THE MAGIC DINOBOT - From Jameson Hunter, an original TV series idea, germinated in 2016. Jimmy dreams of building a giant robot ant as a special project, then one day his dreams come true when the robot he has built is transformed into a living, breathing, companion. 

<< SCENE 14

IT MOVES PROMPTING SECRET SERVICE MI6 PM BUCKINGHAM PALACE REVIEW

INT. JIMMY'S WORKSHOP - DAY

Sunlight gleams. JIMMY (beaming with excitement) stands proudly before his Dinobot, "Anthony." Wires connect the Raspberry Pi, the Arduino, and a sleek Samsung smartphone.

JIMMY
(Whispering to Anthony)
This is it, boy. The moment of truth!

He taps a key on his laptop. Lines of code scroll, then a triumphant "Handshake Successful!" message appears. Jimmy holds his breath.

Suddenly, with a whir and a gentle clunk, one of Anthony’s mighty legs lifts. Then another. And another! The robot, a marvel of metal and circuits, moves! It takes a slow, ponderous step.

JIMMY (CONT'D)
(A whoop of pure joy)
He moves! Anthony moves!

He jumps up and down, doing a little victory dance. But far away, in a very important building, this small movement causes a very big stir.

INT. MI6 HEADQUARTERS - DAY

The room is stark, filled with glowing screens and hushed voices. A nervous MI6 AGENT (30s, sharp, but flustered) stares at a monitor displaying a live feed of Jimmy's workshop. Another agent drops a file.

MI6 AGENT 1
(Whispering, eyes wide)
It… it moved! The Watson kid's robot… it moved!

MI6 AGENT 2
(Picking up the dropped file, panicked)
But the Ministry of Defence said it was "fanciful at best"! They laughed it off!

MI6 AGENT 1
(Grabbing a phone)
Well, they're not laughing now! Get the Prime Minister! And His Majesty! Emergency Memo!

INT. BUCKINGHAM PALACE - KING CHARLES III'S STUDY - DAY

KING CHARLES III (70s, regal but with a kind twinkle in his eye) is at his grand desk, surrounded by ancient maps and elegant books. His private secretary, PENELOPE "PENNY" MONEYSWORTH (50s, efficient, calm under pressure), stands by.

KING CHARLES III
(Picking up a memo, a slight frown)
I say, Penny, could you get me the Prime Minister, and then Field Marshal Sir Rodney Dunbar? Make it a scrambled conference call. Thank you.

PENNY
(With a knowing nod)
Of course, Your Majesty.

Penny swiftly dials.

PENNY (CONT'D)
(Into phone, formal)
Call for the Prime Minister. Right away, please.

INT. 10 DOWNING STREET - PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE - DAY

PRIME MINISTER EDWARD THOMAS (50s, distinguished, busy) answers his phone.

PM THOMAS
Thomas here.

PENNY (V.O.)
(Over phone)
Hold the line, please. The King would like a word with you and Sir Rodney. A security conference call.

PM THOMAS
Righto, Ms. Moneysworth. Holding the line.

INT. MI6 HEADQUERS - FIELD MARSHAL DUNBAR'S OFFICE - DAY

FIELD MARSHAL SIR RODNEY DUNBAR (60s, stern, no-nonsense) answers his hotline.

SIR RODNEY
Dunbar speaking.

PENNY (V.O.)
(Over phone)
A call from the King, with the PM included.

SIR RODNEY
(A slight raise of an eyebrow)
Thank you, Ms. Moneysworth.

INT. BUCKINGHAM PALACE - KING CHARLES III'S STUDY - CONTINUOUS

The King hears the connections click into place.

KING CHARLES III
(Voice firm but curious)
Gentlemen, what am I to make of the "Jimmy Watson Memo"? Speak plainly, please.

PM THOMAS (V.O.)
(Over phone, confused)
Sorry, Your Majesty, did you say the "Jimmy Watson Memo"?

KING CHARLES III
That I did.

SIR RODNEY (V.O.)
(Over phone, interjecting smoothly)
Your Majesty, pardon me for interjecting, the PM may not have had the opportunity to read the document. I'll ping it over to him.

A few moments of silence follow as the PM scans the document on his screen.

PM THOMAS (V.O.)
Okay, seen it. Perhaps Sir Rodney might take point?

