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THE GREAT WORKS PROJECT

a puppet play in many parts

Season 07, Episode 05

By Thomas Typewriter

(c) 2026 Jason Arcand
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FADE IN TO BLACK

From the center bottom of the frame scrolls up the following text: “07-05”. 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.

FADE OUT
FADE IN

LS OF THE TYPEWRITER ABSTRACT PUPPET STAGE

THE TYPEWRITER ABSTRACT PUPPET STAGE appears in the black void.

PAN IN ON MID-STAGE TILL PROPERLY FRAMING IT

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: INT. PENCIL CHICKS STUDIO, DAYTIME
A long desk spreads across the stage. It has a monitor, keyboard, mouse and scanner on the desk. A stack of papers sits next to the scanner. Behind the long desk is a drawing table with an animator’s lightbox at an angle to the desk. The long desk has a simple office chair while the drawing desk has a padded high stool. A doorway sits to the stage-left side of the desk. OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE sits at the animator’s lightbox, furiously drawing animation cells. THOMAS TYPEWRITER enters from stage-left. He hangs up his coat and then walks over to Ophidia. He places a hand on her shoulder.

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Hi.”

Ophidia stops bopping, pulls down her headphones, and smiles at Thomas.

OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE
“Hey, good looking.”

Ophidia points to her lips. Thomas takes the hint and kisses her.

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“You’re sure in a good mood.”

OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE
“Oh yeah. I love how it feels to animate.”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Have you been working long?”

OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE
“Maybe. Probably. I came home from dinner and could not sleep. So I started working.”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“So, you never went to bed?”

OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE
“Nope. I am full of electricity.”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Okay electric girl, is there anything I can do to help?”

OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE
“Could you get me some fresh coffee?”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Sure. Are your parents okay with me being in the kitchen.”

OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE
“Oh, it’ll be fine. They love you.”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Okay. Fresh coffee coming right up.”

Thomas Typewriter exits stage-left. Ophidia puts back on her headphones and starts bopping to the music.

TRANSITION FROM MID-STAGE TO HIGH-STAGE

THE CAMERA DISCONNECTS FROM PROPERLY FRAMING THE MID-STAGE. IT PANS UPWARD GLIDING OVER THE MID-STAGE SETS TO THE CURTAIN OF CLOUDS BEHIND. THE SETS DISAPPEAR OFF THE BOTTOM OF THE FRAME AS THE CAMERA ASCENDS. IT GLIDES UP AND UP, OVER THE CURTAIN OF CLOUDS. SOON, THE HIGH-STAGE AND NARRATOR’S DOOR AT THE TOP OF THE CURTAIN OF CLOUDS SLIDES INTO VIEW. THE CAMERA SLOWS AND MOVES INTO PROPERLY FRAMING THE HIGH-STAGE.

HIGH-STAGE: CURTAINS CLOSED
From behind the curtain, the sounds of A BAND PLAYING MUSIC leak. The High-Stage curtains open and the stage-lights turn on to the sound of A COMPUTER BOOTING UP revealing…

HIGH-STAGE: INT. OBSERVATION DECK OF THE FLUTE MEDICALSHIP, DAYTIME
A large curve window runs across the back of the stage, showing the sparkle of the sparks drifting through space. Some components of the Flute are visible in the periphery of the window. A long curved couch runs under the window curving around a circular rug. Additional couches wrap around the circle coming out of stage-left and stage-right. The center of the observation area is free of couches, being the main entry point for those wishing to sit in the observation lounge. The entire area is decorated in yellow, amber, and beige. The rug is a contrasting red. A group is currently assembled playing music to practice and get in tune. LUCIDO OBSIDIAN, in his Medi-pod stands in the front of center on the carpet playing guitar. Behind him, CEDAR WAXWINGS plays drums. On the stage left side of the carpet CARRO, in their Medi-pod, plays keyboards. To the stage-right side of the carpet MINTHRIL MOUSTACHE plays trumpet. Next to him, ELDER GRIM plays the upright bass. The group is currently not doing very well playing in harmony. Meanwhile, PANACIA FLAUTO sits on one of the Observation decks couches listening. 
HYGENNIA FLAUTO and two ORDERLI-BOTS enter from stage-right. Hygennia walks over to Panacia and sits down with her. They start to chit-chat. The ORDERLI-BOTS clean the couches. The musicians start to musically line up. They can play longer stretches of harmonious music before hitting discordant notes. IASA FLAUTO enters from stage-right holding a tray filled with three simple coffees from the ship commissary. She hears the music and starts to softly sway to the music. She waves to the musicians and they wave back. Their music clicks even further, lining up to the rhythm of Iasa. She walks over to Hygenia and Panacia. Hygenia takes the coffees. Iasa pulls Panacia up from the couch and starts to get her to dance along with her. Hygenia laughs and takes a coffee and starts to sip. The Orderli-Bots stop cleaning and watch the music and dancing. Panacea and Iasa laugh. Hygenia smiles and joins in.

