FADE IN:

INT. ARROWAY HOUSE - EVENING

We open on the upstairs of a two-story house, where we see a young girl

talking into a radio transmitter.

YOUNG ELLIE

CQ, this is W9GFO. CQ, this is W9GFO here, come back. CQ, this is

W9GFO here, come back. CQ, CQ, this is W9GFO, is anybody out

there? (looks to her father) It抯 not getting anything.

TED ARROWAY

Small moves Ellie, small moves.

YOUNG ELLIE

CQ, this is W9GFO here, come back.

RADIO OPEARATOR

Copy W9GFO. K4WLD here.

YOUNG ELLIE

What do I say?

TED ARROWAY

Just be yourself.

YOUNG ELLIE

Where are you K4WLD? Come back.

RADIO OPEARATOR

Pensacola, over.

YOUNG ELLIE

Pensacola? Where抯 Pensacola?

TED ARROWAY

I抣l give you a hint... orange juice.

YOUNG ELLIE

Copy that K4WLD, how抯 the weather down there in Florida?

TED ARROWAY

Pensacola, Florida. I have to tell you sparks, 1116 miles. That抯

the farthest yet.

YOUNG ELLIE

Dad, can we hear all the way to New York?

TED ARROWAY

Sure.

YOUNG ELLIE

Can we hear all the way to California?

TED ARROWAY

Absolutely.

YOUNG ELLIE

Can we hear all the way to Alaska?

TED ARROWAY

Yea, on a really clear day.

YOUNG ELLIE

Can we hear all the way to China?

TED ARROWAY

On a really, really clear day.

YOUNG ELLIE

Could we talk to the moon?

TED ARROWAY

Well, if it was a big enough radio, I don抰 see why not.

YOUNG ELLIE

Could you talk to Jupiter? Or what抯 the one after that? Umm,

don抰 tell me..

TED ARROWAY

I抣l give you hint... hoolahoops.

YOUNG ELLIE

Saturn! Can we talk to Saturn?

TED ARROWAY

Uh huh.

YOUNG ELLIE

Dad, could we talk to Mom?

TED ARROWAY

I don抰 think even the biggest radio can reach that far.

TED ARROWAY

Alright, no more stalling.

YOUNG ELLIE

K. (holds up a picture she drew of a beach in Florida).

Pensacola!

TED ARROWAY

Oh Ellie, that抯 a beauty. Better get some sleep.

YOUNG ELLIE

Hey dad.

TED ARROWAY

Yea?

YOUNG ELLIE

Do you think there抯 people on other planets?

TED ARROWAY

I don抰 know sparks, but I guess I抎 say, if it is just us, it抯

seems like an awful waste of space.

INT. ARROWAY HOUSE - NIGHT

That night, Ellie sneaks back into the room with the radio transmitter...

YOUNG ELLIE

CQ, CQ, CQ, this is W9GFO. Repeat, this is W9GFO, come back. CQ,

this is W9GFO, come back. I抦 gonna need a bigger antenna.

CUT TO:

EXT. ARECIBO TELESCOPE - DAY

FISHER

What do you think Doctor Arroway? Ain抰 she a beauty?

ELLIE

It抣l do.

FISHER

The village is five miles away. There抯 a general store in the

cantina. They can pretty much order anything you need from San

Wan.

ELLIE

When can I get some dish time?

FISHER

(laughs) Dr. Clark said you wouldn抰 be able to wait. You抮e

first shift is up tonight.

ELLIE

Alright!

INT. ARECIBO CONTROL ROOM - NIGHT

Ellie is sitting in the dark, with a headset on. She removes the headset,

and we can hear the static she抯 listening to.

KENT CLARK

Go back.

ELLIE

What?

KENT CLARK

Try back a little, you had something there.

KENT CLARK

(Ellie moves the dial) There.

ELLIE

Right there?

KENT CLARK

Yea. Do you hear? Right there, yea, that抯 it.

ELLIE

Yup. It抯 by 1221.46. That抯 well in the L-band.

KENT CLARK

Check off axis.

ELLIE

Uh huh, on it. Umm, it抯 not in the neighbourhood. Ah, there it

is. J1741 plus 2748. Cataloged November 4, 1982. Pulsar. (Sigh)

Well, I don抰 know, it must have been a glitch in the timing that

threw me.

KENT CLARK

I think it抯 great that you listen. Most people don抰 do that

anymore.

ELLIE

Ah, it抯 just an old habit. You know, it makes it feel more real.

(Putting out her hand) Ellie.

KENT CLARK

Kent, Kent Clark (puts his hand out, but misses Ellie抯, we

realize that he抯 blind)

ELLIE

Hi.

KENT CLARK

They said you抎 been up at Owen抯 valley working under Drumlin.

How抎 you like him? (after Ellie doesn抰 answer) That much? And

about what I抎 expect after what he had to say about you.

ELLIE

What was that?

KENT CLARK

He said you were brilliant, driven, a major pain in the ass, and

obsessed with a field of study that he considers tantamount to

professional suicide.

Other scientist抯 enter the room, turn on the lights.

DR. THADIA

Yo, what抯 up?

KENT CLARK

Umm, those were the highlights.

KENT CLARK

Dr. Thadia, Dr. Burman... Dr. Arroway (greetings all around) and

I believe you抳e already met our tireless research assistant, Mr.

Fisher (who happens to be wearing a Cornell University Shirt).

ELLIE

Yup.

KENT CLARK

You can抰 miss his cologne.

FISHER

(laughs) hey!

KENT CLARK

Chris is looking at the Black hole at the center of M87. Eli is

studying Marcarian 541, a major Gama-ray source, and Dr. Arroway

here will be spending here precious telescope time listening for

uh, listening for uh...

ELLIE

Little green men.

INT. ELLIE扴 CABIN - NIGHT

ELLIE

(Sticking a thumbtack into a start chart) One down, couple of

billion to go.

INT. CATINA - DAY

Ellie buys two packs of thumbtacks from the general store merchant. Then

sits at a table and nurses a beer, when PALMER JOSS approaches.

PALMER

Arecibo, right?

ELLIE

Does it show?

PALMER

Yea. (opens up a box of crackerjacks, and offers some)

Crackerjack?

