Possible Worlds (2000) - full transcript
George and Joyce lead parallel lives in alternate worlds. In each of those lives, George embarks on a relationship with Joyce, sometimes more successfully than others. George also becomes increasingly aware of his alternate lives, not only of Joyce in each of them, but what he carries of himself between each of those lives. In one of those lives, he is the most recent homicide victim in a rash of B&E's. In his case, he is the first victim where nothing of monetary value has been stolen, but only his brain removed from his skull and taken from the crime scene. The lead police investigators, Inspector Berkley and Detective Williams, although sometimes at odds with each other, eventually come to the conclusion that the murder has something to do with brain research, and that George may have been targeted rather than a random victim. In addition to Berkley and Williams' investigation and discovering the identity of the murderer, the alternate question becomes how this situation fits in with George's lives as a collective, especially as it relates to Joyce.
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Let me get this straight.
You say you're the caretaker of the building?
I…
What have you got for me, Williams?
Break-in. Homicide.
That's the fifth one this week.
Must be a gang war.
This one's a… little different, chief.
Why? What did they get?
His brain.
— What?
— That's all they took.
His brain.
Holy shit.
— He had $1,000 in his pocket.
— Holy shit.
A broker. Barber.
George Barber.
We're running a background check.
Where's the top of his head?
Urn… Right here, chief.
What did they use? A Skil Saw?
There are no abrasions.
Can you get any money for a brain?
Not that I know of.
Check all the hospitals,
especially the university clinic.
Give me a background check
as soon as possible.
Yes, sir.
What are you doing?
Thinking.
Running over some possibilities.
Have fun.
Do you mind if I sit here?
No, go ahead.
Did you see that article
about the magnetised babies?
No.
What about those missing brains?
What paper was this in?
The National Enquirer.
— I don't read the Enquirer.
— Well, I do…
… sometimes… for a joke.
Those guys have some imagination.
I'm George.
Joyce.
I've seen you somewhere before.
I don't think so.
Are you from the city?
I grew up in a little northern town.
You probably wouldn't have heard of it.
— What's it called?
— Novar.
Really? I grew up there too.
What part of Novar?
East Lake. Er… right out near the filling station.
— You went to school there?
— Sure.
— What did you say your name was?
— George Barber.
— It's funny, I don't remember you.
— Well, I looked…
very different back then.
You must have. There were only
a hundred people in the high school.
I remember you.
You used to swim in the regatta.
You could hold your breath longer than anyone.
Do you work around here?
I teach at the university.
Neurology?
That's right.
How did you know?
Just a feeling.
What do you do? Read minds?
No, I…
advise companies… er… on the risks
of investing in various countries.
You must travel a lot.
I've been everywhere.
You're very beautiful.
Oh, please…
You should've been a model.
Well, that's the last thing I would want to do.
Do you ever think you might have
done something different?
No.
Why not?
When people think of their lives
as being different,
they always make the most trivial changes.
"If only I'd been to that party or taken that job."
They never say,
"If only I'd had two brains
or been able to photosynthesise my food."
It's as if they think the smaller changes
are more likely to have occurred.
That God might have overlooked them.
How could anything be different from what it is?
But surely you've wished
you could do things over.
You only have one life.
Why waste it dreaming about things
that could never have happened?
Well, do you ever fantasise
when you make love?
What?
I mean, urn…
Surely you must use your…
— sometime.
— No.
I don't believe in promiscuity.
Neither do I.
I've got to get back to the lab.
How about a show tomorrow night?
— I'm working.
— What about the weekend?
I'm going to Novar.
— Well, maybe I'll see you here again.
— I doubt it.
How long have you known the victim's wife?
Less than a month.
And how would you describe your relationship?
I barely knew her.
Three days ago you gave her a present.
A glass bowl.
It was a token of admiration.
Hey, Williams. Williams!
Find out if they know each other,
what they have in common.
We found another body.
— Same?
— Yes.
What's this?
Companies that work on the brain.
I asked you to look into this.
I was interviewing a suspect.
What suspect?
The man who gave Mrs Barber this present.
Williams,
suppose the man you were talking to
was having an affair with the wife?
— Yes.
— And he killed the husband.
Yes.
Why would he remove the victim's brain?
I have a few other leads.
Good.
Shit.
George Barber?
You used to work for Merrill Lynch?
Yes.
Mr Parford recommended you highly.
He said that you were… uncanny.
Well, Mr Parford is a nice man.
We're gonna read you some questions.
Something we do with all our applicants.
Some involve some math
that you may not be familiar with.
Don't worry if you can't answer them all.
— Thank you.
— They were developed by
a philosopher at Harvard — Eric Goodman.
— Does the name ring a bell?
— No.
Made a fortune teaching ethics to bankers.
He sounds like a very interesting man.
Yeah.
These questions involve some numbers.
You are allowed to use a calculator.
That's all right.
A pharmaceutical company called Gentec
introduces a new treatment for Alzheimer's.
Shortly after, it is found to cause
irreversible hair loss.
The affected patients file a class action lawsuit
The value of Gentec falls by over 50%.
You're then ottered an option to buy
150,000 shares of Gentec at $35 a share.
If the lawsuit is settled out of court,
you stand to make a 60% return.
If it goes to trial…
you lose a million dollars.
Now, George,
you can pay the vice president of Gentec a half
a million dollars to tell you if they've settled,
but there's only a 78.2% chance
he'll tell you the truth that they've settled,
and only a 49% chance if they haven't
As far as you know there's a 63% chance
that they have settled.
Do you pay the vice president?
No.
Why not?
It's a trick question.
What do you mean?
Using the numbers you gave me,
it's worth buying no matter what he says.
You did the sums in your head?
Yes.
The next question will be a little more difficult.
Do you want some paper?
No.
You own a pharmaceutical company. Your staff
has manufactured a new batch of acne pills.
Normally they test them by feeding them
to a hundred rats and observing how many die.
From previous experience they have an idea
of how many will die if the batch is defective.
Unfortunately, due to new regularity,
manufacture of this particular batch…
Can I sit here?
Sure.
This place has gotten pretty popular.
— Yes.
— Five years ago,
when I first started selling stocks,
nobody would come here.
It was too seedy then.
You don't know me, but I saw you
coming out of Carson's office this afternoon.
Are you jumping ship?
Yes.
How did it go?
Great.
I guess you're celebrating.
Guess so.
You don't seem too thrilled.
I'm not.
I've heard about you. You're very good.
Why the change?
Money?
No.
Sure. Give yourself a few years,
you'll just be like everybody.
What's so funny?
I am everybody.
What's that, some kind of private joke?
I could have all the money I want.
Couldn't we all?
I know things.
Don't tell me.
I've had enough of that kind of information.
This isn't the type of information
— that they can prosecute you for.
— Who's your source?
I am.
I know everything.
What's my name?
Joyce.
That's easy. Everybody here knows me.
You were staring at me the other night.
Do you believe in… er… other lives?
— Past lives?
— No.
I mean lives going on right now.
— Like being in two places at once?
— More than two.
A lot more.
I'm talking about…
possible worlds.
