Act 2 – Scene 1
Fade in:
July 5th – 9:00 am
Gravity Falls Town Square – Bird's eye view
The morning sun casts long shadows over the area. Activity continues in the Square as crews take down the tents, stage, and other decorations from the celebrations the previous night. Fiddleford McGucket, with his floppy brown hat and brown overalls cuts through the Square carrying two bags of animals foods.
Zoom in to a close view of McGucket walking
McGucket is talking to himself as we walks.
MCGUCKET
Can't keep the critters waitin. But the sitcheeation with the young Pines was crazier than a snake on a barb-wire fence. Gotta see what's left.
View of the grass where the crowd was dancing the night before
McGucket walks up to a patch of grass with a diameter slightly higher than a man-hole cover. The ground is slightly caved-in where Dipper had knelt down. The grass has turned yellow and is straw-like from the quick burst of heat and light. The remnants of the shockwave are also visible, as the grass moving away from the center has been flattened in all directions. The area is small, as the rest of the grass has the appearance of being trampled by people all the previous evening. McGucket puts down the bags of food and stares at the grass. He begins stroking his beard, looking as though he's deep in thought. A bandage comes out of his hair, sticking to his hand. He pulls the bandage off his hand, folding it up, puts it in his pocket.
MCGUCKET
We'll save you for later. Now, it appears we've had ourselves some kind of energy release coming off of the boy.
He walks around, inspecting.
MCGUCKET
Can't recall seeing something like this come off of a person before. Better make sure to keep at least one eye on Dipper. Like a Blue Grass encore, it feels like there's more to the show.
He strokes his beard again. A small squirrel pops out.
MCGUCKET
Well Irene, let's go feed the fellas, then visit our lovely Susan.
He pulls an acorn out of his pocket and gives it to Irene the squirrel. He picks up the bags of food and continues walking off in the direction of the junkyard.
A view of Dipper's burnt patch is left.
Scene
Scene 2
July 6th – 10:00 am
Downtown Gravity Falls
Mabel's yellow VW Bug pulls into the parking lot of the grocery store. Overhead view as Mabel and Dipper walk to the entrance. The large sign for the store reads Feed'ems, Feed'ems, and Feed'ems.
Cut to inside the entryway
Dipper and Mabel walk through the sliding doors. Dipper is still bruised, but appears to be feeling better.
MABEL
It was nice of Wendy to give you another day off.
DIPPER
I suppose. I begged her to let me come to work, but she insisted I take it easy again. Something about she'll make it up to me and needing my strength later.
Mabel looks at the camera, smiles and nods. She turns her attention to the store.
MABEL
Either way, this is good for us to get some shopping done, while Jay and Ghost Eyes work on the golf cart.
DIPPER
He's really taken to the maintenance stuff hasn't he?
MABEL
Yeah. He said he's tired of being a just a guy who pretends.
DIPPER
Cool. He's a great actor, but it's always a good idea to have more skills.
MABEL
Yuppers.
Mabel grabs a shopping cart. View facing them as they make their way down the aisles. They grab oranges, cherries, and peaches, along with lettuce, mushrooms, and potatoes. They head up the cereal aisle, passing Tad Strange. He's grabs several boxes of Cheerios and leaves the aisle. Mabel looks at Dipper.
MABEL
That was about the most normal thing I've ever seen.
Dipper shakes his head and smiles. They grab two boxes of Overly Sensitive Owl and head towards the dairy section. Mabel walks to the milk cooler.
MABEL
Dipper can you go grab some eggs?
DIPPER
Sure.
Dipper moves to the egg shelf and looks over the cartons.
DIPPER
Those omelettes that Abuelita makes are out of this world. Do you know what kind of eggs she uses?
He looks over at Mabel. She starts to answer as she reaches in to grab a jug of milk.
MABEL
I think she uses...
Her words fall away into silence. She slows to a stop, freezing in place with her one hand on the door and the other on the milk.
Cut back to Dipper
He squints for a moment.
DIPPER
Uses what? Mabel?
A wide eyed look of realization comes over him as he notices Mabel's lack of movement. He walks up to her and waves his hand in front of her face. Once again, the only sound is Dipper's heartbeat. He looks around the store.
Cut to Dipper's point of view
An elderly couple is motionless at the deli counter, accepting a package of salami from the employee. A toddler is reaching for a can of beans from the bottom of a six foot tall stack. His mother has a frozen expression of horror on her face, as she appears to be leaping toward the child to stop him.
