(If you haven't, I recommend reading Grant's intro first.--CB)

LAND OF THE LOST

DIAMONDS ARE A GIRL'S BEST FRIEND

by Grant Goggans

PRE-TITLES SEQUENCE



1.  EXT, JUNGLE, NIGHT

TA and CHA-KA wait nervously in a small clearing.  Each carries a
basket-net full of food.  TA also carries a spear.

After an establishing pause, branches part and three SLEESTAK slowly 
but determinedly enter the clearing.  All three are armed with 
crossbows.  One carries a leather bag.

CHA-KA makes a frightened noise and moves back.  TA grabs his 
shoulder, steadying him.  TA moves forward with the spear.

TA
[All right, what have you brought?]

The leader of the SLEESTAK shakes his head and forcefully points at 
TA.

CHA-KA carefully brings his basket to the SLEESTAK, places it on the 
ground, and rushes back to TA's side.

The two SLEESTAK behind the leader look to the basket at the fruits 
and vegetables.

TA bites his lip but does not blink.

The leader of the SLEESTAK turns to the two behind him.  SLEESTAK ONE 
nods in affirmative.  The leader SLEESTAK points to the leather bag.  
SLEESTAK ONE opens the leather bag and places a variety of crafted 
trinkets and tools on the ground.  There are four in total.

TA looks over the trinkets and nods.  While nodding, he points at the 
basket of food the SLEESTAK already have and raises his index finger.

TA
[One.]

The SLEESTAK hiss angrily.  TA raises his spear and steps back.

The SLEESTAK leader gestures with a broad sweep of his arm and 
SLEESTAK ONE, with the bag, adds three items to the pile: two further 
crafted trinkets and KAREN'S PISTOL (*which was lost in episode two*).

TA looks at the new pile of booty and tosses his other basket of food 
to the SLEESTAK.

The SLEESTAK turn and leave silently.

After a beat, TA and CHA-KA look over their seven new toys.  At first, 
TA is oblivious to CHA-KA, but as soon as he notices the younger Paku, 
TA angrily pushes him away.

TA finds the gun especially interesting and raises it by the barrel.


TITLE SEQUENCE


FIRST COMMERCIAL BREAK


2.  EXT.  MIST MARSH  DAY

(*the use of DAY indicates the concurrence with events on the surface.  
The Mist Marsh is very dark and should be lit as though night.*)

A noise like wind chimes is heard over desolate trees and fog.

The ZARN appears from behind a rock and walks towards and past the 
camera.

The ZARN continues, arriving at a large, ugly black spacecraft.

Immediately upon his arrival, a door opens.  The ZARN enters the 
craft.


3. INT. MALATRA'S SPACESHIP  DAY

The interior of the spaceship is silver and gunmetal grey.  There are 
no furnishings of any kind.

MALATRA fills the room, however, he is not revealed to the camera in 
his entirety yet.  He is a large, black, tank-like engine, seven feet 
wide and eight feet long, with a number of video cameras set on a grid 
where the "turret" would normally be.  On the front of the tank, there 
are a number of appendages for different tasks, including pincer-
claws, spheres, screwdrivers, weapons, clamps, and, disturbingly, a 
black human hand attached at the "wrist" to a multi-jointed strut.  
All of these appendages may be retracted inside MALATRA's frame.

With the camera not revealing MALATRA in his entirety, we see the ZARN 
enter the room from above one of MALATRA's videocameras, about six 
feet off the ground.

MALATRA
Good afternoon, Zarn.  You are well?

ZARN
As well as can be expected, being marooned in these time wastes again.  
I assume, Malatra, that you have made some progress in our escape.

As MALATRA speaks, we see the hand and clamp typing on a keypad and 
moving levers on a large control panel in the wall.

MALATRA
The problem is academic, Zarn.  Between our two ships, we posess the 
necessary energy to leave Altrusia.  The difficulty lies in shielding 
the drive.  Your propulsion unit, powered by my Xanxian generator, can 
pull both crafts from this hole.  But the materials of your unit, 
powerful as it is, would disintegrate under the strain.  I believe 
that a crystalline matrix would solve the problem.