Each of us exist in an infinite number
of possible worlds.
I mean, in one world I'm talking to you right now,
but er…
… your arm is a little to the left.
And in another world…
you're interested in that man over there…
with the glasses.
And in another… you stood me up two days ago.
And… that's how I know your name.
So…
when did you first decide
you were more than one person?
— In another life.
— Oh?
Seventh grade.
Must've been puberty.
No, it was er… math.
I was writing a math test in the seventh grade
and I was stuck on the last problem.
I could see two ways of doing it
but I wasn't sure which way would work.
Halfway through my calculations…
… I suddenly saw myself
doing the problem the other way.
Only I wasn't just seeing myself.
For a moment…
I was actually doing the problem the other way.
Then I looked at my hand.
I saw a scar.
I remembered how I'd gotten it.
— I remembered the dog that had bitten me.
Only I'd never been bitten by a dog.
How old are you?
— 41.
— How many lovers have you had?
— That I can remember?
— Yes.
Billions.
Let's… go.
Ban animal testing! Ban animal testing!
— Make way.
— Ban animal testing!
Ban animal testing! Ban animal testing!
Ban animal testing! Ban animal testing!
Ban animal testing! Ban animal testing!
Ban animal testing! Ban animal testing!
Would you like to see the animals?
Yes. Thank you.
This is a citation I received for my work
on primate nervous systems.
What's this?
— My tank.
— Your tank?
My sensory deprivation chamber.
I spend a lot of time in there.
Not something my colleagues
are too keen about.
What's this?
The brain of a rat Right now,
it thinks it's pressing a lever for some food.
That's why the light flash.
Every time it flashes, the authorities send
an electrical impulse
to make it think it's been rewarded.
Do you mind if I take this in?
That's all right.
— I've got dozens of them.
— Dozens?
Some biologists believe that…
natural processes create a field of information.
Everything you think, Inspector,
even the most trivial fantasy, leaves a trace,
a disturbance, in that field.
I'm trying to learn
how to control those disturbances.
Do you have any brains of larger animals?
Like humans?
I read the papers, Inspector.
You think I'm stealing brains.
Some people might think that your research
is a little frightening.
The question is… why do we have imaginations?
A rat can only imagine so much.
It's limited by the structure of its brain.
Creatures like us,
that can anticipate possible futures
and make contingency plans,
have an evolutionary advantage.
We'd be foolish not to use our imaginations.
What can you use a brain for?
Ooh… a lot of things.
I'm sure you've got some ideas.
All of the people who were killed
were very intelligent,
in positions of power.
I think that someone's
extracting information from them.
Maybe.
But there are other possibilities.
I think you should consider every possibility —
even aliens.
— Morning, chief.
— Yeah.
I've been going through the Axon files.
I've asked Johnson to look into
some of these expenditures.
Turns out that two of our victims
worked for rival drug companies.
All right. Good.
What's that?
It's a present for my wife.
What does it do?
Doesn't do anything.
Is it some kind of lamp?
It isn't a present. It's the brain of a rat.
Is it alive?
It's a she.
Her name is Louise.
What do you suppose
she's thinking about right now?
Another rat?
A normal person thinks about sex
every two minutes.
Think it's the same with rats?
What if we were in a tank like that?
You'd never know it.
Not you.
Maybe someone's making us think
whatever they want us to.
Maybe that's why all those brains
are being stolen.
Maybe somebody's already stolen ours.
Why would anyone want your brain, Williams?
What do you think about
in the normal course of a day?
Your wife? Your house?
Hockey?
I mean, why would anyone want to steal your
brain to make you think of hockey all the time?
What's the motivation?
You tell me.
(Faint) ♪ Long ago and far away
SI dreamed a dream…
— Do you mind if I sit here?
— No, go ahead.
— There's no place else.
— That's fine.
Did you seethe article
about the magnetised babies?
What paper was…
Oh.
I haven't seen you here in a while.
I've been eating at the lab.
You must be very busy.
I am.
What do you do… exactly?
I'm looking for ways to increase intelligence.
Maybe you could help me.
I specialize in rat cortexes.
Must be very interesting.
It's not just that.
One day we will be able to dial and focus
our nervous systems the way we adjust our TVs.
There will be drugs to extend our lives,
to increase our intelligence. Drugs to…
erase unpleasant memories.
People will look back on the present age
with pity.
We'll seem like animals to them.
How's the dessert?
What?
At the cafeteria they serve
three different kinds of dessert.
Chocolate pudding,
some kind of sponge cake, and fruit salad.
I decided one day that whenever
I got to the counter I wouldn't think,
I would always take fruit salad.
Kept it up ever since.
Five years.
Don't you think that's a little fanatical?
Probably.
I remember you at school.
— Always carrying books.
— I read all the time.
You don't say much about yourself.
Not much to tell, really.
— My wife used to say…
— Your wife?!
She… died several years ago.
It was an accident.
I'm sorry.
It was after she died that I started to travel.
You must have lived a very interesting life.
No, no, not really.
I usually find myself in a deck chair by the water.
I love summer evenings by the water
I like it at dusk…
… when the water has that grey tint
that seems to contain every other colour.
It figures.
What?
That you'd like grey.
I suppose you like black and white.
I've always thought there should be
a single clear answer to every question.
— Even in love?
— Especially in love.
I don't trust people
who fall in love over and over.
— They're usually the worst liars.
— You're right.
I never I understood people who say,
"I used to be in love with that person."
I don't think you ever stop loving.
If you did… you weren't in love in the first place.
I've got to get back to the lab.
How about dinner Thursday?
Er… I have to work late.
If you weren't so busy,
would you go out with me?
If I wasn't so busy, I'd be a different person.
Listen, give me a chance.
I've never met anyone like you.
And I've met a lot of people.
Call me.
Hi, I'm Jocelyn. I'd like to welcome you
to the Consciousness Revolution.
The theme of our first session is imagination.
"Imagination rules the world."
Do you have any idea who said that?
Napoleon said that.
He used to go through all his battles in his mind
weeks before he fought them.
We're going to do some exercises
for our imaginations.
We'll start with a visualisation exercise,
which I'd like you to score.
As I ask you to imagine things,
assign yourself points as follows.
Three points if the image is very clear
Two points — clear.
One point — unclear.
And zero if you cant imagine anything.
All right. Are we ready?
You can close your eyes if you want
Imagine a cold wind, when it is raining.
Picture the eyes of someone you love.
Hear their voice.
Hey, wake up.
— I'm just making some coffee. It's late.
I hope you don't have
anything important to do today
What time is it?
Ten.
What's that sound?
Coffee. I said I'm making coffee.
Is something wrong?
It's my head.
You're hung over
No.
Do you want some aspirin?
No, I'm fine.
I'm sorry.
— Aren't you going to answer it?
— No, it's probably my office.
What if they fire you?
I hate my job.
Why?
I've never felt comfortable selling things
you can't see or touch.
What do you sell exactly?
Stocks.
You work for Kaufman Brothers?
What's the matter with you?
You weren't that drunk last night.
Where were you born?
Right here.
I thought you said Novar.
