Love

BEEPING

FAINT RADIO STATIC

BEEPING

DISTORTED RADIO CHATTER

This film contains some strong language.

DISTANT BOOMING

DISTORTED VOICES INTENSIFY THEN STOP

BOOMING ECHOES

BOOMING, RADIO STATIC

WIND BLOWS

They say...

..when you hear the sounds of devils...

..all else is quiet.

My general question to that is,

how do you know if what you are hearing

is the work of such devious beings?

I would venture to say that most devilish noises occur

when large numbers of men decide

to force the hand of mortality upon one another.

And I'd say futher,

that on such occasions,

there is not just one sound...

DISTANT BOOMING, CROPS RUSTLE

..but many.

VOICES SHOUT, METAL GRINDS

It is a quiet orchestra of death.

DISTANT EXPLOSION

SHOTS CRACKLE

It is also possible that the man who wrote that saying...

LOUD BOOM

..might've just had some broke ears.

BOOMING

BOOM

I had been moved from one wiped-out regiment to the next,

witnessing countless moral felonies.

I met General McClain in the last summer of the war.

Peculiar man.

DISTANT BOOM

DISTANT BOOM

Captain Lee Briggs.

Sir?

Man of nine lives.

DISTANT BOOM

Have you any idea how many divisions have us pinned here?

No, sir.

Let's just say, enough to make fate unfavorable.

DISTANT BOOM

I've got a job for you, Briggs.

It's recently come to my attention

that an object of the grandest design

has been discovered east of the Colorado basin.

Given the undeniable truth

that we here are on a collision course with destiny...

..neither I nor my men will be able to get witness to this object.

Someone ought to see it.

I reckon it should be you.

The sole survivor of the 22nd Connecticut.

Even one man alive is homage to the rest.

Make record of your journey, Briggs.

To be given a pass

to watch all others go...

..is perhaps the most troubling thing to one's being.

DISTANT BOOMING

BOOMING

MEN SHOUT

Sometimes when I wake up,

I feel like I'm still sleeping.

I feel like all the colours and shapes of the world

have collided and all I can do

is just sit there and watch.

I think a person's heart has a way of turning off

when it can't find reason.

I guess that's why nature has always had an inspiring presence.

Everything follows a purpose.

I guess we're missing something.

Why do we struggle

to breathe a more righteous breath,

when we all end up in the same place?

I'd like to hope our history is worth remembering,

an imprint of careful design,

a feeling of heartfelt purpose.

And a sense of hope

for something bigger than ourselves.

And...maybe I'll wake up.

FAINT RADIO CHATTER

RADIO CHATTER DISTORTS AND CRACKLES

MULTIPLE VOICES OVERLAP ON RADIO

'ISS module, 32 Delta, this is Cambridge.

'Do you have a fix on us? Over.'

Copy that, this is 32 Delta, I've got you.

'Alpha Bravo, we are linking a satcom now.

'Wait for transmissions to follow.'

-Copy that.

-'That is 89 43.23

'follow it 32.35 x 12.67

'follow it 21.01.

'ISS, your satcom link is now active.

'Houston, you have line operation.

'Roger that, thank you, Cambridge.

'How are you up there?'

I'm doing fine, how are you?

'We are all doing well.

'We've been monitoring your interlink bipeds.

'Very pleased with the results.

-'How are you feeling now that you have been able to settle in?'

-Good.

The station is in pretty decent shape.

The only device that seems really out of whack is the RS7 pump.

It seems to be operating at half pressure.

'Don't worry, we will add it to the squad sheet.'

Well, for the sake of future ISS inhabitants, I strongly recommand it.

'Are you receiving the data package?'

Yeah, it just started.

Houston, this thing ain't opening, do you want to resend it?

'No, why don't you give the audio a try?'

All right, one moment.

-'Captain Lee Miller!'

-APPLAUSE

-'We recorded this the other night.'

-Oh, God.

'We haven't been in space in almost 20 years now, right?

