"If you can steal an idea, why can't you plant one there instead?"

"The dreamer can always remember the genesis of the idea. True inspiration is impossible to fake."

Welcome to Layer 2

Time slows, gravity shifts, and the dream becomes unstable

In the hotel, deception is key—Fischer must believe he’s in control.

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In a hotel within Fischer’s subconscious, Arthur and the team work to manipulate him while dealing with zero gravity caused by the falling van in the previous layer. Arthur prepares the next "kick" as time runs out.

HOTEL

INT. ROOM 491 – CONTINUOUS

Arthur leads Ariadne inside. He walks to the closet, opens the room safe, and pulls out four bricks of plastic explosive.

ARTHUR

So, if everything's correct, this room should be directly below…

INT. LOBBY BATHROOM, HOTEL – CONTINUOUS

Cobb looks reassuringly at Fischer.

COBB

What do you remember from before this dream?

FISCHER

(thinking) Rain... gunfire... Uncle Peter.

(looks up) Christ—we've been kidnapped.

COBB

Where were they holding you?

FISCHER

They had us... in the back of a van...

COBB

Your body's bouncing around in the back of a van right now—that explains the gravity shifts.

FISCHER

It was... to do with a safe... Christ, why's it so hard to remember?

COBB

It's like trying to remember a dream after you've woken up. It takes years of practice to do it easily.

So, you and Browning have been pulled into this dream so they can steal something from your mind. What?

FISCHER

They wanted a combination to a safe... they demanded the first numbers to pop into my head.

COBB

That's them extracting a locator.

FISCHER

A locator?

COBB

A number from your own subconscious. It can be used any number of ways...

(thinking) This is a hotel. Room numbers. What was the number you gave them?

FISCHER

5,2... something... it was a long number. 528... 528, 4 something.

COBB

(opens phone) Well, we know where to start.

(into phone) Fifth floor.

(CONTINUED)

INT. ROOM 491 – CONTINUOUS

Arthur hangs up the phone. He is standing on a chair, attaching the explosives to the ceiling.

ARIADNE

Do you use a timer?

ARTHUR

No, I have to judge it myself.

Once you're all asleep up in room 528, I wait till Yusuf starts his kick...

ARIADNE

How will you know?

ARTHUR

His music warns me it's coming, then the van hitting the barrier of the bridge should be unmistakable—

that's when I blow the floor out from underneath us and we get a nice synchronized kick.

Too soon, and we won't get pulled out, too late and I won't be able to drop us.

ARIADNE

Why not?

ARTHUR

The van will be in free fall. I can't drop us with no gravity.

Arthur finishes setting the charges.