### Act 2, Scene 4: Survival of the Fittest

Setting: Inside Hawking's personal gym. A barbell stand, a punching bag. Everything looks like it has been in use for at least 100 years, and fixed, replaced, painted over endless times. More training devices in more or less a state of improvisation are to be seen on the backdrop. The room is lit by a a bunch of battery powered emergency "camping style" lights scattered around the room, giving the room a gloomy "80s illegal cage fight" vibe.

Stage setup | Name | Comment
--- | --- | ---
Backdrop ||
Left: Gym |  |
Middle: Gym |  |
Right: Gym |  |
On 2nd rail ||
Gym equipment 1 |  | in [3-4]
Gym equipment 2 |  | in [6-7]
Camping light 1 |  | in [3-4]
Camping light 2 |  | in [6-7]
On playrail ||
punching bag |  | in [2]
barbell stand | Kida | in [5-6]
Hand props & personal props ||
harness_Hawking | None | as part of costume
boxing gloves | Kida, Rangarig | Rangarig for RATS
barbell | Kida |

Role | Actor | Hands | Voice | Puppet | Costume
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Blackwood | Runo | Aiko |  | Blackwood | Blackwood
Hawking | Curry | Fuaran, Kobato, 2ndVoice |  | Hawking | Hawking

##### RATS Setup

RAT 02 | | RAT 03 | | Weapon Marconi | | Shock Rod | | Shock Rod | | Shock Rod Edding 3 |  | Shock Rod |
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
1 blue | - | 5 blue | Soft Punch | 9 | - | 13 | - | 17 | - | 21 | - | 25 | -
2 white | - | 6 white | Medium Punch | 10 | - | 14 red | - | 18 red | - | 22 red | - | 26 red | -
3 red | - | 7 red | Hard Punch | 11 red | - | 15 | - | 19 | - | 23 | - | 27 | -
4 green | - | 8 green | Punching ball | 12 | - | 16 | - | 20 | - | 24 white | - | 28 | -

##### TECH PREROLL

LX 0099 - Work Light OFF (Static Playbacks)

LX 2400 - STANDBY for GO:

Check Levels
Unmute Desk

Curry: ON
Runo: ON

##### DIALOG

Curtain - open

AMB-2401 - Gym Ambience

Full lights

Hawking is lying on the bench, pumping iron, big barbell

Hawking groans, he put the heavy weights on today

Hawking pushes the weights a couple of times

Blackwood enters from [1] (and eventually stops mid stage in between the barbell stand and the punching bag)

Hawking turns his head to look at Blackwood, then turns back to his weights again

Hawking: "Blackwood! How the hell did you get in here? I thought you were out of beef jerky."

Blackwood: "I beg your pardon?"

Hawking: "Don't play dumb, Blackwood. Just because you're bribing my staff doesn't mean they don't report back to me. Now. Why are you here?"

Blackwood: "I urgently need to talk to you about the evacuation. The time window is closing, and ..."

Hawking drops the weight onto the barbell stand, and stands up

Hawking proceeds to put on a pair of boxing gloves

Hawking: "There is no evacuation. And there won't be one. But while you're here, how did your search go?"

Blackwood: "My ... what?"

Hawking: "I suppose you didn't go outside to enjoy the weather. So. What were you looking for?"

Blackwood: "I ... we ... we went looking for Honeyberry."

Hawking: "Despite an official search scheduled today?"

Blackwood: "She's part of my crew! She's my doctoral student, for the makers' sake. I feel responsible for her! What about Marconi, don't you want to know where HE is?"

Hawking pulls at his own harness_Hawking like a pair of suspenders

Hawking: "His Shepherd's Reins tell me exactly where he is. And judging from the location, I'm pretty sure that his cute little lynxie-wynxie is right by his side."

Hawking walks over to the punching bag, and begins his training, all the while the conversation continues. Blackwood is just not worth interrupting his routine.

RATS-8 - Punching Ball Sounds

Blackwood: "You knew where they were? And you didn't TELL me? I nearly froze my tail off out there!"

Blackwood points OUT THERE im Feenwald towards [7]

Hawking: "Blackwood. You're the most pathetic liar I've ever met. I'm pretty sure I told you that I can locate anyone who's wearing their harness in a second. And still you went out on your own. The only explanation I can come up with is that there's something out there you don't want me to find. Don't you think that's pretty ..."

Blackwood (cuts him off): "Ehmehmehm.... No!"

Hawking stops and gives a deadly glance to Blackwood the moment he cuts him off. Then continues boxing.

