Copyright 1997 by Rob Perry and NorthStarr Productions
All Rights Reserved
NorthStarr Casting Copyright 1997 by Rob Perry and NorthStarr Productions
Ed Harris
Billy Zane
Dr. Arnold Nelson
Project Scientist
Department of Energy
United States of America
Judd Alan
Deputy Project Scientist
Department of Energy
United States of America
Synopsis: A team from the Department of Energy are
about to test a doomsday weapon in the Nevada Desert. They find the skull of a
prehistoric man who they think is the missing link.....
FADE IN
EXT. MERCURY NEVADA MORNING
EXT. AREA 37 GLASS BUTTE
INT. DUGAS ADMINISTRATION BUILDING
The discovery team is sitting at the
conference table having breakfast.
NELSON
So you ready to go down in the
hole Dr. Orion?
ORION
Before I go down there, I want
to know what you guys are making
and is there a chance it will go
off when I'm down there!
NELSON
The detonation of a single nuclear
device would cause a local disaster
on a very small scale. The effect of
a single device would depend on its
power, and where it exploded, high in
the air or at ground level and it
would be like a device going off in
a missile silo.
ORION
What do you have here, a Kiloton or
megaton device?
NELSON
A megaton is the explosive power
of one million tons of TNT.
A "kiloton" is the power of one
thousand tons of TNT. This device
is classified so at this point
I'm not able to give you explosive
size or designation.
ORION
Ok, I can handle classified designation
so tell me this, if this device were
set off one mile above a good size
city, what would be the damage.
NELSON
First, we will look at the result
of this device detonated at an
altitude of 5,000 feet above a
city, to cause maximum blast
effects. The first effect of the
explosion in the air is an intense
flash of light, as quick as a
lightning flash but a thousand
times as bright. It is accompanied
by a powerful pulse of heat
radiation, sufficient to set fire
to light combustible material
out to a distance of fifty miles.
ALAN
There is also an intense pulse of
X-rays, sufficient to be lethal at
a distance of ten miles in fact
that would be a small factor, since
people that close would all or
nearly all be killed by the blast
that follows.
NELSON
Immediately after the flash, a
fireball forms in the air and
rises for several seconds, then
radiating intense heat. On a
clear day or night, people up
up to eighty km. away who
happened to be facing that way,
or who turned their eyes to look
where the flash came from, would
be blinded. Within ten miles of
ground zero, which is the point
directly under the explosion all
parts of the body exposed to the
flash would be burned deeply into
the flesh.
ALAN
Starting at the same instant, but
travelling more slowly is a
powerful blast wave. It would
destroy concrete buildings for a
radius of two miles and brick or
frame houses out to eight miles.
Within ten miles almost everyone
would be killed. At 25 miles 50
per cent of people would be
killed by the effects of the blast.
Immediately following the blast
wave would be hurricane force
winds, first outwards from the
explosion, and many seconds later
inwards to replace the air that
went out.
NELSON
Within 20 miles the wind would
be of tornado force, 300 miles
per hour. People in the open
would be picked up and hurled
into any object strong enough
to be still standing. Then of
course you would have the
firestorm.
Alan and Nelson can see this dissertation is affecting
Dr. Orion and she appears to be getting pissed.
NELSON (Cont.)
Many fires would have been started
by the first flash. Burst fuel tanks,
gas mains, and collapsed buildings
would provide more fuel, and it would
cause a "firestorm". This is when
fires cause sufficient updraft to
form their own wind, blowing inwards
from all sides and thereby increasing
the intensity of the fire. And of
course there is the fallout!
Nelson can see Dr. Orion looking at the wall and
appearing disinterested.
NELSON (Cont.)
Do you want me to continue?
ORION
(Sarcastic)
By all means!
NELSON (Cont.)
A nuclear explosion, as well as
giving off a great pulse of
radiation at the time, leaves
everything in the vicinity
radioactive. In the case of an
air-burst most of the radioactive
debris would be vaporized, and
would rise with the fireball.
