Act 1 Outline

Ptolemy’s father, the famed scientist Eduard Jones, has died in an accident. He and his mother travel to the funeral and memorial services at the Galactic Society’s Lunar Base. This is Ptolemy’s first time traveling to space, despite his father’s line of work and Ptolemy’s dream of one day exploring the solar system as a Galactic Scout under his father’s leadership.​

1. Ptolemy and his mother travel by car to the Galactic Society’s Cardiff base for their flight. While traveling there, Ptolemy reflects on his past experiences at the base when his father worked there. These reflections, combined with the news stories throughout the day, revitalizes Ptolemy’s dream to one day become a Galactic Scout.

2. At the base, Ptolemy and his mother meet their flight crew: Commander Yoonah Lee and Navigator/Co-Pilot Lieutenant Richard Briggs. Yoonah Lee was one of Ptolemy’s fathers last students before he transitioned to his lab off-planet.

3. The launch begins with a traditional plane takeoff down a runway. Once the aircraft reaches the proper altitude, it’s fusion reactor engine ignites, propelling it into space and towards their destination: the moon.

The shuttle arrives at the Galactic Societies Lunar Base of Operations, commonly referred to as the L-BO. Before the funeral, the Jones family are given a quick, somber tour of the base. They are given some time alone to eat and prepare for the memorial later that evening. (“Isn’t it always evening on the moon?”)

1. The shuttle makes its approach and landing inside the crater that houses the L-BO. The crew and Jones family depart the shuttle and into the base.

2. They are welcomed by a lined hallway of petty officers saluting them. Commander Lee guides Ptolemy and his mother on a tour of the facility. Eventually arriving at their designated quarters.

3. Ptolemy is surprised to find that their quarters carries a similar interior design to the shuttle. Every wall has compartments of varying size, but the difference is that with these there are no handles in site. Whenever someone reaches their hand towards the compartment, it automatically releases, and gives them access.

4. Ptolemy and his mother change into their more formal clothes and sit down at the small table in the room. In silence they stare at nothing in particular before Kiki stands up, smooths out her dress, and suggests a tour.

[Possible Opening of the next draft, skipping first 2 chapters] Ptolemy and his mother go on a tour of the base. The walk begins in silence, with the occasional small talk. Society members who approach all step aside and salute the Jones family as they pass. The tour ends at the Tranquility Observation Deck where Ptolemy loses all awareness of why they are there and becomes overwhelmed with questions for his mother about his parents' past.

1. As they open the door to their room, an officer standing at attention across the hall. He salutes them and asks how he can help. The officer leads them on a tour.

2. Ptolemy and Kiki walk through the long, white halls of the L-BO. Ptolemy tries to take in every centimeter of his surroundings. The walls, ceilings, uniforms of the people who stepped to the side and bowed their heads as the Jones family passed by. Everything was somehow better than all the pictures he had seen. Next to him, Kiki doesn’t look at anything except for the few meters of floor in front of her own feet.

3. They pass officer quarters, various multi-purpose/meeting rooms, and the cafeteria. Ptolemy asks about seeing his father’s lab, but he’s told that that isn’t possible as the lab isn’t on the Lunar Base. Both Ptolemy and Kiki are surprised by this.

4. The tour ends at the large, domed observation room where the final touches of the ceremony setup are being checked and applied. Ptolemy becomes overwhelmed with the excitement and awe of the observation deck. Slack-jawed and absent-minded, he walks straight down the middle aisle of chairs and up on to the stage. He walks as far as the can before his face is practically pressed against the glass wall, to get as clear a view of the American flag that was placed there 300 hundred years prior. Resting just above that in a sea of darkness was the blue marble that he had left by shuttle that morning.

5. Having forgotten the circumstances of the situation, Ptolemy excitedly looks over his shoulder with an ear-to-ear smile on his face to see his mom’s reaction. However, she isn’t at the doorway where he left her. He looks around to find her, but at first he only sees the couple dozen faces of officers around the room staring back at him. His heart drops when he notices his mom is also on stage, but her hand is on the closed, white casket containing his father.

