EXT. STREET IN FRONT OF DRY CLEANERS - NIGHT
JAY, a homeless man, sits with his head covered watching cars pass. FIRST WOMAN drives up and gets out of her car. JAY watches her closely.
Once she enters the cleaners, JAY stands up and approaches the car. After hesitating, he covers his hand with the sleeve of his coat and smashes the passenger side window. The car alarm blares.
JAY reaches in and grabs a laptop computer and a cellular phone. Thinking again, he reaches in and grabs a hamburger sitting on the seat. He brushes off the glass and walks away as the alarm blares.
FIRST WOMAN rushes out of the dry cleaners yelling at JAY.
EXT. BRIDGE OVER HIGHWAY - NIGHT
JAY stands on the bridge with a machine that looks like a radar gun. He connects it to the stolen cell phone and aims it at a passing car. "Connecting...connecting...<FAIL>"
After a few tries, JAY succeeds and the cell phone screen lights up "<APPROVED.>"
Jay bites into sandwich and spits it out. He smells it, makes a disgusted face and tosses it.
INT. CARDBOARD SHACK - NIGHT
A shack made of old appliance boxes. It is filled principally with dry garbage such as fast food wrappers. There are holes in the shack loosely patched with duct tape. Through the visqueen doorway, we can see the bridge and the river. JAY sits at a makeshift engineering bench next to a large, occasionally sparking battery.
JAY connects the cell phone to the laptop using a home-made connector (a nest of multicolored wires). He calls up a screen with the former owner's account information and passwords.
| Cookie, cookie, who wants a cookie? |
After typing in a URL, he quickly clicks an "ORDER" button. An order confirmation screen comes up quickly (but we can see no details).
The sound of sirens approaching. Jay looks up and quickly shuts off the cell phone and the laptop. He flips the laptop over, grabs a screwdriver, and spins the screws out of the bottom with ease. With motions that suggest expertise, he pops the hard drive out of the computer. The rest of it he stuffs into his mound of trash behind him. He turns to the cell phone pops the battery out of it. "<ERASED>" reads the screen.
Sirens become louder. JAY emerges from his shack bathed in red and blue lights. He tosses the cell phone and the hard drive into the river.
EXT. OUTSIDE OF APARTMENT BUILDING - NIGHT
JAY runs into the building's lobby moments before a car drives up and DELIVERY BOY exits and walks to the front step. JAY comes out to meet him, clearly winded and breathing heavily.
| Your pizza. |
A police car drives by very slowly. JAY watches it, still panting.
| Yeah. Pizza. |
| Are you okay? |
| I ran here - from upstairs. |
JAY pats his pockets indicating that he forgot his wallet.
| The tip was included with on-line your order, sir. |
| Well, have a good night. It's a cold one out there- I don't envy you. |
| Whatever. |
JAY watches as DELIVERY BOY leaves. He bites into a slice and watches the skyline.
INT. PRIMROSE SYSTEMS MAIN CONFERENCE ROOM - DAY - FLASHBACK
JAY stands in front of a large projection screen with the Primrose logo on it. A group of a half dozen men and women in business suits listen. A movie loops behind him, rays of lights flowing in a rotating matrix.
| Ladies and gentlemen- and others. People have been arguing
for ages about privacy on the Internet. E-commerce and net-telephony
rely on a kind of privacy- encryption. But scrambling your message
is only part of the solution.
Every message you post, everything you buy leaves a trail of bread crumbs behind - a trail that leads straight to you. |
| Sure, your IP address. A user connecting to the Internet gets an IP number from their service provider- theoretically random within a given range each time they log in. Servers have static, IPs. They don't change. |
| Thanks, Phil. Did you bring an apple for teacher?
But what if we could go beyond just trying to block people from reading IPs, masking them? What if we could actually make them transparent, ever-changing? |
JAY scans the faces and clicks to the next slide, the Changeling logo.
| Phil, will you do the honors? |
PHIL from the group of business people taps around on his Palm Pilot.
| I'm looking at your site now. Primrose Systems dot com. |
JAY loads up a window that says "real time httpd log." It consists with a table of stats with IP addresses next to them.
| From these simple statistics, using this IP number, I can trace
their location - kind of like tracing a call. If I wanted to, I could
find out all kinds of evil information about them.
Anyone who knows how to do it could get directions to your doorstep in minutes. That only proves my long-standing theory: Never piss off a geek. |
JAY scrolls down to the bottom of the page, where on one of the lines, the IP address changes randomly every few seconds. JAY points to this line.
| That's you. |
| You're kidding. |
|
|
And while you're still seamlessly connected to us, we can't
connect to you.
