Act 2, Scene 4: Mission Implausible

TECH PREROLL

LX-0099 Work Light OFF (Static Playbacks)

LX-2400 STANDBY for GO:

Check Levels
Unmute Desk

Puppeteer1: ON

DIALOG

CURTAIN REMAINS CLOSED

A bit of fog for the laser barrier

Activate laser barrier, front camera and back camera

Place tennis ball on top of filing cabinet.

The reading on the scale is set to "57 g"

Ryan and Zoe are wearing headlamps, which are turned off

Curtain - close

LX-0099 Lights stay off

AMB-2401 - Outside Night Ambience

Zoe enters the room from [7, 2nd]

Ryan enters the room from [7, 2nd]

SND-2401 - A creaky skylight window opening

Zoe (off): "The skylight opened! Just like that! Are you sure this is the server room?"

Ryan (off): "I told you their priorities are a bit weird ..."

Zoe (off): "Yeah, but no security at all?"

Ryan (off): "In the force, security means dogs with guns."

Zoe (off): "Then let's go. I'll jump first."

Ryan (off): "J ... jump?"

Zoe (off): "It's barely twelve feet!"

Ryan (off): "Zoe, I'm a wolf, I don't always land on my feet when I fall from a tree!"

Zoe (off): "So, do I have to strap a buttered toast to your belly first?"

Ryan (off): "I don't get it ... What does that have to-"

Zoe (off): "Never mind. Say, is that a squirrel down there?"

SND-2402 - Shove!

Ryan (off): "WHERE? AIIIIIEA!"

SND-2403 - KARÖMPEL

Ryan (off): "You cattish cat pushed me! I was ... *startles* oh shit ...."

Zoe (off): "Ryan? Is everything okay? Ryan?"

Ryan (off): "Come see for yourself ..."

Zoe (off): "*jumps* Hng!"

SND-2404 - Zoe jumps after Ryan, soft cat feet landing

At this point Zoe and Ryan must stand behind the laser barrier at Position (1) in the diagram

Ryan and Zoe switch on their headlamps

Curtain - open

AMB-2402 - Weird Escape Room Soundscape

LX-2401 Lights on, dark blue

Zoe: "Oh, wow! Are those REAL LASERS! That's so cool!"

Ryan: "I swear that wasn't there the last time I was in here ..."

Zoe: "That's why a professional cat burglar is always prepared for the unexpected!"

Zoe produces an unreasonably large mirror

Ryan: "A mirror?"

Zoe: "Yes! If we deflect the beams, they can't hit us. And if they can't hit us, they can't trigger the alarm! Or cut us into slices. Or whatever it is they do."

Ryan: "Zoe, that's not how ANY of this works!"

Zoe: "Watch me, smartass."

Zoe deflects a few of the beams so that they now go towards the ceiling

WARNING - DO NOT LOOK INTO LASER WITH REMAINING EYE

Zoe: "There! Easy as that!"

Ryan: "Oh ... oh okay. Maybe this is totally how it works. Weird."

Zoe: "Stop dogsplaining the world to me and step through!"

Ryan walks through the laser barrier

Zoe follows him while holding the mirror between her and the laser barrier, then throws away the mirror

SND-2405 - SHATTER

Zoe: "And in we are! I assume the rusty box over there is the computer?"

Zoe points to the Feenwald at [1]

Ryan: "Correct."

Zoe and Ryan look around with their headlamps

Zoe notices the front camera and back camera in [5]

Zoe: "Stop! We can't go past those cameras or they'll see us!"

Ryan: "Assuming anyone is watching those at all."

Zoe: "Doesn't matter. They're ZoomTech XR-51s. Built in facial recognition, and impossible to tamper with."

Ryan: "How do you know all this stuff?"

Zoe: "Ever heard of the Velvet Claw?"

Ryan: "The legendary cat burglar who stole the 50 carat Diamond from the Museum of Forgotten Arts? Of course!"

