EGYPT 1913

Somewhere near the Nile at the edge of the desert. A priestess, Blue, and her mule zigzag along the bottom of sun scorched dunes.

The mule finally reaches a camp. A few tents dwarfed by a huge temple door jutting out of the sand. The camp is deserted except for some kids by the temple entrance holding large mirrors, reflecting light into the temple.

Blue leaves her mule in the shade, seizes two goatskins and slips inside the temple. She makes her way uneasily down a pillared corridor that opens into a vast room where an old scientist, Professor Marco Geppetto, stands on a small wooden ladder in front of the wall across the room. A man is beside him, August Booth, an American student. He has a large sketchpad in his hands. Behind them a young boy, Roland, whose job is to hold the last mirror which shines light into the expansive room.

Marco is deciphering the symbols and strange hieroglyphs on the wall, "when the three planets are in eclipse…" His fingers trace across the wall as we continues, "the black hole like a door is open... Dark Magic comes ... sowing terror and chaos... See? The snake, August. The Dark Magic ... make sure you get the snake!" The Professor points emphatically to the snake, the symbol of Dark Magic, pure evil, coming through the door between the three planets in eclipse.

August's hand sketches the snake quickly, then asks "And when is this door opening snake act supposed to occur?"

The Professor's fingers touch the signs, "if this is the five and this is the one…" he calculates the amount in his head, "every five thousand years…"

August laughs, shakes his head behind Marco's back, "So I have some time…" He reaches for his sketch pad.

The Priestess makes her way into the room with the Professor, she turns a worried eye to Marco who is back to translating, while August sketches.

"..then arrange the elements of life against the Terror just so.." Marco's fingers continue to trace the symbols as he reads, "..Water..fire..earth..air..four elements around the fifth.." His fingers fall on the one element that has a human shape, surrounded by all the others.

The Priestess opens the water skin and begins to pour a vial of powder into it, while Roland starts falling asleep. The mirror falls, the light moves away from the symbols.

"Roland! Light!" Marco's calls out. The boy struggles to stay awake. The mirror comes back up.

August mouths 'Roland, light', and makes another mark on the side of his sketch pad, counting the number of times Marco has made that request.

"Lord forgive me, "Blue whispers, "they already know too, much.."

"..in which all the history of the Universe resides ..all the strength.. all the hope.. Protect us from Darkness.." The Professor turns to Blue who is pouring water into a tin cup from the skin. "Sister.. it is the most extraordinary thing.. the greatest find in history.. can you imagine the implications."

"Only too well," she hands the cup to the Professor, "here you must be parched…"

Marco takes it, has it almost to his lips when he starts speaking again, "I mean look.. it is like a battle plan…" In his excitement he does not drink, much to Blue's chagrin. "Here the Light.. Here the Darkness…" As the Priestess looks up, Roland the mirror boy, tips his mouth under the water skin, drinking the drugged water. "Here…" He points to the Five Elements. "A weapon against Darkness. Amazing! I am going to be famous."

Blue motions to the Professor, "Then let us toast to your fame." The Priestess hands the student a cup, "Drink!"

Marco lifts his cup, "To fame… salud…" Blue raises her cup to drink, but he continues, "We cannot toast with water.. August ! In my sack.. the Grappa!"

The Priestess watches, as the Professor tosses away his water. August finishes his cup before running off into the tunnel.

A muffled sound grows steadily louder. Outside, a monstrous shadow disturbs the children's game and gradually darkens the temple entrance.

August is looking for the brandy in the Professor's bag. He comes upon a machine pistol. When the muffled sound grabs his attention. He leans toward the corridor and sees part of a spaceship appear, paralyzing him.

The Professor keeps reading over the inscription, "this perfect person.. this perfect being.. I do not understand this... perfect?" Marco looks around, "Where is he? August!"

August presses himself against the wall, in the shadows, terrified, but sketching away like mad, as large shadowed figures lumber past him, covered in futuristic armor. He begins to blink, feeling the effects of Blue's potion..

Marco, ambivalent to what is happening around him, continues to read, "And this divine Light they talk about.. what is Divine light?" At that moment, the reflection from Roland's mirror drops again, the light goes completely out in the temple. "Roland light!" The room is immediately flooded with a bright light. "Better.. this is the most unbelievable thing I have ever seen…"

The Professor turns around, and is stunned speechless to find himself face to face with two Mondoswan warriors in full body suits, heavily armored. A dozen others fill the hall manning the source of the light that look like large luminous globes. Roland is fast asleep on the temple floor.

Marco doesn't understand what is happening, "Uh, yes?" The Professor is lifted up and carried off to the side by the aliens.

The Kommander stops in front of the Priestess who had fallen to her knees, face to the ground upon their arrival. "Master... He was about to discover everything, but I had the situation under control."

