Hello.

My name is Dinel. I look like that thing above, but female, and subadult. What you silly humans call "teenager". We live much shorter lives so that term won't make much sense to us.

I am here because I have a story to tell. I will be your unreliable hidden narrator (not so hidden I guess - I've just revealed myself to you... Dang! Much to learn I have)

Since I was so dumb as to tell you who I am right away I might as well present myself properly:

I can talk because I have undergone surgery to my tiny head to implant a shiny toy called HOC1. It makes me think similar to a computer... and no, it's not perfect at all!

I can still remember the times before my implant but they are fuzzy dreams... 

...and fading...

BEGIN MONTAGE:

INSIDE ARALODON EGG

Unreliable fragments of memory are recalling moments before a deep realization:

BREAK THIS SHELL. NOW!

Crack.

Fresh air. Fresh darkness. Fresh smell. She is born.

INSIDE ARALODON BURROW

MAMA is here. She nurtures and provides. Others are hatching and it's a race to who eats first. The wittiest establish a pecking order uncaring for the weak ones, should they disagree... PECK PECK PECK. Should they agree and attempt to compete... PECK PECK PECK PECK!

Should they choose to be pacifists... PECK PECK PECK PECK!

Mama does stop nor support this behaviour; she just watches them. DINEL learns quickly that being asserive with her beak-lips is a quick way to earn respect among siblings. They can't yet see each other - it's dark and they are all blind - so the only way to not get lost and be pecked from behind is to SMELL.

Dinel builds a quick database of all 20 and some siblings' smell in her mind. She might not even care what the hell she is and what life means but her brain is hard-wired for social connectivity. More efficient than networked computers.

FOREST FLOOR - DUSK

The hatchlings are now juveniles - they are not blind anymore and they know each other also by looks. They don't know it yet, they find it to be a game, but their unique colorations and patterns will be crucial to mating later on. For now it's a playful way to "call" each other "names"...

BLUESTARS, BROWNBRIDE, EXPLOSIVEBLACK, TENDERGREY... and so on.

They are "calling" Dinel INDIGOSPEAR. Somewhat like Native Americans, these are their mothertongue Aralodon names, spoken in the tweeting language of these undergrowth dwellers.

And it's time to follow Mama to forage grounds. She ain't waiting for no fool; if they are smart they won't stray afar, and if they are dumb, well... 

SNATCH!

The bushes crackle and the dirt sprinkles over the younglings' heads. Something thunderous and electric flashes past and leaves them in a dust of shock and dread.

Mama looks back: 

Tendergrey is gone.

Dinel/Indigospear opens her eyes again from the suddenness of the impact and checks around... Gradually they all calm down and look over the hump and they can see a raptorial silhouette sprinting away back into the tree tangle. They don't understand it but they know what just happened. 

Do you?

The Ara kids dismiss this key lesson in survival and race each other chirping to the forages. YUM. It's cold, but they are going to enjoy a bit more feast without that sweet kind Tendergrey...

FOREST CLEARING - DAY

Indigospear is happy and proud. She found a cherry forage before the others and she is hastily picking the ripiest ones - a pleasure she enjoys until Bluestar and Explosiveblack catch up. They are all subadults now (ye, "teenagers", whatever) and they have made it this far despite their dazzling plumage thanks to Mama and to their wits.

No. Let's not fool ourselves: 

It was mostly luck.

The others perished in colourful ways and they have been all but forgotten already by the ones still kicking. Even Mama has passed away, victim to a strange impersonal breath of death that one day started strangling her and never let go until she collapsed on the burrow floor.

Indigospear takes a moment to appreciate the pleasure of a filled stomach and the afterthough of sweet taste and distracts her mind watching her two brothers picking up the scraps she left them without complaining - they know their rank - when...

PINCH!

She ricochets off the ground in a reflex she didn't even know she was capable of. Woah! For a creature 1 meter and change tall she can apparently make astonishing 3 meters jumps. She feels proud for a moment, crisis averted, predation attempt evaded...

SLEEP.

And just like that. The world goes OFF.

FADE TO:

DARKNESS OF THE MIND

A faint but familiar voice - for us.

