Law of the Wood [3]
An Original Motion Picture - Script
Written by: L T Hunter
[Fade in: Mountainside just above treeline,
helicopter in the distance approaching, winterscape,
a crystal clear blue sky, man out on the skid in a shieldsuit.]
Narrative:
‘There’s always ah’ been three things, that I’ve been afraid of, a fear of women, fear of heights and being electrocuted. Most people would say that I’m addicted to adrenalin. Most say I am a thrill seeker. And I’ll admit, I’ve always been in a habit of proving myself. It was all about feeling that sensation of fear. But, I first decided to do this job because of the money. The fact that I make more in a week, than most other people make all year. It gives me a freedom, when I take risks like no one else. I always admired my father, and it was me proving to myself that I was a man. There have been days when I regretted the decision. Those thought disappear, right about the time I get on the skid for my ride to work.’
[Cut: Chase camera, from same elevation, slightly above the large forboding electrical power line tower, it’s three huge cables illuminated ghostly with a luminescent glow called a corona effect. Reaching out from the skid, the man touches a wand to the wire. As he does, a huge arc of electricity jumps to the wand. Holding the wand to the surface of the wire, he takes a spring-loaded clamp, with a wire attached to the helicopter, and connects the clamp to the wire. Now the helicopter and the powerline are both energized at the same energy level. As he does, the helicopter, the skid and everything connected to the powerline shares the same eerie glow.]
Narrative:
‘They call it a hot zone. A place where a digital watch will die in less than a second. A place where a wedding-band will induct enough electricity to burn through your finger. The hot zone is that place were we make our money. It is the area around the power line while under load. This one is electrically energized to several million volts. Enough to generate a field of flux, or electromagnetic radiation which surrounds the cable, while it delivers this energy between two points. This line connects two major cities. The greater the amount of power, the greater the distance away from the wire the effect can be felt. Even in this suit, it feels like I’m covered in angry hornets. The radiation tends to form little hot spots, like in the folds of the suit, and especially around metal tools. Sometimes, I could swear you could cut it with a knife. The field, and the fear. Today I am making sure that this line will continue to work flawlessly for another decade. The only thought going through my head is the next move in a well orchestrated routine. One mistake is too many.’
[Cut: Chase camera, from above looking down from overhead, to the ground far below. The man from the skid, replaces a broken piece along the length of the powerline mid-span. Working quickly, he detached the spacer, throwing it into a basket behind him. His hands seem guided automatically. A well-practiced routine is obvious. The pilot looks over to the man on the skid. They communicated with nods, and hand signals, even though both wear, albeit somewhat colorful, flight helmets.]
Narrative:
‘The pilot is the real expert. Flying one of these things is a lot like balancing the tip of one pencil upon the tip of another, while sitting on a spinning merry-go-round. I could never do his job. As I doubt he would want to do mine. The fact that he’s flying a helicopter isn’t as impressive as the fact that he seems to be able to read my mind. Not to mention he’s flying right next to a power line. Cross-winds, wind-shears, temperature shifts called thermals, as well as rain and several hundred other things which cause transistional lift, always seem to want to pull those spinning rotors over our heads, into the high-voltage power-line. One wrong move, from either of us, and both our checks go to the next of kin.’
[Cut: Three-quarter view from below, showing how high off the ground the helicopter is and that the powerline is actually moving in the wind. So is the pilot, matching the oscillations in the wire, gently swaying back and forth like a cork, on a ripple of the pond. The man on the skid takes the wand back to the line, then disconnects the clamp returning it to its place on the helicopter. Slowly the helicopter moves away, and as this happens the man on the skid removes the wand, as the arc forms again until it is broken by the distance away from the wire. The helicopter gains momentum and travels along the line at a clip to the next problem area, down the hill and up along the next ridge. All the while the man on the skid stares at the line, inspecting it for failures. They can see damage along the three runs of powerline as the glow tends to gets brighter where there are problems.]
Narrative:
‘Somtimes my mind tends to wander when we’re out here on patrol. After a while, even the thrill of being on this skid wears off. Tower after tower, mile after mile it’s all the same thing. It’s times like this I recount old stories. I’ve had many apprentices, and here is the story of one I found most interesting.’
_____________________________ End of scene


