Chapter 1
Scene One:
Sacrificial Ceremony
A barren landscape stretches under a black star and swollen orange moon. An empty spacesuit lies abandoned, and a bandaged figure presses his stained fingers against a steel plate before stepping into the void.
Alien humanoids with tails chant in unison, barefoot on the rough ground. Orlas, cloaked in a long dark gown, carries a skeletal head, presenting it to the gathered humanoids.
Orlas (chanting, telepathic):
We are the children of Orbe. We bring forth the new—shaped by the void, guided by the star.
Orlas (whispering, telepathic):
What do you seek of me, your servant? Speak, and I shall carry it into the silence.
Orlesian (V.O.) (resonant, cosmic):
Oh, gracious ones, children of Orbe, wanderers through shadow and light… Step forward, and let the unseen guide you, for here, the gifted shall be made anew.
The humanoids follow a bright star through a long passage into a panoramic chamber. Six humans—Flo, Joe, Dave, Sid, Aggie, and Celine—sit at computers. Each keystroke sends light into the cosmos, symbolising a human soul.
Scene Two:
Orbe / HQ
The humans explore the HQ, tension mounting.
Flo (anxious, reflective):
I keep forgetting why we’re here… it’s like the purpose slips every time I try to grasp it.
Joe (frustrated, restless):
How long did they say we have? Days? Years? Centuries?
Dave (burdened, quiet):
There’s not enough time. How can I do this? Who… who am I even in this place?
Aggie (analytical, restrained):
I can feel it… we’re being programmed for this. Every thought, every gesture, it’s guided.
Celine (pragmatic, cautious):
Then we follow it. Until we’re told otherwise, we obey. Curiosity isn’t worth the risk.
Scene Three:
Orlas Speaks – Mission & Purpose and appears, telepathic presence filling the HQ.
Orlas (ethereal, commanding):
There is no being greater than a humanoid. You were chosen not for yourself, but for what you can weave into the lives of those left behind.
Dave (whispering, conflicted):
We’re special… yet it feels like a cage.
Joe (sceptical):
Special? I feel programmed, not special.
Flo (resigned):
We do what we are told. That’s all we can do.
Aggie (gentle, offering guidance):
If you want, I can show you the path ahead. Just… trust me.
Dave (restrained, conflicted):
No. That’s not allowed. We are not meant to know yet.
Celine (warning, pragmatic):
Focus on your task, not each other. The consequences are already written into us.
Scene Four:
Cosmic Authority / Closing Ceremony Orlas concludes, her presence otherworldly:
Orlas (commanding, echoing):
Do not seek to question the design. You are the doers. Carry forth the spark of change… even if you do not yet understand the shape of your path.
The camera lingers on each human’s face—uncertain, questioning, yet bound to their role. Outside, the cosmic vistas stretch endlessly, a reminder of the vastness and mystery of Orbe.
The ritual ends, but the journey has only begun.
