DOUBLE SHOT NIRVANA

Written by Ruben and Pablo Baler

An original script

FADE IN INT. HOUSE OF NUCLEAR SCIENTIST IN TEHRAN SUPER: TEHRAN 2019 Dark living room. A portrait of FIRUZ MORADI (hirsute, balding, the little hair thats left tousled), a nuclear scientist, hangs on one of the walls. His hands together, fingers interlaced, rest on one knee. A ring with a stone shows on one finger. The whole family (four generations) of the scientist is mourning his disappearance and waits for a sign. TV is on News --shows riots, shooting, blood, and massive rallies- but on MUTE. Three kids, 12, 9, and a 5 YEAR OLD are sitting on the floor, the two youngest ones are playing rock, paper, scissors. The WIFE is sitting in a sofa flanked by a FRIEND and her MOTHER IN LAW. All exchanges are pregnant with sorrow. The entire scene is spoken in Farsi with English subtitles. FRIEND (to mother in law) Your tea is cold, let me bring you another one. FRIEND (CONTD) Anything else? Do you want sugar in it. MOTHER IN LAW Dont put anything. Thank you, sweetie. Friend gestures to wife. WIFE Nothing for me. Im fine. Friend leaves. Wife calls a young woman over. WIFE (CONTD) Take the kids upstairs. They dont need to be here. Thank you. The three kids leave the room. Three men (A PROFESSOR, 55, and the scientists two sons: ADEL MORADI- 25 and skinny, and AMIN MORADI - 28 and thicker) are standing next to the fireplace, whispering their conversation. - DAY

Silence

2. A mirror on top of the fireplace reflects them and the whole scene inside the house. ADEL They have made no statements! PROFESSOR It probably serves them better to keep this under wraps. Nobody knows where to run... AMIN But if they had nothing to do with it they should at least say something. PROFESSOR They are paralyzed. There are things they cant control anymore. Amin looks at the TV monitor reflected on the mirror and sees a news flash showing a file picture of ALBERT KIPNIS. Amin puts an arm on the Professors shoulder, and walks towards the TV set. The Professor and Adel follow him. Amin turns the volume back on: NEWSCAST (FARSI) ...impending military operations sanctioned by the UN due to Irans peaceful nuclear ambitions... Chief UN Nuclear Inspector has either disappeared or gone into hiding in the aftermath of the gruesome assassination. Any person with information about his whereabouts must contact the authorities immediately. Amin brings the volume down again and looks at the Professor. They sustain a long, deeply concerned and interrogative stare. There is a long delay before every reply. PROFESSOR Nobody knows where HE is either... AMIN I wonder what father would have done... ADEL Who knows... PROFESSOR He would have waited. Its only been two weeks. Something will happen, it always does... Theres a knock on the door. The whispering stops. Everybody waits in expectation. The wife stands up. Amin and Adel get closer. A GUARD cautiously opens the door.

2nd Blue (mm/dd/yyyy)

3.

Backlit and framed by the door, the silhouette of a skinny TEENAGER dressed in traditional Balochi dress and turban holds a long wooden box, hurriedly wrapped. His face is covered by the big turban. The teenager extends the box. TEENAGER Firouz Moradi The guard receives the box, shuts the door and gives the box to the wife. The wife weighs it, anxiously unwraps it, opens it and finds inside a human arm, dehydrated to the point of being leathery. Wife throws the box with disgust, the arm rolls away until it stops in the middle of the carpet. Wife is in shock. The others are unsure of whats happening. The 5 year old, wanders back into the living room, attracted by the arm, inspects it until he recognizes the ring. TODDLER Firouz, Firouz! Everybody is in shock. They get closer and recognize the stoneless ring. The two brothers look at each other and bolt out the door. The teenager is gone. EXT. UPSCALE NEIGHBORHOOD OF TEHRAN. DAY The two brothers look in all directions. We see a glimpse of the teenager, a block away and turning a corner. When the brothers reach the corner, the teenager is already gone. The brothers run after him, inching closer. The teenager arrives at a busy intersection and crosses it, diagonally, dodging several cars both turning and speeding by. Brothers hesitate but decide to follow. As the chase progresses from upscale Tehran to a poorer area, the sleek department stores, imposing hotels, and handsome office buildings, turn into modest markets, isolated side streets and cracked walls covered in graffiti.

