Episode 12

INSIDE - The Ship

They stare at each other, then they suddenly see a crack of light shine through and they look up to see Dan and Bennie.

DAN : “Hey fellow cargo!”

BENNIE : “The coast is clear!”

Fenneco looks back at Earl, wondering if he’s still okay, and he gets up, holding out his hand. Fenneco tilts her head, not understanding.

EARL : “My hand. You take it.”

Fenneco takes his hand curiously and he pulls her up and she stands.

FENNECO : “Oh.” (She tilts her head) “But I did not need help”

EARL : “Yeah, well—I just felt like it.”

Fenneco stares at Earl as he steps over and out of the crate, she follows. Underneath them is a window that's slowly becoming white instead, but before it fully becomes white they can see Mexico, Cambridge and Candy waving goodbye to them. Bennie, Dan, and Earl wave back softly. Fenneco just watches them, her stare lingering a little on Earl, before she snaps out of it when the floor stops being transparent.

BENNIE : “Hm, Now what?”

DAN : “We go back to your room of course!”

FENNECO : “Affirmative, we will have to figure out a path there without being seen.”

DAN : (build up to a pun) “I guess..we just gotta fennec–GO!”

Fenneco deadpans at his joke and then the three gather around to try to make a plan Earl stares at them, contemplating deeply to himself.

FENNECO : “That..was not funny.”

EARL : (nervously) “Fenneco? Dan? Bennie?” 

They all pause and look over to him.

DAN : “Yeah?”

EARL : “Why are you guys taking humans?”

They all pause and think. They all seem unsure.

EARL : “You guys really don't know?”

BENNIE : “Sorry but..Fenneco’s the only one of us here that..isn’t shunned by the rest of our species..sooo..if she doesn’t know..”

EARL : “You guys are shunned?”

DAN : (a bit sad) “Ah..yeah..”

FENNECO : “Emotions are not well regarded in our culture.”

Earl furrows his brow at that but shakes his head.

EARL : “I’m sorry but..I want to go back home. I miss my friends. And parties.”

The aliens all freeze and they don’t know how to react to that. Bennie and Dan stare at Fenneco, wondering about her reaction. Fenneco stares at Earl, and she looks down, thinking about the moments with her and him.

FENNECO : (Sighs) “Well..I cannot deny that to you if you wish it.”

Dan seems really nervous, but Bennie gives off a huge grin. 

BENNIE : “Yes!” (He does a pose, heroically) “Adventure is out there!”

Total silence. Dan gives a nervous smile and Fenneco suddenly remembers something.

FENNECO : “Well—if we do not want our leader to get suspicious, I will return to my cell and check in. You all should go back to Bennie’s room. Or perhaps Dan’s, for a change of scenery–” (Dan suddenly cuts in)

DAN : (Quickly) “Let’s go to Bennie’s”

Fenneco pauses to look at Dan, but nods.

FENNECO : “I’ll get going then.”

She walks away and the others watch her. Bennie looks at Earl and Dan happily, but then freezes—finally noticing something.

BENNIE : “..Dan.”

DAN : “Yeah?”

BENNIE : “Where’s my paladin outfit?”

DAN : “...”

BENNIE : “Dan.”

DAN : “..I’m sorry.”

Silence, before Bennie starts to have tears falling down his face uncontrollably silently. Dan panics.

BENNIE : “But that was limited edition..”

DAN : “A-ah! S-sorry! Really! U-uhm—!” 

Dan hurriedly takes out his joke book, it's well-used. He flips through the pages.

DAN : “U-uh— Bennie, do you know what Dinosaurs are?”

BENNIE : (Sniffling) “Y-yeah..”

DAN : (Excited) “Great! Then..what do you call a dinosaur sleepover?”

BENNIE : (still sniffling) “What’s a sleepover..?”

DAN : “Oh. Uh. Uhmmm.”

EARL : “It’s basically..when friends sleep in the same house together.”

BENNIE :  (A bit longing) “Oh! That sounds..fun.”

DAN : “heh, soo?”

BENNIE : (thinking) “Uhm..I don’t know.”

DAN : “A Dino—snore!” (very happy to say his joke)

Bennie and Earl look at him, and they smile at one another.

EARL : (Laughs a little) “Okay, that one was a little bit better than the rest.”

BENNIE : “Yeah..! Though, you have to find me a new set of paladin armour when we return to Earth.”

DAN : “Will do!”

Bennie smiles and wipes his nose.

BENNIE : “We..should get going now, right?”

EARL : “Probably.”