♪
MAN (narrating): When I think back to that day,
small details stick in my mind.
Things I said, the look on people's faces.
They wanted to wipe us from the face of the earth,
but we kept asking ourselves why?
After all the centuries of mindless cruelty,
maybe we shouldn't have been surprised.
Are we really so different?
There's evil inside of us all.
(phone line beeps)
Hey Sophia, it's me.
You never answer your phone.
I wanted to talk to you before I leave.
Your sponsor called me.
She says you haven't been to your meetings...
I'm worried about you.
I'm going to be spending the night at the observatory.
Call me, please.
(speaks French)
(tattoo gun buzzing)
(buzzing continues)
- Hi. - Hi.
- (bell dings) - Thanks. Bye.
Every song in the world at their fingertips.
I can never decide what to play.
(speaks French)
Choice paralysis.
I have it when I go to the hypermarket.
There's a hundred different options.
I just want toothpaste.
(typing)
Have you seen this?
What's the source?
- (taps key) - Ross 128.
Can you change the frequency?
Um...
153.26 gigahertz.
So high, that can't be right.
It's what it says.
Can you sonify the signal?
(sound wave pulsing)
Could be a satellite. I'll check with AZAP.
(pulsing continues)
(computer beeps)
No registered satellite in that band-pass.
Is there a pulse around there?
(pulsing continues)
(typing)
No, there is no...
pulsar at those coordinates, and the frequency's too high.
What's that?
The signal that Aricebo picked up last year.
You know, the one from Ross 128B.
It's the same.
Yeah, but it's a lot stronger.
So what are we seeing?
What is it?
There is no naturally occurring phenomenon
that can produce a signal like this.
Not in that frequency.
Where would you put it on the Rio scale?
I don't know.
Six, uh, maybe seven.
Put it on Intel. We need someone else to verify it,
and contact ALMA.
Ask them to take a look at it.
(sound wave pulsing)
- Johannes. - Sorry.
(sound wave pulsing)
(pulsing continues)
(pulsing stops)
(wind howling)
(sound wave pulsing)
- And? - ALMA confirms the signal.
They're getting the same readings.
They're flipping out.
Phase it up again.
Are you really sure it can't be a pulsar?
I already checked. This is real.
What if we're wrong and look ridiculous?
We're not wrong, Catherine.
Make the call.
(sound wave pulsing)
MAN (on phone): Hello...
Hi.
This is Catherine Durand from
the Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique.
I believe we have detected evidence...
of extraterrestrial life.
No way, that is not your breakfast.
- I'm late. - College doesn't start till nine.
- I'm meeting some friends. - Okay. Take a banana.
Eating a banana is your answer to everything.
Looks sore.
You hate it, don't you?
- It's your arm. - Are you going to tell Dad?
Maybe we'll wait until he gets home. Go meet your friends.
Why aren't you dressed for school?
I said I'd call Dad.
Hey, buddy, how are you doing? Is Mom okay?
Yeah? Yeah, no, no. I can't talk to her now,
'cause I'm just checking in, but tell her I'll call her later, okay?
All right, okay, yeah. Cheers, buddy. Okay.
Say hello to Ann for me. Bye.
Hey.
- Hey. - How are you doing?
- Good. - Good.
(speaks French)
BILL: Increasing the amplitude of the stimulation current
results in the hyper-activation
of the primary somatosensory and premotor cortex.
This is direct evidence that an induced current
contributes most to corticospinal pathway excitation.
So, actually,
raising the stimulation amplitude would increase the amount of neurons firing
and result in a larger response as we've just witnessed.
Excuse me, am I boring you? Hmm?
Maybe we should fire a few neurons into your brain
just to get the juices flowing.
(laughter)
We can make sense of this through our targeting
of diverse neuronal structures by two half-segments.
(man chattering on radio)
CATHERINE: The signal was detectable for exactly 23 hours and 56 minutes,
one sidereal day, one complete rotation of the Earth.
- Is there any significance in that? - We don't know.
You are part of the METI initiative.
- You've been sending messages into space? - We send music.
The idea is that music would act as a universal language.
But if they don't have ears, they won't be able to hear it.
So we encoded the entire message in a binary system
of two alternating frequencies pulsing 125 times per second.
(crowd murmuring)
Could this be a response?
If it is, it's in a language that we don't understand.
The electromagnetic waves were transmitted
across a vast distance with virtually no attenuation.
- What does that mean? - It means that the power source
that generated the signal is greater than we can even conceive.
(crowd murmuring)
Does this mean that they're a threat?
There's no evidence to suggest that.