4. The teenager runs into an alley. The brothers look at each other and split up. Younger brother runs behind the teenager while the older brother runs through a parallel side street. The teenager comes out of the alley before the brothers can get to him but runs into a dead-end street, turns around to face the brothers as they enter the alley and confront him. ADEL Where did you come from? AMIN Who sent you? Where is Firouz? Imperceptibly, before the teenager can answer, other Balochi youth swarm in and surround the brothers. There is a brief moment of tension. The brothers hesitate and run for their life. They run back out of the alley but are caught by the mob and thrown inside a truck parked on the other side of the alley. Truck starts with a jolt, accelerates and disappears. Empty street, as if nothing had happened. Long echo of iron gate falling FADE TO BLACK: TITLE: DOUBLE SHOT NIRVANA SUPER: The cave you fear to enter holds the secret you seek (Joseph Campbell) Black turns into night. EXT. URBAN STRUCTURES. NIGHT A lonesome streetlight let us see the front of a long cluster of urban structures, virtually in ruins. Graffiti in English and Farsi, tags and paintings fill the walls. After a few seconds, a distant, rhythmic boom is subtly manifested in the vibration of a window. The streetlight also responds to the vibration with imperceptible yet regular flickers and jerks. CUT TO: A block away, on the same street we see a parked black car. The street is desolate except for two people who are walking on the

5. other side of the street. The car seems empty, but after a few seconds we see a small spark then a flame illuminating the windshield. We glimpse the outline of two men: DRIVER and COPILOT

INT. CAR. NIGHT COPILOT (the whole dialogue in Farsi) No need to do that The driver finishes lighting the cigarette. He brings it down and holds it covering the lit end with his hand. DRIVER How else am I going to light it? COPILOT Do you NEED to smoke RIGHT NOW?! DRIVER Ill stop smoking the day YOU stop jerking off (long drag) A THIRD MAN emerges from the back seat: THIRD MAN You'll be smoking for a loooong time (He laughs) The driver and the copilot remain serious. The smoke fills the inside of the car. Beat. Fuck you. COPILOT

Driver dismisses remark with a tsk and takes a second long drag. The three men look at the two youngsters who entered the cluster of structures. EXT. URBAN STRUCTURE. NIGHT Same view of the cluster of structures from the front. The vibration is slightly more evident. We see the youngsters dissapearing into the structure and down a flight of stairs. INT. BASEMENT. NIGHT

6. Indie Pop Band is playing. An audience of almost 50 young people spread throughout the floor. Among them, SURAYA (18, beautiful brunette, petite, in jeans and T-shirt with a Nike logo across the chest) is framed by the long legs of a handsome but very skinny guy. She is experiencing the music as if in a trance. GIRL ONE and GIRL TWO, on the opposite corner are laughing, looking at her, intently, from a distance. INT. CAR. NIGHT Copilot is communicating through a radio unit (disproportionately long antenna), with a central dispatcher. EXT. BUILDING FRONT. NIGHT A group of 20 armed policemen is ready to go. INT. BASEMENT. NIGHT Indie Pop Band is playing. Suraya and the girls exchange looks. They know each other. (All communication through hand signals). Girl one furtively taps her front pocket as suggesting she has something to share. GIRL ONE Lets go out for a while Suraya consults with the boyfriend but he wants to stay. Suraya waves them out Both girls insist. Suraya caves in. Suraya stands up and makes her way toward the girls, between legs, elbows and dancing people. The three girls leave through a small back-door behind the makeshift stage. They climb a few stairs and stop. Girl one takes a small plastic bag out of the pocket. GIRL ONE (CONTD) Heart... Chinese character... or star? GIRL TWO Ill get the pink SURAYA Give me the star They swallow the drugs.

7. EXT. TERRACE OF THE BUILDING. NIGHT View from the terrace of the twenty armed policemen lined up against the back of the building. VOICE OVER RADIO QUALITY (in Farsi) asking them to wait and be ready. INT. HALL. NIGHT

The two girls and Suraya are high. They have quickly achieved a heightened sensorial sensibility. Jump-cuts. The walls seem closing in on them, sense of entrapment, claustrophobia. I need air GIRL TWO

GIRL ONE You know its against the rules Girl two does not listen and starts climbing. Suraya and Girl one scream at her to get back but wind up following her. EXT. URBAN STRUCTURE. NIGHT We see the two girls and Suraya come out of the building as if they were escaping from smoke and fire. We see the surrounding environment from their perspective: The flickering of the streetlight is experienced as blinding flashes. The vibration of the band playing as BOMBS. The CRACKLING of the crispy air. They can't speak. INT. CAR. NIGHT The undercover cops are looking at the three girls from the car, a block away. The driver is about to light another cigarette, manages to strike the lighter a couple of times unsuccessfully. The other agent grabs his arm. Just wait! COPILOT

The driver observes the strange choreography of the three girls swirling in sensorial ecstasy and finally lights his cigarette.

