The Paradox

By Toby Griffin

EXT – OUTSIDE FOREST – DAY

11th January. 9:36 am. A car is parked around the forest. A

man, dressed in all black and wearing a mask, steps out of the
car and walks around to the boot. THE MAN IN BLACK opens to
boot, MARTIN is tied up with tape over his mouth. THE MAN IN
BLACK reaches in.

EXT – FOREST – MOMENTS LATER

They walk further into the woods and THE MAN IN BLACK loads a
gun. MARTIN falls over. THE MAN IN BLACK clocks the gun. THE
MAN IN BLACK’s mask distorts his voice.

THE MAN IN BLACK

I’m sorry, Martin. When you mess with the fabric of
space time there will always be consequences.

MARTIN shakes in confusion, fearing for his life.

THE MAN IN BLACK

 Goodbye, Martin.

THE MAN IN BLACK points the gun. THE MAN IN BLACK looks at the
gun. Strange warping sounds begin to intensify, both THE MAN
IN BLACK and MARTIN turn towards the source. In a burst of
blue light, FUTURE MARTIN appears in front of them both.

FUTURE MARTIN stands in shock briefly before quickly shooting

THE MAN IN BLACK. THE MAN IN BLACK drops to the ground. MARTIN
looks at his future self.

FUTURE MARTIN
Hello Martin, I’m you, from the future.

FUTURE MARTIN mumbles something. MARTIN’s scream is muffled.

He gets up and runs away. FUTURE MARTIN sighs and starts to
chase after him. MARTIN runs as fast as he can whilst being
tied up. FUTURE MARTIN follows quickly behind.

FUTURE MARTIN
Martin! Martin! (muffled in short distance)

MARTIN continues running but is hit in the back with a stick.

He falls over. FUTURE MARTIN catches up, he tries to catch his
breath. He is holding a small pad and a gun.

FUTURE MARTIN
Martin! (still out of breath) let me – let me
explain. Woo, you weren’t kidding time travel takes
a lot out of you.

MARTIN starts to shout but it is muffled by the tape.

FUTURE MARTIN
 Ummm, you’ve still got the tape.

MARTIN takes off the tape and unties himself.

MARTIN
Who was that? Who are you? What have I got do with
the fabric of space time? What is going on!

FUTURE MARTIN
I have no idea. I’m you, but future you. And I have
no idea how to answer those questions.

MARTIN
That isn’t helpful at all!

FUTURE MARTIN
Well, that’s what you told me, or I told you.

MARTIN stands looking even more confused whilst FUTURE MARTIN

is trying to figure it out.

FUTURE MARTIN
Or he told us. I don’t know, it’s all wibbily wobbly
timey wimey. But either way now you need to go back
now.

FUTURE MARTIN hands MARTIN the gun and small pad.

MARTIN
Go back where? What is this?
 FUTURE MARTIN
It’s a time machine. It takes you back in time. (As
if he is stating the obvious)

MARTIN looks at the device.

FUTURE MARTIN
I don’t remember asking so many questions. But say
and do everything I did. Remember everything that
happened exactly how it happened.

MARTIN presses the button.

FUTURE MARTIN
Make sure you explain everything. And say something
cool!

EXT – FOREST – A FEW MINUTES EARLIER

MARTIN is engulfed in blue light and is pulled through to a

different part of the forest. He sees THE MAN IN BLACK and the
past version of himself staring at him. He quickly shoots THE
MAN IN BLACK. THE MAN IN BLACK drops to the ground.

MARTIN
Hello Martin, I’m you, from the future.
(pause)
That wasn’t very cool

PAST MARTIN’s scream is muffled. He gets up and runs away.

MARTIN sighs and starts to chase after him. MARTIN follows
quickly behind.
 MARTIN
Martin! Martin!

MARTIN looks around and he finds a stick on the ground. He

throws the stick, and it hits PAST MARTIN in the back and he
falls to the ground. MARTIN catches up.

MARTIN
Martin! (still out of breath) let me – let me
explain. Woo, you weren’t kidding time travel takes
a lot out of you.

PAST MARTIN starts to shout but it is muffled by the tape.

MARTIN
Ummm, you’ve still got the tape.

PAST MARTIN takes off the tape and unties himself.

PAST MARTIN
Who was that? Who are you? What have I got do with
the fabric of space time? What is going on!