Surely it would be equally wrong to assume they aren't a threat.
Dr. Durand, what do we know?
Two years ago we discovered an exoplanet orbiting Ross 128.
The planet is in a habitable zone,
and it may be able to support life.
But that's all we know.
Why are we detecting this signal now?
We can't say for sure.
Perhaps they were looking for us.
Thank you. Perhaps you can leave us for a minute.
Yes sir.
Doctor? Colonel Mokrani.
I'm your military liaison.
Nice to meet you.
What just happened in there?
You scared them.
(computer beeping in distance)
(typing)
(computers beeping, ringtones chiming)
MAN (on TV): ...from the European Space Agency
have been locked in talks since the early hours of the morning.
On Wednesday at approximately 2300 hours Universal Time,
Dr. Catherine Durand of the Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique
detected a powerful signal originating
from an area close to the star Ross 128.
All the evidence suggests that the signal is indicative of
intelligent extraterrestrial life.
I hope this discovery's something that will unite the human race
Perhaps we will see now that we are far more alike than we are different.
(kids giggling)
Hey. What is it?
Do you ski?
- What? Do I ski? - Yes.
You work in the mountains...
So I was thinking...
It's possible.
Ah, I used to. Not for a long time.
- (rumbling) - (panting)
You okay?
Yes.
I hate these things.
My men are here to secure the site.
You must tell me if we get in the way of your work.
Don't worry, I will.
- Catherine. - Hey.
- How did it go in Brussels? - It was okay.
Can you believe this?
- Hey, Dad. - Oh, hi.
You heading off again?
I'm gonna be sleeping at the office while this thing plays out.
So what aren't they telling us? Should we be concerned?
There's nothing to tell. They detected a signal.
Well, when the government tells you not to panic,
that's when you got to buy a rifle
and head for the hills.
You'd shoot yourself in the foot.
You'd be lying there hoping the evil government comes and rescues you.
You want me to open that?
No, I can open a bottle of wine.
Have you spoken to your mom?
She's fine.
Are you in tomorrow night?
Jack said he'd drop by for the rest of my stuff.
- What am I supposed to say to him? - I don't know.
Try a nice polite conversation. I'm sure you'll figure it out.
You don't want me to stick one in him because he dumped you, do you?
Is that supposed to make me feel better?
I'll call you.
Okay.
- (door opens) - (straining)
(door closes)
You should come out for the product launch.
I guess it's crazy.
Yeah, It's difficult, you know,
for me to be away from home for too long.
Oh, I thought you said your daughter is coping much better now.
Yes, she is. She is.
Then come to Vegas. It will be fun.
Should I get another bottle?
No, you know what, it's late.
But you could invite me back to your room.
Or perhaps it's a bad idea.
(speaks French)
The bill, please.
(speaks French)
(line ringing)
Come on, Sophia. Answer your phone.
(phone vibrates)
Go.
(horn blaring)
Go, go, go.
Go.
MAN: Hey! Hey!
Go! Go!
(shouting)
No, don't! Please!
(shouting)
(overlapping shouting)
(ship horn honks)
(sound wave pulsing)
Catherine, something's happening.
What's going on?
Multiple objects are approaching Earth.
- What sort of objects? - We don't know.
They're travelling at more than a thousand kilometers per second.
That's impossible.
What?
I can't.
Shit.
(sound wave pulsing)
(sound wave pulsing continues)
They're losing speed.
They're slowing down as they enter the Earth's atmosphere.
Do you think it's an...
...an attack?
(rumbling)
(rumbling intensifies)
Mom?
What's going on?
I don't know. What is that?
What's that?
Is that a meteor?
Impact in eighty seconds.
Shouldn't we do something?
MOKRANI: Do what?
What the fuck is that?
Emily.
Emily! Emily, what are you doing?
- Can't you feel it? - Get inside!
Impact in ten seconds...
...six, five, four, three, two...
(explosions in distance)
Reports of multiple impacts...
Initial assessments...
suggest the damage is localised.
Saaid, prepare the reports on the impacts every ten minutes.
- Yes, Sir. - On all the sites.
MAN (on speaker): Last night's attacks have sent
fearful tremors across the world.
MAN 2 (on speaker): ...are working around the clock to rescue citizens--
(radio chatter continues)
WOMAN (on radio): The government has responded
by declaring a state of emergency.
Schools have been closed, and all civilian aircraft are grounded
until further notice.
I'm getting reports of rioting in London, Manchester and Birmingham.
There's severe congestion on all routes out of major cities.
It's only going get worse.
We need to get the message out.
