1
Sandra Brandt.
- Carol Jenkins.
What is this?
- Old style, I guess. We'll just have to wait and see.
Right. So you work with Wahlstein, right?
- Yes. You?
Pen pals, you could say. For years now. Sharing our thoughts,
reflecting on each others work, that sort of thing.
I have never actually met him. What's he like?
- Unique.
I mean, he has a theorem named after him.
It's used all over the world.
Is he hiding from something?
He hasn't published anything since...
- Jenkins. You're Jenkins and
McMillan?
Well I'm not McMillan, but yes,
that's me.
So what do you think this is
about?
Sandra?
- David!
Hi, David Forsberg.
- Nice to meet you.
Fascinating stuff.
- Well, we just made a connection no one else
had seen. Crossed a boundary, you could say.
Well, what do you think this meeting is about, anyway?
- No idea.
I so want to meet him.
But why does he want to meet us?
That is a bit unusual.
- Unheard of! In ten years he's never shown any interest.
There must be a reason why he's bringing
us together. Any ideas on what it could be?
There's four of everything.
Hey, did you also have to leave all
of your things at the reception desk?
Now why did we have to do that?
It is odd.
You think he's found something?
Had a scientific breakthrough?
- But he would trust us,
wouldn't he?
Kate Wattana. CTF Astrophysics Lab.
- Sandra Brandt.
I know. Lund University. The only one
Wahlstein ever meets. I wonder why?
David Forsberg.
Electro-Magnetic Interference expert.
And Carol Jenkins, professor
of quantum physics -
- at one of those...
American... universities.
So, what do you think this is all about?
- What is your guess?
Well, it's obvious that we are
here to discuss some -
- magnetic disturbance relevant both
at a subatomary and cosmic level.
Judging by Sandra's presence,
it will require quite complex mathematics.
The question is:
why the secrecy?
Why did we have to
leave our things?
And why did they just lock us
in?
Don't touch that door.
A necessary inconvenience.
You will soon understand. Please.
I will explain. Please.
Dear, dear colleagues.
Welcome to this room.
You may wonder why you
are all here. Rest assured.
This room will become the most
important room in your life.
I apologize for not
being there in person.
Believe me, if I could, I would
But as you soon will understand
that is quite impossible.
So you will have to watch
this recording instead.
You have all been doing researc
involving large complicated numbers,
and those are the numbers
you will be dealing with today.
My own research has brought me
into areas that some would call...
Well, let's just say I don't
do what everyone else does.
Some of you know more about thi than the others,
and on your shoulders lie a heavier burden.
Now, concentrate and listen.
When this recording of me finishes,
you will not be able to play it
again.
And the things I tell you,
you will want to hear.
They will be absolutely critica
for your survival.
To be precise: at 10:21 tonight
you will all die.
But you can prevent your
deaths from happening.
I will give you the keys to succeed, and
you will have to work together to use them.
I wish I could tell you more,
but that would only confuse you.
It's just a game.
In a game, someone wins.
- What are you talking about?
Not all of us will leave this
room.
You can't be serious!
- Alright, that's enough.
It is time to get started.
I will give you a list of numbers,
and you will have to use these
numbers to secure your own survival.
So - grab a pen everyone,
and let's get started.
Six-oh-four point
double-oh-nine-two-six.
Four-four-three point
one-one-six.
Three-nine-five-four-six-two-ei
ht-four.
Six point seven-four-oh-eight
times ten to the minus eleven.
Three point one-four-treble
eight, mind you.
Seven-six-three.
One-six-four point
three-oh-six-three.
Is anyone else having trouble
following this?
One point two-two-one.
Oh point eight-oh-eight.
Twelve thousand four hundred an
sixty-one.
Two-six-four point eight-nine-one.
- Two-six-four point eight-nine-one.
Two point seven-six-five times
ten to the thirty.
And finally: six-six-six.
Just kidding. I am just making sure
that you are all still listening.
