Samsara by Ben Austin-Docampo
Page 1
Panel 1: Atavus, a humanoid robot, walks down the stairs away from his hotel entrance.
Panel 2. Street shot of a small one-person car going by as a human loiters under a street light smoking near a robot with four leg appendages and Doc Ock arms.
Panel 3: Atavus descends the stairs of a subway station.
Panel 4: Atavus stands inside a subway car crowded in by many humans and robot passengers. Some humans appear to have transhuman enhancements, like giant robot lobster hands.
Panel 5. Atavus accidentally bumps into a human passenger as the train skids to a stop.
Panel 6. The human passenger angrily gripes at Atavus.
Panel 7. Atavus gets caught facing the wrong direction as the passengers de-board.
Panel 8. Atavus standing alone inside the train car as the doors close.
Page 2.
Panel 1. Atavus jumps through the narrow opening of the subway car doors as it closes.
Panel 2. Atavus walking up the stairs as he leaves a subway station.
Panel 3. Atavus looks up at a street sign at a corner block.
Panell 4. Atavus walks down a sidewalk along an empty street.
Panel 5. Atavus’ head is visible in the lower part of the panel looking towards a house.
Panel 6. Atavus walking up the house’s walkway.
Panel 7: Two kids race to the door as the doorbell rings while a football game is on the TV.
Panel 8. The kids open the door part way and are greeted by Atavus.
Panel 9. The person watching the football game, an older man, annoyedly leaves his chair to check on the kids at the door.
Page 3.
Panel 1. The old man, the kids’ grandpa, walks through the hallway to the foyer.
Panel 2. The grandpa, Reggie, talks with Atavus through the partially opened door.
Panel 3. Reggie’s face, bald except around his ears and the back of his head and a substantial mustache, warily sizing up Atavus.
Panel 4. Reggie’s face becomes friendlier as Atavus he listens to Atavus.
Panel 5. Atavus facing Reggie, the lawn and street in the background.
Panel 6. Reggie in three quarter view, Atavus’ head visible from the side.
Panel 7. Back of Reggie’s head, Atavus’ face visible in front of him.
Panel 8. Inset panel: Reggie’s hand sliding the chain lock on his door. Main panel: Reggie, arm extended, welcoming Atavus into his home.
Page 4.
Panel 1. Reggie walking with a cane through his living room, Atavus following him.
Panel 2. Reggie and Atavus sitting down.
Panel 3. Reggie in his La-Z-Boy with his granddaughter on his lap.
Panel 4. Atavus looking at Reggie, who has his arm on his chair’s armrest.
Panel 5. Atavus face up close. His expressionless mouth hole and reflective eyes stare impassively.
Panel 6. Reggie, mouth open, imploring eyes.
Panel 7. Reggie, mouth closed, eyes off to the side, contemplative.
Panel 8. Reggie, irritated.
Panel 9. Reggie, sad from reliving the events of his life he has just related.
Page 5.
Panel 1. Reggie in profile.
Panel 2. Reggie, head on.
Panel 3. Reggie, eye’s closed, regretful.
Panel 4. Reggie eyes open, resolute.
Panel 5. Reggie arms up over his head as his grand kid climbs on the back of his chair.
Panel 6. Reggie with both his grandkids in his chair.
Panel 7. Reggie, wry smile.
Panel 8. Atavus facing Reggie in his chair.
Panel 9. Atavus looking ahead at Reggie.
Page 6.
Panel 1. Reggie eyes closed wide smile as he laughs uncontrollably at Atavus’ remark.
Panel 2. Reggie smiling, wiping a tear from his eye.
Panel 3. Atavus, blank stare.
Panel 4. Atavus and Reggie sitting across from one another.
Panel 5. Atavus, blank stare.
Panel 6. Reggie, one eyebrow raised, quizzically.
Panel 7. Atavus, blank stare.
Panel 8. Reggie, looking off to the side.
Panel 9. Reggie looking at Atavus with intent.
Panel 10. Atavus, blank stare.
Panel 11. Reggie, eyebrows drawn together, serious look on his face.
Page 7.
Panel 1. Atavus, blank stare.
Panel 2. Tighter in on Atavus, blank stare.
Panel 3. Tighter still, blank stare.
Panel 4. Grumpy looking Reggie.
