Halt and Catch Fire (2014–2017): Season 1, Episode 1 - I/O - full transcript

Dallas, Texas, 1983. Confident Joe MacMillan, a key player in the introduction of the IBM PC, has just been offered a job as a salesman for Cardiff Electric, a systems software company that has no interest in the development of PCs to compete against IBM. What Cardiff Electric is unaware of is that Joe has been MIA for the past year, his whereabouts or doings which no one knows. Despite their less than productive first meeting, Joe searches out Gordon Clark, a lowly engineer at Cardiff Electric. Gordon is floundering in his life, he, along with his wife Donna, who once had the passion of PC hardware development and the potential of computers, but who now feels that the security of a job to support the family is more important despite his generally despondent state because of that job. But Joe entering Gordon's life reignites that passion in Gordon, Joe who wants Gordon to help reverse engineer a IBM PC so that they can develop a PC clone that they want. This action would mean their jobs if found out, and a possible breakup of Gordon's marriage. But Joe has a master plan in this venture which he doesn't initially divulge to Gordon and which takes surprising turns to Gordon. In addition to being more up front with what they're doing to their organizational masters than Gordon believes is prudent, Joe's plan also involves a young prodigious and cocky computer student named Cameron Howe, who also had an interesting first meeting with Joe when he was scoping her potential for the team.

(keyboard keys clicking)

- (pops)
- (claws clicking)

(engine roaring)

- (crunches)
- (tires screech)

(engine stops)

Professor:
Today's discussion is postponed,

as we have
a very special guest.

He's played
an instrumental part

in the world debut
of the IBM PC,

which is now
on the verge of becoming

the industry standard
for corporate America.



Please welcome
Mr. Joseph MacMillan.

(students applauding)

Let me start
by asking a question.

How many of you desire
to be computer engineers?

Hmm.

(music playing
faintly)

Oh... glad
you could join us.

MacMillan: Keep your hands up,
keep your hands up.

Now I'm going to list off
several categories.

When you hear a category you don't
have hands-on experience in...

- (music stops)
...put your hand down.

Software design.

Hardware/software
integration.

Circuit design.
Microprocessing.



Firmware design.
Very large-scale integration.

- (chuckles)
- Something funny?

I don't think you really
know what that is.

Why?

Because nobody who knows
what it is calls it that.

"VLSI."
How's that?

Operating systems.

P-ROM configuration
and PLC design.

Personal computer design.
Very good.

Now, tell me one thing
that will be true

about computers
10 years from now.

Well, fully
intelligent machines

will simulate the actions
of neurons more closely, replicate...

Okay, thanks.
You.

Uh, computers will be connected
together across one network

with a standard protocol.

- Like phone lines.
- Obviously phone lines.

- What's your name?
- Cameron.

Cameron Howe.

(music playing)

So, you graduate
this year.

You land a job,
become a programmer for what,

what do you wanna do?
Microcode? PCs? Video games?

Do you need
a quarter?

- Got it.
- Nice.

I want to work for
Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative

and put missiles in space.

Are you afraid to give me
a straight answer?

- (video game rumbles)
- A straight answer? Uh, let's see.

Everything I'm studying here
is so totally 10 years ago

that no one who matters
pays attention to anything I do.

- I'm paying attention.
- Yeah, but do you matter?

Hey, can we get
two more?

Would you know
if I did?

What is this anyway,
some kind of job interview?

Maybe, maybe not.
Depends on you.

(machine clattering)

You still haven't
answered my question.

Does it even matter
what I want to do?

God, this is an industry
built on people

ripping off each other's
boring-ass ideas.

SCP rips off CP/M,
Microsoft rips off SCP.

Oh, IBM rips off
everybody, right?

You've got
a lot of excuses.

And you work for IBM.

Hey, computers could be more.
They should be.

You build counting machines,

the same thing you've done
for the last 70 years.

I don't work for IBM.

(bangs)

(moaning)

Uh!

(thumps)

(panting)

(grunting)

This doesn't mean
you get the job.

Wow.

You mean
we're not in love?

(theme music playing)

- (keys jingle)
- (lock clicks)

Guard:
Clark.

- (two-way radio chatter)
- (gate buzzes)

Man on radio:
Clear the gate.

