A long time from now on a distant ocean-covered moon, a teenage girl longs for adventure. But she must first escape the clutches of her cruel guardian.
Learning Objective: to identify elements of a traditional Cinderella
story in a science-fiction drama
Scene 1
Friday
underwater on the ice moon Gelida
SD1: Asche is swimming frantically through the water.
SD2: She wears a silver diving suit with a helmet.
SD3: Her breath is labored as she pushes herself faster.
SFX: Beep.
SD1: She glances at a timer on her wrist.
Asche: No, no, no!
SD2: In the distance, the hull of a giant ship, the Searcher, comes into view.
SFX: Beep.
Asche: More time! I’m almost there!
SFX: Beep. Beep. Beeeeeeep.
SD3: Asche’s diving suit begins to disintegrate.
SD1: Freezing water rushes into her helmet.
SD2: Everything goes dark.
Scene 2
Wednesday
two days earlier on board the Searcher
SD3: The lights rise on a spacious cabin inside the ship.
SD1: Asche yawns as she pours three cups of coffee and places them on the table.
SD2: Arden, Bree, and Dr. Burke walk in.
Asche: Good morning.
Arden: Whoa, you look terrible.
Bree: You smell terrible too.
Asche: Sorry. I fixed a leak in the waste recycler last night.
Arden: Aw, poor baby. Is that why you look so sad?
Asche: No, I was just . . . thinking about my parents.
Bree: The Frontier is what—three years just to get there? You’ll be lucky to see your parents again before you turn 30.
Asche (firmly): I am proud of the research they are doing.
Dr. Burke: Yes, yes, we know: Your parents are genius scientists and their mission to explore a never-before-seen region of space will be one for the history books.
Arden: Blah blah blah.
Bree: Clearly they care more about their work than they do about you, because they dumped you with us.
Asche: That’s not—
Burke: Asche, don’t you have chores to do? Those vegetables won’t grow themselves.
Asche: Yes, Dr. Burke.
Burke: And girls, it’s time to get ready for Dr. Thorp’s class. Where are your diving suits?
Scene 3
the greenhouse
SD3: The lights rise on a garden on one of the ship’s upper decks. The garden is covered by a glass dome. Outside, Gelida’s orange sky shimmers over a vast, icy ocean.
SD1: Asche hums softly as she makes her way through the tidy rows of fruits and vegetables.
Asche: Hello, spinach! You’re looking good—let me make a note in my flick.
SD2: She pulls a device out of her pocket and makes a note. Then she turns to the radishes, frowning.
Asche: Oh, radishes, what happened to you?
SD3: She dips her finger in the dirt and tastes it.
Asche: Salty! There must be a malfunction in the soil processor.
SD1: She makes another note, then adds manure to the soil.
Asche: This should help, little ones.
SD2: The door opens, and a man walks in.
Asche: Hello, Dr. Thorp!
Dr. Thorp: Hello, Asche. I wanted to let you know that I spoke to Dr. Burke about having you join my Underwater Explorations class, but . . .
Asche: What?
Thorp: She said no. I’m so sorry. I know you’d love it out there, searching the waters for signs of life. You clearly have a way with living things.
SD3: Dr. Thorp turns to leave, then looks back.
Thorp: I really am sorry.
SD1: Asche sighs, then turns back to the garden.
Scene 4
the kitchen
SD2: The lights rise on a robot floating around a kitchen. Asche enters with a basket of vegetables.
Asche: Hi, Oida. I’ve brought the produce you asked for. (looking around) Soup tonight?
Oida: Affirmative. My data shows that the inhabitants of this research vessel are low on B vitamins. Those vegetables should remedy that.
SD3: Asche puts the basket on the counter and pauses.
Oida: I sense melancholy in you.
Asche: You sense correctly.
Oida: Care to unburden yourself? I am programmed in human emotion.
Asche (smiling slightly): I know.
Oida: So?
Asche: I don’t mean to be ungrateful—but I feel like here I am on Gelida, this amazing ocean-covered moon tens of thousands of light-years from Earth, and all I ever see is the inside of this ship.
Oida: What is it you would like to do?
Asche: I want to be out there in the water. Exploring!
Oida: Why aren’t you in Dr. Thorp’s class? You have your mother’s diving suit.
Asche: True, but Dr. Burke won’t let me join the class. It’s like she’s punishing me, but I don’t know what I did.
Oida: That does not seem logical. Your parents chose her to be your guardian. Didn’t they all go to school together?
SD1: Asche shrugs.
SD2: Oida glides over to a cupboard and pulls out a can.
Oida: Take a cookie. It will lift your spirits.
SD3: Asche takes a bite. She smiles, but a tear rolls down her cheek.
Randy Pollak
SUPERSMART ROBOT
Oida is a robot with extremely advanced artificial intelligence. Could we ever have robots like her? It’s very possible! Around the world, humanlike robots with the ability to learn and communicate already exist. What purpose does the character Oida serve in the story?
Scene 5
Thursday
the recreation room
SD1: Students are playing games and talking. Luis, Kumiko, and Chandler approach Asche.
