Ozma (2023) Movie Script
1
Really?
You want me to drop you here?
No, no it's not safe.
I can't just leave you.
Look at you, you're injured.
And there might be foxes.
Oh, don't worry about me.
It's not me they're after.
Okay. Okay.
No, no, it's okay.
I'll be your decoy.
Goodbye, honey.
And thank you.
Oh, honey. Don't thank me.
Thank you for everything.
Every night I wake up
or something wakes me up.
And I have that same sense
of disorientation.
The fact
that I'm disorientated
in the same way every night
should make me used to it,
you'd think.
But no.
And you know what, Chloe?
I feel the same sense
of loss every night
when I realize once again...
that you're not here.
You're not here in the enormous
bed that you picked out.
Maybe a smaller bed would
help me feel your absence less.
But then I'd have to deal with
the absence of your absence.
Anyway, I'm usually asleep
again within a minute or two.
But last night was one of those
head-whirring nights.
When persistent thoughts
poke and prod.
I used to lie awake worrying
about the future.
But now I just sift
through memories.
Everything happens
for a reason.
Damn!
You've lost the signal,
haven't you?
-She'll be miles away by now.
-It's this stupid tracker.
Oh, yes, blame the tool.
It's the mindless object that's
the stupid thing around here.
My last partner
was more constructive
with her criticism.
You're not my partner,
you're my subordinate.
And you're pointing it too low.
Ah!
I've not been trained on
the older models like this.
It's common sense. Come on.
Bully.
Another sleepless night.
As usual, I decided to distract
myself for half an hour...
to stop me from going
over and over
what happened with you.
Biography.
Travel.
Poetry.
Not all verse is suitable
for the middle of the night...
so I go back
to the same old themes.
To his music
plants and flowers,
ever sprung as sun
and showers.
It seemed
no force could wake him
from his place,
but there came one
who with a kindred hand
touched his wide shoulders,
after bending low.
She was a goddess
of the infant world.
By her in stature...
What in the?
It was such an intriguing
noise, Chloe.
Sort of attractive.
I guess that's why I felt
the need to investigate.
You always said
I was too cautious.
Too wary of the unknown.
Perhaps I suddenly felt the
need
to prove you wrong.
So I decided to go back out
and make a sketch
of the creature.
But then, something
very interesting happened.
Like a radio dial tuning
into my mind...
squeezing it
to find the right frequency.
Help me.
Who said that?
Help me.
Help me.
Help me, Jeff.
-How do you know my name?
-I'm hurt and I need to hide.
What are you?
There's really no time
to explain.
I'm not hostile
or toxic or mean.
Just lift me up
and take me into your home,
please.
I promise I won't hurt you,
Jeff, or mess up your house.
I won't spill coffee everywhere
or scratch your records.
Just take me inside, please.
Please.
-Like this?
-Yes.
-I can't.
-Please.
What's that?
It's an injury.
What happened to you?
Let's just say,
it's been an eventful night.
Could you wash me
in the sink please?
I don't want it
to get infected.
Okay.
You're still bleeding,
if that's the right word.
What should I do?
Just wrap something around me.
The pressure will help me
to seal up the wound
and I need to keep warm.
Okay.
Thank you.
You make a great nurse, Jeff.
Shouldn't that be a vet?
I suppose so.
Can you just leave me here
for a few hours please?
I heal pretty quickly.
Okay.
So, Chloe, you're probably
now thinking, "Come on, Jeff,
it's all the dream,"
because I should have
been running away
from the creature, right?
Shouting, screaming,
calling the authorities.
But what if dreams are,
you know, rehearsals?
Rehearsals for experiences
that are too strange for us
to accept.
Then my matter-of-fact calmness
and my acceptance of this
extraordinary reality
could be explained.
You see I was so well rehearsed
after all my many, many dreams.
And in the midst of
how many of our dreams...
do we drift off
to dream again?
Everything happens
for a reason.
So that's where you're hiding.
I've requested
an urgent intelligence
report on the property.
You'd better go
and collect it then.
I'll check out
the access points.
"Jefferson Connor Smith,
also known as Jeff."
Hold me!
Hold me!
Hold me!
Hold me!
Hold me, Jeff!
Hold me, Jeff!
Hold me, Jeff. Please.
You can let go now.
I'm so sorry, Jeff.
The healing process
can be quite volatile.
That got kind of personal,
didn't it?
Personal?
You could say that again.
You see the way I heal is
more of a rapid
chemical reaction
than an incremental
biological repair.
Not that there's
anything wrong
with the way you do it.
So...
have you healed now?
I'm now 64% healed.
Give or take.
Well...
I'd like you to leave,
I'm afraid.
Okay, Jeff.
