The Pilot of the Project

**The Pilot of the Project** is the pilot episode of *The Object Project.* It was released on June 19th, 2020.

## Summary

32 objects find themselves stranded on an island in the middle of nowhere. Introduced group by group, they are seen interacting with one another. Nearing the end, however, they see this isn't just some ordinary story of people trying to survive in an unknown environment.

## Synopsis

### **Group One**

Crystal Ball wakes up in the middle of some grass, wondering where she is, until hearing the screams of another character. The shot cuts to Warning Sign hiding in a bush with a still curious Crystal Ball. Crystal Ball asks if Warning Sign is scared of her, causing Warning Sign to say that she isn't as scary as "that thing." It approaches Crystal Ball from behind, her somehow knowing that it's going towards her, until the screen cuts to black.

The screen cuts right out of black only to show it's a not-so-threatening stone statue. Crystal Ball starts poking the statue while Warning Sign runs away, seeing as it's an opportune time for her to escape. The scene ends with Crystal Ball saying goodbye to Warning Sign.

### **Group Two**

The shot resumes to Warning Sign running, while also kicking sand in the face of another character. Blank dusts himself off and gets up, seeing four more different characters. Pogo Stick excitedly tells a story among the group, until they spot Blank, who they all walk (or jump) towards to. Tube asks how Blank is doing, only to get frustrated due to his lack of responding. Pool Chalk asks if "anyone's home". Vinyl points out Blank's lack of a mouth to the group and proceeds to give Blank some kind of record player. She tells him to pick what kind of music he likes as it's meant to "tell more about him than he thinks."

He puts in a disc and plays it, only for it to be loud, dubstep-esque music. Vinyl quickly takes out the disc and comments that Blank's style "sure is something." Pogo Stick cheerfully asks Pool Chalk if Blank can join their group after hearing what Blank played, causing Vinyl to suggest the same as well. A reluctant Pool Chalk allows Blank to join only if he promises not to cause any trouble. The group cheers and they walk away off-screen and the scene ends with Tube saying that she's glad Blank is their friend now.

### **Group Three**

Cursor is walking on the beach, looking for anyone else on the island. After unsuccessfully calling for anyone else, he laments about his loneliness. He eventually bumps into Pawn, who is looking for other people as well. Pawn explains that he's looking for other people that want to join his employer's team, ending with asking Cursor if he is interested. Cursor is reluctant at first, but is eventually convinced by Pawn's reasoning. Pawn then leads Cursor to where his employer is.

Pawn knocks on the door of Crab Claw's shack, informing him that Cursor is willing to join them. Crab Claw gives Pawn a reward and then orders him to find more people once again. After Pawn leaves, Crab Claw says that he made the team in hopes that they find a way off of the island as long as they listen to him. In Cursor's want for acceptance, he happily agrees to Crab Claw's promise. Crab Claw ends off the scene with sinisterly saying "that's just wonderful."

### **Group Four**

Exercise Ball, Computer, Screentime, and Roller are walking in a forest in search for food. Exercise Ball complains about how long they've been walking without finding any nourishment. Computer spots a nearby coconut tree; he asks if Exercise Ball wants to help get them down with him, subsequently disagreeing to it rudely. Screentime plans out how to get the coconuts down from the tree until he has been interrupted by Roller, who assumes that he's establishing himself as the leader of the group; this devolves into a petty argument.

While those two are two busy arguing, Computer used a console command that spawned five coconuts out of thin air. Screentime, although confused on how Computer was able to do that, congratulates him on getting coconuts. Screentime then remembers that there were five coconuts, but there were only four that they seen. The fifth one was "frozen" above Screentime, which shortly falls onto him and knocking him out. Computer apologizes to him as the coconut rolls off screen.

### **Group Five**

Loquat is playing a game of baseball with Baseball Plate. After Loquat pitches the ball, Baseball Plate hits it far away, which turned out to be their only ball. Loquat spots the coconut that hit Screentime on the head, believing it to be a ball they could use. She throws it, causing it to break open and covering Baseball Plate in milk.

Joker is doing some magic tricks with Chessboard, who has been unamused by his tricks thus far. After one of these tricks, Chessboard showed that she knows how he did it by saying that his deck of cards is regular on one side, but on the other, they're all the same card. Joker, bested by Chessboard, walks away defeated, where he greets Loquat and Baseball Plate talking. He then tries another trick with them, in which he fails miserably in doing, wrongly guessing the cards that they had. Chessboard, walks up to the Loquat and Baseball, asking them if they want to explore the island with her rather than taking part in Joker's tricks. They agree and walk off, leaving Joker; Joker realizes that they left while he wasn't looking, making him throw his cards in the wind in anger.

### **Group Six**

Sludge and Gashapon Capsule are sitting on a beach. One of the cards that Joker threw flew into Sludge, causing a chortle to come out of Gashapon. Sludge tells him to blame the wind for it. Soy Sauce spots the two talking, which causes her to angrily walk towards them and ask them what they're doing. Sludge greets her, which she somehow takes as a threat to her and her "baby", Gashapon. Gashapon tries to explain to her that Sludge was just saying "Hi" and that he wasn't her "baby." Soy Sauce doesn't listen to him and just calls him rebellious. Gashapon and Sludge then just try to walk away from her.

