INT. UNDERGROUND INSTALLATION - CONTINUOUS
Military and civilian personnel pull canvas covers off consoles of electronics. Margaret wanders into the scene looking bewildered. She sets down a stack of briefing books.
MARGARET
This stuff is vintage seventies and eighties. What good is it?
USAF UNIFORM
Not much--but we'll light it up.
MARGARET
What's going to work?
USAF UNIFORM
Maybe what we brought with us.
(raises his voice)
Get to the ventilation panel! Before we all suffocate, please.
MARGARET
I could get lucky and have a heart attack.
A large Status Screen lights.
CIVILIAN SPOOK
Shuttle goin' up! Big surprise!
Additional personnel start activating antiquated technology and piling-up more state of the art gear on top of any level space.
O.S. VOICE
Where's the president?
O.S. VOICE #2
Trying out the handicapped restroom.
A ripple of LAUGHTER.
SETH
I heard that!
Seth motors to the center of confusion.
On a large screen, a Space Shuttle sits. A T-minus time is displayed lower right. It reads 00:42 and decreasing.
SETH
Got audio for this?
A white shirt with sleeves rolled-up TECHIE hands him a headset.
TECHIE
Maybe.
CUT TO:
INT. KENNEDY SPACE CENTER - CONTINUOUS
STAN
Jesus Christ! I got wacky data everywhere! No Houston? No sanity. No way!
Stan confronts the MISSION CONTROLLER.
STAN
Stop this madness right now!
MISSION CONTROLLER
Thirty seconds, Stan.
STAN
You're all nuts!
CUT TO:
INT. SPACE SHUTTLE - CONTINUOUS
RIGHT SEAT ASTRONAUT looks up and around. Then down.
R.S. ASTRONAUT
Not good.
LEFT SEAT COMMANDER slaps on an inboard computer display.
L.S. ASTRONAUT
This little baby says, 'Go!' Right Kennedy?
MISSION CONTROLLER
(filtered)
Right.
CUT TO:
INT. UNDERGROUND INSTALLATION - CONTINUOUS
As the T-Minus Clock hits single digits...
SETH
What are they going to do up there?
DRAB GENERAL
Fix satellites.
O.S. VOICE
Turn up the volume!
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER VOICE
We have ignition...
A huge monitor shows vapor billowing away from the Shuttle, per usual.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER VOICE
and...
The clouds of vapor stop abruptly.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER VOICE
We have main engine shutdown.
Vapor clouds dissipate. The Shuttle sits.
CUT TO:
INT. KENNEDY SPACE CENTER - CONTINUOUS
STAN
I told you! I told you assholes! Get them outta there!
CUT TO:
EXT. KENNEDY SPACE CENTER - CONTINUOUS
SOUND: A series of POPS.
Puffs of smoke jet off the solid rocket boosters.
NASA VOICE
(extra dry)
Solid rocket boosters have separated. Evac Plan Delta.
Like giant matchsticks, the Shuttle's solid rocket boosters slowly fall over on their respective sides and break into pieces.
CUT TO:
INT. UNDERGROUND INSTALLATION - CONTINUOUS
Seth looks over his shoulder at some white shirt, ties loose SPOOKS.
SETH
Wonderful. What's the crew's status?
SPOOK
Sitting on a big bomb.
SETH
Good news?
A younger BUREAUCRAT approaches, leans over, and softly speaks.
BUREAUCRAT
Soyuz ready to launch, sir.
Tack approaches.
TACK
Sir, could we have a political discussion?
SETH
Make it fast. Where's Tina?
TACK
Crying in the restroom.
SETH
That's not good.
CUT TO:
INT. SPACE SHUTTLE - CONTINUOUS
A TECHNICIAN in a fire-retardant suit blows an escape hatch.
FIRE TECH
Get the fuck outta there!
Four ASTRONAUTS rise. The Commander throws down paperwork off his lap.
COMMANDER
If you insist.
CUT TO:
INT. SOYUZ III SPACECRAFT - CONTINUOUS
Two COSMONAUTS sit with binders & manuals in their laps. A hatch stands open. A TECHNICIAN with clipboard appears.
TECHNICIAN
(in Russian)
Hurry up!
COSMONAUT
(in Russian)
You could give me internal power only and quit playing around.
The Cosmonaut angrily flips some switches.
An American ASTRONAUT crowds next to the Technician and peers in.
ASTRONAUT
How's it going?
COSMONAUT #2
Shitty.
CUT TO:
I know all of Westlake Village is saying, "We've seen that. We've done that, we...we want to STEAL THAT SCRIPT!!!"
I know all of Westlake Village is saying, "We've seen that. We've done that, we...we want to STEAL THAT SCRIPT!!!"
He went where?
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