Northwest Blues
Written by
Summer Sun
s.yuqian@wustl
TEASER
EXT. SKYSCRAPER - SEATTLE - NIGHT (2368 NOVEMBER)
It is raining outside.
A man wearing black wind coat comes out of the door of a
skyscraper in a low-key way and walks along the street
hastily.
After a while, he enters a bungalow’s basement.
INT. BASEMENT - SEATTLE - NIGHT (2368 NOVEMBER)
As soon as the man enters the muddy basement, we can see a
broken robot laying on the table and a few people around it.
Except the robot has a torso and four limbs, it dose not
looks like a human at all and its face is composed by pieces
of iron sheet and wires.
ONE OF A FEW PEOPLE
I believe this is it.
He points to the center torso of the robot and looks to the
man. There is an reddish metal imbedded in the iron chunk.
The man wearing black quickly pulls out his gun out of the
pocket and triggers it to the robot’s head. “Boom”. After
that, he lights a cigarette and smiles.
THE MAN IN BLACK
Tell Frank. We are going to make a
decent fortune.
EXT. THE BUNGALOW - SEATTLE - NIGHT (2368 NOVEMBER)
At the same time, a more sophisticated iron robot is
approaching to the basement. Its body is equipped with
various weapons. The tiny LED light on his forehead shines
red light.
The strange thing is that while it is walking, it makes a
gesture of drinking water, bends its hand a little as if
holding a bottle of water and raised to the face, but there
is nothing but air in its hand. This act is like a mine’s
performance.
Although acting weird, it approaches to the basement.
2.
INT. BASEMENT - SEATTLE - NIGHT (2368 NOVEMBER)
Everyone in the basement looks thrilled.
The man notices a noise near the basement’s door and turns
his head towards it.
All of A Sudden. “Boom, Boom, Boom...”
Before anyone has realized, the robot enters the basement and
use its machine gun kill everyone in that room.
It lifts the broken robot from the table like a sack over its
shoulder, then causally walks out of the muddy, or bloody,
basement as if nothing has happened.
MUSIC CUE: “Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall” by Ella
Fitzgerald.
As its back dissolved into the raining night sky, we can hear
the sound of police cars.
“Into each life some rain must fall, but too much is falling
in mine...”
END TEASER
2.
3.
ACT ONE
INT. NORTHWEST BLUES BAR - SEATTLE - AFTERNOON (2368
NOVEMBER)
Felix Wilson (29) -- talented saxophonist has long hair down
to his neck. He is at stage playing solo saxophone
wholeheartedly under a dim light. Attracted by his music, the
crowd gathers around the stage.
Although he seems to be fully immersed in the music, a sad in
his eyes.
After finishing his performance, Felix sits by the counter.
BARTENDER -- NICKNAME J
Jesus Felix, your facial muscles
will be frozen if you keep frowning
like this all the time. I
mean...What really bothers you?
FELIX
J. You know what it is. The money I
earned with my poor little
saxophone cannot even pay the rent.
Should I laugh all day or what?
BARTENDER
Oh I see...you are trying to palter
me with the money bullshit again?
Please, man, I know there is
something else occupying you.
Felix titters a little and drinks half glass of wine in
silence.
BARTENDER (CONT’D)
Well, if you insist to keep it as a
secret...
The sounds of the holographic projection located besides the
counter interrupts their conversation. It is broadcasting
news. The compere is talking about a criminal gang has been
arrested yesterday.
COMPERE
...A few TX metal smugglers who
destroy public owned robots for
their chips has been legally
arrested at a basement down the 6th
avenue...
3.
4.
Bartender is watching it while wiping the glasses. Felix
frowns and stares blankly at the wine while listening to the
compere’s words as if he already knew this news.His
reluctance to looking the dead smuggler’s faces indicates he
might knew these people.
BARTENDER
Unlucky men. Risking their lives
just for a tiny amount of alien
metal. Gee nowadays everyone is
crazy about TX metal. What’s wrong
with the world?
Another guest sits by the counter looks at bartender and
laughs.
THE GUEST
Big fortune always comes with
risks. You have no idea how worthy
this TX metal is. Robots rely on
it, government who rely on public
serving robots rely on it, we who
rely on government rely on it. Let
alone how hard it is to get just
ten gram of such metal out of one
hectare on Mars...
At this time, a beautiful woman about 25 years old walks into
the Northwest blues bar. She has perfect face and body, and
every detail of her is like a piece of art. Even every lock
of her hair looks like it is designed by a gifted artist.
The bartender and the guest holds their breath, while Felix,
as before, keeps a frowned and indifferent face.
The bartender pats Felix’s arm to hint him look over the
woman.
BARTENDER
(whispering)
Yo, Felix, three o’clock direction.
After taking a glance of the woman who is now siting there
alone catching everyone’s attention in that bar, Felix drinks
the rest of his wine.
FELIX
I bet you ten shots of fine
whiskey. She is a Genor (nickname
of genetically modified human).
4.
5.
BARTENDER
What are you talking about? You
can’t identify every beauty on
earth to be Genor, right? It is
still very likely some people they
are born with such beauty...
After studied and analyzed her face for a while, the
bartender bows his head. The guest drinks a whole glass of
wine in one shot with disappointment.
BARTENDER (CONT’D)
Yes, yes, you might be right. She
is a Genor. So what? Why are you so
picky? Don’t tell me you want to be
single for rest of your life
playing VR games alone at your tiny
apartment.
FELIX
(showing a bittersweet smile)
Unfortunately, J. This is exactly
what I plan to do.
BARTENDER
Well, well, maybe it is your
pessimism that makes your blues
pleasant. But what a pity to rest
in peace without experiencing
loving someone wholeheartedly. And
Geez, Genors are human too. Don’t
be racist, man.
Felix feels lost of a second. He realized that he really
didn’t love anyone in his 29 life, except one person. But he
don’t know if that was love. When Felix was 9 years old, his
parents both dead by accident. He closed himself in the lower-
level apartment doing nothing but playing blues harmonica all
day all alone.
There is one girl in the neighborhood who always attracted by
his music. The little girl peeped little Felix through the
little window every time she walks by. Sometimes, she made
some compliments. Most of the time, She hummed softly to
Felix’s music. Such relationship continued over a year. Until
one day the little girl never came by to the window again,
Felix felt like that his already incomplete heart has nothing
left.
5.
6.
GUEST
You can’t really blame on racism.
After the genetic modification has
been permitted to certain doctors
for their so-called experiments,
look how many “perfect monster”
they create...
A slight noise comes from the entrance.
The three of them look to the door and see the head of 797.
EXT. NORTHWEST BLUES BAR - SEATTLE - AFTERNOON (2368
NOVEMBER)
The rain penetrates the tall buildings and windows into the
front of the blues bar. An android, human-look robot, stands
in front of the entrance.
797 -- designed and produced by Sunring company, owned by the
owner of the Northwest blues bar, it is a woman-like android
with golden skin. Every pieces of its skin including its hair
has been gold plated, and it wears a sleeveless sequined mini
dress.
The form of the two pupils in its eyes are not circle but a
golden sun radiating shape. It is the doorkeeper of the blues
bar. Although it is programmed to watch out for potential
threat, its major purpose is to attract guests. Thus, the
designer programmed it with the ability to do certain human
facial expression and gestures.
797 walks back and forth and looks around with its unique
empty eyes from time to time.
CLOSE UP: 797’S EYES CONTAIN GOLDEN SUN RADIATING SHAPE.
Strangers who walk pass by it whisper about its look. Some
little boys use “she” pronounce but most of people use “it”
pronounce to 797.
INT. NORTHWEST BLUES BAR - SEATTLE - AFTERNOON (2368
NOVEMBER)
Bartender, Felix, the guest heard the compliments of 797. And
after greeting, the guest leaves the bar.
Felix is about to leave, too.
FELIX
Where did he (refer to the owner of
Northwest blues bar) got the thing?
6.
7.
BARTENDER
It is been said he as a close
friend working at the Sunring
company. Do you believe originally
it is a doorkeeper robot? You know,
after some “modification”, it
indeed attracts more guests.
Felix nods while puts on his coat.
BARTENDER (CONT’D)
Take a closer look of the new
“golden doll” as you go. It took
him a fair amount of money. See you
tomorrow.
EXT. NORTHWEST BLUES BAR - SEATTLE - DAWN (2368 NOVEMBER)
As Felix walks out of the blues, he has a quick but serious
glance towards 797.
Meanwhile, 797 is doing a mechanical smile towards a
passerby.
Felix is a little surprised by 797’s resemblance to human. It
is indeed unlike any other robot he disassembled before.
EXT. STREET BY THE SEA - SEATTLE - DAWN (2368 NOVEMBER)
After making his way through the alleys of the city center,
Felix comes to a seaside street where there are three light
rails operating above
Along the seaside, a man in black is waiting for him.