The two Mondoswan guards hold the professor three feet off the ground. "Who are you?" Marco asks panicked, "Are you Germans? Sprechen Sie Deutsch?"

August staggers forward from the other room, a machine pistol in his hand, his head spinning, trying to stay awake.

The Kommander holds out his hand to the Priestess, she looks up, "What did I do wrong?" she asks as she jumps to her feet.

"Servant, you and the thousand guards before you... You have done your work well, but we have to recover the elements. War will soon engulf your planet. We must keep them safe." The Kommander goes over to the wall and seems to be looking for a lock. He finds it and a key extends itself from his metallic finger. He turns his hand, activating a mechanism that opens the wall.

The professor looks on, "Unbelieveable!"

The Kommander turns around and crooks a finger. Another one of the Mondoswanswaves his hand, and puts the professor to sleep then heads down the hallway revealed by the opening. He is followed by his men. The Priestess slips in behind them.

The Kommander steps into a vast room. The ceiling is very high, pyramid- shaped. In each corner of the room, four vessels contain four rectangular twelve-inch stones, the four elements. In the middle, an opaque sarcophagus rests on an altar. The Kommander stops and
contemplates it a moment.

Blue is in awe as she looks at the sarcophagus, "The Fifth Element…"

He motions to the stones and the sarcophagus to his men, "Take them and put them in a safe place." His men start to carry out his order.

August staggers closer to the newly opened room, his eyes drooping.

The Kommander opens a case. His men come and put the four precious stones in it, one by one. Blue looks to him, "Will the elements be gone now forever from this place?"

"When mankind comes to its senses. We will return."

Blue swallows, realizing the implications, "Knowing mankind as I do, that could take centuries!"

"Time is of no importance, only life is important," is his only reply.

Blue nods and lowers her eyes.

August staggers forward, finally to the door of the room, raising his pistol, blinking his eyes to focus..

A Mondoswan puts the fourth element in the case and the Kommander shuts the case and looks at the Priestess, "When Darkness returns so shall we."

With her head lowered, she replies, "We will be ready, Master."

August suddenly enters the room, brandishing his gun, "Stop!" August trips, the gun goes off. He empties the clip. The Mondoswan carrying the key to the room is hit. The wall immediately begins to close. August fires wildly, unable to control the powerful kicking gun in his drugged state.

Blue lunges for him, screaming, "No!... Don't!..." The weapon has such a kick to it that August starts shooting into the air, backs up, and then stumbles and knocks himself out. The Priestess is on the ground, wounded, trying to stand. So is the Kommander. His warriors take action at seeing their downed leader, one grabs the case with the stones and makes it out of the room. The others carry out the sarcophagus.

"Hurry, The wall's closing!" she yells to him, as she finally stands and makes her way out of the room, clutching her side.

The wall continues to close, the Krommander uses all his strength to stand and move towards the wall, his armor weighing him down. By the time he gets there, the opening is too small to get through. He manages to get his arm and most importantly the key through. "My apologies to General Leo - and my wife.." The wall closes, crushing his arm. Blue takes the key, holding on for dear life.

The rest of the Mondoswan board the ship carrying the case with the stones. Blue stays out of the way and grabs August's bag of drawings. The huge ship's main hatch closes. The ship lifts off and speeds away. Blue emerges from the temple gaping at the ship as it vanishes in the sky, looking like a gigantic shooting star flashing above the pyramids.

500 YEARS LATER

Another, more modern, spaceship, moves through space, it is a warship belonging to the Federal Army. On the bridge, a digital control screen shows three planets projecting three straight lines that crisscross at one point. The visual is identical to the one observed by the professor on the temple wall five centuries before. General Sydney Glass looks out through the ship's window at one of the three huge planets in eclipse, "Don't you have anything? Not even a temperature?"

His commander responds, "The thermo-analyzers have jammed. One of them reads over a million degrees, the other's at minus 5000... Never seen anything like it."

A technician at the back of the bridge calls out, "It's taking shape."

In the middle of the darkness, a door to the nightmare has seemed to just open. Darkness is back. A round, moving mass, continually changing, and swirling.

The commander looks at the screen in awe, "What the hell can it be?"

The tech looks toward the General, "Hook-up with the president in one minute."

General Glass remains calm, "Send out a probe."

Regina Mills, the president of the United Federations, sits in her office, her black hair perfectly done along with her makeup and manicure, if it wasn't for her fingers rubbing her temples, you wouldn't know their was a crisis in the air. Various delegations, mainly military, enters her office, and take a seat around the table. The President's Aide leans down to her ear, "On air in 30 seconds."

In the middle of the group is a Priest whose robes look reminiscent of the Priestess so many years before, to his right sits a younger boy in similar clothes.

