Trying to clean up the studio and I found this story fragment, I think it was written back and forth between myself and Britton Walters, basically just information to write a script from....how many of us have these fragments floating about...
12. AGENT CROSS COMPLETES HER REPORT
The Professor greets Agent Gerri Cross and guides her through the lobby of his research facility. She is a professional-looking, black woman in her mid-thirties. Her hair falls freely and is full of tight, bouncy curls, but deep down inside she means business. Agent Cross’ face rarely breaks from a state of cool alertness. She is constantly ready for action, and is always armed with a large pistol, which is now concealed under a sophisticated, charcoal gray business suit. If she breaks from the traditional F.B.I. look, it is in her choice of footwear. Today, she crosses the lobby floor in smart-looking, knee-high black leather boots.
Cross has come for their statements about last night with Ape Lincoln. The Professor has no objections to the interview. He mentions that his family is used to dealing with the authorities by now. She asks him what he meant by “dealing with authorities?”
The Professor points out an old photo in a display about the Tuttlewell family and Caveman Robot. The picture shows the professor’s grandfather, Silas E. Tuttlewell, shortly after he found Caveman Robot while he was testing mining equipment out west. As far as Silas could tell, Caveman Robot had fallen prey to a cave-in and had been trapped under tons of rubble for an unknown amount of time. As Caveman Robot has little, if no ability to speak, we may never know how long he was buried.
After being freed by Silas, Caveman Robot joined the family, in a manner of speaking. The Professor says he comes from a long line of scientists and explorers. For several generations, Caveman Robot has joined them in their adventures and scientific pursuits. As he says this, she notices a magazine featuring the 1938 expedition to Mexico. He has even stepped in time to time to defend the well-being of humanity. Agent Cross chimes in that she and the Federal Government are well aware of Caveman Robot’s important role in society.
Suddenly, the Professor stops and turns to the agent. He remembers where he’s heard her name before. He asks her, “Are you related to Aaron Cross?” The professor recalls when he was in college, Caveman Robot had entered into a partnership in the seventies with a private detective named Aaron Cross. Adjusting his glasses he says that he thought Mr. Cross had a couple kids.
Gerri smiles, and says “Aaron Cross was her father. It was his influence that lead her to a career in law enforcement.” He died when she was young, but she remembers her father’s stories about cleaning up the bad streets of Monument City with Caveman Robot, so it is a great privilege to have been put on this case and finally meet her father’s old partner.
She then asks, “What exactly do you do here at the Tuttlewell Institute for Scientific Advancement?” As they enter the main area of the lab, the Professor explains that they’re a research laboratory. Their primary work is the study Caveman Robot’s unique technology. Most of his systems are more advanced than any current technology. The Professor relates he hasn’t a clue who built him, but points out that “thanks to our research, we’ve been able to introduce numerous unique technologies and products based on those found within his friend.”
He adds that, thanks to Caveman Robot, his family has been able find unique solutions to the world’s problems, and to delve into the farthest reaches of scientific exploration. He also says that he makes his facilities available to students of the sciences from the university, which he teaches at.
As the two climb up a flight of stairs, she asks, “How do you fund this facility?” The Professor states there’s “the old family fortune, money from patents and products we help to develop, and a small portion from various foundations and institutions.” He gestures for her to take a seat at a table.
Megan and Caveman Robot soon join agent Gerri Cross and the Professor at the table. Agent Cross introduces herself and extends her hand to Megan and Caveman Robot. Before she can say anything else, Caveman Robot scans her facial features, retinal pattern, and voiceprint.
In his mind, a blur of rapidly flipping mug shot-like images fly by. An image of Gerri’s father and one of her mother, Glammzon Rea, bring up another adventure from the 1970s. While facial comparisons are made to the woman standing before him, a memory file is played back. It is a point-of-view shot from Caveman Robot as he enters a hospital room. Aaron Cross beckons over to him and gestures to his wife and their new daughter in a hospital bed. Facing Gerri, in order to confirm his conclusion, he asks, “AARON’S DAUGHTER?”