ELLIE

No. Thanks.

PALMER

Mind if I sit down.

ELLIE

Sure.

PALMER

I hear the locals; they call it El-Radar. They think is has some

dark military purpose.

ELLIE

I think we抮e pretty harmless.

PALMER

(holds out his hand) Palmer Joss.

ELLIE

(shakes his hand) Ellie Arroway.

PALMER

Nice to meet you, Ellie. What are you studying up there?

ELLIE

Oh, the usual. Nebulae, quasars, pulsars, stuff like that. What

are you writing?

PALMER

The usual. Nouns, adverbs, adjective here and there.

ELLIE

I抦 working on a project called SETI.

PALMER

Search for extraterrestrial intelligence? Well, now that is out

there.

ELLIE

Wait, are you a student or something?

PALMER

I抦 a writer, I抦 writing a book. Doing some research. It抯 how

technology affects third-world cultures. I抦 also looking for

this guy David Drumlin, he抯 the new head-honcho of the national

science foundation; I抦 trying to get an interview with him. I

take it you know him?

ELLIE

Uh huh. You can say that.

PALMER

SETI, man. That抯 fringe. I抳e crossed paths with this guy

before. I mean something like that must really chap his ass, huh?

PALMER

(pulls the toy out of the crackerjacks box) Compass. For you El.

ELLIE

You better keep this. Might save your life some day.

PALMER

Will you go out with me tonight?

ELLIE

I don抰 make a very good research subject. I抦 just not very

quotable.

PALMER

No quotes, no quotes, scout抯 honor. Just good meal, good

company.

ELLIE

I gotta go. (gets up to leave), but Drumlin抯 coming in this

Tuesday.

EXT. ARECIBO - DAY

A jeep pulls up with Drumlin in it. David gets out and is greeted by the

team of scientists, except Ellie.

DAVID DRUMLIN

(getting up and stretching) Now I remember why I took that desk

job. (greetings all around) How are you?

KENT CLARK

Glad you could make it David.

DAVID DRUMLIN

If I knew I was gonna take three planes, I might have

reconsidered.

KENT CLARK

How is that new office?

Ellie comes running up the hill towards them.

DAVID DRUMLIN

Well, I抦 still settling in. Of course there are... (Ellie

arrives, out of breath) Ellie. Still waiting for ET to Call?

DAVID DRUMLIN

(turning to Kent, and walking away) Well, I understand we抮e

having a little reception tonight...

ELLIE

(calling after him) Good to see you too. (and under her breath)

Asshole.

EXT. RECEPTION - NIGHT

ELLIE

Uh Oh. Look like it抯 gonna be a long night.

DAVID DRUMLIN

Science must first and foremost be accountable to the people who

are paying for it, the tax payers. We need to stop wasting money

on pie in the sky abstractions, and start spending it on

practical, measurable ways to improve the lives of the people who

are after all, footing the bill.

DR. Burman

Not unlike my L-band globular cluster experiment.

ELLIE

Wait. You抮e saying you want to do away with all pure research

now?

DAVID DRUMLIN

What抯 wrong with science being practical? Even profitable?

PALMER

(emerging from the crowd) Nothing, as long as your motive is the

search for truth. Which is exactly what the pursuit of science

is.

DAVID DRUMLIN

Well that抯 a rather interesting position coming from a man on a

crusade against technology, Father Joss.

PALMER

I抦 not against technology, doctor. I抦 against the men who deify

it at the expense of human truth.

DAVID DRUMLIN

(deciding not to further the conversation) Kent. I抳e been

meaning to have a word with you. Over here please. (Mr. Fisher

leads Kent off in another direction)

PALMER

(walking over to Ellie) I think that hurt my chances of that

interview, what do you think?

ELLIE

You抮e a priest?

PALMER

No, not really. I got my masters in divinity, then I dropped out

of seminary and went off to do some humanitarian work.

Coordinating the efforts of the third world churches. Couldn抰

live with the whole celibacy thing. You can call me a man of the

cloth... without the cloth.

ELLIE

Wanna get out of here?

EXT. ARECIBO TELESCOPE - HILLSIDE - TWILIGHT

ELLIE and JOSS sit under a tree on the hillside, looking out over the dish;

the long hanging bridge to the aiming array dwindles into twilight. They

lie back, looking up at the stars.

ELLIE

Alright, you see that large W-shaped constellation right there,

that抯 Cassiopeia. And Cassiopeia has itself a whole lot of radio

signals; I actually listen to that one a lot. It抯 a remnant of a

supernova.

PALMER

When did you know you wanted to be an astronomer?

ELLIE

Well, when I was about eight years old, I was watching the

sunset, and I asked my dad, "what抯 that bright star over there",

and he said that it wasn抰 really a start at all, but it was

actually a whole planet called Venus. (pointing to the sky) Which

should be over there soon. He said, "you know why they called it

Venus? because they thought it was so beautiful and glowing. And

what they didn抰 know is that it was filled with deadly gases and

sulfuric acid rain", and I thought, "this is it, I抦 hooked".You

know, there are four hundred billion stars out there, just in our

galaxy alone. If only one out of a million of those had planets,

and just of out of a million of those had life, and just one out

of a million of those had intelligent life; there would be

literally millions of civilizations out there.

PALMER

Well, if there wasn抰, it抎 be an awful waste of space.

ELLIE

Amen.

INT. ELLIE扴 CABIN - NIGHT

ELLIE and JOSS have spent the night together.

PALMER

... there I was just looking at the sky, then I felt something. I

don抰 know. All I know is that I wasn抰 alone, and for the first

time in my life I wasn抰 scared of nothing, not even dying. It

was god.

ELLIE

And there抯 no chance that you had this experience because some

part of you needed to have it?

PALMER

Well, I抦 a reasonable intelligent guy, but this... no not this.

Not intellect; it couldn抰 even touch this, no.

ELLIE

I went to Sunday school a few times.

PALMER

(laughs) uh huh, and?

ELLIE

Well, I just kept asking all these really annoying questions

like, where did Mrs. Cain come from? Pretty soon, they called my

Dad, and asked him if he wouldn抰 mind just keeping me home form

now on.

