Getting the Bugs Out

Aladdin, Jasmine, Abu, Carpet, Genie, Iago, Machanicles

Scene 1 - The Agrabah Marketplace.

(The scene opens in the Agrabah marketplace. We see a vendor and a customer haggling. The camera pans right down the street, and we see Jasmine, in her peasant robes, looking at stands with Iago on her shoulder. She contemplates some melons, then waves her hand and walks on.)

(A vendor holds up a pot.)

Vendor 1: Wares! Get your Wares.

Iago: Wares? You call this junk wares? (Points to the pots the man has) It looks more like whats or whys.

(Jasmine continues to walk. She comes to another stall, and sees something, as her face lights up.)

Jasmine: Oh look! This would be perfect for my father’s toy collection. (She holds a jeweled dragonfly, and then another hand comes into the shot, and snatches the toy out of her hand)

Vendor 2: Careful! This is a priceless family heirloom! (Iago looks skeptical at the mans claims, as Jasmine thinks) Very expensive! One hundred dinari!

Jasmine: Does it work?

Vendor 2: (looks surprised, then crafty) But of course! (He throws the dragonfly into the air, Iago watches it go up, and cuts his eyes to the camera. Then, the dragonfly lands on his head)

Iago: Squawk!

(The man bends to the ground to pick up the dragonfly with a sheepish look on his face, brushes the toy off, and then looks up into the angry faces of Jasmine (with her arms crossed) and Iago.)

Vendor 2: Ok, it’s not a family heirloom; it’s just a piece of junk I found near a canyon in the desert.

Jasmine: (Reaching into her bag and holding up two coins) I’ll give you two dinari.

Vendor 2: (Holding out the toy and rolling his eyes) Sold.

Scene 2 - The Sultan’s Toy Room.

(The scene looks upwards, to see all the beautifully decorated kites hanging from the ceiling. We hear the sound of something winding up. The scene then shifts downward, and we see the Sultan and Aladdin at a table. The Sultan holds up a toy horse and rider with a sword. Jasmine and Iago come in.)

Jasmine: Father! Look what I found for you in the marketplace! (She hands the toy to the Sultan. Iago flies off her shoulder and lands next to the Sultan on the table)

Iago: A piece of junk if you ask me.

(The Sultan looks at the toy, and his face shows delight.)

Sultan: Absolutely exquisite!

Iago: Ya know, I helped pick it out!

(The Sultan walks to another table, where Abu is sitting, chattering. Jasmine walks next to her father.)

Jasmine: Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to work.

Abu: (looking sad) Ohhhhhhhh.

Sultan: (Chuckling) Oh, not to worry. I have some expertise in these matters. (He pulls a screwdriver out of his pocket, and leans on the table with Abu, digging at the toy) Ah, here’s the problem. There’s a speck of grit stuck in here. (He taps the toy upside down on the table, and a huge mound of sand comes out next to Abu, who looks startled. The Sultan then holds the toy up and looks inside)  It seems the oil has run out. We can fix that. (He reaches past Abu, who jumps out of the way, for an oil can. He pours some into the back of the toy, then begins to wind up the toy with a large gold key, as he mumbles.) Let’s see now… (He continues to wind up the toy, concentrating) Ah, that should do it.

(The toy begins to gently flap its wings. Everyone ooohs and aaahs as the toy slow lifts off the table and slowly flies off. It spins softly in the air a few times, then three steel spikes flash out. The group looks startled. The dragonfly toy then shoots toward them. Everyone ducks as it darts past where they had just been standing. Aladdin looks up as the toy then crashes through all the Sultan’s kites, punching large holes in all of them. It then proceeds to fly down, and crash through several podiums that were holding large and expensive looking toys, breaking them as they crash to the floor.  The toy continues around toward Jasmine and Aladdin. Aladdin pushes Jasmine down with him, but the toy sticks Iago in the rear before he flies up, and then chases down Abu, who runs across the room, and jumps in a vase. The Sultan is running across the other side of the room, panting, before hiding behind a large statue of a gold elephant. The toy buzzes by, cutting the head off the elephant. The Sultan sticks his head up where the elephant's head should have been.)

Sultan: Aladdin! Do something!

(Aladdin stands up from the floor, where he had been hiding with Jasmine, pulling out the Genie’s lamp.)

