You are on page 1of 21

TIME DISPLACED ON THE EDGE OF SIN V3.

Written by David M. Sherr

95 Dublin Drive Pleasant Hill, CA 94523 925-788-6076 Dmsherr@gmail.com


(c) Copyright 2011, David M. Sherr 6/13/2011

Time Displaced On The Edge of Sin

1.

VOICE OVER At the speed of light The faithful departed go Far from sin to be (Ryan Bagnulo, 5/10/11) EXT. GENEVA SOLAR ECLIPSE SUNRISE GRAPHIC January 4, 2011 7:51AM Central European Time Appearing is an eclipse just before completion. NICK (O.C.) This is Nicholas Jude, The Techno Dude streaming time displaced On The Edge exploring the emerging trends in technology and business. We are about to witness an historic experiment in time shifting. Famed Berkeley Futurist, Paulos Lesbonopolos, is at the Large Hadron Collider in CERN Switzerland. Hello, Paulos! INT. CERN, GENEVA SWITZERLAND SUNRISE GRAPHIC Panorama of Alps and Lake Geneva are in the background, switches to the Large Hadron Collider. PAULOS Hello, Nick. Thanks for having me. Hold on, I am just about to initiate the Time Shifting Experiment. INSET NICK in his On The Edge studio in a split window to the right of Paulos window. PAULOS (CONT'D) Counting down on my watch. Follow on your watch that we synchronized with mine before I left you last week.

(c) Copyright 2011 David M. Sherr

v3.0

6/13/2011

Time Displaced On The Edge of Sin

2.

PAULOS is standing by the CONTROL PANEL/BETA PARTICLE MONITOR within inset screen next to NICK On The Edge Show. PAULOS is looking at his POCKET WATCH reading 7:51 as his hand is on the control dial. NICK is also holding and looking at his POCKET WATCH which reads 10:51 and is a twin of PAULOS. PAULOS (CONTD) 10..9..8..7..6..5..4..3..2..1..0 On cue from the second hand on XII PAULOS turns the ENERGY DIAL counterclockwise and a low-pitched hum grows in volume as he dials. EXT. GENEVA SOLAR ECLIPSE 7:52AM CET SUNRISE The Sun goes into total eclipse. INT. CERN, GENEVA SWITZERLAND LARGE HADRON COLLIDER SUNRISE At the moment of the total eclipse, the hum crescendoes, the BETA PARTICLE MONITOR pins to the maximum level. A huge POP! A particle vapor trail shoots from Collider into his POCKET WATCH. All goes black except for PAULOS astonished face with palms on his cheeks (The Scream) surrounded by a violet aura disappearing into a fading swirling ochre vortex of a time warp within the face of his WATCH. EXT. HILLSIDE FRONT OF MOUNT OLYMPOS, A FIELD WITH HERD OF GOATS SUNRISE GOATHERD is watching eclipse of Sun. Suddenly, PAULOS appears in front of him, surrounded by the aura of the time warp and holding the POCKET WATCH. Looking astonished, GOATHERD drops his STAFF and falls down in a prone worshipping pose, thinking him divine. As the aura dissipates, PAULOS looks puzzled, then he looks around and espies Mt. Olympos. Turning with a knowing smile, reading 7:52, he puts his POCKET WATCH back in his vest pocket and then reassuringly helps the trembling GOATHERD to his feet. PAULOS (Muttering to himself) Mt. Olympos, isle of Lesbos! Now I know where I am. to know when I am. Just need

(c) Copyright 2011 David M. Sherr

v3.0

6/13/2011

Time Displaced On The Edge of Sin

3.

