Inception: The Elevator

INT. WORKSHOP - NIGHT

Ariadne comes into the darkened main space. Cobb is lying on one of the chairs, asleep. Plugged into the mechanism. Ariadne stands over him. Watching. She opens the case, PULLS one of the tubes, sits, checking the dials as she injects the needle cap into her arm, and we-

CUT TO: INT. CAGE STYLE ELEVATOR - DAY

Ariadne ascends. She looks at the buttons. Spots the "B." The elevator STOPS. She looks through the grill at-

INT. YOUNG GIRL'S BEDROOM - DAY

Ariadne pulls back the grill and walks across the room, considering the dusty furnishings. At the window is a doll's house, front slightly ajar. Ariadne opens it. Inside is a SAFE. She tries it. LOCKED. A NOISE STARTLES her- she turns, looking through a doorway into another room...

INT. LIVING ROOM - CONTINUOUS

Ariadne looks into the room to see Cobb and Mal talking, arguing. A private moment. Mal brushes at Cobb's hair, trying to convince him. We hear snatches of conversation-

MAL: You remember when you asked me to marry you?

COBB: Of course...

MAL: You said you had a dream...

COBB: That we'd grow old together.

MAL: And we can. You know how to find me... you know what you have to do.

Cobb is shaking his head, gently. Mal looks into Cobb's eyes- gentle, loving... Mal SPOTS Ariadne spying on them.

FREEZES, staring, hostile. Cobb turns, sees Ariadne, moves towards her, leaving Mal.

COBB: You shouldn't be in here.

Cobb guides her back into the elevator.

ARIADNE: I wanted to know what "tests" you need to do on your own every night.

INT. CAGE STYLE ELEVATOR - DAY

Cobb shuts the CAGE DOOR. Ariadne hits a button. The elevator RISES. Through the GRILL Ariadne can see a BEACH stretching off into the distance. The elevator stops. Mal sits on the sand. Beside her, the two children are crouched, away from us, building a SANDCASTLE.

ARIADNE: Why do you do this to yourself?

COBB: This is the only way I can still dream.

ARIADNE: Is it so important to dream?

Cobb stares at his family.

COBB: In my dreams... we're still together.

The kids, WITHOUT TURNING AROUND, jump up and RUN AWAY.

INT. CAGE STYLE ELEVATOR - CONTINUOUS

The elevator descends.

ARIADNE: But these aren't just dreams, are they? They're memories. You said never to use memories.

COBB: And I shouldn't.

ARIADNE: You're keeping her alive.

COBB: No.

ARIADNE: You can't let her go.

COBB: No. These are moments I regret. Moments I turned into dreams so I could change them.

Ariadne's fingers move across the buttons- stop at the "B."

ARIADNE: What've you got buried down there that you regret?

Cobb pushes her hand away. Hits the third floor button.

COBB: There's only one thing I need you to understand about me...

INT. KITCHEN, COBB AND MAL'S HOUSE - MOMENTS LATER

Ariadne follows Cobb into the kitchen. A THIN MAN is there, standing by the table. He holds a FOLDED PIECE OF PAPER.

ARIADNE: This is your house?

COBB: Mine and Mal's.

ARIADNE: Where is she?

COBB: She'd already died.

The Thin Man offers Cobb the piece of paper. A CHILD'S SHOUT- Cobb TURNS. Ariadne follows his gaze to the garden. A small blonde boy faces away from them, crouched on his haunches to look at something on the ground.

COBB: It's James. My boy. He's found something. Maybe a worm.

A slightly older girl RUNS into view.

COBB: And there's Philippa.

She crouches beside the boy. Their FACES ARE AWAY FROM US. They point and discuss whatever is on the ground.

COBB: I thought about calling out, so they'd turn and smile those incredible smiles... but I'm out of time-

The Thin Man thrusts the paper into Cobb's hand.

THIN MAN: Right now. Or never, Cobb.

