Brief

When a bullied, thirteen-year-old boy and his family are abducted by a secret airship cloaked in a cloud, he must learn to stick up for himself, or never set foot on Earth again. In the end, his newfound ability to stick up for himself did not actually determine whether he will return back to earth or not.

What We Liked

- Skyclyffe is full of adventure. The audience follows Rex, the 13-year-old lead, as he is abducted and thrust into a vibrant new secret world resting in the clouds full of fantasy and mystery. The airship contains advanced novel technologies, plenty of interesting visuals, and no shortage of unique characters. Along the way and with the tough love from his uncle Dan, Rex gains the confidence to stand up for himself and stops the lifetime of bullying he has endured.
- This story as a film would provide plenty of sci-fi "not from this world" visuals while providing the protagonist challenges to navigate.
- Adapting to a TV format, the audience will follow Rex through a series of adventures and potential missteps while he makes himself familiar with his new surroundings. At the same time, Rex's curiosity seeks answers about alien life and a covert exit strategy.
- Key points: Unique world; Clear central question: will they get off this ship; Interesting characters; New adventures; Underdog story

Synopsis

Rex Bright, 13, years old, sits next to his sleeping mother Sue on an airplane heading across the country. Hyper-aware of his surroundings, he is feeling all the usual first-time flyer anxieties. On top of everything, Rex looks out the window and is absolutely shocked by what he sees. Peering out over the wing and just in the distance, Rex spots a floating face of a young girl with wispy hair that appears to be staring right back at him. Not aware of it yet, this is the first bizarre event on this trip to Colorado that will forever change his life. Rex, not exactly an exemplar of self-confidence, is nervous about meeting his mother’s brother Dan and his wife Annie. Uncle Dan picks them up from the airport and things go awry almost immediately. His uncle is rough around the edges and starts to pick on him right away. Luckily on the upside, his Aunt Annie is very nice and the Bright family farm where they are staying for the summer promises to be full of adventures, including his uncle’s personal prop plane. One day after a weird dream with the same girl from the cloud and running around with the family dog Radar, Uncle Dan offers to take everyone up flying. At the last minute, Annie decides to stay back, so the rest hit the skies for a quick excursion.

The flight is exhilarating and everything seems grand but suddenly the plane’s flight panel dies and the engine stalls. Uncle Dan radios for help but the communication is lost as well. Something odd occurs to them, however. The plane is not out of control or losing any elevation. Mysteriously, an unknown force guides the small plane into the belly of another larger vessel. It must be aliens! Well…almost. They are abducted by a secret airship that masks itself within the clouds, named Skyclyffe. Once onboard and being held against their will, Rex and his family meet the occupants of the airship. Unbelievably they are not aliens but instead humans, who promise no harm to them, from a technologically advanced utopian society existing solely on this aircraft designed by Nikola Telsa. The only catch is Rex’s family can’t leave as the airship cannot risk discovery. Despite their objection, Rex settles into his new environment and find it not just bearable, but quite nice. As promised they are not harmed and almost everyone is genuinely welcoming. Rex meets a host of characters and discovers from his new friend Amelia, that the girl from the cloud was not a figment of his imagination, but in fact, a real alien which fascinates him. One major problem remains however, they need to get back home because Aunt Annie is by herself with early-onset Alzheimer’s. The three agree to play along with the new routine but begin to covertly look for an escape.

Uncle Dan remembers an emergency phone stashed in his plane. After meeting with a resident aboard the ship, who like him, arrived unconventionally, Rex devises a plan. While on a tour of the facility with Amelia, Rex tricks Amelia into showing him where the plane is being held. Sue manages to get their coordinates. Everything falls into place and the three of them go to make a 9-1-1 call for help before their big exit. Except someone manages to tip off the captain and the cell phone has no service or much battery left. It seems their attempt is hopeless. While they are initially defeated, Rex learns his mother has cancer and they can cure her onboard with their advanced medical technology. The crew makes a promise to Dan if they stay, to retrieve his sick wife and heal her as well. Having already been mostly content with their unexpected situation, they decide to stay and explore this new way of existence.

About The Author

Z. Moss lives in Stillwater, Minnesota and is currently working on the sequel to Skyclyffe. Two dogs, three cats, and two turtles run the household, including the real-life Radar.