SEASON 1
EPISODE 3
“Flier”
Writer: Juan Carlos Coto
Director: James Whitmore Jr.
Soledad Wind Power Research Area
Baja, California
(It is a beautiful day, with a clear blue sky.  The windmills of the Wind 
Power Research Station turn relentlessly.  A car moves along a dirt road 
through the windmills leaving a dust trail in its wake. The car stops and 
Miss Parker, Sydney and a young man alight.  The stranger’s appearance 
contrasts with the business wear of Miss Parker and Sydney.  He carries a 
bottle of water.)
Man: Oh man what did he say?  A natural heat vortex.  That’s what he 
called it.  He was right.  See out there?  (He points to the horizon.)  The 
cool breezes from the ocean mixing with the steaming desert air make like 
a big wind collision thing and that’s what runs the windmills.
Parker: You figured that out by yourself?
Man:  Not me.  Jarod.  (Overhead a hawk cries.)  He did it by watching 
them.  (He points up to where the hawks soar over head.)  Without 
moving a muscle they can just hover in the vortex.
Sydney: He just sat in this spot all day?
Man: Just eating PEZ and taking in the hawks.
Parker: I’m surprised your Dr Doolittle didn’t try talking to them.
Man: It wasn’t just the birds he was into.  He really dug these.  (He 
indicates the windmills.)  He’d like be throwing dust at them all day.  Said 
he was figuring the updraughts and air currents ‘n’ stuff.  Righteous huh?
Parker: Lovely!  (Miss Parker and the man get back in the car.  Sydney 
looks up at the hawks in wonder.)
Sydney: Oh Jarod, what are you up to?

In the Sky 
Somewhere Over the Desert
(Jarod, piloting a jet aircraft, executes a steep ascent followed by a 
shoulder roll.)
Jarod: Wha hoo.  Ha ha ha ha ha.  That was great!
Matthews: (He is in the jet aircraft along side of Jarod.)  Congratulations 
you just beat the gauntlet.
Jarod: This is so cool.
Matthews: Well Jarod the audition’s over.  You want the job, it’s yours.
Jarod: Want it?  I could stay up here forever.  Whe–hee!

OPENING CREDITS

Skyvionics Proving Ground
Arizona
(Jarod and the pilot, Tom “Manhunter” Matthews cross the runway in a 
jeep.)
Jarod: Well Mr Matthews, for an ex-fighter jock you’ve done pretty good 
for yourself.
Matthews: Oh Jaeger sells batteries.  I’ve got Skyvionics.  A buck’s a 
buck.
Jarod: The end of the cold war nearly killed most of the defence 
contractors yet your stock is up, what, seventeen percent last quarter 
alone?
Matthews: Eighteen.
Jarod: Whoa, maybe I should buy me a little.
Matthews: Well with the Scimitar chip about to be approved maybe you 
should buy yourself a lot.
Jarod: Is that a Drachen?
Matthews: Yeah.  Uncle Sam’s not the only one with a shrinking purse.  
We’re testing the Scimitar in for planes from the RAF, the Israelis.  Hell, 
even the frogs sent over a Mirage.  (Matthews stops the jeep beside a 
hangar, “Skyvionics” blazoned across a large sign above the door and calls 
out to a passing mechanic.)  Have you seen Dixon?
Mechanic:  Yeah.  (The man points out across the open space through 
which the runways cross.)  There’s your wild man now.  
(The man in question, riding a motorcycle, approaches at high speed.)
Matthews: He’s a good pilot but punctuality is not his thing.  He’d 
probably miss his own funeral.  (Dixon brings his bike to a skidding stop in 
front of Jarod and Matthews.  He alights.)   You’re late.
Dixon: Yeah but what an entrance.  So how’d he do?
Matthews: It only took him one week to do three weeks worth of tests.  
That makes him the new king of the mountain.
Dixon: You serious?
Matthews: He scored thirty-four percent.
Jarod: Oh it was no big deal.
Matthews: Oh it is when Dix here only scores thirty-three.  Even so, I 
want you to shadow this hot shot, he’ll show you everything you need to 
know about the new system and then you can teach him how to beat the 
Gauntlet.  At the end of the week I’ll decide who gets to be my wing man 
for the Pentagon test.  No pressure.  (Matthews goes back to the jeep, 
gets in and drives away.  Dixon and Jarod start walking towards the 
hangar.)
Dixon: So Jarod I heard you ran some flights for the agency.  Who was 
your point man?
Jarod: Andrew Sterling.
Dixon: The original secret agent man.  Yeah I ran some TR1 re-cons over 
Singapore for him back in the eighties.
Jarod: North Korea.
Dixon: Right.
Jarod: Well I can’t believe that I’m actually flying for Manhunter 
Matthews.
Dixon: Yeah!  He’s the second best pilot I’ve ever seen.
Jarod: And who’s the best?
Dixon: (He stops walking, turns to face Jarod and removes his sun 
glasses.)  You’re looking at him.