The funeral serves as a celebration of both Eduard Jones, whose work the Galactic Society’s success stems from, and Commander Livingstone, one of the original Scouts who went missing on a mission on the same day five years prior. There are numerous speakers throughout who remember both men. Some focus more on Jones, others on Livingstone. Towards the end of the service, Ptolemy is surprised with his acceptance to the Galilean Academy on Mars. He is invited to make the trip with the newest Galactic Scout crew on their inaugural launch.

1. Ptolemy doesn’t know how long the funeral has been going before he started to come out of his haze. The universe continued to move around him, but his place within was frozen from the moment he saw the casket.

2. The current speaker is regaling a story of the first time he met Eduard Jones and was told not to touch any of the machines in the lab. This gets a big laugh from the audience. The laugh is what makes Ptolemy look up from his feet for the first time during the funeral. Intrigued by why everyone, including his mother next to him found this funny, Ptolemy looks at the speaker to see the founder/President of the Galactic Society, Dr. Sarah Mendez.

3. Dr. Mendez says she would be remiss if she didn’t talk about the other occasion for the day, the disappearance of Dr. David Livingstone five years prior. She discusses the importance of the early days of the first scouts, the Trinity: Scott, Livingstone, and Egeria. They were going to be the foundation for which the Society was to build the future of humanity. “When Eduard came to me and told me about about his want to bring on Dr. Livingstone, I called him a lunatic and kicked him out of my office.” Big laughs. “And, you know what, Eduard? I was right. David was an absolute maniac.” More laughs.

4. She continues to describe Livingstone’s willingness to always be the first for any test. How he had no problem going where there were no charts or safety nets. “We would explain to the Trinity that we would lose communications and possibly navigation due to a period of solar flares while trying to set up our Aldrin cycle. David stood up and said ‘great, I could use a moment without hearing your voice for once,’ and got on the ship to leave.” (Or something along those lines)

5. “But that’s what the human race needed and what we still need to continue our existence into the future. In fact, that’s the argument that Eduard made to me when he first suggested the Scout program.” Dr. Mendez then introduces another one of Eduard’s ideas that she thought would never work, but figures she should be proved wrong once again, the Jones Scholarship. This scholarship will be given to three individuals each year for them to begin their studies at the Galilean Academy. Previously, the Martian academy was only open to those that had already completed at least ten years of service at the Lunar Base of Operations, but Dr. Jones always felt that was unnecessary.

6. The final speaker, and the final active original trinity scout, Captain Egeria, takes the stage next. She talks about the early days of the Scouts and how everything they were doing was done in secret. “As you all know, not much has changed.” Laughs. “But, at least you know we exist now.” More laughs. Egeria talks about how after the establishment of the Aldrin cycle there didn’t seem to be a need for another group of Scouts until she got bored. After Livingstone disappeared and Scott retired, she saw the end of their legacy quickly approaching. She and Eduard began their search for the next group of expeditious officers who would inspire the next generation. Tomorrow they leave on their first cycle together and she extends an invite to Ptolemy to join them.

At the wake that follows the ceremony, Ptolemy is filled with confused emotion. Everyone who comes to him and his mother are both filled with empathy and sorrow for their loss, but also want to congratulate him on the invitation to travel with the Scouts. Many people struggle with how to do both. Ptolemy learns that his mother knew that he would be invited and it was part of the reason she kept him close throughout the day and held his hand throughout the funeral. At the end of the wake, when all have had their chance to say goodbye, his father’s casket, which is engraved with the unused speech that would have been delivered by Richard Nixon for the Apollo 11 mission, is lowered under the stage where it begins promession (Body Back method of human burial/disposal)

It quickly becomes clear that not all of the Scouts are happy with Ptolemy’s presence on the G.S. Portugal. Specifically, Captain Earhart sees him as a hinderance and commands him to stay out of most sections of the ship.