ZARN
The creators of this world used crystals to power their time doorways.

MALATRA
Then my computations were perhaps on the correct lines.  We need 
crystals of a large variety, many minerals.  And, if necessary, we 
shall use force!

MALATRA swivels to face the camera, giving the audience their first 
view of him.  The camera zooms in on a small cannon behind the grid 
that houses the video cameras.


4.  EXT.  FOREST  DAY

WILL and KAREN are slowly walking through the forest.

WILL
A wristwatch wouldn't do you any good here.  The days are longer here 
than on Earth.

KAREN
More time to work, or more time to sleep?  I'm trying to think what 
else we really need right now.

WILL
Well, we have food, shelter, good water supply, crystals, defense 
against Sleestak, decent beds to sleep on...

KAREN
Sorry, Will, I've never been a good camper.  I'm used to cotton 
pillows and not straw mats.  This whole "roughing it" thing is for the 
birds.


5.  EXT.  PYLON EXTERIOR  DAY

WILL and KAREN come upon a pylon with its door open and stop.

KAREN
What's Enik doing in there?

WILL
Studying the table.  He's probably a little irritated that the Black 
Enik knew more about the matrices than he does.

ENIK exits the pylon, clearly agitated, and stands between WILL and 
KAREN, the trio forming a triangle.

ENIK
I am completely at a loss to understand how my counterpart was able to 
teleport you from the pylon to the Lost City.

(*Enik is referring to the previous episode*)

KAREN
Well, don't worry about it, Enik.  It's the same table...maybe in his 
world they used them differently.  You can probably do things with it 
that he can't.

WILL
I wonder what's happened to him.

ENIK
It has been a week and we have not heard from him.  If he did not 
escape the City, then the Skulls have probably had him killed.


6.  INT.  MALATRA's SPACESHIP  DAY

ZARN and MALATRA continue their discussion.

ZARN
There is no need for violence, Malatra.  We would be incapable of 
raiding the Lost City at any rate.

MALATRA
Could the primitives repel us?

ZARN
Certainly not.  But you are too wide to navigate the tunnels.  
Instead, we can use my matter transporter to collect the jewels we 
require.

MALATRA
I shall use the direct link between our ships to transfer the 
information you need.

MALATRA turns back to his control panel.  His human hand presses 
buttons on the keypad and a blue monitor screen fills with text.

ZARN
But what if the minerals we need are not found naturally on Altrusia?

MALATRA
We shall improvise.

7.  EXT.  JUNGLE  DAY

WILL and KAREN are walking, presumably home, and towards the camera.

Suddenly, CHA-KA jumps from the camera region at them, startling them 
both and causing KAREN to give a short shriek.

WILL
Cha-Ka!  That was rude!  You...hey!  Cha-Ka!  You're alive!

CHA-KA disregards WILL and and walks to KAREN, who is wide-eyed and 
staring.  CHA-KA sniffs her, and KAREN half-smiles in disbelief.

KAREN
I never thought I'd ever see living representatives of Homo habilis!

CHA-KA (to WILL)
[Will, who is this?]

WILL
This is Karen, Cha-Ka. Karen.

CHA-KA
Kah-Ren?

KAREN
Hello, Cha-Ka.  Will has told me all about you.

CHA-KA (looking KAREN over)
Kah-Ren?
(He turns to WILL)
[Ta must see Karen.]

WILL
Ta?  Why does Ta need to see her?  I thought I was rid of that 
troublemaker.

CHA-KA (taking their hands and tugging with grunts like a small child)
Ta!  Ta!

KAREN
All right, calm down.  We'll go and see Ta.


8.  EXT.  JUNGLE  DAY

WILL and KAREN slowly walk through thicker trees.  CHA-KA is moving 
much faster than them and he frequently has to pause or bound back to 
them to urge them forward.  There is a silent pause as WILL, watching 
CHA-KA's very ape-like movements, considers the situation.  When he 
speaks, it is suddenly and sadly.

