Joe of Antiquties, Joe and the Atlanteans

(aka Indian Joe) 

Synopsis:   In this second film, Joe and his family are prompted by a website that Patrick happens to find one day suggesting that Atlantis has risen and they are getting a signal from its last residents that have been able to obtain contact from Siphon and his wife, Carnaxa.   To prove this isn’t a hoax, Joe and his family veer out and actually find the Atlanteans as well as a newly rebuilt Atlantis.  Only problem is, who will believe this fantastical tale  ?   

~*~CAST~*~

Dr. Joe Sharma:

Seema Sharma: (his mom)

Apu Sharma:  (his dad)

Sweetu Sharma: (grandma)

Shah Sharma:  (grandfather)

Dr. Akashay Sharma: (the original tomb raiding founder)

Siphon:

Carnaxa: 

Meison: (their son)

Aquamarine: (their AI Maid)   

Adina Cohen: (their daughter and also Kate’s friend)

Katharine ‘Kate’ Sharma: (their daughter)

Billie Browne: (Kate’s best friend)

Gina Browne: (Billie’s younger sister)

Francine Browne: (Billie’s mom)

Eddie Browne: (Billie’s dad)

Patrick Powers: (Paul’s dad)

Tiffany Powers: (Paul’s mom)

Vera Powers: (Paul’s grandma)

Paul Powers:  (Kate’s boyfriend/powerlifter)

Dimitri: (Paul’s Husky)

Scene 1—Paul’s Hunch

Steph:  (helping to open up Dharma with her family)  Ah, it feels refreshing to be back at home fulfilling people both physically and spiritually. 

Joe:  (nodding)  I concur, my sweetest, dearest treasure. 

(Ajabu Si from HNY plays and Joe starts dancing with Steph while onlookers sigh romantically.) 
Kate:   You two lovebirds at it again ?  

Paul:   Don’t tell me in your secret heart that you don’t love it.   I know you do, although you feign ignorance. 

Kate: (sticks tongue out at him)  

Paul:  I know you love me too, dear.    Hey, is it ok if I use my laptop here ?  You guys get the best signals. 

Kate:  (nodding)  You know you can.  You’re more than welcome to it.

(While others are savoring their food, Joe serves Paul with flair and he digs in, looking up information online.  He comes across a very intriguing story that he can’t take his eyes off of.)

Paul:  Um, guys !   I found something I think you’re gonna be interested in !

(he directs them over rather energetically) 

Joe:  What did you find, Paul ?

Paul:  According to this website, the author claims he is its founder and it has risen.   I know it sounds like complete hooey, but there is a way we can contact them and it isn’t through the internet.  

Kate:  Lemme guess, it’s through ham radio. 

Paul:  (snaps finger and tousles his girlfriend’s hair)  See, this is exactly the reason I adore you.   I can build one lickety-split.  

Steph:  Paul, ever the MacGuyver. 

Paul:  (bashfully, hand behind head)  Ah, come on.  It’s just a hobby.  

Joe:  We should start working right away. 

Steph:  How do you know the information on the site is credible ? 

Paul:  The author, who’s name is Siphon, is the only one writing it.  His wife adds posts every so often as well.   What they are explaining and describing seem to be accurate.   It goes along with the data we’ve had about Atlantis for ages.   Perhaps Cayce’s prophecy did come to fruition ?   99.5 % of his predictions came true !  

Joe:  Let’s get crackin’ then !

Kate:  (narrating)  When papa had a project, he stuck to it, like clockwork.  Papa never procrastinated.   I even helped Paul build his radio transmitter.  While I did, he sang to me.   I never knew he was such the romantic, but I think my love of Bollywood cinema was rubbing off on him.    Call him ‘slow’, but Paul is absolutely brilliant despite some motor impairment.  Even with that so called disability, he can build elaborate gadgets like the one that actually function.   The only question now is, are we being led on a wild goose chase ?    Only one way to find out.  

(Scene shift) 

Scene 2—Getting a Response

(The Next Day appears on the screen.   The Sharmas and Paul have gathered together in an open field with recording equipment and a microphone, praying that Paul’s doodad actually works.)

