Idén till Leviathan är inte ny. Den föddes i slutet av 90-talet då jag var ett stort fan av teveserien SeaQuest; jag älskade serien och dess miljö så mycket att jag började driva en fansajt. Det ledde mig sedan in i flera olika e-postspel  – först som deltagare, men snart även som administratör. Jag fastnade även för webbserier, alltså en sorts fan fiction som är skrivet i manus-format. Det var där som Leviathan föddes.

Jag skrev en webbserie som hette The Sentinel DCV: Chaodai Wars, vilket handlade om FN:s flaggskepp i en tid där de attackerades av en mystisk nation som kallade sig Chaodai. Det här blev grunden till berättelsen till Leviathan eftersom jag aldrig berättade klart den historien, utan lämnade den bakom mig. Jag fick aldrig ett slut på den då, så därför tar jag tag i det nu.

Berättelsen som jag la grunden till då är den som format hur världsbilden ser ut i Leviathan. Givetvis är det en hel del som förändrats sedan dess på grund av att det inte är en fan fiction längre, men den grundpremissen är den samma. Den här berättelsen kommer att finnas med i Svart svan och jag har skriva ned de första styckena där. Berättelsen kommer handla om karaktärer som tjänstgör på Leviathan och vad deras del i kriget blir.

Jag tänkte bjuda på en teaser från första webbserie-avsnittet jag skrev för många, många år sedan. Slit den med hälsan!

BLOOD RED SERENITY
#1.01: TO ALL ENDS A BEGINNING

Written by: Robert Jonsson
Original edited by: Nichole Hertzog

TEASER

EXT. STREET

FEMALE VOICE
(VO)
Once upon a time there was a different world. It was a world filled with magic and prophecies.

As the episode fades in we see a normal, modern street, crowded by the people. They seem perfectly ordinary, just going on their usual business. A man is sitting down a bench, reading a newspaper. A woman is crossing the street. A boy pickpockets an older man. Scenes that we can relate to this day.

ZOOM UP ON BUILDING

FEMALE VOICE
(VO, cont’d)
All this things existed in our world and was a part of it, but few were those who saw it. They never saw the force that infected mankind with their hatred toward us.

The camera zooms up along a fourth storey stonebuilding of classic gothic architecure. As it reach the top we see an old statue of a gargoyle. It looks predatory and threatening.

CUT TO ANGLE ON THE GARGOYLE’S EYE

Slowly the stone statue opens its eye and in it a fire is burning. The camera begins to ZOOM in on it and we…

CUT TO EXT. FIERY INFERNO

FEMALE VOICE
(VO, cont’d)
They never saw the demons.

Everywhere we can see, there’s a landscape drenched in flames and chaos. Everywhere the fire seems to live its own life. But amongst it all, there stands a naked man, with his back turned towards us. The arms and hands are stretched towards the sky. From the back we see two angelic wings beginning to grow and begin to burn and when
the unholy flames consume both wings, they spread.

INT. HEARTSTONE & WINTER OFFICE

FEMALE VOICE
(VO, cont’d)
Few saw through the veil, but those who did were always affected.

Two men are sitting behind a table and we can see a slight similarity between them, as if they’re related. By the way they are dressed we can guess that they both are lawyers – and not for the same firm. One is dressed in what has to be a really expensive suit, Jason Capshaw, meanwhile the other is wearing a really cheap one, Michael Capshaw, Jason’s brother. Michael is yelling at the other but Jason just ignores it with a smile. As Jason stands up and prepares to leave, Michael draws a gun but Jason still seems to be the one in control.

INT. DARK CHAMBER

FEMALE VOICE
(VO, cont’d)
Some chose to stand by the demons its side and aid it to bring mankind down.

Inside a dark chamber we can see an Arabic man, called Balshazzar, chants in ancient language. Around him there is thirteen grotesque statuettes that seems to radiate something xenomorphic and ancient. The statuettes seems to consist of a centaurlike body, but instead of four horselegs, it has six. It has over ten eyes spread all over its human face, but it misses mouth, ears and nose. On the horseback, two trashed angelic wings are spread, and on its human hands, long twisted claws can be seen.

