The Cyberjack

By Will Todd

Which would you choose?

Perfect fantasy?

Or real, but imperfect, love?

That's the question "THE CYBERJACK" sets out to answer.

Here's the logline:

In the near future, a scientist seeks to create Virtual Reality, and tests his theory by wiring his own brain.

Now, before the word "scientist" conjures up irreparable images of math and sterility, let me hasten to point out that, like many consumer technologies, Virtual Reality will initially be driven almost exclusively by the Sex Business...

...which will not only be somewhat advanced in our near future but will, in fact, entirely underwrite our scientist's work.

Yet, at its heart, “THE CYBERJACK” is really a romance set within a VR Frankenstein story, as our protagonist struggles to hardwire and control the variables of attraction, while jeopardizing his growing connection with an actual woman.

A real, but imperfect, love?

Or perfect fantasy?

Which would you choose?

[Note: I'm a screenwriter ("THE WONDER YEARS", "TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES") and this story is presented in its original screenplay format. To learn more about me, or this title, please visit ToddTrumpet.com!]

• Language: English
• Publisher: Will Todd
• Release date: Oct 25, 2011
• ISBN: 9781466128651

Will Todd

ALL ABOUT TODD1960: Born.1961-1982: Grew up. Did non-writing stuff.1983-1985: Worked with NASA as Aerospace Engineer. Started writing scripts part-time for no money.1986-1987: Started writing scripts full-time for no money.1988-1990: Wrote for first two seasons of "THE WONDER YEARS". Nominated for Emmy, Humanitas, and Writers Guild Awards. Won Humanitas and Writers Guild. Lost Emmy to pilot of "Murphy Brown" but I'm not bitter anymore especially since show never lived up to its potential.Wrote the first two "TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES" movies. Became rich, but with occasional pangs of guilt.1991-1992: Tried to elevate the quality of films coming out of Holywood by rejecting all script assignments and writing only on spec. I.E., Obscurity and Unemployment.1993-1995: Ran away to Europe for a few months, returned, wrote first play. Ran away to Asia for a few months, returned, directed first short film.1996: Stopped running long enough to get in line to write a feature film version of "I Dream of Jeannie". BLINK! Next.1997-1999: Completed Quest for Seven Continents with travels to Africa, Australia, South America, and Antarctica (whiter even than The Blank Page).2000-2002: Solidified reputation as International Man of Leisure. Blew it by writing a book in here somewhere.2003-2005: Nap.2006-2007: Wrote, produced, and directed a 90-minute compilation of comedy shorts called "42 STORY HOUSE". Sold very nearly that many DVD'S.2008-2009: Pangs of guilt concerning sudden wealth now a distant memory, sought status as "Too Big To Fail". Failed.2010: Attempted to finance an indie movie called "WHY THE SQUIRREL WON'T FRY". Fried.2011:Published first eBook "THE TELLING OF MY MARCHING BAND STORY". Fell.2012: Published some eScreenplays to see if anybody was interested in reading eScreenplays. Seriously, anybody. Hel-loooooooooo...?2013-2014: Started YouTube Channel "Todd Trumpet Videos". Reached "Blockbuster" (LLC) status.2015-2016: Wrote "A CHRISTMAS CODA". Received lavish praise from Dickens Experts. Who - "Bah! Humbug!" - apparently don't impress the General Public.2017: Adapted "A CHRISTMAS CODA" into a stage play. Learned Broadway and Hollywood, despite being on opposite sides of the country, actually share the same Welcome Mat.2018-2019: Achieved Complete World Domination. (Pending)

Book preview

INTRODUCTION

Which would you choose?

Perfect fantasy?

Or real, but imperfect, love?

That's the question THE CYBERJACK sets out to answer.

Here's the logline:

In the near future, a scientist seeks to create Virtual Reality,

and tests his theory by wiring his own brain.

Now, before the word scientist conjures up irreparable images of math and sterility, let me hasten to point out that, like many consumer technologies, Virtual Reality will initially be driven almost exclusively by the Sex Business...

...which will not only be somewhat advanced in our near future but will, in fact, entirely underwrite our scientist's work.

Yet, at its heart, THE CYBERJACK is really a romance set within a VR Frankenstein story, as our protagonist struggles to hardwire and control the variables of attraction, while jeopardizing his growing connection with an actual woman.

A real, but imperfect, love?

Or perfect fantasy?

Which would you choose?

Will Todd

October 2011

******************************

FADE IN:

Running.

Through a beautiful world. Lush. Green. Bright. Blue. A world too beautiful to be true.

Shimmering.

THE RUNNER looks down at his bare feet, skimming the grass. Legs preadolescent. They too shimmer. They too gleam.

Too perfect.

