Changes

1 Check out China’s neurografting job- 1  

1 Check out China’s neurografting job- 1  

He punctures the jewel pin’s tip with his finger. It emits a tiny tone. His fingers make a strange gesture. CHALICE’s fingers twitch too. She frowns, confused. He begins to pocket the jewel. He sees CHALICE see him. He pauses, blinks. Then continues pocketing it. Another ZIM ENGINEER notices this weird exchange. He looks her in the eye.  

He punctures the jewel pin’s tip with his finger. It emits a tiny tone. His fingers make a strange gesture. CHALICE’s fingers twitch too. She frowns, confused. He begins to pocket the jewel. He sees CHALICE see him. He pauses, blinks. Then continues pocketing it. Another ZIM ENGINEER notices this weird exchange. He looks her in the eye.  

ZIM ENGINEER 2 (V.O.)  

ZIM ENGINEER 2 (V.O.)  

2 You’re nothing now. But hey, no 2 more attachments when you’re  

You’re nothing now. But hey, no more attachments when you’re nothing, right?  

nothing, right?  

 

CHALICE looks away. Her palm twitch subsides. She wiggles her hand. Nothing. She frowns. Bites her lip. Looks back. Then:  

CHALICE looks away. Her palm twitch subsides. She wiggles her hand. Nothing. She frowns. Bites her lip. Looks back. Then:  

CHALICE / CHALICE (V.O.)  

CHALICE / CHALICE (V.O.)  

3 Hey! That’s my stuff! 3

Hey! That’s my stuff!  

The ZIM ENGINEER grumbles and tosses the tiny jewel pin back into the trash heap for her to find again. She rushes over. Flashes them a feral look. They back away. She digs through the trash scattering wedding presents, flowers, clothes, artifacts. She finds the jewel. It’s odd but talismanic.  

 

She pushes it into a freckle on her finger like an  

The ZIM ENGINEER grumbles and tosses the tiny jewel pin back into the trash heap for her to find again. She rushes over. Flashes them a feral look. They back away. She digs through the trash scattering wedding presents, flowers, clothes, artifacts. She finds the jewel. It’s odd but talismanic. She pushes it into a freckle on her finger like an acupuncture pin. It emits a pattern of tones. Her hand makes a grip shape and mimes stroking a pet. Her mouth unconsciously hums to the tones. Then she recognizes: it’s BOB’s damn frac-tonal song from new years. She cringes. She flicks away the jewel. But her humming continues. It cues her hand to automatically evaluate the trash, brushing away most things. It grabs a scarf. She sniffs it. Her hand touches her thigh. She blushes. Her hum has turned into a mutter.

acupuncture pin. It emits a pattern of tones. Her hand makes a grip shape and mimes stroking a pet. Her mouth  

 

unconsciously hums to the tones. Then she recognizes: it’s BOB’s damn frac-tonal song from new years. She cringes. She flicks away the jewel.  

CHALICE ...not now knotty now naughty now not now - not now knotty now...  

But her humming continues. It cues her hand to automatically evaluate the trash, brushing away most things. It grabs a scarf. She sniffs it. Her hand touches her thigh. She blushes. Her hum has turned into a mutter.  

CHALICE (V.O.)  

CHALICE (V.O.)  

Argh BOB! I hate you!  

Argh BOB! I hate you!  

She folds her arms and muffles her mouth. Shuts her eyes. The weird attractions subside. The muttering stops. She takes a calming breath and resettles into a blank look.  

She folds her arms and muffles her mouth. Shuts her eyes. The weird attractions subside. The muttering stops. She takes a calming breath and resettles into a blank look.  

Her blank look turns dark like Orlando’s. Then something moves. She scans the trash mess. Her eyes go to a gift box with holes punctured in its side. Nothing. Then. The box moves. She removes the lid and inside: a little TURTLE. Etched onto its shell: “Subplots”. Her eyes go wide. She notices the jewel pin is back in her hand, recovered unconsciously? She wells up. Suddenly:  

Her blank look turns dark like Orlando’s. Then something moves. She scans the trash mess. Her eyes go to a gift box with holes punctured in its side. Nothing. Then. The box moves. She removes the lid and inside: a little TURTLE. Etched onto its shell: “Subplots”. Her eyes go wide. She notices the jewel pin is back in her hand, recovered unconsciously? She wells up. Suddenly:  

CHAIRMAN AVA (O.S.)  

CHAIRMAN AVA (O.S.)  

4 What am I paying you boys overtime 4 for? Move it! You too wavy lady.  

What am I paying you boys overtime for? Move it! You too wavy lady.  

 

The turtle retracts. She pins the jewel onto the turtle’s shell and pockets it.  

The turtle retracts. She pins the jewel onto the turtle’s shell and pockets it.  

CUT TO:  

 

1600 INT. WONG APARTMENT GARDEN ROOM, FUTURE - HIGH NOON 1600  

CUT TO: 1600 INT. WONG APARTMENT GARDEN ROOM, FUTURE - HIGH NOON 1600  

 

AVA, DR WONG, and CHALICE stand together among the new plants. The room is prettier than it has ever been. Cams drift inside and out. CHAIRMAN AVA begins a formal address.  

AVA, DR WONG, and CHALICE stand together among the new plants. The room is prettier than it has ever been. Cams drift inside and out. CHAIRMAN AVA begins a formal address.  

