Forged in the Fire (sci-fi – Part I of the Io Jaxx trilogy)
All three of the Io Jaxx Cycle screenplays were songs at first. You can give a listen immediately below. The song tells its story at a leisurely pace. The text below the audio player will give you the essence of the story more quickly.
“Forged in the Fire”
The story pits Io Jaxx, Level One Solver (Intergalactic James Bond), against Lexx Gannymede, an evil mastermind bent on creating an army of thugs conditioned to do his bidding without question.
The government on the planet Aarva sanctions subliminal suggestion – its citizens the perfect seed population for Lexx’s plot. He develops a procedure that goes way beyond, “You want to buy that red dress, don’t you?” – to something more like, “You’re going to kill the ambassador at 2:00 tomorrow afternoon, aren’t you?” Aarvans are already buying red dresses like there’s no tomorrow. read the "Red Dress scene"
One of my tools in developing the story was William Thompson Price’s template for Proposition and Plot. It may well be the most concise way for me to lay out the action of a story. Here is that template filled in with the details of “Forged in the Fire.”
The story pits Io Jaxx, Level One Solver (Intergalactic James Bond), against Lexx Gannymede, an evil mastermind bent on creating an army of thugs conditioned to do his bidding without question.
The government on the planet Aarva sanctions subliminal suggestion – its citizens the perfect seed population for Lexx’s plot. He develops a procedure that goes way beyond, “You want to buy that red dress, don’t you?” – to something more like, “You’re going to kill the ambassador at 2:00 tomorrow afternoon, aren’t you?” Aarvans are already buying red dresses like there’s no tomorrow. read the "Red Dress scene"
One of my tools in developing the story was William Thompson Price’s template for Proposition and Plot. It may well be the most concise way for me to lay out the action of a story. Here is that template filled in with the details of “Forged in the Fire.”
Proposition
for
Forged in the Fire
for
Forged in the Fire
|
Protagonist
Justified Retaliation - Io Jaxx, assigned to solve the Aarvan problem, arrives on the scene and begins making waves. Precipitating Act - Io comes to Ann’s aid, only to find that she has laid a trap. |
Antagonist
Initial Act of Aggression - Lexx hires Dexter to perfect the mind-control procedure.
Aggravation of the Issue - Lexx uses Ann as the bait in his scheme to capture Io and give him the “treatment.” |
Central Dramatic Question
Can Io overcome Lexx and his thugs or will he be broken down and imprinted?
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Plot
Can Io overcome Lexx and his thugs or will he be broken down and imprinted?
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Plot
|
Io recovers (we think) and he and Dexter plan their escape. Io beats the shit out of Lexx and takes Dexter to a safe place. Dexter offers to be Io’s partner and friend (their ongoing relationship “forged in the fire”) |
Dexter administers the treatment but offers Io an out at the same time
Lexx confronts Io at the exit to the compound |