"We saw the Earth destroyed." "And in a heartbeat, everything and everyone we knew... was gone." "There were five of us." "The crew of the space shuttle Odyssey." "And we were the only survivors." "A mysterious being who called himself The Seeker... rescued us and sent us back in time." "And now we have five years to live over." "Five years to discover who or what destroyed the Earth." "Five years to stop it from happening again." "Next, I'll have a horse as my wife." "That's much better." "Hang on." "What is this, Son?" "What are you serving?" "It's tortillas, Daddy." "Since when do we eat wetback food?" "Really." "Why can't we just get a decent burger or something?" "I don't wanna eat this shit." "It's bad enough they come swarming over the border like rats... to have to be appreciating their food." " You're so rude." " Come on." " Stop that." " I'm not eating that shit." "Is this possible?" "Is this fucking possible?" "I guess the story broke." "It's breaking today." "Today." "Do you realise what you've done to me?" "To my career?" "Is that any worse than what you were planning to do to her, Dad?" "Antonia Reyes, consorting with terrorists?" "Planning to blow up a U.S. Embassy in Mexico?" "Do you have any idea what that story did... will do, to her career?" "How could you possibly know that?" "I know a lot more than that, Dad." "God damn it, Angela." "I'm your father." "Yeah, I know." "And it's getting harder and harder to live with that." "I don't need it, I want it." "You're a bookie, not a charitable organisation." "You need some more time, you can tack on 22% compounded weekly." "And I think we can both agree that you wouldn't be half as accommodating." "Thank you." "Bye." " Hi." " Dr Mendel." "What a nice surprise." "Yes, it is." "Isn't it?" "Maintenance payments in full." "I thought I'd pay early for my unfortunate history of tardiness." "I'm sorry." " It's never a problem." "You know that." " Yes, I do." "Yeah." "Fine." "So, Kurt, I was gonna drop by and see if you were busy tonight." "I thought we could get together." "Maybe you'd like to come by for a drink?" "Seeing as we're neighbours and all..." " Yes." "Yes." "Miss..." " Virginia." "Leonard." "Yes." "Of course." "Virginia Leonard." "Yeah." "We could pop open a bottle of wine or I could pick up some Mexican microbrew..." " and catch the game." " Mexican microbrew." "That's..." "I would love to, but it's my mother's 70th birthday tonight." "I'm really sorry." "Why don't we make it some other time?" " Sure." " Okay?" "Wonderful." "Fabulous." " I'll call you." " Bye." ""The Houston scientific community suffered a tragic loss today..." ""when one of the nation's top..." ""prosthetic researchers was found dead in his laboratory." ""Police are investigating a possible homicide." ""Sources tell KNBS news..." ""that the victim's six-year-old niece, Stevie Chapman, has disappeared." ""Viewers are urged to contact KNBS Crime Busters tip line..." ""with any information about Stevie's whereabouts." ""Don't go away." "Sports and weather are up next."" " Nice save." " "Prosthetecist"?" "I'm not sure our 6:00 audience knows... or cares about something it can't even pronounce, Chad." "You're the one that's badgering me to upgrade the broadcast." "Yes." "I'm talking about stories, not vocabulary." " You know, having a little journalistic..." " Journalistic integrity?" "That's asking a bit much, don't you think?" "Troy, meet Sarah Forbes." "I do." "Sarah's leaving for CNN any day, but until then she's our 6:00 anchor." "Troy Johnson, our new news director." " Nice to meet you." " I know your work well." "I lived in Detroit when you did the weekend weather." "KNBS is lucky to have you." "You are creating a monster, you realise that?" "And she already thinks she's Mike Wallace." "She'll be acting like a pit bull the next freeway chase she has to cover." " Miss Forbes?" " Where do I sign?" "Seventeen "K." Not bad for an old man." "Old man?" "Who are you calling an old man?" "Get your ass over here." "We'll do three rounds right now." "I'm so fast you..." "Hell, you didn't even work up a sweat." "What the hell is this?" "A weight belt?" "A little trick I picked