The Time Bomb

Sylvia: (offscreen) Come on, the suspense is killin' me, Wander. What's the surprise?

(Snap up on Sylvia, eyes covered by Wander's hands)

Wander: Well, it took some doin', but Sylvia the Zbornak, I'm about to make one of your biggest dreams come true!

Sylvia: (gasps) You're gonna bury me in jellyfish pie, and let me eat my way out?

Wander: (rolling his eyes) Nooooo. (lifts his hands) Look!

(Sylvia opens her eyes, and Wander imitates a fanfare. Her mood suddenly drops into shock; zoom out, they are at a starting line in a stadium like area. They are standing on a light teal transparent road, and balloons are flying up everywhere. Between them, audience members sit in bleachers)

Announcer: Ladies and race fans! Welcome to the 500th annual... (close-up of a sign at the top, displaying the race's name by word) Galactic Conjunction 6000! (Pan out showing several planets aligned as the same path from earlier forms across them, the edges decked with lights) Once a year, the planets of this galaxy align to form the deadliest race course in the universe! (Cut to a slow pan across the competitors) Only the bravest racers dare face... (zoom in on Sylvia in steps) the insanest race in outer space!

Sylvia: (deadpan) Oh, Wander, you have no idea what you've done!

Wander: I knew you'd like it! 'Cause I remember you tellin' me, that back in the day, you used to race in the – (zoom out, speaks in loud announcer's voice) Galactic Conjunction 6000 – (zoom back in on them, normal voice) and it was your dream to finally win it! But you never did, 'caaaaause...

Sylvia: (hangs her head) I ain't got what it takes.

Wander: You ain't got what it takes! Well – (blows raspberry) BLEH! (zipping noise) And – (long raspberry) to that, I say. (gets off her, cut to just behind her shoulder) Your dream awaits you, my fast but unfulfilled friend. You just have to take the first step.

(Cut to a side view of them)

Sylvia: Oh, this is bad, Wander, this is real bad. (backing away) I don't do well with these things!

(Wander skips off and pushes Sylvia back into view)

Wander: You'll do great! You're so fast, and strong.

Sylvia: (pants) That's not what I mean! I-I know I'm fast, I know I'm strong! I also know that I'm –

Off-Screen Voice: Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock!

Sylvia: Oh-ho, no.

(Quick series of close-ups of a rather long mouth, long, blue legs, and a trash can on each of the next three words)

Harvax: Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock! (Widen to reveal him) Heh, look who's back in the race this year, Stok!

Stok: (pops out of trash can) Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock!

Sylvia: (no nonsense) Harvax, nice to see you. How've you been? (Close-up on her) This is just a mistake, I'm not –

Harvax: Gonna win! I know! 'Cause it's just a matter of time, until –

Stok: (pops out) Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock!

Harvax: (quietly) Boom. (snickers, walks away)

Wander: (waves at them) Well, they seemed awfully nice. 'Cept, what was with all that "tick-tock, tick-tock"?

Sylvia: It's because of my nickname.

(Cut to a light tower as its highest set of lights turns on and a buzzer sounds. Back to Wander and Sylvia)

Wander: Nickname? You had a racing nickname?! Let's see, tick-tock...was it...Quicky McQuickersons, because you ran so fast, you always beat the clock?

Sylvia: No.

(Back to the light tower, the second light pair turns on. Back to Wander and Sylvia, the latter's eyes turn into spirals)

Wander: The Royal Lady, Lady Laterson, because you were always late?

Sylvia: No!

(Back to the light tower, its third pair of lights turns on. Back on Wander and Sylvia, the latter's eyes now normal, but now starting to get angry)

Tick-tock (x11)

Wander: Roger? Roger the Clock Maker, because you used to make clocks?

Sylvia: No!!!

(Back to the light tower, its fourth pair of lights turns on. Close up of one of her fists as it flexes, ground level as it slams into view. Zoom out, her body flaring a red glow as she furiously looks back and forth at the competitors. Wander seems not to notice)

Wander: Hmm...tick-tock, tick-tock...once another...only for tick-tock...