Panel 5. Atavus getting up from his chair. Reggie, too.
Panel 6. Atavus standing, Reggie’s arm in foreground.
Panel 7. Reggie standing behind Atavus.
Panel 8. Atavus speaks to Reggie on the doorstep through the partially open door.
Panel 9. Reggie closes the door in Atavus’ face.
Panel 10. Atavus walking away from Reggie’s house.
Page 8.
Panel 1. Atavus takes one last look at Reggie’s house from the sidewalk.
Panel 2. Just the walkway up to Reggie’s house, Atavus has gone.
Panel 3. Atavus standing on a crowded subway station.
Panel 4. Atavus entering his hotel building.
Panel 5. Atavus in the cross legged meditation pose.
Panel 6. Atavus taken aback by the sounds of sex coming through his wall.
Panel 7. Atavus sighs as the sounds from the next room don’t seem to be ending any time soon.
Panel 8. Atavus leaving his hotel.
Panel 9. Atavus walking down the street past a muscly individual wearing only underwear with a monitor for a head.
Page 9.
Panel 1. Atavus reading a sign on a brick wall that says, “24 Hour Body-Mod. Bots and humans. Walk-ins welcome with an arrow pointing to the entrance on the right.
Panel 2. Atavus enters the building.
Panel 3. Atavus reads a series of signs, one under the heading “Bots” and the other under the heading “Humans.” Each sign refers to a kind of augmentation or modification that can be performed.
Panel 4. Atavus puts his hand on a sign about adding a face to a robotic head in order to better display emotions.
Panel 5. A burly man with a headband and bushy beard attends to Atavus.
Page 10.
Panel 1. Atavus points at the robot face sign as the body mod tech looks on.
Panel 2. Atavus' face, expressionless.
Panel 3. The body mod tech holds out an example of the augmentation he can outfit on Atavus. It looks like a classic drama mask.
Panel 4. Body Mod tech crouches down closer to Atavus holding the faceplate in his left hand.
Panel 5. Body Mod tech with his back to Atavus, who is sitting in a chair, reminiscent of a tattoo parlor chair.
Panel 6. Body mod tech wearing goggles with thin, pointy extenders over the eyes.
Panel 7. Body mod tech smiles when Atavus holds out his cash.
Page 11.
Panel 1. Body mod tech flips open a panel on the top of Atavus head with a screwdriver.
Panel 2. Body mod tech working on some cables inside Atavus’ head, his tongue sticking out in a sign of concentration.
Panel 3. Body mod tech standing behind Atavus in the chair, his head now connected by wires to some kind of output device on a table.
Panel 4. Body mod tech’s forearms visible as he unscrews Atavus’ eyes from his face.
Panel 5. All black, POV of Atavus.
Panel 6. Body Mod tech standing over a reclined Atavus, still with no eyes.
Panel 7. A slightly wavy looking body mod tech, as Atavus’ eyesight is restored.
Panel 8. Body Mod tech with a scalpel looking tool approaching Atavus’ face.
Panel 9. The Body Mod tech lowers Atavus’ new face place with both hands holding onto it delicately from the sides.
Page 12.
Panel 1. Atavus with his new faceplace, which includes a nose, mouth and more expressive eyes, which are closed.
Panel 2. Close-up of Atavus’ new face as the tech puts the final touches on the install. His screwdriver tool is fusing the faceplace to Atavus’ head, causing a thin line of smoke to plume out.
Panel 3. A proud looking tech looking at Atavus in his chair.
Panel 4. Tech holding a mirror in front of Atavus so he can see his new face, a look of surprise reflected in the mirror.
Panel 5. Atavus holding the mirror for himself, the tech standing with his arms crossed.
Panel 6. Atavus standing up behind the tech.
Panel 7. Atavus leaving the shop.
Panel 8. Shop door swinging closed.
Panel 9. Body mod tech outside the shop, smoking.
Page 13.
Panel 1. Atavus smiling at his reflection in a window.
Panel 2. Close-up of Atavus staring at his own reflection, resolute.
Panel 3. The window, blank now that Atavus has moved on.
Panel 4. A man walking by the window in a hoodie.
Panel 5. Atavus walking down a street, a dog jumping up on him, tail wagging.
Panel 6. Atavus, partially obscured as he walks in a dense part of the city.