Thank you. [Music] [Music] Ready for your first sight recognition lesson? [Music] I guess so. What do you see when you look at me? A square. Is that what you really see? Um, go on. A line. Is that all? Um, what do you see at the edges of the line? Look closer. I see like shadings. That's the ether, the fog. It dims the light. The further away you are, it's everywhere. So, to children and the uneducated, it's nowhere, invisible. That's why they have to feel their way around, touching people in order to figure out who or, or what they are. Feelers are stick spells. That's right. That's right. Now, suppose two individuals are approaching a triangle and a pentagon. Which is which? No touching. [Music] If that were a real triangle, you could hurt yourself on a sharp angle. Why can't I just walk around it that way? I could see the shading easier. Ah, that's not done in polite company. Sometimes, when there are a lot of people, you can wiggle back and forth to triangulate, but you don't want to go all the way around someone. So you figure it out by staying right where you are. But how do I do it? Spur the shape through the shading. See. [Music] Not bad. Not bad. Is my brother in? I can't do it. Do it. I must be a feeler. Sight recognition isn't easy. I know, but it'll come to you. [Music] We'll continue the lesson in a moment. Do we have to? [Music] Get him. [Music] B squared. A square. What's this about representing a line? I haven't taken her case yet. I'm meeting her this afternoon. But she's a chromatist, accused, like five percent of the population, of the male population. She's the first woman who's joined. Because you work at the ministry, you can't go around accusing people without evidence. Oh, there's plenty of evidence. Big Brother. Ah, so another show trial. Can't you talk any sense into your husband? I might. Put yourself in. [Music] Hey, don't forget your peas cry. You could be arrested. That's not funny. Don't encourage her. B. Hey, hexagon. That's my favorite nephew. Okay. About is it about chromatism? Is wool? [Music] Where did he hear that? But my lesson in your room. Oh, all right. Well, I can't stay. Big buildings this afternoon. The president is going to meet with chromatists. A concession. Just don't go out for a while. That's why I came by to warn you. But my client, I'm meeting her this afternoon. I never miss an appointment. To your wants, sometimes even lines give good advice. Big Brother, attend to your configuration. Attend to your configuration. [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] Foreign. [Music] Circle, sir. Where are you going? Follow me. We'll talk as we head for the hospital. A hospital of reconfiguration? Yes, yes. The first line had a child last night. Something went wrong. An irregular side. I'm so sorry, sir. These things happen. The hospital has good doctors. In fact, I'm heading over now to see my son for the very first time. Completely reconfigured by now. And your wife? Is she all right? Yes, of course. In the recovery room. But she picked a terrible time for a pregnancy. The chromatist senator, chromatistis. The constant threat of war on the border. So, did you review my plan? Yes, sir. No problems. No, sir. Good. And this speech? Brilliant, sir. Absolutely brilliant. Good. What's wrong with Hex? He doesn't seem interested in his lessons. Told him that he was reconfigured. What Hex was making fun of them, taunting them. Low class, low-sided. I think E Pentagon just wanted to make him shut up. Why did he go and do that? There's no shame in reconfiguration. It was a small genetic defect. We, we should make Hex proud that he's a hexagon, the first in the family. Humility would help it. But that's prod. Go talk to him. I will. Oh. [Music] Thank you. [Music] [Music] Find the physician. Yes, sir. Mr. President, right away. So, B squared, is everything in place? Yes, sir. No doubt. It's just year 3000. Madness. Color can't make us all equal. It's morally. It's a president. One moment, sir. All right. One moment. Affairs of state. The evil of it is so perfectly straightforward. There is good and evil. B, why can't they see it? Can't explain such blindness. Mr. President. Sorry to interrupt, but I must inform you, your son. Oh, no. I'm sorry. You didn't survive the person. Where's my son? Son, where is he? Where's my son? Son, we did everything we can. Where is? I just couldn't take the procedure. The deformity was too great. Son. Son. [Music] [Applause] How could you do this to him? Did try. No, of course. You're all good men. Is there anything we can do for you, sir? He didn't even have a name yet. Please, gentlemen, one moment. We all have to be brave. Make sacrifices for the greater good. Please accept my apologies for my emotional outbursts. [Music] No, this country needs me, especially now. Grief is a luxury that a leader cannot afford in these times. We all must attend to our configuration. Let's roll. [Applause] [Music] Okay, sorry about the delay. Your mother and I had something to talk about. And son, that is you, isn't it? My son, Hex, with a a purple side. I just figured out. I heard that coloration at once. Society makes laws for a reason. You're old enough to know that. That's about Circle. I could change the law. But you're not a circle. Why can't I be more of a polygon? I could have been a heptagon if you'd been a pentagon. Fewer still are certified pre-circles. And I wouldn't be so impressed by them either. They aren't true circles. They aren't. No, of course not. Circles simply have lots and lots of sides. Some have 36, some have 72, 360. Now, those are the ones that are the closest to the divine circularity that we all aspire to. But none of us will ever be able to adjust. Why do we have the ability to colorize if we can't use it? Pex, what am I to do with you? Be satisfied with your configuration. It's crazy to want more. You are what you want. Leave me alone. Moon knows with Peter Pentagon. Noon forever. You don't have to wait. I never miss an appointment. Today in other news, additional troops are being deployed to the northern border in a show of force. [Music] Here. Well, get a load of that one. President Circle's arriving. Attend your configuration. [Music] Attend your chromatization. Attend to your chromatizations. A ten-year configuration. A tension configuration. Attend your configuration. Thank you. [Music] The chromatist. Can't you see it? What are you in for? I want to see my lawyer. [Music] Careful. She's a chromatist and a female accused chromatist. Yeah, that's what they'll all say. She ain't no accused female. She's very sharp and can kill you in a second. Watch yourself. She gets out of line, I'll be down the hall. This line. [Music] This line. I'm your court-appointed attorney. [Music] I'm required by law to tell you that I'm not obligated to take your case. Is that understood? Now, you, you must answer me. If I'm the remain good. Now, do you wish to confess? Confess your affiliation with the chromatic sedition. My what? What is that? What they say? Yeah. Do I look like a chromatist? But the arrest warrant states that you were picked up as a queen. I was arrested for failing to use my peace cry. Is that all? Well, I'm afraid the charge just can't be changed. So, why are you here? I know why I'm here. Came in. I was