Oxygen Audit
Format: Sci-fi interrogation
Approx. length: 1-3 minutes
Original audition scene

INT. SPACE STATION SECURITY ROOM - ARTIFICIAL NIGHT

A red light pulses. CAPTAIN RO is seated opposite LIO, a maintenance engineer.

RO
The station lost fourteen minutes of oxygen.

LIO
Technically, it misplaced them.

RO
Do not be clever.

LIO
That is difficult. Panic makes me witty.

RO
You opened Vent Corridor Three.

LIO
Yes.

RO
Without authorisation.

LIO
Also yes.

RO
Give me one reason I should not confine you to quarters.

LIO
Because you need someone who knows why the vents froze.

RO
You caused the freeze.

LIO
I caused the symptom loudly enough for you to notice the disease.

RO stands.

RO
Say that plainly.

LIO
The algae beds are dying. Their output has dropped for weeks. The reports were altered before they reached you.

RO
By whom?

LIO
Someone with access above my pay grade and below your conscience.

RO
You endangered four hundred people.

LIO
No. Someone already endangered them. I made it inconvenient to ignore.

The red light shifts to amber.

RO
Show me the reports.

LIO
Unlock my hands.

RO hesitates.

LIO
Captain, if I wanted to run, I would have stolen gravity, not air.
