ArmageddonHomepage-IndexArmageddon-ByJonathanHensleighetc.FADEIN:Blackness.ThenahintofgreenbecomesEARTH.Itliesacrossanexpanseofspace.Richlycolored.Fertile.AGIGANTICASTEROIDcutsintoframe,BurningintoEARTH'SATMOSPHEREandstrikingdowninthecurrantareaofGuzumel,Mexico.Voice:Animpactequivalenttotenthousandnuclearweaponsdetonatingsimultaneously.AHUGEDINOSAURFOOTstepsdownhardandisVAPORIZEDwithadeafeningROAR.Voice:Onehundredtrilliontonsofdirtandrockhurledintotheatmosphere.EARTH,seenfromspace,isrockedwithanIMMENSESHOCKWAVE.ASHEETOFDEBRISwashesacrosstheNorthandSouthHemispheres.Voice:Ablanketofdustthesunispowerlesstopenetrate.Forfivethousandyearsourworldisrobbedoflightasanuclearwinterfalls.Inthatdarkness,acivilisationisremovedfromexistence.EARTHisnowcompletelyentombedinadark,coldhell.Letterspushtowardsus--"ARMAGEDDON"65MILLIONYEARSLATEREARTH,reflectedoffthefaceofASTRONAUTPETESHELBY'SHELMET.Itappearscloseenoughtotouch.Shelby,attachedtoSHUTTLEATLANTISBYLIFELINE,strugglestoreplaceapieceoftheshuttle'soperationalarm.Shelby:(withradiosquawking)Houston,Ican'tgetthisthingtowork...EXT.N.A.S.A.-MISSIONCONTROL-DAYInahubofcomputersandtrackingequipment,wefindDANGOLDEN,formerAstronautfromApollo8(firstcrewtoorbittheMoon)andnowN.A.S.A'ssecond-in-command.GoldeniswatchingShelbyonaSERIESOFVIDEOSCREENS.FLIGHTDIRECTORWALTERCLARKsitswithrowsofN.A.S.ATechs.Goldenstandsoverhim,armsonthebackohischair.Clark:Atlantis,what'stheproblem?Shelby:(V.0)Itjustisn'tworking.Anysuggestions?Clarke:HangonPete.We'llfiguresomethingoutforyou.GoldentapsClarkandsitsdown.Golden:(toShelby)Wegotthetopscientificmindsintheworldworkingonthis.(aslightsmile)Try"whacking"thething.Shelby:Okay,Houston,commencewhacking.SelbybeginsWhackingthesatellitewithhisglove.TheSATELLITEcomesn-line,lightsuplikeaChristmastree.AHORRIFYINGRUMBLINGSOUND.SHOTGUNLIKEPELLETSassaultthesatellite.SHRAPNELripsintoit'sdelicategoldskin.ThesatelliteEXPLODES.Shelby'slifelinebreaks;hespinsoff,suitleakingfromtwentypunctures.INT.SHUTTLEATLANTISCOMMANDERJAMESTURNERturnstohisleftGeneral:"WHATTHEHELLWASTHAT?"EXT.SHUTTLEATLANTISSTOTGUNLIKEPELLETSshredthroughAtlantis'N.A.S.A.logo,peelingtheshuttledowntoherribs.FIERYEXPLOSION.EXT.SPACECLOSEONSHELBYashetwirlsawayfromAtlantis.Hishelmetisfogging.Hegaspsforair,wretching,hiseyelidsleakingblood.Hetriestoformwords:Shelby:Ple...he...me....Shelby'sSHOULDER-CAManglespinsend-over-end....INT.N.A.S.A-MISSIONCONTROLMONITORSgodead.N.A.S.A.Technician#1:Allsystemscrashing!N.A.S.A.Technician#2:Massivefailure.Welostthem.Uttersilence.Utterdesolation.DOLLYINONGOLDEN'SFACE.Utterdisbelief.INT.WKUMOUNTIANOBSERVATORY-NIGHTTHEOandPEARL(attelescope),and激MBO(attheconsole),20's,arestar-gazing.Astronomybooks,Starbuckscups,etc.,spreadallover.NineInchNailsplaysontheradio.Thesethreecouldlandadateifonlytheywouldlosetheroadflares(plaidshirts,glasses)thatsignalthepainfulfactthattheyaredie-hardsciencenerdsTHEO'SPOV-THROUGHWKUTELESCOPE-Faroffinspaceisadusty,murkyswarmofmatter-somethingresemblingaFLOATINGEXPLOSION.激mbo:WhenarewegoingtoletN.A.S.Ainonwhatwe'vefound?Theo:Wedon'tevenknowwhatwehaveyetet,asteroid-itcouldbeanythingupthere.Anddon'tbesoeagertoredflagN.A.S.A.Theydon'tcalluswhentheydiscoveranything.激mbo:Yeah,butthisistheirsandboxwereplayingin.Theo:Thisisourdiscovery.We'regoingtoholdapressconference.We'regoingtobefamous.SPACEWATCH'llnamethisthingafterus.Jo...