"META FOR LIFE"

By
J. Paul de Vrijer
First draft
INT. Mystery room - WOMB
CLOSE UP on a man's FACE, he's slowly regaining conscious. This is JOHN, mid thirties, looking tired, short hair.
VOICE (V.O.)

Rise and shine
JOHN is still trying to wake up. It's a very dark room, we don't see the walls, it's too dark. The Camera reveals that John is in fact sitting in a chair, it's a dentist-like chair. Only some dim light is coming from above.
VOICE (V.O.)

Before you ask yourself where you are, try to remember. There's no need to fear this, just think deep.
JOHN looks bewildered, he sits on the edge of the chair. He thinks back, puzzled and still very sleepy. He rubs his neck, as if something is stinging. Suddenly he remembers a bit
CUT TO:
INT. Flashback - Meeting room 
A hall full of executives, John standing at the head of the table. It's all very blurred. There's no accompanying sound, except for the voice.
VOICE (V.O.)
Think deep, it's there
CUT TO:
INT. MYSTERY ROOM - wOMB

JOHN looks enlightened. He feels his knuckles.
VOICE (V.O.)
Do you remember?
JOHN remains silent, still bewildered, rubbing his temples
VOICE (V.O.)
Give me some feedback here, do you remember?
CUT TO:
INT. FLASHBACK - Living room
In another blurred flashback, John is kissing his wife. We don't really see that much features, but she seems gorgeous.
JOHN (V.O.)
Yeah...
JOHN courting his wife, all sorts of flashbacks of her and him together
VOICE (V.O.)
Read them back to me
JOHN (V.O.)
Wife, I am marri- Julia. She's gorgeous. I love her so much. So very much.
CUT TO:
INT. MYSTERY ROOM - WOMB
JOHN is looking at his hands, so many questions are going through his mind right now. He's wearing a black sweater and some black jeans.
VOICE (V.O.)
Keep it going, try to focus
JOHN slowly closes his eyes again
CuT TO:
EXT. Flashback - Yard
More flashback scenes. JOHN with some children in a brightly lit yard. It's very dreamlike. 
JOHN (V.O.)
We have children. Two..no three 
(chuckles)
I'd do anything for them
VOICE (V.O.)
That's excellent, it's all coming back
JOHN (V.O.)
Rob, Peter....Scott
CUT TO:
INT. MEETING ROOM
JOHN stands up and starts examining the room. Trying to place all this.
CUT TO:
INT. FLASHBACKS - Multiple
More scenes flash in front of us. JOHN marrying his wife, Going to work, driving his car, having a drink with friends all kinds of average day things. 
JOHN (V.O.)
Yeah, I recall
CUT TO:
INT. MYSTERY ROOM - WOMB
JOHN finds a knife attached to his belt while examining his outfit. 
VOICE (V.O.)
So can you tell me who you are now? Is everything clear?
JOHN nods while holding the knife. 
VOICE (V.O.)
You'd do anything to get that life back, wouldn't you? To be happy again. 
JOHN knows it's true, he looks interested at the proposal. He notices a tag on his chest, but cant read it due to the darkness
VOICE (V.O.)
In the next room, don't worry a door will open soon, you will find your rival of your life. Literally. 
JOHN firmly grasps the knife
VOICE (V.O.)
He's your clone. An exact duplicate. Don't worry about how or why. Just ponder about the outcome. He will take over your life if you let him live.
Anger starts to rise in JOHN. He does seem very obedient.
VOICE (V.O.)
He will kiss your children good night, he will love your wife. He will sleep with her. Everything is his. You can't let that happen. 
JOHN now looks very determinant. A light goes on at the side of the room, revealing a metallic door. It has no handle, it cant be opened manually.
VOICE (V.O.)
Are you still with me? 
He nods
VOICE (V.O.)
Good. Stand-by in 5
JOHN suddenly perks up like an animal. He makes his stance in front of the door, ready to fight. 
VOICE (V.O.)
Four, three, two..
The shutter door slides upwards and reveals a brightly lit ARENA, it blinds JOHN for a moment, but then he slowly walks in. All ready
VOICE (V.O.)
One.
INT. ARENA
JOHN walks into the ARENA, it's brightly lit, about 10 feet by 10 feet. Shutters at each side (4 total). At the opposite side, his rival also walks into the ARENA. He looks exactly the same. The two men each clenching their knives. 
They both make similar moves, although his opponent is a bit more held back, more careful. Both men concentrated, staring each other down, while slowly walking around each other in fighting stance. It's almost a sort of dance.
FLASH TO:
INT. FLASHBACK - ARENA
A very blurred picture of numerous flashes, very distorted. It involves John slashing clones, punching them. It all goes too fast to see clearly. 
CUT BACK:
INT. ARENA
The Clone makes use of John's temporary disorientation and throws himself onto John. John swiftly avoids the knife but both men fall to the ground. Clone tries to hold him down while plunging the knife into him. They struggle a bit and we see the Clone's tag. It reads BU-2 . John uses his own knife to swiftly cut the clone across the shoulder and then pushes him off. John quickly stands up as the Clone recovers.
