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Lights... Camera... ACTION!!: A Hollywood Quest

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Movie Pitch: The Iron Giant
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    • Alright, so, continuing with the list of movies Warner would no longer do, I had moved up to the 90's when I found this gem of a movie that I had actually forgotten about! Understandable since it was, from what I was able to find, woefully undermarketed to the point that barely anyone knew that the movie existed during its release date, and it was only when the reviews came from both critics and audience alike that WB tried to promote and market the film. Too little, too late.

    Hell, they had a deal with Burger King before the entire movie was released and they just...let it go. What the fuck Warner!?

    Well, whatever it may be, this movie was a masterpiece, not only because of its design, but the characters themselves feeling so alive, with the entire theme and ambience of the story giving it a much different tone than other movies coming from either Pixar or Disney back then. The fact that it didn't have the chance to be fully appreciated is a travesty I tell you, and a one that can be fully rectified this time around if only here.

    This is a movie I see us doing by the late 70s/early 80s when our Animation Department is beginning. I mean, with our knowledge of computers and advancements, as well as the talent we would be bringing in, I feel we can do it just fine.

    As such, I give you:

    Movie Pitch:
    The Iron Giant    ​

    GENRE: Drama/Comedy

    SUBGENRE: Action/Adventure/Science Fiction

    FORMAT: Movie (Animation)    ​

    Set Up: An adaptation of the novel The Iron Man by Poet Ted Hughes. The story is about is about a lonely boy named Hogarth Hughes who is being raised by his mother, Annie Hughes (the widow of an Air Force pilot), who discovers an "Iron Giant" who fell from space. With the help of a beatnik named Dean, they have to stop the U.S. military and a federal agent (Kent Mansley) from finding and destroying the Giant. It takes place in the town of Rockwell, Maine, USA, during the height of the Cold War in October 1957.

    Director: Brad Bird
    Composer: Alan Menken
    Hogarth Hughes: He's an energetic boy who befriends The Iron Giant and acts as his mentor while trying to protect him from the authorities. A fairly average kid, but also smart for his age as he was moved up a year, which caused him to be bullied by the other kids at school as a result. He shows a surprising amount of maturity, as he already has a deep understanding of people, likely coming from losing his father to war.

    Voiced By: Keith Coogan
    Alternate: Corey Feldman

    Annie Hughes: She's a hardworking waitress of a local diner in Rockwell. She is the widowed mother of Hogarth Hughes and is protective of him as much as possible as a result. Annie is also very strong, like a mother tiger protecting her son. She's funny and really spunky, but no pushover and can hold her own when dealing with any issue.

    Voiced By: Jodi Benson
    Alternate: Julianne Moore

    Dean McCoppin: He's an artistic beatnik that assists Hogarth Hughes in caring for The Iron Giant and providing it with a home and food while Hogarth is away. Dean is an outcast. The rest of the town doesn't take him seriously, but he's cool with that. He's a Bohemian junk man who sells art (or an artist who sells junk, even he doesn't seem to be able to tell the difference) and follows the beat of his drum.

    Voiced By: John Travolta
    Alternate: Steve Martin

    Kent Mansley: He's a corrupt government agent who came to Rockwell to investigate the report of a monster. He is paranoid but ruthless, with a hunger to improve his own career, and has spent most of his life as a Federal Government Agent of Unexplained Phenomena Department working in a cubicle. With the possibility of a "monster" in Rockwell, he hopes to upgrade his own career by destroying the creature.

    Voiced By: James Woods
    Alternate: Dennis Hopper

    General Shannon Rogard: He's the military leader of the army, a man who does not tolerate Kent's paranoia or insubordination. He's skeptical of Kent's claims of a "Monster" in Maine, and is furious with him when he still manipulates the government to send him in without any evidence. Despite his hard attitude, he's still a fair man, who is willing to listen to reason.

    Voiced By: R. Lee Ermey
    Alternate: Tommy Lee Jones

    The Iron Giant: He's a 50-foot tall autonomous "Metal Man" from another world that crash lands on Earth before becoming friends with a young boy who rescues him from his own internal defensive mechanism. When he first came to Earth, the Iron Giant had a bump on his head, holding back the protocol his metal suit was trying to force.

    Voiced By: James Avery
    Alternate: James Earl Jones
    Earl Stutz: A local fisherman and citizen of Rockwell, Earl Matthew Stutz is a spunky old man and a drinker, considered to be a kook by some. He's the first to see the Iron Giant, and is not believed.

    Marv Loach: He is the foreman of the Rockwell power station. He is seen helping Kent Mansley out with what happened at said power station.

    Floyd Turbeaux: He sells Dean McCoppin a tractor because it had a large bite out of it, caused by strange invaders, according to Earl Stutz, who called the Government to deal with the problem by sending Kent Mansley.

    A.N: I've tried finding actors that were good at voice acting, or did voice acting, so that we don't have to depend completely on celebrities, though it's a bit of a hard sell as many are celebrities now, but they weren't back then. I considered using Kevin Conroy but I'm not sure if his voice is appropriate for any role in this film. If you can think of any then let me know.
     
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    • The Martian
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    • The Martian (a R. Talsorian Cyberpunk Story): by Mike Pondsmith and Dave Alistair [ Novel / Film | Cyberpunk / Science Fiction ]

    Preferred Actor:
    - Mark Watney: Mark Hamill

    Summary:
    Set concurrently with the events of Tijuana Takedown, the narrative follows the life and times of Mark Watney, a lone astronaut left stranded on the surface of an uninhabited Mars who must use all of his wits and skills to survive in a hostile world where the odds are stacked against him.

    It's the year 1996, the world has become a dark and dangerous place, shattered by the strength and arms of men with no limits...and yet, even in this bleak world, the allure of space exploration still calls to some, including astronaut Mark Watney.

    When a catastrophic dust storm forces his team to evacuate their Mars mission, Watney is left behind, presumed dead by his crewmates. But against all odds, he survives the storm and finds himself stranded on the desolate surface of the red planet with no way to communicate with Earth.

    With only his wits and the limited resources of the mission, Watney must use his knowledge of engineering and botany to grow food, make water, and repair his equipment. He faces numerous challenges, from harsh weather conditions to equipment malfunctions, and even a lack of breathable air.

    As Watney works tirelessly to stay alive, he realizes that the only way he will ever make it back to Earth is to take matters into his own hands. He begins to hack his equipment and use his knowledge of science and technology to find a way to communicate with Earth and ultimately, to survive.

    But even as he makes progress, he knows that time is running out. With limited supplies and no way to signal for help, Watney must push himself to the limit if he hopes to survive and make it back to Earth.

    As time runs out, NASA launches an unmanned supply probe to help Watney, but it explodes during liftoff. With no other opoptions and with unwelcome aid from the Soviets, Watney's crewmates risk their own lives to save him by executing a dangerous slingshot maneuver around Earth to return to Mars.

    Watney manages to reach the pre-positioned MAV (Mars Ascent Vehicle) at Schiaparelli crater, but faces new challenges as he tries to make it back to Earth. He risks everything to modify the MAV and reduce its weight, ultimately succeeding in intercepting Hermes, his crew's spacecraft, before it leaves orbit.

    In the end, Watney is rescued and returns home, a testament to the strength and resilience of the human spirit in even the most challenging of circumstances.

    A/N: Wanted to have at least one bright spot in the earliest lore of Cyberpunk's setting, something that would be truly inspirational to all...before using this as an opportunity to launchpad and explore what tales Cyberpunk's Space has to offer across the Interstellar Expanse.
     
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    • Movie Pitch: Dune (Part 1)
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    • Alright so, we're planning on doing a Dune movie, and I think we should take the best from two adaptations of the material; The 200's Sci Fi Channel Mini Series, and the 2021 Dune adaptation. I loved the Mini Series as that was my introduction to the Dune series, the one that had me read the entire saga once I found it...and the one that then introduced me to the 1984 movie when I thought they were going to show the Mini Series instead (Curse you David Lynch! Curse yoooouuuuu!).

    But I've also come to appreciate the recent adaptation, if anything because they really made the characters seem more sympathetic and human than how the previous Movie and Novel did. Leto being actually kind and courageous instead of it being a mask, less cynic perspective from the Atreides, an amazing performance by the cast. It all came together for a good enough adaptation, even when there's some parts that I felt were lacking.

    Well, Here I give the suggested cast for the movie, please keep in mind that I've done so with the idea that the movie would be done in 1981 at the earliest, following mostly the script from the 2021 adaptation, with bits and pieces from the 2000's miniseries (among those is how I feel that Liet Kynes should die, but we can discuss it later if you want).

    As such, I give you:

    Movie Pitch:
    Dune (Part 1)    ​


    GENRE: Drama/Science Fiction

    SUBGENRE: Action/Adventure/Fantasy

    FORMAT: Movie (Part 1 of 2)    ​

    Set Up: The first of a two-part adaptation of the 1965 novel of the same name by Frank Herbert. Set in the distant future, the film follows Paul Atreides as his family, the noble House Atreides, is thrust into a war for the deadly and inhospitable desert planet Arrakis. The movie covers the events from the beginning of the book; when Paul's father, the Duke Leto, is granted Arrakis by order of the Padishah Emperor, all the way until both Paul Atreides and his mother, the Lady Jessica, are forced to take asylum with the Fremen Tribes after House Harkonnen kills Leto and takes control of Arrakis.

    Director: Francis Ford Coppola
    Executive Producer: Bruce O'Brian
    Composer: Hans Zimmer

    Paul Atreides: The son of Leto and royal heir to the noble House Atreides, Paul has spent his entire life being prepared for the responsibility that comes with his family's name. Haunted by visions of a mysterious girl and an inevitable future, he is called to leave his childhood home world behind for a new life on the most dangerous planet in the Known Universe, where he must confront his innermost fears.

    Played by: Keanu Reeves
    Alternate: Johnny Depp

    Duke Leto Atreides: He is a noble leader guided by duty to his people and love for his family. As head of House Atreides, he has built a reputation for mercy over malice, principle over power, and courage over fear. When called to bring peace to the endangered planet of Arrakis, he must prepare his only son Paul for the dangers that lie ahead.

    Played by: Christopher Reeves
    Alternate: Liam Neeson

    Lady Jessica: The concubine of Duke Leto and mother to Paul. As a member of the mysterious Sisterhood known as the Bene Gesserit, she is a master of body and mind, able to weaponize her words through a power known as 'the Voice' to bend the will of those who dare to threaten her family. She is burdened by the knowledge of what Paul must become to survive his destiny, and must prepare and help him.

    Played by: Jane Seymour
    Alternate: Isabella Rossellini

    Gurney Halleck: He's a defiant warrior with the soul of a poet, he's watched over Paul since he was born. Although he would never say it aloud, he loves Paul as though he were his own son. As the Duke's Warmaster, Gurney Halleck has been forged in battle, and will do whatever it takes to protect House Atreides — a people as dear to him as the family he lost to the Harkonnens.

    Played by: Nick Nolte
    Alternate: Sam Neill
    Alternate 2: Christopher Lee

    Duncan Idaho: He's a legendary Swordmaster, warrior, and House Atreides' deadliest weapon. A fearless pilot and expert in stealth reconnaissance, he is the eyes and ears of Duke Leto, and the first of House Atreides to leave footprints on the desert sands of Dune. A man of loyalty and lethality, his guiding principle is to fight for the Atreides as though they were his own, and to defend Paul with his life.

    Played by: Bruce O'Brian
    Alternate: Sylvester Stallone

    Thufir Hawat: He's a master of psychological warfare and head of House Atreides' security division. Thufir Hawat is a Mentat (a highly-trained strategist whose mind has the infinite processing power of a supercomputer), a grandmaster of cause and effect capable of seeing all possible outcomes to unravel plans within plans, and to protect Paul from threats seen and unseen.

    Played by: Ian McShane
    Alternate: Richard Jordan

    Dr. Wellington Yueh: A trusted House physician for the Atreides family. Dr. Yueh uses intricate pressure point manipulation to detect injuries, sense sickness, and even intuit the psychological state of his patients simply by touching them. More than just a doctor, he values human life above all things and is part of the Atreides closest inner circle.

