The Adventures of Scooterman

[first scene:
Scooterman and Kickstand are working at the garage. The radio transmitter beeps. Scooterman turns it on]

Chief:
Good morning, Scooterman. Yesterday was Tuesday. Today is Thursday. What happened to Wednesday? Scooterman, find Wednesday and put it back between Tuesday and Thursday. Solve this problem and use frequency expressions.

[end of transmission]

Scooterman:
An interesting problem, Kickstand. Wednesday is missing. We must find Wednesday, and we must use frequency expressions.

Kickstand:
Frequency expressions? Find the missing Wednesday? Gee, Scooterman, the Chief always givs us two assignments every week.

[Scooterman and Kickstand practice various frequency expressions]

Kickstand:
OK, now we're ready to find the missing Wednesday.

Scooterman:
Ah, we need a clue. Perhaps the computer can help us.

[Kickstand presses some switches on the computer console. The computer beeps, and an envelope with photograph of Dr. Halfbaked pops out of the computer. Kickstand takes the photo and gives it to Scooterman]

Scooterman:
Dr. Halfbaked. Of course! He always gets into trouble. I'm sure he knows what happened to Wednesday. Let's go, Kickstand!

[Scooterman and Kickstand wear their helmets, get on the scooter and drive to Dr. Halfbaked's lab]

[Dr. Halfbaked is in his lab, humming a tune while working. Scooterman and Kickstand enter]

Dr. Halfbaked:
[smiles] Aha! What a pleasant surprise! I'm always glad to see you fellows.

[Dr. Halfbaked shakes their hands]

Dr. Halfbaked:
What can I do for you?

Scooterman:
[gently] Well, Dr. Halfbaked, when something strange happens - it's usually happens because of you.

Dr. Halfbaked:
[genuinely puzzled] Something strange? Me?

Scooterman:
Yes, you.

Dr. Halfbaked:
What do you mean?

Kickstand:
[hesitant] Well, Dr. Halfbaked...

[Kickstand looks at Scooterman. Scooterman nods]

Kickstand:
What happened to Wednesday?

Dr. Halfbaked:
Ah, Wednesday, Wednesday! Sit down, sit down. I'm always glad to tell people about my new inventions. Make yourself comfortable.

Dr. Halfbaked:
I decided to make a calendar that is better than any clock in the world. A calendar that can do all kinds of tricks, and can make all kinds of sounds. And... there it is!

[excitedly, Dr. Halfbaked pulls the curtain and presents the calendar. Scooterman and Kickstand stare at it, puzzled:
it shows November 1979, but there are eight days a week; Monday and Tuesday appear twice a week; and Wednesday is missing]

Scooterman:
A crazy calendar!

Kickstand:
I don't know if this is a calendar, but it sure is crazy!

Scooterman:
Dr. Halfbaked, uhm... why there are two Mondays and two Tuesdays? Why can't each day come just once a week?

Dr. Halfbaked:
[points at the clock] Look at the clock. There's an eight o'clock in the morning and an eight o'clock in the evening. There's a nine o'clock twice a day, too. In fact, every hour always comes twice a day. So why can't my calendar be the same? Why can't Monday come twice a week? Why can't Tuesday come twice a week? Or even every day?

Scooterman:
Where do you get all your crazy ideas?

Dr. Halfbaked:
[smiles] I often get good ideas in my sleep.

[Dr. Halfbaked becomes sleepy while talking]

Scooterman:
What about Wednesday? What happened to Wednesday?

[Dr. Halfbaked starts falling asleep. Scooterman grabs his arm and gently shakes him]

Scooterman:
[impatiently] Dr. Halfbaked! What did you do with Wednesday?

Dr. Halfbaked:
[awakes] Oh. Wait, Scooterman, I'll explain everything. I seldom do anything without good reason. During the school year, as you know, the students frequently take a day off from school because of a holiday. People who work sometimes take a day off. Doctors, for example, often take a day off on Wednesday. If other people can take a day off, why can't I? So that's what I did. I decided to take a day off. So I took Wednesday off... the calendar.

