CARMEN

Written by

Kevin Liu

Kliu2@umbc.edu

EXT. BEACH - DAY

Scene in black and white. The sounds of waves crashing onto shore and retreating back to sea fill the emptiness of the air. From afar, a feminine figure in a white dress stands at the shoreline, looking out to sea. A lanky male figure, dressed up in an expensive suit and black dress shoes comes into frame. BRAD, mid 30s with dark black hair, begins approaching the female figure.

Camera is positioned in front of the female figure, showing only the upper body and face. CARMEN, naturally beautiful, late 20s, stares at the waves with a hint of sadness in her eyes as her long, wavy hair blows in the wind. Brad approaches Carmen from behind. He gets closer, and stands a few feet behind Carmen.

BRADIm sorry Im late.

Carmen is unresponsive.

BRAD (CONTD)I havent slept in days. I miss you.

Carmen stands still looking at the ground. Brad remains several feet behind Carmen.

CARMENI miss you too.

Long pause. Carmen turns to face Brad.

CARMEN (CONTD)Why do you always keep me waiting?

BRADIm sorry baby, I dont mean to treat you this way.

Carmen grabs Brads hands.

CARMENWhen will we be together again?

BRAD

Soon.

CARMENIve been waiting too long.

BRADIm trying my best honey. Ive been searching for a way, but Im not giving up, not until my last breath. There is nothing more that I would want than for us to be together.

CARMENPromise me. Promise that we will be together again.

BRADI promise you, we will be together again, one day.

Carmen and Brad melancholically look into each others eyes.

CARMENI love you Brad.

BRADI love you too Carmen.

The two lean in to kiss. Right before they lock lips, Carmen gives a painful gasp. She takes a step back and brings her hands close to her stomach, where a knife is stationed in her abdomen. Brad looks in horror. Blood quickly begins to diffuse over her white dress. Carmen drops to her knees.

CUT TO:

INT. TRAIN - DAY

Scene is no longer in black and white. Brads face is distressed as he wakes up from his dream. His tired eyes widen as he adjusts to reality, observing his surroundings.

Brad is seated in a silvered interior train with an arched roof. Brad takes out a notebook, already filled with various writings and turns to a blank page. He begins to write the following notes:

Beach location, empty. Wedding attire. Knife in abdomen. Promise.

Brad stops writing and takes a look at his watch. He then begins to touch a small screen attached to the back of the seat in front of him. Screen shows the destination (Manhattan, New York City) distance to destination (76.4 miles), and date/time (June 7, 2017; 10:04 am).

2.

Brad notices the empty seat beside him, then looks out the window.

CUT TO:

INT. LABORATORY - DAY

A white research lab with various laboratory equipment sprawled out on desks. Rats are contained in glass containers.

CHRISTOPHER, mid 30s male dressed in a lab coat, uses forceps to examine a thin strand of hair from a rat under a microscope. Brad walks into the lab and begins to dress himself in a lab coat.

CHRISTOPHERWelcome back Bradley.

BRADGood to see you again Christopher. Hows the research been?

CHRISTOPHER(Using microscope)

The transference process has become easier to manage. Other than that, we are still looking at a low rate of success and this is on top of the complications that may develop within the duplicates.

Brad walks closer to Christopher and examines his activity. Christopher is carefully attempting to remove DNA from the root of the rat hair.

BRADDid Roy survive?

CHRISTOPHERHe passed while you were gone, only lived for 19 days. The good news is I have replaced him with Sherry.

Christopher motions his head to a glass cage that is divided in the middle with identical looking rats on each side. Brad examines.

BRADWhich one is the duplicate?

CHRISTOPHERThe one on the right.

3.

On the left side of the cage is a rat, actively running on a wheel. The rat on the right side remains stable while slowly bobbing its head in multiple directions.

BRADPhysical replication looks successful. Gene expression however, seems to have faltered.

CHRISTOPHERIve noticed a slight improvement in Sherry from Roy.

As Christopher speaks, Brad takes the two rats and puts them into another glass cage, used for experimentation. The cage is divided down the middle and each side has a maze/obstacle course for the rats.

Christopher focuses his attention on Brad as he puts a piece of soy at each end of the two courses. The normal, healthy rat begins making its way through the maze, while Sherry remains sedentary.

CHRISTOPHER (CONTD)Roy did not respond to any type of auditory stimuli, while Sherry responds to several ultrasonic frequencies. The response, however is rather discouraging.

Christopher uses a device to emit an ultrasonic frequency. Sherry begins moving in a straight line, bumping into walls.