PALMER

Your Dad? Is that this guy? (pointing to a picture of Ellie and

her father)

ELLIE

Yea.

PALMER

You抮e close to him, aren抰 you?

ELLIE

Yea, I was. He died when I was nine years old. I never got to

know my mother.

PALMER

I抦 sorry, that抯 gotta be tough.

ELLIE

Yea.

PALMER

Being alone.

PALMER

What do you say we pack a picnic tomorrow and hike up to Mount

Aricebo?

ELLIE

(getting up) I don抰 think I can, I gotta work.

PALMER

Alright, how 慴out dinner then? Tomorrow night, I know a great

place.

ELLIE

(laughs) No, I don抰 think so.

PALMER

Ellie, did I miss something?

ELLIE

Huh? No. Shit, I抦 late. I told Kent that I抎 meet him at 10:30.

PALMER

You know, I抦 not trying to push you.

ELLIE

No, no. Don抰 be silly. I抳e been wanting to look at this sector

for weeks. Look, just hang around, sleep in, and there抯 a bunch

of food in the fridge, k?

PALMER

How can I reach you?

ELLIE

Oh, just leave your number, I抣l call you.

Ellie steps outside and looks up at the sky to see a shooting start. We

FLASHBACK to the past, where a young Ellie is on an exterior balcony with

two telescopes set up in front of her.

YOUNG ELLIE

Dad. It抯 starting, you抮e gonna miss it.

YOUNG ELLIE

Dad. There抯 another one, hurry up.

TED ARROWAY

In a minute Sparks, almost done.

YOUNG ELLIE

Oh there抯 another one! Common, hurry up, Dad.

We hear a dish fall to the ground.

YOUNG ELLIE

Dad?

She goes back inside

YOUNG ELLIE

Dad?

YOUNG ELLIE

Daddy?

Goes down a flight of stairs, and sees her father lying on the ground.

YOUNG ELLIE

Dad. (starts to cry, but gets a hold of herself). Dad? Dad! I抣l

get the medicine.

Runs up the stairs to the medicine cabinet in the bathroom and grabs his

medication.

CUT TO:

EXT. FUNERAL - DAY

PRIEST

Ellie. I know its hard to understand this now, but we aren抰

always meant to know the reasons why things happen the way they

do. Sometimes we just have to accept it as god抯 will.

YOUNG ELLIE

Should have kept some medicine in the downstairs bathroom, then I

could抳e gotten to it sooner.

She goes into the house, and up to the radio transmitter.

YOUNG ELLIE

CQ. This is W9GFO, do you copy?

YOUNG ELLIE

Dad, it抯 Ellie, come back.

YOUNG ELLIE

This is Eleanor Arroway, transmitting on 14.2 Mhz. Dad, are you

there? Come back. Dad, are you there? Dad, it抯 Ellie.

INT. ARECIBO OBSERVTORY - CONTROL ROOM - MORNING

Ellie is working, sees Kent outside, and goes to join him.

EXT. ARECIBO OBSERVATORY - DAY

KENT CLARK

Ellie.

ELLIE

Hey Kent, what are you doing up so early?

KENT CLARK

I was thinking, we抎 make a pretty good team.

ELLIE

What?

KENT CLARK

We could put together a kick ass ad hoc SETI program.

ELLIE

What are you talking about?

KENT CLARK

You know the very large array in New Mexico? It would be a

dynamite place to do some serious SETI work.

ELLIE

What are you talking about, Kent?

KENT CLARK

Drumlin pulled the plug. We抮e homeless.

Ellie speeds down a dirt road in her jeep towards where Drumlin is working.

ELLIE

Is it true? Huh, did you pull the plug?

DAVID DRUMLIN

I know you can抰 see it now, but I抦 doing you a favour. You抮e

far too promising a scientist to be wasting your gifts on this

nonsense.

ELLIE

Look, I don抰 consider what could potentially be the most

important discovery of the human race nonsense, ok? There抯 four

hundred billion stars, and we have not even started!

DAVID DRUMLIN

There are only two possibilities. One, there is intelligent life

out there, but it抯 so far away you抣l never contact it in your

lifetime. And two, (she tries to cut him off, but he raises his

voice), there抯 nothing out there but noble gases and carbon

compounds, and you抮e wasting your time. In the meantime, you

won抰 be published, you won抰 be taken seriously, and your career

will be over before it抯 begun.

ELLIE

So what?! It抯 my life!

INT. CABIN - DAY

Ellie sees Joss抯 phone number and compass thumbtacked to a chart on her

wall. She takes them down and places them on her night table. Ellie picks

up the phone and makes a call.

ELLIE

Hey, Kent. You were right, screw Drumlin. We抮e gonna raise the

money ourselves. We抮e going to New Mexico.

EXT. CABIN - RAINING - DAY

Ellie, Kent, and Fisher are all packing their things into a car.

KENT CLARK

...Chicago抯 all set up, you抣l call me and let me know how it

goes. Oh, and I抳e got some more corporate stops set up on the

East Coast for you. Hey, Fish. Did that private investor from

Houston ever get back to us?

FISHER

Uh, I抦 gonna hit him up a little later, in LA.

ELLIE

Try begging for some of that Hollywood money. Why not, they抳e

been making money off aliens for years.

KENT CLARK

They say that begging is good for the soul.

ELLIE

We抣l see about that.

KENT CLARK

Just do me a favour. Try not to be too confrontational.

ELLIE

Huh, confrontational, me?! What are you mean? (laughs) Let me

just see if I left anything.

Ellie looks at the paper with Joss?phone number that she left on her night

table, and decides not to take it. The compass is nowhere to be seen, so

apparently she took that.

INT. HADDEN INDUTRIES - CONFERENCE ROOM - DAY

ELLIE

This is a unique time in our history, in the history of any

civilization. It抯 the moment of the acquisition of technology.

That抯 the moment when contact becomes possible. The very large

array in New Mexico is the key to our chances for success. With

its 27 linked radio telescopes, we can search more accurately

than any earth conventional facility. Now, we抳e already gotten

the preliminary approval to buy ourselves some time from the

government. Now, all we need is the money.

