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turning to page one
turning to page one
INTERCUT ALL THREE CONVERSATIONS as Teddy makes his way into the building and waits for an elevator.
DR. OGLETHORPE
Ok, why didn’t you just report it
to the Minor Planet Center.
DR. CALDER
The Professor and a bunch of
Michigan State students who
identified something big.
DR. OGLETHORPE
Really? How large?
DR. CALDER
(to the NASA Scientist)
How big we talking?
NASA SCIENTIST
We clocked it in at about 5 to 10
kilometers wide.
DR. CALDER
About 5 to 10 kilometers wide.
DR. OGLETHORPE
Uh...that’s a big boy.
(beat)
And was this Professor the one who
made the observation?
Randall chimes in.
RANDALL
Uh, hi, yes, Dr. Mindy. And no, PHD
candidate Kate Dibiasky found it, I
did the orbital calculations. I
study um, trace gases in dead
galaxies. I haven’t published in
awhile so you probably haven’t
heard of me - but that doesn’t
matter obviously - sorry.
DR. OGLETHORPE
And what are the most updated
estimates on its trajectory?
Kate does more calculations on her Matlabs.
KATE
I’ve been running it all day, I
keep getting the same result. A
direct hit of earth in 6 months and
14 days.
RANDALL
Me too.
DR. CALDER
Mathew, what are your calculations?
NASA SCIENTIST
Our scout program is saying...6
months, 14 days.
DR. CALDER
We’ve got 6 months and 14 days.
DR. OGLETHORPE
And it’s roughly 5 to 10 kilometers
wide. Which means...
RANDALL
...Isn’t that an extinction level
event?
A terrifying silence hits the room.
DR. CALDER
Well, let’s not be dramatic here.
DR. OGLETHORPE DR. CALDER (CONT'D) Ok, first move is to get the Ok, let’s all calm down here! school field trip out here to DC. I need the person who first had eyes on the comet and the person in charge.
Kate and Randall look at each other.
DR. OGLETHORPE (CONT'D)
Okay we need to share this data
immediately with Cambridge, Cal
Tech and the I.A.U.
DR. CALDER
This is classified information Dr.
Oglethorpe. I serve at the
discretion of the President and her
policy is all priority intel goes
to her first.
KATE
Is this really happening?
DR. CALDER
Now let’s get the student and the
dead galaxy Professor to Hickam Air
Force Base now.
They hang up. Terrified Kate looks to Randall who begins pacing around the room.
KATE
What the hell is happening?
RANDALL
Kate! This isn’t happening right?
This isn’t real right? This is just
some sort of alternate reality?
Kate say something!
Kate leans her head back.
KATE
I gotta go get high....
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