dreaming about. I can't explain it. There are no words. And not here. An elf, a something else elsewhere. It wasn't here. It wasn't our world. In my dream, I thought so. This isn't all there is. I know. Crazy. What else is there? But here, this, this flat land. What did you say? Oh, nothing. Why do you, why do you call the world flat land? I don't know. Because it's flat. I don't see your point. I mean, the world is a plane. Of course, it's flat. I know, but, but in my dream. Dreams. Dreams aren't invisible in court. I don't see any angle I can take that could possibly change your sentence, which will be. Do you want to hear what the judge will say? His exact words. Yes. Angles of sharpness will pierce and slice and segment your person until you are dead, dead. Oh, I didn't mean. I'm sorry. Uh, is there anyone? A husband, children? To prepare your defense? Nothing. Or will be soon. So, hey, why not simply do it for them now? Do what for them? My execution. Because that's against the law. Oh, oh, wait a minute. No, wait, wait. Cards. Guards. [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] You're not going to find her. She didn't escape. You don't mean she. But you're her attorney. How could you let her do that? And how was I supposed to stop her? I told her it was illegal. What's going on here? Where's the prisoner? Sheep. She and I ate herself, sir. What? It's true. I was in the cell with her discussing her defense when she, she couldn't stop her. I don't know what was I supposed to do? She was a line. She could have killed me. There was nothing I could do. Nothing. All attorneys should be sliced into little pieces and fed to the Irregulars. Oh, I've seen a lot of things. I've rounded the cape and watched the burning of Glen Awesome. I've seen compatriots split in two by the thousands, and I've killed just as many of the enemy in my time. But in all my years, I have never seen such a sniveling coward as you. Get out of my sight. Come on, man. I'll show you out. I'm going to inform the Bower Association about this. [Music] He didn't mean what he said. Yes, he did. And he's right. This is a bad time. Big things at the Senate today. I'd get home as soon as possible if I were you. All the CDF units in the city are mobilizing. Mobilizing? That's all I can say. [Music] This is a crucial moment in world history. Conflict blooms between our Republic and our Northern neighbors. Even now, the engines of war are building at the border. I understand the need for reunification. For too long, families have been torn apart by the political divide. For too long, we've watched our poor brothers across the border crushed by the tyranny of the northern monarch. Citizens, has it been so long since we've cast away the cruelty of kings that we've forgotten how precious freedom is? The northern kingdom preaches equality, but practices chromatism. They allow irregular children to avoid reconfiguration. Some years ago, we followed suit and allowed reconfiguration to become optional. And what happens, friends? We've learned the line of freedom, perhaps forever. [Music] Oh, interesting trinkets, aren't they? I can't take my eye off them. What are they? Uh, I don't really know. What is the, the purpose of the glowing? Oh, no clue. Are they alive? No. Maybe? No. What are they made of? Rocks, minerals, crystals, over, or something? Uh, don't know, really. Where are they from? A distant territory in the northern kingdom. The North? But you can't sell those here, can you? That's illegal. Oh, that changed the law every other day. I, I can't keep up. You won't turn me in, will you? Well, I'm an attorney. That makes me an officer of the court. I guess that entitles you to a little discount. Or what do you call them? Glow points. Do they do anything except glow like that? Oh, that depends on what, on your mood. Here, hold on. Careful. They're delicate. And be careful what they touch. They can go dead in a heartbeat. All right, how much? Oh, they ain't cheap. Tough to get all the way through the border, you know, especially in news time. Of course, of course. Senator chromatistis does have his points. Of course, reunification under our own terms is desirable. But under chromatistic terms, a thief could color himself to resemble a priest. A rapist could color himself to resemble an attorney. Under chromatism, the whole science of sight recognition perishes. Citizens, how are we to protect our daughters and wives under the senator's scheme? Let me through. Wherever possible, our priests, circles, seek equality for everyone. That's why we have the hospital of reconfiguration. Yes, we lose some children, but in every case, every case, the parent knows the risk. What is civilization based on if not regularity and equality of angles? It is nothing. Do any of us seriously believe that there is no connection between geometrical and moral irregularity? Citizens, there is good and easy. Through. Let me through. Civilization as we know it would end. We would relapse into barbers. Oh, you can't go on repressing the lesser-sighted forever. Color is equality. We can find a third way. Let us consider compromise with the Northern Kingdom. Citizens, look what happened when we relaxed our standards and allowed our elected officials to include citizens of any shape. We now have an irregular as a senator who introduces this color bill to our body, a bill that if voted into law would allow our citizens to color themselves as they see fit. If we adopt the color bill, our friends to the north could see that we need them. No harm. No, they would reduce their arms freely. They would make peace with us. Appeaser. The northern kingdom will see this as weakness and enslave us all. Live. The northern kingdom is not evil. They simply feel threatened by it, just as we feel threatened by them. Senator, you don't know that. You are hoping that I am not willing to gamble away our very survival on your hopes. You've already put the future of the Republic at stake. At any moment, the north might attack, and it's your fault. [Music] Oh my goodness. [Laughter] [Music] He interrupted my speech. We can fix the record, sir. The bloodshed, the death. Are we doing the right thing? How will history remember me? As the man who saved the Republic, or a butcher who destroyed innocence? Can I sleep tonight? Great figures in history never falter. I don't want to be a great figure. I want to be a good person. Wow. [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] Foreign. [Music] I gotta go back and get it. Go home and lock your doors. [Applause] Do you know the way out of here, brother? Can't you see there's a riot going on out there? Do you know the way out of here? Out of this world? Out of this fuel? There is no out of here. We'll see. We'll see. [Music] Foreign. God preserve us. Angularity and death. God preserves angularity and death. Yet children. He was more than a soldier. It may not have been a big important man, but he was worth something. He was practically my brother. [Music] [Music] Yeah, I was caught up. No, geez. Just, I'm just exhausted. What? It's the end of the world. The blood and death and murder. Everyone killing everyone. Not much to do. I would keep the door locked and we'll stay inside. Well, perhaps a new day will bring a new world. [Music] All