There could be a heavy rainstorm
containing radioactivity, and the
rubble within a radius 20 miles
of ground zero would be radioactive.
A part of the fission material like
plutonium does not get destroyed.
This would result in widespread
contamination, increasing the late
risk of cancer for those who
survived to twenty years.
Alan can see Dr. Orion is fuming.
ALAN
Ok Dr. Nelson that's enough, it's
obvious she doesn't want to hear
any more of our war stories!
NELSON
The estimates for a city of five
million struck by a single one
megaton bomb are that around
half of the inhabitants would be
killed instantly or fatally
injured.
Out of the corner of Nelson's eyes he sees Alan walk out
of the room. He seems to get pleasure out of seeing
Dr. Orions traumatic reaction to the effects of
Nuclear fusion.
NELSON (Cont.)
If a one megaton bomb exploded at
ground level instead of high above
the city, the difference would be
an enormous crater 4000 feet across
and 1000 feet deep. All the dirt,
rock, or masonry excavated would
be made into radioactive dust and
small debris. The larger particles
would quickly descend in the
immediate vicinity, and the finer
particles and dust would descend
in minutes or hours, mainly downwind
from the site of the explosion.
NELSON
Do you want me to go on, or should I
stop?
Dr. Orion is trying to maintain her composure and
stops looking at the wall and faces Dr. Nelson.
ORION
You did a good sell job Arnie, and
you know what I don't need this
kind of shit! There's no way I'm
going down that hole, no matter
what! I'm going to see the base
commander and asking for a transfer.
NELSON
I'm sorry you feel that way, but the
risk we all have to take is why we
get paid the big bucks.
ORION
Arnie, fuck you and the big bucks!
Dr. Orion grabs her gear and start to walk out the door
when Dr. nelson blocks her way through the door.
NELSON
Hey, you asked for the details of
what happens, I didn't volunteer it!
ORION
You should have seen the look on your
face you male chauvinist pig. You were
enjoying it, you were getting off on
my reaction to what really bad shit
nuclear is. You fucking loved it!
You go on the eleven o'clock news
and tell the people of Nevada what
the fuck your doing down here and
they will shut you down faster than
you can spit. Come on Arnie, this is
all payback for me calling you a
fag, isn't it?
Nelson sees his project going down the tubes and he
now tries to salvage it.
NELSON
What you think of me, means nothing.
What is something is salvaging this
project, that you and I and the
American people have invested over
two billion dollars to make this
weapon feasible. Look to make this
device go off it takes a careful
sequence of events and more people
making these events happen then you
can imagine.
Dr. Orion is crying and she has positioned herself
against the wall next to the exit.
ORION
You know Arnie from the first day
I sat through your lecture at U.C.
Berkley, I thought you were the
greatest thing since pop corn,
and yes I came here to be on the
project so I could be near my hero.
And for the last 6 months since
I've been here you haven't even
looked at me once even though
we see each other every day.
Every man here has made a fuss
over me except you, so what do
you want me to think of you.
He places his arm around her and holds her close to him
and looks into her eyes.
NELSON
I had no idea you felt that way about
me, I'm really sorry.
He gives her a very tender kiss. They both walk
over to the table and finish their breakfast.
Alan walks into the room and sits down next to
Nelson. He grabs the TV remote and turns on a
Las Vegas station. The screen lights up showing
a newscaster plugging in a report from the
middle east coming through CNN.
NEWSCASTER
We have DOREEN HABIB coming from the
middle east on CNN.
A middle east young lady well dressed is starting her
afternoon report.
HABIB
This report is from an unnamed
individual high in the United
States Defense Department.