WILL
These aren't the same Pakuni I know.

KAREN
How can you tell?  Doesn't he look just like your Cha-Ka?  And he did 
recognize you...

WILL
Well, if you remember what Enik was telling us last night, the pylons 
had an extensive knowledge of everything in the Land of the Lost and 
recreated it, or brought it in from other dimensions, or perhaps from 
the past.  Ta and Sa were killed when my dad left, and when Cha-Ka 
lived with us, he learned a lot of English.  His vocabulary is too 
limited now.

KAREN
There's no indication that you don't know this Cha-Ka, actually.  He 
could be the same one you befriended years ago, and he's just as 
confused as you are that the jungle's changed.

WILL
No.  Something's wrong.  I can feel it.


9.  EXT.  PAKUNI COMPOUND  DAY

There is a small clearing in front of the Pakuni compound, which is a 
large hexagon in the ground, its border indicated with thickly bound 
bamboo walls.  The door in the wall is a narrow and uneven gap, where, 
had the Pakuni continued building it, the walls would have met at an 
angle.  SA quietly gathers roots at the jungle's edge.  SA is 
distracted as CHA-KA bursts through the tree line, and, the instant 
she sees the humans, who follow after a beat, she becomes visibly 
angry.

SA
[Cha-Ka, it is too late for you to be out.  Ta will be angry.  And why 
have you brought the humans?]

CHA-KA (indicating Karen)
Kah-Ren!  Kah-Ren!

SA actually notices that one of the humans is a stranger.  SA looks 
very apprehensive and gestures for them to follow before rushing in 
through the gap into the bamboo walled compound.



10.  INT.  PAKUNI COMPOUND  DAY

In the center of the compound, TA is fiddling with some tool that the 
Sleestak had given him earlier.  Another Paku, a male named AIA-KA who 
is about three years old, is huddled in the corner unobtrusively.  
After a beat, SA rushes into the compound to TA's side, surprising him 
by tugging his fur.  TA drops the tool and SA points out the humans, 
who enter ahead of CHA-KA.  TA is visibly unhappy.

WILL
Hi there, Ta.  Run over any small animals lately?  This is Karen.  
Cha-Ka thinks you should meet her.

Scowling, TA walks in a determined, angry shuffle to KAREN, who offers 
her left hand in friendship.  TA looks at it, sniffs it and then 
shuffles back to the geographic center of the hexagonal compound.  He 
stands as tall as he can and observes each member of his tribe.  SA 
and CHA-KA watch him eagerly.  AIA-KA does not acknowledge the camera 
or TA.

TA
Karen.

KAREN
Yes.  I'm Karen.

TA
Ta.

TA indicates SA, who quickly rises to the same tall, awkward posture 
as TA.

SA
Sa.

TA then points to CHA-KA, who sidles up to KAREN and smiles a 
disarming grin.

CHA-KA
Cha-Ka.

TA scowls, as CHA-KA didn't get it quite right, but it suffices.  He 
then points to AIA-KA, who remains crouched in the corner.  Enough of 
a hesitation is there to anger TA.

TA
Aia-Ka!

AIA-KA turns slowly, affording the camera the first look at his young 
face.  He is terrified and slowly stands, pauses and then rushes to 
WILL, grabbing his pants leg for dear life, and then hides behind 
WILL, effectively placing WILL between himself and TA.

WILL
This guy's new to me, but he must know a Will in some other dimension.  
Hey, little buddy, don't me afraid.

TA (outstandingly mad)
Aia-Ka!!!

KAREN
Oh, Will, I don't like this.  Aia-Ka won't stand up for himself.

WILL
What do you mean?

KAREN
The identification of this tribe, as a tribe, looks very important to 
Ta.  Aia-Ka is not identifying with the Pakuni, but with us, the 
outsiders.