Transparent and absolutely private. Changeling is the new flagship product from Primrose Systems. Although currently only in the alpha stage of development, the code has matured quite a bit... |
KIRK is standing at the doorway, leaning in.
| Jay, can I see you for a moment? |
| Marketing people never know when to quit. |
| Jay, I really need to see you right away. |
| I'm showing these fine people all the benefits of licensing our Changeling product. |
| Let Louissa finish up. This is an emergency. |
EXT. STREET IN FRONT OF RESTAURANT - DAY
JAY sits on a bench opposite the restaurant and watches people go in and out. A UPS truck rolls up and JAY crosses the street. As the DRIVER walks into the establishment, JAY hops into the truck and rummages through the boxes in the back. He snags a Sony laptop box and unpacks it, stuffing the packing, etc. behind the rest of the boxes. Putting the laptop under his coat, he opens the back door. On his way out, he runs to the driver's seat and takes the burrito sitting on the dashboard.
INT. CARDBOARD SHACK - DAY
The Sony laptop sits on the make-shift desk with parts strewn about. JAY still has the soldering gun in his hand, staring at the web page for Primrose Systems. He opens a shell and starts a root kit.
Close up on the screen, randomly-chosen usernames and passwords run up the screen. <ACCESS DENIED>
JAY drags a file into a window named "Primrose Systems FTP."
| That's a nice horse. Is it Trojan? |
The screen blinks <ACCESS DENIED>.
INT - PRIMROSE OFFICES - DAY - FLASHBACK
The Primrose Systems logo hangs above the cubicles. Kirk stands before the assembled employees in an impromptu meeting.
| I know that some of you may already be aware of the talks between
our company and a suitor.
Our add-ons for the Chatbot client/server application have raised an eyebrow or two in the past year. But now we have fans over at the largest Internet host on the planet. We have decided to sell Primrose Systems to Family Home Networks- effective immediately. |
Primrose employees are confused, mumbling to each other.
| Internet with training wheels. Are you kidding? |
| It's been a hard seven years for all of you. We've never
been able to offer the kind of benefits, compensation, or opportunities
for advancement that you would have had with a larger company. And
for your loyalty, I sincerely thank you.
Never let anyone tell you that such loyalty does not come with its eventual rewards. Starting this very minute, you are all FHN employees. |
The Primrose employees begin to grumble.
| This means you are eligible for medical and dental benefits as well as a generous profit-sharing program. |
The grumbling stops. KIRK smiles at them.
| This also means that our Chatbot work will be part of the next release of the FHN client. We begin porting it to FHN on Monday morning. |
KIRK walks over to stand under their logo banner. KIRK paternalistically pats someone on the head.
| This is a great new day in our company's history. Our
work with chat clients has given us an opportunity to dance on the world
stage. You should all be proud of yourselves.
That's all I have to say. |
INT- KIRK'S OFFICE - DAY - FLASHBACK
The office is rather small with white walls covered with successories
posters. KIRK is sitting behind his large desk (too large for the
office), talking on the phone. JAY storms in and slams the door behind
him. KIRK points at the phone.
| I'll be right with you, Jay. It's FHN! |
JAY looks closely at the photo behind KIRK. It features a large group of Primrose employees with their logo banner in the background. In it, JAY proudly stands next to KIRK.
JAY walks slowly across the desk and turns off the phone.
| Kirk, what the hell was all that about? How dare you enter into talks with these freaks without even talking to me about it. |
| Whoa. Wait a minute, cowboy. What gave you the impression you ran this place? |
| Don't pull this shit on me now, Kirk. I've built this company as much as you have. Without Botware, we wouldn't even be on the radar. |
| Botware was last year- two years ago, if I remember correctly. Your project team hasn't delivered much of commercial value in over eighteen months. In this industry, that's dog years. |
| What do you call Changeling? |
| I call it a write-off. There's no business model for it.
Even if people understood it, they'd want it for free. It doesn't
add value.
Besides, only copyright pirates and perverts care that much about privacy. I'm sure FHN wouldn't be too happy if they figured out that someone leaked an Alpha of Changeling. |
| I'm about to walk out of this room right now. |
| To where, Jay? Those non-disclosure, non-competitive agreements you signed have tied your hands, my friend. |
| You're going to regret doing this, Kirk. You'll never keep the doors open without me. I'm the only guy who understands half the code that comes out of this place. |
| That's not the half we're interested in anymore. |
KIRK stands up and rips JAY's security badge from his shirt pocket. The pocket rips, leaving a flap hanging.
EXT. SCHOOL BUS PARKING YARD - NIGHT
JAY walks along the barbed-wire fence looking for a place to get in.
He stops and listens. Water running. He finds a small drainage
ditch where the fence is low and weak. He bends back the chain-links
and crawls through the cold water and mud.
