INT. CORPORATE MEETING ROOM — DAY
PHILIP VALE (55), a corporate advisor with immaculate manners and a disconcertingly gentle voice, places a box of tissues in front of ANGELA BELL (46), Director of Product Safety. Her annotated safety report lies on the table. Philip moves the tissues farther away.
PHILIP: Too accessible. People like to see a little struggle before the tears.
ANGELA: I don’t think I’ll cry.
PHILIP: That’s quite all right. We’re after remorse, not moisture.
Philip straightens the tabletop microphone between them.
PHILIP: Company mobile switched off?
ANGELA: Yes.
She shows him her mobile is indeed switched off.
PHILIP: Lovely. Let’s begin with your name and title.
ANGELA: I’m Angela Bell, Director of Product Safety.
PHILIP: A little less pride in the title.
ANGELA: I’m Angela Bell, Director of Product Safety.
PHILIP: Better. Perhaps don’t emphasise ‘safety’. We may want to distance ourselves from the word.
ANGELA: It’s my actual job.
PHILIP: Yes. That’s rather the difficulty.
He consults the laptop.
PHILIP: ‘I acknowledge the concerns raised following the incident and regret any distress experienced by affected households.’
ANGELA: I acknowledge the concerns raised following the incident and regret any distress experienced by affected households.
PHILIP: Less emphasis on ‘regret’. We mustn’t imply an admission of liability.
ANGELA: What incident?
PHILIP: We’ll come to the specifics when they’re confirmed. Now, separately, please: ‘I’. ‘Alone’. ‘Authorised’.
ANGELA: Why separately?
PHILIP: Clarity of diction. The public are terribly particular about consonants.
ANGELA: I. Alone. Authorised.
PHILIP: ‘Despite my repeated warnings.’ Then: ‘I accepted responsibility for the decision to proceed.’
ANGELA: Despite my repeated warnings. I accepted responsibility for the decision to proceed. Philip, is this about my HomeCell report?
PHILIP: Let’s not get bogged down in paperwork. It dehumanises the message.
ANGELA: I wrote that report because the batteries could overheat. I recommended delaying the launch.
PHILIP: Yes, I’ve read it. Very thorough. A little short on solutions.
ANGELA: Delaying the launch was the solution.
PHILIP: An expensive one.
ANGELA: Has there been an accident?
PHILIP: No.
ANGELA: Has anyone been hurt?
PHILIP: Not at present.
ANGELA: Then why am I apologising?
PHILIP: Because the launch is next Thursday, and the projections suggest a number of regrettable outcomes.
ANGELA: What number?
PHILIP: There’s a range.
ANGELA: What range?
PHILIP: Twelve to thirty.
ANGELA: Complaints?
PHILIP: Families, Angela.
ANGELA: You mean deaths.
PHILIP: We prefer ‘families affected’. ‘Deaths’ is such a conversation stopper.
ANGELA: The board knows the HomeCells could kill twelve to thirty people?
PHILIP: That’s the pessimistic forecast. We don’t wish to appear optimistic about fatalities, either.
ANGELA: Who approved the release?
PHILIP: The whole board. Unanimously. Friday’s risk pack, item seven.
ANGELA: Despite my warning?
PHILIP: Especially useful, your warning. We now know what to insure against.
ANGELA: They could stop it.
PHILIP: They could also open a charming little tearoom. Neither is terribly attractive to shareholders.
ANGELA: And I’m supposed to tell the families it was my fault.
PHILIP: Not ‘fault’. ‘Responsibility’. Fault suggests somebody has done something wrong.
He swivels the laptop towards her. On screen: PERSONAL ACCEPTANCE OF RESPONSIBILITY — ANGELA BELL.
ANGELA: ‘I alone authorised the release.’ I specifically refused to authorise it!
PHILIP: Yes, but ‘I told them not to and nobody listened’ lacks the correct emotional shape.
ANGELA: It’s the truth.
PHILIP: Truth is one ingredient of a successful apology. Usually a rather small one.
Angela notices another document on the screen: PERSONAL STATEMENT — FOR RELEASE IN THE EVENT OF ANGELA BELL’S DEATH.
ANGELA: What’s that?
PHILIP: A contingency.
ANGELA: You’ve prepared a statement for after I die?
