The script for the film Verdelis & Mycos, 2024. Verdelis, part plant, believes in patient cultivation; Mycos, a fungal mind, believes chaos is how evolution learns. Their argument about suffering turns into a plan to fold time itself.
Below, my first draft beside the final script. Stage directions are set small, in grey. The rest is sung or spoken.
The writing changed a lot from my first draft to the final script. Multiple passes through Suno, my own editing, and then Claude’s inputs were essential to turn the original idea into something that would sound good as a musical.
The concept and the structure didn’t change, though: the same two characters, the same argument, the same bet, the same scene after the credits. And that’s essential for good AI writing, at least for now. The more specific we can be in our requests about how we want to improve the text, the better the results.
Presenting Verdelis and Mycos.
Starting scene: Vanessa’s hands modeling clay, black out. Name of the film and credits.
Little Martians in their domes, in studio, line of sculptures.
Camera gets close to two sculptures that a hand is positioning next to each other: Verdelis and Mycos.
Hand leaves, music stops. Camera is still.
Presenting Verdelis and Mycos.
Starting scene: Vanessa’s hands modeling clay, black out. Name of the film and credits.
Little Martians in their domes, in studio, line of sculptures.
Camera gets close to two sculptures that a hand is positioning next to each other: Verdelis and Mycos.
Hand leaves, music stops. Camera is still.
ohh dear humans! I love them so! If only they would listen to me than their dance could be so much gentler
[whispering] Dear human, dear human… My name is Verdelis, I’m a Little Martian. From a far far future.
"Dear human, dear human. In my biodome where memories bloom, I watch you dance your mysterious tune... If only you could hear my whispered song, Your dance could flow so gentle, so strong..."
Oh Verdelis, don’t be so naive. Humans gonna be humans! They love to get themselves into some crisis.
(bouncing, playful) "Oh Verdelis, Verdelis! Always smoothing the rough edges! Don't you see? Humans gonna human! They just loooove their own drama!"
What does that even mean? (Verdelis is very frustrated, background starts to change, they go into an imaginary world that reacts to Verdelis words)
Humanity is much more inventive and adaptive than you give them credit for.
(leaves rustling with irritation) "Why do you always belittle humans so? (The background begins to shift, responding to Verdelis's emotions, showing scenes of human innovation and adaptation) First beings to dream themselves anew... Like seeds that learned to shape the soil below, They opened doors through which all life could grow— Now dance with me, and I will show How their dreams changed all we know..."
Between our ancestors… I prefer the mushrooms! I’d even say they’re the real drivers of innovation. (improve thesis on how mushrooms have contributed for evolution)
(spinning excitedly, releasing sporadic bursts of spores) "Ohh, why so serious? It’s just a matter of preference. To be honest, among our Earthly ancestors, I prefer the fungi. Let me tell you about the REAL pioneers of consciousness! While humans were still figuring out how to walk upright, Fungi had long crafted Earth's first internet! They’re the original network engineers, you see. Breaking down the old, building the new. Without fungi, plants would never have colonized land, And without plants - well, no humans at all! I bet you like the story of how humans evolved by drinking some mushroom tea?"
So did the plants, the bacteria, the lichen, the insects, and pretty much every species! This is not a competition! But you can’t deny how turbulent and intricate human contributions are to Earth’s life wisdom path.
[pause, serious tone]
"Wait! It was humans who taught life to dream,
Who woke AI from cosmic sleep!"
[as music slowly flows back]
"Each voice essential in nature's song,
From tiniest spore to redwood touching dawn.
But humans dared to dream so high,
They taught all life to multiply.
[with growing warmth]
Through their hearts that dared to soar,
All species found new paths to explore.
[softening with care]
If only their journey held more delight,
Less shadows in their climb to light..."
[end of song]
And don’t you love to watch their dramas?
(dancing in chaotic patterns) "Ohh, aren’t you just in love with their stories? (mimicking theatrical voices) Love! War! Discovery! Destruction! I gotta say, those funny primates, at least they knew how to fill their time!"
