THE TWINKLING OF AN EYE
INT. VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OFFICE. MS. SHIRLEY DEVRY SEATED BEHIND THE DESK. ALSO STANDING IN THE ROOM ARE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE, BOB CANADA, AND NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR, JOHN ROSENBERG. JOHN ROSENBERG IS IN A CORNER OF THE ROOM ON THE PHONE.
BOB
President Thrush still doesn’t know?
SHIRLEY
He knows the generalities of the project. He doesn’t have a clue that we’ve come far enough to use it, much less that we’re actually using it.
BOB
Don’t you think…
SHIRLEY (cutting off BOB)
Malcolm Thrush is president only because of friends and money in New York and California. Thirty more delegates at the convention and I would have been the one in the oval office.
BOB
With Thrush as your VP?
SHIRLEY
No. With his political death. Our ticket was of his choosing, not mine. He doesn’t know about this because he doesn’t have the backbone for this sort of thing.
BOB
I’m wondering if I do.
SHIRLEY
Mr. Speaker, it’s a little late for that. How much longer?
BOB
Your national security advisor is the one with the hotline to the site.
SHIRLEY
John? Is it done?
JOHN
(Walking towards Shirley and BOB)
They’ve returned intact and document exchanged is verified.
SHIRLEY
How do we know it worked?
JOHN
Madam Vice President, I don’t know. I suppose we could go to the archives and see what it says.
BOB
I can’t believe it would be that simple? We send…sent these guys back in time to change a few words and we can verify results by what a piece of paper says. What about the two hundred and some years of intervening history? How do we check that before we jump off the deep end here?
SHIRLEY
Settle down BOB. We knew there would be some risk, but we all agreed to take it. Let’s just take this one step at a time.
ENTER A MARINE CAPTAIN IN DRESS BLUES. THE CAPTAIN WALKS DIRECTLY UP TO THE VICE PRESIDENT’S DESK AND STOPS AT ATTENTION. HE THEN KNEELS ON ONE KNEE AND STANDS AGAIN.
CAPTAIN
Your Majesty. Your palace guard is ready to proceed.
BOB AND JOHN LOOK STRANGELY AT SHIRLEY.
SHIRLEY
(With a long pause before answering)
Proceed with what?
CAPTAIN
My apologies your Majesty. We are ready to escort your majesty to the execution of the traitor Malcolm Thrush. It was your first edict following your coronation. Your court awaits you, your majesty.
SHIRLEY SMILES. CLOSE IN ON HER SMILES THEN ZOOM OUT TO HER SLEEPING ALONE IN A BED WITH A SMILE ON HER FACE. AN ALARM CLOCK GOES OFF AND SHIRLEY WAKES FROM HER SLEEP AND REACHES OVER TO THE CLOCK AND TURNS IT OFF. SHE RUBS HER EYES, SITS UP AND REACHES FOR CIGARETTES AND THEN SMILES AGAIN.
GO TO OUTER LIMITS INTRO THEME.
Prologue
While hollowly proclaiming submission to a higher authority, man has always sought power in this world. Often there are raw contests of political will manifested in wars. Sometimes power is veiled behind laws, constitutions, or other conventions, but the end goal is always the same—to impose the will of a few or even one upon the many. Power seekers rise and fall based upon the cards that history has dealt to them, or at least that has been the case until now.
INT. OFFICE SETTING: ONE MAIN DESK WITH SMALL CONFERENCE TABLE NEARBY. FOUR MEN AND ONE WOMAN SITTING AT THE TABLE. A PROJECTOR HOOKED TO A NOTEBOOK COMPUTER SITS ON THE TABLE. THE PROJECTOR IS NOT RUNNING. AT THE TABLE ARE SHIRLEY, JOHN, BOB, PETER, AND CANTON.
National Security Advisor to the President, JOHN Rosenberg:
Are we in agreement?
SHIRLEY Devry, Vice President of the United States:
In principle, but I want to go over the risks again.
Admiral PETER Milton
The plan is sound and has a minimal footprint.
JOHN:
We need a zero footprint.
PETER:
There’s no such thing. We’ve been through it before.
Speaker of the House, BOB Canada:
If this were ever exposed, we would all…
SHIRLEY:
All be consenting to a simple exploration of technology.
DR. CANTON MCKAFFEY, DIRECTOR, DEFENSE ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS:
There is nothing simple about this. Until two years ago, every theory of chronological linking was dismissed as pure science fiction.
SHIRLEY:
So was video conferencing from one side of the world to another. Your experiments have proven that time travel is possible….
CANTON:
Not time travel—chronological dimensional linking. We cannot travel through time.
PETER:
Couch it in whatever terms you prefer Doctor, you can insert someone from today into a point in the past. Correct?
CANTON:
Basically, yes. In actuality, it is the temporary insertion of substance from one chronological dimensional grid temporarily into another grid along an accessible access. You must understand this before you proceed.
CANTON PUSHES A BUTTON ON A TABLETOP PROJECTOR AND IT QUICKLY WARMS AND DISPLAYS AN IMAGE PROJECTED ON A WALL. THE IMAGE RESEMBLES A ROLL OF TRANSPARENT PAPER TOWELS.
PETER:
Doctor, please put this in laymen’s terms.
CANTON:
Of course. This graphic representation is what I believe to be the chronological dimension. Each layer of the dimension is much like the skin of an onion.
CANTON HITS KEYS ON THE NOTEBOOK AND THE ROLL OF TRANSPARENT PAPER TOWELS ROLLS ACROSS THE SCREEN AS IF IT WERE BEING ROLLED ACROSS A COUNTER.
CANTON:
This is the traditional view of time. A series of linear events beginning at one point and continuing one direction into what we call the future. In this view, the only relationship between one point and another is what has been recorded or retained in memory.
