Real Genius Page #15

JORDAN:

(to Mitch)

Open his mouth.

He does and she pulls out some dental tools and goes to work, placing the receiver in Kent's mouth.

JORDAN (cont'd)

It was his braces that gave me the idea. They're a perfect antenna. His whole..

ICK:

It's about time someone put it to good use.

INT. CHRIS AND MITCH'S ROOM-MOMENTS LATER

They all huddle around a homemade radio transceiver.

MITCH:

(disguising his voice, into a microphone)

Kent. Kent. Wake up, Kent.

INT. KENT'S ROOM-SAME TIME

Kent begins to stir. We can HEAR Mitch's voice coming from Kent's head. At first he thinks he's dreaming.

MITCH (V.O.)

I'm talking to you, Kent.

KENT:

What?

MITCH (V.O.)

I said I'm talking to you.

KENT:

(shaking his head, violently)

No!

MITCH (V.O.)

Yes.

KENT:

(slapping himself)

I'm not asleep. I must be overworked.

MITCH (V.O.)

You're not overworked, Kent.

KENT:

Well, I'm not insane!

Silence.

KENT (CONT'D)

Am I?

INT. CHRIS AND MITCH'S ROOM

MITCH:

That remains to be seen, Kent. But we are having a conversation.

INT. KENT'S ROOM

KENT:

I have to metabolize this. Um... who is this?

MITCH (V.O.)

This is Jesus, Kent, and you've been a very naughty boy.

KENT:

(cracking up, laughing)

All right! Who is this?! Bodie? Carter?

MITCH (V.O.)

I am known by many names. I am the One. Turn to me and be saved.

KENT:

Oh, Sure.

MITCH (V.O.)

Cut the crap, Kent, you've built a weapon.

KENT:

How did you know that?

MITCH (V.O.)

I know everything.

KENT:

Oh. God.

INT. CHRIS AND MITCH'S ROOM

MITCH:

That's right, Kent. Where is the laser now?

INT. KENT'S ROOM

KENT:

I can't tell you.

MITCH (V.O.)

How would you like to burn for the rest of time?

KENT:

(panicking)

No, they're testing it on the twenty-seventh but I don't know where. It's classified.

MITCH (V.O.)

Oh.

KENT:

What?

MITCH (V.O.)

Nothing. I want you to think about what you've done and repent, and from now on, stop playing with yourself.

KENT:

I don't...okay

INT. CHRIS AND MITCH'S ROOM

MITCH:

Now what?

The closets door opens and Hopsfield appears.

HOPSFIELD:

Phase two.

INT. STEAM TUNNELS

They are near Hopsfield's lair. Hopsfield has removed the cover from an enormous terminal. Chris seems remote and depressed.

HOPSFIELD:

This is the phone terminal for the entire school.

MITCH:

Okay, we tap Atherton's office phone. What about his home?

ICK:

All the faculty's home phone are part of the University system.

JORDAN:

(enthusiastically, looking at the maze of wiring)

Great, all we have to do is find it!

HOPSFIELD:

We'll find it.

Jordan and Hopsfield set to work searching for Atherton's lines. Ick is concerned about Chris.

ICK:

I'm depressed. Why did I listen to my parents? I should have become a ping-pong pro.

HOPSFIELD:

It's not too late.

MITCH:

You shouldn't be depressed. It's us he used.

JORDAN:

Downtown Schmidlap.

MITCH:

Excuse me?

JORDAN:

(Still working)

Ernie "Downtown" Schmidlap. From my high school. He was captain of everything. One day he told me he wanted to "date me up." so for a month he'd come over and I'd do his homework for him. He was going to take me to the prom. But once he passed his courses, he took Roberta Preen. I stayed home and re-wired our housekeeper's TV.

ICK:

That's awful!

MITCH:

You think that hurts? You should've met my Uncle Stan. He was a Weasel.

ICK:

That bad, huh?