8. EXT. FRONT OF BUILDING. NIGHT The girls and Suraya simultaneously experience the fire of the lighter as if the inside of the car had just exploded. The moment goes in slow motion for them and they can see the three agents. The two girls take off running in the other direction. INT. CAR. NIGHT We can see, from the cars windshield, the two girls running away. But Suraya is still, standing. COPILOT They made us you moron. The driver grabs the walky-talky from the copilots hand. DRIVER (in the lowest tone and calmest pace) Raid the basement now. Only shoot with AR-1s. Repeat, only shoot with AR-1s. EXT. BACK OF BUILDING. Armed policemen split into two groups, run the perimeter of the building towards a side entrance. EXT. FRONT OF BUILDING. Suraya is still paralyzed. She can actually hear the sound of her HEART BEATING and her BLOOD COURSING THROUGH HER BODY. She hears the CRACKLING OF RADIO COMMUNICATIONS and sees it as random lightning in the air. She hears the STUMPING OF THE POLICEMENS BOOT and feels the ground shaking. Suraya starts running back to the basement. She is out of breath. We follow her as she enters the building, takes the stairs down, opens a door. INT. BASEMENT. We hear A COUPLE OF SHOTS, sounds of RICOCHETING RUBBER, and SCREAMS. When Suraya is about to open one door, it slams open hitting her body and groups of people barge running out, passing her by, Suraya starts running towards the basement, against the stampede, searching for her boyfriend.

9. Its all BANGS, SCREAMS, smoking, SHOOTINGS and CRYINGS. Suraya experiences it all amplified to the point of abstraction. In the middle of mostly abstract sights and sounds she sees her boyfriend, lying on the floor, oblivious to the commotion and with a silly smile on his face. She speeds towards him. Police is spraying plastic batons at point blank. People are falling down all over the place, one youth covers his eyes which start oozing blood. Suraya finally reaches her boyfriend and tries to get him up. He is still smirking. He is very thin, so she manages to lift him and tosses him over her shoulders and drags him, by the arms, towards the back door. His feet dangling on the floor. A plastic projectile leaves the mouth of an AR1 rifle, travels through the dense smoke of the room, and enters the back of Surayas boyfriend. Blood comes out from a corner of his mouth and drips towards Surayas shoulder. Suraya reaches a back door and enters the hallway hidden behind the stage, closing the door behind them. They fall down on the stairs, Suraya wipes the blood from his mouth and kisses him. With her mouth and her fingers she feels the coldness of her boyfriends body and steps back in horror. Her hand, now covered in fresh blood, contracts in a spasm. Her exasperated senses come to a halt. Everything stops. SILENCE is so saturated that you can almost hear it. She looks at him and hallucinates a smile growing on his face... SURAYA Behrouz!!!! FADE TO BLACK. Black turns into the white out of a Supernova explosion DISSOLVE TO EXT. SKY - NIGHT

Images of the starry night -SOUNDS OF COSMIC RADIO SIGNALS MIXED WITH WALKIE-TALKIE INTERFERENCE EXT. IRAN - DAY

Satellite images of Iranian secret Launch PAD -SOUNDS OF STEPS WITH ECHO.

10. EXT. ROYAL OBSERVATORY GREENWICH - NIGHT

Aerial views of the Observatory. The position of the Meridian Line marked by a green laser in the sky. INT. OBSERVATORY - NIGHT Panning of the interior decoration of the observatory. Five people going up the stairs in the dark: BROWN: 45, bohemian, slightly Asian looking with carefully trimmed yet full blown dark Afro. Albert Kipnis: 67, tall and well built, with a full head of white hair, wearing a dull, grey suit and tie. JAVIER GUTIERREZ: 50, slightly overweight, dark dyed hair, white pants and jacket, black shirt unbuttoned showing greying chest hair, speaks with heavy Spanish accent. GREENBAUM: 80, bold, huge nose and ears, with a mischievous twinkle behind his oversized bifocals. ANIA: 36, wild short dark hair, huge eyes, beautiful and confident, disarming British accent, black leather jacket tight jeans. Brown and Ania carry small flashlights. INT. OBSERVATORY - TELESCOPE DOME - NIGHT Brown looks through the eyepiece of the 28-inch lens, 28 feet long telescope. BROWN Ahhh, the expectation. Show me some action... Dont make me beg, c'mon, give it to me.... Kipnis is obsessively cleaning a filter. KIPNIS The magnitudes are way down since the last event. I doubt well see anything tonight. GUTIERREZ Numbers, numbers ...always the numbers. KIPNIS (To Gutierrez) Have you looked at the numbers?