Aladdin: (Looking smug) Don’t worry, I’ll handle it. (He rubs Genie’s lamp, which glows purple, and Genie shoots out, lounging in a robe, bunny slippers, glasses, smoking a pipe, and reading the paper. He looks down at Aladdin.)

Genie: Hey guys, what’s –

(He is cut off as the dragonfly buzzes by again, making his head spin around)

Genie: Whoa!

(Aladdin looks up in shock as the toy turns around toward them again. He whistles, and Carpet comes flying in through a window, and lands beside Aladdin and Genie.)

Aladdin: Genie! Carpet! Stop that thing!

Genie: (salutes) It’s a done deal!

(Genie transforms into a baseball player with a thick black mustache. When the dragonfly comes back around again, he pulls back like he is going to swing. At the last second, he simply holds the bat, the toy bounces off, and Carpet catches it. Carpet then grabs the toy with a tassel, and throws it to the ground, destroying it.)

Genie: Nice catch Rug-Man! (They high-five each other)

Sultan: (running to Aladdin) Aladdin, how can I thank you! You saved my life!

Aladdin: (shaking his hand) I did?

Genie: (to Carpet) He did?

Aladdin: Hey, I guess I did.

Jasmine: Aladdin! (She looks angry, and crosses her arms.)

Aladdin: (aside to Jasmine) Oh, come on Jasmine, it’s not often I get a chance to impress your father. (To Sultan) No thanks necessary, sir. An adventurer such as myself must laugh at danger, ha ha ha.

(Genie comes over with carpet as the Sultan walks off.)

Genie: Um, I’m confused. I smashed the thing. Carpet caught it. What exactly did youdo?

Aladdin: Well, uh –

(The Sultan comes over and puts his hand on Aladdin’s shoulder.)

Sultan: We must do something. What if there are more of those things? No one in Agrabah would be safe!

Aladdin: Not to worry Sultan, I’ll get to the bottom of this. Hey, come on guys. Let’s get to the bottom of this.

(He walks past Genie and Carpet, who shrug. Iago flaps over to Jasmine and Abu, and drops the broken dragonfly toy in her hand. He then sits in her hand, on top of the toy.)

Iago: Nice present. (She looks displeased) Next time, why don’t you just get him a cobra?

(A spring comes out of the toy, launching Iago up with a loud squawk. Jasmine looks pleased.)

Scene 3 – On to the desert

(Jasmine and Aladdin are flying on Carpet. Abu and Iago are sitting behind them. Aladdin points.)

Aladdin: There’s the canyon where the merchant said he found that thing.

(Carpet swoops down into the canyon. Meanwhile, we have beaten them to the town, and we see the destruction. Wrecked buildings and debris are everywhere. There are six townsmen talking.)

Townsman 1: Oh, the destruction. We must ensure that this golden plague never strikes again. We need a new leader.

Townsman 2: What?! Every new leader goes off to fight the golden plague, and then WHAMMO! (slamming his fist) That’s the last anyone ever sees of him. What we need now is a patsy, a dupe, a fall guy, (Aladdin, Jasmine, Iago and Abu have arrived) some completely bubble-headed chump who can be our new leader.

(While he is talking, Carpet is coming in for a landing. Aladdin had been standing up with his hand in the air to get attention. Carpet stops abruptly, and Aladdin goes flying off, and lands at the townsmen’s feet.)

Aladdin: Whoa!

Townsmen 2: (slyly to first townsmen) Bingo. (To the crowd) Providence has sent a man from the sky to be our leader.

(The crowd cheers, and carries Aladdin of on their shoulders. Abu shrugs, and Iago looks smug. The crowd continues to carry Aladdin to a make-shift stage. Carpet drops Jasmine off on the stage.)

Aladdin: (Whispering to Jasmine) They can sense my inner strength. (He catches some roses)

Jasmine: Oh, brother.

(The townspeople have dropped off two huge baskets of fruit on the stage, into which Abu and Iago have dived into and started eating, Abu and apple, and Iago a banana.)

Townsman 1: Congratulations! (He places a flowerpot with a feather in it upside down on Aladdin’s head) You are the new leader of the village of Amina-Atway. Now get rid of the golden plague for us. (Smiles big)

Iago: (Spitting out a slice of watermelon) PLAGUE?!

Aladdin: Leader? Uh, Gee, I’m, I’m honored, this is so - (reacts to what was said) what was that about a plague?