Ain't no jail cell
can hold me.

Come on.

You didn't have to
bring the kids.

I think I did.

Look, I had
one too many drinks.

It got away from me.

It won't happen again.

Sorry.

You still have a job?

Of course I do.

They could care less
about me anyway.

Remember at the demo

when we went to turn it on
and it wouldn't turn on?

Gordon...

It's like, 1979 was good,
but then 1980 came

and it was like, whoa...

what happened,
you know?

What I know is that
you need to be at work in four hours.

Four.

Then your dad...
your dad said,

"We can't lend you
any more."

And he wasn't being mean.

He was just in his kitchen
looking at me,

and I said,
"Okay, Gary."

You're drunk,
so the best thing

you could do right now
is to shut up.

- (clicks)
- I know what IBM is.

I also know
what IBM ain't,

and everything that ain't IBM
is cheaper, faster, and better,

and that's what
this company lives by.

Well, John, that's
what Hitachi thought.

And Burroughs and NCR
and Honeywell and Control Data.

No, I know all the companies
that IBM has crushed,

and Cardiff Electric
ain't one of 'em. It won't be.

You sound pretty sure
about that.

(laughs)
Look at you.

Same suit, different tie.

You know, Dallas is a long way
from Armonk, New York, son.

- That's no accident.
- I couldn't agree with you more,

but maybe I'm a guy who's done
doing business like that.

Maybe I see Cardiff Electric
as a mid-major

ready to take the jump

and myself as the
heavy hitter you need

to legitimize your sales force,
this company, this region.

I just need someone to come in here
and blow the balls off the numbers, Joe.

I will tell you this...
it's systems software, straight up.

No application,
no next-gen PC garbage.

It ain't sexy, but it sure as hell
makes us some serious money.

- Then I'm your guy.
- (scoffs) Don't know if I see it.

You got East Coast corporate
written all over ya.

Don't like
East Coast corporate.

Hell, hotshot, you didn't
bring in a damn resume.

(briefcase
latches click)

And what is this?

- What am I looking at?
- My W-2.

Box one is my last
reported income at IBM.

Whoo-hoo.

It's also what 200%
of quota looks like.

The golden circle.

I'll break numbers.
I always do.

(laughs)

You answer to me.
I'm SVP of sales,

so you're dog shit around here
until you close a deal.

- Do you understand?
- I do.

"I do." Good.

Well, we're married.

You may now go break
your numbers, darlin'.

(sighs)

Woman on radio: Free and clear
through Lewisville and Carrollton,

but starting to slow down...

(engine belt squeaking)

Hey.

(honks horn)

A-16.

Hey, that's me.
That's my spot, A-16.

Woman on radio:
...high from Love Field today is 86...

(clicks)

MacMillan:
A-16!

A-16.

- You're my SE for this sales call.
- Oh, fantastic.

We'll take my car,
it's closer.

MacMillan:
The truth is, our systems

are outperforming
every top seller in the market.

- What about IBM?
- IBM is IBM,

but we're neck and neck
and we're cheaper.

Technically.
The difference in cost is negligible.

It just seems
you guys at Cardiff

think you've built
yourselves a fancy race car

that deserves
an outrageous price tag.

And we get no
Big Blue guarantee.

I don't think
there is such a thing.

Well, they
had me fooled.

- (man laughs)
- Me, too.

I worked there.

I grew up there.

And I was brought up to believe
that the work we did,

the things we built were
the singular contribution to computers

that history
would remember.

And I believed it
for a long time.

For a long time,
it was true.

Nobody ever got fired
for buying an IBM, right?

What a fearful way
to do business.

You've made
just enough safe choices

to stay alive,
but not enough to matter.

Is that
what you want?

You can be more.

You want to be more,
don't you?

The window of opportunity
is closing.

This is your chance.

This is not
about not losing.

This is about you
finally having the confidence

to walk out on the ledge and know
that you're not going to fall.

Are we still talking about
systems software here?

Amen, let's get
this guy another drink.

I'm not going to apologize
for caring about your business,

even if the people
who work for you don't.

I'll ask you
one more time.

Are you ready
to be more?

- There's also free install...
- Gordon, please.

I'll think about it.

Look, it's better
than a flat-out no.

Hey, man, look, Applied Data hasn't
bought jack-all from anyone in years.

You did a solid job
explaining the software,

but I need you
to do me one favor.

Okay.

Next time I move to close,
this is what you do.

- Okay, what?
- You shut up!

"Lodi" playing

# The man
from the magazine #

# Said I was
on my way... #

- Hey.
- Hey, Mom.

Hey, you little monkeys.
Give me my kisses.

# Ran out of songs
to play... #

Thank you.
Go play.

# Came into town,
a one-night stand #

- # Looks like my plans fell through... #
- It's soda.

# Oh, Lord #

# Stuck in Lodi again... #

Daughter: Mom, Speak & Spell's
not working.

Well, what's wrong
with it?

- It won't turn on.
- Joanie did it.

Uh-uh, Haley did it.
She was playing with her blocks...

Let's see.

#... had a dollar
for every song I've sung... #

Joanie's Speak & Spell
won't turn on.

Joanie: Pressing "on"
makes it go.

Okay.

- Are you gonna fix it?
- I'm gonna try.

Did it give you
any good words?

- Did it stump you at all?
- (music stops)

No.

Okay.

Joanie:
She was throwing her blocks at it.

Haley: But you did it.
You were pressing "on."

- I don't care who broke it.
- That probably breaked it.

I'm just gonna
get it fixed, okay?

(sighs)
Okay, girls, other room, please.

- (both grumble)
- Please? Thank you.

(sighs)

You want to take a look
and see what's wrong with that?

They make that
where you work, not where I do.

Okay, Gordon, do you want
to maybe get me the salt?

Maybe you could just reach
into the cabinet

about seven inches
from your head,

take out the salt,
and put it in my hand

so I can finish
cooking this.

Do you think you could
at least get me the salt?

Here's the salt.

Thank you.

(phones ringing)

- (object slaps)
- A-16.

- What is this?
- Page 33.

- Man, if you think it's funny...
- Page 33.

I'm not in the mood,
all right?

Why don't you go blow-dry
your hair some more or something?

Don't you realize
what you wrote?

You wrote
a treasure map.

If you see him around,
I wanna meet that guy.

There's a project
I want to discuss with him.

Hey, hey.

What are you doing?
Why are you doing this?

"This puts the future
squarely in the hands

of those who know computers
not for what they are,

but for everything
they have the potential to be."

What?

You know who said that?

No, no, I don't.

You did.

Page 36,
closing paragraph.

Computers
aren't the thing.

They're the thing
that gets us to the thing.

Over here on the circuit board,
you've got the ROM chip.

That's like the brain
that remembers all the words...

128 kilobits worth.
That is a lot of words.

(phone ringing)

And then you've got
your VFD display right here.

That's the part
that shows you the words.

And the speech synthesizer
chip right here,

that is the extra-special one
they make where Mommy works.

I got it.

(ringing continues)

Hello?

It's somebody
named Joe MacMillan.

We're headed
out the door to a movie.

- Can I have him call you back?
- What does the special chip do?

Oh, um, the chip
makes it talk.

You know,
like you and me.

- Can you make it talk?
- Not right now, kiddo.

Hey, Joanie, why don't you
go get ready for the movie, 'kay?

He wanted to know
if you thought about what he said.

That article
I wrote in "Byte."

What about it?

He had some ideas about it.

Oh, yeah?
What kind of ideas?

I don't know.

It doesn't really matter.

...go home and watch
the other two "Star Wars"?

- You wanna do that tonight?
- Hi, Joe MacMillan.

We spoke
on the phone earlier.

(chuckles)

Did you
follow me here?

Your husband
is the best SE

I've worked with
at Cardiff Electric.

Now, granted,
I've only been there a week.

Do you mind if I borrow
Gordon for one second?

- Donna: Come on.
- Hey, I'll see you guys outside.

Donna:
Yeah, maybe, if Daddy lets us.

(chuckles)

Reverse engineer
an IBM PC with me.

What? Why?
What would be the point?

Because I want
to build a machine

that nobody else
has the balls to build.

Wow, you're serious.

Look, that's a terrible idea.

- Why?
- For such a multitude of reasons

that l...
because it's illegal.

Worst-case scenario,
IBM sues us into the ground.

Uh, Cardiff finds out,
then both of us would be on the street.

Apple, IBM,
they have the market sewn up.

Plus, you got Commodore,
Tandy, Texas Instruments.

I'm sorry, but you missed it.
We all did.

Gordon, wait, wait.

That's why we do
it as Cardiff Electric.

Scale up instantly.

Are you
out of your mind?

Buzzards like Bosworth and Cardiff
would never go for something...

- So we force their hand.
- Force their hand?

How are you gonna
force their hand?

Let me worry
about that part.

Haley, Joanie:
Dad!

- Come on, Dad!
- Hurry!

Do you have a family,
Joe?

That's what I thought.

Look,
thanks, but no thanks.

(car horn honks)

So, that was
Joe MacMillan, huh?

He stalked our family
to the movies, Gordon.

Could you please acknowledge
how crazy that is?

He's just keyed up
about something.

What does he want?

He wants to build
a computer.

And what does that
have to do with you?

Gordon?

Gordon, we can't do this again.
You know we can't.

Look, I know, okay?
I know.

Do you know? Because I just
had to spread the payments

- for Joanie's next dental visit
over three credit cards.

- Oh, my God, Donna.

It's just literally a mistake
that we can't afford to make again.

Look, the Symphonic
was a good idea.

I know you still think so.

- What's a Symphonic?
- Donna: It's a silly computer

Mommy and Daddy built
that didn't work.

The Symphonic...

was the best thing
your dad ever did.

"Complicated Game" plays

(engine starts)

# It's always been the same #

#It's just
a complicated game #

- # Yeah #
- (clattering)

# A little girl asked me should she
part her hair upon the left #

# No #

# A little girl asked me should she
part her hair upon the right #

# No #

# I said, "It really doesn't matter
where you part your hair #

# Someone else will come along
and move it #

# And it's
always been the same #

# It's just
a complicated game" #

# It's just
a complicated game... #

(sizzling)

(shatters)

# A little boy asks me should he
put his vote upon the left... #

(cracks)

# A little boy asks me should he
put his vote upon the right #

# I said, "It really doesn't matter
where you put your vote #

# 'Cause someone else
will come along and move it #

# And it's always been
the same #

# It's just
a complicated game." #

Do you have any idea
how expensive this thing was?

Donna took the kids to see
her brother for the three-day weekend.

I faked a fever, so...

let's turn this thing
inside out.

(engine roars)

Gordon: A personal computer,
like any other computer,

is just a nothing box full
of electronic switches and hardware.

You know, the IBM,
the Altair, the Apple ll...

it's all the same junk.

Anyone can buy all this stuff
off the shelf right now.

It's called
"open architecture."

I mean, IBM, they basically
don't own anything inside the machine.

Except the chip.

Yeah, well,
except what's on the chip.

The BIOS is on
one of these chips,

we just don't know
which one.

The ROM BIOS is the only part
of the machine IBM actually designed.

I mean, it is the program,
it is the magic.

Bad news is
they copyrighted it

and they
own how it works.

The good news is
there's a way around that, sort of.

- Reverse engineering.
- Right, grab me the oscilloscope.

And a pen and paper.
We need to record these pin voltages.

(pops)

I am a little rusty at this.

(puffing)

Yeah.

- Plus five?
- Yeah.

- Zero?
- Mm-hmm.

- Zero.
- Mm-hmm.

- Plus five.
- Yeah.

- Zero.
- Mm-hmm.

- Plus five.
- No.

- Zero.
- Yeah.

- Plus five? Zero.
- Yeah.

- Minus five?
- Yeah, yeah.

- Zero.
- Yeah.

- Minus five.
- Yeah.

- Zero.
- (sighs)

- Yeah.
- Plus five?

(sizzling)

That's it.
Let's get to work.

All right, write
these numbers down.

2-8-0-0...

1-3-1-6...

0-4-5-6...

Wait, wait, wait,
what am I doing here?

We're writing down the contents
of the addresses, all right?

So each group of four lights
represents a hex digit.

I understand
hexadecimal code.

How are you getting
this from that?

This first line,
that's a B.

