Tax and Scratch - netrunner vibrant sci-fi gibson 80s
STYLE
This story is split between the ‘REAL’ world and a ‘NEURO’ world and is indicated as such. The real world is dark and muted while the neuro world is glitzy and brightly coloured. Our main character TAX is similarly grotty in the real world but has a fanciful AVATAR in the neuro world.
CHARACTERS
REAL WORLD TAX
is late 20s, covered in strange sockets, thin and gaunt with only odd tufts of hair. He has a binary looking tattoo over one eye which resembles a barcode but is slightly more geometric and complicated. The sockets on the his body include 2 large ones on his chest, 2 on each forearm, 1 at the back of each calf and several running down his neck and spine.
NEURO WORLD TAX
has longer hair, thicker and stylishly cut. He is muscular, healthy, handsome and wearing skin tight electro armour – this is perfect vision of tax in an ideal world – his ‘super-hero’ self.
SCRATCH
is a small demonic monkey imp on Tax’s back in BOTH the real world and the neuro world, Scratch has sharp claws which dig into sockets oddly at the back of Tax’s head and neck. This imp will be on Tax’s back in every panel, will deliver dialogue and almost always looks manic and gleeful.
PAGE 1
1. (REAL) TAX sits in a large chair with cybernetic syringes plugged into sockets all over his body. These syringes are over-sized and made from metal and glass with a translucent blue fluid pumping steadily up tubes and into it. All of the syringes have tubing which connects them to various machines and computers that absolutely cover the walls of the very small room he is in. Wires of varying thickness and colour messily cover the floor and ceiling.
TEXT:
INFORMATION HAS ALWAYS BEEN IMPORTANT TO US.
TEXT:
WE CREATED WORDS AND GESTURES TO SPEAK IT.
SYMBOLS AND LETTERS TO WRITE IT DOWN.
MOUNTED HORSES, BUILT ROADS, TRAINED BIRDS…
TEXT:
…ALL TO MOVE IT FASTER…
2. (NEURO) TAX rides down an information highway on a CYBERNETIC SHARK. The cybernetic shark looks deadly, with wires woven through its skin and ‘WIRESHARK’ written on it. Tax trickles his fingers in this stream of information. Tax looks calm, euphoric and mighty.
The information highway can be demonstrated by a stream of numbers, words, phrases and binary code as you see fit. A large wall of fire blocks his progress further down. Scratch is on his back with nails dug into Tax’s head and neck.
TEXT:
SOON WE HAD TELEPHONES, TELEVISIONS, RADIO…
THEN WE HIT IT…
TEXT:
…THE INTERNET.
SCRATCH:
UPPING FREQUENCY, EXPECT A STRONG PULSING
SENSATION. INITIATING ANTI-FIREWALL DEFENCES.
3. (REAL) A close up of Tax, his eyes are bloodshot and Scratch is still on his back but now digging his nails in further. Scratch looks terrifying with sharp snarling teeth poised to bite and strings of the translucent blue fluid as saliva.
TEXT:
NOW WE COULD ABSORB VAST AMOUNTS OF
INFORMATION WITH EASE. WE MADE MORE
AND MORE TERMINALS, EXPANDING OUR INFO- NETWORK EVERY MINUTE OF EVERY DAY…
TEXT:
…MAKING SURE DATA WAS CONSTANTLY FLOWING.
4. (NEURO) Tax and the shark smash into the firewall, cracking and extinguishing just enough of it to get through. Try and show this pixelated in small parts. The shark has turned to a combination of water, steam and small golden keys on impact.
TEXT:
BUT IT WAS NEVER ENOUGH. WE WERE ADDICTED
TO INFORMATION AND WE WANTED IT FAST.
5. (NEURO) Tax has been thrown up a little on impact and flies through the hole in the firewall, lunging at the air as he goes straight towards a PURPLE WORMS open mouth. It is huge in size, possibly 20 foot long, with twisting body segments. I will provide a picture in case you are unsure what a purple worm looks like.
TEXT:
IT SOON BECAME AN AGE OF SKIM READING
AND TRIVIAL FACTS.
TEXT:
READ THAT, NOW ON TO THE NEXT. TELL US
ALL IN 140 CHARACTERS OR LESS.
6. (NEURO) Tax half turns in the air, barely avoiding capture as the PURPLE WORM with rows of snarling teeth tries to lunges at him as he falls.
TEXT:
BY THE YEAR 2212 WE WERE ALL INFORMATION
ADDICTS.
SCRATCH:
ACTIVVVAAAATE JOHN THE RIPPER!!
