Cargo 2011

In the desolate expanse of 2267, where the once-thriving ecosystem of Earth has been ravaged and humanity forced to subsist in the cold vacuum of space, a lone figure stirs amidst the eerie silence of the derelict spaceship KASSANDRA. Medical Officer Laura Portmann (Anna Katharina Schwabroh), young and inexperienced but resolute, is the sole awakened soul on board, her daily patrols through the vacant corridors punctuated by an unsettling sense that she may not be entirely alone.

As she navigates the labyrinthine ship, her unease grows, and she begins to awaken others from their cryogenic slumber. The gravity of their situation becomes apparent when a reconnaissance mission into the unforgiving cargo hold ends in catastrophe, claiming the life of the captain. The remaining crew members are awakened, and Laura’s trepidation turns to alarm as they embark on a second, perilous expedition into the frozen vastness.

Their discovery is nothing short of astonishing: the ship carries a secret payload that contradicts official declarations, sparking a maelstrom of conspiracy and deceit. As Laura delves deeper into the truth, she uncovers a web of lies shrouding the government’s handling of groundbreaking scientific discoveries and the fate of thousands of colonists venturing into the unknown.

A climactic confrontation ensues as Laura faces down the source of misinformation, ultimately bringing proof to light that could spark a revolution. Yet, amidst the chaos, fleeting glimpses of idyllic life on Earth flash across a free-floating TV billboard in space: rolling wheat fields and cerulean skies, beckoning viewers to the distant planet Rhea with Kuiper Enterprises’ seductive promise. The stark contrast between this bucolic vision and the desolate reality of their orbiting world serves as a poignant reminder of humanity’s capacity for both resilience and recklessness.

As Laura Portmann (Anna-Katharina Schwabroh) stands at the departure gate of the space station, she’s poised on the threshold of a journey that will transport her to the farthest reaches of the galaxy. Her video message for sister Ariane (Maria Boettner), who resides on the distant planet Rhea, is a poignant expression of her desire to leave behind the confines of her medical practice and embark on a new adventure as a medical officer on the cargo ship Kassandra.

The ship’s odyssey will span eight long years, with four spent traversing the vast expanse of deep space en route to Space Station 42, followed by another four-year return journey. For most of this time, Laura will succumb to the cryosleep’s numbing effects, her consciousness suspended in a state of dormancy. Yet, she’s driven by a singular purpose: to earn enough credits to fund her own interstellar pilgrimage to Rhea, where she hopes to reunite with Ariane and her family amidst the planet’s unspoiled natural beauty.

The Kassandra itself appears as a decrepit, foreboding vessel, its once-mighty hull now weathered by the unforgiving forces of space. The crew that inhabits this rusty hulk is an eclectic mix of individuals, each with their own unique backstory and motivations for joining this perilous quest. Captain Pierre Lacroix (Pierre Semmler), first officer Anna Lindbergh (Regula Grauwiller), security agent Samuel Decker (Martin Rapold), technician Miyuki Yoshida (Yangzom Brauen), and flight engineers Claudio Vespucci (Michael Finger) and Igor Prokoff (Claude Oliver Rudolph) will all play their part in the Kassandra’s journey to Space Station 42, an automated freight distribution hub that serves as a vital nexus for interstellar travel.

As Decker briefs the crew on the threats posed by the Luddites, a group of terrorists hell-bent on destroying technology, Laura begins to grasp the gravity of their situation. Led by the enigmatic Georg Bruckner (Gilles Tschudi), these fanatics have already claimed several space stations as targets in their campaign of sabotage and intimidation. In response, the Kassandra’s crew is instructed to remain vigilant for any signs of suspicious activity, with Decker serving as the ship’s security marshal.