MARTIN
I have no idea. I’m you, but future you. And I have
no idea how to answer those questions.

PAST MARTIN
That isn’t helpful at all!

MARTIN
Well, that’s what you told me, or I told you.
PAST MARTIN stands looking even more confused whilst MARTIN is
trying to figure it out.

MARTIN
Or he told us. I don’t know, it’s all wibbily wobbly
timey wimey. But either way now you need to go back
now.

FUTURE MARTIN hands MARTIN the gun and small pad.

PAST MARTIN
Go back where? What is this?

MARTIN
It’s a time machine. It takes you back in time. (As
if he is stating the obvious)

PAST MARTIN looks at the device.

MARTIN
I don’t remember asking so many questions. But say
and do everything I did. Remember everything that
happened exactly how it happened.

PAST MARTIN presses the button.

MARTIN
Make sure you explain everything. And say something
cool!
PAST MARTIN is sucked through with a burst of
blue light.
MARTIN breathes a sigh of relief; he then starts to look
around and starts to freak out. MARTIN takes of running.
Strange vortex sounds start whirring up. The sound is cut off
by a small pop and a black hole forms with it.

TITLE CARD: THE PARADOX

INT – KITCHEN – DAY

SHERMAN is walking around his kitchen in his dressing gown. He

makes a cup of tea, sits down and sips it. He breathes a
peaceful sigh. His bliss is interrupted by the sounds of
MARTIN in the distance.

MARTIN
Sherman!

SHERMAN’s sighs again, but this time in frustration.

MARTIN
Sherman! Someone tried to kill. But then I was saved
by me and then I went back in time and saved my self
and then sent the me I saved back in time.
(rambling)
I have no idea what’s going on!

SHERMAN
I’ll put the kettle on again

INT – SHERMAN’S DESK – DAY

SHERMAN puts a briefcase on a desk and opens it. The case is
full of different files. SHERMAN begins to go through the
files whilst MARTIN stands behind him.

SHERMAN
So, time travels your problem, let’s see here.
Nuclear war, no. Zombie apocalypse, no. Alien
invasion, no. Dolphin people, no.

MARTIN
Dolphin people?

SHERMAN
Meeting the Carbons, no. Ah!

SHERMAN pulls out a DVD.

SHERMAN
Time travel.

They put the DVD into the player, and it starts to play. A
hypnotic video begins to play and starts glitching. The words
“TIME TRAVEL TUTORIAL” appear on the screen. Suddenly, a man
dressed in a cowboy outfit jumps into frame.

JOHNNY ROCKETS
Howdy partner, I’m Johnny Rockets, the rootin’
tootin’ time traveling cowboy. Here for all your
time travel and exposition needs. Yee-Haw Make sure
you stick around after the presentation, for the
Spanish dub.
MARTIN and SHERMAN look at each other then look
back at the screen.

JOHNNY ROCKETS
Now time travel is a fun pass time, but it’s also a
very risky business. It’s important to remember to
never interfere with any event in history, under any
circumstance. Interfering with the timeline will
result in many things but the worse possibility is
the creation of a paradox. Never create a paradox
under any circumstance. A paradox is a rip in the
space time continuum, a void of absent space that
will suck in and destroy anything in its path. A
paradox can be created with any major change to the
timeline, like saving your past-self from death or
putting your hat on backwards.

SHERMAN pauses the video and waits a few moments. He turns to

MARTIN.
SHERMAN
Martin…did you create a paradox?

MARTIN
I-I I don’t know…

SHERMAN
Martin?

MARTIN
Promise not to yell.

SHERMAN nods.

MARTIN
 I-I think there may be the slightest,
minimal chance that I may have created a paradox.

SHERMAN
Martin! (yelling)

MARTIN
You said you wouldn’t yell

SHERMAN
You said you wouldn’t create a paradox!

MARTIN
I never said that!

SHERMAN
It should go without saying! Just…watch the video.

SHERMAN shakes his head and presses play on the video.

JOHNNY ROCKETS
In the event of a paradox, you’ve got a very short
amount of time to set it right. However, paradoxes
aren’t the only possible side effect of time travel.
Excessive time travel may lead to such effects as:
Minor amnesia
Dry mouth
Minor amnesia
General confusion
Itching
 Head aches
And last but not least minor amnesia.
The use of a home-made time machine will result in
even worse eff-

SHERMAN pauses the video again. He looks up at MARTIN, SHERMAN

is thinking and debating in his head.

