Elysium

In 2113, a team of scientists is sent to Antarctica to study unusual seismic activity. Near the epicenter, they find massive land markings resembling the Nazca lines in Peru. Beneath them lies a vast underground cavern, where a portion of a gigantic tower protrudes from the ground. Using advanced cameras, the team sends their findings back to their command center. One explorer copies a star chart engraved on the tower’s surface-then the structure emits an eerie, demonic howl. The expedition members collapse in pain and die one by one. Observers at the command center can do nothing as the same high-frequency noise floods their headquarters, killing them too. Analysis reveals the sound is a beacon aimed at Elysium, a planet beyond Earth’s solar system. Van, an 18-year-old pizza delivery boy in Manhattan, is the story’s reluctant hero. He competes in turbo jai alai racing, the most popular-and dangerous-sport of the 22nd century, which blends high-speed competition with virtual reality. He’s in love with Lydia, a gifted ballerina. In their chaotic, polluted city, they cling to each other and their dreams. Desperate for a way out, Van enters a race, hoping to win tickets to a galactic resort where Lydia can audition for the Jupiter Ballet. Meanwhile, Earth’s deep-space vessel, the Odyssey, monitors the planet’s orbit. It encounters an advanced Elysian fleet, and the crew prepares to greet the ambassador, Yaspe. Without warning, the Odyssey’s weapons malfunction, firing on and destroying Yaspe’s ship. The Elysians retaliate, obliterating the Odyssey and launching a full-scale assault on Earth. Van’s race turns deadly when the stadium is hit by the Elysian attack. Fighting through the chaos on his turbo-cycle, he rescues Lydia from the collapsing stands. Cities worldwide burn under the indiscriminate bombardment. Van and Lydia flee through Manhattan’s burning streets, narrowly escaping danger before finding shelter in a cramped fallout bunker.