11:59
Episode 117
Part B

Events in the year 2000 involving Shannon O'Donnel appear in this style.

 

As Shannon enters the bookshop, the bell attached to the door rings to announce a customer. She is glad to be out of the cold.

She spies a man and a boy on the upper floor. He is the owner of Alexandria Books.

Shannon: "Hi." Boy: "Hi." Shannon: "The sign said 'Open'." Man: "Yes, that's right, 'til 6 o'clock. Can we be of assistance?" Shannon: "It's cold outside and I wondered if I could wait here." Man: "For what?" Shannon: "For the tow-truck. My car broke down. I'm trying to get to Florida."

The boy says to the man: "She doesn't look like a corporate hit-man." Shannon: "I assure you I'm not, at least," she jokes, "not any more."

The man relaxes. "Well, in any case, she's unarmed and chilled to the bone." He laughs. "I think we can handle her." He and the boy come down from the gallery and go behind the counter. "Zeus himself watched over travellers. We should follow his example. Make yourself at home." Shannon: "Thank you." She looks a bit round the shop while he makes her coffee.

He asks: "Where's your car?" Shannon: "On the street, next to the coffee shop, what used to be the coffee shop. It looks like this whole town has closed down." He replies: "It is." Shannon: "Except for you, huh?" Boy: "This ship will never sink; right, Dad?"

The man offers her a mug of coffee. "Decaff. Not exactly the nectar of the gods." Shannon: "Oh thank you." Gratefully she takes a sip.

Noticing a number of campaign posters on the counter: "What's this about, may I ask?" He answers: "Preserving the past."

The boy tells Shannon: "I'm Jason, by the way." She shakes his hand. "Shannon O'Donnel." Jason's father: "I'm Henry. Henry Janeway."

Shannon: "So you're trying to get them to stop building this Millennium whatever-it-is?"
Jason: "The Millennium Gate, the world's first self-sustaining civic environment."
Henry: "That's what the propaganda calls it. It's nothing but hype. It's actually a glorified shopping mall. They've talked all of my neighbours into selling their businesses. Only one thing stands in their way."
Shannon: "You're the last hold-out?"
Henry: "This time, Rome withstands the barbarians."

Shannon examines a poster thoughtfully, eventually saying: "I may be able to help you, if you'd be willing to hire me." Jason: "Believe me, you don't want to be licking stamps for the next two days." Shannon: "We could do all this on a computer." Jason: "Yeah, but my Dad doesn't believe in computers. We don't even have one."

Shannon: "I do. We can e-mail every computer within a hundred miles. It'll just take a few hours. It's easy!" She starts to unzip her bag which contains her laptop computer. Henry: "I'm not hiring anybody right now. Besides, you're going to Florida." Shannon closes her bag and starts to leave. "Oh, maybe the tow-truck is waiting. Thank you for the coffee." Henry: "You're welcome."

But at the door she turns and comes back to Henry. "I wouldn't ask you for a lot, just enough to fix the car. I'd really....I kind of need a job right now."

Jason: "Dad?" Henry relents: "I suppose we could use some help." She gets out her computer and with the power lead in her hand, jokes: "You do believe in electricity, don't you?" He smiles.

