By late in the 21st century the nations of the Earth were finally at peace,
working together to explore and colonize the distant reaches of space.
Unfortunately, we weren't alone out there.
A race of nonhuman aliens called the Dracs were claiming squatters’ rights
to some of the richest star systems in the galaxy.
Well, they weren't gonna get it without a fight.
Space was the new battleground.
For many of us, Earth became a precious memory light years away.
Our only home was a fortress in space.
As in any war, there were long periods with nothing to do but wait.
And then...
All personnel to battle stations. Prepare to launch. This is not an exercise.
Flight Leader, this is Echo Two. Four bandits at three o'clock.
Roger, Echo Two. I copy. Right 90 and go for it.
Echo Six to Flight Leader. They're pulling the yellow line.
Roger, Echo Six. Cleared hot one-on-one with two backup.
Let's snuff 'em and get home early. I got a hot date with Murcheson.
- The nurse? - This time she's gonna give in, I guarantee it.
Isn't that the same Murcheson we called the White Balloon?
Come on, she's lost 20 pounds.
- Gotcha. - Attaboy.
- Yeah. - Six more bandits on three.
- Leader, copy? - Roger. They thought we didn't see 'em.
- Well, I didn't. Did anybody see 'em? - I see 'em now.
- Well? - Bandit on zero.
Hold on to your lunch, Joey.
Echo Six, bandits closing.
- Where is he, Will? - He's right on your damn...
- Oh, Jesus. - Bastard.
- How many Ks we got left? - Another 65, but we'll have a heat problem.
- What the hell's Will doing? - Say your prayers, toadface.
Shit.
Engine heat beyond normal.
Blast him and let's go. That's Fyrine IV down there. Unexplored territory.
OK, Joey.
- We're hitting atmosphere. - Visors down.
I lost him. What's on the scope?
- Willy, pull outta here. We're gonna burn up. - Dammit. Where is he?
He ejected. He's out. The bastard's out.
Come on, Joey. We're punching out.
Oh, shit. Get your nose up.
Come on. Get your nose up.
That's it.
Get up. Get up. Easy.
Come on, Joey.
Come on.
- You OK, Will? - Yeah. I'm fine.
When you see Murcheson,
just don't call her the White Balloon anymore.
- It hurts her feelings. - OK, Joey.
And don't let the guys call her that.
I liked her.
It's a promise, Joey. Now you be still. You lay quiet.
- Will? - What?
I'm really tired.
Hey, Joey.
I'm sorry, Joey.
I'm sorry.
I could see where the Drac fighter went down.
Its ejection capsule couldn't be far from the wreck.
I just hoped it wasn't dead yet.
It's funny, but I'd never actually seen a Drac.
I knew they were completely inhuman.
Not even male or female,
but both, bundled together in a scaly, reptilian body.
Burn, you mother. Burn.
You blew it, toadface.
Hey, Drac. I'm hungry.
Hungry. You understand that? Hungry? Huh?
Hey, you understand any English, toadface?
What? Urgh.
Stick it.
So your name's Jerry Shigan. So what?
What? D'you wanna know my name?
Willis E Davidge.
How about some food?
Some food? Give me some food.
Food.
You're kidding.
Oh, Drac. Wake up, Drac. Wake up.
Cut me loose.
Help me. Cut me loose.
Help me.
Yeah, you said it.
No.
Look, Drac. I coulda killed you easy. You owe me one.
What'd you say your name was? Your name? Your name?
Jeriba Shigan.
All right.
All right. Now, listen.
Listen. Listen.
Meteors fall here.
- Many meteors. You understand "meteors"? - Meteors?
Zeerki fall here. Many zeerki. No?
We're out in the open.
If we stay here, we... we die. Die.
Die.
Yeah. What we gotta do is we gotta take all the... the...
the goodies out of that thing of yours.
Yeah, neesay.
Naesay. Naesay. Yeah, naesay.
And get our butts up higher in the forest. Up there.
At least there's some cover up there. Cover? You know "cover"?
Exactly.
I'm glad you agree.
Yeah, yeah.
Next time, huh. I'll put that knife right up your kazoo.
If you've got one.
OK, toadface.
You gonna shoot me? Go ahead. Shoot me.
Come on, shoot me. Go ahead and do it now. Shoot me.
Cos whether we live or die, I don't love you and you don't love me.
But we're stranded here, you understand? You get it or don't you gavey Engleesh, huh?
Yeah, phtuga.
Write and tell my mother, you big frog.
Look.
We've got to...
What we gotta do is we have to build a shelter. With stones.
Shelter. You gavey? Shelter?
It was slow going.
Since I had to communicate with that lizard, I tried learning a few words of its crude lingo.
Hey, Drac.
Drac...
Forget it.
Enough talk. Let's get on with it, huh?
Shit.
Of course, the Drac was picking up a few words of English, too.
- Yeah. - Shit.
Shit? What do you mean, "shit"?
No solid.
"No solid. " I'll show you.
Not solid.
My left foot.
My right foot.
This is my left foot.
This is my right foot.
And these are both my feet.
- Yeah, great. - Yeah, great.
This is my head.
That is your ugly head.
No, no.
This is my head. That's is you head.
You ugly head.
That is Davidge ugly head.
All right, that's enough.
