Lost in the Labyrinth



The camera pans back from the Odyssey to reveal that it is flying over an ancient Greek building. The shuttlecraft is on the ground. The camera pans towards Ulysses, who is with an old man, Ageus. They stand in front of a giant statue of a Greek warrior.

Ageus:  Oh, Ulysses, my old friend.  I've been anxious ever
	since my son, Theseus, left me.  He's gone to be near
	Ariadne, daughter of King Minos.  O great Oracle, where
	is my son, where is Theseus?

The Oracle speaks to them from the statue.

Oracle:  Ageus, he who seeks his own planet among the myriad stars,
	only he can find your son, Theseus.

Ageus:  You heard it yourself.  Ulysses: the one who seeks his
	own planet, that's you, without a doubt, that's you.

Ulysses:  Me?

The camera pans up the statue as the Oracle speaks.

Oracle:  Yes, stranger.  And wherever Theseus is, there is the route
	back to Earth.

Ageus:  Theseus, the route back to Earth, did you hear that?  I beg you,
	Ulysses, help me go there.  Follow the Oracle's advice, do not
	hesitate.  Find my son!





We see a planet with a bull's head engraved on it. The camera then pans across a landscape, past an erupting volcano. Vultures fly around an old tower, the palace of King Minos.
Inside the palace Minos sits on a throne at the top of some steps.


Minos:  Guards, bring Theseus here.

In front of Minos a man, Theseus, struggles as he is held by two guards. Minos stands up.

Theseus:  Minos, I love your daughter and she loves me!  Why do you
	keep us apart?

Minos:  Silence, son of Ageus!  Ariadne is not for you.

Theseus:  How can you be so heartless?

Minos:  Take him; throw him into the Labyrinth!

Theseus struggles with the guards again. Behind them two doors open and a young woman, Ariadne, runs in.

Ariadne:  Theseus!

Theseus:  Ariadne, don't be afraid.

Ariadne:  No!  Theseus!

Minos:  Give him to the Minotaur!

As Theseus is carried away to meet his fate he shouts out.

Theseus:  I can take on any monster, even the Minotaur!  Ariadne,
	we will succeed!

The doors to the throne room slam shut after Theseus is carried away. Ariadne runs to the doors, pounds her fists against them then slumps to her knees.

Ariadne:  Theseus, no one has ever found the way back out of the
	Labyrinth, no one!

She turns and faces her father.

	Father, if you put him into the Labyrinth then put me in
	there too!

Minos:  Ariadne, my child, my dear daughter.  Please, stay calm.  Forget
	this Theseus.  You know that I cannot permit you to be together.

Ariadne walks to the foot of the steps.

Ariadne:  Why should I forget him?

Minos:  You cannot marry Theseus!

Ariadne:  Why not, father?  I love him.

Minos:  Foolish child!

Ariadne:  He is the son of Ageus.  Is that reason?  He's always fought
	you; the only King who won't submit to you.

Minos:  Silence, Ariadne!

Ariadne:  Your power is based on fear - fear of the Minotaur.
	Ageus is right: you are cruel!

Ariadne runs to the doors.

Minos:  Wait, where are you going?

Ariadne stops.

Ariadne:  I am going into the Labyrinth.  I want to be with Theseus
	wherever you put him!

Minos:  No!  Come back!

Ariadne walks up to the doors.

	Guards!

The doors open and Ariadne walks through.

	Stop her, quickly!  Don't let her get away!

Three guards run through the doors after her.

	But she must not be hurt.  Ariadne!

Minos steps backwards and sits in his throne. Ariadne is in the palace grounds. She runs down some steps, followed by the guards. She climbs into a shuttlecraft, puts on her helmet and flies off. The guards run to their shuttlecraft and launch after her.


The shuttlecraft are now in space. One guard speaks to the others over the communicator.

Guard:  Remember, by the bull monster, we must not hurt her.  Don't
	shoot.
	




Ulysses is on the bridge of the Odyssey with Telemachus and Yumi. They are discussing Ulysses's meeting with Ageus and the Oracle.

Ulysses:  Then Theseus is in the Kingdom of Minos.

Telemachus:  Who is this Minos, father?  The King of Crete?  Do you
	know him?

Ulysses:  I've heard of him.  Ageus says when I find Theseus I'll find
	the way back to Earth.

Yumi:  But, Ulysses, do you really think Theseus knows the way back to
	Earth?

Ulysses:  I hope so, Yumi, I truly hope so.





Ariadne's shuttlecraft is flying at high speed. She sees the four craft of Minos's guards in pursuit.

Ariadne:  I must get away from them.





