Kill Straker!
Setting: Straker and Col. Freeman enter the Leisure Sphere on Moonbase to talk to Foster, who is eating.
Straker: Paul -- good to see you.
Freeman: How are you, Paul?
Foster: Fine.
Straker: Well, you gave us all quite a scare.
Foster: I gave you quite a scare?
Straker: Well, sixteen hours with no radio contact.
Foster: The transmission antennae was destroyed in the reentry attempt.
Straker: Yes. I read the technical report.
[Foster doesn't answer, but continues eating]
Freeman: Why don't you tell us your version?
Foster: Version?
Straker: Yes. We'd like to know what happened -- from you.
Foster: You'll get my report.
Straker: Now, look, Paul. There's nothing official about this.
Foster: [gets up from table] What'll it be -- coffee?
Straker: No, thanks. You go ahead.
Foster: How about something a little stronger?
Straker: Now, you know I don't use it, Paul.
Foster: Never? Oh, I was forgetting. The ice cold computer mind of Commander Straker can rationalize his troubles away.
Freeman: Now, look, Paul! We know you've had a pretty rough time. But Commander Straker doesn't have to take that kind of stuff from anyone.
Foster: Maybe that's because nobody's dared to dish it out to him before now.
Straker: Alright. Let's have it.
Foster: If you're talking about details of the accident, you're asking the wrong man.
Straker: Who should I be asking?
Foster: The man who ordered the reentry angle of 31 degrees.
Straker: That -- as you very well know -- was me. It was a dangerous, but not impossible, angle.
Foster: That depends upon your stage of reentry. For us, it meant a certain burn-up unless we leveled out.
Freeman: So, you overcompensated and bounced off the atmosphere.
Foster: Yes. We just had enough fuel to make it back here.
Straker: [swallows] It was a risk I had to take.
Foster: A risk you had to take?
[Straker doesn't answer]
Foster: Next time you have a risk to take, Commander, let me know, and I'll pick up some of that back leave!
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Setting: Straker in his robe heads for the door of the Command Sphere after Lt. Collins dies trying to blow up their air and water supply.
Foster: What now?
Straker: Well, I'm going back to bed.
Foster: Aren't you interested to find out what happened?
Straker: It'll keep. No one's going anywhere, are they, Colonel?
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Setting: Col. Freeman has been ordered to Gen. Henderson's office at the IAC.
Henderson: Well, you're wondering why I asked you here.
Freeman: More than that. I'm wondering about the way you asked me here.
Henderson: You mean, my request that you should tell no one about your visit?
Freeman: I mean, the fact that I was asked not to tell Commander Straker.
Henderson: And did you?
Freeman: First chance I got!
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Setting: Straker and Foster in the HQ armory after Straker has been told that Foster may still have a residual of the alien brainwashing left.
[Foster watches Straker load a clip into a gun]
Foster: So this is it. The thing is, I feel perfectly normal.
[Straker cocks hammer]
Foster: Oh, I don't blame you. I know it has to be done. I'd do the same in your place. What did the report say? I'm liable to crack up again?
[Straker shoots gun at the target behind Foster]
Foster: Look, I know you can't just kick me out of SHADO. I know too much. Total security.
[Straker shoots gun at target again]
Foster: Well, for God's sake -- get it over with!
Straker: I think there's a few things you should know first, Foster. The aliens planted one objective in your mind -- to kill me. The rest of your mind was unaffected.
Foster: I don't understand.
Straker: I know you don't understand. The psychiatrists . . . they gave you a clean bill of health.
Foster: Well, if I'm okay -- why this?
Straker: I think you said it pretty well yourself. You told me you were going to push for a change of command. Change of command! Ten years. I've given ten years of sweat and sacrifice to get SHADO running the way I want it. And I won't let some young punk like you mess things up. You're a threat, Foster! A troublemaker. Now, I can't fire you. And I can't shelve you. So . . . [raises gun]
Foster: I don't believe you.
Straker: It doesn't really matter, does it?
Foster: Well, there's Henderson. Now, he won't let you get away with this!
Straker: Won't he?
Foster: And there's Freeman. What about Alec Freeman?
Straker: I can handle Alec Freeman. [shoots gun at Foster, who dodges. Straker continues shooting as Foster hides behind targets]
Hold it, Foster.
[Foster stands still as the gun is pointed at him. Straker shoots, but the gun is empty]
Foster: [runs to door] Guards!
Straker: [follows] Now, who do you think they're going to believe? Foster, you've had it. [slaps him several times] Change of command? I'm not going to throw ten years away for a punk like you! You're going to tell Gen. Henderson, huh?
Foster: Guards! Guards!
Straker: They take orders from me, Foster.
[They wrestle and Foster grabs a rifle, aiming it at Straker]
Foster: Now -- get back, Straker!
Straker: You're going to have to kill me, Foster.
[Foster shoots to the side]
Straker: No! I said, kill me! It's you or me -- shoot! Kill! Kill!
[Foster drops gun and leans on wall sobbing]
Straker: It's alright, Paul. It's alright.
Foster: You tried to kill me!
[Straker fires the rifle at the small targets, hitting every one of them]
Straker: I could have killed you anytime I wanted. [lays hand on Foster's shoulder] I'm sorry, Paul. I had to do it. I had to be sure. If you were ever going to kill me, it would have been just now. It's alright.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Setting: Straker walks into his HQ office and finds Foster and Freeman there.
Straker: All set, fellas? Let's go.
[They look at him in surprise]
Straker: To see Gen. Henderson about the money for the new moonbases. By the way, Paul. I'll listen to any reasonable arguments against it in the car. Then, I'll tell you how it's going to be.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Straker: Paul -- good to see you.