Iago: (looks sick) Oh, I’m breaking out in blotches already. Here, feel my forehead. (Grabs Abu’s paw and places it on his head) I think it’s hot.

Townsman 2: (Points to the sky) Uh, that would be the golden plague now.

Townsman 1: (Pushes Aladdin out to the open) OK great leader, you’re on!

(There is screaming as the townspeople run to hide, and many large golden metallic beetles come swooping in, clamping jaws with serrated teeth. Aladdin scowls, and pulls out Genie’s lamp and starts rubbing. Genie comes out. Meanwhile, Abu and Iago have picked up the empty fruit baskets and hid under them.)

Aladdin: (to Genie and Carpet) uh, you heard ‘em guys, you’re on!

(Abu and Iago peek out from under the baskets. Jasmine has found a pole to use as a weapon and tosses it to Aladdin.)

Jasmine: (sarcastically) Here you go, great leader.

(Aladdin looks shocked. The beetles come down, barreling over Genie and Carpet. Jasmine jumps out of the way as the beetles’ barrel into the stage, wrecking part of it. Abu and Iago peek out from under the baskets, and go back down. Abu comes back out, grabs an apple, and hides again. The beetles swoop back around, barreling through buildings like aircraft, with Carpet on their heels. They crash through two more buildings, and Carpet rolls itself up like a newspaper. It swats both beetles, and they plummet to the ground, destroyed. Aladdin looks at this with Jasmine. He is leaning on the pole still.)

Aladdin: (looking pleased) Huh.

(There are several loud snapping sounds. He looks up, and another beetle is snapping the end of his pole, coming toward him.)

Aladdin: Whoa!

(Jasmine gives him a push, and they both run and crawl under a cart as the beetle flies off. It comes back around after them again. Meanwhile, Genie has seen this, and transforms himself into a fly-swatter. He goes after the beetle, and starts smacking it. Him and Carpet go after two more. The beetles spin around a tree, destroying it, and then fly down a street, with Genie and Carpet on their tails. The crash through more buildings, then Carpet doubles back, dunks itself into a barrel of water, and then continues the case. The beetles are now high into the sky, when Genie catches up and passes them. He transforms into a giant spray can, presses his own head, and sprays both beetles.)

Genie: (Smiling at the camera) Don’t worry; it's ozone safe.

(As the beetles are coughing in the haze, Carpet, still wet, snaps both beetles, and they to plummet to the ground and are destroyed. Abu and Iago look out from under their baskets, and see the coast is clear. They come out happily. The townspeople also see that it is safe, and they come out cheering for Aladdin.)

Townspeople: Hurray for Aladdin!

(Aladdin, still with the stupid flower pot on his head, crawls out from under the cart with Jasmine. The Townspeople charge right past Genie and Carpet, who had their hands out to shake, and go straight to Aladdin. Genie and Carpet look puzzled.)

Genie: (looking at Carpet and scratching his head) We got to get ourselves a new agent.

Townsman 1: (speaking over the still cheering townspeople) You have saved our village! You are a hero. From now on, your credit is good in all our shops.

Aladdin: (accepts a bouquet of flowers) Eh, it was nothing. Anything else giving you trouble? A barbarian horde perhaps?

Jasmine: (rolling her eyes and nudging Aladdin) Aladdin, don’t you think you should share the credit?

(She points to Genie and Carpet. Genie comes over, transformed into a dog, and barks and licks Aladdin’s cheek.)

Aladdin: Oh, thanks guys.

(He hands the flowers to Genie the dog and walks off. Genie whines, and both he and Carpet hang their heads.)

Scene 4: Meet Mechanicles

(We are following another large golden beetle, as it sputters, twists, and smokes toward a white, Greek-style building on a grassy hill. Then, we are inside the building. Mechanicles is inside, checking things off on a scroll. He wears sandals, a red toga with white sash, and a head strap, with a monocle in his right eye.)

Mechanicles: Let’s see, polish beetles done, shine floor, done. Ohhhhh, curses, missed a spot. Oh, I don’t know why I bother, in half and hour, I’ll just have to do it all over again! Great Zeus, the things I go through to maintain a tiny headquarters for world domination.

(He reaches for a large stack of towels, and beings to polish the floor, which already has a mirror shine to it. He looks pleased and stands up.)

