SCENE 1: VOLCANO IN A LAB
A coiled glass
tube on an electric hot plate slowly fills with a thick, viscous red liquid.
Blood?
It keeps
rising...
until it
finally spits out.
CUT TO BLACK.
SCENE 2: OPENING CREDITS
HBO Presents
***
A Big Bill and A Band Apart Production
***
7 CONSTELLATIONS
***
Story by
Frédéric A...R
***
ORIGINAL MUSIC
Thomas NEWMAN – The Midnight – M83 – Archive
and on...
As the names
of the people who supervised the various aspects of the series production
appear on screen, along with the cast, the camera sweeps across a magnificent
star-filled sky.
Original characters played in a role-playing adventure
by:
François-Xavier L...D – David L...R –
Philippe L...D – Nicolas R...Y
One
constellation follows another across the night sky.
Their main
stars are clearly visible, enough for those familiar with astronomy to
recognize the actual constellations.
Others may
not notice at first.
There are no
dotted lines connecting the stars.
Those appear
only when a constellation is used as an episode title.
The camera
glides slowly from one constellation to another, occasionally crossing paths
with the Earth, the Moon or the Sun.
From time to
time, transport shuttles, rockets, satellites or scientific orbital stations
cross the frame between constellations.
The sky is
alive.
Bright.
In motion.
The
constellation CYGNUS
Triptii
DIMRI
CORONA
BOREALIS
Anya TAYLOR-JOY
AQUARIUS
Mehdi DEHBI
NORMA
Itsiar ITUNO
Mark STRONG
LEO
Fumiya
TAKAHASHI
DRACO
Kenji OBA
CHAMAELEON
Pierre NINEY
Ursula CORBERO
Anya CHALOTRA
and Pio MARMAÏ
Against a
perfectly clear, star-filled night sky, something approaches from an immense
distance.
At first,
barely a point.
Almost
imperceptible.
Then closer.
The beak of
BIRD OF PARADISE.
The orbital
station.
It plunges
from the sky as a gigantic mass of steel and fire.
The beak
hits the water first.
A striking
symbol.
The
resulting tsunami devastates the Vancouver coastline.
A drowned
blond child is carried away in slow motion through the muddy floodwaters.
Branches.
Tree trunks.
Debris of
every kind.
Farther
inland, the landscape is initially gray and pale blue.
Submerged by
the tsunami.
Strewn with
wreckage.
Some futuristic, Blade Runner-like skyscrapers rise above the floodwaters.
Then, little
by little...
the
devastated land becomes green and fertile.
Fields.
Forests.
Butterflies.
Flowers.
Elven
warrior princesses riding their horses in the sunset.
One of the
warriors leaps of her horse
gradually
transforms into a star singer on the stage of a gigantic stadium concert.
Then,
glowing like a fiery watermark behind her...
the noble,
benevolent face of a mighty dragon appears.
DUNKELZAHN
THE VENERABLE
Episode directed by
M...l S...K
ON-SCREEN TITLE:
JANUARY 2082
SCENE 2: INT. BRIDGE – BIRD OF
PARADISE – NIGHT
Wearing her
navigation officer's uniform, Genesys, a.k.a. Cateluna NAVAJO, leaves the Bird
of Paradise bridge alongside Commander Kaya KEENE.
Warning
lights flash around them.
Behind the
panoramic window, the Earth spins rapidly.
QUICK FADE
TO BLACK.
EXT. EARTH ORBIT – NIGHT –
CONTINUOUS
A thin arc
of the Earth emerges against the darkness of space.
Then BIRD OF
PARADISE.
Intact.
Majestic.
Rotating
very slowly on its axis.
PAN – SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE SKY –
CONTINUOUS
A cosmic sweep:
Argo Navis.
The
Magellanic Clouds.
Acrux.
The Southern
Cross.
The stars of
the constellation connect with glowing dotted lines.
ON-SCREEN TITLE:
CRUX
An open star
cluster sparkles in the lower right corner:
THE JEWEL
BOX.
MUSIC
CONTINUES.
DIVE TOWARD EARTH – CONTINUOUS
The camera
plunges toward the Earth.
Through the
night.
Down toward
Japan.
Hokkaido.
Lake
Kussharo.
At the
center of the lake:
Kussharo
Island.
An ancient
meteorite cone, now covered in cold, misty forest.
SUPERIMPOSED TEXT – DISSOLVE
Kussharo Island.
The Lion’s Fortress.
Home of the most powerful
Yakuza clan on the planet...
The SATO-Kai clan.
EXT. LION’S FORTRESS – DAY –
CONTINUOUS
The island
is a high hill covered in conifer forest.
GENESYS (V.O.)
The SATO-Kai are
MITSUHAMA's third-largest shareholder.
And Daichi SATO-Kai, the son,
has just taken power.
A
nineteenth-century Japanese castle.
Five stories
high.
White as
snow.
It crowns
the island.
GENESYS (V.O.)
At this point in the story...
word is,
he killed his own father.
The camera
glides through a japanese garden.
Follows a
stream...
Water
becomes stone...
Stone
becomes earth...
Earth
becomes the ceiling of a cavern.
INT. CAVERN – CONTINUOUS
The camera
descends vertically.
Passes
through the bars of a metal cage.
Genesys.
Naked.
Wrists and
ankles chained.
She pulls
against her restraints with all her strength.
Around her
neck:
a tiny
Cathar cross set with rubies.
Glittering
in the darkness.
Nothing explicit.
Absolute
tension.
Around her:
four cages
arranged in the shape of a cross.
Darkness.
Two
spherical drones hover nearby, casting blue beams: MCT FLY-SPYS.
The clinking
of chains echoes from the four cages.
A japanese
troll growls.
KIM
Fucking pigs.
All of them.
CLANG.
THE DOOR TO
GENESYS'S CAGE OPENS.