up in basic." "Psyches out the competition." "You wimp." "I don't need a handicap to whip your ass." " I thought the physical was just routine." " Yeah, but you still wanna ace it." " Well, that just leaves the written exam." " How about you, skinny?" "When's the last time you went for a run?" "Probably the last time Mom smelt dope in his clothes." "Chased him halfway to O'Reilly's farm." "All right." "It's a pop quiz." "Name the top three things they're looking for in an astronaut." " Number one." " Making survival look easy." "Resourcefulness." " Now, how in the hell do you know that?" " Yeah." "You been reading this?" "Number two, humility." "Knowing when to keep your mouth shut." "That's bullshit!" "You got something to say in space... you open up your damn mouth, you say it." "Well, that's funny, Dad. 'Cause I heard... the old timers really bust your balls for taking initiative." "Only if you say something stupid." "What do you got here?" "A Boy Scout manual?" "No." "It's the astronaut selection committee..." ""Do's and Don'ts." I got it off the web." "How to be an astronaut?" "Are you kidding me?" ""If you can't say something nice, still say something nice."" "That's bullshit again." "You ain't got something nice to say, say something rude." "Listen, where the hell is my newspaper?" "Your mother steal my crossword puzzle again?" "I don't know, Dad." "Can't find shit in this house." "It said Louis Chapman was killed by Synthetics." "Synthetics." "The e-mail said those exact words?" " Yeah." " Hang on a second." "First we got Sentients, now we got Synthetics." "I mean, I know my ass from my elbow in an aeroplane... but can you get my head around this shit?" "All right, all right." "Sentients are computer entities, artificial life forms." "Synthetics, or what we call Synthetics... are physical manifestations." "They're a creation, if you will." "Like Tessa." "Thank you, Doctor." "I think." "All right." "So you guys, check this out." "This appeared on my cell phone screen." "It's omega." "A Greek symbol." "And from the Book of Revelations, Christ said, "I am Alpha and the Omega."" " The end of days." " The end time." "That's very good, Chuck." "You know your Bible." "You going to church?" "Used to." "What, we gotta bring religion into this now?" "And what else did he say?" "Well, he said that Chapman was killed because of something he was working on." "Chapman?" "Is this the guy who built prosthetic limbs?" " Yeah." "Same guy." " I reported on this." "As I recall, Chapman's name was on Chandra's computer." "Yeah, that's right." "He was on a list of people..." "Chandra was keeping track of." "So you think Chandra suspected Chapman of consorting with the enemy." "Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't after you." "Yeah." "Maybe not." "But it turns out Chapman was doing more than just prosthetics." "He was developing a cybiotic interface." "Trying to integrate computer technology with organic systems." "Cybiotic interface?" "Lmagine if you had a computer chip inside your brain... to calculate a tip, or spell-check a note, make a cellular phone call..." " all from inside your head." " That is so unnatural." " I know." "Isn't it great?" " It's fascinating." "It's the wave of the future, or what's left of it." "It also said Chapman lived with a niece who disappeared a few days ago." " She was, like, five or six years old." " And deaf." "And apparently the Synthetics are after her because, and I quote..." ""She holds the key to their plans."" " You think this e-mail was legit?" " Hell, everything's legit." "Religion is legit, e-mails, Sentients, Aesthetics." " Synthetics." " Whatever." "I don't give a shit if it's astrology or voodoo." "Like the lady said, "Just 'cause you're paranoid..." ""don't mean they're not after you."" "We gotta find this little deaf girl, and we gotta find her now." "I'll pay the cheque." "That's your Houston local." "I'm Rob Waty." "In a stunning setback for three-term senator, Brian Perry... sources reveal a darker side to the Texas kid." "In a news conference today, Perry offered a mea culpa." "I can't erase the past." "I can only beg for your forgiveness." "I