You were part of this before we met. Were you working for Priya?
No.
NEIL:
PROTAGONIST:
Who recruited you, Neil?
NEIL:
It can’t possibly do you any good to know that right now. When this is over, if we’re still standing and you still care, you can hear my life story, okay?
Kat GROANS, her eyes flicker open to see the Protagonist.
PROTAGONIST:
I’m sorry I involved you.
KAT:
You need to tell me what’s going on.
PROTAGONIST:
Apparently, Neil here knows more about it than I do.
(to Neil) Good luck, pal.
NEIL:
By telling Kat anything we’re compromising her in Priya’s eyes.
PROTAGONIST:
In Priya’s eyes she’s already compromised. And she has a right to know why she might die.
KAT:
I’m going to die?
PROTAGONIST:
Not if we have anything to say about it.
And we do.
NEIL:
KAT:
Who are you?
NEIL:
Let me start with the simple stuff.
Every law of physics operates the same forwards and backwards, except one. Entropy... The Protagonist moves to the back of the container, pulls out his phone, checks Neil’s attention is on Kat...
SATOR:
(via recording) –bring– –final section– –directly to the hypocentre– –with the other parts– –the algorithm– The recording breaks up. The Protagonist puts the phone away, FLEXES his elbow, feeling out some pain... He rolls up his sleeve – there is a DARK PATCH of skin forming –
NEIL:
Are you injured?
PROTAGONIST:
What’s the ‘algorithm’, Neil?
NEIL:
The 241 is one section of it. One out of nine. It’s a formula rendered into physical form so it can’t be copied or communicated. A black box with one function.