The metal
restraints release.
Genesys
drops to her knees.
Gasping.
SILENCE.
Before her:
a corridor
of red laser beams.
Perfectly
square.
Leading into
a black tunnel.
Genesys
moves forward.
INT. SMALL CAVERN – CONTINUOUS
Farther, in
a separate cave, a monumental door emerges from the darkness as she walks along
the tunnel.
Japanese
neoclassical architecture.
Above it:
a bas-relief
of a lion's head.
Holographic
flames dance around the doorframe.
An enormous
cross-shaped crank.
Genesys
places her hand on it.
Closes her
eyes.
CUT.
SCENE 3: INT. HOTEL ROOM – NIGHT
Genesys's
eyes snap open.
She's in a
luxurious suite,
bathed in soft yellow light.
A vast
panoramic window overlooks a city at night:
a maze of
arcologies,
cyberpunk skyscrapers,
suspension bridges,
red, violet, blue, pink and white neon.
An augmented
Tokyo.
Unreal.
On the
bedside table:
a black
full-face helmet
trimmed in gold.
The
bedspread:
dark green satin.
A wall
screen suddenly lights up.
Harsh white
light.
SCREEN (flashing)
CHOOSE CAR
Fluorescent
white letters against the backdrop of a gigantic glass tube.
CLOSE ON –
GENESYS
She
interacts with the touchscreen, out of frame.
Colored
reflections glide across her skin.
Synthetic
beeps.
CUT TO:
EXT. CYBER CITYSCAPE – NIGHT
TAK, in
light armor,
struggles into a flypack,
machine gun in hand.
He stands at
the foot of a futuristic tower.
The light is
unstable,
as though reflected off rippling water:
greens,
midnight blues,
mauves,
reds,
golds.
The
atmosphere of a digital dream.
CUT TO:
EXT. BALCONY – CYBER CITYSCAPE – NIGHT
Kim
In sniper
position.
Perfectly
still.
Scanning the
city.
Floating,
unreal light.
An announcer
bellows over the loudspeakers,
his voice reverberating between the towers.
The crowd
below is hysterical.
CUT TO:
EXT. UPPER BALCONY – CYBER CITYSCAPE – NIGHT
VALANDIR
sleeps,
slumped in a chair.
He can't see
Kim,
directly below him.
If he opened
his eyes, he would see:
a gigantic
glass circuit.
A
transparent spiral tube.
Vibrating.
Snaking
between the skyscrapers.
INT. GLASS TUBE – STARTING GRID
🎵MUSIC CONTINUES.
Several
futuristic racing machines line up.
Somewhere
between Gran Turismo 7 and Tron.
Engines
roar.
ANNOUNCER (V.O.)
On pole position...
Daichi SATO-Kai
in the red Rozelyne Löwen!
Beside Daichi:
the green
VORTEX 9,
the white
AETHERON,
the
midnight-blue RACE DEFOCRACK,
the yellow
FEVARA.
CUT TO:
INT. FEVARA – NIGHT
Genesys.
Black-and-yellow
helmet.
Sunglasses
beneath her raised visor.
She tightens
her gloves.
She looks
dangerously cool.
CUT TO:
INT. HOTEL ROOM – NIGHT
On the
screen, Genesys selects the FEVARA.
The Rozelyne
Löwen appears LOCKED.
Exclusive
property of Daichi SATO-Kai.
CUT TO:
EXT. GLASS TUBE – STARTING GRID
The starting
lights turn red.
5 — 4 — 3 —
2 — 1 — 0.
GREEN.
A thunderous
roar.
INT. FEVARA – CONTINUOUS
The
acceleration slams Genesys back into her seat.
She curses.
Breathless.
She
overtakes two racers.
The third —
the AETHERON — swerves from side to side to block her.
Far ahead,
Daichi's red car pulls away.
SUBLIMINAL FLASH – MATRIX
A canyon.
Trees.
Medieval
hunters on horseback.
Then—
SMASH BACK
TO THE GLASS TUBE.
INT. GLASS TUBE – RACE
The racers
chase one another through trap zones scattered throughout the glass circuit.
A visual
disturbance.
Another
flash:
mountains.
Riders.
Magnificent
horses.
BACK TO THE
RACE.
EXT. GLASS-TUBE SPIRAL – NIGHT
Drones dart
through the air.
Tak, wearing
his flypack,
tries to shoot them down.
TAK
TAK KATAK!
INT. GLASS TUBE – RACE
The Aetheron
loses control.
Rolls.
A shower of
sparks.
Suspension
components shatter.
Genesys
barely avoids it.
The green
Vortex 9 is hit by the Race Defocrack.
CUT TO:
EXT. BALCONY – NIGHT
Kim takes
aim.
Fires.
The bullet
passes through the glass wall
as though through dense liquid.
It blows out
a BFB tire.
The Vortex 9
flips over.
Red brake
lights.
The crowd
goes wild.
INT. GLASS TUBE – RACE
Genesys
catches up with Daichi.
Tak has
blown apart a hardware drone.
Nails litter
the track.
The two
racers run side by side.
They make
light contact.
Ahead:
a line of large
fuel drums.
Genesys
accelerates.
Crosses the
line.
Kim fires.
One drum
explodes.
The entire
line erupts in flames.
Daichi
crosses a fraction too late.
His car
takes damage.
Genesys hums
a Puccini aria.
A violent
IMPACT.
The Rozelyne
Löwen slams into her from behind.
The Fevara's
steering becomes unstable.
Genesys
brakes.
Lets Daichi
and the Race Defocrack pass.
Avoids a
collision by driving up onto the wall of the tube.
She adjusts
the compensation settings.
Then
accelerates again.
FADE TO
BLACK.
👂Racing
engines.
Brakes.
Metal on
metal.
Impacts.
🎵Silence.
