As Stepashin DRONES, we're CLOSE ON LEGASOV. The air is STIFLING. Hard to breathe. The HOT LIGHTS and mosquito-like electric HUM of bulky Soviet press video cameras.
Legasov wipes sweat from his brow. A single, useless FAN in the corner of the room goes ting ting ting ting ting...
STEPASHIN
The path of Leninist principles shall be consistently and undeviatingly followed as it expresses the vital interests of the Soviet People, its hopes and aspirations as we guide the life of the Party and State. This session of court is now open, Comrade Judge Milan Kadnikov presiding. Indictments--
As Stepashin recites the charges, Khomyuk leans in to whisper to Legasov. He puts a hand up. Yes. He sees them.
Legasov glances over his shoulder, and we see: SIX PEOPLE. four men, two women, seated together in the audience. Men and women he knows. Scientists. The invisible jury...
STEPASHIN Viktor Bryukhanov, Anatoly Dyatlov and Nikolai Fomin are accused of violating Article 220 Section 2 of the Criminal Code of the Soviet Union resulting in a nuclear disaster on April 26, 1986. The State calls witnesses Comrade Khomyuk of the Byelorusian Nuclear Institute, Comrade Legasov of the Kurchatov Institute of Atomic Energy, and--
(show of deference) --Comrade Boris Evdokimovich Shcherbina, Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers and head of the Bureau for Fuel and Energy.
Stepashin sits down. There's a pause. Shcherbina leans forward to look at Stepashin. Am I on?
Stepashin gives him a gentle nod, like a director responsible for cueing his actors. Yes. You're on.
521 INT. TRIAL ROOM - LATER 521
CLOSE ON: A MODEL of REACTOR BUILDING #4, as it existed before the explosion, is slowly WHEELED IN on a cart.
SHCHERBINA (O.S.) It began with-- of all things-- a safety test.
Shcherbina stands before the tribunal. Legasov and Khomyuk sit at the table behind him.
SHCHERBINA But why was there a need for a safety test at all?
THE DEFENDANTS - listen silently. Fomin seems lost. In a fog. Dyatlov remains stern. Bryukhanov hangs his head slightly. He knows what's coming.
SHCHERBINA Reactor #4 was not new when this accident occurred. In fact, the reactor went into operation on December 20th, 1983. Eleven days later, on the last day of year, Plant Director Viktor Bryukhanov signed this document—
He hands the document to the judges.
SHCHERBINA --certifying that construction of the reactor had been completed. As a result of finishing this work before the end of the year, Comrade Bryukhanov was awarded Hero of Socialist Labour.
Shcherbina turns his gaze on the defendants.
SHCHERBINA Comrade Fomin was awarded for Valorous Labour. Comrade Dyatlov was given an Order of the Red Banner. (beat)
But the work was not finished. And that certificate... was a lie. In order to sign that document, all safety tests had to have been successfully completed. And yet, one remained.
As he talks, he points out various parts of the model.
SHCHERBINA A nuclear reactor generates heat in the core— here. A series of pumps here send a constant flow of cooling water through the core. The core's heat turns the water to steam, the steam spins a turbine here , and the result is electricity. (beat)
But what if a power plant has no power? What if the power feeding the plant itself is disrupted? A blackout, equipment failure... an attack by a foreign enemy?
Shcherbina points to the pumps.
SHCHERBINA If there is no power, the pumps cannot move water through the core. Without water, the core overheats, and the fuel melts down. In short— a nuclear disaster. The solution? Three diesel fuel backup generators here. So. Problem solved? (beat)
No. Bryukhanov knew the problem was not solved at all. The backup generators took approximately one minute to reach the speed required to power the pumps and prevent a meltdown. By that point, it would be too late. And so— we arrive at the safety test.
Khomyuk leans back. Surprised. Impressed with his command.
SHCHERBINA The theory was this: if the facility lost power, the turbine-- which had been spinning-- would take some time to slow down and stop. What if you could take the electricity it was still generating, and transfer it to the pumps? What if the dying turbine could keep the pumps working long enough to bridge the sixty-second gap until the generators came on?
He looks up at the judges. Suddenly insecure.
SHCHERBINA Please, if you have any questions...
JUDGE KADNIKOV No. Continue.
Shcherbina nods. Good. Proud of himself.
SHCHERBINA To test this theory, the reactor is placed in a reduced power mode— 700 megawatts-- to simulate a blackout condition. Then-- the turbines are shut off, and as they slowly spin down, their electrical output is measured to see if it is sufficient to power the pumps. The science is strong-- but a test is only as good as the men carrying it out. The first time they tried, they failed. The second time they tried, they failed. The third time they tried, they failed. (beat)
The fourth time they tried-- was on April 26th, 1986.
The room is silent. Shcherbina knows he's done well. He enjoys the moment— then crosses back to the table.
STEPASHIN (O.S.) Comrade Khomyuk.
522 INT. TRIAL ROOM - LATER 522
New soldiers enter to relieve the guards by the defendants.
KHOMYUK (O.S.) To understand what happened that night, we have to look back ten hours earlier.
KHOMYUK - stands in the center of the room, delivering her testimony. She glances at: THE SIX SCIENTISTS. The "jury." She wishes she could say the truth to them herself, right here and now... but has to be Legasov. So she continues...
KHOMYUK
April 2 5th. The day the test was meant to take place.
(MORE)
KHOMYUK (cont'd) By two in the afternoon, the reactor has been lowered by half from its normal output of 32 00 megawatts to 1600 megawatts, and is now ready to be reduced to the final level for the test. 700 megawatts. But before they can proceed, there is a phone call.
(beat)
Power grid officials in Kiev say they cannot afford a further reduction in electricity until after midnight. They're asking for a ten hour delay. This was the first critical moment-- the first link in the chain of disaster. Competent management would have insisted on canceling the test. These three men allowed it to proceed. (beat)
Why was this ten hour delay so dangerous? It created two problems. One is scientific in nature. The other... is very human. That's the one we'll consider first.
(beat) At midnight-DISSOLVE TO:
523 EXT. CHERNOBYL POWER PLANT - NIGHT 523
The glaring HEADLIGHTS of a BUS. It slows to a stop.
KHOMYUK (V.O.) —there is a shift change.
The air brakes hiss. A line of men exit the bus, passing a line of men waiting to get on.
TOPTUNOV steps out. He heads toward: THE POWER PLANT - peaceful in the background.
524 INT. POWER PLANT - LOCKER ROOM 524
QUICK CUTS - men remove their clothing. Pictures of wives and children on the inside of the locker doors.
We know their faces. Yuvchenko. Perevozchenko. Brazhnik. Gorbanchenko. Stolyarchuk. Toptunov. And now... a man whose name we've heard, but not yet seen.
PEREVOZCHENKO Khodemchuk... !
KHODEMCHUK, slender, 35, leans out from behind his locker.
PEREVOZCHENKO I brought a picture of the motorcycle.
KHODEMCHUK I already told you no.
PEREVOZCHENKO You said you wanted to buy...
KHODEMCHUK
I was drunk.
PEREVOZCHENKO So, you'll be drunk again-- and then you'll have a motorcycle!