BACK INVENT05 23'*m*f INVENTOR'S DAUGHTER episode: the mole revealed EXT AFTERNOON WIDE: SIDEWALK ON THE WAY HOME (Michaela, wearing school clothes and a backpack, walks toward home. Dad pulls his car to a stop at the curb, opens the window) DAD Michaela. MICHAELA (stops, turns, approaches) Daddy, you're home early. Does this mean you're going to take me out for pizza? DAD Sorry. We have a job to do. MICHAELA (taking off her backpack and putting it on the car seat) For the Army? DAD (nods) We found the mole. MICHAELA I assume you're not talking about the little rodent who digs tunnels. DAD No. In the defense department, a mole is a spy for the enemy. MICHAELA Oh! That's the guy Colonel Abernathy has been talking about: the guy who helps the enemy agents to steal your inventions. DAD (nods) Yes, but this time, the mole walked out of the Army base with the drawings and specifications for a new top secret shoulder-fired cruise missile system. MICHAELA Holy socks! DAD Yeah, if the enemy gets hold of those plans, he could build a missile that couldn't be detected on radar. We would be like sitting ducks! MICHAELA So, you want me to capture this guy? DAD Absolutely not. I told Colonel Abernathy that I would not put your life in danger again. No. Today's mission is surveillance only. You know what surveillance is? MICHAELA Yeah. I just follow the guy, see where he goes. DAD Exactly. (offers a headband similar to the one Michaela is already wearing) You'll need this. MICHAELA (takes it, removes her own headband, compares the two) What's this for? DAD It will allow you to listen to what the mole is saying from far away, even if he whispers. MICHAELA Why do I need that? (puts on new headband) DAD Colonel Abernathy looked at the mole's phone records, so we know the mole hasn't talked to enemy agents since he stole the plans. That means the mole will probably set up a meeting with an enemy agent by phone sometime today. (points) That new headband will allow you to listen in on the phone conversation and find out where they'll make the exchange. MICHAELA The... exchange? DAD Yeah, Colonel Abernathy looked at the mole's bank records too. He's been SELLING the Army's secrets to enemy agents for money. That means the mole will exchange the missile plans for money. Colonel Abernathy's plan is to have his men swoop in on them during the exchange and arrest them both. MICHAELA Okay, so I follow the mole until the exchange. DAD The first rule of surveillance is don't let him know you're following him. That won't be too difficult for you, since the mole will be looking behind him for a tail. But you'll be following him... MICHAELA Up above. DAD Right. Even so, you need to keep yourself out of sight as much as possible. The second thing you need to remember is the command to activate the listening device in your headband. MICHAELA I point the cross hairs at him and say... LISTEN TO THAT. DAD Good. And if you need to turn up the volume... MICHAELA I say LOUDER? DAD (nods) Well, I guess you're ready. The mole's name is Thomas Helpern. He's in Colonel Abernathy's research unit, so he's been injected with one of those tracking chips like everyone else. You can track him... MICHAELA (quickly) MOVE-ME UP NINE. DAD Be... (looks upward through the windshield) ...careful. That girl is going to give me an ulcer. (puts on comm headset) EXT AFTERNOON WIDE: SKY MICHAELA (enters frame from below) MOVE-ME UP ZERO. (slows to hover) Mother, where is Thomas Helpern? MOTHER Your heading is 2 0 8. MICHAELA MOVE-ME HEADING 2 0 8. (POV: left eye lens: pans right until a transparent city map overlays the screen and a red dot comes to the cross hairs) MOVE-ME FORWARD NINE. (special affect: Michaela's body tilts forward and whisks out of frame) EXT AFTERNOON OVERHEAD: CITY STREET MICHAELA (voiceover) MOVE-ME FORWARD ZERO. (special affect: Michaela enters frame slowing to a hover, tilting to vertical) (POV: left eye lens: cross hairs and blinking red dot center overlay a man wearing a distinctive green jacket, walking on the sidewalk down below, looking back every six steps) Daddy, are you seeing this? DAD That's him. That's Thomas Helpern, he's a civilian employee of the Army. Stay with him until we find out who he's going to pass the missile plans to. MICHAELA That's a big ten-four, good buddy. DAD Michaela, you can see that he's being very careful about being followed. You need to stay out of his sight line. MICHAELA I'll stay up high. EXT AFTERNOON MONTAGE: CITY STREETS (Helpern stops at a bakery display window and looks in, then turns into the entrance, pauses, turns toward window, then enters the store, exits a