People should stay in their own homes.
It's the safest place for them to be.
I'll get on it.
But your family are here.
Just a precaution until things calm down.
Keep me updated.
CATHERINE: Hey, little sister.
I wanted to see if you're okay.
I know you don't want to speak to me.
Just text me...
to tell me you're okay.
Please.
(metal clanging)
- (radio static crackles) - MAN: Can you hear us? Alpha Team, come in!
Radioactivity levels are normal.
Testing negative for chemical and biological agents.
We are detecting a strong electromagnetic field.
(radio static)
MAN: Alpha Team, we lost visual.
MAN 2 (on speaker): It's interfering with our comm.
It's some kind of metallic object.
MAN: Alpha Team, can you identify?
Alpha Team, come in.
MAN 2: I say, it's partially embedded in the ground.
A spherical, nonpourous, metallic object.
(overlapping radio chatter)
MAN: Alpha Team, come in!
MAN 2: I repeat, radioactivity levels normal.
Negative chemical biological agents,
strong electromagnetic field.
Object: metallic, spherical, nonpourous,
partially embedded.
- (line beeps) - Fuck! Answer your phone. Shit!
(phone rings)
Sophia?
Why do you keep calling me?
I know things are bad between us...
I think you should come and stay at the observatory.
Why?
It's safer here.
Do you think these things are dangerous?
I don't know. I don't know.
Please... Come here.
For once, trust me.
But I don't understand. Tell me what's happening.
Do you have petrol in your car?
Yes.
Tell me what's happening.
Don't take anything with you, just leave. Now.
Catherine, I don't understand. You're scaring me.
Sophia, Sophia, I beg you.
Okay.
(line beeps)
People are getting out of London, so maybe I should go to my Dad's
until we know what's happening.
Yeah, you should, you should go.
The Channel Tunnel's still open, so I'm gonna see if I can get a train,
and I'm gonna meet you at Dad's as soon as I can.
Okay?
Sarah, just be careful.
Okay. Bye.
(phone ringing)
- Bill? - Uh, Hi, Helen.
I just wanted to check and see that you are okay.
These things last night-- God, it's insane.
Helen?
Bill, one of the neighbors saw you hanging around the apartment last night.
Jeez, I was just passing by.
Is it that crazy old bitch with that shitty dog?
She never liked me.
You know it's her dog that craps in the hallway.
It is not appropriate for you to just show up here.
What is it you want?
What do you think's gonna happen with us?
I don't know.
I'm sorry.
Him again?
I'm gonna talk to him.
He's just worried.
It's not his job to worry about you.
MAN (on speaker): The most significant discovery so far,
renowned astrophysicists in Brazil,
who were the first to observe concentrated elecromagnetic activity
at their local grocer.
Several sources have now--
The first samples show at least four unknown elements.
What's generating the electromagnetic field?
All we know is that the frequency and amplitude are continuing to increase.
We send probes to other planets to study them. It's logical...
...that they might do the same to us.
Why send so many?
And why are they clustered around population centres?
The original signal.
We picked it up during one rotation of the Earth.
And?
It was the time needed to make a complete scan of our planet.
They were mapping us?
Do you think we should destroy them?
They could be weapons.
The pictures from Wyoming.
Have a look.
An F16 dropped a one tonne bomb on one of them.
Direct hit and not even a scratch.
JOHANNES: Catherine?
My parents absolutely want me to be with them.
So, I'll stay if you want me to, of course, but...
You should go.
Okay.
Bye.
MAN (on speaker): Expert analysis indicates
the probes are emitting an electromagnetic field,
though little is understood of its purpose.
Scientists around the world are caught up in a fervent debate
as to the implications,
but no conclusive answers have been found thus far.
There is still widespread speculation as to the cause of the dropouts...
(line ringing)
Hey, Tony, it's Bill.
Listen, Tony, I need the results
of your subretinal stimulation study.
TONY: Uh, they should be on the shared hard drive.
- On the shared hard drive. - Yeah.
Okay. Thanks. I'll talk to you later.
(taps keyboard)
(phone ringing)
- Dad. - BILL: Dan, you gotta talk to the minister.
Dad, Dad, slow down.
No, you gotta listen to me, Dan.
The electromagnetic fields these probes are emitting,
I think it's designed to interfere with our neural functioning.
They're identical to the pulses we use
to simulate neurons in the brain.
It's the exact same frequency and amplitude.
Everything! It's almost like they understand our neurology.
- How's that even possible? - I don't know.
But if the pulse gets stronger,
it's going to cause more and more neurons to fire.