Paul:  Here goes nothin’.   (turns it on and it starts humming) 

Steph:  Is it supposed to make our hair stand on end, or is that just our nerves ? 

Paul:  Nah, nah.   This is perfectly normal.  I’ve done this thousands of times before.   (starts hearing a frequency at first.   It’s mostly white noise, but then voices come in.)  

Joe:  Hello ?   Is someone there ? 

Ciphon:   Thank Neptune.   I knew there would be someone out there to respond to us.  

Carnaxa:  Are you receiving our transmission well ? 

Steph: (hand over mouth, speechless) 

Joe:  Y-yes !  How will we ever reach you ?

Carnaxa:  How well do you know cartography ?

Paul:  I may be slow, but I know it well.  Just be patient with me. 

Ciphon:  That we can do, friend.  

Kate: (narrating)  It was the most surreal thing I had experienced thus far.  Paul was a whiz at making maps.   We had begun our next exploit, not knowing exactly what to expect, but boy were we ever going to have our socks rocked off ! 

(Scene fade)  

Scene 3—Legends Are True 

Joe:  Was that the last turn ?   I can’t really figure anything about this location anyway.   It’s just so remote and vast.  

(The ground begins to rattle and an entire city starts to emerge, enveloping them with it.)

Steph:  Apparently the founders wish to keep it this way.   I guess we were the only ones to take the website seriously.   The only thing I wonder now is how did the founders know we are trustworthy ? 

Kate:  I have a feeling all those questions are going to be answered.

Paul:  I’m just glad you took me with you.  It’s so rare that I get to go on your adventures. 

Kate:  (pats his hand)  You were integral to actually getting us here.  It’s only natural we’d take you along for the ride.

Paul: (hugging her tight)  I’ve got the most radical girl in the Universe  !  Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa !  

(They are stricken by the size and meticulous nature of architecture until they are met by Siphon, Carnaxa and their toddler son, Meison. ‘A Head Full of Dreams’ plays in the background.) 

Siphon:   Salutations.   Welcome to Atlantis. 

Kate:  It’s astronomical.  

Steph:  This exceeds my wildest imaginations.  

Paul:  Yeah, you and me both !  

Carnaxa:  We are pleased to have you here.  

Meison:  (toddling up to them) 

Joe:  Who is this little darling ? 

Siphon:  That’s Meison, our son.   He’s only 3 but his 4^th birthday is coming soon. 

Meison:  (says ‘Cinnamon’ and ‘Sugar’ in his native tongue, gleefully hugging all their legs and laughing)

Kate:  (snickering)  What on earth is he saying ?

Carnaxa:  Silly Meison.   He’s calling you cinnamon and sugar.  

Paul:  How sweet !  (laughs)  Sorry, bad pun.

Joe:  How long have you been living this way ?    Scratch that, how did you survive the deluge ?  

Siphon:   We knew the deluge was coming even though others ignored the warning in our prophecies.   They had become too arrogant, myopic and conceited to listen to anyone, let alone ourselves.  

Carnaxa:  Having come from the lineage of prophets, we knew not to take our ancient writ lightly.    We began to prepare for the deluge while everyone else around us drowned. 

Steph: (covers mouth in horror)  How awful.

Meison:  (babbling around and going off to play somewhere with one of the android maids)  

Kate: (reaching out to stop Meison but before she does he’s teleported away, she looks genuinely perplexed)  Unreal.  

Carnaxa:  No need to fret.   We built nannies to care for him.   They’re not really a substitute for us, but Meison does keep us on our toes.

Paul:  (sarcastically) Gee, whiz.  You don’t say.  

Kate: (fires him a stern look) 

Paul:   What ?  I calls it like I sees it !  

Kate:  (laughs and capriciously nudges him in the ribcage) 

Siphon:  After the deluge we were the only Atlanteans left, but we knew we had to lay low.   We knew, although your scientists would love interviewing us that there would be those who would want to experiment on us without our permission. 

Steph:   Not to mention those wanting to make a quick buck off of Atlantis as a tourist attraction.   Disgusting.  

Carnaxa:   We didn’t know who would take us seriously.   We didn’t reach out until the Aquarian age, betting on a hunch that someone somewhere would want to contact us, and here you are.   You’ve proven our intuition right.   Human beings are truly advancing and transcending their boundaries.  

