———–<.thom.>———–

THE GREAT WORKS PROJECT

a puppet play in many parts

Season 03, Episode 04

By Thomas Typewriter

(c) 2020

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FADE IN TO BLACK

From the bottom of the screen scrolls up the following text: “03-04”. 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 IN THE UNDECORATED SPACE

The unroom, and by extension the screen, sits dark. A soft light turns on in the unroom Not.Seven. A few of the details regarding the unroom become visible: the wooden disc in the center of the room, the rows of grey carpet arranged around the disc, and the thin spindly lamps at the end of the carpet rows.

THE CAMERA IS CURRENTLY AT THE POV OF AN OUTER ONE SITTING ON A CARPET SQUARE LOOKING AT THE WOODEN DISC.

THE CAMERA LOOKS DOWN.

A hand comes into view. It is the hand of THE OUTER ONE. This will be same hand that suffered a papercut from the scriptbook in a previous episode. The ends of the fingers are not fully there anymore. Bits of flesh are missing, replaced by glowing text and numbers. The whole hand glitches. The Outer One rotates their hand examining the changes. The sound of TYPEWRITER KEYS CLICK CLACKING drifts in from off-frame.

THE CAMERA LOOKS UP.

The wooden disc sits empty and dim. Unseen lamps over the disc flip on. The TYPEWRITER ABSTRACT PUPPET STAGE suddenly appears in the light.

TRANSITION FROM THE UNROOM TO THE TYPEWRITER ABSTRACT PUPPET STAGE.

PAN IN FROM THE OUTER ONE’S POV TOWARDS THE TYPEWRITER ABSTRACT PUPPET STAGE.

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

CONTINUE TO PAN IN ON THE TYPEWRITER ABSTRACT PUPPET STAGE, SPECIFICALLY THE MID-STAGE AREA. THE CAMERA WILL CONTINUE TO ZERO IN ON THE MID-STAGE UNTIL PROPERLY FRAMING THE MID-STAGE.

MID-STAGE: CURTAINS CLOSED

The curtains of Mid-stage part. As they open, the Mid-stage’s stage-lights turn on with the sound of A LIGHT SWITCH CLICKING ON revealing…

MID-STAGE: EXT. OPERAHOUSE FRONT PORCH, DAYTIME

A wooden front porch runs along the width of the stage. A front door sits to the stage-right side. A canoe sits in the rafters of the porch near the stage-left side. Various planters, all empty, sit on the rails. An outdoor thermometer can be seen next to the door. It reads 31 degrees Fahrenheit.
THOMAS TYPEWRITER kneels on one knee in front of OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE. They are near the door. He holds up a small jewelry box.

OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE
“Are you proposing to me?”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Yes, and before you answer let me say that your prospects with me don’t look good. Every studio has turned down my scripts, I really have no other job skills, and I will soon be completely broke. I strongly suspect something is broken inside me, something that you or me lack the skills to fix. I am at an utter loss.”

OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE
“Really. That’s your sales pitch. Marry me, my life is horrible. Am I the lifesaver for the drowning man in this scenario.”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Among other things.”

OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE
“And you thought I’d fall for that.”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“I really didn’t think that far. I just sat in my apartment after the studios dropped my script options and was thinking about what I had lost, and I was more scared that the most interesting, intelligent, thoughtful, sexy person would, could, be out of my life. (pauses) I love you, I need you, please marry me.”

OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE
(leans over and kisses him on the top of his head) “Of course, I’ll marry you, you weirdo.”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“AWESOME!”

He puts away the jewelry box, stands, then embraces Ophidia. She breaks away to ask a question.

OPHIDIA OPERHOUSE
“Let me see the ring?”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“What ring?”

OPHIDIA OPERHOUSE
“The engagement ring. The one in that box?”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“I don’t have a ring. The jewlery box was for dramatic effect.”

OPHIDIA OPERHOUSE
“Will there be a ring in the future.”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Maybe. Probably.”

They kiss.

TRANSITION FROM MID-STAGE TO HIGH-STAGE

THE CAMERA TRANSITIONS FROM MID-STAGE TO HIGH-STAGE. IT PANS UPWARD PAST THE TOP OF THE SETS OF MID-STAGE, ALONG THE CURTAIN OF CLOUDS THAT LINES THE BACK OF THE STAGE, UP TO THE HIGH-STAGE. THE CAMERA ENDS ITS PAN FRAMING THE HIGH-STAGE.

HIGH-STAGE: CURTAINS CLOSED

The Narrator’s Door opens. Out walks Y-MOUSE, ice pack held to head with one hand, glass of water in the other. He puts down the glass and ice pack. Searching his pockets he finds a packet of medicine. He tears it open and pours the contents into the glass.

CUT TO EXTREME CLOSE SHOT OF THE GLASS Y-MOUSE BROUGHT OUT.

Two effervescing tablets fall in. The tablets bubble as they slowly sink to the bottom.

