from?
ALEC
58 Eridani. It's a star about forty three
light years away.
STEVE
(raising his beer)
To The E.T. Signal of 2018 by Alec
Strickland.
They clink clumsily. Race to the bottoms of their drinks.
Kristin wins. She rises victoriously. Moves into the kitchen.
KRISTIN
(with an exaggerated slur)
Another round, boys?
STEVE
Sure.
Kristin reenters the living room. Hands them each a beer, then drops into a recliner.
Steve grabs his beer and stands up.
STEVE (CONT’D)
Come on. I want to show you two the
aircar.
KRISTIN
You guys go ahead. I'm pretty comfy at
the moment.
Alec and Steve head outside.
EXT. DRIVEWAY - ALEC'S HOUSE - DAY
A 1975 CADILLAC pulls in behind the sloppily parked aircar lying at the top of the driveway.
The Cadillac's driver side window lowers. The driver is a scrawny, red headed, pale, freckled faced girl. She is TARA.
TARA
(to Steve)
You bought an aircar?
STEVE
Look whose talking, Miss gas guzzler.
TARA
Where's your little brother?
STEVE
JEREMY will be by later.
ALEC
I didn't expect to see you here tonight?
TARA
Kristin invited me.
ALEC
You're driving a Cadillac? I thought you
were an environmentalist?
TARA
I think I've earned a little leeway.
They all enter the house.
INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT
The party is in full swing. Fifteen guests are present.
Jeremy, 18, small build, is conversing with Tara.
Alec scowls as he eyes Tara from across the room.
Steve is standing next to Alec.
TARA
The International Reforestation Coalition
has done more to improve the planet than
all the governments combined.
JEREMY
How do you figure?
TARA
In the last five years, we've planted
nearly a billion trees. Those trees
convert several million tons of carbon
dioxide into oxygen every year.
Tara notices Alec's displeasure. She smiles insincerely.
ALEC
I can't believe your brother is
interested in Tara. All she ever talks
about is the INRC.
STEVE
She's easy and he's eighteen. It ain't
rocket science, Alec.
JEREMY
How much carbon dioxide is released into
the atmosphere by a single tree?
TARA