As they walk farther from her, she follows them. When they say they don't want to be around her, she tries to guilt trip them into staying with her. Gashapon eventually gives in by telling her they'll only be gone for five minutes. After making the compromise, they finally get away from her. They then talk about the whole ordeal and what Gashapon plans on doing about her; his only plan is to endure it.

### **Group Seven**

Paper Scrap is rambling to Propane about a time she supposedly had to deal with being trapped on an island like the one that they were on. Propane eventually gets tired enough of listening to her that he asks who she is and why she's talking to him. In her pride, she's confounded that someone like Propane doesn't know who she is. Magnetic Board spots them and introduces herself.

Paper Scrap tells her that she was just telling Propane about her experiences with being on deserted islands. Magnetic Board then brings up the idea of teaming up because of Paper Scrap's experience; Propane objects and begins to walk off. Before he could walk away, Magnetic Board grabs his arm to get confirmation that he doesn't want to be a part of it; he still leaves the two objects without saying a word. Paper Scrap says she has to go now, leaving Magnetic Board alone. Magnetic Board then runs after her to talk to her more.

### **Group Eight**

Impossibly and Pine Scented Air Freshener are at an oasis, indulging in the coconuts that grew near it. After talking with Impossibly for a bit about eating the peel of the coconut, PSAF asks Grapes about how their going with collecting coconuts. Right Grape says that it's going great and they have quite a bit already, Bottomtalk Grape complains that they could have a lot more if Left Grape helped, and Left Grape is too nervous to get any over fear that a coconut would fall on his head. Aloe bumps into the Grapes, causing them to drop some of their coconuts.

Impossibly calls the Grapes and Aloe over, telling them that their odds of survival have improved thanks to their work. After that being congratulated, Paper Scrap flies up to them asking where someone named Yearbook is. Aloe points to where she think he went; Paper Scrap promptly flies in that direction. Magnetic Board is still going after her, even after having to catch her breath.

### **Group Nine**

Yearbook, Periodic Table, and Top are the final group of characters; they are exploring the island and planning to go to the mountain in the distance. Top gives suggestions at what could be on the top of the mountain; Yearbook quickly shoots down these ideas by saying they're only "unbased assumptions." After talking for a bit about what could be at the mountain, they start walking to it. Somewhere along the path, Top spots a building. Curious about what it could be, Top goes towards it; Periodic Table soon follows suit. Yearbook, who thinks it is only a palm tree at first, takes a better look at it, seeing that it's actually some kind of structure.

Paper Scrap finally arrives while the rest of the group is in awe of what they found. Yearbook is nervous about what it is and suggests that they should just turn back. Periodic Table then reminds him that it was his idea to find something of interest on the island, which pressures him to act superficially courageous. Yearbook then orders that everyone, whoever was on the island, to gather around here. After that, Yearbook's team (except for Top) goes in search of all the other objects.

### **All Together Now**

All thirty-two objects have now arrived in front of the building. While discussing amongst themselves, Yearbook gets on the steps of the building and asks for everyone's attention. He tells them all that he (in reality, it was his group that showed it to him) found it. Initially unimpressed by his findings, Yearbook then explains that this could help everyone find out why they were all on the island. Now interested in finding out what's in it, they all start wondering about what it could be for. One by one, the objects walk into the building, with Yearbook being the last to enter, having to be carried by Paper Scrap.

Everyone has taken a seat in the thirty-two chairs inside, facing a screen. Computer gets up to turn on the screen; he pushes a button and then it begins to turn on. An eye-like symbol appears on the screen and a voice then welcomes all of the "contestants" to something called "The Object Project." Blank starts shaking, Warning Sign starts screaming, and then the episode cuts to black.

### **Epilogue**

Before the episode fully ends, the voice from the screen tells the viewer about how The Object Project works: people can join the Discord using the link in the description in order to help work on the show, whether it be writing, drawing, animating, and more. They bid farewell to the viewer until the next episode and then it cuts to a screen asking the viewer to vote which character is their favorite.

## Trivia

* The first line ever spoken in the TOP series is by Crystal Ball, who said: *"Huh? Where am I?"*
* In the popularity vote, Computer was the character who got the most votes with 11.
* The characters who got the least votes were Baseball Plate and Pool Chalk, who both go no votes.
* This episode was originally to have been released on January 1st, 2020, although it was delayed many times.
* The episode number was originally going to be "1A" and it would have been part 1 in a 2-parter episode. This was changed when this episode was received negatively by most for its lack of organization, making it instead more of a pilot episode for things to come.
* The thumbnail of this episode was made by Pogo Stick's former voice actress, Cosmi.
* Many of the voice actors of this episode were also from other projects (e.g. Open Source Objects, The Fight For Cat Island).