Keep that up and you can learn English alone because I won't be your teacher anymore.
Sorry, Davidge.
That's better.
You know, while you're having such a good time and doing nothing,
I am trying to think of ways to improve our situation.
- OK. - You know the old saying:
If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.
Davidge, you learn this from great Drac teacher, Shizumaat?
- No, from Mickey Mouse. - Who?
Is this great Irkmann teacher?
Yeah.
Sort of.
Uh, forget it.
Mm. Delish.
Have one.
Don't forget who helped me acquire the taste.
Besides, I'm going to improve the menu.
Soon we picked up.
One side or other side.
What, with the war going on?
We got more chance of catching a Greyhound bus.
Humans.
Easy you give up.
Shizumaat teaches us "Intelligent life takes a stand. "
Where'd you get that crap? Out of that book you're always readin'?
I'm the one that's takin' a stand. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you sons of Shit-mat.
- Shizumaat. - Yeah, whatever.
This war begun by you. By humans.
You know something, Jerry? Your great Shizumaat eats shit.
Irkmann, your Mickey Mousssse is one big, stupid dope.
Yay. Meat.
Hey, mother. You stay there, you mother. Hey. Hey. Hey. Aha.
You dirty, rotten son of a bitch.
Shit.
Hey, goddamn.
Get outta here.
Oh. Get me outta here.
God.
Thank you.
Go ahead.
Argh. Oh. God.
You saved my life.
- Why? - Maybe I need to look at another face.
Even as ugly as yours.
So you still think humans are ugly, huh?
Compared to a Drac, very ugly.
But that thing out there, it's even more ugly than you.
- Thank you. - You are welcome.
Ha-ha. That's it.
Even that thing under the ground couldn't bite through this. I bet they're meteor-proof.
They're meteor-proof.
- What? - Zeerki-proof. Zeerki-proof.
Jerry, old Drac,
- where would you be without me, huh? - Back home.
Aw, shit.
Hey, Professor, how about a little help, huh?
Don't you ever get tired of reading that book?
No.
Well, what's in it anyway?
Things.
Oh, for Christ's sake.
It is called Talman.
It contains the words of our great teacher, Shizumaat.
I suppose you have to know the Drac language to read it, right?
It would help.
So teach me the Drac language.
It is not for you, Davidge.
Shizumaat is too good for us humans?
- Not too good for humans, too good for you. - Now you're a judge of character.
Do you not remember what you say about Shizumaat?
Yeah, well, maybe you forgot about what you said about Mickey Mouse.
That was wrong.
I did not mean it.
I didn't mean what I said about Shizumaat either.
Jerry, what are you...
This book must be given to the pupil.
I then become the master.
I am not worthy, but there is no one else here.
Now read.
Time passed, as time does.
We ate, we slept.
And sometimes I listened to the skies for some faint hope of rescue.
In the meantime I studied its language and read its Talman.
Translate.
"If one receives evil from another, let one not do evil in return. "
"Rather, let him extend love to the enemy, that love might unite them. "
I've heard all this before in the human Talman.
Of course you have.
Truth is truth.
But what you have not yet learned is the way we Dracs express the truth.
The words of Shizumaat must be sung.
Let's go.
Come on, Jerry. Move it.
Come on.
Get up, damn you.
What do I have to do, carry you, you lazy bastard?
- I am sorry, Davidge. - We live like animals.
And you get so fat you can barely move.
- You'll never conquer the universe like that. - We were here 1,000 years before you.
Well, in case you haven't heard it, Dracface, we legally annexed this star system.
- You invaded this star system. - Bullshit. You're the invaders.
No, we are explorers. We are founders of worlds.
What do you think we are, Dracface? Homebodies, huh?
- We settled twice as many worlds as you. - Exactly. You spread like a disease.
- What the hell are you gonna do about it? - You see what we do about it. We fight.
Ha-ha. Some fighter you are. You wouldn't last a week without me.
- You lie. You owe your existence to me. - We'll see about that.
You get out of my shelter. Get out. Get out.
You get out of my shelter, you son of a bitch.
It's my shelter. I built it, OK?
You son of a bitch. I'll kill you, you bastard.
I'll kill you.
I think we're starting to go crazy.
What we have to do, we have to start movin'.
You think we really are alone out here?
Of course we are alone.
I don't know.
I had that dream again.
There's this big ship in my dream.
It's so loud, I wake up.
But then I can still hear it.
It was a dream.
I don't know.
Maybe.
But I do know if we stay here, we die.
Sooner or later we'll die.
If this planet don't kill us, we're gonna kill each other.
You sure you won't come with me?
No, Davidge.
I stay here.
I have no interest in your dreams.
Any chance is better than no chance.
Oh, come on, Jerry. You're just being stubborn.
No, I am not just being stubborn.
If I find help, I'll come back for you.
And if you do not?
Then I guess we both die.
Alone.
I'll see you later.
Hello.
Anybody?
They're core samples.
Scavengers.
What I'd been hearing at night was the scavenger ship.
The scavengers were human all right. Barely human.
They were outlaw miners who raped whole planets for precious ores.
They hunted Dracs for slave labor, so we tolerated them.
I could only hope they'd found nothing.
I had no idea what I was gonna say to Jerry.
How cold do you think it's going to get?
I don't know.
I guess we'll find out.