Thirteen Days Page #11

EXT. MISSILE SILO - NIGHT

The Titan solo door GRINDS OPEN. And the missile inside

begins to rise into the white bath of the crossed spotlights.

THE PRESIDENT (V.O.)

Therefore, in the defense of our own

security and under the authority of the

Constitution, I have directed that the

following initial steps be taken.

First, to halt this offensive build-up,

a strict quarantine --

EXT. CARRIBEAN SEA - NIGHT

The President's words conjure the ESSEX battlegroup, its

destroyers plunging through heavy seas, lit up in the night.

THE PRESIDENT (V.O.)

-- on all offensive military equipment

under shipment to Cuba is being

initiated. All ships of any kind bound

for Cuba, if found to contain cargoes of

offensive weapons, will be turned back.

Second:
I have directed the continued

and increased close surveillance of Cuba

and its military build-up. Should these

offensive military preparations

continue, further action will be

justified --

EXT. OVER THE FLORIDA STRAITS - NIGHT

A flight of F-4 PHANTOMS drops INTO FRAME, lights flashing.

THE PRESIDENT (V.O.)

-- I have directed the Armed Forces to

prepare for any eventualities.

INT. OVAL OFFICE - NIGHT

A beat. And the President looks up from his notes.

THE PRESIDENT:

And third:
it shall be the policy of

this nation to regard any nuclear

missile launched from Cuba against any

nation in the Western Hemisphere as an

attack by the Soviet Union on the United

States, requiring a full retaliatory

response upon the Soviet Union...

The chilling words hang there in the air. BLEEDING IN: the

rising and falling WOOP WOOP WOOP WOOP which becomes --

EXT. CARRIBEAN SEA - NIGHT

-- the voice of the Essex battlegroup: sparkling, alive, a

constellation of lights scattered across the sea. One by one

the escort ships answer the carrier's SIREN with their own

wailing cries, an alien chorus among the ships, disappearing

and reappearing in the swells. The communication crescendos

to its fever pitch --

-- and then the battlegroup goes to blackout. Like a dying

universe, the answering sirens cut off, the life-lights wink

out, and an appalling darkness falls across the sea...

FADE OUT:

BLACKNESS, LIKE BEFORE A CURTAIN RISES. And then a

flickering:
a FLUORESCENT LIGHT COMES ON.

INT. BATHROOM - WEST WING - DAY

SUPER:
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 23RD. DAY 8

Kenny, stripped to the waist, Sorensen and Bundy shave in

nearby sinks. Bobby barges in.

BOBBY:

We're getting the Soviet response.

INT. KENNY'S OFFICE - MOMENTS LATER

Specks of shaving cream still on his face, Kenny paces, reads

the inky carbon as Bobby, Bundy and Sorensen read copies.

KENNY:

This is all rhetoric.

(realizing)

They don't know how to respond yet.

Kenny looks up. The President enters from the Oval Office.

THE PRESIDENT:

So now you're Khurschev. What do you

do?

INT. CABINET ROOM - DAY

Kenny, arms folded, stands behind the President, the rest of

EXCOM is looking at him.

KENNY:

-- run the blockade. They'll run the

blockade.

ADMIRAL GEORGE ANDERSON, 50s, dapper, the Chief of Naval

Operations, nods from the far end of the table.

ADMIRAL ANDERSON

Which is exactly what they appear to be

preparing to do, Mr. President. We're

tracking 26 ships inbound to Cuba.

There's no sign they're changing course.

The closest ships, the Gagarin and the

Kimovsk, will make the quarantine line

by this time tomorrow.

MCNAMARA:

We're concerned about the possibility of

an incident with an innocent cargo

carrier. If it turns ugly, the Russians

could use an ugly incident and bad world

opinion as leverage to force us to

remove the quarantine.

MCCONE:

Or they could use it as an excuse to

escalate.

BOBBY:

Admiral Anderson, if the ships do not

stop, what exactly are our rules of

engagement?

Anderson signals A BRIEFING OFFICER who hits the lights and

an overhead projector which SMASH CUTS TO:

INT. BRIDGE - U.S.S. JOHN R. PIERCE - DAY

The bridge of the U.S.S. John Pierce, a Gearing class

destroyer. A RADIO OPERATOR addresses a mike in Russian.

ADMIRAL ANDERSON (V.O.)

Russian-speakers have been transferred

to all of our ships. Once the

quarantine takes effect in the morning,

our ships will attempt to make radio

contact with the approaching vessels.

They will be ordered to reduce speed and

prepare for inspection.

INT. WEAPONS' LOCKER - U.S.S. PIERCE - DAY

MARINES in flak jackets grab M-16s off a rack, race by.

EXT. U.S.S. PIERCE - AFT DECK - DAY

A ship's boat full of Marines lowers away, hits the water,

engine spraying as it launches forward - in dress rehearsal.

ADMIRAL ANDERSON (V.O.)

An inspection party will then board and

search the ship. If weapons are found,

the ship will be ordered to leave the

quarantine area or be towed into port

upon refusal.

INT. CABINET ROOM - DAY

All eyes are on Admiral Anderson's overhead projections.

Bobby, restless, gets up, begins pacing.

BOBBY:

What happens if the ship doesn't stop

for inspection or want to be towed?

ADMIRAL ANDERSON

A warning shot will be fired across its

bow.

Bobby stops, stares directly at the Admiral.

BOBBY:

And what happens if the ship ignores the

warning shot?

ADMIRAL ANDERSON

Then we fire at its rudder, disable it,

and carry out the inspection.

Kenny looks at the President who remains unmoved, unreadable.

THE PRESIDENT:

There will be no shooting without my

explicit orders. Is that understood?

ADMIRAL ANDERSON

Yes, sir.

The President glances at McNamara.

THE PRESIDENT:

Well, Admiral, it looks like it's up to

the Navy.

ADMIRAL ANDERSON

The Navy won't let you down, sir.

THE PRESIDENT:

General, have we developed any more

information on the missiles?

GENERAL TAYLOR:

They are continuing to proceed with the

development. We're commencing low-level

photography runs this morning.

MCCONE:

The pictures will be used to firm up our

estimates of the missiles' readiness and

develop target packages for strikes

should you order them.

GENERAL TAYLOR:

Our guy running this show is the best.

Commander Bill Ecker of the Navy's VFP

62, the Fightin' Photo. Something of a

character, but the highest efficiency

ratings we've ever had.

He pushes Ecker's personnel file across the table, and as the

President opens it, on ECKER'S PHOTO, we SMASH CUT TO:

INT. READY ROOM - KEY WEST NAVAL AIR STATION - DAY

The man himself, COMMANDER BILL ECKER, 30s, playing cards,

smoking cigars with his wingman, LIEUTENANT BRUCE WILHEMY and

the PILOTS of VFP-62, the 'Fightin' Photo.' They lounge,

tinker with equipment. Their ready room is filled with pin

ups, movie posters, and all things photographic.

ECKER:

75 millimeter, I'm listening. On the

big screen there's nothing like it.

The other pilots heckle him, but are muted by Taylor.

GENERAL TAYLOR (V.O.)

To protect our pilots, we're prepared to

retaliate against any SAM site or anti

aircraft battery that opens fire.

WILHEMY:

Watch out, Hollywood. There's a new

epic director in town!

INT. CABINET ROOM - DAY

EXCOM listens in sober silence.

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