Home > Halt and Catch Fire

SETI

Man on TV: Cleanup is still under way in both Galveston and Houston

due to the damage caused by Hurricane Alicia last week

with storm costs projected into the billions.

1983 is shaping up to be the costliest hurricane season in Texas history.

The death toll currently stands at 21

with reports of hundreds injured.

The Red Cross...

( crackling on TV )

- ( Cameron laughs ) - What are you doing?

- Come play with me. - Play with yourself. I gotta work.

- You gotta work. - Joe.

I can't look at code right now.

Come. It's not as much fun to beat the computer.

- I want to beat you. - Why?

It's just better when you know your enemy.

- Love your enemy. - Please.

Racing, huh? ( blows raspberry )

- Easy win. - We'll see.

( game beeping )

- Uh-oh. - Mm-mm.

Oh, oh, oh! ( kisses )

Joe, that's cheating.

Victory.

Okay, rematch.

- Come on. - ( chuckling )

Oh, you can't do it, can you?

You can't just sit and play for five minutes.

I'm sorry, I can't. Not right now.

We gotta keep working on the Giant's new OS.

COMDEX is closer than we think. We gotta be ready.

We will be.

Come on, one more game, please?

Don't play all day.

"Birds Fly" playing

( modems screeching )

( whistles )

Well, good morning, good morning.

- Good morning. - Lev: Yo, hey!

Hey, hey, you're getting that shit everywhere, man.

Uh, pardon our dust, but expand we must.

- What's going on? - We're running out of room for cables.

We're stuffing them anywhere we can.

- ( buzzing ) - Morning!

- Including the walls. - Good, great idea.

This guy just opened with F3.

Why is everyone bad at chess?

Chess is hard.

I'm hard. ( laughs )

Um, "Parallax" just crashed again.

Oh, God. Find out why.

- Lev, how's our speed? - The networks are lagging like a bitch.

( typing ) Lots of fritzing out from overload.

- Man: Heads up! - I feel like the new phone lines we installed should be able to handle the volume.

No, there's still delay and drop.

- ( hammering ) - ( saw buzzing )

( Russian accent ) Okay, who put Stormtrooper in microwave?

Oh, Arki, I need the aux LAN online by noon, okay?

- Arki: No problem. - Oh, God, this is gross.

Hey, Lev, can we check the wiring?

Yeah, sure.

I'm redirecting users over to "Tank Battle" while we reload "Parallax."

Give me about 15 minutes.

Getting this thing live again is like launching a yacht.

Can someone please deactivate the top menu item?

I don't want users blowing the system trying to enter a game that isn't there.

I'm blowing the system. ( laughs )

- ( loud crash ) - Yo-Yo: Oh, shit.

What? What is it?

Dude!

Went through a stud.

- ( sighs ) - Great, there goes our security deposit.

- ( phone ringing ) - We said good-bye to that a long time ago, boys.

Mutiny support.

Man on phone: Hi, my name is Chet Jensen, user handle KickAssasaurus.

I'd like to report a programming error in "Parallax."

The narrow hall with a bunch of mirrors has no door.

No, not mirrors, holograms.

Oh, flummoxing.

But if I say, "Look at hologram,"

it just says, "You see an object, but it isn't real."

- Okay, can you touch it? - Hmm, no, it says,

"You put your hand into the light, but cannot grasp it."

- And there's no way out. - Okay, well, think about it.

If you can put your hand in the hologram, what does that mean?

I mean, you have to think about the physical space of the room, you know?

And remember, the android sorcerer

- is brilliant and cunning. - ( loud crash )

- Guys! - Hey, Frosty, don't strip any more screws, okay?

Gotta-- gotta make 'em tight, real tight.

Oh, my God, we have got to rewire this.

We can't build the cabinets fast enough. Wiring's an afterthought.

- Donna: Oh, boy. - Chet: Wait just a darn minute.

Can I walk through the hologram?

- Maybe. - Holy cow!

Whoever came up with that is brilliant.

Thank you. I came up with that.

- You're the creator of "Parallax"? - Network problem.

- Serious lag. - That's good, we're popular.

No, I don't know that the server host can handle the strain or even if the modem bank can stay up with the load.

- Lev: Then screw backgammon! - Thank you.