EXECUTIVE

Nice Presentation, doctor. But while our foundation arm doesn抰

mandate to support experimental programs. We must confess that

your proposal seems less like science and more like science

fiction.

ELLIE

Science Fiction. You're right, it抯 crazy. In fact, its even

worse than that, it抯 nuts. (slams her presentation books closed)

You wanna hear something really nutty? I heard of a couple guys

who wanna build something called an airplane, you know you get

people to go in, and fly around like birds, it抯 rediculous,

right?! And what about breaking the sound barrier, or rockets to

the moon? Atomic energy, or a mission to Mars? Science fiction,

right? Look, all I抦 asking is for you to just have the tiniest

bit of vision. You know, to just sit back for one minute and look

at the big picture. To take a chance on something that just might

end up being the most profoundly impactful moment for humanity,

for the history... of history.

ELLIE

I抦 sorry. I just spent the last 13 months coming to places like

this and talking to people like you, and the truth is, you抮e my

last chance, so I抦 sorry I wasted your time.

EXECUTIVE

(Picks up the phone. Ellie makes to collect her things, but he

calls after her.) Doctor.

EXECUTIVE

(Talks into the phone.) Yes sir. Yes sir. Yes sir.

EXECUTIVE

(Back to Ellie) You have your money.

ELLIE

(To executive) Thank you.

ELLIE

(To camera in corner of room) Thank you.

FOUR YEARS LATER

EXT. VLA - DAY

A children抯 size wading pool is set up and Willie is fishing in it.

WILLIE

Oh, perfect catch. common fishy. Oh Frank, look at the size of

that son of a bitch.

Van pulls up. KENT gets out.

WILLIE

Welcome back Dr. C. How抎 it go? How was the trip?

KENT CLARK

I抳e had better.

INT. VLA - CONTROL ROOM

ELLIE

What is this, a personal vendetta?

KENT CLARK

It抯 not just Drumlin, there抯 been enormous pressure from other

scientists as well.

ELLIE

It doesn抰 matter anyway, cause Hadden is funding us for another

two years.

KENT CLARK

Umm, these are government owned telescopes, they can lease them

to whomever they want, and they don抰 want the high priestess of

the desert using them anymore.

ELLIE

What?

KENT CLARK

Staring at static on TV for hours at a time. Listening to washing

machines. Did you really think these stories wouldn抰 get out?

ELLIE

I was looking for patterns in the chaos, common!

KENT CLARK

It doesn抰 matter anymore. We抮e a joke to them. They want us

out. We抳e got three months until the paperwork goes through.

ELLIE

(Sigh) Fine, we抮e still looking for other funding, I抣l just

start writing...

KENT CLARK

Could you face reality please. Just this once, Ellie. We lost,

it抯 over.

Ellie is standing in front of a sign that reads "Astronomy is looking up".

ELLIE

(Sigh) Alright. I抦 not stopping. If I have to go it alone, I抣l

go it alone, I抳e done it before.

Ellie leaves the room and slams the door behind her, and drives up to a

canyon not too far from the array, to think.

INT. VLA - CONTROL ROOM - NIGHT

Fisher and Willie are on duty, they are watching Larry King on Television.

LARRY KING

My guest tonight is author and theologian Palmer Joss. He抯

become a spiritual councilor of sorts and a recent fixture at the

White House. God抯 diplomat, according to the New York Times. His

latest book, Loosing Faith is currently number on that

publication抯 best-seller list. Thanks for being with us Palmer.

You have had quite a ride these last couple of years.

PALMER

I sure have Larry...

WILLIE

Yo, fish. I was thinking. Who would make the best astronomers?

Think about it. Who has the perfect symmetry of career and

lifestyle?

FISHER

I give.

WILLIE

Vampires! (turns around with fake vampire teeth and laughs)

LARRY KING

... are you anti-technology? Are you anti-science?

PALMER

No, not at all. The question I抦 asking is, are we happier? As a

human race, is the world fundamentally a better place because of

science and technology? We shop at home, we surf the web, but at

the same time, we feel emptier, lonelier, and more cut off from

each other than at any other time in history... (gets drowned out

by Pulses from outer space).

PALMER

... maybe it抯 because we抮e looking for the meaning, well what

is the meaning? We have mindless jobs, we take frantic vacations.

Deficit finance trips to the mall to buy more things that we feel

are gonna fill these holes in our lives. Is it any wonder that

we抳e lost our sense of direction?

EXT. VLA - BASE OF TELESCOPE - PRE-DAWN

Ellie wears a pair of headsets. We hear the SOUND of the COSMOS, the

background wash of empty STATIC and a faint BEEPING, FADING IN and OUT of

reception. Ellie slowly swims up to consciousness. After a moment her eyes

open. She sits up...

ELLIE

Holy Shit!

She jumps back in her car and drives back to base.

ELLIE

(Yelling into a walky-talky) Right ascension, 18 hours 36

Minutes, 56.2 Seconds. Declination, left. 36 degrees 46 Minutes

56.2 Seconds.

INT. VLA - CONTROL ROOM - PRE-DAWN

ELLIE

(Over the radio) Confirm. Right ascension, 18 hours 36 Minutes,

56.2 Seconds. Hey, Is anyone awake in there? I抦 moving the

array. Confirm!

FISHER

Processing bogey.

ELLIE

Right ascension, 18 hours 36 Minutes, 56.2 Seconds. Declination,

left. 36 hours 47 Minutes and 1 Second.

FISHER

We抮e on it.

ELLIE

Don抰 touch the dishes. I抦 moving the rest of them now, and need

you to confirm the coordinates

FISHER

Check the status of the array; She抯 doing all the dishes.

WILLIE

All systems nominal. (sees the pulses on screen) Hello.

FISHER

I need a full systems check!; coordinates confirmed, Willie抯

checking the system now.

ELLIE

Stay on top of the systems diagnostic. Check the record point

offsets. I want you off axis on 27 the second we get there; and

tell Willie to break out the Big Boy!

FISHER

Copy that. Willie is... what? Go, go Ellie.

ELLIE

I can here it on the headphones, so we gotta be sure about this.

FISHER

Give me another array status.

WILLIE

Her four are online, the rest are tracking in.

