The Astronaut’s wife
Reese (phone) There’s something I. . . I need to show you, Mrs Armacost. Something you need to see.
Jillian Do you know the story, of the princess whose beloved prince dies in battle?
Reese (phone) Mrs Armacost, I have something you need to see. Do you understand me?
Jillian The enemy prince. . . after overrunning the castle. . . finds the princess and forces himself upon her. Months later, the princess is with child. But whose? It’s either the child of her enemy. . . the man that killed her husband. . . the man that raped her. . . in which case, she’ll kill herself and the child. . . or it’s the child of her prince. . . the only thing she has left of him. . . a part of him, still alive within her. . . kept safe inside her. . . in which case. . . But how would she know, until it was too late? How will she know until the child is born and she can see it’s eyes?
Reese (phone) Meet me right now. Somewhere public. Leave tour apartment. Meet me now.
Spencer Sherman Reese. Mr Reese. Sherman Reese. I thought that was you. I was standing over there across the street, and I said to myself “Now, is that Sherman Reese?” Nice to see you.
Reese Commander Armacost.
Spencer Yeah. Are you in town on official business?
Reese I’m not with NASA any more.
Spencer You know what? You know what? I heard that. I heard that and I thought it was one of them nasty agency rumours. Well, listen, if you need a recommendation, don’t hesitate, because maybe I can help you out.
Reese Well, I, I appreciate that.
Spencer It’s really weird running into you, ‘cos the thing of it is, I was just thinking about you. I was thinking about them, er, tests you wanted to run on me, you know, after Alex died. Listen, if you’ve got a couple of minutes right now we can go down, have a cup of coffee or something.
Reese Actually, I, I gotta. . .
Spencer Oh, no, come on, now, Sherman. You’re a man of leisure. You ain’t got nothing but time, do you? Come on. Yeah, it’s nice to see you. Almost forgot your satchel, Mr Reese. I got it.
Jillian You were the only one who knew, Nan. I asked you not to tell him.
Nancy I didn’t, okay?
Jillian What were you talking about last night when I was sleeping?
Nancy We were just talking.
Jillian About what?
Nancy Just talking, Jillian. Look, don’t do this, it’s not good for you.
Jillian Where did you go last night?
Nancy Will you listen to yourself?
Jillian Where did you go?!
Nancy Look, Jillian, I love you, okay? And Spencer loves you. We all do so much.
Jillian Spencer was there. Nan, Spencer was there with Reese, and you were the only one who knew, Nan. How did he know unless you told him?! You promised me!
Nancy Jillian, I love you, but I’m not going to do this with you.
Jillian Do what with me? Come back, Nan. Nan, come back! Don’t leave, Nan! Shit!
Man (phone) Hello. Nesbit Arms.
Jillian Mr Reese in room three oh four.
Man (phone) There’s no answer in room three oh four.
Children Down came the rain, and washed the spider out, out came the sun, and dried up all the rain, and the itsy-bitsy spider, climbed up the spout again.
Jillian Oh, God.
Man Are you okay?
Jillian Yeah.
Reese (tape) It’s like a joke, right? But, if you’re watching this tape, I didn’t get to that meeting. If you are watching this tape, Mrs Armacost. . . I’m probably fucking dead! This is my backup. That’s what they taught us at NASA. Always have a backup system. I, I, I, I’m not crazy. I wish I was. I prayed I was. I know I’m not. You might think you’re crazy. How could you not? Always, have a backup. You’re going to hear two voices on this tape. One is your husband’s, the other Captain Streck. “I’m gonna rotate the panel forty-eight degrees.” This line is your husband’s voice. This line is Captain Streck’s. “Spencer, what is that? What the fuck. . . Jesus Christ! What the hell is that?!” Two voices, but three lines. There’s something else on the tape. Something beyond our range of hearing, but I translated it. I had to hear it, and this, is what it sounds like. NASA said that it’s static. . .
Jillian It’s not static.
Reese (tape) . . . caused by the explosion of the satellite, static build up in their suits, but it’s not static. I tracked it. It is not static.
Jillian Not static.
Reese (tape) It’s not from their suits. Not from the satellite, not from the shuttle. It’s not. . . It’s not from Earth, either. Two minutes, that’s all there is. That’s all it took. If you wanted to come here from, from, from very, very far away, maybe you wouldn’t have to travel in a ship. Maybe you could travel in a transmission, at the speed of light, like a thought. Just wait, for two of us to be up there. Two of us, in orbit, near a target. Something to aim at, like the satellite. Two of us beyond suspicion. Heroes, all-Americans. Wait for them, then erase them like a tape and record your own message. He’s not your husband any more. He’s not.
