"I hate this part." "You're still here but I know you're going and I hate that." "Well, I'll call you, baby." "Don't tease me." "I miss you so much when you're gone." "Well, I miss you too, baby." "Listen, last time Streck told me... if I bellyached about you for one more minute... he was gonna toss my ass right off the ship." "You tell Streck your ass belongs to me..." " And he can keep his hands off it." " All right." "My class wants you to come by when you get back." "I think I can arrange a visit if you're nice." "How nice?" "You like fruit?" "Yeah." "Well..." " Come here a minute." "Come here." " Ha, ha." "Ha, ha." "Ain't that a peach?" "Hm?" " Is that for me?" " That's for you." "Victory, this is Mission Control." "All systems are go." "Flight commander, all computers are functioning." "The crew of Victory has been given a go... for orbit operations by Mission Control." "Crew members are doing well... and all systems of the orbiter are performing satisfactorily." "Three, two, one, zero and liftoff." "Mission Control, we have left the pad." "Roger that, Victory." "You are go for throttle up." "Mission Control, this is Victory." "We have throttled up." "It's a fine day for flying, Houston." "All systems are go." "Pineapples!" " What do they have in Kansas?" " Corn." "Yes, corn." "And what about Georgia?" " What do they have in Georgia?" " Peaches." "Very good." " And what do we have here in Florida?" " Oranges!" "And rocket ships." "Yes, Calvin, and rocket ships." " Mrs. Armacost, you have a phone call." " Thank you, Brian." "Okay, let's go to page seven." "And work quietly, okay?" " Hello." " Mrs. Armacost." "Yes, this is Jillian Armacost." "Mrs. Armacost, NASA communications." "We have your husband for you." "Go ahead, commander." " Jillian?" " Spencer?" "Yeah, I told you I'd call." "It's amazing, isn't it?" " Yes, amazing." " Hey, Jill." " Yeah." " What are you wearing?" "Spencer." "Come on, now." "Ain't nobody else listening." "Not exactly, commander." "Including Houston and JPL... there are about 300 folks on the line today." " It's a nice day down there?" " Beautiful." "Can you see outside, Jill?" "Yeah." "Fifteen seconds, commander." "I'm right above you." " You looking up, honey?" " Ten seconds." "Won't you smile for me?" "I already am." "He called you from outer space?" "Well, technically, from Earth's orbit but, yes." "He called me from the orbiter." "Stanley won't call me from the Beef and Brew..." "And you get a call from outer space." "The Earth's orbit, whatever." "Technically speaking, Jill, you scored." "I don't get it." "We grew up in the same house." "You land Johnny Rocket boy." "I get different versions of..." "Throws-Up-On-Himself Elmo." "I bet he's good at the little things too, isn't he?" "What little things?" "Just those little things that mean so much." "It's true." "You know, men are like parking spaces." "The good ones are taken... and all the available ones are handicapped." "What?" "Spencer." " And now, back to our program." " Nan, something happened." "Come on." "Keep checking." "Mrs. Armacost, I'm Sherman Reese from NASA." " It's your husband." " What's happened?" "Well, we'd like you to come with us." " We have a car." " Something about Spencer!" "Please, Mrs. Armacost." " Captain Streck's wife is already there." " Jill!" "The director wants..." "The condition of Armacost and Streck... as well as the rest of the shuttle crew is at this time unknown." "Reporting live from NASA... ls my husband dead?" "I don't know anything about your husband." " Is my husband dead?" " Ma'am, I just don't know." "Then take me to someone who does." " He's dead." "I know he's dead." " No, they're not dead." "They're not dead." " What have they told you?" " Nothing." "They won't tell me anything." "Mrs. Streck, Mrs. Armacost." " First, your husbands are alive." " Oh, thank God." "They're back on the orbiter... and we're gonna bring them down immediately." "What happened up there?" "Your husbands were outside the orbiter... performing some repairs on a satellite." "There was an explosion and we lost contact with both astronauts... for about two minutes." " You lost contact?" " What?" " What do you mean, lost contact?" " After the explosion... they drifted behind the shuttle." "We had to bring the craft around 180 degrees to get them." " They were all alone?" " But