———–<.thom.>———–

THE GREAT WORKS PROJECT

a puppet play in many parts

Season Two, Episode Five

By Thomas Typewriter

(c) 2020

———–<:type:>———–

FADE IN TO BLACK

From the bottom of the screen scrolls up the following text: 02-05. It moves upwards, pausing a moment in the center of the frame, then continues upward, exiting the frame at the top edge.

FADE OUT

FADE IN

INT. UNROOM NOT.SEVEN

A vast cavern of a space, the full scope of the Unroon Not.Seven is difficult to discern. Small details, such as the wooden disc in the center of the room are visible. Other details such as the rows of grey carpet squares radiating out from the wooden disc, the spindly metallic lamps and their serpentine cords at the ends of the carpet rows. Another discernible detail in this space of fading edges, The OUTER ONE sits on one of many carpet squares patiently waiting for the next show.

POV OF THE OUTER ONE

Small highlights dance across the surface of the wooden disc from the spindly metallic lamps spread across the space. The sound of TYPEWRITER KEYS CLICK CLACKING drifts in.

POV OF OUTER ONE ADJUSTING GAZE TO TAKE IN THE WHOLE OF THE WOODEN DISC.

In the center of the wooden disc appears THE TYPEWRITER ABSTRACT PUPPET STAGE.

TRANSITION FROM THE UNROOM TO THE TYPEWRITER ABSTRACT PUPPET STAGE.

PAN IN ON THE TYPEWRITER ABSTRACT PUPPET STAGE

TRANSITION FROM THE TYPEWRITER ABSTRACT PUPPET STAGE TO THE MID-STAGE

PAN IN ON MID-STAGE.

MID-STAGE: CURTAINS CLOSED

The curtains part and the stage lights turn on, to the sound of A LIGHT SWITCH CLICKING ON, revealing…

MID-STAGE: EXT. THE ALEXANDRIAN LIBRARY, AFTERNOON

The front entrance of the multi-level flagstone and glass Alexandrian Library stretches across the back of the stage. The squarish carved letters of the building’s name loom over the triple set of doors adding to the solidness of the building. A sculpture of an open book balancing on the top of a pyramid stands just out front among ornamental grasses. We hear A CAR DRIVE UP AND PARK. The ENGINE SHUTS OFF. The CAR DOOR OPENS then SLAMS SHUT. FOOTSTEPS APPROACH. THOMAS TYPEWRITER enters from stage-right. He walks past the ornamental grasses, past the sculpture, and up to the front doors. He only enters after taking a moment to admire the weight of the carved letters over the entrance.

…welcome to the spell…
…write your life…
…rewrite your life…

He reaches a hand up lightly touching the letters. Pausing, he makes space for gratitude at something these letters existing and him existing and how now in this moment they meet. The moment acknowledged and the space given, Thomas enters the library through the front entrance. The doors softly close behind him. A butterfly flutters out and away from the grasses.

TRANSITION FROM MID-STAGE TO HIGH-STAGE

THE CAMERA PANS UPWARD. IT MOVES UP AND OVER THE MID-STAGE SETS TO THE CLOUD OF CURTAINS HANGING BEHIND. IT FOLLOWS THE CURTAIN OF CLOUDS UP TO THE HIGH-STAGE AT TOP. IT STOPS WHEN PROPERLY FRAMING HIGH-STAGE.

HIGH-STAGE: CURTAINS CLOSED

The Narrator’s Door opens and Y-Mouse emerges. He is wearing thick black glasses, a button up shirt and khaki pants. An SLF (Solar-Lunar Fleet) name badge is clipped to his shirt with the name “Reginald Wordsqueaker”.

Y-MOUSE
“All is not calm in the Orchestra Pit, headquarters of the vast Solar-Lunar Fleet.”