Mechanicles: Ahhh, perfect!

)Just then, the sputtering golden beetle crashes through the domed ceiling, and smashes onto the floor, spraying oil everywhere. Mechanicles is beside himself with anger.)

Mechanicles: Scooter! You were supposed to be wreaking havoc on those disorderly villagers! (He pinches head like he has a headache and winces.) Not leaking oil all over my workshop!

(The beetle, which is lying in a large pool of oil, dips one of his legs in the oil, and then draws on the floor, a picture of Aladdin (with flowerpot helmet) standing on a smashed beetle, Genie punching one, and Carpet flying over one. Machanicles bends to look at the picture.)

Machanicles: What? Someone destroyed all my lovely beetles? (He jumps up and starts yelling) How dare they meddle with Machanicles! The greatest of the great Greek inventors!

(Lightning crashes behind him as he yells. He kicks the beetle out of the way, and bends over again, and pulls the monocle out from his head, making a sort of telescope. He starts to analyze the picture on the floor.)

Machanicles: Now, let’s have a look at these troublemakers, shall we? (He looks at Aladdin first) Dohhhhhhhh, what a scruffy lot! (He then looks at Carpet, and then Genie) Obviously a gang of hygienically challenged savages. (He stands up and thinks) Well, those strangers should not be a problem, but the genie and the carpet could be trouble. (He reaches for his scroll, and begins to write again.) Take care of genie, take care of magic carpet (He pauses to think again, and begins writing) permanently. Hahahahahahaha!

COMMERCIAL BREAK

Scene 5 – Back at the Village

(We are back in the village, and we hear music coming from a half-wrecked building. Inside, there is a celebration going on. Aladdin, Jasmine, and five of the townspeople are inside, laughing and talking. Abu jumps up on the table, and engulfs a small pile of fruit, then burps. Iago dances by with an apple on this head, singing.)

Iago: Ya da dad a, dadaa! (He tosses the apple of his head, opens his mouth up wide, and swallows it.)

(Goblets are held in the air for a toast.)

Townsman 1: A toast to our great hero, Aladdin!

Townspeople: Yaaaaaa!

(Aladdin smiles, nods, and sites back on a large pillow behind him. Jasmine, sitting beside him, looks annoyed. She shakes her head, then stands up.)

Jasmine: Shouldn’t we get ready in case more of those things show up?

Aladdin: Relax! The great bug destroyer is here. Or er, a, whatever it is they call me. (He starts eating grapes.)

Scene 6 – Night at the Village.

(We see the half-wrecked village, and it is now late night. Genie and Carpet are sitting on a slab of stone.)

Genie: Ah, it’s quiet out here.

(He dashes off and transforms into a sailor, with a dark overcoat, beard stubble, black knit cape, and telescope.)

Genie: Ah, a little too quiet. (He starts looking in all directions with his telescope) Reminds me of the time we were stranded off Madagascar. (He turns to Carpet with a harsh look on his face) And then the sharks came! They circled us for days! (Carpet is now shivering, and flies off behind a stone.) Waiting to make their move, waiting, (He slithers past Carpet, who is shaking even more, with a shark fin and teeth) until suddenly, without warning – they got bored, and went away. You know sharks with their short attention spans. (Carpet flops on top of the rock.)

(Genie turns, and points toward the sky.)

Genie: What’s that?!

(In the light of the full moon, four golden beetles are heading toward the village. Inside the building, Aladdin, Jasmine, Abu, and Iago are asleep. Abu is asleep against a bowl, with his feet propped up against a watermelon, and Iago is asleep inside the bowl, on top of the fruit, with a banana peel on his beak. Every time he snores, the banana peel flies up in the air, and lands on his beak. Genie slips in the room, comes up to Aladdin to wake him.)

Genie: (with spooky poltergeist voice) They're baaaack!

(Aladdin stands up and yawns. Jasmine and Abu wake up and looks at him. Aladdin picks up his flowerpot hat and puts it on.)

Aladdin: Ok guys, its show time!

(Outside, Aladdin marches out into the open, Carpet behind him. Jasmine is being the wall, with Iago and Abu perched on her shoulders. They gasp when they see the beetles. Genie has transformed, this time, into an old west style gunfighter. Carpet gives the thumbs up sign, Genie rips open his coat revealing the gun holsters on his hips, and Aladdin narrows his eyes.)

