The Climbing of Torvan Hill

Transcript - Day One (April 7):

Wek: We’re going to have to be careful on this expedition. These mountains are deadly.

Eazor: Well, there’s no point standing around! Let’s get a move on!

Wek: We mustn't move too fast, or we may fall to altitude sickness.

Eazor: Oh, please. My parents supplied us with state-of-the-art Radox breathing apparati!

CJ: We’re going to run out of food if we keep arguing. Let’s get going.

Wek: Yes, you’re right. Let us crest Torvan Hill.

Eazor: Yeah! Adventure, here we come!

One hour of brutal hiking later…

Wek: We will break here.

Eazor: But I want to keep going!

Selva: We can take it! Let’s keep going!

Star: Yeah, right. You’re barely an adult.

Selva: And I’d like to know when you were born?

Star: I told you, I don’t know!

Selva: Yeah? How do I know you’re not lying to make yourself seem older?

CJ: Again, arguing will get us nowhere. We should listen to each other more.

Wek: Speaking of which, where’s Gorvos?

Selva: He was right behind me a few seconds ago.

Star: He’s not now.

Selva: I’m not blind, you-

Ferniek: Gorvos?

CJ: Maybe we should split up.

Wek: As long as we’re in pairs, it should be okay. I’ll take Eazor.

CJ: I’ll go with...Ferniek.

Ferniek: Is it wise to leave these two alone together?

CJ: I dunno. I was hoping they’d be forced to learn to coexist.

Ferniek: Yeah, I guess.

The six split up and look for Gorvos…

CJ: Gorvos?

Ferniek: Gorvos!

Wek: Gorvos!

Eazor: Gorvos! Come back so we can get on with our expedition!

Selva: This is completely your fault.

Star: My fault!? How is this my fault?!

Selva: Because you distracted me from watching Gorvos!

Star: I distracted you?! Now, that’s the funniest thing I’ve ever heard you say.

Selva: Oh, really?

Star: Yeah.

Selva lunges at Star, letting out about a month’s worth of pent-up tension.

Star: …

The two start brawling for about a minute…

Gorvos: Where did everyone go? By all the Elders! What is going on here?

He pulls Selva, who is actually really good at fighting, off of Star, who is unconscious.

Gorvos: What the hell was that!?

Selva: …

She looks around and realizes what just happened.

Gorvos: I leave to relieve myself for like, a minute, and now four people are missing and one’s unconscious, and who do I see here but you, beating her up! She’s almost dead!

Wek: What’s going on here?

Eazor: Yeah, what happened? It looks like it was fun.

Gorvos: I’ve got no idea. I walked in on the same scene as you did.

Wek: We gotta get her to a hospital. Fast.

Gorvos: We’ll take care of it. You get the camp ready.

Wek: That sounds like a plan.

Gorvos: It...is a plan.

Eazor: Then let’s get to it! I don’t want to sit around doing nothing all day!

Gorvos and Selva leave for Torvan Post while Wek and Eazor begin setting up camp.

CJ: Hey! Did we find Gorvos? And more importantly, where are Star and Selva?

Wek: All three of them are actively making their way to the hospital.

CJ: ...why?

Wek: Because, as Ferniek said, Selva and Star could not be trusted together.

CJ: Oh.

Meanwhile…

Selva: Uhh...her heart’s not beating.

Gorvos: Lay her down flat!

He proceeds to give Star CPR.

Gorvos: Tilt her head back.

He pulls out one of those CPR air pumps.

Gorvos: We gotta move real fast.

Selva: Right.

They start moving as fast as they can over the rough terrain. After another 45 minutes, they finally reach Torvan Post.

Gorvos: Medic!

Meanwhile…

The camp was set up in only 5 minutes. These people are experienced and work fast.

Meanwhile…

Selva: Is she going to make it, Doc?

Doc: Maybe? She suffered a lot of blunt trauma. And around here, that’s bad.

Gorvos: So what I’m hearing, for future reference, is - no blunt force trauma, Selva.

Doc: ...right. What...happened? If you don’t mind my asking.

Selva: An argument may have escalated...a lot.

Doc: Yeah, so, definitely don’t do that.

Gorvos: We’ll have to stay in the old IH-36 for the night. Tomorrow, we’ll summit the hill.

Day 2:

Wek: It must’ve taken them quite a while to get Star to a hospital.

CJ: Or all three of them met their end.

Wek: I wouldn’t be incredibly upset. Two of them are...a little troublesome.

Eazor: Well, let’s get going! They can catch up.

Ferniek: After what happened yesterday, I don’t think I trust Selva.