"General, the President is online sir…"

General Glass leans over his screen looking at the room full of people.

Regina sighs exasperated through the speakers, "I have to address the Supreme Council in 10 minutes. Just the facts, General."

Sydney nods, and begins "There are no results from the chemical and molecular analysis as of yet, all the calibers are overshot… we're hoping a thermo nucleatic imaging…"

"So what you are saying is you don't know what this… thing is" she deciphers.

"Not yet Mam.. The only thing we know is it just keeps getting bigger!"

"Options?"

"Wait or act," the General answers.

"Recommendations?"

He swallows, "My philosophy Madam President is shoot first ask questions later. I don't like uninvited guests."

Regina turns to her advisors in the room with her, "Council?"

A woman with short black hair, Mary Margaret Blanchard, head of science, speaks up, "I think it would be foolish to shoot at an organism that seems alive, without first taking the time to study it more. Besides, it has shown no signs of hostility."

"No… except for getting bigger."

"So do people, but that's no reason to shoot them."

"The security of the Federated Territories is and remains the number one priority," she sighs and turns towards her military leaders. "I suppose General Glass's "philosophy" is acceptable to you?" All the Generals nod in the affirmative. "All right then! Glass?"

The priest speaks up, "Madam President?"

"Yes?"

The priest stands, and as he does so, the ancient key to the temple is shown hanging around his neck. "Nolan, David Nolan. 50th level parish. I have a different theory to offer you, Madam President."

"I'm listening."

"Imagine for a moment that this... thing is not anything that can be identified because it prefers not to be, because it is the antithesis of all we are. Because it is darkness.. TOTAL DARKNESS."

Regina rolls her eyes, "One more reason to shoot first eh?" All her Generals nod in agreement with her.

"Darkness begets Darkness, Madam President. Shooting would only make it stronger."

"The probe will attain its objective in five seconds," states the tech.

Sydney moves closer to the ship's window. Darkness swallows the probe and immediately bubbles over with activity like a furious volcano. "Madam President, we're at a crisis point."

The President looks puzzled, "Your theory is interesting Father but I don't think we have time to go into it right now!"

David tries again, "Time is of no importance, Madam President. Only life is important."

"That's exactly what we are going to try and do. Protect the lives of some 200 billion of our fellow citizens! General? You may fire when ready."

General Glass turns towards his captain, "Load the 120 ZZR missile. Maker lights on the objective." All of a sudden, as if sensing what was about to happen, the strange planet's activity ceases. A black crust immediately covers it.

Mary Margaret speaks up with the new data, "Its structure has just solidified on the surface, as if the object felt something. If that's the case, we are undoubtedly dealing with an intelligence."

David chimes in, "The most terrible intelligence imaginable, Madam President."

The captain's voices drifts through the connection, "The ship is in combat formation. The missile is loaded, General."

Regina swallows, she is uneasy and second guessing the decision, "Glass? Give me a minute... I have a doubt."

"I don't Madam President," Sydney responds.

The missile launches from the ship and penetrates its target. The explosion is swallowed like a fizzy pill in a small glass of water. Nothing happens. And then the mass grows larger.

The General looks worried, "Load a series of 740 missiles. Maximum shield protection."

"Yes, Sir!"

Regina's worried voice comes over the comm system, "Glass? What's going on? Did you destroy it?"

"I'm about to, Madam President."

A series of three missiles heads for the planet, the darkness absorbs them all, and then actually doubles in size.

Mary Margaret's voice chimes in, "The planet's diameter has greatly increased and it's moving toward the ship."

"Glass? Get out of there immediately!," Regina orders, "I don't want an incident, do you hear me, Sydney?"

Sydney turns to his Captain, "What do we have that's bigger than the 740?"

The captain shakes his head, "Nothing, General."

"Sydney, get out of there! That's an order!" Regina demands again.

Black ooze drips down General Glass's forehead. He is about to give an order when a gigantic flame emerges from the planet and swallows Glass's warship.

The flame fills the screen with a horrendous screeching noise...

A very similar noise, wakes up a man trying to escape from a nightmare. Killian Jones rubs his eyes trying to shake the dream. His black hair falling unruly over his forehead, standing in all directions, looking as if he spent all night running his hands through it. He sits, the sheet falling as he yawns exposing his muscled chest and a large scattering of chest hair that then trails down towards his lap. Removing his hand from his face he opens his startling blue eyes and looks towards the alarm, the date showing October 23, 2359. His stubbled jaw ticking, he reaches out his hand… a robotic, metallic left hand and shuts off the alarm. He hears his cat mewing in the hall. But the noise continues. Killian takes a moment and then he realizes it is the phone that is ringing.