Aladdin: Ok, bugs…

(The beetles, which had been hovering overhead, open compartments in their stomachs. Out come mechanical spiders on webbing, which begin to lower to the ground. The spiders pause, open compartments on their backs, and shoot out nets. One grabs Carpet, and the other grabs Genie. Genie morphs back into his normal self. One beetle pulls Carpet inside itself, but as Genie is almost pulled inside the other, he disappears in a poof, to reappear the next instant beside it.)

Genie: Ah, Ah, Ahh, it’s not that easy to catch a genie!

(Another beetle appears, and with a pair of bellows and the sound of a vacuum cleaner, sucks Genie inside itself.)

Genie: (Inside the machine) However, it can be done!

(The beetles then fly away, crashing through another building that was standing, knocking it to the ground. The townspeople are now angry.)

Townsman 1: The great Aladdin has failed us!

(Aladdin, still wearing the flowerpot, hangs his head. Abu is on his shoulder.)

Abu: (sounding sad) Ohhhhhh.

Townsman 2: He is nothing without his Genie and Carpet!

(Aladdin finally takes the flowerpot of his head and tosses it away.)

Aladdin: Oh, they're right. I’m nothing without Genie or Carpet.

(Jasmine comes up behind Aladdin.)

Jasmine: What are you talking about? You’ve still got us.

(Jasmine, Aladdin, and Abu look surprised as another voice joins the conversation.)

Iago: Oh no! Don’t look at me! It’s the great Aladdin’s problem! (He bows) Nobody said anything about the great Iago!

(He begins to walk off, when there is a squawk and a large bang. Iago has slipped and landed in a pool of oil. He is covered in it.)

Iago: Alright! Who spilled the oil? You’re just gonna to wreck the environment!

(He flaps out of the puddle as Jasmine comes over and bends down next to him.)

Jasmine: It is oil. It must have leaked out of one of those…things!

Aladdin: They left a trail of oil! (He looks down the street and out of the town. He begins to run) Come on guys! This will lead us right to their nest!

(Abu runs behind him, Jasmine close behind. Iago starts to walk, in the other direction.)

Iago: OK, good luck! Let me know how the whole bug thing turns ou-AHHHHHH!

(Abu has come back, grabbed Iago’s tail feathers, and yanks Iago with them.)

Scene 7 – The Next Morning

(The scene opens with Aladdin, Jasmine, Abu, and Iago coming over a hill, and ending at Mechanicles headquarters.)

Iago: Ohhh, I don’t believe it, the sun’s coming up, not a wink of sleep, now I’m gonna be cranky the whole day.

Abu: (Chatters and squeaks)

Iago: I mean more so than usual!

(The group comes up to the headquarters, and reaches two large gold doors. At the top is a gold bulls head. Aladdin pushes on the door, but it will not budge. Iago flies over.)

Iago: Locked, huh? Oh, what a shame, guess we’ll have to go home now!

(Iago flies up and lands on one of the bull’s horns. The horn clicks down, and the doors spin around, knocking all four inside. One inside, they are all sprawled on the floor, with Iago’s eyes spinning. We see Mechanicles checking his list off again.)

Mechanicles: Took care of Genie, took care of Magic Carpet. Take care of meddlesome strangers.

(Back with Team Aladdin, Iago walks forward and comes up on one of the beetles.)

Iago: OK, I think we’ve seen enough. (The beetle slashes a sword on the floor in front of him. Iago pats the sword with a nervous chuckle) Hospitable little arthropods, aren’t they? (He runs back, feathers flying, to the rest.)

(Mechanicles comes prancing in front of them.)

Mechanicles: Greetings, meddlesome strangers! I am Mechanicles, the greatest of the great Greek geniuses!

(The group simply looks at him.)

Mechanicles: Archimedes? An amateur! Socrates? Stop, stop, stop. To make a long story short, I plan on taking over the world.

Iago: What?! (He flies up and snatches the scroll out of Mechanicles' hand) Let me see that!

Mechanicles: Hey!

(Iago flies overhead with it in his talons, reading to himself.)

Iago: Take out the trash, do the dishes, take over the world. (grinning) Ohhhhh, this guy’s serious!

(Mechanicles runs after Iago, waving his hands and running. Iago continues to fly just over head, taunting him with the scroll.)

