FADE IN
INT. CAR-MORNING
A MAN with white hair sits in the backseat while a man in uniform drives. The man in back wears an expensive suit and a glove on his right hand.
DRIVER
Sir, do you want me to stay in the parking lot?
VLAD:
No, that's unnecessary. I'll be in there for a few hours. May I call you when I'm ready? You can do as you please in the interim.
DRIVER:
That's very generous of you, sir.
VLAD:
If you insist.
INT. HOSPITAL
DANNY'S ROOM
JAZZ sits next to DANNY's body. She looks out the window.
The door opens. VLAD enters the room.
JAZZ jumps up to greet him.
JAZZ:
Uncle Vlad! I didn't know you were coming.
VLAD:
Nonsense, Jasmine. I wouldn't abandon my godchildren in their time of need.
JAZZ hugs VLAD. VLAD stares at DANNY'S body.
VLAD:
He hasn't woken up?
JAZZ:
Not yet. It's been over a week.
VLAD gingerly places his hand on her head.
VLAD:
Hush. When was the last time you took care of yourself?
JAZZ:
I didn't want to leave him alone.
VLAD:
He's not alone. I'll be with him. Your mother and father are coming in soon. You have every right to be doted on.
VLAD takes out his wallet. He pulls out several dollar bills.
JAZZ:
I can't take this.
VLAD:
I won't take "no" for an answer. Spend the day on yourself.
JAZZ tears up.
VLAD:
What's wrong?
JAZZ:
Vlad, have you ever believed something that makes no sense?
VLAD:
All the time. What are we here for if we do not believe in the irrational?
JAZZ:
Well, I keep thinking that Danny is okay. I know. Somehow, I know he is not suffering.
VLAD:
That's not irrational at all. I'm sure wherever his spirit is, he is at peace.
INT.
MANSON RESIDENCE
DANNY lies on the bed. He stares aimlessly at the ceiling.
DANNY:
Oh, my God. I actually miss school.
INT. CASPER HIGH
CLASSROOM
The classroom is filled with students. A teacher points to an image from a projector. SAM sits quietly while fidgeting with her tablet stylus.
DANNY phases through her desk.
DANNY:
(quietly)
Boo!
SAM falls out of her chair.
MR. LANCER:
Miss Manson, is there a problem?
SAM:
I'm sorry. It's that time of the month. Can I be excused?
MR. LANCER:
I don't know, can you?
SAM:
May I be excused?
MR. LANCER nods.
SAM leaves the room. DASH is hit in the back of the head by an invisible force.
GIRLS BATHROOM
SAM and DANNY stand in a stall.
DANNY:
Huh. I always thought the girls' bathroom would be nicer.
SAM:
What was that?
DANNY:
I was wondering if you wanted to play hooky.
SAM:
Are you serious right now?
DANNY:
I'm bored. I can't leave your house. I can't even leave the guest room.
SAM:
There is a TV in there with every streaming channel known to man. Like, literally. You are supposed to pay attention to the scanner just in case there is another ghost.
DANNY:
Oooh, I didn't know you were Miss Responsible.
DANNY's breath turns white again.
SAM:
Hey, you did that thing again. Does that mean there's a ghost?
DANNY:
Here? At school? Well, I guess I have to stick around.
SAM:
Don't let anyone see you.
SAM opens the stall door.
SAM:
And let me take class in peace.
DANNY:
I thought you were going to be way more fun than this.
INT. HOSPITAL
DANNY'S ROOM
VLAD, MADDIE, and JACK sit around the hospital bed.
VLAD:
Of all the irresponsible actions, you two made a lab in the basement where you live.
MADDIE:
What choice did we have? We were blackballed by every reputable institution because of you.
VLAD:
You… (breathes sharply) This isn't getting us anywhere. I'm still Daniel's godfather. He is my priority right now. I want to make sure he is taken care of.
JACK:
How so?
VLAD:
I'll pay for medical care. If this is long term, he could go to the best facility in the country.
JACK:
What's the catch?
VLAD:
You tell me what is in the basement. He could get better care than I did if we knew what we're dealing with.
MADDIE:
Alright.
JACK:
Maddie!
VLAD:
I did a little research before I traveled. When did his grades start slipping? Did you know he was caught smoking at school last month?
JACK:
What?
MADDIE:
How did you learn that?
VLAD:
I have my ways. Maybe there is more you should learn about your son.
VLAD leaves the room.
JACK:
Do you think he was telling the truth?
MADDIE:
I know we failed him. He seemed more upset than usual when we came home.
JACK:
I didn't even notice.
MADDIE:
Isn't that the story of our lives?
INT. CASPER HIGH
COMPUTER LAB
SAM sits at a computer as she types. The BOY to her side is focused on his typing. He works without a pause or looking down.
SAM:
Hey.
He ignores her.
SAM:
Hey, it's Tucker, right?
