Listening Page #5

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
47 Views


It's kind of obvious, actually.

Every scientist working on

this project from here on out

is going to get

a dedicated Listener,

making sure there are

no spies in the room.

They're turning

our own technology against us.

The experiment's results

show that prolonged...

Two-way connection

carries a severe risk...

Recognize patterns in the code.

See, the subject might think...

might think "shoot," right?

But is he thinking about a gun,

a camera, a basketball...

How am I

supposed to work knowing

that Listener's hearing every

thought going through my head?

This is insane.

This isn't right.

Right. Got it.

We are all being violated.

Yeah.

He was thinking about a gun.

Oh. Sorry, sir.

That's all right. It's not easy.

David, how are you?

I'm all right.

Still weirded out

by the Red Room

and all the Listeners

keeping watch all the time.

- It's creepy.

Yes, it's quite scary,

where all this is headed.

Can't believe they've got you

under surveillance.

What did you mean, sir?

It's scary where

all this is headed?

Damn that Ryan.

Spends more time

groping my scientists

than doing any real work.

How did you do it?

I don't like this.

I mean, we were plugged

into your brain every day

and never had any idea

that you were even

thinking something else.

I'm not actually

a nymphomaniac, okay?

It's as simple as that.

I have to see that file.

Plus, thinking one thing

and actively doing another?

You're talking

about forcing metacognition

in a different part

of the brain,

and you know that's impossible.

Buddhist monks can do it.

They can consciously control

their blood pressure,

change their body temperature

just by meditating.

I can't afford

suspicious thoughts

creeping into my head at work.

Do you think

Ryan will ever forgive me?

I've never seen him

let go of a grudge.

But if he was

to forgive anybody,

it'd probably be you.

I love blueberries.

They taste so delicious.

They're full of anthocyanins.

They taste like

blue spectacularness.

They're really good

in muffins, pancakes.

Blueberries in scones.

You can put 'em in your...

Blueberries?

- Really?

- I was just...

It's better

if you don't make an excuse.

Really?

There's a life-or-death

emergency

at the Lincoln Memorial?

If they're reading

our thoughts at work,

it's a pretty sure bet

they're bugging

our apartments too.

Don't say anything

you don't want

my Listener to hear later.

I stole this file from work.

Okay, I'm leaving.

They launched a new operation.

They've got a plan

for every kid in America

to get a nanotube injection

just like any other vaccine

before they start grade school.

That's great.

Everyone's gonna need

injections.

Soon enough, anything electronic

is gonna have

a brain user interface.

That's not the real motive!

Okay, then how about

locked-in patients?

Laryngeal cancer?

Children with autism?

15 million Americans have some

kind of communication disorder,

and we're going to put

an end to all of that.

Hell, we've already

done it, man.

The bomb's gone off.

Come on, man, you've seen

how it is at work.

Every contradicting thought

has become a crime.

The whole world is

gonna be like that.

The Red Room was my idea.

What?

Look, they didn't

un-invent the cell phone

just because the FBI

could listen in on your calls.

Do you know why

they've got my team

decoding the entirety

of human thought?

Yeah, so I can tweet

without a keyboard.

Implanting.

That's the endgame.

The power to implant thoughts.

Into a person, a group,

an entire population.

They'll sell it to the world

as the power to communicate,

and then they'll have

complete power to control.

The CIA won't need

to stage a coup

to rig an election

across the planet.

Hell, they could turn

any one of us

into an undercover assassin

whenever they wanted,

and they would do it all from

a computer in a lab, right here.

Matthews lied... they've been

testing on humans for months.

They were stuck, and we just

unlocked it all for them.

This is a cure for war.

Do you realize how many lives

this will save?

It's too much power.

This work, everything

that we're doing...

this is the end of freedom.

No, it's not.

It's the birth of freedom.

Go ahead.

Hello?

His phone.

It's in his apartment,

but he's not answering.

- Check his car.

- It's on the move.

- Where to?

- Not here.

Why isn't he here?

- Who?

- Santa Claus!

- Don't ask me.

- He's your best friend.

- Not anymore.

- What'd you say to him?

Hey, the boy's

a couple of minutes late.

Cut him some slack.

I want you to go find him.

He's not my responsibility.

Send a field agent.

He's headed to the airport.

- I'll go.

- Not alone, you're not.

We're bringing the cavalry.

Daddy!

Oh!

- You're heavy!

No more growing up without me.

Hi.

Where'd the car come from?

It's a company car.

- We need to talk.

- I know, but not with Lana.

We can't talk at home either.

I looked up the venture

capitalist that Ryan talked to.

He died in a car accident

the same night

we were kidnapped.

His assistant too.

I can't go back to work,

no matter what happens.

If they knew what

I wanted to do...

What is it that you want to do?

I have to stop it,

just end it all somehow.

- Dave!

- What?

It's the CIA!

I mean, what are you gonna do?

I don't know.

Find a recipe in The Anarchist...

Daddy, watch me!

Look, um... I'm sorry.

I really am.

I'm sorry you're so stressed.

I am not just

stressed out, okay?

Look, I didn't come out here

to work this out.

I came here to get a divorce.

- Mommy?

- It's okay, baby.

You're late for work.

So you're gonna shoot me?

We didn't know where you were.

So you come with all this?

- Daddy?

- It's okay, baby.

They're not gonna hurt you.

Looks like this was just

a miscommunication, sir.

I think David forgot

to call in a sick day.

You haven't used all your

sick days yet, have you, David?

No.

Well, good thing

you're a government employee

and not a prison inmate,

because government employees

get sick days.

Look, I need you

to know that David

never laid a finger on me.

You wanted me to leave him.

You were expendable at the time.

I was trying to save your life.

He's a good man.

Be there for him.

Whoa, cool!

This is actually really nice.

You've been getting the money

I've been sending, right?

Yes.

Thank you for that.

- Hey, Dave?

- Yeah?

Look, maybe I started too soon

with all this divorce stuff.

Can you turn that down?

- No.

- Why not?

They can hear us.

Who?

I need to get out of here, now.

Well, can we maybe just talk

for a second first, please?

Dave!

Dave!

Call Matthews. I'm going up.

You and Lana need to get as far

away from me as possible.

Where are you gonna go?

I think I have a plan,

but it's better

if you don't know.

Daddy, it's loud!

I love you more than anything

in the entire world.

Don't forget that, okay?

I can't hear you!

I should've taken you

on that date.

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Khalil Sullins

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Submitted on August 05, 2018

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