Y-Mouse exits through the Narrator’s Door. It closes. The High-stage curtains part and the stage-lights turn on, to the sound of A COMPUTER BOOTING ON, revealing…

HIGH-STAGE: INT. OFFICES OF SLF’S DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS, DAYTIME

A large wooden desk built from a baroque pipe organ sits against the wall. Along the other side of the stage is a series of filing cabinets and magnetic tape mainframes. Various instruments clutter pile across the top of the cabinets and mainframes, obscuring the various stuffed animal heads on display. A curved aquarium window curves away off-stage on the other side of the pipe organ desk. MUSICA, she of the golden harp, is sitting at the desk speaking on the telephone.

MUSICA
“No, there have been no updates. Yes, we’re trying everything. Yes…now wait…no…no, we did not realize he was one of your children. Yes. Yes, no…”

MUSIDORA, she of the dark dress, Musica’s twin sister, and second in command of the SLF, enters carrying two cups of coffee. She walks over and hands Musica one of the cups. She then sits off to the side of the desk sipping her coffee as she waits for Musica’s phone call to end.

MUSICA
“We will gladly allocate more resources…yes, oh is that so. Well, you are entitled to your opinion of our work here. And I am entitled to my…Hello…Hello. (hangs up phone) She hung up on me.”

MUSIDORA
“Who was that?”

MUSICA
“The Dianian. Apparently that astronaut who got lost…”

MUSIDORA
“The one making the commercial?”

MUSICA
“Yes, that one. Turns out he was one of her quote-unquote children.”

MUSIDORA
“You don’t say.”

MUSICA
“And she’s blaming us.”

MUSIDORA
“Funny you should say that, because I just got off the phone myself. Had a civil little conversation with our favorite Nutri-Corp executive.”

MUSICA
“Atria?”

MUSIDORA
“Got it in one. See, she also feels the lost astronaut is our fault, and will not stand for Nutri-corp, pardon the pun, bearing any blame. If she gets blamed she’s threatened to pull Nutri-Corps’s support.”

MUSICA
“But they supply all the food for every ship in the fleet. That’d be disastrous.”

MUSIDORA
“I know. What did the Dianian threaten.”

MUSICA
“She’ll go to the Selenian and the Heliosian.”

MUSIDORA
“The big bosses. (pauses) Well we don’t want that.”

MUSICA
“No we don’t. So what…”

ALARM SIRENS erupt cutting off Musica mid-sentence. Musidora and Musica rush out of the office exiting stage-left. The High-stage curtains close. They reopen revealing….

HIGH-STAGE: INT. THE ORCHESTRA PIT CONTROL ROOM, DAYTIME

The Control Room looks very similar to an actual orchestra pit. Chairs arranged in a semi-circle around a raised podium in the center. Though along the back wall, behind the seats but facing the center podium, is a giant over-sized music stand. Alarm lights blink and KLAXON HORNS buzz in the background.

Two large pages of sheet music stand spread across the over-sized music stand. On the pages are a series of moving images. Musical notes, each depicting a different sparkship, are moving around the page as they orbit the Ir-Ra. It appears as two rotating circles in the center of the two pages. The outer circle appears as a treble clef measure and rotates clockwise. The inner circle appears as a bass clef measure and rotates counter-clockwise. Off to the side of the Ir-Ra, there is a tangle of sharp notations making an almost solid black cloud. Any sparkship near the cloud are yellow. In the cloud can be seen one red sixteenth note.

