Avatar: The Dark Side of Pandora [2011]

AVATAR AND BEYOND SERIES

AVATAR: THE DARK SIDE OF PANDORA

Chapter One – THE MYSTERIOUS DISEASE

AN 8-FOOT NA'VI MALE swings one-armed on a tree branch, makes a full rotation and somersaults upwards into the sky. He landed perfectly feet first on the ledge-like platform near the base of the branch. It's Jake, wearing the ornate necklace for an Olo'eyktan [Chief], his eyes then fixed on a huge tree approximately 80 meters high at some distance away. He feels the branch vibrating beneath his feet.

Jake: (without looking) This is it, this is our new home!

The petite figure of Neytiri appears and follows Jake's gaze.

Neytiri: (clutches his hand) Yes it will be.

Moments like this, there is little to be said between the two of them.

ITS BEEN TWO MONTHS since “The Great Battle” Pandora, -------- its been two months but Pandora is by binary system of stars which makes the day night

ON THE PLAINS, where the Omaticaya settled after the "Great Battle", there is a already a semblance of their former life. Hunting, fishing, cooking, everyone is doing whatever chores they have in the past.

A couple of Na'vi kids giggle as they run and disappear into the woods. The metallic clank and hydraulic sounds of the Amp suit combine as it chases the kids. The elder Na'vi turns around to see what its all about and smiles.

Norm: I'm coming!

Norm now mans an Amp suit with relative ease – he can be forceful and yet be gentle at the same time. The People have grown fond of him with his help to bring order to the chaos and especially the kids. Make-shift dwellings Well, Norm is kind of like a kid at heart too.

One of kids slows down to a halt and began to cough incessantly. He cups his hand over his mouth and becomes wide-eyed in horror at what he saw – blood.

The incident marks the start of the epidemic that plagued the Omaticaya people.

JAKE AND NEYTIRI have now reached the top of the core trunk of the new Hometree. He sits on a corner with a serious look in his face. The events that transpired within the past month come back to him, flooding his mind with a wave of emotions.

FLASHBACK. The day after the fateful day, all are busy mourning and burying their dead. Mo'at and the People have relented to having the dead humans buried underneath for health reasons. Normally, the Na’vi let their dead in the hollow of the dead tree trunks. The place that was Home-tree is now ground zero lined up with plots and crosses.

JAKE SIGHS as he remembers that another ISV Venture Star will come in two years. The RDA surely will back. But he is more concerned on the more pressing problems at the moment. Norm and Max have been invaluable to him.

Neytiri is watching him.

Neytiri: What's troubling you? The Skypeople… they coming back?

Jake: (smiles wryly, gently caresses her face… and then he sees blood coming out from one of her nostrils.)

AT THE LAB, Max and Norm are testing the blood samples.

Norm: Every one of the people is infected except Jake. His having human DNA can be the reason.

Max: We have yet to see the results but I think Jake's blood have antibodies to fight this mysterious disease. And that's another thing, the disease; we don't know what's causing it.

Norm: The People are dying. And even if we know the antibody, Jake's blood won't produce us sufficient cure for all the people.

AT THE TREE OF SOULS, Jake kneels down praying to Eywa, his queue attached to 3 vines from the tree. He saw visions of a sea creature and a tree with white flowers.

Jake: Did you see that?

Neytiri, her queue also linked to the vine, nods.

Neytiri: It is dugong, the sea friend, you must ride it to get to the Ilang-Ilang tree. That tree is only found in the underwater caves.

Jake: Du-gong?

Neytiri: A sea creature that swims like no other and like ikrans, you will choose your own dugong and he will choose you.

Jake: (Talk about déjà vu) How will I know if he chooses me?

Neytiri: He will play with you.

Jake: Hahahahaha you gotta be kidding me.

Neytiri: You'll see. We must go to the Southern seas and meet the dugong riders and seek their help. They know the way to the underground caves.

Jake: Stay here, you are not well.

End of Chapter One.