I think you have me mixed up
with someone else.
I'm not usually so aggressive in bars…
… but you looked so lonely.
I don't think I've ever seen anyone
who looked so alone in my life —
except for some married men I know.
You're not married, are you?
My wife died three years ago.
I'm sorry.
She was swimming in the ocean.
She must've gone out too far.
Are you interested in a relationship?
I get restless.
— Restless?
— I like to forget myself.
I love to take chances.
I've made a lot of money that way.
You shouldn't get involved with me.
I'm not very reliable.
There's a moment…
… when my consciousness shifts.
I feel my…
… properties melting.
Everything I've ever known or felt or…
Nothing holds.
(Sighs) It's terrible.
But after a few moments…
… I become adjusted.
I take on that new life.
Look, that story was funny last night, but…
Imagine a candle.
Those of you who scored less than fen
on the visualisation exercise
should use a real candle.
This will only be necessary for the first few days.
Shit.
After that you should be able to see
the bright magic of the flame in your mind's eye
simply by closing your eyes and fixing your gaze
at the spot in the centre of your forehead.
— Is your candle lit?
— Yes.
Good. Sit three feet away from
your real or imaginary candle and relax.
The flame is soothing to look at.
Focus your attention on it
while the specially edited baroque music plays.
Now, get ready for a journey to the beach.
Surf's up.
What are you doing?
Just trying to improve myself.
By imagining things.
It's a good course.
Yesterday I learnt
that we only use a tenth of our brains.
In your case I'd say that's true.
What's the matter with you?
You're very irritable. You're not yourself lately.
It's not me that's changed.
When I was young, police work was simple.
— You've got plenty of leads.
— We don't even know how the skulls were cut.
Two of the apartments were locked
from the inside. There's a murderer in this city
— who seems able to walk through walls.
Inspector Berkley?
Yes.
I'm a friend of George Barber's.
That is… I was a friend.
A friend?
Well, not a friend exactly,
more of an acquaintance.
We used to talk in the halls about my ideas.
I'm the caretaker in his building.
You're the one who found the body.
You gave a statement.
Is there anything else that you'd like to tell us?
You don't have to be afraid.
The night before the murder
I was up on the roof… I saw a light.
A light.
— Yes.
— What sort of light?
— In the sky.
As it came closer I saw it was five lights in a row,
each about ten feet across.
Are you telling us that you saw a flying saucer?
Yes.
— Well…
— If the Nazis had won World War II
we'd have been ready.
Genetic engineering
would've given us an advantage.
— Now they're stealing our brains.
— Well, er…
thanks very much for the information.
— We'll get back to you.
— They're gonna kill me.
— We'll look into it.
— Thank you.
Nocturne in C Minor, Op48, No.1
Are you staying?
— Yes.
— See you tomorrow.
(Faint) ♪ Tryin' To Make Heaven My Home
— What are they doing?
Block. Slab.
Building.
Building what?
I'm not sure.
Why don't you ask them?
They wouldn't understand me.
Why not?
Their language only has three words.
I know two of them.
Slab and block.
— What's the third?
— Hilarious.
— What can you do with that?
Block.
— Nothing.
Slab.
How can you have a language
with only three words?
Some say they were once
an advanced civilisation.
There was a war. Somehow their memories
were selectively destroyed.
Only three words survived.
Others say they are a very primitive civilisation.
They learned their first two words by trial
and error and somehow stumbled on the third.
A tourist, perhaps.
Others say they're an ordinary civilisation
but very concise.
It would take 50 encyclopedias to translate the
meaning of slab and block into our language.
What do you say?
Someone tampered with their brains.
Why?
Some biologists believe that
mental processes create a field of information.
I don't understand.
I'm going to kill you in every world.
But I haven't done anything.
You will.
What's that smell?
I'm making coffee.
What time is it?
Ten.
I don't know what you did to me.
I haven't slept like that in years.
I've been late at the lab three days this week.
And when I'm there I can't concentrate.
My colleagues think I've cracked.
How come you have so many stones
in your apartment?
My ex-boyfriend left them.
He was a sculptor.
He brought them in from the sea.
You didn't tell me about him.
We broke up one week before I met you.
Were you in love?
We were going to be married.
What happened?
I found out he was seeing someone else
at the same time.
When I was at the lab he would bring her here.
I don't know how someone can lead
two different lives.
— How many lovers have you had?
— I could count them
on the fingers of one hand.
How many times?
I'm serious.
I was married before I was 20.
I love the way you touch me.
Are you thinking about her now?
You are so passive.
Like smoke.
I could put my hand through you.
See?
There's nothing there.
Maybe that's why you touch me so lightly.
There's a place I'd like to show you.
Near the ocean. It's very secluded.
I think you'll understand me better
if you come with me.
You really are trying to ruin me, aren't you?
We could have everything.
I don't want everything.
Even for a few days?
It's beautiful.
It's not easy to get to.
You have to climb out over some rocks.
There's a beach.
How did you find it?
My wife used to swim there.
You were talking in your sleep last night.
What did I say?
Slab and block.
Over and over.
I'd say you should come into the lab sometime.
I could run some tests.
I could probably write a paper on you.
Do you miss your work yet?
No.
(Chuckles) What's happened to you?
I've gotten lazy.
You've affected me.
I'm sure it's only temporary.
Yesterday some activists broke into the lab.
— Where? Your lab?
— One of my colleagues.
I work knowing that every idea I have
is about to be thought of by someone else.
Or already has been.
This morning, when I woke up,
I couldn't remember where I was.
I haven't felt that kind of exhilaration
since I was a child.
I would float down to the bottom of the lake,
watching the sunlight on the rocks,
trying to imagine
what it would be like to have gills.
I knew one breath would let
a whole other world in.
I wasn't cut out to be a stockbroker.
What?
What did you say?
I said I wasn't cut out to be a scientist.
What is it? Are you all right?
Yeah, I'm fine.
Well, let's go see your beach. I could use a walk.
OK?
They found him locked in a freezer.
The body shows all the symptoms
of having frozen to death.
— Yeah?
— But there's something strange.
— What's that?
— He was found lying in a pool of water.
So I checked.
Turns out the freezer wasn't working properly.
What?
He froze to death at room temperature.
Pretty, isn't it?
You won't believe what Susan said
when she was leaving.
Remember Susan?
No.
I sold her a thousand shares of Gentec
this morning.
You were talking to her for over an hour
this evening.
The woman…
You haven't heard a word I said, have you?
Sure I have.
What are you doing?
You've been staring at that bowl for five minutes.
— Comparing it.
— To what?
Itself.
Don't you need something else?
— What?
— Well, most people,
that is on this planet…
… when they compare a thing,
they usually compare it to a second thing.
It's a quaint custom we have.
How do you know it's only one thing?
Because my ex gave it to me.
I don't follow.
He would never give me two things without first
pointing them both out to me very clearly
and going on about how much they both cost.
— Therefore it's one thing.
— It could've been a lot of things.
Sure. It could be a beach
and we could be on it.
— That's what I'm comparing it to.
— Right.
I think we should leave tonight.
I don't think so.
