have any money."
The two Na'vi exchange looks.
Ted "Or any food."
The two Na'vi exchange looks, trying not to smile.
Ted "Please, don't eat me, I taste nasty."
Fist Navi in Na'vi "I can believe that."
Second Navi in Na'vi "What do we do with him?"
Young female voice in English "You're Ted aren't you?"
Ted "Yes?"
A human girl walks round the tree, her loincloth and crop top combo looks slightly odd, she looks around twelve, and has her long hair in a braid, at first glance it looks a lot like a Na'vi Queue.
She holds out her hand "I'm Esperanza, and I'm pretty sure your lost."
Ted with a touch of bravery creeping back "What makes you think I'm lost?"
Esperanza "You're from Hell's Gate. You should not be here in the forest, on your own. There's things out here, nasty things that want to kill you and eat your eye's for ..... now what was it?"
First young Na'vi "Jujubees."
Ted "Hey, that's what colonel Quaritch say's."
Second young Na'vi "We know."
Ted "My mom say's narvee can't speak English, you're just blue monkeys."
Second young Na'vi "Still believe her?"
Ted "Err ..... no."
Ted's stomach rumbles.
First young Na'vi "Hungry? We'd offer you some of our fish we caught, but it's toxic to you."
Esperanza leans forwards and whispers loudly to Ted, pretending to tell him a big secret "Sometimes, it can be a drag round here, can't eat the food, can't drink the water, can't breath the air, have to stand on a rock if you don't want a sore neck."
Ted looks at her blankly, she looks up at her two friends, both are a good two and a half feet taller than she is. Both look down, smiling.
First young Na'vi "Wanna catch a fish?"
Ted brightens up, smiles "Yeah!"

Out at sea, some rocks are almost covered by each gentle wave, it's getting late, the pandoran sun is low in the sky.
A young female hunter with a bow and arrow is fishing from the rocks, almost completely motionless. She shoots, then pulls on the cord tied to it gently, and pulls out a good sized fish. she stashes it in her basket. Shading her eye's with her hand she looks at the low sun, looks into her nearly full basket. Turns toward the distant cliffs, a good mile away. She gives the call for her Ikran. After a few moments a shape comes closer, this is no sea bird. The Ikran sweeps down, and lands on the rocks next to her, she gives it a smallish fish, tsaheylu's with it, pats and strokes it's neck gently, affectionately, picks up her basket and mounts. With powerful wing beats the Ikran lifts of, gaining height, and returns to the cliffs.

Forrest river. It's getting dark.
Two full grown blue stripy's are fishing, with rod and line,
Avatar Norm " ..... never any fish back on earth, but I did catch a few old boots in that river."
The two Na'vi and two human kids walk along the river bank. All carrying lots of fish.
Avatar Norm "Kaltxi ma aytutean, ma ite."
Avatar Ty, he's definitely been working out "Kaltxi, who's your friend?"
Ted "Ted"
Avatar Ty "Kaltxi ma Ted, your folks know where you are?"
Ted "More or less."
Avatar Norm "Hey, it's you that's gotta deal with them, not us."
Ted "You're going to tell me they'll be worried about me."
Avatar Ty "Nope."
Avatar Norm "Me either."
Ted "Huh?"
Avatar Ty "Deep down, really really deep down, you know. Plus it's healthy to get out, spend time with people your own age. Got into plenty of trouble when I was younger, made me the man I am to day." Norm looks at him funny.
Avatar Norm "I didn't, I was a saint. Really missed out, on a bunch of stuff, god I was a boring kid." turns to Ty "And you, you still get in plenty of trouble."
Ted "Hmm, guess I should be getting back. Mom's gonna go mad, it's kind of her factory setting."
Esperanza "Mind if we tag along?"
Avatar Norm in Na'vi, no subtitles "Don't stay out too late daughter, if you're not back in time to eat, Anton'll go crazy and throw stuff, at me."
Avatar Ty in English "Again. And so will your Mom."
Kids walk off. Ty catches a fish. reels it in, put's it in his keep net, baits his hook again, and casts his line.
Avatar Norm "Nice to see both sides can still play together, maybe there is hope for the future."
Norm catches something, reals it in, it's not a fish. Ty is trying hard not to laugh.
Avatar Norm smiles "I go light years in to space, to a pristine world, and I still get a boot!"

