FADE IN: EXT. POMPEII - DAY Gabrielle follows the direction of Xena’s penetrating gaze, and sees Vesuvius in all its majestic glory. Above its crown, a plume of white hangs glittering in the slowly rising sun. GABRIELLE That’s just mist, right?

She looks at Xena, whose expression is unchanged. High in the sky, a large flock of birds suddenly wheels away from Vesuvius like a fast moving cloud and flies very quickly in the opposite direction, crying out their fright. GABRIELLE (cont’d) It’s not mist. Xena, please, what’s going on? Loos halts his insane capering and comes to stand next to her. LOOS Xena knows, Gabrielle. She knows. Even the birds of the air know. God’s judgment is coming, and quickly, too. (beat, louder) Did you hear that, Pompeii?! Be prepared to meet your doom! GABRIELLE Xena.... Xena finally blinks, and turns. XENA Grab him. I’ll get our gear. We need to go. Now. GABRIELLE But.... She finds herself talking to air. Frustrated beyond belief, Gabrielle clenches her fists and raises her face to the sky. GABRIELLE (cont’d, yelling) What in Tartarus is going on here?!?!?

A moment later, Xena ducks back out of the house with their meager belongings in hand. She looks to Gabrielle, then to the still insanely cackling Loos, then back to her partner. Her eyebrow arches. Gabrielle crosses her arms and taps her foot. XENA Gabrielle, we need to go. GABRIELLE And I need answers. Please. What’s happening here? Letting go a soft sigh, Xena crosses the distance between them and, setting gentle hands on Gabrielle’s shoulders, once again turns her toward Vesuvius. XENA Vesuvius isn’t a mountain.

Gabrielle flicks her gaze over her shoulder, her expression one of patent disbelief. GABRIELLE (drawling) Okay…so, what is it if it’s not a mountain? XENA It’s a volcano. GABRIELLE A volcano.... Oh, I get it. Vulcan, volcano, very good. XENA This isn’t a joke, Gabrielle. I saw something very much like this during my time in Chin. GABRIELLE What happened? XENA The top of the volcano blew off in a massive explosion. It was like nothing I’d ever seen before. The ground trembled beneath our feet from the force of it. Liquid fire flew into the sky higher than Mount Olympus, then rolled down the sides of the volcano like a burning river, killing everything it touched. Choking black ash fell like a blizzard, turning day into the blackest night. Thousands died as I watched, consumed in a flood of fire and ash. GABRIELLE (whispering) By the gods.... XENA That’s why we must leave now. Our only hope of outrunning it is to get to the harbor and flee by boat. We’ll take as many people along as we can, but we need to hurry. LOOS Don’t bother with the evil inhabitants of this unholy city, Xena. They’re doomed. They chose to seal their ears against my message and.... XENA And I’m gonna choose to seal your lips if you don’t shut up and come with us. Now. A hard yank to his toga, and Loos does just that. CUT TO: EXT. VIA DEL’ABBONDONZA - DAY Yet again, Pompeii’s main thoroughfare is a scene of utter chaos. This time, however, it is the city’s animals that are causing all the carnage. Sensing the oncoming danger, horses, donkeys, goats, pigs, and a host of other creatures make a desperate bid for freedom. They overturn carts, trample produce, people, and even each other in their terror to get away. Half dressed, disheveled men, most hung-over from the festivities the night before, stand around in dazed confusion as the animals continue to run riot. One of the men, Africanus, stares dumbly at a broken rope that had once tethered his prized goat. Shoving Loos into Gabrielle’s arms, Xena grabs Africanus by the toga and shakes him roughly. He looks up at her, dazed. AFRICANUS She was my best goat. XENA Never mind the goat. You need to gather your family and make for the harbor, as fast as you can.

