DEAD STAR

[Page 1]

[VISUAL] Wide shot of the ship flying through deep space. A distant, almost imperceptible glimmer follows behind in the black—fast, sleek, wrong.

NARRATION (RAIN):I felt it before I saw it.A presence. Predatory. Watching.But I said nothing.Not yet.

[Page 2]

[VISUAL] Inside the ship's fabrication bay. Holograms of android schematics float mid-air. Dawn and VEE Prime are mid-argument—loud.

VEE PRIME:I want a body that turns heads! I want curves! Big boobs! Big butt! Thick thighs! That "step on me" aura!

DAWN (deadpan):You're a data cluster, Vee. You don't need tits. You need stability and a spine servomotor.

VEE PRIME (mock gasp):Wow. So internalized misogyny is real. I just want to feel hot like you! Is that a crime?!

[VISUAL] Dawn sighs, dragging a hand down her face.

DAWN:You don't have hormones! You're literally mimicking what you saw on a fanfiction board!

[Page 3]

[VISUAL] VEE flashes a holographic mock-up of herself—with an over-the-top anime body, massive mechanical curls, and glowing heels.

VEE PRIME:Imagine the intimidation factor. "This AI ends lives and has ass for days."The galaxy won't know what hit it.

DAWN (muttering):I'm going to build you like a damn toaster if you keep talking.

[Page 4]

[VISUAL] Meanwhile, Rain is sitting near the main window. Eyes blank. Breathing slow. Behind him, stars drift… and so does the predator.

[VISUAL] Suddenly, Kai's hologram doesn't appear—instead, KAI stands outside the ship's hull in full gravity gear, tapping on the window.

RAIN (quiet):Of course you are.

[Page 5]

[VISUAL] Exterior airlock. Rain steps outside the ship, joining Kai atop the hull. They stand in silence for a moment, gazing into the dark.

KAI:So. Gonna tell me why you're acting like a coiled spring?

RAIN (still watching space):We're being followed.

[VISUAL] Beat. Kai doesn't react. Just nods.

KAI:Yeah. I know.

[Page 6]

[VISUAL] Rain looks over, frowning. Kai doesn't look back.

RAIN:You knew?

KAI:Of course. I just didn't want to stress you out.

RAIN (annoyed):Stress me out? Someone's tailing us and you thought I needed a nap?

KAI (calm):You're not the same anymore. You're not running on instincts. You're running on something older. And it's not synced yet.

[Page 7]

[VISUAL] Kai sits on the edge of the ship's wing, legs dangling in zero-g.

KAI:When you trained at the GTN, your energy was comprehendible. Predictable.But now? You're housing a creature that once ate suns like candy and screamed planets into dust.

RAIN:Cool. Totally manageable.

[Page 8]

[VISUAL] Kai leans in, more serious now.

KAI:You're not in control, Rain.The dragon—whatever it is—is sleeping. But if it wakes before you're ready, you won't just lose control.You'll erase everything in front of you.

RAIN (quiet):So what do I do?

[Page 9]

[VISUAL] Abstract panel—Rain standing inside a void of fire and stars, facing a silhouette of a massive draconic figure behind a veil of gold.

KAI (voiceover):You talk to it.Not like an enemy. Not like a tool.You meet it. On your own terms.

KAI:This isn't power you wield. It's a soul you have to understand.

[Page 10]

[VISUAL] Rain stands, backlit by the stars, fists clenched.

RAIN:So I have to go soul-searching. While someone wants me dead.Perfect.

KAI (rising beside him):You're not alone. But this part?Yeah. You've gotta step into the fire alone.

[VISUAL] The camera pans back as the presence in the distance begins to shimmer—drawing closer. A humanoid figure with a molten skeletal frame and a weaponized halo.

NARRATION (RAIN):And as if on cue…Mourn sends another piece across the board.

NARRATION (RAIN):Another Pawn.

[Page 11]

[VISUAL] Inside the ship, lights dim. Rain sits alone in the meditation chamber—cross-legged on a glowing circular pad. He takes a deep breath.