    Played by: Pat Morita
    Alternate: George Takei
    Baron Vladimir Harkonnen: He's Greed and tyranny personified; a force of malevolence determined to feed his addiction to brutality. A gravity-defying monster of a man, gliding through the air like a phantom, the imposing figurehead of House Harkonnen ensures his family stands in stark opposition to House Atreides, ruling through fear, and determined to exploit the natural resources of Dune no matter the cost to its people.

    Played by: Gene Hackman
    Alternate: Joss Ackland

    Glossu Raban Harkonnen: As animalistic and savage as his given name implies, the "Beast" Rabban is the towering enforcer and nephew of the sadistic Baron Harkonnen. Tasked with securing the Baron's empire by any means necessary, he is a brutal force of nature, prone to explosive and petulant bouts of rage. Of those that cross him, few live.

    Played by: Willem Dafoe
    Alternate: Jack Nickolson

    Piter De Vries: He's a Mentat under the service of Baron Vladimir Harkonnen. Piter De Vries uses the cunning and venom of his poisoned mind to carry out Baron Harkonnen's malevolence, while staying one step ahead of his fierce rival Thufir Hawat in the ever-turning game of psychic warfare between the Houses of power.

    Played by: Christopher Walken
    Alternate: John Turturro
    Stilgar: The leader of the Fremen, he's a man who will do anything to protect the life and culture of his people—guardians of the Arrakis deserts. He is revered as a man of great wisdom, born of a deep symbiotic relationship with the wilds of Dune; a primal survivor who has made the most dangerous planet in the universe his home.

    Played by: Raul Julia
    Alternate: Omar Sharif

    Jamis: He's a Fremen best known as the man who was bested by Paul Atreides when he and his mother Jessica were first given sanctuary by Stilgar. Also known to be adept in playing the nine-stringed baliset. Paul sees in one of his visions a future where they could have been friends and allies, a future that did not come to pass.

    Played by: James Remar
    Alternate: Victor Argo

    Dr. Liet Kynes: As foremost expert on the planet Dune and the ways of its people, Dr. Liet Kynes' relationship to Dune goes beyond mere duty. An Imperial outsider tasked with overseeing the transfer of power on the planet, his service to House Atreides is complicated by a spiritual connection to both the population and the wild beauty of the planet itself.

    Played by: Omar Sharif
    Alternate: Franco Nero

    Chani Kynes: She was born on Dune, raised in the ways of its free people the Fremen, and shaped by its wilds to be a confident and dangerous warrior. A relentless defender of the people she loves, she will rise defiant against any outsider seeking to endanger the natural beauty of her world. Though not a full believer of Paul at the beginning, her opinion of him changes after his induction into the Fremen.

    Played by: Michelle Pfeiffer
    Alternate: Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio

    Shadout Mapes: The head housekeeper in the Imperial Residence in the city of Arrakeen on the planet Arrakis when the Atreides took control of that planet. Mapes was one of the first Fremen that many of the Atreides encountered on a personal basis when they arrived on Arrakis. And approached the Lady Jessica in the hopes of determining if she was the one the Fremen prophecies spoke of.

    Played by: Catherine Scorsese
    Alternate: Shelagh Fraser
    Shaddam Corrino IV: The eighty-first Padishah Emperor of the Corrino Empire, and thus the Known Universe. His feelings of inadequacy, and jealousy, towards his cousin, Duke Leto Atreides, caused him to give Leto the administration of Arrakis in a secret plot with the Harkonnens to reduce their power and influence.

    Played by: Brian Blessed
    Alternate: Laurence Olivier

    Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam: She's a wise Truthsayer who sees all-too clearly what humanity is capable of. A member of the mysterious Bene Gesserit Sisterhood directs her stern gaze of judgement towards the young Paul Atreides. Using prophecy and superstition to manipulate human history from the shadows, the Bene Gesserit play a long game across the generations, course-correcting humanity's journey on the path to the light as they believe it to be.

    Played by: Eva Marie Saint
    Alternate: Faye Dunaway

    A.N: So, what do you think? Please tell me if you think of another actor that can play the parts mentioned.
     
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    • The Next Frontier
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    • The Next Frontier:

    "The Rocinante glided through the void of space, its fusion engines humming softly in the background as the ship made its way towards Eros Station. Holden watched the blue-green orb of Earth shrink in the distance, feeling a pang of homesickness despite his best efforts to remain stoic. He had taken this job on a whim, hoping to make some quick cash and forget about the troubles of his past. But as the crew of the Rocinante delved deeper into the mystery of the protomolecule and the various factions vying for control of it, Holden realized that he had stumbled upon something much bigger than he had anticipated.

    As they approached Eros Station, the crew could see strange tendrils of energy emanating from the surface, reaching out towards the Rocinante like ghostly fingers. Naomi's fingers flew over the controls, deftly avoiding the tendrils as they maneuvered towards the station. Once they had docked, the crew made their way through the station's corridors, their guns at the ready. The station was eerily quiet, the only sound the soft hum of the protomolecule as it continued its insidious work.

    They soon encountered a group of Belter rebels, armed and ready for a fight. But before they could engage in combat, a group of Martian Marines burst onto the scene, guns blazing. Holden watched in horror as the two groups clashed, realizing that they were caught in the middle of a larger conflict. He knew that they needed to get off Eros Station and warn the rest of the system about the threat of the protomolecule, but the chaos around them made it seem like an impossible task. But then he remembered something he had learned from his time in the Navy - sometimes, the best way to win a battle was not to fight it at all.

    "Everyone, stand down!" Holden shouted, his voice echoing through the station. "We're here to stop the protomolecule, not kill each other. We need to work together if we're going to survive."

    Slowly, the fighting died down as the various factions hesitantly lowered their weapons. Holden could see the fear and uncertainty in their eyes, but he also saw a glimmer of hope.

    "Alright, let's get out of here," he said, gesturing for the others to follow him.

    As they made their way back to the Rocinante, Holden couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment. He had managed to bring together a group of people who were normally at each other's throats, all in the name of a greater cause.

    He knew that the road ahead would be long and difficult, but he also knew that as long as he had the Rocinante and his crew by his side, they could face anything the universe threw at them-" Mike Pondsmith stopped his reading and sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

    After a few moments, Mike looked across the table at Dave Alistair. "How do you manage to pump out content so regularly?" he asked. "And is this about what I said about your Martian script?"

    Dave shrugged. "Honestly, I have no impulse control because of the drugs I used to take," he admitted. He sounded a little defensive, but also matter-of-fact. "And I don't really have anything to say about that."

    Mike opened his mouth to argue, but then thought better of it. "Fine," he said. "Anyway, what are you thinking of calling this series?"

    Dave thought for a moment, staring into his coffee. "I'm not great at coming up with names, but...The Expanse, maybe?"

    Mike raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

    Dave rolled his eyes. "I don't need your smugness right now, Mike. I just need some coffee."

    "Fair enough," Mike chuckled, waving down a waitress. "So, you were saying something about how each arc would transition to a different genre of science fiction?"

    "Yeah, nothing concrete yet, but I was thinking of trying some military sci-fi at some point... maybe calling that arc Infinite Warfare."

    "Ominous," Mike said, grinning. "Does that have anything to do with what Heinlein said to Bruce?"

    Dave shook his head. "You know I'm not commenting on that."

    "Needed to be asked," Mike shrugged, "But hey, do you want to me to help you with Sea of Thieves later?"

    "Absolutely," Dave said, grinning. "That sounds fan-fucking-tastic."
     
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    • Movie Pitch: Hiawatha
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    • Okay, so, this movie was never made in OTL, and the only version that can be considered similar to it would be either the Pocahontas film of 1995, or the unfinished Disney film Little Hiawatha that from wat I've seen is a product of its time (but what a fun product it would've been if made!). The idea appeared in the Jim Henson Thread, and it was quite enjoyable as it was, so I figured "Why don't we try it before the supposed Renaissance?" and thus here we are.

    I've tried to put Voice Actors that are Native Americans (Or those who worked in Pocahontas at least) but I've also added some Alternates in case we can't get the ones we want. Those are not Native American, but I think that by virtue of experience they can give an enjoyable experience and a good enough voice for the characters.

    The movie would also have to be somewhat faithful to Iroquois mythology, if only to show respect (and because it's really fascinating!) so hopefully it endears us, and gives us brownie points, with the Native community as we show that we haven't forgotten completely the lessons they gave us; The Iroquois did influence the American Constitution more than one would think after all, not to mention the entire story of Hiawatha is amazing by itself.

    With that having been said, I give you:

    Movie Pitch:
    Hiawatha

    GENRE: Historical Drama/Comedy

    SUBGENRE: Adventure/Romance

    FORMAT: Movie (Animation)    ​

    Set Up: Based on Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem The Song of Hiawatha, and actual Iroquois Oral tradition and history, the movie tells the story of Hiawatha, a brave from the Onondaga tribe and his quest to "Unify the Five Nations" after the death of his parents at the hands of Tadodaho of the Bithwanikumbakumba. With his wits, club, and animal companion (and pain in the neck) Crow at his side, he embarks on a journey full of wacky adventures and self-discovery, meeting friends and foes alike as he fulfills his destiny.

    Director: Ron Clements
    Composer: Floyd "Red Crow" Westerman
    Hiawatha: He's a young member of the Onondaga tribe who was prophesized on the day of his birth that he would "Unify the Five Nations". After the death of his parents at Tadodaho's hands he goes on a journey to avenge them and fulfill his destiny. During his travels he learns of his shortcomings and how violence and brute force are not always the answer. During his adventures he makes friends with Kwasind and falls in love with Minnehaha, marrying her at the end.

    Played by: Gordon Tootosis
    Alternate: Jonathan Frakes

    Crow: He's Hiawatha's "animal companion". He joins him in his travels giving him advice which sometimes work and sometimes doesn't. With a tendency to make fun of him or his ideas, Crow tends to help Hiawatha become more self-reliant and confident, while also puncturing his ego when it gets too big. In reality, he's one of the Thunderers from Iroquois tradition, and the enemy of Djodi'kwado, the Horned Sea Snake. He returns to its true form when Djodi'kwado is exorcised away from Tadodaho

    Played by: Floyd "Red Crow" Westerman
    Alternate: Robin Williams

    Tadodaho/Djodi'kwado: He's the leader of the Bithwanikumbakumba who's been possessed, and is being influenced, by Djodi'kwado. With his magic spells and weapons he's set forth on a campaign of destruction and death in order to conquer the five nations and unify them. In the end Tadodaho is saved by Hiawatha and Minnehaha, and sees the error of his ways. Djodi'kwado does not however, and after being expelled from Tadodaho, returns to its true Giant Sea Snake Form to try and kill them all.

    Played by: Wes Studi
    Alternate: Tim Curry

    Deganawida: The leader of the Mohawk, and "The Great Peacemaker" according to oral tradition. Deganawida does not have a good impression of Hiawatha at first due to his more bullish attitude, but he grows on him after Hiawatha grows a bit and saves his village from Tadodaho's summons. Deganawida is the father of Kwasind and Minnehaha, a man who tries to find a peaceful way to every disagreement, but is not afraid to fight in order to defend one's home.

    Played by: Russell Means
    Alternate: Keith David

    Kwasind: Son of Deganawida, and the greatest warrior of the Mohawk. When meeting Hiawatha he's hostile as he sees him defeat an entire contingent of warriors using both cunning and guile. It does not help that he sees Hiawatha is clearly besotted with his sister, but overtime they grow as close as brothers thanks to fighting together to protect the village, and the growing respect between warriors. He dies fighting against Tadodaho near the end.

    Played by: James Apaumut Fall
    Alternate: Cam Clarke

    Minnehaha: Daughter of Deganawida, she is the one that teaches Hiawatha the values of compassion and empathy as he was still consumed by his desire for vengeance against Tadodaho, as well as the one that creates the Wampum Belt that is so revered by the Iroquois. In the final confrontation against Tadodaho near his swamp, she is the one that stays Hiawatha's vengeful hand and heals Tadodaho, thus freeing him from the dark and the influence of Djodi'kwado.