Cut to front view of Dipper
He shakes his head in frustration as he looks at Mabel again. As before, his voice is heard on a delay.
DIPPER
Oh crap, not again.
He looks down at his chest and then around the store again.
Over in the bakery, with his head sticking out from behind a bread stand, McGucket appears to be staring right at Dipper and Mabel. Dipper does a quick double take.
DIPPER
What do I do? Damn it, what do I do?
He starts to walk toward the front of the store, passing by motionless shoppers. As he passes by the registers, he looks down as his chest begins to glow once again.
DIPPER
Oh no, oh no. I gotta get out of here.
He starts to run toward the exit. The door is open as an employee is frozen in place, pushing several shopping carts back into the store. Dipper heads outside. He stumbles as the glowing intensifies. Grimacing in pain, he grabs his chest and drops to his knees. He looks around and sees several people in the parking lot, along with a few others up the street. The glowing starts to spread through his torso toward his arms and legs. He struggles to his feet and stumbles out into the middle of the street. Once again dropping to his knees, he lets out another shout as he reaches the center of the road.
DIPPER
Ahhhhh!
Dipper's body flashes a blinding light. The view goes completely white again.
Cut to Mabel at the milk section
MABEL
I think she uses...
The rush of air hits the building, shattering the windows, with the flash of light following. Mabel drops to the ground with her hands over her head. Car alarms and shouting can be heard almost immediately. Mabel looks over to the egg shelf and sees Dipper is not there. She puts a hand over her mouth for a second.
MABEL
Dipper!
View from behind Mabel
She gets up and runs to the front entrance. Passing the tills, product and papers are strewn about, and people are getting up off the floor. Tad Strange is on the ground covered in Cheerios. As Mabel runs by she comments.
MABEL
Bizarre.
As Mabel reaches the front door, McGucket ends up there at the same time. Looking out into the street, Dipper is seen in a heap with his clothes smoking. Mabel and McGucket look at each other.
MABEL and MCGUCKET
We need to get him out of here.
Mabel runs off to her car. McGucket runs into the street. Windows all along the avenue are broken and people are still getting their bearings. Reaching Dipper's side, McGucket rolls him onto his back. He's unconscious and his skin is puffy and smoking.
MCGUCKET
What in tarnation?
Mabel pulls up next to them in the bug, pops the hatch and jumps out.
MABEL
Is he breathing?
McGucket nods.
MABEL
Let's get him back to the Shack!
Mabel grabs Dipper's legs, while McGucket grabs him under the armpits. They lift him into the back of the car with the back seat folded down. Closing the hatch, Mabel looks at McGucket.
MABEL
Get in.
They jump in the car.
View from behind the VW as Mabel speeds them away.
Scene
Scene 3
The Mystery Shack – 6:00 pm
Mabel, Soos, Jay, Melody, and McGucket are in the living room.
MABEL
This one was really bad guys.
SOOS
Worse than on the Fourth?
MABEL
Definitely. It shattered the windows all over the street.
JAY
So we're clearly dealing with something more than a single energy release.
SOOS
I'd say that's the understatement of the year.
Mabel looks at McGucket.
MABEL
You seemed to know what was going on. How?
MCGUCKET
After what happened at the Fourth of July Hoot-an-any, I just had a feeling. Figured I'd keep an eye on y'all.
JAY
So you followed them?
MABEL
Jay it's okay. McGucket always means well.
SOOS
Well dude, have you ever seen anything like this?
MCGUCKET
I don't recall anything so full of bemystification before.
Wendy bursts through the door and runs into the living room in a panic.
WENDY
Where is he?! Is he awake yet?
Mabel stops Wendy and hugs her.
MABEL
He's still out. If it's anything like the last one, he should be up soon.
WENDY
How could this happen?
MABEL
You're asking the wrong person.
To everyone's surprise, Dipper responds from the entryway, having come downstairs.
DIPPER
We need to contact Grunkle Ford.
Wendy runs over to him. She hugs him and starts patting him down.
WENDY
Are you injured worse? How do you feel?
Dipper winces and responds.
DIPPER
Easy babe.
WENDY
Oh, sorry.
DIPPER
I'm wicked sore again and have a nasty headache.
SOOS
Jeez dude. Was it just like the last one?
DIPPER
Pretty much. The amount of "time" things were frozen was considerably less though.
JAY
What do you think that means?