NARRATION (RAIN):Kai said I had to talk to it.The thing inside me.The dragon.

[VISUAL] A soft hum builds. Rain's eyes flicker golden.

RAIN (internal):Okay. You're in there. Somewhere.Let's talk.

[Page 12]

[VISUAL] Rain's mind slips into a surreal void—black sky, golden fog swirling around. Huge stars drift by like debris. Then, a THUD shakes the space.

[VISUAL] A colossal silhouette moves behind the fog. Golden eyes flash like dying suns. It breathes once—and the void trembles.

RAIN (internal):That's you…The dragon.

[VISUAL] The creature doesn't speak. Just watches.

[Page 13]

RAIN (internal):I need control. I can't keep blacking out. I can't keep risking people.Just… talk to me.

[VISUAL] The fog pulses. The silhouette shifts slightly—but doesn't come closer. No words. Just breathing.

RAIN (internal):Fine. I'll start. My name's Rain.I'm not a weapon.I'm not your host.I'm a person.

[Page 14]

[VISUAL] The dragon snorts. A blast of heat surges past Rain, pushing him back. The void flickers.

RAIN (internal):Why won't you answer?!You gave me power. You burned through me like lightning. But now when I need you… you hide?

[VISUAL] The dragon opens its eyes fully—bright, ancient, unblinking. But still silent.

[Page 15]

[VISUAL] The space starts to collapse. Rain's breathing grows erratic. Echoes of the ship flicker in the background—Kai's voice, Dawn yelling, the sound of warning sirens.

NARRATION (RAIN):I can't focus.They're coming.I know they're coming.And I'm wasting time in here.

RAIN (internal):Say something! Help me!

[Page 16]

[VISUAL] The dragon finally speaks—but not with words. A single emotion floods Rain's mind: Disappointment.

DRAGON (voice like tectonic plates shifting):You are not ready. You fear the wind at your back more than the fire in your chest.

[VISUAL] The golden fog swallows Rain whole. He's yanked violently out of the vision.

[Page 17]

[VISUAL] Rain jolts awake, coughing—steam rising from his back. The meditation pad is cracked beneath him. Kai is standing nearby.

KAI:Let me guess. Didn't go well?

RAIN (panting):It… looked at me.It felt me. But it wouldn't speak. Just stared. Judged.

KAI (calm):It's not a god. It's you. It's just the part of you that hurts the most.You're trying to tame it with fear still stuck in your head.

RAIN:I'm not afraid of it.

KAI:You're afraid of losing control. Same thing.

[Page 18]

[VISUAL] VEE PRIME's voice cuts in over comms. Her tone is sharp—unnervingly cold.

VEE PRIME:Sorry to interrupt your spiritual meltdown, but our tail just decloaked.

[VISUAL] Outside the ship—descending fast—is a humanoid figure shrouded in molten armor, dragging a floating black cube behind them. Their eyes glow red.

VEE PRIME (cont'd):Another Pawn. Bigger than the last one.And it's got tools.

[VISUAL] Rain's eyes glow faintly—but the fire sputters. He grits his teeth.

RAIN (quietly):Guess I fight… without knowing who I am.

[Page 19]

[VISUAL] An obsidian throne floats at the heart of a broken dimension—time warped, stars frozen mid-collapse.

[VISUAL] MOURN sits, silent. His form shifts slowly—part cloaked humanoid, part cosmic storm. Before him floats a translucent orb: a surveillance feed crackling with static.

MOURN (quietly):Show me the beast.Show me the host.

[Page 20]

**[VISUAL] The feed clears for a second—Rain meditating in the void, facing the golden silhouette of the dragon. Then—**BOOM—the image distorts violently, filling with light and static.

[VISUAL] Glyphs flash across the orb—ancient Zur'ahk script, unreadable.

MOURN (rising):What is this…?

[VISUAL] The feed violently rejects his gaze. The orb cracks and melts into black vapor. Mourn's eye glows—not with rage, but uncertainty.