Luis: Did you hear?
Asche: No, what?
Kumiko: One of the drones found something!
Chandler: Out on an ice shelf.
Luis: I just sent you the picture.
SD2: Asche opens her flick.
Asche: It looks like markings on the ice—like the cave paintings our ancestors made.
Luis: Do you know what this means?
Asche (grinning): Intelligent life.
SD3: Dr. Burke and Captain Ortiz walk in.
Captain Ortiz: Attention! As you may have heard, this morning a drone captured images that may be of extreme importance. A team of divers will go out tomorrow to investigate. And we’ve decided to invite Dr. Thorp’s students to come along.
SD1: The room erupts in cheers.
Burke: This could be the single biggest discovery in human history.
SD2: Asche walks up to Dr. Burke. Luis is nearby, listening.
Asche: Dr. Burke, I was wondering if I might be able to go.
Burke: You don’t have the gear.
Asche: My mom gave me a diving suit. She made it herself.
Burke: Even so, with so many of us off the ship, you’ll need to pick up the extra work.
Asche: What if I finish all my duties? Can I go then?
Burke: You must wipe down all 400 solar panels, scrub the floors on all 12 decks, remove the space lice infesting the bathrooms on Deck 7, and bring manure to the greenhouse.
Asche: I already brought the manure.
Burke: Then do it again.
Asche: OK . . . but if I finish . . . ?
Burke: If you finish all of that, then I suppose you can go.
Asche: Oh, thank you, Dr. Burke! Thank you!
Scene 6
the greenhouse
SD3: Asche stifles a yawn as she tends the vegetables.
SD1: Oida floats in.
Oida: It’s two in the morning! What are you doing?
Asche: I have to finish my chores.
Oida: Why?
Asche: Dr. Burke says if I do, I can go on the mission.
Oida: What do you have left?
SD2: Asche hands Oida her list.
Oida: I can accomplish all of this. You go sleep.
Asche: Are you sure? It’s quite a lot.
Oida: Then it is fortunate that I do not require sleep as humans do.
SD3: Asche throws her arms around Oida, then exits.
Scene 7
Friday
the equipment room
Shutterstock.com
SD1: Scientists and students are pulling on diving suits and checking their instruments.
SD2: Luis talks with his father, Captain Ortiz.
Ortiz: Be careful out there, son.
Luis: Of course.
Ortiz: Remember your training. The water is dangerous.
SD3: Asche walks in carrying a bag and smiling. She hangs it up on a row of lockers.
SD1: She doesn’t notice Arden and Bree snickering.
SD2: She unzips the bag and pulls out her diving suit.
Asche: No, no, no!
SD3: The suit has been ripped to shreds.
SD1: Just then, a door to an outdoor platform slides open.
Ortiz (addressing everyone): Let’s make history today!
SD2: Everyone cheers.
Burke: Science team, come with me!
Thorp: Students, with me!
SD3: As the divers file outside and begin to enter the water, Luis looks back at Asche. He pauses.
Scene 8
the greenhouse
SD1: Asche stares forlornly at a small pepper plant.
SD2: Luis and Oida come up to her.
Asche: Luis, why aren’t you out there with everyone?
Luis: It didn’t seem right to go without you.
Asche: That was kind, but there is no point in you missing out too. (shaking her head) How could Arden and Bree do this to me?
Oida: The answer to that question is not in my database. But I did search the ship’s records, and it seems Dr. Burke has been assigning her daughters’ duties to you, Asche.
Luis: My father needs to hear about all this.
Asche: Oh, who cares now? Everything is ruined.
Luis: Actually, it isn’t.
SD3: Oida pulls out a gleaming diving suit.
Asche (gasping): Where did you get that?
Oida: This is a prototype of a new, improved suit that your mother and I were working on before she left. It’s light and warm. But it has one flaw.
Asche: Yes?
Oida: Gelida’s ocean dissolves the material.
Asche: So . . . I can’t use it?
Oida: You can, but you must be very careful.
Asche: What do you mean?
Oida: According to my calculations, the suit will last for only one hour. After that, the material will disintegrate. Look—I attached a timer to the wrist. When you’re down to 15 minutes, the timer will start to beep as a warning.
Asche: Got it.
Luis: Come on, Asche. We have to hurry if we’re going to catch up to everyone.
Oida: You must not linger one moment past that final beep.
Randy Pollak
ICY OCEAN MOON
Gelida is an imaginary moon covered by a vast ocean. But it’s believed that such moons do exist. For example, Europa, a moon of Jupiter, seems to hold a saltwater ocean beneath its icy surface. Could there be life in this ocean? One day soon, we might find out.
Scene 9
an ice shelf in Gelida’s ocean
SD1: The team is underwater at the ice shelf.
SD2: Everyone communicates through microphones in their helmets.
Scientist 1: Here are the markings!
Kumiko: Seeing them in person is so different from looking at the footage from the drone.
Scientist 2: Look, there are more markings over here.
SD3: Luis and Asche swim up to the group. In her special suit, Asche shines like an underwater lamp.
Thorp: There you are, Luis. Where have you been?
