by Mehul Desai
I was thinking about my guitar earlier, when I got back to my room it was just there.
CALEB
(smiles)
Convenient.
Eunice smiles back.
Caleb approaches and sits beside her.
CALEB (CONT'D)
(beat)
I'm... sorry. I really messed up.
Eunice looks at him and sees he means it.
EUNICE
It's all right.
She returns to her guitar, playing a melody.
CALEB
(beat)
You're good, I guess if you sang anything I'll hear it in English and it'll ruin it completely.
Eunice lightly laughs.
EUNICE
Well, I don't sing all that good.
She re-tunes and plays again.
EUNICE (CONT'D)
My mother used to.
CALEB
You didn't leave her anything?
EUNICE
She died, when I was twelve.
CALEB
Sorry to hear that.
Eunice continues to play, now feeling awkward.
CALEB (CONT'D)
(beat)
My old man dropped, I mean passed away, recently. Never knew my mom.
Eunice looks at him.
EUNICE
That's sad.
CALEB
Yeah well, life goes on, until it doesn't.
Eunice nods, quiet.
EUNICE
Yeah, I suppose so.
She puts aside the guitar.
EUNICE (CONT'D)
We should get some sleep.
She gets up and looks down at him.
EUNICE (CONT'D)
Don't worry about today. You tried, that's what matters.
Caleb nods.
CALEB
(beat)
We'll get through this. We won't give up. You've got my word.
Eunice smiles, grateful. She leans down and kisses his cheek.
EUNICE
Goodnight Caleb.
She turns and walks away.
Caleb watches her go, smiling.
CUT TO.
INT. MARIKA'S BEDROOM - NIGHT
Marika combs her hair, dressed for bed.
She notices her reflection in the mirror and pauses.
She sets down the comb and walks over, stopping in front of her reflection.
She adjusts her nightdress, uncomfortable, then closes her eyes, taking a deep breath.
When her eyes reopen she stops.
She's the same but her reflection is different. She's tall, slim, her figure perfect. Her face is also tanned with no freckles, her long hair styled with precision.
She starts to hear music, faint, contemporary. “Under Your Spell”.
She slowly turns around. It's coming from the balcony.
She makes her way over and stops at the opening.
Strobe lights pass over her face. The music gets louder.
CUT TO.
INT. TRENDY NIGHT CLUB - NIGHT
Marika looks down. She's wearing a red dress. People pass by, beautiful people, all mingling with each other.
She makes her way forward, passing more people on the dance floor.
Her eye crosses another mirror. The reflection is again different, she sees her perfect self.
YOUNG MAN (O.S)
(Estonian, subtitled)
There you are.
Someone takes her hand. Marika sees a handsome young man smiling at her.
MARIKA
Who are you?
YOUNG MAN
(laughs)
Who am I? It's me.
She draws back, even though she doesn't want to.
YOUNG WOMAN (O.S)
Akiram! Where have you been?!
An attractive young woman approaches with two of her friends.
YOUNG WOMAN (CONT'D)
Come on, dance with us!
Marika looks at them, feeling inferior.
AKIRAM
Later, this is my special girl.
The women look at Marika and smile, impressed.
YOUNG WOMAN
You lucky lucky guy!
Marika starts to smile.
AKIRAM
(to Marika)
Wait here, I'll get you a drink.
He kisses her slowly.
AKIRAM (CONT'D)
(smiling)
Don't go anywhere.
He strokes her chin.
Marika watches him go to the bar.
YOUNG WOMAN (O.S)
(to Marika)
I love that dress, Prada?
MARIKA
(still taken back)
Um yes, I think so.
CUT TO.
INT. MARIKA'S BEDROOM - NIGHT
The room is still.
Marika stands by the mirror, her reflection back to normal.
She slowly looks away, tears forming.
CUT TO.
INT. COUNCIL ARENA - DAY
Marika taps her glass of water, distracted.
SILLOH (O.S)
I am curious.
The volunteers are all sat by the table again.
Silloh turns to them.
SILLOH (CONT'D)
You have all been given a place in Esidarap yet you still feel so strongly towards your kind.