Zoe: "They called her the PHANTOM OF LOS LOBOS! ... That was me."

Ryan: "WHAT? SERIOUSLY?"

Zoe (laughs): "No, of course not, silly. I never made it past 'phantom of Walmart'. It still taught me a few things though. Like if you see one of those ... *points at cameras* ... don't waste your time. There must be a way around."

Ryan: "Yeah."

Zoe walks through between the two filing cabinets onto the second level

Ryan looks around, and finds the key on the scale

Ryan: "Oh, look!"

Ryan takes the key

The reading on the scale goes from "57 g" to "0 g"

SND-2406 - Bleep Bloop - Drawer Doors Open

The drawer doors between filing cabinets 1 and 2 close

Zoe: "Hey! What did you do! Now I'm stuck in here!"

Ryan: "I found a key! Picking it up must have triggered something!"

Zoe: "Then put it back!"

Ryan: "Okay!"

Ryan puts the key back on the scale

The scale now reads "57 g"

SND-2407 - Bleep Bloop - Drawer Doors Close

The drawer doors between filing cabinets 1 and 2 open

Zoe walks back to the first level next to Ryan

Zoe: "It's a dead end. There's another set of doors and a big lock on the other side."

Ryan: "Could this be the key to open it?"

Zoe: "Possible! But how can we get to the other door when it closes THIS door the moment you try to take it?"

Ryan: "This pedestal seems to be a sort of scale. There. 57 grams."

Zoe: "Of course!"

Ryan: "Of course what?"

Zoe: "We need to replace the key with something else that is also weighs exactly 57 grams! Like the golden idol in Raiders of the Lost Ark!"

Ryan: "Too bad I left my collection of 57 grams weights at home!"

Zoe: "Shut up and look around!"

Ryan and Zoe scan the room with their headlamps

Ryan spots the tennis ball on top of the first of the filing cabinets

Ryan (excited, panting): "Ball!"

Ryan points at the tennis ball

Zoe: "Uh what?"

Ryan: "Uh, I mean up there! The tennis ball! That's a 2019 Brummington Tournament Series, and they're exactly 57 grams!"

Zoe: "Woah, you must be really into sports!"

Ryan: "Nah, not really."

Zoe looks at Ryan ... awkward pause

Ryan (way too excited): "Are you going to get the ball?"

Zoe walks up to the first of the filing cabinets and reaches for the tennis ball. It's way too high.

Zoe: "I can't reach it. It's too high."

Ryan: "You call yourself a cat burglar, and you can't even climb a filing cabinet?"

Zoe: "It has nothing to hold on to. If I had enough space to take a run, maybe I could jump ... but then, I've kinda stopped climbing things when I was three."

Ryan: "Parents were fed up with calling the fire department, hmm?"

Zoe: "Oh shut up!"

Ryan: "What if you jump on ME first, and then on the cabinet?"

Zoe: "Sure, if you enjoy bleeding a lot!"

Ryan: "Or what if I give you ... THE ZOOMIES?"

Zoe: "Oh no, please d-"

Ryan pounces Zoe, and fuzzlewuzzletickles her

Ryan: "Kittykittykitty! Blblbllblblblbl!"

Zoe laughs, and play-fights with Ryan

Ryan makes Zoe go in circles a few times, then suddenly ...

Ryan: "NOW JUMP!"

Zoe: "Wheeheheeee!"

Zoe hunkers down ... and all of a sudden her excitement is gone

Zoe makes a sad little jump, hits the side of the cabinet, and slides to the floor

SND-2408 - Bonk! Sliiiiiide ....

Zoe: *SIGH* "I'm sorry, but I took my pills this time. Last time it happened was just too embarrassing!"

Ryan: "I'm not giving up that easily. Hang on."

Ryan rips one of the laser pointers off the laser barrier

Ryan points the laser pointer at the playrail in front of Zoe

Zoe: "Ohhh!"