Zach Morgan (32) -- smuggler, follower of Frank, contact
person of Felix.
Side by side, both of them quietly look at the opposite bank
where sunset is hidden by skyscrapers for a while.
ZACH
Whoever lives shall remember the
dead, right?
Silence, except the sound of the light tails.
ZACH (CONT’D)
Frank has found another target. A
big fish. Contains at least three
chips.
7.
8.
FELIX
What if I refuse?
ZACH
You know the consequence.
FELIX
Are you sure? It is nothing but a
mascot...I mean if the owner find
out? Am I going to lose my job?
ZACH
(showing a determined face)
We need it. And this time, you will
get at least thirty percent.
Silence, except the sound of the light tails.
FELIX
What exactly kills them yesterday?
ZACH
We don’t know. Listen, keep it low,
ok? Things are getting confused
these days. We cannot lose more
people.
Felix nods and climbs the stairs to the light tail station.
On his way home, he has an incredible full view of city
Seattle through tail’s windows.
MUSIC CUE: “Now the Rain Is Falling” by Little Birdy.
“Wait, my open eyes are sorry now. You and me are in this
together. I cry, I cry cause you’re not here at all. I cannot
be the only one. I am not last...”
INT. A LUXURIOUS VILLA / WILLIAM’S HOME - LAS VEGAS - DAY
(2368 NOVEMBER)
Inside the villa, the furniture are plush. This is a rich
family.
A overweighed teenager sits on his chair as if the chair is
going to crash at anytime.
William (19) -- he is over three hundred pounds. His fat hung
down on his cheeks and stomach, and he even has a hard time
breathe freely.
8.
9.
As the camera goes to the bookshelf inside William’s room, we
noticed that it filled with video games, interactive movies
and VR equipment.
When camera back to William, the eyes on his stiff face
reflect the light from the screen in front of him, and we can
see from such reflection that he is watching the old movie
Red Dead Redemption.
The movie is now showing the classic scene that Clint
Eastwood triggers his gun.
WILLIAM’S MOTHER
It’s time for lunch.
William stands up with difficulty and helps himself down the
stairs with various handrails. Finally, he gets himself to
the table.
Ceci (15) -- William’s sister. But unlike William, she has an
angle face and a perfect body, and she dose not look like her
parents nor William at all.
During the lunch, all conversation is about Ceci.
William stars at his plate with an indifferent look when his
parents keep asking Ceci about her school life. He seems dose
not belongs to the family.
WILLIAM’S MOTHER (CONT’D)
Ceci, how is your dancing club at
school?
CECI
Oh Mom, I will lead the group. We
will be host a show next Thursday
night. Please come and see me.
WILLIAM’S MOTHER
Of course. I am so proud of you.
William’s mother put a sweet potato inside Ceci’s plate.
WILLIAM’S FATHER
How is your mid-term exam going, my
sweetheart?
CECI
Almost straight A, except computer
science.
9.
10.
WILLIAM’S FATHER
That’s already brilliant. What do
you want for a reward of your hard
work?
CECI
Papa, you are the best! Can I have
a VR equipment just like William
has?
Silence. William’s mother and father look at each other then
look to William.
WILLIAM’S MOTHER
I am so sorry sweetheart. I am
afraid you have to come up with
another thing. VR equipment makes
no good to young people like you...
WILLIAM’S FATHER
How about a dancing accompany
robot, honey. Sunring is doing the
first generation of them. I can get
you one before they face to the
public.
CECI
Whoa! I love you dad.
Meanwhile, William is quietly sitting at the corner of the
table and eating his own food. After he finished his plate.
His mother brings a pot in front of him. The pot is filled
with food, but not like normal good, it more like a rough
mixture of various veg and meat.
WILLIAM’S FATHER
One of my colleagues did an
experiment these days. He made a
monkey to grow fish scale in its
skin. How crazy that is? Well, it
is not Ichthyosis syndrome which is
a series of Geno deramtoses
clinically manifested by
ichthyosiform lesions. He
successfully combines the DNA of
terrestrial biota to aquatic
creature. That is a big
breakthrough...
William’s mother interrupts him.
WILLIAM’S MOTHER
Come on, say something that we can
understand.
10.
11.
CLOSE UP: THE FATHER’S BRIEFCASE CONTAINS THE SAME SUN LOGO
AS 797’S PUPIL.
Finishing the lunch, William’s mother pushes a bottom on the
table. And three mechanical arms reaches out below the table
and starts to clean the kitchen. William’s father and Ceci is
sitting in front of sofa watching news through holographic
projection.
Once they turn the holographic projection to the live mode
and put a clasp on the forehead, the machine enable them to
feel like they are right there where the event happens.
Instead of surrounded by the furniture in their house, they
are now surrounded by a crow of people in front of the
government building listening to the administers’ speech.
ADMINISTER
Recently, the crime rate is
increasing. Most our threats come
from the TX metal smugglers. We are
not going to siting here doing
nothing. We are going to increase
the police force to bring a more
harmonious society to all of you.
Remember, TX metal is suppose to
make our lives better not worse...
Right after the government’s speech, William, William’s
father and Ceci drop clasps off their foreheads. They are
being at home again.
However, a advertise is presenting through the projection
after the speech. William noticed that this is an ad of the
updated version of a VR game called Red Dirt, his favorite VR
game. A shallow thrill shows in William’s eyes. He
immediately puts the clasp back to his forehead.
Now his is immersed in the Red Dirt advertisement.
EXT. SEDONA - ARIZONA - DAY (1850)
A open view of red dirt valley is presented. And under the
perspective of Williams, we are now riding a horse at the
edge of a mountain.
SOUNDTRACK
You are going to experience the
most authentic cowboy journey...
In this latest version, we offer
you the best visual experience.
Immersing in the...
11.
12.
EXT. DESERT - ARIZONA - DAY (1850)
William’s perspective is now in the middle of a war with
Indians. (10 seconds)
EXT. AMONG VALLEYS - ARIZONA - DAY (1850)
William’s perspective is now holding a shovel and digging a
gold mines by a river. (10 seconds)
EXT. BAR - ARIZONA - DAY (1850)
William’s perspective is now sitting in front of a desk
gambling with three cowboys. (10 seconds)
SOUNDTRACK
...And most important, you will
become a bounty hunter and serve
for the justice in the wild west
world...
William’s perspective is now in front of a wall filled with
posters. Each of the posters contains a drawing of a criminal
and the number of money you will get if you kill him.
SOUNDTRACK (CONT’D)
Now, are you ready to go?
INT. A LUXURIOUS VILLA / WILLIAM'S HOME - LAS VEGAS - DAY
(2368 NOVEMBER)
William drops the clasp off. And sitting in the sofa with his
eyes abnormally wide open. It seems like he still feel like
in the middle of the red dirt instead of at home.
WILLIAM’S MOTHER
Hey, William, I am talking to you.
Are you OK?
William’s mother notices his unusual facial expression after
calling him several times without getting the feedback.
WILLIAM’S MOTHER (CONT’D)
We are going out to take Ceci to
her dancing class. You want stay at
home?
William nods. William’s parents and Ceci is walking out of
door.
12.
13.
EXT. A LUXURIOUS VILLA / WILLIAM'S HOME - LAS VEGAS - DAY
(2368 NOVEMBER)
Outside the weather is good. The neighborhood has a
harmonious architecture style. All the houses are white and
organic shape.
William’s parents and Ceci get on their car, which is a
sphere shape vehicle relied on magnetism to levitate and
move.
During their drive to the dance class. Through the car’s
window, we can see a robot helps an old lady by the arm. This
robot have one mechanical arm and two wheels as leges. It is
not like a human at all. Instead, it is an intelligent tool
designed and programmed specifically for helping elders to
walk.
One block passed, we can see another robot which is standing
behind the window of a restaurant delivering take-out food to
people. This one is more like human because it has two arms
and torso, but is face is just a piece of iron sheet.
It not only deliver food for the people in front of it, it
also delivers food to flying drone. The drone fly high in the
sky once it gets the take-out, and fly to customer’s houses.
In order to distinguish robot from human, before massive
production of serving robot, the government announced and
enacted a law that all robots must have distinguish physical
features than human.(background information)
They arrived the building for Ceci’s dance class. This is six-
floor building entirely made of glasses. We can see various
people dancing inside it through glass windows.
INT. A LUXURIOUS VILLA / WILLIAM'S HOME - LAS VEGAS - DAY
(2368 NOVEMBER)
William makes his way back to his room and sits in front of
his computer.
He opens one of the box of his VR equipment and takes out a
hat made of thin electronic chips, two contact lens and a
headset.
He fits the hat into his head, puts two contact lens into his
eyes and wears the headset properly. He then activates his
computer and puts the chip of the game Red Dirt into his
computer. After connecting the VR equipment with computer,
William closes his eyes, laying down on his seat.
13.
14.
