Lonely No More: Episode 3: “The Mountain”

In Tokyo, Nikesh finds himself navigating the opulence and mystery surrounding Tucker Lane King’s enigmatic business empire. After witnessing the shocking crash at Haneda Airport, questions about the Lonely No More phenomenon deepen when Tucker reveals chilling cockpit footage of the missing flight crew—and an unsettling sound that defies explanation.

As Nikesh grapples with Tucker’s bold plans to trademark Lonely No More across his vast portfolio, his own doubts grow. Meanwhile, director Zane Benedetto hints at an extraordinary global connection between ancient symbols and the phenomenon, unveiling footage from undersea sites that challenge everything Nikesh thought he knew.

With Nina finally back in touch and cryptic messages piling up, Nikesh must decide: is Lonely No More just a viral campaign, or something far more profound—and far more dangerous?

Transcript

LONELY NO MORE

EPISODE 3

by SEBASTIAN BACZKIEWICZ

SCENE 1              INT. HOTEL ROOM. TOKYO

SFX                      NIKESH LIES ON HIS BED TALKING TO OLIVIA - THE NEWS IS ON THE TV – ANNOUNCED OVER THE POLICE SIRENS WAILING ACROSS HANEDA AIRPORT

1.  NEWS              … Tokyo tonight is a mixture of shock and confusion as to how an incident as dramatic as this could possibly have happened. Right now. the Japanese authorities are not ruling out a terrorist attack, although early reports appear to indicate there’s no trace of the pilot and the rest of the flight crew since the aircraft crashed into the sea at Haneda airport. Live footage of the shocking moment the aircraft motored into the bay has been shared around the world and viewed over two hundred million times.

2.  NIKESH            Are you seeing this over there in London, Liv?

3.  LIV                   Everyone everywhere’s seeing this.

4.  NIKESH           They drove an aircraft into the sea? At least they managed to save the passengers

5.  NEWS              … despite a massive manhunt being launched the whereabouts of the crew are as yet unknown.

SFX                      NIKESH TURNS THE TV OFF

6.  LIV                   And you were there, Niko? 

7.  NIKESH           Watched it from the terminal along with everyone         else.

8.  LIV                   And where are they now? The crew?

9.  NIKESH            Nobody knows.

10.  LIV                 How can nobody know?

11. NIKESH           I don’t know. But they don’t.

12. LIV                  Weird.

13. NIKESH           Weird.

14. LIV                  Still, you and Sally are safe and sound. That’s the main thing. How’s Tokyo?

15. NIKESH           Not seen too much of it as yet.

16. LIV                  You’ve not talked with Tucker Lane King’s people?

17. NIKESH           Hitting the town tonight.

18. LIV                  With Tucker?

19. NIKESH           He’s up a mountain somewhere.

20. LIV                  What? Why’s he not there in Tokyo? They said he was going to be there in Tokyo.

21. NIKESH           Multi-billionaires move in mysterious ways, I guess.

22. LIV                  This is not what was agreed.

23. NIKESH           I’m sure it’s not going to affect anything substantially.

24. LIV                  It’s affecting me substantially, Nikesh. It’s making me look like a fool.

25. NIKESH           No, Liv it isn’t. It really isn’t.

26. LIV                  And Nina’s still not got back to me, and I’ve sent her, like, a gazillion messages. You don’t still have her phone, do you?

27. NIKESH           Course not.

28. LIV                  Why was that anyway? You having her phone yesterday. What was that about?

29. NIKESH           It’s what Nina wanted. I said.

30. LIV                  Yeh, you said. Still makes no sense to me, no sense at all.

31. NIKESH           No.

32. LIV                  And if she’s injured? Lucette. If she’s injured or, or been abducted or, or. (BEAT) I really need to calm down. don’t I?