Why not?
You're overworked as it is.
You can afford to take the time off.
It's not work.
What is it?
I'm not happy.
What do you mean?
Joyce?
Joyce.
At first it was all very casual and fun.
Now, all of a sudden, you're here every night.
It's gotten too claustrophobic.
I can give you more freedom.
I don't have to come over so often.
It's not just that.
What is it?
It's us.
When I imagine us together… I like us.
We seem perfect for each other.
I always think I'm going to enjoy
our times together,
but as soon as you're here
there's something missing.
I've had a lot of fun with you, but…
sometimes when you smile
it's aimed a million miles behind me.
I had a carefully rehearsed speech.
Now I can't seem to remember anything.
I'm not doing this very well.
The point is, I've met someone.
What?
I've been seeing someone for three weeks.
— Who?
— I met him at work.
He's very different from you.
I'm not saying better.
But we have a lot of fun together
and he's offered me more.
More what?
More life.
Do you need a lift anywhere? It's pouring rain.
— No, thank you.
— I'm sorry it had to be this way.
I didn't have to tell you all this.
I could've just stopped answering your calls.
But I thought it might help
if you knew what I felt.
Next time… for your next relationship.
— This wasn't a rehearsal.
— Please don't.
— You were the only one in every world.
— I am being rational.
— My love is infinite.
— You'll find someone else. There are plenty…
— He's trying to kill me.
— Who?
— Joyce, please.
— Look, you're scaring me.
If you don't get out, I'll call the police.
I'm warning you.
— Please don't.
Get out!
What's the matter, chief?
You've been sitting there for hours.
You haven't moved from that chair since lunch.
Suppose a rat… had an enemy.
What kind of enemy, chief?
Another rat?
No.
I guess…
… a rat could not foresee…
what its enemy was going to do
because it couldn't possibly imagine it.
It's limited by the structure of its brain.
It cant even form
those kind of thoughts.
And we're facing the same sort of… enemy.
Uh-huh.
I have one here. Got a few more cases to solve.
And then I'm going to retire and…
… die.
What kind of life is that?
— The pension's not bad.
I remember something the scientist said.
He said…
"Do you think the number two
didn't exist before we humans found it?"
Every thought that you can think, Officer,
existed before you did.
And those thoughts… they affect us.
Possibilities… swarm about us.
They…
This brain seems to be attracting flies.
It smells awful.
— Look at that. Its light went on.
What's happening?
I think it's trying to signal us.
Don't be ridiculous.
It's er… hungry.
It's signalling for food.
How can we help it?
It isn't real, Williams. It's not really hungry.
But she thinks she is.
Where are you going?
Ssh.
Sorry, Louise, there's nothing I can do.
I don't know how to help you!
Beautiful view, isn't it?
Yes.
Have you been swimming?
Yes, the water's lovely.
How have you been keeping, Joyce?
How do you know my name?
Well, there was a time…
… it was quite a few years ago…
You do look familiar.
I've forgotten your name.
— George.
— George.
Of course. George…?
Barber.
— George Barber?!
— Yeah.
Of course. We were at Cambridge together.
No.
— You weren't at Cambridge?
— No.
Well, now you're just keeping me in suspense.
How is it I do know you?
We used to live together.
We were married once.
I think you're mistaken.
Please don't go.
Are you still studying the brain?
Yes.
You're… dating anyone?
Yes, I am, actually.
As a matter of fact, he's right here.
Have you found a way to increase intelligence?
— How do you know so much about me?
— I've always been interested
in the brain.
I heard an interesting story once.
A neurotic young man asked a psychologist,
"How can I find peace of mind?"
"How can you lack," said the psychologist,
pointing to his head,
— "when you possess the greatest treasure?"
— That's very interesting, but I have to go.
Look, you have me mixed up
with someone else.
— Turn around.
— No.
— Turn around.
— Argh! Let go.
— Look. No, look.
— Argh!
— Let go.
— You'll see a mole on your shoulder.
— I'm not insane.
— Help!
— I wont hurt you.
— Hey!
— Let go.
— I'm not trying to hurt you.
I love you. I've always loved you.
Argh!
Hey!
What happened?
That man… he said he knew me.
Let's go back to the hotel.
We'll call the police.
— Sit here.
— Mm-hm.
Dr Kleber's gone for the day.
All right.
Well, I can hardly say I have a memory, Doctor.
Why not?
It would be more accurate to say that…
… in the collection of people I call me…
memory occurs.
Do you believe in the soul?
I used to think that there was…
… something extra, something…
… that went along with all the changes, but…
… now I don't think so.
Why did you attack that woman?
I don't know.
I lost control.
I regret it.
What do your other selves think about it?
Most of them don't know about it.
Oh.
When I believed I had a soul…
… I was imprisoned in myself.
I felt… I should be consistent…
… among my lives.
But now…
… I realise they're all different.
And I can… enjoy them all.
— Mm.
— And if there's a unity that makes them all me,
I don't know what it is.
This is simply a world
where I happen to be a criminal.
It's not very important.
Have you ever imagined killing someone?
I suppose.
It's about as important as that.
Sometimes…
… when I'm falling asleep,
I think I'm floating in the sea.
Two inches below the surface.
Rocking in the warm salt water like…
… someone who's drowned.
The sky above me is full of clouds.
But they're hard-edged like…
… glass.
The whole sky glitters like glass.
I close my eyes… I hear voices.
I know where I am now.
There's only one world.
I have been dreaming.
I understand you've found the man
who killed my husband.
Yes.
Well, that's something, I suppose.
But it won't bring him back to life.
He's still alive.
We found his brain.
Hooked up to a… life-support system.
I was the…
… fifth girl he'd gone out with.
We were very happy.
He was going to leave his job
at the market for me.
I was going to…
… give up my research
to travel the world with him.
He was the most important thing in the world.
He meant everything to me.
We fought over the stupidest thing.
A man had given me a present.
At some point… you'll have to decide…
… whether to…
… allow the brain
to continue.
Thank you.
Dr Kleber says that he was only ever able to get
a rudimentary consciousness going.
There is a light that flashes occasionally,
but we don't know what it means.
Your husband probably isn't aware of who he is.
Kleber described it
as kind of a fluctuating dream state.
I'm sure he's still thinking of you somehow.
There must be a thousand fossils
in these rocks.
So many failed ideas.
You can smell the waste here.
Tomorrow, if it's nice,
we'll go swimming.
Sure.
When I was a little girl I used to think it was
a different world I saw under the water.
What kind of world?
I really can't put it into words.
Try.
I cannot.
The word "not" is really magical.
I could describe something to you and say…
"But it's not that, it's something more."
And you'd know what I meant.
It's a way of getting around our ignorance.
It's how they used to describe God.
Everything we cannot conceive of.
We say,
"Things might not have been the way they are,"
and feel free… or uneasy.
But there's really nothing behind it
Just a bunch of ghostly possibilities.
Because in the end…
… everything simply is.
Soon there'll be stars.
— We'll have to make a wish.
— I thought you didn't wish.
Only for what's possible.
Does that include me?
Yes.
I couldn't ask for more.