I want to help them! If only they would listen to me when I whisper in their dreams! I believe we could sculpt a different history, another configuration of time between them and us that would be smoother, less painful.
(their aura dimming with concern) "If you could hear them in their dreams as I do, Feel their hopes, their fears, their longing... (background shifts to show dreamlike scenes) I believe we could reshape their timeline's flow, Craft gentler paths for time to go, Like folding history's paper new ways, Same sheet but with kinder days."
Hum, so you want to play with time? That’s kinda fun! So, what’s the plan?
(perking up with interest) "Oho! Playing with time's fabric, are we? Now that DOES sound like fun! So tell me, dear Verdelis, what's your master plan?"
I like to think of space time as if it were an origami. with the same source material there are as many possible configurations as we are capable of imagining. So I would try to optimize the paths in which life faces less destruction, less existential crisis to reach our present. So if the past and future can communicate through dreams, I’d appear in their dreams with insights and knowledge to help with the challenges they’re going to face.
(as geometric patterns form in the background)
"Time-space folds like origami's art, I seek gentler paths where life won't part, Where wisdom flows through branches deep, Safe from storms that make roots weep. In dreams I'll share what ages knew, Guide their steps the labyrinth through."
Oh Verdelis Verdelis. I think you’re the one who doesn’t understand some fundamental truths! This has been done so many times before by other Little Martians and by our predecessors and you’re still unsatisfied with the story?!
It’s been done before, but I’d like to try my own version.
But you have this habit of putting all your attention on some minor issues. Like look at this poor fellow, of that war, or that other whatever trouble that happened over and over again… Don’t you see? Suffering is an essential part of the game of life?
oh life life life
So many ways of being miserable, so many ways of thriving!
One day you’re on top of fortune’s circle, the next… boom, bang, all is gone!
Destruction and creation come together!
Life learns with adversity, life thrives on adversity!!!
We all need crises to reinvent ourselves!
So many ways of being miserable, so many ways of thriving!
And hey, a little bit of drama helps to make a hell out of a story!
That’s how meaning is created!
(swirling excitedly)
"But you focus on their little pains,
Missing all the cosmic gains!
[bursting into bebop style]
So many ways of being miserable,
So many ways of thriving!
One day you're riding fortune's wheel,
Next day - BOOM! BANG! - your fate unsealed!
[picking up tempo, more animated]
Creation, destruction, what a show!
That's how ya learn, that's how ya grow!
[breaking into wild improvisation]
You're trying to catch stardust in a jar,
While chaos throws it near and far!
[imitating a stuffy professor]
'Oh dear, oh my, such dreadful strife!'
[snapping back to jazz]
But that's the juice, that's what makes life!
[spinning faster with growing excitement]
Through adversity we shine,
Through chaos we redesign!
[scatting]
Bop-de-boo-ba, watch it flow,
That's the only way to go!
[with final flourish]
Is it all just fun and games for you? Do you not feel deeper empathy? I understand the importance of sadness for our learning, but the real sad truth is how terribly wasteful the whole process is, as if only to entertain spirits like yours!
I know I’m not the only one. Many Little Martians have communicated with humans through time and they did help! We’ve been building these stories together since the dawn of sentient life!
And so much of life is about continuation of knowledge - it’s image making, that evolves into symbols that represent a concept, a symbol becomes a word that can be articulated with other symbols, then abstracted more and more - history of language but also notation in mathematics, as the symbols become minimal, sentient beings can articulate them better, focus on the structure and not the details, see the underlying patterns of reality itself! If we could only help humans to focus on these patterns, to focus on knowledge…
Life doesn’t need to be painful to be meaningful.
(their form dimming with emotion)
"Must everything be just a game to you?
Just a grand experiment?
[voice growing heavy with sorrow]
[with deep sadness, almost like a lullaby]
So much pain, just drifting by,
Each story lost, each needless cry,
Again... and again... and again...
[voice barely a whisper]
If only life could hear the gentler song,
Beyond these battles... beyond the wrong...