have shamed my family." "I have shamed the great state of Texas." "And I have shamed our beloved country." "Kind of makes you wonder how Reyes got ahold of that tape, huh?" " I know how she got it." " How?" "I sent it to her." "Don't worry." "He's already bouncing back." "Well, he got you reinstated." "That's something I couldn't do." "Yeah, he did." "And he also paid that guy there, to hug him." "And he doesn't speak Spanish at all." "No." "He's reading that phonetically off the teleprompter." "And he's about to wage one of the dirtiest campaigns in the history of Texas." "I'm gonna tell you something you can take to the grave." "You don't wanna hear it." "Your parents ain't never gonna be the people you want them to be... and there's nothing on God's earth you can do about it." "The lab is on the second floor." "Julie will meet you at the elevator." "Thank you." "There are a dozen tendons and ligaments in a human elbow." "Even Third-World countries like Cambodia have sophisticated prosthesis factories." "All it takes is a market." "In Cambodia, you can thank the five million landmines sitting in the ground." "One for every man, woman and child in the country." "Yeah, and those crappy odds are the unhappy legacy... of the Khmer Rouge genocide, right?" "You know your Asian history, Commander." "American history, hon." "About 30, 40 years ago, the United States fought a war over there... that was provocative, to say the least." "I don't think we've ever had a shuttle commander in the lab." " Or a world-famous author." " No." "We've had lots of those." "It's a pretty impressive piece of machinery you got there." "Dr Chapman developed chip technology to mimic the body's natural movement." "It's a huge leap forward in the world of prosthetics." "So Dr Chapman was working on cybiotic interface before he died?" "I just build the robotics." "Well, where the hell is Dr Estes?" "It's getting kind of late." "Dr Estes should be back any minute... and he should be able to fill you in." "Pardon me, Julie." "Is there a bathroom I can duck into?" " Yeah." "In the back, to the left." " Right." "Back to the left." "Thank you." "Tell me why you're interested in Dr Chapman's work." "Well, it's only preliminary... but NASA's thinking of expanding its robotics programme." "See, there's some people in the agency... that think that manned space flight'll soon be a thing of the past." "This is a very remarkable invention." "I've been working on this for over a year." " Go ahead." " Go ahead, what?" " Touch it." " What's it gonna do, bite me?" "Touch it." "All righty." "Jesus!" "What in God's name?" " Dr Estes?" " What?" " Two men came by to see you." " When?" "Just a few minutes ago." "They're in the lab with Julie." "The market for these things has to be a little bit smaller in the United States... than it is for Cambodia, right?" "Well, only for the unlucky few, industrial accidents, leaf shredders." "We're building a foot for a surfer." "A shark bit his clean off." "Shit." "Jesus." "Did I break it?" " Oh, shit." " It's okay." "It's okay." " Can I just..." " Oh, good." "Here he comes." "Dr Estes, this is Chuck Taggart from NASA... and his friend here." "Wanted to see you about our robotics research." " What about it?" " Well, we were particularly interested in..." " Dr Chapman's work on cybiotic interface." " I don't have time right now." "Just leave your number... and I'll call you when I have a moment." "See them both out." "Julie, could I speak to you?" "Well, thank you both for your time." "Thank you." " Chuck." "Chuck." " Yeah." "Cochlears have permanently changed our world." "But you'd be surprised." "Most deaf parents, not to mention my deaf co-workers, deeply resent them." "But how do you tell a child you won't let them hear?" " So, Stevie can hear?" " Yeah." "When she turns her cochlear on." "We provide a supportive environment... for children making the transition to the hearing world." "Stevie was always a troubled child." "Her parents are gone and her uncle..." "Well, let's just say he was a reluctant parent." "So the implant didn't help at all." "It made her more withdrawn." "She spent more and more time away