CANTON HITS MORE KEYS AND THE ROLL RESUMES ITS ORIGINAL SHAPE. HE HITS MORE KEYS AND IT EXPANDS SHOWING DISTANCE BETWEEN EACH LAYER. THE SCREEN DEPICTS A CONE WITH THE POINTED END GOING INTO THE ROLL.
CANTON:
If we view time as chronological location, we can project into other locations for a limited time.
CANTON CONTRACTS THE ROLL ON THE SCREEN AND TURNS OFF THE PROJECTOR.
PETER:
OK, so time’s all rolled up instead of linear. To me we are still talking time travel. What you didn’t say was how do we get our guys back.
CANTON:
Their return is based solely on their projection. The more projected energy, the longer the stay. When the energy expended is half of what is projected, the subjects are withdrawn with the same force by which they are projected. For that reason we can make longer stays if we penetrate fewer layers.
SHIRLEY:
And you’re saying 15 minutes for our target time, or place—FOR WHERE WE WANT TO SEND THEM.
CANTON:
Yes, the Vice President is correct. 15 minutes, 11 seconds based upon the energy we can control without fluctuation.
PETER:
My men are ready, but I think the risks go well beyond their execution.
CANTON:
At last, prudence.
JOHN:
For God’s sake, do you know what will happen if we don’t do this.
BOB:
John’s right. The risks are acceptable. The consequences of not trying this may topple the very security of this country. Almost every piece of legislation that advances our technological ability is being overturned in the courts. I believe that there is a legitimate right to privacy, but if we infringe upon that right for the security of our nation, then there has to be a lesser consequence. This is a very calculated risk and it’s worth taking.
JOHN:
I agree. If we can untie the legal restraints, we can proactively combat terrorism. You have the document, Bob?
BOB REMOVES FROM HIS BRIEFCASE SEVERAL PARCHMENT SHEETS INCASED IN RESEALABLE PLASTIC BAGS.
BOB:
Yes, and the words we agreed on follow the last sentence of the second paragraph of Section 1, Article III.
PETER TAKES THE APPLICABLE PAGE FROM BOB.
PETER:
“No court shall overturn the legitimacy of any law that has been enacted by Congress and Signed by the President.”
SHIRLEY:
Thank you for your concurrence on the syntax.
BOB:
An understandable qualifier. I’m sure that any sitting president would like to have some recourse left to him for a law enacted by over-riding his veto, and in this case, an acceptable one for the legislature.
PETER:
It’s nice to know that there is no animosity between those two branches of our government. Especially, since we are conspiring to weaken the third.
SHIRLEY:
The power for the courts to overturn laws was never there in the first place. Just let John Marshall issue the Mandamus that Mr. Marbury demanded or reject his plea. We just can’t give him the judicial review option.
JOHN:
Second thoughts Admiral?
PETER:
Always. I know that on the surface this seems necessary to our continued existence, but I am a God fearing man as well. I believe that God has a plan for mankind and that we may be meddling where we do not belong.
JOHN:
Your God promises tribulation at the end of the world. Will you not help us forestall some of the tribulation of mankind’s own doing?
PETER:
That’s at the end of the age, John. You should read more of the Bible, at least what was written by your namesake.
JOHN:
Oh I’ve read it and the other fiction that goes with it. It’s a crutch for not addressing our problems in the present. If you have the end of everything hanging over you because of man’s wickedness, then why take action. It’s interesting stuff, but I deal in facts. My facts tell me that we chart our own destiny for this world. Believe whatever you want. Are you in or out?
PETER:
I’ll support the group’s decision with the teams we need.
BOB:
Teams?
CANTON
Yes, teams of similar mass projected to opposite dimensional grids. It is this projected opposition that pulls those projected back to their origin.
BOB
What if one team is lost?
CANTON
It will not endanger the other. The projected energy is the same for each and the retracted energy is the same as well. Every instrumented piece of matter projected will be retracted at the halfway point regardless of, well, regardless…
BOB
You mean dead or alive.
CANTON
Yes. Dead or alive.
JOHN
Time, I mean destination for the second team.
CANTON
The dimensional bands appear to have access points at periods of 107 years. Team one will be sent one direction for 214 years with your amended…adjusted…with your constitution and team two will be projected in an opposite direction with an instrumented box full of inert material.
BOB
Why the box?
PETER
The contents of the box will be emptied by the team and replaced with available documents of commensurate weight.
BOB:
Admiral, it sounds as if you are not as skeptical about looking ahead as you are about meddling in the past.
PETER:
Meddling would be the operative word.
JOHN:
Shouldn’t we have discussed this part more thoroughly?
PETER:
We needed something to balance the inert material carried by team one. This offered the best option with the least risk if it was left behind. The box may be opened and closed only once. After that it takes four keys to open it. We can retrieve the materials, and decide on a more accommodating time scale if we should want to take a look into our future….Sorry doctor….it’s still the future to me.
CANTON:
While the science of the thing says it’s a dimension; I have much more enthusiasm about looking forward that changing the past. Calling it the future is all right by me.
BOB:
Clothing and equipment?
PETER
(Setting a satchel on the table and removing two LASER pistols)
Naturally died dungaree type clothing with overcoats for the three headed to 1787. My two Marines will each have this basic LASER pistol.
BOB (excited):
Weapons? Is that wise? What if they have to use them? Couldn’t that…
PETER:
That’s one of the reasons for these. The energy they project is invisible light. They are locked on a stun setting. If they must be used, no one will see anything projected from them. They will be stunned momentarily and our team should be gone before they know what hit them. Our team has to make the switch and get out of sight before they are retracted.
JOHN:
You said one of the reasons?
PETER:
Yes, based on the doctors early experiments, gunpowder explodes in the projection.
JOHN:
And a laser weapons is safer?