After in the game, players are able to do any physical
movement in the digital universe. They can walk, run, talk,
listen, doing facial expression, doing body
gestures...However, the big difference between being in the
VR game and being in the real life is that in VR game,
players are not able to taste and smell.
EXT. MONUMENT VALLEY - NAVAJO NATION - DAY (1850)
A cowboy is riding his brown horse alone through the red
dirt.
Sam8 (25) -- William’s digital character in the game Red
Dirt. He wears a necklace, a tiny bottle filled with red
dirt, and equips with the finest guns.
A strong west wind hits his forehead as well as a piece of
sheet he is holding. On the sheet, there is a drawing of a
scary-looking old man. And below it, a series of number is
presented -- “4000 dollars”. The cowboy is a bounty hunter.
Suddenly, a window pops out: “New Mission Accepted”
The left screen shows that Sam8 is an advanced player. After
finishing his next target, he will upgrade to the level of
fifty. According to the announcement of Red Dirt, only few
player globally are able to reach level fifty, and whoever
reaches this level will have rewards and special mission that
designed for them.
Folding the sheet back to his pocket, Sam8 whistles, and
start to play the song “Red River Valley” using his carryon
harmonica. He is going to his next target.
A green spot on his digital map shows that he is gradually
approaching to his target. He located that his target is in
the little stable not very far from him.
He gets off his horse quietly, walks lightly into the stable
and sees his target feeding the horse. But his target senses
the movement and pulls the gun out of his pocket. Sam8 walks
slowly against the wall , his target has started to shoot
indiscriminately with his gun. But Sam8 turns and jumps to
avoid all the bullets. Just in the nick of time, Sam8 found a
perfect shooting angle and took only one bullet to his
target. Nailed it.
The progress bar is speeding up. A window pops
“Congrats! You are in level fifty now, among the best bounty
hunters in the game! Great ability always comes with great
responsibility.
14.
15.
As announced before, you will have special mission another
than the normal players. Your reward is that your lifeline in
the game now is relatively unlimited. In order words, you
won’t die of thirst, starvation or exhaustion in the game.
And Yoho! Your next target is your special mission. Here is
his information. Best Luck!”
Sam8 looks down to the piece of information. It is just like
the target poster before, seemingly nothing special.
He follows the map and dissolves in the desert.
EXT. NORTHWEST BLUES BAR - SEATTLE - NIGHT (2368 NOVEMBER)
Felix sits by the counter after performance, he picks a seat
purposely to peep 797 over the door. It seems to be nothing
but a more advanced robots with occasional mechanical smile.
END ACT ONE
15.
16.
ACT TWO
EXT. MONUMENT VALLEY - NAVAJO NATION - DAY (1850)
The sun in Red Dirt today is too strong for Sam8 to be
exposed outside for too long. But since he is now a fifty
level player, the lifeline is way longer than it used to be.
William is able to survive in the game without much concern
about his character’s well-being and only focus on his job.
According to the game’s map, a green spot is near him.
Now Sam8 is riding his brown horse in the middle of the red
dirt desert. Through his eye-line matching, we can tell he is
staring at a cowboy about 50 feet aways from him. That cowboy
who worth 4000 dollars is the target of the special mission
designed only for advanced player. And Sam8 now finally find
him.
Sam8 is slowly and secretly approaching behind him.
SMASH CUT TO:
EXT. STREET BY THE SEA - SEATTLE - DAWN (2368 NOVEMBER)
Zach is standing alone along the seaside waiting for someone.
Seattle is about to enter the night, and the world is so
quiet except the sounds from light rails above him.
Behind him, a robot composed by pieces of iron sheet and
wires is slowly and secretly approaching him. It rides an
mechanical horse, and it mimics every movement that Sam8 dose
in the game.
SMASH CUT TO:
EXT. MONUMENT VALLEY - NAVAJO NATION - DAY (1850)
Sam8 is only 10 feet from his target. The cowboy notices Sam8
and immediately turns around.
SMASH CUT TO:
EXT. STREET BY THE SEA - SEATTLE - DAWN (2368 NOVEMBER)
The robot is only 10 feet from Zach. He notices and
immediately turns around with a shocking face.
SMASH CUT TO:
16.
17.
EXT. MONUMENT VALLEY - NAVAJO NATION - DAY (1850)
The cowboy is screaming and running despairingly in the
middle of nowhere.
SMASH CUT TO:
EXT. STREET BY THE SEA - SEATTLE - DAWN (2368 NOVEMBER)
Zach is screaming and running despairingly along the seaside.
The neon lights from the sea bank illuminate his running
silhouette. However, his efforts dose not payoff. The robot
raised its mechanical arm. A red laser comes out of it.
SMASH CUT TO:
EXT. STREET BY THE SEA - SEATTLE - DAWN (2368 NOVEMBER)
The sunset in Seattle is about to vanishing, Zach falls down
on the ground and blends in the dark.
MUSIC CUE: 5 seconds of “Spokey Dokey”.
Silence.
INT. CONTROL CABINET - GOVERNMENT OFFICE - DOWNTOWN SEATTLE -
DAY (2368 NOVEMBER)
There is more than seventy people working at the control
cabinet. A huge screen covers the north wall. We can tell
from the screen that this cabinet is the back-stage
management for the VR game Red Dirt.
The huge screen shows Zach’s portrait along with the portrait
of the cowboy who shot by Sam8 in the game. Suddenly, both of
the colorful images turn to be black and white.
ONE PROGRAMMER
Nice work! Credit to Sam8!
ANOTHER PROGRAMMER
William will never disappoint us.
This dude is a pro...Can you
believe he just turns nineteen?
THE OFFICER
(Interrupt the conversation)
Now, disconnect robot780 from Sam8
and send it back. Make sure to keep
things low. Let it come back
through our underground tunnel 03.
17.
18.
EXT. STREET BY THE SEA - SEATTLE - DAWN (2368 NOVEMBER)
The tiny LED light in the robot’s forehead suddenly turns
blue from red. It now disconnects from Sam8 and stops
imitating the digital character played by William in Red
Dirt. Instead, the blue light means the crew in that control
cabinet is now in control of robot780.
Under the dim light beneath the bridge along the seaside,
robot780 reaches its mechanical arm and picks up Zach’s
corpse. Carrying it on the mechanical horse’s back, robot780
is now heading towards the street.
At the end of the street, there is an unimpressive well lid.
Robot780 opens the well lid. The mechanical horse suddenly
transforms into a spider-like mount and connects itself into
robot780’s leg. Holding Zach’s corpse, they together jump
into the well lid.
INT. UNDERGROUND TUNNEL 03 - SEATTLE - NIGHT (2368 NOVEMBER)
Unlike the normal underground pipe, the tunnel inside this
well lid is well built and maintained. Most importantly, the
inside space is way bigger. The wall is made of steel, and
there are surveillance cameras ad infrared lights all over
the place.
Robot780 creeps inside it with a fast speed. It is
approaching the government building at downtown Seattle. This
tunnel connects with government building, and above it is the
downtown Seattle.
Robot780 is now at the end of the tunnel. There is a door
above it. Just like a space station, the door automatically
opens as it arrives.
INT. CONTROL CABINET - GOVERNMENT OFFICE - DOWNTOWN SEATTLE -
NIGHT (2368 NOVEMBER)
The big screen is now showing the live video captured by the
monitor near the tunnel’s door. It shows Robot780 is entering
the door.
THE OFFICER
(looking at the big screen)
Great, now setting it to default
mode.
18.
19.
INT. LOWER LEVEL OF THE GOVERNMENT BUILDING - DOWNTOWN
SEATTLE - NIGHT (2368 NOVEMBER)
After entering the door, Robot780 directly enters the lower
level of the government building. Inside this secret space,
it is surrounded by more than 100 robots that looks just like
it, with blue lights on their foreheads as well. All 100
robots are orderly placed and there is an empty spot inside
them. After placing Zach’s corpse inside a small elevator,
Robot780 slides into that empty spot and posts the same stock-
still gesture as rest of the robots.
INT. CONTROL CABINET - GOVERNMENT OFFICE - DOWNTOWN SEATTLE -
NIGHT (2368 NOVEMBER)
The elevator holding Zach’s corpse is lifting into the
control cabinet through a secret tunnel. After it arrives
into the cabinet, two staff put the corpse inside a big
plastic bag and carry it into another room. The officer
oversights the whole process.
THE OFFICER
(slight smile)
End of this mission. Next on the
lists?
ONE PROGRAMMER
(looking through the target list)
So...for next target...Felix
Wilson. 29 years old. Saxophonist
at the Northwest Blues Bar...
ANOTHER PROGRAMMER
No way! Northwest blues bar at
moonlight street? I know him. This
dude plays amazingly good music.
What he has to do with it? He got
involved with Frank?
ONE PROGRAMMER
Indeed, and more than you ever
knew. He, behind the stage, helped
Frank steal at least 20 more chips
from our robots. And Zach is his
first contact.
ANOTHER PROGRAMMER
Can’t believe it. What a pity of
his music...Anyways, smugglers are
everywhere these days.
19.
20.
ONE PROGRAMMER
This is why we are here, right?
Secretly reducing crime from the
country without casing unnecessary
panic...
THE OFFICER
(with a serious face)
Has Felix entered the game yet?
The programmer searches quickly through its computer, and
failed to find the game player who registered using Felix’s
identity card.
ONE PROGRAMMER
(with a shocking face)
It appears...He never registered
for Red Dirt. Can you believe it?
There is still people who don’t
play Red Dirt these days. How did
he socialize with others?
The programmer continue searching Felix’s personal
information through the government’s database.
ONE PROGRAMMER (CONT’D)
Oh, it seems he obsessed with
another VR game First Life.
ANOTHER PROGRAMMER
No wonder. He lost his parents at
young age, trying to live another
happy life in the digital universe.
ONE PROGRAMMER
Right. Yet, he need to be in the
game so that we are able to track
his trace and locate the exact
location of him. Only this way we
are able to assign his digital
character in Red Dirt to be the
next target of Sam8. Only in this
way, we are able to send the
robot...
The officer shows an expression of impatience and walks
towards the door.
THE OFFICER
Use whatever method. Make sure to
let Felix register for Red Dirt by
the end of tomorrow.
20.
21.
As the officer walks out of the door, the whole crew members
in that control cabinet remain in silence for ten seconds.
EXT. OFFICER - SUNRING COMPANY - DOWNTOWN SEATTLE - NIGHT
(2368 NOVEMBER)
Two people are in the room. The officer and a teenager.
James Miller (23) -- genius hacker and digital game player
THE OFFICER
How many year have you been playing
the game Red Dirt?
JAMES
When I was seven, I guess.
THE OFFICER
I have to say I am more than
impressed. The record shows that
you never failed a single mission
in Red Dirt, and every mission you
finished with full credits.
JAMES
Well, yeah, so I here to listen to
whatever plan you have and earn the
money you have promised.
THE OFFICER
(slight smile)
What you are going to be involved,
kid, is among the top national
secret. I need have your words for
closing your mouth, real tide.
JAMES
Having ten security checks before
entering this little room? I guess
so. And you have my words already.
THE OFFICER
Great. Now listen, kid. Red Dirt,
such brilliant game, cannot be
wasted for merely entertainment
purpose, you know. Five years ago,
we came up with a plan and
implemented it till today.
The officer lights a electronic cigarette and turns the
Holographic projection on. The holographic shows two maps,
the map of the Game Red Dirt and the map of real city
Seattle.
21.
(MORE)
22.
Although topographically they are entirely two different
world, but some place in the real life has its counter place
in the game. This is when James feels a little frightened.
THE OFFICER (CONT’D)
As we all know, the crime rate
around the world increased a lot
due to the use of TX metal. We need
to came up ways to control the
situation. To return our citizens a
peaceful society. So, we utilize
Red Dirt as a way of setting the
society in order. Once the criminal
registered for the Red Dirt by
using his real life identity, our
programmer is able to track his
location and movement in real life.
And be generating the criminal’s
digital character in Red Dirt, we
are able to assign this character
to be the advanced player’s target
in the game, as well as to relate
his real life location into the
game map. And when the advanced
player plays the game and dose the
final act of killing the target, we
let them to remotely control our
robots. After the robots connect to
the advanced player’s digital
character, they will mimic whatever
movement the advanced players do in
the game. So...when once chosen
player’s digital character kills a
person in the game, the robot which
he remotely control will kills the
criminal tracked by our system in
real life...Oh, Of course, the
player don’t know. Well, they don
need to know actually. There is no
need to cause unnecessary panic.
They just do the whole society a
big favor secretly.
James listens carefully and shows a serious face. He remains
in silence for one minuet.
JAMES
So...What you are saying is
that...You remotely connect
physical robot to the digital
character which the advanced player
in control, and you track
criminal’s real life movement to
reflect into his digital character.
(MORE)
22.
JAMES (CONT’D)
23.
Then, when advanced player is
chasing criminal’s digital
character in the game, a robot is
chasing the criminal in real life.
The officer shows an satisfying smile.
THE OFFICER
Exactly, James. Very well. Digital
character mimics criminal, robot
mimic digital character. Do you
want have a guess about your
upcoming job?
JAMES
...You want me to be one of the
advanced player...which means my
action in the game will kill people
in real life?
THE OFFICER
Relax, James, you just playing the
game, having fun as you used to be.
And being paid enough to
genetically modified your boy
inside your pregnant girlfriend.
Why not? Plus, the people you are
going to killing are nothing but
the cancer in our society.
Silence.
JAMES
Wait a second...For the criminal,
whether or now he is playing the
game, you are able to track his
movement in real life? But how?
THE OFFICER
Actually, We can track any player’s
real life movement even though he
is not playing the game now. When
they put the game's VR device on,
small nano-robots enter their heads
through a nano-needle. By capturing
the electrical signals generated by
the movement, we can tell exactly
what they are doing. In fact, as
long as we want, every player can
have a robot that imitates himself
all the time. But again, we don’t
do that. Only for the good purpose.
JAMES (CONT’D)
23.
24.
JAMES
How many advanced player are
involved for this plan in this
city?
THE OFFICER
I would say, a few, but they are
not necessarily need to being at
Seattle. They can be anywhere.
As long as they play the game well,
you know.
JAMES
Why me? Why you let me know all
these things?
THE OFFICER
Well, James. You volunteered to us,
remember? And you are special. With
your help, the efficiency will
increase.
James nods with blank eyes.
INT. CONTROL CABINET - GOVERNMENT OFFICE - DOWNTOWN SEATTLE -
NIGHT (2368 NOVEMBER)
ONE PROGRAMMER
Thing gets tricky. Well, it is not
a very big deal before, because
literally every young people play
this game. At least people who
under age of thirty-five...And most
of the chip smugglers are young
people, right?
ANOTHER PROGRAMMER
But this Felix.
ONE PROGRAMMER
But this Felix Wilson didn’t. So
back to the topic, what we gonna do
about it.
OTHER PROGRAMMER
In term of allurement, I would say
putting more Red Dirt ads in his
everyday life, forcing him to pay
more attention.
24.
25.
ONE PROGRAMMER
Works, but too inefficient. I
rather send him a anonymous package
containing the most up-dated VR
equipment designed for playing Red
Dirt, along with the limited
digital equipment enable him to
live a decent life in that game...
DISSOLVE TO:
INT. NORTHWEST BLUES BAR - SEATTLE - NIGHT (2368 NOVEMBER)
Felix, after finishing his show, is waving hands to the
bartender J and walking towards the door. But instead of
directly walking through, he stands by the door and gets a
load of 797, trying to figure out which part of its body
contains the three rare chips.
EXT. NORTHWEST BLUES BAR - SEATTLE - NIGHT (2368 NOVEMBER)
797, as usual, is doin its doorkeeper’s job. It walk back and
forth with its unique empty eyes. Its golden skin reflects
the street lights, and whoever enters or comes out from the
door will take a glance of it.
Felix stands there for half an hour and finally figures out
that shooting 797’s neck is the best way for not destroying
the chips but break it at the same time.
EXT. MOONLIGHT STREET - SEATTLE - NIGHT (2368 NOVEMBER)
As he crosses the street, he noticed holograms ads of the VR
game Red Dirt all around him. He goes to the street by the
sea but doesn’t see Zach. It is weird, he texted Zach but
haven’t get the reply.
When he arrives ay the light rail station, he finds that the
advertisement inside the station was also about Red Dirt. His
own shadow and the reflection of the ads are reflected in the
glass. When he finally gets on the light rail and sits down,
the old western music was playing in the carriage.
The night in Seattle never sleep. All kinds of neon lights
reflects in the carriage’s window. Felix seems to be one of
the small potatoes under the big city.
MUSIC CUE:”Red River Valley” by Michael Martin Murphey.
25.
26.
EXT. LONESOME APARTMENT - SEATTLE - NIGHT (2368 NOVEMBER)
Tonight’s weather is a little dusty.
Felix is approaching his apartment. With his black wind coat,
he inches his way through the wind. This is a 30-story
building. Outside, it looks like former soviet futuristic
architecture, built by concrete.
INT. 036 ROOM - LONESOME APARTMENT - SEATTLE - NIGHT (2368
NOVEMBER)
Felix notices a package on his doorstep, addressed to him by
unknown people. He takes it to his house. He hangs hits coat
on a hanger. His 80-square-meter home has almost no
furniture, except a bed, a refrigerator and a microwave oven.
What’s left is old VR equipment.
He opens the package and finds the latest version of Red
Dirt, brand-new VR equipment and codes for limited digital
equipment in Red Dirt. Felix seems to be confused and
thrilled at the same time.
He calls Zach’s secret phone number twice, but there is no
one responding. He starts to show a little worry.
