Edifice (1) EDIFICE FADE IN: EXT. 2000 BC, UR OF THE CHALDEANS DAY The building of a city is in progress. Within it's center, stands a great cylindrical tower, awaiting final coronation. Arrayed in a white flowing gown, a high priest leads a crowd of followers to the base of the edifice. Once there, they all kneel before an Ottoman-type mosque. A golden minaret gleams from the center of its dome. The priest stands and leads the crowd in ascending the monument. A group of slaves, situated high atop the tower, begin to hoist the mosque from its platform. NARRATING (VO) And the earth was of one tongue, and of the same speech. And when they removed from the east, they found a plain in the land of Sennaar, and dwelt in it. And each one said to his neighbor: come, let us make brick instead of stones, and slime instead of mortar. And they said: come, let us make a city and a tower, the top whereof may reach to heaven: and let us make our name famous before we be scattered abroad into all lands. And the lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of Adam were building. And he said: If now, while they are one people, all speaking the same language, they have started to do this, nothing will later stop them from doing whatever they presume to do. Let us go down, and there confound their tongue, that they may not understand one another's speech . . . As the slaves finish crowning the tower with the mosque, the structure takes on the look of a modern day rocket. A bolt of LIGHTNING suddenly strikes the minaret, engulfing the edifice in a ball of fire. The crowd begins screaming and running in all directions, as hunks of burning torso and tower fall to earth. NARRATING (VO) And so the Lord scattered them abroad upon the face of all countries, and they ceased to build the city. Because it was there the language of the whole earth was confounded, the place henceforth was called, Babel. FADE OUT: FADE IN: EXT. ALAMOGORDO, NEW MEXICO 1945 We witness the first explosion of an atomic bomb. EXT. ROSWELL, NEW MEXICO 1947 A group of military men has surrounded five dwarfish bodies as they lay motionless in the sand. Wreckage from a small spaceship is being collected from the desert floor. One of the aliens is holding on tight to a small metallic BLACK BOX. As a soldier attempts to pry it from its hands, the alien suddenly comes alive and screams, startling the GI. The soldier slams the butt of his M-1 rifle into the alien's head, killing it. As the box drops from the alien's hands, the GI quickly snatches it up and delivers it to a NACA investigator. A group of archaeologists stare on transfixed, as the small bodies are loaded onto a military helicopter. INT./EXT. MONASTERY LHASA, TIBET 1989 Inside, burial rites are in progress for the Panchen Lama. Outside, Chinese soldiers announce martial law to the crowd. EXT. CARLSBAD, NEW MEXICO FARM DAY On an overcast morning, ABRAHAM LOT, a farmer in his early seventies, is walking the rows of an old wheat field, when suddenly the wind picks up. It blows his straw hat from his head, revealing the numerous wrinkles mapping his face. The hat sails toward a nearby river. He moves slowly after it. The hat comes to rest against the side of a tree. As he bends down to pick it up, he hears a soft female voice. VOICE (VO) If you will it, he will come. He smiles and sits down by the tree. Suddenly he calls out. ABE SARAH, IT'S, "IF YOU BUILD IT, HE WILL COME." There is no response. He starts searching the area with his eyes. Seeing nothing, he becomes frustrated and wipes the sweat from his forehead. He yells skyward. ABE WE'RE TOO OLD FOR THIS! Suddenly waves form in the river and begin to go in opposite directions. He stares at the site where the waves have parted. In the remaining water, a message is spelled out. MESSAGE NEVERTHELESS, I WILL BLESS HER AND I WILL GIVE YOU A SON. He jumps from his spot and begins running through the wheat field, toward the house. As he reaches the clearing, he becomes winded and starts to gasp. SARAH, his wife, also in her seventies, is at the house hanging laundry when she sees him. He looks at her and grabs his chest, dropping to the ground. She rushes to him and places his head in her lap. SARAH ABE! ABE, WHAT IS IT? He brushes his hand across her wrinkled face, closes his eyes and goes limp. She cradles him in her arms and begins to sob and rock. Suddenly she grabs her chest and falls to the ground as well. Within a moment, a blinding light engulfs them both. INT. LIVING ROOM When Abe opens his eyes, WILLIAM FORD, an elderly doctor, is standing over him, grinning from ear to ear. Abe is laying on a couch. His face is sunburned. He tries to sit up. BILLY Hold on there Abe! You've both suffered a little heat stroke. Sarah is just fine. I think it would be wise if you both saved your strength though. Abe stares at him, baffled, as Billy steps back to reveal Sarah, sitting at the kitchen table. She is staring, as if in a trance, out the back door at the wheat field. ABE Sarah? Billy, what's wrong with her? Billy walks to the table, lifts a glass of buttermilk and hands it to her. She takes it and sips from the glass. Still grinning, he turns to face Abe. BILLY Sarah's the healthiest senior citizen in our town, Abe. She called me, frantic about you. When I told her the news, she just fell into a little shock. She'll