PHILIP: We’re a very forward-thinking company.
ANGELA: I haven’t written any such statement.
PHILIP: Not as a complete statement, no.
He presses PLAY. Angela’s own voice comes from the laptop — perfectly natural, but the words are assembled from her earlier rehearsal.
RECORDED ANGELA: I alone authorised the release despite repeated warnings. I accept responsibility.
ANGELA: You’ve stitched my voice together.
PHILIP: You’ve a wonderfully clear speaking voice. Most directors swallow their consonants.
ANGELA: You’ve made a confession I never gave.
PHILIP: We call it a continuity statement. In case you’re unavailable when the time comes.
ANGELA: I’m going to the press.
PHILIP: You could. But you’d need to establish what the board knew, and when. Rather difficult for one distressed woman to prove.
ANGELA: Unless she had someone say it all out loud.
She removes a small digital recorder from her handbag. Its red light is glowing.
ANGELA: Twelve to thirty deaths. Friday’s risk pack. Unanimous approval. You were wonderfully specific, Philip.
PHILIP: This was an off-the-record rehearsal.
ANGELA: Yours was. Mine wasn’t.
Angela pours herself some water.
PHILIP: You were asking rather deliberate questions.
ANGELA: I found pretending to be stupid unexpectedly exhausting.
PHILIP: So you want the launch stopped.
ANGELA: Good Lord, no. I’m not unreasonable.
ANGELA: I want three million pounds. Protected pension. Full indemnity. A non-executive appointment somewhere tasteful, preferably with lunch.
PHILIP: You’ve put a price on it.
ANGELA: You’ve put a price on twelve to thirty lives. I thought I’d be professional about it.
PHILIP: And if the company refuses?
ANGELA: I release the recording.
Philip opens his folder.
PHILIP: Three million. That should be manageable.
ANGELA: Just like that?
PHILIP: I’m authorised to negotiate. I assumed you’d want four, frankly.
ANGELA: Well, I might still—
PHILIP: Best not to complicate things. You were very clear.
He slides a document across the table.
PHILIP: This resolves your outstanding safety objection. Payment is conditional on confidentiality and no further opposition to the launch.
Angela reads the document.
ANGELA: What’s Option B?
PHILIP: Not relevant, if we have an agreement.
ANGELA: Read it to me.
PHILIP: ‘If Director Bell declines settlement, the HomeCell launch is suspended pending independent safety review.’
ANGELA: Suspended?
PHILIP: Yes. An unresolved objection from the Director of Product Safety would make the release commercially untenable.
ANGELA: You have authority to stop it?
PHILIP: As a contingency. The board would rather lose the launch than have you make a persuasive public allegation.
ANGELA: So if I refuse the money, the product is not released.
PHILIP: Not until they’re safe. It would be an absolute nuisance.
ANGELA: I warned them for six months. Every meeting. Every email. Nobody listened.
PHILIP: Well, you have their undivided attention now.
ANGELA: I did everything I could.
PHILIP: Not quite.
He places his pen between them.
PHILIP: There’s no hurry. Option A, settlement and launch. Option B, suspension and review. Entirely your decision.
Angela picks up the pen. Starts towards Option B.
Then pauses. Looks at the sum beside Option A.
Philip waits.
Angela signs OPTION A.
Philip checks the signature, dates the form, and places it back in the folder.
PHILIP: Splendid. Congratulations.
He turns the laptop screen back towards himself, leaving the synthetic confession saved on it.
ANGELA: What happens to that recording of my voice?
PHILIP: It remains a contingency. In case your recollection of our agreement changes.
ANGELA: And mine?
PHILIP: You keep yours. Of course, if you release it, people may wonder why you accepted three million pounds to let the launch proceed. Everyone has something to remember the day by.
He pushes the box of tissues towards her.
PHILIP: Now, shall we finish the apology? Just the last sentence. The one you had trouble with.
Angela faces the microphone.
ANGELA: I accepted responsibility for the decision to proceed.
Angela takes a tissue.
PHILIP: Oh, Angela. That’s beautiful. Don’t change a word.
CUT TO BLACK.
In the dark, a shiny but meaningless corporate slogan plays in Angela’s recorded voice:
RECORDED ANGELA: With us, your family’s safety will always come first.
END.