Chapter 2 – THE DUGONG AND THE DUGONG RIDERS

AT A BLUE LAGOON, dolphin-like creatures are bonded with the Na'vi playing like a water polo game, in a game of 5 against 5. A large crowd of Na'vi gathered at the picturesque crest of the cliffs. The rule of the game is passing the ball (in this case a fruit like a coconut) to a teammate until they reach the end zone mark where they drop the ball to basket there. If a player drops the ball to the water, ball possession is awarded to the opposing team. Loud cheers are heard when a spectacled Na'vi rushes forward and intercepts a pass. He goes on to face a huge goalie at the end zone (only goalies are allowed to tackle the opposing player).

Crowd: (in Na'vi) Go Bal'tog. Nice one Bal'tog.

Bal'tog maneuvers left and right,and left again, faking with his dugong, the goalie is thrown offguard. He tries to keep up and jumps at the rushing scorer. Bal'tog sees him coming towards his left side. He grits his teeth, crouches, and puts his weight on his right side, traps the ball between his body and the animal as the right arm clutches tight to the queue. He extends his left arm thumping the goalie's chest which pushes him away and he goes down hard into the water. Bal'tog drops the ball uncontested to the ring.

Bal'tog: (grins) Game over!

Crowd: (Sounds of applause)

Their attention is distracted by oncoming group of Na'vi flying in their banshees. Bal’ tog, the young chief, looks up in anticipation.

Seeing the chief, Jake and 2 other warriors directs their banshees to where Bal'tog now sits resting.

Jake: Oel Ngati Kameie, Bal'tog, chief of the dugong riders.

Bal'tog: (in Na'vi) Oel ngati kameie, I have heard of you, Toruk Macto. I'm glad we finally meet. I would have joined you in the battle… How can I be of service to you?

Jake: (in Na'vi) Oel ngati kameie, call me Jake Sully, I am no longer Toruk Macto. But there is not much time; our clan is need of a cure, fast. I'd be very much obliged if you can show me the way to the underground caves… and the Ilang-Ilang tree?

Bal'tog: (keeps on nodding) Ok Jake Sully, my men and I will show you the way, but first, you must get your own dugong. It is the only way.

Baltog waves at his men.

AT THE DREAM GATE (as re-named by Max)

Max: Jake is talking about a dolfinus, the dugong, Grace has done some minor research on Pandora's sea creatures. If Jake successfully captures a dugong, he must pass through a series of underground tunnels and caves. It's easy to get lost in there. Sector 99.

Norm: Look at these tunnels and side tunnels.

Max: (points to a circular area) This is the place right here, the little sunlight that passes through the cave, that why the tree thrives in there. But something is blocking the entrance to the caves, last time I checked, it's not there.

Norm: We better tell Jake about it… but how, I have lost contact with him in hours ago.

Max: Well, there is something you can do about it… I've seen you control the Amp suit… follow me.

Norm follows him to an adjoining the lab room, and sees a Proto-type Aqua suit, basically works the same as the Amp suit, except for some controls.

Max: It won't be a piece of cake but I think you can manage.

Jake: Wow! But this tree, you think is the cure?

Max: We must try; the lives of the People are depending on it.

BACK AT THE BLUE LAGOON

Bal'tog: (in na'vi) Jake Sully, the dugongs are extremely fast swimmers and they are very smart. They are not dangerous but if you want to want to ride one, they will play with you until he is bored. It will take days, sometimes weeks. I got mine after two days.

Jake swims towards a group of dugongs. He spotted the one with reddish freckles. He smiles as it break away from the group and goes toward him. Jake tries to get close to it, but it runs off towards another direction. Half an hour later, he could not even get within five meters from it. As Jake remains inactive, the dugong goes underwater again.

Jake: (whistles using his hand) I haven't got all day for this! TONTO!

Jake's banshee [dragon] came out of nowhere and lowers its tsaheylu [bond]. Jake grabs it and in one fluid motion, gets at its helm and went away.

The dugong resurfaces and looks around to see where his playmate is at. Its face seems quite perplexed. After a while, convinced Jake has left, the dugong swims away leisurely.

CLOSE-UP on the dugong swimming underwater, sea plants and other creatures are to be seen. It surfaces again to breathe when it feels a strong thud on his back. Jake iron-grips its tsaheylu and makes the bond immediately.

