THE SIGNAL
Paula?
Paula!
Paula, please forgive me!
Paula!
I'm not the bad guy in this game.
I'm just a pawn.
It's over, Hadi.
I won't let anyone scare me again. No one.
Forgive me! I didn't want this.
You know that's not who I am!
They had my children!
Becker, answer, from Eagle One.
Get ready to deploy.
Get back in range… over…
Becker, copy…
Thank you for your cooperation.
-So we're… free? -Of course.
-Why now, all of a sudden? -You used to be carrying state secrets.
Now you're not.
-We'll get the press involved. -Go ahead.
Ugh. You've already done it anyway!
-Sven. -Rainer.
Bye.
Come. Let's go home.
Following reports this morning
that a suspected extraterrestrial object was shot down,
people all over the world have gathered
for impromptu protests against the government's decision.
Come.
Eat something.
"What I'm about to tell you has to stay secret. "
"You can't write it down here. "
DEPARTURE
Check the temperature of the capsule.
When ready, send in the mechanics.
-Captain! -Watch your step.
I'm sorry.
Didn't I teach you anything?
Don't ever apologize.
We do what we deem necessary and… then we live with the consequences.
Can you confirm the landing position?
What are the consequences?
Do we have a line to Mission Control?
Can you check it? Okay.
It's lost.
They've decided to take it down. They all agreed.
It was even quicker than I anticipated.
For once, they were quick.
Apparently, there was a big row
about who would get to supply the weaponry.
It's a great opportunity for show of some muscle, isn't it?
A great chance for mankind…
lost.
Then all the better.
How so?
Then it's a good thing they don't have the right coordinates, isn't it?
According to official reports,
repeated searches have so far failed
to turn up any traces at the point of detonation.
Experts therefore believe
that the unidentified flying object was not missed,
but rather, that no such object approached Earth last night in the first place.
-Measurements seem to confirm this. -It wasn't there.
Although the military is staying tight-lipped,
it seems clear that they still expect a…
-What? -There was nothing there.
They shot at nothing.
…unknown or undisclosed point in time…
-There is still no information… -What happens now?
-Oh, uh… -…the unidentified flying…
For starters, some people are going to be in a very bad mood.
-Why? -…all over the world were put on alert…
-Charlie, on your arm, can I see it? -…the atmosphere.
-But Mom said it was a secret. -Experts theorized an object from space
-could have an effect on the climate. -Not secret from me! From other people.
-A small change in global temperature… -She said it's better I didn't understand.
Then I can't tell anyone about it.
-I think they're GPS coordinates. -What's that?
Well, it's like an address.
Hey, I… I think Mom fooled them.
Look here. This is a date and a time.
-Really? -Well, um…
Wait. That's… in one and a half days.
37 hours.
Shit.
Who is that?
I told you some people would be mad now.
-Where are the coordinates? -Quite safe.
Let's say it's a family secret.
That's my girl.
They will set watchdogs on me.
Put me under constant surveillance until I'm on that plane back.
I play along until I'm home.
And as soon as they think they've got it, I'm off the hook.
But I need your help.
I want the world to know.
Paula, my love. Have you not seen enough?
I have seen what happens when the greedy few take over. Yes.
But this concerns all of us.
When it's out, they can't take it back. There's no chance.
And the whole world will be in a debate.
Hmm…
Well, then…
Nothing like a decision made.
Will you help me?
Nora?
Dear, please see to it that the preparations are done.
We need to move quickly.
If we have to do this, we better do it right.
It's getting dark. Take out the lights.
I will do all I can for your message to come through.
Okay. Thank you.
Don't thank me.
Sven! Thank God you're back.
We were worried about you. This is all so crazy, isn't it?
Sh…
They're coming back.
Who's coming back?
They figured out they had the wrong coordinates.
They're gonna shoot it down. This time for real.
-Shit! We don't have a car. -Okay. Go around back through the field.