Look.
What's that light?
— Where?
— Out there. Blinking on and off.
It's a buoy to warn ships.
There couldn't be shoals out that far.
— Why not?
No, look, that flash was longer.
Someone's trying to signal us.
Are you sure?
What shall we do?
I don't know.
We're miles from any phone.
But someone could be drowning out there.
— What shall we do?
— I don't know.
It's stopped.
Thank God.
search Steam for PROJECT WARLOCK
Let me get this straight.
You say you're the caretaker of the building?
I…
What have you got for me, Williams?
Break-in. Homicide.
That's the fifth one this week.
Must be a gang war.
This one's a… little different, chief.
Why? What did they get?
His brain.
— What?
— That's all they took.
His brain.
Holy shit.
— He had $1,000 in his pocket.
— Holy shit.
A broker. Barber.
George Barber.
We're running a background check.
Where's the top of his head?
Urn… Right here, chief.
What did they use? A Skil Saw?
There are no abrasions.
Can you get any money for a brain?
Not that I know of.
Check all the hospitals,
especially the university clinic.
Give me a background check
as soon as possible.
Yes, sir.
What are you doing?
Thinking.
Running over some possibilities.
Have fun.
Do you mind if I sit here?
No, go ahead.
Did you see that article
about the magnetised babies?
No.
What about those missing brains?
What paper was this in?
The National Enquirer.
— I don't read the Enquirer.
— Well, I do…
… sometimes… for a joke.
Those guys have some imagination.
I'm George.
Joyce.
I've seen you somewhere before.
I don't think so.
Are you from the city?
I grew up in a little northern town.
You probably wouldn't have heard of it.
— What's it called?
— Novar.
Really? I grew up there too.
What part of Novar?
East Lake. Er… right out near the filling station.
— You went to school there?
— Sure.
— What did you say your name was?
— George Barber.
— It's funny, I don't remember you.
— Well, I looked…
very different back then.
You must have. There were only
a hundred people in the high school.
I remember you.
You used to swim in the regatta.
You could hold your breath longer than anyone.
Do you work around here?
I teach at the university.
Neurology?
That's right.
How did you know?
Just a feeling.
What do you do? Read minds?
No, I…
advise companies… er… on the risks
of investing in various countries.
You must travel a lot.
I've been everywhere.
You're very beautiful.
Oh, please…
You should've been a model.
Well, that's the last thing I would want to do.
Do you ever think you might have
done something different?
No.
Why not?
When people think of their lives
as being different,
they always make the most trivial changes.
"If only I'd been to that party or taken that job."
They never say,
"If only I'd had two brains
or been able to photosynthesise my food."
It's as if they think the smaller changes
are more likely to have occurred.
That God might have overlooked them.
How could anything be different from what it is?
But surely you've wished
you could do things over.
You only have one life.
Why waste it dreaming about things
that could never have happened?
Well, do you ever fantasise
when you make love?
What?
I mean, urn…
Surely you must use your…
— sometime.
— No.
I don't believe in promiscuity.
Neither do I.
I've got to get back to the lab.
How about a show tomorrow night?
— I'm working.
— What about the weekend?
I'm going to Novar.
— Well, maybe I'll see you here again.
— I doubt it.
How long have you known the victim's wife?
Less than a month.
And how would you describe your relationship?
I barely knew her.
Three days ago you gave her a present.
A glass bowl.
It was a token of admiration.
Hey, Williams. Williams!
Find out if they know each other,
what they have in common.
We found another body.
— Same?
— Yes.
What's this?
Companies that work on the brain.
I asked you to look into this.
I was interviewing a suspect.
What suspect?
The man who gave Mrs Barber this present.
Williams,
suppose the man you were talking to
was having an affair with the wife?
— Yes.
— And he killed the husband.
Yes.
Why would he remove the victim's brain?
I have a few other leads.
Good.
Shit.
George Barber?
You used to work for Merrill Lynch?
Yes.
Mr Parford recommended you highly.
He said that you were… uncanny.
Well, Mr Parford is a nice man.
We're gonna read you some questions.
Something we do with all our applicants.
Some involve some math
that you may not be familiar with.
Don't worry if you can't answer them all.
— Thank you.
— They were developed by
a philosopher at Harvard — Eric Goodman.
— Does the name ring a bell?
— No.
Made a fortune teaching ethics to bankers.
He sounds like a very interesting man.
Yeah.
These questions involve some numbers.
You are allowed to use a calculator.
That's all right.
A pharmaceutical company called Gentec
introduces a new treatment for Alzheimer's.
Shortly after, it is found to cause
irreversible hair loss.
The affected patients file a class action lawsuit
The value of Gentec falls by over 50%.
You're then ottered an option to buy
150,000 shares of Gentec at $35 a share.
If the lawsuit is settled out of court,
you stand to make a 60% return.
If it goes to trial…
you lose a million dollars.
Now, George,
you can pay the vice president of Gentec a half
a million dollars to tell you if they've settled,
but there's only a 78.2% chance
he'll tell you the truth that they've settled,
and only a 49% chance if they haven't
As far as you know there's a 63% chance
that they have settled.
Do you pay the vice president?
No.
Why not?
It's a trick question.
What do you mean?
Using the numbers you gave me,
it's worth buying no matter what he says.
You did the sums in your head?
Yes.
The next question will be a little more difficult.
Do you want some paper?
No.
You own a pharmaceutical company. Your staff
has manufactured a new batch of acne pills.
Normally they test them by feeding them
to a hundred rats and observing how many die.
From previous experience they have an idea
of how many will die if the batch is defective.
Unfortunately, due to new regularity,
manufacture of this particular batch…
Can I sit here?
Sure.
This place has gotten pretty popular.
— Yes.
— Five years ago,
when I first started selling stocks,
nobody would come here.
It was too seedy then.
You don't know me, but I saw you
coming out of Carson's office this afternoon.
Are you jumping ship?
Yes.
How did it go?
Great.
I guess you're celebrating.
Guess so.
You don't seem too thrilled.
I'm not.
I've heard about you. You're very good.
Why the change?
Money?
No.
Sure. Give yourself a few years,
you'll just be like everybody.
What's so funny?
I am everybody.
What's that, some kind of private joke?
I could have all the money I want.
Couldn't we all?
I know things.
Don't tell me.
I've had enough of that kind of information.
This isn't the type of information
— that they can prosecute you for.
— Who's your source?
I am.
I know everything.
What's my name?
Joyce.
That's easy. Everybody here knows me.
You were staring at me the other night.
Do you believe in… er… other lives?
— Past lives?
— No.
I mean lives going on right now.
— Like being in two places at once?
— More than two.
A lot more.
I'm talking about…
possible worlds.
Each of us exist in an infinite number
of possible worlds.
I mean, in one world I'm talking to you right now,
but er…
… your arm is a little to the left.
And in another world…
you're interested in that man over there…
with the glasses.
And in another… you stood me up two days ago.
And… that's how I know your name.
So…
when did you first decide
you were more than one person?
— In another life.
— Oh?
Seventh grade.
Must've been puberty.
No, it was er… math.