few seconds later carrying nothing, camera zooms out to reveal Michaela standing on the edge of the roof of a three story building across the street) (Helpern stops at a shoe store display window and looks in, then turns into the entrance, pauses, turns toward window, then enters the store, exits a few seconds later carrying nothing, camera zooms out to reveal Michaela standing on a high fire escape across the street) (Helpern stops at a souvenir store display window and looks in, then turns into the entrance, pauses, turns toward window, then enters the store, exits a few seconds later carrying nothing, camera zooms out to reveal Michaela standing on top of a large neon store sign across the street) MICHAELA (floats over Helpern as he walks nervously down the sidewalk) Daddy, what's this guy doing?! He walked into three different stores and didn't even stay long enough to shop for anything. DAD This is a technique that spies use to see if they're being followed. (Helpern stops at an electronics store display window and looks in, then turns into the entrance, pauses, looks at display briefly, enters the store) They use the window glass as a mirror so they can look behind them in all directions to see if anyone is following them or acting suspiciously. Then they go into the store to see if anyone comes in after them. Once he's sure that he's not being followed, he'll make his move. MICHAELA Well, he's already been in that store longer than the others. Do you think he's buying something? DAD It could be he's just being cautious. But it could be he's using the store as cover for a get-away. MICHAELA What do you mean? DAD Ask Mother where he is now. MICHAELA Mother, WHERE IS Thomas Helpern? (POV: left eye lens: a red dot begins blinking near the edge of the frame) MOTHER Your heading is 3 3 2. MICHAELA Daddy, I don't think he's in that store anymore. DAD He must have gone out the back exit. Check the back alley. Go! Go! MICHAELA I think you're right, Daddy! MOVE-ME UP THREE. MOVE-ME LEFT THREE. (POV: left eye lens: view of rooftops as Michaela flies toward the blinking red dot. Finally, she follows Helpern down the alley until he stops behind a dumpster and dials a cell phone.) There he is. DAD Well, that explains why he went into that electronics store. MICHAELA (POV: left eye lens: Michaela's feet come into view as she lands on the edge of a nearby roof, then she reaims the cross hairs at the phone) Why? DAD He probably bought one of those throw-away cell phones so that noone could trace his calls. MICHAELA ZOOM IN EXT AFTERNOON WIDE: ALLEY (POV: left eye lens: zooms in on Helpern) Sorry, Daddy, I was too late to see what number he called. LISTEN TO THAT. VOICEOVER (background noise) ...help you? MICHAELA LOUDER. HELPERN (less noise, louder, clearer) When is the next train to Springfield? VOICEOVER 4:45 this afternoon. HELPERN When does it get there? VOICEOVER Arrival time is 5:15. HELPERN Thank you. (redials then looks up) (POV: Helpern scans the rooftops surrounding the alley) MICHAELA CONCEAL ME. (special affect: Michaela disappears) (POV: Helpern's scan reaches the rooftop where Michaela is standing, sees nothing) ENEMY (voiceover: male Russian accent) Who's this? HELPERN It's a beautiful day. Do you think it's going to rain? ENEMY Did you get the item? HELPERN You got the money? ENEMY Hundred Thousand, all twenties, like you said. HELPERN I've got the... item right here. (pats shirt pocket) Get on the five fifteen train. I'll be in the third car from the engine. And bring the money. No money, no... item. Got it? ENEMY Got it. (Helpern tosses phone into the dumpster, exits alley) MICHAELA Did you get that, Daddy? (POV: left eye lens: follows Helpern down the alley and onto the sidewalk) DAD Loud and clear. They're going to make the exchange on the train. MICHAELA It looks like he has the drawings inside his jacket. Are you going to have him arrested? DAD No. The plan is to nab them both when they make the exchange. You keep following him while I update Colonel Abernathy. MICHAELA I'm on it. EXT AFTERNOON MONTAGE: CITY STREETS (Helpern stops at a souvenir store display window and looks in, then turns into the entrance, pauses, turns toward window, then enters the store, exits a few seconds later carrying nothing, camera zooms out to reveal Michaela standing on top of a large neon store sign across the street) MICHAELA (to self) What is he doing?! He's already been in that store! (Helpern stops at a shoe store display window and looks in, then turns into the entrance, pauses, turns toward window, then enters the store, exits a few seconds later carrying nothing, camera