-Charlie. Charlie! -Go. Quickly!
Kathrin, we need your car!
Come!
Hey. You okay?
I can't keep going!
Charlie! Think of Mom's message.
Yeah? This is our chance. Okay?
Heads up! Back there!
Out of the truck.
Foxtrot for Bravo. Do you have contact?
-Oh. -Bravo for Foxtrot. False alarm. Over.
-Here! -Thank you.
-Come on. -Thank you, Kathrin.
Drive through the woods and be careful. Bye.
Where are we going?
I don't know. We have to lose them first.
Then we have to figure out where that place is.
Should we Google it?
Mom always told you that you'd need a new phone eventually.
-It's off, anyway. -It's probably better that way.
-You're so old-fashioned. -Paranoid.
What is "paranoid"?
Um… that you're scared of being followed.
That you always have the feeling someone is… after you.
Man, what an asshole.
-Papa, isn't he too close? -Yeah, Charlie, he's… he's way too close.
Are you insane?
-Papa! -Hold on, Char!
Charlie.
Charlie…
Okay.
Charlie.
That's my mother.
You should never forget where you come from.
I'm just like a…
Nora, what's English for "schnecke"?
It's been so many years. I still cannot master this wretched language.
These weird diphthongs. How do you say it?
-"Snail. " -Snail.
I always carry my house with me.
Look at me, just… chatting away.
You probably haven't had a proper meal in days.
She must be famished, yes? Come on.
Hmm.
-Wow! -I see you've met the man of the house.
Hi, Papa.
Shall we?
Why did she choose Mom?
I think you can ask her yourself.
She wants to know why you chose my wife.
Mm.
If you want to change the world…
you pick the smartest people.
And, oh boy… was she smart.
She was also, uh… crazy enough to want to change the world.
I, uh… have no children, you know.
You know, she doesn't have children.
Your mother was… To me, she was very…
special, right?
-Very special. -Yes.
My mom had promised me that I might be able to hear again.
That she would beat death.
You know, in a way…
she has.
There's something on its way to meet us, Charlie.
That is a gift.
It is our chance to throw a stick into the wheel of history.
We cannot lose our chance.
Tell me…
What did your mother want for it?
-To save it. -Yes.
So, how can I help?
Your decision.
Oh!
Oh, you beautiful child.
You're just smart, so smart.
Really are your mother's child.
Now…
How… how many hours did we sleep?
-Sorry? -What time is it?
It's three o'clock.
-And what day? -Friday, September 8th.
Why?
It's in 14 hours.
-The camera team is ready now. -This isn't right.
Hi, I'm Matthew from CSS.
We have so many questions to ask you. Welcome back to Earth.
So, we all want to know, how warm is it in the cabin
when you go through the atmosphere?
…your contemporaries.
And, uh… so what is going to be your next step right now?
Yeah, you must be very, very emotional to be back here.
Where exactly are we going?
It's way down south.
In the middle of nowhere. Driving would take ages.
How long?
Google it.
It's switched off.
I'm so forgetful.
What is it, dear?
I just had a thought.
Maybe you can help me.
Sure.
If Hadi's just the pawn in this,
then who's the queen?
Thirty minutes, you said?
Five missed calls.
From whom?
Don't know the number.
1 MESSAGE RECEIVED
MUDHI RED HAND
We're flying too low. One, two…
No, low.
You have to turn left and fly over W2 and W1.
FROM: GREGOR T. BKA: MUDHI RED HAND
He knows we bombed the plane.
Charlie…
Don't make a fuss now, dear. You wouldn't want to worry the child.
I think I can see the sea.
Really?
I am sorry.
-Please don't apologize. -I would do it again, if necessary.
But that doesn't mean it didn't break my heart.
I promised your wife one thing.
That I would make this encounter happen.
And that is what I'm doing.
Even if it meant saving it from her.
178 people…
dead.
People die all the time.
That's what we do.