    Played by: Irene Beddard
    Alternate: Susan Blu

    Djodi'kwado: The "Horned Serpent Demon" from Iroquois tradition. It was known to abduct and eat maidens by disguising itself as a brave and handsome man. It possesses and influences Tadodaho to gain control over the five nations, and when expelled from him it turns back to its giant monstruous form. It is eventually defeated by the combined strength of Crow, the Thunderer, and Hiawatha. Once more in monstruous form he does not speak, but roars like an animal.
    The Kenabek: The "Children of Djodi'kwado", they're summons that can be used by Tadodaho to spy, attack, or merge into a greater form to increase its power.

    Chibiabos the Raccoon, and Iagoo the Hummingbird: Minnehaha's animal companions. Chibiabos is a troublemaker, while Iagoo tends to be more boastful.

    A.N: Well, I just want to make an animated film about Native Americans that does not include Pocahontas (mainly because the Direct to Video Sequel ruined it for me) and I was watching in YouTube about the Little Hiawatha unfinished film that made me remember this. Hopefully we can use some interesting animation style that will make it fun to watch.
     
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    • Knight Owl: Night City Court of Law (a R. Talsorian Cyberpunk Story)
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    • Knight Owl: Night City Court of Law (a R. Talsorian Cyberpunk Story): by Mike Pondsmith and Dave Alistair [ Novel / MiniSeries (Animated) | Cyberpunk / Court Drama ]

    A-Plot: The neon lights of Night City shone bright as lawyer Rachel Nguyen made her way to the courthouse, her briefcase clutched tightly in her hand. She had been assigned to defend a notorious fixer named Jack "The Knife" Murphy, who had been accused of multiple counts of murder and racketeering. Rachel knew that this was going to be the toughest case of her career, but she was determined to see it through. She had spent countless hours poring over the evidence, interviewing witnesses, and preparing her defense.

    As she entered the courtroom, Rachel could feel the eyes of the various gang members and fixers in the gallery on her. She took a deep breath and began to present her case, arguing that the prosecution had no concrete evidence linking Jack to the crimes. But the prosecution was relentless, and they had a number of witnesses who were more than willing to testify against Jack. Rachel fought back, cross-examining each witness and tearing apart their testimonies piece by piece.

    As the trial went on, Rachel began to uncover a web of corruption and deceit that went all the way to the top. She discovered that the prosecution had fabricated evidence and coerced witnesses in order to secure a conviction. Determined to see justice served, Rachel brought this information to the attention of the judge, who ultimately declared a mistrial and ordered a new trial with an independent prosecutor.

    Rachel's hard work and dedication had paid off, and Jack "The Knife" Murphy was eventually acquitted of all charges. Rachel had not only defended her client, but she had also exposed the corruption and rot at the heart of Night City's legal system. As she walked out of the courthouse, Rachel knew that she had made a difference. She had shown that even in a city as corrupt and brutal as Night City, justice could still prevail.

    Rachel Nguyen's work on the Jack "The Knife" Murphy case was a resounding success. She had uncovered corruption and deceit within the legal system of Night City and helped secure her client's acquittal. However, unbeknownst to Rachel, Jack was, in fact, guilty of all charges. After his release, Jack continued his criminal activities, emboldened by his victory in court. He expanded his racketeering operations and became more ruthless than ever before. His newfound power and influence allowed him to evade the law for years, and he became a notorious figure in Night City's criminal underworld.

    Meanwhile, Rachel's reputation suffered a severe blow. Rumors began to circulate that she had helped a known criminal go free, and her credibility as a lawyer was called into question. She struggled to find work, and many clients were hesitant to hire her, fearing that she would not be able to defend them effectively. The fallout from the case had destroyed her career, and she had never fully recovered. In the end, Rachel realized that justice was not always black and white. She had done her best to defend her client, but in doing so, she had inadvertently allowed a dangerous criminal to continue his reign of terror. She vowed to never make the same mistake again and to always ensure that she was on the right side of the law.

    All that was left was her story, and the blood money she'd been payed with...she needed a professional to deal with this, and that meant she needed to talk to a Fixer.

    A/N: Fifth time tonight the cats I've been pet-sitting have fucking headbutted me awake for scritches, so I've given up on sleep and decided to watch Lincoln Laywer (highly recommend it)...which then inspired me to write this pitch for a Laywer Drama.
     
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    • Movie Pitch: Lights of Ksensus
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    • Alright, I'm gonna try my first time pitch. Don't expect it to be much, but's it's all I got. But before that, something a bit fun:

    "To the amazing staff and managers of LucasFilm Unlimited,
    My name is Hector Chaulet, I live in Boyce, Louisiana and I am currently studying filmaking at Loyola University, New Orleans.

    I first want to say how much I adore Star Wars, it was truly inspirational for a small pet project of mine that I've been creating since high shcool. As a so-called "nerd", I have always been a fan of both science fiction and fantasy and thus worked a lot on creating a fun setting of my own.

    I sent you a script on the mail, both being of different degrees of quality (sorry about that). I hope that you could appreciate the scrip enough for whatever merits it does have. I don't really expect a reply nor believe I deserve one.

    I hope that you all have a good day, and if you don't like my script, you can throw them to the fire, I made copies.

    Sincerly,
    Hector Chaulet."

    --xx--​

    Movie Name: Lights of Ksensus
    Screenwriter: Hector Chaulet
    Genre: Crime Drama

    Synopsis:
    On a planet Ghaljeandere there is a large city called Ksensus. The city itself is styled in gothic architecture and is covered by darkness most of the time.
    Jack Calbot is a cynical, corrupt cop who no longer believes in helping the general public and echanges sensitive information in exchange for favors and money from both small-time criminals and the biggest criminal in the city, Jean-Pierre Lullard.
    While doing business with Lullard, he takes on a mistress, a Cat-Sith (a race of human-like aliens with cat features, such as a pair of cat ears and a tail) slave and stripper by the name of Via Asante, who is a rather fiesty woman who wears a shock collar for nasty behavior in the past.

    The two have several scenes together where they bond and talk about their lives and regrets, with Jack sharing that his biggest regret was never becoming a father. Via shares her regret of never contacting her younger brother Gerard, who was supporting their mother.

    As election for the Ghaljeanderian Planetary Parliament is taking place, Lullard meets with politician Quentin Algiers, a racist who supports Cat-Sith slavery, who comes to the crime boss with a request: to send a Cat-Sith slave to assassinate both of his main political adversary John Harbor, who is trying to get elected in order to pass a policy that would allow Cat-Sith not only to vote, but to have representitives on the parliment. Algiers tell Lullard that the evidence of the assassination plot has to lead to another pro-slavery politician and if Lullard can achieve all of that, Algiers would make sure the crimial would be untouchable.
    Lullard agrees to the request without hessitation.

    The two are unaware that under their table was a recorder that has been recording the entire conversation, put by an undercover cop by the name of Winona de Ambrous, who had been acting as a waitress in Lullard's establishment.
    As she picks the recording device, she is spotted by Via, who slips by her and takes the recorder. However she is noticed by the undercover cop.

    Via later meets with Jack and begs him to help her stop the plot, as she is a heavy supporter of the idea of Cat-Sith getting the right to vote. Jack, however, is apathetic towards her pleas, so she tells him that she is pregnant with his child, causing him reluctantly accept aiding her.

    Not wishing to botch the operation or risking anyone stealing her thunder, Winona goes to Lullard and tells him that she saw Via taking something from under the table after his meeting with Algiers and says she "believes" that it looked like those recorders cops use. This angers Lullard, who believes that Jack is trying to screw him over. He calls Kelvin Baudelaire, a corrupt detective under his thumb, ordering him to destroy Calbot's reputation, capture him and kill him. He also asks his primary enforcer, Alberto Contannilli, to kill Jack and Via in case Baudelaire fails. Though unknown to the two of them, Winona is listening to the conversation behind the wall.

    Jack and as the cops show up to his department, at first confusd but when they try to arrest him for several offenses, he struggles and escapes alongside Via, now fugitives from the law.
    Jack and Via arrive at a workshop of a man known as Vintege, a mechanic and the leader of a small-time gang of hijackers who owns a favor to Calbot for turning a blind eye multiple times. There Vintage manages to remove Via's shock collar, but the mechanic is horrified to learn that it doubles as a tracking device, kicking the two fugitives out. Not long after, Contannilli arrives with two other men and kill Vintege when they figure that he doesn't know where the two went.

    The fugitives arrive in a rundown Cat-Sith neighborhood, laying low while hiding with Via's mother and brother. While there, Calbot sees the downtrodden situation of the Cat-Sith as he spends several scenes with the Asante family, as well as seeing and stopping several drunkards from attacking a group of boys, who complain that nobody cares about "A bunch of fuckin' dead cats".
    Seeing all of this makes Calbot try and double down on his cynical beliefs, but Via and her mother try to convince him that there are people that do care and are trying their best to change the situation around the empire, one situation at a time.

    Gerard, who has been reconnecting with Via, reveals to her that he has been ordered to go on a suicide mission in order to protect his mother, at which point she figures out that he's the intended assassin. She tries to dissuade him, but he refuses to listen, saying that they have no real worth in the eyes of the people who enslaved them, so his life has no worth and he storms out, leaving to perform his job.

    At same time, Winona arrives at Baudelaire's apartment and tries to find any evidence to connect him to Lullard in order to get him fired and incarcerated as well as furthering her career. She takes a while, but manages to find something before leaving. She tells her superior, Captain Lambert, about what she found on her car's intercom. The captain tells her to go after him and to arrest Calbot as well.

    Right as the two fugitives go out to try and chase after Gerard, the police and Bauldelaire arrive and start a lengthy car chase, in the middle of which Contannilli and his two men join the chase. Eventually there is a chain reaction of car crashes, and a firefight erupts between all groups. While Bauldelaire escapes the carnage as Jack, Via, Contannilli and his men gun down several officers.

    When one of Contannilli's men flanks Jack, Via takes the hit for him as he shoots the man dead. As Jack holds onto Via, he sees that she is mortally wounded. She admits that she lied to him about the pregnancy but insisted that she was in-love with him and begs him to stop her brother before dying in his arms.

    Distraught and in anguish, Jack is easily incapacitated by Bauldelaire and put in the back of the detective's truck, while the enforcer returns with his remaining underling to Lullard.

    Calbot wakes up in an unknown location outside the city, where Bauldelaire has tied him up to a tree and is aiming a gun at him with one hand while holding the recorded tape in the other. He mocks about their shared history in the police force and how they both ended up being pretty similar, all the while mocking and taunting his captive about his own accomplishments in comparison to Jack's relatively boring career.
    He tells Jack that he plans to blackmail Lullard for the tape in order to gain more importance in with the higher ups of the city after the "Filthy street cat" kills Harbor.

    When Jack says that he always thought Bauldelaire to be better than that and tries to convince him that perhaps they're right about the world being unjust, but that he is at least refuses to be selfish anymore and at least die trying to improve things for the people that they had sworn to protect as officers of the law.

    Bauldelaire laughs in his face and tells him that being selfish is the only way to survive and as he prepares to kill him, Winona shows up, saying that she heard everything and recorded it, holding a "KP-03"* pistol aimed at the corrupt detective. Bauldelaire asks who she is and how she found him. She reveals her identity and explains that his car had a tracker, then orders him to surrender. He refuses, insults her and aims his gun at her at her, but she shoots him first, killing the detective by blowing off his head with a kinetic blast.

    After recovering from the knockback, the undercover agent releases Jack, who asks her if she's going to arrest him, to which replies: "Not yet. If I allow anyone to die tonight because I put my ambitions first, then what type of officer would I end up being?".