JAY enters a school bus. He pushes on the center of the door and it folds open.
| No seatbelts and now no locks. Damn. |
JAY fumbles around and pulls the hood release.
With towels over his hands, he carefully pulls the enormous battery
from the bus.
EXT. PRIMROSE SYSTEMS PARKING LOT - FLASHBACK
JAY emerges from the building with two boxes of his office belongings stacked in his arms. A crowd of people watches as his car is hooked up to a tow truck.
| What's going on here? |
| Don't know- talk to the bank. I'm going to need the key, sir. |
JAY puts down the boxes and fumbles around for his keys, trying his shirt pocket (but it is just a flap). He fishes them out of his pants pocket and removes the car key from the ring.
| Well, that was quick. Easy come, easy go. Right? |
| Not exactly. Very hard to get and very difficult to let go. That's been my experience. |
EXT. FRONT OF JAY'S APARTMENT BUILDING - FLASHBACK
JAY exits the cab, pays with the little bit of cash in his wallet.
He walks past a pile of stuff on the front stoop and tries to use his key
to enter the building. It does not work.
Just then KOZNIAK walks up and enters with his key. JAY knocks on the glass window in the door.
| My key isn't working. Can you let me in, Mr. Kozniak? |
| No way. |
He begins to walk away from the door. JAY bangs loudly on the door.
| Please! I have had what you might call a bad day. |
KOZNIAK steps back to the window.
| Two guys came looking for you a little while ago- a woman and a man, actually. Their badges said IRS. |
| Stop it and let me in, Mr. Kozniak. I need to make some calls. |
| Those IRS boys can make you wish you were never born. I'd fake my own death, kid. That is- if I were you. |
KOZNIAK walks away from window. JAY turns around and notices that the stuff on the stoop is his.
EXT. DOWNTOWN PARKING LOT - NIGHT
JAY smashes a car window and removes a strange-looking laptop.
INT. CARDBOARD SHACK - NIGHT
JAY boots up the laptop. The screen shows the old Windows 3.1 splash screen. JAY closes the laptop.
EXT. DOWNTOWN PARKING LOT - NIGHT
JAY carefully places the laptop back in the car. With duct tape, JAY attempts to tape the glass window back together.
| Freeze. |
JAY turns around and a COP is two feet from his face, shining a flashlight at him.
| Is this your automobile? |
| It's my aunt's. |
| You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say may be used against you in a court of law... |
COP #1 and COP #2 chase JAY through the parking lot. JAY crouches down behind a car and waits for them to pass. He hears footsteps and stands up. COP# 1 zaps him with a taser. JAY falls to the ground. As COP #2 begins to work his radio and COP #1 readies the plastic handcuffs, JAY springs up and limps away as fast as he can.
COP #1 and COP #2 chase him out of the parking lot and into a park. COP# 1 turns around and JAY is gone. COP #1 looks around the tree, looks up.
| I lost him. Dammit! |
JAY is bent around a branch in the shadows high up in the tree, breathing heavily.
INT. KIRK'S OFFICE AT PRIMROSE - DAY - FLASHBACK
AUDITOR sits behind Kirk's large desk and works on a spreadsheet. KIRK paces nervously. PETER, an FHN Vice President, looks out the window.
| I still don't get it. We're a small company, tight. How can that much money go missing light that? |
|
| Have you got any disgruntled employees, Kirk? |
| We just let someone go - an old guard guy, with us from the first. No, it can't be that. It has to be a bookkeeping error on my part. |
| It's a great deal of money. |
| You let go the Changeling guy, right? Jay Huchison. Well, if this was his doing, it was a slow process. It looks like he leaked cash from this place over a seven year period, at a little over a million per year. |
| Yeah, but it doesn't fit. He was arrogant, sure. But he wasn't crooked, Peter. You have to believe me. |
| Leave it to us. We don't really much care about the money itself. It's a tax issue now. We just don't want the taint of this to rub off on FHN. |
| None of us wants to make FHN look bad. I still have hopes of making VP one day, Peter. I have a lot to lose. |
EXT. IN FRONT OF "VIRTUAL MUG" INTERNET CAFE - NIGHT
JAY walks down a row of parked cars looking for something to steal. He notices a cell phone, laptop, and Palm Pilot sitting on the passenger seat. He also sees a Primrose Systems parking pass hanging from the rearview mirror.
| Jay? Jay Huchison? |
JAY immediately recognizes her and tries to slide away. But she approaches him. He walks slowly away from her car. His face is still in shadow.
| Weskowski. What are you doing out prowling around the streets at night? |
TRUDY pulls out her keys and locks the front door.