BRADDid you change surrogates when producing Sherry?

CHRISTOPHERYes.

Brad puts the rats back in their original cages, then goes to a workstation to examine a petri dish containing cells under a microscope.

Christopher returns his attention back his microscope.

CHRISTOPHER (CONTD)Ive experimented with magnifying the stimulation process. The ESCs(embryonic stem cells) seem more potent with certain levels of shock.

Brad becomes more focused as he examines the dish.

4.

CHRISTOPHER (CONTD)Divisions appear regular, I just dont understand what could be wrong. Right now Im going to experiment with spec-

BRAD(interrupting)

Christopher, come take a look at this.

Brad motions Christopher to look under his microscope. Christopher uses Brads microscope.

CHRISTOPHER(examining)

Whats the issue?

BRADDo you see the nuclei?

INSERT:

Shot of an egg cell (under microscope).

CHRISTOPHERYes.

BRADThats the donor nucleus. Notice how unstable it is in the egg.

INSERT:

Emphasis on nucleus in the cell as it loosely slides, subtilely.

CHRISTOPHERJust remove it and extract another nucleus.

BRADNo, what Im thinking is maybe weve been setting ourselves up for failure.

CHRISTOPHERHow so?

BRADBy trying to put things together that dont match, like trying to fit the wrong pieces into a puzzle.

5.

CHRISTOPHERThat is a possibility, but these cells all have the same functions and when they are transferred into a new environment, they still carry out the same purposes.

BRADWhen a heart is transplanted, there is the possibility that it may be rejected by the recipient. The heart may work just fine, but its not going to survive for long if the body sees it as a foreign object. Thats why measures are taken to ensure that doesnt happen.

CHRISTOPHERWhat are you suggesting?

BRADWhen the cells reproduce within themselves, we are creating bad offspring, which lead to further bad offspring. Creating a perfect replication with no issues would be near impossible if we continue with this method. Perhaps we could try to produce artificial cells, ones that would complement each other.

CHRISTOPHERCells are not man-made creations, Bradley.

BRADIt may seem like a stretch, but at some point in time, we dismissed and laughed at cloning.

CHRISTOPHERMaybe you should get some rest.

Christopher goes back to his workstation.

Brad looks at Sherry in her cage, lost in his thoughts.

CUT TO:

6.

INT. THERAPIST OFFICE - EVENING

Brad is sitting in a luxurious chair facing a man holding a notebook. This is TED, a therapist in his late 40s with distinguished grey hair. Ted is conducting a session with Brad.

TEDSo there was a knife in her stomach and that was it? Nothing else happened?

BRADNo, after that I woke up.

TEDAnd how did you feel after the dream was over?

BRAD(in contemplation)

Guilt. Remorse. Sadness.

Ted jots down notes in his notebook.

BRAD (CONTD)Sometimes I feel happiness.

(beat)Comfort when I see her. Like a feeling of relief, but then I start to feel panic.

TEDThat could possibly be interpreted as a sort of duality. Its easier to elicit a stronger emotion when you start on one end of the spectrum and shift over to the other. I assume youve been maintaining your journal, havent you?

BRADYes I have.

Brad takes out his notebook and hands it to Ted. Ted quickly examines Brads notes.

TEDWell Bradley, Ive begun to notice a pattern in the dreams youve been having.

7.

(MORE)

They all seem to revolve around strong negative emotions you may have encountered at some point in reality. Now why your brain associates them with Carmen, is something that we would have to analyze. How was your marriage?

BRADWonderful. I mean of course we experienced the issues that love can create, but we always managed. We complemented each other perfectly, I was always the thinker and she was always the doer.

TEDI see.

Ted sets Brads notebook aside and resumes writing in his own notebook.

BRADWe were so different from each other that being together developed a sort of balance. An equilibrium within ourselves. Ever since shes been gone, I feel like a part of me has been stripped away. Sleep has been hard to come by and when I do have that luxury, she torments me in my dreams. I just dont understand Doctor Thompson.

TEDBradley, you have been my patient for two weeks now. Im perfectly fine with informalities. Please, call me Ted.

Ted flips back some pages in his notebook, looking at previous notes from prior sessions.

TED (CONTD)Now, have you ever wronged Carmen in anyway?

Brad takes a moment to think.

BRADNothing serious that I can recall.

8.

TED (CONT'D)

TEDMaybe you feel guilt over her death.

BRADThe plane went down on its own, I cant blame myself for an unexpected tragedy like that.