 

CHAIRMAN AVA  

CHAIRMAN AVA  

1 Happy New Year, Sisters. Today is a 1 very special day. I’m thrilled to  

1 Happy New Year, Sisters. Today is a 1 very special day. I’m thrilled to announce The Chalice Study has graduated from ZIM’s Destiny BOB Pilot Program, exceeding all clinical research expectations, across all anomic metrics. She arrives today: Chalice Wong, an adult of immense character. As we speak, ZIM is finalizing specs on Destiny BOB with regulation approval secured. We begin our pre- sale of the cognitive asset today. Joining me is the legendary Doctor James Moonweed Wong, inventor of the Affirmation BOB and Task BOB; steward of the Chalice Study, and now, officially, today, the inventor of the Destiny BOB, twenty years in the making. Dr Wong, please introduce us to our graduate.  

announce The Chalice Study has  

 

graduated from ZIM’s Destiny BOB  

Pilot Program, exceeding all  

clinical research expectations, across all anomic metrics. She  

arrives today: Chalice Wong, an  

adult of immense character. As we  

speak, ZIM is finalizing specs on  

Destiny BOB with regulation  

approval secured. We begin our pre- sale of the cognitive asset today. Joining me is the legendary Doctor  

James Moonweed Wong, inventor of  

the Affirmation BOB and Task BOB;  

steward of the Chalice Study, and  

now, officially, today, the  

inventor of the Destiny BOB, twenty  

years in the making. Dr Wong, please introduce us to our  

graduate.  

DR WONG smiles. He gestures for CHALICE to join him. She’s reserved and cooperative.  

DR WONG smiles. He gestures for CHALICE to join him. She’s reserved and cooperative.  

DR WONG  

DR WONG  

2 Anomics Audit January 1. Tell me 2 your name.  

Anomics Audit January 1. Tell me your name.  

 

CHALICE  

CHALICE  

3 Chalice Wong. 3

Chalice Wong.

DR WONG  

 

4 Age? 4

DR WONG

Age?  

 

CHALICE  

CHALICE  

5 Twenty. 5

Twenty.  

 

DR WONG  

DR WONG  

6 Tell us the tortures on your path. 6

Tell us the tortures on your path.

 

CHALICE  

CHALICE  

7 I was born with a BOB. BOB - we - 7 discovered wavecasting was  

I was born with a BOB. BOB - we - discovered wavecasting was something I liked. People hated us even more but they couldn’t look away. A humanista fanatic tried to assassinate BOB, but then fell in  

something I liked. People hated us  

love with me. Orlando too. But that didn’t work out. Um. Too much in common. Now here I am.  

even more but they couldn’t look  

 

away. A humanista fanatic tried to  

assassinate BOB, but then fell in  

love with me. Orlando too. But that  

didn’t work out. Um. Too much in  

common. Now here I am.  

DR WONG  

DR WONG  

8 If I could magically return BOB to 8 you, would you accept?  

If I could magically return BOB to you, would you accept?  

 

CHALICE  

CHALICE  

9 No. Not from you. 9

No. Not from you.  

 

DR WONG  

DR WONG  

10 Ha. Any suicidal thoughts? 10

Ha. Any suicidal thoughts?

 

CHALICE  

CHALICE  

11 Zero. 11

Zero.  

 

DR WONG  

DR WONG  

12 Good. Any regrets? 12

Good. Any regrets?

 

CHALICE  

CHALICE  

13 I wish I integrated more often with 13 BOB over the years.  

I wish I integrated more often with BOB over the years.  

 

DR WONG  

DR WONG  

14 What are you looking forward to? 14

What are you looking forward to?  

 

CHALICE  

CHALICE  

15 Selling my memoir. 15

Selling my memoir.  

 

DR WONG  

DR WONG  

16 What’s its title? 16

What’s its title?  

 

CHALICE  

CHALICE  

17 The Chalice Study. 17

The Chalice Study.  

 

DR WONG  

DR WONG  

18 Good. End Anomics Audit. Jan 1. 18

Good. End Anomics Audit. Jan 1.  

 

DR WONG smiles. AVA checks the stats: Nothing. She searches out the window. Then, a cluster of nine connected shuttles hovers into view. Still no response. AVA makes an address:  

DR WONG smiles. AVA checks the stats: Nothing. She searches out the window. Then, a cluster of nine connected shuttles hovers into view. Still no response. AVA makes an address:  

CHAIRMAN AVA  

CHAIRMAN AVA  

19 Sister San. Will The Sister World 19 commit to its pledge of three  

Sister San. Will The Sister World commit to its pledge of three hundred thousand enterprise installations of Destiny BOB?  

hundred thousand enterprise  

 

installations of Destiny BOB?  

CHALICE, confused, this isn’t a public launch. It’s something smaller. She tries to glimpse the shuttles.  

CHALICE, confused, this isn’t a public launch. It’s something smaller. She tries to glimpse the shuttles.  

CHAIRMAN AVA (CONT'D)  

CHAIRMAN AVA (CONT'D)  

20 I invite you for a closer look. 20

I invite you for a closer look.  

 

The door of the central shuttle opens. It’s SISTER SAN, now the representative of an entire market share of Wavyverse nodes. DR WONG surprised, then frowns at AVA.  

The door of the central shuttle opens. It’s SISTER SAN, now the representative of an entire market share of Wavyverse nodes. DR WONG surprised, then frowns at AVA.