( men struggling )

Hey, hey, hey. What is going on here?

You guys, cut it out.

"Parallax" keeps crashing because his version of backgammon is too big.

- No frickin' way! - Well, how big is it?

Over 500K.

Why does backgammon have to be half a meg?

It's a square with some circles and some triangles.

- It could be all the colors. - Color is good.

Hello, our games have to run on phone lines, not on a plastic cartridge with a crap ton of memory.

Yeah, and that's why they keep sucking.

Look, nothing sucks, okay?

"Parallax" crashes all the time.

Because you installed a big-ass version of backgammon.

Okay, look, backgammon cannot be the only reason that we're having problems, but until we figure it out,

Yo-Yo, just recode it and make it grayscale, okay?

Yo-Yo: What? No way!

( sighs )

What was that about?

I think we should unplug the cabinets.

Figure out a better power solution.

Maybe rewiring everything more carefully will help with the lag.

( chuckles ) You mean take the network offline?

- Yeah, for a couple hours. - We can't do that.

- We're already getting complaints about the outages. - It's only gonna get slower

- if we don't figure out what's wrong. - Donna, no.

"Birds Fly" playing in background

( blows )

Whatcha playing?

Another fat-ass game with color.

( TV turns on )

( all shouting )

( scoffs )

We blew a breaker, didn't we?

We didn't blow the breaker.

I think we blew the whole block.

Going.

( theme music playing )

Man's voice: Does your work have you feeling small and insignificant?

Is it as boring as a hand full of beans?

Add adventure to your life.

Climb that ladder and discover the Giant

from Cardiff Electric--

personal, portable, affordable.

And now introducing the Giant's golden egg--

the Giant Professional.

Up to three times faster than the IBM XT.

And with better graphical capability than the Apple Macintosh,

the Giant Pro puts your business

at the top of the stalk.

Good morning, I'm Chip Rowlett with "DFW Moneyline," and I'm joined by Gordon Clark, current president of Dallas mainstay firm Cardiff Electric.

Gordon, thanks so much for being with us today.

Ahem, thanks for having me, Chip.

Chip: So what we just saw was the latest national spot

for two computers designed over the last two years

- by Cardiff Electric. - Uh, yes.

And that was a lot of fun to do--

But personal computing is only the latest chapter in Cardiff's history.

In fact, you yourself were instrumental in the change to the business model, weren't you?

Uh, yes. Yes, I was--

But now Cardiff is closing up shop?

Uh, well, not closing exactly.

I guess we didn't expect so much success so quickly.

We've been acquired by a large overseas company.

Chip: But you will stay on as president, then?

( whispers ) Hi, could you just-- could you tell him...

Actually, I think it's time for me to move on.

( whispers ) I need to go to the power company.

- I need to leave. - Oh, so, sayonara, 9:00 to 5:00, huh?

Uh, I've given serious thought to starting my own investment firm... out of my garage.

Interesting. Why the garage?

Because, Chip, uh, good ideas don't come out of a boardroom, do they?

- ( Chip laughs ) Very good. - That was good.

- Gotta go. - Well, Gordon, again,

thanks so much for being with us.

We've got a lot more to talk about in the world of business, and we'll do that when we come back right after this.

Thanks. Thank you.

- Thanks, Gordon. Good job. - ( bell rings )

Man: Okay, we're back in two, guys. Let's go.

( panting )

( phone ringing )

Hello?

All right.

Yeah.

Yeah, that's good news.

Thank you.

Ah.

- Who was that? - My attorney. The sale went through.

- Really? - They're giving me my share.

- ( laughs ) - That's fantastic, Joe.

I gotta go up and pick it up tomorrow.

This is good.

You earned this. You deserve it.

Don't doubt that for a second.

Just-- just going back there, seeing those people...

I know.

You want me to cancel tonight?

We don't have to have all these people over.

- No, no. - We can just talk it through.

It's a good distraction, yeah?

( exhales ) 10 miles.

- I can tell. ( laughs ) - Okay.

Okay, so I am male.

Uh, I am in entertainment.

Um, a singer sometimes, right?

- I'm dead. - Well, allegedly you're dead.

Oh, allegedly. Okay.

Damn it.