Mechanicles: My scroll! Give me back my -

(Iago drops it in his hands, and flies off. Machanicles clutches it to his chest.)

Mechanicles: You got little sticky wing prints –

(Meanwhile, Abu is on top of a large urn, and is taking the top off. His foot slips and hits the handle, spurting oil out of the spout and onto the wall.)

Abu: Oops!

Mechanicles: (screaming) THE WALL!

(He runs over to the wall with a mop head on a crank, and begins to clean.)

Mechanicles: You have got to get these oil stains right away or they will leave a mark!

Jasmine: (Whispering to Aladdin): Notice how this guy is nuts about keeping things clean?

Aladdin: Right! (Points to Abu and Iago) You guys mess things up while I find Genie and Carpet!

(Abu and Iago get mischievous looks on their faces, and, happily rubbing wings and paws together, go off to mess things up. Iago flies to a tall bookshelf with scrolls, and begins to run on them, knocking them all down.)

Mechanicles: (Trying to catch them) Stop it! Stop it! Stop it! I just alphabetized those!

(Abu is on a table, screeching and pushing off vials, papers, and towels. He grabs a wrench to throw, but as he pulls back, Machanicles grabs the other end, and they play tug-of-war.)

Mechanicles: No, you are getting monkey germs on it!

(Jasmine is at a huge pot with a spigot on it. She lounges against it and looks coyly puzzled.)

Jasmine: Now what ever could this be for?

Mechanicles: NOT THE OIL!

(Mechanicles eyes are wild, and he puts his hands to his face as Jasmine, looking sweet and innocent, turns the spigot. Oil comes gushing out onto the floor. Machanicles draw drops in shock.)

(Aladdin runs up to a row of beetles sitting on the side of the room. He goes to one with the bellows still sticking out of it, and leans down to talk.)

Aladdin: Genie?

Genie: (From inside) Yeah, I’m caught in the filter.

(Aladdin reaches inside, and pulls out the filter, which has Genie twisted in it. He pops it, and Genie rolls out in a ball, eyes rolling. He stretches and then looks at himself.)

Genie: Whoa, that’s the cleanest vacuum I’ve ever been in!

(Genie goes to another beetle, and slides open a small door. Carpet flies out. Aladdin whistles and Abu bounds over to him, passing Machanicles who is mopping up a very large puddle of oil now. As Abu passes, Mechanicles sputters at him, and slips in his oil slick. Abu hops on Carpet. Aladdin kicks the first beetle, and they begin to topple over, one into another like dominos. They then fly out of the headquarters, through the revolving golden doors, Iago flying after Carpet. Machanicles, covered in oil, looks at his destroyed golden beetles.)

Machanicles: What have you done to my beautiful pets? (Looks at himself) And my new tunic - ruined?! Grrrrr (Bites on his tunic, then spits it out. His eyes look wild) That tears it! (He pulls out his scroll again and begins to write) I’ll wash the dishes after I take over the world.

Scene 8 – Back on Carpet and to the Village

(Everyone is on Carpet now, Iago perched on Aladdin’s shoulder.)

Jasmine: You see Aladdin? You thought you were nothing without Genie and Carpet. But you did it! You destroyed the beetles and saved the village!

(Jasmine hugs Aladdin. Just then, they hear a very loud rumbling and crunching. They all turn around, to see the ground around Machanicles headquarters crumbling. Then, headquarters rises right of the ground – it’s on top of another one of Machanicles inventions, a large red and black mechanical bug. They stare in shock, Abu and Iago on Genies shoulder, as it continues to come out of the ground, on six legs, with Machanicles controlling it from a space in front.)

Iago: (sarcastically) Saved the village, huh?

(Carpet takes off as fast as it can when the machine bites at them.)

Iago: Hold that thought.

(The machine begins to lumber after them, toward the village.)

COMMERCIAL BREAK

(The giant six-legged, red and black mechanical beetle marches down the cavern, with Machanicles furiously working levers to operate it. As it marches up to the town, it’s large shadow blocks the town, and the townspeople run in panic.)

Townsman 2: (looking up) Oh, you have got to be kidding!

(Carpet with Aladdin, Jasmine and Genie on it, Abu and Iago perched on Genie’s shoulders, swoops up to the beetle, then back down, away from it. Carpet lands, and the others jump off. Abu and Iago jump to the ground.)

