Ayumi Hamasaki Sekai - View Single Post - AHS Mini Screenplay Contest 2008 Voting
View Single Post
  #2  
Old 24th November 2008, 01:11 AM
AHS Staff AHS Staff is offline
Real me Initiate

 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 3,587
Entry 01: AYUBOT

Spoiler:

AYUBOT















FADE IN:

INT. MURAHARU CONCERT HALL - NIGHT

The lights are lifted on a small but stylish stage. A crowd of about a thousand people, varying in color, fashion, and age, offer cheers and claps of support. LCD screens and a sign above the stage read “AYUBOT – MURAHARU – 3008.”

A chic AYUBOT rises from a platform in center stage, her hand waving slowly like a pageant queen or, fittingly, a robot. Her smile is wide, but empty. The crowd cheers to welcome her entry.

AYUBOT
Hello, Muraharu!

MOHI and FUCHI, two scraggly Asian guys in matching ‘Muraharu Live’ jumpsuits, stand backstage, looking in with whimsical, lazy expressions.

MOHI
(sarcastic) Remember, diva, diva, diva!

Fuchi laughs.

Ayubot starts to sing her song, and Mohi and Fuchi are watching more carefully. When the proper beat strikes, Mohi and Fuchi are standing next to a series of levers and buttons. They punch in a few commands. Upon doing so, backup dancers emerge from below the stage to assist Ayubot in her performance. The audience continues their hum of approval.

The performance goes along swimmingly at first, but suddenly Ayubot’s arm goes limp and she is unable to continue moving along with the song.

Mohi and Fuchi are forced to react to this backstage at their control panel.

MOHI
Crap. Not again.

FUCHI
I got it.

Fuchi presses a few buttons, and Ayubot manages to get back on track. The two attendants sigh in relief.

In the audience, we see a family of three of humble means. First there is RUKOMI, a twenty-something girl with wavy brown hair and a frown, then OMATOKE, her boyfriend of the same age, and their three-year-old little girl, NUNU, glowing with excitement. Omatoke is enjoying the show passively, Nunu is enjoying the show actively, and Rukomi’s face only reflects concern.

Ayubot throws her arm in the air to close the song.

AYUBOT
Thank you!

INT. GREEN ROOM – NIGHT

Ayubot sits deactivated on a styling chair. Her eyes stare blankly forward, obviously looking at nothing. Her style is still plastered on.

Mohi and Fuchi are irate. Mohi paces the room in frustration, as Fuchi looks at the floor.

MOHI
This is the fourth time this week! We’re going to go out of business for sure!

FUCHI
Calm down, we’re still getting an audience.

MOHI
No, you don’t understand. Every town in Sewa county has an Ayubot. Why should people come to Muraharu if they only need to drive twenty minutes to see an Ayubot that works?

FUCHI
You know we have an older model, Mohi. She’s not designed to run manually. We have to turn on her AI for her to run properly.

MOHI
Absolutely not. There’s a reason newer Ayubots don’t have AI. It was too high a risk factor. (pauses to think) We need to just throw her out. I’ll order a newer model.

We once again see Ayubot’s blank, innocent face.

EXT. DUMPSTERS – NIGHT

Fuchi carries the deactivated Ayubot to the dumpster, and as he’s about to throw her inside, he stops himself. He places her gently on the ground next to the dumpster and looks at her. She seems like she’s smiling at him, but she obviously isn’t.

FUCHI
It’s weird. I know you’re just a robot, but it feels like we’ve spent so much time together, you and me. Doesn’t feel right to just throw you out.

She does nothing, but somehow Fuchi interprets her smile as a response.

FUCHI
If Mohi let us turn on your AI, your programming could respond and evolve with sensory input, and maybe we wouldn’t have to spend so much time maintaining you.

Fuchi leans in and tugs on Ayubot’s ear. When he does, a control panel slides out of her head. He presses a couple buttons, and then slides the control panel right back into place.

MOHI (V.O.)
Fuchi! What’s taking you so long? You’ve gotta help me clean the aisles!

Fuchi looks back at the door and then back at Ayubot.

FUCHI
Good luck, Ayubot. Don’t tell anyone what I did for ya!

Fuchi exits as Ayubot twitches, reacting to the new programming.

EXT. MURAHARU STREETS – NIGHT

The streets are crowded with pedestrians, whom are lit crisply by the bright billboards and traffic lights of Muraharu. Horizontal and vertical trains zoom in every direction, creating an intricate maze of the city landscape.

We see Rukomi, Omatoke, and Nunu heading home from the Ayubot show.

OMATOKE
What’s wrong? You’ve loved Ayubot your whole life. I’ve never seen you so unhappy at a show.

RUKOMI
It’s just… nothing ever changes.

Nunu sings an Ayubot song under her breath.

OMATOKE
Of course it doesn’t. She’s a robot.

RUKOMI
Exactly.

OMATOKE
(laughs) Why, would you want a real human to perform? They get tired, and hungry, and old. Robots perform functions according to programming, so they’re always perfect.

NUNU
Ayubot!

They pass a dumpster, and there they see Ayubot, lying lifelessly beside it like a corpse. Nunu rushes over to it, heartbroken.

RUKOMI
Oh, God, Omatoke, look.

Nunu stands over Ayubot’s body, tears beginning to fall down her face.

OMATOKE
Come on, Nunu, you don’t need to be seeing this.

Omatoke reaches to grab Nunu’s hand, but Nunu doesn’t reach back. She kneels in front of Ayubot, whose eyes are closed like Sleeping Beauty. She has no smile. Nunu leans into to Ayubot’s face and kisses her cheek.

NUNU
(teary-eyed)
Wake up, Ayu. Wake up!

Ayubot twitches a little, and within moments, her eyes open and she leaps upright, touching her face where Nunu had kissed her. Nunu’s face glows as Rukomi and Omatoke watch in awe and wonder.

Ayubot looks at the couple, then at the girl, her eyes welling up with tears. She is so touched she gives Nunu an enormous hug.

RUKOMI
Wow. I bet things will change now.

Pull out to a wide shot of the four individuals, sharing a moment that is sweet, but wondrously strange.

FADE TO BLACK.


Reply With Quote