Hell's Gate, perimeter fence, main gate.
A couple of techs are scratching their heads, the gate won't close. there are six AMP suits on guard, plus another six troopers.
Periodically one will swat one of the biting fly's as it lands on them, or when they bite.
The four kids wander out of the forest, guards slowly but deliberately pick up their guns, no sudden movements. Kids ignore them and walk up to the gate.
Ted "Bye then."
First young Na'vi "Good luck with your mom."
Inner gate opens a foot, just enough to allow Ted in.
Ted "Thanks, she's gonna kill me."
Esperanza "We'll come to the funeral."
Ted laughs "Great."
They watch Ted run off into the compound.
One of the techs is at the console, outer gate still doesn't close. Esperanza picks out a soft faced mallet from the tool kit, and hands it to the taller young Na'vi "Ralu."
Ralu takes it and gives the motor a firm tap while pushing on the gate, it comes to life, and the gate slowly closes both techs look dumbfounded.
Ralu "One winding's is on the way out, need's a new motor really, if you need any help just give me a holler."
Hands the mallet back to Esperanza who reaches round the closing gate and drops it back in the tool box. The three kids turn and walk back into the forest, when they are just out of sight we hear them laughing.
Troopers and Amps enter the space between the gates before the outer one closes.
First tech "Ain't never gonna here the end of this."
Second tech, not listening "We got our butt's kicked out there last time, this time? ..... We're gonna get slaughtered."
First tech "No,"
points to his fore finger "there's more than two hundred of us this time,"
points to his index finger "no one sabotaged our kit,"
pints to his ring finger "we've debugged Hell's Gate"
pints to his pinky "and we've got all new satellites."
Inner gate starts to open.
Second tech "We fought against one tribe and a handful of humans, and we lost, badly. I hear there's at least half a million narvee out there."
First tech "Bring 'em on."
Second tech "You need to wake up."
First tech "No, you need to wake up. This is a done deal, mankind is here to stay, and if the locals don't want to play ball then too bad, they can die for what they believe in."
Second tech "Why d'you think Earth isn't talking to us? It's because they can't, they're probably all dead, the food supply was stretched mighty thin when we left, twelve years ago. Think it's got any better? There's three thousand four hundred humans here at Hells Gate, maybe another hundred out there, that's roughly thirty five hundred all told? For all we know, that may be all there is."
First tech laughs "What the hell have ..... "
Second tech interrupts, and becomes increasingly agitated as he speaks, "We could be staring extinction full in the face and all you can do is laugh about it. Face facts laughing boi we're as good as dead already. We're finished, a spent force. Hell we even have to get the native savages to close our own damn gate for us."
Second tech stares down the first tech, challenging him to try and contradict what he's said, but he's beaten.
Second tech picks up his tool box and walks past the inner gate, and off into the compound.
One of the troopers "Is he always this cheerful?"
First tech squats "Pretty much. Never used to be, no idea what's what's been eating him since he came to Pandora." swats a biting fly on his neck, hard. He looks down at the smashed corpse on his hand, sighs "Apart from the obvious." wipes it off on a dirty rag from his toolbox. Rounds up the few tools not in the tool box, closes it.
Trooper "Think there's anything in what he say's?"
First tech "I hope not ..... " pauses, grabs the toolbox handle and stands up with it " ..... dear god I hope not."

[Tsamsiyu92]

Nice chapter, but what about those who took off from earth?

[Muzer]

He's just building the suspense... it's good interspersing action-packed scenes with... what's the word for it... well, the sort of scene that just happened

[archaic]

Mostly just building the suspense.

Those rocks in the sea will be important soon, really should have put that mini scene in way earlier I suppose.

The kids all playing together nicely, and the fact that Ralu knows about Hell's Gate maintenance (More of this later), shows that a peace between humans and Na'vi could have worked. Also I have hinted that the Na'vi are at least as smart as humans are, maybe smarter. Dr Augustine said that they learned as fast as she could teach them, I'm continuing that theme.