AFRICANUS (confusedly) What does the harbor have to do with my goat? XENA Your goat ran away because it knows something that you apparently don’t. AFRICANUS And what might that be, pray tell? XENA Vesuvius is gonna blow sky high and anyone left in this city is gonna be nothing but ash. He looks at her for a moment. Then a chuckle sounds deep within his chest, followed by several more, until he is doubled over laughing. AFRICANUS Vesuvius… blowing sky high. Oh, Xena… I’m sorry but… you’re mad. LOOS She tells nothing but the truth, you minion of Satan! The God of Love’s judgment is soon to fall upon your head! Africanus’ laughter only gets louder. XENA (grimly) C’mon, Gabrielle. We don’t have time for this. GABRIELLE Africanus, please. Xena is telling you the truth! Africanus straightens, wiping the tears from his eyes. AFRICANUS I’m sorry, Gabrielle. I like you, I really do. Take care of the Warrior Princess, yes? It’s obvious she’s succumbed to her friend’s insanity. Before she can say more, Africanus turns away and picks his way through the debris, searching for his goat. CUT TO: EXT. BARD ROCK CAFÉ - DAY XENA I’ll go back and get our things. See if you can talk Marcellas Flavias into coming with us.

GABRIELLE I’ll try. CUT TO: INT. BARD ROCK CAFÉ - DAY Oblivious to the chaos just outside, Marcellas Flavias prepares the café for a new day. She turns, smiling as Gabrielle enters. MARCELLAS FLAVIAS Gabrielle! Welcome! You were missed at the festival last night. GABRIELLE (hurriedly) Marcellas Flavias, I need for you to come with me. Now.

MARCELLAS FLAVIAS What? Where? GABRIELLE Please. Just come with me. I don’t have time.... MARCELLAS FLAVIAS The café’s just about to open, Gabrielle. I can’t go anywhere right now. I’m sor.... GABRIELLE Mount Vesuvius is about to erupt. If you stay here, you’ll be killed. MARCELLAS FLAVIAS Mount Vesu.... She smiles. MARCELLAS FLAVIAS It was a mistake for you to spend the night in Loos’ company, I think. Gabrielle, the priests have assured us that Vulcan was pleased with our sacrifice. Have no fear. Pompeii is quite safe. Desperately, Gabrielle grabs Marcellas Flavias by the arm and pulls her outside. The older woman frowns as she sees the chaos in the street. MARCELLAS FLAVIAS (cont’d) What’s happening here? Loos again? GABRIELLE The animals. They know danger’s coming, Marcellas Flavias. They know it, and so does Xena. Please, we need to get to the harbor. It’s our only chance. The woman pulls gently away and looks sadly at Gabrielle MARCELLAS FLAVIAS I’m sorry, Gabrielle. I can’t leave. My café.... GABRIELLE There won’t be any café. Don’t you understand? This city is doomed! MARCELLAS FLAVIAS But.... GABRIELLE Look up at the top of Vesuvius. What do you see? MARCELLAS FLAVIAS A bit of mist. A small cloud. This kind of thing.... GABRIELLE A cloud? Do you see any other clouds around? MARCELLAS FLAVIAS No, but.... GABRIELLE It’s not a cloud. It’s not mist. That mountain is getting ready to erupt. Xena is never wrong about this kind of thing. Never. MARCELLAS FLAVIAS I’m sorry....

GABRIELLE Look. If we’re wrong, what have you lost? A couple of hours? I’m sure your patrons will forgive you. But if we’re right.... Please. After a long moment, Marcellas Flavias finally nods. MARCELLAS FLAVIAS Fine. I’ll agree to your request, but you must help me take down these scrolls. I won’t leave without them. GABRIELLE We don’t have time! MARCELLAS FLAVIAS I won’t leave without them! Gabrielle sighs. GABRIELLE Fine. Just hurry. Please. Laden with their baggage, Xena steps into the café, frowning as she watches Marcellas Flavias and Gabrielle hurriedly pluck scrolls from the walls and stuff them into large sacks. XENA What’s going on? GABRIELLE She won’t leave without them. Xena takes two strides forward before her motion is halted by an ominous rumbling. Suddenly, the ground bucks beneath their feet, throwing Marcellas Flavias and Gabrielle hard to the ground.  Barely keeping her own balance, Xena walks forward tentatively. The shaking stops, then a second, much stronger, tremor shakes the building and, with an ominous crack, part of the ceiling comes down, directly on top of the two fallen women. XENA GABRIELLE!! GABRIELLE!!!

FADE OUT. END OF ACT ONE