SHERMAN
He said we’ve got a short amount of time to set it
right. If we can contain it, that should buy us some
time.

MARTIN
How are we supposed to contain a “a rip in the space
time continuum”?

SHERMAN
The Dyson protocol.

EXT – FOREST – DAY

MARTIN and SHERMAN are in the forest, SHERMAN is holding a

hoover and sucks up the paradox. MARTIN looks at SHERMAN in
confusion and disappointment.

INT – SHERMAN’S HOUSE – DAY

SHERMAN seals the paradox in a jar, the jar is not filled with
a solid black void. MARTIN takes the jar and writes a label on
it, “PARADOX”. SHERMAN looks at MARTIN and MARTIN looks back.

MARTIN
 So, we don’t forget…

SHERMAN leaves, MARTIN puts the jar down and follows.

INT – SHERMANS’S DESK – DAY

SHERMAN sits at the desk and begins to type. MARTIN walks in

after him.

MARTIN
Wait is that it? What do we do now?

SHERMAN
Now you go back in time again

MARTIN
Again?!

SHERMAN stop typing

SHERMAN
Yes, but this time you go back to before the paradox
was ever created. You only created the paradox when
you tried to save yourself. So, if you never need to
be saved, you never need to go back.

SHERMAN hands MARTIN a gun.

SHERMAN
Kill him before he gets a chance to kill Martin…
well you
 MARTIN
Jesus Christ Sherman

MARTIN puts it in his pocket. SHERMAN starts typing again.

MARTIN
Only problem is that we don’t have a time machine

SHERMAN
Not yet…

SHERMAN finishes typing and leans back in his chair.

SHERMAN
The only website with all the scientific answers we
could need.

SHERMAN is on the NASA website, but he closes the tab

revealing WIKIHOW. He searches “how to make a time machine”

SHERMAN
Alright, let’s get to work.

MARTIN and SHERMAN start assembling items to make a time

machine. They gather items such as wires, a light bulb and
duct tape. SHERMAN gives MARTIN an egg timer.

MARTIN
It says to use a digital clock
 SHERMAN
Potato. patato

MARTIN
Who says patato?

They continue to work on the machine whilst the jar sits in

the other room.

INT – SHERMAN’S HOUSE – DAY

The jar is sat on a dress. A cat walks over to the jar

mesmerised by it. The cat moves towards the jar.

INT – SHERMAN’S DESK – DAY

SMASH and CAT SHREAK. SHERMAN and MARTIN get up and look
towards the source of the sound. They walk towards it.

SHERMAN
Peabody? What did you do?

MARTIN
Wait Sherman the machines not done yet

INT – SHERMAN’S HOUSE – DAY

They enter the room and the sounds of the paradox intensify.
SHERMAN gets pulled in by the paradox, MARTIN grabs him.
MARTIN is in a tug of war with the paradox.
 SHERMAN
You’ve gotta fix this. Go back, stop it at any cost-

SHERMAN is sucked into the paradox. MARTIN falls back and

scrambles into the other room. He grabs the time machine and
goes back in time.

EXT – STREET – A FEW HOURS EARLIER

MARTIN stumbles through in a ball of blue light, he falls

over.

He hears flashes of before he travelled back. “a rip in the

space time continuum” “a chance to kill Martin…” “fix this”
“stop it at any cost-“

He scrambles to his feet, looks at the gun and checks his

watch. 11th January. 9:00 am. He stumbles over to a car and
picks the lock. He finds a jacket and a mask in the car. He
starts the engine.

PAST MARTIN is walking down the street before being grabbed by

MARTIN. MARTIN becomes THE MAN IN BLACK.

EXT – OUTSIDE FOREST – MOMENTS LATER

9:36 am. A car is parked around the forest. A man, dressed in

all black and wearing a mask, steps out of the car and walks
around to the boot. THE MAN IN BLACK opens to boot, PAST
MARTIN is tied up with tape over his mouth. THE MAN IN BLACK
reaches in.
They walk further into the woods and THE MAN IN
BLACK loads a gun. MARTIN falls over. THE MAN IN BLACK clocks
the gun. THE MAN IN BLACK’s mask distorts his voice.

