- Walter Bayes creates a likelike animatronic Abraham Lincoln, and a man named Booth "assassinates" the robot to gain notoriety.
- Walter Bayes has devoted his life to creating a robot duplicate of Abraham Lincoln to inspire the American people to recommit themselves to the nation's ideals. On the night of its unveiling, however, a maniac named Booth plots to assassinate the Presidential automaton.—P. Silvestro
- Inventor Walter Bayes's team work on an animatronic of Abraham Lincoln. "Lincoln" speaks the Gettysburg Address, and Bayes congratulates them.
Later, Walter goes to the theater where Lincoln has been placed. When one of the team, John Phipps, sarcastically comments on Lincoln having dreamed himself awake, Walter tells him that Lincoln is reborn. Phipps confirms that Bayes embargo before Lincoln's premiere still stands, and Walter says that Lincoln is not just news, but an affirmation. The owner tells Walter that he and some of the others never thought Lincoln would be a story, Walter tells him that there are plenty of stories to tell, and went to all of Lincoln's site trying to get a feel for what Lincoln felt.
A man prepares a mustache and spirit gum, and looks at his invitation to the premiere.
Walter and Phipps leave the theater, and Walter talks about how his great grandfather was in the crowd when Lincoln was on his way to Gettysburg, and the story has been in the family for four generations.
People gather in the theater, and Walter sits in his office and pours himself a flute of champagne. Phipps comes in and asks Walter if he'll join him the team, and Phipps tells them to go on ahead without him.
In a restroom, a young man puts on his fake mustache and looks at himself in the mirror. He then goes out into the theater, a derringer in his hand. The team dims the theater lights, and the lights come up on Lincoln. He recites the Gettysburg's Address, and Walter listens from his office. The young man sneaks backstage, then steps out and shoots Lincoln in the head. Walter hears the shot and he goes out with Phipps. The security guards take the shooter to the theater, and Walter goes after them and finds the derringer in the aisle.
Walter looks despairingly at the "dead" Lincoln, and the shooter says "Sic Semper Tyrannis". The inventor confronts him and the shooter smiles and admits that he's the shooter. Walter aims the gun at his head and pulls the trigger, and the man smugly says that there's only one bullet in it. The inventor says that he knows and tells the guards to search the shooter and they'll find a knife. He then tells the shooter to tell the others who he is, and the shooter says that his name is John Wilkes Booth. Booth says that they killed the other Booth, and he's Norman Llewellyn Booth.
The attendant knocks at the door and says that they found something in the lobby that Walter should see. He shows them the forged invitation, and finds the spirit gum that Booth used. Walter asks Booth if he's an actor and took such steps to recreate John Booth's assassination of Lincoln. Rather than turn Booth over to the police, Walter takes Booth to the animatronic and asks the killer why he did it. Booth says that he doesn't know why, but the opportunity was too good to mess.
Walter angrily chokes Booth, but then gets control of himself and says that he won't be arrested for killing a man who "murdered" a machine. Booth, amused, says that it would make quite a story. Walter tells the others to go, and tells Booth that he wants to understands. He says that Booth should convince him of why he really did. Booth says that it's obvious, and Walter tells Booth that he's a coward. Booth says that he had to do something about his fear of things he wanted to do, people he wanted to boss around, and places he wanted to go. He figured that he would find something awful to do and make people cry.
Sirens sound outside, and Walter tells Booth that he interests himself and should continue. Booth says that he killed a turtle when he was 10, cracking it's shell open. Phipps reports that the police are outside, and Walter tells him to keep the police outside. He asks what the turtle has to do with the assassination, and Booth says that he's jealous of anything that's perfect, particularly machine. He asks Walter if he's God, and he played by killing Lincoln. The news will be filled with his story.
Walter tells Phipps to send the police away, and then tells Booth to sit down and asks the guards to step outside so he and Booth can be alone for a few minutes. Once they go, Walter tells Booth that he's a liar, and says that Booth's performance lacks convictions. He figures that the real reason Booth "killed" Lincoln is that he wants to see his picture in the papers. Booth insists that it's not true, but Walter says that Booth wants the publicity for killing Lincoln by proxy. The inventor tells Booth that he's not going to give him the satisfaction, and he's not going to press charges. Essentially the assassination never happened, and Booth can tell his story but there'll be no evidence to support it.
Walter says that he turned Booth's fun around him, rips off his false mustache, grabs him by lapels and tells him that if Booth ever tells anyone about what he'll do, Walter will follow him and some day when Booth least expects it, he will be there. Then he'll do something so terrible that Booth will wish he wish he was never born. Walter makes Booth confirm what he's said, and then tells Booth to leave by the side exit. Before Booth goes, Walter slaps him across the face and then tells him to go.
Walter goes back in the theater and looks at Lincoln, and wipes the makeup from the animatronics' face. He cries and tells Lincoln that he's dead and Walter has let his murderer go. He lifts Lincoln's head up, and it hesitantly recites the first words of the Gettysburg Address.
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