The United Nations Inspectors
have found the presence of
biological weapons in Iraq
and prior to the full disclosure
the inspectors have been kicked
out of Iraq. Some officials
consider this a declaration
of war. There are reports
indicating that SADDAM had
given the order to launch
biological weapons in SCUD
missiles against Allied forces
but the Iraqi commanders had
failed to do so. The Iraq
classified report traced the
growth of the biological weapons
complex in Iraq and its sources
of materials in Switzerland,
France, and the United States.
Author conjectures that the
knowledge of this industry
and the notice of the intent to
used such weapons were factors
that led the United Nations to
halt the retaliation to having
the inspectors thrown out. The
estimated biological agents
strategically placed in key
Iraq cities is over 200 Liters
of Anthrax. If the UN had ordered
bombing, these agents could have
been released into the air and
the wind currents would have
dispersed them into the middle
east killing millions of people
A UN spokesman for biological
weapons, ROLF EKENS, had been
studying the problem but was
surprised on how rapidly and
in what bulk the Iraqi had
developed that bio-mass.
CUT TO:
EXT. WASHINGTON DC DAY
EXT. FBI HEADQUARTERS
INT. ANTI-TERRORIST UNIT
The FBI Anti-Terrorist Unit members are reviewing
breaking information concerning Middle East strategy.
Dr. Raul Diaz Assistant Director (ATU) is giving a
classified presentation and heads up to a group
of twelve core members. Diaz is a young Hispanic
man in his late thirties tall and good looking.
DIAZ
The FBI has a computer database known
as the Terrorist Information System
containing information on suspected
terrorist groups and individuals.
The system has over 200,000
individuals and over 3000
organizations or enterprises. The
individuals indexed include not only
subjects of investigations but also
known or suspected members of active
terrorist groups, contacts, victims
associates and witnesses. The core
organizations or enterprises include
not only terrorist groups but also
affiliated organizations or vital
enterprises. TIS allows the FBI to
rapidly retrieve information and to
make links between persons, groups
or events. There is a problem of
disaffected loners who have cut
themselves off from all groups. An
increased effort to monitor anti
government groups is unlikely to
identify these loners, who may pose
the greatest threat. This form of
intelligence has a much broader
application than either operational
or tactical intelligence, forms of
information analysis dealing with
immediate threats. Strategic
intelligence integrates politics,
social studies, and the study of
technology. It is designed to
provide officials with long-range
forecasts of what is important
rather than what is urgent. This
identifies probable technological
operational changes among terrorist
groups. Also changes in terrorist
motivations and goals are examined.
All of these components are analyzed
in a strategic context to assess
active and potential terrorist
targets and operations resulting
vulnerabilities within the United
States.
Jan Dember the Special Agent in Charge raises his hand and Diaz points
to him.
DIAZ
Yes, Agent Dember!
DEMBER
Sir, what effect has the end of the
cold war had on terrorist groups?
DIAZ
Even though it probably never fully
existed, the artificial superficial
equilibrium imposed by the Cold
War has been destroyed. Within the
former republics of the defunct
Soviet Union the order imposed by
Moscow on ethnic and nationalist
movements has given way to cold
separatists demands often
accompanied by political violence
including terrorism, various forms
of low intensity conflict, rapidly
growing organized crime, and civil
war.
DEMBER
What effect has this had on Europe?
DIAZ
The instability has spilled over into
Eastern Europe where the former
satellites are attempting to cope
with the uncertainties of current
democratization. Additionally, now
that Moscow and Washington are no
longer inclined to use regional
surrogates as a way of avoiding
direct confrontation, a number
of regional powers are emerging.
Neither Moscow nor Washington
have either the inclination or
the influence needed to constrain
many of these regional would-be
superpowers.
Wells the Asisstant Special Agent in Charge raises his hand and Diaz points
to him.
DIAZ
Yes, Agent Wells!
WELLS
Sir, what about Iran?
DIAZ
Iran is a case in point. Countries
like Iran, Syria and Libya use
terrorism as a form of diplomacy
as an adjunct to their foreign
policies. To these states,
terrorism is as integral part of
their diplomacy as the exchange
of ambassadors. Smaller states
can easily emulate their example.
