Updated Saturday 10 May, 2008 12:19 PM | Headlines | Discussion Forum | International Edition
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Updated Saturday 10 May, 2008 12:19 PM | Headlines | Discussion Forum | International Edition |
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A CHANGE IN TIME An original screenplay by Jody A. Gorran
Fade in: INT. efficiency apartment of jeff herman - DAY JEFF HERMAN, a 32 year old single, nerdy, average looking, lost in a crowd-type, long time Ph.D. Candidate in physics at MIT, struggles to get himself out of bed. Tv news announcer (V.O.) Good morning Boston! It's 7 AM Tuesday April First, 2014. It's April Fool's Day. It's clear and 49 degrees. And here's this mornings headlines. Jeff starts pushing the covers off of himself as he starts to rise from his bed. He looks towards the TV. TV NEWS ANNOUNCER (V.O.) In the west, Islamic insurgents have again launched attacks across the Arizona-Mexican border. This marks the third time in two weeks that US forces have come under heavy fire in this area. Jeff gets out of bed and shuffles over to his kitchen area and pours himself some coffee. TV NEWS ANNOUNCER (V.O.) Gasoline riots in Los Angeles continue for the fourth day with no end in site. California Governor pleads with Washington for increased gas allotments. Jeff sits down at his kitchen table as his old cat, Minxie jumps in his lap. He pets her lovingly. Jeff Good morning Minxie. I don't suppose you have any good news to tell me, huh girl? TV NEWS ANNOUNCER (V.O.) In the east, residents of Greater Baltimore are still wondering when they will be able to return to their homes after the latest discovery of radioactivity in the TV NEWS ANNOUNCER(V.O)(cont’d) harbor area. Homeland Security officials do not expect a repeat of the 2008 nuclear detonation at Port Everglades in South Florida. JEFF Well that's a relief! TV NEWS ANNOUNCER (V.O.) And locally, some good news for commuters. Officials do not expect any additional road blockades and military checkpoints today other than the usual ones we've all become accustomed to. Still, allow plenty of time for checkpoint identity verification. Jeff clicks the remote control and turns off the TV. JEFF Oh how wonderful! I might make it to campus before noon! What do you think about that Minxie? CUT TO: EXT. Apartment parking lot - DAY Jeff walks to his 11 year old car, a 2003 Saturn, gets in and drive's off. CUT TO: Ext. JEFF'S CAR - day Jeff drives by military convoys traveling in the opposite direction. CUT TO: EXT. Military checkpoint - DAY Jeff stops at military checkpoint. CORPORAL JENKINS, 22 and full of himself, walks up to driver's side window. Jeff Corporal Jenkins, how are you? CORPORAL JENKINS stares at Jeff silently. JEFF (CONT'D) (exasperated) Now Corporal Jenkins, we have been seeing each other at this checkpoint almost every weekday for months. Corporal Jenkins Your license, registration and travel permit sir? JEFF (pleading) But Corporal Jenkins, we go through this constantly. You know me by now. I don't suppose you make exceptions for April Fools Day? CORPORAL JENKINS (sternly) Sir, if you don't produce these documents, we will have to detain you. Jeff looks at his watch. JEFF (frustrated) OK, Sorry, here they are. Corporal Jenkins reviews the documents and returns them to Jeff. CORPORAL JENKINS Thank you sir, you may proceed. Jeff drives off. Mutters to himself. JEFF Travel permits, roadblocks, soldiers. The world is so screwed up. Doesn't anything ever change? CUT TO: EXT. parking lot at mit - DAY Jeff drives in and parks. Gets out of his car and walks to Building 26-505 with a sign designating it as the Laboratory For Nuclear Science. Uses a biometric thumb reader to allow him entry to the building CUT TO: INT. Lab For Nuclear Science - DAY Jeff enters building and walks up to the desk of MARSHA, the lab director's secretary. She's, 36 with a 40 inch chest. JEFF Hi Marsha. You know, you're looking especially healthy these days. New boy friend? Marsha (seriously) No Jeff, I've just been riding my bike a lot more since gas rationing got worse. You should try it. It sure beats $6.00 A gallon gas. JEFF Thanks for the thought, but twenty miles round trip per day on a bike is a little too much "healthy" for me. I guess that as long as we have a contract with the Department of Energy, they'll keep me supplied in gas ration coupons. MARSHA Whatever! The Director wants to meet with you and Malcolm, pronto! He doesn't seem in a good mood. JEFF Marsha, how can you tell the difference with Dr. Jenkins? MARSHA Just go on in. Malcolm is already in there. Jeff nods at Marsha, makes a face and walks the few feet to the door to Dr. Jenkins' office and opens it. INT. lab director's office - dAY Jeff walks in and sees DR. JENKINS, who is 57, balding and fat, seated at his desk and MALCOMB, a 27 year old smarmy toad with slicked back greasy black hair, is seated in one of two chairs in front of the desk. Jeff seats himself. JEFF Good morning Dr. Jenkins, Malcolm. I hope I haven't interrupted anything? Malcolm smiles at Jeff in a smarmy sort of way. Dr. Jenkins (officious) Jeffrey, you've been working on your doctoral thesis concerning certain aspects of quarks and gluons as a Research Associate here for, what? Ten years? JEFF Give or take a year or so. Jeff squirms a bit in his chair. DR. JENKINS, While ten years is a substantial amount of time, it certainly is not unheard of. And I must admit that your work here has been more than satisfactory. In fact, your work with the new MIT-Bates Hadron Collider has been exemplary. JEFF Thank you Dr. Jenkins. DR. JENKINS However, due to cutbacks in our contract with the Department of Energy, Research Associate positions in each of the Physics labs at the university will be reduced. The high energy particle program which you two are part of will lose one position. As I already mentioned to Malcolm, according to our yearly contracts with the two of you, they will expire on September 1st.
JEFF (shaking) I understand about our current contracts expiring on September 1st. That's five months from now. I am just a little confused about what you're saying. DR. JENKINS Well Jeff, what I'm saying is that between now and then, I will have to choose between you and Malcolm as to who will stay on at the University and who will go. CUT TO: Int. men's room - DAY Jeff is puking in a toilet while Malcolm is running a comb through his well-greased hair. JEFF (shouting) I know it's going to me who'll have to leave. I asked for it. Couldn't leave well enough alone. Be careful what you wish for! Malcomb What do you mean Jeff? Jeff is walking in circles around the men's room. JEFF (ranting) Oh you know. Be careful what you wish for...you may get it! Watching the miserable news reports on TV this morning and having to go through those damn army checkpoints every day. I asked myself "doesn't anything ever change". Well I got my wish. Something is going to change. I'm going to have to leave. Jeff puts his hands on either side of his head and sticks his head under running water in the sink. JEFF (CONT'D) I've spent my whole life, plodding along, never making waves, always Jeff (cont’d) concerned about what others might think, and where has it gotten me. I have no girlfriend, I have no family, and now I won't have physics, MIT and the Hadron Collider! Malcolm turns to Jeff and puts his hand on Jeff's shoulder and smiles his smarmy smile. MalCOMB (sickening sweet) But Jeff, Dr. Jenkins hasn't made his choice yet. He still may ask YOU to stay instead of me. JEFF (ranting) I could have been awarded my doctorate years ago if I just hadn't waited for the Hadron Collider to go online last year. Why did I need to keep looking for proof of the existence of tachyons. I didn't need to do that. They were never part of my doctoral thesis anyway. It was just my own little private obsession. I never shared my theories about tachyons with anybody. I could already have my doctorate and be a tenured professor somewhere. With Jeff turned away from him, Malcolm looks at himself in the mirror, combs his hair back and smiles. CUT TO: INT. cafeteria - DAY Jeff is in line at the cafeteria getting his lunch. He sees his favorite cafeteria server behind the counter. Mary is about 50, overweight but very friendly. JEFF Mary, how are you and those salmon croquettes doing. Mary Jeff, we are both doing just fine thank you. Would you like some? JEFF Yes, please, along with peas and mashed potatoes. She hands the plate to him. JEFF (CONT'D) Thanks Mary, have a good one. Mary You too Jeff! JEFF Yeah thanks. But I have other plans. Jeff pays the cashier and turns around and walks into SHARON, who is 31, blond, slim, and very attractive going the wrong way in the line. He almost drops his tray. JEFF (apologetically) I'm sorry. I didn't see you there. Sharon Oh no, it was my fault. I was going the wrong way in the line. I'm just visiting and....Jeff, Is that you? JEFF Sharon? What are you?...What are you doing here? SHARON I was invited by your Political Science department to visit and give a lecture this afternoon. I knew you were still at MIT and I hoped that somehow we might run into each other. And I guess we did! A big smile appears on Sharon's face. Jeff smiles too. Jeff guides Sharon to an empty nearby table and puts down his tray. JEFF Would you like something to eat? I could go back in line and get you something. They say the croquettes are pretty good today. They both sit down. SHARON I'm really not very hungry. I'd rather just talk to you and catch up before my lecture. It's been a long time. JEFF Yeah, like 11 years. Sharon Atwater. No...of course, you married Steve so you're Sharon Billings. SHARON Jeff, Steve is dead. JEFF What happened? SHARON He volunteered for the reserves. Maybe to get away from me. He was patrolling near the Canadian border in 2009 when he and two other members of his platoon were ambushed by Islamic insurgents coming across the border. JEFF I'm so sorry. We were once like family, you, me and Steve sharing that dumpy three bedroom apartment in DC for what,... two years? Sharon Yeah, our junior and senior years at George Washington U. JEFF Any kids? SHARON No, Steve wasn't ever ready for kids. I wanted them but he wasn't too crazy about the idea. But I've got my Ph.D. in Islamic Studies and I teach Political Science at Wesleyan. Are you married? JEFF No. Haven't found the right girl yet. Plus I've been working slowly JEFF (cont’d) towards my doctorate in high energy particle physics for almost forever. Well well. Dr. Sharon Billings. SHARON Well, it's actually Sharon Jamison. I got married again last year. He's a lawyer. By the way, how's your mother? I really liked her. I loved that home-made chocolate cake she would bring when she visited you at the apartment. JEFF (sigh) She really liked you too, but she's dead. SHARON Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that. Was she sick? JEFF I guess it's accurate to call radiation poisoning being sick. She was caught by fallout from the nuclear detonation in 2008 at Port Everglades. She had moved to a condo in South Florida in 2004. God's waiting room she called it. For a lot of people, the wait was too short. She strokes his face. SHARON (angrily)) Oh Jeff, that is so terrible. So many people have had there lives destroyed by these Islamic insurgents. The world has gone mad; You, me and millions more around the world lost loved ones. And the worst part about it was that it never had to happen! JEFF What do you mean, never had to happen?
