Flashback - The Centre - February 1963 |
|
| Sweeper | Does he have a name? |
| Sweeper 2 | They’re calling him Jarod. He misses his parents |
| Sweeper | He’ll forget them soon enough. |
| Young Jarod | Kri kra toad’s foot, geese walk barefoot |
At night in an unidentified city |
|
| Sam | Found these blueprints in the gutter. |
| Miss Parker | He’s nearby. Find him! Let’s move! Go! |
| Sam | Hey!!!! Blue sedan. |
| Miss Parker | (to Sam) Get in! (in a talkie-walkie) This is Parker. We’re in pursuit of a blue sedan. |
Christine's House of Beauty |
|
| Jarod | Christine! Christine? |
| Christine | Jarod? |
| Jarod | I’m sorry Christine. I know it’s late. |
| Christine | It’s 3 in the morning. God isn’t even awake. |
| Jarod | I know. Listen, i need to move back in for a little while. |
| Christine | Not smellin’ like that you’re not. |
| Jarod | Please. |
| Christine | Look, Jarod, i owe you big time for what you did for me, but my husbands comin’ back tomorrow. If Axe finds a man livin’ upstairs, he’ll have a stroke. Oh, my God. Where did you get it? |
| Jarod | A man threw him in the dumpster. |
| Christine | Oh, my God. |
| Jarod | How could someone do that? How could someone throw away a baby? |
| Christine | It’s a crazy world, babies havin’ babies… people don’t know what they want or what they have. |
| Jarod | It’s freezing in here. |
| Christine | You have to call the police. |
| Jarod | I’m the only family he has right now. He’s cold, he’s scared and he’s alone. Don’t you like babies? |
| Christine | Of course. It’s just that if Axe didn’t get that job in Houston, he’ll have a stroke if he comes back and finds a baby here. |
| Jarod | He doesn’t like babies? |
| Christine | No. Yes. That’s not the point. |
| Jarod | He’s hungry. |
| Christine | How can you tell? |
| Jarod | Because I’m hungry. Wanna, wanna lay down? There you go, there you go. |
The Centre - Broots' Office |
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| Broots | Why would Jarod risk getting caught over a random set of blueprints? |
| Sydney | Where Jarod’s concerned, there’s never anything random. |
| Broots | Hmm. |
| Miss Parker | Boy Genius is a regular I.M. Pei. |
| Broots | Wait. What’s this? SL 27? |
| Miss Parker | I’ll be around. |
Christine's House of Beauty |
|
| Jarod | Kri kra toad’s foot, geese walk barefoot. Kri kra toad’s foot, geese walk barefoot. |
| Christine | Who taught you that song? |
| Jarod | I don’t know. My mother, i think. |
| Christine | You think? |
| Jarod | When i was little, i was taken from my family. I was raised by some people, people that had no business dealing with children. |
| Christine | I’m sorry. Look Jarod, i appreciate everything you did for me. That phony lawsuit that lady filed against the shop would have busted me if you hadn’t stepped in, but still, i can’t let you…. Holler downstairs if you need any help, okay? |
| Jarod | Christine? Thanks. |
|
DSA - February 1963 |
|
| Sweeper | Does he have a name? |
| Sweeper 2 | They’re calling him Jarod. He misses his parents. |
| Sweeper | He’ll forget them soon enough. |
|
End of DSA |
|
| Sydney (phone) | This is Sydney. |
| Jarod (phone) | How could somebody abandon a child? |
| Sydney | Jarod. |
| Jarod | I mean, something so vulnerable, so defenseless. How could they do that? |
| Sydney | Is this about your parents? |
| Jarod | It’s about all parents. |
| Sydney | Well, there’s no easy answer to that. Who knows what, uh, what pressures some people face. Is this what you were looking for earlier at that architectural firm? Those blueprints? Is that a lead to your parents? |
| Jarod | You’ll figure it out. |
The Centre - Broot's office |
|
| Broots | It’s, uh, for my little girl. |
| Sydney | She’s very fortunate to have such an attentive father. |
