The Message/Transcript

This is a transcribed copy of "The Message". Feel free to edit or add to this page, as long as the information comes directly from the episode.

Previous: "Story for Steven"

Next: "Political Power"

Speaker	Dialogue
[Open Beach]
(Greg is playing his guitar to Steven, with his van parked outside the Crystal Temple.)
Steven	*cheers* That sounded great!
Greg	Oh thanks! I'm thinking about calling it "Water Witch".
Steven	Cool.
Greg	And check this out, I can add some vocal distortion too. (Greg pulls down a microphone from the ceiling of the van, adjusts a control panel and speaks into the microphone, distorting his voice into a robotic one.) Steven, your dad's a robot now. And now that I'm a robot, things will be better and colder. Please forgive me for being an amazing machine.
Steven	I can't stay mad at my robo-dad. Where's all this awesome energy coming from?
Greg	Actually, I was inspired to make some new songs after the ocean got sucked up into space a while back. I even drew up some freaky album artwork.
(Greg shows Steven his drawing of his album cover, titled "Water Witch".)
Steven	It looks like... Lapis Lazuli.
Greg	*takes the drawing back* Easy with the tender touches, don't want it to get all smudged. Here, plug this up and help your old man work out this witchy jam. *hands Steven an electric guitar*
Steven	Yeah! Let's... Jam!
(Steven strums the electric guitar but it makes no sound.)
Steven	Uh? Where my jams at?
Greg	I don't think it's plugged in.
Steven	Ah ha!
(Steven plugs the electric guitar into the TV in Greg's van)
Steven	All right, here we go. Let's ... jam!
(Steven strums the guitar again, but it still makes no sound.)
Steven	Uh... hmm. *strums it again* Jam!
(No sound is made.)
Steven	Hmm... Jaaaam!
(Steven repeatedly strum the guitar, but still no sound.)
Greg	Oh, sorry, that's just the TV. *points to the TV* See, you plugged into the video jack, but were making audio here. Don't you know video killed the audio star?
Steven	*looks around in confusion* I have no idea what you are talking about.
Greg	That's okay, you leave the details to me. When you're a one-man band you got to know how to do it all lyrics, graphic design, forum moderation, but for me it was all about the audio.
Steven	What a lovely poem.
Greg	Ok, we need a catchy hook! Something like- *starts playing his guitar and singing* ♫ Well she's a riptide queen and she's super mean-
Steven	Woah, hold the phone! *halts Greg from singing* Now give the phone to me. Lapis was not mean, she was just trying to get home. How 'bout this instead?
(Steven starts to sing "Lapis Lazuli" while playing his electric guitar.)
Steven	♫ She was trapped in a mirror / And it couldn't be clearer / She wanted to leave this place / And get herself back in space / And dad you might think she's a criminal / But her friendship comes through subliminal ♫
(A flashback of the events in Mirror Gem and Ocean Gem starts to play as Steven continues singing.)
Steven	♫ Lapis Lazuli~ You fled into the bottom of the sea~ ♫ Lapis Lazuli~ You were so mad but then you came around to me. ♫
(Steven stops singing and the flashback ends, when a strange loud noise startles him.)
Steven	Uh, what the heck is that?!
Greg	It must be some kind of weird feedback!
(Greg tunes his audio keyboard, unsuccessfully removing the noise.)
Greg	Hm, it's not us, it must be coming from the temple!
Steven	Let's go check it out!
Greg	You go on ahead, this is a Gem thing and I don't want to get in the way. Plus I get to eat the rest of this pizza.
Steven	Good thinking. I'll be back.
(Steven runs back to the Beach House, and the noise intensifies when he opens the door)
Steven	*covering his ears* What's happening?!
Pearl	It's the Wailing Stone!
Amethyst	Make it stop!
Pearl	It just activated on its own!
Amethyst	It won't shut off!
(Amethyst continues as Garnet sets the Wailing Stone on the floor. She summons her gauntlet and slams the button at the top of the stone, momentarily stops the noise. As soon as she lifts up her gauntlet, the noise returns, and everyone continues to whine.)
Pearl	Stand back! *approaches the Wailing Stone and bubbles it, and the noise disappears* Huh? It worked! Now we can-
(Pearl's bubble then begins to expand and pops, releasing the Wailing Stone and everyone screams at the returning noise. Steven runs up and sticks his arm through the hole of the stone. The noise momentarily stops, but blasts out again through Steven's mouth. Garnet then quickly removes Steven from the stone, shoves a couch cushion through the hole, surrounds the stone with more cushions, and places Steven on top.)
