———–<.thom.>———–

THE GREAT WORKS PROJECT

a puppet play in many parts

Season 6, Episode 11

by Thomas Typewriter

(c) 2025 jason arcand

———–<:type:>———–

FADE IN

From the center of a blank screen scrolls upward rapidly the following text: “06-11”. It enters from the bottom of the frame and moves up, pausing in the center before continuing upward. It exits through the top of the frame.

FADE OUT

The sound of TYPEWRITER KEYS CLICK CLACKING rings out from the darkness.

FADE IN

INT. THE HILLTOPS, EVENING
A rounded hill of scrubland stands at the juncture or overlap of vast rolling sand dunes of white, brown, and gold sand meeting a large primeval forest dotted with swaths of prairie flowers. A walking path runs across the Hilltops. Near the center of the Hilltops, just next to the path is a tall post made of irregular length boards roughly nailed together. Hanging from the top of the signpost is an elaborate stained glass lamp, currently lit, suspended on an intricate golden chain. Numerous vines of morning glories, runner beans, and trumpet vines grow up the post. A little further down the path from the signpost sits THOMAS TYPEWRITER, Z-MOUSE, and The GHOSTLY around a camp fire. All of them are eating pizza and drinking soda.
LS OF THOMAS, Z-MOUSE, AND GHOSTLY

Z-MOUSE
(to Thomas) “So what brings you around Thomas.”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“I was working for Ophidia, and needed a break.”

CUT TO MS OF THOMAS AND Z-MOUSE

Z-MOUSE
“How’s that going?”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Good.”

CUT TO CS OF THE GHOSTLY

THE GHOSTLY
“Who’s Ophidia?”

CUT TO CS OF THOMAS

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“An animator and also my fiance.”

CUT TO CS OF GHOSTLY

THE GHOSTLY
“Oh. Congratulations.”

CUT TO MS OF THOMAS, Z-MOUSE, AND GHOSTLY

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Thank you. So I was working for Ophidia and it was just so boring. I don’t know how she can stand it but animating is not for me. The inside of my head was just screaming louder and louder. I needed a break. Closed my eyes and turned inwards. ”

Z-MOUSE
“I must admit I am surprised to see you here.”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Yeah, me too. I really thought I was going to end up in the Writer’s Room. Speaking of the Writer’s Room, how is it going? Any progress?”

Z-Mouse shakes his head.

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Oh well. How about you? Why aren’t you at the meeting.”

Z-MOUSE
“The dreams were pulling me too strongly to stay awake. Next thing I know I am here.”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“And where is here exactly?”

THE GHOSTLY
“This is the Hilltop. The spot where the Sands and the Valleys overlap. All travelers having survived thirst or flood find themselves here before moving onto the Fields.”

Z-MOUSE
“Hilltop? That’s the name of this place?”

THE GHOSTLY
“Truly.”

Z-MOUSE
“That makes your whole speech make more sense.”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“So this is like a warning speech?”

Z-MOUSE
“Oh yeah, the Ghostly haunts this trail.”

THE GHOSTLY
“Truly, it is my burden to warn all travelers of the choices they must make when they venture beyond to the Fields.”

Z-MOUSE
“She appears to every traveler and delivers this light show and monologue. A real production. It is really quite a show. You should see it.”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Could I?”

CUT TO CS OF GHOSTLY

THE GHOSTLY
“I don’t know. It’s embarrassing and I’d rather not. I’m enjoying this. Just eating some pizza and hanging out. I don’t get to do this kind of thing very often.”

CUT TO MS OF THOMAS AND Z-MOUSE

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Oh please.”

Z-MOUSE
“Don’t be embarrassed.”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Pretty please.”

Z_MOUSE
“Pretty please with a cherry on top.”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Yes, cherry on top. And I promise, we’ll do more eating pizza and shooting the breeze.”

CUT TO CS OF THE GHOSTLY

THE GHOSTLY
“Okay, I’ll do it.”

CUT TO MS OF THOMAS, Z-MOUSE AND THE GHOSTLY

Thomas and Z-Mouse cheer.

THE GHOSTLY
“Give me a moment to prepare.”

The Ghostly stands and fades out of view, disappears.

Z-MOUSE
(to Thomas) “You’re going to really like this.”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“I hope so.”

TRANSITION FROM THE HILLTOPS TO THE TYPEWRITER ABSTRACT PUPPET STAGE HIGH-STAGE
THE CAMERA PANS UPWARD TO THE STARS MOVING ON TO THE DARKNESS OF SPACE.
DISSOLVE FROM THE DARKNESS OF SPACE TO THE HIGH-STAGE CURTAINS

HIGH-STAGE: CURTAINS CLOSED
The High-stage curtains part and the stage-lights turn on to the sound of A COMPUTER BOOTING UP revealing…

HIGH-STAGE: EXT. THE DOOR TO PANACEA’S OFFICE IN THE FLUTE MEDICALSHIP, EVENING
A long hallway spreads across the stage. The back of the stage is a metal wall, painted a light matte cream color. Horizontal stripes of yellow, blue and brown run the length of the wall. The yellow stripe runs across the center to a door in the center of the stage. The stripe of yellow follows the doorframe creating an effect of ringing the door.

PANACEA FLAUTO
(voice-over) “Medi-pod: Journal entry starting now. We have finished our examination and initial treatment of the two youths brought to us by the Count. They do show signs of injury consistent to previous cases of decompression and exposure to vacuum but not to the severity that they should have. Additionally they exhibit burns consistent to exposure to high energy. Possibility due to the proximity to the Ir-Ra and its corona.”

