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Rated: 13+ · Book · Sci-fi · #1369089
The main characters are introduced, also hard science, political and religious intrigue.
#558283 added January 1, 2008 at 10:01pm
Restrictions: None
EPISODE 1 - THE PROTOTYPE
FADE IN:

EXT. LONG AERIAL SHOT OF THE WHITE HOUSE

ZOOM IN TO CLOSEUP

                                                                                          DISSOLVE TO:

INT: CONFERENCE ROOM.

Several men, some in uniform, are seated around a large
table. These include BILL MURRAUGH, Director of the CIA,
BILL FREER, Director of the FBI, GENERAL DAVID APPELHOFF,
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the President's
Science Advisor.

There is a built-in television in one wall. The door at the
far end of the room opens and a man in a dark suit,
PRESIDENT FOREST, enters. The Director of the CIA speaks.

                                                 BILL MURRAUGH
                             Mr. President, we have a
                             situation developing in Georgia.

                                                 PRESIDENT FOREST (IRRITABLY)
                             I assume you're the one who
                             called this meeting of the NSC.

                                                 BILL MURRAUGH
                             Yes, Sir, right after we received
                             this.

Murraugh slides a thick manila folder across the table to
the President. Forest looks at the file, but doesn't open it.

                                                 PRESIDENT FOREST
                             Georgia? Isn't that Puchinskiy's
                             problem?

                                                 BILL MURRAUGH
                             Not their Georgia, Sir, ours?
                             Roswell, outside of Atlanta, to
                             be exact.

                                                 PRESIDENT FOREST
                                       (sarcastically)
                             Well, what do we have now,
                             communists under the kitchen sink?
                             There aren't any more now, you
                             know, except in China and Cuba.

                                                 BILL MURRAUGH
                                       (attempting to look confident)
                             No, Sir. This is closer to home.
                             If you'll just look at the report?

Forest folds back the front cover of the folder and leafs
through the first few pages.

                                                 PRESIDENT FOREST
                             What is this?

                                                 BILL FREER
                                       (eagerly)
                             It's a preliminary transcript of
                             an arraignment that was held in
                             Roswell, Georgia, this morning.

The President looks down, not really reading the paperwork.

                                                 PRESIDENT FOREST
                             What does a local arraignment
                             have to do with National Security?

                                                 BILL MURRAUGH
                             Sir, if you will, please at least
                             read the executive summary.

The President's eyes focus and then grow wide as he reads.

                                                 PRESIDENT FOREST
                                       (sharply)
                             Wait a minute! This is UFO crap.
                             Bill Clinton declassified all
                             that Blue Book garbage back in
                             the nineties. You guys
                             experimenting over populated
                             areas now?"

The President hits the CJS with a piercing glare.

                                                 GENERAL APPLEHOFF
                                       (defensively)
                             No, Sir! Please read the whole
                             thing. Besides, there are still
                             some files we didn't turn loose.

The President looks down again for a few moments, slowly
turning pages.

                                                 PRESIDENT FOREST
                             From what I see is that some
                             citizen was arrested last night
                             after a UFO was sighted over his
                             backyard.

                                                 BILL MURRAUGH
                             There's much more, Sir.

The President turns his attention again to the folder on the
table. After a few moments,

                                                 PRESIDENT FOREST
                             You know I hate reading this
                             stuff, why not just tell me
                             what's going on?

                                                 BILL MURRAUGH
                             Sir, at about 0100 Zulu today, a
                             Mr. Michael Angel, also known as
                             Michael Angelskov, was apprehended
                             by the Roswell, Georgia, police
                             department for having a UFO in
                             his backyard.

                                                 PRESIDENT FOREST
                             And?

                                                 BILL MURRAUGH
                                       (continuing)
                             It turns out, that this Angel is
                             a retired Navy Seal and a multi-
                             billionaire.

                                                 PRESIDENT FOREST
                                       (QUIZZICALLY, EYES WIDENING)
                             From what we pay servicemen?
                             He's got a better retirement than
                             I do, then.

                                                 BILL MURRAUGH
                             No, Sir, he's also a private
                             inventor. Please read the entire
                             report.

President Forest again turns to the papers on the desk for a
moment. He looks around the table with a scowl.

                                                 PRESIDENT FOREST
                             C'mon guys, give me the bottom line.

Murraugh looks at Applehoff and Freer, then back to the
President.

                                                 BILL MURRAUGH
                             Sir, we believe this man is
                             harboring new technologies that
                             will put NASA and the Pentagon to
                             shame.

                                                 PRESIDENT FOREST
                                       (with interest now,
                                       cocking his head to
                                       one side)
                             How so?

                                                 BILL MURRAUGH
                             Sir, if you'll check, when the
                             local SWAT team went to arrest
                             him, their weapons exploded
                             injuring four men.

The President flips a page before looking up again.

                                                 PRESIDENT FOREST
                             I see that. It says here that he
                             is going to take total
                             responsibility for any injuries.

                                                 BILL MURRAUGH
                             Yes, Sir, it does. Nevertheless,
                             the point is that he has
                             something that renders
                             conventional weapons 100 percent
                             ineffective. Please keep reading.

The President's eyes go back to the papers before him. He
turns several more pages before looking up.

                                                 PRESIDENT FOREST
                             He told the judge that he was
                             'entertaining guests from out of
                             town'?

                                                 BILL MURRAUGH
                             It gets better, Sir.

The President's head goes down again for a few moments.

                                                 PRESIDENT FOREST
                             They were looking for Roswell and
                             got the States mixed up?

                                                 BILL MURRAUGH
                             Yes, Sir. That's what he told the
                             detectives and the judge.

                                                 PRESIDENT FOREST
                                       (annoyed)
                             Then get some of your people down
                             there to interrogate him.

                                                 GENERAL APPLEHOFF
                             That's a lot easier to say than
                             to do, Sir.

                                                 PRESIDENT FOREST
                             What do you mean? Here we have a
                             man in custody, with a possible
                             UFO sighting, giving some
                             outrageous story to a superior
                             court judge. We should be able
                             to question him at will.

Bill Murraugh looks at his hands before raising his head.

                                                 BILL MURRAUGH
                                       (quietly with embarrassment)
                             The judge dismissed the charges.

                                                 PRESIDENT FOREST
                             So? Have Bill pick him up and
                             question him.

                                                 BILL MURRAUGH
                             Not as easy as it sounds.

                                                 PRESIDENT FOREST
                             Why not?

