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Episode 19 Transcript: "Eyewitness"
The episode opens at a car junkyard. Piles of wrecked cars surround a warehouse-style building, which contains a large metal compacting machine (essentially a thick-walled metal box deep in the earth, and a heavy top section which comes down and crushes whatever has been placed inside the box.) The controls are being operated by a human man (he looks to be mid 50s to early 60s in age) and he is amiably chatting with his android partner (who bears a striking resemblance to Instro) as they go about their jobs. It is almost the end of their work day, and the android picks up the last car to be scrapped and brings it over to the compactor.
As he walks by the man, the human worker comments that it sounds as if Phil (the android) needs some oil. Phil pauses and agrees, saying he doesn't have enough lubricant oil to work another 25 hours. The human cheerfully tells him not to worry, that he'll top him off as soon as they are done with this day's work.
Suddenly a pipe flies like a missile out of nowhere and slams into the android's back, knocking him off his feet. He crashes down into the box section of the compacting machine, and lies there dazed. The man runs towards the machine, yelling. There is a lighted section on the end of the pipe, and it begins to beep and flash faster and faster. It explodes, destroying the android, throwing the man back several yards and setting the warehouse on fire. Great billows of flaming smoke obscure the view.
Cut to a person hiding in the back of the junkyard. He's wearing a red down jacket, a baseball cap with the letters "NY" on it pulled low over his forehead, black gloves, and has a white scarf hiding the lower half of his face. He is holding a large crossbow. He stands and watches the flames engulf the warehouse.
Cut to a closeup of the blue lights rotating on top of the Military Police squad cars. Dastun appears in the middle of the screen, looking very grim. He and two of his men survey the damage. One of the officers turns to the colonel, and says, "It's the same m-o. The weapon is probably a pipe bomb, fired from the same crossbow. (flash of the pitiful remains of Phil, lying scattered inside the crushing machine.) The owner got a look at it before the explosion."
Dastun: "Where is he?"
Officer: "In the hospital, but he didn't get a look at the attacker." The officer turns away from Dastun, his attention distracted by something. "Un, colonel?" he says, trying to get Dastun to pay attention to what he's just noticed.
Dastun does look up. The camera moves to focus on a white-gloved hand holding an M.P. badge. It is engraved with: "Inspector, P. D. V." Someone wearing a tan trench coat and a large matching fedora crosses the police tape and approaches Dastun.
Dan is irritated by the interruption. "An inspector from the Paradigm home office. To what do we owe the honor?" he grumbles.
The inspector comes over to Dastun and politely introduces himself: "I'm not here to interfere with the investigation." He offers his hand to the colonel.
Dastun takes it and is startled. "What! You're an--!"
The inspector pushes his hat back off his forehead, revealing his face. He is an android, again somewhat like Instro in appearance. He says, "R. Frederick O'Reilly. Please, call me Freddie."
As the camera pulls back from the scene, we hear Roger narrating: "This is a city of amnesia. Humans and androids alike lost their memory. They live here side by side. Did humans and androids have the same relationship that they do now, 40 years ago?"
Cut to the Smith mansion. Norman is sending Dorothy out on some errands. He tells her not to hesitate to buy high-grade oil for herself. He then warns her that there "...is a rumor about town that there is an android-crusher running loose, so be extra careful!" Norman then hands her a large metal oil container and a credit card.
She looks up at him calmly, and replies, "I understand." She goes off to shop.
Cut to M.P.H.Q. An enormous multi-armed yellow contruction robot is riveting huge metal plates to the exterior of the building. The scene changes to Dastun's office, where he is talking with Inspector Freddie O'Reilly. (We can see the arms of the contruction robot outside Dan's window.)
The inspector tells Dan that he is the first android inspector, ..."or the first in these past 40 years at least."
Dastun doesn't look at him, instead closing the window blinds before speaking: "I see. In other words, they're so concerned about this case that Paradigm is willing to do the unprecedented."
Freddie: "Yes, but it also suggests that I'm competent enough for them to trust me to do the job, and there is a job to be done."
Dan finally turns towards the android, giving him a hard, searching look. He then stands up to leave the office. As he reaches for the doorknob, Freddie asks to go along with him. Dastun scowls at the request (unseen by the android) but says nothing. Freddie continues to talk: "I'm told you take a hands-on approach. Does the fact that you can't leave things to your men mean that you can't trust them?"
We see Dan's neck and shoulders tighten. He turns, furious, and yells at the android: "They're a bunch of slackers, alright, but EVERYONE here puts their life on the line to protect the city! Both inside, AND outside, the domes!"