TUCKER keeps typing. SAM puts her hand on his shoulder. TUCKER recoils from the gesture.
TUCKER:
What?!
SAM:
I didn't mean to scare you. Could you help me with this?
TUCKER:
Sure.
Montage of TUCKER helping SAM with her coding.
STUDENT:
Fire!
SAM and TUCKER turn around to see what is happening.
DASH jumps up from his seat as his computer erupts in flames.
SAM facepalms.
TUCKER:
We should leave.
They leave the room.
INT. MUSIC ROOM-LUNCH BREAK
DANNY:
How did you know no one was in here?
SAM:
I pick things up. Was it really necessary to set Dash's computer on fire?
DANNY:
Excuse me?
SAM:
Come on. I really don't want the back and forth.
DANNY:
Woah. I'm no pyro. Honestly, I'm insulted you would think that.
SAM:
If it wasn't you, could it be the ghost?
DANNY:
That would explain why I can't find it. I hate the computer lab.
SAM glares at DANNY.
DANNY:
Fine. I'm on my way.
DANNY phases through the wall.
INT. COMPUTER LAB
DANNY walks into the room. His breath turns white immediately.
DANNY:
Yep. This is the place. Here, Ghosty, Ghosty, Ghosty.
A computer screen turns on. A face shows up.
DANNY:
There you are. Hey, why don't you come out and we can fight. Better yet, I could help you find your way to that portal to the "Ghost Realm."
TECHNUS:
Nah. I'm doing just fine where I am.
DANNY:
You blew up a computer.
TECHNUS:
An unfortunate accident. Who are you to tell anyone where they belong?
DANNY:
Um, ow. You really hit a nerve there.
DANNY reaches under the table for the power cord.
TECHNUS:
What are you doing?
DANNY:
Well, if you're not coming out willingly, we'll do this the hard way.
A mouse cord wraps around DANNY's foot. He is pulled out and hit with a keyboard.
DANNY:
How are you doing that?
TECHNUS:
Wait, are you a youngling?
DANNY:
Why does everyone keep saying that?
TECHNUS throws more computer parts at DANNY.
SAM enters the room. DANNY is on the floor wrapped in cords.
SAM:
Are you okay?
DANNY glares at her.
SAM:
Sorry. Habit.
DANNY phases through the cords.
DANNY:
The ghost is in the computer.
SAM laughs.
DANNY
I'm serious.
SAM:
So, what do we do?
DANNY:
Do you know anything about computers?
SAM:
Just the basics.
DANNY:
We need a tech guy.
SAM:
I think I know a guy.
INT. FENTONWORKS
BASEMENT
VLAD stares at the portal.
VLAD:
Oh, Maddie. What have you done?
LIVING ROOM
MADDIE and JACK look at a pile of papers on the coffee table. JAZZ walks down the stairs.
JAZZ:
Hey. How was your visit?
JAZZ sees the pile of letters on the table.
JAZZ:
I can ask you later.
She tries to walk back up the stairs.
JACK:
Hold up, young lady.
JAZZ stops.
MADDIE:
Have you been forging our signatures? How long has this been going on?
JAZZ:
I just did it for that one thing. I knew you were busy. What's wrong with that?
MADDIE:
What's wrong? Your brother is in the hospital.
JAZZ:
You want someone to blame? Look in the mirror. You think I couldn't see what was happening? That Danny and I were treated differently? Everything I did was perfect. You looked to me like I'm some perfect angel, and he was just a problem.
JACK:
Jazz, that's enough.
JAZZ:
By the way, I hate your work stories. I just listened to them so you would be content for a while. You don't know anything about me.
JAZZ storms up the stairs.
MADDIE:
This is not over, young lady.
INT. CASPER HIGH
COMPUTER LAB
TUCKER enters the room. SAM follows him.
TUCKER:
Should we be here?
SAM:
Nobody will notice. Trust me.
TUCKER:
Okay. So, where's this super cool computer thing you wanted to show me?
SAM:
Well, it's in these. See, there's things in this world that seem unbelievable.
DANNY turns visible. He sits on the edge of a table.
DANNY:
She's trying to say there's a ghost in the computer.
TUCKER stumbles backward in shock.
SAM:
You weren't supposed to reveal yourself.
DANNY:
Isn't he going to be the tech guy? He should get used to it.
TUCKER:
Wait, who are you?
TUCKER approaches DANNY. He puts his hands close without touching DANNY.
DANNY:
Hi, I'm Danny. I sit behind you in fourth period algebra.
TUCKER:
The coma kid? What are you? An astral projection?
DANNY:
Don't know. Would like to know.
TUCKER:
Can you touch things?
DANNY bops TUCKER on the nose. TUCKER recoils.
TUCKER:
Don't touch!
SAM:
I should not be the one freaked out by this conversation!
TUCKER:
Wait, you said there's a ghost in the computers?