Currently there are fourteen spots arranged around the conductor’s podium, set up in two rows. Each spot has a chair and music stand, except center back row. It has a music stand and a set of timpani. All of the chairs are occupied except two. Seated in the front row, stage-left to stage-right are: VICTORIA OPENWINDOW with her violin, An empty chair with a pearlescent violin on a stand, CRICK CRICKETS with his pseudo-clarinet, VIOLET WOLFBEARD gripping her viola in clawed hands, DULCIAN CURTAL hidden behind her bassoon, HAUT DOUBLETONE resting his oboe on his lap, TIMBRE SCRAMLEDEGGS slowly drawing a bow across his cello, and lastly ARCO PLASMATORCH plucking a rhythm on his Double Bass. Seated in the back row, stage-left to stage-right are: An empty chair containing a french horn folded from the pages of a lost book, CHRISPUS TOPSHELVES with his trumpet, MEL COPPERPOT playing the timpani, TAWNY THINWHISTLE gripping a trombone, and lastly GAUNTLY’S elongated form wrapped inside a tuba. STELLARITE FERN is standing on the conductor’s podium pointing to the various members of the mission control. REGINALD WORDSQUEEKER enters from stage-left and sits down in the empty chair in the back row. STELLARITE FERN stands on the podium watching him enter.

STELLARITE FERN
“Glad you could join us Reginald. Updates people. What’s going on out there.”

ARCO PLASMATORCH
(plays a few short notes on his double bass) “There’s a sudden disturbance along the surface of the Ir-Ra.”

STELLARITE FERN
“Is the Ir-Ra condensing?”

Chrispus Topshelves plays a few notes on his trumpet and looks at the sheet of music on his music stand.

CHRISPUS TOPSHELVES
“No. Energy readings suggest something else.”

STELLARITE FERN
“Okay. Start rerouting all sparkships away from the disturbance.”

Everyone picks up their instruments and commences to play. The notes depicting the sparkships on the giant sheet music display start to change course, drifting away from the Ir-Ra center.
Musica and Musidora enter from stage-right. Stellarite Fern bows in their direction before stepping down from the podium. She moves over and takes a seat at the empty chair in the front row.

MUSICA
“What’s going on people.”

STELLARITE FERN
“There has been an energy surge near the surface of the Ir-Ra.”

MUSIDORA
“It looks like a thunderstorm.”

STELLARITE FERN
“Yes, it is very similar in appearance. Initial scans showed two objects caught in the storm, but sensors now only show one. One of our sparkships.”

MUSICA
“Which one.”

Musidora looks at the display and studies the red sixteenth note in the storm of sharp notes.

STELLARITE FERN
“Unknown currently. Possibly the Carro. Last known coordinates place it near the disturbance.”
The display zooms in onto the lightning storm. A ship symbol can be seen flickering in the lightning.

MUSIDORA
(looking at display)”Looks like we are not quite able to pierce that storm with our sensors. (looks at Musica) Sister would you be so kind?”

Musica brings up her harp and starts to play. A WISTFUL MELODY spreads out. Musidora closes her eyes to listen, bat-like ears popping up on the top of her head.

MUSIDORA
“That is definitely the Carro.”

The Carro’s symbol vibrates and grows brighter. Just then COLORI PASTELLI and OTHO MERCUTIAN enter on a raindow beam from stage-top. He lands next to Musidora. We can see that he has all his colored stripes.

COLORI PASTELLI
“Evening ladies, sorry to interrupt. (looks around) Looks like you have more than enough paint on your brush, but it is of grave importance.”

MUSICA AND MUSIDORA
“Colori. Otho.”

OTHO MERCUTIAN
“Is my son alright?”

MUSICA
“There’s been a storm of unknown origin.”

COLORI PASTELLI
“And the Carro. Lucido was on that ship correct.”

OTHO MERCUTIAN
“Yes.”

MUSICA
“Yes he is, and it is caught in that storm. We can’t get to it.”

MUSIDORA
(looking at Colori) “Though you are welcome to try your usual brash heroics.”

Colori looks at the display and thinks. He closes his eyes and shimmers. His grey stripe is gone replaced by yellow. Next to him stands GRIGIO COLORI.

COLORI PASTELLI
“Can’t fly there. Too far from the Nine Hills. Can we use the grey spaces?”

GRIGIO COLORI
(rubs temples) “Let me think.”

The stage-lights dim and a spotlight sparks to life illuminating Grigio. Everyone else in the scene freezes as we experience an asideal moment.