GOATHERD (in Greek) What did you say? PAULOS (Answering in Greek) Who is Emperor? GOATHERD That wanton beast of Rome, Nero. PAULOS Aha! Thank you. (Adjusting his clothing) Which way to a the harbor of Mytilene? The GOATHERD points to the rising sun coming out of eclipse. PAULOS removes his WATCH from his vest pocket and notices that it is 7:53. He winds it. Looking around, he nervously begins to depress the stem and is surprised to hear it make a click as he does it. PAULOS (CONTD) (Thinking) Hmmm. Never noticed that before. Now, off to Rome on a ship! PAULOS places the WATCH in his VEST POCKET and waves goodbye. He turns and sets off into the Sun now coming out of total eclipse. He removes the WATCH from his POCKET as he walks and begins to click the stem once again. Squinting and watching him leave, the GOATHERD scratches and shakes his head. CUT TO: INT. ON THE EDGE SHOW STUDIO NIGHT GRAPHIC January 3, 2011, 22:52 Pacific Standard Time NICK stares in wonder at the screen, a dissipating swirling violet inside an ochre mist where PAULOS has disappeared into the time warp.

(c) Copyright 2011 David M. Sherr

v3.0

6/13/2011

Time Displaced On The Edge of Sin

4.

NICK (Agitated) Folks, the experiment has gone awry. (almost crying) Paulos is gone!! NICK (CONTD) (Turns to side camera, voice cracking a bit) Thats all for now until we discover, if ever, what has happened here tonight. This is Nicholas Jude, the Techno Dude, streaming time displaced from On The Edge exploring the emerging trends in technology and business. NICK stands up shaking, but falls back into his chair quietly sobbing. He resists consolation from a SHOW ASSISTANT who rushes in to assist him. NICK (CONTD) (Head in hands, quietly sobbing) We were so connected! Sooo sympatico! I will miss him dearly. Suddenly he hears a clicking in his VEST POCKET. He pulls out his POCKET WATCH and the clicking gets louder. Wiping his eyes, he looks intensely at the WATCH which reads 10:53. The clicking stops. He continues to stare at the WATCH trying to divine what has happened and the meaning of the clicking WATCH as it starts up again. FADE TO BLACK. INT. ON THE EDGE SHOW STUDIO NIGHT GRAPHIC January 3, 2011, 22:30 Pacific Standard Time A TELEPROMPTER streams the text for Nicholas Jude, The Techno Dude under the On The Edge Logo, backed by the Large Hadron Collider, CERN)

(c) Copyright 2011 David M. Sherr

v3.0

6/13/2011

Time Displaced On The Edge of Sin

5.

NICK This is Nicholas Jude, The Techno Dude streaming time displaced On The Edge exploring the emerging trends in technology and business. NICK (CONTD) (Turning to Front camera) Today, we welcome via Teleconference Berkeley Futurist Paulos Lesbonopolos. Paulos is at our favorite spot, (points to the Background Logo) the Large Halon Collider in CERN, outside Geneva Switzerland. PAULOS (Appearing in inset screen) Good morning, Nick. Or should I say good evening? It is Jan 4 7:30AM Central European Time here in Geneva. That makes it 10:30PM, Jan 3 there in San Francisco. The World Wide Web may displace clocks, but it doesnt alter Time. NICK But then, wont the Time experiment at the Large Hadron Collider alter Time today? Both laugh. NICK (CONTD) And you are there now. PAULOS So right you are, Nick. They have generously chosen me to dial up the Collider energy field to destroy part of a quantum particle pair oscillating between the past and the future around the present. GRAPHIC Diagram overlaying PAULOS statement depicts a pendulum swinging between the past and the future.

(c) Copyright 2011 David M. Sherr

v3.0

6/13/2011

Time Displaced On The Edge of Sin

6.

PAULOS (CONTD) The predicted effect is to reverse time for 133 nanoseconds. The future quantum part is destroyed as it swings through the present. GRAPHIC Present to future segment disappears and the past to present segment shifts moving the past to the present. NICK Nice little touch there, Paulos. You, a Futurist, will reverse time. But seriously, isnt that dangerous? GRAPHIC A zoom-in of a Google Earth Map of the Large Hadron Collider at CERN. PAULOS Well, these scientists at CERN dont think so. We add and remove leap seconds to the Naval Observatory Clock in the Rockies without harm. The effect will be contained inside the Collider ring which is 8 kilometers in diameter. In 133 ... NICK (Interrupting) Five miles for those metric system challenged. PAULOS (Laughing) Yeah. (Picking up where he left off) In 133 nanoseconds, light would only travel 40 meters, almost 45 yards in the English System. NICK What does light have to do with it? GRAPHIC Energy equals mass times the speed of light squared, E=MC^2 within a thought bubble over picture of Einstein
(c) Copyright 2011 David M. Sherr v3.0 6/13/2011

Time Displaced On The Edge of Sin

7.