CUT TO BLACK.
ON-SCREEN TITLE:
JANUARY 2082 → DECEMBER 2081
TOKYO
SCENE 4:
INT. TOKYO AIRPORT – CUSTOMS – DAY
A bright,
cold, impersonal terminal.
The team
stands in a line
at a Japanese Imperial Customs counter.
A Japanese
customs officer,
stiff as a sword,
searches a suitcase.
He pulls
out...
a stuffed
pig.
Genesys is
nervous.
The customs
officer squeezes the stuffed animal,
feeling it all over.
Then puts it
back.
Nothing
suspicious.
He checks
his screen.
CUSTOMS
OFFICER
Your two
trunks...
the ones containing the hornet drones...
They were
intercepted in Denver.
They never
made it onto the plane.
You'll be
able to collect them on your way back.
Genesys
clenches her jaw.
GENESYS
I have
clearance.
Look.
It's valid.
CUSTOMS
OFFICER
Not in the
Empire.
Sorry.
She tries a
heartbreakingly sad little grimace.
He remains
unmoved.
Eventually,
she gives up.
Furious.
EXT. TOKYO
AIRPORT – EXIT – DAY
They leave
the terminal together.
Genesys is
swearing like a sailor.
GENESYS
And that's
how you lose twenty grand.
Fuck.
Not counting
the time and money
it's gonna take me to gear up again
on Tokyo's black market.
VALANDIR
Yeah, but we
don't have time, Genesys.
Our flight
to Okinawa
leaves in ninety minutes.
Forget the
drones for now.
We're gonna
have to fly a little blind
for the next few days.
GENESYS
At least my
gun made it through.
TAK
So did your little blankie.
VALANDIR
Oink oink.
TAK
Oiiiiink.
Kim rolls
her eyes.
Smiles.
KIM
Fucking
pigs.
FADE TO
BLACK.
ON-SCREEN
TITLE – THE MONTHS RUN BACKWARD:
JANUARY 2082
→ DECEMBER 2081
→ NOVEMBER 2081
HOUSTON
SCENE 5:
EXT. INDUSTRIAL STREET – HOUSTON – NOON
Blazing sun.
A narrow
street.
A GMC
Bulldog is parked across the road,
blocking traffic.
A small
delivery truck SLAMS on the brakes behind it.
The driver
gets out.
Furious.
Pure
"I've had enough of this shit" energy.
Genesys
steps out of the Bulldog.
Easy stride.
Almost
nonchalant.
GENESYS
Easy, amigo.
We'll sort
it out.
She lies
down beneath the Bulldog's engine.
The driver
grows increasingly agitated.
DRIVER
Shit, I'm
gonna be late!
This isn't
cool!
In my
business,
deliveries have to be right on time.
Can't you
find some way
to move your heap?
Genesys,
underneath the Bulldog,
makes up increasingly absurd mechanical problems.
DRIVER
Look, the
two of us can push it.
We're not
gonna spend all day here.
GENESYS (from underneath)
The rocker
arm's completely corroded.
The shaft's
seized.
Give me two
minutes.
DRIVER
What?
You're
telling me you got to the rocker arm
from underneath
in less than five minutes?
Oh, that's a
good one.
This is
really starting to piss me off.
Seriously.
I'm calling
Lone Star
if this keeps up.
CUT TO:
THE
BULLDOG'S REAR DOOR.
It opens.
Tak steps
out.
Massive.
Smart
glasses.
Immaculate
suit.
He squares
his shoulders,
puffs out his chest.
Rests a hand
on his holster.
The driver
freezes.
Turns pale.
Genesys
slides back out.
Lights a
cigarette.
Opens the
hood.
Sings softly
into her intercom:
GENESYS (humming The Doors)
Come on
baby, light my fire...
That's the
signal.
EXT. STREET
– CONTINUOUS
Tak strikes
up a conversation.
Falsely
friendly.
TAK
So, amigo...
Married?
Kids?
You follow
Bulletball?
You got
tickets?
How'd you
pull that off?
CUT TO:
SHADOWS
BEHIND THE TRUCK.
Kim, in
commando gear,
slips toward the rear of the vehicle.
She plugs
her cyberdeck
into the electronic lock.
Valandir
follows silently.
A miniature
fireball
glowing in his hand.
DRIVER
(V.O.)
Look, I
really gotta go.
You're a big
guy.
If you want,
the three of us could just push the vehicle,
right?
GENESYS
(V.O.)
Give me two
more minutes
and we're good!
A BEEP.
A CLICK.
The truck's
rear door opens.
Valandir disappears
into the darkness of the cargo hold.
Kim keeps
watch.
TAK (V.O.)
Listen.
You let my
teammate
finish what she's doing.
Okay?
And in
exchange for those two minutes...
I'll buy
both your tickets
to the Bulletball final.
Fifteen
thousand nuyens each.
When the
wind blows a sack of rice your way...
best pick it
up.
FADE TO
BLACK.
ON-SCREEN
TITLE – THE MONTHS RUN BACKWARD:
JANUARY 2082
→ DECEMBER 2081
→ NOVEMBER 2081 → OCTOBER 2081
NEW YORK
SCENE 6:
EXT. NEW YORK DOCKS – NIGHT
Vrrrroooom.
VrrrooOOOoom.
A black Ford Americar is about to take off at full speed in reverse.
Genesys
behind the wheel.
Backing-up
position.
One arm
across the passenger seat,
head turned over her shoulder.
She murmurs:
GENESYS
Hornet
drones, attack position.
Her vision
switches to the drones' cameras.
DRONE POV –
NIGHT
A squad of
Lion Clan ninjas opens fire on TAK,
who is running with a Caucasian woman with black hair under his arm: Eleanor WHITAKER.
Gunfire
exchanged.
The drones
dive.
Attack.
EXT. DOCKS –
CONTINUOUS
Tak reaches
the car, Whitaker under his arm.
He throws
her inside.
Valandir
comes up behind him.
Hurls a
fireball at the ninjas.
Genesys
shifts into gear.
Accelerates.
The drones
follow,
taking fire.
INT. FORD
AMERICAR – LATER – NIGHT
Valandir has
improvised a gag.
Eleanor
thrashes around like a wildcat,
screaming muffled insults.
ELEANOR
Filthy elf!
Fucking
troll fart-face!
It takes
both Tak and Valandir
to hold her down and gag her.
Kim is there
too.
Somehow.
Manichawa
plays in the background.
SCENE 7:
EXT. MEDITERRANEAN SEA – NIGHT
A small,
fast yacht cuts through the waves.
Genesys at
the helm.
Heading out
to sea.
CUT TO
BLACK.
👂 The sound of
two helicopters.
Heavy
machine-gun fire.
A massive
EXPLOSION.
FADE IN:
The yacht is
burning.
Debris
everywhere.
Genesys
treads water.
Gasping.
Staring at
the flames.
A seagull
cries.
CUT.
ON-SCREEN
TITLE – THE MONTHS RUN BACKWARD:
DECEMBER
2081 → NOVEMBER 2081
→ OCTOBER 2081 → JULY 28, 2081
REYKJAVIK
SCENE 8:
EXT. STANDS – DREKKIVIK STADIUM, REYKJAVIK – NIGHT
The wind
blows hard.
The
Icelandic sky glows with twilight.
At this time
of year,
the sun never quite sets.
The stadium
looks tiny.
Fragile.
Nestled
between sea and mountains.
Drones
patrol the area:
Knight
Errant drones.
Icelandic
municipal police drones.
And
Genesys's own,
recognizable by their hornet-like shape.
Genesys
watches a portable trid display
she has set up in the stands.
The whole team
is gathered around:
Valandir.
Tak.
Kim.
Genesys.
And also
Nigele HOUGHTON
and Sean FINNEGAN.
VALANDIR
Where are
Jane and Moussa?
FINNEGAN
On their way
to Denver,
to the Chandrawatis'.
GENESYS
Okay.
This is the
trid footage
recorded by my second drone.
The one
patrolling backstage
about five minutes after the blackout,
when I
regained control
after the second matrix bomb
triggered by the dragon's lightning strike.
I froze the
image.
Look
carefully at the shadow on the left.
See it?
Now I'll
take it forward
one frame at a time.
TAK
Yeah.
It's moving.
That suit is
obviously Japanese...
Looks like
some Yoshimitsu character
from a trid game.
Probably the
guy carrying
that Hento katana.
VALANDIR
Yeah.
So that
could fit Daichi SATO-Kai.
KIM
I wanna get
that fucking pig!
GENESYS
Now look at
the footage
from the other drone.
The one
flying over the stadium.
Look closely
at the center of the image,
around the sound and lighting control booth...
There.
See the
door?
VALANDIR
Yeah.
A slender
woman with black hair.
Stetson.
Just walking
out like nothing happened.
KIM
Bet my shirt
that's WHITAKER.
VALANDIR
You don't
have a shirt, Kim.
All you've got is
a
fucking combat gear.
CUT
TAK
Beneath the
pale moon
The shadows
gather as one
Dawn will
bear witness
CUT.
ON-SCREEN TITLE — months scrolling backward:
NOVEMBER 2081 → OCTOBER 2081
→ JULY 28, 2081 → JULY 7, 2081
NORTHERN EGYPT
SCENE 9: INT. BACKSTAGE — GIANT CONCERT STAGE — EVENING
ON-SCREEN TITLE
9:00 P.M.
A maze of metal beams,
cables,
and stage structures.
Pulsing lights.
The concert is just beginning beneath a beautiful crescent moon.
That whistling sound is Loggy playing his flute.
Amiouzy handles the rhythmic keyboards part, Niklas the atmospheric pads. Bogo triggers illuminated pads producing delicate electronic chimes. Cumbren brings in the low end on cello, followed at last by Gourik adding bass effects on his bass synth.
CUT TO:
INT. BACKSTAGE — EVENING
Genesys, in a skin-tight leather jumpsuit, her hair in an athletic braid, opaque sunglasses, pistol in a safe-ready position.
Her eyes have rolled back, completely white.
She is controlling her hornet drones.
DRONE POV — SKY ABOVE GIZA — EVENING
A drone flies over the crowd.
A spectacular view:
the pyramids illuminated beneath a crescent moon.
The immense crowd, tightly packed, alive and pulsating.
Manichawa walks onto the stage in an Egyptian costume.
She strolls calmly across it, greeting as many people in the audience as she can — radiant, acclaimed by thousands of voices in the twilight.
INT. BACKSTAGE — TWILIGHT — ONE HOUR LATER
ON-SCREEN TITLE
10:00 P.M.
🎵YT MUSIC: Roads, PORTISHEAD (performed by THE MIDNIGHT would be amazing)
Through a curtain, Genesys catches sight of the Great Pyramid of Giza, majestic behind the crowd.
Onstage, Chawa’s Seven are performing a cover of Portishead’s Roads.
Genesys blinks.
GENESYS
D1 and D2: automatic return to charging station.
She regains control of her body and heads toward the rear backstage exit.
EXT. GIZA — TECHNICAL PARKING AREA — NIGHT
Genesys climbs into a sand-colored GMC Bulldog.
She plugs a cable in beneath the rear bench:
the drones begin recharging.
The engine roars.
Valandir and Kim pile in.
Genesys tears off toward central Cairo.
AERIAL SHOTS:
Dense traffic.
Narrow streets.
A chaos of lights.
SCENE 10: EXT. GIZA CONCERT STAGE — NIGHT
ON-SCREEN TITLE
11:30 P.M.