Um, okay, let me think.

I am-- oh, oh, what's his name?

- From "Taxi," Andy Kaufman? - Man: Ah.

- ( cheering ) - Finally!

I was Andy Kaufman.

And I was Big Bird, so I guess we make quite the couple.

- ( laughing ) - Evan told me on the way over here that you two met at a planetarium?

You tell it.

All right, well, um-- well, we knew each other in school.

We were just friends, though.

We met in a rhetoric course.

We argued all the time.

Well, 'cause you were wrong most of the time.

I mean, we kind of lost touch after school.

And as you guys know, last year was a rough year for me.

Anyway, this assignment came through from "Texas Monthly" to go profile Fiske Observatory, to live up there for a while, and getting out of town seemed like a good thing to me at that point, so I did, and I started writing about their SETI program.

Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence.

- Group: Oh... - Yep, yep.

And so there I was, searching the skies, waiting for contact.

- And Joe... - Woman: Then Joe walked through the door.

( laughing )

- What do you do, Joe? - I worked at IBM for a long time and then I was in personal computers here in Texas.

- And then I got out of it. - How come?

I needed to reevaluate.

At the time, I thought I was unhappy with the project, but in hindsight I realized I was just unhappy with myself.

So I guess that's what I've been working on.

Well, Joe is being very modest.

What he didn't tell you is he took this tiny regional company and turned it into a national competitor for PCs almost overnight.

- Wow. - He's driving up to Dallas tomorrow to collect his share of the company sale.

- But that's not the whole story. - No, it-- it's not.

But the outcome is the same.

So what are you gonna do with all that dough?

I'm going to start my own company.

Man: That's great. Here?

No, in California.

- In Silicon Valley. - Woman: What?

Oh, you're moving?

Nothing is written in stone.

But we're really excited.

My point is, the past is past, but tomorrow is tomorrow.

- This is ridiculous. - I wonder how often the power goes out at Atari.

( electric buzz )

- Oh, finally. - ( scattered cheers )

Okay, what is that?

Uh, Cameron fixed our power problem.

Yeah, we just ran extension cords to the outdoor sockets next door.

Okay, please tell me that you asked the Andersons' permission to siphon off their meter.

Donna, the Andersons are loaded.

Think of it as trickle-down electricity.

This is a bigger problem than you might think.

Dallas Power & Light knows that we overrode our circuit breaker.

City Planning is probably on its way with a notice saying that the house isn't zoned for commercial use.

We're facing all kinds of fines, so it would be really great if we stop breaking more laws on top of the ones we've already broken.

Donna, power is power and we can handle the fines, okay?

The only real issue is the lag and we can fix that with more network equipment and PCs.

I'll call my guy tonight and see if he has any more XTs in the warehouse.

- Problem solved. - Okay, that's a patch, not a fix.

Yes, which is what we need to hold us over until we can fix it for real.

Power company on line one.

Do you want me?

( sighs )

( TV playing )

- Woman on TV: The winner is F. Murray Abraham. - ( cheering on TV )

Shoot, Eddie Murphy should've won for "Beverly Hills Cop."

I don't know who that Salieri is.

That's the whole point.

He's not Mozart.

- Two Shiners. - Walker Red, rocks.

- Put it on his tab. - Yeah, we're unemployed.

- Hey, man. - Hey, Stan.

Don't worry about those guys.

They're not actually unemployed.

Larry's interviewing at Tandy and Ed's likely going to EDS.

He's probably just pissed 'cause he'll be at a place called "Ed's," but he won't own it.

Get it? Ed's?

Yeah, no, I got it, Stan.

But you have to understand that we weren't intentionally trying to damage it--

Hey, they just got "Dig Dug II" at the arcade.

- Research trip. - Look, I know that we use a lot, but-- yes, I'll hold.

( overlapping voices ) Amazing! Hey, guys, wait up.

- Ready to do it? - Yeah.

- Donna? - Shotgun!

- Do you want to go with them? - What? No.

No, I have to take care of this anyway.

If you want to go, you don't have to wait for them to ask.

You can just go.

Oh, yeah? Then who's gonna deal with the power company?

I don't know. Let them send a bill. It'll take care of itself.

That's great. That's a really amazing system you've discovered.