KING CHARLES III
(With growing intrigue)
Fine ....... Please do proceed, Sir Rodney, my curiosity is aroused.

SIR RODNEY (V.O.)
Your Majesty, the Memo is to advise that what was thought to be a far-fetched aspiration of a schoolboy from a little village called Herstmonceux.

KING CHARLES III

Ah yes, know the Observatory well. Go on ....

SIR RODNEY (V.O.)

.......seems to have taken a big step forward. Catching our boys in white coats off guard, so to speak. In that they believed the vehicle project would stall.

KING CHARLES III
Vehicle?

SIR RODNEY (V.O.)
Yes, Your Majesty. It is a vehicle, called a hexapod. Basically, a robot that walks on six legs, much like an insect.

KING CHARLES III
And the chaps in white coats?

SIR RODNEY (V.O.)
Your Majesty, these are the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, or EPSRC, and the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, or DSTL. They maximize the impact of Science and Technology, or S&T, for the defence and security of the UK, reporting, of course, to the Ministry of Defence and wider government. They operate from three main sites: Porton Down, Portsdown West, and Fort Halstead. Then there is the Alan Turing Institute, operating out of the British Library. They work to combat cybercrime; cyber security.

KING CHARLES III
(A hint of skepticism)
Hmm. Not so in this case?

SIR RODNEY (V.O.)
No, Your Majesty. The boffins were caught out, in turn alerting the MoD and Secret Service, with the originating Memo.

KING CHARLES III
How so?

SIR RODNEY (V.O.)
Well, nobody believed the programming would work, the way this boy had arranged his processors.

KING CHARLES III
Boy?

SIR RODNEY (V.O.)
Yes, Your Majesty, the boy is Jimmy Watson, the subject of the Memo.

KING CHARLES III
I see. And the boy, where is he?

SIR RODNEY (V.O.)
He is a pupil at a Secondary school in Hailsham, East Sussex. Er, their Community College, to be precise.

KING CHARLES III
Is he a good boy?

SIR RODNEY (V.O.)
Well, Your Majesty, it seems he is an exemplary student. There is, though, a complication.

KING CHARLES III
Complication?

SIR RODNEY (V.O.)
Yes, Your Majesty. His father is a General in the British Army, working for the Secret Service, sort of, in Germany.

The King's eyebrows go up.

KING CHARLES III
Ah. And you are saying Jimmy's father is a security risk?

SIR RODNEY (V.O.)
(Hesitates)
Well, um, not exactly. Clean as a whistle. But he could be, and we cannot take the risk. Perhaps we should arrest them both. And the boy's mother, and interrogate them. Or, hold them and sweat them for a while?

The King's face tightens. He does not like that thought. It sounds far too harsh, unless there's a definite threat.

PM THOMAS (V.O.)
(Interjecting politely)
Your Majesty, might I interject?

KING CHARLES III
Please do so, Prime Minister.

PM THOMAS (V.O.)
If the boy is a good student, and his father is clean, why would we want to ruin their lives and make them potential enemies of the State by being so blatantly unfair? If Sir Rodney investigates and finds there is something amiss – for example, a breach of the Official Secrets Act – then perhaps we might sanction action. Presumably, a prosecution. But even so, the boy should not be treated so shamefully.

KING CHARLES III
(Nodding slowly, a rare flash of anger in his eyes)
I tend to agree. There are too many cases of heavy-handed local authorities. I won't stand for that. They make a mistake, and it ends up costing the taxpayer. Costing the realm millions. We don't want another mistake that might ruin the efforts of a good student. I should like a full report on Jimmy Watson and his father, please. Do not wade in mob-handed. By all means, take all the usual precautions, as it appears you already are. But, under no circumstances, stifle the obvious creativity of the youngster, without my express permission. Is that clear?

PM THOMAS & SIR RODNEY (V.O.)
(In unison, a surprised but firm tone)
Yes, Your Majesty! Without your express permission.

KING CHARLES III
(A small, satisfied smile)
Okay then. Thank you, gentlemen.

The phone clicks dead. Secretly, the King is livid. A memo like that might have slipped past him, giving the secret service a quiet green light for drastic action. He makes a mental note to address this, perhaps when the Kingdom is less challenged. He doesn't want to make trouble where there is none.

>> SCENE 16