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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.