Now, some final words.
I am not alive.
Unless my doctors are
complete idiots,
I have only about
two weeks to live,
and when you're watching this,
those two weeks were a long time ago.
So instead, you are here.
And if you are half as smart
as I think you are,
you will be able to
figure out why.
And if you don't...
you will most likely die.
Good luck.
What was that?
He's dead?
Did he just threaten to kill us?
Did anyone get all those numbers?
- Are you really going through with this?
I mean, what's going to happen?
How can he possibly know that we will die?
At a specific time? How can we
believe that?
Can we take the risk?
What if what he says is true?
What are you doing?
We have four hours.
This is silly. There's nothing
stopping us from leaving.
I mean, come on!
- Carol!
What if? What if there is something
to stop us leaving the room?
Look, I am sure I can force that lock.
- Maybe it's booby-trapped.
So he trusts he can scare us.
- But he knows us.
He knows we wouldn't take his word for it.
He could have done something to...
Something to scare us!
- Or to kill the one that tries.
Carol!
Wahlstein, you shithead!
- Calm down.
You calm down!
What about that number? That number you
knew was gonna come up. What was that?
Yeah. How did you know that?
What is that number?
I put two of the other numbers
into this equation.
By interpolating the values, I could
derive the next number in the series.
You made that calculation
and interpolated a new value
while he was still
giving us new numbers?
How could you possibly do that?
- What is the equation?
Big Bang?
Yes.
And the value...?
- ...was a calculation? You didn't measure it?
How could I measure it?
It hasn't happened. Yet.
No, no, no. We're not talking about this.
This is crazy.
The end of Expansion?
- A black hole?
Created from what, exactly?
- I don't know.
I just know what the numbers tell me.
- And they tell you... -
- ...a new universe
is about to be created.
This is exactly the kind of thing
Wahlstein does. Did. What else?
Okay, fine, I'll give it a minute.
What about tachyons?
Good.
More?
- Oh, how about time travel?
Molecular displacement.
Alien invasion?
What numbers do you base that
on?
Oh, I don't know. What do you
think?
3.14888 for example, isn't that the average
circumference of your normal flying saucer?
In their units, I mean. What are
those units called again? Alien feet?
You think this is funny.
- Mmm.
You think you will get out
of here acting like that.
Do you think I would hesitate to
kill you?
If it would guarantee me getting
out of this room alive?
Kate...
- I mean it!
Do you like gambling?
I don't.
You should take this seriously.
We may look like fools when it turns out to be
a joke, but I'm not willing to take the risk.
Nobody's going to die.
- And you know this how?
We're doing this for a while,
to see where it leads us.
Alright, so we play along for now, just in case.
- Yeah, yeah.
Something's missing.
Okay.
Let's all look at the numbers again
and find new ways of combining them.
Look. What are we doing?
Do we really think we can stop
this thing from happening just by
writing down some numbers?
Stop what?
- Well exactly! We don't even know.
Just because Wahlstein says
something doesn't make it true.
Why should we believe him?
Why should we trust him?
What happens if we don't?
So, what do we do?
We figure out what it is we're
supposed to stop.
Or we figure out a way
to get the hell out of here.
Well, maybe you want to try the door again.
Better one of us gets electrocuted twice.
What do you mean?
- The door. Maybe it's safe now.
So you want to try to open it again?
- No, David should.
But...
- Look, I'm not touching anything electrical. I have a bad heart.
I'll have a look.
Hey guys. What if we short out the electricity?
That would kill the door trap, right?
No, it wouldn't.
Well, I think we should try it.
I think we should try anything.
Listen, she's right. It's too easy.
- Look, we're going to die if we don't try everything.
What kind of a sick room doesn't
have a single wall socket?
It wouldn't work!
That just can't be the solution.
Why this math problem if it's only a
wall socket that needs to be shorted?
Well, maybe that's it.
He wants us to panic.
