FINNEGAN'S SQUAD

                                       "The Pilot"

               OPENING ACT:

               SUPER: "ULUNGAR VALLEY - WEST CHINA"

               We open on a French Pilot in a sleek, tiny, wingless fighter
               jet, racing over a valley between two mountains.  The pilot
               is fighting with the craft, which will not act as it should.  

               He's trying to engage a stealth system that would make him
               nearly invisible, but it's only working in spurts and
               patches.

               Behind him are two bulky and mean-looking pursuit craft, each
               bearing the unfriendly yellow star of Communist China.

               Suddenly they pull off and the pilot thinks he's OK; his
               craft isn't doing what it should, but at least he's got a
               chance to catch his breath and work on that.

               What he doesn't know is that a Command Center below has
               ordered the pursuit craft to back off.  Why, because the
               intruder is nearing their assault batteries without realizing
               it.

               The Chinese weapons emit giant lightning arcs which find the
               craft and zap its power in a fit of sparks.  Frantically, the
               Pilot calls out a May-Day as he plummets from the sky.  Will
               he regain control and land, or crash into the mountains or
               forest?  It's anyone's guess as we fade to commercial.

                                          * * *

               ACT ONE:

               SUPER: "BLOOR WEST VILLAGE - TORONTO - CANADA"

               A late 20's female is walking down the main thoroughfare of
               this now covered, traffic-less, historical shopping district. 
               She stops from time to time, glancing in the windows of the
               shops, but very quickly we realize that she's using the
               reflected surface to track someone following her.

               She eventually ducks into an old style pub, say the "Dark
               Horse" for example, and quickly works her way through the
               crowd to the stairwell leading down to the washrooms.  

               Instead of heading down the stairs though, she presses
               herself into the tiny space just past the threshold.

               Her pursuer is a stocky, middle-aged man.  He enters the pub
               and scans the place for his quarry.  Seeing the door he heads
               for it, but as he enters, the late 20's female steps forward,
               grabbing him from behind and pulling him back in a firm grip.

               "Who are you?" She growls.

               "Angela Bale?" He sputters.  "Leftenant Angela Bale?"

               Surprised, she releases him.  He turns around while
               appreciating the chance to breathe again.  She continues to
               eye him suspiciously.

               "Are you still interested in joining Cimarron?"

               On Bale's reaction we crossfade to...

                                          * * *

               SUPER: "BORNEO - SE ASIA"

               A group of Astrals (Space Paratroopers) are trying to quickly
               cut their way through the jungle.  Among them is a mid-20's
               male, Ensign Davis, who comments they should put in a road. 
               Another adds that this is the road; the damn jungle grows
               faster than they can clear it.

               They finally get through the foliage and come to a small
               village.  Quickly, they move to one of the grass huts and
               enter.  Inside, a large missile is steaming away, buried nose
               first in the middle of the dining table.

               Davis is led over to it.  It's intact, which is good.  He
               identifies it as a Blue Thought Missile, one of the more
               powerful super-smart bunker-buster bombs.  "What happened? 
               Did it mistake someone's 'fish-head soup' as a chemical
               attack?"

               "Nuevo Cayo lab.  Low-grade barbiturate flooding the street
               trade in Europe.  Don't know why the Bomb zeroed in on it,
               though."

               "Someone on the production line must be into that stuff. 
               These only go for what they're familiar with.  Either that or
               it was a programming error."

               "Programming?"

               "Wrong line of code, the bomb mistakes the mustard in a
               cheeseburger for Sarin gas."

               Panel off, Davis goes to work.  He starts working his way
               through the circuitry, carefully pulling out the blades in
               the right sequence.

               "Why don't you just cut the wire?"

               "No wires, my friend.  It's all synaptic, now."  He clears
               the outer layer and zeroes in on his Primary Cortex, a
               complex dance of semi-organic materials.  "One wrong move,
               and it'll think it's got a cold."

               "How's that so bad?"

               "Thing like this gets a headache, everybody suffers!"

               Suddenly a high-pitched whine starts up, rising in intensity,
               fast.  Davis triggered something and there's no time to
               counteract it.  He looks around frantically while everyone
               starts to panic.  He orders people out, quickly, even though
               there's no place they can get to fast enough.

