OP/DEVELOPMENT/Script – v.1

Here are a couple of scenes I have started to pad out. I’ve given them names to help me as reminders for myself and help me with structure.

Scene 1 – intro

A black screen, a man’s voice, sounds of paper shuffling:

“It is advised, by the board of general health and their associated partners in the department science, that researchers undertaking long distance and/or isolated tasks take part in psychologically constructive measures to ensure mental stability. In the situation of a one man to one outpost ratio, such measures are considered essential. To facilitate this aim and enhance the effectiveness of any such measures the company has integrated systems into the outpost video log software. Combined with the symbiotic link this software enables users to create and participate in interactive diary instalments. It is advised that this be done for a period of up to one hour per day and contain a combination of scientific and personal reflection”

A video image starts to bleed into view, some text can be seen but printing backwards, as if we’re looking through the screen –

“So basically a fucking diary?Nice. Really helpful”

He looks into the screen and a wry smile spreads across his face.

“Well talking myself is no longer a problem, been here long enough”

The man looks down and flicks through some pages of instructions, scanning and reading bits

“…when connection is activated and symbiotic link strength at 80 or higher it is possible to begin visualisation…blah blah blah…begin with something simple, like a – banana! eh? I hate banana’s”

The man looks back up at the screen

“right, banana, think”

Nothing happens, he frowns at the screen and tries again, this time with his eyes closed. A small glow of light starts to amass at the centre of the screen but quickly dissipates before he opens his eye. The man scoffs, looks down at the page and mumbles. In annoyance he slides the pages away,

“I hate banana’s; the shape, colour, the way they fucking taste”

Suddenly on the screen the basic shape of a banana appears, it flickering, fuzzy and unstable but the man looks up on it in amazement.

“Haha..can you..”

The man half looks over his shoulder, as if talking to someone. Of course no ones there, he just continues and looks back at the screen. Off screen an alarm goes off and a flashing red light. The man looks over and then back to the screen before turning it off.

Scene 2 – it’s raining

The man sits down in front of the screen, he looks tired out, is dripping with sweat or water and has grease smeared on his face.

“I don’t even know how long it’s been you know? I stopped checking after a couple of years…”

He tries to unscrew a bolt but is unsuccessful and gets frustrated as as his hands slip,

“…didn’t seem much point in continuing after I worked out no one would come”

On the screen words form – ‘You’re wet’

“Yeah it started raining so…huh, um…what?”

The man is completely confused.

“You can talk…?Hello? Respond to me?Are you the software…the outpost?

Nothing happens, the words just stay there.

“I swear Oscar if this is you, screwing with me again I’ll rip the link. For good.”

The man glares at the screen. The words start to disappear to be replaced with what looks like drops of water hitting the screen and running down. The rain gets heavier and heavier until his image is obscured.

Scene 3 – the explanation

“As I was trying to say last time, after I worked out they weren’t going to come back, I dug in. Carried on with my scientific duty.”

The man mockingly salutes and laughs a little awkwardly.

“I am literally the loneliest person in the world, further around the planet than anyones ever been, conducting research that doesn’t really matter during wartime. If it’s still wartime. Not to mention the outpost has been broken since I got here and communications are corrupted by the properties of the crystal fields I’m here to study.”

Whilst he’s talking maps and diagrams appear showing where he is.

“The worst thing is it’s not just corrupting communications, I think it’s messing with the symbiotic link I share with the outpost. It’s..it’s you know in here…”

The man tenses his hands brings them up to his head to indicate.

“It should be out here!”

He clasps at the air in front of him.

“Not inside..here..”.

Scene 4 – my wife

Scene 5 – trying to leave

Scene 6 – Betrayel in the rain

Scene 7 – Arriving