now, they're back on the shuttle... and they'll be back down here as soon as we can manage it." "Mr. Reese here will stay with you until we can get you to them." "They were all alone out there, Jillian." "It's okay." "They're alive." "This will give you a view from the shuttle as they land." "Would you like me to get you the linkup?" "I'll get the linkup." "Twenty-five seconds to re-entry interface." "Flight controllers will be closely watching..." "Maintain descent." "Wind shear, this is minimum trajectory." "Velocity at 2600 LBP." "At 235 knots, maintaining descent." "At 220." "Eight at 215, five at 210, two at 200." "One foot." "Ground Control, this is Victory." "We are down." "He's breathing on his own." "His vital functions are good." "As far as we can tell, there has been no brain damage." "It should only be a matter of time before your husband regains consciousness." " So he's gonna be okay?" " Absolutely." "And what about Alex?" "Captain Streck is an older man than your husband." "There was a tremendous strain on his heart." "Natalie." "Jillian." "Jillian." "Hey." " Hi." " Hey." " Hey, you." " Hey, you." "I missed you so much." "How are you?" " I'm all right." " Yeah." " Yeah, I'm all right." " Good." "I gotta pee." " I gotta pee." " Yeah." "I'll see what I can do for you." "Where's Alex?" "Is he all right?" "Spencer." "Spencer." "Spencer, what is that?" "Did you feel that?" " Alex." " My God, what is that?" "Alex." "Honey, I'm here." "Goddamn it!" " What can I do?" " Gonna need a change here." "Alex!" "Jesus!" "Hold him." "Help him!" "Epi." "Essentially, he's still at zero." "Nothing." " Charging, 300." " Clear." "Good job." " We got him." " Clear." "Hold off on that intubator." "Stand by with some dopamine." "Let's get an EKG prepped." "What did you say?" "Well, I told that bloated fast-food-eating motherfucker... we'd never have gotten to be heroes if he hadn't cut our budget... and forced us to put that piece of shit exploding satellite up in orbit." " Really?" " Yeah." "And then what happened?" "Aw, he said he'd never been talked to like that before by anybody." "I said I didn't give a rat's ass and if he ever called me again..." "I would track him down... roust him out of his bunk, pull his pants around his ankles... and spank him with a hanger in front of his wife and children." " Well, that's real subtle." " Yeah, I thought it would be subtle." "Wanna tell me what you really said to the President?" "Yeah." "I thanked him for his call." "Then I asked him what he was wearing... and he started breathing kind of heavy, made a funny noise and hung up." " What do you think that means?" " Maybe he's not into you." "I guess not." "Now, she got balloons." " Why didn't I get balloons?" " You got candy." " I didn't get no candy." " You got candy." " Where's my candy?" " In the car." "Does he ever talk about it?" "Did Spencer ever say anything about what happened up there?" "What it was like when they were alone?" "It's gonna be okay." "They're back." "He doesn't talk about it, does he?" "Neither does Alex." "Never mentions it, not a word." "Well, do you blame them?" "Those two minutes, they almost died, Jillian." " But they didn't." " But they almost did." "To go through that together, to come back... and never talk about it, never bring it up... it's bizarre." "Natalie, it's over." "Honey..." "I know this has to be hard for you too." "It just scares me that they act like it never happened." " There you go." " Thanks, commander." " You got it, buddy." " Hey, Mike, what did he write?" " Hey." " Hm?" " Guess what." " What?" "I'm resigning from the service." " Because of what happened?" " No, it's because I'm done up there." "I got an offer from an aerospace firm, executive position." "Lots of money." "I mean, boatloads of money, Jill." "What do you know about being an executive?" " You're a flier, Spence." " No, honey." "What I am is a true American hero." "Now, the President of the United States said that and you heard it." "Yeah." "Anyway it's pretty good for business... to have a true American hero on the company letterhead, you know." "The thing of it is, Jill... is that the company headquarters... it's in New York City." " You're kidding, right?" " No." " New York?" " Yeah." " You hate New York." " Yeah." " Too many people, remember?" " I know." "We have a life here, Spencer." " My