CHA-KA, concerned, comes to AIA-KA's side and tugs his fur.

CHA-KA
[You better say your name before Ta hits you.]

AIA-KA reluctantly lets go, near tears.  He moves to KAREN.

AIA-KA (standing tall but very quietly)
Aia-Ka.

AIA-KA, his obligation finished, then runs to CHA-KA and holds him 
tightly.  TA disapproves with a snarl and wave of his sickened hand.

KAREN observes the situation and slowly, but with resolve, approaches 
AIA-KA.  She leans down and urges CHA-KA aside.  She then places her 
hands on AIA-KA's trembling shoulders.

TA sees this and gets even angrier, but does not act.

AIA-KA stops trembling but gives a nervous mumble or two.  He 
eventually smiles at KAREN.  KAREN offers her right hand and the 
camera focusses on the diamond ring she is wearing.  AIA-KA is 
awestruck and looks very closely at the ring.

TA snarls and stomps over to reprimand AIA-KA, but notices the ring as 
well.  His mood changes instantly and he adopts a very large grin, 
putting his face in KAREN's line of sight.  SA and CHA-KA also come 
over and are entranced by the ring.

KAREN
Will, what is it? What are they --

WILL
They want your ring.


11.  INT.  MALATRA'S SPACESHIP  DAY

MALATRA sits in front of his control panel, typing at the keypad.

The blue screen goes black and the ZARN appears on the screen.

ZARN
All the information you transferred is here.  I am charging the matter 
beam now.

MALATRA
Can you taste it, Zarn?  I feel as though this planet was a living, 
breathing nemesis, over whom we will soon reign triumphant.  It is the 
glorious taste of victor over our prison.  Can you feel the energy in 
the air?

ZARN
No, but your colorful metaphors speak volumes for your race.  The beam 
is nearly ready.


12.  INT.  PAKUNI COMPOUND  DAY

As with 10, WILL and KAREN have been surrounded in a semicircle by the 
suspiciously polite Pakuni.

KAREN
Will, my mother gave me this ring.  They'll have to bargain very hard 
to get it from me.

WILL
If Ta really wants it, he'll get it from you eventually.  If he 
doesn't just steal it outright, he'll probably lead you into a trap 
he's set and only rescue you in exchange for it.

KAREN
Are you speaking from experience?

WILL
Kind of.  And he may have something we really need to survive.

TA goes to a small basket and presents a large, but unimpressive rock, 
pointing at the ring.  KAREN shakes her head no.

TA then presents two short bamboo poles tied together end-to-end.  
Atop each is a rotten carrot.  KAREN smiles this time, but again 
shakes her head.

TA bites his lip, nods sagely, and presents a peanut the size of a 
watermelon.

KAREN (laughing)
Ta, do you have any idea how much this cost?

TA rushes back to his pile as KAREN continues to chuckle.  He offers 
the pistol to her.  KAREN stops laughing quite abruptly.


13.  INT.  PYLON  DAY

ENIK leans over the matrix table, touching crystals and looking up at 
a large, circular monitor filled with smoke.  Presently, he sees a 
long shot of ZARN's ship in the Mist Marsh.  The camera moves to 
reveal MALATRA's ship parked a hundred yards away.

ENIK is concerned, and looks again at each ship.

The picture begins to distort and the image of TAMANY appears on the 
screen.

ENIK
Tamany?  Where are you?

TAMANY
Greetings, Enik.  I am in a pylon like yourself.  Interesting things, 
these.

ENIK
Tamany, break your transmission now.  I was focussing on the Mist 
Marsh.

TAMANY
Oh, come on, Enik.  Surely I'm more interesting.

ENIK
There are two alien spacecraft there.  I must see them.

TAMANY
Did you say "spacecraft"?


14.  INT.  PAKUNI COMPOUND  DAY

As with 12.  KAREN's reaction has let TA know that he holds an 
advantage in negotiations, and he has withdrawn the gun, turning it 
away from the humans and rubbing his index finger up and down the 
barrel.

