FADE IN Act 1 INT. LIVING ROOM - 09:45 Filled the gentle hum of everyday life. PETER is completely absorbed in his reading of an article on his phone screen. PETER (V.O.): The dean has published a compelling article that delves into the intricate relationship between technology and generational behaviour. Reading. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): He offers valuable insights and perspectives on how digital advancements shape the values and interactions of different age groups, Pausing.

FADE IN Act 1 INT. VEHICLE LICENSING OFFICE - 09:45 Counter. PETER stands at the front of a line. PETER (V.O.): As a senior, I receive priority treatment. When his turn comes, Peter approaches and submits through the slot the forms along with the supporting documents to OFFICER#1. PETER: Renewal for three vehicles, please. Officer#1 works at a terminal. Behind her, OFFICER#2 leans in, pointing at the screen, speaking in low, instructive tones. PETER (Cont'd): One licence expi

FADE I N   Act 1   INT. BEDROOM - MORNING A silver of pale blue light cuts through a gap in the curtains. KAJI is already awake in bed. KAJI (V.O.): Breakfast with Peter first. Kaji glances at PETER - a lump under the duvert. KAJI (V.O.) (Cont'd): After breakfast, we'll play Fetch and Tug-of-War. I've many toys. Kaji takes a look of the PACK LEADER sleeping beside her. KAJI (V.O.) (Cont'd): After the games, the Pack Leader will serve me lunch. I'll take naps afterwards. Ponde

FADE IN Act 1 INT. BEDROOM - 08:00 Soft grey-blue light filters through the curtains. PETER 'S WIFE sleeps deeply. PETER lies beside her, propped up on two pillows. On his head are closed-back headphones. He scrolls through Facebook.  PETER (V.O.): Here's another piano tutorial for jazz beginners.   MONTAGE OF PETER'S LISTENING EXPERIENCE IN A MALL YESTERDAY A. We hear background piano music - its "Misty" reinterpreted. Sounds different. B. Peter is utterly arrested by the re

FADE IN Act 1 INT. BEDROOM - 7:45 Early morning light, soft and greyish blue, seeps through the curtains. PETER lies on his back in bed, eyes open. PETER (V.O.): Hmm, I've slept very well. He begins to turn onto his side. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): For the past six days, I've been very careful, trying to avoid the ache in my lower back. He pauses half-way, and then completes the turn. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): No spike of pain? Sitting on the edge of the bed, Peter places his hands

FADE IN Act 1 INT. LIVING ROOM - 9:45 Sunlight slants across the room. PETER sits on the sofa, checking phone messages. PETER (V.O.): Oh, I've got an upvote on one of my posts on Quora. Pausing. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I haven't posted since the rise of AI. What did I write? Peter checks his post on Quora. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Oh, someone asked me about the two tones of the Chinese character for "human" in Cantonese. Reading. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I explained that the highe

FADE IN Act 1 INT. LIVING ROOM - 21:30 (Last Night) Warmly lit. PETER and his WIFE chat. WIFE: On New Year's Eve, we had dinner in that Italian restaurant in Tsimshatsui... PETER: The food, coffee, and ambiance were superb! I gave it a five-star rating in my review on Google Maps. WIFE: I feel like going there again. PETER: Splendid. Shall we go tomorrow? Say, for lunch? WIFE: Yes! MARY, the maid, appears. WIFE: Mary, please wake me up tomorrow at 11:30. MARY: Yes, Ma'am. Act

FADE IN Act 1 INT. LIVING ROOM - 09:15 Morning light filters in. PETER stands by a table, hands pressed into his lower back. PETER (V.O.): The strain in my back hasn't gone away yet. He twists gently, a wince tightening his face. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Swimming is one of my daily routines, but I'm not sure if it'll alleviate or exacerbate my back pain. Pausing. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): My plan was to swim every other day until my lower back pain is resolved. Pausing. PETER (V.O

FADE I N   Act 1   INT. BEDROOM - MORNING A silver grey light cuts through a gap in the curtains. KAJI wakes up in bed. Her nose twitches. KAJI (V.O.): The air is wrong. No scent of toasting bread. Kaji gets out of bed. INT. KITCHEN - CONTINUOUS Empty. Clean. KAJI (V.O.) (Cont'd): No prepared breakfast. Pausing. KAJI (V.O.) (Cont'd): No sign of our maid either. Pausing. KAJI (V.O.) (Cont'd): The protocol has been breached. Ac t 2 INT. BEDROOM - CONTINUOUS Kaji approaches the

FADE IN Act 1 INT. LIVING ROOM - 09:15 Morning light fills the room. PETER places a swim bag on the sofa. He opens it and extracts a single two-dollar coin. He holds it up, the morning light catching its silver edge. PETER (V.O.): I need it to operate the locker in the changing room. Peter puts the two-dollar coin back into the bag. Then, he picks up from a coffee table one of his seven handheld devices. He begins to tap the screen. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I have seven Duoling