We are nothing but flowers on a hot summer day.
We come, we go, just like that.
Hmm.
You're going to die too.
I am going to die sooner rather than later.
It just doesn't matter.
You didn't die.
Other people did.
This is singular.
If history is a vicious cycle, this is the break.
This is our chance at salvation.
We cannot let this chance go.
If this is how we do it…
maybe we aren't worth saving.
Oh, cynics are nothing but brokenhearted romantics.
-Have you ever heard that? -I'm cynical.
What's that make you?
Pragmatic.
Isn't any common murderer ultimately just being pragmatic?
The difference between a murderer and a national hero
is not the deed.
It's the cause.
So… being pragmatic.
What's that mean?
For us?
Charlie.
Don't make a fuss now, dear.
Come sit with me.
Nora?
What's going on?
We talked so much, my battery's almost dead.
We're finally gonna get you a new one, don't try to resist.
-I'm low-tech. -Really?
I don't want to be a data junkie. You know that. I'm too old-fashioned.
Or paranoid.
Oh, no, no! No, no, no, no, This can't be! I…
Come, come, come here. Come to me.
I wish you had never found out.
Things would have been quite different for all of us.
Well…
Not to spoil the festive mood.
Nora, what time is it, love?
T minus 27 minutes.
Good, then… we have enough time to compose ourselves.
Step back, please. This is not a time for weapons.
Fall back.
Join me, sir.
If you wish.
Let's see if you can let go of the sadness.
Fuck you.
What did she say?
She says, "Screw you. "
Sven, something crazy happened.
What happened that was so crazy?
Paula?
Nothing, I… I just wanted to tell you that I listened to you.
-About what? -Fox and Hare.
-Next time, I'll win. -Huh?
I learned from the best. I learned from you.
Twenty seconds.
Ten.
Nora, will you check the time, dear?
T plus 20.
She must've listened…
What?
Think… how can the hare win?
In our game, what did I teach you? What's the hare's only chance?
He always has to stay two steps ahead of the fox.
That's right.
Should you have any questions or requests, just let us know…
FLIGHT 7606 OVER THE NORTH ATLANTIC
I'm supposed to give you this at 7:00.
Shit! Oh!
Paula! Paula! Hey!
Nora, fetch the child, please.
Uh…
No. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. Leave her alone.
Don't move.
Show me your arm, dear.
It's all correct.
It looks like we've been led on a wild goose chase.
I always knew you were a smart child. Well done.
But enough fun and games.
Where?
-Where what? -Where are the correct coordinates?
Leave her alone!
I don't know.
-Where? -She doesn't know!
All right.
Where?
I don't know! I really don't!
Papa!
Hey! Ow!
Hey. Hey! What are you doing?
It was all for nothing.
I have to get to the cockpit.
Hey! Wait! Wait!
Paula!
-Let me through! -You can't go in!
I said to let me through!
…7606. We lost our cabin pressure. What are you doing here?
-There was an explosion. -Get out!
-It's okay. We're not doing anything.
-We just need the intercom. -Pull up.
-We need it. -No!
I'll ask again.
Where?
I don't know where!
All right.
Oh, I'm such an idiot!
It was so obvious all along!
What is?
There are no other coordinates.
And… and do you know why not?
Nothing's coming.
Get him up.
Think about it. Who received the signal?
My wife.
Who did the math? The calculations? My… my wife.
The woman who could prove the sun revolves around the Earth
if that's what she wanted to show.
The woman who was terrified of her own hallucinations.
Only one other person could have substantiated it, but you had him killed.
Along with 176 other completely innocent people.
For nothing. Not for any noble purpose. For nothing at all.
Common… murderer.
Nora, dear? Just get all these people in the choppers, please.
You think Mom was crazy?
Always two steps ahead of the fox.
-All right. We're done. -Don't worry.
You're certainly not the first person in world history
to fall prey to their delusions of grandeur.
Bring them here.
