Chapter 13: Opening Night

Eight months later, Nat completed the film. All three couples were present for the premiere, dressed in their finest clothes. The studio went with the traditional send-off, including searchlights in the sky. Dan’s blue hair rinse had faded, but he found an electric blue bow tie to wear with his tuxedo.

Searchlight

Eight months later, Nat completed the film. All three couples were present for the premiere, dressed in their finest clothes. The studio went with the traditional send-off, including searchlights in the sky. Dan’s blue hair rinse had faded, but he found an electric blue bow tie to wear with his tuxedo.

Searchlight

After posing for photos on the red carpet and brief interviews with the tabloid TV shows, they all moved inside and took their seats at the back of the auditorium, exchanging greetings with several of their film’s producers.

Natalie was confident after attending a test screening (“sneak preview”). As the film played, she again enjoyed the audience reaction. When the Imperatrix peeked into Lenk’s loincloth, laughter filled the room. The lakebed chase came off just as she intended. But the climax of the film was a huge kinetic battle in space.

Gary had occasionally expressed dissatisfaction over Nat’s apparent entrapment inside the visual effects department. But Nat had the whole sequence plotted out carefully. The tiny Mukha, with a crew of only five, buzzed around and between the empire’s capital ships.

At one point, the large cannons, trying to track the Mukha (but unable to keep up), accidentally raked over and disabled a “sister” ship. In return, the Mukha used one of the obliteration guns that they took from the fortress to dematerialize the lobe carrying those large cannons. Two of the empire’s massive battleships were now out of action, thanks to a ship no larger than 5% of their size.

The battle continued, and the empire finally used small fighters to pursue the Mukha more effectively. The film followed established conventions, which meant engines and explosions were noisy on the soundtrack even though sound doesn’t pass through the vacuum of space.

Blasts now bombarded the Mukha, and inserts depicted the crew bouncing around under enemy fire. They showed little Seleya upside down, seemingly weightless, as she frantically operated switches and buttons in a supposed engineering console.

When all seemed lost, a rebel task force came into view over the limb (horizon) of the desert planet below them. Equipped with a massive beam weapon, the largest rebel ship, a heavy cruiser, blasted holes through the larger empire ships. Outgunned, the empire ships began to flee, except for the one that lost propulsion thanks to the Mukha.

“We need to get out of here! They’re not going to surrender; they’re going to self-destruct!”

The last scene showed the little Mukha fleeing an ever-expanding sphere of blazing energy and debris. The edge was getting closer and closer, but the energy was also losing intensity as it expanded farther and farther from its source.

The blast wave passed over the Mukha, causing the little ship to flip and shudder. Inside the ship’s confined spaces, the crew was crashing around. Finally, though, the disruption was over.

“Damage report!” cried the captain.

“Nothing we can’t fix. What did you have in mind?”

“Fortune and glory!”

Natalie was beaming as the audience burst into applause. Then, as the credits rolled, the house lights came up.

Gary hugged her and whispered in her ear.

“This movie of yours is going to make millions and make your career.”

“No, Gary. This movie of OURS will make millions. And what’s mine is yours. My contract gives me a percentage of net earnings and other clauses.”