A ROAR jerks his P.O.V. around to check what's behind: A MAN-SIZED BEAST, part eagle, part tiger. Wings beating slowly. Powerfully. Chasing...

Gaining. The Runner jumps for a tree, scurrying into its upper branches, perfect for climbing. There, he finds a FUTURISTIC WEAPON, long and sleek. And as the beast SPRINGS INTO FLIGHT and the RUNNER'S P.O.V. fills with a set of crosshairs and onrushing fangs--!

BANG! The beast ATOMIZES, raining back to Not Earth in perfect, shimmering particles.

All except for its wings. Which remain intact. The Runner quickly shimmies to the ground, examining this precious prize in HIS - AND OUR - ONE, SINGLE, UNCHANGING P.O.V....

...then puts the wings on his back. Begins to run again. Through the beautiful world. Straight for a cliff. And as he leaps:

BOY'S VOICE: Ahhhhh...!

Pure joy. He's flying. Soaring.

Free.

And as the OPENING CREDITS CONCLUDE, he banks one last time and turns up full to the cloudless sky. Heading for the sun. A Cyber Icarus - or rather:

MECHANICAL VOICE: Jack... Jackson... (beat) Jack...!

And the beautiful world disappears like a TV suddenly gone

BLANK

until we OVERLAY a

TITLE CARD: JACK

and then PULL AWAY the title TO REVEAL

JACK HIMSELF

PULLING AWAY A BULKY VR (VIRTUAL REALITY) HEADSET, leaving just a pale, preadolescent boy inside

INT. A TECHNOCHRONIC CARE ROOM

where the young Jack lies bedridden - and quietly irritated:

JACK [BOY]: You shouldn't just pull the plug on somebody who maybe doesn't want it pulled.

MECH VOICE: You weren't listening.

JACK [BOY]: I was listening. (beat) I just wasn't acknowledging.

The Boy turns to register the near-silent approach of

A MED-BOT

less a robot really than a mobile diagnostic cart. There has been no attempt to approximate a human form. Just a small monitor displaying THE STIFF FACE OF A WHITE-COATED DOCTOR working some controls.

A speaker intones:

MECH VOICE: It's time for your bi-weekly.

The Boy settles back into his pillow, resigned.

The Med-Bot positions itself bedside, just one more hi-tech machine in a component-filled room.

Almost incongruous is A LARGE PICTURE WINDOW in one wall, and a beautiful garden just outside.

It's summer.

The Med-Bot lifts the Boy's sheets, using A SOPHISTICATED PROBE to examine his legs, which are never seen.

MECH VOICE: I'm just going to take some neuro-muscular data and telemeter it back to--

JACK [BOY]: I'm familiar with the procedure.

MECH VOICE: Do you feel this?

JACK [BOY]: No.

MECH VOICE: Do you feel this?

JACK [BOY]: No.

MECH VOICE: (continuing to probe) By the way, your parents send their regards.

The Boy lies silent.

MECH VOICE: Does this hurt?

JACK [BOY]: (silent a moment longer) No.

But something does. Something that had nothing to do with the probe. If only for a moment.

And then it's gone:

JACK [BOY]: Can I get back to my headset?

MECH VOICE: Just relax. It'll only take the centrix a few--

JACK [BOY]: I finished all my lessons.

MECH VOICE: Yes, yes, you're way ahead in your-- (re: window) What happened here?

JACK [BOY]: What.

MECH VOICE: This isn't right...

The Med-Bot moves beside the window, examining an open panel with a few stray wires hanging out of it.

JACK [BOY]: (confessing) I needed an extra modulator to make an upgrade to my headset.

MECH VOICE: Jack, how many times do you have to be told? If you need components, just put in an R-2. Your parents have left a generous--

JACK [BOY]: I didn't feel like waiting.

The Med-Bot makes an adjustment at the panel next to the window and - BLINK! - SUMMER INSTANTLY TRANSFORMS TO FALL. This isn't a picture window after all...

...but a highly realistic, if synthetic, screen.

MECH VOICE: There. That's better.

It returns bedside.

MECH VOICE: So. Tinkering again, eh?

JACK [BOY]: Upgrading.

MECH VOICE: Enjoying your VR, I take it.

JACK [BOY]: It's not VR.

MECH VOICE: It's state-of-the-art.

JACK [BOY]: That doesn't make it virtual. It's visio-audio only, and even that's not that good.

MECH VOICE: It's as good as it can be right now.

JACK [BOY]: Right now.

Something CLICKS and BLINKS on the Med-Bot.

MECH VOICE: Well. Your results are good. No further degradation.

JACK [BOY]: No change...

MECH VOICE: (moves to door) We can't always have things exactly the way we want them, Jack.

JACK [BOY]: Why not?

The question is asked in such