The Frylight Zone - Episode 3: The Oedipus Factor
By The Frylight Staff
(Ext. Pizza Restaurant)
(A blue doorway appears and Fry and Amy are thrown out.)
Fry: Are we home?
Amy: I don’t think so. Look! (She points toward a billboard advertising
a city-wide blood test.)
Fry: What’s so weird about that?
Amy: We never had required city-wide blood tests.
(Suddenly a hologram of the Prof.’s head appears)
Prof.: Find one that searches for courage, a gift that can’t be given,
but instead must be learned. (The hologram vanishes.)
(Fry and Amy look confused at this latest clue, but are interrupted by a woman
screaming. The sound comes from an old back alley. They rush to the woman’s
aid, but are surprised when they find Leela being mugged. They duck down, not
wanting to rush in like fools.)
Fry: (Chuckles to himself) Man, did that guy pick the wrong person to mug.
He’s going to get a butt whooping.
Mugger: Give me all your money!
Leela: (Shaking in fear) Here’s your money, just don’t hurt me!
Mugger: Oh no. I’m not going to hurt you. You’re a freak and freaks
belong in a zoo, don’t they?
Leela: (dejected) Yes sir.
Mugger: (grabs her arm) Come on! I know a zoo that will pay me handsomely for
you.
(Fry is literally shocked. He’d never seen Leela act like this. He starts
to move into the alley to save her, but is stopped by Amy.)
Amy: Fry, you don’t have to worry, see? (She points to the door on the
side being opened. A different version of Fry rushes out and stands between Leela
and the mugger.)
Fry2: Back off dirt bag! I’d give the lady her money back or else. (He
assumes a fighting stance.)
Mugger: (in a mocking voice) Oh is the big bad man gonna hurt me? (laughs)
Fry2: Well, that was my intention. (He starts using Octarian Kung Fu on the
guy. In minutes, the guy’s begging for his life and handing the purse back
to Leela.)
Leela: (awestruck) Thanks Phil.
Phil: No problem! (He reaches for her hand but she shies away) Well, I gotta
get back to the ship’s repairs, watch yourself okay? Be more assertive too,
don’t let people push you around.
Leela: I’ll try. (Phil nods and goes back inside the building.)
Amy: (Whispering) Wow, the only person I know who could use that style of fighting
was Leela. (She ducks down as Leela looks around, then seeing no one begins to
speak.)
Leela: Why am I such a coward? Why can’t I say the words my heart yearns
to speak? I love you Phillip. Yet I know, it could never work. You’re so
brave, you’d get bored with me.
(Fry steps out into the alley, ignoring Amy’s objections.)
Fry: No I wouldn’t.
Leela: Phil! Please tell me you didn’t hear that.
Fry: I’m sorry, but I did, and I feel the same way.
Leela: (surprised) You do? (She turns away) NO! It wouldn’t work out.
(She runs off)
Amy: (Coming out from behind her hiding place) Real great Fry! When are you
going to learn that the Leela you’re after is the one back home? How do you
think I felt when I had to turn down…oops! (She covers her mouth with her
hand)
Fry: What?
Amy: Nothing! Don’t worry about it!
(To Amy’s relief, the door burst open, and Bender ran out)
Bender: There you guys are! Come on! It’s time for the blood test.
(They follow Bender and get into the ship)
Hermes: Well everybody’s here. (He looks at Fry) Funny I thought you went to find Leela. She left in such a hurry.
That poor girl! It must be so hard to adjust when you find out you’ve survived
in a cryo-chamber for 1000 years to be woken up in the year 3000.
Fry: (Almost choking) Leela’s from the 20th century?
Hermes: Yeah, you know that. You’ve worked with her for over 3 years now.
Fry: Uh, yeah. Guess I’m just having an off-day. BTW what time am I from?
Hermes: Man you are having an off day. You were born in the 30th century and
raised in the Orphanarium.
Fry: Ok, thanks.
Hermes: No problem, Mon!
(The ship takes off and arrives at a medical facility a few minutes later.
Fry and Amy are escorted to a medical lab.)
Amy: Why are we having this blood test?
Doctor: There’s a deadly disease out there, we have to find who has it
and isolate them. Hold out your arm. (He injects a needle and draws blood. He
puts it in a tube marked 47. He does the same to Fry and puts it in a tube marked
52.) Ok, you two can go now.