(Zoom out showing Harvax and Stok, the former snickers. Cut to the bottom of the light tower, its last pair of lights blazes green. Extreme-close up of Sylvia's face, she growls viciously and roars; wide shot of start line as she bursts her way out of the start as the race begins, Wander holding on. The title appears, freeze-frame)

(The rest of the racers make their way out as well. Cut to the track, heavy metal music plays as Sylvia comes up in the distance, roaring. Wander holds onto her rein, screaming in terror. They zoom past Harvax and Stok)

Stok: (cackles) Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock! (inhales) BOOM!!!

Harvax: Nah. That ain't no "boom"! You ain't seen no "boom"! (Front-on view of Sylvia, her eyes blaze red with maroon scleras; he continues offscreen) First, her eyes go red... (Side view, her comb stands up on end) ...then, her comb stands up all pointy-like... (Extreme close-up of her neck, panning left to her head as dark veins stick out and her skin turns a dark purple and her comb deepens in color) ...then, the veins pop out of her neck... (Zoom out a bit, foam streams out of her mouth) ...and she starts foamin' at the mouth!

(Cut to a river with giant water lilies the path leads into. Sylvia rushes onto it; camera follows her as she jumps across the lilies)

Harvax: (offscreen) Then just when she's had enough... (She starts slipping on one of them) BOOM! That's when the Time Bomb really goes off!

(She flies off the lily and falls into the water. Harvax and Stok ride by on a lily of their own)

Harvax: And that's when she loses. (snickers)

(The other racers ride by on lilies as well. Cut to under the water as Sylvia roars so loudly, bubbles froth out of her mouth and flood the screen. Cut to above the water, a giant bubble pops to reveal Sylvia, she instantly zooms off)

Time Bomb (x2)

(Cut to the other half of track as Harvax and Stok race onto it. The other racers join them, and Sylvia rushes on it as well. Cut to a behind shot from Sylvia as she dodges various asteroids on the track one by one. She pushes a racer aside)

Sylvia: GET ZLORGED, PUNY! COMING THROUGH!

(She slingshots herself off one of the other racers squishing him. Cut to one riding a cloud)

Sylvia: (offscreen) YOUR BUTT IS MINE!

(She flies through it, causing it to briefly split into two and the racer to jump up and yell in fear. Cut to a behind diagonal shot of her as a loop comes into view. She lands on the arrow platform, and zooms through the loop at warp speed. Cut to outside the loop, camera follows Sylvia as she races through it and jumps off. Cut to her flying through the sky, mouth streaming with foam. Wander works his way up to her snout)

Time Bomb

Wander: Hey, there, Syl old girl. (Close-up) It's your old pal Wander comin' at ya on your A.M. dial. (pats her snout) It's time to simmer down, clown, and let the soothin' sax of Dr. Smooth soothe your soul.

(While saying this, the heavy metal music slowly fades out and is replaced with gentle jazz music. Wander imitates a saxophone; cut to an extreme close-up of Sylvia. Her eyes return to normal, her skin turns back to blue, and her comb flattens itself and becomes a vibrant color again. Cut to the track as she lands and runs normally; her neck no longer has any veins)

Sylvia: Oh...thanks, pal. Surprisingly, that actually helped –

(A racer rides by on a turtle)

Racer: Ooh! Oh, uh, uh, (tips hat) pardon me, ma'am? (exits)

(Close-up on Sylvia, her eyes turn into red spirals as veins grow out of her neck and her comb stands up and deepens in color while her skin turns purple. Her eyes burn red like before, and foam streams from her mouth)

Wander: Oh, no.

Sylvia: YOU CUT ME OFF!!!

(She zooms off, Wander holding on. After he flies offscreen, his hat is left floating in mid-air)

Wander: WHOA!