zooms out to reveal Michaela standing on a high fire escape across the street) He's not fooling anyone. (Helpern stops at a bakery display window and looks in, then turns into the entrance, pauses, turns toward window, then enters the store. Camera zooms out to reveal Michaela standing on the edge of the roof of a three story building across the street) He's going in the wrong direction. DAD Michaela? MICHAELA I'm here. DAD Colonel Abernathy says he and his men won't be able to reach the train station before the train leaves. MICHAELA That's okay. Helpern has been moving in the opposite direction from the train station anyway. Maybe that stuff he said about the train was just to throw us off his trail. DAD Until we know for sure, we have to assume Helpern is headed for the train station. Colonel Abernathy is loading his men on a helicopter and flying them on ahead to the train station at Springfield, where he'll arrest both of them. If Helpern changes plans, the helicopter is the best way to catch up to him. MICHAELA What do you want me to do? DAD You stay on Helpern's tail until the army guys get on the train at Springfield, or until he changes his plans. MICHAELA Piece of cake. (Helpern exits store carrying nothing, turns in a different direction, rounds the corner) DAD Michaela, don't take you're eyes off Helpern. He'll do everything he knows to shake his tail. MICHAELA Daddy, I've got to go. He's on the move. DAD Good. I'll hitch a ride on the helicopter and meet you when this mission is over. MICHAELA MOVE-ME FORWARD 2. (special affect: tilts forward, exits frame flying) (jump cut: Michaela rounds the corner, but Helpern is gone) Oh oh! DAD What is it? MICHAELA The mole disappeared. DAD Try your tracker. MICHAELA Mother, where is Thomas Helpern? MOTHER Unable to locate Thomas Helpern. MICHAELA (looks in all directions) Daddy, did you hear that? DAD Yes. That's odd. There are only two ways he could defeat the tracking device: either he cut his skin open and tore out the device and destroyed it OR... That's it! MICHAELA What's it? DAD It's a low-power device. So, its signal could be blocked if he was inside a steel building... OR if he goes underground! That's it! Michaela, is there a subway station entrance near you? MICHAELA (POV: left eye lens: floats toward a down-stairway in the sidewalk) There's a stairway in the sidewalk. ZOOM-IN (POV: left eye lens: zooms in, the sign reads SUBWAY) That's it, Daddy! He's in the subway! Should I go in after him? DAD I don't think so. In that area of the city, the subway goes in four different directions. I think your best bet is to stay above ground and wait for him to come back up. MICHAELA Well, we know he has set up a meeting with the enemy agent on the train. Maybe I should head over to the train station and wait for his blinking red dot to appear. DAD That's a good plan. Do it. EXT AFTERNOON WIDE: TRAIN STATION ROOF (special affect: Michaela enters frame flying slowly, tilts up and lands on the roof gently) MICHAELA Mother, can you please let me know when Thomas Helpern's tracker is detected by the satellite? MOTHER Thomas Helpern's tracker has been detected by one satellite. But his exact location cannot be calculated without a signal from a second satellite. MICHAELA Daddy, I think the mole is coming out of his hole. DAD Yes. I heard. MOTHER Thomas Helpern's location has been calculated. MICHAELA What's my heading? MOTHER There is no heading. Thomas Helpern is directly below your current position. MICHAELA Thank you, Mother. (POV: left eye lens: aims cross hairs near her feet, a red dot appears at the corner of the frame, pans toward dot) SEE-THRU THAT. (POV: left eye lens: Helpern appears walking toward the ticket booth) MICHAELA Do you see him, Daddy? DAD Nice work, Sweetie! Now, let's make sure he gets on the right train and stays on until the train leaves the station. MICHAELA (POV: left eye lens: Helpern takes ticket, hurries toward the trains) Daddy, what if he gets on a different train? DAD Great minds think alike. I'm checking the train's web site. Let's see... to Springfield, 4:45 pm.... departing from... platform number 8. MICHAELA MOVE-ME FORWARD ONE (special affect: jumps forward, lifts off the ground) (POV: left eye lens: see-through vision looks ahead to the train, aims cross-hairs at the sign on the support post, reads PLATFORM 8) Platform 8. So far so good, huh, Daddy? DAD So far so good. (Helpern enters train, then, a few seconds later, a man wearing Helpern's jacket exits train) Wait. Do you see him, Michaela? MICHAELA (POV: left eye lens: special affect: floats through the air and follows the man with