Joe: (blushing)  We’re guided by curiosity.  That’s all.  

Siphon:  No, it’s more than that.  You want to preserve the past and keep it alive so people can learn from it.   This way they can avoid repeating mistakes.   You also have taken legend, lore and myth seriously as well as theory.   A lot of people simply dismiss such things as fables. 

Steph:  That’s my darling, Joe.  Always taking risks, knowing they might not be lucrative. 

Joe:  It’s what we all learn together, and people who come to Dharma see the culmination of our exploits.  

Carnaxa:  Very noble, indeed.

Siphon:  People like you are rare.  If only there were more like yourselves !

Kate:  (narrating)  They gave us the grand tour of their country, landmarks, important buildings and etcetera.   They also led us to their hall of ancient knowledge.   They had kept a backup of everything they had been taught from times of yore.   Apparently this too, had survived the deluge.    To be honest, I was too impressed to speak.  It was far too sacred of a moment to be spoiled with constant jabbering.  For once in my life, as well as that of my boyfriend’s, we were left completely dumbstruck.  

Joe:  I don’t want to touch anything…I can’t bring myself to mar any of your artistry.  

Steph:  Everything you have is fascinating.   (sigh)  And to think I left my camera at home in my room and could’ve been taking photographs. 

Siphon:  (chuckles)  Technology like that doesn’t really work.  Your photographs will look blank once they’ve been taken.

Carnaxa:  It’s all due to the vibration of our country.   Sorry to say that.  It’s no coincidence you didn’t bring your camera.   You wouldn’t have needed it after all. 

(They laugh)  

(An AI maid appears with Meison, who is asleep.) 

Carnaxa:  Ah, Aquamarine.  Thank you for your assistance.

Aquamarine:  (bows politely in deference)   Your Highness.   I will put him in his crib to sleep for the evening.   Goodnight, Highnesses. 

Siphon:  (smiles sweetly while touching the auspicious gem along Meison’s forehead.  He stirs but grins, stretching his chubby arms.   Carnaxa kisses her son’s cheek and Aquamarine winks out of existence.)

Joe:  You have to teach us how you teleport like that. 

Carnaxa:  It takes years to learn but it can be perfected.   I’ll give you a copy of our text on that if you promise not to let anyone but yourselves read it. 

Joe: (crosses his heart)

Steph:  You can trust us. 

Kate:  Mum’s the word. 

Pete: (receiving the book from Siphon)  Oooooo, shiny !   Thanks so much, Siphon.  

Carnaxa:  I know time grows short for you staying here and you have full lives you have to lead.    Allow me to give you a final gift before you go.  Come quickly, I’ll teleport you to the throne room. 

Kate:  (narrating)  With a quick wink, Carnaxa transported us to her throne room and gave us all trinkets that reflected each of our personalities.   Dad received an ivory comb, mom got a lapis lazuli necklace, I got a dragon jade hairpin and Paul received an ancient text on manifesting destiny.  It was written in Atlantean, but Paul had already done a lot of translation work in his spare time.   My papa had been the one that got him interested in it initially but once the bug bit him, it never let go.   It had been a mesmerizing, spellbinding day, but it had at last come to a close.   Transporting us back to the grand hall where we had all been introduced, Carnaxa and Siphon said their farewells and Paul led us home.   We trekked home listening to bouzouki music and slept, wondering where the next adventure would lead us.   It was never boring, and in fact, it gave us reason to be eager and thrilled to see what tomorrow would bring.   All the while, Paul and I grew ever closer, knowing that another school year was just around the bend.   It would only draw us into each other’s circles more and more.   For the present we only reveled in the moments we shared together and knew it wouldn’t be long before we would be off and running on another crazy trek because hey, it’s true, we do live for adventure.  

(‘Don’t Cost Nothing-Reprise’ from Stephen Universe, the instrumental version plays as they’re driving home, hugging each other goodbye.  Paul steals a kiss from Kate and she cutely kisses him back on the nose.  We see the Sharmas going to sleep and resting for the evening as ‘The End’ sprawls across the screen.)