James Cromwell: Randolph Ludwin

Quotes 

• Randolph Ludwin : Now, I guess I don't have to tell any of you. But if you managed to survive in the cut-throat world of hi-tech, you're a fortunate man. And if you helped saved the lives of the young men and women on the front line, you are blessed. But if you managed to do both, then, by golly, you are one lucky bastard. Pardon my French - do we still say that?

• Randolph Ludwin : Now, we're here tonight to honor the man who made Watchbird possible... with maybe a tip of the hat to the genius who hired him.

  [He looks modest, and the audience politely laughs. Charlie's lady, Sarah, smiles at him, but he looks away from Ludwin, cringing] 

  Randolph Ludwin : When Charlie first came to me with the idea for Watchbird, I have to admit, I was skeptical. Two and a half pounds of tin floating around out in the desert, kicking butt and taking names? I figured: Action figures sold separately.

  [the audience murmurs appreciatively. Sarah smiles at Charlie, who wears a fake grin] 

  Randolph Ludwin : But damned if that boy wasn't on to something. There he was, throwing charts and diagrams at me, as if I knew microsurge telemetry from duck a l'orange. Now, the way Charlie explained it, someone's about to kill, their bodies give off dozens of tell-tale signals.

  [Charlie looks more confident when the subject is about his work, and he nods] 

  Randolph Ludwin : You give an armed drone the ability to recognize those signals, you are on to something. Something amazing. But.

  [He points a finger toward the ceiling] 

  Randolph Ludwin : How are you going to keep them from zapping one of our own, I asked. Simple, says Charlie. You give the good guys encrypted chips. The rest is just a turkey shoot.

  [Charlie looks horrified for a moment at the idea that he would have said, or simplified, such a thing, then calms his face as Sarah smiles lovingly at him] 

  Randolph Ludwin : And here we are, three years, and God knows how many soldiers returned to the bosoms of their families later, and I gotta tell you, I am one proud C.E.O. Ladies and gentlemen, the man of the hour. Charles T. Kramer.

• [Charlie is meeting with Ludwin and two executives from the Department of Homeland Security. Posh setting; sinister atmosphere] 

  Randolph Ludwin : Charlie, the President wants to bring the Bird home.

  Charlie Kramer : I don't understand. Has something happened? I thought everyone was pretty happy with the program.

  Jack Valentine : We are, Charlie. In fact, we're so pleased with the program that we'd like to extend the security that Watchbird provides to all Americans. And not just our troops.

  Randolph Ludwin : [Cheerfully]  Homeland Security wants to deploy the Watchbird on the home front.

  Charlie Kramer : [shocked, but being diplomatic]  Well, it's not as easy as it sounds. With all due respect.

  Jack Valentine : We're not talking about sea to shining sea, Charlie. We envision ten or twelve metropolitan areas. To begin with. And Seattle, of course, would be included.

  [the setting of the story is Seattle] 

  Bradley Tanner : [He hands a folder to Charlie]  It's all detailed in this brief.

  Charlie Kramer : [Charlie takes the folder and politely flips through a few pages]  Yeah. See, the thing about Watchbird is, I mean, the whole idea behind Watchbird is that it was designed for a battle-field environment.

  [the bureaucrats look at each other] 

  Jack Valentine : The war we're fighting, Charlie, the big war? It doesn't respect borders. We're fighting an enemy that thinks nothing of killing innocent civilians.

  Randolph Ludwin : Watchbird is the most effective tactical weapon in our arsenal, Charlie. We have the opportunity to bring it where the need is greatest. Right here, at home.

  Charlie Kramer : [horrified]  And in Iraq, and in Afghanistan, we equipped the Coalition troops with chips. You couldn't possibly use that strategy domestically.

  Jack Valentine : Of course.

  Bradley Tanner : No.

• Randolph Ludwin : Well, you can't do business with people and keep them in the dark, Charlie. The government needs to be armed with the facts to make informed decisions.

• Randolph Ludwin : You know, Charlie, frankly speaking, if anything, the bird's been a little gun-shy.

  Charlie Kramer : [outraged]  Excuse me?

  Randolph Ludwin : We've still had a lot of preventable homicides in those twelve trial cities. Twenty-nine, to be exact - five in New York alone.

  Charlie Kramer : The bird's response is never going to be a hundred percent. We've talked about that. It's gotta be able to access the assailant, and that's not always possible.

  Randolph Ludwin : Yeah, but some of those murders happened right out in the open.

  Charlie Kramer : Where's this coming from? Is this Valentine?

  Randolph Ludwin : Jack Valentine is the best friend this company has. And he has the best interests of this country at heart.

  Charlie Kramer : The country's or his own? I mean, the last time he was in here, he looked like a guy picking out an office.

• Charlie Kramer : What is it, exactly, that you're asking me to do here?

  Randolph Ludwin : Look. All I'm saying is, you might want to revisit the parameters that you have the bird set at. That's all.

  Charlie Kramer : I'm not going to put the Watchbirds on hair-triggers. I mean, there's no way! We have to err on the side of caution.

  Randolph Ludwin : But every program needs to be tweaked. You said so yourself.

  Charlie Kramer : Well, this is not a program. This is a killing machine.

• [In their expensive apartment high in a skyscraper, Marissa Summer brings martinis to her husband as he hangs up the phone] 

  Marissa Summer : I made you some lunch.

  Summer : What did I do to deserve a wife like you?

  Marissa Summer : Mm. You must have been very good in a former life.

  Summer : I'll tell you one thing. It beats the crap out of being good in this one.

  Marissa Summer : [She laughs demurely and speaks in a suggestively sexy voice]  Now, why do I have the feeling you're not going to be taking any more calls this afternoon?

  Summer : My goodness! Beautiful and psychic too.

  [a Watchbird swoops outside the window, then fires a blast through the window. Marissa collapses on the couch, jumping spasmodically as though electrocuted] 

  Summer : Marissa! Marissa!

  Charlie Kramer : [In his office workroom, Charlie picks up the ringing phone]  Yeah.

  Randolph Ludwin : Charlie?

  Charlie Kramer : What's up?

  Randolph Ludwin : [grimly]  We got a problem.

• Randolph Ludwin : Even if we could find someone smart enough to take over, the Bird relies on Charlie. Specifically on Charlie. There's this synaptic discourse between them. His brain array is embedded in the technology. You want to reprogram Watchbird, you're gonna have to reprogram Charlie.

  Jack Valentine : [grimly]  How?

• [last lines] 

  [Charlie is on the building roof, threatening to jump because of the Watchbird mission's failure] 

  Randolph Ludwin : Charlie, it's only a setback! We can start over. It's not too late. It's only temporary. We can fix it!

  Charlie Kramer : [Charlie is watching the Mentor, the chief Watchbird, flying toward them]  The Mentor will make it right.

  Randolph Ludwin : No! Don't be a damned fool! It's a machine running a program. It can't think!

  Charlie Kramer : No, Randolph, she can think. She knows. She knows that I'm about to take a life.

  Randolph Ludwin : Charlie!

  [Charlie looks up as the Mentor dives down]