'I gotta say, I feel so honoured and thankful...'

I sound terrible.

'..to be one of the first to be going back after so long.

'I'll make sure the guys get the visual for you.'

'A little nervous, but...'

'We have a com link test down here at 23:00

'so we'll get back to you in the morning.'

-All right, you guys have a good night.

-'Likewise.

'Houston to Cambridge, out.'

TREADMILL WHIRS RHYTHMICALLY

BEEP, TREADMILL SLOWS

-RADIO:

-'Troops with armored vehicles, machine guns,

'didn't feel comfortable going into that area

'in the aftermath of the bombing.'

'ISS module, this is 23 Alpha in for Cambridge. How do you read, over?'

'ISS module, this is 23 Alpha in for Cambridge. How do you read, over?'

Copy that, this is ISS.

'ISS, this is 23 Alpha.

'Can you transmit your orbital bearing numbers?

'We are doing a quick line-up test.'

OK.

'Give us eight packets, we will figure the constant.'

Eight packets is a hell of a projection.

'Yeah, well, they want to see if the ISS will stay in orbit

'without remote positioning.'

Copy that, did you receive them?

'Looks like it, thanks.

'How are you holding up?'

-Good!

-'Good. Well, I don't want to keep you.

'23 Alpha out.

'Godspeed, Lee.'

Godspeed to you too.

DISTORTED RADIO CHATTER

DISTORTED RADIO CHATTER

RADIO STATIC

WHINING RADIO STATIC

RADIO OFF, BEEP

DISTORTED RADIO CHATTER

SILENCE

'ISS 32, this is mission control, Cambridge.

'Did you receive our data package?'

Copy that. It's downloading right now.

Did you guys rezip for the clip of the Late Show?

'Negative. I believe the chef will get that to you later.

'This is a recorded message from your brother.'

-Copy that.

-'Cheers.'

'Hey, buddy, I hope everything is going well up there.

'Thinking about you.

'But the important news is you are officially an uncle.

'You've got a nephew,

'and he is beautiful, he's just incredible.

'He can't wait to meet you.

'I'm going to try to send some photos if I can figure out.

'It's so complicated to do that with these guys.

'Anyway, take care of yourself, please.

'I will talk to you soon, bye.'

LOUD RADIO STATIC, DISTORTED VOICES

RADIO SILENCE

Hey, Houston, did you pick that up?

Cambridge, have I been crossed over yet?

Cambridge, this is ISS 37. Did you guys pick up that radio interference?

That's a tough one.

People need other people.

That's why I really think I'm a storyteller,

I will get into situations where

I probably maybe shouldn't stick my nose in, but I do.

Because I feel that...

..I've seen a lot,

I've been through a lot.

That's really my opinion, that's the only way

to really communicate among the races and the people inthe world.

If I can drop a word here or there or a little tale here or there,

that I think might help somebody,

I'd drop it like a bomb.

If something like that did happen, where everybody stopped talking

stopped telling stories, stopped relating.

Nobody learns anything. No-one does anything!

I wouldn't even want to think what it would be like.

Maybe peaceful as hell.

HE LAUGHS

I think it would be a horrible world.

RADIO INTERFERENCE

RADIO BUZZES AND WHINES

MC, this is ISS, do you guys have a read on me?

FAINT AND DISTORTED RADIO CHATTER

MC, this is ISS, do you copy?

HE SIGHS

This is genius.

Make a big radio with English buttons and then...

write a manual for it in Russian!

Houston, this is ISS, do you copy?

Houston? Cambridge? Do you copy?

HE WHISPERS TO HIMSELF

HE GRUNTS

DISTORTED RADIO CHATTER

'Cambridge, this is ISS, do you copy?'

'Cambridge, this is ISS, do you copy?'

'Hello, Lee.

-DISTORTING:

-'Sorry I'm sending this message as recording.

'I'll be honest, it's the best I can do right now.

'Still, I'm kind of glad I don't need to tell you this directly...

'..but we've had some shit going on down here that I...

