Future Darkly: The Ghost Rocket
'The Ones We Cherish Are Often The Most Foreign To Us.' -- Christopher Paolini The SCENE unfolds on a vacant meadow at the end of a day. The celestial bodies glitter in the sky as the lens gradually retreats, revealing Roger (Michael Vegas) peering through a telescope. The self-released conspiracy enthusiast is adorned in nothing but his underwear, an extraterrestrial-themed top, and LED transparent spectacles. His hair slicked back, he's gulping down a can of liquid stimulant as he switches from the telescope to the rear of his truck, finalizing the setup of his most recent invention. It's a compact yet potent antenna engineered to broadcast mathematical formulas into the cosmos in hopes of reaching an elusive spacecraft. Roger is convinced that this long-debated UFO occurrence is the key to making contact with extraterrestrial beings. As he assembles the last elements of his apparatus, he mumbles into a makeshift device strapped to his wrist: 'In 1946 and 1947, numerous sightings of ghost rockets were reported over Scandinavian territories, particularly Sweden, which later spread across other European nations. In 2046, similar accounts re-emerged of ghost rockets being spotted in the Pacific Northwest and extending through parts of California and Mexico. All 200 sightings have been dismissed by the US government, despite being corroborated with radar evidence and, in some instances, tangible remnants...' He lowers his wrist, removes his top and dons a tin foil hat. '...Until now, you bastards!' He cries into the darkness, discarding his spectacles, inserting transmitters in his ears, and smearing his torso with petroleum jelly. He keys in some final code into his laptop before pressing enter and aiming his antenna towards the heavens. An increasing static noise rings in his ears as he adjusts the antenna. At last, it connects with something and a light beam pierces the sky, hitting the antenna. Then, as abruptly as it started, the beam fades, and Roger collapses to the ground. The antenna lies next to him, molten and ruined. CUT TO TITLE PLATE Roger drives back from the field, consumed by irritation. He mutters and curses under his breath before winding down the window and discarding his antenna. He raises his wrist to his mouth and starts to document the unsuccessful experiment when, suddenly, he spots a stunning woman (Cherie DeVille) standing in the middle of the road. She glistens in a metallic outfit, with wind-tousled hair, and staring at him like a startled animal. He hits the brakes. They observe each other for a moment before she begins to approach the car. Roger is frightened. What is this peculiar woman doing out here? She places her hands on his driver side window, attempting to open it, and communicating in a foreign language he doesn't comprehend. Eventually, Roger rolls it down. 'What... do... you... want?' He stammers. She pauses, takes a moment to process what she just heard and then starts speaking slowly again -- in English. 'Greetings human male,' she says. 'May I enter your vehicle so I can mate with you?' 'Who... are... you?' He asks slowly. The woman extends her arms and presents her hands. The ruined antenna materializes. 'I am responding to your signal,' she says. Roger gazes at the antenna in shock. 'You were on a ghost rocket?' He murmurs. 'Affirmative.' she answers, and the antenna vanishes. 'I have been dispatched to earth to mate with a human male. Are you a human male?' 'How can I be sure you're not tricking me?' He asks. 'Do you need proof?' She inquires. He nods. Her hands pull apart her face. He is appalled by what he sees and slumps back before raising his hands in surrender and admitting that he is, indeed, a human male. She stops, reassembles her face and, revealing her human form again, smiles. 'Excellent! We must rush to a mating chamber,' she says. Stunned, Roger opens the passenger door and she steps in. 'Is my bedroom acceptable?' He asks, getting in himself. 'Affirmative,' She answers, grinning. They reach Roger's residence. It is sparsely furnished, with only alien-themed posters on the wall, piles of papers, and a simple inflatable mattress in the center. The woman enters and surveys the environment. 'Human males are peculiar and primitive life forms,' she declares plainly. Roger anxiously clears an area around his bed and invites her to sit. 'I would like to ingest your sperm now so it can stimulate this human body and aid my arousal.' Roger turns crimson. She unzips her top to reveal her breasts and guides his hands to them. He has never felt anything so pleasurable in his