I was writing a math test in the seventh grade
and I was stuck on the last problem.
I could see two ways of doing it
but I wasn't sure which way would work.
Halfway through my calculations…
… I suddenly saw myself
doing the problem the other way.
Only I wasn't just seeing myself.
For a moment…
I was actually doing the problem the other way.
Then I looked at my hand.
I saw a scar.
I remembered how I'd gotten it.
— I remembered the dog that had bitten me.
Only I'd never been bitten by a dog.
How old are you?
— 41.
— How many lovers have you had?
— That I can remember?
— Yes.
Billions.
Let's… go.
Ban animal testing! Ban animal testing!
— Make way.
— Ban animal testing!
Ban animal testing! Ban animal testing!
Ban animal testing! Ban animal testing!
Ban animal testing! Ban animal testing!
Ban animal testing! Ban animal testing!
Would you like to see the animals?
Yes. Thank you.
This is a citation I received for my work
on primate nervous systems.
What's this?
— My tank.
— Your tank?
My sensory deprivation chamber.
I spend a lot of time in there.
Not something my colleagues
are too keen about.
What's this?
The brain of a rat Right now,
it thinks it's pressing a lever for some food.
That's why the light flash.
Every time it flashes, the authorities send
an electrical impulse
to make it think it's been rewarded.
Do you mind if I take this in?
That's all right.
— I've got dozens of them.
— Dozens?
Some biologists believe that…
natural processes create a field of information.
Everything you think, Inspector,
even the most trivial fantasy, leaves a trace,
a disturbance, in that field.
I'm trying to learn
how to control those disturbances.
Do you have any brains of larger animals?
Like humans?
I read the papers, Inspector.
You think I'm stealing brains.
Some people might think that your research
is a little frightening.
The question is… why do we have imaginations?
A rat can only imagine so much.
It's limited by the structure of its brain.
Creatures like us,
that can anticipate possible futures
and make contingency plans,
have an evolutionary advantage.
We'd be foolish not to use our imaginations.
What can you use a brain for?
Ooh… a lot of things.
I'm sure you've got some ideas.
All of the people who were killed
were very intelligent,
in positions of power.
I think that someone's
extracting information from them.
Maybe.
But there are other possibilities.
I think you should consider every possibility —
even aliens.
— Morning, chief.
— Yeah.
I've been going through the Axon files.
I've asked Johnson to look into
some of these expenditures.
Turns out that two of our victims
worked for rival drug companies.
All right. Good.
What's that?
It's a present for my wife.
What does it do?
Doesn't do anything.
Is it some kind of lamp?
It isn't a present. It's the brain of a rat.
Is it alive?
It's a she.
Her name is Louise.
What do you suppose
she's thinking about right now?
Another rat?
A normal person thinks about sex
every two minutes.
Think it's the same with rats?
What if we were in a tank like that?
You'd never know it.
Not you.
Maybe someone's making us think
whatever they want us to.
Maybe that's why all those brains
are being stolen.
Maybe somebody's already stolen ours.
Why would anyone want your brain, Williams?
What do you think about
in the normal course of a day?
Your wife? Your house?
Hockey?
I mean, why would anyone want to steal your
brain to make you think of hockey all the time?
What's the motivation?
You tell me.
(Faint) ♪ Long ago and far away
SI dreamed a dream…
— Do you mind if I sit here?
— No, go ahead.
— There's no place else.
— That's fine.
Did you seethe article
about the magnetised babies?
What paper was…
Oh.
I haven't seen you here in a while.
I've been eating at the lab.
You must be very busy.
I am.
What do you do… exactly?
I'm looking for ways to increase intelligence.
Maybe you could help me.
I specialize in rat cortexes.
Must be very interesting.
It's not just that.
One day we will be able to dial and focus
our nervous systems the way we adjust our TVs.
There will be drugs to extend our lives,
to increase our intelligence. Drugs to…
erase unpleasant memories.
People will look back on the present age
with pity.
We'll seem like animals to them.
How's the dessert?
What?
At the cafeteria they serve
three different kinds of dessert.
Chocolate pudding,
some kind of sponge cake, and fruit salad.
I decided one day that whenever
I got to the counter I wouldn't think,
I would always take fruit salad.
Kept it up ever since.
Five years.
Don't you think that's a little fanatical?
Probably.
I remember you at school.
— Always carrying books.
— I read all the time.
You don't say much about yourself.
Not much to tell, really.
— My wife used to say…
— Your wife?!
She… died several years ago.
It was an accident.
I'm sorry.
It was after she died that I started to travel.
You must have lived a very interesting life.
No, no, not really.
I usually find myself in a deck chair by the water.
I love summer evenings by the water
I like it at dusk…
… when the water has that grey tint
that seems to contain every other colour.
It figures.
What?
That you'd like grey.
I suppose you like black and white.
I've always thought there should be
a single clear answer to every question.
— Even in love?
— Especially in love.
I don't trust people
who fall in love over and over.
— They're usually the worst liars.
— You're right.
I never I understood people who say,
"I used to be in love with that person."
I don't think you ever stop loving.
If you did… you weren't in love in the first place.
I've got to get back to the lab.
How about dinner Thursday?
Er… I have to work late.
If you weren't so busy,
would you go out with me?
If I wasn't so busy, I'd be a different person.
Listen, give me a chance.
I've never met anyone like you.
And I've met a lot of people.
Call me.
Hi, I'm Jocelyn. I'd like to welcome you
to the Consciousness Revolution.
The theme of our first session is imagination.
"Imagination rules the world."
Do you have any idea who said that?
Napoleon said that.
He used to go through all his battles in his mind
weeks before he fought them.
We're going to do some exercises
for our imaginations.
We'll start with a visualisation exercise,
which I'd like you to score.
As I ask you to imagine things,
assign yourself points as follows.
Three points if the image is very clear
Two points — clear.
One point — unclear.
And zero if you cant imagine anything.
All right. Are we ready?
You can close your eyes if you want
Imagine a cold wind, when it is raining.
Picture the eyes of someone you love.
Hear their voice.
Hey, wake up.
— I'm just making some coffee. It's late.
I hope you don't have
anything important to do today
What time is it?
Ten.
What's that sound?
Coffee. I said I'm making coffee.
Is something wrong?
It's my head.
You're hung over
No.
Do you want some aspirin?
No, I'm fine.
I'm sorry.
— Aren't you going to answer it?
— No, it's probably my office.
What if they fire you?
I hate my job.
Why?
I've never felt comfortable selling things
you can't see or touch.
What do you sell exactly?
Stocks.
You work for Kaufman Brothers?
What's the matter with you?
You weren't that drunk last night.
Where were you born?
Right here.
I thought you said Novar.
I think you have me mixed up
with someone else.
I'm not usually so aggressive in bars…
… but you looked so lonely.
I don't think I've ever seen anyone
who looked so alone in my life —
except for some married men I know.
You're not married, are you?
My wife died three years ago.
I'm sorry.
She was swimming in the ocean.
She must've gone out too far.
Are you interested in a relationship?
I get restless.
— Restless?
— I like to forget myself.
