1 INT. SHUTTLE. DEEP SPACE.
The engines drone as CAPTAIN STEVEN HAMMON, COMMANDER HELEN HARPER AND ENGINEER LT.CMDR JAMES BEATTY head inexorably toward the nebula in the viewscreen. It is a strange orange/green.
Hammond watches his displays. Beatty is staring out the viewscreen, and Harper is monitoring the flight.
HAMMOND
We're about a mile out.
HARPER
Another minute and a half at this speed.
BEATTY
(dreamily)
Almost forgot how beautiful she is.
HAMMOND
Hmm.
BEATTY
Smooth lines, sleek nacelles, stretched hull, streamlined for speed. A real lady, and no mistake.
HAMMOND
Hmm.
BEATTY
Always loved her lines. She seemed to me to be almost trying to slide between the stars. Almost like a running shoe, if you see what I mean.Did she seem that way to you?
(looks round at Harper)
Harper glares at him, then glances over her shoulder. Beatty becomes sheepish, blushes, then mumbles.
BEATTY (CONTINUED)
Sorry.