Rise of The Kek Screenplay

PARTMENT - NIGHT

  HIGH ANGLE on limousine parked below.

  The three NSA agents climb into the car.

  When the car pulls out of the space, a large handicapped symbol is revealed on the pavement.

  The car moves slowly onto the street and through a red light.

  Tara comes out on the balcony.

  Jeremy looks at the card in his hand.

  JEREMY

  The federal government of the United

  States of America hereby requests,

  etcetera, etcetera, on Sunday, 28 August,

  2022.

  (looking at one of the tickets)

  My flight leaves at six in the morning.

  They know about the crystal.

  TARA

  Who is Crystal?

  Jeremy goes back into the house.

  Tara follows.

  TARA (CONT’D)

  Who is Crystal?

  INT. U.S. PENTAGON - DAY

  A U.S. MARINE escorts Jeremy to a door marked Conference Room G.

  He knocks, then cracks it open.

  Jeremy enters cautiously.

  INT. CONFERENCE ROOM G - U.S PENTAGON - DAY

  Photos of space and spacecraft hang on the walls.

  A long oak table, littered with laptops and file folders, centers the room.

  Nine people are seated around it. The NSA woman is among them.

  A Four-Star General is seated at the far end. A ridiculous number of ribbons and medals adorn his uniform. He is GENERAL HAYES.

  HAYES

  Jeremy Jonathan Ash?

  JEREMY

  Yes.

  HAYES

  I'm General Hayes. Please, have a seat.

  Jeremy takes the unoccupied chair at the near end of the table.

  The lights dim.

  An image of the moon appears on the back wall.

  The NSA woman approaches the image.

  The others at the table carefully assess Jeremy.

  WOMAN

  Let's get right down to business. The

  large crater in the foreground is

  Aristarchus.

  The crater magnifies in short bursts until a small section of it is boxed off and digitally enhanced to fill the screen.

  Machinery is clearly visible.

  WOMAN (CONT’D)

  What do you see, Mr. Ash?

  JEREMY

  Looks like a NASA mining operation.

  WOMAN

  Not NASA. Microcore. They refer to it as

  SITE M-X. Although they tell us that it's

  a mining operation, we believe the site

  is much more than that. It appears

  they're building a permanent base of

  operations.

  JEREMY

  My name is Jeremy Ash but I think you've

  got me mixed up with someone else.

  Hayes flips open a file.

  The woman returns to her seat.

  HAYES

  Are you the Jeremy Ash who logged nearly

  eight hours in an Apollo simulator

  located at the Kennedy Space Center?

  JEREMY

  Yeah. So what?

  HAYES

  The Jeremy Ash who was present when one

  Alec Strickland disappeared without a

  trace, then returned more than three

  years later in possession of a device

  capable of interstellar travel?

  JEREMY

  Alec is my brother's best friend. I don't

  keep track of where he goes or what he

  does.

  HAYES

  Speaking of your brother, I have an

  article here that he published just last

  week. It places you at the scene when Mr.

  Strickland utilized the device to launch

  himself toward the star 58 Eridani.

  That's where the signal of 2018

  originated.

  JEREMY

  It was a joke.

  HAYES

  Satellites tracked an object heading for

  Eridani, at or near light speed, on the

  exact date specified in your brother's

  article.

  JEREMY

  What does any of this have to do with me?

  HAYES

  (reading from another file)

  The Jeremy Ash who submitted a query to

  Microcore's Propulsive Research and

  Design Division, which contained an

  equation that alludes to neutrino

  convergence vectored along a stable

  plane?

  JEREMY

  I had a theory. Big deal. Why would you

  be spying on me and my computer anyway?

  What's this all about?

  HAYES

  We're all very concerned, Mr. Ash. The

  ability to capture a neutrino is beyond

  any known science, let alone the ability

  to redirect its path. We believe that you

  are in possession of technical data that

  could threaten the national security of

  this country.

  JEREMY

  That's ridiculous.

  HAYES

  What do you know of the so-called Super

  Spider?

  JEREMY

  Nothing. Am I under arrest or something?

  Because if not, I'd like to go home now.

  Hayes looks at the woman, who in turn, looks around at the others in the room.

  Nods of approval all around.

  WOMAN

  No, you're not under arrest, Mr. Ash.

  Quite the contrary, actually. How would

  you like to join the Apollo Eighteen crew

  for a lunar fly-by?

  JEREMY

  Excuse me?

  WOMAN

  We need to get a firsthand look at

  Microcore's Aristarchus operation and we

  want a civilian on the flight- an average

  American, if you will. Based on your

  simulator performance, you're the perfect

  candidate for the mission.

  JEREMY

  Apollo Eighteen...to the moon. You've got

  to be kidding me. Apollo Seventeen was

  like fifty years ago.

  WOMAN

  I'm quite serious.

  JEREMY

  I'm confused. Weren't you just accusing

  me of something?

  WOMAN

  We were just trying to find where your

  loyalties lie. Your duties aboard the

  spacecraft will be limited. Basically,

  just sit back and enjoy the ride. You

  will be required to complete a six week

  training course.

  JEREMY

  I can't believe what I'm hearing.

  HAYES

  Believe it, Mr. Ash. This is a one time

  offer. We need to know right now if

  you'll accept your country's call to

  service.

  JEREMY

  Since you put it that way, how can I

  refuse?

  HAYES

  Then it's settled.

  Everyone in the room begins gathering files and shutting down their laptops.

  HAYES (CONT’D)

  We'll be in touch. Good day, Mr. Ash.

  Everyone but Jeremy leaves the room.

  The Marine enters. He escorts Jeremy out.

  INT. JEREMY'S A