                                                 BILL MURRAUGH
                             Well,
                                       (Murraugh turns to the CJS)
                             We can't get at him.

                                                 PRESIDENT FOREST
                             What do you mean you 'can't get
                             at him'? If he's in some local
                             lockup, just go down and pull him
                             out.

                                                 BILL MURRAUGH
                             Well, Sir. It seems the judge
                             turned him loose because he
                             hadn't broken any laws and the
                             police were out of line in this
                             case. Since he was released from
                             local custody, he managed to get
                             back on to his property and has
                             erected some sort of barrier that
                             we can't penetrate.

                                                 PRESIDENT FOREST
                             Can't penetrate? What does he
                             have, a half-dozen al-Qaeda
                             sharpshooters on the roof. Bring
                             him in for questioning!

The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff looks at his hands
at this point.

                                                 GENERAL APPLEHOFF
                                       (without looking up)
                             Sir, we can't get within five
                             feet of him. There's a barrier
                             completely around his house. We
                             can see through it, but can't
                             penetrate it. Not even bullets
                             can get through.

                                                 PRESIDENT FOREST
                             You tried shooting him, then?

                                                 GENERAL APPLEHOFF
                             Several times until he got
                             annoyed and knocked my sniper out
                             of a tree at two hundred yards.
                             I've got an entire Air Reserve
                             squadron from Dobbins surrounding
                             him, and we can't do a thing.

                                                 PRESIDENT FOREST
                             I don't believe this. You've got
                             one man in the middle of the
                             Atlanta suburbs holding off an
                             entire squadron of trained airmen?

                                                 GENERAL APPLEHOFF
                                       (nervously)
                             That's about it, Sir.

The CJS nervously opens a briefcase and produces a video
cassette.

                                                 GENERAL APPLEHOFF (CONT'D)
                                       (standing)
                             If I might, Mr. President, I
                             think this will bring it into
                             better perspective.

The President nods and the General walks over to a large
screen television and inserts the cassette. He picks up the
remote and sits back at his seat as the set warms up.

                                                 GENERAL APPLEHOFF
                             This first shot is right after he
                             flew back into his property.

                                                 PRESIDENT FOREST
                                       (voice rising and eyes widen)
                             He flew in?

                                                 GENERAL APPLEHOFF
                             Yes, Sir. He has some type of
                             backpack flying device that's
                             very silent; not like the stuff
                             we have. He just flew in past my
                             men and dropped down into the yard.

The President shakes his head in disbelief as the image of a
well-tanned, well-muscled, blonde, middle-aged man, MIKE
ANGEL comes onto the screen of the television. In the
background, the President can see several Air Force officers
standing in the street of an obviously residential
neighborhood as the audio comes on. The man is speaking to
an Air Force General, obviously reservist because of an ill-
fitting uniform, standing in the roadway. There is an Air
Force Major with adjutant's blue shoulder cord. The major
is dressed as if he has just stepped from a recruiting
poster, in contrast with the general's disheveled appearance.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             I really wish you would call off
                             your boys.

Mike removes a SCUBA-like backpack with three cylinders
attached to it and sets it down on the grass of the lawn.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL (CONT'D)
                             It's not necessary, and they
                             can't hit me in here anyway.
                             This could really turn into a
                             pain-in-the-butt.

Zoom in to full-screen on television.

EXT: SUBURBAN FRONT YARD

                                                 AIR FORCE GENERAL
                                       (blustering)
                             This area is under military
                             control. How did you get in there?

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             I just knocked and came in the
                             back door and he let me in. The
                             house likes me.

                                                 AIR FORCE GENERAL
                                       (barking and getting
                                       red-faced)
                             Surrender now and come out!

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                                       (patiently as if
                                       speaking to a child)
                             Number one: you're not
                             controlling anything except the
                             traffic on the street in front of
                             my yard and being a royal pain in
                             the butt to my neighbors. Number
                             two: this is my property, bought
                             and paid for in the State of
                             Georgia and deeded in the County
                             of Fulton. Until you serve me
                             with eminent domain papers from a
                             legitimate state court, I'd have
                             to assume it would be you who was
                             trespassing-and I don't think
                             Judge McHenry is about to grant
                             you that. Number three: under
                             the law of Posse Comitatus, you
                             really have zip authority here,
                             regardless of what you've been
                             told. The military cannot
                             override civil law at their will.
                             Besides, I seem to remember that
                             there's an amendment in the Bill
                             of Rights that says you can't
                             arbitrarily confiscate civilian
                             property for military use. I
                             know Mrs. Kaminski can't be too
                             thrilled with you setting up shop
                             in her living room. If you're
                             really nice to her, though, I'll
                             bet she'll feed you. She makes a
                             mean okra casserole. Everything
                             inside this wall is under
                             civilian authority.

                                                 AIR FORCE GENERAL
                                       (Sputtering)
                             I have my orders directly from
                             the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs.
                             I believe they override whatever
                             objections you have.

Pull back to show the President looking over at the CJS who
nods back as the man on the video continues,

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             Not really. He's just a
                             Presidential Advisor, not a
                             member of the executive branch or
                             even a cabinet officer. Even if
                             he were a cabinet officer, there
                             is a minor matter of due process
                             that involves the judicial branch
                             of our government. So, even if
                             you were Jesus Christ, I would
                             have a legal objection in this
                             country to your claim over my
                             property, either real or
                             intellectual. In this case,
                             you're trying to bully me out of
                             both. Now if you don't mind, I'd
                             just as soon you go away and play
                             soldier somewhere else and leave
                             me alone.

The camera zooms in again to full screen on the television
as Mike grabs his backpack and headed for the house. A few
minutes later he reappears loaded down with a folding chair,
TV tray, small cooler, and what looks like a laptop computer
with a camera attached to the top of the screen.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             You still here?

Mike says nonchalantly to the general as he unfolds his
chair and table and places the laptop on the table.

                                                                                          CUT TO:

INT: CONFERENCE ROOM

                                                 PRESIDENT FOREST
                             How did you get this video?

                                                 BILL MURRAUGH
                             He's broadcasting it, Sir.

President Forest's eyes widen and his jaw drops.

                                                 PRESIDENT FOREST
                                       (almost a shout)
                             He's what?

                                                 BILL MURRAUGH
                                       (quietly)
                             He has this on the Internet and
                             now the news services have picked
                             it up. Don't forget that CNN is
                             just down the road from him and
                             this is happening in their backyard.