33. NIKESH           You need to do what’s right for you.

34. LIV                  You managing to stay awake?

35. NIKESH           Doing my best.

36. LIV                  How was she anyway?

37. NIKESH           How was who?

38. LIV                  Nina.

39. NIKESH           Nina was Nina.

40. LIV                  Then you two have spoken?

41. NIKESH           (LYING) For barely a minute. She’s busy. She’s very busy at work.

42. LIV                  We’re all very busy at work.

43. NIKESH           I know she’ll be in touch with you as soon as she can, Liv.

44. LIV                  Nina or Lucette?

45. NIKESH           Both maybe.

46. LIV                  And then I’ll be lonely no more, eh?

47. NIKESH           How’s that?

48. LIV                  It’s a joke, Niko. The campaign - remember?

49. NIKESH           Oh, right, yeh. The campaign.

50. LIV                  You could try and be a little more excited.

51. NIKESH           I am. I am excited. I’ve just got things on my mind.

52. LIV                  You’d tell me, wouldn’t you?

53. NIKESH           Huh?

54. LIV                  If Lucette contacted you or Nina. You’d let me know.

55. NIKESH           Of course I’d let you know. How could you even ask that?

56. LIV                  You’re right. I know you’re right. Sorry. Sorry. Have fun tonight. Did they say where they were taking you.

57. NIKESH           Taking me?

58. LIV                  Oh, they’re bound to be taking you somewhere intense cos those associates of Tucker Lane King’s are wild. Wild as wild cats.

SCENE 2             INT. LIMO, TOKYO

                           OSMOND RAISES HIS CHAMPAGNE GLASS   AND THEY CHEERS

59. OSMOND        Here’s to Grainger Grant and Colby. And here’s to you Nikesh for being one hell of a creative.

60. NIKESH           Niko.

61. OSMOND        How’s that?

62. NIKESH           Niko. My friends call me Niko.

63. OSMOND        And my enemies call me Little.

64. NIKESH           Excuse me?

65. OSMOND        As in Little Jimmy Osmond. They think it’s hilarious. Big joke.

66. NIKESH           You’ve lost me.

67. OSMOND        Forget it kid.  How do you like the ride?

68. NIKESH           Champagne, Limo? What’s not to like?

69. OSMOND        Attaboy. Now, tomorrow you aren’t to judge him. Tucker. You just let him be exactly the way he wants to be.

70. NIKESH           Right. Course

71. OSMOND        But don’t let him intimidate you none either. Y’wouldn’t be here if TLK wasn’t ready to sign on the dotted line and see this Lonely No More campaign go global.

72. NIKESH           No.

73. OSMOND        No?

74. NIKESH           No, I mean great. Great.

75. OSMOND        Sad not to be seeing the lovely lady, Olivia.

76. NIKESH           She’s devastated.

77. OSMOND        Good little negotiator too.

78. NIKESH           She’s properly amazing. We’re lucky to have her.

79. OSMOND        A real live wire.

80. NIKESH           No question she is that.

81. OSMOND        Had hoped to show her a good time in Tokyo. ‘tween you and me I think I felt a little bit of a spark – tacus!

82. NIKESH           A spark- tacus?

83. OSMOND        You see that airplane thing on the news.

84. NIKESH           Who hasn’t? I was there in the terminal when it happened

85. OSMOND        Shut up.

86. NIKESH           Saw it crash into the water and everything.

87. OSMOND        And what did you make of that?

88. NIKESH           I don’t know what to make of it.

89. OSMOND        Crew just walking off into the sunset. Massive manhunt underway. Crazy.

90. NIKESH           Mad.

91. OSMOND        Lonely No More maybe.

92. NIKESH           Sorry. I don’t follow.

93. OSMOND        You don’t think it’s connected?

94. NIKESH           How do you mean connected? 

95. OSMOND        See what it says on the neon sign up there?

96. NIKESH           Lonely No More.

97. OSMOND        See what it says on every street corner all over the world.

98. NIKESH           Lonely No More.

99. OSMOND        Why, even the astronauts up in space are at it. Y’watch that. Beaming live from the International Space Station. Lonely. No. More. And I hear it’s as big over there in the UK as it is here in Japan and over in the US? Lonely No More.

100. NIKESH         It’s pretty darn big everywhere.

101. OSMOND       (SINGS) Only the Lonely. Come on kid. Sing it with me.

102. NIKESH         It’s really not my thing. Karaoke bars.

103. OSMOND       You, Nikesh? You can say that? You’re gonna love it. You with your honey voice? Only the lonely.

SCENE 3              EXT. THE HOTEL

SFX                      NIKESH IS OUTSIDE THE HOTEL ON THE PHONE. TOKYO TRAFFIC.