               Finally, he steps back, grabs his Rifle, brings it up and
               starts firing directly on the Cortex.  Surprisingly, it
               works.

               One of the Troopers, inspecting the damage, comments on how
               he basically just gave it a lobotomy.  Davis turns to see the
               same pudgy middle-aged man from the earlier scene, this time
               wearing the uniform of an Astral Major.

               "Bobby Davis?  Ensign Bobby Davis?"

               "Sir!"  Davis snaps to attention.

               "Come with me, please, Mister Davis; you've been reassigned."

               "Yes, Sir!"

               The Major turns and Davis moves to follow.  He calls back to
               one of this buddies, "Get my kit bag, will you?  I need a
               change of pants, here."

                                          * * *

               SUPER: "THE SUDD - CENTRAL AFRICA"

               A group of freedom fighters are brought into an old stone
               courtyard with their hands up.  They're being herded by a
               small platoon of Astrals (Space Paratroopers), one of whom is
               the mid-20's female junior officer, Helen Caboto.  Despite
               her rank, she is twitchy, nervous, and unsure that she's
               qualified to lead these people.

               The Sergeant-at-Arms for this make-shift prison approaches. 
               "You took some alive, sir?"  

               Caboto replies, "These guys were smart; they surrendered."

               "So much for the 'law of the jungle'"

               At this point, one of the captives, one near the back of the
               pack, makes a run for it.  He knocks the Astral nearest him
               to the ground and dives behind various crates and barrels of
               supplies as he makes his way to the courtyard exit.

               Before leaving, he pulls over a cart which topples bales of
               hay, or barrels (depending on availability) into the exit,
               cutting off pursuit.

               Caboto looks around amid the confusion, and seeing some other
               crates that are stacked against a side wall in a way that
               almost forms steps, she rushes to them, and climbs until
               she's straddling the outer wall.

               She looks in the direction their prisoner has run.  Her eyes
               are like an eagle's; she quickly tracks and sights her
               quarry.  In a smooth motion, she removes her rifle from her
               shoulder, activates it and brings it up.

               In another second, she has the prisoner in her sights.  He's
               almost obliterated by the foliage in a grove of nearby trees,
               almost, but not quite.  She sees his head as he races, re
               sights down to his torso, and then, with a sly grin, she
               tracks his feet.

               She steadies her breath, carefully watching as she counts his
               cadence, and then, after a slow release of breath, she fires.

               The prisoner's foot jerks up from under him as though he's
               been snagged by a trap.  He falls on his back, screaming and
               then clutching his injured ankle.

               Caboto looks down, the rest of her platoon has cleared the
               entrance and a few of her team are heading out to collect the
               escapee.

               Then she sees the Major being directed up at her by the
               Sergeant-at-Arms.  "Ensign Helena Caboto?" 

               Caboto responds, "Yes, sir!"

               "Come with me, Ensign," the Major says, and leaves.

                                          * * *

               SUPER: "BUFFALO COMMONS - America - near Rapid City Hub"

               Two figures glide across the barren brush on their Hovering
               Motorbikes.  One is wearing the 23rd Century equivalent of
               Royal Canadian Mounted Police red serge.  The other is in the
               hunter green uniform of an Astral Trooper.

               The Mountie comments admiringly on the success of the six
               month long Peacekeeping mission the Astral is wrapping up. 
               He asks what the Astral (FINNEGAN) will do first.  "I should
               say 'See my son,' but the truth is, I could murder for a
               long, hot bath."

               They pull into a brand-new roadside mobile Convenience store. 
               They enter, ignoring the Auto-Shop-Keeper's welcome, and Finn
               moves directly to the back for a cold beverage, which he
               holds to his forehead to cool down before turning to move to
               the check-out.

               At this moment, a rather desperate-looking Bandit who has
               gone even longer than Finn without bathing, enters with a
               shotgun.  He turns, frantically looking for the person to
               rob, but it's an Auto-Store and there is no one.

               He steps forward holding the rifle directly at Finn's head
               while screaming for money.