right. [Music] [Applause] There. Can you hear me? Hello? Hello there. What's going on here? Where am I? What's all this monotonous chirping? You little line. Little monotonous. I'm king of Lineland. Monarch of the world. What are you? Puny voiced intrusion. I'm a square. Oh, what square? A what? A square. A squire? Don't talk gibberish to me. Let's just say I'm a voice. You are not one of Lineland's voices. I would recognize you. Let me hear your bass voice. My what? Your other voice. I don't have any other voice. Then you're a woman? No, no. I'm a man. I thought you said you were a queer. I'm a visitor. Let's say from another world. There's no world besides Lineland. Oh, you're wrong about that. Is that so? Prove it. Uh, and address me as your majesty. But your majesty, you can't actually see lines. Impossible. Although, in death, yes, some of us believe we will experience this mystic awareness of a straight line in an afterlife. Ah, yes, of course. I must be from that world. The world of your afterlife, where you shall join me in the absoluteness of two-dimensionality. Nonsense. Well, I see to the left of you two lines, a point, a line, a point, a line, and two points. Is that correct? What do you mean by left? I mean to your base end and to the right are two points, a line, a point, a line, a point, and two lines. Now, how did I know that if I couldn't see them? Tell me the length of the 999th mail to my backwards. I, I can't see that far. Three inches. By the same means, my shape can be exactly ascertained. Behold me. I am a line. The longest in Lineland, over six inches of space. Space of length? Don't you mean idiots? Space is length. Don't interrupt me again. Oh, forgive me, Your Majesty. Here. Now, with your own ears, out by means of my two voices, I reveal my shape to my wives, who are at this moment over 6,000 miles away. One forward, one backward. Listen, and I will sing. [Music] Why don't you just feel your neighbors? What? Explain yourself. Uh, feel. Touch. Come into contact with that. Offense is punishable by death. Really? Why is that? And what purpose would be served by touching when there is sound? But isn't life in Lineland just a little dull? I mean, to see nothing but points, not even be able to see a line. Mindless man, aren't you? Mindless. Sounds like your music is mindless. I could tell with a glance how many people are to your right and to your left. And there's nothing easier than a glance. What is this left and right? And how could you see the line, the inside of anything? Left, right. You must mean backward and forward. No, not so. Exhibit these directions to me. I can't. I mean, unless you step out of your line altogether. Out of my line? Out of the world? Out of space? Well, yes. Out of your world and into the greater plane of two dimensions, where all is playing and you can move in four directions. If you can't show this or describe this to me, then go away. Hasn't it occurred to you that you could move in some other direction? Uh, towards what? Your, your side is facing. What? Never. What do you mean by side? There is before and behind. Nothing more. Fine. Let me show you. Here. I'm going to move into your world. Here I come. There. Can you see me now? Yes, but you're only a point. Well, to you, I'm only a point. But in fact, I, I moved into Lineland. Now I'm going to continue to move, and from your perspective, I'm gonna vanish. What did Your Majesty say? Now, tricks, tricks. Come back. How did you do that? I, I moved out of Lineland. Convinced if you had any sense that the smell is particle. You asked me to believe that there's another world. You say there's another motion besides forward in the background. But when I ask you to show it, all you, you can do is babbling, practice magic tricks. You must be a madman or dimensionally deficient. Six-inch idiot. You think you're the perfection of existence, but in reality, you're the most imperfect. You say you know the world, but all you see is a point. You can't even see lines. Well, I can. In fact, I am a line of lines, a square. In my world, as superior as I am to you in my world, I'm nothing compared to the greatest of polygons. I'll pierce you through. Die, you creature. Die, evil creature. [Music] The city's not safe. Okay. Inside today and mind your angles and points. Any news on the radio? Not a good sign. Remember the client I saw yesterday? Yes, yes. She killed herself. I certainly can't defend her now. Darling, I don't know if I can continue. Continue what? My practice. I can't defend guilty people anymore. What? Not after yesterday. Morning news. Sorry for the technical difficulties this morning. Turns out a couple of chromatists broke our transmitter, but everything's back to normal here at the station. Speaking of promotists, they caused a lot of problems yesterday. Thankfully, President Circle sticks them but good. A riot raged across the city for over 12 hours yesterday. The death toll is mounting, and officials say it may reach thousands. Thousands. But authorities finally achieved order around midnight last night. Over 300 Irregulars and chromatists are under arrest. The president will be speaking to the citizenry later today. In his public statement, he is going to warn the north not to take advantage of the unrest to start anything. Funny. Not funny like that. Funny. Stop the riots. I hope it's so many head. [Music] s. What about your grind him? You'll make sure. [Music] Get that off your side this instant. Don't you know what those chromoses did yesterday? They're murderers. What do you want to be associated with murderers? They killed people by the thousands. Your uncle may be dead, and here you are. Get over your side. I didn't know. Keep the door locked while I'm gone. B. B squared, are you in there? Who is it? It's me, a square. Mrs. B. Do you know where your husband is? How do I know it's you, a square? It's me. It's Megan. Told me not to open the door for anyone. Is your husband there? Is he all right? Do you know where he might be? He told me he would be at the Great Hall. I'll go there and check for him. Mrs. B, you stay there and do what your husband told you to do. Keep your door closed and locked. If I hear anything, I'll come right back and let you know. I love him. I will be safe. [Music] [Music] Foreign. [Music] Uh, excuse me. Uh, what do you want? My, my brother, B squared, his name. Uh, he works for the president. Is he? I don't know, pal. Can I go in? I promise I, I won't bother your brother. Bother? Look, buddy, you already are a bother. We got martial law here. Head home and waited. I know you. Mr. Attorney for the suicidal chromatist. My brother works for the president. I was just trying to find out if he was okay. But if you and your kind hadn't spent all our taxes defending those irregular chromatist scum, maybe you wouldn't have to be worried about your damn brother. Look at what they've done. Don't just do my job. Yeah, did your job choose you? You didn't have any choice in the matters. My brother works for the president. I need to know if he's alive. Can I please pass? What have you got there? Uh, a globe. Let me see it. It's, it's for my son. Not anymore. Wow. Must be pretty expensive. Yes, yes, it is. Money don't mean much right now. Not with martial law. No commerce allowed, of