But I can only move
slowly like a slug.
And there are other dangers
out there on the streets
for me tonight.
-Can't I just stay
until the morning?
-No.
No, I...
I can't have an alien here.
An alien?
Look who's talking.
And my kind have been here
longer than yours.
You see both of us, in fact,
are naturalized aliens.
Naturalized aliens?
Well, that's irrelevant really.
Just think of me
as a hyper-evolved,
shape-shifting jellyfish.
Hyper-evolved,
but slow like a slug?
You can't have it all.
So...
why haven't I heard of or seen
any of your kind before?
I mean, I'm sure
I would have remembered.
Oh, yes,
people always remember me.
But the reason
you haven't heard of us
before is because
we are protective,
clever and to be honest,
a little shy.
-You're not shy.
-I'm shy right up
until it becomes
necessary to be bold.
And tonight, I need your help.
No. No, I can't.
I can't because I don't actually
believe you're here.
God, I just need to be awake.
Ow!
Jeff,
what I really need is for you
to take me to the Needle.
The Needle?
Who would be calling at 3 a.m.?
It couldn't be good news.
If only I had installed
one of those peepholes
that allows you
to spy on a caller.
But why was I panicking?
It was probably
just a neighbor
who'd heard
the ruckus and was concerned.
This is the police.
Open up.
Or perhaps the police.
Hello, officer.
I've come about
the missing woman, sir.
-Missing woman?
-You called the emergency
services, sir,
about the missing woman.
Are you Jefferson
Connor Smith, sir?
Yes.
Hello you're through
to the emergency services.
Which do you require,
fire, police or ambulance?
Police, please.
Are you calling
to report a crime?
I err... I don't know.
My wife is missing.
Okay. Can you start by giving
me your name please?
Do you remember
making this call, sir?
Well, I-- well yes,
but it was several years ago.
-And the wife, sir?
-She turned up, but she's gone.
I can't see her?
I called the police
the next day
to tell them that she turned up
safe and sound.
Well, you--
you don't have
a recording of that?
No. I'm afraid you'll have
to let me come in
-and have a look around, sir.
-Well, you can't.
It's the middle of the night.
Well, this is madness, officer.
-Madness, sir?
-Madness.
Do you have something
to hide, sir?
No. No and your uniform doesn't
give you the right to...
Ah.
Caught in the act!
But the last two times
it's been me.
And I had to deal with
a spinal inflammation last year,
which the doctor says
could flare up again.
The commissioner
is aware of my condition
and made certain promises.
Anyway, your bike's got that
big carrier on the front.
And yours has a better rack.
Are you ready?
-What do we do with this one?
-The usual.
Poor chap!
He's infected.
He'll thank us for it.
Okay. I'm ready.
Are you ready?
I was already ready.
Right. On three.
One, two, three.
Again. One, two, three.
I'm stuck.
It's got us.
I assumed these intruders knew
more about the creature than I.
But I then realized
that was not necessarily so.
Don't worry, Jeff.
I haven't killed them.
They will regain consciousness
shortly though.
So we need to get out of here.
You must take me
to the Needle.
The Needle?
What was it talking about?
And how was I supposed to do
anything bound up like this?
And how dangerous was it?
And how dangerous
were the people it had
brought in here?
Then I remembered the pruning
shears in the drawers.
Yes, Jeff, the pruning shears
in the drawers.
Quickly, Jeff. Get us out.
I just wanted to abandon
the creature.
But again, somehow...
Jeff, please.
Hey.
Try to go faster.
Oh, good advice.
Why does she keep doing that?
Take this right, Jeff.
Blast!
Jeff.
What are we stopping
here for?
Jeff?
-I'm dropping you off here.
-But I must go to the Needle.
-I'm sorry.
-Where are you going?
The authorities...
the press...
my uncle's farm house
in the country...
I don't know!
But I need to get
to the Needle.
I don't know
what the Needle is.
I don't know what you are.
I don't know what
the police want.
Come on, Jeff, you don't
really believe those people
are police do you?
They're trying to capture me,
to destroy me.
They're tracking me
and I'm vulnerable.
You didn't seem vulnerable
when you invaded my head.
You didn't seem too vulnerable
when you electrocuted
or whatever that was.
-But I can tell.
-You can tell what?
I can tell that you know
I'm a force for good.
If you won't take me
to the Needle at least
take me to Brook Road.
Brook Road?
It's three miles away.
There's a safe place there.
No. No, I'm sorry. I'm done.
I'm not a taxi
or a taxidermist.
-Please.
-No!
-La la la la la...
-Please!
Take the next left.
Anything yet?
We are to move further in.
The commissioner says...
we should be able
to intercept them,
at the point of transmutation.
