Fall 2008, Volume 5

Anime Screenplay by Chad Bolling

Excerpt from A Machine Head

A scientist, named Dr. Sciphan Floyd, discovers a way for humans and aliens to control machines with their minds, which results in political mayhem. In this scene Dr. Sci reports his invention to an intergalactic military known as Space Force. After entering his laboratory he is greeted by three colleagues. The first is a Ropalo, a bat-sapien. The second is an Aquato Sapien, a mer-man. Lastly, Tara is a human-girl-student who lives in the slums and Tiger is an orange cat-monkey.

INT. FEDERAL CITY/SLUMS/DR. SCI’S LABORATORY_NIGHT

We see a large dimly lit room with some equipment covered by sheets. DR. SCI walks into the center. We hear the rain pounding on the metallic roof outside. DR. NITE, a Ropalo in a lab jacket, steps out from a dark corner into the center. He has a baggy lab jacket to make room for his wings.

DR. NITE
You broke our agreement.

DR. AQUADIOUS, a tattoo-covered Aquato Sapien in a lab jacket, steps out of another dark corner into the center. He has a full gray beard and the tattoos are blue and look "tribal."  He is almost 300 years old.

DR. AQUADIOUS
You agreed not to tell any governments about the Machine.

TARA walks in.

TARA
You two leave DOCTOR SCI alone! He was just protecting all of us.

TIGER jumps up onto a stool.

DR. NITE
What is she doing here!? This is a secret laboratory.

DR. AQUADIOUS
NITE! You know damn well that we need her.

TARA
For what?

DR. NITE
Nothing, don’t worry about it.

TARA
Are you going to experiment on me?

DR. NITE
No, not at all Tara, you’re just helping.

TIGER jumps up to the ceiling and is hanging by his tail.

TARA
(sitting on a nearby stool)
Great ! I need something to do now that all the universities in the slums are closed

DR. SCI
Sorry Tara. I feel horrible about all that.

TARA
Don’t, it’s like a big summer break!

DR. AQUADIOUS
(pacing)
SCI, I know the predicament with the slum university is on your mind, but what about your meeting with Space Force?

DR. NITE
You’ve put the whole world in danger.

DR. SCI
I had to go. They would have deported us to god knows where.

DR. AQUADIOUS
We could have survived anywhere but technology like this can never be used as a weapon.

DR. NITE
(gesturing with hands)
It is too powerful. Too dangerous for militant minds.

DR. SCI
No one knows that more than I. (sitting in chair) I can’t sleep until I at least show Space Force I’m working on it. Gillian is expecting it to be done soon.

TARA, DR. NITE, DR. AQUADIOUS
(at the same time) What is she like?

DR. SCI
(turning chair back around to face them) Every time I meet with her you always ask and I always tell you the same thing.

DR. SCI rips off the sheet covering a 6x6 foot computer monitor. The rain still pounds upon the tin roof. DR.SCI flips down a purple pair of lenses with his hand.

DR. SCI (cont’d)
(typing)
How else would a genetically engineered super-soldier be ?

TARA
Well we don’t know, that’s why we are asking...

DR. NITE and DR. AQUDIOUS wheel out a contraption covered by a sheet into the center of the room.

TARA (cont’d)
Oh, what’s under there?

DR. NITE pulls the sheet off revealing a helmet with visor, covered with wires, various mechanical looking things, a few knobs, small wheels, a small dot of a camera on the front and a keyboard.

TARA (cont’d)
(standing)
Is that it? Machine Head?

DR. AQUADIOUS
My dear. There are two others in existence. Both are heavily guarded on the planet Astos in the White Light Galaxy and, I may add, impossible for human use.

TARA
(looking closely at it)
It looks... She reaches out her finger to touch it.

TARA (cont’d)
(touching it as a spring bounces out)
Broken.

DR. NITE
Don’t be fooled, TARA.

DR. SCI
(typing)
It’s state of the art.

TARA
(sitting back on the stool)
More like junk of the state.

DR. SCI, DR. AQUADIOUS and DR. NITE look at her for a moment.

TARA (cont’d)
(quietly)
Sorry. It’s kinda cool, I guess.

DR. AQUADIOUS
(going at Machine Head with a small torque wrench)
No matter, we scientists care not what trouble-making girls think.

DR. NITE
(carrying a box full of parts)
Quite right Doctor.

DR. NITE sets the box down next to the wheeled stand upon which Machine Head rests. DR. NITE pulls a cord out of the box and attaches it to a port on Machine Head. DR. NITE carries the other end to DR. SCI’s computer.

DR. NITE (cont’d)
May I?

DR. SCI
(stops typing)
Go ahead.

DR. NITE plugs Machine Head into the large computer monitor. Gradually, the rain stops tapping on the roof. The large monitor blinks and ‘Machine Head Enter-face’ program boots up. A window with a view from the small camera above the visor on Machine Head, and a stats window with some brain wave charts are on screen. TIGER jumps onto the chair and crawls into SCI’S lap.

DR. SCI (cont’d)
(petting Tiger)
We are online. Who is going first?

TIGER purrs.


BIO:  Chad has lived in Long Beach, California for six years now. He was born and raised in Texas and lived in Alaska for six years during his childhood. His hobbies include computers and cooking.