SHARON That's the topic of my lecture this afternoon; "The World-Wide Islamic Insurgency: How the 2003 Invasion of Iraq Changed Everything and What May Be Next". It was also the subject of my doctoral thesis. CUT TO: Footage of US forces invading Iraq SHARON (V.O.) The US invaded Iraq with no justification. There were no weapons of mass destruction. There was no connection with 9/11. There was no imminent threat. Saddam Hussein was contained. The intelligence was wrong. So what happened? Footage of Osama Bin Laden & Iraqi insurgency bombings SHARON (V.O.) By invading Iraq we gave Bin Ladin a Christmas present. We helped bring all militant Islamists together in a jihad against the United States. We invaded a Muslim country for their riches and we were the new crusaders. Footage of desert battle scenes, oil wells and Islamic praying SHARON (V.O.) It changed the whole complexion from terrorism to a full scale Islamic insurgency that exploded in Iraq and overthrew the monarchies and established new Islamic states in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the Emirates. Oil supplies were permanently disrupted. Footage of Iran and North Korea and more battles SHARON (V.O.) When Iran and North Korea shared their nuclear capabilities with the insurgents, we took military SHARON (V.O) (cont’d) action. But it was too late for Israel. Footage of mushroom clouds in the desert SHARON (V.O.) They were able to launch retaliatory nuclear strikes against their enemies but Israel was just too small a target to survive. So the land of Israel as well as the Palestinian territories will be uninhabitable for ten thousand years. Footage of South Florida and nuclear devastation SHARON (V.O.) South Florida is also radioactive and Detroit is in ruins. And what may happen next could truly be Armageddon, the end of everything! JEFF Sharon, I want to continue talking with you, but you've got your lecture. Do you have any time for us to get together afterwards, maybe for dinner? SHARON I'd like to talk with you too. An early dinner around 5:00 PM would be fine for me. We could talk and I'd have just enough time to get home to Connecticut before curfew shuts down the highways. JEFF (excited) That's terrific. I'll meet you right outside of this building at 5:00. Jeff gets up and touches Sharon's hand. JEFF (CONT'D) It's so good to see you. Good luck with your lecture. Sharon gets up and waves to Jeff as he walks off. CUT TO: INT. Restaurant - DAY Sharon and Jeff are sitting at a table eating and drinking. SHARON You know Jeff, I've always wondered why you didn't come to our wedding. Even Steve seemed hurt that you didn't show up. JEFF Sharon, you know how things were then. We had just graduated and there were things to do.... SHARON What do you mean, things to do? This was our wedding. What else did you have to do? I thought we were all "like family". I mean we all lived together for two years. JEFF Yeah but... SHARON But what! JEFF If you must know, I was in love with you! SHARON What? When? How? I mean Steve and I were an item within two months of the three of us moving in. I don't understand? JEFF What's to understand. You were with Steve. Period. It didn't mean that I couldn't be in love with you as well! SHARON Why didn't you say something? JEFF What for? What would it accomplish? You were in love with JEFF (cont’d) Steve and he with you. Why should I create any waves that might disrupt our happy family. SHARON Jeff, I'm sorry. I had no idea. JEFF (sadly) Sharon, there's nothing to be sorry about. I felt the way I felt and that's the way it was. I just couldn't deal with going to your wedding. So I didn't go! Period! SHARON Well I wish I had known. You didn't seem to show any particular interest in me. Other than class work, you always seemed preoccupied with your time travel stuff. You know, those books and movies that you seemed so fascinated with? JEFF Yeah, I did read and watch a lot of science fiction concerning time travel back then. SHARON Why the interest? JEFF Oh, I guess it goes back to my father's death. You don't really want to hear about all, this, do you? SHARON Yes Jeff, especially after telling me how you felt about me back then. JEFF Well, I have always been some what ashamed of how my father died. I never wanted anyone to know that he had killed himself. CUT TO: INT. jeff's childhood BEDROOM - NIGHT 12 year old Jeff, who is thin and nerdy, is lying in bed reading when his MOTHER, 39, overweight, comes in. He quickly sits up. She comes and sits by him on the bed. Jeff's mother Jeffrey, I have some terrible news. JEFF What's the matter, mom? She puts her arm around Jeff. JEFF'S MOTHER It's your father, Jeff. He passed away. JEFF (tears welling up) What? Daddy's dead. No. He's not. He can't be. JEFF'S MOTHER I'm sorry Jeff, but it's true. He's dead. And I hate to have say this, but he killed himself. JEFF No! Why? Why! Why would he kill himself? We loved him. I loved him, you loved him. Didn't he know that? JEFF'S MOTHER Jeff, I'm sure he knew that. Jeff places his head in his mother's lap. JEFF Mom, what are we going to do? CUT TO: INT. resTAURANT - DAY SHARON Jeff, I never knew. JEFF Like I said, I never told anyone. But I was 12 when it happened and I thought that it was my fault. Maybe if I had been a better son or JEFF (cont’d) realized what was going on. From then on, I dreamed of what it would have been like if I could have prevented him from killing himself. You know, if I could go back in time and stop him. Change the past! So I read everything I could about time travel and I felt good knowing that who knows, maybe someday time travel would be real. SHARON Oh Jeff. JEFF As I grew older I realized that even if I could have stopped him from killing himself at that moment, he was still sick, and he could just kill himself another time. It wasn't my fault. I wasn't responsible. SHARON Well, I'm glad to hear that you understand that now. It must have been tough as a kid. JEFF Yeah, it was. SHARON My dad died when I was 17, in my senior year in high school. It was cancer. I really loved him. He gave me such confidence, such encouragement. Even when he knew he was dying, he would always try to cheer me up. CUT TO: INT. Hospital room - DAY SHARON'S FATHER, 51, receding hairline, looks like death warmed over, is lying in a hospital bed hooked up to monitors. Sharon, at 17, blond, cheer-leader type, is sitting by his side, crying.
Sharon's father Oh Pumpkin. Don't be so sad. I'm so proud of you. You're going off to college next year and you can be anything you want to be. SHARON Oh daddy, I don't want to lose you. I love you. SHARON'S FATHER I love you too sweetheart. I'll always be with you, near you. Always remember, you can change your future! CuT TO: INT. RESTAURANT - DAY SHARON He always said that I could do anything I wanted to do. The only limitations were the one's I placed on myself. His favorite saying was "you can change your future". He taught me to never simply accept what you're given. The outcome can be different if you have the courage to change. JEFF I wish my father had been around long enough to tell me something like that. When I was born, I was premature and it was a miracle that I lived. My mother was always so overprotective with me. SHARON Yeah, I kind of remember her doting on you when she'd visit. JEFF Well it was a lot more than that. I had asthma as a kid, so my play was restricted. I stayed home a lot. I never had the opportunities of playing sports to help give a boy more self esteem. I did pretty well in school but I was treated JEFF (cont’d) sort of like an outcast. After my father died, I retreated into the fantasy world of time travel. Basically between that and school work, was my life. SHARON I'm sorry Jeff. JEFF Don't be. I mean, life's been interesting. I love my work at MIT. But I found out today that either I or Malcolm, another research associate, will not have our contract renewed after September 1st. They haven't decided which of us will go. SHARON Oh Jeff. This was a bad day for you. Is there anything you can do to improve the odds that your contract will be renewed? JEFF I wish I knew. But you got me thinking. My head is spinning about what you said this afternoon about the Islamic insurgency and Iraq. And now with what you said your father told you about being able to change your future, I have an idea that will probably not improve my odds. SHARON What do you mean? JEFF You know, believe it or not, I still am fascinated by time travel and changing the past. In fact, now that they may not be renewing my contract, I'm considering attempting an unauthorized experiment using the MIT-Bates Hadron Collider. SHARON Whatever that is, you're not serious, are you? JEFF Sure am. That's why I went into physics in general, and high energy particle research in particular. While my doctoral thesis is more mainstream, my hidden passion is somewhat more unorthodox. SHARON What do you mean by unorthodox? JEFF Well it concerns tachyons, a hypothetical subatomic particle that no one has evidence actually exists. However, my calculations conclude that tachyons are produced during high energy particle collisions generating energy above 5 trillion electron volts. SHARON I don't follow you. What does time travel have to do with tachyons? Jeff takes out a pen and starts diagramming on a paper napkin JEFF Well, it follows this way. Apart from other oddities, the equations for energy and momentum for such particles reveal that whenever energy was imparted to a tachyon, it would slow down. This leads to one of the most peculiar characteristics of tachyons: their possession of negative energy. Such particles will appear to travel backward in time. The implications of such behavior were noticed by Richard Tolman as early as 1917 in what has come to be known as Tolman's Paradox, namely that communication with the past is possible. I believe that tachyons furnish the mechanism for backward causation. In other words, for changing the past. SHARON You're not saying that you can travel back in time. He grabs another napkin and diagrams some more JEFF No, of course not. However, I believe that communication with the past is possible. I believe that tachyon convergence can be created and controlled when multiple streams of tachyons are released and reflected within what I refer to as a Tachyon Convergence Receptacle. The Receptacle is strategically placed at the point of collision of the two high energy particle beams within the Hadron Collider. As a consequence, I believe that tachyon convergence can displace in both time and space, a known volume of matter of a specific composition and density. While I do not as yet have my final calculations, I do believe that I can send a suitable object, such as what they used to refer to as a CD-ROM disk, back to any time and place in the past. SHARON Jeff, tell me you don't actually believe this. JEFF Well, I actually do. In fact I delayed finishing my dissertation and getting on and doing something with my life until the Hadron Collider came on line and I could somehow manage to prove my own theories before making them public. SHARON Jeff, I have to say that this all still sounds like science fiction. JEFF Well, many scientific discoveries were first described in fictional settings. Jeff moves closer to Sharon, takes her hand and looks her straight in the eyes
Jeff (CONT'D) (very serious) Sharon, for the moment, let's pretend, OK? I've been thinking all afternoon about what you said about the consequences of the US invasion of Iraq in 2003. Let me ask you a question? Supposing you knew in 2002 what you know now? What would you do? SHARON That's easy. I'd move heaven and earth to stop the Iraq war from happening. JEFF I though you might say that. I can't promise that this is going to be successful. In point of fact, my time at MIT might run out and so I may have nothing to lose. I'd like to believe however, that your father was right when he said to you, "You can change your future". Now I'm asking you, will you help me try to change the past? CUT TO: INT. jeff's apartment - DAY Jeff is sitting at his kitchen table looking over a set of blue prints. Doorbell rings, he goes to the door, opens it and Sharon comes in. JEFF Hi Sharon, glad you could make it. SHARON I can't believe I'm here. I still can't believe that you're seriously trying to pursue this! JEFF How was the drive from Connecticut? SHARON Other than the usual roadblocks and checkpoints, not too bad. Minxie the cat rubs herself against Sharon's leg. Sharon picks the cat up. SHARON (CONT'D) Minxie, you're still alive. You remember me! How are you girl? JEFF What did you tell your husband? SHARON Oh, I told Larry that I was doing another lecture at MIT. He's a lawyer. I couldn't seriously tell him what was really going on, especially when I am not too sure myself. What is going on? JEFF Sharon, It's exactly what we discussed at dinner last week. We're going to try to change the past. We're going to try to communicate with the past by sending some sort of message back and trying to stop the 2003 US invasion of Iraq from taking place. SHARON Who are we going to send the message to? What are we going to say? What will we expect them to do to prevent the war. JEFF Well, those are some of the things we need to talk about? I've been working on the science part in designing the basic Tachyon Convergence Receptacle, but until we decide the who, when and where this message will travel back in time, I can't begin the final mathematical calculations to derive the precise alignment of the multiple planes within the Receptacle. SHARON I don't think I understand what you said.
JEFF Forget any fictional accounts of time travel. I can't personally travel back in time. So to be able to communicate at least in one direction from our present to the past, I plan to use a CD on which we put data that can be accessed and read via a computer that exists sometime before 2003. SHARON OK, so far so good. I can follow that. Jeff picks up a marker and walks over to a White Board and begins diagramming. JEFF Every point in space and time has its own mathematical derivation. To send an object such as that CD back in time I need to know the exact time and location where we want it to go. I can then mathematically design and construct the finished Tachyon Convergence Receptacle that will reflect the tachyon stream released by the collision of the two particle beams releasing a specific level of energy in the Hadron Collider and have it all coincide with the mathematics. If everything works as planned, the CD should travel back in time to only that time and location. It's not a one size fits all. It's one size fits one location in time and space. At least, that's what I theorize. SHARON So you obviously haven't tried this before and you have no idea whether it's going to work. Is that true? JEFF Yes, yes it's true. What we are going to try to do is not how I envisioned trying to prove my theories about tachyons. I expected that over time I would have the opportunity to take JEFF (cont’d) incremental steps with the blessing of the university and eventually show some degree of success. But now, with my contract renewal up in the air and given this miserable world that we currently occupy with potentially worse things to come, I can't see any other choice. We only have one shot at this. SHARON Yeah, a long shot! JEFF I certainly can't ask Dr. Jenkins, my lab director, who also happens to serve as associate director of the MIT-Bates Hadron Collider, if I can place my unproven Tachyon Convergence Receptacle containing a CD, in his 800 million dollar Hadron Collider. Especially when I plan to place it at the collision point of two high energy particle beams. I don't think that he would be very understanding about my desire to send a message back in time! SHARON Well Jeff, now I think I understand. But I'm not a physicist. What can I really do to help? Jeff walks around Sharon and puts his hands on her shoulders. JEFF Oh Sharon, you have no idea how important you are to this effort. If we had not run into each other last week at that time on that day, April 1st..April Fools Day 2014, I know I would not be planning today to do what I think we're going to do. When Dr. Jenkins spoke to Malcolm and me about the non-renewal of one of our contracts, I thought I was finished. I really thought that my life was virtually over. Then there you were. So JEFF (cont’d) passionate, so sure of yourself and your belief that the current condition of mankind could be traced back to one really bad decision made in the past in 2003. I never took chances, I never made waves. But that was before and this is now. We each have a passion and a dream and I know that working together, we stand a good chance of making each of our dreams come true. I need you! SHARON Jeff. You've sold me. I'm in for the duration. From now on, we only think in terms of success. How can I help? Jeff sits down at the table. JEFF Well, we need to agree on a plan. I've obviously had more time to think about it then you so I'll give you my thoughts and you can tell me what you think. SHARON