Institute History
Description
Paris 2035, the city is dying. The atmosphere is shabby; the buildings are supported by metal beams; the metro (underground) is a world of its own; those in despair set themselves aflame in front of Notre Dame Church where mass is relayed onto giant screens. Nothing (or almost) has changed: the police modernized itself with the arrival of anti-gravity vehicles, underhanded manoeuvres of all kinds continue and the mysticism which is making a strong come back is accompanied by the availability of new hallucinogen drugs.
Come and Lucien, best friends, make out as best then can to survive. Lucien is a dealer, a profession with a future whose rise is directly proportional to the collapse of religion.
In steps Weed, a big-time dealer in his thirties who sees himself as some kind of a new-wave priest bringing people a mystic alternative to the absence of religious faith. Lucien's refusal to work for Weed will cost him his life.
Come who doesn't know the motives of his best friend's murder swears to seek revenge.
Imprisoned by Morrisson, a dubious cop who accuses him of the murder, Come makes the acquaintance of Brendan in jail. His jail mate is a computer genius who manages to wiggle himself out of just about any uncomfortable situation. While incarcerated, he made the best of his stay by selling all kinds of simulation video games to other inmates. Together, they escape by stealing a police vehicle, with a little help from outside the complicity: they blocked the prison's entire electronic surveillance system. The fearless duo immediately become fugitives on the run, with the police close on their heels.
When they reach Paris with the help of Max, they obtain proof that Morrisson and Weed are wheeling and dealing together in all sorts of dubious ventures, manipulating one another in the process.
The inspector shows up for a secret appointment with Weed. This encounter is the scene of a verbal confrontation between the two men. The only one of the two to demonstrate any degree of morality is the dealer. Come and Brendan, who followed the inspector without him noticing, get Weed at their mercy. Come cannot kill him without betraying the promise he made to Lucien. His only satisfaction is the humiliation he inflicted on Weed. In the meantime, Morrisson refines his plan to eliminate Weed. He'll do everything to let Come find the dealer, but the policeman isn't duped and remains on his guard.
In the course of an evening, our fugitives seek refuge in the metro, where the police haven't dared set foot in years. There, they find Gladys, Lucien's sister. Quite despite herself, Gladys ends up getting involved. Once caught up in the web, she'll never get out of it.
Come, Brendan and Gladys went through a number of physical confrontations with Weed's men. Weed and Morrisson also had several confrontations with each other. The true personalities of all the protagonists came through in these violent encounters. Brendan, Gladys and Weed find themselves face to face in an infernal pursuit in the streets of Paris at a speed of over 400 km/hour (250 miles/hour), at the wheel of "borrowed" police vehicles.
In the final "duel" scene, after the police cars are scrapped, Gladys finished off Come's vengeance.