CypherpunkCinema on Nostr: "Up only." A short film FADE IN: EXT. CITY STREET - MORNING A bustling city street at ...

"Up only."
A short film

FADE IN:

EXT. CITY STREET - MORNING

A bustling city street at rush hour. People hurry along, but our focus is on two men:

JAMES, mid-30s, in a suit, always looking up with ambition in his eyes. He gazes at:

• The Skyscraper: His office building, with the coveted corner office window reflecting the morning sun.

• Billboards: Displaying luxury cars, expensive watches, the epitome of success.

NOAH, late 40s, rugged, working quietly on a small, sturdy raft in an alleyway, always looking down or straight ahead, focused on his task.

CUT TO:

INT. JAMES'S OFFICE - DAY

James works diligently, but his eyes often drift to the corner office, currently occupied by his boss.

NARRATOR (V.O.)
James believed in the climb. Each step up was a step towards his dreams of moving up. But every day, on his way to work, he encountered Noah. A man who who didn't seem to notice there was a sky above him at all.

EXT. ALLEYWAY - VARIOUS DAYS

We see time passing. Changing weather, and routines with Noah remaining the constant. Slowly, and meticulously building his raft.

CUT TO:

EXT. CITY STREET - ANOTHER MORNING

Months pass, and as James futzes with the new watch on his arm curiosity, and slight frustration at Noah's contrary existence, finally drive him to ask about his task.

JAMES
(With a mix of curiosity and condescension)
Why are you always looking down? Building... this?

NOAH
(Engrossed in his work, calm)
The systems we trust tell us everything worth having is above us. What they don't tell us is the system is meant to hold us down.

JAMES
(Confused)
So, you're just opting out?

NOAH
Not opting out. Understanding.
(Looking up for the first time, cool.)
If we're stuck on the bottom, and the bottom falls out or rises to engulf us, we die. The only way to win is to have something stable beneath your feet.

JAMES
(a beat.)
Good luck with that.

JAMES walks off as NOAH checks his watch before returning to his work. The same watch JAMES has.

CUT TO:

MONTAGE:

James in meetings, looking up at charts showing upward trends.
Noah adding piece by piece to his raft, securing, testing.

James at a company party, eyeing the promotion list; his name is second.

Noah, building. The wonky raft getting larger, filling the alley. As he puts the finishing nail a lightning flash. For the first time, he looks to the sky.

EXT. CITY - DAY OF THE FLOOD

A sudden, unprecedented flood hits the city. Chaos ensues.

People are scrambling, but the water rises fast.

James, caught in the flood, struggles. His dreams, the billboards, the shoes, the watches, literally going underwater.

EXT. ALLEYWAY - SAME TIME

Noah calmly pushes his raft into the water. It floats perfectly. He climbs aboard.

EXT. SUNKEN CITY - LATER

The chaos has died down. The survivors huddled on rooftops. As the fog clears, a lone raft gently glides into view towards a shocked James. Noah gently smiles as he anchors to the building.

JAMES
You knew this would happen?

NOAH
I knew to prepare for it.

Noah helps James aboard the raft. James finally sees they have the same watch.

NOAH
(Catching James seeing his watch.)
Sometimes we can't leave all the pieces of our old life behind. But that means we need to prepare all the more for those who won't be able to grasp what only our experiences could have taught us. Now get out of the way, we've got more people to save.

FADE TO:

EXT. FLOATING RAFT - DAY

The raft moves through the flooded city, heading toward another rooftop with stranded survivors. We pull back to see the whole world is covered in water, rooftops peeking out sprinkled with people.

NARRATOR (V.O.)
James believed in the climb. Each step up was a step towards his dreams of moving up. But what Noah understood was more important than the climb, was truly understanding the mountain he was climbing.

FADE OUT.

TITLE: "Up only."

END.