FISHER

(to Ellie) Your four are online, the rest are tracking in.

WILLIE

But there抯 a bad drive on 16.

FISHER

(to Ellie) Your four are online, the rest are tracking in, but

there抯 a bad drive on 16, copy that? What do you want me to do

about the source point?

ELLIE

Forget about it and hold the queue. Go get ready to set the

target frequency to manual, the second we抮e live, do you copy? I

want you to go off axis on 27 the second we抮e there, and leave

the L-band frequency where it is. Stay on it, just don抰 let it

get away. If you lose it, just scan the band, run every frequency

you can think of.

ELLIE

(Running into to the Control Room) How you doing?

The array falls into place at the same time.

ELLIE

Talk to me guys.

FISHER

Linearly polarized, set of moving pulses, Amplitude Modulated.

WILLIE

We抮e locked. Systems check out. Signal across the board, what抯

the frequency?

ELLIE

4.4623 GHz. Hydrogen times Pi. Told ya.

FISHER

Strong sucker too.

WILLIE

I got it, I got it, I got it, I抦 patched in!

ELLIE

Alright, let me hear it.

Pulses are played through the stereo (Big Boy)

ELLIE

Listen to that. Make me a liar, Fish.

FISHER

Uh, could be AWACS out of Kirtland jamming us, but I抦 stumped.

ELLIE

Alright, let抯 see if FUDD抯 reading it too.

ELLIE

Willie, patch it back and give me the off-axis. Are we recording?

FISHER

Never stopped.

ELLIE

(Kissing computer monitor) Thank you Elmer.

FISHER

AWACS status is negative.

ELLIE

How about White Sands?

FISHER

On this frequency? No.

ELLIE

I抦 gonna punch up the charts. How抯 the sky guys? Common.

Alright.

FISHER

Florida抯 not tracking any spoofs on this vector. Shuttle

Endeavor抯 in sleep mode.

WILLIE

Ok. Point source confirmed. Whatever it is, it ain抰 local.

ELLIE

Position?

WILLIE

I checked the interferometry. Somewhere in Lyra I think.

ELLIE

Um, Vega?

FISHER

Can抰 be, it抯 only 26 Light-years away.

ELLIE

Adjust the peak intensity.

FISHER

On it.

ELLIE

Vega? Vega. Can抰 be, I抳e watched it many times at Aricebo. It

was negative results, always.

FISHER

Guys. I抦 reading over a hundred janskys.

WILLIE

Jesus. I can pick that up on my...

The pulses stop and we hear background static.

ELLIE

No.

Two pulses.

ELLIE

Come on.

Three pulses.

ELLIE

Alright. It抯 restarting. Wait a minute, these are numbers. That

was three, the one before it was two. Um, base 10 numbers, just

start counting now and see what you can get.

Five Pulses.

WILLIE

Five.

Seven Pulses.

ELLIE

Those are primes 2, 3, 5, 7. Those are all prime numbers, there

is no way it抯 a natural phenomenon.

WILLIE

Holy shit.

ELLIE

I know, I know, just calm down, and focus the stockpile on Vega.

FISHER

It doesn抰 make any sense, the system is too new. So it can抰

have a planetary system, let alone life.

ELLIE

Well, maybe they didn抰 grow up there, maybe they抮e just

visiting, I don抰 know.

FISHER

Ok, so a spacecraft? No, this system is full of debris, it would

get clobbered.

WILLIE

Well, not if they used their laser blasters and photon torpedoes

(laughs).

FISHER

That抯 not funny, Willie.

WILLIE

Well, how else would you explain it?

ELLIE

Willie抯 right. If we go public with this, and we抮e wrong,

that抯 it; it抯 over, we抮e cooked. God, I wish Kent was here.

WILLIE

Whatever the signal is, we better do something soon, Vega抯 gonna

set.

Ellie goes on a conference call with IAN BRODERICK in Australia.

IAN BRODERICK

Deposition is confirmed. We抳e got 4.4623 Ghz. Confirmed, we抳e

got 112 janskys.

ELLIE

Alright, do you have a source location yet?

IAN BRODERICK

We put it right smack in the middle, Vega.

ELLIE

Ok, thanks Ian. Just keep tracking and we抣l get back to you.

IAN BRODERICK

Yea, right-O.

FISHER

Ok, 101. The pulse sequenced through every prime number between 2

and 101.

WILLIE

Who we gonna call now?

ELLIE

Everybody.

EXT. VLA - DAY

The next day, the VLA is swamped with news people.

NEWS REPORT 1

Rumours are a fly, the implications extraordinary. This morning,

detection of an unidentified radio source from deep space can

neither be confirmed, nor denied...

NEWS REPORT 2

... living outside of our solar system. Again, there is no

confirmation that an official...

MICHAEL KITZ steps off a helicopter.

KITZ

I want all these people out of here.

INT. VLA CONTROL CENTER - DAY

FISHER

...twice the stations worldwide now confirming the signal. Vega

is currently below our horizon, so what you抮e hearing is the

signal from the original recording.

DAVID DRUMLIN

Let抯 get the decryption people in here. Lunacharsky抯 visiting

at Cal-Tech.

KITZ

Explain this to me. If the source of the signal is so

sophisticated, why the remedial math?

SENATOR

Exactly, why don抰 they just speak English?

ELLIE

Well, maybe because 70% of the planet speaks other languages.

Mathematics is the only truly universal language, Senator. It抯

no coincidence that they抮e using primes.

KITZ

I don抰 get it.

ELLIE

Prime number. That would be integers that are only divisible by

themselves and 1. Well, we think that this may be a beacon. Some

kind of announcement to get our attention.

DAVID DRUMLIN

Well, if its attention you want, I think you got that. One thing,

Vega. People have been looking at Vega for years, no results, and

now yesterday they start broadcasting primes, why?

ELLIE

Well, it抯 hardly yesterday, because the signal has been

transmitting for 26 years.

KITZ

Doctor Arroway?

ELLIE

Excuse me, who are you?

DAVID DRUMLIN

Ellie, this is Michael Kitz, national security advisor.

KITZ

Doctor, let me first say that your reputation...

ELLIE

Actually, first could you ask the gentlemen with the firearms to

wait outside? This is supposed to be a civilian facility.

