(Table of contents) (See previous)
EXT. CAPTAIN CRAWFISH’S SHIP “H.M.S. SEA CHICKEN” – EVENING
FADE IN on the ship, later the same day. CRAWFISH has managed to gather everyone on the ship together on the deck. EDWARD is next to him with an old blackboard and a piece of chalk the size of his knuckle. Compared to the lovely weather from earlier, storm clouds are approaching once more.
CRAWFISH
All right, you lily-livered new folk!
(con’t)
I know none of you are used to life at sea, so we’re going to change that starting now!
HARE gags, still a little green in the face.
CRAWFISH
Each one of you has to carry your weight, no matter how high and mighty you may think you are.
EDWARD
None of us want to go through the trouble of training all of ye, so most of this will be cleaning an’ simple chores.
DIRECTOR D.
I used to hire janitors for this…
EDWARD starts scribbling on the board. CRAWFISH continues his talk while the diagram is finished.
CRAWFISH
All lights below deck are off at eight o’clock. You want to run about after, do it on the deck.
(con’t)
Rabbit, raven!
RAVEN, who has been distracted most of this time, snaps back to attention. HARE slumps over on the floor.
CRAWFISH
You will be in the kitchen! We’ve got many more mouths to feed!
HARE
(gags)
You’re putting me with food? Now?
RAVEN
I’m not exactly a trained chef…
PIRATE #1
Don’t worry, neither is our cook.
The COOK shoots her a glare before heading back downstairs.
CRAWFISH
(Pointing at MOREAU and DIRECTOR D.)
You two! You will help clean the deck! I know you might think this place is filthy but it’s only going to be worse!
DIRECTOR D.
You don’t have a doctor onboard by any chance, do you?
(whispers)
I hope everyone’s immune to the Plague…
MOREAU shudders.
CRAWFISH points at BINARY BARD.
BARD
…Surely not?
CRAWFISH
Oh, if you’d like to laze around, you can do that.
CRAWFISH peers closer. Despite being similar in height, he’s got a much larger and more muscular build compared to BARD, who has no weapons or machinery on him at the time.
CRAWFISH
…I just hope that mechanical face of yours can help you breathe underwater.
BARD
Tch.
CRAWFISH
I will hand navigation to you. We have plenty of maps and charts for you to look over. I might ask the others for help from time to time as well.
DIRECTOR D.
So basically if I had kept that globe I wouldn’t be stuck cleaning.
(rubs his face)
How long will we be stuck here?
WIDOW
It’s only the first day.
CRAWFISH
And you, lady!
(points)
You will be on watch! Bonny here will teach you how to climb around the sails.
PIRATE #1 (BONNY) gives WIDOW a nod and a smile.
EDWARD steps aside, revealing a sketch with doodles of the ship and each of the pirates and villains. Well. “Sketch” is a loose way to describe it.
EDWARD
Your schedule is here!
RAVEN
…What’s the seagull there for?
EDWARD
That’s you! See? Wings!
RAVEN
They’re not…near that big.
WIDOW
I look like a porcupine.
MOREAU
Although, could you have done any better?
CRAWFISH
Shaddup. His drawings are just fine.
(turns to the board)
…Which one is me?
EDWARD
This!
CRAWFISH peers closer. He flips off his eye patch, although the audience can’t see what’s under it.
CRAWFISH
…I wouldn’t be able to walk with that leg.
INT. POPTROPICA HEROES UNION HQ – EVENING
We return to the grounds of AGENT “A” and the Heroes Union. Despite the imposing-sounding name, the building is little more than a secluded bunker full of researchers. A pot of coffee has just brewed, which ÁLVARO takes as he looks over reports on a tablet. AGENT “DOLPHIN” is at a nearby table with a cream soda.
AGENT “A”
…So those papers from Dr. Jupiter weren’t from Hemlock Harbor after all.
(con’t)
Agent Dolphin, any more news on those?
AGENT “DOLPHIN”
They started disintegrating a few days after we got them. Jupiter probably expected us to just throw them away.
AGENT “A”
…Dimensional fracturing.
ÁLVARO leaves the break room, heading down a long hallway. Thick glass panels wall each side, looking into rooms for superhero training.
