--------------------------------- Note 28 nuclear *** A Story by Dr. Graper *** 4/9/79 8:05 pm lynch / udplato / unidel whine / unidel 4/8/79 2:55 pm graper / udps / unidel Dear Friends: Look, I know I shouldn't be here condemning all you smart cookies about nuclear power, but like I noticed that there just wasn't any drama to what you were saying. I mean, you all are just like Harvey Denton of the NRC (Nuke Reg. Comm.) when you discuss this stuff; logical, rational, etc. You know as well as I do that such notes will do no real good. Uh uh. You've got to make the subject "come alive" with incredible dramatic descriptions that are real breathtaking-like with stuff like: X: Should we call the president? [High pitched whine in background, accompanied by shouts of frantic men] Y: "I don't know. . . I don't know. . ." ---------------------------------------- Response 1 of 7 *** A Story by Dr. Graper *** 4/9/79 8:06 pm lynch / udplato / unidel [Suddenly, tinny voice comes over intercom] I: Level 15 Radiation registered at station 3. . . [X suddenly turns to Y, shouting] X: Dammit, are you satisfied now?!? This is. . . Y: (Interrupting, but obviously nervous) This is nothing. . .I've seen plenty worse (with shaking hands he presses the button on the second intercom) Let's see if maintenance crew four has opened the relief valve. . .(intercom crackles) Crew four? [Absolutely grotesque sounds of groaning, vomiting men on other end] Y: Crew four?? Crew four?? What could possibly be going on? X: [Angrily pushes Y aside, hurriedly checks wrinkled blueprint of Reactor building, runs finger down long corridor then stops] You sent them to station ---------------------------------------- Response 2 of 7 *** A Story by Dr. Graper *** 4/9/79 8:08 pm lynch / udplato / unidel three!! [Sounds of sick, dying men on other end becomes particularly pathetic at this point, cries for help, etc.] [Sounds of dying men at station 3 stops] [General plant intercom comes on] Int: Radiation level registered at 25 at station 3. . . [X stares hatefully at Y] X: You. . . . .you bastard! Y: Dammit, I was so . . .so sure that it was the right place. . .I know this plant like my own son. . I was so sure that. . . Y: The escape valve! X: That explosion! It was. . . Y: The central utility obtainment chamber! It's ---------------------------------------- Response 3 of 7 *** A Story by Dr. Graper *** 4/9/79 8:09 pm lynch / udplato / unidel [Suddenly, everyone in the control room falls to hands and knees, violently convulsing. Everyone starts to vomit, their skin suddenly turning beet red, blistering and then exploding] [Cut to external shot of entire reactor site. Radioactive steam hisses out in every direction] The only way to get your point across is to express it in a really interesting way. Naturally, if you're like me and don't know much of the facts, you make them up. Everyone knows that the best science fiction writers know the least about science and, of course, are always believed more than those fools who think that four years of study at MIT gives them the smarts. Naturally, power and sex have to play heavily in a good socially moving work too. [Cut to dark shot, forms wiggling in darkness] ---------------------------------------- Response 4 of 7 *** A Story by Dr. Graper *** 4/9/79 8:10 pm lynch / udplato / unidel [Sounds of impassioned lovemaking] [Telephone rings] R: Cain't they ever leave us alone? J: I'll get rid of them. (Picks up phone) Who is this? Mmp hrlhl lfjrgh J: Yes, this is the president. What is it? and mghr pfhg turb J: Oh my god. . . . ^ ^ ^ [Note: It is extremely important that the powerful political character in your drama say "Oh my god" very dramatically at least once when "the news" hits him!] [President hangs up phone] R: What is it? ---------------------------------------- Response 5 of 7 *** A Story by Dr. Graper *** 4/9/79 8:12 pm lynch / udplato / unidel J: The Santa Bingo nuclear power plant has exploded. . . at least 5000 dead. . . [Cut to highly edited sequence of quickly flashing pictures of president speaking to aides, speaking to press, looking at pictures from airplanes, listening to experts, gives illusion of fast paced, hurried action] [Cut to final shot of president at huge____ press conference, whole lots of people] [President enters from left, reporters all shout "Mr. President! Mr. President!"] J: Please, no questions now. I have only a single state- ment. [Crowd quiets] J: . . .at four o'clock this morning, a massive core meltdown occured at the Santa Bingo nuclear reactor plant. ---------------------------------------- Response 6 of 7 *** A Story by Dr. Graper *** 4/9/79 8:12 pm lynch / udplato / unidel J: Several thousand are dead, and I deeply grieve with those whose friends and relatives died there. . . [Reporter from TIME stands up] R: All that aside, Mr. President, does this mean an increase in the cost of energy? J: I. . .I believe so. [Reporter from NEWSWEEK stands up] R: Will this mean a slowdown in the production of goods that require electricity? Plastic airplane models? Rubber King Kong figurines? Baby Wet & Cares? [The president is shaken, but stands firm] J: I believe so. I'm going to give it to you straight. It'll probably jack up beef prices too. . . [The crowd grumbles loudly] ---------------------------------------- Response 7 of 7 *** A Story by Dr. Graper *** 4/9/79 8:13 pm lynch / udplato / unidel * * * * And so on. Your Friend, Dr. Graper