Act 1, Scene 1: Expedition Unknown

RATS Setup

TECH PREROLL

LX 0099 - Work Light OFF (Static Playbacks)

LX 1100 - STANDBY for GO:

Check Levels
Unmute Desk

Tani: ON
Runo: ON

2nd Voice: OFF
KayJay: OFF
Pan: OFF
Lynard: OFF

DIALOG

Projectors are set up and projection is ready

PRE-1101 - Honeyberry: "It's hard to explain what it means to be blind. I know the names for all kinds of colors, and I can relate to them through association. I know that fire is yellow or the sky is blue. Hot things are red. Frozen things are white. And when you don't see anything, that's black. But for me it's not even that. It's just switched off. Nothing's happening. I literally can' t tell. But the world consists of so much more than what you can see. Take electricity for example. I learned about it during my studies at the holy mountain, the largest known library of ancient human knowledge. It was like a new world opening up before me. And I discovered that I could feel it with my paws ... electricity, flowing like water through traces and components like miniature towns, pulsing with life. It was perhaps the biggest gift our makers left behind for us to find within their neon lit tombs. It was my dream to revive their long dead machines. Who would have thought that the entire world is surrounded by electromagnetic fields, their subtle vibrations able to carry a spoken word silently through the air, far beyond the horizon? It took me years to understand how a radio works, and even more to repair one. And when the day came to power it on for the first time I expected to hear nothing but the static hiss of distant stars. But suddenly, out of nowhere, there it was: A human voice."

AMB-1101 - Blizard

SND-1101 - The Signal Static (at "even more to repair one")

SND-1102 - The Signal Full
SND-1103 - The Signal Thin (0%)

Curtain - open

Blackwood, Silverclaw, Honeyberry, Pinecone, Snowdigger = Everybody

The scene starts with the first light and second light inside the tents off.

Honeyberry [1-2], Scoobie [2] and Blackwood [1] are inside the first tent

Silverclaw [4, 2nd], Pinecone and Snowdigger are inside the second tent [4, 2nd]

Pinecone [5, 2nd] is crouching over Snowdigger [4-5, 2nd], dabbing his forehead with a cloth

Honeyberry sits in the tent, holding the radio up to one ear while listening intently

Scoobie is hanging from a tent pole by her tail

Let the radio voice run for a while before continuing

Blackwood wakes up, and turns on the first light.

Turn on the first light in the first tent.

Blackwood: "Honey? HONEY!"

Honeyberry (lowering the radio for a moment): "How many times have I told you I'm not your honey."

SND-1103 - The Signal Thin (Fade 100%)
SND-1102 - The Signal Full (Fade 0%)

Blackwood: "Honeyberry! Can you please turn the radio down? That creepy voice is giving me nightmares!"

Honeyberry: "Funny. For me it's exactly the opposite! After all these days surrounded by icy nothingness, the signal is the only thing that gives me a sense of direction."

Blackwood: "It's been there for centuries, I'm sure it'll still be there tomorrow!"

Honeyberry: "But it's never been so clear! We must be really close!"

Lynard: ON
Pan: ON

Scoobie wakes up and jumps to the floor

Silverclaw sits up

Silverclaw (mumbles from her sleeping bag): "By the holy mountain, will somebody please sing the baby to sleep!"

Turn on the second light in the second tent

Honeyberry (provoking): "Good morning, Silverclaw!"

Silverclaw: "Just shut up and turn that goddamn thing off!"

Honeyberry turns the radio off and puts it on the playrail.

SND-1104 - Ka-Click

Scoobie hisses, and tries to run over to Silverclaw's tent, but the zipper is shut

Scoobie: "*GROWL* *SNARL* *HISS* (etc, etc)"

Honeyberry: "Come here, Scoobie! It's alright, the nasty lady isn't going to hurt you!"

Scoobie jumps into Honeyberry's arms

Honeyberry pets Scoobie protectively

Silverclaw: "I wouldn't bet on that. You'd better keep that rat of yours under control!"

Honeyberry: "She's not a rat, she's a possum!"

Silverclaw (to herself): "Same thing, just with more teeth."

Honeyberry puts down Scoobie, and ruffles her cheeks

Honeyberry: "Who's a good possum? Yes you are! Scooobiescoobiescoobie!"

Scoobie lies on her back on the playrail, head towards audience

Honeyberry blows a really noisy raspberry on Scoobie's belly

Silverclaw (turns to Blackwood): "What was the reason again we had to take the runt of the litter with us?"

Scoobie climbs on Honeyberry's back, looking over her shoulder

Blackwood (dry): "Because I'm paying you to do so."

Silverclaw (to herself): "And not nearly enough."

Blackwood: "And because she knows more about human technology than anybody else in the world."

Silverclaw (stretching, yawning): "We're down half our supplies, and the weather has only been getting worse. I swear, that kid has been leading us in circles!"

Honeyberry: "I may be blind, but I'm not stupid! The increase in field strength clearly indicates that we're super close! Have you never heard of the inverse square law?"

Silverclaw: "No. And how close is 'super close'?"

Honeyberry: "Maybe another day. Or two."

Silverclaw (to herself): "That's what you said three days ago."

Blackwood: "Ehmehmehm... If you care for another scientific opinion, I think she's right."

Silverclaw: "We have supplies for maybe another four days until we have to return to the Stormbreaker. Even less if the weather goes on like this. And don't forget about Snowdigger."

Honeyberry: "Oh, what's up with him?"

Silverclaw: "While the revered Mrs. Honeyberry let the magic voice count her to sleep, HE nearly cut his foot off trying to unload the sled all by himself. How long do you think we can drag him along in that condition?"

Honeyberry: "We're about to discover the first fully preserved human settlement outside the holy mountain! I swear it'll be worth it in the end!"