'I don't even know where to begin.

'Even if I wanted to bring you out of orbit,

'I don't have the people to do it.

'Look, we're going to need you to sit tight for a while.

'I'm sorry.

'I'm sorry.'

I don't know what kind of transmission that was

and, unless I'm mistaken, we're nowhere near April,

so I'm going to need a confirmation of any sort of mission extension

from you assholes!

FAINT RADIO STATIC

Look, I don't think it's funny

and if you guys are doing some type of stress experiments,

or isolation tests,

well, you can stop now because...

because I'm very isolated and very stressed!

FAINT RADIO STATIC

If the line is open enough for me to get a pre-recorded message

then I know you can hear me and I would appreciate knowing

what the hell is going on!

FAINT RADIO STATIC

Houston?

Cambridge?

This is ISS, do you copy?

TREADMILL WHIRS

HE BREATHES HEAVILY

ALARM BLARES

WHOOSHING AND GROANING OF METAL

METALLIC CREAKING

THUD

When...

that interactivity is suddenly just cut,

you're just left kind of standing by yourself,

in the darkness, kind of like...

What... "I didn't see that coming, what was that all about?

"Where do I go from here?"

I think we control our own surroundings

for the...

Er, well, see...

Yeah.

For the most part, we control our own surroundings,

we can decide to go here or there.

But once we have established ourselves,

I think that's when

our environment starts to take a toll on our personality,

our habits,

the way we think every day.

We are social creatures and we need to interact with people.

That's why relationships are so...important,

so just crucial for existence.

Because if you don't talk to anybody,

you don't interact with anybody,

your whole sense of reality is pretty warped.

RADIO CHATTER

BEEPING AND RATTLING

HE GASPS

HE BREATHES HEAVILY

RADIO STATIC

"Run physical diagnostics check..."

(Blah, blah, blah, blah.)

FEMALE VOICE IN HEADPHONES

I should make a proper introduction since I am the captain.

My name is Lee.

And you are?

You're an astronaut whose Polaroid I'm talking to.

HE SIGHS

This place sucks.

FAINT RADIO STATIC AND CHATTER

FAINT BUT STEADY BEEPING

STEADY BEEPING

ALARM BLARES

HE COUGHS

These guys have definitely won a space trip in orbit.

You, on the other hand...

Well, put it this way, if I was on your mission

we would definitely have some problems.

God, I love your smile.

How about this? I cadge a ride off this joint,

get back home,

take a shower,

put on a suit,

we'll head downtown,

East Village,

great little Italian restaurant.

Then, hell, while I'm making it up, how about a nice Malibu sunset?

It's the best.

Malibu sunset.

Yeah, that's what we'd do.

God...

'I've got say, I feel so honoured and thankful to be...'

'I'm kind of glad I don't have to tell you this directly...'

Whose idea was it to try to make a shower?

(I want a shower.)

'That's right, you've got a nephew and he's...

'Erm, I'm going to try to send some photos if I can figure out...'

Three seconds on the shot clock.

The ball's passed into play.

Goes to Miller!

He shoots!

Roll it.

'Hey, buddy, I hope everything is going well up there.'

SOUND DISTORTS BEYOND RECOGNITION

OK.

DISTORTED SOUND

Where the hell is my fucking video?

Fuck!

Why am I funny?

RADIO STATIC

SOLDERING IRON CRACKLES

HE SIGHS

-WOMAN WHISPERS:

-Where are you going?

LEE CHUCKLES

I've got to reroute some power.

Why?

Because...

..the station is broken.

WOMAN IN TRANSLATION:

I'm choosing to entertain you because,

A, my logic slipped a long time ago, and, B...

I forgot what B was, but...

Make up any good reason in your head

and it's probably in mine too.

FAINT AND DISTORTED RADIO CHATTER

RADIO CHATTER STOPS ABRUPTLY

HE READS ALOUD: Journal of Captain Lee Briggs.

22nd Connecticut, seventh infantry division.