Zoe bats at the laser pointer

Ryan makes Zoe chase the laser pointer around, getting her into hunting mode

Ryan (like talking to a kitten): "Where's mousie? Where is it? Gonna get the mouse? Hey, Gonna play with that mousie? Yeah, you get him!"

Ryan makes the laser pointer move up the first of the filing cabinets

Zoe disappears behind the first of the filing cabinets and re-appears on top

Ryan: "Good girl!"

Zoe is completely out of breath ... and embarrassed

Zoe: "I hate you, Ryan."

Ryan (laughs): "I love you, Zoe!"

Zoe: "Here's your goddamn ball! FETCH!"

Zoe throws the tennis ball off stage towards [7]

Ryan: "BALL!"

Ryan chases after the tennis ball, barking

Zoe climbs down

Ryan (off) drops the laser pointer

Ryan comes back, panting, tennis ball in mouth

Ryan stands in front of Zoe on all fours, wagging his tail happily

Zoe: "Good! Now that we've got that behind us ... let's get on with the puzzle. Can I have the ball please?"

Ryan just sits there and wags

Zoe: "Ryan? The Ball?"

Ryan makes the classic puppy "play invite" gesture

Zoe: "Oh come on, are you freaking kidding me? Just give me the ball."

Zoe grabs the tennis ball, and pulls

Ryan growls and plays tug-of-war with Zoe

Zoe: "Hnnngggg... will you snap out of it ..."

Zoe lets go

Ryan moves back a bit, like he wants Zoe to chase him

Zoe: "Okay. You wanted it this way. SIT!"

Ryan sits

Zoe: "Now STAND!"

Ryan stands

Zoe: "And COME!"

Ryan walks towards Zoe

Zoe: "Good boy! And now SPEAK!"

Ryan: "WUFF WUFF!"

Ryan drops the tennis ball

Zoe: "Hah! Gotcha!"

Zoe picks up the tennis ball

Ryan shakes, getting back to his civilized self

Ryan: "Damn! I can't believe I fell for that! Stupid K9 training ..."

Zoe takes the key and replaces it with the tennis ball

Zoe: "Now careful! 57 grams! Perfect! Let's go!"

Zoe walks to the door and puts the key in the lock 

The drawer doors between filing cabinets 2 and 3 open

SND-2410 - Drawer Doors Open

Zoe: "TA-DAAAAAA!"

Ryan and Zoe walk through to the chicken wire fence

Ryan: "Very nice. And now for the final challenge! The mighty ... chicken wire door?"

Zoe: "That's **got** to be a trap! Something about it makes my whiskers tingle."

Ryan: "Hmm... I wonder if I can cut through it with my swiss army knife."

Ryan reaches for the chicken wire fence

Ryan: "HAIIIIIAAAAAIIIAIIIII!!"

SND-2411 - KA-BRÖTZEL

LX-2402 strobe light flash

flashover on Ryans paw

fog

Ryan jumps back

Ryan (shaking): "You were right, now I'm feeling it, too!"

Zoe: "Hmmm... there must be a way to switch it off."

Zoe begins to search around

Ryan: "Or ground it. Preferably with something that is not me."

Zoe: "The question is a) with what, and b) where do we get a good earth connection around here."

Ryan: "That sounds like you know what you're talking about. Is there anything you're NOT good at?"

Zoe: "Given the choice between getting electrocuted by Olaf or learning how to fix things myself ..."

Ryan: "Okay, no further questions."

Zoe looks at the potted plant

Zoe: "Hmm.... does potting soil count as earth?"

Ryan: "*giggles* No. It doesn't work that way."

Zoe: "Why not?"

Ryan: "Are you sure you want my .... dogsplanation?"

Zoe: "Yes please!"

Ryan begins to explain, but while he does so ...