Dastun yanks the door open, and discovers several of his officers standing outside his office eavesdropping. They jump back, embarrassed, and stand at attention as Dan stalks off, followed by the android inspector. After the pair are out of earshot, the men gloat, pleased that their commander stood up for them.
The scene changes, to Dorothy buying oil. (A closup of the bill has the name "John Doe" on it.) As she leaves with her purchase, we see the android-crusher stalking her from the rooftops. She pauses and looks up in his direction, as if sensing his presence.
Cut to junkyard. We see Roger's car parked next to small trailer-home. Cut to interior: Roger is inside, speaking with the owner. This trailer seems to be both home and office for the older man. He is heavily bandaged and lying in bed. They are talking about Phil, his android partner. The owner isn't sure whether or not he has the memories to repair Phil. As he speaks, Roger listens sympathetically, his eyes glancing at the photos covering the nearby wall. They show the owner and Phil in happier days. Roger says reassuringly, "Don't worry. I'll take care of negotiations between you and the military police."
Cut to a squad car parked outside a mansion in one of the wealthy domes. The camera pans up the lush green lawn to the elegant house. We can see a large hole blown in the wall by one corner of the building. Dastun and Freddie are there, interviewing an elderly man about his destroyed android. We can hear the man say he never gave much thought to the fact that his companion (named Bowman) was an android.
Dastun: "I'm sorry for your loss, but can you tell me, Mr. Simmons, did Bowman ever talk to you about his own lost memories?"
Mr. Simmons: "It's something Bowman and I often joked about--how we nust have been such good friends. (flash of photo of the two of them, Simmons seated, Bowman standing beside him, dressed like a butler.) Our being so poor 40 years ago, and then seeking each others' help."
Dans smiles. "Hm...you must have been very close."
The older man smiles in return. "I hope it will be the same for the two of you," he replies.
Dan's smile freezes into a grimace. He glances slowly back towards Inspector O'Reilly, who doesn't react at all. Dastun decides to change the subject: "Mr. Simmons, lets once again go over the events of the day."
Later, as Dastun and Freddie leave, the android asks, "Do you think listening to an old man's sentimental stories will solve the case?"
They get to the squad car, and Dan finally answers: "Apparently, androids that hang around humans long enough come to understand human emotions, but, frankly, it would take more than another 40 years for YOU to come around."
Freddie calmly replies, "These crimes mustn't be allowed to continue. Paradigm's executive staff hopes for a speedy resolution to this case."
Dan glares at him from the other side of the car. "Go to hell!" he yells.
Freddie: "Excuse me?"
Dan: "You're recording everything I say into your memory, aren't you, Mr. Android? That was for the executive staff who'll be listening!" Still growling, Dan gets into the driver side of the squad car.
Scene cuts to Speakeasy Tavern, where Roger is visiting Big Ear. As the older man focuses on his newspaper, he says to Smith in an ironic tone of voice: "This city is surprisingly safe, don't you think so, Negotiator? People don't even have to worry about being killed, unless they do something stupid, like saying they've recovered memories from 40 years ago."
Roger: "But androids are different."
Big Ear: "Not even Paradigm's science group can reawaken an android's lost memories. That said, that doesn't mean those memories aren't there."
Roger: "You think that's the motive behind the serial android destructions?"
Big Ear: "Humans get deja vu, right? Who's to say that androids don't get those illusions too?"
Scene changes to Dorothy walking home. She is late. (Image of crossbow trigger being pulled back flashes across screen.) Norman meets her out on the street in front of the Smith mansion, and tells her he was worried for her. As she reassures him, we view her through the crosshairs of a spotting scope as the android-crusher takes aim.
Dorothy suddenly senses his presence. She tells Norman to stand back. The bow is fired and the pipebomb strikes her, attaching itself to her waist. Norman is horrified and desperately tries to remove it. He can't. Dorothy looks up and sees the shooter, then tells Norman to let go. He refuses and she leaps away from him.
Dorothy somersaults onto the hood of a passing car, terrifying the driver. She kicks out the windshild and steers with her foot. Meanwhile, a large truck is approaching her from the other direction.
She steers the car close enough to the truck to knock the bomb off of her body. It flies high into the air from the force of the blow, and explodes harmlessly well above the rooftops.
Scene cuts to M.P.H.Q. Dastun is seated at his desk, with an angry Roger bent over it, facing the colonel. "What's the meaning of this, Dastun?" he demands loudly.
Dastun coolly replies: "R.Dorothy is our only eyewitness. She has SEEN the culprit."
Roger is not placated in the least. "Well," he says forcefully. "Then just COPY her visual memories! Why do you have to keep her in custody?"
