Halt and Catch Fire (2014–2017): Season 1, Episode 2 - FUD - full transcript

Taylor: When did Joe MacMillan
come to you with the idea

to reverse-engineer the IBM PC?

Um, ahem, that's factually incorrect.

John Bosworth and Nathan Cardiff
approached me

about a new PC program
on April 4th of this year.

IBM attorney:
Let me get this straight.

You were hired to write
a replica of our BIOS code,

but you won't be looking
at our BIOS code.

You seem like a good kid.

We're not here for you,
so why don't you just...

Look, I don't need
to look at your BIOS



because I'm not interested
in copying garbage.

Sure, I might decide I want to spend
the rest of my natural life

waiting to move an instruction
without a 16-bit bus,

but other than that,
I'm not looking at that binder.

- Then why you?
- Excuse me?

Why you?

You're a mainframe software engineer.

You certainly don't build anything.

Mr. Clark does not have
to theorize as to why...

I have more microcomputing
experience than anyone here.

Just so I understand,

you're saying that
your past failures in this area

somehow qualify you to spearhead
the Cardiff PC program?

IBM attorney:
What do you think they got her on for?



Four, five weeks?

However long it takes
to finish the BIOS.

Just so we're clear,
if you do decide to open this binder,

you'll be the first one
that goes to jail.

- (door closes)
- (turns water off)

You're up right now.

That ain't right.
It just ain't right.

Just go in.
Stick to the script.

You think this is easy?

Parrot out a couple of outright lies,

go home, sleep like a champ?

You got a lot to learn, son.

You don't think IBM's ever lied?

I don't know. Don't care.

Look, I need you to understand

that I did what I did
because it was right,

not just for me,
for you, for everybody.

If I'd come in here
a week ago and asked nicely,

you'd have laughed me
out of the room.

I'd have kicked your ass
is what I would've done.

And I still might.

(door opens)

Dale, no lawyers.

Why?

I know what you're gonna say.

You've coached your team well.

All we did was stay in bounds.

You tell the boys at Boca Raton

they've written a nice BIOS here.

It'll be tough to beat.

But rest assured, ours will contain
no copyrighted material,

Cameron Howe will be
completely isolated

in a clean room environment,

she'll have no contact
with Gordon Clark

or his reverse-engineering work.

Any similarities in the code
will be completely coincidental,

just like Columbia Data.

Just like Compaq.

You know the legal loophole
as well as I do.

Honestly, I don't care.

I'm more interested in
where the hell you've been

the last year and a half.

You left without saying good-bye.

Told any of your new friends
about that day?

Say all your ducks are in a row.

Maybe we just sue you anyway.

Just bury you in paperwork
and legal costs.

You see that gentleman out there?

That's our in-house counsel,
Barry Shields.

He costs Cardiff Electric
$55,000 a year,

and no matter how many
hundreds of lawyers

you drop from the sky,

we're gonna stick with Barry.

Just Barry.

We will ruin his life.

And if this ever goes to trial,
you'll lose...

'cause at the end of the day,
you have nothing.

Have a nice flight.

(car doors close)

- So, we're good.
- We're perfect.

So, hey, I write the BIOS code,
then what?

What exactly are we building?

(theme music playing)

That's physically impossible.

I mean, it's literally
a physics problem.

I don't understand.
This is seriously all we're building?

Look, you don't get it.
The market moves by increments.

The next machine that hits the shelves
is either faster or cheaper.

It can't be both, you know.

That's impossible. It's...

What are you talking about,
pure megahertz here, or...

- (pen clicks)
...or maybe we could...

we could crank up the crystal

or attack at the software.

Joe, that's interesting.
That's really interesting.

Wait, what? Back up!

This is nothing. This is boring.

This is a lawn mower
or a microwave.

Let me guess,
you're one of those idea people.

If by "idea people,"
you mean I'm familiar

with technology that wasn't
obsolete a decade ago.

Gordon: Have you ever even
touched a piece of hardware?

See, that's the problem
with you entitled school kids.

You've got a lot of fancy theories,

but you've never actually
been close to the metal.

...real theory is
that I want to do something

a little bit more than
two times everything

that everybody else is doing!

Computers should have
photo-realistic screens.

They should have a million pixels
and be self-learning

and run expert systems.