That sounds fair. JEFF One thing that seems to stand out in all the fictional time travel accounts that I have seen and read is that simply telling someone in the past that you have information from the future, generally is not accepted as being very credible. The bearer of the information is usually considered crazy, regardless of how important the message might be. What do you think? SHARON Absolutely! I know you have more thoughts! Keep going! JEFF First of all, regardless of the information we include on the CD, I JEFF (cont’d) strongly believe that it must go back to a time and place where it stands the best chance of being found by someone sympathetic to the concept of time travel and capable of understanding its significance. Consequently, I want to send the CD back in time to myself in our apartment in Washington sometime in 2002. I can go to Washington and one way or another, visit our old apartment, or at least where our apartment was, and take GPS coordinates of the exact location where my bed was in 2002. It will be a lot easier to do this if the apartment is still there. I would then mathematically calculate the change in position of the earth as the universe expanded during the past 12 years and pinpoint the exact location in space that we want the CD to occupy when it goes back in time to 2002. SHARON Got it! I think. JEFF The problem I have is that I can't just include a note telling my younger self to figure out what to do with the information. He can't just go up to someone and say that the warning came from the future. Right? SHARON Right! We need to plan this out given the political realities of 2002. Young Jeff will at least be in a good location, Washington, DC, where he stands the best chance of getting to the right people, like in Congress, and upsetting the war planning apple cart. I think I have an idea. We know that it will be tough for Young Jeff to explain this himself without sounding like a madman, so maybe someone else can speak for him. JEFF How so? SHARON You remember Bob Woodward from the Washington Post? JEFF Yeah, he and Bern...Bernstein wrote about Watergate, right? SHARON Exactly! And in 2002, Woodward was Assistant Managing Editor of the Washington Post and he still reported major stories under his byline. JEFF Oh I get it. You want the younger me to give Woodward the story. But that would still bring up the subject of time travel and all the credibility problems associated with it. SHARON True, but Bob Woodward was also an author and in 2004 he published "Plan of Attack" described as being the definitive account of how and why the US launched a preemptive attack to topple Saddam Hussein and occupy Iraq in March of 2003. It's an incredible month by month, narrative of behind-the-scenes maneuvering examining the thinking and planning of the White House. What we could do is put a digital version of Woodward's book on the CD and send it back to your younger self. We could give young Jeff instructions to contact Woodward and provide him with the complete chronology and details of the real secret war plans up to the actual day he gives Woodward the material. There had been some scattered news reports describing secret Iraq war plans in the spring and summer of 2002, most of it confusing and with nothing as accurate and as detailed as this. JeFF I can see where you're going. SHARON Young Jeff could pose as an intermediary for a White House source who only wanted to provide information anonymously on what they call background, or not for attribution. That's how a lot of anonymous sources within the government handle their leaks to the press. I believe that If the Congress had known in October 2002 of the true extent of the secret war planning that the White House had started back as early as November 2001, including the spending of hundreds of millions of dollars without direct Congressional authorization, they would never have given the President authority to wage war against Iraq. JEFF (excited) Sharon, that's brilliant. Young Jeff never has to talk about the future and what would happen, but only about the secret war activity happening up to that time in the White House. SHARON That's Plan A. However, since we have only one opportunity to get this right, I think we should hedge our bets. JEFF How so? SHARON If there isn't enough anger being generated over the revelations of the real secret war plans and if it does not seem to be having a major effect on the mood of the Congress or the public, young Jeff should go to Plan B. and provide Woodward with the entire CD and the complete text of "Plan of Attack". At that Sharon (cont’d) point, there is no other choice. He'll have to let the cat out of the bag. That would then reveal there were no weapons of mass destruction found and no weapons programs discovered. In other words, Iraq was of no imminent threat to the US. It could not be ignored. JEFF I like your thinking. See, I told you I needed you. SHARON To really be on the safe side, I also want to include on the CD a copy of the October 2004 Iraq Survey Group report by Charles Duelfer of the CIA. It's 1500 pages which confirmed that Iraq had no evidence of WMD before the 2003 American Invasion and no nuclear, chemical or biological programs since 1991. That should seal the deal. CUT TO: INT. hadron collider building - NIGHT Jeff and Sharon are rolling a cart through the building containing the TACHYON CONVERGENCE RECEPTACLE, a silvery cube, one cubic foot with holes on two ends. Jeff I think we're all set. Are you nervous. SharoN Very! Besides the fact that you're not authorized to use the Collider for this very unauthorized experiment, I had no idea that the Tachyon Convergence "thingy" weighed so much. JEFF Yeah, its made of lead, slightly less than one cubic foot in volume, and coated inside and out with a JEFF (cont’d) highly reflective coating of pure titanium. Plus it has a CD inside weighing in at half an ounce. Shot of the CD with the Words "for Jeff" printed on it, inside the Receptacle. SHARON You know I just had a strange thought. What happens if we're successful? In fact how will we know we're successful? Will we know we're successful? JEFF Good questions! We may never know if we succeeded. But we'll surely know if we failed. Jeff and Sharon Place the RECEPTACLE in position within the Collider. SHARON God that was heavy! JEFF Sorry about that! It's done. Now I pre-set the controls earlier based upon all my calculations. Everything seems a GO. All I have to do is flip the sequencing switch and it starts. At this point, the only remaining question is in achieving a level of 5.75 Trillion electron volts based upon all the unique settings that I pre-set earlier. Every mathematical calculation revolves around that number 5.75. If for some reason the particular particle collisions that I have theorized and planned for are unable to at least meet that number, the experiment will fail. It just won't work! SHARON Go for it before I wet my pants! JEFF Here goes everything! Jeff flicks the sequencing switch and a humming sound starts. We look at Jeff, we look at Sharon. We focus in on the digital gauge showing the increases in Trillion Electron Volts. When the digital readout reaches 5.0 the humming stops and the digital readout almost instantly reaches 0.00. SHARON Oh my God. That can't be good. We get a shot of the inside of the Receptacle and see the CD with the words "For Jeff" printed on it. JEFF No, that's not good. I have no idea why everything stopped. I didn't shut it down. In walk Dr. Jenkins and Malcolm. DR. JENKINS But I did, Jeffrey, from the secondary control room. What do you think your doing? This experiment is unauthorized. You know the rules! I am not interested in any explanation! If it wasn't for Malcolm and his loyalty to the program, I never would have learned that you were using the Hadron Collider at this hour without authorization. And who is she, I know that she is not authorized to be here. Malcolm smiles as two security officers enter and walk towards Jeff and Sharon. DR. JENKINS (CONT'D) You have no idea how disappointed I am with you Jeffrey. Obviously, this breach of trust will automatically result in the termination of your current contract with no chance for renewal. Officers, take them both out of here. Jeff and Sharon appear in shock. The two security officers escort them out of sight. DR. JENKINS (CONT'D) Malcolm, I want to thank you for coming forward. I know how hard it must have been for you to report on your fellow Research Associate. As you know doubt can assume, we will be renewing your contract as of September 1st. Congratulations! MALCOMB Thank you Dr. Jenkins. Dr. Jenkins and Malcolm proceed to walk towards the exit when Dr. Jenkins turns to Malcolm DR. JENKINS Malcolm, to be on the safe side, would you power up the Collider just to make certain that the secondary shutdown I initiated didn't create any sequencing problems. MALCOMB Should I do a full interior re-check and beam analysis re-calibration first. DR. JENKINS No, that will take too much time. I don't think that's necessary. I'm certain that Jeffrey was doing one of the usual experiments using the standard default settings. What else could he have been doing? Power it up to 6.0 and then initiate primary control shutdown. MALCOMB Sure Dr. Jenkins. We watch the digital gauge increase and hit 5.75 when there is an enormous flash in the room. MalCOMB (V.O.) (screams) What did I do! We get a shot of the inside of the receptacle and the cd is gone. Cut to: InT. living room of Shared apartment in wash. Dc - DAY It's mid-August, 2002 and Jeff is lounging around the apartment, sprawled out on the couch, watching a video of the movie, The Final Countdown, starring Kirk Douglass. His cat, Minxie is in his lap. We watch and listen to the movie action on TV for 20-30 seconds. The apartment door opens and Sharon and STEVE BILLINGS, 20, a muscular wrestling-type jock, walk in. SHARON Hi Jeff. Don't tell me you're watching The Final Countdown Again? How many times have you seen it. JEFF I love this movie. I just wished it had taken the plot line to its full conclusion. Can you imagine what it would have been like to put the sea and air power of a contemporary nuclear powered aircraft carrier and its squadron of fighter jets against the Japanese invasion force at Pearl Harbor in 1941? Oh my God! Would that have been something! Steve Yeah, something. SHARON I think we've discussed this before. JEFF No, we were discussing From Time to Time, or maybe it was Somewhere in Time. I don't remember which story exactly. But neither of you seem to appreciate the fine nuances of a well-crafted time travel story, especially one that involves travel into the past.
