i v. Setting the Defences
A floor plan of the scene
Guests are now alone. They progress out of the room where Thaddeus was just taken and reach Medical. No music plays. Only Thaddeus’ chilling screams can be heard in the distance. At the end of the corridor we see a small screen, Minerva’s face briefly appears in a ‘blink and you’ll miss it’ instant. Guests are being watched. They move through the Med Lab. The place has seen some action, blood is all over the walls, more scorch marks, dim lighting. The words “We all deserve death” is scrawled across one wall in blood. The team reach a door marked ’Operations’.
The Engineer jumps out at guests creating a startle. He is wearing the same clothes as the engineer in the video and removes his helmet.
426: “Oh thank god, I was beginning to think I’d never see another human being. Wait, wheres the Lieutenant?”
Guests can answer how they wish.
426: “That’s another soul lost to Orcus Corp’s greed. Come on, Operations seems like a good place to hold up.”
426 guides the guests into the Operations room. The door closes behind them. The room has a grey looking blanked out window lining the main wall. There are several consoles surrounding the room. Each with a red button. Two LCD screens are positioned above the window.
The Engineer jumps out at guests creating a startle. He is wearing the same clothes as the engineer in the video and removes his helmet.
426: “Oh thank god, I was beginning to think I’d never see another human being. Wait, wheres the Lieutenant?”
Guests can answer how they wish.
426: “That’s another soul lost to Orcus Corp’s greed. Come on, Operations seems like a good place to hold up.”
426 guides the guests into the Operations room. The door closes behind them. The room has a grey looking blanked out window lining the main wall. There are several consoles surrounding the room. Each with a red button. Two LCD screens are positioned above the window.
The control unit that guests would interact with during the scene
426: “Ok this is a good place to take a minute to get our bearings. I haven’t seen another human in days. This place turned to hell really quick, some of us attempted to make a stand, but those things were just… I heard one of the scientists calling them “The Atrocious” he was rambling about how this was all our fault somehow. That we’d somehow brought them here. All I know is th…”
A large shrieking is heard outside and banging noises all around the outside of the room.
426:”We got company. Ok we need to hold them off”.
The engineer instructs team members to stand at the various consoles around the room.
The console that each guest is stood at holds a red button which triggers a different effect around the room.
426:”Checking the security feeds.”
The two screens boot up. Both showing a corridor.
The engineer instructs the first guest to close the blast doors leading to this section. When done so a sound is heard and the video footage on screen shows the large doors closing.
426:”That should buy us some time”.
The scene continues in a similar fashion. The engineer will instruct the next guest to set up the Sentry guns. When this is done, the video screens would show sentry turrets being activated and firing at our unseen assailants. Flashes behind the window will occur to give the impression that the action is happening right on the other side of the glass. A second set of turrets can be activated also by another guest. Glimpses of the Atrocious would be seen on screens as the engineer instructs the next guests to activate the two flame units. A red light would create the illusion of flames on the other side of the blanked out windows and the shrieks of the creatures would be heard. Pulse mines would be deployed as a last resort with similar suitable effects occurring.
The finale of the scene builds the tension up to an unbearable level. Having deployed our last defences the question is posed. Have guests done enough to fend off the Atrocious?
ENGINEER 426: “I don’t hear anything. I think we managed to…”
As he attempts to finish the line (a homage to a line spoken by Bill Paxton in James Cameron’s ‘Aliens’) A light strobe occurs. During this time the translucent window is slid down out of site and a ‘broken’ window slides down into its place revealing two animatronic creatures that shriek and hiss at guests.
ENGINEER 426:”They’re in! Fall back to the Bridge, follow me!”
The engineer leads the guests out of the room leaving the shrieking Atrocious behind.
A large shrieking is heard outside and banging noises all around the outside of the room.
426:”We got company. Ok we need to hold them off”.
The engineer instructs team members to stand at the various consoles around the room.
The console that each guest is stood at holds a red button which triggers a different effect around the room.
426:”Checking the security feeds.”
The two screens boot up. Both showing a corridor.
The engineer instructs the first guest to close the blast doors leading to this section. When done so a sound is heard and the video footage on screen shows the large doors closing.
426:”That should buy us some time”.