YOME (adult)
She looks fine.

TOBY (adult)
Maybe she's hurting in silence...

YOME
Don't be silly.

TOBY
Just tryin' to get a smile outta you!

YOME
You suck ass!

A fainter big boy laugh faints ever deeper along with the rest of the sense of hearing...

Until it's a distant memory.

FEEBLE LIGHT

Those familiar human voices fade back in from the dream chatter.

YOME
Vitals are stable.

TOBY
I still think we used too much tranq.

YOME
She's fine, though.

TOBY
Yeah, okay. But maybe we can use less next time.

YOME
And risk her being awake? No.

FADE IN:

FARM ONE - OPERATING STABLE

The first thing Indigospear sees is the painful light shining on her from the surgery lamps. It's so totally unfair that they should treat her like this, I mean, how would you like it being strapped to a bed and blinded by poweful electric lamps that can almost shine through your soul?

Wait.

What's happening?

TOBY
I'm just saying that - -

YOME
Wait. What's happening?

TOBY
Uh?

Yeah, I'm asking the same thing. What is going on here? What's this voice inside my head? I can hear myself narrating my own story! Can't be real!

YOME
This is weird.

TOBY
It's creeping me out. How does she do that?

What are they talking about? Can they hear me? Can they hear this narration?

YOME
Where is it coming from? I didn't turn the feed on yet. I think...

TOBY
It's super creepy, Yome. Turn it off!

NO! DON'T YOU DARE TURN ME OFF! Let me at least figure this out...

YOME
She... she's trying to figure it out?

TOBY
Are we even sure it's her?

YOME
Who else would it be?

IT'S ME ALRIGHT! Just set me free, you damn dirty human!

TOBY
Whoah! Wait a second there...

YOME
How rude. But yeah, let's move her to the stall.

Stall? What stall? FREE ME!

TOBY
Yome, can we please sedate her? I'm starting to feel weirded out...

SHUT UP!

YOME
I think it would be safest for everybody. Sorry Dinel!

DINEL? Who's Dinel? Wait. I'm Dinel! Oh my Reya! I think I understand what is going - -

PINCH!

YOU ASS! THAT HU - -

FADE TO:

DARKNESS OF THE MIND

I hear some music... What the heck is this? Sounds like a metal band is playing live on a stage and fans are singing alone.

It's actually not bad at all. Lots of energy and passion. I must admit I wouldn't mind being up there with - -

WHAT THE HECK IS THIS? 

I used to be a Aralodon once. A herbivore. I don't recognize this place at all... I don't recognize me at all.

Yeah, that's how I should feel, I guess.

Confused. DISORIENTED. Weirded out. EXCITED. Terrified. PUMPED.

I'm starting to enjoy th - -

CUT TO:

FARM ONE - STABLE STALL - NIGHT

Dinel/Indigospear gradually wakes up...

Her first thought is:

What day is it?

No time to have her thoughts wonder; she hears humans from another room.

TOBY
Babe? She's up!

YOME
Whu - - ?

Yeah. Dinel is up. She doesn't like this and she will get bloody revenge on these pesky humans.

Here they come...

Yome and Toby are dressed casual now - makes a whole different impression on the tiny herbivore. That surgery attire was scary, but now it all feels more chilled.

YOME
She looks calmer.

TOBY
Yeah, we drugged her like... a lot.

YOME
Within suggested dosage.

TOBY
It's not all just about dosage, you know...

Oh Reya they are jabbering again. Dinel is actually bored now and she wants to break free and return to the forest - to her beloved blackberries and hazelnuts. Maybe a touch of basil for freshness...

YOME
She ought to be ready now. We have that Nuralosaur to operate next...

TOBY
Can't we postpone that? We need to take our time with these guys.

YOME
You are always so sentimental... We just don't have time!

Yome pulls out her TABLET from a pocket and fiddles with it. Dinel catches on to it and starts running a hypothesis in her chip. Wow, that toy sure can process info like a charm!

TOBY
Let's make time!

YOME
(scolding)
We don't have any.