Garnet	I don't understand, that thing has laid dormant since we found it.
Pearl	I haven't heard a Wailing Stone activate since we used them for the rebellion, and I've never heard it sound like that!
Garnet	Someone is trying to send us a message.
Pearl	But who? We've rounded up all the Wailing Stones on Earth, and we're not sending this message to ourselves. Unless... Amethyst?! Is this a prank?!
Amethyst	No way! I want it to stop! I don't like it! *grabs her hair in agony*
Garnet	If it's not coming from Earth, then a Gem must be sending this message from space.
Steven	Is that what some Gems sound like?
Pearl	No, no, we should be hearing a voice. Maybe this signal is too advanced for the Wailing Stone to process. That would explain the distorted audio.
Steven	Audio... my daddy-o knows audio!
Amethyst	Uh... you mean Greg?
Steven	Yeah!
Pearl	I don't know...
Garnet	Don't whine, let's try it.
[Trans. Beach]
(Greg unloads all sorts of audio equipment out of his van, while the Crystal Gems sit and watch nearby.)
Greg	I can't believe it, you need help with sound stuff!? You've come to the right guy! Ah ha! *holds out a huge glowing blue microphone* The Lubitz Cardioid Condenser 680! It's got warm tone without too much top end.
Amethyst	Uh, plus it's got a big honking sponge thing.
Greg	(It is revealed it is just a regular microphone with a giant foam cover.) I know, isn't it awesome!?
(Greg removes the couch cushion from the Wailing Stone, causing the noise to emit and the Crystal Gems to cover their ears, and quickly plugs the microphone into the hole of the stone. He then begins to adjust his audio equipments.)
Greg	Now I'm going to add some reverb and some low octave effects. I'm also adding some fuzz 'cause who couldn't use more fuzz? Now if I directly input the Wailing Stone and put it through a flanger, we might get what you're looking for.
Pearl	Flangers aside, do you really think a signal like this is compatible with your analog devices?
Steven	Don't worry dad. *speaks using the voice distorter* It'll work!
Greg	Well, here goes nothing.
(Greg turns on the flanger, and the wailing noise is intensified even more.)
Amethyst	*covers her ears in agony* This is even worse!
Greg	I'm sorry!
Steven	Dad you can do it, you're the audio daddy-o!
Greg	Yeah!
(Greg configures his audio equipment further, and the wailing noise abates to an ambient-like sound.)
Amethyst	*starts to calm down* Uh.
Steven	It sounds like... music.
Greg	Yeah, that's real nice. *tunes his equipment a bit more Yes, yes! Woo-hoo!
Pearl	But, it's not supposed to be music. It's supposed to be a message!
Greg	Okay, hold on I got this.
(Greg keeps tuning his audio equipment.)
Greg	It's changing!
Steven	It almost sounds like a voice.
Greg	Almost got it!
(Greg adjusts more, when the system short-circuits. The noise stops playing and smoke emanates from the van engine.)
Greg	Aww... Oh great.
Pearl	*gets angry* What's happening? where's the signal?
Greg	Uh, looks like the van battery couldn't handle all this.
Pearl	I had a feeling this wouldn't work. There's just no way that Greg's equipment can interface with our ancient Gem technology.
Steven	Ah... Come on Pearl, you can't be ready to give up yet.
Greg	Look, we just got to keep trying. Sure we don't have the latest and greatest Gem tech, but-
(Garnet remove the microphone from the Wailing Stone, the noise momentarily returns, she then plugs the couch cushions back into it.)
Garnet	It's okay Greg, you tried. Back to the temple. We'll figure something else out. *jumps off*
Pearl	What a waste of time. *jumps off too*
Amethyst	See you later, Gregory. *jumps off three*
Steven	Ah, come on y'all! *tries to jump after the Gems, but fails*
(Greg looks down in disappointment. He picks up his guitar and sits down on the beach, facing the sea.)
Greg	I really blew it, huh?
Steven	Ah, Dad.
(Greg begins to play his guitar and sings "Wailing Stone".)