Jake triumphantly raises his left hand and heads back toward the chief. Bal'tog shakes his head in disbelief and points his finger to Jake, the entire clan cheers for him.

Bal'tog: (in Na'vi) Incredible, no wonder he successfully captured a toruk.

AT THE SOUTHERN SEAS, Jake, Bal'tog and 5 more riders, navigates at the seemingly endless ocean. Bal'tog raises his hand when he saw the distinct grayish-red rock formations. Down below is the entrance to the caves. Bal'tog and his men dives into the water.

Bal'tog: (resurfaces, talks to Jake) There are boulders blocking the cave. Let's see if we can move them.

All of them took turns but to no avail, it won't even budge.

A huge white figure appears behind them.

Norm in Aqua suit: Am I too late for the party?

Jake: Norm, you came just right on time! Hurry! We have no time to lose.

The Aqua suit goes down under water and surveys the boulders.

Norm in Aqua suit: Scanning… rock thickness 1 meter, rock 1.2 meters, rock 0.70 meter… No problem!

The Aqua suit levels its cannon at the rocks and starts to blast away.

End of Chapter Two.


[UPDATED JULY 22, 2018]


Chapter 3 – THE ILANG-ILANG TREE

BAL’TOG SHOWS the way to Sector 99 with ease. He knows it like the palm of his hand. Soon they stand in awe of the magnificence of the Ilang-Ilang Trees, it’s breadth and height and large roots. The fragrance is intoxicating. The cave sits on an estuary which means freshwater mixes with seawater. Norm saves the passage on his waze. We will take the leaf samples.

AT THE LAB there is it the antibody same as in Jake’s body. The tree is of earthly origin. Max is examining the pictures. No doubt about it. Some explorer might have dropped seeds there. The question is is this the cure? Neytiri steps forward. I volunteer.


End of Chapter Three


Chapter 4 – THE LEGEND OF THE PHOENIX

AT THE BLUE LAGOON the dugong riders are still talking with gusto. From a distance they gestured how Jake captured a dugong. Bal’tog retreats wearily in his cave. It is lit with light bulbs along the way. He dusted off the dirt in his sandals on a doormat and enters his command post. His men are on the computers. Any good news? None of immediate concern. But in case you wanna know the banshees gathering on the Omaticaya Hometree have flown away. As you know hours after the burning of the hometree, banshees (ikrans or dragons) relished on the ashes. I’ve always wanted to ride one. I would get my own ikran. He looks around and saw furtive glances. They are comparing me with Toruk Makto. I have my ways. The Dugong Riders were also educated by the Skypeople but they were predecessors of the RDA. It was here in these same quarters that they study Pandora and teach their old folks. The quarters are actually part of a pyramidal structure that later on camouflaged by earth and vegetation. His late father thought it best to hide the base. But as he withdraws in his room, he is pondering whether it was wise. He began to read for the nth time his favorite childhood story. The legend of the Phoenix.

AT THE LAB the test results are encouraging. Neytiri felt better. The epidemic will be contained. Max has delegated the duties to Norm and his trainees. His mind lingering on the phenomenon he has witnessed. The banshees eat ashes. It is not mind boggling as what natives would say. Humans take charcoal as medicine to diarrhea.


End of Chapter Four


[Updated July 25, 2018]

