"Open your eyes." "Open your eyes." "Open your eyes." "Open your eyes." "Open your" "Open your eyes." "Open your eyes." "David." "Open your" "Well, I suppose the empty street meant loneliness." "Ha, ha." "You're a shrink." "You gotta do better than that." "I'm a doctor." "Let's not stereotype each other." "Not all rich kids are soulless and not all psychologists care about dreams." "The question is how you got here and why you've been charged." "What do you wanna know?" "I was about to turn 33." "I ran three magazines and a worldwide publishing house." "On most days, I actually fooled myself into believing it would last forever." "Isn't that what being young is about?" "Believing secretly that you would be the one person in the history of man who would live forever?" "Where are you going so early?" "Don't record any more messages on my alarm clock, okay?" "Heh." "Why not?" "Because I'll start to think we're married or something." "Oh." "Don't ever say that word." "I will never come over and bring you chicken soup and fuck your brains out again." "How's your cold?" "Hmm." "Still there." "How about yours?" "You definitely took my mind off it." "Really?" "Yes!" "Oh." "Julianna here." "Hi, Rayna." "I missed my audition." "I lost my head." "No, listen, I have to go." "I'm with David." "Wrapped in white sheets" "Help yourself to whatever you want." "Maria will clean up." "Set the alarm before you go." "And" "You are the greatest." "Bye, honey!" "Bye, honey!" "I'll call you later." "Ha, ha." "When?" " When?" " Soon!" " Did you reserve the court?" " Easy." "I can't handle heavy conversation at this ungodly hour." "Sorry to do this early, but I gotta be done by 10." "You're not gonna make the 8:45, are you?" " How did you find me?" " David Aames you have to check the colors of the letters for the new issue of Rise." " What are the colors?" " Yellow and red or the traditional white." " Gotta think about it." " David, please." "Don't be late for the 10:00 with the board." "Okay, but don't tell anybody where I am." "I don't care if God calls." " I'm very, very busy." " But you have" " Yeah." "Ha-ha-ha." " Ha-ha-ha." "Can't you just get rid of that board?" " The Seven Dwarves?" "No." " Those people drive you nuts." "And that was the desire of my father, who hired them." "You fucked Julie Gianni again, didn't you?" "Yeah, I know someone was there when I called." "You had that tone." ""Oh, no, man, I got a cold." "I'm hanging in tonight, you know?"" "I had a cold." " I was alone." " Fine." "You can do whatever you want with your life." " Thanks." " But one day you'll know what love truly is." "It's the sour and the sweet." "And I know sour, which allows me to appreciate the sweet." "Julie Gianni is a friend." "Sometimes we sleep together." "Ha, ha." "What?" " What?" " My dream girl Julie Gianni is your fuck buddy." "Oh!" " What do you wanna listen to?" " Slow down, man." "What do we got here?" "Barcelona, Looper." " Radiohead?" " Look out!" "Look out!" "Fuck!" "Fuck!" " What are you doing here?" " We almost died." " I know." " Use your fucking head!" "My own death was right there in front of me, and you know what happened?" "Your life flashed before my eyes." " How was it?" " Almost worth dying for." "We're at the front door." "We're coming up now." "Good morning, sir." "Sleep well?" " Yes, I did." " Have you eaten yet?" " What's that?" "No." " Have you eaten anything yet?" " You were playing racquetball." " Good morning, Fritz." "I have been covering you for an hour." "I'm saving your ass, and you're playing racquetball?" "We are now exiting the elevator." "The board is not happy." " Good morning, Beatrice." " Hello, David." "You're in the Post today." "Courtney Love called to see if you got her e-mail..." " ...and Graydon Carter and" " Hi." "Shelly Wanger called to see if you're still on for dinner tonight." "And the Art Department still needs a decision on the color of the letters for the bikini issue." "Yellow and red, or white." "And did I mention the board is pissed you're late?" "Hey, David, hold up!" "Choose one." "Which one?" "Wait." "This one?" "David!" " Okay, okay, they're all waiting for you." " David!" " You changed your hair." " Yes." "And, David, opinions are expected." "Huh." "David." "Do you dream about the board?" "The Seven Dwarves, as you call them?" "Sneezy, Bashful, Sleepy Happy, Doc, Dopey and, of course, Grumpy." "How was Aspen?" "Good." "Now, I want answers and I want them now." "How's it going?" "They still look at me as if I was 11 years old." "He's going to inherit everything." "He gets it all." "You're scared of your dreams, aren't you?" "It's a nightmare either way." "Is that how you explain what's happened to you?" " What?" " What happened to your face?" "I'm not talking to you anymore." " You don't wanna show me your face." " No!" " Do you know why you're here?" " The conversation, the coffee" "David, the part where we parry and joust and get to know each other bit by bit..." "No." "No can do." "We're gonna have to skip that because you've been charged with murder." "In four weeks, a judge will determine your fate based on what I write." "So you will talk to me." "There is no murder." "There is no murder!" "It never happened!" "I don't have to talk to anybody!" " Want me to help?" " Get the fuck away from me." "Take it easy." "Take it easy, face!" "Yeah, your whole story's full of holes!" " Stop." "Stop!" " All right?" "Please leave right now." "I'll take responsibility." "Please leave right now." "He's got control." "I'm gonna get you, daddy's boy little freak." " My parents are dead, you fuck." " Enough." "Is that true?" "Good cop, bad cop." "That you're a daddy's boy?" "Primer on David Aames Sr." "My father wasn't built for the 21 st century." "He never went to McDonald's, not once." "He never watched television, and yet his biggest magazine is still the TV Digest." "He and my mother threw the grandest parties of the literary world." "Ballooned, jumped out of airplanes." "He sought adventure." "His autobiography is the manual for every cutthroat publisher in New York City." "It's called Defending the Kingdom." "I've" " I've read it." "Page 127:" ""David Jr. was a delight as a child."" "Did I miss something here?" "Is that all he wrote about you?" "Heh." "I don't think he ever got over the fact that I'm absolutely terrified of heights." "The irony continues." "When he and my mother were run over by a drunken teenager on New Year's Eve 10 years ago he left the keys to the kingdom to me." "Fifty-one percent control 49 percent going to a group of seven board members who all thought they were first in line." "And you believe the board, the Seven Dwarves put you here to take control of your company." "What do you care?" "Oh, we're just talking." "And tonight's Wednesday night, and I go to Black Angus for dinner with my two daughters on Wednesday nights, so I'll have to leave soon." "You do understand that our time is limited, don't you?" "If I talk you'll just think I'm crazy." "With all the possible respect I can offer a man wearing a latex mask and spouting conspiracy theories, David believe me, you've crossed that bridge." "Enjoy your dinner." "There are five basic emotions in life, David." "Tell me, what emotion gripped him before he entered that cell?" "Was it guilt?" "Hate?" "Shame?" "Revenge?" "Love?" "I'm completely on the wrong track, aren't I?" "Who needs ice?" " Hey, Emma." " David, happy birthday." "You have got the greatest taste in shoes, bar none, anywhere." " I can't believe you remember." " Emma, have you met Lynette?" "No, but I shudder to think what we might have in common." "Did you invite the entire Olympic snowboarding