They should beat me at chess.

And maybe HAL can
have human emotions, too,

and steer the ship
while we're sleeping.

So we're just building
another boring beige box?

You're not building anything, okay?

- I am.
- What's that supposed to mean?

Hey, why are you two
still in the same room?

No, from here on in,
we do this thing aboveboard,

to the letter of the law.

And that means you two
don't so much as smile at each other

on your way to the ladies' room.

Fine, get her out of here.

Debbie, can you deal
with slim here?

So, what is it that y'all
are doing for us again?

Writing BIOS code.

It's "Basic Input Output Software."

It's what first runs
when you turn the computer on.

So, like WordStar?

So, BIOS boots the computer,

which allows you to load
the operating system

and then you can run WordStar.

So I can write a little love
letter to my boyfriend?

That right?

Yeah, something like that.

Welcome to the clean room.

You know, there's
a three-for-one sale

at Sanger's all weekend.

They got great stuff.

So, I have to stay here
while you write the...

The entire time?

Yeah, I'm legally required
to keep the clean room log.

Maintain the Chinese wall
between you

and that tainted engineer.

Okay, hey.

Listen up here, y'all. Hey!

I'm gonna catch up
on a few things here.

All right,
this here's Joe MacMillan.

He is the new... ahem...

Senior Product Manager

at Cardiff Electric's
new Personal Computer Division.

(chuckles)

Yeah, Joe comes to us
from IBM, sorta.

He's only been with us
a short while,

but he's already made
quite an impact.

- Joe, you wanna...
- Oh, thanks, John.

And I'd be remiss if I didn't say

that it wasn't your faith,
your foresight,

and, if you'II excuse me,

your brass balls that got us here.

(chuckling)

By moving forward
with this endeavor,

you have helped establish
Cardiff Electric

as an industry trailblazer
well into the 21st century.

A round of applause for John.

(applause)

Now, you may have heard
some rumors over this last week.

Perhaps you saw some unfamiliar
blue suits in the building,

heard the same whispers I did.

"Change is about to come down."

Well, I'm here today to tell you
that those rumors were true.

Change is coming to Cardiff,

and I'm pleased to announce
that each and every one of you

will have a role to play
in this company's bright future.

Now, I've only got two rules
for our new PC division.

One, let's have a lot of fun.

(applause)

And, two...

let's make a lot of money, right?

(applause)

And if we get one and two right,

well, we just might change
the way people work,

the way people live,

and how they interact
with each other.

We just might put a ding
in the universe, right?

- (applause)
- Hey, what's your name?

- Tara.
- Tara, so good to meet you.

- You know...
- Gordon, hi.

Can I just borrow you
for a second?

- Just one second.
- Yeah, sure.

Here we are. This is you.

Look who's moving up
in the world.

Now you got a window
and everything.

Jobs.
"Ding in the universe."

Steve Jobs,
the guy who runs Apple,

he said that a few years ago.

Yeah, I know. Isn't it great?

You should go home,
get a good night's sleep.

You've got a big day tomorrow.

Why?

Well, tomorrow you start
building tomorrow.

("Lido Shuffle" playing)

(singing with radio)
# Lido missed #

# The boat that day
he left the shack #

# Just long enough to grab
a handle off the top #

# Next stop Chi-town #

# Lido put the money down
and let it roll #

# He said one more job
oughta get it #

# One last shot 'fore we quit it #

# One for the road... #

- (horn honks)
- # Lido #

# Whoa-oh-oh-oh... #

("Pay to Cum" playing)

She says it helps her think.

(music gets louder)

- (music stops)
- I'm guessing this is you.

Oh, awesome.

Thanks.
He'll pay for it.

Do you wanna tell me
what you're doing?

Uh, writing BIOS for a machine
no one's gonna give a shit about.

(chuckles)

You're right. You're right.

Who cares about the machine?

What really matters are the people
who will use it.

If we lower the cost,
we lower their barrier to entry,

and by doubling the speed,
we allow them to do twice as much.

So, now we've got
twice as many people

using our computer
for twice as long.

Wow.

You practice that in a mirror?

Look, I don't think you appreciate

the opportunity we have here to...

Mm-mmm, I heard all about it.