PAGE 2
1. (NEURO) Tax jumps high into the sky, towards the purple worm. His arms have transformed into large wing like contraptions made from saw toothed blades
TEXT:
I WAS THE WORST OF A SOCIETY CREATED
BY THEM. A TOP GRADE INFO-HACKER.
TEXT:
TONIGHT I WAS HACKING THE LARGEST INFORMATION ARCHIVE THAT HAD EVER BEEN COMPILED. TOOFGLE ENTERPRISES.
SCRATCH:
ANTI-VIRAL WORM, COMPLETE WITH A DIRECT DATA
LINK TO NEURO-PRISON…
2. (NEURO) Tax flies aggressively towards the purple worm with his saw wings.
TEXT:
MY BRAIN COULD BE DESTROYED BY ANY NUMBER
OF ANTI-HACKING PROGRAMS, BUT I DIDN’T CARE…
TEXT:
…THE DANGER ADDED TO THE EXCITEMENT.
SCRATCH:
…IF THE TEETH DON’T CHURN YOUR BRAIN UP
TOO MUCH ON THE WAY, THAT IS.
3. (NEURO) Tax chops the worm’s head off with a scissor like chop from his saw toothed winged arms. Parts of the purple worm are slightly pixelated as if disintegrating.
TEXT:
PRICELESS INFORMATION AND IMMEASURABLE FUN.
SCRATCH:
OH YEAH, THAT’S THE STUFF, HARDER!
4. (NEURO) Tax is running down a corridor towards a black doorway. One of Tax’s arms is now a large futuristic cannon which he is using to shoot beams at floating cloud like shapes. These clouds are disintegrating when hit. He casually consults a map similar to one a pirate would have.
TEXT:
MY INFORMATION ADDICTION WAS AT AN ALL
TIME HIGH
SCRATCH:
LOW ORBIT ION CANNON – PERFECT FOR OBLITERATING CLOUD NETWORKS. CONSULTING NMAP.
5. (NEURO) Tax stands in front of an ominous pedestal with 5 microchips plugged into it and a bright light shining on it. This casts heavy shadows on all but the pedestal. Use an inset to show the microchips close up if needed.
TEXT:
I DIDN’T STOP TO THINK ABOUT THE DAMAGE
MY HACKING WAS DOING TO THE TOOFGLE MAINFRAME.
6. (NEURO) Possibly inset in 5. Tax has his hands on the pedestal and they glow as he downloads the information. He looks very high; orgasmic; euphoric.
7. (NEURO) Tax looks high with his eyes rolled back into his skull. The edges around him are pixelated as everything disintegrates around him. The microchips are cracking.
SECURITY TANOY:
MAINFRAME CRASH ERROR 3473. SHUTDOWN
IMMINENT.
SCRATCH:
98...99...100%. THEY’RE GOING TO DELETE
YOUR BRAIN IF YOU DON’T SHIFT IT NOW!
TEXT:
100% OF TOOFGLE ENTERPRISE’S ARCHIVED DATA.
PAGE 3
1. (REAL) Tax and scratch are back in the real world. Tax looks half unconscious and lulls in his chair amongst the sockets, computers and wires. Reinforce how feeble he is in real life. Tax has a wide grin and glazed eyes.
TEXT:
WHAT COULD ONE MAN ACHIEVE WITH ALL THE
WORLD’S INFORMATION?
SCRATCH:
ARE YOU OK? WHAT DAY OF THE WEEK IS IT?
WHAT’S 27600 DIVIDED BY 8547?
SCRATCH (CONT.):
TAX, CAN YOU HEAR ME?
TAX:
3.2292032…
2. (REAL) A close up of Tax shows his glazed eyes displaying a stream of information like the information highway. He looks frail and gaunt.
TEXT:
PIECE TOGETHER A CURE FOR CANCER?
SOLVE THE ECONOMIC RECESSION?
TEXT:
WRITE A FILM BASED ON EVERY REVIEW EVER
WRITTEN? MAKE THE ULTIMATE FRANK ZAPPA
PLAYLIST?
TEXT:
I DOUBT THERE’S ENOUGH INFORMATION… BUT
MAYBE EVEN A STAB AT WORLD PEACE?
3. (REAL) People rioting in a reasonably futuristic city but don’t overdo it. The smashing of windows, fists raised and the odd fire here and there is fine.
TEXT:
HOWEVER, DESTROYING TOOFGLE ENTERPRISES
BROUGHT THE INFORMATION HIGHWAY TO A STANDSTILL.