11. GUTIERREZ And thats what youve been reading last night... Ania looks at Gutierrez with furtive contempt. KIPNIS Last night I went over the instruments calibration charts. And Id like to think you were too... Youve seen their last manifest. Its unbelievable. GUTIERREZ You stayed up all night poring over calibration charts. And you wonder why GIOVANNA didnt come back? (to GREENBAUM) What are we going to do with Mr. Personality? KIPNIS You havent even opened the report. We are leaving next week. GUTIERREZ (To Greenbaum) His idea of an exciting night is going over calibration charts. He doesnt smoke, he doesnt drink.... He doesnt have sex... Whats the point of... living. Look at him. KIPNIS You havent read the charts yet. GUTIERREZ First thing in the morning, I promise. Greenbaum lifts just his eyes over the bifocals without moving his head, a large astronomical book hes been reading sits at his side, looks intently at Kipnis. GREENBAUM Are you all right? You seem... GUTIERREZ Im telling you... he looks like shit. Brown mutters while looking intently through the telescopes eye piece. BROWN I dont like where this is going. Ania, did you bring the estimates? Ania stares at a computer screen. Her beautiful face lit by the glare.

12. KIPNIS I went to bed at three. But even then couldnt quite fall asleep. Ive been feeling dizzy. GUTIERREZ ...life in the fast lane. Silence KIPNIS Giovanna had to stay a bit longer, they decided to extend the show. GUTIERREZ You know what you need, Kipnis? You need to lay down the books and get laid more often. Stop crunching numbers and do some crunches for Gods sake. You need some spice: go bear hunting, try some drugs, have an affair... GREENBAUM What he needs is a break. A quiet vacation, some down time... (to Kipnis) Why dont you go on a Cruise... ANIA Certainly, a tour of Irans nuclear plants would not count as down time, would it? (A beat) You know what YOU need, Gutierrez? A little bondage... particularly around your face-hole... Kipnis is going through some documents, does not participate but tries to defuse the sudden tension. KIPNIS I may be the boring one, but you are having fun on my account... Just for the record. GUTIERREZ (to Ania) Loooook at yooou! Havent reached puberty yet and already talking about bondage, haaa?! (A beat) You think you can always save him? Ania prints out a page. Stands up. Walks seductively towards Brown and extends the paper. Brown picks up the page without taking his eye off the telescope. Ania Gets up close to Gutierrez. Uses every part of her lips to pronounce each syllable.

13. ANIA Ill have you know, Gutierrez, that I not only talk. And yesss, Gutierrez, I like it rough. (beat) And yesss... I will always save him. GUTIERREZ Oh, youve been a naughty girl, haaa? ANIA You have nooo idea... (grabs his face) And you will never know... you are too old to enjoy pain (gets rid of his face). A massage would be too rough for you. GUTIERREZ When you smile I feel like a baby. ANIA walks back to her computer flaunting her behind. Gutierrez cant avoid looking at her. Suddenly we hear A SOLO OF A VIOLIN from Saint Saenss Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso. General confusion until it becomes clear the sound comes from Kipnis cell phone. Everybody, except Brown whos on the telescope, exchange sardonic looks as confirming Kipnis inveterate dullness. Kipnis touches the screen of his phone and answers. He becomes more and more preoccupied as the conversation develops. Everybody pays close attention. KIPNIS Yes. Last Thursday, yes. No, I havent. That cannot be... Thats not good. Of course. Of course. And what did they say? Kipnis places his free hand on his chest, pressing down while grimacing in mild pain. KIPNIS (CONTD) No, no, me neither. Yes. Yes. Ill get back to you in the morning. No, no. Me too. Thank you. Kipnis hangs up. Everybody wants to hear what happened. Kipnis is still in shock. KIPNIS (CONTD) (to Gutierrez) ALBAKA OULIA. Its getting worse. We have a very small window and the prospects are already pretty grim...

14. GUTIERREZ What do you know? (Beat) Kipnis!! Does she look like a dominatrix to you? KIPNIS Who? My wife? Everybody laughs. Brown laughs with his eye on the eyepiece, and finally gets away from the telescope. Kipnis is confused and out of the loop. BROWN I definitely dont like where this is going. KIPNIS Let me see that. Kipnis gently pushes Brown aside and re-calibrates the telescope. As the whole telescope moves, Gutierrez focuses on the motion, balance, and the series of counterweights accurately moving it into a variety of positions. KIPNIS (CONTD) You have to add about 1 degree east of Deneb, 1,10 minutes right ascension, declination go to 45, 46.6... Kipnis looks through the telescope. A dense cluster of bright specks of light in the pink to red range, fills his field of view, the particles follow random movements. KIPNIS (CONTD) Wait! I cant see anything. The whole thing might be... GUTIERREZ Some day youll learn your way around the universe. We see a star-like explosion but is not clear whether its an image from deep space or Kipnis blurred, atomized vision. KIPNIS Doesnt feel right. BROWN What is it? KIPNIS Its... burning... GUTIERREZ Let me see.

15. Kipnis holds on to the telescope with stiff hands, we see a large diamond ring on one finger (Kipnis only visible sign of extravagance). Aaaaarghhh KIPNIS

GUTIERREZ Let me see... Gutierrez tries to push Kipnis away from the telescope. Kipnis falls to the floor in convulsions. Gutierrez, Brown, Greenbauum, and Ania look flabbergasted. Kipnis appears to be dead. GUTIERREZ (CONTD) (to Ania) Can you save him now? INT. HOSPITAL - DAY Kipnis lies in a hospital bed, asleep. It is a Christian hospital. The decor is overly imposing, with huge crosses, medieval paintings of saints, old/dark wooden furniture, organs. There is a wall-mounted TV across from Kipnis. A charismatic PREACHER is in full swing. TV is on MUTE but Kipnis hears it in between dreams. The preachers delivery builds up in a delirious crescendo to the point that it becomes unbearable. PREACHER We must go back to the scriptures because... You... may all be asking: will the chaos never end? But you already know the answer: what does the Lord say in Zakarias: I'm the alpha and the omega. What does that mean? We must go back to the scriptures... we must go back to the scriptures: book of Revelation 9th verse... because what doesn't seem is and what is, doesn't, and when he returns, when the second coming of the Lord comes to fruition his kingdom will encompass the entire universe. Because, how long, Absolute Ruler, Holy and True, will You wait to judge and avenge our blood from those who live upon the earth. Yes!, and when the time comes every knee shall bow and every heart shall stop... Every knee shall bow and every heart shall STOP

16. As the preachers speech progresses we see a SERIES OF SHOTS: Screaming face being burnt. Images of Kipniss heart beating. Grainy CLOSE-UPS of the preachers face and an ARC SHOT/BIRDS EYE VIEW of the whole room. The speech reaches its climax. Kipnis wakes up as if asphyxiating. Kipnis, drenched in his own sweat, sits up, desperately brings his hand to his chest, discovers he had an operation and feels the pacemaker through his bandaged skin. A DOCTOR, in his 30s, and a NURSE, in her 60s, both with slightly outdated outfits, enter the room. The Doctor, sits on the side of the bed and puts a hand on Kipnis shoulder. DOCTOR Dont do that! KIPNIS I need a doctor. DOCTOR Can you stand up? Are you..? KIPNIS

DOCTOR I need YOU to listen very carefully. The doctor helps Kipnis to stand up and walk. Slowly takes him to a screen that shows a 3D Scan of the inside of Kipniss thorax with the pacemaker visibly inside. Kipnis stands to the right, his image blurred by the light behind him. To Kipnis right a portrait of Saint Olalla, a III century Spanish martyr who was dismembered and tortured to death. The doctor points to the scan. DOCTOR (CONTD) A fibrillation is a serious thing. You cant afford another one. I had younger, stronger men die for milder events. In fact, you should be dead. Should I? KIPNIS

DOCTOR I know who you are.

17. KIPNIS It hurts... right here. (a beat) What do you mean I SHOULD be dead? DOCTOR I know who you are. And, in your condition, thats not healthy. The Doctor points to a group of people on the other side of the window. Gutierrez is on the foreground. DOCTOR (CONTD) Thats the first thing you have to avoid. KIPNIS Them? Impossible. DOCTOR They are your worst enemies... Ill let them in this time. You have to keep them at bay, at least for 48 hours... And no, you should not be dead... but if you dont rest... KIPNIS It would be easier to avoid death... Group enters the room and spreads out (Gutierrez, U.N. OFFICIAL 1, U.N OFFICIAL 2, an ASSISTANT, an OLD AFRICAN WOMAN: ALBAKA OULIA). Three nondescript U.N. men stay outside. GIOVANNA, Kipnis wife, enters later. GUTIERREZ You cant stay out of trouble, ha? Gutierrez punches Kipnis on the chest lightly, but strongly enough to make him uncomfortable. Giovanna? KIPNIS

Gutierrez ogles the nurse and tries to make eye contact before answering. GUTIERREZ Shes coming. DOCTOR Please keep in mind that under different circumstances... I would not have allowed this visit. U.N OFFICIAL 1 We appreciate it, doctor. Im sure Kipnis will be able to travel next Monday...

