FADE IN
Act 1
Phone alarm ringing. Peter wakes up.
PETER (V.O): I've a 9:00 meeting to attend.
INT. HK CLUB BUILDING - 08:50
Foyer. Sipping a cup of cappuccino, Peter chats with a HEADHUNTER.
PETER: I must say your ability to persuade is remarkable! You exhibit great leadership skills.
HEADHUNTER: But I can't convince you after all! You've seen it all.
PETER: I'm turning 70.
HEADHUNTER: I'm 72.
PETER (Surprised): You're so vibrant and full of life! I work in retirement to check if I still have any residual value.
Act 2
INT. CHAMBERS - 10:15
Having read and collected some papers, Peter exits.
PETER (V.O): I'm winding down my professional work.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): I'll do my March travel this week. When April comes, my wife and I will do motoring in Honshu.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): And last Sat, my wife and I booked expensive air tickets to Paris Seoul, Sapporo and Tokyo. My business is travel and her business is shopping.
INT. SWIMMING POOL - 11:15
Lanes. Peter moves through the water gracefully.
PETER (V.O): Exercising my body regularly, I hope I can live longer sick-free.
Changing room, later. Getting back his belongings from a locker, Peter checks phone messages.
PETER (V.O): Oh, one is about our hotel bookings in May in Sydney; the other is about a marathon meeting at Clear Water Bay tomorrow.
Peter then engages in phone conversations.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): They're actually small matters.
INT. STUDY - 14:00
Lying in a sofa, Peter is watching a series of video clips, playing one after another, on his mobile screen.
PETER (V.O): The observable universe is estimated to have a diameter of about 93 billion light years.
Watching with awe.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): The value is derived from the distance light has had the opportunity to travel since the Big Bang, which has occurred about 13.8 billion years ago.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): I'm mesmerized with the vastness of the universe, cosmic phenomena and the beauty of the watery Earth.
Watching.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): The cosmic dust clouds, representing the galaxies, star clusters and nebulae fascinate me!
Pausing.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): Dust, scattered across the cosmos, forms the building blocks of galaxies and stars.
Thinking.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): Earth is just a pale blue dot in the cosmic vastness.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): From the dust of ancient stars, life emerged. I'm stardust, interconnected with the cosmos.
Pondering.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): Just as cosmic dust plays a vital role in the universe; what on Earth am I here for? It can't be money, power and glory.
Reflecting.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): I'm creative but not innovative, I can't contribute to any technological advancement to explore the cosmos.
Peter researches on the solar system.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): In about five billion years, the Sun will exhaust its nuclear fuel, expand into a red giant, engulfing the inner planets including Earth...
Reflecting.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): In the foreseeable future, for dust I'm and to dust I'll return.
Act 3
INT. BEROOM - 22:00
Peter inserts an AI drawing entitled "From Dust to Reflection..." to a draft.
PETER (V.O): In the grand scheme of the universe, human existence and earthly pursuits are insignificant.
Contemplating.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): I've reconsidered the bigger picture and have a deeper perspective on life.
We hear from the radio: ...Jim Lovell, the commander of Apollo 13, celebrates his 96th birthday today...
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): I'd reassess my priorities, striving to live a longer and more fulfilling life.
FADE OUT
THE END
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