be alright. You will be too . . . soon as you take this. Abe sits up as Billy hands him a pill and a glass of water. ABE It's my heart ain't it Billy? How long do I have? Billy laughs as he closes up his bag. He walks to the door, opens it and turns to face Abe, again, . . . grinning. BILLY Abe, you old dog you, you've got plenty of heart. Sarah, I'll see you in two weeks. Shaking his head and laughing to himself, he leaves the two alone. Abe moves to the edge of the couch, studying his wife. ABE Sarah . . . honey . . . are you alright ? Slowly, she turns to face him. Her face is sunburned, but only on the left side. Her expression of astonishment is clearly evident as she begins to tear up. SARAH Abraham, . . . I'm pregnant! He stares at her for a moment, puts the pill in his mouth and downs the water. INT. VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE AUGUST, 1993 DAY A control room is bustling with excitement as the Titan IV Rocket begins its liftoff. Diplomats and military leaders from Russia, Germany, Great Britain and the United States are huddled in front of a huge viewing screen. The letters "J.U.D.A.S. I" are emblazoned across the top. As the VIP's watch, they are listening with electronic interpreters to an American scientist as he takes reporters questions. REPORTER I What is Judas I? SCIENTIST I Honored guests, today, as Russia and the U.S. celebrate our ten- year anniversary, our search has finally ended. Onboard the Titan IV, along with the Judas I Satellite, rest the hopes of 6 billion people. Presenting the Joint Universal Defense and Acquisition System. REPORTER II Our two countries are uniting in space to protect the world? Several scientists smile as a white-haired Russian expert steps forward and speaks into the translator. SCIENTIST II American and Russian men of science have always shared a common goal; to achieve world peace scientifically by creating a universal defense system. Due to the sensitive nature of these tests, I am only prepared to say that the purpose of this flight is to collect the type of data, which in the end, will be used in the protection of both our shores. It is suffice to say ladies and gentlemen, with this launch today, you are witnessing proof of mankind's triumph over diversity. Outside, situated on a small hill, a crowd of onlookers begin to cheer as the rocket reaches center stage in the sky. Inside the control room, technicians begin to clap. A reporter from France yells to be heard above the din. REPORTER III Engaging conjecture gentlemen, but France is more concerned in your use of the term "acquisition." Exactly what do your two countries intend to acquire with this, . . . this Judas? The Russian scientist smiles and looks to his counterpart as the room begins to quite down. A female reporter from Pakistan steps forward. REPORTER IV The official inquiry filed by my government this week, also solicits that information. The Russian scientist gives a painful expression, then changes to an angelic visage. He smiles at the VIP's, then focuses his attention on the woman. SCIENTIST II Why peace, dear lady; we intend to acquire world peace. Suddenly all eyes gape open as the rocket explodes across the screen in a ball of fire, sending fragments raining into the Pacific Ocean. INT. OVAL OFFICE WASHINGTON, D.C. PRESIDENT POPE is pacing the floor in front of his desk as six well-dressed men look on from their prospective chairs. Suddenly he stops and spins around to face them. POPE That ship was carrying the most expensive, technologically- advanced, defense/spy satellite this world has ever known. We diverted over two billion tax- payer dollars to build a secret weapons system, and now we have no place to put it. Judas I is capable of increasing both our military and industrial espionage capabilities tenfold. World-wide revenues are projected beyond three trillion a year. But now, without the damn satellite, our weapons system cannot be installed. Please tell me how this could have happened? Mr. Fitch, what’s the CIA’s take on this? ROBERT FITCH, a nervous-looking man in his late forties, straightens his tie and clears his throat. FITCH Mr. President, although NASA regards this as sabotage, a cover story has been ordered. Until we know more, the mishap was due to a leaky fuel line. Interrogations of all Russian scientists are currently underway. Pope frowns and walks to an office window. He gazes out across the White House lawn. POPE Mr. Fitch, that satellite alone was worth a billion dollars. Is the CIA aware Russia is providing key elements for the assembly of the international space station? FITCH Eh, yes sir, . . . but. . . . POPE They need the money more than we do. I don’t think we want to piss them off just now . . . do we? FITCH Yes sir, I mean . . . no, sir. POPE Bob, check out the Chinese. Mr. Gorman, what does the bureau have to say for itself? WILLIAM GORMAN, a balding man in his fifties, smiles sympathetically at Fisk, then leans forward. GORMAN Mr. President, there are at least twenty terrorist organiz- ations that have the technology to pull something like this off, but I don't think they've got the moxie. POPE And just what kind of balls are required to blow up one of our rockets, Bill? GORMAN Huge ones I would imagine. I mean after all, who wants both Russia and the United States on their ass . . . sir? POPE So you too, . . . are without suspects? GORMAN We'll know more in twenty-four hours, Mr. President. POPE Same time tomorrow gentlemen. That's all for now. JIM THOMPSON, a young aide to the president, escorts the men to the door as Pope returns to his desk. When the door is closed, Pope speaks. POPE You believe those guys Jimmy? They couldn't find the hole in a doughnut. Do you have any idea how much money is going to be lost because of this? Jimmy moves from the door to in front of Pope's desk. JIMMY Can't we just launch Judas II? POPE It took ten years just to get this one ready. Even if they could make it in half that time, I'd be out of a job by then. I tell you, the men who put me here won’t stand for this. God help the country that did this. INT. CONSULATE PEKING, CHINA. In a large conference room, Chinese diplomats are seated at a long mahogany table. Across from them, equally divided, sit representatives from Great Britain and the United States. MAO TSE SUNG, Ambassador to England, is speaking. SUNG We have discussed this at length and our position is clear. We’ve every intention of living up to our agreement. We will preserve the current resident’s rights; their legal and currency systems shall remain intact until the year 2043. However, we will not stand idly by while Great Britain and the U.S. bankrupt Hong Kong with unnecessary and extremely expensive, construction projects. Construction on the international airport must cease. LYLE KNIGHT, a British diplomat, calmly leans in toward Sung. KNIGHT Hong Kong is ours to do with as we wish until 1997. No terms were ever agreed to concerning what we could build until then. I do admit that the airport has gone a tad over budget, but as for bankrupting the colony, once the facility is up and running, the profits realized from its operation will more than compen- sate the costs. Sung looks down his side at the line of Chinese diplomats seated. He turns an even expression to JAMES CARVELL, an American diplomat. SUNG Mr. Carvell, I trust you have followed the history of our two countries? In 1847, and again in 1860, Great Britain forced China to import narcotics from India. Fortunately the fallout from “The Opium Wars” greatly inspired my fellow compatriots. China has become, shall we say, highly enlightened? (beat) After a century of humiliation by foreign powers through the imposition of unequal treaties that extracted commercial priv- ileges, territories and other benefits from our government, the west is finally recognizing China’s technological wisdom. So why then, must you continue to impugn our intellect? Knight looks befuddled. KNIGHT I beg your pardon? SUNG A 20 billion dollar airport de- signed to move 80 million people annually? Economically, Hong Kong cannot support such traffic, and politically, China never will. Knight remains silent as Carvell moves to speak. CARVELL Mr. Ambassador, it has come to our attention that your country has recently purchased several billion dollars worth of nuclear hardware from the Soviets? SUNG What does that have to do with the price of tea in China? CARVELL America would like to know why? SUNG "Virtue is not left to stand alone. He who practices it will have neighbors." The Soviets no longer exist, Mr. Carvell. The Russian people are starving and their country is in a state of chaos. America may view these acquisitions as our mode of defense, but we prefer to look on them as humanitarian aid. You may also inform America that Chinese inventories remain quite small . . . in comparison to hers. KNIGHT Are you inferring that after the takeover, Hong Kong will be as segregated on foreign imports as China is? SUNG To use a phrase American's are fond of quoting, "Only Nixon could go to China." I’m sure, even you must know, Mr. Knight, that President Nixon, is dead. INT. LIMOUSINE NIGHT Knight and Carvell are conversing in the back as the limo follows along in a motorcade. KNIGHT (scanning his notes) It would seem Lenin's disciples are once again, threatening the British Empire? Isn’t it rather strange the way the Russians sold them nuclear weapons, right after you assured us they were our allies, . . . eh? CARVELL They had our permission. Knight slams his notebook closed. They face each other. CARVELL We thought Judas I would be in place by now. The NRO's shaping a secret weapon; cooks nuclear warheads from space. This new chemical laser can heat up the liquid explosives surrounding the plutonium core, causing im- plosion. I tell you Noel, once Judas II is online, gunboat dip- lomacy will have evolved. In the meantime, it's been my job to ensure our enemies obtain rather, shall we say, antiquated guidance technology. KNIGHT Sounds like your telling me the Russians placed a bull in China's shop? How do they plan to conceal such a weapon? Foreign satellites will pick something like that up the moment it hits the atmosphere. CARVELL We’re thinking about stealing it aboard the MIR, until ISS is built. KNIGHT I thought the Russians were going to scrap her? CARVELL They’re trying to find private funding. Don’t you see, Noel? It’s perfect. Lenin’s disciples think they’re arming themselves when in fact, they’re about to abdicate. Until they obtain a working guidance system, they can’t launch their rockets. Yes, the Titan IV explosion was a set- back; but once the weapon's