1. The next morning Ptolemy says farewell to his mother. Joining the Scouts for an Aldrin Cycle means he will be gone for at least a year. His mother reveals that she knew ahead of time that he would be invited and that his graduation was already approved back on Earth. There’s nothing he needs to worry about except his own future and to learn everything he can. Take whatever opportunity that comes to him. [This may be where his mother introduces the theme stated below, or at least she sets up the idea of “take every opportunity” then someone else directly states the theme below in a later chapter]

2. Ptolemy boards the ship and is escorted by one of the scouts [need to put together a complete list] directly to the room that will serve as hit quarters for the trip. It’s quite small in comparison to what was on the L-BO, but at least it has the essentials. He is instructed to stay there for launch. Someone will come get him later when it’s time to eat. Ptolemy asks if he’ll get to meet the other Scouts then, “if they’re available. The first day of the cycle is one of the most important to make sure that the trip doesn’t get extended.”

3. Ptolemy finds himself alone in the room in silence for the next few hours. His only activities are checking what is in the compartments provided for him and strapping in for launch.

4. When he finally reaches the edge where he is almost becoming angry with regret out of sheer boredom and the realization that he doesn’t have a window to observe what is happening, there is a knock at the door. Egeria walks him to the two rooms he is allowed, the cafeteria and washroom. Rules are simple: they’re called rations for a reason and stay out of the way. Ptolemy feels like the Captain is a completely different person than the one at the funeral the day before. He doesn’t see any other shipmates that day.

A series of shorter chapters dedicated to Ptolemy’s meeting of each crew member. He doesn’t remember what order they happened in, but the first interactions are burned in his brain.

1. Meets two in the mess hall/cafetorium/other name for this. Fairly stand-offish exchange. Feeling uncomfortable, Ptolemy quickly eats and returns to his room.

2. Another crew member comes to his room to get him to take him to talk to Egeria (referenced as his “briefing” a couple of times leading up the chapter after these introductions). The crew member who gets him doesn’t say much or even look at him. (Later revealed that they were instructed to not engage with Ptolemy.)

3. Sees the same two in the mess hall above, loud, charming, & rambunctious Shackleton welcomes him.

4. Invited to the main deck by Shackles. Glimpse of empty space in front. Little bit of motion sickness. Doesn’t feel real, but it doesn’t last long as he becomes distracted by Shackles talking to him. Meets rest of crew.

1. You can’t plan out your life. Your goals are rarely achieved, especially in the way you foresaw.

2. There are many ways to achieve your goal, and your ideal path isn’t always the best for you. Sometimes you do everything right, and still fall short.

3. Others control your fate, even when you don’t interact with them. Sometimes your connections mean more than your experiences. However, connections aren’t always enough. (“Without your father, you wouldn’t even be here.” That’s not fair. I barely knew him. “Whether that’s true or not doesn’t matter to anyone. Except, maybe, you.”)

The Scouts run Ptolemy through the rigors of space travel and give him a taste of the worst aspect of the job. He sees it as them punishing him and being mean, but it’s really a way for them to see if he has what it takes. Can you do the worst aspects of the job that we all must do? This includes stopping at space junk or derelict ships/satellites that were knocked off course during their Aldrin Cycler (orbits of unmanned spacecraft that regularly encounter Earth and Mars to provide constant shipments between the two planets.). These are resources that the G.S. can potentially use. The Scouts can’t take much aboard their own ship, so their job is to log everything they find, and give the precise location. During one of these stops, Ptolemy is left alone on the ship for the first time and has a panic attack while staring off into the abyss of space. The crew come together to support him through it, recognizing that he is still a kid and space-travel isn't a norm for all. Ptolemy recognizes a shift in the way he is now looked at by the crew and feels theirs pity. He strives to prove to everyone that he is capable and will become a Scout.

While logging a derelict vessel, the crew comes across a strange and empty ship the is disconnected/undetected by the Galactic Society’s network. What they originally believe to be an out of service asteroid mining vessel, has none of the equipment they expect. Instead, it holds a small, zero-G sleeping quarters and a computer. The computer appears to control an ancillary pod (or smaller, attached spacecraft) and holds the journals of Commander Scott, who was one of the original Scouts and a mentor to young Ptolemy when his father was still stationed on Earth.

The crew debates about what to do with the computer and the strange secondary craft they found. Is it Ptolemy’s decision or the crew’s? The crew discovers something in the logs that shakes them. Ptolemy does not know all the details.