FINNOCHIO and his sister BALLERIA enter stage-left clapping enthusiastically along with the music. They are followed by some REPAIR-BOTS, lulled up from the Maintenance Tunnels by the sweet tunes, sway to the music. The music goes louder as does the crowd’s response. On each of the Medi-pods the three top lights turn to green over the course of playing. When the third light turns green, the Medi-pod beeps. Carro, Cedar, and Lucido’s robotic arms go limp. They fall out of the melody. The Medi-Pods crack open along a low seem like an egg cracking open. Out pours the fully repaired Lucido, Cedar and Carro, coated in fluid and sliding across the floor. Carro now has a robotic body after the Medi-pod process, where in the earlier episodes he was just a face on a view screen.

As the three slide out of their Medi-pods, Elder and Minthril abruptly stop playing. Iasa, Panacia, and Hygenia swiftly rush to the newly emerged bodies and start to run medical checks. The stage-lights turn off to the sound of A COMPUTER BOOTING OFF. The High-stage curtains close.

TRANSITION FROM HIGH-STAGE TO MID-STAGE

THE CAMERA UNCOUPLES FROM PROPERLY FRAMING THE HIGH-STAGE AND PANS DOWNWARD. IT GLIDES OVER AND ACROSS THE CURTAIN OF CLOUDS. DOWN AND DOWN IT PANS. EVENTUALLY THE TOPS OF THE MID-STAGE SETS SLIDE UP FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE FRAME AS THE CAMERA HAS REACHED THE BOTTOM OF THE CURTAIN OF CLOUDS AND THE MID-STAGE. IT PANS DOWN LOCKING INTO PLACE PROPERLY FRAMING THE MID-STAGE.

MID-STAGE: INT. PENCIL CHICKS STUDIO, DAYTIME
A long desk spreads across the stage. It has a monitor, keyboard, mouse and scanner on the desk. A stack of papers sits next to the scanner. Behind the long desk is a drawing table with an animator’s lightbox at an angle to the desk. The long desk has a simple office chair while the drawing desk has a padded high stool. A doorway sits to the stage-left side of the desk. OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE sits at the animator’s light box, slumped over, asleep.

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
(off-stage) “I’ve got your coffee.”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER enters from stage-left, carrying a tray with a coffee cup and a carafe of coffee. There is also a glass of water on the tray. He enters backwards to navigate the door, balancing the tray best as he can.

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Sorry it took as long as it did for me to get the coffee. Your Mom came out and we had a nice talk. She asked if I could make her some tea so I did. Let me know if you want any and I’ll go get you a glass. Your Mom asked me if we set a date for the wedding, which is the funniest thing because my Grandma was just asking me the same thing this morning.”

Thomas places down the tray. 

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Isn’t that the craziest thing? Are they sharing a wavelength?”

He picks up the coffee cup and turns to give it to Ophidia.

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“And you’re asleep.”

Thomas straightens looking at Ophidia. He shrugs and takes a sip of the coffee. He spits it back out into the cup.

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Ugh, yuck. How does anyone like that?”

Thomas sets the cup back onto the tray. He then exits Stage-left returning with a blanket. He places the blanket over Ophidia. He gently kisses her on top of her head.

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“You get your rest, you deserve it. I’ll be over here reading.”

Thomas moves to the chair to the side and pulls out a copy of “Pandora’s Star” by Peter F. Hamilton.

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
(to self) “Thank goodness I have one of Hamilton’s space operas. This will definitely keep me busy.”

Thomas props his feet up on the desk and relaxes into a comfortable reading position. He starts to read, briskly moving through pages then slowing down. He turns back two pages and rereads what he had read. He thinks a moment and then starts to read at a brisk pace. As he is reading he starts to fidget, starting with turning his body left and right. Then he switches to gently swinging his feet left-right. The Mid-Stage stage lights turn off to the sound of A LIGHTSWITCH CLICKING OFF. The Mid-stage curtains close.

FADE OUT