INT.THOMAS'S HOME.MORNING
THOMAS'S alarm clock rings and its radio turns on, THOMAS wakes up and gets out of bed.
RADIO ANNOUNCER
Hello there river city, it's 7:30 and it's looking to be a lovely Monday morning.
INT.THOMAS'S CAR.MORNING
THOMAS is driving through the city in his car. He looks around, nothing new, everything is perfectly normal. He listens to the radio.
INT.THOMAS'S OFFICE.MIDDAY
THOMAS is working at his desk.
INT.OFFICE CAFFETERIA.MIDDAY
THOMAS is eating lunch with co-workers.
INT.THOMAS'S BEDROOM.NIGHT
THOMAS goes to bed.
-
INT.THOMAS'S HOME.MORNING
THOMAS'S alarm clock rings and its radio turns on, THOMAS wakes up and gets out of bed.
RADIO ANNOUNCER
Hello there river city, it's 7:30 and it's looking to be a lovely Monday morning.
EXT.CITY.DAY
THOMAS is driving through the city in his car.
INT.THOMAS'S CAR.DAY
THOMAS listens to the radio. He looks into an alley as he is driving by and sees several dustbins and skips hovering in midair.
THOMAS
(incredulously)
What?
A truck passes in front of the alley, when THOMAS looks again all of the bins and skips are now in their normal places.
THOMAS shakes his head in disbelief, he isn't sure what he just saw.
THOMAS
Bloody hell, I'm loosing my mind.
THOMAS continues to drive along.
EXT.ROAD.DAY
Suddenly a pallet of bricks and other building material fall out of the sky in front of THOMAS'S car. THOMAS brakes to a halt and gets out of the car to investigate. THOMAS looks up and sees a crane working on a nearby building, the cable had snapped.
INT.THOMAS'S OFFICE.MIDDAY
THOMAS is working at his desk.
Other people in the office are working and walking around.
BARRY walks up to THOMAS.
BARRY
I heard about the accident, are you ok?
I heard about the accident, are you ok?
THOMAS
Yeah I'm fine, I wish management were as sympathetic; I've still got to do all this work. I'm really behind.
Yeah I'm fine, I wish management were as sympathetic; I've still got to do all this work. I'm really behind.
BARRY
Ok well, we're off to the cafeteria. I'll bring you back something.
Ok well, we're off to the cafeteria. I'll bring you back something.
THOMAS
Thanks
Thanks
A few minutes pass, everyone has left the office.
THOMAS receives a message on his computer and reads it.
ANONYMOUS
Thomas get out of there now, you are in danger!
THOMAS looks at the message, confused.
THOMAS
(Shouts across the office)
Barry is this you?
THOMAS gets up to look at BARRY'S desk but can't see him, he looks around but he can't see anyone else in the office.
THOMAS looks out of the window to see a helicopter diving out of control towards the building.
ANONYMOUS
Run damn it!
Run damn it!
THOMAS runs for the exit.
The Helicopter crashes into the office, ripping everything to shreds.
INT.HALLWAY.MIDDAY
THOMAS runs from the office as it explodes and down the hallway.
THOMAS'S mobile phone rings, THOMAS answers.
ANONYMOUS
Get to the elevator and go down to the parking lot.
Get to the elevator and go down to the parking lot.
THOMAS enters the elevator and presses the button to go down to the basement car park.
INT.ELEVATOR.MIDDAY
THOMAS
What the hell is going on?
What the hell is going on?
ANONYMOUS
Alright listen carefully, the world you are currently in is not real. You and everyone in this city have been trapped in a computer simulation as part of an experiment into human decision making and brain chemistry. All your actions and reactions are recorded. Everything you hear, see and do reduced to nothing but data. It's the largest and most thorough experiment into human society ever made. Behavioral patterns, municipal services, emergency response, hell even your individual reactions to advertisements, everything!
Alright listen carefully, the world you are currently in is not real. You and everyone in this city have been trapped in a computer simulation as part of an experiment into human decision making and brain chemistry. All your actions and reactions are recorded. Everything you hear, see and do reduced to nothing but data. It's the largest and most thorough experiment into human society ever made. Behavioral patterns, municipal services, emergency response, hell even your individual reactions to advertisements, everything!
THOMAS looks across the elevator to see an advert for a soft drink.
THOMAS
(distressed)
This is sick! We're people, not bloody lab rats! There's no way this can be real!
ANONYMOUS
Don't kid yourself Thomas, you've seen it; the mistakes, the repetitiveness. It's the same day of your life just played over and over. It’s nothing but a simulation being run for the benefit of scientists and billionaire investors.
Don't kid yourself Thomas, you've seen it; the mistakes, the repetitiveness. It's the same day of your life just played over and over. It’s nothing but a simulation being run for the benefit of scientists and billionaire investors.
THOMAS
So why the hell are they trying to kill me?
So why the hell are they trying to kill me?
ANONYMOUS
The system is entirely self governing. When it saw that you doubted the reality of this simulation it tried to delete you before you infected others with your knowledge. Now that you know it's not real the system won't stop until you're destroyed.