The scene continues in a similar fashion. The engineer will instruct the next guest to set up the Sentry guns. When this is done, the video screens would show sentry turrets being activated and firing at our unseen assailants. Flashes behind the window will occur to give the impression that the action is happening right on the other side of the glass. A second set of turrets can be activated also by another guest. Glimpses of the Atrocious would be seen on screens as the engineer instructs the next guests to activate the two flame units. A red light would create the illusion of flames on the other side of the blanked out windows and the shrieks of the creatures would be heard. Pulse mines would be deployed as a last resort with similar suitable effects occurring.
The finale of the scene builds the tension up to an unbearable level. Having deployed our last defences the question is posed. Have guests done enough to fend off the Atrocious?
ENGINEER 426: “I don’t hear anything. I think we managed to…”
As he attempts to finish the line (a homage to a line spoken by Bill Paxton in James Cameron’s ‘Aliens’) A light strobe occurs. During this time the translucent window is slid down out of site and a ‘broken’ window slides down into its place revealing two animatronic creatures that shriek and hiss at guests.
ENGINEER 426:”They’re in! Fall back to the Bridge, follow me!”
The engineer leads the guests out of the room leaving the shrieking Atrocious behind.
Show Control & Engineering
A sketch explaining the creature reveal effect at the scene's finale.
Each guest will be stood at a button which they must press when instructed by the actor (kind of in a similar fashion to Mission: Space). Each button sets up a certain ‘defence’ and effects will be triggered by these actions. Thus each guest has a part to play in this challenge. For repeatability each button can do different things on each day and the order in which they must be pressed can be switched. The scene would run on Show Control. Here however, the power to trigger effects in the room are in the hands of both the actor AND the guest. The guest would only be given a short time window to ‘trigger’ their effect (so the show doesn’t get thrown off). If the guest doesn’t do as they are told. The defence would be ‘overriden’ and would trigger itself. The broken window effect is similar to the one used in the Universal Orlando version of ‘Revenge of the Mummy’ where a translucent ‘window’ is used, but with a strobe light the window is slid down out of sight and replaced from above by a ‘broken’ window. Revealing animatronic figures behind as though they have broken through. Sound effects and strobe lighting complete the effect revealing the creatures behind. LCD screens and hidden surround sound speakers would feed the scene from an A/V point of view playing both sound effects and a tense soundtrack throughout the scene reaching to a crescendo as the creatures break into the room.
V. MINERVA
The pump which guests will 'power down' to destroy Minerva.
426: "We’re not going to last much longer. We need answers. Follow me, Minerva’s core is this way. Lets finally get us some answers”
The team moves down a corridor past the station’s bridge behind a window. The scene isn’t pretty. Dead bodies, red lights flashing. The shadows of Atrocious creatures stalking the room are cast upon the wall (via projection).
ENGINEER 426: “So much for raising comms to the Salvation.”
Guests reach a door marked ‘AI Systems Core’ and proceed inside.
It is a circular room. Surrounding the perimeter of the wall are various pump consoles and in the centre. Minerva. Many screens of different sizes, all blank at the moment.
426: “Wakey wakey oh wise one.”
The screens boot up and show her lifeless face. Pupil-less eyes that still seem to pierce through you.
MINERVA: “I do not believe you have access to this part of the station ENGINEER 4 2 6 with your current security status”
426: “Promotions happen fast around here. We want answers. What are those things and how do we stop them”.
MINERVA: “The Atrocious cannot be stopped ENGINEER 4 2 6. They are an unstoppable force of hatred and evil?”
426: “Hatred and evil? Yeah we noticed.”
MINERVA: ”It is true. The Atrocious are merely a physical manifestation of the negative forces found in this quadrant of ECS space. Hadrian Wells sent the TERMINUS IV station here specifically due to the energy found in this sector. We were sent here to study the energy And when our scientists found the energy be an actual life form, our efforts then were focused on giving that life form a physical manifestation. There were however, some unpleasant consequences.”
426: “Hadrian Wells, that no good son of a…Fine, then how do we get off of TERMINUS IV?”
MINERVA: “I’m afraid that cannot happen ENGINEER 4.2.6. I am under strict protocols to ensure that no one is allowed to leave TERMINUS IV following the un-pleasantries that have occurred here. ORCUS CORP protocols instruct me to restrict and cover up any unnecessary knowledge of an incident of this magnitude. No one will leave this station. You will all die here.”