(Cut to the racer, Sylvia rushes up behind him, roaring. Wander now has his hat back, and is watching in shock. The racer stammers at this, cut to an overview of the track as Sylvia zooms around the racers)

Racer: I-I-I- I do apologize, ma'am. I-I I believe I was completely within my rights! Although, if I overstepped my bounds –

Sylvia: I'LL OVERSTEP YOUR BOUNDS!

(Wander, holding tightly to Sylvia's tail, works his way to her back and pulls her rein hard)

Wander: WHO-HO-HO-HO!

(She instantly comes to a stop and falls on the ground. Close-up of her, mouth foaming as she roars; the moment she comes face to face with Wander, she reverts to her usual self – eyes normal, comb flat and vibrant colored, skin blue and no veins on her neck. Silence, both look offscreen. Cut to the racer as he reboards the turtle)

Racer: M-m-m my-my most humble apologies, your – T-T-T Time Bombness.

(He rushes off, and more racers rush past)

Sylvia: (sighs) See, Wander? Competition. That's my problem. It changes me. It turns me into –

(Wide shot, she rages again and sticks her foot out, but no foam comes from her mouth this time. A racer trips over her leg; close-up as she returns to normal)

Sylvia: That's why they call me the Time Bomb. That's why I've never won the race. I should just quit before I really explode.

(Widen to show Wander)

Wander: No, you can do this, Sylvia! I've seen you face down a five-fangled Staunchmonger and barely bat an eyelid! (grabs her snout and pulls her head towards her) If you're strong enough to overcome that, (close-up of her, he continues offscreen) then you've gotta be strong enough to overcome your anger, and win this thing.

Sylvia: No. I'm beyond help.

Wander: (puts a finger on her nose) You might be beyond help, (widen to frame him) but we're not! Your tried and true trusty pal Wander is stickin' by your side! (Sylvia sets off on the end of this, close-up of them) Together, we can take on any obstacle that we may find.

(Pause, Sylvia's mouth drops open. Point of view shot from her at the racers)

Sylvia: (offscreen) Except that one!

(Camera pans upward revealing an increasingly long, twisty tunnel. Back to her, she is getting nervous)

Sylvia: Oh, this is not good. (enters the tunnel) Not good, not good, not good, not good, NOT GOOD!!! (Racers surround her, she growls and grunts)

Wander: You've got this, Syl.

Sylvia: (snorts) Huh? What?

Wander: Just listen to my voice, and I'll guide you. Forget the racers, forget the race. Just zone on out to your happy place.

Sylvia: Happy place? (calmly) Marshfalaffle Apple Meadow.

Wander: Ooh, good one.

(He brings his hands forward as he imitates a saxophone; point of view shot from Sylvia as Wander's hands come into view. Fade to black as they fill the screen)

(Fade up on a landscape of trees with giant marshmallows as the leaves, with apples around the bottom. The sky is pink, and the ground is striped pink and faint purple. Birds are heard chirping, butterflies fly about. Side view of Sylvia running with her eyes closed and her arms outstretched, she performs moves as instructed by Wander)

Wander: (voiceover) Here we go. Left, left, straight, hard right, duck, left, jump, jump more! Shimmy step right, shimmy step left. Ooh, back flip.

(Back to reality, Wander has his hands over Sylvia's eyes)

Wander: Now here comes the tricky part.

(Cut to outside the tunnel and follow every part of it)

Wander: (from inside, talking fast) Right, right, left, left, left, jump right, duck left, jump, jump, jump left, right, down spin, turn right, right, right, duck, duck goose!

(Cut back inside the tunnel, Wander and Sylvia are no longer surrounded by racers)

Wander: Sylvia, I've got another surprise... (they exit the tunnel)

Sylvia: What?

Wander: (lifts his hands off her eyes) We made it.

Sylvia: (pauses, looks back) What?

(Cut to her perspective of the tunnel, zooming out)

Wander: (offscreen) And... (back to them) we're in the lead!

Sylvia: (looks back and forth) We're gonna...win?