I love to take chances.
I've made a lot of money that way.
You shouldn't get involved with me.
I'm not very reliable.
There's a moment…
… when my consciousness shifts.
I feel my…
… properties melting.
Everything I've ever known or felt or…
Nothing holds.
(Sighs) It's terrible.
But after a few moments…
… I become adjusted.
I take on that new life.
Look, that story was funny last night, but…
Imagine a candle.
Those of you who scored less than fen
on the visualisation exercise
should use a real candle.
This will only be necessary for the first few days.
Shit.
After that you should be able to see
the bright magic of the flame in your mind's eye
simply by closing your eyes and fixing your gaze
at the spot in the centre of your forehead.
— Is your candle lit?
— Yes.
Good. Sit three feet away from
your real or imaginary candle and relax.
The flame is soothing to look at.
Focus your attention on it
while the specially edited baroque music plays.
Now, get ready for a journey to the beach.
Surf's up.
What are you doing?
Just trying to improve myself.
By imagining things.
It's a good course.
Yesterday I learnt
that we only use a tenth of our brains.
In your case I'd say that's true.
What's the matter with you?
You're very irritable. You're not yourself lately.
It's not me that's changed.
When I was young, police work was simple.
— You've got plenty of leads.
— We don't even know how the skulls were cut.
Two of the apartments were locked
from the inside. There's a murderer in this city
— who seems able to walk through walls.
Inspector Berkley?
Yes.
I'm a friend of George Barber's.
That is… I was a friend.
A friend?
Well, not a friend exactly,
more of an acquaintance.
We used to talk in the halls about my ideas.
I'm the caretaker in his building.
You're the one who found the body.
You gave a statement.
Is there anything else that you'd like to tell us?
You don't have to be afraid.
The night before the murder
I was up on the roof… I saw a light.
A light.
— Yes.
— What sort of light?
— In the sky.
As it came closer I saw it was five lights in a row,
each about ten feet across.
Are you telling us that you saw a flying saucer?
Yes.
— Well…
— If the Nazis had won World War II
we'd have been ready.
Genetic engineering
would've given us an advantage.
— Now they're stealing our brains.
— Well, er…
thanks very much for the information.
— We'll get back to you.
— They're gonna kill me.
— We'll look into it.
— Thank you.
Nocturne in C Minor, Op48, No.1
Are you staying?
— Yes.
— See you tomorrow.
(Faint) ♪ Tryin' To Make Heaven My Home
— What are they doing?
Block. Slab.
Building.
Building what?
I'm not sure.
Why don't you ask them?
They wouldn't understand me.
Why not?
Their language only has three words.
I know two of them.
Slab and block.
— What's the third?
— Hilarious.
— What can you do with that?
Block.
— Nothing.
Slab.
How can you have a language
with only three words?
Some say they were once
an advanced civilisation.
There was a war. Somehow their memories
were selectively destroyed.
Only three words survived.
Others say they are a very primitive civilisation.
They learned their first two words by trial
and error and somehow stumbled on the third.
A tourist, perhaps.
Others say they're an ordinary civilisation
but very concise.
It would take 50 encyclopedias to translate the
meaning of slab and block into our language.
What do you say?
Someone tampered with their brains.
Why?
Some biologists believe that
mental processes create a field of information.
I don't understand.
I'm going to kill you in every world.
But I haven't done anything.
You will.
What's that smell?
I'm making coffee.
What time is it?
Ten.
I don't know what you did to me.
I haven't slept like that in years.
I've been late at the lab three days this week.
And when I'm there I can't concentrate.
My colleagues think I've cracked.
How come you have so many stones
in your apartment?
My ex-boyfriend left them.
He was a sculptor.
He brought them in from the sea.
You didn't tell me about him.
We broke up one week before I met you.
Were you in love?
We were going to be married.
What happened?
I found out he was seeing someone else
at the same time.
When I was at the lab he would bring her here.
I don't know how someone can lead
two different lives.
— How many lovers have you had?
— I could count them
on the fingers of one hand.
How many times?
I'm serious.
I was married before I was 20.
I love the way you touch me.
Are you thinking about her now?
You are so passive.
Like smoke.
I could put my hand through you.
See?
There's nothing there.
Maybe that's why you touch me so lightly.
There's a place I'd like to show you.
Near the ocean. It's very secluded.
I think you'll understand me better
if you come with me.
You really are trying to ruin me, aren't you?
We could have everything.
I don't want everything.
Even for a few days?
It's beautiful.
It's not easy to get to.
You have to climb out over some rocks.
There's a beach.
How did you find it?
My wife used to swim there.
You were talking in your sleep last night.
What did I say?
Slab and block.
Over and over.
I'd say you should come into the lab sometime.
I could run some tests.
I could probably write a paper on you.
Do you miss your work yet?
No.
(Chuckles) What's happened to you?
I've gotten lazy.
You've affected me.
I'm sure it's only temporary.
Yesterday some activists broke into the lab.
— Where? Your lab?
— One of my colleagues.
I work knowing that every idea I have
is about to be thought of by someone else.
Or already has been.
This morning, when I woke up,
I couldn't remember where I was.
I haven't felt that kind of exhilaration
since I was a child.
I would float down to the bottom of the lake,
watching the sunlight on the rocks,
trying to imagine
what it would be like to have gills.
I knew one breath would let
a whole other world in.
I wasn't cut out to be a stockbroker.
What?
What did you say?
I said I wasn't cut out to be a scientist.
What is it? Are you all right?
Yeah, I'm fine.
Well, let's go see your beach. I could use a walk.
OK?
They found him locked in a freezer.
The body shows all the symptoms
of having frozen to death.
— Yeah?
— But there's something strange.
— What's that?
— He was found lying in a pool of water.
So I checked.
Turns out the freezer wasn't working properly.
What?
He froze to death at room temperature.
Pretty, isn't it?
You won't believe what Susan said
when she was leaving.
Remember Susan?
No.
I sold her a thousand shares of Gentec
this morning.
You were talking to her for over an hour
this evening.
The woman…
You haven't heard a word I said, have you?
Sure I have.
What are you doing?
You've been staring at that bowl for five minutes.
— Comparing it.
— To what?
Itself.
Don't you need something else?
— What?
— Well, most people,
that is on this planet…
… when they compare a thing,
they usually compare it to a second thing.
It's a quaint custom we have.
How do you know it's only one thing?
Because my ex gave it to me.
I don't follow.
He would never give me two things without first
pointing them both out to me very clearly
and going on about how much they both cost.
— Therefore it's one thing.
— It could've been a lot of things.
Sure. It could be a beach
and we could be on it.
— That's what I'm comparing it to.
— Right.
I think we should leave tonight.
I don't think so.
Why not?
You're overworked as it is.
You can afford to take the time off.
It's not work.
What is it?
I'm not happy.
What do you mean?
Joyce?
Joyce.
At first it was all very casual and fun.
Now, all of a sudden, you're here every night.
It's gotten too claustrophobic.
I can give you more freedom.
I don't have to come over so often.
It's not just that.
What is it?
It's us.
When I imagine us together… I like us.
