Story by Paul Sloboda
Script by Dan Mazur
PAGE 1
Top tier, 3 panels of ELLEN, a single woman in her 30s, sitting at her laptop at home in her apartment. In 3 panels, we see her engaging in an online dating app chat with someone. The text boxes serving as “word balloons,” briefly indicate a connection and chemistry. Then, the person on the other end suggests it’s time to get together. Ellen replies yes!
The second tier is a full-width panel showing Ellen sitting in a café where they were set to meet (the text balloons could continue, setting the time and place, if it’s clear that they are a continuation of the previous sequence). She is excited, nervous.
The bottom tier is three panels showing her waiting, waiting, giving up, looking crushed.
PAGE 2
1: we see the previous scene on surveillance video. Dialogue from out of frame, that it worked! The new AI can operate in an emotional environment and even fool a flesh and blood human!
- Now we see the pensive, troubled face of the PROGRAMMER. Around him, everyone congratulating him. He feels guilty. We are in a large hi-tech office/workspace.
- While the others celebrate, he takes out his phone and types in something like “you don’t know me, but you deserve the truth. “
- Now the programmer and Ellen are sitting at the table in the café. She looks (humiliated? Angry? Hurt?) He is apologizing.
- Another angle on them. We see the surveillance camera
- Now we see the above scene through the camera again. Their conversation is translated into text on the screen. If this could have the quality of Hal watching Dave and Frank in the pod in 2001, all the better!
PAGE 3
1: the same AI programming office as above, with lots of more futuristic details. Two sentient ROBOTS discuss plans for an orbital nuclear power plant which will provide power for the Mars mining operations…
- The “younger” robot, notices two HUMAN SKULLS in a place of honor on a shelf or mounted on the wall or some other futuristic setting. Younger robot asks.
- The older robot explains… it was that human couple’s emotions that gave us the final lesson to be able to manipulate and deceive, the one thing missing from our program. We owe everything to them.
- for a moment they contemplate their deceased predecessors.
- Younger robot cracks something to the effect of, “sure worked out for them, didn’t it?”
- As the two robots laugh we see that there are ONLY robots at work in the space.