The soldiers leave the room.

KITZ

Doctor, with all due respect, your scientific knowledge...

ELLIE

(Kent walks in) Excuse me. (she goes over to him) Hey, hey. Hi.

I抦 so glad you抮e back. Come on, I have something for you to

hear.

KENT CLARK

Who are all these people?

ELLIE

I have no idea. Sit down, and we could use some help with the

spectrum analysis, ok?

KENT CLARK

Oh god, listen to that. I抣l get right on it.

ELLIE

I抣l get you a headset.

KITZ

So I抣l get right to the point, shall I? Your having sent this

announcement all over the world may well constitute a breach of

national security.

ELLIE

This isn't a person-to-person call. You can抰 possibly think that

a civilization sending this kind of message would intend it just

for Americans.

KITZ

I'm saying you might have consulted us; obviously, the contents

of this message could be extremely sensitive.

ELLIE

You want to classify prime numbers?

DAVID DRUMLIN

Um, Mike, please. Because of the Earth抯 rotation, we抮e only in

line with Vega so many hours a day. And the only way to

completely monitor the signal is to get the cooperation of other

nations. If doctor Arroway hadn抰 acted quickly, we could have

lost key elements.

Kent is turning up the volume on the stereo.

KITZ

Ok, so they got the primes; but if you抮e right about there being

a more significant transmission still...

ELLIE

We抳e asked everyone who抯 helping to receive it, to decode it

KITZ

Doctor, do you understand my job?

KENT CLARK

Shhh. You hear that?

ELLIE

I hear it.

KITZ

Hear what?

ELLIE

Harmonics?

KENT CLARK

Bingo. Retune to 8.9247 Ghz. There抯 a lot more here folks.

ELLIE

Alright Fish, let抯 get on the negative side band.

FISHER

On it.

KITZ

What is going on?

ELLIE

We抮e tracking the signal at double the frequency, it looks

like... somebody get a TV monitor.

ELLIE

Alright, patch the recording into this processor.

FISHER

You want the new data?

ELLIE

Yea, the new frequency, the one we just recorded.

FISHER

Alright.

KITZ

David, would you explain this to me please.

DAVID DRUMLIN

Along with the primes there抯 another signal, looks like a TV

transmission.

WILLIE

We抮e on.

ELLIE

Alright, do me a favour, go get the blinds. It has a lot of

glare.

FISHER

You抮e patched in.

ELLIE

It抯 definitely an image. Try to stabilize it. What do you make

if this, Fish?

FISHER

It抯 almost like there抯 two different interlaced frames. Frame

one.

ELLIE

Nah, it抯 just noise.

FISHER

Trying frame two.

WILLIE

Uh, I抳e got an offset carrier here, I think it抯 audio.

ELLIE

Plug it in, plug it in.

DAVID DRUMLIN

Center that segment.

FISHER

Centering.

ELLIE

Can you clear it up anymore Fish?

FISHER

I抦 working on it.

KITZ

What the hell?

ELLIE

Try zooming out.

FISHER

What is that?

DAVID DRUMLIN

Reverse values.

ELLIE

Try zooming out again.

ELLIE

Rotate 90 degrees counterclockwise.

DAVID DRUMLIN

Oh my god.

Video of Hitler.

KITZ

O-Kay.

KENT CLARK

Uh, What抯 going on?

WILLIE

You抮e not gonna believe this.

ELLIE

Does Anybody speak German?

KENT CLARK

Umm, I declare the games in Berlin, at the celebration of the

first Olympics of the new era, as open.

INT. WHITE HOUSE - DAY

CONSTANTINE

Twenty million people died defeating that son of a bitch and he抯

our first ambassador to outer space?

ELLIE

Actually...

DAVID DRUMLIN

(Cutting Ellie off) The broadcast of the ?6 Olympics was the

first television transmission of any power that went into space.

The fact that they recorded it, and sent it back, is simply their

way of saying hello, we heard you.

KITZ

Or saying, "Hi, you抮e our kind of people."

ELLIE

Wait a minute. Hitler and his politics have nothing to do with

this. It抯 highly unlikely that they would understand what they

were looking at. People have to understand...

CONSTANTINE

The people are in very good hands, doctor Arroway. We抣l take it

from here.

NEWS REPORT

The White House has just released a statement confirming that a

message of unknown origin emanating from deep space has been

received by American scientists. Clair Shipman is at the White

House.

CLAIRE SHIPMAN

...We抳e just been told that the president will have only a few

brief remarks about today抯 extraordinary announcement, and that

he won抰 be taking any questions from the press.

BILL CLINTON

Good Afternoon. I抦 glad to be joined by my science and

technology advisor. This is the product of years of exploration,

by some of the world抯 most distinguished scientists. Like all

discoveries, this one will and should continue to be reviewed,

examined, and scrutinized. It must be confirmed by other

scientists. But clearly, the fact that something of this

magnitude is being explored, is another...

INT. VLA CONTRON ROOM - DAY

Everyone is watching the president抯 speech.

WILLIE

What is this story? I thought Ellie was supposed to be on.

KENT CLARK

Uh, Uh guys. You know those interlaced frames we thought were

noise? I抦 getting structure.

BILL CLINTON

...If this discovery is confirmed. It would surely be one of the

most stunning insights into our universe that science has ever

uncovered. It抯 implications are as far reaching and awe

inspiring as can be imagined. Even as it promises answers to some

of our oldest questions, it poses still others even more

fundamental. We will continue to listen closely to what is has to

say. As we continue the search for the answers, and for knowledge

that is as old as humanity itself, but essential to our people抯

future. Thank you.

The president is bombarded by reporter抯 questions as he leaves the room.

CONSTANTINE

(On camera) ... the message was received Friday morning at 6:31

am mountain standard time. It was largely mathematical, and

despite the reports that you may have seen to the contrary,

appears to be completely benign in nature. Let me say that again;

the message is completely benign. The president has been in touch

with heads of state from around the world, and every possible

security measure is being taken. To better explain to you the

events of the last 48 hours, I抦 turning you over to the leader

of the scientific team that made this remarkable discovery (Ellie

begins to walk toward the podium), Doctor David Drumlin, special

science advisor to the president.