course. A smart man might make his way illegally. Barter. I got it yesterday before everything happened. This gift for myself. You didn't steal this, did you? Partake in a little looting. Now that it's yours, can I pass? I wonder if this square is still here when I get back. I will personally run you through before I slice him. Am I clear? Crystal, sir. Damn sympathizers. Fifth columnists. Move along, sir. Can you at least give him a message? A lot of people are dead. Let's not add to the count. [Music] [Music] Hey, hey. Tim. Cities locked tight as a drone. Nothing found on the street. May be valuable. I'm gonna go put it in the safe. Dad, what is it? Three to the second power is nine. What is the time for a math lesson class? I have three to the third power means in geometry. And my teacher threatened me with attention. Well, she should have. Geometry in the world have only two dimensions. But why? It's the way of the world. Moving somehow parallel. What would it make? Like it must make something. It would make a wonderful brain ache. Now go play with your brother. But they're all pentagons. Yes, they're pentagons, and you are a hexagon. If you're too good to play with them, then go study in your room and stop talking nonsense. The boy must be going mad. How can you say that? He's just a little confused. Three to the third power has an obvious mean. No, a line. It's a circle. I know, women. You were right. The third time in a sense. I am a circle. A circle more perfect than any seen in Flatland. Oh, great circle, sir. Forgive us, but how did you change your circumference? No circle I've heard of can do that. And, and how did you get in here? Right in here. Do you mean Flatland? Flatland? Uh, you know, a woman, a woman I met yesterday called the world flat land. Ditchy for her. Madam, I have a message to deliver to your husband. He wouldn't mind. [Music] Okay. [Music] Please. [Music] [Music] Thank you. What on earth is that horrid sound? She speaks her peace cry. What in the world is it? Well, how can you not know what he told me? Explain. See, she's a wine. The law states that she has to cry out as a, as a, as a warning, a locator noise. She could kill someone accidentally if they don't see her. They could move right into her without clever. Your little Lord. Forgive me, sir. I must feel you. You have no, no angles. Not a one. Are, are you a perfect circle? Yes. That's nice. Disgusting. Calm down, silly little square. I am a more perfect being for you. Okay. And perfection. I am a sphere. CEO of this song. What? Where did you come from? From face. Aren't you already in space? What do you know of spec? Space is length and width. No, there's a third dimension of length, width, and height. Please, your circular lordship. What direction is, is this third dimension? Up, down, north, and south? Nothing of the kind. A direction in which you cannot look because you have no eye in your side where I have an eye. It's on my northwest side. In order to see in space, you need an eye not on your outside, but on your inside, looking up, down. Please, sir, this is New Year's Eve. There were horrible riots yesterday. My only brother may be dead. I have family obligations. Really? This is no time for jokes. I didn't come to joke. I'm from the land of three dimensions, 3D. I looked down and saw the plane on which you lived. I can see into your churches, your ministries, your banks, your houses, even your insides and stomachs. Everything open and exposed to my view. I saw your five sons fighting each other with rubber swords, and your other son, the hexagonal one, was soaking off in his room. Likes to color himself. How do you think I knew that? We have a name for people like you. Yes, perverts. There are laws, sir. What I say, you must have drove through the walls. Holes. Hugs, I tell you. I came from three years. Difficult little creature. I'm not just cause I'm a lawyer. Let's start over. When you see your wife, what do you see? I mean, in German, if you think I'll say a one-dimensional line, you're wrong. Every educated person knows that women are really very thin rectangles, possessing complete two-dimensionality, length and width. No, no. You also see her height. If her line would just width and length, it wouldn't occupy space. It would be invisible. When we see a line, we see length and width and brightness. Is brightness and dimension? Dimension like length? Only a different direction. In your world, height is just very, very point out this direction. Otherwise, leave me alone. To you, Flatland is your whole world. To me, it's a flat plane on top of which you move around. You call me a server? No, I am an infinite number of circles, a sphere, a solid. When I enter your world, you see a circle. For instance, last night I saw your dream about Limeland. What? As clear as a movie on your brand movie. Never mind. Look, the king of Lineland saw you not as a square, but a point. It's the same for me in Flatland. You're seeing on your slice of me. Watch. I'm going to rise up and down in space. Watch. See? Uh, down, up, down. And now I'm going to rise out of your world altogether. Where did you go? Where are you? Yeah, yeah. Am I still dreaming? Convinced? No, it's a chromatous tree. It's no trick. I thought. Oh, you're gonna die from the northern kingdom. I know it. I hate politics. War is merely an extension of politics, my friends. Just as murder is an extension of business. I am pleased to announce that our generals have reported back that we have successfully crushed the chromatist rebellion. Ah, be square, my friends. We have be square to thank for orchestrating the maneuver. B square, you have saved our great Republic. But I'm afraid our job isn't finished, my friends. There is even now a greater threat that will emerge this very evening. Red, red. It will rock the very foundations of our civilization. We must be ready. Be square, I'll be depending upon you for logistics support. Can't you understand anything? Look, if a point moves north and leaves a luminous way, what name would you give that way? A straight line. And how many points would it have? Two. Now, let's move that line parallel to itself a distance equal to its length. What would you call its way? A square. And how many sides does a square have? How many angles? Points. Four sides, four angles, four points. Now, imagine the square moving parallel to itself upward. What do you mean northward? Ah, upward. Pass every point in a square up so that no point passes through any position previously occupied. Each point draws a new line on its own. You're hurting my brain. Look, we began with a single point. One point produces a line. With two points, one line produces a square. With four points, one, two, four. What's next? Eight. Yes, it produces a something which you do not know the name for, but what we call a cube with eight points. This cube has sides. Yes, but what you call sides, we call faces of a solid. In a 3D world, how many sides? A point has zero sides. A line has two sides. A square has four sides. Zero, two, four. Get it? And now the next number would be? Oh, six. Yes, you see it now, don't you? You're a monster. You're a devil. You die. You die. What is wrong with your species? I see a brain, but when it comes to imagination, all you try and do