OWEN: You do realize that we're about to climb twenty-seven flights of stairs, right?
ELIZABETH: Yes, Owen, I'm fully aware. But consider this - have you ever really looked at an elevator cable? How thin it is?
OWEN: I have, but that's not what I think about when I'm in an elevator. I think about the potential energy being converted to kinetic energy, the friction on the pulley, the—
ELIZABETH: —Owen, you are missing my point. It's not about the scientific details. It's about trust. Can we really trust that thin cable with our lives?
OWEN: Well, you trust a bunch of concrete blocks stacked on top of each other with your life when you're in a building.
ELIZABETH: That's different. There's solidity, there's a sense of permanence.
OWEN: But that sense of permanence is an illusion. Earthquakes, erosion, human error in construction - all of these factors can make a building just as dangerous, if not more so, than an elevator.
ELIZABETH: I'd still take my chances with the stairs. Besides, it's a good workout.
OWEN: Is that what this is about? You're trying to sneak in a cardio workout before lunch?
ELIZABETH: Well, why not? It's better than being lazy.
OWEN: Lazy? I prefer to call it energy conservation. Why waste energy climbing stairs when we can get there effortlessly using an elevator?
ELIZABETH: Because life isn't meant to be effortless, Owen. Struggle, effort, exertion - they give life meaning.
OWEN: I don't disagree. But I believe in choosing my struggles wisely, not creating unnecessary ones.
ELIZABETH: And I believe in appreciating the little struggles in life - like climbing stairs instead of taking the easy way up.
OWEN: So, you're saying you want to climb twenty-seven flights of stairs for... the experience?
ELIZABETH: Exactly. And who knows, we might even stumble upon something interesting on the way up.
OWEN: Like what? A discarded pizza box? A broken heel?
ELIZABETH: Or a beautiful painting on one of the landings, or a friendly neighbor with an interesting story to share. The possibilities are endless, Owen.
OWEN: I see. Well, in that case, let the stair-climbing adventure begin. But remember, you owe me a good story if we run into a discarded pizza box.