Zoe examines the plant pot

Zoe grabs the plant and pulls on it. The plant's stem turns out to be a green-yellow earth wire that just extends when you pull on it

Zoe walks towards the chicken wire, plant in hand, extending the earth wire from the plant pot

Zoe touches the chicken wire with the plant

Ryan (while looking at Zoe, following her, getting slower with every second): "Well, just because something is on the ground doesn't mean it's grounded. It's actually all ... about potential, ... anything ... can ... be ... - ... - ... ground ... - ... when ... - ... - ... referenced ... - ... uhm ..."

SND-2412 - KZWRRRFBrutzel

LX-2403 strobe light flash

Smoke (fog) comes from the plant pot

flashover on the plant

The chicken wire frame tips over and falls out of view

SND-2413 - Klaböter

Zoe: "Sorry, I got distracted, what did you say again?"

Zoe lets go of the plant which snaps back into the plant pot like the cord of a vacuum cleaner

SND-2414 - zzzzzzzZZZZIP

Ryan: "Never mind ... just me dogsplaining again."

Ryan and Zoe walk through the former chicken wire

Ryan: "All right, we made it!"

Zoe: "Wohoo!"

Ryan: "Shhhhh!"

Zoe (whispering): "Wohoo!"

Ryan: "Now let's get the data we need and get out of here."

Zoe: "What exactly are we looking for?"

Ryan: "Last time I was here, there used to be a big stack of old fashioned tape cartridges ... check the drawers."

Ryan and Zoe turn on their headlamps and start searching the environment.

Zoe opens the drawer on a filing cabinets [3, 2nd]

A little bat jumps out, fluttering away

SND-2415 - Flutter Bat Sounds

Zoe (loud): "Eeeeks!"

Zoe (whispering): "I mean ... eeks! Looks like the cleaning lady doesn't make it past the lasers very often ..."

Ryan inspects a trashcan, and a bunch of tentacles come out, trying to pull him in

SND-2416 - Tentacle Sounds

Ryan: "Aaaaarghnjhhhblbllb."

Ryan pulls loose and puts a 1000T weight on top of it.

SND-2417 - Shlurp-Plopp

Zoe finds the tower of tapes in [1]

Zoe: "Ryan! I think I've found something!"

Zoe pulls the cloth from the Jenga tower of tapes.

We somehow need to light up the tower, it needs to have good visibility for the cameras so the audience can see what is happening

Ryan: "Excellent! Just like I remember it! Let's see what we have here!"

Ryan pulls a tape from the middle of the tower of tapes, and holds it at eye height

Zoe turns and shines her headlamps at the label of the tape so Ryan can read it

Ryan: "Monthly Backup December 2005. Nope. Too old. We need the most recent one. Your turn."

Ryan throws away the tape

Zoe pulls out a tape and reads it

Ryan and Zoe keep doing this in turns, making the tower of tapes more and more unstable

Zoe: "Full Backup, May 15th 2009."

Ryan: "Incremental Backup, April 1st 2014."

Zoe: "Differential Backup, November 5th, 2019."

Ryan: "Inconsequential Backup, December 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 5th, 2020"

Zoe: "Confidential Backup "

Ryan: "Nonsensical Backup Fleeptember Zortle Floobar"

At this point, the tower of tapes is degraded to the point where the entire upper part is resting on one single tape.

Zoe: "Uh oh!"

Ryan: "What is it?"

Zoe: "Look at that one. At the bottom."

Ryan shines the light at the single tape

Ryan: "Full backup July first, 2023. That's it! That's the one we need!"

Ryan and Zoe take a deeeeep breath

Ryan looks at Zoe

Ryan: "What are you waiting for. It's your turn."

Zoe: "I hate you."

Zoe caaaaaaarefully reaches out for the single tape

Zoe's tail lashes back and forth nervously

Zoe looks over her shoulder at her own tail

Zoe: "Shhh! Stop! Hold still, bloody tail! Dammit! I said ... Ryan, would you be so kind?"

Ryan: "Sure!"

Ryan grabs her tail and holds it still

Zoe: "Better!"