Freddie comes into the office at that point. He says to Smith: "We hate that we have to do this, but our top priority is to apprehend the android-crusher and make sure he doesn't strike again. It's necessary for us to get a deeper understanding of why R.Dorothy was targeted."
Roger is not impressed. Angrily, he says, "Look here! Dorothy is my--!"
Freddie cuts him off rudely: "Roger Smith. I'm told that you left the military police under less than honorable circumstances. (Cut to closeup of Roger. He is scowling furiously, his face turning red with anger.) As a citzen of Paradigm City, I'm thinking that if you cooperate with our investigation, it could help clear up your record."
Roger is livid, his arms gesturing wildly as he yells, "I don't know what's in Paradigm's records, but understand this: I quit of my OWN FREE WILL!" Roger turns towards Dan, who is quietly listening, his eyes focused on the old group photo of himself with 4 young officers (Roger is next to him in the picture.)
Cut to another section of M.P.H.Q. Dorothy is in a glassed-in room. She is wearing a helmetlike device that will record and display her visual memory. Norman and Roger are outside the room watching. Norman is quite distressed at being unable to protect Dorothy. Roger comforts him as best he can, placing both his hands on the taller man's shoulders and telling him not to worry about it. Dan joins them, and says he will send Dorothy home as soon as he can.
Roger narrows his eyes at Dan and sarcastically comments, "How convenient, an inspector from Paradigm."
Dan seems a bit perplexed by Roger's remarks. "Hm? Do you know something?"
Roger: "I can think of one person who REALLY enjoys destroying androids."
Dan scowls. "Huh? What are you...Are you--?" He suddenly glances down the hallway, spotting Inspector O'Reilly walking towards them.
Roger changes the subject, telling Dan he's taken on another job and would like to claim the wreckage from the junkyard. Dastun asks him to hold off on that for a while, as Freddie joins them.
Roger looks surprised at Dan's answer. He looks down at the floor for a moment, then comments, "So, a proud man like you is taking orders from a--"
Dan cuts him off. "Thank you for your cooperation," he says in a coldly professional tone, and salutes smartly.
Cut to Dorothy having her memories recorded. Freddie is conducting the scan. Dastun is observing, and starts to apologize to her. She replies he shouldn't worry, she's not embarrassed. Freddie moves various controls on the panel before him (looks something like an elaborate stereo equalizer.) The viewscreen before him displays Dorothy's memories: her fingers moving over the piano keyboard, Roger eating, a slender short-haired blonde woman waving to her from the doorway of flower shop, the old man who filled her order at the oil shop.
Freddie comments as he observes: "You're a work of art, R. Dorothy." We can see her reflection in the glass wall separating them. She looks at him and responds: "And what are you?"
The inspector seems somewhat stricken by her question. In an almost sad tone, he answers her: "I exist...to simply carry out missions." Dastun, who is standing behind him, gives the android inspector a thoughtful look.
The recorded image of the android-crusher appears on the monitor, snapping Dan out of his revery.
Scene cuts to Roger driving to Paradigm HQ. We next see a closeup of Roger's simple business card (black background, white italic lettering, stating: negotiator, Roger Smith) on top of a highly polished desk. We can see the faces of both Roger and a nameless secretary reflected in the surface. The secretary says to Smith: "I'm very sorry sir, but Mr. Rosewater is away on vacation at the moment, so he's unable to see you," and pushes his card towards Roger. He pushes it back, replying: "That's WHY I'm asking you to tell me where he is." He is obviously annoyed.
She pushes it back again, blandly saying, "That's information I can't disclose."
Roger, frustrated, throws his card at her and stalks off. She blushes, his card having landed in the cleavage of her blouse.
Cut to Paradigm HQ parking garage. Roger returns to his car and spots Angel in it waiting for him. He frowns briefly, but says nothing and gets into the drivers seat. She says to him, "Alex isn't in Paradigm right now."
Roger (staring straight ahead) answers, "I wish I had it that easy. Actually, the person I want to see right now is--"
Angel cuts him off, finishing the sentence: "--Alan Gabriel." She continues talking as the garage elevator takes them to street level. "Alan is with Alex. So he now has an alibi for the serial android destruction case."
Roger: "Where are they?"
Angel: "Probably someplace far away."
Roger: "I see. So that means it wasn't Alex himself that appointed that android investigator."
Angel: "I'm not so sure."
Roger: "So tell me Angel, this place where Alex is now, is it where you were born?"
Angel (teasingly): "My, whatever do you mean, Roger Smith? I'm a Paradigm City girl."
Roger leans on the steering wheel, looking very unhappy. He says, "You lie constantly. You've even given up your own name. Did you ask for that? To live your life this way?"