My personal thoughts and findings leading to our discovery.

June 4th, 1864.

You know, you can plan life,

but yet it doesn't mean it's going to happen.

You can,

plan and plan and...plan and...

put something over here and design something over here

and put borders on this and that in life

but it doesn't mean anything.

Because you're not in control.

Because nothing is guaranteed and nothing is secure in this world.

So, what is the most important thing?

I mean, everybody wants to be loved,

and when you actually, feel it,

I mean, kind of like with your parents,

it's one of those things where it is what it is

because you grow up into it,

but when you actually experience it

with someone else outside of that shell

it's...

very interesting.

Very fulfilling.

-WOMAN WHISPERS:

-Are you waiting for someone?

Why are you sitting by yourself?

WOMAN IN TRANSLATION:

I forgot.

There are no seasons.

Just...time.

LEE SINGS IN A WHISPER

# ..Pour me

# Another sip of your wine

# If you please

# For my...mouth is empty

# Oh, my, oh, my

# Oh, how it's tempting

# Lying here

# All of the days are slowly

# Slipping... #

Everybody sing.

#.. Away. #

HE READS ALOUD: We found defeat again in Chancellorsville.

It's quite an unsettling feeling, to face one's nerves this often.

To accept death before each call to advance is frightening.

Yet it is the only way to move boots made solid

by the sounds of shelling.

I can't explain all this...

..what uncertainty does to a man's soul...

..but I do know it can drive the mind mad.

17,00 dead in one engagement.

The mind is like a closed grave.

EXPLOSION BOOMS

Some would say that it's the grace of God

that gives us the strength

to bear the shaking timbers and the falling earth.

Most would agree there was just nowhere to go.

LEE CHUCKLES

I hate sevens, I hate sevens!

He's a sore loser.

OK, this is the space station.

We are approximately 220 miles from Earth, OK?

You see, the original space station, was what they call LEO,

which stands for Low Earth Orbiting.

Later, with this new technology,

we were able to go a lot further than that.

WOMAN IN TRANSLATION:

-WOMAN WHISPERS:

-Doesn't it bother you that we're not real?

I don't know.

They assure me that it's not the shape,

but what lies over the ridge's crest.

What?

I'm looking at it from a different angle.

I don't like the ending either,

but I'm not reading it with my eyes.

I'm reading it through this monitor,

so we can make sure that we have missed no details

of our odd tale.

HE CLEARS HIS THROAT

How can eyes that have seen so much

be brought to life by a simple thing?

It is as if we have some sort of predestined tempo of destruction.

I have decided that I am not looking for one discovery.

I am simply hoping that we have a history worth remembering.

An imprint of careful design...

A feeling of heartfelt purpose.

A sense of hope and wellbeing.

How can you write a journal this long

and not tell us what you found?

Did you die before you had a chance to finish the journal?

I mean, all you had to do was look over the ridge

and write down what you found.

Just write what you found.

You know, leave, but if you leave

no-one's going to be here when they come.

They're not going to leave us here for ever.

What would we do with... all this time?

I... I know, I know!

Hey, is your mouth dry?

Yeah, mine too, mine too.

-Am

-I

-scared?

You've got to be living to be scared.

My name is Lee James Miller,

son of Courtney and Michael Miller.

I lost contact with mission control

on July 7th, 2039.

I have remained in a perennial orbit

for six years.

My mission has long since been terminated

and my daily routine has been based on

stretching my life-support systems.

I've observed neither contact nor indication

of any awareness of my current condition.

It is with great sadness

but determined resolution,

that I must finally abandon this post.

Systems here can no longer be depended on

and I would rather face the journey home

than the slow, breathless, environment of failing O2.

Well, I have no idea

what the circumstances are surrounding my abandonment.

I would rather rest on Earth than up here alone.

I have come to terms with the fact

that some things will forever remain a mystery.

To whomever this message reaches,

I leave in goodwill towards all.

Respectfully...

Captain Lee James Miller.