from school... and grew alienated from both worlds." "But she did love to draw." "Did her uncle say why he was keeping her out of school?" "He was some kind of scientist." "He seemed very interested in her cochlear." " Too interested, in my opinion." " Too interested?" "It was just a feeling, but..." "I got the sense that he was tinkering with it." "What's wrong with you?" "Don't you talk?" "You some kind of retard?" "Maybe that's why your parents forgot you." "I didn't say you could go." "I'm gonna call the proper authorities." "Get my reward." "Then I don't care where the fuck you go, you little worm." "You better be worth something, fucking 'tard." " Hey, man." " You went for a run?" " Yeah." "Just up to the O'Reilly farm and back." " What was your time?" "Thirty, thirty-five minutes." " Not bad, not bad." " Are you working on an essay test?" "Yeah." "I'm trying to get my time down." "500 words, 11 minutes." " You already know the question?" " Oh, educated guess." "Why do I wanna become an astronaut?" "Really?" "I figured it'd be something more random, like..." ""Name a hundred uses for duct tape." See if you can think on your feet, you know?" "Right." "You know, you should think about the programme." "Straighten up a bit, do a few pushups... make a good NASA man." "Yeah." "Hey, don't forget to memorize the simulator checklist." "I hear they always ask that." "I'm sure they realise it was an accident." "NASA reinstated you, didn't they?" " After Dad made them." " Oh, you should be grateful." "Chuck Taggart couldn't even make that happen." "It's humiliating, Mom." "It's worse than being grounded." "Now everything I do will be called into question." "Oh, I'm sure it isn't that bad." "Angela, this thing with your father." "He's very upset with you." "You're not being fair." "He's not being fair." "To me, to you, to the people who listen and believe in him." "He's a prick, Mom." "Angela, he is your father, and that means you owe him your unconditional support." "Don't you mean love, Mom?" "Because they are two different things." " He doesn't deserve to be senator." " Life is not that simple." "The Senate is his entire world." "He'd die without it." "Listen to yourself." "Why do you even care what happens to him?" " He's my husband." " No." "He left you, Mom." "And he lied to you, and he cheated on you." "He was my husband for 37 years." "That means something." "Remember when I first met you?" "I was totally blown away." "I don't even think I noticed you." " Oh, is that so?" " Yeah." "Yeah." "I was married, remember?" "Hey, I was engaged, right?" "Of course, that didn't last long." "Are you saying you think I'm responsible for breaking up two relationships?" "No." "I am not." "It was all me." "I take full blame." "We're gonna be all right, baby." " Think so?" " Yeah, I think so." "You know, I'll never be able to make up for you losing your son like you did..." " but I..." " No." "I don't wanna talk about Corey right now." "All right." "Dinner." "Saturday." "You free?" "You, me and our significant others." "Charlotte's been dying to meet you... and if we're gonna be working together... we might as well make it more than professional." "I'm sorry." "We have plans on Saturday." "Pick a night." "Any night." "We just moved here so the month's wide open." "You know, my son, Corey..." " it's really hard to find him a baby-sitter..." " We don't have to go out." "Word has it you make a mean gumbo." "I don't even have time to get dressed in the morning, let alone..." "You always look great to me." "So, you're telling your new news director... that there's not a single night in the next month that you can free up?" "Let me talk to Paul." "Yeah, Chad." "I'll check it right now." "Chad, Chad, Chad!" "Wait." "Anything more on my prosthetics researcher?" "Yeah." "He's still dead." "You know, one day you're gonna really regret..." " not trusting my journalistic instincts, okay?" " I already do." "Look, this might be of interest to you." " Another body picked clean." "Similar M.O." " Give me that." "Now don't get too excited." "Looks like a homeless guy became a buffet for a bunch of rats." "Unless it's a whacko serial killer on the loose, then you got one hell of a story." "What would the Synthetics want with a low-life like this?" "A further question is, what would want one?" "It stinks in here." "Who lived here, another scientist?" "Well, a very mellow scientist." "Probably doing research on his own brain cells." "How do you even find somebody in a place like this?" " They probably followed Stevie." " That doesn't mean they got her." "Well, if she got away, then she's wandering around Montrose alone right now." "Yeah." "Well, where the hell would she go?" "She's a kid." "You're a kid." "Where in the hell would a kid go?" "Well, beats me." "A circus, the zoo." "There ain't no circus in town." "But..." "I knew I raised a smart boy." "I'm taking off." "The hand should be ready to ship next week." "Can't you see I'm busy?" "Okay, then." "Goodnight." "I didn't tell them anything." "I swear." "I ain't been to the zoo since you and your brother were in grade school." "Think it's a good idea the way you're putting the screws to Marc again?" " Putting the screws to him?" " Yeah." "Dad, you're all over him about the Selection Committee." "We've already been down this road." "Hasn't it occurred to you that he just might not have what it takes?" "Well, as I recall, it was you who brought up the physical exam... and it was you who brought up the oral exam... firing questions back and forth out of the manual." "Now how do you get it that I'm putting the screws to him?" "You should be discouraging him." "Son, I don't give a shit what he does." "If I were you, I'd examine my own motives in this here conversation." " My motives." " That's right." "You ever heard of "the only frog in the pond"?" " This is bullshit." " Bullshit, huh?" "Let me tell you something." "Original tradition of conflict in the history of this planet... ain't between fathers and sons, husbands and wives." "It's brothers." "I hate the look of caged creatures." "Reminds me of my first marriage." " Anything?" " Same old crap." "Stevie?" "My name's Neil." "Can you hear me?" "Is your cochlear on or working?" "I really wish I spoke sign, right now." "Hey, do you wanna go for a walk?" "Are you hungry?" "You wanna get something to eat?" " Panda." " Panda." "Yeah." "Yeah, the panda." "You know what?" "I think the pandas are asleep already." "But maybe we can come back tomorrow." "What do you think?" "Okay." "Okay." "Okay." "Hey, let's call someone." "Lost and found or something." "I believe their entire bureaucracy is devoted to the well-being of spare children." "A spare child." "Is that like a spare part?" " Call the police." " She won't be safe at the police, okay?" "We can't exactly warn them against Synthetics." "Yeah, no." "We don't know what she knows... we don't know why they're after her, nothing." " The kid stays here." " Wait a minute." "Not here, here." "Well, I can't take her." "Paul would ask way too many questions." " Yeah." "Mom would freak." "Sorry." " I have a nosy roommate." "For Christ Almighty!" "Am I gonna baby-sit this charge indefinitely?" "He's got a point." "Kid can't survive on vodka and paté." " Very funny." " Tell you what." "You stay here and baby-sit Daddy-O, and Daddy-O stay here and baby-sit the kid." "Daddy-O?" "I don't see Taggart anywhere." "I'll be there in a minute, Mom." "I know it's here." "Let's try the other one then." "The science author." " Panda." " Panda." " What is this?" " Friend." "Watch out for me." "Friends watch out for you." " Friend." " Friends." " Your turn, Kurt." " My turn?" " Friends." " All right." "Friends." "Hi." "How are you?" " I'm impressed." " I'm impressed." "I have many hidden talents." "Hi." "Hi." "My name is Kurt." "What is your name?" " Stevie." " Stevie?" "Hi, Stevie." "You have cochlear, darling." "Why don't you turn it on?" "My friends don't need it." "But if your friends don't need it, they must be nice friends." "Could you get that, darling?" "Kurt." "Bedtime." "Hello?" "Bedtime." "You're gonna have to help me on this one." "I'm not very experienced." "You and Kurt sit tight with the little one." "Neil and Angela and I are gonna go over to that lab." "We're gonna pick that place apart." "Meanwhile, you just sit tight." " Call you later." "Give you a heads up." " Very good." "Okay?" "A song?" "What song?" "Like a Britney Spears' song?" " Shoo Fly." " Shoo Fly." "Okay." "Shoo Fly." "But you have to sign, but you have to sing, as well." "Okay?" " We're just putting her to bed right now." " One, two, three." "Shoo fly, don't bother me" "Shoo fly, don't bother me" "Shoo fly, don't bother me" "I belong to somebody" "Very good, very good." "Excellent." "What next?" "Is there some kind of good-night handshake?" "Thank you." "Thank you." " Thank you." " Nice bedside manner." "I hope I can trust on your discretion." "All right." "Bedtime." " Come." " No!" "Sorry, sorry." "Okay, well, I suppose we can leave the light on... but only because you impressed me so much with your singing." "Okay?" "Sarah." "Oh, God." "What is that?" "Stevie?" "They're my friends." "They're your friends?" "Thank you." " Commander Chuck Taggart." " Yes." "NASA's got you working the night shift now." "Yeah." "Let's try the obvious." "Very good." "Angela, take this all, this here place apart." " Neil, you got that crowbar?" " Yeah." "Come with me." "Chuck?" "Interesting." "If I'm not mistaken... that thing implanted on his back is some sort of micro-processor." "Uncle Lou." "Your uncle put the chip on the back of the ants... so the computer could tell them what to do?" "Fascinating." "It's the next step in cybiotic interface." "Last year they grafted a chip on the back of a cockroach and made it turn right." "And this year we have a swarm of computer-controlled, man-eating driver ants." "Progress, darling." "Computer-controlled bugs?" "That cannot be good." " It's all I can find." " Well, what's with the hard drives?" "Is the hard drive fried?" "Are you gonna try to resurrect something here?" " Just try to get something..." " Dad!" " What?" " The database is gone." "The hard drive's nearly wiped out." "Let me see if I can get something off the processor chip, okay?" "Stevie's cochlear acts as a transmitter." "The ants could have formed some kind of spontaneous telemetric link." "There are many cases in the natural world of two distinct species... evolving a symbiotic relationship... or inventing a whole new form of communication." "It's fascinating." "And maybe this isn't Dr Chapman's work." "Maybe it's a freak of nature." "Not you, darling." "Her teacher said Chapman was experimenting with her cochlear." "Well, the telemetric link was formed... the doctor improved it, and he was eaten by it." "The classic scientific parable." "Stevie... the ants, they killed your uncle, didn't they?" "But were they mad at him?" "Was he not nice to them?" "But you were nice to them." "Is that why the ants do tricks for you?" "So, did the computer tell the ants... to kill your uncle?" "He want to kill them... so they wouldn't hurt anyone." "Your uncle thought they would hurt people?" "But they hurt him first... and I yelled, "Stop!"" " But they wouldn't stop." " Yeah." "Chuck!" "Wait, wait, wait!" "It's me." "It's me." "It's me." "It's Chuck Taggart." "It's me." "Julie, Julie." "Julie!" "These two men came in, and they didn't see me." " They killed Dr Estes." " Okay, okay, okay." "They're gone." "They're gone now." "They're gone now." "It's okay." "Okay." " They kept talking about this girl." " What girl?" "I don't know, some girl." "They think that you have her." "They're looking for you, for you and your family." "Jesus Christ." "I can't get a signal in here." "Shit." "Let's get out of here." "Come on." "Stevie, are you afraid of them?" "They're my friends, but they won't listen." "Friends can be that way." "Stevie, where did the ants go?" "To bed." " To bed?" " They went to bed?" " Hello?" " Kurt, there's two men." "They know we got the little girl." "They killed Dr Estes." "They're on the way to your place." "Shit." "They found us." "Hello?" "A drink?" "Sure." "Does it have to be right now?" "Yeah." "Okay." "Just hang on." "I'm so sorry." "I promise I can explain." " Fire escape." "Where's your fire escape?" " Rear window." "Can I make this up to you?" "Dinner and a movie, my treat?" "Yes." " Lf I live through this day, I will call