TEXT:
WE PANICKED, UNABLE TO FILL OUR INFORMATION ADDICTIONS. AFTER 13 WEEKS OF RESTRICTED INFORMATION ACCESS…
TEXT:
WE STARTED TO RIOT.
5. (NEURO) Tax rides a huge juggernaut style mammoth down the Information Highway. However this time the highway is quite ghostly, with very little information on it. The mammoth is terrifying with several cannons peeking out beneath its fur, and razor sharp metal tusks.
TEXT:
I BLANKED MY MIND AND IMAGINED I WAS
STILL ON THE INFORMATION HIGHWAY -
WHERE NOTHING COULD STOP ME.
SCRATCH:
HOW DARE YOU TRY TO FEED ME ON SOME TEENAGERS
BLOG AND A COUPLE OF LOL CATZ? THE TROLLING’S
AS TASTY AS USUAL THOUGH.
6. (REAL) Tax hurries down a street past a window filled with floating television pictures with only small black bars at the top and bottom, the televisions are more like holographic projections. A pretty news reader interviews a middle aged man. She is practically nude while he wears a suit with neon leopard print trim and one sleeve missing.
NEWS READER:
TOOFGLE’S STRANGLEHOLD ON THE MARKET IS
CLEAR BY THE SHEER NUMBER OF ‘SISTER
COMPANIES’ THAT ARE ALSO DOWN AS A RESULT OF
NEWS READER (CONT.):
THE WORLDS LARGEST INFORMATION CRASH!!!
PAGE 4
1. (NEURO) Tax on his mammoth stopped at a large no entry sign. The mammoth has its cannons pointed at the door.
TEXT:
MY BRAIN WAS STILL CRAVING INFORMATION
NEW INFORMATION – NEURO OR REAL.
NEWS READER (OFF):
MR. JOBZANDER, COULD THIS BE THE END OF
SOCIETY AS WE KNOW IT? HOW LONG BEFORE
A SECOND DARK AGES?
2. (REAL) Tax stopped at the window and intently watching the hovering, holographic TVs. He leans against the window as if weak at the knees. The man points a finger at the newsreader annoyed that she is making his job more difficult.
TEXT:
THE LITTLEST TIT-BIT WOULD STOP ME IN MY
TRACKS.
MR JOBZANDER:
WE ASSURE YOU THAT EVERYTHING WILL BE BACK
TO NORMAL IN A DAY OR TWO.
3. (NEURO) The mammoth juggernaut firing all its cannons at the no-entry sign. Tax stands heroic on its back.
NEWSREADER (OFF): THAT’S WHAT YOU SAID IN LAST WEEK’S INTERVIEW.
4. (REAL) A rock smashes through the window breaking the TVs. The window has small shorts of electricity as it is actually not made of glass but electronic. Tax snaps to attention, as if out a dream and Scratch looks impatient to the extent of angry.
FX:
ZZZZZRACKZZZ
5. (REAL) Tax running down a street towards a large tech building, now with his hands over his ears and eyes looking down. A large sign reads ‘TOOFGLE ENTERPRISES’. People are rioting around the street, smashing windows, looting and being arrested. Really play up the chaos, maybe some fires or a flipped car if needed. A woman and an older man talk in the foreground.
TEXT:
THERE WAS ONLY ONE THING FOR ME TO DO.
MAN:
WHAT HAS GOT INTO THESE YOUNG PEOPLE?
6. (REAL) Tax sits in a grand modern looking chair. Mr. Jobzander and some geeks with an unusually high tech beard ratio are gathered round him watching eagerly.
TAX:
I HAVE RE-ROUTED ALL TOOFGLE LINKS
THROUGH MY NEURO-PROCESSORS AND THEY
SEEM TO BE RUNNING FINE, IF NOT FASTER.
TEXT:
…MY MIND CAN RUN FOREVER BUT IT WON’T BE
LONG NOW BEFORE MY PHYSICAL BODY SHUTS UP…
7. (REAL) Mr Jobzander has stood aside to reveal a surgical trolley with lots of odd cybernetic drills and saws on it. The tech geeks look nervous and uncomfortable. Tax and Scratch smile widely.
MR. JOBZANDER:
I HATE TO SAY THIS, BUT WE REEAAAALLLLY
NEED THE INFORMATION BACK.
TAX:
I KNOW.
TEXT:
...FINALLY, I AM THE INFORMATION HIGHWAY.
THE END.
***with note that artist is allowed to make any changes that he wants (as long as he checks in) so will be tweaked over the next while I'm sure***
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