Beats, continued

Chapter Six: Touching the planet

1. Nina with the staff. We discover that Nina was supposed to hire a candidate and had one in mind. Staff questions her authority putting her on the defensive. We find out that Pol has taken Aaron to “Ditch him,” a phrase we find out means visiting her favorite project.


2. Aaron and Pol at Burns Ditch. We find them meeting with the harbormaster. Pol is concerned with the level of the dredging that is going on. Argues about environmental concern. Harbormaster tells her she won’t get votes from the shipping industry.


3. Pol and Aaron at the Dunes. Pol takes Aaron for a winter walk in the Indiana Dunes State Park. From the beach they can see the shipping traffic. She seems to get lost talking about the way to heal the earth. Aaron doesn’t understand and she takes his hand to guide him. The experience is so intense that Aaron opens his eyes to find himself kissing Pol. (Maybe. Might just feel the connection and not make the connection.)

Chapter Seven: Nina vs. Aaron part 1

1. At staff meeting, Nina blames Aaron for mess-up with Harbormaster. Aaron wins points with some of the other staff members, however, with some witicism that sets Nina off. After staff meeting Aaron is with others and jokes about Nina just as he is summoned to her office.


2. a) In Nina's office, she brings up his participation in the failed Carter Campaign. But he points out that Carter won in SF. She’ll bring up his proximity to Wounded Knee as another failure. b) She will make no bones about her being in charge no matter who hired him. Wouldn't have hired him based on his resume. He responds about Pol's poor hiring choices making it clear that he doesn't think much of Nina. Nina pulls rank and tells him she will give him the assignments and no one goes to Pol independent of her. c) She tells him that he made a mess of the Burns Ditch Harbormaster interview and it is up to him to make it right. Win the shipping and steel votes with tight deadline.


3. Aaron researches the controversy and discovers a new technology that will seal the harbor-bed stopping the need for annual dredging. This will meet Pol’s goal of letting the crust heal while keeping shipping open and cutting costs for the harbor. He’ll show it to Nina and she’ll veto it as ridiculous.


4. Pol sees the material on Aaron’s desk, she gets excited. Pol’s response will be to have it checked before she goes forward with it. She will calls Alex to get the approval.

Chapter Eight: Nina vs. Aaron part 2

1. Nina furious that Aaron has gone to Pol with his idea instead of following channels. Even though Aaron never actually talked to Pol about the concept. Nina has him pick up the press kits for conference in Muncie without telling him that his outdated calendar will direct him to Warsaw instead.


2. In Warsaw Aaron runs into Alex making contact. He finds out he's in the wrong place by getting a meeting update on is cell-phone. Aaron has to decide whether he should try to make the meeting in Muncie or follow Alex. He chooses the latter when he observes that Alex has a copy of his Burns Harbor report. Then when he’s heard Alex divulging the contents to the unknown visitor, Aaron rushes back to the office.


3. Meanwhile, Nina goes with Pol to Muncie to the correct conference telling Pol that Aaron is supposed to meet them there with the press kits. She meets with her staff there after Pol goes back to the office in Ft. Wayne, ridiculing Aaron for not being there when Nina and Pol are depending on him.


4. Aaron catches Pol there just as she arrives back from the press conference that Nina has miraculously saved from Aaron’s incompetence. Aaron bulls past the objections and addresses the suspected conspiracy to subvert the Harbor proposal. This scene gets played out to the mutual satisfaction of Pol and Aaron who end up in an embrace just as Nina opens the door.