the jacket, blinking red dot exits frame toward train) I see him, but something is odd here. DAD What do you mean? (train begins moving) MICHAELA (POV: left eye lens: looks back toward train, red dot appears over train) That blinking red dot is still on the train. DAD Well, that stinker! MICHAELA What do you mean? DAD Helpern must have given his jacket to another passenger who was leaving the train, hoping that we would follow the jacket. This guy is good! Michaela, you need to SEE-THRU the roof of the train and make sure Helpern is still on the train. MICHAELA (POV: left eye lens: floats back toward the train as it exits the platform and picks up speed) You think he might have ditched his tracking device too? DAD We can't take anything for granted. MICHAELA (POV: left eye lens: special affect: follows the red dot over the train to the third car behind the engine, when directly over Helpern's head...) SEE-THRU THAT (POV: left eye lens: Helpern's head comes into view sitting near a window) MOVE-ME BACKWARD 4. Michaela flies past, then turns her back to the engine and backs away to get a look at Helpern's face) It's him, Daddy. It's Thomas Helpern. (POV: left eye lens: Helpern stands and moves toward the restroom at the front of the car) MICHAELA He's on the move, Daddy. MOVE-ME LEFT 0 MOVE-ME LEFT 0. (POV: left eye lens: Michaela turns to follow Helpern) MOVE-ME FORWARD 4. (POV: left eye lens: raises head to see a bridge overpass approaching quickly) Wo! I mean MOVE-ME UP NINE! (special affect: Michaela rises out of frame quickly) That was a close one. (jump cut: Michaela rises into frame from below) MOVE-ME DOWN NINE. (special affect: Michaela drops out of frame) (jump cut: Michaela approaches the roof of the moving train quickly) MOTHER Safety override: AUTOMATIC LANDING PROTOCOL. (special affect: Michaela touches down on the roof of the train, then walks forward toward the engine) MICHAELA Thank you, Mother. Now which way did he go? SEE-THRU THAT. (POV: left eye lens: sees Helpern entering the restroom) Oh oh! DAD What's the matter? MICHAELA He went into the bathroom. I can't spy on him in the bathroom, can I?! DAD You can and you should. I can assure you he's not going in there to use the toilet. MICHAELA (approaching the restroom) What IS he doing in there? DAD Well, if I was a mole and I wanted to be sure I got the money from the foreign agent, I would hide the plans for the missile system before the exchange... MICHAELA Oh! So the enemy agent doesn't take the plans away without paying. DAD Exactly. MICHAELA Well, then, SEE-THRU THAT. (POV: left eye lens: sees Helpern kneeling near the toilet and removing the toilet tissue roll from the dispenser and insert something small into the roll, then reattaches the roll to the dispenser, stands, primps briefly in the mirror, exits) Daddy, did you see that? DAD Yes. MICHAELA What was he doing there? DAD It looks like he inserted the plans for the missile system into the tissue tube. MICHAELA I thought plans and specifications were in a long roll of blue paper. DAD Most drawings and documents are stored on computer disks these days. Helpern must have downloaded the plans and documents from the mainframe computer to a flash drive. Michaela, stand by. Colonel Abernathy is getting an update from Homeland Security. (softly) That wasn't what we agreed to! You promised me that she would only be doing surveillance! (sighs) Well, okay. (aloud) Michaela? MICHAELA I'm here. DAD Change of plans. Homeland Security doesn't want to put the stolen missile plans at risk of falling into enemy hands. MICHAELA I can go down to the restroom and get the flash drive. DAD It's not quite that easy. They want you to substitute that flash drive for one that has realistic looking false plans. MICHAELA Where do I get the false plans? DAD That's just it. They don't exist yet. I'm working on them now. You have to come to me and pick up the flash drive, take it back to the train and swap it for the real plans. MICHAELA That doesn't sound so dangerous. DAD Problem is, the train is almost at the Springfield Station, so we don't have much time before the enemy agent gets on board. The worst problem is I'm flying above you in a helicopter. MICHAELA (turns, looks back and up, sees the helicopter) Piece of cake. MOVE-ME UP NINE. (special affect: Michaela rises out of frame quickly) DAD Michaela! We have never practiced a transfer to an moving helicopter! EXT AFTERNOON WIDE: SKY ABOVE TRAIN MICHAELA (voiceover) MOVE-ME UP ZERO. (special affect: Michaela ascends into frame slowing to a hover as the helicopter enters frame slightly below her, and side door slides