Independence Day Page #3

CUT TO:

INT. WHITE HOUSE - BASEMENT CORRIDORS - DAY

Under a barrage of questions from her own staff, Constance

hurries down the corridor.

AIDE #1

CNN is running a story that we're

covering up some kind of nuclear

testing experiments...

CONSTANCE:

Tell them to run with it if they

want to embarrass themselves.

AIDE #2

NASA has been up my butt all

morning. They want to know our

position.

CONSTANCE:

Our official position is we don't

have an official position.

AIDE #3

Connie, what the hell is going on?

Constance escapes into the elevator, turns around.

CONSTANCE:

(smiles confidently)

Come on, people. Would I keep you

guys out of the loop?

AIDE #1

In a second!

AIDE #2

Absolutely.

Before she can retort, the elevator doors close.

INT. OVAL OFFICE - WIDE SHOT - SAME

The President, General Grey, the SECRETARY OF DEFENSE and

White House Chief of Staff ALBERT NIMZIKI are gathered around

the couch.

SEC. OF DEFENSE

At the moment, our satellites are

somewhat unreliable. Isn't it

possible that thing may just pass

us by?

NIMZIKI:

What if it doesn't "pass us by?"

Let's retarget some ICBMs to blow

it out of the sky...

GENERAL GREY:

Forgive me, but with the little

information we do have, the only

thing that would accomplish is

turn one dangerous falling object

into many.

Just then the door opens and Constance enters.

PRESIDENT WHITMORE

What's the damage?

CONSTANCE:

The press is making up their own

stories at this point.

NIMZIKI:

(to General Grey)

Get on the horn with Atlantic

Command. Let's upgrade the

situation to DEFCON 3.

GENERAL GREY:

That's not your call to make, Mr.

Nimziki.

CONSTANCE:

Isn't that a little premature?

NIMZIKI:

I don't think so.

SEC OF DEFENSE:

We're two days away from the fourth

of July. We have over fifty percent

of our armed forces on weekend leave,

not to mention the troops and

commanders wehave in town for the

Fourth of Julyparade. We call them

back now, we're sending up a major red

flag.

They go quiet as Commanding Officer from Space Command dashes

into the room.

COMMANDING OFFICER

Our intelligence tells us the

object has settled into a

stationary orbit.

NIMZIKI:

Well that's good news.

COMMANDING OFFICER

Not really.

He lays out the diagrams and photos on the table. Everyone

gathers around.

COMMANDING OFFICER

Part of it has broken off into

nearly three dozen other pieces.

PRESIDENT WHITMORE

Pieces?

COMMANDING OFFICER

Smaller than the whole, yet over

fifteen miles in width themselves.

NIMZIKI:

Where are they heading?

COMMANDING OFFICER

They should be entering our

atmosphere within the next twenty-

five minutes.

The room is silenced. All eyes turn to the President who says

nothing. Nimziki leans in close to him.

NIMZIKI:

Like it or not, we're at DEFCON 3.

Recall the troops and put them on

yellow alert.

CUT TO:

YELLOW LIGHTS FLASHING ON

as an ALARM quickly BUZZES. David leans into frame and opens

the door to the microwave. We WIDEN to reveal...

INT. DAVID'S CUBICLE - COMPACT CABLE - DAY

David retrieves his home-make cup-a-soup. We SEE this cubicle

clearly has the David touch; ecology posters, plants, tons of

computers and electronic gizmos.

MARTY:

Please, tell me you're getting

something.

Marty enters, looking over David's shoulder as he eats.

DAVID:

There's good news and bad news.

MARTY:

What's the bad news?

DAVID:

You're in meal penalty for

disturbing my lunch.

MARTY:

And the good news is you won't

charge me.

DAVID:

No. The good news is I found the

problem and it's not our

equipment. There's some weird

signal embedded within the

satellite feed.

MARTY:

That's the good news?

David slides over to another computer and turns on an

intricate computation program.

DAVID:

Yes, because the analog signal has

a definite sequential digital

patterns embedded within it. When

I find the exact binary sequence

and I apply a phase reversed

signal to that calculated spectra

analyzer I built you last

Christmas, we should be able to

block out the overlay completely...

MARTY:

...and we'll be the only guys in

town with a clear picture? That's

my man.

CUT TO:

EXT. CALIFORNIA FARMLANDS, IMPERIAL VALLEY - DAY

Racing over back roads behind a long open field, Miguel rides

his beat-up motor bike, searching. Looking up he SEES

something in the air.

MIGUEL'S POV - AN OLD BI-WING AIRPLANE

converted into a crop-duster, BUZZES overhead. Spraying

insecticide wildly, the plane zigzags over the field.

MIGUEL:

(yelling)

Russell! God damn it, Russell!

Looking down from the cockpit, RUSSELL BRENNON waves stupidly.

Shaggy blonde hair and two days' growth, Russell is the image

of a fifty-one-year-old little boy.

Miguel follows him below, screaming at him. Russell, flying

recklessly, looks down at Miguel not understanding. By the

time he looks back he SEES...

A LINE OF TREES:

at the edge of the field, nearly on top of him. In a trick

move, Russell turns the plane on ITS SIDE, and SLICES through

the narrow gap between the trees.

Miguel screams with delight at his prowess. Miguel looks

pissed.

ANGLE - OTHER SIDE OF TREES - MOMENTS LATER

Miguel races over, skidding to a halt next to the landed Bi-

with plane.

MIGUEL:

Just what the hell do you think

you're doing?

RUSSELL:

(climbing down)

I'm bringing home the bacon.

Earning my keep. And doing a fine

job if I do say so myself.

MIGUEL:

It's the wrong field, you idiot!

Lucas' farm is on the other side

of town.

RUSSELL:

You sure?

MIGUEL:

Damn it, he was doing you a favor.

You know how hard it is to find

someone who doesn't think you're

completely crazy?

(MORE)

What are we supposed to do now?

Huh? Where are we supposed to go

now?

Pissed, Miguel peels away, kicking gravel back at Russell.

Pathetically, he reaches into his jacket and pulls out a

bottle of Jack Daniels. He takes a healthy swig.

CUT TO:

EXT. IRAQI DESERT - REFUGEE CAMP - NIGHT

A tent city. Ubiquitous overcrowding and poverty. Several

hundred refugees settle down for the night.

Super:
Northern Desert, Iraq

A BEDOUIN stokes a small fire besides his family's tent.

Suddenly a group of shouting SCREAMING TRIBES PEOPLE come

rushing past him.

The Bedouin watches them with confusion. Overcome with

curiosity he goes against the tide of people, up the hillside.

As the Bedouin reaches the top of the hillside, his mouth

falls open, aghast as he SEES...

THE SKIES - THE PHENOMENON

Creeping from across the horizon above the rocky mountain

terrain, a wide FIREBALL high in the sky, flaring and

exploding. A terrifying sight.

CUT TO:

EXT. USS EISENHOWER - AIR CARRIER - ESTABLISHING - DAWN

Super:
Battle Carrier, USS Eisenhower - Persian Gulf

INT. USS EISENHOWER - RADAR ROOM - DAY

A loud KLAXON ALARM is ringing out. The FIRST LIEUTENANT

comes rushing in.

LIEUTENANT:

Ensign, status?

SAILOR #1

We have a total radar black out

over a thirteen kilometer area.

The Lieutenant moves over to the main radar screen. The

entire upper portion of the screen is BLANK. And the blank

area is MOVING.

LIEUTENANT:

Have a complete diagnostic run...

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