After finishing the not-yet-responded calls, He looks over
his book shelf filled with different versions of the game
Frisk Life. He then looks at the Red Dirt game in its hand.
He opens the VR equipment box. He wears the hat, put the
contact lens and headset on.
EXT. A LITTLE TOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF DESERT - ARIZONA - DAY
(1850)
Fx0203 -- Felix’s digital character in the game Red Dirt.
Felix makes he appear to be a forty-five years old cowboy.
A pop-ip screen shows up in front of Fx0203. It writes
“Please confirm your identity”
Fx0203 types his identity information. The pop-up window then
shows “Welcome to Red Dirt, Felix”. Felix turns down that
screen and looks the street filled with cowboys in front of
him.
He has a indifferent look about the west world scene and soon
exits the Red Dirt.
Although he exits the game, his real life locations and
movement are constantly synchronized to the game.
26.
27.
MUSIC CUE: 3 seconds of “Piano Bar 1”
INT. CONTROL CABINET - GOVERNMENT OFFICE - DOWNTOWN SEATTLE -
NIGHT (2368 NOVEMBER)
A pop-up window showing “Felix is now entering the game”
appears in the huge screen.
ONE PROGRAMMER
Speak of the devil.
THE OFFICER
It seems like only a few 780s are
available for this mission. We has
What do we have other than robot
generation 780s?
ANOTHER PROGRAMMER
Actually. There is one -- robot797,
the doorkeeper of the blues bar. It
is a special designed one bought by
bar’s rich owner for attracting
tourism. But it is a product
produced by us and we are able to
connect and control it.
THE OFFICER
Alright, the nearest is the best.
But do not let anyone find out.
EXT. A TOWN BESIDES MONUMENT VALLEY - NAVAJO NATION - DAY
(1850)
Sam8 is about to trade corpses for bonuses when a pop-up
screen pops up with the words “New Special Mission”.
Sam8 clicks the screen and it writes “For this new mission,
your target is Fx0203. He worth 6000 dollars. He usually
stays in a bar. In order to kill him without causing
unnecessary attention, you need to pretend to be the
doorkeeper of the bar for a while. Better get to know his
everyday routine before you make any movement.”
Besides the text, there is also an image and a map indicating
Fx0203’s appearance and location.
INT. A LUXURIOUS VILLA / WILLIAM'S HOME - LAS VEGAS - DAY
(2368 NOVEMBER)
Behind the screen, William seems excited about his new
mission. He smiles while his eyes are closing.
27.
28.
EXT. A TOWN BESIDES MONUMENT VALLEY - NAVAJO NATION - DAY
(1850)
Sam8 hits “Accept Mission”.
DISSOLVE TO:
INT. NORTHWEST BLUES BAR - SEATTLE - DAY (2368 NOVEMBER)
When Felix keeps monitoring 797 as usual, he finds something
different about 797 this time.
First of all, he finds that the little LED lights in its
forehead turns red.
When Felix looks the door from the counter after finishing
his performance, he finds that 797 peering cautiously out of
the doorframe at him.
In other words, he noticed that 797 acting more like a human.
And most of all, during his observation he realized 797
secretly spies on him, which totally makes no sense.
SMASH CUT TO:
EXT. A BAR IN THE LITTLE TOWN - ARIZONA - DAY (1850)
Sam8 is now acting the doorkeeper of a Beer Bar in west world
spying on Fx0203 who is sitting in the Bar. After Sam8
noticed that Fx0203 finds out he is watching him, he
immediately turns his head to another direction.
INT. NORTHWEST BLUES BAR - SEATTLE - DAY (2368 NOVEMBER)
Felix notices that 797 now has a habit of putting its right
hand to its chin. At such times, 797 always shows a
thoughtful look. Whenever he looks at 797, it is looking at
him. And after noticing Felix’s stare, 797 immediately turns
its head around pretending it didn’t spy on Felix.
It remains Felix the little girl peeping him through the
windows when he was 9. Sometimes Felix even smiles to 797. A
mock is common, but such warm smile is rare for Felix.
BARTENDER
(noticed that Felix titters for no
reason)
Yo, dude, what are you tittering
about? Are you in love with
somebody you didn’t tell me? Come
on.
28.
29.
FELIX
Nothing. The robot, the doorkeeper,
you see? It is spying on me.
Bartender looks at the door -- nothing.
BARTENDER
(laughing)
What are you talking about? Dude,
it is just a robot...Unless you are
a potential robber that threat this
lovely blues bar, otherwise there
is no reason for it to look at you.
Felix is in a complex and mixed emotion. He has a feeling
that hard to describe and understand.
SMASH CUT TO:
EXT. A BAR IN THE LITTLE TOWN - ARIZONA - DAY (1850)
Sam8 puts his right hand to his chin, checking his digital
equipment.
INT. NORTHWEST BLUES BAR - SEATTLE - DAY (2368 NOVEMBER)
Now when Felix finds 797 looking at him again, he even starts
to fare making eye contact with it.
Felix finds 797 is different. Or so to speak, he finds 797
cute.
From this day on, Felix looked at 797 more than a robot.
INT. LONESOME APARTMENT - SEATTLE - NIGHT (2368 NOVEMBER)
The cellphone records shows that Felix as called Zach over
twenty times, but he still didn’t response. The computer
screen shows that Felix searched “signs that robot have human
emotion” online.
Felix, in his bed alone, has a hard time falling sleep. And
it is hard to tell that whether the sleeplessness is because
Zach or 797.
INT. NORTHWEST BLUES BAR - SEATTLE - NIGHT (2368 NOVEMBER)
MUSIC CUE: “Learning the Blues” by Frank Sinatra
29.
30.
Felix as a shining star on the stage is at the climax of his
show, and the signer beside him sings.
“...The night when you don’t sleep, that whole night you’re
crying. But you can’t forget her, soon you even stop trying.
You’ll walk the floor, and you’ll wear out your shoes. When
you feel your heart break, you’re learning the blues...”
At the same time, Felix takes a glance to the entrance of the
blues bar with a deep emotion.
END ACT TWO
30.
31.
ACT THREE
EXT. A LITTLE TOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF DESERT - ARIZONA - DAY
(1850)
A tag hanging on the edge of the door indicates that this is
a bar. And we can see Sam8 as a doorkeeper stands in front of
the door and faces cowboys enter and out.
INT. 036 ROOM - LONESOME APARTMENT - SEATTLE - NIGHT (2368
NOVEMBER)
It is three o’clock in the morning.
The misty moonlight penetrates the outside dusts created by
building work nearby and hits on Felix’s bed after passing
his apartment’s window. And this becomes the only light
source after turning off all the artificial lights inside his
apartment.
Felix, unable to sleep, lays on his bed alone, thinking about
797. The cigarettes in the ashtray is still flashing. He
rolls over his body, facing the shelf filled with VR games.
He sees Red Dirt.
INT. A BAR IN THE LITTLE TOWN - ARIZONA - DAY (1850)
Felix enters the game Red Dirt, and this time the bar which
Sam8 is keeping his eyes on becomes his default location
after entering the game.
A pop-ip window shows up right after he entering the game:
“Your mission: Staying in bar until your contact people
come.”
Fx0203 sits in a table and calls a cup of Whisky. He is
drinking the Whisky, but taste nothing. This is when people
suddenly realized the difference between VR game and reality.
In VR game, smell and taste are missing. You can talks to
people, listen to people, touch a wall in the game, but you
can never taste the flavor of a cheesecake and smell the
cherry tree there.
As Fx0203 is staring blankly into his wine glass, his split
vision detects someone peeping at him around the door. He
turns his eyes to the door, seeing Sam8.
Whenever Fx0203 looks at Sam8, Sam8 immediately turns his
head pretending it didn’t spy on Fx0203.
31.
32.
It reminds Felix about 797. He senses that there must be some
connection between 797 and the digital character spying on
him in Red Dirt.
INT. A LUXURIOUS VILLA / WILLIAM'S HOME - LAS VEGAS - DAY
(2368 NOVEMBER)
WILLIAM’S MOTHER
Wake up. It’s time for class.
William opens his eyes in a daze. His mother enters his room
and finds he is sleeping on his desk.
William sits in his chair and stretched himself up with his
hands. He outs his right hand to his chin. He turns on the
computer and puts a chip called iCloud university. William
connects the holographic projection with his computer.
Clicking on the “introduction to computer science”, he is now
sitting in a lecture theatre.
After about 10 minutes, William feels bored. He puts the
clasps down the type some code into the computer. Now he can
pretend he is attending the lecture while enjoying something
else.
He sets up the equipment for Red Dirt, put the VR devices
one.
EXT. A BAR IN THE LITTLE TOWN - ARIZONA - DAY (1850)
Sam8 is once again spying on Fx0203, but he notices that
Fx0203 looks back at him, which means he has sensed the fact
that he is spying. While Sam8 is thinking the way to kill
Fx0203, he puts his right hand to his chin.
