Real Genius Page #14

EXT. ATHERTON'S HOUSE-LATER THAT NIGHT

Chris knocks on the front door. Atherton answers the door. He is less than thrilled to see Chris.

INT. ATHERTON'S HOUSE

CHRIS:

(forcing his way in)

Hiya, Jerry, how's it going?

ATHERTON:

What do you want Kinsley?

CHRIS:

World peace, but I don't think this is the time to discuss it.

ATHERTON:

What are you doing here? I've already told you you've burned out and you've failed me and yourself miserably.

CHRIS:

Yes, I know that. But I thought you might be interested.

ATHERTON:

I'm not interested in anything you have to say.

Just then a pretty COED starts to come down the stairs. She is dressed only in one of Atherton's shirts.

COED:

Jerry?

CHRIS:

I solved the power problem, Jerry.

Atherton pauses. He looks at Chris, then the girl.

ATHERTON:

Debbie, go home.

INT. ATHERTON'S LAB-LATER THAT NIGHT

Atherton, Kent, Bodie and Carter stand by the laser as Chris explains what he's done with formulas on the blackboard.

CHRIS:

As you know, I was working on supercharging the DF by means of a fusion technique using a secondary laser. Well, when I tried it, I discovered Kent had sabotaged it so it collapsed on itself.

Everyone looks at Kent in disgust.

CHRIS (CONT'D)

And I want to thank him for the thought.

KENT:

What????

CHRIS:

The Deuterium and Fluorine take up enough space by themselves, right? Well, the mistake we've been making up to now is in trying to kick up the power by means of yet another outside source. Big and bulky, right? Well, the elegance of this is that by reflecting part of the lasing light back in the gas jets we supercharge the whole deal, increasing the power tenfold with no increase in size.

KENT:

This is a complete waste of time.

Mitch has been preparing the laser for demonstration. He is struggling to lift several thick metal plates.

CHRIS:

Kent, make yourself useful for once and help put those plates against the wall.

Kent does and everyone stands back.

CHRIS (CONT'D)

Okay, Mitch do it. This should work.

Mitch switches on the main laser. It comes to life. Gases flow and a beam appears, hitting the plate without effect.

MITCH:

Now we open the vacuum chamber.

He turns a valve and the beam begins to heat up the plate.

CHRIS:

So far so good. And now, cross your fingers.

He throws a switch. There's a beat. And then, suddenly, the beam glows intensely brighter, cuts through the plate, the cabinets behind it and through the wall out into the night. Chris and Mitch jump shut the whole thing off.

CHRIS:

Sorry about the wall, sir.

KENT:

(looking through the hole)

And the tree across the quad.

ATHERTON:

(in awe)

Screw the wall, you did it! You really did it.

KENT:

(petulant)

I've done my part, too.

ATHERTON:

(ignoring Kent)

Okay, Kinsley. You did it. You pass.

CHRIS:

Thank you, sir.

ATHERTON:

And I think we can get that job back for you at PEI.

KENT:

(apoplectic)

What! You can't. That's my job. I've done everything you've ever asked. I get your laundry, and I finished the mirror. Look.

Kent runs out of the room as Mitch and Chris exchange a look and Atherton shakes his head. Kent returns, rolling a circular precision mirror one meter in diameter.

KENT:

See! Do you have any idea how hard it is to make a film virtually 100 per cent reflective, one micron thick and apply it to a mirror this shape?

ATHERTON:

Good, Kent.

(to Chris, in a hurry)

I have to go. I have a pressing...

He exits.

MITCH:

(very happy for Chris)

Let's celebrate.

CHRIS:

Absolutely. Kent, you with us?

KENT:

(totally frustrated)

Oh...eat me.

EXT. CAMPUS-NIGHT

Chris, Mitch, Ick and Jordan are looking at the laser hole in the tree.

EXT. LIBRARY-NIGHT

They look at where the beam has cut a hole through the head of the statue of Dr. Bradford.

EXT. STREET-NIGHT

They look high up at a hole where the beam went through a telephone pole and then across the street, even higher, where it burned through a billboard on top of tavern. They cheer.

INT. BAR-LATER

Our group is celebrating. The jukebox blares. Chris and Ick are drinking beers; Mitch and Jordan are holding hands, sharing a milkshake and feeding each other French fries.

MITCH:

I don't think I'm ready for that yet. Maybe we should wait a year; at least until I get my license.

JORDAN:

I understand. There are a lot of things to be considered here. For example, I could drive.

Hopsfield enters and sits down at the table. Everyone stares for a beat.

HOPSFIELD:

(to Chris)

I've been thinking about your laser solution.

(a beat)

I figure you've increased the output to six megawatts.

CHRIS:

Yeah.

HOPSFIELD:

What would you use that for?

MITCH:

The applications are unlimited. Industrial for one.

HOPSFIELD:

With the gas tanks you've designed the beam would only last for forty seconds. What good is that?

CHRIS:

I don't care, Laslo. I graduated.

MITCH:

Let the engineers figure out a use for it. That's not our concern.

HOPSFIELD:

Maybe somebody already has a use for it, one for which it's perfectly designed.

JORDAN:

You mean Atherton had something in mind all along?

HOPSFIELD:

Looks at the facts: very high power, portable, limited firing time, unlimited range. All you'd need is a big spinning mirror and you could vaporize a human target from space.

Hopsfield gets up and walks outside. Silence for a beat.

CHRIS:

This is not good.

ICK:

You want another beer?

MITCH:

How big a mirror?

INT. HALLWAY-EARLY MORNING

Chris, Mitch, Ick, Jordan and Hopsfield run down the hall and enter the lab.

ANGLE- THE LAB

The laser is gone.

INT. HALLWAY

Chris runs next door and forces Kent's lab door open, looks in.

INT. KENT'S LAB

They all enter.

CHRIS:

The mirror is gone, too. Atherton, you worm! You pig! You f***! Kent, you too!

Chris is venting his rage on every inanimate object in the room, kicking and punching.

CHRIS (CONT'D)

I should have seen it! How could I have not seen it!

MITCH:

He lied to us.

CHRIS:

It's easy to lie to you. You trust people! I'm cynic! What an a**hole I am!

HOPSFIELD:

I understand how you feel, Chris, and you're right. But what we should be doing now is trying to find out what he's doing.

INT. CHRIS AND MITCH'S ROOM-NIGHT

Chris and Mitch sit waiting. Chris is very despondent. Very. Jordan enters.

MITCH:

Did you do it?

JORDAN:

I put a receiver in it too.

(referring to Chris)

Is he okay?

MITCH:

I don't know he stopped talking about an hour ago. May I see it?

She holds out her hand and we see an almost microscopic electronic device. Ick enters carrying several gas masks, a gas bottle, some tubing an atomizer.

ICK:

Ready?

INT. DORM HALLWAY -MOMENTS LATER

Mitch, Jordan and Ick are gathered around the closed door to Kent's room wearing the gas masks. Ick feeds the end of the tube under the door and opens the valve on the bottle.

ICK:

We'll have two minutes.

A STUDENT walks by, not batting an eye.

STUDENT:

Hi, guys.

INT. KENT'S ROOM

The gas has knocked Kent out. He sleeps peacefully in a chair. The door opens and our gang enters.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes