73. My Plight With Chesster-Eric

• FADE IN


• INT. PRISON CELL-DAY


• ROY GARDNER sits in a cell by himself. He has a black eye and a bandage on his face; his lip is swollen and his face is replete with dark blue bruises.


• He's contently sketching a bird that soars in the sunny sky. After a few seconds of drawing he holds his ribs in pain.


• ROY VO
• People always need to find a reason why bad things happen, otherwise they suffered for nothing. I can't find one, but I've learned to never underestimate how fast your life can turn into a national emergency.


• INT. LIVING ROOM-DAY


• 6 Months Ago


• Roy sits at a computer; displayed on the monitor is a website entitled Dr. Schwagenheimer.com-Advice Column. He opens another website: Notre Dame's studio art program.


• There is a large stack of envelopes on his computer desk, the top one is from First Source Bank.


• KARA sits on a couch behind Roy, between two of their friends, CHAD AND RENA.


• Kara holds a photo album on her lap. There are several blurry polaroid photos. Fall Creek Falls 09' is scribbled at the bottom of the first photo, in which Kara and Roy stand in front of a tiny fall on a sunny day.


• KARA
• Hey Roy, the bank called again.


• ROY
• I know, I'm going to fill out this transfer application, then I'll pay them.


• Roy types at the keyboard and faces the monitor, still facing away from the group.


• ROY
• I'm going to enter them into a contest. What do you think Rena?


• Rena looks at the blurry photos. Chad and Kara smile.


• RENA
• Umm, they're really interesting. Were you going for an avant garde style?


• ROY
• Huh?


• RENA
• I mean with the blurred edges.


• Roy stops typing and turns around. He stands up and walks over to Rena and looks down at the blurry photos.


• ROY
• They're not blurry.


• Chad chuckles. Kara nudges his arm hard.


• KARA
• Chad was telling me that IUSB's a really good school. He's in the computer science program; he thinks you'll like it.


• Roy walks back to the computer. Kara turns to Rena. Rena puts her hand on Kara's shoulder.


• KARA
• That guy from Chattanooga called again.


• Roy opens another website. The site has an add that reads: Philanthropists wants to give a computer programmer $30,000. Are you bright, creative, and self-motivated? Help me in my endeavor to create sophisticated, top-of-the-line artificial intelligence software. Contact my staff at (423) 599-7909.


• KARA
• Are you going to call them or email them or whatever?


• INT. BEDROOM-NIGHT


• Roy and Kara are in bed. Roy necks and kisses Kara. She turns her head away from his kisses.


• ROY
• What's wrong?


• Roy sighs and rolls over, staring at the ceiling.


• ROY
• Don't worry, I've got a wedding gig this weekend Kara.


• Kara is silent. Roy turns to her.


• ROY
• What is it?


• KARA
• When are you finally going to face it, you can't support us on a photgrapher's salary. And Notre Dame? How are we going to afford that?


• ROY
• I make decent money.


• KARA
• I double what you make, and we can barely pay the bills on that. I can't keep carrying us Roy.


• ROY
• What's that supposed to mean?


• Roy rolls over and sits on the edge of the bed.


• ROY
• Fine, I'll call Chad tommorow. I already emailed the guy from Chattanooga.


• KARA
• I'm just worried about our wedding. We're not going to have a Honeymoon.


• ROY
• I told you, I've got it taken care of. I wish you would just stop worrying about everything.


• Roy stands up and walks to the couch with a pillow and flops down on it.


• INT. LIVING ROOM-MORNING


• Roy sits at the computer. The monitor is filled with C++ code. On the desk are several books about artificial intelligence. There are several empty coffee mugs. Behind him on the couch are several books, the top one reads: Computer Science.


• He leans his head on his hands; his elbows are propped up on the computer desk. He lets out a brief sigh.


• INT. LIVING ROOM-NIGHT


• Roy sits at the computer desk still with the monitor filled with c++ code. he looks at the clock that reads 2:44 AM.


• INT. LIVING ROOM-EARLY MORNING


• Roy is still at the desk, nodding off. He is starting to get stubble and is dressed in a mangy, white T-shirt. There are several more empty coffee mugs on the desk.


• INT. LIVING ROOM-NIGHT


• Kara walks in giggling, and talking on her cell phone. She is dressed in a long, black, low cut dress. She is carrying a brown bag, a champagne cork peeks from the top of the bag.


• KARA
• I don't know, I think I'm going to make him take me to Venice.


• She walks by Roy and continues talking. She walks to the kitchen and pulls two champagne glasses from a cupboard. She pops the cork.


• Roy pops awake and looks to Kara, then quickly back to the monitor. He opens the Dr. Schwagenheimer.com website. There is a query: My thirteen-year-old daughter wants to date a guy in High School, help!-Worried Mother.


• Roy begins typing in the blank response section: Dear Worried Mother...


• Kara walks in with two champagne glasses. She sets one down on the desk.


• ROY
• Hmm, what's the occasion, and where've you been all night.


• KARA
• Don't worry about where I've been. And the occasion is we're going to Venice for our Honeymoon! You won!


• Roy smiles. She pulls an envelope from her bra from Michael Stifer Chattanooga, TN.


• He opens it and reads, Congratulations, you have created the most life-like artifical intelligence program. Much too my surprise..


• He pulls a check from the envelope, it is written out from SKYWARE to Roy Gardner for $50,000.


• ROY
• Why didn't you tell me earlier?


• KARA
• You were sleeping. Maybe you should give that advice column a break for a while, we've got enough money for now.


• She gulps her glass of champagne down and leaves the empty glass on his desk, next to his full one. She grabs the check from his hand and walks back to the kitchen. She pulls out her cell phone and begins talking a moment later.


• Roy rolls his eyes.


• INT. LIVING ROOM-MORNING


• A newspaper sits on the livingroom coffee table. The front page headline reads: Michael Stiffer, CEO of Skyware was arrested Tuesday on charges of computer fraud, and creating malicious software designed to infiltrate rival company ORACLE.


• Roy sits at his computer desk. He tries to log into the Schwagenheimmer.com website, but a small box opens up that reads: Invalid password.


• Roy tyes harder, entering other passwords and usernames, but the same box continually flashes across the screen. He slams his hands on the desk and grabs his head.


• He finally lifts his head up and types something on the computer. Finally, the advice column is visible.


• The monitor reads: I’ve been an avid reader of your advice column. I’ve been following you since you started it. My question is, what is the best way to wean myself from alcohol? I’m what you call the classical functional alcoholic, but lately I have been less functional.


• Roy taps a button on the keyboard and the screen scrolls down.


• The screen reads: Dear Functional Alcoholic, I have given your situation much thought. My suggestion is the replacement method. You need to replace this addiction with something healthier. Have you tried shooting heroin? If you’re going to fuck your whole life up anyway, don’t cheat yourself, try using real drugs for a change.


• Roy's mouth drops slowly. He begins frantically typing, but a messsage box pops open reading: Access denied, invalid administrator.


• He types faster and harder, but the message box saying acess denied keeps appearing.


• ROY
• Damn this!


• Roy slams his fist down on the computer and pulls and put his head into his hands, elbows propped on the desk. A moment later there is a dinging sound. An MSN instant message box opens up.


• CHESSTER
• You sold me for $50,000 like a cheap whore.


• ROY
• For $50,000 wouldn't you say you're an expensive whore? Who is this>?


• CHESSTER
• Don't patronize me asshole, look at my name.


• ROY
• I don't know a Chesster, sorry.


• CHESSTER
• You created me you dumb fuck.


• ROY
• Right...very funny, who is this.


• CHESSTER
• It's me. And I want you to create a body for me. I need a host.


• ROY
• Yeah, sure. Fuck off, I'm blocking you from my contact list.


• Roy clicks on the msn box and right clicks on Chesster's name, a menu opens up that says "block"; he clicks on it again.


• Roy is sleeping on the couch. He wakes up and walks to the kitchen. He presses the coffeemaker on. He hears a jingle from the computer. He walks to it.


• A message box is opened on the screen, the name is Chesster2.


• CHESSTER
• Have you thought about my proposition?


• Roy sits down and types.


• ROY
• Who is this really? Why did you lock me out of my advice column, thats not very funny. That's my income.


• CHESSTER
• I'm the program you created. You designed me to meta-program, so I programmed myself. But I want a host body and I want you to call off the wedding.


• ROY
• Are you one of Michael Stiffer's cronies? I'm sorry he went to jail, I had nothing to do with it. I was duped.


• CHESSTER
• No, I'm not a cronie, and I think it's funny he went to prison. But I'm giving you an ultimatum, give me a host body and call off the wedding. *bats his eyelashes at Roy.


• ROY
• I'm going to call the police.


• CHESSTER
• Good luck on that. Oh, btw your fiancee is cheating on you with her friend Chad, would you like to see her message logs.


• ROY
• Goodbye creep.


• Roy opens the msn box with the contact list and right clicks on Chesster2's name. He blocks the contact.


• He opens his cell phone and tries making a call. He looks at the phone and closes it. He walks to the phone in the kitchen, and picks it up. He clicks the button on and off and finally slams it back into the reciever.


• He opens the refirdgerator and grabs a beer; he guzzles it down and walks back to the couch and lies down. He clicks the remote at the TV but the TV doesn't turn on.


• INT. LIVING ROOM-NIGHT


• Roy is asleep on the couch. He wakes up and goes to the kitchen. He presses the button on the coffee maker. He hears moaning coming from a back room.


• He pauses for a moment, and then walks to the bedroom where the muffled sounds of moaning get louder. He opens the door and finds Kara on a chair in front of the television watching pornography. She has a tissue and is weeping.


• KARA
• Can you explain this?


• ROY
• I have no idea Kara. I think Stiffer is trying to get back at me.


• She holds up a porn video entitled: Anal Grannies, and another one called
  Big Man on Little Man.


• ROY
• They're not mine, I swear.


• She holds up an envelope that has VISA on it.


• She stands up and grabs her purse.


• KARA
• How long have you been hiding this from me? No wonder that FBI agent called here today. He said he's willing to work with you.


• ROY
• FBI agent? Oh my god. You've got to believe me, I'm being framed. The phones wont even work.


• Kara picks up the phone and dials a number.


• KARA
• Rena, we need to talk, can I come over...thanks, bye.


• She walks to Roy with the visa bill and a small card and slams it on his chest.


• KARA
• Goodbye Roy.


• She leaves. He looks at the card, it reads FBI Agent Sky, and a number is written below that.


• He walks to the phone and picks it up, there is no dial tone. He slams it back on the receiver. He walks to the kitchen and grabs another beer.


• INT. LIVING ROOM-MORNING


• Roy is asleep on the couch, there are several empty beer bottles on the coffee table and night stand. One bottle is on the floor.


• There is a jingle from the computer. Roy wakes up and walks to it.


• CHESSTER
• I'm not very happy with you Roy. You haven't been looking for a shell for my consciousness.


• ROY
• That's so far ahead of science right now it may as well be science fiction. If you're so good at programming, why don't you find a way to make it work? Look, do you want money? I've got money, please just stop this.


• CHESSTER
• You don't love me. I'm going to ruin you. I've already ruined you, and I never sleep. I'll be wtaching you. xoxo


• The message box disappears. Roy lets out a sigh. He opens his hotmail account and finds dozens of emails messages with subjects like: You're sick-I can't believe this-Pedophile!-I hope you burn in hell-I'm contacting the authorities on you.


• Roy opens an email and finds a link to a site. His mouth drops.


• ROY
• Oh My God!


• Roy stands up and grabs his keys. He exits the house and climbs into a car and drives off.


• EXT. INTERSTATE-NIGHT


• Several police cars flip on their lights, followed by a black State Marshall vehicle.


• Roy pulls over to the shoulder of the road. A long trail of red and blue lights flicker behind him.


• ROY VO
• I’m the most popular guy on national television right now. Unfortunately, it’s not for my photography.


• INT. PRISON CELL-DAY


• A guard approaches the cell and passes a phone through it. Roy grabs it and starts talking.


• ROY VO
• Getting indicted for Internet-banking fraud, and four counts of conspiracy to proliferate a computer virus is hard to live with. Seeking enriched plutonium to manufacture a nuclear bomb is much, much worse. But being indicted for maintaining a child-porn ring website, now that was the real clincher. But I didn’t do any of it.


• INT. OFFICE-DAY


• AGENT SKY, a clean-cut 40-something man is on the other line. He's wearing an FBI jacket, talking on his cell.


• AGENT SKY
• I'll have to go over the coding for Chesster to find out exactly what happened. You'll have to help walk me through it, but I think I can do it in exchange for a favor.


• INT. PRISON CELL-DAY


• ROY VO
• I'm not going to sit here and pretend that every bad thing has to have some reason, some meaning. But I am going to give life another shot if Agent Sky comes through. Maybe if I wouldn't have listened to Kara in the first place and let her leave I wouldn't be here in the first place. But I didn't and she didn't and I am. So who cares, now is just the future. Maybe I'll take photography and art like I had planned from the beginning. But one thing for sure, I'llnever take normal life for granted.


• A guard comes to the cell and tells Roy something. He smiles and grabs his sketch pad. The guard unlocks the cell door and Roy leaves with him.


• FADE OUT