TEDDo you feel unfulfilled in any way? You mentioned that you made a promise to Carmen in your dream. Did you make her a promise in reality?

BRAD(thinking)

I dont remember.

TEDInteresting. I see you have been substantially affected by this issue, which is understandable as Carmen was someone dear to you. It takes time to get over a loss and on occasion, we may never completely overcome the repercussions of a tragedy. Three years is quite some time to live without someone that has been an important part of your life. Eventually the brain accepts the loss and learns to cope, finding other sources of -

Brads attention begins to diminish as he stares at a flower pot on Teds desk. Teds voice becomes inaudible and is replaced with soft, romantic music (Roses and Wine) that continues throughout the next scene. Camera slowly zooms in on Brads face as he stares at the pot. Brad closes his eyes.

CUT TO:

EXT. CLIFFSIDE - NIGHT (BLACK AND WHITE)

Scene switches over to black and white as Brad opens his eyes. Brad examines his surroundings. He is on top of the side of a cliff that overlooks the ocean. A crescent shaped moon surrounded by bright, shining stars fill the sky.

9.

Brad looks over to the edge of the cliffside. He sees a table containing a flowerpot in the middle, two glasses of wine on each side, and two chairs on both ends. Carmen is seen sitting on the right end of the table wearing a red dress. Brad approaches.

CARMENYoure late again.

Brad sits down at the other end of the table. Carmen looks towards the sea.

CARMEN (CONTD)Isnt it beautiful?

Brad remains silent.

CARMEN (CONTD)Its been a while since weve been here.

BRADYes. Yes it has.

Carmen turns her head to the left and looks at something in the distance.

CARMENLook at how happy we were.

Brad turns his head to the right. He sees a younger version of himself and a younger Carmen, ten years behind, enjoying each others company. The younger counterparts walk towards the edge of the cliff and walk past the table, not taking notice of their present selves.

Young Brad and Carmen stand at the edge of the cliff, enjoying the view.

YOUNG CARMENIsnt it beautiful?

YOUNG BRADIts perfect.

YOUNG CARMEN(in awe)

Ive never seen anything like this before. Im so happy you brought me here.

YOUNG BRADI knew you would like it.

10.

Young Carmen leans her head on Young Brads shoulder. He embraces her.

YOUNG CARMENWouldnt it be wonderful to have a little house in a place like this? We could wake up every morning and listen to the waves while the sun comes up and then lay on the sand to watch the stars at night.

YOUNG BRADIt would be lovely.

The two gaze at the ocean view, lost in each others embrace.

At the table, Carmen holds her left hand up to Brad, knuckles facing forward.

CARMENYouve lost it, havent you?

Young Brad turns to look Young Carmen in the eyes.

YOUNG BRADCarmen.

YOUNG CARMENYes?

YOUNG BRADTheres a reason why I brought you here. You know Ive never been good at expressing myself, but when Im with you, I feel so much that I get overwhelmed.

Young Carmen stares at young Brad in awe and curiosity.

YOUNG BRAD (CONTD)Ive never felt this way about anyone before and I know I will have regrets up until the day I die if I dont act on my feelings. Ive had a lot of time to consider things and I dont think this is a matter of impulse, I want to follow my gut on this.

Young Brad reaches into his pockets and takes out a diamond ring. Young Carmen looks in surprise and glee. The two embrace.

11.

Carmen and Brad look at their younger counterparts from the table. Carmen turns to Brad.

CARMENIts almost time.

Brad looks past Carmen, into the sky. In the distance we see a plane with its tail engulfed in flames, leaving a cloud of heavy smoke trailing from its engine, and rapidly declining in altitude. The plane drops into the sea, creating a large splash and disintegrating upon impact.

The younger Brad and Carmen nonchalantly walk off the cliff while holding hands. Brad turns to look at Carmen.

CARMEN (CONTD)Why do you feel the need to lie?

BRADI did not lie. Im keeping my promise.

CARMENYou shouldnt be so hard on yourself, it wasnt your fault.

BRADI shouldnt have let you get on that plane. I shouldve stopped you from going, but I wanted you to be happy. For us to be happy.

CARMENWhy do you want to forget? We couldve settled down, started a family. I couldve made it to Broadway.

BRADIm so sorry.

CARMENDont be sorry. It doesnt hurt anymore.

Carmen stands up from the table, walks to the tip of the cliff, and looks over the edge.

Brad stands up.

BRADDont go.

12.

CARMENIll always be here. Come find me.

Carmen dives off the cliff, into the ocean. Brad runs to the edge of the cliff and looks down below. The sound of a train moving along a track and blowing its horn is heard in the distance.

Brad looks behind him. A train is seen rapidly approaching in his direction. As the train approaches, Brad has quick flashes of several memories (Brad putting a ring on Carmens finger, Brad and Carmen entering a new home by the beach, Carmen painfully gasping). The train gets close and the screen is illuminated by its light.

CUT TO:

INT. APARTMENT - EARLY MORNING

Scene is no longer in black and white. Brad is lying in bed in his studio apartment and wakes up. A digital clock on a nightstand displays the time, 4:31 am. Brad reaches for his notebook and begins writing the following notes.

Cliffside. Our proposal. Wedding ring. Plane crashing. Celestial Main.

Brad sets his notebook on a nightstand and gets out of the bed. He opens the blinds on a window and looks out to see a moderately active Manhattan street. Brad holds up his left hand and examines his empty ring finger.

CUT TO:

INT. RESEARCH CENTER - DAY

Brad, in a lab coat, is seen making a cup of coffee. NICHOLAS, a young male (mid 20s) dressed in a lab coat, approaches Brad.

NICHOLASBradley, I didnt catch you yesterday. How was your trip?

BRADJust fine. A break from the smog is always nice.

13.

NICHOLAS(jokingly)

Your smoking will kill you before this city does.

(beat)Im assuming that youve heard about Roy by now?

BRADYes, it was expected.

NICHOLASPoor guy. I was beginning to become rather attached to him. Its amazing how far weve come to be able to clone another living thing.

BRADI think weve got quite a few Roysleft to go before well make a perfect copy.

Brad and Nicholas begin walking down a corridor.

NICHOLASBrad, do you ever wonder what it would be like if we were able to clone each other? How different life would be?

BRADYes, I think about it quite often.

NICHOLASI dont know how Id feel if I had to interact with another me. How surreal that would be.

BRAD(amused)

Well Nicholas, theres a good chance that you and I both wouldnt have to worry about that in our lifetimes.

Brad and Nicholas make their way to the end of the corridor and enter a door.

CUT TO:

14.

INT. LABORATORY - DAY

The two enter the lab with rats in glass cages. Christopher is seen working at a table.

BRADMorning Christopher.

Christopher turns to greet Brad and Nicholas.

CHRISTOPHER(nodding in acknowledgement)

Bradley. Nicholas.

BRADMade any progress today?

CHRISTOPHERToo early to tell. Ive inoculated several embryos to see if there are any positive effects on the duplicates, assuming we manage to produce another one.

Brad makes his way to a workstation. Nicholas observes Sherry in her cage.

NICHOLASHey there little one, you hungry?

Nicholas drops a small piece of kiwi into Sherrys cage. Sherry is slow to respond.

CHRISTOPHER Bradley, Ive given some more thought to the alternative you suggested yesterday. Years ago, I was transferred to a facility in Wisconsin to assist in a study that examined the reproduction of damaged tissue in amputees. I recall that we utilized a device that synthesized DNA. May be of some interest to you.

BRADYoure on board with me now?

CHRISTOPHERNo. I think it would be more economical to continue exploring a method that has proven to work. To some degree at least.

15.

(MORE)

If you want to begin experimentation on new research, that is your choice. Who knows? Maybe we could come across paramount information taking different routes.

Nicholas focuses his attention on the conversation.

NICHOLASWhats the alternative?

BRADInstead of transferring DNA into a cell, I figure we could try to create our own cells with genetic codes identical to the subject being replicated and then implant the egg into a surrogate.

NICHOLASSo, attempting to build a clone from the ground up?

BRADExactly.

NICHOLASSounds rather complicated.

BRADWith the rate of progress were making, neither of us will be alive to witness the first human clone.

CHRISTOPHERIts doubtful that your method would produce absolute results in our lifetimes either, Bradley. We are doing this for the future. For your great-great grandchildren and for the generations of humans that come after us, after were long gone.

BRADI am doing this for the future of our species, but the thought of being able to see our efforts coming to life with our own eyes.

(beat, quieter)One can only dream.

16.

CHRISTOPHER (CONT'D)

CHRISTOPHERId like to see a human clone walk this Earth too, but we must maintain realistic expectations.

NICHOLASWell Brad, whether your alternative fails or succeeds, Im here to help. We can learn from trying something new.

BRADGlad to have some support. I suppose we could begin designing a genome.

NICHOLASHow exactly do we begin?

BRADWe can try to replicate the DNA from a hair strand on one of the tests.

CHRISTOPHERWhich subject are you going to try to copy?

BRADSherrys progenitor should be a good candidate.

Brad goes to a cage containing a white rat. Using forceps, he removes a strand of hair from its body and then places the strand in a glass tube.

NICHOLASThis is where it all begins huh.

BRADWe need to read the genetic code from this strand and then design genomes using the same code. Im bringing this over to the red room.

Brad and exits the room, holding the glass tube.

INT. CORRIDOR - DAY

Brad walks down a corridor and enters a room.

17.

INT. RED ROOM - DAY

Brad enters a dim room with walls illuminated by dark red light. He goes to a computer and places the tube with DNA in a reading device.

Words begin to develop on the computer screen.

Come find me.

Brad looks at the screen in confusion. The faint whisper of a woman is heard from behind the door. Brad puts his ear to the door, then opens to investigate.

CUT TO:

INT. BEACH HOUSE - DAY (BLACK AND WHITE)

As the door opens, Brad steps into the front entrance of a moderate-sized beach house. On the wall is a sign that reads Welcome to Celestial Main. Directly in front of Brad is an elevator with doors closed. The elevator doors open as he slowly approaches and steps inside.

CUT TO:

INT. ELEVATOR - DAY (BLACK AND WHITE)

The doors close as Brad steps inside and the elevator begins to descend. A song (Guilty - Al Bowlly) plays through the elevators speakers.

The elevator hits the ground floor and the doors open. Brad slowly steps outside into a narrow hallway.

CUT TO:

INT. HALLWAY - DAY (BLACK AND WHITE)

The music from the elevator continues to play as Brad makes his way down the hallway to a door on the end. Brad slowly opens the door to reveal a large, glass dome contained within the room.

CUT TO:

INT. GLASS DOME ROOM - DAY (BLACK AND WHITE)

Inside the glass room, Brad sees Carmen and a past version of himself talking.

18.

There is a control panel on one end of the room and a large cylinder device used for experimentation. Carmen looks nervous. Brad inside the glass dome begins talking to Carmen.

BRAD I know you feel uncomfortable, but you have to trust me babe. The gamma rays will be at a low frequency and as long as you arent in there for more than a minute, nothing can go wrong.

CARMENI trust you, its just this is illegal and this is the first time youre trying this on an actual person. Im just a little nervous is all.

BRAD If I were able to go in there myself, trust me I would, but Im the only one who knows how to operate this machine. Ive done several tests with dummies and everything has gone smooth, I just need a human for the machine to fulfill its purpose. Youre the only person I trust to help me.

CARMENIf you say so. How do you know if it will work or not?

BRADThe machine is meant to interact with your cells and highlight its functions. Imagine a dim room where you can barely see anything and then with one flick of a switch, the light comes on and everything is as clear as day. This machine will help us better understand how our bodies work, our flaws and vulnerabilities. Think of all the possibilities we can create if we were able to fully understand our biology.

Carmen silently looks at Brad, considering her options.

19.

CARMENOnly twenty seconds right?

BRADYes, no more than that.

CARMENOkay. Ill help.

Brad smiles and gives Carmen a kiss.

BRADI love you.

Brad from outside the glass dome slowly approaches the dome to get a better look.

The Bradley inside the glass room straps Carmen to the device as she lays down, then runs over to the control panel. Brad outside the glass room places his hands on the glass and watches with concern.

Bradley inside the glass room begins pressing buttons on the control panel. Carmen slides further into the cylinder. The cylinder closes, shutting Carmen inside. Bradley looks at his watch and presses a button on the control panel.

The machine lights up. Inside the cylinder, Carmen becomes anxious as time passes by.

At the control panel, Bradley looks at his watch and notices the twenty second mark approaching. Right before twenty seconds, he hits a button in attempt to shut down the device. It doesnt work.

Carmen becomes more anxious and tilts her head to look at Bradley. She notices him panicking at the control panel.

Bradley outside the glass room becomes even more concerned.

Bradley inside the glass room looks at his watch and anxiously tries to shut off the machine. Carmen begins to scream inside the machine. Bradley runs to the machine.

Bradley outside the glass dome begins to shout and bang on the glass.

BRAD (CONTD)No. No, no, no, no, no!

Inside the glass room, Bradley tries to break the glass barrier on the machine with his body. Carmen begins to panic and scream louder.

20.

BRAD (CONTD)Hang on!

Bradley looks for the wires connecting the machine to a power generator. He shuts off the generator, causing the cylinder to shut off and return to its normal state. As the cylinder shuts off, the glass barriers on the machine retreat and three metal rods fall down from inside the machine. One of them impales Carmen in the abdomen.