KAREN
Will, we've got to get that gun!

WILL
You know what he wants, Karen.

KAREN
Can't we...you know, offer him something else?

WILL
Let me give it a try.  Uh, hey there, Ta, old buddy...

TA, who knows this city slicker talk, cuts him off by swiveling on his 
heels and putting his nose in the air.

KAREN
I guess he knows you too well.  Oh, Will, this is my mother's ring.  
It's the only thing I have of her.

WILL
The decision's yours, Karen.  I can't make it for you.  But I've got 
to tell you again that we got by fine without a gun for years.

KAREN
You also didn't have Tamany just waiting to kill you.  Oh, good grief, 
will bullets even work on him?

There is an awkward pause.  KAREN walks to TA, her left hand extended.

KAREN
Ta, may I see that?

TA hands it right over and then, very casually, moves between the 
humans and the door.

KAREN
The clip's still here.  It's a good thing Tamany didn't know I had the 
safety catch on when we had him.  If I hadn't done that, the gun might 
have gone off and hurt these poor creatures.  (Beat, and with a sigh:)  
All right, Ta.  The ring's yours.

KAREN removes the ring and hands it to TA, who brandishes it.  The 
other Pakuni rush to him to see it.  TA raises it high to keep it away 
from them, and, as his hand is stretched above his hand, the camera 
focusses on the ring, which vanishes into thin air.

TA lowers his hand, looking shocked.  The other Pakuni immediately 
look around the dirt floor.  TA rages quietly, looks at the humans, 
and grabs his spear from the compound wall.

KAREN
What just happened?

WILL
I don't know, but it's put us in a mess.

TA advances menacingly towards WILL and KAREN


SECOND COMMERCIAL BREAK


15.  INT.  PAKUNI COMPOUND  DAY

As with 14, the staging the same, camera moved per director.  TA 
advances on WILL and KAREN with spear.

TA
[I'm not playing games.  Give me that crystal.]

KAREN
Where did it go, Will?

WILL
Me?  I thought you tricked them.

TA looks furious and the situation looks tense.  WILL and KAREN back
off, slowly.  SA, CHA-KA and AIA-KA, all afraid of TA, also creep away.

The tension is broken when ENIK suddenly enters the compound.  TA
spins, sees ENIK and drops the spear, startled.  Regaining composure,
he rushes to his family.

ENIK
It seems I have come at a fortuitous time.  It is good that you were nearby.

WILL
Your timing's pretty good, Enik.  What's going on?

ENIK
Perhaps we should move to friendlier quarters.  I believe that the
Zarn is back. (*Zarn and Enik had met in an earlier adventure Mike & I 
wrote.*)

WILL's eyes widen, and they hurriedly exit.


16.  EXT.  JUNGLE  DAY

WILL and ENIK converse urgently while KAREN tries to keep pace.  They 
are constantly moving away from the compound and towards the Mist 
Marsh.

WILL
Are you sure it's the Zarn?

ENIK
I saw two spacecrafts on the pylon monitor.  One was composed entirely
of lights, just like the Zarn's body.

WILL
Two spacecrafts!

KAREN
Pardon me, but what is the Zarn?

WILL
He's an emotionless alien acquaintance of ours, who was lucky enough
to get out some time back.  The Land of the Lost must have tugged him
back just like it did the dinosaurs.

KAREN
Is he friendly?

ENIK
No, but neither is he unfriendly.  Obstinate and arrogant would be a 
good summation.


17.  INT.  ZARN'S SPACESHIP  DAY

The ZARN's ship is as it was seen in season two: a confusing black 
maze with small white lights.  ZARN is behind what might be construed 
as controls.  Behind him, a tube of various Altrusian crystals, 
thinner than a man's arm but seven feet high, is silently hovering.  
The ZARN manipulates controls and MALATRA appears on a small screen.

ZARN
Getting them here was child's play, Malatra, but assembling them into
the correct shielding pattern will be quite tedious.