               Finn doesn't ruffle.  The Mountie doesn't move so as not to
               trigger something.  Both are very calm considering.  This
               seems to agitate the robber moreso.

               Without flinching, Finn looks his opponent directly in the
               eyes.

               The robber is confused by this.  Why won't these people do
               what he wants?  

               Finn explains with a dead calm intensity that he is a member
               of a force whose might stretches throughout the known
               Universe.  And should the bandit kill one of them, they will
               pursue him forever.  He'll never get another night's sleep,
               never have peace.  Everyone he meets might be the person who
               turns him in for the reward.  In fact, the last person to
               kill one of his own was dead within a week.

               Finn suggests the smart thing for the Robber to do is lower
               his weapon and back out of the store slowly, no harm, no
               foul.

               The fool blinks while trying to figure this out and in that
               split-second, Finn removes the weapon from his grip, twists
               him around and mule-kicks him out the front door.  

               The Mountie moves to make the arrest, while Finn disables the
               firearm and offers it as "another donation to the
               Constabulary".

               When Finn follows the Mountie outside, he sees someone
               standing near their bikes.  Someone he knows.

               He approaches the stocky, middle-aged Major with surprise. 
               "Major Ackers?" 

               Ackers asks if Finn is busy.  Finn looks back at the scene
               behind him and shrugs.  He's got a flight to catch, that's
               all.  Ackers wants to know if Finn is ready to join his team.

               "I thought someone kept rejecting that request?"

               Ackers smiles, "Odds only had to favour us once."

               Finn hesitates and then explains.  He needs to go home, even
               if only to change and shower.  Ackers understands, asks if
               he'll be ready in six hours. 

               Finn nods.  Ackers moves off, leaving Finn to remount his
               bike and continue his journey.

                                          * * *

               SUPER: "NOVA HOUSE - Manchester England - Night"

               Inside the largest room of the somewhat Victorian Castle
               (something Casa Loma like) is Finn.  Clean and relaxed, he's
               gathering the gear he'll need for an undefined mission when a
               woman enters the room and approaches him.  She is his sister,
               Penelope Finnegan, fifth Lord of Novus. 

               "You're leaving already?"

               Finn doesn't stop.  He doesn't have the time to.  "I told you
               that."

               "Your son is growing up without a father, you know."

               Finn stops.  This does bother him.

               "Can't they 'go to' someone else for a change?"

               "It doesn't work like that, and you know it."

               She shakes her head before saying, "Celia wouldn't like
               this."

               Finn turns to her, this is a line she should not have
               crossed. 
               He closes the distance and speaks grimly, "My wife knew
               exactly what my job required; that's why she willed our son
               to my sister."

               Light begins to stream in through the large wall of windows
               as a Shuttle descends pretty much on the back terrace.  Finn
               zips up his pack and turns heading for the door.

               "Stay safe," is all he says to her as he leaves.

                                          * * *

               Inside the shuttle sit Finn, Bale, Caboto and Davis.  At the
               front is Ackers, standing over the shoulder of the shuttle
               pilot.  He turns and moves back to them, picking up four
               portable displays and handing them out as he takes a seat
               with them.

               He begins to explain the mission, answering each of their
               questions as best he can, but frequently responding with, "We
               don't know that."  It must be business as usual, because
               after a nod each time, they continue.

               "How are we getting down there?"  Finn wonders.  Ackers turns
               and motions out the front window. Before them is the
               Cimarron.  A long flat craft about the size of a 737, only
               wider and without the wings.  The bottom front half is a
               nested Lander.  Each of them recognize it as the preferred
               method of entry into a hostile zone. 

                                          * * *

               As they dock and board the craft, Finn pulls Ackers back. 
               He's reviewed the personnel files for the other three members
               of his team and he understands the selection of Bale and
               Davis, but Caboto seems a little too young for covert
               operations.

               Ackers grins at him.  She might seem immature and unready,
               but when it hits the fan, Finn will thank him for including
               her.

               Inside the Lander, Ackers confirms with Team Captain Martin
               Tremblay that the rest of the Platoon has reviewed the
               relevant material.  He quickly reviews the objectives and
               introduces the new members before heading for the upper half
               of Cimarron.  