Inside the Hangar
(Lawson is at a design table shuffling papers when he notice Jarod, who 
when walking past the aircraft in the main part of the hangar space, runs 
a hand along the edge of the wing.  Jarod is kitted out for flight and 
carrying his helmet.)
Lawson: How’d she feel up there?
Jarod: Ah, smooth. I can’t wait to get this baby back up.
Lawson: Body by F-16, brains by yours truly.  The Scimitar chip makes 
any plane’s on board computer work ten times as fast as the others.
Jarod: Well, in this game, speed means life.
Lawson: Glad to see Tom’s found himself some A-1 jocks to keep up.
Jarod: Body control problems?
Gant: Mr Lawson! 
(They are approached by a young woman who is wearing the uniform of 
the USAF.
Lawson: It depends on who you ask.
Gant: I’d appreciate the latest hydraulics specs.
Lawson: You’re becoming to sound like a broken record, Lieutenant.
Gant: Quick way to fix that.
Lawson: Yes Mam. (He mockingly salutes her and leaves.)  
Gant: (She steps up to the noticeboard behind Lawson’s design table.)  
Stereographs.  They say there’s a picture in there somewhere but I’ve 
never been able to see one.
Jarod: (Jarod steps up beside her and points to each poster as he 
describes the hidden picture behind the computer generated maze that 
obscures it.)  Penguin at the Sphinx, Penguin riding a camel and a 
penguin on a Nile barge.  (He laughs.)  Now that’s something you don’t 
see very often.
Gant: I could look at these things for a week but nothing.
Jarod: It’s all in the ocular muscles.  The key is you focus on the poster 
but move your primary eyesight eight degrees to the left.
Gant: What did you do, invent these things? 
Jarod: Not officially.  Jarod Wright.  (They shake hands.)
Gant: You’re Ronald Collins’ replacement.  Lieutenant Janice Gant.
Jarod: Nice to meet you.
Gant: Penguin huh?
Jarod: Penguin.  (She smiles and leaves.  Dixon approaches Jarod while 
watching her departure from the building.)
Dixon: I see you’ve met Miss Congeniality.  Toughest SPO in the field.
Jarod: Hmm.  So she’s the Special Projects Officer.
Dixon: Blue suiters sent her to keep tabs on us.  Which reminds me, 
Clearview Ridge.  Natural heat vortex.  Wind shear up the whazoo.  You 
lean on the throttle anywhere near it and she’ll blow a gasket.
Jarod: Clearview Ridge.  Thanks for the tip.

Airplane Graveyard
(Jarod is riding a bicycle through the aeroplane graveyard.  He stops by 
the remains of one of the wrecks and sifts through the wreckage.  He finds 
a piece of metal that where the name “Ronald Hammer Collins” can just 
be discerned through the charring.  He takes out his red notebook which is 
tucked into the top of his trousers at the small of his back and opens it. 
“Test Crash - Pilot Error?”

Jarod’s Lair
DSA
1/14/69
(Young Jarod, shirtless, wearing a crash helmet and wired to monitors is 
pedalling an exercise bicycle.  He is in physical distress.)
Sydney: Don’t tell me what you see Jarod tell me what you feel.  Tell me 
what you feel. 
Young Jarod: I’m so tired.  My legs hurt.
Sydney: Push with the pain.  Focus.  We need detail.  (Sydney hears a 
door opening and he turns towards it and finally moves off in that 
direction)
Young Jarod: (He stops pedalling and unclips the helmet’s chin strap.)  
This helmet’s too tight.  It’s hot.  I don’t like this.  Why can’t I get a bike 
that actually goes somewhere?  Sydney.  (He turns and notices that 
Sydney is no longer with him.)  Sydney!

(Jarod, watching the DSA, notices Sydney talking to a man in the 
background and he adjusts the focus so that he can obtain a clearer view 
of the other man.  He can see that the man is speaking but can not make 
out what he is saying.)

Jarod’s Lair
(Outside the trailer, an old man, standing on tip toes, peers through the 
window.  Inside the trailer Jarod is connecting his laptop to the DSA 
reader and transferring a freeze frame of the unknown man.  There is a 
knock at the door.)
Jarod: Just a minute.  (The man from outside enters without waiting the 
requested time and Jarod quickly closes the lid of the DSA reader case.)  
Hello Mr Hollis.  How are you?
Hollis:  Fine.  Super.  Great.  (He is distracted as he peers around the 
interior looking for signs of wrong doing.)
Jarod: Can I help you with something?
Hollis: Why do you need a second phone line?
Jarod: It’s for my modem.  I'm up loading something.
Hollis: Oh.  One of those.
Jarod: One of those?
Hollis: Sheep.  People who don’t mind giving up their privacy.  Baa.  
Jarod: Excuse me?
Hollis: It’s too late.  They know.  
Jarod: They?
Hollis: The black helicopters. The grey men.  Like those Skyvionics 
people.  I’ve been on that place.  It’s been out there since World War Two, 
doing some very cockamaimy things.  What’s in the case?
Jarod: Memories.
Hollis: Pictures?
Jarod: Something like that.
Hollis: Why would you want a computer if I gave you a perfectly good TV.  
(He picks up the television remote control.)  See, universal remote even.  
Runs everything but your life.
Jarod: Yes, but they could be watching you through the TV.
Hollis: No reverse imaging device.  I inspected it.  I also took the liberty 
of programming this (He holds up the remote control.)  to skip channels 
with subliminal mind control.
Jarod: That was very considerate of you Mr Hollis.
Hollis: You aren’t up loading filthy pictures are you?
Jarod: Well that depends on how you define filthy.

