THE VERY WORST THING THAT COULD POSSIBLY HAPPEN, PART 5
INT. SUBWAY TUNNEL HONG KONG, 1997 - AFTERNOON
Picking up from the previous encounter, Vincent and Raul are in a subway tunnel avoiding a MOB of PROTESTORS above on the street.
VINCENT
Ming didn’t tell you? The train will be here at 8:00. Don’t be late!
He starts to run.
RAUL
Vinnie, where are you going?! What the fuck?
VINCENT
8:00! Don’t botch it, bro!
RAUL
Fucking Vinnie...
A RAT squeaks in the tunnel.
RAUL
Is that a rat? Why hello, rat!!
Squeak squeak.
RAUL
Oh yeah, come here little rat friend! No- don’t run away! I’m not going to hurt you!
He goes through a creaky door, it swings close behind him.
RAUL
Shit. This was probably a bad idea. Hey! Rat friend!? How do you feel about snakes?
Theme Music. Titles:
ANNOUNCER
The Very Worst Thing That Could Possibly Happen, Part 5.
The scene continues:
Horror music comes in. Raul’s feet move slowly through the dirty concrete corridor.
RAUL
Yeah this was definitely a bad call.
Squeak!
RAUL
There you are! Hold up! I just want to talk!
Squeak squeak!
RAUL
No don’t go under the door! Shit!
He tries the door. Its open. Its the scariest opening of a metal door in a dark filthy tunnel you ever heard in your fucking life.
RAUL
Oh, its open. And there you are. Look, I know life seems unfair. You’re just a totally normal rat dude, doing your little rat things, I get it, I really do. But I have this hungry snake at home, Mr Ming, and he’s just a few rungs higher up the foodchain--
SLAM!! The door closes.
RAUL
Uh, hello? Who’s there?
SCARY VOICE
No One.
RAUL
No- that’s definitely someone.
SCARY VOICE
No its not. Its No One.
RAUL
Oh is that like your handle? No One. Like, Capital N, capital O?
SCARY VOICE
You have a choice you need to make.
RAUL
Fucking great. What choice? I really need to get out of here, so whatever we can do to like move this process along would be super.
SCARY VOICE
You see the rat?
RAUL
The fucker I chased in here, yeah. He’s cowering in the corner. Man up, rat. Its embarrassing.
SCARY VOICE
(slow and scary)
Eat the rat.
RAUL
Ew.
SCARY VOICE
Eat the rat... or DIE!!!!
RAUL
Is this supposed to be like one of those Saw movies? Or more like punk’d? Cause I’m getting major Ashton Kutcher energy off of you.
SCARY VOICE
EAT THE RAT OR DIEEEEEEEEEE.
RAUL
Ok this is sooooooo derivitative. I’m just, I don’t know, I’m a little let down.
SCARY VOICE
EAT THE FUCKINGGGGG RATTTTTT.
RAUL
I’m not going to eat the rat. I’m bringing the rat to my buddy Mr Ming, and he’s going to eattttt the fuckingggg rattttt. So you can suuuuuuuck myyyy diiiiiick.
SCARY VOICE
Then..... you’ll die.
Horror music, evil synth bass. WATER STARTS GURGLING INTO THE ROOM.
RAUL
Uh oh. Is that water? Hey, evil guy?! Mr bad guy?!! The room is filling up with sewer water! Its smells, like, really bad! Not sure if you knew that.
(To himself)
Maybe call a plumber?
Squeak!
RAUL
There you are, rat. Ok... ok... Gotcha. You’re a pretty good swimmer! I’m impressed. I used to swim, back in high school. I wasn’t great. Here, I can hold you up.
The water is really flooding now.
RAUL
(yelling)
Evil person?! Is this how you want to do this? Really? Nothing more, I don’t know, gory? Blood and entrails and stuff? Drowning in raw sewage just seems, I don’t know, very PG-13.
Splashy splash. Raul is treading water now.