Eazor: Yeah? Well, I do, so let’s get a move on.

CJ: I don’t know about Selva, but I think Gorvos can handle her.

Wek: Maybe. In any case, Eazor’s right. We’re on a limited food supply, so we must get a move on.

Eazor: Yes! Let’s go!

Meanwhile…

Gorvos: I think we’ll visit Star again today.

Selva: Se we’re not going to summit Torvan Hill?

Gorvos: I don’t know. I could, but you’re younger and less experienced than me.

Selva: I am two years younger than you!

Gorvos: And I’ve been doing this kind of thing since I was old enough to walk.

Selva: ...fine. Let’s go see Star.

Star: Oh, hey Gorvos. I guess they found you.

Gorvos: I actually found you.

Selva: Hey, Star. Listen-

Star: Who let you in here?

Selva: I came here to apologize, but if you’re gonna-

Star: Apologize? Apologize. That’s what you came here to do? Apologize?

Gorvos: Ahem...how are you faring, Star?

Star: I’m not cleared to go climbing. They also say I have a severe concussion.

Gorvos: Then we should probably leave you to rest. Goodbye.

Meanwhile…

Wek: If we keep this pace, we’ll summit by nightfall.

Eazor: So let's keep this pace up.

Wek: I don’t know if we can.

CJ: We’ll see when the time comes.

Several hours pass.

Wek: Is anyone too tired to continue?

Eazor: Nope!

CJ: I am not.

Ferniek: …

Wek: Then I guess we’ll continue.

She and Eazor rush ahead, eager to summit, but Ferniek holds CJ back.

CJ: What?

Ferniek: I can’t do this.

CJ: What are you talking about?

Ferniek: I feel like I’m gonna pass out.

CJ: EL Wek should know about that.

Ferniek: Yeah, but I don’t want to be a burden on the group.

CJ: You aren’t a burden on the group! Star and Selva already took that title.

Ferniek: Even still, they both seem to want to get to the top, and I don’t wanna-

She stumbles. CJ catches her.

CJ: Whoa! You okay?

Ferniek: I have no strength left in my body.

Or, at least, that’s what she tried to say, but it came out incredibly weak.

CJ: Okay, listen. Once we summit, we can get you heli support. EL Wek!

Wek: What-Ferniek!

CJ: If we can get her to the top, we can get her helicopter support! It’s our best bet!

Wek: Is it altitude sickness or exhaustion?

CJ: I can’t tell!

Eazor: It can’t be altitude sickness, our equipment’s too good. She’s just a wimp.

CJ: I don’t trust Radox. They’re greedy and evil.

Wek: I’d say we summit, but we’ll have to pick up the pace. Can you both handle that?

Eazor: The quicker, the better!

CJ: I think so.

Wek: If either of you have any trouble at all, DO NOT hesitate to tell me.

CJ: I won’t. Now let’s go save a life.

The three rush to the top of Torvan Hill, Ferniek in tow. They make it within two hours.

Wek: I already called in a helicopter. They should be here any second.

The blades of a chopper cut her off, growing louder and louder.

CJ: I think that’s it!

Eazor: Man, I kinda wanted to camp up here!

Wek: We’re not doing any more camping until we regroup!

The chopper lands, and EMTs rush out to administer immediate aid to Ferniek.

Pilot: You guys ready to ride? Let’s go!

He takes off, going back down to Torvan Post.

Meanwhile…

Selva: I bet the others are having loads of fun right now.

Gorvos: Maybe.

Selva: Do you think they have any starships for sale here?

Gorvos: Why?

Selva: I don’t belong with this group. I’m gonna leave.

Gorvos: And return to your old life of practically being a slave just to not get marooned?

Selva: I’m a liability. This is all my fault.

Gorvos: ...we all make mistakes, Selva. It’s what comes after the mistake that counts.

Selva: But do we all lose our temper and almost kill our own teammate?

Gorvos: It was a long ride, and our starship is cramped. It’s understandable.

Selva: Can we visit Star again? I want to make this right.

Gorvos: I’m not your dad. You can do whatever you want to. So long as it’s legal.

Selva: Oh yeah. I’m not...a stowaway.

She gets up to go to the hospital. As she steps outside, a chopper lands, and…

Selva: Ferniek?

EMT: Outta the way!

She jumps out of his way.

Wek: Selva!

Selva: EL Wek? CJ, Eazor? What’s going on?

Gorvos: Hey! I didn’t expect to see you guys here! Where’s...Ferniek?

Wek: That building right there.

Gorvos: What?

CJ: There’s a lot you missed.

Gorvos: So...I guess we’ll all take a rest inside the old IH-36?