FADE IN Act 1 INT. LIVING ROOM - 08:15 Morning light. PETER, in casual wear, sips green tea. PETER (V.O.): On New Year's Eve, I had dim sum alone at Tim Ho Wan. While there, I spotted an early bird discount on Chinese New Year cakes and thought my wife would be interested, so I sent her a message. Pausing. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): However, by the time she woke up and saw my message, I had already left. So, we thought we'd have dim sum together today. Pausing. PETER (V.O.): Late

FADE IN Act 1 INT. LIVING ROOM - 09:15 Morning light slants through a window. PETER, in casual wear, sits on a sofa. He taps a weather app on his smartphone screen. PETER (V.O.): Oh, there's a cold weather warning. Peter works through lessons in Korean, German, Portuguese, Italian and Japanese with taps, inputs and pronuniciations. Notifications pop up. Peter checks the time: 10:15 PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I don't have the time to do my Spanish and French lessons now. The publi

FADE IN Act 1 INT. LIVING ROOM - 01:00 Quiet. Closing his laptop, PETER grabs his smartphone and checks WhatsApp messages. PETER (V.O.): Oh, my son-in-law has sent me a message from Seoul. We see on screen: Happy New Year, Father... PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I must say that the word "Father" strikes me with physical force. Pausing. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): It echoes in the hollow space left by his own Dad who loved him dearly but passed away over four years ago. Pausing. PETER (V.

FADE IN Act 1 INT. BEDROOM - 07:45 Early morning light seeps through the curtains. PETER lies awake beside his sleeping WIFE. PETER (V.O.): I've already settled my taxes payable in early Jan 2026. Peter carefully gets out of bed. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): This morning, I'm returning to chambers to pay rent for Jan 2026. I always pay in advance. Today is the last day though. He dresses quietly in half-light. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): My obliglations wouldn't be adjourned to a date t

FADE IN Act 1 INT. LIVING ROOM - 09:30 PETER holds a smartphone in one hand, intently reading an article. PETER (V.O.): It's shared by the Dean of the HKUST Business School. Reading. PETER (V.O.): The piece delves into the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) trend, exploring the business opportunities it presents. Pausing. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Engrossed in the insights, he contemplates how to capitalize on this telecommunication trend in the context of satellite internet service. Peter t

FADE IN Act 1 INT. BEDROOM - 4:30 The room is quiet except for the distant, rhythmic tick of an analogue clock from another room. PETER is wide awake. PETER (V.O.): I'm tired, but my mind is already racing. He mumbles to himself. PETER (V.O.): I haven't done the roadworthiness test for the New Beetle. Its licence expires in mid-Jan 2026. Pausing. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): And yesterday, I missed my Duolingo German lessons due to a server error. He picks up an iPad Mini from the

FADE I N   Act 1   INT. LIVING ROOM - MORNING Sunlight streams onto a plush dog bed. KAJI is sprawled in a circle of light. KAJI (V.O.): This is as it should be: Breakfast with Peter, the sun shining, my fur flowing, and the air on my bellly. Recalling. KAJI (V.O.) (Cont'd): For the past few days, whenever we go out, the Pack Leader has been dressing me in festive red, white and green outfits. MONTAGE A. The Pack Leader pulls outs a small garment, primarily red with white str

FADE IN Act 1 INT. BEDROOM - 10:00 Winter light filters through linen curtains. PETER watches his WIFE, sleeping. PETER (V.O.): My wife has an owl-like nature. Before her retirement, she slept very little, and I often worried about how she could cope with her morning work. A small, peaceful smile touches his lips. He grabs one of his smartphones, and puts a pair of over-ear headphones around his neck. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I want to keep my wife company, but I don't want any

FADE IN Act 1 INT. LIVING ROOM - 21:30 PETER relaxes on a sofa with a smartphone in hand. PETER (V.O.): I just enjoyed a delicious meal lovingly prepared by my wife. Pausing. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I had hoped that we could have dinner with our pet at the waterfront park. Pausing. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The day wasn't what I planned. But what it needed to be. While checking WhatsApp messages, he notices a new one with a greeting card. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): It's from Emily, f

FADE IN Act 1 MONTAGE - THE DAILY RITUAL A. Dining room. 08:00. Morning light cut across the table. PETER eats a triangle of toast. In the chair opposite, Kaji, the family pet, follows each bite with solemn eyes. Peter tears off a piece of crust and offers it. B. Public pool. 09:45. The rhythmic distortion of Peter's breath. He surges forward with a powerful butterfly stroke. He surfaces, gasping. C. Living room. 11:45. With a smartphone in hand, Peter diligently corrects the