| Broots | I, uh, did the search you requested. Found two inactive license plates with SL 27, but both owners died in the ’70s. SL 27 is also the generic name for an antibiotic developed by an Israeli pharmaceutical company in 1983. |
| Sydney | That’s beyond the date of significance. |
| Broots | Well.. if you told me more, Sydney, i might be able to help. |
| Sydney | Broots, it’s best that nobody else be involved in this. |
| Miss Parker | Broots, anything on SL 27 yet? |
| Broots | Uh… perhaps you both should have a talk. |
Christine's House of Beauty |
|
| Jarod | Shhhh. |
| Christine | He’s still sleepin’? |
| Jarod | Like a baby. |
| Christine | What are you doin’? |
| Jarod | Setting it up. If anybody files a missing persons report with the police department, i’ll get a signal. |
| Christine | Jarod, you can’t keep this child. Last night is one thing, but somewhere, somebody’s looking for this baby. |
| Jarod | I’ve been monitoring every police channel, every television station, every newspaper. Nobody’s looking for him. |
| Christine | But Jarod… |
| Jarod | Somebody threw him in a dumpster. Do you want me to turn him over to that person? If his mother’s out there searching, i’ll find her. But i’m not gonna give him to anybody till i know he’s gonna be okay. I don’t want him to grow up alone. Are you hungry again? |
| Christine | That’s not a bottle cry. |
| Jarod | How do you know? |
| Christine | Seven younger brothers and sisters. Better change him. |
In a garden - The Centre |
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| Broots | I killed the security cameras, and i swept the room for bugs. I think we’re safe. |
| Miss Parker | You think? |
| Broots | One never knows in the Centre, do one? |
| Sydney | Let’s proceed. |
| Miss Parker | This belonged to one of the children my mother rescued from the Centre. Look at this. |
| Sydney | SL 27. Why did you keep this information secret? |
| Miss Parker | Why, I could ask the same question of you. |
| Sydney | When my brother regained consciousness, he wrote this to me. |
| Miss Parker | Hmmm. |
| Sydney | There has to be a clue in the calculations that Jarod dropped. Broots, keep on searching for that connection. |
| Broots | Look, I don’t know if you guys missed it, but, uh, the only people who know about this SL 27 thing are either dead or comatose. |
| Sydney | And those people are important to us, like your daughter is to you. I’m asking for your help, Broots, as a friend. |
| Miss Parker | Please. |
Raine's simulation room |
|
| Willie | What is he doing? |
| Raines | He appears to be expressing his individualism. |
| Willie | is that good? |
| Raines | It’s dangerous. Angelo, i want you to run a check on every aspect of Centre security. Every system, every level, every mode of access and egress. Optical, physical, electronic. Everything. Do you understand? Angelo? |
Police Station, Child Protective Services |
|
| Jarod | Excuse me, ma’am. |
| Woman | I’ll be right with you. |
| Woman 2 | Yes, I’m looking at the file. We’ve placed a call to the biological grandparents but the status is still unclear. Sure. Can i help you? |
| Christine | We’d like to talk to somebody about a missin’ child. |
| Woman 2 | I’ll be one more minute. No it’s against the law to prematurely place a child without the signature of a biological family member. I realise you love the baby, but this is the way it has to be handled. |
| Christine | I know this is hard Jarod, but i think it’s the best thing…. Jarod? |
Outside the police station |
|
| Christine | Are you insane? You can’t just walk out with this baby. |
| Jarod | Well, i can’t leave him with them. |
| Christine | Jarod, he doesn’t belong to you. |
| Jarod | I know. He belongs with his parents or with someone who loves him. |
