Shivers
Episode 2: Polybius
Written by Marc Shawn Serrano
Marie Harris Katz
Brandon Williams
Edited by Marie Harris Katz
Marc Shawn Serrano
Setting: 80's, Popular Arcade place, Portland, Oregon
Coin Opp, Podcast Interview
Plot: Victor Wolf wants to be on Leaderboard at Coin Opp to gain popularity but never wins until a new game called Polybius arrives where Victor can't stop winning and takes all #1 spot on Polybius's leaderboard
Conflict: Polybius disappears and Victor's new-founded popularity (and identity) will disappear with it.
Theme: Courage, Perseverance, Identity
Individuality vs Conformity
Nothing is free
Main character strength: Persistence/Determination
Main character flaw: Envy/Jealousy
Characters:
Victor Wolf (M)
Gretchen "Big Gretch" Davis (F)
Oliver Hall (M)
Clohe Foster (F)
Quinn Johnson (F)
Noah Jones (M)
Brad Smith (M)
Thomas "Tommy" Marley (M)
Host of Shivers Podcast (F)
Extras: School Kids
Main Character: Victor Wolf
Best friends: Oliver "Oli" Hall, Chloe Foster, Quinn Johnson
Nemesis: Noah Jones
Mirror Character: Brad Smith
Arcade Worker Male: Tommy Smith
Arcade Worker Female: Gretchen "Gretch" Coin owner of Coin Opp.
Victor - Main character
Oliver - Skeptic friend
Chloe - Love interest for Victor
Quinn - Pusher of Polybius, non-believer
Noah - Bullies Victor about his score, his weight, and height.
Brad - Whom Victor wants to be
Tommy - Careless, Hippie, still living in the 70's
Gretch - The hero, the smart one, plethora of information
Series of Events:
(Pre-Intro)
The Introduction
High School
Flashback #1
Coin Opp (end of Act 1)
Polybius Arrives
Fight Scene
Flashback #2
New Popularity (end of Act 2)
Polybius Disappears
Victor Disppears
Flashback #3
Plot Twist (end of Act 3)
(Ending)
Pre-Intro:
You are now listening to the Vocalizers
Shivers Anthology Presents:
Polybius: The Acrade Game That Never Existed
Due to the graphic nature...
Scene 1
The Introduction:
(Podcast interview setting, Victor giving interview)
VICTOR: (Reflective) Belief. (Pauses)
(A little hesitant) It was the biggest challenge for me in my life.
(Slowly and thoughtfully) First, believing in myself, then making others believe in me too.
(Scoffs sarcastically) The human mind can be quite undependable when it comes to remembering things.(pauses)
(Stronger) Well, It's the truth.
Everyone had forgotten all about it (even I did for awhile) (pauses)
Polybius:
(Hesitantly) The arcade game that supposedly never existed.
(Bewildered) It somehow disappeared from existence.
It wasn't until something big happened to make me remember everything.
(A little panicked) When I did, I didn't know what to do!
(Quiet disbelief) They said....
it was just a myth.
(Get louder with conviction) But... That it wasn't true.
That it was just some Urban Legend...
(Determined) But to me —Polybius was real!
Because I played it.
(Excited) I was there.
I swear!
GRETCH: (reflective, rough and ready)
My name is Gretchen Davis, but you can just call me "Big Gretch." I had inherited an Arcade joint called "Coin Opp'' from my late husband Steven and we once hosted one of these Polybius arcade cabinets in the early 80's.
(Matter of fact) Video games weren't my forte.
I ain't know nothing about games or fixing 'em. It sure ain't looked nothing like Pinball —that's for sure.
I didn't know where it went or where it came from.
I was just doing it for the money!