The President shakes his head as the man on the screen
slowly unfolds the chair and adjusts the camera on the
laptop. He nonchalantly sits down no more than five feet
from where the General is standing and crosses his legs,
looking for the entire world as if he were out in the yard
enjoying the sun. He presses several keys on the laptop and
adjusts it so that the camera picks up both him and anything
on the street.

                                                                                          DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. FRONT YARD - LAPTOP CAMERA

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             Esads?

                                                 ESADS (OS)
                             Chirp.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                                       (turning to laptop)
                             Set up NetMeeting on the web site
                             so that this is public information.

                                                 ESADS (OS)
                                       (pleasant male voice)
                             It's already done since you arrived.

Mike turns to the general in the street.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             Now general, what exactly are
                             your orders?

                                                 AIR FORCE GENERAL
                                       (flatly)
                             We are to capture you and
                             confiscate all technology in your
                             possession as a threat to the
                             security and welfare of the
                             United States. This is a matter
                             of National Security!

Mike makes a sour face.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                                       (frustrated and patronizing)
                             Aw get off it, General. For your
                             information, I have made no
                             threat against any citizen or
                             territory of the United
                             States...yet.


                                                 MIKE ANGEL (CONT'D)
                             The technology I am experimenting
                             with is a matter of public
                             knowledge in any good library or
                             on the Internet. I personally
                             hold the critical patents to what
                             is worrying the NSA and others
                             and I have zero intention of
                             turning them over to any
                             government, much less mine.
                             Frankly, I'll bet the boys at
                             Greenbelt and Langley are
                             probably wetting their pants to
                             get their hands on Esads. He
                             multi-processes 1000 channels
                             simultaneously while maintaining
                             an internal awareness of each for
                             correlation. The spooks could do
                             some major spying with him. This
                             particular force field, for
                             instance, as well as the personal
                             anti-grav flyer I came in on
                             would be of major interest to all
                             of the Joint Chiefs, I'm sure.
                             Dream on, not during your
                             lifetime! I developed it, I
                             built it, I own it, it's mine,
                             and you can't have it!

                                                 AIR FORCE GENERAL
                                       (frustrated and shouting)
                             You can't do that. It's your duty
                             as a citizen to contribute to the
                             public welfare and safety by
                             cooperating with your government!
                             This shield alone would save
                             thousands of soldiers in our hands!

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                                       (sarcastic)
                             Yeah, right! Lives put on the
                             line by overweight slobs like you
                             that don't leave the operations
                             tent 100 miles from the front! I
                             don't freaking think so! By the
                             way, you ain't seen nothing yet.
                             Stick around a while and I'm sure
                             you'll be even more impressed and
                             jealous.

The General turns redder, makes an abrupt about face and
storms off down the street toward a jeep parked across the
road trailed by the Major.

                                                                                          CUT TO:

INT: CONFERENCE ROOM, WIDE

The President holds up a hand and General Applehoff puts the
video on pause.

                                                 PRESIDENT FOREST
                             What is the Esads he's talking about?

                                                 BILL FREER
                             We believe it's a massive super
                             computer that he's got in there.
                             It's in the transcript we gave
                             you. This Mike Angel told the
                             judge that it's an Electronically
                             Simulated Artificial Development
                             System. Some of our people have
                             been experimenting with things
                             like that. They call it 'genetic
                             programming'.

The President nods and the CJS restarts the video.

                                                                                          CUT TO:

EXT: SUBURBAN YARD

The Major has returned, not even wilted by the Georgia heat.
A square jaw and the looks of a model in an immaculate
uniform and shoes that could have been patent leather tips
everyone off that this fellow also isn't regular Air Force.
The officer turns to the Mike in the lawn chair.

                                                 AIR FORCE MAJOR
                             You understand that you are
                             guilty of treason and sedition by
                             not surrendering your equipment!

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                                       (amused)
                             CIA, right! Maybe black ops or
                             NSA. Definitely skunk works.
                             You didn't look like regular Air
                             Force or even reserves like the
                             General. I got enough experience
                             with your type in the SEALS and
                             I'll tell you now, that my team
                             never seemed to manage to bring
                             many of you back alive.

The Major stiffens and clenches his fists.

                                                 AIR FORCE MAJOR
                             It doesn't matter to whom I
                             report, you are responsible to
                             the government of the United
                             States of America and it's your
                             duty to turn this over to those
                             that know how to use it properly.
                             You should be more worried about
                             your situation, than about who I
                             am. Your noncompliance could
                             have serious consequences.

Mike's face turns stern and it's obvious that play time is over.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             I know full well what my duty is.
                             I spent 20 years working with
                             spooks like you and am firmly
                             convinced that none of you has a
                             freaking clue what reality is
                             according to the real world!
                             I'll tell you right here and now
                             that if I had a mind to, I have
                             the capability of not only
                             overthrowing the government of
                             the United States, but of
                             destroying the civilized world as
                             you know it. I don't have the
                             inclination to do that now, but I
                             really wouldn't recommend pushing
                             too hard here. You're treading
                             on some very thin ice, and if
                             that son-of-a-gun in the tree
                             down there fires off another shot,
                             I'm going to have to show you
                             what a mistake you all are making.

Zing! A ricochet rings out as if on cue. Mike flinches and
makes a sour face. He then stretches and rises from the
lawn chair. He turns and smiles at the Major.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL (CONT'D)
                             Be right back. Don't go away.

Mike enters the house through a side door and returns in a
few moments with what looks like an RPG or bazooka rocket
launcher, except it has three cylinders and all ends are
closed off. He walks over to where he had been sitting and
the Major is still standing.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             Your man is really starting to
                             annoy me. Watch and learn.

He raises the weapon to his shoulder and a slight whine
comes from the device as Mike adjusts several controls on a
drop-down panel in front of him.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                                       (calmly)
                             I'm going to knock him out of his
                             position and try not to hurt him.

He aims the weapon toward the tree hiding the sniper and
pulls the trigger. A slight whump comes from down the
street as leaves fly from the tree, some still attached to
their branches. So does the sniper, dropping about 20 feet
to the ground and losing his rifle along the way.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             Please inform General what's-his-
                             face that was only a 2G force. I
                             can do a whale of a lot worse if
                             he continues to bug me.

The Major does an abrupt about face and Mike calls after his
back.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL (CONT'D)
                             You can also tell him that I have
                             no intention of picking up his
                             people's retirement if they're
                             injured during this engagement.
                             Like they said on the old TV show;
                             don't make me angry. You
                             wouldn't like me very well when
                             I'm angry.

