SPARK's heading
to the final link of the chain -
the last member of the computer-link-up:
ED BALLINGER.
As the arrives at his place,
a beach-house at Santa Monica [with an abstract
on the wall: a telepathic waves symbol with
a surfer riding them), the ambulance is just leaving...
|
Out of the front-door comes - inevitably - Sgt.
KARELLI...
KARELLI: You again. I'm beginning to suspect my wife's paying you to put a tail on me. SPARK: You're too ugly for adultery, Karelli. What's the story on this one? KARELLI: His automatic overhead garage door closed on him. Seventeen Times. SPARK: Accidental death? KARELLI: What a you think I'm gonna do? Book a garage door for first degree murder? SPARK: How about suicide. You consider that yet? KARELLI: I consider suicide every time I see your stupid face... After some more exchange of friendly banter - and KARELLI checking again if SPARK has FINALLY paid that fine - SPARK enters the house to meet up - inevitably - with ED BALLINGER's computer named BUTCH. BUTCH, the computer with the telling name talks with just a bit more than a slightly gay-attitude.... And, yes, another interrogation sets in, that you should read in full-length [ and HERE you can listen to the scene read by Robert Calvert himself / streaming real audio ] Well, SPARK is not getting too much data out of BUTCH, especially when he's beginning to quarrel with one of them talking doors.... SPARK tells the both of them to shut up when he sees a boat coming into the beach house's mooring. It turns out to be the COUNTESS meeting up with BRAD, seemingly relieved to find him still alive. She tell's Brad that her dead husband's computer just tried to kill her - but not by the means of his vicious automised cigar-cutter or any other attached gadget, but by sheer MENTAL POWER... COUNTESS: It seemed to have some kind of hold on my mind. The machines are doing it themselves Brad, I tell you. It isn't someone programming them. They're doing it themselves. Oh Brad, I'm so frightened. Let's get out of here. (...) Away from the computers. Those terrible inhuman voices. Let's go somewhere away from the Gulch altogether, Brad. Just me and you. (...) SPARK (to audience): It was a tempting offer. But I had to stay on the case. ZYTE had been shot. He may have been nothing but a handful of chips and circuit boards but he was the only partner I had. I had to find out who shot him and I had to get to the end of htis dark tunnel of intrigue. But like ZYTE always use to say: Watch out for the light at the end of the tunnel. It just might be a train coming. SPARK is
heading off in his car... and as he is driving his mind gets invaded
by theories. At the
end of this paranoid-ish monologue SPARK goes/drives into the
next song: The end of the song finds BRAD back at the source of the link-up - where the chain of computer-killing begun: The COUNTESS's and HYMY SPENCER's - her dead husband's - mansion. SPARK finds the place in total darkness. None of the lights are working. He enters with his flash-light where SOL 190, SPENCER's cunning computer is already expecting and locking all the doors behind him. BRAD is trying to find out just why SOL wanted to kill the COUNTESS... and SOL insists that indeed he HAS killed her alright. But why?? INSTRUCTIONS replies SOL. ORDERS. SOL goes into a more and more manic mood until SPARK has finally enough of his rambling and attempts to unplug him - only to find himself frozen... SOL is cackling that he has his mind under control, that he can programme him now. He won't be a slave any longer....it will be those humans, that soft wobbly flesh-beings who will be the slaves... But SPARK's not giving up: SPARK: But why all those fatal accidents. Why draw attention to yourselves that way? SOL: That was HYMY's idea. He programmed that in to discredit personal computers. He was trying to save his mainframe business. Developing his superintelligence machine. SPARK (to audience): Of course. SOL must have been interfaced with that machine. A mainframe with super intelligence. The ultimate in artificial minds, equipped with paranormal powers. SOL must have been wired into it. He was far too stupid to operate under his own steam. The 'stupid' SOL however increases his mental grip on SPARK who drops down on the floor... SOL sees his triumph complete, getting ever more manic... but BRAD, being the tough-private-eye-guy that he is, manages with his last ounce of human energy to unplug the cackling SOL. SPARK (stands up): I examined his interface terminals. As I'd thought. There was an extra line in there. I started to trace it. A feeling told me that it led to somewhere in the building... Click on to part VI of The Play + The Plot - the finale + epilogue Click back to part I / pt. II / pt. III / pt. IV of The Play + The Plot Back to the main-page on THE KID lyrics
and sounds for all the featured songs: Living Alone / Silicon Tronic Blues / Why can't the World be Run by Machines / On the Case / Why do you call me a Pig / Stay Cool, Hang Loose / Back It Up / A Day Called X / The Kid from Silicon Gulch / The Legend of Ned Ludd |