Manichawa bows gracefully, like an Indian princess, as roses rain down around her.
Her musicians gather around her.
Thunderous applause.
The pyramids echo with the roar of the crowd.
She smiles, radiant.
EXT. BACKSTAGE — NIGHT
Manichawa joins a second Bulldog.
Inside:
— Giacomo, her cyborg bodyguard
— Zara Djawadi, sound engineer
— Carlotta, her childhood friend
— Sean Finnegan, Irish rigger, loudmouth
— Tak, providing security
The van pulls away.
Destination: the hotel, then a discreet parking lot on the northern outskirts of Cairo.
SCENE 11: EXT. AL-MASHHAD AL-HUSSEINI STREET — NIGHT
ON-SCREEN TITLE
10:30 P.M.
Genesys parks her Bulldog near a restaurant.
A busy street.
Neon lights.
The smell of spices.
Kim gets out of the vehicle.
Genesys deploys her two hornet drones.
VALANDIR
Watch out for the stingers.
He gets out as well.
DRONE 1 POV — SOUK ENTRANCE
A short Mexican man, GERALDO MARTINEZ, in his fifties, bearded, wearing a traditional coat, with vaguely Mongolian features.
He enters the Khan el-Khalili souk from the north.
DRONE 2 POV — PARALLEL ALLEY
Two MITSUHAMA [AAA] corporate bodyguards.
Ken-and-Barbie looks.
Smart glasses.
Probably armed.
They follow the target from a distance.
INT. BULLDOG — NIGHT
Genesys speaks into her earpiece.
GENESYS
Okay, guys, you read me? Good.
Drone One is following the target south.
Too risky to keep it in the alleys.
Drone Two has eyes on two Mitsuhama corpos.
They’ll be entering the souk in about a minute.
I’ll keep them in sight, then bring it back.
We’re near the El Hussein Pancake House.
Kim’s hiding out there.
Across from Black Snacks.
CUT.
SCENE 12: EXT. DESERT HIGHWAY — NIGHT
The old highway is covered in windblown sand.
The sand-colored GMC Bulldog races through the desert night.
Almost invisible.
Inside:
Genesys driving, Tak in the front passenger seat, Kim, Valandir, Manichawa and Geraldo Martinez.
Valandir braces Manichawa against the jolts.
INT. BULLDOG — NIGHT
Close on Genesys’s glasses.
GENESYS
I’ve got them in rear view.
They’re opening fire.
I’m slowing down!
Tak fires through the rear window.
The glass explodes.
Kim, sniper rifle ready, lines up a shot.
The bullet punches through the front-left tire
of a white sporty car.
The enemy car leaves the road.
Crashes into a shallow canyon.
Genesys executes a perfect controlled skid.
The Bulldog straightens out.
GENESYS
Everybody okay?
GERALDO MARTINEZ
Eet seems to me I’ve seen better……
Manichawa, in Valandir’s arms, exhales:
MANICHAWA
Yeah… I’m okay.
TAK
Fucking Mitsuhama corpos.
KIM
All of them pigs…
CUT TO BLACK.
SOUND AND PICTURE FADE IN
SCENE 13: EXT. AL WAFA VILLAGE SQUARE — NIGHT
Gunfire.
Screams.
Drones.
Flames.
A poor, ancient egyptian village on the outskirts of Alexandria, bathed in an orange glow.
Genesys lies prone behind the cover of a house, arms extended, pistol in hand.
She aims toward the center of the square.
EXT. CENTER OF THE SQUARE — NIGHT
Manichawa sits in the lotus position, dressed in Indian clothing, radiating a faint white light.
A living statue.
Valandir protects her from behind a gigantic fire spirit.
Tak fights one of the soldiers at close quarters, katana in hand.
A troop transport drone hovers directly above the square and begins lowering a cable.
EXT. OPPOSITE ARCADE — NIGHT
Kim, in sniper position, methodically picks off the attackers.
EXT. SQUARE — NIGHT
One of Genesys’s hornet drones punches through the armor of a heavily armed soldier.
The fire spirit attacks a second squad rappelling down the cable from the helicopter drone.
An apocalyptic vision.
CUT TO — CLOSE-UP
Sweat runs down Genesys’s temple.
She pants.
The sound slows down.
EXT. SQUARE — NIGHT
Tak carries Manichawa away, limp in his arms, under a hail of bullets.
Genesys, Kim and Valandir cover them.
They disappear into the shelter of a dark arcade.
FADE TO BLACK.
ON-SCREEN TITLE — months scrolling backward:
OCTOBER 2081 → JULY 28, 2081
→ JULY 7, 2081 → MARCH 2081
AMSTERDAM
SCENE 14: KERKSTRAAT — AMSTERDAM
INT. THE DOLPHIN’S — BASEMENT — DAY
Valandir, leaning against a wall painted with a giant dolphin,
ights a joint and passes it to Manichawa.
She takes a small drag.
CHAWA
(to Genesys)
Here.
Genesys takes a long, determined drag.
GENESYS
(offering the joint)
Tchitcholo, Giacomo?
GIACOMO
(dryly)
I see no point in clogging up my pipes.
I’ve got Better Than Life chips for that.
He holds one up to his synthetic nostrils,
presses a button and
nhales a gaseous mixture.
Genesys passes the joint to Tak.
TAK
(raising his glass)
The wise man’s throat prefers the warmth of Japanese whisky
to the burn of Arab weed, my friend.
Genesys smiles.
She passes it to Carlotta.
Their fingers brush.
A suspended moment.
Erotic.
Carlotta gives nothing away.
Hyperbole finishes rolling a monstrous double jumbo.
Purple tongue.
She doesn’t share.
She takes two drags.
Glances sideways at Ahmed.
HYPERBOLE (V.O.)
Sweet Jesus...
you’re one fucking handsome man.