426: “MINERVA!! GET US OFF THIS STATION!”
MINERVA: “I am detecting unpleasant words directed from you ENGINEER 4.2.6. A threat of this kind will not be tolerated. Cleansing of AI SYSTEMS CORE will begin imminently.”
The lighting is replaced by a green flashing light.
426: “She’s going to flood the room with gas! That’s it, we’re ending this now”.
Engineer 426 instructs guests to stand at the various pumps situated around the room. He in turn instructs each guest to power down their console. Which is accompanied by a sound effect. Once all pumps are powered down. Engineer 426 stands at the central console in front of Minerva.
426: “Sweet dreams sweetheart”.
He presses the button. The green flashing lights stop and the various Minerva screens start to glitch, switching on and off. Minerva begins to babble inanely as she dies.
MINERVA: “We are responsible for the next step for the human race. We shall be accepted into the greater universe by forces far more majestic than our primitive selves. When the time comes we shall….we shall….we sha…”
Her voice begins to slow and deepen. Still speaking until her last breath. Her final sentence left unfinished. All the screens die out.
426: “I’d consider that a healthy break up. Come on we’re ending this.”
ENGINEER 426 leads the team on.
The team moves down a corridor past the station’s bridge behind a window. The scene isn’t pretty. Dead bodies, red lights flashing. The shadows of Atrocious creatures stalking the room are cast upon the wall (via projection).
ENGINEER 426: “So much for raising comms to the Salvation.”
Guests reach a door marked ‘AI Systems Core’ and proceed inside.
It is a circular room. Surrounding the perimeter of the wall are various pump consoles and in the centre. Minerva. Many screens of different sizes, all blank at the moment.
426: “Wakey wakey oh wise one.”
The screens boot up and show her lifeless face. Pupil-less eyes that still seem to pierce through you.
MINERVA: “I do not believe you have access to this part of the station ENGINEER 4 2 6 with your current security status”
426: “Promotions happen fast around here. We want answers. What are those things and how do we stop them”.
MINERVA: “The Atrocious cannot be stopped ENGINEER 4 2 6. They are an unstoppable force of hatred and evil?”
426: “Hatred and evil? Yeah we noticed.”
MINERVA: ”It is true. The Atrocious are merely a physical manifestation of the negative forces found in this quadrant of ECS space. Hadrian Wells sent the TERMINUS IV station here specifically due to the energy found in this sector. We were sent here to study the energy And when our scientists found the energy be an actual life form, our efforts then were focused on giving that life form a physical manifestation. There were however, some unpleasant consequences.”
426: “Hadrian Wells, that no good son of a…Fine, then how do we get off of TERMINUS IV?”
MINERVA: “I’m afraid that cannot happen ENGINEER 4.2.6. I am under strict protocols to ensure that no one is allowed to leave TERMINUS IV following the un-pleasantries that have occurred here. ORCUS CORP protocols instruct me to restrict and cover up any unnecessary knowledge of an incident of this magnitude. No one will leave this station. You will all die here.”
426: “MINERVA!! GET US OFF THIS STATION!”
MINERVA: “I am detecting unpleasant words directed from you ENGINEER 4.2.6. A threat of this kind will not be tolerated. Cleansing of AI SYSTEMS CORE will begin imminently.”
The lighting is replaced by a green flashing light.
426: “She’s going to flood the room with gas! That’s it, we’re ending this now”.
Engineer 426 instructs guests to stand at the various pumps situated around the room. He in turn instructs each guest to power down their console. Which is accompanied by a sound effect. Once all pumps are powered down. Engineer 426 stands at the central console in front of Minerva.
426: “Sweet dreams sweetheart”.
He presses the button. The green flashing lights stop and the various Minerva screens start to glitch, switching on and off. Minerva begins to babble inanely as she dies.
MINERVA: “We are responsible for the next step for the human race. We shall be accepted into the greater universe by forces far more majestic than our primitive selves. When the time comes we shall….we shall….we sha…”
Her voice begins to slow and deepen. Still speaking until her last breath. Her final sentence left unfinished. All the screens die out.
426: “I’d consider that a healthy break up. Come on we’re ending this.”
ENGINEER 426 leads the team on.