team?" "Today's my birthday." " Say "happy birthday" to David." " Happy birthday." " Welcome to Graceland." " Do you have a minute?" "Happy birthday, you son of a bitch." "Happy birthday, David." "Happy birthday!" "Hey!" "Friends of me!" "Hello!" "Let the fun ensue." "The living stereo system will be online in a moment." "It is the great John Coltrane." "They would love an article on it." "But if you like it it's an amazing, amazing prototype." "No, no, no." "That's okay." "I've got it." "And happy birthday, sir." " Literary god Brian Shelby." " Happy birthday and all the usual shit people say to each other." "How you doing?" " Living the dream, baby." "Living the dream." " David Aames." " And to what do I owe this pleasure?" " The pleasure of Sofia Serrano." "We met today at the library, if you can believe that." "I'm sorry about my coat." "It's too big for your closet." " We were both pretending to be intellectuals." " It's amazing." "I love your coat." "No, I overdressed." "I mean, I underdressed." "I'll just continue like you're both actually listening to me." " Do you have another room to put it in?" " Danielle?" "I have ceased to exist." "Madison Square Garden is nearby." "I think it might fit there." "Yes, David." " Happy birthday." " We picked it out together." " Thank you." " We picked it out together." " We" " You're welcome." "Stop flirting and open it." " Let's get a drink." " Yes." "I'll leave this upstairs." "Yeah!" "Hi." "Come here a second." " I'll be right back." " Okay." " Hey, listen" " No, no." " Hey, Tommy." "No, don't" " Don't blow me off." "I'm all packed." "I'm going back to London and I understand you put me up for that other attorney's job so you didn't have to fire me." "That's a classy move and your father would've done the same." " It's okay, Tommy." " No, I" " I became incompetent." "Is there anything more unbecoming than an aging mascot, hmm?" "I cared for your father." "I lived and breathed for him but these guys, the Seven Dwarves they think you're stupid." "A corporate hazard." "A rogue." "They are gonna find a way to get you out, David." "They're lined up for your office, your life, your position." "They're working day and night to cheat you out of your 51 percent vote." "And they're gonna sell this tradition of words so they can eat in a better cafeteria." "But what they don't know is this." "People will read again!" " I got it." " Do you know they even got a--?" "Well, a nickname for you behind your back?" "Citizen Dildo." "Now, you got great instincts." "But I say this with complete love." "Claim your life." "Learn to be an asshole." " Don't" " Two's enough." "Forgive me." "But I still believe in this family, David even if it's only you." "Get Tipp out of here." "Uh, drive him home, and in the morning tell him he's rehired with a 50 percent raise." "Give him that big office across the hall from the Seven Dwarves." " Right." " And set up a meeting with the other attorneys." "I'm gonna be in early tomorrow." "Well, earlier than usual." "Keep on pushing" "Keep on pushing" "Keep on pushing" "Hello, handsome." "I've come to wish you a happy birthday." "Heh, oh, man." "I didn't invite you, Julie." "That was a little weird." "But that's how it works with parties." "You have to be invited." " Oh." " Oh." "I'm mad at you, you dick." "We made love four times the other night." " Is that good?" " Two's good." "Three is very good." " But four" " Four's pretty good?" "Four is..." "Keep on pushing" " Four is what?" " Ha, ha." "Hold me and then I'll leave and you can go back and talk to that cute brunette." "And four is what?" "I don't wanna meet any of your fancy friends." "I knew them all back when I was fancy too." " All right." "What?" " Ha, ha." "She looks like a moth, David." "A moth?" "Sometimes I worry about you, that some clever girl in a big silly coat is gonna come along and play you just the right way." "Then I'll lose my friend and there won't be any chicken-soup parties for me and you." "Okay." "When will you call me?" "Don't say "soon."" "I hate it when you say "soon."" "Danny Bramson gave him that for his birthday last year." "So this is what's become of rock 'n' roll." "A smashed guitar behind a glass case displayed on some rich guy's wall." "It was a gift, actually." "I like it." "Whoa, whoa, whoa." "So how did you get all this stuff?" "This apartment, this life?" "I see." "How about if you help me?" " Unless I'm horning in here." " You are." "But the food's good." "See, I've got this little problem." "I got a stalker." " It doesn't sound life-threatening." " But I need a cover." "I need for you to pretend we're having a scintillating conversation and you are wildly entertained." " I know it's tough." " I'll improvise." "She's right across the room and she's burning a hole in my back now, isn't she?" " Red dress, strappy shoes?" " Yes." "Wow." "She's really staring at you." "I'm having a martini." " Shit." " And she seems to be growing less happy." "I think she's the saddest girl to ever hold a martini." "Don't like the direction" "Brian Shelby." " Jennifer Kelly." " Ooh." "Hi, Jennifer." "You have another apartment?" "Sort of a day office." "Come on." "That it used to" " I am not going in there." " Well, I am." "Good night." "Wonder why you don't get one thing done" "And I don't like the direction" "You are going to" "Don't like the direction" " I hear her coming!" " Really?" "No." "Now it has the attention That it used to" "Stay home all night with the TV" " Brian." "How are you?" " Hi." "We're safe, but I've got nothing to drink." "Who did these paintings?" "This is Joni Mitchell." "This one is Monet." "And this one was done by me." "It is a snowboard." "Well, two of them are geniuses." "That is the real thing." "His paintbrush painted the vanilla sky on this canvas." "My mother's." "I'm surprised you're surprised." " I can't keep this banter going." " Me neither." " I caught you." " Brian!" "Come in here." " What's going on?" " Your friends are fun, and I'm drunk." " Julie Gianni is stalking me." " She looked dangerous." "Oh, nobody stalks me, so I drink." " We're all out of drinks up here." " Here, finish my Jack and Coke." " Stupid glass." " I got it." " No, it's the stupid guy holding it." " Don't worry." "No big deal." "I'll go get us all something." "Jacks and Cokes?" "I better hit it." "I drank too much, and I didn't fucking eat." " You can't leave." "The party's just starting." " For you it is." " You cannot go." "You are my guest of honor." " Oh, fuck you, David." "You're paying me to write my novel, so you own me." "I don't own you." "You are brilliant." "You are good-looking." "You are handsome." "But why'd you have to hit on Sofia?" " I wasn't hitting on Sofia." " Oh, fine." "Whatever you say." "I'm crazy." "I'm blind." "No, you're not blind." "You're drinking Jack Daniel's." "And when you drink Jack, you start in with that "Frank Sinatra, she shot me down, give me a cigarette, king of sad" thing." " That I do." "Give me a cigarette." " I'll find one." "But wait." "You're rich and women love you, and I'm from Ohio and I'm drunk." " Can I tell you the truth?" " Everybody does." "I dig her and I've never said this to you before about any girl." "But she could be could be, could be, could be the girl of my fucking dreams." " You're not from Ohio." " I know." "But if she fucks up our friendship, she can go to hell." "I won't allow it." "We are bros." " I feel the same way." " Sure you do." " Hi." " Hey." "How you doing?" "Ooh, gracias." " Thank you." " You're welcome." "Where are you going?" "I am Frank, and Frank must go." " What?" " I good you bid evening." " Wait." "I'll go with you." " Stay, baby." " I'll give you a ride home later." " No, I have to work tomorrow." "You" " You are in great hands." "I'm just humoring myself that my opinion matters." "You will never know the exquisite pain of the guy who goes home alone." "Because without the bitter, baby the sweet ain't as sweet." "Have a good time." "Sweet-and-sour speech again." "Hey, I'm comin' down" "Like a wrecking ball" "Why are you scared of heights?" "There are a lot of people who are scared of heights." "It's not the heights that bother me." "It's the impact that terrifies me." "I won't stay long." "Hey, Paolo." " Hello." "I have to take you for a walk." " I'm glad he protects you." "This is a" " It's a lethal canine." "I love living here, and I refuse to clean up." " No problem." " I have to work around the clock to keep this place." " You really are a dancer." " For 14 years." "But I don't dance like you dance." "Do you want something to drink?" "Sure." "Hi, Paolo." "My beautiful, beautiful boy." "What do you want for dinner tonight?" "You want chicken?" "Do you want fried chicken?" "Paolo." "I like your life." "Well, it's mine, and you can't have it." "I don't wanna know the story behind this photo." "Who's Sergio?" "It's a nickname." "Your nickname is Sergio?" "It's a long story, and we don't know each other." "Ah." "So many secrets." " That's because I'm really an arms dealer." " I've never known an arms dealer before." "You do now." "What about you?" "What's your nickname?" "Citizen Dildo." "Hmm." "Mm-hm." "You are not staying over." "Never own a company." "Stay an artist." "Stay an arms dealer." "Oh, please." "Somehow I can't play the violin for you." "Although it must be difficult controlling all those people's lives." "Everyone at that party's connected to you for survival in some way it seems." "Ever been married?" "No." "Did you ever accept any of your 12,000 proposals?" "Twelve thousand and eight." "No." "And you moved to New York to dance, paint, act and deal arms?" "Right." "Do you wanna hear Jeff Buckley or Vicki Carr?" "Jeff Buckley or Vicki Carr." "Both simultaneously." "Everyone said, "Don't go to New York."" "But I just think good things will happen if you're a good person with a good attitude, don't you think?" "You think I'm naive?" "Uh, no." "I really don't." "I dug her completely." "Somehow I'd found the last semiguileless girl in New York City." "I have to get to sleep." "Truthfully, I'm also working mornings as a dental assistant." "Boy, am I going to the wrong dentist." "And you didn't immediately wanna sleep with her?" "Well, you know, I'm a pleasure delayer." "How does that work?" "Pleasure delay?" "You don't know?" "You keep a relationship casual until the absolute breaking point." "And then one evening or afternoon or morning it could be months from now, and" "You know how it works." "No, actually, I don't." "I've been married for 22 years." "Oh, you've got dinner with your daughters." "That's right, I do." "Back then, I had intricate systems with women tsk, you wouldn't believe." "Like what?" "Hey, doc, don't get all melancholy over the 30 seconds you were single a long time ago." "Heh." "That's what you think I'm doing?" "Oh, yes." "You might be right." "Let's continue." "Time is not our friend." "Just our shortcomings." "That's all we're allowed to draw?" " Ha, ha." " I've never drawn such a true likeness before." " Mine's finished." " Already?" "Done." "That's how you see me?" "Maybe I didn't add enough money." "No, it's something that you'd see on a wall in a steak house in hell." "It's wonderful." "Sign it." " Let's see" " Let's see yours." " No." " Give me that." " No." "I feel bad." "You said to draw a caricature." "I know." "I couldn't." "I saw you like that." "It's very good." "I'll sell it to you." "You monster." "How much for?" "One kiss." "That smile's gonna be the end of me." "And what happens when your friend calls you tomorrow?" "He just met you a few hours before me." "He'd do the same." "I see that friendship is important to you." "It is, it is." "And as his best friend I also know that he's trying to finish a novel about inadequacy and rejection." "So the longer that I stay, the better it is for his career." "Hmm." "Your career is the one I'd worry about." "Sorry." "No." "No, you're more right than you would even know." "Yeah, I used to be one of those guys that just, uh" "Snowboarding through his life with no focus whatsoever." " When did you change?" " About five minutes ago." "Every passing minute is another chance to turn it all around." "And to those who think that you're a charlatan?" "Heh." "I understand." "The perception of a hand frozen somewhere waiting for reanimation, it sounds like science fiction." "What are you watching?" "It's the greatest show." "It's called Sofia." "It is at the frontier of a new science." "Life Extension." "How do you accomplish such a thing?" "I've seen this 30 times." "You know, life is full of surprises." "The greatest surprise of all is that this doesn't have to end, ever." "We did a story on this guy." "He owns half of Arizona." "Is he a fraud?" " How would you ever know?" " Good point." "Can you unfreeze a human life?" "Take the case of Benny the dog." "Benny's a dog who was frozen for three months and thawed out to live a normal life." "That's comforting." "It's safe for Benny." "I'm in." "You'll learn more about human relationships." "Boy will still meet girl." "They will still fall in love." "Families will flourish." "But man will meet his mind." "This is how I prefer to spend my retirement." "We better watch out." "Raymond Tooley, creator of Life Extension." "The book is Life:" "The Sequel." "Okay." "Where are you going?" "I left my number on your fridge." "Come here." "I want to tell you a secret." "I meant that to be your forehead." "Thank you for the inspiration." "I will now attempt to run my company showing compassion for the seething throng of my partners, who root quietly for me to fail and for things you don't even know." "Thank you." "I'm gonna go to work." "I have a company to run." "Pleasure delayer." "Yeah." "David Aames." " Julie Gianni." " Hey, handsome." "You're following me." "Heh." "Just a little bit." "I wanted to finish what we were talking about." "And?" "How did it go with our moth girl?" "Did she turn into a butterfly for you?" " Yes, she did." " Yeah?" "She did." "Ha, ha." "Tell by the way you were walking you didn't sleep with her." "Let me guess." "You haven't slept with her because it's more fun when you can draw it out." "Sex just isn't as good if a woman hasn't told all her friends she'd never sleep with you." " You're right on the money, Julie." " Ha, ha." "She must me exhausted from trying to be witty for you all night long." "Hey, Julie." "Sorry." "It's okay." "You just never seem to be there for your friends until they've already given up on you." "I'm not blowing you off." "I just" "I wanna be alone for a little bit." "Trust me." "I have a lot of things that I have to take care of." "And if we're friends, which we are, okay then you'll understand that." "I'm sorry." "I got weird." "I missed an audition and it just made me feel bad you didn't invite me to your party." "You wanna make it up to me?" "I won't tell a soul." "Ha, ha." "You are to blame" "Would you do a story on me if I made a CD?" "Sure I would." "Do you like my music?" "It's vivid." "I fall apart" "Well, if I weren't me, I would buy a CD by me." "Well, you know, if you can reach one person..." " Ha, ha." " Wow." "Ha, ha." "I fall apart" "What's happiness to you, David?" "What's happiness to me?" " What is happiness--?" " Because for me this is happiness." "It's being with you." "There's one thing that