MITCH:

No, that was his lodge. The Royal order of Friendly Weasels. Every Wednesday when I was eight, he'd take me down to his lodge meeting and he'd challenge people to call out two five-digit numbers. I had to multiply them in my head faster than a guy could do it on a calculator. They'd bet on me. Of course, after the meeting, he'd take me for ice cream.

ICK:

That's nice.

MITCH:

Well...he'd take me to the supermarket and I had to dip my hand in.

HOPSFIELD:

I've got his office.

JORDAN:

I've got his home.

INT. STEAM TUNNEL- SOMETIME LATER

They've all made themselves comfortable as they sit and wait for the phone tap to produce results. Hopsfield has wired a speaker so that they can hear,

CHRIS:

Why doesn't your phone ring, you jogging, syphilitic microbe?

ICK:

(sotto, to Mitch)

I think he's coming around.

Suddenly, from the speaker, we HEAR the sound of Atherton's phone being picked up.

ATHERTON (V.0./FILTER)

Hello

VOICE (V.O.)

Is this Jerome Atherton?

ATHERTON (V.O.)

Yes, it is.

VOICE (V.O.)

This is Bill Carlisle. I saw your television show the other night about the reproductive system.

ATHERTON (V.O.)

Thank you, I hope you enjoyed it.

VOICE (V.O.)

I love it. Everything you said was copied word for word from my book and I expect a lot of money for it.

ATHERTON (V.O.)

Need I remind you, it's public television, an attempt to teach people something. And all you can think of is personal greed. It's people like you that make me feel bad about being American.

VOICE (V.O.)

I'm Canadian

ATHERTON (V.O.)

I'm not surprised. Good day.

They hang up.

ICK:

God, he's good at that. He almost gets away with it. That's the most manipulative guy I've ever seen... I mean heard.

CHRIS:

He does get away with it.

MITCH:

Not anymore.

INT. STEAM TUNNEL-LATER STILL

Everyone lies asleep in various places and positions, Mitch awakens. He is amazed to find Jordan asleep on his shoulder, so amazed he has to wake her.

MITCH:

Jordan?

JORDAN:

Hmmmmmmmm.

MITCH:

You were sleeping.

JORDAN:

I was? Gee

(snuggling)

I guess you relax me.

MITCH:

(proudly)

Wow!

CHRIS:

(awakening)

What's going on?

MITCH:

I put Jordan to sleep.

CHRIS:

And you're proud of that?

MITCH:

Yeah.

The speaker comes to life with the sound of the receiver being groped for and then Atherton's groggy voice.

ATHERTON (V.O.)

(mumbling)

Yes...hello

DECKER (V.O.)

Jer? Dave Decker How are you?

ATHERTON (V.O.)

Christ, Dave what time is it?

DECKER (V.O.)

Nine thirty here in Washington. I thought you Californians all get up early and exercise. Ha, ha

CHRIS:

This is it. That's the guy I saw at his house with the daughter.

ATHERTON (V.O.)

Very funny, Dave. What do you want? I'm busy.

DECKER (V.O.)

It sounds like it. Listen, I'll be out there tomorrow for the test but I want you to go to the Marsh this afternoon and check optics systems one more time.

ATHERTON (V.O.)

Why?

DECKER (V.O.)

Because I'm in charge, Doctor. Goodbye. He hangs up. All look to Chris.

ICK:

Well?

CHRIS:

(comes to life)

It's happening.

MITCH:

It's only weapon if it works, right?

CHRIS:

(determined)

You're absolutely right! The time has come, people. No more being used. No more Downtown Schmidlaps or Uncle Stans or Jerry Athertons. We're going to take responsibility for our own brains. Remember, without ethics there can be no morality. Without morality there is no society and without society there can be no fast food restaurants. So the whole country, nay, in the world, is counting on us to get even in a big way. Thank you.

ICK:

Nice logic.

CHRIS:

Thanks. Synchronize watches.

MITCH:

Why?

CHRIS:

It's just something you say at a time like this.

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