6/5.                                                     6/51A.

                                 VANGUARD
                   How much time have we've got?                      **

           BECKETT hits some keys and a ticking clock graphic
           appears at the bottom of the screen. 00:27:00...
           00:26:59... etc.

                                BECKETT
                   Computer projection...around 27
                   minutes...

                                 VANGUARD
                   And what about this patch of red?

           He indicates a single spot of bright red.

                                  BECKETT
                   That's Ed. Hottest thing in the
                   vault by far.

           They turn to a black and white security monitor,
           which shows the inside of the vault. ED is sitting
           on a pile of gold bars.

   6/52.   INT. VAULT. EEMC.\INTERCUT WITH                     6/52.
   6/52A.   INT. VAULT CONTROL. EEMC. NIGHT.                   6/52A.

            ED is sitting on a stack of gold bullion. He has an
            ingot of gold in his hand and examines it closely.
**          He reacts to the increasing warmth of the gold.           **

**
*+
            ED looks up to the security camera lens.

                                   ED
**                  The gold's heating up. It's                       *+
                    starting...

            In the Control Room, ED's voice comes through a
            speaker.

            BECKETT operates an intercom.

                               BECKETT
                  Is there anything you can do to
                  stop the microbe spreading?

                                  ED
                  It's invisible Beckett - what
**                can I do, unless...if only I                           **
                  could cool it down.  Maybe I can
                  find something in here.

**        He starts to move, but a noise from the ceiling
          makes him break off and look up. A ceiling panel
          slides back and a telescopic metal rod extends
          vertically downwards.  On the tip of the rod is an
          infra-red movement detector and what looks like a
          high energy weapon.

          The weapon and the detector rotate on a 360 degree
          axis - as if searching for something.

                                  ED
                  What's that?

          VANGUARD is watching ED on a monitor.

                                 VANGUARD
                  Oh, no...

                                 BECKETT
                  What's wrong?

                                 VANGUARD
                  The threat analyser has profiled Ed as
                  an intruder: that's a Motion Detection
                  and Disabling Unit.

                                BECKETT
                  "Disabling"?

                                VANGUARD
                  A euphemism.   It activates after
                  someone's been in the vault ten
                  minutes without authorisation.

          BECKETT leans to the mic, urgently.

          In the Vault ED is already running.

                                  ED
                  I heard ...

                                BECKETT
                  No.!   Freeze!!!

          ED does as instructed as -
          FFFZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!!

          The Disabling Unit fires a lethal laser at a point
          just in front of ED. The laser beam strikes the
          floor of the vault. Sparks fly.  ED stands stock
          still, not daring to blink.

  6/53.   INT. VAULT CONTROL. EEMC. NIGHT.                    6/53.

          BECKETT turns to VANGUARD.

                                 BECKETT
                  Motion-detectors?

                                 VANGUARD
                                  (nods)
                  The MDU locks on to any
                  movement faster than half a
                  centimetre per second.

                                  BECKETT
**                Ed stopped just in time. It
                  fired at the position it thought
**                he would be in...

                               VANGUARD
                  Yes...

                               BECKETT
                  And I don't suppose your
                  machine's set on a shoot to
                  wound programme?

                                 VANGUARD
                  It's ... deadly. I'm afraid. And
                  very efficient.