Original subtitles

[Phone ringing]

(phone ringing)

[Alarm ringing]

[Alarm ringing]

It was Dr. McBalton who brought it last night.

Outstanding. This is excellent.

It's from Wrench.

Every hacker in America has heard of him. He's legendary.

Let's try it.

I don't know.

Let's try the password.

Accepted it.

prompt. Weird, it forced me off the line. Does this mean even the mighty Sysop is confused?

No, it means your systems operator has been presented with a challenge. A challenge Sysop

will solve given little time.

[music]

(audience cheering)

- Hey, I've got some good news.

Guess what?

- They're issuing earplugs for the dance tonight.

Just kidding, you sounded great.

- Thanks, but anyway, I've got some big news.

Monumental news.

I've got enough money to buy Johnny's car.

- Really?

- Really.

- Right!

- Do you know what this means?

We could go to the beach, to the movies,

any time we want.

I'm getting 25 bucks for playing tonight.

My brother's giving me my birthday present early.

That's another 25.

I've got $400 saved, and my mom is lending me $25 and not telling my dad.

Oh, Ham, that's only $475.

Oh, well, you see, I thought you guys would lend me the last $25.

Well, come on, it would be like your car, too.

What do I need a car for? I don't even have my license yet.

What about us? Do we get to drive it?

Well, sure.

Well, I mean, well, after a couple of days, maybe.

Oh, come on, guys. My brother needs the money real soon.

If I don't buy it, someone else will.

I guess I could chip in five dollars.

You can put me down for ten.

Ten bucks, huh?

You better let me drive.

All right, we're mobile!

[Music]

Richie, dinner's ready.

There were five more attempted penetrations last night, two so far this morning from Hawaii.

It's just after midnight in Hawaii.

So far nine have managed to compromise the system and gain access to low-level files.

This is incredible.

How the hell are they getting inside the military phone network, and what are we doing about

it?

The FBI's moving on anyone who actually gains access.

Has the president been informed?

No, sir.

We thought you should make that decision.

Six-thirty.

I'll wait till seven.

Think I've got it.

need. Ritchie, I think Herman has a bug in his chest program. I think I've got it. About

time. Really? Every time the host computer got an ASCII character, it forced a line termination.

But when it got a non-ASCII character, it waited for the next character, then terminated.

When Ralph said a HEXI II, it didn't terminate. So, what does that mean? What means that if

12 cents at a hexi too before every character the host computer should accept it so try it

All right, we're in. Who wants to be first?

I do.

Menu.

What's the National Security Agency?

I don't know. I've never heard of it before.

...classified data exchange.

I don't know what kind of data they classify.

- And the security level nine.

How many security levels are there?

- Well, there's only one way to find out.

- I think we require instructions.

- You look really beautiful tonight, Cheryl.

- Thank you, you look beautiful, too.

All units move in. Move in now. This is Blocker. Let's do it.

Would you like to go to the movies tonight, Shero?

Yes, that would be very nice.

Would you like some popcorn?

Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation.

This is official government business.

We have arrest warrants and a search warrant.

- Oh no, Richie.

- We're with the FBI.

I'm afraid all four of you are under arrest.

Whose computer is this?

- It's mine.

- And your?

- Richie Adler.

- Right, come on kids, let's go.

Seize the computer, all magnetic media,

hard copy, manual, notes, take everything.

- Hey, come on, this is a joke, right?

I always knew something like this would happen.

(siren blaring)

- I know what time it is, dear.

Please, just ring the number.

Please.

What?

Hello? Hello?

It's okay, it's okay.

They're going to be arraigned in superior court.

They're what?

The judge says the fact that they accessed an NSA computer

computer meant they had knowledge and expertise equivalent to an adult's NSA

computer national security agency some people wonder if they even exist you

know they're more secret than the FBI and the CIA put together what does it

mean they're going to be arraigned in superior court

that means that that they're going to be tried as adults

(sirens blaring)

(drums beating)

- Pam!

Pam!

(drumming)

- Pam!

I'm sorry to have to tell you this,

but you are not going to be performing tonight.

- Why not?

- Pam, you and Alice and Jeremy and Richie

were arraigned in court today on a criminal charge.