INT. 036 ROOM - LONESOME APARTMENT - SEATTLE - DAY (2368
NOVEMBER)
Coming home from work, the more Felix think about 797 and
what happened in the game, the stranger it gets. So he enters
the game again.
INT. A BAR IN THE LITTLE TOWN - ARIZONA - DAY (2368 NOVEMBER)
Fx0203 noticed that the guy who spying on him in the game
always puts his right hand to his chin, which is the exact
same habit of 797.
32.
33.
Felix is now believing this digital character must has
something to do with 797. And he thinks it probably also
related to Zach’s missing. He exits the game.
EXT. ON THE WAY TO NORTHWEST BLUES BAR - SEATTLE - DAY (2368
NOVEMBER)
In the midnight, Felix comes out of the apartment, walks to
the dusty street, crosses the construction site, gets on the
light rail.
When he stands on the light rail station and waits for the
rail, he sees a robot in the buildings below. The LED light
in the robot’s forehead shines blue light. This is the type
of robot he sees in the night before, and he has disassembled
one by himself last year. There is two chips inside the body,
he earns a lot through that mission, but at the last, he
didn’t know the function of such robot. They often looks
strange and do some action isolated from the real world.
FELIX
Sleepwalker.
Felix says to himself. He came up a nickname to such robots.
When Felix wants to get a closer look about what the robot is
doing, the light rail arrives and disturbs his sight.
Getting on the rail, He is among a few people in the carriage
at that time.
He gets off the light rail station by the sea, and walks to
the Northwest blues bar.
EXT. NORTHWEST BLUES BAR - SEATTLE - DAY (2368 NOVEMBER)
797 is, as usual, standing outside of bar.
Northwest blues bar opens 24 hours, but it is around four
o’clock in the morning. Only a few people sit around the
counter.
Felix is observing 797 in the dark. He is standing in the
alley near for half an hour, watching 797 walking back and
force (William isn’t playing in game, so no one is
controlling 797 right now). He just obsessed with it. 797’s
golden skin reflects the street light. He could have broke
797 and have its chips tonight, but he didn’t do that.
Instead, he is just looking at it.
MUSIC CUE:”Little Wing” by Stevie Ray Vanghan.
33.
34.
EXT. A BAR IN THE LITTLE TOWN - ARIZONA - DAY (2368 NOVEMBER)
Sam8 is in its default mode because William isn’t playing the
game right now. Once advanced player exits the game, their
digital character won’t disappear but remains at the same
location in the game by a default mode. At alley besides the
bar, Fx0203 is observing Sam8 in the dark. Felix is not
playing the game too. However, since he is the target, even
though he is not in the digital world, the system still let
the digital character (Fx02030) mimic every movement Felix
dose in the real world. And the Beer Bar in the game Red Dirt
is the counter place of the Northwest Blues Bar in reality.
Because the government makes the digital character Fx0203
track every activities and movement Felix did in reality,
even though Felix is out of game right now, his digital
character Fx0203 is still indicating and reflecting his
movements in physical world. Although the map and landscape
of the world Red Dirt and city Seattle are totally different,
but some key places in city Seattle has its co-related place
in the game Red Dirt. And the Bar in the game is a mirror
place, or a so-called co-related place, of the Northwest
blues bar. For another instance, the trains in the Red Dirt
reflects the light rails in Seattle. However, as the train in
1850 are totally different vehicle compares to the light rail
in 2368, the world in the Red Dirt and Seattle are still
totally different place, so some weird things happen when
digital character (Fx0203) tracking Felix’s movements after
he exists the game. For example, when Felix is coming down
stair from the high light rail station into the street,
Fx0203 in the game is stepping but not moving from the train
station. And when Felix enters the game, Fx0203 will
automatically be positioned to where Felix exits the game
last time, which is always the bar.
INT. A BAR IN THE LITTLE TOWN - ARIZONA - DAY (1850)
Felix and William are both in the game.
MUSIC CUE: “New Coat of Paint” by Tom Waits.
Fx0203 is seeing Sam8 puts his right hand to his chin again.
Fx0203 decides to go and talk to him.
Fx0203 walks outside of the Bar and tap Sam’s shoulder.
FX0203
Hey, nice to meet you. I am Felix,
Felix Wilson.
Sam8 is a little shocking, because he didn’t expect that his
target will voluntarily talk to him.
34.
35.
FX0203 (CONT’D)
(seeing Sam8 is a little shock)
No mean to bother you. But you
remind me one of my friends. What I
am trying to say it, you are a real
player, right? Not among those
digital character generated by
computer.
Sam8 is still shocking because he thought that character like
Fx0203 is generated by the computer.
SAM8
Nice to meet you...I thought you
are generated y computer. Aren’t
you?
FX0203
Well, I am not. Actually, I live in
Seattle. VR games, you know, kills
time after work. Being in west
world and talking to you here s way
better than laying on bed on my
own, right?
SAM8
(half-believe face)
Ok...but what you probably don’t
know it...you are my next target. I
supposed to kill you for a special
mission.
FX0203
Oh, I see. That is why you spy on
me, trying to find a good time to
do it, huh?
SAM8
Yeah...but I didn’t know you are a
actual player. So do you know what
will happen if I kill you? Are you
going to perpetually dead in the
game, unable to play Red Dirt
anymore?
FX0203
Well, honestly I don’t know cuz it
is my first rime playing the game.
SAM8
It doesn’t make any sense. My
advanced special mission is just
killing a new gamer?
35.
36.
FX0203
All right, you know what. It
doesn’t matter. I don’t give a fuck
about my upcoming death. Just one
question, do you know Northwest
Blues Bar, Seattle?
SAM8
No idea. I am living in Las Vegas,
why?
FX0203
(confused face)
Ok, here is the thing. I think you
have some connection with a robot.
Her movement is the exact copy of
yours. She is also a doorkeeper of
the blues bar I work. Most
importantly, she is spying on me
and she always puts her right hand
to her chin.
SAM8
Are you sure? What you are saying
is that I remotely controlling a
robot? And dude, why you use
she/her pronounce to a robot?
Fx0203 in a daze, and he realized he now treats 797 like a
woman not a robot.
FX0203
(lost in thought)
Remote control? I never thought
about it...it could be...Are you
available tomorrow around 2pm? And
can you please tell me your phone
number in real life?
SAM8
What’s for?
FX0203
Please do me a favor. I will call
you tomorrow around 2 pm. And
please make the lower the voice of
the VR headset to make sure your
can hear the phone call. As soon as
you hear the phone call, please
facing the entrance of the bar and
waving your hand in the game. I
just want to confirm whether or not
it is you.
36.
37.
SAM8
And after that, I need to kill you
in the game to finish the mission,
deal?
FX0203
Good deal.
SAM8
3i433ii28899z21sj. I am William.
INT. NORTHWEST BLUES BAR - SEATTLE - DAY (2368 NOVEMBER)
Felix has finished his performance, sitting around the
counter and drinking the wine with his head down.
FELIX
J, what time is it?
BARTENDER
One forty-five. What’s the matter?
FELIX
Nothing. Sometimes, J, I just find
the world ridiculous...
BARTENDER
All right, ok, sure, sounds like
you.
MUSIC CUE: “Sax Quartet” by the Seatbelts.
It is two O’clock. Felix calls William.
INT. A LUXURIOUS VILLA / WILLIAM'S HOME - LAS VEGAS - DAY
(2368 NOVEMBER)
William’s phone rings.
EXT. A BAR IN THE LITTLE TOWN - ARIZONA - DAY (2368 NOVEMBER)
Sam8 hear the phone call outside the game, and he faces to
the bar and waves his hands.
INT. NORTHWEST BLUES BAR - SEATTLE - DAY (2368 NOVEMBER)
Holding the phone, Felix is looking over the entrance.
Through the door, he sees 797 faces to the entrance and waves
its hands.
37.
38.
Felix is in a daze. He sits on the seat for forty seconds, he
is thinking about 797, thinking about Sam8, thinking about
Red Dirt, and thinking about Zach who is still missing till
today. He suddenly realized something. Although he could’t
fully understand, he knows that he cannot be here anymore
because he s now in a great danger.
EXT. A BAR IN THE LITTLE TOWN - ARIZONA - DAY (2368 NOVEMBER)
After waving his hands, Sam8 is preparing to take out his
gun. The next thing he sees is that Fx0203 giving him a
gesture of “No” quickly runs out of the bar. Fx0203 moves so
fast that His electronic character was bugged by not being
able to follow up in time. Fx0203 becomes a blurred image in
the game for a seconds.
INT. NORTHWEST BLUES BAR - SEATTLE - DAWN (2368 NOVEMBER)
BARTENDER
What? It is waving at you?
FELIX
(looks really nervous)
J, I need to go. Borrow me your car
please.