The system is entirely self governing. When it saw that you doubted the reality of this simulation it tried to delete you before you infected others with your knowledge. Now that you know it's not real the system won't stop until you're destroyed.
EXT.CITY.MIDDAY
THOMAS drives out of the car park.
INT.THOMAS’S CAR.MIDDAY
THOMAS
So how the hell do I get out?
So how the hell do I get out?
ANONYMOUS
I’ve hacked an exit point into the simulation; it’s in a deserted industrial zone so less of the systems run time is dedicated to scanning that area. The exit point will allow you to leave the system safely. The dangerous part is actually getting there; the system can change small details of the world without the inhabitants knowing in order to keep them under control. Just accidents, any observer will simply see it as fate, perhaps an act of god… well they’re half right.
I’ve hacked an exit point into the simulation; it’s in a deserted industrial zone so less of the systems run time is dedicated to scanning that area. The exit point will allow you to leave the system safely. The dangerous part is actually getting there; the system can change small details of the world without the inhabitants knowing in order to keep them under control. Just accidents, any observer will simply see it as fate, perhaps an act of god… well they’re half right.
THOMAS
Save the philosophy for when I’m free, where do I go?
Save the philosophy for when I’m free, where do I go?
ANONYMOUS
Just follow the road straight ahead for – Wait stop the car!
Just follow the road straight ahead for – Wait stop the car!
THOMAS
What, what is it?
What, what is it?
ANONYMOUS
Stop now!
Stop now!
EXT.CITY.MIDDAY
Just ahead of THOMAS’S car a billboard falls from its mountings onto the road, THOMAS narrowly avoids it and drives on.
INT.THOMAS’S CAR.MIDDAY
ANONYMOUS
See, anything can happen.
(Pause)
Oh shit!
See, anything can happen.
(Pause)
Oh shit!
THOMAS
What now?
What now?
ANONYMOUS
The system has issued a sentinel to terminate you, it must have realised I was helping you escape.
The system has issued a sentinel to terminate you, it must have realised I was helping you escape.
THOMAS
Can I still get to the exit point?
Can I still get to the exit point?
ANONYMOUS
Yes but you’ve got to be quick, now that the system is aware of my influence it will try to sever my connection to the system and remove the exit point. Damn the sentinel is just a few seconds behind you, put your foot down!
Yes but you’ve got to be quick, now that the system is aware of my influence it will try to sever my connection to the system and remove the exit point. Damn the sentinel is just a few seconds behind you, put your foot down!
THOMAS looks behind to see a black car closing in on him fast.
ANONYMOUS
Ok go left now!
Ok go left now!
EXT.CITY.MIDDAY
THOMAS swerves the car across traffic into a side road. The sentinel’s car is forced to stay on the main road.
INT.THOMAS’S CAR.MIDDAY
THOMAS
(Optimistically)
I think I lost him.
(Optimistically)
I think I lost him.
ANONYMOUS
Hold on, he’s coming from the alley.
Hold on, he’s coming from the alley.
The car explodes out of an alleyway sending litter and debris flying.
ANONYMOUS
Go! Go!
Go! Go!
EXT.CITY.MIDDAY
THOMAS accelerates away with the sentinel in hot pursuit. THOMAS and the sentinel dodge through traffic.
INT.THOMAS’S CAR.MIDDAY
ANONYMOUS
He’s gaining on you!
He’s gaining on you!
EXT.CITY.MIDDAY
The sentinel comes alongside THOMAS and starts to sideswipe him almost crashing him head on into another vehicle.
THOMAS fights back and knocks the sentinel’s car into a drainage canal next to the road.
THOMAS breathes a sigh of relief believing he has escaped his attacker.
INT.THOMAS’S CAR.MIDDAY
ANONYMOUS
Watch out!
Watch out!
The sentinel jumps out of the canal and sideswipes THOMAS’S car again, flipping it over. The sentinel crashes and is apparently killed.
ANONYMOUS
Thomas! Get up now, move!
Thomas! Get up now, move!
EXT.CITY.MIDDAY
THOMAS gets out of the wrecked car and runs as fast as he can.
ANONYMOUS
Ok it’s just down this alley. Open the door at the end and we will handle the rest.
Ok it’s just down this alley. Open the door at the end and we will handle the rest.
THOMAS
Ok
Ok
Behind THOMAS a loud crash is heard and he sees a large truck smashing through cars and road furniture heading directly for him.
ANONYMOUS
Quick run!
Quick run!
THOMAS approaches the door.
ANONYMOUS
Shit they’ve found me, they’ve destroyed –
Shit they’ve found me, they’ve destroyed –
The phone goes dead.
THOMAS opens the door but there is nothing but a brick wall behind it.
He looks behind to see the truck bearing down on him.
THOMAS braces himself. There is a bone shaking crash, then silence.
-
INT.THOMAS'S HOME.MORNING
THOMAS'S alarm clock rings and its radio turns on, THOMAS looks around in disbelief.
RADIO ANNOUNCER
Hello there river city, it's 7:30 and it's looking to be a lovely Monday morning.
Hello there river city, it's 7:30 and it's looking to be a lovely Monday morning.
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