Chapter 5 – GENESIS

FLASHBACK. Max was working at Pfizer as a Physician when the news of the discovery of Pandora came about. He was ecstatic as he was also an amateur Physicist so when the RDA announced that they are sending an expedition to Pandora he updated his resume and applied for a Physician’s job. There were no opening for such but he can work under Dr. Grace, a Biologist and Oceanographer, among others. He did not mind the demotion. He wants to go to Pandora. The theory of Panspermia was proven correct. Life has the same building blocks anywhere in the universe. NASA narrowed their search to blue planets as the signature of life avoiding Hydrogen-Helium gas planets for they may catch fire. Thus Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune and Uranus are known as sleeping Dwarf Stars. There was a new Space Race. Knowledge has advanced exponentially and man is on the steep ascent. They developed water-powered engines. The next fuel developed is Iodine primarily for Interstellar travel, in addition to liquid oxygen, nitrogen tetroxide, and hydrogen peroxide. Oil, gas and batteries powered by lithium, cobalt, nickel and manganese remains the supplemental power source. They developed jet planes that have thrusters designed for vertical landing. Drone-like Helicopters. Rockets launched time and again into space. They send telescopes farther into space to take pictures of exo-planets - planets outside the Milky Way solar system. Pandora was named after the story of a little girl who opens up a whole new world. It comes as a surprise to scientists that a binary star system would have elements to sustain life. At first the pictures they saw were vegetation and plant life. Later on images of mobile living creatures. What was that animal? Is human-like. They were later on dubbed as the Na’vi. The same building blocks states that irregular-shaped single-celled matter evolved into symmetrical creatures, four-legged animals and ultimately bi-pedals like us. The Na’vi stands 8ft to 10ft. The thin oxygen atmosphere explains the blue tinge of their skin. Like fishes have gills to inhale oxygen from water, the Na’vi have adapted to the mainly nitrogen atmosphere. Theoretically humans can breathe Pandoran air through staggered training. Say one minute of inhalation. Then you go to the Decompression Chamber. Nitrogen is harmful to the blood stream. But if the results will be positive they will gradually increase the exposure. For now the Avatar Project is promising wherein they grow Na’vi humanoids combined with the human DNA from test tubes. The human donor has the capability to transfer his or her consciousness to the Avatar. The art of mind control. Or stealing. The soul of the test tube baby Na’vi is displaced. The Science of Metaphysics is relatively in its infancy stage. In layman’s terms the study of ghosts, ghouls, phantoms, specters, spirits, doppelgangers, angels and demons portrayed in films such as Ghost, Insidious and Flatliners. Psionic Technologies Inc. interviewed those who have experienced blackouts, near-deaths and those who came back from the dead. They do not know what is out there. They come up with an experimental Psionic Link wherein the subjects go through blackouts. The Link allows the human controller to take over the Na’vi body. They probably communicated on the other side. The ISV Venture Star has been transporting humans to Pandora. It is where star ships dock. An outrageous and rather gargantuan task when they build the ISV Venture Star in space. It measures one mile in length. The first explorers brought home the mineral known as Unobtainium. It has properties to make structures weightless. It’s theoretical applications are radical - from manufacturing flying machines to building floating islands. The RDA would gamble on this technology. Max has to go to Pandora. He was leaving his family behind but he wants to live the dream of a lifetime.

MAX REPLACES the picture frame on the table showing him and Grace. He takes another one. His wife and his three children. His crazy wife smiles good-naturedly. He remembers when they read this crazy book Baby-making For Professionals^© written by an obscure writer. It was her gift to him on their wedding day. He reached for the drawer. “We’re so doing this, Love lots Margie” the dedication on the book reads. The appendix has illustrations of the Kama Sutra. 

End of Chapter Five

Chapter 6 – BAL’TOG AND HIS QUEST

BAL’TOG HUNTS for the manticore, the fiercest predator he has ever seen. To capture it patience would be his middle name.

Chapter 7 – THE PHOENIX RISES

THE GRAY MONSTER SPITS fire that steadily burns whatever is in its path. The jungle is enveloped by thick smoke.

Chapter 8 – BAL’TOG VS THE AMAZONS

Chapter 9 – THE SECRET OF THE PHOENIX

AT THE LAB. Max throws Jake a durian fruit. Take a look at this. The fruit splits open revealing its section. The juicy fruit is enclosed by thick shells thereby fermenting the contents. It smells alcohol. The dragon practically stopped by a gin mill and sprayed napalm! Do you know how did it ignited the fire? The dragon swallowed stones! You know sparrows? Those little birds that bounce around, they swallow stones to grind their food. I guess birds will be birds. No seriously Jake. What do we do about it? The dragon has been burning hectares of land on several cases now. Like wildfire.

End of Chapter Nine

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Last Chapter – TORUK MAKTO VS THE PHOENIX RIDER


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AVATAR: THE RDA RETURNS