It'll cause seizures, and our bodies will shut down completely.
- Are you sure? - Sure as I can be.
People need to get somewhere completely encased in metal or deep underground.
Dan, you have to get the government to issue a warning.
Okay, I'll-- I'll speak to the minister.
(phone rings)
(line beeping)
Shit!
(metal clatters)
He says that we'll start to fit, that our bodies will completely shut down.
Yes, our scientists are saying the same thing.
They've been running tests.
What? You knew?
Then we need to issue an alert.
We can't issue a warning until we're sure.
We can't risk mass panic.
What if it's too late?
Dan, the decision's been made, okay?
We wait. (sighs)
(crowd clamoring)
Taxi! Taxi!
The train station, please!
No, no, I'm not working.
Please, come on. I really have to get to--
Get out of my taxi.
Look, just take-- Take this, please. Just go.
Okay. Thank you.
(whistle blowing)
WOMAN: They're turning people around.
What do we do?
Maybe we should just go home.
I thought you said it wasn't safe there.
I'm not sure we've got much choice.
Things might calm down later, we can try again.
Text Dad. Let him know we're going home.
Okay.
(horns honking)
(sound wave pulsing)
What is that?
- Can you feel something? - What?
There's this sound,
I heard it last night.
Can't you hear it?
No.
It's so weird.
(crowd chattering)
(typing)
Come on, come on.
(siren wailing)
Excuse me. Excuse me, is there another route we can take?
- Okay, fare. - MAN: Shit.
Okay, look, this is all I got, just get me there.
What the fuck is that?
What is it?
What is that?
It's the effect of the electromagnetic field on the atmosphere.
(Mokrani mutters)
The British government has issued a warning of an imminent attack.
(ringtone tweets)
They're saying there's gonna be an attack.
- Who? - It's the government's Twitter feed.
They're telling people to find shelter,
to get underground.
- What should we do? - I don't know.
- Mom. - I don't know.
- (gunfire) - (crowd screaming)
Why are they shooting at people?
I'm sure they're just firing into the air their munitions.
Your voice changes when you lie.
(gunshots in distance)
(clamoring, screaming in distance)
(phone ringing)
Hello?
Where are you?
On the road through the valley. I'm stuck in traffic.
Listen to me.
There's going to be an attack.
You have to find somewhere to take shelter.
What do you mean, an attack?
I don't know, you need to find shelter underground.
Just go!
There's nowhere to go!
(speaks French)
- (siren wailing) - (crowd clamoring)
(keypad beeping)
- Chris? - Bill?
- What are you doing here? - I got to find Helen.
No, she doesn't want to see you, you know that.
You don't understand, there's an attack.
No, no, you've got to calm down.
- It's happening. - Don't do this!
(cries out)
(sighs) Jesus.
- Mom? - Mom, what should we do?
- (pounds on glass) - Mom.
- Do something. - Mom!
(horn blaring)
Slow down!
- Fuck! - Mom!
What was that?
Where are you going so quickly?
(horn blaring)
Get out! Get out! Get into the station.
Helen, open up!
Come on.
- Helen, open up! - What are you doing here?
You got to come with me right now.
Come with me right now, or you're gonna die.
- Come with you where? - To the elevator.
It'll protect us against the electromagnetic field.
- Have you seen Chris? - Yeah-- No, I haven't.
- Get in the elevator now. - We have to find Chris first.
- We don't have time. - What are you doing? Bill!
- No! Chris? Chris! - You gotta come with me.
Chris! Chris! Chris!
Chris!
(crowd clamoring, screaming)
I'm sorry for being such a screw up...
Don't say that. It's not true.
I never phone you back.
I'm a screw up. You're always there for me.
Don't say that. You've got to get underground.
But there's nowhere. The things I said to you, I'm sorry.
You've got to find an underground shelter. Now! Go!
There's nothing! There's nowhere to go.
Colonel.
We've lost contact with our planes.
They're falling like flies.
(metal slams overhead)
Something is happening.
Hello?
Sophia.
Sophia!
Hello?
Colonel.
What's happening?
We need a connection. Quick!
Everyone take shelter.
(alarm blaring)
(speaks French)
How long till we get there?
We have to find a way to get out of the van.
- No, no, watch out! - (tires screeching)
(crowd screaming)
(screeching overhead)
(metal clanging, clattering)
(cries out)
(metal clanging overhead)
Chris!
MOKRANI: Saaid...
Make sure all the doors stay closed.
You think it's all over?
I don't know.
Everyone!
Save your batteries...
...switch off your torches.
(pounding)
(gasping)
(coughing)