D.A.R.Y.L. - Back Where He Belongs
by David C. Chipman
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the character's from the original Paramount Pictures film "D.A.R.Y.L." (or the novelization of an early draft script, adapted by N.H. Kleinbaum) . Any other characters I choose/need to add are mine.
Congressional Contacts
Dr. Lamb walked down the front walk to the government car. She got in, placing the computer on the passenger seat. Dr. Lamb then drove back to the airbase.
The sentry was at the gate when Dr. Lamb arrived, as she rolled down her window, bringing the car to a stop at the gate guardhouse, "Evening, ma'am. Identification, please?"
"Evening," Dr. Lamb said, as she rummaged in her purse, getting out her government ID badge, then handing it to the guard, "Here you go,"
The sentry nodded, comparing her face with the picture on the card, "Thank you, doctor,"
Dr. Lamb took back her badge, "Good evening,"
"Yes, ma'am," the sentry replied.
Dr. Lamb drove the government car to an empty spot in the motor pool lot, got out, and locked it, taking the computer with her. Dr. Lamb strode over and into the base terminal building.
She strode up to the motor-pool counter, holding out the keys from the car, "Here are the keys for the car I'm returning,"
The private nodded, taking the keys from her hand, "Thank you ma'am, and have a good evening,"
Dr. Lamb nodded, "You as well," she then walked over to the base canteen, looking for the flight crew for the jet she had come on.
They were watching out for her, as well. The captain stood up from one of the tables, "Doctor?"
Dr. Lamb nodded, "Evening, gentlemen. Time to go?"
The flight crew stood up from their table, "Yes, ma'am," the captain replied, "I take it you're in a hurry?"
Dr. Lamb shook her head, "No, I just want to get home. I guess, that's all,"
"Lead the way, doctor," the captain said, nodding with understanding.
Dr. Lamb turned around left the canteen, and walked through the doors to the airbase flight-line.
The flight crew followed, the captain passed her once they were all outside, "We'll get out in no time. Every thing's ready to go, we just need to start the engines,"
Dr. Lamb followed the captain up the steps, followed by the pilot.
"Take a seat, doctor," the captain said, "We'll be getting away in a few Moments,"
Dr. Lamb nodded, and sat down in the passenger cabin, "Alright, gentlemen,"
The pilot pulled up the steps and closed the door. The pilot then went into the cockpit, "Door's closed, sir,"
The captain's head could be seen nodding in reply.
Soon the engines were started, and were soon winding up to taxiing speed. Soon after, in response to the increased thrust, the plane started to roll.
Dr. Lamb sat back in her seat, wondering what she would be doing over the next several days.
The plane stopped at the end of the runway for a few Moments.
Dr. Lamb closed her eye's, thinking things through.
The plane started rolling again, turning onto the runway, then the engines noise quickly became a wail, and the plane accelerated down the runway, swiftly lifting off the ground.
General Graycliffe was working late in his office at TASCOM, while waiting for Dr. Ellen Lamb's return.
The phone rang. It was the encrypted line.
General Graycliffe quickly picked it up, "Graycliffe," he replied into the handset.
"Hello, General," the voice on the other end of the line replied, "This is Senator Blackman, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Armed Services,"
General Graycliffe Momentarily slumped in his chair. He didn't want to be answering questions from the chairman of one of the Armed Services Committees in Washington already, "Good evening, sir!" he said, with more enthusiasm than he felt at the Moment.
"I hope I haven't caught you at a bad time, general?" Senator Blackman said.
"No, sir. Of course not," General Graycliffe replied. What else could he say?
"I'm calling to find out the status of the D.A.R.Y.L. Project, and its termination," Senator Blackman said.
"Guess it's time to start ending my military career," General Graycliffe thought to himself gloomily. "Sir, we were planning on continuing with development of an adult prototype, as requested. The original prototype, however, has not been destroyed," General Graycliffe said, "In fact, we probably can't,"
"I'm sorry, general, could you explain that?" The senator asked, his voice mildly-chilled in tone.
"Sir," General Graycliffe began, "the main part of the prototype hardware was implanted inside the body of a child. Given that the hardware runs the biological part of him, to remove it would mean his death,"
"I see," Senator Blackman replied gravely.
General Graycliffe nodded, "Yes, sir. If you want us to terminate him, I feel duty-bound to say you would be asking us to commit murder, sir,"
"Murder, General?" Senator Blackman enquired.
"Yes, sir. The prototype seems to have developed sentience," General Graycliffe.
"Sentience, General?" Senator Blackman asked, uncertainly.
"Yes, sir. It has developed life-like behaviours. Very life-like, sir," General Graycliffe said, "In fact, according to one of the scientists here, it could be considered alive because it is outwardly impossible to tell that he isn't alive,"
Senator Blackman sighed, "I can't ask you to commit murder, General. However, we then need to figure out how to proceed with things,"
"Agreed, sir," General Graycliffe said.
"Where is the boy now?"
"Damn," thought General Graycliffe, "I was afraid he might ask that," then replied, "Sir, he is back with the family that took him in, the first time he disappeared,"
"Where are they?" Senator Blackman asked.
"They live in a small town in North Carolina, called Barkenton," General Graycliffe replied, "It's in the Research Triangle Park area,"
"Do we know what kind of people they are?" Senator Blackman asked.
