The Protocol
- Peter K F Cheung SBS
- Jan 28
- 3 min read
FADE IN
Act 1
INT. LIVING ROOM - 07:50
Sunlight filters through the curtains. The room is tidy, a printer on a side table. As PETER appears, the MAID greets him.
MAID: Morning Sir.
PETER: Morning.
A moment later, the maid brings a simple breakfast from the kitchen: sandwiches and green tea.
MAID: Your breakfast, Sir.
PETER: Thank you.
It isn't an absent-minded plesantry. Peter says it clearly, making eye contact.
PETER (V.O.): An acknowledgement of service, yes, but more of a person.
MAID: Welcome.
Her response isn't subservient, but reciprocal.
Act 2
INT. LOBBY - 08:05
Peter trails WOMAN#1 as she exits the lift. The CARETAKER nods.
CARETAKER: Good morning.
Woman#1 walks past without acknowledgment. A few steps behind, Peter greets the caretaker warmly.
PETER: Good morning!
The caretaker's face lights up with a smile.
CARETAKER: Good morning!
INT/EXT. KOWLOON PARK SWIMMING POOL - 10:00
Exit. An ATTENDANT is seeing out a MAN ahead of Peter..
ATTENDANT: Goodbye.
The man walks out without acknowledgment. Peter catches the attendant's eye.
PETER: Goodbye!
The attendant's face brightens.
ATTENDANT: Goodbye!
As he steps outside, Peter notices the Bauhinia trees in bloom and captures several shots of their blossoms.
PETER (V.O.): For the flower to attract pollinators, its structure is its protocol. The shape dictates how pollen is transferred.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The "shape" of a greeting dictates how a human connection is made.
MONTAGE OF PETER'S AFTERNOON EXPERIENCE AT THE MALL
A. After posing a letter into a mailbox, he turns and walks towards the heavy glass door. WOMAN#2, arms laden with shopping bags, is struggling to approach it.
B. Peter quickly steps forward and holds the door open. Woman#2 maneuvers herself and her bags through without a glance at Peter, without a word. She's gone.
C. Peter lets the door go. He stands for a moment, watching her retreating back. A faint, almost imperceptible sigh.
END MONTAGE
EXT. ESTATE STREET - LATER
Peter walks home. Coming towards him is a NEIGHBOUR, they make eye contact.
PETER (V.O.): I feel the standard city reflex: a brief hold, then look away to preserve the mutual privacy. But we wither in the safety of silence.
As the distance closes, Peter raises his hand in a small, open-palmed gesture of hello. The neighbour is caught off guard.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): But he smiles and raises his own hand in an identical gesture.
They pass each other.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I feel my steps lighter.
INT. LIVING ROOM - 16:00
Peter sits on a sofa, frowning at his laptop and the printer nearby. He clicks print. Nothing.
PETER (V.O.): My laptop indicates that the printer is offline, even though it's actually online.
Peter opens the system settings and checks. Then he searches online for his printer model's driver installation. He downloads files, follows step-by-step instructions.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Woman#1, the man, woman#2. A word costs nothing. A look, a gesture...it's a driver. A basic protocol for connection.
Peter watches the progress bar fill on a driver installation.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Without it...no acknowledgment. No value added. Just...isolated hardware.
Act 3
INT. LIVING ROOM - 22:00
Peter uploads an image capturing the silhouette of a vibrant Bauhinia against a cloudly sky to a draft on his laptop.
PETER (V.O.): Civility isn't automatic. It's a choice we install, day by day, gesture by gesture.
Thinking.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Life's value is added through successful connections which require the right protocol, and intentional action. The reward is a functional, harmonious, and happy existence.
Reflecting.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I spent my life wondering about grand designs. Now I see the design is grand precisely because it's small. It's the protocol.
The END
FADE OUT
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