EXT. BREMSVIK – CHURCH

FEMALE VOICE
(VO, cont’d)
But there were those who were fierce in their dedication against it. Those who was willing to fight against the demons.

We see a woman, Sasha Mitchell, walking outside a church on the countryside. In the backdrop of the scene we can see the forest and the beautiful nature in the small town the church is. Down her chins tears are streaming and there’s a visible pain in her eyes. But beyond the obvious pain and grief she feels, there’s also a determination in her eyes.

INT. FAITH HQ – HOPE OFFICE

FEMALE VOICE
(VO, cont’d)

Strongest among them was an old organization who called themselves FAITH, bring their strength in their religious belief in a crusade against the demons. I was one of them once.

We see a large office with four desks with computer terminals and other desktop utensils. Several other computer related items can be found on the left and on the right there’s a filing cabinet. On the wall in front of a man, Martin, there are two geographical maps – one of the US. and one of the world. On it we can see a couple of red ”hotspots”. In front of the maps we see a crowd of person. One is Sasha Hawthorne, the teamleader for HOPE – a special unit within FAITH. Two of the other three are her colleagues, Danielle Vandross and Richard Maxwell. The three of them are discussing something with the person who is in command over the HOPE-unit, Laura Summers. As the man, Martin, is still just standing there, watching the high-tech looking office in awe, the group turns around towards him with a welcoming smile.

EXT. CEMETARY

FEMALE VOICE
(VO, cont’d)
I proudly carried the banner and waged their crusade, until I saw through the lie that they had been lead to believe. It made me their enemy. They were to blind to see through their old ways. They were wiped out in a secret war between them and organization that called themselves the Order.

Another woman, Jordy Chase, is standing by a grave holding a cell-phone by her ear. On her face there’s a somewhat shocked expression. Slowly she lowers the phone and suddenly it explodes to pieces as a bullet is fired at Jordy, but hits the phone instead. Instinctively she threw herself down behind a tombstone and draws her gun.

CUT TO NEW ANGLE

The angle is placed in front of the tombstone and we can see Jordy slowly peeks out from it. A bullet immediately hits the tombstone and force her back behind it.

CUT TO FIRST ANGLE

Jordy press herself against the tombstone and we now can see the name on the gravestone. It’s Michael St. Clair. Slowly Jordy takes a deep breath, and squeeze her gun hard, then as she exhales the eyes opens and she launch herself up, firing her gun at her attacker.

EXT. HIGHWAY

FEMALE VOICE
(VO, cont’d)
The world laid free for the demons to conquer. It’s strange. They never did. Instead they seemed to vanish from the earth. Magic began to fade, prophecies were lost and relics disappeared. It was as though some mysterious force had cleansed the world of it.

A long, dark slender shape is walking down a highway. Around the highway we can see a desertlike area where a few cactuses can be seen. There’s something dark and menacing around it. The shape stops as a young woman, Darcy Ward, steps into our view. The figure kneels down and they hug each other for a farewell. Then the slender shape emits a bright, intense light which begin to…

FADE TO WHITE

FADE TO EXT. PACIFIC OCEAN

LINE: PACIFIC OCEAN, 2073.

At first the only thing we see is the blue water surrounding us. Then suddenly we see a submarine traveling towards us in high speed. It’s fairly big by todays standard. As it gets closer we can see that the submarine is badly damaged – obviously it has been under heavy fire. Suddenly a cascade of light hits the backside of the submarine and we then realize that it’s still under fire. For a moment the submarine shakes, but it continues forward.

As the submarine pass by we can see the name of it on the side. It’s ”Fury”. It’s not until now we can see who is attacking the submarine. The attacker is also a sub-fighter, a type of vehicle designed for combat situations beneath the water. Just as fighter jets are designed for combat in the air. It’s a lot smaller than the Fury as it’s only designed for one person. At first we can only see one, but then two more appears behind the first one.

PULLBACK CAMERA

We get a wider scope of the area and we see the three sub-fighters in pursuit of the Fury. The first sub-fighter leaves the squad and dives beneath the submarine.