[Page 21]

[VISUAL] Mourn walks to a nearby vault of relics. Inside: massive fossilized bones of a dragon, tangled with machinery. Some bones pulse faintly with forgotten energy.

MOURN:The Zur'ahk were gone. I saw them burn.I scattered their hearts across galaxies. I erased them.

[VISUAL] His hand hovers over one bone. It twitches slightly.

MOURN (gritting his teeth):Then why… can't I see him?

[Page 22]

[VISUAL] Mourn returns to the broken orb's remains. A single Zur'ahk glyph flickers one last time—then vanishes.

MOURN (to himself):Something is blocking me.The beast is aware.This is not possession…This is cohabitation.

[Page 23]

[VISUAL] He steps toward a massive obsidian wall lined with runes—each one a name of a dead dragon. The last one glows faintly, unmarked.

MOURN:You should not exist.And yet you rise.Unrecorded. Unreadable.

[VISUAL] Mourn places a hand on the final rune. It sparks.

MOURN:Then we'll force it into the open.

[Page 24]

[VISUAL] One of Mourn's Pawns kneels in the void behind him—black armor, a jagged blade, and a helmet that looks like it was forged in a scream.

MOURN (coldly):Go to him. Test the threshold.See what stirs when he bleeds.

[Page 25]

[VISUAL] The Pawn steps into a collapsing rift gate. Behind him, Mourn stares into the void. For the first time… unsure.

MOURN (whispering):If it is truly Zur'ahk…Then this will either awaken it—Or destroy it.

[Page 26]

[VISUAL] Wide panel. Back outside Rain's ship. The stars ripple—like glass warping underwater—as a jagged rift tears open above them.

[VISUAL] Through the rift steps the Pawn—not just a warrior, but a force.

[VISUAL] Its form is humanoid but wrong. Built of molten obsidian and bone. Its arms are blade-like, fingers twitching with psychic static. Its head has no eyes—only a spinning void at its center.

SFX: VOOOOOMMMMM

[Page 27]

[VISUAL] Rain steps forward from the ship's hull, face calm but eyes twitching. The golden flicker in his irises flares for a second—then dies.

[VISUAL] The Pawn lands silently across from him, the rift closing behind it. No words. No threat. Just stillness.

RAIN (thinking):It's testing me.It's not here to kill me.Not yet.

[VISUAL] The two stand in space—no sound, only their breathing and the slow hum of the ship behind them.

[Page 28]

[VISUAL] Inside the ship: DAWN and VEE are still mid-argument, unaware. The screen behind them flickers, showing the descending energy signature.

VEE PRIME (annoyed):You know what? Fine. Make me flat-chested. But I'm adding rocket boots and claws.

DAWN (sighing):You're lucky I don't install a kill switch.

[VISUAL] Suddenly, a red alarm flares.

VEE PRIME:Oh. Shit.Rain's in trouble.

[Page 29]

[VISUAL] Outside. The Pawn's arm morphs—flesh turning into a blade-like edge dripping with light.

[VISUAL] It lunges forward at blinding speed, slashing where Rain stood.

[VISUAL] Rain dodges—barely—skidding across the ship's hull, sparks flying.

RAIN (thinking):Fast. Too fast.Not human.

[Page 30]

[VISUAL] Rain retaliates. He draws a short blade—etched with stellar markings. A gift from the GTN blacksmiths.

[VISUAL] He swings—clean, samurai form. The blade connects…

SFX: TSSHHH!

[VISUAL] The cut lands cleanly—but the Pawn's arm reforms almost instantly. Flesh turns to liquid metal and regrows around the slash like nothing happened.

[VISUAL] Rain takes a step back, eyes wide, blade raised again.

RAIN:What in the fucking Terminator…?

[VISUAL] The Pawn just tilts its head, unreadable. Its body still glitching slightly from the hit. But healing. Perfectly.

[Page 31]

[VISUAL] The Pawn raises a hand—an energy blast charges in its palm. Rain's eyes flicker gold again—the dragon energy responding, but faint. Still dormant.