ADMIRAL MILTON SLIDES ONE PISTOL TO JOHN AND ONE TO SHIRLEY.
SHIRLEY:
Careful with those things.
PETER:
In their current state, they are harmless. The energy source must be acquired after arrival.
SHIRLEY (Sarcastically)
And where do they get energy to power a laser weapon in the 18th century.
PETER:
Coal.
SHIRLEY and John in unison:
Coal? We have weapons that can fire lasers from coal.
PETER:
That’s an oversimplification, but yes.
SHIRLEY:
Are we fielding these in our operational units.
PETER:
Not yet. Two Marine and two Army Special Forces units are part of a pilot program. The FBI is running a parallel test of its own. We, of course, have considerable more variety in selecting energy sources.
SHIRLEY:
Can’t this technology be used to stop terrorists? My God! We just lost another building in Dallas last week.
PETER:
As the vice president is aware, our failures are not in our weapons technology, but in our ability to use our surveillance technology. The anti-terrorist teams can put one between a bad guys running lights just as well with a sniper round or a 9mm up close. We’re using these because they can stun and do it without revealing source of the weapon.
BOB (holding up one of the laser pistols):
So Captain Kirk says phasers on stun and that’s that…
PETER:
It will kill, but we’ve blocked the selector levels so they can only be set on stun or safe. It takes 18 minutes for an experienced Marine to disassemble the weapon.
JOHN:
That seems like a long time compared to what a soldier can do with a rifle. How’s that going to work in combat?
PETER:
We have newer models that breakdown in under a minute. We’re using the older ones to eliminate the temptation to do just that. It’s a redundant precaution. The Marines are very well trained and have accepted that in a life or death struggle, they must lose.
BOB:
That goes against every bit of military training I’ve ever heard of. Are you sure…
SHIRLEY:
Can we get back to the decision-making. Doctor, what is our window of availability?
CANTON:
Tomorrow morning between 0330 and 0915. This is the only time that we can be sure the document will be relatively unattended. The final draft sits in a cottage in Northern Virginia with its last revisionist reviewing it until about three in the morning. We know that before delivering it to Mr. Washington, he overslept. There was really no editing, just penmanship touchups befitting a document that would govern the course of a people.
SHIRLEY:
And we’re certain the change will go unnoticed?
CANTON:
All of the real reviewing was done several days before. The signing is basically ceremonial. From our best estimates, the document doesn’t get any real detailed attention for another 7 years. The bill of rights—those ten of the twelve initial amendments that were adopted—followed one week after Washington signed the Constitution. These had to be prepared in parallel. We can expect no changes in the amendments based upon your inserted change. Things moved considerably more slowly in those days gentlemen and once Washington signed, his attention moved to the more tangible tasks of stabilizing a new government. Like much government work, few will read it in such detail before they sign.
SHIRLEY:
Very well. We must do this, and eliminate every possibility of failure.
BOB:
I’m in. But one last question for the doctor. Where is team two being sent?
CANTON:
The Library of Congress. One of the isolated basement rooms.
BOB:
And what if all records are digital or in a media that we can’t comprehend in our own time.
CANTON:
Yes, one of the risks of this course of action is that what team two retrieves will be of little use to us—at least for a hundred years or so, but it will be harder for team two to remain unnoticed in their mission than it will for team one that has some idea of what is to transpire. The low profile location may produce a lesser payoff, but the decreased risk of exposure is justified.
BOB:
And no weapons for them.
PETER:
None. But I should address one final risk with the weapons.
BOB:
I don’t like this weapons business to begin with.
PETER:
The weapons cannot be instrumented and must be maintained in a holster on the Marine or in his hand at the time of retraction.
BOB:
Or what?
PETER:
Or they won’t come back with the team.
BOB:
Then the weapons don’t go!
SHIRLEY:
They have to. If there is any sort of scuffle or fight, then someone is going to challenge what was going on and the final draft may get just one more review. It’s a necessary risk.
BOB:
Is the vice president giving orders now?
SHIRLEY:
Do you have another solution?
BOB:
I said I’m in. I’ll leave the weapons decision with the executive branch.
SHIRLEY:
Why thank you Bob. Are you so sure I didn’t arrive at that conclusion with my Senatorial hat on?
BOB:
Because you stand to gain a bit more as the next president….and if this succeeds, you have two full terms as VP, then probably waltz right into your party’s nomination to be the chief. First woman VP, first woman…
JOHN:
Table the politics please. We need a decision and we need it while we still have time to make the window. I’ll go around the table again and ask for two answers. The first answer is to proceed and the second is to take the weapons. Any no will veto the other three on that issue. Peter?
PETER:
Yes, yes.
JOHN:
Shirley?
SHIRLEY:
Yes, yes.
JOHN:
Doctor?
SHIRLEY:
Why do you persist with his title?
JOHN:
Shirley, please… Canton, your vote.
CANTON:
Yes….and…pause……yes.
JOHN:
Yes and yes for me as well.
PETER:
I’ll inform the teams so they can make final preparations.
SHIRLEY:
Shouldn’t we meet the team members?
JOHN:
I don’t think that’s best. They should be given their orders from the Admiral.
SHIRLEY:
So they don’t think they are part of a conspiracy?
JOHN:
Shirley, please leave the opsec to me.
SHIRLEY (sarcastically):
You’re the national security advisor JOHN.
JOHN:
There’s an observation window from the tracking center.