PAULOS As you know, Einsteins famous equation Energy equals Mass times the Speed of Light squared. So if mass is destroyed it will be converted into energy which the Collider will absorb. The energy halo will be within the 40 meter radius from the location of the event. NICK Oh, I get it. INT. CATACOMBS CHAMBER DAY GRAPHIC MARY MAGDELENE, PETER, PAUL AND THOMAS CHAMBER, ROME, 64 AD MARY MAGDELENE, PETER, PAUL and THOMAS are listening to the PAULOS, who is standing before them. MARY MAGDELENE So you, Paulos of Lesbos, claim to be a seer of the future? What is your Vision for now, here Rome, in the 4th year of Emperor Nero. PAULOS Give me a short time and I will predict something for today and demonstrate it. PETER Paulos, sorry we cannot have the other Council Apostles here with us today. They are in the other nine Provinces recruiting the Faithful to our God. But Mary Magdelene, Paul, Thomas and I are ready to hear your proposal. PAULOS Esteemed Mother, Holy Fathers, the World IS ready for a New God!

(c) Copyright 2011 David M. Sherr

v3.0

6/13/2011

Time Displaced On The Edge of Sin

8.

PETER Much as it pleases us to hear this, what makes you say that? PAULOS The chaos! The madness and debauchery of that wanton beast Nero! A great death is reducing the World population! Pompeii will be destroyed in the next generation, just as Sodom and Gomorrah were with fire and brimstone. Rome will burn will burn very, very soon! PAUL Hah! What makes you think that? PAULOS (smiling broadly) Wait for it. Wait for it. ...

Wait

All of a sudden a messenger bursts into the Chamber. MESSENGER Esteemed Mother, Holy Fathers, Rome is aflame. And Mad Nero fiddles! MARY MAGDELENE, PETER, PAUL and THOMAS stare at PAULOS in disbelief and then in awe. MARY MAGDELENE (slightly suspicious) Did you see the smoke before you entered the catacombs here? Or did you set the fire?? PETER (Excitedly) No time for questions now. quickly quit this place. Follow me! the City.

Lets

THOMAS I know a grotto outside

Gathering SCROLLS and a PLAIN CLAY CHALICE, the woman and five men quickly exit the Catacombs Chamber, coughing slightly as they exit.
(c) Copyright 2011 David M. Sherr v3.0 6/13/2011

Time Displaced On The Edge of Sin

9.

INT. ON THE EDGE SHOW STUDIO, A WEEK EARLIER DECEMBER 2010 EVENING GRAPHIC Berkeley, December 28, 2010, 19:30 Pacific Standard Time A TELEPROMPTER streams the text for NICK. In the background is a picture of the Large Hadron Collider. NICK This is Nicholas Jude, The Techno Dude streaming time displaced On The Edge exploring the emerging trends in technology and business. NICK (CONTD) (Turning to Front camera) Today, we welcome via Teleconference Berkeley Futurist Paulos Lesbonopolos. Paulos will help us understand the latest meme gone viral in Social Media: Time For A New God. GRAPHIC www.Time4aNewGod.org appears across a bottom banner on screen. A montage plays of 9/11, wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Hurricane Katrina, tornadoes in the US, Housing Bubble Burst headlines, Earthquake in Haiti, Japan and uprising in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya. NICK (CONTD) (Looking at inset screen with PAULOS) So, tell us Paulos, what is behind this idea floated recently by Paul Saffo in the Nov 26th issue of The Economist: In times like these of massive social discontent and economic upheaval, a new god appears, in short, is it Time for a New God? PAULOS (Appears full screen) Thank you for having me, Nick. It is amazing that this idea seems to have simultaneously popped up. (MORE)
(c) Copyright 2011 David M. Sherr v3.0 6/13/2011

Time Displaced On The Edge of Sin PAULOS (CONT'D) That very thought occurred to me recently while looking at a chart of the World population from 1,000 BCE to 2000 AD recently.