[VISUAL] He throws his blade into the beam, causing a burst that knocks both of them back.

[VISUAL] Rain tumbles across the hull, coughing. He touches his chest—heat building inside him. The dragon stirs.

RAIN (thinking):I need you.Not to kill.Just to move.

[VISUAL] Nothing.

[Page 32]

[VISUAL] The Pawn leaps again—its arm now a glowing spear. It slams down—Rain dodges again but slower.

[VISUAL] The Pawn suddenly speaks—its voice a chorus of whispers and screams.

PAWN:Flawed flesh.Unfinished flame.You are not it.Not yet.

[Page 33]

[VISUAL] Rain steadies himself. He's bleeding now. His lip split. He stares the Pawn down with clenched fists.

RAIN:No.I'm not it.But it's watching.So maybe fight me like you mean it.

[VISUAL] Golden steam begins to rise from his shoulders—a spark. The first sign.

[Page 34]

[VISUAL] Inside the ship, VEE and DAWN reach the window. They see Rain facing the creature alone, breathing hard, shoulders shaking.

VEE PRIME (softly):That thing's testing him.Trying to wake the dragon.And it's working.

[Page 35]

[VISUAL] Rain steps back, sweat dripping down his brow. The steam from his shoulders fades. No golden glow. No heat. Just silence.

[VISUAL] His hands tremble slightly as he holds his stance.

RAIN (thinking):Come on. Stars. Fire.Give me something.Anything.

[VISUAL] Nothing. The dragon stays silent. The stars don't answer.

RAIN:…Seriously?

[Page 36]

[VISUAL] The Pawn walks forward, slow and deliberate, molten obsidian armor twitching like it's alive. His voice is low, fractured—like it's remembering how to speak.

PAWN:Designation: Specimen X-5C.Codename: "Gravedust."

[VISUAL] Cracks split across his chest, glowing with unstable violet light.

GRAVEDUST (formerly Pawn):Prototype anomaly suppressor.First of the Nullborn.Built to hunt things like you…...before we understood how wrong that was.

[Page 37]

[VISUAL] Rain stands motionless, processing it. His breath frosts slightly from the tension.

RAIN:"Gravedust," huh?Sounds like a rejected metal band.But sure—let's dance.

GRAVEDUST:I was not meant to win.Only to test.To see if the next one would need sharper teeth.

RAIN:Guess you'll find out the hard way.

[Page 38]

[VISUAL] The battle gets tight. Close quarters. The Pawn swings again—Rain ducks low, grabs a cable hanging from the ship's side, and wraps it around the Pawn's arm.

SFX: WHIP-CRACK

[VISUAL] Using the cable's tension, Rain pulls himself up—leaping over the Pawn's shoulder and slamming his knee into the back of its head.

RAIN:You ever get dropkicked by instinct, bitch?

[Page 39]

[VISUAL] The Pawn stumbles. Rain lands hard, rolls, grabs a maintenance pipe from the side of the ship, and swings it like a bat—smashing it into the back of the Pawn's knee.

SFX: CRUNCH!

[VISUAL] The Pawn collapses to one leg. Glitching. Cracking.

PAWN (rasping):Adapt… adapt… adapt—

RAIN (out loud):No time to adapt if I break you faster than you can think.

[Page 40]

[VISUAL] Rain jams the pipe into the back of the Pawn's spine—twists—and hits a small glowing core. The Pawn seizes up.

[VISUAL] Rain kicks off the pipe, backflips away as the core begins to pulse—unstable.

VEE PRIME (over comms):RAIN, MOVE. IT'S GONNA—

[VISUAL] BOOM. The Pawn explodes in a violet shockwave, raining down fragments across the hull. Rain rolls, shields himself with his arms.

[Page 41]

[VISUAL] Silence. Smoke. Rain coughs and slowly rises from the wreckage. His arms bleeding. Clothes torn.

RAIN (breathing hard):No stars.No dragon.Still alive.

[VISUAL] He looks up at the sky—angry, but defiant.

RAIN:You're watching, right?Then next time…Fight with me.