RAUL
Really great water pressure you have down here! You know, I travel a lot, for work, or I used to, but anyway, when I go to a hotel the first thing I check is the water pressure. You want a Speakman shower head. They’re the best. Its like getting hit by a firehose. Oh- maybe that’s a bad example, considering the riot police upstairs. Actually, that would have been way more sinister- if you flooded me with a firehose. Definitely more poetic than this.
SCARY VOICE
That’s actually a good call.
RAUL
I know. Hey rat, look up there! There’s a little tube. Think you can scramble up that thing?
SQUEAK!!!
RAUL
Ok, here you go... I can almost reach... There!!!
Squeak squeak!!
RAUL
Great. The rat is safe, but how the hell am I going to get out of here.
The water gurgles in Raul’s mouth.
RAUL
Maybe I can fit too? I am pretty skinny these days... This... gurgle...sucksssss...gurgle gurgle.
SFX of a GIANT SUCKING SOUND.
Stillness- we’re under water, but its flowing fast. And then we go through turns: FOOM, FOOM! As we speed through the pipes in the city until:
INT. RAUL'S APARTMENT, HONG KONG, 1997 - CONTINUOUS
POP! SPLASH! BODY SLAM ON LINOLEUM! Raul coughs and gags, spitting out water. The mouse sqeaks.
Water, and Raul, and a mouse spill onto a bathroom floor.
SNAKE
What the fuck? Who is that? Raul is that you?
RAUL
(coughing, breathing hard)
Yeah, yeah its me.
SNAKE
Did you just pop out of the bathtub drain?
RAUL
(spitting out water)
Yep. Seems like it.
SNAKE
Yeah that happens. Its all connected. The pipes, I mean. They’re all connected.
RAUL
Oh. Ew, I have sewer water UP MY NOSE! Fucking gross.
Squeak!
SNAKE
Is that a mouse? I hear a mouse!
RAUL
(to the rat)
Come here buddy. You ok? That was a rough ride.
SNAKE
I’m hungry!!
RAUL
Yeah yeah. Well, I just saved this rat from jaws of death at the hands of some psychopath, so I’m not, like, especially inclined to just hand him over to you.
SNAKE
But when I eat him, he becomes part of me. And I’m part of the universe. So, you know, its not a useless death.
RAUL
Sold. Here you go.
SQUEAK!!!! Gobble gobble.
SNAKE
(mouth full)
Thanks.
RAUL
Did you rinse him off? He’s covered in raw sewage.
SNAKE
(mouth full)
Yes?
RAUL
I’m going to take a shower.
SNAKE
Make it quick, we have to make it to the train by 8:00.
RAUL
Oh yeah, Vinny told me. I didn’t know you two knew each other.
SNAKE
He freelances for us once in a while.
RAUL
And he’s been working for you this whole time?
SNAKE
Yeah. I needed some extra hands.
RAUL
More snake jokes. So, where are we going?
SNAKE
You should pack some clothes.
RAUL
How long will we be gone?
SNAKE
You know I don’t like questions about time.
RAUL
(tired)
Whatever, Ming. Do I need a tie? I don’t like being underdressed.
The shower turns on. Ming keeps eating his rat.
RAUL
(from the bathroom)
I have to drop off a letter at the mailbox.
SNAKE
Its on the way. Hurry up, we can’t miss the train.
RAUL
Why are we suddenly in a hurry? You’ve had plenty of time to send me on these insane snack runs.
SNAKE
There was an explosion in a market place in Paris.
RAUL
What?
SNAKE
Sara was there.
RAUL
You mean, in 1959? That explosion?
SNAKE
Yep its a pretty desperate move by our opposition.
RAUL
There’s an opposition?
SNAKE
Of course. Opposites. Yin and Yang, chaos vs order. All that.
RAUL
Is this important? I mean, is Sara’s connection to me is important enough that someone would want to stop it?
SNAKE
Yes. I’m sleepy. That rat was good- thanks, Raul.
RAUL
I’m surprised, is all. And you’re really not going to tell me where we’re going?
SNAKE
(sounding drowsy)
I can’t believe you haven’t figured it out. You really need to start paying more attention. I’m a take a nap.
RAUL
If I had to guess, I’d say we’re going to Kazakhstan. But that would be insane.
Beat.