"Mind if we tag along?" is Esperanza being responsible and taking Ted home so he doesn't get hurt on his way back, and at the same time not hurting his feelings that he needs to be walked home. Isn't she considerate.

Meanwhile, remember the missile impacting Deliverance, and the water seeping? ......


Scene 22

Spoiler

On board deliverance.
Jake is standing looking at the weep of water, it's stronger now. Looks down at what he's holding in his hand, Outcast's wrist device.
Returns to look over the back of his seat at the view screen, the Alpha Centauri system is coming up fast. A red spec is already sliding off the edge of the screen, the remaining spot becomes two stars, and after a moment one star, the lighter yellow one becomes a star system, with a blue dot appearing. Pasha joins him.
Pasha "So, how is it possible to travel this fast? 4.4 light years in 14 hours, that's roughly forty thousand times the speed of light."
Jake "Ask Outcast. He did try and explain it, but all I got was that we aren't. It uses some loophole in physics." looks Pasha in the eye "He was pretty down on our understanding of the universe, and how it works." pause, sigh "Time to buckle up, I'm not sure how smooth this landing's going to be."
Pasha "Andy landing you walk away from ..... "
Jake "Mmm."
Jakes human avatar is already strapped into the forward most side facing seat. the others are tightening up their six point belts.
Jake taps on the screen, the speed of approach slows, there is visibly a slight G loading on everything on board, Jake looks worried, so does Pasha.
Pandora is a blue green crescent, coming up fast.
A bead of perspiration rolls down Jakes forehead, and then down his cheek, we see the four ISV's in the distance, as Deliverance approaches the atmosphere.

Cut to outside.
Deliverance skips through Pandora's upper atmosphere. Re-entry, the hull bathed in super heated plasma.

Inside again.
there's a lot of turbulence, every one, and everything are being bounced around roughly.
Pasha puts some saliva on a finger, reaches forwards and pats in against the hull very quickly, the wet patch dries almost instantly.
Pasha "There's a layer of water between the inner hull and the outer skin?"
Jake "Yeah?"
Pasha "What happens if it boils?"
Jake looks at her with shock and a hint of panic in his eye's.
Loud tearing noise as the inner hull ruptures where it had been weeping, sending a large amount of hot water all over every one.
Jake "That. Every one OK?"
Grumpy Mmm's from those now wet.
On the screen the ground is coming up fast, in the distance the sea, we pass the coast and now over the water, loosing altitude. Another land mass is coming up, but there's not enough height, they're going to ditch in the sea.

Cut to out side.
We see Deliverance headed for the water at a shallow angle.

Cut to inside again.
SPLASH! Every one feels the impact, the rupture spreads, right down one side, past the link machine, over the roof, and almost half way across the floor, again lockers bust open and their contents wash around the floor and peoples feet.

Cut to out side.
Deliverance skims across the surface of the water.

Cut to a shot with Deliverance coming right at us.
In the foreground, the rocks the female hunter was fishing from.
Deliverance is headed right for them.

Cut to inside.
Wainfleet "We're going to hit the cliffs."
Neytiri "Kehe." points to the rocks.
Jake "Out" and activates the hatchway.
Neytiri puts her head out into the air stream, looks forwards, squinting.
Jake to Bethany and Wainfleet "Try and keep the packs out of the water as much as you can, good luck."
Neytiri jumps, Wainfleet goes next, then Pasha and Bethany almost together, then jake, just in time. As soon as he's out of the hatch Deliverance hits the rocks, shoots into the air, spinning and cartwheeling, scattering debris from a large hole in the underside.
Jake narrowly misses a rock the hits the water. he has to fight to come to the surface again.
As he bobs up Deliverance hits the water, almost vertically, it to bobs up again, but low in the water, and slips beneath the surface again for the last time, as Jake gasps for air.
The group swim together, then to the rocks, and haul them selves out, just in time by the look of it as dark shapes swim ominously bellow the surface as Pasha, the last one is hauled to relative safety. Her prosthetic leg is badly damaged, and won't take her weight. One of it's sharp edges has taken a small chunk out of her other leg, from which she is bleeding, not badly, but noticeably.
Bethany has her pack's filter open and is draining the water out of it. Wainfleet is doing the same.
A shape is coming from the cliffs, it comes closer and resolves into an Ikran, and rider. It sweeps down and lands on the rocks near them, as they duck down.
It is the young female hunter who was fishing here earlier. She dismounts, comes over, then recognizes Jake, stunned, and in awe "Toruk makto?"
Jake nods, and in Na'vi "My fiend is hurt." gestures to Pasha's legs "And we need to get off this rock."
Female hunter, unable to take her eye's off Pasha's damaged prosthetic leg now that she's noticed it. In Na'vi "I can take only one, I'll be back with help for the rest."
Female hunter mounts, then Pasha mounts with some difficulty.

