Sound of Metal Page #20

---

PRIYA:

(frustrated)

What good is someone’s word in ourline of business?

The Protagonist just looks at her. She NODS.

PRIYA (CONT'D)

They’ll be safe. There’s a rallypoint offshore at Trondheim. Getyourselves up there...

EXT. WIND FARM, NORWAY – DAY

Chinooks cross BACKWARDS through WHITE TURBINES. Serviceboats pull people off ladders. A large ICEBREAKER sits nearby

–

EXT. ICEBREAKER, BARENTS SEA – CONTINUOUS

The Protagonist, IN RESPIRATOR, does PULL-UPS on deck, themovement ‘shaking’ snow back up onto the pipe...

PRIYA (V.O.)

Ives has a team ready to invert.

CUT BACK TO THE PROTAGONIST IN OSLO –

113.

PROTAGONIST:

You have a turnstile? The exact

technology we’re trying tosuppress?

EXT. ICEBREAKER – DAY

The Protagonist watches a CHINOOK long-line a container...

PRIYA (V.O.)

Fighting fire with fire is atreacherous business, but there are

people in the future who need us tocontinue the algorithm’s journeyinto the past. You see...

Taking a look at the sea CHURNING BACKWARDS into the stern asthe inverted ship ‘progresses’, he heads below deck...

CUT BACK TO PRIYA IN OSLO –

PRIYA:

...Tenet wasn’t founded in the past

– it will be founded in the future.

INT. HOLD, ICEBREAKER – CONTINUOUS

Coming out of an AIRLOCK, he removes his respirator. Walkspast Wheeler drilling TENET SOLDIERS – non-inverted soldiersin respirators SPAR with inverted soldiers. Neil is amongsttroops practising ‘LIFTING’ weapons from the floor.

INT. CABIN, ICEBREAKER – CONTINUOUS

The Protagonist enters. Kat sits at a window.

KAT:

I can’t get over the birds...

The Protagonist follows her look to a bird flying backwards.

PROTAGONIST:

How are you feeling?

She lifts her shirt to reveal a LARGE, JAGGED, ANGRY SCAR.

KAT:

Tell me you’re going to kill him.

PROTAGONIST:

I can’t.

Neil enters without interrupting. Kat rises. Steady.

114.

KAT:

Why not? I think you’ve probablykilled a lot of people –

NEIL:

Not with a dead man’s switch.

KAT:

A what?

PROTAGONIST:

That fitness tracker he wears...

KAT:

He’s obsessive about his health.

NEIL:

It’ll be linked to a switch.

Probably a simple email burst,

revealing the location of the deaddrop, set to fire if his heart

stops.

PROTAGONIST:

In effect, his death activates the

algorithm. He dies, the world ends

– no one dares kill him.

Kat realizes...

KAT:

No, you’ve missed the point. He’sintending to end his life.

PROTAGONIST:

Why?

KAT:

He’s dying. Inoperable pancreatic

cancer.

PROTAGONIST:

And he’s taking the world with him.

KAT:

If he can’t have her, no one can.

PROTAGONIST:

What?

KAT:

Something he said, once. He has achild, for God’s sake.

NEIL:

Kat, he gets to choose the time andplace for the end of the world.

What moment? What does he choose?

115.

PROTAGONIST:

You told me about a holiday, whereyou let him feel loved...

KAT:

Viet Nam. On our yacht. His yacht.

PROTAGONIST:

You said he vanished – what day?

KAT:

I went ashore with Max, he flew

off. I don’t know what date it

was...

NEIL:

The 14th. Ten days ago. He was inUkraine, stealing a section of thealgorithm from an American team.

PROTAGONIST:

At the Kiev Opera siege. How do youknow about that?

NEIL:

The point is – he wasn’t on theyacht, so that’s his window.

KAT:

To come back to that golden momentand have it be his last.

PROTAGONIST:

Everyone’s last. We have to liftthe algorithm from the dead dropwithout Sator knowing. If hebelieves it’s in there, he kills

himself.