job, our friends, everything." " Yeah." "So, what do you say?" "Will you do it?" "Will you move to New York City with me?" "Hm?" "You've always been there for me." "I wanna be there for you." "Let's go to New York." " Mrs. Armacost." " Yes, Paula?" "When your husband is in space, does he ever see God?" "What about aliens?" "Does he see aliens?" "Does he bring a laser gun in case there are aliens?" "I'd bring two laser guns... one for my pocket and a laser rifle." "Does your husband have a laser rifle?" "Does he get to bring it home?" "Does it work here on Earth or only in space?" " You know what, Calvin?" " What, Mrs. Armacost?" "I'm going to miss you." "Oh, no, no, no." "No." "My friend, I'll say it clear" "I'll state my case Of which I'm certain" "I've lived a life that's full" "I've traveled each" "They ain't the Mormon Tabernacle Choir." "And every highway" "But more Much more than this" "He did it his way" "Regrets, I've had a few" "But then again, too few to mention" "Here's to you." "I did what I had to do" "Thank you." "I saw it through" "Okay." "I planned each careful step" "Along the highway" "And more, much more" "To you, spaceman." "I did it my way" "I've loved and been a snide" "I've had my fill..." "My share of losing" "And now the tears subside" "I find it all so amusing" "Were times, I'm sure you knew" "When there was fuck Fuck, fuck all else to do" "But through it all When there was doubt" "I shot it up" "Stop." "And the world" "And did it my way" "For what is a brat" "When he wears hats And he cannot" "Say the things he truly" "Spencer!" "Spencer!" "Spencer!" "Spencer!" "Spencer!" "My Way" "Alex!" "Baby" "Alex." "I have a brief prepared statement... and then there will be time for questions." "Captain Alex Streck died last night at 8:55." "Cause of death has been determined to have been a stroke... what the surgeons are calling a severe insult to the brain." "Alex was an asset to this program way beyond his professional expertise." "He will be missed terribly by all of us." "There will be a private ceremony." " Is Commander Armacost in any danger?" " I'll let Dr. Patraba answer that." "Commander Armacost has been through an array... of examinations and tests." "It is the opinion of myself and my colleagues... that he's in no more danger than any of us." "Hey." " How you doing?" " I'm all right." " Hey." " Hey." " I'm gonna be over here, baby." " Okay." " You okay?" " Yeah." " Where's Natalie?" " She's in the back." " She's been asking for you." " Okay." " I'll see you in a bit." " All right." "Okay." "Natalie?" "Jillian." "They talked to him every night." "All the time." "I couldn't understand them." "Who talked to him, Natalie?" "They did." "They did, Jillian." "He's hiding inside me." "I certainly do appreciate your concern... but I have been probed and poked by enough needles." "Your superiors have given me a clean bill of health." "I know that but, commander, I..." "It's probably nothing but..." "Do your bosses know you wanna do this, Mr. Reese?" "No." " What, is there a storm?" " Strange." "Oh, God!" "Oh, my God!" "Oh, my God!" "Oh." "My God!" "Oh, God." "No." "No." "Oh, no." "No." "No!" "I'll be sure and let you know of some good places for you to shop." "That dress is really sweet but it's not really appropriate." "You'll meet all sorts of interesting people here." "They like the sort of things like I do." "You feel the first kick after the main engine sparks." "But, you know, you're very lucky." "I..." "But then solid rocket boosters come on and that's when you know..." " That you're going somewhere real fast." " Zoom, zoom, zoom." " That's right." " I used to be into AIDS... but now I'm into hunger." " I teach." " Oh, at the university?" "No, second grade." "I'm sorry." "I thought you said you taught second grade." "Yes." "I..." "Oh." "Ambrose, Hi." "You look great." "Yeah." " Will you excuse me?" " Yeah, sure." "Yeah, all right." "Excuse me, Phillip." "Now, don't worry about her." "Total lack of body fat has made her something less than human." "Don't think she's had her period in three years... which I guess is a blessing for the gene pool, wouldn't you say?" " Shelly McLaren." " Jillian Armacost" "Yeah, I know." "Oh." " Your husband must be..." " Jackson McLaren." "They all had cigars... but Jackson had the biggest cigar of all." " Can I...?" "Thanks." " Here we go." "Do you have many friends here in the city?" "Yeah, some, at work and Spencer, of course." " What?" "Your husband and your friend?" " Yeah." "You better not let that get around." "You know, they're gonna haul you up on charges." "That I like." " What?" " Your laugh." "That's an honest laugh." " It's been a while since I've heard one." " Thank you." "It's all right." "I'll be right down." "There's some minor disaster in the kitchen... something to do with burning rum balls." "Now, I'm gonna call you... and we're gonna go out and laugh, all right?" " Okay." " All right." " You all right?" " I'm drunk." "Well, that's good, honey." "That's good." "Tell me what happened up there." "Tell me." "All right." " Come on, let's take a walk." " Okay." "You wanna know what happened?" "Yeah." "Let me tell you." "Yeah." "You wanna know about them two minutes?" "You never talk about it." "Two minutes." "Dark... black... no light." "There was an explosion... and everything shut down." "No light... no communication." "It was black, silent." "No sound but loud, something loud." "Loud nothing." "And it was cold." "It was so cold, Jill." "And I knew what that cold was." "It was death." "And it held me real tight for about the first minute." "And then..." "I felt warm." "It was the warmth of your vagina... the warmth of your body, your hands." "The inside of your mouth... the warmth of your cunt... the warmth from inside you, Jillian." "Your warmth." "I felt it all around me." "It made me breathe." "It made me breathe." " Spencer." " Jillian." "Spencer." "Spencer." "No." "Spencer!" "Spencer." "What's happening?" "Spencer." "What's happening?" "Spencer?" "What are you doing?" "I couldn't sleep, so I just..." "Listening to some music." "I'm sorry if I was a bit rough." "I guess maybe I had a little too much to drink." "Come on, let's go to bed." "Goodnight, sweetheart." ""She began to guess the little man's name."" "'Is it Conrad Peppermill?" "' she said." ""And the little man said..."" "No." ""'I know, I know." "It's Sir William Doorknob.'" "And the little man said..."" "No." ""'I have it."" "It must be little ribs of beef.'" ""And the little man said..."" "No." ""'It couldn't be Rumpelstiltskin, could it?" "'"" "'What did you say?" "' said the little man." " "I said it couldn't be...?" '" " Rumpelstiltskin." ""And the little man screamed..."" ""And stamped his foot."" "Honey, you sound so sad." "It's just the city, Nan." "It just gets inside you, that's all." "You can't let it." "That's how you got in trouble after Mom and Dad died." "And you sound like you did then." "Have you found a doctor to talk to yet?" "Not yet." "Promise me something, okay?" "If it gets like it was before, you'll just..." "You'll find someone to talk to." "Nan, I really have to go, okay?" "Bye." " Hey, Jill." " Hey." "You're late." "You didn't get my message?" "I had a dinner meeting tonight." " No." "I didn't check the machine yet." " Oh." "Yeah, I'm sorry." "I still ain't conquered this corporate shit yet." " I'm gonna take a shower, honey." " Okay." "Do you ever think what if I had an F-15 in World War ll..." " Or a B-17 in World War I?" " No, never." "What kind of ass I could kick if I had that type of technology?" "And how many different kinds of ass are there, Jackson?" "Many kinds, love." "But the modern battlefield is all electronic... and the fighter that this man helped us design can detect... sort, identify and eliminate anything electronic." "You got two McLaren engines pumping 25,000 pounds of thrust... wingspan of 75 feet." " Fully extended." " Yeah, that's fully extended." "You got a top speed of 1800 miles per hour... a ceiling of 55,000 feet and a crew of two." "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." "I forget, Jackson." "Who is the enemy now that we need your plane to defend us from?" "The enemy at this moment?" " You are, dear." "You are." " Ha, ha." "The signal it makes, what does it sound like?" "Humans can't hear it, dove." "Humans can't hear it at all." "Excuse me." "Miss Augusta would like to see you." "Oh, all right." "Come on, Jackson." "Augusta has summoned us to her bedside." "It's the goodnight kiss." "After allowance, it's the most important event of the day." "The joys of parenthood." " Come on, Jackson." " Coming." "Why are you so far away?" "I'm right here." "What's the matter?" " What's wrong?" " I don't understand any of this." "What they're talking about, it's like they're speaking in code." "Honey, it's business, that's all." "Why do you have to build that plane?" "The way you talk about it, it doesn't even sound like you." "Baby, it's my lob..." "My job." "You used to say you'd fly forever." "You used to say they'd have to bury you in the sky." "Yeah." "They almost did." "What are you looking for when you look at me like that?" "What are you hiding from me?" "Nothing." "Nothing." " No." " Yeah." " Yeah." " No." "Yeah." "This is going to be a little cold." "Let's have a look in here, shall we?" "There it is." "Let's take a measurement." "Nine weeks, give or take a few days." "See this here?" "This flickering?" " What is that?" " That's the heartbeat." " Is it supposed to be moving that fast?" " I would be worried if it were not." "Everything looks fine, Jillian." "Well, that's interesting." "What?" "Well, wait." "I'm not sure." "See this here?" " What is that?" " 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." "There's something I didn't tell you from my chart." "I know I should've but..." "A few years ago, after my parents died, I..." "I had a bad time." "How bad, Jillian?" "I would see people I knew." "I would see them dead." "And sometimes, I..." "I would see myself." "Did you seek treatment?" "Were you hospitalized?" "Yes." "Does he know?" "He's the one that got me through it." "You are afraid... that this pregnancy is going to bring all that back, right?" "Yeah." "Spend time with Spencer." "Go through this together." "Now that you know that these feelings you've been having... are caused by the life growing in you... and by your body adapting to it, oh, cherish it." "Okay." "And if you need, call me any time, day or night." "Thank you." "Just a nightmare, baby." "You were talking in your sleep." " What was I saying?" " Couldn't tell." "It didn't sound like words, really." "It was more like sounds." "I'm scared." "Well, I think it'd be strange... if a first-time mother wasn't scared, honey." "Yeah." "Come on." "Come with me." "There you go." "That's better, ain't it?" " Yeah." " Yeah." "Everything's gonna be okay, isn't it?" "Everything's gonna be just fine, honey." "And they're gonna be healthy, right?" "And they'll be beautiful, just like their mother." "What do you think they'll be when they grow up?" " What are they gonna be'?" " Yeah." "Shit, they're gonna be pilots, honey." " Just like their father." " Just like their father." "All right, lean back here." "Let me wash your hair." "Am I dreaming, Spencer?" "No." "No, you're not dreaming." "And then he gives you that look... you know, that "honey, I understand" look." "Ha." "I don't care how long he rubs my feet for." "He doesn't understand a thing." " He rubs your feet?" " 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." "He rubs your feet?" "I got into the bathtub with my socks on." "Oh, my God." "Jesus, you scared me." "You are in big trouble." "Do you like the pie?" "I don't believe I can take much more of this, honey." "How much do you like the pie?" " Come get the pie." " First, I'm gonna drink you..." " Then I'm gonna eat you." " Get the pie." " Want me to eat that, right?" " Yeah." " Think you can handle all of us?" " Yep." " Yeah?" " Yep." " Love the belly?" " I love it." "Good, I love the belly too." "Excuse me." "Mrs. Armacost... do you...?" "Do you remember me?" " Mr. Reese?" " Yes." " How many months?" " Just a few." "I need to speak with you." "Spencer works for McLaren now if you're looking for him." "No, I need to speak with you, Mrs. Armacost." "About those two minutes." "The two minutes, Mrs. Armacost." "What is it, Mr. Reese?" "Noticed any change in your husband's behavior since the shuttle mission?" "I've been through these files and there are some peculiarities." "Like right here." "Your husband's signature before the shuttle." "Here's a form signed when he returned." "Now, they are similar but not the same." "Not the same signature." "Mr. Reese, are you in New York on official NASA business?" "And here's the results of the medical tests..." " We ran when he got back." " Mr. Reese." " Are you on official NASA business?" " Everything is fine." "Everything shows up normal... but everything's a bit different." "Blood levels, temperature, EKG, EEG." "Everything's just a little bit off from what it was." " I mean, look at this." " Mr. Reese." "Does NASA know you're here?" "Oh." "They wouldn't listen." "They terminated my employment." " I have to go now." " No." "If you have anything to say, you can call my husband at McLaren." "I showed them facts." "They terminated my employment." "They referred me to a psychiatrist." "Don't follow me." "I've seen Streck's autopsy report." "It was a stroke." "His system overloaded." "His body couldn't stand the strain." "I've seen Natalie Streck's autopsy report as well." "That was a suicide." " She killed herself." "I was there." "I saw it." " Yeah, she did." "According to the report, when she killed herself she was three weeks pregnant." "What did you say?" "She 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 your husband and Streck wore had built-in recorders." "Something happened out there that scared the shit out of them." " What could do that?" " No." "It was an accident, an explosion." " The satellite..." " They train for explosions." "They train for accidents." "They trained for hours." "They have a plan." "They don't panic." "They don't deviate." "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?" " Let go of me, Mr. Reese." " Ma'am, is this man bothering you?" "Yes." "Yes, he is." "You know, don't you?" "You already know." " Okay." " Room 304..." "Nesbit Arms, Mrs. Armacost." "Please, Mrs. Armacost!" "Okay." "Settle down." "Just settle down." "I'm gonna rotate the panel 48 degrees." "You got me?" "Spencer, what is that?" "Did you feel that?" "Spencer, what is that?" "Oh, Jesus Christ!" "What the hell is that?" "No, no." "No, no." "I'm looking for the pregnant woman in 24-F." "Yeah." "Jillian, what's wrong?" "He said she must have gotten pregnant... right after Alex got back." " Did he say anything else?" " Oh, God, Nan." "Oh, honey, the last thing you need to worry about is that freak." " I mean, just have Spencer call someone." " No, Nan." "Spencer can't know about this." "But Jillian, you said he looked crazy." "You have to promise me you won't tell Spencer." "Please promise me." "You can't keep these things bottled inside you, Jillian." "You're right." "Okay." "If he bothers me again..." "I'll tell Spencer, okay?" "Deal?" " Sure." " Okay." " Mr. Armacost, your table's ready." " Oh, great." "All right." " Let's go sit down." " Yeah." "Oh, Stan?" "This year's grand marshal at the parade of losers?" "He's gone." "We can't all be as lucky as Jill here." "Oh, no." "It's me that's lucky." "You all right, honey?" "What's the matter?" "What's the matter, honey?" "You all right?" "I'm just a little hot." "You should have some water." "I think I wanna go home." "All right." "Feeling better?" "Yeah." " Where's Nan?" " She went out." "It's after midnight." "She's young, Jill." "She's having fun." "Don't you remember when we used to have fun?" "No." "No." "You don't remember that?" "Okay." "All right." "What's wrong with you?" "You ever think about what happened to Alex?" "Oh, shit." "What happened to Natalie?" "I do, all the time." "Those two minutes, you could have died." "Why do you wanna go back there?" "Why do you wanna go back to that?" "Can't you just try for once to be happy?" "Just once?" "I'm gonna go to sleep." " Mr. Reese?" " Yes." "It's Jillian Armacost." "The autopsy on Natalie Streck, what did it say about the baby?" "Mr. Reese?" "Not on the phone, Mrs. Armacost." "No, you don't understand." "You have to tell me." "What did Natalie's autopsy say about the baby?" "Babies." "What?" "Natalie Streck was pregnant with twins, Mrs. Armacost." "Oh, my God." " What's happening to me?" " You are too, aren't you?" "Mrs. Armacost." "Pregnant with his twins?" "Natalie's babies..." "Mr. Reese... what did the autopsy say about them?" "There's something I need to show you, Mrs. Armacost." "Something you need to see." "Do you know the story of the princess... whose beloved prince dies in battle?" "Mrs. Armacost, I have something you need to see." "Do you understand me?" "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 its eyes?" "Meet me right now." "Somewhere public." "Leave your apartment." "Meet me now." "Sherman Reese." "Mr. Reese." "Sherman Reese." "I thought that was you." "I was standing over across the street... and I said to myself, "Now, is that Sherman