18.

Giovanna enters the room. She hugs Kipnis but the tension in the room prevents them from showing much affection. DOCTOR We have implanted a cardioverter-defibrillator which we use in patients at risk for recurrent, sustained ventricular fibrillation. The device is connected to leads positioned inside the heart to deliver electrical shocks in case there is a need to restore a normal rhythm. Doctor Kipnis needs at least a couple of days, best case scenario, a week. In the meantime you need to find other ways in which he can be helpful. The preacher screams and shakes. It seems as if he wants to escape the monitor and prevent Kipnis from traveling. GIOVANNA ...Travelling to Iran on the brink of a civil war is definitely not one of them. U.N OFFICIAL 1 I would not call it a Civil war... U.N. OFFICIAL 2 From a distance things always seem more dangerous. On the ground, though, its never quite that bad, and well make sure he comes in and out smoothly. No need to be concerned, Ma'am. GIOVANNA Maam? Who are you? U.N. OFFICIAL 2 MARKO DYUNRI. Unit Head out of Vienna. GIOVANNA You must be out-of-your-head if you think hes going anywhere. Kipnis does not find the words nor the strength to participate. Gutierrez takes the opportunity to study the nurse but the doctor catches him. Giovanna looks at the doctor. GUTIERREZ I dont think we have a choice here, Giovanna. His friendship with SH-LAKBAR seems our best and last concrete chance to avert a real conflict. And weve lost a week already. (MORE)

19. GUTIERREZ (CONT'D) I know the timing could be better but its just one inspection, one press conference, a couple of pictures and we bring him back on Friday. Thats all. Well make sure he behaves... Ill personally see to it that... GIOVANNA (To Kipnis) I find it hard to believe that the Secretary General will go along with this. The old African woman who has been standing in the corner walks up to the group. ALBAKA OULIA (thick African accent) Albaka Oulia. Im with the Senior Management Team. I understand your concern but this is bigger than all of us, this is... historical, and the way things look right now, we can see no other option. We will all have to make some sacrifices. GIOVANNA Sacrifices? What are you: an Aztec Priest? This is my husband you are talking about. And I dont give a damn about... HISTORY! Gutierrezs makes a mocking expression revealing he is enjoying the conflict. KIPNIS Giovanna... ALBAKA OULIA This week, you are not the only one who needs Kipnis... or the only one HE needs. You know that... Giovanna is boiling up. The conversation is heating up. The doctor is trying to shepherd the group out of the room in an attempt to end the visit. ALBAKA OULIA (CONTD) If we dont muster all the diplomatic leverage at our disposal we might indeed be looking at the end of HISTORY. (To the doctor) We ALL need Kipnis, and we need him as soon as possible. GIOVANNA You might have a connection with History, Miss... Oulia. But my husbands priority IS... WALKING right now. And that, dear, is my job.

2nd Blue (mm/dd/yyyy) ALBAKA OULIA (Already leaving) Of course, and we want you to do your job. Everybody leaves.

20.

The Doctor stays alone with Kipnis. They stare at each other as if they were reading their thoughts. DOCTOR You need at least two days before you could travel. One thing you should be mindful of is the risk of radiation or electromagnetic interference, which can cause the unit to malfunction. Kipnis nods. DOCTOR (CONTD) One more thing I recommend is music: listen to good music. It has been proven that positive emotions aroused by joyful music can improve cardiovascular function. Any music? KIPNIS

DOCTOR Any that you like. KIPNIS I like Debussy DOCTOR Hmmm... Maybe not Debussy... He can be slightly atonal... Debussy may not have the desired clinical effect. KIPNIS Saint Saens? DOCTOR Ahhh, thats a different story. The epitome of rhythm and elegance! Kipnis sketchily hums a few phrases from Danse Macabre and then goes silent. Behind Kipnis unreadable face, the flickering, haunting shadow of a cross covers the background.