104. NINA             Hi, this is Nina. Leave a message and I’ll call you right back

105. NIKESH         Hey. Nina. It’s me. Just checking in – again. Not sure if you’ve picked up any of these messages. I guess not. Anyway, I’m here in Tokyo and everything is very, very much insane. Hung out with little Jimmy Osmond last night. Don’t ask. Advises TLK. Both of us slaughtered some standards on the karaoke but did my level best to keep a clear head for today’s meeting. Truth be told I’m fucking petrified about how this is all going to go ‘specially as Tucker Lane King now seems to be out of town and up some mystery mountain somewhere. 

                            Did you pick up any of Olivia’s messages about Lucette? S’pose you couldn’t have. Y’know what Little Jimmy told me, he told me he felt a bit of a Spark-tacus for Liv. Didn’t have the heart to tell him. Oh, I spoke to Clifton. He’s gone completely mad, far as I can tell. Hopefully that’s an end to it.

106. SALLY           (APPR) Nikesh.

107. NIKESH         Got to go. Let me know as soon as whoever they are bring you home and you pick up any of these messages. I love you. (TO SALLY) Yes, Sally.

108. SALLY           Sorry to disturb but Mr. King’s people would like to see you right away.

109. NIKESH         He’s not calling off the meeting, is he?

110. SALLY            No, no its nothing like that. More a technical formality.

111. NIKESH          A technical formality?

112. SALLY            That’s all his people told me.

113. NIKESH         You know he’s not even in Tokyo. Tucker Lane King.

114. SALLY            I do know that. Thank you. I also know they’re sending a helicopter.

115. NIKESH         They’re sending a helicopter?

116. SALLY            Soon as you’re done on the twenty sixth floor.

117. NIKESH         Am I going somewhere?

118. SALLY            Imagine that’s why they’re sending a chopper.

119. NIKESH         You OK with that, Sally? With flying?

120. SALLY           Oh, I’m not going. He just wants you.

121. NIKESH         Certainly likes his cloak and dagger doesn’t he.

122. SALLY           He also likes messing with schedules and arrangements.

123. NIKESH         What?

124. SALLY           It means that you’ve now got another meeting arranged with some mystery guest of Mr. King’s.

125. NIKESH         Mystery guest? What mystery guest?

126. SALLY           Unfortunately it seems we have to delay our flights home. Sorry.

127. NIKESH         No, no, no that can’t happen.

128. SALLY           It’s what Mr. King wants...

129. NIKESH         Does Freddy know? Does Freddy Grainger know the itinerary’s changed? Because I need to get home. I really need to get back home to London

130. SALLY           You know as well as I do what Freddy’s going to say.

131. NIKESH         Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

                            NIKESH BREATHES IN AND OUT DEEPLY

132. SALLY           Niko?

                            NIKESH COLLECTS HIMSELF

133. NIKESH         That lady yesterday.

134. SALLY           Sorry?

135. NIKESH         In London during the drill you said there was a woman asking after me.

136. SALLY           Standing by the mail van.

137. NIKESH         She didn’t say anything else to you did she?

138. SALLY           Such as?

139. NIKESH         I don’t know, you tell me.

140. SALLY           It was all pretty low key.

141. NIKESH         Low key. Right.

142. SALLY           You sure you’re OK?

143. NIKESH         I’m good, I’m good. Had something of a night of it last night. Me and Jimmy Osmond. Hospitality.

144. SALLY           Well, Mr. Osmond’s waiting for you up on twenty six right now.

145. NIKESH         Yes he is.

                            NIKESH WALKS AWAY

146. SALLY           Funny thing about what happened yesterday is.

147. NIKESH         Yeh?

148. SALLY           There was no fire drill scheduled.

149. NIKESH         Does that mean there was a fire?

150. SALLY           I don’t think it means anything but there was definitely no fire.

SCENE 4              INT. LOUNGE ROOM. HOTEL

                            NIKESH STANDS WITH HIS SHORT SLEEVES ROLLED UP AS THE DOCTOR TAKES HIS BLOOD PRESSURE

151. DOCTOR       And breathe out again, please.

                            NIKESH DOES SO.

152. DOCTOR       Your heart rate’s up a little higher than normal. Just one minute more while we take your blood pressure.

153. NIKESH         OK.

154. DOCTOR       All good. All very good.

155. OSMOND       You’re fighting fit, Niko. Prime of life.

156. NIKESH         Fingers crossed.

157. DOCTOR       And now if you wouldn’t mind putting out your finger for a blood test.

158. NIKESH         A blood test?

159. OSMOND       Just a formality.

160. NIKESH         For a business meeting? I’ve never had to take a blood test before a business meeting.

161. OSMOND       Well, that’s because you never had a business meeting with Tucker Lane King before, buddy.

162. DOCTOR       Tiny scratch.

                            NIKESH WINCES

163. DOCTOR       And we’re done.

164. NIKESH         Y’know, Jimmy I was expecting to meet Mr. King here in his suite.

165. OSMOND       That was my understanding too.

166. NIKESH         So then why the (- change?)

167. OSMOND       You’d have to ask Tucker that, Niko. Not that I’d advise it.

168. NIKESH         And I understood our Sally Hooper was accompanying me to the meeting.

169. OSMOND       Any details we need to communicate back to Grainger Grant and Colby we’ll do direct. Miss Hooper’s going to be on standby in your suite the whole time.

170. NIKESH         But she’s our company manager.

171. OSMOND       We’ll see she gets her body weight in sushi. Your chopper awaits, my liege.

172. NIKESH         It’s on the roof?

SFX                      OSMOND THROWS OPEN THE DOORS AND WE HEAR THE ROAR OF THE WHIRRING BLADES AS IT FILLS THE SPACE.

173. OSMOND       Up, up and away.

SCENE 5              INT. TUCKER KING’S GAFF

SFX                      BLAND AMBIENT MUSIC PLAYS. TUCKER FEEDS HIS DOGS

174. OSMOND       Tucker?

175. TUCKER        Hey there, Jimmy. (TO DOGS) Yes, kids look it’s not so little Jimmy Osmond come to say hi hi hi. Yes it is.

176. OSMOND       Brought along Mr. Nikesh Bhakta from Grainger Grant and Colby.

177. TUCKER        Well, I have been looking forward to this. Good to meet you, Nikesh. Genuinely a pleasure.

178. NIKESH         Likewise.

179. TUCKER        You don’t mind me addressing you by your first name but after that mindblinder of a pitch you guys presented, why I feel as if I almost know you.

180. NIKESH         Ah, not at all, Mr King. Not at all. Glad you liked it.

181. TUCKER        You like animals, Nikesh?

182. NIKESH         I didn’t grow up with any.

183. TUCKER        That’s a shame.

184. NIKESH         What you never had you don’t miss I suppose.

185. TUCKER        Y’ know I’m not sure that that’s entirely so but I guess if we’re only talking about pets - what do you think, Jimmy?

186. OSMOND       There is no world without my Patch.

187. NIKESH         My brother sells pets. Dogs, cats. Hamsters. (BEAT) Rabbits.

188. TUCKER        Nothing too exotic then?

189. NIKESH         Seems to really enjoy it.

190. TUCKER        What do you think of the place?

191. NIKESH         I think it’s, it’s, it’s awesome.

192. TUCKER        Thought we could both do with some cool clear mountain air. Y’know they wouldn’t let me build on Fiji.

193. NIKESH         Domage.

194. TUCKER        What’s that? Is that French? That’s French. You didn’t tell me you were fetching me a linguist, Jimmy.

195. OSMOND       Had no idea he was anything of the sort until he opened his mouth.

196. NIKESH         Hope it didn’t cause any offence.

197. TUCKER        The hell are you talking about offence? You haven’t offended me. Not in the slightest. You’ve delighted me. Dumb people really don’t interest me, Nikesh, cos dumb is as dumb does. That’s why I’ve got Mr. Saho and his amazing studio lined up for this entire production.

198. NIKESH         Mr. Saho.

199. TUCKER        Best in the business.

200. NIKESH         Then we’re not shooting in London? We have our in-house team primed.

201. TUCKER        How about we go out on the terrace? Take a good look at old Mount Fuji. Talk things through.

202. NIKESH         That sounds great.

203. TUCKER        Jimmy.

204. OSMOND       Yo.

205. TUCKER        Has Benedetto arrived?

206. OSMOND       In Tokyo now.

207. NIKESH         Zane Benedetto. The director? Zane Benedetto?

208. TUCKER        The very same.

209. NIKESH         He’s the director you’ve hired to shoot the ad?

210. TUCKER        You want the best you go to the best, right? Ask Mr. Saho.

211. OSMOND       Right.

212. NIKESH         Right.

213. TUCKER        So, shall we?

SFX                      TUCKER PUSHES OPEN THE DOOR.

SCENE 6              INT SALLY’S ROOM

SFX                      LIV IS ON A ZOOM SCREEN

214. LIV                I do hear you Sally. I hear you loud and clear. Just tell me everything else is still to schedule.

215. SALLY           Other than Mr. King not being here at the hotel, yes.

216. LIV                But why wouldn’t he be there? That was part of the arrangements I made with his people...

217. SALLY           I did try to talk to Mr Osmond.

218. LIV                The bald headed wannabe lover who’s not even from bloody Liverpool.

219. SALLY           I’m sorry but I haven’t the first idea as to what any of that means.

220. LIV                I’ve been trying to get hold of Niko for the last two hours and nothing. Zip. Zilch.

221. SALLY           I have his phone.

222. LIV                You have his phone. Why do you have his phone? Why does no one have their own phone?

223. SALLY           Mr. Osmond insisted.

224. LIV                Do you know what time it is in London?

225. SALLY           Six fifteen am.

226. LIV                Exactly. It’s six fifteen in the fucking morning and Nikesh Bhakta our lead creative on our landmark Lonely No More account has been kidnapped by Tucker Lane King. Unbelievable.

227. SALLY           I wouldn’t call it kidnapping.

228. LIV                What would you call it?

229. SALLY           …

230. LIV                Tell me there’s nothing else gone walkabout on the schedule?

231. SALLY           Only that Mr. Benedetto’s arrived and is expecting to see Nikesh later too.

232. LIV                Mr. who?

233. SALLY           Zane Benedetto, the director?

234. LIV                You’re kidding.

235. SALLY           Mr. King’s people have a meeting scheduled apparently.

236. LIV                Since when?

237. SALLY           I did tell them that this was not what was agreed and that we had no such meeting scheduled but they said they’d straightened it out with you personally.

238. LIV                Well, this is the first I’ve heard of it.

239. SALLY           I didn’t know what I was supposed to do, Olivia. I really didn’t.

240. LIV                Oh, I think I see what’s going on. Little Jimmy’s taken our diligently negotiated schedule and taken it upon his own good self to play fuck-agami with it.

241. SALLY           Right.

242. LIV                Second that gentleman becomes available, Sally you tell him the properly proportioned Olivia Lucas from the actual Liverpool wants a word.

243. SALLY           I’ll be sure and do (-that) Hello? Olivia? Hello?

SCENE 7              EXT. THE BALCONY

SFX                      A LIGHT WIND BLOWS

244. NIKESH         It’s really very beautiful Mr. King. The view.

245. TUCKER        Easy to forget what a beautiful world it is we live on, Nikesh. Even easier to take it for granted.

246. NIKESH         A common mistake.

247. TUCKER        Dumb is as dumb does.

248. NIKESH         People get distracted, I guess.

249. TUCKER        People have their heads up their butts. If you’ll forgive me my French. But then every now and again humanity gets itself a wakeup call. An earthquake here. A tsunami there. And just for a second or two we have to un-butt ourselves and smell the actual coffee, right?

250. NIKESH         Ah, right. I think.

251. TUCKER        I consider Lonely No More to be that coffee.

252. NIKESH         No question it’s a phenomenon.

253. TUCKER        A phenomenon. It’s swept the world, kid. Every last corner. But don’t you ask yourself how? Or more precisely who is behind all this?

254. NIKESH         That’s sort of what we were aiming for in the campaign. Underlining its mystery.

255. TUCKER        Its mystery is right.

256. NIKESH         And I do think that Grainger Grant and Colby have come up with an advertising campaign which elegantly and compellingly links your extraordinary suite of successful companies to the phenomenon.

257. TUCKER        And you know that I am very impressed with your ideas but all the campaigns in the world can’t answer the primary question of its source.

258. NIKESH         Exactly.

259. TUCKER        You Ok, Nikesh? You look cold.

260. NIKESH         I’m not cold, Mr King.

261. TUCKER        Don’t want you catching your death?

262. NIKESH         Who could complain? View like this.

263. TUCKER        The flight crew that walked out of Tokyo Airport last night.

264. NIKESH         Sorry?

265. TUCKER        We obtained some images.

266. NIKESH         Of the crew.

267. TUCKER        Of the crew in the cockpit. Wanna see?

SFX                      TUCKER TURNS ON HIS PHONE – SOME COCKPIT SOUND

                            Image isn’t quite what I hoped it might be, but tell me what you make of it.

268. NIKESH         That’s crazy. They’re just sitting there.

269. TUCKER        Yes they are. But it’s the sound they’re making. Listen.

SFX                      TUCKER TURNS UP THE SOUND – WE HEAR THE ALIEN CLICKING SOUND AS THEY WALK

                            You ever hear about anyone or anything making a sound like that?

270. NIKESH         Shouldn’t this footage be released to the police.

271. TUCKER        This is from the police.

272. NIKESH         I’m not sure I know what to say, Mr. King.

273. TUCKER        Then that makes two of us, Nikesh.

SCENE 8              INT. THE SUITE HOTEL. TOKYO

SFX                      BENEDETTO SITS ON A SOFA CRADLING A SODA. SALLY HOVERS NERVOUSLY NEAR THE DOOR

274. BENEDETTO So where is he? Your guy. Cos I was expecting to see him here at the hotel.

275. SALLY           Not exactly one hundred per cent on that myself, Mr. Benedetto.

276. BENEDETTO So you’re telling me your man has disappeared off to some sort of secret meeting somewhere with Tucker Lane King.

277. SALLY           I’m afraid that’s all the information I have.

278. BENEDETTO Times we live in. Tucker Lane, the king of Nowheresville makes himself a fortune out of online retail and boom, before you know it he’s the last King of France.

279. SALLY           If there’s anything you need, I’m sure we can have it sent up.

280. BENEDETTO So, now I‘m supposed to do what, Sally? Read a magazine? Do a jigsaw?

SCENE 9              INT. TUCKER KING’S HOUSE

281. NIKESH         And that’s pretty much it, Mr. King. Incorporating the Lonely No More concept as a brand identifier across all your companies.

282. TUCKER        Yeh. Yeh. It’s a bit kids holding hands and singing on a mountain, isn’t it?

283. NIKESH         We were quoting deliberately.

284. TUCKER        Were this one week ago, Nikesh we’d all be good. Seriously.

285. NIKESH         Has something changed?

286. TUCKER        Not so much changed as expanded. What I want is to copyright it.

287. NIKESH         Copyright it? Lonely no more?

288. TUCKER        Copyright it and roll those three mysterious words out across the whole range of products we sell and develop. From cookies to speedboats. From washing powders to space rockets. Lonely No More are the words I want every last saint and hell bound renegade to identify the Tucker Lane King brand with. Think you can restructure your campaign accordingly?

289. NIKESH         You want Lonely no More to be the sole name on all of your many brands.

290. TUCKER        Was that not what I said? I think that is what I said. Thoughts?

291. NIKESH         Honestly?

292. TUCKER        That’s why you’re here, son.

293. NIKESH         It worries me, Mr King.

294. TUCKER        Because?

295. NIKESH         Because I think we have to at least entertain the possibility that it’s a fad. Lonely No More today. Something else entirely next week.

296. TUCKER        That’s not how I see it panning out.

297. NIKESH         And believe me I want to see it your way too. 

298. TUCKER        But?

299. NIKESH         But I’d not be doing my job if I didn’t point out the precariousness of you betting the whole house on Lonely No More.

300. TUCKER        You’re saying you think I don’t know what I’m doing?

301. NIKESH         I’m saying that the whole craze could blow over and you – and us – would be left with a raft of products that frankly scream yesterday.

302. TUCKER        Does Freddy Grainger think the same?

303. NIKESH         I’m sure he’d have concerns.

304. TUCKER        About?

305. NIKESH         About the sudden change in direction.

BEAT

306. TUCKER        Well, from where I’m standing as long as the words Lonely No More are identified with Tucker Lane King products and Tucker Lane King products alone, then Tucker Lane King doesn’t give a Tuck, y’understand, Nikesh?

307. NIKESH         But how would such a concept be controlled.

308. TUCKER        You’re the advertising creative, you tell me. Plus you know they showered me in negativity before my first rocket.

309. NIKESH         The rocket that didn’t launch?

310. TUCKER        Are you telling me that GGC are getting cold feet about the campaign, Mr. Bhakta?

311. NIKESH         Not in any way. 

312. TUCKER        Then away you fly my pretty butterfly and make me some advertising history with Mr Benedetto in Mr. Saho’s studio. 

313. NIKESH         I’ll do my best.

314. TUCKER        The world is changing, Nikesh. Don’t ask me how but it is, and what’s more my gut is telling me that somehow Lonely No More is that actual factual change and that I want to be a husband wife and mother to it. Now if you and your colleagues at Grainger Grant and Colby feel that you can’t properly develop and deliver this prospective campaign of yours, then maybe this is the moment we shake hands and wish each other all the very best for the future.

SCENE 10             EXT. THE HOTEL ROOF

SFX                      A HELICOPTER TOUCHES DOWN NOISILY. NIKESH JUMPS OUT AND CROSS THE FORECOURT

315. SALLY           Welcome back, Nikesh.

316. NIKESH         Everything OK?

317. SALLY           Think so.

318. NIKESH         You don’t know?

319. SALLY           Things are a bit all over the place today? Schedule wise. Oh, and there’s a message from Nina.

320. NIKESH         My Nina?

321. SALLY           Your Nina.

322. NIKESH         Which is?

323. SALLY           She’ll zoom you as soon as you’re free.

324. NIKESH         Can I be free now?

325. SALLY           That’s not going to be possible, I’m afraid, as Mr. Benedetto’s looking forward to -

SCENE 11             INT. SUITE

326. BENEDETTO - meeting you at long last.

327. NIKESH         Not sure I know what to say, Mr. Benedetto. Big fan. Big, big fan

328. BENEDETTO Drink?

329. NIKESH         I’m good with water.

330. BENEDETTO Man after my own heart. Tucker OK?

331. NIKESH         Well he’s ah… refreshing.  Very refreshing.  Lotsa new thoughts.

332. BENEDETTO Reason I flew out here. Hoped I might see you and Tucker together.

333. NIKESH         He’s up a mountain.

334. BENEDETTO Of course he is.

335. NIKESH         And you know the direction he’s hoping to take the campaign in?

336. BENEDETTO Sure. Connection. Or rather the lack of it.

337. NIKESH         You’ve lost me.

338. BENEDETTO You follow science?

339. NIKESH         As much as the next man.

340. BENEDETTO Sending this over to you now.

SFX                      THERE IS A PING

341. NIKESH         And this is?

342. BENEDETTO That is under sea footage from Doggerland.

343. NIKESH         Wow.

344. BENEDETTO You know what Doggerland is?

345. NIKESH         I’m. I’m not sure that I do.

346. BENEDETTO Land that once connected Britain to Northern Europe.

347. NIKESH         Right.

348. BENEDETTO Regular archaeological gold mine. And Tucker and I have been shooting footage like this all over the world for the past year or so and we’re very excited.

349. NIKESH         Sorry, but exactly what am I looking at?

350. BENEDETTO The two standing stones in the exact centre of that crop of rock. See?

351. NIKESH         Oh, yeh. I see it now.

352. BEN               The game changers.

353. NIKESH         How so?

354. BEN               That exact shape is to be found rendered in Aboriginal and Native American and African art going back millennia.

355. NIKESH         Well, that could be a (- coincidence).

356. BENEDETTO An entire art movement dedicated to understanding these symbols flourished in Central Europe at the end of the nineteenth century. Hundreds if not thousands of examples of this same shape appearing hundreds if not thousands of times in art and science throughout the ages.

357. NIKESH         That may be so.

358. BENEDETTO That is so.

359. NIKESH         Not sure what any of that has to do with Lonely No More.

360. BENEDETTO You don’t?

361. NIKESH         I don’t.

362. BENEDETTO Nikesh I’ll give you this straight. I don’t see Lonely No More as some happy clappy let’s hold hands with one another and buy a soda love in. 

