Arrival

I used to think

this was the beginning

of your story.

Memory is a strange thing.

It doesn't work

like I thought it did.

We are so bound by time,

by its order.

Okay.

Okay. Come back to me.

Come back to me.

Come back to me.

Stick 'em up!

Are you the sheriff

in this here town?

These are my tickle guns,

and I'm gonna getcha!

No!

You want me to chase you?

You better run!

Ah!

Oh!

I remember

moments in the middle.

I love you.

I hate you!

And this was the end.

Shhh...

Come back to me.

You come back to me.

But now I'm not so sure

I believe in beginnings

and endings.

There are days that define

your story beyond your life.

Like the day they arrived.

Good morning.

Morning.

Where is everyone?

Okay. Well,

let's get started.

Today we are talking

about Portuguese

and why it sounds

so different

from the other

romance languages.

The story of Portuguese begins

in the kingdom of galicia...

Sorry.

...in the middle ages,

where language was seen

as an expression of art.

Any news

you want to share?

Dr. banks, can you turn

the TV to a news channel?

...but police have

already set up a blockade

here around the area.

As you can see,

we've got just about

as close as we can,

but unfortunately,

Montana right now

is on complete lockdown.

The object apparently

touched down 40 minutes ago,

just north of i-94.

We're waiting to hear

if this is perhaps

an experimental vessel or...

Hold on, it...

I'm learning that more objects

like this have landed in

as many as

eight other locations

around the world.

Yes, can we?

This is from

a site in hokkaido.

This is worldwide.

It is happening right now.

Okay. Um...

I'm sorry.

Class is dismissed.

You are an idiot!

You drove right into me!

You just ruined my car!

For now, we're simply

asking for cooperation

while authorities

assess the object.

So,

you're saying it's not ours?

Do you even know

if it's from earth?

We're still collecting

information.

We're coordinating

with other countries.

We're not the only ones to

have one of these

in our backyard.

If this is some sort

of peaceful first contact,

why send 12?

Why not just one?

Yeah, I know.

I saw that, too.

Uh-huh.

Uh-huh. I don't know, mom.

I'm watching the same

news coverage you are.

Well, mom, please don't

bother with that channel.

How many times

do I have to tell you?

Those people are idiots.

Yeah, well,

do I sound nervous?

Okay. Exactly. So...

Um, me? Yeah, um,

you know me.

I'm about the same.

Mom, I'm fine.

Okay, I'll call you later.

Bye.

And around eight

hours after landing,

there are still no signs

of what might be called

"first contact."

Now, the objects measure

at least 1,500 feet tall...

Two are reported to have

penetrated Russian airspace.

One in Siberia, and the other

off the coast of the black...

...above the ocean.

So far, there are

12 unidentified objects

spread across the globe.

There is no obvious logic

to their locations

and no evidence that

the ships are even occu...

...entertain the idea that

if it is a kind of vessel,

it may be unmanned.

Regardless,

we have a protocol for scenarios like this.

After Tuesday's

extraordinary events,

the president this morning has

declared a state of emergency,

with as many as

5,000 national guard

being deployed to

the state of Montana alone.

Borders are closed and

flights have been grounded,

stranding millions

of travelers.

Panic buying of gas,

water and food

continues to escalate,

and federal authorities

have temporarily lifted

all caps on overtime

for law enforcement.

The atf has put a temporary

ban on new gun licenses,

forcing many

independent suppliers of

hunting equipment and firearms

to close their doors

to the public.

Forty-eight hours later

and no further development...

Two days...

...from the site of

the 12 ufos.

...and already,

the public expects us

to know the answers.

I'm colonel g.T. Weber.

We never formally met,

but two years ago, you did

some Farsi translations

for army intelligence.

Oh.

You made quick work

of those insurgent videos.

You made quick work

of those insurgents.

You are on the top of

everyone's list

when it comes

to translations.

And you have another

two years in your ssbi,

so you still have

top-secret clearance.

That's why I'm in your

office and not at Berkeley.

Okay.

I have something I need you

to translate for me.

Why are you here?

Can you...

Can you understand us?

Where did you come from?

Now you heard it.

What do you make of it?

Is that...

Yes.

How many?

How many what?

Um, how many, um, speaking?

Two.

Assume they were not

speaking at the same time.

Are you sure?

Did they have mouths...

How would you approach

translating this?

Do you hear any words?

Phrases?

I don't...

I don't know.

So what can you tell me?

I can tell you that

it's impossible

to translate

from an audio file.

I would need to be there,

to interact with them.

You didn't need that

with the Farsi translations.

I didn't need it because

i already knew the language,

but this...

This is... ah...

I know what you're doing.

Tell me what I'm doing.

I'm not taking you

to Montana.

It's all I can do to keep it

from turning into a tourist site

for everybody who

has a ts clearance.

I'm just telling you

what it would take

to do this job.

This is not

a negotiation.

If I leave here,

your chance is gone.

Good day.

Colonel?

You mentioned Berkeley.

Are you going to

ask danvers next?

Maybe.

Before you commit to him,

ask him the sanskrit word

for war and its translation.

An agreement on sharing

scientific discoveries

looks closer tonight,

as Russia and China join talks

at the united nations.

Meanwhile, financial markets

across the world are in crisis

as the dow Jones

industrial average fell

over 2,000 points...

Morning.

Colonel?

Gavisti.

He says it means

"an argument."

What do you say

it means?

A desire for more cows.

Pack your bags.

All right.

Give me 20 minutes?

Takeoff in ten.

Dr. banks.

Right this way, please.

Contact and

ready to approach...

Excuse me, Dr. banks,

let me make sure you're properly secured.

You okay?

Sorry, I couldn't hear

what you were saying.

"Language is the foundation

of civilization.

"It is the glue that

holds a people together.

"It is the first weapon

drawn in a conflict."

Louise,

this is Ian Donnelly.

Louise banks,

Ian Donnelly.

That's quite a greeting.

Yeah, well, you wrote it.

Yeah.

It's the kind of thing

you write as a preface.

Dazzle them with the basics.

Yeah, it's great.

Even if it's wrong.

It's wrong?

Well, the cornerstone of

civilization isn't language,

it's science.

Ian is a theoretical

physicist from los Alamos.

You'll be reporting to me,

but you'll be working with him

when you're in the shell.

That's what

they're calling the ufo.

Priority one:

What do they want and where are they from?

And beyond that,

how did they get here?

Are they capable of

Rate this script:3.2 / 5 votes