Old Code Wrecking Yard December 28th 1996 (You entered from the Back Door)
Note to producers/screenwriters; This was written back in 1996, it may need editing regarding the talk about code; the object here is to show Link's confusion with code even though he is familiar with computer vernacular; this is just a storyboard of sorts. These scenes should have a comic book character to them.
Scene: Old wrecking yard office, the junked cars and car parts long gone, the space that they left filling rapidly with old code.
Time frame: 1994. Samson, sitting on the floor contemplating, trying to visualize a picture in his mind of how to best utilize the old code that is piling up in the yard. Once he opened the gates and advertised on the Net that he would re-cycle all the old and vacated Home Page Web Site code cluttering up ISP's around the world, his modems have been stuck wide-open with gig's of old code pouring in. He never expected nor dreamed of this response. Now, for the first time ever he is questioning his ability to function.
History: In 1992 Samson and his partner Jaseen, founded Future-Link, a local Northern California ISP. Now, two years later, they have 3,000 dialup customers. Samson is more the entrepreneur than the technician, so when he called for the old code he wasn't exactly sure what he was doing. His main technician, Derrick, is deep in the woods up in Mendocino doing a silent retreat, leaving Samson dazed and confused.
The office is quickly filling with code, it is up to his waist when suddenly Ma-Chine knocks, opens the door and walks in stepping over the code that is now pouring out the open door. Taking one look at Samson she says: "Hey dude! Take a break. You look terrible."
Samson breaks from his deep thoughts, turns his head to Ma-Chine who is already busy sweeping code out the door. She is wearing black dress boots, black tights, a dark red skirt, a bright red lightweight long sleeved sweater and an old Levi jacket. Her light brown hair is wrapped in a long braid.
"Whew. Thanks Chine for bringing me back!" he exclaims as he stands up brushing code from his legs, "I was stuck in some 60's retro flashback, except that I was in the future. I was confused Chine! I have never been confused before in my life."
Samson walks over and looks out the window into the yard, sure enough it is filling with old code. He shakes his head clear. "I should have listened to Jaseen on this one, she told me that I was way to far out with this reclaiming old code thing. I think that every server in the world is dumping their excess code on me."
"Relax Samson, I have all afternoon to take care of it. Why don't you go up to the cabin and be quiet with Derrick. I'll call Jaseen and tell her that you are taking a break. "
Chine smiles, takes his hand and walks him outside to his silver BMW sedan.
"I never saw you like this Samson, you okay now?" Chine asks, with concern in her voice.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Fine."
"Okay, but I suggest that you get rid of this virtual office and get back to the real thing."
"Right Ma, you take care of the move for me okay?"
"I'm already on it. And I’ll call Link to help with the code problem."
Samson drives away feeling relieved that Chine is back from that New York recording gig.
On the phone straight away, Ma-Chine, speaking to Link, is becoming as confused as Samson was.
"Listen Link, tell me in simple terms how to re-route all this code down to Cuba! Is this something that I can do? Nobody anywhere else would want it. I heard that Castro has blocked 95% of Internet transmissions in and out of Cuba. We need to get rid of it. Derrick is not connected, so you are the only one that I can turn to. So come on! What do I do?"
"Chine, listen closely here, I have it all figured out, well, almost."
Link smiles, thinking; I hope that I can pull this off. I wonder what Ma-Chine tried to do, and how does she know about the code shortage in Cuba?
Link, being trained by Derrick, is a programmer who dropped out ten years ago, and is working his way back into the computer mind set. He is learning networking at Future-Link.
"Chine, do this, you telnet in, use a professional editor vi or pro e-mail mutt, or news slrn, or a unix box can do for the power-user." He drones on; "You need an access code which is fnc/lorn:mk0o4hzk, use Cuba's international area code. Check back with me at my work machine, my addresses are...hum..."
Talking again to himself; I have 10MB feed warwagen.flash.net 209.30.2.210 dedicated modem and IP address of 209.30.164.81 hostnames free.flash.net and an alias of organic.flash.net same machine-2 names. Apache web server on both. I'm probably confusing Ma-Chine now! Shoot, I’m getting confused. I should be waxing my car. Lord, I had better put up a firewall to try and stop the incoming code first off!
Link, speaking faster now; actually babbling,
"Chine, I'm trying to connect www.digibeam.net which should get to a line into Cuba. I don't think that they even have a T-1 into the country. I am going to try and connect with Columbus! (A Cuban BBS) While I have a connection, I am going to send them down some gimp. Unix loves gimp, the mini Adobe of UNIX that can squeeze graphics into an atom. A big deal to the connected digerati there are the first versions of Netscape and Eudora. Most computers are using Mosaic! They need this used code."
Scene Note: Link appears to be about to pull out his hair, sweat forms on his forehead and he sounds as though he is speaking nonsense. There is chaotic confusion in a comical vein here.
Damn, I'm making history, Link muses. Maybe I'll hold off on the firewall. Then continues rambling on to Chine,
"When all this El sof code hits the island, look out!
Chine begins to laugh, cutting Link off, "Link, wait, stop! You're kidding me right? I'm a candidate for an MBA, not Computer Science. If it was making a phone call I'd be on it. Listen, you take care of rerouting the code! I'm going over to Fath's and rehearse those two new songs of his. Bye."
Ma-Chine hangs up, leaving Link to ponder the code problem who is thinking, why don't I just program a firewall that blocks any code from coming in, Cuba will catch up without our help eventually; and I can go wash my car.
Read a Memo from Ma-Chine; who am I ?
Get me out of the wrecking yard & back to Link
Link is trying his best to get all these years down in writing and is being bogged down in confusion & details but eventually he'll get it together, and to top it off he is still working on speaking in the first person!