Listening Page #3

Synopsis: A team of genius-but-broke grad students invent mind-reading technology that destroys their lives and threatens the future of free-will itself.
Director(s): Khalil Sullins
Production: Young Medium
  2 wins & 4 nominations.
 
IMDB:
5.6
Metacritic:
35
Rotten Tomatoes:
18%
NOT RATED
Year:
2014
100 min
Website
41 Views


I need results.

You're not giving me results.

Well, we're making

steady progress.

Every practical application

has failed.

What do you mean

"practical application"?

You're not field testing.

We... we're nowhere near ready.

Exactly. We're no closer today

than we were a year ago.

What am I looking at?

The next phase. DARKBIRD II.

Looks like a couple

of Caltech students

cracked the nut

before you could.

Well, the likelihood of that

is minimal at best.

Unlikely things happen

all the time, Doctor.

We make a business of it.

"When she thought about it

afterward,

it occurred to her that she

ought to have wondered at this."

"However, when the rabbit

took a watch

"out of his waistcoat pocket,

"Alice stood silent,

watching him.

"Suddenly, she brightened up.

'Look! Look!' she cried."

- Damn it!

- Look.

I need the money

more than anybody,

but it's just not ready yet.

I talked to some guys

who graduated a while back.

They know

these venture capitalists...

Ryan!

It's not ready, okay?

Like this whole page.

I don't remember

any of this page.

Yeah. I don't even remember

reading this, really.

Okay, so maybe you're reading

automatically.

What do you mean?

We're tapping the part

of the brain

that we think

is processing metacognition.

Yeah, but if I glazed over...

The words keep coming out

because you know

how to read instinctively.

Right.

And instead, whatever it is

you're really thinking

goes through the wire.

Dad?

Yeah?

Can you show me how

to make my volcano explode?

Sorry, kiddo, look, we're just

really busy right now.

But the science fair is Friday.

Okay. Look, I promise

I'll show you

how to make it work before then.

Okay?

Okay.

Yeah, I'm a little more

than slightly nervous.

Don't worry.

Grams actually loves visitors.

Am I dressed okay?

Um...

maybe just button up

your sweater or something.

Ah, let me have it.

Okay, now,

It's tiny and probably a mess.

You have to promise

not to judge, okay?

- I promise.

- Good.

Now just wait right here a sec.

I need to let Grams know

you're coming.

She doesn't know I'm coming?

Grams, I brought a friend over.

Think you can get up for a bit?

Grams, there's someone

I want you to meet.

I don't have that kind of money.

That's the absolute

bare minimum.

We can't do it

for any less than that.

I don't have any money.

Isn't there any family

that could...

There's no family, mm-mm.

I'm the only family.

Thanks, baby.

I guessed the jelly beans.

Professor Thompson wanted to

prove the jelly bean experiment.

You know, like we're

in fourth grade or something.

2,486.

I won two free movie passes.

I want you guys to go,

right now.

Take a break.

I don't like this.

Are you even going to talk to me

about the other day?

No. No, I'm not.

Doug, nice to meet you

in person.

Welcome to

our humble laboratory.

This is Jordan.

Let's cut to the chase.

You made some pretty outrageous

claims on the phone,

and I don't like my time wasted.

But Jerry vouched for you,

so here I am.

- Let's see it.

- Okay.

Sure. Of course.

But you can't really

just see it.

You need to experience it,

which means we need to

administer a small injection

into your cerebrospinal fluid.

Go ahead.

- Um, sir.

- Is it safe?

- Completely.

- So go ahead, then.

You're gonna have

to take off your shirt.

Do you want to see

what we've been working on?

So we're actually

going to be able to talk

to each other with our minds?

Not exactly.

If we both listen

to each other's thoughts

at the same time,

it could create

a circular feedback loop.

Meaning?

Meaning if I was

listening to your thoughts

listening to my thoughts

listening to your thoughts

and on and on and on and on,

then it could create

a resonance,

like when you hold a microphone

too close to a speaker.

So I'm just gonna hear

your thoughts then.

Right. You ready?

I guess.

I love you so much, baby.

Everything I do

is for you and Lana.

This should fix things.

We should have done this sooner.

I shouldn't have scared her

with the feedback loop.

Everything I do

is for you and Lana.

What was I thinking?

I hope you know that.

Hopefully she doesn't

see anything about Jordan.

This is going to

change the world.

Everything is going to be

okay now.

Don't think about Jordan.

- How was it?

- Get it off. Get it off.

- Get it off.

- Okay, okay, okay, there.

It's off.

What happened?

What did you do?

What do you mean? What happened?

- I saw her.

- Saw who? Saw what?

- Tell me!

- I saw Jordan!

You had sex with her.

That... that is not true.

Don't lie to me.

You can't lie to me. I saw it!

Oh, God, I saw it in your head.

- Mel.

- My God.

I kept telling myself

that I was crazy,

that it was... it was nothing...

Melanie, it wasn't real.

It was real. I felt it.

You probably felt

a lot of things.

30 thoughts a second

are flying into your mind.

Anything that pops

into my consciousness,

no matter how fleeting,

you feel it, as if it was real.

Just stop it!

Stop it.

This whole time

I thought that our biggest issue

was your prima Donna bullshit,

and now...

I have never done anything

with her.

Never.

I've just...

I've just thought about it.

No. I don't believe you.

Ryan, David,

you mind staying for a moment?

You know, a half dozen computers

have up and vanished

in the last couple of years.

Couple of weeks ago,

half a fluoroscopy table

went missing.

And then last night, at one

of the galas that we host,

I got to talking

to an entertaining young fellow,

and he told me a story

about an invention that's

going to change everything,

about unauthorized

experimentation,

and seriously dangerous,

extremely unethical

human testing.

You're both expelled.

What just happened?

I don't know, man.

We better clear out your garage.

Ryan, come on.

Who was he talking about?

How did he know?

I don't know. We got blitzed.

- Your AC's busted.

- How did he know?

Look, you're obsessed

with testing,

so while you were gone

the other night,

I had this VC guy come over,

and I pitched him the project.

You did what?

I needed the cash. I'm sorry.

You needed the cash.

Yes, I needed the cash.

Oh, sh*t.

Please wait there, sir.

I said stop!

David, what is going on?

- David Thorogood?

- Are you okay?

You stole everything?

Stop, now!

Ryan. Ryan Cates.

F***.

Wait.

How about this one?

You want to read me

the serial number?

- You can't take those.

- You'd be mistaken about that.

No, I mean

what's on those computers.

I own what's on those computers.

David Thorogood...

you're under arrest.

- Look, I'm sorry.

- No.

Stop, I don't want

to hear another word

coming out of your mouth.

Fine.

I'm getting evicted,

and you cashed in

behind my back?

I know you were stealing food

out of my fridge.

Who does that?

Who steals groceries?

Bail's been posted, lover boys.

You're free to go.

Grams died.

I couldn't even afford a casket.

Hey, boys.

Let's go.

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Khalil Sullins

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Submitted on August 05, 2018

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