- Do you have a problem? - Yeah, Cameron, I do.

You made this a place without a boss, and that sounds really nice, but what that translates into is a bunch of crap falling through the cracks that I end up having to deal with.

God, well, if you're so good at dealing with it, then why don't you just keep being the savior we all supposedly need so much?

Because I don't want to be the mom here.

Look, I do that at home.

I came here to do what I love,

- and I don't love dealing with the power company. - Donna.

And I don't love managing the checkbook to make sure we don't overdraw and I don't love playing wet nurse to a bunch of coders who act more like kindergarteners--

Then don't do those things! Nobody asked you to!

- Jesus. - Damn it.

I did everything I could to keep things going, but Nathan--

Nathan wanted to sell.

You know, I fought for everyone's jobs, I really did.

You don't have to apologize

- for making out like a bandit in the sale. - Oh, God.

Man, I'd have done the same thing if I were in your shoes.

Before you took over, I was updating systems software packages.

After you, we built two machines in two years from the ground up.

The Pro was just a Giant with a bag on the side of it.

The Pro was amazing. Giant was amazing.

I would never have gotten the opportunity to do any of it if it weren't for you.

Gosh, you remember that one night when you couldn't find the music?

- What? - Remember?

We were three weeks deep on debugging the Pro.

It was maybe 4:00 AM. We're in the kill room.

You couldn't focus because you were convinced somebody was cranking "Dream Weaver" in the parking lot.

- So you go out to check-- - What? yeah, you go outside, you check, you come back in, you take a ceiling tile out, and you climb up into the ceiling.

Remember? Come on, it was amazing.

Yeah.

Yeah, I... sort of.

When was this?

I mean, I think it was you.

Jesus, we were all so coked out of our minds trying to hit those deadlines.

Who knows?

You know, Donna, I'm feeling really good about it.

I mean, this really is the best way that this chapter could've ended.

- Can I have-- - Here, cream, two sugars.

- Oh, thank you. - Now I got time.

And time is such a valuable, precious resource.

- And now I got boatloads of it, you know? - Yeah, that's great.

I can start this investment thing and--

- Oh, my keys? - Couch.

- Try the cushion by the lamp. - Thank you.

But you know what I'm gonna spend it on first is our kids.

And I know I've been saying that for a long time, but this time I really mean it.

I mean, did you know that Joanie can sing all the lyrics to "Hey, Jude"?

I mean, I'm sorry, isn't that incredible?

- Wait, where are the girls? - It's absolutely phenom--

- they're dressed and in the car. - Oh, good.

- Oh, my God. - What?

The closing-- Gordon, it's today.

- I completely forgot. - It's okay, it's okay.

Look, I'm just gonna go in. I'm gonna sign my name.

- It's not a big deal. - And collect an incredible amount of money.

You really did it. You worked so hard.

- I'm really proud of you. - Yeah.

Look at this. Their "Tank Battle" round timed out 15 minutes ago and they're still talking to each other in the chatbox.

Well, I've seen users do it longer.

They're paying five bucks an hour just so they can talk about what they're doing over spring break?

Hey, I'm gonna go meet my XT guy.

- You good? - Yeah, I'm fine.

Good.

( elevator dings )

( sighs ) Of course.

Of course you'd show up for your piece of the pie.

Unbelievable.

To keep this efficient, I'll be calling out shareholders, starting with the largest first.

Once you hear your name, please enter the conference room,

sign the documents we've laid out for you,

and you'll receive your checks.

Ronald, Frank, and Garrett Cardiff.

Did you get my letter?

How was Shangri-la?

It's good. Healthy.

Lawyer: Representatives of Sunningdale Holdings, Limited.

Nathan's making a mistake selling off so soon.

Company's worth at least 20% more than this valuation.

Well, I think it was a mistake to burn a truck full of our computers and then go running off into the woods.

A lot of mistakes.

A lot, yeah.

A lot of mistakes.

The estate of Nicholas Mundy.

You know, honestly, I'm just glad it's over.

I mean, last year was a grind.

I mean, nothing like it was before.

Although that wasn't much fun either.

Second machine was a lateral move.

Less inspired.

The new owners didn't even want the machines, they just wanted the patents so they could build something better.