With the Kassandra finally cleared for departure, the crew settles into their cryosleep tanks, each one taking turns to rise from the depths of unconsciousness and assume watch duties. Captain Lacroix will take the first shift, followed by Laura in a rotation that will continue until they reach their destination. As the ship hurtles through the void, the Kassandra’s crew is poised on the cusp of a journey that will test their resolve, push them to the limits of human endurance, and challenge the very fabric of their existence.

As the KASSANDRA hurtles through the vast expanse of deep space, a mere four light-years from Earth, Laura has been on duty for over six months, while the rest of her crew remains in cryosleep. The monotony of her routine is only broken by the occasional video message from her sister Arianne, whose recorded words are already outdated by the time they arrive due to the significant delay in communication. Her days blend together in a haze of report-filling and patrolling the ship’s sterile corridors, with the ship’s relentless day-night cycle serving as a constant reminder that time is passing. But it’s during these routine inspections that Laura begins to sense an unsettling presence lurking in the shadows. The feeling intensifies until she’s startled by a loud bang emanating from the cargo bay, prompting her to rush down to investigate. What she finds is nothing short of disturbing: someone - or something - is attempting to scratch their way out of the hold.

In a state of panic, Laura turns to security agent Decker, who has been automatically awakened by the disturbance. Together, they proceed to the cargo hatch, only to find convincing evidence that someone has indeed been in the restricted area. The computer’s confirmation seals their decision to investigate further, and they awaken Captain Lacroix to join them on this reconnaissance mission. As they split up to inspect different parts of the vast, dark, icy cargo hold, Laura’s unease grows. And then, in a heart-stopping instant, she witnesses Lacroix plummeting to his death from great heights. In the aftermath of tragedy, Laura and Decker are left scrambling to retrieve Lacroix’s body as the cargo hatch suddenly attempts to close once more, leaving them precariously trapped inside the hold as they desperately try to escape back into the ship.

As the two survivors, (character) and (character), rouse the rest of the crew from their cryogenic slumber, First Officer (Lindbergh) assumes command, tasking Dr. Laura with conducting an autopsy on the deceased (Lacroix) and requesting Yoshida to inspect the cryotanks for any signs of unauthorized awakening. Decker, however, remains ominously silent, his eyes fixed intently on the scene unfolding before him.

The autopsy reveals a shocking discovery: Lacroix’s skull harbors an artificial eye containing a cryptic video recording. As Laura plays back the footage, she is met with a chilling vision of Lacroix opening a container in the cargo bay marked with a ominous “Danger - Biohazard!” warning mere moments before his fatal fall. With this new information, Laura shares her findings with Decker, and together they embark on a second expedition into the cargo hold.

Upon arrival, they uncover a grim discovery: row upon row of coffin-like cooling tanks containing lifeless bodies. The air is thick with unease as Vespucci and Prokoff assist Laura and Decker in attempting to retrieve one of these containers, specifically the tank housing the enigmatic little girl. However, their triumph is short-lived, as without warning, the containers begin to shift ominously, threatening to crush Laura beneath their deadly weight.

With her last ounce of strength, she manages to cling to a container until Decker intervenes, rescuing her from certain doom.

Their return with the tank is met with stern disapproval from Lindbergh, who insists that venturing into the cargo area is strictly forbidden. Laura’s concerns regarding the presence of comatose individuals in the hold and her conviction that something sinister is at play are dismissed by Lindbergh, who attributes Lacroix’s death to an unfortunate accident, suggesting that opening the container must have released a sudden outward pressure change that led to his demise.

However, Decker, as a security agent, exercises his authority to demand an investigation into Lacroix’s death and the mysterious contents of the cargo hold. Lindbergh’s protests are ultimately silenced as Decker grants Laura permission to investigate whether the tank is connected to Lacroix’s fatal accident, setting in motion a chain of events that will unravel the secrets hidden within the ship’s deadly cargo.

As they lift the lid on the mysterious tank, Laura and Decker (Ryan Reynolds) find themselves embroiled in a delicate dance of discovery and vulnerability. Their conversation flows like a gentle stream, meandering through topics as diverse as reunions with lost loved ones to the existential doubts that plague them both. It’s a fleeting moment of intimacy before the tank opens its secrets, revealing a shocking sight: the brain of GIRL (Noa Strupler) has been infiltrated by strange, inorganic tissue that has sprouted from outside her skull like some sort of grotesque garden.

Decker’s analytical mind is quick to diagnose the anomaly as a virtual reality connector, but Laura’s hesitation is palpable. She dare not disturb the comatose girl before unraveling the mystery behind this neural tissue. Decker’s solution? Keep their findings under wraps from the rest of the crew. It’s a decision that will have far-reaching consequences.

Meanwhile, Laura’s attempts to reconnect with her long-lost sister Arianne through a video message are met with an unexpected response – one that arrives with unprecedented speed. Her query is met with silence for months on end, only for it to be broken by a direct reply mere minutes later. The timing is eerie, and she can’t help but wonder what secrets lie beneath the surface. Decker’s evasive answers only add fuel to her curiosity, leaving her feeling like a cat trying to grasp a slippery fish.

But it’s not just Laura who’s digging for answers. Lindbergh (played by [insert actress name]) has her own suspicions about Decker, and she enlists the help of Yoshida to uncover his secrets. What they find is damning: Decker has been secretly leaving his cryosleep tank during wake shifts, raising questions about his true intentions. When confronted, Decker’s attempts to deflect the accusations fall flat, and Lindbergh orders him back into cryosleep for the remainder of the journey.

The fallout is far-reaching, with Laura protesting Lindbergh’s decision to return the girl to her tank, where she’s being treated with medication to regress the artificial tissue in her brain. But Lindbergh remains resolute, leaving Laura no choice but to acquiesce to the harsh reality that lies before them all.

As Laura stands vigilantly by Decker’s cryosleep chamber, he whispers a crucial secret to her: their destination isn’t the intended Space Station 42, but rather Rhea. This revelation sparks a mix of emotions within Laura, who can’t help but wonder if this is a final attempt by Decker to alter her perception of him before entering forced cryosleep. Meanwhile, Yoshida is tasked with scrutinizing the KASSANDRA’s target coordinates, only to discover that they are classified and encrypted. Despite this, she remains convinced that their true destination is not Space Station 42, and that Decker couldn’t have manipulated the coordinates even if he tried. The only individual privy to the real coordinates is Lindbergh, whose evasive behavior raises more suspicions.

As the remaining crew members indulge in a pre-cryosleep celebration in the quarters, Laura decides to check on Yoshida, only to stumble upon her lifeless body on the lower decks. The gravity of this discovery sends shockwaves throughout the ship. Simultaneously, Decker has somehow managed to manually release himself from cryosleep, leaving Laura to frantically search for him and any potential stowaways.

Under the cover of a ventilation shaft, Laura uncovers a hidden storage room filled with discarded food packaging and leftovers. Suddenly, she’s ambushed by none other than Bruckner, the notorious head-terrorist of the Luddites. A brief struggle ensues before Bruckner meets his untimely demise at an unseen hand. As Laura surveys the area, she finds herself surrounded by Luddite propaganda, including photographs and military equipment. A touch panel nearby reveals a video message, which paints a vivid picture of a reborn Earth: lush vegetation and cultivated greenhouses have reclaimed the planet, and it’s teeming with life.

The video then cuts to Bruckner himself, who delivers a chilling monologue about the government’s lies. He reveals that Earth has been habitable once more for some time, allowing the Luddites to thrive outside the system. As he speaks, Decker appears beside him, donning the uniform of the Luddites and proudly holding aloft a “Luddites Unite!” banner. The camera captures their triumphant smiles as they revel in their subversive victory.

As Decker’s predicament unfolds on the main decks, he finds himself at the mercy of Prokoff and Vespucci, who extract every last detail from him regarding the enigmatic Luddites. Under duress, Decker reveals a stunning truth: the colonists on Rhea are not living beings at all, but rather mere simulations, their consciousnesses trapped within an elaborate virtual reality generated by their own brains. The artificial neural tissue in the girl’s head serves as tangible proof of this extraordinary theory, one that Kuiper Enterprises has gone to great lengths to keep hidden from the public. Despite Decker’s claims, the crew remains skeptical, their minds struggling to grasp the implications of such a notion. How, they wonder, can video messages emanate from Rhea if it is indeed a mere simulation? Decker, however, remains tight-lipped on this point, instead confessing to the murder of Bruckner, whose descent into madness had led him to slaughter Lacroix as well. Vespucci and Prokoff take their captive away, but not before they press Decker for more information about Rhea.

Meanwhile, Lindbergh’s concern for the young girl’s well-being prompts her to ask Laura to return the child to the cargo hold, taking over her watch in the process. Laura’s instincts scream warning signals, but it is too late – Lindbergh has already drawn a gun to her forehead, cuffing her with calculated precision. As she begins to reveal the dark truth, the weight of her words crushes any lingering doubts Laura may have harbored. The initial colonization mission on Rhea had been a catastrophic failure, the planet’s ecosystem irreparably damaged. Kuiper Enterprises, desperate to salvage their investment, constructed Station 42 in orbit around Rhea – a gargantuan simulator capable of supporting an entire virtual colony. The “Rhea” colonists never leave their cryosleep pods, instead being directly plugged into the simulation, where they experience a seemingly idyllic existence. Lindbergh herself has witnessed this flawless illusion, one that has allowed the “Rheans” to live out their lives in blissful ignorance of the truth. The simulator serves as a temporary measure, but its secret was essential for maintaining peace back home and preventing the cramped space station dwellers from rising up against their oppressors. Since Laura and Decker now possess this knowledge, they must be silenced – a fate that awaits Lindbergh herself, arrested by Prokoff and Vespucci, who have learned the truth from Decker’s tortured confession. As Lindbergh is carted off to cryosleep, her world reduced to a cold, dark silence, the consequences of her revelations begin to unfold with devastating force.

As Laura and Decker’s partnership blossoms, they converge on a plan to complete the Luddites’ mission while simultaneously rescuing Arianne from the simulated reality. With Decker’s technical expertise, they devise a strategy to manipulate Station 42’s systems, allowing them to dock the KASSANDRA and delay the automatic unloading of colonist tanks by 30 minutes. This temporary reprieve enables Decker to connect Laura to the station’s mainframe via an external VR interface, permitting her to send a message from within the simulation that will discredit “Rhea” and sever all ties between the simulated world and Earth. Meanwhile, Decker will search for Arianne’s tank and destroy its antenna system, effectively silencing the simulation forever.

Months later, the KASSANDRA finally reaches Station 42 in orbit around RH278/Rhea, a fully robotized outpost that has been transformed into a mechanical monolith. As Laura and Decker prepare to conclude their mission, they find themselves drawn together by a shared sense of purpose and camaraderie. Laura confides in Decker about her desire to disconnect Arianne from the simulation and bring her back to Earth, where nature’s rhythms can once again be felt. However, Decker cautions that they cannot guarantee Arianne’s safety or well-being after years spent trapped within the simulated reality.

Just as they are about to embark on their rescue mission, the manhatch of the KASSANDRA opens, and a wide-eyed, alert Arianne emerges from one of the open tanks. The medication has finally taken hold, causing her artificial nerve tissue to regress, and she is now awake and aware. With only moments left before the automatic unloading sequence kicks in, Laura makes the selfless decision to bring Arianne to her bunk, where Decker will need to proceed alone.

Meanwhile, Vespucci and Prokoff have been secretly plotting their own escape from their mundane lives on the cargo ships. They have concocted a plan to connect themselves to the simulation, essentially trading their mortal coil for digital immortality. To facilitate this plan, they require Lindbergh’s access badge, which Vespucci steals from the cryogenically frozen captain. However, his actions inadvertently trigger a timer for Lindbergh’s awakening and reset the unloading sequence to 10 minutes, or else the cargo hold will remain sealed. Undeterred, the duo meets in the cargo hold, enters one of the containers, and prepares to take their place among the simulated colonists. Their plan appears to be working, but the consequences of their actions may soon come to light.

As Decker ventures deeper into space, he expertly attaches explosives to the antenna system of Station 42, his mission unfolding with calculated precision. His gaze then shifts to the location where Arianne’s lifeless body lies, only to confirm that she has long since succumbed to the ravages of time - a poignant reminder of the devastating consequences of their predicament. Meanwhile, Laura finds herself stranded in her spacesuit, struggling to navigate the labyrinthine corridors of Station 42 towards the main hardware module. However, her jetpack’s faulty fuel cell renders it useless, leaving her at the mercy of gravity as she drifts aimlessly towards the void. Just as all hope seems lost, Decker intervenes, skillfully guiding Laura to safety and imparting the heart-wrenching news that Arianne has been beyond saving for some time. In a desperate bid to provide closure, Decker offers Laura the opportunity to enter the simulation and spend one final moment with her sister, transmitting their message from within its virtual realm.

As she agrees to this plan, Laura’s spirits are tempered by the sudden revelation that Vespucci and Prokoff have betrayed them, initiating an urgent countdown as they scramble to execute their strategy and escape aboard the KASSANDRA before it’s too late. With time running out, Decker facilitates Laura’s entry into the simulator, where she is immediately enveloped in a vivid illusion - a world so breathtakingly real that it takes her breath away.

As she navigates this idyllic environment, Laura sets out to find her sister, only to be struck by the uncanny perfection of this virtual realm. Though she knows she must move forward and reveal the truth, Laura finds herself torn between her duty and her sister’s fragile illusion - a cruel dichotomy that ultimately compels her to flee into the woods, where she pours out her emotions as she records the final message, exposing the secrets of Earth, Rhea, and the company’s deceit.

As the simulation fades, Captain Laura finds herself at the precipice of a new reality. Decker’s words ring out, a solemn reminder that only she can return to Earth, armed with the precious cargo of a young girl who holds the key to unraveling the mystery. The ship’s engines roar to life, generating seismic shockwaves that propel Laura and Decker away from the module, their bodies suspended in mid-air like leaves on an autumn breeze. With a Herculean effort, Decker guides Laura back towards the station, even as he surrenders himself to the unforgiving gravity of the planet below. His final words, laced with a deep affection, are whispered to a tearful Laura: “I love you.” As the engines scream their defiance, Laura struggles to reactivate her jetpack, her fingers dancing across the controls in a desperate bid to outmaneuver time itself. With seconds ticking away, she slips into the airlock of the departing KASSANDRA, just as Decker’s sacrifice is consummated by the detonation of explosives that rip apart Station 42’s antennae.

The tumult subsides, leaving Laura bereft and disoriented. Her grief is compounded by the disappearance of the young girl, whose absence sends her frantically scouring the ship’s corridors in search of a vanished treasure. But Lindbergh’s malevolent presence cuts short Laura’s despair, as she finds herself embroiled in a fierce struggle for survival. With a surge of adrenaline, Laura overpowers her attacker and secludes Lindbergh within an airlock that inhales her into the void.

As the KASSANDRA autopilots its way back to Earth, Laura finally locates the girl, safe and sound in the crew quarters. The ship’s systems, now under Laura’s control, begin their gentle descent towards home, where a world awaits, oblivious to the chaos that has transpired in the depths of space.

In the final reckoning, Laura’s message is broadcast across the screens of orbiting space stations, drawing the attention of a captive audience. The words hang in the air like an unspoken challenge: “We will now destroy the antennas.” Fade to black, credits roll.