363. NIKESH         It was ironic.

364. BENEDETTO No, Nikesh. You know what I see it as?

365. NIKESH         An advertising slogan?

366. BENEDETTO No, Nikesh, no. Tucker and I and an awful lot of other people around the globe see Lonely No More as an actual factual manifestation of global consciousness. 

367. NIKESH         And if it’s not?

368. BENEDETTO Huh?

369. NIKESH         If it’s not a manifestation of global consciousness but just a fad.

370. BENEDETTO A fad?

371. NIKESH         A flash in the pan.

372. BENEDETTO I know what a fad is young man. But this is not a fad. This is the Nephilim. 

373. NIKESH         What did you say?

374. BENEDETTO This is the moment of TRUE reconnection. This is the real rapture. Right Tucker?

375. NIKESH         Tucker?

376. BENEDETTO You think this room’s not bugged?

377. NIKESH         And you believe that.

378. BENEDETTO That the room’s bugged? I’m one hundred percent certain.

379. NIKESH         No, that this is the rapture.

380. BENEDETTO Only reason I signed up to make this ad was that we could align it with the movie we’ve been working on for the last two years. Plus we’ve got this fresh footage from the cockpit of flight TR808. Now, how about we get together in London next week?

381. NIKESH         Well, I’m getting married next week.

382. BENEDETTO You are? Congratulations. Week after then. Lonely No More. Return of the Nephilim. Something like that.

383. NIKESH         Sounds... Nephilim?

384. BENEDETTO What it sounds like is the voice of the Celestial Creator, Nikesh. Whoever or whatever that means to you.

385. NIKESH         And you really genuinely believe that these stones are all connected to Lonely No More.

386. BENEDETTO And you know why? Cos once it gets under your shirt it’s like an itch you just can’t scratch.

387. NIKESH         That’s what he said.

388. BENEDETTO That’s what who said?

389. NIKESH         Doesn’t matter.

SCENE 12             INT. NIKESH ROOM

SFX                      NIKESH IS ON THE ZOOM TO NINA

390. NINA             And he wants to come to London.

301. NIKESH         Week after the wedding to work on the campaign.

392. NINA              Zane Benedetto.

393. NIKESH         Can’t say too much right now as the room may be b-u-g-g-e-d.

394. NINA             Bugged?

395. NIKESH         Yup. Man, but I’m pleased to see you though.

396. NINA             Me too, Niko. Me too.

397. NIKESH         You can’t imagine how worried I’ve been.

398. NINA             I know. I know. I‘m sorry.

399. NIKESH         Where the hell did they take you?

400. NINA             If I tell you they might shoot me.

401. NIKESH         That’s not funny.

402. NINA             No, it isn’t.

403. NIKESH         You are OK aren’t you, Nina?

404. NINA             We’ll talk about everything when you get home.

405. NIKESH         But they didn’t hurt you?

406. NINA             Why would they hurt me?

407. NIKESH         I don’t know. That Taylor person can be pretty heavy handed.

408. NINA              Exactly what was it you said to Clifton?

409. NIKESH         I told your ex with the pecs to back the fuck off.

410. NINA             Well, now he wants to meet up and discuss it.

411. NIKESH         Well, that’s just more craziness. It’s like he joined a cult or something.

412. NINA             What?

413. NIKESH         Soon we’ll be Lonely No More.

414. NINA             That’s what he’s been texting.

415. NIKESH         I know. And he’s not the only one. Everyone’s crazy about it over here. Tucker Lane King and Zane Benedetto have been making a film about it for the past two years. Even sent me over some footage – hold on.

SFX                      HE SENDS THE FOOTAGE – IT PINGS ON NINA’S PHONE

416. NINA             What am I looking at?

417. NIKESH         The standing stones in the middle of the rock circle.

418. NINA              Right.

419. NIKESH         Far as he and Tucker Lane King are concerned the shape they’re in is very significant.

420. NINA             And they shot this where?

421. NIKESH         Under the sea at Doggerland.

422. NINA             And these stones are really standing like this.

423. NIKESH         Have done for over eight thousand years.

424. NINA             In this exact shape? Nobody’s tampered with them.

425. NIKESH         I don’t know. Do they mean something to you?

TINY BEAT

426. NINA             When are you coming home, Niko?