———–<.thom.>———–

THE GREAT WORKS PROJECT

a puppet play in many parts

Season 07, Episode 06

By Thomas Typewriter

(c) 2026 Jason Arcand
———–<:type:>———–

FADE IN TO BLACK

From the center bottom of the frame scrolls up the following text: “07-06”. It scrolls up to the center of the frame, pauses, then continues scrolling. It exits the frame in the top center. Across the dark screen drifts the sound of TYPEWRITER KEYS CLICK CLACKING. From the bottom of the frame, the fingers of the VELVET TOUCH curl up. They grip the darkness as if a solid object, and bring it forward. It takes on a shape like a large card sign. The Velvet Touch rotates the card 180 degrees. On the back of the card is a still photo of THE TYPEWRITER ABSTRACT PUPPET STAGE on the wooden disc in the Unroom Not.Seven. The Velvet Touch places the card back into place and pulls its fingers out of view.

INT. UNROOM NOT.SEVEN, BETWIXTIME
The unroom Not.Seven is a room of indeterminable size. In front of the doorway are semi-circular rows of grey carpet squares. They radiate out from a wooden disc sitting near a possible center of the space. The TYPEWRITER ABSTRACT PUPPET STAGE sits on the wooden disc, facing towards the grey carpet squares. The entire scene is softly illuminated by spindly metallic lamps at the end of the rows. The lamp’s cords snake off into the distance.

LS OF THE TYPEWRITER ABSTRACT PUPPET STAGE

PAN IN ON THE TYPEWRITER ABSTRACT PUPPET STAGE, MOVING CLOSER AND CLOSER TO THE MID-STAGE AREA. THE CAMERA STOPS PANNING FORWARD WHEN IT LOCKED IN PROPERLY FRAMING THE MID-STAGE.

MID-STAGE: CURTAINS CLOSED
The Mid-Stage curtains part and the stage lights turn on to the sound of A LIGHTSWITCH 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, with a hardback copy of “Pandora’s Star” by Peter F. Hamilton under his arm, enters from stage-right. He walks past the ornamental grasses, past the sculpture, and up to the front doors. He uses his free hand to open the door and slips right in.

THE CAMERA DETACHES FROM PROPERLY FRAMING THE MID-STAGE AND PANS UPWARD. IT GLIDES UP AND OVER THE MID-STAGE SETS TO THE CURTAIN OF CLOUDS BEHIND THE SETS. IT CONTINUES UPWARD MOVING ACROSS THE CURTAIN OF CLOUDS, HIGHER AND HIGHER. SOON THE BOTTOM OF THE HIGH-STAGE SLIDES IN FROM THE TOP OF THE FRAME. THE CAMERA CONTINUES PANNING UPWARD UNTIL LOCKING INTO PROPERLY FRAMING THE HIGH-STAGE.

HIGH-STAGE: CURTAINS CLOSED
The High-Stage curtains open and the stage-lights turn on to the sound of A COMPUTER BOOTING ON, revealing…

HIGH-STAGE: HANGER JSN076
In the center of the room stands a large cylinder of frosted glass. It stands on a pedestal of orthogonal crystals and abstract circuitry. Off to the side stands a control panel made of a similar crystal and tech mix. The room is painted in bright primary and secondary colors. Three pendant lamps hang from the ceiling illuminating the room. THE INNER-SPACE MAN enters from stage-right.

THE INNER-SPACE MAN
“This is what I wanted to show and tell you.”

BIFF THE RABBIT and ROCKEY THE PET ROCK follow, entering from stage-right. 

BIFF THE RABBIT
“The whole room or something in it.”

ROCKEY THE PET ROCK
“Is it me or does this look like the designs we drew on the boxes when we were pretending we were those superheroes.”

BIFF THE RABBIT
(looks around) “It does.”

THE INNER-SPACE MAN
“Yes, exactly.”

BIFF THE RABBIT
“What do you mean?”

THE INNER-SPACE MAN
“This whole place is somehow tied to your pretending.

BIFF THE RABBIT
“How is that even possible?”

THE INNER-SPACE MAN
“I do not know exactly how the link works, but it is there.”

BIFF THE RABBIT
“That makes no sense.”

