Season 1, Episode 1: Strangetown

"Strangetown" is the pilot episode of Codeword Danger.

In this episode we are introduced to Lucy St James and her family, and Agent Aiden Messer. After witnessing two secret agents murder a man in cold-blood over a device, Lucy becomes entangled in a secret plot to control the minds of Strangerville's citizens.

Synopsis
The episode begins with an overview of the Mojave Desert. We see a cloud of dust along the horizon, before zooming in on a woman riding a quad bike across the sand while listening to Guns N Roses. The woman, Lucy St James, jumps off her bike to collect a few pieces of gemstones and overhears some shouting in the distance. As she grows closer, she witnesses a confrontation between two men in black suits with a man in labcoat. The three men speak about something called "The Mother", because the suited men kill the scientist for whistleblowing.

Script
Messer: This isn't a ride-a-long. I don't know what your parents are like, but I'm not going to be swayed by a little temper-trantrum show.

[Lucy scoffs. She looks annoyed for a moment as she considers her response, then simply shrugs]

Lucy: I'll give you about an hour before your engine overheats in the summer sun or the exhaust gets clogged with dust, and then maybe you can retrace your tracks for about five until you collapse out of heat stroke. [She tilts her head] Might be about a week until we find the body, not that it'll matter by then, I'm sure the whole town would be overrun by those suits.

Messer: And I suppose if you come along that scenario would be changed?

Lucy: I'm just saying, I've lived in Strangerville my whole life, and I know the Mojave like the back of my hand.

[Messer turns away]

Messer: Whatever.

Lucy: And I also happen to know exactly where their secret base is.

[Messer turns back, intrigued. Lucy shrugs]

Lucy: Well, the direction of it.

Messer: You're full of rubbish.

Lucy: When I was out collecting my "dumb rocks", I saw where that man was killed, and I remember the exact location. And the direction that they were driving me to when talking about their secret base matches up. There's only one place in the desert that's far enough out that your drones can't reach it in time, but not too far that their engine will pop before they reach it.

[Messer pauses for a moment, contemplating this]

Messer: Have you been there before?

Lucy: A few years back. No secret base there at the time, but with all those army trucks rolling in and out, I'm sure they could move a lot of shit without anyone questioning.

[Messer sighs and looks up at the sky]

Messer: I'm going to regret this...

Lucy: But...?

Messer: But you can come.

Lucy: Whoop! Yes!

[Lucy jumps up into the sky, fist raised, before quickly trying to compose herself]

Lucy: I mean, yeah okay.

[Messer shakes his head, but is clearly amused by her. The camera pans out]

Lucy: Does this mean I'll get a secret code name?

Messer: No.

Lucy: Pretty please.

Messer: No.