the shuttle pilot climbs into his seat, straps in and checks his instruments.
yes, dear.
well, thank you. we try.
dead.
no, that was just an actor.
no, i'm a physicist.
nice talking to you.
hello, mrs. simon. how are you?
no, no. i just thought i'd stop by, bring you the good news myself. i just got word from the admissions committee. we did it. mitch is in.
hello, mitch.
nice little display?
what's your medium?
that would be interesting.
very nice.
you must be very proud. he's the first student we've ever accepted for winter term entrance at pacific tech.
no, actually. the youngest we've had was a twelve, but he cracked under the pressure within six months so we don't really count him.
well, no. but by allowing mitch to progress at an accelerated rate we give him the opportunity to fulfill a far greater portion of his remarkable intellectual potential. don't you agree?
well, i guess we scientists are a little different than athletes.
smarter
oh, yes?
well, interesting question, when you consider the philosophical aspects of whether anything on television is "real" or actually just an "image" being broadcast.
your parents.
they're. nice
i'm sure of that. afraid you're going to miss your friends?
good boy.
remember, compared to you, most people have the iq of a carrot. we're different than most people, mitch, but you should be proud of that. i mean, look around. from now on, you'll be amongst peers, colleagues. i suppose i might as well tell you now, i've put you on my personal research team. some of the finest minds on campus, not the least of which is, of course, my own.
well, now, i'm expecting great things from you, my boy. this is only the second time i've given this honor to a freshman. the first was.
you know chris?
well, you're going to become a legend yourself. you'll be working with chris. he's a senior now but he's still on the team and still as brilliant as ever.
i've told you before, kent, you don't get to use my first name.
good to see you, mitch.
i'm sure you're all going to become fast friends.
good, because after mitch is brought up to date, i want the rest of you to take your cues from him. he'll be in charge of the group.
you're doing it again, kent.
where's chris?
thank you bodie. i notice you've stopped stuttering.
good. i'm sorry he isn't here. i wanted you to meet your hero.
are you sure?
damnit, don't touch other people's things.
i'm glad that you were here, mitch.
don't bother with that now. i'm sure you want to go get settled.
oh, i forgot kent, i need your help.
stop it.
get copies made of everything so young mitch here can get started checking everything tomorrow.
and then, on your way back, stop at my cleaners.
shall we?
well, we're not making cheese sandwiches here, you know, don.
the new boy is quick.
you can't dictate innovation.
yes
i see.
good. don't bother changing it. i want you and bodie to rebuild the whole unit; same output in half the size. should hold up, right mitch?
well, gentlemen, now what? things are going okay so far, aren't they?
we've got enough theory to deal with without talking applications. you just worry about giving me that power breakthrough. how close are you?
aren't you and chris working together?
where is mr. kinsley?
what are you doing out there?
i want to see you at my house at six o'clock. sharp.
how about a proper attitude for a change?
mr. kinsley. right on time. what a surprise. do you run?
what are you eating?
that's popcorn?
get it away from me. i can't stand it. i hate popcorn. leave it there. chris puts the bag down on the porch.
i want to start seeing a lot more of you in the lab.
very funny, you're a major disappointment to me, chris.
we had a deal!
that was yesterday. what have you done for me today?
your arrogant, disrespectful behavior is distracting him. if you keep it up, you're going to pay for it.
you still have to pass, dear boy, and considering the fact that my class is a requisite, it would seem that i would have some control over your destiny. from now on, you and mr. simon are going to spend every waking moment working on my power problem and you will solve it by my deadline.
christ, don. i'm doing the best i can. you act like i don't want my own invention to work. there are only so many hours in a day.
just get rid of the crows' feet! there's nothing more important than " crossbow," but when went from blue sky to black you turned into bigfoot.
pushing me doesn't help. you tell them that.
son of a bitch.
did you pick up my dry cleaning?
the gravy stain?
i want to show me where, right after i'm finished here.
good evening. tonight we're going to look at something most of us take for granted.  the colon. what's it look like?
simon!
you were supposed to be in the lab tonight.
you are at pacific tech to work, not to behave like a philistine.
where's kinsley. i imagine this was his idea.
kent!
i took a big chance recommending a fifteen-year-old. i guess i made a mistake. i hope you're proud of yourself.
what!
crystal clear, mr. decker.
shut up kinsley. i'll be with you in a moment.
what do you think you're doing?
take off those shoes.
stay off the rugs.
i'm withdrawing your recommendation to pei.
i'm giving kent the job.
you haven't solved my power problem.
no, you're not. so, i'm going to fail you, so you won't graduate, so you can't take the job. q.e.d.
did we? that doesn't sound very ethical.
go ahead. what are you going to tell him. don't forget, like most scientists, he is an honorable, moral man who thinks everyone else is too. i'll just deny anything you say.
count on it.
you will have exactly three hours. and remember, we believe in the honor system here, people.
this is my class hour!
it's not ready yet. but it will be. i've got kinsley cooking now. he'll do it. believe me, i know how to push that kid's buttons. here are my drawings for the optics in the sighting system.
i'm doing all i can, damnit!
what do you want kinsley?
what are you doing here? i've already told you you've burned out and you've failed me and yourself miserably.
i'm not interested in anything you have to say.
debbie, go home.
screw the wall, you did it! you really did it.
okay, kinsley. you did it. you pass.
and i think we can get that job back for you at pei.
good, kent. i have to go. i have a pressing.
yes, it is.
thank you, i hope you enjoyed it.
need i remind you, it's public television, an attempt to teach people something. and all you can think of is personal greed. it's people like you that make me feel bad about being american.
i'm not surprised. good day.
yes. hello
christ, dave what time is it?
very funny, dave. what do you want? i'm busy.
why?
what? oh, yes, fine. have you ever had a feeling that there's something terribly wrong?
i don't know what he should look for, just tell him if he sees anything out of the. let me tell him.
the plane will reach an altitude of sixty-five thousand feet. when it is over, the target will fire the laser from here .  .  for five point two seconds.
fine. right this way, gentlemen.
of course.
oh, i forgot .
nothing.
norman, if you'd be so kind. this cockpit mock-up duplicates the shuttle flight deck and we've placed it here to demonstrate the firing technique.
now, norm here has firing control.
something's wrong here. unlock the bird's eye.
i'm tracing where the shot went.
oh, no.
retired.