Jackson
The modern battlefield is a blizzard, a transparent, electronic blizzard, with planes and tanks, and computers and missiles all humming away, and into that storm flies our fighter. It doesn’t drop bombs. It doesn’t shoot missiles. It just sends out a signal. It’s like the voice of God. It’s just a signal that turns everything off.
Shelly
I forget, Jackson. . . who is the enemy now that we need your plane to defend us from?
Jackson
What? The enemy at this moment? You are, dear. You are.
Jillian
The signal it makes. . . what, what does it sound like?
Jackson
Oh, humans can’t hear it, dove. Humans can’t hear it at all.
Butler
Excuse me, ma’am. Miss Augusta would like to see you.
Shelly
Oh, all right. Come on, Jackson. Augusta has summoned us to her bedside.
Jackson
It’s the good night kiss. After allowance, it’s the most important event of the day. The joys of parenthood.
Shelly
Come on, Jackson.
Jackson
Coming.
Spencer
Why are you so far away?
Jillian
I’m right here.
Spencer
What’s the matter? What’s wrong?
Jillian
I don’t understand any of this. What they’re talking about, it’s like they’re speaking in code.
Spencer
Honey, it’s business, that’s all.
Jillian
Why do you have to build that plane? The way you talk about it, it doesn’t even sound like you.
Spencer
Baby, it’s my job. My job.
Jillian
You used to say you’d fly for ever. You used to say they’d have to bury you in the sky.
Spencer
Yeah. They almost did.
Jillian
What are you looking for when you look at me like that?
Spencer
What are you hiding from me? Huh?
Jillian
Nothing. Nothing.
Spencer
No?
Jillian
Yeah.
Spencer
Uh-uh.
Jillian
Yeah.
Doctor
This is going to be a little cold. Let’s have a look in here, shall we? Ah, there it is. Let’s take a measurement. Nine weeks, give or take a few days. See this here? This, this flickering?
Spencer
What id that?
Doctor
That’s the heartbeat.
Spencer
Is it supposed to be moving that fast?
Doctor
I would be worried if it were not. Everything looks fine, Jillian. Well, that’s interesting.
Spencer
What?
Doctor
Well, wait, I’m not sure. See this here?
Spencer
What is that?
Doctor
A second heartbeat. Two heartbeats. It’s twins, Mrs Armacost, twins. This is a number of a support group for women who are expecting twins.
Jillian
There’s something I didn’t tell you, for my chart. I know I should have, but. . . A few years ago, after my parents died. . . I. . . I had a bad time.
Doctor
How bad, Jillian?
Jillian
I would see people I knew. . . I would see them dead. And sometimes, I. . . I would see myself.
Doctor
Did you seek treatment? Were you hospitalised?
Jillian
Yes.
Doctor
Does he know?
Jillian
He’s the one that got me through it.
Doctor
You are afraid, that this pregnancy is going to bring all that back, right?
Jillian
Yeah.
Doctor
Spend time with Spencer. Go through this together. Now that you know that all these feelings you’ve been having are caused by the life growing in you, and by your body adapting to it, oh, cherish it.
Jillian
Okay.
Doctor
And if you need, call me any time, day or night.
Jillian
Thank you.
Spencer
Just a nightmare, baby. You were talking in your sleep.
Jillian
What was I saying?
Spencer
Couldn’t tell. It didn’t sound like words, really. It was more like sounds.
Jillian
I’m scared.
Spencer
Well, I think it’s be strange, if a first-time mother wasn’t scared, honey.
Jillian
Yeah.
Spencer
Come on. Come with me. There you go. That’s better, ain’t it?
Jillian
Yeah.
Spencer
Yeah.
Jillian
Everything’s gonna be okay, isn’t it?
Spencer
Everything’s going to be just fine, honey.
Jillian
And they’re going to be healthy, right?
Spencer
Well. They’re going to be beautiful, jut like their mother.
Jillian
What do you think they’ll be when they grow up?
Spencer
What are they going to be?
Jillian
Yeah.
Spencer
Shit, they’re going to be pilots, honey.
Jillian
Just like their father.
Spencer
Just like their father. All right, lean back here. Let me wash your hair.
Jillian
Am I dreaming, Spencer?
Spencer
No. No, you’re not dreaming.
Woman 1
And then he gives you that look, that ‘honey, I understand’ look. Ha! I don’t care how long he rubs my feet for. He doesn’t understand a thing.
Woman 2
He rubs your feet?
Woman 3
I know what you mean. We’re supposed to be going through this together but I have never felt more separate from him. It’s like there’s something going on in my body he knows nothing about.
Woman 2
He rubs your feet?
Woman 1
I got into the bathtub with my socks on.
Jillian
Aah! Oh. My God! Jesus, you scared me.
Spencer
You, are in big trouble.
Jillian
Do you like the pie?
Spencer
I don’t believe I can take much more of this, honey.
Jillian
How much do you like the pie? Come get the pie.
Spencer
First, I’m gonna drink you, then I’m gonna eat you.