(Amy and Fry walk outside, whereupon Amy stops, with a look of realization
on her face.)
Amy: Fry, we have to get those samples back. If they get compared with our
doubles, they’ll send people after us, asking questions about why we’re
identical and not related.
Fry: Well, what do you suggest we do?
Amy: For now, we have to keep a low profile. We need to get familiar with the
territory. You’ll have to go in undercover as yourself and find what the
differences are around here. We’ll break in tonight and take back the samples.
They’ll probably have files on it so I’ll have to erase them. I have
noticed my double seems to be on a day off. Luckily, nobody noticed. (They approach
the PE building) Now you keep out of sight until I have your double then take
his place.
Fry: OK
Amy: (speaks into an intercom) Hello, could I speak to a Phillip Fry?
Intercom Operator: There’s no such person here. We do have someone named
Phillip Toronga working here.
Amy: (a little confused) OK, can I speak to him please?
Intercom Operator: Sure, I’ll send him right up.
(A few minutes later, the door opens and Phil walks out.)
Phil: Hi Amy! I was told you wanted to speak to me. What are you doing back
from your vacation?
Amy: I just wanted to give you this. (She kicks him in the head, knocking him
out.) Ok, Fry, go on. (She drags Phil’s unconscious body away from the building.)
(Fry slowly walks in, trying to prepare himself to play Phil. Hermes walks
up to him.)
Hermes: Hey Mon, you’re supposed to make a delivery to the Oracle Planet,
where you shall know your future. What did that person want?
Fry: Oh, she just wanted me to buy a dictionary.
Hermes: Aw Mon, I hate those dictionary sales people. Always talk to you in
words you’d never understand unless you brought the damn book.
Fry: Yeah, so what’s the delivery?
Hermes: You’re going to deliver this crate of crystal balls. (He pointed
to crate that says “Fragile”)
Fry: I see. Well, I won’t let you down sir!
Hermes: I know you won’t Mon. I depend on you more than anyone else Leela’s
too scared to do anything useful, so I stick her on cleaning detail.
Fry: Maybe you should give her a chance.
Hermes: Well Fry, for you, I’ll do it. I’ll give her another chance.
Maybe you’ll be a good influence on her.
Fry: I hope so, sir.
Hermes: Oh, and one more thing Phil, what’s with the sir? You know me
well enough to be an uncle to my kid.
Fry: Sorry Hermes. Just having an off day, like I said earlier.
Hermes: Well, when you get back from this delivery, I want you to take it easy.
Fry: OK, I will.
(Fry boards the ship and seats himself at the driver’s seat. He studies
the controls and tries to study them. Just then, Leela comes on board.)
Leela: Thanks for talking to Hermes and getting me off cleaning detail.
Fry:: No problem! Everyone deserves a second chance. Leela: I suppose so. (Fry
starts the ship and departs for space. Once they had broken the atmosphere. Fry
turns around to face Leela.)
Fry: (sheepishly) Um, which direction is the Oracle Planet? I’m having
an off day.)
Leela: Um, take a left at Jupiter, then straight 12,000 light years and you’re
there. Luckily, I’ve taken a space bus there a few times. (She smiles at
him)
Fry: (Making the necessary corrections) Turn left and then straight. There!
Now to engage the auto pilot. (Pushes a button and the words auto pilot engaged
are heard.) How come you’ve gone to the Oracle Planet before?
Leela: Well, I just want to know what the future holds for me. She’s usually
right everytime. She’s confusing sometimes though. The last time I was there
she told me a strange, but familiar man would show me the door, but I would have
to walk through it.
Fry: Hmm, that is strange. In my time…err I mean, what I’ve heard
about psychics from your time, most of them were fake.
Leela: The ones that advertised on TV were. They gave real psychics a bad name.
That’s how the Oracle Planet came to be. The population is made up of psychics
that were forced into hiding, because of the fake psychics. Their advice is free
so that you will believe them more easily.
Fry: Cool! Maybe I should pay one a visit. There’s some stuff I’d
like to know.
