Oxford Rail Station
Monday 7:00A.M.
Lydia approaches
as Randall steps off the bus
Good morning Mr. Sparks
Right this way to bus 3
Good morning
Where are we going?
Radcliffe Camera for coffee or tea
If not there
Then on to the covered market
Radcliffe Camera is a coffee shop?
It’s a library
Mustn’t arrive at the University
Too early
University?
Yes, here’s our bus
14001
City 3 towards Rose Hill
Stop K2
Listen don’t talk Sparks
We’re looking for a hard drive
One like the two we found
It’s the third of a set
It must be in Allen’s office
You have to find it while I’m gone
And there won’t be much time
Check drawers closets boxes
Look inside his computer
Any place a hard drive might be
You might find more than one
If so take them all
Put them in this case I’m holding
It has tools you'll need inside
Now you may speak
We’re stealing hard drives
From Oxford University now?
Yes Sparks
Actually you’re stealing them
I’m just an accomplice
Where was all this moral dilemma
In Minneapolis?
The second drive had a virus
It was destroyed
There are only two drives left now
The last one must be here
Or else we’re out of options
Allen would want us to take it
And It’s of no use to anyone else
Without the other drive
How am I supposed to get
Into Allen's office alone?
That’s the easy part
You don’t have a security clearance
So you can’t go in the lab
You’ll have to wait in the office
While Collin takes me into the lab
And you'll be all alone
Terrible thing
Since the case never went in
There's no reason to question it
Besides that we're among friends
At least I am
Are there other people
Who think like you?
I don't know, why?
Never mind
This is our stop Sparks
14002
Not in a car
Not on a bus
I ask you Sam
Why such a fuss?
Can you believe
What they spilled before us?
They thought it was safe
Oh splendidly safe!
Everything’s in play
And in proper order
All going our way
Oh this is good news!
Yes good news is ours
Both irritating and splendid
Within twenty-four hours
(laughter)
14003
Oxford
Courtyards walks and gardens
Domes and spires atop buildings
Brick mortar slate and stone
Endless libraries rising
From fabric of time
Cities within cities
Challenge limits
Of thought
Dreams
Imagination
38 Oxford colleges
Six permanent private halls
Related to a central University
A melting pot of disciplines
Cultures and countries
Destination
Atmospheric Physics Building
University Science area
14004
Atmospheric Physics
Building
Parks Road
Oxford University Science Area
Lydia my love
It’s so good to see you!
Hello Collin
Good to see you
This is my friend Randall Sparks
Mind what you say to him Collin
Randall here’s a reporter back home
Randall Sparks meet Collin Welch
Here for a story Mr. Sparks?
Just helping a friend
Friend?
She’s a goddess!
But don’t allow her to twist you
Behave yourself Collin
Mr. Sparks already has a girl
A lovely fiancé named Susan
Well done L
I can have you all to myself
Right then
Shall we move to Allen’s office?
14005
Office of Dr. Allen C. Phepps
Excuse the mess L
We’ve hardly touched the place
The data was on a hard drive Collin
I don’t know if he moved it off
Let’s see now
If we can just spin up
This hideous DOS machine
Uh, it even sounds ugly
Right
There’s the C prompt
Page up a directory shall we?
Lydia this search is for your eyes
Give it a go, will you?
Thank you Collin
Might we rummage around a bit?
See about any orphan drives?
Certainly L
Let’s have a look in the drawers
Mr. Sparks
Will you check that closet?
Just shirts and books
Nothing else in the closet
Besides Linux, DOS and Physics
Floppy disks in the cupboard
Do you think it might be on floppies?
I don’t think so Collin
And there’s nothing in the desk
Sorry love, rotten luck
Can we check in the lab Collin?
Certainly L
But Mr. Sparks
I'm afraid you’ll have to remain here
Would you mind Randall?
No I'll be ok
You two go ahead
It could be a bit
Are you sure it's alright?
Can I get you something to drink
Tea perhaps?