CEDAR WAXWINGS, in a Medi-pod rolls in from stage-left. In one hand he is holding a bag of food. He approaches the door and knocks on it.

PANACEA FLAUTO
(voice-over) “The fact that these kids even survived out there was remarkable. What were they doing out there? How did they end up in that Sat-bot? Did somebody save them, and if yes, who?”

Cedar Waxwings extends his arm and knocks a second time.

PANACEA FLAUTO
“Getting sidetracked here. Okay, medical journal. Alright where was I. Burns, right. Besides the previous symptoms they also exhibited minor abrasions and are currently unconscious. Their condition is not severe enough to warrant Medi-pods. (pauses) Medi-pods! Oh, what time is it!”

Cedar Waxwing knocks on the door a third time. He waits a few minutes and then knocks a fourth time. He waits a moment for a response and finally accepting no one is inside turns to leave. From off stage the sound of RUNNING FOOTSTEPS approaches. PANACEA FLAUTO runs in from stage-right.

PANACEA FLAUTO
“Wait!”

Cedar turns and waits for her. She runs over, places on hand on his Medi-pod for support and tries to catch her breath.

PANACEA FLAUTO
(severely winded) “Hate…running…so…much. Hey…Cedar…how…are…you?”

CEDAR WAXWINGS
“You okay.”

PANACEA FLAUTO
“Yeah, just winded.”

CEDAR WAXWINGS
“I brought you some dinner.”

PANACEA FLAUTO
“Thank you.”

CEDAR WAXWINGS
“Did you forget we were going to watch the next episode.”

PANACEA FLAUTO
“Honestly?”

CEDAR WAXWINGS
“Honestly.”

PANACEA FLAUTO
“Yes. Some new patients got admitted and I lost track of time.”

Cedar pulls out a container from his bag and hands it to Panacea.

CEDAR WAXWINGS
“So tell me about it.”

Panacea slides down to sit on the floor and opens the container. She takes a bite of salad.

PANACEA FLAUTO
“Oh, this is good.”

CEDAR WAXWINGS
“Thanks. You are always eating those salads with pine nuts, so I thought you might like this. You were saying new admits.”

PANACEA FLAUTO
“Yeah, so they found these two kids out in space.”

Cedar pulls out his food container from the bag.

CEDAR WAXWINGS
“Really?”

PANACEA FLAUTO
“Really.”

CEDAR WAXWINGS
“Then what?”

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

TRANSITION FROM HIGH-STAGE TO THE HILLTOP

DISSOLVE FROM THE HIGH-STAGE CURTAINS TO THE DARKNESS OF SPACE

THE CAMERA PANS DOWNWARD FROM THE DARKNESS OF SPACE ACROSS THE STARS IN THE SKY AND THEN DOWN TO THOMAS AND Z-MOUSE IN THE HILLTOPS

EXT. THE HILLTOP, EVENING.
MS OF THOMAS AND Z-MOUSE
THOMAS TYPEWRITER and Z-MOUSE sit around a log fire burning on the top of a hill. They fidget with anticipation. The fire POPS then briefly flares.

THE GHOSTLY
(off-camera) “Listen well traveler, for having made it this far you are now faced with a choice.”

The flame of the fire dies down, casting Thomas and Z-Mouse into shadow. From out of the frame, stage-right, comes a spectral glow. Thomas and Z-Mouse turn their heads to look at the source of the glow.

CUT TO LS OF THE GHOSTLY
The Ghostly has appeared, floating in the air off to the side of the fire. She glows with a bright spectral energy.

THE GHOSTLY
“For you have survived what the world has given you. You have moved and made distance. Where you started is no longer where you are. Now comes the point where you will reach a fork in the road and must choose a path. But be aware one path leads…”

The Ghostly’s glow dims a little bit.

CS OF THE GHOSTLY

THE GHOSTLY
(as an aside to Thomas Typewriter and Z-Mouse) “And that is where most everyone says ‘Oh, thank you’ and keeps walking on. But if they were to stick around this is how the rest of it would go.”

CUT BACK TO LS OF THE GHOSTLY

THE GHOSTLY
“But be aware that one path leads to Abundance while the other leads to Self-Absorbtion. I am not able to tell you which path is ultimately yours to travel. Nor am I allowed to tell you how to discern which path is which. The steps you have taken before, to get here have determined that. But you have a few more steps to take before choosing, so please listen to this tale of the city that let it’s story become part of your last few steps…last few steps and ….and…and I don’t remember the rest.”

The Ghostly’s glow dims and turns off.

THE GHOSTLY
“It has been centuries since I reached even this point and its all kind of fuzzy to me now.”

Z-MOUSE
“Good thing no one sticks around then.”

THE GHOSTLY
“I know, right.”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Do you remember any of it?”

THE GHOSTLY
“Something about a great golden city in the past and elves. They did something or made some bad magic or talked to the dead and some got corrupted. They can’t get along and the city splits into two.”

Z-MOUSE
“Wow, I might of oversold this.”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“You think. Oh, well. A break is a break and I am not going to complain. I’ve got pizza, soda, friends, and the love of someone who sees me. Life is good.”

The Ghostly returns to her seat around the campfire and picks up another slice of pizza.

Z-MOUSE
“I’ll toast to that.”

Thomas, Z-Mouse, and the Ghostly each lift up a can of soda.

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Salute!”

Z-MOUSE AND THE GHOSTLY
“Salute!”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
(to self) “La vita è breve, ma l’arte è lunga.”

They each drink from the soda can and start giggling.

FADE OUT