Sherka: An alert, Ulysses, alert. A mysterious spacecraft is moving toward the Odyssey. Collision course. Emergency alert.
The central screen shows the craft flying directly towards the Odyssey.

Ulysses:  Great galaxies, the pilot must have gone mad!
	Sherka, I'll take manual control.

Ariadne sees the Odyssey in her flight path and calls out.

Ariadne:  Ahh, out of the way or I'll ram you!

The shuttlecraft gets closer and closer to the Odyssey. It grazes the side of the Odyssey in a shower of sparks and debris and flies off into space.

Ulysses:  Phew!  We just made it!

Yumi:  Call that a space commander?  I'd like to tell him a thing or
	two!

Sherka:  Four more craft of the same type following.

Suddenly Yumi holds her head.

Yumi:  Ulysses, save that first ship: it's not an enemy, it's in danger!

Ulysses:  Quick, Sherka.  Into action.

Sherka:  Rescue mission started, Ulysses.

A retractable arm emerges from the Odyssey and clamps onto the craft that almost collided with it. As the arm pulls the shuttlecraft inside the pursuing craft fly back to Minos.

Telemachus:  They've given up the chase.

Ulysses:  Yes, they have, and I hope we haven't taken an enemy on
	board.

A door opens and two robots escort Ariadne onto the bridge. Ariadne is exhausted, her head hanging.

Telemachus:  I'm anxious to see what he looks like.

Ulysses:  Commander, whoever was chasing you must be terrifying for
	you to have taken so many risks.

Ariadne takes off her helmet.

Ariadne:  For me no risk is too great if I can see again the one whom
	I love and will cherish for ever.

Ulysses:  Whoever you love will be proud of you.

Yumi:  Oh, she's so beautiful.

Ariadne:  Give me a shuttlecraft quickly.  I must go.  I must get there
	before they do.  I have to save Theseus.

Ulysses, Telemachus and Yumi:  Theseus?

Ulysses:  You mean Theseus, the son of Ageus?

Ariadne:  Yes, him.

Yumi:  Then you are Ariadne, King Minos's daughter.

Ariadne:  Yes, but how did you know that?  Who are you?  Are you my
	father's friends?

Ulysses:  No, I am Ulysses, a friend of Ageus.  We made him a promise
	that we would attempt everything to find his son and rescue him.

Yumi:  Ageus believes his son is with Minos.

Telemachus:  And if he's not with Minos we must still find him, don't
	you understand?  We have to find him because Theseus knows the
	route back to Earth.

Ariadne:  Sadly Theseus is already in the Labyrinth.

Ulysses:  The Labyrinth?  What do you mean?

Ariadne:  He's there to keep us apart.  Minos had him thrown in the
	Labyrinth to be sacrificed to the Minotaur.

Yumi:  What is that?  What's a Minotaur?

Ariadne:  I'm not sure.  Before I was born Minos had the Labyrinth
	built and put the Minotaur in it.  No one has ever lived to tell.
	Anyone who has ever gone inside the Labyrinth has never returned.
	Now I must go there, that's why I need a shuttlecraft.

Ulysses:  Very well, then.  We'll all go.

Telemachus:  Do you know how to reach the Labyrinth?

Ulysses climbs into his seat.

Ariadne:  Yes I do but....

Ulysses:  Trust me, Ariadne.  The Oracle has said that I am the only
	person who can find Theseus, just as only Theseus is able
	to show me route back to Earth, our home planet.

Ariadne:  I will trust you, Ulysses.

The Iris opens and energises. The Odyssey's jets fire up and the ship launches.





Minos is pacing back and forth in front of his throne, pondering his next move after his guards returned empty-handed.

Minos:  Why have these idiots returned?  They haven't brought Ariadne
	back.  If they let her get into the Labyrinth I'll never forgive
	them and meeting with the Minotaur will be their punishment!





The Odyssey has arrived at the Labyrinth. Its jets stop firing and it comes to a halt. The Iris closes.

Ariadne:  The Labyrinth: there is Theseus's prison.

Ulysses:  Sherka, give me spectrograph of the Labyrinth.

The screen shows a map of the Labyrinth. There are many hundreds of levels.

	It's complicated.

Telemachus:  Going in is easy, but you'll never find your way out
	again.

Ariadne:  Maybe we can, my dear Telemachus.

Ariadne takes off her necklace and holds it up.

	Each pearl of this necklace sends out an electromagnetic
	pulse.  They'll mark our path and then we can find our way
	back easily.

Ulysses:  That way your route will make marks on the spectrograph,
	and every twist and turn will be stored in its memory.
	Telemachus, you stay on board to guard the Odyssey.

