A Blood Trail
SCENE A - INT. DERELICT HALLWAY
Helmet design for reference.
A team of soldiers break through the ceiling vent and drops into the dark, empty hall on this derelict ship. Dust floats up. Their helmets light up with HUD elements.
The four soldiers aim up their rifles and scan the area. There is no other light source and the attached flashlights provide little against the pure darkness of the long hall before them.
SOLDIER RIENNE
Hallway A2 breached. No movement. Advancing.
Gaining proper footing, they begin to inch forward.
COMMS
Roger that. Proceed.
It is a metal hall and each footstep causes a slight echo. Further down the hall, two large windows beset both sides of them, giving a view into the adjacent rooms.
Both rooms seems to serve as a sort of mess hall. On the left are long tables with plates of food half eaten and drinks spilt. On the other side are various recreational equipment, with couches and a pool table.
SOLDIER SHAWN
Ree, do you see that?
SOLDIER RIENNE
What?
Rienne turns to look at where Shawn is pointing his flashlight. A large smear of blood on the floor. The blood continues down the hall as if a bleeding mass was dragged along further into the shadows.
SOLDIER RIENNE
Uh, Comm. There’s blood. A lot of blood…but it looks like few years old.
A beat.
SOLDIER RIENNE
No movement. Advancing.
COMMS
Roger, Rienne. Proceed. But be careful.
The back two soldiers who have been watching their backs finally catch a sight of the blood.
SOLDIER GUILLERMO
Oh no. Nope. I’m leaving.
SOLDIER FARRAH
Man up, Gil. I ain’t walking back two whole floors with nothing because of you.
SOLDIER GUILLERMO
Shut up. Some creepy shit went down here, and I’m not for that space crazy shit.
Rienne, still advancing forward, calmly responds.
SOLDIER RIENNE
Come on, Guillermo. We’re almost there. It’s just around this hallway.
Guillermo obeys, reluctant and on edge. And they continue their slow progress down the dark long hall in silence.
The blood trail continues, bending down the hall, until it slowly begins to turn and drag up the wall and onto the ceiling, the trail still unbroken and continuing.
SOLDIER GUILLERMO
Oh no. How’d it even get up there, man? This is just– shit man. Nothing’s worth this, man.
A beat.
SOLDIER GUILLERMO
Just saying. Every movie I’ve seen that starts with a blood trail never ends well for the people that found it.
SOLDIER FARRAH
Why did we even bring you.
Suddenly, Rienne holds up her fist for a hold. The squad halts in their tracks, attentively watching their surroundings.