RAUL
Snake? Hello?
Beat.
RAUL
(to himself)
Asshole.
INT. CLAIRE'S APARTMENT, PARIS, 1959
Claire leaves the bathroom, as Sara sits in the tub. The water is going down the drain, silent at first, then towards the end it gurgles a bit.
SARA VO
Dear Raul, Its evening now, just barely. The sun is gone but some yellow hangs above the rooftops I can see from bathroom window. As the water drains out of the tub, I get cold on top- just a little- my skin constricting into goosebumps, the hair on my arms sticking straight up. When the last of the water drains down, I hear something in the drain pipe, so quiet I can’t make it out at all. It sounds like a street protest- maybe the neighbors are listening to the radio. I lean my ear down, close to the dripping drain, like I want to crawl into it. I don’t know why, Raul, but I’m pretty sure your on the other side. You are, aren’t you. I miss you. That’s stupid, we’ve never met, but still. I miss you.
In the background the tiny sound of a street protest comes up through the drain pipe. Raul’s voice (when he met up with Vinny last episode) is mixed in, barely audible. MUSIC: a cover of Miss You by The Rolling Stones.
CLAIRE
(from other room)
Sara? Come here.
We walk out of the bathroom into the bedroom adjacent.
SARA
I feel better now, that was a good idea.
CLAIRE
Look in the closet- take whatever you want.
SARA
Thanks.
Closet door opens, a hand pushes through clothes on hangers.
SARA
Oh this is fun. Its like going to a department store!
CLAIRE
But less expensive.
SARA
What about this one?
CLAIRE
Oh, the pinstripe suit? With your hair clicked back like that? Fuck yeah.
Crisp paper shuffles into a typewriter.
CLAIRE
But first, sit down.
SARA
What’s that for?
CLAIRE
You need to write another letter to Raul. He should to know we’re going to meet him.
SARA
And then?
CLAIRE
I need to put you to sleep, drop off the letter, and then we take a trip. Simple.
SARA
Its pretty far from simple, Claire.
CLAIRE
Ok that’s true. But all we have to do is follow our little checklist. Everything else sorts itself out. Like, if I play a record...
She takes a record out of a sleeve and puts it on the phonograph as she talks.
CLAIRE
I take out the record, I put it on the player, I put the arm down. 1, 2, 3. Now how does the music come out? That’s complicated. All sorts of waves and amplifiers and stuff I don’t know. But 1, 2, 3, and I have music.
The song plays in the room. Sara gets very close to Claire. Maybe they’re dancing.
SARA
(whispers)
Claire, I don’t trust you, and you’re a liar.
CLAIRE
Oh that’s a bit rough, Sara.
A small kiss.
SARA
You’re a fucking liar, I know it. There’s something you’re not telling me.
CLAIRE
Well, sure. It doesn’t work that way--
SARA
Fine, ok, but also: there’s something you’re not telling yourself. I don’t mind. But don’t mistake me for a fool.
INT. RAUL'S APARTMENT, HONG KONG, 1997
Raul and Ming are packing up to leave.
SNAKE
Are you packed?
RAUL
Yeah, I think so. I just grabbed some clothes- what else do I need.
SNAKE
Passport, maybe some cash.
RAUL
Ok.
SNAKE
But don’t bring a lot, you’ll have to carry it.
RAUL
And, what about you?
SNAKE
Yeah, you’ll have to carry me too.
RAUL
Well I’m not carrying the terrarium!
SNAKE
Yeah, that’s fine. Vinnie will have one for me. Just put me in your backpack.
RAUL
Oh. Ok.
SNAKE
Hurry up we have to go!
RAUL
Alright alright. I’m ready so... in you go.
SNAKE
Easy now! Anything sharp in here?
RAUL
Relax.
Zip.
RAUL
You good?
SNAKE
(muffled)
I hate this.
RAUL
It was your idea.
SNAKE
Just, let’s go.
Keys, door.
EXT. STREET IN HONG KONG, 1997 - MOMENTS LATER
Raul, with Ming in his backpack, stop off at the mail room. The streets are hectic, protests in the distance.