J, whose nerves is now on edge too, throws the car key to
Felix.
EXT. NORTHWEST BLUES BAR - SEATTLE - DAWN (2368 NOVEMBER)
Felix runs out of the bar in a rush. He, in a flash, shuts
797’s electricity down, takes 797 up and carries it on his
shoulder. He puts 797 on the front passenger seat and
activates the car.
INT. CONTROL CABINET - GOVERNMENT OFFICE - DOWNTOWN SEATTLE -
DAY (2368 NOVEMBER)
Felix’s portrait turns to red on the big screen.
ONE PROGRAMMER
He finds out.
THE OFFICER
Connect to the police, right now!
38.
39.
INT. POLICE OFFICE - DOWNTOWN SEATTLE - DAY (2368 NOVEMBER)
Rutt (45) -- police officer, work for the government. Serious
and careful nature, always wears a old-fashioned brown hat.
Rutt is unswearing the emergency phone call from the
government. After it, he runs out of the office, gets to his
car and drive in harry.
EXT. HIGHWAY - SEATTLE - DAWN (2368 NOVEMBER)
Two sounds of gunshots.
MUSIC CUE: “One For My Baby And One More For The Road” by
Frank Sinatra.
A car stopped at the middle of a highway. We can barely see
the back heads of Felix and 797 in the front seats. Behind
the car is the silhouette of the city Seattle.
The sun is about to set.
END ACT THREE
39.
40.
ACT FOUR
EXT. HIGHWAY - SEATTLE - DAWN (2368 NOVEMBER)
Felix is driving the car on the highway. The silhouette of
city Seattle becomes smaller and smaller as he escapes. The
car in 2368 is quiet different; it hangs in the air by the
power of magnetic force. The car, borrowed from the
bartender, he is driving has a shape like a squashed egg.
Rutt, one the other hand, is chasing Felix in harry. He just
enters the highway which leading outside of Seattle, and he
sees Felix’s car in front of him about 2000 feet.
Felix sees Rutt’s police car shining yellow light in the
rearview mirror.
Due to the advantage of the advanced police car, once Rutt
powers the car to the fastest speed, he significantly
shortens to distance from Felix.
In an instant, Rutt is 800 feet from Felix.
Felix turns his head to 797 who has been placed to the front
passenger seat. 797 was been shut down by Felix just minutes
ago. It is now sitting here silently with its empty eyes wide
open.
Felix starts to panic. Sweat drip from his forehead.
When his nerves are on edge, he sees there is a supersonic
highway station in about 1000 feet in front of him.
Rutt is now 200 feet from Felix.
Rutt presses the button to fire the laser, two lasers shot at
Felix's car, but both missed.
Felix is now only 300 feet from the supersonic high station.
Rutt is now only 50 feet from Felix. Half of his body reach
out through the car window, and He pulls his gun out and
point to Felix.
Felix, with a highly concentrated face, slams on the brakes
to the point 100 feet from the supersonic highway station.
The action was unexpected. His car almost rolled over.
Two sounds of gunshot.
40.
41.
Felix’s car stopped at the middle of the highway. We can
barely see the back heads of Felix and 797 in the front
seats. Behind the car is the silhouette of the city Seattle.
The warm yellow light from the sunset hits the car.
Inside, Felix in a daze. Rutt’s two gunshots missed.
Rutt, one the other hand, didn’t expect such sudden brake.
Due to the strong inertia, he cannot immediately stop the
high-speed car. So when Felix stopped on the road, he passed
by Felix's car uncontrollably from the side.
Seeing Rutt’s car running away, Felix turns his car to the
entrance of the supersonic highway station.
Supersonic highway station in 2368 are common capital
construction between states. Supersonic highways are
underground tunnels, like more sophisticated combination of
highways and subways. But they allows private cars to travel
around 1000 meters per second by magnetic force, and they are
constructed 70 meters beneath the earth surface. Once a
private car enters to station, driver will choose a
destination available at that station. Once they choose the
destination, a platform powered by magnetic force will
catches the car and places it to the right supersonic tunnel.
And once a car is in the supersonic tunnel, it will only be
pulled by the electromagnetic field without taking the
driver’s control until it exits tunnel. Once a person is
traveling in the supersonic highway, because he moves 1000
meters per second, his cannot receive any signals nor send
any signals; thus, a person who current in the supersonic
highway cannot be traced.(background information)
INT. CONTROL CABINET - GOVERNMENT OFFICE - DOWNTOWN SEATTLE -
NIGHT (2368 NOVEMBER)
ONE PROGRAMMER
Felix escapes. He enters the
supersonic highway station. We lost
him.
THE OFFICER
Where is Rutt?
ONE PROGRAMMER
He is one the way back.
THE OFFICER
Wherever Felix is going, let me
know as soon as he gets off the
station.
41.
42.
INT. SUPERSONIC HIGHWAY STATION - SEATTLE - NIGHT (2368
NOVEMBER)
Felix enters the supersonic highway station.
He needs to run away but he doesn’t know where to go. He
understood that although he narrowly escaped, once exposes,
there is no place to hide.
He looks to 797 and suddenly recalls Sam8’s words in the game
-- “I am in Las Vegas”
Felix looks down all the available destinations and picks Las
Vegas. It is his only chance.
EXT. A TOWN BESIDES MONUMENT VALLEY - NAVAJO NATION - DAY
(1850)
Sam8 stands there watching Fx0203 whose image is blurry
running desperately out of the bar. Fx0203 suddenly lifts and
sits in the air (Real world: Fx0203 gets on the car), and
moves away with an incredible speed (Real world: Fx0203
activates the car).
Sam8 has no idea what is going on, but he decides to exists
the game.
INT. A LUXURIOUS VILLA / WILLIAM'S HOME - LAS VEGAS - NIGHT
(2368 NOVEMBER)
William puts down his VR equipments, propping his chin with
his right hand. He picks up his cellphone and sends Felix a
text -- “What happened? Are you ok?”
INT. SUPERSONIC HIGHWAY - SEATTLE - NIGHT (2368 NOVEMBER)
The platform catches Felix’s car and moves it down to the
right tunnel. After being at the acceleration belt, the car
is now finally enters the supersonic highway.
Felix is now finally able to get out of the nervous state a
little and take a break. He again looks to 797 which is now
nothing but a combination of iron, gold and electronic wires.
Not sure if it was for his own comfort or if he still treated
797 like a human being, he kissed 797's forehead very
tenderly and stroked its golden hair with his hand. He looks
797 in the eyes, he sees his own reflection is 797’s blank
eyes. His eyes are as blue as the sea. There was a hint of
melancholy in his frowning eyebrows. He kissed 797's mouth,
the cold metal mouth.
42.
43.
Felix sits there in silence, trying to find the connections
and logic between weird things happened recently. He flashes
back the Zach’s missing, the news of smugglers’s death, the
identical behavior of 797 and Sam8, the anonymous package of
Red Dirt, the Northwest blues bar and the bar in the game,
and the weird robot that he saws late at night...
He suddenly shows a suddenly bright yet surprised expression.
INT. SUPERSONIC HIGHWAY STATION - LAS VEGAS - NIGHT (2368
NOVEMBER)
Thirty minutes after Felix enters the supersonic highway, he
and 797 arrives to Las Vegas’s station.
The platform lifts the car up to the entrance of the
supersonic highway station. The underground traffic in Las
Vegas is more crowded than Seattle. Many platforms lift all
kinds of cars up and down. Felix is now again exposed to the
government’s supervision.
During his short trip to the earth surface, his cellphone is
able to receive signals. Felix sees the text which William
sent to him, and reply as “I am here in Las Vegas now. I need
to see you now, so where are you?”
INT. A LUXURIOUS VILLA / WILLIAM'S HOME - LAS VEGAS - NIGHT
(2368 NOVEMBER)
The phone beeps.
William hesitates if to tell Felix his real location.
Things do make him confused, but mostly because William has
been tried of his boring life. He types and sends
“459 Bridge street. Villa 4th”
At the same time, his parents and Ceci come home.
INT. CONTROL CABINET - GOVERNMENT OFFICE - DOWNTOWN SEATTLE -
NIGHT (2368 NOVEMBER)
The big screen shows that government’s system has detected
Felix’s signal.
ONE PROGRAMMER
He is exposed. Las Vegas’s
supersonic highway station.
The officer lost in thoughts.
43.
44.
ANOTHER PROGRAMMER
Why Las Vegas?
ONE PROGRAMMER
Cause William is there.
ANOTHER PROGRAMMER
How did he know about it?
ONE PROGRAMMER
Because they talked in the game...
THE OFFICER
And you didn’t tell me?!
ONE PROGRAMMER
Sorry...I didn’t noticed before. I
just checked the record. It seems
like Felix started suspect the
connection between Robot797 and
Sam8 a few days ago. And they
exchanged the phone number in the
game.
THE OFFICER
Call Rutt. Where is he?
