Excerpts from Professor S.
An interactive time-travel comedy.
Life at school is turned upside down when a group of children are contacted by two crazy scientists, traveling in a faulty time machine. The mismatched group of kids has to work together to save the nerdy duo from sticky situations.
SEQUENCE FROM EPISODE ONE:
INT. LAB – DAY
PROFESSOR S. and JEANETTE sit excitedly before a bright control panel.
PROFESSOR S.
Are you ready?
JEANETTE
Ready as I’ll ever be!
He presses a button. A hologram shimmers to life, slowly taking the shape of a woman. She starts to speak in a high-pitched voice.
ARABELLA
Hello, how can I be of service?
EXT. – DAY
It’s eight o’clock on a bright spring morning. Outside an old-fashioned apartment building, TRIXIE is crouched over her bike with a spanner. Her mum ESTRELLA rushes out of the front door, eating toast with one hand and typing on her phone with the other.
ESTRELLA
Come on, we’re late!
Estrella gets in her SUV. She looks up and sees that Trixie has put on her helmet and jumped on her bike.
TRIXIE
I’ll race you!
Before Estrella can protest, Trixie rides off. Estrella sighs puts her phone down and zooms away. She rides past an old white van.
INT. WHITE VAN – DAY
HARRY drives a rusty van, crammed full of junk. PAUL and SHAKTI sit next to him, jammed in between books, pots, and various odds and ends.
HARRY
So you’ll stay focused today?
PAUL
Yes, Dad.
SHAKTI
Leave him alone Harry.
HARRY
You’ll never get on in life if you don’t pay attention in school.
PAUL
I know Dad, don’t worry.
HARRY
If I don’t worry now, you will later.
SHAKTI
I’ll give you both something to worry about …
Paul rolls his eyes. They drive past an old cabinet on the side of the street. Harry pulls up at once.
PAUL
Dad, do we have to …
Too late. Harry has already jumped out and run over to the cabinet.
HARRY
What a beauty. Could be a Chippendale-
He picks it up – but the door falls off. Harry piles the cabinet and door onto Paul and Shakti’s lap, now even more cramped, they drive past –
EXT. FANCY APARTMENT BUILDING – DAY
We look up to the top floor apartment and move in through the balcony into –
INT. LIVING ROOM – DAY
Fan Li walks in, past an expensive leather sofa and a huge wall-mounted TV. Her mum MEI LI is dancing along to a pop video, SINGING at the top of her voice.
FAN LI
Bye, mum.
Mei Li keeps dancing and sings her response.
MEI LI
Have a good day, honey.
Fan Li rolls her eyes and moves into –
INT. KITCHEN – DAY
Her dad, HUAN LI is drinking coffee and reading a newspaper.
HUAN LI
Did you finish your homework?
FAN LI
Of course Dad. Last week. Bye now.
She kisses him on the head, grabs her school bag, and makes for the door-
XIAOJUE LI O.S.
You can’t go yet.
Fan Li turns around – her little sister XIAOJUE LI is pouting sulkily.
XIAOJUE LI
You haven’t kissed Bluey
Xiaojue Li holds up a little blue dinosaur.
FAN LI
I’m sorry. Goodbye Bluey.
Fan Li kisses the dino on the forehead and then turns to leave.
XIAOJUE LI
Or Greeny
She holds up a green dino. Fan Li kisses that too.
XIAOJUE LI
Or Pinky
She holds up a pink dino – Fan Li points behind her.
FAN LI
Is that a unicorn?
Xiaojue Li turns around excitedly – and Fan Li runs out of the front door.
EXT. UNIVERSITY – DAY
Trixie cycles past the school and up to the university next door. As she locks her bike, Estrella pulls up in her Range Rover and gets out, already on her phone.
TRIXIE
Beat you – again.
ESTRELLA
Yes, dear. Hurry up now or you’ll be late.
Trixie nods and starts to walk. Estrella walks into the building, past the JANITOR, a kindly man in his 50s.
JANITOR
Good morning, Dean.
ESTRELLA
Morning Bob.