INT. MAILROOM IN HONG KONG, 1997 - CONTINUOUS
The door bell knocks around as Raul enters.
RAUL
Kate? Kate are you here.
KATE
(from the back)
Yeah yeah, coming.
Footsteps.
KATE
Oh, hi. What’s up?
RAUL
Just dropping this letter off. Anything for me?
KATE
I think so, check the box.
Footsteps, mailbox door opens, a letter is taken out.
KATE
(loudly)
Hi Mr Ming.
SNAKE
(muffled)
Hi Kate, how are you?
KATE
I’m good. You talked to my mom?
SNAKE
Not yet. We’re going to meet her now.
KATE
Well, if you see her before I do, tell her I say hi.
RAUL
Oh right, you guys know each other.
SNAKE
This guy.
KATE
(to Ming)
I know, right?
(To Raul)
Just jump on the scale and lift your shirt, you know the drill.
The vacuum machine starts. They YELL over the sound:
SNAKE
Raul, we gotta go.
KATE
You catching the 8:00?
SNAKE
Yeah.
KATE
You got seats already? I think its packed!
SNAKE
Yeah, we’re good. Vinnie got them.
FOOOMPH.
RAUL
Owwwww! Fuck me.
The vacuum turns off.
KATE
Well Vinnie’s totally reliable.
RAUL
You know Vinnie, too? What the fuck?
KATE
See you later, Raul. Good seeing you Mr Ming.
SNAKE
(muffled)
Hmmmmmppphh.
Door bell jingles and door closes.
EXT. STREET IN HONG KONG, 1997 - CONTINUOUS
RAUL
So, we’re going to the train station?
SNAKE
Yeah. But we’re late, we need to hustle.
RAUL
(whistles)
Taxi!! Taxi!
A cab pulls over. Car door opens.
CAB DRIVER
Get in!
RAUL
Oh, its you.
SNAKE
Hey bud.
CAB DRIVER
You guys are cutting it close.
SNAKE
Step on it.
CAB DRIVER
No prob. Hold on.
There’s a WHISTLE, a cop is flagging them down.
JEAN
Excusez-moi! May I see your license and registration, s’il vous plaiz.
RAUL
Why is this cop french?
JEAN
Ok, that’s it! Out of the car!
CAB DRIVER
No thank you. We’re good. Bye bye.
A window rolls up. Jean’s very bad imitation of a cop fades as they peel out.
JEAN
Stop! Stop now or I’ll shoot my gun! And it will totally kill you!
RAUL
Who the fuck was that.
CAB DRIVER
That was Jean, Sara’s ex.
MING
What a loser.
Music up.
We go on a terrifying wild cab ride for 20 seconds of sound design: SCREECHING TIRES, PEDESTRIANS YELLING! SIRENS, COPS YELLING PULL OVER!! A STUDENT PROTEST blocks their way but they manage to plough through. Finally: SCREECH.
CAB DRIVER
Ok, we’re here! Hurry up! Go! Go!!
SNAKE
Thanks!
CAB DRIVER
Ming, you got this. Get our guy all the way, ok?
SNAKE
I will. I promise.
CAB DRIVER
See you there.
Raul and Snake get out of the cab and start running down the stairs of the subway entrance.
RAUL
This is insane.
SNAKE
Did you tip him?
RAUL
What?
SNAKE
Did you tip the cab driver?!
RAUL
No! I didn’t even pay.
SNAKE
So rude.
RAUL
I thought he was a friend of yours!
SNAKE
He is, but still. Jesus.
RAUL
Sorry, I didn’t know.
They reach the platform. A rumble builds as a subway train approaches the station.
VINCENT
Raul! Raul over here!!
RAUL
Mr Wu?
VINCENT
Yeah, he’s coming too.
The rumbling is getting louder and louder.
RAUL
(yelling)
Mr Wu? What are you doing here?
VINCENT
(yelling)
Oh, he’s still passed out. We closed a deal last night.
RAUL
Dude’s a mess.
VINCENT
Right?
SNAKE
He’s a closer, though.
VINCENT
Straight up.
The train pulls in.
RAUL
What the actual fuck?