Blackwood (hesitates, then continues nervously): "I did it because we're running out of time! I've been offering you a way out of this disaster, time and again, but you keep stalling. 'We will see'. 'Later'. 'Tomorrow'. According to my extremely scientific calculations, in just a few hours from now, you are going to run out of air in here. I am going to return to the Stormbreaker, with or without you. If you won't join me, everyone will see how badly you've failed them as a leader!"

Hawking stops boxing, and slowly turns around, staring at Blackwood in disbelief, making a "WTF" gesture, shaking his head.

Hawking begins to giggle. Slowly at first. Then some more. Then burst our in full on laughter.

Blackwood just stares back at him

Hawking is patting Blackwood on the shoulder, rather ironically

Hawking: "You ... you are trying to lecture ME about leadership? YOU?????? Bruuuuhahahhahaha!!"

Blackwood: "So, who lead an expedition through the Great White and lived to tell the tale ... you or me?"

Hawking turns around, and raises his fists, getting into a fighting stance

Hawking: "So you think you're tough? Come on then, and show me what you're really made of!"

Blackwood (walking backwards): "This conversation is going entirely in the wrong ..."

Hawking: "Shut up and get your guards up!"

RATS-5 - Soft Punches

Hawking gives Blackwood a soft slap in the face

Blackwood: "Ehmehmehmehm ..."

Hawking gives Blackwood another soft slap in the face with the other hand

RATS-5 - Soft Punches

Blackwood puts up his paws

Hawking: "There we go! Now fight, you coward!"

Hawking throws a few straight pretend punches at Blackwood

Blackwood flinches, and moves away

Blackwood: "I came to help you, not to fight you!"

Hawking closes in. Hawking keeps throwing easy punches at Blackwood who avoids them as best as he can.

RATS-5 - Soft punches

Hawking: "We saved your lives. *punch* *punch* We welcomed you with open arms. *punch* *punch* But you keep talking down to us like we're some sort of inferior species *punch* *punch* Our culture might be different than yours, but that doesn't mean we're a stupid bunch of savages!"

RATS-7 - Very Hard Punches

Hawking lands one REAL punch straight into Blackwood's face, which sends him flying backwards

Blackwood pulls himself up again

Blackwood stumbles, shaking his head, putting his defense up again

Blackwood charges at Hawking, going AAAAAARGH

Blackwood runs into him, hitting his stomach like a kid in a schoolyard fight

Hawking giggles and pushes Blackwood away from him, then they circle each other again

Blackwood: "I'm sorry ... I didn't mean to ... make it sound like I don't respect you ... really ..."

RATS-6 - Medium Punches

Hawking starts hitting Blackwood again. This time the punches hit hard.

Hawking: "Respect? RESPECT? HAH! From the moment you came in here, you've been trying to pressure me *punch* Pressure me into abandoning what has been our home for as long as anyone can remember *punch* *punch* Let me tell you this! You are not entitled to lead my people! *punch* You are not entitled to own our treasures! *punch* You are not entitled to even a SHRED of our culture!!!!!"

Hawking swings a huge punch that swiftly sends Blackwood out of view again

RATS-7 - Hard Punch

Blackwood spits blood and teeth

Blackwood (off, barely being able to hold himself together): "Together we can end the slavery! Freedom! At last! Isn't that worth something?"

Hawking bows down, grips Blackwood, and pulls him back on his feet

Blackwood staggers back and forth, bleeding from various wounds

Hawking pulls Blackwood REAAAAALY close, putting his face directly in front of Blackwood's

Hawking (furious, through his teeth): "My people were as free as they were ever going to be, until you arrived. And if you want to go back to your bloody ship, then good riddance to you. Honeyberry and Marconi may be young and wild, but unlike you, in their hearts, they're good people. The truth will be brought to light, and if you're still here when that happens, it's not going to end well for you, I PROMISE YOU THAT."

Hawking pushes Blackwood from him with a gesture of utter contempt

Hawking brushes his paws off on his clothes

Hawking turns away from Blackwood, making a few steps, then he stops

Hawking turns around, pointing at Blackwood

Hawking: "Oh, and one more thing!"

Hawking gets close up with Blackwood again

Hawking: "If you stalk me in my private quarters one more time, I **WILL** KILL YOU."

RATS-7 - Hard Punches

Hawking knocks out Blackwood with his full strength

Blackwood gets thrown backwards by the force. Bones break.

Hawking looks at Blackwood's landing site, and takes a deep breath

Hawking takes off his boxing gloves

Hawking slowly walks back to the barbell stand, blowing on his right paw which still hurts from the blow

Hawking lies down on the bench and starts lifting weights again

Hawking: "Security? Mr Blackwood is done here, kindly escort him back to his room. If he wants to go outside, let him leave. But do not let him back in again."

Lights out

AMB-2401 - Gym Ambience

Curtain - close