bothers me." "Why did you tell Brian that I was your fuck buddy?" "I didn't tell him that." "I didn't say that." "I mean, when did you stop caring, David?" "Caring about what?" "About the consequences of the promises that you've made." " Promises?" " Yeah, the promises." "I thought" "Julie, get the fuck-- What are you talking about?" "Do you understand how hard it is to pretend to be your buddy?" "David, I love you." "I fucking love you." "I fucking love you!" " Fuck!" " Hey." "Whoa, whoa, whoa!" "Don't do this." "Don't do this." "You fucked me four times the other night, David." " You've been inside me." " Julie" "I've swallowed your come." "That means something." "Slow down." "Hey." "Hey." "Four times" " It means something, David." " Four times." " Stop the car." "Twenty-four hours a day, I live with this aching possibility that you might call me to do something." "Let's go to your house and talk this out." "I wanna see where you live." "Let's just slow down." " Fuck!" " I want you to stop." "I want you to stop the car!" "Don't you know that when you sleep with someone your body makes a promise whether you do or not?" "Tell me something, David." "I mean, do you believe in God?" "What are you doing?" "Okay, I love you." "I love you." " Stop it!" " What are you doing?" "Hello." "Ha, ha." "You're amazing." "Did you get to work all right?" "Yeah." "No, actually, I" "I had a horrible dream." "You dreamed you'd never see me again." "I left your apartment." "I went downstairs to the car and my friend the stalker had followed me there." " Julie?" " Yes." "And she wanted to talk to me." "And I remember I had this, uh, buzz, you know." "That buzz from you and me." "I think my, uh" " My mind was still on that terrible drawing of me." "But she was upset about" " I don't know." "You know, I got in the car, and she drove off a bridge and committed suicide with me in the car." "I thought you were going straight to work." "But I survived with my arm and my face reconstructed." "And what's worse I can't wake up." "And how was your house after the party?" "Party?" " What party?" " The party." "Remember?" "Red dress, strappy shoes." "I spilled something on your shirt." "Sweet and sour." "And the saddest girl to ever hold a martini." "My dreams are a cruel joke." "They taunt me." "Even in my dreams, I'm an idiot who knows he's about to wake up to reality." "If I could only avoid sleep." "But I can't." "I try to tell myself what to dream." "I try to dream that I'm flying." "Something freeing." "It never works." "Is that the only thing you dream?" "I don't" " I don't remember." "Do you dream about the car accident?" "Here's what you remember from a coma." "Nothing." "What happened next?" "What really happened?" "What?" "Didn't you read the file?" "I was out for three and a half weeks." "My face and my arm were shattered, and my jaw was broken in four places." "No surgery could be performed because of the coma." "You can't feel the darkness or numbness." "You can't even feel." "And then I came back to life." "Just like that dog Benny." " You know, Benny the dog?" "Ha, ha." " Benny." "Benny the dog." "Only my life was, uh, no longer normal." "There are blinding migraines now." "Nerve damage." "Why?" "This is how big business operates." "Random accidents." "A lifestyle mishap." "They are not coincidences." "How do you think airtight contracts are broken?" "These are power upheavals." "I'm from Ohio." "We don't have power upheavals." "They are in the news every day right between the lines." "Someone did this to me." "My father wrote about this in his book." "Chapter one, page one, paragraph one." "What is the answer to 99 out of 100 questions?" "Money." "David, David, look." "I don't wanna worry you." "I'm holding them off, but we've got a situation here." "The bylaws of the board protect your 51 percent vote only if you're mentally acute." "Now, I'm sorry that poor girl died, but you've handed the board a real gift with your mishap." "They'd like to declare you incapacitated." "But you're back." "You sound good to me, so let's fight the fuckers and have a full recovery." "And maybe you should let people see you, yeah?" "I mean, the last time we were together, you were" "You were in a coma, and you were very fucking rude to me." " You didn't say a word." " Ha." "Yes, well the rumors of my death have been mildly exaggerated." "Who could I trust?" "The ants were taking over the anthill." "Who could I trust?" "The cranial structure was based on 30 pins and fastened by micropanels and bits of bone from the mandible." "And it appears the cartilage grafts have maintained your cheek structure." "Unfortunately, because you were in a coma..." "Doctors." "Their power is in jargon, so you study up." "Is that the procedure for all bilateral periorbital hematomas in a Le Fort III fracture of a comatose patient?" " In a Le Fort Ill?" " You do your best." "Absolutely." "The potential for intracranial brain damage was too great." "And beyond the cheek grafts, Dr. Pomeranz are the pins fastened with any kind of aluminum which could ionize and cause that pressure in my head?" " Because I'm ready for another operation." " Yes, we are working on processes but you're specifically not at the stage where we can experiment." "No." "Experiment." "Use me." " The headaches will go away." " These are more than headaches." "These are like steel plates slicing through my every thought." "We're not cowboys." "We can't just wing it." "Because I can't think straight most of the time." " We can increase your medication." " Oh, yes." "Medication." "Whoo!" "And there are things that we'll continue to investigate." "However, there are many others who've not had the aesthetic benefit of plastic surgery as you have." "This isn't about vanity, Dr. Pomeranz." "This isn't about vanity." "This is about functioning in the world." "It's my job to be out there functioning." "Now, I've got the money." "I'll pay any amount." "Just invent something." "Just play jazz." "You say you're the best face man in New York?" "Fucking prove it." " We could do something about your arm." " Fuck my arm!" "Nobody here takes your feelings for granted." "We did prepare something for you based on the preliminary examination." " Tell me." "Bring it on." " It's sometimes useful in the early stages of rejection." "It's a facial prosthetic." "It was two weeks in the making." " Thank you, Carly." " You're welcome, doctor." "A facial prosthetic." "The aesthetic replacement does work, emotionally and actually." "And the plastic in the aesthetic shield also blocks out abusive rays and assists in the regeneration of cells." "So it's an aesthetic regenerative shield." "That's correct." "Exactly." "And the ergonomics of the plate barrier allows it to interact reflexively..." " ...with the movements of your own face." " Oh." "I see." " It's a helpful unit." " Good." "Because for a minute there I thought we were talking about a fucking mask!" " It's only a mask if you treat it that way." " Oh, no." "It's great." "This completely takes care of Halloween." "But what about the other 364 days of the year?" "A new form of me began to take shape." "I planned my reemergence like the Normandy invasion." "Sofia." "Sofia." "Sofia." "Sofia." "Sofia." "Sofia." "Serrano." "I'll just say it." "I did my homework." "I read every memo." "Thomas Tipp was right." "People will read again." "I attended the monthly board meeting of the Seven Dwarves by video hookup." "Because people aren't buying books." "Let's invest" "Oh, baby." "This was war." "My father was an adventurer." "Sofia Serrano!" "I grew stronger in ways I've never known before." "And on December 5th, my planes filled the sky." "The return of David Aames Jr." "Citizen Dildo." "Did you see his face?" "You won't" " You won't believe this." "But this is me smiling." "It's been a long time." "I tried to see you, but your people wouldn't let me." "I didn't wanna see me, okay?" "But then I woke up today and finally, a good hair day." "You wanna get together?" "Sure." " What?" " Let's go out and do something." "This weekend." "I'll cancel an operation or two." "We'll have fun." " Because I am all about fun." " Ha, ha." "Okay, folks, our first guest tonight is an amazing survival story." "Please welcome Benny the dog." "Welcome to the show." "Thank you very much for being here, Gary." " My pleasure." " I have so many questions." "To start off, tell us all just what has happened to Benny." " What's Benny been through?" " Okay, well, uh Benny fell into the water near our home and he was frozen in the Skykomish River." "In Washington." "That's right." "And I went fishing, thinking he'd been gone now for three months." "And I see him in a block of ice." "He is thawed out now." "Is that correct?" " Ha." " He's not moving a lot." "I'm worried." "Should I get out some tongs?" "I'm worried about the dog." "No, he's fine." "He's just lost a little of his friskiness, that's all." "Hey." "Sofia?" "It's David." "I'm back in your life, and I" "I saw you earlier today." "I was just watching our old friend Benny the dog on Conan and I thought of you." "Whatever." "I, uh" "I loved seeing you today." "So I will see you soon." "You're a great dancer." "Whoo!" "Woo-hoo!" " What are you drinking?" " Nothing." "I'm in the mood for a cheap, sugary, overpriced rum and Coke." " Do you want one?" " Is there any other kind?" "I'll get us some." " Where's the bathroom?" " Uh, it's behind, uh" "Over there by the place" "By the girl who looks like Björk." " I'll be right back." " Maybe I should, uh" " Hey, hey, hey." " Hey, man." " You look good." "How's your book?" " Take it off." "No, this is a facial shield." "It's an aesthetic prosthesis." "These fucking doctors." " Take off the mask, man." "It's freaking me out." " I can't." "It's my face." "This is my face." "Trust me." "It's a little different." "If you're embarrassed, just go." "Nobody asked you to chaperone." " Sofia asked me." " What?" "She didn't wanna be alone with me?" "That's bullshit." "Because I think I'm being pretty fucking cool about this whole thing." "Talk to a shrink." "Or are you gonna call me sometime instead of hiding in your apartment?" "Don't take it out on a girl you only met once." "Did she say that?" "Once?" " Did she say that I met her once?" " Look, just cut it out, okay?" "I miss the old you." "We all miss the old you." "Because the new guy is shit." "That came out wrong." "I love you." "Period." " How's your arm, man?" " Fuck you, Brian." "How about no sympathy?" "How about that's the deal we make?" "Okay?" "Afrika" "Give me a Budweiser and a shot of tequila." "What kind of tequila?" " What did you say to me?" " I said, what kind of tequila?" "Why don't you ask me to my face, bitch?" "Afrika Bambaataa" "Patrón if you have it." "They're setting the stage" "For the renegades" "To control your mind" "They planned it yesterday, free" "Zulu Nation here to stay" "Let's get electrified Let's get electrified" "Let's get electrified Let's get electrified" "Let's get electrified Let's get electrified" "Let's get electrified Let's get electrified" " Pump it, rockin' it, sticking' it, funkin' it" " Afrika" " Another shot, another Bud." " This is on the house." " Why?" " It just is, bitch." "That's the way we say Zulu" "Z-U-L-U That's the way we say Zulu" "Zulu Nation, cities of angels" "Zulu Nation, cities of angels" "Afrika Bambaataa" "Zulu Nation" "Electro funk" "Z-U-L-U That's the way we say Zulu" "Z-U-L-U That's the way we say Zulu" "Patrón!" "Dude, fix your fucking face." " Hello again." " Hello again." "Idea." "Let's start over." "How about if you help me?" "Uh, unless I'm horning in here." "Oh, you are." "But the food is good." "I've got this little problem." "I've got a stalker." "Uh, it doesn't sound life-threatening." "I need a cover." "I need for you to pretend that we're having a scintillating conversation and you are wildly entertained." "I know it's tough." " I'll improvise." " I don't talk like that." "She's right across the room and she's burning a hole in my back right now." "Red dress, strappy shoes?" "That's right." "Hmm." "I think she is the saddest girl to ever hold a martini." " Are you okay?" "No?" " No." "No." "Why?" "What's wrong?" "Is it me?" " Is it me?" " I'll tell you later." " No." "Tell me now." " I'll tell you later." " İf something's wrong, please tell me now." " I'll tell you la" "Let's just talk about it all right now." "Let's talk about everything." "Just get it all out." "Say everything now." "Let's just" " David" " Say everything" "Say everything now." "Now." "Now." "I'll tell you in another life, when we are both cats." "I can't believe you just said that." "That is the greatest thing that I've ever heard." "That's hilarious that you said that." "Heh." "See, that's" " She said that." "You said that." "See, that" " That is what I love about you." "That's" " That's hilarious." "I'll tell you in another life, when we are both cats." "Cats!" "Cats!" " Well, this is where I leave you." " Wait." "I'll walk you to your door." " No, I live just around the corner." " I've got my bike here." " I'd rather walk." " Don't be a drag." "Can't you see she wants to go on her own?" "Shut up." "You're drunk." "I may be an idiot, but I'm not drunk." "Seriously, I don't need you to walk me home." "Thank you." "Okay, then, so we'll call you." "Okay." "We'll go catch a movie or something." "So we'll meet up soon." "We'll meet up soon." "We'll call you again to go out with me!" "We'll call you!" "It's been a real blast, David." "I bid you good evening." "Wait, wait, wait." "Whoa." "Where are you going?" "My bike, it's back over there." "We'll hang soon." "And bring your mask if you want." "I'm getting used to it." " Wait a minute." " What?" "I don't know." "Look, you drank a little too much." "Call me tomorrow if you want." "Because tomorrow I'll wish I was dead." "No, you won't." "You just need to sleep." " Hey." "Hey!" "Hey." " What?" "What did you say to Julie Gianni the night of the accident?" "What?" "You told her she was a fuck buddy." "Never." "She was a little more than pissed about it." "Have you been harboring this shit all along?" "I never talked to her." "Whatever." "Anyway who am I if I can't be the one to tell you you're not ugly?" "Heh." "Come on." "Give me a courtesy laugh." "Oh, Brian, I'm so fucked up." "I'm just so fucked up." "Hey, Brian." "Come on." "We're best friends!" "We're bros!" "Come on, man." "We're bros." "Open your eyes." " Boo!" " Ah!" "This is a cheap ploy for sympathy." "I'm okay." "I'm okay." "And it worked." "Get up." "I agree." " This is a joke." " David, I'm not gonna lie to you." "I liked the way you looked." "But you have to pull it the fuck together." "Because if not, I'll forget the other guy." "You know that other guy?" "You?" "I'm still that guy." " I'm still that guy." " Listen." "I don't have a mother-savior bone in my body." "It's not about that." "You are coming inside." "But if this turns out to be a big mistake I do have the ability to fall out of love with you..." "like that." "Uh-huh." "We created our own world together." " I am still that guy." " Shut up." "Us versus them." " Where's Brian?" " Brian?" "He went with you." "Didn't he?" "I thought you guys hooked up." "I wish you hadn't gotten in the car with that girl." " Sofia, I" " Shh." "Your eyes apologize