ACT10 Smile, Smile A While

REVISED: 20100509

NOTES ABOUT THIS SCRIPT: This is a modified script from the original Urgent Evoke Episode 1. I purposely kept much of everything the same with the intent to refresh Season 1 agents of the very first time we meet the Evoke team and to show that we were sucessful as a network to save Tokoyo. Pulling in bits from other episodes can continue throughout the season. This would be useful for the new folks to catch up too or spark their interest to go check out Episode 1.

What I didn't do, and this intentionally, was add myself in the picture. That's because it's a surprise, but I'll be there, and I won't be alone. The picture will remain the same with 'this could be you' and the question mark.

New characters will be introduced to replace Season 1 (except Alchemy) but slowly fade out.

The theme behind this episode is false alarms or calling for help when it's not needed, and how this will take away from other important issues. in this case I've used a possible EVOKE is going to happen, but the agents went to Tokoyo on the good faith that they were needed more.

It also shows the importance of celebrating a successful mission by having the festival, it seems all they did was work.

The saying is anonymous on purpose, the lesson is there can be many meanings behind a smile.

EPISODE 1

TOKYO
Smile, smile a while, and while you smile, another smiles and soon there are miles of smiles all the while because you smiled – anonymous

PAGE 1

PANEL A

The Shibuya Intersection. Sunrise. There are many people wandering or browsing the shops, looking happy, healthy and refreshed. The food shops especially are bustling. A far cry from before. The same newspapers are in the same place, some in Japanese and one English heading only this time it says "RICE SHORTAGE OVER"

TEXT BOX 1
Tokyo. February 13, 2024

OFF-PANEL 2
How do we find these people?

PANEL B

A sunrise panorama of Tokyo is spread before the silhouette of the GOVERNOR of Tokyo. His posture indicates that he looks puzzled.

GOVERNOR 1
Because we owe it to them for changing our dire situation here, turned around so our people aren't starved and will prosper, and we don't even know who they are. The festival is set for next month, our people know we were helped, it will look bad on us if we can't give them a most precious gift, what will the people think?

OFF-PANEL 2
Mr. Governor, we've tried but they just seemed to have disappeared again.

GOVERNOR 3
I can't let this happen. Not while I'm the Governor, my honour is at stake! There must be a way to contact them besides an Evoke.

PANEL C
A wide shot of the Governor’s office. The office is large and well-appointed with an impressive desk (a portrait of the Governor making his speech the rice problem is over). The main feature, though, is the floor-to-ceiling window, and the key light is the glow from the rising sun on his city. The Governor has turned away from the view and is facing his ASSISTANT, who paces nervously.

ASSISTANT 1
It’s said the network was responsible for saving many cities this past year. Nobody, not even the Kings or Queens around the world know who came to save them either sir. It's no use, I know it's important for us to show honour and respect by thanking someone who does a good deed, but in this case, we will have to go ahead with our celebrations and hope that some day we can repay whom ever it is that turned that bad situation into such a good one. It all seemed so unreal, so many things have changed around here. Just look at our people.

GOVERNOR 2
They're real all right, I've been trying to get my people to track them and it seems they just keep missing where they've been. We'll find them one day I'm certain.

ASSISTANT 3
Maybe you should send an EVOKE, Mr. Governor, if we make something important up if the network still exists they'll be sure to respond.

PANEL D

Close up on the Assistant.

ASSISTANT
It has to come from you.

PANEL E

He stands by the window and stares out with a look on his face that shows worry.

Close up on the Governor.

GOVERNOR
Frowns, paces. Then finally...

PAGE 2

PANEL A

We see the message sent on the private, encrypted short message network. It is surrounded by a texture of ambient data, and layered on top of a map of Japan and a red locator dot over Tokyo.

MESSAGE TEXT: This is an EVOKE from Tokyo. Urgently require tactical social innovation deployment. Category: TOP SECRET.

PANEL B:

TEXT BOX 1
Dakar, Senegal

A high-tech surveillance room. Computer and video screens relay news and images from all over the world, the real-time data pops out. ALCHEMY spins it around and keys in on an area. A instagraph shows up in his palm. The star display is a digital world map using augmented reality. We can see that the message from the previous panel is a small part of this map. In the foreground is ALCHEMY, in silhouette, sitting at a desk with a iBook, and a real book in front of him. He has a lunch pack opened revealing half-eaten contents.