Greg	♫ I could have tamed you, I could have shown I could depose you from your loud throne / But in the end I wasn't good enough, I just showed the Gems I ain't got the stuff / Oh Wailing Stone! I tried so hard to fly but I was thrown / Oh Wailing Stone! I gotta tell the Gems 'cause they should know / Have a little, have a little, have a little faith in me! I just wanted to help. / You know I have a little, have a little, have a little expertise! I know it's not much / But if it could come in handy, I'd want to be there / I think so highly of you, it just isn't fair / That you have so little faith... ♫ Eh, that's a B-side.
Steven	Dad, I hate seeing you like this, there's gotta be something else we can try.
Greg	Eh, I don't know Steven. I mean, sound and stuff like this, this stuff's my whole world, and if I can't figure this out then, maybe it isn't even sound.
Steven	Dad, if it isn't sound then, what else could it be? *looks around Greg's equipment, "hmm"ing to himself, and focuses on the TV* Wait. Whhaaaaatt!? DAAAAADDD!!
Greg	I'm not that far away from you, buddy.
Steven	What if it's...
Greg	Some other thing I'm not good at?
(Steven points at his eyes.)
Greg	*struggles to understand Steven* Magic... eyeballs...? Oh my days, it's video!
Steven	We have to tell the Gems! Video! *starts running to beach house*
Greg	Hey, slow down!
[Trans. Int. Beach House]]
(Greg bursts into the house and rushes in, not noticing the Gems sitting by the windows.)
Greg	I just want to help, have some faith in- *pauses and turns to see the Gems*
Amethyst	We're over here.
Greg	I know my audio equipment seems like a pile of Earth junk to y'all but-
Garnet	Greg, it's okay.
Greg	*gets serious* No it's not, you guys don't give up on anything, except for me. Come on... it's not like I can make it any worse!
[Trans. Beach]]
(The Crystal Gems and Greg return back to Greg's van. Pearl is inspecting the van engine while Garnet is holding a pair of jumper cables, connecting to the engine.)
Pearl	Okay, go for it Garnet.
(Garnet begins generating electrical currents from her hands to jump-start the van engine.)
Pearl	Okay Amethyst, try it now.
Amethyst	I've never started a car with a key before. *turns the car key and the van starts up* Hahaha, that's way easier!
Pearl	*shuts the engine hood* The battery is ready to go.
Steven	The Wailing Stone is ready.
Greg	Ready with the video cord, Steven?
Steven	Ready.
(Steven plugs the cord into the TV. Greg starts tuning his equipment and static begins to play on the TV, emitting the strange noise.)
Pearl	Is that it?
Greg	Just a second.
(Greg adjusts further, the imagery on the TV becomes less fuzzy. The Crystal Gems keep watching in suspension.)
Steven	I hear something.
Greg	Come on!
(Greg keeps adjusting, and the imagery on the TV becomes clearer, revealing Lapis.)
Lapis	Steven!
Steven	Lapis!
Greg	I did it!
Pearl	I can't believe my flippin' eyes!
Garnet	Everyone, listen up!
Lapis	I hope you're able to hear this. There's a Gem looking for you, she even knew your name. I don't know how! I didn't tell her, I swear! She's on her way to Earth, and she's not alone. Steven, Homeworld is not the way it used to be. Everything here is so advanced! I can't even understand it. There's no way anything on Earth can stand up to it. Please, don't put up a fight, It'll only lead to devastation!-
(The video suddenly cuts off, ending the transmission.)
Pearl	It's Peridot, she must be talking about Peridot.
Amethyst	She's coming for us!
Steven	Lapis, she sounds so unhappy...
(Pearl and Amethyst starts to freak out in background, and Garnet clutches her fists.)
Amethyst	What are we going to do?!
Garnet	Woo!
Others	Wha...?
Garnet	We did it.
Pearl	What?
Garnet	We got the message.
Amethyst	But-
Garnet	It's "got!"
(Garnet approaches Greg and holds out her hand. Greg looks at Garnet's hand in surprise and shakes it.)
Garnet	Thank you Greg, we would not have received this message without your help.
Greg	You're... *tears up in joy* You're welcome.
Steven	My dad is... *speaks with voice distortion* the best!
Greg	Oh my gosh, Steven's a robot! Help, I can't relate to my robot son!
Steven	*robotic voice* My mind is the internet, I know every continuity mistake ever made on television.
(Greg and Steven start laughing together. The Gems turn and look at one another in worry.)
[END]