Brad worriedly runs over to check and notices Carmen, bloodily impaled in the abdomen. He begins sobbing.

Brad outside the glass slowly begins to walk backwards with an expression of disbelief and shock. As he steps back he bumps into a female figure. Brad turns to look. Its Carmen. She looks at Brad with a friendly smile.

CARMENWake up.

Carmen stabs Brad with a knife in the stomach.

CUT TO:

INT. THERAPIST OFFICE - DAY

Brad is sitting in a chair with his eyes closed. Ted is closely observing Brad. He snaps his fingers.

TEDWake up.

Brad panics as he opens his eyes, but begins to settle down once he realizes the environment.

TED (CONTD)Hypnosis was rather successful. We may have found a solution to your insomnia.

Brad is at a loss of words, reviewing the events in his dream.

TED (CONTD)All jokes aside, what did you encounter in your dream?

BRAD(frantically)

I was back in Celestial Main, inside the house I used to live in.

21.

(MORE)

There was an elevator that I went down and then I saw me

(beat)and Carmen inside a big glass room. I was -

(beat)experimenting on her.

TEDWhat kind of experimentation?

BRADIt looked as if I was trying to scan her body in this device.

TEDHave you seen this device before in reality?

BRADIm not sure.

TEDWhat happened after you scanned her?

BRADThe device malfunctioned and she was impaled by a rod.

Ted writes down notes in his notebook.

TEDAnd then you woke up?

BRADNo. I saw her again outside the glass room. She had a knife in her hand and stabbed me with it. Then I woke up.

TEDHmm interesting.

Ted writes more, then reviews previous notes.

TED (CONTD)What is the last memory you have of Carmen?

Brad takes a moment to think.

22.

BRAD (CONT'D)

BRADHer. In the water.

TEDAre you referring to the beach in front of your previous home?

BRADYes.

TEDWhat exactly was she doing in the water?

BRADI dont quite remember. Its all very fuzzy, almost like a dream. I remember feeling overwhelmed.

(beat)Like I needed to avoid the water.

Ted writes in his journal.

TEDWhat about her leaving for the plane? You dont remember that?

BRADI remember she had a plane ticket for Manhattan. She wanted to audition for this musical on Broadway and if she got the gig then she would have had to move to the city. I wouldnt have been able to go with her because of work. We had some arguments.

TEDDo you remember the name of the plane or flight?

BRADNo. No I dont.

TEDHmm. Events that elicit strong emotions are usually well preserved in memory. Its interesting that you arent able to recall crucial details about Carmens death. I think its possible that you may have developed a sort of pathology due to the death of your wife.

23.

Brad looks confused.

BRADWhat do you mean?

TEDWhen an unfortunate event occurs, sometimes the emotional pain may be too unbearable for an individual to maintain a normal life, so the brain finds ways to protect itself from stress. Lying may be seen as a defense mechanism in this situation.

BRADWhat did I lie about?

TEDWhen I say lie, I dont mean it in a derogatory way. Im sure you mean no harm, but from you have told me in all of our sessions, some of the details you tell me dont add up. You not remembering your wife boarding the plane or the name of the flight is strange. Im sure an event such as a plane crashing near New York City would gather widespread attention and I dont recall hearing anything on the news nor have I seen evidence of such a tragedy.

BRADTed, I would not lie to you about this. Not only do I have no reason to lie, but it would be disrespectful to my dead wife.

TEDLike I said, Im sure you mean no harm. Now to what extent do you believe your ECT treatment has affected your memory?

Brad becomes even more confused

BRADWhat?

24.

TEDElectroconvulsive therapy. Ive seen on your records that you had some treatment done earlier this year.

BRADMust be the wrong records, I dont know what youre referring to.

TEDYour previous therapist handed some files over to me.

BRAD(confused)

But youre the only therapist Ive ever been to.

TEDYou dont remember Doctor Jones? Red-haired woman with glasses?

Brad gives Ted a look of scrutiny.

BRADWhats going on here?

TEDI suppose your loss of memory was a result of your electroshock therapy.

BRADYou knew this whole time?

TEDWell yes. I didnt know to what extent the therapy affected you or why you had it, but Dr. Jones sent me some notes when she referred you to me.

Bradley begins to become upset.

BRADWhat else did she tell you?

TEDNot much. Even among therapists, we still maintain a strict rule of confidentiality.

25.

BRADThis whole time you have kept this from me. For what? For money? To have a wacky guy come in several times a week and give you stories to tell?

