They all look to the President.  Kenny stares, in a private

            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, finalize¹ 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 helping² 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

                      browbeating⁴ 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 ass³, 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 Soviets⁵ are reneging.

                      We're going to try to salvage⁶ 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 locker⁷, 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 canopy⁸ 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 throttle⁹ forward,

 

                                                           SMASH CUT TO:

 

            EXT. STRATOSPHERE - MOMENTS LATER

 

            The twilight¹⁰, in-between, world of the stratosphere.  Far

            below -- clouds, shining blue day.  Above, stars and the

            indigo¹¹ 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 hiss¹² of its engines, when it

            FILLS THE SCREEN and BOOMS PAST, leaving us standing¹³ still.

 

            The CAMERA PANS to follow it, but it's already dwindled¹⁴ to a

            speck¹⁵, 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 belly¹⁶ door whines¹⁷ open like a silver eyelid¹⁸, 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 ACTIVATE¹⁹ button on his joystick.

            BAMABMABMABMA... The camera begins its photography.

 

            Anderson watches the number on the film-remaining counter

            spool²⁰ 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.

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