The Major follows the General's tracks across the street to
the front door of a house as Mike sits back in his lawn
chair, laying his weapon the grass next to him. He opens
the cooler, extracts a can of Guinness Draught, and places
it on the TV tray next to the laptop.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL(CONT'D)
                             I think it's going to be a long
                             afternoon.

                                                 ESADS(OS)
                             Chirp.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                                       (annoyed)
                             And stop that damn chirping! You
                             speak English as well and I do,
                             along with several dozen other
                             languages better than I.

                                                 ESADS (OS)
                             If you wish.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             Yes, I wish. Thanks.

                                                                                          CUT TO:

INT: CONFERENCE ROOM

General Appelhoff pauses the video once again.

                                                 GENERAL APPLEHOFF
                             That was early this morning. It
                             hasn't gotten any better since.

President Forest shows that he is an extremely unhappy man.
When the President isn't happy, it is certain his staff
isn't happy either.

                                                 PRESIDENT FOREST
                                       (sternly)
                             It can get worse than a private
                             citizen making the military of
                             the United States look like
                             incompetent idiots on television?
                             And you tell me that this was on CNN?

                                                 BILL FREER
                             This first part wasn't. NSA
                             stumbled across it from a Relcom
                             server on the Internet. CNN only
                             discovered it just before the
                             next section.

                                                 PRESIDENT FOREST
                                       (voice goes up a notch)
                             This is coming off of a Russian
                             server? Then cut his phone lines;
                             knock out his broadband; kill his
                             electricity.

The Director of the FBI pushes another large folder across
the table.

                                                 BILL FREER
                             We've tried that, and it doesn't
                             work. Evidently, he has some
                             self-contained source of power
                             and connects to the Internet
                             through satellites. In addition,
                             we have intel now that shows that
                             last night wasn't his first
                             launch. He's been launching these
                             satellites from his back yard for
                             quite a while.

The President looks incredulous at this as the Director sits
back in his chair.

                                                 PRESIDENT FOREST
                             You're telling me that this guy
                             is setting off rockets from Georgia?

                                                 BILL FREER
                             No, sir. From what we determined
                             so far, these aren't rockets.
                             They appear to be something
                             entirely new.

                                                 PRESIDENT FOREST
                             Why haven't we heard anything
                             about this before?

                                                 BILL MURRAUGH
                             Sir, we just heard about this
                             around midnight when the FBI
                             received an inquiry from the
                             local police. His launch last
                             night was large enough that his
                             neighbors saw and reported it.
                             They thought it was a flying saucer.

                                                 PRESIDENT FOREST
                             His last launch? How many of
                             these things has he got up there?

                                                 BILL MURRAUGH
                             As far as we know, he has just
                             this one large satellite. But if
                             you'll check the report, NSA
                             moved some of their birds around
                             and got pictures of at least 18
                             smaller objects that we didn't
                             know of before.

Forest makes a face and removes a sheaf of satellite
photographs and spreads them out in front of him.

Most of the images are of the small communication variety,
but one shows a large cylindrical object with one end
rounded and four smaller cylinders around its periphery.

                                                 PRESIDENT FOREST
                             This is what's sitting over Georgia?

                                                 GENERAL APPLEHOFF
                             Yes, sir. This is the object he
                             launched last night into a
                             stationary orbit. We are still
                             trying to assess the threat level.

                                                 PRESIDENT FOREST
                                       (hotly)
                             I'd say the threat level is off
                             the scale, General. When we have
                             somebody who can put something
                             like that into space from inside
                             the country and we didn't know a
                             damn thing about it, and,
                             according to this report, he can
                             use it to squash a 30-million
                             dollar laser like a bug. I'd call
                             that a threat!

Most of the attendees are now visibly squirming in their seats.

Forest is quiet for a moment, examining the photographs
before looking back up at his staff.

                                                 PRESIDENT FOREST
                             I've got a private citizen in the
                             middle of one of this country's
                             largest cities putting God know
                             what into orbit. We have a local
                             magistrate chasing the FBI, the
                             FBI for God's sake, out of the
                             courthouse after helping this
                             person escape. In addition, you
                             tell me that your weekend
                             warriors can't get through a wall.
                             Get some Delta Force in a
                             helicopter and drop them on the roof!

                                                 GENERAL APPLEHOFF
                                       (quietly, looking at hands)
                             We can't, Sir. "Radar shows this
                             thing goes up at least twenty miles.

                                                 SCIENCE ADVISOR
                                       (scoffing)
                             Oh come now general. Such a thing
                             just isn't possible.

                                                 GENERAL APPLEHOFF
                                       (turning to the
                                       science advisor angrily)
                             Then I suggest you hop in your
                             car, head down to Atlanta, and
                             drive into this guy's driveway at
                             40 miles an hour!

The General glares and a vein on President Forest's forehead
begins to throb.

                                                 PRESIDENT FOREST
                             What am I running here; government
                             by Monty Python? When is Alan
                             Funt supposed to come through the
                             door?

The entire National Security Council shrinks in their seats.
The situation is a mess and they know it. Intelligence has
screwed up on this and so has the FBI. Making matters worse,
the military has messed up too.

The President turns to the General Appelhoff.

                                                 PRESIDENT FOREST
                             There's more?

                                                 GENERAL APPLEHOFF
                                       (pressing start button
                                       on the remote)
                             Yes, Sir. It gets worse.

                                                 PRESIDENT FOREST
                             I don't see how.

The President lets out a "harrumph" as the picture resumes.

The Major reappears on the screen and as he gets close, Mike,
who is sitting comfortably sipping stout and looking bored,
can see that his jaw is twitching madly.

                                                                                          CUT TO:

EXT: FRONT YARD

                                                 AIR FORCE MAJOR
                             You have five minutes to turn off
                             this barricade and surrender.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                                       (mockingly)
                             Sorry Dave, I'm afraid I can't do
                             that.

                                                 AIR FORCE MAJOR
                             You have no choice. At this
                             minute the Attorney General is
                             preparing a warrant for your
                             arrest as a threat to National
                             Security.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             Bovine feces. So far, I haven't
                             threatened anybody; I just want
                             you to leave me alone to tinker
                             with my toys. I am an inventor
                             with rights like everyone else.
                             Just because some of my creations
                             look interesting to the military
                             doesn't give you the right to
                             bully or harass me. Your tactics
                             won't succeed; I won't turn over
                             any of my inventions to you or
                             the government or anyone else.
                             Nice try, but it won't work.

At this point, a man rather incongruously dressed in light
casual jacket, white shirt and tie, the letters ATF stamped
on his jacket, joins the Major on the street.