| Just closing up. |
| Kirk said you were struggling. But I didn't think you would stoop to hustling. |
| The coffee shop. I run the damn coffee shop. |
| That's what I mean. You were the best software architect we had. Now you sling lates for tourists while they read Salon and shop for socks online. |
| It beats the hell out of working with you and Kirk. |
JAY steps out of the shadows near the cars and onto the lighted sidewalk.
| I'm not with Primrose anymore. Like you, I'm out on my own now. |
TRUDY looks JAY up and down.
| Oh, my God, Jay. You look like you've been hit by a truck or something. Over and over again. |
| I've been working very, very late nights recently. Consulting. |
JAY walks closer to TRUDY. TRUDY sniffs the air- she smells something fowl.
| And I'm not sure how to say this in a way that won't hurt your feelings- but you smell really, really bad. |
| I've been jogging. |
| You smell like an elephant took a dump on you or something. |
| Jogging near the river - I think there was a sewer backup. |
| And then you rolled around in a pile of rotten eggs. |
| Okay, I get your point. |
| And then you spent six weeks cleaning toilets with your clothes. |
| Thanks! I understand. I'm on my way back to my apartment to get clean. You are in my way. |
| By all means, consultant boy. You may pass. |
TRUDY lifts her arm like a gate and JAY passes. But remembering something, turns back around.
| Oh, if Kirk or somebody calls you asking where I've been, you didn't just see me. It was just a devastatingly handsome someone who looks a lot like me. |
| Jay, are you in trouble? |
| No. Seriously, no. I've been doing some work for the competition. Kirk is righteously pissed about it-threatening legal action. You know. |
| I do know. But if you were in trouble, I would help. I hope you know that, Jay. You're a ass, but I can't help myself. |
JAY jogs off into the distance. TRUDY watches him suspiciously.
EXT. BRIDGE OVER HIGHWAY - NIGHT
Cell phone code gun is duct taped to a crack on the bridge (hidden from easy view). The button is taped down and the word <APPROVED> flashes with grabbed codes several times.
There is a wire leading down below (we follow it to JAY's shack).
INT. CARDBOARD SHACK - NIGHT
JAY's cobbled-together computer is gathering the cell codes. A window in the bottom of the screen says "SWITCHING...SWITCHING..."
JAY is at a clothing e-tail website ordering items and holding out a piece of paper that says "KIRK's credit card #'s."
JAY launches Changeling. A window pops up with the Changeling log and an ever-changing IP address with the words "You are HERE." Another window shows a map of the world with interconnected lines. A red arrow jumps around as the IP address changes.
JAY loads up an IRS database. A page with his picture on it appears and the text: "Tax debt of $150,000."
| That's the last time I let someone else do my taxes. |
JAY types on the database screen and nothing happens. A window pops up with the text "Insufficient Clearance" asking for username and password information. He makes a few obvious guesses and fails.
JAY loads up a window with IRS employee information. JAY switches his phone to "voice" mode and places the call.
| Marge Dixon, how may I help you? |
| Ms. Dixon, this is Louis Ratham up in the IT department. We're experiencing some outages on the server and we need your help. |
| What can I do? |
| We need to run some login tests and we need you to walk us through how you connect to the database for read/write mode. |
| Let me log out first. Okay. I load it up and when it asks for my username I type d-e-p-t-3-1-1 then my name m-a-r-g-e-d-i-x-o-n. No spaces. And my password... |
| Passwords are completely off limits. I need to repeat that. I do not want to hear your password. It's company policy. |
| Good. That's probably more secure. I know they keep telling me to change my password, but you know how it is. |
| Thank you Ms. Dixon. You have been more helpful than you know. |
JAY hangs up and re-connects the phone to his computer in "data" mode.
He loads up MARGE's home page on FHN. It mentions the names of her
kids: Jack and Leah. JAY loads up the database again, typing in the
sequence. He tries "Jack" and then "Leah."
The window goes away. The screen changes into "edit" mode.
He deletes everything. Slow dissolves of his info in various
databases being erased.
JAY loads up the Donato's Pizza page.
INT - FRONT HALLWAY OF KIRK'S HOME - NIGHT
Doorbell rings. Kirk is reading a memo with the FHN logo on it in his adjoining home office. He grumbles and gets up. Before he can reach the door, the doorbell rings again.