ZOOM TO FIRST SUB-FIGHTER

The sub-fighter dives to gain enough room to start climbing again. As it does that, we see the intent of the sub-fighter. From the nose of the sub-fighter, a light slowly begins to take shape. It becomes more and more intense for each second. Then it is discharged and we…

CUT TO THE HULL ON THE FURY

The cascade of light slams to the hull of the submarine and the Fury yet again wobbles.

INT. THE FURY – BRIDGE

As we cut to inside the Fury, we are on the bridge. The lights are red and we hear a constant signal, that indicates how badly damaged the submarine are. On the bridge there’s three persons – two male and one female, all dressed in the typical UN uniforms. The woman, Lt. Commander Laurie Hawthorne, is sitting with a headset at her station and seems to issuing orders to others on the boat, but her eyes are pinned on the sonar. Across her, the Executive Officer (the XO) – Commander Eddie Koslowski – is checking the monitors at his station. But the camera doesn’t focus upon them – it focus on the Captain, Nicholas Hunt. The Captain is middle-aged, black man that radiates determination at this moment.

The submarine is rocked by an impact on the hull. As it ends he turns his head over at the XO.

NICHOLAS HUNT
How bad is it?

The camera now gives us a better view of the XO – it’s a man in his early thirties with a worried expression his face. His hair is trimmed and black, which matches his moustache.

EDDIE KOSLOWSKI
Bad. The engine seems to be losing power. We’re unable to use the weapon systems. In a few minutes we’re dead – if the enemies hasn’t taken us out by then already.

NICHOLAS
Damn! Hawthorne?

Lt. Commander Laurie Hawthorne, the woman with the headsets, pulls the microphone down and turns towards Nicholas. As she speaks, we notice that she has an English accent.

LAURIE HAWTHORNE
Yes, Captain?

NICHOLAS
Execute the emergency routine. I want everybody off the Fury.

LAURIE
Question, Captain?
(the Captain nods)
When the escape pods are in the water, what keeps whoever it is that is attacking us now from fire upon them?

NICHOLAS
I will.

EDDIE & LAURIE
(in unison)
You?

NICHOLAS
I’ll use the last power to get their attention. It will give everyone enough time to get away safely.

EDDIE
Yeah, right. Like you’re going to pull that one off by yourself. I’m staying as long as you.

LAURIE
That goes for me too, Captain.

Nicholas looked at the determined faces and smiled.

NICHOLAS
(smiles)
So my command staff turns to mutiny? Can’t ay that I’d reject some extra pair of hands. But we don’t want to execute that plan without getting everybody else out of the Fury first.

Laurie nods as she starts to type in command codes into the console at her station.

EDDIE
(in a low voice to the Captain)
You really think that this will work?

NICHOLAS
I don’t know. What I do know is that the things out there are going to sink this boat. I prefer that we don’t lose the crew while they do it. Head over to the engine and direct all the power you can find to our weapon systems.

Koslowski nods and as he heads out of the bridge, we can hear Laurie’s voice.

LAURIE
This is Lt. Commander Hawthorne. I want you all to leave your stations and head for the emergency pods. Follow the procedures and do NOT panic. I repeat, leave your post and head to the emergency pods.

EXT. PACIFIC OCEAN

Underneath the Fury, we can see several small pods starts to drop down. The pods are cylindershaped and not very big – just big enough for a person to fit into. The pods drop about ten meters, then the engines on the pods fires up and they start to steer away from the battlefield.

As the escape pods do that, the Fury starts it’s heavy fire against the enemy boats. Obviously Eddies has found a way to power up the weapon system.

INT. THE FURY – BRIDGE

When the camera cuts back to the bridge, we see that the Captain is at the station where Edie previously was and Laurie is still at her station.

NICHOLAS
I’m losing power on the weapon systems. I need more power.

Before anyone can do anything, the Fury is rocked by another impact.

LAURIE
Koslowski, the Captain needs more power.

KOSLOWSKI
(OS)
Just give me a sec.
(beat – Laurie is holding her breath)
Transferred the last power to you. I’ll head out of here as soon as possible.