The Centre
Tech Room Sub-Level 5
(There are several monitors displaying various data.  A number of them 
show the large freeze frame of the unknown man.)
Broots: It came down the line just a few minutes ago.
Sydney: Jarod.
Parker: (She enters the room.)  This had better be good Syd . . . (She 
stops when she notices the picture on the monitors.)   Mr Raines?  How 
did he find out about him?
Sydney: Must be the disks from the digital simulation archives.
Parker: Do you think he realises what it means?
Sydney: We’re talking about Jarod. If he doesn’t now he soon will.  He is 
a genius.  

Store
(A teenage shop assistant watches Jarod as he stretches a was of rubbery 
substance between his hands.)
Jarod: You can stretch it, bounce it and copy newsprint with it and it 
comes in its own plastic egg.  (He picks up the red shell.)
Girl: Yeah.  See the egg is like a symbol of this stuff’s birth.  You know?  
It’s being.  It’s not just putty.  It’s whatever you want it to be.
Jarod: Oh.  Well why would they call something this versatile silly?
Girl: Would you buy something called versatile putty?
Jarod: I don’t know.  But I’ll buy this.  I’ll buy one hundred.
Girl: Cool.
 (The girl goes to the register to ring up his purchase.  Jarod picks up his 
red notebook and glasses from the counter and walks to the front of the 
store From there he watches a young boy who, sitting on the front step of 
his house, is trying to make paper aeroplanes.  The boy throws one of his 
creations but it lands beside him.  Jarod looks at his red notebook.  
“Collins Family Struggles Alone”.  There is a picture of a young woman 
alongside the article.  The boy’s mother, who is the woman featured in the 
photograph accompanying the news article in Jarod’s red notebook, comes 
out of the house and places a jacket around his shoulders. She places a 
kiss on his lips with her finger. She goes inside but the boy continues to 
sit despondently.  He picks up one of his paper planes, crumples it into a 
ball and throws it to the ground in disgust.)

Clearview Institute
(Jarod is sitting on the front verandah of the Institute.  A young woman 
approaches him from inside the building and taps him on the shoulder to 
get his attention.  He stands.
Girl: (She uses sign language as well as speaking the words to 
communicate with Jarod.)  Hello!  You must be Jarod.
Jarod: (He signs, mouths the words but makes no sound.) I want to learn 
how to lip read.
Girl: We will be very happy to help you with that.  (She indicates that he 
should come with her.  He does.)

Outside Jarod’s Lair
(Mr Hollis is at Jarod’s window again trying to peer inside when Jarod rides 
up to him on his push bike.
Jarod: The view is better from the inside.
Hollis: I thought I smelt some smoke.  Everything seems to be A- okay.
Jarod: Good.
Hollis: Never figured you for a pilot.
Jarod: Well if it makes you feel any better I’m not really a pilot.
Hollis: Oh right and I’m Jimmy Harper.  You could have told me.  A man 
likes to know when he’s about to have his throat ripped out and fed to 
him.
Jarod: It didn’t seem important.
Hollis: (He takes a photograph from his backpack and holds it up so that 
Jarod can see it. It shows a high-tech helicopter in flight.)  Important?  
Does that look important?  (Freaks and behemoths?)  Like crazed flying 
monkeys.  Terrorising citizens from Seattle to Miami.
Jarod: Terrorising?
Hollis: (He takes a small gas cylinder from his bag.)  Halcyon gas.  CIA 
created it in 1971.
Jarod: 1969.
Hollis: I knew it!  You’re one of them.
Jarod: Will you stop please?  (Jarod takes the cylinder from Mr Hollis and 
reads the writing on its casing.)  This is a mass hallucinogen.  It’s pretty 
potent.
Hollis: Not any more.  I cut it with 50% oxygen.  Hell your dentist has 
stronger stuff.  Even so I caught an accidental whiff.  Thought I was 
Eleanor Roosevelt for the best part of an afternoon.
Jarod: Your point being?  (He hands the cylinder back.)
Hollis: Remember the Medfly?  No such thing.  Lock your doors and bolt 
your windows amigo, the exterminator’s coming and his name is 
Skyvionics.
Jarod: Skyvionics?
Hollis: Merchants of death.  Trust me.  I’ve been a clown in that circus.  
It’s anything but the greatest show on earth.

In the Sky
(Jarod opens up the throttle and flies over Clearview Ridge.)

