Stephen King's Golden Years

( David Bowie's "Golden Years" playing )

All right.

All right, here we go.

How you doin', Rick?

I'm doin' good. You?

Fine.

I like the spring.

I think I want to die in the spring

when the whole world is celebrating the fact

that life keeps going on.

You're a little young

to be thinkin' about punching out, Harl.

I'll be 71 come November 28th.

That's not too young. Heh.

Yeah.

You'll bury us all.

Eh, you wanna sign in?

Do I have any choice?

Not on this ship you don't.

Good morning, Mr. Williams.

Please press enter.

Machines that say "please" make me nervous.

Enter thumbprint, please.

Thank you, Mr. Williams.

Guess I'm still me.

Have a good one, Rick.

WOMAN ( on PA ): Falco employees are reminded to take their cars

through the disinfectant wash at the end of each day.

Thank you.

Tell me when you're clear across the board.

I will, Dr. Toddhunter.

He's like a kid on prom night.

Yeah, with Uncle Sam's car.

Two billion dollars

for a blind date with a virgin particle accelerator.

The least he can do is buy us a corsage.

Hey, enough already. Get serious.

You know what we're playing with here.

I know it. And you know it.

I just wonder if he knows it.

Soon.

Voice identification, please.

Harlan Williams.

Tech number 10884.

Custodian third.

Just like yesterday.

Thank you, Mr. Williams.

Uh-oh.

It's a secondary override.

I know what it is.

Dr. Toddhunter.

What is it?

I've got a red light on a secondary override.

Now you've done it, Ollie.

Shut up.

Dear God.

Dr. Toddhunter, I--

Be quiet!

Gentlemen, we have a green board.

Well...

I'm sorry, sir, but we don't.

For the record, sir, we have a red light

on secondary override delta.

Secondary delta override is fine.

We have a green board, I tell you.

But Dr. Toddhunter, you can see for yourself--

Shut up, Redding.

You're an intern.

That means you keep your eyes open

and your mouth shut.

Understand?

Yes, sir, Dr. Toddhunter.

Dr. Toddhunter, the regulations--

This is a secondary override switch, Jackson.

Do you follow me?

There.

You see?

It's a bad wire in the go-no-go.

Probably 29 cents worth of trouble. No more.

Yes, but the regulations--

I know the damn regulations, Jackson.

There, you see the light flicker green when I tap it?

Is this a symptom one would associate

with a faulty go-no-go?

Do you believe I just might have a point here?

Yes, I agree.

Chances are 99 in a hundred

you've got a faulty switch.

For the record,

I am willing to accept full responsibility

for proceeding as scheduled.

Well, that's fine, sir,

but we're dealing with an untested process here

that requires a great deal of power,

and--

Very well.

We'll abort.

But in my report of this particular Gold Series test--

This Gold Series non-test, I should say.

--I'll be careful to spell your name right,

Dr. Jackson.

Very well.

Back to work.

Fourteen.

Twenty-three.

And two.

It's, uh, 32, 32, not 23.

Hey, Harlan, how you doin'?

U-u-uh, fine, uh, uh, Billy, um,

ahem, how are you?

I signed up for this mail-order taxidermy class.

Figured I could practice

on all them animals zapped by the fence.

People pay good money for well-mounted specimens.

That's what the book said.

That's good, Billy.

Uh, everybody should have a hobby.

Hey, we're still gonna do the floor

in the rec area, ain't we?

I got the seal.

Uh, sure. Uh, uh, yeah, we are.

I opened the windows like you said.

You know, 'cause of the fumes.

Good, Billy, that-- That's good.

Sounds like the mad scientist

finally got it workin'.

Whatever it is.

You want me to wait for you?

: Uh, I'll, uh--

I'll see you there.

See ya.

WOMAN ( on PA ): Harlan Williams.

This is for Harlan Williams, 10884.

Please locate.

Williams here.

Uh, employee locker room, Level 4.

Please report to Administration immediately.

Soon as I finish changing.

Thank you.

It is just a light, Tommy.

Fine. It's the light.

Scientific history, gentlemen.

You were here in the year zero.

Correction, ground zero.

Not funny.

Not trying to be.

Hello, Mrs. Rogers.

Uh, y-y-you wanted to see me?

Major Moreland wants to see you.

Major Moreland?

Immediately, Mr. Williams.

Yes, sir.

Come.

Major Moreland?

Sit down, Williams.

What did you wanna see me about?

This.

Uh, I-- I don't understand.

It means that when you took your last physical,

you flunked the eye test.

Your vision is now below the levels

set by the Department of Defense

for civilian workers.

How much below?

Just over 6 percent.

Six percent?

Falls outside the acceptable range,

so I'm afraid--

I'll get new glasses.

It wouldn't matter.

You're 71, you know.

Seventy.

Mr. Williams,