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turning to page one
As the machine CLACKS away, Alan is frantically going over his papers. He’s unshaven, wearing yesterday’s clothes. He hasn’t gotten a wink of sleep.
ON ALAN’S FRANTIC PACING: Why isn’t it working? Why?!
Alan rubs his eyes, exhausted, and as he does so he looks out the window to see...
... Commander Denniston walking towards the Machine Hut, accompanied by a HOME OFFICE MAN and TWO RMPs.
Alan quickly runs to the door and BOLTS it —
— Just as Denniston and the men get to it from the outside.
OUTSIDE:
Denniston tries the door. It won’t open.
COMMANDER DENNISTON
Turing! Open the bloody door!
INSIDE:
ALAN TURING
No!!!
OUTSIDE:
COMMANDER DENNISTON
Open the door or we will break it
down!!
INSIDE:
ALAN TURING
I cannot let you in!! I cannot let
you interfere!!!
OUTSIDE:
Denniston turns to the RMPs: Break it down.
The RMPs KICK DOWN THE DOOR —
— And the men BURST INTO THE ROOM as Alan FALLS BACK.
COMMANDER DENNISTON
(re: the horrible noise)
Turn that thing off.
An RMP walks over to Christopher —
— Alan tries to stop him but they POINT GUNS AT HIM —
— And so Alan watches in absolute horror as they TURN OFF THE MACHINE.
COMMANDER DENNISTON (CONT’D)
Well then. It seems your great big
expensive machine doesn’t work.
ALAN TURING
It does.
COMMANDER DENNISTON
Wonderful. So you’ve broken Enigma
then?
ALAN TURING
working.
COMMANDER DENNISTON
This is my associate from the Home
Office. A hundred thousand pounds
is quite a lot of money. He’s here
to see what you have to show for
it.
ALAN TURING
You will never understand the
importance of what I’ve created
here.
Commander Denniston exchanges a look with the men: See what I mean?
COMMANDER DENNISTON
Have you decrypted any German
messages? A single one? Can you
point to anything at all that
you’ve achieved?
ON ALAN: He can’t.
COMMANDER DENNISTON (CONT’D)
Your funding is up, and our
patience has expired. It is with
such great pleasure that I finally
get to say this: Alan Turing,
you’re fired.
ON ALAN: What can he do? This is it...
COMMANDER DENNISTON (CONT’D)
Please escort Mr. Turing from the
premises.
HUGH ALEXANDER (O.S.)
No.
Everyone turns to see Hugh, John, and Peter at the door, wearing fresh clothes.
COMMANDER DENNISTON
Pardon?
HUGH ALEXANDER
God help me... If you fire Alan,
you’ll have to fire me too.
COMMANDER DENNISTON
What on earth are you saying?
HUGH ALEXANDER
Trust me, no one wants to say this
less than I do, but Alan’s right.
His machine can work. At least it’s
the best chance we’ve got.
COMMANDER DENNISTON
You must be joking.
JOHN CAIRNCROSS
If you fire them, you’ll have to
fire me too.
PETER HILTON
And me.
HUGH ALEXANDER
We’re the best cryptographic minds
in Britain. Are you going to fire
us all?
Denniston looks to the Home Office Man, who NODS: Hugh is right.
HUGH ALEXANDER (CONT’D)
At least give us more time. Six
more months, and if the machine
doesn’t produce results we’ll go
back to doing things the old way.
COMMANDER DENNISTON
... One month. And then so help me
God you are all gone.
Denniston and his men LEAVE.
The team breathes a sigh of relief: They’ve been given a temporary reprieve.
ALAN TURING
... Thank you.
HUGH ALEXANDER
This machine better bloody work.
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