The Tail Spin Bar
(Jarod is sitting at the bar looking at the photograph gallery behind it.  
The photographs show, pilots, planes and groups of people some recent 
some obviously from much earlier times.  The bar tender walks up to 
Jarod.)
Jarod: That’s quite a collection.
Bar Keeper: The only thing we have now to hang up there is you 
Skyvionics boys since we don’t have a base any more.  What’s your 
poison?
Jarod: Excuse me?
Bar Keeper: What’s your drink?
Jarod: I was raised on optimised nutritional supplements, hearts of palm, 
wheat grass, asparagus mixed with tomato.
Bar Keeper: Virgin Mary, celery garnished.
Jarod: Could you make it two please.  I’m expecting company.
Bar Keeper: Hmm hmm.
(Jarod notices a picture of Ronald Collins on the wall.  There is a plaque 
under it which reads “Lt Ronald “Hammer” Collins Lost at Clearview Ridge 
May 28, 1996”.  Meanwhile, Gant has entered the bar, walked over to 
where Jarod is sitting and slams her hand on the surface.)
Gant: What the hell do you think you were doing up there?
Jarod: Practice makes perfect.
Gant: You know what I'm talking about Wright..  Clearview Ridge
Jarod: I was re-tracing Ronald Collins last flight.
Bar Keeper: (She places the two drinks in front of Jarod.)  Two Virgin 
Mary’s.
Jarod: (He picks up one of the drinks and places it in front of Gant.)  I 
hope this is your poison.  (Jarod smiles at her and she de-frosts and 
smiles back.)
Gant: You knew I’d come after you.
Jarod: The toughest SPO in the field, at least that’s what they tell me.
Gant: Ha ha.
Jarod: So, Lieutenant Gant, why is the Airforce so concerned with a 
civilian flier?
Gant: You’re testing a system that’s designed to protect military pilots.  
It’s my job to make sure it’s safe.
Jarod: And when I’m up for wingman on Friday’s test I don’t fly avionics 
I’m not familiar with.  It’s my job to know what I’m getting into.
Gant: True.  
Jarod: And from what I understand Collins had plenty of time to eject.
Gant: Time yes, ability no.
Jarod: His record in the Gulf says otherwise.
Gant: Ah, between me and you and that hall of fame, Collins didn’t eject 
because he blacked out.
Jarod: What are you saying?
Gant: Put it this way.  His drink of choice was not a Virgin Mary.
Jarod: Is that true?
Gant: You can take my word for it or steal my report from Special 
Projects Office in D.C.
Jarod: Now that would be impossible.
Gant: Look, not even his wife fought the allegations and they cost her his 
pension.  Two Skyvionics employees placed Collins right here in this very 
bar the night before the crash.
Jarod: Who?
Gant: (She looks down to the end of the bar where Lawson is having a 
drink and an animated conversation.)  Lawson for one.
Jarod: Who else?
Gant: Tom Matthews.

In the Air
Matthews (Dixon?): Nice flying Jarod.  Bring her on home.

The Hangar
(Jarod and Matthews, Jarod still in flight suit and carrying his helmet, 
approach the hangar.)
Matthews: You weren’t kidding when you said you were a quick study.
Jarod: Ah.  Beginners luck.
Matthews: We’re making a big announcement after the test.  Scimitar’s 
going commercial.  By the year 2000 that Scimitar chip’s going to be on 
every airliner in the country.
Jarod: I feel safer already.
Matthews: I just want you to know that I’ve been talking to the 
corporate types about you.  You’re our best flier, hands down. 
Jarod: But?
Matthews: But I gotta to give the test to Dixon on Friday.  (Jarod stops 
walking and Matthews turns to face him.)
Jarod: I understand.  You don’t want a repeat of the last test.
Matthews: We won’t.  This time no test pilot is going to let me down.  
Ron Collins could have flown circles around you two.
Jarod: Instead he hit the bottle.  I’m surprised you missed that.
Matthews: I called him on it the morning of the test.  He said he was 
fine.
Jarod: So it wasn’t a mechanical failure?
Matthews: The residual alcohol in his blood caused him to black out when 
he pulled too many Gs.  Collins was flying a safe plane.
Jarod: I’m sure he was.

Ron Collins Residence
(The boy is once again sitting on the porch unsuccessfully constructing 
paper planes when Jarod rides up to the front gate on his push bike.)
Jarod: Is your Mum home?
Son: Mum!
Wife: You were with Ron in Saudi Arabia?
(Mrs Collins has come out onto the porch and stands with her arm 
protectively around her son.)
Jarod: Your husband.  He saved my tail on the third night over Baghdad.  
When I heard about the accident I, well I tried to make my way here as 
soon as I could.  I want to tell you how sorry I am.  Me and a couple of 
the guys we petitioned the CNO’s office about getting Ron a posthumous 
Gulf War Commendation. (He holds out an envelope which she takes from 
him.)
Son: What’s wrong Mum?
Wife: Nothing.  That’s great, really great.  You had supper yet?
The Centre
(Sydney is sitting at a desk a computer workstation in front of him.  
Broots is leaning over the desk beside him.)
Sydney: You’re saying Jarod left this for us?
Broots: When I tried to save this picture of Mr Raines it unzipped an 
executable that created this program.
Sydney: And I’ll be able to communicate with him and see him?
Broots: Through his encryption, yes.
Sydney: I don’t want Miss Parker to find out about this.
Broots: Wait a minute!  You want to play political Parcheesie with the ice 
queen you go, you go right ahead.  But I’m not dancing (on that 
mountain?) no way.
Sydney: You’re afraid of losing your job.
Broots: I’m afraid of losing my life.