So we start trying all these electrical
things, until we're all electrocuted.
The panic will kill us.
So the solution is:
we do nothing.
Because nothing's going to happen.
The numbers are only decoys.
The only way we survive is
if we ignore the numbers.
Ignore solving this
unidentified problem.
If we try to get out of here,
the effort might kill us.
If we don't...
some event within a couple of
hours will kill us. So which is it?
How do we decide what to do?
We do both. I check the room,
and you guys continue with the numbers.
But what are we looking for?
What problem are we trying to solve?
That's just a hypothesis.
Never been measured properly.
So, we're going to die of one of
two things.
Either we're going to be ripped
apart on the molecular level,
or a new Big Bang starts right
here.
Now, hey, that's our best option.
Kate's number.
Think about it. If we have to be
in this room, it has to be local.
It has to be something
that happens only here.
Maybe it's a small bang.
Still, there is that number.
Could it be relevant to
some other scenario?
Let's compare our notes.
Well, it looks like we've more or
less come to the same conclusions.
Actually, what's the point? Let's say
we figure out what these numbers mean,
and it's some disaster or some
cosmic event, or whatever.
How are we going to stop it?
The right numbers can solve any
problem.
Well, you've got a number that's
wrong right there. That is 3078.
No it isn't, I'm sure of it.
It's 3063.
Well, no, I'm quite sure I'm right.
- Well, I'm positive I'm right.
Maybe Wahlstein lied.
Maybe he's watching us.
"As someone with a microscope
might study creatures..."
"that swarm and multiply
in a drop of water."
Did you guys see that?
- What?
Kate.
I think I saw her... change.
She looks alright to
me.
You didn't notice anything
strange?
No. I mean, somebody moved,
then moved back. One of you.
No, we didn't.
- You didn't?
Okay.
Hey. Better get your act together. I don't see you making
your calculations. We all depend on them, you know.
Hey Sandra!
- What?
Can we have you back here in the room
with us? We have less than two hours.
Back... in the room...?
You were daydreaming. Gone.
Like you were not even here.
Not... here...
Two hours. It's all I'm asking.
- Yeah.
Okay, here's a thought. Time travel.
It's not such a bad idea after all.
Except that it's impossible.
- Basically, it's the same thing.
You go from here, to here,
without passing here.
The dimension is time,
otherwise it's the same.
It's linear.
- It can't go backwards.
Still. It's a displacement.
What?
Listen, I have an idea...
- What?
What if the theta in Kate's causal design represents
the same function variable as in my spatial balance algorithm?
Then we could run those two
together and reduce... What?
What?
What the fuck just happened?
- What's happening...?
What is going on?
- No. No.
What are you doing to
me?
Calm down.
Right. So that's it.
Yeah. It has to be.
- Only it is impossible.
Or it used to be.
You can see patterns of it in
the cosmic microwave background.
But those are just numbers
from a measuring tool.
This is it. The real thing.
Here, now.
And you just did it.
What are you both talking about?
- You crossed the boundary. You both did.
So you're saying that what we saw was...?
- Yes.
She was here.
- It must have been her. For a moment.
Who?
Who was here?
Who was here?
God damn it, answ- -
...want some answers!
What just happened?
What are you doing?
What the hell are you doing to
me?
Answer me, god damn it!
What the f - -
Kate, why did you do that?
- Now we can tell them apart.
What the hell is going on?
What are you doing? You keep
moving around.
Why did you scream?
I'm feeling a little lost here.
What is this boundary you're talking about?
The causal boundary. That's what all this
is about. The numbers, the equations.
Eternal inflation. Measured before, always at
the edge of what we can see, way out in space.
But if we understand these calculations
correctly, this time it's closer. Much closer.
There's a bubble colliding with us,
with our bubble, right now, right here.
Here as in this end of the
universe, or here on Earth?
Here. In this room.
In this room. And I crossed
the boundary twice?