THE MAN IN BLACK

I’m sorry, Martin. When you mess with the fabric of
space time there will always be consequences.

PAST MARTIN shakes in confusion, fearing for his life.

THE MAN IN BLACK

Goodbye, Martin.

THE MAN IN BLACK points the gun. THE MAN IN BLACK looks at the
gun. Strange warping sounds begin to intensify, both THE MAN
IN BLACK and MARTIN turn towards the source. In a burst of
blue light, FUTURE MARTIN appears in front of them both. THE
MAN IN BLACK realises what is happening.

THE MAN IN BLACK

(Mutters) Oh

FUTURE MARTIN stands in shock briefly before quickly shooting

THE MAN IN BLACK. THE MAN IN BLACK drops to the ground. PAST
MARTIN looks at his future self.

FUTURE MARTIN
Hello Martin, I’m you, from the future.

CREDITS

JOHNNY ROCKETS appears on screen

 JOHNNY ROCKETS
hola amigo, mi nombre es johnny rockets

He stops. JOHNNY ROCKETS’s accent disappears, and he has

become a thespian actor.

JOHNNY ROCKETS
What is wrong with my pronunciation. Gary I am an
actor for heavens sake, let me act

He gets more frustrated

JOHNNY ROCKETS
Gary, Gary, Gary. I was Richard 3rd. I was in King
Lear. I am doing this as a favour for your mother,
Gary.

He pauses

JOHNNY ROCKETS
Fine, you get one more take, one more. Get me a
glass of orange juice, freshly squeezed, or so help
me Jeffrey, I will rain hell on you.

END
 Type of room/area:

Student Car Park

Scenes:

Man in Black getting out the

car

Lighting Information: Solutions:

Open in the outside Bring portable ring lights in case of clouds or

Some shade because of trees trees causing too much shade
Chances to be cloudy

Sound Information: Solutions:

It is the student car park so a lot of cars may Film during half terms so there will be
pass through minimal people

Power Information Solutions:

No available power sockets Bring portable chargers

Hazards Solutions:

It is a car park so there is a danger of being Have someone standing look out and film
hit by a car during easter\to lower the chance of other
cars being present
 Type of room/area:

Forest next to the college

Scenes:

Man in black and the two

Martins

Lighting Information: Solutions:

Open in the outside Bring portable ring lights in case of clouds or

Some shade because of trees trees causing too much shade
Chances to be cloudy

Sound Information: Solutions:

Wind can cause the leaves to create noise Use a dead cat on the mic and try to film
when the wind isn’t blowing
Power Information Solutions:

No available power sockets Bring portable chargers

Hazards Solutions:

Lots of tripping hazards Be careful of where we step

 Type of room/area:

Finn’s Kitchen

Scenes:

Sherman’s morning routine

Lighting Information: Solutions:

Inside Bring portable ring lights

Overhead lights Bring bounce for the outside
Lots of windows

Sound Information: Solutions:

Finns Family maybe around Family is out on the days we intend to film
Detached house so no noise from
neighbours
Power Information Solutions:

A few power sockets Bring portable chargers in case there aren’t

enough

Hazards Solutions:

Kitchen utensils Put away the knives that are on the counter
Loose wires as the walkway would become narrow with
too many people

Tape down wires

 Type of room/area:

Office in Finn’s house

Scenes:

Watching Johnny Rockets

Jar scene

Montage

Sherman death

Lighting Information: Solutions:

One main window Bring portable ring lights in case of clouds or

Lamp and overhead light trees causing too much shade

Sound Information: Solutions:

Very secluded room no risk of noise from Train comes every hour or so. Film in-
neighbours or family between.

However, train not to far away

Power Information Solutions:

Lots of power sockets Bring adapters in case they’re needed

Hazards Solutions:

Tripping hazards Tape down wires

Clear floor
 Type of room/area:

Road and Alley Towards

Student Car Park

Scenes:

Teleport back to the past

Kidnap Martin

Lighting Information: Solutions:

Open in the outside Bring portable ring lights in case of clouds or

Some shade because of trees trees causing too much shade
Chances to be cloudy

Sound Information: Solutions:

Next to a road, however it isn’t used that Film during half terms so there will be
often as it leads towards the student car minimal people
park

Power Information Solutions:

No available power sockets Bring portable chargers

Hazards Solutions:

danger of being hit by a car Have someone standing look out