Freeman: How are you, Paul?
Foster: Fine.
Straker: Well, you gave us all quite a scare.
Foster: I gave you quite a scare?
Straker: Well, sixteen hours with no radio contact.
Foster: The transmission antennae was destroyed in the reentry attempt.
Straker: Yes. I read the technical report.
[Foster doesn't answer, but continues eating]
Freeman: Why don't you tell us your version?
Foster: Version?
Straker: Yes. We'd like to know what happened -- from you.
Foster: You'll get my report.
Straker: Now, look, Paul. There's nothing official about this.
Foster: [gets up from table] What'll it be -- coffee?
Straker: No, thanks. You go ahead.
Foster: How about something a little stronger?
Straker: Now, you know I don't use it, Paul.
Foster: Never? Oh, I was forgetting. The ice cold computer mind of Commander Straker can rationalize his troubles away.
Freeman: Now, look, Paul! We know you've had a pretty rough time. But Commander Straker doesn't have to take that kind of stuff from anyone.
Foster: Maybe that's because nobody's dared to dish it out to him before now.
Straker: Alright. Let's have it.
Foster: If you're talking about details of the accident, you're asking the wrong man.
Straker: Who should I be asking?
Foster: The man who ordered the reentry angle of 31 degrees.
Straker: That -- as you very well know -- was me. It was a dangerous, but not impossible, angle.
Foster: That depends upon your stage of reentry. For us, it meant a certain burn-up unless we leveled out.
Freeman: So, you overcompensated and bounced off the atmosphere.
Foster: Yes. We just had enough fuel to make it back here.
Straker: [swallows] It was a risk I had to take.
Foster: A risk you had to take?
[Straker doesn't answer]
Foster: Next time you have a risk to take, Commander, let me know, and I'll pick up some of that back leave!
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Setting: Straker in his robe heads for the door of the Command Sphere after Lt. Collins dies trying to blow up their air and water supply.
Foster: What now?
Straker: Well, I'm going back to bed.
Foster: Aren't you interested to find out what happened?
Straker: It'll keep. No one's going anywhere, are they, Colonel?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Setting: Col. Freeman has been ordered to Gen. Henderson's office at the IAC.
Henderson: Well, you're wondering why I asked you here.
Freeman: More than that. I'm wondering about the way you asked me here.
Henderson: You mean, my request that you should tell no one about your visit?
Freeman: I mean, the fact that I was asked not to tell Commander Straker.
Henderson: And did you?
Freeman: First chance I got!
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Setting: Straker and Foster in the HQ armory after Straker has been told that Foster may still have a residual of the alien brainwashing left.
[Foster watches Straker load a clip into a gun]
Foster: So this is it. The thing is, I feel perfectly normal.
[Straker cocks hammer]
Foster: Oh, I don't blame you. I know it has to be done. I'd do the same in your place. What did the report say? I'm liable to crack up again?
[Straker shoots gun at the target behind Foster]
Foster: Look, I know you can't just kick me out of SHADO. I know too much. Total security.
[Straker shoots gun at target again]
Foster: Well, for God's sake -- get it over with!
Straker: I think there's a few things you should know first, Foster. The aliens planted one objective in your mind -- to kill me. The rest of your mind was unaffected.
Foster: I don't understand.
Straker: I know you don't understand. The psychiatrists . . . they gave you a clean bill of health.
Foster: Well, if I'm okay -- why this?
Straker: I think you said it pretty well yourself. You told me you were going to push for a change of command. Change of command! Ten years. I've given ten years of sweat and sacrifice to get SHADO running the way I want it. And I won't let some young punk like you mess things up. You're a threat, Foster! A troublemaker. Now, I can't fire you. And I can't shelve you. So . . . [raises gun]
Foster: I don't believe you.
Straker: It doesn't really matter, does it?
Foster: Well, there's Henderson. Now, he won't let you get away with this!
Straker: Won't he?
Foster: And there's Freeman. What about Alec Freeman?
Straker: I can handle Alec Freeman. [shoots gun at Foster, who dodges. Straker continues shooting as Foster hides behind targets]
Hold it, Foster.
[Foster stands still as the gun is pointed at him. Straker shoots, but the gun is empty]
Foster: [runs to door] Guards!
Straker: [follows] Now, who do you think they're going to believe? Foster, you've had it. [slaps him several times] Change of command? I'm not going to throw ten years away for a punk like you! You're going to tell Gen. Henderson, huh?
Foster: Guards! Guards!
Straker: They take orders from me, Foster.
[They wrestle and Foster grabs a rifle, aiming it at Straker]
Foster: Now -- get back, Straker!
Straker: You're going to have to kill me, Foster.
[Foster shoots to the side]
Straker: No! I said, kill me! It's you or me -- shoot! Kill! Kill!
[Foster drops gun and leans on wall sobbing]
Straker: It's alright, Paul. It's alright.
Foster: You tried to kill me!
[Straker fires the rifle at the small targets, hitting every one of them]
Straker: I could have killed you anytime I wanted. [lays hand on Foster's shoulder] I'm sorry, Paul. I had to do it. I had to be sure. If you were ever going to kill me, it would have been just now. It's alright.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Setting: Straker walks into his HQ office and finds Foster and Freeman there.
Straker: All set, fellas? Let's go.
[They look at him in surprise]
Straker: To see Gen. Henderson about the money for the new moonbases. By the way, Paul. I'll listen to any reasonable arguments against it in the car. Then, I'll tell you how it's going to be.
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