StEVE Well, maybe it's because we both know that talking about time travel is a waste of time. I mean what's the point? We live in the here and now. It's August 2002 and we all start our senior year at GWU in a couple of weeks. That's the only time that means anything! SHARON (coyly) Sorry Jeff, but on this one point I'll have to agree with Steve. STEVE (mock indignation) What do you mean, on this ONE point! Steve pulls Sharon closer to him. She smiles and they kiss. JEFF Well I find the whole subject fascinating. Can you just imagine going back into the past with the present knowledge you have? God I'd love to have that opportunity. The idea of changing the past and affecting the future is something I never get enough of. Steve kisses Sharon again and hugs her/ STEVE What I never get enough of is you babe! SHARON I like that. oooooooh JEFF Can't you two love birds restrain yourselves. It's the middle of the day. SHARON (mock indignation) We all share this apartment equally as room mates and we're allowed to do such things any time of the day or night. StEVE I like the night! Steve lets go of Sharon, takes a few steps and almost trips over Minxie the cat. He kicks out at it. StEVE Jeff, why can't you keep that cat locked up in your room? SHARON Calm down lover. Minxie didn't mean any harm. JEFF And don't forget, my mother will be here any minute now. You know she's driving down for the afternoon to see me and take us all out for lunch. So please control yourselves. SHARON We promise to be good. JEFF Thank you. Just then the doorbell rings, Jeff get up to answer it and in walks Jeff's mother carrying a cake. JEFF Hi Mom. How are you? He tries to hug her. JEFF'S MOTHER Look out for the cake. Take the cake. Jeff takes the cake and put it on an end table. Then he hugs her. Minxie the cat rubs herself of Jeff's mother’s legs. JEFF'S MOTHER (CONT'D) Minxie, darling. Such a nice cat. Jeff's mother pets Minxie. JEFF OK! OK! How are you?
JEFF'S MOTHER I'm fine. Why shouldn't I be? Just because I have to drive 200 miles round trip whenever I want to visit my only son doesn't mean I should be anything else? SHARON Hi Mrs. Herman. Nice to see you again. I always love your chocolate cake. JEFF'S MOTHER IDA! IDA! Call me IDA. And thank you. I love when SOMEONE appreciates me. Jeff's turn up towards the ceiling. JEFF'S MOTHER (CONT'D) And Jeff, you are looking so thin. How do you manage without my cooking? And Steve, I see you over there. You look like you could use a few pounds too. Steve waves at Jeff's mother. StEVE Hi Mrs. Herman, I mean, Ida. JEFF'S MOTHER Kids, I know I'm starving, so let's go to lunch. Then we can come back and have my chocolate layer cake for dessert. STEVE Sounds good to me! Steve grabs Sharon's hand and follows Jeff and his mother out of the apartment. CUT TO: INT. lIVING ROOM OF SHARED APARTMENT IN WASH. DC - NIGHT Steve and Sharon are sitting on the couch and Jeff is in a chair.
SHARON Jeff, that was really nice of your mother to take us all out for lunch today. I am stuffed. I don't know how I managed to eat so much of her cake. SteVE I have to give your mother credit Jeff, she makes a mean chocolate cake. JEFF Well thank you both for putting up with her. I mean she's my mother. I have to, you don't. ShARON We don't feel that way at all. We really like your mother. I can tell that she misses you and she acts like your mother. JEFF Yeah. I feel like I'll always be a kid to her and never an adult. When my father died, I was only 12 and I sort of became the single focus of her life. I just hope that someday she'll see me as an adult. SHARON Jeff, no matter how old you get, I think she'll always see you as her little boy. As Ida might say it, "so what's wrong with that?" CuT TO: INT. Jeff's Apartment bedroom - nIGHT Jeff is sitting at his computer surfing the net. We see the room, the door is closed and we see Jeff's bed to the left of his computer desk. The bed is made-up and other than a pillow, sheets and a blanket, there is nothing visible on top of it. We notice Jeff going from screen to screen on the web. Jeff then turns his head slightly to the left, and we and Jeff notice a CD lying on the bed with the words "For Jeff" printed on it. It hadn't been there a moment before.
JEFF (playfully) OK. Someone's playing tricks. Now who could that be? Jeff gets up and walks to the door, turns the knob and realizes that the door is locked. He unlocks it. Opens the door, then closes the door and re-locks it. He again turns the knob and again the door is locked. He picks up the CD off his bed and turns it over and over in his hands and sits back down at the computer. JEFF (CONT'D) OK. Let's see what this is. Jeff inserts the CD into his computer. It starts up automatically and we begin to watch a video on the screen. CUT TO: INT. eFFICIENCY APARTMENT OF JEFF HERMAN - DAY Older Jeff and older Sharon are seated at the kitchen table facing the camera. JEFF Jeff, if you're watching this and I hope you are, may I suggest that if this is your first viewing, that you watch it alone. The screen will automatically go dark until you hit any key so you will have time to get anyone else out of your room. FADE TO BLACK. InT. jEFF'S APARTMENT BEDROOM - NIGHT Jeff sits staring at the dark screen in shock. JEFF Oh my God! That looked just like me and Sharon, only older. Jeff sits staring at the dark screen a few more seconds and then slowly takes his right index finger and taps the space bar on the keyboard. CUT TO: INT. EFFICIENCY APARTMENT OF JEFF HERMAN - DAY Older Jeff and older Sharon are seated at the kitchen table facing the camera. JEFF Jeff, I don't know any other way to tell you this, but in 2014 you sent this CD back to yourself in 2002. As you can see, I am you, just 12 years older. And as you can also see, the person next to me is Sharon, also 12 years older. SharoN Hi Jeff, or young Jeff as we have been referring to you between ourselves. JEFF You must be going crazy about now. I know exactly how you'd react because I'm you and you are me. Just calm down. Take a deep breath. Actually take several deep breaths and listen to me. We did it. Time travel to the past is possible. Not yet in the sense of a person traveling back in time but in being able to communicate with the past, actually your present, by sending a communication such as this CD back in time. If everything has gone as planned, you should have received this CD on your bed in your room in Wash. DC on or about the middle of August 2002. I'm hoping that's what has happened. It means that we and you still have time to derail the vote in Congress that will take place on October 10th and 11th that will authorize President Bush to launch a military attack on Iraq. If so, I hope that you will follow what we planned for you. You are our only chance. The world of 2014 is a scary place. What may happen next may be even worse. It's not what anyone expected. It's not a world anyone would have wanted. We hope that you can help us make it a better one by helping change our JEFF (cont’d) past, our future and your future. Here's the situation. Cut TO: INT. JEFF'S APARTMENT BEDROOM - NIGHT Jeff is moving in circles around his room. He appears very agitated. Jeff is talking to himself. JEFF (agitated) Time Travel is real. Time travel is real. I don't believe it. I must believe it. I did it! I mean he did it! But that's an older me. It's happened, it's really happened and now I can prove it. But I can't prove it without looking like a nutcase. And besides, the older me doesn't want me to try to prove it because it's not part of Plan A. It might be Plan B. but it's not Plan A. The plan. Stop the US invasion of Iraq from taking place in March 2003 by convincing Congress not to authorize it. Oh God. This is insane. But it's real. But who am I. I'm no hero. I don't do these things. I can't do these things. I read about time travel and changing the past. I don't participate. I don't do it. I don't do anything. Supposing no one listens to me. Supposing the plan doesn't work. What happens if the government finds out about me. I'm planning to go to graduate school next year. I have to do well in my senior year. I can't be trying to save the world. My mother would surely not approve of this. I could screw up my own personal world and my future and not accomplish anything. Jeff collapses on his bed and stares up at the ceiling.