INT. TRACKING CENTER: SEVERAL COMPUTER CONSOLES MANNED BY 3 WOMEN NEATLY DRESSED AND A LARGE RED BUTTON WITH A SIGN OVER IT THAT SAYS EMERGENCY POWER OFF. CANTON STANDS AT A CONSOLE NEAR THE BUTTON AND DAWNS A HEADSET WITH MICROPHONE. HE LOOKS OUT A LARGE WINDOW THAT LOOKS DOWN TO A BOX WITH CONES ON OPPOSITE ENDS. HIGH POWER CABLES ARE ATTACHED TO THE BOX. SIX MEN ENTER THE BOX THROUGH A SIDE ENTRANCE. TEAM ONE ON THE RIGHT ENTERS FIRST, AND TEAM TWO FOLLOWS THEM. TWO MEN IN COVERALLS WAIT UNTIL THEY ARE ALL INSIDE AND THEN TURN AND LOOK AT THE WINDOW, EACH GIVING A THUMBS UP FOR THEIR TEAM.
MAN IN COVERALLS:
Ready sir.
CANTON (through microphone):
Stand clear.
MEN IN COVERALLS MOVE BACK 5 STEPS. AND THE RAMP TO THE ENTRANCE CLOSES.
CANTON:
Visual seal verification.
MEN IN COVERALLS MOVE FORWARD TO INSPECT THE JUST CLOSED RAMP.
MAN IN COVERALLS:
Good seal. Moving to safety stations.
CANTON:
Commence three-minute countdown.
AN OVERHEAD DIGITAL CLOCK MARKS 3 MINUTES AND COMMENCES COUNTDOWN. A WHINE FROM A GENERATOR INCREASES SLOWLY IN VOLUME AND PITCH. CANTON HANDS EARMUFF STYLE SOUND SUPPRESSORS TO SHIRLEY, PETER, BOB, AND JOHN.
SHIRLEY:
For 2.2 Billion in black ops money, you think you could get something more practical.
SWITCH TO INSIDE THE BOX. THE TWO TEAMS ARE LINED UP 3 ABREAST WITH A CLEAR WALL BETWEEN THEM. EACH TEAM IS FACING A CIRCLE THAT IS STARTING TO GLOW. DR. MATTIS TURNS TO THE TWO MARINES ON HIS RIGHT.
MATTIS:
Relax guys and enjoy the ride.
GYSGT PAGE:
The last time someone told me that, I spent three months looking for Scuds in Iraq and had to walk half a country to an extract point.
MATTIS:
This time you’ll be home in time for morning PT and breakfast.
GYSGT PAGE:
Right.
CAPTAIN HUFF
Just locate that coal bin outside the house. We need to make sure this guy is knocked out.
GYSGT PAGE:
If it’s there, I’ll find it…and you can fill out the reports at the end of this.
CAPTAIN HUFF
No reports on this one Gunny.
GYSGT PAGE:
Can’t be a government operation without paperwork.
MATTIS
Ten seconds. Stay sharp Marines.
THE GLOWING CIRCLES GET BRIGHTER, THE WHINE GETS LOUDER, AND THE ENTIRE AREA OF THE CIRCLE FILLS WITH A LIQUID LIKE SUBSTANCE AND INSTANTANEOUSLY SUCKS THE TEAM INTO IT. THE CIRCLE GLOW REDUCES AND PULSATES, THE CENTER OF THE CIRCLE IS CLEAR. SHOW THE EMPTY AREA INSIDE THE BOX NOW TO CONFIRM THAT BOTH TEAMS HAVE DEPARTED.
CANTON:
Fifteen minutes, six seconds to return. Emergency medical teams to positions.
SHIRLEY:
I thought this was a safe procedure?
CANTON:
Included upon the admiral’s insistence.
PETER:
Too many unknowns. The least we can do for our men is to be standing by to help them when they return.
CANTON (pointing to his monitor):
We can see they have been inserted, but the instrumentation devices only send back a basic signal. We can’t monitor heart rate, pulse, respiration, or any of the vitals. Just two sets of 3 icons.
SHOW COMPUTER MONITOR WITH TWO CONES WITH POINTS FACING OUTBOARD. THE EACH SIDE SHOWS CURVED, NEAR PARALLEL LINES THAT CREATE BANDS. THE POINT OF EACH CONE IS AT THE SECOND BAND. THREE ICONS ARE DEPICTED AT THE SECOND BAND ON EACH SIDE.
BOB:
What are your emergency procedures?
CANTON:
There are none. For the next fourteen plus minutes, I am completely useless. The projected energy will return with everything instrumented or attached to the instrumented devices regardless of what I do. I’m afraid there’s really not much of a show here.
SHIRLEY (BECOMING NOTICEABLY NERVOUS): WHAT IF SOMETHING GOES WRONG? DID THEY TAKE THE PLASTIC BAGS OFF OF THE PAPERS? WILL THIS CHANGE THINGS THAT I REMEMBER? I NEED A CIGARETTE. (LOOKING AT ONE OF THE UNNAMED OPERATORS) GET ME AN ASHTRAY.
CANTON
(Gesturing for his operators to stay in place):
It’s a federal building so there’s no ashtrays.
SHIRLEY (Lighting her cigarette):
This is a black op not the Smithsonian.
BOB:
I love the way the executive branch follows regulations.
SHIRLEY:
Growing a conscience Bob? A little late isn’t it.
PETER:
People, please.
PETER TAKES THE CIGARETTE FROM SHIRLEY AND EXTINGUISHES IT IN A HALF FULL COFFEE CUP, THEN DISPOSES OF IT IN A WASTE CAN. JOHN PUTS HIS ARM AROUND SHIRLEY AND WALKS HER TO A CHAIR. SHE TURNS, AND WALKS AWAY.
SHIRLEY:
I’m all right. Don’t patronize me.
JOHN LIFTS HIS HANDS IN SURRENDER. JOHN, BOB, AND SHIRLEY PACE. EACH COMING TO THE WINDOW IN TURN TO STARE AT THE BOX BELOW.
CANTON APPROACHES PETER.
CANTON:
You said you believe in God.