INSET PANEL C

ALCHEMY 1 (to himself – smiling, he knows the network left them in good shape)
Hello, Tokyo. You rang?

PANEL D

On one screen we see a picture of Ember, captioned with EVOKE MEMBER CODENAME: EMBER. A touch-screen button underneath her dossier says “ACTIVATE”. Alchemy is pushing it. (this could be broken into two panels, or a main panel and an inset of the action).

PAGE 3

PANEL A

TEXT BOX: University of Legon, Ghana.

A classroom. EMBER is in the middle of a lecture. The lecture hall is full of students, all watching her with rapt attention. In the front row is a student wearing a t-shirt that says “I (heart) EVOKE ” in a comic sans font. Also apparent in the lecture hall are several giant screens, from which still more students watch and listen in rural classrooms. Another screen shows avatars sitting somewhere in a virtual world. A textbook says “Resilient Logistics”. Each of these next three scenes should be tinted with the color tone of the character. Ember is yellow, so this scene should have a palette that features yellows and golds.

EMBER 1
So if we look at the social problems caused by the mass migrations of 2016 -

INSET PANEL B
A silver phone, something like a next-gen iBook, on her desk is activitating her palm.

PANEL C

Close up on Ember, wrist turned to reveal the hPad. Alchemy's icon it lit.

EMBER
Excuse me, class. We’ll pick up this discussion in a minute why doesn't everyone take a break.

PANEL D

Ember clenches her fist hoping this isn't the big one they've been expecting. She sits at her desk and busy's herself with some papers. Her class quick like a bunny leaps up and funnel through the door. In the background, two students whisper as they leave.

STUDENT 1
I heard she does this, stops a class right in the middle and gives us a break. How cool is that!

EMBER 2
Taps Alchemy's icon, his avatar appears in her hand. A blink of Amber's eye activates the comm.

PANEL E

ALCHEMY 1 (splitscreen him in)
There’s a problem in Tokyo. You ready?

EMBER 2

Yes. She doesn't blink an eye, they are mind to mind.

EMBER 2
Tokyo?!! But what about....

ALCHEMY 3
Tokoyo.

PANEL F

EMBER 1
"Ready", and knows she has one hour before pick-up. She disconnects and looks up to see her students wandering back in. That gives her 30 minutes to refresh herself and her Pack and Go kit. "I wonder what Citizen X is going to think about this one, if he knows that is. He must know about the sea problem by now.

PAGE 4

PANEL A

TEXT BOX: Bo-Kaap Township. Capetown

We are inside a small fabrication shop. Outside a window in the background, we can see a billboard with the EVOKE logo and the tagline “It could be you.” In the extreme foreground is a laser cutter. The color palette for this scene is purple. EUREKA, who was operating the device, has just removed a safety visor from her face. She is talking on a similar silver phone, a laptop open on the desk in front of her, an iBook type device with design ideas. She looks serious, but also excited, energized.

EUREKA 1
Is it just Tokyo, is it anywhere else, what about the other cities?

ALCHEMY 2
We don't know yet, we will have to be prepared for anything. It must be bad or else we would have had a code word. Let's start with Tokoyo.

INSET PANEL B

Alchemy in his control room.

ALCHEMY 1
I'm sure Tokyo will fix the rest like they did last time with our start, but I'd better make sure that's the first thing we find out. How many are impacted and where are they located.

PANEL C

Back in the workshop. Eureka has a duffle bag in her hand.

ALCHEMY
How soon can you leave?

INSET PANEL D

Close up on Eureka.

EUREKA 1
I'm ready, I call this my treasure bag, it's full of everything I need so I can leave on quick notice.

PANEL E

A reverse shot from overhead. Eureka has the duffle in hand. In front of her is a wall bristling with tools of all kinds. The tools range from low-tech (wrenches, hammers, pliers, etc) to super high-tech devices with graphical displays, lasers for topographical maps, RFID sensors, to precision devices like micrometers. The idea is an overwhelming juxtaposition of a variety of tools.

EUREKA 2
I just need to get my toolkit, I had to borrow something from it.

PAGE 5

PANEL A

TEXT BOX: The Great Rift Valley, Kenya.