"Have fun, make money."
And then a whole bunch of other shit

that you either made up entirely
or stole from someone else.

You're just a salesman.

(music resumes)

("Plain Sailing" playing)

So?

I think...
I'm not positive,

but I have good reason
to believe that...

we're gonna be okay.

- So, IBM and...
- Gone.

Joe was right.
We played 'em right out the door.

- So you're gonna get to...
- I start tomorrow...

- in my new office.
- Oh.

Window and everything.

Oh, look at you, big shot.

- Where are the kids?
- They're playing next door at the...

Hang on.

I'm trying to...

- Let's go to the bedroom.
- Okay.

I have to take Joanie
to the dentist tomorrow.

They might have to pull a tooth.

Mm.

You should stop by Cardiff.

I'm gonna have to
take her back to school.

Oh, come on.
I know she hates the dentist.

Maybe it'll be a treat to stop by
and see her daddy afterwards.

Besides, you can see my new office.

Who'd you get, by the way?

- Hmm?
- To write the BIOS?

I bet MacMillan had some
guy all lined up, right?

He did, yeah.

- Who?
- Cameron Howe.

What's his background?

Austin Tech, I think.

Well, he must be the real deal
if you're on board.

Yeah.

(clicking)

(groans)

(light switch clicks)

Anyway, I chased them blue bastards
out of town, I tell you what.

Can you imagine
the 'stangs go undefeated

and still miss out on Georgia?

Can you imagine
Dickerson in the Sugar Bowl?

Oh, he woulda run
all over them dogs, huh?

Mcllhenny still got
a good arm on him, though.

I tell ya, I bet he throws
for 1,000 yards this year

if he throws for a dozen.

Yeah.

Makes you want to suit up.
Doesn't it, Carl?

You were a pretty damn good
player in your day, you know?

So you think
you're gonna kick into

the player recruitment fund
this year?

I think I'm gonna
kick in big in the fall.

Mm, not sure yet.

Hey, Carl?

Hey, how we doing system-wise
over at your place?

Know what I'm gonna do?

I'm gonna send over
a couple boys with some upgrades,

just, y'know, to make sure

everything's running top-notch.
How about that?

You know? No invoices.
Huh-uh. No.

Just a favor between two 'stangs.

Great.

(racquetballs thumping)

(gasps)

Where is she?

I have no idea.

She's kind of interesting,
though, you know?

Wears those army clothes.

Why don't you get some air?

I'll deal with her from now on.

I gotta maintain
the clean room log.

Barry, you've got balls
on your face.

What?

- I'll handle it from here.
- I got what?

(marker squeaking)

(groans)

(door slams shut)

It occurs to me
that you think you can do

whatever you want here.

This isn't your playground,

and contrary to what
you might think,

I know what code looks like,
and this certainly isn't code.

You're right.

No, you're right.

Yeah, this isn't code.

As you can tell.

I'm trying to decide
if we need to do this multiplication

in order to align
on octal boundaries.

Now, my gut says,
and I'm sure you'd agree,

that we can do a shift-left-together

three-bit-zero fill to the right,

which is faster
and gives the same result

on the accumulator on the 186,

but... I don't know,

I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Joe: You're stuck.

Do you even know
what you're trying to do?

What, like you'd know?

(chuckles)

Give me a minute.

- Maybe I could help.
- (scoffs)

- (cap clicks)
- (marker clatters)

All right.

What are you doing?

I don't want to think
about this anymore.

- (unzips zipper)
- I need to clear my mind.

Then take a break.

(scoffs)

Like, we can get a soda
with Debbie

and the rest of the 700 Club?

I'm not them.

You need to go upstairs,
get back to your terminal.

(zips pants)

So, are we gonna do this,
or what?

(elevator dings)

Secretary: Cardiff Electric,
how may I direct your call?

- (whistles)
- Secretary: Please hold.

Gordon: I'll state for the record
again that we know nothing

about that girl
or what she's capable of.

You're right.
Once she writes the BIOS code,

- we should cut her loose.
- What do you mean?

As soon as she finishes
the BIOS code,

there's no more legal threat,
we don't need her anymore.

Oh, well, okay, yeah.
Yeah, good.

Good riddance.
Makes perfect sense to me,

but right now we need her
in the clean room.

