EXT. OUTSIDE HOUSE IN COUNTRYSIDE - NIGHT 2AM
A male teenager stands with his hands up to the sky. It’s raining and there is lightning.
ALEXANDER HOPSCOP: Short brown hair, slim, 18, Five feet seven inches
ALEXANDER HOPSCOP (in frustration)Why me?
He turns away, walks back and enters the family home.
INT. KITCHEN OF HOPSCOP HOME - NIGHT 2AM
Alexander enters the house dripping wet. His Father is seated at the kitchen table.
CARLTON HOPSCOP: 44, Five Feet Eight Inches, Slightly overweight, bearded, thinning brown hair
ALEXANDER HOPSCOP: Father
CARLTON HOPSCOP:It’s happened to you hasn’t it?
ALEXANDER HOPSCOP:What Father?
CARLTON HOPSCOP: I haven’t told you this until now. (He pauses for a brief moment) Your mother had powers.She had night vision and could become invisible. That is in part why she died in her forties.
ALEXANDER HOPSCOP: So what? You think I can turn invisible?
CARLTON HOPSCOP: Son it’s important that I have this talk. Its important that you know that you are not alone.
ALEXANDER HOPSCOP: Excuse me Dad. Maybe I’ll turn invisible and go up to my room.
CARLTON HOPSCOP: Your mother would have wanted me to have this conversation with you. It’s important that you learn to control your power. There are people who don’t like what is different.
ALEXANDER HOPSCOP: I’m not a freak. Is that what you’re calling me?
CARLTON HOPSCOP: No Alexander. I’m saying the exact opposite. I want to reach out to you. To..
ALEXANDER HOPSCOP: Goodnight Dad.
EXT.OUTSIDE EDEN HIGH SCHOOL - MORNING
Two teenage boys are walking towards the school grounds one of whom is Alexander Hopscop
RUDI VALENTINO: Overweight, Short dark hair, Round Glasses, 8, Five Feet six inches
ALEXANDER HOPSCOP: So Rudi, what are you doing to celebrate your last day of school?
RUDI VALENTINO: My aim is to get through today without getting beaten up
ALEXANDER HOPSCOP: Don’t worry Rudi, I’ve got your back
RUDI VALENTINO: Alexander, you always run from danger. As soon as Burt Sanderson appears you run away and leave me on my own
ALEXANDER HOPSCOP: I’ve a feeling Rudi that today will be different
RUDI VALENTINO: Oh yeah? You say that every time
ALEXANDER HOPSCOP: Look on the bright side Rudi. This is the last day of school. In three months time you’ll be attending Yale and Burt will be doing well to get a job sweeping floors at RKS Superstore.
RUDI VALENTINO: That’s easy for you to say, you’re not the one being beaten to a pulp.
ALEXANDER HOPSCOP: I’m sorry, I didn’t catch that.
RUDI VALENTINO: It’s Jessica Jetson again isn’t it? Every time you see her, you go into another world entirely. A fantasy world. Accept the fact that she’s out of your league
ALEXANDER HOPSCOP: As long as we’re on the same planet Rudi, there is always a chance.
CUT TO:
INT. HIGH SCHOOL CORRIDOR - LUNCH TIME
Burt Sanderson pushes Rudi a number of times in a crowded corridor.
BURT SANDERSON: 19, Six Feet two inches, broad. Very short dark hair, light blue eyes
BURT SANDERSON: Come on, Rudi, you always have two chocolate bars. Hand them over or you’ll regret it.
RUDI VALENTINO: No. Today I’m not going to hand them over.
BURT SANDERSON: Ok, then I’ll have to beat you black and blue
Burt winds back his right fist and holds Rudi with his left hand.
RUDI VALENTINO: Ok Ok
Rudi removes the bars from his pocket and hands them over.
BURT SANDERSON: Why they’re all melted and gooey. You know I don’t like them that way. I can’t eat them like that. You’re going to pay Valentino.
Suddenly Burt reels back in pain, as if he’s been hit in the crotch. He recovers after a brief moment.
BURT SANDERSON: You’ve really done it now Valentino
Even though there is four feet between Burt and Rudi, Burt acts as if he is being punched in the face and stomach. Eventually he falls to the ground. The crowd that has gathered laughs at him.
Burt looks up and can see what looks like a semi invisible man become more visible
BURT SANDERSON: Hopscop
Alexander Hopscop is embarassed when he realises that all of the class can see him. They start to taunt him by calling out “freak, freak, freak.” Alexander runs away and out of the school.
EXT. SMALL LAKE FIVE MILES FROM EDEN - EVENING
Alexander Hopscop is sitting by the lakeside. Rudi approaches from behind him.
RUDI VALENTINO: I thought I would find you here
ALEXANDER HOPSCOP: Where else could I go? I’ll never be able to show myself in this town again.
RUDI VALENTINO: I’d say that by this stage the entire state knows about you and your powers
ALEXANDER HOPSCOP: I don’t know what I can do
RUDI VALENTINO: I think it’s cool. There are lots of things you could do. You could rob a bank and never get caught.
