Paycheck

It's time to wake up...

...and get a life.

We live in a three-dimensional world.

Until now, the world of computing's

been flat,

consisting of two-dimensional

imagery.

Now, through the use of exclusive

breakthrough technology,

ARC has made it possible

for you to get a life.

A Life, where we can work and play

in a lifelike world

of three-dimensional reality.

A Life, the living monitor.

Impressed?

Yeah, I am.

Would you put one of those

in a box for me?

- Are you the lawyer?

- I'm Rita Dunne.

Obviously, no one from Nexim

could be here today.

- I'd invite you in, but...

- Good luck, Mr. Jennings.

- I'll see you in two months.

- Yeah.

Home sweet home.

What do you think?

This is the exact same technology?

Not the exact same technology, no.

Ultimately, I decided

to reconceive some of it.

I never liked the way

the monitor looked.

And then it occurred to me...

...who needs it?

Gentlemen,

I am the future of computing.

And I would like to present you

with Nexim's new Freedom Line

of display technology.

New from Nexim.

Freedom is in your future.

Launch this now.

ARC is not gonna last.

Who said 100 percent

market share's impossible?

Get me Marketing immediately.

This far exceeds our expectations.

Congratulations.

Well...

...thank you.

You understand, Mr. Jennings,

you've done in two months

what we've been trying

to do for three years.

Sometimes it's easier

if you work backwards.

Cheers.

You won't remember me, will you?

No.

That's too bad.

Marker reached.

OK.

We're now extracting his memory

from the marker forward

to the present.

Jesus, Rita.

Jesus Christ!

This is dangerous enough.

If this man's brain temp goes

one C above 43, he's a veg.

Come on, Mike.

Here we go.

It's all clean.

Good morning, sunshine.

Hey, how you doing, big guy?

- OK?

- Yeah.

All right. Thank you. Take it easy.

Slow, slow, slow.

There's no hurry, OK?

- That's it. Good?

- Yeah.

Good man. Hey, Mike, look at me.

Look at me. Right here.

What's the last date you remember?

- October 19.

- Very good.

Mike, what's the last thing

you remember?

The Red Sox made the playoffs.

OK. Let's get the legal

out of the way, shall we?

Mr. Michael Jennings, under the terms

of your non-disclosure agreement,

you are considered never

to have been an employee.

You also understand that all your work

is the intellectual property of Nexim...

Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

I never worked here. I never saw

anybody. I never was here. I got it.

Is my paycheck ready?

Alrighty.

- How you feeling, tiger?

- Good.

- Now let's hear you.

- All right.

- Ready?

- Yeah.

Go!

In order to zero the full eight weeks

I had to heat your brain to 42.5 C.

- I'm fine.

- I'm saying it's getting harder, Mike.

- I said, I'm fine.

- You're slowing down. Come on.

I'd be faster if you'd shut up.

Show me what you've got,

grasshopper.

That's it. That's more like it!

Yes! Go, go, go!

Go! Go!

Yes! Faster!

Beautiful!

Yes! One more! One more, Mikey!

See how you did that?

How you focused?

- Yeah. I focused on your face.

- You know you love me.

Come on. Don't be mean to the

one who does everything for you.

Do you realize you've never once

asked me what I see

when I erase your memory?

Basically, the last two months

just never happened for you.

What's to know?

20 hours a day in a clean room

ripping off a guy's idea for a computer,

selling it to somebody else.

What'd you do the last two months?

The last thing I remember is

driving in Spain in the Aston Martin,

learning to dive in Belize

with what's-her-name.

The seven-stadiums-in-seven-days

trip. It's great.

I mean, my memories

are basically highlights.

It's good. It's a good life.

The stuff you erase, it doesn't matter.

What is it with guys like Rethrick?

He's gotta have everything, huh?

Say what you want about Jimmy,

he started Allcom in his garage.

Wait, wait.

Don't you leave me alone.

What? You'll be fine. Talk. Mingle.

I don't want to mingle.

Hello.

I'm Michael.

I'm Rachel.

Rachel Porter.

Is that Miss or Mrs?

That would be Dr. Porter.

Doctor. Well, excuse me, doctor.

It's all right.

What kind of a doctor are you?

- I'm a biologist.

- Really?

Do you work for Jimmy?

It must be very top-secret

biology that you practice.

Oh, yes. Isn't everything?

Let's go.

Excuse me?

I mean, I'm happy

to continue blathering on,

trying helplessly to charm you,

but I thought maybe, you know,

cut to the chase and just,

you know, go somewhere.

I'll tell you what, Michael.

I'm gonna walk over there

and talk to a friend of mine.

If you get the urge

to have a real conversation,

you'll know where to find me.

OK. Fair enough.

It was nice to meet you.

Giving up so easily?

You don't believe in second chances,

now, do you?

In my experience, no, I don't.

- Good night.

- Good night.

- Mike.

- Jimmy.

- How you doing?

- Good.

- Good to see you.

- You too.

- Thanks for coming.

- Thanks for having me.

- Come back this way.

- Sure.

Hey, Jimmy.

Now you're talking. Thank you.

Wait a second.

Isaac, disable fire protection, please.

Alarm disabled.

I don't think you'd look good covered

in foam. Even in that suit.

What's the pitch, Jimmy?

I know you're trying to sell me

something. What is it?

When there was a time

we were in school,

we wanted to change the world.

I thought we wanted

to save the world.

Well, that's semantics.

- What's the job, Jimmy?

- Can't tell you.

Other than to say

that it involves optics.

And you get stock options

for this one.

Get a real piece of the company.

What if it doesn't work?

I get a real piece of nothing.

I promise you, it won't fail.

How do you know that?

Is this a real crystal ball?

I wish. The point is, I'll guarantee

that you do eight figures.

- Minimum.

- What's the catch?

The job may require a little bit

more time than you're used to.

- How much more time?

- Two years. Maybe three.

- You're kidding.

- Deadly serious.

Jimmy, that's impossible.

You can't do it.

The longest ever is eight weeks.

It was me.

Assuming it were possible,

would you do it?

- Give up three years of my life?

- Not give up, trade.

Three years in return

for the rest of your life.

One big paycheck. You're done.

A lot can happen in three years.

You blink, it'll be over.

Two seconds.

A heartbeat, then snap, you're rich

beyond your wildest dreams.

One big paycheck. You're done.

Mr. Jennings. John Wolfe.

Welcome.

You won't be allowed

to leave the grounds.

You'll be assigned a residence

here on campus.

Your mail will be screened,

no phone calls.

Anything you receive

will have to be inspected.

OK.

I'll need your personal belongings.

Watch, wallet, anything else.

Nothing's allowed to be brought in.

These items will be returned to you

when you pick up your paycheck.

Sorry. Those too.

- Mike, hey, you made it.

- Yeah.

- Good to see you.

- You too.

- Everything OK?

- Yep.

Sit down.

I assume Mr. Wolfe

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