Then you go down
and talk to her.

I'm not even supposed to be
on the same floor as her.

Look, if she's not at her desk
inputting keystrokes,

then she's not
writing BIOS code, okay?

We need her writing BIOS code.

Okay.

(elevator dings)

Mommy, I want to see.

Okay, but real quick, all right?

'Cause Mommy has to
go back to work.

- Hi.
- Hi.

(door opens, closes)

Donna: All right, get in there.
Let's take a look.

Do you see way back
in there?

That's right.
That's where it used to be.

It looks like the Grand Canyon
back there.

Tooth fairy's got
a good one for tonight.

It feels slimy on my tongue.

Sweetheart, that's gross.

Go ahead, wash your hands.

You all done, honey?

Gotta get the hard-to-reach ones.

Oh, Joanie.

I'm sorry,
we just came from the dentist.

(spits)

Um...

I'm Donna.

Cameron.

- Gordon: Oh, did that hurt?
- Joanie: Nope.

No way. Low five.

You are braver than brave, Dr. J.

All right, ladies.

I'll see you Saturday
for the soccer game.

And Vicki's gonna drop off

some homemade donuts
that are pow!

Real good.

Keep those knees high, Dr. J.

Thanks, Brian.

So, what do you think?

New office, my own office.

Not too shabby, huh?

You okay?

The dentist just went long.

Speaking of which,
we should probably get back.

You ready to go, monkey?

- Okay, well...
- Bye, Daddy.

- Bye, love you.
- Love you, too.

("Badly Bruised,
Slightly Stoned" playing)

Dude.

I don't need your help right now.

Look, I need this to be
what I need it to be,

not what you want it to be.

I need something
that runs IBM PC programs

faster than an IBM PC.

What? I told them I wouldn't
look at the original code.

I'd let you do this yourself
if we had the time, but we don't.

This gets us in a door
that's closing fast.

Once we're in, then we can handle
those big ideas of yours.

Yeah, if I copy that code,
I go to jail.

IBM knows you're gonna
look at this.

You change your BIOS
just enough to stay out of trouble.

Then, within a year,

our PC's on a shelf
right next to theirs.

That's how this works.
Come on, let's get in the game.

I'm working,
so why don't you go do

whatever it is
a product manager does?

(book thuds)

Jesus.

Mm, that was great.

Can I take that?
Are you done?

Here, no, let me get that.

- No, no, I got it.
- No, let me get it.

Thanks.

Mm-hmm.

So, did you get
back to work okay today?

No, not till after 3:00.

Thank God Hunt didn't notice.

Look, Cameron's a girl, okay?
She's a girl.

I'm sorry, I don't know why
I didn't tell you that.

Cameron Howe is a girl.

Joe hired her.
It was his call.

I said girl, but she's weird.

She did go to Austin Tech, but...

I met her today.

Oh, why didn't you say anything?

Why didn't I say anything?

Look, don't worry, okay?

She's just writing the BIOS
and then bon voyage.

Yeah, well, let's just hope
Joe was right.

("Blank Generation" playing)

(chatter)

#I was sayin',
"L et me out of here" #

# Before I was even born #

# It's such a gamble
when you get a face #

# It's fascinatin' to observe... #

(scoffs)

#When I dine,
it's for the wall that I set a place #

- # I belong to the blank generation #
- (groans)

#And I can take it
or leave it each time #

# Well, I belong
to the generation, but #

#I can take it
or leave it each time #

- # I belong to the blank generation #
- What?

#And I can take it
or leave it each time #

# Well, I belong
to the generation, but #

#I can take it
or leave it each time #

# Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh #

# Ooh, ooh,
ooh, ooh #

# Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh #

# We-ooh. #

Excuse me, miss?

Miss, we need to talk to you.

- Hey!
- What? Okay, I'II pay for it.

We've got an opportunity
we want to talk to you about.

- Hey, Maylene?
- Maylene: Yes?

Why can't I get
Carl Suberry on the phone?

- Let me try his office.
- No, I tried his office...

and tried his home

and tried that car phone
thing he's got.

You know, what about
Jeff Martin over at EDS?

His office says
he's still in a meeting.

(scoffs)

(frantic chatter)

Salesman:
ClubSys is also pulling out.