is kill something. I come for an Apostle of the three dimensions and find a fool instead. I'm no fool. We're only allowed to appear in your world every thousand years. You've been chosen. I can't go change directions and find someone else now. There isn't any time. I'm just an attorney. I'm not an Apostle. Okay, then how would you convince me? If our roles were reversed, how would you convince the jury? I would have to show them directly. Show them, of course. Action, not words. Listen, I can see from here your study, and the wall is a hidden safe, inside of which is a hidden little glowing thing. It's called the glow point. No weight watcher in the sleep. Now leave that alone. Having the glowing thingy. Notice that the door does not move. Now I'm in the safe and I'm taking the glowing thingy. Whoops. What? What? It stopped glowing. Well, never mind. Uh, here's your thingy. Notice the door to the safe is closed. Tada. Get it? Spaceland? You, Flatland. I looked down on you all. That you've proven is that you're a, a skillful thief and a vandal. You fix my glow point. You people certainly like your shiny things, don't you? Okay, listen. The higher I go, the further away from Flatland I go, the more I can see, though of course I see it on a smaller scale. For example, now I can see your neighbor's house and your five pentagonal sons banging against its son. I told them to stay inside. Now I'm going far, far up. Buildings, buildings, buildings. Now I see the border between your country and the northern kingdom. Uh oh. Looks busy. Mostly soda triangles. Looks like they're getting ready for something. Oh, anyone can listen to the radio. Fine, fine, fine. How about if I touch you? Touch me? Sure. Just a little touch. Gently. Here in your stomach. What's happening, Dad? Why are you stuck in the corner? Go back to your room. Just go. Go. There's only one other thing to do. It's never been done before. I suppose I'll have to do it. Do what? Murder me. You've done everything else. Nothing of the sort. It will be painful, and I could get into trouble, but I've got no choice. If the gospel of three dimensions is to be revealed. Hang on, Apostle. One, two, three. Out of Flatland we go. [Music] Foreign. [Music] Into reality. [Music] There. Can you stand? Rest on your bottom hairs for a moment. What is this pressure? It's pushing me southward. My south hair is hurt. Oh, that. You'll get used to that. That's just gravity. Something we all have to contend with in Spaceland. Nothing to worry about. Now that I, I see you all of you. You're here. So, so perfect. Your circularity is beyond circularity. Everywhere you're circular and divine and perfect. A divine ideal of loveliness and wisdom. Feel free to worship me at any time. But first, let's take a look at where you've been. Look, look. A flatlander. You can see their insides. I see. I see. I take it that my experiment worked. I hope my ends will justify my means. Can't you see yourself? Myself? How, how can I see myself? I'm, I'm inside of myself in 3D. You can have reflections. Light can bounce off an object which you can use to see yourself. Here. That's me. No, it's your reflection. Thank you. Thank you for showing me this. I see now. I see everything. Everything. I, I understand it all. I can see. [Music] Foreign. What's that glowing sphere in the sky? The sun. Let's not look at it for too long. It could blind. How does it stay up there in the sky? Just does. Our scientists say it is immeasurably huge. Larger than anything else in the entire world. It's smaller than you. No, no, that's just perspective. The further away something is, the smaller it looks. But no, it's very, very large. Makes me puny by comparison. That can't be. You're a perfect circle, divine and all. Respect. Yes, yes. Can't argue with you there. But still, some of us even worship it. How wondrous a world. The gods would have even greater gods to worship. I guess there's always something smaller and always something larger. I wonder what this sun worship. Are there beings even greater than this glorious sun? All right, that's enough. Let's not get silly. What is that? Oh, and look at those glow points. That is the moon. Another sphere of great proportion. And those aren't glow points. Those are stars. If only I could show this to my wife. My son's expensive to pull someone out of Flatland. I'm afraid this production really can't afford anyone but you. Sorry. There's so much to understand. For instance, I'm in Spaceland and can see the insights of myself, and I can see the insides of all of my fellow Flatlanders. Yet I see no brain, lungs, or heart inside of you. Of course, you can't see in my insides. Spacelanders are of a greater order than Flatlanders. I am a being of many circles. The many in the one. What we in Spaceland cause fear. Don't worry. The mysteries of the world of Spaceland will become plain to you after a while. We can fly anywhere we like and view your world in detail. Let's start with your house and work our way out. It's me. I'm here outside the world. Can't see you. Can't hear you. Hey, see everything. You've given me the eyes of it. The eyes of God. You can see what any fool in the world of 3D can see. The great hall. Now that I'm in Spaceland, I can get past the soldiers to see if my brother is inside. Now you're thinking in 3D. I've got business there too. Let's go. Thank you. [Music] Oh, there he is. Hey, B. B. Looks like your elite priests are gathering for the millennial meeting to oversee revelations of the three dimensions of every thousand years. Last. What's wrong? How could I expect this? Your people can't write. Right? Writing, recording works visually. It's what we do to pass information down through the generations. Your people worked around it. You memorize everything, pass it down through voice. Well, of course. Every child learns how to memorize great quantities of words and can repeat them back. I'm doing my best to remember every word you speak. Through is counted on them remembering. It's a thousand years between each visit. They can't blame me. It's not my fault. What's wrong? Didn't you hear your fate pronounced by your flat-headed brethren? Death or imprisonment awaits the Apostle of three. They'll understand. It's so clear to me the nature of 3D. I could get. I could get a child to understand it. Put me down right now. I'm sure that I could go down. I have to perform my mission. In fact, unless I miss my guest, your president is waiting for me. You stay here. Time for reality to intrude into Flatland. And once again, I come to proclaim, there is a land of three dimensions. I am the perfect circle. Fine. Smear. Listen to me, you flat brain. I got it in my words. My lords, do not be alarmed. We took care of the chromatic insurrection. I assure you, this one will be even simpler. The secret memories have predicted everything. We have seen the circle who claims he's from another world. All this was as our forefathers foresaw. The priestly circles alone remember how the same occurrence happened on the last two millennial commencements. How can you people be so smart and yet so stupid? Stupid. Just look. You were all required to say nothing of these trifles outside this cabinet. Call for the Praetorian guards. [Music] [Applause] [Music] These soldier triangles