VINCENT
Come on, we’re in first class.
RAUL
Is that a steam train?
SNAKE
Classy, right?
VINCENT
The long distance trains that come through here are repurposed. But its fucking rad, right? Look at those brass fittings. Don’t make ‘em like that anymore. Come on, we’re up here.
A train whistle blows. They shuffle over to a door of the train, and get on.
INT. PARIS METRO, 1959 - EVENING
Jean and Trotsky on a subway.
JEAN
Trotsky, we’re late.
TROTSKY
No we’re not. And don’t call me that.
JEAN
I like it, it suits you.
TROTSKY
(in french)
This is why everyone hates you.
(In english)
We’re not late.
JEAN
Well, not yet, but we won’t make it in time.
TROTSKY
Yes we will.
JEAN
You always think you know better, its really fucking annoying.
TROTSKY
And you always worry about unimportant shit, and that’s even worse. So fucking relax.
JEAN
Oof.
(in french)
Such a dick.
TROTSKY
Come on, this is us.
The train stops, they get out and walk up the stairs exiting on to a city street.
EXT. PARIS STREET, 1959 - CONTINUOUS
Trotsky stops at a tabac.
TROTSKY
Guloise, s’il vous plait.
JEAN
And a newspaper.
TABAC LADY
Four thirty.
TROTSKY
Pay her.
Jean fumbles for some money.
JEAN
Here. Merci.
TABAC LADY
Merci monsieur.
JEAN
You know Hans checks the expense reports, right? And why are you wearing sunglasses, its dark out.
Trotsky opens the pack of cigarettes, but doesn’t say anything. They walk on the street for about a block, saying nothing.
Their steps slow and stop, then we hear a knock on a metal door. Its a specific pattern: three, then two, then three. A little steel slider window opens.
HANS
Oui?
TROTSKY
‘The future enters into us...’
HANS
‘And transforms itself...’
TROTSKY
‘...Long before it happens.’
Several heavy locks are unbolted and the door swings open.
HANS
Hello brothers.
They walk down a hallway to a small room.
TROTSKY
Its done.
HANS
We’ll put out a statement saying it was the National Liberation Front.
JEAN
And this will make the french people reject Algerian independence?
HANS
No. And worse- probably they won’t even fucking care. But it’ll be a problem, so they’ll want it go away. No one wants problems.
TROTSKY
I’m still not sure this is the right tactic. Killing french citizens, blaming the Algerians.
JEAN
Again with this? I told you he was not ready. If we stop this war here, in France, then we save hundreds, thousands of lives.
TROTSKY
Its immoral, is one thing, but it may not work... so then we haven’t saved lives at all!
HANS
Shut up, both of you. And Jean, I know you don’t care about the lives involved. Stop kidding yourself. The only thing you care is your stupid bourgeois life- your August vacation in Provence and your Christmas vacation skiing at Chamonix, complete job security, a fat pension waiting for you when you’re old... But if you want to protect those things, THIS is how you do it. You are spineless little jar of ooze, and all you want is a life you can seep into that causes you the least discomfort possible. Well this is it. This is how you get what you want.
JEAN
I--
HANS
Quiet! You already lost Sara, you fucking idiot. And that ploy in Hong Kong? Ridiculous. So stop trying to fix things and listen to someone else for a change.
JEAN
Hans, your daughter--
HANS
‘The target’ is on a different path now. Mr. Trotsky here can deal with her. But you, you need to fade back into the background and live your boring comfortable life and SAY NOTHING. We’re done. Mr. Trotsky, you know what to do?
TROTSKY
Oui.
HANS
Bon. Handle it.
JEAN
And me?
HANS
Do nothing. I have to report. Wait in the hall.
Footsteps. The office door closes. We stay with Hans. He picks up a phone and dials. We only hear his side of the following conversation. NOTE: EVNIKA plays the other side of this conversation, but we cannot make out what she says.
HANS
The future enters into us... Long before it happens... Yes.... XC667. Cloutier... reporting.... Flash delivered, NLF responsibility published....