Any sort of involvement like that in a criminal allegation

suspends any student from any extracurricular activity.

- I'm not a criminal, Ms. Vance.

- I know that, Pam.

I'm sure the four of you didn't realize

what you were getting into.

I really believe that.

- This is the first time we're gonna play,

you know, the band in front of all the kids?

- I know that.

There'll be other dances.

- The band can't play without a drummer.

- No, we're gonna set up a stereo and speakers

like the mixer last time.

You know, 45s and LPs.

I-- I can't go.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

Dad, yeah, I, I gotta, I have to, no, no, I'm okay, I just, I gotta come home.

Could you please come get me? So, Pop, what am I gonna get?

I wouldn't be flippin' if I were you.

This is no joking matter, Jeremy.

What is it then?

I mean, how was I supposed to know we were getting into some big old government computer?

Even Richie didn't know what the National Security Agency was.

Maybe if you could sit down with me and watch the news sometimes

instead of running off to the other television,

you'd know what was going on in the world.

What are we supposed to do?

Nothing.

Until a pre-trial hearing?

Nothing.

Oh yes, Mr. Jackson doesn't want you to see your friends until this is all over.

see my friends which friends Richie Alice and Ham you're not supposed to talk to

any of them especially Richie

you can't tell me not to talk to the others the four of us were in this

together no Alice I hate to correct you but you're wrong if it comes to trial

each of you will be tried individually oh then I can say that's all Richie's

And Jeremy's supposed to say that it's all my fault?

And everybody's supposed to point the finger at everybody else? Is that it?

It was Richard Adler's computer. It was in Richard Adler's house.

Richard has a reputation for being a computer genius of some sort.

Honey, Richie is the only one who could have really done this.

You certainly couldn't have done it without his help.

You don't know enough about computers or a computer network.

I know more than you think.

What if I told you that I was the one sitting at Ralph's terminal the first time he got in?

What if I told you that I was the one that punched in yes when the NSA computers asked us if we wanted to go on?

Alice, I, uh, Alice, I wouldn't pass that around. No.

I wouldn't repeat that to anybody.

Why, it's the truth. That's what they'll say when they're up on the chair or stand or whatever.

[crying]

No, I'm doing it.

Doing what?

Thinking of Richie and Jeremy and him like they're my enemies.

They're not, they're my friends.

[crying]

I'm sorry, Richie. I miss Ralph, too.

You programmed Herman all by yourself.

I thought Herman might be able to get you to smile.

Richie?

Hm?

They're gonna send you to jail.

I don't know.

Of course not.

Good.

Come on, Herman.

I'll get you Sherry, I'll...

This is not a question, I don't have time to be polite.

Yes, yes I'm sure, it's the National Security Agency.

You have some friends in Washington, call them up.

I don't care if it's easy or not.

Richie's in trouble, serious trouble.

I'm afraid they're going to take him away from me, Don.

Richie!

Look, I know we're not supposed to hang out with each other, but this is important.

I've got to talk to you.

Okay.

Our lawyers are going to get together and try to blame this whole thing on you.

I just want you to know that I'm not going to go along with it.

You have to go along with it.

Look, I'm already in trouble.

But what good is it for you and him and Jeremy to go on file?

If it hadn't been for me, you wouldn't have been involved.

That doesn't make any difference. We are involved.

Alice, please.

You've got to do what your lawyer tells you to do.

It's not your fault either.

What about that message on the bulletin board?

What about Wren?

Look, Folly, Richie's a smart kid.

I'm sure he knew what he was doing.

Richie is a smart kid, and maybe he knew what he was doing, but I don't think so.

You know, these kids use their computers like skeleton keys.

How would you like it if somebody went waltzing into your house looking through your things?

Would you be happy about that?

No, but we're not dealing with personal artifacts.

We're dealing with mankind's newest tools.

It may be cold machines to some people, Quinn, but to a 16-year-old with a flair for it,

It's a mathematical puzzle.

It's a pure challenge.

Maybe irresistible.

And that might be all that keeps the whole thing

from getting out of balance.

He crossed over the line, Foley.

Well, where is the line drawn?

At the NSA, obviously.

Quinn.

Come on, Quinn.

Hey, man.