In the local bar, Shannon buys two beers and goes to the table she and Henry are sharing. Several customers are watching the television which is on above the bar. Shannon: "So who are these 'barbarians'?" Henry: "A company down in Texas." Shannon: "Why come here?" Henry: "The City Fathers made it easy for them - free building permits, deferred taxes, new roads, and the invaders, they return the favour. They have offered us twenty per cent above the market price for our properties. You know what the catch is? We've all got to sell." Shannon: "Everybody must love you." Henry: "Well. People I knew when I was growing up, family friends, seems like they've all just turned against me. If they were Roman times they would feed me to the lions." Shannon: "To the good old days." Henry: "You know, I was born in the wrong millennium." Shannon: "I'll stick with the modern age." Henry: "The Classical Age - greatest literature Mankind ever produced." Shannon: "No antibiotics." Henry: "Families would take care of one another." Shannon: "No cars." Henry: "Air you can breathe." Shannon: "No telephones." Henry: "What a pleasure." Shannon: "Shorter lifespans." Henry: "Lives that were worth living." Shannon: "No cold beer." Henry: "There you got me. Speaking of the modern age, do you have any plans for the Millennium Eve?" Shannon: "No different from last year's Millennium Eve. I plan to be asleep." Henry: "Life of the party." Shannon: "Oh don't tell me you bought into all that hype again." Henry: "Maybe just a little." Shannon: "Last year, when 2000 arrived, everyone was convinced it was the dawn of a new era. But when the world didn't end and the flying saucers didn't land and the Y2K bug didn't turn off a single light bulb, you'd've thought everybody would've realised it was a number on a calendar. Oh no, they had to listen to all those huxters who them the real Millennium was 2001, so this New Year's Eve will be as boring as last year." Henry: "Come to think of it, I have sold an awful lot of doomsday books." Shannon: "See what I mean?" Henry: "So what's in Florida?" Shannon: "I have a cousin down there. I'll stay with her for a while until I can get back on my feet." Henry: "If you don't mind my asking, did you lose your job?" Shannon is reluctant to talk details. "I'm in a transitional period." Henry: "From what to what?" Shannon: "From what I was doing to what I'm going to do. Your son tells me your book store's belonged in your family for generations and that you've never done anything else." Henry: "Yes, that's right." Shannon: "You know, I'm just the opposite. I love to see places I've never been, try new things. I'm kind of an explorer." Henry: "Really? That station wagon of yours doesn't exactly look like a sailing ship." Shannon jokes: "It's a rocket ship." Henry jokes back: "My mistake." The bar starts to shake. Everyone goes outside to see what is causing it. Henry and Shannon are at the front of the gathering crowd. There is a loud rumble, then suddenly several large construction vehicles roar into the town!

A little distance outside Alexandria Books, news reporter Marci Collins is interviewing Gerald Moss, the spokesman for the Millennium Gate project. He is saying: "We have every intention of breaking ground on Monday, Day One of the next Millennium. The people of this town have given us their full co-operation."

Henry calls out: "That's not true!" Moss: "If you let me finish, Mr Janeway. With the exception of Mr Janeway here." Collins points her microphone at Henry: "Mr Janeway, would you like to comment?" Henry: "Yes, yes, I would. You just can't, can't bulldoze this town away. This is our heritage, our past!"

Moss: "We're trying to give Portage Creek a future, can't you see that?" Henry: "Yeah, yeah, your future, your future, not ours!"

Collins: "Mr Moss, we've heard that you're considering moving the project to one of your alternate sites. Can you shed any light on that rumour?" Moss: "I'm afraid that's more than a rumour. If we can't work out an arrangement in Portage Creek, we'll have no choice but to select another location." Collins: "Which city?" Moss: "No comment." Collins: "Is it true that Canton, Ohio's been chosen-" Moss interrupts her firmly: "Thank you for your time." Collins: "Thank you, Mr Moss."

The interview ends. Action News remains in Portage Creek, stationed outside Alexandria Books, to cover forthcoming developments.

Henry tells Jason, having heard the rest of the interview with Moss: "Well, that's it. All we have to do is stand firm until New Year's."

Jason: "Easy for you to say: I have to go to school with their kids." He looks uneasily at the townsfolk who have gathered to watch and listen to the interviews. Henry: "Your school's one of the first places they're going to tear down." Jason: "They said they'd build a new one, a better one."

Henry: "Whose side are you on?" There is a tense awkward moment. "I'm sorry. We're all in this together. Come on, let's head back to civilisation." He takes Jason back into the shop.

As Shannon turns to follow them into the shop, she notices Gerald Moss talking on his mobile phone and looking at her. Their eyes meet for a moment, then she turns and goes into Alexandria Books.