    Together the two officers go to the city hall, where the debate between the poloticians is going to take place.
    The act starts with both Quentin Algiers and John Harbor as they enter the city hall. Throughout the interaction with both the crowd and each other, we can see that Harbor is pompous and impatient, but also genuinly caring about the suffering that is caused by slavery and is critical of several current policies of the Ghaljeanderian Parliament on taxation and punishment. In contrast to him, Algiers is patient and good at putting up fake acts, but is extremely racist towards Cat-Sith to the point of repulsion, is obsessed with money and sees the current policies as the natural order of things.

    During the interactions with the politicians, we see Algiers interacting with Lullard, who reassures him that everything is going as planned, while we also see Gerard hiding in the shadows with a short sword.

    When Algiers starts his speech to rally up supporters for the elections, Jack and Winona arrive to city hall and enter through the back entrance, where they meet with Captain Lambert. When she and several officers try to arrest Jack, Winona stops them and plays the recording of Algiers and Lullard. When Harbor starts his speech, Jack barely spots Gerard and goes to stop him before he acts.

    The assassin notices Calbot and starts to flee, which gets Contanilli's attention as he sends his man after them. After a quick chase around the building, the two fight briefly, only for Gerard to overwhelm Calbot, who informs him that Via is dead. Hearing this causes Gerard to despair as he tries to stab himself to death, he is stopped by the cop, who helps him calm down right as Contannilli's man arrives by jumping on Calbot and attempting to strangle him, only for Gerard to stab the henchman in the heart, killing him.

    As Harbor finishes his speech, Lullard is confused and angry, only to be handcuffed by Winona, who snuck up on him. However, she is quickly stunned by an elbow strike from Contannilli, who escapes alongside his boss as quickly as possible out of city hall. In the parking lot they encounter Jack and Gerard, both slightly exhausted but ready to stop them. An enraged Lullard throws profanities at the two and blames them for ruining everything, but is shot in the back of the head in the middle of his rant by Contannilli.

    The enforcer explains that his boss was done and that he was never really loyal to the man and planned on eventually taking over his business anyway. He offers promises of wealth and protection from the law to both men, but Jack refuses, saying that he would rather die than repeat his past mistakes. As the police encircles them, all three men are arrested.

    In the next scene there is a tv broadcast montage covering the events of the evening, such as the arrests of Algiers, Contannilli, Gerard and Jack, as well as the deaths of Lullard and Via, with the police accrediting Winona for the arrests.

    Winona sits in front of a thick, metal door with a closed window. She explains that the men are most likely to spend at least a decade each in prison for their crimes, with all possibly getting the death sentence for killing over a dozen cops and for Gerard being a Cat-Sith who murdered a human. She also informs that Harbor and his party are going to get a lot more votes in the election because of Algiers' arrest. The door she is sitting in front of is the door to Jack's cell, where he is lying silently on his bed and listening.

    She tells him that after the whole event has helped her see beyond her own ambitions, if only slightly. She promises that she'll try her best not to end up like him or Bauldelaire, but become more of a selfless servant of the people.

    Hearing this makes Jack laugh as he wishes her the best of luck. After she leaves, he continues to lie on the bed, crying as he remembers Via's last words to him.

    Characters:
    Jack Calbot: A corrupt cop (early-40s) who gets extra cash and favors with criminals by turning the other cheeck. He is selfish and would only do things if it benefits him. However, he is not completely heartless as throughout the film he learns to become more selfless.

    Via Asante: A Cat-Sith slave (early-30s) who works as a stripper for Jean-Pierre Lullard and is Jack Calbot's mistress/unofficial girlfriend. She is someone who is willing do risk herself to help others and loves her family and people despite not being in touch with her family for years.

    Gerard Asante: A cat-Sith slave (mid-to-late-20s) who works as an assassin for Jean-Pierre Lullard. He is sent to openly kill politician John Harbor, and he is willing to sacrifice his own life, believing it has no value to anyone. Much like his older sister, he loves his family.

    Winona de Ambrous: An undercover officer at Lullard's club (mid-to-late 20s) who discover the plot to assassinate John Harbor. She is increadibly ambitious and selfish to the point that she is willing to throw Via Asante under the bus in order to keep her cover and her investigation. By the end of the second act she starts trying to be less selfish after witnessing Calbot and Bauldelaire's conversation.

    Jean-Pierre Lullard: The biggest crime boss in Ksensus, Jean-Pierre Lullard (late 50s) is a man who has complete control over prostitution in the city thanks to his large amount of slaves, while also possessing several money-laundring rackets across the city. He is ruthless and hot tempered, but jovial when he wants to be.

    Alberto Contennilli: Lullard's right hand man and primary enforcer (late 30s), Contennilli is a skilled and ruthless man, but pragmatic and clean in the execution of his work. He is very intimidating and mostly silent.

    Quentin Algiers: A racist politician (mid 60s), he requests from Lullard to assassinate his primary opposition John Harbor. He is obviously corrupt and his authority scares even Lullard.

    Kelvin Bauldelaire: A corrupt police detective under Lullard's thumb (early 40s), he joined the police force at the same time as Jack Calbot, though he had more success and the two dislike one another. He is just as bad as Jack in the beginning of the movie.

    Jack Harbor: A politician that is in the center of the assassination plot (late 30s), he is a firm believer in giving rights to Cat-Sith slaves and in changing unfair laws. He is pompous, impatient but generally caring and genuine about his beliefs.

    Captain Lambert: Winona de Ambrous's superior (early 50s), he is a rather stern, rough around the edges kind of guy who hates corrupt cops, but is willing to listen to reason.

    Mrs. Asante: Via and Gerard's mother (early 60s) she is a kind, optimistic and selfless woman who wants her children to do the best for others. She is also incredibly naive and highly religious, as the gods were still awake when she was a small child.

    Vintage: A mechanic and car hijacker, he is very jumpy and talks a lot. Has paid off Jack multiple times over the years. He also has a robotic left arm.

    Contannilli's Henchmen: Two guys who work under Contanilli.

    *While the story itself is self contained to one city, both Ksensus and Ghaljeandere are part of a greater setting with much more sci-fi and fantasy elements in play. There is a scene with Mrs. Asante where she talks about the miracles that the gods did before entering their slumber. That s mostly exposition to the wider setting's fantasy elements.

    *KP-03 pistol (or the Kinetic Punch 03) is a hand cannon that shoots focused blasts of kinetic energy instead of bullets, which can blow a person's head off with ease. However it also has incredible blowback.

    *I imagined the city to look like a sci-fi metropolis in a very bad shape, with the Cat-Sith nieghborhood buildings looking better than shacks of metal and wood.

    *I also imagined most characters speaking in French, especially in scenes with Jean-Pierre Lullard. Contannilli, however, communicates with his men only in Italian.

    --xx--​

    So that's my pitch idea. Not very good, but I thought about the basic idea for several days now.

    By the way, was it wrong for me do create a non-existing writer? I just kinda wanted to.
     
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    • TV Pitch: Legends of the Hidden Temple
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    • So, it seems we're going for the TV Division as well as the Animation Department, and I like the idea. Personally, I hope we can do something like HBO and make it so that instead of being public we become one of those channels that you have to subscribe to in order to watch our shows. I mean, we have a good selection, and we have Star Wars, what is not to like there!

    Still, one thing that I think we haven't done enough of is Game Shows. I mean, we have Bruce be a fan of them, but we're unable to participate on them due to bad rolls, and while it seems they won't be going nearly extinct like in OTL, I still don't see much being done with them. So, I thought back and remembered this Game Show from my childhood, and how much fun it was to watch. I figure we can perhaps bring it to our new TV Division, and show the world how fun it can be.

    Thus, I give you:

    TV Pitch:
    Legends of the Hidden Temple    ​


    GENRE: Action/adventure

    SUBGENRE: None

    FORMAT: Game Show    ​

    Set Up: An action-adventure TV game show. The program features a fictitious temple, "filled with lost treasures protected by mysterious Mayan temple guards." A game show host, and the announcer who also serves as the voice of a stone head named Olmec who "knows the secrets behind each of the treasures in his temple." Six teams of two people (Red Jaguars, Blue Barracudas, Green Monkeys, Orange Iguanas, Purple Parrots, Silver Snakes) compete to retrieve one of the historical artifacts in the temple by performing physical stunts and answering questions based on history, mythology, and geography. Contestants trying out will have to compete in several physical tasks and knowledge tests.

    In the first round of the show, the six teams must attempt to cross a narrow swimming pool known as "the moat" in a prescribed manner (For example; to swing out to a rope net in the middle of the moat, climb it, and then swim to the other side, or perhaps they have to move through specific steps and not fall, etc.,). All six teams must attempt to get both members across according to the rules and push a button on a pedestal to ring a gong. The first four teams to cross the moat and ring their gongs advance to the second round.
    The four remaining teams will stand on the topmost of four levels of the Steps of Knowledge. Olmec will begin the round by telling the remaining teams the episode's legend of the featured artifact, which becomes the theme for the remainder of the episode. The legend is centered on an artifact which the winning team will search for in the final round. At the end of the legend, Olmec tells the teams the room in which the artifact can be found. After finishing, he asks the teams a series of questions to test their memory. Each multiple-choice question has three possible answers. A team attempting to answer signaled by stomping on a button on their step, causing the front of the step to illuminate. A team who answers correctly moves down to the next level. If a team answers incorrectly, or runs out of time, then the other teams are given a chance to answer. The first two teams to answer three questions correctly and reach the bottom level advance to the next round.
    The temple games have the two remaining teams competing in three physical challenges to earn Pendants of Life which the winning team will use in the final round. Several different types of temple games will be featured, with the episode's legend serving as a theme for each. Most temple games will last for a maximum of 60 seconds bwhile others are untimed. After each challenge, the winning team will receive some portion of a protective Pendant of Life. The first two challenges, pitting single members from each team against one another, are worth one half of a pendant, while the final challenge, involving both contestants on both teams, will be worth a full pendant. If a temple game ends in a tie, then teams receive the pendant value of that game.

    The team that earns the most pendants by the end of three temple games wins the right to enter the temple. In the event that the two teams earn the same number of pendants after the three temple games, the teams will play a tiebreaker question to determine who advances to the temple.
    In the final round, the winning team will attempt to retrieve the episode's artifact and bring it back out of the temple within a three-minute time limit. The team will designate one member to enter the temple first; said team member will carry one of the team's full pendants. The other team member will hold the remaining pendant, half pendant, or no pendant at all and stand by to enter if the first team member is taken out of the temple by a temple guard. Before starting, Olmec will explain the rooms in the temple and the necessary tasks in each room.

    The temple will consist of twelve rooms, each with a specific theme (e.g., the Throne Room, the King's Storeroom, the Observatory, the Shrine of the Silver Monkey, the Heart Room, etc.). The rooms are connected to adjacent rooms by doorways, although some doors are locked, blocking a contestant's progress into the adjacent room; the pattern of locked and unlocked doors will change from episode to episode depending both on the temple layout and the artifact's location. The unlocked doors will be closed at the start of the round, but they could be opened by completing a specific task or puzzle within each room. Three other designated rooms will hold temple guards (spotters in Lavish Mayan sentinel costumes). If the winning team has exactly 1+1⁄2 pendants, the remaining half pendant will also placed in a room for the contestant with the half pendant to collect to make a full pendant. The extra half pendant, if needed, will either be hanging on the wall near a door or placed inside an object in a room (e.g., hidden inside a pot in the King's Storeroom).

    A contestant who encounters a temple guard will be forced to give up a full pendant in order to continue. However, if the first contestant is caught without a pendant in his or her possession, he or she will be taken out of the temple and the second contestant will enter. In either case, the temple guard who captures the contestant will be out of play, and will no longer appear. When the second contestant enters, any doors that the first contestant opened will remain open. If the second contestant is caught without a full pendant, the run ends immediately.

    If either contestant grabs the artifact, all remaining temple guards will vanish and all locked doors in the temple will instantly open, allowing the contestant to escape unhindered.
     
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    • Movie Pitch: SLIDERS
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    • Someone mentioned having Elvis as a badass fighter like John Wick and I thought, hey. Why not make him a revolutionary too? So I quickly wrote up an idea I had.