better." "Come on." "Holy God." "This is going to change my life in a zillion different ways." " I must be nuts." " Ha, ha." "And we were quite a pair." "Her believing in me and me believing that I actually deserved it." "Ah, Sofia." "Well, I see you haven't been wasting your time." "Do you ever draw anything else?" "No." "Did you sleep last night?" "I love you." "No." "I did not sleep." "Got to leave early today, David, so you'll have to be brief." "Now, what can you tell me about the name Ellie?" "Ellie." "Is that a girl you knew?" "A girl you were in love with?" "I've only been in love once." "Apparently, you kept repeating it last night." "You did sleep, David." "Your adviser said you cried out." " You had a nightmare." " Everything's a nightmare." "You cried out for Ellie, David." "Do you remember what happened?" "I" " I know I" "Dig deep, David." "Dig deep." "You cried out for Ellie." "What do you remember about Ellie?" "Show me your face, David." "Help me open the door." "No." "It's true you had an accident." "It's true you were disfigured." "But not anymore." "Do you remember?" "They did fix your face." "Take off that mask, David." "You'll see your face is perfect under there." "I never trusted the doctors." "And what happened next was surreal." "That same arrogant bastard, Dr. Pomeranz, called me and suddenly he was my new best friend." "David." "Hey, my brother." "Hey, I felt really bad about our last conversation." "He said he'd discovered a new form of reconstructive surgery with the help of a doctor from Berlin." " Hello." " Next thing I knew they'd shot me full of drugs I'd never heard of and away we went." "Yeah, yeah, yeah What if God was one of us?" "Just a slob like one of us" "Trying to make his way home" " He's got a good voice." " Fifty-five?" "The odds, they said, were one in three that the headaches could be reduced by 50 percent and facial tissue could be regenerated." "The first to incorporate the concept..." " ...of endoscopic periorbital fiber optics." " Where are we gonna eat later?" "I can't even tell you what they did." "It seemed like science fiction to me." "Madonna had that song "Borderline."" "That was a hell of a song." "And another snip." "This is gonna be one good-looking guy when I'm done." "Obviously, I was suspicious." "Wouldn't you be?" "Suspicious of whom?" "Of what?" "Doc, once you've been driven off a bridge at 80 miles an hour somehow you don't invite happiness in without a full-body search." "Well, at the risk of boring you I can present the alternate argument." "I once knew a guy who was a real loner." "One day he woke up at 40 with two daughters that lit up his life with purpose." "And he suddenly goes to endless school plays and he gets home at 9:20 for the evening discussion, and he" "He has the time of his life." "His favorite Beatle was once John, and now it's Paul." "I've always liked George." "It all depends on the individual, doesn't it?" "Tell me, what's happiness for you?" "What's happiness to you, David?" "How about another question?" "Well, you won't show me your face, will you?" "Ah, so back to the time line." "Hurry." "Let's move through this." "David!" "David?" "What?" "You've got to take the plates off." "I don't wanna know what's under here." "It's gonna be fine." "You'll see." " I'll go tomorrow." " You're going today." "I already called Pomeranz and switched it to Wednesday." "Ha, ha." "What?" "I hope that woman at the front desk gave you shit about it." "Another day won't matter." "Besides, the Mustang will be fixed." "The plan was going in the Mustang." "The Mustang's not ready." " So we'll go tomorrow in the Mustang." " Good." "We'll go when it's fixed." "The Mustang." "Because I know that the problem wouldn't be you delaying something you are dreading." " Couldn't be that." " No." "Couldn't be that." "I mean..." "I mean, I agree." "I think it's very important to have the right car to take you where you want to go 24 hours a day." "Hmm." "How bad is it?" "Well, your ears are in the right place." "And the rest of it is not too bad at all." "It's perfect." "Do you love me?" "I mean really love me?" "Because if you don't I'll just have to kill you." "You see, in my next life" "In my next life, I wanna come back as this mole right here." " Mm-hm." " Seriously, this mole." "You'll have to wear bikini tops to work and loose-fitting shirts so that I can breathe." "I love you." "Love you." "I love you." "I could live right there." "Is this a dream?" "Oh, absolutely." "We talked about the big things, the little things and the big things." "But in truth, with Sofia it was the in-between times." " What did she say?" " I have no idea." " How's things, Brian?" " Fine." "Brian, how's things?" "Don't flatter yourself." "I'm fine." "Besides, Sofia is great, but by no means one of a kind." "She was a proximity infatuation." "And don't use that." "It's mine." "Thanks." "Where'd you get this camera?" "Oh, I'm into things you have no idea, my friend." "Ah." "Well, just as long as you're okay." "And anyway, we're friends, aren't we?" " Always." " That's right." "Hey." "What's up with your face?" " Fuck!" " What?" "There's a seam opening or something." "Ah?" " David Aames." " You're a fucking asshole." "I know." "Was I snoring?" "No." "I think it was me." "I was thirsty, that's all." "I'm dreaming about you." "Mm." "Mm." "Mm." "I could listen to you say "mm" for the rest of my life." "Baby, what's wrong?" "Where is she?" "Who?" "Who?" "I'm Sofia." "Now, I'm gonna make sure that I tie it four times." "You know why, Julie?" "Because four times really means something." " David, don't hurt me." " Okay." "I'm freaked out." "It worked." "You know you're not gonna get away with this..." " ...so just tell me, where is Sofia?" " I'm Sofia." " Where is Sofia?" " I am Sofia." " Where is she?" "Where is she?" " I am Sofia!" "I'm calling the police, and then you can tell it to them." "You survived the accident." " What accident?" " Whose body was it?" "It was the board." "It was the Seven Dwarves, wasn't it?" " I wasn't in an accident!" " You're trying to steal my life!" "Of course you weren't in an accident and now a fucking attempted murder!" "I'm Sofia." "Please." "Tell it to them." " No." " Oh, my God." "Yes, this is David Aames." "This is David Aames." "I need help." "I've" " I have an intruder." "I've captured an intruder..." " ...who's entered my home." " Oh, God." " David Aames." "Aames." " Wake up, man." "Are you for real?" "You kept me waiting here for three hours." "Tell me the news." "These guys think that I had something to do with this." "Guys, can you give us a minute here?" "Detective Larson, Detective Andrews, thanks." "Thanks very much." "They think that I had something to do with this." "I'm gonna handle this exactly the way your father would, okay?" "All right?" "I've got it solved." "You got it solved?" "Where is she?" "Uh, she's gonna be fine." "Now, this whole file is gonna" "Thank God you're here, man." "It's okay." " I love her." " Yeah." "Right now I want you to look at these photos, and then I'm gonna destroy them." "Sofia's testimony is also in here." "It won't exist." "She's not going to press charges." "Press charges against me?" "David, wake up." "Now, as a friend I think you should see what you did to Sofia." "Now, the press won't get ahold of this if you get away quickly." "Tommy, this is Julie Gianni." "This is not Sofia." "This is Julie Gianni." "I didn't do this to her." "Tommy, someone's setting me up." "David, the board and I have taken care of everything." "Okay?" "I mean, they've been really great." "Really great, actually." "All this is gonna disappear." "We're all behind