Location: "Alien Ruin"
Character: "Infected Apprentice"
I imagine Prometheus style scene, dramatic scifi scene where a guy is dying after getting bitten by an alien snake.
Misty alien planet. An enormous spaceship, half-buried in a bog. Headlights of a planetary rover, tiny by comparison, illuminate the entrance.
Inside the ancient hallways of the ship, two astronauts in space suits. The younger one is dying in the older one's arms.
"I'm sorry, captain," the younger one coughs, "I guess I won't get to complete our mission. Tell Monica I love her."
"Don't you dare say that, Charlie! You'll tell her yourself! We just need to get this thing off of you."
Both look at a creepy alien parasite wrapped around Charlie's arm, it has bit through his suit and is sucking the life out of him.
Premise prompt: Inappropriate things to say or do in this situation.
First unusual thing: The guy protects the snake.
The captain reaches with his pocket knife to detach the snake, but Charlie stops his hand.
"Captain... Captain, I have to tell you something. Don't harm the snake."
"What? What are you talking about!"
Justification: Because he's a preservationist.
"This snake is a part of nature, it's beautiful. We can't come to this planet and disrupt the natural order."
Heightening 1: worried about their extinction, but there's more of them than locusts.
"Charlie, you've lost too much blood, you're not making sense. This is an alien monster, it belongs in a nightmare, not nature!"
Charlie summons his remaining strength, grabs the captain, and pulls him in to stare deep into his eyes.
"My fate is sealed, I may be dying, but I won't be responsible for killing the snake. What if we drive this beautiful species to extinction?"
"We both have seen the pools swarming with these things, Charlie! There's more of them than there is of anything in the galaxy."
Heightening 2: Laterally, if he's concerned about the snake preservation, what else would he say/do/believe/feel? It's applying all the preservationism ideas to terrifying alien planet and disgusting creatures that never should have existed. Aha, different ways he thinks it's majestic?
"Yes, captain! And every single one is beautiful and unique! Look at this one's suckers! I bet there isn't a single space snake in the world with the suckers just like these!"
"It is a disgusting abomination! If there was ever a scientific proof that there's no God, this is it!"
Heightening 3: Impressed by evolutionary adaaptation? Palying with it like a puppy?
"You don't get it. Everything has its place in nature. The snake is perfectly adapted to its environment. Look, I can already feel it gnawing on my bone and trying to suck out my bone marrow. How did this little guy even know how to do that?"
The captain throws up. Charlie continues adoring the snake.
"Who's my little perfect killing machine! Who holds my arm in its slimy death grip? You are, yes you are!"
I think that's a valid ending, but can I think of one last move? Well, Charlie probably dies? The captain sees the snake's beauty, honors his wish?
"Kid, you're nuts. But I will honor your last wish, I will protect this snake with my life."
"Thank you, captain."
Charlie coughs once more, and slowly closes his eyes, for the last time.
"Ah, the circle of life," the captain tears up, and takes the well-fed snake back to the rover.
Not super happy with this ending, since the ending should be the funniest most ansurd part, or some really cool twist that still makes sense. Ah well, still pretty cool.