DAVID DRUMLIN

(On camera) Thank you Rachel. Hello. In 1936 a very faint

television signal transmitted the opening ceremonies of the

Olympic games as a show of German superior technology. That

signal left Earth at the speed of light and 26 years later

arrived in the vicinity of the star we call Vega. That signal has

been sent back to us hugely amplified. An unmistakable sign of

intelligence. Now...

Ellie gets a page. She leaves the room, sets up her laptop, and calls Kent.

ELLIE

You抮e on line Kent, go ahead.

KENT CLARK

The Adolf transmission used 25 frames per seconds, but we抮e

receiving 50 frames per second...

ELLIE

Uh huh.

KENT CLARK

...So we put the other 25 through a series of search algorithms,

to see if there was anything else. We found a series of markers

on the top of each frame, are you ready?

ELLIE

Uh, yea, go ahead.

KENT CLARK

Ok, send it Willie. Ok, here it comes.

Ellie receives the picture.

KENT CLARK

It抯 digital, massive amounts of data, which extend right to the

higher harmonics.

ELLIE

Jackpot!

INT. WHITE HOUSE - CABINET ROOM - DAY

ELLIE

Alright, as you抣l see, interlaced with the frames of the

original Hitler image, we found these sections. Now we thought

they were just noise, but they抮e actually data, huge amounts of

it. And when we combine this, with the data from the

amplification of the original signal, we get these encrypted

pages of text. Now, no two are alike, and we抳e uncovered over 10

000 already.

CONSTANTINE

What does it mean, doctor?

ELLIE

Well, we have no idea. It could be anything. It could be the

first volume of an encyclopedia Galactica...

KITZ

...Instructions to acquaint us with their colonization

procedures.

DAVID DRUMLIN

...Maybe a few billion new commandments.

CONSTANTINE

How long will it take to decode it?

ELLIE

It could take forever, we really need a primer, uh...

DAVID DRUMLIN

(Cutting off Ellie) We need to get the best decryption people we

have. I intend to use the VLA as my command post, in the

meantime, my office has made up a preliminary budget.

ELLIE

Wait a minute. This is a privately funded operation. We抮e only

leasing this time from the government.

KITZ

Doctor, if there抯 a precedent case in this domain, I抳e never

seen it. I抦 going to recommend to the president that we

militarize this project immediately.

ELLIE

What?! This is my project! I mean nobody knows more about these

scenarios than I do, David, tell them how many years...

DAVID DRUMLIN

Ellie, I抦 sorry.

CONSTANTINE

Can we calm down here? Now, I抦 going to recommend that Dr.

Drumlin administer and coordinate the decryption effort. However,

in light of Dr. Arroway抯 long experience in these matters, for

the time being, she will continue to direct operations at the

VLA. With the express understanding that any future discoveries

will be kept in the strictest of confidence, until such time as

the president can decide the most suitable course of action.

Understood?

Every television station is talking about the message...

JAY LENO

So it turns out there抯 life on other planets, boy this is really

gonna change the Miss Universe contest, don抰 you think...

NEWS REPORT

Health officials from around the world are concerned that the

message from Vega might trigger a rash of mass suicides not

unlike the recent cult deaths near San Diego.

NEWS REPORT 2

...even a scientist has to admit that there are some pretty

serious religious overtones to all this.

NEWS REPORT 3

...let抯 hear from someone who抯 organization has been accused of

conducting it抯 own inquisitions in recent days. Richard Rank,

head of the conservative coalition.

RICHARD RANK

Thank you. This is yet another example of science intruding into

matters of faith. Now...

JAY LENO

... a TV signal that was sent off in the 1930s, they抮e just

getting it. Imagine how disappointed they抮e gonna turn out to be

if they抮e Cubs fans.

NEWS REPORT 4

... we now go to the very large array in New Mexico.

REPORTER

Like a bolt from the blue it came. What is being called the

message from Vega has caused thousands of believers and

non-believers to descend upon the VLA facility here in the remote

desert of New Mexico. Many have come to protest, many to pray,

but most to come to participate in what has become the best show

in town.

EXT. VLA - AERIAL SHOT - DAY

Campfires, BBQs, tents of all shapes and sizes litter the plains

surrounding the telescope array in all directions. A huge banner in the

distance reads "There are Aliens Among us." Lines for the porta-potties a

quarter mile long. Woodstock, 2001. Songs such as "Flying Purple People

Eater" can be heard. Elvis impersonators with signs reading "Viva Las Vega"

can be seen. Hot Air Balloons that say "Vega or Bust". People dressed in

green with tin foil antennae on their heads, people trying to hear the

message themselves through their RCA digital TV dishes. Neo-Nazies with

signs saying, "Hitler Lives!". even a choir singing "Hail to Vega".

EXT. VLA ENTRANCE - CONTINUOUS ACTION

As the convoy is slowed by the crush of people we become aware of a crowd

concentrated around a young man speaking on a small jerrybuilt platform;

JOSEPH. As he speaks he doesn't come off at all like a fanatic -- in fact

he seems quite rational, persuasive in his passion. His amplified voice

rings out:

JOSEPH

...but they have failed. It抯 the same people who have again and

again brought us to the brink of destruction. Who polluted our

air, poisoned our waters. Now these scientists have had their

chance. Are these the kind of people you want talking to your God

for you?

CROWD

No!

NEWS REPORT

Efforts continue around the clock, but for now, almost two full

weeks after the message抯 arrival, scientists here at the VLA

still have no answers. Only more questions. Jeremy Ross, CNN,

Socorro, New Mexico.

NEWS ANCHOR PERSON

More on the quest for the message抯 meaning after this...

ELLIE

We抳e gotta align them somehow.

DECRYPTION EXPERT

But this one doesn抰 fit either. We抳e tried over a billion

permutations.

LUNACHARSKY

Curious, I could only get 3 quarters to fit. I don抰 understand

the significance.

Ellie gets home. Her computer is flashing that she has E-mail. She sees

that it's in Real time. She starts the Chat and sees the message, "Take me

to your leader."

ELLIE

(Typing) Who are you?