                                                 ATF MAN
                                       (reading from a paper
                                       in his hands)
                             Michael Angelskov?"

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             Mike. And it's Angel, not Angelskov.

                                                 ATF MAN
                             I have a Federal warrant for your
                             arrest and the confiscation of
                             all weapons on the premises.

Mike makes absolutely no effort to get up.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                                       (sarcastically)
                             Geez, my tax dollars at work.
                             You guys really can move fast
                             when you put your mind to it. I
                             think you're a bit out of your
                             jurisdiction here. I've only got
                             ten cases of Guinness and four
                             liters of Stolichnaya, 20 cartons
                             of cigarettes and absolutely no
                             firearms or explosives.


                                                 MIKE ANGEL (CONT'D)
                                       (He points over his
                                       shoulder to a sign in
                                       the yard prohibiting firearms)
                             I think I proved last night that
                             you can't bring any of that stuff
                             onto the property.

                                                 ATF MAN
                             We have probable cause to believe
                             that you are harboring weapons of
                             mass destruction in this area.
                                       (the agent points to a
                                       large building behind
                                       the main house)
                             You are to be arrested and all
                             equipment removed as evidence.

Mike stands and puts his hands in his pockets.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             Wrong Kemosabe! Some of my
                             inventions might be classed as
                             weapons, which is why I will not
                             surrender them to the military or
                             the US government.

Mike looks pointedly at the Major, who's jaw now vibrates so
hard he has to clench his teeth to stop them chattering.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL (CONT'D)
                             I've already said as much to the
                             Major, here. Einstein thought
                             atomic energy would be used for
                             peaceful purposes and look at the
                             first thing you guys did with it!

The Captain clenches his fists once more, but still stands
like a board. The ATF agent tentatively reaches out a hand
toward Mike until it meets resistance and quickly withdraws it.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                                       (nonchalantly)
                             That's an intensified gravity
                             field pointing up. Anything that
                             encounters it gets pushed toward
                             space. It won't hurt you, unless
                             you're coming at it at 40 miles
                             an hour. Then it's a brick wall.

The agent turns stiffly and starts across the street to the
house the General had gone into.

Down the street are several airmen removing a tarp from a
device on the back of a flat bed truck parked in a vacant
lot and begin working on cabling. The machine looks like a
squat Howitzer, but the electronics as well as the large
generator on the trailer clearly indicate it is something else.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL (TO LAPTOP)
                             What do you make of that, Esads?

                                                 ESADS (OS)
                             I would say it is a high
                             intensity laser, sir.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL (TO LAPTOP)
                             Ship?

                                                 PROTOTYPE (OS)
                             Chirp.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                                       (frustrated)
                             Knock that off and talk to me.

                                                 PROTOTYPE (OS)
                                       (pleasant feminine voice)
                             Yes sir.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL (TO LAPTOP)
                             Can you see what's going on down
                             here?

                                                 PROTOTYPE (OS)
                             Of course! My optics are
                             functioning perfectly and I can
                             see very clearly. The entire
                             block is surrounded by about 200
                             military personnel and at least
                             two dozen others that I assume
                             are Federal law enforcement.

Mike turns to the Major in the street.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             Major, would you mind asking your
                             people to stand back about 50
                             feet from that device, please?

The Major's twitch now includes his left eye making it
appear that he is winking at Mike.

                                                 AIR FORCE MAJOR
                             No. I have my orders and so do they.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             Well, I figure you people think
                             that because you can see me,
                             light gets through the field.
                             That would mean that a laser
                             could penetrate it and get me.
                             Oink! Wrong! You've seen what
                             happens when someone fires a shot
                             at me. Think of how much worse
                             the ricochet would be if you
                             ordered that laser to fire. This
                             protective barrier may not seem
                             strong to you, but I assure you,
                             Captain, that it is fully capable
                             of repelling whatever you might
                             shoot at it. Do you really want
                             to kill half your squadron?
                             Please ask them to move back at
                             least fifty feet. I can
                             intensify the field and block
                             light, but that's a pain; it
                             interferes with my tan. I just
                             don't want to have to hurt
                             anybody that's following stupid
                             orders.

                                                 AIR FORCE MAJOR
                             They will continue until their
                             mission is accomplished.

Mike turns back to the laptop.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             House, can you get me this guy's
                             boss on the line? Try for the
                             SecDef or CJS.

                                                                                          CUT TO:

INT: CONFERENCE ROOM

The President again glances toward the Chairman, who nods back.

                                                 GENERAL APPLEHOFF
                             That's the XL-71 portable field
                             laser system that Lockheed-
                             Martin's developing for us.

The President nods and turns back to the screen.

                                                                                          CUT TO:

EXT: FRONT YARD

Mike turns to watch the activity down the street, pulls
another Guinness from the cooler, and opens it. He leans
back on the lawn chair, looking very relaxed. The day has
heated up and the Major is beginning to appear uncomfortable
in his dark blue uniform.

                                                 HOUSE COMPUTER (OS)
                             Sir, I have the Secretary of
                             Defense on the phone.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             Thank you.
                                       (beat)
                             Mr. Secretary, this is Mike Angel
                             in Atlanta.

                                                 SECDEF (OS)
                             That's what I understand. What is
                             it you want?

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             We seem to have a problem here.
                             I've got half the reservists in
                             the State of Georgia playing war
                             games in front of my house,
                             there's a surly CIA type with no
                             sense of humor in my face, and an
                             ATF representative who thinks I'm
                             harboring weapons of mass
                             destruction. The FBI hasn't
                             shown yet, but they're probably
                             just stuck in traffic and should
                             be here any minute. And if
                             that's not enough, some of your
                             weekend warriors are building a
                             laser down the street.

                                                 SECDEF (OS)
                             I am aware of that. I authorized
                             them. We want your weapons and
                             designs. Your inventions could
                             pose a serious threat to the
                             safety of our nation. You can't
                             expect me to take your word for
                             it that you won't use your
                             capabilities against your
                             government. Until you're willing
                             to surrender yourself into
                             military custody, I have no
                             choice but to use force.


                                                 SECDEF (OS; CONT'D)
                             Do you have any understanding
                             what your force shield alone
                             could do for our troops? Can you
                             imagine bombers driven by your
                             propulsion units and protected
                             with that shield? Moreover, the
                             Chairman of the Joint Chiefs told
                             me you have a portable force
                             weapon as well as a personal
                             flyer. Your country needs these
                             and it's your duty as a citizen
                             to turn them over.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             Yeah, yeah, yeah. I got the
                             party line already from the
                             General and the Major. Like I
                             told them; not going to happen.
                             I hold the global patents on all
                             of this technology for the next 18
                             years and I'm not licensing them
                             out to anybody. It's too
                             dangerous to be in the hands of
                             people whose business is war. I
                             have too many peaceful uses
                             planned to allow that.