We are outside a busy farm. A simple sign identifies this location as the Happiness Honey Collective. A row of beekeepers tend to hives of honeybees, and we can see greenhouses in the distance. In the distance, workers load palettes of honey jars into a truck. In the foreground is QUINN, standing at a table with his laptop and phone out. He also has an iBook visible. A little ways behind him (out of earshot), an associate watches a helicopter visible in the distance. The tint for this sequence is orange.

QUINN 1
How bad is the situation?

ALCHEMY 2
I’m don't know, nor do I know the extent, I just know they need our help.

PANEL B

Quinn’s laptop screen shows a cascade of data under the heading EVOKE 001296:

A graph showing healthy national food reserves.
News headline: Pacific fisheries at all-time low, salmon gone, open-net fish farming suspect.
Statistic on malnutrition cases in Tokyo = 0 cases
Projected mortality rates = 0 cases
Internal memo on the festival from Tokyo Communications Dept. – watermarked with “leaked by Citizen X”

OFF-PANEL 1
You know, Tokyo has really been making a keen effort, I wonder what the problem is. It must be bad and they've kept it under their caps. Citizen X doesn't even know all he talks about is a festival they're having.

PANEL C

ALCHEMY 1
What are you suggesting?

QUINN 1
That maybe someone has broken into the EVOKE coder and sent a false message. Normally we have a lot more information than this before we engage the network. I'll start looking for clues.

ALCHEMY 3
Sounds like you’ve got your work cut out for you, Quinn. Good luck.

PANEL D

The helicopter from the previous frame touches down near Quinn. It has the EVOKE logo on it.
PAGE 6

PANEL A

TOKYO. THE GOVERNOR’S OFFICE.
A big-screen TV is flashing “INCOMING CALL.”

ASSISTANT 1
It’s for you, sir. It’s him.

GOVERNOR 2
How can I face my friend.

PANEL B

ALCHEMY appears on the screen. That is, Alchemy’s digital avatar appears in his palm.

ALCHEMY 1
Mr. Governor, this is Alchemy. You are EVOKE number 001296. How have you been?

GOVERNOR 2
Good thank you, I will never forget the debt I owe for saving our city.

INSET PANEL C

Let’s see Alchemy’s face for this line.

ALCHEMY 3
You know we don't do it for the thanks, and thank you for keeping our identity a secret. Tell me my friend, what is the problem? What's this TOP SECRET about?

PANEL D

EMBER takes pictures of the shops all looking so busy.

OFF-PANEL (maybe in a text box with quotes)
Officially, we don’t exist.

PANEL E

EUREKA uses her special internet browers to scan everything she can think of to see if there's any clues of a problem. Nothing, everything is about how well the city and country are doing, and about the festival.

OFF-PANEL (text box, quotes?)
Remember, everything is off the books, we can help but first we have to know what the issue is you're facing.

PANEL F

QUINN strolls around a park. Everything seems normal, such a far cry from the last time he was here.

OFF-PANEL (text box, quotes?)
Everything seems so normal.

PAGE 7

PANEL A

EMBER interviews a grocer with a fully stocked store.

OFF-PANEL (text box, quotes?)
It's hard to believe that now everyone has fresh fruits and vegetables every day of the year again.

PANEL B

EUREKA making notes at Tokyo Harbor.

OFF-PANEL (text box, quotes?)
That 50% of the profit worked out well, and we didn't need the credit so everyone is happy.

PANEL C

QUINN examines trees planted on a street in Harajuku, they're doing just fine and look very healthy.

OFF-PANEL (maybe in a text box with quotes)
Well food certainly isn't the problem here, Tokyo has thousands of new food security specialists. So why did they EVOKE.

PANEL D

A wide shot of Tokyo, looking down from above.

OFF-PANEL 1 (text box? But make clear that this is the Governor speaking, not Alchemy)
When does the team arrive?

PANEL E

A view from even higher up, we start to see the shape of the Japanese landmass.

OFF-PANEL 1 (text box? This is Alchemy speaking again.)
Mr. Governor, the network is mobilized, we have a situation on watch. This connection is safe, but I agree we need to meet, I'll see you soon.

PANEL F

We’re at orbital altitude, looking down on the earth and Japan. The EVOKE network icon is starting to disperse.

OFF-PANEL 1
See you soon my friend.

TEXT BOX
To Be Continued …