               Tremblay is surprised that Finn is also a Captain, and
               catches up with Ackers at the ladder to ask if he's being
               replaced.  He's not.  Ackers has supreme confidence in
               Tremblay as a field leader; it's the future Ackers is worried
               about.

               At the same time, Finn realizes that one of the people coming
               along with them on this mission is a reporter, and not just
               any reporter, but the one who, at a much earlier point in
               both their careers, reported something she shouldn't have,
               setting his career back many years, while advancing her own.

               Finn doesn't trust her, and doesn't understand why she's
               earned embedded reporter status.  She tries to apologize, but
               all Finn wants is to make sure that she stays well away from
               him.

               Unsure how to take that, Tremblay returns to his post and
               directs departure from Cimarron and approach to their target,
               West China.  Everyone else straps in.

               As the Lander begins a high-speed approach towards the Earth,
               known as RAPIDAX, Caboto shows how green she is in more ways
               than one.

               The dive is risky; it's dark, and they're coming down very
               close to mountains, but despite a near-miss, they succeed and
               the craft is soon flying low over the tree-tops of a nearby
               forest, toward its drop zone.

               The first priority is rescue of the pilot, whom they track to
               a fortress near a group of newly built warehouses in a fenced
               compound.  

               Tremblay wants Finn and his squad to wait on one perimeter
               until the rest of the platoon is in position, then create a
               diversion.  

               Bale instantly recognizes this as Tremblay wanting to use
               them, and particularly her, as bait.  Finn sees it too, but
               assures her that although he'll give Tremblay what he wants,
               it won't necessarily be the way he wants it.

               While Tremblay's team makes their way towards the front gate
               where they'll attack from, Finn and his Squad set up to
               create a suitable diversion.  

               Finn moves into the compound to do recon and set up part of
               the diversion.  It's not happening as fast as Tremblay would
               like, and this causes tension between the two.  

               Things are further delayed when Finn discovers the Reporter
               is following him.  Why?  Because of all the people here, Finn
               is the only one with an anti-gravity vest and pilot's helmet. 
               She's smart; she knows where the story is.

               They quarrel a bit, not the wisest thing, considering they're
               both out in the open, on a rooftop, inside the enemy
               compound, but Finn does get her to keep out of his way while
               he completes what he has to do.

               Then it happens.  The charges Finn set blow, the power to
               this part of the compound goes out, and his Squad engages the
               guards, drawing everyone they can towards this part of the
               compound so that the main force can enter.

               Finn returns to the rooftops and proceeds toward the main
               force which is running up against stronger than anticipated
               resistance.  He gives his Squad the recall notice and they
               head to join the main group.

               Unfortunately, with each leap the power in Finn's Gravity
               Vest drops, and halfway to the Fortress, he drops, barely
               catching the rooftop.

               With the Reporter's help, Finn is able to climb back up and
               then provide cover for the Platoon as they withdraw with the
               Pilot.  From his position, he can see the three members of
               his Squad approaching, but because of the commotion, he is
               unable to warn them what they're heading for.  Fearing
               they'll be cut down by the crossfire, he rises and fires
               warning shots on his own Squad to keep them from rushing into
               the middle of a firefight.  

               Finn climbs to the highest point, figuring he might be able
               to make it to the rooftop over the opposition force, and
               jumps.  He drops hard, but makes it.  He rolls to the edge
               and then ambushes that force so that his Platoon can get
               away. 

               His Squad catches up to him and with the Reporter still in
               tow, they head off to rejoin the Team. 

               Out in the field is a scene of carnage.  Tremblay was killed
               in the assault.  The Pilot is wounded and screaming in French
               while the rest of them are shell-shocked from the intensity
               of their opposition.  The call for pick-up by the Lander has
               been put in; it's only a matter of waiting.

               Finn realizes the Pilot is trying to warn them of something. 
               The Reporter again comes to his rescue, being the only one
               among them with any knowledge of French.  Unfortunately, she
               doesn't really understand the technical words he's using. 
               Something about a Cobalt Generator and a Clip.