ALEXANDER HOPSCOP: For one thing, there wouldn’t be a long line of suspects who can turn invisible and for another, I can’t completely control it.
RUDI VALENTINO: Maybe it just takes practice
ALEXANDER HOPSCOP: I just don’t know what I can do
RUDI VALENTINO: I bet that frog jumps into the lake
There is a pause in the conversation. The frog heads in the direction of the trees.
ALEXANDER HOPSCOP: I guess you don’t know much about amphibians.
Alexander Hopscop looks dejected.
RUDI VALENTINO: I’m sorry I accused you of being a coward back there. What you did was really awesome. Say, do you want a half eaten, fully melted chocolate bar. I was saving it for later but you deserve it.
EXT. FIELD IN A CENTRAL AFRICAN COUNTRY - DAY
A father is showing his son the quality of soil in his field
ATWAL BURUNDI: Son, do you know what we grow on this small farm of ours?
CHEROKEE BURUNDI: Yes Father. Of course. Maize, Plantains and Coffee
ATWAL BURUNDI: This year, the crops are not as fruitful as before. The soil is losing it’s fertility
CHEROKEE BURUNDI: Why Father?
ATWAL BURUNDI: Your Grandfather, thinks it is because the local witchdoctor wasn’t paid enough money and cursed this land.
CHEROKEE BURUNDI: But what do you think Father?
ATWAL BURUNDI: I think, it is partly down to the changing climate and over-farming. This small farm does not make us very much money, but if it erodes every year there will be barely enough for us to feed ourselves.
Atwal touches the soil with his hands.
ATWAL BURUNDI: Do you see how dry it is. It is lacking sufficient nutrients.
CHEROKEE BURUNDI: Can anything be done father
ATWAL BURUNDI: I’m afraid that the situation will only get worse. With each passing year we are likely to get droughts and floods. It is one extreme or the other. Crops do not like this.
CHEROKEE BURUNDI: Can the witch doctor help? Maybe he could throw some leaves in the air and do a dance.
ATWAL BURUNDI: I think not. It is out of our hands. As long as big governments look after their short term goals the situation would always get worse.
CHEROKEE BURUNDI: What about fertiliser?
ATWAL BURUNDI: Some of these things that might improve the soil cost money. We have barely enough to feed ourselves. It is a vicious cycle
CHEROKEE BURUNDI: Maybe we can appeal to the leader of Bungle Bungle, to change his policies.
ATWAL BURUNDI: That man does not listen to anyone but himself.
CHEROKEE BURUNDI: Surely he would listen to reason
ATWAL BURUNDI: I think not. The problem with these politicians is that they look at the short term. They look at what they can earn now. They don’t care about anything that doesn’t affect them in the short term. Climate change will affect us more than them. It will affect their kids more than them. Unless they can change their views things will not happen for the better. Votes are a short term reward for short term policies.
I/E. HOME OF ATWAL BURUNDI - NIGHT
Cherokee awakes at night to the sound of stampeding elephants. He climbs out of bed and goes to the door of the house. His Father is kneeling down sobbing.
ATWAL BURUNDI: They have destroyed most of our crops
CHEROKEE BURUNDI: Can anything be done Father?
ATWAL BURUNDI: It is not the fault of the elephants. Their natural habitat is being eroded and many of them are hunted for sport and their tusks. I do not blame them.
CHEROKEE BURUNDI: Who is to blame father?
ATWAL BURUNDI: Go inside Cherokee
INT. CHEROKEES SCHOOL - DAY
Cherokee approaches his school teacher
CHEROKEE BURUNDI: Miss Undeli. I would like to learn about climate change
MISS UNDELI: Shouldn’t you be concentrating on your Maths grades instead
CHEROKEE BURUNDI: Miss Undeli, don’t you think that climate change is more relevant than Mathematics?
MISS UNDELI: If you improve your grades, then you might get a job in the city and you wouldn’t have to worry about Climate Change.
CHEROKEE BURUNDI: Don’t you think it will affect you too and everyone in the city?
MISS UNDELI: We have two hundred books in the bookcase. None of them are about climate change. If you had the internet you could research it
CHEROKEE BURUNDI: You know Miss Undeli that there are only a handful of people in this town with internet and even they complain that it is too slow.
MISS UNDELI: We are due some new books. I will see what I can do
EXT. CAMPFIRE IN REMOTE AGUSTAN - NIGHT
Twelve Augustani’s are dancing and singing around a large campfire to celebrate a fine harvest
A group of eight armed men approach them pointing guns and shouting
The dancing and singing stops
The leader of the armed men approaches the leader of the twelve Augustani’s
REGINALD T BAUCH: MIX OF BROWN AND GREY HAIR, 47, FIVE FEET EIGHT INCHES, SKINNY AND WRINKLED COMPLEXION, WEARING AN OVERCOAT
ULYSEES GARSTON: OF AFRICAN ORIGIN, 35, FIVE FEET ELEVEN INCHES, AVERAGE BUILD, BLUE EYES, WEARING A SHIRT, SHORTS AND SANDLES.
FALLULAH GARSTON: 14, FIVE FEET TWO INCHES, AFRICAN ORIGIN, DARK SHOULDER LENGTH HAIR, BROWN EYES, SLIM, ATTRACTIVE.
