Another Earth Page #3

Okay. Yeah.

Rips out the control panel, right?

Takes out his tools.

Trying to find the sound,

trying to stop the sound.

But he can't find it.

He can't stop it. It keeps going.

Few hours into this,

begins to feel like torture.

A few days go by

with this sound,

and he knows that

this small sound...

will break him.

He'll lose his mind.

What's he gonna do?

He's up in space,

alone, in a space closet.

He's got 25 days left to go...

with this sound.

So the cosmonaut decides...

the only way

to save his sanity...

is to fall in love with this sound.

So he closes his eyes...

and he goes into

his imagination,

and then he opens them.

He doesn't hear ticking anymore.

He hears music.

And he spends

the remainder of his time...

sailing through space

in total bliss...

and peace.

Why... are you cleaning houses?

I like to clean.

Nobody likes to clean.

Some people build houses,

some people decorate them,

some people clean them.

How old are you?

Did you go to college?

No.

I read.

A wise choice.

I was a college professor.

You learn more doing it by yourself.

Did you hear about

that contest?

Mmm?

- The shuttle to Earth Two?

- Mmm.

I submitted an essay.

You did?

It's silly.

You'd go?

Yes.

You don't know what's out there.

That's why I would go.

It's a bad idea.

In Plato's allegory of the cave,

the people living in the cave...

All they knew,

what was in the cave,

and one day

one of them gets out...

and goes out and...

sees the real world,

comes back and tells the others.

You know what happened to him?

They beat him up.

They didn't believe it.

"T hat can't be," they said.

I don't think we're ready

to know what's out there.

It's a bad idea.

So you'd rather

stay in the cave?

I mean,

if Galileo had felt that,

we'd still think we're the center of the

universe, that the sun is orbiting us.

I mean... They tried to burn him

at the stake for that.

Yeah, maybe they should have.

We still think we're

the center of the universe.

We call ourselves Earth One,

and them Earth Two.

You think they called

themselves Earth Two?

- Probably not.

- Did you wash that?

- Did you wash that sweater?

- Yeah. Yes. I didn't dry it. I...

- I laid it...

- Give me that.

Why did you wash that?

Stop washing things.

Just stop washing things!

Leave them alone! Please!

Just go!

This isn't a planet with little

green men and blue avatars.

It's essentially a mirror Earth.

If we strike them,

they could strike us.

If we attempt to enslave them,

they could enslave us.

It's the perfect scenario

for mutually assured destruction.

Preparations are nearing completion...

for interplanetary travel

to Earth Two.

The modified Saturn 5 rocket

has undergone rigorous testing...

to meet federal

aerospace guidelines.

Protesters are calling this

a modern-day Tower of Babel.

Where's Purdeep?

Checked out.

When's he coming back?

I don't think he is.

Poured bleach in his ears.

What?

Yeah.

Why would he do that?

Look. I don't know.

I mean, why'd he pour bleach in his eyes?

- He blinded himself?

- Yeah.

You didn't know?

He said he was tired

of seeing himself everywhere.

- Hi.

- Hi.

Um, would you mind coming around

to the passenger side?

- Just 'cause there's traffic and...

- Oh.

I tried to reach you at your work, but

they said they had never heard of you.

Um, management

changes there all the time.

Is that why none of my checks

have been cashed?

That's weird. L...

It must've slipped through their books.

I mean,

I've been getting paid, so...

Okay. Well...

Anyway, that's...

That's not why I'm here.

I wanted to apologize for the other day.

- You know, I just...

- I'm sorry. I shouldn't have been...

...touching things in your room.

- No, it's not...

It's not your fault.

I should not have gotten upset.

I'm sorry.

Can I take you somewhere...

and show...

show you something?

Right now?

Yeah.

- I have to help my mom out, but...

- Please,

come with me?

The best seat in the house

is this row, right here.

Uh, it's the one in the middle.

Okay.

Just a little out of tune.

That's better, huh?

I'd finally got to

a content place in my life.

Our son was five, and my wife

was pregnant with a girl.

And then...

they were killed.

Drunk driver.

A teenager.

I was in a coma.

And I was sleeping

all the time.

And I was so... angry.

So afraid of what I might do to that kid.

You know?

So I made sure my brother got

all the court documents.

The driver was a minor,

so I never found out the name.

Are you still there?

He can't hear

or see anything.

Okay.

- Thank you.

- You're welcome.

Rhoda.

You are wondering why.

No.

No.

No.

You know why.

Oh, Rhoda.

Yeah, I got some information

you might want to hear.

Shoot a three for it.

Okay, okay, okay, okay,

okay, okay. Wait. Wait.

Um, I'll give you a hint.

Do you wanna get high?

With you?

No, no.

Do you want to get high?

They called.

Number's on your door.

Seriously?

Seriously.

Wait. Hey.

You better write back to me

this time, okay?

United Space Ventures,

Keith Harding's office.

Hello. This is, uh,

Rhoda Williams.

My brother gave me

this number.

Rhoda, yes.

Just a moment.

- Rhoda?

- Yes.

Hi. It's Keith Harding.

I got your letter.

I was very moved by it.

You know, when I was 15,

my headmaster said to me...

he said, uh,

"Harding, you'll either go to prison

or be a millionaire."

Yeah, well, I'm...

I'm grateful

it was the latter.

But, uh, it's a fine line.

And finer than you would think.

You still want to

go to space, Rhoda?

Do I...

Yes.

Well, you can.

The seat is yours.

Kerry'll be in touch with you

with the details.

I'll see you soon.

Within our lifetimes, we have marveled...

as biologists have managed to look

at ever smaller and smaller things.

And astronomers have looked

further and further...

into the dark night sky,

back in time and out in space.

But maybe

the most mysterious of all...

is neither the small

nor the large.

It's us, up close.

Could we even

recognize ourselves?

And if we did,

would we know ourselves?

What would we say to ourselves?

What would we learn

from ourselves?

What would we really

like to see...

if we could

stand outside ourselves...

and look at us?

Hi.

A nice surprise.

You're all dressed up.

Do you remember that essay

contest I told you about?

Travel to Earth Two?

Uh-huh.

I won.

I'm gonna go to space.

You won. That's great.

That's fantastic.

We have to celebrate. Come here.

Come on. We have to.

Come here.

We have to celebrate.

First things first...

is to start with a drink.

We have to celebrate.

I can't believe...

How many people...

How many people wrote in?

That is...

I'm so happy for you.

To the coming true

of your most improbable dream.

Congratulations.

Next step is a feast.

- I'm gonna cook you a celebration feast.

- Yeah.

- Okay?

- Okay.

Okay, uh, food.

We need food first.

And...

do they know

how prepared you are?

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