July 7th, 2045.

WHOOSHING

When you get into a situation

where absolutley nothing is in your control,

it makes you wonder sometimes.

And very often I've been in those circumstances

where all of a sudden,

you're not calling the shots,

you're basically along for the ride.

I mean, even on a simplistic note,

I lost a wheel off a vehicle,

off the van,

a couple of years ago, taking my son to school

in really pretty heavy traffic.

It could have been an absolute disaster,

but all of a sudden I'm driving down the road

and the passenger wheel overtakes us.

I was along for the ride,

there was nothing I could do because I had no brakes, no steering

and it was just really fortunate

that the van veered off to the shoulder.

It could have gone into the incoming traffic,

it could have been a whole disaster.

It's really rather surprising

what flashes through your mind in those few split seconds

while this stuff is going on.

I mean, you think about all sort of strange things.

But for people to remember me,

or, any one particular thing,

I think it would be for the fact that never give up.

Just keep trying,

don't just accept it and say,

"Yes, this is what it is." Strive for something better.

FAINT AND DISTORTED RADIO CHATTER

DISTORTED RADIO CHATTER

COMPUTER BEEPS REPEATEDLY

LOUD STATIC BUZZ

DISTORTED VOICES

STATIC BUZZING

LOUD BUZZING, BEEP

DISTORTED RADIO CHATTER

SINGLE VOICE ON RADIO BECOMES CLEARER

'..to be one of the first to be going back in so long...

'I'm nervous but excited.

'So, I assume that the testing and the preparation

'can be quite extensive?

'Oh, yeah, a lot of testing, a lot of personal training,

'but, em...'

HE MIMICS A ROCKET LAUNCH

It's that easy.

It's time to go.

LOUD AND DISTORTED RADIO CHATTER

'..Grateful to be one of the first to be going back...'

ENGINES ROAR

METALLIC CREAKING

BELL RINGS

FAINT WHISPERING VOICES

LIFT BELL PINGS

ELECTRICAL BUZZING

'Six months' supply of magazines alone on a space station!

'Uh, the space station has been empty for a long time, right?

'So when you get there, I mean, is there any housework to do?

'I mean, is there going to be dishes in the sink, you've got to clean up?

'No, there's no house chores or dishes in space, thank God.

'We haven't been in space in almost 20 years now, right?

'How do you feel about that?

'I feel so honoored to be one of the first to be going back after so long.

'A little nervous, but... but excited.

'Now, I assume that the testing and the preparation

'has been quite extensive?'

BOOMING EXPLOSIONS

SUDDEN SILENCE

INDISTINCT VOICES JUMBLE ON RADIO

-MAN:

-How you're doing, Lee?

Sorry about this projection,

but it's the only way we could reach you.

I can't tell you how relieved we are to have you here.

Now...

before we got ahead of ourselves, we have to tell you something.

You are the last one.

It's all gone.

We understand how you might feel.

Connection is perhaps the most cherished thing any being can have.

That's the thing.

That's why we have been listening.

The place you see here is a scrapbook of sorts,

a collection of memories and mementos

of mankind's brief existence.

You got to remember the good things

and cherish the memories.

And go on with life cos it don't stop.

You only have to remember that what you have done in your life

may change what someone else is doing their life

and so, therefore, your life continues in their eyes.

It's a good thing we found you.

We look forward to meeting you, Lee.

HE SCREAMS

HE PANTS

FAINT WHISPERING

MULTIPLE INDISTINCT VOICES

-MECHANICAL FEMALE VOICE:

-Detecting life.

Verify location.

Good evening.

Tonight has been a wonderful experiment...of human contact.

A symbiotic relationship between man and machine

and you.

The human brain is capable of millions of connections.

Each one is a memory, an event.

Tonight shall be remembered not by one,

but by thousands of these relationships.

As you leave here tonight,

close your eyes and travel back to here,

to now.

And always remember that this was one moment you were not alone,

and you felt something that thousands of others have felt.

And it was...

love.