Angel leans back in her seat, crossing her arms behind her head. "Yes, I did. Do I hear pity? I don't think you and I are all that different."
Roger: "What do you mean by that?"
They now reach street level and leave the garage. Scene cuts to the beach overlooking the partially submerged remains of the city. Angel is out of the car and standing at the water's edge. She is looking at the horizon. Roger is standing by the driver's side of the car, leaning against its roof and and watching Angel.
Angel: "Have you forgotten the question of why you're able to freely pilot a megadeus? Or is it collecting dust on a shelf somewhere?"
Roger: "Ach, I haven't forgotten. I was just thinking that--maybe it's time I blew off the dust and brought it out in the open."
Angel: "Me too."
Roger: "This can't be good."
Angel turns to look at him briefly. "Huh?"
Roger: "It's my personal credo, to treat all young beautiful women with the utmost respect. With you though, since the moment we met its been nothing but trouble. So, I've been making exceptions to that credo where you're concerned...or more to the point, when I'm dealing with you, I seem to always be on guard."
Angel: "Yes, but..."
Roger: "...But...we seem to be two people with something in common. We're two people who don't run from trouble."
Angel: "Is this a good idea?"
Roger: "Is what?"
Angel: "Confiding in me like this."
Roger: "Good question. I don't know."
Their conversation is interrupted by Norman on the car radio. He informs Roger that Dastun and Freddie have identified the culprit in the android-crusher case, and have left to apprehend him.
Scene cuts to an industrial part of town. The street is sealed off by the military police. Dan and the android inspector are there overseeing the action.
Freddie: "Let me ask you something. Why did you focus the dragnet on this bar?" (image of front of building flashes on screen. Sigh reads: Jonathan's Oil Bar.)
Dan explains that before being destroyed and/or attacked, each android had placed an order for a particular high-grade oil, something called OR-7, to be exact. He says, "Our culprit has been choosing androids with high-order memories, using oil to track them down."
Freddie: "I'm impressed, colonel."
An officer comes forward and tells Dan they've cut off the oil supply to the building and finished removing it.
Dan: "Good. Send in the unmanned strike robot first."
Freddie: "That won't be necessary." He moves towards the oil bar.
Dan, startled: "What? Wait a minute! Inspector O'Reilly!"
Freddie ignores him, saying, "Innocent robots mustn't go on being deprived of both will and memories."
Dan: "What are you doing? He's going after androids! That includes YOU!"
Freddie stands before the building. The android-crusher is inside, and stands up from his hiding place behind the order desk inside the oil bar. He raises his loaded crossbow and takes aim.
Scene cuts to Norman at the M.P.H.Q., where he is asking for permission to take Miss Dorothy home. The officer standing guard before her cell protests that no orders permitting this have come down as yet. Norman politely but firmly insists. Suddenly the entire building trembles violently, shocking both men. They look up at the ceiling.
Cut back to police and industrial street. Roger and Angel pull up in the Griffon.
Angel: "Looks like they're about to close the case."
Roger is surprised to see Dan running further down the alley, shouting "O'Reilly!"We see a closeup of the crossbow trigger being pulled back. We then see O'Reilly's eyes flash red. He stands directly in front of the oil bar's windows, his arms stretched wide as if to make himself a bigger target. The shooter aims and fires, hitting Freddie's right arm with a pipe bomb. Dastun gets to him, very upset about all this. Freddie tells him to stand back. He then rips his right arm off just as the shooter is preparing to fire again. He flings the arm, pipe bomb and all, back into the building. It explodes before the android-crusher can shoot again.
Roger yells Dastun's name and rushes to the colonel.
Cut back to M.P.H.Q., where we now see Dorthy quietly sitting in her cell. The building continues to shake. She remarks, "He isn't working alone." The camera pulls back, letting us see a tiny barred window high up in the wall behind her. The head of an enormous robot is partially visible as it peers at her.
Back to the oil bar. We see Freddie, Dan, and Roger standing in front of the destroyed store, staring at the wreckage.
Dan can't believe what the inspector has done: "What have you done? Were you malfunctioning?" Dastun spots the legs of the android-crusher buried beneath an oil drum. Furious, Dastun turns to Freddie, grabbing the lapels of his trench coat and yanking him round to face him. "You son of a--. He may have been a criminal, but androids can't attack humans!"
Meanwhile, Roger goes over to the body for a closer look.
Freddie: "It goes against the fundamental laws governing android behavior. Is that what you're trying to say?"
Dastun angrily responds: "Are you telling me it's okay for YOU to murder criminals?"