I need your help.

I'm sorry.

- I wouldn't touch this one if my own kid had done it.

- That isn't true, and you know it.

And you know that Richie's folks are divorced

and he hasn't seen his dad in who knows how long.

We got a frightened, confused kid here

with no one to turn to.

- I'm allergic to sob stories.

- It's not a sob story, Quinn, he's in deep.

He's over his head and I don't know how to help him.

- What do you want me to do about that?

- You work with the FBI all the time.

- Oh, and I suppose that's okay with you now

all of a sudden, huh?

- Look Quinn-- - Never mind, don't answer.

The FBI is not the national security agency.

- To start.

(dramatic music)

[music]

[Sounds of people talking in the room.]

It's going to be, um, the third building there on your left.

Richie?

[Sounds of people talking in the room.]

Hi, I'm Garrett Kelly.

Hi.

What if I could talk with you for a while?

What about?

well I'm from the NSA I get worried I just want to talk with you about that

computer you got into maybe find out how you did it you don't have to say

anything if you don't want to just say the word and I'll leave you know you

might be able to help us out of a pretty embarrassing situation here and I might

be able to help you and your friends how well I can't explain it here but if

if you'd be willing to meet me for a few hours after school?

Any chance of that?

May I ask?

Good.

I'll see you out front.

Mr. Kelly?

Hey.

Hi, Richie.

So how you doing?

All right.

Let's go for a ride.

(thunder rumbling)

- Now, one thing, Richie.

What you see in here, and what we're gonna talk about,

it's gotta be between you and me for now, okay?

- Okay.

- Okay.

- Corporal, turn on the light, please.

- Yes, sir.

♪ (ominous music)

- It's Ralph!

wait a minute what's going on here very possibly the most important thing that's ever happened in

your life richie or mine too for that matter i know it's going to sound strange and it's going

to take you a while to understand it maybe even longer to believe it but what's going on here

has to do with the security of the united states of america you see we knew that you

were going to get into our computers in washington what well let me explain we knew that you and a

a whole lot of other people were gonna try.

And we knew that a few of you, like you,

were gonna succeed.

- But how could you know that?

- Unless you--

- I think you're starting to get the picture.

- You're rich.

- Congratulations, Richie.

We held a contest, and you won.

is gonna come.

Hey, my dad gave me the 50 bucks, isn't it great, the thing of beauty?

Yeah, well, I don't think it's gonna last forever.

Hey, come on guys, lighten up.

Si, Dallas is right, we're gonna stick together, and now that we've got wheels we'll be able

a cruise I'll even let you drive now Jeremy I just got the car an hour ago

you think I could kind of break it in before you take over and run it off the

cliff right run it off the cliff what didn't Richie come

(car engine rumbling)

(knocking)

- What is it, Cheryl?

- It's not Cheryl.

- Wait, what are you doing here?

- Why didn't you come to the meeting?

Didn't you get my note?

- Yes, but we're not supposed to get together.

We're not supposed to be seen together.

- Richie, we all know that if anybody gets in trouble

for what we did, it'll be you.

Him, Jeremy and I talked it over.

Decided to get all of our parents together

and have one big meeting.

- Without the lawyers.

- Right, we want to convince our parents

that if this comes down to a trial,

that the four of us might be tried as a group.

- Okay, sure, fine.

We'll get together next week sometime.

Now I really got a lot of homework to do,

so if you could--

- You're doing homework and it's still daylight out?

Yeah, why don't you come down and take a ride in Ham's new car?

Well, it's Johnny's car.

Well, it was Johnny's car.

I've ridden in it before.

What's so important that he can't take a five-minute ride?

Yeah, Richie, are you planning your defense for the trial?

Maybe Richie's lawyer's trying to fix it so that the three of us

get stuck with the rap.

No.

No, that's not it at all.

What is it then?

- Yeah, excuse us for living.

- Who's that man you drove off with after school yesterday?

- What?

Oh, him.

He's the man who watched with my lawyers.

- Alice, we're rolling.

- Look, everything's gonna be all right.

It'll all work out.

Very soon.

Can I have another beer for my father here, please?

[laughs]

(laughing)

There you go.

So, did you get a chance to look into what I asked you to look into?