you." "Even the board." "Get out of here." "This is a revolution of the mind." "You're in fucking sad shape!" "Don't fucking ever hit a girl." "Hit me, but don't fucking ever hit a girl." "Listen to me." "It wasn't Sofia." "It was Julie." " It was" " It was Julie." " Oh." " It was Julie Gianni." " Yes." "So Sofia was abducted by Julie and now Julie is posing as Sofia." " Yes." " You're in O.J. land, man." "Julie Gianni is fucking dead." "I don't care what they told you." "I can assure you, Julie Gianni is alive." " She is alive." " I didn't talk to them." "I talked to Sofia." " Where is she?" " I just dropped Sofia off and I saw everything you did to her." "Let me tell you something." "I did not do that to her." "Look at me." "Look me in the eye and you tell me that's the girl you brought to the party." "You tell me that that's your dream girl." "Your proximity infatuation." "Yes." "And you stole her from me." "The one girl I really wanted, and you took her from me." "You're insane." "You're losing it, man." " You have revealed yourself." " Oh, yeah." "I'm with "them." Ooh." "Where'd you get the coat, Brian?" "Where'd you get the camera?" "How much did they pay you?" "Listen to me, because this is the last time we're ever gonna speak." "I was your only friend." "You have revealed yourself to me." "I might be wrong" "I might be wrong" "Problems?" "Look, I'm in no mood to be fucked with, so do yourself a favor" "There's an explanation for all this, David." "You and I know each other." "You found me on the Internet." "I used to think" "I'm here to help you, David." "Who the fuck are you?" " Why are you following me?" " First of all it's very important that you calm down." "Calm down?" "Ha, ha." "Calm down." "You must overcome your fears and regain control." "Take ahold of your life again, David." "It's as easy as holding that glass." "What if I were to tell you that you can take control of all of this, everything?" "Even me." "Look, I'm straight, okay?" "David, look at all these people." "Seems as though they're just all chatting away, doesn't it?" " Yeah." " Nothing to do with you." " No." " And yet maybe they're only here because you wanted them to be here." "You are their god." "Not only that but you can make them obey you or even destroy you." "Well, what I'd love for them to do is shut the fuck up especially you." "You see?" "You and I signed a contract, David." "Who is the man in the restaurant?" "Who is it?" " I can't" " Can you tell the difference between dreams and reality?" " Of course." "Can you?" " Think about it." "Think with your head." "You signed a contract, did you not?" "I signed something." "Was the man in the restaurant there?" " Fuck!" " Accept your body's resistance." "Let your head answer." "Sign the contract, David." " Yes." " That's right." " Who is Ellie?" " Ha, ha." "I" " I don't know what's real." " What happened that night, David?" " Somebody died." " I don't wanna remember." "You understand you hold the keys to this prison." " It wasn't Sofia." " Who was it?" " No." "No!" " Who was it?" "I'm afraid of him." "You wanna let it out, don't you, David?" "You're about to tell me." "Tell me what your heart and soul will not allow you to forget." "Did you kill Sofia?" "I thought you were a vandal." "Who are you?" "I'm Sofia." "You are not Sofia." "You are not Sofia." " I'm Sofia." " Whatever." "We're gonna be together again." "You're gonna forget about Julianna, and we're gonna be together." "I'm not gonna be afraid of you anymore." "I'm gonna get you a cold towel." "I'll be right back." "I love you." "Pleasure delayer." "Sofia?" "I am Sofia." "Sofia." "I love you." "I missed you so much." "Where were you?" "Forget it." "I don't need to know." "It doesn't-- It doesn't matter." "Just..." "Just tell me that you love me." "I love you." "What is happiness to you, David?" "For me, it's being here with you." "What the fuck is happening?" "What the fuck is happening?" "David was a real delight as a child." "Oh, God." "I'm so afraid of how powerful this is." "Oh, David!" "Red dress, strappy shoes." "That is the greatest thing that I've ever heard." "In another life, when we are both cats." "What's happening?" "Hey, man, what's happening?" "I don't wanna see your face!" "I did it, didn't I?" "But I don't feel like I killed someone." " David..." " I feel like I'm in a dream." "Who was the man at the restaurant?" "Sometimes the mind behaves as if it were in a dream." "Faces change." "People become other people." "The subconscious is a powerful thing." "You treated Julie carelessly, didn't you?" "Your feelings of responsibility or guilt over Julie might have easily turned Sofia into Julie." "Do you know what derangement is?" "I need your help." "All I know is you killed your girlfriend, and I don't know what's in your mind." "I need your help." "I would work on this case forever if I could, but we've run out of time." "What will you plead?" "Temporary derangement." "That's your best chance." "I don't think they'll believe me." "What do you believe?" "Believe it or not, I care about you." "You've" "You've become like family to me." "I don't wanna give up on you, David but I needed more." "I needed" " I needed an answer." "I mean, I even thought there was more than a good chance that somebody was playing a trick on you." "Maybe it was the board." "But I can't exceed my duties." "I'm just a psychologist." "And I have to go now." "Will I see you at the trial?" "No." "I'm..." "I'm just the opening act." "Reassurance is our specialty." "That's the Life Extension credo." "Benny is a dog who was frozen for three months and thawed out to live a normal life." "Life Extension can translate to the human form too." "How do you accomplish such a thing?" "Seventy-two cryonized patients are currently held at our facility in New Brunswick." "And we feature the finest scientific technicians on the planet." "The book is Life..." "McCabe!" "McCabe!" "Come back!" "Come back!" "Life Extension Corporation, please." " Can I help you?" " L.E." "We hold a court order." "I think I've been here before." " Her name is Libby." " Good morning, Mr. McCabe." "I'm Libby." "I'm here to assist you." "He's my son." "He's very shy." "You're not with the media or a part of any legal consortium, correct?" "No." "Welcome to Life Extension." "Take a look at our proposal." "Please follow me." "You can wait out here." "You'll be meeting Rebecca Dearborn, my personal role model." "I didn't need the pain anymore." "I already experienced that." "lay down and die." "Life Extension wants you to live." "I love my golf." "I love my vintage car." "I don't think that God disapproves of this." ""Cryonization:" "A journey of reawakening after the preservation of the human body at extremely low temperatures."" " They laughed at Jules Verne too." " David, you are not" "Mr. McCabe, how are you?" "I'm Rebecca Dearborn." "Life Extension, or "L.E.," as we like to refer to it is a glimpse of the future." "It's a ticket." "Not in the juvenile sense but in the deeply meaningful sense that can only be born in the human heart." "The DNA codes of the human body have been broken." "Soon heart ailments, cancer, so much more will be a thing of the past." "Very simply, your anguish, your discontent even your death is no longer necessary in a traditional sense." "Whatever malady hides behind that mask, it's temporary." "Within an hour of your passing L.E. will transfer your body to a vessel where you will be sealed and frozen at 196 degrees below zero." "Power outages, earthquakes..." "Nothing will affect your suspension hibernation." "You signed a contract with these people, David?" "What's the lucid-dream option?" "Good