ZARN suddenly looks around, hearing a noise.  We hear TAMANY's voice
 drifting through with a slight echo.

TAMANY
The spaceships must be around here somewhere.

The ZARN addresses MALATRA's screen image.

ZARN
Malatra, the transfer of the crystals was successful, but someone is
coming.  I shall investigate.

MALATRA
But you have no weapons.

ZARN ostentatiously switches the computer off.

ZARN
Weapons, plehhh.  As though I needed them.


18.  EXT.  MIST MARSH  DAY

TAMANY walks past dead trees, slowly, before stopping to view the two
 spaceships.  The ZARN is standing on the roof of his ship, but TAMANY
 is unable to distinguish exactly where ZARN is and talks to the air.

ZARN
Stop.  Come no closer until you identify yourself.

TAMANY
I'm called Tamany.  I couldn't help but notice your spaceships.

ZARN
Nonsense.  You were searching for them.  What do you want?

TAMANY
What does anyone on this planet want?  To leave it!

ZARN
Well, you seem sensible at least.  You can come a little closer.

TAMANY
Perhaps we can help each other to leave.  I do have some knowledge of
 temporal physics.  Look, where are you?  And who are you?

ZARN's body glows red just long enough for TAMANY to see him and nod.

ZARN
I am Zarn, and your knowledge might be useful.  Why don't you come
 into my colleague's ship?


19.  INT.  MALATRA's SPACESHIP  DAY

MALATRA tinkers at his controls, looking at random images on his
computer.

MALATRA
Let's see what a random assemblage will give us.

The computer screen fills with columns of text and a diagram of what
looks like a DNA chromosome.  After a second, the word IMPURITY fills
the screen in large letters.  MALATRA wheels back a short distance.

ZARN and TAMANY enter the room, with the tall crystal tube floating
behind them.  MALATRA swivels to face them as he talks.

MALATRA
Zarn, something is wrong with one of the crystals we teleported and, 
oh, what have we here?

TAMANY takes a frightened and slow step back.

MALATRA
This is a coincidence.


20.  EXT.  MIST MARSH  DAY

WILL, KAREN and ENIK make their way through the fog and dead trees.

KAREN
So you think Tamany's gone down here to hijack the spaceships?

ENIK
The mark of a fugitive is his desperation.  Tamany is at odds with us,
 the Sleestak and my otherworldly counterpart.  He will do anything to
 leave.

WILL
And Grumpy doesn't like him much, either.  But I'm wondering about
 that other ship.  That alien may not be friendly.


21.  INT.  MALATRA'S SPACESHIP  DAY

MALATRA has backed TAMANY up against a wall while ZARN looks on
 without feeling.

TAMANY
Just my luck to discover a Xerbian wartank here.  You're a good ways 
from the war.

MALATRA
That war which has engulfed our races for centuries has little place 
here.  Survival is the key word in Altrusia.

TAMANY
Yes.  Perhaps you and I can arrange a truce until we're free.

MALATRA
That is acceptable.  There will be no hostilities between us.  I trust 
you now, but break that trust and you will die.

ZARN
Malatra was on his way to some tedious campaign or other when a time 
doorway sucked him in.  I was trapped here some twenty of my years ago 
and fell again through a similar hole in space and time.

TAMANY
You've been here before?  How did you leave then?

ZARN
A native called Enik sent me back.  But I already checked for him the 
instant I returned.  He has gone.

TAMANY
You're mistaken.  Enik is here and has noticed your ships.  He should 
be on his way soon.

MALATRA
Perhaps, as a native, Enik will be able to explain the impurity we 
register in these crystals.

ZARN
He has arrived.  And he has brought others.

TAMANY
That must be Will and Karen.  It's their fault I'm trapped here.

ZARN
Will Marshall, we are in the black spaceship.  Why don't you join us?

TAMANY
You know him as well?

ZARN
Yes, and I find it difficult to believe that he would strand you here.

WILL and KAREN enter, followed after a beat by ENIK.  KAREN is visibly 
surprised by the ship and the aliens.

