FADE IN
Act 1
INT. BEDROOM - 08:00
Waking up, PETER grabs his smartphone.
PETER (V.O.): Yesterday, I heard that a satellite's orbiting period could take 15 days...
Peter researches.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): It's likely in a higher orbit around the Earth. It spends a majority of its time over the northern hemisphere.
Reading.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Such a satellite is good in remote sensing due to extended coverage, improved resolution, enhanced perspective, targeted observations and communication reliability.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Previously, my focus was on satellites in the geostationary orbit ie 35,786km above the Earth equator having an orbiting period of 24 hours.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): They're extensively used for communication purposes - telephone calls, radio and TV broadcasting, internet connectivity and data transmission...
Act 2
EXT. TUEN MUN HIGHWAY - 12:00
Peter is driving a silver coupe.
PETER (V.O.): I've checked MyObservatory App. There'll be sunny intervals.
Driving.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): On route to my NT home, I'll swim in the Golden Bay.
Driving.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): For familiar routes in Hong Kong, I don't need GPS assistance.
Driving.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Driving overseas, I need GPS. I'll be flying out in two days.
EXT. GOLDEN BEACH - 13:15
Public carpark. Having checked his emails on his smartphone, Peter looks contented.
PETER (V.O.): Okay, I can go swimming without any worry.
Swimming zone. Clear water. Peter is swimming from one end towards another.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Yesterday, a colleague jokingly suggested that I might consider to have a satellite named after me.
Swimming.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The overall cost of designing, building, launching and maintaining a satellite is astronomical.
Swimming.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): As a retired humble civil servant, how can I foot the bill?
DAYDREAMING SEQUENCE
INT. CONTROL ROOM - DAY
Peter watches a satellite bearing the name "Peter Cheung 1" hovering in the vacuum of space, its antenna extended, ready to bridge the gap between the atmosphere and the celestial realm.
RETURN TO PRESENT
We follow Peter and see blurred vision ahead.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I believe the clouds have darkened the skyline. I take it as a signal that I'd be careful.
Swimming.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): If the sky isn't clear when I reach the other end, I won't venture to swim to the outer limit of the zone.
Reaching the other end, Peter sees clear horizon again.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Okay, I'll press on, although I'm a little tired.
Having swum non-stop for 45 minutes, Peter returns to the beach to pick up his belongings.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The first thing I check is whether my smartphone is still with me.
Taking out his smartphone, Peter takes a photo of the beach, the bay and the sky.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The image is now in the cloud.
Smartphone ringing. We hear: Unknown caller.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): It must be another cold call from somewhere. It's been my practice not to pick it up.
Ringing
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): What I hate the most is that, some would leave their fishing messages nonetheless.
The sky has become cloudy again.
Act 3
INT. BEDROOM - 23:00
Having input the prompt: "Signals of the Sky" in an AI art generator in his smartphone, Peter sees a cubist image appearing.
PETER (V.O.): Satellites orbiting the Earth beams signals down to Earth enabling weather forecasts, accurate positioning, seamless connectivity and fast data transfer.
Peter takes a look of the internet service icon.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): From weather updates and navigation to communication and entertainment, technology has brought the world to my fingertips.
Peter sends a message with a video clip to a chatgroup.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): More importantly, no matter where I'm, I can always stay connected and share moments with my loved ones.
FADE OUT
THE END
Comments