(Close-up on them)

Wander: You're gonna win.

(They smile at each other, but this is interrupted by the revving of Harvax and Stok)

Harvax: (offscreen) Tick-tock!

(Widen as Harvax and Stok rush up to them)

Harvax/Stok: (alternating) Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock!

(Close-up on Wander and Sylvia, the latter starting to get annoyed)

Wander: Don't listen to them, Sylvia! Your competition is with yourself, not them.

(Cut to Harvax and Stok)

Harvax: Tick-tock!

Stok: Tick-tock!

(Back to Sylvia, her eyes turn into spirals and she growls)

Wander: Sylvia...?

(Back to Harvax and Stok)

Harvax: Tick-tock!

Stok: Tick-tock!

(Back to Sylvia, her mouth clenches, and she growls more)

Wander: Don't do it!

(Back to Harvax and Stok)

Harvax: Tick-tock!

Stok: Tick-tock!

Harvax: Tick-tock!

(On the end of this, cut back to Sylvia as she growls, her skin turns purple and her comb darkens)

Harvax: Isn't it about time you went off?

(Cut to Stok)

Stok: Time Bomb!

(Back to Sylvia, her eyes burning red while her comb stands up. Zoom out; her neck is covered in veins, and she roars while foam flies out of her mouth. Cut to the same overview of her rushing around the track from earlier, heavy metal music plays)

Time Bomb (x2)

(Cut to Stok as he ducks into his trash can while Sylvia lands on it, opens it and takes Stok out)

Wander: Sylvia, no! (Sylvia begins beating Stok up) Marshfalaffle Apple Meadow! Marshfalaffle Apple Meadow! (imitates saxophone)

(She absolutely does not listen, she stretches her back, making Wander fly off)

Sylvia: GET OFF MY BACK!

(Cut to Wander flying though the air)

Wander: WHOAOAOAOA!

(Back to Sylvia, she punches Stok's head's off; only for "Stok" to be revealed to be a stuffed dummy. Sylvia returns to normal as dummy Stok's eyes spring out, she gasps and looks behind her. Cut to Stok's trash can, the real Stok pops out)

Stok: BOOM!!! (cackles)

(Widen to reveal Harvax and Stok zooming away)

Harvax: That she blows!

(Cut to Sylvia and zoom out slowly as Harvax cackles. She is motionless for a while, then throws the halves of dummy Stok down)

Sylvia: Wander! (Wide shot, she rushes past the racers) Excuse me, sorry, I beg your pardon, stop, sorry. (Stops at Wander lying on the ground) Wander! Are you okay? (Zoom in on her) Oh, Wander, Wander, I'm so sorry. I-I can't believe what my horrible temper made me do to you. (While saying this, Wander stands up with his back turned. Close-up of him, she continues offscreen) I wanna control this, I-I really do, and I think – no, I know I can, but...not alone. Will you help me?

(Wander turns around, squealing excitedly. Widen to frame Sylvia as she hugs him)

Wander: Time's a-waistin'! (Sylvia helps him on her back) We gotta get a move on if we're gonna – (Sylvia zooms off, leaving him holding her rein in mid-air) WIN THIS THIIIIIIING!!! (He zooms off as well)

(Cut to a close-up of the finish line, zoom out showing the path, followed by walls of fire between various platforms with arrows on them. Zoom over to the path on the other side and follow as the racers race by, Wander and Sylvia too. Camera follows them as they make their way past the racers. Cut to Harvax and Stok running with Wander and Sylvia behind them, zoom out to show the action on a jumbotron)

Announcer: Here come our leaders as we go into the final stretch! It's Harvax and Stok out in front, with Wander and Sylvia close behind!

(Cut to a ramp as Harvax and Stok zoom up it, Wander and Sylvia follow. Wander laughs, cut to the platforms as Harvax and Stok land on one of them, causing them to take off at warp speed. Wander and Sylvia do the same. Cut to Stok, Wander and Sylvia zoom up behind him. He turns to see them)

Stok: Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock!