Two on, one off, one on.

Okay, second line here, E.

- Three on, one off...
- Oh, I get it, I get it.

How many of these addresses
do we need to transcribe?

65,536.

E-4-2-1.

8-0... C-4...
C-2-7-2...

3-8-7-9...

C-9-1-0...

4-C...

1-9-2-1...

(reciting continues)

...6- C-9-4.

All right, fire up
the monitor.

- I'm gonna go put on some coffee.
- Are we done?

(gulps)
With this part.

- (footsteps fade)
- (sighs)

All right... ahem...

let's see if
we got it right.

- (clicks)
- (pops)

(clicks)

(whirring)

There's a prompt.
That's a good sign.

(keyboard keys clicking)

You found a needle
in a haystack.

Now, hold on.
Let's fire up the printer.

We still have
a lot to do.

(whirring, beeping)

The IBM PC-ROM BIOS.

That's the assembly
language code.

Now we do
our own chip.

Well, I mean...

I told you.

It's a treasure map.

Yeah, maybe, but look...

(laughs)

Oh, this definitely
calls for a toast...

(rattling)

Gordon:
Oh, shit.

I-I thought you weren't
gonna be back till Monday.

It is Monday.

Haley's sick. I figured she caught
whatever you had,

but looking at you now,
I can tell that you're not sick at all.

Would you please tell me
that you didn't buy all this?

- Maybe I can help explain...
- I'd like to speak to my husband...

privately.

- Gordon: Honey, just let me explain...
- I really don't understand.

- Let me just defend myself here.
- Why would you lie to me?

Hold on, I did not lie to you

- about anything.
- You did, you lied.

- No, I did not lie to you.
- Gordon, this is going backwards.

This right here, this is what I want
to do with my life!

Yes, but don't you realize
what you're risking?

Don't you realize
what you have now?

Well, it's not enough.

Okay?
I'm sorry, it's not enough.

Okay.

Well, it always
has been enough for me.

Come on, Donna,
don't be like that.

But I guess I never
had the burden of believing

that I was some
misunderstood genius.

(car door closes)

Donna:
Let's put you to bed.

- John?
- Nope.

I'm sorry, but I think
you'll wanna take this.

Mama makin'
pork chops tonight.

It's IBM.

(button clicks)

Bosworth here.

John, it's Dale Butler,

Senior Vice President of Sales,
North America.

What can I do you for,
Dale?

- You got one of my boys down there.
- Why, yes, we do.

MacMillan.
Uh-huh.

Interesting fella.

(Dale chuckles)

I guess I can say it's
good to know he's alive.

How so?

Joe walked out the front door
of our offices last March.

And?

And he never came back.

You lost me, Dale.

No one has seen or heard
from Joe MacMillan

in more than a year.

We even filed
police reports.

Up until we caught wind
he was working for you,

we believed the worst,
but here we are.

He's damaged goods, John.

I wish I could've warned you,
but now it might be too late.

How so?

I'm here with Rebecca Taylor,
our in-house legal counsel.

Hi, John.
We've got a problem.

- You two... sit down.
- (door closes)

This here
is Nathan Cardiff.

He owns the company
you destroyed.

We just got done with
a two-and-a-half-hour jaw

with IBM's legal team,

including your old boss,
Dale Butler.

Oh, yeah?
How's he doing?

Oh, he's doing
pretty splendid,

given the fact that Big Blue
is gonna liquidate this company

to the tune of several dozen
million dollars in legal damages

because two idiot children
in our employ

decided to rip off
their flagship product.

Sir, that wasn't the idea.

We did this
solely on our own.

It turns out
that doesn't matter...

and, believe me, we tried to feed you
to the wolves, boys.

But because MacMillan here
worked at IBM

and you two were in our employ
at the time of your little project,

that project is ours now,
for better or worse.

Worse, in this case.

Butler and that woman Taylor
are headed down here tomorrow.

Sir, how the hell did IBM
find out about this?

I told them.

Hey! Hey!

That's how you force their hand?
You call IBM?

Just let
everybody cool off.

This is exactly what my wife...
Joe, look at me.

I'm not like you, okay?
I have a wife, kids, a mortgage, okay?