Iago: Oh, this is a switch – a bug is gonna step on us!

(The machine begins to march on the village, smashing outer walls. The first village man runs to Aladdin.)

Townsman 1: Sorry we were so rude when you failed the last time. But in the name of fair play, we'll give you another chance! (He starts running) Break a leg!

(He hides in a building with several other townspeople, watching. Aladdin and Jasmine scowl at him as Iago lands on Aladdin’s shoulder.)

Iago: What a bunch of yellow-bellied, lily-livered cowards! (Another loud crunch is heard, and the ground shakes, almost knocking him off Aladdin’s shoulder.) My kind of guys! (He tears out of there.)

(The beetle is now in the village, and two children, who had been hiding under a cart, scream and run as one of the beetles massive legs crushes it. Aladdin turns to Jasmine, grabbing her shoulders.)

Aladdin: Jasmine, what was wrong with that dragonfly you gave your father?

Jasmine: (nervous and thinking hard) The oil had leaked out, and uh, uh, he said it was full of sand!

(The machine is crushing trees and marketplace stalls.)

Aladdin: Right! (He snaps his fingers and runs to Carpet and Genie) Guys, you think you could whip up a sandstorm? I’m gonna go see if there’s some way to let the oil out of that thing!

(He comes back to Jasmine, Abu on his shoulder. He hands Abu to Jasmine.)

Jasmine: (Hugging Aladdin) Be careful.

Abu: Yeah!

(The machine is stomping along, Mechanicles still at the controls, now with his checklist.)

Mechanicles: Ahhh, lets see, shake ground, knock down trees, terrorize villagers, AH! Torch buildings!

(He marks his scroll off with a flourish, and works another lever. A small cannon comes up off the front of the machine, and flames shoot out, consuming a building.)

(Meanwhile, Genie and Carpet are beginning to start a sandstorm. Genie begins to whirl quickly, and Carpet buries himself in the sand, to get started. When Carpet jumps up into Genie’s windstorm, they get tangled up, and land hard on the ground. They look at each other.)

Genie: Shall we try that again?

(The machine stomps past a building, and Aladdin, with a vase of water, jumps on. Machanicles sees him, but Aladdin hangs on to the machine’s jaw with one hand, and pulls himself up, almost dropping the vase. When he gets all the way up, he drops the water on the flame, neutralizing that weapon. Aladdin yells at Mechanicles.)

Aladdin: OK, Mechanicles, your gears are numbered!

Machanicles: As the great Greek philosopher Plato said – hmmm hmmm.

(Machanicles pulls yet another lever, and two arms come from the inside of the machine’s mouth, each holding swords. As they both swing at Aladdin, he jumps, and they hit each other instead. Aladdin grabs a sword and yells again at Machanicles.)

Aladdin: Not bad, eh.

Machanicles: (Yawning) Yes, yes, yes, very amusing, it’s a shame I must destroy you.

(He pulls a switch, and a trap door under Aladdin opens, pulling him in. Inside, Aladdin begins jumping on giant gears and wheels, trying to keep from getting squashed by the moving parts.)

(Outside, Jasmine, Abu, and Iago are inside the building with the villagers as the machine goes past.)

Jasmine: Aladdin needs our help! What are you, men or mice?

Townsman 2: We’re men of course, it’s just that we are cowards. Or was that a rhetorical question?

Iago: Ya know, you guys take all the fun out of being a coward!

(He flies off after Jasmine and Abu, who are standing in front of the beetle, watching it destroy a bridge. Jasmine looks at the machine, and then at her surroundings.)

Jasmine: Maybe we can rope that horn!

Iago: Oh sure, now there’s a plan. Are you running a fever or something?

(He waits while Jasmine gets a rope, and hands it to Abu. Abu begins to tie one end around his waist, while Jasmine takes the other end.)

Jasmine: Tie it to the horn – I’ll tie this end around a tree!

(Jasmine runs off. Iago comes down and grabs Abu’s vest with his talons, and lifts up, chasing after the rampaging machine, still complaining.)

Iago: I knew it, I knew it! I should have stuck with cowardice! Ya never go wrong that way!

(He and Abu have reached the machine. Iago tosses Abu, who loops around the horn several times. Abu ties it off, and Iago grabs him and they fly back to Jasmine, who has tied her end around a large tree. Mechanicles sees this and begins to direct the machine to pull, trying to free itself. At first it does not budge and the groups cheers.)