                                                 SECDEF (OS)
                                       (coldly)
                             Our business is defense. They
                             don't declare war on anybody.
                             That's up to the Congress.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                                       (sarcastic)
                             And I've got this beachfront
                             property near Phoenix you might
                             be interested in, or possibly you
                             might want a nice bridge in New
                             York? Look, I made a career of
                             killing people for you folks and
                             I'm not about to be responsible
                             for that again. As far as I can
                             determine, the only difference
                             between the Boy Scouts and these
                             guys out here is that the Boy
                             Scouts have adult leadership!
                             Now why don't you do you and the
                             taxpayers a favor and tell your
                             people their afternoon recreation
                             is over and call everybody out of
                             the pool?

Mike grins broadly, as he hears the Secretary sputtering at
the other end of the line. He notices that the Major's
knuckles had turned white from clenching them too tightly.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL (CONT'D)
                             To get to the point at hand, the
                             Major here refuses to order his
                             men down the street away from
                             their laser for a couple of
                             minutes. As his commander, I
                             would like you to tell them to
                             stand off about 50 feet for five
                             minutes while I stage a little
                             demonstration of why it's not a
                             good idea to get me too riled.

                                                 SECDEF (OS)
                             Why should I?

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             Because, like I just said, I'm
                             tired of hurting people. If they
                             are within 50 feet of the truck
                             in five minutes, six minutes from
                             now you'll have to wipe them up
                             with a Kleenex. Instead of
                             getting second-hand reports, why
                             not point your personal computer
                             to mikeangel.ru and watch first-
                             hand? I have a web cam covering
                             the area and I'm broadcasting all
                             of this. In fact,
                                       (Mike glances at the screen)
                             several of the news services and
                             CNN have already picked it up.

                                                 SECDEF (OS)
                                       (sputtering)
                             You can't do that! This is a
                             matter of National Security.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             Too late; did it already.
                             Besides, I was under the distinct
                             impression that in the United
                             States the public has an
                             inalienable right to know,
                             especially when it concerns
                             National Security and the goings
                             on from the government.


                                                 MIKE ANGEL (CONT'D)
                             I don't intend the public to get
                             the wrong idea about me from
                             either the press or your spin-
                             doctors - the people can see and
                             hear everything live and form
                             their own opinions. Now will you
                             order these people back, or will
                             you be responsible for their
                             widows collecting their government
                             insurance?

There is silence for about a half minute before the
Secretary speaks again.

                                                 SECDEF(OS)
                             Is the Major there?

                                                 AIR FORCE MAJOR
                                       (stiffening)
                             Yes Sir.

                                                 SECDEF (OS)
                             Please tell the men to stand down
                             for five minutes only.

                                                 AIR FORCE MAJOR
                             Yes Sir!

The Major makes a smart about-face and marches down the
street to where they are busily assembling the weapon. Mike
watches him briefly speak to a staff sergeant before turning
back to return. The troops on the truck begin getting down
and assembling in the front of a house a bit further down
the road.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             Thank you sir. Please excuse me
                             for just a second.

Mike picks up device that looks like a cellphone.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL (CONT'D)
                             Ship, can you target the weapon
                             down the street?

                                                 PROTOTYPE (OS)
                             Of course I can. I'm not stupid
                             and I've monitored your
                             conversation. I already have it
                             in a narrow beam.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             Then give me a 100G pulse for two
                             seconds as soon as everyone is
                             clear. I don't want any
                             collateral damage.

                                                 PROTOTYPE (OS)
                                       (beat)
                             Ready.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             Fire when ready, Gridley.

The ground trembles and there is a louder whump. Where the
truck and laser had been is now a flat sheet of metal less
than 6 inches thick. The ground where the truck had been
parked is depressed a foot and the surface looks glazed over
at this distance.

                                                 SECDEF (OS)
                                       (incredulous, yelling)
                             You have a weapon in orbit?
                             That's against all treaties we
                             have regarding space!

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             No Sir. The peaceful propulsion
                             system, however, can be reversed
                             and focused. I just had the ship
                             increase the effect of gravity
                             around the truck 100 fold and it
                             collapsed. It is not a weapon in
                             the right hands -- mine. That's
                             why I really don't think you need
                             it. Besides, you have broken
                             most of the weapons treaties
                             we've ever signed and it's just a
                             matter of time before you put
                             some sort of weapons platform in
                             space.

                                                 SECDEF (OS)
                             I am the President's
                             representative for the defense of
                             this nation! He is the elected
                             representative of the majority of
                             your fellow citizens. So I speak
                             for him and for the United States
                             when I say that this device must
                             be controlled by the government!

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                                       (snorting)
                             Don't get me started! As I
                             remember it, he's the elected
                             representative of a majority of
                             the Electoral College. I seem to
                             recollect he lost the popular
                             vote hands down. Therefore, you
                             speak for a couple hundred
                             members of the Electoral College
                             and the majority of the Supreme
                             Court. As a private citizen who
                             is, frankly, scared witless of
                             the both of you, I say you
                             neither need my device nor are
                             responsible enough to control its
                             use.

There is a long silence and then a distinct click as the
telephone hangs up the other end.

                                                 AIR FORCE MAJOR
                                       (officious tone)
                             You can't talk about the
                             President that way.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                                       (shrugging)
                             I just did. Get used to it.

                                                                                          CUT TO:

INT DAY: CONFERENCE ROOM

The Chairman stops the display and ejects the cassette.

                                                 PRESIDENT FOREST
                                       (white faced with eyes bulging)
                             He did that from space?

                                                 BILL MURRAUGH
                             Yes, Sir. We believe that was the
                             satellite he launched last night.

                                                 PRESIDENT FOREST
                             Then who were the others he was
                             talking to?

                                                 BILL MURRAUGH
                             Sir, NSA and my people believe
                             those are the artificially
                             intelligent computer systems this
                             Mike Angel told the judge about.

                                                 PRESIDENT FOREST
                                       (turning to the
                                       Science Advisor)
                             Computers? Do we have anything
                             like that?"

The advisor looks at his hands and shakes his head.