on- line, we can detonate missiles, right in Beijing's backyard. Hence the name. Judas I turns apostles into apostates. Hell, Noel; the Russians were only selling China . . . Hari Kari. KNIGHT Americans. In addition to your appalling way with words, you consistently ignore the cultural nuances. Mr. Secretary, Hari Kari is a Japanese custom. Might it not have been in China's best interest to insure that Judas I was destroyed. CARVELL The CIA is looking into it. But for now, your people will just have to sit tight. KNIGHT England cannot afford to walk away from billion dollar invest- ments. We've amassed a sizeable deficit in order to underwrite the Asian Market. Unfortunately, Sung was correct. Hong Kong can service only 5 million tourists a year. Since it’s impossible to move 80 million people annually, they’ll have to run cargo for the next forty years to pay off all the debt. You see, James, once this airport opens, so does the Asian market. England will never cede it's business trade to China, . . . nuclear arsenal be damned. CARVELL Britain’s trade deficit with China pales in comparison to ours; no one is going to stop your project, Noel. Just give them the old two-step for now. Once Judas II is online, China will dance for the both our countries. KNIGHT Are you actually asking England to sit tight while you arm our enemies with nuclear weapons? CARVELL All that changed when Judas I was destroyed. Fact is, I’m on my way to Pakistan tonight. I’ve got to explain to her highness why we can’t deliver the B-1s she paid a half billion dollars to get. KNIGHT It seems America has been playing a rather dangerous game of liars poker. Why it's enough to stifle one’s sphincter. If anyone is sitting tight my dear boy, it's you chaps. INT. CHURCH NIGHT In an otherwise empty church, a well-built man in his early fifties is standing before the alter. Unshaven, his hair and clothes are a mess. JACK HAWKINS is drinking from a whiskey bottle. He glares at a large hanging cross of Christ. He sways a bit. HAWKINS So what are you saying? Did she die for my sins too? Is that what your trying to tell me? I prayed and prayed, but you just wouldn’t listen, would you? You just took her. Why? TO PUNISH ME? Well now she’s gone. Okay, then fine . . . FINE! You don’t wanna listen? Well neither do I! I gotta tell ya fella, YOU AND I ARE THROUGH! I am never going to speak to you again. Hawkins throws the bottle at the cross and it shatters, scattering glass and booze everywhere. He turns and staggers toward the door. As he opens it, he spins back around. HAWKINS WHAT? I CAN’T HEAR YOU. I cannot hear you. I can no longer hear you. I will no longer hear you . . . He continues talking as he walks out the church door. A drop of booze trickles from the eye of Christ. EXT. VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE MORNING A reporter is standing in front of the opening to TITAN IV’s missile bay. Strewn about the hanger floor lay thousands of pieces of the TITAN IV missile. Suddenly the cameraman gives the reporter his cue. REPORTER At Vandenberg Air Force Base, as officials search for the cause to a mysterious explosion of a Titan IV Rocket, congress- ional investigators conduct a probe of the space agency it- self. Previously, NASA officials publicly stated the satellite's purpose: to collect data used solely in the defense of U.S. and Russian shores. Shortly after the accident, investigators began asking how such a conventional device could have possibly cost taxpayers over two billion dollars. A van pulls up behind the reporter and a group of men in suits quickly exit the vehicle. When a well-groomed man in his early fifties steps into view, the reporter rushes a microphone over to him. REPORTER This is Jack Hawkins, head of the government's task force, assigned to look into charges of fraud at the space agency. Mr. Hawkins, what can you tell us at this point? Slightly graying at the temples, Hawkins gives off a no-nonsense appearance. His entourage passes by the reporter without comment, making their way into the missile hanger. Once inside, he’s met by a man in his early thirties, dressed in coveralls, carrying a set of blueprints. HAWKINS Whatcha ya got JESSE? JESSE I obtained these from military contacts. From the diagrams, it should be right here, near the satellite parts. It won’t be hard to find; it’s about the size of an executive's desk. As the group arrives at the designated spot, Hawkins begins to search the area. After a few moments, he turns wide-eyed back to Jesse. JESSE It should be here. HAWKINS Who's in charge? Jesse points to a white-haired scientist, busy taking inventory of Titan IV’s remains. He has his back to the group when they walk up. HAWKINS Excuse me sir? Without turning around, the man says something over his shoulder in Russian. Hawkins raises an eyebrow to the only female in his group, then quickly taps the man on the back of his head. The man spins angrily around, bringing him face to face with Hawkins. HAWKINS Are you in charge? Glaring, the man rattles off a barrage of Russian. HAWKINS SUSAN, get me an interpreter. I need to know what happened to that gun. The scientist begins to laugh. HAWKINS Sue, never mind. What is your name sir? SCHNEIDER Gun? There is no gun. Who told you we had a gun? Doctor HANS SCHNEIDER here.
Copyright © 2000 David Duane Fortner |