4. Searching for the Phoenix

Cybil, knocks on door, enters, sees Dee Zaster sitting on the corner of Walter’s desk CYBIL: Hey, get a room you two. WALTER: Huh… we’re just talking about the future… Dee interrupts Walter as she stands turning to face Cybil. DEE: …of the agency. We – Walter and I – think we need to do our homework on ben admin technology once and for all. CYBIL: You mean you want me to do “our” homework? DEE: No, no, no… we can do this together. WALTER: Yes, that’s right and we need to think about it differently because…

As she interrupts Walter, Cybil practically elbows Dee out of the way as she steps up towards his desk

CYBIL:…because we never get it right thinking only about technology

Dee glares at the back of Cybil’s
head. Is about to speak, thinks better of it and sits down.

CYBIL: How do you propose we do this together?

WALTER: I’m not sure, but maybe we should start by speaking with some other agencies – ones like ours but who we don’t compete with.

CYBIL: Ones like yours you mean…

Dee raises eyebrows as Walter, beginning to anger, stands up. Before he can speak Dee motions for him to stop. DEE:Look, I know it’s been tough lately but we are really all in this together. I think Walter is on to something. Juan knows those folks in Colorado and I think he has a friend who is a producer in Missouri. WALTER: Yeah and I can talk to a couple of the owners I met last year when I was checking out joining that national collaboration group. Cybil, forgetting her anger, turns to Dee CYBIL: Hey, yeah… come to think of it, my sister-in-law works in an agency that’s doing great in Dallas. DEE: And I can call that group we met at EB Futurama last month.

FADE TO:

Juan Manband, at his desk, speaks on phone. JUAN: Wow! Sounds like your admin platform has it all. Thanks for all the info. I’ll get back to you. Cybil, from her cubicle, speaks loudly… CYBIL: That call sounded a lot like the last one… JUAN: You’re right… and it’s too bad but that was the tech company I was referred to by the Colorado folks… and it sounded just like the one my buddy in Missouri uses.

CYBIL: Juan, I’m impressed, it seems you learned something from our wonderful experience with License This! Can’t say I’ve found an alternative… I haven’t had time to connect with the company my sister-in-law recommended.

Dee enters looking frustrated.

DEE: Well, I’m stumped. The agency principal we met at EB Futurama uses License This!. They’ve been able to make it work by building an internal technology team to fill in the gaps and do all the heavy lifting.

Walter enters, carrying several loose sheets of paper.

WALTER: Well, I think I’ve decided we might be up the creek. The agency owners I talked with either were just as messed up as we are when it comes to ben admin technology, or they have spent a ton of money gearing up internally.

DEE: Juan, what have you found out?

JUAN: Not much… but I have heard some pretty seductive sales pitches.

DEE: Cybil… do you have anything to give us a little hope?

CYBIL: Er… no, not yet. I haven’t had a chance to.

WALTER: That’s just great! What’s more important than this?

Cybil spins her chair around, stands and takes a step towards Walter.

CYBIL: What’s more important! How about the two dozen accounts I babysit day in and day out? How about cleaning up Juan’s messes… he keeps promising stuff and then dumping it on me to figure it out! How about all the stuff you and Dee seem to take for granted? Is any of that important!

DEE: Cybil, Cybil, take it easy. This isn’t about you. It’s about us.

CYBIL: About you and Walter you mean! Look, I’ve had it. I’m going home.

Cybil grabs her things. Walter steps out of the way as she stomps by. Juan, Dee and Walter stand bewildered and speechless.

FADE TO:

Walter sits at his desk. Dee paces.

WALTER: D’you think Cybil will be back?

DEE: I just don’t know what’s gotten into her lately. She’s usually so calm under pressure.

WALTER: It’s like she is mad at me…

DEE: If she’s mad at you, then she’s totally had it with me. I can’t believe it… just when we need to pull together.

WALTER: Aargh! Where’s that number for Confident Colleagues? I’m going to call them and see how much they will offer for this pile of…

DEE: Hey… stop that. We can work this out. Let me call Cybil and see if I can find out what’s really going on.

WALTER: And then what? We’re still stuck in this technology trap.

DEE: One thing at a time… I’ll reason with Cybil and then we’ll keep looking.

DISSOLVE TO:

Cybil lies on couch, ice pack under her neck. Cell phone on coffee table rings. She picks it up, looks at caller ID, sends call to voice mail. CUT TO:

Dee, alone in her office, speaks on phone.

DEE: Cybil, it’s me, Dee. We need to talk. I need to talk. Please call my cell. OK?

CUT TO:

Walter speaks on phone. WALTER: Sure, I can meet you for lunch tomorrow. I’ll bring my financials and my client list… do you need anything else? FADE TO SUPER:
NEXT ON MELLON’S PLACE “DASHBOARD DREAMS”
ROLL CREDITS

Director: Mathew Augustine Producer: Nitya Mathew Executive Producer: Mathew Augustine Screen Play: Curtis Verstraete Director of Photography: Janice Baez Production Designer: Denna Mathew Editor: Juan Brito Associate Producers: Pat Porter, Russ Darrin Original Concept: Curtis Verstraete Emailed On Location @ WFJ Studios Workforce Junction Team

The story, all names, characters, and incidents portrayed in this production are fictitious. No identification with actual persons (living or deceased), places, buildings, and products is intended or should be inferred. No animals were harmed in the making of this soap opera.

Workforce Junction, LLC. Concord, CA 94520. USA
www.workforcejunction.com – [email protected]

4. Searching for the Phoenix

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Season 1

1. Omens of the Inevitable

2. The Tech-Only Train Wreck

3. Clues Among the Wreckage

5. Dashboard Dreams

6. Leap of Faith

7. On-Purpose Prospecting

8. The Dashboard Edge

Season 2