She nods, smiles says, “Yes.” As he envelops Gerri in his massive arms, Megan chimes in that Caveman Robot has an excellent memory and a remarkable eye for details. Cross agrees and suggests Caveman Robot consider a career in the Bureau in the future. Laughter is heard around the table.
She collects statements from them regarding last night with Ape Lincoln. Caveman Robot silently draws a series of complex yet child-like pictures and presents them to Gerri. She looks them over, they show the entire night’s event with Ape Lincoln and the final drawing is of Caveman Robot handing his drawings to Cross. She smiles and thanks Caveman Robot and promises to add them to the case file. Caveman Robot says in a low grumble, “GOOD.”
Her statements collected, Cross thanks the three for their time, and says that it was a pleasure to finally meet Caveman Robot in person. She admits that some of her superiors told her to watch her step around him today. Cross continues, that once you get over the initial shock of seeing Caveman Robot in person and up close, he seems to really nice.
Megan says, “Some people just don’t trust Caveman Robot, and there’ve been problems with this in the past. People tend to see what they want him to be.” Cross says that she doesn’t understand, as Caveman Robot gets up and begins to stare out a window. He looks out over the river toward Monument City and at himself in the reflection. A large suspension bridge stretches across the river toward downtown. The roadway is supported by pairs of steel giants standing in the sparkling river.
The Professor says, “Caveman Robot is a kind of mirror, most people look at him and see the good, and so they see Caveman Robot as a hero. Others look at Caveman Robot and see the unknown. Their fears and distrust have turned him into a monster in their eyes.”
Caveman Robot reaches out and touches the glass of the window, tracing the path of a tugboat as it floats down the river. In his mind, a memory file begins to run. He is beside an older Aaron Cross on a rooftop. Almost the same skyline stretches out before them as they approach a nervous junkie. Aaron steps toward the junkie, who has taken a young woman hostage and whose gun darts back and forth between Caveman Robot and Aaron’s position.
The junkie screams out, “Stand back!” Aaron Cross pulls his gun out and places it on the ground. He assures the junkie, “We’re just here to help, we don’t want anyone to get hurt.” Caveman Robot watches as Aaron walks toward the man talking in a calm manner. The junkie loosens his grip a bit on the terrified woman.
Suddenly, the junkie tightens up and aims his gun at Caveman Robot. He screams out and tells Caveman Robot to leave. He’ll off the woman if the monster, Caveman Robot comes any closer. Aaron motions to Caveman Robot and assures the junkie, “We’re both here to help you, and you have nothing to fear.” The junkie disagrees, frantically pulling the woman closer to the edge of the rooftop, screaming what he’s seen Caveman Robot do. He cocks the hammer of the gun back.
Without a moment to lose, Aaron springs toward the man and reaches for the gun. Caveman Robot rushes forward to pull the hostage to safety, and the junkie screams in terror at the approaching titan. With the woman in his arms, Caveman Robot hears a loud bang.
He turns to see his friend Aaron face down on the rooftop. A puddle of deep red blood pours out of Aaron’s upper arm. The junkie looks up to see an angry Caveman Robot stomping toward him and screams again. Before he can reach him, afraid of Caveman Robot, the junkie leaps off the roof and plummets down to the alley below. Caveman Robot slowly turns back toward his injured friend and collapses onto his knees beside him. He picks up Aaron’s limp body, and leaps off the building to take him to the hospital.
Back in the lab, still in deep thought, Caveman Robot lowers his head with a sigh and leaves the room. At the table, Megan asks, “What’s being done with Ape Lincoln?” Agent Cross informs her that he has been taken to a special facility for unique and especially dangerous criminals known as “Special Location Zero.” The Professor says he knows about S. L. Zero, that he and Caveman Robot helped design and build the facility years ago to hold super-criminals. He adds some of his brightest students helped him. Professor Tuttlewell assures Megan that escape from Zero is impossible.
Above the group a fly observes the scene from a light fixture overhead.
