Int. /ext. Van on rainy streets - day

 

Yusuf STRAIGHTENS UP the van, RACING down the street,

swerving through traffic and we-

 

CUT TO:

 

INT. HOTEL LOBBY BAR - EVENING

 

The building gradually EASES BACK INTO ALIGNMENT-

 

FISCHER

So you... you're not real?

 

The bar patrons start to ignore Cobb again.

 

COBB

No. I'm a projection of your

subconscious. I was put in place to

protect you in the event that

extractors pulled you into a dream.

I believe that's what has happened.

 

Fischer takes this in. Then looks at the Security Men

approaching across the crooked floor, he nods at Cobb-

105.

 

INT. HOTEL LOBBY - EVENING

 

Cobb escorts Fischer across the lobby. As he does so, he

walks past the two CHILDREN, backs to us- Cobb ignores them-

The two Sub-security fall in behind. Cobb hurries Fischer up

the stairs- then PUSHES him into-

 

INT. HOTEL LOBBY BATHROOM - CONTINUOUS

 

Fischer stumbles in- turns to Cobb, angry-

 

FISCHER

Hey-

 

Cobb reaches into his jacket- the First Man BURSTS in- Cobb

KICKS him to the ground- DRAWS his gun as the SECOND MAN

comes through the door, moving towards Fischer-

 

BLAM! Cobb BLASTS the Second Man in the back- TURNS and

SHOOTS the First Man.

 

FISCHER (CONT'D)

Jesus Christ! What are you doing?!

 

Cobb turns to Fischer, calm. Convincing.

 

COBB

Look at the gun in his hand.

 

Fischer looks: the Second Man was holding a pistol. Cobb

opens the First Man's jacket to show Fischer his holster and

sidearm.

 

COBB (CONT'D)

These men were sent to abduct you.

 

Cobb pulls out the gun and HANDS it to Fischer.

 

COBB (CONT'D)

If I'm going to help you, I need

you to be calm.

 

Fischer remembers something.

 

FISCHER

If this is a dream, I have to kill

myself and wake up-

 

Fischer raises the gun towards his head-

 

COBB

I wouldn't do that-they've probably

got you sedated. If you pull that

trigger, you might not wake up, you

might drop into a lower dream

state.

(MORE)

106.

COBB (CONT'D)

Mr. Fischer, you know all this, you

just have to remember it...

 

Fischer lowers his gun.

 

INT. HOTEL CORRIDOR - CONTINUOUS

 

Saito walks down the corridor, followed by a Security Man.

Saito DUCKS around the corner, moves to a GARBAGE CHUTE and

DROPS Fischer's WALLET into it. He SLIPS into the stairwell

as the Security Man comes abreast of the chute and pauses.

 

INT. HOTEL CORRIDOR - CONTINUOUS

 

Arthur leads Ariadne to a particular room: 491.

 

INT. ROOM 491 - CONTINUOUS

 

Arthur leads Ariadne in. He opens the closet, opens the room

safe, pulls our FOUR BRICKS OF PLASTIC EXPLOSIVE.

 

ARTHUR

So, if everything's correct, this

room should be directly below 528.

 

INT. HOTEL LOBBY BATHROOM - CONTINUOUS

 

Cobb looks reassuringly at Fischer.

 

COBB

What do you remember from before

this dream?

 

FISCHER

(thinking)

Rain... gunfire... Uncle Peter.

(looks up)

Christ-we've been kidnapped.

 

COBB

Where were they holding you?

 

FISCHER

They had us... in the back of a

van...

 

COBB

Your body's bouncing around in the

back of a van right now-that

explains the gravity shifts.

 

FISCHER

It was... to do with a safe...

Christ, why's it so hard to

remember?

107.

 

COBB

It's like trying to remember a

dream after you've woken up. It

takes years of practice to do it

easily. So, you and Browning have

been pulled into this dream so they

can steal something from your mind.

What?

 

FISCHER

They wanted a combination to a

safe... they demanded the first

numbers to pop into my head.

 

COBB

That's them extracting a locator.

 

FISCHER

A locator?

 

COBB

A number from your own

subconscious. It can be used any

number of ways...

(thinking)

This is a hotel. Room numbers. What

was the number you gave them?

 

FISCHER

5, 2... something... it was a long

number. 528... 528, 4 something.

 

COBB

(opens phone)

Well, we know where to start.

(into phone)

Fifth floor.

 

INT. ROOM 491 - CONTINUOUS

 

Arthur hangs up the phone. He is standing on a chair,

attaching the explosives to the ceiling.

 

ARIADNE

Do you use a timer?

 

ARTHUR

No, I have to judge it myself. Once

you're all asleep up in room 528, I

wait `til Yusuf starts his kick...

 

ARIADNE

How will you know?

108.

 

ARTHUR

His music warns me it's coming,

then the van hitting the barrier of

the bridge should be unmistakable-

that's when I blow the floor out

from underneath us and we get a

nice synchronized kick. Too soon,

and we won't get pulled out; too

late and I won't be able to drop

us.

 

ARIADNE

Why not?

 

ARTHUR

The van will be in free fall. I

can't drop us with no gravity.

 

Arthur finishes setting the charges.