Well, that's cutting it
a bit fine isn't it?
The commissioner says, yes.
Did he know that this one
was dangerous?
That it could fry us?
I'm losing my hair here.
Bit of warning
would have been nice.
I've--
I've lost him.
Funny that.
There's always a technical
problem when you ask
the wrong question.
Are you sure this is the place?
It doesn't look
like anybody's up.
Try knocking on the door.
Who's there?
My name is Jeff.
Hello?
I know you want
and you can't have it,
so go away!
I don't want anything.
I was told to come here.
By whom?
It's difficult
to explain really.
Have you seen any strange
things around here?
Things like what?
Well, uh, jelly-like things.
Flashing creatures.
I could call the police,
you know?
Okay, I'm sorry I scared you.
I think you and your friend
better come in here
before you're seen.
Come in here.
Sit anywhere.
I'm Joanne.
Hello, Joanne.
Seeing you close to it like
that makes me trust you.
Cleopatra's Needle!
So that's where
it wanted to go,
to that ancient Egyptian
monument by the Thames.
Where my dad took me as a boy.
Now I know that
what I have here...
is a baby.
A baby thing.
I found it by the canal.
It was sort of calling to me.
I felt I had to help it.
I felt a connection.
I know exactly what you mean.
Don't tell her
we can communicate Jeff.
-Don't tell her we can speak.
-Don't tell?
Don't tell who?
Don't-- don't tell me
it's happened to you, too.
Yes, two weeks ago and then
I started getting the visions.
-Do you get the visions?
-I only...
found this a few hours ago.
Why did you bring it to me?
Oh, I-- I felt it somehow.
Amazing!
Well ever since
I found my baby...
Your baby?
Yes, my baby.
Ever since then, I had
visions of these creatures...
which I've tried to capture
in my artwork.
It's like I've been plugged
into this
powerful creative
energy source.
What about the Needle?
Shhh. Calm down, my little one.
I had dreams.
Nightmares about a journey
and a strange ship and...
always with the same shape.
The shape...
of Cleopatra's Needle.
Then I started researching.
The giant obelisk
was a gift to Britain
from Egypt in the 19th century.
But 3,500 years ago...
it was one of a pair,
flanking the entrance
to a temple in the city
of Heliopolis,
built on the orders of the great
pharaoh Thutmose III.
The obelisks were a tribute,
an offering to the gods,
the hawk-headed sun god,
Ra and Horus and Atum
and Thoth.
The obelisk was thus imbued
with the power
of those ancient gods.
Then a privately financed plan
brought it to London in 1877.
It was put
in a huge iron cylinder
like an enormous cigar,
which was towed behind a ship.
Wow.
But it was caught in a terrible
storm off the coast of Spain.
Six of the ship's crew were lost
and the Needle drifted away.
Where's this
all leading, Joanne?
It was assumed
the cylinder just
bobbed around until
it was found by another ship.
But my dreams
tell me otherwise.
Your dreams?
My dreams show the hulking
vessel sink down,
down, down to the seabed.
But Nu, the Egyptian god
of the primordial waters
called for help.
A mass of jellyfish
coalesced around the wreck
and pushed it up, up,
up to the surface.
It was only after this
that the vessel was spotted
and rescued.
And finally
it got brought to London?
Yes
but something powerful
and strange
must have passed
between the gods
and the jellyfish that answered
their call
all those years ago.
Sounds like nonsense,
I'm afraid.
And yet here you are
with a strange being on your lap
like a pussycat.
Do you have a pussycat?
No but I always thought
I'd like one...
or two.
That seems to be working.
But it's odd.
It's a strong reading,
but it looks like
there's two of them.
Like a split signal.
The commissioner says
Ozma is the last target.
Do you believe everything
the commissioner says?
I believe the commissioner
knows more than I do.
Well, that's not a very high
bar, is it?
When you're rude like that,
it doesn't make me
better at my job.
Shh!
You're not my superior,
you know?
In what way
am I not your superior?
Have you got the rope?
Yes.
Use it then.
I sense you think
I'm a bit mad.
I don't think I'm currently
in any position to judge.
But then, I guess at this time
of night somewhere between...
yesterday and tomorrow,
everyone seems a bit mad.
Or no one is mad.
Do you live here alone?
Yes, I do.
But I wasn't always alone.
I'm so sorry.
All the negative
emotions-- shock,
anger, guilt--
all at once.
But I'm learning
to live with it.
My baby's helping, I think.
Would you like a cup of tea?
Everything happens
for a reason?
What now?
We've got to get
to the Needle.
The baby has to come, too.
This woman thinks it's her baby.
She seems dependent on it.
I know but the baby is not safe
with the woman.
Look...