                                                 SCIENCE ADVISOR
                             Nothing quite that sophisticated.
                             We have voice recognition that
                             can run simple programs, but
                             these appear almost independent.

Forest thinks for a moment as his face gets darker before
looking up at the CJS.

                                                 PRESIDENT FOREST
                             Now get out of here General, and
                             take Larry, Moe, and Curly with
                             you. I want everyone back here at
                             six this afternoon with answers.
                             I want to know everything there
                             is about this man, his machines
                             and his intentions. Moreover, I
                             want to know what we can do about
                             him. Is that understood?

There are nods around the room as the President rises.

                                                                                          CUT TO:

INT. OFFICE

The Secretary of Defense is sitting behind a large desk and
presses a button on a box in front of him.

                                                 SECDEF
                             Alice, I want the President's
                             Science Advisor and the Director
                             of Central Intelligence in here
                             immediately.

                                                 ALICE (OS)
                             Yes sir.

A few moments later, a civilian in a suit comes in through a
side door. Unlike most federal employees, this person was
in light gray tweed instead of the standard issue black.

                                                 SCIENCE ADVISOR
                             You wanted to see me?

                                                 SECDEF
                                       (motions the advisor
                                       to a chair)
                             Sit down, George. I need your
                             evaluation of this situation.

                                                 SCIENCE ADVISOR
                             Sir, this crackpot's claims go
                             against every law of physics I'm
                             aware of. Even though I read the
                             report and watched the tape, I
                             say he's a total nutcase and
                             should be treated as one.

                                                 SECDEF
                             This crackpot, as you call him,
                             has just destroyed a 30-million
                             dollar top-secret laser we had in
                             development and has erected an
                             impenetrable force field
                             preventing us from touching him.
                             In addition, he did this from
                             orbit! He's not claiming
                             anything, he's demonstrating!"

                                                 SCIENCE ADVISOR
                                       (quietly)
                             I know. I saw it, remember?

                                                 SECDEF
                                       (irritably)
                             If you really think that he's
                             making outrageous claims, then
                             turn on CNN, or any other news
                             channel. They are re-running
                             pictures of our 30-million dollar
                             flatbed truck reduced to a block
                             of scrap-metal. I figure he's
                             going to be on Discovery channel
                             any day now or with that
                             Australian nut on Animal Planet
                             nuking kangaroos from space. Now
                             get out your slide rule and
                             figure out how the hell he does
                             it and how we can stop him!

The Science Advisor shrinks back into the chair at this,
knowing that whatever is going on is well beyond his
expertise. Nevertheless, he knows that he has to try something.

                                                 SCIENCE ADVISOR
                             Thank you Mr. Secretary, will
                             there be anything else?

The Secretary of Defense shakes his head and the Science
Advisor leaves, passing Bill Murraugh on his way. Replete
with dark glasses, black suit and shoes, the DCI enters the
office.

                                                 SECDEF
                             Bill. What's your Intel and what
                             are our options.

                                                 BILL MURRAUGH
                             Intel is still zip at this point.
                             We're getting more from CNN than
                             from our assets. This guy came
                             out of nowhere yesterday. He
                             doesn't show a red flag in any
                             database. Retired vet, Navy Seal,
                             decorated several times, but has
                             a service jacket three inches
                             thick that's filled with his
                             making his own rules. He got the
                             job done, but his way every time.
                             Brought up on charges twelve
                             times during his career, all of
                             them dismissed. Mostly
                             insubordination and disobeying
                             direct orders, but since he
                             exceeded his missions, they
                             always dropped charges. He
                             earned two PhDs while still in
                             the service and mustered out on a
                             medical because he didn't run
                             fast enough from a charge he set
                             in Afghanistan. A total loner,
                             never married, perfect score on
                             the GCT/ARI tests and an IQ
                             approaching 180.

                                                 SECDEF
                             Can we recall him?

                                                 BILL MURRAUGH
                             I don't think we can legally. He
                             was enlisted - they tried for
                             years to get him to go OCS.
                             Recalling one person not during a
                             time of war, especially one with
                             a medical discharge, would pose a
                             problem and a PR nightmare. He
                             served his full time and didn't
                             have to do active reserve. The
                             medical is secondary.


                                                 BILL MURRAUGH (CONT'D)
                             Evidently, he insisted in serving
                             the full enlistment before
                             retiring to avoid any recall.
                             He's off the reserve list and his
                             age puts him above what we can draft.

                                                 SECDEF
                             Do you have any other good news?

                                                 BILL MURRAUGH
                             From what we can trace so far,
                             he's acquired several billion
                             dollars since he left the Navy,
                             mostly from lottery winnings.

The Secretary's eyes bulge.

                                                 SECDEF
                             How can that be?

                                                 BILL MURRAUGH
                             Unknown. Tracking through about 50
                             holding companies he owns, he's
                             not only won every major money
                             lottery in every state since he
                             left the service, but also holds
                             750 patents on everything from
                             computers to power supplies and
                             synthetic fuels. None of his
                             corporations appears to produce
                             anything except patents and
                             copyrights. Apparently, they are
                             just fronts for his other
                             operations, whatever those are.
                             We're checking now on the
                             legitimacy of them. IRS reports
                             that all taxes are impeccable and,
                             in fact, most appear overpaid.
                             However, we can find no trace of
                             the money in any bank that
                             reports to the FED.

                                                 SECDEF
                             Now that's got to be illegal; we
                             can get him on money laundering,

                                                 BILL MURRAUGH
                             Not if the master corporation is
                             legitimately registered overseas.
                             We're still working on that
                             aspect. I hope to have it solved
                             by this afternoon.


                                                 BILL MURRAUGH (CONT'D)
                             The biggest problem is that this
                             person is Snow White: model
                             citizen, low profile, not even a
                             parking violation that we can
                             find. He just has an unusual way
                             of making money and has no other
                             visible means of support.

                                                 SECDEF
                                       (sourly)
                             Yeah. That and he launches
                             satellites from his backyard as a
                             hobby.

A Marine knocks once, enters through the main door, and
hands a sheaf of papers to the CIA Director. The Director
leafs through the folder.

                                                 BILL MURRAUGH
                             Evidently our man has spent
                             several million dollars in the
                             past few years on Internet
                             auction sites buying computer
                             parts. He paid through accounts
                             in Grand Cayman, Zurich, and
                             Khabarovsk, Russia. He's also
                             been purchasing from local
                             companies. Mostly machine tools,
                             odd chemicals, liquid helium; the
                             list goes on, but I don't see
                             anything illegal except the
                             funneling of money out of the
                             country and that's questionable
                             whether or not it can be prosecuted.