PETER:
Yes I do. What about you?
CANTON:
I don’t know.
PETER:
A skeptical scientist. I thought most scientists convinced themselves in the existence of God because of all of the wonders they can’t understand.
CANTON:
A bit of a generalization don’t you think?
PETER:
Agreed.
CANTON:
Why do you believe?
PETER:
Faith. Just plain and simple faith.
CANTON:
Oh yes, the laws of paradigms. First you must believe to see.
PETER:
Close, but faith is more than just believing. It’s…
CANTON:
I want to believe, but it’s not for what I don’t understand.
PETER:
Go on.
CANTON:
You know all of that stuff about the Alpha and the Omega.
PETER:
The beginning and the end.
CANTON:
The existence of God through all time, knowing all things, deciding the final outcome. What if we have discovered all of time here?
PETER:
I don’t think God needs your machine.
CANTON:
No, of course not. But what if we have discovered the true fabric of man’s….the universe’s existence. What if this is truly a window into that existence.
PETER:
Are you asking because you want to believe in God or because you are afraid you have defied him?
CANTON:
Have we defied Him? Are we acting in opposition to divine plans? I don’t think so. Those plans foretell an end that just can’t come about. We’ve outgrown the God of your Bible. We will soon be able to harness enough energy to see for ourselves the beginning of life on this planet.
PETER:
You haven’t been sleeping much lately have you?
CANTON:
Like you have?
PETER:
I sleep some. Sure this project has been on my mind, but I don’t believe we can change God’s plan. Faith helps in more ways than one.
SHIRLEY WALKS UP TO PETER AND CANTON.
SHIRLEY (very sarcastically):
You mean ignorance is bliss. How did you get to be an admiral with such childish views?
PETER (in obvious jest):
Midshipman, Ensign, Lieutenant JG, Lieutenant….
SHIRLEY:
How can you be so oblivious to the risk. We don’t know what’s going on out there.
CANTON:
Seven minutes to return. Peter, I know the Biblical principles make sense. Love your neighbor, don’t kill, don’t steal…
SHIRLEY
(almost drunk with nervousness):
Don’t forget adultery and coveting.
SHIRLEY WALKS AWAY.
CANTON:
But this end of the world stuff. An anti-Christ rising to power, the kingdoms described, a world-wide treaty with Israel. These things just cannot come about.
PETER:
You’ve been doing some serious reading. What bothers you the most?
CANTON:
How can God put an end to His own world? How can a God of love also be a destroyer? Why is the book of Revelations so unrevealing?
PETER:
You have been doing some real questioning. With regard to your last question, even Martin Luther had some trouble with Revelations. He wanted it taken out of the Bible as just too hard to understand.
CANTON:
Do you understand it?
PETER:
Enough of it, I think. I don’t worry about it too much. It’s a description of the end of the age. The formula for salvation is found in the other books.
CANTON:
But aren’t you concerned about the end of the world?
PETER:
As much as anyone is. Most believers refer to it as the end of the age, and all I am entitled to know are the signs of the times.
CANTON:
But some of those signs cannot come to pass in this age. A common currency I can see, but don’t most of your Biblical Scholars think the anti-Christ will come out of Europe. Look at the Euro conversion--that took years and is anyone the better for it. Russia can barely hold onto Moscow, much less produce a world leader. Kingdoms and kings—we’re moving closer to anarchy than we are to kingdoms.
PETER:
If you won’t believe, then why do you ask?
CANTON:
I think that I can explain many things. Déjà vu for one.
PETER:
There have been plenty of biological and psychological theories on that already.
CANTON:
But none that have any tangible evidence. Look at the projection cone. See how it comes to a point. That’s where our teams are. Now look at the base of the cone. It covers a wide portion on our current chronological band. I think that each of us has probably transcended their current position on that band at some point. A little extra energy delivered to the right part of the brain and…
PETER:
You mean a power spike to the brain?
CANTON:
Now who is the skeptic? Yes, something of a power spike of neuro-electrical impulses that collocate us with a lateral point on that chronological band.
PETER:
You mean someone really has been there before?
CANTON:
Exactly! Chrono-dimensionally speaking, of course.
SHIRLEY RETURNS TO INTERRUPT THE CONVERSATION OF PETER AND CANTON.
SHIRLEY:
What does Admiral Righteous have to say about that.
PETER
Please…
SHIRLEY:
No, you’re not getting off so easily this time. I have some questions of my own.
PETER:
Indeed.
SHIRLEY
(Somewhat giddy from her emotional roller coaster ride of the past few minutes):
I know why I’m here. And Bob and John for that matter. In addition to our national security concerns, we expect some political gain. Whether it’s to remain in elected office, just be close to the power, or maybe something more. That’s what drives us. The doctor isn’t so hard to figure out. It took plenty of government money to put this together, not that we would let him pursue this technology if he had private funding anyway. Canton goes along with this mission just to continue his research, so maybe one day he can bring back an extinct species and repopulate it. Quite the humanitarian, Doc.
PETER:
CANTON, that’s pretty ambitious.
SHIRLEY:
Not so fast Admiral. No changing the subject. Why are you doing this? You have no political agenda. You turned down two opportunities that I know of to step out of uniform into politics and you declined. Well, Admiral Righteous, were you just afraid that I would order you to conduct this mission anyway. What no guts?
PETER:
Actually, you can’t order me.
SHIRLEY (miffed):
I’m the vice president! The second in command!
PETER:
Yes and no. You are the vice president, but unlike the president you are not in my chain of command.
SHIRLEY:
Don’t dodge the question. Why did you consent to this conspiracy?
BOB:
Shirley, please don’t use that term.
SHIRLEY:
The truth too much for you Bob? Maybe you don’t have the stomach for this either. Maybe you don’t understand destiny.
