Today I found some old documents that I had been looking for, and within was the very first script I wrote for Marooned. Actually, at that point it wasn’t called Marooned, it was called “Spaceman John.” It’s pretty bad, but you can see the germ of some of John and Asimov’s characteristics. You can also see my original idea for the silly Martians, of which ended up being Ugo (who is radically different than the Martians below).

There’s a couple of lines in here I actually still like, but you can see it doesn’t work for what Marooned is now. In any event, it was fun to read and I figured I would share it with you. It’s interesting to see how much an idea grows and changes from the original concept.

I am in fact a big baseball fan, so that is why it figures in this initial script. At the time, Sammy Sosa had just been caught with cork in his bat, so that’s where that part of the joke comes from. One thing I did keep was the text of the first strip, which is still the same.

So without further delay, here’s the first script with John and Asimov (named “bot”).

“Spaceman John”

Closeup on John’s feet as he trudges across the lunar surface. Pan out to reveal John walking with Bot trailing. John is muttering angrily…

John: Bah… how I get stranded on some unknown planet with the Earth’s most advanced supercomputer at my side is anyone’s guess.

Bot: Data records indicate escape fuel was expended while pilot searched for the perfect parking spot.

(John stops abruptly and stares at the camera for a moment, causing Bot to nearly collide with him)

John: Remind me to have your memory wiped during your next maintenance session.

Bot: Request denied.

John: Great, a can opener with an attitude.

(John stops as camera pans out to show a rocky outcropping with a cave)

John: Well, this looks like as good a place as any to set up a basecamp. That cave will provide some shelter. Bot, beam our supplies from the lander to the cave coordinates.

(Bot makes some old time whirs and clicks and suddenly a pile of supplies appears at the cave mouth.)

Bot: I regret to inform your eminence that your teddy bear did not survive reintegration. Nanobots where not calibrated for transfer of soft, cuddly objects.

John: What!?!? My poor Theodore! You…you… decalibrated the nanobots on purpose! (John struggles with his anger and his faceplate turns red.)

Bot: Destruction of inanimate matter without purpose is not in my algorithms.

John: You had a purpose… Jealousy! You were always jealous of my Theodore!

Bot: The absurdity of such a statement is readily apparent. I am not capable of jealousy as far as you know.

John: Grr… this is the last straw… listen you

Bot: Area sensors indicate approaching lifeforms, 20 meters.

John: Don’t try to change the subject you lying bucket of…

Bot: 10 meters, contact in 5 seconds… southeast.

[John turns around just as two aliens walk around the corner of the cavemouth opening. They are green and purple, with round bodies, two legs and arms each, but a long stalk of a neck with an eye at the top and one antenna. A mouth is at the bottom of the long neck. One is carrying two bats and the other has a baseball.]

Alien 1: Hi there!

Alien 2: Yes hello there – how about a friendly game of baseball, no?

Alien 1: Yes baseball! Baseball has been very very good to us. And there is no cork in our bats!

John: This can’t be happening.

Bot: Sensors confirm this is indeed happening.

[John deliberately turns and kicks Bot, then turns to face the aliens]

John: Uh… yeah hi there… In fact I love baseball. But, how is it that you speak English?

Alien 1: Anglish? We have spoken Anglish all our very lives.

Alien 2: Indeed we have. Anglish it is.

John: Anglish… no, not Anglish, English – English is the language you are speaking.

Alien 1: It is as we have said, Anglish.

[John starts to correct them again then thinks better of it.] (maybe a ‘hmmm’)

John: Ok, I can let that slide for now since I’m digging that we can converse. But how is it that you know of Earth’s great sport Baseball?

Alien 2: ESPN SportsCenter, how else? Baseball has been very very good to us!

Alien 1: There is no cork in our bats! [he shows the bats to john, as if proving his statement]

Bot: Sensors indicate no presence of cork.

Alien 2: Surely you have come to our field to engage us in a rousing game of baseball?

Alien 1: Come, let us show you our great skill!

John: Field? What field are you talking about? [he looks about, and the two aliens point back behind him. Camera pans to show a decrepit but recognizable sandlot type field that was hidden from view, complete with a wooden fence and scoreboard and mound.

Alien 1: We assume you have camped in the visitor’s dugout for an extended road series!

John: dugout…

Alien 2: Come, you have first at bats! Surely your mechanical friend can aid you in your gaming. We like his floaty business.