Scooterman:
Dr. Halfbaked, I have one more question for you: why there are eight days in the week? We always have seven days. Now why did you change that?

Dr. Halfbaked:
[sighs] I'm a very busy man, and I have a lot of work to do. There's just not enough days in the week.

Kickstand:
Dr. Halfbaked, that makes life difficult for everybody.

Scooterman:
I'm afraid you'll have to forget about your crazy calendar.

Dr. Halfbaked:
[shocked] What? Forget about my calendar? Oh no! I must show you all the wonderful things it can do.

[the screen of the calendar changes from November to December. Scooterman and Kickstand notice that December has only 30 days]

Dr. Halfbaked:
And now, look what happens at the end of the year!

Kickstand:
Dr. Halfbaked, wait a minute: December has 31 days.

Dr. Halfbaked:
Not anymore! My new calendar has 30 days in every month.

Scooterman:
But why?

Dr. Halfbaked:
Because I can never remember how many days are in each month of the old calendar. But now, that every month has the same number of days, it's easy to remember. And now, watch what my calendar does at the end of the year, at midnight - a new year's eve!

[excitedly, Dr. Halfbaked shows the visual effects of the calendar at the end of the year 1979]

Kickstand:
[impressed] Wow! I'll never look in another calendar again!

Dr. Halfbaked:
But there's more! What's more important than the end of a century, when we're ready to start another hundred years?

[Dr. Halfbaked becomes pensive]

Dr. Halfbaked:
I didn't test this part of the calendar yet. I don't know exactly what will happen... this will be the first time it shows what happens at the end of the century! Are you ready?

Scooterman:
We'll never be ready, but go on, Dr. Halfbaked.

[Dr. Halfbaked operates the calendar. Suddenly, something goes wrong. As often happens to Dr. Halfbaked's inventions, the calendar explodes. The room is filled with smoke. They all cough. Scooterman and Kickstand help Dr. Halfbaked sit down]

Dr. Halfbaked:
[whimpers] Do you know how long it took me to make that? I worked hard. Five times a day. Six days a week. Every week for ten years! And now... nothing. My calendar will never be the same again.

[Scooterman and Kickstand are relieved to hear that]

Scooterman:
That's wonderful.

Kickstand:
Boy, am I glad to hear that!

Dr. Halfbaked:
Now I'll have to think of a new idea. I sometimes get an idea very quickly.

[Scooterman and Kickstand decide it is time to leave]

Kickstand:
Goodbye, Dr. Halfbaked. Please, don't get into trouble again.

[Scooterman and Kickstand leave. Dr. Halfbaked looks at the broken calendar and sighs. He sits, deep in thought, and suddenly a new idea crosses his mind. Overjoyed, he starts taking notes]

[now that the missing Wednesday is found and put back, Scooterman and Kickstand return to the garage. They report the Chief about their successful mission]

Scooterman:
OK, Chief. I hope he never tries that again.

Chief:
Right, Scooterman. Good work.

[end of transmission]

Scooterman:
C'mon, Kickstand. Time to practice.

[Scooterman and Kickstand practice frequency expressions]

[last lines]

Kickstand:
I wonder what Dr. Halfbaked is doing now, Scooterman.

[they shrug, and start working in the garage. Suddenly they hear loud clock chimes]

Kickstand:
Listen!

[Kickstand shakes his watch and puts it close to his ear. He approaches the window, looks via it at the clock tower and counts the chimes]

Kickstand:
Eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve... thirteen!

Scooterman:
Thirteen?

Kickstand:
Thirteen!

[Kickstand gestures to Scooterman to come and take a look]

Kickstand:
Look up there at the big clock, Scooterman.

[Scooterman approaches the window and looks amazed at the clock:
it has 13 hours instead of 12]

Scooterman:
Ho no!

[it takes them a moment to realize whose handiwork it is]

Scooterman:
[sighs] Dr. Halfbaked did it again. Thirteen o'clock!

[end]