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INT. OSVALDO’S – NIGHT
ON THE SCREEN
People in Hazmat suits are carrying and stacking bodies in an African village.
NEWS ANNOUNCER (V.O.)
(on television)
…meanwhile in Central Africa fatalities continue to mount from the mysterious Thanatos virus.
A bodies being burned on an enormous pyre.
NEWS ANNOUNCER (V.O.)
(on television)
World health authorities are concerned that if the virus spreads to the wider world it may have effects significantly more devastating than the Covid-nineteen virus of the early 2020s…
Please do not reproduce this storyboard or its associated screenplay text without permission from Faustus, who may be contacted here.
(Note: The panels on this page should be sepia-toned, a visual indicator of the age of the photographic and cinematic material they are meant to represent.)
Panel 1: Two Italian men, ENZO SCELLERATINI (“Enzo”) and GUIDO SCELLERATINI (“Guido”) absurdly overdressed for their environment stand in coats, bow-ties, and bowler hats, posed on a beach with an old-fashioned, crank-operated movie camera. (Note: Both men have somewhat silly handlebar mustaches.)
CAPTION – PSEUDO-NARRATION (1): In 1905, Italian brothers Enzo and Guido Scelleratini, following up on sailors’ rumors of a strange native cult on the South Seas island of Motofupo, went there with a movie camera in hopes of finding something unusual.
Translation (1): En 1905, la italaj fratoj Enzo kaj Guido Scelleratini, laŭ maristaj onidiroj pri stranga indiĝena kulto de sudmara insulo Motofupo, tien iris kun kamerao esperante trovi ion eksterordinaran.
Panel 2: A group of attractive young Polynesian-looking women dressed in muumuuu-like garments reaching into a sack together to draw something out.
CAPTION – PSEUDO-NARRATION (2): In spite of the fact that their rituals were rumored to include human sacrifice, the indigenous people proved friendly and allowed the Scelleratini brothers to film them and one of those very rituals.
Translation (2): Malgraŭ la fakto, ke iliaj ritoj onidire inkluzivis homan oferon, la indiĝenoj montris sin amikecaj kaj ebligis al la fratoj Scelleratini filmi ilin kaj unu el tiuj ritoj mem.
Panel 3: Close up of two hands of different young women in the panel. One holds a white stone, another a black stone.
CAPTION – PSEUDO-NARRATION (3): The first part of the ritual was a selection process to pick specific young women to be given to a “God of the Deeps” in marriage.
Translation (3): La unua parto de la rito estis elektado de specifaj junaj virinoj oferotaj kiel edzinoj al iu “Dio de la Profundaĵoj”.
Panel 4: One young woman of the Motofupo people (“the Bride”), cradling a stone, a beatific expression.
CAPTION – PSEUDO-NARRATION (4): According to observers and apparent on the film was that the young women so selected did not seem distressed. They instead seemed pleased and honored.
Translation (4): Laŭ observantoj kaj videble en la filmo, la junaj virinoj ne ŝajnis aparte streĉitaj. Anstataŭe, ili ŝajnis kontentaj kaj honorigitaj.
Panel 1: ELIZA FANSHAW (“Eliza”) sits in a big wicker chair in a kind of hippie-ish apartment. She’s a bubbly-sexy blond girl. She wears thin cotton tie-dyed shirt that stretches a bit over her breasts (she’s obviously braless) and a floral skirt and sandals. Her posture indicates she’s being interviewed.
Eliza (1): People ask me, “What on earth do you think you’re doing, Eliza?” and “Don’t you know you have your whole life ahead of you?”
Translation (1): Oni demandas al mi “Kion damne vi kredas fari, Eliza?” kaj “Ĉu vi konscias, ke vi havas vian tutan vivon antaŭ vi?”
Eliza (2): And I see their point but, the thing is, about me…
Translation (2): Kaj mi komprenas ilian vidpunkton, sed temas pri mi…
SUBTITLE (3): Eliza Fanshaw, prospective subject.
Translation (3): Eliza Fanshaw, kandidatino.
Panel 2: Close-up on Eliza’s smiling face, which should emphasize that she has a cute little snub nose.
Eliza (4): …is that I think that the most amazing thing about being alive…
Translation (4): …nu mi kredas, ke la plej mirinda afero en la vivo…
Elize (5): … is sex!
Translation (5): …estas seksumado!
Panel 3: View of Eliza (in very soft focus, to the point that we can scarcely identify her as Eliza) naked, seen from behind on top of a guy).
CAPTION – ELIZA NARRATING (6): I’m not supposed to say things like this, but ever since I was fifteen, I have been seeking out sexual adventure.
Translation (6): Mi ne devus diri ion tian, sed depost mia 15-jaraĝo mi daŭre serĉas seksaventurojn.
CAPTION – ELIZA NARRATING (7): I’ve even acted in some experimental adult films, just to see what it would be like.
Translation (7): Mi eĉ rolis en kelkaj eksperimentaj pornaj filmoj, nur por kontroli la sperton.
Panel 4: Eliza, back in the same pose as in Panel 1.
Unseen interviewer (out-of-panel balloon) (8): And what was it like?
Translation (8): Kaj kiel ĝi estis?
Eliza (9): It was awesome!
Translation (9): Nekredeble!
Eliza (10): But I don’t think anything could compare with those movies I saw in Anthro.
Translation (10): Sed mi ne kredas, ke tio estas komparebla al tiuj filmoj, kiujn mi spektis en antropologia kurso.
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INT. OSVALDO’S – NIGHT
Toozie takes a boneless wing, dips it in sauce, and takes a healthy bite.
