Pale Blue Dot Page #7

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who aren’t here tonight who, twenty

years ago, we couldn’t imagine life

without.

Someone yells from the crowd, echoing this sentiment:

VOICE:

We miss you Dylan!

SAHAYA:

But, I’ll tell you what we do have

here tonight. Hope. And

inspiration. There’s a girl-- no, a

woman-- amongst us, who made more

of herself than any of us could

have ever dared to dream. That

woman is Laura Pepper. Where are

you Laura?

Laura tries to shrink away, to hide from this. This is not

what she wants-

-- but Drew doesn’t notice. He pushes her forward, calling

out:

DREW:

Here! She’s here!

Everyone turns to see her. They’re all beaming; they’re all

unable to get enough of her.

SAHAYA:

Now, I want to make a toast and I

know you’ll all join me. To Laura

Pepper! A real, American hero!

36.

Everyone holds up their cups and calls out:

CROWD:

To Laura!

LAURA:

Aw, thanks, guys.

SAHAYA:

No, Laura. Thank you.

The crowd goes wild. Drew whispers in Laura’s ear:

DREW:

I love you so damn much.

CUT TO:

EXT. HOUSTON APARTMENT COMPLEX - DAY

Laura, having won the argument (as if there was ever any

doubt), carries boxes into her father’s new apartment. Drew’s

there, with the kids, all doing their best to help.

Everyone’s walking on eggshells.

Wally sits in the rental truck and glares at all of them.

INT. WALLY’S APARTMENT - LATER

Wally’s still glaring after the truck’s been unloaded. Now,

he’s sitting in his recliner while Laura and Drew unpack.

The kids run around, caught up in a game of tag. They’re

getting along, having a good time in spite of the obvious

tension.

RUTH:

You’re it!

Ruth tags Neil, who turns to chase her---

only he trips over a box-

-- falling onto the back of Wally’s recliner-WALLY

Watch it you little shits!

DREW:

Wally!

37.

Drew drops the empty box he’s just unloaded. Wally laughs a

mean little laugh.

WALLY:

What are you going to do? You can’t

even stand up to her.

Drew takes a step towards his father-in-law, who, even though

he’s sitting in a recliner, somehow manages to not back down.

DREW:

Listen here-

-- but Laura steps in-

LAURA:

-- Drew. It’s not worth it. Trust

me. Go. Take the kids. I’ll finish

up.

DREW:

You’re sure?

LAURA:

Yeah. I’m sure.

DREW:

Come on guys.

The kids, who are all standing there in terrified silence run

after their father.

LAURA:

Be good!

Wally smiles his awful smile, his point made.

WALLY:

P*ssy.

INT. DREW’S CAR - EVENING

As Drew drives home, the kids sit in awkward silence, until:

ED:

Grandpa’s an a**hole.

DREW:

Hey! Watch the language.

RUTH:

He’s right.

38.

DREW:

I know.

NEIL:

I’m glad you’re not an a**hole,

Dad.

DREW:

Well, I’ll have to be one if you

guys don’t stop using that word

this second.

NEIL:

Sorry.

INT. WALLY’S APARTMENT - LATER

Laura’s made a lot of progress on the apartment and Wally,

now sipping a beer, seems to have calmed down a bit with

everyone gone.

Laura opens one of the last remaining boxes. She reaches into

the box and pulls out what looks like a bundled up cloth.

Whatever’s in the cloth falls out-

LAURA:

Jesus.

-- startling Laura. She turns to her father, concerned.

LAURA (CONT’D)

Dad?

Wally barely looks in her direction. Laura reaches in the box

once again and pulls out a handgun. She holds it with two

fingers, far from her body, as if it’s something dead and

rotten.

WALLY:

What?

LAURA:

Really?

WALL7

I have my rights.

LAURA:

All right, all right.

Laura carefully wraps the gun in the cloth.

39.

WALLY:

This is the God damn United States

of America.

Laura pats her father reassuringly on the shoulder as she

heads out of the room. She’s not taking his gun.

LAURA:

I know, Daddy. I know.

INT. GUEST ROOM - CONTINUOUS

Laura enters her father’s guest room. She grabs a folding

chair and stands on it in order to shove the gun in the back

corner of the highest closet shelf.

She may not be taking it away from Wally but she’s certainly

not leaving it anywhere that he can find it.

EXT. WALLY’S APARTMENT - EVENING

Laura carries a load of broken-down boxes to the dumpster.

INT. WALLY’S APARTMENT - NIGHT

Laura sits on the ground beside her father’s recliner.

They’re finishing off pizza. Laura’s trying to have a

conversation but isn’t really getting anywhere.

LAURA:

I wish you could have seen it up

there, Daddy.

Silence from Wally. But Laura doesn’t give up:

LAURA (CONT’D)

I can’t wait to go back.

WALLY:

Well, I know one thing. I’m going

back. That’s for sure.

Laura’s heart breaks. Her father’s even further gone than she

thought.

LAURA:

Daddy, you didn’t go to space.

You’ve done a lot of things. Great

things. But you didn’t go to space.

I did.

40.

Or, maybe he isn’t:

WALLY:

Who cares about space? I’m going

home. You can’t keep me locked up

here forever. This ain’t no f***ing

prison.

Maybe he’s the same a**hole he’s always been after all.

CUT TO:

INT. NASA CAFETERIA - DAY

Laura walks through the crowded company cafeteria, her tray

has only a modest salad and a big glass of water. She looks

around nervously, back in school for a moment, unsure where

to sit.

Luckily, there’s an empty table and Laura eases into a seat

by herself. Just as she’s about to take a bite of her lunch-

MARK (O.S.)

We’re going bowling tonight.

-- Mark drops his tray on the table, it is loaded up with

Salisbury steak and tater tots. He turns a chair around and

straddles it.

LAURA:

I’m sorry, who’s going bowling?

MARK:

We are, space girl. Us. You, me,

the guys.

(calling out to a line of

passing astronauts)

Guys! Bowling, tonight?

ASTRONAUT #1

Yep.

ASTRONAUT #2

Yep.

ASTRONAUT #3

Yep.

-- Mark turns, expectantly to Laura.

LAURA:

Nope.

41.

MARK:

Oh come on.

LAURA:

Can’t. I’ve got kids and a husband.

Dinner doesn’t make itself.

MARK:

Bleh. Earth families. Who needs

‘em? Tell them you’ve got a new

family, now. A brotherhood.

LAURA:

Don’t think they’d like that very

much.

Mark flashes a devilish grin.

MARK:

Then lie. Tell them it’s training.

You’re serving your country. That’s

what the rest of us do.

Laura looks over at him, smiling. She’s obviously tempted.

But, for now at least, she just can’t do it.

LAURA:

Maybe next time.

CUT TO:

A SEEMINGLY ENDLESS CEREAL AISLE-

INT. GROCERY STORE - DAY

-- as Laura slowly pushes a shopping cart, lost in the

infinite options. She turns to the twins, who are tagging

along behind her.

LAURA:

What do you want? I can’t decide.

NEIL:

That one.

Neil points to neon purple box, the least healthy option.

LAURA:

That’s nothing but sugar.

ED:

You told us to pick.

42.

LAURA:

Well, you blew it.

Laura grabs bland, sugarless corn flakes and tosses them in

the cart. She continues on, still sort of amazed by the

place.

It’s weird to come to the realization that you’re more at

home in outer space than in the suburban grocery store where

you’ve done your shopping for the last ten years.

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