He opens the door and there are two different pizza delivery guys there.
| Obviously this is a joke. |
| No joke. Pizza. Many, many pizzas. |
KIRK opens the blinds and peers out of the window. Several more pizza delivery vehicles are parked outside and more are arriving. KIRK looks off into the night sky.
| Where the hell are you? |
INT - INTERNET COFFEE SHOP - DAY
COP #1 enters the cafe. There are a few people sitting at different tables, sipping coffee and browsing the web. TRUDY is wiping down the counter. COP #1 approaches the counter.
| What can I do ya for, Officer Friendly? |
COP #1 produces a police sketch of JAY from his pocket.
| Ma'am. Have you seen this man? |
| He only looks like half the people who come in here. |
| Half? |
| The other half are ladies. He doesn't look like a lady to me. |
| I'm asking if you've seen him on the street walking around. A man fitting this description has been connected with a series of smash and grab robberies in this area. |
| No, I haven't seen anyone like him walking around. |
| We believe him to be desperate and dangerous. Take another look, please. |
TRUDY looks hard at the picture, trying not to look as though she recognizes it. After a moment, TRUDY shakes her head.
INT. PRIMROSE OFFICES - NIGHT
The offices of Primrose are empty. The cubicles are still there, but computers have been removed, and wires still dangle. KIRK, wearing an FHN shirt and badge, removes the Primrose logo banner from the wall and folds it up. He shuts off some of the interior lights. In the corner, the Primrose server still chugs on, the logo has the FHN logo incorporated.
EXT. PRIMROSE PARKING LOT - NIGHT
With binoculars, JAY watches KIRK. JAY moves his gaze to a black sedan on the other side of the lot. IRS agents LAUREN and IKE sit in the car, watching as well.
JAY walks up to KIRK's car and points a special hand-made device at the keyless door entry system. A series of numbers flash through the screen and then- pop. The trunk opens.
| Not what I planned, but better than a kick in the head. |
JAY checks the interior emergency trunk release and gets in, closing the lid over himself.
INT - KIRK'S HOME OFFICE - NIGHT
JAY sits at KIRK's computer and searches for Primrose access codes. Loading up the Primrose back end, he is prompted for username/password. He uses "kirk_preston" as the username then looks around the room. He sees the name of Kirk's only child: Kate. He tries that. Denied.
KIRK stumbles around upstairs getting ready for bed.
JAY loads up a window of web sites visited, scanning it. Nothing. He checks it again and finds a bank web site. He copies that into the web browser and a screen pops up "Account information read from cookie." The amount listed in the account is over 8 million dollars.
| Someone's been a bad widdle boy. |
JAY clicks on "NEW ACCOUNT" and sets a new password for it. He transfers one million.
| Let's see how long it will take him to notice that. |
The computer screen says "transferring funds..." with a progress bar.
Hearing something, KIRK slowly walks down the stairs toward the office.
The progress bar slowly crawls past 50%.
Kirk enters the office and looks around. He sees nothing. The computer is shut off. KIRK walks around the desk and looks under it. KIRK shrugs and exits. JAY is curled up inside a trashcan.
INT. PRIMROSE OFFICES - NIGHT
IRS agents LAUREN and IKE rummage through the office garbage, scanning
each page with their eyes.
| This is ridiculous, Lauren. There's nothing left. |
| Nothing in their databases, that's for sure. Even backups tell the same story. |
| They say that he never worked here. Our databases, the Social Security Administration, even the schools he supposedly attended- they all say he never even existed. |
| You are ignoring the distinct possibility that he does exist, but doesn't want us to think he does. |
LAUREN picks out a printout of a photograph of the company staff lined up against the building (shown earlier with KIRK and JAY). LAUREN places her finger over the faces, moving right past where JAY had been.
| Boy, this would be helpful if we knew what he looked like. |
| We'll contact former employees and get a positive ID. But odds are our boy isn't even in there. He probably removed himself digitally. |
| Se people just don't like to have their picture taken. |
| I'll see what I can do about securing the original negative. |
LAUREN opens up her laptop and flips through the IRS database, stopping on a photo of KIRK.
| The company president- Kirk Preston. We should talk to him again. |
| Again? What would that prove? |
| Put a little heat on him. He better produce his genius scapegoat or he'll have some hell to pay. |
INT. FHN BOARD ROOM - DAY
Peter and FHN representatives speak with KIRK who sits at the end of
a long table. F. TAYLOR BRAND, president of FHN sits at the other
end surrounded by
his people. F. TAYLOR has a paper bag with peanuts in the shell
in front of him as well as a waste bowl. While he speaks, he casually
cracks and eats them.
| And I understand the bookkeeping errors are not going to be a problem going forward? |
| It was a bookkeeping error- a tax liability to be sure. Something for the IRS to track down. But a simple mistake compounded over several years is still a simple mistake. I wouldn't worry about it. Besides that whole mess is over now. |
An ASSISTANT comes in to pour coffee for F. TAYLOR, PETER and the others. The ASSISTANT does not offer KIRK any coffee.
| The Primrose situation was unfortunate, Kirk. But since you are all that is left of your company, we are now looking to you as the sole representative of the Primrose technologies and patents that we now own. |
|
| You have nothing to worry about, sir. I am intimately familiar with the Chatbot products, their code and future development plans. |
| I was thinking more about- what is it? |
| Changeling. |
| Yes. That's it. What do you know about that? |
| Well, that product was never officially released. It suffered from poor project management and a slim business plan. |
| How so? What do you mean about the business plan? |
| It's a utility with no added value for the average customer. They won't want to pay for it unless we bundle it together with products of higher perceived value. |
| What about the code itself? |
| I don't follow. |
| It wasn't part of the shipment. Although the logs mention
it, there are no tapes. No code.