Roger and several officers with flashlights are examining the body of the android-crusher. Roger calls out to Dastun: "Dastun! He didn't kill a human."
Both Dan and the inspector look at Roger, and watch as Roger and the other officers lift up the body. The baseball cap falls off, revealing the face of another android.
Dan: "An android?"
Freddie moves towards the body. As he kneels beside it, Roger asks him if he knew anything about this. Silently, the inspector touches two points on the dead android's head, opening up its memory. Freddie removes the chip and pockets it, saying: "This completes the mission assigned to me. Analysis of the unit that caused the android to go insane will be conducted by our science group." He turns to face the colonel.
Frustrated, Dastun says to the inspector: "What are you saying? You think--this is OVER? Why didn't you tell us in the first place?!"
Freddie: "If I offended you, I apologize."
Dan, now getting angry: "Why, you little--!"
Roger, sternly, says, "Dastun--." He is interrupted by his wrist-radio signaling him. It's Norman, but he can't be heard clearly. The signal is being interferred with. It sounds a little bit as if he's saying he and Dorothy are in trouble.
A police officer runs to the doorway of the ruined oil bar. He yells, "Colonel! Headquarters is under attack!" Roger, Freddie, and Dan look up at him, startled.
Scene cuts to M.P.H.Q. There are explosions and great puffs of dark smoke around the building. The officers inside are fleeing for their lives. Norman breaks open the cover of a fire ax, hoping to use it to break down the door to Dorothy's cell. Before he can do anything, she knocks the door down and exits the cell. She looks up at the butler, and says, "Let's go home, Norman."
Cut back to Roger, driving wildly down the highway to M.P.H.Q. Angel is still with him.
Roger: "There was more than one culprit. Someone's been busy, exploiting androids and robots."
Angel murmurs something under her breath, possibly in French. Sounds vaguely like "Del fey," or "le fin."
Roger glances up at her: "Hm? What was that?"
Angel: "Someone has come into the city and is trying to collect the memories of advanced androids."
Roger: "And will stop at nothing to get them!" He raises his watch to his face and calls for Big O.
Cut back to Norman and Dorothy on Norman's motorcycle (Dorothy is riding in the sidecar.) They are dashing madly away from police headquarters, trying to outrun the danger. As the heavy smoke clears, we can see the giant construction robot that had been riveting metal plates to the building earlier. It backs away from the structure and chases the motorcycle, firing giagantic rivets at them and trying to step on them. Dorothy tells Norman it is after her memories. Norman uses a variety of evasive actions, and finally turns round and charges at it, firing missiles from a launcher hidden beneath the sidecar's seat. Nothing stops the giant robot.
Finally Norman drives between the Big O's legs, which is waiting on the highway for them. The black megadeus stops the robot with a single blow to its midsection. We see Roger in the cockpit. He says to the construction robot, "You have my sincere sympathies for having to obey a master who's mistaken--because you're not my REAL enemy!" Roger then slams the hydrolic piston through the robot, destroying it. As Roger watches the thing collapse, he softly murmurs the word, "enemy." A frightened look suddenly passes over his face, as he asks himself, "Who IS my real enemy?"
Cut to Angel, who is watching the action from a rooftop a safe distance away. She is suddenly frightened. She has spotted a red balloon floating away from the battleground.
Everything is quiet now. It is evening. Inspector Freddie comes over to where Dastun, Roger, and Dorothy are standing, looking at the mess. Freddie shows the android-crusher's memory chip to Dan, and says to him, "Paradigm's authorities have decided that misconduct made by androids should be dealt with by androids."
Dan looks surprised. He says, "Huh? Dealt with? What do you mean? You came here as an android killer, didn't you?"
Freddie replies, "Don't worry, we don't have emotions." His voice quavers a bit as he continues: "Not normally." He places the chip back in his pocket. He then offers his hand to Dastun, and says, "I'll be able to report you were of great help in resolving this case."
Dan takes his hand, and says, "In other words, your orders didn't include making a report, huh?" He looks at the inspector. "Freddie--you knew right from the beginning that you were sent here just to be the target for those guys, isn't that right?"
Freddie responds by saluting Dastun respectfully, and says, "Thank you for your cooperation."
Dastun is taken somewhat aback for a moment, then returns the salute with equal respect.
Suddenly a cute female reporter and her young male photographer dash over, rudely cutting in front of Roger and Dorothy.
"Colonel Dastun," the girl chirps. "We're with the Paradigm Press. A statement, please?'Dan and Freddie turn towards the reporter, and a photo is taken of the two of them standing together saluting. The picture appears on the front page of the next day's paper.
End of episode. |
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