In this era of what should be
called a New world disorder the
breakdown of central authority
and domination of the existing
state system has been under
assault from a number of quarters.
WELLS
How legitimate are some of these
states?
DIAZ
The legitimacy of many states has
been challenged by the growing
assertion of both sub national
and transnational calls for self
determination by ethnic groups
and religious movements that deny
the legitimacy of what they perceive
to be a discredited international
order. Despite the optimism of
the past, primordial loyalties
have not withered away in the
face of technology, democracy,
and the introduction of free
market economies. Indeed, many
groups and movements have fed
upon a reaction to what is
sometimes viewed as the obvious
secular immorality of the West.
WELLS
But sir , how true are their
loyalties?
DIAZ
Tribal loyalties on a sub-national
level share the rejection of
secular mass societies with
fundamentalist movements. Some
of these movements seem to offer
the chimera of psychological,
sociological and political
security to people who are trying
find their place in an uncertain,
even threatening, world. New and
dangerous players have emerged in
the international arena. The level
of instability and concomitant
violence is further heightened by
the rise to the international
political significance of non-state
actors willing to challenge the
primacy of the state.
WELLS
Sir, I'm not sure where this leaves us?
DIAZ
Gentlemen, the presentation you just
heard was given to the President last
week. Since that time we have an
update from one of our sister agencies.
Agent Wells your question was where
does this leave us, well I'm afraid
this leaves us in a very, very
bad position. Let me explain.
If the United Nations requires any
evidence that SADDAM HUSSEIN still
retains the desire and the capability
to make weapons of mass destruction,
it need look no farther than Libya.
WELLS
Why Libya?
DIAZ
That is where the Iraqi leader is
sending his best rocket scientists.
With Libyan money and North Korean
technical support, the Iraqis are
hard at work building a new generation
of long-range ballistic missiles.
By keeping his weapons scientists
working, Saddam retains the most
important part of any future missile
project, the brains to make it work.
Trained by Europeans, tutored by
Soviets and tested in two wars,
Saddam's scientists are an asset to
any Third World missile program.
WELLS
You know that's really sick?
DIAZ
Under intense scrutiny from the
U.N., Iraq finds it difficult to
make use of its weapons experts,
but Libya's Colonel MU'AMMAR
AL-QADDAFFI is eager for their
services. He is happy to keep
these missile men employed and is
willing to pay Iraq for that
privilege. Colonel QADDAFFI has
invested a great Deal of time
and money, without much success,
in trying to develop a weapon
capable of reaching Tel Aviv,
London or Rome. The Iraqis have
designed and tested such
long-range weapons, notably
the AL-HUSAYN and the BADR
MISSILES.
WELLS
Sir, why don't we just bomb Libya?
DIAZ
Libya has extensive facilities where
The Iraqis can recreate and improve
upon the arsenal they made for Saddam.
The Iraqi scientists are familiar with
Libya's equipment. Both countries
bought missile parts, machinery and
technology from the same German companies.
One such firm was H + H METALFORM
MASCHINENBAU UND VERTRIEBS-GMBH. Its
directors served nearly two years in
jail for violating German export laws.
WELLS
What about the United States?
DIAZ
Many other companies were involved in
the Iraqi and Libyan arms programs,
including some in Brazil. Iraq is
trying to revive the Brazilian connection.
Saddam's half-brother and ambassador
to the U.N. in Geneva, BARZAN
AL-TIKRITI, created the network of arms
and technology smuggling that built up
the Iraqi weapons program. He recently
offered some Brazilian companies a deal
to exchange cheap oil for selected goods.
The Brazilian government intervened to
stop the negotiations.
WELLS
Sir, I thought they couldn't sell oil?