Salesman #2:
Get him on the phone.

Get him now.

Salesman #3:
Yes, sir.

John:
What the hell is going on?

Salesman #3:
That is actually... yes, sir.

Salesman #4:
That's three off the board.

Turner, what are you doing?

- What's happening?
- We just lost Granger to IBM.

Get him back on the phone.
Get him back...

John, we're being raided.

Here, is that Jim?
Jim, Jim, Jim.

Hey, Jimmy.
Hey there, hey there.

Let me walk you back, now.
Let me walk you back.

We've been in business 11 years.

I'd hate to see you hightail it
to IBM now. Come on, Jim.

They're de-installing
all Cardiff systems

at Texas Communications.

Well, do something about it,
Gordon.

God... get Jim back on the line.

IBM is undercutting us by 300 grand.

- Get him on the phone now!
- Okay, I'm sorry.

Is this Bill?
Hey, Billy, how are ya?

No, no, let me
talk you down now, friend.

Come on. Hold on.

We've lost American Airlines,
Texas Comm, ClubSys,

EDS, General Dynamics,
and seven others.

Let me help.

You've been here 10 days,
for God's sake.

I know this business.

Son, this is about relationships.

It's something
you wouldn't understand.

Here, talk him back.
Get out of my way.

Salesman: Bill, yeah.

Carl, come on, now.

Carl, it's John here.

Don't do this to me.

Come on, Carl.
You gonna make me beg for this?

Fine.

Fine, you wanna jump ship,
you climb aboard with IBM,

you be my guest.

But you just remember
it was me that computerized

your outhouse of a company
15 years ago.

Yeah? Yeah, well, you were
a lousy receiver

whose ass rode the bench

better than he ever ran
a damn route, Carl!

(sighs)

Carl's a no.

Then assuming ADP stays out...

15 accounts lost,
the top three of which

represent 68% of our core billing.

Oh, God.

So, um, how severely
will these setbacks

affect the new PC program
in terms of...

Without these 15 clients,

and given its current
overhead burn and size,

Cardiff Electric will be able
to maintain operation

for a little less than two months.

Two months?

John:
Did you get that, Gordon?

- (thuds)
- Two months?

John: Because what Alan is saying,
and I wanna be clear on this,

is that IBM just sliced our throats

and left us to bleed out
like a hog on a hook,

and come next week,
half those people out there,

they're gonna be out of a job,
out on the street,

because of your personal computer.

You know this
would happen, though.

It's all part of the plan.

Tell me you have a plan, Joe.

- (sighs)
- Wow.

Wow.

You were just pretending.

You're like one of those guys
who goes out

and reads "Catcher in the Rye"
too many times

and then decides
to shoot a Beatle.

Only in this story,
I'm the Beatle.

Because you read
my article in a magazine.

You read my article
and you made a plan

and never once did you stop
to think that something like...

you just recited your magic words
with a big, awful smile?

(crashes)

(clanking)

Where is it?

Come on, where is it?

(crashing)

Joe?

(panting)

Where is she?

The BIOS.

What?

Where's the binder, Joe?

Please tell me you didn't
give her the binder.

The assembly language code,
the IBM BIOS.

Damn it, you wanted her
back on track!

Don't put this on me!

You basically told me
to give it to her!

We're going to jail.

We're not going to jail.
There's always another move.

There was. It was don't
give her the binder.

Maybe she's not gone.
Maybe she just stepped out.

Look, she's not here.
She's sure as hell not at her terminal.

And since we know absolutely
nothing about this girl,

unless she's
in the ladies' room, we are...

Look at this.

The way she shortcuts the...

What a mess.

No. No.

No, it's brilliant.

It's brilliant.

(chatter)

(chatter stops)

That's a cassette system.

New on the market.

I could take a little
bit more off that for you.

("Jazz Spot" playing)

They's marked
for the recession, you know.

I mean, I don't mean to
chalk it up to stagflation,

just can't seem
to move any product.

But you know how that is, right?

You're a salesman.

(snaps fingers)
I knew it.

Birds of a feather.

So you're going out of business?

Yeah, I can't remember
my last customer.

I'm a customer.
Sell me a stereo.

Okay.

That's the MRF-1080.
True reference system, moving coil...

What's your problem?