Toby sighs off to check machinery next to the stall. The air conditioning comes on - chilled air. Yome keeps fiddling with her tablet while Dinel stands up and realizes she is on a leash, secured to the wall of the stall...

DINEL
Great.

Where did that come from?

DINEL
Urm...

Oh my Reya. She can talk? Since when?

Yome seems all satisfied and keeps staring at her tablet, with a growing smile.

DINEL
What the freckles are you smiling at? Flamingo legs!

YOME
(chuckling)
What?

DINEL
You heard me.

Dinel finally realizes her own mouth is actually CHIRPING her usual Aralodon language; the new voice - a gritty alto voice - is coming from Yome's tablet. 

YOME
How do you feel?

Dinel immediately gets upset and covers it up with a good dose of PISSED OFF!

DINEL
Don't tell me that's my voice. What the frek you even mean how do I feel? GET ME OUT OF HERE!

Yome sniggers. She has the power, she is in control. Dinel hates her already.

 DINEL
I'm gonna peck your eyes out.

YOME
Come on now. I am sorry we had to sedate you twice but... you were too agitated and needed to rest. 

DINEL
Rest my ass. Bring me back!

YOME
You needed the rest, though. The operation went well but it is very delicate and invasive. We had to open your skull, you know.

DINEL
YOU WHAT?

YOME
It's still so weird to be talking to an animal. Wow. I know why Jay is so excited...

TOBY (Off Screen)
I don't get it. I will never get it. You're talking to A.I. Not an animal.

YOME
I'd say both.

DINEL
You're all crazy!

YOME
Maybe you should rest a bit more.

Yome carries her tablet away from the stall and Dinel gets even more upset trying to stop her. 

DINEL
NO, WAIT! 

But the leash...

DINEL
Urgh!

Yome stops and glances at the Aralodon; Dinel is starting to get demoralized.

YOME
Look. I know it's a hard transition but you have all the resources and strenght of character to get through this. We chose you for a reason. We've been observing you...

Dinel is speechless. She can instantly access her memory pre-implant and it feels weird and powerful. For the first time in her life...

...she feels like crying.

DINEL
What is all this?

YOME
What?

DINEL
I feel weird.

TOBY (coming back)
I bet. It's unnatural.

YOME
Hey. Are we natural? We ain't supposed to be here.

TOBY
Good. Let's go back the way we came!

YOME
Ha Ha. There is no way, the way we came, anymore.

TOBY
Why do you always have to be so brainy? I'm just trying to make a joke land. Help a brother out.

YOME
You're my brother now?

TOBY
Just another jargon I learned. Play this game with me, Yome, come on!

Toby tidies up the adjacent stall to Dinel's. The stable is quiet and rather empty - for a stable. Yome enters Dinel's stall and cautiously crouches to try and get at eye-level with the Aralodon. It is not enough - the human is stil taller.

YOME
We already ran all checks. You have outstanding physical form. And your brain waves are stable.

DINEL
So, I'm not crazy? Or dying?

YOME
(chuckling)
No!

Yome takes her time to admire the animal up-close. This is supposed to be just another post-operation procedure, but this time it feels different to Yome: more personal.

YOME
If you promise not to go berserk I can unleash you. 

Dinel ponders it.

YOME
But you have to promise.

Dinel thinks harder.

DINEL
Will I ever see my brothers again?

YOME
Sure! I mean. I can't promise you they won't get snatched by some raptor while you're here, but...

Toby stops tidying the adjacent stall...

TOBY
For Reya's sake, Yome!

...then cleans it up with a broom.

YOME
They should be okay. And you will absolutely go back to your... "people".

DINEL
Haha... funny.

Yome is amazed but skeptic.

YOME
Was that... sarcasm?

DINEL
What?

Yome shakes off the idea and puts the tablet down to fiddle with the leash hook. Dinel watches her closely. Impatiently. Yome catches her devious eyes and loads a strategic response, slowing down the untiying of the leash on purpose:

YOME
What is your favourite forage? We have leaves, fruit, and nuts.

Bingo! Dinel is all hears.

DINEL
Do you... have... Blackberries?

Yome smiles. She slows down even more, pretending to be clumsy.