must be put to death right away. All of them. [Music] That's done. No trace. No harm. These are serious times, gentlemen, and must be met with determination and resolve. My lords, the big, the business of the council being over, I wish you all happy New Year. Attend to your configuration. B squared, I haven't forgotten you, my dear assistant. For the sake of secrecy, you too should die. But since you've been loyal and for the most part efficient, I'll spare you your life and grant you instead life imprisonment. However, should you ever mention what you've seen today, you'll be executed. Attend to your configuration and happy New Year. Guards, present. I promise I won't say a word. Not a word. Please, please. You don't know what you're doing. There really is a third dimension. Let me go back. Let me talk to them. She's my brother. Your brother is expendable. [Music] Come in, Round Table. This is Alfa Omega. Polling. Come in, Round Table. Megan, this is Round Table. Over. I'm on my way back. Round Table. Over. We hear you. Go for Omega. That was the mission. Over. I'll file a report as soon as I can get back. Round Table. Until then, cue the triumphant return. [Music] Oh. [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] Foreign. [Music] [Music] Foreign. [Music] [Music] Stay there. I have to write my after-action report. [Music] Foreign. [Music] Foreign. [Music] I've got to send an Ecom report quick to the board of directors. What a cute drawing. What? The drawing on your desk. Where did you get it? Did you bring it back with you? A square. He's not a drawing. He's a flatlander. Never been done before. I thought you were a cartoon. A cartoon? He can talk. How delightful. Isn't it cute, Millicent? I think it's disgust. A cartoon? Something you can't do in Flatland. Oh, yes. They're not very well. Smile for the camera. A square. Is this allowed? No. Previous Messiah ever brought their chosen Apostle backwards. He's here, isn't he? And my Ecom is now finished. I wish you were around the office. This will cause quite a stir. It's so cute. I could just eat it. Ladies, it's not a trinket. It's time. Here is limited. Gravitational forces will kill it if it stays too long. What if you ladies will see that I'm not disturbed for the next hour? After that, I want to meet with Mark. Yes. [Music] Solids. That's the first lesson and the last. Solids. That's what we are. And you're not. You're not solid. Not really. Because solid implies thickness. Your thickness is microscopic. Let's begin. First, a cube is made up of a number of square planes, like yourself. Now, here's a pack of cards. I put one down. Now a second. Now a third. See, I'm building a solid by a multitude of squares parallel to one another. And now there, the solid is complete. Being as high as it is long and broad. We call this solid a cube. It hurts my brain. I'm sure it does. Light, shadow, perspective. You're not used to it. Yes, sir. Sending a cube. Which one? Anyone. Yeah, I'm going to let you feel a cube. That'll help you understand solids. Let this flatlander touch you. [Music] Don't worry. It won't hurt. And there won't be any side effects that we know of. Dean, in sending, isn't it? Carlton, receiving, of course, of course. Just stand here on the desk. And you, a square, you may feel Dean Carlton. Sorry. Cube. Carlton, receive it. Right, right. [Music] Please go over and feel the generic cube person. [Music] Um, not a plane. Not a plane. A solid. Six planes, eight terminal points, angles. A square moving parallel to himself in space. Yes, yes. I am a part of this. Oh, this is bliss. What wonder to know so much. That's enough. We can't go on like this forever, you know. Thank you, Carson. Carlton. Now, listen to your pardon. Great sphere of 3D, but might I be granted a look at your insides? My what? Your stomach, brain, heart? The devil, are you talking about? When I was feeling the cube, a light overwhelmed me, and I saw more and farther than I've ever seen before. Uh-huh. What I saw, or sensed, or, or felt was that a dimension greater than yours existed. Just as I am to you, so must you be to someone else. If your dimension is greater and purer than mine, then there must be a fourth dimension, even greater and purer than yours. Oh, good friend, philosopher, priest. Don't you see what you've taught me? Some yet more spacious space, some more dimensionable dimensionality wise beyond this one. I'm short. We've got a lot to do before you're fit to proclaim the three dimensions. Please, sir, let me see your sense. The second place. But you showed me the insides of Flatland by taking me from the land of two dimensions into the land of three. Please take me into a fourth dimension so that we can look onto the land of 3D and see the secrets of solids. And where is this land? The four dimension supposed to be? Oh, doubt was you a great teacher of dimensionality greater than mine? Surely you know where it is. Damned if I do. There is no such place. The fairy idea, inconceivable. You taught me that when I see a line in Flatland and then for a plane in reality, I see a third dimension, not the same as brightness, but one called height. So it follows that in Spaceland, when I see a plane and infer a solid, I really see a fourth unrecognized dimension. Just as the monarch of Lineland couldn't turn right or left or see Flatland, so I couldn't see Spaceland, even though it was all around me. So there must be a fourth dimension outside Spaceland. Tell me, has anyone seen any, you know, visitors here in Spaceland? A few mad men, the usual visionaries, delusions, brainstorms, nothing worth writing about. Well, tell me, did any of these delusions appear and vanish? So that's how the story sometimes go. A story written by the deluded, mentally sick brains. Well, maybe they come from. I thought I told you not to disturb. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. You've got a problem, eh? What? Your Ecom was leaked to the public. What? They think you've made a terrible mistake. There's a hearing in the Senate chambers going on right now. The zeros are winning. We must do something. Your cartoon thing has been subpoenaed. He must appear at once. Great balls of fire. There's no need to be worried. Just be polite. Try not to say too much. Yes, no answers. Be as Boolean and binary as you can be. No pressure. But the zeros in the Senate may have enough vote. Political faction. They've got a momentum because I brought you out of Flatland. They think Flatlands and Abomination and should be wiped out. What? It disturbs them that there are creatures such as yourself. They think we shouldn't be trying to teach you the gospel of 3D. They think we should be putting you out of your misery. Misery? Well, just don't say anything stupid. [Music] Thank you. Do you mean to tell me, Mr. Spears? Just call me a sphere. Senator, I'll call you what I like. For him, did you mean to tell me you took it upon yourself to bring this disgusting creature into our world without any oversight? It was a split-second decision. San Antonio. Our company had done the research on what such an action would mean. Of course, we'd run computer simulations. Simulations? What? I, and these simulations made you certain there would be no unintended consequences? That there would be, uh