    Honestly, this idea started with Elvis as the main character, but with how the idea grew I think he'd be better as the secondary character of Commander Mallory. I mean he still sort of is a main character, but he's cut out of the second act entirely, and only appears shortly in the first act as another person entirely. I think he'd be great, and the person he'd be playing would still be a heroic character.

    I changed the pilot for a show called Sliders into a 2ish hour movie, we could carry it on with sequel movies or a tv show if we want.

    Someone suggested a show where the main character could be replaced with different actors since we'd be at the whims of Elvis if he wanted to come back for the sequels or dip sometime in them, or not show up at all.. So I rewrote the rules of the Sliderverse to compensate. I've thrown in some Quantum Leap where you can slide into other people's bodies, and some Marvel/Spider-verse, where the same people can look completely different.

    This lets us swap characters with different actors whenever we want, write quantum leap-esque stories where people are in other bodies, have timetravel as well as AU episodes. The whole shebang.

    Movie Pitch:

    SLIDERS

    GENRE: Science Fiction/Fantasy

    SUBGENRE: Action/Adventure

    FORMAT: Movie (1 of ? OR TV continuation)
    ​
    The movie starts with the opening credits and a voiceover from some unknown world's Amanda Mallory complaining about a citywide blackout and calling for her son.

    NIGHTTIME

    An amateur VHS recording fades into view, on it a young adult, Quinn "VHS" Mallory of the same unknown world tapes a diary entry documenting the results of his latest scientific experiment in his basement. The room is littered in sci-fi tech. The room is also dark from the blackout- but Quinn is too excited to care. His mom calls for him again from the background, he finishes his sentence in a whisper, before cutting off the recording.

    -Fade to black-

    -Title Card: SLIDERS-​

    THE NEXT MORNING

    We finally get to see WORLD PRIME, the camera pans across this Quinn Mallory's bedroom- a messy room with odd bits and bobs, like a baseball, posters.. but hints of intelligence tucked away like a physics book left open on the floor, opened electronics on the desk.

    The pan ends at the bed where Quinn Mallory sleeps in the same clothes he wore yesterday.. The radio turns on, and Quinn wakes up.

    Heading downstairs, the young adult has a discussion with his mother over breakfast, something that Quinn eats quickly as he has things to do. Over this discussion we learn that Quinn's father had passed away some years ago from a car accident. Quinn's messy attitude is brought up by his mother, who notes that he slept in his clothes again, and the two joke about how the only rooms not clean are the two rooms that Quinn uses; his bedroom, and the basement- where "it would take years to get rid of that junk."

    Cut to the basement. An opened metal ball lays on a desk, it's a probe- like the Voyager Golden Records, detailing how to read its contents. A pile of home recording tapes lay in a pile inside the ball, where they came from, and another pile by the tv. They're dated by month and year. Whoever made these did so a good few years back. Nothing else can be seen.

    Quinn has been watching the tapes in the order that they were recorded. He plays in the next one and sits down, watching it with great interest. On the recording, "VHS" Mallory excitedly admits that while he failed in creating an antigravity device, he stumbled upon something else. Pushing a few buttons, a tear in reality appears within a glass capsule. The tape cuts to a few days later, "VHS" Mallory sends a probe through. He hypothesises that this tear is a gateway into another reality and wants to visit.

    It's not outright stated yet, but this isn't the Mallory from WORLD PRIME. Keen watchers may figure this out, but if not it is addressed later.

    WORLD PRIME's Quinn Mallory is torn away from the recording once his mother reminds him that he has lectures today.

    We see an old picture of the WORLD PRIME Mallory Family; Quinn, His Mother, and his Father.

    Quinn leaves by his front gate, it squeaks.

    LATER THAT DAY

    Quinn parks his car outside of a park, the only place where he doesn't have to pay. He cuts through the park to his lessons, here Quinn passes a homeless man preaching about the virtues of Communism. We see a statue in the park too, one of some American, famous for doing something American. Probably a horrible person but that was forgotten over time so the public could idolise his capitalist virtues.

    Professor Maximilian Arturo is giving a lecture on some smart-sounding physics mumbo jumbo. Dissatisfied with the lack of work ethic from his students, some who don't care for the class and others that don't understand what they're being taught. He asks a question to the class but no one can or wants to answer. This frustrates him. Arturo believes he is wasted in this institution.

    Quinn Mallory is absentmindedly doodling the outline of the portal in his notebook instead of listening. Arturo criticises him for not listening. Arturo turns his back on the class to write the answer to his own question on the blackboard. While he isn't looking, Quinn's seat neighbour, hippie and friend, Conrad Bennish leans over and whispers the answer to Quinn before Aruto has completed his explanation. Quinn chuckles. Conrad is the smartest in the class, but hates Arturo with a passion, and refuses to properly engage with the class. Arturo thinks Conrad is an idiot because he hasn't seen what he is capable of.

    Quinn, Conrad Bennish and other friends leave class. Excluding Conrad the others make fun of the Professor, but Conrad begrudgingly admits that the Professor should deserve more than he has, that he read his work and he should be a Nobel Laureate. This wasn't in the syllabus, Conrad calls it some light reading on the side.

    AFTER SCHOOL

    We cut to DOPPLER Computer Superstore, where Quinn and a crush of his, Wade Welles work as salespeople.

    Wade, being a lot savvier than their boss, promotes to a customer that they return in a few weeks when they have a new product in store, rather than buying a worse option now. Seeing Quinn enter she quickly ends her discussion and heads to him. This is their routine to make the hours go faster at work, they banter and make small talk and never really do anything significant besides making plans to do things outside of work. They do that here, Wade snagged two season baseball tickets for them both, they made plans a bit ago to see tonight's game. He wants to stay home and see more of the tapes, but Quinn still promises to pick her up and enjoy himself.

    Wade is shown to be more savvy than their boss Michael Hurley, when he comes over to criticise Quinn for being late, and Wade for losing a deal. Both salespeople defend each other. Quinn was at a lecture, and Wade's customers will return in a few days and spend more money than they would have if they bought something now.

    AFTER WORK
    Quinn returns home, the front gate squeaks.

    Quinn heads down to the basement and powers it on. Panning shot of a mad scientist lair that looks an awful lot like what we saw on the VHS tapes, only more rudimentary and cobbled together.

    Since we haven't properly seen the basement before, it isn't obvious if this is the same day, it could be weeks in the future since the last time scene, maybe months, maybe hours. This should give the viewer the sense that maybe Quinn's been working on this room for a while.

    Quinn looks at the wall of blackboards. Over time he's written down all he could find and understand from the VHS recordings, from design schematics for the bulky glass capsule machine, to equations.

    He's having trouble with one particular equation, even with the help from the tapes he's been lost for months. Without it, he doesn't know the proper energy output and frequency needed to stabilise the gateway. But that's something that'll be explained later on to the viewer.

    We see him make a few mistakes with numbers, realise what he did, and changes them. Quinn is impatient and because of that, with big calculations, he's prone to make a few mistakes when it's done in his head.

    He watches another tape recording, here "VHS" Mallory is discussing how anything sent through doesn't return, so he has developed a timing-returning device. When it is sent through with the object, it leaves an anchor in our world and can force the transported object back into its original universe when the timer ends. This is shown to be working in a demonstration with a basketball.

    Irritated that he hasn't figured out the equation after so long, he decides to do it tomorrow with the tried and true method of putting random numbers into the machine and seeing what works the best.

    Before this he films his own tape recording, explaining what he is about to do, why he has to do it and if it goes wrong he also makes a personal message out to his mom.

    THE NEXT DAY

    It goes wrong.

    Instead of a basketball, WORLD PRIME Quinn uses a football with the timer-returning device. The timer is a big, bulky brick. He sets the timer for 3 hours. A gateway appears and pulls the football through but it destabilises. A ripple spreads from the mouth across the basement and catches Quinn in it. Screen whites out intermittently with visuals of inside the wormhole.

    Fading back in we see Quinn right where we left him, the football and timer are still in the glass capsule. Finally using his head, he thinks that's enough messing without the proper equations. From the stairs, we hear his Mom reminding him of his baseball match with Wade later on.

    Dejected he drives to the match. The front gate doesn't squeak but he doesn't notice. Over the radio, the misogynistic radio DJ seems to be talking only about politics. He doesn't even mention women besides a passing remark about Marlynin Monroe's noteworthy contributions to politics.. That's a bit odd... It's a green light at a crossroads, Quinn swerves to dodge a bunch of reckless drivers that pull out in front of him. Stupid drivers, don't they know that green means stop? Wait. Hold on a sec.

    The DJ brings up stranger and stranger things as Quinn keeps on driving. He stops at a red light. There's honking behind him, Quinn finally uses his rearview mirror as drivers shout at him for stopping... Those aren't his eyes in the mirror.. Oh god, who's face is that? That isn't Quinn Mallory. This isn't his body.

    The mirror reflects a different actor, and as Quinn freaks out we cut back to him, only he's been replaced by this other actor.

    This isn't the body Quinn Mallory that we know, this is the Quinn Mallory of another world, that looks different, looks older.

    He speeds back home, freaking out but trying to remember that green means stop, red means go.

    He notices the gate doesn't squeak this time. He checks again, still, it doesn't squeak. His mother and gardener leave the house and Quinn runs up to meet them. They're heading off for their date?!? They're older, his mother is pregnant. Jake? But he's their gardener for crying out loud!

    A new voice calls his name from behind. He turns and sees a woman. She came to pick him up. It's Wade Welles. A different face, a different actor, older like Quinn too. She's come to pick him up for the baseball game.

    Quinn is still freaking out, but we cut to the basement where we see the football and the timer. It reaches zero and begins to beep. We cut back to outside, Quinn has an out-of-body experience where we see from his point of view. A portal appears behind him, and he is ripped out of this duplicate Quinn's body and through the gateway while the others watch on in surprise.

    He's back in his world now, in his real body. He's in his bedroom now. He runs to the basement. The football and timer appear in the chamber too. He sees the timer, he sees how it ran out and gets excited. He realises he was in another world.

    He runs out excitedly, greeting his mum, and his not-stepdad gardener. Happy they aren't together. The gate squeaks as he leaves for his next class, he missed the last one while he was on the other earth.

    AT CLASS
    He gets to class and apologises for being late. He's cut off by the Professor. Arturo refuses to be in the same room as him, and leaves.

    Quinn's friends talk about what happened, thinking Quinn remembers. He had mocked the Professor, calling him a pompous windbag, a useless old man. When the hell did he do that?

    AT WORK
    At work, Wade asks why Quinn showed up. He was fired? Hell, he insulted Hurley to his face, right in front of customers.. Quinn says that wasn't him and Wade jokingly says "I guess that kiss meant nothing now?". Mistakingly thinking that he kissed Hurley, Quinn almost gags, but when he finds out that it was Wade he kissed.. He can't believe it. I mean, they're just buds. It'd be weird, right? No way. Wade walks off, she's not interested in going to that baseball game tonight. Maybe some other time.

    AT HOME
    We see Quinn's Mother something around the house, on television we see a commercial for Ross J. Kelly, the TV Attorney. The commercial is stupid, and Kelly promises that he will "FIGHT. FOR. YOU" 🫵

    Heading back down to his basement Quinn tries to figure out what the hell happened. His best bet? The energy field messed with his brain, causing him to halucina- He looks at the blackboard. Someone finished the equation he's been stuck on.

    A man walks out from the shadows and Quinn turns around. It's not a stranger, we've seen this face before. Quinn was this face once. It's the older Quinn Mallory whose body was taken over. Quinn "Alternate" Mallory had solved the equation ages ago.