(On the end of this, cut to a full side view shot of Harvax and Stok; Wander and Sylvia zoom ahead above them. They land on another platform and take the lead; this occurs again. After Wander and Sylvia take the lead the third time, Harvax growls in close-up. Cut to his back as he spreads his fly wings and flaps them. Cut to Wander and Sylvia as Harvax flies up next to her and bumps into her three times)

Sylvia: Uh...ah...hey! (he bumps into her one more time) Ah!

(She flies back, bouncing on the platforms. She lands on one of them; close-up on her, she shakes her head and pants as she begins to rage, body flaring red like what happened before the race started. Wander slides into the scene next to her)

Wander: Marshfalaffle?

(Sylvia takes in a deep breath as the red light goes out)

Sylvia: Thanks. I got this.

(She stands up, pan upwards revealing Wander is now on her back. She takes another breath; close-up of her foot as she touches the arrow on the platform. It lights up; widen to show her with her eyes closed as she and Wander glow blue, and she zooms off. Cut to Sylvia as she prances across the platforms, speeding up)

Take it easy, Sylvia (x5)

(She catches up to Harvax and Stok, behind shot as they bounce from platform to platform, avoiding the fireballs. Side view, this continues as the fireballs rush past the screen. Wipe to the end of the path as both racers speed past. Cut to the track as they land, Harvax and Stok leading. Sylvia begins to catch up. Brief shot of the finish line, side view as Sylvia reaches her head into the scene, Harvax follows suit, both alternating between who leads)

Announcer: They are neck and neck! Who will it be?

(Shift back and forth between Sylvia and Harvax several times, increasing with each time. Cut to the finish line as both racers go across it. The screen flashes, fade to white. Fade in immediately to the photo finish: Harvax's mouth is a few inches ahead of Sylvia's)

Announcer: And Harvax wins by a nose!

(Zoom out showing the action on the jumbotron. Cut to the audience in the bleachers on either side as they applaud, followed by a shot of a long, gold column. Pan upwards to Harvax and Stok celebrating their win; a female alien presents them a golden trophy with a "1" on the cup. Around them are five cameras with wings, snapping photos of them. Widen to frame Wander and Sylvia, the column is revealed to be shaped like a "1")

Wander: Oh, sorry. You okay, Sylvia?

Sylvia: Are you kidding?! I'm fan-fleevin'-tastic! I may have gotten second place in the – (loud announcer's voice) Galactic Conjunction 6000 – (normal voice) but I got first place in the race against myself.

Wander: Still would've been fun to have won.

Sylvia: (shrugs) Eh.

(They hug, but this is interrupted by the announcer)

Announcer: Your attention, please! (Cut to Harvax and Stok, an alien general stands in front of the former) After further review, Harvax and Stok have been disqualified – (The general rips Harvax's long mouth off, revealing a smaller one underneath) for using a fake proboscis!

(Close-up on Harvax as his actual, short mouth is revealed, the cameras surround him. Cut to a wide shot of Wander and Sylvia in front of the bleachers, Harvax appears on the jumbotron behind him)

Announcer: Therefor, I give you the new winners of the Galactic Conjunction 6000... (The jumbotron's action changes to show:) Wander and Sylvia!

(They share looks of surprise as the audience cheers, and zoom off. Cut to the top of the tower as Sylvia slides in)

Sylvia: Oh, yes! (takes the trophy) In your FACE, Harvax! (close-up, she gets into his face) 'Cause you just got defused! (wide shot) Oh!

(She finishes her victory with her tail swatting to hit Harvax and Stok off the ledge, cut to an angle of the tower as they fall, screaming. Sylvia raises the trophy high)

Sylvia: Marshfalaffle Apple Meadow represent!

(Close-up on her as the cameras snap photos of her. Wander slowly shakes his head)

Wander: Well, now that we've got your temper under control, we'll work on you bein' a sore winner next. Allow me.

(He imitates a saxophone, and the view snaps to black)