Mercury Rising Page #2

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- That`s it!

- Do you understand what just happened?

We have to call him now

or he`s gonna say we tried to hide it.

- Morning, sir.

- Good morning, Marine.

I`ve got an urgent message

for Lieutenant Colonel Kudrow.

Mercury is already

operational in most of our com centers.

And l`m here to confirm

everything you`ve already heard.

Mercury is a quantum leap

in our communications security.

And once we complete its installation

in all of our com centers...

- it`s going to be very hard

for our adversaries--

- And our allies.

And our allies to compromise

our communications.

An urgent message

for you, sir.

If you`ll excuse me.

-Mr. Johnson will continue the briefing.

-All right, gentlemen.

Impossible.

- You`re late.

- I wasn`t when I started.

Traffic was like mud.

I oozed home.

I told Simon

he could wait up for you.

Simon, my man.

I wonder where Simon is.

Time for bed, Simon.

-Send in Pedranski and Crandell, please.

- Yes, sir.

Who needs a fix?

Double tall, double dark, double sweet.

Double everything. I`m so glad I missed

the whole drug thing...

so my body was virgin territory

for caffeine.

It makes me feel so Ricki Lake,

like I can talk to anybody.

What can I say? I`m the Java Queen.

What`s wrong?

Kudrow wants to see me.

Cool! Maybe you`ll get

your own section.

No. I, uh,

I screwed up.

Well, just go in there

and throw him a Bart Simpson.

Kudrow, dude, chill out.

- It was that way when I got there.

- Doh!

Puzzle line?

Puzzle line?

Now, l`ve traveled 10,000 miles

in the past 24 hours.

So l`ve had a lot of time to reflect

on this. Correct me if l`m wrong.

But I believe neither one of you has

ever said the words ""puzzle line"" to me.

Before Mercury went operational,

we ran a standard validation protocol.

The works. Double sets of paired

Cray supercomputers...

fricking velociraptor machines

chewing at Mercury 24 hours a day.

Mercury came out unbent.

Awesome, sir. It was finally a code

that couldn`t be broken.

But there was one last thing

to check out. The, um... geek factor.

Human beings will fool you sometimes.

We thought it important--

We slipped a message

in one of those egghead word games.

We dared amateurs to crack it.

- We were sure nobody would ever call.

- But somebody did.

His name is Simon Lynch. He lives

in Chicago. He is nine years old.

And he has deciphered a message written

in the most sophisticated code...

the world has ever known...

in a geek`s

puzzle magazine.

I don`t recall

ever authorizing...

anyone to put any message...

into any magazine!

That couldn`t just happen.

A kid couldn`t just pop it open.

Not only is he nine years old,

he is handicapped. He is autistic.

Y es, that explains it.

So our $2 billion code

is an open book...

- to people of diminished capacity?

- No, sir.

Autism isn`t synonymous

with diminished capacity.

Autistic people are--

They`re shut off.

But it`s not unusual

for an autistic person to be a savant.

- Oh, a savant!

- He may not be able

to actually decipher the code.

- It might just appear to him.

- Right. He didn`t calculate anything.

He just saw it. Like those stupid

pictures at the mall. You stare at them.

- All of a sudden you`re looking

at the Statue of Liberty.

- Exactly.

This is not a stupid picture

at the mall.

This is national security.

Looking at the best case scenario,

let`s suppose the boy is unique...

and he doesn`t understand

what he`s just done.

Does that solve my problem?

Answer:
. No!

Analysis:
. All we need now

is for someone else...

who understands his capability

to come along...

and my problems are increased

exponentially.

Then maybe we should talk

to the kid.

- And, uh--

- No.

No. No.

There must be nothing

that connects the boy to this office.

Nothing.

Am I clear?

Y es, sir.

I want you to erase

the tape.

Am I clear?

Y es, sir.

- Honey, will you get that?

- Y eah, I got it.

- Martin Lynch?

- Y eah.

Detective Burrell,

Chicago police.

Sorry to bother you. Can I ask you

a few questions? It`s very important.

-I got your address from Simon`s school.

-Something wrong?

If I drag this out,

it`s only gonna make things worse.

One of the other parents

has made accusations...

against Simon`s driver

of a sexual nature.

- Oh, my God.

- Well, they`re only allegations

at this point.

If I could step inside

and speak with you.

Uh, sure.

It won`t take more

than a moment.

- I don`t want to upset you.

- Well, you`ve already upset us.

- l`m sorry about that.

- Would you like a cup of coffee?

- Or something?

- Yeah. Yeah, that`d be real nice.

911. Emergency operator 562.

911. Emergency operator 562.

What are you reporting?

I have your location on my screen.

Can you tell me what you`re reporting?

Anything while I was gone,

Art?

- Yeah, I think we got

a big break in this case.

- What?

The Attorney General herself

just called in 25 dimes on the Cubs.

What do you think?

Uh--

- Y eah?

- This is 13.

- Cubs ten times.

- Got it.

Dumb bet, 13.

Cubs are in a slump.

Would you mind if I told you

something personal?

Y eah, I would, Roger.

I really would.

Excuse me.

Y eah?

Art, for you.

Yeah?

We`re sending someone to spell you.

We`ve got another assignment for you.

Lomax has another matter

of national security for me?

Check into a possible missing child,

2-1 precinct.

Chicago P.D.

retains jurisdiction.

Y eah. Lacerations.

Nichols.

- You still alive?

- Still here, Art.

- How are ya?

- All right.

What is this?

It`s supposed to be a missing kid.

It is.

These are the parents.

Looks like

a murder-suicide.

So where`s the kid?

Missing, remember?

What are you

doin` here?

Somebody called the F.B.I.

and they sent me. Go figure.

No, I meant,

what are you doin` here?

Workin` my way to the bottom, Jack,

just like you.

The kid`s name is Simon.

Neighbors say he`s retarded.

Guys who kill their families

kill all of `em.

Maybe he did the kid somewhere else.

Didn`t want Mom to see.

Kid like that

costs a bundle.

Maybe Dad got tired of knocking himself

out for a kid who didn`t know better.

Put `em all out

of their misery.

How`s a guy that`s so broke

afford a $1500 handgun?

- Mind if I take a look around, Jack?

- We already did.

- The kid`s not here.

- Does that mean you mind?

- Hey, be my guest.

- Thanks.

By the way, Lomax called.

He said it`s important.

Y eah, I bet.

Got a phone on you?

What do you know?

- Thanks.

- Be sure I get it back.

- How are ya?

- Good.

How ya doin`, champ?

You okay in there?

Come on.

You can come on out now.

Nobody`s gonna hurt you.

I`m not gonna hurt ya.

Okay?

Come on.

Come on.

No, no, no, no!

Simon! All right.

Quiet! Quiet!

Call Concordia.

Get an ambulance

over here.

- Have some badges waiting

for us when we get there.

- For what?

- I want this kid protected.

- How am I gonna justify

the overtime?

Since when you worry

about overtime, Jack?

The coroner says

murder-suicide, they can go.

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