CUT BACK

Y-Mouse picks up the glass, giving it a swirl before drinking it. He then reaches for the ice bag, lifting it to his head. He takes a sip. The bubbles tickle his nose and he grimaces. He turns to the camera as if to say something, pauses, then changes his mind. Turning, Y-Mouse exits through the narrator’s door. It closes. The High-Stage curtains part. The High-stage lights turn on with the sound of A COMPUTER TURNING ON revealing…

HIGH-STAGE: INT. ROOM 302 ON THE MEDICALSHIP THE FLUTE, DAYTIME

A stark room of space-age plastic accented by baroque woodwork. Three Medi-pods are distributed evenly across the room. Two smooth metallic doors sit between the pods. One door is the entrance door to room 302, the other is the door for the bathroom. A large curving window sits to stage-left running up and out of sight. Outside the window, a starscape tumbles by. On the other side of the room, stage-right, stands a vid-screen wall. PANACIA THERAPUETAE enters the room, Medical Maestro device tucked under her arm. She walks over to the furthest Medi-pod, removes the Medical Maestro’s stylus and presses it against the Medi-pod.

PANACIA THERAPUETAE
“Maestro, status update please.”

The Medical Maestro’s display lights up.

CUT TO CS OF MEDICAL MAESTRO SCREEN

The top left corner of the display contains three lines of text.

PATIENT: Cedar Cornelius Waxwings
ADMITTED: 1 day ago
CONDITION: Stable

The rest of the display contains a thick line outline of Cedar. The left side of his face and chest blink bright red representing his injured areas. His left arm blinks a dark red.

CUT BACK

Panacia walks over to the next Medi-pod. She touches the stylus to its side.

PANACIA THERAPUETAE
“Maestro, status update please.”

The Medical Maestro’s display lights up.

CUT TO CS OF MEDICAL MAESTRO SCREEN

The top left corner of the display contains three lines of text.

PATIENT: CARRO SHIP-TELLIGENCE BRAINBOX
ADMITTED: 1 day ago
CONDITION: Stable

The rest of the display contains a thick line outline of Carro’s rectangular brainbox. Circles of bright red blink across the outline

CUT BACK

Panacia walks over to the last Medi-pod. She touches the stylus to its side.

PANACIA THERAPUETAE
“Maestro, status update please.”

The Medical Maestro’s display lights up.

CUT TO CS OF MEDICAL MAESTRO SCREEN

The top left corner of the display contains three lines of text.

PATIENT: Lucido Cinnabar Obsidian
ADMITTED: 1 day ago
CONDITION: Stable

The rest of the display contains a thick line outline of Lucido. His legs blink dark red.

CUT BACK

A panel on the wall starts to blink while Panacia reads the last status report on the Medical Maestro. A soft BEEP BEEP can be heard. She looks up and notices the blinking panel. Panacia walks over to the blinking panel. She touches it with the stylus from her Medical Maestro. The other end of the Medical Maestro she places against her head, much like a phone.

PANACIA THERAPUETAE
“Maestro, answer call please. Hello. Oh hi Dad. Yeah they’re stable. Their injuries were pretty critical but the Medi-pods will be able to handle most of it. It will just take awhile. Sure. Sure. Okay. We’ll need to set up appointments with Iasa soon. Maybe in one week, but could be three or four.”

In the entry door we see ELDER GRIM walking past. He is wheeling an old man, MINTHRIL MUSTACHE, in a wheelchair. Panacia notices them

PANACIA THERAPUETAE
“Bubblegum! Those lollypopping kids of death are here. Dad, I’ve got to go.”

She puts the Medical Maestro in her pocket and chases out the door.

PANACIA THERAPUETAE
(off-camera) “Hey leave him along. Get! Get out of here!”

A few moments pass and then we see Panacia wheeling Minthril Mustache back down the hallway.
The lights turn off with the sound of A COMPUTER TURNING OFF and the High-stage curtains close.

TRANSITION FROM HIGH-STAGE TO MID-STAGE

THE CAMERA PANS DOWNWARD FROM HIGH-STAGE TO THE CLOUD OF CURTAINS BELOW. IT CONTINUES FOLLOWING THE CURTAIN OF CLOUDS DOWN TO THE TOP OF THE MID-STAGE SETS. GLIDING OVER THE TOPS FO THE SETS IT FINALLY SETTLES PROPERLY WHEN FRAMING MID-STAGE.

MID-STAGE: OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE’S BEDROOM

The view is of an overhead shot on Ophidia’s bed. Her two nightstands can be seen on either side of the bed. One has a lamp and alarm clock. The other has various stuffed animals. In the bed lay OPHIDA OPERAHOUSE and THOMAS TYPEWRITER in embrace. Ophidia is sleeping peacefully. Thomas is not. He looks up at the camera and stares, unable to relax and sleep. He stares up at the camera.

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
(voice-over) “What have I done?”

Ophidia moves in her sleep rolling over and putting her arm around Thomas. He looks down at her, puts his arm over hers. The tension in his face drains away.

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
(voice-over) “Maybe the best thing possible.”

The stage-lights turn off with the sound of A LIGHT SWITCH CLICKING OFF. The Mid-stage Curtains close.

FADE OUT