| Christine | Twenty four hours. Then we take the baby to the police no matter what. Deal? |
| Jarod | Deal. |
| Christine | One more thing. Give him a name, will ya? |
| Jarod | He has a name. I just have to find out what it is. |
| Christine | What is it? |
| Jarod | They all have red decals. The man who dumped this baby had the exact same decal on the back of his car. |
| Christine | What are you sayin’? |
| Jarod | A cop threw this baby away. |
The Centre - Broot's office |
|
| Miss Parker | Talk to me Broots. |
| Broots | You’ll never guess what i found out. The architectural firm you chased Jarod from was… |
| Miss Parker | The same one that built the Centre. |
| Broots | How did you know that? |
| Sydney (phone) | This is Sydney. |
| Jarod (phone) | Any luck? |
| Miss Parker | With what? |
| Jarod | Well, hello, Miss Parker. SL 27. |
| Sydney | Those calculations, Jarod, what do they mean? |
| Jarod | Just digging up some more dirt on the Centre. |
| Sydney | I don’t follow. |
| Jarod | Do the math Sydney. It doesn’t add up. I’m surprised that Broots hasn’t figured it out yet. |
| Broots | Dirt. |
| Jarod (hanging up) | I gotta go. It’s the baby’s nap time. |
| Miss Parker | Did he say baby? |
| Broots | I’ll be damned. 6.32 million cubic feet of dirt was carted off for the Centre’s underground construction. But the Centre’s 26 sublevels only occupy 6.16 million cubic feet. |
| Miss Parker | There’s enough missing dirt for another sublevel. |
| Sydney | SL 27. Sublevel 27. |
Christine's House of Beauty |
|
| Jarod | This is my mother. We’re going to find yours. I promise. |
| Christine | Well, that’s a sight. |
| Jarod | You and Axe ever think about having kids? |
| Christine | Axe? No. No way. Besides, i got the shop to worry about. Any luck with that licence plate? |
| Jarod | Not yet. I have to get inside the police department and find out who was driving that car, but i’m going to need your help. |
| Christine | Jarod, i’ve got customers, i can’t go chasin’… |
| Axe | Christine? Somebody took my spot. |
| Christine | Axe! |
| Axe | Your husband’s gone two weeks and all you can say is Axe? |
| Christine | How’d it go? |
| Axe | Ah, came up empty. Who are you? |
| Jarod | Hi, i’m Jarod. |
| Axe | Who’s this? |
| Jarod | Um, i can explain, uh… |
| Axe | Would you look at them eyes? Do you mind? |
| Jarod | No, not at all. |
| Axe | That’s a fine looking boy. It, it is a boy? |
| Jarod | Yes. |
| Axe | Hey, hey. Hey hey. |
| Jarod | You like kids? |
| Axe | Like ’em? I’d have a whole tribe if Christy would cooperate. You ever need a babysitter, I’m your man. |
| Jarod | I’ll remember that. |
| Axe | Better move the truck. |
| Christine | Anything come over the scanner? |
| Jarod | Not yet. Why did you lie about Axe? |
| Christine | I grew up with seven brothers and sisters. I was the oldest and my mother was… well, she wasn’t what you’d call ‘hands on’. |
| Jarod | What about your father? |
| Christine | He was busy with his other family across town. It was up to me to make sure Ari and William were fed and Matty was dressed and Jeremy didn’t stay up late, and Ella did her homework. I got out of Little Rock and moved in with Axe. I want to be able to think about Christine for a while. Does that make me a bad person? |
| Jarod | No, it makes you human. |
Police Station maintenance garage, |
|
| Man | See you later Frank. |
| Woman | Bill, pick up line two. |
| Man | We better put it up on the lift. |
| Woman | Chuck, come to the parts desk. |
| Dt Geary | Hey, sport, take a look at this unit? |
| Jarod | No problem. |
| Detective Geary | Accidentally clipped a junkie who decided not to cooperate. Guess he’ll cooperate next time. Get this unit fixed. I wanna get out of here fast. |
| Jarod | Whatever you say, uh, Detective… |