Zoe caaaaaaarefully reaches out for the single tape again

Zoe feels a sneeze coming on

Zoe: "Sniff. Sniffsniff. Sniiiff. Ha ... haaaa ... haaaaaAAA!"

Zoe freezes

Ryan covers his eyes

Zoe (relaxing): "Aaaaah!"

Ryan: "Phew!"

Zoe suddenly YANKS the single tape out, and the remaining tower of tapes ... remains standing!

Zoe: "I did it!"

Ryan: "You did it!"

Zoe: "HA-TCHOO!"

The tower of tapes collapses, making a terribly loud noise, burying both of them under tapes

SND-2418 - COLLAPSE!

Ryan and Zoe disappear below the rail

Bob (from outside): "The hell is going on in there!"

Zoe: "Oh, shitshitshitshit ..."

SND-2419 - Sound of key turning, door opening, light switch

LX-2404 The regular room lights (playrail light) come on, dark blue turns to CTB

AMB-2403 - Suddenly Boring Room Noise

deactivate laser barrier, front camera and back camera

Bob comes in from [7], wielding a gun in front of him

Bob: "Alright, hands up, whoever you are!"

Ryan and Zoe appear from below, hands up

Zoe is holding the single tape

Bob: "Wait! Ryan? What the fuck ... Is that you?"

Ryan: "Oh ... hi Bob! So you're on night shift now, eh?"

Bob: "Ever since I tipped you off, yeah."

Bob lowers his gun

Ryan and Zoe lower their hands

Ryan: "Zoe, meet Bob, old friend of mine. Bob, meet Zoe, new friend of mine."

Bob: "Every cop in the city has orders to put a bullet in your head and here you are?"

Ryan: "Getting the evidence I need to put an end to Andrew's career."

Zoe: "All we need is this one tape. Pleeeeeeease?"

Bob: "I wish I could help you ... but my wife ... my two girls. I don't want to put them in danger."

Ryan: "Of course not. And you don't deserve to be further drawn into this. Zoe, give him the tape."

Zoe: "But it proves your innocence!"

Ryan: "If he hadn't warned me about Cross coming after me that night, I'd be six feet under now. I owe him that much."

Bob: "Thanks, man."

Ryan: "At least you'll be the one credited with my arrest. You'll make Captain for this."

Bob: "Or ... how about you get out the way you came in and I'll tell them I knocked the tapes over when I came in to sneak a snooze?"

Ryan is astonished

Ryan: "You don't have to do that!"

Bob: "But I want to. I'm not the only one who's still rooting for you. So many who'd blow the whistle if it wasn't for Chief Cross. And that reminds me, I might have something that could help you. Here ..."

Bob hands Ryan a business card

Bob: "I've had this card in my wallet for a while, and never got the nerve to call. Cross would turn me into cat food if he found out. No offense, ma'am."

Zoe: "None taken."

Ryan: "Thanks Bob. But I'd rather not ask another cop for help ... that ship has sailed."

Zoe snatches the business card out of Ryan's hand

Zoe: "Whats this?"

Zoe looks at the business card

Zoe: "Oh! Oooooh! I think I feel a plan coming up!"

Ryan: "No! More! Cops!"

Bob: "Shut up and get out of here you two, before I change my mind!"

Zoe: "All right, all right ... come on, Puppy. Eh, I mean, Ryan."

Ryan follows her

Ryan: "We are NOT going to call that number!"

Zoe: "Oh yes we are!"

Bob clears his throat noisily

Zoe: "Yes?"

Bob: "... the tape!"

Zoe: "Oh ... right! Here!"

Zoe hands Bob the tape.

Ryan and Zoe walk out to [7]

Ryan: "Give me the card back!"

Zoe: "Too late! I already memorized it!"

Ryan: "Hrrrrrrr!"

Bob stands there for a moment, looking at the single tape he is holding, then flips the lights off, leaves to [7] and closes the door

LX-0099 Lights out

Curtain - close

LX-0099 Work Light ON