DIPPER
Not a clue. But like I said, let's call Grunkle Ford. He knows the spaceship better than anyone. He might know what's going on with me. Oh hey McGucket
MCGUCKET
Greetings Dipper.
MABEL
Let's head down to Grunkle Ford's lab.
WENDY
Hopefully we can get to the bottom of this.
Cut to the group getting off the elevator
Dipper and Mabel sit down at the desk in front of the monitor, with the others standing behind. Dipper grabs the mouse and the screen flicks on. There is an icon shaped like a hand with six fingers. Dipper double clicks the icon.
DIPPER
Grunkle Ford and Stan created this program so we can talk to them anytime, no matter where they are.
A window pops up with the heading, "Stan-Ford Talk." The usual type of circular loading icon is centered. It reads "contacting" just below.
WENDY
They're still in Alaska right?
DIPPER
Yeah, they're looking for supposed pyramids in the wilderness.
The first six notes from "Weird Science" are heard and the screen displays Ford and Stan sitting in front of their laptop in a tent. They greet everyone enthusiastically.
FORD
Dipper! Mabel! And everyone else apparently. Fiddleford?
MCGUCKET
Howdy.
FORD
Wow, I can tell this is no ordinary call.
STAN
No kidding. Dipper you look terrible. Like you tried to fight a gorilla.
DIPPER
Believe me Grunkle Stan that may have been preferable.
FORD
In all seriousness Dipper, what happened to you?
DIPPER
Well, I've been experiencing something that I wouldn't believe if it wasn't happening to me.
STAN
Like what?
DIPPER
The best way to describe it is time stands still.
Ford and Stan look at each other.
DIPPER
It's happened twice now. Everything goes along perfectly normal, until with warning, everything and everyone just stops. As if a pause button was pushed for everything.
FORD
But you were still moving and functioning normally?
DIPPER
Yes, but the only sound I could hear was my own heartbeat and my voice, but on a delay.
Ford strokes his chin.
FORD
Go on.
DIPPER
The first time it lasted for seemed like several minutes. But the second time, it was much quicker. Maybe a minute or two.
STAN
So how do you explain the fact that you look like you were run over by a train?
DIPPER
That part is beyond crazy. Both times my body began to glow and heat up, until there was a tremendous release of energy. Basically an explosion.
FORD
Glow and heat up. Then an energy release.
DIPPER
When it happened a second time, I knew we should contact you.
MABEL
And Grunkles you should have seen it. It was a blinding light and a crazy rush of air. The first was at the Fourth of July party. The second time, Dipper broke all the windows at the grocery store and on the street downtown.
Ford and Stan raise their eyebrows at the same time.
FORD
Definitely extraordinary. Any idea what precipitated these events?
DIPPER
I think so. A few days ago I took Mabel, Wendy, and Jay to see the UFO. We looked around for a while and came to a strange room that looks like a fusion reactor.
Ford gets a look of concern on his face.
FORD
I'm familiar with it.
MABEL
While we were checking it out, Jay activated the machine not thinking it would turn on.
FORD
You powered up the machine?
DIPPER
Yes. The room lit up and then I was hit in the chest by a beam of light that came through a crack in the glass of the window to the room.
A panicked look of realization comes over Ford's face.
STAN
What is it?
Ford puts his hands over his face for a moment. Moving them to his lap, he leans back in his chair and exhales heavily. He speaks with a quiet but gravely saddened tone.
FORD
I believe that I know what is happening Dipper. The machine you're referring to is a matter conversion chamber. It can be used to instantly convert various types of matter into other forms. Based on what you've described, the machine was pre-set to accelerate and convert matter directly in to light photons.
WENDY
Wait, what does that mean?
FORD
It means that Dipper's body is attempting to transform by trying to accelerate to the speed of light. The time standing still phenomena you described is the result, as time slows relatively based on the velocity of the observers. With Dipper operating at that speed, everything would seem frozen relative to his movement. After all, the speed of light is approximately 186000 miles per second.
SOOS
Whoa, it sounds like a superpower.
FORD
True. But it's far from it Soos.
DIPPER
Why then, has this been happening intermittently?
FORD
You said you struck in the chest by the beam of the light through the glass.
DIPPER
Yeah.
FORD
Well had you been in the chamber, the effect would have been complete all at once. But by only receiving a small dose, your body has been resisting the conversion. The human body is not designed to operate at that level. And as the acceleration occurs, your bodily systems struggle to bring you back to normal. I suspect the massive energy release is a result of that process.
