Hello! This is the first script for the Unwanteds audiobook. Due date is Mar 4 Have fun! Also, Narrator, sorry for dumping a ton of lines on you - this is the exposition, though, there won’t be as many in the future.
NARRATOR: Alex, Aaron, and their parents stood with the other people of Quill before the High Priestess Justine. Today was the day where every teen would be sorted into 3 categories- Wanteds, Necessaries and Unwanteds. HIGH PRIESTESS JUSTINE: Wanteds. (announcing, reading a list) NARRATOR: The Wanteds would go into Quill's military, the Quillitary. HIGH PRIESTESS JUSTINE: Max Fisher, Julia Johnston, Nathan Cook, Aaron Stowe. AARON: *sigh of relief* HIGH PRIESTESS JUSTINE: Lia Day and Jonathan Crown. Necessaries. NARRATOR: The Necessaries would go to work in the fields. HIGH PRIESTESS JUSTINE: Mia Rhyme. Stanley Crown. June Snow. Fatima Green. Luis Johnston. Maggie Aloe. Max Sinclair. (announcing, reading a list) HIGH PRIESTESS JUSTINE: Unwanteds. (OPTIONAL: disgusted) NARRATOR: The Unwanteds were sent away. They never came back. HIGH PRIESTESS JUSTINE: Kayla Aloe. Ethan Pale. Meghan Ranger. Lani Haluki. Alexander Stowe. Samheed Burkesh. Steve Plum. AARON: *sniff* …Goodbye. (Whispering) NARRATOR: The Unwanteds were shackled and taken away to their bus. The people of Quill left. AARON: All set, then? NARRATOR: Mrs. Stowe nodded. MRS. STOWE: We’ll finish making your uniform and get your things packed for university. Cut your hair, too. I don’t suppose we’ll get the Unwanted boy’s clothes and shoes back, will we? MR. STOWE: No. MRS. STOWE: Well, that’s a waste. Aaron could use them. The shoes, at least. Wish I’d thought to take them before he left. AARON: I wouldn’t want to wear them. MRS. STOWE: You’ll do well to forget about him. (fearful) AARON: …You’re right. It won’t happen again. NARRATOR: Aaron and his parents see Mr. and Mrs. Ranger walking alone. AARON: How odd. Isn’t Mr. Ranger a milker? MRS. STOWE: Yes. AARON: Why’s he out and about instead of doing his job? MRS. STOWE: He must have been given the day off this year because of the Unwanted daughter. Did they know in advance, I wonder? MR. STOWE: Not that I heard. That’s a blow. *yawn* They’ll be cut off from reproduction now. This was their second offense. They’ll be completely ridiculed by the Wanteds for their poor production. MRS. STOWE: You’ll be careful what you say. Lest you forget, we have a Wanted in our presence now. (snapping) AARON: Yes, be careful, father, or I’ll have to report your insubordination for a comment like that. NARRATOR: Meanwhile, on the bus… NARRATOR. Alex noticed his friend Meghan on the bus. She had been caught singing and dancing - a double offense. He also noticed Samheed Burkesh, who had boasted he was going to be in the Quillitary. Alex was surprised to see him here. Samheed noticed Alex. SAMHEED: What are you looking at? (bitter) NARRATOR: Alex glanced away. He noticed that he was sitting next to a girl with black hair he had never seen before who looked very upset Alex gave her a half smile. Suddenly, the bus stopped. They were there. The Unwanteds all got out. The governors of Quill stood before them. Alex tried to comfort the girl next to him. ALEX: I’m Alex. It’ll go quickly. (reassuringly) LANI: Lani. And no, it won’t. (upset) EXTRA : Summon the eliminators. NARRATOR: Another governor complied. The governors all began leaving. Lani watched a man go. LANI: Goodbye, father. (Upset) NARRATOR: The Unwanteds entered the Drath Farm - where they would be eliminated. Four hooded figures in black cloaks stood before the Great Lake of Boiling Oil. The figures stared up at the sky, where what looked like a tortoise with wings landed in front of them. It began to speak. JIM: Wel… come. We’ve been… ex… pect… ing… you. (slowly) SAMHEED: *muttering* NARRATOR: Samheed raised his fists. JIM: Mar… cus. It’s time. (slowly, grim.) NARRATOR: A figure walked out and raised his hand. The landscape swirled around them. MEGHAN: What’s happening?! (crying out, scared) NARRATOR: Suddenly, the landscape became colorful instead of gray and the Eliminators looked animal-like. The shackles fell off the Unwanteds. The man in front of them spoke. MR. TODAY: Greetings, friends. I am Marcus Today. Welcome to Artime. *pause* Tell me, children, how does it feel to be eliminated? (END OF EPISODE ONE)