Reese?"" " Nice to see you." " Commander Armacost." "Yeah." " Are you in town on official business?" " I'm not with NASA anymore." "You know what?" "You know what?" "I heard that." "I heard and I thought it was one of them agency rumors." "Well, listen... if you need a recommendation... don't hesitate because I can help you." " Well, I appreciate that." " Yeah." "It's real weird running into you... because the thing of it is, I was just thinking about you." "I was thinking about them tests you wanted to run on me... you know, after Alex died." "If you got a couple of minutes... we can have a cup of coffee or something." " Actually, I gotta..." " 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." "You were the only one who knew, Nan." " I asked you not to tell him." " I didn't, okay?" "What were you talking about when I was sleeping?" " We were just talking." " About what?" "Just talking." "Look, don't do this." "It's not good for you." "Where did you go last night?" " Will you listen to yourself?" " Where did you go?" "I love you, okay?" "And Spencer loves you." "We all do so much." "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!" "Jillian, I love you, but I'm not gonna do this with you." "Do what with me?" "Come back, Nan." "Nan, come back!" "Don't leave, Nan!" "Shit!" " Hello, Nesbit Arms." " Mr. Reese in Room 304." "There's no answer in Room 304." "Down came the rain" "And washed the spider out" "Out came the sun And dried up all the rain" "And the itsy-bitsy spider Went up the spout again" "Are you okay?" "It's like a joke, right?" "But if you are 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'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 gonna hear two voices on this tape." "One is your husband's and the other Captain Streck." " I'm gonna rotate the pane/..." " This line is your husband's voice." "This line is Captain Streck's." " 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..." "It's not static." "Caused by the explosion of the satellite." "Static buildup in their suits, but it's not." "I tracked it." " It is not static." " Not static." "It's not from their suits, it's 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 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 anymore." "He's not." "What?" "The computer that runs this airplane, it's not there." "Hasn't been designed yet, but it's supposed to go 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?" "What are they gonna be?" "They're gonna be pilots, honey." "Just like their father." "Hey, Jill." "Hey." " Did I scare you?" " I didn't hear you come in." "Oh." "Listen, I came home because I felt bad for you... getting into that fight with Nan, you know." "Why don't you tell me what it was about?" "Just sister stuff." "Have you heard from her?" " No." " Well..." "I'm sure she'll call you." "You're trembling." "I am?" "I'm a little cold." "You know what I did?" "I brought something home I believe is gonna cheer you right up." "What do you think?" "Pop it in." "Oh." "Were you watching something?" "Yeah, It's a..." "It's a pregnancy video." "Oh." "Well, maybe we should watch it together." "No." "Let's watch the movie." " You sure?" " Yeah." "All right." "Why are you building that plane?" " What's that?" " Why do you have to build that plane?" "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." "Move on back here." "I love you." "I know what you're thinking." "Don't you worry." "Everything's gonna be just fine." "Yeah, these pesky goddamn satellites." "I'm gonna rotate the panel 48 degrees." "You got me Alex?" "Spencer, what is that?" "Did you feel that?" "Spencer, what is that?" " What the fuck?" " Jesus Christ!" "What the hell is that?" "Must have dozed off." " Were you dreaming?" " Hm?" "No." "Just sleeping." "You weren't dreaming?" "No, Jill, I wasn't dreaming." "Were you?" "My caterer gets them from the French Caribbean." "I think the French are 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?" "Yeah." "Now, when you get home, you take both pills and then go to bed." "It's gonna be a bit of vile cramping... but as soon as you start spotting, it goes real fast." "And Spencer won't know?" "If he's like the rest, 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." "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'll understand." "I have to." "Okay." "Just a little bit of pain... 