I came here to drop you off,
and now I'm abducting
or something.
-We have to adjust the plan.
-We?
Jeff, please.
I suppose in Egypt,
they drink their tea black
with sugar.
Yes.
You know, Joanne...
the reason I think I'm here...
You just felt it somehow.
Yes. Well, that feeling is--
is now telling me...
we have to get to
Cleopatra's Needle...
tonight.
You and your creature?
Well, I-- I believe
we all have to go.
The baby has to go
to the Needle, too.
Yes.
Somehow I knew
you would say that.
Feel like I...
knew you would say that
from the moment I saw you.
Well, maybe that's what your
dreams were telling you.
That the baby has to go
to the Needle, too.
Perhaps.
I'll just be a minute.
Well, after all that...
I think we're going to be okay.
Whoa!
Okay. Okay. Okay, Joanne.
Take it easy.
Just take it easy.
If you think you're taking
my baby away you must be mad!
Okay, Joanne.
It called to me.
It needs me, it wants me,
so take your creature back
on your bicycle and go.
Get out!
Just take it easy, Joanne.
We will do exactly as you say.
Just-- just release that finger
on the trigger, okay?
I can't open the door, Joanne.
We cannot leave
without the small one, Jeff.
Joanne, listen.
There were people, police.
People pretending to be police.
They wanted
to take the creature away,
that's why I'm here.
The baby's not safe.
The baby is safe with me.
It's my job
to keep it safe, now go!
I'm serious.
No!
Don't worry, baby,
mummy's coming.
Please.
Please don't take it away.
I promise you this, Joanne,
it's the right thing to do.
And when I get to the Needle
perhaps I'll understand why.
Bye, baby.
-The lights are on.
-Let's find out why.
Yes, sir, exactly.
New information that will
expedite this whole operation.
Yes. Well, the Needle.
It explains New York and Paris.
Both cities that have
these Egyptian obelisks.
How's he doing?
Quite frankly, he's the best
I've worked with.
He's diligent,
intuitive, industrious
and he's not afraid to use
force when necessary.
Exactly. I'd recommend him
for a promotion.
Okay, we'll keep you updated.
Come on, you idiot.
You're wasting time.
It was nearly five a.m.
by the time I reached the
river.
Logically, perhaps,
there was no hurry.
But what had logic
to say about any of this?
My gut told me I had to reach
the Needle before sunrise.
And my gut
had the casting vote.
The great Thames
seemed aware of my quest.
That sounds
really crazy, I know.
Think about that river though.
The city wouldn't be here
without it
and the Needle wouldn't be here
without it.
Maybe all that surging water
had a sort of consciousness.
Maybe not.
We're nearly there.
Yes. We must be placed
at the base
of the obelisk, Jeff.
Okay.
You've been a great friend.
You've done well, Jefferson.
Delivering Ozma
to us like this
and showing us
where the portal is.
That was an added bonus.
Hold on tight!
Don't be silly!
Shoo! Shoo! Shoo!
Go on, Jeff.
Go on, Jeff! Go!
We were fortunate to have found
you, Jefferson Connor Smith.
Our kind will never
forget your deeds.
Is that it?
Is there anything
more you need me to do?
It has started.
Be good to yourself.
It's up.
It's up, at last.
You see? I told you I knew
what I was doing.
Come on, hand it over.
What do I do?
Nothing.
If it's up
and the wind's blowing
you just hold on to it and...
enjoy yourself.
I can't believe you've never
done this before.
-I've had a deprived childhood.
-Your dad owned a hotel.
Well, not deprived of money,
just of kites.
Poor you!
Hey, hey, what--
what are you doing?
I want it to do more.
I want it to lift me up
so I can see
the top of the trees.
Who'll catch you when you fall?
You will, dummy.
All right.
Gonna need a bigger kite.
I'll get you an enormous one
for your next birthday.
Now, come on, sit down,
eat some cheese.
Happy birthday/anniversary.
Oh! The cheese!
Let it go.
It's gone.
The cake, the cheese.
Champagne.
Come on,
I want to get a coffee.
Everything happens
for a reason.
Every night I wake up...
or something wakes me up...
and I have that same
sense of disorientation.
But waking up this morning
was different.
I wasn't in my bed.
And I seemed to be free
of that usual panicky
sense of loss.
The sun had risen and burnt
away
the tribulations of the night.
And that panacea, activity,
fueled hope in the city.
But listen to me, Chloe,
talking to you
in my head again,
trying to give you the world.
It's a one-way conversation
that's not good for me
or you.
So it's time for it to stop.
You can be in my thoughts
without me addressing
those thoughts to you.
I guess I can talk
to myself instead.
So long, Chloe.
So long.
There's a good girl.
Don't spill it now.
Really?
You want me to drop you here?
No, no it's not safe.
I can't just leave you.
Look at you, you're injured.
And there might be foxes.
Oh, don't worry about me.
It's not me they're after.
Okay. Okay.
No, no, it's okay.
I'll be your decoy.
Goodbye, honey.
And thank you.
Oh, honey. Don't thank me.
Thank you for everything.
Every night I wake up
or something wakes me up.
And I have that same sense
of disorientation.
The fact
that I'm disorientated
in the same way every night
should make me used to it,
you'd think.
But no.
And you know what, Chloe?
I feel the same sense
of loss every night
when I realize once again...
that you're not here.
You're not here in the enormous
bed that you picked out.
Maybe a smaller bed would
help me feel your absence less.
But then I'd have to deal with
the absence of your absence.
Anyway, I'm usually asleep
again within a minute or two.
But last night was one of those
head-whirring nights.
When persistent thoughts
poke and prod.
I used to lie awake worrying
about the future.
But now I just sift
through memories.
Everything happens
for a reason.
Damn!
You've lost the signal,
haven't you?
-She'll be miles away by now.
-It's this stupid tracker.
Oh, yes, blame the tool.
It's the mindless object that's
the stupid thing around here.
My last partner
was more constructive
with her criticism.
You're not my partner,
you're my subordinate.
And you're pointing it too low.
Ah!
I've not been trained on
the older models like this.
It's common sense. Come on.
Bully.
Another sleepless night.
As usual, I decided to distract
myself for half an hour...
to stop me from going
over and over
what happened with you.
Biography.
Travel.
Poetry.
Not all verse is suitable
for the middle of the night...
so I go back
to the same old themes.
To his music
plants and flowers,
ever sprung as sun
and showers.
It seemed
no force could wake him
from his place,
but there came one
who with a kindred hand
touched his wide shoulders,
after bending low.
She was a goddess
of the infant world.
By her in stature...
What in the?
It was such an intriguing
noise, Chloe.
Sort of attractive.
I guess that's why I felt
the need to investigate.
You always said
I was too cautious.
Too wary of the unknown.
Perhaps I suddenly felt the
need
to prove you wrong.
So I decided to go back out
and make a sketch
of the creature.
But then, something
very interesting happened.
Like a radio dial tuning
into my mind...
squeezing it
to find the right frequency.
Help me.
Who said that?
Help me.
Help me.
Help me, Jeff.
-How do you know my name?
-I'm hurt and I need to hide.
What are you?
There's really no time
to explain.
I'm not hostile
or toxic or mean.
Just lift me up
and take me into your home,
please.
I promise I won't hurt you,
Jeff, or mess up your house.
I won't spill coffee everywhere
or scratch your records.
Just take me inside, please.
Please.
-Like this?
-Yes.
-I can't.
-Please.
What's that?
It's an injury.
What happened to you?
Let's just say,
it's been an eventful night.
Could you wash me
in the sink please?
I don't want it
to get infected.
Okay.
You're still bleeding,
if that's the right word.
What should I do?
Just wrap something around me.
The pressure will help me
to seal up the wound
and I need to keep warm.
Okay.
Thank you.
You make a great nurse, Jeff.
Shouldn't that be a vet?
I suppose so.
Can you just leave me here
for a few hours please?
I heal pretty quickly.
Okay.
So, Chloe, you're probably
now thinking, "Come on, Jeff,
it's all the dream,"
because I should have
been running away
from the creature, right?
Shouting, screaming,
calling the authorities.
But what if dreams are,
you know, rehearsals?
Rehearsals for experiences
that are too strange for us
to accept.
Then my matter-of-fact calmness
and my acceptance of this
extraordinary reality
could be explained.
You see I was so well rehearsed
after all my many, many dreams.
And in the midst of
how many of our dreams...
do we drift off
to dream again?
Everything happens
for a reason.
So that's where you're hiding.
I've requested
an urgent intelligence
report on the property.
You'd better go
and collect it then.
I'll check out
the access points.
"Jefferson Connor Smith,
also known as Jeff."
Hold me!
Hold me!
Hold me!
Hold me!
Hold me, Jeff!
Hold me, Jeff!
Hold me, Jeff. Please.
You can let go now.
I'm so sorry, Jeff.
The healing process
can be quite volatile.
That got kind of personal,
didn't it?
Personal?
You could say that again.
You see the way I heal is
more of a rapid
chemical reaction
than an incremental
biological repair.
Not that there's
anything wrong
with the way you do it.
So...
have you healed now?
I'm now 64% healed.
Give or take.
Well...
I'd like you to leave,
I'm afraid.
Okay, Jeff.
But I can only move
slowly like a slug.