Show control notes
Here is another example of scripted show control. Most of the scene plays out according to a script and appropriate video footage and sound effects work together with the lighting in the room. The actor must do a good job to portray a conversation between man and video screen. The audience participation comes in the form of pumps that are ‘powered down’. This triggers a sound effect. When all pumps are ‘powered down’ then the show continues. This scene gives everyone a part to play and gives guests the feeling that they have actually ‘killed’ the bad guy and are the heroes in an active role as opposed to most attractions where the guests role is a passive one.
V i . Terminus 4 must be destroyed
Theming mockup
The team moves down yet another maintenance corridor. More clanking and rustlings are heard outside. He door marked “Maintenance override access. Level 3 personnel only” is the teams next destination.
This is a small room with a central console in the middle. An LCD screen complimented by a rusty laptop are the only main features in the darkened, rotting room. The console is marked ‘Station Self Destruct Protocol Console’
The Engineer begins typing and the computer boots up. First showing the ORCUS CORP logo, then some schematics of the station.
426: “I knew it! I just knew it! There’s one more evac pod left on this dump. That’s our ticket out of here. But first we have to make sure none of these monstrosities ever get off this place. We’re going to destroy Terminus IV”.
The Engineer continues to type and ‘accesses’ the station self destruct consoles.
426: “Looks like we have to enter passwords to override the system, going to need your help on this one people”.
The scene continues as different questions appear on screen with multiple choice answer options. Guests have to put in the correct answer to progress through the system.
Examples of the passwords and their clues would be things like:
“The Leader of Orcus Corp will bring us to light ” - HADRIAN WELLS
“The other beings will judge us” - ATROCIOUS
“She watches always” – MINERVA
“This station will change all we know” – TERMINUS
These can be added to and updated in order to keep the experience fresh for repeat visitors to Salvation.
Once the set of questions are answered the self destruct sequence is initiated. The screen changes to show this as well as red flashing lights around the room and a female voice announcing that ”Station wide self destruct protocols have been initiated. Please evacuate to minimum safe distance immediately.”
426: “Best do as the lady says, come on. Lets take that evac ship out of this mess”.
The engineer leads the guest out of the room. As the Engineer is about to follow, a creature appears from behind him. 426 turns around just in time and fires his weapon at the creature.
426: “What are you waiting for? You’re on your own, get to the evac. GO!”
The door closes sealing Engineer 426 in the room with the Atrocious creature.
Guests are on their own from here…
This is a small room with a central console in the middle. An LCD screen complimented by a rusty laptop are the only main features in the darkened, rotting room. The console is marked ‘Station Self Destruct Protocol Console’
The Engineer begins typing and the computer boots up. First showing the ORCUS CORP logo, then some schematics of the station.
426: “I knew it! I just knew it! There’s one more evac pod left on this dump. That’s our ticket out of here. But first we have to make sure none of these monstrosities ever get off this place. We’re going to destroy Terminus IV”.
The Engineer continues to type and ‘accesses’ the station self destruct consoles.
426: “Looks like we have to enter passwords to override the system, going to need your help on this one people”.
The scene continues as different questions appear on screen with multiple choice answer options. Guests have to put in the correct answer to progress through the system.
Examples of the passwords and their clues would be things like:
“The Leader of Orcus Corp will bring us to light ” - HADRIAN WELLS
“The other beings will judge us” - ATROCIOUS
“She watches always” – MINERVA
“This station will change all we know” – TERMINUS
These can be added to and updated in order to keep the experience fresh for repeat visitors to Salvation.
Once the set of questions are answered the self destruct sequence is initiated. The screen changes to show this as well as red flashing lights around the room and a female voice announcing that ”Station wide self destruct protocols have been initiated. Please evacuate to minimum safe distance immediately.”
426: “Best do as the lady says, come on. Lets take that evac ship out of this mess”.
The engineer leads the guest out of the room. As the Engineer is about to follow, a creature appears from behind him. 426 turns around just in time and fires his weapon at the creature.
426: “What are you waiting for? You’re on your own, get to the evac. GO!”
The door closes sealing Engineer 426 in the room with the Atrocious creature.