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!" "Oh, God." "Stop it." "He's gonna..." "Oh, God." "Oh, God." "Oh, God." "Oh, God, no." " What were you gonna do to them?" " No." "No." "No, you heard them." "Oh, God." "What were you gonna do?" "Nothing." "No." "No!" "No." "No." "No." "Jill, please." "Let's just calm down and talk about this, okay?" "No." "Come on, now, honey." "Where you gonna go, Jill?" "Where are you gonna go?" "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." " Spencer..." " 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 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." " Nan." " Hey, Jilly." "Hi." "Hi." "I don't wanna fight with you, Jilly." "There's something wrong, Nan." "There's not." "Doctor says you can go home any day." "No." "Something's wrong with Spencer and the twins." " Hey, it's just this place." " No." "He did something to me, Nan... and I didn't tell you." "It's just being in the hospital that makes you feel this way." " No." " I know that you hate it here..." "I know that, but we're gonna take you home soon... and we're all gonna take care of you." " You?" " Yeah, of course me." "Me, Spencer, all of us." "Oh, God." "I'm so scared." "Something horrible is happening... to me and the babies." "I don't know what's happening." "Tell me, Jillian, what is it?" "Spencer." "He's hiding inside me." "Spencer... hiding inside me." "I think she's awake, Mr. Armacost." "Tell me something, Jill." "If the doctors had any idea what you were thinking... you know, them awful, dark thoughts... what do you think they'd do?" "They'd lock me up." "They'd lock me up." "Lock you up?" "They'd chain you to the wall, Jillian." "Yeah, put you back in that hospital." " You want that to happen?" " No." "No." "I know you don't want that." "Well... we ain't gonna let them, are we?" " No." " No." " Because we're gonna be strong." " We're gonna be strong... together." "We're gonna be strong for our family." " Yeah." " Yeah." "We're connected now." "You feel me inside there where it's safe, don't you?" "See?" "I live here." "We're one." "Why do you have Sherman Reese's bag?" "What did you do to my sister?" "Who are you?" "What...?" "What the hell are you doing?" "Let go of me!" "Nan." "Jillian!" "Help!" "Nan." "Nan." "Washington Square Park." " Go, go!" " But it is red, missus." " I don't care!" "Just go." " But, missus, I cannot." "Will you go?" "You don't understand!" " Please." " I cannot." "Captain Alex Streck died last night at 8:55." "Cause of death has been determined to have been a massive stroke." "What the surgeons are calling a severe insult to the brain." "He's not your husband anymore." "He's not." "Hello." "Welcome back, Mrs. A." "Good morning, Mr. A." "Nan." "Jillian!" "Jillian!" "Jillian!" "Jesus-fucking-Christ, Jill." "Stay away from me." "Why are you doing this to me?" "I said stay away from me." "Who are you?" "Who am I?" "I'm the only person in the world who ever gave a fuck about you." "I'm the one that gave you a reason to breathe." "I'm every single fucking moment ever mattered in your life." "No, you're not." "I don't even know you." "No?" "Well, I'll tell you what." "There was a time I remember when I was about to go up there... and you begged me not to." "You remember how scared you were?" "And I told you then... that I was gonna bring you back a piece of heaven." "And you cried." "You remember that?" "Well, fucking A!" "I did it!" "What do you think is inside you?" "I gave you heaven." "No, you didn't." "You're not Spencer." "It don't gotta be like this." "Honey, come on, now." "Step out of that water." "Please, baby, get out of that water." " Come on." " Oh, my God." "Please." "Oh, my God." "You killed my sister." "You killed my husband." "Yeah." "I did." "And then I fucked his wife." "I live there." "No." "I live there... forever." "No, you don't." " I live there." " No, you don't." "Yeah." "Jillian!" "Ready for your first day of school?" "Ready." "Wait." "Okay." "There's an apple in there." "No trading." "Promise?" "Promise." "Okay." "Give me a kiss." "Go: go' go..." "Be good." "What do you think they'll be when they grow up?" "Grow up?" "Give them some time, Susan." "It's their first day of school." "I think... they're gonna be pilots." "Just like their father." "Stepfather." "No." "You're their father now."