FLASH TO:
INT. FLASHBACK - ARENA
More blurred pictures of John being held in a dentist chair, drugs pumped into him. Him trying to fight it. Orderly's in white gowns
CUT BACK:
INT. ARENA
JOHN shakes his head, trying to free himself of the flashbacks.
JOHN
No.
The clone is standing again. He charges himself at the confused John, who drops his knife in the collision. Avoiding each the clone's stabs, JOHN's back gets pushed against the wall. Another power struggle, but both men seem equally matched. The Clone's knife gets punched out of his hands by John's KNUCKLES. Then the clone punches him to the ground. 
JOHN
(on the floor)
This makes no sense...
FLASH TO:
INT. FLASHBACK - Mystery room
The repeated flashbacks of John coming out of the mystery room. Over and over again. 
CuT BACK:
INT. ARENA
A hard kick against JOHN's side makes him roll over the ground. The clone proudly walks after the rolling John. Who grabs a knife off the ground and jabs it into the clone's left leg. John then gets up and punches the clone away who falls to the ground. John stumbles backwards holding his head.
JOHN
This isn't right, this isn't right. This isn't right...
He repeats himself sounding more and more mental. Tension heightens, the bright light, the high sound in the background all try to eat our sanity away.
The clone tries to pull the knife out of his leg, and is trying to stand up again. The leg however isn't so cooperative, so the clone just holds the knife in front of him waving to John.
JOHN
(to the clone)
Stop. STOP! Can't you see this is madness? What the fuck are we doing?! Where the hell are we?!
Questions the viewers have been pondering all along. But been absolutely avoided. The clone too starts to look with confusion. He shakes his head, as he's trying to remember something. 
JOHN
What the fuck is going on? How long have I been here? 
While JOHN is thinking out loud, the clone looks bewildered as well questioning the same things.
FEMALE VOICE (V.O.)
Problems in testing chamber zero one five. Immediate intervention required.
Both men look around to spot where the voice is coming from. 
FEMALE VOICE (V.O.)
Requesting immediate intervention.
SUDDENLY one of the other shutters opens. Very bright light comes out of it. Three orderlies in white gowns walk out of it. Each armed with some sort of weapon. They seem to both function as guns and as batons. 
BEHIND them walks another man (referred to as VOICE), who's clearly higher ranked. He's in his early 50's, he looks similar to JOHN, but not completely the same. All are dressed in white.
VOICE (the higher rank)
(pointing at the 'clone')
Take him away, he's of no value anymore. Useless.
Two orderlies walk over to the confused 'clone' who swings his knife twice towards them, but then they fire their tranquilizer darts into his body. He drops his knife, while trying to remain awake.
Another assistant walks into the room. He's holding an organizer and using a pen to make notes.
VOICE
(pointing at 'john')
He showed some spice in the beginning, give him one last go. This time go for a more aggressive memory, no executive, more of a police officer. And up the dosage. 
'JOHN' looks frightened, he ducks quickly and grabs a knife. It's too late. One dart hits him in his chest, the other in his neck. Our vision is beginning to blur along with his. 
ASSISTANT
Are you sure you want to use this one again? He took quite a beating.
VOICE
We don't want to waste good bodies, it takes time to grow another.
The orderlies grab 'JOHN' by his shoulders and carry him back into his room. He struggles but its of no use, it's a quick working chemical. They put him back into the chair. 
INT. MYSTERY ROOM - WOMB
The VOICE and the assistant follow in as well.
VOICE
Besides, he showed quite some good characteristics. He might just be what we were waiting for.
A machine lowers from the ceiling as an orderly injects something into 'JOHN's NECK. The machine has some helmet device which gets placed on JOHN's head. He's almost completely out now. 
VOICE
(at 'john')
I sort of envy you. You get to experience a whole new life. Another wife, a new job. You'll experience another life time. Fake yes, but not necessarily worth less.
'JOHN's eyes slowly close as the machine starts humming. Electrical sounds are heard. 
VOICE/DOCTOR
Enjoy
The camera zooms in on 'JOHN's face. He has rapid eye movement. Time is passing fast. We zoom out and the machine is gone. So are the orderlies. John is just lying there alone in the chair. 
VOICE (V.O.)
Rise and shine
FADE TO BLACK.
Roll Credits
THE END

If you have any questions or comments regarding this script. Contact me at p_de_vrijer@hotmail.com. Thanks for reading.