Guests are on their own from here…
Show Control & Engineering
A series of passwords must be entered from clues given on screen (like the clues in a crossword – only hopefully more exciting) in order to set the self destruct. This would originally have to actually be typed into the console by the actor once a team has decided on the answer. So a live user interface would be required here. I think that this would create a whole series of technical issues as using PCs aren’t very reliable in attractions. Making this a multiple choice option and having a touch screen will simplify the scene from a technical point of view whilst not sacrificing the challenge
This challenge is a group effort, with the Actor reading out the clues and allowing any guest to suggest an answer. If the correct answers are not suggested after a certain time the actor will correctly guess, progressing the scene and keeping things moving. I think having the option to fail this challenge could add in more tension to the scene whilst still progressing the scene and not damage the story would be something to think about.
This challenge is a group effort, with the Actor reading out the clues and allowing any guest to suggest an answer. If the correct answers are not suggested after a certain time the actor will correctly guess, progressing the scene and keeping things moving. I think having the option to fail this challenge could add in more tension to the scene whilst still progressing the scene and not damage the story would be something to think about.
V i i. The Hollow
The Engineer is gone, his last words to guests were “Get out of here! the escape pod!” Now guests are alone.
Guests move down a darkened corridor, towards the end a room awaits, but the dim red emergency lighting makes it difficult to see what is actually in there. As guests near the room they will notice a black substance covering the walls.
When guests enter the room, the realisation will kick in. This is the hollow. The nest of the Atrocious. And the only way off Terminus IV is to progress through this maze.
Guests will move through past dead corpses, jumpy noises will surround certain parts of the environment as they pass through. But those aren’t the biggest worry in this room.
The Atrocious are here, they seem to be everywhere. Jumping out at guests from every nook and cranny in the environment. Sometimes up above lashing down , causing guests to duck down to avoid being slashed to ribbons, other times blocking the way entirely. Keen eyed guests will notice that the original function of this room is the Orcus Corp Laboratory, with various science instruments and lab related objects around. An incubator tube lights up and reveals a corpse, causing a scare.
As a big fan of Haunted house attractions, this scene excites me immensely. A detailed environment as a platform for startles and jumps. The creatures will again be costumed actors. The layout of the room would allow for actors to product a scare in one part of the environment and be able to move backstage to catch guests at another point in the room. Minimizing the number of actors actually required whilst still giving guests a feeling of being surrounded.
From a show control point of view the effects of this scene will be continuous with various environmental scares being synchronised to guests moving at different parts of the room. When the actor wishes to give a scare, they can press a strategically placed trigger button which will create a sound, making a terrifying sound as they lunge at guests- a commonly used element of many haunted houses at American theme parks.
Eventually guests will escape this nightmare and progress to the finale of the attraction.
The nightmare isn’t over yet.
Guests move down a darkened corridor, towards the end a room awaits, but the dim red emergency lighting makes it difficult to see what is actually in there. As guests near the room they will notice a black substance covering the walls.
When guests enter the room, the realisation will kick in. This is the hollow. The nest of the Atrocious. And the only way off Terminus IV is to progress through this maze.
Guests will move through past dead corpses, jumpy noises will surround certain parts of the environment as they pass through. But those aren’t the biggest worry in this room.
The Atrocious are here, they seem to be everywhere. Jumping out at guests from every nook and cranny in the environment. Sometimes up above lashing down , causing guests to duck down to avoid being slashed to ribbons, other times blocking the way entirely. Keen eyed guests will notice that the original function of this room is the Orcus Corp Laboratory, with various science instruments and lab related objects around. An incubator tube lights up and reveals a corpse, causing a scare.
As a big fan of Haunted house attractions, this scene excites me immensely. A detailed environment as a platform for startles and jumps. The creatures will again be costumed actors. The layout of the room would allow for actors to product a scare in one part of the environment and be able to move backstage to catch guests at another point in the room. Minimizing the number of actors actually required whilst still giving guests a feeling of being surrounded.
From a show control point of view the effects of this scene will be continuous with various environmental scares being synchronised to guests moving at different parts of the room. When the actor wishes to give a scare, they can press a strategically placed trigger button which will create a sound, making a terrifying sound as they lunge at guests- a commonly used element of many haunted houses at American theme parks.
Eventually guests will escape this nightmare and progress to the finale of the attraction.
The nightmare isn’t over yet.
Copyright Jonathan Bonner 2012