Ron Collin’s Residence
(It is night and Jarod and Collins’ son are lying on top of the play 
set/treehouse gazing up at the stars.)
Jarod: Hey!  You get hotdogs and macaroni for dinner every night?
Son: I wish.
Jarod: It’s quite a view huh?
Son: That’s Orion, the hunter.  And that one’s Pegasus.
Jarod: The Winged Horse.
Son: That was Dad’s favourite.  I can name a lot of stars.  Dad and I 
studied them.  We went to see ‘em in the desert the night before he left.
Jarod: Really?  Just you and your dad?
Son:  Shh.  Mum never liked it when we snuck out late.  We never told 
her.

Jarod’s Lair
(Jarod wearing a white business shirt with tie takes his own photograph.  He 
loosens his 
tie and has some Pez.  He uses the photograph to make an ID for himself.)

Skyvionics Hangar
(Matthews is in conversation with two men who would appear to be 
business men when he notices Jarod walking through the hangar.)
Matthews: Hey Jarod!  Don’t forget!  Tomorrow I need you to play bogie 
in the Drachen.
Jarod: Where is it?
Matthews: They’re prepping it in, ah, number 27.  That’s two hangar’s 
down.
Jarod: Thanks.
Matthews: How many hours have you logged in one of those?
Jarod: Well actually this’ll be my first.

The Centre
Tech Room
(Broots is seated at a terminal eating a doughnut.  Miss Parker leans over 
his shoulder and Sydney paces in the background.)
Broots: It looks like Jarod’s been busy.  This image was taken last night 
by one of our KH11 satellites.
Parker: That’s Le Grange.
Sydney: Le Grange?
Parker: It’s one of the Centre’s private unmarked airstrips.  It’s 
somewhere in Virginia, right?
Broots: Right.  Mmm.  It’s just outside of D.C.  This shot is just before 
two a.m.   Nothing up my sleeve right?  Hey Presto a Drachen jet.
Parker: (Correcting his pronunciation.)  Drachen.
Broots: Hmm.  Parked there for three hours until . . .  poof.
Sydney: He landed there in the middle of the night undetected?
Parker: And three hours gives him perfect time for a visit to D.C.
Sydney: Why Washington?

Jarod’s Lair
(Jarod places a file folder on his desk.  The folder is labelled US Air Force 
Special Project Office.  He opens the folder and removes the contents, 
which includes a video tape. He inserts it in the VCR and activates it using 
the universal remote.)

Video tape
Gant: Lieutenant Janice Gant reporting. SPO video record. Collins 
Matthews dog fight simulation.
(The video tape shows two jet aircraft in the air.)
Matthews: Scimitar two.  Come in.  Do you copy Hammer?
Collins: Roger that Manhunter.  System is hot and working great.
Matthews: Let’s try that again at Mach one point eight and throw in a 
shoulder roll for good measure. 
Collins:  Come and get me Manhunter.
Matthews: Coming in for the kill.  Say your prayers Hammer.
(At the hangar Jarod climbs into the cockpit of the plane.)
Matthews: Pull out of the roll Collins.  Pull out of the roll.   You’re 
heading down.  Unlock.  Unlock.  Collins!  Watch out!  Get out of there!  
Punch out Collins.  You’re going down.  Punch out.
(In the cockpit of a plane Jarod simulates the moments that are being 
replayed on the video tape.)
Jarod: You couldn’t punch out because Matthews sent you up in an 
unsafe plane.

Clearview Ridge
(The girl sits across the table from Jarod.  Once again she signs and 
speaks to communicate whereas Jarod responds with sign and mouthed 
words only.)
Girl: If you don’t understand we’ll just try again.  Okay?
Jarod: Okay.
Girl: Very good.  (This time she makes no sound as she mouths the 
words.)  Jarod please hand me the cup.  (Jarod picks up the cup and 
places it in front of her.)  Very good.
Jarod:  I owe it all to you.

Jarod’s Lair
(Jarod, sitting on his sofa, and playing with a ball of silly putty, inserts the 
DSA in the DSA reader and activates it.  As he watches Mr Raines talking 
he vocalises what the man is saying.) 