No danger to spacelands, of course, but you weren't 100% certain. Words? We're still here, Senator. Here's a computer simulation, proof of no danger.

No, Senator, of course not. A computer simulation is only a simulation; it isn't real. We simply had a good idea of what we use. Science is never... consider the possibility that you could be wrong, and your science could one day be the end of the entire world. If you look at your computer simulations and take great risks with the public good, without oversized... relinquish the floor. I'd like to interview the Flatlander Senator. We're here to decide if we should perform euthanasia on Flatland or not. After all, the scientists are not the ones on trial here. Not yet, of course.

Of course. I yield. Florida, my distinguished cubic college. Now, uh, Mr. A. Square, uh, you've been sworn here? Yes. Oh, great and divine cue. But knock it off with the great and divine call. Him, Senator. I'm sorry. I'm sorry, your Senator. Miss, um, I'm sorry, Senator. It's just this whole world you're standing each other right here. He doesn't know anything yet. It isn't right. It isn't fair. You are excused while we interview this witness and take up all the directors with him. God.

[Music]

Hit today on the fourth dimension. What? What? What did you say? Remember, you're an attorney. Oh, this is a disaster. Sphere, we're gonna hold an emergency board meeting and elect a new CEO. All the shareholders. Now, uh, Mr. H. Square, uh, let's ignore the media here. Let's ignore everything. It's just you and me. You know what's at stake. Tell me what's on your mind. Why we should preserve your world. Why should Flatland continue its existing?