Jillian What?
Reese (tape) The computer that runs this airplane, it’s not there. It hasn’t been designed yet, but it’s supposed to go, right here in the cockpit, right where the pilots are supposed to be. Two computers, that work off each other, that feed off each other. Twins. Twin computers. Twins, Mrs Armacost. What do you think you have inside of you? What do you think he put there?
Spencer What are they gonna be? They’re gonna be pilots, honey.
Jillian Just like their father.
Spencer Hay, Jill.
Jillian Hey.
Spencer What’s the matter? Scare you?
Jillian I didn’t hear you come in.
Spencer Listen, I came home, ‘cos. . . I felt bad for you. You know, that fight with Nan. You know. Why don’t you tell me what it was about?
Jillian Just sister stuff.
Spencer Have you heard from her?
Jillian No.
Spencer Well. . . I’m sure she’ll call you. You’re trembling.
Jillian I am?
Spencer Uh-uh.
Jillian I’m a little cold.
Spencer Well, you know what I did? I brought something home, I believe’s gonna cheer you right up. What do you think? Pop it in. Oh. Were you watching something?
Jillian Yeah. It’s a. . . it’s a pregnancy video.
Spencer Oh? Well, maybe we should watch it together.
Jillian No. Let’s watch the movie.
Spencer You sure?
Jillian Yeah.
Spencer All right.
Jillian Why are you building that plane?
Spencer What’s that?
Jillian Why do you have to build that plane?
Spencer It’s a contract, Jill. And besides, I didn’t add half as much as Jackson said I did. They got some real sharp engineers over there. Come here. Mmmm. Back here. Come on. I know what you’re thinking. Don’t you worry. Everything’s gonna be just fine.
Spencer (dream) Yeah, these pesky goddamn satellites. I’m gonna rotate the panel forty-eight degrees. You got me, Alex?
Alex (dream) Spencer, what is that? Did you feel that? Spencer, what is that? What the fuck. . . Jesus Christ! What the hell is that?!
Spencer Must have dozed off.
Jillian Were you dreaming?
Spencer Huh? No. Just sleeping.
Jillian You weren’t dreaming?
Spencer No, Jill. I wasn’t dreaming. Were you?
Shelly My caterer gets them from the French Caribbean. I always think the French are so much more advanced in this way. Don’t you think? Now, listen, with these, all sales are final. Are you sure this is the way you wanna go?
Jillian Yeah.
Shelly Now, when you get home you take both pills and then go to bed. It’s gonna be quite a bit of vile cramping, but as soon as you start spotting, it goes real fast.
Jillian And Spencer won’t know?
Shelly Well, if he’s anything like the rest of them, he’ll think you had a miscarriage and he’ll go out and buy you a bracelet. Now, don’t beat yourself up about this, sweetheart. I mean, it’s not as if, any of this means anything.
Jillian There’s a little bit of pain, and then it’s over. Oh. God. I can’t. Oh, God. I can’t do it. It’s gonna be really bad. I’m so sorry. You. . . you’ll understand. I have to. Wait. Just. . . a little pain. Just. . . And then it’s over. Yeah. Okay. They’re just babies. I can’t do it. Oh, God. I can’t do it. Oh, help me! No. Don’t do that. Oh, God. Oh, God, stop it. . . He’s gonna. . . Oh, God. Oh, God. Oh, God. They’re just, they’re. . . Oh, God, no.
Spencer What were you gonna do to ’em?
Jillian No. No. No, you heard them. Oh, God.
Spencer What were you gonna do?!
Jillian Nothing. No! No. No. No. No.
Spencer Jill. . . please. Let’s just calm down and talk about this, okay?
Jillian No.
Spencer Absol. . . Come on now, honey. Where are you gonna go, Jill? Huh? Where you gonna go? Sssh. Don’t talk. Don’t say a word, honey. You’re fine. You’re fine now. They’re still inside you, Jill. They’re right where they need to be, and we’re not ever gonna mention what you tried to do. . . what you tried to do with them pills, okay? Doesn’t exist. Never happened, Jillian. I don’t want to hear a peep out of you. You hear me? I love you so much. I don’t know what I’d do if anything ever happened to you or the babies. Now, you just keep quiet, and you rest. I’m here with you. I’m always gonna be here, Jill, always. You sleep. Good girl.
Jillian Nan.
Nancy Jilly. Hi. I don’t want to fight with you, Jilly.
Jillian There’s something wrong, Nan.
Nancy There’s not. The doctor says you can go home any day.
