INCUBUS CYBER WARS CHAPTER FILM SCRIPT

47⁰N, 13⁰ E – It was his life’s work and what dedication it had taken. Unlike many other scientists Franco Francisco’s dream had taken eighteen years before yielding any definite proof of success. The vision had been to create a machine to alleviate the dangers inherent in pregnancy and childbirth. He’d figured if reptiles and birds had evolved a unique way of multiplying embryo development outside the womb, then man could do the same. The egg we all take for granted is a miracle of biological engineering, and even then it needs external warmth. Could he improve on it?

Franco’s wife Isabella had died giving birth to their son twenty-two years ago. It had taken him two years to recover from the tragedy; to pick himself up again and look for a reason to carry on. The irony of it all was that he’d been a paramedic, but he was 5 miles away on the other side of the city on an emergency call when his wife went into labour in a busy hospital in Rome. There was no hint of anything wrong, but as happens occasionally, there were complications.

His son Daniel survived for eighteen months, but was crippled, adding to the widower’s grief. Daniel had died painlessly in his sleep, mercifully put to rest, after which Franco resigned his paramedic job, by way of a sabbatical, during which he didn’t do very much except take long walks to the graveyard and back, by way of a drugstore. Eventually the fog of depression lifted, he stopped weeping at nights. He began to notice normal everyday things again and could eat without feeling ill. He stopped drinking spirits and started appreciating a good vintage wine.

Franco had always been fascinated with gadgets. He took apart his washing machine one day to see if he could repair it. Inside he was amazed to find very little. The heart of the machine was a mechanical timer comprising a small bank of rotary switches powered by a small electric motor. These switches turned on and off the main drum motor and reversed it as well. There was a water pump to remove dirty water and solenoid operated valves to allow fresh hot and cold water in. Even this everyday kitchen appliance took years to develop. His next washing machine was microprocessor controlled with much more sophisticated sensors. Yet this device had freed women up from a labour and time intensive task, to replace that with a measure of washing powder and the twist of a selector.

Reflecting on his wife’s complications one day, while watching his washing machine churning away, Franco thought it would be wonderful if women could be freed up from carrying their child for nine months, avoiding complications and pain into the bargain. An amateur inventor, Franco soon realised that he could build an incubator for human eggs. He would need to incorporate some sophisticated controls and develop a synthetic amniotic fluid, oxygenate blood in the placenta and feed nutrients through the blood to the placenta. The artificial womb would need heating and careful temperature controls. But it could be done. He filed a patent application, long before he’d put his theory into practice, or worked out all the details.

Then one day there was a phone call at the hospital. “Good morning Seńor Francisco,” said a deep gruff voice. ………………. “It’s the patent office. We’ve noticed your patent is not complete with diagrams, etc. Have you a working model for the judge?”

“I’ve put in as much detail as is necessary so that any capable engineer can build the device. Is that not so?” Franco could almost hear the man on the other end of the phone thinking.

“Is that as far as you want to go,” said the voice. Franco thought about this for a while. “That depends. What are you suggesting?”

“Have you everything you need,” said the voice, “or would help speed things along?”

Franco had been at the Giacomo Hospital along the Via Del Corso for about two hours. It dawned on him that he’d been contacted at work. Then before he could think to question his caller:

“How about lunch in an hour, the Piazza della Liberta just across the Margherita crossing? There’s a nice restaurant I know”

It had rained in the early hours but was now fresh and dry after the Mediterranean sun had been at work since sunrise. Franco decided to taxi the kilometre to stay fresh. The Branziarro was popular due to the combination of superb Italian cuisine and speedy service. Large as life his caller was sitting at a corner table conspicuously wearing his white hat matching a cream suit. A black silver banded walking stick rested against the table. He had gray hair and a mottled complexion. Franco guessed he was around sixty. The man stood up and lifted his hat.

“Roberto Ferrara at your service.” Franco shook his outstretched hand and they say down.

Immediately a waiter appeared. “We might as well enjoy ourselves,” said Ferrara looking at Franco. “Two house specials and a martini?” Franco nodded pleased with the choice.

“Naturally,” said the waiter setting out fresh cutlery. Ferrara smiled at Francisco.

“I’ll come straight to the point. We’d like to help kickstart your project and you don’t have the time it deserves, do you?” That was true, but Franco needed to work to pay his bills. Ferrara continued. “You’ll need funding and space to experiment. Am I right?” Franco just nodded, his host was saying all the right things – no need to interrupt him. “The question is, if we bankrolled the project would you give up the hospital?”

Ferrara looked at Franco searching for any indication of agreement. Franco's face showed no emotion as he digested the offer, an offer that had caught him completely by surprise. He was though not slow on the uptake. “I’d need complete freedom and control.” Franco finally broke silence, knowing he was onto a good thing. Ferrara's face beamed in satisfaction ............

CHAPTER		LOCATION/DESCRIPTION		SCENE

Prologue	–	BERLIN - Nazi’s escape to S America	–	Adolf Hitler, Bunker
1	–	SCOTLAND YARD - DNA database	–	Robbery BBC news
2	–	SOMALIA - Horn of Africa	–	Pirates attempted hijack Solarnavigator
3	–	AUSTRALIA - Laser cannon	–	Flashback Batcave
4	–	CAIRO - Museum of Antiquities	–	Mummy theft
5	–	TANZANIA - Rift Valley archaeological dig	–	Flashback Storm's obsessive hobby
6	–	NASA - Tracks 40 mph running man	–	High security meeting DARPA
7	–	GENEVA - DNA splicing	–	Klaus Kolreuter’s genome laboratory
8	–	ROME - Via Del Corso: INCUBUS automatic cloning	–	Franco Francisco is propositioned, Rome
9	–	CALIFORNIA - NANOCOM supercomputers	–	Wrist device with mobile comms
10	–	GENEVA - International Human Research Society	–	Theft of software from IHRS
11	–	CALIFORNIA - SEALED BIDS	–	Auction of Nanocom device, California
12	–	PANAMA Youtube 30mph running man	–	Trinidad: Sam Hollis & Majorie Boyle
13	–	COLUMBIA, BOLIVIA	–	Platoon battle sequence, warlords v cops
14	–	COLUMBIA: GLADIATORS - Charley Temple	–	Discovery athletes are identical clones
15	–	ATLANTIC DASH - speedy voyage	–	Charley T. discussion Frankenstein
16	–	KOREA - SNUPPY	–	Woo Suk Hwang, cloning master criminal
17	–	REGENERATION Human cell division	–	Age repair kit Choy Wong Nobel prize
18	–	AMAZON QUEEN - Manaus	–	Rescue Charley Temple
19	–	MANAUS - Espionage	–	Storm picked up by FBI / MI6
20	–	POST MORTEM -	–	The team discover technology extent
21	–	THE WHITEHOUSE -	–	Infiltration key personnel
22	–	TROJAN HORSE -	–	Countermeasures
23	–	WASHINGTON -	–	Stake out
24	–	MOPPING UP -	–	Arrests of crooked politicians
25	–	CYBERCORE analysis	–	DNA supercure WHO
26	–	PRESIDENTIAL thanks	–	John & crew receive commendations
Epilogue	–	World Health Organisation	–	On eugenics & Adolf Hitler

The right of Jameson Hunter to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with section 77 and 78 of the Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988.

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