DSA
Jarod: Listen to me doctor.  (He stops the DSA and replays it.)  Listen to 
me doctor.  The kid asks about his father again tell him daddy loved him 
very much and daddy died in a plane crash.  That’s not exactly a lie.  Are 
we clear?   Ha!  Are we clear?
(Jarod stands and goes to the door as he hears yelling.  He runs across 
the way to where there is shouting coming from within another mobile 
home.  He enters the home.)
Hollis: Arghh!  
Jarod: Mr Hollis? (He runs up to where Mr Hollis is writhing on his bed 
and crouches down beside the bed.) Mr Hollis?
Hollis: Argh!
Jarod: It’s okay.  It’s Jarod.  It’s okay.
Hollis: Jarod?
Jarod: Are you alright?
Hollis: Nightmare.  (Jarod picks up some of the photographs that are 
strewed over the bed.  Mr Hollis snatches them away from Jarod.) 
Shouldn’t you be up loading something?  (Jarod finds some other 
photographs on the floor which he picks up and examines.)
Jarod: Hiroshima.  (He looks at a group photograph.)  This is you.
Hollis: The greatest show on earth. I was part of something that 
should’ve never happened.  I helped do this.  (He hands Jarod another 
photograph which shows the bare back of a girl where the skin is 
blistered.  He looks at another photograph which shows mass 
destruction.)
Jarod: (Jarod is moved and upset by the pictures.)  You couldn’t have 
known. 
Hollis: Ignorance is a poor excuse for murder.
(Mr Hollis’ words impact on Jarod as he realises that he has the same 
burden of guilt.)
Jarod’s Lair
(Jarod examines the electronics schematic of the Scimitar. He moves it 
out of the way and looks at a diagram of an aircraft.   He circles a part of 
the diagram.)

Skyvionics Hangar
(He opens an access panel towards the front of the plane and removes the 
Scimitar chip.)

Jarod’s Lair
(Jarod modifies the universal remote so as to be run by the Scimitar chip.  
He tests the Scimitar chip by flicking the stations.  He calculates the 
failure rate by using the remote to change channels and marking the 
number of times he presses it and the number of times it fails.  He comes 
up with a failure rate of three point one percent.)

Skyvionics Hangar
(Lawson is working late, comparing figures on a chart with a piece of 
paper on a clip board that he is holding.  He turns when he hears a 
television, the sounds changing as Jarod flicks through the channels using 
a remote control.  Lawson goes over to Jarod and stands beside him.)
Jarod: 140 channels.  Nothing on.
Lawson: Yeah my wife says I’ll die with one of those things in my hand.  
Jarod: (He looks down at the remote and fiddles with it.  Hmm.)  
Lawson: Broke?
Jarod: Defective.  Hey, you’re the mechanical whiz.  The specs say that 
there is a failure rate of zero point four percent.
Lawson: So?
Jarod: So I’ve done my own calculations and come up with a failure rate 
of three point one percent.
Lawson: (He shuffles nervously.)  Sounds like a bad chip.
Jarod: You’re the expert.  (Jarod steps up closer to Lawson and holds the 
remote control up so that Lawson can see the Scimitar chip.)
Lawson: That’s a Scimitar chip.
Jarod: Hm mm.  And when it fails the whole plane is affected.  (Jarod 
starts to walk around Lawson.)  Altitude controls, infra red sighting, 
ejection systems.  Ronald Collins didn’t punch out the night of the crash 
because he couldn’t.  3.1%.  Is that what a man’s life is worth at 
Skyvionics?  (He stops walking and stands face to face with Lawson.)  He 
wasn’t at the Tail Spin bar drinking the night before the crash.  He was 
out in the desert.  He was star gazing with his son.  Why did you lie?
Lawson: I ah, warned Matthews about the chip but he said the ratio was 
acceptable.  Three point one is nothing against the bottom line.
Jarod:  Is that why you doctored the voice recorder?
Lawson: Yeah.  Matthews wanted to keep Gant out of the loop.  He said 
we’d all be raking it in once he closed the commercial contract.  (Jarod 
snorts in disgust and shakes his head, turns and starts to leave.)  Jarod, 
put yourself in my shoes.
Jarod: (He turns back to Lawson, and holds the remote control up.)  I 
already have.

Jarod’s Lair
DSA
Young Jarod: (He takes off the helmet and stands up.)  Who’s that man?
Sydney: It’s no one Jarod.  It’s no one.

Jarod: Answer the question Sydney.  (He holds up the laptop so that the 
camera is facing the DSA reader and the freeze frame of Mr Raines.)  Who 
is he?  And what does he know about my father?
(Jarod and Sydney are communicating via camera links attached to their 
computers.)
Broots: Sydney, I’m not here.
Sydney: I’m glad we can finally talk again.
Jarod: The plane crash is not exactly a lie.  What did he mean by that?
Sydney: I only know him as Mr Raines.  Listen Jarod I’ve been searching 
here and I’ve discovered one thing.  Your father was an aviator, an aviator 
who had flown with . . . Jarod?
Jarod: Sydney.  Sydney,  Sydney.  Sydney.  (He tries to re-establish the 
link.)  Sydney.  Damn.
Broots: Somebody inside cut us off.
Parker: That’s right.  Come with me.