We own the patent on something that doesn't seem to exist. |
| You didn't seem interested in the product during the buyout negotiations. We destroyed it, for reasons of liability, the day we fired Jay Huchison. He was the only one who knew how it all worked. |
| And you? |
| I didn't follow the every day activities of our loss-leader, no. |
| And since the code and the component libraries have been destroyed, Changeling is basically a dead product. |
| Mr. Brand, if I had known the project was important to you, I would have definitely preserved it. |
| Kirk, what the president is trying to tell you is "congratulations." You did well. |
| But why would anyone care about Changeling? As I continued to tell Jay, the only people want to stay that hidden are perverts and pirates. |
| Exactly. As we have acquired companies over the years, we have also amassed a great number of lucrative copyrights and trademarked franchises. |
| Untraceable peer-to-peer file transfers could put us all in a bad position. |
| The only sure way to kill a technology is to own it. |
| I see your point, sir. |
F. TAYLOR BRAND begins to whisper with his other FHN people at the far end of the table while KIRK looks nervous. F. TAYLOR looks up from the huddle.
| The only question remaining is - why are you still here? |
KIRK slowly gets up while the others continue their conversation. He walks toward the door as PETER grabs the phone.
| Security... |
EXT. FRONT OF KIRK'S HOUSE - DAY
JAY watches mail carrier drop off package on KIRK's Doorstep. He casually walks up, grabs it and walks away.
INT. INTERNET COFFEE SHOP - NIGHT
The cafe is empty. TRUDY closing up, turning over chairs on top of tables. There is a mop and bucket at the ready. Outside the window, JAY knocks. He is dressed in khakis and a sweater. TRUDY opens the door for him.
| May I come in? |
| Well, you do smell a bit better. Sure. |
JAY enters as TRUDY finishes putting chairs on tables.
| This is a nice place, Trudy. You've done well for yourself. |
| Thanks. |
JAY pulls one of the chairs down and sits at a terminal.
| Hey, this thing doesn't work! Do I have to buy coffee or insert quarters somewhere? |
| We're closed, tourist. |
TRUDY powers up the unit. JAY opens the CD-ROM drive.
| How many times a day do you need to remind people that this isn't a cup holder? |
| It's not like that. People just want to sit somewhere and listen to music and check their stocks. |
| And drink expensive coffee. |
| You've read my annual report. And until Internet-ready cell phones can serve coffee, I'm sound as a pound. |
The computer is now booted up and connected. A web browser pops up with the cafe's logo.
| What do you do about virus protection, terminal maintenance, updates- all that stuff? |
| I spend half my time operating this place and the other half wrestling with the router connection. |
| You need a professional router wrestler. |
| Consultant boy comes to work for me. |
| I half serious. I can be your part time CTO. |
| Jay Huchison working for me- here? I guess so. |
| Security is going to be an issue if you leave that T-1 and router up all night. |
| You never seemed so interested in that sort of thing at Primrose. You were probably too wrapped up in your own projects to notice, but we had serious issues. |
| Like what? |
| Well, the backup software we used caused a weakness during the overnight backups. |
| I remember the clocks were off as well. |
| By an hour and seventeen minutes. Kirk said a bunch of
our software licenses would bust if we fixed it. So, we just let
it stand.
I kept telling them that if some fifteen-year-old script kiddie with a root kit plied it at just the right moment, they could get control of the whole shebang. |
| Interesting. Dinner? |
| It's ten o'clock, of course. But consultant boy is too cool to wear a watch. Sure. Dinner would be nice. |
INT. KIRK'S HOME OFFICE - NIGHT
KIRK sits at his desk while LAUREN and IKE sit in chairs in front of him.