- Excuse me?
- Where did you go wrong?

Why is this store
going out of business?

There must be a reason.
I want to know what it is.

Beats me. I mean,
the sound quality's great.

People just don't wanna invest...

You just didn't see it coming.

Look, man, I don't know
what this is about, but...

- (songs overlapping)
- Hey, don't do that.

Hey, man, don't b... you touch it,
you gotta buy it, all right?

You're gonna blow out the speakers!

- Isn't that your job?
- Come on!

If you can't see it,
why are you even here?

I'm calling the cops.

(music continues playing)

(doorbell rings)

This'll only take a minute.

Cozy.

What do you want?

(chuckles)

Sadly, I can't stay.

Headed back on
the 9:30 red-eye tonight.

Wanted to take care of one last thing
before we left, though.

When you walked out,
you never gave formal notice.

Back wages.

You had some vacation days
in the system you never used.

$615.38.

- There you go.
- (latches clicks)

$615.38.

I did over $2 million worth of damage
to the data center.

Yeah, well,
after the insurance claim,

we ended up making money
on that deal, too.

Consider your IBM employee file
officially closed.

That is, unless you come back with us
on the plane tonight.

We even booked you a seat,
just in case.

It's business class, aisle.

It's pretty nice.

I like it here.

Well, I promised your old man
I'd give it a shot.

Hmm.

I'd say he'll be disappointed,

but he's pretty disappointed already.

You may like it out here now,

but...

let's see what happens
when they find out

what you really are.

(laughs)

(door opens)

(engine starts)

("Lido Shuffle" playing)

(turns engine off)

- Hey, where is it?
- (car door closes)

- Where's what?
- The binder, the BIOS.

Did you give it to IBM?

What am I really here for, huh?

What, four or five weeks,
as long as it takes to write it, right?

Then what? I'm gone?

What? No.

N-no, no, who told you that?

Portability.

People need to be able
to take it anywhere.

It's going to have a handle.

A handle?

Oh, my God, Joe.
I gotta give it to you.

This changes everything.

A handle.
What a revolutionary idea.

So it's still a piece of shit copy
of a boring box?

Joe, she gave the binder to IBM.

You did what?

I never said
I gave the binder to IBM.

- Then where is it?
- What does it matter?

You were gonna fire me
after the BIOS anyway.

- Yeah, can you blame us?
- Oh, so it's true.

Fantastic.

Not to worry, IBM offered me a job,
triple the salary, so...

Excellent, excellent.
It's a great place to work.

I could write you
a recommendation.

- Would you?
- That's right.

That's right,
you used to work at IBM.

That was before you came here

and ruined several people's lives
and an entire company.

Before me, you were boozing,
not building,

and your balls were in a box
by your wife's bedside table.

Stop it, man!

Holy shit.

I was nine.

There were some boys
at my school who used to...

chase me.

I didn't care about
the New York Giants like they did.

I cared about Sputnik.

I was nuts about it.
I was passionate.

Nobody told me yet that adults

are supposed to be ashamed
of those feelings.

I learned that lesson
the night the Colts beat the Giants.

'58 Championship,
greatest game ever played,

and I didn't see a single snap.

I was hooked up
to machines at St. Peter's.

To this day,
I don't blame them.

I don't think they meant
to chase me off the roof.

After IBM, I went across the country

just looking for answers.

I'd read your article
and I couldn't stop thinking about it.

Open architecture,
the idea of it.

As a way of life.

It kept me up at night.
It made me that kid again,

and I tracked you
down to COMDEX

and watched
as they chased you, too,

and your beautiful machine
right off the ledge.

And you, when I saw you,

everything about you
threatens people.

I thought that maybe
we could do this

precisely because
we're all unreasonable people

and progress depends
on our changing the world to fit us.

Not the other way around.

I want to believe that.

I must believe that.

Tomorrow, I will
show up at 7:00 A.M.

And I will keep going.

You don't have to join me, but...

something tells me

you both need this
just as much as I do.

(elevator dings, doors open)

Hey.

Greatest game ever played?

My dad used to tell me bedtime
stories about it as a kid.

Overtime, Raymond Berry's
12 receptions, all that.

The game was December '58.

Sputnik came down
almost a year before that.

Is that right?

(theme music playing)