Anytime you want, my desert prince...
Valandir is about to put his arms around Manichawa,
who is scrolling through her commlink.
She suddenly gets to her feet.
CHAWA
Okay, enough messing around.
Amiouzy just texted me.
I have to meet the band backstage.
You don’t get to play a concert
on the Rijksmuseum plaza every day.
Right across from the Concertgebouw.
Giacomo gets up, pulls out his credstick and heads off to pay.
GENESYS
Want me to take you, Chawa?
CHAWA (disarming smile)
Normally, yes.
But it’s a fifteen-minute bike ride.
It’ll clear my head.
I’ve got stage fright.
She points to the bikes.
CHAWA
Tak and Genesys stay with me.
And Giacomo, Valandir and Carlotta —
you’re invited backstage.
The rest of you:
you’ve got a private box.
Enjoy!
We’ll meet up after the concert
and have a drink.
Giacomo can find us
someplace nice around Leidseplein, right?
GIACOMO
There’s an exclusive club
that should do nicely, Chawa.
The Neon Red.
CHAWA
I am not going to bed at four in the morning.
Okay?
Everyone nods cheerfully.
EXT. KERKSTRAAT — DAY
The group leaves the Dolphin’s.
Chawa, Tak, Giacomo, Valandir and Carlotta get on their bikes.
Genesys, already in the saddle, pops a wheelie.
Just showing off.
CUT.
ON-SCREEN TITLE — months scrolling backward:
JULY 28, 2081 → JULY 7, 2081
→ MARCH 2081 → DECEMBER 2080
SEATTLE
SCENE 15: EXT. OVAL GLASS TOWER — SEATTLE — NIGHT
A night saturated with neon.
The murmur of the city.
Two spherical drones patrol above the top of an oval-shaped tower, blue lasers sweeping the area.
There is a public terrace and another one serving as a backstage loading dock.
INT. BABYLON DC — SECURITY CENTER — NIGHT
A tiny wood-paneled security room.
A shotgun mounted on the wall.
A first-aid kit.
A touchscreen security-camera console.
Muffled B-SynthPop music.
Genesys, focused, controls her drones.
DRONE POV — ROOFTOP TERRACE
A packed terrace.
Fans, cocktails, Tempo, conversations.
A view over illuminated Seattle and its arcologies.
Carlotta chats with fans who know she is Manichawa’s childhood friend.
A cheerful atmosphere.
INT. BACKSTAGE — NIGHT
Tak and Kim are in position.
Marc ORGAYLE, the club’s elven manager, sits in a wheelchair, nodding his head to the beat.
Onstage: Chawa’s Seven, performing a showcase to introduce their upcoming tour.
Time passes.
Several songs follow one another in a series of quick dissolves.
Until Manichawa’s signature song:
a cover by an old trip-hop band from the 1990s,
almost a century ago.
🎵YT MUSIC: Roads, PORTISHEAD
At the back of the crowd,
a tall, androgynous woman, wearing trousers,
with the eccentric elegance of the Romantic era.
White bobbed hair.
A cane with a silver knob in one hand.
She stands with her back to the crowd and the stage.
Valandir, stationed at the rear,
near the exit,
meets her gaze.
👂EARPIECE — VALANDIR SHOUTING
VALANDIR (V.O.)
All team, LETHAL THREAT TO THE TARGET!
PROTECT HER, EVACUATE NOW
I repeat: DANGER! EVACUATE NOW
Genesys sends one of her drones racing toward the stage.
DRONE POV — STAGE
Tak bursts in.
He grabs Manichawa, tucks her under one arm
and carries her off.
Total confusion.
The music stops.
Commlink flashes everywhere.
FADE TO BLACK.
🎵 SILENCE.
ON-SCREEN TITLE — months scrolling backward
JULY 2081 → MARCH 2081
→ DECEMBER 2080 → SEPTEMBER 30, 2080
WARRENTON
SCENE 16: EXT. PACIFIC OCEAN — NIGHT
🎵YT MUSIC: Bombay, OFFER NISSIM A crescent moon.
Starry summer sky.
Heavy surf.
Two MCT Fly-Spys rise into frame from below.
Blue lasers.
Distant Indian trance music.
INT. DARK ROOM — NIGHT
CLOSE-UP
Genesys, eyes rolled back.
She controls her drones through a neural link.
DRONE 1 POV — WIDE SHOT
A small boat carrying a group of fans.
They raise their glasses, laugh, celebrate Manichawa’s birthday.
FAN
Come on, Mr. Drone, be cool!
We just wanna listen to the concert!
Promise, no pirate relay!
DRONE 2 POV — VILLA
A giant white swan comes into view.
Illuminated.
Majestic.
A luxurious swan-shaped villa standing on the beach.
An affluent seaside neighborhood in Warrenton, an enclave of
Tir Tairngire — elven territory.
EXT. SWAN VILLA — NIGHT
On the third-floor terrace:
Tak keeps watch.
Giacomo crouches behind an amp, watching his mistress.
Manichawa performs an impromptu concert with Chawa’s Seven:
- Bogo — drums
- Cumbren — double bass / backing vocals
- Loggy — percussion / synth effects
- Amiouzy Daviar — guitar / vocals
- Gourik the Dredd — bass
- Niklas — guitar / keyboards / violin
...plus Benny BTL making a special guest appearance at the machines
Zara DJAWADI somehow manages a 16-track mixing console
queezed into the setup.
The sound is raw.
Imperfect.
Alive.
GENESYS — EARPIECE AS THE CHAWA'S SEVEN PLAY
GENESYS (V.O.)
Tak, there’s a boat full of fans offshore.
They’re asking us to turn up the sound
or share the feed over a secure comm channel.
They won’t come any closer.
See what Giacomo says.
They’re just kids.
They’re not doing anything wrong.
It’d make their night.