TEDYou seem a bit unsettled Brad. Why dont we relax a bit and review things a little further?

BRADWhere can I find this Doctor Jones?

TEDBradley, relax. Im simply trying to help you.

BRADNo, you and I. We are done. For good.

Brad gets up from his chair and snaps his fingers. In an instant, we see Ted aging decades into old age and ultimately decomposing into a pile of bones.

Brad turns around to see a set of red stage curtains in place of the entrance to the office. He opens the curtains.

CUT TO:

INT. THEATRE STAGE - NIGHT (BLACK AND WHITE)

Scene is in black and white. We see Carmen in a white dress, center stage with the spotlight on her, singing an opera piece (Liebestod) to a full audience. Brad slowly approaches Carmen from behind.

Camera is in front of Carmen showing her bloody white dress with a metal rod in her abdomen. Blood drips from her wound. She passionately sings to her audience. Brad stands behind Carmen as she continues to sing.

Carmen finishes singing and bows to her audience. The audience gives Carmen a standing ovation. Brad begins speaking to Carmen.

BRADCarmen.

(beat)Im so sorry.

26.

CARMENDont be sorry. It doesnt hurt anymore.

BRADI didnt mean to hurt you, I always wanted the best for you.

CARMENI know. It wasnt your fault.

The spotlight switches from Carmen to Brad.

BRADBut it was my fault. I let my pride and work destroy our love. I can never forgive myself for what Ive done.

Carmen stares at Brad.

CARMENWhy couldnt you let me go?

BRADWe would have been separated for years. I was afraid of losing you.

CARMENI promised we would be together again.

Brad is overwhelmed with regret.

BRADIm a fool. I dont deserve you.

Brad turns to the side and begins addressing the audience, still under the spotlight.

BRAD (CONTD)She deserves better. Better than me.

(sweeping arms across audience)

Better than this. If only I could do it over again, but I dont deserve a second chance. I deserve pain. Hatred.

The audience chastises Brad and begins throwing trash at him. Brad takes it without flinching. Brad turns to face Carmen.

27.

BRAD (CONTD)Carmen. Im so sorry.

CARMENCome find me.

The screen flashes to white.

FADE IN:

EXT. BEACH - DAY (BLACK AND WHITE)

The sounds of waves crashing fill the air. Brad stands on the beach in Celestial Main and examines his surroundings. He notices his house in close proximity.

The front door of the house is kicked open. From a distance, Brad stands and observes the following events.

Brad sees himself stepping out from the front door and carrying a bloody, impaled Carmen in his arms. Sobbing, Brad carries Carmen towards the water.

Brad walks deeper into the water while Carmen slowly dies in his arms.

BRAD (DREAM VERSION)(sobbing)

Im so sorry.

Carmens eyes remain inert as her face becomes pale. She gathers the energy to speak.

CARMEND-Dont. Be.

Brad strokes Carmens hair.

CARMEN (CONTD)Sorry. It wasnt

(beat)your fault.

Brad is waist deep in the water. The water around him becomes dark with Carmens blood.

CARMEN (CONTD)Brad.

(beat)Promise me something.

28.

BRAD (DREAM VERSION)Anything, whatever you want.

CARMENPromise that well be together again. That youll find a way.

Brad looks unsure of being able to keep the promise but attempts to comfort Carmen.

BRAD (DREAM VERSION)I promise. Ill find a way.

CARMENThe waves. I - ca-

Carmens eyes go dead. Brad mourns.

Brad releases Carmen from his arms. Her body remains motionless as the waves carry her into sea.

Brad on the shore, watches himself standing in the water. Carmen pops up behind him.

CARMEN (CONTD)Did you lose it?

Carmen holds up her left hand exposing her ringless ring finger. Brad looks at his own hand and notices the lack of a ring. Brad looks at the dream version of himself sobbing while walking back into the house. He notices a bloody wedding ring on his finger. Brad follows his double.

CUT TO:

INT. HOUSE - DAY (BLACK AND WHITE)

The dream version of Brad walks upstairs into a room. Brad follows.

CUT TO:

INT. ROOM - DAY (BLACK AND WHITE)

Brad sees the dream version of himself taking the ring off of his finger and putting it into a little container. The dream version of Brad walks out of the room, not noticing his counterpart.

Brad walks towards the container and opens it. He takes out the wedding ring, which contains Carmens blood on it. Carmen appears beside Brad.

29.

CARMENYou found it.

BRADIm keeping my promise.

CARMENIve been waiting too long.

BRADI know. Im sorry I put you through this.

