분야
hwp by
Larry and Andy Wachowski
March 17, 1995
FADE IN:
INT. CAGE
We are a lab mouse.
Our world is a cage; the laboratory beyond the wire mesh
has the sprawling limitlessness of a universe with dark
endless voids and immense technological instruments
gleaming with celestial light.
We can hear a WOMANS VOICE though we cant understand
what she is saying.
There are several other lab mice in our cage and as the
voice gets closer there is sense of mounting apprehension.
We fight the other mice, pushing into the far corner.
Suddenly the world beyond the mesh is eclipsed by the
WOMAN. If we were not a mouse, we might think she was
beautiful.
She opens the cage and a panic erupts. There is nowhere
to hide as her hand reaches in and TAKES HOLD of us.
The cage seems to fall away as she LIFTS us.
We can barely hear her voice over the blood pounding in
our ears.
She TURNS us OVER and we see an enormous hypodermic needle
that she uses to inject us with a sapphire-blue fluid.
We are then placed in a small air-tight tank. There is a
small Plexiglas window and several tiny holes. After a
moment we hear the HISS of VALVES OPENING.
A milky fluid suddenly floods the chamber and we begin to
feel nauseous, our VISION BLURRING and DISTORTING.
As quickly as the fluid filled the tank it now drains.
The god-like hand again LIFTS us from the tank but
something is wrong because --
We SLIP THROUGH her fingers.
The GROUND RUSHES UP at us but when we hit --
We BOUNCE. And BOUNCE.
FLIP FLOPPING, the bounces coming quicker and quicker,
LOWER and LOWER until we are RACING ACROSS the floor.
Free!
We see the woman in her white lab coat screaming at her
assistant as they try to corral us.
We DODGE, ZIPPING ACROSS the floor, looking for a way out
when we see, set in the tile floor, a drain.
The WORLD SWIRLS WITH us as we DASH TOWARDS it, the dark
holes widening as we DIVE at them, PLUNGING HEADLONG INTO
BLACKNESS --
TUMBLING DOWN the rabbit hole.
After a long silent moment, we hear a MAN SNEEZE.
INT. DIME STORE
The DARKNESS BECOMES a curtain that is yanked open as the
same MAN steps out talking to himself.
MAN
Hi, Susan... no. Hi, Susie...
We realize he has just stepped out of a photo booth.
We do not see his face, MOVING WITH him, staying waist
high as he waits for the photo strip.
MAN
Howdee, Susan... no... Hello there,
Doctor Bright. No no no. Hello,
Susan...
A smoldering octave lower.
MAN
Hello, Susan...
The green light flashes and the strip of black and white
pictures drops into the gate.
We DESCEND PAST each picture of the mans face, framed
tightly as if each was a panel in a comic book.
Each face seems like someone who has a secret or who is
trying to look very smart.
Except for the last one which looks like he was about to
sneeze.
The man grabs the strip.
EXT. SUSAN BRIGHTS BROWNSTONE - MORNING
An upscale neighborhood: Brownstones and coffee houses.
Dr. Susan Bright (WOMAN) steps out of her door. She is
the scientist that we saw in the OPENING SCENE.
She is in a hurry, juggling a briefcase, an armful of
books, a cup of coffee and her keys as she heads for her
car.
She is bent to the car door as we GLIDE UP BEHIND her.
MAN
Hello, Susan.
The voice hits her like the Hymlich maneuver.
SUSAN
Oh my God...
MAN
What god would that be?
She turns around and we see the man; Daniel "Eel" OBrien.
Black leather activist. We cannot tell if he is dangerous
or just trying to look dangerous.
SUSAN
Daniel...
OBRIEN (MAN)
What? No kiss? Not even for old
times sake?
She forces a smile and gives him a hug.
His hand slips into her lab coat pocket and then away.
SUSAN
When did you...?
OBRIEN
Been out for six months now.
SUSAN
Really? What have you been doing?
OBRIEN
You know, this and that.
She smiles.
SUSAN
Still chasing litterbugs?
His grin has an edge to it.
OBRIEN
Somebody has to.
SUSAN
Same old Daniel.
OBRIEN
Oh no. Not by a long shot. I may
look like the old Daniel OBrien,
but on the inside, nothing is the
same.
SUSAN
Is that so?
OBRIEN
Oh yeah. See, Susie, a man doesnt
do the hard time and just pick up
where he left off. Oh no. The big
house does things to a man.
SUSAN
The big house?
OBRIEN
The big house.
SUSAN
Jesus, Daniel. It wasnt Rykers
Island. It was work camp for white
collar criminals.
OBRIEN
A cage by any other name would still
smell like sweaty ugly men.
Sounds like the same OBrien to her.
OBRIEN
You know, Ive been following your
work at Argon Labs.
Her smile disappears.
OBRIEN
Ive been thinking about you a lot
all these years, locked up in my
cell. Id tear through every issue
of the Midwest Science Journal
looking for your latest findings,
watching as you slowly worked your
polymerization experiments up
through single celled organisms to
that holiest of holies, the fruit
fly. Exciting stuff. I got to tell
you, it really kept me going.
SUSAN
I guess I should be flattered.
OBRIEN
I remember you said, nanotechnology
was going to change the world.
SUSAN
It already is.
OBRIEN
Ive read theyre using it to repair
cancer cells.
SUSAN
And for