I was fine until you threw
that stupid article in my face

and gave me some...

What? What did
I give you, Gordon?

- Oh, go to hell, Joe.
- Good! Get angry, get angry!

Feel something,
like you did in that garage,

because this is the only way
we get what we want.

- There is no "we," Joe.
- There is now.

I was at COMDEX
two years ago.

I saw the Symphonic demo.
It was ahead of its time.

That was then, this is now...
and a year from now,

you're gonna thank me.
You're a builder, Gordon.

No, I'm not, okay?
Not anymore.

All right?
Get that through your head.

Hey.

- Yeah.
- Yes.

I figured
you needed a break.

Joanie:
Daddy, you fixed it!

Yeah, well, turn it on.

(toy beeps)
Hello, Joanie.

How'd you get it
to say my name?

Well, I programmed it.
Now spell something for me.

(both giggle)

Electronic voice:
D-A-D-D-Y.

What's that spell?

(dishes clatter)

Look, I've been awful.

I'm sorry.

I know you think
you need this.

And whatever it is,
I'm pretty sure I can't stop you.

Yeah, I know.
I've already stopped, okay?

Computers, my job...

none of that matters.

Not without you.

Build it.

Whatever it is you're
dreaming of, build it.

I know you
can make it great.

But here's the deal.

You wanna partner
with Joe MacMillan...

then you partner
with me and this family.

Yeah.

Deal.

Why can't we fire
these peckerheads?

Because then you'll
lose this lawsuit.

Fire them,
shelve their work,

you're essentially
admitting guilt.

Okay, so what's
the solution, Barry?

We legitimize the project.

- What?
- Go the other way.

We say Cardiff Electric
as a company

has been pursuing
PC development all along.

I don't see how the hell
that'd solve any...

You take Clark's findings
on the BIOS chip,

you tell an engineer to build a unit
that operates and performs

in exactly the same way,
but you don't tell him how to do it.

Hell, I don't think
we have one engineer

capable of building
a BIOS from scratch

other than "Sonny Bono"
over here.

And we can't use him or any other
engineer we currently employ.

So we have to hire?

Yes, someone
who doesn't know us or IBM

and certainly hasn't seen
the contents of this binder.

Essentially,
all the law stipulates

is that he can't be hands-on
in the actual chip creation.

- And we can't fire them.
- Barry: No, not right now.

So we get out of this
by actually building a PC clone?

This is your brilliant idea
to save our hides, Barry?

For God's sake, man!

No.

Actually,
it was MacMillan's.

You son of a bitch.

Now, why didn't you tell me
about this yesterday?

I needed you
to exhaust your options

so that you would
take this one seriously.

Do you know how many futures
you're toying with here, son?

Selling systems software,

I probably would've made you
a couple hundred thousand...

(screams) You listen to me, boy!
You listen to me!

I admire your tenacity,

but I draw the line at you
claiming that you did me a favor.

Don't screw this up.

'Cause in Texas,

you put a man's livelihood on the line
and you don't follow through,

there's not gonna be
another new job

'cause ain't nobody gonna be able
to find where you're buried.

You've got something
to say, Gordon?

No. No, sir.

Bosworth: Where are we gonna find
this new engineer?

We needed him yesterday.
IBM legal's here first thing tomorrow.

- I need time to vet a candidate.
- Barry: We don't have time.

You think IBM is just sitting around
on their asses?

Who do we have
right now, huh?

Who do we have right now?
(slams desk)

"Wanna Be Manor" plays

#I ended up
at the Wannabe Manor #

# Wannabe Manor,
what a place to be #

# Wannabe Manor,
is not for me... #

(bangs)

# I walked in the door,
pee on the floor #

# Looked on the floor,
spotted a whore #

# Drugs and filth
are all around #

# No clean dishes
can be found #

#If you thought
your nightmares were scary #

# Wait till you meet
the ho called Jeri... #

Next game.

(game buzzes)

(quarter clatters)

What the hell?
You've been on for over an hour.

Hey.

Get your hands
off me, man.

We're getting complaints.

Unbelievable.
You're gone.

Go!

Later, spooky bitch.

- Arcade employee: Hey!
- What?

- That's enough!
- Put me down!