open, Abernathy waves) It's okay, Daddy. I jumped out of a helicopter once. How hard could it be to jump in? DAD Michaela! You be careful! If you miss us, the blades of this helicopter will scramble you like an egg! MICHAELA (POV: left eye lens: aims cross hairs at the floor of the helicopter) MOVE-ME THERE. (special affect: Michaela disappears) INT AFTERNOON WIDE: MOVING HELICOPTER (special affect: Michaela reappears on the floor of the helicopter) MICHAELA Piece of cake. DAD (busily poking keys on his laptop, to Abernathy) That girl is going to give me ulcers. Michaela, I'll have your flash drive in a moment. I just have to dot some I's and cross some T's. (dramatic poke) Done. (pulls flash drive from side of laptop, offers it) Here you go. (Michaela grabs the flash drive, dives out the door) You be.... (looks down) ...careful. Now I know how fathers get gray hair. EXT AFTERNOON WIDE: TRAIN ROOF (train slows near Springfield station) (special affect: Michaela reappears) MICHAELA (POV: left eye lens: aims cross hairs at roof near her feet) SEE-THRU THAT. (POV: left eye lens: overhead view of train car's restroom) MOVE-ME THERE. (special affect: Michaela disappears from the roof of the train) INT AFTERNOON CLOSE-UP: TRAIN RESTROOM (special affect: Michaela reappears) MICHAELA (locks door, kneels near tissue dispenser, removes the roll, removes flash drive, train jolts slightly, drops the flash drive, gropes behind toilet) CONDUCTOR (knocks on door) Springfield Station. Springfield station. Train leaves in one minute. One minute. MICHAELA (gasps, looks at door, finds and pockets flash drive, removes false flash drive from pocket, inserts it into the tissue roll core, reattaches tissue roll to dispenser, reaches to unlock door) ENEMY (voiceover) Where is the item? MICHAELA (softly) Oh oh! (looks for a place to hide) HELPERN (voiceover) Where is my money? ENEMY In the bag. Now where is the item? HELPERN Just a second, I want to make sure all the money is here first. (pauses) Good. We have a deal. The... item is inside the toilet tissue roll, in this restroom. It's all yours. I'm out of here. (Michaela slides lock open quietly and slowly, hides in corner behind opening door as Enemy enters) DAD Michaela, you can't go out there. I can hear the enemy agent out there. Michaela?! Michaela?! (when the door closes, Michaela is gone. Enemy kneels beside toilet, removes tissue roll) INT AFTERNOON EXTREME CLOSE-UP: TRAIN OUTSIDE RESTROOM (special affect: Michaela, now only one inch tall, crawls under the door as a man's shoe the size of a truck walks by, nearly stepping on her, Michaela retreats briefly, then crawls out and stands up) MICHAELA (looks both ways) STOP. (special affect: Michaela instantly grows to normal size, exits the train through the nearby door as the train begins to move) EXT AFTERNOON WIDE: TRAIN STATION PARKING LOT HELPERN (exits terminal building, raises hand, shouts) Taxi? ABERNATHY (enters frame) I'll give you a ride. HELPERN (turns, gasps) Colonel Abernathy! What are you doing here? ABERNATHY (nods to two MPs who enter frame, take Helpern's bag, cuff him and hall him away) You're under arrest for espionage and treason. (exits frame behind Helpern) DAD (hurries toward the main entrance, stops and hugs Michaela as she exits the terminal) Michaela! Thank God you're safe! MICHAELA Piece of cake. Here you go. (offers flash drive) You've got to tell me why Homeland Security WANTS the enemy agent to get away. (points over shoulder) DAD (takes flash drive, they follow Abernathy) They thought that if we arrested THIS agent, the enemy would just send another agent to steal the plans. So, we let them think they stole the real plans. MICHAELA Are you sure the enemy agents can't make a missile launcher from those plans? DAD Actually, they should be able to make a working missile launcher from those plans. MICHAELA Aren't you worried? DAD Not really. I made some... slight changes to the plans. EXT MORNING WIDE: RUSSIA (Two months later) ENEMY (admires launcher in hands) At last, we have our own shoulder-fired cruise missile. Let's destroy something! (mounts missile launcher on shoulder, aims at distant target, smiles) Five, four, three, two, one, fire! (missile launcher burps, missile exits slowly, falls at Enemy's feet) (blackout) Oh no! (sound cue: boom) ©2011 Bob Snook. Conditions for use: Do not sell any part of this script, even if you rewrite it. Pay no royalties, even if you make money from performances. You may reproduce and distribute this script freely, but all copies must contain this copyright statement. http://www.bobsnook.org email: bob@bobsnook.org BACK |