Leela: What could you possibly need to know? You’re the very embodiment
of popularity. If it wasn’t for you, Dr. Zoidberg would still be a lowly,
underpaid, disrespected doctor. It was because of you that he went back to school
and became a world renowned doctor. Bender became an honest hard worker. Last,
but not least, if you hadn’t taken me in, I might still be running from that
Fate Assignment Officer.
Fry: Trust me when I say there’s a lot you don’t know about me.
Leela: Well, I’d sure like to know what that is.
Fry: Uh,…we’re here! (He steers the ship to a shiny silver planet and touches down on the surface.)
Okay everyone! Let’s unload! (Leela shakes her head at the obvious attempt
to get her to back off.)
Leela: I’ll go deliver the goods and you can go to the Oracle since it’s
your first time here. Here’s hoping no one makes fun of me.
Fry: Ok, thanks. (He walks over to a rather large building that resembles the
Supreme Court. Upon stepping inside, the doors shut behind him.)
Oracle: Come forward, Mr. Fry.
Fry: (Walking towards the Oracle’s podium) How did you know my name?
Oracle: I know many things. I know you are not of this world and that you are
pretending to be someone you’re not. You have come to learn things that are
unclear to you, yes?
Fry: Yeah, so tell me if I’m ever going to get home.
Oracle: Yes, you and your companion will one day be allowed to return. I can
only tell you certain things, the rest you must discover on your own. Listen well
to my words.
Fry: Ok
Oracle: Your journey has a purpose. You must discover what that purpose is.
The road is long, but don’t lose hope. You and your friends must gain traits
unknown to you. Your current companion will be given her trait, but she must develop
it. There shall be another whose trait cannot be given, but must be learned. Your
trait is something you already have, but you cannot use it yet. Yours must be
realized. That is all I can say. You are dismissed. (The doors open and Fry walks
outside to be greeted by Leela, who looks rather sad.)
Fry: What’s wrong?
Leela: I accidentally broke all the crystal balls, now all the citizens are
mad at me. (She starts to cry.)
Fry: (puts his arms around her) It’s okay. It could happen to anyone.
(He looks over his shoulder) Hey, Leela? Did they pay in advance?
Leela: (sniffles) Yeah
Fry: Good. Then I would advise we RUN! (He grabs her and starts to run towards
the ship.)
(Right behind them are a group of angry people with guns and such. They continue
to chase Fry and Leela to the ship. They make it in, but not before Fry is hit
by a laser bolt, which makes it hard for him to walk. He hobbles over to the controls
and quickly gets the ship out of the atmosphere.)
Fry: (winces in pain) Ahhh! My leg!
Leela: I’m so sorry, Fry. If you’ll let me, I’d like to make
it up to you.
Fry: (a little angry) Yeah? How?
Leela: This. (She looks uncertain for a moment before she thrusts her body
upon his for a full kiss. Fry mumbles something in surprise, but relaxes into
it.)
(After a few minutes, Fry reluctantly pulls himself away.)
Leela: What’s wrong? I thought this was what you wanted.
Fry: Trust me. There’s nothing I want more, but it just doesn’t feel
right. I mean I do have to pilot the ship back to Earth.
Leela: I knew it! You could never be happy with me. (She runs off)
Fry: Leela, wait! (Thinks to himself) Ah, great move, Fry. You had her and
then you had to hurt her feelings. Amy was right though, I want the Leela back
home, but I can’t tell her that. (He successfully pilots the ship home and
Leela wastes no time in running off the ship. He sees Amy waiting for him and
walks over.)
Amy: There you are! Man, I had to give that Phil guy a sedative so he wouldn’t
blow the whistle on us. Come on, we gotta go get those blood samples.
Fry: (Sees Hermes) Right. I’ll get permission to borrow the company hover
car. Hey Hermes!
Hermes: (looks over in Fry’s direction) Yeah Mon?
Fry: Can Amy and I borrow the hover car? We’re gonna break… (Amy
covers Fry’s mouth with her hand)
Amy: He meant we need to run an errand.
Hermes: Ok.
(Fry and Amy get into the hover car and drive to the lab. They are about to
pick the lock when a shadow falls over them.)
Leela: What are you guys doing?
Fry: Us? Well, uh…
Amy: We’re stealing from the lab. Got a problem with that?
Leela: (Terrified) No, no problem at all. You need some help? (She punches
some buttons on a keypad and the door opens.) Just don’t hurt me!
