The Manhattan Project Page #5

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Simple. Hotel computer...

got your girlfriend's name...

Jenny Anderman...

accessed the department

of motor vehicles...

for the make and license

on the car.

- What's wrong?

- They gave him an injection.

Probably sodium amytal.

Do you have a bitter taste

in your mouth?

Just keep him moving.

He'll be OK.

- Have you got enough money?

- What for?

To get away. This place

is crawling with feds!

I have a credit card.

No, cash.

Come on. Money, money!

- You owe me eighty dollars.

- What's wrong?

You guys are beautiful guys,

you know?

- OK, OK. Send me a letter.

- Why are you doing this?

Because life, my dear, is

more than just freezing toads.

I got a taxi.

The coast is clear. Come on.

All right, folks.

Where to today?

- Ithaca.

- Funny kid.

- Ithaca?

- Shh. Plan.

Hey, mister, I bet you can't

guess what I got in this box.

- A human head?

- Wrong. An atomic bomb.

- Hey, you want to see?

- Not really.

Driver, if you only had $87,

and you had to get to Ithaca...

what would you do?

Come on.

Safe.

You sav-ed us.

Great.

Jenny. I love you, Jenny.

I want to be your wife.

Excuse me, can I help you?

Mrs. Elizabeth Stephens?

Lieutenant Colonel Conroy,

U.S. Army Delta Force.

These men are with the nuclear

emergency search team...

a duly authorized

government agency.

I'm empowered

to take over these premises...

as a temporary crisis center.

Nuclear emergency what?

What's happening?

It's Paul.

Something happened.

He's all right.

At least, I think he is.

"Paul Jacob Stephens,

born Ithaca, New York...

"February 14, 1970.

"Mother,

Elizabeth Adams Stephens...

"admitted maternity ward

given twenty-five milligrams

demerol. "

Good work.

That's gonna be real useful.

We have a recent photograph

of your family.

You and your husband

were separated...

six months ago, is that it?

Yes. Would you mind

not bending that picture?

Since then, has your son

had any nightmares...

anxiety,

or spells of depression?

You mean, is he normal?

Does he eat

an excessive amount of sweets?

What?

He got 7 new cavities during

this past school year...

and only one the prior year.

Hypoglycemic mood swings.

Attendant paranoia.

Does he feel

that people don't like him?

That he's special or different?

Is he unhappy with

the present political system?

Seven cavities? Are you sure?

Both state and federal

authorities...

are looking for him

and a female companion...

in connection with

what appears to be...

a nuclear burglary case.

Official sources say...

that what seemed to be

an innocent prank...

may turn out to compromise

the American defense posture...

with overtones of espionage

and international terrorism.

Barbara Collins

has more in New York.

Stephens?

A very disturbed person.

Definitely the criminal type.

- Paul.

- What?

- Let's just give it back.

- Not yet. Tomorrow.

- What are you going to do?

- Get you your article.

I don't know.

It's getting pretty weird.

Don't give up now.

Not when we got 'em.

- We've got them?

- Sure.

Come on.

If it was easy, it'd be easy.

What about nobody

doing anything? Remember?

What about the future?

What about all that?

If we get killed,

we won't have any future.

Of course we will.

You always have a future.

Apple?

Come on.

Let's get some sleep.

All I'm saying is, it would be

easier if you accepted...

that he wasn't

an innocent victim in all this.

Yes, I know. He's the criminal.

That makes it all so simple.

He did do some things

that are against the law.

Maybe there's a higher law.

- A what?

- A higher law.

What are you saying?

He did it for ethics?

For reasons of conscience?

Who do you think he is,

Galileo? He's a kid.

Kids don't have reasons.

They just do things.

What do you know

about children?

I used to be one.

- You don't know him.

- Oh, but I do.

He's got a gift, and he wants

to use it, that's all.

It's as natural as breathing.

Don't make him into

some kind of an activist.

What?

Who are these people?

They're in my house.

What gives them the right?

They know about everything.

They know about his teeth.

Look, it's almost 6:00 in

the morning. You're exhausted.

Why don't you do something,

for God's sake?

What do you suggest?

I don't know. Blow them up.

That's your field, isn't it?

Look,

he's a very resourceful kid.

He's gonna be OK.

I hope so, because if anything

happens to him... anything...

if one hair on his head

is harmed...

I promise you, I'm going

to find all of you people...

and I'm going to make your

lives absolutely miserable.

Who? Yes, I'll accept.

Hello, Paul?

Hi, mom. Don't get crazy.

Paul, what's going on? They're

saying all kinds of things.

Paul,

did you build an atomic bomb?

- Only a little one.

- Oh, my God!

Look, I'm OK.

I don't have much time.

I need to get a message

to John.

- I'm here, Paul.

- What?

It's me, Paul. It's John.

You're there in the house?

- They're all here, Paul.

- Who all?

Lots of government men.

The army. It's like an invasion.

- Jesus, are you OK?

- Yes.

Are you gonna give them

what they want?

Yes, but I want something

in return.

- What?

- A statement.

What kind of statement?

From you, signed by you,

about the lab...

what it is, where it is,

what happens inside, everything.

- What for?

- I just want it.

I can't do that. I've signed

a security clearance.

I'll go to jail.

You'll go to jail.

Look, that's the deal.

The gadget for the statement.

Now, come on.

I don't have much time.

OK. What do I do,

type something up?

- That'll do for starters.

- Starters?

Just meet me at the lab

in one hour. Main gate.

Why the lab?

Because that's what I want.

And make sure

that we can get inside.

I want photographs, too.

- Photographs? Come on, Paul.

- Yeah, lots of photographs.

And tell your pals

no funny stuff.

I'm very tense, and there's

no telling what I might do.

- Take it easy. You're fine.

- No, I'm a terrorist.

Haven't you been watching

television?

Paul,

what are you talking about?

Look, he trusts me.

Let me do it.

I'll get it back.

That's what we want, isn't it?

How do we know this thing

won't be armed?

- Armed?

- That's right.

He used the phrase,

"I'm a terrorist. "

Here.

"No, I'm a terrorist.

Haven't you been watching

television?"

You people really live

in your own world, don't you?

Well, we don't have the luxury

of living in yours.

Are you sure

you want to do this?

Look, it'll take me

about five minutes...

to make it to the main gate.

You know what to do?

Drive to the bait shop

and make the call.

- You got change?

- Yeah.

I'll do it. Don't worry.

- What else?

- Don't forget to focus.

Piece of cake.

This is unit one. The package

has arrived, and it's hot.

Is that it?

What is that, a cat box?

You got the statement?

Could you open it

and hand it to me, please?

What's D.O. E?

Department of Energy.

- They're the guys who...

- Yeah.

Let's go.

You don't want to really

go inside the building?

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