DIAZ
Iraq is forbidden to sell oil except for
some humanitarian purposes. It is under
a U.N. embargo because it has not
fulfilled all of the requirements
of U.N. resolutions dealing with its arms
program. Iraq has repeatedly spurned U.N.
offers to allow some oil to be sold to
buy food and medicine. The U.N. increased
its offer in April to allow Iraq to sell
US $2 billion in oil every six months.
This would buy food and medicine, fund
war reparations programs, and pay
for U.N. inspection and aid operations in
Iraq. Saddam refused, saying that such
restrictions impinge on Iraqi sovereignty.
WELLS
Where do they get the money to keep their
Army going?
DIAZ
In the meantime, Iraq has again cut
ration allotments and insists that its
people are wasting away for lack of food,
medicine and international commerce. This
has not, however, stopped Iraq from keeping
400,000 soldiers in uniform, nor has it
stopped Saddam from building palaces.
Thirty-nine palaces for Saddam and his
family are under construction or renovation,
which has cost Iraq $1.2 billion over
the past two years. One palace at Basra
is larger than that at Versailles. It
has four artificial lakes. Iraq asked
the U.N. for a special dispensation to
allow it to import marble, alabaster and
water fountains for the palaces.
WELLS
Can't his people see through him?
DIAZ
The U.N. refused. Despite the U.N. embargo,
Iraq is finding ways to make money.
One operation involves the smuggling of
oil through Iran. Another involves the
leasing of Iraqi scientists to Libya.
Both operations are designed to
allow Iraq to maintain its potential to
make weapons of mass destruction.
The missile scientists are part of a larger
brain trust of weapons experts, most of
whom are still active in Iraq. Jane's
Information Group in London says there are
reports of 7,000 Iraqi scientists hiding
in the mountains and working away on
weapons research.
WELLS
Are they working on Nuclear Weapons?
DIAZ
A former top official of the International
Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) says the
number of scientists and technicians
involved is closer to 20,000. They include
the key people who created chemical and
biological weapons, built missiles and
designed warheads. They enriched uranium
and came very close to producing an Iraqi
nuclear weapon, a program that went
undetected by the IAEA.
WELLS
Where they at on biological weapons?
DIAZ
Not all of Iraq's weapons experts are
Hidden, many are working almost in
plain sight. One of them, Dr. RIHAB
RASHID TAHA AZAWI, has several hundred
biologists working for her at several
facilities in Iraq. She claims they
are making vaccines. U.N. inspectors,
who have nicknamed her Doctor Germs,
claim that the doctor led the Iraqi
biological weapons projects.
A number of large FERMENTORS and other
items used in making biological weapons
are also unaccounted for, the U.N.
inspectors in Iraq report. Over 17
tons of germ culture growth media
imported by Iraq is still missing.
That is enough to produce about a
ton of germ weapons. Most of the
cultures and media, the U.N. arms
inspectors say, could be used to
make the deadly anthrax virus.
WELLS
Are the inspectors concerned?
DIAZ
ROLF EKEUS, chief of the U.N.
inspection effort in Iraq, says
Iraq has failed to disclose all of
the facts about its biological weapons
programs. He says that there is a
high risk that Iraq is still trying
to develop such arms.
GENERAL WAFIQ AL-SAMRAI, who served
on Saddam's personal staff until he
defected to the resistance last
November, says that Iraq has about
200 anthrax bombs in a secret
underground depot. He claims that
these and other weapons are hidden
at a base near SALAH AH DIN, not
far from Saddam's hometown of TIKRIT.
WELLS
We heard he was spending all his money
on himself.
DIAZ
Saddam is building a new palace near
TIKRIT. He wanted it to have a lake,
so his engineers dug one. To fill it,
they diverted the Tigris River.
President Saddam Hussein chaired a meeting
with the Revolutionary Command Counsel
discussing the National Assembly's
Recommendation to suspend ties with
United Nations arms inspectors.
Russia and France, two permanent members
of the U.N. Security Council seen as
sympathetic to Iraq's drive to lift
sanctions imposed for its 1990 invasion
of Kuwait, joined the United States in
warning Baghdad against freezing the
activities of the inspectors.