We seem perfect for each other.
I always think I'm going to enjoy
our times together,
but as soon as you're here
there's something missing.
I've had a lot of fun with you, but…
sometimes when you smile
it's aimed a million miles behind me.
I had a carefully rehearsed speech.
Now I can't seem to remember anything.
I'm not doing this very well.
The point is, I've met someone.
What?
I've been seeing someone for three weeks.
— Who?
— I met him at work.
He's very different from you.
I'm not saying better.
But we have a lot of fun together
and he's offered me more.
More what?
More life.
Do you need a lift anywhere? It's pouring rain.
— No, thank you.
— I'm sorry it had to be this way.
I didn't have to tell you all this.
I could've just stopped answering your calls.
But I thought it might help
if you knew what I felt.
Next time… for your next relationship.
— This wasn't a rehearsal.
— Please don't.
— You were the only one in every world.
— I am being rational.
— My love is infinite.
— You'll find someone else. There are plenty…
— He's trying to kill me.
— Who?
— Joyce, please.
— Look, you're scaring me.
If you don't get out, I'll call the police.
I'm warning you.
— Please don't.
Get out!
What's the matter, chief?
You've been sitting there for hours.
You haven't moved from that chair since lunch.
Suppose a rat… had an enemy.
What kind of enemy, chief?
Another rat?
No.
I guess…
… a rat could not foresee…
what its enemy was going to do
because it couldn't possibly imagine it.
It's limited by the structure of its brain.
It cant even form
those kind of thoughts.
And we're facing the same sort of… enemy.
Uh-huh.
I have one here. Got a few more cases to solve.
And then I'm going to retire and…
… die.
What kind of life is that?
— The pension's not bad.
I remember something the scientist said.
He said…
"Do you think the number two
didn't exist before we humans found it?"
Every thought that you can think, Officer,
existed before you did.
And those thoughts… they affect us.
Possibilities… swarm about us.
They…
This brain seems to be attracting flies.
It smells awful.
— Look at that. Its light went on.
What's happening?
I think it's trying to signal us.
Don't be ridiculous.
It's er… hungry.
It's signalling for food.
How can we help it?
It isn't real, Williams. It's not really hungry.
But she thinks she is.
Where are you going?
Ssh.
Sorry, Louise, there's nothing I can do.
I don't know how to help you!
Beautiful view, isn't it?
Yes.
Have you been swimming?
Yes, the water's lovely.
How have you been keeping, Joyce?
How do you know my name?
Well, there was a time…
… it was quite a few years ago…
You do look familiar.
I've forgotten your name.
— George.
— George.
Of course. George…?
Barber.
— George Barber?!
— Yeah.
Of course. We were at Cambridge together.
No.
— You weren't at Cambridge?
— No.
Well, now you're just keeping me in suspense.
How is it I do know you?
We used to live together.
We were married once.
I think you're mistaken.
Please don't go.
Are you still studying the brain?
Yes.
You're… dating anyone?
Yes, I am, actually.
As a matter of fact, he's right here.
Have you found a way to increase intelligence?
— How do you know so much about me?
— I've always been interested
in the brain.
I heard an interesting story once.
A neurotic young man asked a psychologist,
"How can I find peace of mind?"
"How can you lack," said the psychologist,
pointing to his head,
— "when you possess the greatest treasure?"
— That's very interesting, but I have to go.
Look, you have me mixed up
with someone else.
— Turn around.
— No.
— Turn around.
— Argh! Let go.
— Look. No, look.
— Argh!
— Let go.
— You'll see a mole on your shoulder.
— I'm not insane.
— Help!
— I wont hurt you.
— Hey!
— Let go.
— I'm not trying to hurt you.
I love you. I've always loved you.
Argh!
Hey!
What happened?
That man… he said he knew me.
Let's go back to the hotel.
We'll call the police.
— Sit here.
— Mm-hm.
Dr Kleber's gone for the day.
All right.
Well, I can hardly say I have a memory, Doctor.
Why not?
It would be more accurate to say that…
… in the collection of people I call me…
memory occurs.
Do you believe in the soul?
I used to think that there was…
… something extra, something…
… that went along with all the changes, but…
… now I don't think so.
Why did you attack that woman?
I don't know.
I lost control.
I regret it.
What do your other selves think about it?
Most of them don't know about it.
Oh.
When I believed I had a soul…
… I was imprisoned in myself.
I felt… I should be consistent…
… among my lives.
But now…
… I realise they're all different.
And I can… enjoy them all.
— Mm.
— And if there's a unity that makes them all me,
I don't know what it is.
This is simply a world
where I happen to be a criminal.
It's not very important.
Have you ever imagined killing someone?
I suppose.
It's about as important as that.
Sometimes…
… when I'm falling asleep,
I think I'm floating in the sea.
Two inches below the surface.
Rocking in the warm salt water like…
… someone who's drowned.
The sky above me is full of clouds.
But they're hard-edged like…
… glass.
The whole sky glitters like glass.
I close my eyes… I hear voices.
I know where I am now.
There's only one world.
I have been dreaming.
I understand you've found the man
who killed my husband.
Yes.
Well, that's something, I suppose.
But it won't bring him back to life.
He's still alive.
We found his brain.
Hooked up to a… life-support system.
I was the…
… fifth girl he'd gone out with.
We were very happy.
He was going to leave his job
at the market for me.
I was going to…
… give up my research
to travel the world with him.
He was the most important thing in the world.
He meant everything to me.
We fought over the stupidest thing.
A man had given me a present.
At some point… you'll have to decide…
… whether to…
… allow the brain
to continue.
Thank you.
Dr Kleber says that he was only ever able to get
a rudimentary consciousness going.
There is a light that flashes occasionally,
but we don't know what it means.
Your husband probably isn't aware of who he is.
Kleber described it
as kind of a fluctuating dream state.
I'm sure he's still thinking of you somehow.
There must be a thousand fossils
in these rocks.
So many failed ideas.
You can smell the waste here.
Tomorrow, if it's nice,
we'll go swimming.
Sure.
When I was a little girl I used to think it was
a different world I saw under the water.
What kind of world?
I really can't put it into words.
Try.
I cannot.
The word "not" is really magical.
I could describe something to you and say…
"But it's not that, it's something more."
And you'd know what I meant.
It's a way of getting around our ignorance.
It's how they used to describe God.
Everything we cannot conceive of.
We say,
"Things might not have been the way they are,"
and feel free… or uneasy.
But there's really nothing behind it
Just a bunch of ghostly possibilities.
Because in the end…
… everything simply is.
Soon there'll be stars.
— We'll have to make a wish.
— I thought you didn't wish.
Only for what's possible.
Does that include me?
Yes.
I couldn't ask for more.
Look.
What's that light?
— Where?
— Out there. Blinking on and off.
It's a buoy to warn ships.
There couldn't be shoals out that far.
— Why not?
No, look, that flash was longer.
Someone's trying to signal us.
Are you sure?
What shall we do?
I don't know.
We're miles from any phone.
But someone could be drowning out there.
— What shall we do?
— I don't know.
It's stopped.
Thank God.