WILL
Hello, Zarn.  What are you doing back here?

TAMANY
We're just discussing ways of killing you!

Before TAMANY can move, KAREN levels her revolver at TAMANY.

MALATRA immediately reacts by firing a grappling hook that takes the 
gun from KAREN's hand and also firing a yellow beam from a spherical 
appendage that strikes TAMANY's third eye and knocks him down.

MALATRA
There shall be no fighting on my ship.  I am Malatra of the 59th 
Xerbian Elite Destruction Force.  This Nurillian and I have a peace 
pact.

ENIK (stepping forward)
Greetings, Malatra.  I am Enik.  This is Will, and this is Karen.  But 
perhaps you should know that Tamany here is well known for breaking 
peace pacts.

MALATRA
Is that so?  Tell me more, Enik.

ENIK
The last time we met Tamany, he was quite prepared to kill all of us 
in order to leave.

WILL
It's true, Malatra.  He put a bomb in Enik's cave after we'd joined 
forces the day before!

TAMANY
They're lying!

MALATRA
What do you think, Zarn?

ZARN
They may be hopelessly inferior, but they're telling the truth, 
Malatra.  This creature plans to betray us as soon as possible.

KAREN
He's really good about sweet-talking his way into things.

MALATRA drives over to the still prone Tamany, stopping just before 
rolling atop him.

MALATRA
How unfortunate that you are surrounded by enemies.  According to the 
terms of war our races agreed on seven hundred years ago, I am 
forbidden to kill you in front of them.  Leave quickly, alien.  The 
next day we meet shall be your next day alive.

TAMANY (standing)
You forget who is better suited to this environment.  You're in a 
jungle full of swamps and bogs, Malatra.  And when you mire yourself 
in, you're helpless.  And then you're mine.

MALATRA
A plasma bolt from my skyborne ship will be sufficient to sterilize 
whatever hole you hide in.

TAMANY exits by backing out of the door.

ZARN
How regrettable.  He was a most interesting specimen.

WILL
Well, you haven't changed.  You just had him in here so you could 
study him.

ZARN
I certainly didn't believe that he could help us leave.  But you, Enik, 
you can.

ENIK (*referring to an earlier script we had done*)
The matrix table that we used before is no longer open to us, Zarn.
The Sleestak of this world are much more agressive that when you were
last here and have barred us from the City.

ZARN
They are still no more than ants to me.

ENIK
But the doorway and the matrix table are different.  We believe that
the planet might possibly have moved in space.  We could not find
either yours or Malatra's home worlds without knowing where we are.

WILL
And Earth?  You think it's lost to us, too, don't you?

ENIK
I expect so.

MALATRA
No matter, we have an alternate plan.  When the Zarn was here before,
he was unable to leave because the planet's pull was stronger than his
ship's drive.  Now, not only do we have my Xanxian generator to give
it more than the necessary push, but if we shield that engine with a
crystalline field, then the planet cannot hold us.

As MALATRA says field, camera indicates the tube of crystals.  KAREN
walks over to it.  As ENIK talks, the camera should cut back and 
forth from ENIK to a close shot of KAREN and to the crystals.

ENIK
Your plan sounds perfect except for one fact.  You are assuming that 
there is a sky above you.  If you were to fly up, in a 90 degree
vertical line, you would end up back here in this marsh.  This is a
closed universe.  The only way out is through a time doorway.

The camera reveals KAREN's ring among the colorful crystals.

KAREN
Hey!  You have my ring in here!  How did you get it?

ZARN
Is it a crystal?

KAREN
Yeah, it's a diamond ring we just traded to the Pakuni.  They nearly
killed us when it vanished.

MALATRA (who rolls over to the tube during his first sentence.)
It must have been one we grabbed with the matter beam.  Is it from
your home planet?  Let me see.  Ah, this explains the impurity.  There
is a gold band attached to it.  That won't be hard to remove.