SAM:
Well, yeah. Danny can't exactly get to it, so we thought-
TUCKER:
That makes so much sense. No wonder this code is so weird.
SAM:
You know, I'm going to sit the rest of this convo out.
TUCKER pulls out a tablet.
TUCKER:
Look at this. The screen shows typical coding lines, but there are strange symbols mixed in.
TUCKER:
Those symbols shouldn't be here. I looked for a reference of what they are, but the only source I could find was Linear B, but it's not the same.
DANNY:
What does that mean?
TUCKER:
I don't know, but I was able to isolate this code and create a way to cut it off from any other programs in a system.
TECHNUS:
Clever boy.
The computer screens light up to full brightness.
TUCKER:
Is that the ghost?
DANNY:
Yeah. Stay behind me and go ahead.
TECHNUS:
I told you earlier was an accident. Why can't you just leave me alone?
DANNY:
Excuse me? Whatever you're trying to do is not good.
TECHNUS:
How do you know?
The computer screens start to turn off.
TECHNUS:
What?!
TUCKER:
Hi.
All the screens turn off until there is only one.
DANNY:
What do you think we do to get it out? Like, smash it?
SAM:
I'd advise against that.
TUCKER:
I could just lock it in there.
DANNY:
Ooh, I like that.
TECHNUS:
Wait.
A green swirl of energy comes out of the computer. The energy turns into a man dressed in an old-fashioned suit and thick horned rimmed glasses.
TECHNUS:
I just wanted to see the new technology in this era What I had before I died was so primitive. It would take this whole room to hold the processing power that you hold in your pocket. What happened earlier today was really an accident. I didn't realize how quickly it would overheat.
DANNY:
(to SAM and TUCKER)
Should we believe him?
SAM shrugs her shoulders.
TUCKER:
I have an idea. If you had someone to show you what the modern world has to offer, would you want to do some good with it?
DANNY:
What are you doing?
TUCKER:
This code. It's you, isn't it? Not just something that you wrote. It's a part of you. You could interact with technology in a way that normal people can't. You could probably find bugs before a normal programmer would see it.
TECHNUS:
A tempting offer.
TUCKER:
Here. You could jump in my phone, and we could work together.
TECHNUS turns into an energy swirl. The energy flies into the phone.
DANNY and SAM look uncomfortable.
SAM:
Are you sure that is a good idea?
TECHNUS:
What? I can't get back out.
TUCKER:
Well, yeah. You can't just access everything. That would be dangerous.
DANNY:
I like him a lot. Can we keep him?
SAM's face pinches into an annoyed expression.
INT. FENTONWORKS
JAZZ'S ROOM
JAZZ lies on her bed with a laptop in front of her.
VLAD:
(off-screen)
Jasmine, may I come in?
JAZZ:
Sure.
VLAD enters the room. He sits on her computer chair.
VLAD:
That was quite dramatic.
JAZZ:
You heard that?
VLAD:
I don't use hyperbole much, but the only people who didn't hear it are in Australia. What do you have there?
JAZZ:
Practice entrance exams.
VLAD:
I'm glad you are still pursuing your dreams.
JAZZ:
Isn't it selfish for me to focus on myself instead of taking care of Danny?
VLAD:
Absolutely not. You've had to take on so much at much a young age. You're very mature for your age. Danny will be taken care of. Your parents asked if there were any options I had available. They wanted me to take him to the best health facility in the country.
JAZZ:
What? No. We wouldn't be able to visit him.
VLAD:
I thought about that. There might be a solution. I'll temporarily move my work to Amity Park. All my meetings are remote, anyway. I could hire the best of the best to care for Daniel. Maybe as a bonus, you could get tuition help for the school of your choice.
JAZZ:
That's too generous!
VLAD:
Sweetheart, I have more money than I can spend in five lifetimes. I should use it for good.
JAZZ:
You would do that?
VLAD:
Anything for you children. On one condition. You apologize to your parents.
JAZZ:
I'm not even mad at them. I just feel useless.
VLAD:
That's understandable. After my accident, I felt useless for a long time.
JAZZ:
How did you forgive them?
VLAD places his left hand on his right shoulder.
VLAD:
Time and patience heal many wounds. Internal ones, I mean. The physical ones are much easier to repair.
VLAD takes off his glove, revealing a robotic arm.
VLAD:
We could lock ourselves away from the world, wallowing in our own pity. We tell yourselves that it's only hurting ourselves, but it hurts the world. The world is robbed of innovation and brilliance. I'd hate to see the world without your brilliance.
INT. MANSON RESIDENCE
DANNY and TUCKER sit on the bed. Several computer parts are arranged in front of them
TUCKER:
So, this one is for cooling the CPU. You could use coolant, but distilled water works well too. It's down to what kind of CPU and what is running on it.
DANNY just listens.
FADE OUT