Stream (of Consciousness)

Picture if you will: An SF tale that melds the best of speculative science fiction -universal drama and even a touch of romance on the side. A marriage made in SF heaven, Stream is best described as Primer meets Flatliners. With a little hint of White Noise… and the heart rending moments of Spielberg’s timeless Cocoon. And if that isn’t enough to get attention – Stream is “stream-lined” as well. Set in a university research setting, Stream is limited location – with classy but moderate FX to add the needed high-tech sheen. Due to the hard core SF concepts involved, Stream is guaranteed to appeal to science fiction buffs hungry for what they’ve craved for years – real science fiction that’s more than a glorified action flick. At its heart, Stream is a character piece dealing with deep human issues. Grief over the loss of a loved one, emotional isolation and ageism. Done right, we guarantee Stream has all the ingredients required to be a true cinematic gem. Which brings us to our protagonist, Dr. Saul Aaron. An old Jewish researcher, he’s worked for decades at Wellings College on Project “Blue Sky”. His entire life’s mission: to crack the telepathic code – building an “amplifier” to read and record human thoughts. But so far, he’s had zero luck. He’s assisted by Doug – his geeky and socially awkward colleague (Ph.D). Unlike Doug, Saul may have a family… but he’s always placed priority on career. And that value system hasn’t worked. He hasn’t talked to his estranged daughter, Liz, in a decade. And his wife Lillith languishes in bed at home – dying of cancer inch by inch. True, Saul loves Lillith dearly… but work gets constantly in the way. Saul and Doug finally have their breakthrough. Voices pour through the amplifier speakers like a Tower of Babel flood. Every nationality. Snippets of thoughts. And some of them sound… distorted. Strange. The two colleagues break open expensive whiskey to celebrate. Which is when Saul gets the call he’s been dreading. It’s the doctors. Lillith’s dead. At Lillith’s funeral, Saul runs into daughter Liz – an awkward moment, needless to say. Though nervous, Liz wants to reconnect – but Saul’s too set in his ways. But one person sees Liz for who she’s become. Assistant Doug… who becomes instantly smitten with Liz’s looks (and her gentle, free spirited soul.) Meanwhile, a grieving Saul throws himself into his work. The Dean of Wellings – Dean Wittes – conspires with rival research company Dunning Institute to get money for Blue Sky and expand. From the beginning, Saul frets over the possibility of losing control over the project he’s sacrificed everything for. And when he meets Dr. Carol Letsky – Dunning’s head researcher - he hates her with a passion. On sight. During a booze-driven after-hours rap-session, Saul confides with Doug that the latest Blue Sky test results have him… concerned. They haven’t been able to pinpoint the location of the amplifier’s signals. So Saul wonders out loud: maybe they’re picking up something else. Perhaps signals from “beyond”? Doug laughs it off as the drunken musings of a confused old man… but secretly worries for Saul’s mental health. Meanwhile, more signals pour into the amplifier after hours. Even creepier than before. Still buzzed (and lonely), Doug calls Liz… and arranges to meet her at a campus bar. He confides in her that he’s worried for Saul. And the attraction between them grows even more. The next day, Doug shows Saul the new plug-and-play addition he’s made to the amplifier: a helmet that allows the wearer to project their thoughts. He slaps it on, and accidentally broadcasts his thoughts about his “date” with Liz. Needless to say, Saul’s pissed off. And the situation’s about to get far worse. Dean Wittes finalizes the deal with Dunning Institute. Driven by the mighty power of their financial connections, Dr. Carol Letsky revamps the lab and hires college student “Brian” to guard the equipment. In her next salvo, Dr. Letsky orders tons of tests – using military personnel (who she claims are ROTC) as Blue Sky’s human guinea pigs. And it doesn’t take long. Soon, Dr. Letsky figures out how to transfer thoughts between live test subjects – allowing them to “switch bodies” temporarily. Deemed useless by Dunning, Saul’s shoved to the side – Blue Sky taking ever more dangerous risks. As a precaution, Saul keeps his research notes hidden away – that’s his secret weapon in case Carol tries to take over the project for herself. Doug and Liz continue to date. And their relationship’s getting serious. As are the new discoveries of Blue Sky. Carol’s team pulls off an even more revolutionary breakthrough: reengineering Doug’s helmet/receiver to broadcast the unknown amplifier signals to the wearer. Annoyed that he wasn’t consulted, Saul’s the one who tries it first. And monstrous images assault him. He tears it off, horrified. He was right. They ARE receiving thoughts and memories from people who have