Golden Gate Comic Con, Chapter 6: Pages 23-25
PAGE 23
PANEL 1: Same setting/layout as the last panel of the previous page; the screen behind her remains relatively unchanged at this point. We see her turn her chair back around as she speaks to get back to work soon.
SPOKESMAN [from the receiver, to Laura]: Alright, alright...I can squeeze 5 minutes for you tomorrow morning after his speech at the Friends of Jefferson Breakfast in South Bay. Not a second more! LAURA [sarcastic thought bubble]: A group of deluded old white men...yay! LAURA [to the Spokesman]: Excellent! Where do you want the interview to take place, before his speech or maybe af...?
PANEL 2-3: A two-part set of panels that moves to a close-up on Laura's face over the course of a few seconds. In Panel 2, she stops speaking upon seeing the partial preview of the E-mail on the computer screen; a look of extremely excited discovery on her face amongst the pause. In Panel 3, the first inklings of a new idea come into her head as she speaks typing something off-panel.
LAURA [to the Spokesman; Panel 3]: Ya know what? I'll call you a little later to set up those details.
INT. STATION MANAGER'S OFFICE- Two Hours Later
PANEL 4: Cut to the front door to the station manager's office two hours later. The door has swung open, and we see the enterprising reporter barge inside holding a thin glass photo underneath her arm. You can see a section of the newsroom behind her in the background.
LAURA [Cont., caption]: "Another story just fell into my lap."
PANEL 5: We move to a shot of the manager Serena seated at his desk, looking over a stream of footage from a different story on his computer screen; his cybernetic left eye examining the footage and editing it hands-free. You can see his human eye, as this goes on, notice Laura coming toward him.
SERENA [sighs, to Laura]: Your old post barely got any traction online before it flatlined. What makes you think this time will be better?
PANEL 6: Cut to a shot of Laura a few moments later, standing in front of her boss' desk with the same high level of confidence that we saw briefly at the top of the page. She extends the gleaming glass device out to her boss for examination. You can partially see links to different photos along with a few other document links above it.
LAURA [confidently, to Serena]: Because I got a ping from our CamMan working GGCC of a similar looking guy there in attendance.
PAGE 24
PANEL 1-2: A two-part set of panels that moves back to the station manager in the same setting and layout as Panel 5 of the previous page. In Panel 1, the shot consists of Serena going through the files on the thin tablet sized document. Then in Panel 2, a few moments later, he looks up in Laura's direction for a single confirmation regarding the information she's got.
LAURA [Cont., Panel 1]: I sent the footage to an analyst buddy of mine in the City Archives' office who ran through both pieces of footage and found out it's the same person in both videos. They also gave me, thanks to a deep dive of old Drivers License photos, a name to the mystery guy: Adam de Connick.
LAURA [Panel 1, Bubble 2]: From there, I did some legwork trawling old social media archives- 30-something local guy, former writer at what was the San Francisco Chronicle, nerdy persuasion. Nothing all that intriguing or abnormal about him, until... SERENA [annoyed, Panel 1]: Dramatic pauses? Really? Didn't think that was your style-- LAURA [interjecting; Panel 1, Bubble 3]: This one's worth it, boss. Trust me. Apparently this Adam guy was declared dead shortly after dropping off the face of the Earth. SERENA [to Laura; Panel 2]: Okay. Not sure the connection with Flight 2422 is though. LAURA [Panel 2]: The day he was declared missing was July 12th, 2018, same day as those poor souls were abducted or disintegrated or taken to some unforeseen dimensional plane or whatever idiotic conspiracy theory you believe in..
SERENA [intrigued, Panel 2]: You might have something her, Reyes. If you can prove this de Connick guy is an actual, honest to the goddess member of the "Disappeared."
PANEL 3: We move back to Laura in the same setting as the last panel of the previous page. The layout widens out a little more in order to show the woman taking a few steps to the left, glancing slightly up to the ceiling as she speaks.
LAURA [defending the idea]: I--I think he is. There are still bits of the story I don't have to prove it like a plane ticket from him or testimony from any of the other survivors on that flight saying that he saw him. But my gut's telling me this is the real deal. All I need to do is get a few minutes and interview the guy.
PANEL 4: Back to a shot of Serena in the same setting and layout as Panel 2. He leans back a little against the leather chair he's seated on, leaving the glass document of information on the edge of the desk.
SERENA [playing Devil's Advocate]: What if this guy's camerashy? This lovely theory of yours goes up in smoke, and we'd end up looking like two-bit Youtube hacks if it ever gets to air.
PANEL 5: Cut back to Laura once again in the same setting/layout as Panel 3. She stops moving and turns her full attention to her boss to set up one last defense of her idea.
LAURA: Then I'll employ some of that shiny charm that Governors, Congresspeople, and various other members of government love and have restraining orders out over. All I need is a chance. SERENA [interjecting, Off-Panel]: ...Alright. You've got till tomorrow morning.
PAGE 25
INT. TREJOS TACOS POP-UP, GOOGLE ARENA LOBBY- Twenty Minutes Later
PANEL 1: We move to a shot a little later of Adam standing in front of a Trejos Tacos pop-up, eating a BCR burrito on a plate; a bag of swag lying on the ground next to his foot. You can see a group of other people in various cosplays, chatting and enjoying themselves.
SERENA [Cont., caption]: If he agrees to the interview, I'll see if we can't reserve something for the 11 o'clock news just after the Con. That is, if the footage is any good.
PANEL 2: Cut to a close-up of Mr. de Connick's face, taking another bite of the burrito a second later; the cheese and rice dripping from the flour tortilla down to the off-panel plate in the bottom of the panel view.
SERENA [Cont., caption]: If he doesn't, no matter how good your gut says this story can be, it stays off-air and on ice. Period...we clear? LAURA [caption 2]: Yes, ma'am.
PANEL 3: Same setting/layout as the previous panel. A couple of beats later, while he chews, his gaze is pulled over in the direction of the voice calling to him; a look of confusion plastered over his face as he chews the food and is seen nodding.
LAURA [Off-Panel, to Adam]: Adam de Connick? ADAM [thought bubble]: ...Another long lost family member?
PANEL 4: Cut to a shot of Laura, dressed in a nice looking, on-camera friendly dark blue pantsuit; a microphone gripped in her right hand. You can see hovering over her left shoulder the Cam Man drone that we saw a few pages earlier readying itself to film.
LAURA [courteously]: The name's Laura Chen. I'm with KSFO. Do you have a few minutes for--?
PANEL 5: Back to Adam in the same setting and layout as Panel 3. Having already swallowed his food during Laura's introductory statement, he cuts her off with a sure statement of disapproval to what he thinks the rest of the question will be. There's also a touch of anxiety and deep fear in his eyes as he says it.
ADAM [interjecting, with certainty; to Laura]: No. Just...no!
END OF CHAPTER 6