TAK (V.O.)
Okay, Genesys.
I’ll ask him.
EXT. SWAN VILLA — DESCENDING SHOT
Kim is perched inside the swan’s head, in sniper position.
The camera glides down the swan’s neck,
following its curves and balconies.
In the distance, Tak approaches Giacomo and leans in to speak
onto his ear.
CUT TO BLACK.
ON-SCREEN TITLE — months scrolling backward
MARCH 2081 → DECEMBER 2080
→ SEPTEMBER 30, 2080 → EARLY SEPTEMBER 2080
WARRENTON
SCENE 17: INT. SWAN VILLA — SECURITY CENTER —
NIGHT
A small technical room.
White walls.
The SWAN logo appears on several pieces of equipment.
Multiple screens.
CG-SAID copyright mark on every video feed.
Genesys takes over from Tak.
She scans through the villa’s 60 security cameras.
An unpleasant smell.
She looks for the source.
Her eyes settle on a coffee cup full of cigarette butts,
left behind by Tak.
She grimaces.
CUT
Behind her, the screen labeled CAMERA 5 — GARAGE
rackles.
A brief signal dropout.
SCENE 18: EXT. ROAD — NIGHT
Genesys’s Ford Americar speeds along the road.
She chews gum, focused.
Beside her, Valandir rides shotgun, still half asleep.
INT. FORD AMERICAR — NIGHT
GENESYS
Kim, you read me?
KIM (V.O.)
Yeah, little thing.
I’ve got your second drone’s camera feed.
That’s the Vespa they’re riding, right?
GENESYS
Yeah.
Electric. Seriously souped-up.
I’m having trouble keeping up in the turns.
She knows this road by heart.
Valandir complains over the comm.
VALANDIR
Maybe...
but the princess is a pain in the ass.
I’d only just fallen asleep.
And who’s riding pillion?
Hyperbole, I’m guessing?
Genesys blows a bubble with her gum.
GENESYS
Correct, Augustus.
And I can tell you,
that Vespa’s suspension is no piece of junk.
It’s holding up just fine
under that woman’s enormous ass.
We’re coming into town.
They’re slowing down.
I’m sending a drone ahead,
then I’ll turn right.
We’ll follow them from a distance.
Kim’s voice comes through the car intercom.
KIM (V.O.)
Valandir, my esteemed teammate...
Keep an eye on their asses, okay?
Bring them back nice and easy,
the way you know how.
EXT. SWAN VILLA — POOLSIDE — NIGHT
Tak, patrolling along the water’s edge and listening to the
onversation, snickers.
INT. FORD AMERICAR — NIGHT
Genesys, thoughtful.
GENESYS
She's fiercly independent...
But damn, there's something about her.
When she looks at you, it's like
she's talking inside your head.
A real Galadriel...
VALANDIR
Yeah.
There's something unusual about her,
even by elven standards.
She's a Face.
No wonder she's a global star.
Still... she's being a pain in the ass.
Drop me off here. I'll go join them.
Genesys pulls over and parks.
GENESYS
They stopped at a club three blocks away.
See that road there?
Cross it, and it's the one on the left, straight ahead.
The entrance has bright green neon.
You can't miss it.
I'll stay parked here until you call me.
See ya.
Go turn on the charm.
They smile at each other.
🎵 SILENCE.
CUT.
SCREEN TITLE
EARLY SEPTEMBER 2080
WARRENTON
SCENE 19: INT. SECURITY CONTROL ROOM — NOON
High sun.
Harsh white light.
An alarm sounds.
Genesys switches to Gate Camera 1.
POV CAMERA — ESTATE GATE
A wrought-iron gate with swan motifs.
Wooded grounds.
A winding private road beyond.
A black McLaren pulls up.
A woman in a black leather jumpsuit steps out.
Sunglasses.
A confident stride.
Eleanor WHITAKER.
She walks up to the intercom.
Presses the button.
GENESYS' VOICE (INTERCOM)
Swan Villa. Hello.
Eleanor stares straight into the intercom camera.
Her gaze is intense.
ELEANOR
My name is Eleanor WHITAKER.
I'm a psychiatrist.
A mutual friend told me
Manichawa might need my help.
May I see her, please?
GENESYS' VOICE (INTERCOM)
A friend of whose, did you say?
ELEANOR
Manichawa's.
GENESYS' VOICE (INTERCOM)
Let me check.
CUT.
SCENE 20: EXT. HIGH-RISE BUILDING — DAY
LOW ANGLE
Genesys stands at the window
of a high-rise building.
She watches a black McLaren
speed through the traffic below.
CUT.
SCREEN TITLE — THE MONTHS RUN BACKWARD
DECEMBER 2080 → SEPTEMBER 2080
→ AUGUST 2080 → 2070
SEATTLE
SCENE 21: EXT. SEATTLE OUTSKIRTS — NIGHT
BLACK.
👂Urban traffic noise.
Then a rumble.
A roar.
FADE IN:
About a dozen Yamaha Bandit 7 “Crackers”
come tearing down the street at full speed.
The ground shakes.
They thunder past the camera
like a mechanical herd.
A truck.
Two cabs.
Scooters.
Then the headlights
of a small yellow Ferrari,
coming in fast.
INT. YELLOW FERRARI — NIGHT
Genesys, 21.
Short hair.
Red synthetic-leather bodysuit.
Black helmet with gold trim.
Sunglasses.
No neural interface yet.
Pure hands-on driving.
GENESYS
Don't play slalom-chicken with me
assholes...
I'm gonna get you this time.
She activates a side-mounted weapon system:
conical, nail-studded spikes
extend from the wheel hubs.
She swerves around
a drunken electric three-wheeler.
An autonomous van
sounds an alarm to her right.
The Ferrari's bodywork
is already battered.
EXT. INTERSECTION — NIGHT
Total gridlock.