                                                 SECDEF
                             Questionable or not, this man has
                             developed weapons that threaten
                             the security of the entire free
                             world. He has to be stopped now
                             by any means we can and this
                             technology brought under our control.

The main door opens again and a woman enters. She appears
to be in her mid-fifties or maybe early sixties but still
quite attractive. She hands the Secretary an open padded
envelope.

                                                 ALICE
                             Sir, this came for you. We
                             thought you needed to see it as
                             soon as it passed security. It's
                             from that man in Atlanta.

                                                 SECDEF
                             Thank you Alice.

He takes the envelope as the woman turns and leaves the
office. He takes out a plastic jewel case containing a
home-burned CDROM. The camera can see it is labeled
"Interstellar Drive Specifications".

The Defense Secretary hands this to Bill Murraugh.

                                                 SECDEF
                             Put your best people on this
                             right away. Bring in NSA if you
                             have to. I want to know what's
                             on it!

The CIA Director accepts the plastic case, nods, and
immediately leaves the room through the side door.

                                                                                          FADE TO:

EXT. EVENING FRONT YARD

As darkness falls, Mike picks up his communicator and laptop,
leaving the lawn chair, table, and cooler behind. He opens
the side door to the house.

                                                                                          CUT TO:

INT. HOUSE

                                                 HOUSE COMPUTER (OS)
                             Bill Simmonds for you, Sir.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             Who?

                                                 HOUSE COMPUTER (OS)
                             Bill Simmonds. Johnson Controls,
                             remember?

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             Oh yeah, put him on.

Mike puts the laptop on the table and sits down.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL (CONT'D)
                             Bill! I haven't talked to you in
                             months.

                                                 BILL SIMMONDS (OS)
                             Right! I hit the road for a month
                             and when I come home half the
                             city's blocked off, my client's
                             face is plastered all over the
                             television, and I haven't seen
                             this many uniforms since I took
                             my son to a scout jamboree. What
                             the heck is going on?

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             Oh, not much. Same sleepy
                             bedroom community except the
                             reservists decided to bivouac in
                             my front yard.

                                                 BILL SIMMONDS
                             What did you do? Rob Fort Knox?

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                                       (laughing)
                             No. Remember the stuff I bought
                             from you a couple of months ago?

                                                 BILL SIMMONDS
                             Sure. A bunch of cryogenic
                             monitors and control equipment
                             with computer interfaces. Why?

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             Well, I put it in orbit last
                             night and the President is having
                             a cow.

                                                 BILL SIMMONDS
                                       (incredulous)
                             You did what?

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             Some of the equipment was to beef
                             up security around my house, but
                             the rest was for a prototype I
                             was building for space travel.

                                                 BILL SIMMONDS
                                       (incredulous)
                             You launched a rocket in your
                             back yard?

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             No, not really a rocket: a space
                             vehicle.

                                                 BILL SIMMONDS
                             You're insane!

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             A lot of people are telling me
                             that lately.

                                                 BILL SIMMONDS
                             You used our stuff to build a
                             space shuttle at home and
                             launched it into space?

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             Basically, yeah.

                                                 BILL SIMMONDS
                             How? Those were off-the-shelf
                             sensors and interfaces! It was
                             stuff we had in the warehouse,
                             for Pete's sake!

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             I know. That's why I picked you.
                             I could walk up to the counter
                             and get what I needed without a
                             lot of hassle or paperwork.

                                                 BILL SIMMONDS
                             It wasn't even MIL-spec. Those
                             were standard industrial parts
                             for refrigeration and air
                             conditioning!

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             I know. No offense, but the MIL-
                             spec stuff is crap. Tell your
                             engineers that the production
                             models are good enough for me.
                             If NASA wants to hold your feet
                             to the fire with off-the-wall
                             specs, so be it. That's their
                             problem. You had what I needed,
                             so I bought it. It worked.

                                                 BILL SIMMONDS
                             You're certifiable, you know that?

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                                       (smiling)
                             Don't say that too loud. They
                             haven't tried that angle yet.

                                                 BILL SIMMONDS
                             You really put my stuff in space?

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             Yup. And if things work out the
                             way I hope they do, you'll be
                             getting a much bigger order in a
                             couple of months.

                                                 BILL SIMMONDS
                             What do you mean?

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             You've got a permanent staff over
                             at Lockheed-Martin, right?

                                                 BILL SIMMONDS
                             Yes. We've got people to service
                             sensors and controls for some of
                             the planes they produce.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             Well, if it works out, I'm going
                             to have them build me a bigger
                             version of the prototype I
                             launched the other day and I'll
                             need more of your stuff.

                                                 BILL SIMMONDS
                             You're not kidding, are you?

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             Dead serious. I'm going to need
                             some installers on the line over
                             there and somebody with clearance
                             to finish the work here.

                                                 BILL SIMMONDS
                                       (hesitant)
                             Most of our people have FBI
                             clearances, so that should be no
                             problem.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             Good. However, the FBI isn't
                             good enough for me. Tell you
                             what; send a couple of resumes
                             and background data over to Jim
                             McKinney, my security chief.
                             He'll let you know who we need.

                                                 BILL SIMMONDS
                             You really are crazy, you know
                             that? Let me know what you need
                             and I'll work up a proposal for you.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             What do I need a proposal for? I
                             know what I want - you make it;
                             I'll buy it. Simple as that!

                                                 BILL SIMMONDS
                             You're putting me on.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                             No. This isn't up for bids. I'm
                             not going to bring Honeywell or
                             Siemens in on the deal. You
                             currently make exactly what I
                             need at a good price and it's in
                             your catalogue so I'll buy from
                             you. Look, I checked everybody
                             before I started messing around
                             with this and you have exactly
                             what I need. Tell you what, when
                             I make the order, instead of
                             spending a week preparing
                             proposals, give your admins a day
                             off with pay instead. OK?

                                                 BILL SIMMONDS
                             You're freaking nuts! You got a
                             deal.

Mike looks weary as he stands and walks into a kitchen.

                                                 MIKE ANGEL
                                       (to himself)
                             So much for faith in humanity.

                                                 FADE OUT:


Ben W. Gardner
Sedona, Arizona

"I do not fear computers. I fear lack of them." --Isaac Asimov

http://ca.geocities.com/vladilyich/

In The Beginning - ISBN: 1-4116-3848-4
Just In Time - ISBN 1-4116-3851-4
Ad Astra - ISBN: 978-1-84728-518-8
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