AGENT “A”
…I knew he was up to something, but he should have thought to use papers from the prison.
(con’t)
Those ones…must be really old to fall apart like that.
A muffled scream is heard in the background. Some trainee drops a massive weight on herself, trapped under the barbell.
AGENT “A”
…Still, that’s so careless. Did he really think we wouldn’t save those?
(con’t)
Or…maybe he wanted to make a point. Perhaps he wants us to know he’s stronger than he seemed…
Another trainee, who is a bit of an amateur in the art of flying, crashes right into the window. He peels off the glass as ÁLVARO passes, not even noticing.
AGENT “A”
How many moving pieces do we have at play here…?
ÁLVARO enters through some sliding doors at the end of the hall, into the large main room with maps and satellite imagery across the walls. Several other agents are already at work, having arrived earlier than he did or still finishing up from their night shifts.
AGENT “A”
Any updates on the escaped prisoners?
AGENT FISHY opens a document on her computer, projecting it onto the nearest wall. It shows a map of the ocean, with a small dot approaching some rather imposing storm clouds.
AGENT “A”
Crossing islands, I see…
AGENT “FISHY”
It’s going to be harder to track them through the storm.
AGENT “A”
No problem, we’ll just catch up when–if–they reach the other side, hah.
(con’t)
I’m kidding. We need those buffoons to stay alive.
AGENT “JOKER”
Buffoons? Last I checked there’s the smartest pink bunny and jester across Poptropica on there.
AGENT “A”
Neither of them are joking matters.
(con’t)
I trust that team more than anyone else on the planet, yes even us, to find the solution to the fractures.
(con’t)
And I know they’ll be a massive threat when our plans inevitably clash.
AGENT “JOKER”
It would be nice if we could get closer to them. You know, so we’re not just stuck making theories.
ÁLVARO sits on an unoccupied chair–it seems to belong to AGENT BUBBLES, who is still not available for one reason or another.
AGENT “A”
Most of our heroes here are still training, and I can’t rely on the old batch. I wouldn’t feel safe sending any of them along.
AGENT “FISHY”
And Jade?
AGENT “A”
She’s run enough errands for us.
AGENT “JOKER”
Hey, look!
(con’t)
They’re going into that storm!
ÁLVARO twists his neck to look at the map. Sure enough, Crawfish’s imposing ship, a mere red blip across the vast oceans, begins to flash as it disappears into a storm.
AGENT “A”
Going further into the past.
(con’t)
That one should lead them…
ÁLVARO pulls up another map on the screen, a close-up of Dusty Gulch.
AGENT “A”
Here.
(con’t)
Do we have anyone stationed on this island?
AGENT “FISHY”
The last one was nearly caught as they worked undercover for the Pony Express. No one has been sent to replace them yet.
AGENT “A”
Well, it’s a bit of a lawless place. I’m sure they’ll fit in just fine.
CUT TO:
EXT. CAPTAIN CRAWFISH’S SHIP “H.M.S. SEA CHICKEN” – NIGHT
The wind is picking up. The sky around the pirates and villains and other unsavory sorts is completely darkened by night and thunderstorms. WIDOW is trying to listen to BONNY’S instructions.
BONNY
Open the jib sail, lass!
WIDOW
Hein?
BONNY
The jib sail! Savvy? Open the jib sail, or the Captain’ll be hanging the jib!
WIDOW
HEIN?! De quoi?!
BONNY
ARGH–speak in a way I can understand!
This goes on for quite a while.
Meanwhile, RAVEN is struggling to fight against the wind that is tugging at his wings. DIRECTOR D. rushes past him, toward CRAWFISH’S office where the pirate captain is looking over their plans.
DIRECTOR D.
It’s crazy out there!
CRAWFISH
Only gets worse! It’s your fault for choosing to go by sea!
DIRECTOR D.
My fault?! You’re the one who insisted–
He is cut off by the boat tilting suddenly. Outside the office, HARE lurches. WIDOW nearly trips on the deck as she tries to tie a very messy knot, which immediately comes loose.