WOMAN AT CONSOLE
45 seconds to retraction, Doctor.
SHIRLEY
(Turning towards the woman in anger):
I’m the senior here. You will address me.
WOMAN AT CONSOLE
41 seconds, Ms. Vice President.
SHIRLEY:
Tell me Admiral. How can a man professing to believe in God, be a Christian is it? How can you consent, no that’s not strong enough, how can you fully participate in this?
PETER:
It was a tough decision.
SHIRLEY:
Not good enough. Why did you decide to be a part of this? Wasn’t it your constitutional duty to stop this?
WOMAN AT CONSOLE
30 seconds.
A WHINING NOISE IS DISTINGUISHABLE IN THE BACKGROUND AND WILL CONTINUE TO GROW LOUDER THROUGH THE FINAL 30 SECONDS. CANTON GIVES EVERYONE THEIR EARMUFFS AGAIN. NO ONE PUTS THEM ON.
PETER:
I said it was a tough decision.
SHIRLEY:
So how does the great and righteous admiral make decisions?
PETER:
I am not righteous. I am a sinner as we all are.
SHIRLEY:
How!!!
WOMAN AT CONSOLE
15 seconds.
SHIRLEY
(Maintaining a feigned composure):
How, Admiral?
PETER:
I prayed about it.
SHIRLEY:
You prayed about it. And I suppose that God told you to send some Marines back in time and change the constitution. Doctor, do you have a shrink in that medical bunch downstairs. I think I’ve found a real nutcase for them.
PETER:
I prayed and in my heart I was told to submit to your directions.
PETER PUTS ON HIS HEADSETS
SHIRLEY (deviously):
Oooh Admiral, had I only know you had to submit to my wishes, we could have had a really good ….
WOMAN AT CONSOLE
Retraction!
WHINING NOISE GOES FROM VERY LOUD TO NEAR SILENCE. ALL RUSH TO THE WINDOW. TWO MEN IN COVERALLS ARE GIVING THUMBS UP.
MAN IN COVERALLS
Seal maintained. You can drop the ramp doctor.
RAMP LOWERS QUICKLY. GYSGT PAGE HURRIES OUT CARRYING CAPTAIN HUFF.
GYSGT PAGE
Corpsman! Medic!
MEDICAL TEAM RUSHES TO THE RAMP WITH A GURNEY AND PLACE CAPTAIN HUFF ON IT. THEY START TO ROLL HIM AWAY AND HE PULLS SOME BLOOD COVERED PAPERS FROM UNDER HIS COAT AND HANDS THEM TO MATTIS.
CANTON (through microphone):
What happened?
MATTIS (Using microphone of the man in coveralls):
I’m on my way up.
PETER:
I’m on my way down.
Bob, John, and Shirley (in near unison):
Let’s go.
CANTON
We’re coming to you.
CANTON TAKES OFF HIS HEADSET AND FOLLOWS.
THE MEDICAL TEAM STARTS WORKING ON CAPTAIN HUFF IN THE BACKGROUND. THE 5 FROM UPSTAIRS JOIN THE FIVE FROM DOWNSTAIRS.
GYSGT PAGE
Admiral. The captain will be OK. He lost some blood, but he was holding his own until we got pulled back. I think the extra shock just made him a little weak in the knees.
PETER
What happened?
GYSGT PAGE
Everything went pretty much as planned. We got in undetected. Found the coal easier than I though we would, forced the door without being detected and stunned two people as they slept. No one in the house knew we were there.
MATTIS
I made the switch and left everything as I found it. Our replacement was near perfect. I don’t think it will be noticed.
PETER:
The captain’s wounds?
GYSGT PAGE:
We were out of the building with six minutes to spare, so we headed for a dark spot in a clump of trees. We didn’t want to stay in the house any longer than we had to….didn’t want to move anything by accident. I went to the dark area first to make sure it was secure. Mattis and the captain were to follow. The captain saw two figures stand in the woods to his left and jumped on the doc here and took him to the ground. One arrow hit the captain in the leg and one in his lower back. The captain didn’t cry out, but I could hear the arrows impact. The original documents went flying on the ground between the doc and me. I shot three blasts at the treeline and moved towards the captain. He got up and limped to the shade with the doc. I picked up the papers (HANDING THE BLOOD COVERED DOCUMENTS TO CANTON). They’re all here.
PETER:
Indians?
GYSGT PAGE:
I think so. We got pulled back before I could go verify.
FROM THE BACKGROUND, HUFF SITS UP ON THE GURNEY AND SHOUTS.
CAPTAIN HUFF
Gunny! My weapon!
PETER
You left a weapon behind?
GYSGT PAGE
I think so. It must have fallen out when the captain jumped on the doc.
MATTIS
He probably saved my life.
GYSGT PAGE
The captain realized it wasn’t in his holster and started running towards it, then we were pulled pack.
JOHN
Canton, possible impacts?
CANTON
Too many permutations too tell.
SHIRLEY
I thought your Marines were to die before compromising the mission.
MATTIS (angry):
The captain acted to save me! I’m thankful to him.
JOHN
We’ve got to know the impacts of this!
SHIRLEY
Doctor, can you send them back to retrieve the weapon?
AN ECHOING NOISE SUCH AS METAL BENDING IS FOLLOWED BY REDUCED LIGHTING IN THE BUILDING. THE BOX WITH CONES COLLAPSES INTO ITSELF LEAVING AN UNRECOGNIZABLE PILE OF RUBBLE.
CANTON
(With a somber apprehension of what has just transpired):
I think not.
JOHN:
We need to know what happened.
ONE MEMBER OF TEAM 2 WALKS UP TO CANTON AND HANDS HIM A BOX.
TEAM 2 LEADER
We managed to get 4 books, two diskettes, and some papers.
CANTON:
Were you detected?