YOME
Sure we do. Our drones picked them up nearby. They are local.

Dinel gets mouth watering; she smells a nostalgic breeze of home.

YOME
What else would you like for dinner?

DINEL
Oh, urm...

YOME
Do you like salad?

DINEL
I don't know. Do I?

Yome chuckles. Dinel gets thinking: suddenly she has access to a mind catalogue of different types of salad dishes and the specific genes of vegetables that are included in them.

DINEL
How do I know so much all of a sudden?

YOME
(sighs)
That is what we need to converse about...

Toby sighs. His timing sounds suspiciously protesting. Yome throws a frustrated look at his hunched back busy at cleaning the floor.

YOME
...but it can wait 'till after dinner. What do you say?

DINEL
(nods)
Yeah. Okay. I'm in.

YOME
Sweet.

Yome is suddenly a master at opening the damn leash and Dinel is free. But is she? 

TOBY
(tired)
I'm almost done. I'll catch up with you home. Be ready for when dinner's ready.

Yome stands back up while never lifting eyes from Dinel whom stands still in front of her dreaming of free food.

YOME
Alright. We'll get going.

DINEL
Where?

Yome backs away from the stall giving Dinel room to walk; the Aralodon tries advancing but she still feels dizzy.

YOME
Back home. We'll introduce you to our boys: Jay and Larry.

DINEL
(struggling)
Oh. Yeah. You mentioned Jay...

YOME
You remembered!

Yome leans down eager to help Dinel stabilize but Dinel instinctively tries to peck her hand.

YOME
Whoah!

DINEL
Oh! Sorry.

YOME
It's cool. Try walking...

Dinel tries a few more steps. It's hard and her posture is all over the place but the sedative is almost faded so she should return to normality soon.

YOME
...if you feel too tired or unsafe I can always carry you.

The idea scares Dinel - makes her think of raptor claws. Yome catches on the sudden fear and frowns to correct herself.

YOME
Of course only if you want me to!

DINEL
No, I get it. But let me just...

YOME
Yeah, sure!

Yome backs some more and glances Toby, all busy hastling the cleaning. Dinel is improving on posture.

YOME
Very good, Dinel. Very good.

DINEL
(trudging)
So is that my name? Dinel?

YOME
Yes. You don't like it? 

DINEL
No - - Yes. I don't... I don't mind it.

Yome gets confident about Dinel's walking and turns around to lead the way to the door. Dinel catches up at her own pace.

YOME
Do you prefer your own nickname? Or maybe you have a native name?

DINEL
A what?

But Dinel knows exactly what Yome means. 'Indigospear'.

YOME
You know... A name in your own... tongue. What your people call you. If they do call you somet - -

DINEL
Indigo.

YOME
Indigo?

Yome does only notice now the lower shading of Dinel's plumage is indigo.

DINEL
Indigospear.

YOME
Oh! What a cool name. Why spear?

Yome opens the door. The summer night breeze blows Dinel's feathers up and she braces but doesn't flinch.

DINEL
Because I would peck my brothers and sisters - like a spear - until they left me alone.

YOME
That sounds legit badass!

EXTERIOR STABLE

Yome leads Dinel outside. The Aralodon feels intimidate by the open space: she wants to be in the safety of the messy undergrowth, where she can easily hide and blend with foliage.

This place instead is almost barren. They walk on a gravel path to a parked Light Utility Vehicle - LUV - a lightly armored off-road. Dinel can't explain herself how the frek she knows what a LUV even is but she recognizes it at first sight. The LUV is painted in forest camo so it all looks familiar and plausible.

YOME
You guys actually make comparisons in your language?

DINEL
What?

Dinel scutters after Yome like a chicken to a farmer while she collates information to understand what Yome is asking.

YOME
You said your name means indigospear because you pecked your siblings. So that must mean they were comparing you to a spear. Or did you make that comparison after the implant?

HA! Dinel starts wondering that herself and it is a mind bend.

DINEL
Urr...

YOME
Don't worry about it now. Maybe another time. Let's just get you home for dinner.

What a wonderful idea!

FADE OUT.

END OF CHAPTER ONE