               As a Pilot himself, Finn knows exactly what he means.  The
               Pilot removed the control key from the aircraft so it
               couldn't be controlled by the opposition, but was unable to
               get the nuclear generator under control before he was
               captured.  Without the clip, the generator will continue to
               build in energy until it either automatically shuts down, or
               reaches critical mass and explodes.

               Finn realizes they don't have much time.  He takes the clip
               from the Pilot and using what little information there was in
               the briefing, and his own memory, he tries to figure out
               where the aircraft is.  

               He collects as many power cells as he can for his Gravity
               Vest and then, leaving Bale in command, heads off in the
               hopes he can prevent a disaster.

               Finn arrives at the cluster of portables being used as a
               Mobile Command Centre.  Under the large camouflage netting he
               sees the aircraft.  It's tiny and like nothing he's ever seen
               before.

               It's also surrounded by numerous engineers and soldiers.

               Like a bad penny, the Reporter arrives behind him.  She won't
               listen to reason, including the point that the craft doesn't
               look large enough for both of them to fit in.  The Reporter
               brushes off that concern and insists that she can help him.

               Finn rejects her and starts on his own for the craft,
               knocking one of the biohazard-suited technicians unconscious
               for his outfit.

               He makes it to the craft and climbs up the ladder, coming
               face-to-face with the Chinese Engineer who is trying
               unsuccessfully to get the generator under control.

               After mistaking one of the perimeter guards as a male she
               could seduce, and then discovering it was a woman she instead
               had to overpower, the Reporter finally catches up to him. 
               But his fears were correct; there isn't a second seat.

               At this moment, they are spotted.  No longer having the
               luxury of time to discuss this, Finn forces her inside and
               squeezes in with her, only to discover the latest wrinkle. 
               The vehicle's controls are in Russian.   

               Meanwhile, Bale and the rest of the Platoon have been
               recovered by the Lander which is now desperately trying to
               evade destruction at the hands of interceptors committed to
               defending their homeland.

               With the help of the Reporter's translator unit, Finn
               continues to work through the various controls, trying to
               decipher the commands, while he frantically activates one
               system after another in the hopes of keeping those around
               them at bay.

               One of the controls triggers an invisibility shield, quite a
               surprise to Finn as this was technology he didn't know
               existed.  Another finally gets them hovering.

               Eventually, with the local Chinese Command powerless to stop
               them, the aircraft ascends, destroying the camouflage cover
               overhead and escaping.

               The Lander, however, isn't having it so lucky.  They're the
               mouse in a game with two cats, neither of which is easy to
               shake off.

               While Bale tries to help the Lander Pilot evade their death
               through various tricky maneuvers that barely clear the
               treetops their pursuers continue to lob one missile after
               another at them in the hopes of making the kill.

               When a counter-move succeeds in knocking out one of the
               pursuers, everyone cheers until the Lander Pilot says that
               was it.  There are no more rear defenses.  Unless they can
               get the final interceptor ahead of them, there is no way they
               can knock it out.

               Bale comes up with that move and they try it.  It's almost
               too late, the Chinese Pilot pursuing them had locked on and
               fired, but the missile is intercepted by Finn's new toy which
               comes out of nowhere as the Lander succeeds in clearing the
               zone.

               The two vehicles flank each other as they break for orbit.

               Back on the Orbiter, Ackers and Finn are standing together as
               the Reporter says her good-byes and leaves.  Tensions between
               Finn and her are resolved, forgiven if not forgotten.  

               The Reporter brushes off concern about the mess they just
               left, saying that the West Chinese will blame the Russians
               and vice-versa.

               After Dawn leaves and the hatch closes behind her, Ackers
               turns to Finn.  "What was a Network Pilot doing flying a
               Russian craft over Communist China?"

               It's a good question.  Finn doesn't know.  Ackers is fuming,
               "We just got played, Captain, and I don't like that."

               "Nor I."

               "Still want to go home, Mister Finnegan?"

               "Eventually, but you'd have to drag me out of here, first."

               "Good to hear.  Debrief your Squad; we've got work to do."

               "Aye, sir."

                                         THE END