hell, blacker and more complete than anyone should ever know.
In that shocked silence each man grapples with failure. The
Best and the Brightest could not prevent what must come next.
THE PRESIDENT
Then we have no choice.
(to Taylor)
General, issue the warning orders to our
forces. They will be prepared to
execute the air strikes Monday morning
and the follow-on invasion according to
the schedule thereafter. I'll need the
official release orders on my desk
Sunday night.
GENERAL TAYLOR
Understood, sir. We need to step up the
overflights, finalize our pilots' target
folders in order to be able to carry out
the strikes.
The President gives Kenny a meaningful look.
THE PRESIDENT
Permission granted.
Taylor exits. Kenny rises, gives the President an almost
imperceptible nod, as he prepares to leave in Taylor's wake.
THE PRESIDENT (CONT'D)
Gentlemen, if anybody's got any great
ideas, now's the time...
INT. READY ROOM - MACDILL AFB - DAY
MAJOR RUDOLPH ANDERSON, 30, wearing the bulky high-altitude
pressure suit of a U-2 pilot, takes the phone from one of the
Air Force NCOs who are helping him suit up.
MAJOR ANDERSON
This is Major Anderson.
INTERCUT CALL TO:
INT. KENNY'S OFFICE - CONTINUOUS
Kenny, at the other end of the line, stares out the window at
the fall day. It seems so mild, so unlike war. And it takes
him a beat before he realizes Anderson's on the line.
MAJOR ANDERSON (O.S.)
Hello? Anyone there?
KENNY
Major, my name is Kenneth O'Donnell.
Special Assistant to the President.
Kenny takes a breath, ready to start the shuck-and-jive...
but for some reason doesn't.
KENNY (CONT'D)
Major, a few days ago the President
ordered me to help him keep control of
what's going on out there. I've been
browbeating pilots, navy guys left and
right to make sure you don't get us here
in Washington into trouble. But you
know what? We're pretty damn good at
getting ourselves into trouble. So
instead of riding your ass, I'm just
going to tell you what's going on, and
let you figure out how best to help us
out up here.
INT. READY ROOM - MACDILL AFB - CONTINUOUS
Now mostly suited up, Major Anderson takes the phone out of
the NCO's hand. He nods, serious.
MAJOR ANDERSON
Go ahead, sir.
INT. KENNY'S OFFICE - CONTINUOUS
KENNY
Last night, we looked like we were going
to cut a deal to get us all out of this
mess. Today, the Soviets are reneging.
We're going to try to salvage the
situation, but a lot of things are going
wrong today. It's making everyone
nervous, and it will be very hard to
avoid going to war. Don't get shot
down, Major. Beyond that, whatever else
you can do to help us, I'd really
appreciate it.
INT. READY ROOM - MACDILL AFB - CONTINUOUS
Major Anderson waves his NCOs away. They leave the room.
The Major sits on a bench in front of his locker, thinks.
MAJOR ANDERSON
When you're up there at 72,000 feet,
there's a million things that can go
wrong. Is your oxygen mix right? Will
your cameras freeze up? Are you leaving
contrail...
(beat)
Those million things are beyond your
control, mostly... But you know, when
you realize that, there's a kind of
peace. You don't need to be in control.
You never were in control in the first
place. If you're a good man, and your
ground crew are good men, it's all you
can ask for. And with the grace of G-d,
it'll get you through.
The young Major smiles to himself, to the phone.
MAJOR ANDERSON (CONT'D)
You sound like a good man. You'll be
all right, Mr. O'Donnell. We believe in
you guys down here.
(beat)
Thanks for the call.
INT. KENNY'S OFFICE - CONTINUOUS
Kenny nods to himself, deeply touched by the man's faith.
KENNY
Thank you, Major.
INT. READY ROOM - MACDILL AFB - CONTINUOUS
With a click, the line goes dead and Anderson walks the phone
over to the receiver on the wall.
END INTERCUT
EXT. RUNWAY - MACDILL AFB - MOMENTS LATER
A cart speeds down the tarmac, an NCO behind the wheel.
Beside him sits Major Anderson, his helmet on, visor up. He
adjusts the mix on the oxygen bottle he's carrying at his
feet, breathing in preparation for the high-altitude flight.
Up ahead, among a host of service vehicles, sits the U-2.
INT. U-2 - DAY
Anderson switches over to the U-2's oxygen supply as his NCOs
belt him in. They slap him on the helmet for good luck and
lower the canopy as he brings his engines up to power.
MAJOR ANDERSON
This is flight G3132, requesting
permission for take-off.
TOWER VOICE (O.S.)
G3132, you've got runway one, you are
cleared to proceed to Angels 72.
MAJOR ANDERSON
Roger that.
And he throws the throttle forward,
SMASH CUT TO:
EXT. STRATOSPHERE - MOMENTS LATER
The twilight, in-between, world of the stratosphere. Far
below -- clouds, shining blue day. Above, stars and the
indigo depths of space. We hang in utter silence.
A silver glint appears in the center of the horizon. It
grows larger. Then larger still. It is the U-2. We barely
have time to register the rising hiss of its engines, when it
FILLS THE SCREEN and BOOMS PAST, leaving us standing still.
The CAMERA PANS to follow it, but it's already dwindled to a
speck, and we feel how fast 600 miles an hour really is.
INT. U-2 - CONTINUOUS
Anderson's gloved hand reaches for the CAMERA HEATER
switches.
EXT. U-2 - CONTINUOUS
The belly door whines open like a silver eyelid, exposing the
camera's lense.
INT. U-2 - CONTINUOUS
Anderson double checks his position, switches to the
autopilot for the stability only the machine can provide,
then hits the CAMERA ACTIVATE button on his joystick.
BAMABMABMABMA... The camera begins its photography.
Anderson watches the number on the film-remaining counter
spool down. He stares out the window. The towering clouds
below rise up magnificent, glorious... a glimpse of heaven.
Rapt, Anderson stares. And then suddenly a BLARING ALARM
GOES OFF IN THE COCKPIT. It shocks Anderson around to the
controls. It's his MISSILE WARNING LIGHT.
Anderson' hands flash out to the joystick, turning off the
cameras, disabling autopilot. He banks the U-2 hard.