The camera zooms in on the central screen, showing the many levels of the Labyrinth's maze.





A shuttlecraft leaves the Odyssey and heads for the Labyrinth. A transparent screen opens as the shuttlecraft approaches the Labyrinth's landing platform and closes behind the craft after it has passed through. The shuttlecraft lands and Ulysses, Yumi, No-No and Ariadne climb out. Ariadne calls.

Ariadne:  Theseus, I'm here!  It's Ariadne!  Answer me if you can
	hear me.  I long to hear your voice and know that you're still
	alive.

Ariadne walks up the steps that lead to the Labyrinth's main entrance.


Ulysses:  Ariadne, gentle Ariadne, I hope we haven't come too late.

Yumi:  I hope that she finds him again.  I hope that he's escaped
	from the Minotaur.

Ulysses:  Come, we'll follow her.

Ulysses, Yumi and No-No walk up the steps after her.

No-No:  Oh fine, just fine.  If we don't walk straight into the
	giant's laws... I mean the lion's jaws.






Ulysses, Yumi, No-No and Ariadne walk along a corridor and stop at the foot of some steps.

Ulysses:  Ariadne, put the first pearl here.

Ariadne removes the first pearl from her necklace and attaches it to a wall. It flashes on and off. Telemachus monitors their progress from the Odyssey.

Telemachus:  So that's how it works.  Now there'll be no danger of
	their getting lost.

As each pearl is laid a light appears on a map on Telemachus's console.





Ulysses and his friends are walking along a narrow ledge, pressing themselves tightly against the wall. Having successfully negotiated the ledge they find themselves at the foot of a dark staircase.
Two horns emerge from either side.





Minos sits in his throne, shouting at the guards who let Ariadne get away.


Minos:  How could you ever let Ariadne get into an unknown spaceship?
	You're all failures!  Idiots!

Guard:  Minos, we only had our shuttle vehicles and the spaceship was
	gigantic.

Minos stands up.

Minos:  You dare to lose my daughter, my lovely Ariadne.

The guards shake with fear.

	You will be thrown to the monster as your punishment.

Guard:  Have pity, Minos.  We know where the spaceship is going.  We
	came back for reinforcements.

Minos:  Ah, yes, and just where are they headed?

Guard:  Toward the Labyrinth.

Minos:  The Labyrinth!  Stop them at all costs!  Now go - save Ariadne!
	If anything happens to her you know the fate that awaits you.

The guards run off.

	They must get there in time.





Ulysses: The Labyrinth!
Ulysses and his friends are now in the main maze of the Labyrinth. Ariadne calls out to Theseus in the hope that, wherever he is, he will hear, but she gets no reply.

Ariadne:  Theseus!

Ulysses:  This way.

Telemachus continues to monitor their progress from the Odyssey. More lights appear on his map as Ariadne leaves pearls at each junction of the maze.

The scene fades and we see the Labyrinth in space. Telemachus sits at the console. In the centre of the map there is a large white space.

Telemachus:  Sherka, analyse that empty space inside the Labyrinth.

Sherka:  Impossible, Telemachus.  It deflects all analytical probes.
	It is like a space where something has been sealed off.

Telemachus's voice comes through on Ulysses's communicator.

Telemachus:  Father wait!  There's trouble!  There's an empty space on
	the screen, Sherka can't analyse it.

Ulysses:  Why can't it be analysed?

Telemachus:  She says it's been sealed off by some living creature.

Yumi:  The Minotaur - it must be him!

Ariadne:  Theseus could be in there, too!

Ulysses:  Then that's where we'll go.  Watch out!

The ground shakes and cracks appear all around them. No-No almost falls into one of the larger cracks. He turns, looks into the crack and calls out.

No-No:  Hey, look!

The others walk to the edge of the crack and gingerly peer in. They see the bodies of others who had the misfortune to enter the Labyrinth.

Ulysses:  The prisoners who died in the Labyrinth.

Ariadne:  Oh no!  Theseus!  Theseus!

Ariadne, terrified by what she just saw, runs off.

Ulysses:  No, come back!

Ariadne:  Theseus, answer me!  Where are you?

Ulysses runs after her.

Ulysses:  Ariadne, keep calm.  We will find Theseus.

Ulysses hugs Ariadne.

	We mustn't get separated.

Suddenly the walls of the Labyrinth re-orientate themselves.

	Take care, the walls are moving.

No-No:  He's right!  By the sleeping Cyclops!

The walls turn, slide into position and a new maze forms.





Telemachus looks at the map on the Odyssey's central screen.