Bree (to Arden): Who is that with Luis?
Arden: I’ve never seen a suit like that before. It’s incredible.
Burke (to herself, angrily): I have.
SD1: Asche’s eyes are fixed on the markings.
Asche: Look at these lines, how they all lead to this circle. Maybe this is a map?
Thorp: If it is, then this mark here must be where we are now. It looks like if we follow the ice shelf this way, we will reach the circle.
Luis: But what’s the circle?
Thorp: Only one way to find out!
SD2: The group begins swimming along the ice shelf.
SD3: After some time, they come to an underwater cave. A purple light pulses from within.
SD1: Suddenly, Dr. Burke rushes toward the light.
Burke (to herself): This discovery belongs to me.
Thorp: No, wait!
SD2: But it’s too late. A startled creature—10 times the size of a human—heaves itself out of the cave, slamming Dr. Burke into the ice shelf.
Burke: Aaaaah!
SD3: The creature’s skin is translucent.
SD1: It pulses with different colors—blue, purple, orange.
Asche (awestruck): How magnificent.
SD2: The creature wraps one of its tentacles around Dr. Burke and drags her toward its face.
Burke: It’s going to eat me! Kill it! Kill it now!
Asche: No! Stop! I don’t think it means you any harm.
SFX: Beep.
SD3: Asche looks at her wrist.
Burke: KILL IT!
SFX: Beep.
SD1: Dr. Thorp pulls out a knife and swims toward the creature.
SFX: Beep.
SD2: Seeing what’s about to happen, Asche shoves Dr. Thorp away. The creature grabs her.
SD3: For a moment, Asche and the creature are eye to eye.
Asche (softly): Hello there.
SD1: The creature makes a low grunting sound.
Asche: We mean you no harm. Dr. Thorp, put the knife away. Dr. Burke, stop struggling.
SFX: Beep.
SD2: Reluctantly, they comply. The creature releases Dr. Burke.
SD3: Asche slowly lifts her hand and gently touches the creature’s face.
Asche: Aren’t you extraordinary.
Arden: I know that voice. It’s . . .
Bree (amazed): Asche.
SD1: With a grunt, the creature lets Asche go.
SFX: Beep.
SD2: Asche looks at her wrist again and swims off.
Thorp: Wait! Who are you?
SD3: Asche presses on.
SD1: The hull of the Searcher comes into view—and her timer gives its final warning.
SFX: Beep. Beep. Beeeeeeep.
SD2: Just as Asche falls unconscious, three divers take hold of her and begin dragging her toward the ship.
Scene 10
back on the Searcher
SD3: Asche sits under a blanket.
Luis: Are you OK?
Bree: We thought we’d lost you.
Arden: We almost didn’t get to you in time.
Bree: Asche, I am so sorry. What you did for our mom, the way you were with the creature . . . you were amazing.
Arden: What we did to your mother’s suit was wrong.
Asche: I forgive you, but I don’t understand why—
SD1: Dr. Burke marches over.
Burke: I know what you did.
Asche: Wh—what?
Burke: You saved my life. Why would you help me?
Asche: Why do you hate me?
Burke: Ha! I was supposed to go to the Frontier. Me. But the Commission gave my spot to your perfect mother. Was I supposed to be honored when your parents asked me to be your guardian? Like it was some sort of consolation prize?
Ortiz: Dr. Burke, is this true?
Burke (turning): Is what true?
Ortiz: My son says you’ve been assigning your daughters’ duties to Asche and refused to let her join Dr. Thorp’s class.
Burke: It is not your business, Captain.
Ortiz: Everything on this ship is my business. I have spoken to the Commission. For your dishonorable conduct, you will be sent to study the screaming beetles of Muckalin 5.
Luis: They say the only thing worse than the noise is the stink.
Ortiz: Perhaps if you apologized, they would reconsider.
Burke: I would rather eat every screaming beetle in the galaxy than apologize to that spoiled brat!
Ortiz: That can certainly be arranged.
SD2: Security guards, take Dr. Burke away.
Luis (to Asche): The Commission will be here soon. We have so much to tell them.
SD3: Asche grins. She holds out her hands to Bree and Arden in a gesture of friendship.
Asche: Yes—we sure do.
Writing Prompt
There are hundreds of variations of the fairy tale Cinderella, and they share common elements. Listen to a podcast about Cinderella stories at Scope Online. Then explain which elements author Spencer Kayden included in Once Upon an Ice Moon. Present your ideas in a slideshow or an essay.
This play was originally published in the February 2023 issue.
Essential questions: What makes a story timeless? What makes a story universal? How can we overcome the challenges we face?
1. PREPARING TO READ (20 MINUTES)
Do-Now: Listen to a Podcast (5 minutes)
Preview Vocabulary (10 minutes)
2. READING AND DISCUSSING (45 MINUTES)
Break students into groups to discuss the following close-reading and critical-thinking questions.
Close-Reading Questions (20 minutes)
Critical-Thinking Questions (10 minutes)
3. SKILL BUILDING AND WRITING (30 MINUTES)
4. CONNECTED READING