CARMENWhy did you want to forget?

BRADI couldnt live with myself knowing what I did. All I wanted was to grow old with you.

CARMENBut we have grown old. Havent we?

Carmens voice echoes. Brad looks in confusion.

CUT TO:

INT. HOSPITAL ROOM - DAY

Scene is no longer in black and white. We see an old man lying in a bed hooked to life support. The old man wakes up as if waking up from a deep sleep.

Another elderly man walks through the door. Its Nicholas as an old man. He begins to speak.

NICHOLASBradley. Can you hear me?

The old man in the bed musters the energy to speak.

BRADNicholas. How did it go?

NICHOLASEmily is going through birth right now. Lets just hope its a healthy baby.

Brad breathes heavily.

30.

NICHOLAS (CONTD)Are you sure you want to go through this? You do know what will happen right?

BRADYes.

NICHOLASOkay, let me go get Cooper.

Nicholas leaves the room. Shortly afterwards COOPER, a young male doctor holding a digital clipboard-like device, Nicholas, and a nurse (#1) enter the room.

COOPERHello Mr. Rymers, I see that you have awoken. How are you feeling?

BRADFine.

COOPERGreat. Now before we follow through with this procedure, I must remind you of the following implication. Due to federal law, once we have begun the process of duplication, you cannot exist in your current state, therefore we would have to euthanize you.

BRADYes I understand.

COOPERPerfect. Just sign here and we can extract a sample of blood from you.

Cooper puts the digital clipboard in front of Brad. Brad presses his thumb on the device for several seconds to register his thumbprint.

NICHOLASIll go check on Emily.

Nicholas leaves the room.

COOPERNurse, bring out the syringe please.

The nurse grabs a syringe and hands it to Cooper. Cooper puts the needle in Brads arm and extracts blood from it.

31.

COOPER (CONTD)Just hang tight and well be with you shortly.

Cooper and the nurse walk out of the room. Brad lays in bed and looks at his left hand, ringless.

The door opens and music begins to play (Roses and Wine) Nicholas walks back into the room along with another female nurse (#2). The nurse carries a newborn baby in her arms. Brads eyes widen.

NURSE #2Mr. Rymers. Emily has given birth to a healthy, baby girl.

The nurse approaches Brad.

NURSE #2 (CONTD)Would you like to hold her?

BRADYes, very much.

The nurse hands Brad the baby. Brad holds the baby close to him. He begins to tear up.

NURSE #2Ill be outside if you need me.

The nurse leaves the room. Brad begins speaking to the baby.

BRAD(sobbing)

Ill make it right this time, I promise.

NICHOLASIm proud of you Bradley. It took a long time to get things right, but we did it. I never thought Id see the day where one of us would be holding a human clone in our arms.

BRADNicholas, promise me one thing.

NICHOLASSure.

BRADPromise that youll take care of Carmen while Im gone.

32.

(MORE)

To treat her right. She deserves more in her life than what she was given.

NICHOLASYou have my word. Ill make sure that you are in good hands as well.

Cooper and the nurse walk back into the room. Brad hands Carmen over to Nicholas.

COOPERHello Mr. Rymers. We have extracted your DNA and are ready to begin the procedure if youd like. Do you need more time?

Brad wearily shakes his head.

BRADIm ready.

COOPERGreat, then we will begin.

Nicholas hands Carmen over to the nurse. Nicholas walks over to Brad and gives him a hug.

NICHOLASGood luck Bradley.

Nicholas grabs Carmen, cradling her in his arms, and walks out the room. The nurse takes out a syringe filled with a fatal liquid.

COOPERReady?

BRADYes.

Cooper nods to the nurse. The nurse sticks the syringe in Brads arm and injects him with the fluid.

COOPERThe PCl should reach the central nervous system in a couple minutes. Can we help you with anything else?

BRADId like to be alone.

33.

BRAD (CONT'D)

COOPERNo problem Mr. Rymers. Hopefully well see you soon.

NURSE #1Goodbye Mr. Rymers.

Cooper and the Nurse walk out of the room. Brad slowly blinks his eyes, becoming weaker and losing consciousness.

The song In Dreams - Roy Orbison begins to play in sync to the last few shots:

Brad slowly closes his eyes. Camera pans from Brads face to a window, passing by a heart rate monitor that has gone flat. Out the window we see the beach at Celestial Main. A young male and young female begin walking towards each other. Its Carmen and Brad. They meet in the middle and grab each others hands. They affectionately stand side by side and watch as the sun sets over the horizon.

FADE TO CREDITS

END

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