Richie Adler.

I'm impressed you even got his nickname.

Yeah, well, between the jokes, I'm a pretty thorough guy.

What is your relationship with Richie?

I know him. I know his family.

He's basically a good kid, though.

He wasn't looking for anything, he was just playing around.

Yeah, what's kind of playing around can cost you your fingers.

The NSA is going after him, Neil.

And a few other guys in there are real serious about it.

What exactly did he do?

He accessed a payroll computer.

The civilian payroll, he wasn't near anything sensitive, but...

Then why the big deal?

The NSA.

They don't like anybody sniffing around their dog house.

When you talk about a bunch of guys without a sense of humor, you're talking about the NSA.

Yeah, I know.

I know.

What'd you find out?

Who has a seven ounce New York Strip steak dinner for $2.99 or 14 ounce steak dinner for $5.99?

Kelly's Restaurant at the intersection of M-1-15 and the Marion Road.

Well, that's enough, isn't it?

You don't ruin a kid's life over something like that.

What's the real story?

The real story?

Yeah, the story between the lines.

Now, didn't you dig any deeper than that?

Hi, Doug.

My friend in the FBI didn't exactly come out and say this,

but I get the feeling Richie's not alone.

There have been busts in other cities.

There's talk of a new federal law or two.

It's big time.

did you ever hear of somebody named wrench wrench yeah apparently wrench put

the NSA password out of the school's computerized bulletin board so anybody

with access to a computer could have tried it not everybody did well Richie's

not the only one who got far enough into the NSA system to attract their

attention no maybe somebody planned it that way what are you saying somebody

Nobody said Richie up.

We're not going to know until we find out who Wrench is, are we?

[music]

Get in. How you doing?

I'm fine.

You got any trouble getting out?

No, I told my mama I was going to a basketball game.

[music]

Same guy?

Yeah, I think so.

same car. Alright there's only one. Sig the Wrench Fowler age 42, height 511, weight 178,

home address 4732 Tehunga, Tehunga Drive. Convictions, armed robbery, assault, conspiracy

commit a felony. So what do we do, pay him a call? I don't think so, he's dead. As of

last month, car accident.

Open the gate, okay? The guards are inside. We don't want to attract any attention tonight.

(dramatic music)

- Somebody should go check the car.

- What?

- No way, dudes, I'm not walking around here at night.

- Me neither.

- Then I'll go.

Maybe something in there

that could tell us who this guy really is.

- Okay, okay, I'll go.

- We'll come to your rescue if someone jumps you.

- Oh yeah, right, you'll come to my rescue.

I can't tell you what a relief that is.

It takes a load off my mind.

- Go.

- Okay, I'm going, I'm going.

[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]

(dramatic music)

- Queens?

(speaking in foreign language)

- English, English.

(speaking in foreign language)

- I wonder what they'll do with the boy.

- They'll kill him, take him with them.

- Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised

if they take him back to Russia.

- No, they'll want him dead.

He's too dangerous.

- You know, you're probably right.

You're the warrior of the future.

Was it a hoax, or was it reality?

Was it murder, or is it just a young woman's imagination?

Two great sta-

Don.

Hi.

Hi.

- Oh, this is a friend I told you about, Bob.

- Bob's with the NSA.

Bob's with the NSA. They think they've got some answers to all this.

Oh, good.

Where's Richie in his room?

No, he wanted to go to a basketball game at school.

I haven't told him yet you were coming.

What time the game start?

Seven.

You should be home pretty soon. Bye.

We got to call the President.

The President of the United States?

Yeah, because those two guys that came out, they were Russians.

They weren't Russians, they were Marines.

No, they were Russians!

Well, they were dressed like Marines.

But they were Russians, and they were talking about killing Richie.

Try to appeal phone fast.

Nervous?

A little.

Good. Helps the concentration. Hang on, we got less than five minutes.

I don't understand this. You're telling me that Richie's been talking to a Russian spy

that the FBI knew was in this country, but didn't do anything about. Is that right?

More or less. We kept him under surveillance, of course.

You see, somebody left the name "Wrench" inside of a few non-military computer systems, what, two years ago?

And the FBI laid some traps, and they found out that it was more than one person responsible.