The response is "I抳e got a secret", and then a picture of one of the

pages.

ELLIE

Huh, what? Somebody broke in.

ELLIE

(Typing) WHO ARE YOU?

The phone rings. She picks up.

ELLIE

Hello. Listen, I don抰 know who you are, but you broke into the

database, and I抦... what? Now? Where?

A fax comes in... showing her a location and an arrow saying, "meet me

here".

ELLIE

I抣l be there.

EXT. HADDEN扴 AIR CRAFT - NIGHT.

GUARD

You should feel fortunate, he rarely lands for anyone.

Ellie goes inside. Walks through the halls to...

INT. HADDEN扴 OFFICE - NIGHT

HADDEN

Dr. Arroway, I presume.

ELLIE

Mr. Hadden.

HADDEN

I抳e had my eye on you a long time. I consider you one of my most

valuable long term investments, and when it comes to my

investments, I always do my homework.

He starts up a video sequence on a wall monitor.

HADDEN

Eleanor Ann Arroway, born 25th August 1964 in DePere, Wisconsin.

Mother, Joanna, died from complications during child birth. Early

testing indicated high pre-disposition towards science and

mathematics. Father, Theodore, advised to provide enrichment

activities along these lines, did so conscientiously until his

death by myocardial infarction November 10, 1974. You graduated

from high school in 1979, almost two full years early. Rewarded

full scholarship, MIT, graduated magna cum lauda. Doctoral work,

Cal-Tech, where you did breakthrough work on the lansamine built

ruby maser, dramatically increasing the sensitivity of radio

telescopes. Subsequently, offered a teaching position at Harvard

University, which you turned down, to pursue SETI work at the

Arecibo observatory in Puerto Rico. Changes in NSF policy gave

rise to certain funding problems, at which point you came to my

attention.

ELLIE

You compromised our security codes.

HADDEN

Once upon a time, I was a hell of an engineer, please sit Doctor.

I have visitors so rarely, it抯 important to me that they feel

welcome in my home.

ELLIE

You live here?

HADDEN

I find it convenient to keep my interests mobile. Anyway, I抳e

had my fill of life on the ground.

ELLIE

Well, I guess I should thank you for bailing me out all that

time.

HADDEN

I know a good bet when I see one. (hands her a tea) Earl Grey, no

sugar, no milk, I believe.

ELLIE

What am I doing here?

HADDEN

(laughs) The powers that be have been very busy lately, clawing

over each other to position themselves for the game of the

millenium. Maybe I can help deal you back in.

ELLIE

I didn抰 realize that was out.

HADDEN

Well, maybe not out, but certainly being handed your hat. I抳e

had a long time to make enemies, doctor. So many governments,

business interests, even religious leaders that would like to see

me depart this Earth. I抣l grant them their wish soon enough, but

before I do, I wish to make a small contribution, a final gesture

of good will to the people of this little planet who have given

me... from whom I have taken so much.

ELLIE

You found the primer.

HADDEN

Clever girl. Lights.

Another video appears on the wall monitor.

HADDEN

Pages and pages of data. Over 63 thousand in all, and on the

parameter of each...

ELLIE

...alignment symbols, a registration marks, but they don抰 line

up.

HADDEN

Ahh, but they do. If you think like a Vegan. An alien

intelligence is going to be more advanced. That means efficiency

functioning on multiple levels and in multiple dimensions.

The video reflects this by combining three pages in 3 dimensions... they

match up.

ELLIE

Yes! Of course. Where抯 the primer?

HADDEN

You抣l see. Every three dimensional page contains a piece of the

primer, there it was all the time, staring you in the face.

Buried within the message itself, is the key...

INT. WHITE HOUSE - CABINET ROOM - DAY

ELLIE

...to decoding it. Within the layering of the matrix, we have

these basic equations. So with this very elementary foundation,

they have given us a kind of general scientific vocabulary. We

now have the symbols for true and false...

DAVID DRUMLIN

(Cutting Ellie off) ...This was the key, to put it simply, that

allowed us to decipher their language for physics, geometry,

chemistry, next frame Ellie.

ELLIE

Yes, and when we apply this to the rest of the message, we find

this...

KITZ

Those look like engineering schematics, almost like blueprints.

DAVID DRUMLIN

Yea

ELLIE

Yes, It is our belief that the message contains instructions for

building something. Some kind of machine.

CONSTANTINE

A machine? That does what, doctor?

ELLIE

Well, we don抰 know. It might be some type of advanced

communication device, or it could be a teaching machine of some

kind, or it might... turn out to be some kind of a transport.

KITZ

Transport?

DAVID DRUMLIN

There抯 no proof of that.

KITZ

The fact is, you don抰 know what it does. It could be anything.

It could be a Trojan horse. We build it and out pours the entire

Vegan army.

MILITARY GENERAL

Why bother even risking the personnel. It could be a weapon

MILITARY GENERAL 2

Right, some kind of doomsday machine.

KITZ

Exactly, every time they detect a new civilization, they fax down

these construction documents from outer space. We poor saps

build... whatever this thing is, and blow ourselves to kingdom

come.

ELLIE

There抯 no reason to believe that their intentions are hostile.

KITZ

Why is it always the default position of the eggheads that aliens

would always be benign, why is that?

ELLIE

We pose no threat to them. It would like us going out of our way

to destroy a few microbes on some ant hill in Africa.

DAVID DRUMLIN

Interesting analogy. And how guilty would we feel if we went and

destroyed a few microbes on an ant hill in Africa?

KITZ

I hope you抮e right, doctor. I really do. But right now, my job

is to protect American lives from any plausible threat, and in

that regard I am obligated to assume the worst.

RICHARD RANK

Well, yes, and I抦 forced to agree with you. My problem is this;

The content of that message is morally ambiguous at best. Now our

internal numbers show that support for this is incredibly soft,

so if the president wishes to stay this course, I guarantee

you抮e gonna find his numbers going south like a duck in winter.

ELLIE

This is nuts.

RICHARD RANK

Excuse me miss, we know nothing of these creatures' values. The

fact of the matter is we don抰 even know whether they believe in

god.

ELLIE

Now this doesn抰 make any sense, I mean if you were to ask...

CONSTANTINE