- Come on!
- Let go of me!

Go!

(yells)

- Fascist!
- (coins clatter)

God.

Oh, Jesus.

No.

What?

Great.

(patrons chattering)

You know
I screwed him, right?

Let's be adult
about this.

You love talking down
to me, don't you?

Look, there are a thousand
other engineers we can get.

Preferably one
you haven't bedded down with.

Who are you again?

I'm the guy who figured out
the boot code in four days.

- What have you done?
- You heard him...

a thousand other engineers.

No.

You need me,
otherwise you wouldn't be here.

What do you want?

I want you to go dangle your little
opportunity in someone else's face.

Then why are you still here?

I wanted to see what
I was so wrong about the first time.

I regret that happened.

I'm sorry you feel bad
for hurting my feelings,

but don't worry, you didn't.

It wasn't supposed to be personal.
I was scouting you.

Scouting you
for this exact moment.

- Humph.
- No, wait.

This is too important
to get wrong.

"No one who matters
pays attention," right?

Okay, stop selling me.

I don't need you.

You think I don't see it?

This takes off,
I write my own ticket,

but if it goes wrong,
I'm a college dropout

repairing VCRs
for $3.25 an hour,

so forgive me
for weighing my options.

See?

Now you're thinking
like a professional.

How much money
would you give me?

Junior engineer,
no experience... 20 grand.

Double it.

- My wife makes 15 at TI.
- Well, then I feel sorry for her.

So?

What's it
gonna be, Joe?

"T he Magnificent Seven"
playing

# You lot! What? #

# Don't stop,
give it all you got #

# You lot! What? #

# Don't stop, yeah! #

# You lot! What? #

# Don't stop, yeah! #

# Working for a rise,
better my station #

# Take my baby
to sophistication #

# She's seen the ads,
she thinks it's nice #

# Better work hard,
I seen the price #

#Never mind that,
it's time for the bus #

# We got to work
and you're one of us #

# Clocks go slow
in a place of work #

# Minutes drag
and the hours jerk... #

Answer honestly.

This is
for legal record.

False answers put you
at risk of perjury, you understand?

I'm sorry, you have to answer
"yes" or "I do."

Cameron:
Oh, yes, I do.

Barry: Have you ever attempted
to disassemble or deconstruct

any product manufactured
by International Business Machines,

more commonly known
as IBM?

Uh, no, I have not.

Barry: Have you ever attempted
to reverse engineer

any product or equipment
made by IBM?

No, I have not.

Barry: Have you ever attempted
to reverse engineer

any microchips, microcode,
or any computer hardware

while under the employ
of a business or corporation?

No, I have not.

Bosworth:
Well, welcome...

to the tiniest,

leakiest lifeboat...

you ever tried
to paddle to shore in.

I had some numbers run,
looks like this PC business

is gonna cost us upwards of
a couple million dollars

just to get in the door.

So, in order to reach
that perfect world

where we actually
start selling things

rather than running
from the bogeyman,

there will be some rules.
One, no bullshit.

- Sorry, what constitutes bull...
- Whatever I damn say it is.

Two,

hours are now from when this meeting
is done until when you die.

And three, I know I can't
fire any of you yet,

but that also means
you can't leave,

so if I need to stomp
on one of y'all's heads

to feel better
about my morning shave,

whoa, you're gonna have
to find a way to deal with that.

Do you understand?

So, who's my boss
or whatever?

Both:
Me.

(door opens)

IBM is here.

Listen, keep
your stories straight.

You're gonna be
reciting them all day.

Joe, one more thing.

According to IBM,
you've been on the side of a milk carton

for about a year.

Yeah, I hired you.
I didn't check your references,

so whatever this is, son,
I'm on the hook for it.

You understand?

Yeah.

I've worked here
for 22 years.

I helped build this company
into what it is.

And you backed me into
a corner in my own home?

I'm never... I'm never
gonna forget that.

Never.

I'm gonna root through
your closets, boy.

Oh, I'm gonna pull
every loose thread.

- How are you? Dale.
- Good to see ya.

Good to see you.

John Bosworth, Miss Taylor.
We spoke on the phone.

This way.

Holy shit.

What are you trying
to prove with all this?

(theme music playing)