Jasmine: It worked, it worked!

(But the tree is finally torn from the ground. They duck as it flies over them. With the tree still attached to the rope to the horn of his machine, Mechanicles begins to swing back and forth, smashing the tree into even more buildings. As the group looks on in dismay, Abu sees something and starts pulling on Jasmine. They look over, and a large, blue sandstorm is coming around the mouth of the canyon.)

Jasmine: It’s Genie! He did it!

(The storm heads to Mechanicles, who is trying to cover his eyes. He pulls out his scroll and begins to write again.)

Mechanicles: Next time, get the weather report before any global takeover!

(Inside the machine, Aladdin is still jumping from wheels and gears. Sand begins to swirl around him. He looks up, and sees a large pipe with a small oil drip. He jumps onto a large gear, riding it up to the pipe. Once there, he begins to slash at the pipe, finally making it bust, and oil pours out. Outside, Machanicles realizes something is wrong with his machine as it begins to grind and shake.)

Mechanicles: Hmmm, better shift into fourth!

(He grinds a few levers, and the machine begins to shake more, but does move faster. As it beings to shake violently, Aladdin is shaken from his pipe, falls, but manages to grab the end, hanging on. His sword is knocked to a platform below. He loses his grip, and falls onto another gear, and is lying on that dazed. He looks up, and sees that he is about to be crushed as another gear is heading toward him. But he has fallen next to the platform where is sword is. He quickly grabs that, and shoves it into the gears, jamming the whole machine.)

(Outside, Machanicles knows the problem is too big to be dealt with in the village. He pulls his scroll out again and begins writing.)

Machanicles: Beat hasty retreat.

(He grabs the controls of the machine, now jerking and turns it around, squeaking and smoking, and starts walking up the hill. The villagers watch this, and begin to look happy.)

Townsman 2: Our side’s winning!

Townsman 1: You know what that means?

Townsman 2: Join in at the last second –

Both: And take credit for the victory!

(All the townsmen run outside, cheering, and grab the rope that is still dangling from the huge beast's horn. They begin to pull, and finally the machine just gives up, and falls backward. It begins to roll down the hill toward them, and everyone runs, screaming run, and it tries to bowl everyone down.)

(Aladdin is being thrown around inside, trying to dodge loose parts coming at him.)

Aladdin: Whoaaaaaaa!

(The villagers, Jasmine, Abu, and Iago have run against a building, but scatter as they see the machine is not stopping. It rolls over that building, completely destroying in, and heads toward another, demolishing that one as well, before finally coming to a stop in the center of the smoking town. Aladdin crawls out of the wreckage and heads toward Genie and Carpet, who have also come to a stop.)

Aladdin: (patting Genie’s shoulder) Oh, thanks for the help guys.

Genie: No sweat! (Stars begin to fly around his head as he gets dizzy) Hey, be a pal and make everything stop spinning, would ya?

(He falls over and his feet fly in the air before landing. Jasmine runs to hug Aladdin as the sun begins to shine on the city once again and the villagers gather around the group.)

Jasmine: You did it, Aladdin! You saved the village!

Aladdin: NO, we did it together! We all saved the village!

Genie, Carpet, Iago, and Abu look delighted.

Townsman 1: (looking around at the demolished village) And what village would that be?

Iago: (flapping over and grabbing the man): Oh lovely, go ahead, ruin the moment, you malcontent!

Aladdin: (Looking at Genie) Think you could help rebuild it?

Genie: Hey, what are semi-phenomenal, nearly cosmic powers for?

Aladdin: Hey, wait a second, what about Machanicles?

(Just then, a small door open on the smoking hull of the wrecked machine, and a large, gold, metal larva shaped pod shoots out. It sprouts green and black wings, and Machanicles is seeing in the drivers’ seat.)

Mechanicles: You puny-minded fools thought you could stop Machanicles! (shakes fist) Ha ha, it is to laugh! I’ll be back and I’ll have my revenge on you, Aladdin!

(The entire group looks at him as he flies off. Machanicles pulls out a scroll and begins to write.)

Mechanicles: Get revenge on Aladdin (swipes a finger on the escape pod and comes back with oil) Clean escape pod wing.

(He flies off into the sky as the screen fades to black.)

THE END