| Detective Geary | Geary, David W. Those look straight to you? |
| Jarod | Yeah. |
| Detective Geary | I’ll be back. |
The Centre - Sub Level 26 |
|
| Broots | Okay, it’s right around here somewhere. |
| Miss Parker | What is? |
| Broots | Sewer access. |
| Miss Parker | Broots, the main sewer is on the other side of the complex. |
| Broots | I know. Which makes me wonder why there’s a manhole cover right here. Help me, Sydney. Oh. |
| Sydney | Can you smell that. |
| Miss Parker | Smell it? I can taste it. After you. |
| Broots | How, how do you know it’s not wired down there? |
| Miss Parker | I ran Centre Security for three years, i know what i’m doing. |
| Broots | Yeah, well, you didn’t know about SL 27. |
| Miss Parker | Get in. |
| Broots | You know, I’m not sure my medical insurance covers this kind of thing. |
| Miss Parker | Sydney, put some light on me. |
| Broots | Ow! What died down here? |
| Miss Parker | What didn’t? Let’s go. |
| Broots | Okay. |
Christine's House of Beauty |
|
| Axe | You see that? Now sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good. Me and my old man used to watch hoops on the tube. I figured someday me and my kid would do the same. Christine told me what’s going on. You really think that cop’s involved? |
| Jarod | His name is David Geary. He’s a special investigator for DA Mitch Meyers. |
| Axe | Ugh, bureaucrats. |
| Jarod | Sounds like you’re not a big fan of City Hall. |
| Axe | I spent 20 years drivin’ a garbage rig for the city. Couple of months ago, i blow out my back liftin’ an industrial bin. City cans me, cuts off my disability checks. I can’t get another job. |
| Jarod | You’re a garbage man? |
| Axe | Sanitation engineer. |
| Jarod | Wow. |
| Axe | You know, Jarod, I seen a lot of dirty things on the street. But why anyone would want to hurt something as wonderful as this is beyond me. Yeah. What’s that? |
| Jarod | A missing persons report was just logged on to the police database. It’s the first match i’ve found. Jeanette Connelly. Reported missing by her next door neighbour along with her five month old son… Michael. Hello, Michael. |
| Detective Geary (radio) | Of course there’s a missing persons on her. She’s missing. Don’t get your panties in a wad. Everything’s fine. |
| Radio | Officer’s requesting backup at San Pedro and 9th. |
The Centre - SL 27 |
|
| Broots | There must be a hundred rooms down here. What was this place? |
| Miss Parker | Whatever it was, it must’ve been one hell of a fire that stopped it. |
| Sydney | Yes, there was a rumour of a fire in the summer of ’82. |
| Miss Parker | I spent that summer in France with my father. |
| Broots | I wish i was there right now. |
| Sydney | Rumour is it was the fire that left Raines chained to his oxygen tank. |
| Miss Parker | Too bad it didn’t finish the job. |
| Broots | Hey, look. Footprints, and they’re fresh. Whoa. Who played with toys down here? |
| Miss Parker | A jack-in-the-box? |
| Sydney | Fascinating. |
| Miss Parker | Broots. |
| Broots | Huh? |
| Miss Parker | Check out the suit. |
| Broots | It’s always Broots. There’s a… there’s a bullet hole in his eye. |
| Miss Parker | Come on. |
| Broots | Somehow i get the feeling he’s the lucky one. |
| Raines | What is it, Angelo? Sublevel security alert? |
At Jeanette Connelly's apartment |
|
| Woman | She’s not there. |
| Detective Geary | Police officer, ma’am. |
| Woman | It’s not like Jeanette to disappear, not with that new baby. She’s a nice girl, smart. I told everything to the other policeman. |
| Detective Geary | Other policeman? When? |
| Woman | Ten, fifteen minutes ago, before you got here. |
| Radio | Dispatch, this is 36. Go, 36. Uh we found a jumper below that East River Bridge. Female Caucasian early 20s, no ID. May have been there a few days. Transporting her to St Mary’s under suicide watch. Over. Copy that, 36. |