A gray vehicle in the gang's colors
blocks the entire intersection.
Genesys slams on the brakes.
GENESYS
Fucking hell!
Goddammit!
CUT.
🎵 SILENCE.
SCENE 22: INT. GARAGE — NIGHT
A large, run-down garage.
Salvaged parts.
Toolboxes.
Illegal vehicle weapons.
Genesys removes her helmet.
Young. Tense. Out of breath.
Puccini, a short dwarf mechanic,
pencil behind his ear,
leather skullcap on his head,
tears into her.
PUCCINI
Fuck, Porntoy!
You could've watched
the goddamn bodywork!
GENESYS
Sorry, Puccini.
Between plowing into some drunk
and scratching the paint...
Didn't take me long to decide.
She winks.
PUCCINI
Grmbl...
Johnson's gonna be pissed.
You were supposed to ram
the gang leader.
We're nowhere near that.
GENESYS
Don't worry.
I'll fuck him over eventually.
His bike is starting to ionize.
I'm borrowing the Kawasaki
and a Fly-Spy.
I've got a plan.
Tomorrow. There and back.
Not a scratch.
Johnson gets what he wants.
And you repaint my car.
She looks at the yellow Ferrari.
GENESYS
While you're at it,
how about changing the color?
I'm fucking sick of this yellow.
PUCCINI
Black or red, no problem.
Nine hundred nuyen.
GENESYS
And the scratches?
PUCCINI
That needs some delicate
sandblasting work.
Three-fifty.
But since I'm such a soft touch,
I'll do the whole thing for a thousand.
Genesys sighs.
Her eyes well up.
GENESYS
Of course...
That's exactly what I've got left.
They had the whole thing planned.
I'm so sick of this...
If only...
She hesitates.
GENESYS
Hey, Puccini?
PUCCINI
What?
GENESYS
How much would you charge me...
for a vehicle-control rig?
PUCCINI
More than you can afford, Porntoy.
GENESYS
We'll see about that.
And quit calling me that.
I'm sick of that joke.
See you tomorrow night.
CUT.
SCREEN TITLE
(MONTHS, THEN YEARS, RUN BACKWARD)
SEPTEMBER 2080 → AUGUST 2080
→ 2070 → 2064
CONEY ISLAND
SCENE 23: EXT. FAIRGROUND — DAY
Genesys, 15,
shoots a pistol at a carnival shooting booth.
A Latino boyfriend is with her.
She wins a pink stuffed pig.
He wraps his arms around her,
congratulating her with a smile.
They kiss.
SCREEN TITLE
(MONTHS, THEN YEARS, RUN BACKWARD)
AUGUST 2080 → 2070
→ 2064 → 2059
ALBUQUERQUE
SCENE 24: INT. FAMILY LIVING ROOM — DAY
A warm, cozy atmosphere.
Smiling parents.
Her girlfriend holds out a present.
Genesys, 10, opens it:
a trideo game console
with racing games.
She gives her girlfriend
a quick, slightly embarrassed kiss on the lips,
then plugs in the console.
She selects a Ferrari.
Still yellow.
SCREEN TITLE
(THE YEARS RUN BACKWARD)
2070 → 2064
→ 2059 → 2054
SCENE 25: INT. LIVING ROOM — DAY — SEPIA
Genesys, 5,
unwraps a present.
Her father helps her pull out
a yellow pedal car.
She laughs.
FADE TO BLACK.
SCREEN TITLE
(THE YEARS RUN FORWARD AGAIN)
2054 → 2059
→ 2064 → 2070
→ 2080 → 2081
→ 2082
SCENE 26: BACK TO THE RACE — SOUND — CROWD
Roaring crowd.
PA announcer.
ANNOUNCER (V.O.)
Pfurz is out!
It's down to Daichi and Genesys!
Less than a kilometer to go!
INT. GLASS TUBE — RACE
Daichi's red Rozelyne Löwen.
Genesys' yellow Fevara.
Daichi sideswipes her.
Genesys brakes.
He takes the lead.
Kim snipes.
Tak opens fire on the support drones.
Valandir dreams he's walking through a forest.
Genesys tilts the Fevara.
She drives up the wall of the tube,
almost upside down.
Daichi spots Tak in the distance.
Then the Fevara —
hanging like a fly
from the “ceiling.”
He swerves sharply.
Red brake lights.
A skid.
The Fevara dives diagonally
back down the wall,
about to come crashing down
on its side.
CUT.
END CREDITS
Genesys DA SILVA: Ursula Corberó
Valandir EMBERDREAM: Pierre Niney
Takkeshi KATAKUENDO aka “Tak”: Pio Marmaï
Kim SAVAGE: Anya Chalotra
Manichawa: Triptii Dimri
Daichi SATO-Kai: Fumiya Takahashi
Aurelius “Silvermoon” TARRAF: Peter Dinklage
Eleanor WHITAKER: Anya Taylor-Joy
Ahmed AL FOUZIA (“The Charcoal Burner”): Mehdi Dehbi
Benny BTL: John Bradley
Marc ORGAYLE: Mark Stanley
Giacomo: Michael Sheen
Carlotta: Cailee Spaeny
Sean FINNEGAN: Allen Leech
Nigele HOUGHTON: Tilda Cobham-Hervey
Geraldo MARTINEZ: Bernardo Velasco
Zara DJAWADI: Coco Jones
Hyperbole: Meghan Richards
Puccini: Billy Boyd
and the six musicians of Chawa’s Seven:
Amiouzy DAVIAR: Théodore Pellerin
Niklas: Itzan Escamilla
Bogo the Troll: Kristofer Hivju
Loggy the Halfling: Michael Cera
Gourik the Dredd: Julien de Saint-Jean
Cumbren the Quiet: Hunter Schafer
Next episode: EP. 103 - TRIANGULUM
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