Fry: (To Amy) We have to take her with us now. (Amy nods her agreement and
Fry grabs Leela’s hand.) Don’t be afraid, I won’t hurt you.
(They search the building until they find the blood bank. Amy takes tubes 47
and 52 and pockets them. She then runs over to the computer and boots it up.)
Amy: Aha, they haven’t made the system I can’t crack. Let’s
see…Subject 47, delete. Now where’s Subject 52? Ah, here it is. Wait
a minute! 52 has a little box around it. Hmm, let’s click on it shall we?
Fry, you may want to come look at this. (Fry walks over, dragging Leela behind
him.) Your file says Subject 24 is an exact match.
Fry: Well, Subject 24 has to be my duplicate.
Amy: Phil didn’t take the test, remember? You took his place.
Leela: Excuse me, could someone tell me what’s going on?
Fry: Later. We’re trying to find out who my exact match is.
Amy: Here we go, Subject 24. Click on it and…Oh my god!
Fry: What? (He reads the screen and falls over.)
(The screen reads: Fry, Leela)
Leela: What’s the big deal? It’s just me.
Fry: (Digs around in his pocket and pulls out his wallet.) Here. This might
help explain it.
Leela: (Takes the wallet and opens it and reads out the name on the ID card.)
Philip J. Fry. Is this some sort of joke? Everyone knows your last name is Toronga.
(Fry opens his mouth to speak, but nothing comes out except for some mumbling.)
Fry: (whispers loudly) It’s over before it even began.
Amy: Fry, it doesn’t mean anything. Only this dimension’s Leela is
related to you. Our Leela isn’t.
Fry: (sighs with relief) Thank goodness! I was so afraid it was over. (Then
he remembers what happened on the ship and runs to the bathroom.)
Leela: Well, that was interesting. Anyone want to tell me what’s going
on?
Amy: Well, you see, it’s like this. Fry and I come from another dimension.
(Leela starts to freak out.)
Leela: What!? Are you crazy?
Amy: No actually, I’m quite serious. There are multiple universes where
different things happen resulting in different consequences. Although I must say
I am confused as to how you could be related to Fry and not be related to Phil.
Leela: It’s not as confusing as this dimension theory. I know how you
could prove it. Take me with you!
Amy: We can’t take you with us. You belong in your own dimension. (The
bathroom door opens)
Fry: That’s it! That’s the answer to the riddle!
Amy: What is?
Fry: Find one that searches for courage, a gift that can’t be given, but
instead must be learned. Leela’s obviously looking for courage and she has
to learn it. That means we have to take her with us. Leela, would you like to
go with us?
Leela: Yes. (As she says this, the blue doorway appears.)
Amy: (shrugs) Welcome to the team, Leela. (She grabs Leela’s hand starts
to lead her through the gateway.)
Phil: Where are you going, Leela?
Leela: I’m going with my brother to find my courage and help him in his
quest.
Phil: I’m afraid I can’t let you do that. (He reaches out to stop
her, but Fry wrestles him to the ground.)
Fry: (to Amy and Leela) Go! Go! I’m right behind you.
(Amy drags Leela through the doorway.)
Phil: Get off me! (He shoves Fry off him.)
Fry: What’s the big deal? We’ll bring her back after we get home.
Phil: (laughs evilly) How cute! You really think I care about her? I wouldn’t
give the time of day to the likes of her. I just needed to keep her in the dark
about who she really is. That helps you to spoil my plan if she does, but after
observing you, I’m really not worried.
Fry: Your plan? Who are you?
Phil: The question isn’t who, it’s what. That’s for me to know
and you to find out. I’ll give you a couple of hints for you to puzzle over.
My name isn’t Phil and this isn’t my true form.
Fry: I’m confused
Phil: (Laughs wickedly and yells into the air) This is the sap you’ve
chosen to beat me? A four year old would have a better chance than him.
Mysterious Voice: You laugh now, but Fry will see you don’t succeed.
Phil: (to Fry) I’ll be waiting for you, Hero. You and you alone. (He vanishes
into thin air.)
Fry: (screaming at the sky) WHY ME? (He gets no response, sighs, and steps
into the doorway. It vanishes from sight.)
|
