Alien Code Page #2

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what it could be?

We're all waiting

to find out.

Okay,

um...

All right. Well, I'm not

seeing a coffee pot in here.

That's gotta change.

Um, I'd also like a minifridge

filled with beer.

Not kidding.

And if you could get me

a bottle of Scotch

or bourbon.

Nothing under 20 years.

It's essential to my process.

You get me those things...

I'll get you the key.

[]

[DOOR OPENS]

Good morning.

ALEX:

Is it?

I must have

missed the sunrise.

Progress?

We know this work

can be taxing,

and this environment

claustrophobic.

We've arranged for

a weekend leave.

You keep saying "we."

Who is "we"?

It's been five weeks,

Alex.

We think it's time

you take a break.

Get outside, maybe

interact with other people.

- I don't need it.

- We think it'd be good for you.

Yeah. I don't need it.

Human interaction

is important,

and you refuse to speak

to our psychologist.

Even one conversation a day

helps keep the mind healthy.

I don't need

to hear myself talk.

I do not crave comfort

through interaction,

and I do not feel

particularly compelled

to play pedestrian psych games

with your in-house shrink.

So why don't you just

let me soak up the me time,

and get some f***ing work done,

all right?

[GRUNTS]

Do you mind?

I'm on the clock,

and I'd like you

to get your money's worth.

[GRUNTS]

[DOOR CLOSES]

[]

[DOOR OPENS]

WOMAN:

I am going to assign

a one to the vertical spin,

and...

uh, let's make

the diagonal 0.

Let's try that.

[DOOR OPENS]

Holy sh*t.

Oh, man...

[GRUNTS]

[]

[GRUNTS]

[]

Okay.

Yes...

[KEYBOARD CLACKING]

[KEYBOARD CLACKING]

Hey.

Hey!

A**holes...

[DOOR OPENS]

What's up?

- You never told me.

- Never told you what?

I wasn't

the first person here.

You hired another

cryptographer, didn't you?

Well, I guess

I'm the guy you call

when nobody else

can get the job done.

They're blueprints.

Designs for a machine

of some sort.

Not really sure what, though.

It's incomplete.

You guys only gave me a portion

of what you found on that thing.

You read through all this?

Some of them.

Uh...

There's something else.

It's a message.

This is...

It's Navajo.

Keeping it local.

It's a... It's a warning.

[CHUCKLES]

Yeah.

Yeah, apparently, we are on

the eve of the Third World War,

and that machine,

whatever the f*** it is,

is our first line of defense.

Your service

has been appreciated.

The remainder of your fee

will be transferred.

That's it?

You'll be sedated

and escorted home.

Come on, come on.

What, no...? No champagne?

To ensure your adherence to

the terms of the contract,

you'll remain

under surveillance.

Not one word is to be spoken,

written or thought.

You're welcome.

You're welcome!

Do you have any idea?

Any idea what I did here?

- Get off me.

- [SYRINGE SHOOTS]

[]

[GROANS]

F***.

[GROANS]

What the f***?

Oh...

[SIGHS]

Oh, sh*t.

[VOMITING]

[PILLS CLATTER]

ALEX [ON COMPUTER]: I thought,

at first, it was a, um

side effect of the sedative,

or that maybe

I was just

purging the stress

from my system.

[SIGHS]

It was about

three or four days

before I could

keep anything down.

Then it started.

[FAINT CRACKLING]

[]

[CRACKLING]

[VOICES ON RADIO TALKING,

DISTORTED]

MAN'S VOICE:

Now you see what we see.

[DOORBELL RINGS]

MAN 1:

Alex Jacobs?

Yeah.

My colleague and I would like

to ask you a few questions.

You from

A.R.I.S.T.?

May we

come in?

Sure.

[]

Okay, um...

So, uh...

what's this all about?

We're here to ask you

a few questions.

Yeah?

What, like a

customer-satisfaction survey?

[CHUCKLES]

The questions are regarding

your recent work.

The satellite.

Yes.

Uh, yeah. I can't talk about it.

I'm... I'm under contract.

We're curious

to know why you agreed

to help decipher

the code.

You're what?

We are curious.

Still can't talk about it.

These questions do not betray

the parameters of your contract.

[SCOFFS]

[SIGHS]

All right, so...

So you wanna know

why I took the job.

MAN 1:

Yes.

Yeah, I took it

because you paid me.

You did it for money?

No. I didn't do it

for money.

Look, between you and me,

I actually did it for

the year's supply of mouthwash.

Ah, yeah, yeah.

I did it for the money.

You acted in no part

out of a sense of altruism?

Altruism? No, guys,

I'm not curing cancer, okay? I...

- [HIGH-PITCHED RINGING]

- Ugh. I decrypted a message.

MAN 1:
Then your decision

was purely selfish?

All right, look,

I've had the mother

of all migraines

for the past week.

I'm a little bit out of it.

I'm gonna need you guys

to help me out here.

You're in need of help?

What do you want?

MAN 2:

We are curious.

Jesus Christ.

You agreed to decipher

the code for profit.

Much like

your previous work

implementing back doors

in security programs.

The outcomes of your actions

do not concern you?

The outcomes? It's a job.

I mean, if I'm not doing it,

someone else will.

Why did they ask you?

What? What?

- Why did they ask you?

- [EXHALES]

Why did...?

[]

You know what, can I see

some, uh, identification?

Identification?

Yeah, I'd like to see some.

Will you feel

responsible

for the harm that will

come from the weapon?

We... The weapon?

Will ID make you

feel more comfortable?

The weapon that will be

constructed from the blueprints.

Will it make you

compliant?

What are you talking about?

What weapon?

The blueprints

you decrypted.

I deciphered blueprints, but...

Is it something

you base trust on?

MAN 2:

You did not know?

No, I didn't.

[SIGHS]

I did not know this.

How do you feel

now that you know?

Do you feel regret?

It was a job.

Okay? I needed the money,

so I took the job.

[SCOFFS]

There was no...

You know,

no forethought,

no ulterior motive.

It was just a f***ing job.

So whatever...

I deciphered

was not my creation,

and I am not responsible

for what happens next.

Does it scare you?

Do you trust us?

[IN UNISON]

Have you thought about...

- ...your own death?

- ...the people that will die?

[BREATHING HEAVILY]

[]

No, no, all right. You guys...

You gotta go.

You got...

[GROANS]

MAN 1:
We are

thankful for the time

you have taken

to answer our questions.

MAN 2:

It means a great deal to us.

[ALEX PANTING]

[GRUNTS]

[KEYBOARD CLACKING]

[]

What the...?

[KEYBOARD CLACKING]

[CELL PHONE RINGING]

REBECCA [ON PHONE]:

What are you doing?

Rebecca?

You were not authorized to

commit that message

to memory.

That is property

of the U.S. government.

Sh*t, are you kidding me?

You hacked into my computer?

You were informed

you'd be under surveillance.

The f*** are you...?

Are you watching me? Huh?

You're legally bound to

the terms of the contract.

This place bugged?

Don't let this happen again.

You've been warned.

F***. You send...

F***ing send people here.

I hope you got

a good show last night

when I was jacking off.

[EXHALES HEAVILY]

[]

[SCOFFS]

Are you f***ing kidding me?

Jesus Christ. These pricks...

Cut the lights.

[WOOD CREAKS]

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