The rocket's nose cone is opened up. A circle of seats are visible within.
The car exits the building.
EXT. MICROCORE MAIN TARMAC - DAY
The car rides high above a sea of cement.
Ground vehicles move freely beneath the track.
The car heads toward a Blaster Nine Rocket readied on the launchpad.
It arcs in a wide loop around the rocket.
The car descends toward a small stretch of beach.
It merges onto another track and stops. Engages in reverse.
It moves backward along a quarter mile long stretch of track leading out into the ocean.
It reaches the end.
INT. SINGLECAR - DAY
The rocket is directly ahead.
Showers of sparks cross beneath its engines.
The engines ignite.
Thick steam mushrooms out from two sides.
The docking tower disengages and falls away.
The track shakes violently.
Jeremy grips the dashboard nervously.
The rocket clears the launchpad.
Jeremy arches backward, watching it until it disappears into a high cloud.
The steam cloud washes over the car.
THUNDER echoes off into the distance.
EXT. MICROCORE MAIN TARMAC - DAY
The car moves forward, past the soaking wet launchpad and into the base of a high observation tower.
The tower is topped by an ovoid shell surrounded by tinted windows.
INT. BASE OF CECIL'S OFFICE TOWER - DAY
The car enters, then stops.
A MALE SECURITY OFFICER approaches. Pops open the car's door.
MALE SECURITY OFFICER
Ambassador Ash, I presume?
JEREMY
Ambassador? If you say so.
SECURITY OFFICER
Mr. Millikan is waiting for you in his
office. Please follow me.
They enter an elevator.
INT. CECIL'S OFFICE - DAY
The office is oval shaped with a high arched ceiling.
A large glass top table centers the room. The glass is supported by a very realistic slice of planet Earth.
An elevator door opens.
Jeremy steps out into the office.
The elevator door closes with the security guard still inside.
Cecil Millikan is sitting in a leather chair behind a Mahogany desk.
He looks up at Jeremy and lights a cigar.
CECIL
My employees wait months to view a launch
from the track. I hope you enjoyed it.
JEREMY
Are you kidding? That was probably the
coolest thing I've ever seen.
CECIL
I'm glad to hear that. Please sit. I hope
my tactics are not too overbearing.
JEREMY
(sitting down)
Your tactics both refresh and inspire me,
sir.
A woman enters from an adjacent room. She is in her late forties. Streaks of gray highlight her hair. She is GWEN.
She sits down beside Cecil and squeezes his hand.
GWEN
Hi. I'm Cecil's wife, Gwen.
JEREMY
It's nice to meet you. I'm Jeremy, but
you probably already know that.
GWEN
Indeed I do.
JEREMY
I don't mean to sound ungrateful, sir,
but I'm supposed to be at work right now.
I would have gladly accepted your
invitation had you extended one.
CECIL
I wanted it to be surprise. I've already
informed the library that you won't be
coming in today.
JEREMY
Really.
CECIL
They didn't seem to mind because I made a
$10,000 donation on the very same call.
Have you had a chance to look over my
proposal?
JEREMY
I have. Are you aware that I've already
accepted the government's proposal?
CECIL
Have you signed anything?
JEREMY
Now that you mention it, no. And I must
admit, you've certainly succeeded in
demonstrating your superior style over
those stiffs at the Pentagon.
CECIL
I like you, Jeremy.
JEREMY
Thank you, Mr. Millikan.
CECIL
Please, call me Cecil.
JEREMY
Okay Cecil.
CECIL
There will be A HALF DOZEN PROMINENT
SCIENTISTS aboard THE ARCUS in addition
to FOUR OF MY BEST SPACERS. Did you get a
look at the LANDING SHELL when you rode
through the main hangar?
JEREMY
That was The Arcus landing shell? I never
even made the connection.
CECIL
I need you on that ship, Jeremy. I want
to show up NASA with my own average
American.
JEREMY
You obviously know the details of my
meeting at the Pentagon. I take it you
also received the equation I sent.
CECIL
I did indeed. Can you tell me where it
came from?
JEREMY
Very far away.
CECIL
(looking at Gwen)
Didn't I tell you?
Jeremy fidgets uncomfortably.
GWEN
We read your brother's article. It's a
very creative, almost prophetic
accounting of the events surrounding your
friend's encounter. It's already gone
viral on the internet.
JEREMY
I didn't know that. How is it that an
article published by a no name machinist
from Wisconsin has stirred the attention
of both you and the Pentagon? Not to
mention the internet community.
CECIL
Actually, it was pretty hard to miss when
that no name guy from Wisconsin had the
same last name and address as the man who
can apparently train neutrinos.
JEREMY
It was just a simple equation. I can't
believe everyone's making such a big deal
about it.
CECIL
Just a simple equation? This formula of
yours assumes a number of subatomic
constants that have yet to be determined.
JEREMY
Lucky guess.
CECIL
A lucky guess from very far away?
JEREMY
I was just kidding about the very far
away part.
CECIL
Too late.
Cecil smiles broadly as if he knows everything.
CECIL (CONT’D)
Tell him about the LEM, honey.
GWEN
(smiling proudly)
We made a cardboard mock-up of an old
Apollo Lunar Module. We plan to unfold it
at the landing site for the Apollogize
crew to photograph as they pass overhead.
She covers her mouth. Laughter slips through.
CECIL
We've timed the mission to coincide with
the Apollo Eighteen fly-by. We should be
able to see it as it passes overhead.
GWEN
They're going to be Apollo-gizing to the
Senate Appropriations Committee when it
appears that we've stolen one of their
Lunar Modules.
Gwen laughs loudly.
Jeremy starts laughing too.
Cecil stands up. Pops a silly, left handed salute.
CECIL
It looks as if they're planning to
reverse engineer the Lunar Module
technology, sir.
Gwen bursts into hysterics, nearly choking as she fights for air.
Cecil gets her a bottle of water.
She drinks, collects herself. Then enters an adjacent room.
O.S. - Sound of opening and closing drawers.
CECIL (CONT’D)
What do you say, Jeremy? It's going to be
a lot of fun. Are you in?
JEREMY
What about the Pentagon? I already told
some Four-Star General that I would go on