As the credits roll the scene continues to lighten and achieve focus.
The even sound of a motor and the crunching of gravel.
As the camera zooms out the scene comes into focus. The camera is panning along centered on a large truck tire, deep treads spinning around the outer edge of the screen move inward as the camera continues to zoom out showing the first hints of the terrain: flat, dusty, red clay.
The tire, still filling most of the screen, hits a small rock causing it to jump with an accompanying sound of rattling metal.
As the tire jumps over the rock, the camera moves in alongside the tire revealing some of the approaching landscape. The spinning tire is still prominent on the left side of the frame.
The engine continues an even humming. A click and then staticy AM radio sounds scanning then settling on a crackly and indistinct tune.
Female Voice: What's that?
Male Voice: Where?
Female Voice: Over there.
Camera is still showing a view of the tire from ground level.
The even sound of the engine hesitates then accelerates.
The tire turns raising dust and spitting sand and small stones. Speed increases, tire spinning faster, landscape approaching more rapidly. An occasional bump as the tire passes over cracks and small rocks.
Tire skids to a stop raising dust that obscures the limited view.
The sound of people exiting the vehicle: doors opening, feet hitting the ground and rushing a few steps.
Male Voice & Female Voice (muted, under their breath): Oh, my god. Oh, no.
As the dust clears the camera zooms out. The scene is slowly expanding to the right - tire remaining on the left side of the screen. A space suited figure is lying face down on the ground, unmoving.
At ground level, the camera snakes over to the prone figure. All shots are tight on the suited figure. Little of the surrounding environment is visible.
The rushing sound of feet moving on the dry terrain is punctuated with other sounds: moving, breathing and a creaking sound like the bending of leather.
Male Voice: Help me turn him over.
Sounds of scraping and exertion.
The camera, still close in, shows the suit turning over. A gloved hand falls limp to the ground raising a small puff of dust.
The camera snakes along the suit from the hand up to the faceplate passing over blinking controls on the suit and the inhabitant's nameplate: Andersen, Franklin. The face inside is male, undamaged and just appears to be sleeping.
Male Voice: Quick, get the medical supplies in the trunk.
A scuffling of feet, the sound of a trunk opening,
Male Voice: Oh no. Hurry!
Female Voice (urgently): What's wrong?
The sound of returning feet and the scraping of the medical kit being placed on the ground.
Male Voice: Stay back! The suit is full of poison gas. And it's leaking!
Female Voice: Poison gas? How?
Male Voice: I don't know but we have to get him out of there quickly or he'll die.
Female Voice: Be careful!
The camera is still focused on the face of the fallen astronaut. A line of spittle leaks from the corner of his mouth.
Male Voice: I need something to pry the faceplate - ... - tire iron!
A few quick retreating steps, a scraping, steps returning.
The camera shows the edge of the tire iron being inserted under the faceplate.
Male Voice: (grunt)
The faceplate shatters. A spray of diamond-like glass fragments flies up along with a puff of vapor.
Female Voice: Get back!
The eyes on the face inside the suit spring wide open. There is a single, deep gasp of breath, a look of panic, choking and struggling before the face stops then goes limp.
The camera slowly zooms out to include the prone body of the astronaut and a crashed landing ship behind him. The camera swings around to a position near the lander. Leaning over the fallen astronaut is a green alien. Human looking in every way except the color of the skin. Behind the alien is another and behind them a transport vehicle with large, wide tires.
The alien closest to the astronaut takes a half step backward away from the body.
Female Voice: Is he... ?
Male Voice: Yes, he's dead. There was really nothing we could do - his suit was full of oxygen.
Female Voice: Oxygen! Look at what it did to his skin. What a horrible way to die. Who would do such a thing?
Male Voice: I don't know...
The music on the radio becomes more prominent as the scene fades to black.
This is sensory writing of quality. I heard and felt everything, good buddy. It's as though your imagination actually takes you there.
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