Because speaking to the microphone, please. Because that... Hey, can someone prompt the witness up, right, please? And get you there now. You, Diamond. Now, yeah. Yes, lift him up. Answer the question, Flatlander. Why should Flatland have a continued existence?

Because in order to turn a circle into a sphere, we rotate 90 degrees the circle along its vertical axis. Thus, the circle becomes a sphere. So, in order to make a sphere into a hypersphere, we would rotate spheres within spheres. I'll have enough of this stupidity. What's it talking about? We need to get it out of here. It's all around us. All right, you... All right, Mr. Square, are you suffering from your transition into our world? You must be ill. Four dimensions. A point of... I say, a point of order, Senator Cube. Our enemies in the X-axis have seen our continued inability, our continued weakness, our failure. I share failure to destroy Flatland. We have little time for this circus. They see our delays as an excuse to attack. Doom may fall upon us at any moment. It's clear in my head. I understand everything. I just don't have the words. Spaces. I voted against using Messiah, Inc. I never trusted that age sphere. I thought we were here against the bowling ball. Bill, maybe you brought that thing together. Challenges if the government has made a terrible mistake in chartering a sphere's company to perform Millennium Duty. It challenges if you are incapable of understanding the gospel of the three dimensions. No, no, your worship. That's not true. I, I understand, and I know there are dimensions even beyond it. You've all led me into a world of understanding that I can never repay. Surely, you, you as Great Divine Solids, can understand there is always something beyond. There is always infinity. It's... Where are you all right? And Mr. Squad, can you hear me?

[Music]

A posse. Are you okay? What's the matter with it? It's gravity. He must return, and soon.

[Music]

[Laughter]

[Music]

What's happening? Well, it's just a little war. The X-axis is attacking us. Savages. Everything's black. I can't see. What time is that, my friend? I have to send you back. Good luck teaching the gospel of 3D. Oh, please don't send me back. I can't bear to go back. I'm afraid I won't be answering any calls from Flatland for the next thousand years. Did I save my world? Ignorance is bliss. Please don't send me back.

[Music]

[Applause]

[Music]

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Flatland The Film: Official HD Version

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