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?