you." " Okay." "Stevie." "Oh, shit." "Get in the van." "Now!" " Just go." " Move it!" "Go, go!" "Hang on, y'all." "It'll be all right." "Call your friend." "Came through." " Yeah." " Neil." " Dad, it's Kurt." " Hang up." " Fucking..." "Damn it!" " Damn it." " Yeah." " Neil, you tell your fucking father... that at the present moment, I'm the most disposable part of this equation." "A very nice gentleman has a semi-automatic pointing at my fucking head!" "Dad, he says they're gonna shoot him." "Tell him to back the fuck off." "Now." "He's pointing a gun at Stevie." "Shit, Dad." "He says they're gonna shoot Stevie." "He's got a gun, they're gonna shoot her!" "Come on!" "Neil, tell you moron of a father to back off!" "Shit." "Damn it." "What the hell?" "I can't get them off." "What the hell!" "Go on, get the door!" "They all right?" "You guys okay?" "Come on, come on, get them out." "Come on, get them out of there." " Kurt, you all right?" " Come on, come on, come on." "Watch your head." " Go, go, go!" " No, no!" "Oh, no!" " No!" "Panda!" " Run!" "Well, at least we have two less Synthetics to worry about." "I hate to break it to you, but these were not Synthetics... unless Synthetics can now bleed." " What in the hell were they then?" " Human beings." "Working with the Synthetics?" "Or they could be working against them." "It's impossible to be sure." "Maybe your little e-mail buddy was one of them." " Of which?" " Of which whatever it was..." "I think you'll be hearing from them again." "And by the way, Sarah, how's Stevie?" "Is she okay?" "She got there okay." "I mean, I don't know her exact location, but she's as safe as she can be." "I got news for all you all." "Ain't nobody safe." "Well, it must be something good... 'cause you ain't stood in the driveway waiting for me... since I brought you home a bicycle." "What the hell is this?" ""Dear Marc Taggart." "We are pleased to inform you..." ""you have passed the first round of NASA examinations..." ""and are now eligible to proceed." I'll be damned." " Well, it just gets me to the next round." " Well, that's one round closer." "Get in." "I'll buy you a beer." "Hey, you know, Neil was right." "They asked the weirdest question about duct tape." "Sometimes I think that guy's smarter than he looks." "Well, with that hair, he ought to be." "So we're walking along the beach in Waikiki on our honeymoon." "Okay, full moon, endless sand, no one in sight." "Okay?" "Sarah is whispering about the dress her cousin Charlene wore to the wedding." "She's afraid that somebody's going to hear her." "Now listen to this." "I couldn't hear her... so you can damn well be sure... that her cousin Charlene couldn't hear her all the way back in Detroit." " Well, better than this big mouth here." " What?" "Wait you have at least one cousin who's not speaking to you at the moment." "She got these awful extensions, okay?" "And I'm just..." "She should thank me for telling her the truth." "Remember when I first met you?" "I was totally blown away." "Sometimes the truth is better left unsaid." "You're one to talk." "You're just like Ben." "How do you know my father's name?" "Would you like some pie?" "I never knew the IRS could be so aggressive." "Well, you know, you steal a billion, you're a genius... and you fudge a tax return..." "I could've sworn one of them had a gun." "That was just for show, you know?" " What's that?" " Chocolate malt Lambic." "I got the recipe off the Internet." "I used to mull my own wine, so I figured why not try my own microbrew." "I made some Swiss Mocha Almond for dessert." "Chocolate beer." "Very interesting." "You can put all kinds of things in beer." "Hot peppers, marshmallows." "Marshmallows and hot peppers." "Kidding." " Try keeping that down." " Right." "That's just strangely refreshing." " See?" "I told you you'd have a good time." " I never doubted it for a second." "So, who was that cute little girl you were with?" "Oh, Stevie?" "She was cute, wasn't she?" "Got you." "You're it." "One, two, three... four, five..." " Hi." "...six, seven." " Got you." "You're it." " Darn." "One, two, three, four, five, six... seven, eight, nine, ten." "Ready or not, here I come."