JEFF (CONT'D) I must pull myself together. I have to calm down. Older me and older Sharon did say I should talk to Sharon and show her the CD. Oh Sharon, wait till you see this. Older me knew that I would have to have someone I could talk to or I would go nuts, which I seem to be doing now. Sharon's smart. She's a political science major and knows more about this politics and government stuff than I do. Didn't she just mention something last week about radical Islam as well? And I really do like her a lot. I hope I can sleep. CUT TO: INT. lIVING ROOM OF SHARED APARTMENT IN WASH. DC - DAY Sharon is reading on the couch and Jeff walks in from his bedroom. JEFF Hi Sharon. SHARON Oh Hi Jeff. JEFF Where's Steve? SHARON He went to play basketball with some friends. JEFF And he left you all alone? SHARON Yeah, so I could read. JEFF Sorry then I won't bother you. Jeff turns to return to his bedroom SHARON No not at all. What's up? You know we've been living in the same SHARON (cont’d) apartment together for over a year and until last evening when you spoke about your relationship with your mother and the death of your father, I don't think we ever really talked, even once. JEFF Well, you seemed to hook up so quickly with Steve, that I felt strange like I was a third wheel intruding if I tried to have a conversation with you. SHARON I'm so sorry. I didn't know that I had given you that impression. I just thought you were shy and into your own things. We're like a family here. That's how I see it and from now on, that's how it'll be. Ok? JEFF (reluctantly) OK. SHARON So Jeff, what's up? JEFF Well, I'd like to know what you think about radical Islam. SHARON You're serious? I had no idea you had any interest in that. Even Steve could care less about what I consider the most critical issue of the 21st century. Our dealings with the Muslim world will surely define our future to an extent beyond anything else. JEFF I gather this goes beyond just terrorism and Bin Ladin and Al Queda? SHARON That's for sure! You're on the right track. This is about how SHARON (cont’d) potentially hundreds of millions of Muslims view us in terms of our actions in the world and how such actions are interpreted through the Koran and Islam. The problem lies in the fact that the US tends to ignore this at their own peril and actions which they take can easily be interpreted as direct attacks on Islam, justifying Jihad, Holy War. This creates more radical Islamists and can lead beyond terrorism like 911 to a true world-wide Islamic insurgency or revolutionary movement. JEFF What do you think about these stories on the news that we may be planning to invade Iraq and get rid of Saddam? SHARON Terrible, absolutely terrible. While it's true Saddam Hussein is a monster who has brutalized his own people for decades, the thought of the US going into Iraq to remove him and then maybe occupy the country for a while scares me to death. JEFF Why? SHARON Because it would play into the hands of Bin Ladin and other radical Islamists. They would like nothing better then to see the US invade a Muslim country, especially one with huge oil reserves like Iraq. It would enormously intensify the belief that we in the US were the new crusaders attempting to destroy Islam. Time for Jihad, Holy War! JEFF You know what Sharon, I'm so glad you feel that way. I've been wondering for hours how to tell you JEFF (cont’d) something, but I've got to ask you a question first. SHARON You're making me nervous Jeff but go ahead. JEFF I am going to say something to you. My question is whether the phrase has any special meaning for you. OK? SHARON OK. I'm ready. JEFF You can change your future! Sharon immediately stands up and grabs Jeff's shoulders with her two hands. SHARON How could you possibly know about that, Jeff? I've never told anybody, not even Steve! JEFF Sharon, I know that your father said that to you when you were 17 and he was dying. Something very strange and unbelievable has happened. The easiest way for you to understand it is to see it on my computer the same way I first saw it last night. It started around 9:00 PM while you were still out with Steve. That was when I first noticed a CD with the words "For Jeff" printed on it. I put it into my computer and all I can say is that you must see it. OK? SHARON OK, let me see it. CUT TO: INT. JEFF'S APARTMENT BEDROOM - DAY Jeff is lying on his bed. Sharon is at the computer. SHARON It's unbelievable! But it's so ironic. Everything I was afraid might happen, actually happens. JEFF What part can't you believe? The time travel or the state of the world in 2014? SHARON Both of course! But I believe that there is absolutely no other explanation for the existence of this CD. JEFF Boy, you're taking this a lot better than I did and I've had a lifetime of fictional time travel to at least get used to the idea. SHARON But that's the difference; fictional time travel. This isn't fiction. This is real and I can feel that it's real. That was me and you in that video. And we were 12 years older in the future and we were working together to do something important. JEFF Do you want to work together now to do something important? SHARON You can bet your life I do. JEFF Sharon, that may be a very appropriate choice of words. They both turn as Steve, all sweaty from playing basketball, comes into Jeff's bedroom. StEVE Well, well. Both of you together in Jeff's room. Am I interrupting anything?
SHARON No, we were just talking. Jeff was showing me something on his computer. How was your game? STEVE Good. Now come here, I missed you. Steve tries to draw Sharon close to his sweaty body. SHARON Jeff, you're all sweaty, can you wait until after your shower. Steve takes Sharon by the hand and leads her out of Jeff's bedroom. He looks back at Jeff with a stern look. CuT TO: INT. jEFF'S APARTMENT BEDROOM - NIGHT Jeff's at the keyboard of his computer as Sharon stands looking at the screen over his shoulder. JEFF According to Plan A, since today is Sunday August 18, 2002, we should be preparing to give Woodward all the pages from his book up to page 161 which ends with August 16th, two days ago. SHARON What are you going to do, just copy those pages to a new CD? JEFF Yes, but only after reformatting those pages into straight text and removing the page numbers as well as deleting Bob Woodward's name and Plan of Attack from all pages. I'm also going to edit out any references to interviews, first person comments by Woodward himself and anything that happened after August 16th. I want it to simply look like an insider's long narrative.
SHARON That's a good idea. Page 161 is the logical end page. Page 162 describes Woodward's meeting with President Bush in Crawford, Texas on Tuesday August 20th, two days from now. It is so strange to be seriously speaking about having read of events that won't take place for days, weeks, months or years and we already know how they'll turn out. JEFF Yeah, but all we really know is just the big picture about the world-wide Islamic insurgency, without a whole lot of details. All the material on the CD was available in 2004. Older me and older you did not give us any personal info about their lives between 2002 and 2014 other than that they were working on this project together and needed our help because their world was a mess. SHARON I guess maybe they didn't want to burden us with too much knowledge of the future. JEFF I guess if they had told us more, we might have a harder time staying focused on what we have to do. I'm so glad that I am able to share this with you. It makes it easier for me to do what I guess we have to do. Thank you for listening. SHARON Jeff, there is no need to thank me. I'm just as much a part of this as you are. We both saw older versions of ourselves working to prevent a single event and change the course of history. I'm so glad you confided in me. It's my future too. And maybe we can change our future. Sharon leans over and kisses Jeff softly on the cheek. CUT TO: INT. lIVING ROOM OF SHARED APARTMENT IN WASH. DC - DAY Jeff and Sharon are seated next to each other on the couch. The apartment door opens and Steve walks in. Jeff immediately gets up off the couch. StEVE Don't stop what you're doing on my account! SHARON We weren't doing anything other than talking. Right Jeff? JEFF Right! StEVE You've been doing a lot of talking together the last few days. Sharon, you've spent more time with Jeff than with me. SHARON That's not true. STEVE Looks that way to me. And you both seem so conspiratorial, like you were planning something and you didn't want me to know about it. Minxie the cat tries to rub himself on Steve's leg. StEVE (cONT'D) Can't you keep that cat away from me. SHARON Don't be so paranoid. Nothing's going on that involves you. STEVE Ah ha! So something is going on. I knew it. JEFF Steve, something is happening and-- SHARON Jeff, do you really want to tell him? StEVE Tell me what? JEFF Sharon, he's your boyfriend and we all share this apartment. It'll be a lot easier on all of us if Steve knows. STEVE Knows what? JEFF Sharon, would you do the honors? The CD is in that hiding spot in my room, under those loose floorboards. Sharon takes Steve by the hand and leads him to Jeff's bedroom. FADE OUT. CuT TO: INT. lIVING ROOM OF SHARED APARTMENT IN WASH. DC - dAY Jeff is sitting on the couch. Steve and Sharon come out of Jeff's bedroom after Sharon showed Steve the CD. SHARON Steve thinks we should destroy the CD. JefF What, are you kidding Steve? StEVE No Jeff, I'm serious. That CD is dangerous. Who knows what might happen if you actually act on it. JEFF I can't believe that after seeing it you could say that.