10.

NICK A mind sync between you at Berkeley and Saffo at Stanford!! GRAPHIC Population chart with information PAULOS is speaking of. PAULOS (nodding in agreement) After a steady increase, around 400 BCE there was a huge dip, as Sparta consolidated its control of Greece. NICK Your interest in Hellenic history and culture is understandable. GRAPHIC Map of Eastern Mediterranean with Lesbos and Mt. Olympos highlighted. PAULOS Yes, Nick. Before emigrated to Brooklyn, my grandfather hailed from the Greek Island of Lesbos, just off the coast of Turkey. Mount Olympos is on this island. Not to be confused with Mount Olympus that was home to the Greek gods. This is why, perhaps, the concept of A New God resonates so strongly with me. OlymPUS OlymPOS But we digress. PAULOS (CONTD) (Clearing throat) The ancient world population of Europe and Western Asia was seriously being depleted by continuous wars. In the 5th Century BCE, there were constant war in the Eastern Mediterranean to Persia. (MORE)
(c) Copyright 2011 David M. Sherr v3.0 6/13/2011

Time Displaced On The Edge of Sin PAULOS (CONTD)

11.

Remember, the recent movie of the graphic novel, The 300? About Thermopylae in 480 BCE. 300 Spartans held off the Great Persian Army, until they were betrayed by local hunchbacked goatherd, The goatherd sought revenge for being cast out of Sparta as a child. Although the Greeks lost, this gave rise to Macedonia and Phillip, the goatherd King, father to Alexander The Great. Alexander drove his army to Persia defeating the army of Persian Emperor, Darius III. After that victory, he was stopped in Afghanistan and Kashmir in 325 BCE. Alexander then ruled in Persia where it is believed he was assassinated by a trusted lieutenant. NICK Hey, for a Futurist, you sure know a lot about the Past, which incidentally has many of the familiar Middle Eastern countries experiencing strife today. PAULOS Yeah, Nick. The Past is prelude to the Future as Shakespeare once said. But as Paul Saffo likes to say, The Future is here only it is not evenly distributed. I maintain the reverse idea holds too: The Past is here and is not evenly distributed either. So the Future and the Past coexist! Only question is how big is the overlap?? NICK Thats a mind bender. What you smokin there in Berkeley? PAULOS Hah! But getting to our point, Time for A New God, deeply turbulent times have always presented a new God in the Past. (MORE)
(c) Copyright 2011 David M. Sherr v3.0 6/13/2011

Time Displaced On The Edge of Sin PAULOS (CONT'D) These are such times, except, the World Population is not decreasing. In fact it is increasing faster than it ever has.

12.

NICK But, Paulos, the Great Black Plague of the 14th Century killed off a third of Europe. That didnt spawn a New God. PAULOS You have a great point there, Nick. But it did set the stage for Capitalism which has become a sort of New God. It also precipitated the Spanish Inquisition in the 15th and 16th Centuries. NICK (smiling broadly and exclaiming) NOBODY expects the Spanish Inquisition! PAULOS (shaking his head and laughing) Thank you Monty Python! (continuing in a serious manner) It was a consolidation of the Christian God through purging of Islam and Judaism from the Iberian Peninsula in the 15th Century. It is a special irony of history that Isabella and Fernand sanctioned the Inquisition and bankrolled Christopher Columbus. The Inquisition was a closing of the Western Mind and the New World exploration an expansion of Western horizons. NICK But wasnt that a search for Gold and Silver to support the Spanish and Portuguese empires?

(c) Copyright 2011 David M. Sherr

v3.0

6/13/2011

Time Displaced On The Edge of Sin

13.