GRIGIO COLORI
(pulls out a scriptbook for The Great Works Project) What does the script say. Lets see, lets see. Season one, season two, okay, episode one, two, three, ahh, four. Here we go. (Reading from scriptbook)”Grigio Colori quiet and reserved looked at the available information to answer Colori’s question. Looking at the large sheet music display he realized a path was possible. GRIGIO: “I can do it but I’ll need three points to use as relays.”

Grigio puts the scriptbook away and the spotlight cuts out. The stage-lights return to normal and everyone unfreezes.

GRIGIO COLORI
“Yes I can use the grey, but not for the whole distance. I’ll need three jumping off points. Three ships in a near straight line should do it.”

Colori nods yes.

GRIGIO COLORI
(to Musica and Musidora) “Give me three ships in a line to the Carro.”

Musidora nods at Grigio then gestures at the orchestra. They place their instruments at the ready. She conducts them in a short medley. The images on the sheet music display change. It zooms in a bit and three of the ship icons glow. A dotted line connects them.

MUSICA
“You could use the Orfe.O, the Dido+Aeneas, and then the Julian 3.”

Colori and Grigio study the display then look at each other and nod. Colori, taking Otho, flies off stage in a colorful rainbow. Grigio flies off the other way on a greyscale rainbow.
The storm grows bigger on the display and the surface of the Ir-Ra ripples.

MUSICA AND MUSIDORA
“Good luck.”

The stage-lights turn off with the sound of A COMPUTER TURNING OFF and the curtains close.

TRANSITION FROM THE HIGH-STAGE TO THE MID-STAGE

THE CAMERA DETACHES FROM FRAMING THE HIGH-STAGE AND PANS DOWNWARD. MOVES ONTO AND DOWN THE CURTAIN OF CLOUDS, OVER THE TOP OF THE MID-STAGE SETS, FINALLY STOPPING ONCE MID-STAGE IS PROPERLY FRAMED AGAIN.

MID-STAGE: INT. THE ALEXANDRIAN LIBRARY MAIN FLOOR, DAYTIME

A help desk sits in the center of the stage. THE FRONT DESK LIBRARIAN sits at the desk sorting books. A large sign with the library’s name sits over the desk. THOMAS TYPEWRITER enters the from stage-left and approaches the desk. The Librarian stops checking in books and looks up at Thomas.

THE FRONT DESK LIBRARIAN
“Hello, how may I help you?”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Hi. Could you tell me where I can find the cook books.”

THE FRONT DESK LIBRARIAN
“Straight back and up the stairs. Go through and past the fiction section. Non-fiction’s right behind it. Cookbooks should be by the big bay windows.”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Awesome. Thanks.”

Thomas exits stage-right. The librarian goes back to checking in books. Here you might notice that the spines of the stack of books to be checked in contain an overlapping design of two abstracted brain hemispheres. Each a different color.

The curtains close then reopen revealing…

MID-STAGE: INT, THE ALEXANDRIAN LIBRARY SECOND FLOOR, DAYTIME

An entrance way and large window stand to the stage-right while a small table and bookshelves stand to the stage-left. Signs hang over the entrance way denoting “Non-fiction” and “Fiction” stage-left while “Checkout” is stage-right. The small table has a series of books on display. A sign on the table reads “Staff Picks”. Thomas enters from stage-right walks across the stage to stage-left. He walks past the small table and almost keeps walking but instead stops and turns.

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“No, it couldn’t be.”

He examines one of the books on the shelf, Latchkey Kids of Randomness by Johnathan J. Wheelwright.

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“It is. That book that girl was reading. I wonder?”

Thomas opens the book and starts to read. Drawn in he slowly sinks to the floor. He continues to read, lost in a good book. The stage lights turn off with the sound of A LIGHT SWITCH CLICKING OFF. The Mid-stage curtains close.

FADE OUT