TEAM 2 LEADER
No, the place was empty.
CANTON:
Did you have time to look anywhere else?
TEAM 2 LEADER
We had time, but we didn’t dare leave the room we were in.
CANTON:
Why not?
TEAM 2 LEADER
There was loud singing from outside the door.
JOHN:
You couldn’t even get a glimpse?
TEAM 2 LEADER
You don’t understand. This was loud—like thousands of people next door. Loud, joyful music.
SHIRLEY
(SARCASTIC AND SMOKING A CIGARETTE):
So the extent of your reconnaissance is to tell me that rock and roll is dead in the 23rd century.
TEAM 2 LEADER
We couldn’t open the door. We would have compromised our mission. I’ll go back and retrieve anything you want, but my orders this time was to avoid compromise.
SHIRLEY
That’s some mighty big boasting considering we don’t have a time machine anymore.
JOHN:
No, but we may have some insight anyway. Should we open the box?
CANTON:
Must we decide now? Don’t we have enough to worry about already?
JOHN:
I vote to open it now. It may be the only thing that tells us if we were successful.
BOB:
Concur.
SHIRLEY:
Open it.
CANTON:
Very well, let’s see what damage we’ve done.
EACH TAKES THEIR KEY AND INSERTS IT INTO THE BOX AND MAKES A QUARTER TURN. THE FRONT OF THE BOX DROPS OPEN.
SHIRLEY:
Admiral, I see that you didn’t keep a key or a vote for yourself. Righteousness or cowardice?
PETER:
Neither, government specifications. It was an off the shelf item. It would be a bit presumptuous of me to have it modified for five keys just so I could have one.
SHIRLEY:
I’ll be glad when my association with you is finished admiral. If I never see you again, it will be too soon.
CANTON:
It would be best if we broke up into teams. John and Bob here are two books that appear to be historical. Shirley, something apparently on jurisprudence. Peter, a Bible.
SHIRLEY:
Nice choice, CANTON. Give the Bible to the saint. (To the team 2 leader): Is that something you considered relevant. The thing’s two thousand years old already…
TEAM 2 LEADER
It caught my eye because the pages were dog-eared, tabbed, and there were a lot of notes in the back chapters.
SHIRLEY:
Isn’t that sacrilegious or something to write in a Bible? Did anything else “catch your eye”???
TEAM 2 LEADER
Yes.
SHIRLEY:
And?
TEAM 2 LEADER
The room we were in was named the Pre-emancipation room, and the language on top was not recognizable to me. English was written as a subscript of sorts.
SHIRLEY:
So you’ve uncovered our deep dark secrets. Yes, we used to enslave the black man, and that second language was Spanish.
TEAM 2 LEADER
There was very little in that room about black people, and I’m fluent in Spanish, Japanese, and Arabic maim. I didn’t recognize the symbology.
SHIRLEY:
So what are you saying?
CANTON:
Let’s work together on this. Team two; please review the loose papers while I try to make sense of these disks.
TEAM 2 LEADER
I’m sorry, I couldn’t find any other electronic media that looked familiar.
CANTON:
That’s OK. You did well. These appear to be magnetic media and I should be able to find a way to copy the digital code onto something we can make sense of.
SHIRLEY:
I can use a computer too. Why do you get to decide?
PETER:
Let’s just take the assignments we have please, and let’s say brief each other upstairs in 45 minutes…(LOOKING DIRECTLY AT SHIRLEY): Please!
INT. CAMERA VIEW SHIFTS FROM JOHN AND BOB SECURING A TABLE WITH A TABLE LAMP AND SITTING OPPOSITE FORM EACH OTHER, TO SHIRLEY PACING AND FLIPPING THROUGH A BOOK WHILE CHAIN SMOKING. TEAM 2 LAYS OUT THEIR PAPERS ACROSS THE FLOOR AND DIVIDES THE TASK AMONG THEMSLEVES, AND PETER IS HUDDLED IN A CORNER UNDER AN EMERGENCY LIGHT ENGROSSED IMMEDIATELY IN HIS READING. CANTON ASSEMBLES HIS WORKERS UPSTAIRS AND ATTEMPTS TO GAIN READABLE INFORMATION FROM THE DISKS. CAMERA VIEWS SHIFT WITH EACH MAKING THEIR OWN STYLE OF NOTES AS THE 45 MINUTES ELAPSE.
INT. THE UPSTAIRS ROOM (FORMERLY THE CONTROL CENTER). THE THREE WOMEN WORKERS JUST FINISH PUTTING ENOUGH TABLES TOGETHER FOR EVERYONE TO FIND A SEAT.
SHIRLEY
(Looking at the Marines and members of team 2):
Do we need everyone here?
CANTON:
We need every mind available. I won’t presume to be in charge, but would like to start with our briefings immediately. JOHN, would you begin?
JOHN:
I don’t know if I was reading history, fiction, prophecy or sadistic humor? This book talks of a county that geographically is the United States, but whose commander-in-chief is a chief. Apparently, somewhere at the end of the 18th century, the westward expansion of the English was halted. Actually, it was reversed. In a battle described as Fire Mountain, U.S. troops totaling 50,000 men attacked the mountain for three days. Commanders wrote that their men dropped in place from an invisible fire. The men would rise hours later and return to their camps. The generals sent them back for three days. On the third day, they did not rise.
SHIRLEY:
My God, they used the laser against us.
PETER:
And learned to change the settings.
JOHN:
There’s more. Twelve tribes consolidated their sovereignty and conquered the country. They imprisoned the white men and sold them as slaves.
BOB:
They would have had to learn how to manufacture the weapons.
JOHN:
After 30 years of slavery, the white men were freed as slavery was repulsive to their captors. About the same time, the territory of New Seminole was returned.
BOB:
New Seminole?