ANOTHER PROGRAMMER
Rutt has back to the police office.
But why don’t we just contact Las
Vegas police department? They are
certainly faster than us...
THE OFFICER
(interrupt the programmer)
We need to keep things low,
remember? Felix gonna tell the
police department all his damn
thoughts about our plan. Even
though they probably won’t believe
him, we don’t want to expose
ourselves.
ANOTHER PROGRAMMER
Sorry, sir.
INT. POLICE OFFICE - DOWNTOWN SEATTLE - NIGHT (2368 NOVEMBER)
The phone rings, and Rutt picks up the phone.
44.
45.
THE OFFICER
(on the phone)
Felix is at Las Vegas now. I need
you to come over there and get him.
RUTT
Copy that. I will be there in about
thirty minutes.
Rutt hangs up the phone, walks to the door, puts on his wind
coat, activates the car and drives away.
EXT. HIGHWAY - LAS VEGAS - NIGHT (2368 NOVEMBER)
Felix gets out of the supersonic highway station and drives
to the normal highway. He in on his way to downtown Las
Vegas.
It is a long dark highway. The headlights of cars are one of
the few light sources in this lonely road.
From afar, illuminating all kinds of neon lights, Las Vegas
is like an amusement park that never rests.
Felix looks at 797 next to him, the neon light reflects and
shuttles in the empty eyes of 797, it seems to give 797 a
soul again.
MUSIC CUE: “Why Try to Change me Now” by Frank Sinatra.
Suddenly, Felix phone rings.
BARTENDER
(on the phone)
Thank god! You answer the phone. I
am worried about you, man. Are
y'all in one piece? ...Listen,
there is a woman called Frank
looking for you in the Northwest
blues bar right here right now. I
don’t why her name is Frank though.
But she insists to let me to tell
you that she is now looking for
you. I mean...it seems pretty
urgent. Wanna talk to her?
Felix takes a deep breathe. Frank, the nickname, is the head
of smuggler gang in Seattle. All his previous missions were
come from Frank, but he never saw Frank before and all the
information regarding to Frank came from Zach. He thought
Frank is a man though, not expect a woman’s voice.
45.
46.
INT. NORTHWEST BLUES BAR - SEATTLE - NIGHT (2368 NOVEMBER)
Sune who site by the counter grabs the phone in a harry.
Sune/Frank (35) -- The head of smuggler gang in Seattle. Tall
girl with pure black hair. Certainly good-looking, but in a
low-key way.
SUNE
(on the phone, sounds worried)
Felix. Zach is missing. Tell me
what do you know.
FELIX
(on the phone)
It is way too complicated...
Or in a word, government in Seattle
uses remotely controlled robots to
kill smugglers like us.
Sune in a daze.
FELIX (CONT’D)
And the way they did it is through
the VR game Red Dirt...They made
use of the unwitting advanced
players. I mean...they connect the
digital character of the advanced
player to their robots. And they
made their targets in real life to
the bounty hunter’s targets in the
game...I am not sure how they able
to do that...like how can they
track me even though I am currently
not in the game...Anyways, I am in
a great danger now for knowing the
secret. And Zach...I don’t want to
say it, but I think he has been
arrested...or, more likely,
executed by the robot.
Sune frowns and drinks the whiskey that J handed to her.
SUNE
...You can explain those things to
me later. How can I help you now?
FELIX
I am in Las Vegas right now, trying
to find the player whose target is
me in the game. I don’t know,
otherwise, I have no place to go...
46.
47.
SUNE
(nerves are on edge)
Wait a minute, why they are able to
track your movement in the physical
world? Did you disclose any of your
information to the government?
Felix lost in thought for a while. He recalled the anonymous
package.
FELIX
All the strange things happened
after I registered for the game...
SUNE
Listen, I need you to deletes all
the history and cancel your Red
Dirt account perpetually as soon as
possible.
EXT. DOWNTOWN - LAS VEGAS - NIGHT (2368 NOVEMBER)
Felix is driving through downtown Las Vegas, overwhelmed by
luxury hotels, looking for a VR game experience store.
He illegally parks the car outside the pedestrian street,
gets out of the car, and carries the 797 on his shoulder. The
pedestrian street is crowded with people, and the
advertisements of holographic images were overwhelmed. Seeing
Felix carries a gold robot to him, the passer-by turn around,
expressing their interests, but since this was in Las Vegas,
no one was surprised. Felix finds a VR experience store not
far away, and walked towards it through the crowd with
difficulty.
INT. VR EXPERIENCE STORE - DOWNTOWN LAS VEGAS - NIGHT (2368
NOVEMBER)
Felix finds the striking Red Dirt on the shelf and walks into
the experience room. He puts the 797 aside, ties the 797 to
himself with a belt, plugs the game chip into the computer,
and wears the public VR devices in the experience room.
(Background information: Public VR devices in the experience
store do not contain nano-robots.)
EXT. A TOWN BESIDES MONUMENT VALLEY - NAVAJO NATION - DAY
(1850)
Fx0203 enters the game.
47.
48.
With the control buttons in the upper right corner of the
camera, he deletes all the history since he played the game
and permanently logs out of the account.
A window pops “ Are you sure you want perpetually cancel your
account?”
Felix hits “Yes” without thinking twice. Then, His eyes were
suddenly dark, and he exits the game.
CONTROL CABINET - GOVERNMENT OFFICE - DOWNTOWN SEATTLE
Seeing Felix’s spot disappears in the screen, one programmer
looks worried.
ONE PROGRAMMER
Sir, He cancels the account.
THE OFFICER
With all the history?
ONE PROGRAMMER
I am afraid yes.
THE OFFICER
Not surprised. Give me that
William’s address.
ONE PROGRAMMER
459 Bridge Street, Villa 4th.
The office picks up the phone and calls Rutt.
EXT. SUPERSONIC HIGHWAY STATION - LAS VEGAS - NIGHT (2368
NOVEMBER)
Rutt just gets off the supersonic highway station. His phone
rings.
THE OFFICER
(one the phone)
Rutt, I need you to go directly to
459 Bridge Street, Villa. We lost
tracks of Felix, but I assume he
will show up there shortly.
RUTT
Copy that.
Rutt turns the car to the right highway.
48.
(MORE)
49.
EXT. VR EXPERIENCE STORE - DOWNTOWN LAS VEGAS - NIGHT (2368
NOVEMBER)
Felix gets out of the store, goes back on his car and
navigates to William’s home located in the suburb area of Las
Vegas.
INT. A LUXURIOUS VILLA / WILLIAM'S HOME - LAS VEGAS - NIGHT
(2368 NOVEMBER)
William’s family is having dinner together.
Although his parents and Ceci is having a pleasant
conversation together, William looks disturbed. He looks to
the door from time to time, thinking about Felix’s unexpected
visit.
WILLIAM’S MOTHER
Great, Ceci, I know you can do it!
WILLIAM
(interrupts the conversation in a
low voice)
My friend will come to visit me
shortly.
Such words grab everyone’s attention in that dinner table,
because William seldom talks in the dinner, let alone
interrupting the conversation. Plus, William didn’t have any
friend. William’s parents and Ceci looks shocked.
WILLIAM’S MOTHER
What do you mean by “friend”? You
got a friend?
CECI
How did you know each other?
Through iCloud university or the
game?
WILLIAM’S FATHER
Come to visit shortly? When? Why
don’t you let us know earlier?
William remains silence for a second.
WILLIAM
(head down, in a low voice)
Some point tonight I guess...
WILLIAM’S MOTHER
Who is he? Or she? Is he also
around nineteen years old?
(MORE)
49.
WILLIAM’S MOTHER (CONT’D)
50.
Why tonight specifically? How
familiar you and him?
WILLIAM
I don’t know...
WILLIAM’S FATHER
What do you mean you don’t know?
EXT. A LUXURIOUS VILLA / WILLIAM'S HOME - LAS VEGAS - NIGHT
(2368 NOVEMBER)
Felix has arrived.
He parks the car outside the villa, carries the 797 on his
shoulders, and rings the doorbell.
INT. A LUXURIOUS VILLA / WILLIAM'S HOME - LAS VEGAS - NIGHT
(2368 NOVEMBER)
Ceci gets up and about to open the door.
EXT. A LUXURIOUS VILLA / WILLIAM'S HOME - LAS VEGAS - NIGHT
(2368 NOVEMBER)
Felix sees a car shining yellow light 500 feet away from the
dark coming to the Villa. He know immediately that police is
chasing him.
He looks to 797 on his shoulder. 797's body is now even
colder, and its eyes are as hollow as before.
Ceci opens the door.
Felix looks Ceci and then looks inside the villa.
Felix has an eye contact with William who sits by the table
facing the door.
MUSIC CUE: “One Mint Julep” by Clovers.
“I don’t remember just how it started, I only know that we
should have parted...”
END ACT FOUR
WILLIAM’S MOTHER (CONT’D)
50.