died! A religious man by nature, Saul is alarmed and begs Dean Wittes to slow down the tests. But Carol insists on speeding full throttle – the project’s even more important now. Paired with cloning – they’ll be able to “revive” important people from the dead! Carol secretly meets with the Dean and convinces him to wean Saul off the project. He’s old. He’ll just be in the way. It’s all for Saul’s own protection. Of course. Feeling even more obsolete, Saul spends drunken nights at the lab searching for a trace of Lillith among the amplifier signals – not to mention, the afterlife. At one point, he hears something that sounds… just like her. But he spills his drink – and loses the transmission before it can be locked into place. Aware that Saul’s project notes are incomplete, Carol pulls Doug aside and demands he give them to her. Acting for once like the vulnerable human she really is, Carol confides in Doug about her brilliant older sister, Rebecca, who died of Lou Gehrig’s when Carol was just a little girl. Her compelling argument: that Doug owes it to the world to help make Blue Sky a success. It’s a triumph over death itself! Still, Doug refuses to betray his mentor, Saul. But he sees what the stress is doing to the old man. As he falls ever deeper in love with Liz, he secretly wishes Saul would retire … reconnecting the Aaron family before it’s too late. Though denied, Carol soldiers on with ever more risky tests – pushing Saul to his mental breaking point. During a college class, Saul assaults a snarky grad student. The emotional outburst gives Carol and the Dean the ammo they need to use against Saul…in a subtle political/academic way. On a date, Doug sneaks into the lab with Liz. Giggling like high school students, they use the helmets to swap thoughts. Accidentally, Doug gets an overpowering blast of Liz’s most personal memories – including the teenage pregnancy and abortion that caused the final rift between her and Saul. Ripping off his helmet, Doug comforts a hysterical Liz; now convinced even more that he needs to help Saul emotionally heal. Even if it requires taking Blue Sky from him. So he steals Saul’s notes and gives them to Carol… making her swear that she’ll make the graduate student’s assault charges fade away. Back at the lab, Brian (the college student guard) flirts with Carol. Flattered – and just a touch interested - she invites him to try the amplifier “helmet” for himself. Overwhelmed by a particularly murderous personality, Brian attacks Dr. Letsky – and almost kills/rapes her. Doug and Saul intervene just in time. A shaken Carol goes into overdrive, shutting Saul completely out of the project. She and the Dean negotiate a deal to sell Blue Sky technology to the military. Carol herself meets with “Captain Mays” at a separate facility. After the experience with Brian, she almost backs out and cancels the deal… until the Captain shows her a room filled with incubated clones, ready for personality imprinting. One of them looks like her dead sister, Rebecca. So Carol signs right on the dotted line. Saul discovers his notes are gone, and confronts Doug immediately. Doug admits to stealing them, but swears it’s for Saul’s own good. Liz needs her father. And Saul needs her as well. Saul crumples at the news… all is lost. Dunning has taken his project. His dear Lillith is dead. Gone. And now even Doug’s betrayed him! And so he storms off his beloved campus – paying a quick visit to daughter Liz at her home. It’s a bittersweet exchange that doesn’t last long. Then he heads for Lillith’s gravesite. He stands over her headstone and asks questions. Doug arrives at Liz’s for a date. And discovers an unheard voicemail on his phone. It’s Saul, telling him he can have Blue Sky. He doesn’t want it anymore. He begs Doug to protect the project, warning him against the ultimate dangers of the tech. Alarmed, Doug and Liz race to the lab. Unfortunately, Saul gets there first. He surprises Brian and ties him up – but not before the alarm is tripped. Saul powers up the amplifier, and sets the signal in reverse. The signal beam burns like hell itself into the floor – just as Doug and Liz arrive. Responding to the alarm, Carol follows soon after. But Saul barricades himself inside. He storms towards the amplifier. Doug and Liz plead for him to stop. The energy waves will rip him to shreds! Saul’s response? That he doesn’t care. He’s figured it out… that which can be received, can also transmit. Lillith’s out there somewhere, and he’s going to go find her - no matter what sacrifices must be made. That’s the only thing that matters anymore. Convinced he’s solved the riddle of life, Saul steps directly into the beam. He’s vaporized instantly… causing a feedback that destroys most of the lab. Doug and Liz break in, searching desperately for Saul. They hear a voice from the amplifier’s speakers. Maybe it’s Saul. Maybe not. But it soon shuts down. Forever. And wherever he is, Saul’s now at peace.