MABEL
So what does this mean for Dipper?
Ford hesitates. Stan, who seems to know what is going on, puts his hand on Ford's shoulder.
STAN
Tell them.
Ford nods with a grim look on his face, and takes another deep breath.
FORD
There are two possible outcomes.
Wendy puts her hands on Dipper's shoulders.
FORD
It crushes me to say that both are in fact devastating. First, Dipper's body will continue to try and counteract the accelerations, which as he weakens will eventually lead to his heart exploding in his chest, killing him.
Mabel and Dipper look at each other. Mabel is on the cusp of weeping. Dipper grabs Wendy's hand.
DIPPER
What's the other?
FORD
There's also a distinct possibility that the transformation will complete itself. In that case, the atoms will be converted to photons traveling at the speed of light. Since time has no meaning in that state, if there is anything left of Dipper as we know him, he'll be frozen in time, forever.
McGucket grimly shakes his head.
SOOS
So you're saying that either way there's no coming back. I'm so sorry bro.
Jay has a look as if he's trying to process what's been said. Mabel and Wendy both clutch on to Dipper.
DIPPER
Are there any options at all?
FORD
At this point, no. And even if we could help, there's no way we'd get there in time.
STAN
We're so sorry kido. This is the rawest of deals.
Dipper is oddly calm.
DIPPER
Well then I guess this is goodbye.
Stan and Ford both well up.
DIPPER
I want you both to know that you've been the greatest of inspirations for me. That first summer we spent here was the smartest move Mom and Dad ever made. I can't imagine not have knowing you both.
STAN
Likewise kido. Excuse me.
Stan gets up and leaves the tent.
FORD
Dipper, it's been an honor.
DIPPER
Thanks Grunkle Ford. We'll sign off now. I don't want to drag this out. If I have to take this journey, I better get on with it. Take care.
FORD
Wherever it takes you, farewell.
Dipper clicks the "X" icon to end the call. As the screen goes dark a silence fills the room.
DIPPER
No sense just sitting here. Let's head back up.
The group heads to the elevator. Everyone appears to be in shock as they ride back up to the main level. The elevator stops and the group walks up the stairs in silence. As they head out into the gift shop, Jay breaks the silence.
JAY
Don't worry guys, it'll be okay.
Close up on Mabel
She snaps out of her shocked state.
MABEL
What! Are you kidding me!
How could you say?!
Jay steps back, intimidated.
JAY
Whoa honey, I just meant...
MABEL
No you idiot! Don't even. This is all your fault! You just couldn't help yourself could you.
JAY
Mabel, I'm sorry. I didn't know what would happen.
WENDY
And that's the point man. Dipper warned you not to touch anything. Now look where we are.
Jay looks like he's about to burst into tears. He tries to step toward Mabel.
MABEL
Don't touch me! I can't even look at you right now.
JAY
Mabel, I'm sorry. What can I do?
Mabel starts crying again.
MABEL
I want you to leave.
JAY
Baby, please.
MABEL
Just go!
JAY
Dipper?
DIPPER
Not now man.
Soos walks up behind Jay and puts a hand on his shoulder.
SOOS
I think you'd better go.
Jay looks at everyone. Tears begin rolling down his face. He slowly walks out the door of the gift shop and softly closes it behind him. After a few silent moments McGucket speaks up.
MCGUCKET
This whole predicamentation is darker than a swamp on a moonless night. Irene and will head to the junkyard. Do some thinking. Dipper, I'm so sorry. If there's anything I can do, that's where I'll be.
DIPPER
Thanks McGucket.
McGucket leaves. Wendy hugs Dipper.
WENDY
So really, how do we fix this?
DIPPER
There's nothing we can do.
Wendy grabs him by the shoulders aggressively.
WENDY
I don't believe that.
MABEL
Neither do I.
DIPPER
Hey guys, you heard Grunkle Ford. You know as well as I do that if he says it's over, then it is.
The two of them just shake their heads in disbelief.
SOOS
Dude, I don't know what to say.
DIPPER
Don't say anything Soos. You're the best.
They hug it out.
SOOS
I need to see my family.
Soos leaves the gift shop. Wendy wipes her tears.
WENDY
So what now?
DIPPER
Let's figure it out in the morning. I'm still beat. Let's go try and relax for now. Come on.
They head to the living room.
Fade out.
Scene.