PAULOS Yes, Nick. Follow the money seems to be a timeless historical imperative, secular or religious. (Chuckles for a bit and breaks into a guffaw) NICK Show me the Money! (Laughs heartily and then catches his breath and pauses) But lets turn our attention now to the hottest technology news. I understand you are participating in an interesting experiment next week-a testing the possibility of Time shifting at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. PAULOS I will be flying to Geneva tomorrow to observe the separation of quantum particles at the Collider. The quantum mechanical engineers claim they can reverse time 133 nanoseconds by separating a quantum pair into two parts and destroying one of them when it oscillates into the Future. NICK Sounds awesome. This is truly Time Displaced On The Edge. PAULOS As they say in my hometown, Brooklyn, Nick, Fuckin A. (Laughs uncontrollably) NICK (Joins him till they both finish with tears in their eyes) But this is Berkeley! PAULOS Hey, how many East Coast transplants are there here?

(c) Copyright 2011 David M. Sherr

v3.0

6/13/2011

Time Displaced On The Edge of Sin

14.

NICK Both of us, at least!! Thank you Paulos. Safe Journey to Geneva! PAULOS You are certainly welcome, Nick. And thank you for having me On The Edge tonight! NICK (Turning to side camera) Well, that is all for now. Join us next week On The Edge when we stream Paulos live from CERN outside Geneva, Switzerland at the Large Hadron Collider Time Experiment. NICK (CONTD) This is Nicholas Jude, The Techno Dude streaming time displaced On The Edge exploring the emerging trends in technology and business. (Turns to front camera) So long for now. INT. GROTTO DAY MARY MAGDELENE, PETER, PAUL, THOMAS and PAULOS enter grotto coughing and puffing. They sit down surrounded by WINE BARRELS. Water drips in the background. Cramped, the four Apostles are seated on WOODED BENCHES around a SMALL TABLE with SCROLLS and a PLAIN CLAY CHALICE on the TABLE. PAULOS stands before them. MARY MAGDELENE (aside to Peter) I dont trust him He feels insincere. PETER (Nodding to MM) Okay! Okay! Lets continue. Paulos, you appear to know something of soothsaying. What are we to do? It has been 31 years since our beloved Lord and Master Jesus died on the cross. (MORE)
(c) Copyright 2011 David M. Sherr v3.0 6/13/2011

Time Displaced On The Edge of Sin PETER (CONT'D) We are barely more now than we were then.

15.

PAUL Yeah, the Romans have been regularly reducing our numbers! They throw one or two of The Faithful to the lions every other day. THOMAS And they threaten to crucify our devoted Peter here. PAULOS (Assertively) And SO they shall. The Four look at each other and gasp in unison, WHEN!! PAULOS (CONTD) (Pausing) I cannot say exactly, but within five years. MARY MAGDELENE, PAUL and THOMAS slump in dejection. PETER (Pulling himself up straight) Then we need to get this Church established. No time to waste. PAUL and THOMAS look at PETER with great admiration. MARY MAGDELENE looks askance and shakes her head. MARY MAGDELENE Thomas, why dont you record this for posterity. (Turning to Peter) Just continue. This Paulos of Lesbos still needs to convince us he has something really offer. THOMAS picks up a BLANK SCROLL and removes a POT OF INK and STYLUS from his tucker bag. He begins to record the session in Greek.

(c) Copyright 2011 David M. Sherr

v3.0

6/13/2011

Time Displaced On The Edge of Sin

16.

PETER How do we stem the tide of Roman depletion of our Faithful? PAULOS You dont! You need to increase it faster than they can reduce it. PAUL Easier said than done. PAULOS You need a better marketing strategy. Love and Brotherhood is all well and good, but you need something everyone does, Sin, and has for doing it, Guilt! THOMAS (Scribbling furiously and looking up) But how does that help?? MARY MAGDELENE Thomas makes a good point. PAULOS Sell dispensation and forgiveness for those acts. Think inside the box. confessional box. The

And the collection box. Paulos pauses as the three men look at each other with puzzlement that turns into smiles of growing awareness. has a wry smile and remains aloof. PAULOS (CONTD) (Scanning the Four) You let people transfer their guilt to your minions, the priests, for a consideration, of course: You are forgiven my son/daughter. Say three Hail Marys, two Our Fathers and drop a drachma or a ducat in the collection box on your way out. Call it Alms for the Poor. Hmmm. MARY MAGDELENE That might work. MM

(c) Copyright 2011 David M. Sherr

v3.0

6/13/2011

Time Displaced On The Edge of Sin

17.