Telemachus:  Sherka, what does that mean?  All the walls in the Labyrinth
	are moving!





No-No runs just in front of a moving wall. Another wall moves in from the other direction and sandwiches No-No.

Yumi:  No-No!

No-No:  I've never jumped yet!

No-No pushes with all his strength to stop himself from being squashed.

	I don't want to end up squashed into a paperweight!
	Ow!

Telemachus loses contact with the party.

Telemachus:  Father, father, what's happened?  I can't hear you any
	more!

The pearls flash on his map, but the map itself no longer makes sense.

	The map isn't on the screen.  The signals have stopped.  How
	will they find their way back?

Sherka:  Spaceship similar to Ariadne's headed for the Odyssey.

Telemachus:  Oh no!

Sherka:  Telemachus, a decision will have to be made now.

A small segment of the central screen shows the ships approaching.

Telemachus:  They'd have to be more ships sent by Minos.  We'll see what
	they want.  Let them come closer.

The ships fly past the Odyssey and on towards the Labyrinth.

	They're headed for the Labyrinth!  Father, ships from
	Minos are closing in - fast!  Come back aboard the Odyssey.

Telemachus presses some buttons on the console.

	The transmitter doesn't work.  I'm going down there.

Telemachus runs off.





A wall Ariadne is leaning against slides down on a hinge. Ariadne falls down the other side. She clings onto the edge of the wall. Behind her is a dark drop that no one can see the bottom of.

Ariadne:  Ahh!

Ulysses:  Ariadne!

No-No:  Wait!  I'll go help her.  Hold on tight, don't let go, Ariadne.

No-No holds tightly and extends his neck down to Ariadne.

	Ready?

Ariadne:  Ready.

Ariadne grabs hold of No-No's neck and he pulls her up to safety.

	Oh, thank you, No-No, you saved my life.

No-No:  It was just nothing.

A shuttlecraft piloted by Telemachus leaves the Odyssey and makes its way towards the Labyrinth. Meanwhile, Ulysses, Yumi, No-No and Ariadne have entered a chamber of the Labyrinth which is full of mirrors. They see reflections of themselves everywhere.

Yumi:  Oh careful, my friends, I sense some sort of presence very near
	by!

Ulysses:  Where is it, Yumi?  Where?

Yumi:  Oh look!  This panel's moving, there's something behind it.

Ulysses:  The Minotaur!

It is not the Minotaur, but Theseus.

Ariadne:  Oh no, it's Theseus!

Theseus:  Ariadne!

Ulysses:  Careful!

Ariadne:  Theseus, Theseus!  Theseus!

Ariadne and Theseus run towards each other, however a pane of glass slides up and separates them. The glass is sound-proofed. They see Theseus's lips move but cannot hear what he says. Somewhere not far away they hear the roar of a beast. Ulysses and Yumi turn and look in the direction the roar came from.





Telemachus has landed on the Labyrinth's launch pad. Just as he is about to enter the Labyrinth he looks at the shuttlecraft piloted by the guards. He runs up the steps. The guards see Telemachus and call out to him.

Guard:  Hey you!  Where are you going?

Telemachus stops, turns and looks at the guards.

	Catch him!  He'll tell us where the others are.

Telemachus continues running up the steps, pursued by the guards. He enters the Labyrinth.





Ulysses and his friends, in the chamber of mirrors, listen uneasily as the roaring continues and appears to be getting closer. Then the Minotaur finally appears. Its reflection appears in every mirror, surrounding them.

Yumi:  Watch out!

Ariadne:  The Minotaur, is that really it?

Ulysses:  It is!

Ulysses activates his light sabre as the Minotaur raises its pitchfork.

	We'll defeat you!

Ulysses slices at each mirror, shattering them.

	You're only reflections!  Get back!  Minotaur, show yourself!

The Minotaur throws its pitchfork through the air. It lands just beside Ulysses.





Telemachus is in the Labyrinth, with the guards in hot pursuit. He hides around a corner. The guards run in the other direction.





Ulysses dodges another pitchfork thrown by the Minotaur. He turns and sees the creature. He thrusts his light sabre into it only to find that it is just another reflection. Ulysses deactivates his light sabre and fires his laser at the remaining panes of glass. The glass separating Theseus from Ariadne is broken.

Theseus:  Ariadne!

Ariadne:  Theseus!

The two run towards each other and embrace. However the Minotaur stands just behind them with his fork raised and ready to thrust into them.






Minos sits on his throne.

Minos:  I should have gone myself.  Only I know the ways of the Minotaur.
	Ariadne is in danger.  I can't wait any longer.

He gets up.





The Minotaur throws its pitchfork at Theseus and Ariadne.