No thank you Collin
I’ll be fine
14006
Alone in the office
Lydia’s plan was genius
The check of the office by all
had narrowed the search and time
to look inside the computer tower
Like a diamond there it was
unplugged in an empty drive bay
just waiting to be discovered
much cleaner than its surroundings
as if it had been placed there recently
And taped to the top, an adapter
a printer port or something
this had to be it
Quickly into Lydia’s case
tower cover back in place
Carelessly stacked papers on top
14007
Back from the lab
Lydia and Collin return
As they enter the office
Randall’s exuberance
is hard to disguise
He smiles and winks at her
Lydia returns a brief smile
Randall’s balance falters in silence
It should be illegal, that smile
or come with a warning
Susan’s words comfort
“resist and come home”
Sorry we struck out L
Rotten luck
We gave it a go Collin
It’s all we could do
And you’ve been fantastic
You really have
Marry me L
And save me from myself?
She steps to Collin and stops
laser focused on his lips
places her hand on his chest
kisses him soft on the mouth
It was a ‘taste you kiss’
Randall is flushed
How could someone
step on a heart so carelessly
as if pressing grapes?
With her hand still in place
she retreats just a bit
looks up into his eyes and says
It would never workout Collin
The poof who wants women
And a lesbian who desires only men
No doubt, I would destroy you
She was flirting with Collin
as close friends do
Randall smiles in concealment
Thank you Collin
You know I’ll always love you
But we’d best be getting on
Must get Sparks here back to his girl
Lydia’s smile turns to Randall
affirming his attraction
confirming his restraint
Trusting his words to stumble
Randall just smiles
14008
Christchurch
It’s a fifteen-minute walk back
from the Physics building
on Sherrington road
to St Aldates near Christchurch
and busses back to Abingdon
That seemed too easy
So that’s it and we go home?
I’m heading back to Boston Sparks
There’s no reason for you to go
Take some time with Susan
I’ll cover until you get back
There’s nothing you can do there
You are amazing Lydia
You found the drive Sparks
True
But you made it happen
You saved it
Just enjoy your stay Sparks
14009
Susan was right
How could Lydia be Civil?
She hates them
for Jonathan and for herself
or so it would seem
14010
Dongle
Massachusetts Institute
of Technology
(Daniel’s lab)
She’s back!
Do you have our other drive?
I do yes
(Lydia smiles)
Please be careful this time
Ouch L, straight to the heart!
I had it coming I suppose
You know I love you Danny
I had to kill somebody to get this
I’m running out of graves
Understood
We’ll start with images
Like we should have first time
It’ll take a little longer
(Daniel spots the port device)
What have we here?
A dongle?
This is interesting
I wonder if this key
Explains our little misfortune
You think it’s a code key Danny?
Two ways to find out
We could reverse engineer it
And overlay its function
With the RAID datum on the drives
But that could take some time
Or make working images
Copies of the two-drive set
Connect the dongle
To the printer port
And run the build again
If it writes the third drive
The answer is yes
It was a code key
And we saved ourselves
A couple of days of parsing
Or it destroys the second drive again
And we have a long road ahead
14011
Code key to success!
I’m sorry Lydia
(Daniel pauses)
But the build was a success
Which means your visit
Is coming to a close
You’re my champion D
What did we find on the data drives?
(Daniel smiles)
Data
Ok
I deserve that
After teasing you so
I never doubted you D
Let me rephrase the question
(Blinking wide eyes and smiling)
Oh Danny
Love
Could you help me
Figure out the significance
Of the contents of the drives?
Please oh please Danny?
How do I know
You don’t just want me
For my mind?
When it comes to computers D
You have a kind of sexy mind
Flattery will get you everywhere
But just for giggles
I think
We should image the set as a whole
So it can be saved to a single drive
As an image
It will be easier to work with
And it protects the original RAID set
Just in case the files or system
Has any more surprises
Ooh Danny calm down!
You give me the chills
When you really turn it up
How’s a simple girl like me
Supposed to control her emotions
Around so much geek-tosterone?
Careful L
Your beta's showing
14012