The Pro wasn't that bad.

Not that bad.

We should've put that on the box.

( both laughing )

Lawyer: Gordon Clark?

- And... sign right there. - Ahem.

- Nathan. - Just sign on page three.

So I can just take this to the bank?

Yes, that's still how checks work.

All right, then. Thanks for the memories.

Lawyer: Joe MacMillan.

Just sit there.

And just sign on page three.

( knocks )

This is your cut minus the first shipment that you burned.

You get nothing.

Not one red cent.

Now, you go ahead and you sue my ass if you want to because I'd love nothing better than to tell a jury what you did here.

You destroy lives.

You cost dozens of good, honest people their jobs.

You sent my SVP of Sales, my friend John Bosworth, to prison, and for what?

A doorstop of a computer with a fancy screen and no legacy.

( huffs )

Some folks say this sale's a success.

I think my father would've called it cutting the nuts off of a bull and turning it into a steer.

It's good you're getting out now.

What?

Something's coming.

It's gonna be big and it won't include this place.

And it certainly won't include you.

You entitled little bastard.

You just keep going on believing your own bullshit if you need to, but you're always gonna be the same selfish son-of-a-bitch rustler trying to get his.

You stay healthy, Nathan.

So... what are you gonna do with your share?

( elevator dings )

I don't know.

You?

I think I'm probably gonna head back into the garage, you know?

- Get my hands dirty. - Good for you.

You're a builder. That's what you should do.

( elevator dings, doors open )

Thanks for the letter.

"Pink Turns to Blue" playing on Walkman

- ( Walkman button clicks ) - ( music stops )

You said that I didn't have to wait to be asked.

Lev told me where you were.

He's always late.

Oh, I was just-- I was supposed to go to dinner with Gordon to celebrate.

What?

Oh, it's his last day at Cardiff.

( laughs ) Oh. Wow.

Love to see a wrecking ball swing through that place.

Oh, here we go.

How do you know this guy again?

You know, he plays "Parallax," sells secondhand equipment.

Fine, he's a fence.

Mamacitas.

The gear is here.

Do you mind if I...?

You said XTs, I got XTs.

Yeah.

What's with Mrs. Garrett?

- Excuse me? - She's cool.

They're both pretty banged up.

I mean, this one doesn't have either of its video cards.

- Yeah, but we have more, right? - They're not hard to find.

I'm just saying that the price should come down a little.

This is retail, not wholesale.

Oh, well, technically they're stolen.

Donna, what is wrong with you?

You want the XTs or not?

Do you mind if I plug these in?

- I brought a power inverter. - Yeah, I do mind.

Yeah, okay, we'll take them.

Three grand.

( laughs ) Aw, 500.

These things list for 7,500 each.

Yeah, we're not paying list.

That's pretty ballsy, the two of you out here alone.

Yeah.

Okay.

Here you go.

You ladies look me up post-Armageddon.

Especially you, Mrs. Garrett.

( car engine starts )

( computer screeching )

- Well, it sounds functional. - Whoa!

- What the hell? - Hang on. Flashlight.

It's a counterfeit.

Can we still use them?

Can you code in Chinese?

He ripped us off.

( shouts )

Mm-hmm.

Okay.

Mommy isn't coming, is she?

No, Mommy's got to work late again.

Hey, we could still go celebrate.

Y'all wanna go get some ice cream for dinner?

- ( giggles ) - Y'all wanna go to Braum's?

- Both: Yeah! - Whatever you want?

- Yes! Yes! - Yeah, all right! Let's go.

We'll get some vanilla ice cream,

- hot fudge, and bananas. - Yes!

Daddy, are we rich now?

I'm not quite sure how to answer that question, sweetheart.

Well, are we millionaires?

Mm, with some smart investments in the next four or five years, yeah, we certainly could be.

- Can we buy an elephant? - Maybe.

- I mean, theoretically. - So, can we?

Well, you never wanna get just one elephant.

Elephants are sensitive creatures and if you just get one, then it'll get lonely.

You got to get at least two elephants.

And, frankly, sweetheart,

I don't think we have the room.

If we're rich now, then why does Mommy have to work so late?

You know what? That's a good question.

Daddy, your nose.

- Daddy! - Hmm?