The Hangar
(Jarod replaces the Scimitar chip and doctors the electronics of 
Manhunter’s plane. He uses silly putty to hold the eject handle in place.)
Jarod: (In his lair and talking on the phone.)  Lieutenant Gant.  Jarod 
Wright.  There’s something you really should see.

Jarod’s Lair
Jarod: (On the phone.)  Uniforms R Us?  I need a rush job.
(Jarod delivers the uniform to Mr Hollis, who takes the box containing the 
uniform.)
(Jarod creates some drawings for paper aeroplanes.)

The Centre
A Tech Room
(Broots and Miss Parker are both standing.  Miss Parker is polluting the air 
with another cigarette.)
Parker: And now, this.
Broots: Well he talked me into it.  He forced me.
Parker: He’s not that good.
Broots: I can make it up to you.
Parker: (She walks up close enough to Broots for him to be affected by 
her cigarette smoke.)  And how do you propose to do that?
Broots: Jarod’s transmission used an old arpa(?) connection from the 
early Internet days when it was still a Defence Department System.  I’ve 
zeroed in on his location.  (He goes to one of the desks and picks up a 
computer printout which he hands to Miss Parker.)
Parker: Hmm.  It’s a beginning.

Skyvionics Proving Ground
Viewing Tower
General: Lieutenant?
Gant: Sir?  We should be starting in about 30 minutes, Sir.
General: Good.  I’ve been waiting six years for this Scimitar system to 
impress us.  It had better be now.
Gant: Trust me sir, after what I saw last night it’s going to be a real eye-
opener.

Hangar
Matthews: What do you mean you can’t find Dixon?
Mechanic: I’m sorry sir, there’s no answer at his home.  He’s probably on 
his way.
Matthews: Alright.  You tell control to confirm that all systems are on 
line.  
Mechanic: Yes sir.
Matthews: And call Dixon’s house again.

Dixon’s Residence
(Mr Hollis wearing an Icy Cool Air Conditioning Service overall attaches 
the cylinder of Halcyon gas to the air conditioning unit.  Dixon sleeps 
through the ringing of the telephone.)

Hangar
Mechanic: Nothing. (Matthews looks over to where Jarod is standing in 
the doorway of the hangar looking out.  He is fully kitted out in his flight 
gear, his helmet in his hand by his side. Matthews goes to him.) 
Jarod: The natives must be getting restless.
Matthews: Are you up for a dogfight?
Jarod: Me?  I was born for this moment.

In the Air
Matthews: Alright you know the drill.
Jarod: Just like we practiced.  Don’t break Mach 1 and don’t get fancy.
Matthews: We’ll be opened miked into the tower so remember we’re on 
the air and everything’s on the line.
Jarod: Wouldn’t have it any other way.
Matthews: Alright.  Here we go. Scimitar Two.  Why don’t you make like 
a bandit.
Jarod: Roger that Manhunter.

(On the viewing tower the General and Lieutenant observe the planes in 
the air through binoculars.)

Matthews: First off, radar reflection.  Scimitar’s advanced avionics will 
enable Eagle RWR to initiate lock up twice as fast as competitive systems.  
STP Scimitar will predict angle off tail and lock on a real missile.  In the air 
speed is life and Scimitar is speed. (He locks onto Jarod’s plane.)  Bang!  
You’re dead eagle.
Jarod: I always wondered what that felt like.  Okay, let’s try this again at 
Mach one point eight.  Let’s really test this system.
Matthews: Roger that!  (He flicks the switch that he thinks will disable 
the open mike to the tower.  However, on the viewing tower the General 
hears the entire conversation.)  Alright Jarod we’re off the speakers.  
What the hell do you think you’re doing?
Jarod: Well you want to look good in front of the brass, now don’t you?
Matthew:  You follow my lead.
Jarod: Well I really couldn’t do that.  You see there’s a failure rate of 
three point one percent on any promise I make.  Ronald Collins wasn’t so 
lucky.  Come and get me Manhunter.  (Jarod executes a shoulder roll.  
Matthews “reactivates” the open mike.) 
Matthews: Alright General.  Watch and learn.

Observation Tower
Gant: Sir.  (She hands him a Skyvionics folder.)
General: What the devil is this all about?
Gant: The truth General.