ENIK
Malatra, there is no point in your doing that.  Your crystal shield
will not work.  You can give her back the diamond.

WILL
But they have all these crystals, Enik.  They're from pylons and
matrix tables all over the place. (to ZARN) You've got to send them
all back, quickly!

ENIK
I had not realized the danger.  Those crystals are vital in keeping
the environment and the time doorways stable.  Can you use your ship
to scan the outside of the marsh?  See what is happening on the 
surface.


22.  EXT.  JUNGLE   DAY

It is overcast, with wind, thunder and lightning. TAMANY runs through 
the jungle, against the wind.  It begins to hail and he is forced
underneath a tree for shelter.

Cut to insert shots of various dinosaurs roaring and the skylons
frantically blinking colors.


23.  INT.  MALATRA'S SPACESHIP  DAY

ENIK, WILL, KAREN, ZARN and MALATRA are viewing these insert shots on
Malatra's monitor.

KAREN
I haven't seen weather this bad in years.

WILL
I've never seen it this bad.  You've got to send all those crystals
back now.

MALATRA
On one condition.  Enik, can you help us, by sending information
about the pylons and time doorways to this ship?  If you can do that,
Zarn and I can research and perhaps open doorways on the surface to
take ourselves home.

ENIK
But I have no reason to do this.  You must return those crystals or
else the planet will be destroyed.

MALATRA
I would prefer to die in the planet's explosion than slowly waste 
away.

WILL
Come on, Enik.  It won't be too much of a sacrifice to give them the
technical layout of a pylon!  Besides, do you really want the Zarn to
put us through a few of his studies?  The sooner they're out of here,
the better.

ENIK
All right.  I shall bring you the information you need.  But hurry,
send the crystals back.

KAREN
Whoa, hang on, let me get my ring out of this tube.

ZARN gestures and the ring appears in KAREN's hand.  MALATRA moves a
few levers and the rest of the crystals vanish.

Cut to insert shots of the jungle looking normal.

WILL
Wow, that was looking ugly up there.

KAREN
And look at this.  I have both the gun and my ring now.

But there is an awkward pause while WILL looks at her, and a quiet fade to:


24.  EXT.  PAKUNI COMPOUND  DAY

WILL waits alone by the door, quietly.  After a moment, KAREN exits
the compound.

WILL
I'm glad you changed your mind and gave them the gun back.  We didn't
need it, you know.  There's no need for guns in the Land of the Lost.

KAREN (showing ring)
You're probably right.  And I think, since I may never get out of here
myself, and it's just a matter of time before you do, that I need this
little bit of home with me.  It's all I have.

WILL
Besides that, the Pakuni wouldn't be very friendly if we gypped them
in a deal.

KAREN
Watch the "gypped."

WILL
I'm sorry.  But I think Ta would be happy to seal us in a pylon if
we got both the gun and the ring.

KAREN
Yeah, yeah, and it was the right thing to do.  OK, maybe the right
thing would be actually giving Ta his merchandise in the condition
I received it..

TA rushes from the compound holding the gun, pointing to the hole
where the clip should be.

TA points from the hole to the ring and pounds his chest while 
speaking.

TA
[What do you mean?  You broke this!  You should give me that crystal
because you broke this.]

KAREN
Why, Ta, I haven't a clue what you're talking about!  Come on, Will,
we'll toss that clip of bullets into the chasm tomorrow.

WILL
Returning defective merchandise to Ta!  Boy, you're a marked woman
now, Karen.

KAREN
I don't think so.  Let's just say I do believe in one form of gun
control.  I don't let children play with them.

WILL and KAREN exit, leaving TA to fume.



THIRD COMMERCIAL BREAK and END CREDITS

Any characters that you recognize, the title "Land of the Lost" and the show format are the copyrights of Krofft Entertainment and are used without permission. This story, teleplay and the characters of Malatra, Tamany and Karen Hollinger are copyrighted (c) 1991 by Grant Goggans. Aia-Ka I couldn't care less about.