The Hypothetical

1. FADE IN.

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3. Act 1

4. 
   

5. INT. SITTING ROOM - DAY

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7. PETER is relaxing on a sofa, as his pet, KAJI, cleans his face.

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9. PETER (V.O.): Her love for us is unconditional.

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11. Peter checks his phone casually.

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13. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Here's a hypothetical answer request from a Quoran. I don't usually answer such questions as there're too many unknowns, and my answers may not have predictive power.

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15. We read on the screen: If you could choose 10 people (doctor, biologist, engineer, etc) to have alongside you during a nuclear fallout, who would you pick?

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17. PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): The hypothetical is actually about how a human unit can survive during and after a nuclear fallout.

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19. Pausing.

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21. PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): But what's the point of surviving without my family? My family is my life.

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23. Pausing.

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25. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): So, 10 people would mean: my wife and me; and my four children and their partners.

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27. Pausing.

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29. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Do we have the skill sets to survive during a nuclear fallout?

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31. FLASHBACK

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33. INT. CINEMA - DAY (1964)

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35. Peter (10) and his FRIEND (11) are watching the film Robinson Crusoe. The HERO in the film is shipwrecked in a storm. Using tools salvaged and stuff he makes, the hero survives...

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37. PETER (V.O.): Yes, I believe I can be Robinson Crusoe too.

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39. END FLASHBACK

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41. PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): And my children and their partners can procreate.

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43. Pausing.

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45. PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): I wouldn't leave other loving beings behind. Kaji will follow us around, and I'll take care of our two pet tortoises.

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47. After inserting an image of Kaji to a draft, Peter types his answer on the phone.

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49. Act 2

50. 
    

51. INT. SITTING ROOM - DAY

52. 
    

53. Peter checks a link from a chat group.

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55. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): My law classmates sent me this link: The Coming War On China.

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57. Pausing.

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59. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): War since the WWII has been outlawed under international law. But small-scale wars are still fought here and there.

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61. Pausing.

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63. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Trade war against China aside, US and UK etc have been encroaching China in technology, trade etc.

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65. Peter taps on the video link.

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67. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): It's about US' military built up all over the world; and China is US' perfect enemy.

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69. Peter is thoughts as he continues to watch the film.

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71. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): As tension between US and China has been building up, the possibility of a nuclear war by design or accident can't be ruled out at all.

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73. Pausing.

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75. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): However, there's the possibility that some humans could survive if their cities weren't the hardest hit.

77. Pausing.

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79. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Has Hong Kong, China, be aimed at? It seems that the big US Consulate hasn't vacated yet.

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81. Pausing.

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83. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): But the aftermath of a nuclear war could involve a nuclear winter and widespread radiation sickness...

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85. Pausing.

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87. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): So the hypothetical posed to me isn't that hypothetical after all.

88. 
    

89. Pausing.

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91. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): It's quite a wake-up call.

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93. Pausing.

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95. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I've been too complacent with peacetime and its abundance.

97. Pausing.

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99. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Just one crazy guy in authority can destroy the planet.

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101. Peter looks out of the window.

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103. Act 3

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105. INT. SITTING ROOM - CONTINUOUS

106. 
     

107. Peter watches TV news.

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109. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The US Secretary of State is visiting UK...

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111. Peter surfs the web and we hear from his phone: I was a CIA director. We lied. We cheated. We stole... the glory of the American experiment.

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113. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): That's how he'd direct. If lying, cheating and stealing won't make America great again, will they be preparing for a war against China?

114. '

115. Pausing.

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117. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Fortunately, US' nuclear monopoly has long gone. Otherwise, nuclear bombing under the pretext of national security won't be improbable.

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119. Pausing.

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121. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): But the phenomenon allows for more low-intensity conflicts like what has been happening regarding Hong Kong, China.

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123. Thinking.

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125. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): In the age of chaos, civilised institutions like logic, knowledge, morality, and law have all become irrelevant. Power politics trumps all.

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127. Reflecting.

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129. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): From the hypothetical, I've got a spiritual enlightenment.

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131. Kaji jumps up to the sofa to keep Peter company.

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133. THE END

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135. FADE OUT.