EUNICE
That's because we care about other human beings.
Silloh looks at Suchin.
SILLOH
And they care for you?
Suchin nods, quiet.
He slowly looks over their faces.
SILLOH (CONT'D)
In a world without First Unity what IS the value of each human being amongst your kind?
He looks to Vincent.
VINCENT
(beat)
We are all valued equally.
SILLOH
So there is peace amongst Man? You are all given and treated equally?
Vincent looks away, uncomfortable.
VINCENT
We have systems in place.
SILLOH
Yes, a system of trade. This system must have been perfected for you all to be equal.
EUNICE
Things are improving. Anyway we have equal rights, all humans have the same basic rights.
SILLOH
Is food, water, your very sustenance, also subject to your systems of trade?
Eunice resists answering, sensing a trap.
SILLOH (CONT'D)
Be truthful.
CHRISTOPHER
We help those that struggle. We all work together to help them.
Marika looks down at her glass of water. The reflected face is her fantasy self.
SILLOH
So there are those “with” and those “without”.
Marika looks again. The reflection is back to normal.
SILLOH (CONT'D)
Were each of you content with your life amongst Man? Of your place in your... civilization?
Silloh looks to Vincent again.
SILLOH (CONT'D)
If you had a choice between all Esidarap has to offer and the life you knew would you gladly exchange?
EUNICE
Of course we-
VINCENT
-No.
Eunice stop and looks at Vincent.
EUNICE
-Vincent, what are you doing??
Vincent slowly stands, head low.
Silloh smiles and watches him walk to the isle. Eunice chases after him.
EUNICE (CONT'D)
-Vincent no, don't do this, don't let this place get to you, none of it is real!
The others join her. Marika remains seated, looking up at the balcony.
Akiram stands behind a row of council members, smiling at her.
CHRISTOPHER
-They're going to kill them all! Are you mad??
CALEB
-Don't be selfish!
VINCENT
-“Selfish”??
Vincent stops and looks at them.
VINCENT (CONT'D)
I am forty two years old. I have never had a wife, never had any children. I've spent more than half of my life cleaning windows and sweeping streets. No one gave me anything, not even my own family. So don't stand there and accuse me of being selfish. If this is my chance at happiness I'm taking it. I'm not wasting any more time.
He looks up at the council members.
VINCENT (CONT'D)
Let them do as they please.
He shoves past Christopher.
VINCENT (CONT'D)
Get out of my way.
SILLOH
(to the council)
The Chosen are granted more time to reflect.
Silloh notices Alleiram looking at him coldly.
He smiles and bows.
CUT TO.
EXT. BALCONY - EUNICE'S BEDROOM - DAY
Eunice stands alone, looking out over the ocean.
Suchin steps forward and stands beside her.
SUCHIN
We cannot find him. Alleiram says we wont.
EUNICE
How could be do that? How could he just turn his back on them?
SUCHIN
Life is short. When a person finds happiness, in any form, it is hard to push away.
Suchin holds a moment then turns and leaves.
Eunice continues to stare out, angry.
CUT TO.
INT. EUNICE'S BEDROOM - NIGHT
Eunice lies in bed, unable to sleep.
She hears a “flap” and turns her head.
A green budgerigar sits on the chandelier.
She slowly sits up, staring at the bird.
It jumps off and flies out the balcony.
She quickly climbs out of bed and follows after it.
CUT TO.
INT. SMALL KITCHEN - APARTMENT - MORNING
Eunice stops.
She looks down. She's standing on white tiles.
A woman softly hums off-screen.
She slowly looks up, it's the melody she played on her guitar.
The humming stops.
EUNICE'S MOTHER (O.S)
(French, subtitled)
-Neecie, don't let him fly around when the windows are open.
Eunice's mother, late 30s, beautiful, enters and puts down a basket of clothes.
She reaches above the fridge and offers her finger. The budgie climbs on.
EUNICE'S MOTHER (CONT'D)
If you lose another one you'll be crying for days.
She puts the bird back into its cage and closes the gate.
Eunice backs away, shaking her head.
EUNICE
No.