| Woman | What about Jeanette? |
| Detective Geary | Don’t worry, ma’am. I’ll take care of Jeanette. |
The Centre - SL27 |
|
| Broots | Whoa. Oh, God. Syringes? |
| Miss Parker | What is it? |
| Sydney | This place has all the components of a sim lab. |
| Broots | I never knew there was another sim lab in the Centre. |
| Sydney | Neither did i. |
| Broots | What the hell is that? |
| Sydney | Birthing table. |
| Miss Parker | With shackles? |
| Broots | Uh-oh. It’s Mr Raines. |
| Miss Parker | What are you waiting for? |
| Sydney | Miss Parker. |
| Miss Parker | What is this place? |
| Sydney | Whatever it was, it wasn’t a filing room. |
| Miss Parker | These haven’t been burnt. These were brought here. |
| Sydney | All these files pertain to the Pretender project. |
| Miss Parker | This box is all about Jarod. What is that? |
| Sydney | A hood. Must’ve been Jarod’s. |
| Miss Parker | Sydney, there is no date of death listed for Jarod’s parents. As far as these documents are concerned, they were alive when Jarod was brought here. |
| Sydney | Jarod was stolen. |
| Miss Parker | I think you should look at this entrance record. There’s no names, nothing to follow. |
| Sydney | Hmm. |
| Miss Parker | But there is a signature by a special expediter who brought Jarod to the Centre. |
| Sydney | Special expediter… Jacob. That signature is my brother, Jacob. |
| Miss Parker | What? |
| Broots | Raines has Angelo sanitising the security system. |
| Miss Parker | Does he know where we are? |
| Broots | No, i don’t think so. |
| Miss Parker | You don’t think? |
| Broots | Yes, No! I don’t know. It was weird. Raines was real suspicious and Angelo just kept giggling. And, man, you’re not gonna believe his head. |
| Miss Parker | Just keep yours cool. It’s Raines. |
| Sydney | He knows. |
| Miss Parker | Just grab the files. |
| Sydney | These files have been collected by someone. Removing them will arouse suspicion. |
| Miss Parker | Syd, this may be our only chance. |
| Sydney | I want to find the truth as much as you do. But at this point, caution is key. |
St. Mary's Hospital |
|
| Detective Geary (at reception desk) | Detective Dave Geary. You’ve got that Jane Doe. |
| Jarod (to the computer) | Come on, come on. |
| Nurse | Still checking Detective |
| Detective Geary | Suicide attempt. |
| Nurse | It’s just not coming up. Oh, here it is. Room 708. |
| Jarod | Jeanette. Jeanette, wake up. |
| Jeanette | Please no more. I don’t need any more sedatives. I’m not crazy. |
| Jarod | I know. |
| Jeanette | Oh, no no. I didn’t try to kill myself. There was a man, and he threw me off the bridge. It was a policeman. Why won’t anyone believe me? |
| Jarod | I believe you. |
| Jeanette | Well, who are you? |
| Jarod | My name is Jarod. I’m here to help you. |
| Jeanette | He took my baby. |
| Jarod | I have your baby. He’s with me. |
| Jeanette | Where’s Michael? |
| Jarod | He’s safe, but we must get out of this hospital. The man who tried to kill you is here. |
| PA | Dr Peterson, call your service. Dr Peterson, please call your service. |
Christine's House of Beauty |
|
| Jeanette | I was so afraid i would never see him again. Where’d you find him? |
| Jarod | That’s not important. What’s important is you’re together now. Jeanette, why would a police detective want you and Michael dead? Was it because of Mitch Meyers? |
| Jeanette | Yeah. |
| Jarod | Is Michael Mitch’s son? |
| Jeanette | I was working as in intern in his office. I thought he was good. I thought he meant the things that he said. We had an affair. He said he didn’t love his wife anymore and he was going to leave her. I mean, i could barely pay for my rent, so, i told him he had to take responsibility for his son. |
| Jarod | And? |