choice." "The lucid dream is Life Extension's newest option." "For a little extra, we offer the cryonic union of science and entertainment." ""Cryo-tainment."" "Some find this presentation helpful." "I have a universe" "Inside me" "Portrait of a modern human life." "American, male." "Birth and death." "Imagine that you are suffering from a terminal illness." "You'd like to be cryonized, but you'd rather be resurrected to continue your own life as you know it now." "L.E. offers you the answer." "Upon resurrection you will continue in an ageless state, preserved but living in the present with a future of your choosing." "Your death will be wiped from your memory." "Your life will continue as a realistic work of art painted by you minute to minute and you'll live it with the romantic abandon of a summer day with the feeling of a great movie or a pop song you always loved with no memory of how it all occurred save for the knowledge that everything simply improved." "And in any instance of discontent you'll be visited by technical support." "It's all just around the corner." "The day after tomorrow another chapter begins seamlessly." "A living dream." "Life Extension's promise to you." "Life, part two." "A living dream." "Your death will be wiped from your memory." " I guess I missed that one in USA Today." " A dream." "What if there was a mistake?" "What if the dream became a nightmare?" "Of course, your subconscious can always play tricks on you." "The subconscious is a very powerful thing." "Did you sign a contract with these people, David?" "But this is a serious business." "The lucid dream is worth the risk." "And what is any life if not the pursuit of a dream?" "The dream of peace." "The dream of achievement." "The dream of hearing someone say these words when they really, truly mean them." "I love you, David." "I love you." "Roam free, David." "Most of us live our whole lives without any real adventure to call our own." "It's hard to comprehend." "But they laughed at Jules Verne too." "This..." "is a revolution of the mind." "I wanna wake up!" "Tech support!" "Hey, face!" "It's a nightmare!" "Tech support!" "Tech support!" "David Aames." "I think it's time we had a proper reintroduction." "I'm Edmund Ventura from the Oasis Project formerly Life Extension, L.E." " Tech support." " Yes." "Yes, I'm your tech support, and we first met 150 years ago." "Oh, shit." "You sold me the lucid dream." "Well, what the hell happened?" "I tried to warn you in the bar, David." "I told you you must exercise control of yourself that it all depended on your mind." "All of this, everything, is your creation." "And now we're heading towards your true moment of choice." "True moment of choice?" "Yes." "When did the lucid dream begin?" "Do you remember the day at the nightclub?" "We'll meet up soon." "That night, after Sofia left you and you fell asleep on the pavement that was the moment that you chose for the splice." " Splice?" " Splice." "The end of your real life and the beginning of L.E.'s lucid dream." "A splice of many, many years, which passed while you were frozen and dreaming." "From the moment you woke up on that street, nothing was real in a traditional sense." "Open your eyes." "Your lucid dream is monitored by Life Extension and a panel of experts who are following your every thought even at this moment." "Forgive me." "I'm blowing your mind." "I'm not a big fan of heights." "I know." "We erased what really happened from your memory." "Erased?" "Replaced by a better life under these beautiful Monet-like skies." "My mother's favorite." "A better life because you had Sofia." "And you sculpted your lucid dream out of the iconography of your youth." "An album cover that once moved you." "An album cover?" "There are some things that you're not old enough to understand just yet." "A movie you saw once late at night that showed you what a father could be like." "Or what love could be like." "This was a kind woman." "An individual." "More than your equal." "You barely knew her in your real life, but in your lucid dream she was your savior." "What happened in my real life?" "Something happened." "What did you erase?" "Do you really want to know?" "Tell me everything." "The morning after the nightclub you woke up on that street hungover and alone." "You got up, and you walked away." "You never saw Sofia again." "I didn't kill Sofia." "No." "You battled your board, the Seven Dwarves, for control of the company." "In the end, it was Thomas Tipp, your father's friend the man whose job you saved who wrenched the company back into your control." "Tommy." "But then somebody died." "You longed for Sofia." "You shut yourself away for months." "You were alone." "You couldn't stand the pain anymore, the headaches." "You could barely function." "I found you on the Internet." "I signed a contract with you, and then" "I remember." "Somebody died." "It was me." "And on a day in late December you gave yourself to us." "You're now in a suspended state." "Your friend Brian Shelby threw a three-day memorial in your old home." "He was a true friend." "You were missed, David." "It was Sofia who never fully recovered." "It was she who somehow knew you best." "And like you, she never forgot that one night where true love seemed possible." "Consequences, David." "It's the little things." "The little things." "There's nothing bigger, is there?" "Your subconscious did create problems." "Your dream turned into a nightmare." "The glitch has been corrected." "So all I have to do is imagine something." "Like, if I wanted McCabe to come back right now" "David!" "Listen to me." "These people are dangerous." "We're in trouble." "We need to get off this roof now." "We're now on pause and you're about to return to your lucid dream." " Pause?" " With all the upgrades you won't remember any of this nor will you be charged for technical support." "It's now your moment of choice." "You can return to your lucid dream and live a beautiful life with Sofia or whomever you wish or you can choose the world out there." "The world out there." "And you can bring me back just like Benny the dog?" "Yes." "Just like Benny the dog." "Your face and body can be fixed now, of course." "But things are very different now and your finances won't last long." "Your panel of observers are waiting for you to choose." "There are no guarantees, but remember even in the future the sweet is never as sweet without the sour." " Hi." " How do I wake up?" "The decision is yours." "And I chose this scenario, didn't I?" "Yes, to face your last remaining fear, of heights." "David, don't listen to him." "You were right." "This is the Seven Dwarves." "It's a setup." " You can't trust him." " Don't feel bad for him, David." "This winning man is your creation." "And it's in his nature to fight for his existence, but he's not real." "I'm real." "I" " I'm real." "I have two daughters and you know that." "What are their names?" "I'm real." "I'm" "I'm mortality as home entertainment?" "This cannot be the future!" "Can it?" "Goodbye." "It's been a brilliant journey of self-awakening." "And now you've simply got to ask yourself this:" "What is happiness to you, David?" "I wanna live a real life." "I don't wanna dream any longer." "Any last wishes?" "Let them out there read my mind." "I wish you well, David." "Look at us." "I'm frozen, and you're dead and I love you." "It's a problem." "I lost you when I got in that car." "I'm sorry." "Do you remember what you told me once?" "That every passing minute is another chance to turn it all around." "I'll find you again." "I'll see you in another life when we are both cats." "Relax, David." "Open your eyes."