STEVE It's easy, just break it into little pieces and forget it ever existed. SHARON Steve thinks that we have no business getting involved. Let the future happen the way it's supposed to happen. He doesn't like me or you playing God! But I don't agree. Not one bit! We can't just forget what we know is coming. We owe it to ourselves and to the future! Steve walks off to his room and as he slams the door STEVE (yells) You two are so stupid. Don't you have any idea how dangerous this is? Go to Hell! Both of you. JEFF That didn't go well. SHARON No, I guess not. He seemed pretty disturbed when he saw the older you with the older me. It was as if he was jealous of us. I'm sure he'll get over it. So what's next with Plan A. JEFF Well, tomorrow, I'm going to send this letter by Express Mail, overnight to Bob Woodward at the Washington Post. I know he'll be at the President's ranch in Crawford Texas tomorrow. Sharon looks the letter over. SHARON It looks good to me. I guess that jody9000 e-mail reply address is a new one. JEFF Yeah, I'm going to go over to the library and set it up through one of their computers just to be on JEFF (cont’d) the safe side. I don't want anyone to easily track messages through that account back to this apartment. SHARON Sounds like a very good idea. CuT TO: EXT. jEFF'S APARTMENT - DAY Jeff leaves the apartment and starts walking through the streets of Wash. DC. CUT TO: EXT. US Post Office Branch - DAY Jeff walks through door leading into a branch of the US Post Office. CUT TO: INT. US POST OFFICE BRANCH - DAY Jeff walks up to the counter and places an Express Mail envelope addressed to Bob Woodward, The Washington Post in the hands of a female Post Office Clerk, 35, average appearance, a little overweight. Post office clerk Yes, can I help you? JeFF Yeah, I'd like to send this Express Mail. Clerk reviews the address on the envelope. Post office clerk I can certainly do that but the Washington Post is just around the corner. You could walk there in about three minutes. JEFF I realize that but I'll just mail it, thank you. POST OFFICE CLERK That will be $10.70. He pays the clerk. PoST OFFICE CLERK (CONT'D) Thank you. Jeff turns and starts to walk toward the exit. Cut TO: INT. Washington Post Newsroom - DAY BOB WOODWARD is at his desk going through his mail. We can see by the Clock/Calendar on the wall that it is Wednesday, August 21, 2002. He finds Jeff's envelope and opens it and begins reading the enclosed letter. JeFF (V.O.) Mr. Woodward. Though I know this may seem strange, I am acting as an intermediary for a senior official within the Bush Administration, who must remain anonymous for reasons that will become obvious. I also require anonymity. He has written an extensive narrative, not unlike some of the books you have written, that provides previously unpublished details of the current secret Iraq war planning being undertaken by the Pentagon and CIA for the White House. The narrative includes virtually the day by day discussions of the President, Rumsfeld, Cheney, Rice, Powell, Franks, and Tenent regarding the extent and implementation of these plans. His motivation is simple. He does not believe that Iraq has weapons of mass destruction. The evidence is lacking in substance. He does not believe that Iraq had any connection to 911 and that Iraq is not an imminent threat to the US. He wants the narrative made public in some form, either as part of one or more stories in The Washington Post and/or published in its entirety like the Pentagon Papers. At the very least, this JEFF (V.O) (cont’d) narrative should give you plenty of material for follow-up through other sources though I suspect that once you have read it, you will be convinced of its accuracy and may wish to publish it as is. You can refer to me as Jody and reach me by e-mail at jody9000@hotmail.com Woodward puts down the letter and turns towards his computer keyboard and writes an e-mail which is addressed to jody9000@hotmail.com. CUT TO: INT. gw university library - NIGHT Jeff is checking his new jody9000 hotmail account on one of the library's computers. He has received a message and he opens it. Woodward (V.O.) Jody, I must admit that I was intrigued reading your note. All I can say at this moment is that I am interested in reviewing the material. If you wish you may send it to me as an e-mail attachment to your reply. Thank you. Bob Woodward Jeff removes a CD case from his pocket and inserts the CD into the computer. He clicks on send. JEFF Let the games begin! INT. lIVING ROOM OF SHARED APARTMENT IN WASH. DC - dAY Jeff and Sharon are looking through the pages of a newspaper. JefF It's not here. The story is not here. SHARON No, I guess not. It's probably too early. You just sent it last night. JEFF Yeah, but I was hoping that somehow they would just jump on it. SHARON Don't be so impatient. It's only been one day. It's Thursday the 22nd. They probably need to do some fact checking before they can run the story. Give them another day. JEFF It's not like I have any choice. I guess worse come to worse, I can always try the New York Times. SHARON The Post will publish it. It'll happen. I know it will. She kisses him on the cheek. CuT TO: INT. WASHINGTON POST Conference room - DAY Bob Woodward and six editors, Male Editor #1 is 47, bald and chunky, Male Editor #2 is 30ish, tall and well-groomed and Female Editor #1 is 35, bookish, yet attractive, Female Editor #2 is 50ish, tall and slightly overweight, are seated around a conference table. They also include LEN DOWNIE, the actual Executive Editor and STEVE COLL, the actual Managing Editor. The Clock/Calendar on the wall reads Thursday August 22, 2002. Len downie Bob, we all received your memo and a copy of what you're referring to as the White House Diaries. BOB WOODWARD Len, I think we have a tremendous responsibility and opportunity here. It reminds me of the Pentagon Papers. My most recent article for the paper, on June 16th was entitled President Broadens Anti-Hussein Order, Cia Gets More Tools to Oust Iraqi Leader. As far as I can tell, the White House Diaries fill in a lot of details missing from my story. Steve Coll Beyond that, what other proof do we have that it is even legitimate. BOB WOODWARD Obviously we need to pull out all the stops, checking sources and time lines to corroborate as much of the content as possible. But given the nature of the material, some of the secret stuff will be impossible to verify. However, my feeling is that the Diaries are the real thing. Male editor #1 I'll be hitting my sources at the Pentagon. Len DOWNIE I want everyone here to get their people to start shaking the trees for verification. Female editor #1 We already know that there has been extensive war planning undertaken by the White House and the Pentagon. StEVE COLL Kurtz did a piece yesterday on how conservatives have declared war on the New York Times over their front page coverage of possible war plans. Over the past three weeks they have published multiple stories on this subject. Bob WOODWARD Well that leads us back to the motives of our mystery source. He seems to feel that the administration is laying the groundwork for an invasion of Iraq, contending that Iraq is an imminent threat, when our source does not think the evidence supports that conclusion. The fact that there is dissention does seem to fit with Saturday's Times story, "President Notes Dissent on Iraq, Vowing to Listen". I suspect that the author BOB WOODWARD (cont’d) of the White House Diaries does not believe the President when he vows to listen to dissent. The war planning was internally justified at least nine months ago and is in too high a gear to stop now. I've had an opportunity to get to know Bush through my interviews for my forthcoming book about the war in Afghanistan and when he makes up his mind based on whatever his internal motivation might be, that may be all he plans to listen to. MALE Editor #1 The Times has been running stories on US plans to invade Iraq since April 28th. Last month they ran three stories on excerpted war plans. However, the Diaries seem to imply that this may have been part of some sort of disinformation campaign undertaken by the White House. LEN DOWNIE On that note, couldn't the Diaries possibly be part of that same disinformation campaign. And then there's Mike McCurry, Clinton's former press secretary, who surmised that the leaks were a deliberate plan to generate debate about the Iraq invasion so that when it comes, nobody will be able to say it's out of the clear blue sky. Bob WOODWARD I don't think so Len. There is too much detail. Way too much detail. It's more than just the actual plans. It's a behind the scenes look at how everything developed and that sets it apart from anything we've seen so far. The source, whoever he is, is obviously privy to everything and everyone. It seems very familiar to me. It's like something I might have written. I think we're really on to BOB WOODWARD (cont’d) something here. My guess is that its Powell, or one of his aides. MALE EDITOR #2 picks up a copy of the newspaper. MALE editor #2 But where have we been in this debate about the war plans or the rationale for a war at all. FEMALE editor #1 We ran a story May 24th on an abandoned plan to invade Iraq. MALE Editor #1 On August 1st we did run a front page story entitled "Timing, Tactics on Iraq War Disputed". That story contended that what was not being debated was the ultimate goal of removing Hussein from power by attacking Iraq. I agree. Why shouldn't the reasoning for war be on the table? LEN DOWNIE Well it is true that we have become so focused on trying to figure out what the administration is doing that we tend to not give the same play to people who say it wouldn't be a good idea to go to war and are questioning the administration's rationale. Bob WOODWARD Perhaps we are all part of the group-think. MALE editor #1 I guess it's sort of like, "Look, we're going to war, why do we even worry about all this contrary stuff"? Len stands up. LEN DOWNIE I think we've gone as far as we can with this discussion. We should all start working our people and sources and see what level of LEN DOWNIE (cont’d) corroboration we can find. If you can, see what type of reaction you can get to Hybrid, which according to the Diaries is the war plan du jour. We'll meet again tomorrow. People in the room start walking out. LEN DOWNIE (CONT'D) Bob, wait a moment. Woodward turns around and moves closer to Len Downie. Bob WooDWARD Yes, Len. LEN DOWNIE Contact your source, this Jody character, and push harder to get some more assurance that the source is valid. I also think that you should insist on a meeting with him. We don't want to wind up with our necks on the block. WOODWARD I had planned to contact Jody today with similar thoughts in mind. CUT TO: INT. gW UNIVERSITY LIBRARY - DAY Jeff is checking the computer for an E-mail. He finds a message. Bob WOODWARD (V.O.) Jody, can you provide any additional information regarding the source that would support his having access to the type of information he provided in his narrative. We need further assurance that he is as much of an insider as he appears. In addition, I must be able to meet with you before we publish anything. Thank you. Bob Woodward CUT TO: Int. lIVING ROOM OF SHARED APARTMENT IN WASH. DC - dAY Jeff and Sharon are walking around the living room. JEFF He wants to meet with me. That's not part of my Plan A. I don't like it. SHARON He just needs further assurance. What can we give him? JEFF I don't know. We can't go any further ahead without getting into the future and still be on Plan A. SHARON Give me the book. Let's see, we went up to August 16th, which was page 161. Jeff hands her the book and she open it up to a bookmarked page. SHARON (CONT'D) Perfect, page 162. We've got something here. A one page description of Woodward's Tuesday August 20th interview of the President at the Crawford, Texas ranch. I'll just re-write it as if it were written by our anonymous source, an inside source who has to be very much inside. I can't imagine that Woodward will need any more convincing at that point. JEFF But what about having to meet me in person? I still don't like it. SHARON Well, Woodward asked for that before he received this additional piece of corroboration. Just send it to him without even mentioning his request for a meeting. Maybe he won't ask again.