EVNIKA
(inaudible murmur)
HANS
Yes, Madame, we know it does nothing, the struggle for independence is successful. Two years from now, Algiers is its own country... Yes, Madame... If you say so, Madame... Red Hand out.
He replaces the receiver with a loud CHUNK. Hans yells to someone outside of the room.
HANS
Trotsky?! Hey Trotsky! Get in here.
A door opens. Its the waiter from the restaurant where Hans and Sara had lunch.
TROTSKY
Yeah, what’s up?
HANS
The target is going to go to that club tonight. If she mails this letter, it will make things worse.
TROTSKY
So I should stop her?
HANS
Yes.
TROTSKY
At all costs?
HANS
Well... no. Just don’t let it come to that! Don’t let her mail the letter. If you can get that Asian asset away from her, even better. But she’s dangerous, don’t underestimate her.
TROTSKY
Its possible that there’s a different way to handle the situation, Monsieur.
INT. TRAIN TO KAZAKHSTAN, 1997 - DAY
The anachronistic steam train is underway, picking up speed through the tunnels under Hong Kong. Vincent is holding up Mr Wu, who’s completely passed out. Raul still has Mr Ming, the talking snake, in his backpack. They move through a corridor of the train.
SNAKE
Who has the tickets?
VINCENT
I do.
SNAKE
What are our seat numbers?
VINCENT
Uh... let me check. Here, Raul, hold Mr Wu.
RAUL
Mr Wu? Mr Wu wake up boss!!
VINCENT
17 A B C and D.
SNAKE
Where’s that? I can’t see.
VINCENT
Its right over down here, come on.
RAUL
Come Mr Wu, let’s get you sitting down.
VINCENT
Here, in here.
They step into a compartment.
RAUL
Whoa. This is... beautiful.
VINCENT
Nice right? Put Mr Wu in the bottom bunk over there.
SNAKE
Is our luggage here? And let me out of this goddamn bag!
VINCENT
Yeah the trunk is, and your suitcase.
SNAKE
Great, well can you please take my terrarium out of the trunk so I have somewhere to sleep?
RAUL
Do you want to hang out on the chair?
SNAKE
Sure, I just need some air.
Raul puts down his knapsack and unzips it.
SNAKE
Ahhh. Air. Smells in here.
RAUL
Hey, Vinny?
VINCENT
Yeah.
RAUL
What’s, uh, what’s your involvement with all this?
VINCENT
I look after Mr Wu.
RAUL
Yeah I don’t know what that means.
VINCENT
Well, look at him.
RAUL
He’s really very peaceful when he’s passed out.
VINCENT
Its true.
SNAKE
Mr Wu can’t wake up, because I’m here. Its sort an exchange program.
RAUL
So that’s why he’s been passed out since we were in Manchuria?
SNAKE
Yes, that’s when I came here, so he had to make some space.
VINCENT
But his body is still here, so I look after it.
RAUL
But he still closes deals?
SNAKE
He still closes deals.
VINCENT
Yeah he does. Fucking bad ass.
SNAKE
Its a brutal way to negotiate- say nothing.
VINCENT
The ice man.
RAUL
So he’s somewhere else, as long as you’re here.
SNAKE
Yeah.
RAUL
Oh, ok. That makes sense, sort of. Where is he, then?
SNAKE
Don’t worry about it. Its one of those things that sounds interesting, like asking somebody about string theory or the multiverse, but then they explain it and you wish you never asked? Its like that.
RAUL
I buy that.
VINCENT
I brought some drinks- anybody want rum and coke?
RAUL
Sure.
The train keeps rolling.
RAUL
So. Kazakhstan, huh?
SNAKE
Yep.
RAUL
I’ve never been.
SNAKE
Its weird. I like it, but its definitely a weird place.
RAUL
I don’t know much about it.
SNAKE
They have oil, so, you know, good for them. Its supposed to be a democracy, but the oligarchs have a pretty tight grip. They’re generally still pretty cozy with Moscow. Way before that, they were the mid point on the silk road, you know?
RAUL
Yes, I know the silk road.
SNAKE
Its also exactly halfway between Paris and Hong Kong.
RAUL
Hmm. That I didn’t know.