In the Air
(The simulated dogfight continues until the lights on Manhunter Matthew’s 
flight panel start to flash and an alarm sounds.
Matthews: I’ve lost flight control.  Eagle, repeat.  I’ve lost flight control!  
(The altimeter starts to register his rapid descent.)
Jarod: That’s because your Scimitar chip has failed just like the one on 
Ronald Collins’ plane.  Scary isn’t it Tom.
Matthews: (He pulls on the eject handle but nothing happens.)  I can’t 
punch out.  I can’t punch out!
Jarod: I’ll tell you how if you tell me the truth.
Matthews: What the hell are you talking about?
Jarod: Well then you’re going to have to suffer the same fate as Ronald 
Collins.  Do you copy, Manhunter?
Matthews: I had to make good on the quota.
Jarod: You killed a good man.  And then you blamed it on him.
Matthews: I didn’t want that to happen.  I'm sorry.  He was a friend of 
mine.  I didn’t want that to happen.  Get me outta here.  (The altimeter 
still spins in an anti-clockwise direction at a rapid rate.)
Jarod: Enable your infra-red sighting.
Matthews: It’s done.
Jarod: Disable your radar warning system.
Matthews: Set.
Jarod: Pull the eject handle.
Matthews: It won’t work.  It still won’t work!
Jarod: Oops, I almost forgot.  (Jarod presses the eject button on his 
universal remote.  There is a small explosion as the cockpit cover flies off 
and Matthews is ejected from the plane.  The plane erupts into a fireball 
as it explodes on impact with the side of a hill.)  Cool!  Ladies and 
Gentlemen.  Skyvionics Radio has reached the end of another broadcast 
day.  This is Eagle, signing off.
General: Let’s go.
Jarod: Yee haaaa! This is so cool!
(Matthews is collecting his billowing parachute when the General and 
Lieutenant Gant pull up in a jeep.)
General:  Matthews.  The Government wants a refund.

Aircraft Graveyard
(Jarod still wearing his Skyvionics flight suit rides his bicycle through the 
aeroplane grave yard.)  

Collins’ Residence
(The son sits on the front porch making paper planes from Jarod’s 
designs.  His mother collects the mail.  She finds a letter from the Arizona 
Trust Pension Fund.  She hugs and kisses the son.  He throws the plane 
and runs after it.  He picks it up and throws it again.)
Boy:  Yes.  Mum! Mum!  Come look at this.

Trailer Park
Outside
(Jarod is carrying his bag over his shoulder and his DSA reader.  Mr Hollis 
is walking beside him.)
Hollis: Well I guess it’s not easy living next to a nutcase.
Jarod: You’re not crazy Mr Hollis.  I believe everything you told me.  I’m 
still not sure about the Eleanor Roosevelt thing.  There is another piece of 
information that I’d like you to keep your eye on.  (He takes a roll of 
paper from his bag and hands it to Mr Hollis.)
Hollis: What’s that?  (He unrolls the paper.)
Jarod: It’s in Delaware, Blue Cove, a place called “The Centre”.  That’s 
the only map you’re ever going to find it on. It’s a dangerous place.  
People should be made aware.  If you know what I mean.
Hollis: Oh yeah.  This is real ripe.  I’ll spread the word.
Jarod: I’m counting on it.  Good luck.
Hollis: (Shaking Jarod’s hand.)  You too.  Oh Jarod I don’t know what it is 
you’re after but I hope you find it.

Tail Fin Bar
(Two stretch limousines pull up outside the bar, and Miss Parker and a 
number of sweepers get out of one of them.  They enter the bar.)
Sam:  Miss Parker. (Sam indicates a photograph of Jarod in his flight suit 
that is hanging on the Tail Spin’s Wall of Fame.)
Bar Keeper: You’re Miss Parker?
Parker: That’s right.
Waitress: Hmm. (She collects a box and the red-note book from under the 
bar and hands it to Miss Parker.  Miss Parker opens the box to find a 
reversed image of a newspaper article.)
Sam:  What is it?
Parker: Silly Putty.  (To the waitress.)  Do you have a mirror.  (The 
waitress indicates one behind the bar, to which she walks to and holds the 
silly putty up to it.  She reads the headline aloud.)  “Late Pilot Cleared of 
Error”

Outside Tail Fin Bar
(Miss Parker approaches the second limousine and the window rolls down.  
The unknown man from the DSA sits in the back.)
Parker: Nothing.  
Mr Raines: I’m beginning to dread that the Parker killer instinct wasn’t 
hereditary.
Parker: I’ll find him, sir.
Mr Raines:  Let me be perfectly clear.  Jarod is not some minor 
inconvenience for you to pad your Centre expenses with.
Parker: I understand Mr Raines.  (She watches as the limousine executes 
a turn and drives away.
Concert Hall
(A man wearing a headset and a tuxedo walks along a tunnel underneath 
a stage.  He nimbly dodges a paper aeroplane as it emerges from within 
the room he approaches.  Jarod sits in the dressing room, stylishly 
outfitted in a tuxedo.)
Stage Manager: We’re ready for you sir.
(Jarod puts down the paper plane he was holding, scattering some Silly 
Putty eggs in the process.  He stands, pops a Pez and hands it to the 
stage manager.)
Jarod: Help yourself.
(As Jarod approaches the podium in the orchestra pit, Jarod is greeted by 
tumultuous applause.  He bows, turns, taps his baton on the music stands 
and starts to conduct the orchestra.  (Overture(?) “The Magic Flute” 
Mozart.)

CLOSING CREDITS