JOHN:
Yes, apparently the English came to the aid of the Americans and were repulsed. The Twelve Tribes took the war overseas so the English would know they were beaten. New Seminole is the southern half of England. There’s more, but I need more time to put it together.
CANTON
Bob, your findings.
BOB
European History is somewhat consistent with what we know to be true, at least until the mid 19th century. The U.S., well the Twelve Tribes, remained neutral throughout the Second World War. An unchecked Hitler consolidated continental Europe, to include the Ukraine, and Japan became a true imperial power of the Pacific Rim. This is just one volume in a series, but it appears that there are only between seven and ten countries, no, kingdoms is more accurate from what I could tell. And there is one more interesting factor….
CANTON
Yes.
BOB
Hitler fathered a son and a daughter. Heirs to the Reich?
JOHN
That can’t be. My parents were in a concentration camp in Germany. I don’t want to think what happened to them if Hitler won the war.
BOB
They may have gone to Israel instead of New York. I can’t explain it, but it seems that a Jewish State was set up in what we know--knew as Israel before Hitler consolidated Europe.
JOHN
Israel exists in this world?
BOB
It not only exists, but it’s at peace. Israel signed a seven-year treaty with every other nation in the world, almost four years ago.
SHIRLEY
None of this can be true. None of it! I don’t believe what your saying or what I’ve read. The entire legal system of this country is based upon a council of twelve. There are fewer than 20 written laws and almost no criminal cases. The executive and judicial branches are one in the same—chieftains. Policy and justice are dispensed by a council of chiefs.
CANTON:
PETER, if you don’t mind, I’d like to show what Dr. Mattis and I came up with.
CANTON SIGNALS TO ONE OF HIS ASSISTANTS AND SHE PROJECTS A ROTATING GLOBE ON THE SCREEN. THE GLOBLE HAS 7 COLOR CODED REGIONS.
CANTON:
It took us longer to figure this out than it should have. We were looking for text and the code was simply graphics. This is the world as it will be in three days, judging by the date the file was created and saved. There are about 7 regions and two centers of political influence: Rome and here in Iraq.
SHIRLEY
Baghdad?
PETER
Perhaps Babylon?
CANTON:
Perhaps.
TEAM 2 LEADER
Sir, our papers say the same thing. The world has been divided into a handful of kingdoms, but there’s no mention of Rome or Babylon.
SHIRLEY:
Out of all of those papers, that’s the best you can give us.
TEAM 2 LEADER
The rest are a formula for currency conversions. I don’t understand them, and can’t find U.S. dollars on their anywhere. I do know that everything after June of next year is figured in the LiraMark, whatever that is. There’s no more conversion after that.
SHIRLEY:
Great, now I know to watch the LiraMark exchange rate. Thanks a lot, I’m sure I’ll make enough for a great shopping spree.
TEAM 2 LEADER
Perhaps not. There’s also something about only selected, it said marked, but I guess it means privileged or something, people that can buy and sell anyway.
PETER:
I think it means marked.
SHIRLEY:
Like USDA choice?
PETER:
Doctor, I’d like to share what I found.
SHIRLEY:
Really Admiral, going to convert us all?
PETER:
That should be something you should give urgent consideration to.
SHIRLEY:
Canton, we need to focus on how to build a new time machine and put things back as they were, without spending time listening to the Admiral’s favorite Bible verses.
CANTON:
Peter, please make it brief. I’m afraid we need to assess where we are and see if we have any recourse to correct whatever we have changed.
PETER:
Very well. I looked through the Bible brought to us by team 2 and it is the Bible that I have known for years. It did have many notes written in the margins; such as you might do in a Bible Study class.
SHIRLEY:
Spare the read-in admiral. Did you find anything of relevance to us!
PETER:
When I looked through the Book of Revelations, instead of notes, I found checkmarks.
SHIRLEY:
Miracle of the ages, a new study technique to come in the next 200 years.
PETER:
A Thousand years would be more accurate.
SHIRLEY:
What?
PETER:
A millennial reign. It lasts a thousand years.
SHIRLEY:
Canton, get him off his soapbox!
PETER:
Next to the checkmarks were dates.
CANTON:
Dates?
PETER:
Yes, dates next to things that must come to pass before the return of Christ. Dates that mark a period called the tribula…
WOMAN AT THE TERMINAL
Doctor! We have armed men at two entrances.
JOHN
U.S. soldiers? DC police? What.
WOMAN AT TERMINAL
I think Americans would be closer. Native Americans.
SECURITY CAMERA MONITOR SHOWS UNIFORMED AMERICAN INDIANS STACKED AT TWO ENTRYWAYS, ARMED AND READY TO ENTER. THE ARMED MEN HAVE RAISED TATOOS ON THEIR FOREHEADS THAT RESEMBLE A DRAGON.
VOICE OVER THE INTERCOM:
Unidentified souls. Open the doors and show your marks!
PETER
Dates that began three months ago.
INTERCOM:
You have 30 seconds to exit or we will enter with prejudice.
SHIRLEY:
What does that mean!
GYSGT PAIGE
I think that means they come in shooting.
CANTON:
This is not possible. We could not have changed history so drastically, so suddenly. It all has happened in, in…
PETER:
In the twinkling of an eye.
DOORS ARE BLOWN OPEN AND LASERS BLAST ACROSS THE ROOM. ALL DARK. END SCENE. LONG SILENCE BEFORE THE EPILOGUE.
Epilogue
We casually acknowledge the existence of a divine being, but challenge that which is not consistent with our view of the world. We long for a creator to administer justice to an unjust planet, yet seek our own logic when God’s law and prophecy are before us. We seek a God of our own creation, and do not recognize the God of all creation. When it comes to the destination of our immortal souls, we all believe that we have plenty of time.
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