<< SCENE 5

CHAPTER 6 - APPROVAL TO ORDER PARTS, MISSION IS A GO

INT. KITCHEN - MORNING

Sunlight streams into a cozy, brightly colored kitchen. A breakfast table is laden with bowls of cereal. MARION (40s, warm, kind) sips muesli. TIM (40s, practical, good-humored) crunches on granola. JIMMY (12, bright-eyed, bubbling with enthusiasm) meticulously eats his blueberry wheats.

MARION
(Smiling)
Jimmy, darling, how much have you saved now?

Jimmy savors a mouthful of perfectly milk-soaked blueberry wheats. He swallows, a twinkle in his eye.

JIMMY
(Proudly)
A little over two thousand pounds, and change!

Tim stops mid-chew.

TIM
(Impressed)
And, how much are the parts you need?

Jimmy, with the flourish of a seasoned explorer, pulls a crumpled, well-loved list from his back pocket. It's soft and shiny from countless hours of handling.

JIMMY
(Unfolding the list carefully)
The basic kit, with all the extras I think I'll need, runs to one thousand three hundred and seventy pounds. That includes VAT and delivery!

Tim opens his mouth to speak, but Jimmy is on a roll.

JIMMY (CONT'D)
Then, I need some extra alloy tubing. It's not too expensive from Aluminium Warehouse, an online supplier. Allow another hundred pounds!

Marion goes to speak, but Jimmy's enthusiasm is a unstoppable tide.

JIMMY (CONT'D)
I’ll also need some fixings from Screwfix and Tool Station. I guess about fifty pounds worth. I can play that by ear, and maybe borrow some from you, Dad!

Tim nods, a knowing smile playing on his lips, waiting patiently with Marion.

JIMMY (CONT'D)
And! I'll need some composites, epoxy resins, woven rovings. Carbon and Aramid fibre, if we can find it cheap enough. Not much, but better than glass fibre. If it's a good price. Otherwise, fiberglass will do! Allow another one hundred and fifty, just to be safe.

Marion blinks, a little lost in the technical jargon.

MARION
(Curious)
What in the world is a woven roving, when it’s at home?

JIMMY
(Eager to explain)
Oh, sorry, Mum! It’s like a special cloth made of carbon or glass fibres. You soak it in liquid resin, and when it dries, it becomes super hard plastic. It’s incredibly strong!

TIM
(Eyes twinkling)
Stronger than steel, actually.

MARION
(Amazed)
Oh, really?

JIMMY
(Beaming)
Yes, Mum! And you can form it into any shape! I'm going to use it to make the bodywork, so it looks like a giant insect!

MARION
(An artist’s interest piqued)
Uh-huh! Like fiberglass?

TIM
(Stepping in)
So, give us the grand total then, champ?

Jimmy hesitates for a moment, the weight of the moment pressing on him. This is it.

JIMMY
(Taking a deep breath)
Well, with the composites, it’s about one thousand, six hundred and seventy pounds.

Marion lets out a small sigh of relief.

MARION
(Smiling)
Thank you, Jimmy. Finally! Okay, one thousand six hundred and seventy pounds isn't as bad as I thought.

JIMMY
(Apologetically)
Sorry, Mum.

TIM
(Reaching over to ruffle Jimmy's hair)
No, that's okay, son. We did put you on the spot. And that leaves you... three hundred and forty pounds as a reserve!

JIMMY
(Eyes wide with realization)
Yes, Dad! Plus, whatever I earn from now until Christmas!

MARION & TIM
(In unison, a little confused)
Why Christmas, Jimmy?

Jimmy shifts, a blush creeping up his neck. He feels a bit too old to admit his Christmas wish to Santa.

JIMMY
(Shrugging casually)
It’s just a target I've set myself.

TIM
(Beaming)
Well, in that case, you'd better get a move on!

JIMMY
(His jaw dropping)
Really, Dad?!

TIM
(Warmly)
Yes, Jimmy! Your mother and I agreed on this some time ago, didn't we, love? We said if the project sounded good, and you could afford it, we'd support you!

JIMMY
(His voice thick with emotion)
I know that’s what you said. And to be honest, even though you’ve never gone back on a promise, I was still so nervous about the whole thing.

MARION
(Softly)
How so, sweetie?

JIMMY
(Looking between them)
Well, it is a lot of money… and a very big commitment.

Marion and Tim exchange a loving glance.

MARION
(Her eyes welling up slightly, a lump in her throat)
It’s epic, Jimmy. But we love it!

They both reach over, enveloping Jimmy in a huge, comforting hug. Tim even has to clear his throat to stay composed.

Jimmy quickly finishes his blueberry wheats, then practically leaps from his chair, rinsing his bowl in the sink.

