Int. CAGE style elevator - continuous

 

Ariadne hits the BASEMENT button. The elevator starts to

DESCEND. ariadne STARES, fascinated as glimpses of floors

slip past: Mal's childhood bedroom, a thundering wall of

freight train... The elevator STOPS. Through the grill

Ariadne sees a HOTEL SUITE. She pulls open the grill, steps

cautiously out into-

 

INT. ELEGANT HOTEL SUITE - CONTINUOUS (NOW NIGHT)

 

DISHEVELED bedclothes, UPENDED room service table,

STRAWBERRIES across the floor. A STRUGGLE. Ariadne steps

forwards- SMASH- she looks down to see that she has kicked

over a CHAMPAGNE FLUTE. Ariadne feels a draught. The CURTAIN

BILLOWS.

 

MAL (O.S.)

What are you doing here?

 

Ariadne TURNS. Mal is there.

70.

 

ARIADNE

My name is-

 

MAL

I know who you are. What are you

doing here?

 

ARIADNE

I don't know. Trying to understand.

 

MAL

How could you understand? Do you

know what it is to be a lover? To

be half of a whole?

 

ARIADNE

No.

 

Mal moves slowly towards Ariadne...

 

MAL

I'll tell you a riddle. You're

waiting for a train. A train that

will take you far away. You know

where you hope this train will take

you, but you don't know for sure...

 

Mal glides around Ariadne, looking her over.

 

MAL

But... it doesn't matter. How can

it not matter to you where that

train will take you?

 

COBB (O.S.)

Because you'll be together.

 

Cobb is standing in the elevator. Mal nods. Looks at him.

 

MAL

How could you bring her here, Dom?

 

ARIADNE

What is this place?

 

COBB

A hotel. We spent our anniversaries

in this suite.

 

ARIADNE

What happened here?

 

Mal picks up the BROKEN STEM of a champagne flute...

71.

 

INT. CAGE STYLE ELEVATOR - CONTINUOUS

 

Cobb PULLS Ariadne into the elevator- Mal THROWS herself

towards Ariadne- Cobb SLAMS the GRILL- Mal SMASHES against it

AGAIN and AGAIN like a WILD ANIMAL- Ariadne FLINCHES-

 

MAL

you PROMISED! YOU SAID WE'D BE

TOGETHER!-

 

COBB

We can. We will. But I need you to

stay here for now-

 

MAL

YOU SAID WE'D GROW OLD TOGETHER!-

 

Cobb pushes a button and the elevator starts to rise.

 

COBB

I'll come back. I need you to stay

here on your own for now. Just

while I do this job. Then we can be

together-

 

MAL

WE'LL BE TOGETHER-YOU PROMISED!-

 

Mal THROWS herself against the grill, and. we-

 

CUT TO:

 

INT. WORKSHOP - NIGHT

 

Ariadne watches Cobb sleeping. His eyes gradually flicker

open. He sees her watching him.

 

ARIADNE

You think you can just build a

prison of memories to lock her in?

You think that's going to contain

her?

 

The LIGHTS COME ON: Saito and Arthur stand in the doorway.

 

SAITO

Maurice Fischer just died in Sydney.

 

COBB

When's the funeral?

 

SAITO

Thursday. In Los Angeles.

72.

 

COBB

Robert'll accompany the body

Tuesday at the outside. We have to

move.

 

Cobb gets up. Ariadne comes over to him.

 

ARIADNE

(low)

I'm coming with you.

 

COBB

No. I promised Miles.

 

ARIADNE

The team needs someone in there who

understands what you're struggling

with. If you don't want it to be me

then you need to show Arthur what I

just saw.

 

Cobb looks at Ariadne. Turns to Saito.

 

COBB

We need one more seat on the plane.

 

INT. DEPARTURE GATE, SYDNEY - DAY

 

Saito stands looking out the window at a 747. Cobb arrives

beside him. They watch a COFFIN being loaded.

 

COBB

If I get on this plane and you

haven't taken care of things...

when we land I go to jail for the

rest of my life.

 

SAITO

Complete the job en route, I make

one phone call from the plane...

you will have no trouble clearing

immigration.

 

INT. FIRST CLASS CABIN, 747 - CONTINUOUS

 

The luxurious cabin has only ten seats. Cobb finds his- sees

Ariadne in the seat behind his. They do not acknowledge each

other. Behind her is Arthur, looking out the window. Eames

enters, STUFFS his bag into the overhead bin, BLOCKING the

passenger behind: ROBERT FISCHER, standing there, patient,

bag in hand, wearing black.

 

EAMES

Oh, sorry.

73.

 

Eames SQUEEZES up against his seat to let Fischer BRUSH PAST.

Fischer moves to his seat, directly in front of Cobb. Eames

TOSSES Cobb a PASSPORT. Cobb flips it open: Fischer's.

Pockets it. Yusuf and Saito enter, take their seats.

 

EXT. RUNWAY - MOMENTS LATER

 

The 747 HURTLES down the runway.