Clavis
Treatment written by D. Cole Berry & Ivan Kraljevic
from a story by Ivan Kraljevic.
"CLAVIS"
It is only a matter of time but does the human race deserve a new planet to use and abuse?
A successful one-way trip delivers a crew of ten to the Red Planet. Among them are the charismatic and arrogant Captain Mark Brewton (30), celebrated scientist and engineer Harper Keys (40) and Milena Keys (30), chief botanist and pregnant wife of Harper.
The cargo is based on actual existing technology: A carbon molecule computer weighing five pounds, a series of mining robots and a device named the Clavis: a micro-factory the size of a living room that can manufacture anything devised by the computer or humans. You tell it what you need, it designs and manufactures the parts, you put it together. It is literally the Industrial Revolution in a large mobile box, with a planet's worth of resources to use.
It is this awesome technology that enables a small crew to establish a colony on Mars. To ensure
genetic diversity they have brought with them a cache of frozen embryos supplied by financiers from every country of Earth. This is the Earth's best: a collection of wealthy, scientifically designed an aesthetically altered super humans to be. The best of compilation.
John Keys is born. Soon thereafter Harper succumbs to cancer, unable to escape mortality even on Mars. John will never know his father and will be haunted by the brilliant man's sacrifice and lessons left behind on the throughly documented mission. A tearful Milena comforts her infant son with the words of her husband, christening him "the first Martian".
Time passes and the Martian sands are re-shaped. Mark seduces Milena. Their relationship is combative and stressful as the need for life-support spaces, additional robots and agriculture causes endless sacrifice over resources, with the bigger picture of a new future always in mind.
Sixteen years pass. John and Mark have not become family. Mark's appetite for command and consumption runs counter to John's natural thoughtfulness, intellect and leadership. John spends days on end hiking the land of Mars and researching Earth history, consumed by curiosity of his origins and fascinated by the planet he was born to. The colony is a success. Earth promises support and additional colonists. John starts picking up on the colonial nature of Earth people, he also starts to realize his own insignificance and disposability of his life on Mars!
Mark hosts a celebration for the ten original crew members and their children. As the oldest, John is asked to make a speech. He brings the affair to a dark close as he recounts the story of Easter Island: an ancient Polynesian culture who destroyed their eco-system and themselves in the process. The others are uneasy with John's realization, but the moment passes.
John confronts his mother with questions about Earth, the nature of humans, his father and her choices. He realizes he is different. Conflicted, John is torn. In his heart he knows there is a better way, but how?
John's confused feelings about Mark and Earth ways climax with the announcement that a new ship of people and supplies is coming. It's now or never. John can control and create a new culture . He or can ensure his planet doesn't suffer the same fate of overpopulation and destruction, and begin a world done right.
Will he make that step? Will he revolt?
Will his mother let him do it or turn against him?
One man holds the future of a planet and a new humanity in his hands. With Clavis and the embryos he can make a clean start from our history covered in blood.
Edit :3/25/13