the real reason i thought about this is because of that cowboy bebop post about ave maria.
but then i saw the rest of it.
[audio transciption, The West Wing. “The Crackpots and These Women,” Season 1, Episode 5. Airdate: October 20, 1999. Writ. by Aaron Sorkin.]
FADE IN: INT. JOSH’S OFFICE - NIGHT
Schubert’s “Ave Maria” is playing in the boom box. Josh is sitting in his chair, thinking deeply. From outside, we hear C.J. knocking. Josh doesn’t answer. C.J., carrying a glass of wine, opens the door and walks in.
C.J.
Josh? I was knocking but you didn’t answer.
JOSH
I didn’t hear the door.
JOSH
I think I’m ready to brief the President on the smallpox article.
C.J.
Why don’t you forget about that for tonight, and come have some chili? Everyone’s there.
JOSH
C.J., an N.S.C. staffer gave me a card with instructions on it for what I’m supposed to do in the event of a nuclear attack. They want me up in the plane or down on a bunker. They don’t want you… or Sam, or Toby, for that matter. I didn’t want to be friends with you and have you not know.
C.J.
Josh, have you been upset about this?
C.J.
You’re very sweet sometimes. You really are.
C.J.
Of course, they don’t want me, Josh. I’m a press secretary. I don’t think they’re gonna be issuing a whole lot of releases. Sam and Toby are communications and my guess is that speech writing won’t be a priority either. Come, have some fun. [starts to go to the door]
JOSH
[points at the boom box] This is a beautiful piece of music. Do you know this?
C.J.
[turns back] I’m Catholic.
JOSH
Hang on. Listen. Listen. [goes to the boom box and slowly turns up the volume. A high voice in the choir sings and Josh is moved] There, right there. It’s… miraculous. [beat] Schubert was crazy, you know.
JOSH
Do you think you have to be crazy to create something powerful?
C.J.
Josh, the cold war is over. There’s not gonna be a nuclear…
JOSH
God, C.J. It’s not gonna be like that. It’s not gonna be the red phone and nuclear bombs.
JOSH
It’s gonna be this. It’s gonna be something like this. Smallpox has been gone for 50 years. No one has an acquired immunity. Flies through the air. You get it… you carry a ten foot cloud around with you. One in three people die. If 100 people in New York City got it, you’d have to encircle them with 100 million vaccinated people to contain it. Do you know how many doses of smallpox vaccines exist in the country? Seven. If 100 people in New York City get it, there’s gonna be a global medical emergency that’s gonna make HIV look like cold and flu season. That’s how it’s gonna be, a little test tube with a-a rubber cap that’s deteriorating… A guy steps out of Times Square Station. Pshht… Smashes it on the sidewalk… There’s a world war right there.
C.J.
We’ll make more vaccine. [turns to the door]
JOSH
You better hurry ‘cause I’m the only one with one of these cards.
C.J.
Come have chili. The President’s asking for you.
JOSH
Yeah, I’ll be right there in a minute.
C.J.
You really are very sweet sometimes. [exits]