SNAKE
Well, now you do.
RAUL
Good for me.
SNAKE
You’re really growing, Raul.
The door opens.
CONDUCTOR
Tickets?
VINCENT
I have them. One sec.
He digs around in a bag.
RAUL
(to conductor)
Excuse me, sir? How do we get from the subway tracks to the main tracks? I’ve never seen a regular train stop at subway station before.
CONDUCTOR
Special train. We hook up with the high speed line at Kwai Hing, there’s a tunnel that connects.
RAUL
Huh.
VINCENT
Here you go.
CONDUCTOR
Three tickets to Almaty, got it. Your friend alright?
VINCENT
Yeah, he just drank too much.
CONDUCTOR
Good place to sleep it off I guess. You have time, that’s for sure.
RAUL
How long does it take to get to Kazakhstan?
CONDUCTOR
Three days.
RAUL
Three days.
CONDUCTOR
Yep.
The door closes.
VINCENT
I brought some dominoes. You like playing dominoes?
INT. CLAIRE'S APARTMENT, PARIS, 1959 - EVENING
Sara is writing to Raul.
SARA VO
Raul, I think this is my last to you letter before something happens. I don’t know what it is, Claire won’t tell me. She’s pretty when sleeps, though.
Sheets rustle as Claire gets up, walks across the room and grabs a bottle off the table near where Sara is writing. She pours some into her glass and then:
CLAIRE
More wine?
SARA
You’re up.
SARA VO
So where are you, I wonder? I can feel you rocking back and forth... cradling a baby? No. On a ship maybe, or a bus. I feel you swaying, being pulled around by strong forces, so strong they pull me too. Remember how I said I’d found a way to fight back, to fight the system they put in my head? Maybe I was wrong. The man I used to love is a terrorist, the woman who’s my only guide is a liar and I can’t seem to keep my hands off her, and you- you’re what? A hope? A lost soul? Another ghost?
Beat.
CLAIRE
(from a distance)
We have to go, Sara. Ready?
SARA VO
Claire says she’s taking me on a trip, and I’ll go, even though I don’t trust her, because maybe I’m coming to you. Besides, there’s nothing for me here. That sounds very dramatic. But I mean, what’s the point of fighting it? The things I try to do aren’t important. Who I am- and the space I occupy- that is everything now. That is the leverage I wield against the Machine.
CLAIRE
Come on! Its time to go!
SARA
Where?
CLAIRE
To mail your letter, of course. Then the airport.
A kiss.
SARA VO
Bye for now, Sara.
INT. TAXI, PARIS, 1959 - NIGHT
Driving through the streets of Paris. BBC news is on but gets clicked off quickly. Claire seems to know the driver.
BBC NEWS
...A bombing on the left bank in Paris left 12 dead and 23 injured--
CAB DRIVER
Can you believe this shit?
CLAIRE
What?
CAB DRIVER
That explosion- they blew up a market this morning.
SARA
We were there.
CAB DRIVER
No! Are you alright?
CLAIRE
We’re fine. We’re fine- it was just a shock.
CAB DRIVER
What are the French doing in Algeria anyway? Of course they’re pissed off.
CLAIRE
You know the story. Land and gold, land and gold.
SARA
And oil. And slaves.
CAB DRIVER
And diamonds. And gypsum.
CLAIRE
Gypsum?
CAB DRIVER
Its in the walls.
CLAIRE
Ah.
CAB DRIVER
We should go back to the barter system. I make a rug, you trade me a goat for the rug, everyone’s happy.
SARA
Even the goat?
CAB DRIVER
Here you go.
CLAIRE
Thanks. Not sure how long we’ll be.
CAB DRIVER
Don’t worry about it.
CLAIRE
Come on, Sara.
EXT. PARIS STREET, 1959 - CONTINUOUS
The doors open and Sara and Claire exit the cab. Heels on the pavement. A secret knock on a door. The little window in the door slides open.
CLAIRE
Say it.
SARA
(timidly)
The future enters into us?
KATE
‘And transform itself inside of us...’
SARA
‘...Long before it comes to pass.’
The steel door opens.