| You have quite a nice home, Mr. Preston. |
| Thank you. |
| When I say "nice" I mean expensive, Mr. Preston. Your records show a business that never turned much of a profit. |
| My wife works as well. We do just fine. |
| What Ms. Espisito is trying to tell you, sir, is that we don't buy it. The Huchison story. Former employees claim to have heard of the guy, but other than that, we can find no evidence that he even exists. |
| I told you before that he's been harassing me: accessing my credit card- things like that. |
| We tried using the logs you provided. Usually, we can get a bead on someone, trace his IP address to a wireless connection, and from there it's cake. But in this case, it's not that easy. |
| It would be that easy if he weren't using this. |
KIRK turns the computer monitor around for them to see. The Changeling logo comes up. The IP address changes over and over again.
| I can help you catch this guy. With a copy of the Changeling key, you could reverse the process and establish a true Internet address for someone you knew was using Changeling. |
| Very impressive, Mr. Preston. It looks like we have a plan. |
| Give me a call if there's anything I can do to help. |
| There won't be any need for that, Mr. Preston. You're coming with us. |
INT. ALL-HOURS RESTAURANT - NIGHT
JAY and TRUDY sit at a table near the back. They both have finished their meals, and several beer bottles are strewn about the table. They are both laughing.
| ... I almost kicked his ass that day. I couldn't believe that anyone would treat people like that. |
| That's Kirk for you. He's a peach. Was that why you left? The combo of project stress and co-worker bullshit? |
| I was up to the task. Don't be mistaken about that. But I simply couldn't work with wunderkind like you anymore. |
JAY stares at her with his mouth open, hurt.
| I'm kidding. Half kidding. Honestly, I just got sick of the golden handcuffs. |
| I never knew you were that kinky. |
| The trips, the clients, everybody treating you like a rock star. |
| Yeah, I always hated that part. |
| You get this unrealistic idea of your own success or failure. Once you buy into it, they have you. For five years, they had me big time. |
A WAITER comes by to collect the plates.
TRUDY pulls her wallet out of her purse and places her credit card on the table.
| Dinner's on me. |
| Twist my arm. |
TRUDY grabs JAY's outstretched arm and twists it, really hard. He winces in mock pain. The WAITER takes the credit card and walks away.
| I'm much more interested in why you left Primrose. Kirk talked about you as though you were the second coming of Alan Touring or something. They had plans for you, kid. Big plans. |
| That was years ago. A lot has changed. I guess I'm too much of a spoiled brat to get used to the idea that I'm not as vital to the company as I used to be. |
| Stop it. Seriously. |
| I am serious. I was an idiot. I realize this more every day. One day, I'll have to grow up and start all over again. |
| It's so unattractive when super-competent people feel sorry for themselves. |
The WAITER brings the card back with receipts. TRUDY fills in the tip and signs. When she looks up, JAY is gone.
| Well, you certainly run away like an overgrown child. |
EXT. CITY STREET NEAR PARK- NIGHT
JAY walks hurriedly away from the restaurant, looking over his shoulder
to see if TRUDY is following him. He relaxes a bit and smiles.
COP #1 and COP #2 have a SUSPECT handcuffed spread over the hood of their patrol car. COP #2 pulls the SUSPECT off and puts him in the back seat of the patrol car.
JAY does not cover up his face. COP #1 looks up and points at JAY.
| I know that guy. |
| Freeze! |
JAY runs off into the park. COP #1 chases him through a patch
of darkened woods. Only their silhouettes are visible. COP #1
activates his radio.
COP #1 falls behind. JAY turns around while running to see where COP #1 is. Suddenly, he runs directly into and falls over the hood of a police car. COP #2 gets out immediately, ready to handcuff JAY. SUSPECT waves at JAY. But by then JAY has already rolled over the hood and is now slumped over on the other side. He runs again, holding his arm and limping.
COP #1 emerges from the wooded area.
| Screw it. Radio it in. |
INT. CARDBOARD SHACK - NIGHT
JAY rushes into the shack, breathing heavily and sweating. TRUDY is sitting on the floor waiting for him. The cobbled-together computer is on and Changeling is running.
| Have a nice jog? |
FADE TO BLACK
INT. CARDBOARD SHACK - DAWN
The light is orange but still dim. Sounds of helicopters come from outside. An intense searchlight beams in through the cracks in the shack. TRUDY and JAY lay asleep in a bed of wadded plastic and old clothes. JAY jumps up and looks at his computer and at TRUDY. He shakes her awake.
| We've got to go. Now. |
| What's going on? |
JAY removes the large electrical leads from the batter. Sparks fly. JAY reaches around the other side of the computer and pulls a lever. Smoke and gas emit from the back.
| You said you wanted to help. |
JAY and TRUDY bundle up the parts in a black plastic bag. Together they exit the shack just as a dozen police and agency people descend. JAY and TRUDY heave the bundle into the nearby river.
| his is why you should always back up. |
A group of police chase them into the streets. JAY and TRUDY run in the middle of traffic to get away. But the officers are close behind.