Oh. Oh, my God. I'm okay.

I'm okay, girls. I'll be right back.

( chatter )

Jesus, I remember the first time I met you, just a perfect Dillard's catalogue businesswoman with big judging eyes.

Oh, I wasn't judging.

I'm just used to looking at Gordon.

( both laugh )

Oh, where is this asshole?

- You're just as intimidating. - No.

You know you are. You pride yourself on it.

You remember when we launched the network?

It took four days straight to get it live.

It was like raising a barn.

And "Parallax" wouldn't boot from the menu.

You know, halfway through, a bunch of us thought it was never gonna happen.

We were done. Mutiny was over before it even started.

But not you. You didn't give up.

Yeah, well, it was intense.

So... you think I should be the boss.

I think someone should be.

Look, I know we're doing fine, but this point right now is when most companies like us go under.

We're plateauing.

We need to grow in a big way or we're not gonna make it.

Okay, well, we can't let that happen.

We're in dire need of some major essentials.

We need more users. Our subscriptions have topped out.

We need another game. We haven't put anything out in, what, six months.

Yes, I know, Donna, but I need to wait for the right idea.

And we need to expand the network because buying stolen XTs isn't gonna cut it anymore.

You're right.

You're-- yes, you're totally right.

But here's the thing. I--

I'm not interested in being in charge.

I want to work, I want to do my thing.

I'm not interested in product managing.

Well, I'm not either.

( groans )

Look, I've been watching people chat on the network while they're playing, sometimes even after for hours on end, and I think there's a real opportunity for a community to exist outside the games.

So if you just help me with the managerial side, then I can play around with that and still keep my hands in the guts of the network and I'm a happy camper.

( door closes )

Son of a bitch.

Hey, dickhead.

Those computers you sold us were counterfeits.

Bummer.

We want our money back.

- Sorry, ladies. - Uh, no, 500 on the bar now.

Come here.

- Joe! - Okay!

Okay, okay, we're sorry we bothered you.

Good-bye.

Okay.

Well, I think we pushed our luck about as far as it's gonna go.

What?

How did you--?

Hey, that little shit has two brand-new XTs back here in boxes.

What?!

Leave the money, just grab the gear.

Open the trunk!

Give it to me.

Okay, I got it.

Hey! Scavengers!

Hey, you still want my number?

What the hell?

( door opens )

- Hey. - Hey.

You all right?

Yep.

What happened to your nose?

- Allergies. - Mm.

Gordon: We missed you at dinner.

- I know, I'm sorry. - It's fine.

We'll just go out next time I sell a company.

- Are you drunk? - I'm fine.

Work just went-- oh, I don't know. Work went insane.

I got you a slice of Braum's pecan pie.

- Oh. - It's in the fridge.

Thanks. You mind if I just save it?

I'm exhausted. I'm gonna go crash.

Yeah, sure.

Hey, Donna?

Yeah?

- This is good, right? - Hmm?

Selling Cardiff, you know, moving on.

Right?

Yeah, it's very good.

Yeah, I just...

And besides, it wasn't up to you.

Hey.

I was getting worried.

Did everything go okay?

At dinner last night... do you believe those things you said about me?

Of course I do.

Yes, I left some details out.

I didn't say that you hurt a lot of people or that you lied your way through the door, but you made that company what it is today.

I didn't get the money.

They shut me out.

Well, we don't need the money.

Marry me.

What?

- Why? - Because I love you.

Or because I was the first person to forgive you?

I get that you're scared.

You've been down this road before.

( laughs, grunts )

Marry me.

Yes.

( keyboard keys clacking )

- ( video game gunfire ) - ( keyboard keys clacking )

( video game explosion )

"The Old Man Down the Road" playing

♪ He take the thunder from the mountain ♪

♪ He take the lightning from the sky ♪

♪ He bring a strong man to his begging knee ♪

♪ He make the young girl's mama cry ♪

♪ You've got to hidey-hide ♪

♪ You've got to jump and run ♪

- ♪ You've got to hidey-hidey-hide... ♪ - ( door buzzes )

♪ The old man is down the road... ♪

- ( laughing ) - ♪ The old man ♪

♪ Is down the road... ♪

( instrumental music playing )