EXT. PACIFIC OCEAN

We see how the two sub-fighters that remained in pursuit when the first one broke off from the squad, slows down in speed. At first we get the impression that the Fury maybe has fended them off, but then the earlier sub-fighter returns to the squad. It takes position over the others and, as they proceed forward, it lowers down on the two others. It seems like they’re connecting to each other. The three sub-fighters merge together and at the noses of them, a light forms. It’s brighter than before and larger. As it is released, we…

FADE TO WHITE

FADE TO EXT. PACIFIC OCEAN

As the white light slowly fades, we can vaguely see through the white how the whole rear of the Fury has been blown off. Even though we may not have seen it clearly – still the sound of the explosion is more than enough to give us a impression of how powerful that attack was.

INT. THE FURY – BRIDGE

Everything on the bridge seems to have been remodeled after the hit – even consoles have been lunged away from their places. Both Nicholas and Laurie are getting on their feet, after being knocked to the floor. Laurie looks at the only station that hasn’t been torn apart, as Nicholas is putting on his headset.

NICHOLAS
Eddie, you’re okay? Eddie?!?

LAURIE
He’s dead. The whole rear part is gone, there’s no way he could have survived that. We need to reach the escape pods.

NICHOLAS
(stands up, speechless at first but then shakes his head in denial)
No… He could have. He might be alive.

LAURIE
He’s gone, Captain. We must hurry away before we die too.
(Nicholas seems to be tormented by this and just stands there)
Captain, we need to go. I know that the two of you were really good friends but Eddie is dead. Life is what you make of it – and what sacrifices you’re willing to make. If there’s a greater good, then the death wasn’t in vain. Eddie knew that and his death wasn’t in vain.

NICHOLAS
(looks at Laurie, the nods slowly)
Then I order you to get out of this boat and rescue yourself.

LAURIE
I will and you’re coming with me. The Captain doesn’t have to go down with his boat anymore…

Nicholas nods and the two of them starts to run out of the bridge, heading for the escape pods and we…

CUT TO EXT. THE FURY

As we cut outside, the three sub-fighters have disconnected from each other and are now all involved in firing at the Fury. The light engulfs the Fury, but through it we can see two more escape pods drop down under the submarine. Or rather what was a submarine, it now more resembles of wreckage. Everywhere pieces of the submarine seem to be flowing.

As the two escape pods move away from the Fury, it’s clear that they are ignored by the three submarine. They seem fully focused on the task of destroying the Fury. As the attacks from the sub-fighters finally break through all the boat’s defences, there’s a huge explosion and the Fury is destroyed.

INT. NICHOLAS’S ESCAPE POD

We see the small interior of the escape pod. It just has room for one person, in this case Nicholas. He sits in the chair, surrounded by the escape pods’ controls.

On the control panel there’s a photo which has three persons on it. The first is Nicholas himself, the second person – the one in the middle – is Laurie and the third person is Eddie. The last XO on the Fury. The person who really died with his boat.

NICHOLAS
(whispers as he looks at the photo)
Your death was not in vain, Eddie. I swear that they will pay for this… God speed to you, my friend.

INT. UN BUILDING – LOUNGE

LINE: UN BUILDING, FEBRUARY 4TH, 2073

FEMALE VOICE
(VO)
I remember the old times. I still feel the magic inside me. Once, long ago, I was cursed by a demon called Umagrizh. He cursed me to eternal life so that I should see his grand scheme fall into place. He’s long dead now, but I still live. Even since he was slain, I’ve had recurring visions that took me years to interpret. The visions say that there will a come a time of silence, a time where the world would take their last breath before the dragon would awake and conquer the world. The silence is about to end…

We see the shape of a woman sitting down in a chair in a very luxurious lounge, but we can’t make out her face since we see her only from behind. From the open entrance to the room, across the from where the woman sits, a man enters. He moves forward with great authority to the woman and sits down in a chair in front of her. Even thou there’s great authority around him, he seems visibly shaken. This is the UN president, Joshua Parker.

JOSHUA PARKER
I believe you, no matter how insane it sounds. If it’s true…

FEMALE VOICE
It is. The silence ended yesterday.

FADE TO BLACK
END TEASER
FADE TO OPENING CREDITS