I didn't see it.
The important thing now is to figure
out why Wahlstein arranged this.
Why did he want us in this room?
Well, that's obvious, isn't it? I mean, what will
happen to us. You saw what happened to Carol.
So this thing will affect us all?
- We will all die!
No no no. Wahlstein wouldn't...
He is... was... a scientist.
His intention couldn't simply be
for us to die.
It's just not what he does.
He wants us to do something.
Then why not just tell us to do
it?
We wouldn't have believed him.
"Dear
colleagues, you are all here today..."
"to stop a parallel universe
from invading our own and..."
"causing the complete destruction of
mankind and all the known universe."
And it's a method.
- What method?
Put problem solvers in a situation they
know nothing about, put pressure on them,
time-constraints or whatever,
and they produce better results.
Give them too much
background information,
make them feel
comfortable and relaxed,
and their work is less
effective, and takes longer.
So we will work better because he
has given us too little information?
It's a known paradox.
Yes. Yes, that makes sense.
Take Kate's equation,
and transform it using these numbers.
There will be two of everything.
It's two worlds, exactly the same.
When the bubbles touch,
things must switch places, -
- and somehow, I cross over
to the other side.
And the other you comes here.
- And you can't tell the difference.
Yes we can. The other you
has a mark on her shoulder.
That still doesn't explain why.
Why we're here.
Why did Wally arrange this?
To explore? To measure?
It would be a scientific
breakthrough!
Or to act.
To stop this thing
before it hurts someone.
Before it destroys the boundary!
That would rip the universe
apart.
Is that it?
Does he expect us to
save the world?
We can figure out when the next
"flip" or "switch" will take place.
They're happening all the time.
Don't you see?
We're only seeing the obvious
ones, the ones involving people.
What about all the little ones?
The things that "flip"?
And there must be crossovers
happening all the time.
Particles crossing over the boundary.
Loads of them. Millions.
Micro-flips.
I remember Wahlstein talking
about them once. Micro-flips.
Miniature crossovers from one
side of the boundary to the other.
So small we can't see them.
I'm sure we can figure out
what they are.
I have an idea.
Dear Carol,
I hope this letter finds you...
in better shape than I am.
You will be pleased to know...
that I have stumbled upon
something quite remarkable.
As you know, many consider
my research a bit odd.
I present numbers and calculations
and they say they do not believe them.
But: Science is not a belief.
It is absolute, and it helps us
to open doors into new worlds.
In recent years, my calculation
have opened such a door.
Let us liken our universe
to a soap bubble,
floating in a bubble bath
with other soap bubbles.
We are living on the
edge of this bubble.
Our universes just one bubble
among many many others.
When two bubbles collide,
they could stick to each other,
they could deform each other, o they
could merge into a much bigger bubble.
Imagine two circles. If they ar next to
each other, they occupy two circle areas.
But if they share the same origin point,
they only occupy one circle area. Agreed?
Now imagine the same
for two universes.
...Big Bang...
stick to each other...
undoing the creation... universes...
Luckily... solution...
... it is impossible...
Can we have you... have you
back here in the... in the room with us...?
...you were not even here...
Like you were not even here.
- She was here...
- It must have been her...
Did you say you have a bad
heart?
You wanted David to check the
door...
because you thought...
he was the one who
tried it the first time.
3078!
What was that number?
- We disagreed on it.
I was sure it was 3063.
- Meaning...?
You were both right.
She was the other Carol.
Are you okay?
- Did you see that?
What?
- It was the same room.
Wahlstein. Alive.
You are...
Are you...?
This is not good.
- Two at the same time, in the same place.
There's too much mass.
- The energy...
What?
... obvious that
we're here to... CTF astrophysics lab...
...cosmic disturbance... a bubble
colliding with us... Lund university...
... if we understand these calculations
correctly... must be a reason...
... will require quite complex mathematics...
eternal inflation... fascinating stuff...