Cut to Cliff top settlement.
The female leader of the eastern sea tribe, for this is that clan, has patched up Pasha's wound, and stands up as the others fly in and dismount.
Clan leader is also stunned to see Jake and Neytiri. In Na'vi "Toruk makto Jeksooly, Neytiri, you and your friends are welcome to stay as honored guests as long as you wish. But I can see already that you want to be back in your forest as soon as you can be. Please it would honor us if you would eat with us this night."
Jake in Na'vi "We would be most honored to accept, but there are two among us who cannot join us, who cannot eat our food ..... "
Clan leader laughs, again in Na'vi "But this is no problem. Änsìt," whispers something to her friend, this is the one who translated for her at Heavens Gate.
Änsìt disappears into a tent, reappears with a selection of ration packs, dehydrated powder, separate water pouch section and a straw for the valve on an exopack.
Änsìt in accented English "I kept as souvenirs from last battle, please they are more use to you than to me."
Clan leader, in Na'vi "Will you honor us?"
Jake smiles, in Na'vi "We will."
Brief montage of feasting. Änsìt is next to and talking with Wainfleet in accented English.
Neytiri, Jake and the clan leader are together. The two women are chatting like a couple of school girls in Na'vi, Jake is listening.
Pasha, Bethany and another of the younger members of the clan are chatting, he has lashed a couple of pieces of leather over the sharp edges on Pasha's now detached artificial leg.
He has a bowl of water beside him, and between mouthfuls of fish, is taking lengths of leather thong from the bowl. Tying them from bellow the knee joint to above the joint at the front of the leg.
Him in Na'vi, no subtitles "As they dry out, they will pull tight. Should mean you can stand on it with out it collapsing, in perhaps two hours it should take your weight."

Cut to flying.
It is night. We're with the group, Clan leader has Jake as passenger.
Someone else, important looking, older, with lot's of scars has Neytiri as passenger.
Young female hunter who was fishing on the rock has Bethany.
The guy who repaired her leg has Pasha.
Änsìt has Wainfleet.
In the distance there is the sound of gunfire and occasional bangs and flashes of explosions. We can just make out that there are large objects flying around, presumably C21's.
Jake to Clan leader "Heaven's Gate."
She nods and her Ikran banks round gently, the others follow her lead and stay in formation.

[Muzer]

Ah, Jake lost his Avatars then - I had a feeling that would happen. I'm glad they all got out OK, though.

Has the Outcast gone for good now, now that he got his craft and presumably found his kind again?

[archaic]

Ah, Jake lost his Avatars then - I had a feeling that would happen.

You know me well. To fight to the death, twice and then walk away with out a scratch? Lame.

I'm glad they all got out OK, though.

I'm a softy at heart. Well, kind of.

Has the Outcast gone for good now, now that he got his craft and presumably found his kind again?

His consciousness is back in his canister, where he is chatting to the female from earlier, his equivalent of avatar technology produces a solid seeming projection from the device, which is on the sea bed near the rocks.
Deliverance is trashed, it's mangled wreckage is also on the seabed.
It would have been too handy in the battle, way too obvious, I want the battle to be closer between the two sides, and I do not want the Outcast or his technology to be too intrusive into the feel of this movie.
He'll be back to help fight the earthlings, partly as he can't actually leave Pandora, but mostly he wants to see it to completion.