Scene exerpt from the film, "Moon Boys"

"MOON BOYS" by Rick Bennette (c)2009 FineArtVideo.com  All rights reserved


INT. MISSION CONTROL - DAY

MISSION CONTROL ENGINEERS at the Cape Canaveral facility are deliberating on solving a major problem with Scorpio, a manned spacecraft in orbit around the moon.

GENERAL STONE

This is Apollo 13 all over again.

COLONEL MASTERSON

One big difference, sir.

GENERAL STONE

What's that, Colonel?

COLONEL MASTERSON

Sabotage.

GENERAL STONE

Sabotage?  I don't think so.

COLONEL MASTERSON

Sir, the information comin' in's pretty strong for it -

GENERAL STONE

- Colonel, you're wrong.  Country sees these boys as heroes.  Check again.

COLONEL MASTERSON

Yes, sir.

COLONEL MASTERSON walks off.  GENERAL STONE addresses the FLIGHT COMMANDER aboard Scorpio.

GENERAL STONE

Scorpio, what's your situation with this error?

FLIGHT COMMANDER

Canaveral, it's not just an indication error.  Problem is real.

GENERAL STONE

We're gonna figure this out.

FLIGHT COMMANDER

We're all for that up here.

GENERAL STONE

Meanwhile, kick that thing in the butt.  I want to minimize Trans Earth Injection much as possible.

FLIGHT COMMANDER

Roger on Trans Earth.  We holding reserves for go-around?

GENERAL STONE

Negative, Scorpio.  We need max V.  We'll uplink calcs for the new Trans Earth.

FLIGHT COMMANDER

Roger that, Canaveral.

COLONEL MASTERSON returns with photos and papers.

COLONEL MASTERSON

This is all we got, sir.

He hands GENERAL STONE the photos and papers.  The General thumbs through them quickly, stopping on one photo.

GENERAL STONE

When was this taken?

COLONEL MASTERSON

Just before launch.

GENERAL STONE

I can't make this guy out.

COLONEL MASTERSON

It's Major Glenn.

GENERAL STONE

No - -

COLONEL MASTERSON

- - Of course not, sir.  Same name, that's all.

GENERAL STONE

What the hell's he doin' in there?

COLONEL MASTERSON

We're workin' on that.  Here.  Look at this.

He points to some numbers on a page.

GENERAL STONE

Telemetry readings?

COLONEL MASTERSON

They show oxygen tanks two and three reading full.

GENERAL STONE

They should be.  So what happened up there?

COLONEL MASTERSON

Scorpio says they're empty.

GENERAL STONE

Both of 'em?

COLONEL MASTERSON

Yes, sir.

GENERAL STONE

Can we get 'em home on just tank one?

COLONEL MASTERSON

It's a ten hour ride.

GENERAL STONE

The new Trans Earth will cut a couple hours off that.

COLONEL MASTERSON

Still leaves 'em a few hours short of oxygen.

GENERAL STONE

We gotta find a way.  What are we not seein' here?

FLIGHT COMMANDER

Canaveral, I think we found something.

GENERAL STONE

Go ahead, Scorpio.

FLIGHT COMMANDER

The O2 gauges have been hot wired.

GENERAL STONE

Say again?

FLIGHT COMMANDER

The O2 gauges have been hot wired.

GENERAL STONE

How is that possible?

FLIGHT COMMANDER

Clip leads.  We removed 'em and gauges two and three went to zero.

GENERAL STONE

Masterson was right.  OK.  We gotta find a way to squeeze every bit of O2 in tank one till you boys come home.

FLIGHT COMMANDER

Lookin' forward to that, Canaveral.

COLONEL MASTERSON

We can save a lot of O2 if we pipe the existing cabin air directly into the suits.

GENERAL STONE

That'll work if they have an interface on board.

COLONEL MASTERSON

Course you'd also have to switch it every minute or so between the three of 'em.