TOOZIE
This photo disappeared from the web by the next day, but not before it got preserved on my hard drive. And the metadata point right to your Oikos Galenou warehouse on the day of the terrorist attack.
(takes a generous swig of wine)
Do you happen to know what this creature is, Joe? Or who is going down its…gullet?
JOE
(visibly sweating)
I don’t know what you’re talking about.
TOOZIE
You lie badly, Joe.
JOE
Why are you doing this?
TOOZIE
Joe I assure you that I am not a journalist, a cop, or a blackmailer. I have a very different motive.
(takes another bite of chicken)
These wings really are tasty. You should try them.
JOE
I’m not that hungry, all of a sudden.
Please do not reproduce this storyboard or its associated screenplay text without permission from Faustus, who may be contacted here.
Single panel: Helicopter view of the RV Seagoon, plowing through turquoise sea against the backdrop of a brilliant tropical sunrise. The RV Seagoon is a good-sized vessel, with an extended midsection that appears to contain some sort of giant tank. There is also a crane of sorts on deck.
CAPTION – PSEUDO-NARRATION (1): What is it that Professor Eustace Turpentine is proposing that so disturbs Captain Drummingdale?
Translation (1): Kion Profesoro Eŭstaco Turpentine proponas kaj kio tiel perturbas Kapitanon Drummingdale?
CAPTION – PSEUDO-NARRATION (2): Only one of the strangest and most significant scientific adventures yet recorded.
Translation (2): Nur unu el la plej strangaj kaj signifoplenaj sciencaj aventuroj iam okazintaj.
CAPTION – PSEUDO-NARRATION (3): And we document it here for you for the first time!
Translation (3): Kaj ni dokumentas ĝin por vi tie ĉi la unuan fojon!
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INT. OSVALDO’S – NIGHT
Toozie hands the phone back to Joe. It has the Gynophage photograph Toozie found before.
TOOZIE
Most of the art is pretty crudely drawn, but this isn’t anyone’s illustration. It’s a photograph, taken from life. Probably taken by a cop with a cellphone. Why it got posted I have no idea. Maybe someone was trying to leak something. Or maybe they guy was just the right kind of pervert with something neat to show to his friends.
The Bartender brings a bit plate of boneless wings and sets it between Joe and Toozie.
BARTENDER
(with forced cheer)
You enjoy these now.
TOOZIE
The camera that made this picture encoded metadata into it that included both the date and time of the photograph as well as G-P-S coordinates for where the photo was taken. Very handy if you want to keep your photo collection organized.
Please do not reproduce this storyboard or its associated screenplay text without permission from Faustus, who may be contacted here.
Panel 1: CAPTAIN IVAN DRUMMINGDALE (“Drummingdale’) stands at the bow of his ship, the RV SEAGOON. Drummingdale is a gaunt, tall, naval-looking man. He wears a short-sleeved white shirt with captain’s epaulets and a seaman’s cap. It is dawn in the tropics. Drummingdale is staring out to sea and speaks without turning around.
Drummingdale (1): You’re up early today, Professor Turpentine.
Translation (1): Hodiaŭ vi frue ellitiĝis, Profesoro Turpentine.
Panel 2: Drummingdale stands on the rail next to PROFESSOR EUSTACE TURPENTINE (“Turpentine”). Turpentine is a short, fat man with a white mustache and a white fringe of hair around a head which would otherwise be bald. However in this panel he is wearing a pith helmet and a twin-pocketed shirt. He looks relaxed. Drummingdale, still staring over the rail out to sea, looks anything but.
Turpentine (2): It’s a big day for us, Captain Drummingdale. Our first attempt.
Translation (2): Ni havos grandiozan tagon, Kapitano Drummingdale. Nia unua provo.
Drummingdale (3): Oh, aye.
Translation (3): Ho ja.
Panel 3: Close-up on Drummingdale’s face. His jaw is clenched.
Drummingdale (4): Can’t say I approve of what you’re going to put those girls through.
Translation (4): Mi ne povas diri, ke mi konsentas kun tio, al kio vi submetos la knabinojn.
Panel 4: Close-up on Turpentine, though not quite as close up as on Drummingdale in the previous panel. Turpentine’s expression is one of jolly unconcern.
Turpentine (5): They both signed the release, Captain.
Translation (5): Ambaŭ subskribis la dokumenton, Kapitano.
Turpentine (6): They understand what they’re doing.
Translation (6): Ili komprenas tion, kion ili faros.
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INT. OSVALDO’S – NIGHT
Toozie takes her phone again and taps through a number of screens.
TOOZIE
Do you know what “vore,” is Joe?
JOE
(lying badly)
Uh, no.
TOOZIE
It’s a kind of porn that appeals to a set of peculiar fetishes, either the fantasy of eating someone, or the fantasy of being eaten by something.
JOE
That’s…kinda disgusting.
TOOZIE
I would say it’s something of an acquired taste. In any event, you can find a lot of art on the subject on the Internet, if you know the right place to look. And one night, when I was looking in the right place, I found this.
Please do not reproduce this storyboard or its associated screenplay text without permission from Faustus, who may be contacted here.
COVER: Same Fabulae Atroces Fausti logo as appeared on “She’s the Ransom,” over another bit of neo-pulp, in this case a young woman swimmer in a 1940s-style swimsuit and hairstyle being menaced underwater by tentacles coming up from the deep. There some be if feasible some bubbles to emphasize the underwater.
CAPTION (title) (1): “Bait”
Translation (1): “Logaĵo”
CAPTION (author) (2): Written and produced by Iago Faustus
Translation (2): Verkita kaj produktita de Iago Faustus