Rollerball Page #5

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Corporate society

was an inevitable destiny,

a material dream world.

Everything man touched

became attainable.

I've been touched all my life,

one way or the other.

Either caressed or hit.

Don't much seem

to matter which any more.

I guess that's why I wanna see Ella again.

To see if I still feel things now.

You know what I mean?

Yeah...

There are some other things, too.

They took Ella away from me.

Now they're tryin' to push me out.

I'd sure like to find out why.

I think I'll go to one of them

computer centres.

See what I can find out.

Findin' out things, that's...

That's the thing, Moonpie.

Welcome to Tokyo and tonight's

dramatic semifinal match

for the world's rollerball championship

between hosts Tokyo and Houston.

Big rule changes tonight.

There will be no penalties called

and limited substitution.

Ladies and gentlemen,

please stand for our corporate hymn.

The name of the controller

for tonight's game - CC Nakamura.

- You all right?

- Yeah, I'm all right!

I just wanna get out there

and hit them little fellas.

Listen, stay close now, all right?

Yeah. OK, Johnny. Let's go, let's go!

Attention. Your attention, please.

Rule changes for tonight's game:

Limited substitution and no penalties.

The controller checks the computer,

ready to fire,

and the first ball is fired.

The game is under way.

Remember, there'll be no penalties

and limited substitutions.

This will be a punishing game

for both teams.

- Here they come!

- Next time around.

- Spread! Spread out!

- All right, boys! Go ahead!

Stay close now, stay close.

Stick with 'em!

Go, go, go!

There's a scramble in front of the goal.

Kubo, on his knees, scores!

Kubo scores from a kneeling position

in front of the goal.

And Tokyo takes a 1-0 lead over Houston.

This is a fast-paced game tonight

with Tokyo leading 1-0.

Houston being pressured

by the faster Tokyo team.

The second ball is fired.

- Spread out!

- Slow 'em down!

Spread out!

Now the faster tactics of the Tokyo team.

And now Houston.

Their bikers and skaters form a wall.

- Watch the ball!

- Get 'em out!

Bike, bike!

Bike him! Bike him!

You got him, baby, you got him!

The ball is fired, the second period

is under way. Tokyo leading.

Houston forced to come

from behind tonight.

Here you go.

Watch the man behind me!

Watch the man behind me!

The ball is in play again.

It is scooped up by Carter for Houston.

Houston on the offensive attack.

Come on!

Right in the slot,

through three men and he scores!

Houston goal scored by Jonathan E!

The time - 12.05, second period.

- I love this game!

- Yeah!

Some injuries here as three players

are helped off the track.

- Sprint!

- Yeah, right!

Come on, Moonpie! Over here! Over here!

- What the hell are those guys doin'?

- I don't know. Stay close.

I told you to stay close.

All right, turn loose next time around.

All right? Go on, go on, go on, go on!

Moonpie!

I got him, I got him!

Take it easy. Everything will be all right.

Sit down over here.

Sit right here.

Everything's gonna be all right.

Medic, hey, medic, come over here!

Come on!

Moonpie!

- Come on, Moonpie.

- Come on, get some help!

Set him down, set him down!

Just a bit more.

Breathe.

Come on now, Moonpie.

Come on, Moonpie!

Come on, Tokyo! Go get 'em!

Go, go, go, Tokyo!

Jonathan, watch yourself out there!

Now, watch them!

Keep behind, Blue.

Look out!

Jonathan E!

Time in the third period - 11.35.

Sprint! Sprint!

Roll out! Roll out!

Blue!

This way, please.

May I say first, please,

that you played a superb game in our city.

Thank you.

A simple problem,

yet I know it is difficult for you.

Your team-mate has no family

and permission is required now

before consummating matters.

So, he's technically dead?

Yes, unfortunately.

His heart and lungs will function,

but his brain is...

It has expired.

From the first minutes, it was hopeless.

I believe this was explained to you.

He's warm.

Yes. But if you will, please,

you must sign a release form.

It is required.

Does he...

Does he dream?

No, there is no brain wave at all,

no sort of consciousness.

Just a deep coma, a vegetable.

No dreams, nothing.

But even a plant feels somethin'.

Who can say? Please.

It senses life.

I mean, it turns towards the sun.

- It's alive, isn't it?

- You must sign.

You...

You just leave him the way he is.

- Just leave him as he is.

- You must sign. There's no other way.

- Arrangements will be made.

- Please!

- There are hospital rules that...

- No, there aren't.

There aren't any rules at all.

Let me know if you have any problems.

You won't find any answers in Geneva.

Take care of your arm.

In my opinion we are confronted here

with something of a situation.

Otherwise I would not have presumed

to take up your time.

Once again it concerns

the case of Jonathan E.

We don't want anything extraordinary

to happen to Jonathan.

We've already agreed on that.

No accidents, nothing unnatural.

The game was created to demonstrate

the futility of individual effort.

Let the game do its work.

The Energy Corporation

has done all it can.

If a champion defeats the meaning

for which the game was designed,

then he must lose.

I hope you agree with my reasoning.

Thank you all.

Will you follow me, please?

Hello! Hello! Yes, it is!

The famous Jonathan E. Hard to believe!

Sorry things are in a mess.

The rollerball champion. Wonderful!

Not many people come

to see us, you know.

We're not easy to talk to, Zero and I.

We're a little confused again here today.

This is embarrassing.

It's embarrassing to misplace things.

You've misplaced some data?

Mm, the whole of the 13th century.

Misplaced the computers -

several conventional computers.

We can't find them.

We're always moving things around,

getting organised, my assistants and I.

But this is Zero's fault.

Zero, he's the world's file cabinet.

Pity. Poor old 13th century.

Well, come along now.

You want to get started, don't you?

Yes, sir.

This way.

Now...

We've lost those computers

with all of the 13th century in them.

Not much in the century -

just Dante and a few corrupt popes.

But it's so distracting and annoying.

You've unlimited restrictions here,

of course,

but you'll have to come so,

so many times.

It all takes such effort.

Do the executives still come here?

Oh, they used to, some of them.

- What about the books?

- Books, books? They're all changed.

All transcribed. All information is here.

We've Zero, of course.

He's the central brain, the world's brain.

Fluid mechanics, fluidics.

He's liquid, you see.

His waters touch all knowledge.

Everything we ask has become

so complicated now.

Each thing we ask... This morning we

wanted to know about the 13th century.

He flows out into all our storage systems.

He considers everything.

He's become so ambiguous now,

as if he knows nothing at all.

Could you tell me about

the corporate wars?

Wars, wars?

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