And there are other dangers
out there on the streets
for me tonight.
-Can't I just stay
until the morning?
-No.
No, I...
I can't have an alien here.
An alien?
Look who's talking.
And my kind have been here
longer than yours.
You see both of us, in fact,
are naturalized aliens.
Naturalized aliens?
Well, that's irrelevant really.
Just think of me
as a hyper-evolved,
shape-shifting jellyfish.
Hyper-evolved,
but slow like a slug?
You can't have it all.
So...
why haven't I heard of or seen
any of your kind before?
I mean, I'm sure
I would have remembered.
Oh, yes,
people always remember me.
But the reason
you haven't heard of us
before is because
we are protective,
clever and to be honest,
a little shy.
-You're not shy.
-I'm shy right up
until it becomes
necessary to be bold.
And tonight, I need your help.
No. No, I can't.
I can't because I don't actually
believe you're here.
God, I just need to be awake.
Ow!
Jeff,
what I really need is for you
to take me to the Needle.
The Needle?
Who would be calling at 3 a.m.?
It couldn't be good news.
If only I had installed
one of those peepholes
that allows you
to spy on a caller.
But why was I panicking?
It was probably
just a neighbor
who'd heard
the ruckus and was concerned.
This is the police.
Open up.
Or perhaps the police.
Hello, officer.
I've come about
the missing woman, sir.
-Missing woman?
-You called the emergency
services, sir,
about the missing woman.
Are you Jefferson
Connor Smith, sir?
Yes.
Hello you're through
to the emergency services.
Which do you require,
fire, police or ambulance?
Police, please.
Are you calling
to report a crime?
I err... I don't know.
My wife is missing.
Okay. Can you start by giving
me your name please?
Do you remember
making this call, sir?
Well, I-- well yes,
but it was several years ago.
-And the wife, sir?
-She turned up, but she's gone.
I can't see her?
I called the police
the next day
to tell them that she turned up
safe and sound.
Well, you--
you don't have
a recording of that?
No. I'm afraid you'll have
to let me come in
-and have a look around, sir.
-Well, you can't.
It's the middle of the night.
Well, this is madness, officer.
-Madness, sir?
-Madness.
Do you have something
to hide, sir?
No. No and your uniform doesn't
give you the right to...
Ah.
Caught in the act!
But the last two times
it's been me.
And I had to deal with
a spinal inflammation last year,
which the doctor says
could flare up again.
The commissioner
is aware of my condition
and made certain promises.
Anyway, your bike's got that
big carrier on the front.
And yours has a better rack.
Are you ready?
-What do we do with this one?
-The usual.
Poor chap!
He's infected.
He'll thank us for it.
Okay. I'm ready.
Are you ready?
I was already ready.
Right. On three.
One, two, three.
Again. One, two, three.
I'm stuck.
It's got us.
I assumed these intruders knew
more about the creature than I.
But I then realized
that was not necessarily so.
Don't worry, Jeff.
I haven't killed them.
They will regain consciousness
shortly though.
So we need to get out of here.
You must take me
to the Needle.
The Needle?
What was it talking about?
And how was I supposed to do
anything bound up like this?
And how dangerous was it?
And how dangerous
were the people it had
brought in here?
Then I remembered the pruning
shears in the drawers.
Yes, Jeff, the pruning shears
in the drawers.
Quickly, Jeff. Get us out.
I just wanted to abandon
the creature.
But again, somehow...
Jeff, please.
Hey.
Try to go faster.
Oh, good advice.
Why does she keep doing that?
Take this right, Jeff.
Blast!
Jeff.
What are we stopping
here for?
Jeff?
-I'm dropping you off here.
-But I must go to the Needle.
-I'm sorry.
-Where are you going?
The authorities...
the press...
my uncle's farm house
in the country...
I don't know!
But I need to get
to the Needle.
I don't know
what the Needle is.
I don't know what you are.
I don't know what
the police want.
Come on, Jeff, you don't
really believe those people
are police do you?
They're trying to capture me,
to destroy me.
They're tracking me
and I'm vulnerable.
You didn't seem vulnerable
when you invaded my head.
You didn't seem too vulnerable
when you electrocuted
or whatever that was.
-But I can tell.
-You can tell what?
I can tell that you know
I'm a force for good.
If you won't take me
to the Needle at least
take me to Brook Road.
Brook Road?
It's three miles away.
There's a safe place there.
No. No, I'm sorry. I'm done.
I'm not a taxi
or a taxidermist.
-Please.
-No!
-La la la la la...
-Please!
Take the next left.
Anything yet?
We are to move further in.
The commissioner says...
we should be able
to intercept them,
at the point of transmutation.