Her mother smiles, putting the clothes into the washing machine.
EUNICE (CONT'D)
(to herself)
None of this is real.
EUNICE'S MOTHER
What are you talking about sweetheart?
Eunice turns around grabs the door handle.
It won't budge.
EUNICE'S MOTHER (CONT'D)
(concerned)
Neecie what's wrong?
Tears fill Eunice's eyes.
EUNICE
Let me out of here! Let me out!
The door finally opens.
CUT TO.
INT. SMALL LIVING ROOM - APARTMENT - NIGHT
Eunice slams the door shut behind her. She closes her eyes, pushing at the door, trying not to cry.
She slaps the door, angry, and sees a crowbar leaning against the wall.
She slowly picks it up.
EUNICE'S STEPFATHER (O.S)
You lying bitch!
She spins around and screams.
A man in his 40s is kicking her mother on the floor.
Her mother cries, desperately trying to crawl away. She makes eye contact with Eunice and reaches out to her.
EUNICE'S MOTHER
Stop him! Stop him!
Eunice runs over and swings the crowbar, batting her stepfather away.
The large man falls, hitting his head.
Eunice screams, pounding him down over and over.
Her mother finally gets to her feet and pulls her back.
The crowbar drops.
EUNICE'S MOTHER (CONT'D)
It's all right.
She holds her close.
EUNICE'S MOTHER (CONT'D)
It's all right, we'll move away, I promise this time we'll move away. This will won't happen again.
Eunice draws back, tears streaming down her cheeks. She sees her reflection in a mirror opposite.
She's 12 years old.
CUT TO.
INT. HOTEL BEDROOM (DIMLY LIT) - NIGHT
A pillow is knocked aside. A futuristic handgun is picked up.
Caleb, dressed in a long black coat, checks its loaded and looks to the door.
CUT TO.
INT. HALLWAY - HOTEL
He cautiously moves out the room, gun ready, and sees man in a black suit at the far end. The man sees him and draws his own gun.
A purple laser bolt is fired at Caleb.
Caleb cuts behind a pillar, dodging the blast, and fires back.
The man is hit in the chest and falls with sparks of red electricity.
Caleb checks the other end of the hall then hurries over.
He looks down and sees that the man, or robot, looks exactly like him.
CALEB
(to himself)
Duplicants.
Caleb reloads his gun with a fresh battery when another suited man dives at him from the side. The two smash through a window.
EXT. HOTEL - FUTURISTIC CITY - NIGHT
Glass shatters! The two land on the wing of a hover-ship, other flying cars and attack vehicles buzzing around.
Caleb punches the duplicant across the face.
The duplicant kicks him away and takes out his gun. Caleb quickly taps his palm twice, opening up blue laser shield attached to his hand.
He deflects the laser bolts, balancing against the fierce winds, then lowers the shield and fires.
“BHAM!”
The duplicant's head explodes with more red electricity, his body dropping off.
Caleb looks aside, closing the shield. He sees another hotel. Through one of the windows a young woman is seen tied to a chair.
INT. HOTEL BEDROOM - NIGHT
Glass shatters! Caleb dives in, rolling to a stop. He raises his gun and shoots down two more duplicants.
He hurries over to the young woman and unties her feet and hands.
CALEB
It's all right baby, I got you.
He frees her mouth and reveals Eunice.
EUNICE
Caleb! I knew you'd come for me!
CALEB
(smiles)
I always keep my word.
Eunice leaps into his arms and passionately kisses him.
Caleb drops onto the bed, kissing her back.
As the two make out a hand picks one of the guns off the floor.
Caleb smiles as Eunice starts to unbutton her top.
“BHAM!” , Caleb jumps.
The real Eunice stands looking over them, gun aimed at the ceiling.
CUT TO.
INT. CALEB'S BEDROOM - MORNING
Caleb is still lying on the bed.
CALEB
-Eunice!
The gun in Eunice's hand fades away.
Caleb tries to smile.
CALEB (CONT'D)
Hey.
Eunice looks at him, cold.
CALEB (CONT'D)
(laughs)
This was... this was just a bit of fun.