Cobb nods, turns from the window-

COBB: Then I panic that I'll always wish I'd seen them turn, that I can't waste this chance...

Cobb TURNS BACK to call out- but the children RACE OFF...

COBB: But the moment's passed. And whatever I do, the dream's always the same... When I'm about to call... they run.

Cobb watches them run off, calling for grandma, FACES UNSEEN.

COBB: If I'm going to see their faces again, I've got to get back here in the real world...

Behind him, Ariadne SLAMS the grill shut. Cobb TURNS.

INT. CAGE STYLE ELEVATOR - CONTINUOUS

Ariadne hits the BASEMENT button. The elevator starts to DESCEND. ariadne STARES, fascinated as glimpses of floors slip past: Mal's childhood bedroom, a thundering wall of freight train... The elevator STOPS. Through the grill Ariadne sees a HOTEL SUITE. She pulls open the grill, steps cautiously out into-

INT. ELEGANT HOTEL SUITE - CONTINUOUS (NOW NIGHT)

DISHEVELED bedclothes, UPENDED room service table, STRAWBERRIES across the floor. A STRUGGLE. Ariadne steps forwards- SMASH− she looks down to see that she has kicked over a CHAMPAGNE FLUTE. Ariadne feels a draught. The CURTAIN BILLOWS.

MAL (O.S.): What are you doing here?

Ariadne TURNS. Mal is there.

ARIADNE: My name is-

MAL: I know who you are. What are you doing here?

ARIADNE: I don't know. Trying to understand.

MAL: How could you understand? Do you know what it is to be a lover? To be half of a whole?

ARIADNE: No.

Mal moves slowly towards Ariadne...

MAL: I'll tell you a riddle. You're waiting for a train. A train that will take you far away. You know where you hope this train will take you, but you don't know for sure...

Mal glides around Ariadne, looking her over.

MAL: But... it doesn't matter. How can it not matter to you where that train will take you?

COBB (O.S.): Because you'll be together.

Cobb is standing in the elevator. Mal nods. Looks at him.

MAL: How could you bring her here, Dom?

ARIADNE: What is this place?

COBB: A hotel. We spent our anniversaries in this suite.

ARIADNE: What happened here?

Mal picks up the BROKEN STEM of a champagne flute...

INT. CAGE STYLE ELEVATOR - CONTINUOUS

Cobb PULLS Ariadne into the elevator- Mal THROWS herself towards Ariadne- Cobb SLAMS the GRILL- Mal SMASHES against it AGAIN and AGAIN like a WILD ANIMAL- Ariadne FLINCHES-

MAL: you PROMISED! YOU SAID WE'D BE TOGETHER!-

COBB: We can. We will. But I need you to stay here for now-

MAL: YOU SAID WE'D GROW OLD TOGETHER!-

Cobb pushes a button and the elevator starts to rise.

COBB: I'll come back. I need you to stay here on your own for now. Just while I do this job. Then we can be together-

MAL: WE'LL BE TOGETHER-YOU PROMISED!-

Mal THROWS herself against the grill, and. we-

CUT TO: INT. WORKSHOP - NIGHT

Ariadne watches Cobb sleeping. His eyes gradually flicker open. He sees her watching him.

ARIADNE: You think you can just build a prison of memories to lock her in? You think that's going to contain her?

The LIGHTS COME ON: Saito and Arthur stand in the doorway.

SAITO: Maurice Fischer just died in Sydney.

COBB: When's the funeral?

SAITO: Thursday. In Los Angeles.

COBB: Robert'll accompany the body Tuesday at the outside. We have to move.

Cobb gets up. Ariadne comes over to him.

ARIADNE (low): I'm coming with you.

COBB: No. I promised Miles.

ARIADNE: The team needs someone in there who understands what you're struggling with. If you don't want it to be me then you need to show Arthur what I just saw.

Cobb looks at Ariadne. Turns to Saito.

COBB: We need one more seat on the plane.