    "Alternate" Mallory lays out an exposition dump in a conversation with Prime Quinn, the gists are.
    0. Alternate Mallory also has the VHS tapes, it's finally explained to the audience that Prime Quinn received them after they fell out of a portal. There is another Quinn somewhere in the multiverse trying to teach other earths how to slide by sharing his discoveries.
    1. Alternate Mallory has been sliding for a while now,
    2. He coins the term slider, meaning to slide between worlds- but claims that it's more than likely Prime Quinn would have named it the same thing given enough time.
    3. Time moves at the same pace in all universes, but can start at different times, this means the date or year on alternate earths can be different- people could be older or younger. This isn't why Alternate Mallory is older though.
    4. Doppelgangers can also be genetically different, they can look or act differently, like with Quinn and Wade in the Alternate World. Or can be born earlier or later than their counterparts in other worlds.
    5. The gateway was unstable, which causes unforeseen consequences. It didn't have enough power to transport a whole person, instead only took Prime Quinn's mind and pushed it into the nearest, best-matching body on the alternate world, as long as your alternate self is in range, it'll usually be that.
    6. A gateway can only absorb what it envelops entirely, so it won't rip out a chunk of a wall, and can only take a car if it fits within the portal walls. Otherwise, it passes through harmlessly.
    7. To make space in the body for the extra mind, Alternate Mallory was kicked out, sent through the portal and placed inside Prime Quinn's body. He's the one that's been going around causing trouble on the Prime World.
    8. Other unforeseen consequences of an unstable gateway could be; being sent into a random person's body, the portal expanding to swallow more than you want it to, being trapped between realities and unable to touch either, your body is stored within the gateway while your mind is projected into the nearest resident, etc. There's a long list of consequences but Alternate Mallory only knows one or two.
    9. Alternate Mallory doesn't have the technology to pick where a slide leads, yet.
    10. With his world's future technology, Alternate Mallory has miniaturised the Slider technology, making it pocket-sized instead of taking up an entire room.
    11. Alternate Mallory can reopen a recently closed portal ONLY ONCE before it gets dangerous, that's how he followed Prime Quinn back to his home universe in his own body.
    12. Opening a portal creates a ripple in the world you slide into, when created these ripples do nothing for a short while, before thinning the walls between dimensions for a minute or so. Too many ripples risks tearing a permanent hole between two dimensions, destroying both.
    ​
    "Alternate" Mallory talks about some of the worlds he's been to, the biggest highlight is an earth with no pollution, no crime, no hate, and everyone is happy. No one was afraid. "Alternate" Mallory didn't have the REOPEN technology back then and is sliding to rediscover that earth so he can settle there with his family. He's obsessed with finding it. That's why he slides.

    This explains why Alternate Mallory still lives at home with his Mom, he's disregarded his life there to rediscover this perfect world.

    Either way, Alternate Mallory has set his timer to a good few weeks from now. He came here to improve Prime Quinn's sliding technology in the hopes that with more sliders, the chance one of them finds a world with better-sliding technology than his increases. He hopes this better tech could be used to control where to slide, and that he could go back to that perfect world.

    That seems to be some kind of canon event for Slider Quinn Mallorys, they all just copy from each other and other people. Alternate Mallory wants to find other people with better tech, Both Quinns copied the sliders from VHS Mallory- and who knows if he really came up with the idea himself.

    Quinn Mallory isn't as smart as he thinks he is.

    THE NEXT FEW WEEKS

    Over the next few weeks, the Alternate Mallory lives in the basement since there's nothing there but Prime Quinn's tech so his mom doesn't check down there.

    Over a montage, we see the two working on the technology, and we learn bits and pieces of this Alternate Mallory, like how he is dating Wade. That explains a few things.

    Still, it's frustrating for Alternate Mallory to use the outdated technology from this world- trying to make workarounds to properly miniaturise the Slider technology and merge it with the timer-returner device. In the end, two bulky, but portable sliders are made. The first is a prototype. It is the size of a 1970s portable computer. Slow, heavy and clunky.

    The second slider is in the shell of a Casio CQ-1 pocket calculator, with tech babble added to the sides, like a mechanical timer on the back, and a light on the side that the portal 'shoots' out of.

    Even with Alternate Mallory's help, these soldiers are nothing like his own, which is sleek and carries enough charge for months of slides. The batteries on Prime Earth are nowhere near as good, and every few slides Quinn will need to recharge it somehow. It charges virtually instantly it but take a ridiculous amount of power, usually draining an entire city block.

    While not happy, Alternate Mallory is satisfied with his work by the time he needs to return home. He wishes the younger, Prime Quinn luck- but warns him that because of the rudimentary technology, he should not slide before the timer ends, or who knows what might happen.

    Before he leaves, the two take a commemorative photo together, which Quinn will keep in his wallet for its sentimental, and groundbreaking value.

    Alternate Mallory Slides back to his home dimension.

    LATER
    Wade and Professor Arturo knock on Quinn's front door and are invited inside by his mother. Quinn invited them both so he could take them on a slide, but neither of them know it yet.

    Alternate Mallory suggested Prime Quinn invite Wade on the next slide, he has an attachment to the woman in his own world, he realises this Quinn has feelings for this Wade too, and wants to help push it along. Wade thinks they're going to tonight's baseball game.

    Inviting Professor Arturo wasn't Alternate Mallory's idea. He hates the old mate with a passion and shoots Prime Quinn down any time the boy mentions his name- but Prime Quinn isn't the entirely same person, he still trusts the professor and wants to make up for what his Alternate did in his body all those weeks ago. So he invited him too under the pretence of apologising.

    ELSEWHERE
    We cut to a music manager's office, dancing to a recording of Rembrant "Cryingman" Brown on vinyl player. The sleeve of the vinyl is in focus and we see what the Cryingman looks like. We cut to the office bathroom, a slightly older Rembrandt Brown shouts out to turn it off, he doesn't need to hear his old stuff just before his comeback.

    This is a down-on-his-luck artist, he used to be famous but that was a long time ago. Now? He thinks has a chance to get back on top after all these years. His manager shoots him down, he's singing the national anthem at a baseball game, not singing for the queen. But it's still something to the old Cryingman.

    THE BASEMENT
    Wade and Arturo arrive in the basement. Arturo sees the solved equation on the board, in fact, he sees all the theoretical slider technology on the walls- back when Quinn was only working with the VHS tapes.

    After everything Quinn's been through, that seems like child's play now. He shows them the second slider, it beeps and lights flicker.

    ELSEWHERE
    Singing, Rembrandt gets in his car and heads off to his basketball game.

    THE BASEMENT
    Arturo is amazed at what he's been told about sliding. He doesn't really believe it.

    Quinn opens up a portal.

    The Professor shuts up.

    ELSEWHERE
    Rembrandt Brown, still singing, is still driving along.

    THE BASEMENT
    Arturo wants to study the portal, but the two young adults egg him on to follow them through the portal. They set the timer for a few hours and walk through.

    Here we see the first of many problems this slider has. Alternate Mallory only did the calculations for TWO sliders; Prime Quinn and Prime Wade. But now there's Arturo. Not wanting a repeat of last time, Quinn does some mental maths to estimate how much power he'd need for the additional person. Like before with the equation, he gets some numbers wrong. He puts in too much power. Thanks to Alternate Mallory's work on it, the slider won't open an unstable gateway. With Alternate Mallory's solved equation the sider calculates the proper frequency and other such scientific things of the portal- so all that happens is the portal is a lot bigger than Quinn intended.

    It extends outside of the basement, outside of the house, and pulls in Rembrant Brown who's passing by on the road.
    WORLD 3: THE ICE WORLD
    Rembrandt Brown crashes into a snow wall.

    Inside the basement Quinn, Wade and the Professor look about the cold and dark basement. It is empty, the wind outside can be heard.

    Upstairs is no better, the house is abandoned, covered in snow.

    Quinn finds a picture on the floor, the same picture that in his world shows him, his mother and his father- in this world also has a dog, and a sister.

    Heading outside they find Rembrandt and huddle in his car for warmth.

    Arturo suggests why this world is in some kind of ice age, Rembrandt is introduced to sliding, which lets us reexplain some of the more confusing aspects of it for viewers that didn't get it the first time around. Quinn shows the group the photo of him and "Alternate" Mallory.

    They have four hours left on the timer, but they're freezing. The Cryingman demands to be sent back right this instant- but Quinn repeats what he was told by "Alternate" Mallory. A storm can be heard outside and Rembrandt looks out.

    It's an upside-down twister. Coming straight for them.

    Realising if they don't return now, they'll die. Quinn decides to disregard Alternate Mallory's warning. They jump through a new portal, abandoning Rembrandt's car which is buried in the snow.

    THE PARK
    The Sliders find themselves in the park. It's green and sunny and there's no snow in sight. The portal closes.

    Rembrandt runs off to a cab, eager to get to the baseball game in time. Before running off he tells Quinn to explain what happened to his car to the insurance company.

    Wade, thinking she might have died in the other world, heads off to call her family.

    Quinn and the Professor happily stroll through the park, they wonder why they ended up here and not outside Quinn's house- which is where they portaled from. They figure that must be what happens when they slide back before the timer ends. They realise it also drained the slider, it needs to be recharged. Arturo suggests not to slide before the timer ends again, in case the next time they portal to a different location it's at the bottom of the sea, or over a ravine.

    Then they see the park statue. It's changed.

    Now it shows Vladimir Lenin.

    The two men look at each other.

    WADE
    Cut to Wade at a public payphone. The Operator is advertising for some odd services, a membership that lets you call the "homeland" for only a few rubles per minute, and other things. The Operator asks for Wade's telephone permit, Wade is even more confused. The Operator pauses and seems to recognise Wade's voice. The Operator asks for her identification, Wade runs off and we see the outside of the phone booth- instead of AT&T we see "The People's Telephone and Telegraph" or PT&T. The call is traced and the authorities are alerted.

    REMBRANDT
    In the cab Rembrandt asks the driver, a Russian named Pavel, to go faster up. The driver retorts in Russian, the Cryingman complains to himself that immigrants should know the language when they go to that country.

    Checking to see if he's late, Rembrandt asks the driver to put on the radio to the baseball game. When the Russian anthem plays the driver salutes. Rembrandt doesn't recognise the song, he looks at other drivers and sees them saluting also.

    PROFESSOR AND QUINN
    The two are still in the park, the homeless communist from before is now a U.S. senator candidate and is hosting a speech in the park. There is fervent support for him, and the crowd applauds when he condemns the American Underground Rebellion.

    Wade meets up with the two men, they all know this isn't their world.

    NIGHT
    REMBRANDT
    The cab arrives at the stadium and asks for cash, clueless the Cryingman gives over a green US Dollar.

    Panicking, Pavel runs out of the cab, to the security checkpoint at the stadium car park. He shows the guard the money, and Rembrandt is arrested.

    THE OTHERS
    Walking through the streets at night, the secret police watch everyone's moves. No one knows who to trust, and even looking at someone wrong can lead to patrolling Russian guards to arrest you. They discuss what could have happened to create a world like this, one thing is clear, the Soviet Union is running the US of A. Their best theory is that the Soviet Union, through its proxy states, had won the Korean War. Being cut off economically, this means the USA gradually collapsed before being taken over.

    REMBRANDT
    In an unmarked, dark warehouse, seated under an old light- Rembrandt is interrogated by a member of the secret police. This warehouse is filled with many others in his exact position, tied to a chair, surrounded by darkness while a man circles them- the only light being an old bulb above their chair that barely illuminates the hairs on their face.

    Rembrandt pleads. He doesn't know anything about this American Underground, but he used their money. The green US Dollar was destroyed long ago, replaced by red bills. The Underground use the old bill to show that they're members of the group..
    The interrogator demands to know who Rembrandt is, because a man by that name died years ago. This is clearly an Underground member using the dead man's name as an alias.

    Rembrandt spills everything, that he's from another earth, that he's a slider.. but who would believe that.

    The interrogator leans into the light. His face now visible. He promises, if the Cryingman just tells them the truth.. he promises "I. WILL. FIGHT. FOR. YOU" 🫵

    Rembrandt asks him to say that again.

    Rembrandt recognises the saying. He knows who this man is.

    Ross J. Kelly

    The interrogator steps back, shocked. His face is hidden in the darkness once again.