MOREAU follows DIRECTOR D. into the office, using an old newspaper to shield her hair and hat from the rain. It’s already soggy and useless by the time she reaches the door.
MOREAU
Ugh!
CRAWFISH
Will you both change into something more practical, or do you always need to look a’ready for a dinner party?
DIRECTOR D.
We haven’t had much time to worry about wardrobe changes since the weather started acting up.
CRAWFISH
Pfftt, only some sprinkles!
Right after saying this, lightning strikes right near the ship. HARE’S scream can be heard over the noise.
MOREAU
If this is your idea of a “sprinkle”…
CRAWFISH
According to my charts, this island will be an easier one to reach.
(con’t)
Although, it does seem a bit more rough than I expected–ACK!
All across the ship, any character from an “island” that is not set in the modern era suddenly winces or doubles over. The PIRATES, including CRAWFISH, RINGMASTER RAVEN, and BINARY BARD are all affected for a few seconds. Back by the sails, BONNY nearly falls from her ladder.
DR. HARE runs into the office, where EDWARD and DIRECTOR D. are helping CRAWFISH settle into his chair.
HARE
Maybe we should turn back!
CRAWFISH
No! No! I’m fine–
(coughs)
I’m alive. I’m still alive. We’re alive.
HARE
We’re not going to get much done if half of the people here are just “alive”.
DIRECTOR D.
We just need to get through here. I’ll head out and take charge.
CRAWFISH
Wait–I’m the–
DIRECTOR D., all too cheerful to take the title of captain even for just five minutes, is already gone.
CRAWFISH
…Argh…
(con’t)
Doesn’t know a lick about sailing, that one.
HARE
Personally, I think we all should have gone in a spacecraft that would take us into the atmosphere to cross over islands.
As though summoned by any talk of space, BINARY BARD is seen leaning on the doorway at the next lightning flash.
BARD
It would be no simpler.
(con’t)
The storms extend far beyond our planet, even–
BARD’S interrupted by a fit of wheezing.
CRAWFISH
Jove, even with your mechanical parts you’re worse off than the rest of us!
BARD
I’ll have to replace those as well soon–
(shakes head)
No matter. We shall face this with each border we cross.
EDWARD
We’ll just try our best not to die, eh? Let’s not leave these landlubbers to our precious Sea Chicken.
BARD
…I never planned on it.
BARD crosses into the office, taking a seat across from CRAWFISH.
CRAWFISH
Huh, I never imagined you’d care about my old boat this much.
BARD sneers.
BARD
You know I meant something else.
CRAWFISH
Hah, what? Does the thought of Davy Jones’ locker leave you afright?
Thunder rumbles.
EDWARD, having recovered enough to get back to work, leaves the office and crosses the deck. He takes ahold of the steering wheel, managing to keep the ship in the right direction even with all that’s being thrown at him. WIDOW finally manages to get her first sail done.
WIDOW
I—
BONNY
Congratulations. I finished all the others while you did that.
BONNY leaves.
WIDOW
You’re welcome.
The ship rises and falls among towering waves, a sight that will only become more familiar to the group as their journey continues. Lightning strikes the masts, leaving RAVEN’S feathers spiked as he tries to climb higher for a better view.
HARE curls up on his place on the deck.
Suddenly, the storm stops.
HARE slowly lifts his head just as the glow of the rising sun meets the ship. The black clouds are breaking, and ahead is a horizon dotted with land.
DIRECTOR D. walks up to the steering wheel, where he meets EDWARD, with CRAWFISH trailing behind.
DIRECTOR D.
(Whistles)
Not bad for my first storm.
CRAWFISH
You’ve had your few minutes, I’m the captain here!
(con’t)
And Edward did most of the work!
RAVEN shakily climbs down to the deck.
RAVEN
I’ve…helped as well…
HARE
I wanna go hoommeeeeeeee…
CRAWFISH
(Sighs)
You’ll get to kiss the ground all you’d like soon.
(Con’t)
Let’s check for any damage, then ask the cook for a good breakfast. Your ‘Dusty Gulch’ lies ahead!
END OF EPISODE 1.
Just a “small” break between episode parts. Whoops.
Castori honorem ~ Maryann/Smart Bubbles
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