Well, that's cutting it
a bit fine isn't it?
The commissioner says, yes.
Did he know that this one
was dangerous?
That it could fry us?
I'm losing my hair here.
Bit of warning
would have been nice.
I've--
I've lost him.
Funny that.
There's always a technical
problem when you ask
the wrong question.
Are you sure this is the place?
It doesn't look
like anybody's up.
Try knocking on the door.
Who's there?
My name is Jeff.
Hello?
I know you want
and you can't have it,
so go away!
I don't want anything.
I was told to come here.
By whom?
It's difficult
to explain really.
Have you seen any strange
things around here?
Things like what?
Well, uh, jelly-like things.
Flashing creatures.
I could call the police,
you know?
Okay, I'm sorry I scared you.
I think you and your friend
better come in here
before you're seen.
Come in here.
Sit anywhere.
I'm Joanne.
Hello, Joanne.
Seeing you close to it like
that makes me trust you.
Cleopatra's Needle!
So that's where
it wanted to go,
to that ancient Egyptian
monument by the Thames.
Where my dad took me as a boy.
Now I know that
what I have here...
is a baby.
A baby thing.
I found it by the canal.
It was sort of calling to me.
I felt I had to help it.
I felt a connection.
I know exactly what you mean.
Don't tell her
we can communicate Jeff.
-Don't tell her we can speak.
-Don't tell?
Don't tell who?
Don't-- don't tell me
it's happened to you, too.
Yes, two weeks ago and then
I started getting the visions.
-Do you get the visions?
-I only...
found this a few hours ago.
Why did you bring it to me?
Oh, I-- I felt it somehow.
Amazing!
Well ever since
I found my baby...
Your baby?
Yes, my baby.
Ever since then, I had
visions of these creatures...
which I've tried to capture
in my artwork.
It's like I've been plugged
into this
powerful creative
energy source.
What about the Needle?
Shhh. Calm down, my little one.
I had dreams.
Nightmares about a journey
and a strange ship and...
always with the same shape.
The shape...
of Cleopatra's Needle.
Then I started researching.
The giant obelisk
was a gift to Britain
from Egypt in the 19th century.
But 3,500 years ago...
it was one of a pair,
flanking the entrance
to a temple in the city
of Heliopolis,
built on the orders of the great
pharaoh Thutmose III.
The obelisks were a tribute,
an offering to the gods,
the hawk-headed sun god,
Ra and Horus and Atum
and Thoth.
The obelisk was thus imbued
with the power
of those ancient gods.
Then a privately financed plan
brought it to London in 1877.
It was put
in a huge iron cylinder
like an enormous cigar,
which was towed behind a ship.
Wow.
But it was caught in a terrible
storm off the coast of Spain.
Six of the ship's crew were lost
and the Needle drifted away.
Where's this
all leading, Joanne?
It was assumed
the cylinder just
bobbed around until
it was found by another ship.
But my dreams
tell me otherwise.
Your dreams?
My dreams show the hulking
vessel sink down,
down, down to the seabed.
But Nu, the Egyptian god
of the primordial waters
called for help.
A mass of jellyfish
coalesced around the wreck
and pushed it up, up,
up to the surface.
It was only after this
that the vessel was spotted
and rescued.
And finally
it got brought to London?
Yes
but something powerful
and strange
must have passed
between the gods
and the jellyfish that answered
their call
all those years ago.
Sounds like nonsense,
I'm afraid.
And yet here you are
with a strange being on your lap
like a pussycat.
Do you have a pussycat?
No but I always thought
I'd like one...
or two.
That seems to be working.
But it's odd.
It's a strong reading,
but it looks like
there's two of them.
Like a split signal.
The commissioner says
Ozma is the last target.
Do you believe everything
the commissioner says?
I believe the commissioner
knows more than I do.
Well, that's not a very high
bar, is it?
When you're rude like that,
it doesn't make me
better at my job.
Shh!
You're not my superior,
you know?
In what way
am I not your superior?
Have you got the rope?
Yes.
Use it then.
I sense you think
I'm a bit mad.
I don't think I'm currently
in any position to judge.
But then, I guess at this time
of night somewhere between...
yesterday and tomorrow,
everyone seems a bit mad.
Or no one is mad.
Do you live here alone?
Yes, I do.
But I wasn't always alone.
I'm so sorry.
All the negative
emotions-- shock,
anger, guilt--
all at once.
But I'm learning
to live with it.
My baby's helping, I think.
Would you like a cup of tea?
Everything happens
for a reason?
What now?
We've got to get
to the Needle.
The baby has to come, too.
This woman thinks it's her baby.
She seems dependent on it.
I know but the baby is not safe
with the woman.
Look...
I came here to drop you off,
and now I'm abducting
or something.