"They seem good enough. I met with them at their place of residence," General Graycliffe tried to explain, "They want to do good by the boy,"
"Oh?" Senator Blackman asked, "What does that mean?"
"They are aware of the secrecy required, and are doing their best to honour that requirement," General Graycliffe explained.
"How widely has the secret gone, Lyford?" Senator Blackman asked.
"Dr. Lamb, one of the senior scientists here is speaking to a young lady and her family, they are neighbours to the family that took the boy in," General Graycliffe said, "The young lady's younger brother has been here to the facility. They all know that things must be kept secret. Daryl, that's the boy with the implant, asked to see his adoptive family and neighbourhood friend. Dr. Stewart acquiesced to the request, after I announced that the Project was being terminated. This request was considered the boy's 'last wish', so he felt he couldn't deny it. Also, if Daryl had been terminated, he would have disappeared, there would have been no outside knowledge of his special existence except for this individual group of three,"
"Oh, how did the remaining senior scientists get so emotionally close to the prototype?" Senator Blackman asked.
"Well, biologically, they were his parent's. Initially, their colleague interacted with him as if the prototype was a child, in order to care for him, post-implantation," General Graycliffe explained, "That was what set off the late Dr. Mulligan, apparently. He would be the first person Daryl saw each day, and would bring the boy his breakfast,"
"That was the one who took the prototype from the lab, wasn't he?" Senator Blackman asked.
"Yes, sir," General Graycliffe replied, "He felt that what had been done was unfair to the boy,"
"How do you feel about the way the life form was treated?" Senator Blackman asked.
"In hindsight, sir?" General Graycliffe replied, "I can't help but see where he was coming from,"
"You think the current prototype should be allowed to continue in existence?", Senator Blackman asked, surprised. This wasn't the answer he had hoped for.
General Graycliffe nodded, "Yes, sir. He has done nothing wrong, sir. He is innocent of any crime. What justification would there be, to terminate him?"
"As representatives of the U.S. Taxpayer, what would it cost us, not to terminate the whole program?" Senator Blackman enquired, "How much would it cost to keep going, from our perspective?"
General Graycliffe shrugged, "A couple million per year, at most, I would imagine. It's largely just a matter of providing currently existing computer resources,"
"That," Senator Blackman asked, "would be on top of the development costs for the adult prototype?"
"Yes, sir," General Graycliffe replied, "But most of the development work was already done on the boy. All we would need to do now is create the adult prototype, and train it, as is described in the latest working paper,"
"The costs to create the adult prototype, general?" Senator Blackman asked.
"Sir," General Graycliffe began uncomfortably, "Dr. Ellen Lamb, the remaining senior scientist would probably be better qualified to outline the costs of creating the adult prototype,"
"Ballpark figure?" Senator Blackman enquired, pressing for information.
"Approximately a billion dollars," General Graycliife said, "Given that it's an adult we'd be using, we would probably have to pay out a death benefit to their next-of-kin to, get the body, included in that amount. With the boy it was easier in that regard, because the child was the two senior scientists' boy. They had him, planning to do all of this,"
"What else do they have to do to create the prototype?" Senator Blackman asked.
"In general, sir," General Graycliffe replied, "They need to perform one or more medical procedures that will trace nerve impulses from the individual nerve ending to the base of the brain. I can't go into more detail than that, sir. However, sir, Dr. Lamb would probably be more knowledgeable in this area than I am,"
"Understood, general," Senator Blackman said, "When can we meet her, the initial prototype, and the family that has taken him in?"
"Could you set up a joint meeting with the Senate and House Armed Services Committees?" General Graycliffe asked.
"It will probably come to that," Senator Blackman said.
"Yes, sir. We thought it would," General Graycliffe agreed, "Please sir, set up the meeting. I'll let the family and our scientist know. You just need to tell me the date and time,"
"Alright, General. I'll have to call you back then," Senator Blackman said.
"Understood sir. Good-bye then," General Graycliffe replied.
"Good-bye, general," Senator Blackman said, then hung up.
General Graycliffe hung up his end of the conversation, relaxed and surprised how well the call went. General Graycliffe returned to writing the report he was compiling about his visit with the Richardsons.
The phone rang, General Graycliffe grumbled, wanting to finish the report and go home. He picked up the phone, "Graycliffe,"
"Hello sir," Dr. Lamb said, "I'm calling to say I met with our special guest's neighbours. It went fine. I'll provide you with details in the morning, in person,"
"Thank you, doctor. I'm glad things went so well," General Graycliffe said.
"Well, things weren't perfect, but they went as well as could probably be expected, in hindsight," Dr. Lamb replied, "I said, I'll give you details in the morning,"
"Understood, doctor. We have other related things we need to talk about tomorrow, as well," General Graycliffe said.
"Yes, sir," Dr. Lamb acknowledged, "I'll see you in the morning, sir,"
"Nine o-clock?" General Graycliffe enquired.
"Yes, sir," Dr. Lamb replied, "We might as well get an early start,"
"Nine o-clock it is then. Have a good night, doctor. I'll see you in the morning," General Graycliffe replied.
"Yes, sir. You as well," Dr. Lamb said.
"Thank you, doctor," General Graycliffe said.
Dr. Lamb and General Graycliffe each said their good-byes, then each hung-up.
General Graycliffe, got up, collecting his uniform jacket, and his soft-sided briefcase. He left his office, locking up behind himself as he did so.