Atlas Shrugged II: The Strike

Who is John Galt?

Who is John Galt?

"A device that draws static electricity

from the atmosphere

and converts it to usable power,

harvesting limitless energy

without fossil fuels."

We wouldn't need centralized power.

It would end the global

depression in a year. Maybe less.

Imagine, Miss Taggart!

I do, every day.

Get that.

You say you and Henry Rearden

found it in an abandoned car factory?

Yes. In the laboratory of the

Twentieth Century Motor Company.

- Who holds the patent?

- None was ever filed.

You could file for it.

I don't want to claim credit

for something I didn't create.

I just want it to work.

You're a person of uncommon

character these days.

There seems to be an element missing,

a converter, transformer...

I'm not sure.

It might only exist in the mind

of the inventor. If you could find...

But you haven't found him,

or you wouldn't have called me.

I know your distaste for my work

at the State Science Institute.

With no evidence, you declare

Rearden Metal unsafe,

just to keep me from

building the John Galt Line.

But you built it anyway.

Magnificent.

I was wrong, I know that now.

- There was enormous political pressure.

- Dr. Stadler,

can you think of anyone

who could have conceived of this?

A scientist, an engineer...

maybe ten years ago?

Someone this brilliant would

surely have caught my attention.

Can you think of anyone now,

anyone left who could bring it to life?

Finding a great mind has been

increasingly difficult

since the disappearances.

We've lost many of

the best and brightest.

I could take the device

to the State Science Institute.

There are still some resources...

Of course not.

That would be the worst thing.

Miss Taggart, I'd offer

to make an attempt myself,

but I'm not the person you need.

How are you so sure?

I haven't disappeared.

My plans, please.

Miss Taggart.

Quentin Daniels, please.

Yes, Quentin...

- Dagny!

- Eddie.

The 93 route is officially in deficit.

We'll amortize the losses

across the whole system.

We've been doing that,

but the fact is...

We need the Colorado run.

It's always been

the core of the rail road.

While the Fair Share Law dictates that

companies must supply goods equally

to all customers, businesses continue

to close their doors due to a shortage

of raw materials.

Government appointee Wesley Mouch

insists it's only a temporary setback.

Meanwhile in other news, predictably...

Where are they, Eddie?

- Who?

- Anyone who could make a difference.

I'm sitting next to her.

Ellis Wyatt was more dedicated to his

work than anyone I have ever known.

The man figured out how

to squeeze oil from stone,

and he just walks away?

Not before setting fire to his own

shale field and storage facilities.

It was a message.

A lesson.

You know why it's still burning?

Because anyone bright enough

to put it out is gone, too.

It's as if some destroyer

is sweeping up everybody

who could dig us out of this mess.

Who is John Galt?

I dislike that expression immensely.

...efforts dumping

retardants on Wyatt's Torch

in the Colorado Rockies.

Ellis Wyatt, still missing,

gave what was essentially

a slap in the face

to the government and the

Fair Share Law by posting

a sign at the base of the

burning flame that read:

"I am leaving it as I found it.

Take over. It's yours."

By enforcing the Fair

Share Law, prosperity and equality

will finally reach

every corner of this nation.

No longer will the greed of a

few wealthy businessmen outweigh

the needs of the public at large.

Pull up the 93.

Yes, Miss Taggart.

Who is John Galt?

Mitchum, if you can't answer

that question, don't ask.

I'm sorry, Miss Taggart.

When you started the John Galt Line

I just assumed you liked that expression.

- The 93, Dave.

- Yes. Yes.

Ninety-three. Freight.

Terminates in Hammondsville, Colorado.

Was running three times weekly,

down to twice, now twice a month.

Load?

Well, we cut the

coal hopper cars in half,

but we're still pulling

But that's not my fault.

Since Ellis Wyatt disappeared.

Stockton Coal was making

up the tonnage for a while,

- but we lost that contract.

- And we won't get it back.

Andrew Stockton hasn't been

heard from in weeks.

The government took

over the plant under Fair Share

and hasn't produced a lump of coal.

No coal, no contract.

No contract, no load.

No load, no line.

This rail road doesn't

function as a charity, Eddie.

Kill the 93.

You heard her.

Henry Rearden is a hero.

He's an innovator.

He's a job creator.

It's better. It's cheaper metal.

It's more creative.

This is Capitalism 101.

And the Fair Share Law,

more big government,

it's gonna result in failure.

It's gonna result

- in a lack of competition.

- No, but you want more people

in the marketplace. And especially

when you see the price of gas,

when you see the price of goods

in America today,

you understand.

You want people who are workin' hard...

Wait a second. This is neither

a free market nor a fair market.

This guy's sole competition...

no competition at all, right?

He's created a metal that's stronger,

that's lighter, that's cheaper...

All new orders.

- South Texas Freespan, 24 tons...

- Bridge truss.

That's the one.

Griffin Derrick, Louisiana, 19 tons.

Crane arms. Just put them

in the hold file by date, OK?

Danagger Coal, Pennsylvania,

wants to increase their order,

but according to Fair Share,

we can't sell them any more.

I'll deal with Ken Danagger myself.

And the order from the

State Science Institute?

Just put that one right at the bottom.

But Fair Share gives

the government priority.

We'll process them

in the order received.

- What could be more fair than that?

- Yes sir, Mr. Rearden.

And Leonard Small

from the State Science Institute is

still waiting for you in the boardroom.

Got it.

- Hank Rearden.

- It's me.

I had to shut down the 93 run.

My great-grandfather drove the

first spike into that rail himself.

Just like you and I did

on the John Galt Line.

- Sorry, Dagny.

- It wasn't paying.

But it was his baby.

Nostalgia's expensive these days.

Hey, remember the inn

at Cold Spring Harbor?

Of course.

I have a meeting in the city tomorrow.

We could go there, just take a break.

You need it.

- We need it.

- I'll see you tomorrow.

Mr. Rearden... Mr. Small.

Mr. Rearden, an honor to meet you.

Don't you have a home?

- Sir?

- Well, you've been camped out

in my boardroom, rent free.

Please understand that it's my job.

It's the job you chose.

I've just never met a looter with your

kind of dedication and endurance.

- I'm not a looter.

- No?

So, you're not here to take something

from me you didn't earn yourself?

You can't just reject a government

order for your materials.

- Why can't I?

- It's an Essential Needs project.

Essential to whom?

It's... it's very important.

It's for the State Science Institute.

Well, the State Science Institute

declared Rearden Metal unfit.

They did so very publicly.

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