Jillian
Get the pie.
Spencer
I’m going to eat that, right?
Jillian
Think you can handle all three of us?
Spencer
Yup.
Jillian
Yeah?
Spencer
Yup.
Jillian
Do you love the belly?
Spencer
I love it.
Jillian
Good, ‘cos I love the belly, too. Excuse me.
Reese
Mrs Armacost. Do you, er, do you remember me?
Jillian
Mr Reese?
Reese
Yes. Erm.
Jillian
Oh.
Reese
How many months?
Jillian
Just a few.
Reese
I need to speak with you.
Jillian
You know, Spencer works for McLaren now, if you’re looking for him.
Reese
No. No, I, I, I, I need to speak with, with you, Mrs Armacost. . . about those two minutes. The two minutes, Mrs Armacost.
Jillian
What is it, Mr Reese?
Reese
Have you noticed any change in your husband’s behaviour since the shuttle mission? Because I’ve been through these files and there are some peculiarities. Like, like right here. This is your husband’s signature before he went on the shuttle that last time, and here’s a form that he signed when he returned. Now. . . they are similar, but, but not the same. Not the same signature.
Jillian
Mr Reese, are you in New York on official NASA business?
Reese
And, and, and here’s the results of the medical tests that we ran when he got back.
Jillian
Mr Reese! Are you on official NASA business?
Reese
Everything is fine. Everything shows up normal, but everything’s just a little bit different, er, blood levels, er, temperature, EKG, EEG. Everything’s just a little bit off from what it was. Look at this.
Jillian
Mr Reese. Does NASA know you’re here?
Reese
No. They wouldn’t listen. They terminated my, er, employment.
Jillian
I have to go now.
Reese
No.
Jillian
If you have anything to say, you can call my husband at McLaren.
Reese
I, I, I showed them the facts, and, and they terminated my employment. They referred me to a psychiatrist.
Jillian
Don’t follow me.
Reese
I’ve seen Captain Streck’s autopsy report. It was a massive stroke. His, his system overloaded. His body couldn’t stand the strain. I’ve seen Natalie Streck’s autopsy report as well.
Jillian
That was a suicide. She killed herself. I was there. I saw it.
Reese
Yeah, she did. But according to the report when she killed herself she was three weeks pregnant.
Jillian
What did you say?
Reese
She probably conceived right after her husband left the hospital. She was pregnant, Mrs Armacost. So what happened during those two minutes when they were alone? What happened? The suits that your husband and Captain Streck wore had built in recorders. Listen to the voices. Something happened out there that scared the shit out of them. What could do that?
Jillian
No. It was an accident. There was an explosion, and the satellite. . .
Reese
No! They’re trained for explosions. They trained for accidents. They trained for hundreds of hours. If something goes wrong they have a plan. They don’t panic. They don’t deviate. They stick to the plan. That’s what they do. Something happened out there that these two men had not trained for. What would do that to two highly trained astronauts? Scare them like that? Can you swear to me that he’s still your husband? Can you?
Jillian
Let go of me, Mr Reese.
Security Guard
Ma’am, is this man bothering you?
Jillian
Yes. Yes, he is.
Reese
You know, don’t you? You already know. Room Three Oh Four, Nesbit Arms, Mrs Armacost. Please, Mrs Armacost.
Security Guard
Okay. Settle down. Just settle down.
Spencer (tape)
I’m going to rotate the panel forty-eight degrees. You got me, Alex?
Alex (tape)
Spencer, what is that? Did you feel that? Spencer, what is that? Oh, Jesus Christ! What the hell is that?!
Jillian
No! No!
Nancy
I’m looking for the pregnant woman in twenty-four F. Jillian, what’s wrong?
Jillian
He said she must have gotten pregnant right, right after Alex got back.
Nancy
Did he say anything else?
Jillian
Oh, God, Nan.
Nancy
Oh, honey. The last thing you need to worry about is that freak. I mean, just have Spencer call someone.
Jillian
No, Nan. Spencer can’t know about this.
Nancy
But, Jillian, you said he looked crazy.
Jillian
You have to promise me you won’t tell Spencer. Please promise me.
Nancy
You can’t keep these things bottled up inside you, Jillian.
Jillian
You’re right. Okay. If he bothers me again. . . I’ll tell Spencer, okay? Deal?
Nancy
Sure.
Maitre’d
Mr Armacost, your table’s ready.
Spencer
Yeah. Oh, great. All right. Let’s go sit down.
Nancy
Oh, Stan? You mean this year’s grand marshall at the parade of losers? He’s gone. We can’t all be as lucky as Jill here.
Spencer
Oh, no. It’s me that’s lucky. You all right, honey? What’s the matter? What’s the matter, honey? You all right?
Jillian
Just a little hot.
Spencer
Why don’t you have some water?
Jillian
I think I’m gonna go home.
Spencer
All right. Feeling better?
Jillian
Yeah. Where’s Nan?
Spencer
She went out.
Jillian
It’s after midnight.