Theseus:  Watch out, Ariadne!

Ulysses fires his laser and destroys the fork and it flies through the air. Ariadne and Theseus run off. The Minotaur throws a net over them.

No-No:  Wait!

No-No runs to the Minotaur and jumps onto his arm. The Minotaur throws No-No against a pane of glass which shatters. No-No picks up a fragment of glass and eats it.

	That was a tint tough.

The Minotaur holds up the net containing Ariadne and Theseus.

Ulysses:  Monster, let them go!  Put them down!

Ulysses points his laser at the Minotaur.





Telemachus silently follows the two guards as they walk through the maze.

Guard:  Ah, not possible.  He couldn't disappear.

Telemachus accidentally knocks a loose fragment of rock from a wall. It falls to the floor. The guards hear it and turn around.

	There behind you, look.  We have him.

Telemachus runs off, followed by the guards.





Ulysses flies through the air wielding his light sabre. The Minotaur hits him and he is thrown against a pane of glass, which shatters. Ariadne and Theseus struggle in the net. Ulysses runs towards the Minotaur and uses his light sabre against the Minotaur's pitch fork. With its other hand the Minotaur pulls hard on the net to stop Ariadne and Theseus from struggling. Ulysses slices through the net, freeing them and they run off. The Minotaur runs towards Theseus, who trips and falls to the floor. Ariadne runs to Ulysses.

Ulysses:  Theseus, for you!

Ulysses throws his light sabre to Theseus, who catches it. Theseus sees the Minotaur bearing down on him. He raises the light sabre just as the Minotaur falls on top of him. The light sabre pierces the Minotaur, which stands up and then falls to the ground, mortally wounded.
Just beside the Minotaur an image flickers on a pane of glass. On the glass is projected the image of three people, followed by a picture of the Earth. As the Minotaur takes each laboured breath so the picture of the Earth fades and comes back again.

Ulysses:  Oh!  Theseus, now tell us how to get back to our planet.

Theseus does not understand.

Theseus:  Your planet?

Yumi:  Yes, back to Earth.  The Oracle said there were Theseus is
	is the route back to Earth.

Ulysses then understands the words of the Oracle.

Ulysses:  Oh no!  It was him!

Ulysses runs to the Minotaur, whose breathing becomes more and more laboured.

	Minotaur, I beg you, show me the way back to Earth.
	I know it's you who keeps the secret.

The Minotaur struggles for breath. On the pane of glass the image of three people is again projected, followed by the Earth. The Minotaur's breathing becomes shallower and shallower and finally, it dies.

	Minotaur, you had the secret and I have killed you.

Yumi:  Oh no!  There Theseus is the Oracle didn't mean Theseus
	but the Labyrinth itself.

Ulysses:  The Minotaur knew the route back to Earth.  I didn't understand,
	now it's too late.

Ariadne:  But never forget, you saved Theseus's life.

The ground shakes.

Telemachus:  Ulysses, Yumi, Ariadne, where are you?

The walls of the maze lower to the floor. The ground continues to shake as the walls change position. The two guards pursuing Telemachus hug each other with fear, then fall into a hole that formed when a hinged segment of the floor opened. Telemachus runs to the top of some steps and looks down them. He hears footsteps and sees Ulysses and his friends emerging from a corridor at the bottom of the steps. He waves and calls out to them.

Telemachus:  Father, I'm here!  Over here!  Here!

Ulysses looks up and sees him.





Ulysses and his friends are standing on the launch pad just outside the Labyrinth.

Theseus:  If not for you I'd still be inside that maze.  I would
	never have seen Ariadne again.

Ulysses:  Go quickly, Ageus is waiting.  He is worried about the
	fate of his son.

Ariadne is upset.

	What's the matter, Ariadne?  Why so sad?

Ariadne:  It's my father.  I would hope that one day he will understand
	how I feel about Theseus, and that then he will come to us, Ulysses.

Ariadne turns to Theseus.

	I will go with you.

Theseus:  We'll leave.  I'm anxious to see my father.

Ariadne and Theseus hold each others' hands and walk off. The two shuttlecraft take off from the Labyrinth and fly into space. One carries Ariadne and Theseus, the other carries Ulysses and his friends. Ulysses's shuttlecraft docks with the Odyssey. The Odyssey launches and leaves the Labyrinth.





Meanwhile King Minos stands in front of the entrance to the Labyrinth. He looks into it.

Minos:  Ariadne, my dear Ariadne.

He falls to his knees.

	Too late, too late.
	I've lost her for ever.

The camera zooms out from the Labyrinth and into space.

[END]