NEIL:

And not the rest of us. Where’s the

dead drop?

PROTAGONIST:

Knowledge divided, friend.

NEIL:

You’re not going to tell me?

PROTAGONIST:

Ignorance is our ammunition.

(turns to her)

But I need you back on that boat.

KAT:

Why?

116.

PROTAGONIST:

You have to stop him killinghimself until we know that

algorithm is out of the dead drop.

KAT:

But if I’m caught there... and myson sees... I don’t want those

moments full of anguish if they’regoing to be his last.

PROTAGONIST:

They’re not.

INT. ICEBREAKER, BARENTS SEA – DAY

The Protagonist watches the troops prepare.

IVES (O.S.)

Cough it up. It’s time.

The Protagonist turns to face Ives.

IVES (CONT'D)

We’re working our way back to the14th. But without knowing wherethe dead drop is, there’s only somuch I can prepare.

(no response)

You need me to get you there.

PROTAGONIST:

Know what a hypocentre is?

Ives shakes his head.

PROTAGONIST (CONT'D)

Ground zero for an undergroundnuclear test. Sir Michael Crosbytold me about a detonation at

Stalsk-12 on the 14th – the dead

drop is at the bottom of thehypocentre. That explosion seals upthe algorithm.

IVES:

Then we’d better pull it out ofthat hole before the bomb goes off.

INT. TURNSTILE, ICEBREAKER – DAY

Soldiers in respirators file into the turnstile. Through theproving window we see them ‘back’ into the exit... TheProtagonist checks his gear at the back of the line. He seesKat watching from the airlock. He goes to her.

117.

INT. AIRLOCK – CONTINUOUS

The Protagonist pulls off his respirator.

KAT:

Where’s Neil?

PROTAGONIST:

He must’ve already gone through...

KAT:

I didn’t get to say goodbye – thisis goodbye, isn’t it?

PROTAGONIST:

Today’s the 14th. Offshore ofSiberia – time for us to go. Youkeep going back another day, giveyou time to make it to Viet Nam.

KAT:

Who gets me back on the yacht?

PROTAGONIST:

I’ve got somebody good lined up.

I’d like to say you don’t have todo this, but...

KAT:

I once told you I didn’t needredemption. But the chance to savemy child? You can’t know what thatmeans to a mother.

PROTAGONIST:

No.

KAT:

The worst thing Andrei ever did to

me was that offer – to let me go ifI never saw my son again. Ishouted, swore –

INSERT CUT:
Kat FLINGS a crystal BOWL OF RASPBERRIES,

SMASHING it on a wooden deck...

KAT (CONT'D)

But he’d seen it on my face – justfor an instant.

Kat looks at the Protagonist. Who says nothing.

KAT (CONT'D)

I don’t know if I hate him more for

the things he’s done, or because heknows that about me. You’ve killed

people you hated before?

118.

PROTAGONIST:

It’s not usually personal.

KAT:

He’s dying, anyway. It might not

even count –

PROTAGONIST:

It always counts. You’re not thereto kill him – you’re the backstop.

If we haven’t lifted that algorithmand he kills himself, he takes us

all with him, instantly.

Kat moves to the Protagonist, in close –

KAT:

Just keep up your end, okay?

The Protagonist nods. She kisses him.

PROTAGONIST:

When it’s over, and you’re raisingyour boy. Carry this –

The Protagonist hands her a DUMB PHONE.

PROTAGONIST (CONT'D)

There may be a time and place youfeel threatened. Hit talk, state

your location, hang up.

KAT:

Who gets the message?

PROTAGONIST:

Posterity.

INT./EXT. CHINOOK – LATER

The Protagonist watches the icebreaker recede...

EXT. VAST BARREN PLAIN, DUSTED WITH SNOW – DAY

Three CHINOOKS zoom low across the barren landscape, followedby another three CHINOOKS long-lining SHIPPING CONTAINERS...

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes