I, Robot Page #2

thank you..

Spooner nods a little. The Old Man raises the coffee to his

lips, but doesn.t take a sip.

6.

OLD MAN:

Coffee?

SPOONER:

No. Thank you.

OLD MAN:

As you wish.

The Old Man takes a sip. He doesn.t move. There is no

movement except for a whisper of steam rising from the coffee

pot.

SPOONER:

You want to tell me something about

Dr. Hogenmiller? About his death?

The Old Man smiles.

OLD MAN:

I want to tell you that his death

was not a suicide.

SPOONER:

And why do you say that?

OLD MAN:

Why? Because I want you to know

it.

SPOONER:

I understand that. But what

specifically leads you to believe

that he didn.t commit suicide?

OLD MAN:

(considers)

Nothing specifically.

Spooner shifts his weight. Agitated.

SPOONER:

Under normal circumstances that

wouldn.t be enough to get you a

homicide investigation.

OLD MAN:

But this is not .normal

circumstances,. is it, Detective

Spooner?

SPOONER:

No. It isn.t.

7.

OLD MAN:

Then you will find out who killed

Dr. Hogenmiller, yes? And then you

will tell me.

Spooner.s losing his patience.

SPOONER:

If you were murdered, Doctor, I.ll

find out. And you.ll be the first

to know.....

JUST THEN the HOLOGRAM of DR. HOGENMILLER vanishes in a burst

of LIGHT, as does the table, the coffee pot, and the

conference room. Spooner, suddenly finds himself standing in

front of a LARGE VIEW SCREEN inside a SMALL METAL CHAMBER.

15 INT. HALLWAY - DAY 15

Spooner steps out into the hallway and into...AN ESCORT

ROBOT.

ESCORT ROBOT:

Please follow me.

Spooner. Reluctantly starts to follow it. Passes another

doorway. POLICE TAPE stretched across it. Catches a brief

glimpse of...

DR. HEINRICH HOGENMILLER.S BODY.

Splayed out across the floor. Surrounded by CRIME SCENE

TECHNICIANS. He pauses. Taking in the scene. Then

continues on.

16 INT. U.S. ROBOTICS - CORPORATE BOARDROOM - DAY 16

Two large doors emblazoned with the U.S. ROBOTICS LOGO open

automatically. Inside, an enormous glass-enclosed boardroom

looking out over the entire complex.

Spooner walks through the doorway. His escort robot trailing

behind him. An army of corporate types sit around a

conference table. Young. Energetic. You can practically

feel the brains and ambition.

SPOONER:

Usually I ask who.s in charge...

Spooner.s eyes lock with a MAN sitting at the head of the

table. 60s, handsome, charismatic. Dr. LANCE ROBERTSON,

founder and CEO of U.S. Robotics.

8.

SPOONER:

But everyone knows you, Dr.

Robertson.

Robertson smiles. Pretends to instruct his people.

ROBERTSON:

Remind me to cut back on my talk

show appearances.

LAUGHTER.

ROBERTSON:

Welcome to U.S. Robotics,

Detective. I regret you.re not

visiting us under more pleasant

circumstances. Allow me to

introduce Mr. Aronson, our head of

Legal Affairs.

A prematurely graying MAN leaning against the wall. Nods

hello.

ROBERTSON:

And the gentleman to my right is

Dr. Alfred Lanning, Director of

Research.

Alfred Lanning, only one there in a tie. Nods.

ROBERTSON:

They.ll be available to answer any

questions you might have during

your investigation. You.ll

understand how anxious we are to

resolve this matter -- especially

before the press gets wind of it.

There are some anti-robot

sentiments out there as you know,

Detective, and we.re not eager to

stir them up. So. Where would you

like to begin?

SPOONER:

We can begin with whether or not

the old man put a gun to his head

and pulled the trigger.

A palpable wave of tension shoots through the group.

ARONSON:

You don.t have to answer that, Dr.

Robertson...

9.

Robertson waves him off.

ROBERTSON:

Susan? Perhaps you can assist us

here?

Everyone looks down at the other end of the table. A BEAT.

Then an attractive young WOMAN gets to her feet. SUSAN

CALVIN. Hair tucked behind her ears. Looking at everyone

but Spooner.

CALVIN:

Dr. Hogenmiller was a schizoid

personality who generally eschewed

social relationships. Rejecting

people in favor of solitary

activities involving machines. He

spent almost all his time at the

lab here or at his lab at home. As

a result he was highly susceptible

to depression.

ROBERTSON:

Dr. Calvin is our Chief

Psychologist.

SPOONER:

If that was your diagnosis, why

didn.t you see this coming?

Calvin turns. Finally meeting Spooner.s eye. As if the

answer.s obvious.

CALVIN:

This is U.S. Robotics, Detective.

Seventy-five percent of our

employees fit that description.

LANNING:

(interceding)

You.ll have to excuse the doctor.

We.re all a little on edge. This

has been a difficult and emotional

morning.

Spooner throws a look around the room. Then back at Calvin.

SPOONER:

Yeah. I can see you.re all broken

up.

Robertson responds to Spooner.s skepticism.

10.

ROBERTSON:

Dr. Hogenmiller was at my side from

the very beginnings of this

company. We developed the .Three

Laws of Robotics. together. But

these days science is a young man.s

game. By the time you hit thirty

your best years are behind you.

Some of us are kicked upstairs.

Others I.m afraid aren.t so lucky.

Robertson stands. Meeting over.

ROBERTSON:

Dr. Hogenmiller took his own life.

I trust you will come to the same

swift conclusion, Detective. Dr.

Lanning will make himself available

if you have any further questions.

Spooner looks over at Calvin.

SPOONER:

I want her to help me.

Calvin, unhappy with this arrangement.

CALVIN:

That.s not really my department...

ROBERTSON:

(pointed)

Susan would be happy to assist you.

And with a gesture, Robertson dismisses everyone. People

start getting up, gathering up, filing out. Susan Calvin.

The last one to get up.

17 INT. METAL HALLWAY - DAY 17

Spooner and Calvin, heading down the same hallway he was in

before. Catch sight of a couple ROBOT TECHNICIANS...

SPOONER:

(under his breath)

Ah, Christ...Toasters...

As they duck under the police tape and...

11.

18 INT. HOGENMILLER.S LAB - DAY 18

...enter Hogenmiller.s lab. Alive with activity. CRIME

SCENE TECHNICIANS, MOBILE ANALYSIS UNITS. LIGHT SCANS,

running across...

HOGENMILLER.S LIFELESS FACE. Black gun powder. Fanning out

around his contorted lips.

Spooner. Throws a look around the lab: ROBOTS. Everywhere.

Mostly incomplete. TORSOS. ARMS. LEGS. Dangling from the

ceiling. A SERGEANT. Passes them by...

SERGEANT:

They say the price.s gonna come

down a lot next year. Kinda cool,

huh?

SPOONER:

How cool will it be when one takes

your job?

Spooner. Pushing past him. His eyes. Darting around.

CALVIN:

Is everything alright, Detective?

SPOONER:

Yeah. This is just how I like my

robots -- in pieces.

As they approach Hogenmiller.s body, the lead CRIME SCENE

INVESTIGATOR, BALDEZ, gets up to meet them.

BALDEZ:

(to Spooner)

Can you believe it, man? U.S.

Robotics. I didn.t think I.d ever

see the inside of this building.

Hands Spooner, a plasma clipboard. Spooner signs it,

awkwardly. With his LEFT HAND...

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