PETER Brilliant business model! Everyone sins repeatedly. Recurring revenue. And they get to shirk individual responsibility. We are the ultimate feel good faith. Why didnt I think of that?! PAUL And it differentiates us from those damn recalcitrant Jews, The Chosen People, who treat individual responsibility as a core belief. THOMAS (Underlining what wrote) And we can offer them salvation only if all have been forgiven at he just eternal their sins death.

Totally awesome, Paulos! We get endowments and capital funds to build churches and chapels. Many will even donate while living to curry favor. The Four ponder what has just transpired. MARY MAGDELENE But Sin and Guilt are too generic. We need to make Sin more specific and Guilt more consequential to be convincing. Why dont the Ten Commandments and Leviticus work to provide the big and small rules for living. PAULOS I knew you would ask that question. MARY MAGDELENE HAH!! PAULOS looks away from MM and focuses on eye contact with the three men. PAULOS Segment the Faithful market into seven parts, one for each major category of Sin. (MORE)

(c) Copyright 2011 David M. Sherr

v3.0

6/13/2011

Time Displaced On The Edge of Sin PAULOS (CONT'D) Call it The Seven Deadly Sins: Pride, Envy, Wrath, Sloth, Greed, Gluttony and Lust--a sort of ordering from least to worst level. You can charge differing amounts for the dispensations.

18.

PAUL Oh yes!! That way we can collect multiply for transgressions that involve several. Again, brilliant!! THOMAS (Underlining and starring) I think we have a plan. Growth Strategy: Seven Deadly Sins. Monetization: Confessionals. PAULOS smiles, very self satisfied. PETER So, Paulos, how would you like to be rewarded. PAULOS Just shelter, bread and an occasional cup of wine. PAUL (To Paul) We can use the wine and bread in our eternal connection to Jesus. You are just full of great ideas. THOMAS DU-UH! Jesus said that at the Last Supper! PAUL (Sheepishly) Oh yeah. Right. Thomas put the STYLUS down, blots the SCROLL with the edge of his ROBE SLEEVE. He rolls up SCROLL and tucks it under his arm. THOMAS Lady and Gentlemen, think were done here.

(c) Copyright 2011 David M. Sherr

v3.0

6/13/2011

Time Displaced On The Edge of Sin

19.

The Four stand. MM takes the SCROLL from THOMAS who reluctantly parts with it. PAULOS bows, nods farewell. They move to leave, As PAULOS watches them, he hears some muffled clicking sounds. PAULOS pulls his POCKET WATCH from his vest pocket. The hands are moving wildly forward and back. The WATCH hands stop moving and it begins clicking again in a pattern vaguely familiar to him. PAULOS (Out loud to himself) Got it!! Morse code! PAULOS picks up a BLANK SCROLL. He finds a PIECE OF CHARCOAL in a fire pit behind the BARRELS. He begins to record the message. Its Nick! PAULOS (CONTD) Back in the Future!!

This is way better than I could have imagined. PAULOS uses his WATCH to answer in code, Am safe. In Rome. 64 AD. Halfway out, The Four Apostles confer amongst themselves as they exit the grotto. MM turns and looks menacingly at PAULOS while he us fuddling with the WATCH. MARY MAGDELENE (Quietly in an aside to Peter, Paul and Thomas as they exit) He is much too modest for a prophet. That will make him popular amongst The Faithful. We will have to dispense of him eventually. The Four disappear out the Grotto entrance. PAULOS is now smiling broadly as concentrates on his WATCH clicking with dits and dashes. He answers with a newfound dexterity. PAULOS (To self) This is retro texting through Time! (MORE)
(c) Copyright 2011 David M. Sherr v3.0 6/13/2011

Time Displaced On The Edge of Sin PAULOS (CONT'D) Have to blog this if I ever get back to my original Present.

20.

AHA! Ill let Nick do it now. PAULOS begins to click feverishly. FADE TO BLACK.

(c) Copyright 2011 David M. Sherr

v3.0

6/13/2011

You might also like