    The Cryingman laughs as he recounts some of the crazy, insane cases he's seen in some of the Ross J. Kelly commercials.

    Standing guard, the interrogator's superior beckons Kelly to him. How was he found out? None of what he said was accurate, but his name was, and his profession was. Some kind of subterfuge performance?

    They decide that he must be disposed of as quickly as possible. He is sent to the people's court.

    THE OTHERS
    On the street, the three watch the secret police drive up and arrest civilians left, right and centre. Everyone here is a nervous wreck, not knowing if or when the government will take them.

    The secret police are onto them, they've been tracking them since Wade's phone call earlier. Nervous, the three plan out some way to escape, but they don't need to do anything. A van screeches to a halt and men and women jump out, out of windows the barrels of guns can be seen.

    Shots are fired. The three duck and run for cover while shootouts start between the assailants and the guards. One of the more nimble attackers reaches the three, he eases their panic and tells them to come with him if they want to live. Even if they don't want to, his friends arrive.

    The three are now stuck, sandwiched between a squad of people that are all masked and armed to the teeth. Still, they take the three to safety. But where? Straight to the West Coast, American Underground's Base hidden deep underground. But why? Because Wade Welles, one of two commanders of the West Coast cell of the American Underground, has been seen wandering the surface. They think this Wade is their commander.

    The American Underground is packed with most of the extras from PRIME EARTH and WORLD 2- here in this world, they are rebels.

    The three are taken to the leader of this cell, it's Commander Quinn "Mallory" Mallory- not the usual one. This is the same actor as Quinn "Alternate" Mallory. Here, this Quinn forwent academia for the American Revolution. Here, he's a real action hero. He might not be a scientific genius, but he's definitely a combat one.

    Commander "Mallory" kissed Wade, thinking she is of this world. Again, it's another world where they are a couple. Wade is confused and doesn't recognise "Mallory"- why would she, Wade never saw Quinn "Alternate" Mallory. To her, this looks like some stranger- until Quinn explains it to her.

    Commander "Mallory" welcomes them to the revolution.
    The Professor and Prime Quinn have been imprisoned overnight. Offscreen they explained their situation to the rebels. They thought they were safe but they guess that service only extended to Wade.

    Commander "Mallory" wants to see them. He believes their story now, having spent the night with Wade he recognises that she isn't the same person- how he found that out is left to the viewer, but Prime Quinn assumes the worst. But it's okay, says Wade, because they're just buds. right?

    The Underground apologise for how they imprisoned the two men of the three, explaining that in this world- Arturo runs a Uni-turned-Federal-Penitentiary for political prisoners. They believe that Commander Wade is being held here.

    To Wade's annoyance, the two men show relatively little interest in this- Though Quinn still feels guilty, both men decide they just want the technology they need to repair the Slider and leave.

    Even after recharging it a bit at the Underground's base, the device still doesn't have enough power to slide safely. The Underground has to converse power and can't provide what they need to slide. And what electricity there is in this world, most of it is hoarded by the wealthy upper class scattered around the country while the middle and lower class make do with what little trickles through the public electricity services.

    With not enough power, what portal they could make would be unstable, and have unknown effects like with Quinn's body-swapping adventure.

    Private Michael Hurley is watching prime time on the television set. It's in black and white. This new world has slightly less advanced technology than our world. Wade walks up to watch with him. At first, it is a music video, full of Soviet propaganda about reporting suspicious activity- and how capitalism is evil.

    Private Hurley switches stations. Now it shows shows a phone-in programme, telling civilians to call in and pledge their support for the People's Television. Or else.

    Private Hurley switches stations again. It is a live recording of a courtroom, edited to look and feel like a reality show.

    Rembrandt's case appears on screen, a tv narrator explains the Cryingman's crime to viewers, and to the real-life viewers this helps inform people if they were confused during the interrogation.

    Wade calls the Professor and Quinn over, they watch Rembrandt claim on public television to be from another world, that he travelled here by accident and just wants to go home.

    The judge sentences him to life imprisonment.

    LATER
    After learning that their companion will be held in the same prison as Commander Wade- Quinn and Wade appeal to the Revolutionaries and the Professor to stage a raid there.

    While Quinn can look the other way when someone he doesn't know is harmed, he can't do the same with someone he knows- even if it was only really for an hour or so.

    In the end, it's because they have an identical-looking Arturo on their side that the Underground agree to the raid- Hoping they can sneak in if the Professor poses as his Warden double.

    LATER
    The Professor is far from trusting this plan, but with everyone else onboard he is coerced. He leaves the base dressed in his double's uniform, and the Underground dressed as Soviet soldiers.

    The Professor is worried that his double will be there, the Underground reassures him that Warden Arturo always works overtime at the local government- apparently, he is trying to get into office.

    Commander "Mallory" hands Prime Quinn a gun, stating that if they are discovered, run. And not to be afraid of shooting anyone they come across.

    Commander "Mallory" and the disguised Underground members pack into some Soviet army trucks. Quinn, Wade and the Professor pack into a luxury car that the Underground commandeered for this raid.

    LATER
    WARDEN ARTURO'S PRISON
    Outside the prison, the cars are halted by the security outpost. The guard appears surprised at Warden Arturo's appearance but the Professor plays it off as a military exercise and demands that no one be informed of their arrival. Still, insisting on keeping to protocol and asks the Professor to submit to a genetic scan. This is the Warden's own policy in fact.

    While it's a tense moment, the scanner can't tell the difference between the two Arturos, and the Underground are let through.

    Before the toll bar is raised though, still acting as the Warden, Arturo demands to know the guard's name so that he may be rewarded for keeping protocol. But Warden Arturo hand-picked him personally, every guard here was picked personally by him too. Arturo plays it off and they pass through. The camera keeps on the guard, as he returns to his outpost, picks up a phone, and reports to the real Warden Arturo that a duplicate of his has entered the prison. Not only that but that he came with an army.

    They know about the Sliders, and they know that they're coming.

    ---​

    It's a mess as soon as they move. The dark walls of the prison are illuminated by spotlights from every rooftop, every tower of the prison. Alarms blare and soldiers pop out from behind cement blockades. The smarter witted of the Underground scamper from their trucks, but the slower ones, and the three sliders that haven't seen a real war, barely have time to react. A mortar is fired and a truck behind them explodes.

    Now the three, and the resistance, kick into gear. Shots ring out from both sides. Commander "Mallory" runs up and pulls Wade and Quinn from their automobile. The Professor ducks under bullets and follows with them, the four now using the car as cover.

    Mallory is quick to take charge and issues orders to his men, characters we've seen in other dimensions. They obey but some are shot down.

    The fighting is tough, there are too many Soviets. Mallory issues a retreat for his men but neither he, the sliders, nor a small portion of his men can retreat in time before the Soviets surround them. Some men are seen capturing and kidnapping the outpost guard on their escape.

    Thinking on his feet, Mallory decided to press on with the few men he has, there's no chance of them escaping from where they are now but perhaps from another side of the prison, or if they grab the real Warden as a hostage.

    The group struggle to the side of the prison, the other side of the wall has some kind of government waiting room. It's not a room any prisoners would reach, and so it has proper windows, not bars. They smash those and crawl in between the gunfire, but Aruto is too large to fit. Panicking but still in command of his senses, he tells the group to press on while he hunkers down outside, to see if he can't run while the guards are chasing the group inside. He looks to Quinn and Wade and wishes them luck if he runs out of his own, and gives them his blessing to slide without him if they need to.

    Pressing on to the cells, the Underground avoid the guards where they can but in a cramped space of a prison that's rather difficult- but they have grenades to break through the locked doors, and some of the weaker walls. That last one really helps them avoid fights.

    They reach the prison cells and find....

    Soldiers for sure, but Commander Wade and the Cryingman aren't there.

    Most prisoners of war were members of the Underground, or sympathisers, and join them. Others stay or flee. But from the prisoners, they learn that the two were taken to the labs in another section of the prison, next to Warden Arturo's office. Wade's appearance confuses a lot of them, but there's no time to explain. The guards are here.

    They make a break for the lab, and inside they find Warden Arturo wearing a coloured sash to identify him from his doppelganger, several guards, Commander Wade and Rembrandt all surrounded by strange old tech, some look old, some look modern. Still, it's recognisable, this is slider technology built with what was available from this world.

    It's now clear what has happened. Rembrandt's public admittance of the technology, while reaching Warden Arturo's notice, did little to make him believe it.. It was only after sightings of Commander Wade out in public reached him too, knowing full well that the real Commander was locked up here, did the Warden even think to consider the possibility.

    Requesting that Rembrandt be imprisoned in his facility, and knowing that he had a doppelganger of one slider already. He made sure to inform the prison guards that there may be some kind of infiltration.

    In the meantime, he interrogated the Cryingman about everything he knew about 'sliding' as the man called it. Learning of his duplicate after the prisoner recognised his captor's face. That's where the made sash comes in, to identify him from the Professor.

    With their being a double of the Underground commander, there was always a chance they would attack- but he never suspected there would be a double of him.

    A probe lies in the room, a metal ball like the one on Earth Prime, but it's been torn apart. All its technological advancements are being used to create the technology required to slide.

    But still, the tech isn't advanced enough. And the Soviets don't have their own Quinn Mallory either. They might have cracked it someday, but that isn't today.

    It's piles of non-functioning slider tech.

    Both sides take cover behind the piles, each big enough to protect several people. A squirmish occurs, the Soviets are trying to drag this out until reinforcements arrive while the Underground want to finish this fight before that happens.

    Mallory thinks quickly and has two soldiers blow up the passageway leading to the laboratory while the others lay down cover fire. They're successful, but now both the Soviets and the Underground are trapped inside with one another.

    The shootout continues to a standoff, Warden Arturo demanding a ceasefire. He knows of these sliders and demands they either give him their device or develop another for the Union. As Rembrandt had left the park before the group had discussed their timer running out of power, he didn't know- and by extension, neither does Warden Arturo...

    ENDING ONE

    In ending one, Warden Arturo is the victor of the skirmish. He takes the slider device for himself. He keeps the Sliders and Mallory alive but kills the Underground members and Commander Wade. He keeps the Sliders for their knowledge, and while he knows that Wade is a member of the Underground, he doesn't know about Commander Mallory. With some quick thinking, Rembrandt lies that Mallory is one of the sliders, and uses the photo of Prime Quinn and "Alternate" Mallory as proof. If you don't remember, the latter looks exactly like Commander Mallory.

    Over the next hour or so, Warden Arturo and the Soviets force their prisoners to clear the debris from the exit so they can leave. All seems lost.

    Voices can be heard from the other side, oh god there's no chance they can escape when they clear the way, there are Soviets on the other side of the passage too.

    What comes next is a 3rd-person pov entirely from what Warden Arturo sees.

    It's slow, and it's sombre, but the prisoners and the soldiers on the other side of the debris clear up enough of passage to make it excitable. A person can squeeze through just barely, but it's enough. The Warden sends the prisoners first, into the arms of the Soviets on the other side. Next, go the Sliders. One by one through the hole. Then the guards. Then the Warden. The camera is ahead of him as he crawls through the dark hole, before reaching the other side. The camera is still pointed at the hole, so all we see is his face as he comes out of it.

    Several guns appear in the frame, all pointed towards the Warden.

    The camera changes and we're shown what the Warden sees.

    Soldiers in Soviet uniforms pointing their guns at both him and his guards, the Sliders standing free, and Professor Maximillian Arturo staring down his duplicate, still wearing his Fake Warden Uniform but with one addition, a hastily made sash in the same design as the Wardens own.

    We jump back in time and now follow the Professor as he makes his escape, shortly before being rescued by other fleeing Underground soldiers. We jump to their makeshift hideout, with the kidnapped outpost guard being interrogated and spilling the secret about the Warden's Sash. We see reinforcements arrive from the West Coast cell- all dressed in fake Soviet uniforms.