WELLS
What do you think they are going to do?
DIAZ
President Saddam Hussein chaired a
joint meeting of the Revolutionary
Command Council and the regional command
of the ARAB BAATH SOCIALIST PARTY, the
Iraqi news agency INA said. The meeting
discussed recommendations approved by
the National Assembly concerning U.N.
Security Council Resolution 1,134, which
was taken with American pressure, it added.
WELLS
When does this all end?
DIAZ
RCC Continues to Meet INA said
the powerful Revolutionary Command
Council (RCC) would continue its
meeting to discuss this issue and
later announce to the people what
decision has been reached. It did
not say how long the meeting would
last but said the RCC invited the
speaker of the National Assembly or
parliament, SAADOUN HAMMADI, to
brief the council on the discussions
that took place in the Assembly.
On Monday parliament recommended
to the Iraqi leadership that Baghdad
suspend ties with U.N. arms inspectors
to counter a U.N. Security Council
resolution threatening more sanctions
against Iraq. The United States said
on Monday there would be serious
consequences if Iraq decided to
suspend dealings with U.N. weapons
inspectors, who have not yet
reported any difficulty in
carrying out their activities.
WELLS
Sir, it doesn't make sense!
DIAZ
Any measures against Iraq considered
by the wicked dictatorship of
America would be of limited effect,
the newspaper Babel, owned by
Saddam's eldest son UDAY, said
on Tuesday in a front-page editorial.
The official al-Iraq daily blamed
the recent U.N. resolution on the
United States. The aggressive
American policy against Iraq has reached
such a serious stage that ignoring
its results would mean that Iraqis
accept committing suicide or
waiting for slow death, al-Iraq said.
WELLS
Who's on our side?
DIAZ
Warning Comes from France, Russia
In Moscow, Foreign Ministry spokesman
VALERY NESTERUSHKIN told a news
Briefing Moscow believes the
constructive cooperation of the
Iraqi leadership with the special
U.N. commission is the only correct
and realistic way that will lead
to a prompt lifting of sanctions.
Any other approach is fraught
with negative consequences, above
all for Iraq itself. The warning
was echoed in a French Foreign
Ministry statement which said
Security Council resolutions
must not be questioned.
DEMBER
Sir, let's face it the French
hate us!
DIAZ
An approach in that sense,
with the utmost firmness, was
made on October 26 in Baghdad
to warn Iraq of the risks it
would be taking by ending its
cooperation with the special
commission, the French statement
said. France and Russia, along
with China, Egypt and Kenya,
abstained when the 15-member
Security Council adopted a
resolution on Thursday threatening
to impose a travel ban on Iraqi
officials alleged to have hindered
U.N. inspectors in their work.
WELLS
Sir, the United Nations are
in the right!
DIAZ
The resolution was originally
drafted by the United States
and Britain after Richard Butler,
head of the U.N. Special
Commission (UNSCOM) responsible
for dismantling Iraq's dangerous
weapons, said Baghdad had blocked
his arms inspectors from several
Iraqi sites. A clean bill of health
by the weapons inspectors is a
condition for lifting the sanctions
on Iraqi exports, including oil.
WELLS
What can we do about it?
DIAZ
Butler said on Monday, I have seen
reports of consideration taking
place in Baghdad on freezing
cooperation with UNSCOM. I can
only repeat that such a conclusion
from the resolution would represent
a serious mistake. He told Reuters
in New York that only last Thursday,
while the resolution was being
adopted, his inspectors found
three empty warheads Baghdad had
previously denied having. The
warheads had been rendered useless
and were pointed out to the
inspectors by the Iraqis, he said.
He said this was an example of
concealment as well as cooperation.
DEMBER
What can we do about it?
DIAZ
We have found a loner and he's
working on a top secret project
in the Nevada Desert. Also,
he's on SADDAM'S payroll!
CUT TO:
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