Thank you for trusting me, my dear.
It was worth a try.
Make sure to do the girl first.
So she's not scared.
You are not serious.
What's that, dear?
Everything for this one singular goal. I'm with you. Anything.
But it's…
It's not here. Nothing is here.
We're done.
They'll catch us.
There's no point in doing this.
This is vengeance.
Thank you for offering yourself up for this unsavory task.
You do it, dear.
You watch her see it through.
Nora.
Please…
Nora, Nora, Nora… Please! Nora.
Nora, no!
Please…
-Terrain. -Bravo Charlie, 7606.
We've lost our cabin pressure. Descending to 5,000 feet.
-Sven. -Pull up. Terrain.
-Listen to me. -It's okay. Take my hand.
-You have to listen to me very carefully. -Take my hand.
-You have to listen to Carlotta above all. -Pull up.
-Don't let go. -You can't do it alone.
-Terrain. -Take my hand.
-You need each other. I need both of you. -Just hold on.
-Just hold onto my hand. -Remember when I said.
That some things are bigger than us.
I'm sorry.
I love you.
Stay down.
Till you can't hear us anymore.
-Are you all right? -Mm-hmm.
That was a close one.
Did we beat the fox?
Mom wasn't crazy.
Or she was just crazy enough.
There isn't anything coming, is there?
There is!
I didn't understand it at first. I… didn't listen well enough.
It was all there.
She told us to put our pieces together.
-But we only have one piece. -Mm-mm.
You… have the right place.
But I…
have the right time.
And one more thing.
St. Nicholas' Day is our ten-year anniversary,
and this time, you can't cop out.
Okay? I want us to do something big.
Go away with Flitzi or something.
We didn't meet on St. Nicholas' Day.
Our… our anniversary is in the summer.
But, then, what's on St. Nich…
Oh.
I have signal.
THREE MONTHS LATER
After a long global search, she was captured in a hideout
in rural Andhra Pradesh.
They caught her.
The philanthropist billionaire is accused of the bombing of Flight 7606,
in which 178 people died, including two German astronauts.
The scientists had received a grant from Mudhi to work aboard the ISS.
Her arrest was made possible thanks in large part
to the help of a former employee,
who has confessed to her own complicity in the bombing.
She emphatically refused to accept a plea bargain
in exchange for her cooperation…
That's enough, yeah?
Let's have breakfast. We have a long trip ahead of us.
That way.
Why?
Hmm?
Why Mom, of all people?
I think…
someone just needed to listen.
And Mom wanted to hear.
-Want some tea? -Yeah.
Hey.
Papa.
It's the Voyager!
It's the real Voyager, Papa!
Hello?
Hello from the children of planet Earth.
Hello, everyone!
Greetings to everyone.
Peace.
Greetings from Earth's inhabitants.
Meanwhile, teams of international experts have confirmed
that the incredible find in the Waidu Desert
is indeed the Voyager 1 probe.
It was sent into space by humankind in the 1970s,
carrying its signature golden record.
The space agencies currently believe
that somebody out there sent the probe back to us.
Hello.
For a brief moment today, the world stood still.
We now know that someone is out there.
But we don't have to be afraid. This someone wishes us well.
This event reminds us that a long time ago, we wanted to be something.
That we had a common message.
At this moment, we feel a profound sorrow,
because we have not lived up to that message.
We never came together, we never became one.
Let there be peace everywhere.
Greetings.
How's everyone? Wish you peace, health and happiness.
I… love…
you.
The message that we received today
did not come from a foreign planet or another civilization.
It came from us.
We know what we have to do.
Greetings to you.
Something has to change.
We bear you goodwill, and we bring peace through the stars.
♪ The darkest dreams ♪
♪ Are my reality ♪
♪ My mind a haze ♪
♪ My waking is a thief ♪
♪ You don't want to stay ♪
♪ Here with me ♪
♪ I am moving ♪
♪ Through a silver stream ♪