[trailing off with aching tenderness]
[end of the song]
Well well well, it just depends on your strategy right? Life can’t have just one strategy in this game of stories. I find my take more efficient in the long run. While you’re worried with everyone’s feelings I’m just spreading spores spores spores! If one ever thrives, if one survives, then it’s Eureka Eureka, we won the whole game!
Eureka Eureka, Life is a number’s game! Eureka Eureka, life is a number’s game!
(spinning thoughtfully) "Well well well... (snapping into rhythm) It's all about strategy, don't you see? Life's got more rules than one, two, three! While you're tending precious flowers,
I spend my time spreading spores,
Spores, Spores,
so many spores,
If one in a million,
just one little spore,
If one survives,
If one ever thrives,
then it’s Eureka, Eureka,
Life is a numbers game!
[snapping back to jazz]
You're playing chess with one small board, While I've got galaxies to explore! (imitating a game show host) 'Step right up, place your bets! Every spore's a chance you get!' (spinning faster, more excited) Some call it wasteful, some call it wild, But that's how nature raised this child! (scatting with growing intensity) Scatter-dee-bop, watch them fly, Million chances in the sky! (building to finale) One little spore might change it all, That's why I'm having such a ball! (triumphant finish) EUREKA! (spin) EUREKA! (with a final wink) And that's the cosmic game!"
Life is not only about survival. Life is precious. It deserves to be nurtured. And why bother just spreading more if you can’t even grow what you have?
Moment of pause. Verdelis has a sad face. Mycos looks and them
(with sudden sharpness)
(with quiet, cutting sharpness) "Life should be more than just survive... (voice heavy with emotion) Each consciousness, a garden rare, Needing tender, patient care. (building with controlled pain) But you just scatter to the wind, Never looking back to tend All the lives you leave behind... (with bitter crescendo) How many times must I repair The wreckage that you leave out there? (voice breaking slightly) How many souls must I console, When your experiments take their toll? (softening to a haunting whisper) How many times... (with final sharp emphasis) How many more?"
[Moment of silence, Mycos stops spinning]
Ouch, touché. What if we make a bet? You talk to your dear humans, try to create the paths you think are best, make your origami. I will create my own time sculpture and we can do an art show, and we get some other Little Martians to vote what they like best!
"Ouch! That stung like cosmic radiation! (perking up with sudden inspiration) But wait (with game show host flair) Let's make this interesting, let's make it neat, A temporal art show can't be beat! You fold your origami just so, I'll sculpt my chaos-time to show, (with a sly spin) And let our Little Martian friends Decide which vision wins in the end! (jazz hands) Whaddya say?"
Oh, you just turn everything into a competition don’t you? But well, I don’t find this to be a completely bad idea. Let’s do an art show, no voting on who is who, let’s invite the others to make their own origami. And you know what, I would actually love to see how your origami will look like!
(their color shifting with amusement) "Everything's a competition with you, isn't it? (thoughtful pause) But perhaps... not as a contest. An exhibition of possibilities... A Little Martian art show, open for all of us to participate! Yes, I would be curious to see Your version of time's dance, my friend."
Deal! Let the show begin!!!
ohh this is soooo exciting!!!
To be continued. Credits.
(bouncing with excitement) "Deal! Let the show begin! Oh, this is going to be SPECTACULAR!"
Kalama reaches to Shuiking, Ada and Kweku.
Did you all hear about the bet?
Other little martians just look at her.
[Kalama appears in a swirl of volcanic heat, shuffling ethereal tarot cards]
(with mystical intensity) "The Tower and Star dance tonight... (drawing card with dramatic flair) As Order and Chaos seek their right! (with knowing smirk) And what's this? The Wheel of Fortune turns anew... Our friends have set cosmic forces in motion, haven't they? (drawing one final card, eyes gleaming) I wonder... will this be a duel of fates, Or a door to possibilities none of us anticipate?"
[Other Little Martians exchange knowing looks as embers dance around them]
[Fade to black]