He yawns again, "I'm coming," he tells the cat, regardless if it can hear him. He grabs the phone then reaches for his flask of rum, putting it to his lips as he stands and crosses his tiny apartment, heading for the door still dressed in his black cargo pants from the day before. He removes the flask from his mouth, and shakes it, and sighs realizing it's empty. Behind him, the bed makes itself automatically, and retreats into the wall.

Killian presses a button on his phone, "Yeah?"

"Hey brother! Liam here. Took you long enough…"

He opens the door and in trots a white cat, and brushes up against his leg. "Hi love!" He then starts to rummage through a cabinet for another bottle of Rum.

"I love you too Major, but you haven't called me that since basic training."

All he finds is empty bottles. The day is not starting out well. His shoulders sag, and he looks for the old box of cigarettes, there has to be at least a couple left, until he can get more Rum. "I was talking to the cat."

"Oh, yeah, I forgot. You still prefer your cat to the real thing."

He looks through his drawers, moving military medals out of the way. He goes to a shelf, and turns over a picture of his ex-wife Milah, "At least, the cat comes back."

He can almost hear Liam shaking his head over the phone, "You still pining for that two timing bitch. Forget her. There are a billion women out there."

Killian sighs as he continues rummaging, "I don't want a billion, I just want one. A perfect one."

"Doesn't exist brother."

Killian picks up another picture, this one of him and Liam in uniform next to a space fighter. "I just found a picture of you."

"How do I look?"

"Like shit," Killian smiles as he finds the cigarettes and a box of matches, only three matches left. He puts the cigarette in his mouth, hoping for some vice today, and strikes a match. It does not light.

"Must be an old picture... Listen, you gotta bring me your cab for the 6 month overhaul. A.S.A.P."

Killian puts the cigarette away and puts the matches in his pants pocket. He then turns to the fridge opening the door, it is completely bare, except for an empty can of Gemini croquettes. He turns to the coffee maker, "I don't need one."

"You're forgetting who sat next to you for a thousand missions. I know how you drive."

He sighs, "Liam! I'm driving a cab now, not a space fighter!"

"How many points you got left on your license?"

"Uhhh…" he rubs his finger against the back of his ear, "at least fifty."

"In your dreams! See you tonight!" Liam says as he hangs up.

Killian sighs and does the same. He gets the coffee and sits down. The cat pounces on the table and meows for its food. Killian pours half the coffee in the cat's cup. The cat meows at him. Killian taps his cup to the cat's saucer in salute, "Cheers!," and then downs the caffeine.

**************************

The President's office is emptied, only a few army officers remain. An ancient manuscript, and August's drawings, sits in front of the President. David turns page after page, illustrating his point. "We have forty-eight hours, the time it needs to adapt itself to our living conditions."

Regina looks up at David, "And then?"

"And then it will be too late. The goal of darkness is to wipe out the light! And thus all forms of life. For all eternity...Light upsets it."

"Is there anything that can stop it?"

"Yes..thank God.." He opens the manuscript on the President's desk to August's rendering of the Mondoswan warrior. "The Mondoswansdon't belong to the Federated Territories, but they are peaceful... in their possession are the four elements of life. These elements when they are gathered around a fifth: The Supreme Being, ultimate warrior, created to protect life…"

He turns to the next picture, showing the supreme being standing, as if frozen in armor. Big metallic gloves hold the case engraved with the emblem of the three suns containing the four Sacred Stones. "It will produce what the ancients called the light of creation, the light of total goodness which is the only thing that can defeat the Darkness."

Regina points to the spot occupied by the fifth element. "But what happens if instead of this... Ultimate Warrior... it is Darkness who stands here?"

David looks grim, "White turns to black. Light to Dark. Life to Death. For all eternity."

"Mam," an advisor speaks to the president, "we have a Mondoswan spaceship at the frontier requesting permission to enter our territory."

"I guess I should make a decision…" she takes a deep breath.

David nods, "They are the only ones who can help.."

"Mam," General Smee chimes in, "the Mondoswan do not belong to the federation. We do not know their intention.. I must recommend a full trinuclear assault…"

Regina yells at him, "Did you see that… thing… swallow our battleship like a gum drop? You can't even tell me what it is! I ask you for options, you give me bullshit." She turns to the advisor,
"Give them permission to enter our territories with my warmest regards."

"Thank you, Madam President," David sighs in relief.

The MondoSwan spaceship zips across the Federated Galaxy. But it is not alone. Two small warships seem to be dogging it. The Mondoswans have spotted the spacecraft chasing them.

A Mangalore sits at the controls of the warship. His terrifying features, part monkey, part human and with wings. The pilot fires at the ship without warning.

The huge ship is badly hit, shields going out, as it takes more and more fire from the warships until it can take no more and finally the ship explodes.