Silverclaw: "Who knows."

Honeyberry: "I KNOW! We're the leaders of the expedition, when we say we move on, we move on. Right, professor?"

Silverclaw: "Listen girl, this is my crew, and as long as I'm in charge, when **I** say we abort, we abort!"

KayJay: ON
2nd Voice: ON

Snowdigger: "*MOAN* *PUKE* *SICK NOISES*"

Snowdigger tosses from side to side

PRE-1102 - Pinecone: "I think his fever is getting worse!"

Snowdigger (gasping): "Why is it so hot in here? I'm burning!"

Snowdigger gets out of his sleeping bags and tries to stand up

Snowdigger: "I need air! The wind is calling me! Let me out! LET ME OUT!"

Snowdigger falls back down as soon as he tries to step on his bad foot

Snowdigger: "Aaaaaaargh! Shit ..."

PRE-1103 - Pinecone: "Nonononono, you're not going anywhere, buddy!"

Pinecone grabs him and puts him back

PRE-1104 - Pinecone: "Wow. I've never seen a wound get this bad so quickly."

KayJay: OFF
2nd Voice: OFF

Silverclaw: "That's it. We are going to turn back ... freaking ... now."

Blackwood: "Maybe we should call for a rescue party. Is the Stormbreaker still within radio range?"

Honeyberry: "Only if we set up the big antenna. But that would be suicide right now. It would attract lightning like crazy."

Silverclaw (laughs): "Who do you think you are, the God of Thunder? Everybody knows you can't **attract** lightning. It strikes wherever it wants."

Honeyberry grabs the crystal that hangs around her neck, and speaks into it like a Dictaphone.

SND-1105 - Tinny computer voice: "Start Recording"

Honeyberry: "Note to myself: Teach the heathens the works of Benjamin Franklin."

SND-1106 - Tinny computer voice: "Stop Recording"

Silverclaw (angry): "Screw human folk tales! If it takes an antenna to get help, we're gonna set up the bloody antenna! Come on, Professor, let's go!"

Blackwood: "*sigh* Alright. I guess it's worth the risk."

Silverclaw and Blackwood meet in between the tents and begin setting up the big antenna in [3?]

Honeyberry: "Don't say I didn't warn you. And don't expect me to let you attach that thing to MY radio."

Honeyberry unplugs the radio, picks it up, and puts it on Scoobie's back

Honeyberry: "Here, Scoobie! Run! RUN!"

Scoobie runs into the snow, off stage at [1]

Scoobie: "*SQUEEEEEE*"

Silverclaw: "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?"

Honeyberry: "Saving our only communication device from getting destroyed!"

Silverclaw: "Are you completely insane?"

Honeyberry: "No, when this thing gets hit it'll burn us to a crisp!"

Blackwood keeps working to finish setting up the big antenna

Silverclaw gets really close to Honeyberry's face and yells at her

Silverclaw: "CALL THAT GODDAMN PIGRAT BACK!"

Honeyberry: "She's an opossum, and her name is Scoobie!"

Honeyberry shoves Silverclaw away with her paws

Silverclaw shoves Honeyberry so hard she falls and lands in the snow

Honeyberry stays down for a while before shaking herself and getting up

Blackwood: "There, one big antenna ready for operation! Where's the radio?"

Silverclaw wildly points towards [1]

Silverclaw: "IT RAN THAT WAY!"

Blackwood: "What?"

ALL: ON

Lightning strikes, hitting the big antenna

SND-1107 - Earth Shatterig Kaboom
AMB-1101 - Blizard (Fade 0%)

RATS-3 activate Lightning effect + shadowbox flash

Blinding Flash. Lightning FX. If rear projection is present, projection of sparks.

Everybody: "AAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Collapse first tent, second tent, and big antenna

Turn off first light, second light

The first tent and second tent immediately catch on fire

If rear projection present: Smoke and red hot sparks

Fog from below (until the fire dies down).

Fire effect from below

A moment of silence - everybody is stunned. (count 21-22-23-24)

AMB-1101 - Blizard (Fade 100%)
SND-1108 - Fire

Everybody slowly begins to pick themselves up from the floor except for Honeyberry

Honeyberry crawls away from the heat on all fours

Silverclaw: "What the hell was that?"

Honeyberry: "A lightning strike you idiot!"

Blackwood: "Stay away from the fire, Honeyberry!"

Honeyberry: "No shit! Let's pray it doesn't strike again!"

Silverclaw, Blackwood, Pinecone take their sleeping bags, and try to put out the fires

Snowdigger stumbles away like a zombie

The fire eventually dies down

Switch off Fire effect. It's all dark now, except for rear projection (or slight night backdrop light).

Blackwood: "Damn. The antenna's completely gone."

PRE-1105 -Pinecone: "And so are the tents. Any suggestions what we should do now?"

KayJay: OFF
2nd Voice: OFF

Honeyberry feels around on the ground until she's found her cane at [1]

Honeyberry props herself up

Honeyberry: "I don't know what you're gonna do, but I know what I'm gonna do! Follow the signal! Scoobie! Scoooobiescoobiescoobie! Come here Scoobie!"

Honeyberry walks off stage at [1]

Silverclaw: "Hey! Hey wait! Where the hell are you going?"

Honeyberry: "This way!"

Silverclaw sighs deeply.

Silverclaw (to herself): "That girl is completely out of her mind."

Blackwood: "You have to admit though, pretty much everything she said turned out to be true in the end, didn't it? Without our tents, we're left with one place we might be able to reach before we freeze to death. And that's the source of the signal."

Silverclaw: "You seriously want me to follow a blind girl into the dark?"

Blackwood: "Precisely! After all, nobody knows it better than her."

Lights out

AMB-1101 - Fade Out

Begin opening titles.

Curtain - close