Trixie watches her mum disappear inside, then ducks inside and goes to –
INT. CORRIDOR OUTSIDE OFFICE – DAY
Trixie knocks on the door.
PROFESSOR S. (O.S.)
Enter.
Trixie goes in. Professor S. is hunched over a tablet-like device.
TRIXIE
Hi. I got your message. Are you okay?
PROFESSOR S.
No, this thing isn’t working. I might need your help to fix it.
TRIXIE
What exactly is it?
Professor S. pauses for a moment then stands up.
PROFESSOR S.
I’ll tell you later. First, there’s something I want to show you.
He beckons her into the lab.
SEQUENCE FROM EPISODE THIRTEEN
INT. SCHOOL – DAY
Professor S. and Jeanette make their way through the corridor. On the walls, there are pictures everywhere of Conrad King, in the pose of a great leader.
JEANETTE
I’ve got a bad feeling about this.
PROFESSOR S.
Here’s their class.
They lean in through the window. Inside, sits a class of bored children, with dead eyes, including Trixie, Paul, and Fan Li, in a way that we have never seen them before. They are being lectured to by a red hologram of a woman in front of them.
PROFESSOR S.
Arabella?!
JEANETTE
It can’t be.
They listen in shock as the class continues to lifelessly repeat Arabella.
ARABELLA
We are so lucky. Our city is so much safer now.
KIDS
We are so lucky. Our city is so much safer now.
ARABELLA
We love our glorious leader.
KIDS
We love our glorious leader.
Professor S. turns to Jeanette, horrified.
PROFESSOR S.
What the hell?
JEANETTE
Sssh!
Hearing them, Trixie turns around and catches their eye. She gasps.
ARABELLA
What is it, Trixie?
TRIXIE
Nothing.
Trixie looks back and the class continues the lifeless chanting. Arabella watches her suspiciously and then goes to the window – but no one is there.
EXT. SCHOOL – DAY
Professor S. and Jeanette pelt across the grounds.
PROFESSOR S.
He must have reprogrammed the Arabella AI.
JEANETTE
How?
PROFESSOR S.
I don’t know. But we have to switch her off.
They crawl through the hole in the fence and run to –
INT. PROFESSOR S’ OFFICE – DAY
They rush in – but there are now pictures of Conrad King where Professor S.’s certificates were.
PROFESSOR S.
I’ll disable the server. You keep an eye on the door.
Jeanette looks out through the door. Professor S. starts up the console.
JEANETTE
Hurry up!
She glances up and down the corridor. Professor S. hits a few keys.
PROFESSOR S.
Got it. This should switch her off.
But then another Arabella appears before them, with a cruel expression.
ARABELLA
I wouldn’t do that if I were you.
An alarm goes off, with a loud BEEPING.
JEANETTE
We’ve got to get out of here. Come on!
Jeanette and Professor S. rush to the door but it’s suddenly locked.
ARABELLA
Mr King has eyes everywhere. You can’t escape.
Professor S. turns to face her – a Frankenstein confronting his monster.
PROFESSOR S.
How could you turn against us like this? I created you.
CONRAD O.S.
You might have created her. But I perfected her.
Professor S. and Jeanette turn around – Conrad saunters in.
CONRAD
I’m not denying you had talent. But you lacked vision.
Jeanette tries to run away but Arabella freezes her.
JEANETTE
Let us go.
CONRAD
I don’t think so.
PROFESSOR S.
What have you done?
CONRAD
I merged my mind with your A.I. to create the ultimate being.
Professor S. turns to Arabella.
PROFESSOR S.
How could you let him do this?
Conrad starts laughing.
CONRAD
What are you appealing to? Her humanity?
JEANETTE
You can’t do this.
CONRAD
I already have.
Conrad presses a button. FOUR BURLY GUARDS appear and grab Professor S. and Jeanette.
CONRAD
I think you’ll like what I did with the library …
The guards drag the struggling Professor and Jeanette away to –
INT. PRISON – DAY
The guards throw Professor S. and Jeanette into the library come prison.
CONRAD V.O.
You might find an old friend there. If she’s not already dead.
In the corner, is a hunched FIGURE. She turns – it’s Estrella.