| Jeanette | He said he would do the right thing. And i… I believed him. I mean, i didn’t …. |
| Jarod | It’s okay. |
| Jeanette | Detective Geary came, and he told me that Mitch wanted to see me because he wanted to help us. And i… I didn’t think. We just got in the car, and the next thing i knew I’m being dragged out on the bridge and all i could hear was my Michael crying. |
| Axe | I oughta break the bastard’s neck. |
| Christine | Now can we go to the police? |
| Jarod | No. We have to play a little politics with the DA first. |
| Jeanette | I wanna help. For Michael |
| Jarod | Isn’t tomorrow garbage day? |
A public place |
|
| Jeanette | Mitch Meyers, please. It’s urgent. |
| Mitch Meyers | Jeanette, listen to me. When he was born… |
| Jeanette | His name is Michael |
| Mitch Meyers | Right. When Michael was born, i thought i could finally make the break. Then i started thinking how it might look, my wife, my children, you being so young. Everything i have worked for… all the good i have done…. it would be going down the drain. |
| Jeanette | So you tried to kill us? |
| Mitch Meyers | No, that’s not what i wanted. That’s not who i am. I love you. |
| Jeanette | Look, if you don’t want the truth played out in the 11 o’clock news you have Detective Geary bring $50,000 to the alley where he left Michael at 2 o’clock. |
An alley |
|
| Detective Geary | Police officer. You’re gonna have to take this trash another time. |
| Axe | We collect it now. |
| Detective Geary | You guys don’t know what you’re doin’. |
| Jarod | You feeling naked? A little vulnerable? It’s terrifying, isn’t it? Being at someone else’s mercy… completely defenseless… like a little baby tossed in the dumpster in the middle of the night. You threw away an innocent baby. I’ve been waiting for this moment ever since i saw you standing in the alley. |
At a public meeting |
|
| Mitch Meyers | As district attorney, i have worked hard for this city, to repair the faith, the belief in leadership of your elected officials. |
| Jeanette | Excuse me. Mrs Meyers? Hi. My name is Jeanette Connelly. |
| Mitch Meyers | ….family values, responsibilities… that’s my… |
| Jeanette | Your husband and i have been having an affair. |
| Mitch Meyers | I am a man who believes in commitment. Jan, my wife of 15 years, my two beautiful daughters, Jessica and Lindsey. I know what it takes to build a successful family. It takes honesty... |
| Jeanette (on speaker) | You tried to kill me and our son. |
| Mitch Meyers (on speaker) | Jeanette, listen to me. I was frightened of what you might do, might say. Everything i have worked for, all the good i have done, it would be going down the drain. |
| Jeanette | So you tried to kill us? |
| Mitch Meyers | No, that’s not what i wanted. That’s not who i am. I told Geary to frighten you. That’s all. I didn’t know he was gonna take it as far as murder. You have to believe me. |
| Jarod | Oh, i almost forgot. Now they’re straight. |
Christine's House of Beauty |
|
| Jarod | Thanks Axe. |
| Christine | Bye bye to Jarod. |
| Jarod | Hey, come here. |
| Christine | Bye Jarod. |
| Jarod | Thanks, Christine. Hey little man, it was very nice to meet you. I want you to do me a favour. I want you to always listen to your mom. Never, ever forget her. Okay? |
| Jeanette | There’s my boy. Hi, how’re you doin’? Thank you. |
| Jarod | Good luck. |
| Jeanette | Thank you. Say bye-bye, sweetie. |
| Jarod | Bye. |
The Centre - SL27 |
|
| Sydney | Broots has circumvented the security sensors. We have 10 minutes. |
| Miss Parker | Let’s just take a closer look at those files and get the hell out of here. |
| Sydney | It’s all gone. |
| Miss Parker | Raines. |
| Sydney | No, if Raines knew we found those files we’d be dead. |
| Miss Parker | Well, if he didn’t take them, who did? |
