FADE IN.
INT. CONFERENCE ROOM, HKUST - DAY
LADIES and GENTLEMEN including PETER are having a meeting.
Seeing his phone ringing in silent mode, Peter taps the red Stop icon. Later, the phone rings again, Peter taps the icon again.
Meeting ends. Peter returns the call.
PETER
Who's calling me?
SOMEONE
(From phone)
You flew Air Canada
right?
PETER
Yes.
SOMEONE
(From phone)
Your broken suitcase
is so old. It's irreparable.
We're going to send
you a new one, but of
a different brand...
Peter looks upset.
FLASHBACK
INT. EMPORIUM, YUEN LONG - DAY (1986)
Peter (32) and his WIFE (31) are comparing a row of suitcases.
PETER
I love this Samsonite
Oyster model. I believe
it's durable. At HK$780
per piece. It's not
cheap. But I'll buy a
blue one and a grey
one.
WIFE
(Nodding)
They look very good
and should be easy to
carry.
INT. LONDON UNDERGROUND - DAY (1986)
Peter carries two suitcases up and down the staircases.
INT. IFOR EVANS HALL, CAMDEN - DAY (1986)
A very small room with a desk. At the end of a single bed are two suitcases.
INT. SLEEPING ROOM, VICTORIA - NIGHT (2019)
Peter takes out a TRAVELERS' guitar from a grey suitcase.
INT. HONG KONG AIRPORT - NIGHT (2019)
Baggage service, Air Canada. Peter indicates to a STAFF (20s) the damaged part of a grey suitcase.
END FLASHBACK
INT. SLEEPING ROOM - DAY
Waking up, Peter grabs his phone and sees a Quora notification. He taps an icon and sees a question: When was China's Galileo Industries (CGI) founded?
PETER (V.O.)
Someone requested me
to answer this question
as if I must know the
answer.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)
This company must be
something and its
history must be of interest.
What's it?
Using his phone, Peter surfs websites in English and Chinese.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)
Got it. It's a Chinese
space institution formed
in 2004 to collaborate with
the European space
institution to develop
the equivalent of the US'
GPS.
FLASHBACK
INT. BENTHEM HOUSE, UCL - NIGHT (1986)
Dozens of STUDENTS including Peter (32) are attending a lecture. A Chinese PROFESSOR (60) speaks freely.
PETER (V.O.)
He's the world's authority
on Air and Space Law.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)
He lectures a lot on
international space
institutions like ITU
and INTELSAT. It
seems there's no
national development.
INT. BENTHEM HOUSE, UCL - DAY (1987)
Dozens of STUDENTS including Peter follow a lecture. A LECTURER (30s) lectures.
LECTURER
Remote sensing
capabilities have
made it possible to
collect data on earth
from space. Eg the
deforestation trend
can be better detected
from space.
The students look surprised.
END FLASHBACK
PETER (V.O.)
Subsequently, I only taught Space Law for
awhile and haven't
followed up with the
national developments.
It's interesting that
what I learned then
provided me the context
to investigate them
now.
Peter then types on his phone his answer and then taps: Submit.
INT. SITTING ROOM - DAY
Sitting on a sofa, Peter keeps KAJI, his pet, good company. Then his phone rings.
PETER
Hello...
CALLER
(From phone)
I'm calling from the
suitcase repair company...
I'd like to know more
about your requirement...
PETER
(To phone)
I prefer to have my old
suitcase repaired with
whatever used parts
of any colour available.
CALLER
(From phone)
Your suitcase was of
the premium class
decades ago. I'm not
sure our suggested
new substitute is as
durable as yours. I'll
do the best I can!
PETER
(To phone)
Thank you very much!
It has a lot of historic
and sentimental value
to me!
Hanging up, Peter looks pleased.
FADE OUT. The End