JEFF Sharon, I am so glad your involved in this. I don't know what I'd do without you. I could just kiss you. SHARON Well, why not do it. We're alone. A smile appears on Jeff's face as he slowly looks around and realizes that they are alone. He move closer to her, puts his arms around her waist and kisses her on the lips. JEFF That was nice. SHARON Yes it was. CUT TO: Int. White house office - DAY SCOOTER LIBBY, Vice-President Cheny's actual Chief of Staff and policy advisor is seated at his desk in the Old Executive Office Building adjacent to the White House and PAUL DRESSLER, a 47 year old grey haired, balding, overweight staffer for the National Security Council is walking around the room. Scooter libby So you got a call from the Post as well? Paul Dressler Yeah, from a woman. She mentioned Hybrid. Scooter libby So did the famous Bob Woodward. I already spoke to the Vice-President within the hour and alerted him that Woodward was asking about Hybrid. I'll now let him know that I was not the only one to receive a call from the Post about it. He picks up the phone and punches in an extension. CUT TO: INT. Vice-President Cheney's office - DAY The Vice-President and SECRETARY OF DEFENSE RUMSFELD are both standing. Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld Dick, sounds like you're right. Unlike last month's little charade over war plan leaks to the New York Times, this appears to be real. VICE-PRESIDENT CHENEY Well Don, your denouncement in July of department leaks was like deja vu. Someone's been talking out of school about Hybrid. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE RUMSFELD It was one thing to plant stories in the press about Iraq war plans we were not currently considering, but when they mention Hybrid, they know what they shouldn't know and we know that they know. VICE-PRESIDENT CHENEY I'm certain it's Woodward behind this. The President seems to be in awe of him, giving him incredible access, more it seems than any sitting President has given any other reporter in recent times. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE RUMSFELD I agree. In any event, it appears as if Woodward and the Post are about to go public on whatever they think they know about Hybrid. We must find out what they know and who leaked it. The press was in a frenzy at the ranch yesterday. No matter what we want to talk about, they want to talk about Iraq. The wrong story at this time could be disastrous. It could turn the public against us. Worse, it could turn the Congress against us. We must act decisively. Wouldn't you agree Dick. VICE-PRESIDENT CHENEY I think you are right. Perhaps we should call Ashcroft and Mueller VICE-PRESIDENT CHENEY (cont’d) and get Justice and the FBI involved. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE RUMSFELD Dick, I think we must be even more decisive. It may be too late when the story breaks. CuT TO: INT. Pentagon office of secretary of defense - DAY A tall man, ramrod-straight, military crew cut, killer-type in uniform stands before the desk of the Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld. SeCRETARY OF DEFENSE RUMSFELD Colonel Masters, I've heard very good things about you and your team. You have a reputation for accomplishing your missions one way or another. Col. David Masters Thank you sir. We know how to improvise. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE RUMSFELD Colonel, that's what I'm looking for. We have a situation that involves matters of national security that we need dealt with immediately. Will you or your team have any problem with accepting an assignment that reports directly to me? COL. David MASTERS No sir. Your are the SecDef, sir. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE RUMSFELD Fine colonel, I knew I could count on you. Now it is a fact that all the members of your team are Special Forces. Is that correct? COL. David MASTERS That is correct sir.
SECRETARY OF DEFENSE RUMSFELD I also believe that your team possesses additional skill sets? COL. David MASTERS Sir, if you mean computer skills as well as battle skills, that would be affirmative sir. A few key strokes on a computer can sometimes be very useful. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE RUMSFELD Excellent! Here's the situation. CUT TO: INT. gW UNIVERSITY LIBRARY - nIGHT Jeff sends an e-mail to Bob Woodward. INT. wASHINGTON POST Newsroom- nIGHT Bob Woodward is at his computer accessing his e-mail. He opens the one from jody9000@hotmail.com. The Clock/Calendar reads Thursday August 22, 2002 9:35 PM JEFF (V.O.) On Tuesday August 20th, you interviewed President Bush at his Crawford, Texas ranch for 2 hours and 25 minutes for your book about the response to 9/11 and the war in Afghanistan. He talked in sweeping, even grandiose terms about remaking the world. CuT TO: INT. office at texas ranch - DAY PRESIDENT BUSH walking around his office at his Texas ranch talking to Bob Woodward. President Bush I will seize the opportunity to achieve big goals, And each move has to fit in the overall purpose of improving the world, making it peaceful. You see it's like Iraq. Just as an aside - and we'll see PRESIDENT BUSH (cont’d) whether this bears out - clearly there will be a strategic implication to a regime change in Iraq, if we go forward. But there's something beneath that, as far as I'm concerned, and that is, there is immense suffering. Saddam was starving his people in the outlying shiite areas. There is a human condition that we must worry about. As we think through Iraq, we may or may not attack. I have no idea yet. But it will be for the objective of making the world more peaceful. JEFF (V.O.) He did not mention weapons of mass destruction, or any threat Saddam posed to the United States. President bush Well, we're never going to get people all in agreement about force and use of force, but action, confident action that will yield positive results provides kind of a slipstream into which reluctant nations and leaders can get behind and show themselves that there has been - you know, something positive has happened towards peace. Woodward immediately replies to the E-mail. He taps his keyboard printing out a copy of the message. CUT TO: InT. gW UNIVERSITY LIBRARY - night Jeff receives the immediate reply from Woodward. Bob WOODWARD (V.O.) Jody, we have to meet. I must know who I'm dealing with. JEFF Oh damn it! He responds by sending an e-mail reply. CUT TO: INT. waSHINGTON POST NEWSROOM - nIGHT Woodward is still at his computer. Receives e-mail. JEFF (V.O.) OK, when and where? It must be private and out of the way. Woodward immediately replies to the E-Mail CUT TO: INT. gW UNIVERSITY LIBRARY - nIGHT Jeff receives the reply and reads it. Bob WOODWARD (V.O.) Let's meet in about 40 minutes at the PMI Parking Garage at 15th & K NW. I'll be on the second level by the west stairwell. OK? Jeff responds. CUT TO: INT. wASHINGTON POST NEWSROOM - nIGHT Woodward receives a reply. JEFF (V.O.) OK. I'll be there. CUT TO: EXT. Parking Garage - nIGHT Jeff is standing by the parking garage looking around. He finally walks inside. CUT TO: INT. PARKING GARAGE - nIGHT Bob Woodward walks out of the shadows. BOB WOODWARD Jody? JEFF Yes. BOB WOODWARD OK Jody, you've created quite a stir down at the Washington Post with your narrative. JEFF Bob, it's not MY narrative. |