GENERAL STONE

You'd lose a lot that way.  Better to have a three way interface.

COLONEL MASTERSON

That would do it.

GENERAL STONE

Scorpio, you guys got anything on board to make some sort of interface from the O2 tank to your suits?

FLIGHT COMMANDER

There's no Radio Shack up here, Canaveral.

GENERAL STONE

What do you have?  And I mean anything.  Paper, cardboard, toilet paper rolls. Whatever you're not usin' to fly the ship, gather it up.

FLIGHT COMMANDER

OK, we'll start tearin' the shelves apart up here.

GENERAL STONE

Colonel, get Major Glenn in my office.

COLONEL MASTERSON

Yes, sir.

The COLONEL walks off.



INT. GENERAL STONE'S OFFICE - DAY

Two security guards bring MAJOR GLENN to GENERAL STONE'S office.  GENERAL STONE rises from his chair.

GENERAL STONE

Sit down, Major.  What the hell did you do?

MAJOR GLENN

Nothing, sir.

GENERAL STONE

Don't bullshit me, you little piss ant.  We gotcha.

GENERAL STONE picks up and slams a few photos down on his desk.  MAJOR GLENN takes a quick peek.

MAJOR GLENN

You got nothing.

GENERAL STONE

We got enough to put your sorry ass in prison.

MAJOR GLENN

You got me doin' a final inspection.

GENERAL STONE

You weren't on duty for that.  God help you if anything happens to those boys.

MAJOR GLENN

NASA's my life, sir.  I would never do anything - -

GENERAL STONE

- - You're a disgrace to the name Glenn.  Why'd you do it?

MAJOR GLENN

I swear.  I didn't - -

GENERAL STONE

- - Shut up.  I'm gonna get the truth out a you, one way or another.

GENERAL STONE motions the guards.  The guards hold MAJOR GLENN down while GENERAL STONE grabs the MAJOR by the neck, chokes him and releases his hand.

MAJOR GLENN

Ahhhhhh!  (Choking) You can't get away with this.  I'll have your job.

GENERAL STONE

My job?  You think I give a crap about my job?  Three men up there might die because of you.  I'm not gonna let you disgrace NASA.  Anything happens to them and - - well - - let's just say what happens to you - - it'll be cruel and unusual.  You understand me, Major?

GENERAL STONE squeezes MAJOR GLENN'S neck again.

MAJOR GLENN

(Choking) Ahhhhhh!!!)


GENERAL STONE

Now - - tell me why you did it.

MAJOR GLENN

I want a lawyer.

GENERAL STONE

No lawyer's gonna help you.

MAJOR GLENN

I got rights - -

GENERAL STONE

- - not with me you don't.

There's a knock on the door.  GENERAL STONE signals the guards to open it.  COLONEL MASTERSON enters the room.

GENERAL STONE

Lock this weasel up.  And keep this from the press.

The guards leave with MAJOR GLENN.

COLONEL MASTERSON

I think we found the motive.

GENERAL STONE

Let me guess.  Money.  It's always about money, right?

COLONEL MASTERSON

The contract Major Glenn made with the boys - -

GENERAL STONE

- - the contract?

COLONEL MASTERSON

He rigged it.

GENERAL STONE

How?

COLONEL MASTERSON

He wrote a clause - - made himself beneficiary in case they didn't make it back.

GENERAL STONE

And no one caught that?

COLONEL MASTERSON

He did it after they signed it.

GENERAL STONE

That scum bag weasel.  I want him dead.

COLONEL MASTERSON

You can't do that, sir.

GENERAL STONE

Doesn't stop me from wantin' it.

COLONEL MASTERSON

Come on, General.  Let's work on  gettin' our moon boys home.  Let the cops do the dirty work.

GENERAL STONE

I want the military to handle this.  I don't want the public to know this was done by one of ours.

COLONEL MASTERSON

We can't hide that for long.

They walk out of the office.

GENERAL STONE

(unitelligable grunting)