... always at the edge of what
we can see... long time no see...
So: What do you think all this
is about?
Right now, right here.
Sandra, what is our status here?
You're the other Sandra, aren't
you?
So where's the other me?
- He's... dead.
I see. Not good.
Where's Carol?
Fantastic!
I mean... how awful.
I don't understand.
How could she disappear?
How can they both exist?
- They can't. That's the thing.
So... what happens...?
- Is it over?
Over?
Please. Come. We need to...
We don't have much time.
Define the problem.
- Bubble collision.
We are here.
- Point of tangency.
It seems that your Wahlstein has
made an incorrect assumption.
There are more than two.
It is a point of convergence.
How many?
- How fast?
An infinite number. At enormous
speed.
...amassing the
energy, and potentially creating...
Creating what?
Good point. We should keep everyone
informed. It's what we can do to avoid...
Avoid what?
- Okay...
Okay, fine. I think this convergence-
Go on.
- I didn't say anything.
I was listening. You were
talking.
I think what we have to do is tell everyone
- ...is going to happen?
There will be a massive convergence.
- So what we are seeing here is any number of
...crazy!
- In order to bring all alternates up to speed...
A convergence this massive will increase density-
What were you saying? Increase density?
- Did I say that?
That's a major problem.
- What is?
Density?
Everyone should
understand what is going on.
Sandra, correct me if I'm wrong-
- ...if I'm not mistaken.
The problem with these converging bubbles is that
- ...I think I know what will happen.
These multiple ...multiple copies-
- ...multiple copies are incapable of co-existing.
- There will be a disaster.
- My God! You're right!
Right about what?
Multiple masses in the same space
- A singularity.
Of course! And in order to make it stable
A stable singularity? What is he t-
...between the worlds.
Carol! You're back!
Was I ever gone?
It is close.
Now!
The surfaces of the bubbles will multiply
and multiply and multiply and multiply
- like a - lot of - balloon -
animals.
Of course!
So when masses converge in the same
space converge in the same space
So when masses converge in the same
space, they create the same singularity
they create the same singularity
in all universes in all universes.
Yes!
This will - give - birth - to a new -
to a new - bubble - bubble - bubble -
- a new bubble...
- that will - break away - from
the others.
Yes! Of course.
All of these - minds - minds - in the
- same - place - in the same - place
- in the same - place.
A cacophony - a cacophony of voices - a cacophony
of voices - a cacophony - a cacophony of -
A cacophony... - a cacophony of voices -
of voices - voices - voices - of voices -
Yes! Yes!
Will we retain our sanity?
Yes?
So you see, if we assume
there is another universe besides our own,
and these two universes were to
meet, even in a small point...
say, perhaps, a point
the size of a room,
there would momentarily be double
the amount of mass in that point.
Simple string theory would then
tell you that this is not very good.
In fact, it could be
catastrophic.
The resulting mass to energy
conversion would potentially cause...
simultaneous black hole eruptions
in both the adjoining universes.
In other words, twin big bangs,
undoing the creation
of said universes.
Luckily, I have figured out
a solution...
if we were to observe such a
collision between bubbles, that is.
We would simply have to make sure
that all mass energy content...
at the intersecting point
occupies the same spacetime.
This would prevent the singularities
from causing dual black holes,
and thus save
the two universes.
There is only one small problem
The room or point will
become a singularity,
folding into itself.
In both universes, it will
appear to disappear.
But if my calculations are correct,
it will in fact not disappear,
but only disconnect from
its two parent bubbles,
and form its own,
new, unique bubble.
The child of two universes.
Now is it over?
It feels stable...
- Give it a moment, to make sure.
So... now we can start fresh.
What do you think is out there?
It's an unknown constant.
- A variable.
Maybe we can form it ourselves.
- Do things better from the beginning.
- You think there's nothing out
there?
No... not nothing...
Everything.
- Anything.
Come on!