In Los Angeles, for example, there was a man named, uh, Garrett Kelly, so they kept an eye on him.

Until two weeks ago, when Garrett Kelly disappeared, along with every other wrench we'd found.

Now, granted, somebody should have recognized the importance of that, but, uh, well, it had been over two years.

It slipped through the cracks.

Then, obviously, the Russians wanted the best and the brightest hackers in the country, and Richie was one.

But what did they want him for?

That's what we don't know, Mrs. Adler.

That's why Bob came out here with me to talk to Ritchie.

He should be home by now.

It's starting.

Okay, get ready, Ritchie.

This takes place in real time.

Quinn.

Quinn.

- Wait a minute, son, slow down.

What?

Who is it?

- It's one of Richie's friends.

Okay, wait a minute, just start again.

What's the address?

When do I start?

- Just a second now.

- Okay, there were two men dressed like Marines.

Hello?

What the hell's happening here?

The phone is dead.

All right, get ready.

(upbeat music)

Line's dead.

Irene, have you been having phone problems?

- No.

Wait a minute.

What's wrong with the television?

(sirens wailing)

- Just the three networks are out.

Networks use telephone lines.

- Hello.

- Irene, is Richie here?

- No, we're waiting for him, why?

- We tried calling you but the lines were dead.

- Lieutenant Quinn got a call from Ham

about Richie being in the warehouse somewhere

with a bunch of Russians who are dressed as rings.

- Hey, this could be a joke.

- No, it's no joke.

- You a police officer?

- Yeah, who are you?

- You know where that warehouse is?

- I wrote the address down before the phones went dead.

- NSA?

What's going on?

- I don't know, but we don't have time to talk about it

because it's happening now.

- Do your radios work?

- Of course they work.

- Good, let's go.

(dramatic music)

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

♪ (ominous music)

- They crossed the whole southeast already.

(explosions)

- This is the police!

Everyone, right where you are!

- Drop your weapons now!

Lower your weapons!

- With the shield! - Now!

You in the back, freeze!

- Get the guys out of here right away.

- Move it along now!

- Get your hands off the machine

and get 'em behind your neck!

- Put your hands over here!

- Get 'em behind your neck!

- Come on, come on!

Hurry up!

- You!

- All right, all right, all right, all right, all right.

- Move it!

- You say cannon will be used against you. - March him at the corner door.

Hand me your hand.

At the door.

Stop! What are you doing?

- It's a mistake! - It's a mistake!

- It's our mistake! - It has to be done of him!

- It's a mistake! - Come here!

[shouting]

Look, look, look!

[music playing]

There.

[music playing]

He told me.

Rance told me

He said the president knew

He said we were defending defense systems said we were the ones who could show the military

He said of Richie he lied

But I believe him.

Yeah, that's because he was a good liar.

What he was doing, Richie, was using you to test our defenses

while they recorded what happened.

They froze the telephone system and set up a network hooked

into the NSA in Washington.

And they knew they'd have very little time, 20,

30 minutes at the most.

But with hackers like you, that'd be enough.

By the time we traced the calls, they'd

be able to escape with the data.

Why?

Ritchie. If the Soviets knew how we would react to, for instance, an invasion of Iran

or a naval action in the Caribbean, they would have a diplomatic and military advantage we

might never be able to overcome. What's stored in that computer in Washington is the result

of years of planning and study. It would all have to be thrown out. We would have been

at their mercy.

I got a Matt's flight out of here in a half hour, and I've got to get going.

I know.

Why'd I believe him, Dad?

Why did I go along with it?

Hey, the guy lied to you and you fell for it.

I mean, it's not hard to lie to people and get away with it, even to adults.

You're only 16.

You did what you did because you believed it was the right thing for your country.

You did it out of patriotism,

but you can't get mad at yourself for that.

I'm proud of you, Richie, because you're good,

and you do your best because you have faith.

Oh, I'm just so proud of you.

[Music]

Tomorrow, the San Francisco 49ers meet the Washington Redskins in the NFC Championship game.

It all begins with the NFL today at noon Eastern on CBS Sports.

Now stay tuned as Charles Bronson and Lee Marvin star as The Huntsmen.

(music playing)