REGINALD T BAUCH: Mr Garston, my name is Reginald T Bauch. We’ve been investigating you for a while now. We know y’all are changelings. Alien scum.
ULYSEES GARSTON: Mr Bauch, we are farmers. We are Augustani’s through and through. I don’t know what you’re smoking but we sure as hell aren’t alien creatures. We’re as human as you are.
REGINALD T BAUCH: We don’t know each other very long Mr Garston but you’ll find I’m not much of a talker. I like to let my weapons do the talking. Now who’s going to get it first.
Mr Bauch points his rifle around before fixing it on Mr Garston’s wife.
ULYSEES GARSTON: Now look here...
Ulysees turns into a winged alien creature and attacke Mr Bauch who manages to wound him. The other Augustani’s try to flee but the vigilantes hunt and kill them. Only a young frightened girl manages to flee unscathed. She turns into a leopard and runs as fast as she can.
Out of breath, the young girl, stops two miles away from the scene of the attack. It is cold and dark and she is alone. She sobs as she recalls the attack.
She wanders slowly by the edge of a stream. The sound of the water pacifies her.
ULYSEES GARSTON: Fallulah
FALLULAH: Father
Ulysees is badly wounded and slowly sits down on a large rock
ULYSEES GARSTON: I love you my daughter but I don’t think I’m going to make it. You have to be strong. You are on your own now. I have an old friend in Bungleville who goes by the name of Ma Beanfield. Find her and she will help you. Don’t be hateful. These men aren’t bad men. They are just misguided. If you allow yourself to be hateful it may consume and destroy you. Look for the good in people even if it doesn’t seem to be there.
FALLULAH: Father, I love you.
ULYSEES GARSTON: You always were a good one...
Ulysees slumps over and falls to the ground. Fallulah embraces his lifeless body.
INT. CHEROKEES SCHOOL - DAY
Class ends and the students start to disperse
MISS UNDELI: Cherokee, before you go, some books came today. Two of them are about the environment. You may take one at a time.
CHEROKEE BURUNDI: Thank you Miss Undeli
INT. HOME OF ATWAL BURUNDI - EVENING
Cherokee sits at the kitchen table reading a book
ANISA BURUNDI: Don’t you think it is time you got a job instead of reading books all day. We won’t have enough food to feed ourselves and you’re consumed with learning.
CHEROKEE BURUNDI: Mom, if I wasn’t here would you have enough food to feed yourselves?
ANISA BURUNDI: Whatever are you talking about?
CHEROKEE BURUNDI: Well Mom, as you say, I seem to be only a liability.
ANISA BURUNDI: What is a liability? Is it one of those fancy words they’ve been teaching you?
CHEROKEE BURUNDI: If i ran away to the city, maybe you would be better off
ANISA BURUNDI: You are my only son. You are precious to me. Now close the book and go out and help your Father or I will throttle you.
EXT. FIELD IN A CENTRAL AFRICAN COUNTRY - EVENING
Cherokee approaches his Father who appears to be upset. As he gets closer his Father appears to be putting on a brave face.
CHEROKEE BURUNDI: You’ve lost a lot of crops Father
ATWAL BURUNDI: Yes my son, but so have our neighbours. We are all in the same situation
CHEROKEE BURUNDI: But that means that we won’t be able to borrow food, doesn’t it Father.
ATWAL BURUNDI: Did your Mother send you out to help me?
CHEROKEE BURUNDI: Father, I think we should appeal to the leader of Bungle Bungle. He might listen. He is the only powerful leader holding up a worldwide agreement on climate change. If we can convince him to change his mind, then we have a chance.
ATWAL BURUNDI: Don’t waste your time. You are but a humble teenager. Words are not enough to change the minds of politicians, particularly dictators like President Bungle. If you contradict him he will either have you thrown in prison or executed. Do you understand me?
CHEROKEE BURUNDI: Yes Father
ATWAL BURUNDI: Good. Now go inside and help your Mother.
INT. CARTHRIGHT RESIDENCE - EVENING
Henry Carthright is seated at the kitchen table with a fork in his hand.
HENRY CARTHRIGHT III: Dark Hair, brown eyes, Five Feet Seven inches, 18, Slim
HENRY CARTHRIGHT III: Can you see this mother, the fork is bending.
AMELIA CARTHRIGHT: I can’t see any movement Henry
HENRY CARTHRIGHT III: Mother, I’m going to be a magician
AMELIA CARTHRIGHT: I wish you could put as much effort into changing your examination scores as you do into that fork, then you could be anything you want, not just a third rate magician.
HENRY CARTHRIGHT III: I’ve been reading books, mother, from the great Mandrake himself. It just takes practice and more practice. I know I can do it.
AMELIA CARTHRIGHT: Henry, we’ve been comfortable up to now because your Father works hard and has a steady job. If you become a magician, you are likely to end up in the gutter. It is no life for a Carthright.
HENRY CARTHRIGHT III: Don’t you want me to be happy mother.
AMELIA CARTHRIGHT: I just don’t want you to be foolish Henry.