Independence Day Page #9

We realize it's the B-WING PLANE landing on the stretch of

roadway directly in front of them.

EXT. ROADWAY - CONTINUOUS

The plane lands, skids into a turn. Russell jumps out, walks

over to the trailer. We can tell he's drunk again.

MIGUEL:

They let you out?

RUSSELL:

Just what the hell do you think

you're doing?

Miguel moves to meet Russell away from the trailer, not

wanting the others to hear.

MIGUEL:

We're leaving, don't try and stop

us.

RUSSELL:

You're not going anywhere. You

hear me? I'm still your father.

Miguel explodes, this has been building up for some time.

MIGUEL:

No, you're not! You're just the man

who married my mother. You're

nothing to me!

Russell is momentarily silent, stunned. Recovering...

RUSSELL:

Troy's still my son no matter how

you feel about me.

MIGUEL:

For once in your life think about

what's best for Troy. Who has to

beg for money to buy him medicine

when you screw up? Who?

Suddenly we hear glass CRASHING. Both men spin to find Troy

standing behind them.

TROY:

Stop it! I'm not a baby! I don't

need your stupid medicine. I

don't need anyone to take care of

me!

Miguel leans down to see the broken MEDICINE BOTTLE on the

floor. Miguel rushes over to him, furious.

MIGUEL:

You know what this stuff costs?

Do you want to get sick again!?

Do you!?

Frustrated, Miguel shoves Troy aside and heads back into the

trailer. Wobbly from the drinking, Russell stands there

pathetically, watching.

EXT. ANDREWS AIR FORCE BASE - NIGHT

A large group of press rush over toward FOUR APACHE

HELICOPTERS, each refitted with a large LIGHT BOARDS, as they

slowly lift off the ground. Cameras flash, reporters yell

questions to the Officers assigned to keep them at bay.

Several news organizations do stand up remotes. We TRACK past

them to the CNN crew.

CNN REPORTER:

What you see behind me are four

Apache helicopters...

INT. BRIEFING ROOM - WHITE HOUSE - SAME

On the television plays the CNN broadcast. The reception is

intermittently disrupted.

CNN REPORTER:

(filtered through T.V.)

...each has been refitted with

what Pentagon officially hope will

be our first step in communicating

with the alien craft...

We WIDEN to reveal a large contingent of military personnel

along with the President's chief advisors gathered around

several monitors, (the center monitors are momentarily blank).

Suddenly everyone snaps to attention as the President enters.

PRESIDENT:

Where are we?

GENERAL GRAY:

They're in the air.

CUT TO:

INT. OFFICE OF THE COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR - SAME

Moishe inspects a photo of Constance with the President,

impressed he nods with approval.

MOISHE:

(to himself)

Very nice.

Constance is looking at David's laptop displaying the

breakdown of the alien signal.

CONSTANCE:

And when is the countdown supposed

to expire?

DAVID:

(checking)

Fifty six minutes, forty five

seconds.

Constance runs her fingers through her hair, exasperated.

Moishe turns, listens.

CONSTANCE:

What do you want me to do?

DAVID:

I want you to leave with us.

Right now.

CONSTANCE:

I can't leave. We have to tell

this to the President.

DAVID:

He's not going to listen to me.

Surprised at his son, Moishe steps forward.

MOISHE:

Sure he'll listen. Why wouldn't

he?

DAVID:

Because last time I saw him I

punched him in the face.

MOISHE:

You punched the President in the

face?

DAVID:

He wasn't the President then.

CONSTANCE:

David thought I was having an

affair, which I wasn't.

MOISHE:

Punched the President? Oh my god.

APACHE HELICOPTERS

ZOOM by overhead. In the distance we see they are headed for

the enormous alien craft.

INT. HELICOPTER - PILOT - CONTINUOUS

The PILOT adjusts his radio.

PILOT:

Echo one, we are closing in.

EXT. SKIES - CONTINUOUS

The choppers alter their formation, aligning themselves

alongside one another. As the helicopters near the craft, we

see how tiny they appear against the gargantuan space ship.

INT. HALLWAY - ELEVATORS - WHITE HOUSE - MINUTES LATER

The elevator doors open and Moishe steps out, overwhelmed and

impressed. Constance leads them down the hall. Moishe turns

to David, whispers.

MOISHE:

If I had known I was going to meet

the President, I'd a worn a tie.

Look at me, I look like a

schlemiel.

INT. OVAL OFFICE - CONTINUOUS

The Office is empty as the trio walks in. Moishe can't

believe he's in there. He straightens himself up, combs his

hair.

CONSTANCE:

Wait here. I'll be right back.

David sets up his laptop.

MOISHE:

Not on his desk.

INT. BRIEFING ROOM - NIGHT

The middle monitors are now on. They show the night vision

P.O.V. of the helicopters as they approach. On the side

monitors we SEE the various news broadcast of this event.

NEWSCASTER:

(filtered)

...the helicopters are making

their final approach...

On the middle monitor, through the night vision camera on the

lead helicopter we SEE the side of the craft as the

helicopters near. Everyone in the room watches, tense.

Constance enters and kneels down next to the President,

whispering in his ear. The President gets up and follows

Constance. Chief of Staff Nimziki objects.

NIMZIKI:

You're leaving now?

The President silences him with a look. As they exit.

CONSTANCE:

I don't know how you put up with

him.

PRESIDENT:

He used to run the NASA. He knows

where all the bones are buried.

Comes in handy.

CONSTANCE:

I'll bet.

INT. OVAL OFFICE - SAME

The door flies open and Constance and the President enter.

The moment President Whitmore sees David, he freezes.

PRESIDENT:

What the hell's he doing here?

Moishe, bursting, steps forward.

MOISHE:

Moishe Martinsburg, Mr. President.

CONSTANCE:

My ex-husband works in satellite

communications.

PRESIDENT:

I don't have time for this...

With a BANG, David suddenly KNOCKS everything off the

President's desk and starts to draw on the ink blotter.

DAVID:

It's about "Line o sight," Mr.

President...

David draws a circle representing Earth and a smaller circle

just away from it. The President reluctantly nears.

DAVID:

...If you wanted t coordinate

with ships all over the world, you

couldn't send one signal to every

place at the same time. That's

called line of sight...

Drawing a line from the ship of either side of the Earth, we

SEE that you could not send a signal to the other side.

DAVID (cont'd)

...you'd need to relay your signal

using satellites...

David draws small satellites surrounding Earth.

DAVID (cont'd)

...to reach each ship. I have

found a signal hidden inside our

own satellite network.

Suddenly an aide, ALEX, appears in the doorway.

ALEX:

Excuse me, Mr. President. They're

starting.

The President turns to the monitor in his office. We SEE the

helicopters turning on the light boards affixed to the front

of their cockpits. He turns back to David.

DAVID:

Mr. President, they are using our

own satellites against us and the

clock is ticking.

EXT. HELICOPTERS - SAME - NIGHT

The large light panels TURN ON, multi-colored lights slowly

begins to flash in a repeating sequential patterns.

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