    Professor Arturo is snuck back into the prison and pretends to be his double again, it didn't work for too long before, but the Professor doesn't need it to last. He just needs the Soviets to hold their fire from the 'reinforcements' that just arrived.
    He only needs them to be convinced long enough to turn around and focus back on the prison- before the reinforcements shoot them in the back.

    It works.

    End flashback.

    The Underground haven't won the war, with the lives lost today this fight seemed hardly worth it, but it is still a victory. They stopped a potential Soviet invasion of the multiverse and liberated an uncountable number of political prisoners- dignitaries from neighbouring countries, high-ranking members of the American Underground, and other important people.

    But they really should leave before the real Soviet reinforcements arrive.

    Before that, Mallory returns to the lab for the bodies of his comrades, and his partner Commander Wade. Prime Wade and Quinn console him, being doubles of both himself and his lover. It's... strange, but it helps.

    Quinn realises that if this lab was designed for sliding, there must be enough power being sent into the room to recharge his Slider. It works, and the machine is fully functional again.

    The Sliders and the Underground escape back to their base. The camera pans as we see Underground members expertly dismantle their base. They can't stay here, not after that. They're moving someplace else. Somewhere with a small dark hole, they can keep one Warden Maximillian Arturo.

    Maybe with this loss, the West Coast will soon be saved from Soviet Oppression.

    Finally all together again, the three fill Rembrandt in on what he missed. There are a few laughs. Then they address the elephant in the room. This wasn't their earth. They have no easy way back now. They could slide onto an earth that doesn't have the power they need to recharge the slider, Quinn mentions how they can use the Sliding ripples to slide with less power. If they time it just right, and slide when the walls between dimensions thin, they can use a fraction of the power they'd use otherwise... But they'd better be sure a world has enough power if they miss the ripple, because if not they won't have enough power to slide.

    In the end, the four agree to risk it and keep sliding until they find their home.


    The Sliders make their goodbyes to Commander Mallory and the surviving Underground members they interacted with. The Sliders wish them luck with their war, Quinn has a present for Mallory- He noticed that the technology of this world was a decade or two behind their own, and has a great idea of how to take advantage of that. He hands Mallory the schematics on an EMP device.

    The Sliders open up a portal and travel to the next world.

    Maybe it'll be home this time.

    ENDING TWO

    In ending two, after a brief amount of time. Warden Arturo is handed the device. He is told how to use it, but not that it is currently unstable thanks to not having enough power. Without any successful slides of his own, he has nothing to compare his knowledge to, and wouldn't know about unstable portals. Impatient, the Warden uses the device, creating an unstable portal and sending him, along with his soldiers, into another world- with whatever consequences this unstable portal wrought. This ending is suggested so that the runtime can be cut a bit shorter, and because it's 1970 dammit, people don't want to see the Soviets beating red-blooded Americans dammit. In the end, American Underground reinforcements come from other cells in America. They take other the prison, and over the next few weeks before the Soviets amass enough strength to win it back- the sliders build a new Slider device, say their goodbyes, and pass into the next world.

    EPILOGUE

    Quinn, Wade, Rembrandt and Arturo walk to Quinn's house. They wonder if this is their home.

    Quinn tries the gate.

    It doesn't squeak.

    Dejected, the four walk offscreen and slide. The camera keeps on the house.

    The camera pans slowly towards the house, to the kitchen window. Amanda Mallory is seen crying, comforted by her cousins, and the police stand by waiting to take a report of the missing person.

    Jake the gardener can be seen coming in from the backyard, in his hand is a can of oil. With everything that's gone on, he stepped up and fixed everything he's put off around the house.



    -ROLL CREDITS-

    ​

    Sliders

    Main Slider Cast

    WORLD PRIME

    Quinn Mallory : Actor 1
    A bright but reckless university student. Clever but he's not as smart as he thinks he is. Doesn't act superior BUT thinks he's untouchable. Thinks the world revolves around him. Would jump into a wormhole if it opened up in his basement just to see what would happen, and he did. Has feelings for Wade, doesn't hide it well. Pretends he doesn't. Too nervous to act on them.

    Wade Welles
    Quinn's friend from work. Same age. Business savvy. Would have been promoted already if she was a man- knows it too, so she doesn't work herself to death. Has feelings for Quinn, doesn't hide it well. Too nervous to act on them.

    Rembrandt "Crying Man" Brown
    An up-on-his-luck singer that was famous a decade ago. Got his nickname from his ability to cry on command. Years after his fall from grace, he believes he has a chance at at comeback, singing the national anthem at a baseball game. Tonight.

    Professor Maximilian Arturo
    Quinn's Professor from University. The oldest of the group. Pompous. Arrogant. Thinks he should be further in life than working at a barely respected university. Proves to be the most resourceful and invaluable member on Slides. Like a mad scientist- he could create penicillin from what was in the garbage.

    Others
    Quinn "VHS TAPE" Mallory : Actor 1 : WORLD ???
    Discovered how to slide an unknown amount of time ago. Recorded his initial discovery and how he improved the technology. Sent copies of the recordings to an unknown number of earths. Think Voyager Golden Records style. Why? Maybe he wants everyone to slide? Maybe he has a nefarious reason? Who knows? That's for the sequels.

    "VHS TAPE" Mallory Slider Device: The recordings show a big ol' tube that can send one person through to an alternate earth. Opens a portal above person that sucks them through.

    Quinn "Alternate" Mallory : Actor 2 : WORLD 2
    A slightly older Quinn, looks different too. Same name. Received a copy of recording too. Been sliding for a while now. Found a beautiful world and has been sliding ever since to find it again. Is helping PRIME Quinn for his own interests. Thinks with another slider, there's a chance they could improve the slider technology further, and find that perfect world.

    "Alternate" Mallory Slider Device: Sleeker and thinner than the Main Crew's Slider (think Minox camera). With more features, bits and bobs coming off of it. He's improved it a lot. Opens a portal on walls instead of in mid-air. Can also work on the floor or ceiling too. Can reopen portals soon after they close, even if they aren't from his Slider Device. THIS CAN ONLY BE DONE ONCE. any more would be dangerous.

    World Residents

    WORLD PRIME
    Amanda Mallory - Quinn's mother
    Jake - The Mallory family gardener
    Kenny Malkovich - aka "Crazy Kenny". A destitute communist. Preaches and sleeps in the park.
    Michael Hurley - Quinn and Wade's boss. How he got promoted is the eighth wonder of the world.

    Ross J. Kelly - TV Lawyer. "Hi, I'm Ross Kelly. Did you know that you have rights? The Constitution says you do. And so do I. I believe that until proven guilty, every man, woman, and child in this country is innocent. And that's why I fight for you!"

    Tripper - RADIO DJ. Talks about anything women. Except for what they're wearing. He's trying very hard to make that vanish from his mind.

    WORLD 2
    Amanda Mallory - "Alternate" Malloy's mother, noticeably older than PRIME. Pregnant.
    Jake - "Alternate" Malloy's stepfather. Older than PRIME. Married to Amanda Mallory.
    Wade Welles : Actor 2 - Dating this world's Quinn Mallory.

    Tripper - RADIO DJ. Talks about anything politics. Occasionally Marylin Monroe.

    WORLD 3
    -Everyone is Dead-

    WORLD 4

    Commander Quinn "Mallory" Mallory : Actor 2 - Commander in the West Coast cell of the American Underground, fighting their Soviet oppressors. A survivor, as times got tough so did this Quinn. This movie's daredevil action hero.

    Commander Wade Welles : Actor 1 - Commander in the West Coast cell of the American Underground.

    Warden Maximillian Arturo - Runs a political prison for the Soviets. Trying to get into office. Attempting to create slider technology.

    Ross J. Kelly - Lawyer and Secret Police Interrorgator. He lives in obscurity so there's no chance people he interrogates will recognise him.
    Tripper - Revolutionary. Member of the American Underground and close friend of Commander Quinn "Mallory" Mallory.
    Private Michael Hurley - Private in the West Coast cell of the American Underground. Spends his free time watching television.
     
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    • The Night Watch (a R. Talsorian Cyberpunk Story)
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    • The Night Watch (a R. Talsorian Cyberpunk Story): by Mike Pondsmith and Dave Alistair [ Novel / MiniSeries (Animated) | Cyberpunk / Police Procedural ]

    Setting:
    The West Coast Mobs, including the Mafia and the Yakuza, had a stranglehold on the heavy construction industry in Coronado City, controlling the unions, transport, and government agencies responsible for building licenses and environmental regulations...and they were absolutely livid that Richard Night was going to bypass them all.

    Enter Richard Night, a visionary tech entrepreneur who invested heavily in the Partnership, a consortium of corporations dedicated to building a new city using advanced building techniques and materials. The Mobs also invested in the Partnership through shell corporations, hoping to profit from the lucrative construction work and gain an inside track on future gambling, prostitution, and drug franchises in the new city.

    However, Night's new building techniques excluded established unions and construction firms controlled by his organized crime partners, including Halsey, Ferris, and Skiv. Short on money, the trio had unwisely joined with the local mob, making them unhappy with Night's plans. To make matters worse, Night's insistence that his new city would be safe and crime-free angered them even more.

    The first four years of construction were plagued by daily threats against Night's life. Despite being a proud and self-reliant man, Night typically ignored them. But when the threats escalated to sabotage and intimidation, he called in his corporate partners, who dealt with the issue ruthlessly.

    Unfortunately, Night's luck ran out on September 20th, 1998, when he was shot and killed in his penthouse suite at the top of the newly constructed Parkview Tower. His killer was never apprehended. In his memory, the newly appointed City Council officially renamed Coronado City as "Night City" to honor his legacy.

    But for now, we explore the direct aftermath of Night's assassination.

    A-Plot:
    Human police officers are partnered with advanced artificial intelligence, called "AIs", to assist them in their daily work. The show follows the story of Detective John Kennex, who returns to duty after surviving a catastrophic attack by an unnamed criminal franchise. Kennex is then paired up with an outdated AI model, Dorian, who has been programmed to be more emotionally responsive and empathetic than other AIs.

    Together, Kennex and Dorian work to solve crimes in a futuristic world where technology has advanced to a point where it has become an integral part of everyday life. They tackle various cases involving rogue robots, cyber crimes, and other futuristic threats, while also dealing with their own personal struggles and demons.

    Throughout the series, Kennex and Dorian's partnership evolves as they learn to trust and rely on each other. They also face challenges from various antagonists, including the unnamed criminal franchise, and other corrupt organizations.

    B-Plot:
    The aftermath of Night's death as Gideon Reeves, a tech billionaire, takes over a troubled Coronado Night City police precinct following the death of his friend Richard Night and the blessing of his wife, Miriam. Reeves infuses the precinct with his own cutting-edge technology and resources to fight crime in a city where danger and corruption still lurk around every corner. Exploring themes of power, corruption, and the intersection of technology and law enforcement in a world where the line between good and evil is often blurred.

    1. Augmented Reality (AR) - used to enhance officers' situational awareness and provide real-time information about suspects and crime scenes.

    2. Drones - used for aerial surveillance and reconnaissance, as well as to provide tactical support during high-risk operations.

    3. Cybernetic implants - used to enhance officers' physical abilities and provide direct access to technology.

    4. Predictive analytics - used to analyze crime data and identify patterns and trends that can help prevent crime before it happens.

    5. Facial recognition - used to identify suspects and track their movements.

    6. Biometric scanners - used to identify individuals based on their unique biological characteristics, such as fingerprints or retinal scans.

    7. Smart guns - firearms that are linked to officers' biometric data and can only be fired by authorized users.

    8. Holographic displays - used to create virtual crime scenes and provide 3D visualizations of evidence.

    9. Nanobots - used to gather forensic evidence from crime scenes and analyze it on a molecular level.

    10. Cybersecurity measures - used to protect the department's data and infrastructure from cyberattacks and hacking attempts.

    11. Smart Phones - communications tech.

    A/N: Well, was going through a list of things I've enjoyed in the past (dog had an episode last night, kept me up with worry. Don't worry he's fine) and refound the shows Almost Human and APB, which I feel could be an interesting look at future police work, especially through the lense of cyberpunk.
     
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