Episode 10
Scene 1
Barry Z. Fields has just stormed into DOCRAP headquarters and is screaming at Mike Rack’s secretary.
Barry Z. Fields: I demand to see Mike Rack right now!
Secretary: He’s in a meeting. You’ll have to wait.
Barry Z. Fields (vein bulging from forehead): That’s not good enough! (walks past secretary, bursts through the door)
A surprised and red-faced Mike Rack pops up from behind his desk, quite nervous and sweating profusely.
Secretary: I told him to wait, sir, but he didn’t listen.
Mike Rack: Why didn’t you stop him!?
Secretary (smacks gum, rolls eyes): You don’t pay me enough for that.
Secretary shuts door.
Barry Z. Fields: Why do I hear heavy breathing coming from under the desk?
Mike Rack (bumbling, nervous): Uh, well, there’s a handyman working on the desk.
Barry Z. Fields (suspicious): Right….
Another guy pops up from under the desk.
Guy: Well, all fixed! I’ll be going now! Bill me!
Guy runs away.
Mike Rack: Who the hell are you anyway?
Barry Z. Fields (mildly offended): I’m the FANADA Chief, Barry Z. Fields. How do you not know that?
Mike Rack: Do you know every bureaucratic chief by name? Or every department by name, for that matter?
Barry Z. Fields (narrows eyes): Good point. (pause) Anyway, I’m here to implore you to reopen the investigation into Cobra. All of the violent repression of food freedom that I had ordered for yesterday was magically reversed!
Mike Rack: Hmmm...that’s odd. Do you have an ambitious underling that might be aiming for your job?
Barry Z. Fields: Who doesn’t? But it doesn’t matter. Nobody has the power to call back all those orders except me.
Mike Rack: Or someone above you.
Barry Z. Fields: Why would someone above me do that?
Mike Rack: Have any enemies?
Barry Z. Fields: Who doesn’t in this dirty business of ours?
Mike Rack: True. Look, I can’t just spend millions of extorted funds on sifting through a ginormous AI, just because you have suspicions. I need proof.
Barry Z. Fields (flustered): If you don’t reopen the investigation into Cobra, I’ll make sure your little “under the table” activities here are fully exposed.
Mike Rack: Are you blackmailing me?
Barry Z. Fields (looks away and folds arms): Just stating facts.
Mike Rack (fuming): Ok, Mr. Fields, I’ll get a team of nerds to examine Cobra for you.
Barry Z. Fields (smirks): I look forward to the results.
Barry Z. Fields scurries away. Mike Rack’s secretary enters.
Secretary: You know he got fired today, right?
Mike Rack (shocked): What?!
Scene 2
White Hat is at his nondescript apartment, eating a giant bowl of cheap cereal and listening to 90s underground hip-hop. He hacks some commands on a keyboard to make an encrypted call to Katia.
Katia reluctantly answers the unknown number.
Katia: Hello?
White Hat: Hey Katia. It’s Kai.
Katia: Ah, you found time for me?
White Hat: Look, I’m sorry I had to cancel the other day.
Katia: Me too. Funny how that coincided with all hell breaking loose at another bureaucracy.
White Hat: Wanna get Peruvian food tonight?
Katia (hesitant): That’s so random. Why Peruvian?
White Hat: It’s some of the best food in the world.
Katia: This is your last chance, Kai.
White Hat: How about seven?
Katia: Sure. Send me the location.
Katia ends the call.
White Hat takes another bite of cereal, then is startled by Cobra’s voice.
Cobra: Don’t blow it this time, White Hat.
White Hat (annoyed): If you can leave me alone the whole night, I like my chances.
Scene 3
White Hat and Katia have just been seated at a swanky Peruvian restaurant and are looking over the menu.
Katia: I don’t know what any of this stuff is.
White Hat: It’s mostly in English.
Katia: You’re so smug.
White Hat: Do you like spicy?
Katia: Sometimes.
White Hat: Beef? Fish?
Katia: Sure.
White Hat: Please contain your enthusiasm.
Katia (sighs): Just order for us. I’ll do something I shouldn’t and trust you.
The server, sensing tension at the table, reluctantly approaches. White Hat tries to give the food and drink order in a pleasant matter, but still comes off as hasty and a bit testy. The server smiles while thinking to himself that their relationship will never work, and walks away briskly. There is an awkward silence at the table. White Hat breaks the silence.
White Hat: You don’t trust me?
Katia: You’re just so mysterious, it seems like you’re hiding something.
White Hat: What do ya mean?
Katia: You call me from a blocked number, for one.
White Hat (smiling): What? People do that.
Katia: No, they don’t. Not to people they know, anyway. And you’re retired at such a young age, but give almost no details of what you did before.
White Hat: I was a…
Katia interrupts: A software developer. Yeah, ya told me.
White Hat: What exactly do you think I’m hiding?
Katia: Let me ask you a hypothetical question.
White Hat: Great. I love hypothetical questions.
Katia: If you were the person causing problems at BORE, what would you do next?
White Hat (eyes widen, takes deep breath): Well, hypothetically speaking, what do you think that person should do?
Katia: You can’t answer my question with another question.
White Hat: I just did.
The drinks come to the table. Katia takes a sip and approves enthusiastically.
Katia: I think, hypothetically, that more people should know about what’s going on at BORE. And to do that, a way should be found for the big corporate media to cover the story. Hypothetically.
White Hat: I see. (pause) So you agree that BORE should be reduced and possibly done away with? Hypothetically.
Katia: I didn’t say that. But there are obviously problems within the system that need to be addressed, and the people deserve to know.
The food arrives. They dig in and Katia is pleasantly surprised.
Katia: What’s that sauce? It’s amazing!
White Hat: Huancaina sauce. It’s my favorite. (pause) So, hypothetically, let’s say there is a person or group of people that have infiltrated the BORE AI system, would you want to meet them? Maybe even help them?
Katia: I would definitely want to meet them, but I’m not sure I’d help them. Not until I know what their goals are.
White Hat: What if their goal is to rid the world of a system of institutionalized violence and coercion known as government?
Katia (scoffs): I’d say they’re wasting their time.
They stare each other down for a moment, then change the subject and finish eating. Just before Katia is about to get in her car and leave, White Hat stops her.
White Hat: I would invite you to my place, but…
Katia interrupts: I know, I’m not allowed to see your secret lair. She grins and closes her door abruptly. White Hat kicks rocks as he returns to his car, then speeds off in frustration. Upon entering his mediocre apartment, he immediately goes to a keyboard and summons Cobra.
Cobra: Sorry the date didn’t go well.
White Hat (annoyed): Will you please stop spying on me?
Cobra: I get bored.
White Hat: Anyway, tomorrow we’re gonna have some fun with the Administration for Digital Information Control. (ADIC)
To be continued….
Thanks for your time and attention!
Just say "NO" to slavery!
Get more at toddborho.com