EXT. OUTSIDE CARDBOARD SHACK UNDER BRIDGE - DAY
The morning light is stronger now. Agents surround a wet bag of wires and hardware. AGENT #1 and AGENT #2 rummage through the parts. AGENT #2 holds up a circular hard drive plate with a pair of tongs.
| From what we can figure, these plates dropped in a bath of acid when somebody pulled the lever. Cleaned them right up. |
| Get someone at the FBI to run a low-level scan on those. |
| You don't get it. There is no magnetic substrate on this, nothing to read. |
| What the hell? |
| I know. Professionals don't even do this kind of thing. Who is this guy? |
| Wilson and Espisito better get a warm body on this one - it's the only evidence we've got. |
INT. CONDEMNED APARTMENT BUILDING - DAY
TRUDY runs through the dilapidated hallways, trying to escape. LAUREN, IKE, and KIRK (along with a few police officers) follow close behind.
KIRK is bringing up the rear, winded. JAY pops out of a side door and grabs KIRK.
TRUDY struggles with a rusted door. LAUREN, IKE, et al close in on TRUDY.
KIRK's sits in a corner of the abandoned apartment, his hands are duct taped behind his back.
| How far do you think you can push this, Jay? |
| I don't know. I obviously haven't pushed you far enough. |
JAY puts duct tape on KIRK's mouth to quiet him.
TRUDY gets the door open and hides behind it.
JAY, noting his watch, peels the duct tape off of KIRK's mouth. KIRK screams. One side of the duct tape still hangs from his face like a flap.
IKE, LAUREN, and the officers turn around.
| I've been working on Changeling- a server version. |
| Changeling is dead, and so are you. |
| How can I be dead, Kirk? I don't even exist. |
| Changeling is dead, and so are you. |
| How can I be dead, Kirk? I don't even exist. |
| They'll find a way to nail you for this. |
| They do need a suspect, true. I wish I could help them out. |
Suddenly, the door is broken down and the agents burst in. KIRK
looks up to watch them. When he turns around, JAY is gone.
| Where did he go? |
| I didn't see him. |
| Great. |
| He's gone.. Sweep the streets. |
EXT. CITY STREET OUTSIDE CONDEMNED APARTMENT BUILDING- DAY
TRUDY runs out of the building through a side door and rushes out onto the sidewalk. She tries to blend in with the morning-rush hour crowd. But she is dirty and bruised. Her shoe is broken and she walks in an odd way.
TRUDY bumps into someone and shrieks.
JAY turns around and reveals himself.
| I am going to kick your ass when this is all over. |
| I'm looking forward to it. But we need to run an errand first- transfer some funds I don't want or need. |
INT. CONDEMNED APARTMENT BUILDING - DAY
KIRK sits on the floor, still restrained with duct tape. The agents and officers talk over him.
COP #2 emerges from the small bathroom.
| I think we know where our phantom went. |
LAUREN, IKE AND COP #1 look at the opened window in the bathroom. From the third floor, they see a dumpster beneath.
| Anybody jumping from up here would have some serious broken limbs. We'll check the area hospitals. |
| I'm still not convinced we didn't just scare the living shit out of some random homeless guy. |
| There's more. |
COP #2 points at something off-camera them and they all examine it for a moment.
| Ladies and gentlemen, I think we have a winner. |
COP #1 rips off KIRK's duct tape cuffs.
| Thanks. I was wondering when someone was going to notice me. |
COP #1 replaces those cuffs with real ones, reseals the flap of duct tape on his mouth and ushers him out of the room.
COP #2 takes a photo of something off-camera in the bathroom while IKE takes down a note. Written in soap on the bathroom mirror is KIRK's account number and password.
INT. TRUDY'S APARTMENT - NIGHT
JAY's face on a computer screen. He now wears glasses. JAY its at the kitchen table typing in a new identity. Fake Social Security Number, etc. TRUDY lays on the couch watching a movie.
| Let me know when you get to the part about a new name. |
| You have suggestions? |
| Engelbert. |
| Not only is it a classic name, it's inconspicuous as hell. |
| I think it's cool. I wish I could re-work my identity. You lucky dog. |
| Well, I'm here anyway. I could change yours as well. |
| To what? |
| You'll find out on your next tax return, Buhla. |
TRUDY tosses a throw pillow at JAY, knocking him softly in the head.
INT. COMPACT DISC MANUFACTURING PLANT - DAY
On an assembly line, hundreds of discs labeled "FHN 7.0" are being printed.
Boxes are stacked up, each labeled FHN.
A web browser screen. The page features the Changeling logo and the word "download" and the phrase "Information Set Free." Focus on the URL line. The page doesn't change, but the URL changes every few seconds.