The Inner-Space Man walks over to the control panel and presses a button. The frosted glass of the cylinder turns clear. Inside is the suspended form of the superhero MINDGAMES.

THE INNER-SPACE MAN
“How about now?”

BIFF THE RABBIT
“Mindgames! Rocky, it’s Mindgames. Exactly as I imagined he looked like.”

ROCKEY THE PET ROCK
“Eerie.”

BIFF THE RABBIT
“Okay, hit the button that lets him out. I have so many questions.”

THE INNER-SPACE MAN
“Sorry. I don’t know how.”

BIFF THE RABBIT
“No seriously, let him out.”

THE INNER-SPACE MAN
“I can not.”

Biff turns to look at the Inner-Space Man.

BIFF THE RABBIT
“What do you mean. You wandered this place for days before getting us or so you claimed.”

THE INNER-SPACE MAN
“I did and never found a release button. Only room after room like this one.”

Biff walks over to the control panel. Rocky stays at the cylinder looking at Mindgames.

BIFF THE RABBIT
“But you got out. How? How come you are free? Why you?”

THE INNER-SPACE MAN
“I don’t know. MAybe some quality you added to us when you pretended us allowed us to escape.”

BIFF THE RABBIT
“Maybe you just didn’t hit the right buttons.”

Biff starts to press on the buttons. Various lights in the room turn on and off. 

PAN OVER TO ROCKEY

ROCKEY THE PET ROCK
“What are you thinking in there?”

CUT TO CS OF THE MINDGAMES’ FACE.

Mindgame blinks.

CUT BACK TO ROCKEY

ROCKEY THE PET ROCK
“Arhh. Guys we have a problem. He just blinked.”

BIFF THE RABBIT
“What do you mean he blinked.”

ROCKEY THE PET ROCK
“I mean exactly that. He blinked. Look.”

Mindgames blinks again. Biff turns to look at The Inner-Space Man

BIFF THE RABBIT
“You mean he is aware.”

THE INNER-SPACE MAN
“Well, I was. Good chance in nine nine nines everybody else is. I hope not because it was torture.”

Biff becomes a little frantic and starts tapping buttons.

BIFF THE RABBIT
“We have to get him out. We have to get them all out.”

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

THE CAMERA UNCOUPLES FROM PROPERLY FRAMING HIGH-STAGE AND PANS DOWNWARD. IT GLIDES TO THE CURTAIN OF CLOUDS LOCATED BELOW THE HIGH-STAGE. IT CONTINUES PANNING DOWNWARD THE CURTAIN OF CLOUDS. SOON THE TOPS OF THE MID-STAGE SETS POKE UP FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE FRAME. CONTINUE PANNING DOWNWARD UNTIL PROPERLY FRAMING MID-STAGE.

MID-STAGE: INT. THE ALEXANDRIAN LIBRARY FICTION SHELVES, AFTERNOON
A long bookshelf runs across the back of the stage. THOMAS TYPEWRITER enters from stage-right. He slowly walks across the stage, looking at the books. He runs his fingers across the various books as he contemplates.

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
(to self) “What am I doing? Am I really moving forward? Ophidia, she’s moving forward. She’s working herself to exhaustion. What have I ever worked myself to exhaustion on?”

He walks a short distance and then answers himself.

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
(to self) “Nothing.”

Thomas takes a step back to view all the books on the shelves. His body language shifts to painful introspection. Thomas exits stage-left. The Mid-stage curtains close and then repopen revealing…

MID-STAGE: INT, SECOND FLOOR MAIN ROOM, AFTERNOON
The stage is divided into two sections. On stage-right sits a table with a series of platforms on it. A sign reading “New Releases” sits on a sign post in the center of the table. Various books stand arraigned around the table. The other side of the stage contains a portion of the bookcases for the Adult Fiction section.

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
(Off-stage) “Guess time to get home. Not that I have anything to do once I get there.”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER emerges from behind the bookcase. He strolls across the stage. As he passes the new releases table, something catches his eye. He stops and picks up “Runaways from Randomness” by

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“A sequel to that book. Interesting. Maybe I don’t have to rush home just yet.”

Thomas picks up the book and exits stage-right. The stage lights turn off to the sound of A LIGHT SWITCH CLICKING OFF. The Mid-Stage curtains close.

FADE OUT