Oscar Saves the World
by
Matt Zurbo
Hey, Oscar, want to be a hero?
(Kid plying in box with a rocket drawn on the side, and some cardboard rocket wings.)
Huh?
Do you want to save the world?
(Kid leaping into air, with cape on, fist pumped)
Yeah!
Cool! Let’s travel through science!
(Kid, now standing in box rocket, looking up at formulas and beakers and blueprints for cars and humans.)
Wha…? Scientists are BORING!
Boring? How many people in tights have actually saved the world, Oscar?
(Kid, still standing in box that is on conveyer belt, passing overweight super heroes, (maybe the Perculator in there) looking dejected, holding a piece of cardboard with the number 0 on it)
Hey, did you know someone once saved YOUR life?
This is one of the people that invented the vaccination shots you got when you were a baby!
(Woman in a lab coat, with 3D history file beside her, waving)
Science saved over 20,000,000 kids from dying of measles. Just think of that! 20 million!
(Kid, back turned, looking sceptically, arms crossed, over his shoulder…)
Well, I want to travel to the past!
Sure, Oscar! Who doesn’t? But there’s only one way to do that for real!
There’s a way? Great!
Science! Paleontologists discovered all we know about dinosaurs!
(Kid in wonky rocket-box, looking at skeletons of roaring T-Rex and other dinosaurs.)
And archaeologists helped uncover pyramids.
And found the Spanish war ships.
How do we know we evolved from monkeys?
(Kid, standing unamused, while monkeys crawl all over him. One monkey wearing is rocket box like an oversized hat, one monkey on his head.)
From monkeys!? Brrr! No way!
Sure! A fact is a fact! Science is how we learn! We don’t get to choose. If it wasn’t for science we’d still think the world is flat!
Haha! Well, I don’t want to be dumb, I guess…
(Kid falling from rocket box as box falls off edge of earth, dragon neck and head poking out of water before edge, watching him go.)
And what made ways to grow food so people won’t starve?
(Kid lowering himself down rope that leads to battered box rocket. Two trees in background. One, BEFORE sign under it, has a handful of smaller, gnarly apples, kids looking at them sadly. Scientist working in the middle. Other tree full of big, healthy apples. Sign under second tree says: SCIENCE.)
Do you like superhero movies?
DEADLY, YEAH!
Who invented the stuff that makes them look so cool?
Computer graphics dudes!
And who invented computers?
Oh…!
(Fat hero propped up by wires in front of flat green screen, surrounded by amazing cameras, and half drawn fun monsters projections)
Imagine a world without electricity!
(Everything dark, except kid with box rocket holding candle.)
Hey!
Science invented aeroplanes…
Ohhhh.
Rockets…!
(Kid in rocket box, eyes wide! He has a fishbowl over his head, the fish is beside him, in a water-filled cup.)
Rockets!? I want to fly into space!
Well, who do you think gets to go up there? SCIENTISTS!
(Kid, legs through box rocket, holding it around his waste, is walking up real rocket plank, steam rising, with adult scientists.)
Hmm…
Scientists are the world’s last explorers! Adventures into microscopic worlds, time, and out of space! Seekers of truth!
(Kid in spacesuit, with rocket in space in the background.)
Gulp…
So, who is going to one day discover life on other planets?
(Kid, in space suit, but still standing in box rocket on alien surface, chest out, smiling, shaking hand of big, tentacle creature, also in a helmet.)
Scientists!
How do you think we know about comets! Or our solar system! Galaxies? Tri-stars! The sky is full of science!
(Kid looking up at stars and tri-suns and planets and all sorts of stuff, enormous telescope in foreground, with scientists looking into it.)
Wow…
And remember when your pet wombat was sick? Who invented the cure?
(Kid, pouting, looking down at wombat, that is looking up at him.)
Now, there are a few problems with the planet at the moment Oscar. Who is going to save it…?
(Kid is leaping, smile on face, white science jacket on, out of box rocket…)
Me!
(Kid happily at work with beakers.)
The End.
