Sound of Metal Page #16

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IVES:

Chances of what? We’ve got no wayto bring you back.

PROTAGONIST:

We find another machine.

IVES:

A week ago? Where?

The Protagonist looks at Neil – they have the same idea –

NEIL:

Oslo.

IVES:

That facility’s impregnable. It’sinside an airport securityperimeter.

PROTAGONIST:

Not last week, it wasn’t. We’re

going in. You might as well help.

Ives, shaking his head, joins in. As they carry Kat towardsthe vault door, Ives points at the glass partition –

91.

IVES:

This is the proving window... asyou approach the turnstile if youdon’t see yourself through theproving window, do not enter themachine.

PROTAGONIST:

Why not?

IVES:

If you haven’t seen yourselfreverse-exit the machine, you won’tbe getting out. Okay, first in,

last out. Get into the turnstile,

pass through – I’ll already bethere with her.

PROTAGONIST:

Is that gonna work?

Ives pauses, watching activity on the other side of thewindow –

IVES:

(points)

Yeah...

The Protagonist turns to see HIMSELF on the other side of theglass, MOVING IN REVERSE, wheeling KAT ‘TOWARDS’ THE VAULTDOOR –

IVES (CONT'D)

Let’s go!

Ives OPENS the door – the Protagonist takes one last look athis backwards self ‘entering’ the machine, then STEPS INSIDE

–

We follow him in as the door SHUTS behind him – he puts hisback to the wall – the machine starts CLANKING like an MRI –

the door opens on the other side – he STEPS OUT...

To see Ives struggling with Kat – he moves to help – Neil isalready there (first in, last out).

The Protagonist looks through the glass to where he and Ivesnow appear to be moving backwards...

The Medic tends to Kat.

MEDIC:

She’s stabilizing slowly. I’llclean and close, the rest is time.

PROTAGONIST:

How long does she need?

92.

MEDIC:

4 or 5 days. A week to be sure.

PROTAGONIST:

(to Neil)

Figure out how to get us to Oslo –

I’ve got to get back out there –

NEIL:

To do what?

PROTAGONIST:

To stop Sator getting away with thewhatever it is I just gave him.

NEIL:

You didn’t – you lied about whereit was. Wait, you’re going outthere for her.

PROTAGONIST:

He threatened to kill her in the

past... if he does, what happens toher here?

NEIL:

It’s unknowable. If you’re there tomake a change, you’re not here toobserve its effect.

PROTAGONIST:

What do you believe?

NEIL:

What’s happened’s happened. We haveto save her here and now. And if

you go back out there you mighthand him exactly what he’s after.

PROTAGONIST:

Don’t let them take her back

through –

NEIL:

I won’t.

IVES:

You can’t stay here.

NEIL:

And we don’t have much time – so

find us a nice cosy shippingcontainer that just came off a shipfrom Oslo...

The Protagonist moves towards the door. Ives steps up –

93.

IVES:

This is cowboy sh*t. You have no

idea what you’re getting into if

you go through that door.

PROTAGONIST:

Well, I’m going, so any tips would

be welcome.

Ives sees determination. Shakes his head.

IVES:

Wheeler, brief him.

The female Paramilitary, WHEELER, hands the Protagonist arespirator –

WHEELER:

You need your own air – regular air

won’t pass through the membranes

of inverted lungs. The number-one

rule – don’t come into contact with

your forwards self – that’s the

whole point of these barriers –

Wheeler BANGS on the proving window –

WHEELER (CONT'D)

And protective suits – if any of

your particles came into contact –

The Protagonist is putting on the respirator –

PROTAGONIST:

What?

WHEELER:

Annihilation.

PROTAGONIST:

That’s bad, right?

The Protagonist follows Wheeler into a corridor lined withRESPIRATORS and HAZARD SUITS... at the end is an AIRLOCK...

WHEELER:

When you exit the airlock, take a

moment to orient yourself – things

will feel strange. When you run,

the wind will be at your back. If

you encounter fire, ice will form

on your suit, as the transfer of

heat is reversed. Gravity will feel

normal, but appear reversed for the

world around you. Don’t worry about

things falling, so much as rising.

(MORE)

94.

WHEELER (CONT'D)

If you see an object demonstratingunprompted instability, stay clear,

it may be about to leap into theair. You may experience distortionsto your vision and hearing – thisis normal – light waves and soundwaves are propagating away fromyou. This should clear as yourbrain adjusts.

PROTAGONIST:

Can I drive a car?

IVES:

Cowboy sh*t.

Ives and Neil are grabbing respirators...

WHEELER:

I can’t vouch for the handling,

friction and wind resistance are

reversed. You’re inverted, the

world is not. You can’t fight theprevailing wind of entropy. Don’ttry flying a plane – it’d fall outof the sky. Once again, you’reinverted, the world is not – and

those forces will be pushing backon you continuously.

The Protagonist turns to Neil –

PROTAGONIST:

Was there a transponder on thecase?

NEIL:

He’ll have tossed the case –

PROTAGONIST:

I’m going backwards – that’s theball I have to follow. Give me the

reader.

Neil hands him a phone. The Protagonist sticks a Bluetooth

earpiece in his ear, passes into the airlock – Wheeler shutsit behind him. Then opens the OUTER DOOR...

EXT. YARD, TALLINN FREEPORT – CONTINUOUS

The Protagonist emerges into a strange world – the air feelsdifferent, the friction of his feet on the asphalt feelsdifferent. He looks up at birds flying backwards... at steamcontracting... at a pile of dust sucking itself bigger...

In the yard he spots the SAAB... he runs over, finds the keyssitting on the front tyre –

95.

INT./EXT. SAAB – CONTINUOUS

The Protagonist LOOKS in the glove box – NOTHING – LOOKS inthe wheel well – NOTHING – the back seat – NOTHING. He givesup – starts the engine... pulls out, gently, feeling out thestrange handling of the vehicle...

INT./EXT. SAAB, TALLINN STREETS – MOMENTS LATER

The Protagonist steers the car around BACKWARDS-MOVINGTRAFFIC and BACKWARDS-WALKING PEDESTRIANS, MARVELLING...

People STARE at the car as it approaches, as if they alreadyknow a backwards-driven car is heading their way (which, ofcourse, they do).

He checks the phone – a blinking dot half a mile away – heGUNS it, FISHTAILING unexpectedly...

EXT. HIGHWAY – CONTINUOUS

We see the fire fight from before IN REVERSE – Neil layingdown fire from between cars, Kat carried ‘back’ to the

Audi...

Behind Neil, Sator, MOVING FORWARDS, checks the glovecompartment of the BMW... NOTHING. FUMING, he heads back to

the Mercedes, DUCKING behind cars, bullets FLYING...

INT./EXT. SAAB – CONTINUOUS

The Protagonist pulls onto a busy highway where the cars areFACING HIM, BUT MOVING IN HIS DIRECTION...

The Saab races along, the only normal-looking car on a roadfull of cars SPEEDING BACKWARDS...

On the phone, the flashing dot is CLOSER...

Slowing, the Protagonist spots the ORANGE CASE lying empty bythe side of the road. He PULLS OVER some distance away –

JUMPS out of the car – pulls out his BLUETOOTH EARPIECE and

WEDGES it between the foam padding and the orange plastic...

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