JIMMY
(A whirlwind of excitement)
Thanks, Mum and Dad! Gotta go! No time to lose!

He scrambles towards the stairs, trembling with anticipation.

MARION
(Calling after him, holding up her debit card)
Jimmy! Jimmy! Aren’t you forgetting something?

Jimmy skids to a halt, a quizzical expression on his face. He rushes back down.

MARION (CONT'D)
(Smiling)
You’ll be needing this, I imagine.

Jimmy gratefully takes the card.

MARION (CONT'D)
(Holding up a small square of paper)
And you’ll be needing these as well.

JIMMY
(Grinning)
Oh, the codes! Thanks, Mum!

TIM
(Wagging a finger playfully)
Those come straight back down here once you’ve completed your shopping spree. Understood?

JIMMY
(Saluting with two fingers to his forehead)
Of course, Dad! Scout’s honor!

He dashes upstairs, his heart pounding a joyful rhythm.

INT. JIMMY'S BEDROOM - DAY

Jimmy's desk is cluttered with blueprints and sketches. He sits in front of his laptop, a determined gleam in his eyes. He has a list, longer than his arm, spread out beside him.

NARRATOR (V.O.)
(Warm, encouraging)
Armed with his laptop and a list of dreams, Jimmy embarked on the most thrilling quest of all: procuring the magical parts for his Dinobot! This wasn't just shopping; this was an adventure across the digital seas!

Jimmy begins his online quest. He types furiously, navigating websites with the focus of a seasoned captain. He finds "Robotica," a promising site, and begins adding items to his virtual cart: a powerful servo motor for the neck, a high-torque motor for the tail, and two rugged drive motors.

He clicks "Add to Cart." The page refreshes. Jimmy’s happy expression falters. His pride and joy, the motors, are gone from his cart!

JIMMY
(To himself, aghast)
What?! No!

He frantically refreshes the page again. Still gone! Then, he sees them listed, but at a much higher price!

JIMMY (CONT'D)
(A cartoonish gasp)
Aaaargh!

He starts over, searching different sites. Amazon, eBay, every virtual shop he can find. The prices are higher, but eBay seems to have more specialist suppliers for hard-to-find bits. He notices something peculiar: some Chinese sellers don’t charge for delivery, even from so far away!

JIMMY (CONT'D)
(Muttering, perplexed)
Banggood, Temu, Alibaba… how is that even possible?

Hours pass. Jimmy learns the art of online patience, waiting for pages to load, for orders to process. He discovers that "free shipping" sometimes comes with hidden fees if parts come from faraway lands. He’s a digital detective, sniffing out the best deals.

Finally, he returns to "Robotica" for the main drive motors. This time, he registers as a user instead of checking out as a guest. He even signs up for PayPal – more steps, but necessary!

He adds the essential components, his heart thumping with anticipation. With a deep breath, he clicks "Proceed to Checkout."

The screen whirs to life, a flurry of addresses and shipping options. Just as he’s about to hit "Confirm Order," a little pop-up appears.

JIMMY
(Reading aloud, bewildered)
Estimated VAT… one hundred and sixty-seven pounds?!

His jaw drops. VAT! He’d completely forgotten about that! It’s a huge chunk of his hard-earned money. Then, another worry.

JIMMY (CONT'D)
Delivery charge! Oh no, how many taxes are there?!

He quickly types in his postcode. The screen flashes: "Delivery is available and is free to your area."

JIMMY
(A huge sigh of relief)
Phew!

After a moment of careful thought, he finally hits "Confirm Order." A magical chime sounds from the laptop as the page refreshes, confirming his order. A wave of exhilaration washes over him, quickly followed by a tiny ripple of worry. What if something goes wrong?

By evening, Jimmy is utterly exhausted, but his eyes shine with triumph. His desk is piled high with invoices, receipts, and packing slips. He’s secured most of the crucial components. He prints out all the important papers and carefully places them in a special folder.

JIMMY (CONT'D)
(To himself, sagely)
I have a feeling I might need these.

He glances at the final cost: two thousand and four pounds. His reserve is almost completely gone. He remembers that shops include VAT in the price; online, it’s a separate, startling surprise.

As the days turn into a week, a growing pile of boxes starts to fill his room. Jimmy looks at them, a mixture of pride and nervous anticipation swirling within him. This is just the beginning. The real adventure, the real magic, lies ahead: assembling his creation, bringing his wonderful Dinobot to life! He knows he’ll need more money for bits and bobs later.

JIMMY (CONT'D)
(A determined glint in his eye)
Time to work harder… or smarter!

>>> SCENE 7

BEGIN AGAIN OR READ JIMMY'S PROJECT DIARY

This website is Copyright © 2025 Jameson Hunter Limited