-We have to adjust the plan.
-We?
Jeff, please.
I suppose in Egypt,
they drink their tea black
with sugar.
Yes.
You know, Joanne...
the reason I think I'm here...
You just felt it somehow.
Yes. Well, that feeling is--
is now telling me...
we have to get to
Cleopatra's Needle...
tonight.
You and your creature?
Well, I-- I believe
we all have to go.
The baby has to go
to the Needle, too.
Yes.
Somehow I knew
you would say that.
Feel like I...
knew you would say that
from the moment I saw you.
Well, maybe that's what your
dreams were telling you.
That the baby has to go
to the Needle, too.
Perhaps.
I'll just be a minute.
Well, after all that...
I think we're going to be okay.
Whoa!
Okay. Okay. Okay, Joanne.
Take it easy.
Just take it easy.
If you think you're taking
my baby away you must be mad!
Okay, Joanne.
It called to me.
It needs me, it wants me,
so take your creature back
on your bicycle and go.
Get out!
Just take it easy, Joanne.
We will do exactly as you say.
Just-- just release that finger
on the trigger, okay?
I can't open the door, Joanne.
We cannot leave
without the small one, Jeff.
Joanne, listen.
There were people, police.
People pretending to be police.
They wanted
to take the creature away,
that's why I'm here.
The baby's not safe.
The baby is safe with me.
It's my job
to keep it safe, now go!
I'm serious.
No!
Don't worry, baby,
mummy's coming.
Please.
Please don't take it away.
I promise you this, Joanne,
it's the right thing to do.
And when I get to the Needle
perhaps I'll understand why.
Bye, baby.
-The lights are on.
-Let's find out why.
Yes, sir, exactly.
New information that will
expedite this whole operation.
Yes. Well, the Needle.
It explains New York and Paris.
Both cities that have
these Egyptian obelisks.
How's he doing?
Quite frankly, he's the best
I've worked with.
He's diligent,
intuitive, industrious
and he's not afraid to use
force when necessary.
Exactly. I'd recommend him
for a promotion.
Okay, we'll keep you updated.
Come on, you idiot.
You're wasting time.
It was nearly five a.m.
by the time I reached the
river.
Logically, perhaps,
there was no hurry.
But what had logic
to say about any of this?
My gut told me I had to reach
the Needle before sunrise.
And my gut
had the casting vote.
The great Thames
seemed aware of my quest.
That sounds
really crazy, I know.
Think about that river though.
The city wouldn't be here
without it
and the Needle wouldn't be here
without it.
Maybe all that surging water
had a sort of consciousness.
Maybe not.
We're nearly there.
Yes. We must be placed
at the base
of the obelisk, Jeff.
Okay.
You've been a great friend.
You've done well, Jefferson.
Delivering Ozma
to us like this
and showing us
where the portal is.
That was an added bonus.
Hold on tight!
Don't be silly!
Shoo! Shoo! Shoo!
Go on, Jeff.
Go on, Jeff! Go!
We were fortunate to have found
you, Jefferson Connor Smith.
Our kind will never
forget your deeds.
Is that it?
Is there anything
more you need me to do?
It has started.
Be good to yourself.
It's up.
It's up, at last.
You see? I told you I knew
what I was doing.
Come on, hand it over.
What do I do?
Nothing.
If it's up
and the wind's blowing
you just hold on to it and...
enjoy yourself.
I can't believe you've never
done this before.
-I've had a deprived childhood.
-Your dad owned a hotel.
Well, not deprived of money,
just of kites.
Poor you!
Hey, hey, what--
what are you doing?
I want it to do more.
I want it to lift me up
so I can see
the top of the trees.
Who'll catch you when you fall?
You will, dummy.
All right.
Gonna need a bigger kite.
I'll get you an enormous one
for your next birthday.
Now, come on, sit down,
eat some cheese.
Happy birthday/anniversary.
Oh! The cheese!
Let it go.
It's gone.
The cake, the cheese.
Champagne.
Come on,
I want to get a coffee.
Everything happens
for a reason.
Every night I wake up...
or something wakes me up...
and I have that same
sense of disorientation.
But waking up this morning
was different.
I wasn't in my bed.
And I seemed to be free
of that usual panicky
sense of loss.
The sun had risen and burnt
away
the tribulations of the night.
And that panacea, activity,
fueled hope in the city.
But listen to me, Chloe,
talking to you
in my head again,
trying to give you the world.
It's a one-way conversation
that's not good for me
or you.
So it's time for it to stop.
You can be in my thoughts
without me addressing
those thoughts to you.
I guess I can talk
to myself instead.
So long, Chloe.
So long.
There's a good girl.
Don't spill it now.